Packing, Pictures

Packing really stinks. There. I've said it.

Unpacking is also not fun.

And that's all I've been doing for what feels like the past six months of my life. I went a little crazy this evening and drove down to the South Side to hang out with Pat and go to Jack's to celebrate Alex's birthday, and that was all good fun. But then I had to drive the long, lonely way home and clean and pack some more. Good news: pretty much all of my clothing and toiletries are in suitcases. Now I have to find a scale and make sure that neither exceeds fifty pounds.

My dentist's appointment was today, and I was dreading it because I was afraid that the hygienist was going to be like, "how neglectful you've been! We have a lot of work to do!" and I really didn't want to have to go back like, tomorrow to have anything filled. However, there was nothing the matter with my teeth even after I mentioned to Dr. Sean that I get pains in my second molar back on the top left after I eat chocolate. I almost didn't want to bring it up because I thought he'd look at the x-rays and be all concerned and say it's better to be safe than sorry and that he'd better dig around in there just in case. But he didn't.

Ooh, how about I post some pictures relatively soon after I take them. Here goes...

So there's this spider in the pink bathroom and I am moderately interested in its position because if it's not behind the lamp, that means that it's crawled somewhere else and that somewhere else could be on the toilet seat, for all I know. Anyway, it disappeared this morning and I frantically searched the whole room (it is a smaller bathroom, so it didn't take very long) and finally found it up by the light.

I take precautions because I do not want to end up sitting on this thing in the dark in the middle of the night.





Now, I'm not sure how well this phenomenon can come across digitally, but this was the most fascinating pork roast because there was only one opening in the entire piece of meat so all of the steam was pushed out of it like a teakettle. Unfortunately there were no whistley sounds.

Happy graduation, Per! He had delicious chocolate cake with Swedish flags (I wish they were Swedish fish) stuck all through it. Lauren didn't actually eat any of the cake.








Here's Pat and Lauren together. Pat has Uncle Fester eyes.







This placenta shampoo (or champu de la placenta, as I like to call it) was one of the toiletries that I threw away. I love the nasty idea of putting placenta on your head but a: this was super old, b: it smelled gross, and c: it made my hair feel like straw. So I would rather keep a picture of the shampoo rather than the bottle itself.




On to Penn Statey things. Alex is now crouching next to former president Atherton's grave. Eww.






A silent moment of reflection and reverence.







Now he's standing next Old Coaly's bones. Penn State is freaking morbid. The story goes that Old Coaly was the main mule to help drag the stones to build Old Main back in 1850-whatever. Then, he died, as mules do. Apparently some professor kept his bones in a box and then the box got shuffled around from office to office until much later, when someone was like, "hey, I know! These bones, which obviously belong to Old Coaly, (was the box labeled? How did they know?) should be reassembled and encased prominently in the middle of the student union building.

He sees you. He doesn't like you.











More of the bones. I wish President Atherton was set up like this.









I always feel so fooled by the Diner in the summer. They have 'open 24 hours' painted on their window, so this seems like it should be a permanent thing. However:




It clearly is not. Closing at 10:00 PM? What kind of diner are you?









All of the baby ducklings are grown up.







Papa duck sitting on a rock.








They were all very used to generous Penn Staters feeding them pieces of bagel or whatnot because they came right up to us with their pleading birdy eyes and I wished I had something, anything to offer.



This was the closest that I've ever been the the obelisk.










I love this old-timey mailbox in the middle of the lobby of Willard.







However, it doesn't seem like the most convenient method of postage. They're pretty much grabbing you by the throat and saying "go to the one outside! Go! It'll be checked days before someone gets around to this one!"



Pollock Laptop Library finally got some cool lights.








In the real library there was an exhibit that only featured cartoons done decades ago by then-prominent cartoonists and dedicated to Fred Waring, who has a residence commons and cafeteria named after him. Rube Goldberg was a fan, apparently. A lot of them involved golfing.

Wikipedia informs me that he was nicknamed "The Man Who Taught America How to Sing." You did a great job, Fred. He also had the first electric blender named after him, but they spelled it 'blendor' for some reason. Oh, and I've just told a falsehood - the commons is actually named after his grandfather.

Oh, Bil. You were even more unfunny back in the day. This isn't even a joke. Was he trying to insult Fred?








Anyways, it's now 4:30 AM and I am going to be a grumpy monster tomorrow as it is. More to come.

Greetings from Sunny State College

Well, it was sunny an hour ago, and now it's getting kind of cloudy. The Belford temperature sign said it was 86 degrees but I don't know if I agree with that.

Alex and I are up at Penn State because I figured I had to bring home some dishes but oh lordy, there were a good half-dozen boxes that I was just too lazy to cart home in December, so we will have to creatively maneuver things around in his Saturn Ion in order to get home.

Highlights: we saw What Happens in Vegas or whatever the heck that movie is called with dreamboat Ashton, only because I can still get free movies at the Carmike 6 and literally nothing else was worth seeing. That Zohan movie was on two screens. These are desperate times.

Anyways, I was very, very surprised by how entertaining this film was. I saw the previews and said, "ohhh, no, ew, lame" in that order. Up until the cheesy ending, I was constantly entertained. Cameron Diaz managed to be tolerably funny and Ashton Kutcher was his usual charming, hunky self.

Our plans for the rest of the day include watching Ocean's 13, playing poker, rocking a band, going to Herwig's or Taco Bell, and sleeping, but not necessarily at the same time.

Oh! There was this moth yesterday that clung to the back of Tim's car window for a good five minutes and even lasted for a few seconds once we hit the freeway.

Oh, again! At the Carmike 6 they have this long popcorn/drink dispenser unit that lets you push a button not only to get your popcorn but for your butter flavored topping oil as well! Wow! Tyson the manager said that this contraption saved on clean-up as well. It's too bad that the Carmike 5 couldn't have nice things.

There's not much food left in the apartment so last night was mac and cheese and this morning was blueberry waffles. I think I'm going to make some pasta tonight because I always tend to buy many more boxes than necessary.

Pets

After going to Sears to pick up my glasses, Mom was distracted while driving and I was able to push for a Petco run. Oh, man! Cats! There was this one incredibly vocal cat named Patches. Isn't that the most down-on-your-luck gee-whiz orphan cat name? We watched a German Shepherd getting groomed right next to a big fluffy white cat who seemed not to mind at all.

Speaking of cats!











Paws!








We think that Angelina is officially blind now, but it hasn't affected her appetite at all. I put her outside for awhile the other day and she didn't really do anything but sit there and eventually eat a whirlygig.



Front view.











This moth was gigantic. I was watching Pee-Wee's Big Adventure last night when this thing buzzed onto the wall right next to me. It was larger than it appears.




Garbage Day was yesterday so I managed to move out a ton of trash from my room to the curb. I still have a ton of books in boxes in the hall. I've been finding things I didn't even know I had.

Cleaning and Heat

Oh my god, it's so, so hot here. And the air conditioning broke last night right before I had some people over to play poker. We just sweltered in the dining room and the amazing thing was that even after having so much to drink, no one had to pee. People were here for a good six hours and I think Pat might have gone once. I think that we were just sweating it out.

Good news: I won the poker game. Yeehaw!

I've begun the painful process of decluttering my room. It's been difficult, but I would look at my copy of Crime and Punishment and say to myself, "is there ever a time when I'm going to want to read this SO BADLY that I won't be able to get it any other way?" The answer is no, for two reasons: 1) it would be just sitting here in Pittsburgh and not anywhere close and b: I'm always at the library and could pick it up if need be. There are a ton of boxes in the hall and my shelves have stopped groaning.

Since there isn't really anything for me to do here, perhaps I'll begin a new cross-stitch.

Old DC Pictures

Last week, out of the blue, our lobby received flowers.







Lovely bouquet.











I saw the elusive Black Squirrel the other day walking to the psychologist's office.






I finally caught up with him in a flower bed.







Close-up.








So I finally got to see the Building Museum that all the tourists have been raving about. It was pretty on the outside and a lot of homeless-looking people were sleeping on benches outside.



Hmm. The inside was beautiful as well but with such a large hall, there isn't much room for like, exhibits. There were two on the first floor - one about the history of Washington DC from an architectural standpoint and the other about some Scandinavian guy who designed that big arch.




Oh, boy, and it was fun for kids of all ages.







Their brochure bragged that the gift shop had been rated the Best Gift Shoppe EVER in Washington DC for the last two years. It was true! We spent more time there than in the actual exhibits.

I couldn't decide which I wanted more - Hanging Harry....










... or Splat Stan. Both are so fun and gruesome.










On the way to California Tortilla Travis found a perfectly good flag on the ground. Who would discard such a flag?








Fun with flags!








Patrioticface!








Travis is Speed Racer.








He orders his burritos with patriotism.











Oh! We were at Potbelly's (cause we eat a lot, I suppose) and I was peering at the wallpaper under the cash register and I was like, is that the lickable wallpaper from Willy Wonka? It's close!






In other news, a man was arrested for DUI right in front of my 42 Metro Center bus stop. I watched him do the walk test, get handcuffed, and have the police empty out the contents of his pockets into an evidence bag. All this just waiting for the bus! An exciting day, to be sure.

It's been storming so much lately and Kitty has been hiding under the bed. It's supposed to go up to like, freaking 92 this weekend. Lovely. I've been trying to purge all the junk from my room and the dust is so bad that I need to wear a dorky face mask or else I end up a teary, mucousy mess in ten minutes. And it's very attractive.

So now there are boxes on boxes on laundry baskets just chilling all across the floor, but the good news is that the closets are mostly cleared out. I really don't want to just give up and throw the boxes back in the closet to forget about them for another few years. And there's always the question of what do I do with my books? They are so, so bulky and heavy.

Home for Awhile

Oh man, oh man. I am getting really bad at posting. Well, after seven hours on a Greyhound bus (and after the clown of a driver got lost while in Pittsburgh trying to find the street to the station) I arrived home with nearly all of my things. Sadly, I had to leave behind a lot of books, toiletries, my wonderful winter coat, and a red towel that I got for my high school graduation.

I went for an eye appointment today with the chatty optometrist and I picked out a pair of frames that most resembled the ones I have now and they were nineteen dollars. Nineteen! I must have really cheap, tacky taste.

All of my appointments are being crammed into the few remaining days I have left. I need to go to one of those quickie MedXpress convenience doctors that you don't even need an appointment for since St. John's won't let me in without proof of inoculation. Then I need to see my dentist, who is irreplaceable. Should I go to the orthodontist while I'm at it?

I finally bit the bullet and compiled three bags' worth of old clothing to give away. Some of this stuff I haven't seen for years, but it still hurts.

Instead of taking the bus to Queens (as I was loathing), instead we booked a flight for the 20th that goes through Cleveland and then to JFK. This is good news for three reasons: I can take bigger bags on the plane, the total time is less than half what it would be on the Greyhound, and I end up closer to my apartment landing at JFK.

Oh my god, yesterday's mystery shop was an eye-opening look into an elegant world. When I was making the reservation, the guy asked if it was a special occasion. That was my cue for "say it's Laura's birthday and hopefully you will get free cake". So I did, and when we got there both the hostess and the manager were like, "Are you Laura? Happy birthday! Thanks for coming to the C______ G_____!" They showed us to our booth (a booth, not just a crappy table) and there were all these confetti strewn about that said 'happy birthday'. Then! The server was like, happy birthday Laura. I believe even the busser wished Laura a happy birthday.

And true to my hopes, she got a free piece of flourless chocolate cake with a melba sauce and raspberries. I have never tried flourless chocolate cake before and I always thought that it was like, a really dense brownie-like cake. Not so! It's like a really delicious, rich mousse. Congratulations, restaurant. You passed the test. Except for when the busser swept crumbs into Laura's lap.

Now Alex is picking me up to hang out (but only until 10:00 since he has plans with other, cooler people) and I must go. More later, maybe with pictures?!?!

More New York

I got pretty excited when I saw this SpongeBob thermometer in Target the other day.








I was even more intrigued by all of the options it gave me.







Anyway, back to New York!

So this was the Whitehouse. Not to be confused with the more famous White House. I know that it looks like I was being clever here because the window sign says "real broke", but that was just a happy coincidence.

The elderly gentleman at the front desk wouldn't let me pay for the room before we'd been escorted up to see it. Apparently there have been problems in times past with angry customers demanding a refund after they'd realized what a crappy hostel this was.

Here's the hallway.











Now, I am not one to complain about hostels, but the one irritating factor above all was that the rooms' walls did not reach to the ceiling. It was like one big cubicle dorm maze. So that meant that anything anyone did, anywhere, could be heard by the entire floor of 50+ people.

This was the luxurious triple bed suite. My bed was the one closest to the window. The beds actually weren't so bad except they were covered in some sort of plastic wrap that rustled when you so much as blinked. I was always terrified to change positions in fear of being shushed by the other occupants.




The bathroom. I liked the checkered tile; I did not like how there was no door, the urinal looked like crap, and the bathroom doors had this gapey edge when you closed them and anyone could look in.






This was behind one of the stall doors. Was this a Halloween decoration from years past? A criticism of the hostel by a fed-up Bowery guest?







I did enjoy the pretty tile borders that were in the stairwell.







Ice cream trucks like these always make me laugh. It's about on par with those yellow street signs that say "slow children crossing".





Empire State Building! This is one of the only pictures I took of actual New York landmarks.









I was too busy taking pictures of my perfect, tasty Root Beer Float from Wendy's.






Welcome to the neighborhood, Meredith! This was in the Auntie Anne's in the NBC building, and it had no explanation so I asked the counterhelp who Meredith was, and she told me in hushed tones that Meredith Viera had come down to do a piece about pretzels, apparently, and in even more hushed tones she let me know that Viera could have been friendlier to the staff.


We went to the Telephone Bar and they had the nicest bathrooms of any bar I've ever seen.






Of course, when we saw Bamn! The Automat! we had to stop by. Travis and Pat both got something, I wasn't hungry for tiny greasy niblets so I will have to wait until next time.



Bamn! mirror.








So we go down to Battery Park and there's all of these Statues of Liberty standing and berating tourists that take pictures of them and don't pony up any dough. We walk a little further, and...



OH GAWD LADY LIBERTY IS A DUDE!!!!!! We saw about three Statues changing in the not-too-private area behind some vendor stalls. They were all portly Italian guys.




Here's one in just the green catsuit, no crown or anything.







This clown was taking off his mask right at his station! Where are their standards? What about the children!








Pigeons in luuuuuuv.








The real Statue of Liberty was pretty far away and did not disrobe at any point.