Ryan's Personal Blog

It is now popular rumor that the world will end on December 21, 2012. Therefore, I am in the process of building a giant LEGO spaceship to take my family, friends, and I into space before then. Anyone who has blue bricks to spare is welcome to come along.

So a collection agency for Rob called my MOM today. They fibbed and said she was listed as a reference and that they wanted to speak to Rob. In which she replied… “He doesn’t live here, he’s my daughter’s roommate.” And when they asked for his number, she said “I’m not going to GIVE you his number, I don’t even know if you are who you say you are. You can leave a message.” Go mom! Hope they don’t call again. D:

When I did the reverse look-up, on one of the results there were comments left by others. One was about how this collection agency keeps calling him, trying to reach a guy he hasn’t been roommates with in 4 years. He has told them repeatedly to take them off their list and they haven’t. The last time he was on hold for like 30 minutes and then he got their voice mail. Ugh.

Future predictions:

• Hot water will be hot when turned on.
• Cars will hover or fly and be covered with rubber, like bumper cars.
• Environmentally-safe fuel.
• Microwaves will be replaced by better models.
• Cell phones will make use of holographs when speakerphone has been selected.
  Otherwise they will output the voice directly into your mind.
• All modern televisions will be huge and paper flat.
• Everything will be recycled. Even waste.
  Probably as fertilizer.
• A cure for the common cold and all types of cancer.
• The year 2000 will be known as the year “2k.” 2010 will be called “2k10.”
• Internal ID tagging for each person. The cost of crime will go down, but black market sales in tags will increase.
• Trains will be covered by tunnels and travel at least x3 travel faster than they did in the early 2000s.
• Unhealthy ingredients (like high fructose corn syrup) will be tweaked into something healthier or otherwise eliminated.
• A planet in our solar system will either be transformed into a green paradise,
  or a planet outside of the solar system (hospitable to humans) will be discovered. The planet will be used as a vacation resort for only the wealthiest who can afford it.
• A new form of disease will arise, either naturally, by accident, or through rebel actions.
  The rich and powerful will pay or bribe their way to the second planet.
  70% of the Earth’s population will die, due to sickness. The economy will fail.
  Transport ships will cease being offered, due to the risk of disease.
• War will ensue on planet Earth for the remaining resources. The planet will become a barren wasteland. Survivors will feed on what or who they can, and defend themselves with weapons (that replaced guns in the past) with limited ammunition before succumbing to starvation or being killed for their limited food supply.
• The other planet will become labeled New Earth in tribute.
• After a century it will be discovered that the chemicals that make up the food on New Earth have made a good deal of people infertile. Cloning will be heavily researched, and for centuries to come, people will clone themselves when they wish to have children.
• Old Earth will be destroyed by a monstrous sun flare.
• Centuries later humans will discover that their DNA’s integrity has begun to break down. There will be no new material to clone from. Experimentation with animals will fail.
• The human race eventually dies out.

Chased some wasp-like bug (not a wasp though, not sure what it is) about the room, trying to kill it with a shoe, and hit the lizard cage… and killed my mercury vapor bulb. Just died on me. You can’t go out and buy any MVB for a reptile… so now I hafta special order it. >_< Scary thing is, I think I hit that bug a dozen times and it still didn't die. And normally Uno EATS every bug she finds, but she ran over to it (before I realized it was around) and then suddenly she flew back and ran across the room.

Rob cursing from the other room.
Me: “What?”
Rob: “Oh, the fact that I’m like the first one to watch this disc, and there’s deep scratches on it.”
Me: “What is it?”
Rob: “Something I shouldn’t be watching.”
Me: “Porn?”
Rob: “Even worse.”
Me: “Twilight?”
Rob: “Yeah.”
Me: “Really?”
Rob. “Yeah.”

True story. By the way, if you like Twilight, you need better reading material.

How to Annoy Your Roommate #182: Whistle loudly in tune (or off-tune) with all the songs you play on your computer.

What’s the best way to stay up all day after not sleeping? Besides caffeine pills, haven’t got any.

Where… is… the sun… to brighten my day… and help keep me awake…

Oh oh, pizza time!
Me: “Did you wash your hands real good with warm water?”
Rob: “Nooo.”
Me: “Well, at least you were honest!”

Con: I’m suffering from a sharp stomachache now.
Pro. It’s really helping me stay awake. *cringe*

All over the internet I’m seeing these ads of “Combine yours and another photo to see what your baby will look like!” with a computer-generated image of a hideous baby. I think this is a ploy to get the population to reproduce less. I approve.

Well, I think this has officially been one of the worst train trips I’ve ever taken. I spent the weekend with the boyfriend and had a lot of fun, but the train trip home is another story.

First, like always, I thought we might be late. I always seem to get there 5 minutes before the train leaves. I felt really carsick on the way to the station, and the feeling didn’t really pass once my feet were on the ground. Fighting the urge to be sick, we went into the station, got my ticket, said our goodbyes, and then I rushed off to get on the train.

I found a seat next to a nice gentleman, and listened to the “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen” announcement, complete with “Please see the safety instructions manual located on the back pocket of the seat in front of you.” So in case of accident, what, we put our heads between our knees and kiss our asses goodbye?

Time for everyone to get their tickets and IDs out, and as the woman came by to check, she’d hastily demand that luggage be under the seat or in the overhead bin. This is incredibly ironic, since there is so much space between the seat you’re in and the seat in front of you, that you can’t even reach the foot rest. It’s a joke. I was told I’d have to hold my big purse in my lap. Yes, let’s keep those incredibly big open spaces open. A single bag or two just will not do.

You get one complimentary snack and beverage on this trip, so as soon as my ticket is checked, my neighbor and I head for the snack car. I get a head start so I can smuggle a water AND a Sprite (oh noes!). Yes, I said smuggle, because if they catch you with more than one snack or beverage, they will tell you you can only have of each. I need the water for hydration and the soda to keep me from being nauseous, but I doubt they would care.

I’ve been on the train so many times now, that it’s a bit surprising how shaky the train is. The other train on the way here had been shaky but this is just ridiculous. I’m literally getting thrown about as I try to change cars.

I wish the train had its own wireless. Then I wouldn’t be stuck with nothing to do but writing this.

I realized I’d be better set up in the lounge car than in my seat, so I can be on my computer. I tell this to my neighbor, just so he doesn’t think I’m trying to ditch him, and he agrees–as the seats are so far apart, I’d have to practically squat on the floor to be anywhere near my computer on the food tray of the seat in front of me.

There are tags where people set that let the staff know where the passengers are going. I noticed the one man in the lounge car had brought his. Seems like a good idea. I get back to my seat and they haven’t written anything on either tags, so there’s no point in taking one. I take my things and I try to survive the train’s movements to make it the snack car. I get there, sit down, get ready to plug my computer in–and find there are no outlets. The tables take up one half of the long car, and the outlet is at the farthest end, in the corner, where nobody can sit or be. Great.

I remembered that there’s usually seats with tables near the front of every car. I move back to the front of the car I’d originally been in, and find one side occupied by two girls, and the other by an elderly couple. I don’t like sitting next to young girls, it makes me and my own appearance miserable by comparison. I jabber away in explanation about the lounge car and ask if I can sit there, and get stared at, until they must have translated my gibberish and agreed. I go back and get my stuff, come back, and they’ve moved to sit on the same side, which was very considerate of them. I gratefully sit down and get out my computer and set it up, while getting the occasional stare from one of them, and sometimes from one of the girls. I think it’s the sudden typing. I know I type fast, and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone thought I was just bashing random keys in order to sound intelligent. Funny, really, because typing doesn’t make you intelligent, it’s only gives you something to do.

Being hot, even my ability to not sweat couldn’t stop a thin layer of moisture from forming on my forehead and causing my hands to itch irritably from being unable to do the same. I reach into my big purse and root around until I find my deoderant. I turn the knob, and surprise surprise, it’s empty. I squeeze it and get a bit of results, but the only way I can apply it is up under my shirt, so I lean a bit and try, but fail since there wasn’t enough deoderant left, and resign to just tossing it back in my hand. I think one of the girls sitting across the way saw and began to giggle. I caught her looking at me and pinned the stare right back. It stops her from telling her friend and she averts her eyes. And when she looks at me again, I look right back. At this point I’m extremely embarrassed and just wish I was already home.

As I begin to write, I almost feel the pressing need to look to one of the eldery people across from me and ask “How do you spell nauseous?” And then I think about it and then I smile.

I’m wondering if the girls are from another country, because they are speaking a language I don’t recognize. I don’t know if they speak English, so it’s probably a good thing I didn’t ask to sit by them.

I know at some point I’m going to be stopped by a train staff member, and I do. She asks me for my ticket and then pauses and asks, “Or did you just move?” I said I’d moved. She asked where and commented that there’s probably already someone else in my seat. I had to turn around and squint so that I could say that I was sitting next to the guy in the blue bandana with white details. “Yep, there’s already someone sitting there.” Not that I really care, but I sounded intrigued. “Oh really?” “Yep, some guy in a blue hat.” Well good for him, except if he’s trying to dodge being asked about having a ticket. So she goes off and I haven’t heard tale yet, but I put out my ticket stub in case she comes around again.

Even though my body has calmed down from the anxiety, it’s still a little hot on the train. I want to get up and wash my hands before I eat the fries I brought on board, but washing your hands on a train seems pointless. There’s probably germs everywhere. Touching the sink, the soap dispenser, the door, bah.

I wish I had headphones, so I could listen to my music, but I was thick and forgot them. I do have to admit, it can be a little amusing to see the younger folk clinging for dear life as they move from car to car and down the aisle.

I don’t usually write journal entries this long, but I have plenty of time. Even still, I don’t want to spend the entire time writing this, so I think I’ll just add bits here and there if I have to. There must be something more interesting to do.

In other news, I can’t wait for Halloween. It’s my favorite holiday. Actually, it’s probably the only holiday I really like. I can take the time to don a scary costume and I won’t be taken to the psych ward. Like last year, this year I am going as the Grim Reaper. It’s been my best and most vivid costume yet.

The station we just stopped at has thick and dark clouds overhead, like a huge wool blanket covering the entire town. The storm hasn’t seemed to start yet, surprisingly, but it no doubt will soon. A strange little brown bug landed on the sill outside my window, a kind I’ve never seen before. He shifted about to try and hold on as the train started, and then flew off.

The same staff woman came by to tell the girls to put up their stuff in case someone sits down. Now I’m holding a satchel and a purse in my lap; there’s no way either is going in an overhead bin, and there’s no room to put them under the table because this eldery couple likes to have their leg room. I can’t stretch out my own legs as a result and my knees are feeling weary, but I’ll live. I just wish home wasn’t much farther away.

I feel a little fuzzy in the head. I think the jerking about of the train is hurting my eyes. I wouldn’t mind a nap, but it’s easier on a plane than a train. I’ve never been able to get comfortable and sleep on one of these. That’s apparently not the case for the elderly couple. Meanwhile the two girls are conversing away in another tongue. I think their accent might be German or Russian.

I’m so tired.

Now I’m thinking it may be Dutch. And my fries have gone cold. I feel nasty eating fries with unwashed hands, perhaps a bit nastier eating cold fries. At least I scored a complimentary snack.

The elderly woman doesn’t want to sleep. She keeps trying to keep herself awake, and occasionally glances at me. I used to think I looked pretty trustworthy, but I’m wondering if the eyebrow piercing is making her think I’m a ‘hoodlum’ or something.

It’s starting to rain now, but it doesn’t last long. The man in the meantime has resumed snoring. We left the dark blanket of clouds behind, but there’s still a few stragglers, not as pregnant as the ones before. I’m wondering if the sky will clear up as we travel. It’s currently a dirty white, with some slightly darker clouds. Looking out the window on the other side shows a sky that makes you wonder if the sky is dark with low white clouds or if it’s white with high dark clouds. It’s really hard to tell, the darkness seems to take up most everything except the very horizon.

We’re passing another town, but it looks small; I don’t think we stop here. There’s a small grocery store, a church, some small family-owned business, a gas station, and a lot of little houses, all mixed in. The buildings grow bigger as we go on. A factory, some old corporate buildings, another factory even bigger than the first. Lots of old decrepit buildings with broken window panes. Now small houses, on the edge of the wilderness. The rain has started up again. The buildings then changed briefly to the other side of the tracks, and now there is only trees again.

Sometimes I check up to see what wireless networks are available. They come and go as we pass the towns. It’s not possible to actually connect to the Internet with them, but I try anyway. I always wonder about whatever network seems to stay with the train as we travel. No matter the level of bars, even if you connect, there’s an access to the Internet. I don’t know much about networks, but I wonder how someone can perhaps bring their own on the train. It’s beyond me.

I managed to get some sleep, but now my arm’s hurting too much to continue.

Early evening has become a late one. There’s only one more station after this one we’ve stopped at, and it’s mine. The elderly couple got off, so now I have leg room; my bad knee is thankful. I’ve been working on formatting some Javascript scripts in the meantime.

The train’s running a little late. First to stop for something, then to stop again because of trouble with a sign ahead working.

There’s a strange sound coming from ahead. It almost sounds like a welder’s torch. It passed after a moment. The train is jerking about more wildly than before. I think they’re trying to make up for lost time. The sound started up again and stopped, but I don’t know what it was. I don’t mind train rides so much during the day, but during night, with nothing better to do and only darkness outside your window, with the occasional pinpoint lights of passing towns, it’s easy to let your imagination wander. “What’s that sound? Are we going to derail? Is the car going to disconnect?” These aren’t exactly thought with outright anxiety, but idly wondered. Something to pass the time, I suppose.

So tired. I pulled two all-nighters in a row on a site for Rob’s boss, woke up at 6pm, clipped the bearded dragon’s claws so now I’m covered in painful irritating scratches, and burned myself while cooking. Then I discovered one of the sponges Rob uses trying to create its own ecosystem with an ungodly amount of mold. I called Rob up and asked him to bring home some sleeping pills, so I can get my schedule straight again.

Scott’s sister is having her wedding today, so I’ve convinced myself that having a bad day is cosmic balance for them having a (hopefully) great day. I’ll take anything life throws at me today. Well, almost anything.

Besides, one has to look at these things like the glass is half-full. I’ve made a great site, won’t get scratched by the beardie for a while, and have made myself some yummy spaghetti. There’s nothing positive about that sponge though. The best I can think of is that it becomes home to a new micro-civilization, but then you have to remember that I’ve just gone and thrown it out, possibly making me a criminal of mundicide, ecocide, populicide, you name it. …But at least I have spaghetti.

Funny conversations with friends on the subject of children:

Jesse:

I am never having children. Which is a shame because I would name my boy Tyrannosaurus, and that’s pretty much the coolest fucking name ever. Nobody would fuck with him.

“I’m going to go beat that kid up.”
“Wait! Don’t!”
“Why not?”
“You don’t know who that is, do you? That’s Tyrannosaurus.”
“Christ, his name alone kicked my ass.”

Imagine role call.

“Tim.” “Here.” “Tyler.” “Here.” “Tyrannosaurus” “Rarr!”

Jun:

I will have one child. And that child will rull the world. Er, rule. Be kinda anti-climatic if the kid just rulled.

My thoughts: After babysitting my 2-year-old and 2-month-old nephews for one night, I can safely say I will never have children. Not ever.

Maybe when I’m 50 I can adopt a 25-year-old. Then I can just skip past the birthing, baby, toddler, and teenhood stuff, and skip straight past to the part where your kid is all grown up and living far away, but visits for the holidays.

My online order of a journal, cap, and CD was delivered on June 23rd while I was out, and someone seemingly stole it off the doorstep, because I called UPS Mail Innovations, USPS, UPS and finally my post office to be told that indeedy, they did deliver it to my door and left it there, but they’ve had a problem with kids stealing things and the post people are supposed to leave notes and not the boxes, and now they will have to start doing that for the entire complex.

And then the guy added something very doubtful in his phone message: He said he noticed I live on the ground floor, and for first floor occupants, the package is usually left on the front door, but for the second and third floor people, the postman will slip the package into their patios. Rob’s comment: “Yeah, right, is he Spiderman?” In some of the buildings here, you can reach over and tag the patio railing of second and third floor people from the stairwell (still, it would be difficult to place a package on the patio unless one tossed it in), but we don’t have a stairwell separating our apartments in this building, meaning a postman would have to literally throw up a package to get it into the patio, and hope he doesn’t miss.

Anyway, I knew the only thing I could do at this point was to call the people I had ordered the package from, and explain what happened. So I called their customer service, told them what happened, and was surprised to find that they’re going to send me a replacement package. I could either have it sent to another safer address where someone would be there to sign for it, or as long as I was definitely going to be here, have it sent here. Only reason I wasn’t here for the package the first time was that it was my birthday weekend, I had spent the night at Mom’s. So the representative wrote specific instructions to UPS to have someone sign for the package.

Second time’s a charm! I’m lucky they’re even willing to send a replacement package, I thought they’d say, “Sorry, nothing we can do!” and that I’d have to buy the items all over again. So three weeks to a month later, I hope to finally receive my stuff.

So all the stress of being directed from place to place over a missing package, my lifelong feline companion dying of old age, it’s been a GREAT time. … Still, life always manages to throw in good moments. I can never say the entire time’s been miserable, and for that I’m thankful.

After Tippy passed, things got too quiet here. I got lonely. It hurt me really deeply that he had passed. I know it was his time, and he at least went peacefully in his sleep, but still, it hurt so much.

A few days later, we went to Petsmart, just to look at the animals. I thought I might bring a fancy rat home, but wasn’t sure. I looked at the rats there, but most of them were siblings, and I couldn’t bring myself to separate them. Not to mention, rats are best bought in pairs to keep each other company, and I only wanted a single pet.

So after playing with the rats, Rob suggested I could see the kitties next. I said I’d wash my hands and he said he didn’t think anyone was working over there today, so we probably couldn’t see them. Well that wouldn’t have been fun, so I flagged down a Petsmart employee and they said they’d page someone there. I went and washed my hands, then headed over and got to play with the kitties.

The first was a very luxurious looking feline named Lexus. She reminded me of my sister’s cat, Mama Red. Just this kind of air of royalty about her. We saw Lexus first, but she just wanted to explore the room, and then she started getting bitey and nippy at the employee when she tried to pick Lexus up, so we moved on to looking at Cincy, but she was too shy to come out of her cage and see us. Thirdly we saw Uno, an 8-month-old bobtail kitty. I didn’t know if she was a bobtail or if her tail had been in an accident, so I tried to avoid touching her bobbed tail in case it might be painful. She was very cute and affectionate, a real winner. And then I realized… I wasn’t just playing with the kitties, I was seriously looking for one to adopt.

I didn’t take out any of the younger kittens because I wanted to avoid picking one to adopt. The reason for this is that kittens are playful almost the entire time they’re awake, and they deserve someone who’s going to dote constant attention on them, like a child. I was looking for a feline a bit more mature, who I could play and relax with. Before Rob and I left, we read her sheet again and saw it identified Uno’s breed as a bobtail, so the bobbed tail was natural for her.

I really liked Uno so when I got home, I went to Second Chance’s site and filled out an online application. Four days later we were bringing Uno home. It’s been a joy to see her every morning, and every evening she curls up with Rob or myself, purring loudly. I’ve made Uno her very own web site and done some research on her breed, which I believe to be a Japanese Bobtail. I ruled out American Bobtail because it says they’re long-furred, and she’s short-haired. It also says JBT’s make a variety of sounds, and she certainly does. Yesterday she roared at a bird!