OK. DragonCon was THE SHIT. More on that when I get a chance to type a long post. But I just read this at work and WTF Like these ppl need to straighten out their priorties or something. I mean come on California has much bigger problems than this.

Relative to Pluto's planetary status.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

WHEREAS, Recent astronomical discoveries, including Pluto's oblong orbit and the sighting of a slightly larger Kuiper Belt object, have led astronomers to question the planetary status of Pluto; and

WHEREAS, The mean-spirited International Astronomical Union decided on August 24, 2006, to disrespect Pluto by stripping Pluto of its planetary status and reclassifying it as a lowly dwarf planet; and

WHEREAS, Pluto was discovered in 1930 by an American, Clyde Tombaugh, at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, and this discovery resulted in millions of Californians being taught that Pluto was the ninth planet in the solar system; and

WHEREAS, Pluto, named after the Roman God of the underworld and affectionately sharing the name of California's most famous animated dog, has a special connection to California history and culture; and

WHEREAS, Downgrading Pluto's status will cause psychological harm to some Californians who question their place in the universe and worry about the instability of universal constants; and

WHEREAS, The deletion of Pluto as a planet renders millions of text books, museum displays, and children's refrigerator art projects obsolete, and represents a substantial unfunded mandate that must be paid by dwindling Proposition 98 education funds, thereby harming California's children and widening its budget deficits; and

WHEREAS, The deletion of Pluto as a planet is a hasty, ill-considered scientific heresy similar to questioning the Copernican theory, drawing maps of a round world, and proving the existence of the time and space continuum; and

WHEREAS, The downgrading of Pluto reduces the number of planets available for legislative leaders to hide redistricting legislation and other inconvenient political reform measures; and

WHEREAS, The California Legislature, in the closing days of the 2005-06 session, has been considering few matters important to the future of California, and the status of Pluto takes precedence and is worthy of this body's immediate attention; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly hereby condemns the International Astronomical Union's decision to strip Pluto of its planetary status for its tremendous impact on the people of California and the state's long term fiscal health; and be it further

Resolved, That the Assembly Clerk shall send a copy of the resolution to the International Astronomical Union and to any Californian who, believing that his or her legislator is addressing the problems that threaten the future of the Golden State, requests a copy of the resolution.

This text is available on the California Legislature website: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/hr_36_bill_20060824_introduced.pdf

Just as suddenly as we became overloaded with samples the past few months, our workload has shrunk. I've spent most of the week with pretty much nothing to do...spending my time catching up with astronomy news and doing physics. *shrugs* It passes the time, but I wish I could get some 'real' work done. I'm being allowed to train myself in two new extractions, which I find quite interesting. All the huffing and puffing they make about having everything officially done and the paperwork flying out of our asses; and the manager is just like here read the SOP and do it. Fine by me.

I just had the strangest craving at work:

Olive Loaf

I havent had olive loaf since grade school...

Yesterday one of my coworkers kept smelling this sweet fruity melony scent, he figured it was one of the girls' lotion. So he walked around the lab sniffing every single one of us before realizing that it was his own deordorant he was smelling. HAHA Thats what happens when you quit cigarettes, you get your sense of smell back.


On a different note I have a new appreciation for kimono makers. I finally sat down Sunday and stitched my kimono together and it quite literally took ALL DAY. And I used a sewing machine for most of it. I dont want to think how long it would have taken by hand.

I tend to return here when I have something to rant about.

But I'm not going to rant.

I'll just say this. I've been busy. We've had to major recordbreaking months at work.
Translation: We've been getting a lot of fucking samples.

Dont believe me. Then why am I here on a sunday catching up with the rushes cause 57 rush samples came in friday AFTERNOON. And thats just from one company.

I've also been doing some major costuming for dragoncon, which, is turning out well.

To those of you who've tried to keep up with me..or at least bothered ever so often. Sorry I havent been around. I'll try (harder this time) to log in more.

Lets see...

I sliced my hand open on a can Monday. Its not really bad, its just that I work in gloves all day long.

Almost hit a pickup truck yesterday, cause I took my eyes off the road itself to read a roadsign. Go figure.

I was tired all day yesterday and I dont know why. But I'm not so today which is good cause we're buried in rush samples at work.

Speaking of which thats mostly all I've been doing still. I might go out this weekend; go see a few friends I havent seen in a good couple of weeks.

I know, what an exciting life.

Yes, they have energy gel now. And we got samples in, and of course one of the lab guys had to try it. Apparently it taste like chalky carboard but slightly sweet and it feels like a packet of snot wrapped in foil. Whats next?

Now, I havent been around because I've been working, working, and working more. I want to save up some money (yeah right) and it doesnt help that $400/mo is sucked out of my check between taxes and benefits. While another $400 goes to gas alone. So this friday's check has 82+ regular hrs 11 overtime hours plus 8Hrs holiday pay from memorial day and another 8hrs cause boss saw I was busting ass and decided to give me a bonus.

I have a little bit of debt to pay off and I'm putting all my extra money towards that...however I'm getting bitched at almost daily cause I'm not saving and putting all my extra money towards my bills. Lets break this down. It is physically impossible to put ALL of my extra money to bills and save ALL of my extra money. It has to be all of one or the other or some of both...but it CANNOT be all of both. I dont see how you cant grasp this simple concept.

I still really want that furisode (kimono). And I could afford it. But should I?

And the girls in the labe were talking about online dating and how'd they never do that cause if they're that desparate they dont want the other person to be that desparate? Now, I admit I've had my share of freaks, weirdos, and pervs try to talk to me online. But I've also met some really cool highly intelligent ppl that otherwise I would never have known. But past my personal experience, isnt it like 70% of Americans tried online dating?

I guess this is one of the many things that makes me a freak in the eyes of my coworkers.
Along with:

I'm bisexual(why choose?)
I'm a sci-fi/fantasy fan
I have a tongue ring
I like black
I'm not christian...along with I dont go to church
I smoke pot (btw if anyone knows how to get ahold of some between New ORleans and Baton Rouge PLEASE let me know.)
I dont like coffee
I dont like to suntan
....and more I cant think of atm.

After the not so great weekend I just went to work, came home, slept. The usual blah. Wednesday night a friend of mine was like "Hey, come to MobiCon with me and I'll pay your way."

Hell Yeah

So...I spend Friday (while getting paid) Sat and Sun in costume with a bunch of other Sci-Fi/Fan freaks gaming and partying our asses off. I ran into some ppl I know that had fallen off the face of the planet and some more ppl that went to every con years ago....and are still around. Plus I watched the guys (and gals) strip down at the 'slave auction' and as per tradition had the guest animie artist draw on my boobs. (Yeah boob art!) Grabbed soem random asses and got some random kisses. And two gay guys that wished I were male....I told them I had toys.

I hadnt been to a con in years and had forgotten how much fucking fun they are. So on that note I'm putting in overtime at work now to save up for Dragon Con.

The joys start early friday while still at work after I just took the time to exactly pipette mircroliters into my flouremetry plate and have everything set up...come to pick up my paperwork and my plate slides off the table onto the floor. Dye and DNA everywheres. Between having to clean up the mess and redoing the plate, I'm put a half an hour behind and its already 1:30 and I still hadnt had any food other than a yogurt at 7am.

So, someone's been flirting with me for oh about the past month and a half and also continually prodding to see me. So I finally let them come and visit. Probabbly not the best of choices. Not even five minutes after meeting up, they wont take their hands off. Which ok I'm all good and fine with that, havent had any in quite a while; and I knew they came to visit for one thing and one thing only: sex. As much as they would deny it to my face, I knew better. But if you're going to boast and carry on how you're the best and whatever...at least be decent. Learn to touch the body of the other sex and not just think of yourself. That being said other than the time laying down in bed, it was alright I guess. We went out to eat, saw a movie. And of course, getting back to the bed was on their mind. And then either they were telling the truth that they really did get an email and had to leave to set some samples up in the lab and didnt have faith in the other person to do it properly, or they came to the same conclusion that this, whatever it was, was not going to go anywheres at all. In all honesty I got a bit bored...I mean drive for 5 hrs to lay around and watch TV? Random stupid things and sounds flashing across a screen to mesmorize you? A) You can do that at home B) I dont even like TV. Oh and about this whole leaving thing...why the fuck do you leave in the middle of the night? Whatever. GO. Good luck. Have fun.

And it gets even better. I was hanging with some friends for a few hours before my visitor came. Well, my pipe has disappeared somewhere in their house. I'm not overly worried cause I know it'll turn up. But I really like that little pipe. And that friend skipped out of town to go party yesterday which is all good I guess, I caught up with their roomate during the day and they were all into me coming over after my visitor left and us hittin the bottle. So ok cool... We turn in the hotel key and I head over to my friends with a bottle of rum...only to repeatedly bang on the door and NO ANSWER. So now its the middle of the night. I have not hotel room, and those friends arent answering...so like where the hell am I going to sleep? I decide to drop in on another friend. Thankfully they, half conscious, answer the door and is like "hey how is?" me: "Its been shitty, I need a place to crash."

Beautiful weekend.

I've been busy.

But nothing exciting.

Maybe after this weekend.

I'm going out of town...partying all weekend with friends.

Yay.

So I walk into work, pull my extraction paperwork and dont even have my gloves on yet.

"You coming to start an extraction?"
Me: "Yeah"
"Good. I can evaluate you now then"
I think: Just what I wanted first thing in the morning...someone hovering over me waiting for me to FUCK UP.

Oh yeah and the motor for my driver side car window broke today. Or at least the window is off the track. Either way it sucks. Bleh.

I was thinking about the weekend. Hanging out with a couple of buddies and getting completely trashed. Me and one of my friends have been making a habit of going to Target to pick up some munchies. It was funny cause we had our own Harold & Kumar like adventure (which we commented about through the whole thing) just trying to get there. First construction on the road, then we got sidetracked. Once there it was closed (Target sucks for that one reason: They close at 10:00pm). So we went to Wal-mart. First we couldnt decide on which of the three wal-marts in the vicinity to go (though for me the one on seigen ln was automatically off the list...just dont feel confortable since the 40 story crosses started looming overhead). And of course we took a round about way to get there to avoid the construction we ran into on the way to target. Yeah so instead of Harold and Kumar go to White Castle...it'll be K & M go to Target.

Whatever I was just thinking.

My stomach was pissed off at me all day. Guess it doesnt like salsa & chips for brunch followed by pizza for dinner.

Whoohoo...exciting.

So, just a little while ago I was sitting down with mom watching Mars Attack and it got to the scene in Nevada where the general is suppose to meet & greet the martians. The reporters were talking about how some ppl showed up probabbly just to say I was there. I lean over and tell mom

"Hey, I'd be there...would you come?"
Mom: "No"
Me: "Why not?"
Mom: "Cause it wasnt meant to be"
Me: "So you dont believe theres life out there."
Mom: "No"
Me: ???

And I think: Well...It'll be a big pill to swallow when she finds out the reason I went back to school and started my second degree in physics/astronomy is because I firmly believe we should colonize Mars. And I went back to the college I did cause O'Keefe is now the chancellor and I want to work for NASA so I can be in a better position to push my belief. And when I finally manage to upgrade this (read get a new) computer I'm going to seriously work on SETI at home.

The actual research I want to so is analyzing star systems for potential life.

Heh, yeah. And ppl wonder why we're not close.

Let me explain to you how I do the dishes. Dont get upset or anything I just want to explain. First I wash the glasses then the silverware, then the plastics...plates and work my way to the greasier dishes. I do it in this order cause you may not feel it but if you do the greasy dishes first it'll leave a thin film of oily residue on the regular dishes I can feel. Not that I'm telling you how to do the dishes or anything I'm just explaining.

Me: WTF You DID just tell me HOW to do the dishes...and like OMFG SO I did the plates before the plastics....

Yeah.....


Anyone want a roommate?

Ok. I have this journal/blog thingie ought to write in it and all...


Since last entry:

I actually managed to get off work at 4:17, so I trotted down to the car and lit up. And I really wasnt trying (hard) to leave early. So Yay I got my 4:20 on 4.20.2006

Friday was uneventful.

Saturday morning I got up and was like. Hey, I dont have to work. Well, I'm not staying at home...so I rounded up my friends. We first went to eat chinese then decided that we needed some sun so sat at the lake for a while being high and talking and having wars with the clover flowers. Had pizza+white castle for dinner with a movie.

And dont you just hate it when ppl walk in and play twenty questions with what you're doing.

Anyhow, spent the night at a friends not sure what to make of this friend anymore... Are we still just friends, or is there a motivation to move further.

Sunday: Cleaned house got irritated with mom, that I dont feel like delving into the details of...something about a drop of H2O on the floor going to turn the dirt/sand into mud though the floor was just cleaned.

Um..today..work, left about an hour early cause we ran out of things to do. My venus fly trap is flowering, which is cool. And the fireflies are outside.

So I get up this morning and think: Its going to be slow today plus half the ppl wont be there. Maybe I'll smoke a bowl on the way in. But I resist. And I resist. And I resist the entire 50 mile trip to work. And of course I get here and...its disgustingly slow and there's only three of us in extraction lab...and each of us sits in a different corner. So I sit here thinking to myself... damn I should have smoked that bowl this morning.

And I ponder taking a car trip on my lunch break.
Though perhaps I shouldnt.

Alright, so I spend the past two weekends getting totally obliterated (read: drinking way too much margaritas and smoking way too much weed) with friends and basically slumming around Baton Rouge.

And I've noticed a few things, that are, well obvious, but the impact cant be realized unless you've been there.

New Orleans, as much as it is coming back, is still a ghost town...a shell of its former self.

Hammond has the busiest walmart in the continential US (Or at least thats the news filtered through mom from something she read).

And Baton Rouge has exploded in size and if we're not careful will soon swallow Denim Springs. Construction that has been going slowly for the past 5 years is suddenly finished plus traffic flow on several streets has changed (for the better). Where I use to live (which is the same area where my friends are living now) use to be quiet and out of the way...the edge of town. Now since the middle of Sept when I moved, its practically the center of the city.

The face of the state has changed.

My only question is, do I try to stay and watch a corrupt government attempt to patch together a city and culture that has been practically wiped out. And still call it home, though it will never be the same.

Or do I walk away and close that door. And picture myself, and old school new orleans goth, dressed the part walking to work in some other city?