Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Wha?

I have the public radio station on pretty much all the time, so it kind of starts to fade into the background. Every once in a while I hear something that makes me snap to and wonder if I missed something.

This is what I heard yesterday: Bush is going to reallocate American troops around the world, including ''removing 1/3 of US troops from South Korea''. I was under the impression that North Korea may be (not discounting India/Pakistan and the good ol’ US of A) the country most-likely-to-nuke-the-hell-out-of-somebody, possibly including our very own State of California. Shouldn’t we be keeping a very close, well-armed eye on them?

John Kerry and John McCain agree with me. And McCain is a Bush-hugging Republican.

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

It's a charmed life...

This is what it is like to be unemployed: If [The Boyfriend] comes home, and I'm actually wearing pants, he asks, "So, what are you all dressed up for?"

The bar has officially been set too low.

Monday, August 16, 2004

I have a problem

The other day I tried to type the word "toy" and instead typed the word "you". What kind of messed-up Freudian slip is that?

This is only funny/weird if you have some familiarity with the novel ===Infinite Jest===, but when I Googled "David Foster Wallace" and "Infinite Jest" these are the sponsored links that showed up in the sidebar:

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The last one makes plenty of sense, and the first one is not entirely unjustifiable, but where on earth did those middle two come from? (#3 is my favorite.)

By the way, if you have not read ===Infinite Jest=== and you have the least bit literary bent/fucked-up sense of humor you are really missing something. If you have read it, I would love to hear your take on the end. No spoilers here, but I was disappointed, although not surprised. Very rarely do I read a novel that has a thoroughly satisfying conclusion that isn't a completely trite play on my emotions. In fact I can't think of a single one this minute. Any nominations for best literary ending?

Saturday, August 14, 2004

Just my opinion

I'm obviously not an inveterate blogger or whatever they're called, but I have been reading a few journals. I would like to submit that both of the following topics are juvenile and completely overdone, so everyone should stop writing about them.

1) How much you enjoy drinking beer and how hungover you are.

2) That every other cubicle-dweller at your stupid office job is a cud-chewing moron but you are ultra hip and avant-garde and superior to them all in every way.

Thursday, June 10, 2004

Returning in Lonely Defeat

Actually lonely and phlegmy defeat. I caught this nasty cold at the hostel in Caernarfon, and that was it. I headed back to London and got on a plane as fast as my little legs would carry me.

Fortunately, I left on a high note. I went out to Mount Snowden and took the train to the top, but I decided to walk down instead. The summit was completely enshrouded in clouds. Although it ruined the view, it was very otherworldly to actually be standing inside of a cloud. I enjoyed the solitude while hiking down the path. All I could hear was the wind and the occasional sheep bleating. Once I descended past the clouds, there were some amazing views down into the valleys with glassy lakes at the bottom and across the countryside onto slopes of other mountains. I realized as I was walking that this was just what I had traveled all this way to do and that I should really consider leaving while the experience was still fresh in my mind.

When I reached the town at the foot of the mountain and was waiting for the bus back to Caernarfon, the excitement of hiking down all on my own began to wear off, and fatigue overwhelmed me. My head was so clogged up that I couldn't hear. I could see people's lips moving, but had no idea what they were saying. I knew then I had to go home. The idea of navigating my way onto a ferry and across the sea to Dublin was completely beyond me. As soon as I got back to Caernarfon I went to the tourist office and got the timetables for the train back to London.

I have never been this glad to be home after a trip in my life. Usually I leave a vacation with some regret, but this time I didn't mind leaving one bit.

Friday, June 04, 2004

Escape from Cardiff

I made it out. I was so nervous because there is only one bus a day which leaves Cardiff for Caernarfon, which is where my next reservations were. If I missed it I would be screwed, so I got to the bus station about an hour early and asked three different people if I was waiting at the right stop, and sure enough - it showed up, I got on, and was whisked away.

However, I had to change buses in Aberystwyth, and although the bus driver told us where to get the bus and when it was leaving, he did not think to explain that the number of the bus would change or what it would change to. After waiting for half an hour in what was the wrong place anyway (thanks, bus driver) I realized I'd missed the bus, but I didn't even care. I would just stay there, just so long as it wasn't Cardiff. Luckily, there was another bus going in the right direction, so I made it to the place I intended to be after all. Not bad.

Caernarfon (pronounced ca-NAR-von) is a pretty town, which is fortunate because I plan to stay here for three nights. There are still medieval walls around the central part of town where my hostel is, so it's like walking into a castle whenever I go back to my room. Also, it's right on the sea. When the tide is out, it's right on a mud flat. BUT, when the tide is in it's a good view. Also, there is ''another'' castle here. I haven't decided if I'm going to spend the time and money to go in it, but a couple of people staying in my room said it was alot of fun.

What I really want to do is go to Mt. Snowden, the highest peak in England or Wales. It's in the middle of Snowdonia National Park, and there's a little train that will take you to the summit. The views are supposed to be gorgeous, except it's really cloudy and misty right now.

Well, hopefully Caernarfon will be a hit and I'll make it to Dublin after this instead of coming home in lonely defeat. Don't think I haven't thought about it.

Thursday, June 03, 2004

This place sucks

I am not having a good day. I am tired out and kind of lonely, but that has pretty much been par for the course. However, today I got a big disappointment. When I first started researching coming to the UK I got this guidebook with photographs in the front. One of the most beautiful pictures I had ever seen was of Caerphilly Castle, and I thought, "No matter what else, I have to go there." It has big round towers and is surrounded by a moat (in which the sunset was reflected in that stupid photograph which lured me here). It is also in the middle of a stinky city with a 6 lanes of traffic whizzing by.

I already hated being in Cardiff. It's filthy and crowded and loud. Then when one of the things I was most looking forward to turned out to be so un-picturesque and un-lovely it killed my attitude. It's almost five now, and I'm back at the hostel. I'm going to lie in my bed and read a book and not step foot back outside until I'm ready to leave this place.

Moral of the story: Don't come to Cardiff.