Saturday, August 28

Moving and things

So my secret girlfriend was here yesterday. [A passing reference to sg can be found in my first post.] I have been living in her room all summer. Not with her, which would probably be too uncomfortable for me.

But the room B and I have been staying in all summer belongs to her for the coming school year, so of course she wanted to check out the digs yesterday, and to bring in some boxes. It was awkward as hell, because in January, I wrote her an email from a random address and told her basically that I have a crush on her. I didn't leave my name or use a recognisable email address, because I see her around a lot [at least when she's not in another country]. She's in my choir and my seminar, and she's been in my art classes ... everywhere. And when I see her, I get a little giddy and want to hide behind things like a little kid. [Incidentally, she never replied to that email.]

What a crazy world this is.


And today I'm moving back on campus. B's brother is moving in today, too. As a freshman. This is very weird, because I keep reflecting on my move-in day three years ago. Can it really be so long now? It's got to be at least ten times weirder for B, because it's her brother. She's a senior, he's a freshman. He's on his way in, and we're all on our way out. It's amazing how each of us has grown up. Or how much we haven't.

Here's to a new year, a new roommate whom I hardly know, new classes, a new advisor, new classics professors ... a fresh start.


Edit: And it's raining on move-in day. Hilarious. Of course, it always rains, unless it's blistering hot. It never fails.

Thursday, August 26

I stole the baby!

I also got my hairs cut at Eclips. I look very "sassy," as my stylist said. And I decided to splurge and get a new product to go with my new hair. Yay!

And now, from cow-dog.net, I bring you [buh buh buh bum!] certain death! ... I mean, another survey.


1. What is your name spelled backwards? Annatsirhc
2. Where were your parents born? Waterloo and Iowa Falls
3. What is the last thing you downloaded onto your computer? A game, but this isn't my computer.
4. What’s your favorite restaurant? Cho Sun right now, because they've got a new sushi bar and I LOVE it.
5. Last time you swam in a pool? Me? Swim?
6. Have you ever been in a school play? I was backstage for The Jury Room, set designer for Charlotte's Web, and lights + sound for Dinner at Eight. I was in one act for speech one year, and we did Tales from Chelm.
7. How many kids do you want? I don't really want any, although I was offered sperm just the other day.
8. Type of music you dislike most? Country makes my skin crawl.
10. Do you have cable? Yes. We should not. I spend all day in front of the tv.
11. Have you ever ridden on a moped? No.
12. Ever prank call anybody? Yes.
13. Ever get a parking ticket? No.
14. Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? I would love to. Want to go with me?
15. Farthest place you ever traveled. I have been to Canada and Mexico, and also Maryland and West Virginia.
16. Do you have a garden? No, but I have a spider plant and some lucky bamboo.
17. What’s your favorite comic strip? Zits. Agnes. Fox Trot. Her!
18. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem? Yes.
19. Bath or Shower, morning or night? Shower in the evening. I don't want my ass touching our bathtub. It's nasty.
20. Best movie you’ve seen in the past month? Carla and Connie.
21. Favorite pizza toppings? I'm really into pepperoni right now, but I love a good bacon cheeseburger pizza.
22. Chips or popcorn? Popcorn if I'm watching a movie. And I really want some Sun Chips right now.
23. What color lipstick do you usually wear? I have some vanilla mint ChapStick.
24. Have you ever smoked peanut shells? I didn't know you were supposed to.
25. Have you ever been in a beauty pageant? Because I'm SUCH a looker ...
26. Orange juice or apple? I had some orange juice just this morning. But I like cran-raspberry. Ocean Spray.
27. Who was the last person you went out to dinner with and where did you dine? Gail, Blimpie.
28. Favorite type chocolate bar? Nestle Crunch. But I had a really good milk chocolate Symphony the other day.
29. When was the last time you voted at the polls? I haven't voted.
30. Last time you ate a homegrown tomato? Last summer.
31. Have you ever won a trophy? I don't think so.
32. Are you a good cook? I cook mac + cheese and hamburger helper. I can't even handle pancakes.
33. Do you know how to pump your own gas? Of course I do.
34. Ever order an article from an infomercial? Almost.
35. Sprite or 7-up? Sprite.
36. Have you ever had to wear a uniform to work? Yes - a stupid ugly green t-shirt that attracted all of the grease from the place and wouldn't come out. And it had stupid punctuation. ["Good things, every day!"]
37. Last thing you bought at a pharmacy? Burt's Bees. Mmm.
38. Ever throw up in public? Yeah, in front of a hospital after I had just taken some medicine ... I got my galbladder removed a week later.
39. Would you prefer being a millionaire or find true love? Wuv, twue wuv.
40. Do you believe in love at first sight? Or do I have to walk by again?
41. Ever call a 1-900 number? No!
42. Can ex’s be friends? Yes. Sometimes.
43. Who was the last person you visited in a hospital? My mom. She works in one. [The same hospital I threw up in front of.]
44. Did you have a lot of hair when you were a baby? Not a LOT lot, but some.
45. What message is on your answering machine? I don't know, but I'm sure it sounds really dorky.
46. What’s your all time favorite Saturday Night Live Character? I don't really like SNL any more.
47. What was the name of your first pet? Charlie.
48. What is in your purse? Checkbook, wallet, two pens, keys, cell phone. But the other one has music and a planner and a loan sheet ...
49. Favorite thing to do before bedtime? I usually read.
50. What is one thing you are grateful for today? Really awesome hair stylists.

Wednesday, August 25

Hump day

I am finally getting my hairs cut tomorrow. I got my paycheck today - $116 of Pizza Ranch's money goes to my pocket! I got four out of my thirteen books today in the mail. I bought two bottles of Reed's Raspberry Ginger Brew, and yogurt-covered peanuts and almonds from a very nice co-op employee.

Happy Hump Day.

Tuesday, August 24

Trim your Bush

I thought you might enjoy this: it's a "Trim Your Bush" t-shirt, encouraging the vote. I may have to buy it. Ack - I've had a taste of buying online, and I love it. This may be a bad thing.


"He has fully realized himself, and become a lesbian," said Margaret Cho [blog entry Queer Eye for the Straight, Why?]

Monday, August 23

Pants, magic pants

In the last 24 hours or so, I have watched five movies. Yesterday, T rented four, and we watched them all [in the order of least gay to most gay]. Two, very small KwikStar break, and two more. The first was The Prince & Me. I must admit, it was a little of a guilty pleasure, as I like Julia Stiles. We followed that with CHO Revolution, which was pretty cool. It was very different from the other Margaret Cho DVDs I've watched, but I still very much liked it. [And do not go on a persimmons-only diet. Ever.]

We followed Cho with a crazy flick, Connie and Carla, which was about two women hiding from some gangsters by becoming drag queens. It was totally worth it, and I hope we get to show it during our movie night for Coming Out Week.

Our last movie was Camp. It made me crazy. Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed it - but I think that after three other movies, it gets to be a little much.

And today we watched Labyrinth with my future roommate, because she had never seen it. I don't think I could have allowed myself to live with someone who hadn't seen Labyrinth. ["Pants, magic pants."]

Of course, before we watched the movie today, we decided to go shopping around town and buy cutesy little things for our room ... we got a floor lamp, placemats for the wall, tissue paper, and little organizer containers with raspberry-colored lids for our desks. And we went to Agora Arts, where I very nearly purchased my most favorite print, Cultural Fable. You really must read it. I almost spent $30 on it. I didn't, though. I decided to be a little more discerning with my dolores [not Dolores, like the name that rhymes with a female "pink bean," but dollar-ayes].

And also, I had a very ADD day. Can you tell? Oh, and I think that, as I may have mentioned before, I was turning into T. I know now that I have in fact become him and am now a gay man. He, in turn, is me.

Friday, August 20

Hey, bargain shopper

Okay, after my shopping spree on Wednesday, the 'rents decided that they didn't want to pay the bookstore $300+ ... so I went shopping online. With my mom's credit card. Oh, the temptation. But I got some really good deals and ended up saving $70, so it was totally worth it. Overstock.com, which has been running commercials lately, had some really good deals, and Amazon had a lot of deals, too. Had I been thinking, of course, I would have looked them all up online before purchasing them at the bookstore and thus save gas and energy in returning them. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say.

And the 'rents are going to buy me a computer. It never happens! I guess threatening to use my scholarship money to do so on my own worried them. I'm very excited.

Wednesday, August 18

Hey, big spender

On Monday and Tuesday we took yet another two-day field trip - this time, to the Iowa State Fair. We spent a lot of time in the animal barns, which I really enjoyed [for once]. It makes all the difference when you have someone with you who knows a lot about raising farm animals and such. We also trekked through the Ag Building, where I bought some fresh honey lemonade, and the Cultural Center, where my mom always used to visit the person selling rubber stamps and I would gape at the artwork and the tie-dye woman.

Just before we left the fair, we all got a lamb burger [well, B + S each got two]. It was my very first one, and I was excited. They're really good with barbecue sauce. And pickles.

After we escaped the rush hour/fair traffic, we went to my house for dinner, which my mom was sweet enough to make. Fried green beans [Aunt Amy-style], two types of hamburger helper, fruit salad, and lettuce salad with almonds. She's too good to us. I showed them my dad's hosta garden, which I think they appreciated. Afterward I gave a small tour of Winterset, complete with reading graffiti on one of the famous covered bridges and taking pictures by the sign at John Wayne's birthplace.

We spent some time at Timmy's place, hanging out and playing Scattergories, and then we went back to my house and played a bit of Rummikub [or however you spell it], and then crashed.

Yesterday we went to Earlham for a driving tour of T's childhood. A lot changed, and he was quite reminiscent. We then spent a lot of time at DSM's new mall, Jordan Creek Town Center. It was crazy-busy, but not too bad. T bought a lot of shirts, I bought some random items, and B + S got some white chocolate mochas at the Starbucks in Barnes & Noble.

We were finally back on the road at 7.30p after a quick dinner at Fazoli's. We drove for what seems like forever until we finally made it to Decorah. Good times.

Today I got my books for class - all $311.44 of them. I have five or six books for Greek, five for Buddhism, three for Food & the Environment ... yikes.

Oh, and I finally got my cell phone back after a month in the shop.

Saturday, August 14

Poncho Villa

So I think I'll be getting my knit on a lot more this semester than last. I've talked about my Stitch 'n Bitch book with my biddy a few times, and we're going to go gung-ho. I've got my heart set on the poncho [aptly named "Villa"] at knitty. I think the biddy's liking it, too, so we're going to adventure into the land of circular needles as soon as we can.

I also found a patter for a Dr Who scarf that I'd like to make for my dad. We used to watch lots and lots [and lots] of Dr Who on Friday nights when I was younger. I think that one of my brothers still keeps it up. We have VHS tapes up the wazoo of old episodes. Of course, we also have many tapes of New Yankee Workshop with Norm Abram [I think]. I'd always have to tape it, because it came one either just before or just after dear Bob Ross' painting show. Oh, so many memories.

So I think I'm going to spend the rest of the day getting my knit on, or at least a sizable portion. I've just learned that the biddy has gotten a cell phone, so I thought I'd knit another cozy or two. I ought to work on some of Jenn's custom bedroom art, too. I've got about half of it done.

Thursday, August 12

Suicide Club

After a light dinner with the Dustro, I found myself once again in front of the television. This time, however, I was watching a movie I ran across at the local rental shop - Suicide Club. It's a Japanse flick, and a gory one at that. Apart form forgetting to read the subtitles from time to time, I really enjoyed it. Despite the mess. The opening scene shows 54 high school age girls linking hands and jumping in front of a train. [Here you can find a picture of the scene at the bottom of the page.] Blood everywhere. Anyway, catch it if you have a chance. And if you're not grossed out by a lot of blood.

Wednesday, August 11

Birthday boy

I just learned that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie is coming out on June 3, 2005. That's three days before my twenty-second birthday. [Woo, college!]

Ah, a recollection of events concerning the birthday boy's birthday. We drove to Iowa City - T, B and I. Or more accurately, we drove to Coralville. The mall. Which has a carosel. And a Panera Bread. Anyhow, we met T's mom in the food court at mid-day. With her was BJ, whom I had already met as a Dorian camper, and Isaac, the cutest little six-year-old on the planet. B and I wanted to keep him, but in the end, he went back home with his mom.

We lunched at Panera, generously funded by T's mom. Afterward, we went mall wandering, during which B bought a VERY smart denim skirt [shorter than any of her others] and a pair of red pants that are even more smashing than the skirt. We managed to lose T-and-family about three times, but eventually found them back at the food court and in Target.

At seven, we [being T, B and I, along with T's friends Jen, Robert and Katie, B's friend Jamie, and my friend Patrick and his boy Ben] had reservations at Old Chicago, and ate some excellent food. We had a horrible waitress, though. She was not attentive to her customers, and tended to ignore us [we suspect that it was because all nine of us were college students and aparently looked poor]. We left her pennies scattered artfully around the table and a little note on a napkin detailing a couple of "tips from some servers." I'm sure she was not happy when she found that.

Afterward, we [minus Katie] found ourselves at Patrick and Ben's beautifully decorated trailer, having drinks and chatting, catching up and swapping stories. We watched a video of one of Ben's clients [he has a home repair and landscaping sort of business] which made us quite happy and quite sad. I'd shit a brick ... right over there!

We were there for three-ish hours, then left Ben and Patrick to go to a wine bar, where bottles are half price on Mondays. After downing about half of one bottle and two-thirds of the other, we said goodbye to Robert and Jen and made our way back to Jamie's apartment, where we chatted for a while and finally crashed.

In the morning [twelve-thirty being morning in this case] we finally got up and got ready for lunch at Perkins. We all had breakfast, and in a wonderful way. I have never seen so much food get eaten so fast. [Well, maybe at home with my brothers ... I think it's a toss-up.]

After lunch we bid Jamie adieu and started on our way back to Decorah. It was a very nice trip, and we all had a lot of fun.



Also, it is a blistering fifty-seven degrees here in Decorah. This is not proper weather for August 11 in Iowa.

Monday, August 9

Emotions gone wild

As I mentioned before, yesterday was my parents' 23rd anniversary. Instead of coming back to D-land on Saturday as I had promised B, I stuck around to sing in church for the 'rents. I sang a song called Song of Thanks, which had some very nice naturistic references. When I was finished, I walked back to the pew to sit by my dad for the rest of the service. I looked at him, and to my surprise, he was crying. I have only seen him cry two other times [to my recollection]. Both of those were at funerals. Wait -- three times. Three funerals.

Anyway, I sat down and also started crying. Not the loud kind, thankfully, but still. Runny nose and all. It's a good thing the church decided to put little packets of tissues in the pews ...


And now today is T-day, so we're off to Iowa City do get our freak on. Oh, and I met M last night, after much ado [or at least hearing a lot about her from D]. She is very funny and I don't understand why she hasn't shown her face around here before now.

Tuesday, August 3

Celebrations

All sorts of them. Jenn's birthday is on the 5th, which is also her moving day. My parents' 23rd anniversary is on the 8th, and I still need to find a card or something. Thaddy's birthday is on the 9th, and we're going to Iowa City to hang out and do birthday sorts of things. And of course, I managed to miss house9's birthday due to being near the 'net only in spurts, so belated happy wishes to her as well.


I am on my way home today to spend some more time with the family and friends back in the 'set. I've got some things to talk to everyone about, and some ranting to do, and some moving to help with. So I'm out.

Monday, August 2

Sushi

I am so excited.

I have once again experienced sushi. We went to the slightly more expensive of the two Chinese restaurants in Decorah last night - Cho Sun. They've recently finished remodeling the main dining area, and it is stunning. Their color choices are beautiful, and I wish I could steal them. In addition to their facelift, they've added a sushi bar. Now, I realise that sushi is indeed Japanese and not Chinese, but they apparently have new owners or something.

At any rate, I tried a bite of T's dragon roll last week - he was beyond excited about the sushi. (Dragon roll = avocado, cucumber, crab, eel). And last night I bought my very own sushi - the California roll. It's basically a cheaper version of the dragon roll, except that it has no eel. Fine by me, although I didn't mind the eel.

And if someone tells you that something's "hot like wasabi,"watch out, cause wasabi is hot.