I guess I only update this thing when I can't sleep. Lucky you (har har). This weekend (the real weekend, not my days off weekend) was the worst. I felt majorly depressed. This has happened often in the last few months and I have missed some work because of it. I feel like I am skating on thin ice with the payroll department at work due to the time I have missed. I just let things at work get to me...it's who I am, there is no "off" switch to numb the emotions I feel when I read crime reports. I love this field but I don't see myself working in it forever...I'm just too sensitive (although I've grown a thicker skin in the last few years). I don't know what I want to do though! I have no other passion. Maybe teaching U.S. history, but I'd have to go back to school for awhile. I can't afford that right now.

Ugh, I can't afford a lot of things right now. I just shelled out a ton of money to pay for the repair of the shock mounts on my car. I also had them put authentic Volvo lug nuts on my wheels. The previous owners took the car to Sears once, and didn't realize until later that the repair guys had switched out the high quality Volvo lug nuts for cheap ones. I'm really taking care of this car since I intend to keep it for a long time. There is a great European car repair shop in town and they are super professional and never try to screw you over. They are fast and reliable and I trust them with my car. I would even go so far as to drive up here for them even when I'm living in Fresno.

Marc and I had a nice but short weekend together. We always watch Iron Chef America on Sundays. Love that show. I am playing Elder Scrolls: Oblivion on his 360. I like it so far and I'm impressed by how vast the world is. I have a few gripes (I hate first person and I would like to be able to find quests more easily), but overall it is entertaining. I beat Fable II but I still go back to it occasionally to further my quest to buy all the property in the game. BOW BEFORE YOUR NEW QUEEN.

I have so many games to play. I need to finish Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box first. One of Marc's friends recommended Hotel Dusk on the DS to me, and since it was 30% off at the Game Crazy that's going out of business in Fresno, I bought it. I would like to try Scribblenauts but I'll finish my current games first. I played the demo for Batman: Arkham Asylum and really liked it, but I'll put that off for now.

We are going to Disneyland a week from Sunday! I'm so excited! My aunt, who works for Disney, sent me tickets...I love her. Hopefully if the park isn't too crowded and we get in quality ride time, we can go over to California Adventures, which I have surprisingly never been to. Marc's friend Anthony works in the park and is going to show us around a bit, which will be cool. I like all of Marc's friends - a good sign! They are so cool, and of course are geeks like us.

How I Met Your Mother S4 on DVD saved me this weekend. I love that show and it's still so funny. I also watched Sunshine Cleaning (a downer, but good performances) and Superman Returns. I'm on a mission to see all Kevin Spacey movies ever made. So what's the deal...are Lex Luthor and Kitty getting busy when we're not looking or are they just platonic bad buddies?

Oh yeah, I got a BlackBerry Curve. I shelled out a lot for it since I wasn't due for an upgrade. I also got my own phone plan, so I'm no longer on the family plan. ~*~*~Growing up~*~*~. It's nice, though, now that I've learned to text on it. It saved my bored ass on the train this evening, since my iPod died and I forgot to bring my DS or a book. I just read celebrity gossip and The New York Times on it until I got home. What a contrast in reading material!

I better end this before I bore each and every one of you who still reads this thing.

I'M REALLY HAPPY FOR YOU, I'MMA A LET YOU FINISH, BUT cult_classic_ HAS THE BEST ENTRIES OF ALL TIME. OF ALL TIME.

Love and peace (but no hippie crap),

Lisa

When I was in junior college for a semester, I had a great professor named Frank Drummond. He taught criminal law and I loved his class. He had us write letters about where we wanted to be in five years, what we wanted to do. I felt inspired by that. He made me believe I could achieve my goals and even encouraged me to go to law school.

Professor Drummond was just arrested on suspicion of molesting two of his teenage daughter's friends.

ACADEMIC MENTOR FAIL.

I like my laptop and now it's half paid for. o/~ If I could turn back time o/~ I would have bought a nicer one, but c'est la vie. It works and it runs WoW, albeit at reduced graphics quality.

I.T. was working on everything today, so phones and computers were down for 3 hours. This meant the only thing to do was file...eww. We have probably 240,000+ "pouches" on everyone booked in our jail. We add paperwork to their pouches from their latest bookings or court hearings. This means there is usually more than 1,000 things to file at any given time. Oh well, something to do. Everything will be down again on Sunday morning too. Eww. What did we ever do before computers at work?

Been neglecting books recently and reading Vanity Fair and Vogue. I hate it when people automatically dismiss fashion magazines as vapid or insignificant. In fact I'd say Vanity Fair's focus is maybe 40% fashion and the rest is politics, society, and current events. They have some of the best writers in the world, regular and guest. I am always excited to get the newest issue. Sure, I often stare glassy-eyed at the ads and wish I looked like Karlie Kloss, but I get it for the articles!

I finished the first Professor Layton game and picked up the second. How is it that I can solve a 45 picarat "Move shit around 'til you get an object out of the maze" puzzle without difficulty, but I can't solve a 10 picarat math question? When I yelled "Fuck you, Layton!" at the screen, I knew it was time to turn off the DS and take a break.

Hey, I don't think I've posted about my trip to Six Flags with Lucy for her birthday. We had a blast. I went on my first upside-down roller coaster, Medusa. I was scared shitless waiting for the ride to start. The first drop was OH MY GOD so steep. I felt my stomach practically fly out of my mouth. After that drop and a scary big loop where I felt like I was going to fall straight out of my seat, the rest was a blast! I loved going upside down. We also went on Kong but it jerked us around so much we had aches and pains the next day. We waited an hour for Tony Hawk's ride and then it broke down. After about 15 minutes we finally got to go on, and it was underwhelming. We saw lots of animals, including the lion show and the elephant show, which were fun. Photos to be uploaded to Flickr/Facebook when I stop being a lazy bitch.

Oh yeah, some good news before I finish this entry: I lost 3.2 lbs this week! Doing Weight Watchers again...hopefully for good. So far I am actually enjoying it and settling into new eating habits. It helps that there are lots of foods on the market now that cater to those watching their weight, i.e. 100 calorie puddings, yogurts, chips, cookies, etc, not to mention healthier frozen meals and other options. And with sugar-free versions of many drinks and treats, it's easy to indulge and not feel bad!

Well that's all for now.

Always remember: You're good enough, you're smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like you.

I didn't get the specialty position at work. I'm not disappointed about that, I'm just disappointed in myself because apparently my scores on the interview just weren't high enough. I feel like maybe I am too awkward and talk too much and think about the variables too much, i.e. they gave me five tasks and I had to choose what order to do them in. And I started over-thinking it, like "Well what if this task included..." etc. Anyway this leaves me open to apply for a CSO position should one pop up. They just fired one of my favorite CSOs which I am really sad about. People disappear overnight at my work; you get an e-mail saying they're not allowed into the building anymore, and then they're gone forever. Kind of like V For Vendetta but without the black bags.

I am getting bored with WoW again. Maybe I should give it a rest until next year, closer to when Cataclysm hits. I tried playing Horde, and I like it a lot since players are nicer and more helpful, and the quests are new to me, but it's hard to give up several high level characters, a slew of friends and guildies, and all that gear, gold, and stuff after 2.5 years of playing Alliance. So I will probably stick with Alliance forever. Playing my Belf pally means seeing tastylogic in Azeroth though - yay!

The other day Marc and I toured his friend Alan's apartment. I love it and want to steal it from him. Very reasonable and a lot of space for two people. We might take over his lease when he leaves (if and when I get a job there). It's quiet, clean, and tucked away in a nice neighborhood close to lots of the things we need.

On Marc's birthday we brought pizza over to Mitch and Tif's for a mini celebration. I spent a lot of time playing action figures with their 3-year-old daughter Ianthe. We made a jail for the bad guys. She put Nightcrawler in there, despite my protests that he's a good guy, plus the Joker ("He's scary") and some anime chick. Ianthe dropped some wisdom on us, saying that "Once they leave jail they won't be bad guys anymore" (Oh Ia, I wish it worked like that in real life) and that "When you go to jail they look you up on the computer and see if you're good or bad" (Actually, sort of). I really had fun playing action figures with her. I wish I was a kid again sometimes! Another Ianthe wisdom is that "You have to be true to your butt." I agree. She's the kind of kid that makes me think I might want one of them someday.

That's all for now since I'm starting to fall asleep and I have work in the morning. Skinny vanilla latte here I come...

P.S. Even though the nice CHP officer in Santa Cruz only cited me for going 70 when I was going 80 in a 65, my ticket is still going to be $220! Jesus Christ! I learned my lesson. Now I see grannies speeding past me on the freeway...

I have a job interview tomorrow for a specialty position at my job. Whoever gets it will be assisting our smaller stations when they need help. It's a nice schedule (Mon-Fri 8-5) but that's not the reason I'm applying. I'm looking to learn new things and looking for more challenges...gotta keep things interesting. Cross your fingers for me!

Today I tried to make French toast based on a Sandra Lee recipe she made on Food Network. I am no Sandra Lee and it came out dry and plain rather than fluffy and flavorful. Boo.

Going to bed relatively early so I'll be more awake tomorrow. Wish me luck~.

My Comic Con photos are up. I don't have the patience to post them here since I've already uploaded them to Flickr and Facebook. You can see them on my Facebook or on my Flickr account.

Well I can't sleep. Marc is snoring, but that's not the reason, just not tired yet I guess. Starting to get there though, and the battery on my laptop is going to run out eventually. There are no three-pronged outlets in this house though, except in the bathroom, but eh.

So yes, tomorrow we leave for San Diego! I am so excited. Have to pick Marc up from work and go get the rental car, then he packs and we are off...I am still debating whether or not to bring my laptop. Internet is pretty cheap at our hotel, but we won't be there much and also I am paranoid about having it stolen...I will probably just bring my DS and that's it.

SPEAKING OF STOLEN THINGS. Having worked for a law enforcement agency for the last year, I can tell you that the majority of our reports are BURGLARY reports. That's so important I had to capitalize it. If your house or apartment is broken into, usually the ONLY hope you have of ever getting it back is by knowing the serial numbers to your valuables. SO HERE'S WHAT YOU DO: Some day, take inventory of all the valuable electronics in your house. TVs, computers, video game consoles, anything and everything. Also take note of the brand, model, and color. Keep this list somewhere secure, like a safety deposit box or somewhere online you can access it. That way, if you ever are a victim of burglary or theft, you can tell the cop or CSO what was stolen and what serial numbers correspond. They will have their records staff enter it into a national database. We have recovered stolen cell phones that turned up on the other side of the country. Same with guns. Sometimes 30 (!) years later. If you are a gun owner, also take careful note of all the details of your firearm. And if you're going to buy a gun, buy a new one from a reputable dealer. All too often someone gets one from a less-than-upstanding family member or buys one at a garage sale for $50. Guess what? They're usually stolen. So keep yourself protected...know the details of your valuables!

I don't wanna go to sleep! Maybe I can let this charge in the bathroom while I read, haha.

Did I mention I start day shift August 1st? I'm pretty psyched. I have spent the last six months working swing shift, which is 2 PM to 10:30 PM. Which meant no more Skype chats with Glen, no more family dinners, and only seeing my mom on weekends. So I'm very excited to be going back to days, where my days off will be Monday and Tuesday. This means getting out of work at 2:30 PM on Sundays and spending the rest of the day with Marc. I'm also getting a bigger bed so he can come visit on his days off. Yeah, I live with my parents but they are so chill it's ridiculous. They were the ones who suggested I get a bigger bed so he can stay with me. Many parents would not condone this.

It has been nice having my sister home. We have this new evening ritual of Taco Bell and 30 Rock. You know how Fergie has that lyric in one of her songs where she sings "I still eat at Taco Bell, I'm still real"? My sister will text me with "Want to still be real?" That's code for "I'm picking up Taco Bell, what do you want?" I love my sis. I will hopefully be taking her to Santa Cruz sometime soon for a day of shopping and an evening at the Boardwalk. I haven't been to SC since October. I LOVE Santa Cruz so it'll be nice to hang with my sister there. I'm actually doing a lot of fun things in the upcoming months. Comic Con is this weekend (OMG), Sara and I are going to SC, I'm taking Lucy to Six Flags for her birthday, and Marc and I are going to Disneyland in October. Hopefully L.A. too. I need to visit diepunyhuman and fourcorners again.

Comic Con...so soon! Marc and I are renting a car. We'll be driving down Friday night and spending all day at the con on Saturday, plus maybe half the day at con on Sunday (I want to go to the American Dad panel). A little shorter trip than we had hoped for, but our duties at work can't be neglected for too long. Plus we get some time together in the days before. I will play Fable II while he's at work. I have a Fable II addiction. My chick married the ugliest villager in Bowerstone and they have two kids. It's awesome.

Well it's time to wrap this up since I have been going to bed in the wee hours lately and therefore feeling like crap the next morning. I had some of the worst fibro pain of my life at work today and just felt like crying. I popped a Vicodin a couple of hours ago and it's kicked in, so I feel relaxed and comfortable enough to go to sleep. Fuck chronic pain. Seriously. On the upside, I took a gluten test to see if I have gluten sensitivity like my mother does, and the test came back negative, which is good. I feel bad for the lab techs who had to examine my poop to find that out. TMI? Never.

Love,

Lisa

P.S. I typed this on my brand spankin' new Dell Inspiron laptop in cherry red. I love it. Now I have to pay for it. But it was worth it my darlings.

For years and years I have wanted the plush owl that Bob gives Charlotte in Lost in Translation:



( Well... )

10 Things I Love Right Now

1. 30 Rock
2. Hawaiian barbecue
3. Diet Dr. Pepper
4. Fable II
5. Tramadol
6. Sweden
7. Kohl's
8. Food Network
9. Tina Fey
10. Office supplies

I FOUND MILKA CHOCOLATE AT TARGET! AAH! I HAVEN'T EATEN THIS SINCE 2000 IN GERMANY!

OMG NOM NOM NOM NOM.

So Marc and I are driving to San Diego next month and I have always wanted to make a California songs CD for a drive through my native state. I have put together a few songs about Cali but I need more! Please leave your suggestions.

The Eagles - Hotel California
Soul Kid - More Bounce in California
The Beach Boys - California Girls
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dani California
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication
Matthew Sweet - Come to California

That's all I got so far.

P.S. One of Marc's best friends is in the comic business and personally knows Bill Willingham, and told me he would introduce me to him at Comic Con. BRB peeing my pants in excitement.

The best website ever:

www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com

After a really annoying Amtrak ride, I was going to make a post on how much I hate meth addicts (they're loud, their voices are raspy, they smoke like chimneys, they smell bad, they have tempers, and are generally ignorant and don't make any attempts to hide it), but instead I will express my dislike for the methed out lady on the train drinking a beer at 8 AM and talking about her latest arrest this way:



That's right.

I love Hulu so much I want to marry it. We would walk down the aisle and kiss and I would be like "Mmm mmm smooch Hulu I love you, you give me free TV, mmm smooch." I am catching up on my American Dads and also feeding my new addiction to 30 Rock. I have to say, Tracy Morgan is the highlight of that show, but wow they're all so funny I laugh so loud I scare the cat.

Today I felt like a fat pig because I ate too many delicious things...Gus and I went to La Perla Tapatia for dinner, which is a grocery store near work that primarily sells products from Mexico. Let me tell you...it is awesome. They have a little cafeteria area where you can get burritos and other foods...and don't get me started on the ice cream. Okay, I'll get started. They have La Michoacana ice cream bars...IN RICE PUDDING FLAVOR. I had to try one...and it even had raisins in it! Who can beat that for 77 cents?

Work is...well, work. Learning new things which is great. I have more to say but due to the nature of my work I cannot.

I have an 8 AM dentist appointment tomor - oh, today. I don't know why I agreed to come in so early. Afterward I will go to GNC and then probably back to bed.

I miss Marc with all my heart. Wow, being in love is so cheesy. I see him Wednesday though. I seem to have won the lottery here...his parents are SO nice, MY parents love him, he says I'm his dream woman and HE'S won the jackpot...haha. I guess I finally realize I deserve to be loved. His parents bought me tons of stationery (complete with Engrish!) in Japan, plus Hello Kitty stuff...and I know someday Marc and I will go together. And visit aalfonso of course!

Comic Con in LESS THAN TWO MONTHS. I haven't been in two years...I am psyched for it! We will be a little sleep deprived and pressed for time, but I can't wait to go. Crossing fingers for an American Dad panel again. I also have plans to take Marc to Disneyland in October or November. I get free passes and he has friends we can stay with...makes things A LOT cheaper.

Mmm better take a bath and go to bed! I soon face...the denist. DUN DUN DUH.

When I grow up I want to look like Nicola Roberts.

Wow, I have stuff to say!

Last night I drank too much. Now I normally avoid alcohol because it interacts negatively with the medications I take and makes me feel loopy. I also have a very low tolerance for it. Last night Marc and I were out to dinner and I ordered one of the restaurant's "teas," named the "Longhorn Tea" in honor of the Texas Longhorns, the football team for the college my aunt and uncle teach at, the University of Texas. It had Jack Daniels, Southern Comfort, and amaretto. I forgot to drink water too...I didn't sleep much that night and felt pretty crappy today...headache that wouldn't go away plus nausea. I'm not drinking again anytime soon. I had to go home from work 3 hours early.

We bid for shifts again soon at work. Shift change happens every six months. Bidding works like this...we have seniority determined by hire date. The highest on the totem pole has been with the department since 1975, and the lowest since last fall. I am third to last, having started July 21st but starting my probationary term over again in Records on September 16th. I started out on days and got my first choice, swing shift, when shift change came in January. I'd really like to go back to days. Waking up at 5 AM is no walk in the park, but I feel like I have no life when I work 2 PM to 10:30 PM. I kind of miss going to Starbucks at the ass crack of dawn, making small talk with the other regulars, and getting sweet, sweet caffeine. Then I'm off by 2:30, go home, relax, have dinner with my family, have time to raid on WoW...I miss those days. Anyway worst case scenario I am put on swing or even graves...we'll see. This is the downside to working in the field I love - crime doesn't stop and neither do the people who enforce it, from the cops to the CSOs to the clerks.

I can't wait to see Up! I actually wasn't a big fan of Wall-E, but this new Pixar film looks promising, and really really funny. And I can't believe we have to wait a year for Toy Story 3. My sis and I watched the teaser trailer and both groaned when we saw the release date. Pixar, don't toy with my emotions like this.

Comic Con is two months away! Hopefully I get the time off. Marc and I have professional passes...it's so sweet. However he isn't getting as much time off as he hoped for, so we are driving down Friday, going to con Saturday and Sunday, and driving back Sunday night...ouch. Four of my guildies (two couples) live in San Diego so hopefully I will get to see them. Bill Willingham and Stephan Pastis will be at con...can't wait to get stuff signed!

On the subject of comics, I finished reading Watchmen. Damn good stuff. Next I will read From Hell.

But for now, bed, because I am exhausted. On a side note, I keep learning new Spanish words and therefore more ways to butcher the Spanish language, a language I desperately want to learn. I invented my own word, "tiredo," to mean "tired." The Spanish speakers at my work found it funny so I keep using it. Actually I think they find most of what I say in Spanish very funny because I don't really know what I'm doing.

Yo soy muy tiredo. Buenos noches!

I have a crush on a boy in a band.



I'm pretty sure this guy doesn't age.

I.

LOVE.

SLOTHS.