Quotes of the Day

I've got two of 'em today. The first comes from Stiff, the second comes from a crazy woman at the bus stop.
Let's begin with the book, "Dissection and surgical instruction, like meat-eating, require a carefully maintained set of illusions and denial." I love it, I just need to find a way to incorporate it in to my daily life...

Moving on. So I, and all my fellow passengers, are exiting the bus. There is this woman who's obviously crazy as fuck, she's filthy, morbidly obese, using a shopping cart as a walker, and her clothes didn't match, lurking next to the CVS. So as we're walking down the sidewalk, she starts to mumble, "You're all fucking pigs." She gets louder and the statements get better, "You're all a bunch of Commies! Communist pigs! You're spies, you shouldn't be here!" I'm not sure if the comments were directed at my group because we were using public transit, the number of immigrants, or the fact that I was wearing a black coat with very red lipstick. I like to think it's the last reason, that I look like a Cold War( the first one) Russian spy, a movie version, but a spy nevertheless.

This might become my February banner

BTW all these things I'm posting today are for sell on Ebay...

This is how I want to feel

Party for a cause

This was concept I was unfamiliar with until college.  Various people, sometimes for community event, sometimes for more personal reasons, would throw fund raiser parties.  Not in the house party sense, because everyone feels that their doing something to better humanity, but the set up is similar, either a fee at the door or cash bar, or sometimes both.  Anyway, my friends and I have come with various reasons to throw a fund raising party, like for Botox.  I even designed a flyer, but nothing ever came from that because we couldn't agree on a location.
I want to have iPhone party for M, I just need like 25 people who can pay $10 each ( I make very good drinks, so this is really bargain)  et voila!  We just need a space for this.
I think a party for a frivolous cause set the right kind of ambience, the feeling of excess and decadence that exudes(or should I use "oozes") from the very idea...

M starts grad school today

I'm so excited for her, I can't wait to hear first hand wait a Cal State grad program is like from someone who went to UCLA and only took difficult classes from very demanding professors.  I'm hoping that'll be a cakewalk(she'll be working full time well attending, that's the beauty of the Cal State system).  She keeps bemoaning the fact that she didn't try to apply with USC (she felt she wasn't good enough, but feels differently now...) but she can go there for her Ph.D.  Personally I think being a full time grad student and a full time worker bee are a very impressive accomplishment.
The downside is that I won't see her until after 10PM on Thursdays, but I'll just dedicate myself to my passion for napping during that time.  Oh, and I'll clean and make dinner, so she won't freak the fuck out with her new hectic schedule.

Savings binge

I can feel it coming on, because the harbingers are already here; insomnia, the need for more booze and pills, junk food cravings, the strange feeling in my stomach, and the lists.  Oh, the list... There are lists of various things to cut back on, food, clothes, going out(cover+drinks), books, gas, character goods from that place by my job.  The companion to this list is a list of benefits; reading more, exercise, quality time at home, etc.  eewww...  Not that those things are bad, but when it reminds you of financial insecurity, the pleasure kinda lessens and stress goes up.  And everything that's wrong with your wardrobe, home, you is so much more in your face, because now you can't throw money at your problems.  

BTW, this always, always, cuts into my arts 'n crafts budget, so I can't say that any of the benefits will be creative ones.  If I can't buy rubber to make molds, then I can't have fun.

In 'n Out proposal

Every week we go to In 'n Out, this last time with our regular cronies, and was struck by a brilliant idea thanks to really lousy service.  That we get jobs there!  Second jobs, actually, but they pay well compared to other fast food places, at least.  I can serve people poorly! 

 This idea only works if we get we all get to work the same shifts, otherwise it won't be quite the adventure I'm hoping for.  This also meshes very nicely with my plan to have myself, and all friends, live in a cheap, read rat's nest, place in Long Beach.   If we live in the bad part of town, we could probably get a two bedroom for less than $800.  It won't even matter if the place gets robbed, because we will all have pawned our valuables by that point in time.  

I always feel better when I have a plan B, or in this maybe I should call it plan FU.

More ways to have fun during a recession

I've noticed that consumer credit has worsened. Three of my cards, all with no balances, never a late payment, etc., were closed by the credit company. I think all of limits have been reduced and most of my interest rates have gone up. So now I'm starting to worry. We do have cash savings, but we always felt that we could rely on credit to pay for any large, unexpected, emergencies so we wouldn't have to dip in to our savings...
So now we need a much larger pile of cash for emergencies so we'll still have something in savings if/when something bad happens, which means it's time to come up with more ways to have fun, or at least remain occupied, without spending too much...

• Potluck.  But a potluck with a price limit,  maybe no more spent than 5 bucks a dish?  Or only what you have in your fridge...
• Exercise.  I know, I know, but at least you're prepping your body for the tough times ahead.
• Can't stress this enough, learn to make moonshine...
• Sleep.  Not only does it feel good, it's also free.  It'll even save you money because you won't be eating, driving, etc.

This will be a very long work week

Three days off for Xmas, plus the weekend, two days off New Year's, plus the weekend. For the past two weeks I've only spent 40 hours in the office, as opposed to the usual 80+. But now everything goes back to normal. Granted I have vacation and sick time, but it's just not the same. This week the only things I have to look forward to are leaving early for the doctor, my new computer stuff to come in, payday, and pill popping. It is indeed a very glamours life I lead. How I wish I had an office, or at least an actual cubical to call my own, because then I could actually read books during the long, long day.

Studio struggles

M still wants to move, I can't even begin to think about the massive project this would be, to get everything down 5 flights of stairs, do a move-out clean up, get to a new place, set up everything... I need a valium just thinking about it. So the only way I can think of to keep the peace is me to move under the bed. Right I keep underwear and pjs in two low profile containers under the bed, which freed up a lot of room for me. I also keep a lot of arts 'n craft stuff in boxes under the sofa. If I were willing to invest like another $100 in those containers (why those stupid plastic box so fucking expensive?) I could create the illusion of space...