Day 5: A picture of your favorite memory

I think it almost impossible to pick just one favorite memory. But, this one is by far a contender.

This was taken at the end of August 2006. Erinn and I are at the Arco Arena seeing Taking Back Sunday, Angels and Airwaves, Head Automatica and The Subways. This is not how the day started out.

I had planned on going to see this concert with my friend Nikki. I offered to give her a ride to the concert since I was going to be in Sacramento that day to drop off my buddy Curtis at the airport. Well, some wires got crossed and Nikki's cell didn't ring, so when we showed up at her house, no one was there. Majorly bummed, I convinced my mom to buy Erinn a ticket so we could still go to the concert.

As it was, Erinn had this guy from Stockton up to visit here. It turned out she found him kind of boring and odd and was generally not enjoying having him around. So this was also an opportunity for her to send him on his way home by saying that we were going to drop him off at the bus station (I know, we weren't the nicest about this kid. I still feel bad about it).

After all the hustling, we barely made it to the airport in time to drop off Curtis. After we said our good-byes, we dropped off the other kid at the bus station (which was honestly one of the most ghetto places I've ever seen). We checked into our motel and got dressed for our concert. My mom, who was after a series of stressful things and bratty behavior, on her last nerve so she had us take a cab to the arena about three to four hours before the concert started

We get in the cab, which the air conditioning vents have been gutted out of, and our driver starts saying some weird and random things--mainly: "Figure out what you wanna do with your life." This should have been an indicator of what kind of ride it was going to be, but I just smiled and laughed like "WTF?" It was at this point that we realized he was on his cell phone and was not talking to us.

As we began speeding down the high way (literally speeding--like 80+ speeding in a rickety cab with no air conditioning), he began to yell louder and louder as we drove along. It became apparent that he was breaking up with his girlfriend when he said, "Bitch--Imma do me and you-a do you." When he hung up, I distinctly remember exhaling. He then proceeded to tell us things like, "Bitch was getting possessive" and "One woman just ain't enough. I got me three. One woman JUST AIN'T ENOUGH! You know what I mean?" After which he called his other girlfriends to fight with them too.

We didn't know what he meant.

Against all odds, we made it there alive. I gave him 40 dollars because I didn't want to ask him for change. As it was, he dropped us off about a mile from the actual arena so we had to walk the rest of the way. It was literally 112 degrees out that day, so by the time we got there, we were drenched in sweat and dehydrated. We proceeded to sit in the line for like 2 hours in the sun. I could feel myself baking. When we finally got into the air conditioning, it was one of the most refreshing feeling I have ever experienced to this day.

This is when we took this picture. After nearly dying of dehydration and heat stroke and having a mildly terrifying experience. This is one of my favorite memories because a) my best friends was there to witness it and b) as awful as it was, I still remember laughing like a banshee as we waited in line when I thought about what I was gonna do with my life

Day 4: A picture of your favorite night

If you couldn't tell, this was taken at Pier 39 in San Francisco. What you obviously can't tell is that this was taken in January of 2007 and that prior to snapping the picture I was doing a very fancy dance which, at the time, Ryan still found "cute." Ah, the innocence of youth. Anyway, we were in San Francisco that day because that Christmas I had received a lot of concert tickets as a gift from my mom. On this occasion, we were going to see Fall Out Boy.

That meant a lot in 2007, because Fall Out Boy had just become ridiculously popular due to "From Under the Cork Tree" and "Infinity on High." I was quite excited because I had liked FOB for a long time before this and I had never been able to see them live before.

We went to SF early that day and played around at the Pier for a while. We tried on silly hats and watched the sea lions roll around like big blubber balls. We took this one picture right as we were leaving.

We got in the car and promptly got lost for the next two hours. We called everyone we knew trying to figure out where the hell we were and how to get back to Market Street. Finally, we found the venue at about 8:30pm. We made it just in time to see New Found Glory and then Fall Out Boy. Our seats were in the very last row in the highest level of seating. The guy next to me kept yelling "Fuck me, Pete Wentz!"

It was probably one of the funnest concerts I've ever been to.

Day 3: A picture of the cast from your favorite show

True Blood

True Blood is not exactly the most high brow piece about vampires to ever be created, but I must admit it is the most entertaining. Plus, it is gratuitously sexy and violent. Basically everything I look for in a television show.

Also, Alexander Skarsgard (there is nothing else I really need to say).

Here are the close contenders for my favorite shows (it was very hard for me to pick).

Bleach

Bleach is one of my favorite animes. It's like an adult version of Dragon Ball Z except it doesn't suck.

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood

I seriously doubt many of you know this version of the show (or the other one for that matter), but it is so much better than the original FMA (which was awesome in so many ways). It's mature yet light hearted with a lot more brutality and depth than the first anime. I think everyone should check it out.

Yes. I do watch a lot of cartoons (sometimes in Japanese). I blame the schools.

Day 2: A picture of you and the person you have been close with the longest.

Technically this is a picture of the two people I have been the closest with the longest. Here is some information about both of them.

Erinn

• We met in the second grade in the lunch line. When I heard her name on the roll list, I thought she was a boy because at the time I didn't know any female Erinn's (or Aaron as I thought it was). We shared animals crackers. We were then inseparable for a long stint of time (second grade through high school--like 10 or something years). We live in different places now, so we don't see each other as often as we'd like. However, when we are in the same place we still hang out like we did when we were little (minus the jump roping, four square, and accelerated reader program). I would say she is my best friend, but that is incorrect; she is more like the sister I never knew I wanted.

Ryan

• I'm quite sure that he hates this picture, but whatever. When I first met Ryan, at the Grudge 2 (which was terrible), I knew instantly that "he (was) going to make waves in my life." (I really though exactly that).He has, in so many ways. I wake up next to him everyday and it makes me stupid happy. Some days, when I look at him, I hear this song in my head (and just to be clear, I really am not a Justin Bieber fan; Ryan likely doesn't even know who Justin Bieber is).

• Mostly this song though. This was playing when I first realized I lesbians him.

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 1

An homage to fads.

I have been noticing on facebook lately that a lot of people keep posting pictures with labels like "Day 3" and some enticing description about their picture that makes me click on it. I normally don't like being one of those people who upload like 60 pictures a day and begging people to comment on them (omg, I'm SOOOOO bored. Leave me some commentz ftw), but I looked into this 30 Day Picture Challenge thingy and it doesn't sound so terrible. However, I have to admit I have a mild touch of facebook fever (if you don't know what this is please see: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=facebook+fever. It is a real affliction.) so I have decided to post my pictures and their subsequent stories on here. So yeah, here is the beginning of my 30 Day Photo Challenge.

Day 1: A picture of yourself with fifteen facts.

1. I have an unhealthy relationship with cats. Not in an a disturbing sexual way. More like I think about cats a lot, hang out with cats a lot, find every cat video on youtube hilarious regardless of comedy content, have lolcats.com on my most visited websites list...you get the idea.
2. I say "I know" when I actually don't; I have tried very hard to stop it, but have thus far made no progress.
3. I consider changing my major from biology to chemistry everyday and then talk myself out of it when I think about the misery I would endure by having to take more math. I really don't think my sanity could handle it.
4. My favorite play is Hamlet. Yes, I am aware of the incredible lameness of this fact, but I cannot help myself.
5. In middle school, I was what could be considered "hopeless" when it came to dressing and doing my hair. We're talking seriously bad. I think I have destroyed the majority of the pictures of myself from the 6th grade because they make me unspeakably embarrassed.
6. I spend the majority of my time avoiding work until the little things I have to do pile up. I then spend two whole days doing them while I bitch about how "I don't have time for this!"
7. If I had to, I am quite sure that I could survive entirely on flaming hot cheetos and avocado and cheese omelettes.
8. I am addicted to Words with Friends.
9. I would like to go to Cosplay one year with an awesome homemade costume so I can be queen of the nerds.
10. I would like to learn how to sew so I can one day make my own wedding dress. People continually tell me this is a horrible idea.
11. Whenever I have to speak with one of my professors in a one on one situation I become inexplicably nervous and begin babbling like a moron. This has led my calculus teacher to perceive me as "dingie." He no longer calls on me in class since our odd encounter.
12. I make jokes nobody except me gets.
13. It takes me forever to tell a story in person. I feel this is why the majority of my friends text me rather than call or email me. I really do need a 150 character limit.
14. I love science fiction movies and books because I have always wanted to go into space. Not like as an astronaut, but like a cool future person who visits Mars on the weekend or pilots space freighters. That's right--space freighters.
15. I like almost every genre of music, especially metal and progressive rock, except for country.

<3

It has been exactly one month since my last blog post. I know, I am extremely neglectful of this poor little blog. Especially considering that in the month since I have last posted, I have done approximately nothing (unless you count watching Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood as something productive, which, sadly, society doesn't).

I'm so lazy I barely have the motivation to wash my clothes. I still haven't gotten around to it for this week (and it is Wednesday). I keep rationalizing my laziness by telling myself "How will anyone know if it's dirty if there are no stain and it doesn't smell? Really, I'm conserving water. I should be given some sort of recognition for being so eco-friendly."

Showers have also become a taxing labor, as I have to choose every morning between sleeping an extra 30 minutes or washing my hair. We all know that college students need more naps than toddlers, so I almost always want the extra 30 minutes. Being female, however, makes it extremely ridiculously hard for me to not wash my hair everyday. It is a good thing I don't have any dry shampoo. If I did, it is entirely possible that I would bathe only when people started avoiding me.

If you didn't know, school has started again for me and, just like last semester, I find myself feeling more and more zombified every day. All I want to do is eat flaming hot Cheeto's and sleep (also not considered productive). I have many things to say about the semester thus far, but I don't have the energy for that right now.

Tangent in 5....4....3...2...1!

I have to laugh at this, mainly so I don't feel any more moronic than I already do. On Friday, I have to wake up at 5 am (it exists?!) so I can get to Calculus by 8:30. First off, why would anyone in the history of academics think putting a class so early in the morning could possibly lead to anything good? Anyway, I stumble out to my car around 5:15 as it takes me about three times as long to find my keys in complete darkness. It is very cold and dark outside and unnervingly quiet. I clunk across the porch and begin climbing the gentle incline up to my car. As I am about half way up the hill, there is a rustling in the bushes.

As my mind begins to do cartwheels and replay everything I know about serial killers and I feel certain death is near, a peacock emerges, walks over to me, and squawks "Heeelp" and scampers off to do whatever it is peacocks do (I do not literally mean the peacock said "Help." This is what they sound like when they squawk). I giggle to myself over my active imagination. I continue up the hill. I step in a pile of frozen leaves and instead of just going with gravity and falling forward (the direction I was walking) I decide to wrench my body around so that I fall on my stomach and slide to the bottom of the hill.

Once again, nature has proven it hates me. I am lulled into a false sense of security by the lack of a serial killer only to be defeated by a pile of frosty leaves. My road rash may be healing, but my distrust of nature will never fade.

Wish me luck at the ocean tomorrow.

O rly? You want to go this way? You better send your friends for heeeelp.

New Year's Resolution

Well, it's that darling time of year again. The one wonderous week where everyone is on their best behavior because they have made some vague promises to themselves. I believe these things are "New Year's Resolutions." They are a nice thought. I like to wave good bye to them as they inevitably fall behind me during my journey through the year. I think on them fondly, especially when I break one, always vowing to get back on track tomorrow.

In the spirit of the season, I've decided to take part in this New Year tradition. Below is a list of my resolutions for 2011. See if we share any; maybe we can keep each other on track, or, at the very least, put the off until tomorrow with each other until December 31st.

Allie's Resolutions 2011

• To finish at least one story that I have been working on.

• To go to bed on time for school so I don't wake up feeling like I've just gone a bender and am now being forced to fill out DMV forms all day long.

• To make memories with old friends and new friends before I am too busy to have a life.

• To study o-chem for the coming year.

• To keep my new fish alive for longer the four months (miss you, Oro. I am sorry I killed you)

• To relax a little more and enjoy the little things without worrying about being on schedule

These are all I can think of right now. I'm congested and have cold brain, so thinking is extremely difficult today anyway. Wish us both luck on keeping our resolutions. Let's have a classy 2011.