ladybug

Since I moved into this apartment I have been seeing tons of ladybugs.  I don't mind them, they don't get in the way, but I just don't understand how they survive in my apartment with nothing to eat.  I have no plants... I mean, I have some cactuses, but I just got those recently and ladybugs have been dwelling in my place since I first moved in.  

At one point there were a bunch of them. Maybe 10 in my room if I counted.  Most of them died probably gruesomely... being played with to death by the cats and also slowly burning to death on the light fixture.  I hadn't seen many this winter, but all of a sudden they're back.  Not in large numbers, but there are a few.  I think they're suicidal though.  Yesterday one flew into the glass around the light in my room and I didn't want it to die so I turned the light off.  And today I was in the shower and one landed on my cheek and scared me and I think I threw it against the shower curtain and it got really wet.  Of course, being the weirdo I am, I scooped it up and (leaving the shower on, mind you)  got out of the shower and tried to dry it off with some toilet paper.  It's wings were soaked but I tried to make sure it's face (face?) wasn't covered with water.  I left it on the counter on the toilet paper and thought it might dry out a bit.  I don't know if it's dead at this point.  It hasn't moved, but ladybugs tend to sit in one spot for a long time. When I poke it it's legs move.  So, I guess I'll see if it's still alive tomorrow.  Poor ladybug.

Here are some fun facts about ladybugs:

-In Sweden, folks believe that if a ladybug lands on a young maiden's hand, she will soon be getting married.
-If you find a ladybug in your house, count the number of spots and that is how many dollars you will soon receive.
-In England, finding a ladybug means that you will have a good harvest.
-In France, if you are sick and a ladybug lands on you, when it flies away, it will take the sickness with it.
-If a ladybug has more than seven spots, then there will be a famine. If it has less than seven, then there will be a good harvest.
-At one time, doctors would mash up ladybugs and put them in a cavity to cure a toothache.
-Some people believe that the number of spots on a ladybug indicates how many children you will have.
-If you find a ladybug in your house in the winter you will have good luck.

This is all bullshit, of course.  I haven't had any good luck since moving in.  I guess I haven't had bad luck either.  I'm not sure I even believe in luck.  I do believe in ladybugs though.  We're pals.

candy canes again

I have so many candy canes.  It's ridiculous.  I eat maybe 3 a day.  I'm eating one now.  It's my new thing. 

So... I leave for Arizona on March 10th.  Which is very soon.  My brother and I are going to drive a huge moving truck towing my car behind it.  And my cats are going to be squeezed in somewhere by us too, except they're probably going to be sleeping because I'm going to drug them. DRUGS.

I am anxious about moving, it's a lot of work.  Maybe that's why I've formed this new candy cane addiction.  I want to move right now and get it over with.  I don't want to sit around thinking about it anymore.  I'm going nuts. NUTS!  

CANDY CANE NUTS!

420

apartment

My brother's interpretation of my new floor plan:

Kafka on the Shore

Apparently I read a lot when I'm not in school.  I think all 4 or so months that I was in school I was reading the same book that my drawing teacher recommended... that I couldn't get into.  Then however long ago I finally finished it.. and I've read maybe 5 books since then.  I'd have to count.  Which I plan on  doing in a second. Ok.

List:

1. Snow Crash  (recommended by teacher... kind of sucked)

2. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

3. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

4. Bastard Out Of Carolina 

5. Fool

Ok so I have read 4 books after Snow Crash, and I'm on my 5th.  Which is Kafka On The Shore by the same dude as the Wind Up Bird Chronicle: Haruki Murakami.  I'm not that far into it yet, but so far it's good... real good.  

So yeah, I'm still in Arizona.  I leave tomorrow.  I found an apartment yesterday so I don't have to worry about that anymore.  Now all I have to worry about is transporting all my shit from one side of the country to the other.  There are some things that I won't need, so I can count them out.  Maybe I can sell them before I leave.  Oh but moving isn't the only thing I need to worry about. Also, I need to do my taxes.  ALSO, I need to set up a vet appointment for my cats so I can get them some kitty sedatives so they don't completely freak out on the long, long drive to Arizona.  What else... I need to talk to my landlord and make sure he's found someone to take over my apartment.  He said I don't need to worry about it though, so that's good. 

So I can worry about other things instead.   Nice.

In Arizona.

I am in Arizona and it is not snowing here. Also it is sunny.  Also it's almost always 70 degrees.  Also I'll stop bragging now.

Apartment hunting is difficult.  There are so many, and I don't know which ones are good, or where others are, or which ones are in the best locations/have the best prices/ don't ask for a fucking $300 non-refundable pet fee.  Ridiculous.  

Coffee+SoyNog= Amazing.

aye

Tomorrow afternoon I leave for Week-Long-Arizona-Apartment-Hunting-Trip,

but tonight,

I eat peanut butter straight out of the jar.

Adieu.

GRAPES VS. RAISINS

Which is better?  I can't tell.  They're both so good.  It's the new crunchy vs. creamy peanut butter.  I'm stumped.

candy canes.

It is one fourteen in the a.m. - which apparently stands for the Latin "ante meridiem" - and I am eating my second candy cane of the night.  It's stale, and chewy, and old, but, it's a candy cane... so therefore it is delicious.  I acquired a box of 52 candy canes in Arizona at a Walgreens.  52 candy canes for 5 cents.  Yes, 5 cents.  I have so many fucking candy canes.  And right now I am eating my second one, because I want to.  Side note - I have only had one cavity in my life and it fell out with a baby tooth.  

Anyway, I finished The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle last night.  It was extremely good.  Since I haven't gotten around to going to a bookstore yet I just started reading a book I had.  One I had bought at a used bookstore a while ago, just because.  Probably because it was around 50 cents.  It's called Bastard out of Carolina and it's alright.  It's got everything, death, love, poverty, child abuse... what else could I ask for?  It's an easy read and I have a lot of time to kill.

A man came here today to give me an estimate for his company to move all my crap to Arizona.  2700 fucking dollars. Yeah right!  I'm thinking it would be easier to just sell/give away everything and just move with my necessities.  But I don't know about that.  I'm lucky with getting things used from people for free like couches and beds, and I feel like it would be harder to do that in a state where I don't know many people.  Also, I really like my couch.  It's a really good couch.  

Tomorrow, 60 degrees and I think mostly sunny.  Lots of skateboarding is going to happen.  

Lots. 

Back to reading about a bastard.

untitle'd

If chewing on ice is wrong I don't want to be right.

one thing i am not doing at the moment is sleeping.

I was going to.  I was tired an hour ago.  But now I'm not anymore.  Now my fingernails just sting from biting them too short.   

I'm on page 471 of my book.  It's really good, I'll probably read more by the same author in the future.

I realized today that I pronounce the "body" part of the word "somebody" differently than the way I pronounce just "body" by itself.  I didn't come to the realization because I said it, it was just something I was thinking about while driving today.  I don't know why.  Body. Bah-dee. Somebody. Suhm-buh-dee.  Should it be suhm-bah-dee?  I hear people pronounce it this way too.  It seems weird to me when I hear it that way.  It's just one of those things.

I wish I had a set of encyclopedias. 

More pen people:

painting.

Today I finally went to school and picked up my paintings from last semester.. and my supplies.  I was kind of afraid they were going to cut the lock on my locker and throw my paint and brushes away but they hadn't.  So I took my two paintings... the still life and an "abstract" which I pretty much blew it on.  It's not very abstract and it's just weird and Tim Burton-esque.  The pictures I took aren't in the best lighting but you can get the gist of it...

Anyway... here they are:

so.

Jack peed on me again this morning.  Maybe because I was refusing to let my phone ringing wake me up.  But he peed on me, and that was frustrating.  Then I went to make coffee and came to check my email, and guess what?  He had chewed on my computer power cord.  Not that that's a new thing.  The whole cord is covered in black electrical tape to cover places where he's chewed on it.  But I guess he was especially careful where he chewed last night because now the cord is permanently fucked.  It doesn't work anymore.  Thanks Jack, thanks a heap.  

I am so angry and frustrated that apparently I'm nothing at all.  I am indifferent.  I passed the point of yelling and kicking things over and now I am just nothing.  Whatever.  

Anyone want a cat?