More Halloween Fun

Rest of the Halloween Recap:
The Pumpkin Party was tons of fun. I was amazed we were able to turn the garage into crazy "spooky" venue for carving. The cider was a hit, and our pumpkins were all lovely (if not a lill burnt hehe) After carving we got pizza and watched Mr. Vampire. Mr. Vampire has now become a facebook group, the movie was so funny. You should all check it out if you haven't seen it and then ask to join the group after. ;)
Other points of Interest/discussion.
misa, Faraji, Erik and I went to a costume party on Friday night hosted by some former West High folks, and yes, I was pretty proud I didn't bring an IC townie with me. Though the banana did have to throw down for bragging rights upon our arrival. But, as any good fashion expert knows, it's all in the accessories. Because Erik had the sign and the maraccas, he can claim victory. I went as a devil, misa was a firewoman, (and I pointed out to her that really, with a viynl costume, she's probably be the first to go up in smoke) and Faraji was a vampire.
Saturday was spent doing something, but I can't remember what..(woo hoo for my memory being shot after a week, jeesh) Saturday night is the aforementioned post about Wylde Nept. And that, deer folks, was Halloween. Pictures, as promised, follow now...


and then:

Misa visits today, Casey visits tomorrow. much to do much to do, but, happy to have ppl coming to visit yay!!! Sites to finish....anybody really understand CSS positioning? I seem to have positioned myself out of the loop on that, in both the relative and absolute sense, so I'm off to ask the professor why I can't float images in the proper spots...

have a good weekend all!

Auld Lang Syne

So I'd promised to regale you all with the tale of my New Year's Eve. I deliver. :)
Friday morning I woke up with a sore throat, and then I worked at Barnes and Noble. I went to visit Christysissy as well, which was fun, and watched one of my fav. eps of Simpsons (lisa becomes a veggie) and then I hit the hay early.
I awoke at 6 am. Picked up the cohorts in crime at 7 am or so, with the extremely bright sunshine as a fourth companion. The drive to Chi-town went fairly quickly, with Pete serving as the IPOD DJ, and Misa and I chatted. All three of us lamented how we'd not gotten much sleep lately, and I also lamented the new found germs running through my system. Erik was kind enough to switch cars with me, and he drove us into the city...while I bogarted the BEST BLANKET IN THE WORLD, and tried to catch a little shut-eye, with no luck. We arrived early enough for Misa and Pete to get their tickets from WillCall, as we'd suspected that the mailman stole Pete's ticket AND would be present at Excalibur and Vision later that evening. We found thai food at the Siam House and then headed back to the HOJO for some much needed napping. Unfortunately for me, the pattern continued and I couldn't sleep...there's something wrong with me, but I can not sleep well if one of my nostrils is stuffed up and my throat is sore I guess. still with the lights off, I was at least able to close my eyes for a bit.

We woke up about 6 or so and primped for our night. Headed to the buffet dinner about 7:30 ish, and then started the night off right, by getting drinks from the open bar and stocking up on food.
After dinner we circled the club a few times, it was nice and big which meant the smoke wasn't too bad for my allergies - or the newly forming cold - and the alchy made swallowing a tad easier for my sore throat as the night went on. Eventually we made our way to the dance floor and hung out there for most of the evening. It was a blast! Good dj, good techno music and nice vibes. Plus the bartender at the upper bar was awesome. Misa disappeared to the bathroom, Pete to the bar, and Erik to go find his friend Ryan, so I was left for about ten minutes upstairs near the dance floor to just take in the crowd and people watch. it was fun, but I got a lill weirded out by some guys behind me who seemed to be staring at me, so I was happy when everybody else returned. Besides, it was getting close to midnight anyways....
The clock struck, balloons fell and people cheered...ringing in the New Year in a quite traditional way. Though I will say it was fun to watch Erik's reaction to the replays of the White Sox victory footage upon the countdown. I also found it amusing that despite my best efforts to get Pete to kiss one of the balloons at Midnight, he found enormous glee from popping them instead. (He later informed me that he normally HATES the sound of popping balloons, but apparently while drinking, it's joyous) Of course I had a better place to plant my new years eve kiss *wink*
We stayed at the club until almost 3 am or so, when we were all exhausted, covered in sweat, and ready to leave - after a fun ice fight, i might add.

So we headed back to the hotel. On the way home, a couple who had just gotten mcdonalds food called out...their reasoning....Erik saw a billboard of heather graham and couldn't control himself, haha. The guy of said couple called out "Now that's a real good way to spend new year's eve!" To which I had to reply "Hey, he's got a REAL girl to spend it with!" and at that Erik picked me up, and starting walking toward the hotel - and the guy yelled out "Okay, that's the REAL way to spend New Year's Eve" too funny!
We ate in the morning at the resturaunt near the hotel, and then switched cars back in Naperville, and after meeting Erik's folks and Kristie (the dog) and noticing Kyle passed out on the couch - we were on our way back to IC.
Misa and I dropped off Pete, then witnessed a fire at Panchero's and ate with Aaron....then i went home and CRASHED!! :)
That was my nye. now you've all been informed. the end.

Yule Tide Greetings to ye all. Happy Holidays and required well wishing :) I hope you've all spent the Christmas evening and day and Christmas Day Evening (yes steve, I did type that) with loved ones. I am very lucky that I've got so many people I count in that "loved ones" category, so yay to you all.

On a more well, grounded note...I had a relaxing Christmas Eve after some rather interesting experiences in the holiday book selling retail world. I'd just like to say thank you to everyone visiting Barnes and Noble for not asking me where the non-fiction section is, and I hope I was able to help you find satisfactory gifts for your friends/sisters/fathers and grandparents who play Scrabble.

I've watched alot of movies, I've eaten alot of food, I've spent some time with friends and family, all in all, it's been a good break so far, and I'm looking forward to the rest of it!

Which means New Year's Eve in Chicago with Erik, Misa, Pete and one of Erik's friends who is home for the holiday. :):) SOOOO excited!!! Will update again soon, and eventually I'll figure out how to put up some pics on this thing...HTML has failed me thus far in that effort...

You HAVEN"T read the book!?!

Dear Indiana, Mom/Dad, Tina's, Waitress, PF. Chang's, Little Tibet, IMA, Residence Inn, B-town Theater, Trac, Erik, Rena, Jon, Steve, Becks, Misa, Aaron, Lenny's, Circle Center Mall,

Thanks for a nice drive to/from Indianapolis on Wednesday to pick up "Alaskaboy." Thanks also for a fine and somewhat windy drive to Indianapolis on Thursday for Thanksgiving festivies with my folks. Thanks also for not being too annoying with traffic or weather and delivering the other travelers safely to your state. Thanks also for not having the police decide that 10 miles over the speed limit was worthy of pulling over the blond in the civic...

Thanks to mom and dad for driving Thanksgiving food across three "I" states and sending me home with ALL of the leftovers. Thanks to Tina's in Bloomington for delivering a scrumptous pie. Thanks to the waitress at the Hilton hotel resturaunt for carding me and taking a long time to find my date of birth. Serves her right, haha. No thanks to P.F. Chang's mushrooms, though depositing them on other people's plates was a tad entertaining and the pin noddle soup made up for this slight problem with fungus. Thanks to Little Tibet for still serving their Iced Thai tea..sooo yummy.

Thanks to the IMA for having a real Norman Rockwell painting, which my dad found worthwhile and interesting to see (as so often I feel I drag him to art museums and subject him to lots of cultural things he could care less about.)

Thanks to the Residence Inn for having a hot tub! SCORE! :)

Thanks to the B-town theater for hosting a lovely and interesting affair called a matinee of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Thanks to Trac for pointing out things that are different between the movie and the book, since no, I HAVEN"T actually read this one (grad school got in the way). Thanks to Erik AND Trac for the combined effort to engrain the words "It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time" in my brain probably until I die. Thanks to Erik for attending some after movie dinner beer time at Lenny's. Thanks to Rena for letting us bug her afterwards.

Thanks to those I talked to on the phone: Jon, Steve, Becks, Misa, Aaron

No thanks are in order for Lenny's being out of my newly discovered Ruby beer. No thanks are allowed for the Friday morning 6 am wake up call for Circle Center Mall shopping, and no thanks for the fact that it was the record low for the past 16 or some odd years at 17 degrees upon the 4
block walk to said venue.

But THANKS overall for a good break.

Signed,
one of your visiting students from Iowa


PS: According to Trac - I should also thank Martha and her Baking Handbook something. :)

PPS: Faraji wants me to thank him also, even though I technically didn't talk to him over Thanksgiving weekend, but this evening - so thanks Faraji 11/30/05

listening to: Goo Goo Dolls Iris
Well, on the countdown to a new semester of graduate school, I've decided to write again. Imagine that. I think this will hopefully be a good semester to follow a wonderful summer. I had such a fabulous time hanging out with the friends back home, I miss you guys! It was a jam-packed three months, full of lots of work at a bookstore and a library, some nights out drinking and socializing, a few movies, and alot of Burnout III. That will now be replaced with 4 months of work at a library, some socializing and alot of homework/reading. I am excited though, as friends from IC and elsewhere have promised to come and visit this time around. I am also enjoying the decorating process of my apartment. Hopefully people will likely come and hang out here throughout the semester as well. My trip to Ohio on Wednesday was a blast. Went to the Columbus zoo, hung out with a friend i hadn't seen in almost two years, drank a smoothie, ate chinese buffet, it was like old times ;) I am hoping to swing a trip to Sandusky to Cedar Point with Lis and Mees, though it doesn't seem like that will happen :( since i have to work on labor day, and the sunday night before, plus i can't really spend $ on more trips now that i've got the aprt to pay for, I'd like to see them again though. Hopefully misa is in the category of those coming to visit me through out the semester, as is Erik, and perhaps Cassi. :) others are always welcome too ya know :)
okay, well this is a short entry, and not too informative, but I'm gonna go and work out now instead. so happy semester's beginning and happy friday to folks!

Curses

So, I reread the previous posting about everything seemingly calm, and now I"m laughing with sense of impending stress and hopefully surmountable number of tasks. I think this semester is going to contain a violent level of mood swings related to the awesome nature of learning so much that will help me with my career and is interesting, withthe sheer amount of learning and reading to get to that level. So far, I'm feeling WAY behind already in all 4 of the classes I'm taking - not to sound like the big complainer though -cause yes, I realize I set myself up for this sort of thing. so on to happier things
Jaime called tonight - wedding plans are coasting along nicely it seems...misa called last night, good to hear from her as she destresses from her busy week at work...jon and chai called the other night to inform me that our basketball team star is a moron, and will no longer be on the team (good for alford, he FINALLY gets a few points in my book for that - though not many cause he's still a jerk) I got emails from friends in far away places, though I'm still waiting for one particular friend on teh east coast to let me know he's still alive...though since he's in grad school he's probably got a bit of an excuse, - more so than me even...
mardi gras this year might be the first one I haven't gone out on in AGES, since starting college in fact! I hope to make it out to play a little billards at least, so I can say I still did go out at least, just no drinking and no late night - hve too much to do and no desire to drink before doing homework this time around...
okies, that's all for now, I'm out. case study to write.

Christmas Spirit and Alchy

It's 3:!8 am Iowa time, I'm not tired. I hate how much I've thrown off my sleeping schedule in the first week of being on break. It's really annoying that I basically get up with the sun, because, surprise, my parents do. and then go back to sleep, after breakfast, and sleep until like noon or so, and lounge around all day, working out, and doing the normal break things, like reading and such. I'm a huge dork I know. Tonight was friday of finals for the Iowa folks, so I actually got to see a few of them out and about. Misa had a wine party get together thing that I attended, I did coffee with Jaime, and also got to see faraji and Krisitn. Kristin I haven't seen since WAY back before I left for IU, which I guess, while not being a super long time ago in reality, meer months really, still seems like forever. she's awesome and I did have some fun hanging w. her at 808 (previously Malones, and I gotta say, was better as a more sit down irish pub enviro than drunk college kid place) but, nonetheless it was interesting. Got hit on by a guy in law school here at iowa, was a way to pass the time I guess, making conversation...and another guy chatted with me, and a really drunk guy sang a few christmas carolls for us - I REALLY had to hold myself back from decking him. Honestly, I have a pent up rage building for christmas songs, and especially people, (though drunk they can NOT really use that as an excuse) who randomly break out into their favorite little xmas ditty, when I didn't ASK them to serenade me, and could care less to hear O Holy Night, while some rap song is playing in the background and they feel the need to TOP the base in the dj's song by yelling out All is Calm and Bright at the top of their freaking lungs. He asked what my favorite christmas song was, and I was sure he'd sing it anyways, so to shut him up (hopefully) I asked to hear 'Santa Baby' - feeling rather smug and kewl about my answer, he did NOT break into a screaming rendition, but instead remarked 'that's great, but for me to sing it, kinda gay." Thank God.
I'm all for the xmas spirit, sure. I mean, the spirit of giving and having fun and holiday breaks and such, but for some reason the whole idea of christmas carrolls is entirely pissing me off righ tnow. Perhaps it is because I have tried to boycott hearing them at all, which is an entirely impossible task, as every radio station is the eastern Iowa area seems to LOVE slipping a few in every HOUR! There are only so many times I can hit the seek or scan button on the civic and really not crave to plug in the ipod - current events and songs be damned. I have nothing against ppl enjoying the chance to sing christmas songs in the privacy of their own home (thank you mom and dad for not playing them or humming them 24/7) I do have a problem with being forced to listen to anyone sing. Carrollers, dont' stop at my house, or I will shut the door in your face this time around - not sure why it's affecting me so much this year - last year I wasn't like this...misdirected rage towards the happy go lucky idea of xmas songs? perhaps tis more the season to be jolly is okay and well and good - but not for those people that celebrate Kwanza or Haunakah (can you tell I'm not jewish cause I can't spell that word at all?) I ALMOST told the guy in the bar: "I don't celebrate christmas. I was adopted by an african american family and I celebrate kwanza, and your carrolling offends me." but duh, iowa city bar friday night of finals week, there isn't really a way to SAY that and not hear about ten rounds of "jingle bells" as an answer.
so ya, bah humbug to xmas carrolling in public.

Monday Mornings

First off, have to wish a Happy 24th Birthday to Misa! Wow. You aren't a youngin any more are you? One year away from being a quarter of a century old huh? That being said, I hope you have a blast tonight. I'm there in spirit and via phone call, since this is the first one I will have missed in like six years of friendship!
Not much else to write today, just another manic monday. Very excited for Halloween weekend. Karaoke on Thursday night, pumpkins, parties, and possibly a visit from an out of town friend! Hooray! ;) Have great days ya'll!

Halloween Happenings

Shopping today. Played with a cute puppy at the petstore, and named him "Tuggers", which the woman at the petstore decided to call him since he didn't have a name yet. Funny. Screamed in the Spencers for ten seconds. That was pretty fun. I haven't had a good scream in awhile. :) Tanya got her devil ears to match the red dress, so she will be going as the "devil in the red dress" - instead of the "blue" dress. I got my costume to. Considering I'd started out with the whole "Rainbow Brite" idea, and found that I would have to MAKE that costume, and I don't really know how to sew beyond buttons and hems, that idea was out. Then, I was totally about going as the Bride from Kill Bill, not in the yellow jumpsuit - though it was comforting to know at least the manufacturers thought girls my size could pull it off. It wasn't original enough...so I figured I'd go as the pregnant Bride from the Two Pines Massacure...alas, no maternity bride dresses to be found at Goodwill in IC or places I'd looked around Bloomington. I still don't even know WHAT we are doing for halloween here, besides a few of us dressing up at SOME point, and hopefully carving pumpkins. So yay for carving pumpkins and dressing up!
Even if I have nowhere to GO to wear the costume, I'll still wear it to celebrate the Halloween spirit. It will not be something to wear to class though. Actually, what am I saying, it is TOTALLY something to wear to class, haha, as long as the people in my program didn't get totally offended by the mocking nature of my gist. It's totally the stereotypical librarian garb. It was a thrown together idea, mostly because I didn't really have to purchase much else to go along w. the parts of the costume I already owned. So yay for Halloween and Librarians!
Different than last year's "Gothic Angel" where I actually purchased the black gloves, and the make-up (I did already have the skirt from the previous year's outfit as the black cat - Meow!) And the leather tube top was from the year before that, when I went as the not so high priced call girl, hehe. Now THAT was a fun night. Halloween three years ago. Firstly, I dyed my hair red, secondly, I got dressed in my hooker gear. Thirdly, I strapped on the bookbag and went to take a 7pm journalism test. Oh yea, that was fun. It's really hard to take a professor seriously, as he passes out papers and he's wearing a red clown nose. I don't care what his official title of PHD means, that's just funny.
The BEST part about that night though, and I love ya Mees, but this totally takes the cake. Before leaving for that test, we agreed to meet at the chemistry building (where my test happened to be, since it was the biggest lecture hall on campus). Ihelped to improvse her costume though, because I didn't wanna be the only one of us strutting around as the call girl that night, so I roped her into it. Well, I will NEVER forget the fun I had that night when I got to pop her boobs. Yup. My improvisation was a hit. I never figured bubble wrap was much good for anything, beyond wrapping up your breakables and the occasional Mexican Hat Dance across the floor with sound effects. But actually, it worked quite a bit better than kleenex. I have to say, had I had balloons on hand, I would have prefered to fill a few with water and use those (for the consistancy factor if nothing else). Yay for Halloween and fake boobs!
Oh, of course there were other moments of fun, and some GREAT costumes out that night. Becks went as your standard kitty, Salena, the standard bunny, so we were all in great spirits. The best outfit had to be the guy who came dressed as the "One Night Stand" now THAT was hilarious. He literally had fashioned a night stand table to slip over his body, complete with a lamp, alarm clock and a drawer. I'm not sure WHAT exactly was inside the drawer, but it was rumored to be functional and contain a box of condoms. I hope he won one of the contest prizes that night. Props also go out to Tom for his costume last year, which I found very clever, especially for the "play on words". He went as an "Orgasm Donor" instead of an "Organ Donor". Nice work.
Should I have been celebrating Halloween in Iowa City this year, there was talk of going as "Troop 69" in which all of the girls would be dressed as girlscounts, and of course, one of the guys would dress up as our "den mother" - my contribution to the idea -- the belief that our merit badges should reflect our traditional girlscount talents -- sexual positions. So Yay for Halloween and the Troop 69 Girlscouts!
I think Christa will do Mary Poppins, her costume was at home in Michigan, where she is this weekend, and perhaps I can convince Traci into dressing up with the other gals for the festivities ;) (especially if she reads this haha) Even if all we do on actual Halloween night is sit around and play poker or watch movies, I don't care, so long as people are happy to be involved and enjoy themselves. Yay for enjoying ourselves!