*sigh* Rough day yesterday.

I managed to set up a pho excursion, and Ben met me at my place ahead of time. His class ends early, and his house is in the opposite direction. We text-messaged back and forth to say where we were and so on, and because my transportation was going the wrong way first, I was a bit delayed. My last message from him involved him telling me that a utility pole was on fire on my street.

Joy.

I got closer to my apartment building (I was coming over the hill as I got this message), and didn't see any huge flames or anyone out on the street, so I figured that it was okay. As it turns out, it was a utility pole almost directly across from my door, so needless to say, I had no power.

I called the Smooshy, who lives about a 10-minute walk away from me to see if he had power, and he didn't (the streetlights were out on the way over, too). About an hour later he called to let me know that he had power, but I still didn't. He came over about an hour after that, and a bit before 7 we decided to go out for dinner (since we were waiting on another friend, anyhow).

Now, I got home around quarter to 5 or so, and we were sitting in my apartment with about a half-dozen candles lit for lighting. We figured that after dinner, there would likely be a return of lights.

The Smooshy and I got back to my apartment around 8:45, and they were still working on the pole. We decided to set ourselves up in the bedroom with a whole bunch of candles and he read while I knitted. I am so cool.

We had five candles on my headboard, which made Thena somewhat grumpy when she went to jump up there and had no room. We had two or three candles on my dresser, in front of the mirror, and Venus decided to explore those while I went to the washroom. I was listening to the Smooshy talk about how it would only take one good tail swoosh, and then he was saying she was on fire.

He put it out, and she seemed a bit rattled, but nothing too awful. Some of her tail fur was a bit singed, and I could feel where the heat had removed parts of it, but I don't think it came anywhere close to her skin. The Smooshy later apologized to me for letting her get burned, and had said a few times before that that a singed tail was the best lesson.

She curled up on my while I was knitting and demanded attention, so I don't think she was too badly affected.

Anyhow, the guys in the truck drove away shortly before 10, and right around 10 the smoke alarm (electric) started whining. We were wandering around trying to figure out what the whining was (as it decreased in volume) when the lights started coming back on. Somewhere in there was also a loud pop that I thought was cats knocking over something, so I blew out the candles and started a walkabout of the apartment.

We returned all the candles to their previous locations, I found nothing out of sorts, and I watched Gilmore Girls with the Smooshy (after his shower). We talked for awhile and went to bed late, as is our habit.

In the morning, after I eventually got up (having already discussed with my colleague that I'd be late), I turned on my computer to boot while I went to the washroom. I came back to find nothing had happened, so I pushed the power button again. Still nothing. I checked out the plugs and the connections, the power bar, and tried again -- nothing.

I could still smell what I had originally thought was candles or burnt cat hair, but now realized was isolated to the computer and consists of that unique burnt electronics smell. My power source and possibly other components are fried.

I woke up the Smooshy and he did the same checks I did, but obviously can't tell anything yet. I called my dad and he's going to check it out for me as soon as I can get it out to the house.

Now, as a grand total of things that have died in my apartment lately:
(1) fluorescent light bulb in the kitchen;
(2) my floor lamp in the living room (previously died and fixed by my dad -- I don't recommend the model, which I'll hotlink later);
(3) computer and assorted components.

This makes me sad. :( With any luck, I'll be able to have it up and running by the weekend, with no loss of data. Some of it has been backed up, but not all. I'm okay with losing things like video card, motherboard, etc., because those are all older and can stand to be replaced, but the harddrive is a bit more important. I'm also very glad right now that I was able to get the last presentation date for my project, because having this on top of trying to get a project together and quickly would really suck.

Anyhow, time for me to head off. If you need to get in touch with me, use the phone! No home email access for me. :(

Holy shit, I don't update enough. :P

From this month's Ms. magazine (also appears at the Ms. blog):

"When a White House reporter last June questioned why Persident Bush only calls on one women[sic] reporter during prses conferences -- although female reporters accoutn for about a quarter of the press corps -- White House press secretary Scott McClellan blamed the media: "The president believes it's important to get to those major media outlets and start the news conference that way. And if it's a question of diversity within those organizations, I think it's a question to direct to those organizations, not us."

But Bush has greater gender-awareness problems. In July, notes Salon's Tim Grieve, "Bush apparently wanted to take a question from Reuters, so he shouted out, 'Reuters man, Toby.' Only it turns out that 'Reuters man, Toby' is Tabassum Zakaria, who happens to be a woman.

"Bush immediately corrected himself, then made matters worse," continues Grieve. "'Woman -- excuse me, I can see that,' he said. 'So how long have you been on the presidential beat?' When Zakaria said that she'd been covering the White House since February, Bush told her, 'Yes. Well, make yourself less scarce.'"

Your Kissing Purity Score: 31% Pure

You're not one to kiss and tell... But word is, you kiss pretty well.

Kissing Purity Test

Is it fair of me to say that because religion plays such a non-existant role in my life, that I am continually ignorant of and frequently forget what the religious background of my friends is...

... or is that just ignorant and stupid of me?

For example... if I can't remember if someone happens to be Catholic or Anglican, or Hindu or Muslim, am I being a racist/narrow-minded jerk, or is that acceptable, if not necessarily 'good'?

Maybe this is simply a reflection of the culture in which I live (one in which religion does not play a large role) that religion and religious backgrounds I can't keep straight, yet sexual orientation and predilictions are in the forefront of my brain.

I mean, I know there are differences between the various religions, and I'm never going to tell anyone that they should conform to mine... and granted, sometimes in my tunnel visionness I'm a bit surprised when friends from different religious backgrounds are unfamiliar with Christian customs (i.e., communion or Christmas/Easter traditions), but I don't expect them to automatically celebrate the same holidays that I do. Although sometimes I do jokingly tell N that she needs to CONFORM to our ways.

I admit it, sometimes I need reminding that things aren't the same for everyone. Just because I was raised by two parents who had two children and haven't divorced doesn't mean it's the same for all. Hell, sometimes seeing other girls in various states of undress serves to remind of me stupid little things like, 'Hey, not everyone has freckles/moles on their arms like me' or even 'Hey, people have different coloured nipples!'

Oh, I'm fucking deep. You'd better believe it.

But hey, I'm willing now and again to admit to my foibles. Not always, it's true... and it's weird that when it comes to work mistakes, although I do dwell on them, I simultaneously hate to admit to them, yet when it comes to being ignorant or uninformed in life matters, I'm usually willing to step forward and say something.

Gah. If I had all the time in the world (and a nice rich bank account and/or husband), I think I'd be a perma-student. There's much I'd love to study and learn about.

Sometimes I wonder if I've chosen the right path. Maybe I'd be better-suited to study writing, or sex therapy or something. Urgh. I think both of those would involve me moving out of the city to study, however, and I wouldn't even know if I could make it. There are many other people much more devoted to those pursuits than I. I just keep coasting, it seems.

Huh, who knew I could ramble myself into an existential crisis? I just wish I could be at home, knitting or something. I found an easy pattern for a poncho I want to make, but I don't know that my mom would sell me the yarn. She wants me to finish one of my current projects, first. Bah. When I'm sitting here at work, cold, the last on my mind is completing the sleeveless shirt I've been working on. Instead, I want me a giant poncho!

Anyhow, I think it's obvious by now that I'm only/mainly writing in order to avoid doing something else, and right now that something else is finishing up my paper. I think it's more or less ready to go, and I guess it isn't going to be worse than the version that got me the C+. :P I just wish I knew already what I was going to ask the prof when I interview her on Sunday, though. Mind you, I have highlighted some things in various articles that I've read and in her thesis that I don't think are directly answered there, so hopefully I won't be taking her over already well-covered ground.

I need more *time*. I need time to exercise, to cook, to clean, to do my crafts, to hang out with friends, to do schoolwork, to watch my shows, and to read for fun. I need time to spend with the Smooshy, to spend with the cats, to travel, and especially to sleep. I need time to find a new apartment and move and decorate and ride my bike and visit my family and write letters to my grandfather, and save money and pay off my bills.

Urgh. Living is stressful.

Okay, okay, I'm done now. Next post will be #1500, according to the Blogger count, though. That's kinda cool and/or depressing, isn't it?

Aren't you glad I'm back? So full of useful updates!

Okay, I'm gone. Stress bunny. :P

Ever notice the passive-aggressive hostility that becomes the norm for how a boy treats you when you reject them?

I'll develop this more later. For now... I'm trying to extract a few more academic thoughts from my brain.

I had the thought today... I wonder if I really am cut out to do a masters. Maybe I should just keep doing bachelor degrees forever. :P

One day, I will update for real.