Fear the Crab

Woke up early and went down the street to vote. Stupidly enough, there was a chicken sale going on at the same time at the same location, so the parking lot was jammed full of people trying to pick up their chicken and trying to vote.

I bought some socks and shorts at Sports Authority, afterward. I ended up getting women’s socks because they had no men’s socks in my size. I wanted some lightweight hiking socks, the kind that wick away moisture or whatever it is they are supposed to do, and the women’s socks were the only ones in my size. So long as they fit, there’s no problem, and it’s not like the fashion police will come breaking down my door. I think.

I then went to the DFS car wash. I figured that soon, that car will be traded in, so it wouldn’t hurt to get it cleaned up, at least on the outside. Oddly enough, when I left my car didn’t look any different.

Work was dreadfully dreadfully slow. I think were it not for the toothpick in my mouth I would have gone insane.

On a happy note, I finished my applet program. There are a few bugs left, and there are probably a million ways I could have made it more effective, but those things can wait until I return to class and ask questions.

I woke up late in the morning, at around 1030 hours. I was feeling a bit peckish, so I paged Maile and asked her to lunch. I first wanted to go to Anna Millier’s, because I wanted breakfast food, but Maile wanted to go to Denny’s. It made no difference to me, so we parked across from Denny’s and crossed the street, only to find out they were closed for renovations! Since that was a no-go, we tried Anna Miller’s, but the parking was terrible. All the stalls were filled and there were cars waiting in line. We got out, and went to Ronnie’s across the street. It’s an ice-cream parlor/burger place, which reminds me of a place long ago that had the same atmosphere, whose name eludes me right now. I’m sure there are people out there that can remember the long-ago place I am talking about.

At Ronnie’s, I had the Byron’s Bacon Cheeseburger and Maile had the Leonard’s Grilled Mahi Sandwich. Even though I originally wanted breakfast food, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have a good burger. Maile had a 22 oz fruit punch, while I had a 22 oz Buzzing Benny, which is nothing more than a chocolate and coffee milkshake. After that meal the two of us were very full.

After lunch at Ronnie’s, I smoked my last cigarette. I had told myself that after this particular pack, I would quit and try to make it stick this time. The last cigarette in the pack came and went, and I went the rest of the night without a drag. I’ve been using toothpicks whenever the urge hits me, but it hasn’t even been 24 hours yet, so I can’t tell if I’m going into withdrawal or not. So far the toothpicks have been working, and I have not yet given in to temptation.

Irene called me up at midnight this morning, and wanted to know about some unemployment papers she got after reapplying (or extending) her benefits. I confirmed that she only needed to send the checklist if the information listed was incorrect. She also asked if I sent in my tax forms for unemployment, but I had to admit to her that I did not receive such documents, and thus could not help her. I did refer her to George, though, because I believe he had received said items.

Then she asked me if I had been sleeping, and to that I responded that yes, I had been alseep since 2100 hours. She was very apologetic, because she had thought I got off of work at 2315, when I had the early shift and wanted to get a full night’s sleep for school.

As it turned out, it was all for naught. After the phone call I couldn’t go back to sleep. Everytime I tried to close my eyes, they’d pop back open again. The weather was muggy and warm, too, which made it uncomfortable. I decided to just stay up, and now my mind and body is paying for it.

It is interesting to note that when Irene called, I saw her name and number on my caller ID. As I picked up the phone, I had momentarily thought my voice would sound sleepy-like and groggy, but instead I probably had the most pleasant-sounding voice I ever had. I still must have sounded sleepy, because Irene picked up on it. And Maile has seen and heard a difference when I speak on the phone to people, depending on their gender.

Today was a blur, no doubt because of my sleep-deprivation. I do remember that in 241, after four weeks of instruction, I got one of the in-class examples correct, without help. Of course, next week’s notes will likely revert me back to square one.

In 211, I earned an audience participation point. My exact words to earn that point were, “Uh… yes.”

I went on a DVD buying spree today, which I shouldn’t have done really, since I have that truck coming in. However, I can justify these purchases by thinking that these are things I would watch over and over again. What did I get?

Forrest Gump
Joy Luck Club, The
Monsters, Inc.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth
Pulp Fiction
Reservoir Dogs
Rurouni Kenshin: Soulless Knights
Rurouni Kenshin: A Shinobi’s Love
Tenchi the Movie 2

Actually, Pulp Fiction and Soulless Knights I bought a couple days ago, but I thought to put them in here since it’s still so new and all.

I must remember to also buy The End of Evangelion, the so-called “sad” ending of the series. Death and Rebirth is merely an elaborated end in the series, sort of like a drawn-out and detailed rendition of what was shown on TV. End of Evangelion is supposed to be released on the 24th, so I’ll be waiting for that eagerly.

Tonight’s an early night; gotta wake up and get to school, where I’ll no doubt fuzzy my brain with gobble

We’re still learning probability in 241. I understand the concept, but when presented with a problem I have trouble figuring out the different details and what’s expected of me. I suppose this is the same as how some people can’t stand word problems; perhaps it’s a failure to understand and notate the different variables.

In 211 we’re going to convert our big programming assignment into an Applet, and run it off the web. I already started trying out the code, but the GUI isn’t what I thought it would look like. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m forgetting something, or some of my parameters are off. For example, I wanted a text field that was 80 characters long, flanked by a label and a button. Instead I got a big label, text field of 20 characters long, and a big button. Perhaps in class Thursday we’ll find out how to adjust these things. We still haven’t learned how to make the buttons and stuff do anything; right now we’re simply designing the layout.

If the Applet thing works out, I’m going to post my JavaQuest game on my web page. Unfortunately, whoever plays it won’t be able to save their game. I can’t save it on their machine, and I sure as hell don’t want them to save it on mine! Still, it’d be an experience to do that, and I can leave it on my page for no other reason than to brag.

I took a two-hour nap, so now I’m awake. This might not be so good, because I have to wake up early and go to work for an extra day tomorrow. If I stay up late I’ll be very surly in the morning.

I first dreamt that I had my new truck, and everyone from the dental lab wanted to come down and check it out. The only problem was, they came very late at night, when we were asleep. I woke up to show them the truck and give them all a ride, because I didn’t want my dad to get upset at them, and instead of being a pickup it was one of those multi-passenger trucks, lifted, with leather seats. I remember trying to drive it and I was having a hard time because the steering wouldn’t respond and the suspension was just too loose. Suddenly I became embarrassed because these were Maile’s friends and co-workers, and here I was making a fool of myself for getting a truck and not being able to handle it. At the same time I was getting upset at her co-workers because they kept wanting me to drive like an off-road maniac, going down dirt paths and bumps and rises. I felt the truck go off-balance and tip over, rolling end over end until it crashed against a hill. I asked if everyone was okay, and nobody responded. Then I found myself in a prison of sorts, except I was a third-person amorphous entity that was just watching. Each cell was made of concrete stone slabs with a single window, and I was visiting each one in turn and looking at its occupants. I heard a voice saying that these criminals were those that could not function properly in society, and so were condemned here for the rest of their immortal lives. The word immortal stood out, and I realized that this was an elven community, and these criminals were spending eternity locked up in cold dark cells. The voice that was speaking was one of the jailers, who was checking each cell to make sure the criminals were behaving properly. In one cell, a bunch of criminals were talking to one guard, and when the jailer checked on that cell, he asked what the guard was doing inside. There was a brief conversation, and then guard left the cell. As the two walked away, the leader of that cell’s occupants reached forward, and plucked the door key that was still inside the lock, courtesy of the guard. Then the elven criminals turned into these jelly-like, blob-shaped aliens, armed with devastating weapons. They broke out of the cells (for there were more than a few) and unleashed havoc upon the elves. I watched and moved among them as they rounded up elves and tortured, maimed and killed them all. Then I began to control the actions of one person in particular, a woman with the powers of Superman, who was busy finding stragglers and hiders. Here it turned into a roleplaying session, as I would speak the moves she would make, the words she would say, where she would go, and the woman would act it out as though I were directing a show. There was one straggler left, and he put up some resistance, and here it seemed like he wasn’t “playing by the rules” because he kept ignoring the fact that the woman had Superman powers and he was just ordinary. Yet I couldn’t do anything about his uncooperation because the game just continued. I (controlling the woman) chased the straggler around the complex, and he led me to a strange room, a training room, where he had summoned the real Superman, and I thought o shit I’m dead. I had the woman retreat full speed out of there, and Superman flew after her, just as fast down the corridors. I remember the anxiety of the chase, and thinking that the alarm should be sounded so that Superman can play with all those aliens instead of beating me up. The alarm did sound, and while Superman was distracted, I had the woman go to an area I (we) had visited earlier, which was the “end of the level.” The woman grabbed two magazines and entered into the next area, but she had to hide the magazines somewhere for later retrieval. Inside the women’s restroom, I checked various places where she could hide it, and also remember where she hid it. There was a noise outside, and I thought crap Superman and his cronies have entered this area and are going to begin a search and they’re going to find us and I’m going to be in trouble. I tried to open a locker as quietly as possible, and when I got it opened I saw that it was just a door leading to nowhere, only a blank wall with metal-like pipes. And no place to hide magazines.

I found out a few things one should know about new cars, particularly the break-in period. It’s good information to know. I learned that for the first thousand miles, I should take it easy, don’t speed or otherwise overwork the engine. And as soon as the thousand-mile mark is reached, I should change the oil. There was some talk about the purchase of a car cover, where to go, how much it would be. Then there came the topic of spraying the belts and hoses with silicone. It’s supposed to prolong the life of said parts, and it’s supposed to be very simple to do. Min recommended I spray a cloth first then wipe down the parts, as silicone may get all over everything if sprayed directly, and it attracts dirt. That got us into the topic of washing cars, and since I will be getting a black car, I’m going to have to be diligent in its appearance. Since I’m going to be training my discipline for quitting smoking, I think it may be possible for me to use that discipline for my car.

I think I’m going to change my own oil from now on, simply because I want to have a hand in my car’s care. I really should start becoming more responsible as far as maintenance, of course only limiting myself to those areas that I can handle. But I think it would be good practice for when I start to have a family of my own.

Now if I could only do that for cooking…

I woke up and my body felt like it was sunk halfway into the bed. My arms and legs were inert and I doubt they would have responded had I wished them to. It was the best feeling I’ve ever had upon waking up, and it made me go back to sleep for another hour and a half. Perhaps my body was completely relaxed, and if that’s the case, I want it to happen again.

George had a date this evening with two people he met while at work. Depending on their mood, they either went to Duke’s for a bite to eat, or maybe TGIFridays. I’ll get an opportunity to ask him on Wednesday.

Went over to Maile’s house after work, and it was time well-spent. Even though to others it would look like we weren’t doing anything, simply being there was important. A part of me misses the old days where I could spend most of the week with her. Yet there’s another part of me that thinks this haphazard schedule may prove a blessing in disguise, since by seeing less it makes each moment all the more special.

I have to get to bed early, so I can wake up in time for my hair cut appointment. I’m going to go for the buzz-look again.

I bought my truck today! I got a great deal, and all the options I wanted, and everything fits into my budget. It’ll take at least a month or so before the truck gets here, as it’s the new 2003 model. Toyota City is going to call me when the truck arrives, and at that point I will bring my current car in for appraisal towards the trade-in. After that it’ll take perhaps a week to install the dealer options, and then I get to take it home. I must remember to fix that air conditioner compressor before the truck gets here, otherwise that will really lower the trade-in amount. Once that truck is mine, I need to make arrangements for some window tint, dash cover, and a car cover. I’m not sure where I can look to get a car cover, especially one made for a truck, but I’m certain there’s somebody out there who can tell me, or at least point me in the right direction.

I made the decision to try and quit smoking. There’s news that beginning in October, the price will go up by $1. That means it’ll cost at least $5.75 for a pack, and that’s usually at the local mom-and-pop liquor stores. Department/convenience stores will probably see a 10 to 25 cent markup. If that’s not bad enough, this is only the first phase of the cigarette tax. The plan is to hike the price of tobacco up to $8 a pack. If that’s not incentive to quit smoking, the deprecation of health certainly is. Maile, George and I all plan to try and help each other quit, which I think will be a really big boost in confidence and willpower. By supporting each other, hopefully we’ll be able to resist the urges of lighting up whenever we feel like it.

One of the problems I seem to have with cigarettes is that smoking seems to be part of my daily routine. On average, I smoke a cigarette on my way to work, one right before work, one during a “bathroom break,” three on my normal break, and one on my way home from work. Add to that a smoke or two at home, and I’m close to half a pack per day. Perhaps that’s not as bad as many of the horror stories about 3-4 packs a day, but in my eyes (or lungs, as the case may be), it’s still not healthy.

On a related note, I made an observation that, while many non-smokers see smokers as being rude and obnoxious people, it seems a vast majority of smokers are very VERY polite to one another. I’m sure this isn’t always the case, but I’ve heard and experienced moments where someone will approach a smoker and ask to bum a cigarette. Very rarely will that smoker refuse. There’s also occasions where someone will have trouble lighting up their cigarette, and I’ll walk over and offer my lighter. This smoker is a complete stranger, someone I’ve never met before and I’ll probably never see again, but there I am lighting up their cancer stick. It’s almost strange enough to make you think that if every single person in the world smoked, we’d have world peace! We’d feel kinship with one another regardless of race or religion, because we’re all in the same boat of taking that big drag of nicotine. I can imagine someone from the al-Qaeda smoking a cigarette, when an American GI comes up and asks to bum one, or borrow a lighter.

“Sure, friend!” the al-Qaeda will say.
“Thanks, man,” the GI will say. “Hey, where’s an ashtray around here?”
The al-Qaeda will answer, “It’s a fuckin’ desert; throw it anywhere!”

“Imagine all the people.. sharing a drag or threeee oo hoo oo oo o..”

I was at my house, but it was different that what it is in real life. The house was bigger, and there were more people. I remember wandering through the house, visiting all the rooms, and I somehow ended up outside a large convention center. I walked in through the loading zone, and found myself smack dab in the middle of the Kidz Bop television concert. These kids were doing little routines, singing along to the top hits. I left before I would be trapped and/or ruin that concert, and I came across Maile walking Titan. For some unknown reason, Maile was very upset with me (even though Titan was very happy to see me), and I tried to find out what had happened, what I did that caused her to be mad at me. Then a lady came up and took me by the arm, leading me somewhere because it was my turn. I was back at the convention hall where this time a game show was going on. The lady told me that I was next, so I should be ready. The contestant in front of me had to pilot a simulation helicopter while drinking a cup of water. He didn’t win, but he got a consolation prize. Then it was my turn, and I didn’t know what my task was to be. As they were announcing it, the lady informed me that my prize would be going to Tim Dilessio, the evil VP of duty free, because I work for him. That got me very upset, and I became very rude to everybody involved with the game show. When my task was announced, I discovered that it was called Manhunt, and the show staff were going to try and hunt me down before I made it to a safe zone. I had never heard of this game, nor did I know how to “play” it, but IL found myself outside in my garage and all the cars were gone. It was nighttime, and the show was still playing inside the house. Another lady walked up to me and asked, “Any university?” to which I replied, “yes.” She yelled out “Any university!” back to the house, letting them know that I had chosen as my safe zone any university campus. I immediately took off running down the street, where it was surprisingly crowded with people. I found myself slowing down so as not to draw suspicion, and I remember being in a group of Y—– Giants baseball players. They were local, but they were complaining to me how Japanese always confused them with the Yomiuri Giants, as if they were an expansion team that played in Hawaii. I kept up a pleasant conversation with them, even though I could hear the helicopters in the background and I knew those copters were coming for me. I found myself in town, and it was daylight, and the streets were crowded, and all the time I could hear those helicopters. I knew that I was close to a university campus, because I had visited that campus some time ago and recognized the area. Before I could cross the street, I heard the helicopter coming in low, so I ducked behind a tree even though my body was screaming for me to cross the street running. I knew that if I started to cross, they would see me and it’d be over. As I hid behind the tree, I peeked out and saw that there were actually two helicopters, and they started to land to unload the “search team,” these people in jeans and brown t-shirts who were assigned to capture me. I started to take a roundabout path towards the university campus, but it seemed as though no matter where I went, those man hunters were always around, even though they couldn’t see me. I managed to summon up my courage, and wait for them to pass before “following them” and blending into the crowd. At least, that was my plan, but I don’t know how it turned out as the dream ended.