Day 31

Hung out with some people from work and their friends tonight.

Started with my coworker picking me up to go to Whole Food to look around. It was interesting enough, found out some of my hair products are sold there and I wont have to order them online anymore. We got some cannoli to go with our dinner and picked up another coworker as he got off work.

It was a good meal, I was a bit surprised at how good, but I was really hungry since I didn't eat much the whole day. It was interesting to hang out in a bigger group like that. It was the first time I had done so in a long while and especially with half of the group being people I hadn't met before.

After eating I became very tired which is the state I am still in so...

Day 30

From the moment I walked out the door this morning my day has been a test of endurance. As I walked out the door I heard the distinctive jingle or a pet collar, and because I knew my dogs had just been shut up in my room and the other dog was with its owner in hers, I figured it was a cat.

Instead of a cat though, it was indeed a dog, a small breed (brussel griffon is an approximation), that became very excited at the site of me.

I was in a rush to get to work, but I couldn't just leave him there, so I looked at his collar and saw that his home was just a few doors down. I went to my car to throw my bag in, but I wasn't surprised when the dog jumped in. It didn't bother me, as long as I could drop of the guy and get on to work quickly.

I had the window rolled down as I reversed in my driveway to go down the street when the dog, with too much energy in its little body, jumped from the open window to the street like it was old hat tricks for him. I was pretty mortified, but he seemed fine. I didn't want to jump out of the car myself, so I just called the dog along as I put the car at a crawl down to the house where he lived.

At that point I did get out of the car and knocked on the door, but no one came. There was another dog in their dog, a medium sized dog who obviously wasn't big enough to get out in the same sneaky way the little guy undoubtedly did. The little dog looked at me expectantly so I pointed at the house and it seemed he went in through a side door, though I have no idea how as I can't imagine anyone would have a dog door that leads to the front yard.

So that done, I head to work but don't get very far before I see a detour up ahead on my regular route to work. No worries, I know I can go down a ways and cut across. Here I was foiled again and now I was stuck at a light that was being intercepted by police who appeared to be directing traffic between a cascade of runners. Sitting there, idling in my car a few cars away from the light, I absorbed a lot of info.

There was a sign that advertised a half marathon for this Sunday and that traffic delays could be expected. I noticed people run in very different ways, and some people just look hilarious while they're running, I noticed that after the two cars ahead of me got through between waves of runners, I was left to wait for what must have been fifteen minutes in which time I had to call work and let them know what was going on. I finally had to do a three point turn out of there and try to find a way around. I went down a ways and tried to cut across again. And again. Each time roads are blocked off.

I decide at this point to go back towards the road by my house and cut across a main road. Unbelievably, blocked off. I go on Mopac, drive north and take the first exit which was for 2222 and I drive a bit before hitting the marathon again and try to cut through the neighborhood again. At one point I had to turn around and drove through a tight side driveway of some stores, not noticing the low concrete divide between two parking lots until I was about to go over it. That one rattled me. I finally was able to cut through the neighborhood successfully, but only because that are had been cleared of runners but still had the tale-tale orange cones everywhere.

When I got to work they seemed fine about it, even made fun of my misery, but I couldn't convince the cashier in garden to switch with me even though if I had made it on time I would have been out there, I'm sure. So then I was stuck in the middle all day and couldn't write or do much of anything but be a cashier whore.

Day 29

It was a good day. Good food and drinks with the best friend, her kids and her boyfriend who didn't completely annoy me. However, I did silently judge him a few time and her by association, but that's nothing new. The kids seemed to be doing better with her and their behavior in general has definitely improved.

We went Opal Divines to eat, and they have this peach lemonade alcoholic drink that was so freaking good. It reminded me of the passion tea lemonade from Starbucks, but you know, better because of the alcohol warm feeling. I only had one, but could have pounded those down no problem.

Since I finished the book I was reading yesterday and the library is not open until Monday, tomorrow at work (if they let me work garden) can be devoted to writing. I still haven't done the research I need, but I can write around that for now. Even through these several day of not writing, the story is very much at the forefront of my mind and the ideas are flowing.

Day 28

So that day of writing didn't happen. Instead I made a record of gaming, playing Dragon Age from 10AM to 6PMish. Then I finished reading a book.


Tomorrow I will see my best friend and her kids and her boyfriend, the latter of which I could do without. But I will make the most of it and ignore the part of me who feels it is a waste of a day off to have to be around someone I don't completely like. The trade off of seeing the kids and my friend should be worth it. I have to find a place we can all go, like a zoo or a museum. If I got out in the city more, maybe I would know some places.

Day 27

While I didn't get the Head Cashier position, I have been given full time status starting Monday. I was actually relieved at not getting the HC position because, despite the slightly elevated pay, I would not be able to work Garden and write and read like I have been doing lately.

I was surprised to get the full time position in a way that seemed out-of-the-blue when I was called yesterday with the news, but as I thought about how long I have been working there now (four weeks) I realized 4 to 6 weeks was coming up fast. I'm sure the ASM felt that if he didn't make good on his word to land me full time that I would move on. Not an incorrect assumption.

I haven't written any new scenes for two days now, but what I want to write next will take some research on my part. I have the next two days off so hopefully I take advantage of the time.

Day 26

Continuing with the fiction:

There was a group of people swarming around him which would draw anyone's eye to the scene, but rather than that, he was the only person in the room who looked like he was brightly lit despite the dim and diffused lighting. Rallenta knew that why only his honey brown hair seemed to be infused with gold strands that picked up light where there appeared to be none, why his eyes were an unnatural mixture of caramel, cinnamon, and golden wheat. She knew that these features were not the ones he had at birth and that they had evolved over a period of time shortly after his twenty eighth birthday and that birthday had occurred many, many years prior to the current evening.
She wondered for a moment how the other people in the crowd saw him, if he appeared as luminescent to them as he did to herself, but she not or they would surely be frightened by someone so blatantly "other". She allowed herself to lay out against the roof, the concrete already made cold by the early spring air. The cold touched her bare skin causing her body to seize for a moment in an attempt to shiver, but her external responses to temperature had faded over the years until they finally had become obsolete; it was only in these moments of reflex that she was reminded that they had ever existed. Her breath quickly began to fog the glass, so she wiped it with her arm and slowed her heart rate so that she only needed to breathe once every few minutes.
The man she was watching was approaching a stage at the front of the room and the group that had been huddled around him branched out directly in front of the microphone he stepped in front of while conversations from the rest of the occupants in the room gradually ended and faces turned toward the stage and the man in anticipation.

Day 25

So I got preached at today. One of the guys in garden came by and introduced himself even though I had talked to him before today and assumed he must have known about me by now. He asked about my background and when I said my mother was from Lebanon, he thought that was very interesting and asked if I was ever afraid of dying while I was over there visiting. I said no, but that I had heard a bomb go off before, and tried to tell a few stories about how my sister saved my parents' lives by being born when she was and how bullet holes can still be seen in the door and columns on the patio.

However, he had something else on his mind apparently, because he asked again if I was ever afraid of dying and I said no again to which he asked what I thought happened after. I was confused and responded with "to my body?" thinking he maybe meant how I wanted my remains to be treated which is more on the lines of what I think about rather than any afterlife. Of course, he was more concerned with said possible afterlife. So I tell him that I am not religious and don't believe there is anything after, though I do think it is compelling how people claim to communicate with passed loved ones and don't rule out there being some type of something else though I have to interest or need to seek that answer.

He begins this long and winding story about how he was mowing his lawn one day when he was around my age and newly married. A man approached him and asked what where he thought he would go if he died that very moment. "Would you go to heaven? Or hell?". The man telling me the story said he avoided answering by saying he had to continue mowing his yard and so he did, but the question gnawed at him to the point that he felt he needed to seek an answer. He said he tried to find it in the Bible at which point I interrupted him to ask why he went with Christianity and he said he had always gone to church and been a regular worshiper but never focused on any particular thing, essentially going through the motions.

He continues along on his story of seeking god in different ways by enlisting in the military to having a child and working in several different positions in the church, but none filled the void he felt he had, and he indicated over his heart at this point with a tap to his chest. I did my best to remain blank faced the length of his story, hoping it was not leading to what I knew it must, but it did. He told me he finally found the answer in a book that explained how to directly communicate with god and it was only when he followed it did he finally fill the void within him.

When he mentioned following a book I immediately thought of Scientology which freaked me out for the instant I thought he could be a crazy Sci-lon, but the reality wasn't much worse. He told me if I ever needed guidance in conversing with god I could go to him. At this point I just let go and told him I had no interest and no need for any guidance of that sort which he kind of shrugged off with an assurance that at some point I would. I got a bit annoyed at such audacity and emphatically proclaimed that even if I did I would never be a Christian again. The phrasing surprised me and much as him, I'm sure.

He was surprised that I had ever been a Christian, perhaps assuming I had come from a muslim family. I surprised myself it identifying myself at any point in my life as a Christian, but I was baptized when I was too young to decide, so I guess that counts. I fairly asked me what I didn't like about it and I was pretty harsh in saying I just didn't believe a thing it was about, I might have said I thought it was ridiculous or something like it. The poor guy left me alone after that.

Day 24

   She ran nimbly across the rooftop, reached the edge and jumped without hesitation. Her body arced in the air between the two buildings with a controlled grace, and as she landed on the next roof and continued along it she made no sound. She watched the streets below as she continued through the city, seeming to only vaguely register the activity below though in actuality she noted each idling or passing vehicle, each human walking along be it in groups or pairs or singles.
   The sidewalks were faintly lit by the neon signs of store fronts and the occasional street lamp and music drifted from several locations along the street, intermingling in the cool spring night air. Allowing her hearing to expand a bit beyond the human range, she could distinguish voices , mumblings from below each roof she alighted on.
   Finally the voice she sought radiated from a few buildings ahead and she unconsciously hastened her stride. She slowed as she landed on the roof of the building that housed a bar with a sign made of looping, streams of neon spelling out the name "Flame". ******ta couldn't note the name as it was not visible from her position on the roof, so she committed to memory the name of the restaurant across the street instead.
   She wasn't surprised when she came across a massive domed skylight protruding from the roof, it was so like him to want a connection to the outdoors even when inside. As she looked down into the crowded room, she was immediately able to pick him out of the crowd.

Okay, going to stop there since I have been rewriting as I have been typing this and I am too tired to think anymore. I wrote some more today at work though! Exciting!

Day 23

I was oddly inspired today to write. While I was driving to work for the second time today (the first being at 5 something in the morning for a store meeting) I remembered my story idea from Jr. High. I've thought about it over the years along with my other story ideas that have originated in my youth and in the case of this particular idea, I had even developed it further one summer when I was 17 and had many a languishing day in Spain.

It is technically only a few pages masked as a chapter but it came relatively easy to me. I knew details that I wanted to capture and while they weren't flawlessly so, the first draft is a good representation of source material (that being the way the scene played out in my head).

I'm too tired now since I spend my time after work playing Dragon Age, but I will type up the pages tomorrow.

Day 22

Played Dragon Age all day. Cooked chicken for the first time and it was too dry as chicken so easily becomes, and it is for that prime reason I don't like chicken much.


Starting to see how I am going to do financially here. It doesn't seem like it's going to be as bad as I initially thought. I suspect I can save $100 from each paycheck if no unforeseen circumstances occur.

Guess I will know tomorrow if I got the Head Cashier job. It surprises me how indifferent I am about it. I shouldn't be that surprised since I have contemplated looking for other job opportunities since I got here. Though I currently have been getting my way, being out in Garden where I can read, I doubt that will last forever and it will definitely end very quickly if I become Head Cashier.

Day 21

Went out today and had a look around at a few places. Checked out the local bookstore, Book People downtown. It was interesting to see how short a drive to downtown I actually am, the surprising scenic view because of the hills and greenbelt that runs through the city.

I got a bit nervous because of the traffic, one-way streets, and people walking on foot all over the place, but parking wasn't much of a problem. After Book People I went to the first of two gemstone stores I had on my list for the day. It was a cute little place and the worker tried to help me find a carnelian piece, but no luck. She gave me a pouch of Lavender because I said it was my first time in the shop.

At the second store, which was much bigger, I walked around and was awed at a lot of their pieces. However, even the pieces I liked and that felt good energy wise, had flaws that I didn't feel comfortable about. Maybe that was me being too picky, because there was a nice feeling carnelian point rod and rose quartz runes that were damn tempting.

By the time I left there I was starving, but even though I knew I was going to head home, I wanted to make a good adventure day out of it and try a local place. I went to Hey Cupcake! and got two cupcakes and then went to Upper Crust Bakery where I just told the guy to order for me. He didn't seem to have a problem doing it, though I did say I liked avocado and since one of the sandwiches is so named, it must not have been that difficult a task to accomplish. A side of lentil soup that was really good and some bread and butter made for a very tasty meal in the comfort of my room.

Day 20

Interviewed for a position today. I remembered from the last time that the questions are so poorly written and repetitive, a real test of how well you can bullshit. I was not disappointed, except for some things I did not foresee,  like the rules for things I thought were impressive shows of efficiently actually being more restricted and not so impressive. Whatever. I don't care about the position so much as the full-time and the money. The full-time I would get fairly soon regardless according to what the manager said.

Next two days are off and I really need to explore the city and try new things. I did go ahead and get a library card yesterday and checked out a book, so that is something forward moving. Let's see if I can push it more.

Day 19

I was talking to a co-worker today who is from Iraq. When I first started working at the store, I noticed so many of the associates had their name on their apron in both English AND Arabic. So I asked who was writing it and they told me this guy who works in Lumber and Building Materials.

He greets me with the Lebanese phrase for "how are you?", "kifik?" which impressed me, because knowing classic Arabic is one thing, his own dialect of Iraq is another, and then to remember the dialects from the other Arabic-speaking countries is quite another.

He told me about some of his difficulties with prejudice because of where he is from and that he is muslim and living in a post 9/11 world. It made the fact that so many of the associates wanted their names spelled in Arabic all the more impressive and a sign of solidarity against any bias from the ignorant.

Day 18

All of the following are things I wrote while at work today:

Cute British guy came through my register. I asked why he would come here and thus leave England and he said for the weather.

"But there is Doctor Who!"
"I could do without Doctor Who."
"Oh, that's like blasphemy to me!"

Then he said he didn't have a "telly" and I explained the joys if torrenting from the net.


Co-worker has Sailor Venus hair. Told her so, but she isn't as familiar with Sailor Moon as she is with Cowboy Bebop and Inu Yasha. Told her about Ranma 1/2 which she had never heard of.


When a customer knows where a product is with more certainty than yourself who works there it means two things...I need to walk the store more and thus dude needs to curb his addiction to home improvement stores.

Reading about hair and how it can be affected by the mood of the individual, likening it to other physical reactions to depression and stress, specifically: "an emotional crisis can often result in a breakout of hives, pimples, or cold sores". Suddenly I remembered a time during my freshman year of college when I broke out in hives for no reason. To this day I have not idea what I was allergic to, but I recall having met the male/boy/guy who would go on to muddle my mind for many years after, shortly before said unexpected and unexplained reaction. My body must have been trying to warn me, yes?

Day 17

 Body is sore for unknown reasons. Even though Ran said this bed was the most comfortable one he had ever slept on, I don't know if it works for me. Though, blaming the mattress may not be fair, I could be tense or sleeping weird.

Think I am going to make some moves to apply to other places to work, but only because I want full time and more pay. If my current job would give me that I wouldn't necessarily feel like I have to look elsewhere. Though I have to admit, doing a job everyday that doesn't stimulate me in any way makes it feel like I am wasting my life away.

Day 16

Socialized with co-workers at work today since I had nothing to read and some other garden-lover got to have that coveted position. Starting to establish some work friends.

Cooked spaghetti for the first time. It was an awkward process that culminated in a lackluster dish, but it was filling and I can eat it for at least another meal if not more. Something to take to work besides a sandwich.

Talked to Kristie about my impression so far on living here, and I know that I can't rely merely on a new location to get me to be more adventurous. I need to spend my days off exploring, and now that I am done with reading Harry Potter, I think I can do that.

After work today I drove around the area my Mount Bonnell and kind of detoured all over the place on the way home. The view became so consistently mountainous for a while there that I thought I was in Spain - or at the very least somewhere other than Texas.

Day 15

Spent the day finishing the Harry Potter book series, and am now suffering from that withdrawal-like feeling that I have been treating with interviews and other Potter related material.

Now I don't know what to read at work...

Watched the interview with J.K Rowling that Oprah did, and it made me wonder if I am capable of writing, if I have the type of mind for it despite thinking it is the only thing I can remotely see myself doing.

Will just have to see.

Day 14

Was ready to stab someone today. Just a little while ago I was sitting in bed reading with my door opened a crack. I thought all my housemates were gone with the exception of Brie who was sleeping in her room upstairs. I heard a clatter like the front door being open and Kristie's dog start barking and growling and a male voice trying to calm her down.

It seemed very unusual for the dog not to calm down fairly quickly, and I couldn't hear the voice clearly, but I was all adrenaline, jumping off my bed, quickly yet quietly shutting my door and locking it.

I ended up standing there at the door for five minutes debating what to go out there with even after I heard the television turning on and playing. I wasn't quite convinced. So I finally do go out with my bath robe (needed to bathe anyway) and the cooking knife my mother gave me and that I have been keeping in my room along with the bowls, silverware, and all the non-refrigerated food stuffs I have bought since moving here.

But it is just Ran sitting on the couch watching The Soup.

When I asked him why the dog had been barking he explained that he clattered the glass he was drinking out of on the table and the dog thought it was someone at the door. I sheepishly sheathed my knife and took my bath.

Day 13

Went to work for only 2 hours before they cut me. Volunteered my Saturday off to work bookkeeping by myself on Saturday. Slowly realizing the issues that may cause. The results are the same, but they process things so different here...not to mention that I don't have access to the vault system at this store so...don't know how that is going to work.

Started watching Misfits with Brie. Ran made all of us dinner tonight. He is a good cook and is always cleaning, organizing, or cooking something. Pretty cool.

Lost one of the fingerless gloves mom just sent me. Really pissed about it, but did what I could by calling up at work and asking them to search for it for me.

Don't like how I write only about what happens instead of what I am thinking or feeling, but I don't really have anything going on to write about. Hopefully that will change.

Day 12

Met the CEO of the home improvement store I work for today. Bizarre and unexpected, but ultimately only so cool as to realize the dude that has only been known to me as the guy on the screen doling out the gospel of good business and customer service, is capable of normal human interactions.

Doesn't seem like I am going to be able to participate in Winterguard if I want to pursue full-time employment seriously. In some ways it is a relief to not have the obligation to be somewhere other than work at specific times, but it is also disappointing in that I can't be physically active doing something that I otherwise enjoy.

Went shopping a bought frozen meats for the first time. Tried to call mom and my sister to ask basic questions about refreezing and cooking said meats, but could only get a hold of dad. Worked well enough.. Now will have to experiment with cooking next.

Day 11

Day off. Did nothing but read. Well, bathed a dog and fed myself, but that's about it.

Just don't feel like going out exploring on my days off yet. Maybe when I am done with this book series I will. I still haven't completely arranged my room the way I want it, either.

I'm realizing that this is the way life is going to be now. If I was still in school, it would have started this week. All I have is a job that I can do sufficiently but isn't enjoyable in the least, expenses I have to pay, and the dogs I love. I know this is how it goes for most people, and I am not full out depressed by my circumstances at the moment, but I don't want to get to that point either.

Day 10

Had the first of one of those awkward "being-hit-on-but-trying-to-be-nice-while-saying not-interested" moments today. This guy at work, it was obvious he was attracted to me, but I always figure it will just be one of those situations where iit is not talked about and nothing comes of it therefore no worries on my behalf in having to express my lack of interest and thus creating unwanted awkwardness.

Unforunately that wasn't the case for this particular gentleman. He asks me straight up my relationship status and even though I include within that explaination of my singledom that I am not interested it messing with anyone, that I am a loner and like it that way, not even five minutes later he is telling me how pretty I am and all that crap I have heard before.

I tried to subtly point outthat looks don't matter to me and therefore compliments toward my looks mean very little, I don't think he realized that he had already struck out with me by what he considered flattery, I'm sure.

He then flat out asks if I would date a "black man" as if that would be the prime reservation I would have in the matter, and I have to explain again, in more detailed and pointed language that I am not interested in dating anyone. He tries to make out that it could be a casual thing, we could just go out and have a bite to eat and hang out, but I am very honest and say that he is coming at it from an expectant place.

I let him know if it was purely friendship, I wouldn't mind going out to eat and such, but I don't know if he got it. He insisted on walking me to my car when I got off work. Can't think of too many of my friends who do that.

Day 9

Tired. Went to breakfast with Brie , her mom, and Lauren at a local hot spot, Kerby Lane. It has several locations in the city, but we went to the original, on the actual Kerby Lane. Brie's mom paid for the meal as well as our drinks last night, a very nice lady.

I want to join the winterguard group, but I don't know if work willl...you know, "work" with me. I already have people determining my days off and getting upset at me for something I didn't even ask for.

We signed the paperwork for the lease today and I met the landlord. On of those characters you have to learn how to read and act accordingly. Have had a few of that type in my life.

I took a nap and when I woke up it was dark and I thought it was the middle of the night and I was waking up randomly until I saw my computer on and knew I wouldn't have left it on overnight unless I was downloading or recording something.

Stating to feel like I am meeting people and making my own connections.

Day 8

Went to work. Then to guard practice. Then to karaoke with the housemates and their friends and mothers. Will elaborate later. Then to eat queso from the queso monster. It was good. Now dogs are scared of rain or restless or something. Need to sleep. Need to get better at writing what is going on and what I am thinking. But feel like I am to busy doing things to write.

Day 7

Not finding the time to write properly so I have to just hit the high points. Went to winterguard practice with Brie's friend Melissa, the one I met last night. Interesting and weird to be pulling out a floor, setting equipment and blocking things again. Will have to see if I can dedicate some time to doing it permanently for the season.

Annoying experiences at work: Clicking well with the customers and being hindered by fellow associates. If a customer needs help loading and my walkie isn't working, don't tell me that another customer comes before him instead of just calling someone like I asked. Asshole. He is on my shit list, for sure.

Okay, all I can manage energy and time wise.

Day 6

Written At Approximately 11:30 January 6th:

Almost forgot to write. About to fall asleep, typing this on phone. Went to Brie's friend's house and had dinner. Husband of friend may help me with possible occupation change. Spent the day reading and not going out and exploring like I should. Will get there soon. Will post this tomorrow, probably after work.

Day 5

Okay, blogger isnt letting me post anything at the moment, so I am writing in notepad and will copy/paste later.

Things are going well at work. The bookkeeping associate is this really strong african american woman who seems to like me, with my equally bullheaded ways. She says I am going to be trouble for the Ops. Manager. We shall see. She also described me as old for my age, like an old woman in how I talk about things. That seemed like a compliment too.

Housemates and I spent the evening yesterday watching television together. Got a good feel for the house dynamic for the first time, the four of us and the three dogs. Cat remained hidden in Kristie and Ran's room.

These posts aren't coming out the way I want them to because I have been writing them at night before I go to bed. Very tired, tonight included. Think I will start to write a bit throughout the date and post at night instead. Feel like I am not properly recording the experiences of a new transplant into Austin and all that entails.

Will do better.

Day 4

I was leaving work today, it was rainy and hard to see but I crossed into an opposite flow of traffic lane anyway. I figured since we were approaching a red light that even if there was a car behind me, they would be slowing down. Apparently not. I see this car nearly fish-tail it behind me in the light rain and then hear a honk. I gesture at the red light in front of me as if that could convey all my reasoning on the matter.

This guy exits the vehicle and I automatically go for the lock on my door, but he comes around to my passenger side window and starts yelling at me about flipping him off and not giving a blinker, all the while flipping me off and ignoring my insistent efforts to explain that I was actually not flipping him off at all.

I pretty much was reduced to a case of the giggles as soon as he turned back to his car, it was so ridiculous. But it makes a good story.

Day 3

First day of work. I transferred through the massive home improvement company that I work for to one of their stores in the Austin area.

It actually surprised me how normal a day it was. Despite the store being composed of different people with different personalities, the way I functioned amongst them did not change. I remained direct and inquiring, open and instinctively knew how to work some of the people within minutes of meeting them.

It was almost as if I was playing a strategic game for 8 hours though I didn't think of it as such at the time. When you are in there and interectacting on that level, your brain goes into a different mode. At least mine does. Here, now at home, I can look at the me I portrayed myself there as one created by the environment it was in. Not any less me than any other side, but I suppose more interesting considering how immediate my game mode could kick in within a new store.

When you are first hired, it is a gradual process of finding how you are going to interact and work with the people around you, so I guess I just expected it to be awkward and exploratory like that again. I suppose in some ways it is, but as one employee pointed out, they could tell I wasn't new to the company because I walked around the store with too much confidence.

Day 2

New Years Eve was an interesting night. I started the day not really planning to do anything, and even thought it was amusing when I read my horoscope for the day that stated I absolutely must be outgoing and do something for the night.

It seemed as if I would tag along with one of my housemates, Kristie and her boyfriend, another housemate, Ran until the final housemate, Brie came in an convinced me to go out with her and her girlfriend Lauren.
 I didn't think about getting dressed up for the night until Brie started taking so much consideration in what she was going to wear, and then I remembered why I don't usually bother. I have a very limited collection of clothing (not to mention half of it was still packed away at that point), and I am lacking that gene that enables girls to care about how they look or what looks particularly cute on any given day.

So we drank some at Lauren's place, something they called Red Bubbly and which I wasn't paying enough attention to know what it was really called. We dropped by a house party on the eastside that was robot themed, the coolest thing being these rings some of the hosts and early arrivals had that stobe. Brie would leave the party with one which she would pass on to me at the next stop, the ND for the countdown.

It was amusing at the door that I was the only one asked for their I.D. I know I can't look younger than I am, surely. So we got our toasting champagne and headed up to the upper deck position in the bar, took some pictures, countdown-ed the New Year and drank a bit more before heading downstairs and to the front of the stage to dance it up.

I usually wouldn't dance in public simply because it never seems like something fun to do, but buzzed me had no problem holding up my strobe ring, singing along to alternating Prince and Michael Jackson songs played by the band, and shaking my booty.

When we got home around 3AM, Lauren and Brie started doing some Whippets which I was a bit hesitant about since I like to research any and everything into oblivion before I try it, but I understood enough about it and recognized it was a once-a-year type of thing for them so I took a few myself. I had one, what I guess would be considered a really good hit where everyone's voice slowed down and distorted as if manipulated by audio software. I kept my eyes closed for that one and am thankful for it. Don't want to know what that would look like. I kept on getting really tripped out by the blue tinge of the other girls' lips when they would take a hit, but that's what will happen when you are depriving yourself of life-giving oxygen, kids.

Overall- pretty cool experience to have in a new city with new people and a new mindset. For moving here Wednesday, I think I am doing a decent job of pushing out of my comfort zone.

Day 1

And so it begins.

I've started this blog as a self-imposed challenge to start writing regularly. I figured once a day was a good start.
I am 23 years old and have just graduated from college with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film/Video. Even more recently, I've moved from the DFW area to Austin where I know virtually no one simply because I want an experience independent from anything I have known and through that hopefully find inspiration to write.

Although I graduated with a film degree, writing is my primary focus, but I don't feel very justified in calling myself a writer as I hardly write anything at all, ever, and when I do it is with the maximum amount of procrastination, whining and halting progress.

And now I must write everyday something. It can be reality (which at least starting out I predict it will be) but it must be current or recent past events and not purely reflections on the past, because I am prone to reflection and over-analysis and don't see the benefit in looking to the past anymore given the kind of clean slate I have created for myself with the move. If a story from the past must be told to make a present point clear, that will be allowed, but I will have to avoid the tangents that will undoubtedly try to sidetrack the main point. Fiction, poetry, and lyrics are all valid entries as long as they are products of myself and no other. Other works can be referenced but will be done so in quotes with proper citation of author/s.