09.24.00 (Spirit) > The obligatory Olympics ranting because I've been practically glued to the screen the past week despite NBC's crappy coverage. I'm already sick of hearing about Ian Thorpe and Cathy Freeman. Inge De Bruijn needs to file her nails. Pieter Istillcantspellhislastname looks liks Hugh Grant. The soccer commentator guy needs to be in operas. I feel bad for the US gymnastics teams; although I admit they are not up to par with the top three teams. They're just too hard to beat. I understand there's a tradition and all, but I really think the Russian women should be satisfied with the silver they got. Some countries don't win any medals and you're whining about a silver. That's not cool. And what is with all those Olympic statistics. "By the way, if John Doe succeeds here he will be the first Ukrainian to medal in these two events since 1938 ... Jane Doe is only the fifth American in Olympic history to run this race without wearing Nike clothing ..." blah blah blah who cares about all these statistics anyway? And I'd just like to say I'm so happy for Marion Jones for what she's done so far. Her happiness is so infectious. What a sweet girl.

09.24.00 (Update) > First off a couple of amusing links that I won't add to my Favorites but will share with you all the same: a) prehensile.com: From the guy who brings you CockyBastard.com. A real talented web designer with quite a lot to say. He ain't shy in front of the camera either. The porn links are quite amusing. b) What does your phone number spell? This site comes up with the results for you. This is one of the sites I found on IShouldBeWorking.com. Movie reviews are up for "Chasing Amy" and "Any Given Sunday"; I also added some new capsule reviews. And lots of new Favorites. Check it out. I'm still too lazy to find out what's going on with my forms. Too bad.

09.10.00 (Bleepity Blank) > I knew my sanity was in question when I turned on the TV and (without looking at it) with only 3 seconds of the score I knew my favorite movie, "Speed," was playing. I'm watching it 'cause I'm boycotting the Emmy's. It is also scary that I memorized most of the dialogue. I'm quite amused that apparently FOX changed "quite a hard-on" to "quite the jones for." Heh heh. And on that annoying Starbucks tape that plays on loop this month, Everlast's "What It's Like," the word "drugs" was bleeped out. Umm, last time I checked caffeine's, well, almost like drugs. Except it's legal. Censorship can be so random sometimes.

Near the end of my shift today, one customer came in with a lizard on her shoulder. This being the end of my shift I was completely oblivious to everything; so I didn't notice the lizard until one of my coworkers pointed it out. And it was the most adorable Australian lizard indeed. It blinked a couple of times at us, and its hide was surprisingly soft. So let me see: it's cheap (only $30 - $80 each I'm told), easy to raise, quiet, docile, small ... what better pet to smuggle into my dorm room? Thoughts anyone? (If you're my RA, pretend you didn't see this.)

09.07.00 (Droolworthy) > Ack. I forgot to update the Droolworthy Pic of the Month at the beginning of the month as I wanted to. Oh well. I hope I'll remember to do that from now on. And my printer still won't take the paper feeds. :( I don't know what's wrong!

08.29.00 (Update) > Massive movie review update (catching up, you see). Saw "The Replacements" in theaters (I'm such a sucker for Keanu Reeves movies. It's not my fault I'm the only person in the world who likes him as an actor), "Arlington Road" and "Mallrats" on video (for which I got a free Blockbuster Favorites rental if ya know what I mean), and got caught up on a bunch of old capsule reviews.

08.28.00 (Frustration) > The new Apple Optical Mouse is screaming BUY ME. The new G4 cube is screaming BUY ME. The new imacs are screaming BUY ME. BUY ME BUY ME BUY ME BUY ME! Argghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Buy now? Buy later? WHICH ONE?? Argghhhhhhhhh. You chronic internet addicts out there can sympathize with my horror this afternoon when I attempted to actually write out thoughts on a piece of paper. What the hell happened to my handwriting? I can't write anymore. I can't hold a pen anymore. Spelling has suddenly become very difficult. That customer who was so mean to me the other day has been very nice lately. With his "how do you do's" and whatnots. What is he trying to do, atone for his sins? Once an asshole, always an asshole. No matter what you do afterwards. Yes, I'm still mad.

08.22.00 (Update) > More papers added in the writer's block. I bet you couldn't wait for that. Miscellaneous files added into the collection. I think that's about it ... I rented "Notting Hill" again and I kept watching the last montage sequence over and over again. Beautiful. *sniff* Of course such happy endings never happen in the real Hollywood, judging by recent events. And I am now going around saying things like "sod a dog"(sp?), "shititty brickitty," and "oopsie daisies."

... My current Starbucks manager is a dork. He's this guy who looks like he belongs on a Viking pirate ship rather than in Starbucks Costa Mesa. Anyways as mentioned, he never comes in the store even when he's supposed to. Today I went in the store on my day off to fix my little paycheck problem. I went in to find him talking to this elderly woman. Michele told me that was some woman he's doing business with (he has 4 other business, so I've been told). She said he does that a lot in the store: uses it as a meeting place rather than doing what he's supposed to be doing. Whatta flake. So I wait for him for about an hour, he's still talking. It's not like I arrived there unplanned, I'd called earlier and he said 5 pm was fine. Jeeez. So I gave up waiting for him and just wrote a note.

... I spent 15 minutes in the cereal aisle today debating between a second box of "Smart Start" and "Lucky Charms," my perennial favorite. Smart Start won. Damnit. But then I picked up a box of cookies from the snack aisle. ;D

... The Lakers are reputedly losing three team members: Glen Rice (to the Knicks - hey at least I like 'em), Tyron Lue, and Travis Knight (they never play, but I still liked 'em). *sniff* At least they're not trading Ron Harper (yet). Though I suppose it's inevitable that he retire. He's getting (getting??) old ...

... I really like Eminem's latest. I could have done without the sound effects; though it samples Dido's "Thank You" beautifully. Very well written.

08.19.00 (Update) > I uploaded some images in the visual collection. My favorite is anakinbart.jpg. No, wait, my favorite is "Crazy Soccer." *grins* New review for "Clerks" up. Next up: "Mallrats"? I don't think my forms are working. Someone wanna tell me why before I have to find out myself? ;)

08.19.00 (Starbucks Adventures) > I started work at Starbucks this morning with a scowl on my face and feeling incredibly depressed. Why? All because of a stupid goddamn apron. It's just an apron right? Last week someone took mine by accident. I thought it was lost, so I had Carlin order me another one. On Thursday I went to work expecting a new apron, but someone took that one too. Fine. Last night Carol called and said she had my apron and would leave it in the store for me. So this morning when I arrived to find that it was gone yet again, first I was incredulous. Then I was pissed. Then I got depressed. I mean what kind of store is this anyway?? They have people who swipe other people's aprons. My paycheck got screwed up, and the manager hasn't done anything about it in a whole week. He's never even in the store, even though he's supposed to be there. So I got depressed because a fucking apron reminded me what a terribly inadequate store I was working with. Not that I blame anyone. It's just goddamn depressing.

Then I had to deal with a string of customers who, for some reason, when asked about just one specification in their 6 word long drinks, felt the need to repeat the entire thing slowly and loudly as if they were talking to an idiot. Thanks a lot.

And now, why today felt like the worst day this past week. There's this couple who come in almost everyday to get lattes. They've never struck me as being extraordinarily nice, but they never seemed mean either. They just never chat with us like other regulars do. The woman always reminded me of a younger version of that grandma in Grant Wood's "American Gothic." They get their drinks and leave the counter . . . a moment later he returns to see if someone can clean the condiment bar. Joyce sends me. So I take a rag and start cleaning the condiment bar. "This condiment bar is so dirty, there's no place to put the cups," the woman said bitchily. Whatever, I thought. It was sticky from milk and sugar that other sloppy customers spilled, but there were clean places. And what the fuck do you care where you put your cups, you're not gonna eat them are you? Maybe I wasn't fast enough for him. Maybe I seemed tired and lackluster in my efforts. Whatever, the trash was getting full so I started pressing the overflowing trash back into the bin. Then this stream of people walks by and they drop trash in the bin while I am doing so. The result is I keep having to push the trash back in. Meanwhile that couple is just standing there. So I say, "Um, you know, you can put the cups here." I point to the stand where the milk pitchers are. They were reasonably clean. The next thing I know he grabs the rag off my hand and starts rubbing at the counter vigorously, meanwhile screaming, "IF YOU'RE JUST GOING TO FIDDLE AROUND LIKE THAT YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO GET THINGS DONE!!" blah blah blah, and much more along the same lines. And then he complains about his hands being dirty, stuffs the rag back in my hand and walks behind the counter to wash his hands in the employee-only sink. At this point I'm close to tears. I silently take out the trash and cry in the back room. Joyce comes back, and says that guy was being a dick at the bar too, complaining about the drink-handing-out table not being clean as well. Well fuck him. Not only did he manage to piss me off by being a rude, unreasonable customer, he made me feel totally guilty about something that I should not feel guilty about. So Starbucks isn't clean enough for you. We aren't fast enough for you. GO HOME! He also made me feel mortified about crying about a stupid goddamn customer. I swore I'd never do that. I'd never cried over a customer before, no matter how mean or unreasonable they were. Usually I was able to laugh at them behind their backs. He made me feel like a terrible person, and even worse because it was unjustisfied.

It's people like him that make me want to quit this job. I don't mind serving people. Most of the days I like it. I love the coffee house atmosphere. But I wish people like him would disappear off the face of the Earth. Tomorrow he might come in again (or if he's smart and wants to remain so fucking sanitary, he won't), and if he does Joyce says she's going to chew him out. But I don't want him to come back again. Ever.

I thought my day would just get worse and worse, but whaddya know? Carlin comes in, and she tells me she's kept my apron with her to prevent any accidental snatching, and she has it now. Imagine that. At least after today, I could probably survive everything at Starbucks.

08.15.00 (PARKING!) > I got parking at UCLA! No more trudging through Westwood at ungodly hours! You have no idea how relieved I am. No idea. (Ursy you might appreciate this fact :) I'm happy that y'all came and visited and signed. Makes me feel kinda bad though, like I only e-mail you guys for things like this. Well, it's true. I'm sorry. Forgive me? That's the purpose of this section, too. A substitute for mass e-mailing. Oooh, and I'm already addicted to that nedstat thing. It's fascinating. Thanks to ST for providing the URL. Ursy thinks the toolbar on the left is too long. And I tried looking at this site with IE at work, and the text below in the "where to find me" section appeared unevenly sized. I checked my tags and they were okay. Plus it doesn't happen in Netsapce. That happen to anyone else? Opinions? I aim to please ;)

08.15.00 (Egads) > This site looks horrible in IE. Please don't use IE. It sucks anyway. :)