I'd rather play at hug o'war

Not only did I make straight As this past semester, I apparently made a ONE HUNDRED on my Intermediate Algebra final. Needless to say I am still fucking reeling over that one. All I can say, as I told the girls on Saturday night, was God was in that room with me and He was most definitely aiding me. I...I just don't make As in math, okay? I studied my ass off for the final, attending three final reviews, but still. I...yeah.

Speaking of the girls and Saturday night, I was out for Tiff's bachelorette shindig. We went to see Sex and the City 2, which was pretty much horrifying from start to finish ( Spoilers, yo. ) After Cultural Anthropology this past semester, I know that it's perfectly fine to think someone backwards and/or disagree with their viewpoint, but when you are A GUEST IN THEIR FUCKING HOUSE/COUNTRY, you show them some fucking respect. I also loved that Charlotte continued to be the voice of that tiny bit of tradition that lurks inside Carrie. It explains so much of why their friendship is so awesome and awkward to watch at times.

We had a limo to get us around to all of Tiff's favorite places (the theme of the evening) so we all proceeded to get pretty fucking drunk. First, margaritas at Azteca's, and then two shots at Delany's appropriately named "Wedding Cake." Honestly, those were actually pretty fucking awesome because it actually tasted like cake with a maraschino cherry on top. At the end of the evening, the bride-to-be puked (seriously, it sounded like a shower because it was ALLLLLL liquid) in the driveway of her house, then stood up like nothing had just occurred to literally bring her to her knees, and said, "Now I can go to church," and walked up her front walk. When I texted her the next day, she was like, "I totes don't remember that." Which only furthered the awesomeness of the event, especially after Ogechi, Del, and I looked after her like, "Uh, so really, that just happened, yeah?"

Anyway, now I'm in College Algebra hell, but Dr. Smith, my Intro to Algebra teacher, is the captain of this boat so I feel as if I'm in good hands. I just need to make a B. I want an A just because, but I will totes settle for a B; I just don't want to have to repeat this shit come the fall.

So. It's quite possible my new English professor is going to make me insane by semester end. He has this really meandering, stream-of-consciousness lecture style. He's brilliant and a fellow word nerd, but oh my GOD, it's WEDNESDAY NIGHT. I've been at work ALL FUCKING DAY. You really want to make me cut you with this "I always go to 9:50" bullshit. (Speaking of, briary_flower, the poetry portion, which will happen mid-semester [we're covering drama now], runs the gamut. I spent a good half-hour ignoring him and bouncing from one poem to the next. We're talking ee cummings, Pablo Neruda, Edgar Allen Poe, W.H. Auden, Yeats, Keats, etc., etc., etc. I was completely geeking out.)

Holy fucking hell, I'm exhausted.

Also, HI EVERYBODY! I didn't mean to take such a long break from LJ, but I had my surgery last month and took three weeks off from just about everything. They took four and half pounds off of each breast (as Gabs put it, "You were packin a frickin baby around all this time!"), and while I'm not into real bras yet (it's sports bras all the way), I am officially a C-cup. Plus they were able to save both nipples so I can potentially breast feed my future babies. My god is it rad.

Anyway, I think that's enough of an update for now. I need to get some actual work done. Oh and write my paragraph on what I think is "good English." Did I mention my professor is a wee titch NUTS? Yeah.

Oh! Almost forgot. buffyx, blahblahologist, and halfway2home, thank you all for my Christmas cards! They were such lovely little surprises. (V, I LOVED the Office stuff, too. I was giggling like such a damn fool when I opened the package; Mom was giving me her "I don't get fangirls" look.)

ETA: Jensen Ackles, we need to talk. Really? This is what you spend your precious time off doing? REALLY? I want my seven bucks back, fucker.

Friday was my last day carpooling with Delaluce. We got into this huge argument a couple of weeks ago after she left me waiting for nearly an hour with no phone call. This wasn't the first time she'd done that to me, so when she suggested we not carpool anymore (not the first time she's threatened that, either), I was like, "Fine." Well, more like, "FINE," with some neck-poppin'.

Then I was sick for that week, and the day I return (after it had been decided we would stop carpooling as of April 1st, and she'd had a week to look for other transportation), she's like, "We could make this work." And I knew it was going to happen that way the moment I agreed to continue carpooling through April. I called her as I was heading home from the doctor's office, and I was exhausted and I just wanted to be home already. (Note: it's great to have your doctor's office near work when you're actually at work, but not when you feel like death warmed over and are coming all the way from home and thirty minutes one-way is like asking you to run a marathon with no training and nary a drop of water.) I agreed when she offered so magnanimously to carpool another month. She'd even drive the first week because I had been so sick! Geewillikers! I had a great carpool buddy!

But really, it was just a ploy. She didn't want to have to sign up with a vanpool or take the metro to and from work every day because it would mean sticking to a schedule. No more taking my time for granted because she needed to get something done that couldn't wait until tomorrow. None of this, "I totally paged you even though I know you NEVER have your pager and you ALWAYS keep your cell near at hand for just such a case as this!" She pulled that with a vanpool or the bus, she'd get her ass left behind.

She just didn't get that in order for us to remain friends (she has such a good heart most of the time), we would have to stop riding together. When we're just out and about – going to Riaro's and then to Chuy's after, or taking her kiddos to the movies together when the hubbie is out of town on business – we have a blast and a half.

So last Monday there was some much-needed divine intervention. Now that we're being re-organized into this new coordinator pool, I was able to pick my schedule. I like getting up early (I get up for the gym at 3:45am) so I requested the 7am - 3:30pm shift, which will go into effect in the next couple days when the paperwork is completed to change my lunch from an hour to a half-hour. For now, I'm working 7am - 4pm.

I knew it was the right decision when I found myself giggling with joy as I sped my way up 45N. On a MONDAY. It's all on me from here on out, and I absolutely love it.

Oh, yeah. Friday our online charting system went down, leaving me nothing to do since that's how I do my job and all, so I cleaned my desk for the first time in forever. (The last time? When I moved into this office last August. Yes, GROSS.) Anyway, for posterity's sake, I took photos because my desk will never be this clean again. Well. Until I quit. Or on the off-chance they move me again, which is totally possible.

Arcade Fire to appear on SNL February 24th

ARGH. This is the same episode Rainn Wilson will be hosting. Guh. I have been so good. I skipped JT's hosting return, and especially Jake's (I doubted that my love could withstand him being TEH SUCK. Hey, sketch comedy is not for everyone.)

But, dude. I would love to see Arcade Fire perform live and I'm curious to see Rainn as someone other than the Shrute. He seems such an oddball from the few interviews I've seen of him and on the commentaries. I want him to go totally balls out.

NOT FAIR, SNL.

In other Vegas-y news, the boss approved my half-day tomorrow AND I found two cute blouses for $12.99 each at Old Navy when I went out to lunch with Del. Whee! Then when Del talked to the bro while we were out, his girlfriend had called earlier (she flew in today) to tell him she'd already run into Sean Paul and another artist within two hours of her arrival. Yes, we're shamelessly going to follow any and all, big or small, celebrities we bump into. Why do you ask?

I'm seriously considering moving to Chicago. It sort of happened on a lark. I was messing around on CareerBuilder.com and set it for the US. Several jobs popped up for New York (way too fucking expensive), L.A. (which would be fun but also way too fucking expensive and I'm looking for actual seasons. BUT after posts like halfway2home's that involve Cate Blanchett, Leo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt being in the same room together being all good looking and charming and funny - well, a girl waffles), and Chicago.

I've started doing the research and Chicago isn't looking so scary, especially real estate-wise. The prices aren't THAT terrifying. (Sadly, Houston is booming so the prices aren't such a stretch.) I'm just concerned that I love winter weather such as Chicago's in theory rather than in actual practice. Am I still going to love the cold weather (and snow) when it's going on a week and the thermometer hasn't hit above thirty? Am I still going to love mass transit when I have to trudge through rain/snow/sleet/heat for four blocks?

So, um, are there any Chicagoans (or nearabouts) on the flist? Help a girl out. That said, I am not averse to someone selling me on the thrills of L.A. I've always loved the idea of living out there. Well, L.A. or New York. Those were dream places when I was growing up smack in the middle.

I have SPN fic! I still have to discuss some things with Evie, but it's basically finished. At a whopping 23 pages, it is my longest oneshot to date. I started it back in October, when my love for the show was only fizzling and not completely dead as it is now. I always seem to come in right as the creative drive of the show is taking a nosedive, or just veering off into left field. (Except for The Office. My love only grows for you, baby. Seriously. I would not be dying a small little death EVERY TIME I think about the Paley Festival if I didn't love you so. My John K. love is really only incidental at this point.) That’s when inspiration strikes, when it’s a pretty sure bet the fandom is waning and interest is little to zero. What can I say? I WIN at fandom.

Finally, I want to say thank you to everyone who commented on my previous two posts. It was way above and beyond and y'all are awesome for it. Truly appreciate it.

Today was our department's Thanksgiving potluck, and I'm about thisclose to falling face-first on my desk. We're a large group so it shouldn't be such a surprise that we have some amazing cooks, but hell if people didn't outdo themselves. Turkey, ham, sweet potatoes prepared just about every way imaginable (I brought Bourbon Yams.), green beans cooked with new potatoes and bacon so good I could have eaten seconds and thirds, mashed potatoes, dirty rice, rolls of every variety although I LOVED the ones Z bought from Hartz Chicken because they were still warm from the oven, this broccoli and rice casserole that was downright creamy, and some corn-on-the-cob done just right. Then there were the desserts: sweet potato pie (::dies::), pecan pie (store-bought and it had the shittiest crust ever so that was a big disappointment), this dark chocolate cake thingie with crumbled toffee on top, peach cobbler, and coconut cake.

Seriously, I can’t recall everything I ate because Del and I just went along and spooned everything that looked good onto our plates. We sat in the conference room for nearly an hour and a half afterwards in a post-gorging haze. Thank God for Crazy Carol, who was sitting across from us, because we worked off at least a few calories laughing at her crazy ass.

Then we had a guy pull the best trick on us. With research, there is quite a bit of separation between groups within the department, so when we have a big get together like this it's a lot of new faces, mostly from the lab but also those who work almost exclusively on the floor. Anyway, this guy sits down beside Crazy Carol, rather quiet, just eating his food, when he turns to CC all natural and innocent-like, asking, "So what department are you in?" Of course, this shocks the shit out of all of us, and he admits, "I'm from Memorial Southwest. A friend told me about this, so I came." When we asked him who his friend was, he deadpanned, "I have no friends." When MK, who's on my right, hears this, she has the best reaction, she just sort of stares at him, mouth open, so surprised at this interloper’s cojones that she is for once struck mute. Then she tells him jokingly, "Okay, just leave your five dollars on the table when you leave."

Of course, after several minutes of ribbing him, we spot him chatting with one of the operation managers, and that's when we learn the guy is actually one of the PhDs from Dr. I's lab. We could not stop laughing because he really had us going there. Also, more than a little impressed.

In other news, I'm going to Las Vegas in February for the NBA All-Star Weekend. Del, LaLa, Del's bro, Del's boy, Miss T, The Peon, Gay V, Cat - all told there's fifteen of us going, so we got a couple of suites at the Hilton on the Strip. Del and I are a bunch of giggling idiots because every time we get together, it somehow turns into planning the Vegas trip. (We're in good company because Del's boy put up a flashy little countdown graphic on his MySpace page.) We already have the directions to the nearest Wal-Mart because we're planning on cooking while we're up there since we all like to cook and there is a kitchen in the main suite, and you know, we don't want to go broke eating out.

And this icon has nothing whatsoever to do with this post; I’m just still on a high from last night. HEE!

Today was LaLa's last day. Del and I just about cried when she left for her exit interview, but LaLa nipped that in the bud. "Don't you dare cry. You cry, I cry. Not going to happen." I'm sad. I know I'm going to see her, and I'm really happy that she found an amazing opportunity (and more money) with Shell, but still. She made coming to work fun, and she always had a way of making me (us) laugh. HARD.

In other news, Del's dad discovered MySpace this week and created a profile. His stats list that he's both single and would rather not procreate, which is amusing for several reasons, mostly because he's married (he and Del's mama go back and forth about divorce so often it has become a joke at this point), and he has three kids.

I love my co-workers. They ensure that I never lack for entertainment.

After a scrumptious meal at P.F. Chang's (crab wontons with plum sauce and barbecued pork ribs as appetizers; followed by combination lo mein and Beef a la Sichuan for dinner with Asian Pear mojitos), we decided to go the movies and decided on Edward's Theater since it was just around the corner (confirmed by our hottie of a waiter, Wade).

We chose Superman Returns.

Sigh.

I really wanted to like this film. I really, really did. I thought Brandon Routh was great. Seemingly hapless as Clark but exuding this sense of calm and complete self-possession as Superman. It was a good balance, and even with the blue contacts (which I think is a crime when he has such gorgeous brown eyes), he was F.I.N.E. Every time there was a close up of him, Ngoc would lean over and sigh about how beautiful he was. Needless to say, he has a new fan down here in Texas.

The rest of the cast was capable. I enjoyed Kate Bosworth's performance despite my staunch belief that she is only moderately talented. Plus her chemistry with Tristan Lake Leabu, her on-screen son, was great, and he was absolutely adorable. Kevin Spacey did well with what little he was given to play, as was the case with Parker Posey. Naturally, James Marsden pulled the same shit he's been doing in about every movie ever, playing the nice boy who loves the girl but will ultimately end up the cuckold.

Now, as for the story - well, it was terrible. The script was choppy. Scenes were there for no reason at all, adding nothing to the storyline, and simply there so the boys doing the special effects could have another masturbatory blowout. And the effects were terrible! Could we just have Brandon on some wire, doing the superman pose, please? Does everything have to be manufactured? Come on, folks! Look at the mess that became of the Star Wars prequels. Just because you have the technology does not mean you have to use it for every fucking little thing.

( The rest behind the cut includes spoilers. Beware. )

It's like Ngoc said at the end of the movie. "I think we missed something here..."