Playing Catch Up Again?

Yup. Seems like I'm constantly doing that. So for those of you who live vicariously through me (actually, I have no idea how many people actually read this thing apart from Dem, Nick and Meera), here's a recap of what's happened since...well, since whenever it was that I last wrote something. Really wrote something.

Friday was supposed to be my Big Phat Party. It was at Tabella Bar and Lounge in Downtown Seattle. It's a nice place where there is a dress code and quite hip-hop oriented. Suffice to say, there were a lot of brown people there. (And no, I'm not just talking about black people; I'm talking about all brown people.) Tell me why only 5 people showed up, including me? LAME. Friends? Pishaw!! Some friends you are! My last freakin' night (kinda, besides Saturday) and who shows up? The core: Dem, Ryan and Georgia...and Adisty! She's someone I've known since high school and has only seen sporadically in the past 5 years. Yes, SHE came to the club. Pish, whatever. A test of friendship I suppose. I got one email about it - from Holly - and she had a family thing to go to that she couldn't bail out on so that was okay. Like I said, screw y'all. I know who really count; I know who I'm inviting to my wedding (whenever I have it that is)! (These are important things to know, y'know, to cut back on stationary, printing and postage costs.)

Anyways, Saturday was better. I went out again; this time we went to R Place and I got a bigger turn-out this time. I suppose that's what I get for having predominantly gay friends who have some straight-club phobia. Pfft. Oh well, at least they came out in the end so it was all good. My workmates met up with me at the club as well, which was really cool of them. However, they got really, really, really drunk. Oh man, they were so wasted by the time we left the club at 2am. Then they went on to Neighbors, a techno (eww) infused club. I refused. I don't do techno. But they were a little crazy when we said goodbye and Cattreya called me the next day freaking out about that night because she totally didn't remember anything and that scared her bad. Dem also came out with us - yay! - and that was real good because she hadn't come out with us any of the other times and I'm really happy she did on my last night.

Sunday, I had a plane to catch. 6 months. 6 months! Time flies by pretty fast. One minute I just got back from my year abroad and the next thing I know, 6 months have gone by and I have to finish packing and am leaving again for at least another 6 months. It feels amazing, really. I feel sad about leaving people, my BFFs (hehehehe! That's short for Best Friends Forever.), my coworkers (we work so well as a team and I feel like I have to start all over! I hardly have any problems with coworkers anyways, but still.) and my mom and sister. I miss having them around, especially my sister because even though she can be extremely exasperating, she's quite brilliant and hilarious most times. Kids say the darndest things. Really. We crack each other up.

The flight was long and cramped. They say BA is one of the best airlines to fly with; I beg to differ. I'm not saying that they gave bad customer service; au contraire, they had excellent customer service - one member of the cockpit came out to chat with the kids in front of me, which I thought was quite a nice thing to do. Oh yeah, this was a baby flight; there were SO many kids on board. I counted at least 9 in front of me (there were maybe only 5 or 6 rows ahead of me) who were under 14 years of age. It was the amount of space - or lack thereof - that didn't sit too well with me. My bum was really aching afterwards. I'm used to flying United and they'd thrown out a couple of rows in their Economy section so that the rest of the seats have slightly more room and that's what I'm used to...oh well, I survived and now I know. I had a fuschia pillow and that was pretty cool. And there was a guy in a suit who was sporting serious dreads mon. That was cool.

Fast-forward to today, Wednesday. I had a really early start and I felt like I spent the entire day traveling...which I kinda did. Bus to train station. Train from Bristol to London. Tube from Paddington to Farringdon. [Insert BUNAC Orientation.] Tube from Farringdon to King's Cross. Train from King's Cross to Huntingdon. Taxi from train station to NXT Sound. [Insert interview with NXT Sound.] Train from Huntingdon back to King's Cross. Tube from King's Cross to Paddington. Train from Paddington to Bristol. Ride home in car. Phew! What a day! And what a great day it was! My interview went extremely well with NXT; apparently, they'd already really liked me just from reading my CV ('Oh, they love me! They really love me!') and meeting me in person just confirmed everything they'd derived from my CV. Cool! Job description, discussion of BUNAC, possible future opportunities, what's expected from both parties, short tour, talk about pay and other paperwork stuff and a writing test. Pretty standard stuff. I am SO excited!! James, who's essentially my boss (but not my immediate supervisor), wants me to start next Thursday, providing that I've already found a place to live by then. If not, he said he'll just push back the start date until I get a place. He's cool. They all seem pretty awesome people to work with. I'm really going to enjoy this job.

So now, I just gotta find a place to live...

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Home

Another summer day
Has come and gone away
In Paris and Rome
But I wanna go home
Mmmmmmmm

Maybe surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel alone
I just wanna go home
Oh I miss you, you know

And I’ve been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you
Each one a line or two
“I’m fine baby, how are you?”
Well I would send them but I know that it’s just not enough
My words were cold and flat
And you deserve more than that

Another aeroplane
Another sunny place
I’m lucky I know
But I wanna go home
Mmmm, I’ve got to go home

Let me go home
I’m just too far from where you are
I wanna come home

And I feel just like I’m living someone else’s life
It’s like I just stepped outside
When everything was going right
And I know just why you could not
Come along with me
That this is not your dream
But you always believed in me

Another winter day has come
And gone away
And even Paris and Rome
And I wanna go home
Let me go home

And I’m surrounded by
A million people I
Still feel alone
Oh, let me go home
Oh, I miss you, you know

Let me go home
I’ve had my run
Baby, I’m done
I gotta go home
Let me go home
It will all be all right
I’ll be home tonight
I’m coming back home(Home, Michael Buble)

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Catch Up

Last Friday was St. Patrick's Day and we (Ryan, Georgia and I) met up with some friends at another friend's house party. Last time we were at Liam's house, it was for his housewarming party and it was so not crackin'. Mainly because he was playing some crap music. This time, however, was much better. There were a lot more people and there was an actual DJ playing good music. We got to catch up with some friends and dance. And a friend's crush showed up, too! Boo, hiss because he gave off conflicting vibes and sent confusing messages...he's supposedly straight but there are a LOT of BUTS. Oh, but he is cute. Anyways, he was there and Ryan went a little crazy. Poor Ryan. Oh, but we went out on Saturday and the hot bouncer guy (also named Ryan but I'll call him Ry^2 to make it simple) was there! Ry^2 was the coat check guy last week and on Saturday he was glass collector and he is SOOOO nice. No, seriously, he's really nice and he's got a wonderful smile. So I made Ryan draw up a strategic plan to get him; Ryan's been wanting him for ages (!) but he always gets shy around people he actually likes! He wrote a note and his number on a napkin and gave it to Ry^2 on our way out the door. Woohoo! I'm so proud of him :D yay!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed cuz Ry^2 is really cute and seems really nice and Ryan deserves someone really cute and nice.

Sunday I went to The Melting Pot in Bellevue for my Good Luck dinner with most of the girls at work. It was nice but rreeaallyy expensive; our bill came to about $300 after tax and gratuity for 6 people. Damn. The cheese fondue appetizer was pretty good; we got herb & garlic cheddar and mexican salsa. Herb & garlic was really good...but then again, I do love garlic, and I didn't care so much for the mexican salsa cheese fondue. We had bread (yum!) and apples (weird? yes.) to fondue. Then came salads - mm mmm! The entrees were goooood; we had a whole ménage of meats and veggies: prawns, salmon (yum!) beef sirloin, teriyaki beef, portobello mushrooms, zucchini/corgettes (mm!)...and BEST of all, we got lobster tail (yes! Yes! YES!!). I absolutely love lobster! Oh, it makes me drool just thinking about it! We had two burners and pots and in them were broth and seasonings to give them different tastes: one was coq au vin (lots of garlic and wine) and the other was mojo style (a citrus'y caribbean flavour) And dessert was pretty good, too. Chocolate fondue. We dipped pineapple chunks, strawberries, brownie bites (love it!), marshmellows, bananas and pieces of pound cake in the chocolate mixtures. Everyone loved dessert but I loved the entrees more; I never did have much of a sweet-tooth. Best of all, they all got me gifts! I seriously always have the best coworkers - FAO, The Daily, Debenhams, Crabtree - and I'm really lucky. They got me the wallet I wanted from Fireworks! I was shopping with Cattreya the other day and pointed it out as a possible purchase since I've been looking for a new wallet but one that's different, funky, wild and/or crazy. This one was perfect because, although it wasn't wild or crazy, it was different and had enough funkiness to it to be cool but it also looked feminine and sophisticated. Not an easy look to pull off! I love my new wallet!! AND they also gave me £20! I'm, like, 'Wow, THANKS GUYS!' See? I do have the best workmates!

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Tattoo Who? Tattoo Me!

Yes, that's right. I got one. It sits low on my right hip and is the outline of the profile of a butterfly in flight. I drew it myself *beam with pride* and the butterfly has personal meaning to me. I didn't do it just because it was pretty or cool; I never was one to give in to insipid excuses or peer pressure (shoes can be an exception though). Anyways, no pictures just yet but they're coming.

PS - It didn't hurt too bad - I survived - but there were moments of eye-scrunching, bone-crushing hand gripping, and hold-your-breath-and-exhale-gaspingly-when-he-lifts-the-needle. Especially the looong lines...

PPS - It itches like hell and I wanna scratch but I mustn't!!

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Which Washington Barbie Are You?

Laughs and giggles. (Sure says a lot don't it.)

Seattle Barbie: This modern day homemaker Barbie is available with a Mercedes 4WD SUV, a Prada handbag and matching Nike Yoga ensemble. She has a masters degree and double-majored, but has the luxury of being a stay-at-home mom with Kens generous salary. Comes with Percocet prescription and Botox. Starbucks mug and traffic-jamming Blackberry internet/cell phone device sold separately. Husband Ken is into fishing, golfing, baseball and is often working late. Available at all Seattle-area Starbucks retailers.

Bellevue Barbie: This princess Barbie is only sold at Nordstrom. She comes with an assortment of Kate Spade handbags, your choice of a BMW convertible or Hummer H2 and a longhaired foreign lapdog named Honey. Also available is her cookie-cutter development dream house. Available with or with! out tummy tuck, facelift, and breast augmentation. Workaholic, cheating husband, Ken, comes with a Porsche.

Tacoma Barbie: This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun, switchblade, '78 El Camino with dark tinted windows, and a meth lab kit. This model is available only after dark and can only be purchased with cash - preferably small bills, unless you're a cop, then we don't know what you're talking about. Boyfriend Ken is in jail. Available at many pawn shops.

Everett Barbie: This tobacco chewing, brassy-haired Barbie comes with a pair of high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased Beer Gut Ken out of Monroe Barbie's trailer. Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, strawberry lip gloss and a see-through halter top. Purchase her Mustang convertible separately and get a Confederate flag bumper sticker absolutel! y free. Boyfriend Ken is in treatment. Available at Army Navy Surplus.

Monroe Barbie: This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans 2 sizes too small, steel-toed cowboy boots, a classic Metallica 'T' shirt and a Tweedy Bird tattoo on her shoulder. She has fake fingernails, a six pack of Budweiser, and a Hank Williams, Jr. CD set. She can spit over a distance of 6 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken's ass when she is drunk. Also available is the gold-toned cubic zirconium ring that Ken gave her after another one of his episodes with his boss's daughter. Comes with Barbie's Dream Double Wide Trailer. Available at Wal-Mart.

Sultan Barbie: Pregnant at purchase, this Barbie comes with a stroller and bus pass. Also included is a G.E.D. and a completely filled out PFD form. Construction worker Ken and his '82 Caddy are optional. Available at Value Village.

Vashon Island Barbie: This Barbie i! s made out of recycled plastic and tofu. She has long straight brown hair, archless feet, hairy armpits, no make-up, and Birkenstocks with white socks. She does not want, or need, a Ken doll. If you purchase the optional Subaru wagon, you will receive a free rainbow flag sticker. Available at REI.

Olympia Barbie: This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie to Ken by simply adding or removing snap on parts. Walks to work. Likes to "experiment", but will never commit. This model is being phased out and is only available from the manufacturer.

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The Hunt for the Perfect Wedges

Yeah, I'm still looking for them. Well, I'm still looking for some that are in a decent price range. The ones that are perfect, Bettye Muller's green Artifact, are soooo out of my price range it's not even funny. *Sigh* I found these Hugo Boss ones from Nordstrom...but they're not exactly peep-toe. And I shouldn't - I actually hardly ever - settle; I wait and wait until I find the right ones at the right price. But I've been looking since last summer! I'm getting discouraged...which is not something that happens easily.

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Guess What?

It IS official. I am done with school! That's capital dee oh enn ee, DONE. Today was my last exam and I'm pretty sure I did well on it. OHMYGOD, I'M DONE!!

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Ms. Newstead

Ms. Newstead is one of my favourite teachers ever. She was more than a teacher; she was a friend - understanding, supportive and always full of advice - to a group of misfits trying to find their footing in the social sea of high school. Anyone who's reading this and was friends with me in high school, don't try to deny it; we were a bunch of misfits that started in middle school...but we did fit in with each other. Ms. Newstead would let us eat in her room because her class was right after lunch (even though we weren't supposed to eat in classrooms. She was cool like that.) She let us watch Austin Powers. She lectured me on reading romance novels and teased us for being 'boy crazy' girls. She gave us makeup advice; she let me try her plum coloured lipstick and I liked it. She made English class the funnest to be in because she didn't put herself on a pedestal like many other teachers; she got down to our level and became one of us. She teased us, gave us nicknames, joked with us and in the end, taught us more than we would ever know.

It's been 8 years since my freshman year in high school. A while ago, I heard she was teaching in Brasil. Lucky kids. 8 years and I've lost touch with her. And I just found out that she has leukemia. A million questions race through my mind, the foremost one being: 'Why is this happening to her of all people? She's never done anything to deserve this!' Secondly, 'Oh God, why didn't I try harder to keep-in-touch??' The good news is that she had a very successful stem-cell transplant, is feeling good *knock very hard on wood* and her doctors say that she's doing very well. I am extremely glad and relieved to hear that. I emailed her and I doubt she remembers me but if she does, I hope to hear from her soon.

As she and her support group says: 'Live each life to the fullest -- without dread.'

Thank you, Liz.

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How Surreal..

Today was my last day of school. Weird. Very weird. It's surreal to think that from this day forward (except for my final exam on Wednesday), I won't have to go to class anymore...well, until the day I start graduate school, but that's later on. It felt good and sad at the same time. I was saying goodbye to these girls that I'd become good friends with in the last 6 months and I thought to myself, I may never see them again. How sad. Well, at least they're on my Facebook! I almost can't believe it...

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Tango

So I started tango lessons 2 weeks ago. I've missed wearing my dance shoes every week and I know they've missed me wearing them! Our instructor's pretty cool and the class is pretty good. Except for Mark. He's an older guy (40s? 50s?) who is really creepy. He talks like a pedophile; his voice is, like, supposed to be soothing but the way it comes out makes my skin crawl. He's like, 'Oh, you're doing so well...you dance really well...wow, you really know this stuff...ok, we're gonna go straight now...now, we're gonna turn...' It's something you have to hear to get creeped out. Or use your imagination. Too bad there's no audio on this. He thinks he's good and doing the right steps; last week, I told him, 'No, you're putting the wrong foot forward. No, your weight should be on the other foot. No, you need to step that way.' I took control of the situation; I'll be damned if I was gonna let him creep me out again! Ugh, just thinking about it gives me the heebie jeebies.

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Snowboarding on Crystal Mountain

Crystal Mountain is soooooo much better than The Summit at Snoqualmie! I went yesterday with Dem and Ryan and we took a 4 hour lesson (2 hours in the morning, 2 hours in the afternoon) and it was SO much fun!! Our instructor was a really cool gal named Vida, who's been boarding for (I think she said) 10 years; she was soooooooo (I sound like a Valley Girl...but I did grow up in California!) much better than the instructor we had at Snoqualmie! Vida even took us up on the slope for the last part of the first lesson! The guy at The Summit didn't. He taught us (with one boot out of the board) to drag our heel or our toe to stop; he never taught us how to stop with both boots strapped in. He didn't even get to us putting both boots in! And he didn't teach us how to get up with both boots strapped in! What with dragging one leg just trying to get down the damn slope, no wonder my groin muscle ached like hell for a week! (For a whole week, I was only able to walk properly with my right leg; my left leg had to be swung around everytime I took a step.) Damn and blast it. I wished I'd have gone to Crystal Mountain the first time. Not only were Vida's lessons much better (her way of explaining and demonstrating how to turn was SOOOO much easier to understand and imitate), she even showed me and Dem how to do the manuevers the goofy way! (The goofy way means that our lead foot is our right foot; normal is the left foot as the lead foot.) She was so great. The best part was that she took us up on the slope and gave us the last part of our first lesson on the slope! The second part of our lesson was done entirely on the slope. The snow there was much fluffier - yay for fresh powder! - and so it was much softer when I fell, though, this time, I didn't fall half as much - go me! It actually snowed on our way up the mountain, too, and all these damn SUVs (there was even a couple of sports cars!) kept riding my ass cuz I wasn't going fast enough; I was already going 10 over the damn speed limit! It was snowing for Pete's sakes! GAH! But, in the end, it was a great day!

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