{And nothing else compares...}

{I said, BRR! It's cold in here...}
28 February 2004 @ 7:48 PM

BGM: Laura Branigan - "Self Control"
Wanting: a jacket
Wearing: grey FTL long-sleeved tee, midnight blue ON tribal tattoo tee, blue ON denim jeans

You know what I love about these cold, rainy days? Aside from the simple fact that they exist, they also provide me with an endless amount of enjoyment. How? See, I fancy myself as a people-watcher (which I'll have you know, isn't the same thing as a voyeur, pervs!), and what better way for me to spike a serve than to watch at the U of A as numerous Kevins and Kellis run around in sheer confusion because of the weather? I mean, only in the 'Zona can one person be out and about wearing shorts and flip-flops because of the gorgeous (read: hot) weather on one day, and then be forced to break out sweaters and scarfs the next.

So, just when these mindless pop drones thought that it was safe to start looking all skanky again, Mother Nature proves to us that she has a sense of humor. It's so hilarious!

*Laughs maniacally*

I'm so bad...

night
You're Element is Night. You're a loner who is very
creative but never show your work to anyone.
You may smile a little but sadness or
loneliness surround you and other can feel it
when they're near you. You have a dark or
unusual beauty that makes you mysterious and
you probably have a lot of secrets that you've
never told anyone. You're beauty is intriging
and unorthidox but the real thing that makes
you special is your eyes. Something in them
makes them like "Diamonds in the
Rough."

What's Your Element(girls)? (PICTURES)
brought to you by Quizilla

{I... I live amongst the creatures of the night}

{And my joy never will be denied}
25 February 2004 @ 8:17 PM

BGM: Ace of Base - "Ravine"
Wanting: all the pain money can buy
Wearing: sea green ON polo-style shirt, grey ON cargo pants, really kick-ass leather cuff

Here I sit, working this ILC computer for all it's worth. Right now I'm trying to get freakin' AIM express to launch while trying to make myself a CD and getting this entry in while trying to research David Bowie in the 80's for Matt.

Le sigh... I am getting sick of the BS that is so matter-of-factly being laid out in front of us, by the obedient terriers to the big, imposing corporate entity that Info has become. Today I just found out that the manditory overtime that I had to pull on Valentine's weekend was just a warm-up for what's in store. Apparently; and I'll take a stand and say this outright, through no fault of our own, the company is in such deep shite as far as the weekend scheduling goes, that we're doing more manditory overtime... for at least the next SIX WEEKS! And a large chunk of it has to be worked either Friday or Saturday (usually our busiest days), while the rest of the hours be allowed to be added wherever the CSR would best like them at his/her own discretion (isn't that nice?). That means that all the normally happy and willing-to-oblige (read: passive) employees are now going to be forced to adjust their schedules and forego whatever other plans that have been made for the sake of covering the company's ass.

Hmm... it would seem like I made no prior mention of this, so I should probably do so now. Anyway, because of said problems above, the company was on the verge of going through its first-ever shift bid. What is that, you ask? Essentially, that means that all the employees that were theretofore happy as clams with their current schedules had to be uprooted from familiarity and choose a pre-made new schedule drawn up by the company to assure that all time slots are sufficiently staffed. How one goes about choosing their new schedule is simply that during a period in January, we were monitored for quality assurance. How we scored on those is how got ranked on when to get their schedule, using seniority to break any ties. Because of what I've rationalized as going through a "bratty adolescent phase" during my monitoring period, I ranked in a very unimpressive 140th out of 300 or so, it's especially embarrassing when my friend Stephen (not this Steven, but a coworker) ranked somewhere in the low teens (and he's only been there for less than a year).

Anyway, the one good thing that came from that is that it's actually been put off, for now anyway. What corporate is doing is that they're hoping that people will - out of the kindness of their hearts, no doubt - switch their schedules around themselves and staff the oh-so-busy Saturday slots. Maybe I'm not giving them enough credit (why should I? They don't me), but I highly doubt that such a thing will happen. If I am right however, I know that we will have to be re-ranked, just because we're still raking in the newbies.

But back to the manditory overtime, at first when Linda (my TM) came and talked to me about it, I gave her a really positive attitude about it. I basically said that there's no use in being in a bad mood about it. I also rationalized that getting paid time-and-a-half would overcome any qualms. However, it's only afterward that when I spoke with one of the other guys on my team (his name is JC) after my shift, that I realized just how unfair it is. Anyway, JC tells me that he already works Fridays and Saturdays and to have three extra hours tacked onto his already full-time schedule is just ridiculous. We also talked about how it seems like the company seems to be getting unhinged, how things have gotten seriously thrown out of whack since December.

But then again, during my conversation with Linda, she says that a lot of the people she's already spoken with have said something along the lines of "It's better to suffer some inconvenience than have to be reporting to Unemployment because the company went under." That is a strongly valid point and I couldn't agree with it more; because though I have my tiffs with them from time to time (especially over my quality), I think that this is the easiest job I've ever fallen into. I may not always like it, but I'm damn good at what I do. Hence the mixed feelings toward all of this.

Le sign again... because of my attention to work, I'm forgoing a weekend this week. On Saturday I'm covering somebody's shift and this Friday is when the manditory OT starts up. Luckily; or I should say hopefully, I should have a three-day weekend next week.

glass heart
Heart of Glass

What is Your Heart REALLY Made of?
brought to you by Quizilla

{Big pain in the ass}

3+ (Ooh-wahhhh)

{Just like heaven}
23 February 2004 @ 9:17 PM

BGM: Ayumi Hamasaki - "Forgiveness"
Wanting: more opportunities for perfect days like the one I've outlined
Wearing: same as earlier

Imagine, if you will, the following scenario:

You awaken from a full night's sleep late one cold, rainy morning, say around nine or ten. You're wrapped all warm and snug in your favorite thick comforter (in my case it's a dark blue wool one with an image of a wolf on it given to me by my grandmother who got it in Mexico), and just relishing in the fact that you are not committed to do a single thing today. Only getting up to open the curtains and see that the sky is completely overcast in silvery grey clouds. You climb back into the sanctuary of your bed and just lie there, listening to the rain fall slowly with the occasional car driving through the water-soaked streets. Wanting to capitalize on the moment, you reach for a book on you adjoining nightstand and read to your heart's content.

Later on, upon finally leaving the sanctity of your bed, you venture out into your kitchen, grab something to eat (in my case, it would be some chocolate cherry soy ice cream) and watching Sailor Moon all day while enjoying the rainy day in your pajamas.

That is my idea of a perfect day. I don't see why people are always trashing on rainy days like the one we had today. They should be happy that it's sunny 300 days out of the year here in this infernal desert. Rain is such a blessed occurrence and should be held in high reverence, not annoyance.

*Sigh* Today would've been a perfect day if I would've stayed home from work, and had some Sailor Moon to watch (aside from the two movies).

{A modest proposal}
23 February 2004 @ 7:13 PM

BGM: none
Wanting: n/a
Wearing: midnight blue/white ON long-sleeved jersey, blue ON denim jeans

Dear Sheryl Crow,

My name is Aaron and I live in Arizona. I would just like you to know that I have the greatest respect for you as a musician; your work brings joy and entertainment to millions worldwide and you have earned your place in the pantheon of great female artists. However, I would like to let it be known that I will not allow you to haunt me by hearing your songs whenever I happen to listen to the radio. I feel that I have quite enough on my hands trying to avoid the likes of one Mr. Sting and the Police and Mr. Tal Bachman, I simply do not need you to worry about. In closing, I would like to ask if you could be ever so kind as to disallow radio stations nationwide to play your music with such a level of voracity that would make it seem as if you have passed on. Thank you from the bottom of my being.

~Sincerely, Aaron

{The plans I've made still have you in them}
21 February 2004 @ 4:19 PM

BGM: Third Eye Blind - "The Background"
Wanting: my hard-earned money as a tax-return dammit!
Wearing: black long-sleeved FTL pocket tee, grey ON 'Los Angeles' tee, blue ON denim pants, black flip-flops

Dude, the government like, totally sucks. Not only does Ah-nuld think he's better than ours, but the Feds sure do like to invent new and exciting ways to fuck you out of your hard-earned money.

Case in point, today I had finally managed to coordinate with former EON head honcho Mikey to get my taxes done. So after having a suspiciously almost TOO good morning (having woken up at about 11:00 or so), which included me lying in bed for a good hour or so reading (I'm making excellent progress in finally reading my LOTR books!), tidying up the house a bit and making breakfast (at 1:30PM, no less) for my brother and I, I prettied myself up and set off for Maison Mikey's, with my newly replaced W2s and last year's filing info in hopes of getting myself a juicy chunk of government bling. After all, this past fiscal year was the very first time since I've started working (at the tender young age of 16) that I have a whole entire year's worth of taxable income on my W2s.

Once the usual opening pleasantries were exchanged, we got down to business. After sitting quietly and waiting for Mikey to work his tax-filing magic on the computer, we reached our end and my anticipation over the amount that I'm expecting is almost going to end my existence. Once all has been calculated, as I am almost about to fall forward in my chair, I hear that my grand total as far as taxes go is:

-$200

WHAT?? I couldn't believe it, how could it possibly be that even after they've withheld such copious amounts of money from my paychecks for the past year that I suddenly have to owe? For a short period thereafter, in which Mikey himself seemed to be dumbfounded, there was a period of silence. Finally I piped in and asked if my failed attempt at going to school while working full time was enough to give me a boost out of the negatives. Luckily, it did matter somewhat and once they were recalculated, I was now at positive $700.

That was a big sigh of relief, but there's more, apparently if I can find some stuff pertaining to my Primerica debacle, I can graft more dinero from le gouvernement.

So that's that for today. I will have to go round two on getting my taxes done another day, because right now I just don't feel like it. Don't think you've won yet, Government, cuz you haven't!

Yesterday was so �ber-productive. In the course of the daylight hours (in which I actually got started at 10:00AM), I managed to go to my grandma's house and get two loads of laundry done, go all the way out to Speedway and Craycroft to get my hair did, pay my Sprint bill, go back to my grandma's and get one last load of laundry done, withdraw money from the bank, pay back a payday loan, go to a laundromat and get my clothes dried (cuz my grandma's dryer is broken) and head down to work to attempt to pick up a proxy report that was supposed to be for me to choose a new schedule, unfortunately and much to my displeasure, they weren't done. WHEW! Trust me, it may not seem like much, but to me even getting HALF of that done would've been quite the accomplishment, especially on a day off.

Well, I've said my spiel. I am about ready to set out and find something to keep me entertained.

3+ (I would never lie to you no)

{I'll stay the same}
19 February 2004 @ 7:55 PM

BGM: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps"
Wanting: food
Wearing: black, long-sleeved FTL pocket tee, maroon ON polo-style shirt, grey Original Khaki Co. slacks

Did I forget to mention that I can imagine myself singing the oft-mentioned "Maps" to all the men that I've ever loved? Or is that TMI? Maybe it's because I have an affinity for the emotions that the songs that I like put forward, that's why I'm always thinking, "OMG, this is MY SONG!" whenever something new comes up. It makes for a very flaky character, I'll grant you, but I think it it a good trait; it makes me seem as worldly as one can be when it comes to things like pop music/culture.

Hence, I've gone ahead and posted the lyrics for future perusal, should I one day be like, "EW! I actually LIKED that song?? WHATEVER!"

Pack up
I've strayed
Enough
Oh, say say say
Oh, say say say
Wait, they don't love you like i love you
Wait, they don't love you like i love you
Ma-a-a-a-ps, wait!
They don't love you like i love you
Made off
Don't stray
My kind's your kind
I'll stay the same
Pack up
Don't stray
Oh, say say say
Oh, say say say
Wait! they don't love you like i love you
Wait! they don't love you like i love you
Ma-a-a-aps, wait!
They don't love you like i love you...

-The Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Maps"

See? Isn't this song genius?

Anyway, just to justify the fact that I'm coming to you live from one of the "priority scanner use" computers at the ILC, I decided to scan in some more of my drawings. I hope you like!

Number 1, this was inspired by the cover art on a Sailor Moon tape. Really good shading, if I say so myself.

Numero dos, continuing with the whole gay wuv theme, using my own characters. Coloring isn't my forte, as you can see. Bad cropping due to the fact that I drew this on an office memo from work.

"....." (#3, in sign language), this is further proof of my crazed obsession with Victorian fashion. Again, my own characters, again on an office memo. REALLY sketchy.

That's it for now, I should go home and get something to eat, this bitch is hungry!

3+ (Don't stray)

{Oh say say say}
18 February 2004 @ 8:16 PM

BGM: The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps"
Wanting: clarity
Wearing: aqua green ON polo-style shirt, navy blue something-or-other slacks

I want to tell more about my move to my new old house (again, not a typo), but I'm SO TIRED and I'm SO NOT FEELING like it and I really would rather just keep listening to The Yeah Yeah Yeah's song "Maps." I can't get enough of it (which would probably come as no surprise to those that know me); yes I'll even go so far as to declare it my new current obsession!

But for the sake of not wasting an entry, I'll be swift in summarizing the conditions of how the House on Milu Street was left for us to move back into:

☼ The grass in both yards was so overgrown and dried and skanky (not that I saw, but heard).
☼ The previous tenants cheaply rigged a phone jack from the kitchen into the living room; and it doesn't even work!
☼ My room, which apparently was the kids room, is so nasty! There are these red and brown liquid stains on the rug, scribbles on the walls in pen about two feet from the ground and most mysterious of all, very naughty-looking white stains on my ceiling that's reminiscent of a male-only bodily fluid. ICK!!!
☼ Okay, to further that thought, the same brown and red stains are throughout the entire carpeting in the living room and my brother's room. It's also all beaten down, as if it's been there for like 50 years, even though it's only been there for no more than three.
☼ Mine and my brother's bathroom is a fright. The sink and toilet leak and the shower doesn't have the fixtures on it. Though, that can be attributed to the bad plumbing in there from the get-go, it's still very inconvenient to say the least.

That's about all of it actually. I've been fairly well-adjusted to the whole experience. Though I still am frightened to death about all the shit that lies before me. I've never really felt so alone in my struggles and I'm not quite sure how the outcome will turn out or if I'll be able to meet the challenges before me full-heartedly.

3+ (Wait, they don't love you like I love you)

{So out of context}
16 February 2004 @ 8:22 PM

BGM: William Orbit - "Cavalleria Rusticana - Pietro Mascagni"
Wanting: A warm shower, DAMMIT!
Wearing: black long-sleeved FOTL undershirt, midnight blue ON tribal tattoo tee, denim ON jeans

Yeah I'm here. I've been three days at my new old house (not a typo). The same house all the BS happened that I wrote about in great length in mis ans enfant du blogging. The same place that my brother and I had to flee from when the world of sin that my parents have created came crumbling down. The same place that I was accused of being on crack. The same place that had all the shit occur to us in the span of a single year that happened over the course of 10 years at our previous house.

That being said, it's probably not so hard now for one to imagine why I am so adverse to returning. But the decision has been made for me and my role now is to be submissive and help out with everything I've got. I keep wanting to say that I've been thrust into independence, but I still have to rely on my dad to make the money for the majority of the bills (including the house payment, thank the gods). Though it does feel like I'm independent; I have to pretty much forge for myself and play Lady of the House (cuz I'm easily the most domestic of us three menfolk).

Sure, I could easily off and leave and fulfill my longest-standing (non-sexual) fantasy, but I would be truly on my own. I would also be gone with my conscience mired with amounts guilt and uncertainty that is just not necessary right now. Plus, I promised my mom I'd hold down the fort to the best of my ability until she returns. *Sighs* Only 17 more months to go.

I really wish I could flesh this out further, but right now my mindset is not in a very conducive mode and is near impossible for me to get anything typed that's both explanitory and coherent. So I will leave it at that until such a time when my thoughts are more uniform and not clouded by the annoying commercials on my Launch station.

But I will say this: If I don't get the gas turned on at that trailer by the end of the week, I am going to seriously start ripping new ones left and right! It's bad enough that I have to assume the fetal position every night just to retain body heat.

What Are You Most Likely to Utter During Sex by UMAJohnnie
Name
Sexuality
Age
Most Likely to Say "Oh my god, that's your back hair, I thought you were being mauled by a cat."
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