So Sick, So Sad

Happy Thursday! Last one of 2006. So, to recap, here's a little look back on each blog-post this year:



Old Thursdays never die; they just get reconfigured. ("I got the black lung because of the Industrial Revolution!!"). Now you can make fresh bread in YOUR rice maker!! ...The only thing that comes to mind is lemmings. 3. I don't really have a third order of business, so I'll skip right to the poem. And I was all, "Is this joking me??" Which is fine by me, because all I got out of the class was that CatAyans are negative Ayans.

Now all I need are some cute Thursday shoes. We titrated. I brought my cute duck, the Sacred, the cactus carving, and a tin of mints. Because there is no fire, just somebody who needs to be killed by a ninja very soon. Hooray for mangy mangy mango! Then we tried to go to Arby's, but it was too dangerous. Water bottle at Ghiradelli Square: $2.50. I don't have to cater to you, invisible people. Oh, and I got hired by Vons, still waiting for the drug test to come back so I can come to work. Don't hit the Pixie Stix too hard, guys. I look forward to killing you soon! No Thanks.

oh my goodness you guys there's only 15 minutes left of thursday and I almost COMPLETELY forgot to write this so i'll do something quick and let you know how the ax went tomorrow ok? Ummmm, so, Lobsters. What a silly muffin he was. Hahah, Got it memorized? Every thing was so PINK in 93. But all the day before that, I got to wear my new Thursday shirt and tie, and I felt really snazzy. One day he was nyaoing around, and then, he nyaoed no more. Also, I almost put my hand in a spider later.

I will never again place your delicate fruits at the top with gentle care,
and I will never again ask if you want your watermelon in a bag.

ME: I stole it. And...put it into the sun. In search of the one chord which will make brown actually emit from the guitar. Still learning how to read, really. So, I have three minutes to write this before running off to screenwriting followed by Japanese followed by re-shoots for our movie followed by actually figuring out what I'm going to say in that presentation tomorrow followed by a few hours of editing the movie. Spent a class period behind a studio camera today--have I mentioned how much my major rocks?

Kinda like everytime I see Pellaffle, the alien donut penguin I drew. I'm hoping my self-dicipline will actually increase, so that next sememster I can devote myself to Homework!Fridays. Behold! The new face of Planism! I'm hungry, but this toothpick I'm chewing on doesn't really help much. But I think the pieces are falling into place--not just for this immediate weekend, but for all the work that stalked me in the night and just so suddenly pounced.

Hahahah, the keypads can shoot lazers, too. I've decided that I want to watch more shows with techno in the background. I ripped both the CR ad and the Daniel Craig article from PEOPLE and taped him to my wall (next to Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, and Matt Damon). We're going to Colorado to see my bro and his cute little family. Iron Chef makes me really hungry.


What a fun year this was.

Right now I'm in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as I've mentioned, typing away on Ainsley's cute little desktop. Grr, fullsized keyboard and mouse?! Gimme a laptop anyday.

It's crazy snowing. I got sick durning the night, so I stayed home and slept while everyone went out amongst the snow. Crazies. I took pictures of the snow (dude, this is the first time I've ever seen snow falling) but I'll have to wait till I get home to get them off the camera.

Still don't like planes, but it was only two hours so it wasn't *that* bad...

Well, guess I'll see you next year!

-Steph

Blackjack Thursday!

Happy Blackjack Thursday! It was a really good day! Wearing my tie and everything (under my sweatshirt!) Only two hours left to report on it!

Been outta school for a week! Got all my grades back: A, A-, B, A, B-. No C in Church History for me! B in writing class 'cause I didn't get my play done. Dunno what that A- is for...I definitely even did extra credit in that class. =/

Done a lot of hanging out with friends, a sort of reunion since we've all been away to school. Poor Jennifer doesn't even live in Ventura anymore. So sad.

Finally got started on my Christmas shopping...coulda started earlier.

Saw Casino Royale again on Monday. Yay. Still good, people, still good. It's plot strenghts actually weaken everytime I think too hard about it, and yet I'm still in love.

Today was full of sleeping, and listening to music, and eating at Mamaya (soooo good), and some shopping aaaaaand. Then some more shopping with Carolyn in the nights. And then an hour and a half Iron Chef with all my favorite people. And Scrubs is old but funny. And soon it will be very, very sad.

Whats else, whats else. I need to cook more. I bought foods to cook, but I need to get around to it. Iron Chef makes me really hungry.

Well, I guess that's it, hm. Gotta get some Blackjack in in the next hour. Geez. The pressure.

-Steph

Ehhhhhhhhhhhh

I'd like to say it's finally over, but it's not. Not quite.

Finals are over! Class is over! Just gotta spit out 14 pages of a play by tomorrow noon. Not really looking forward to that. Spent Sunday-Tuesday writing the movie, 10 pages a day. Sorta sick of writing.

So, Happy Thursday! Happy Lull Thursday. Ok, so you know how "special" Thursdays get sorta titles? I suppose you'd call Lull Thursday a special one, just 'cause it has a name. Funny thing is, it's just the lull between special Thursdays--Casino Royale last week and Blackjack next week. So I guess it's really just a block of special Thursdays. But that's good. I'm contributing to the holiday season. Especially looking forward to Blackjack Thursday (being a "real" one, and 'cause it's the oldest/most highly respected of special Thursdays) because it'll be the last one of 2006.

2007. Two thousand seven. It's two thousand seven.

Mm, just remembered that the Office is on tonight. For an hour. Who's excited! And then Scrubs and then 30 Rock, which I saw for the first time last week. And it was pretty spectacular. Good thing Grey's is a rerun again. Or else I wouldn't get the tv.

I'm sleepy. I'm really excited for the break. We're going to Colorado to see my bro and his cute little family. Not for the whole break. And I'm going to see all my friends again! 'Cause we all been away to school. Gonna see Casino Royale like three times. Gonna not do school. Not think about school. Still gotta get presents for pretty much everyone. Requests?

I can't think of what else exciting happened this week. That writing just took over my life, and it's all I can remember. 30 pages in 3 days, shoot. I don't have a very good relationship with deadlines.

Hehee, Gretchen is calling me! See you soooooooon!

-Steph

You Know My Name

It's Bond, James Bond.

Happy Casino Royale Thursday!

Last Saturday, me and my film friend Megan went to see Casino Royale. Over break, when asked if I was going to see it, I scoffed, under the excuse of "I don't really like James Bond." This is still true. Know why?

Casino Royale isn't a Bond movie. It's an EXCELLENT movie.

I can see why die-hard Bond fans might object: no gadgets, no sleeping around, no cheesy quips, and Daniel Craig. These be the same factors that make my opinion of it so solidly positive.

There's also some pretty flat out amazing chases/fights/stunts. And several heartbreakingly sweet moments. And, on occasion, it's pretty funny. Most of this humor I must attribute solely to Daniel Craig, because sometimes he just does this little grin when you least expect it, and it's priceless.

Faults (for I am a cinema major; not a blind fanatic) lie in the plot--even seeing it again, some things just DON'T add up. They follow, but not expressly. The fact that there's only one American means a lot of accents, and some of these people are not the best enunciators (including Daniel Craig himself). There's also this awkward sequence--awkward not in content, but context. I was sitting there saying, why is this happening? But, nothing awkward registered the second time through--it's something that's necessary, and after I knew why, it didn't bother me.

The effects this movie has had on me: I've listened to the theme song (You Know My Name by Chris Cornell, it's awesome by itself, and it fits the movie so perfectly and the credits sequence itself is awe inspiring) about 500 times. Probably more. I up and learned Texas Hold 'Em. I skipped my first class all semester to see it again yesterday. I ripped both the CR ad and the Daniel Craig article from PEOPLE and taped him to my wall (next to Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway, and Matt Damon).

So when roomie Alex says Happy Thursday to me today, it wasn't a stretch to find a reason to name this Casino Royale Thursday. She actually came up with it--she asked why I didn't wear my Thursday tie anymore, and I said it was only for special occasions, and she said Like Blackjack Thursday? And I said, Yeah, there's one in two weeks - there should be a Texas Hold 'Em Thursday. And then I glanced at the calendar and realized it was the 7th (i.e., 007) and freaked out and was going to say Happy Texas Hold 'Em Thursday when she said Happy Casino Royale Thursday!! I debated, and went with the film title because it implies both Texas Hold 'Em AND Bond, thus tying the game to the date.

So: 2nd - Planist Thursday
7th - Casino Royale Thursday
21st/date adds to 21 - Blackjack Thursday

Are the concrete special Thursdays.

Also I'd like to say that the cheap theater's matinee price is $3.50, so I've seen it twice for cheaper than some of you saw it the first time.

Other than that, class is over! Gotta study for finals and finish writing my movie/play, and that's it! That's so crazy. And looks like I'm going to finish off my meal plan--I only have 6 meals and like $15 left. Tomorrow is Christmas chapel, which is fun and games, and the final for dumb-class. Arrrr, yay. It's been a good semester.

See you all 'round Christmastime!!

-Steph

Zat time again

Remember this one Thursday last year, when I posted pictures from my hall of the Christmas Chaos on the lawn below? Well it happened again!! So, it's Christmas time again.

Today was my early/long day, and I'm pretty tired. Stayed up late last night doing homework for the class I've only messed up one assignment for (too bad it was a pretty important paper.... -_-). And this morning in film lab I had to direct a stupid live news show. Not my thing at all. But it's overwith, forever.

It was super cold today. Except for like right at 2:30, it was sorta hot. But then it got cold again. Right now I'm wearing my sweatshirt over my snazzy jacket. But our heater works, and we been using it well.

I keep being distracted while writing this. Right now it's Gray's, but I'm a little sad I live in a mod of girls, because I'd rather not have just missed the season premier of Scrubs. But it was funny, what I saw. Also wish I could watch 30 Rock. I should probably just buy one of them little black & white tvs. Hooray tv.

In some interesting for me news, I've been writing short stories about Ryan. And Ryan-related people. It's a lot of fun. Should be writing for my screenplay/play, though. I'll get around to 'em. But the semester's almost over, and that's exciting.

I've decided that I want to watch more shows with techno in the background. That'd be great. A whole show with original scored techno. Yeaaah, that sounds like a good idea.

Try this: when out and about, randomly point and shout: "Look at that (random thing) I'm hallucenating!!" I promise it's really fun.

Um, what else, what else. Happy Thursday! If I didn't say that yet. Oops, I'm reminded I was gonna do laundry today. Oh, it's fine, i'll do it tomorrow morning. no morning class, the other lab is doing news shoots. Don't have to go to chapel, either, 'cause I've got 5 absences left and only four chapels to miss. It's fun.

Ok, I'm leaving now. Hahahah.

-Steph

Happy ThursgivingDay!

Because I know all of you are making sure to set aside time today to check this. So I took time out just for you!

Today I played my harmonica and helped cook and ate foods and baked a pie and now I'm watching Power Rangers Light Speed Rescue with the sound off.

And I'm at home!

It's colder here, and that's nice. But my sister is not here, stuck away at her farfar away school, and that's a little weird. But no complaints about how gross meat is. ;) My bed is great and humongous and close to the ground. My cactuses look like they could be doing better (except for Vicious, who's just fine, the jerk), and it's sad to not have Simba around. Oh, and I got a hair cut. Finally.

I am not thankful for Deal or No Deal Thanksgiving Update. I would much rather have the Office. Bah.

So now we're just sittin around, waiting for the pie to cool. Pumpkin. The only other sort of pie I've made besides apple. So, I'm branching out. What next!!? The possibilities are endless?!!!!

Started my screenplay last weekend, and I've about 10 good pages. It's a start. The play...well. Right now I really gotta worry more about the research paper that I should be...researching for. Eeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnnnnng.

Yeah, I don't really have anything else to say. Power Rangers is pretty fun with the sound off. Just now, they got keypads! And Ryan escaped to ancient Egypt and met a snake monster. XD Hahahah, the keypads can shoot lazers, too.

Happy Thursday!
-Steph

木曜日お目出度う

木曜日お目出度う! Mokuyoubi Omedetou! Can it mean anything but: Happy Thursday!

I am a little tired, a little hungry, a little sick. But I don't have anything else to do today but eat, watch the office, write for my play (which is starting to come together) and sleep. The exchange is that my busy day is tomorrow, which comes with much planning for work over the weekend, and trying to figure out this cinematography thing. But I think the pieces are falling into place--not just for this immediate weekend, but for all the work that stalked me in the night and just so suddenly pounced.

Research paper:
Go by library on way to dinner, grab the book they have, ask when the ordered books will be in. (today)
Start reading. (weekend)
Go get books when they come in -- read. (next week)
Write paper over Thanksgiving Break >< (next week)

Term Paper:
Get magazine ads over Break. (next week)
Read Chapter 11. (anytime)
Write paper after research paper is done. (window between 28th and 1st)

Screenplay:
Write at anytime. (also more so after papers are done)

Play:
Write tonight, for as long as possible.
Write at anytime. (also more so after papers are done)

Psalms Project:
Shoot tomorrow, FINISH.

News Package:
Keep camera for weekend.
Shoot on Saturday.
Edit on Sunday/next week.

So really all that's overlapping is shooting and reading, and I'll just have to keep writing whenever I can.....and it'll all get done. But really, worrying about all this without seeing how it's going to work is probably why I'm sick. Blah.

I'm really ready for the break. I wanna go home and cook and eat and hang out and get a hair cut. Too bad I have to write a paper --or start it AT LEAST. But then it's only two more weeks to the end of the semester, and I will do NOTHING school/stress related during that time. Nothing.

Oh, thanks Mom, for the lovelies. That's buying me my ticket to Pride and Prejudice (play) on Saturday. (I'm seeing it with my bud who I'm doing the shooting with that day....it all works out) The Subway monies I'm going to save and use strategically, because I still have $80 of "dining dollars." So basically I have to spend $5 at the Qwikimart everyday til school is out. So I'm covered lunch and dinner during the week, and I still have some stores to use on weekends.

I think I'm becoming better at planning.

Ok, I'm going to go write, because I'm really hungry, but I shouldn't get up and leave the house without even starting, y'know? 'Cause I'll find other things to do when I get back, and that won't do at all.

-Steph

That Thursday Thing Again

Yawn! I get outta class and it's practically night already!

Well, not quite, I got out of class at 4.

But it was certainly already evening.

But when I'm inside without easy access to a window, I loose track of time.

But Happy Thursday to you all! I trust it was a good one.

After this next project finishes, filming class will be about news production the rest of the semester. So in lab we've been running demos of what it's like to produce a "live" news show. That is, the graphics and sound and stuff are fed live with the anchors--not that it's being broadcast.

It's fun. It's probably the funnest thing we've done *in* class so far. It's like the Batman one of last week, but less "radio." Yesterday and today, me and Matt were the anchors (me! an anchor!!) and we had to read this horrible script over and over and over as everyone else got a chance to do sound/graphics/direct. But it was still fun. This morning I did sound and directing.....I really like sound, and I sorta really hate directing. I also ran the teleprompter, which was not as fun as it sounds. But at least we were doing something interesting, instead of listening to him ramble on about his grammatically-poor power points.

Got another grade sheet in Church History, and I was quite pleased to see all As down the list. ^^ AND. This mini-paper from a week or so ago, totally came back marked "Excellent analysis 40/40." THAT was a surprise. Now all I gotta do is read the books for the research paper, and study for the final (on top of my normal keeping-up-with-the-work activities) and I'll be good.

Really, I think I've been doing rather well in all the classes--with a few exceptions. But I haven't missed a class or assignment yet...so I could be looking at my first all-A semester since like 5th grade. I just need to write a movie and a play for writing class, and all will be well. ^^;;

(I only had a 10 minute conference about it with him today, instead of class)

And Japanese is going really well--I'm still picking it up crazy easy, even the stuff that's completely new (which isn't a lot). Tuesday's quiz came back 13/13, and I was able to answer inu wa doko ni imasuka? really quickly (mado no soto ni imasu) where others had to look up both the noun and the preposition they wanted. And I think my penmanship is improving, but only randomly. I mean, 4 outta 5 あ are sorta cruddy, but every once in a while there's one that's perfect.

(the other class is mass comm, and we did a great presentation on the Oprah magazine AND we've done extra credit AND my 12:30-in-the-library-paper definitely got an A)

And now it's night! I'm hungry, but this toothpick I'm chewing on doesn't really help much. Complaining about being hungry reminds me of Jennifer, who I've been talking to a lot lately because she went away to college and discovered the internet, and that reminds me of Planism which I have been discussing a lot recently all of a sudden. We've got a Facebook group for it, and someone the other day posted a link to a "CONVINCING CASE FOR SOCIALISM!" which was convicing up until the democratic part. And then right after, a vague acquaintance of mine joined up, so I've been having to explain myself to the both of them, so it's been up in my mind a lot.

I really like Planism, guys, and that's why I spent all last Thursday talking about it. And, when I was grabbing my Thursday clothes last night, I definitely called my shirt my "Planism shirt" on accident, because I meant "Thursday shirt." I think the national day of Planism should be Thursday. AND, if ever Thursday and Planism become inexplicably mixed, then you will all know that this was the start of that movement.

Happy Thursday!
-Steph

NeoPlanism

Happy Planist Thursday!

It's the second of the month, and it occurs to me that even while 2 is my favorite number, it does not have a specific significance within the realm of Thursday. Coincidentally, today is the planned unveiling of the new Planism logo. Planism, Thursday, and 2, three of my favorite things. So: Happy Planist Thursday! Here's to many more~

You all know the old red-blue-and-yellow star-in-a-box symbol from the good ol' days, right? I have it on my computer and my laptop bag and my cdplayer and my phone. And I've drawn in on other things I want to mark as mine. Maybe I drew it on you once. In any case, this is what it looks like:

Here's what it means: The red border to represent the framework of communist thought surrounds the blue liberty. And the yellow star of Planism holds it all together. The star itself is a tribute to communism as well as a slight on America (whose stars are white). And together, the primary colors represent the basics that work.

And while Planism hasn't changed (although in theory is should be growing), it's time for that symbol to change. To become better. Thus, through thought and inspiration, I have come to this. Behold! The new face of Planism!



How do you like? The colors have the same meanings, but the shapes mean more. The most important part is the change from star to triangle as the basic shape of Planism. Why triangle? Well, my first response is Why star? The star was just an homage to communism, which is kinda redundant with the red border. But the triangle is the most solid shape, in terms of structure and physics and stuff. It's also my favorite shape!

Also, consider this. Fact: the human hand has three triangles. Fact: yellow is invisible. Therefore, if the triangles are yellow, then that's why you can't see them.

trapezoids are my second favorite shape, since I wrote that haiku about them. Since then, my fondness for them has grown because I realized they were just squares who were striving to become more triangle-like. That's a noble goal, let me tell you. So the shape of the logo's border has changed from square to trapezoid, to represent the transformation of communism towards Planism. Also, it's a break in convention, which we all appreciate, if you consider that our logo is supposed to also be what we display on flags. I've never seen a trapezoidal flag, have you? The square was a step in that direction, but now we've gone a step farther. Also, there was this minor inconvenience where the US army uses a star inside a bordered box as their logo. Now, all confusion has been cleared.

Talking about use, in the commune these will be worn as badges. As of now, they're just stickers, you know. Work is still being done on advanced designs, to designate rank. So far, they're taller and the triangles are snazzier, but instead of perfecting them, I decided to do homework.

So, in real-world news, I should be looking up stuff about Oprah and finishing the website for our presentation. Ew. I also need to scan some stuff from her magazine. Then I need to write a write-up about our last filming project.

OH. This morning in lab we messed around with "live" production--switching video and audio while the action is running, like a news show. But it was just Batman telling Robin not to fall for Poison Ivy, and then she tries to break into the BatCave. I ran the switcher, following the director's....directions....bringing which camera or graphic up onto the screen which in practice would go to tape or to air. Then I ran the audio board, bringing in the talents' mics when needed, and fading in and down and up and out the music when needed. And then I taught my friends how to do it! It was actually one of the better labs in a while, because we got to do something. When we first walked into the secret control room, all the equipment and monitors and wires and buttons and dials and sliders and lights looked incredibly daunting, but it was a good introduction.

Well, I'd best be off to working, and probably also eating. Lost next week had better be better than this week, and I'm still looking forward to the Office. Yayayayayayan.

-Steph

Finally the week ends

Lucky Thursday! Hmm. Or, Happy Lucky Thursday! Or: Have a Lucky Thursday! Which is, I suppose, the etymological origin of "Happy Thursday." As in, it came from "have a happy Thursday!" much like I suppose "Merry Christmas" came from "I hope you have a merry Christmas!" Therefore, I condone "Lucky Thursday," and we'll skip all those centuries of language progression.

Tonight I have to write a paper and watch The Office.

Tomorrow I have to go to class and then change into my work clothes (D:!) and help out at the Dinner Rally for ministry credit. Which is good, because I don't have any this semester yet. I needz it.

Today I had the long day per usual. Up ten minutes early and had enough time to eat an orange. Went to dumb lab where we talked about our script for our upcoming project. It was something I slammed out the other evening, just so we had something to turn in, and then was declared wonderful and revised by a teammate, and today we were supposed to revise it some more til it worked, but we sorta didn't. Then was Church class, which was good, because I actually did the homework for it, and we had a better discussion than we've been having. Then lunch...where I almost ruined the microwavable hamburger helper by putting it 1 1/3 cup water instead of 1/3....so I added another packet and microwaved it again and it was salvageable. Then screenwriting, where for some reason we talked about Esselstrom's life, which was enjoyable. Then Japanese, where we had a "mid term," but was really more like a glorified quiz. I was done after ten minutes, so I got out more than an hour early. And then I hung out over on West Campus (with a vanilla fudge Drumstick) and thought out some of my screenplay, waiting for my Academic Advising appointment to come into range. And Megan Moorhouse came over because we're buddies and we ended up getting "advised" at the same time and we're hoping to have classes together next semester.

Yay.

But it's so late in the day now...it's practically dinner time. If I get all the classes I'm thinking about, I'll have late days every day, and two night-ish classes....but I have open mornings and no class on Friday. Tentative classes:

Writing for TV, Film, and Radio
Life and Teachings of Jesus
Film and Literature (+lab(watching movies))
Japanese 102
Media Criticism

Only 16 units, because the lab doesn't count for anything. And the writing one is 4 hours but only 3 units....but it's a "Upper Division Writing Intensive" course, so I'm thinking that explains it.

Last Saturday I helped an acquaintance film the play Dracula. I ran a camera and kept track of the sound and everything! It was fun. It was a back-up shoot because the one they did the week before didn't work so great, and so it was not a really stressfull-must-be-perfect sort of first experience. It was also a great play, and I wish I had at least seen it before I had to watch it from behind a camera. I'm going to see if I can wrangle a copy.

Our studio shoot project got finished...it's alright. As good as it can be with a crummy script, decrepit sound stage, and inexperienced crew. Gonna try to get a copy of that, too.

It's Lucky Thursday because I needed the luck to finish everything I needed to finish this week. Really all that's left is the paper, and then the big event tomorrow....so I think it ended up ok. And I can afford to do the paper just tonight, because I have enough extra credit to ensure an A.

I haven't missed an assignment all semester!! Only one late, too, so far. I'm hoping my self-dicipline will actually increase, so that next sememster I can devote myself to Homework!Fridays. Then I'll have the entire weekend open every week. That'd be really nice. Here's hopin'.

-Steph

TGIT

HT e1!

I am so hungry. BRB going to the caf.

Hmm... not a great selection today... here, look.


Mmmmmmm.

More pictures? Ok.


My Thursday Truck! He's sooooo cute. I saw him twice today, and both time I laughed giddily. Kinda like everytime I see Pellaffle, the alien donut penguin I drew.


The new walk added onto the normal walk--all the way to that light and back down the other side, to get to....


Yeah. That's where my Japanese class is at. Room 208. There was like no one there today, I answered pretty much everything. It was fun.

So I forgot to do my laundry, so I just did it all today, so earlier I was not wearing my Thursday clothes, but now I am! This week was pretty weird. But now that it's over, it's pretty good. I mean, tomorrow is a "study day" to prepare for next week's midterms. I already had one, and thanks to him curving it a crazy lot, I got an A!

My mom's coming to visit tomorrow, and that should be exciting. Hafta clean the little house, so it looks like it's always clean. LOL.

Brianna's playing the Rent soundtrack (on shuffle between the old and new versions @@) and it makes me want to see it real bad.

OH. Lucky # Slevin is EXCELLENT. The Departed is alright, coulda been better. Fulltime Killer is going in my list of favorite movies ever. Primal Fear was hyped too much to me, but it had its merits. All these movies had actors I really love (except for Fulltime Killer, but now I really love Andy Lau), and I'd say the acting is the strong point of all of these. Maybe in Slevin the story one-ups the acting, but then, everything about it is good.

Our most recent filming project is to tape a "dialogue scene" that was given to us. It's a horrible, horrible script, the acting is only as good as our classmates, and most recently, the filming is only as good as myself.

Remember when we spent five hours taping it on Sunday? Well, tonight we have to do it allllllllllllllll over again.

Why? Because the lighting was awful, and the other camera person pretty much got the entire soundstage on tape.

It's projected that we'll be there till 2 in the morning, because we can't meet until 9. Sigh. I miss sleep.

Speaking of, I might just nap after getting my clothes outta the dryer. 7-8:30 nap, that sounds good. 8:30 is Office!!!!!!! It holds my attention better than Lost does, sad to say. OK. gtg. ttyl. cya.

-Steph

Is it just me, or is it fall?

Happy Thursday and Happy Autumn Time! I spent yesterday messing around in photoshop instead of doing things productive...and ended up with an oddly festive, seasonally-appropriate thing!

Remember in the summer when I had nothing to write about for weeks on end? And now I spend the whole post talking about a single day? Yeah, I blame that on Vons.

Oh, speaking of prolificacy (looked that one up, so I didn't end up putting "prolitivery"), Dr. Esselstrom likes my movie idea. He also says to start writing the novel, and I'm prone to agree with him. ^^;; Which is too bad, because my mind came up with it specifically to make a movie from, and I wanted to try and get away from book-writing. Not that it would make a bad movie--it'd just make a better book.

Funny thing is, I actually *have* already started writing the novel, so to speak. The only thing I have written for it (asides from pages of notes, and outlines, and treatments) is a half-page chapter. Here, I'll show it off:


A silhouette of a solitary traveler flickers in the shifting desert heat. Gradually, the terrain changes under his boots, the flat sands mounding and forming oddly shaped piles. And these grow as his goes on, until rubble and broken stone formations protrude from the earth. The sand has not had time enough to cover these, too.

The frames in the middle of the town have survived the best. Some hollow structures still retain the image of a house or shop. But there is none that hasn't been mostly destroyed by something before the sand crept in. The wooden ones have fallen as if in fire; and the masonry looks like it was blown apart.

There is a statue that stands in what was once the center of town. It is now cracked and disfigured, tinted orange with a coat of fine dust, and the calm pool it once stood in has filled with sand. This is where the traveler's boots bring him. Here at his destination he removes his large concealing hat, revealing himself to be a green-eyed young man. The tattered edges of his cape whip around his legs as he stands in front of that equally battered statue.

He looks up, squinting against the harsh sun. The statue ignores him, staring instead off into the distance, serene and lifeless. Too much like the desert itself. He raises a hand to touch the old stone, but stops just before his fingers reach the dusty surface.

"I'm sorry," he says to the statue. The statue doesn't hear him.




I hope that intrigues you! So that you will go see the movie when it comes to a theater near you.

Nothing of great outstanding interest has happened this week, but it's all been good. Spent a class period behind a studio camera today--have I mentioned how much my major rocks?

Mm, because I'm a sucker for romance, I really want to play FFX again, and I'm sad that I only own X-2. Not a satisfying ending, unless you're an ULTRAGAMER. Also, I really really want the FFX-2 soundtrack. And, FFXII. ....Christmas is coming up soon, right?

Happy Birthdays! Melody and Michelle are aging over the weekend! Sadly not on Thursdays, but hey, no one's perfect.

Carolyn's visiting me over the weekend, too! But not aging. Well, maybe aging. Just a little bit. I'd say about two or three days' worth.

Whaaaaaaaaaat else. The Office tonight. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Jim and Pam. And Grey's Anatomy, which I'm finding is more and more like my first impression--not really that amazing a show. I think it has a good deal to do with "McDreamy" being one of the worst looking people I've ever seen on TV, and Meredith being an idiot. I like George.

And Sawyer. I like Sawyer from Lost. And Ben? TOTALLY creeps me out. Ew. And Sayid? or, Naveen Andrews? That's a great actor. Because his character--he knows what's going on when other people don't, but he plays at going along with things when he's planning something completely different, and you can tell! Maybe it would be better to the character to be completely believable when he's plotting, but in any case it's some mindboggling acting work. Wow, that had nothing to do with anything.

Maa, na. Owatta.

-Steph

The Guests in my House are Plants

'Cause they are. Megan's giving them back to whoever they belong to tomorrow.

Happy Blackjack Thursday! Second of the year, and I'm not sure if there are any more. I'll have to check.

Last night I had a crazy dream which involved me being a Meredith Grey-esque doctor, who instantaneously became a Buffy-esque demon fighter when Spike (from Buffy) showed up with crazy spikes (huh) out of his back and a tail, and then tried to kill me and my random dream friend. It was one of those ..disturbing dreams that you realize are not fun and wake yourself up from, and then try to stay awake for a while so you don't go back there. The worst part was that this happened at 6:11 AM, and my alarm was going to go off at 7:00. I guess I did fall back asleep, because I woke up again 30 seconds before my alarm, so that's alright.

I'm sorta sad that Thursday is my long day. But the fact that the second half is my favorite classes kinda makes up for that. Today we "learned" how to set up lights and get the right kind of light ratio in production class. Then, I went and doodled in my Church class. Then lunch--I bought a crazy frozen thai food thing from the Qwikimart, and did my homework for the next class. Which was Screenwriting, and he stealthily taught us about good characters/characterization without us realizing it. Then Japanese, where my hall-mate Suko from last year was randomly assisting in, and where I actually learned some stuff. I think it was the best/most productive class so far.

From there I walked back over to West, to meet up with a buddy from production class to do some stupid homework which involves ignoring a 20-year-old cd-rom and taking common-sense quizzes. But the only two computers in the entire school which have this program were occupied, so we sat there next to them and hung out. They were occupied by people from our class, by the way. Then we went to the food place and went back, and I was able to skip the ignoring part and just do the quizzes, so now it looks like I completed everything. ^^ And, I did like enough Japanese homework to last a week.

Also, it seems that I have no homework (as of now) for tomorrow, and only one class! There's extra credit for the other one, but I dun wanna go and listen to a lecture about directing actors. Production class has made me realize how much I do not want to be in that side of film production. I'd much rather sit at home and write a movie, and send it off and be completely uninvolved in making it. Screenwriting has shown me how much I want to write for TV. As has LOST.

*incoherent gurgles*

What a show. What a show.

Also, today I wore my sweatshirt all day long. Because it was cold enough to need it! The sign on the way to class this morning said it was 53 degrees. To me, we've definitely hit fall. And it's real nice. I'm thinking of doing a Fall Update photoshoot, which includes the route out to Japanese class, which is located in a shopping alcove across the street from the real campus.

What else.....finished that movie. Ended up being called Toward and Away, but that was literally something thrown out there at the *last* second. It's not the best movie ever, no, but it's alright. Just, I can't sit through it anymore, because that footage and that song make me sick. Got a copy of it today, so I can show it off if you come in contact with me and a DVD player.

Welp, that looks like that's all I've got to say this week. I'll leave you with this: if you haven't seen Arrested Development, you NEED to go rent it. NOW.

-Steph

Busy Week, Lazy Me

I've been so good at homeworking thus far, until this week. And great, this week is the most homework/group project laden one of them all. So, I have three minutes to write this before running off to screenwriting followed by Japanese followed by re-shoots for our movie followed by actually figuring out what I'm going to say in that presentation tomorrow followed by a few hours of editing the movie.

Um, it's really hot today, and I feel like sleeping, but since it's my best two classes, I suppose that can wait. I been writing this week/lately, so maybe some of that will get up to where you can see it. Actually, it all goes up into the writing journal, but you guys are too lazy to go and check there. Silly you. Wrote a "movie scene" just now, for screenwriting, and it's pretty funny. Might go somewhere. But really we're supposed to be working on our play for the next while.

Ok, I'm being yelled at to go to class, so I'm off!! Have a nice week and a Happy Thursday, everyone!!

-Steph

Been a While

Happy Blackjack Thursday! First one of the year. I know there's one next month, but I almost totally forgot about this one. Hahah, oops, since it's way more obvious than October 5th. Perhaps I'll get my roomies to play a hand with me. Sigh, if only I could count in my head.

So, I've been of the opinion, for a long time now, that everything happens for a reason. Here's a good story.

The other day, I was on my way to the caf for dinner. There are two ways to get there from my little house, the common way and the faster way. Because it's the common way, I was headed toward that one. But it just so happens that a car is coming down the road, which makes me veer off towards the other way. But in the car is one of my roommates, Alex. We wave, and I continue off in my new direction.

This is like an alley, blocked off from cars, between the baseball field and a dorm. So, I'm walking, and I see in front of me a lady talking to a freshman, the latter of which shrugs and goes on. I'm just catching up, and as I pass, I catch the lady's eye, because I know she's looking for somewhere and that girl couldn't help her. She catches mine, and sure enough, says, "Do you know where the IMT modular is?" I sure do. So I nod, and reply, "Yeah. Do you want me to show you where it is?"

Long story short, I walk her over to IMT and we have a nice chat about the campus. She says they didn't give her very good directions, and I say they never do. IMT isn't exactly on the way to the caf, but the direction I was headed when I met up with her is the way to get to the way to IMT, so it was easy to escort her there. My directions probably would have been worse than the ones she got before, anyhow--it was easier to just take her there myself. She thanks me, saying she really wouldn't have found it on her own, and I encourage her to have a nice day.

What if I had left the mod thirty seconds earlier, and wasn't detoured by Alex? Then I never would have had the chance to help out. And the actually helping out itself? Pure after-effects of Vons training. I'm not joking you. When someone asks me where something is, my very very first response is to ask if they want me to help them find it. Plus, the friendly chat between strangers? Never woulda happened four months ago.

I believe everything happens for a reason. If the sole reason I got that stupid job was to be prepared to help this lady find IMT, then I'm willing to say that it was worth it. Because those moments of friendliness, of service, were definitely the highlight of my day. I think that there's nothing I like more than to be useful. ^^

In school news, we're about to start filming our first project for film production. Actually, I mean taping and television, respectively. It's a chase scene that doesn't have a lot of action. If it turns out well, I'll tell you about it. ^^
Screenwriting we've started from the very beginning--the other day we created character and conflict, today we worked on scene. The writers of scenes had to direct the other kids in performing the scene, and it was very enlightening as to how to write with acting in mind. I'm not sure what we're working on next, but Mike said he'd ask Dom what our homework was. ^^;;
Japanese, we're finishing up chapter one! Still learning how to read, really. And, you know, write. Apparently chapter two is verbs, which I'm really interested in. Verbs will really start to free me up in the language. After all, you can't do anything without verbs.
Church history...finally turned in an assignment today. I've been good, doing the readings so far. Actually, I've been excellent at keeping up in all my classes so far, even doing my homework when I get home instead of waiting til after dinner to start it. It's weird, but it seems to be working. XD The only thing I'm behind in is reading for Mass Comm, but I'm not sure how much it matters. That's my least favorite class...because it's not interesting. But it is the prof who thinks that essays are the answer for everything, but I guess not in this class, which is a relief.

And little-house life is great, over all. Discovered KDOC-TV the other day (channel 112 here, 0o) and it makes life a lot better. Oh! And Grey's Anatomy is on tonight! And Lost soon, and I think Scrubs, too, huh? ^^ I like how house-life turned into tv-life.

It's really hard to believe I've only been here for a few weeks.

-Steph

Swing of Things

Happy Thursday! This one is very different from last week--cloudy and cold, and I actually was able to wear my jacket almost all day. 67 degrees at the beginning of the afternoon. I kept hearing last year how it was unusually warm for so long...so maybe this is what it's really like, and it gets cold right away? Never can tell--I bet it'll be 90 again at least sometime next week.

Friend of ours rented Lost season 2, and she and Brianna have been watching it straight as often as they can, and of course I'm eager to join them. Do you guys know how great of a show that is?! I wish I'd started it at the beginning...or maybe I don't, 'cause I don't know what the weekly wait would have done to me. And I thought Alias cliffhangers were bad. Shoot.

Thursday is my longest day, right? Where I hafta wake up at 7 to go to the film production lab. XP And thanks to Lost I got to bed at a charming 1 AM...but it was alright. I need to shake up my sleep schedule so I don't build up a tolerance to 8 hours. Actually, though, I just got up from my nap, because my head started hurting halfway through Japanese.

Which is a great class. Sure, the ONLY new things I've learned so far are the words for pond, chair, salt, and station...but it's still fun to be in school for something you love. Because, I guess, school's never been like that before. Oh! And, the teacher gave us all Japanese names to use in class, and I'm Sakura. ^^ Which is like *the* most over-used anime name ever, but it feels so special ^^. I'm sure, though, it's because I was the first on the list, and the first girl's name that starts with S to come to mind is definitely Sakura. The other Stephanie is Yumiko (she changed her given one), and the other other one already had a Japanese name, Kiyoko.

It's actually pretty thrilling to say, "Hajimemashite, Sakura desu. Dozo yoroshiku."

And my reading ability is way far ahead of everyone else's. ^^ They're sounding things out, and I'm reading them. Thing is, we're starting out in hiragana only, which actually throws me off, because some things I can read in their kanji...she holds up き and I know it's "ki", but then she asks what it means, and I say, nothing. Becuase 木 is pronounced "ki", and that's what I think of when I think of the word "tree" in Japanese. Wow, did that make sense? No. Ok. Moving on.

Similarly, my screenplay class with Esselstrom is going veeeeeerrrrry well. So inpsiring and exciting. Already read a whole book for that class, and it hasn't been assigned yet. Today, we brought in a description of a character and a situation for him, and we acted it out. First, though, we gave him just the name of our characters, and he made up a description and conflict out of his shiny head, and it was pretty amazing. I acted (!!, I know) as a creepy old lady who HAD to check for change in ALL the parking meters, including the one where the guy with the car is just standing. It was pretty funny.

Also, right now, I'm sharing the couch with a guy named Alex, whom my roomie Alex introduced to us all, and he comes over like every day. And, right now, he's attempting to write a Thursday/Brown song. In search of the one chord which will make brown actually emit from the guitar. Because he's accidently wearing brown out of fate today, and I gave him a high five.

We have fun times in college, we really do. Later tonight Sophomores get free pizza and prizes or something. And, my homework is all online, so I only need my compy to do it. And, we're gonna go to bed early today!

Lookin' forward to the Blackjack Thursday coming up? I know I am.

-Steph

Thursday at 88 degrees

I guess I was too busy singing freedom songs last week to mention it, but yesterday was the first day of classes. That means, of course, that I've moved out again, back to my favorite school of all, APU. Bye, Ventura, till next year!

I'm taking:
MWF: Film and TV Production
Some Media Critism class 0o

TR: F&TVP lab (R only)
Church History
Creative Writing for Stage and Screen
Japanese 101

In case you didn't know, R stands for Thursday 'round these parts. So...Happy R!

It's hot and dry and everything is the same as when I left. Well, there's some new umbrellas over some tables, and all the plants look painfully trimmed, but it's really exactly the same. And this time around, there's nothing to figure out, no one to meet. And the last days of summer while I was moved in before classes started, it was so BORING.

So far it's been easy to reconnect with friends from last year (I've got at least two in different classes), plus I've actually made new acquantances already!

My classes, oh, my classes. I seem to have great profs (and the one I've already had twice that I don't like, well, this class of his seems better than the others, even if it's the most boring of the five), and all of them (besides the one already mentioned) look like they're going to be so much fun and packed with learning. Sorta worried about the amount of work facing me, but that's the only worry.

My film classes, I'm sorta daunted by. I keep saying to myself "Ahhh, I can't make movies and direct and write screenplays!!!!" But that's just silly, because that's what I'm in those classes to learn how to do. It's not like an English class where you don't *learn* anything because you already know the language. They're actual educational classes where I am going to be taught a skill I don't have from the get go. I'm not used to not already being ahead.....I hope I have a lot of fun learning. ^^

Oh, and Japanese? I can see a lot of this class being review for me XD Some of the kids do already know how to put together sentences, but I was listening to them, and I know all the words they used. Other kids think they know what their doing, and I don't know if I am annoyed more by them or the kids who seem like they're not even trying. But they're not *not trying*, they're just really white and have never heard a Japanese word spoken before. There's an amazing amount of geeky anime fans in there, too. And a handful of American Japanese kids who want to learn how to talk with their family XD

A guy from my screenwriting class just came over to hang out with Alex, one of my roomies.

Alex: Where is my card!
ME: I stole it. And...put it into the sun.
Megan: *Why* would you do that?
ME: For safe keeping!

Yeaaaah, college life.

Megan's my other new roomie. The old one is Brianna. We live in a little house! Eventually I'll take pictures and pop them up on Flickr--I just got a text message, hold on........

Oh, it's Shelby. She's coming over! She's here!

Ok, good week to you!

-Steph

Ballad of an Emancipated Bagger

Dear Vons, today I handed in my apron
The timer went off, and I did not hit the sweep log
That lady's food is piling up at the end of the belt,
and yet I do not run to bag it.

I will no longer bag your boxes of granola bars
your two liters of Diet Pepsi Jazz Black Cherry French Vanilla
your 50 cans of cat food
your bread baked fresh at 5 PM.
I will never again place your delicate fruits at the top with gentle care,
and I will never again ask if you want your watermelon in a bag.

From this day on, I will not ask you how your day has been
nor if you need any help out.
I might help you find something on the shelf
(because I'm a nice person like that)
But if you ask me to take your cart back for you,
I will politely yell "Heck no!"
And drive away.

Vons, if you find that there are not enough baggers
please do not page me
I am not in the store
And I'm not in the parking lot, either
Find someone else to go on that price check
Or take the cheese back to dairy/deli
Or throw the cardboard in the baler.

If the go-backs fill up three carts, it's not my fault!
If the parking lot is full up with carts, it's not my fault!
It there aren't any bags up front, it's not my fault!
If that lady slips on the floor again, it's not my fault!
If the belts aren't clean, it's not my fault!
I'm not responsible for that anymore.
Please yell at someone else.

Vons, there are some things I'd like to thank you for.
Thanks for Mark, and Ashley, and Kathy.
Thanks for my nice tan and buff arms.
Thanks for the cash to buy books this year.
Thanks for showing me I can endure a lot more than I thought I could.

But I won't thank you for tired feet.
Or that 38.75 hour week.
Or Union dues.
Or grumpy Joe.

Vons, I'd like to say it's been a good summer with you
But really it was only mediocre minus.
I hope I don't hurt your feelings when I say I'm never working for you again.
And, if you would, go easy on my comrades I've left behind.
And maybe warn your news hires of exactly what they're getting into?
I'd appreciate that.

That's all I have to say to you, Vons.
I know we'll meet again in the future,
but you'd better be ready to bag my cold things with cold things
and help me out to my car.
Because from today on,
we go our separate ways.

PS
Your in-store music is really annoying.

-Steph

Ah, the funny things I seen

Happy Thursday! Twas a funny one, I tell ya. And good, 'cause it was my first day off after the 9-hour-block-of-days. Ehh. Me and Carolyn, we went to Buena! And saw Mrs. Lyans--snuck into her class, and she didn't even notice us! That was really funny. And then we sat through Film Studies ('cause we took that class!) and learned vast knowledges about film.

But then it was lunch, and we wandered all around the school trying to find Zack, to give him a Go set, him being the final surviving member of the Go club. We found Carolyn's cousin Sam, but no Zack. So we went to the library and saw our good librarian friends! The funniest part there was when Mrs. Gray was telling Mrs. Fordahl about how Carolyn went to New Zealand, and then all of a sudden Mrs. Fordahl turns to us and says all loud "So you went to New Zealand!!" When the two of us had not really been expecting that. Also, I almost put my hand in a spider later.

So Mrs. Fordahl looked up Zack's schedule for us, so we went and stalked him outside his class, and then we followed him back to the office (where he had been hiding during lunch) so he could stash the board and stones with his mom. And then I met his mom! Who's crazy! It was great. Shoulda seen her dance. XD Zack, your mom's great. ^^

Then we went to Burger King, and decided that there had been a mutiny in the ship. Which you won't understand. But I assure you it was. So all of our little inside jokes about the place were funny...and our discussion of transporters and shields. And we got awesome football game/toys!

Then we went to go pick up Steven at Maverick's...there's a couple of gigantic fans in there that are just gonna fall and kill everybody. Also, they had a little tv by the front desk playing some fake tae bo stuff which was funny. But definitely the best part of the whole day was when we were leaving. Carolyn was backing out, and just went far enough so that the radio (105.5) transformed into Mexican music. We're all "....0o!!" and then she pulled forward to leave, and everything went back to normal. It was like a randomly placed Twilight Zone.

And then.....We went back to their house and watched three eps of Host Club!!! And if that's not funny, nothing is. Totally a wonderful show. Ah. Then we played Starcraft against too many people and repeatedly died! But then me and Carolyn took on Steven and won. Not funny, just fun.

And then I played a little of the Loco Roco demo on the PSP, and that was both funny and fun. And aggravating. During that, I had some food, which was good and aggravating, because my jaw started acting up. Then I went home.

*nods*

Oh, but then I saw the Office, and like an hour of Whose Line? and finished the funny day quite well. And I also started it well last night in my dream, when there was a really long goat.

SO ONE WEEK LEFT OF STUPID WORK. Something Next Thursday will really have to be happy about. Also, I forgot to say happy end of the summer last week, 'cause the schools are back on! Hense our going to Buena and there being people there. Soon, the rest of us will be going back as well.

This work thing has, for the first time in my entire life, really really made me look forward to school.

-Steph

Two Weeks

It's a little less than three weeks till school starts, I reckon. But it's *two weeks* until work ends. And that's just fantastic.

Hahah, Smallville is still so dumb! Lana's like a drug addict, and tried to steal money from Lex, who almost shot her. XD And what's this about CW? UPN and WB merging? Interesting. Maybe they'll finally figure out how to not cancel their most popular shows.

So I saw David today. David like from Buena. I guess he still reads this, or something. @@ He's a lot taller and stuff. Way to go, David!

What else happened today!! Watched some DS9, the first ep, it was really bad. Um, didn't do too much else before I went to work. Didn't do much at work, either. I'm so boring.

Smallville is also boring!! Lex is the only reason to watch it. Lex, and the great laughs you always get from watching it.

Oh, just saw the Visine commercial with the cat (great commerical!! it's a face all allergic people know well) and it reminds me that I don't have a cat anymore. Yeah, Simba. One day he was nyaoing around, and then, he nyaoed no more. We don't know exactly what happened--he just is gone. It's pretty sad, and abrupt.

Yawn. All this summer sleeping makes me tired. Or, maybe it's this bad show. Did you know, that when you die, you see your dead parents? Yeah. Sorry, Lex, gotta watch.

...

...

...

Thanks for waiting. The guy looks good in black. Too bad he became Clark's evil cousin or whatever. Grar. Hmm, this is less a Happy Thursday message than Stephanie's Random Notes on Smallville. Hmm. Sorry about that. Well, now it's over!

Happy Thursday!

-Steph

Ahoy!

And Happy Thursday! Though I have to work today, but it's not an 8 hour shift, and it's closing, which is better 'cause in the last two hours there's really nothing to do. But all the day before that, I got to wear my new Thursday shirt and tie, and I felt really snazzy.

So, the fair! I love the fair. Nothing to do at the fair, though, I just love it. Went twice. Somehow managed not to see the fireworks yet, but it's really alright 'cause I saw 'em every day at the AX.

Oh yeah, I never showed pictures and stuff of that for you. Oh well. One day I'll put the better ones up on Flickr, and you can just drop by there. I took pictures at the fair, too, so you can go see them while you're at it.

Not much else to report. When I'm not at work, I'm doing nothing or hanging out at Carolyn's house...or going to the fair, these days. I just started FFIV for real, but haven't had time to play it. Went to see Over the Hedge again last night, too. With a new work buddy. She's a new checker at our store, 'cause she moved down here to go to VC, and I thought she was two or three years older than me, but she's actually two or three months younger. She's pretty cool, but I'm just going to move away to college, and she'll have to make new friends.

Hmm, school is scary close. But, I guess I'm excited about it, 'cause I'm taking stuff I want to take. And a thing that I don't want to take from a prof I sorta dislike, but I s'pose I can't have everything perfect. I *will* be taking, however, a class I'm *very* interested in with a prof I like *very* much, and that's what I'm most excited about. That, and Japanese. So that when I go to Japan next year or whatever, I can translate. ^^

Have fun, guys!

-Steph

Happy Thursday!

It's been a good day, I s'pose mostly because it's a day off from work, and on a Thursday! Opens up a lot of time to do fun stuff in. Fun stuff like as follows:

Popping the 13 year old Tai Chi tape that was produced in Thousand Oaks. Every thing was so PINK in 93. It's a funny, funny testament of the campiness of the good ol' days, and also a surprisingly non-easy workout.

Popping in the new pilates DVD that turns out to be a CD because my sister apparently can't read. She was sad that it was just a CD, but it was pretty funny watching her do that crazy stuff they like to make you think is exercise.

Going to El Loco Taco and getting a side of rice what was bigger than my sister's burrito.

Going to JambaJuice to get what my dad has called a "Jamba Snack," because I really like snacks. Citrus Bliss with peaches instead of strawberries, 'cause I dun like the little seeds everyplace.

Driving to Oxnard (and trying to find how to get there) because we still need more snacks and we figured Ventura wouldn't have any Mexican bakeries. Ah, Oxnard. We drove and drove and drove and for the longest time it was just tract housing and shopping centers with no panderias in sight. Sigh. Oxnard is just so much nicer than we think it is. But then we found one! In a crazy small corner with a Japanese resaurant and like a car or electronics shop. But there wasn't the greatest selection, and as it turns out, it wasn't of the greatest quality, either. Or, I'm just spoiled by El Merandero in Pamona.

And then we get home, all giggly from the free Energy Boost, and the sugar, and the half-hour drive through Oxnard on surface streets (>
AND THEN I WENT UPSTAIRS TO GRAB MY LAPPY, AND WHAT'S ON MY BED BUT A WONDERFUL RED TIE MY MOM BOUGHT ME!! I been lookin' for one! I keep on ending up with silver ones and blue ones! Now I have a red one! I is wearing it right now ^^ And it came with a little handkerchief or whatever, so I need to get a brown suit to stick it in.

So that was my day, one of the better Thursdays in a while, and Jeopardy's almost on, so I'm gonna run. Not actually run, 'cause there's no place to run to, and if I did run somewhere, I'd have to run back 'cause I wouldn't have enough time to walk back before seven...

-Steph!

Wow, is it Thursday Again?

Happy one, guys!

Like:

"Hey, it's Thursday!"
"Oh! Have a happy one!"

I've been writing this week, and you'd think that means I be eager to keep writing, and write pages and pages here. But it's not so. I've got something I need to finish, but I wanted to get this out of the way so I could focus on that, and not end up forgetting this. Got it? Hahah, Got it memorized? Never mind.

I'm not great at Empire Earth. But, I'm better than Jennifer and.......that other kid put together. It comes from my War/StarCraft upbringing. But I'm better at those. But, Empire Earth. Tis fun. Makes me want to play StarCraft. XD

Hahah, I'm so not focused on this. I was thinking about what happened this week that I could tell ya about, and then it made me think of some other things, so I went to check on them instead of writing. I'm going to go and check on them again, k?

Hmm, that was interesting. Then I'm checking my mail.

You know what's a fun song to have stuck in your head? One Winged Angel. "Sephiroth, Sephiroth, SephiSephiSephiroth!" Ok, that's not what they sing, but there's a part that when it gets stuck in my head, that's what I sing instead of the random Latin or whatever. Then there's "Springtime, for Hitler, and Germany!" from The Producers. Funny, funny movie.

Had sushi for the first time this week. Like, first time in my whole whole life. Real sushi, like, raw fish on top of rice, is just BLEEEEEEEHHHHHRG!! But the rolls (I had some California rolls and eel rolls) were just fine! Which is interesting, 'cause I count nori among my hated enemies, but in the rolls I couldn't even taste it. In recap, the new sushi play Yomama Sushi (snicker) is delightful if you don't get sushi, and Mama-ya is still great. Just out of an-man. ;_;

I've found that I really love an, the red bean stuff. Gimme a snack with an in it anyday! Like dorayaki, which is what's on that bunny's head if you've ever seen that pic of the bunny with a "pancake" on its head. FYI.

Work was ok today, besides the fact that I had to get up at 5. But it was only four hours, and my favorite checker was there, and all the customers weren't. We talked about the annoyance of invisible lemurs, and the problems with counterfeiting invisible money, and how sneaky the invisible dead are. I also swept up some blueberries with a squeegee. WOW, that's weird word to spell. I bet there's actually no spelling, and people just only say it.

Nya nya, is that enough? Yeah? Ok, OH and I beat Kingdom Hearts II, which was a beautiful game, and now I can write fanfiction and start over in Hard so I can get the secret ending which may or may not be worth playing through in Hard to get!!

Mmm, summer.

-Steph

Thrifting My Life Away

Happy Thursday!

The big news this week was that my car was broken into. Luckily, though, he musta been really stupid, 'cause he didn't succeed in taking anything. Tried to get my CD player. Y'know, the kind that you can pop in and off? He'd unscrewed the ashtray and had pried off the side of the paneling around the CD player. And you know the glove compartment, with the little catch to open it? The corner's all pulled out, like he tried to open it without even trying the catch first. Really, not a smart guy. Also lucky all I had in my car was like a thingamabobber that was in there when I got it, and like four burned cds, with titles ranging from "Rowdy Japanese Music" to "V. 2." He didn't seem to think those were worth anything, 'cause they were just sitting there on the passenger's seat. That was the night my cousins (and their pack of kids) were over, so also lucky the guy was scared away before he could do anymore stupid damage. What a silly muffin he was.

I s'pose the other big news was that my cousins and their kids visited. That like, never happens, 'cause usually they're in Africa. But they managed to give us a stop-by while on this continent, and that was real nice.

Oh, the thrifting. Thrifting without NEEDING to find the exact right bit of something for this or the other costume is pretty great. Right now, I'm thrifting for ties, records, tapes, a tape player, and any other old, useless bit of technology. Examples:

On ..Monday? Yes. On Monday I walked with my Sis to the Salvation Army (We live soooo close to it!!) and I bought a brand-new-looking tie, a Disneyland soundtrack record, and a Borodin record for a buck apiece.

Wednesday, I pulled my fam into the Goodwill next to my dad's work. Got a snazzy silver-with-red/blue-accents tie, also brand-new-looking, $1.49 (Goodwill's sorta the rich-person's thrift shop). Added to my growing record collection 2 Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, a Tony Bennet, and a Great Music By Russian Composers. Oh yeah. And I got a tape, The Story of Star Wars, narrated by somebody and featuring the movie cast. All of these musical treasures were 49 cents apiece, I might add.

Also later that Weds, me and the gang hit up the regular downtown shops, and I bought a Monty Python tape for 97 cents.

I'm buying tapes, hoping to come across another treasure as the one I once found, a radio adaptation of The Maltese Falcon complete with Humphrey Bogart himself. Also because I'm rapidly turning into a compulsive lover of obsolete technology, as proclaimed by that Kodak camera that uses film I've never heard of, and the 80s-looking phone where the buttons are arranged in a circle where the circle of a old-tyme-dial phone would be. So now I'm looking for a tape player with attached speakers, because I seem to have single-handedly broken all the tape players in the house, and I don't want to have to listen to all my tapes on the old skool walkman that I have to keep stealing a battery out of my cdplayer so that it'll play.

Hooray, tapes!

And, at least, we have a working record player, in case you were wondering.

And, at least, I have to wear ties every day to work, in case you were wondering.

May your financial ventures be as thrifty as mine~

-Stepherly

This Week's Episode Makes Me Want To Die In A Fire

Well, it was a really bad episode, but that's not what I said, it's a quote from the subbers.

So, The AX was ..a while ago? It was a lot of fun! I don't remember it very well, but I don't remember a lot of things. I guess I won't write a big report about it, 'cause, really, who's reading this who didn't go?

Ummmm, so, Lobsters. I talk to myself at work, starting today. So, I was talking to myself, and I said something about...something, I dunno, and then I surprised myself by ending it with "...lobster?" and then I giggled to myself. It made my day good.

Also, also, I like when you do a certain action, and give it a name, and then say its name as you do it. Like, "shoulder!!" just now in that dancing show.

But the lobsters are mine, and you will never get them. Except Carolyn might. But we wrestled for them, and I almost won. Little, little, plastic lobsters. We played with them for OVER AN HOUR. We really rock.

Also, at the park, we took over the playground and turned it into a ship, and Steven was the Borg, and I was the captain, and Carolyn was the first officer, and Jacqi was sorta the chief of security, and Marie was sorta the medic, and Jennifer was sorta the helmsman. But too bad we had to selfdestruct the ship at the end. ;_;

Ummm, I guess I'll have AX pictures up at ayan.zoto.com eventually, but right now that whole site doesn't seem to be working. Maybe later. Yeah. Or, I'll put them on Flickr or something. But I think of my Flickr as a place for good pics, not randomness. And I'm a little sad that I set my camera wrong, and most my pics are rather blue.

What else to say, what else. Well. If you want to know about anything else, you can just ask. Y'know?

Happy Thursday, after a lovely 9 hours of work.... ;_;

-Steph

!!!!!!!!

oh my goodness you guys there's only 15 minutes left of thursday and I almost COMPLETELY forgot to write this so i'll do something quick and let you know how the ax went tomorrow ok?

Happy Thursday!!

Happy Thursday

No Thanks.

Tuckered. Tuckered Out.

Ahahahah, that'd be a good name.

Worked another 8 hours today. Loads of fun. It's a shame they don't recognize Thursday clothes as a part of the uniform. Except for the Thursday tie. That worked just fine.

Not much else has happened this week except for work. It's a little depressing. ^^

But next weekend is the AX!!!!!!! Me and Carolyn and Jacqi and Jennifer and Jacqi's friends Greg and Evan are going down to Anaheim and are gonna spend the whole four days! It think it's the first time for any of us to stay all the days. We're pretty excited about it.

Except it also means we only have a week left to finish (or ..start) our costumes, and that's crazy, since we've had all year. XD Want a list of who we're gonna be, even though you don't know anything about anime? Alright:

Me: Kurogane, Aizen
Carolyn: Syaoran, Ichimaru Gin
Jacqi: Tomoyo-hime, Rukia
Jennifer: Fai, Kira
Greg/Evan: I'm not sure exactly?

The first one for each are all from Tsubasa Chronicle, the second from Bleach. We're into the group cosplay. I'd round up some pictures if I wasn't so lazy. But there'll be pictures of us after, and I'll be sure to post some reference pics for your viewing pleasure.

I kinda feel like sleeping now. ._.

Oh, but maybe here's a sorta glossary:

AX: Anime Expo. A convention held in Anaheim, New York, and Tokyo once a year for anime fans to come and geek out and spend money on anime junk.
Bleach: An anime/manga about "shinigami," some samurai-type people who fight monsters and rescue Rukia.
Cosplay: Literally "costume roleplay." It's where over-enthused fans create costumes of anime characters and wear them in public, where other fans take pictures.
Tsubasa Chronicle: Also Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle. Anime/manga (the manga was first and is way better) about some people who are traveling to different worlds to gather all the bits of Sakura's heart, which turned into feathers and scattered to all worlds.
Anime: "Japanese cartoons"
Manga: "Japanese comic books"

Happy Thursday! I look forward to killing you soon!

-Steph

PS:
Askaninja.com

Wow Guys, Did You Know...

That I've been writing this thingamajig for a year now? A calendar year on the ninth, last Friday. But my first email was to you all before I ran off to graduation, remember? And now here I am, after going to my very own lil' sis' graduation, and it's been a year of Thursday messages.

That's like, unbelievable.

That means I've had access to a computer and the internet on EVERY THURSDAY of this year. It also means I've sent out half of a hundred messages. And that I've worn this same shirt once a week for most of the whole year. I think there was maybe one or two times where I wore a different shirt. And I've also said aloud the phrase "Happy Thursday" on each one of those days. That's probably a world record or something. I should be famous.

Yesterday I started work at Vons. So come in on Sat and Sun and say hi to me. I can see three things happening at this job: 1) I just go and come home and it doesn't bother me, 2) I really start to hate it and resent food, or 3) Something happens to make me really like it. So come and say hi to me, help stem the tide of inevitable disgruntlement.

ST:BWLB (see last post if you're confused) is actually making motions of writing new eps, so I'm excited. The founder and guy in charge, Jeremy, scrapped his pitch for the next ep, so now we all have a say in what it's going to be. And after that is the season finale, which will mark the start of the "new staff" breaking away from the path the orginal staff had in mind, and the second season will be completely ours. I wish that I could garner fans or appreciators from this. The project really could use some love. It's good stuff, but I understand it's not for everyone, and that's a shame. In any case, my debut as a teleplay writer is rapidly approaching.

In a similar vein, I'm also planning my own series. It's a story idea that I actually cultivated as a tv concept, not a short story or novel endeavor. Seeing that people write scripts for others to *read* prompted me to start thinking about it, and any day now I'll start writing the pilot. I still have to grind out more details about where I want it to go, but I think it's very promising. I'll tell you what it's about, so maybe you'll be interested and supportive:

An alternate world, where protected Classes were developed somewhere in time. Classes like Pirate. Ninja. Cowboy. The Classes are made up of Houses; different families that carry on the distinguished line. But each Class sees itself as the best, and practically scorns the others. Sick of this prejudice and pointless self-promotion, a young Pirate man leaves home to settle in the new world of equality, throwing away his family ties and the responsibilities attached to them.

He becomes Dante, small business owner in a major city on America's famed West Coast, and is able to blend into common society. He befriends an ex-Cowboy who becomes Paul, a man with an uncertain past. Together, they run The Corner Store, your local video rental shop. One day, their lives change again, to include a young Ninja who has been hunted by her own. She becomes Kuno, a new name for a new life. Together, they will show the world that you are not who you were born, but who you will make yourself to be.

And it'll also be funny, I promise.

Other Classes include Knight, Samurai, Viking, and Indian. There may be more. I'm having fun with this project, and I hope it becomes a hit with you. And maybe one day America. (It would air on Thursdays, of course)

Happy Graduation, Michelle and Others, and Happy Thursday to All!
-Steph


Although, Michelle and Others are partying their brains out at Grad Nite, so they won't be able to see this til tomorrow. Don't hit the Pixie Stix too hard, guys. You won't be able to go in the Bounce House. *knowing nod*

Star Trek: Beyond What's Left Behind

Any Trek fans? Among those, any DS9 fans?

I am! And I have a new "job" of sorts that fits me good.

There's a whole net society interested in "virtual series," fan-made continuations/reduxes of cult hits. There's a decent number for Trek alone, that I know of. TrekOnline.org sponsers a few; a continuation of Enterprise, a redo of Enterprise, and a continuation of Deep Space Nine, among others.

Star Trek: Beyond What's Left Behind is a look at what happens to those left on DS9 after the series ended. They have a whole season written (for the most part), and for the season finale and season two, I'm on the staff. That is, I'll be writing episodes for them in the near future. 've already pitched one.

Not to be filmed and actually seen on the tv; there's no one to do that. It's just like a big, involved fanfic exept in script form, not prose.

All in all, I'm excited, 'cause it'll teach me at least something about the whole thing that is tv writing. Even if it is just some amateurs not getting paid for it. I'm seeing it as an internship--it's exactly what I want to do for a living, just for fun.

Another fun thing that sorta got run off the road by this Star Trek thing, is my little online game. One of those "you're in a dungeon. What do you do?" things. If you're bored: http://www.geocities.com/hideousdoom/ . When you get to a graveyard link, go ahead and click it, 'cause it'll go to the guestbook.

Oh, yeah, the main site for BWLB is here: http://trekonline.org/bwlb/ .

Oh, and I got hired by Vons, still waiting for the drug test to come back so I can come to work.

Other than that, I gotta eat.

Not Interesting

I have nothing interesting to say.

Some would say I never have.

It's not my fault we have different interests; we are different people.

I'm going to write about whatever I feel like, and maybe for once not feel like I'm being judged for it.

This doesn't really have to live up to your expectations, or be interesting to you.

Because you're not a captive audience.

So if you don't feel like reading this, then do us both a favor and don't.

Since I think that the majority of this audience of mine has drifted away in disinterest by now, anyway.

I don't have to cater to you, invisible people.

I don't have to worry if my post is "good enough."

I've been doing this for about a week shy of a year straight, and I'd be lying if I told you I completely looked forward to it every week.

Shouldn't be a duty.

"Happy Thursday" has become a part of my life, and I suppose I asked it to become a part of yours, but it didn't seem to take.

So I wish you all a happy Thursday, because I don't let a Thursday go by without wishing it aloud to somebody.

Because that's just who I am.

-Steph

My Nor Cal Trip

2 Soft tacos at Del Taco: $1.48

Small Frosty from Wendy's: 99 cents

Ghirardelli hot chocolate with whipped cream: $3.19

Roundtrip ticket on the BART: $8.50

Two tickets for the cable car: $10.00

BBQ burger at Bubba Gump's: $17-something

Bag of taffy at Pier 39: $8.50

Water bottle at Ghiradelli Square: $2.50

Chicken strips at Lori's Diner: $7-something

Pinball in the back: 25 cents a game

Tamale combo at Guadalajara: $7.00

2 soft tacos, 1 Double Decker, and a small Dr. Pepper at Taco Bell: $4.28

Your share of the gas money: $30.00

Summer roadtrip/reunion with college buddies: Priceless

Look for pictures at my Flickr account. Which I'll put a link to on the page somewhere.

YEAH THURSDAY@!!!!

Ok, here's what I did today:
I woke up at 9 AM (gasp!) to the song that was going through in my head. It was at the end of a dream in which Santa had come, and there was a singing concert by old schoolmates (highschool and college alike), and then for some reason, a guy was using cookie cutters to "make mangy mangs out of mangled cat mangs." And that quoted part was the song. I blame the mangy mango.

Then I got dressed and stuff, and went downstairs and watched Barney. We learned how to tell the difference between "in" and "out," and about how catepillars go into a chrysalis before they become butterflies.

Then I played some tetris and while I was doing that, Carolyn came!

We went to Buena because that's the type of thing we like to do over summer break, and because I had to return Zack's Go book to him that I had taken out of the Go Club last time we were there. And we tried to go to Mrs. Lyans, but she wasn't there, and then we found her, and we looked at the Pawprint (WOW what an emo, poetry-filled school I went to), and then we helped her carry stuff to her car, and then we went to the office and sent a call slip to Zack to come and get his book. We hope you got it, man.

Then we went to my house, and then we went to Lowe's. There got dowels for costume staffs (staves?), and rope for weaving sandals. We tried to find the round things because last time we saw them next to my little hat, but we couldn't find either this time.

Then we tried to go to Arby's, but it was too dangerous.

So we went to Michael's, and bought a round thing. I don't want to work there anymore, because getting up at 9 was hard enough, and I'd have to get up at 4 to work there.

Then we went down to Carl's Jr. and got the long-named burger that we saw on the tv last night. It was pretty good. Has ranch on it. The fries there are very small.

Then we spent a while in Toys R Us making fun of the toys. When we were playing with the doll house, some lady watched us and then asked if it was for Barbies. We didn't know. Then we found the electronic pogos, and Carolyn's insides started not to work. So we left.

Then we went across the street to her parent's shop. We had to go around to the food court of the plaza and order a bunch of food for a thing that Carolyn doesn't know the word for in English.

Then we went to the library across from Foothill and picked up Steven. He wanted to go to the Salvation Army to look for camo, so we went there for a minute. Then we went back to Buena to pick up Sam.

Then we ended up at Ralph's because we needed to buy pound cake. Sam walked home from there, and we listened to Linkin Park in the car while Steven ran in to get it.

Now we're at her house, and I explored the new clue for the Lost Experience from yesterday, and we're listening to Steven play Soul Caliber, and soon we're going to make shoes for our Bleach costumes.

That's all.

Happy Thursday
-Steph

Yazoo!

Happy Thursday!

I have been home now...for a week? Forever? I can't even tell anymore.

It's been good, full of cooking, and watching tv, and playing tetris, and going to schools that I don't need to go to, and hanging out with cool people.

Today, y'know, I was sleeping, then checking out the usual online stuff, and then I went downstairs and watched Star Trek: TNG and made Jello. I put fruit in it! Hooray for mangy mangy mango!

And has anyone else noticed the increasing quality of commercials these days? They're so funny! Or just creeper/weird. The Geico ones are pretty good, and if you get the chance, check out the Red Stripe beer commercials. Probably the funniest ones I've seen in my life.

Oh, random, but can anyone take a look at the code of this page and figure out what's wrong with it? In the sample pages, the profile bar is adjacent to the bloginess, but as you can see, that's not the way it works in practice. Like in the old layout, it was down at the bottom. What's up with that? The template isn't written in a way where I can easily read and understand what's wrong. So. View Source, somebody!

"Of all the genetically-compatible women, I don't know why I've fallen in love with you." -courtesy of the guy on the tv just now. I think that that's a very deep statement. Star Trek is a deep show. And now it's time for Kim Possible!

What, don't call me a tv junkie. I'm clearly an internet junkie.

Oh, and happy birthday, Jacqi~! Thursday Birthday all around! Good luck with the rest of your school eheheheheh !

Hmm, and now I'm hungry! I think that's a problem that should get all fixed. so. Happy Thursday and adventures!

-Steph

It's Summer, Man!!!

Happy End Of School Thursday! I definitely am wearing my snazzy tie today! Because I finished my last final at 2:15 yesterday!! *dances*

Ok, but you know what was NOT cool? Tuesday night. For some reason I was already up late, just going to bed at around 1. But it takes me a long time to fall asleep, and what didn't help was somebody drumming nearby. Like, on drums. Brianna supposed it was a "silent drum kit" that they didn't realize was anything but silent. And when she got our RA to go down there at 2 in the morning, we found out that she was right. "It's for our final today" they said. Yeah, well, practice your drumming before the morning you need it, ok?

So, I haven't been asleep for even an hour, when at 3 am somebody pulls the fire alarm.

Yes. The fire alarm.

Because that's the cool thing to do at 3 in the morning in Trinity on finals week.

So we all tramp out of the building into rain-like fog, and stand around for twenty minutes while they make sure there isn't anybody trapped in the fire. ><

Because there is no fire, just somebody who needs to be killed by a ninja very soon.

I wouldn't have minded so much if it had been like last night or this night, when I don't have finals. But I actually needed to sleep that day because I had two, with the first one starting at 9:15.

And then all today people have been driving through the alley behind my room with REALLY loud music blaring from their trucks and such. Gosh, college students. So full of themselves.

I've sorta started packing, but I seem to have more stuff than I thought I did. All my clean clothes from the closet fill up the big suitcase that I have here, and that's not counting anything from the drawers. And some people have already packed up and moved out. It's pretty weird, that we're like all sophomores now. Except Brianna, she's in her last final now. But I think she's leaving tomorrow.

Tonight we're (a lot of us) going to Aubrey's sister's school play. They're doing Beauty and the Beast, and I've got to drop by the caf before we go, so I don't have to try to cram my last two meals in tomorrow. 'Cause I don't want to have to wake up for lunch.

Yeah, summer's sounding very good.

So Happy Thursday, and I hope your Cinco de Mayo and the last month or so of your schooling goes shimmeringly!
-Steph

Don't Sit With Your Laptop On The Floor For Ten Hours

So, after class ended yesterday at two, I made it back to my hall but ended up plopping down into Aubrey and Laura's room, because it's only three doors in, instead of three from the end like mine. "I feel like making a movie," I said, "I'll be right back, I'm getting my camera."

So I did.

I brought my cute duck, the Sacred, the cactus carving, and a tin of mints. Because they're all around the duck's size, and he's the one thing I most want to make a stop-action movie with. So I made one of him just rolling around in a circle, but it was jumpy and really not so great.

Then I pulled out the cherry coke bottle and the apple from lunch (because my backpack never made it to my room) and lined everyone up. Then they danced.

But there are no narrative qualities in these 12-second animations. There is no plot, no purpose.

Then I see the two oranges in the room. Plus my apple...plus a stack of some plastic necklaces of Laura's........

Fifteen minutes later I've filmed it all. Fifteen minutes after that I've got it imported into my comp. Half an hour or so of editing and I have 40 seconds of completed movie. Then they haul us off to dinner. After that, I edit the fifteen minutes of footage down to a minute and 14 seconds. Not even the minute and a half I predicted. I spend the next while adding sound effects. Laura goes away to hang out with some people. Aubrey goes away to class.

Two hours later, when she comes back, I'm still sitting in the middle of their room, but by now I've polished the sounds and animation, and struggled through Nero's DVD menu set-up, and am watching the progress bars as I burn a DVD of the new movie and some old ones sitting on my comp.

35 minutes remaining, it said when it started. It took 51.

So after all of this, it's 5 to 12, because Courtney said if I finished it by then, she'd see it. By the time I finish carting all my junk out of Aubrey and Laura's room, I have spent ten hours in there.

The moral of this story is that if you sit/hang out on the ground for 10 hours, you WILL be very sore the next day. Or, at least you will if you're me.

The second moral isn't a moral, it's a link to the finished movie on YouTube:
The Orange Supremacy

In other news, I took my Chem final today, and I think I did alright. No more Chem ever! It's crazy that next week is finals and then it's summer. @@

Next year, I will be taking: Film and Video Production (heeee), Mass Communication, Creative Writing: Stage and Screen, Japanese, and Church History to 1517. Also, we did get a mod (A7, closest to campus, facing the baseball field), for people who know what that means. For everyone else, the mods are a big group of "temporary housing" built way back when for married couples, and now they're sophomore-only. They're like little houses. And, as my brother says: "the mods are very nice in their own quaint, run-down way." Yeah, me and my roommates scored.

Well, that's all for this week, I hope you all enjoy your new moon tonight.
Happy Thursday!!!!
-Steph

Jazzy Spring Thursday

Happy Jazzy Thursday and Happy Spring Thursday! Today is so special that I'm wearing my Thursday tie AND my brand new Thursday shorts! Because that's just the kind of Thursday this is.

Jazzy because when we were eating lunch outside, the jazz band was randomly playing along the walkway, and that was very exciting. Jazz = love. Also, I was randomly downloading music from Cowboy Bebop the other day, and I came across a few gems of jazz pieces that were entirely new to me, and they make me happy.

We were sitting outside to eat because it is undeniably spring now. It's seriously as hot as Ventura gets in the middle of summer. Which is just lovely. So, it was a perfect chance to debut the Thursday shorts. (Also because I discovered the Thursday pants were dirty) They're brown (of course) and from the Gap, which in my mind is an over-priced rival to Old Navy (where the other Thursday clothes come from), but it's ok because Gap Inc. owns Old Navy. So they're more like cousins that don't speak to each other.

So, Chem lecture didn't start until 12:30 today, which made for some good extra sleeping and time for lunch before class. Then, lab which usually starts at one ended up starting after 1:30, with us waiting around outside the room for twenty minutes while she ran some stuff off. Waiting around on the third story balcony in the sun! For twenty minutes! And it was our last lab ever, so it was extraordinarily exciting. We titrated. But it didn't work the first time, so we were the last group in there. But, still, it's over now!

And then I hung out in a friends' room for a loooooong time and now I'm writing this, and now they want to go eat, so I'm off, too! Hope you had a great day, too!!

-Steph

Spring Break is like summer, only short

Happy Thursday!

I bought Thursday shorts today, in anticipation of coming summer. Now all I need are some cute Thursday shoes. We looked, but there was just too many small children throwing balls around. It was incomprehensible. Shopping takes a lot out of ya.

So this week I'm at home! No work! Sleeping and baking!

Oh, so on Tuesday I tried making the rice maker Japan #2, right? I totally broke the rice maker. Yep, it's dead. So. I'm going to have to hold of on recommending the recipe, unless you know what you're doing. At least that day I made some rolls, and those were pretty good. Didn't taste like much, but at least they looked like a bread product.

And the funny story involving sleeping is from last night/this morning, where I was Sydney Bristow. Yeah. And I was thieving. In my dorm's laundry room. And then Lauren whatsherface comes up, and suspects me, 'cause really, I'm not being a very good thief. It was pretty weird. Especially since I haven't seen Alias in like half a year. No idea where that came from.

So on Easter I'm going to eat twelve chocolate bunnies, I swear it. I'm really looking forward to it. Because, you know, that's when Lent is over. It's a good day, for a lot of other reasons, though. ^^

Oh, oh, I've been meaning to include the word of the day, as provided by Dictionary.com, but I forgot and already deleted that mail this morning. Because it's 5:30 now, and it's as bright as noon time. It's absolutely crazy, this time change. And it's all hot and nice today, when the internet said that it would be raining and cloudy this week. Take that, Internet! Real life, 1, Internet, 0!!

No, I'm sorry, Internet, I was only joking. You know I love you.

Anywho, it's seriously time for my nap. Or, for my dose of Kingdom Hearts 2. Because I got it now! And it's totally rocking. Thanks Mom and Dad! And, in my very own style of playing KH, I've got the PS2 plugged in through the VCR, so I can record gameplay at will. So the opening, I got that. Cool cut scenes, I got those. 2 hours of just the Roxas opening part, I got that, too. Although, I don't got that part where Pooh Bear stops in time and then freaks out. That part scared me in it's awesome sudden blueness, and I'm sad I wasn't recording. (What also scared me every time were those statue Heartless that busted out of nowhere. I jumped. Every time.) I also want to recommend KH as a new exercise, 'cause some of those timed battles really get the heart rate up. No joke. Overall, I say go get the first game if you haven't, and, if you have, definitely get this one. But, if you've played the first, then you don't need my encouragement.

Huh. I just looked over and my laundry bag/holder thing is all broken. Well. I never liked that thing, anyway.

Hahah, guys, I'm in my own room, and I'm using my desk! Can you imagine that? My laptop, on my desk! That like, never happens. It's because I haven't been here, and my desk is pretty much empty. Just so you know.

Nyaa, I'm off, now. I'll stop rambling. I promise.
-Steph