Today Is The Big Day

This morning I am leaving for Amsterdam. Six days with no supervision or responsibilities of any kind. I’ve been looking forward to this week of complete and utter depravity for awhile. I won’t be posting until I get back but there should be some good material for those ones.

To anyone who might read this blog regularly, see you in a week.

Currently listening to: “Skeleton Key” by Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s

I Guess It’s Ok

Not much happened today. I went to Kroger and cashed my tax refund checks so I’d have petty cash for the airports. The wind was exactly what one would expect in Blacksburg, 20 mph in which ever direction I turned my face. I love my bike but the weather is so cold and windy during the winter that it hardly seems worth it. I read something recently about how the country was getting record snowfall this year. You wouldn’t know it from tech; We just get the freezing temperatures and extreme wind.

I got home and did my laundry so that I would have clean socks for my trip. Finished that and started packing for my trip. I can’t wait. I’m so excited.

I spent a good portion of the night talking to my ex-girlfriend Sommer online. I call her that but it was entirely online so I guess we were never really dating. Anyway, she is still pretty much my best friend so she was telling me that she was having some sort of major anxiety attack because she was late. After talking a little, I figured that unless there was some sort of divine intervention, she couldn’t possible be knocked up. She proceeded to get upset thinking that she might be sick. I tried to get her to agree to go the doctor but couldn’t get anything firm out of her. I seriously doubt that there is anything wrong with her, but it would be horrible if something happened.

Oh, I ate an entire box of donuts for dinner. It was delicious.

1 more day to Amsterdam

Currently listening to: “The Man of Metropolis Steals our Hearts” by Sufjan Stevens

A Day Too Long

I have been awake since 1pm yesterday. When I got back from work, I had an email from a friend of mine asking to help me move some AV equipment at 8am. Since I’ve been unable to got fall asleep before 5pm for the past couple of days I decided to stay awake. A shower at 6:30, a huge delicious breakfast at 7:30, and I was ready to meet Wes at 8. Unfortunately, he never showed. I was pissed. I’m tired and ready for bed but own horrible internet habits are preventing me from doing so. I did one wikipedia search on a superhero which led to another and another and 90 minutes later, I reading about different alternate worlds in the Marvel universe. I love comics but that too much.

2 more days until Amsterdam

Currently listening to: Nothing

Something Might Have Been Achieved

I turned in the list of grievances that I typed up yesterday. I dropped it anonymously in the employee suggestion box. I also had a copy that I passed around to all the non-management employees and they all seemed to like it. I doubt anything will come from it but if it brings them to consider the employee next time they make decisions, It will have been worth it.

I got a call from my father today. I had been resisting telling my parents where I was going for spring break besides Europe but apparently my father didn’t like that. He told me that it was unacceptable to go without telling them anything. It’s my goddamn trip. I paid for the entire thing myself by working and I’m spending one red cent of their money. Where the fuck does he get off telling me that I can’t go without telling them where? If he doesn’t like that, he’s gonna hate my plans for after graduation. Once I have completely finished school and have paid off my student loans, I plan on moving to Europe to teach history. My goal is to get the hell away from that group of psychos. I hate my family and cutting off contact with them is a dream of mine. I’m starting to rant so I’ll change the subject.

I won my eBay auction for the stormtrooper helmet. The winning bid was $255 dollars which is a little much but I was willing to go as high as $300. Considering that it’s about $200 for an unassembled, unpainted helmet, I think I got a good deal. I can’t wait to get it.

3 more days until Amsterdam

Currently listening to: “Gone to Earth” by The American Analog Set

A List of Grievances

I have had enough. Work has reached the point where we can longer continue without having some changes made. They skimp on stock, morning shift does NOTHING and leaves us holding the bag, management is constantly expanding our workload into duties that we have no business doing, we don’t have enough staff, and they make policy decisions without consulting the staff. I have typed up a list of grievances and have gotten support from a lot of the guys who were working tonight. I plan on handing it in tomorrow. I hope it does something.

In other news, It looks like there will be a second Castro in Cuba. Fidel’s brother, Raul has been confirmed as President dashing the hopes of those who hoped for change.

Meanwhile, stateside, Ralph Nader has announced that he’s running for President again. Last time he did that, we ended up with 8 years of Bush. He obviously hasn’t learned his lesson.

Lastly, I have placed a bid on eBay for a fully assembled and painted stormtrooper helmet. I really hope I get it.

Currently listening to: “Together” by The Raconteurs

Quality Time

I spent a couple of hours hanging out with my roommate and watching Zoolander on comedy central. I’ve seen the movie about 100 times but it was good hanging out with Jay. He gave me some advice on making a graffiti stencil and we talked about a bunch of stuff. I didn’t talk to him about my plans for re-arranging the living room but, oh well, it’s not like was gonna do it tomorrow or next week or something. I want to put the TV in the living room and move the couch around but I need a stand first. Jay also reads a lot in there and I would hate to drive him out.

I also rediscovered an old favorite comic. When I was a kid, I loved the strip “Liberty Meadows” by Frank Cho. I thought it was over but it turned out that they took it out of syndication and make comic books. I downloaded them all and it’s like rediscovering a funny little piece of my childhood.

5 more days before I go to Amsterdam.

Currently listening to: “Lonelyheart” by The Harbours

I Bitched Out

I was at a great party earlier. There were a ton of hot girls, good music, and a lot of alcohol but I was a colossal pussy. I didn’t talk to any of them and I was gone by 12:30. Now I’m not really that bummed about not talking up some girls because I’m gonna be in Amsterdam this time next week getting my dick sucked. I just wish I had the balls to hang out and talk to complete strangers. I wish.

Is It All Written Down Somewhere?

Work was shit. Actually, work is always shit; This was worse. This was elephant with explosive diarrhea shitty. I’ve worked there for a year and apparently have been doing my job wrong all that time. Not only have I been doing my job wrong, so has every other shop manager and student manager to run the place.

Now I don’t mind cleaning up a mess but this was arbitrary and dumb. I’ve never had any reason to mop behind the pizza prep cooler before. I think Woody the manager was just being a douche. He has checked out the shop hundreds of times and he has never once remarked on it. What a perfectly shitty way to cap off an already shitty shift. I wish that just once they would compile all these little rules into an actual manual and get rid of the surprise changes.

I might not post tomorrow night because I’m going to a friends 21st birthday party. I’m gonna try to limit my alcohol intake but who knows if thats gonna work. I’m still pretty freaked out about the time I blacked out.

Currently listening to:  “Talking in Code” by Margot & The Nuclear So and So’s

The More Things Change…

This has been an eventful couple of days in the international community. While I was rambling about stormtrooper costumes and nerf guns, both Cuba and Pakistan have had major political shake-ups.

In Cuba, Fidel Castro has announced his resignation. The man who survived and evaded every half-baked, kooky assassination that the CIA threw at him is no longer “El Presidente”. The man has been a fixture since we helped him overthrow Batista back in the ’50s. Sure hasn’t been public enemy no. 1 for awhile but its still major. No word on either his successor or what farkers will use to place the “zombie Castro” jokes.

In Pakistan, there was the nation’s first elections in a long time. I was expecting Musharref supporters to “miraculously” win the majority but from what I understand, thats not the case. I don’t know anything about the victors, whether they be fundamentalists or pro-west or what, but they don’t like the big man. The winners are expected to form a coalition government in the Pakistani Parliament but apparently did not get the 2/3 majority necessary to oust Musharref and he likely won’t step down.

So the world loses one old dictator but another has managed to hang on. It’s a start.

Currently listening to: “Faces in Disguise” by Sunny Day Real Estate

Why Am I So Excited?

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about getting a storm trooper costume. I want to just wear it downtown one day or around campus. No explanation or reason, just an anonymous guy in a cool costume. On Halloween I could get drunk and go door to looking for “two droids”. I’m actually kinda giddy about the prospect.

The downside of this little fantasy though is that it turns out that it’s pretty expensive beyond the initial buy. The helmet needs major modifications like padding, electric fans, and an electronic voice changer. It’ll be cool once done but I don’t think I have that kinda skill. The suits also supposed to be pretty inaccurate but I don’t care about that kinda thing. It looked right to me. I need to give this more thought.

Currently listening to: “The Town Halo” by A.C. Newman