Friday, February 27, 2004

ARGH

The internet is ALL KINDS of whacked out today. Right now I can't log into AIM, nor can I even access Friendster. What is a lazy and bored slacker, such as I, to do???

Monday, February 23, 2004

Cash Rules Everything Around Me

Work has started once more for me. A break in the otherwise monotonous routine these past six months. But now that I've got a job I can consider stable income for the next few months, all of these financial woes are starting to come up. How am I going to figure out my budget? What can I consider 'want to buy' and 'need to buy?' First things first: debt. I've got debts piled on in several different directions. Credit card bill (respark), car insurance, car repairs (?), loyalty dues to the homies, gas, cell phone. URGH. And then there's the projected spenditures in the coming months. Coachella, San Diego, Las Vegas. Lastly, below all the important things, there are the small things... they're not as essential to me trying to live my life, but they're much cheaper in single amounts (although the little things add up).

so here's the preliminary equation to figuring out the next few months: $8 base pay x 20 hours worked per week = $160 x 4 weeks a month = $640, deduct taxes -> ~$550 x 4 months of work = $2200 - $400 of car insurance pay during those 4 months = 1800 - $200 for Coachella= $1600 - $500 for SDCC = $1100 - $330 for website bill = $770 or so for miscellaneous expenses.

that's not even figuring in my goal of gettin a snowboard ($300+). i am SOOO doomed this year.

on the flip side, today was maddeningly sweet. although i slept in and didn't get up in time to meet up with Dave to study (sorry about that, bud), i dropped on campus at just the right moments to run into some cool folks. for one, i walked up to the main building with Daryl Watson, one of the cooler comic artists i know of locally. we chit-chatted real quick, and i headed over to wait for my class to start. while waiting, i give a brief holla at HER (identification of the various girls i refer to will be described sooner or later). as usual, we have one of those pass-you-down-the-hall kinds of meetings consisting of:
"hi, how are you doing?"
"good, how about you"
"blah blah blah?"
"yeah, blah blah"
the quickness of the moment was still satisfying enough.
after class, i finally meet up with dave in the union, and meet one of his friends artist friends, Victor. nice guy, this Victor. i spot Henry and Dewon and discuss the events that went down at Henry's party, and shared a slight account of the shenanigans at Rob's. Jaime and Ryan come by Dave's table, and we kick it for a bit. All in all, I stick around campus and get to hang out with Jaime, Ryan, Nolan, Van, Dave, and Jen. Not bad at all.
all the lounging about actually almost had me running late to the first day of work, but i still managed to get in right on time. during work, i was actually able to spot HER #5, who i did not expect to be at FTB once again. needless to say, i'm fairly hyped up about this season of working.
then, when i got home, i checked my friendster account, and lo & behold... i get a message back from HER #2. ugh, i should really figure out which HER is HER. hah.

Sunday, February 22, 2004

Ok. So. I'm a bit high. . . ?
I'm mostly coming down from the height, but earlier, it was like a complete replay of the experience of induced euphoria during the cabin. The same kind of feeling of "awakening" with each moment I blink, as if I'm entering a new state of consciousness everytime I re-focus my eyes. Trippiness is the exact definition. And then I almost returned to that fucked cycle of obsessive-compulsive thoughts that kept repeating, "dude, these thoughts you're thinking are GENIOUS, you MUST write them down to share to the WORLD!"
haahaha.
After those distinct states of euphoria abated, I become less 'loose' with my senses. Simultaneous feelings of fatigue and minor attention of sensations assaulted my thougts. Cool. Now, I'm just in that general sphere of reality where everything feels distant and disjointed from the 'reality' you think you're perceiving. Fuck, when I read this in the morning I won't have a DAMN clue of what I'm describing. It's coo. I'MHIGHFOO.
whaaaaaat?!??

so.

APE was the rockingest. Of course it doesn't top SDCC, right? No matter, this weekend so far has been chaotic, to say the least.

The night before the big-bad APE, a lot of HECTIC things went down, capped I by a late night visit to Rob's place, complete with a stealth escape from Frank (a.k.a. Orlando). The usual suspects were present, Jasmine/Kiel, Jamie, Jen (plus her co-worker Melissa), Ale Elexa, Rob, Nick, Savage, and Pat. Fun times, from plans getting scheduled and re-scheduled on the fly, to wildness at the Davidson's. First, Van, Jaime, and I went out to a suck-ass 'Mexican' restaurant. It's called Vientos, don't go there. Afterward, we played a bit of phone-tag with Ryan and Ron, resulting in us (Van+Jaime+me) heading back to my place and later meeting up with Ron + Ryan + Orlando + Sherly at Urban Cafe. We chilled outside; the first of Jaime's cigars are blazed. Afterward, Ron + Van + Jaime + Ron roll out to Borders' shopping plaza, to chill in front of Aloha Sushi. In time, we see Cindy pop out of Borders with some of her friends, after which we shoot the breeze with her. Eventually, the four of us are on the way home, which turned out to be only half the night (and it was only midnight). When I get home, I'm told there's a little kickback at Rob's. SWEET. Although I thought Jaime didn't want to go, I learn that he does go out, and I, fresh out of the shower, rush my ass over to chilllll. Frank took over that night and snuck out to live it up as well. I get home at well past 3 am.

The next morning, was the quasi-unexpected trip to APE. I awoke to the sounds of rocks thrown at my window at a good 9:30am. Ryan and Jaime have come to pick me up to head out to San Fran. BODACIOUS. So we head out, after a oil-change and gas-up. We truck it to Hilltop, and stop to get lunch. Three McChickens, please...capitalist slave! We finally make it to the Bay City, luckily surviving the trek up the foothills. APE was a blast, saw some cool indy talents, Jaime drank a gin & tonic at 3pm, I met BECKY CLOONAN, the Jet Rag monkey cats, Amador, the guys behind Hamburger Eyes, Jim Mahfood, and random other indy consters. I managed to walk away with Demo #1-4, a large print of Becky's work, a DEMO patch, and a pin-up & movie poster of Hellboy. RADICAL. After parting ways with the hairy APE at about 5pm (and that really hot girl that walked around the con), the boys were back in town. Ryan, Jaime, and I, met up with "Frank" for a meal at TK at around 7. Num-num. We split ways with Ryan, and Frank, Jaime & I try to make it to Skip's to buy a guitar. No go. With no options left for now, we return to my place, only to find I am locked out. An hour or so later, my sister shows up to open the garage so we can get in. With much deliberation over trying to head out to Henry's for a party/kickback, we instead make our way back to Robert's once more. Once again, the same cool-kid crowd have met up, but this time, I AM PREPARED. With my camera within access, I was able to capture randomly great moments. From the gratuitous booty shots, to the embarrasing shots of me in an "elevated" state of mind, the BLACKMAIL is prime. Although Frank and Jaime left early, the fun kept rolling, until I decided to leave at 3am. Unfortunately, I'm most likely missing much more.

P.S.: we forgot to bring Alex to APE! D'oh!

P.P.S.: I'm flying! WOOOOO! ok, gnite.