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October 31, 2005

Boo!

Happy Halloween, 2005

Enjoy your day of required costuming (or not) and don't eat too much candy!



file under: celebration

October 27, 2005

iBook-less

It's weird to be without a computer. There are days when I don't touch it at all, it just sits there resting quietly on my desk, the white light of sleep pulsing slowly...then there are days when I spend hours on it. But when you don't have it, you think of all the things you do with it, that you'd really like to do rightnow and can't. Like I would have told my story to some friends on AIM. Or wrote down a few ideas for the story. Man my hand is going to be cramped for a few days.

Sounds like I'll be lucky to get the comp back on Wednesday, since I got to the store too late yesterday to have it shipped off to the repair depot that day, and it will probably take them about a week. Wednesday is not too bad, it's only the 2nd of November, but it's still two days where I can't write at night. Cece has volunteered her laptop, but I can't monopolize it for the 1st week of NaNo if I don't have a comp. Sigh. Anyone have a spare comp they'd let me borrow for a week?

Also have to cross your fingers and pray that the hard drive doesn't get wiped. Apparently the repair place is like an assembly line, they run some diagnostic tests and then send the comp to wherever the repair for the crucked part is. And if the diagnostic test finds that something in the hard drive is corrupt, it might get replaced or wiped, even if that's not what was originally wrong, and that's not cool. The genius at the store (that's what they call themselves. Not joking. They certainly know more than I do about Macs) said it was probably a logic board problem, something with the video output, which has nothing to do with the hd, so I'm to understand, and only 1% of computers come back with a wiped drive, but still. *sniff* I still have the old computer with all the OS 9 stuff on it, hard as it is to read, but I really don't want to have to transfer it.

Just to make me feel better, I got a notice today from Yahoo! that my account (which I've had for years) was deactivated due to violation of terms of service. You know me, I don't send out spam, I don't post lewd pictures. I don't use my Yahoo Mail account anyway, so I couldn't do that through email.If that's happening, it's because someone else is using my account fraudulently. I listen to LAUNCH, I use Yahoo Groups and am on a few mailing lists through Yahoo. I play games there and look for movie information. If that's an inactive account, I'd hate to see an active. So hopefully that will get taken care of, but I'm still waiting for an answer to the email I sent back in reply.

It's never easy. But then again, if it were easy, everyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it great.



file under: muses

October 26, 2005

it's not the blue screen of death, but...

my 8-month old iBook is experiencing some severe technical difficulties. It's a trip to the Apple Store for me. Thank God the saleslady persuaded me to get the extended warranty, even though I'm not near the 1-year warranty that Apple offers.

(I'll take this opportunity to let you PC users laugh at me. But you shouldn't, usually.)

Yesterday I had the laptop at work and used it fine, and put it to sleep before the long trek to the October Writer's Meetup. My car was having its state safety inspection, so no car for Jen. So I took the very good WU shuttle system. Unfortunately, it took an extra long time to get from the med school (work) to the hilltop (shuttle bus nexus, where the shuttle to Borders leaves from) because, God bless him, we had a man in a wheelchair get on at about the middle of the line. It took about 10 minutes each to get him on the bus and off, which made us late for the hilltop (we got passed by the other shuttle running the line) therefore I couldn't catch the shuttle to Borders. Which I might have missed anyway, because when another one came (on time, but a half-hour later than I needed it) the bus driver zoomed off as soon as the last person sat down and didn't wait for anyone else. Usually they wait a minute or two...

Anyway, the point of that little digression was to note that it was a little chilly while waiting for the Borders shuttle, so maybe that mucked things up, but when I got to Borders and opened the lid to begin writing (well, sort of) it chimed at me like I had turned it off and then started it up again. I almost never shut down the computer, since it's a Mac and it likes to be stable and not need restarting, so I know I hadn't done that then. But then the computer just sat there. It was *on* but nothing displayed. So I tried restarting. No go. Then I tried restarting with the power cord, and it worked. Whew.

Alas, when the screensaver came on (since we were talking more than we were writing) it was just white lines on a black background (and no, that is NOT my screensaver), and it wouldn't go away, so another restart. Various ons and offs later, it seemed to be ok, but after a while of working, the screen just went black, but again, the computer was on. And no burned out backlight like on the old laptop. So I called it a day and tried to turn it off, and of course that didn't work well either. Boo.

Got it home, tried a few tricks I know about to get it working, and it did, for a while. Then it did the blank screen again, and I couldn't get it to turn off without unplugging AND removing the battery. Tried to get it to run off a cd to do some diagnostics and it was nothing doing, and the cd is still in the drive to boot (no pun intended). SO I'm going to stop by the Apple Store in the Galleria and hopefully the geniuses there can help me out. This is a bad time for me to lose my laptop, because November is right around the corner and therefore so is NaNo. Sure I can write at work, but my best writings came at about midnight each night last year, and I can't exactly traipse to work in my pj's to write that 'perfect scene' when it wakes me up in the middle of the night.

So pray for me and my Mac, and the next time you see me, please don't laugh at my my iBook. It's on the defensive as it is.



file under: rants

October 17, 2005

60B

So I saw Elizabethtown friday night, and liked it. I went with friends who didn't see it because of Orlando Bloom and had heard it reamed on NPR's movie review just prior to arriving at the theater, and liked it anyway. It was funnier than I expected. It was glorious seeing Orli's face up close like that (and we were close. The Moolah's couches are very close to the screen, and it's a big screen, and we were in the second row. I think my neck is still a little sore, lol) and overall I was happy with the movie. It's no Almost Famous, but it's a worthy effort by director Cameron Crowe. I'm not sure it deserved all the drubbings it got from the critics. I can see some of what they're talking about, some slow moments and a little bit of weird editing, but shoot, Return of the King had that too, and look how that turned out. I wonder what the cut was like at the Toronto Film Festival, where ETown premiered, since apparently it was so bad that CC was forced to recut it.

There were lots of funny bits. There were definitely things I could relate to, like the scene where Drew (Orlando's character) first meets his country cousins. I've had that happen to me before; there's this room full of people who know me, and know me well, somehow, even though they haven't seen me since I was yea-high to a grasshopper (aka a very long time ago), and they LOVE that you're there! It's weird and offputting and strangely gratifying. Seemed like there was a lot of reality in this movie, for all that it's larger than life.

I suppose I can see where some of the complaints came from. Some parts are a little long, true, and some of the scenes didn't quite flow. There were technical questions, like why on earth wasn't test-marketing done on this shoe (Drew is a shoe designer who spent eight years designing this one shoe which turns out, as the movie calls it, to be a total fiasco), and honestly, whose cell phone battery lasts all night? And how exactly did they have Drew getting lost on the way to Elizabethtown (which is on exit 60B, in case you were wondering about the title) when it looks like a straight shot from the airport to the town? But those don't seem like reasons to pan the movie. Just observations.

I kept noticing little moments that reminded me of Orli in other parts...I guess I've seen him so much in his other movies that everything he's done now is overlaid with Will or Legolas or Balian. Which isn't a bad thing. I like him in those movies. I guess it's just that I don't want him stereotyped in my mind. It's a good thing this was a comedy. I laughed quite a bit, and so did the rest of the theater. It was mostly girls (no surprise there) or couples, though there were two older men sitting on the couch next to us, and all of us wondered why exactly old men were going to see an Orlando Bloom movie. Maybe they were just going because they had nothing better to do. Maybe they like Cameron Crowe's movies. Maybe they like Cameron Crowe. Whatever. Regardless, the couches were full and there were people upstairs in the balcony as well. Good. And box-office wise, it came in third behind The Fog and Wallace & Gromitt, which I consider a good showing because ETown was on fewer screens and wasn't rated G.

I wore my only western-style buttondown shirt, because Orli wears one in the scene at the end of the movie. Doubt anyone noticed, but it made me happy. Also making me happy was the toasted ravioli that I had during the movie, even though it was expensive and I had to leave the theater for about 30 seconds to get it. The Moolah is a nice place, and I hope I get to go back soon. This time I'm going to remember to ask for the student discount and get my parking pass validated so I can get a discount on consessions. Ah well. You live, you learn.

On another movie related note, I saw Domino (starring Kiera Knightly and opening wide the same day as ETown) a couple of weeks ago as a free screening from Glamour magazine. It was good, fast-pasted, frenetic. Visually engaging. Not so much gory as gritty. Very in your face and if you don't like it I'll punch you in the nose (which occurred several times). Unexpectedly funny at times. Made you wonder how much of the story was true. I'd recommend it, but I'm glad I didn't have to pay for it.

I wonder if an envelope from AAMC will be waiting for me when I get home...it's the middle of October, after all, and the MCAT scores are supposed to be coming out about now...Friday and Saturday when I checked the mail there were important looking envelopes that at first glance looked like they could be score-containing, but I was disappointed. Even now I'm nervous thinking about it. Damn stupid college GPA. Why didn't I study harder? Because if these scores are crappy, not only will I have to take the MCAT again, I'll have to take graduate courses, because there's no way med schools will look at my app once they see the GPA. Sigh. Hindsight sucks.

Just a little more work, then I'll be on my way. Go Cards!


reading  Wicked, Gregory Maguire. Borrowed from Cece in hopes that I'll finish it before seeing the eponymous musical when it comes to the Fox...
file under: movies

October 14, 2005

a heck of a place to find yourself

In honor of the new movie Elizabethtown coming out today, you have a new layout. Lots of new things tried in this design, and it's not finished yet. I hope you like it...it took me a long time to learn the CSS. Please forgive the odd placement while I try to figure out which stupid DIV tag isn't closed. Everything that you remember should be here, it just might be in an odd place. If you see something that you know absolutely cannot be right, comment, and I'll see if I can fix it. And if you notice it, it's most likely that I noticed it too, since it's still being updated. I hope to have an archive page redesign up soon, but it might be a while. I've got a list that's slowly but surely being checked off. If the colors are screamingly annoying, comment, and tell me what colors would be better. I like having my (ahem) fans' input.

Tonight not only do I get to see a movie with Orli, I get to see it at the Moolah Shrine Theater which has couches in the first five rows. Hopefully we'll snag one of those, but it's first come, first served, so who knows?

And it's official...I've got my tickets to Vegas. Now all I have to do is not spend any money from now until then, and I'll be ok...though I really want an iPod Nano for the trip. Wouldn't that be grand.



file under: movies , orlando , webetcetera

October 11, 2005

It's a fangirl day

The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum. --Frances Willard

Kingdom of Heaven, the Etown score, and Lifefrom Ricky Martin (yes, that Ricky Martin) all come out today. I'm excited. I'll have time tonight to head to the store (there's even rebates at FYE! Score!) after I talk to one of the deans from WU Arts & Sciences about med school. I feel like such a n00b about it. I don't even really know the proper progression of what happens once you're in it. That and I have to write essays. And find science teachers for evaluation purposes. Natch. But anyway, once I've spent they very little money I can this week, I'll be a happy camper since I will have Orlando goodness to watch. Whee! Maybe I can remember to pick up a new notebook at the campus bookstore, as it seems I've lost mine. *tear* all those ideas. Hopefully I'll find it, but it's not looking good.

Happier note, I found out that I did in fact get 100 on my A&P test, which just rocks my socks. I hope that the next one can be so high. I have a lab practical exam this week, which I suppose I should prepare for...I've probably mentioned it before, but usually I do better in labs than I do in the lecture. Here it's the opposite. Oh well. Study harder. Why oh why didn't I do that when I was actually in college? Ah, hindsight.

Still waiting on those MCAT scores. Oh, and the contents pages (linked above) have been migrated to MT. So there's nothing new, just makes it easier on me to put something new there when I finally do get a chance. Best be off to work.



file under: movies , muses , music , orlando

October 4, 2005

Aced, baby.

So I had my first A&P test last night. The prof gives us two answer sheets, one for him and one to keep, and he puts out the answer key right after the test. And I checked said answer sheet, and unless I mis-circled an answer on the turned in answer sheet, I got all of them right. Hot damn! I think that might be the first aced college test I ever had. Hopefully the rest of the class will go so well. Will have a take-home test in lab this week and then a practical next week. The overall grade is the average of the class and the lab...so far doing much much better in lecture than lab, which is odd, b/c usually it's the other way 'round for me.

(we'll just forget about the part where I was too sick to study for this test, shall we?)

And GO CARDS! They won the first game of division play, though it got tense at the end. Went from an 8-0 shutout to an 8-5 win with the tying run at bat...but yay. Let's go Cardinals!


reading  Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for the (at least) 6th time
file under: celebration , education

October 3, 2005

Indulging my fandom

...that's what I did this weekend.

I helped my parents set up the Parkway West show on Friday, then went home after being with my parents for the night. Thought I might try to make it to an "interactive" Pirates of the Caribbean showing (in the style of Rocky Horror Picture Show) but it was at midnight and there was no way that was going to happen, especially if I was going back to that same place at 10 tomorrow morning...

because I spent Saturday at Archon, the "St. Louis" sci-fi convention (it's actually in Collinsville IL, but close enough). All day. I was there (well, at Bob Evans for breakfast) at 9ish, then the show opened for the day at 10. Was there until the masquerade was over around 9:30 pm. Looong day.

It was expensive, though only because of the entrance price. I didn't buy anything there, which is sort of surprising for me. It's too bad that I didn't know I was going until the week before; the writer's group I'm in met on Tuesday and we all talked about going. I'm glad I did, because I had a lot of fun. Saw some art, some dealers, went to some panels, watched a D&D game (that I could have played in, but decided not to. Fun to watch though) went to some more panels, and then watched the masquerade. I wore my Harry Potter outfit. I was asked for two picture poses, so that's cool. I only actually met one other "student" from Hogwarts, which I thought was odd, considering that the fourth movie is coming out in november. I'm glad I went, and especially glad that I was able to go with a group, even if said group didn't exactly stay together for the whole day. It would be nice to go all four days, but a) that's expensive and b) I don't know if I would be able to last through all the parties, hah.

Speaking of parties...

Cece's birthday was on Wednesday, and she invited me to go out with her Saturday night. So I didn't even stay for the masquerade winners announcement, I just headed back home so I could catch a ride with her crew and not have to drive (since there was going to be drinking!) I made it in time, unfortunately with a pounding headache from not drinking enough water at the convention and only eating some gummy snacks and chips during the D&D game. But I was not going to let that deter me, no. Water and spaghetti were downed quickly and off we went. To the Landing, friends! We fit ten people into a 6-person truck (all in the cab, too!) Five people in front and five in back ;) It was an interesting ride, but not that uncomfortable, all things considered.

First stop was Morgan Street Brewery. No cover, yay. And I didn't have to pay for drinks either, since Cece's bf was being nice and put everything on his tab. Rum and cokes and Jagerbombs, wow. Dancing, whoohoo. And then off to Fat Tuesday's and 190 Octanes and dancing and Cindy (I think her name was Cindy) from Canada who is getting married in two weeks. My God I was drunk. Came home and felt ok, but this was at 4 in the morning, so straight to sleep. 21 hours awake, eek. But the next morning was not happy, in fact the whole day was pretty bad. See, I had intended to get up, study, help take down the Parkway show, come home and study some more (as the first A&P test is tonight) but none of those happened except for a little studying. My head didn't hurt, but man, anything I tried to put in my stomach came right back up. Sigh. All day. It was so bad and went on so long that I was worried I wouldn't be able to make it into work. But when I woke up this morning, I felt ok. Some twinges, but it's amazing what a few extra hours of sleep will do for you. Hope Cece is ok. Wish me luck on the test, I'll need it. Shame that the first test won't get its proper due of studying, since this is supposed to be the easiest both in content and ability to get a good grade. Sigh. I love the way my life works.

And for something completely different...

Sunday was the final regular-season home game at Busch Stadium. Soon the arches will be no more. I hope that the Cards make it far in the post season, perhaps even making it back to the World Series so they can make up for the rather poor four-game sweep by Boston last year. Oh well. Regardless, congrats to the Cardinals for winning 100 games for the second year in a row. Hard to believe that Busch is coming down...doubly weird to see the new stadium going up right next to the highway, in front of the old. Busch has always been there, and soon it won't be...eh. I'm sure the new one will be good too. I just hope that somebody somewhere saves one of those arches. Going Out in Style.



file under: celebration