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[ news @ sweetgoodness ] Archives - February 2006 // comments for your readability

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Wednesday, February 1, 2006 / 5:54pm

Brian Possible

Success! It's almost 6pm, and I've been up for almost fourteen hours. This morning, I had my first "I'm waiting in the drive thru waiting for McDonald's to open" experience. That was the preface to camping out in the lobby so I could be toward the front of the line at Kran when the ticket office opened at 10am. You see, today is the day that Krannert was going to open up more seating for the sold old April performance by Yo-Yo Ma. Well, the hard work, sacrificed sleep, and Brian planning, it all worked out and my group of wannabe ticket holders aren't wannabes anymore. If you're one of the lucky individuals in this group, payment will be accepted via the standard means: cash, check, paypal (funds or credit cards), or sweet lovin'. Some restrictions apply, inquire for more details. Ha. And, if you don't have enough Brian in your life, I actually volunteered to, well, volunteer as an usher supervisor for a few shows this semester. It'll be bizarre, I'm sure. And old school, even. Anyways, I'm proud of my $600+ purchase, even though I'm now temporarily poor. But, hey, happiness for everyone. Well, special everyones.

Wednesday, February 1, 2006 / 5:58pm

"the list"

at two

Thursday, February 2, 2006 / 5:47pm

Winter Population: Tire

Day two, and it's not so bad. Other than waking up a mere twenty minutes before having to catch my bus this morning, it's been alright. I have no idea if the groundhog saw its shadow this morning; all i know is that Winter is going to last through the equinox like it always does. I had a very busy day at work, and it was a good time. I met with a few people that are going to do a performance there at the end of the month, and... I received a super neat package! I received my Strongbad Email DVDs! Most exciting! It's just as exciting as getting free pizza two nights in a row (Tuesday and Wednesday). My DVD purchase came with a free CD, so now I can listen to "The System is Down" at my leisure. (I also found an audio file of the Chronic What -cles of Narnia, which was just a delight to listen to.) Other than that, I've been receiving loads of thanks for my camping experience and positive comments on my Homecoming 1995 picture that's currently my Facebook picture. (Random aside, I forgot to listen to my Groundhog Day soundtrack today. Alas, such is life. Or something.)

Friday, February 3, 2006 / 5:42pm

I Never Learned To Read

Last night, I went to Foellinger Auditorium to say hi to some friends that were working. There was a concert there, and I usually buy a random CD of the artist to add to my varied music collection. So, I did. Or so I thought. I bought a CD but I have no idea who it is... the band must have been selling it for fun, because they didn't even have an opening act! Well, I haven't listened to it yet... hopefully, it's good. Oh, did I mention I'd be bored this weekend? What to do, what to do...

Monday, February 6, 2006 / 5:45pm

Don't Be Stupid. He's Crazy For You!

We're now completely into the month... almost 25% done, actually. Me? Well, after a lovely Friday night of hanging outitude, I had a quite unexciting weekend. (And, when you throw in losses by both the men's and women's teams, both at home, and both happening after blowing the lead, it was quite sucky.) The most effort I exerted on Saturday was to go to the fridge to get some ice cream. It went well with some Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I sat around and watched movies and basketball all day long. Sunday, I was compelled to actually get out of the house, so I witnessed that ill-fated women's game. I was back at home by three, ready to watch the not very exciting Super Bowl commercials. Perhaps the most interesting thing I did all weekend was randomly browse through entries and more entries of Wikipedia articles. And to think, I was going to be "productive" and look for people on MySpace. I would venture to say that I was pretty unmotivated this weekend, yet oddly content, even though I really felt I should have been doing more with my time and I should have been hanging out with people out in the world. Alas, this time, not so much. I didn't even write anything this weekend, though I did think about it a few times. (Doing things from home has become increasingly difficult and annoying. My productivity and internet connectivity are inversely proportional to the number of computers turned on from the house. Funny, that.) I was tagged by someone, encouraging me to write something, but, hey, it was the weekend, and I was lazy. I did send out "invoices" to people who bought Yo-Yo Ma tickets. I made them look like they were magically produced from some magic email address. I took an "You're the winning bidder" email from eBay and modified it for my needs. So, yeah, you missed nothing this weekend. But I'm sure I missed you. (And, if you're curious, my favorite commercials from yesterday were the FedEx caveman one and the Sprint "personal safety" one.) And, to reward you loyal people out there, if you're the first one to name the movie I saw that brought about today's title, I'll buy you a pie. Some substitutions may apply. You may enter more than once. A ridiculous number of entries, however, will make me upset. Many will enter; only one will win.

Wednesday, February 8, 2006 / 5:11pm

"the list"

week ten

Wednesday, February 8, 2006 / 5:42pm

Two Great Tastes... Together

Over the Instant Messenger, to Heather...

i am not on the snood email list.
i only get email when leap seconds are announced.

This was after a quick message from Heather, who shared some wonderful news with me: there's a game out there called Snoodoku. I expect to install it and love it forever and ever. Let me know how much time gets sucked away from playing it. As usual, I take no responsibility for anything that happens by clicking a link that takes you away from this website. Blah, blah. And, yes, I do get an email whenever there will be a leap second. I signed up from some magic email list way back in the day and they've kept me in the loop. Oh, United States Naval Observatory, how I heart thee. (I also found the Wikipedia article on Daylight Saving interesting...)

Thursday, February 9, 2006 / 5:31pm

Two and a Half and a Half Men

For those of you out there curious about the dental situation, I officially have a $57 consultation appointment scheduled for the morning of the non holiday. I still have that X-Ray my dentist took back on the tenth of January, so that should save me a few dollars. I'm sure I'll be told what I already know, and I'll work through that magical world of insurance. The not so pleasant news is that the appointment is in middle-of-nowhere and not easily accessible by bus Southwest Champaign. Eh, I'm taking the morning off. It's important enough for me to take care of as soon as I can. I've been fortunate enough to have not experienced pain at all (with the exception of a few key days in Brian history this past year, but whatever). The tough part will be paying for whatever I have to pay for and finding a good time for me to take a few days out of my awesome life to wallow in painful misery. The odds are it will be over spring break, though I'm hoping I can get it done during the last week in February. I've officially booked "The Vagina Monologues" to use my Auditorium on the 25th and 26th, and I currently have no appointments or events scheduled for the following week until the evening of Friday the 3rd. I figure I hopefully get it in on Monday, be stuck in misery for a few days, and only be mildly awkward and not-quite-100% by Friday. We shall see. So, if anyone wants to hang out with me and or offer to take me to somewhere where I can swallow gulps of jello and spoon-fed milkshakes, I would greatly appreciate it. And soon enough, I will be without these impacted and/or broken wisdom teeth forever.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006 / 1:19am

This Holiday Sucks

Alright, so there isn't anything particularly wrong this year. In fact, this month has been better than I've expected. My level of annual second month angst isn't what it used to be in previous years, but hey, there's still half a month for things to turn around. Ha. Historically speaking, I don't have much to report for non-holiday storytude, excepting that one time and that other time, but really, that's it. Despite my overall negativity, I'm not going to denounce happiness and suck the world into mine when people are having a delightfully good time on their own. That's why I randomly started giving out candy a few years ago. I even gave out those grade school valentines, too. There was one year when I gave out probably 120 valentines: I'd given one to everyone in University Chorus (where I was in charge of attendance record-keeping (I know, it's quite appropriate)) and paper-clipped them to the timecards of all my coworkers. Since my departure from the Kran, I haven't had much of an opportunity to be so giving with with my personal mid-February happiness for all project. Well, let's bring things back. I will be wandering around today (when I am not otherwise occupied with work) with candy. So, if you find me, you're welcome to indulge in a treat... while supplies last. (And, if you want to increase your chances, well, let me know you want to see me, and I'll do my best.) I have a basket full of empty calories, and I'm not taking care of all of them myself. I also have 32 grade school valentines which I will mail to anyone who wants one (while supplies last). If you want one, let me know, and I'll make a trip to the post office on Wednesday! The day will end with dinner. Everyone is invited to join me for dinner at 7pm at Zorbas. One lucky person will have their dinner on me. How exciting will that be? Find your cameras, I'll be decked out in red attire. So presh. It will be a photo opportunity not to be missed. Or something. And celebrate those you love and those who love you, and I'm talking about more than the person that may be listed under your "Relationship Status". In the mean time, no dwelling on that which may make me angsty or upset. Or worrying about any possible unrandom, unpassing interest. The Bachellor's most recently ousted woman left the mansion upset. "Nobody likes hurting. Nobody likes to be the one left wanting." So, make your path and make your days. And find me for the free candy.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006 / 12:29am

"the list"

same

Sunday, February 26, 2006 / 11:11pm

"the list"

at four

Monday, February 27, 2006 / 6:55am

Fun, Funky Town, Valentines, and Vaginas

Whoa. It's been almost two weeks. None of you nudged me on livejournal. None of you poked me on facebook. Eh, that's okay. No big whoop. SM is almost over, and it's going out with a bang... after a relatively tame consultation, my wisdom teeth are scheduled to be taken out today. Yes, this morning at 8:45. I've already in hiding at an undisclosed location for the duration of the procedure and recovery. So, send me your well wishes and love. And, speaking of love, not one person was inspired to request a valentine from me. It's true, it really is kinda tacky to ask people to ask for a valentine. What was I supposed to do? Mail a valentine to the first 32 people that emailed me on the non-holiday? I didn't want to end up sending one to the Chancellor's Office and another to the person holding my lottery winnings in random country, eagerly awaiting my banking information. To that end, I'm just going to randomly and unrandomly send out these 32 grade school valentines to people. So, to 32 of you... way to go. Congrats. I did have some fun on the non-holiday, making random friends and strangers happy with the gift of candy, or in the very least, a smile. The next day, someone on the morning bus commute told me she told her daughter about the stranger that was just giving out candy and was just inspired by the general kindness that abounded. Awww, presh! It feels good to have made someone's day. A big thanks goes out to the random people I saw that day, and especially the ones that officially declared that we were valentines. Again... awww, presh. Also in the last two weeks or so, the Olympics took place. It seems like everyone loves curling! Maybe it's because I don't spend much time in front of the box of moving images that I don't really know much about what's going on. Although, when I think of India, I think of "Funky Town". Do you? I'm not sure what was going on, but the choice of music as nations marched in during the Opening Ceremonies was a little weird. I would have expected music from other countries or Italy... or maybe the world just loves US 70's and 80's hits. I've also had two events at the Museum: a lecture by the Vice President of Motorola and three performances of the Vagina Monologues. Both had their stressful moments but I think they went well. Hopefully, all is well at work; some things which would be offensive to conservative guests were done, and I did my best to diplomatically handle the situation. I guess I'll hear about it by email or when I return to work later this week. So, yeah. My last big meal was Saturday morning at Hometown Buffet, not to be confused with my last meal, which was last night at Courier Cafe. I'm sure I'll be plenty hungry tonight. We'll see how this goes; I'm going under.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 / 8:46am

Red X's Through #1, #16, #17, and #32

If you're a facebook friend or have been tracking King Munch's away messages, you'll see that I'm alive. Yesterday, the wisdom teeth (or, in two cases, the remaining portions thereof) were removed. Apparently, each person has their own experience, and a lot of people say "Oh, I don't remember anything. I just remember sleeping, or being in lots of pain, or taking drugs." So, here's my story. I woke up naturally at around 6am, which is early for me, and I was very tired. I wrote yesterday morning's entry (which I intended on doing Sunday night, but the computer was busy and I was sleepy). A cat freaked me out when it rubbed up against my leg, then jumped into my lap. It delayed my typing. Anyways, I got ready for my 8:45 appointment. I was there a little early and took care of the random administrata. After that, I was whisked away to a room to put on the usual "I'm a patient" garb that ties in the back (but only to replace my shirt). They took me to a room, sat me in a dentist's chair, and I listened to the radio... I think it was Kelly Clarkson's "Since You've Been Gone". I'd been asked if I'd ever had an IV, and I said yes... I warned them that last time I talked the whole time, so I apologized in advance. They stuck the IV in my left elbow, took my blood pressure. I asked if I could keep my teeth, and they said sure, and relayed the message. Another nurse stuck some tiny tubes into my nose saying it was oxygen so I could breathe, to which I responded, "well, that's a good thing." They asked me where I was from and if I was a student and where I worked, and, well, that was it. I woke up, and the first thing I remember was asking my standard "where am I" question, which just happens to not be "where am I" but rather "which way is North?" I'd asked that question before... when I was coming out of surgery once about five years ago. I also asked it after I was taken to the emergency room in 1996 after being hit by a car and whisked down several hallways, but that variation was "That way's North, right?" I was correct. Anyways, before my question, apparently, I'd already had a conversation about not wanting vicodin. Having finished quickly, someone mentioned McDonald's breakfast and I said something to the effect of "I want an Egg McMuffin and orange juice. But I can't have an Egg McMuffin, so just orange juice." I must've been hungry. I can't take credit for starting the conversation. My McDonald's breakfast sandwich of choice is a Sausage McMuffin. The Egg McMuffin must've been along the lines of my standard, "Mmmm, [fill in the blank] sounds good right now.", usually instigated by some outside force. There was concern as to if I could walk. I'd wiggled my fingers, legs, and toes, but the nurse made me pause before outright getting up. I think I almost fell once during the walk to the car, but I felt I should demonstrate I was okay, and did some jumping jacks before entering the car. Back in hiding, an ice pack was wrapped around my head, and I fell asleep. Nothing was hurting at that point. I woke up in time for the WGN news, cleared out my mouth, replaced the gauze at the sites of former wisdom teeth and the ice pack, was up for another two hours, and then fell asleep. At 4pm, I was done with the ice pack and gauze, the bleeding had stopped, and I had the first of four jello cups. My jaw was very sore, and I kept making weird faces so I could get used to using my face again. The tingling of my lips and tongue had faded, so I knew I was on my own with no drugs. The soreness and pain was quite tolerable, but then again, I'm the one that's had two broken teeth in there for over a year. You know, "s'team." I wouldn't recommend it for others to try. I seem to have a high pain threshold. By 7pm, I was hungry, so I took a chance, and I ate solid food. Mmmm, three breakfast burritos from Sonic. By the time I went to sleep, I had two milkshakes, one delivered by my brother and sister-in-law. Mmmm, delicious! And that was that. I'm probably going to be making brief appearances again, resting in the mornings, and, making an appearance at work possibly in the afternoons. So, get a hold of me and buy me a smoothie, slurpee, or shake! In other news, the Amazing Race (season 9) begins tonight! Which means you should be watching it, too. And, after being in hiding for a few days (and being busy last week), I have a bit of TV to catch up on on the TiVo. So, don't tell me who the Bachelor chose. Next up: the story on number 7... not the cell phone position, but rather the patron number.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 / 4:27pm

Seven is a Special Number

Through my experiences at Kran, I always wanted to know as much as I could. I learned what all the magic numbers mean on the ticket stub, one of which I learned to be a patron number. I had a patron number in the twenty thousands, created when I was a freshman. Now they're in the sixty-two thousand range. Well, with this knowledge, one can only ask... who's number one? What about the lower numbers? They're fun to ask. Anyways, for some reason, there was a gap, and happened to claim the seven-spot. When online ticketing began, I was unable to sign in with my patron number (as clearly, I hadn't set a password or used the website yet), so I made a new online account. I called the ticket office, they'd already noticed I'd done it because they're awesome, and they merged my records together. So, now I can sign onto my online ticketing account with my email or my patron number. This was until late last week. For fun, I thought I'd try to do it, and why should I bother typing my 32-character email address when I could just type a mere one digit number? I tried so many passwords, I got flustered and finally resorted to clicking "lost password". I was emailed my password and patron number, and lo and behold, I was in the 62,000's. I happened to be volunteering as an usher supervisor that Friday, so I stopped by and inquired... maybe a second number was made for me. What I found out was that someone had stolen my number away from me! It was quite upsetting. Well, anyways, I have my number back, and random person now has a new number. I wonder if my number will be re-stolen... I wrote a little note of upsettedness about it. And, unrelated: my lunch today was hot dogs. I wore ice packs around my face as a precautionary measure, even though I didn't wear them last night after 4pm. I figured, if I'm using my mouth and being more normal, I could at least be safe and not completely shun the ice. I heard the swelling doesn't happen right away, so, uh, yeah.