I think I'm going to treat myself to to Chinese food today. There's a place right by the house that I haven't tried yet.

I live in Portland, OR. I've got an awesome house with four awesome boys, in a beautiful neighborhood that is very well located. I've got a great job at a brewpub that makes awesome beer and food, where I'm learning a bunch, and where all my coworkers are hilarious, loud mouth, tattooed boys and girls . My boyfriend is still a sweetheart, and bought me a dozen rose and lilies and some other flowers the other day. I have leftover chicken and dumplings in the fridge that I made with food stamp money last night. I just wrote the Texas Workforce Commission to get them on Holiday Inn, who still hasn't given me my last paycheck from MAY.

I may not have any money (why haven't I gotten any of my unemployment money yet???), the heel on my month old pair of boots may be broken, but I've got Ted Leo and the Pharmacists on the head phones, and damned if I don't feel real good about life right now.

Taking a mini vacation with Mark down to Homer tomorrow to see some old friends. Super excited. Have to rent a car though, which sucks, don't know how long its been since I've driven that far (four hours). Had the first going away party of the season last night, wasn't really in to going to it, but it was one of my favorite people on the train, a grumpy, sweaty Bulgarian, so I went anyway. Its weird, I can't believe that people are already are already dropping out, and in about a month we'll all be outta jobs.
We've got a place to live in Portland when its over. A nice house with cool people just a few minutes from downtown. That's nice- we didn't have to do any searching, he just put a phone call through to his friend, and the friend said he had a room for us. Makes it a lot easier, no searching or stressing. I'm really excited, I'm actually going to be living there, rather than just thinking about living there.
Life is fun.

So to make my mother happy, I made a facebook. Look for me with rottingstrip@gmail.com.

All is well in the world. Lots of working, but I enjoy it. My love has come up to Alaska and he likes it, too. He's working on the train, too. We wander around exploring together. I took him to eat pho the other day, his first time (!). It was amazing to see his face light up as he got his first good smell, then taste. Nights we go to the bar down the street to drink over priced Pabst, eat free hot dogs (amazing free hot dogs at that) and socialize with other train folk. The last couple of nights the sun has been a blazing deep orange. I don't know if its because of the smoke from the forest fires or what, but its amazing. You can actually look AT the sun. Yesterday I burned the shit outta my hand at work, three fingers worth of blisters. I'm entranced by one blister in particular, on my pinky finger. Its the largest and I am mesmerized by the fact that it hasn't popped yet. I keep looking at it to check its status. You can still see the where the creases of my skin were, and its got a couple hairs on the side somehow.
I miss things and people from back home, but at the moment, there's no place I'd rather be.

Working on the train makes your skin gray. I'm not kidding. I forgot about it. Take a white wash cloth to the shower with you and it'll be a mediumish gray by the end of it. Its fucking sick. And your boogers and gray and black too. For days I had clear snot on the train and it disturbed me.

Probably working too much. Might be going a little crazy, my antisocial tendancies are a bit exacerbated at the moment. Decided I don't like getting drunk in Anchorage. It doesn't feel fun or safe.

Too much to do today- laundry, fix the flat on my bike, get tobacco, maybe purchase a pocket knife. I should also call my aunt. Need to mail my mom a check for my new phone. Want to go to the post office to get postcards to send to folks back home. And I feel a serious bowel movement coming on.

Meh.

Damn. I just worked 150 hours in nine days straight. I'm tired. Its nice not to be on the train but weird not having a place where I can just relax. Still at the hostel since I haven't had time to look for a place. Gonna have to overdraw my account to keep staying there but whatever. I get paid on friday and it should be ok and hopefully soon my last pay check from the Holiday Inn should be coming in. Ready to get the money rolling in.
Beginning to really settle in though emotionally. Spent last night with some friends, just hanging out and watching funny things on the television, fell asleep dead tired with platonic cuddles.
The other day went for what was supposed to be a one hour bike ride and ended up being a close to four hour bike ride. Was really nice, other than the fact that I was fighting my way up the coast and a storm hit a few miles in. But whatever. And a couple nights I took a hike in Denali to one of top five favorite places in the world, a pretty little lake set at the base of some mountains. I wish I would have taken pictures but I'll get around to that later.
In other news my phone is more or less dead so I need phone numbers. Do it.

Seriously, this whole being homeless thing is annoying. I guess its good that I can afford a roof over my head, but there's a bit of me that wants to go super hippie and just got a tent and a sleeping bag. I would, if only I didn't have to worry about all my wordly possesions while I was out on the train.

Its a little unnerving to have my routine completely (and so quickly) turned around. Basically everything I was used to doing as of a week ago, nope. Only real routine left is the consuption bits (taking in nicotine, coffee, food, alcohol, words and sounds). But that doesn't really count, you know?

Well shit, looks like I might be doing Alaska again after all...

Tonight!

Slackbeat
Divorce
Kaboom
2MAI
and someone else whose name I can't remember

at Spooky House 1314 Austin St.

Bands start around seven or so, though I can't be there till after ten, you should still show up early.


BYOB, mother fuckers.

BBQ and Bands

1314 N. Austin Street

BBQ by Mark Cambell starts at 1 pm

2 pm Warren Jackson Hearne and the Merrie Murder of Gloomadeers
3 pm Slackbeat
3:30 pm Violent Squid
4:30 pm Handbrake
5:30 pm Tang Lung
6:30 Stumptone
7 pm Boxcar Bandits
7:30 pm The Angelus
8:30 pm Jack With One Eye
9:30 pm Silver Arrows
10:30 pm Sarah Alexander and Stephen Lucas
11:30 pm The Frenz
1 am Inthius Ghost
1:45 am 2 Mai
2:30 DJ G

My amazing halloween costume idea is dependent on having make up. All my back up costume ideas also involve make up. Problem? I've had a huge gross eye sore all week. I ain't putting on make up. So I'm going as a bar fly. Fuck you.

Officially salaried. Don't want to work at all, especially don't want to get fucked up the ass for about the same amount of money (HEEEEEEEEY. It looks like a killer raise, but its not! Jokes on you mother fucker!). Why did I agree to this?

Its ok, I've got a plan, I just wish it involved me giving the finger to someone and sleeping for three days.

Hey, I'm still alive. Just thought you should know.

Been working a lot, drinking a lot, riding my new bike a lot.

Getting grumpy over being stuck in TX right now. I wish I didn't have so many obligations that involve me being here. What I wouldn't give to hit the road and ramble. Or move some where else. Or hell, just get out of town for a couple days. I wish someone would just pay me to go around the country and eat things and talk to weird people. I'm great at that. Why doesn't any body else realize this?

Already can't wait for my next day off and my last one was Tuesday.

Last night, a buddy and I peed on a church. Not in any "rawr, I don't believe in God" sort of way, but more the it was there and it was funny and we had full bladders sort of way.

I'm maybe getting a car.

I am crankypants today.

Incidentally, I think it might be time for a real person hair cut.

Last night I drank some Bud in a cemetary with one of my best lady friends. Life is rad sometimes.

I guess I'm not going to Philly after all. I don't feel like explaining it all, but I'm gonna kick here for a while and move somewhere I really want to go rather than just go because I can.


You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.
Not as easy as you might think.

1. Where is your cell phone? fannypack
2. Describe your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/lover? who?
3. Your hair? unruly
4. Your mother? rad
5. Your father? dead
6. Your favorite item? quilt
7. Your dream last night? dunno
8. Your favorite drink? coffee
9. Your dream car? midget
10. The room you are in? library
11. Your fear? crippled
12. What do you want to be in 10 years? awesome
13. Who did you hang out with last night? myself
14. What you're not? rational
15. The last thing you did? smoke
16. What are you wearing? clothes?
17. Your favorite book? *shrug*
18. The last thing you ate? chicken
19. Your life? confusing
20. Your mood? antsy
21. Your friends? amazing
22. What are you thinking about right now? sf
23. Your car? bike
24. What are you doing at the moment? worrying
25. Your summer? sweaty
26. Your relationship status? single
27. What is on your tv? no
28. When is the last time you laughed? juho
29. Last time you cried? laughing
30. School? some

Copy.
Paste.
Answer.
Questions.
In.
One.
Word.

I'm still grumpy pants. I think the real solution might be taking a vacation.

I think the guys that is supposed to building up my fixed gear bike might have gotten carted off to jail. Good thing I didn't give him any moneys, but still. I want it, damnit.

Have to go my Granny's sunday. I don't want to, at all, but it might be the last time I get to see her for a really damned long time.

Wow. Its hot. Life is stressful. I've been drinking too much, and reading much. And I've got yet another fucking flat.

I woke up early this morning so I could be productive. I made some coffee, finished fixing that flat (streets of Denton, I beg you, stop fucking with my tubes), read for a bit the wrote out my resume so I could take it up to the library and type it all out, using one of google docs' helpful templates, not to mention start a new web address, one that does sound, "icky." That being said, google docs hates me. It keep closing on me, with error reports. I've spent half an hour dealing with it. Now I'm cranky and hungry and have to go to work in an hour and a half. I should have just slept in.

I haven't even started this job hunt yet, and I'm already tired of it, but damned if I'm moving to Philadelphia without a decent job lined up.