+ Old Art
+ Old Songs
+ Old Boys
+ Old News
Nades &
Jafronda &
Mary &
Nicram &
Bo Bara &
Zacharius &c.
+ Pitas
+ Haloscan
+ Et Tois ♥ !
+ 08/01 - Kelsey's BBQ
+ 08/08 - Olympics!
+ 08/30 - Bumbershoot
Sleeping all the time is a bad habit. I'm gearing towards a more productive life back in college. At least I have Frisco '08 to look forward to. In between there's a conflict over whether to attend Bumbershoot or not. Then there's PAX as well. In between all that, I'm useless. I've been coming up with snippets of ideas, mostly half-baked game IPs, which I hazard at even describing as IPs. I've drawn a total of 3.5 pages in Brown Moleskin #1 so that's getting somewhere, right?
It's been a while, blog, so let's rap.
TUESDAY
A night spent awake playing video games segued into a phone call from Lorraine at 10:00 AM inviting me to a trip to Sequim (which I then had only learned to spell) with Brie, Sam, and Payton (Sam's beau).
I slept most of the way, though I woke up in time as we pulled into a visitor's area, where old people gave us directions to the nearest lavender farm. I was nervous since I'm guessing that they hadn't seen PoCs since the 1940s. I looked for any interestingly designed pamphlets, only finding generic Microsoft Word clip art brochures, though they were charming and sincere. One advertised Sequim Tae Kwon Do, and I'm sad that I can't find through Google. It reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite.
*SPEAKING OF ASIANS* I was talking to Brie while hoofing it to the lavender farm (which was "just a block away" said the guide-folks) about America's Best Dance Crew, and I informed her about it since I was still reeling from the loss of Fanny Pak and she didn't know anything about it. Eventually, a flicker of recognition sparked across her face: "Oh yeah, I think my third-cousin was on that show!" I was probably obviously excitemazed by this and frantically asked if she knew her name. "Cara?" she responded.
You mean CARA 'BARRACUDA' HORIBE from FANNY PAK?!?
I almost exploded right there, and I didn't even mind that we ended up walking around three-quarters of a mile in the wrong direction away from the farm, that the weather had gone from blisteringly sunny to lightly drizzling and grey as soon as we hit Sequim, or that we were lost in the middle of prime rustic, rural, Urban Outfitters editorial catalogue territory. That's. So. Cool.
So we make it back to Sam's car and we drive over to the farm, and it was really cute and charming. Women were creating bouquets of lavender and hanging their stalks from the ceiling. The heady fragrance of lavender was really strong and comforting. I know Lorraine and Nadine love lavender but I really didn't think anything of it. It was really nice, actually. I picked up a satchet of lavender potpourri they were selling in buckets and brought it to my nose and took in long, slow breath of it and the as the sweetness receded I was left with a disorienting lightheadedness. So I told Payton about it and we proceeded to repeat the process and guffaw. He was actually alright. We got along really well, even more so when we asked the girls if we could go to the local Gamestop later. He reminds me of Scooter John in so many ways, haha.
They agreed, but first we all went to The Buzz, a café which the lavender farm ladies recommended if we liked, in their words, "artsy-fartsy" places. The walls featured local artists' work, and this week I guess, they showed single panel comic works, resembling The Far Side, except not as witty (sorry, guy) and featuring anthropomorphised sheep. Fartsy!
Deciding we wanted food first, so we walked down the main street of Sequim looking for food, but not before I asked a barista where the nearest Gamestop could be found. and walked over to a Diner, the name of which I can't remember. I got a fish burger & sweet potato fries, finished, then we returned to The Buzz, after making a slight detour to a little bookstore that had a copy of Stuff White People Like on sale within its limited selection.
The Buzz & playing the "Going to California" and "Coffee & Tea" game that Mandrew and Monica taught us. We drove to Gamestop and I knew that there would be rare games that the local market didn't want. So many options: I found Disgaea 2 (PS2), Xenosaga III (PS2), Tales of the Abyss (PS2), & Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS), and ended up buying Disgaea and Xenosaga, despite visiting the Silverdale Gamestop earlier that day with my brother and buying Contact (DS) then. I didn't like Contact at all. Thank god they have a 7-day return policy on used games. I'm so mad, though, since I had the chance to buy a used Final Fantasy Tactics A2 (DS), but thought that Contact would be rarer and thought I'd give it a try and bought that instead. When I returned the game a few days later, someone else had swooped up Tactics, so I was left without any new DS game. Gatdang lucky bistro, you best enjoy that game.
Drove home, sleepy ride, got lost a little, but found our way using Payton's snazzy ~*iPhone*~. Crazy. He taught us the Yes, No, Maybe game and I'll try that on ya'll later. Listened to Sam's lovely music taste the whole way.
WEDNESDAY
Unbearable yard work at Canyon Vista PL. I had a blinding headache from the heat and felt so weak. Came home around 6 PM and having missed calls from Lorraine and Kelsey, Kelsey called my home phone and we had an awkward conversation around 10:00 PM, that her, Chase, and Lorraine were at a café, and she asked if I wanted to do anything, so I invited them over. Only Chase and her arrived, Lorraine went home to pack for her own California trip.
Kelsey was unusually hyper and giddy that day, we made Chin Faces with tape and a black sharpie, talked about what to do in Frisco, and started to talk about high school stalkers, me about A------- W. and how she continued to send me letters months after she left for California, which I never responded to. I remember that one time, frustrated that I didn't return her affection, she told me, "You know what, Ryan?! You're AFRAID of girls!!" Hilarious! I didn't know how right she was.
So, Kelsey asked if I still had them, and I slowly realised I DID so I dug them out of storage and we read them and LOL'd. We're definitely going to hell. Srsly.
I even found a letter that one guy gave me on my 13th-ish birthday, a really sweet if not revealing of a latent quasi-split-personality trait. You guy, we messed up, didn't we? Ah well.
THURSDAY + FRIDAY + SATURDAY
Olympics. The stunning Nastia Liukin & the sweet Shawn Johnson. Phelps' .01 victory. Craziness. I don't even remember what happened in between for me. My days have been quasi-blogged through Facebook status updates. All mostly about the Olympics, and the confirmation that I have shifts at Ian's next quarter, 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays. I hope to be busy next year, Design, Work, IMA, Study, Friends. I can't wait.
Reslyn, Kelsey, and Misha came over Saturday to watch Phelps win his 8th. Beast. It was good to share that with three close friends, especially Reslyn since I haven't seen her in forever.
Right now, I'm watching CBC broadcast the women's gymnastics individual events at 5:45 in the morning. I love their coverage since they actually feature countries other than the U.S. and whoever is lucky enough to be their rival in that sport. I still watch NBC, though, just because we have that channel in HD. Give and take, eh?
EDIT: I love Béla Károlyi. That's reason enough to stay with NBC, haha.
BACK TO THE RANT
So I've realised that being alone doesn't necessarily equate to loneliness. I haven't seen so many people in forever but I've given up most anxieties about that. Lorraine and I had a really good talk in her car when she drove me home after Sequim. I'm worried that she doesn't have outlets, I wish I knew the right things to say. I mentioned that she should talk to Mariela, since I know how good she's been to me. Lorraine's heading to the Bay area anyway. I hope I remember to give her number to Mariela later.
I can't wait for Nades to come back from California. I haven't seen her as much as I'd like as well. We're going to Seattle to eat with Andrew and possibly Kevin next week. I don't know about that guy. I know I embarrass him, but I can't seem to get over it. I know it speaks more of my own insecurity, but I can't help but feel a little apprehension towards him, which is unfair. Ah well. Dara and I were supposed to go bike riding, but I'm just too lazy to go outside of my house. I can't wait for school, everything will realign.
Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony tomorrow, and I'm stoked.
Fanny Pak :(
This is not the sound of a new man or crispy realization --
it's the sound of the unlocking and the lift away.
Your love will be
safe with me.
You could beg for forgiveness
as long as you like,
or just wait out the evening
and always ask me why.
Yes, you'll only leave me dry,
so I'll ask you kindly to make your way.
In this heat, we're lying in a boat that rocks side to side.
On the rivers, we'll float down.
In and out, we climb upon the banks and we watch the shadows
whilst the sun begins to float down.
Bought the Metal Gear Solid Collection for the PS2 (well, my brother did, and that mean's it's mine since he doesn't like it), Dragon Quest VIII (for 15 dollars!), and Viewtiful Joe (for only 5 dollars!!). It's the best thing.
I need to save up for Disgaea DS, Chrono Trigger DS, & Persona 4. This is going to be an epic holiday gaming season. If available, I'd like to buy a Gameboy Advance SP, but we'll see what's in the cards. I need to work my butt off. Let's do this thing.
Olympics Party at my house on the 8th.
Planning for The Great California Trip 2008 today, so pack your bags if you're go.
Anyway, I used to do this all the time, embarrassingly urging non-existing readership to listen up, but now that there are at least three of you out there that check this out, and only perhaps two regularly (you know who you are), I can try to impress my taste in music and we can talk about it later IRL, k bbs?
First of all, Ponytail are the most incendiary, spastic band I've heard in a long, long while. The video is for their song "Die Allman Bruders." Lately, I'm tired of mopey (boy)bands that leave me stiff and restless. I love my noise rock because you can move to it, and when you go to shows, you don't just stand and appreciate the music. I LOVE Ponytail. You should too! Yay!
Second album, Ice Cream Spiritual, out now. Here's a teaser of every track on the album on YouTube. The opening track, "Beg Waves," is stellar, "Celebrate the Body Electric (It Came from an Angel)" is transcendent. BTW, their first album's name was Kamehameha, which is all sorts of awesome in itself.
That tirade against "stand'n'ppreciate" music being said, I love La Blogotheque and coincidentally we both love the Low Lows. Maybe not as lightning-y (Ratatouille ref, fresh to def) as the previous band, and OK, fine, they're sorta mopey, but they produced a beautiful album, Shining Violence, that you would all probably like a lot better than Ponytail, despite Ponytail's obvious greatness.
Check out the French blog's treatment of Bon Iver while you're at it, since I've been hyping him and ya'll need an introduction. Actually, check out their feature on Elvis Perkins, St. Vincent, and Arcade Fire since you're there anyway. You're just an in-site search away from great music. It's not like your summer would be any less productive, right?
My obsession with this show is spilling into my iTunes library. I've gone through phases when I can't stop playing or singing to myself the songs from the crews' routines.
These include yet are not limited to: Michael Jackson's PYT (Jabbawockeez, Week 5), Britney Spears' Toy Soldier (Fanny Pak, Week 3), Usher's Love in this Club (SoReal Cru, Week 2), Mariah Carey's Touch My Body (Fanny Pak, Week 4), Janet Jackson's I Get Lonely (SoReal Cru, Week 5), Ciara's Like a Boy (ASIID, Week 2), and of course Chris Brown's With You (SoReal Cru, Week 4). If you haven't noticed, SoReal Cru gets all the good songs. Slow Jams FTMFW!
I chose to feature this video, not only because crewmember Brian is a total cutie patootie (inducing me to 14-year old Tiger Beat subscribing girl giggles and squeals), but because I love their dance to this, especially the three guys in the centre around the 1:04 mark, which coincidentally also further cements his cuteness. Also, LAWL at Lil Mama's comment, "You put so much choreography into that piece, I had to try to pay attention to you guys." HAHA So you weren't before?
So I've been waking up to this song and I've been playing it nonstop since I heard it in Kevin's car for the first time, the lo and behold SoReal Cru is dancing to it a few days later. This is the cheesiest, cutest, sweetest summer song EVAR. If the line "Baby, you're the best part of my day" doesn't make you smile then you have an icebox where your heart used to be. Gatdang it makes you feel SooooGooooood. HAHA my mouth is agape at how adorable this song is. Read the lyrics for chrissakes! Amirite or amirite? Teehee
An aside: the lyrics site I linked is SongMeanings.net and I use it because it's one of the few moderately well layouted lyrics hubs and also because people get to comment their opinions of what songs, well... mean, in the comments section of each song. My favourite for "With You" is that "This song is about how columbus discovered america and all the hardships the indians went through due to the white man." HAHAHA True that, username heygurlheyyy. True that.
Also, from reading the comments, I've realised that "With You" has the same beat and acoustic guitar as "Irreplaceable" by Beyoncé. HAHA Oh well, I love this song (maybe even more now). Chris Brown's voice is butter.
This week's episode is a Missy Elliot Tribute and I'm SoExcited! Last time I make that awful pun, I SoSwear.
Yester was a good day, watching The Curiosity of Chance which really just tried to hammer in as many gay coming-of-age scenarios into one movie. I did like that the straight guy that befriends the gay guy in this movie, whose name is Chance (whodathunkit) wasn't just trying to express his own gayness, just because meaningful straight guy, gay guy friendships in queer cinema seem to always be playing towards a romance.
Why aren't the token object-of-desire-straight-guys of queer cinema never just straight and open-minded? And if they are just friends, like one of Chance's sidekicks (the other being the also typical straight-girl-with-attitude-and-bicuriosity), he's just a flat character for comic relief? That is, until the of-course-it-was-gonna-happen-spoken-too-soon ending where they kiss and it's left up to the viewer to decide if it was Chance's fantasy or if it really happened.Ah well, it's not like the movie was trying to be the Citizen Kane of queer flicks, it even marketed itself as a typical high school movie, but I like my high school movies to have depth, ambition, and bravado. You know, like Mean Girls.
Anyway, before that, Lorraine and I went to Gamestop and I picked up Persona 3 FES and Odin Sphere. Epic.
Movie at Lorraine's house with Nades, Kelsey, & Jack. I just remember the lawls during that movie but not what caused them, and know that the lawls were NOT borne from the movie itself. Afterwards, YouTube Videos, reminiscing about old Nickelodeon live action shows, & blueberry muffins.
