Thursday, April 30, 2009

the n-judah will be the death of me

I hate the n-judah. And sports. And people who like sports so much, that they go to Giants games and then take the n-judah home.

What I like:
-Interesting guys who hit on me at Safeway. Or rather, the one interesting guy who did that. In the candy aisle.

-The Seventh Generation grocery bag I got with my drugstore.com order, filled with samples. Including a carrots chapstick. I love samples.

-Gardenia scented lotion I ordered on drugstore.com

-Paine's Rights of Man. It made the n-judah ride a lot less painful.

-Paying bills online while sitting in bed with a jar of nutella.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

so nice to have a sober night at home

The title being an allusion to a conversation with Helene last night, as we were sitting on the front porch because it was crazy hot all day, and I was eating dinner (finally).

Because the night before (Monday), I went to a concert with Steve: The Black Kids and Mates of State. Best part, M of S covering Tom Waites's Long Way Home. And when some dudes in a car tried to pick me up. I love that. This after a morning of brunch, two hours of work until I couldn't stand being outside (even in the shade) for the heat, an afternoon on the beach with the roommates.

And the day before that, I took a shopping trip (yay, sandals!), followed by walking in Golden Gate Park, a lovely dinner at Hannah's, wine and a mean game of book lovers' trivial pursuit. And more beer at Amber.

And the day before that, I'd been super good and settled in for some work in the evening, as I didn't do much work in the afternoon, despite coffee shopping with Jill, when the roommates got a car together for Casanova. So beer, wine, people watching. And if I hadn't done that, I should probably have gone to Pedro's rock costume party...

And Friday night I was celebrating Steve being done with orals, followed by a lecture on Napoleon in art, followed by more beer in the mission with Garth and Allen. And a super strange encounter at a convenience store: I wanted to get cash back, but apparently had to spend at least $5, and I didn't want to carry crap around just to get cash... but the guy didn't want me to leave without the tea I had picked out, so he said to come by another time to pay him back, and I asked to shake on it. So someday I've gotta go back to Valencia and 24th. Garth said in response to this story: "It must be nice to be a girl."

And the night before THAT, I barely got any sleep, because I got home at like 10:30 from a CSN discussion, and immediately joined my roommates downstairs for Adam's birthday, which turned into a jam session and sing along. We covered -- some Grease, Message in a Bottle, Wonderwall, Hotel California, What I Got... and three renditions of the birthday song, because his dad was having trouble getting a photo of him in action blowing out the candles.

And Weds. night, after an afternoon at the library, quizzing Steve on 18th c. lit. dates over sausages and beer. Followed by my meeting a random dude on a bike, who was high as a kite, invited me to a party, and asked for a hug. I hugged him -- he was kind of cute, his name was Christian, and I was tipsy.

Tuesday was trivia night at the Castle, so that meant a beer. And I was totally right on Patti Labelle being the original artist for Lady Marmalade. And George Eliot being Mary Ann Evans. And recognizing Roy Orbinson's voice. After a day of the writing center and the library, though.

Monday I don't know what I did... I remember going to the library in the sunset, but other than that...?

Sunday was Dan and Jodie's wedding celebration party: theme, British in the park. It was warm and beautiful and many people I adore were there, it was lovely. And then I got to catch up with Sara L. over a healthy dinner.

Before that... it's hazy. Probably I should update more often. And do more work on my chapter daft.

Sunday, April 05, 2009

while reading paul fussell on class in america...

On the working class and unicorns:
"One feature of prole catalogs is the frequency with which the unicorn, of all things, appears. We find plush unicorns, pewter unicorns, brass unicorns, 'Porcelain Revolving Musical Unicorns' -- every conceivable avatar of unicorn. As one catalog announces, 'Unicorns are all the rage these days.' I've spent six months trying to find out exactly why, and I'm finally stumped." (123)

On personalizing:
"There's hardly anything you get from a catalog that can't be personalized... Or how about a navy blue flameproof hearthrug with your family name in Gothic letters beneath seven spaced gold stars and above a golden eagle, in 'Federal' style? That will certainly straighten out visitors puzzled about whose living room they've wandered into." (125)

On the upper class buying cars:
"Class understatement describes the technique: if your money and freedom and carelessness of censure allow you to buy any kind of car, you provide yourself with the meanest and most common to indicate that you're not taking seriously so easily purchasable and thus vulgar a class totem. You have a Chevy, Ford, Plymouth, or Dodge, and in the least interesting style and color. It may be clean, although slightly dirty is best. But it should be boring. The next best thing is to have a 'good' car, like a Jaguar or BMW, but to be sure it's old and beat-up. You may not have a Rolls, a Cadillac, or a Mercedes. Especially a Mercedes, a car, Joseph Epstein reports in The American Scholar (Winter 1981-2), which the intelligent young in West Germany regard, quite correctly, as 'a sign of high vulgarity, a car of the kind owned by Beverly Hills dentists or African cabinet ministers.' The worst kind of upper-middle-class types own Mercedes..." (84-5)

And an appropriate Vonnegut allusion:
"Like so many Americans, she was trying to construct a life that made sense from things she found in gift shops."

Thursday, April 02, 2009

have I abandoned this?!

New lows with the updating!

But it's because I've been busy...

The apartment has changed! Holli is gone, Emily is back, and we now have a MATCHING couch set for the living room. Four pieces, $400, split five ways. Very proud of ourselves. Especially after four of us carried a love seat up four blocks (including our hill) at 11 pm last Thursday. Luckily we got Holli's couch out, because she apparently had no (working) plan for moving it to her new place. Another highlight: Helene and I in a community truck, with the "vagina couch" (so called because of its pink leatheriness) deconstructed in the back, with 4-6 fellow housemates piled into the back. As Helene said, last chance to ride the vagina -- it convinced Peter to jump in, with his bowl of cereal.

So we're re-learning how to negotiate our space. It's amazing. We're tidy! I cleaned the bathroom, Vincent mopped the floor, Greg threw out old crap and rearranged the living room, Vincent and Emily cleaned out under the kitchen sink... We hang out in the common spaces more! Last night we listened to clips of 60's-90's hits to up our trivia knowledge. Tonight Helene and I baked TWO batches of cookies.

Spring break happened! I worked, but also managed to hang out at Dolores Park and the beach with Garth. Went to an art show with Jill and Nirav that involved baroque costumes... including one that I belatedly realized was easter themed: a pink bunny hat, with loads of beaded easter baskets covering the body. Not prints, ACTUAL baskets. Jill and I got hit on by a 40 year old. Ick. Then we went to a club and danced. I danced *dirtily* for two hours. Scandalous. It was fun. Next night: Sushi with Garth, followed by awesome drinks at Alembic. I had the "southern exposure" and "the bee's knees." All for new drinks.

Trivia-ing it up: this week was my second week with Pedro's team. So we didn't do as well this week... but after the trust falls, I'm hoping we improve.

Also: I've been going to campus far, far too often this week.