I believe I said that

Hi!

Things with the condo are going great. I really like being a homeowner, even if it's just a condo. I can do stuff! Man, and I don't know if I could ever live in a real house all by myself. I get spooked, yo! If I'm home alone and doing something noisy, like vaccuuming or standing in front of the dishwasher or something, I'm always afraid that people are breaking into my house. And when I'm high and paranoid, forget about it! But I'm okay in a condo development, because there are people all around. If I were in a house in the woods on a lake, I'd need a big dog. Or three big dogs. But then they freak you out when you don't hear anything outside, but suddenly they sit up and stare and maybe even BARK and you're like "what, what??" So we'll see.

Two weekends ago Vince and Chris helped me to install my attic stairs. It only took two (2) separate trips to the megahardware store, though if you consider that Chris and I went to Loews AND Home Depot the first trip, maybe it's two-and-a-half trips. But it went really well! And of course when you're a lady and you ask a gentleman (or two) to help you with something because it's a two-person job, it says so right there on the box, there's always the danger that they'll take over the whole operation. But that didn't happen at all. When there was something that needed nailin' or screwin' or bangin', the guys left me to it. Well except during the last part, when we had to nail the stairs into the frame; but Chris was the only guy up in the attic so that was sort of all on him. But yeah, a success! Vince even brought over his mitre saw (which is the hot shit) so we could cut lumber in my kitchen. It was awes. My place smelled like sawdust for days afterwards, which is a really fabulous smell.

Last weekend I painted my bedroom(s)! Saturday Chris came over to help me tape/dropcloth/&c and put on a coat of primer, and Sunday both Chris and Michelle helped me put on two coats of GREEN. Green green green! I'm really happy with the color. It looks so bright and happy and wonderful. Before, the walls were three (3) different colors: forest green, white, and a light pumpkiny orange. There was no rhyme or reason to it. Now all the walls are bright leafy green (Pepper Grass, according to Behr) and it really pulls the whole room together. Mitch helped me tape the ceiling and trim earlier this week, and I painted a bit last night, so now I need to move my furniture back (ahem, five minutes, I'll give you a beer, anytime after 6:30 tonight, thanks!) and then maybe I can sleep in a freaking bed tonight! I've been on the couch for a week now, and let me tell you, it is getting old. I mean it's not so bad -- it's long enough that I can stretch out no problem, and I like going to bed whilst watching a DVD, but you can't roll over, you can only rotate. And noises outside of my door sound like they're in my living room, so I've had a lot of half-asleep "is there someone in my house?" moments. And it's crowded with the cat in there.

My parents are coming over this weekend! We're going to go headboard shopping. I wanted to go to Autobahn but it is sold out and I KNEW that was going to happen and I am a dummy for not seeing it earlier, or purchasing tickets sooner. I think maybe we should still go into the city for dinner, though. I mean, right? My parents never go to Philly, so it will be nice. I was thinking of the Black Sheep. They make a mean crab cake.

I can't believe the snow is gone already! What a weird winter. I was so glad to have it last weekend, though. I mean, I love the 60 degree days, I really do. I don't much like being cold. But I like SNOW, too. I never realized this before, but everything is freaking DEAD in the winter! The grass is brown and dead, the trees are empty and dead, the birds are on holiday somewhere. Snow covers that up nicely. It was beautiful. The snowfall lasted for DAYS and was white and heavy and PERFECT for snowballs and snowmen. It weighed down branches and they hung over the road like -- like -- fuck it, I don't have a head for similes. But they were beautiful.

Speaking of snowball fights, Gina had her fish-themed birthday party last weekend, and it was the bomb. We drank out of fishbowls with fishie straws and there were streamers and hats and games and it was fantastic. And there was a snowball fight! Oh good lord was Hal drunk, it was great. "I can't see. I can't see." I think he said "I can't see" like two hundred (200) times. I couldn't tell if he was blind drunk, or just had snow on his glasses.

And another fantastic thing that happened at the party was The Conference Call With California. It is official my friends, we will be attending TWO music festivals in the . . . um, South this summer. We're hitting up both Wakarusa AND Bonnaroo -- a Wakaroo, if you will; or Bonnarusa, if you prefer. The Brothers Hunt and I will be driving from Jersey to Kansas, then Kansas to Tennessee, and then Tennessee home. Kevin will be flying to and from Kansas, and driving with Teegus Kongus to and from Bonnaroo. It is going to be something else, I will tell you that. A lot of camping. A lot of music. A lot of dirt. A lot of hippies. A lot of drugs. Few showers. It's going to be great.

I was just reading a Gilmore Girls recap and Dean was eating salad and MAN it made me want to eat a salad too, but I have a donut on my car and am afraid to drive it even though the Wawa is just down the street. I got a flat tire last night! That is sort of a pain but it wasn't too bad. I mean it was raining but it wasn't RAINING and I was able to pull off to a safe place, and Kevin and Vince came out in the rain to help me, and by the time they got there I already had three of the four lugnuts off. So that was enough progress to assure me that I could do the whole thing by myself if I had to do so, but it was of course great to have my friends out there and it went more quickly with help and then I went home and cleaned the house a bit. I had people over! To the condo! For the first time! We had pizza (Kevin and Vince's treat, whatta coupla guys!) and sat around and smoked and drank beer from a cooler (I still don't have a full-sized refrigerator; next weekend, I swear) and it was awesome. Then everyone went home and I watched the last episode of the first season of Gilmore Girls and it was kind of odd. Here are two reasons: first of all, Lorelai had a cell phone. I'm pretty sure it was the first time she had a cell phone. Gilmore cell phones are a very important part of current episodes, but they didn't have them in the first season, so I was sort of keeping an eye out. They have the potential to change plotlines like whoa. Second of all, Dean was so cute my television almost exploded. I mean, he's okay now in that stupid Supernatural series, abd in the beginning of the series he was cute for a kid (wayyyy too young looking) but in this episode all of a sudden he was older-looking and pointy-faced and that haircut that I seem to like, and holy cow. I guess not being told "I love you" back really matures a kid.

This weekend is the New Year's Eve party and though theoretically I'm excited, I have nothing to wear and I have to get my tire fixed and Jeff is leaving on January 3rd and that's really hard to think about so mostly I try not to do so.

Packing is hard!

I need boxes. Bad. Small boxes, for heavy things. Do you have any? Do you have any ideas? Will a liquor store have some or do they use them all up, giving them back to customers? Will Barnes & Noble be able to help me out, or will they giggle at me behind my back? I think I may end up BUYING some which seems like such a waste of money. But I've got to get everything done this weekend.

Also:

[Poll #618118]

I haven't moved in five (5) years and back then I had MOVERS! Honest to God movers! I had qualified for relocation at Amtrak, so they did everything for me. MAN THAT WAS SWEET.