JOURNAL;
OCTOBER 28, 2002:
Well, I'm at the LSU library again for the first time in a long time. I'm just happy I got a parking space, even if it is a mile away (and then I found one closer on my way to the library - don't you love that?).
Anyhow...
The bus ride home sucked. Around Effingham, Illinois the bus was hit by a brick. We had to sit by the side of the highway for like an hour or more. Then, we had to go back to the bus station in Effingham and wait for a bus to come from St. Louis. That was another hour wait. I was only minorly concerned, because I had a five hour wait in Memphis, anyway. (They ended up holding it back a little, we made it to Memphis around 9 am - the time my bus was supposed to leave.)
In, I think, Natchez, Mississippi we picked up some people (that bus was pretty empty - thank God). One guy lived in Baton Rouge. I had mentioned to someone else on the bus that I lived in Baton Rouge, and he stated that he did, too. Then, he asked me where in Baton Rouge I lived, and I just told him Tigerland. (Try finding me there.) He said he lived close to me on Highland Road.
So that was the extent of the bus ride back to Baton Rouge. It was long and it was boring. I don't think I will ever take the bus again. Not because of everything that happened on the way to Wisconsin and on the way back, but because it was just too damn long.
Once I made it back to my apartment, I cried my eyes out. I missed my mom so much. I went to the payphone, weeping, to call her - she wanted me to call her when I got home. So I did. After I talked to her for a while, I calmed down. But when I hung the phone up, I began to cry again. I went to my friend Brandy's house, and I talked with her for a while. I knew going over there would help a lot, because Brandy always has good advice, and she knows what it's like. (Her mom lives in St. Croix and her dad in Pennsylvania.)
I've spent my time putting my Say Anything poster up, working, sleeping, watching television, and listening to music.
Though, my career consists of Pizza Hut and now McDonald's, I thought this list was funny.
Top Five Signs That Your Career is in Bad Shape
1. All your "long-lost" relatives are suddenly lost again
2. Your fan club files for bankruptcy
3. Your daily routine includes a trip to the pawn shop
4. You sell fewer records than you have chins
5. VH1 decides to do a "Behind the Music" special on you
Other than that, not much else has gone on.
Sable
OCTOBER 22, 2002:
Well, today was my last full day in Kenosha. Tomorrow, I begin my voyage back to Baton Rouge. I really don't want to go. But I know I have to.
Today I did a lot of walking. Again, went to Osco. I got some more blank tapes and some Cortizone 10. When I got home, I went to the post office and got a money order and sent it off for the address labels I won off of Ebay.
Speaking of the post office...
I find out they've pulled more bullshit that I don't know about (in Baton Rouge, this is). I just found out from my friend Tamara that she didn't get the letter I sent to her at the end of April/beginning of May. I also have found out that a letter my friend Tess sent me was returned to her, despite the fact that she wrote the correct address on it. They've also sent me a letter really late. My mom wrote me a letter in June, and I didn't get it until August. I know it wasn't Wisconsin's fault, because it was postmarked Milwaukee June 27th. (I've also never had these sorts of problems with my mail when I was living in southeastern Wisconsin.)
Why should I have to worry about my mail getting to me or getting to someone? It shouldn't have to be postal roulette - will they get my letter, will I get their package? Mail is something people shouldn't have to be worried about. They should be able to live comfortably knowing that the letters and packages they send are making it to the person/people they're sending it to, and that they are recieving the mail sent to them. (Imagine having to explain to a bill collector that your payment was late because the post office wasn't competent enough to get your mail to you on time or at all. You really think they're just going to believe you? Yeah, right. And I'm Donald Trump.)
Now I'm wondering how many other letters I haven't gotten, and how many other people haven't gotten my letters. I am seriously comtemplating telling the people I won items off of Ebay about this postal problem. I mean, what if it gets returned to them? I don't want them to think that I gave them the wrong address (which would be stupid, because they got a payment from me) or that they did something wrong.
*crosses fingers*
I just hope that the special edition Say Anything DVD and my John Cusack/Serendipity address labels make it to me. After those items come, I will file a complaint.
More HF Top Fives...
Top Five Selling '90s Postage Stamps
1. Ben Franklin testing the wind with index finger
4. Action sports BMX biker
5. Bluebird in flight
In dedication to the shitty mail system in Louisiana.
Sable
P.S. - This is one of my favorite HF scenes.
Air Traffic Cafe
OCTOBER 21, 2002:
My time here seems to have gone by so fast. Tomorrow will be my last full day here. I really don't want to go. I wish I could stay longer, but I really can't afford to. I need to get back back to work. Also, I don't know if Gretchen (friend) will be able to take care of my cat, Hoops, for very much longer. I don't want to impose on her schedule or anything. I don't want to be calling up last minute asking if she can watch my cat for a little longer because I decided to stay for a while longer. Also, there's that job with McDonald's I just got hired to do. I don't want to appear to be irresponsible by calling and saying I won't be able to start orrientation right away because I'm staying in Kenosha longer. (I would actually seriously consider staying longer if I were only working at Pizza Hut, if the financial issue and the cat weren't in the equation.)
Anyhow.
I'll be up here before I know it, anyway. I'll be going to Boston at the end of November for Thanksgiving, anyway. That will be coming up fast, I know that. And then, before I know it, dad will be coming down to help me move back up. I've got a month and a half left in Baton Rouge. I should enjoy it - and my friends - while it lasts.
Today I hung out with mom at the bar. We talked for a bit, and I went to Osco and got some blank tapes. After that, I went for a walk. I enjoyed a Hurricane and talked with mom some more, and then I went to visit my friend - who's like a big sister to me - Michelle and her little daughter, Shelby (who's around six weeks old). I got to hold Shelby and I talked with Michelle, and that was really nice.
Michelle is really cool. From the first day I met her, I knew she was someone I could trust. She was - and is - so nice. I knew right when I first met her that I could go to her about anything and get her honest opinion about it and some good advice. I remember the first night I met her, she was out of a job. I wasn't sure if my mom was looking for anyone, but I asked anyway. My mom was, and I said Michelle was looking for a job, and she had a bartending license. Michelle was hired. To this day, I'm glad she was. She is one of the best employees (I think) that my mom has. My mom always tells me that the till is always right what it should be when Michelle works, and that only a few times it was off, but not more than a dollar, and Michelle would put into it with her own money, just so that the till wouldn't be short. I've always adored Michelle. As it goes with everyone, we've had our spats here and there (not many), but we've always gotten over it, and were able to laugh about it later, saying it was a "big PMS time for all the girls at the bar".
So Michelle and I talked for a while, as Shelby fell asleep. She's renting an apartment from my mom, and it's very nice. It's clean and very bright. She's a very caring and loving mother. I'm very happy for her, I know she's going to raise a good kid and be a real good mom.
I went back to the bar and finished off my Hurricane. Aunt Kathy came in around 5pm, I think. Me, my mom, and Aunt Kathy sat around and talked about various things for a while. Particularly about this Christmas Eve and what the plans are for it. Last Christmas Eve I went with my dad for the first time in my entire life. This year I am going to spend Christmas Eve with my mom and Christmas Day with my dad.
At about 6:30pm, Jamie came in. We talked for a while, and then Bridget came in, and we all talked. Then, I left, and here I am.
Last night I created a new website. I was thinking about just making a personal site for myself, but I thought, fuck it. So I made one for John Cusack. It's called The Sure Thing. (Hopefully no one else has the title.)
Moving on...
I am really starting to get really serious about becoming an Air Traffic Controller. (Also, see link above.) I've learned you only need to have a high school diploma. But you can also go to one of the 13 FAA approved colleges, if you want. (There's one in Minneapolis I can go to.) I'm first going to try to get a job with Kenosha's airport. Get some training and experience there, and take it from there. If I run into a wall with that, I'll try getting into the Minneapolis Community College and then take it from there.
I won two auctions at Ebay. One I won John Cusack/Serendipity address labels. The other I won a special edition Say Anything... DVD. I'm very happy about my wins, but my shopping spree (both online and off) has to be officially over for a long while.
Another Top Five list from the High Fidelity website.
Top Five Gender Switcheroo Songs
1. "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash
2. "I'm a Boy" by The Who
3. "Lola" by The Kinks
4. "Girls and Boys" by Blur
5. "Half a Man" by Randy Newman
The action continues.
Sable
OCTOBER 19, 2002:
It's been ages since I last updated this thing, as usual. It has been extraoridinarily hard to get to LSU. I don't want to drive "Lloyd Dobler" (my car) any more than I have to because I lost the muffler and the intermediate pipe. I only want to drive my car when absolutely necessary.
Right now, I'm on a well deserved vacation. I am visiting with my family and friends in Wisconsin. I got to Kenosha on the 17th of October at 9 pm, and will be leaving for Baton Rouge on the 24th of October at about 4 pm.
I took Greyhound to get here. My bus was supposed to leave Baton Rouge for New Orleans at 7:30 pm, but was a half hour late. We didn't end up leaving until about 8:15-8:20 pm. We had to make a stop at N.O. International Airport, and then to downtown New Orleans to the bus terminal. I made it there just in time for my 10:15 pm transfer to Jackson, Mississippi. I made it for the last call.
The bus ride was long, but it was ok. The batteries on my portable CD player ran out between Grenada, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee. That was uncool.
There was also a three hour wait in Chicago for the bus that made the stop in Kenosha on its way to Milwaukee. I made a nice old lady there, her name was Helen. We had a good time talking. She was really nice.
That aside...
Friday I hung out with my mom and my Aunt Kathy. We went out to eat at Tacos El Rey. After that, we went to Walmart. I got a sweater (that sort of reminds me of the one John Cusack wears in The Jack Bull, only it's a dark green) and some other stuff there. We then went to Shopko where Aunt Kathy got some rugs.
Later that afternoon, I met up with my best friend Sue, and we went to Gurnee Mills for the specific reason of going to the Sanrio store. I stocked up on some stationary.
Today, Sue and I went to Chicago. We stopped at Beyond The Wall first, after parking. Before I moved to Louisiana, I had seen a poster for the movie Say Anything... and I wanted it so bad, but it was either get the poster or be able to pay for parking at that time. I went back to the store with a spec of hope that it was still there. And...it was! I snatched it right up, and paid for it immediately. I got a little discount, too, because it was a little frayed at the edges.
Sue and I also made a stop at Chicago Comics. I got some stationary there, too. I was really close to getting this mini Elvis address book that had a metal cover, but decided against it. After Chicago Comics, we stopped at Medusa's Circle and the Hollywood Mirror, where I only fondled the merchandise. Our last stop was at the Evil Clown CD store. There I was overjoyed to find The 13th Floor Elevators' "His Eye is on the Pyramid" - it's a two CD set, and it was only $10.99! (I've always enjoyed listening to their song "You're Gonna Miss Me" on the High Fidelity soundtrack.)
We had fun. Sue and I always seem, too, though.
Anyhow...
I don't even want to return to Baton Rouge. I wish I could just stay here. I never thought I would say that, but I am. A guy I met on the bus to New Orleans said, "home is where the heart is" (and my mom had a sign in her kitchen that said that), and I find that to be very true. Will I remain in Kenosha? Probably not. I want to be close to my family and friends, but I still don't have any desire to actually live in Kenosha. I just know I probably never will be able to live beyond Chicago for as long as I live. (Though, I should never say never.)
I don't know. Here's a Top Five list from the HF site I found to be funny.
Top Five Alternate Names for the Mullet Hairstyle
1. The Bridge and Tunnel
2. The Kentucky Waterfall
3. The Long Island Iced Tease
4. The Hockey Head
5. The Bi-Level
More tomorrow, I'm sure.
Sable
P.S. - Did I mention I got a job working for McDonald's? Well, I did.
ABOUT ME;
Name: Sable
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Site: The Sure Thing: A John Cusack Site
Amazon.com Wishlist: Here
Favorite Actor: John Cusack
Favorite Actress: Catherine Zeta-Jones
Favorite Movies: The Sure Thing and Grosse Pointe Blank
Favorite Television Shows: CSI: Miami, Everybody Loves Raymond, Law & Order: SVU, local news, and LPB programming.
Favorite Books: Dolores Claiborne by: Stephen King, Downsize This! by: Michael Moore, Trainspotting by: Irvine Welsh, High Fidelity by: Nick Hornby, and Somebody to Love? A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir by: Grace Slick
Music: The Stooges, MC5, The 13th Floor Elevators, Elvis Presley, Hate Dept., The Clash, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Velvet Underground, John Mellencamp, REM, Patti Smith Group, The Who, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Lunachicks, Television, Violent Femmes, etc.
If there's anything else you want to know about me, don't be afraid to e-mail me.
ARCHIVES;
I'm Loose (September 2002)
Army of Me (August 2002)
Do I Have Soul? That All Depends... (July 2002)
CONTACT;
blank@neworleans.com