last weird roommate story of 2002
I left work early yesterday hoping to do some work while lounging at home and watching a few movies I had rented last weekend. I was especially thrilled to be going home early as my roommate R (the one with the shaved head in the back and long ponytail-length hair in the front who works a day job at apple and is a bouncer at a bar) was going home for TWO weeks. Unfortunately he was there when I got home. I was sorely disappointed. The TV nazi was home. Grrr. I wanted to scream: "Can't I just have ONE DAY when you're not around and I can watch TV by myself!? Is that too much to ask?" That sucka stayed around until about 11pm, just skulking around and dominating my 20-inch Panasonic. So, yes some might say that I am a horrible and intolerant roommate who is possessive and passive-aggressive. Okay, but you try sitting with R while watching your favorite show. Please share with me how you would handle his constant cussing as well as annoying and sometimes purely offensive comments. I'll stop here.

My new year's resolution and Christmas gift to myself: No more living with freaks.

spicy, spicy
Last night I ate a mean bowl of Duk-bol-gee (is that how you phonetically spell it?) at minsoo's house. I'm such weak sauce when it comes to spicy foods, however, this dish is like one of my favorite Korean delights. Why is that? I was sweating bullets and I almost felt like passing out after eating only half of it. After eating, I took some tums as preventative measures. Luckily my stomach enjoyed the little fire party and didn't give me too much grief.

I'm at work right now and I'm thinking of leaving early since no one (I mean NO ONE except the skater kids eating pavement on the playground) is here. I don't have any motivation to work.

now, back to living like a normal human being
This week was like my pseudo finals week. I'm not in school, however, all of the final events for the first semester of the after-school program I work for were back-to-back this week. I cried on the last day. No, no, not because I was so sad to see them go, but because they were truly evil little something-somethings and I was running on very little sleep (working about 11-16 hours a day this week). I'm glad to send them off for break and a part of me is secretly hoping some of the little terrors won't return. Unfortunately, these terrors are probably the ones that need the program the most.

Now that I'm done, I have to pack up my things and begin to get ready for my 5th move in the past two years.... hip-hip-hooray.

Ooooh, and Christmas shopping. Yikes, haven't done any of that. Doh...

hallelujah!
"Congratulations! This is your official notification that you have completely paid off the student loans starred below. We are pleased to have had you as a customer and wish you the best of luck in the future. Thank you!" -- Customer Service, Sallie Mae Servicing.

Thanks to my Americorps educational award from last year, I have completely paid off one of my loans. WOO HOO!! Despite my pauper-like existence these past two and a half years, I'm moving toward being completely debt-free!

On another note, here's a verse that I stumbled upon recently: "But godliness with contentment is great gain." - 1 Timothy 6:6. Another simple verse that I learned in Sunday School, but so often forget to put into practice.

success
Wednesday was the big day for the students that I work with. They've been transformed into young experts and were showing off their knowledge at an exhibition yesterday. Despite the fact that I had to do some "behavior management" with the kids, they made me really proud.

One of my favorite (if I may be biased) is little O.M. He's a 6th grader who comes from a spanish-speaking household and is an "ESL kid." (His mom, is great -- my co-worker translates during our conferences.) His teachers labeled him a liar because he didn't turn in work (he was really disorganized) and tried to cover it up. He tested in the 16th percentile in math (the lower 16th percentile). A month ago, O.M. walked into my room during homework time and proudly showed me his 102% on his test. I almost cried. This week, he came in and said (with a slight bit of bitterness in his voice), I got less points this time on my test. He got a 98%. We're writing children's books and he has been the only student to work super-diligently on creating a story every week, despite his language arts challenges. I see him making leaps and bounds and being more confident academically as well as socially. I really hope he stays on for another semester at least.

On the other side of the coin, I have another team member who is a complete terror. I sometimes wonder if it's the meds. But then I remember that she's not taking any.... maybe she should. But I digress.... Let me beam about O.M. for awhile...

it's just cake but...
It's 11:55 p.m. and I've just returned home from working almost 15 hours straight when I see it: the tinfoil that once wrapped my beloved "yummy" cake (recipe from Suji) sitting on the counter, alone -- no cake in sight. On the other counter -- the pan that once held that chocolatey goodness filled to the brim with brown-colored water. This can't be. This scenario is straight out of some cheesy situational comedy.

Someone ate my cake... and they didn't even have the decency to leave me the last piece. I'm so exhausted right now that I'm going to cry myself to sleep over that blasted piece of cake. A moment of silence for the best-cake-that-was-ever-eaten-by-greedy-roommates.

it's the most wonderful time, of the year...
My neck is tensing up. I'm starting to scrounge for empty boxes and re-examine my worldly possessions. Hm, do I really need this glow-in-the-dark yo-yo from the film festival? Have I ever worn this sweater when it's not negative 10 degrees outside? Maybe that package of Scooby-doo valentines sitting at the back of my closet should be my first sacrifice...

Yes, it's time for me to move... again.

I know, I know, you thought I'd left my old ways behind. You thought that I finally set down roots and started to make a home. And yes, I know you are all disappointed that I will have no more real-world-eques vignettes to share from my little house on the cul-de-sac next to the racist neighbors. Ah, now I'm getting all nostalgic. Not.

My roommate, J, is moving back to China. She was the one who convinced me to move to this drama-house. Now that she's leaving for more fruitful pastures in Shanghai, I too am uprooting myself. A former (and not psychotic) roommate from drama-house will be joining me at my next residence. I'm excited as she is more like my type of roommate. I'm hoping she will be a nice break from all of the randoms I've lived with.

Wish me happy apartment hunting. Again.