Fear the Crab

I went to bed at 2100 hours, but I kept waking up. The first time I woke up was an hour later, then again about an hour after that. Now it’s midnight and I’m awake again. I don’t know if it’s because I have something on my mind (like my upcoming exams) or something else all together. I had a few dreams in the meantime, but at this point of waking and sleeping, I’ve forgotten them all. I just hope this doesn’t affect me later on in the day.

Irene mentioned that she’s never been in a Corolla with power anything. I gave her a ride to her training class because I was off work and heading home, and she had to head out at the same time to attend. She also mentioned something about my car smelling good, but that’s only because her brother’s Corolla smelling like “a gym locker.” She must lead a very sheltered life, to not have experienced a ride in a Corolla before. Of course, she’s normally been exposed only to Hondas.

I may get a chance to deliver some dinner to Maile tomorrow. She mentioned that she was going to stay on campus to study because she has an exam coming up. Normally during her break she goes home to eat, since it’s only 5 minutes away. I asked her what she wanted, and as of now she wants a burger, maybe something from McDonald’s. I’m thinking that whatever she gets, I’ll get one, too, and maybe we’ll eat together.

My parents leave for CA Wednesday, to visit my brother. That means I’ll have the entire house to myself until the following Monday. It doesn’t mean that I’ll be able to have parties or whatnot, since most of my time will be spent at school or work. It also means that I’ll have to find my own food, but that shouldn’t be a problem.

I had a nightmare about my truck. I dreamt that it finally came in, but when it did, everyone, including the sales manager and my parents, thought it wasn’t a very good truck at all. I had gone to Toyota City to have my trade-in appraised, and while I was there, the sales manager took me to where they were servicing the truck. I asked where I was supposed to drive my trade-in, and he told me to just leave it somewhere and he’d find it. I though that answer was rather strange, and wanted to get more information out of him, but he went into a building and grabbed some material of different colors. We went across the street, and my parents were in the service area looking over the design specs of the truck. That was when they all started to say aloud that it wasn’t a very good truck at all.

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 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 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..”

These customers were all leaving either tomorrow or the day after, so they decided to do all their shopping while they still had a chance. It kept me occupied enough that I didn’t get bored.

Maile told me her brother got some paternity papers from the state. It seems the woman he’s involved with has a long history of child neglect, abuse, and outright uncool stuff. It seems the woman has borne a plethora of kids, and all of them have been taken away. The state wants Keoni to take a paternity test to see if the child is really his (because neither he nor the woman are really that sure), and if so, whether he will take the baby or give it up to foster care. If the child does turn out to be his, I don’t really see him being able to take care of it, so it’s likely that kid will go to the state.

Maile also told me that Keoni knew about the woman’s history with kids, and even told a social worker to “check on her” because of her record. Perhaps he did it out of spite, but it’s possible that he did it out of actual concern for the child. I guess every person has their moment, and I’d really like to think that Keoni still retains some decency. It’s not healthy for me to continue thinking of him in ill-respect, if that makes sense. I’d rather consider (and treat) him as a human being, not some worthless fubar wasting precious air.

Today was Janet’s last day at Sports Authority, and I’m happy for her. It seems she’s having some trouble with her unemployment, though, as there are a few requirements of her that make no sense to the rest of us. She wants to collect partial unemployment, but the office is telling her that she needs to look for another full-time job.

Hopefully Janet’s situation can be resolved before her trip abroad. I asked her if she could buy me a bottle of Armani Gio and Johnnie Walker Blue Label. I’d give her the money, of course.

Tomorrow I go down to Toyota City and talk the talk with Bob. I hope to get a good deal on the truck I want. Armed with the MSRP as well as the actual invoice price, that knowledge may provide me with a bit of leverage when determining the final tally.

Work was pleasant enough, though I was in the duty free section by myself. Thankfully George was also working, so it meant I had someone to converse with. Work itself was slow, with few people wandering about the section. Duty Paid saw a little more action, especially with that Fuller convention still on the premises. I think I sold things to maybe four customers total for my entire shift.

I made an “appointment” to see a sales manager at Toyota City for Wednesday. My intent is to get a price list of the Tacoma and all the options I want, and see if it jives with what I’ve gotten from the web site. I also intend to ask if Toyota City offers services like tinting and alarms, because I may as well get it done through them (factory-installed, as it would be) rather than wait until a third party can do it. This way, too, I shouldn’t have as big a headache if it turns out to be illegal (ie tinting).

The only problem, though, is that it seems Toyota City has only the regular cab Tacomas on hand. This information has not been confirmed, but it is enough to indicate that I may have to wait longer to get the truck I want. I don’t know if they’d have to ship it from another dealer on the mainland, or order it from the factory. Whichever is the case, I may as well go for the 2003 model.

It was boring at work. There was nobody to talk to and I actually had to help customers. To top it all off, the big group that’s staying at the hotel are from Puerto Rico and Mexico, and they only speak Spanish. I think the group guides can speak English, but that’s a ratio of maybe one to one hundred. I’m actually looking forward to going to school on Tuesday.

Not much else went on today. I did finally decide on which truck I wanted to get, and that is the Tacoma. Both the Frontier and Tacoma had strong points and some weak points, but overall it seems the Tacoma is better suited for what I want to do. Sure, the Frontier is supposed to handle better on the highway, but the interior is said to be uncomfortable. However, what ultimately was the deciding factor was which car certain other people really liked. Now it is simply a matter of heading down to Toyota City and talking with the staff. Of course, there could be all sorts of problems that may occur while I’m down there, but at least the decision-making process is done, and now I can get down to other serious business.

Today was a normal day at school, except for the fact that I found out the Legislature has cut the budget for the ICS department, meaning that there will be less professors and less classes for me to take. Considering the amount of students already in the program (and likely entering the program in the future), the chances aren’t looking good for me to get into a class. Compound that with the fact that I register last, and there’s a problem. I won’t know the full extent of this problem until next semester, though.

Feeling particularly tired, likely due to the constant early rises I’ve had to endure these past two weeks. Four to six hours of sleep aren’t enough to someone used to a full eight. At least today I cut back on the coffee and instead loaded up on energy via orange juice and breakfast food from the school cafeteria. Their scrambled eggs were very fluffy and delicious, and of course a breakfast meal can’t be complete without fried rice, portuguese sausage and spam.

Narrowed my choices down to either the Toyota Tacoma or the Nissan Frontier. Both are comparable in terms of quality and maintenance, with some differences in power and handling. I think it will eventually boil down to how much all those extra options will raise the price. Now the research turns to finding out those facts.