Allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.

I went climbing the other day with Jordan and Tania. It was a pretty pathetic attempt. I'd get ten feet up in the air and then ask to be let down. This sucks, because the first time I went I actually got up a lot higher before I couldn't figure out any other way to get up. This time I let fear get the best of me. If I ever go again I'd like to try the auto-belays. And maybe I'll actually get halfway up before I freak out! Tania's already taken it up as a hobby, which is good because she's actually starting to overcome her total and complete fear of heights. She wouldn't climb the first time I went, and she cried during her first time. Then of course she went again and Jordan wouldn't let her down, so she made it all the way to the top, some 30 or 40 feet. Now every time she climbs she gets all determined and generally won't come down until she touches the roof. My little sis is braver than me...

Meanwhile, I saw Prince Caspian: The Chronicles of Narnia (or is it the other way 'round?) and loved it. Dry humor and awesome battle scenes, it definitely made my day. It was much more interesting and fun than the first one, which I don't ever want to see again. This one however, I'd actually go see it again if ticket prices weren't so fucking expensive where I live. We finally had a new theatre open up, but it looks like prices will stay the same. I reserve the right to bitch about this later. And I don't qualify for a military ID anymore, so no more military discounts. :(

(More importantly, my mom is worried that if I don't stay a full-time student I'll end up with no medical insurance. It looks like my parents are switching theirs, as the cost of the insurance she got through work went up.)

So the Presidential Award that my mom won for her hard work at Sallie Mae came with a $5,000 prize. Since my parents are pretty well off and aren't worried about bills or school payments being met, they decided to use the money in ways that'll make life a little nicer for them. My mom's creating an at-home office out of my old bedroom (I now sleep in the guest room or share a bed with Tania, which is fine since I don't really live there anymore.), so dad built some new cabinets for her books and files and stuff and they bought a new desktop to put in there. It's an amazing new toy, which is why I'm still up typing a long lj entry. The screen is the widest I've ever seen in a desktop, and they bought a webcam to see family members in Peru with, as well as a nice printer. The only thing that keeps this room from being perfect is BOOKS and a coffeemaker. Jordan set the thing up, got a wireless adapter and all that, and Tania downloaded AIM, MSN and iTunes for mom, got her a hotmail account so she can separate her work and personal email, and basically showed mom how to use these things. Papi went to watch tv and eat.

They also bought a large plasma tv, and mom's thinking of getting a new couch for the living room and getting rid of the old one. Oh, and dad's thinking of retiring by the end of the year and then working part-time. Which he's been planning for a while, and they've got other ideas in the air. It's weird to be entering the phase when your parents, or dad, retire and shoot ideas at you...

On a totally unimportant (to everyone else) note, I finished re-reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! I now totally remember the plot, and can't wait to start the seventh book tomorrow!!!

Microsoft Word 2007 is the dumbest thing I have ever seen.

When I went to the dermatologist during spring break I was given three different lotions and some pills for my skin; I was given two types of one lotion (cream and ointment to put on twice a day), another one's strength was upped for me, the third I'm supposed to consider emergency lotion that I'm not supposed to use more than three weeks at a time, I was told to take two pills a night instead of one, and I was supposed to keep using normal body and hand lotions.

Well, now my skin is much better than it was. Not only that, it's incredibly smooth, soft and silky. It's like baby skin. It's disgustingly soft. I keep rubbing my neck and shoulder in complete shock. Someone want to come feel me?

It amuses me that when Omar comes over the three of us end up having debates over whether he's criticizing our use of toilet paper. Marlene and I were yelling down the stairs at him, trying to educate him about the difference between observation and criticism and he was yelling, "Fuck you guys!" with his pants down (because for some reason when we criticize him he takes his clothes off).

I may hate the responsibilities of school, but when everyone is graduated and gone away with jobs I will remember arguing about toilet paper.

And yelling at Omar for not knowing the correct street name to pick me up from when I've given him the wrong one.


I walked all the way to the polling place at my precinct today. I was late and had to wait in line for about two hours. I really dislike the way voting is set up in Texas. Just because it's damn inconvenient.

And I need more coffee.

I had never been so wired before tonight. I started the night sleepy and ready to just fall asleep rather than get anything done (why I'm always tired I don't know). But luckily Quanzi came over, made coffee, then Omar came over, I drank loads of that coffee, and I got shit DONE. It was like I was suddenly absorbing four sentences at a time while I jiggled my leg repeatedly. I should just make coffee every night. I'll have to do it again tomorrow night anyway, since I need to study for Thursday's Human Sexuality midterm.

I'm so glad that I'm in at least a few classes that provide reading I enjoy. Even so, Omar and I discussed how it seems that the bachelor's degree has become the new high school degree (worth nothing), and it seems likely that I will have to attend graduate school to be competitive in the publishing industry. This kills me, since school is already killing me. More of this crap will make me feel like a soulless automaton. Enough pressure already, let me just live my life! Why do I need to spend half of it just preparing for it, with everybody telling me their different ideas of what I need to do, criticizing what I do decide to do (or not do) and making me feel like one misstep will lead to total oblivion (I know that's not true, but it feels that way sometimes), unhappiness or poverty?

Bah.

I would like my life to at least turn out interesting, so I'm not bored to tears half the time.

I need sleep. I have a nine o'clock class. I will drink coffee beforehand and take killer notes. Then I will vote. Go to my Gay and Lesbian Lit. class and maybe stop by that professor's office to say hi. Then I will go home, check out Metropolis, study, and the next day I will die (fall asleep for hours).

Good night. Maybe I'll write again soon instead of going for months not posting. That would be nice.

While on vacation in Peru with lots of great family, I came back resolved to not fuck up again. I would start again, go back to being the old me and raise my GPA. I was going to be proud of myself again.

Now it's too soon to say I've done all that, but this semester seems to be going well so far. While I don't love all my classes, I do enjoy them more (and I tolerate the ones that aren't badass), and I'm interested in the subject matter of almost all of them (does Nutrition ever REALLY hold anyone's attention?). They've got me wanting to learn more about them, and though I have a lot of reading to do I'm definitely liking the reading.

The reading is kind of the point of this post. The books I'm reading now are easier for me to relate to, and they're about specific communities I'm a part of. While I read them I think, "This is literature, this is what literature is supposed to do. This is what I want to do, what I want to contribute to." I find myself writing notes all over the pages (maybe too many) and dog-earing parts in case I want to refer to them during class or write about them in a paper at some point. These books feel like they're mine, in a kind of intense way, and my mind feels more active and awake while I try to read between the lines and find the symbolism/themes/meanings/messages. These books are so human, and remind me of why being an English major made sense when I chose it.

(The only book I'm not really connecting to yet is Catch-22, and for that reason I'm still on chapter eight or something.)

I just hope this continues for the rest of the semester. And translates into grades.

I remember wanting to write things like this.

So I'm finally trying to write in this thing again.

I'm back home, and I'm going to Peru on Sunday for three weeks. For those of you still in Austin, sorry I didn't spend one last night with you or anything. I wanted to, but I ended up being lame and holing up in my room until it was suddenly time to pack. I will be sending you messages while I'm gone though, because I do still care. Omar, Brandon: when I get back we will absolutely spend our first weekend either going to Halcyon or breaking out liquor. I will have nothing to stress out about then, and I still need it. Sorry for using you guys as sounding boards or punching bags for the past month and a half over my pathetic version of self-destruction. It is now behind me and won't be happening again anytime soon. I refuse to be that self-indulgent again. If I ever decide to get self-destructive again, I promise to make it more spectacular, dramatic and fun to watch. It'll be like a Lifetime movie in real life! With better writing! (Only that won't really happen because I've just promised myself it won't.) But thanks to both of you for being so helpful and reassuring. And tactful. I will call you both tomorrow, because I have an update on it all. I had a conversation with my mother. It went surprisingly well.

Marlene: Sorry I've spent so much time in my room instead of watching musicals and eating takeout with you. Of course, I'm assuming you wanted to do that anyway. I've been a neglectful roommate. Anyway, if I left the fridge open when I left, sorry, I really thought I had closed that. I was trying to throw out all of my stuff that'll spoil. I left the eggs there for you to use though, I don't know when you're leaving, but in case you want to make more cookies or scrambled eggs or something... Also, Jordan and Tania had a few of those cookies with fillings that you made. I hope you don't mind, Jordan was a little low on sugar (diabetic). Just to let you know, Tania was raving about how delicious those things were. Also, I did throw away one tupper because it was stuck with food that was going to spoil soon. Tania and I couldn't open it, so I'll give you a few dollars when I get back. I will also try to either replace that charger or get you the money for it. I also feel like I owe you money for something else... do I? I don't remember... Send me a comment, was it for the pizza? I want to stay one of your less annoying roommates.

Okay, so the semester is pretty much over for me. I don't want to think about it. I want to put it behind me, move on, start over, and never let it happen again. I've done well in school until this semester, and I intend to go back to being that Sofi. Even if I've totally skewered my GPA.

I go to Lima, Peru on Sunday. My family's putting off Christmas until we come back, which is in three weeks. I'm relieved to be home. It's comforting to talk to my mom and my sister again.

I hope I still graduate in 2008. I still want to get the hell out of school.

I can't help but love the euphoric ending to Hairspray. It kicks so much ass.

It's been forever since I updated. I apologize. I am alive, but I'm clearly being lazy.

I got back from London about a week ago. It's nice to be home and not have my days jam packed with work and travel and exploration and especially classes. I do miss it though, just a bit. I miss the house I lived in and all the other kids I shared it with. Well, I didn't get close to some of them, so I don't exactly miss them so much as I miss the sense of activity. Although there are a few people that I miss. I don't miss the room that I had, as it was four girls in one room and was the most incredibly messy and disgusting room ever. And I miss aspects of London itself. It was a fun trip and I don't regret it, it'd be cool to go back sometime.

But now I'm a state of being almost comatose. I'm so tired and I'm still recovering from so much fun and work. I just kind of walk around the house now, listening to music, getting on the internet and watching movies/tv. I still can't bring myself to contemplate moving into my apartment and starting school in just a few weeks. It seems unreal and I want to put off real life for as long as possible. I should be adding a class but I have yet to go on the college website. I should be contemplating grad school and deciding whether I should do it or not (or even whether I would get accepted at all or not), but the idea frightens me so much I run away screaming. I should be looking for work and haven't.

Oh god, too much "should be's" and I'm not doing anything useful. My productive days were over the last day of work. I miss work. I miss my coworkers and reading manuscripts.

On the bright side, the planes themselves were awesome. It's been a long time since I've flown internationally and they're so much more entertaining now. It's fun instead of painful now. For the most part. I got to watch an episode of Happy Days! And I haven't seen that show in years, it's my favorite oldies show so I nearly bounced in my chair. The old ladies next to me must've thought I was crazy.

But it got me in such a mood to watch Happy Days that I crawled all through youtube looking for clips of it, and only after I looked through those websites that have shows for free (the bastards didn't have it). I got tired of not finding enough, so I went and bought the second season on DVD. The store didn't have the first season, but I plan to look for it, and when the third season comes out in November, guess who's buying it? ME!!! Yes, I'm a nerd, but I miss that show so much. But I'm sticking to the seasons before Richie left. I love that original gang, when it was just the Cunninghams, Richie, Fonzie, Potsie and Ralph.

I just lost all my cool points, BUT I DON'T CARE.

Studio 60 got nominated for Outstanding Casting in a Drama Series for the Emmys. The Pilot was also nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. John Goodman was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Judge Bebe in the show (he was awesome in that). Eli Wallach nominated for same category as Eli Weintraub in Studio 60.

House's Que Sera, Sera and Nip/Tuck's Conor McNamara are nominated for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup.

Hugh Laurie for House in Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

Matthew Perry for The Ron Clark Story for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie. Meanwhile The Ron Clark Story is also up for Outstanding Made for Television Movie.

Sir Ian McKellen nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in Extras. (Kind of want to see that)

David Morse nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for playing Michael Tritter in House (Why, God? WHY?!)

Ellen DeGeneres is nominated for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for hosting the Academy Awards (she kicked ass in that). Jon Stewart's up for the same award for the Daily Show.

The Daily Show, Conan O'Brien and the Colbert Report are all up for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series. (So's David Letterman and Maher but who cares about them?) I'm personally hoping the Daily Show gets that one. The Daily Show is also up for Outstanding Writing, as are all the rest of those guys.

House is up for Outstanding Drama Series (unfortunately so is Grey's Anatomy), and so is Heroes (Marlene...).

For Marlene: Meerkat Manor, episode Family Affair, got nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming. The show was also nominated for Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Programming. Project Runway, episode Iconic Statement, got nominated for Outstanding Cinematography for Reality Programming and Outstanding Picture Editing for Reality Programming. And Top Chef, episode 209, got nominated for the same award. Some more food shows... ER's episode Bloodline up for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series. Heroes is up for a bunch of inconsequential awards, and I think they have something for Outstanding Lead and Supporting Actors...

And shows I like also nominated for even more inconsequential awards.

My body aches and I don't know why, it sucks... also, packing is going to be a bitch in two weeks. Fuck all.

Dear more-intelligent and world-wise friends:

Why is the exchange rate between the US and the UK so shitty? Better yet, why is it SHITTIER now than it was when I got here? Please tell me so I can have someone to blame and hate. My rage needs to be directed somewhere. It need not be put in any constructive direction.

Thank you.

-Pissed off in London

I'm about to try to buy $80 Police tickets off Ticket Nest. Has anyone used this site before? Should I generally trust it? The Atlanta tickets are out of the cheapest ones and I don't want to order tickets and find out I've been ripped off. Those of you who've done this before: ADVICE.

So I spent the weekend exploring Stonehenge and Bath on Saturday, then wandering around St. Peter's park, Regents Park, Soho and London's Chinatown. I will update more on that later, and pictures (of Stonehenge and Bath anyway) will go up on facebook.

For right now, I want to relate something really quick before I go to bed and forget it.

Even though England and the UK isn't that "foreign" to us, there are still things that make it clear that yes, this is a completely different culture from ours. For example, when Julian came to visit last weekend, we were at Hyde Park sitting on a bench when he happened to look over at some cops, or coppers. After looking at them for a few moments he turned to me and asked, "Where are their guns?" I pause, think about it and say, "They don't carry them."

"They don't carry guns? What do they do when there's a criminal running around? Don't they deal with terrorist threats more often than we do?"

"... I don't know. They just... don't carry guns."

Then he shrugged, kind of scoffed and shook his head at the lunacy of it all and turned away.

A couple of days after he left for his Oxford program, Evelia and I read on BBC News that there had been an "incident" of a crazy man running around chasing people in broad daylight with a knife, then leaping on a cop car and just generally scaring the shit out of people. Man with a knife. And one cop swung his baton at knife-man's arm and knocked it out of his hands, and then four cops take the guy down with their batons.

Evelia made the comment that knife-man was lucky he wasn't in the U.S. when he did that, because he would've been shot. I responded with something like, "And there would have been no moral outrage at all. We would've just been glad, and relieved, that that guy was down." We laugh because hey, it's true. Especially in Texas.

A couple of days after that, today really, Evelia told me that she found out that something similar had happened in the Valley. Only in this case, it was a man with a wooden plank. I'm not sure what exactly happened, but I guess he was threatening people with a wooden plank. And the cops shot him down.

"Was there any moral outrage?" I ask.

"Nope. I guess that really just shows you the gun culture back home."

I kind of wonder what the response would've been like over here had a man with a wooden plank been shot by cops. Marlene?

Meanwhile, The Police are having a reunion tour. And I want to see them. They're touring the US and Canada right now, and the shitty thing is that they'll tour the UK and Europe when I finally get back home. BUT, starting around late October they'll hit the US again and Mexico (which basically means one show in Mexico City). No shows in Austin unfortunately. But I kind of want to go to their Atlanta concert during a weekend in mid November. Omar says he'll follow me but now go to the actual concert, which sucks because concerts are always better with company, but maybe we'll get the chance to meet up with Hatter there (who'll also probably not care about the Police). The cheapest tickets are 54 or 52 dollars, and I don't know how much the plane ride or a night in some cheap hotel or something will be. Anyone want to come with?

My sister completely rained on my parade last night, she kind of mocked my semi-made plans and went, "That's really expensive for a concert, and you're just going to spend a weekend all the way across the country for a concert? LAME." The whole time I'm thinking, "She just doesn't get it. It's the Police goddammit! They don't do this all the time and may never again, and quit calling it 'just a concert!'"

Plus, I feel like I've known people to spend a lot more money on concerts, and people go this far to see their favorite bands or reunion concerts don't they? And people don't think they're lame...

Tell me, am I being completely ridiculous here? I really want to see these guys, they're not coming to Texas. Have you guys really never known someone to do something like this? Am I really being unreasonable in trying to plan something like this to see the Police? AM I CRAZY? I swear to God I feel like this isn't unusual...

Well, pulled an all-nighter last night with Kelly and Evelia. Managed to get it done, even though it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. That's okay though, it's done and I don't have to worry about it anymore. The only thing I've got to worry about now is work and a final. The only thing is, our sleep schedule is totally fucked up right now. After class we all went straight to sleep, and Kelly and I slept ALL DAMN DAY. We woke up at just past three a.m. And we have to wake up early tomorrow to go to Stonehenge and Bath. Fuck.

Meanwhile, sometime in October the Police are playing reunion concerts at New York and Mexico, and various other places of course. I want to try to go, and while I admit that it most likely won't happen, it won't be for lack of trying. I'm going to go along and check ticket and flight prices right now. Yes, I'm losing money being here in London, but dammit, I will pay to go.

Okay, I think I'm writing a paper about The Police in the British Punk late 70s - 80s era and how they influenced youth culture in race and gender relations, or maybe at least revealed the mindsets of the era, by looking at their lyrics and history.

HELP ME!!! I know jack-shit about music, so maybe you guys can throw in your two cents or guide me in the right direction? I don't mean do my work for me, so don't freak out. Just help educate someone who knows nothing of even her own youth culture.

aq4rghgkbg

EDIT: Although what I'm really interested in finding in their lyrics is some clue to any sort of change in the concept of masculinity. I mean there was a huge feminist movement and there are still a million books on feminism, but I want to start seeing something on masculinity, some hint that there is a revolution out there for men so that they're not being made to uphold ideals that are old and haven't really changed as far as I know. Just like women are made to feel they should be stick thin and some therefore abuse themselves to become the sex objects on tv and magazines, aren't men also encouraged to be the ideal, toned male? And don't some of those men also stoop to steroid abuse, etc.? And while women can have close, intimate relationships without everyone assuming they're lesbians, I notice men can't seem to have those without having to defend their sexuality to everyone, which is extremely unfair and kind of debilitating. I could totally write a paper on this using American media and pop/youth culture, just on intimate male friendships alone, but I can't do it about British culture because I have no knowledge of British pop culture whatsoever. DAMN.

You really start to appreciate the extent of your addictions when you go out to Tesco past 11 pm at night to buy a liter of Coke so that you can drink it while reading for class.

Marlene, I blame you. As for the coffee, I have only myself to blame.

Alright, so yesterday wasn't as great as the first day. Lately the other intern and I have just been doing comparative reading, and since I came in when the two bosses were busy with individual projects (and one of them getting ready to get married this weekend), there hasn't been too much for me to do. There's the occasional corrections that I can do on the computer, which I like, but not much else.

Yesterday was comparative reading, and then a whole lot of nothing. I hate doing nothing because I end up feeling really useless, and I don't like doing nothing at work. Every once in a while I would pipe up with, "Anything for me to do?" and I'd just get, "Not right now really, but I might have something for you later."

I ended up rereading the Chicago Manual of Style. Or something. Basically a book on how to be an editor. And I read a manuscript that was already proofread. In a way it was good that I reread those things, because I re-familiarized myself with proofreading symbols I'd forgotten or never seen, and I learned a little more about editing (which is much more complicated and varied than you'd think). I've also been learning about the differences between British spelling and grammar and ours. I always thought the differences could be summed up in, "u's" after "o's" or reverse the "er" or add an "e," and simple stuff like that (they almost never use "z" and prefer "s"), but I figured out a few new things. There's the obvious date thing, "On 21 September 1984 this happened," which they seem to never vary on (at least in academic books). Then there's the fact that whenever someone speaks they use the single quote (') first, and then double quotes (") go within the single quote. We do the reverse. And whenever you want to end a quote and continue the rest of the sentence, you don't put the comma first and then the end-quote, you put the end-quotes and then the comma. Or end-quote and then period. So the whole time I was doing the comparative reading I thought the editor had missed a lot, until I asked and learned they just do it differently. It's little stuff, but enough to be kind of cool. To all of those who already knew this stuff about their spelling and grammar, hey, I never paid attention before. When you're trying to work in publishing, it's kind of major. I know there's more, but I'm winding down and I've forgotten for the moment. But what I'm trying to say, while I felt and looked useless, it was still time well spent.

So that was yesterday. A whole lot of feeling useless. And a whole lot of hoping it wouldn't be like that all the time. Oh, and Robert left to get married in a kilt. Damn those hot 40-somethings getting married.

Anyway.

Today the other intern took a day off because her boyfriend came in to visit and she had to pick him up from the airport. So it ended up being just me and Gretchen, which sort of made me nervous. Gretchen talks to me, but since the other intern has been here about a month longer and is also in the same intern program that Gretchen was in, I never have to make conversation alone.

But instead if it being awkward it was awesome. She gave me more to do today than ever. I got to help format a manuscript that we're printing for another publisher for a fee, which basically means I got to through and italicize what needed to be italicized (titles, words in a foreign language, etc), and format the extracts (quotes, poetry and song lyrics). Yeah, it sounds easy, but it's time-consuming as all hell, and there are always mistakes to fix and formatting questions to ask. At the end of the day (I got out at 6:30) I still wasn't done. But it was great! I loved it! I loved being a part of the process and helping to create and correct this book.

And besides that it gave me the chance to really get to know one of my bosses and talk to her. It's a small office and very laid back, and she's one of those friendly, open people who thinks out loud, so she's always pulling you into conversation. She's 26, so I was able to relax enough to get her to burn a cd for me, talk to her about music, friends (hers and mine), being in London, past interns, etc. And I think that getting a day alone with her is what will finally allow me to relax in the office and be less overeager. I feel like now I can just go to work and do my job, talk and learn, without worrying about what kind of impression I'm giving at all times. Obviously this does not mean I'm okay with showing up late, leaving early and telling my bosses about the partying that went on last night. I will always be Hispanic that way. But you guys must know what I mean. I don't have to be the annoying eager beaver to do a good job and be respected. Make sense?

Anyway, in touristy news I went to the British Museum, which was awesome. We only spent a couple of hours there, so we didn't get to see all that much, but I definitely have pictures of Roman and Greek sculptures, busts, and Egyptian mummies. God the mummy room was packed. It was like a wave of sweaty humanity was pushing me along, it definitely has to be the most popular place in the museum. What struck me is that most of us weren't there out of a genuine interest in Egyptian history and culture (I'll be honest and say I certainly wasn't), we were there out of a morbid curiosity. We wanted to see the damn mummies! And it was also strange to realize how completely disrespectful it was that we were crowding around to stare at these things and take pictures of these people, who obviously never imagined that they would be dug up and displayed for us to gawk at. And yet, even though I was slightly ashamed of myself, I was taking pictures anyway! "Wow, how creepy..." *snap*

If you look on facebook you'll find a picture of me, Kelly and Evelia with our heads together looking at the camera. We were tired from walking all day and we were sitting on the bench taking a break. We're giving really cheerful smiles, and in front of us are relatively-well-preserved dead people. Yeah. Think about that when you see it.

"I feel kind of bad about taking pictures of these people."
"Yeah, me too."
"Hey, let's take a picture of us!"
"Okay!"

Totally brings me back to those old cartoons when the mummy comes to life and walks after you like a zombie.

Anyway, enough of that. It was fun and interesting. We should probably go back and finish. Apparently Sam goes every day because she works close to it. I also need to go to the Imperial War Museum again and see the Holocaust portion.

And I need to see Les Mis. Because I saw Avenue Q for cheap and loved it!! The Rod storyline really reminded me of things friends have told me about being a gay man. Les Mis is definitely next. Maybe this weekend.

Julian arrives this Saturday. I have no idea what to take him out to do.

Oh, and I really wanted to celebrate Independence Day as an American in London, but bastards went to the Texas Embassy without me (restaurant, and then they went to a pub). And I'm too lazy to meet up with them. I might go out with the boys upstairs later. If Jazmine is willing to join me.

It's been a good day. And I didn't come home soaked from the rain. Which is always nice. When I'm excited I sound twelve.

It's only a paper moon
Hanging over a cardboard sea
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me.

My first day of work was today. :) For anyone who happens to know the layout of London (Marl), I work near Old Street Station, on Curtain Road. It looks kind of like a trashier part of town, but I like it dammit! I work above a bar, which makes me laugh, and across the street from a REALLY cheap diner, for which I'm grateful.

Anyway, they gave me a manuscript to check for corrections and that took half my day. After which I had lunch at super-cheap diner and read. When I came back to work they told me to read some of the unsolicited manuscripts and write reviews/reports on them. One was crap and I basically said so (I noticed that I suddenly became a much harsher critic), the other two were mediocre at best and boring (to me), but the last one was AWESOME. And since we only get samples of novels I basically wrote that I "recommend" (I still don't know if I have the right to recommend, I just did) we get the rest of the manuscript to see if the plot pans out as well as the first two chapters did, and that if it did I would suggest that we publish it because it is just that good.

Yeah. Me=power hungry. Who cares, it was nice. And yes, it was the easy, grunt work that anyone can do, but I still liked it.

Tomorrow they teach me how to use Quark, which I've never even seen. According to my boss/supervisor it's not too different from InDesign, which I used for high school yearbook. So I'm pretty confident I'll figure it out, and I hope once I learn to use it I'll get to do some more varied work. God, I'm really excited about work now. I can't wait to do more!

Okay, I need to shower and I have homework due tomorrow. And work. So, I'm leaving you all, but I shall be BACK. Have a nice night y'all.

My sister is taking a philosophy of ethics at our local community college. Her professor told them that the US will fall like Rome did, all because of the Democrats. Yes, he actually said that. Apparently he never heard of actually teaching.

WHAT THE FLYING FUCK.

Apparently, unlike most people I'm hoping Chase, Foreman and Cameron aren't gone for next season. Because... I get used to characters. Invested in them. If one left, I'd probably be okay. Especially if they were my least favorite ones, but not all of them. It just doesn't seem logical to get rid of three characters. And I don't really want to get used to three new characters that have the potential of sucking.

Meanwhile, I've watched the trailers for Hairspray and Enchanted, and I'm excited about both. Check out the Hairspray trailer, it looks like loads of fun. And it sounds awesome.

As for Enchanted. It looks cute and funny. And it seems to be the embodiment of every sarcastic comment made about Disney and fairy tales, but in a very friendly way. You can see some obvious references to Disney classics. And the Prince cracks me up.

Link to Enchanted trailer, because it's not up on Quicktime yet I think:

http://www.movie-list.com/trailers.php?id=enchanted