Fitty for Friday
Category: Quiz/Survey

I stole these from Alycia, partly because I feel horrible for not having talked to her in ages.

1. What is the last alcoholic beverage you drank?
A Negro Modelo

2. Do you follow college football?
Naw

3. How many miles does your car have on it?
I have no car

4. Who was the last person to send you a text message and what was it about?
My friend Courtney, planning to get together for dinner Saturday.

5. When was the last time you went swimming in a pool?
Geez, maybe in the Hamptons a couple of years ago

6. Are you happy?
I'm cranky today

7. Where was the last place you went shopping? When?
Does Amazon count? If not, Gap to pick up some button-downs for work.

8. How do you feel about your hair?
I need to get it cleaned up this weekend.

10. Last thing you said?
I just talked to our ad guy about a campaign that required editorial assistance.

11. Do you wish you were someplace else right now?
I like coming to the office, because it forces me to step back and think.

12. Last time you drank alcohol?
Monday?

13. Do you have any expensive jewelry?
Nope

14. AIM or MSN?
AIM

15. What classes are you taking?
None

16. How many hours on average do you work a week?
Yeesh. Easily 50, and probably closer to 60.

17. What is your favorite brand of makeup?
I'm a boy.

18. Favorite football team?
The Dallas Cowboys.

19. Do you watch the Olympics?
Some events, yes.

20. Last bar you went to?
The Dark Horse, of course

21. Who was the last person to call you?
The contractor, last night, to schedule time to finish fixing my ceiling

22. What's your sign?
I'm a Cancer/Leo cusp.

23. Do you have a favorite number?
23

24. Last time you did volunteer work or made any donation?
I donate to several organizations.

25. When did you wake up?
8 a.m. -- well, 12:30 a.m., 2 a.m., 3:30 a.m., 5ish a.m., 7:30ish...

26. Where does most of your family live?
Wisconsin

27. Are you an only child or do you have siblings?
One of each flavor.

28. Would you consider yourself to be spoiled?
Not a bit.

29. Ever been called a bitch?
I'm sure.

30. Guilty pleasures?
Tons.

31. Do you drink beer?
Oh yes

33. Did you ever collect Beanie Babies?
Never

34. Ever ordered anything online?
Constantly

35. Myspace or Facebook?
Both

36. Do you have T-Mobile?
naw

37. What was your favorite subject?
English

38. Where have all the cowboys gone?
Dallas

40. Were you an outcast in high school?
Nope, I was popular.

41. Last time you saw your parents?
A couple of weekends ago.

42. Do you have any talents?
I am an amazing kisser.

43. Ever been to a wedding?
Stop laughing, people.

44. Do you have any children?
Good Lord no

45. Last movie you watched?
I started watching Saved last night.

46. Last song you sang?
I'm sure I sang something in the shower this morning.

47. Did you take a nap today?
I wish!

48. What was your high school's mascot?
A Native American warrior

49. Ever been on a cruise?
Yes

50. Favorite vacation spot?
Does Manhattan count, seeing as I lived there? I love to go back, see friends, remember the old days.

Currently listening : In the Morning By Junior Boys Release date: 08 August, 2006

1:26 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Category: Writing and Poetry

(Blog Like It's the End of the World!)

Dear Four --

Another hectic day at work; anyone who tells you it's easy to sit on your ass at a newspaper can bite me. Usually I spend the bus ride home making up stories in my head about the other riders, but today I couldn't do much more but stare blankly out the window.

The driver blasted past my stop, annoying enough, but my mood got worse when I finally was allowed to leave the tender embrace of the CTA. See, that's when I caught sight of the Slow Walker.

I know I've whined about this before, but as much as I love my neighborhood, this time of year it's clogged with Slow Walkers. They're gone for all of the winter months, hibernating or whatever, but with the first warm days of spring they're out and about.

Sometimes I wonder at their migratory patterns, flocking each night to a ballpark just a few blocks away and then hours later, as if by some agreement, shuffling away in all directions. Today I didn't; I was too tired.

Jessi and Kirsten, I know you worry, but really it's no big deal. Those of us who haven't fled the neighborhood have learned to live alongside the Slow Walkers. They clog the streets, so we don't drive, but I'm in no danger walking among them. I've learned to imitate the lifeless gaze and rambling gait. I can melt into an entire crowd of Slow Walkers, and not one will notice when I veer off down a side street to my gated enclave.

It's not a perfect life, to be sure. Some nights I leave the windows cracked to enjoy the breeze, and I can hear their inhuman shrieking into the early hours. Other times, I try to scavenge for food or drink and find the good spots jam-packed with the living dead. Those times, I stay locked in my hidey-hole and pray for the first few snowflakes of winter.

6:14 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

This will be our agreement
Category: Life

It's been one of the most exhausting weeks since, well, the first time I worked in entertainment journalism. This is the third night in a row I'll be working at midnight; I'll sleep in two weeks. This may be the third night in a row I manage to sleep but have nightmares.

Dear subconscious: I get it. You're not happy with me. I know why. Suck it up. Not gonna change.

Tomorrow I have more ass-busting to do at work, one more major project plus prep for upfronts plus my usual design and writing, then have to jaunt up to Wrigleyville to cuten up, then rush back downtown to a friend's gallery for his Looptopia program. An all-night program.

Instead, just let me lay my head in your lap and, lulled by your warmth, sleep.

Currently listening : Civilian By Boy Kill Boy Release date: 25 July, 2006

11:48 PM - 3 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Four Short Crushes
Category: Writing and Poetry

I am a romantic. And because I am a romantic, not to mention easily bored, I wind up making up little crushes every day on the 146 downtown or in line at the coffee shop or while I'm walking around Wrigleyville.

That's why I loved this New Yorker article, Four Short Crushes. It's humor, but it perfectly captures the in-one's-head back-and-forth during the seconds or minutes of a short-lived crush.

10:37 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Zig-zag
Category: Religion and Philosophy

Walking to the bus stop this morning, I realized I was getting odd looks. I had been doing a sort of dance down the sidewalk, trying my best not to step on the earthworms flushed out by last night's rain.

It's just who I am.

9:55 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Smell
Current mood: Eye color: grey-green
Category: Eye color: grey-green Life

Only time for a quick smoke: The temperature has dropped 20 degrees in the past few hours, and I can feel warmth leaching out of the air. Smoke mingles with the oversweet smell of dryer sheets vented from the hotel across the alley. It reminds me that almost two years ago, I was sitting on a balcony in Westchester, in the midst of losing everything that had made me who I was.

The air in Westchester was sweet, and I was failing, so I would spend entire days drinking wine and beer and smoking cigarettes on that balcony and drawing in great draughts of sweet air.

Currently listening : Boheme By Deep Forest Release date: 20 June, 1995

9:35 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment