addiction

Recently, I've been unabashedly addicted to craigstlists, often times i find myself checking for my next big purchase at anyone's computer. I used to be embarrassed about it, but there is a time when you just have to accept the person you are. be it at work, at the library, or at a friends house, I really have no shame. You must be dying with excitement to find out my recent craigslist purchases and future craiglists purchases. Well it first started off with a mint green/blue Hermes Rocket typewriter from some time in the 60's. It was a steal for $30, the downside was that it was in Renton. No less, the cost of it rationalized the gas money I'd have to waste on the drive down there. It's a beaut, some keys are sticky but other than that it works and looks like a dream.
I've been desperately searching for a bike frame that suits my short stature. After hen nu li searching for a fitting bike frame and a fair amount of build ups and let downs I finally came upon a nice red Schwinn Le Tour bicycle. This, too, was also a steal at $125. One thing I've learned from craigslists hunting is that you have to act fast on deals to ensure a successful purchase. Aggressiveness and promptness are key. With that said, because I am a habitual craiglist hunter, after reading this ad I immediately e-mailed the dude with my general inquiries, "is it an aluminum or steel frame?" "how heavy is it?" "is there any significant dents or problems with the bike?" To my surprise and great excitement the guy replied to my e-mail within 5 minutes. Shortly after receiving the e-mail I contacted one my greatest bike search supporters [you know who you are] for tips and advice. I was determined to make this bike my own. But as it goes with craigslists, nothing is ever certain--someone else, a much better, much more seasoned craigslist hunter could've easily snatched up the steal before you even had a chance. So I tried to keep it cool, reminding myself not to get too excited, and if it didn't work out it was no big deal. In reality I would have been crushed if I did not get this bike and would eventually find the person who bought it and steal it from them. But, I knew I was destined for this bike, we had a connection from the very beginning. Without much hesitation I agreed to purchase the bike. It has been one of the best decisions of my life.

LOOK AT MY BABE! Since then I've put on new handle bars, new front and back wheels, cages for the pedals and removed the back brake. it is now a fixed gear. don't hate. I gave into the dark side, I know.

Today I went to Stickman's in Fremont to see my friend Joe. After drinking lots of coffee we ended our meeting with an Affogato, which is espresso poured onto ice cream. Delicious.

It's been a while since my last entry, but since then I've completed some of the things on my to-do list.

• get my fixed gear bike--check
• drink beers--check and check
  
• stop school--check, thank god
  
• take more pictures--check!
  
• re-do website--1/2 check, in the process
  
• read more--check!
• eat more--this deserves a 1/3 check, I have my moments.
  
• sleep more--checcccckkkkk.
• travel more--1/6 check, plans count!
  
• cook more--check
  
• observe more--10000xcheck

let's take some time to congratulate me on success. Now please make me a cake.

I am practically living in capitol hill at frances and tim's loft--the clubhouse, as it's been coined. The clubhouse is basically a homosexual hotspot known for its built in swings, kinky sex toys, and its kinkier live-ins. I don't consider myself to be apart of this group, but i sure do like to watch.

As for our poop quota, frances told me today that she is going to start charging a toilet paper tax.

Currently obsessed with:

• craiglists [as stated above]
• bikes
• papusas!
• drinking in parks
• cal anderson
• stumptown
• sunshine
• crafts
• affogatos
  
• short shorts
• bad tan lines
• fruit of all kinds.
• avoiding pressing and important decisions
• disorderliness
  
• having no sense of time
  
• milk steaming and pouring

Currently Reading: David Sedaris, When you are engulfed in flames.

Currently Listening to: New Beck



Coffee Break

"Do you guys have Frappacinos?"

"Is there free wi-fi here?
"For customers"
"Great, I'll have a bottle of water."

In response to Starbuck's purchase of The Coffee Equipment Comany, the company that produces the Clover, many independent coffee shops have since sold or retired their $11,000 machines as a way to protest the de-specialization of coffee that the "Green Giant" is known for. As a result, many of these coffee shops have reverted to using french presses, as they once did before the creation of the Clover. However, a few coffee shops are, alternatively adopting a process called "pour over," which is something between a french press process and the clover process. Akin to the Clover process, there is typically a variety of coffee options, with precise measurements of coffee grams and extraction time. The coffee is first measured, ground freshly and finely, and then poured in a filter and then hot water is poured over. The extraction time is a small amount longer then the clover, but the taste is arguable just as good, if not better. In the past I've heard of the "pour over" process from my friend, Thamer, when he had visited San Fran's Blue Bottle cafe. Since then I had thought little of it. But today when I was at Stickman's I noticed that they had a small set up of what looked like ceramic dishes with coned filters inside of them set on top of this metal shelf looking thing that poured directly into metal steam pitchers.

Here's pictures of Blue Bottle's "pour over" or what they call "Siphon Bar." It looks more like a chemistry lab. Stickman's version is much more casual and less showy then Blue Bottle's.

current thoughts

need a wide angle/fisheye lens
get my fixed gear bike
drink beers
stop school
take more pictures
re-do website
read more
eat more
sleep more
travel more
cook more
observe more
be 21

do it.

sweat

despite my drab and sweaty appearance at work I was able to make $78 in tips in just two days. with the combination of heat and lack of sleep I was less then amiable and extremely irritably. For some reasons street fairs tend to attract suburban housewives and their too-cool-for-school kids that know nothing beyond large franchises like Starbucks and Tully's. So, no I will not make you a venti iced non-fat carmel macchiatto with no whip or a fucking frappacino while you get angry for waiting more then 2 minutes to get a drink.

I am refusing to wear clothes from now on.

on Friday I went over to Tony, Kelly, and Dillan's after Chinese class to go to golden gardens to relax on the beach. It was a fucking american apparel advertisement. I do enjoy AA and their soft shirts, but it was actually kind of embarrassing to be surrounded with everyone wearing similar outfits. That's the problem with AA, it's become so hip that anywhere you go you'll be sure to see someone wearing the same thing.

oh hey here's an ad.

from the left to right: alissa, kayla, tony, bruce & kelly

tony & kelly; bruce & beer

kelly

Anyway I thought I'd be a good idea to drink heavily and walk to an imaginary bus stop by myself. I end up walking for a good 30+ minutes waiting for the 46 bus to arrive until running into Anthony's and remembering that Alex [my c0-worker] also works at a hostel right across the street from Anthony's. So being the problem solver I am, I call him at work and ask for directions. I eventually make it to a 44 bus stop only after walking another 15 minutes to downtown Ballard. I need to be more cautious while I drink. I could have been stolen!

Later we went to Frances' place to get more shitty before heading to the French Kicks show at chop suey. It was a really hot and disappointing show. so much sweat.

Tim and I tried to watch Pink Flamingo, a John Water's movie. This movie was so wacky. so weird.


I don't want to talk about things anymore. Here are just some photos.

emily & wine

jocelyn

emily & cam

emily's & cam's view

apples 2 apples; wines; city lights

sean sean

nermal

repetition.

1. pour milk
2. turn on anfim
3. dose
4. tap
5. 5 lbs. of pressure tamp
6. spin
7. 30 lbs. of pressure tamp
8. spin to finish
9. wipe down basket
10. flip
11. blow
12. insert
13. extract.
    

on being crazy

I am a mess today. Why, you ask?

Why I am a mess #1:
I skipped two classes today. I don't even want to disclose why I skipped my Chinese class. But I slept through my IS lab, which was a poor mistake considering that I was unable to turn in my last assignment because I did not want/know how to do it. But have some faith in me, I did go to my last class, which wasn't really a class because it was canceled so we could meet with our groups. So actually don't have any faith in me because I would have skipped if it weren't a mandatory group meeting.

Why I am a mess #2:
I napped, again. When I woke up I made some chocolate covered strawberries. I ate some of those chocolate covered strawberries and laid down, because I am a lazy piece of shit and not realizing I had chocolate all over my face, Nermal [cat] began licking my face. Because I am that lazy I just laid there and let her lick my face.

Why I am a mess #3:
I made my way to work--early for the first time in months so I could stroll and take in the sun and heat. When i arrived I realized I was not even scheduled for a shift today.

this list is just the highlighted messes I had today.

But here are just a few other things.

• I like new employees; they are so eager to please people.

• I almost ate a whole wedge of brie today.

• I cleaned my room [again]

• I sat under a tree in the sun

• I agreed to have dinner with someone I don't want to have dinner with

• Jeff and I have really great girl talk

• Did you know that obesity is causing global warming?

• Listening to Terrordyctals

• Nina. Nina. Nina.

Here are some photos for you.



okay I need to go watch a movie with ryan. bye bye.

Getting Shitty

Hating the Business School again.

I was incoherent today. I slept just about 3 hours last night because I had a Chinese exam today, but I really did not utilize this time to study. Instead, I watched graffiti videos and talked shit. Anyway i had a case study due today with my IS group. In the past, other groups just turned in the case study and our professor led a discussion on the readings and study. But today she decided to do something new and special--instead of her leading these discussions one representative in the group would lead. Of course because I was a wreck and I was born in the states, so naturally I was chosen to represent our group. It was terrible. I made absolutely no sense, completely unable to articulate any cohesive thoughts. I looked like a fool, I had never been so embarrassed in my life. But the boy who makes eyes at me sometimes alleviated some of the humiliation by helping me answer questions and add to the shit I was pooping out of my mouth. I don't know his name, but I wanted to give him a hug.

No more threats okay Frances.

I just bought my Sasquatch tickets. Thank you very much to those of you who had no faith in me—the H.MO’s.

Biking through Portland.

The plan goes as follows: take a train to Portland after spring quarter is over to see Dosh at Doug Fir on June 12 and then do a bike tour of Portland and its coffee shops. I don't care how nerdy you guys think I am.

this is Black Sheep Bakery in the Hawthorne neighborhood of portland.

Tight Pants

I've been eating a lot in the past few weeks, and as a result my pants are tighter then they have been in years. This means that i have primarily resorted to wearing tunics and avoid wearing form fitting tees. I have this pair of gray jeans that were already kind of tight, but are now uncomfortably tight. Sometimes it's hard to sit down and I don't bend so well, I found that bending to the side is the best in those jeans. Give me some more time and I'll be wearing sweats and moo moo's.

Sunday Brunches

I've been terrible. I've missed the past 2 Sunday brunch, yet my pants are still so tight. I think last last Sunday was a combination of tim and my fault. But last Sunday was my fault. I didn't get up until noon, which is really rare but I got had a rough weekend. Tim was a hater and he had shitty food at Table219, formerly known as El Greco.

Getting Shitty

Friday
I had a good weekend. I have been planning to get real shitty for a long time. As planned, I got real shitty. I got off work on Friday and went with Frances to my friend Chris' art opening at the Phinney Ridge/Greenwood art walk. Being a relatively small neighborhood the art walk was surprisingly big--spanning over 27 blocks. Frances stole a boot, 1 boot from a toddler. she took it right off her foot and ran away. she really had no shame. We ate at this restaurant called Olive You. I kept on telling Frances that I Olived Her. i don't think she thought it was as funny as I did. that's typical. Anyway the music was really loud and dark inside but there was a belly dancer that made Frances uncomfortable. Just imagine if someone just belly danced as they walked, even better imagine doing it up and down stairs at a very fast pace. I had some eggplant dish, which was so good. God damn it was good.

We left the restaurant and headed back to U-district to drink the wine that Frances had been carrying. We went to tim's and emily and owen were there. It started out very slow just drinking some and socializing and then all of sudden I just get ridiculously drunk. I remember being completely fine one second and then next second I am drunkenly cutting up oranges my parents bought for me. Sadly that's really all I remember of that night. I remember hearing voices but not seeing a god damn thing. But the next day I slowly pieced together that night. I was nuts. I put on tim's clothes and then tim started reading to me thinking that this would prevent me from getting sick. What a great idea.

Saturday
The first thing I say when I walk into work on Saturday is "I'm a mess." Working is never bad with weston. He's great. I'm really sad that's he's leaving to New York for grad school, but I'm really happy for him I'll just miss him and sven. Ashley was having a sushi making party. admittedly I was a little hesitant to go to this party because 1. I was really hung over and tired; 2. it was a bunch of ashley's language partner's friends that I didn't really know. To my surprise it was amazingly fun. It was kind of chaotic with all the people cooking in the kitchen. But we set up a bunch of sushi making ingredients on the table and just made what ever we wanted. I met a bunch of cool international students from mainly Taiwan and Korea. Again, to my surprise they drank a lot. Holy shit, from what I've experienced people from Asia, particularly students don't drink very much. These kids knew how to drink, going through a few cases of beer, a fifth of vodka, and the biggest bottle of sake I've ever seen. Taiwanese people love mayonnaise! i was so full, but that didn't stop me from devouring a large slice of rosemary pear upside cake and two scopes of icecream. it was delicious. Ashley made it and it was perfect--not too sweet and somewhat savory. somewhere in between eating way to much and drinking more then we should the party died down a little bit and colin arrived looking devilishly handsome. they say distance makes the heart grow fonder. i haven't seen that shit head in weeks. he looks like a different man.

one of the tawainese kids, Daren, loves to take photos. so we looked through some slideshows that he had of his adventures in the states. he had a few random pictures of american children, which i thought were funny. so, Mei, Ashley's language partner asks, "so what is it called, someone who likes children?" Ashley and I look to each other and we both say, "pedophile." Immediately after Mei yells, "Daren's a pedophile." Ashley then explains the negative definition of the word pedophile and warns the international students to never yell that in public, especially if you're taking pictures of kids. good advice, that could have been sticky.

I watched Lilya 4-ever at Tim's. It's confirmed that it is one of the most depressing movies.

Sunday
I missed brunch but met Tim at Stumptown on Pine. Attempted to study. Studying is hard given the any other option. Lest to say that not much studying happened. the people working at Stumptown were really nice but played lots of metal/screm-o tunes. It got unbearable at times.

Tim was trying to convince me to convert my bike to a single speed for his own reasons, which I completely respect but can't do. I'm not fit enough bike up hills with one gear, sorry I got stumps.

Frances later joined us and we studied and fought. I wonder what people think about us when we're in public? God I guess I don't want to know. they probably think we're some dysfunctional three-some couple. hot--not really. We ate at De-luxe Bar and Grill on Broadway. It reminded me of a dimmer and gayer Red Robins or Applebees--having a comparable menu and music selection. Frances had i think a crab sandwich with onion rings. Fried food is Frances specialty. Thankfully it's fair food season. Deep fried everything, it's the american way. Tim had the Monte Cristo, which was a sandwich with I don't know what inside deep fried, sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with some kind of jam. Sounds gross, but apparently it was delicious. I had some ravioli, it was sub-par and a rip off. But Tim helped me finish. Boy can that skinny piece of shit put away food.

What's ahead.

applying for internships
signing up for summer [lame] and fall courses
wasting time doing group projects
wasting time doing chinese
being more forward and pounce
symphony on Thursday
French Kicks show on Friday
biking
saving money
keeping my room clean
sleepy and eating regularly
glory-holing
being 21 and picking up studs at the bar
seeing family

Final thought.
picnics and alcohol

I’ve always have had problems with means of communication. I like the idea and convenience of it, really I do. But I like this convenience on my own time. I’m slow to respond to things like e-mail, phone calls, and letters. I avoid checking voicemails, my email for fear of acknowledging obligations. Time and time again I’m burned by my inability to sense urgency.

I had a midterm today. I started studying early and for the first time in a long time felt prepared. I go into class and sit down in my usual spot—the front. As usual, I take no notice to my surroundings and the trivial speak of the current greek happenings. But I happen to hear some dude say, ‘hey man I filled every inch of my note sheet.’ I turn around and discover that everyone has a piece of paper filled with useful information concerning the midterm I’m about to take. I apparently missed the memo. I assumed that the professor told the class that we could have a cheat sheet on one of the many days I had skipped this class. Still shocked and confused, I asked the guy sitting next to me when she [our professor] told us that we could have a note sheet. He replied, ‘last night she sent us an e-mail.’

I never learn from mistakes.

When I worked on Sunday with Molly I was asked out/hit on a record amount of times. This doesn’t happen that often and when it does, it’s invariably uncomfortable and disgusting. Why you ask? Because this only happens from people that Molly and I have coined as “undesirables.” From my experience, I developed six basic characteristics that describe undesirables. 1.) older men; 2.) men who are obviously into asian girls 3.) men who obviously haven’t had sex in a long time 4.) men who will obviously have sex with anyone willing but still haven’t had sex in a long time 5.) men who obviously unaffected by rejection; and 6.) men who hit on/ask out anyone in the service industry, with the belief that there is a positive correlation between the number of times you ask someone out to the number of times someone will say yes.

Building on this I got a present from this man. He gave me weed cookies that he made. Given I don’t smoke weed, I am in a predicament—yes, I don’t smoke weed, but I never said I don’t eat it. We’ll see.

On a different note I did unexpectedly well on my Information Systems midterm. I thought I failed it. but instead i scored well above the average score.

Things I like right now:

Listening to “the park” by feist very loud on either speakers or on large headphones is key. I really enjoy this album for various reasons but I especially appreciate the hints of reverberation and background noises that are present on this album, I particularly like the park because you if you listen close enough you can hear wind rustling through trees and birds chirping.

Eating frozen mangoes from trader joes. Always sweet and very refreshing, even on those cold spring days. Frozen pineapples are my substitutes when I have no more mangoes, which happens more often then I’d like. On any given trip to trader joes I will typically buy two bags of frozen mangoes and one bag of pineapples or two bags of pineapples if they’re out of mangoes, also just to throw it in if they’re out of both mangoes and pineapples—god forbid it ever happen again—I will buy frozen blueberries [lame]. I love the mangoes so much, I can eat a bag [about a pound and a half] in a day.

Debating on whether or not I should cut my hair or let it grow out and then gathering opinions from others of what I should do and not taking any consideration to their requested opinions.

The greek system confirming my belief that they epitomize nearly everything that is wrong with society. It’s interesting that educational institutions condone, praise and excuse their heinous behavior. Although I admit I enjoyed grinding with those masculine men with exposed nipples.

Acknowledging the extent of my athleticism--I played Frisbee for about a half an hour, if not less and my arm is sore.

Sarah Cass' photography.

Taking Frances’ advice and walking slower. Admittedly, it’s quite relaxing and enjoyable. That’s all I have to say about that one.

Currently:
Working on my website
Developing new picture projects—which will remain a secret until they’re finalized
Saving money for [near] future travels
Building up confidence to ask Mr. cardigan out.
Out of touch with everything
Desperately seeking B.O.B. [babe on bike]
Waiting for tim to fix my bike so maybe I will run into B.O.B.
Indebt to the library
Not at my normal pooping potential
Really into napping with my socks on
Really into skipping classes for no valid reason
Fighting every urge to be a grandma
Thinking about eating these special cookies
forgetting to call colin back again.

I'm so tired I will continue later.