ever drink pomegranate juice?  as I just discovered, it's good.  but damnably expensive.
 
at work I'm moving into an actual cubicle, which is very exciting (until now I've just had a sort of desk with built in walls).  I need to think of things to get agitated about so I can pace back and forth between partitions.
 
I'd like to nominate don henley's "dirty laundry" for the most striptease-conducive song ever.  come to think of it, all don henley songs lend themselves to burlesque.  I can even see a slow, contemplative bump and grind being done to "boys of summer."
 
nothing new with "the dave situation," by the way.  currently drama free, knock on wood.
 
does anyone know where I can get a statue of the venus de milo with a clock in the stomach?  you'd think those would be easier to find.  maybe I'll just have to make due with a rain lamp.  I'm feeling awfully kitschy lately.
 
going to get new glasses on saturday.  old school indie hornrims or professional black wire frames?  part of me just isn't ready to let the scenester image go; I might have to stick with the former.
 
sheetz burger and fries for dinner.  the exercise bike calls.

so I've got this friend...dave, yeah his name's dave. dave was sitting at home the other night when one of his co-workers randomly showed up at his door (it was 3 a.m., by the by). dave invited said co-worker in, and they had a chat. turns out co-worker is secretly gay and has a crush on dave, who does not return the sentiment. co-worker also offered dave sexual favors, which dave wisely declined. the best part? co-worker's married.

wow, glad I'm not dave.

so anyway, fabulous night at two friends' apartment with dinner, wine, and chuckles (but not the gummy candy kind. do they still make those? I kind of hope not). it's good to know that I can still function in social situations.

must go register ophelia tomorrow. I've been driving around in an illegal car for weeks. tsk, tsk.

I've been browsing real estate books lately. not that I'm buying a house anytime soon, but financially it would be a possibility in the not-so-distant future. knock on wood; no job's safe nowadays.

off to lie down, ponder dave's situation, and go to sleep.

work tonight taken up with meetings and bull sessions, so not too productive. but what a night! got a raise, which is fab. also, I've gotten praise from middle management before, but tonight I got kudos from upper middle management. gotta love that corporate structure.

haircut today. I need to stop cutting my hair so short; it makes me look like a monkey. also FINALLY got my NC driver's license today, so I look like a monkey on it.

I'm pleased that john edwards is running with kerry on the prez ticket. the dynamic duo is winning over the hearts of queer groups left and right; the national stonewall democrats call them "the most pro-gay, pro-family ticket in the history of presidential politics." isn't it sad that we have to say that about two men who don't endorse equal marriage rights? well, baby steps in the right direction.

belle and sebastian's "books" ep might be their most fun non-album release ever; it's certainly the peppiest one since "legal man." I like.

I love my co-worker nadine. when she's not gabbing with us on break she's taken to studying a textbook on the proper usage of old english, just for kicks. it makes me want to go out and learn things.

so I just went and learned this: monkey wrenches were invented by charles moncke, hence the name.

what's with me and monkeys?

well, today was just crap on a crap cracker. first of all, the sexiest man who ever lived up and dies, casting a pall over things. I slept too late to get anything accomplished other than going to work, where I had an irritating night overall (the entire city of rialto, california can go straight to hell). the good news? long weekend! woo hoo!

not to jump on the bandwagon and make my musical taste still more indie-stereotypical, but franz ferdinand is just about the greatest band ever. an easy 10 out of 10 on the fun scale.

no plans for the fourth. but then no one I've talked to has had plans for the fourth. patriotism is so passe.

in the absence of buffy, I've taken to watching my so-called life reruns. yeah...I've got your so-called life right here for ya.

speaking of reruns on noggin, enough bitching before I start sounding completely daria-esque. the weekend's here and I could use a vodka rocks. heh...that's funny. "VODKA ROCKS!" well, it does.

just realized that I've missed buying the last THREE belle and sebastian singles. what the hell's wrong with me?

cleaned my oven today. exciting.

tagline from my favorite movie, lawless heart: "is the life you have the life you want?" poignant. I remember when life used to be about...anything.

I'm not depressed. I'm not shouting for joy, either. I just am.

what am I doing wrong?

not a lot of interest happening, but I need a brief rant.

I admit it, I enjoy listening to the radio. and yes, I mean commercial radio. I grew up on oldies and eighties tunes, and since my childhood was a pleasant one I rather enjoy reliving it through cheesy old brainless music. on my way to and from work I tend to switch back and forth between two stations (each catering to one of the aforementioned genres). a little motown here, a little genesis there, and I'm ready to knock out some bills. it's like junk food for my ears.

but the testostazene commercials have to stop. if I have to listen to old kermit-the-frog-soundin, impotence-curin, "I-sound-like-I've-never-had-sex-anyway" doctor richard cohen m.d. (men's health specialist) just one more time I think I may go postal. the airwaves are polluted with his nasal, annoying, horrendous voice. if messr. cohen and I ever meet face to face, he's going to need a lot more than testostazine to feel like "the man he used to be." he's going to need all the royalties from those radio spots to pay for reconstructive surgery. if I hit the number 4 preset on my radio, I'm lookin for some billy ocean. I do NOT want to hear about erectile dysfunction. even hearing the commercial once a day would be all right. but no, I have to hear it 5+ times. once I myself am over the dreaded age of 35 (according to herr doktor that's when things start to go downhill), maybe I'll feel differently--although I certainly hope not. at any rate, keep an ear open for reports of a wild gunman holed up in the city club and opening fire on downtown. I may just get pushed too far.

that wasn't brief. I apologize.

question for the masses: in "shout," exactly what are the things that tears for fears can do without?

dumb things I get excited about at work: after working at o.d. for almost a year, tonight I finally got to send something to a branch of kaiser permanente. I wish it had been a credenza. but I bet all their offices already have credenzas.

okay, so I'd tried to put off posting this until I took pictures, but a couple weeks ago I bought a second car. her name's ophelia. she's a silver 2000 miata. in theory I wanted a smaller car to save gas, but who am I kidding. driving that car is more fun than at least 80% of the sex I've ever had.

if memory serves.

every night this week I've actually gotten 8 hours of sleep, so time to go and keep up the good schluff. unless the men come to fix the holes. yep, still got the holes.

ah, weekend! how do I love thee? well, there was a fabulous party at sarah rosenblatt's new digs this evening--I wasn't sure about going, but ended up being glad that I did. I'm glad that I'm not as heavy a drinker as I used to be. it makes heavy drinking so much more enjoyable when I do endulge in it.

so I bought the first season of northern exposure on dvd today. wow, best show ever (almost; it's up there--no buffy, but you know, what is). watching it makes me really want to go to alaska. right now. I know that it was filmed in washington state and that the real alaska is probably nothing like the idealized tv version, but whatthehell. I'm going. not sure when, but it will happen.

my apartment has big holes in the ceiling. all these workmen came in and cut them out. something to do with the plumbing. I dunno. they're supposed to repair them soon, but for now it's all about the holes. the other night I was concerned about the dilapidated state of 4109 and spent the night at the high point radisson. what a fantastic night's (day's) sleep that was! note to self: get window shades and fluff pillows more throroughly.

note to all blog readers: find me a date. I'm headed straight for dirty-old-man-dom, and fast. the only answer is to put a stop to all this single/celibate nonsense.

speaking of putting a stop to things, this whole drunken stupor thing is getting tiresome. off to bed.

before I say anything more, believe it or not I've updated petrified fountain with reviews of harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban (a new not-so-much) and delicatessen (an old favorite).

so about this time I should be full of wild stories about the caffeinated days, the flannel clad nights, and the rainy afternoons of seattle. well, I ain't. being as how I was feeling kinda homesick and just not feeling the crosscountry trip thing, I decided to just head back to dubya-vee-ay for a couple days instead. I went ahead and took my two vacation days last week, though, and thoroughly enjoyed spending some time lounging around 4109 and resting my fingers.

"but jeremy, how will you know if you want to move to seattle if you didn't go?"

which brings me to the big reason I didn't go. that's easy...I'm not moving. my reasons are multiple:

1) money. I currently can't afford to shell out the $3k dollars it would take to move bag and baggage to the west coast, and I certainly wouldn't have the money it would take to keep me going until I got settled into a new apartment/job/etcetera.

2) sanity. something that I momentarily lost when I considered giving up my cushy, pleasant, $36k a year job to sink over $14k into film school when I've barely touched a camera. I might hate making movies. I might despise it. and I want to rearrange my entire life to devote a year to doing it, a year that would be a waste of time and money if I ended up being miserable and/or no good? riiiight.

3) familiarity. I'll be the first to admit it. I'm in a rut. I'm in the freakin grand canyon. but it's a nice enough rut to stay in just a little longer, and there's something to be said for a predictable life. and when you're in a rut, it's safer to ease out slowly--not blast yourself out like a torpedo.

4) family. at the risk of sounding like a pansy (can't have that), being 3000 miles away from my loved ones would be as hard for me as for them.

5) opportunity. picking up stakes and starting fresh would give me the chance to start an entirely new life. but staying put gives me the chance to improve the one I've got. I'm currently without any loose ends, so I can focus my energies on things like losing weight, being more organized, socializing more, getting involved in the community. all things I've been wanting to do...and things I've been neglecting in light of the impending move.

I'm not going to be doing data entry ten years from now. too depressing. but one year...that doesn't sound so awful. just one more year to think and plan and scheme. I can't let myself take much more. otherwise I'll only be a little better than the kids from high school who stayed in bluefield and are currently employed at the d.q. and similar establishments, the kids I've always felt sorry for. the ones who are just too scared to live. I'm not scared. I just want to make sure the pool's filled with water before I dive in.

I graduated from guilford a year ago now, and a year is ample time to have made up my mind. but in grand tradition, I haven't used my time wisely. meanwhile, I've become much more comfortable than I'd anticipated. so I've just got to keep on truckin (wow, given my occupation I should add "no pun intended" there) for a while until I know what I want. not what I guess I want.

I've got more to say, but I'm running out of energy for the evening. this has been jeremy, live from the real world. until next time!

just another happy peppy post to remind y'all that life is dull and unexciting. but better that than lively and filled with drama. I used to think that I'd trade my banal existence for some dramatic happenings any day, but I'm older and wiser now (note: I believe that I last had those thoughts about four months ago).

although changes are in the works. or are they non-changes? can something be said to remain static and yet be changed? I suppose not. then again, maybe there will be true changes after all. this is getting confusing. more to follow soon.

seattle comin up this weekend, which is sure to result in fascinating blog material. I wish that the thought of going didn't make me feel cranky. let's face it; it's really just the thought of losing sleep to make my flight that does it. I guard my sleep jealously. for those of you that don't already know the embarrassing tale, I tried to convince the bad news bearers (walter matthau) on the morning of 9/11 to let me go back to sleep.

buffy season 6 on dvd today! since wal-mart hadn't yet put them out as of 3:30 a.m., I'll have to hope that I can track one down this afternoon.

I miss carra. no connecting thoughts there, just thought I'd throw that out.

let the wild rumpus start! on second thought, I'll just go to bed instead.

oh, and here's that self-esteem boost I've been needing:


You're Rubik's Cube!! You may think you're
popular, but you're actually extremely
annoying. Seriously.


What childhood toy from the 80s are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

another week of non-exploits. actually I did go to the beach yesterday, which was nice. however, given the rising price of petrol I'll have to start just going to wet n' wild (the carolinas' biggest waterpark, that is, and right here in g-boro) for sun and summer fun. yes, it's $22 per ticket. but getting to wrightsville and back costs about $40 in gas and around $10 for a day's parking. easy math, even for me.

of course, there is that pool a hundred yards or so from my front door. eh, why be sensible?

I ate vegetarian beef jerky today. honest. shiitake mushrooms and soy protein. tasted pretty good. but it didn't set very well on the tummy. but then what's a little nausea when you know that somewhere a cow is smiling without knowing exactly why?

regardless of the mixed jerky experience, I'd like to recommend earth fare's organic apple pie to everyone in the triad. here come those few pounds I've lost, floating back.

now that I've done my food reviews, I really need to write some more movie reviews in petrified fountain, and will do so soon. for now, suffice it to say that I recently saw band of outsiders (I'm not enough of a film snob YET to call it bande a part) and have come to the official conclusion that french people are weird. sorry, that's an unfair generalization. french people in the 60s were weird. I say that without fear of contradiction.

organic pie and new wave film. I disgust myself. I'm getting away from this thing to try and stop the encroaching pretentiousness. are there any adam sandler movies on the cable right now? I thought I might watch one while drinking hawaiian punch and scratching naughty body parts. that should hold it off.

wow, blogger looks different. I don't like it. but I could just be in a crabby mood; details to follow.

why today ruled: the folks at jiffy lube changed my oil and filter, checked my air filter, vacuumed the floor, cleaned the windows, and checked out the wipers...in under 10 minutes. this will amaze me for days. unless things start falling off the car.

why today sucked: my toilet doesn't work right now. well, it does, but I have to keep it turned off or the whole bathroom turns into a lake every hour or so. maintenance was supposed to come and fix it today. they didn't, making this the second time in a row that they just haven't bothered to respond to my request.

maybe I should ask the guys at jiffy lube to fix it. until such time, thank goodness we have two bathrooms.

only had to work until 3:00. luxurious!

had to change desks at work, though--I'm now stationed at what's known as "the cursed seat," because no temp employee has lasted more than a few weeks after moving there. as a permanent I should be safe, but several people have commented on my bravery.

good times in winston sunday. aunt kay kept conversation lively with her frequent outbursts of "shit!" and "God-a-mighty!" I love that woman.

time for suppa and telly.

another long non-writing interval. but talk about a whole lot of nothing going on! well, except for work. not once have I had to work under a 10 hour shift all week. well, time is money, and money is good.

I'm going insane. there's a pulsating high pitched noise outside that sounds sort of like a tuning fork. it's just soft enough to make me wonder if I'm imagining it. grr. annoying.

having a tough time at the supermarket lately. I'm running out of ideas for meals that are quick, easy, cheap, tasty, and healthy. here's an idea. someone needs to invent this special lasagna, see. it should come in one pound servings. it must be fat free and under 100 calories, despite being made with premium meats and cheeses. it should cost fifty cents. also, it should require no preparation or heating appliances. instead, a special magic wand will be provided that, when striking said pasta, will instantly heat it to the proper temperature. someone invent that.

was going to spend a day at the beach, but the forecast calls for storms. besides, I have to get up and drive to winston on sunday to hang with family. well, the ocean will still be there later.

hilarous conversation at work tonight about using a seadoo as a hearse. but you really had to be there.

I should really go to the guilco graduation, but as it's in five hours and I haven't gone to bed yet, don't think I'm gonna make it. sitting through one scorching hot grad ceremony was enough, truth be told.

am REALLY getting psyched about seattle. it's a shame that ali won't be able to get the apartment with holly and myself if I move. but miss golightly and myself together in "b-field with all the cool stuff" (affectionate nickname for seattle) would be a blast to end all blasts.

off to dream of the space needle.

a week and a half without rambling here. whafuck? two good weekends, tho. last sunday went to death cab in asheville with carra. third time I've seen that marvelous band, and it certainly was the charm--they were in their best form ever! ben was insanely hyper, doing crazy stunts on stage. and they all seemed really glad to be there, which can make such a huge difference in the quality of a show.

tonight was super-social. dinner with josh, tammy, tabitha and her hubby at carrabba's. then coffee with heather. then friendly gathering at lexington house with that whole crew.

the seattle venture has been postponed until memorial day weekend, as the days I wanted off work were taken. the closer it gets to d-day (and by that I mean decision day--to move or not to move, and where to move to), the closer I get to really, truly, and actually wanting to do it. screw making money. I need a life. I mean, I have one, and it's not bad. it's good. but how else will I ever know if it can be great?

decision: june first. at the latest. I never could work well without a deadline.

speaking of decisions, no new couch I don't think. I should really save my furniture buying stamina for when I have tons and tons of money (if that ever happens) and can do my entire living room in 60s mod style. I'm serious; I'd do it, but I'd have to have enough cash to buy every piece at once or it'd look funny. complete with hi-fi and tiki bar. I'd love it.

so guess what? if I can get off work the 5th through the 7th of next month I'm totally going to seattle for a long weekend. isn't that a gas? I could use a few days away from the hustle and bustle...and in a different hustle and bustle...and I'm going to schedule an appointment at s.f.i. to check out their facilities. if I like it, there's my plan for the fall. yeah doing things!

I filed my taxes, finally. am getting a swell refund. I think I'll invest it in a new sofa. mine has holes. holes are bad.

death cab on sunday with carra! I wonder what ben gibbard would do if I called his cell and asked him to have dinner with us before the show. I'm thinking he might be a little taken aback. ours was a fleeting encounter, after all. me and my celebrity friends. there's ben himself, whom I spent 20 minutes interviewing; jenny lewis, who never seems to quite remember me; and the star of a reebok commercial whom I kissed one new year's. I'm a regular hedda hopper.

speaking of hedda hopper...wow, that gives me a segway into absolutely nothing relevant to my life whatsoever. now I must dash; I have an unusual new hat to try on before I start writing my column about lunch with bill holden.

hoppy Easter. rolled in from wv a bit ago. drive report for the 'rents: fog between big walker tunnel and wytheville, rain ended in hillsville, but major fog between there and the blue ridge parkway. only a little fog on fancy gap mountain.

why the new sheetz in walkertown sucks:
1) no snapple sub zero.
2) slightly different menu defaults buffalo chicken sandwich to lettuce and tomato with no way of modifying it on the touchscreen.
3) employees become completely overwhelmed if more than 2-3 customers waiting (resulting in over 20 minutes to complete my order tonight).

why the new sheetz rules:
1) snazziest decor ever. I feel like I should wear a tie in there.
2) touchscreens at the gas pumps to place my food order while filling my tank.
3) espresso bar. do y'all understand the ramifications of that? we're talking about the ability to order a latte at 3 a.m. here. that is unprecedented.

since #3 on the suck list will probably diminish as time passes and #3 on the rule list will never cease to make me happy, I've decided that it's utopia. all hail!

while on the subject of food, one of the greatest injustices of our time: fizzy bottle caps, the greatest candy delicacy of my generation, ceased to exist about ten years ago. so why are our nation's candy counters still polluted by oddities such as smarties, clark bars, and--horror of horrors--chocolate velamints? who should I talk to about this? and no, "mental health professional" is NOT an acceptable answer.

experiment in progress: how to make people laugh when they don't expect to. in any not-too-serious conversation, when someone asks you a question (provided you haven't tried this before), look confused and respond with, "did you just call me phyllis?" so far I'm 2 for 2 on it working. tomorrow I try it at the office.

speaking of office, go me and my latest evaluation! a $2.08/hr raise. gotta love those eight cents. that new maserati gets closer every day.

eez time for wal-mart. must buy fixins for big honkin lowfat lasagna and printer cartridges and other exciting items (the names of which I'm not privileged to divulge at this time). okay, you drug it out of me. toothpaste. now all my secrets are out.

buffy is beginning to become a problem. first I laughed at it, then I watched it, now I invest money in it so I can watch it all the damn time. now I realize that respect for said series is crucial relationship criteria, right up there with admiration of belle and sebastian. also like b&s, I'm even starting to feel sorry for people who don't like it. well, hopefully the fever will die down before the sixth season comes out on dvd (on may 26th--46 days, 16 hours, and 29 minutes from now).

I had a marvelous dream the other night that I went to a church where dolly parton was the preacher. well, she did play an angel on "designing women" that time.

josh is in germany--er, he will be within a few hours. he'd better find a paternoster while he's over there, that's all I'm sayin.

lemon italian ice does not equal lemon sorbet. nope, not at all.

my upper teeth are killing me. just another happy byproduct of sinus congestion. grr.

"the bad people put a chip in my head...I want to be queen, and I'll fight 'til I'm dead. queen diana. queen dianaaaa!!!" (just felt like typing that)

that's it. going to bed before I get any weirder.

splendid weekend, snotty nose notwithstanding. went with josh and hannah to the q and not u show in the underground, where hannah and I inadvertently ended up working their merch table for a bit. then to friday's, then back here to watch rosemary's baby while playing drinking games (one drink each time one of the following was mentioned: baby names, tannis root, a play that guy was in. and a chug when minnie yells at roman for spilling vodka blush on the carpet). josh went to bed and h. and I to mcdonald's. fell into a marvelous vicodin-induced sleep around 9 a.m. seeing hannah again was great. hope we'll start hanging out on a regular basis.

perhaps josh's greatest observation ever: "whenever you go to a place where you're told you'll meet people from 'all walks of life,' you'll never meet anyone you'll like."

get this: 4109 is now (temporarily) a nielsen household. the greatest news of my life.

time to get my debilitated self up and clean various household things.

hope everyone had a happy john l. lewis day--april fools' day to non-mountaineers. and I hope y'all remembered to groom those eyebrows properly.

does anyone know what the difference between a denver omelet and a western omelet is? really? just curious.

pizza was bought for us by management at work as thanks for the crazy couple of weeks. I ate some. it was domino's. I managed to break my diet and my boycott at the same time. that corner booth in hell gets closer every day.

at last count, I am managing to be four of the seven dwarves at once: sleepy, grumpy, dopey, and sneezy. I'll be happy when I'm no longer sneezy. on occasion I'm bashful, but I'll never be doc. nicole can be doc. her and christopher lloyd.