Mood:
Listening to: Dead Can Dance - Rakim
Miscellaneous crap pertaining to the in-between life of an in-between girl called PikaPikaChick.
Wednesday, January 29, 2003
Ch-ch-ch-changes
I've made a few subtle changes to the site. My links to other blogs are now powered by Blogrolling. I added site statistics from Blogpatrol. I added a link to Blogarama. And I took out the <LI> tags in the left and right column blocks.
Mood:
Listening to: Dead Can Dance - Rakim
Mood:
Listening to: Dead Can Dance - Rakim
What I learned today
Edward Norton used to date Courtney Love and make special appearances with Hole.
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Also, the picture on this page makes him look EXACTLY like our friend Scott. Woah.
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!
Also, the picture on this page makes him look EXACTLY like our friend Scott. Woah.
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
WTF
Monday, January 27, 2003
Porn
I'll have to remember to use the phrase "put your frankfurter in my honeypot" completely out of context sometime.
Mood:
weird
Listening to: Vertical Horizon - You're A God
Mood:
weird
Listening to: Vertical Horizon - You're A God
Because I'm bored
Stolen from Alissa's LiveJournal.
[ x ] Spell your first name backwards - refinneJ
[ x ] The story behind your user name - I like Pikachu. A lot. It's the epitome of cute.
[ x ] Are you a lesbian - Only halfway.
[ x ] Where do you live - Minneapolis, MN
[ x ] 4 words that sum you up - short, opinionated, caring, quiet
DESCRIBE YOUR
[ x ] Wallet - Black with Batz Maru
[ x ] Hairbrush - White Scunci brand with a green ribbed rubber handle. Sounds like a condom.
[ x ] Toothbrush - Purple and white
[ x ] Jewelry worn daily - I most often wear a silver blue topaz ring from Avon on one of my ring fingers.
[ x ] Pillow cover - I have two pillows. I usually use an off-white cover on one and a cream and green viney cover on the other.
[ x ] Blanket - Light tan with white leaves
[ x ] Coffee cup - Large black mug with the Cheshire Cat all over it.
[ x ] Sunglasses - Black plastic.
[ x ] Underwear - Right now? White cotton. Dan's out of town.
[ x ] Shoes - Black leather Sketchers
[ x ] Handbag - I don't own a "handbag." I either carry a red woven zippered bag or a green army surplus bag.
[ x ] Favorite shirt - My gray Ranma 1/2 Furikan High t-shirt or my green Pikachu t-shirt.
[ x ] Cologne/Perfume - Oui by Lancome
[ x ] CD in stereo right now - Soulfly
[ x ] Tattoos - Tribal dragon on left shoulder
[ x ] Piercings - Two in each ear, one in tongue, one in lip.
[ x ] What you are wearing now - Gray MN Wild fleece pants, yellow Misty (Pokemon) t-shirt, gray hooded sweatshirt from Lake Breeze Resort in Duluth, MN.
[ x ] Hair - Unwashed, unbrushed. Dyed back to my original almost-black with a few brown highlights in the front. Curly. Layered so I don't have the mushroom head effect.
[ x ] Makeup - Rarely have time or ambition. Usually black eyeliner and light pink lipstick with gloss. Glitter if I'm feeling saucy.
WHO or WHAT (was/is/are)
[ x ] In my mouth - Oriental flavored ramen with cream of mushroom soup and frozen mixed veggies, iced tea
[ x ] In my head - Henry Rollins's spoken word.
[ x ] Wishing - that I wasn't broke.
[ x ] After this - I'm going to clean my office and kitchen. Maybe fold some clothes.
[ x ] Talking to - My cat.
[ x ] Eating - See above.
[ x ] Fetishes - being tied/handcuffed.
[ x ] If you could get away with murder, who and for what reason - No thanks.
[ x ] Person you wish you could see right now - Dan.
[ x ] Is next to you - Sara, my cat.
[ x ] Some of your favorite movies - Metropolis (1927), The Mask, Twelve Monkeys, Fight Club, Clerks
[ x ] Something you're looking forward to in the upcoming month - Eating.
[ x ] The last thing you ate - See above.
[ x ] Something that you are deathly afraid of - Spiders.
[ x ] Do you like candles - Yes.
[ x ] Do you like hot wax - For use during sex? No. To take off unwanted body hair? I prefer sugaring.
[ x ] Do you like incense - Yes.
[ x ] Do you like the taste of blood - Yes.
[ x ] Do you believe in love - Yes.
[ x ] Do you believe in soul mates - Yes.
[ x ] Do you believe in love at first sight - You can't love someone without knowing them first.
[ x ] Do you believe in Heaven - Don't ask the agnostic.
[ x ] Do you believe in God - I'm still very agnostic about this, but I'm pretty sure there's something/things out there.
[ x ] What do you want done with your body when you die - Just stick me in the ground out in the woods somewhere. Don't bother spending money on a coffin. Let me return to the earth. Thanks.
[ x ] Who is your worst enemy - I dunno. Myself?
[ x ] If you could have any animal for a pet, what would it be - A pixie-bob! (Bobcat-housecat cross)
[ x ] What is the latest you've ever stayed up - I've pulled a few all-nighters.
[ x ] Ever been to Belgium - No.
[ x ] Can you eat with chopsticks - Born and raised on chopsticks.
[ x ] What's your favorite coin - Anything with a hole in it.
[ x ] What are 5 cities you wouldn't mind relocating to - Duluth, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Baton Rouge
[ x ] What are some of your favorite pig out foods - Oreos, kettle corn, twinkies, ice cream, Famous Dave's ribs, Popeye's Chicken, White Castles
[ x ] What's something that you wish people would understand - I can't talk very well. I stutter and I can't translate thoughts into words.
[ x ] What's something you wish you could understand better - People.
[ x ] Anyone you miss that you haven't seen in a long time - My mom.
[ x ] What's one thing you want to make happen for tomorrow - Find peace.
[ x ] Spell your first name backwards - refinneJ
[ x ] The story behind your user name - I like Pikachu. A lot. It's the epitome of cute.
[ x ] Are you a lesbian - Only halfway.
[ x ] Where do you live - Minneapolis, MN
[ x ] 4 words that sum you up - short, opinionated, caring, quiet
DESCRIBE YOUR
[ x ] Wallet - Black with Batz Maru
[ x ] Hairbrush - White Scunci brand with a green ribbed rubber handle. Sounds like a condom.
[ x ] Toothbrush - Purple and white
[ x ] Jewelry worn daily - I most often wear a silver blue topaz ring from Avon on one of my ring fingers.
[ x ] Pillow cover - I have two pillows. I usually use an off-white cover on one and a cream and green viney cover on the other.
[ x ] Blanket - Light tan with white leaves
[ x ] Coffee cup - Large black mug with the Cheshire Cat all over it.
[ x ] Sunglasses - Black plastic.
[ x ] Underwear - Right now? White cotton. Dan's out of town.
[ x ] Shoes - Black leather Sketchers
[ x ] Handbag - I don't own a "handbag." I either carry a red woven zippered bag or a green army surplus bag.
[ x ] Favorite shirt - My gray Ranma 1/2 Furikan High t-shirt or my green Pikachu t-shirt.
[ x ] Cologne/Perfume - Oui by Lancome
[ x ] CD in stereo right now - Soulfly
[ x ] Tattoos - Tribal dragon on left shoulder
[ x ] Piercings - Two in each ear, one in tongue, one in lip.
[ x ] What you are wearing now - Gray MN Wild fleece pants, yellow Misty (Pokemon) t-shirt, gray hooded sweatshirt from Lake Breeze Resort in Duluth, MN.
[ x ] Hair - Unwashed, unbrushed. Dyed back to my original almost-black with a few brown highlights in the front. Curly. Layered so I don't have the mushroom head effect.
[ x ] Makeup - Rarely have time or ambition. Usually black eyeliner and light pink lipstick with gloss. Glitter if I'm feeling saucy.
WHO or WHAT (was/is/are)
[ x ] In my mouth - Oriental flavored ramen with cream of mushroom soup and frozen mixed veggies, iced tea
[ x ] In my head - Henry Rollins's spoken word.
[ x ] Wishing - that I wasn't broke.
[ x ] After this - I'm going to clean my office and kitchen. Maybe fold some clothes.
[ x ] Talking to - My cat.
[ x ] Eating - See above.
[ x ] Fetishes - being tied/handcuffed.
[ x ] If you could get away with murder, who and for what reason - No thanks.
[ x ] Person you wish you could see right now - Dan.
[ x ] Is next to you - Sara, my cat.
[ x ] Some of your favorite movies - Metropolis (1927), The Mask, Twelve Monkeys, Fight Club, Clerks
[ x ] Something you're looking forward to in the upcoming month - Eating.
[ x ] The last thing you ate - See above.
[ x ] Something that you are deathly afraid of - Spiders.
[ x ] Do you like candles - Yes.
[ x ] Do you like hot wax - For use during sex? No. To take off unwanted body hair? I prefer sugaring.
[ x ] Do you like incense - Yes.
[ x ] Do you like the taste of blood - Yes.
[ x ] Do you believe in love - Yes.
[ x ] Do you believe in soul mates - Yes.
[ x ] Do you believe in love at first sight - You can't love someone without knowing them first.
[ x ] Do you believe in Heaven - Don't ask the agnostic.
[ x ] Do you believe in God - I'm still very agnostic about this, but I'm pretty sure there's something/things out there.
[ x ] What do you want done with your body when you die - Just stick me in the ground out in the woods somewhere. Don't bother spending money on a coffin. Let me return to the earth. Thanks.
[ x ] Who is your worst enemy - I dunno. Myself?
[ x ] If you could have any animal for a pet, what would it be - A pixie-bob! (Bobcat-housecat cross)
[ x ] What is the latest you've ever stayed up - I've pulled a few all-nighters.
[ x ] Ever been to Belgium - No.
[ x ] Can you eat with chopsticks - Born and raised on chopsticks.
[ x ] What's your favorite coin - Anything with a hole in it.
[ x ] What are 5 cities you wouldn't mind relocating to - Duluth, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Baton Rouge
[ x ] What are some of your favorite pig out foods - Oreos, kettle corn, twinkies, ice cream, Famous Dave's ribs, Popeye's Chicken, White Castles
[ x ] What's something that you wish people would understand - I can't talk very well. I stutter and I can't translate thoughts into words.
[ x ] What's something you wish you could understand better - People.
[ x ] Anyone you miss that you haven't seen in a long time - My mom.
[ x ] What's one thing you want to make happen for tomorrow - Find peace.
Saturday, January 25, 2003
It's one of those nights where I can't shut my brain off so I might as well wit here in bed and write. I got about five hours or less of sleep last night but it didn't matter because I worked a shitty track meet all day. I don't think I sold $200 worth of merchandise in eight hours. At least there were a few intelligent people there who weren't willing to fork over $75 for a sweatshirt. I wonder if track is the ghetto of college athletics. I love hockey and all, but it's full of rich hockey families shelling out wads of cash on useless merchandise. I've never worked a basketball game but I'm willing to bet it's just as bad, if not worse.
What kills me most is these college girls who whip out stacks of $20 bills. This means that they are either high-priced hookers or snotty rich sorority girls. Sickening either way.
I'd actually have a little more respect for them if they were hookers. At least they'd be working for their money. I have no problem with prostitution. I only have a problem with the drugs, alcohol, and abuse that usually follows. If you're a prostitue, don't take shit, stand up for yourself, and stay clean. Keep on truckin', ladies (and gents).
I can't find a pen that I like. This one is too fat and I press too hard or something and the ink doesn't flow right. I nearly have to give myself a hernia to use this other pen because it doesn't write smoothely at all. I wish I had a laptop.
Grady spends a lot of time starig at the ceiling. I can understand it when people are walking around upstairs and his kitty radar is going crazy, but sometimes he'll stare at nothing. There is no sound. There is nothing there. I don't sense any ghosts in this house but I could bery well be wrong. I wish I had a ghost to talk to right now. I haven't spent a weekend alone in a very long time. I hope Dan and the boys stay safe.
Getting tired now. Hope I can fall asleep right away.
What kills me most is these college girls who whip out stacks of $20 bills. This means that they are either high-priced hookers or snotty rich sorority girls. Sickening either way.
I'd actually have a little more respect for them if they were hookers. At least they'd be working for their money. I have no problem with prostitution. I only have a problem with the drugs, alcohol, and abuse that usually follows. If you're a prostitue, don't take shit, stand up for yourself, and stay clean. Keep on truckin', ladies (and gents).
I can't find a pen that I like. This one is too fat and I press too hard or something and the ink doesn't flow right. I nearly have to give myself a hernia to use this other pen because it doesn't write smoothely at all. I wish I had a laptop.
Grady spends a lot of time starig at the ceiling. I can understand it when people are walking around upstairs and his kitty radar is going crazy, but sometimes he'll stare at nothing. There is no sound. There is nothing there. I don't sense any ghosts in this house but I could bery well be wrong. I wish I had a ghost to talk to right now. I haven't spent a weekend alone in a very long time. I hope Dan and the boys stay safe.
Getting tired now. Hope I can fall asleep right away.
For the love of dog...
I've written before about my superhuman ability to stop an online conversation in its tracks. Here's another case in point. What the hell? I'm just going to ask. What have I got to lose?
Fuck, man. Nobody online knows me from Adam. I always introduce myself using the proper channels on message boards. I'm nothing but nice and honest and decent. I don't give in to trolls and I don't suck up to anyone. Anyone.
Maybe that's my problem. I haven't sucked up to a certain person. Shit. Screw fucking online office fucking politics.
Mood:
frustrated
Listening to: that vein in my neck throbbing
Fuck, man. Nobody online knows me from Adam. I always introduce myself using the proper channels on message boards. I'm nothing but nice and honest and decent. I don't give in to trolls and I don't suck up to anyone. Anyone.
Maybe that's my problem. I haven't sucked up to a certain person. Shit. Screw fucking online office fucking politics.
Mood:
frustrated
Listening to: that vein in my neck throbbing
Maroon 5 review
I've been listening to Maroon 5's first single "Harder to Breathe" a lot lately. On the surface I like it, but there was always something bugging me about the song. It lacks something to flesh it out. I thought about it and thought about it and I've decided that they need a different vocalist. Or a lot of backup vocals. I've downloaded a bunch of tracks to get a feel for their sound, and it's very college band. They have just enough groove and funk to get airplay on pop stations, but from the vocals to the limp guitars they're largely unoriginal. When "This Love" started up I thought I had accidentally downloaded a Britney Spears track. "She Will Be Loved" would be a fantastic song if it wasn't for the boring, whiney vocals. The rest of the tracks are slow and unremarkable.
Friday, January 24, 2003
Not Fair
Dan and I have the best conversations at night, in bed, right before we fall asleep. We could probably lay there for hours talking, but we always have to get up early the next morning. I treasure these nights.
Mood:
Listening to: Maroon 5 - Harder to Breathe
Mood:
Listening to: Maroon 5 - Harder to Breathe
Thursday, January 23, 2003
Too lazy to post this yesterday
At the MOA again. I really don't work out here that often, I just have a lot of time to sit and write. Kris was cool enough to get us some tickets to the Henry Rollins spoken word show last week. I love that man. I told Dan flat out that if I wasn't so in love with him I'd hunt Hank down and force him to marry me. But anyway.
My Gramma says that a lot. "But anyway..." That's the Gramma catch phrase.
At least I have a radio today. I can somewhat drown out the stupid fucks screaming on the Mighty Axe. The ride moves quite literally painfully slow, too slow (and painful) to be fun or amusing or frightening enough to warrent a screaming reation. Do you obnoxious children scream when you do a somersault too? Shut the fuck up.
I'm getting cranky because I'm freezing and I have to pee. Jason doesn't come in for another hour. I hate asking the guy at the sweatshirt store across the hall to watch the kiosks when the old man is there. I've never actually talked to the old man in there but in my experience old men wearing bifocals attached to a string are never friendly toward whippersnappers like me. Those are the guys who shake their fists and yell things like, "Get off my lawn!" I'll never say that when I get old. It'll be easier to sic my dogs on those meddling kids.
I think I just saw Santa Clause.
I don't want to be the flaming insensitive bitch, but it seems like wherever I work is a magnet for persons of severe mental handicap. I'm always so ill prepared to deal with this situation. I feel like I'm doing something wrong when I take their money, like their caretaker will come up to me later and chastise me for selling something to somebody who so obviously doesn't know what's going on. I know that sounds horrible.
We got these kickass MN Northstar replica jerseys in. They're made by Vintage Clothing, a company I wish I worked for.
I can't believe it, but I'm becoming a bit of a sports fan. Well, two sports anyway. The Wild anthem actually stirs some emotion in me. I bit my nails when the Twins were playing in the Championship Series. I get that euphoric sense of excitement when the Gopher hockey team puts the puck away. Weird.
Bill Joel and Elton John are coming to town. Tickets are $85. Assholes.
Crosby, Stills, and Nash are coming to town. I've been dropping some not-so-sutble hints at Dan that tickets would be a superfantastic early birthday present. I'm going to start dropping hints at my family next. Fat lot of good that will do.
My Gramma says that a lot. "But anyway..." That's the Gramma catch phrase.
At least I have a radio today. I can somewhat drown out the stupid fucks screaming on the Mighty Axe. The ride moves quite literally painfully slow, too slow (and painful) to be fun or amusing or frightening enough to warrent a screaming reation. Do you obnoxious children scream when you do a somersault too? Shut the fuck up.
I'm getting cranky because I'm freezing and I have to pee. Jason doesn't come in for another hour. I hate asking the guy at the sweatshirt store across the hall to watch the kiosks when the old man is there. I've never actually talked to the old man in there but in my experience old men wearing bifocals attached to a string are never friendly toward whippersnappers like me. Those are the guys who shake their fists and yell things like, "Get off my lawn!" I'll never say that when I get old. It'll be easier to sic my dogs on those meddling kids.
I think I just saw Santa Clause.
I don't want to be the flaming insensitive bitch, but it seems like wherever I work is a magnet for persons of severe mental handicap. I'm always so ill prepared to deal with this situation. I feel like I'm doing something wrong when I take their money, like their caretaker will come up to me later and chastise me for selling something to somebody who so obviously doesn't know what's going on. I know that sounds horrible.
We got these kickass MN Northstar replica jerseys in. They're made by Vintage Clothing, a company I wish I worked for.
I can't believe it, but I'm becoming a bit of a sports fan. Well, two sports anyway. The Wild anthem actually stirs some emotion in me. I bit my nails when the Twins were playing in the Championship Series. I get that euphoric sense of excitement when the Gopher hockey team puts the puck away. Weird.
Bill Joel and Elton John are coming to town. Tickets are $85. Assholes.
Crosby, Stills, and Nash are coming to town. I've been dropping some not-so-sutble hints at Dan that tickets would be a superfantastic early birthday present. I'm going to start dropping hints at my family next. Fat lot of good that will do.
Tuesday, January 14, 2003
They're not over here
I really, really don't want to like that new Coldplay song -- you know, the one with the piano -- but I do. I still feel sorry for the guy though. I hope he finds his balls soon.
I promise I won't mention Adam Sandler
On a visit to Isreal Shop I discovered that one can buy yarmulkes in the likenesses of a basketball or football.
Further reading led to the supposed reason behind the wearing of the yarmulke (kippah). It is worn to remind one that there is always something between a person and his/her god.
In different parts of the world the type of kippah you wear (knitted, black, large, small, peaked, smooth) can symbolize what particular sect or social class you're in as well as how religious you are.
Mood:
geeky
Listening to: nothing
Further reading led to the supposed reason behind the wearing of the yarmulke (kippah). It is worn to remind one that there is always something between a person and his/her god.
In different parts of the world the type of kippah you wear (knitted, black, large, small, peaked, smooth) can symbolize what particular sect or social class you're in as well as how religious you are.
Mood:
geeky
Listening to: nothing
Monday, January 13, 2003
At work pt. II
I've got all kinds of questions about the yarmulke. Why do they wear it? How does it stay on their heads? Do they make them in different colors for different occasions? I honestly want to know but I don't know who to ask. Maybe I'll try yarmulke.com when I get home. This came up because it seems to be yarmulke day here at the MOA.
I got a preservative-laden Honey Bun from the place across the hall. I always feel bad for the guy working there because he's always there from open to close (I think). He always looks so bored and kind of sad. I thought I'd give the guy some business to make the day less tedious. He was kind of mean. I don't feel sorry for him anymore.
Seriously now, do you see any Gopher youth hockey jerseys hanging with all the other Gopher hockey jerseys? No? Then no, we don't have any. I promise I'm not hiding any in the kiosks.
12:09 AM
Here's a fun fact: the Mall of America doesn't have any heating. It relies solely on body heat and sunlight coming through the skylights.
Here's another fun fact: I'm freezing my nipples off. When it's 10 below outside and nobody's at the mall during the day it's fucking cold in here.
12:14 AM
I just had my first sale of the day. We open at 10:00. I'm really glad this company is planning on opening a real store in the mall rather than keep the kiosk setup, but I'm not sure how viable an option that really is. Whatever, I'm not in charge here.
12:17 AM
I found out this morning that I can surf the Internet on our POS terminal. Neat.
12:28 AM
The most exciting thing about my morning was watching people watch a cop lead a guy away in handcuffs. It was funny to watch peoples' heads swivel around and necks craning to see a guy walking away.
12:43 AM
If you're a customer in a retail establishment, please don't be smarmy. And for the love of gods don't be a know-it-all. Although, it is that much more satisfying to take you down (we're going to do it whether you realize you're being burned or not), but don't do it anyway.
12:49 AM
Dan and I went to our company holiday party last night. I got a $40 gift card for Target. Dan got a gift card for Home Depot. Rock. The party was at Howie G's in Fridley (a.k.a. the middle of freaking' nowhere). The premise of this restaurant is that you go in, eat a huge salad, choose a slab of raw meat, take your cow, fish, or chicken part to one of the giant grills, season it, and cook it yourself. If the enormous quantities of meat aren't enough for you they also have a potato bar. You do all this in the presence of a 7 foot superdeformed statue of Howie himself. It's lovely.
Earlier in the day we went down to New Prague (motto: "have a kolache!") to my stepmom's mom's, mom's twin sister's, and mom's brother's birthday slash retirement party. There was a moral dilemma surrounding this that I'll get to later.
This affair was at a fancy-schmancy place called Schumacher's. It's German-northwoodsy-wild-gamey cuisine. Dan had the chicken and I had the pork schnitzel. It came with a cranberry-raisin relish and was very tasty, though a bit cold. For dessert there was apple strudel. The biggest apple strudel I've ever seen. My dad bought us black & tans and gin & tonics and it was slightly less boring than other Larsen family events. My brother and his family got to skip out because my brother has the Norfolk virus and the kids have chickenpox. Yeah right. liars.
The moral dilemma was that the Wild Skills Competition was also that day. It was hard deciding to go to the retirement party instead and this decision was reached only through much deliberation and soul-searching. But it really stun when Dan won a pair of free tickets. I thought about it, wrestled with the ethics of blowing off my stepfamily, and reluctantly decided to go to New Prague. Dan gave the tickets to his dad and brother. I nearly cried.
I really wanted to get a puck signed by Richard Park. He'll be in Maplewood this week though, filming the Call of the Wild TV show. I just so happen to have that night off. Yay!
I got a preservative-laden Honey Bun from the place across the hall. I always feel bad for the guy working there because he's always there from open to close (I think). He always looks so bored and kind of sad. I thought I'd give the guy some business to make the day less tedious. He was kind of mean. I don't feel sorry for him anymore.
Seriously now, do you see any Gopher youth hockey jerseys hanging with all the other Gopher hockey jerseys? No? Then no, we don't have any. I promise I'm not hiding any in the kiosks.
12:09 AM
Here's a fun fact: the Mall of America doesn't have any heating. It relies solely on body heat and sunlight coming through the skylights.
Here's another fun fact: I'm freezing my nipples off. When it's 10 below outside and nobody's at the mall during the day it's fucking cold in here.
12:14 AM
I just had my first sale of the day. We open at 10:00. I'm really glad this company is planning on opening a real store in the mall rather than keep the kiosk setup, but I'm not sure how viable an option that really is. Whatever, I'm not in charge here.
12:17 AM
I found out this morning that I can surf the Internet on our POS terminal. Neat.
12:28 AM
The most exciting thing about my morning was watching people watch a cop lead a guy away in handcuffs. It was funny to watch peoples' heads swivel around and necks craning to see a guy walking away.
12:43 AM
If you're a customer in a retail establishment, please don't be smarmy. And for the love of gods don't be a know-it-all. Although, it is that much more satisfying to take you down (we're going to do it whether you realize you're being burned or not), but don't do it anyway.
12:49 AM
Dan and I went to our company holiday party last night. I got a $40 gift card for Target. Dan got a gift card for Home Depot. Rock. The party was at Howie G's in Fridley (a.k.a. the middle of freaking' nowhere). The premise of this restaurant is that you go in, eat a huge salad, choose a slab of raw meat, take your cow, fish, or chicken part to one of the giant grills, season it, and cook it yourself. If the enormous quantities of meat aren't enough for you they also have a potato bar. You do all this in the presence of a 7 foot superdeformed statue of Howie himself. It's lovely.
Earlier in the day we went down to New Prague (motto: "have a kolache!") to my stepmom's mom's, mom's twin sister's, and mom's brother's birthday slash retirement party. There was a moral dilemma surrounding this that I'll get to later.
This affair was at a fancy-schmancy place called Schumacher's. It's German-northwoodsy-wild-gamey cuisine. Dan had the chicken and I had the pork schnitzel. It came with a cranberry-raisin relish and was very tasty, though a bit cold. For dessert there was apple strudel. The biggest apple strudel I've ever seen. My dad bought us black & tans and gin & tonics and it was slightly less boring than other Larsen family events. My brother and his family got to skip out because my brother has the Norfolk virus and the kids have chickenpox. Yeah right. liars.
The moral dilemma was that the Wild Skills Competition was also that day. It was hard deciding to go to the retirement party instead and this decision was reached only through much deliberation and soul-searching. But it really stun when Dan won a pair of free tickets. I thought about it, wrestled with the ethics of blowing off my stepfamily, and reluctantly decided to go to New Prague. Dan gave the tickets to his dad and brother. I nearly cried.
I really wanted to get a puck signed by Richard Park. He'll be in Maplewood this week though, filming the Call of the Wild TV show. I just so happen to have that night off. Yay!
Thursday, January 09, 2003
At work today...
The Mall of America. Patriotism though commercialism. If you're from out of Minnesota - or even outstate Minnesota - you probably don't grasp the near-joke quality of the place. National chain stores arrive starry-eyed and rip-roaring to install their flagship retail outlets and leave dejected, spirits, deflated, when sales slow to a dribble, then a painful ooze. Slowly the mall becomes overgrown with more of the same -- literally. Sunglass Hut/Watch World owns five separate installations. Clairs/Afterthoughts/Icing has four. Sam Goody & Foot Locker each have three.
The funny thing is that they have advertisements on empty kiosks stating "Be a CEO ASAP!" The only problem is that in order to get yourself a kiosk you have to pay upwards of $3000 per month in the off-season, not to mention the $3000 deposit and $3000 design fee. When I checked about three or four years ago the rent went up to $5000 a month during the peak holiday season. One can only hope that the post-World Trade Center recession forced the prices down.
There's a lot of stuff in the MOA that would make you shake your head, but by far the sickest display of corporate arrogance is the General Mills Creal Adventure. Fiberglass monstrosities fashioned into cereal mascots leer at you above the entrance. It is the tourist trap to end all tourist traps. You visit and then wonder why in the world you just shelled out a portion of your hard earned money to do so. It tries to be educational and fun, only somebody seems to have forgotten the fun. And it's not really very educational. Being able to mix your own creal blend is a novel concept until you realize you can do the same thing at home. And does anybody really care who's on the Wheaties box anymore? Much less if it's your great aunt Mildred and her best friend Helga? The space that Creal Adventure occupies was a lot more interesting as a mini golf course.
And here I sit, peering longingly at the MN Wild Hockey Lodge store directly below my place of employment, wondering if they're hiring.
The funny thing is that they have advertisements on empty kiosks stating "Be a CEO ASAP!" The only problem is that in order to get yourself a kiosk you have to pay upwards of $3000 per month in the off-season, not to mention the $3000 deposit and $3000 design fee. When I checked about three or four years ago the rent went up to $5000 a month during the peak holiday season. One can only hope that the post-World Trade Center recession forced the prices down.
There's a lot of stuff in the MOA that would make you shake your head, but by far the sickest display of corporate arrogance is the General Mills Creal Adventure. Fiberglass monstrosities fashioned into cereal mascots leer at you above the entrance. It is the tourist trap to end all tourist traps. You visit and then wonder why in the world you just shelled out a portion of your hard earned money to do so. It tries to be educational and fun, only somebody seems to have forgotten the fun. And it's not really very educational. Being able to mix your own creal blend is a novel concept until you realize you can do the same thing at home. And does anybody really care who's on the Wheaties box anymore? Much less if it's your great aunt Mildred and her best friend Helga? The space that Creal Adventure occupies was a lot more interesting as a mini golf course.
And here I sit, peering longingly at the MN Wild Hockey Lodge store directly below my place of employment, wondering if they're hiring.
Wednesday, January 08, 2003
Fun Referral Of The Day
Someone landed on my site by searching for "Dexter Holland picture naked".
I like the way you think, stranger.
I like the way you think, stranger.
The day off
I spent some time preparing for the tax season. I'm trying to figure out what I can and can't deduct. I cleaned all the 2001 crap out and started to sort through 2002. I've got a lot of paperwork.
I worked out a budget that will hopefully bring some peace of mind. Stupid bills.
Mood:
busy
Listening to: Maroon 5 - Harder to Breathe
I worked out a budget that will hopefully bring some peace of mind. Stupid bills.
Mood:
busy
Listening to: Maroon 5 - Harder to Breathe
Monday, January 06, 2003
I am the dork queen!
My new cell phone plays "The Final Countdown" when it rings. YEAH!
I put in a request at Modtones for Eiffel65's "Blue." We'll see what happens.
By the way, does anyone know of a site with free ringtones for the Motorola T720?
Also, I can't figure out how to download pictures to the Media Center.
I put in a request at Modtones for Eiffel65's "Blue." We'll see what happens.
By the way, does anyone know of a site with free ringtones for the Motorola T720?
Also, I can't figure out how to download pictures to the Media Center.
Thursday, January 02, 2003
Had some people over last night for deep fried turkey. I've got a friend who just moved here from Montana to go to school at the Aveda Institute. We got to talking about how Minnesota is different from other parts of the country race-wise. When Dan moved out here from Virginia he said he had never seen so many white people all condensed in one place. When my Montana friend moved out here she said she had never seen so many non-white people condensed in one place. Living in Minnesota (and the Twin Cities) for most of my life I've seen it change througout the years from whitey-white white in the early eighties to more of a diverse area. My brother and I grew up being the "Oriental kids" -- even more a minority because we are only half Korean. The Twin Cities in the early eighties had a huge Korean population, especially in St. Paul. Over the years the Hmong/Southeast Asian and Hispanic populations have exploded. And yet in High School I still felt like an outsider because I wasn't part of an Asian gang or clique. It was almost weird that I hung out with white kids rather than a strictly Asian group. I felt looked down upon by the Asian kids. Not that I cared, mind you. I was sort of my own solitary island anyway, and I had less in common with them than anyone else. I wonder if there are any goth metalhead Pagan Asians at Burnsville Senior High these days? I should ask Dan's brother.
Anyway.
I had a disturbing dream last night. I'm always disturbed by dreams where I'm acting opposite of my true personality and moral standards. I guess in this dream I was attracted to and secretly in love with someone in real life. In this dream he happened to be a djinn or half-djinn or something (and that's as weird as the dream got). The djinn thing actually had very little to do with the rest of the dream, only serving as an icebreaking conversation starter. This friend could read my mind, which led to several embarrassing moments and his discovery of my love and, more importantly, my lust for him. He ended up confessing his own love and comedy ensued from that point. I spent the rest of the dream debating on whether I should cheat on Dan and seduce this guy, leading him to cheat on his own girlfriend. The disturbing part was that I was actually leaning toward seduction. ACK. ACK. ACK.
I know that this sort of thing is perfectly normal and healthy and only serves to strengthen my moral fibers in the waking world. It's still scary.
Mood:
Anyway.
I had a disturbing dream last night. I'm always disturbed by dreams where I'm acting opposite of my true personality and moral standards. I guess in this dream I was attracted to and secretly in love with someone in real life. In this dream he happened to be a djinn or half-djinn or something (and that's as weird as the dream got). The djinn thing actually had very little to do with the rest of the dream, only serving as an icebreaking conversation starter. This friend could read my mind, which led to several embarrassing moments and his discovery of my love and, more importantly, my lust for him. He ended up confessing his own love and comedy ensued from that point. I spent the rest of the dream debating on whether I should cheat on Dan and seduce this guy, leading him to cheat on his own girlfriend. The disturbing part was that I was actually leaning toward seduction. ACK. ACK. ACK.
I know that this sort of thing is perfectly normal and healthy and only serves to strengthen my moral fibers in the waking world. It's still scary.
Mood:
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