Happy Year of the Unicorn!

I've decided to dub this year the Year of the Unicorn. I had a very unicorn Christmas and feel my New Year should correspond. Plus unicorns are symbols of good fortune. I was reading an column in LEO or Velocity discussing writing. The only part I remember was "Don't just talk about writing, just carry a journal and write." I'm guilty of the former, so I'm attempting to resolve it this year.

I had to work New Year's Eve which was kind of a bummer, especially since Dustin took my lunch that day. Still, I got to hang out with one of my favorite supervisors/co-workers, and we only had to work til 6 PM. After work, Dustin and I went to Oishii for sushi; business was hopping, but it wasn't impossible to find a table.

Following dinner, we headed over to my friend Bill's house; my friends Leslie (who is dating Bill) & Rachel took over his house to throw a New Year's Eve party. So many nerds and engineers in one place, it was hilarious. I had a couple drinks--didn't get too wild because I had to open the next day. Rachel and I drunk danced together. We spent quite a bit of time conversing about our boobs, and how the workers at Victoria's Secret keep trying to convince us to buy the bra that will make use go up TWO WHOLE CUP SIZES!

We turned on Dick Clark's New Year Special. Lo and behold the Backstreet Boys were the musical guest AND New Kids On The Block. All us girls started screaming and singing "I Want It That Way." We were pretty bad. Leslie and I were on the couch together and were both like "BRIAN AHHH!" Dustin moved far away. Rachel commented on how the NKOTB's harmonies were good and BSB's were not. We all agreed A.J.'s physical appearance was really bad and definitely reflected his previous alcoholism. We spent a lot of the evening yelling at the musical celebrities on TV and about everything. I got my first kiss with Dustin on New Year's Eve! I always had to kiss someone else, like Matt Tobbe, because Dustin was always working UPS.

New Year's Day I worked; it was vastly boring. I was surprised we weren't closed considering  my workplace is non-profit, and there were no shows going on. That evening we went to Bill's again for spaghetti made by Rachel. Rachel and I drank leftover Smirnoff's. We were like, "These are so delicious! They taste just like candy!" I said to Dustin, "We should buy a ton of these and drink them everyday!" To which Rachel responded, "That's called being an alcoholic." Then we ate Lindt and Hanukkah chocolate (which we didn't know why Bill had it because his family is Catholic) and watched Hot Tub Time Machine. Dustin and I cut out a little early, went home, and promptly fell into bed.

Today was my first day off in a week! I couldn't sleep past 9:30, and Lily was being a whiney brat. I piddled around on the internet for a good couple of hours. I took an uber long shower jamming to my fave 90s Celine Dion songs. I washed all the dishes in the sink and swept the very messy kitchen floor. I had a my oil changed at Sears and walked all around the mall. I was proud of my refusal to cave in and buy stuff super on sale. Afterward, I went home for a bit, then back out to the movie theatre to see Black Swan--which was the most beautiful film, I've seen in forever! The final dance scenes makes the entire movie worthwhile!

Lastly, went to dinner at a local Vietnamese restuarant La Que on Bardstown Rd. I loved being with a large group of my friends; somehow we always end up being the people who are really loud and laughing the most. I ate a super yummy, uber spicy green curry. Leslie and Bill were introduced to Vietnamese and Thai food (the restuarant serves three kinds of Asian food: Vietnamese, Thai, & Chinese).

Good times, good times. The year has started off great! This weekend was uber fun and friend filled! So sad, we all have to go back to our separate lives. Now that I have texting, it's somehow magically easier to keep in touch and make plans. It's amazing how fast people respond to text messages! EVERYONE I texted responded, unlike when I call and leave messages.

My Big Weekend of Awesome and Worst Firsts

I had a lot of big "firsts" this weekend. First time I worked all weekend. First time I worked a crazy Saturday with four shows.

First "first" of note was my first time receiving and using comp tickets! The best thing about working at the KY Center is that you can almost always get comps for just about anything. I was so excited to see my comp request in my mailbox with my tickets for the Louisville Ballet's performance of Giselle. The seats were awesome to boot--orchestra row L, seat 41 and 42 (dead center)!

I had my first encounter with major drama. One of the lead dancers in the ballet had comp tickets through the Louisville Ballet. He wanted to exchange them for two tickets seated together. I wasn't able to do so because his tickets came directly from the Louisville Ballet not the KY Center. I told him he could come back at 1:00 when the ballet rep would be at the box office. The dancer became very huffy and self-important. He got really mad and announced, "I can't come back at 1:00! I'm in the show! I'm dancing the lead in the show! This is ridiculous!" Mr. Diva Dancer Man with Ratty Hair stormed out the center, in the words of one of my co-workers, like a psycho lumberjack going out into the woods to kill somebody. He came back at 1:00, was nice to the ballet rep, got his tickets exchanged, and seemed in a better mood afterward. He never apologized, so he's still a jerk in my book.

Later that evening, Dustin and I ate sushi at a local sushi bar called Oishii--first time going there. It was AMAZING! The sushi was great and the portions very generous. Prices were what you'd expect for sushi, and there was a ton of variety! We got a Louisville Roll (spicy crab, avocado, with seared Salmon and eel sauce on top) and a 2-in-1 roll (cooked spicy tuna roll deep fried, wrapped inside a spicy crab roll with avocado).

Following dinner, we went home, I change and picked up my friend Matt (who willingly replaced Dustin as my date) to go see the ballet. Neither of us had ever been to see an actual ballet. Well technically, I have been to the ballet, but the show was actually an opera turned into a ballet performance. The opera singers were present, but in the pit. If there are singers involved, I don't count it as ballet. I was worried I would be a little bored because there was no dialouge or singing. I was absolutely wowed by the show. My friend Matt was too. He told me, "I went in prepared to hate the show. I only wanted to go, so I could say I'd been to a ballet. But it was really cool! I don't if it's the gayness in me or what, but I really like it!" I'll post a more in depth review later.

I had three awesome "first" experiences and one bad "first," since there needs to be balance, the universe couldn't leave the score at that. Today, I got pulled over for the first time and my first speeding ticket! The cop was a major jerk and who was obviously using me to fill his quota. I was late to work, and everyone speeds on I-65--no goes 55 mph!!! The primary reason I got pulled over was because I passed him (in an undercover cop car)! I was going 74-77, but think how fast he had to be going for me to pass him (at least 65!)!!! He turned on the lights and sirens, and so my first instinct was to stop and pull over to the left emergency lane. Only there wasn't a left emergency lane. Then I saw the cop pull over the right emergency lane; for half a minute I thought about just going on past. However, I didn't think it would be a good idea since he could probably get license plate number and would probably pursue me. Then I'd be in bigger trouble if I got caught or even more late to work trying to lose him. I pulled over to the side, the cop proceeds to say in a rude tone, "Have you ever been pulled over before?!" I answered no. He took my license and insurance. He ran my license plate number, and had to come back to ask what state my car was from. I told him SC, he thought NC, and walked off and though I kept repeating SC--he obviously didn't hear. He came back cited me for speeding and CARELESS DRIVING! Because I almost STOPPED! He told me I wasn't supposed to stop because I was in the left lane; I would be allowed to get over to the right, and next time to do so. I have to go to traffic court now on Oct. 11! Another first!

I'm so exhausted from the weekend. I ended up feeling sick today on top of everything. I'm looking forward to a tame week--until Rachel's wedding shower this weekend. Another first! First time being a bridesmaid! I don't think it's possible to ever run out of "firsts."

Home Sweet Home

I have three places I call home: my apartment in Louisville, my mom's house in SC, and my dad's house in NC. So it's always funny and occasionally confusing when I say "I'm home!" Back from a few days at the beach. The weather was wonderful, and there were lots of lovely tide pools to lay and relax in on our last day. I met my cousin Emily's cousin on her mother's side (so I guess she's like an extended cousin by marriage?). Her name is Marianne, and she's from Germany! Her mother is Vietnamese, and her father is French. She's really nice and fun. Also met the two most adorable twin Vietnamese girls! They were adopted by a couple who used to live next door and is good friends with one of my uncles. They were so small and cute and reminded me of me and my sister when we were little.

Hrrrmmm...not much to say. Nothing too particularly exciting. Went crab hunting one night and caught a crab with my bare hands! I got pinched twice in the process! I still have the marks on my finger. The crabs were really small, they're not in season this time of year. My uncle caught one really large rock crab using a trap. Also, my cousin Khoa saw Andrew Zimmerman eat sand crabs/sand fleas when he went to Thailand. So my family dug up a huge load of sand crabs, battered them, and deep fried them. I didn't try one, but my cousin Kim said they tasted like a combination of shrimp and crab. Such is my family; they are pretty hardcore when it comes to catching fresh seafood.

Now at Barnes and Noble just chilling and mooching off the free wi-fi. Going to Golden Corral shortly; my dad says he likes the buffet there better than the Chinese buffet. The only reason to go to the Chinese buffet is the unlimited crab legs and sushi. Posting a few pics of the vacation, more later.

Lan's GLEEful Day of Princesses, Musicals, Battling Beauties and Cupcakes!

I feel like today is a good day for blogging. I completed 4 out of three works for finals. One (and only) test down and one out of four papers done! I'm a little disgruntled about that. It still seems like a lot. I have one more than everybody else, most grad students take three classes. I decided to be academically suicidal and take four. At least I know I definitely passed my history exam with flying colors--or rather one color BLACK because it's on the Black Death and I also wrote in black pen---ahahaha.

I'm excitedly watching behind the scenes of The Princess and the Frog!!! We're gonna go see it as soon as my last final is done on the 15! :) I'm happy that Disney is taking a big step forward, and I'm not just talking about race. Tiana is a very forward thinking and acting princess! She works and has career goals. The actress Anika Rose is the first actress to both do the speaking AND singing voice of the princess. And she has a living and loving family! Though I don't know if she loses them or becomes estranged from them later. I really like that they're making her look like a real person, and "not just a darker colored version of one of the other princesses." Going to let my critical, feminist mind go and be fully optimistic!  Hoping when Baku and I go to Disney World in the summer, there'll be a Princess and the Frog display or show. :)

I think this ties in nicely since before this I was watching Disney's remake of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella starring Brandy--which I LOVE!!! I've seen the old version too with Lesley Ann Warren--I like it too. Both are a staple of my childhood.  

I've been all about the musicals lately. Glee has also been my obsession. Tonight was the last episode of the season I believe. And more than likely my sister and I will go halfsies on the first season dvd that will likely come at an extorsive priced. I love all the covers of 80s songs, current pop songs, and showtunes. It really feeds the theatre geek in me. As much as I hate to admit it, I live vicariously through one of the main characters, Rachel; she's such a mega diva with an attitude--she's getting better. My school didn't have a Glee club or theatre program, but I was very much an academic snob and thus a geek and on the lower end of the social tier. We did a couple "variety" shows (basically a smashing of scenes from movies and plays, and musical numbers), and I totally rocked those out!  The show's music is so infectious and great; I find myself liking songs I didn't like before--I can only listen to the GLEE cast version though. 

So now, I'm devoting the rest of my evening to the awesome battling beauty known as Utena Tenjou! I'm at episode 15 right now...it's an endurance run to get through the rest of the season and the movie...don't think it's going to happen. I can't possibly write on every episode anyway, my focus will be on specific ones, especially in the Student Council story arc--which I find really compelling moreso than the Black Rose. I'm really creeped out by the Souji and the way he creates the duelists. I'm still going to watch as much as I can, and read summaries of the episodes before and decide whether to watch or skip them. I know that's bad--I promise I'll watch them all later! I have to get this paper done by Friday, and its 15-20 pages. I'm hoping it turns out well and can be polished to journal article standards. :)

Lastly, Dustin and I discovered this new cupcake place. It's a small chain called Gigi's Cupcakes.  We saw a sign out front that said "Free Samples." So of course we went in. They have the most amazing gourmet cupcakes ever! Their menu changes everyday, with a set list of flavors and a daily special. I got the daily special which was a white cupcake with pistachio filling, and raspberry icing with chocolate sprinkles! It was AMAZING! Baku got a chocolate, banana cupcake. They're so rich and the icing is piled high--it's enough to induce diabetic shock I'm sure. 

I'm going to have a meltdown and crash when finals are done. I only have three days between my last final and when I go home to visit my family in South Carolina and North Carolina. I've also got to get Dustin a Christmas present too. Sheesh. Okay, now time to cram as much Utena as I can before my brain explodes. Read the four critical articles I'm going to use. Write a detailed outline, citing all the quotes from the queer theorists I'm using...OMG so much work!!!

Play Day!

My first real play day since school started. I asked off from work, so I could go to a cook out in Shelbyville with Dustin's family. I met all his aunts and cousins. I must admit they are pretty, white trash HOWEVER they are nonetheless VERY GOOD, NICE people. His aunts, cousins (almost all are 34+ women), and grandma all smoke like chimneys and drink cosmopolitans. The uncles just kind of stand around awkwardly and talk to one another. Except AJ, whose very comfortable with all the women, and equally as white trash. I guess I should rephrase and say, they're just very Kentucky type, southern people is the most tactful way to describe them. I find them hilarious and so much fun. However, I am a little worried about how they're going to mesh with my slightly conservative Asian family, especially my slightly snobby, uppity aunts on my mom's side, at our wedding (whenever that happens).

I'm feeling so sick from all the food I ate today. At the cookout, I ate a brat, bacon & cheese burger, and a piece of pineapple upside down cake. Despite being raised in the South (NC, SC, KY --though it's techinically a border state), I'm not a fan of most Southern food.  I just can't stand the taste of potato salad, canned greenbeans, most types of pasta salad, and deviled eggs. It's not a salad if it doesn't have greens and involves mayonnaise. On the way back to Louisville, Dustin and I stopped by Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen; I ate orange sherbet & got a buttercream cupcake to take home; Dustin got banana ice cream--both were super delicious. Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen--yet another place I could write an ode about.

When we got home, I passed out and slept for three hours; I blame the allergy medicine. I woke up, and we went to the Granville for my friend Sutton's 23rd birthday. I was starving when I woke up, so I ordered chicken strips and cheese fries at the bar. Those cheese fries were the most delicious cheese fries in existence and tasted even better dipped in ranch. I believe they are largely responsible for the current ill state of my stomach. I'm not used to eating overly cheesy, rich and fried foods. I tend to overindulge when I do and end up paying for it. Totally worth it though!

Today was a just a really great day. First, one I've had in a while. I got plenty of sleep, I didn't have to work, then go out. I just have been out of the apartment pretty much all day. I think I've really socializing with my friends outside of class and work. My head's been clear all day; I haven't been stressing over homework or grumpy about events at work. Just a little socialization helps me focus better and be productive.

Right when I got home, I had the cleaning mania. I scooped the litterbox, cleaned the bathroom sink and tub, swept the bathroom floor, pulled out all the trash so Dustin could take it out, and cleaned out the fridge. I did it all in an hour and a half max. Now, I'm feeling kind of tired and ready to crash. I wish my stomach was feeling better; I took two pepto, but it's not helped yet. I'm just going to brush my teeth and go back to cuddling in bed with Lily (my kitty) and Dustin.

I've Got Mail!

My blue v-neck sweater came in today! I ordered off ebay for a Luke Triton cosplay. Now all I need is a white collared button up shirt, blue newsboy cap, and suspenders.  Dustin and I are dressing up as Luke and Professor Layton for Halloween. Well, actually it's one of our costumes because we'll be at Sugoi Con for Halloween weekend. Also my styled wig for my Sakura cosplay came in! It's beautiful, and well worth the money! I'll have to post pictures later. Right now, I'm tired from a combination of allergy medicine, lack of sleep over the week, and from being out at the Granville--though I didn't drink.

Been a fairly, uninteresting week, so I haven't blogged much. I ate Jason's Deli once again today; I could write an entire ode or epic long poem about this place--if I was any good at poetry. Then for dinner, I had BW3s (Buffalo Wild Wings--don't ask how the three comes into play, I don't know) compliments of my friend and co-worker Jackie, who is super awesome!