On The Road Again

I did finally make it home on Saturday afternoon. It got too depressing recounting every horrible bit of my airport experience. Lets just say me and the female TSA employees got to be real friendly like with each other. Stupid scanners.

I celebrated my home coming by falling asleep on the couch. Wearing a santa hat. Momma took pictures.

Christmas was wonderful but much too short. I'm already heading back to Boston. Have been since 8am yesterday morning.

Am currently playing on my laptop from my dad's little apartment up by Quantico. Its cute.

The Neverending Nightmare Part Six

December 21

3:56AM-4:52AM

Am so excited that i'll be boarding plane soon! I head up to the ticket counters, which are swamped even at this time.

4:56AM

Gleefully hand over ID an bounce expectantly in place waiting for boarding pass.

4:58AM

Still waiting. Counter girl frowns. PLEASE DON'T FROWN. She cannot see that i have a booked flight for the day. Informed her of everything that had occured in the last 5 hours.

5:00AM

She found my ticket. It is for 6:50AM SATURDAY. The jackass from this morning told me the wrong date in his anxiety to get to his break. Sonuvabitch. Counter girl hands me a stand by ticket and suggests that i go see if i can make my way onto the flight.

5:01AM

Restrain myself from using telekinetic powers of the mind to rip girl limb from limb.

5:02AM

Get back into security line for the 5th time in a 24hr period.

5:15AM

Get pulled aside for full scanning FOR THE THIRD TIME. ARE YOU FRIGGIN KIDDING ME?! DO I LOOK LIKE A TERRORIST TO YOU? WHEN DID I HAVE TIME TO PICK UP CONTRABAND WHEN I HAVEN'T LEFT THE DAMN AIRPORT IN 24 HOURS.

5:20AM

Guards notice my displeasure and attempt to reassure me by explaining what it is they are going to do to me and that i was selected randomly. YOU MEAN I WAS RANDOMLY SELECTED TO BE GROPED 3 TIMES TODAY? OH AREN'T I THE LUCKY GIRL.

6:50AM

Flight is full. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200 dollars.

I quit.

Awake for 22 Hours..

Its been awhile since i've done this. Since my phone is dead I don't have an alarm that could wake me for my flight so i just decided to stay up till my plane comes in. Luckily, i have several international friends through my World of Warcraft Guild. Chatting and playing with them has kept me awake. And my character is all decked out for Christmas now.

Epic Nightmare Part Five

December 20

6:45PM-9:00PM

The hours here are a blur. I fell into a light sleep at one point, curled around my carry on items, leaning against the vending machine. People came and went. The floor was very cold. My snazzy jacket is dirty. My phone decided to die on me and i haz no charger. I also have no pocket change it seems. And when i tried to call my home phone collect, that service is not available. Thankfully my laptop works and i had managed to haunt various electrical outlets. I also ate dinner somewhere in there.

9:00Pm-10:00PM

Am tired. Want to go home. Want to inflict considerable damage on fellow whiney passengers.

10:00PM-11:00PM

Announcement! Plane was diverted from Texas and sent to us! The peasants rejoiced.

11:28PM

Plane is circling over Rhode Island, waiting to land.

December 21st

12:10AM

Plane still waiting to land. Natives are getting restless.

12:30AM

Plane diverted to Connecticut. FAIL! Flight Cancelled.
I have been at the airport for 13.5 hours.
Eyes welled.

1:34AM

Rebooked a flight to Orlando at 6:50AM. Trains for home have stopped running. Cab ride will cost a ridiculous amount to get back to Somerville and then get another cab back at 5 in the morning.

1:45AM

Call Momma, let her know whats gone down.

1:50AM

Search for a place to sleep. Notice a large group of Puerto Ricans waiting for a 3:00AM flight to Richmond. Set up camp with them so as to not get kicked out of the terminal by security. Posing as random cousin is easy and a tactic used before. The family does not notice. One of them passes me the box of crackers they are sharing.

1:55AM-2:45AM

Eat crackers with Familia Perez. Play online. Update blog with DRAMATIC TALE OF WOE.

3:15AM

Say goodbye to surrogate familia. Go Downstairs.

Present Time

3:56AM

Lay underneath escalator. Think you are one of "the people under the stairs. The one they call Roach." Laugh quietly to self. Ignore people who look over at you as they walk past.

Holidays Are Hell Part Four

December 20

6:30PM

Time to board! Much cheering ensues. I dart off into the tunnel and just as im approaching the plane my name is called. Security has tracked me down!

6:32PM

I boarded the wrong flight. Im a STOWAWAY! My flight is 439 to orlando. I boarded 437. You know why i didn't see another gate that said Orlando? BECAUSE MY FLIGHT IS DELAYED TILL 11:20PM. The people who retrieved me also noted that my security screening was not recorded. AND THEY SENT ME BACK TO THE SECURITY GATES.

6:37PM

I have caused a scandal in the security ranks. Someone let me through without being properly checked. OR HIGHLIGHTING THAT DAMN BOARDING PASS.

6:38PM

You mean Olga got her jollies scot free and i'll have to do this again? Yes, Lyan, for you see you have been a terrible person in a past life and now we WREAK KARMIC JUSTICE. Now stand up against that wall, and spread em. Oh you can do better than that can't you girlie?

6:45PM

Violated, i walk towards the correct gate and assume the fetal position on the floor next to a vending machine.

Holidays Are Hell Part Three

December 20th

4:00PM

Flight cancelled. On stand by with 10 others. Am not at top of the list. If the 6:00PM does not go through will be on stand by for the 10:15PM flight. Other passengers are getting angry. Its making me uncomfortable because absolutely nothing will get done if they continue to tie up resources by bitching.

4:15PM

Call my daddy. Daddy is waiting in DC to go road tripping with me to FL. Sadly i won't make it. Daddy goes on without me. HE LEAVES ME LOST AND ALONE AND PENNYLESS

4:16PM

Dramatics over, he advises me to buy a ticket straight to Florida. I do, and head back out to the JetBlue ticket counters instead.

4:30PM

Have 6:45PM tickets to Orlando! Things are looking up! I have to get in line and go through security again. Much failage.

5:00PM

Apparently my shady reputation has caught up with and i was selected for additional screening. Not only have i gone through security once today i have to get by a large woman with rough hands. She made it to second base without my permission i may add. Once i was allowed to wrap the shredded bits of dignity back around myself, i gathered my things and went to my gate. My boarding pass was not highlighted to indicate i was searched. THIS IS IMPORTANT.

5:13PM

Only 1 gate has Orlando on it. I sit down again on the cold dirty floor to wait. But the end is near and i, i am relieved.

Holidays Are Hell Part Two

December 20th

1:00PM

Feeling has been lost in my culito. The floor is cold and dirty. The lady on the phone next to me talks too loud.

1:55PM

Flight is delayed. Much sadness. New arrival time is 2:35PM

2:30PM

Plane has arrived. Announcement!

2:35PM

Damn. Flight is full. Volunteers are asked to go to standby rather than take the flight. Too much snowy debris on the runways make flying with full loads unsafe. Have now been moved to standby on the 400PM flight coming in from Mexico City.

2:40PM

Handsome young fellow has been making eyes at me. Dare i go over and ask him if he'd be willing to trade his seat for me in exchange for...my first born child perhaps? No? Fine. Considers teaching him about Puerto Rican Judo.

Judo know if i got a knife, judo know if i got a gun.

2:45PM

Remember that i am in an airport. And i am MUD if i act all threatening. I sit down and play Warcraft on my computer.

2:46PM-3:45PM

Read a trashy romance novel. Play PSP.

3:46PM

Find out that the 4:00PM flight has been cancelled. FRACK! It is still snowing. Next flight is at 6:00PM.
I have been at the airport for nearly 5 hours. Cry a tiny bit. Don't let anyone see.

Holidays are Hell Part One

December 20th

11:00AM

The day started out with snow. Lots and lots of snow. Traffic in the road and a ridiculous amount of people heading elsewhere for the holidays slowed things down considerably. I was just roaring into the airport concerned about being late and dodging already irate individuals.

11:10AM

Something is wrong with my ticket to Washington DC. I have to find someone to help me.

11:20AM

No one wants to help. Several people decide to go on break as i make it to a counter. I am directed to other lines.

11:30AM

Am getting nervous because plane leaves at 12:10PM. Am sent to Additional Services line. It is very long.

11:43AM

Jump into First Class line because Additional Services is taking too long. Lady finally looks at my boarding pass. And tells me i should have checked in by 11:40. Plane is closed. Nothing she can do to help me.

11:44AM

Urge to kill rises.

11:45AM

Ask calmly and politely why i cant just go down to the plane, its been delayed anyways, other people have had planes held for them.

11:46

Rudely told to get back in line for a standby ticket.

11:47AM

Urge to kill leaves, urge to cry takes over.

11:48AM

Refuses to cry.

11:50AM

Pick up standby ticket for 1:55PM. Call parents and give them the bad news.

12:00PM

Hundreds of people are sprawled throughout the terminals. I find a spot on the floor with a plug for my laptop next to a trash can. I sit. Goodwill towards mankind has returned as i wait patiently for the next flight.

Eh Heh

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1511201806

If the link doesn't take you directly just copy and paste into your URL bar.

I blame Aleta for this.

What's That Outside The Window?

Its a snow monster! And he's happy to...see you. That perv!

WOW

I had plans to go to the Boston Commons and take pictures today but once i actually got myself inside..well there was no power in the 'verse that could make me go back out there. Be content with the picture from my bedroom window. Perhaps tomorrow i'll venture out further.

I Am, Clearly, Insane.

I have several disturbing dreams that i cycle through over the course of the year. Sometimes i am able to change the outcome in it, sometimes not so much. One of the more horrible ones involves the loss of my teeth. According to a bit of research that i've done on the matter, many people have also experienced the "losing teeth" dream. This morning i woke up quite horrified because one of my good chomping teeth had decided to fall out and id chipped a canine. In the dream i had spit a rather large tooth out into my hand (it didn't even look like mine!) and promptly freaked out because i had no medical or dental insurance. haha. I remember popping a piece of mojito gum into my mouth and then promptly breaking the canine. Eventually a call was put in to my daddy who told me i should just go to the dentist and work out a payment plan. The trip to get my teeth looked at eventually ended up with me wandering into the middle of a prison riot. How did i end up in a prison? No idea. But a large Mexican man named Pancho threw me to the ground and threatened to SHANK ME.

This is where i woke up. Thank God. I looked up the significance of my teeth falling out in a dream dictionary and got this:

"Losing teeth in dreams can point to insecurity about finances. In physical waking life, teeth are what we use to take in sustenance, to keep our bodies fit and nourished, and they are often lost when malnutrition is present. In order to take in nourishment we must be able to 'support' ourselves. Are you worried that you will lose the ability to take care of yourself or are you already not taking care of your needs? Nourishing ourselves comes in many forms, not just our bodily needs--we must nourish our minds, spirits, and hearts as well as our bodies. Is there any aspect of your life that feels like an empty hole?"

I have been having cravings for hotdogs lately. With chili and saurkraut. Mmmm.

As for my being manhandled by Pancho, the dream dictionary forewarns that i will fall into the hands of an enemy...

Interesting.

The Word For the Day Is Treacherous

I nearly died twice today as i walked home from work. Yes, walked. Alicia and i have taken to walking home together after work instead of riding the T. I've been trying to be tough and accompany her out in the cold rather than hide in the middle of the sweaty masses that pack themselves onto the trains after work. She usually asks me if I'm feeling well when i agree to the walk home. Its only about a mile or two, not a very long walk at all. But my God it is cold. So no matter the weather when i get up to go to the office i still make sure to wear many many layers underneath cos i know that walk in the dark is going to kick my culito.

Today, we had a fairly uneventful walk except for ALL OF THE TREACHEROUS ICE that made me very very nervous. By the time i was approaching my street i was mostly just gliding my boots along the top of the ice and propelling myself from street sign, to mailbox, to fence. Unfortunately, the fence was also coated in ice and i slipped down it and managed to catch myself on another sign. That was a close one.

For more weather related fun:

I was trapped in a horrific nightmare early this morning. In it i was being chased by a shadowy figure brandishing a couple of knives. He never caught me and every time i stopped to rest he would also stop, to sharpen his knives. The scrape scrape scrape of blades against each other finally freaked me out enough that i escaped my dream to stare wide eyed up at my slopey ceiling. But...i kept HEARING THE SCRAPE SCRAPE SCRAPE of those knives! I rolled out of bed and looked out my window to find several neighbors scraping the ice off of their cars. Gah. Stupid ice scrapers.

Hmm

I haven't been posting because there really isn't much anything worth mentioning going on. I go to work. I come home. Sometimes i do something with someone else. But mostly its just me hiding from the cold. The novelty of seeing snow and ice on the ground hasn't worn off yet though i keep being told to wait till February and I'll be good and sick of it by then. I removed the screen from my window so i can lean out and play with the snow that has accumulated on the roof.

It's snowing right now. i went and bought some batteries to take my camera out with me this weekend. Maybe I'll make a snowman if it sticks overnight.

Man oh man

Street sweepers came by hours ago. I was a bit disappointed to see the dusting of snow on the road that i had tracked through wiped away. But i got up to grab an extra blanket cos my toes were freezing and went to look out the window.

2:30am and it is snowing hard. :D

Huh. I should have ordered a proper winter coat and boots last week.

Guess What?!

Its snowing!

Oh. My. God.

The tv is predicting snow by Friday.

I don't think it will happen.

I told the roommates so.

They laughed at me.

Oh. My. God.

Snow.

Quote For The Day

That which does not kill me makes me stronger and when I get strong enough I will hunt down that which did not kill me and make it Very, Very Sorry Indeed.

Witch's Woods

Many People are unaware that deep in "The Woods" of Nashoba Valley, there lies a dark secret! Legend has it, that for centuries, a coven of witches met secretly each October to practice their powerful magic. Their sacred task was to guard an ancient "gateway" which held back creatures of the night. Despite the coven's efforts, the evil presence has grown too strong. The Supernatural creatures once held back now roam the woods freely in search of prey. the authorities were called in, but no trace of their bodies were ever found.

And so i spent my All Hallow's Eve as one half of a handsome bearded couple on the haunted hayride. Freaking awesome people. There were 4 "scary attractions" to experience and i was actually startled in Nightmare Mansion. Witch's Woods is actually a ski resort come winter. So now i have officially been to a ski resort as well as on a haunted hayride. It was a gold star night indeed.

Kevin (my roommate) and I were dressed as Forest Gump. After he'd been running across the US of course.

How?

I seem to have become a card carrying member of the ACLU. When did that happen? I wonder what else i've become a member of! Greenpeace? Amnesty International? PETA?!

Maybe i'm a vegan now!

Because Meat is Murder. Tasty tasty murder.

Sorry Dad!

For many years my father has gotten on my case for making all the cups in the house vanish. Apparently they end up in my room, car, bathroom, and randomly spread across the living areas. So, when he would shake his head at me and voice his disapproval i of course would have to go on the defensive because its just a cup and seriously what is the big deal of having maaaybe 2 cups dirty at any given time. I was convinced that he was just exaggerating and looking to pick a fight with me.

There are 6 cups in my bedroom with different levels of water in them. Oh look glass 7 is in bed with me and sill has water in it.

Oops. My bad.

Lost Saturday

I've lost an entire day to a headache. I woke up this morning to a slight tightening around the eyes. No big deal. Got up and wandered to the shower and tried desperately to wash what was going to be a nasty nasty migraine away. Stepped out of the shower to realize in the space of 15 minutes the pain had traveled to the left side of my head. Fun. I walked downstairs, poured a bowl of cereal, popped a dangerous amount of Motrin, and then came back upstairs to crawl into bed. One of the best things i have found in graduating to a bigger bed (spent 24 years in a twin and now ive got a full) is the amount of random crap this bed will hold and still leave enough room for me to sleep comfortably sprawled. Like at the moment i have a glass of water, a bowl of cereal, a personal dvd player, 2 books, and a laptop computer. Plus my phone, 2 pairs of pants, a sweatshirt, a coat, 3 pillows, 2 hats, 1 sheet, 1 blanket, 1 comforter, and a knife. All of this and me peacefully co-existing.

Sorta.

By 3pm the headache had turned me into a whimpering mess in my bed. Oh the pain. I could feel the veins in my temple and neck actually throbbing and i expended a good deal of energy into keeping so very still so as to not throw up. Ugh. I hate that feeling. I forget all the time that yes a person can actually feel that bad and stlll live to see the next hour. And when im all better and completely forget how horrific it is to feel like that it takes me by surprise all over again!

Its nearly 9pm and that bowl of cereal is mush. I feel slightly better.

Time for more motrin and to eat.

Uh oh. Glancing at my box of 46 bags of chips got a protest from my stomach.

Color Me Embarrassed

Did you know that the Red Sox are on Game 2 of the World Series tonight? I didn't. I didn't even know we had even made it into the World Series till i saw Kevin walking into the kitchen completely decked out in Red Sox gear. I ,oh so innocently, asked if there was a game tonight. He frequently has tickets to games and whatnot. He looked at me in complete and utter amazement and asked if i knew it was game 2 of the series.

"Er...no?"

He walked away shaking his head.

Oops. I own nothing that says Boston. Except for this cup! I supersized a McDonald's Value Meal just to get the Boston Red Sox cup so i can blend in a bit better.

Also!

Another thing i have failed to mention! On friday I received a rather large box. In it? A case of my favorite type of potato chips.
I've got a box of 60 bags of chips in my room. Well. Okay. More like 52...

Man i'm fat.

I Go Out Of My Way To Step On A Crunchy Leaf

I felt like having myself a little tea party this weekend so of course i found myself down by the harbour. And then i forgot the tea. I think, however, that i escaped a punishment most cruel by not littering because this seems to be what happens to rebellious folk these days.

That's right. They get TRAPPED IN BALLOONS and are FORCED to wear bright red tights and made to float alone upon the water.

Fall

I love this tree. It turns NEON PINK when the sun hits it just right.

Awesome

I may have mentioned once or twice before that it gets cold up here. Also, i may have mentioned that once leaving the relative warmth and comfort of my attic bedroom the temperature drops about 5 degrees and then it drops an additional 5 when one heads to the first floor. I have shivered my way to the kitchen many a night because i couldnt seem to find my coat or because i was too lazy to put on a coat that i had to walk all the way to my closet for.

So i decided i needed a robe. And i got one. And it is awesome. Notice the sheep?

Very Cold

It has been over a week since last i posted. I fail. I fail very hard. Mostly I've been working and trying to stay warm. The other day i called my mommy crying because the temperature outside was 36 degrees. I was wearing long john underwear, long pants, a sweater, a coat, a wool watch cap, and the boots i wore in Kansas when i played in the snow. I cannot wear my sneakers anymore because the cold goes right through them. I also was carrying around a steaming cup of hot chocolate but i told the yuppies who asked what i was drinking that it was coffee. I hate coffee. But Ive already been teased about my love for Tang and i shall not let them make fun of my Kresto. Can i help it that the staples of my childhood have become staples of my adulthood? Probably. I keep them around tho because they are comforting. Like a security blanket. Nothing can be wrong in the world that a cup of neon orange fruit like drink can't fix.

Except for the fact that i seem to be allergic to wool and the wearing of my hat has made me itch something fierce. No amount of Tang in the world can take my mind off of that.

Also, i find myself in need of socks. The house is a bit drafty.

Bah

Relocating is frustrating. It took me several hours a few weeks ago to update my addresses on my open accounts ranging from my cell phone service to pay pal. Even doing it online took an immense amount of time and several weeks for all of the information to be finalized. Now that i am actually receiving bills to my new address i have set myself to obtain my MA license. This has proven to be difficult because the Class E license i have does not exist up here. There is an A B C D and M but no E. I took quite a bit of time out of my day looking up the different classes and then deciding which best matches my current one. It is D by the way. The class M license requires a whole lot of stuff and i hope i don't have to take another written or road test to have my motorcycle endorsement converted to the new license. I printed up some forms and started to fill them out until i realized that there was a specific form for out of state conversions. Gah. So i shredded my half completed other form and printed up the new one and filled it out. It is now too late to head into the city to get the license because, of course, the RMV office closest to me does not deal with out of state conversions.

Its also going to cost me over 100 dollars to do all of this.

/scowl

In happier news the Space Invaders gracing my wall are pretty awesome and i have managed to find and fill out a new voter's registration form.

Nothing impresses the senoritas like a well-conjugated verb.

I love that guy. I'm very impressed by his one semester of spanish. Aren't you?

I tried to cook an omelet last night. It did not turn out so well. Now i know that eggs seem like a relatively easy dish to make but when you are as inept in the kitchen as i am it turns into quite the production. You know, i really don't like to do things im not naturally good at. Its terrible i know but when something doesn't come easily i'm not interested in doing it. Tis a minor character flaw and one that i have been trying to work on.

So i tried to cook an omelet. I miss my daddy's omelets! I had nearly gotten my egg flipped over but then it all fell apart and i had just a lump of quickly browning egg so i pulled it out and dumped some cheese on it and zapped it in the microwave. And then i splashed it with hot sauce to turn it into a really ghetto huevos rancheros. I'm not quite sure what huevos rancheros are but that's what i convinced myself that i ate last night.

It was delicioso.

Oh no!

I have fried some of the leaves on my plant. I guess it should not be left in direct sunlight...

I'm sorry little plant! No more threats from me. :(

!

I have a plant! I stole it from where it was sitting dying without water. Sadly its not a grape vine but i will pretend that it is and whisper things to it like if you don't grow a bunch of grapes for me i'll chuck you out the window. My momma always told me you should talk to your plants. She never told me what to do if the plants start talking back. Like my pink flower Frosina.

Sometimes she tells me to burn things. O.o

Cold

It is literally 10 degrees warmer in my room than the rest of the floor and at least 15 degrees warmer than the bottom part of the house. The temperature was somewhere in the 40s last night ( Oh my god that's the dead of winter in Florida!) and i had on 3 layers of clothes because i was out and about. I kind of felt like an /exagerada/ because everyone else was still in thin shirts or a small jacket while i was packing thermals, turtleneck, and a very thick oversized sweatshirt. And i wished i had my hat with me.

When i left my room this morning the cold slapped me across the face and i flinched and jumped back into my room. I'm going to have to leave the house eventually though i've told my housemates that i am going to my room in october and i will come back downstairs in may. They laugh like i was joking.

Also, i think my culito nearly froze itself to the toilet this morning. That can't actually happen can it? Can it?!

Stealing

The house on the corner has a fantastic metal fence covered in greenery. On closer inspection the greenery has turned out to be grape vines. They have a patio section and the roof is made entirely of the vines. There are bunches of grapes dangling from the ceiling. Dude. That's awesome. I want grape vines now. There are grapes hanging on the public side of the fence and everytime i walk past it i just want to grab a handful. Is that stealing? I don't think so. I also want to reach inside their fence and pull the better looking grapes to the outside of the fence. That, i think, would probably be stealing. Mmm grapes. Maybe i could grow some from my window. But for now i will settle for the large bunch of flowers currently standing guard by my bed.

Meet the Flowers in the Attic!

You've met Margarita the yellow flower.

Since she's taken up residence with me in this room she has acquired 4 other deviant companions. They are Sabina, Diego, Guillermo, and Frosina.

Frosina is the crazy black eyed pink one. I'll let you decide who the others are.

Lucky Me

Looks like i won't be needing to buy anything to cook with after all. Last night Amy, Kevin and I unpacked the random boxes sitting in the kitchen and we came up with a whole mess load of stuff. So the kitchen is fully stocked. The only thing I'm contributing is 1 plate, 1 bowl, 1 fork, 1 spoon, 1 knife, and my rice cooker. Heh. It will make it easy to pack up once i leave. I made lasagna tonight and Amy had some. She said it was excellent. So yay! We also started clearing out one of the porches that was full of junk belonging to previous tenants. We unburied a few boxes that were pretty heavy and decided to take a peek inside. The boxes contained 2 turn tables, a mixer, and Bose speakers. Since the property is abandoned it now belongs to us! Kevin ran off to buy some 99 cent records and we spent our evening listening to Motown's greatest hits, Broadway tunes, and Bruce Springsteen. Hilaaaarious!

I am done!

I am safely ensconced in my very own bedroom with a brand new bed and slightly wounded but well put together furniture. I've purchased a fan for my room and Kevin and i have acquired a picture for the bathroom as well as a towel rack.

As i wandered into the kitchen i realized (after peeking into all of the cabinets) that people who actually cooked in the house took their cookware.

Which means that I, Lyan Albino, will next embark on a mission to buy a pot, a pan, and perhaps some silver ware for my very own self.

Oh dear.

You know what i need? A MESS KIT. Where the pot, pan, silver ware and entrenching tool comes wrapped up in a neat little package.

Actually forget that. I'm gettin me some MREs. At least that comes with chewing gum and toilet paper.

I hate IKEA

At this point even my bruises have bruises. Moving day number 2 begins well enough. I've managed to break down every single box in the room and have organized my books to my satisfaction. I love doing my bookshelves. The dvd rack took me a bit longer since every movie had to be put in alphabetical order and divided by genre. Just kidding. They are alphabetical though. My box sets no longer fit with the rest of the dvds and now occupy a stack of milk crates. I need to buy a new tower tomorrow.

And then i turned my energy to the lone Ikea box sitting silently in the center of the room. It seemed easy enough. One measly little box wasn't going to scare me oh no it was not. I circled it a few minutes and wished my daddy had come to Boston to put the thing together but he, the punk, followed momma back to Florida. So i sat next to the box with my trusty new tool chest and proceeded to cut the box open. OH MY GOD there were 50 seperate pieces of wood in there with a large baggie of little metal thingies and instructions written in every language except english! My roommate Kevin laughed and came to check on me when i howled. He picked up the paper and read the directions aloud. That was when i realized the instruction booklet was written in MALE. I don't read MALE. I speak and understand it on occasion but i sure as hell don't read it. Luckily the instructions came in picture form on a different sheet.

Kevin wandered off to clean our shared bathroom. He scrubbed everything down including the medicine cabinet and informed me that i could put stuff away in there and that we should decide what colors we want our bathroom to be. It was a strangely domestic conversation.

I began putting my 3 drawer dresser together at noon. 5 hours later i had a very sturdy piece of furniture with drawers that held up, didn't fall out, and opened smoothly.

As i raised my arms into the air to proclaim my victory the hammer slipped out of my hand and clawside down, banged the top of my dresser. 1 minute old and the dresser is now sporting a WOUND.

I nearly cried.

Moving Day!

It took me entirely too long to put together my bedframe this morning. Every time i had one side nicely latched together the other part would fall down. At one point the matress fell over and pinned me to the floor. I spent a good 10 minutes growling as i wriggled my way from underneath the mattress and then..the box springs fell to trap me again.

I am happy to report significant progress however! Am currently taking a break to regain my strength before tackling the rest of the room.

Pictures up soon!

Total failure

I'm terrible at keeping up with this blog. Sorry Abuelo! For those of you not in the know, i flew back to Florida last Friday, packed up my room, and then began driving Sunday with my mother, titi Amanda, and Margarita in tow.

Who is Margarita you ask?

Nobody really knows.

Lets just say that behind the mask of her lifeless blue eyes and painted smile lies the mind of a conniving little...flower.

Margarita quickly became master of the road in the 27 hours it took us to get safely to Boston.

Sheep

I have a small collection of sheep. If i was a hardcore Puerto Rican they would be cows or elephants or roosters or maybe pilones. But i have sheep. I have acquired some salt and pepper shakers in the form of sheep. They rock.

Also, i still need to tell you about what happened in New York. More on that later. For now be content with the awesomeness that are my condiment containers.

I have returned!

From a dimension in which if you do not devour the books..the books devour YOU

And so!

I embark on my New Yorkian adventure. Me and a crate of chickens no doubt will be boarding one of the chinatown buses in about an hour and will be heading for the big city! I've got premium seats for Wicked on Broadway and hey if that show gets out early enough maybe we'll catch another while the night is still young. I shall return on Sunday.

Adios mi gente!

Hippie Goodness

One of the better experiences i had at UF was linking up with my dormmates Cristina, Liz, and Nisha. These girls were insane and were pretty much the key part of my freshman year. Cristina and I managed to meet up today for breakfast because she was on her way to visit her family after spending the summer as a lab rat in New York. I picked her up early at the airport (which means i can totally navigate the silver line baby!) and brought her back to Davis Square where we proceeded to eat, talk, and wander aimlessly through out the city. At one point we had stopped to play Brisca ( yes we are Puerto Rican) in a park in Trolley Square and while taking pictures a man stopped and asked if we wanted him to take our picture together. He said he only stopped to talk because he noticed my Jets cap.

Its been two years since last i saw Cristina and i've missed her terribly. We had a fantastic morning together. She's only been gone now for about 30 minutes and i'm already looking forward to the next time we meet. Even if she is a hippie.

Weekend

Meet us at Filene's Basement she said. Just take the redline and get off at downtown crossing and you can't miss it she said. Just follow the signs till you get to us she said.

So i got on the redline. I made it to downtown crossing. I emerged from the subway into the sunlight and looked around.

There were no signs that said Filene's Basement anywhere. If you know me, you know how much i hate asking for directions. If you know me, you know that i get lost even if i have lived in a place for over 10 years. If you know me, you know that i'm distracted quite easily and usually by something shiny.

And if you don't know me by noooooow. You will never never never knoooow meeeeee.

Ahem.

So i went for a walk and somehow ended up in the theater district and china town. The Opera House was impressive and i stood there staring up at it in the middle of the street like a tourist. Until the screech of tires and the honking of horns clued me in to watch out just as the taxi ran me over. Okay so that part didn't happen. But the Opera House is very pretty.

I kept walking until i noticed more and more people with shopping bags. I noticed one man with a bag that said Filene's and began to tail him. I kept perhaps a car length behind him for at least 3 blocks before he noticed he was being shadowed. Every time he would turn to look back at me i would quickly have my face turned away reading the numbers on the buildings and mumbling to myself. He walked faster. And so did I. The man had nearly broken into a noticeable jog before i took pity and veered away towards another street. I certainly didn't want to scare him enough that he would confront me, lol.

I finally found Filene's and wandered inside only to encounter a mad house. The store was pretty much boiling over. They were have a huge blow out on name brand stuff from 50 -70% percent off. It was crazyness. I ended up buying some jumbo size Ralph Lauren Pillows for 4 bucks and a set of silver satin sheets. Why satin sheets? Well there's something really sleazy about satin sheets that has always appealed to me, lol. I would have bought red ones but that would have been a bit much don't you think? So i bought a set for 8 dollars.

Alicia and her friend needed to try on some clothing and because they had handed me a few dresses to try on as well i accompanied them. As we meandered towards the fitting rooms they told me that coming to Filene's and trying on clothes is an /experience/. I laughed and asked "why, is the fitting room communal"?

Oh my God they were! We walked into a large room that already held a large group of scantily clad and unclad women. The walls had mirrors all around and because many of the mirrors were warped one has to go from mirror to mirror to get an accurate view of what they are wearing. Or hell, ask the random girl standing behind you. Or in front of you. Or beside you.

Now, i'm not a prude. And most of my body consciousness has left me after that first horrific experience at boot camp. So i can strip down in locker rooms and whatnot just fine and i've taken group showers. So this should be no big deal eh?

It was amazing how difficult taking my shirt off was just to try on a simple dress. After a few minutes i was fine and could try on the other things normally and give my opinion on a dress to the girl standing behind me even.

Should i go back and try things on i'll be okay with it now that i know.

Oh dear

I do have an update but am too tired to give today's events the attention it deserves.

A short teaser:

I walked into a dressing room to find 20 other women already there half naked and trying on their own clothing.

*wince*

Stay Tuned

Wandering

I decided that i had to go to Borders. Yes, there may be a bookstore on every corner here but i was longing for my days as a corporate tool and i really wanted to be able to walk into the store and be able to move into any section i wanted without asking for help or reading signs.

So i walked from work to the subway and jumped onto the red line. 5 stops later i disembarked and transfered onto the green line. The green line let me off in front of the Boston Public Library. Which is GLORIOUS! I wish i had my camera. It was so pretty.
Copley Square also had one of the prettiest churches i've seen. There was also a Kahlil Gibran memorial that i liked which read : "It was in my heart to help a little because i was helped much."

i found Borders. I bought a book. And retraced my steps home without getting lost.

Amazing i know. :)

Now that i can successfully manuever the green and red lines i still need to hit the orange, blue, and silver. Well not so much the orange line. I hear people get shot there. But only between the hours of 3 and 5pm. ;)

Mmm

I have had an INTENSE craving for mozzarella sticks for a few weeks now. Unfortunately, the only ones i can find here are the TGIF brand and they're pretty lame. So Alicia made some from scratch today. So good!

You can find the recipe (by Giada) used here:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_27923,00.html

The sticks were so good in fact that i have forgiven Alicia for being a chocolate fascist. My habit of keeping candy bars in the fridge horrify her beyond measure.

mmm chocolate and cheese sticks

Busy busy busy

So much has happened but sadly i have not had a chance to sit down and tell you any of it!

So:

I got locked into my bedroom the other night. The door does not close completely and i may have tried a bit too hard to push that thing shut so when it closed it closed HARD.

I did not discover that fact until the middle of the night when i desperately needed to use the bathroom and the door would not open no matter how fierce like i was struggling with it. At that point i became rather obsessed with the need to JUST GET OUT but i couldn't and so there i was trapped and hardly able to breathe. My throat literally closed up and i couldnt even scream for help. This worries me. What if get ATTACKED and i can't scream?

Anyways. It was late and Alicia and Rich had retired for the evening. The doors are pretty solid so they didnt hear me struggling at all. I picked up my cell phone and called them but got no answer. (I later learned they were franctic tearing up the room trying to find the ringing phone.) The phone not working put me into total panic mode and i threw myself against the door and started banging on it crying to be let out. Alicia finally emerged from her bedroom and said

"Lyan, um are you okay?"
"Help meeeeeeeee," i whispered as i slid down the door's frame.

She rammed into the door numerous times until it finally swung open. All i could do was stand there, breathing heavily and on the verge of hysterical tears.

And she? Well the wench broke into laughter and went back to bed.

And then the next morning proceeded to tell EVERYONE IN BOSTON how i had gotten locked in the room.

She threatens me with that nowadays if i get too obnoxious.

Hmph. The nerve.

We Moved!

Or rather Alicia and Rich have moved and since i seem to have become a fixture in the house (like a lamp lol) i went with them. Its a great location out in Davis Square. I got hungry for some chocolate earlier and i went outside, walked for 30 seconds, went into a store, bought my chocolate, and 45 seconds later i was sittng on the floor with my laptop and my chocolate. Fantastico! In other moving news i have a meeting with some potential roommates tomorrow night. The apartment is also located in Davis and its abut a 3 minute walk from where im currently sleeping. I hope everything works out okay since im getting used to this area. Theres a bookshop on every corner! Awesomeness.

Also, the couch does not fit in the house so its currently standing up in the hallway blocking traffic. We literally squish ourselves past it trying to get thru. Alicia finally gave up and sat in the hallway.

I Did NOT Eat That Pretzel

I really didn't despite what some of you may think. >.<

I did however eat an excellent hamburger today. Alicia dragged me over to Bartley's which is apparently a very famous Cambridge institution. Its cramped, noisy, no bathroom, and they only accept cash. I loved it! There are like 50 different hamburgers you can order and all of them are named after politicians or celebrities. I ate a Professor Sparks classy burger. Its a terriyaki burger with grilled pineapple and a huge mound of onion rings on the side. According to Alicia, Professor Sparks is one of the most respected teachers at Harvard and is usually very well dressed and sports a rather elegant cane as he traverses the campus. There is also a burger called The Republican and is the most expensive one on the menu at 13 bucks. lol so funny. Alicia ordered a drink called the Elvis and that turned out to be a frappe composed of peanut butter banana and chocolate. Its the King of Milkshakes.

We went off to see Harry Potter 5 tonight in a party of about 17. Four of us had to guard an entire row of seats as we waited for everyone to show up. It got ugly. After all that the movie turned out to be disappointing. Oh well.

OH! I got paid tonight! My first paycheck with the Harvard seal and everything!

O.o

I've been walking around with a rock in my boot. So i finally took off my shoe to take out the rock...and it was a pretzel! How did a pretzel get in my shoe? Nobody here has been eating pretzels. So i ate the pretzel. It was tasty.

What?

Noir

After work today i tagged along with Alicia and two of her friends to the Noir Bar at The Charles Hotel. The bar boasts signature drinks and cocktails along with cheap and tasty appetizers. I had a suspiciously pink drink called a Stardust. It consisted of bacardi rum, parfait amour and fresh lemon, and was served with a sugared rim. I also had a fantastic BLT sandwich with some kind of really spicy chipotle mayonnaise. Mmmm.

But the best part of the afternoon was that for the first time ever i was not asked for ID.

Hmm. So either that means the bar is slacking off in its duties of keeping youngsters off the booze or i just looked really really old today...

Bad Catholic's Guide To Good Living

I have been going to church! I have gone to Mass every week since i've left home. Sure i've only been away from Florida for 2 weeks but hey its something isn't it. The first week here Alicia and Rich accompanied me to St. Lukes. We were very unimpressed. This sunday Alicia and i headed to a late service at St. Clement's Eucharist Shrine. Its absolutely gorgeous. The Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine is pretty and imposing but ultimately i don't find it as appealing as St. Clement's. Theres just something about walking down the city street with cars and building and people rushing past and then out of nowhere the Church appears. Awesome. I'm sure there are better shrines out there. Maybe i'll seek them out and decide which i like best. In fact i think i shall march myself down to the Harvard Divinity School and see if they need anyone to travel around inspecting the churches and blogging about them. Anyways, we went to Mass and it was pretty fantastic. Afterwards we walked down to a cafe to eat and bantered back and forth about religion and the other churches in the area we were going to try out. A guy heard us discussing the differences between religious services up here and what im used to down south and joined in. He recommended that we try a chapel at Boston College for Easter Mass. I think next week we're going to the St. Francis Chapel inside the Prudentil Center. A Roman Catholic chapel run by the Oblates of the Virgin Mary inside a mall. How cool is that?

Yargh

I am trying to write a few different cover letters. They are not going well. Oh look American Psycho is on tv! *gets distracted*

Happy Rebel's Day

Because my grandpa yelled at me for not posting in days; here is my 4th of July entry just for him...

Abuelo,

The holiday began innocently enough. We woke early and wandered down to the Esplanade, miles and miles of biking/walking whatever trails that hug the Charles River. The area was fairly empty when we got there but would soon be filling up as more people camped out for the fireworks display. Alicia and i slept for 2 hours by the water's edge which i must confess creeped me out. I was convinced that sitting too near that water was just inviting an alligator to jump out and drag me in. You can take the girl out of Florida but you can't take the Florida out of the girl.

We were eventually joined by a slew of Alicia's friends and others. They're an amusing bunch. I played Set (a card game) with Rich for awhile but the wind picked up and blew one of my vards into the river! Luckily a girl sitting near by dove for it and managed to grab it before it got too soaked. We decided to pack the game up after that, no telling where the cards would go next time.

I went for a walk and ended up in Chinatown and the theater district! It was pretty empty since everyone was either at the river or hiding from the rain that had started up. Also, no worrying, i did not wander into Chinatown by myself. There were other people with me. :)

When we made it back to the esplanade the rain was starting to pick up. We packed up our tent and walked to the nearest movie theater where we watched Transformers instead. The others were talking about how it had been some time since they had missed seeing fireworks. Me on the other hand, i dont care about the fireworks. We usually just watch them through the trees from the direction of the lakefront. I did miss lighting cheap snakey fireworks from Walmart with Cory and Cheo though. And burning smiley faces into cardboard. :(

Lots of love,

Lyannie