hump day

hurray for hump day! time for a weekly recap...

sunday night i was invited to dine chez fleming-marino, where the menu included feta-stuffed peppers, a roasted chicken, prosciutto-wrapped melon (btw spellcheck is convinced i mean PROSTITUTE-wrapped melon, but that's fine...), garlic peas, smoked mozzarella and tomato, roasted potatoes, and great hill bleu cheese among other things. it was very nice of them and a great way to start the week after such a dismal weekend.

monday was work followed by a workout at CSC. latin that night was fine, and it was decided that our last class, tomorrow, will be held at the Publick House where we hope flowing beverage aids us in our translation. i'm excited! hopefully Classics gives the class some money to help pay for it.

that night i was convinced to meet Jeff and Alex at Club Cafe for some drinks. they had already been to fajitas and 'ritas, so i had some catching up to do. we ended up going back to my place for some runway action ( i have some scandalous photos), and then my night got fuzzy. i recall jeff flashing us, us walking him to the atm to get cash for a cab, eating pizza crusts, and then i woke up in my bed the next morning. fun!

tuesday was spent with quite the resaca, and i was a tad late for work. after working on the department brochure all day, i biked to coolidge corner and met kyle at starbucks for some coffee. the entire time there was a man sitting in the corner angled toward us and on-and-off staring at us. gross.

then last night i took the T to kenmore and walked over to the Fenway theatres to meet up with Bryan, Peter, Adam, and Bob since we were seeing Batman. as luck would have it my sandle broke on the way, so i had to go to the pharmacy and buy $1.29 sandals made for like asian circus performers - they were definitely too small but i made do. we had dinner at el pelon - i had a carnitas burrito - and then headed back to the theatre.

i thought the movie was very well done, and for as long as it was i would definitely say it held my interest the entire time. i just wish the seats at regal were more comfortable.

as for the rest of the week...

i don't have plans for the rest of today, really. hopefully i'll make those coca de vidre anise and pine nut pastries at some point, then just finish up the rest of my latin for tomorrow. thursday is work and class, then friday i'll venture to haymarket and then force myself to finish up my second draft of the fulbright proposal and personal statement.

i also hope my replacement hookah base comes in. since the blue/silver version was out, i opted for the green/silver.

asi pasa una otra noche en Boston, y aquí estoy yo sin nada que hacer...ha sido una semana bastante larga y me ha costado mucho emocionalmente. intento enfocarme en otras cosas, pero hasta que venga el once de agosto todavía me voy a quedar inquieto y deprimido. pero bueno...

wednesday night i was in a mood, and after drinking a half bottle of wine i dropped and shattered my hookah. i then continued with the other half of the bottle until inviting alex over so i didn´t have to drink into oblivion alone. i ended up forgetting to set my alarm and waking up at 945 the next morning, obviously late for work. when i ran to the T, i thought i lost my T pass, and consequently said fuck it and went back home. the rest of that day was a waste, though did go work out at Commonwealth Sports Club, where I have a new 7 day trial. its a really nice gym with both an indoor and outdoor pool, but with a $199 sign-on fee (well, 99 with whatever ¨promotion¨they are having) and then its $79 a month. too expensive for me.

today i was up early at 8, and since robbie stayed here last night we went our for bagels and then to haymarket for my weekly produce shopping. afterwards we went to bc where he was meeting friends, and i sat outside working on my fulbright proposal for a little bit before lunch with the linguists, including claire foley and then suzanne flynn from MIT. it was enjoyable.

nate drove me home, and ive pretty much been doing nothing since then. i have no motivation to go out, and i am working saturday and sunday from 10-4. melanie is in CT for the weekend, so i´m all alone, any rodents that are still around aside...wonderful!

за мен, за теб, за любовта

so my lotto luck is on the rise - this morning while waiting for the T i just couldn't resist running into the convenience store to get a couple of Fast 50s. i immediately won my $2 back, so I ran in to get 2 more. i just scratched off the 2 new ones, and sure enough I've won another $2! only problem is that i'm getting embarrassed to go to the store - i feel like the asian girl hates me already and thinks my ID is fake. i can't wait until Constellation Convenience opens up down the street. then I can be a lottery junkie!

meanwhile i've found a new pasatiempo at work - tv shows online. god knows i have nothing better to do, so why not kick back and relax and catch up with the latest season of degrassi? yesterday i watched the spring break "movie" and another episode - i'm thinking at least 3 more today

the weather as of late, though stormy, has been wonderful. the fact that I can actually sleep under a sheet and not wake up sweating is glorious. i haven't even been turning my fan on!

yesterday was actually an ok day. after work i lounged around before deciding i would bike to Trader Joe's. I needed some stuff to make stuffed peppers, and then also some pine nuts to make these catalan sweet flatbread things. i also needed a little bit of anise-flavored liqueur, so when i came back i stopped next door at the liquor store. NO LUCK. wtf. all they had were bigass Sambuca, etc., and all i wanted was a nip.

anywho, i made the stuffed peppers and then came out pretty well, though i think the stuffing could have used some salt. i went to cvs and bought a pint of butter pecan ice cream and ate the entire thing while watching 'Carne Tremula', a 1997 film by Almodovar which i own but had never watched. it was a great film, though it surprisingly did not involve any trannies, as is typical of Almodovar. the closest thing was penelope cruz at the very beginning playing a pregnant prostitute.

once that was done i was ready for bed - and it was only 10 pm. i assumed mel hadn't been raped and murdered (since she still wasn't home from class) and called it a night.

after work i'll probably try out Commonwealth Sports Club since I got a 7-day free trial. i can't afford BSC or this club (if i like it) until August 1st, and my BSC trial is over, so now I'll have a week of CSC. robbie flies in from Munich today and is staying with us for a bit, so that will at least keep me somewhat entertained provided he's around. now its time for tv!

boring update

i don't know why i got excited to buy a couple of 'Fast $50' $1 lottery tickets. it's not like i have any luck (3750 aside). consequently i will now sit here and cram blue cheese/hot wings flavored doritos down my throat instead of going to the gym. and i wonder why i hate my body...

my weekend was pretty blah besides friday night. a bunch of bc people all went to roggie's to celebrate mary's 22nd birthday, since she never got to celebrate her 21st BC-style. i had a lot of fun with my end of the table playing 'median', a card game invented by Jillian. i had to walk home on account of the T and its stupid hours, but it was good considering all the cheap bear i poured down my throat.

saturday and sunday were both spent at moogy's 10-4. i really do borderline enjoy working there, but I'd much rather spend my weekends elsewhere. i'm still waiting for the imaginary assistantship that pays the rest of my tuition and allows me to have fun...

i haven't been this excited to go home in quite some time. oh the comforts of home - magical things like air conditioning! a stocked refrigerator! no noisy T from 5am past midnight! i had better make bank at my graduation party even though all the big spenders already gave me their checks. i figure at least $25 checks from family friends, so hopefully those will ad up.

i just talked with lou about going to Buffalo for Labor day weekend - they have a Wings festival, which could be deadly and delicious...we'll see how these plans unfold..

només volia anar a la feina...

i had previously anticipated working at moogy's this morning and picking up Hilary's shift, but apparently my abilities are lacking and i was hindered from doing so by my boss. i only wanted to work because i needed the money, not because i actually wanted to. thankfully i got a fat graduation check in the mail yesterday, so i should be all set for the rest of the month. i'm going to have to stop there later today to get quarters to do laundry (i got new sheets!) and to pick up my check.

so past few days...well wednesday i met bryan in chinatown at 5:30 since we decided to have a little dinner excursion. our main goal was to get bánh mì, these vietnamese sandwiches, and after walking around a bit we finally settled on a place. we split two different kinds - one was with shredded pork skin, fish sauce, and some other mysterious meats, and the other with pork and cilantro and some other stuff. i very much enjoyed both of them. we then had bubble tea as well as some pork pastries from a bakery. mmm. afterwards we headed back to bryan's where, on account of my painful contacts, I had to go blind for the rest of the night and put them in some water. we drank gin, watched margaret cho, and after 8 alex came over to continue with thedebauchery. peter came home later, wanting to kill all of us for our filthy ways, and since bryan insisted upon it, alex and i crashed on the blow-up bed.

the next morning was a bit of a struggle, but my everything bagel with lox and cream cheese from bagel rising on the way home provided me with some salvation. some advil and coffee later and i was ready to go to work. twas boring as usual, though bryan, MT, and I chatted a bit about Vietnamese and other things which was fun.

i had my exam on 40 chapters of Wheelock's Latin last night, plus my make-up quiz on chapter 40. whatever. i did mediocre on both of them, but i don't really care. i am angry to find out that one of the kids in our class was just 'sitting in' the whole time and wasnt' taking the final. here i am paying $1000-some for a 1 credit class that doesn't count for anything when apparently i could have just showed up. fuck me.

i came home and had some wine and smoked the hookah while listening to catalan radio and studying a bit before passing out sometime after 11. i intend to be somewhat productive today and get my check, do laundry, work out, and do some fulbright, latin, and catalan stuff before roggie's for mary's bday later tonight. can't say im thrilled about roggie's, but i suppose a Budzilla or 3 never hurt anyone. i'll pretend i'm still a senior.

تكيف

i find myself in quite a pleasant mood at the moment. i'm playing Arabian princess - that means i'm sprawled out on my bed in my underwear smoking my hookah and listening to my 'Arabic Groove' album. this is all thanks to ben, who sent me new tobacco and new coals that work amazingly - i was getting so frustrated with the coal i have considering it wouldn't stay lit. with these i had thick, flavorful smoke in about 30 seconds. huzzah!

now this is after i biked home from campus. that's right, biked. i bought a bike from Jojo (LAG director) for $80 - a diamondback mountain bike with new city tires, a lock, and also an extra set of mountain tires. now since probably the year 2000 i have mounted a bicycle only once, while with my Polish boyfriend Jarek during the summer of '06. we went to the forest and lake region, Mazury, and we stayed at this lodge where he insisted we rent bikes to ride around. i recall being a huge spaz. nonetheless i managed to survive getting home today - it only took about 15 minutes. it was quite hilly, so i am definitely going to be sore tomorrow, but that's fine.

work was pretty lame as usual today, though i went and had coffee with bryan beforehand. i wish i could work in his office - everyone there is fun. i had to do some fulbright stuff for MT, which inspired me to work on the 2nd draft of my Fulbright proposal a bit. i think i made some good progress.

weekend review

well i'm recovered from a wonderful weekend with christopher and couldn't have any less motivation for work and class as a result.

he came in late on friday, and I really have no recollection of us doing anything overly fun. saturday after I got off work we got ready to head to Aquitaine for a nice dinner to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. I took quite a long time to decide on a pre-dinner cocktail, basically because I didn't want to seem like a little bitch with a cosmo, regardless of how delicious Aquitaine's version of it seemed. neither or us could remember what was in a sidecar, so I opted for that, and sure enough there came my sugar-rimmed drink in a little cocktail glass. so much for that!

after eating their delicious little cheese puff bread things, I moved onto the chicken liver mousse terrine with cornichons, whole grain mustard & warm levain. it was delicious, though for some reason my palate just wasn't going for its saltiness that night. oh well. for dinner i had the roasted lamb provençal, something i did not see on the online menu. it came with artichoke hearts and some other vegetables that I don't recall - it was delicious. bobo started with a French Manhattan, had the salade du marché, and then the steak au poivre. we both had wine with dinner, but we ended up being too full for dessert.

we then met up with bryan and proceeded to drink sherry and wine before we finally figured out what christopher's friends were up to, and as a result headed back to his place. we managed to get in a fight on the way home, as is often custom when we leave bryan's, but after drinking more at dwight we were just fine. seeing people like kaitlyn, pam, and mark there was a pleasant surprise.

sunday i worked, and in the afternoon went to a bastille day festival in harvard. it ended up being lame, complete with very unfrench brazilian dancers, but walking around harvard square is always nice. bryan, peter, kristen, and john accompanied us. that evening i ended up being tired as shit and passed out by 11.

we spent monday morning in beacon hill (i ditched work and class) and sat at a cafe for a bit. after grabbing pizza at upper crust, we went to eat it in the public garden. some shopping ensued - i got nice pants from zara - and then we headed back. stopping at trader joe's, we picked up stuff for dinner, then made dinner for kristen and gopi back at dwight. later we drank a bit and made s'mores before heading back here to sleep.

today i worked at BC, but Chris picked me up for lunch at Fin's. i really do love their lunch specials - such a good deal! i got the Unagi Bento and he the maki lunch. then it was a quick stop at pier 1 and then back to his place to pack before he went back to CT. i ended up working out, buying a bike helmet, and stopping at shaw's. that's about the extent of my day/weekend!

още само четвъртек

well thank Satan it's Thursday, I've had about enough of this week. i had anticipated doing my homework for class tonight, but of course i was stupid and forgot it at home, so work is particularly tedious today. the highlight of my morning has been campus mail from Bryan directed to the "front little desk" of my department.  

last night i had my first lesson with Adam chez Adam and Bob. it was an enlightening experience despite my inability to perform one of the musical numbers i had viewed throughout the evening, resulting in my sub-par grade of 80 on my exam. i am also happy to report that a 4:1:1 ration of gin, vermouth, and olive brine, makes quite a good martini.  

unfortunately the very end of my evening was spoiled by an unpleasant phone conversation. i think it must have been the moons last night that resulted in lovers' quarrels as such. i am over it, however, and very much excited to see christopher tomorrow. 

as for the rest of today, i'll pick up my check, go to the gym, go to class, and then tonight is a rommie reunion with Allie and Sistah Gurl (read: Alex and Jeff). we'll most likely end up at Estate. i certainly hope I'm not escorted out again, lol.  hopefully i'll just pass out at jeff's so i don't have to take a cab home by myself. 

oh, i've also become a fan of new musician, Jay Brannan. he just recently has become available on Itunes and is a cute gay boy who sings about wanting to be a housewife and other fun things.  

добър ден на всички!

I won a free flatbread sandwich or personal pizza at Dunkin Donuts this morning. Perhaps that means I'm in for a good day.  although i am poor, i still manage to scrape up the funds for coffee in the morning when I could have made it myself at home. this morning we were out of milk, however, so i suppose i can justify it.  i also enjoy listening to the people speak Portuguese at DDs. the one guy always smiles at me, though, and sometimes i wonder,  lol.  maybe i can get free food from him.

yesterday was an ok day.  it was christopher and my 1 year anniversary and i had to spend it alone with his being in CT.  he's coming in friday through tuesday, so really i shouldn't complain, but i couldn't help but feel a bit sad not being able to see him.  i ended up getting a haircut after work - only the best for me at SuperCuts - and then joined BSC for the 2-week trial membership.  i still have to talk to Peter to see whether or not joining for real with his friends & family discount is my best option.  then again, looking at my finances again last night, i can't afford it unless i get some more graduation checks in the mail.  

BSC is literally around the corner from me, and the air-conditioning alone is enough for me to justify not going to the plex anymore.  i'm going to miss looking at the orange/anorexic girls spending 6 hours on the ellipticals, but i must move on with my life.  i also like the tvs - i watched a fat, unpopular girl try to become prom queen on MADE while i ran on the treadmill. it was truly inspiring.  

today doesn't have much in store for me. i'm discussing the fulbright with MT at noon, then probably BSC after work. then i'll probably sit and waste away in the heat of my apartment. i want to learn how to make a good martini, so i could have fun with some taste tests (and getdrunk alone), but unfortunately finances prevent me from picking up a decent bottle of gin (i.e. not something that comes in a plastic bottle a la the gin we have right now)

oh well...

non volens diem carpere

and so begins another lame-ass week in the Slavic Department...

the 4th of July ended up being very nice. that morning Bryan, Mel, and I met at government center to go to Haymarket, but naturally it was closed due to the holiday.  we had though that the farmers would still have come and sold their produce considering they still would have had it and would've wanted to make money, but we were wrong.  we instead got breakfast at Starbucks, ate free samples (like pork tenderloin) from the random vendors there for the holiday, and after meeting up with our friend Anthony, Mel and I walked all the way back to the apartment, stopping at Shaw's along the way.  

by the time we got home it was perhaps 1, so we had lunch and started drinking.  we were soon joined by Christina and her bag 'o booze - i am now a big fan of Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat as a result of this magical  bag. we headed over to 1800 for a bbq drinks in tow, and after stuffing our faces (and after I stopped at a party where people were apparently doing acid), we headed back to the apartment.  

by this time i had gotten in a mood not even st. john's could help me overcome.  i don't know what it is with me drinking and getting upset lately, but i ended up for the rest of the night refusing to pick up my phone when christopher called. dick of me, i know. i felt somewhat better after another couple drinks, and so the three of us (anthony had left to meet his fam) headed to the fireworks.  

we met up with peter, bryan, adam, and bob on the mass. ave. bridge, and i ended up being quite satisfied by the Boston fireworks display.  i even found myself somewhat emotional when the pops played Nessum Dorma alongside the display. on account of the stampede leaving the bridge and the sardine-can-packed Ts, we walked all the way back, stopping at Joshua Tree to devour spinach and artichoke dip.  

the rest of the weekend was tiring and uneventful, mostly on account of my having to work 9-4 and 10-4 saturday and sunday.  unfortunately i really do need the money. i went and drank at kristen's saturday  night, then last night was spent writing my fulbright proposal and doing some latin.  

i suppose i'll try not to fall asleep now...i'm definitely going to fail my latin quiz tonight. oh well. 

senectus

so i suppose this means i'm an old man now. having just gotten home from class, i'm drinking tea, staying in despite my not having work in the morning, and i am looking up recipes for a good nightcap.

it really is becoming more and more apparent that going out with heterosexuals is no fun, despite how fun the people actually might be in an everyday situation. i have friends out on boylston right now, but after the 30 minute T-ride i would only be faced with long lines, hooker-esque figures calling themselves "ladies", and their male counterparts in an assortment of ralph lauren polos and oxford shirts complete with a backwards boston redsox cap. despite the fact that you may be attractive, i'd much rather see you in a porno and not have to actually interact with you.

i'm continued to hate and dread my latin course, but my grades are improving on those wretched quizzes and the "big picture" of latin is becoming clearer and clearer. class tonight dragged on, nonetheless, and i'd much rather have been out drunk somewhere. what i'd really like to do is split a bottle (or three) of wine with christopher and just...well...*sigh*

hopefully this "holiday" weekend is enjoyable enough. breakfast with bryan and mel in the morning, then haymarket for some produce. perhaps real grocery shopping later on. then who knows - probably drinking something red, white, and blue and stuffing hot dogs or burgers down my throat. then fireworks and passing out before work at 9 on saturday. fuck me.

главата ми боооооооли

I suppose it has been long enough since I updated, though there isn't much to be discussed. 

Apparently I've been mildly depressed as of late, as evidenced by my blackout sob-fests that have occurred over the last two weekends.  I'll attribute them to financial woes, the miserable weather (at least in an apartment sans a/c), Christopher's absence, general loneliness, and the ever-present uncertainty of my future endeavors.  I got myself overly worked-up yesterday morning over nonsense and found myself wanting to cry on the T on the way home. 

Thanks to Bryan, however, I became friends with St. John and his Wort.  I marched over to Trader Joe's after getting home and made the $7.99 purchase along with a body detox kit, then went over to Peet's to sit and people watch and work on my Fulbright personal statement.  Within 20 minutes of taking the miracle herb, I was feeling quite chipper - whether or not this was of my own doing, or the herb, I don't really care. Moral of the story is that I was feeling much better. 

With respect to the Fulbright, I am again pressing forward for the 2009-2010 grant despite previously having decided against it.  I sent some e-mails back and forth with MT, and she was incredibly encouraging, saying how what I had written to her was already a personal statement and project proposal in the making. To quote her, "Andorra or bust!"  Were I to receive and accept the grant, I would end up splitting my MA down the middle and finishing in 2011 instead of 2010. Seeing as I'm sure I'd come up with something for my thesis while abroad, I think it would help if anything. Yay Andorra. 

After Peet's I went home to study some Latin (still the bane of my existence), made some dinner, and then went to meet Jillian at White Mountain for some Mint Patty frozen yogurt. I really need to start leaving the apartment more frequently - I get nothing accomplished there, and regardless of whether or not there are people to hang around with, it's great to get out.  

Today is another humdrum day in the department. I have my interview for the Summer OIP assistantship at 2:00pm, so hopefully that goes well. At least it's something I legit am interested in, so hopefully that shines through.  Ok I need some caffeine. Tata!