27 February 2002

[Steel Toed Boots + Snow = Cold, Fucking Feet]

So ya, the apocalyptic weather trend here in Cincinnati, as I have predicted, is unpredictable, and unruley at that. Just two days ago, I went to work at 8 am and left the coat at home. I opened all windows - in my car, at home, at work. I even wore - gasp - short sleeves for most of the day. This is February? It was quite pleasant outside, and it had been for about two weeks or so. Not today and yesterday. No-sir-ee! Yesterday, we got a light dusting - nothing stuck. And even today, though the snow was mildly heavy throughout the day, the ground still looks mostly bare. Athough I really don't want snow NOW (a month or two ago, I would have welcomed it), I want it to be all or nothing. Working in a high school has few benifits - one of these is snow days. Light snow makes the morning commute hellish. A couple months ago, we had a fairly heavy snow overnight, nothing crazy though; the streets were cleared, except for those in my school district. Why, then did we still have school? The first 15 minutes of my commute were fine, but the last 15 minutes (under normal conditions, this would be 5 minutes), driving was hell. The sideswalks were a mess. Kids were walking in the streets, because, even with pissed off teachers driving, the roads were still safer than the sidewalks. Heavy snow closes school. No 2 hour delay bullshit. No hellish commute. I want the real thing - a genuine snow day, where I can stay home and watch trash tv and lay around in my underwear ALL FUCKING DAY! I have been home for 40 minutes. I took my cold-ass Gripfasts off 30 minutes ago. My toes are still cold, though thawing thanks to the steam heat register behind my desk. Yesterday was a perfect day to lose one of my gloves, wasn't it? Knowing Cincinnati's weather trend, it will be 65 by Sunday and I'll be bitching about something else even more trivial than the fucking weather.

26 February 2002

[Newsflashes]

Just when I thought I lived in a boring city, the most amazing thing happened: a cow escaped a slaughterhouse by jumping a six foot fence, crossed the innerstate, and hid out in a park for a week, only to turn herself in just as the weather got bad. Pretty smart cow. While I do find it rather *cool* that a cow leaped over a six foot fence and alluded authorities for a lengthy period of time, I don't find the event national newsworthy. Out city's mayor, however, did get his 15 minutes of national fame on Good Morning America discussing how he was giving the bovine fugitve a key to the city (We can't give one away to a person, I guess, especially during the so-called Cincinnati boycott. Forcing it on an animal is the next best thing). In other newsworthy events, some numbskull juror left for Mexico in the middle of a trial. Of course, she, like the cow, got caught. Unlike the cow - who will be living in the lap of luxery at Marge Schotts estate - this fine example of lack - o' - brain - cells will be spending time in the slammer. What an idiot. All she had to say when chosen for jury duty is "I can't do it. I have plans." OR, "I'm sick." OR, "It hurts when I pee." Now she's in jail, for something hardly jail-worthy, but quite comical. Did I happen to mention that Cincinnati is experiencing a high rate of bank robberies, with very few people getting caught? Remember kids, being a criminal takes smarts . . .

25 February 2002

[*]

Did I happen to mention that, thanks to me, some stupid girl has a warrant out for her arrest? Well, that's not entirely true - *she* was the one who acted afool. Unfortunately, I'm paranoid (not really) about my safety and the safety of my car. Ahh, the trials and tribulations of working at a sketchy semi-inner city high school. I need a break.

25 February 2002

[*]

God, I'm too out of it to write anything half-way coherent. Perhaps I should eat something. Damn low blood sugar . . . I've been trying to get through Woman on the Edge of Time Today but I'm so out of it. The text melts together and morphs. And yes, I am completely sober. Just tired. I've been cutting down on my caffeine intake. In fact, I did not have my usual cup o' joe this morning. However, I did consume far too much Coke last night, and I paid for it with restless sleep. At least I don't have class tonite. My agenda for tonite (in no particular order): 1. Pay some bills. Write the rent check to be sent on the first. 2. Take care of car title and other assorted b.s. 3. Ask the voices in my head to stop their moaning. 4. COFFEE! 5. Grocery Store (the cupboards are bare!) 6. Read King Lear article for Shakespeare. 7. Plow through the novel with the melted text (up chapter 10) 8. Buy storage boxes at Walgreens for misc. items to be taken to storage space (Get this, I have this huge storage space, which is, for the most part empty) yet my apartment is crawling with crap I don't need on a regular basis (yes, I am a packrat) 9. Go to storage tonite (if time allows) or tommorow . . . Wow this is boring.

24 February 2002

[Semi-Productive Sunday]

Today, I woke up relatively early, showered, dressed and went out to breakfast after which we (my other half and I) went shopping. Bought: underwear - or shall I say panties? (from Victoria's Secretions no less); some dvds (The Matrix, Pi, and Payback); and a bunch of stickers to dress up my laptop. But get this: while at Best Buy mulling over dvds and a car stereo, I asked a sales guy about the warranty on my laptop I purchased there less than two years ago and whether they would replace my monitor (because it has some funky gliches). Anyhoo, he told me that they would replace my laptop - most likely with a newer model (because mine, I'm sure, is no longer in production). Monitors cost a shload to replace; it's easier just to swap. Because I've only used my laptop for word processing, there isn't much stuff on it that I have to back up. If it were my main computer, I'd be peeved . . . In fact I fear the day I have to upgrade my desktop. Well, I ought to do some laundry, but I'm out of detergent and low on quarters. And I ought to crack open those Shakespeare books I bought last week and start thinking about my research papers for Shakespeare and Feminism and Lit. I can feel myself starting to slack off. I will spend tomorrow reading, I promise. Currently, I'm reading Marge Piercy's Woman on the Edge of Time. I need to have the first ten chapters read by Wednesday evening. Though I'm only on chapter 2, I finding myself sucked into the plot, which rarely happens. I'll probably end up writing my research paper on it. Hopefully, I'll be able to enjoy it and not rush through it like I do everything else in grad school. But that's unlikely.

23 February 2002

[Blank]

I just drew a blank. oh.

23 February 2002

[Buzz]

The sun is bright, but a slight nip in the air reminds me that it is, indeed, still winter. Rather than remain cooped up all day today, I opted to go out for a good part of the afternoon. Went to the convention center for a so-called bargain, liquidation sale, where there really wasn't anything "bargain." But I did snag some imposter fragrance (call me trash . . .) of some perfume I like - but not enough to buy the "real stuff." My other half bought a cell phone - took forever to get it activated. Had steak for lunch, not as bloody as I usually like it, but good nonetheless. (Why I'm not in a food coma right now is beyond me) We went sticker hunting and came up fruitless. All the "alterna"stores in my area seem to be going under. I used to be able to go to any clothing store that had LipService or Catharine Coatney or Grinders (you get the idea) and be able to pick up minor shit like stickers, hair dye, nail polish etc. but now everything is so cut and dry - no frills. I did find a few stickers and a nifty cheap purse. I'll have to whip up an Amazon wishlist (they have everything) and perhaps someone will buy me something . . . perhaps a new laptop to put stickers on! (sha right) I also need to work on expanding my library. I do have a lot of books, but that's usually normal for grad students. I went to Barnes & Noble's yesterday and whimpered at every sight of a book I wanted. Unfortunately, my money is going toward school - books for my coming up research papers, for the MA comprehensive final. This summer - after I'm done with grad school, this is the plan: I'm going to collect unemployment and so whatever I want. No work, no school. Sure, I won't be loaded - but I'll be happy. Call me a bum, I don't give a rat's ass. I've been working through college for seven years. I think I deserve a little break.

07 February 2002

[Release from Nowhere]

today has been okay, good for a february day - considering february pretty much bites. this past week, i have managed to jump through some minor hurdles, unscathed for the most part. i'm paying off some bad karma - so i think. this week has left me tired, irritated, stressed, and stupid. yesterday, on my way to work, i stopped at the store and used the atm. took out ten bucks to find out that my bank account balance was shy. this, was a problem, considering i just sent off three checks totalling 700 bucks - 80 dollars more than what was in my account. i overestimated my direct deposit on the fifth (i get payed per day, and during the pay period this check covered, i worked 9 days, not the usual 10 or 11...whoops). i thought i was going to scrape by - not bounce checks! anyhoo, after work, i went to payroll express and cashed a check (which was a royal pain, but worth it). then, at the bank, i got stuck in line waiting while this insane woman - who happens to live in my building whined and moaned because they wouldn't cash a check for her. they explained their reason to her, like, 200 times. hell, *I* could go work at the bank now. hell, i could be manager after all the jargon i heard yesterday while standing in line. jeesh. luckily, i got out of the bank without killing her. the fact that a cop was there probably suppressed any actions i would have taken against debbie. did i happen to mention that debbie covers her car apolstery with garbage bags? black garbage bags? and she's neurotic about cleaning her car? what's up with that. yeah, it's irrelvant. so what. uckily, my presentation last night with joe and lydia went well. unless, that is, my professor thought it sucked. but if she did, she hid it well. i'm starting to like the class, though i'm not crazy about the novels we're reading. it could be worse. i could be *starting* the MA program. i think i'm happy because the end is in sight. hell, i earned an A (annotated with an "excellent") on my first shakespeare paper of the semester.

04 February 2002

[Slap Me! I'm Far Too Happy]

so i failed to do my usual sunday update. but hey, i'm not a reliable source of news or exciting events; nothing life-altering has been deemed newsworthy in the past week. oh did i mention that miami university is officially a non issue? that, my friends, is newsworthy. but because i have washed myself clean of mu, i've decided not to go into it all here. i've ranted about my situation with miami and its fine, upstanding students too much in my journal and in my everyday life. it's time to say goodbye for once and all. the past week unfolded quite nicely. i earned an A on an shakespeare paper, and i've been keeping up with school assignments, balancing them nicely with work and general geeking. i've backed off from my computer usage tremendously. it helps to put designing on the back burner. i've cut back on my internet time considerably, and i only check my e-mail ten times a day, rather than thirty. way to show restraint. granted, it's awfully tempted to stray when i sit staring at an in-progress paper, not going anywhere . . .

02 February 2002

[I Can't Believe]

it's february. things seem to be going well. graduate school is off to a good start this semester. only 14 more weeks and i'll be done with my classes for my MA. unfortunately, the comprehensive exam book list has altered a bit, which means i must purchase a couple books. i think i'll take the comp this summer. give myself a month or two to study and not cram - like i did for my MEd exam. that was a delight. the weather here has been insane. earlier this week it was reaching 60 degrees. it was 20 this morning, and it's about 30 right now. the forecast says 38 will be the high for today, which is still quite warm for this time of year, though i'm not complaining. i'm still wanting a snow day. i had a dream a couple nights ago that we had a fairly bad snowstorm which closed the high school i work at. hmmmm, i have to wonder whether i really, truly want snow. it's such a pain. i can't complain too much. having front wheel drive makes all the difference while driving in the shit and getting out my driveway, which the apartment manager doesn't like to shovel. i think there is some kind of happy feeling that goes along with winter storms moreso than with heatwaves. i'd much rather be inside all wrapped up in blankets, drinking hot cocoa, tea, or coffee than be sprawled out half naked, miserable and sweating because my a/c doesn't cut it.