Birthday. Adrenaline. Niagara Falls.

Happy birthday to my most faithful reader! : D I hope you're scarving down ice cream cake and doing something nice today - like going to a duck pond. I'll think of you as I work out to First Amendment tapes after work.

I've discovered I'm a slight adrenaline junkie. This morning, I drove to Niagara Falls to help Mike get his car towed home (about 25 minutes away and the furthest I've ever driven). Going over the two bridges was pretty exhilarating. The railings on either side of the bridges are at least five foot high with iron rods a couple inches apart, so it feels like you're zipping through the inside of a cable going 70. It was enough of a rush that getting off the bridges, I went, "Whoo!" Got to get my kicks somehow.

Niagara Falls is a sad, sad place. It's amazing what misappropriated funds, crooked politicians, and a crumbling industry can do to a city. 3 out of 4 stores are closed, the city is falling into disrepair, the roads are riddled with potholes and cracks, the buildings have a dirty stained look that doesn't exactly give them character, and downtown looks more like a ghost town. You'd think w/ Niagara Falls being such a tourist attraction, the city would care more. Beautifying the city would be well-served since it would bring more money in if people enjoy the location as well as the Falls. But, no, I guess the money is better spent going into city officials' pockets.

This time next year; The Unsaid

I found out a couple days ago that I can take 9 credits in another field and bring the credits over to law. I thought it was only 6 credits all this time. So, taking 15 this semester, 6 over the summer (b/c that's all the law school will let me take), and 14 my last semester. But, to make my last semester a bit less torturous, I'm going to take 9 credits worth of english or anthropology classes and 4 credits of law classes (a normal class and a blow-off 1 cr. class). One more year and I'm done! : D I'm filled with a frenetic energy when I think of this time next year. Sometime during the Fall, I have to start looking for a sweet editing job in Florida. I looked on Monster today and Communications Editor IV or V makes something like $112,000 a year on the high end. That's after at least 20 years, I'd imagine. Starting salary is around $42,000 on the low end. Still really nice. I want to take an editing class or even a grammar type class before I graduate and also get certified if I need to. Exciting stuff.

I watched a kind of disturbing movie last night: The Unsaid. The title was what got me hooked. Then this little cutie appeared on screen, so I kept watching. Andy Garcia and Trevor Blumas (the cutest 19 year old who will be hotter than God himself in 5 years), among a slew of unknowns. There was a slight "Lifetime" feel about it, but overall, it wasn't too bad. I don't want to spoil the ending, so I'll just say it was very eye-opening about how kids handle trauma as they get older. Definitely not a movie you pop in when you're hanging out w/ your buddies, but worth watching if you like a psychological thriller w/ a neatly incorporated sociology lesson about trauma.

Thai food and Hanging out

Yesterday was pretty nice.

Mike and I went to a great little Thai restaurant to celebrate my A and his job. I love the decor in Thai restaurants. The tapestry w/ gold sequins and elephants, wooden elephant statues, paintings of elephants in brilliant reds, yellows, and blues. Yes, they like their elephants. It's been so long since we went out to eat (at a place w/o a drive through or subs as the main fare). The food well-priced as well as delicious and flavorful. We had Shu-shi Duck - crispy duck in a coconut-based sauce - and Bangkok Noodles w/ Shrimp and Chicken - wide noodles in a peanut sauce w/ lots of julienne vegetables and shrimp and chicken], a little Tsingtao, and a coconut ice cream lightly drizzled with honey and lychees on the side for dessert. The appetizer, soft-shell crab, was a little odd. It's the only thing I wasn't a fan of. The entire crab is dipped in a tempura type batter and fried. You're supposed to eat it whole, shell and all. It was just weird... strange texture and pretty much equal amounts shell and meat.

After dinner, we picked up a couple friends and hung out at our place for a while. We didn't do much, but it was a lot of fun just hanging out, talking about crazy story ideas and flipping through Discover magazine browsing significant scientic, anthropologic, astronomical events of 2004. Very interesting articles. We're kind of nerdy, huh?

So, I'm at work now. Just found out this girl I talk to all the time while I'm at work (kind of a friend now) is turning 40. I was floored. She looks like she's 26-28. It pays to be healthy... she used to bike all the time and eats pretty well, lots of fruits and veggies. I hope I look like that when I'm 40.

My first ticket!

On the way to work today:

(Below is a useful legend.)

[action]

{thought}

Cop: "Do you know why I pulled you over?"

Me: "Um... is it the tail light?"

Cop: "No, what's wrong with the tail light?"

Me: [Cringe.] {God, I'm an idiot.} "Someone ran into me in a parking lot a couple days ago and I haven't had a chance to fix it over the weekend."

Cop: [Smiles.] "Oh, I didn't even notice."

Me: {Yep, I'm an idiot.}

Cop: "No, you have an overdue inspection tag."

Me: "Oh, I'm sorry, I should've paid more attention to that."

Cop: [Nods.] "No front license plate."

Me: "I'm from Florida, I didn't know I had to have a plate for the front, too. Sorry..."

Cop: "Is your hood open for a reason?"

Me: "It's been like that for a couple days. It doesn't fly open or anything. I just can't close it."

Cop: "Ok, so it's just like that?"

Me: "Yeah. I have to get it looked at."

Cop: "Where do you live now?"

Me: [Stuttering a bit. Taking a while to think of it.] {Why the hell can't I remember my address? Why am I thinking of my old address across town??! This looks suspicious...} [Visibly slightly flustered or panicked.]

Cop: [I detect a slightly suspicious look beneath his Ray Bans.]

Me: "Sorry, I'm really nervous, I've never been stopped before."

Cop: [Makes a non-threatening motion, like "It's OK, miss, I understand."]

Me: "Um... over by the golf dome. ."

I got off relatively light. He didn't even mention the tail light, just a warning for the inspection update, and a summons for the front plate. It would've been nicer if he could've let me off completely, but he had to show he was doing his job, I guess. It's OK, I'm alright w/ a summons for one little thing instead of three. He said it would most likely get dismissed if I could show the judge that I put a plate in the front. At the most, I may get a small fine. I assured him I would get the car re-inspected, a plate in the front, and fix that tail light. At least the cop was really hot. He looked like a stripper in a cop uniform. Hot.

Woo-hoo, an A!

So, it's official. I have no legal mind, but I have a pretty good literary mind. I finally got an A after 2 years of law classes, although, it was more of an English class -- Melville and the Law. Participated all the time and wrote a kick ass paper : )

I was at BigLots a couple nights ago, picking up some of those yummy pot pies for dinner, and standing in line, a grandmotherly type woman accidentally poked me w/ her umbrella. She apologized and I said, "It's OK." To which she replied, "No, it's not. It's not nice to poke people with umbrellas!" I thought it was kind of funny.

Mike has worked 37 hours in the past 4 days. He's meeting all sorts of people working at this new building. Yesterday, he met the Buffalo City Council. He's supposed to be setting up the computer systems, the retail floor, the lounge, and the restaurant. The man's got skills way more useful than mine. Apparently, this 9 story building, overlooking Niagara Falls and Customs has big things in its future.

We have to celebrate his getting this sweet job and my finally getting an A : )

I've had superhuman energy yesterday and today. I think I've discovered the perfect schedule (provided class and work aren't in the way... as they usually are). I can get by on 5 hours of sleep if I take a 2 hour nap when I get tired. After the nap, from 8p-12p I cleaned, did my reading, made dinner, did a load of laundry, a bit of grocery shopping - it was an amazingly productive night. The nap kind of screwed with my sleep pattern though. I got literally 2 hours of sleep last night and I'm not even tired. Just couldn't sleep. Went to class, at work now, and I'm planning to do the 2 hour nap thing again when I get home and see if I can kick it into high gear tonight too.

Tony Bennett

Mike just called me and said he met Tony Bennett and the former mayor of Buffalo. Apparently, Tony Bennett and his brother Peter Bennett bought a building in Niagara Falls and Mike is helping set up the phone and computer systems in it. He didn't know who they were, so went up, introduced himself, and shook Tony Bennett's hand. How cool is that? I'm not a huge fan, but any time you meet a legend it's kind of exciting. I guess I vicariously met Tony Bennett.

Gymming; Writing

Boy, am I out of shape. I got all motivated this morning after reading GA best friend's multiple blogs re: gymming, so put on my cute track suit that Mike got me for Christmas and booked it to the gym. 10 minutes later, the elliptical and I were engaged in a battle of will and might. And, yes, it won. I've never been much for endurance, but 10 minutes?? Also, I'm so sick of cigarettes. After this pack (there's only 1 cigarette left) I'm going to pick up $5 worth of gum instead of another pack and try not to go insane for the next nicotine-free week. I can do it, damn it. I want to know that in case of emergency, I can haul ass out of a burning building or run for a couple miles to evade a mugger with no weapons or transportation. It would also be nice to not reach for a cigarette in times of stress, boredom, habit, after a meal, and first thing in the morning. No one should be that dependent on a substance.

Also, since I put up the website, I've had a renewed interest in writing again. This is possible now that I have much more spare time than last semester. During Spring semester (starting early Feb.) I'll have sufficient time (or make the time when I don't have it) to dive into my hobby. I feel like right now I only have a couple pieces that are good enough to continue and turn into lengthier works: "Love Story of a De-conjoined Twin" and "Skoal!"

Both were so much fun to write. "Love Story" was originally on a roll of toilet paper laden with an obituary, a crossword puzzle, a contract of employment, a poem compiled of easedroppings, all sorts of interesting things. I wrote it for the Performative Fiction class. Unfortunately, the toilet paper did it's job and was completely soaked when my professor accidentally left it out in the rain. Ironically, the story focused on the notion of waste. "Skoal" is a crazy spurt of inspiration about a book critic who delves into the life of a highly acclaimed and legendary (yet, horrible) Prussian-Nordic-American writer named Skoal, from the Lasjathor province. I really love writing, though as of now I'm unable to pump them out like Joyce Carol Oates. Practice makes perfect...

http://changy.s5.com (Click me! Please!)

Whoo-hoo! I have a website! It's very basic and newly made, so bear w/ me until it gets all prettified - if it ever happens. This will be a platform for people to read some of my short stories. Some of them are good... some not so good. Enjoy!

Cure for Insomnia (Click me!)

Funny/Interesting/Ironic Facts of 2004:

• Cure for Insomnia, which is 87 hours long, is the longest movie ever made according to the Guiness Book of World Records.

• The worst combination of a first name initial and last name could be S. Lutz.
  

• Chinese squeeze through things.

• I rescued a casebook headed for a library recycling bin called Prosecutorial Misconduct,
  by Joseph Lawless.

• In Japan it is completely acceptable to name your child "Buttocks" or "Prostitute." What the @!?*&?

Yes, I've had more time than usual.

Chinese Ice Festival (Click me!)

Wow, the Chinese do it right. It's the Year of the Rooster, hence the ice sculpture of the giant rooster. Beautiful lights, pristine snow and ice, and chinks as far as the eye can see - I'm allowed to say that, damn it. Ice sculpting would be a hobby I can take up in Buffalo. I can see it, me with a chainsaw...

Homeowners and Careers... I guess I'm a grown-up.

That makes three of my friends who are now homeowners. Congratulations to the most recent of them (as of Tuesday). A nice brownstone a couple blocks from work sounds perfect and I'm really happy for you. : ) I can't wait until I don't have to pay so friggin' much every month for something I'll never own. But, first, we have to figure out where to live.

There are a few factors involved here:
1. Our homesickness for Florida
2. Family in Florida
3. Desire to live in a bigger city (at least the size of Orlando, but not as large as NYC)
4. Finding a well-paying editing job in that bigger city
5. Weather

Most likely, we'll go back to Florida. I'm just wondering what kind of editing jobs are available there that is worth getting a law degree. I need to make at least $40k starting out if these three years and mind-boggling debt are going to be worth the investment.

I should change one of my classes if it's not too late. Election Law sounded really interesting when I signed up for it since registration was a few weeks after the election. But, now that I think about it, it's probably going to focus heavily on procedure and might be extremely complicated figuring in the electoral college. Could be really boring, too. Yeah, I need to reconsider this one.

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UNIX, Target, DVDs, and Editing

Well, whaddaya know... I learned a little UNIX today courtesy of my co-worker, the tech writer. That is the most technologically advanced thing I've ever done. Baby steps, baby steps.

My boss is so nice. She gave me (and other people too) a gift certificate to Target for Xmas. Ooh, what to buy? I considered the options: a handheld or clock radio for my car since the radio died, costs hundreds of dollars to get a new one, and my ears have suffered enough from my horrific singing, or a planner. I have a planner every year and most years they get completely filled out, so I went for the planner.

I've been on a DVD shopping spree lately. They're all from the $5 Wal-Mart bin or a 3 for $25 deal from Blockbuster: Matchstick Men, Altered State, The Big Bounce, The Day After Tomorrow, Together (foreign flick), Kill Bill 1, Kill Bill 2, and maybe a couple more I can't think of right now.

The best job ever would be to edit fiction manuscripts - novels, short stories, scripts, etc. That would be a blast. I enjoy editing a wide variety of material (even technical writing), but editing fiction would be so much fun.

This year better be good.

I must blog on. It's been so long. The holidays were pretty uneventful. Mike and I went to eat at a couple friends' houses on Christmas and did the whole Secret Santa thing. Kudos on whoever brought the Foreman grill. It rocks. Also, I finished up the Melville paper and (despite being a bit repetitive) I think it turned out pretty well. Then, my best and oldest friend (I have 2 best friends, so that's how I distinguish them) came up from Florida after Xmas and spent a few days here. I spent the entire time trying to convince him to go to grad school here, but I don't think he went for it. Hmm... Buffalo or Orlando... Let's see, do I want to be buried in snow and see a couple hours of sunlight a day or get a tan during exam week? Geez, that's a tough one. While he was here, Buffalo was abnormally warm (temps ranging from 30F-50F). We like to say he brought up the Florida weather.

This time, we didn't do eight million things like his last trip up here. We saw a movie, went to a bar, hung out w/ friends, got a lot of coffee, had a little party on the first night he came up. That sort of thing. It was so nice to see him again, though. I know no matter what we'll keep in touch and crack ourselves up doing bad imitations of foreign accents and rednecks. We don't even have to be delirious (frequently caused by massive amounts of studying) to do these impressions. Our first impressions were of elderly rednecks named Mable and Earl(?) when we were 10. One of them ate a lot of butter and toasted things on the side of the tub, risking electrocution. Yeah, we were easily entertained... Still are.

New Year's Eve was kind of a bust though. The three of us had reservations at Cecilia's, but it turned out that they only had a holiday menu that night which was $55, alcohol and gratuity not included. That might have been alright, but you can't just have a $70 meal sprung on you. So, we left and ate somewhere else w/ a couple of friend-acquaintances who were part of the original party at Cecilia's. We went to Toro, which, surprisingly wasn't Mexican or Hispanic in any way, but was more like Californian cuisine. The food was good, though the portions were unnecessarily small, reasonably priced, cute maitre d (according to my friend and the girls, I thought he was a little... magoo).

Ok, so we leave there and go to the casino afterwards, during which Mike ditched me for a buffet. Awesome food, massive quantities. Needless to say, he didn't eat at Toro's and held out for the casino buffet. My best friend got pretty tired of gambling (first time at a casino), so went to sit outside for an hour or so. I only got one drink the entire night b/c of the inattentiveness of the drink ladies or whatever they're called. Cocktail waitresses? So, it kind of sucked. But, what are you going to do? My New Year's are always much more hype than actual fun. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Xmas is always nice though.

Good news: Mike actually quit smoking (thus far). Hasn't had one in 4 days. : ) I didn't make any Resolutions this year, but it's going to be a great year. I can feel it. I can't believe I'll have a law degree this December at the age of 24. Good God, I can't believe I'll be 24 soon.

My New Year's "Announcements":

- Hope for all those who despair (especially the Tsanami victims).

- More of me being responsible and staying motivated.

- Inspiration for my writing (please!!).

- Happiness for my mom.

- To a great year.