....I had a dream that I was on an airplane flying to Japan. But the weather became really stormy, so the plane had to make an emergency landing in South Korea. I remember being really afraid that I was going to get lost (completely feasible for me) and be captured by the Kims. How is it that I've had multiple dreams involving Kim Jung Il?? He is not exactly a hot topic on my mind.
What I should be dreaming about is flying to Boston, Massachusetts... seeing as how I will be flying there in 3 days. Like, indefinitely. Because I have to start my grown up job and my grown up life, and at some point I pulled out a map and decided that Massachusetts would be a fun place to be a grown up.
Which means I have 3 days to pack up my life and fit it inside two and a half suitcases. Plus a carry-on. Um, wasn't it just June?? Wasn't I supposed to have all summer to do this? Apparently tanning and sleeping and pool-going take up more time than I thought. Sometimes I really, seriously dislike being a procrastinator.
Also, I love tricks. Don't cross me or I will become a wiley schemestress :) It's all in good fun.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Definition of Cool
Isn't it funny how the meaning of "being cool" changes as you get older?
For instance, in elementary school, I like to think that nobody is really "cool" or "uncool." At least in the early years. Everyone is just a kid, and hopefully some varying degree of "cute."
By the time you reach junior high and high school, you become very conscious of who is cool and who is not. It's a huge popularity competition, in some respects. I don't think I was ever very cool in those years. I was a good student, which apparently was not that cool, and I was somewhat shy. I may have been a little awkward. By my final year of high school, I think I no longer cared much about being cool or not. Which is funny, because this was probably my coolest year of all. (By this time I had become considerably less awkward, I had a boyfriend, and I was pretty sociable.)
In college, the definition changes A LOT. Being smart no longer makes you an outcast. Intellectual curiosity and high academic achievement are ideals to strive toward, not to mock. (Well, hopefully. I generally felt this way at Cal Poly, most of the time.) Eating lunch alone is socially acceptable. Dressing cute for your 8 am class in unnecessary and uncommon, as most students will stroll in wearing jeans or sweats. And whether you like to party it up or play Dungeons & Dragons on the weekends, you will probably be able to find plenty of others who like to do the same, thereby assuring you that your activity of choice is cool to someone.
And then when you graduate, it changes even further. Suddenly it's "cool" to be mature and successful, I think. It's cool to have a job and an apartment and stability. Maybe it's even cool to get 8 hours of sleep at night. And suddenly it's NOT cool to drink too much alcohol, or to goof off all the time, or to make too many inappropriate jokes. Right?
Sometimes I wonder what the popular kids from the high school era are doing. Are they successful, or are they just bumming around?? Are they still cool? One perk of NOT being super cool in high school is there is no rude awakening once it's all over. You know, no reality check, no thinking "oh shoot, I've gotten by this far with my good looks and popularity and endless stream of followers to reassure me that I'm awesome... now what?!" (At least in my imagination, this is what some of them are thinking.) I just think it's interesting, and sort of ironic, how this whole coolness factor evolves as you become an adult.
In conclusion: I think the geeks probably do grow up to rule the world. Along with the business majors, of course. Maybe this means that in adult land, cool and uncool will finally reach a happy medium.
For instance, in elementary school, I like to think that nobody is really "cool" or "uncool." At least in the early years. Everyone is just a kid, and hopefully some varying degree of "cute."
By the time you reach junior high and high school, you become very conscious of who is cool and who is not. It's a huge popularity competition, in some respects. I don't think I was ever very cool in those years. I was a good student, which apparently was not that cool, and I was somewhat shy. I may have been a little awkward. By my final year of high school, I think I no longer cared much about being cool or not. Which is funny, because this was probably my coolest year of all. (By this time I had become considerably less awkward, I had a boyfriend, and I was pretty sociable.)
In college, the definition changes A LOT. Being smart no longer makes you an outcast. Intellectual curiosity and high academic achievement are ideals to strive toward, not to mock. (Well, hopefully. I generally felt this way at Cal Poly, most of the time.) Eating lunch alone is socially acceptable. Dressing cute for your 8 am class in unnecessary and uncommon, as most students will stroll in wearing jeans or sweats. And whether you like to party it up or play Dungeons & Dragons on the weekends, you will probably be able to find plenty of others who like to do the same, thereby assuring you that your activity of choice is cool to someone.
And then when you graduate, it changes even further. Suddenly it's "cool" to be mature and successful, I think. It's cool to have a job and an apartment and stability. Maybe it's even cool to get 8 hours of sleep at night. And suddenly it's NOT cool to drink too much alcohol, or to goof off all the time, or to make too many inappropriate jokes. Right?
Sometimes I wonder what the popular kids from the high school era are doing. Are they successful, or are they just bumming around?? Are they still cool? One perk of NOT being super cool in high school is there is no rude awakening once it's all over. You know, no reality check, no thinking "oh shoot, I've gotten by this far with my good looks and popularity and endless stream of followers to reassure me that I'm awesome... now what?!" (At least in my imagination, this is what some of them are thinking.) I just think it's interesting, and sort of ironic, how this whole coolness factor evolves as you become an adult.
In conclusion: I think the geeks probably do grow up to rule the world. Along with the business majors, of course. Maybe this means that in adult land, cool and uncool will finally reach a happy medium.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
I Might Be Blogging from Inside the Matrix
Last week I watched The Matrix. For the first time. Yes, I do realize that I'm probably the last person on the planet to see this movie.
I'm secretly kind of bad at understanding movies. I blame this on my tendency to space out for extended periods of time, causing me to miss important plot details and wind up confused. I guess I thought this was going to be that kind of film, so I never bothered to see it. (With a book, it's easy to go back and re-read pages if you need to, but with a movie, you kind of have to take it in as you go along... unless of course you plan to become good friends with the rewind button.)
I actually found it to be a very interesting movie. And I must mean that sincerely, given that that I'm still thinking about it days later. I happen to like philosophy an awful lot, and if you let it, I think this movie opens the door to some interesting philosophical ideas. It questions the meaning of reality. Is the world as we know it actually real, or just real to us because it's all we know? Is a spoon really a spoon, or do our minds just think it's a spoon? And speaking of our minds, they are pretty powerful. How much of our version of "reality" do they control, and how much can we control them?
And then of course there is the age-old argument of fate versus free will. I don't think this movie changes the fact that I believe in the forces of the universe, although maybe my "universe" actually consists of some machines gone wild. Or something else gone wild that is controlling what I think.
Of course, if I'm in the Matrix right now, then the creators of the Matrix are reading this and laughing at me seriously hard.
Even so, it was a good movie. Just in case you've been living under the rock next door to mine and you still haven't seen it, I give it my recommendation. Just be prepared to get in touch with your thoughtful side afterwards.
I'm secretly kind of bad at understanding movies. I blame this on my tendency to space out for extended periods of time, causing me to miss important plot details and wind up confused. I guess I thought this was going to be that kind of film, so I never bothered to see it. (With a book, it's easy to go back and re-read pages if you need to, but with a movie, you kind of have to take it in as you go along... unless of course you plan to become good friends with the rewind button.)
I actually found it to be a very interesting movie. And I must mean that sincerely, given that that I'm still thinking about it days later. I happen to like philosophy an awful lot, and if you let it, I think this movie opens the door to some interesting philosophical ideas. It questions the meaning of reality. Is the world as we know it actually real, or just real to us because it's all we know? Is a spoon really a spoon, or do our minds just think it's a spoon? And speaking of our minds, they are pretty powerful. How much of our version of "reality" do they control, and how much can we control them?
And then of course there is the age-old argument of fate versus free will. I don't think this movie changes the fact that I believe in the forces of the universe, although maybe my "universe" actually consists of some machines gone wild. Or something else gone wild that is controlling what I think.
Of course, if I'm in the Matrix right now, then the creators of the Matrix are reading this and laughing at me seriously hard.
Even so, it was a good movie. Just in case you've been living under the rock next door to mine and you still haven't seen it, I give it my recommendation. Just be prepared to get in touch with your thoughtful side afterwards.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Ensenada
This past weekend I had the chance to visit Ensenada, Mexico via cruise ship. My expectations were set pretty low after having received quite a few "tips" pointing out that Ensenada is not the cleanest, safest, or most luxurious place to visit. Fortunately, when you aren't hoping for too much in the first place, there's nowhere to go but up. Which is probably why I ended up having a perfectly enjoyable time.
I was able to catch a city tour that included wine tasting at one of Mexico's oldest wineries, a visit to Ensenada's pretty & artful convention center, and shopping time downtown -- where I definitely paid my dues to the tourism industry by purchasing way too much cheap junk. I practiced my haggling skills, somewhat... although I felt kind of silly because I am certain that the locals live off of American tourists who are convinced they have fabulous haggling skills. (In reality, I'm pretty sure that most items are priced at about double the intended selling value anyway... hence all of the 50% off "sales" everywhere.)
[Inside the winery]
[Inside the convention center... one of the ceilings]
Seriously, these people must think we are pretty darn cheap... coming to visit their city on a fancy ship, and then beaming with pride when we can get a $10 item down to $6. I guess they're used to it.
[Downtown]
Afterwards, I took a slighly sketchy cab ride back to the ship. I was halfway expecting the taxi to fall apart (that poor car was shaking and squeaking like you wouldn't believe), but both the car and myself made it back in one piece. All in all, it was a fun outing with few mishaps.
Okay, so maybe I did get temporarily lost in downtown Ensenada. And this was AFTER the original tour bus had already departed, because our one-hour shopping allowance had come and gone. AND I had left my cell phone on the ship because certain people warned me not to use it outside of the U.S. So I guess that's what I get for taking too long and shopping too slowly. But you know how it goes... all's well that end's well.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Random Thoughts
Why are boys' razors always better than girls' razors? I am willing to give up my cutsie pink and purple shades for a sturdy (albeit ugly) black one with three blades that actually WORKS. From now on I think I am just going to buy boys' razors.
The crust is the best part of the pizza, don't ya think? It's what separates the amazingly good pizzas from the pizzas that are just mediocre. AND it tastes delicious. Thank you Dr. Atkins, but I think I will continue eating my carbs with a side of carbs.
Where has Anderson Cooper been?? How long does he plan to take vacation from his self-titled show?! Erica Hill may be ranked the second hottest female reporter in America, but she is NOT what keeps me coming back every night at 7 pm... and sometimes 8, 10, and 11 pm.
When I leave SLO this weekend, I think my first order of business will be to get food from a DRIVE-THRU! SLO is the only city I have heard of that bans drive-thrus, and I miss the ability to order cheap food while secretly wearing my pajama pants. Unfortunately, there is a high likelihood that I will spill ketchup in the car. Still totally worth it.
I wonder if I'll ever learn to bake? (FYI, I'm planning to bake cookies in the near future.)
I wonder if I'll ever learn to walk without falling. Or to carry objects without dropping them. So far today I have broken a wine glass, spilled my Diet Coke, and tripped at least once.
Speaking of wine, I don't really like it. I've tried to appreciate it, especially since all of my sophisticated future business colleagues will probably be drinking it, but it just tastes bitter. I do, however, like to drink apple cider from a wine glass and pretend like I'm drinking wine.
I really like my Apple-Mango-Tango flavored laundry detergent. It smells great AND it has a spunky name. Too bad it doesn't actually motivate me to do laundry.
I think I could go on for hours, but I'll spare you the inner workings of my brain. Besides, I should probably think about packing. Tomorrow evening I leave town, head to LA for the night, and then depart from Long Beach for my cruise to Ensenda, Mexico! This will officially be my first time out of the country. (Of many, I hope.) Cross your fingers that they let me back in!
The crust is the best part of the pizza, don't ya think? It's what separates the amazingly good pizzas from the pizzas that are just mediocre. AND it tastes delicious. Thank you Dr. Atkins, but I think I will continue eating my carbs with a side of carbs.
Where has Anderson Cooper been?? How long does he plan to take vacation from his self-titled show?! Erica Hill may be ranked the second hottest female reporter in America, but she is NOT what keeps me coming back every night at 7 pm... and sometimes 8, 10, and 11 pm.
When I leave SLO this weekend, I think my first order of business will be to get food from a DRIVE-THRU! SLO is the only city I have heard of that bans drive-thrus, and I miss the ability to order cheap food while secretly wearing my pajama pants. Unfortunately, there is a high likelihood that I will spill ketchup in the car. Still totally worth it.
I wonder if I'll ever learn to bake? (FYI, I'm planning to bake cookies in the near future.)
I wonder if I'll ever learn to walk without falling. Or to carry objects without dropping them. So far today I have broken a wine glass, spilled my Diet Coke, and tripped at least once.
Speaking of wine, I don't really like it. I've tried to appreciate it, especially since all of my sophisticated future business colleagues will probably be drinking it, but it just tastes bitter. I do, however, like to drink apple cider from a wine glass and pretend like I'm drinking wine.
I really like my Apple-Mango-Tango flavored laundry detergent. It smells great AND it has a spunky name. Too bad it doesn't actually motivate me to do laundry.
I think I could go on for hours, but I'll spare you the inner workings of my brain. Besides, I should probably think about packing. Tomorrow evening I leave town, head to LA for the night, and then depart from Long Beach for my cruise to Ensenda, Mexico! This will officially be my first time out of the country. (Of many, I hope.) Cross your fingers that they let me back in!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Getting Married
No, not me. Everybody else.
Okay, not quite everybody. But lots of people. I guess that once you've graduated college, that's the thing to do. But why?
I'm not complaining or anything. While I'm happy for anyone who has found their soulmate by the age of 22, I honestly don't wish I was getting married. I'm content in knowing that marriage is not on my to-do list for the near future. I'm not anywhere near ready for that sort of thing.
In fact, most of the time I still feel like a kid. Not in the sense that I want anybody to take care of me, or that I can't think for myself. But in the sense that there are tons of things to see and plenty of experiences to be had before I want to tie myself down to any serious responsibilities. And besides, aren't you supposed to have some kind of profound revelation about life before you are mature enough to get married?
I'm not usually cynical. Really. But I can't help wondering if all of these people know what they're doing. Have they been in enough other relationships to be sure that they are marrying the right person? Have they taken the time to decide which qualities they want in a spouse? And if even the answer to those questions is yes, how can a 22-year-old be sure that they won't be an entirely different person by the age of 32? Or 42? Just saying.
By the way, when I finally do get married, I'm pretty sure I want to elope. More spontaneous, more economical, and less opportunity to change my mind. Of course, this will be after I've had my profound revelation, so I'll be old and wise by then, and maybe even decisive. (If my future husband is lucky, maybe I will even become less accident-prone.) Stay tuned.
Okay, not quite everybody. But lots of people. I guess that once you've graduated college, that's the thing to do. But why?
I'm not complaining or anything. While I'm happy for anyone who has found their soulmate by the age of 22, I honestly don't wish I was getting married. I'm content in knowing that marriage is not on my to-do list for the near future. I'm not anywhere near ready for that sort of thing.
In fact, most of the time I still feel like a kid. Not in the sense that I want anybody to take care of me, or that I can't think for myself. But in the sense that there are tons of things to see and plenty of experiences to be had before I want to tie myself down to any serious responsibilities. And besides, aren't you supposed to have some kind of profound revelation about life before you are mature enough to get married?
I'm not usually cynical. Really. But I can't help wondering if all of these people know what they're doing. Have they been in enough other relationships to be sure that they are marrying the right person? Have they taken the time to decide which qualities they want in a spouse? And if even the answer to those questions is yes, how can a 22-year-old be sure that they won't be an entirely different person by the age of 32? Or 42? Just saying.
By the way, when I finally do get married, I'm pretty sure I want to elope. More spontaneous, more economical, and less opportunity to change my mind. Of course, this will be after I've had my profound revelation, so I'll be old and wise by then, and maybe even decisive. (If my future husband is lucky, maybe I will even become less accident-prone.) Stay tuned.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Where Have all the Colors Gone?
In searching for bedding and sofas for my future grown-up apartment, I have reached a terrible conclusion: the world of adults is a dreary, colorless place. How difficult is it to find cheerful, bright, colorful items that do not have Hello Kitty or Power Rangers characters plastered all over them? It's as if you grow up and then suddenly everything becomes dull and grey.
No, seriously. I have decided that adults do not like actual colors. They like varying shades of brown and maroon. If they are feeling particularly adventurous, they will spring for a boring blue. I think they dislike cheerful shades because this just reminds them of how much fun they are NOT having at their cheerless jobs.
Don't get me wrong. I am excited to have a real job. Sure, sometimes I wish I could have an awesomely fun job... like a river rafting guide. Or Oprah Winfrey. Or the Watertown tree warden. How do you manage to become a tree warden, anyway? Do you have to go to school for that?? I guess it would help if I actually knew what a tree warden was. Hmm.
Anyway, the lesson here is that I don't want to grow up and begin hating all things colorful. Maybe if my business career does not pan out, I will become a designer and start a line of pretty housewares for adults. Please look out for that.
In the meantime, I plan to decorate with sunflowers and paintings of the ocean and cucumber-flavored candles. Please come over and visit!
No, seriously. I have decided that adults do not like actual colors. They like varying shades of brown and maroon. If they are feeling particularly adventurous, they will spring for a boring blue. I think they dislike cheerful shades because this just reminds them of how much fun they are NOT having at their cheerless jobs.
Don't get me wrong. I am excited to have a real job. Sure, sometimes I wish I could have an awesomely fun job... like a river rafting guide. Or Oprah Winfrey. Or the Watertown tree warden. How do you manage to become a tree warden, anyway? Do you have to go to school for that?? I guess it would help if I actually knew what a tree warden was. Hmm.
Anyway, the lesson here is that I don't want to grow up and begin hating all things colorful. Maybe if my business career does not pan out, I will become a designer and start a line of pretty housewares for adults. Please look out for that.
In the meantime, I plan to decorate with sunflowers and paintings of the ocean and cucumber-flavored candles. Please come over and visit!
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