Day 22: Sex for Elephants

I live on the bottom floor of a two-story house. I live with one other girl and three guys (all of whom I do not know, except for the general, "I live with you" sort of knowing). The nice thing about my room is I don't have to share a bathroom. The bad thing about my room is I hear EVERYTHING from the ground floor including who goes in and out of the front door and my favorite, people going up and down the stairs. Each time someone uses the stairs it sounds like Hannibal invading Italy...seriously.

Anyway, last night I get to bed at 1200am after a hard night's work of editing my podcast. At 300am, people come in through the front door, go up the stairs, come down the stairs, rummage around in the kitchen, and retreat back up the stairs. This lasts for 15 mins (not that I'm keeping track). At around 330am, I hear a rhythmic squeaking of a bed above me (you see where I'm going with this?). Upon realizing what this is--I had in fact gone back to sleep--I say, "Oh, God!" and proceed to squeeze my ears. It stops. Perhaps a 30mins to 1hr later (it seemed longer because I couldn't get back to sleep) the bed starts squeaking again. I just think, "The Hell with it!" turn my radio on and get up to do stuff.

In punishment for ruining my sleep--and in turn, leaving me with 3 hours to last the rest of the day--I decided to do laundry at 6am.

Rest assured, if this happens tonight I will cut somebody because I have a job fair from 730am-500pm on Friday and I need to be 200% for that!

Sleep deprivedly yours,
~S

Day 21: Irony is my New Best Friend

Irony: (n) 1 : a pretense of ignorance and of willingness to learn from another assumed in order to make the other's false conceptions conspicuous by adroit questioning (aka. Socratic irony)
2 a : the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning b : a usually humorous or sardonic literary style or form characterized by irony c : an ironic expression or utterance
3a (1) : incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2) : an event or result marked by such incongruity b : incongruity between a situation developed in a drama and the accompanying words or actions that is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play--the above all taken from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

4a: Planning to spend Valentine's Day with your ex-boyfriend...classic! *chuckles*

Actually, I do not think it will be awkward at all. We're friends now so I think this will be a fun outing. It is just ironic that it happens to fall on Valentine's Day! Ah, well, at least I won't be spending it by myself drowning my sorrows in hot chocolate!

~S

Day 20: Interlude

Hello Pink Elephant! Oh, how I've missed you!

~S

Day 19: Closure

Wow, I feel like it's been months since I've written last...yep, yes it has. I feel healthier now than when I last wrote. I saw Sam on Dec. 4, 2009 and up until the point when I actually saw him, I had no idea what I was going to feel. At first it was awkward, the standard I would say. I didn't really talk to him and I tried to avoid any and all glances. At a ceremony I was sort of up near the front so it was easier to catch glances or make eye contact. I ran into him in the hallway to the bathroom and offered him my hand, stating "Congrats!" He said that he deserved a hug and so I gave it to him. We made small talk and he asked if I was going to be at the bar later that night. I said 'yes,' he said he was glad to hear it and then we went our separate ways.

I encountered him in the bar several times that night and it was easy to talk to him. What I found most distressing was the fact that I seemed to look for him and to wish that he would come talk to me. When we talked it was easier than when we had been dating; the pressure was gone, I felt less self-conscious and scared and I could even talk to his friends, which was something that I struggled with.

After that night, and for two weeks afterwards, I seemed to be in a "pining" mode and I had no idea where that came from. Other activities would clear my head but the thought of him persisted. WHAT THE FRIZZLE?! I knew that this was temporary, but I was wishing for it to pass already.

Lo and behold, one random day I was doing an outdoor activity (interspersed with random thoughts of Sam) when I ran into this other guy. I thought it was just those random and transient things, but we have since traded FB messages and have gotten to know one another. I am happy to say that since then, I have not really thought about Sam, not unless I think, "huh, I haven't thought about Sam lately" or if I get a text from Sam.

So why do I feel healthy? Well, for one thing, Sam and I are friends now. All the anger that seemed to be consuming me at the end of summer is gone. I've moved on and I'm happy, and I think that's the best thing! I'm not sure what will happen between this guy that I met and myself, but I've learned that looking ahead is stupid and that it's best to take it one day at a time.

Thanks diary, you're the one thing I can unload upon!
~S

Rant #3

One of my pet peeves is the fact that a lot of people are unable to drive and/or park their cars. Why is this, I ask myself.

Are you brain dead? Surely not, or else someone would be harvesting your organs right about now.

Are you doing something you should not be doing while driving? Possibly, I have actually heard some outrageous stories about people making whoopie while driving. How? Um...seriously, I have no idea.

Are you texting while driving? Well, since people generally have no respect for the law or police officers, this is also probable.

Are you just an idiot and don't care about anything/anyone around you save yourself? DINGDINGDING, I believe we have a winner!

Now, while I have many stories to enlighten you with concerning terrible drivers, I've decided to go with terrible parkers. At the moment, I live in a house where there are four other people who drive. Now we (ie. me and my friend) figured out a system wherein no one has to move another car in order to get out. This system was brought up twice by me, but it took someone else to say it for them to agree and say it was a great idea:

Me: You know, if we park like *explains layout* we wouldn't be blocking anyone.
Person 1: Yea...
Me: later I was just telling Person 1 that if we park like *explains layout* we wouldn't be blocking anyone.
Person 2: Yea...ok
Person 3: Later You know, if we park like *explains layout* we wouldn't be blocking anyone.
Person 2: Wow, yea! That's a great idea! You set that up!
Me: Seriously?

A few weeks go by and the system seems to work. I consistently park at the very rear because one person gets 1 in (no exaggeration) away from my bumper and I'm pretty sure he's actually nicked it. Also, I seem to be the only person who KNOWS how to park close to the end of the driveway.

This week, however, I find myself near the house, rather than the road. I seem to have done a decent job parking and I expect if anyone were to disagree they would actually ask me if I could move. At one point, one person is in an extremely dicey location near my car. Then, tonight I DISCOVER PAINT TRANSFER AND A COUPLE NICKS ON THE SIDE OF MY CAR!!! BAHHHHHHHHH!!! I HAD A LEGALLY BLIND GEOMETRY TEACHER AND SHE COULD PARK BETTER THAN YOU CAN!!!! Ugh! I love my car to a great degree and I hate how it is always the stupid people who don't care about anything that mess your things up. If you could see this person's car, you would know what I'm talking about.

So now I'm trying to come up with a good way to bring it up to this person so as not to sound confrontation but still let them know that they need to be careful. It's the beginning of the school year and I have to continue living her for 8 months so I am also scared that it's going to create a schism. But, I don't really socialize with these people anyway and I really do care what you do to my car!

In anger,
~S

Rant #2

It is actually really quite sad that in today's society certain words have been twisted to mean something completely different than its original definition (take a look back at "Ode to a Douche" for one such example). Some words have obtained such a bad connotation that one cannot even dare using it without a fear of reprimand. One such word is "queer."

Queer - adj. meaning strange or odd

I have been reading a few classical novels and the word "queer" sometimes appears. Of course this means "strange" not "playing for the home team," but still, sometimes I have to do a quick ponder and realize that yes, they do mean "strange." I have often wanted to use the word "queer" but fear that I cannot because people either laugh thinking you mean the other thing, or they stare at you like you're being insulting.

Ex. I happen to be in the office with Blanche and Barney. I am told that the copier can handle card stock sheets only one at a time. As I thought this was going to eat up a lot of my time and happened to be an odd fact about the copier, I replied, "How queer!" Blanche began laughing and looked back at me. She quickly turned around once she realized that I wasn't joking.

It seems the only person I can use "queer" around is my mother, as she would not jump to conclusions and think I was talking about a particular species of humans. Why, even on campus there happens to be a club for "Queers and Lesbians." *sigh* I guess I'll just have to keep using "odd" as a replacement. Please don't take that away from me!

Sign my petition to save the word "queer,"
~S

Day 18: "Has boobs, reads comics"

Since I recently became a "follower" of the aptly named blog "Has boobs, reads comics," I would just like to give major props to the Nerdy Bird. FINALLY we have a girl breaking the mold of what comic nerds are (ie. boys). What's more? She actually has a wide circle of fans and followers. Perhaps now we XX chromosome-carrying people will not be summarily dismissed as having zero knowledge on a comic-subject.

It's not a secret to many of my friends that I am on a Spider-man podcast. The token girl, as it were. Of the six people on the show, I alone am the only girl. Sadly, this ratio does not even hold up once you leave the podcast and travel to the message board. I could most likely count the number of girls on the site on both of my hands...actually, maybe all I need is one hand with six fingers...

But why are there not more girls in the comic world? Is it the art form itself? Please, we all grew up with picture books! Ok then, is it the subject matter? Mmm, possibly, but there are some great comics out there like Spider-man Loves Mary Jane that does not involve out and out fighting, but is more centralized around a female character and her trials. What's wrong with that? Could it be, then, the fact that the majority of comic writers are male and do not know how to write a female character? Well, frankly, this is quite true. However, there are a few exceptions, notably Ed Brubaker's Sharon Carter and Chuck Dixon's Birds of Prey, plus a handful of others.

Actually, I think it comes down to one thing: girl's (to guys) are just not comic book readers. They will just never fit the stereotype of a fanboy...in his mother's basement..."whacking-off" to Elektra. Hmmm, yea, actually, I'm pretty sure neither I, nor the Nerdy Bird can fit that stereotype. In fact, there are three categories in which female comic readers fall (all of which I have been involved in).

1. Eyecandy: That's right! How exciting is it to go to a comic convention and be gawked at? I certainly enjoy it! It's actually rather unnerving to be looking for comics and feeling guys undress you with their eyes...*shiver*

2. Only reads girl comics:
Comic seller: I bet your favorite character is Wonder Woman!
Me: No, actually, it's Spider-man!

Really though? Girls do not only read Wonder Woman! In fact, I haven't touched Wonder Woman since that terrible Jodi Piccoult arc! *sigh* Oh, Jodi Piccoult...I had such faith in you and all you gave me was a bad taste in my mouth!

3. Girl's don't know their way around comic shops: I actually need a GPS in a comic shop...SERIOUSLY? I go to my hometown LCS (local comic shop) and the female (I know, right?) proprietor who knows me is not there, leaving me with a guy I've never seen before. I walk directly to the new comic wall and 15 seconds later the guy comes up to me and asks, "Do you need help finding something." At the very moment I had in my hands a copy of Captain America: Reborn #1. I could tell that he thought I was like a priest at a strip club, but I feel like when you have a copy of a mini-series (not a continuing, well-known series like Amazing Spider-man) that one can tell you know what you're doing. He must not have thought so!

I think Gwen Stafani had it right when she sang "I'm just a girl...that's all that you'll let me be."

If you rip my comic, will I not cry and Hulk-out and kick you in the tic-tacs/who-ha?
If you say Barbara Gordon is only good in a wheel-chair and not as Batgirl, will I not debate you?
If you try to throw me off by saying the Flash is Marvel (which someone did to me, true story), will I not correct and stun you that Flash is DC?

Thank-you Nerdy Bird! You make me feel, not quite alone!

I too have boobs and read comics,
~S