oh! sweet nuthin!

Reevaluation of mission statement
I don't really know what to do with this blog. It just has this weird ambivalent identity to me. I got tired of livejournal, though I still use it as a convenient way to update people about my life. Mainly it felt too "public" for me, because too many people know it's mine (the user name doesn't help). To follow up that statement with a seemingly contradictory statement re: LJ, I also don't like how I friends-lock all the entries... I mean, I *like* reading people's public entries, so I want to have some of my own, just none that are TMI x 3. I think there's a lot that can be said for learning the skills necessary for knowing how to manage and control a public, online identity... like it or not, they're here to stay, so I might as well learn through doing.

I also have the mushroom/travel/exciting activities blog with Corey. I tried to open a wordpress account where I could keep track of the news articles I read, but I'm completely disgusted with the crappy wordpress formula (why does it insist on leaving a space between every paragraph?? I LIKE PRESSING ENTER TWICE OKAY). I originally meant to use this to keep track of the books I was reading... but (as my sister can very well attest) writing good, proper book reviews takes a considerable amount of time and brain energy investment. With my goodreads account, I can type two-three sentences and have it be that (even though, as I've said before, the site's format is le poop).

I read this article in the NY Times about businesses using blogs to expand, and one of the things it recommended for having a sophisticated blog is making sure you include a lot of links to other sites. Well, I can't even do that, since I can't remember/find the article. Oh, irony.

I am in the middle of reading Phillip K. Dick's Valis right now, an extremely well-written and entertaining book. It's a lot more Vonnegut-esque than expected, with a little Tori Amos and Umberto Eco thrown into the blender. It's amazing how much more I appreciate this book than I would have if I'd read it, say, a scant year or two ago, when I wasn't dating someone with a penchant for conspiracy theories involving contact with extraterrestrial reptilian life-forms. "Reality is that when you stop believing in it, it doesn't go away."

One thing I feel I ought to dramatically announce is that I finished nanowrimo! Well--"finished." I feel like I cheated in the last chapter, by typing up all these quotes from Borgés and Joyce and Whitman in order to create these fake postmodern-esque collage for (what else?) a character's blog. LOLBAMA. Um, actually the pastiche was meant to subtly imply that this is a character whose own voice is never present in the work. It's called "White Fruit." Um, maybe I should post an excerpt here one day? I'm actually kind of looking forward to editing it, though I kind of need to not look at it for a while. It's just a fun little project to have in my spare time, I guess. We all need our silly little projects that make our lives interesting and meaningful, doncha know. Maybe I'll start talking about it here a little if it feels appropriate/comfortable.

What else is up with me?
* Thanksgiving in San Luis Obispo was fun but a bit draining--I kind of feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. Maybe I'm an idiot for expecting my 18-year-old bro to step up to the plate and shoulder some of the responsibilities that come along with visiting/caring for your grandparents.

* Apparently I'm owed another big cheque from Portland public schools, so I'm not nearly as much as a bottom-feeder as I thought--I'm on regular indentured servant wages, as opposed to slave ones. I found these mad exciting ESL books from PCC buried at the back of the ESL closet. It's kind of annoying I've only just found them now, with just this week and the next remaining. Man, I could have planned a rockin' syllabus! Maybe I'll do one anyway, just to satisfy the OCD nerd in me. Or maybe not.

* I invited my boss and her husband over for dinner Saturday night! Oh, I am so pleased-proud-excited of-for myself! I love trying to make new friends.

Things to do:
- figure out where my packages are getting sent to (not the Milwaukie post office--where could it be???)
- start looking for housing for Corey and I to move into come January
- have the long-awaited job interview on Thursday, wait to hear back, then plan next phase in life accordingly
- buy nasty-tasting nail polish from Walgreens--my habit has reached the point of UN-acceptable, en serio, hace tres semanas ya
- Finish TEFL course (not able to do in full until track down package... siiiiigh)
- do laundry and clean room (TOMORROW)
- be at office to replace missing important wallet card at 7:30 AM

And here is a link to make my blog more sophisticated!