Voting, Christian Fellowship, and Thanksgiving

I am registered to vote in the lovely state of Wisconsin. Too bad I know little about the issues here, and since I was not registered in Illinois, I couldn't do an absentee vote. With all that aside, the biggest issue here in Wisconsin was the gay marriage amendment. As a matter of fact, that was pretty much the only issue everyone was talking about here at Marquette. Marquette is a Catholic school. I was expecting more support in the ban, but it was the opposite. I'm guessing that the attitude of the school was pretty much implied. If anyone would need to campaign, it would be those in support of gay marriage.

I'll go on and say I voted for Mark Green for Wisconsin governor. One of his main issues was keeping citizens of Wisconsin in Wisconsin and out of Illinois. Ha, well, it wasn't put like that exactly. The more jobs they create here in Wisconsin, the more jobs there will be available in Illinois. That's where they go. I guess I just voted with my state in mind.

I went Green for most of the rest (House, Senate, Congress, etc.). I've always admired the principles of the Green party, so that's where I leaned. I didn't even know much about the Democratic and Republican candidates. Heck, since it's a throwaway vote, I probably didn't do much damage anyway.

---
There was this Christian fellowship event tonight. As much as I would like to believe that everyone seeking God can feel comfortable in any type of environment that's providing the tools for doing so, it isn't necessarily true. For myself, I feel more comfortable in a Black, Baptist church. I'd rather go with what I'm used to and where I think the congregation would share some background with me. Also, for me, music plays a vital role in worship. The music in my church back home is very jazzy and soulful (the genre, not "filled with soul," as in spirit), and everything you'd expect from a Black choir. Now, if I knew of a diverse, Baptist church, I'd go there in a heartbeat. So many people with different backgrounds gathered together for one reason would be wonderful. Unfortunately, I have yet to find that church. I'm not even sure if it exists. The people at the event were mostly White and Asian, and the music was, I think, is it called "Contemporary Christian?" Well, I couldn't help but feel out of place. I don't know. I almost feel wrong for feeling this way. Maybe it's just a personal issue that I need to pray about.

Also, something that could have been distracting me was bringing my Jewish friend. There was a negative comment for practically everything, and it started to annoy me very much. I wanted her to come with me because we've made it important to share our cultural backgrounds, but maybe this was a bit too extreme. We're still cool though. In return, I'm going to her Shabbat dinner this Saturday. Should be interesting.

----
Thanksgiving's coming the week after the next. Can't wait to come home, see the folks, see my friends, and most importantly, eat food that wasn't originally in powder-form. My friend Aurell's coming with me. She's from Indonesia, and she wanted to experience American culture through partaking in Thanksgiving. Thing is, she doesn't eat...anything. I went through the list of foods that are usually served at my family's table, and so far, I think she's going to be eating some savory water.



I can't believe I cited Fox. I feel dirty.

The Art of Studying...Gradually

I feel so unprepared. Back at my high school, I don't think every teacher was on the same page. You had those that saw the need to TRULY prepare students for the college experience and those that couldn't care less or had difficulty controlling their classrooms. But, I'm beyond harping on my high school and I've moved on.

Plenty of people have trouble their freshman year. Some advising would've helped though, and I probably wouldn't have enrolled myself in classes packed with juniors. From my mistakes, though, I have discovered the wonderful art of studying...gradually.

I have five classes. One of those classes requires little to no attention at all. So, technically, I have only four classes. From most difficult to easiest:

1. Anthropology
2. Intro to Communication
3. English Rhetoric and Composition
4. Film History
5. ARSC: Community (we learn about how you HAVE to like Black people, or you're racist).

Film history has been determined my easiest class for this reason only: I was able to ace the exam without studying for even a single moment. Yep. I came into class not expecting a test, I took it, and I passed. Even though I do look over my notes here and there, this doesn't need too much of my time.

English has been my favorite subject since birth. I think my first words were actually a criticism of my mom's use of a hanging preposition. Kidding. My first word was actually "Jesus." Anyway, I got a "B" on my first paper. I did it about an hour before class. However, I need to get better with these "short writes." Short writes are little assignments that are given to help us understand the theme or concept of the unit. They're insanely easy, but I've always been horrible with following directions. They don't hurt my grade too much, and I've been getting more A's with these, even with ones I completed an hour before class. My most recent one was completed without reading the text. I'll let you know how that goes. But basically, English is alright with me. I just hate writing papers, but I can't help but be really good at them.

Intro to Communication shocked me because I thought I had this class in the bag. My exams aren't looking too pretty, and I have this weird habit of, um, not showing up for class. Not to worry, I'm not doing that anymore. I was sick, but even if I'm sick, I'm still coming to class. I'll have to be on my dying breath to skip again. We have a paper coming up soon, and my topic is going to be the application of "insert communication model here" to the career of filmmaking. When I'm interested in the paper topic, I usually do better, strangely. As far as the exams are concerned, I have discovered that last-minute all-nighters are not the answer. I'm block-studying a half-hour to an hour per night over my lecture notes and the text. I read the chapter assignment before class. That way, I already have a road-map in my head. Our professor uses application examples instead of talking straight from the text, and learning the application is key to passing the exam, not memorizing names and dates. Good going.

Anthropology did not shock me because I knew from the very beginning that I did not have this class in the bag. I just wanted to take this instead of Biology or Chemistry. Frighteningly, I'm actually better-off. Bio and Chem are raining F's apparently. Anthro is a wild card. You can't select what and what not to study. You must study EVERYTHING. I would need to put an hour, minimum, per night to even think of passing this class. Oh, and one more thing. I have this little, I don't know, fact that I'm passing down to my children:

IF YOUR TEACHER IS OFFERING OVER TEN POINTS WORTH OF EXTRA CREDIT, THAT CLASS IS UNPASSABLE. DANGER. DANGER WILL ROBERTSON!!@%

The extra credit is just a lure. They're trying to make you believe that, "oh, the class may be hard, but I'll have that jolly ol' extra credit waiting for me." IT'S A SICK FANTASY, THAT'S WHAT IT IS!

But this class doesn't have cute little short writes or discussion assignments. It's just the exams. So, that extra credit is to Anthro what those "in-between" assignments are to my English and Communication classes. Our professor is offering THIRTY POINTS OF EXTRA CREDIT. She's probably having nightmares about those D's and F's. Even with studying, I don't think there was much hope with the first unit. It was just so gosh-darn boring. Now we're moving into a more interesting unit dealing with present cultures. I'm still putting in an hour per night, but this time, I'm not going to bomb my exam. I hope to walk out of that class with a "B." If I don't, I won't be able to transfer it to USC.

Alright. Here are some things that I am giving up in order to support my initiative:

1. Facebook
2. Yahoo Messenger
3. Television...on Mondays. If I get really serious, possibly Fridays
4. Hanging out with Lyds and the crew on weekdays
5. Sleeping

I'm not only sacrificing those things for school, I'm also doing it for God. Alright, okay, alright, seriously, STOP LAUGHING. I feel I've been ignoring Him a lot, and because of that, a lot of crappy things have been happening. I feel making these sacrifices (and fasting as well) will at least show I acknowledge my errors. I haven't been praying or even going to church. Since coming here, I haven't been able to find any Baptist churches. I was thinking of attending a Catholic church just for prayer or perhaps Mass, but I just can't. I'll touch more on this in another post. I've finally found one, and I was introduced by one of the cafeteria workers. He's really weird, but he's alright.





Do I look like a "Georgia Mae" to you?!

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator...

I took a longer version of this test last year, I think. Then, I got the letters "INFP." This time around, I got "ENFP." Perhaps I'm a bit more extroverted than I was before. Friends are more important to me now more than ever since I'm in an environment where I know NO ONE.

Some pros to my type:

Like considering unconventional approaches
Free spirited
Interested in helping others make the most of their talents

Some cons to my type:

Irresponsible with their commitments
Often find themselves stagnating
Sloppy with details and facts

That last con is strange because one of the strongest career paths in my results was journalism. Movie directing and photography were up there as well. One of my least popular career paths: nuclear engineering. They couldn't be MORE WRONG!!



I'm slowly growing tired of facebook. I'm switching to straight-up gangsta blogging.

Uh...

Yeah, I saw this in one of Jungsun's posts so...

...yeah

A Numbness to Iraq

September 11th was the first time I ever felt scared to walk outside. Every night, I was secured in a safeness when I went to sleep. That night, I could hardly sleep at all. When I turned on the television, channels were plastered with coverage and talking heads. The word "terrorism" kept popping up. It was a word I was never used to. Comedians were crying on national television. They finally revealed a more human side to themselves, instead of a rehearsed script. It was frightening and refreshing at the same time. I wanted it to be like that forever.

But soon, that all changed. We stopped hugging random people in the streets. We all returned to work and to our social constructs of looking down when were walking in hopes of not greeting anyone. Something in everyone died. It was that sense of vulnerability. We were back to being comfortable, over-fed, and powerful. Weakness fuels humanity?

It's all still going on. There is a war happening, and we just might take a hit. But even if we don't, shouldn't it shock people to know that there were 77 corpses found in the Iraqi capital this week? Shouldn't it sadden people that the killings are at it's highest rate this week during the holy month of Ramadan? Peace can't even be granted for a religious observance because there are people that are that numb.

I'm numb too. I cannot relate to being caught in the middle of warfare. "Sunnis" and "Shiits" are just words in the newspaper. They're possible answers to a current events quiz. They're not people. For that, I am truly sorry for myself. If I can't help the situation in Iraq, I can at least show respect by knowing what's going on. Instead of involving myself in an argument about the situation, I can inform myself and discuss it with people in a rational manner. Then, we can see what we can do. There are plenty of organizations out there.




One other time I felt scared to go outside was when there was a swarm of dragonflies outside my door.

Hugh Laurie is a Funny Man

Hugh Laurie is so funny, he had his own show in Britain before his House fame.

I'm actually happy that I've been introduced to Hugh this way. It's refreshing to not hear his frog-like deep voice spraying insults on random people. Instead, he's a rather charming comedian with genius material.

The show is called "A Bit of Fry and Laurie." Laurie stars along with Stephen Fry in this sketch comedy show that takes humor to a higher level. Sketches like "Don't Be Dirty" take the cheapness of raunchy comedy and turn it into something painfully witty. Their sketches have often been described as almost reaching the point of vulgarity, but ending just before reaching that point. Even in their lighter comedy segments, you aren't left with the thought, "that was cute, but not very funny." It's funny in the fact that the situation is so absurd, but believable, and it doesn't require a single swear or poop joke to leave you in tears...of humor, not agony.

I can honestly say that I'm being too simple here. The show includes plenty of high-brow humor to make you think a bit, and some esoteric jokes that a silly ol' American like me can't understand. I'm sure I'll get them in time; may take a little research. But even with a misunderstanding, there's something to laugh at. There's a line in this sketch that I cannot decode to save my life, but I was still thoroughly entertained.

From what I've seen from the show, I can say, it's miles better than House. They're two different genres, but House is slowly and inevitably starting to annoy me. Omar Epps has that same wide-eyed expression on his face for EVERY scene, and Laurie's character is starting to remind me of Becker...nuff' said.

Bottom line, Laurie is a very funny man. He's clever, he's a great writer, and he plays piano and guitar! Funny? More like insanely talented!




Ugh, that just turned into one of those letters people leave on fanatic sites.

Hotel Rwanda

My English Rhet Comp teacher (she's not a professor yet) is showing us Hotel Rwanda for the second unit. Today, we got to the part where Cheadle's character, Paul Rusesabagina, is trying to cut a deal with Hutu soldiers to save his family and friends, most of whom are Tutsi.

If you don't know about the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, I suggest reading this article.

So far, so gut-wrenching. I can hardly watch it without tearing up. It's bad enough that these people are split because of some faulty division created by the Belgians, but innocent people were being killed as a result. It's more about the exchange of power. I don't know if there is any information on why the Belgians decided to transfer power to the Hutus once they left the country, but needless to say, it wasn't a great idea.

It may seem politically incorrect to make an assumption in this kind of situation that senseless rebellion would result. It would appear that the person making that assumption has low standards for those people. But that's exactly what happened. However, you had some Hutus that ignored the rebellion, including Rusesabagina. It almost mirrors the situation in Iraq. You have innocent people that are going to be caught in the politics and violence going on, no matter what.

The difference is the world isn't turning a blind eye to Iraq. We have our soldiers there, but when the genocide happened, nothing was done.

I'm not an expert on this, but I'm observant enough to give my viewpoint.
We haven't finished the movie yet, so I guess I'll get back on this issue later.




I couldn't imagine this happening to me.

Learning Spanish

My video production teacher is fluent in Spanish and has criticized me for not being able to speak it even after eleven years of instruction.

I blame it on the method. My teachers stressed the grade component of the class instead of the versatility of being bilingual. I would love to be able to speak Spanish now, but I sure didn't love it then.

There was always a panic when a test was coming up. Late nights were spent cramming in as many conjugations as possible. The passing grade was a relief, but the loose grasp I had of the language was a disappointment. It made all of that hard work a waste.

Since meeting my VP teacher, for the first time, I'm actually strongly interested in learning Spanish. I'm not doing it to possibly earn more money in the workforce or to impress my friends, I'm doing it because I feel it will improve me as a person. It sounds sappy, but being able to speak Spanish will allow me to communicate well beyond my boundaries.

Plus, I'll have a head-start on Portuguese since they're two very similar languages.

I respect skillful people, and I skill respectful people.

...

Goodnight.

The Shortest Post You'll Ever See

I've never taken on a project that required good social skills, good writing skills, and good business skills all at the same time. Well, you have to start somewhere.

I want to collaborate with other writers and start writing...anything. Sketches, short stories, plays, scripts, or possibly reviews. Before I can collaborate, however, I'll need to build up on my "portfolio" and pick up the pen again.

Writing is something that has brought me great joy since I was a kid. Even the bad stories make me proud. But the good ones build my confidence. When I say I was teased as a kid, I'm not being cute. The praise I got for my writing was probably the only thing standing between me and a trip to the Maury Show.

I've already published a large chunk of some writing I did. It's called "Writer's Block." I dunno, search it up.




I seem to only write when I'm angry, sad, or confused.

Mel, Mel, Mel...

Oh boy. One radio station pinned Mel Gibson as "The Hester Prynne of Hollywood." He's also lost his miniseries deal with ABC on the subject of the Holocaust. Goodness.

There are some that are questioning whether or not ABC was right to take away Mel's TV deal. Well, here's how I see it...

A man utters out grossly anti-Semitic comments after being pulled over for drunk driving.

Not the best representative for a Holocaust mini-series.

ABC clearly did this for business reasons. It's going to be quite distracting to know that this show about the Holocaust features a man who may really hate Jewish people.

Mel Gibson has issued an apology and is making plans to meet with Jewish leaders to make amends. I am not Jewish, but I can look through the viewpoint of being African-American and I can make this situation fit what I'm more familiar with.

What if he was talking about Blacks instead? Would I forgive him?

Yes. I have been taught to forgive people when they apologize. This has matured into being a part of my mentality and not something that's just rehearsed. He is a famous actor and he may just be apologizing to improve his image. But I'll never know that unless he admits it.

God knows his heart, and He'll be the one to judge, not me.


This also raises other questions:

1. Are people more honest when intoxicated?

2. Did Gibson try to hide his police records? (These are the same people who took down Robert Downey Jr. and Nick Nolte. Though Gibson's mugshot and records were being withheld, their records were released without hesitation. TMZ.com were the first to report what actually happened.)

3. Are the one's persecuting Gibson the most just being self-righteous?





I've never seen Lethal Weapon.

Kentucky Fried Horror Movies

There has been an over-abundance of horror movies coming out lately. I've only gone to see one, "Hostel," and boy, was I disgusted.

The advertising stressed Quentin Tarantino's production credits as if it would help the popularity of the movie. Little do they know that production credit doesn't mean writing or directing credit.

No, this movie was directed by Eli Roth whose work includes "Private Parts," the biopic starring Howard Stern, and Cabin Fever. Strangely enough, the plot for Cabin Fever nearly mirrors that of Hostel: a group of stupid sexually frustrated teens embark on some meaningless adventure and end up having their joy shatter to pieces when some guy gets killed or gets an infection on his skin and croaks.

As much as I would like to include Cabin Fever in the list of Kentucky Fried Horror movies, it's release date was in 2003, which was the year for the final installment of both the Matrix and Lord of the Rings trilogies. The extreme almost Star-Wars-like success of these movies practically shadows the production of the KFHM of that year.

Even so, I decided to do a little research on the KFHM of 2003 as well as 2004, 2005, and 2006. I am only mentioning movies of wide release and commercialism.

2003

Darkness Falls
Dreamcatcher
Gothika
Final Destination 2
House of 1000 Corpses
House of the Dead
Jeepers Creepers 2
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Underworld
Wrong Turn

Total: 10

2004

Alien vs Predator
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blue Orchid
Blade Trinity
Club Dread
Dawn of the Dead
Exorcist: The Beginning
The Grudge
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Saw
Seed of Chucky
The Secret Window
Van Helsing

Total: 12

2005

The Amityville Horror
The Brothers Grimm
Constantine
The Cave
Dark Water
Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist
Doom
The Devil's Rejects
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The Fog
Hide & Seek
House of Wax
The Ring Two
Saw Two
Wolf Creek

Total: 15

2006

The Descent
Final Destination 3
The Grudge 2
Hostel
The Hills Have Eyes
I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer
The Omen
Saw Three
See no Evil
Slither
Snakes on a Plane
Stay Alive
Underworld: Evolution
When a Stranger Calls
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

Total: 15

Added 7/31/06: Also take into account that the 2006 year is not over yet. There is a movie that is ready for release called "Pulse" starring the very talented Christina Milian.



Please, now cut me a break for my statistics, for they aren't intricate. However, I'm giving a rough overview of a noticeable shift in the production of these horror movies as well as the value according to the minds of the critics and the audience.

That said, 2003 was the worst year for the KFHM. Pretty much every movie on that list received deplorable reviews. But the movies on the list were scattered through the year seemingly without the KFHM intent.

2004 was chuck full of remakes and sequels. To me, it's the formula for lazy writers with millions of dollars backing them. Some were quality including The Secret Window and Van Helsing (even though it was rife with skull-crushing special effects) while others were only luke-warm on the quality meter.

2005 and 2006 put many nails in the coffin of the horror movie genre. I've had several of my friends rush into theaters excited for at least five of these movies only to be disappointed with the poor writing and even more horrendous acting. People that you've either never heard of or have only had a glimpse at in some television special were popping up in this scary movie and then that one. My goodness, I wasn't even aware that there was a Grudge 2 or another "I Know What you did Last Summer" sequel.

I am no horror movie buff, but I certainly respect the genre enough to be silently weeping. If you were to find a good horror movie, you would have to go turn to Sundance or IFC to see the great work that went behind the original Ju-on: The Grudge movie. But only the cult horror movie fans know about these movies because they aren't widely released. Instead, the pop-American audience is stuck with trash being passed as horror movies under the gut-wrenching direction of Eli Roth who is being controlled by some big suit exec. They're stuck with watching some utterly useless hotel heiress in some movie slapped together just to grab some money under her name. However, I'm sure it was somewhat appeasing watching her experience some level of suffering.

Soon, the movie-going audience will open their eyes and the end of the KFHM will be near. But look out for other movie genres being run into the ground. I believe the romantic comedy is afoot of trashing. Keep your money in your pocket, and keep your eye for quality as clear as crystal.





Desea vivo la película independiente!

Late...Late Night with Conan O'Brien

This is a column I wrote for my school newspaper about my experience at the Conan in Chicago taping. Here it goes:

Was the wait as good as the pay-off? – Monica A.

For four straight days, it was a mob scene downtown outside the Chicago Theater. Thousands of Conan O’Brien fans tried their luck at scoring seats to see the taping of the Late Night show. I was among them.

Just like everyone else, I sent in an email to reserve tickets and I went to my nearest Pontiac dealerships to get a scratch and win card. I never got an email back and the scratch and win cards were losers. But they did encourage me to go to the Pontiac site and enter in a contest to win a car. Due to my lack of interest…and a license, I didn’t take them up on their offer.

No, I could care less about winning a car. Tuesday was quickly approaching, and I was pretty sure that I probably wouldn’t be seeing Conan O’Brien this week. But then, I received news that they were handing out free tickets downtown on State and Lake. I nearly tripped over myself trying to rush to the street corner. This nice man provided me with the tickets and a wristband. He pointed to the standby line. For that week, that line would be both the bane of my existence and my top priority.

Tuesday and Wednesday of that week, I stood in the line waiting. But sadly, I was turned away. On both days, the theater filled to capacity before 3:45. I decided that I should try for Friday. It was Conan’s last show, so I thought that perhaps it was the show to see.

Friday, 6 a.m, I was in the standby line. I was greeted by a couple of Conan fans, and I found my place in line with only twenty people in front of me. It was a great position. Now all I had to worry about was staying comfortable in the wet, 45-degree weather. My friend showed up and kept me company. Also, my mother was only a few blocks away at the Daley Center building. She helped me tremendously by bringing me food, coffee, and extra pairs of socks and shoes. Without her, I probably wouldn’t have made it.

Eleven a.m., the line started to move. We were also receiving tickets. The security people moved us across the street to a holding area near the theater. We received the great news that we were guaranteed to be let into the theater. The crowd cheered.

Now, we had to wait until 3:45. My friend and I played conversational games to pass the time. But then, our energy slowly faded away. Nothing seemed to be happening, until Conan O’Brien himself appeared out of nowhere!

He hopped on top of a truck and told us we were getting free pizza from Pizzeria Uno. His 6’4” frame could be seen even at the very back of the crowd, which grew to over three thousand people by 12 p.m. He ran through the crowd, and ended up right in front of me. He shook the hand of my friend and I was able to “cop a feel” of his leather brown jacket. Soon, Conan returned to the theater and the crowd was treated to the pizza.

Soon after the pizza was devoured, getting to 3:45 seemed to take forever. But after hours in the rain and cold of Chicago, the doors finally opened to the theater.

The crowd ran. My friend and I were almost trampled. Trying to pass up people that cut the line, we tried to rush to the theater doors to beat them. We were soon in the theater and we found seats in the 5th or 6^th row, center.

Brian McCann, a reoccurring cast member came out before the taping started to warm up the audience. He warned about using cameras, cellphones, and to discourage us from yelling out during Conan’s Monologue. He then impersonated one of the audience members from a night ago shouting out “SCHAUMBURG!”

Max Weinberg and the Max Weinberg Seven came out and began playing. Members of the audience, including myself started to dance. Everyone stood in amazement while Mark Pender the trumpet player held a note for over three minutes.

After the band finished their set, the crowd began to cheer rapturously as the announcer Joel Godard stepped out onto the stage. Equipped with headphones, a sheet of paper, and a microphone, Joel shouted the tagline.

“From Chicago, the city of big shoulders, it’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien!”

The opening graphics played on the television screen with beautiful shots of downtown Chicago.

The curtains opened to reveal the stage decked-out with a matte of the night sky dotted with stars and the Chicago skyline. A gigantic crescent moon sat in the middle of the stage. It slowly lifted to reveal Conan coming from the side stage. It looked like a scene from a concert, only there was no moshing.

Through the show, Conan stuck to his usual formula. He killed with his infamous “conologue” particularly flooring the audience with,

“I would like to stay in Chicago but my cholesterol is up to 450.”

Some of the highlights of the show included “The Wheel of Wendt,” which brought an appearance by beloved Chicago actor George Wendt. His stunts included giving Chewbacca a massage and chugging down a beer. The Chewbacca skit ended with a make-out session between the two that transformed initial bewilderment to hilarity.

Conan also decided to take a desk drive with his ex-sidekick Andy Richter. Together, they traveled through Wrigley Field (generating a mix of cheers and boos from White Sox fans), beat up Steven Bartman, and attended a “frat” party at the University of Chicago where the frat boys were “brawny” math majors chanting “calculus!”

The two guests for the night were Illinois Senator Barrack Obama and musical guest Wilco. Obama joked about the President’s habit of giving nicknames to the people he meets,

“I can’t tell if he’s trying to give me a nickname or if he just can’t pronounce my name,” Obama said.

Even with the gags with Wendt, Obama, and the Goose Island bit, you could tell that the audience was primarily there to see Conan. It’s hard to believe that he was once being sent hate letters for taking the place of David Letterman, but now his deep-rooted fan base justifies his placement. Conan handled his trip to Chicago with grace, turning clichés into hilarious satire and sticking to his original bits routing through the Chicago theme. It took a week of desperation and an eventual nine-hour wait in the cold rain. Some call me crazy, but that one-hour taping, for me, certainly justified the means.

I was able to grab some keepsakes including a detailed script from the show. Boy, am I a sneaky-boots.



I wonder if anyone uses the term "sneaky-boots."

Feeling: Awful

Sometimes your best friend can be your worst enemy.

And I Ran...

Yesterday morning, I arose to the chirps of birds and the beautiful spring weather. The sun was just rising, painting the sky an orangish-pink. Usually it takes a lot to get me out of the bed in the morning, but this time, it was easier than ever.

I put on my workout clothes, told my mom I was leaving out, and did a little stretching in order to avoid post-exercise aches. My CD player was going to be a problem. I had no type of holster to hold it in place, so I was carrying it throughout my run. It kept stopping and going as my movements disrupted the CD rotation. But my song choice more than compensated for it. AC/DC kept me going. "TNT" kept me from stopping.

It was the first time in a long time that I said I was going to do something immensely difficult and went through with it. I didn't run this morning (a friend of mine was over and I had to direct her to all of her basic toiletries) but I'm planning on going again tomorrow.

-----

Tomorrow is C-Day (TRITE). I'm arriving downtown Friday at the crack cocaine of dawn to see Conan O'Brien. My last two standby attempts have failed. The only shot I have is getting there insanely early to wait. Preparation is the key. Comfortable shoes, food, and some type of stuffed piece of furniture are quite essential. Hopefully, I'll get in. If I don't, well, there's always next life.


My legs are really sore.

Conan in Concert/Running

I was quite disdainful to learn that I probably wouldn't be seeing Conan O'Brien this week. He's doing a whole week of shows here in Chicago (to all of you internet stalkers out there, you're one step closer!).

Then, my hope was brought back to life when I found out there were tickets being handed out to people. However, they were just stand-by tickets; they didn't guarantee admission.

I ran to State and Lake to grab those tickets. The ticket holder pointed to a VERY long line forming all-the-way across the street from the Chicago Theater. I've waited in long lines plenty of times to have been disciplined in keeping myself occupied. A friend of mine even popped in to wait with me. She's not a Conan O'Brien fan, but she's just a fan of not going home right away.

I sang songs in my head, yelled random inflammatory statements, and even bought a free paper (yes, I bought a free paper) from a drunkard just to let the time pass. About a half-hour to an hour later, the line started moving. The staff people shouted on their megaphones: "Women to the left, men to the right!" It looked like a scene from "Titanic."

The crowd stopped and moved several times before finally making it across the street. Security people were even checking our bags. It appeared that we were going to get in! Unfortunately, we received the bad news that the theater was filled to capacity.

Of course, people were upset. There was a wild mix of people there.

• The Conan O'Brien fans (including myself)
  
• The Cheap Trick fans (they were playing this evening)
• People just wanting to see the show for the sake of it
  
• People that were just waiting in line for no purpose
• Solicitors

You could tell which group everyone belonged to depending on their reaction to the bad news.

People that were chanting: Conan fans.

People that were moaning and groaning: Cheap trick fans

People that were calm and almost strangely uninterested: ...For the sake of it

People that were vehemently pissed-off because they missed their train: The no-purpose group

People still trying to charge for free newspapers: Solicitors

I'll try again tomorrow and throughout the week. I'm hoping to make it in this Friday. For some reason, I just know the last show he does here will be the best one.

------

I've decided to start running in the morning. In order for me to even have the desire to wake-up in the morning, I have to get some sleep. Ten-o'clock isn't an early enough bed time. I'll see tomorrow.


I wonder if anyone would even want to stalk me.