there's your lesson

05:25 pm - some days this is just how it feels

06:23 am - Ann Young

So Korea is totally awesome. If they didn't have such an awesome work ethic and have expectations of me to also work super hard I would want to stay here forever.

Reasons I Love Seoul

1. The bars have awesome names. Some bars I enjoy: Beer O'Clock, River Phoenix Bar, Judas or Sabbath, Mike's Cabin, Good Bar, Deep Purple.

2. Some of those bars have djs that will play anything you want, and Judas or Sabbath will play American/British music videos for you on a big screen.

3. I like eating with chopsticks even though I apparently suck at it.

4. I teach kindergarten. The kids are 5 years old in Korean Years, which is actually 3-4 years old in Our Years. They are tiny and precious.

5. Drunk Korean men assume I'm a prostitute because I'm blonde, which is funny to me.

6. I like wearing slippers at work.

7. Keeley is awesome. I don't know why I was such a dick and pointedly didn't hang out with her when she lived here.

Things That Are Uncool

1. Cans of Coke are tiny.

2. The nearest subway station is a good 15-20 minute walk from my apartment.

3. I still don't know with confidence where I live.

4. Drivers, pedestrians, bikers and people on mopeds are all fucking insane. There is no apparent sense of order so I don't understand how more people don't die from collisions.

5. I live across the street from McDonalds.

6. They don't have Super Target.

7. I still only know maybe 6 words in Korean.

I'm kinda tired all the time now that work started back up...people say it's still jetlag but really I think I'm just not used to leaving for work at 8am and getting home from work at 7pm. I haven't been taking any breaks during the day and I have no prep time (I have class straight from 9:20am-6pm). I'm hoping it gets easier once I know the kids better and have a routine going.

02:55 pm

Most of you are on my Facebook but I just wanted to get this out there: I'm moving to Korea in August...probably only for a year. We'll see.

That's all I know.

04:15 pm

( The Story of Our Spring Break in Puerto Rico )

03:04 pm

So I'm totally sick people, totally sick. I can't hear, I can barely talk and I'm a snot factory. I'm not the kind of person you want to hang out with tonight...but thanks to everyone who was planning on going out, you are good friends.

I'm sitting on the couch eating ribs and drinking Tahitian Treat. I know I should be consuming things that would help me feel better but shit, it's my birthday, I do what I want. I'm even wearing white pants while I eat my ribs...cuz i FEEL like it. That's right.

10:34 am - Birthday Update

Because I want to Maximize the Birthday Fun I really don't think I should go hang out at the Vegas Friday night like it's any other day. The following are things I want to do Friday. Please respond to this with your Vote of what you wanna do with me. If you have an idea that's not on the list I wanna hear it. If you are reading this I'm talking to you...we both know you have nothing better to do and that you know how much I love birthdays and that you like me a little so you can tolerate me for this one night.

Birthday Options:

1. Zed Leppelin is playing in White Bear Lake

2. Britney Spears is in town...we could hear Womanizer live!

3. Dueling Pianos at the Shout House

4. Go see naked girls at the Deuce Deuce

If y'all ignore this post I'm gonna go to the Otter and get real wasted and sign up for nothing but Ghostbusters all night long and Kat will let me keep singing it cuz it'll be my birthday.

06:24 pm - Happy Networking Asshole

Hi Internet Friends.

The slow death of livejournal makes me very sad. The one-liners on facebook aren't as good, why do none of you see that?!

I made it back from Connecticut in one piece...although I gotta tell you, I suck at brackets. The teams I have going deep are still in it though so there's still hope. If Michigan State wins I will buy all of you beer...although probably not one brewed in Michigan. Are there even any beers available in MN dive bars that come from MI?

I was just thinking it over and I've really been in good spirits for a long time now. I had a couple bitchy nights in January but those aside I haven't really been a dick lately...I think the elements in my life that were making me insecure and irritable are currently not lurking. I'm not sure what those factors are but I have my guesses...and I'm glad that they don't frequent the Vegas Lounge.

Also, Birthday is coming up. Since my bday is on a Friday I'm thinking of going out that Thursday night instead, since I can't stand weekend crowds. I have no idea where to go or what to do. I'm open to suggestion. I'm hoping some of you jerks will come hang out because I haven't seen a bunch of you in a long time and I kinda miss you.

12:03 pm

I feel like there are alot of things I could update the Internet on since I haven't posted in a month...I saw Fleetwood Mac, got to hang out with Mason, saw Doc while he was in town, job interview stuff, Bar Stories, Work Stories...but I really only feel like sharing my favorite text message with you. I just can't seem to delete it since it makes me smile every time I come across it.

February 23 2009 6:22pm

Shaft was just eating a hot dog. I want a hot dog.

-Alison

10:30 am

I learned how to shoot a gun last night. It was awesome. I got to try out a bunch of revolvers and semi-automatics to see which one I like the best.

Turns out I'm a good shot too. I am now someone worth having around in the post-apocalyptic wastelands.

02:18 pm

I don't like that people seem to not be using livejournal much anymore. When you don't call and don't update I assume you are dead. Just sayin.

I did not change my routine for the holidays...except that I ate more dip. I need to stop doing that.


Chandler slept over last night. It made me happy- I wish he was here all the time.



I'm tired of working so much but it's exciting to pay off bills. I never thought I would say something like that but it's true.

Also, Alison, Will and I are going to Puerto Rico in April. Tickets were purchased so it's happening. If you wanna come we have room for one more.

10:20 am

I'm pretty sure the holidays make crazy people even crazier. The bar has just been a weird scene the past couple days. On Wednesday night Alison and I went out but bingo wasn't done so we hung out on the patio til it cleared out. Remember me talking about that madman with the red van who says the feds are after him? He was out there literally ranting and raving and dancing about and pointing fingers all wound up about how the democrats are to blame for everything. Then he knocked over his drink onto my purse and he stopped dead in his tracks and I just laughed and said it wasn't a big deal. He looked taken aback and kept saying sorry and I said, no seriously, I forgive you. He started crying and it was so awkward, I didn't know what to say so I said "Don't worry- you can get another drink!" Then he started laughing and said "No, it's not about that, you're just so nice..." and kept crying for another minute.

Then yesterday afternoon I went to the bar alone and sat and knitted. Some dude asked if he could sit with me and I thought, it's Thanksgiving, why not. He kept getting all huffy that I wasn't setting down my knitting while I was talking to him and kept asking if he should leave since he was CLEARLY bothering me. I told him he wasn't bothering me but that I seemed to be bothering him so maybe he should go. Then he said he would go but just wanted to chill there for a minute first. I said he should probably just go and he insisted he just needed to sit there for another minute first and that he wouldn't talk to me during that time. I asked him if he was on something (because then that would have made total sense) but he seemed offended by that. He eventually moved and was all pissy about it, slamming into my chair as he walked off. What I do like is that the bar owner sat down at the table behind me to listen to this go down and the bouncer, even though he was off duty, was sitting nearby listening too. The second that dude got up they came over to see if I wanted him kicked out. I love that they love me at that bar, I don't know where else I would go when I'm crabby.

I don't have anything to do until tonight so if you're bored too you should call me.

11:44 am

Anyone who says I don't deserve my own reality show did not witness the scene at the thrift store yesterday. I fell in love with an ugly couch there and after days and days of trying to convince alison that we can't live without it she gave in. It's a retardedly heavy hide-a-bed and the store pretty much had it blocked off with other crap all around it. I told the employees that I wanted to buy it but wanted to be sure it wasn't too heavy for us to carry- we live exactly one block from the store and it was our big plan to awkwardly and slowly carry it down that block. The lady behind the counter was all huffy about it and told us we need to get boys to carry it for us. She seemed to think the idea of women lifting furniture was the most stupid thing she'd ever heard of. She repeated this sentiment again and again and again the entire time we were in the store. Then there was the overly helpful African guy working who was convinced we could take the couch down the street on a dolly. While he was trying to put the couch on the dolly the hide a bed opened up, throwing him into a stand of greeting cards and he was stuck on the floor for a minute. Then there was a surly old timer who said the last hide-a-bed the store had taken in had pretty much ruined his left arm forever. He smelled bad and insisted that we needed a truck. After much drama and a moderate mess Alison discovered the couch had wheels and that we could just roll it down the block. About one third of the way down the block one of the wheels broke, so I lifted my end and Alison steered the couch on its two good wheels. You have no idea how long a block truly is until you've carried a heavy couch down it. Then there was the great ordeal of getting it up the stairs. After much ado we now have the couch in the apartment and did it without the aid of men or trucks because we are incredibly awesome.

This apartment is small and old timey and I like it more all the time. Moving here was an excellent choice. The gross couch fits in well, don't you think?

04:24 pm

As of yesterday I finally live in Minneapolis again after two grueling weeks of commuting.

That means you can start inviting me to do things again. Today, for example. I'm at the coffee shop making this update and when I'm done I'm not sure what I'm gonna do with myself. Come to Vegas with me tonight? Please?

01:10 pm

I was gonna make a long update but there's this cockroach wandering back and forth across the desk and I'm worried that if I look away for too long he's going to crawl in my soda or mutate or something, I don't know. I sometimes forget how gross this building is.

I'm watching The Mary Tyler Moore Show and it makes me want to go on dates. It also makes me want the phrase "hot to trot" to come back.

01:04 pm

It turns out Alison and I love going to Twins games.

How unforseen!

01:52 pm

I got up at a reasonable hour today and thought I ought to seize the day. So Alison and I went to Palmer's to get beer and play Photo Hunt. I brought a framed photo of Me and Stoner and hung it on the wall while the bar patrons were distracted by the ambulance out front. So for all of you who enjoy having a drink now and then at Palmers you should look for that picture above the video game machines.

We're going for a bike ride. Call if you wanna do something fun.

02:20 pm

Hi Friends.

You oughta know that I took a sleep overnight job so I won't have to be panicky about money while I search for a new dayjob. It's Sunday through Thursday nights, so I can't get tanked with you on weeknights anymore. If you wanna drink at 8am with me you're welcome to.

I went to the Rage Against the Machine/Anti-Flag show last night. It was fucking sweet. I missed the dramatic conclusion with all the arrests because I had to get to work. I'm real excited about all the shows coming up- alot of people are coming through who I wanna see. I have tickets for Haley Bonar/The Owls, Kimya Dawson, Neil Young/Death Cab for Cutie, Mason Jennings and Cheech and Chong. I also just realized that Ani DiFranco will be playing the State Theater on my half-birthday. It's a sign. Would anyone be interested in going with me? I promise that you don't have to be a lesbian, she's one of the best live performances I've ever seen...and I've been to a lot of shows. The best female guitarist hands down.

Also, if any of you don't work full-time day jobs we should totally hang out more. Seriously, I have nothing to do all day. We should watch cartoons or go to the zoo or play darts or go for bike rides or go bowling or eat cheese or something.

04:44 pm

I'm in denial about summer ending. I wasted it! Again! I want more time to go to the beach. And I just went to the horse races for the first time and I want to bet on more horses! It just isn't fair! Another summer wasted in the bar. I don't even have any good bar stories this week. Last night an odd Asian man followed us from Vegas to the Otter and I think he was trying to friend me up until the point he saw me punch Tim in the forehead. I don't remember doing it but there's a welt on Tim's face to prove it happened.

I glanced over at the windowsill and realized I'm a person I would like if I wasn't me. So at least I have that going for me.

12:04 pm

I realized when I woke up on Sunday morning that I didn't have anyplace to be until Friday. Not a social commitment, not a single plan, it was a weird realization. I'm usually all squirrely by the time Dan gets home from work since I'm usually by myself all day until then. I try to keep myself calm so as not to drive him crazy. I'm way due to make a picture post but my camera died so you'll just have to wait.

Yesterday Alison and I had dinner at Green Mill and passed Al Franken in the parking lot. Alison whispered "There's Al Franken!" but I thought she was playing the game we do at the bar where we try to spot people with slight resemblences to celebrities. Anyway, he was looking away so I was giggling and trying to see his face. Then he looked up and saw us all smiling and gave this cutesy little smile back. He thought I was giggling because he's Al Franken but really I was giggling because I thought he was some crapster who looked like Al Franken.

Then we went to the Schooner where some randomster drew a picture of me and Alison singing together. It's now on the fridge. Then we went to Vegas Lounge where some dude gave me a mix CD. I've seen this guy at the bar before and never really talked to him until last week. The second I talked to him he got all nervous and told me about all the mixes he wants to make for me and how he always gets excited to see me and how I like awesome music and how he wants to make a sculpture out of me in silly putty. Yeah, you read that right. Silly putty. So this week apparently he actually made me a CD and he was super nervous talking to me again and went on and on about what's on the CD and how long it took him to make it. If I turn up missing in the next couple weeks look for that guy, okay? I'm not putting the lotion in the fucking basket.

I sang Too Drunk To Fuck last night. The bar regulars have just got to hate me by now.

11:45 am

So I just got a letter from the school district letting me know that I don't have a job anymore. It doesn't say why.

So that's awesome.