For Beatrice--

Despite checking LJ like every day, I haven't posted in almost a month. Almost exactly a month, even!

Soooo here's a rundown, because that's what I do best.
- Now we live in Chicago.
- Chicago is pretty cool.

THE END.

Poll #1432486 Insert dancer's name here....
This poll is closed.
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 4

I have specific reasons for picking one of these three, but which name do you like best?

Took this from jenovan's LJ, 'cause I don't want to post the same comments over and over if everyone puts this up... XD Or doesn't. ;) Edited slightly (obviously) for questions about the "asker".

01. Your Middle Name, or explain your Chosen Name: My middle name is Joy, which is my mother's first name. XD
02. Mental Age: Hm, it varies. I'm really sort of immature a lot of the time. XD But also sometimes I feel really old because I'm all grown up and married and have a job and a cat and BILLS!
03. Single or Taken: You all know this one. XD
04. Favorite Book: This is really hard to say. I am actually HORRIBLE at remembering things I read, so while I could say "I really loved this book I just read!" I can't say with any confidence that it's better or worse than books I've read in the past. XD The book I remember liking best in a long time is The Lies of Locke Lamora (which Kari may or may not be reading now XD) and its sequel.
05. Favorite Song or Album: I think I'm going to go with Thirteenth Step by A Perfect Circle. They ARE my favorite band, and that album kicks so much ass. XD
06. What do you believe is your calling in life? Your greatest passion? Telling people what to do. XD I've come to realize that I'm not good at being creative on my own, but I can really influence a project for the better with constructive criticism. ;) That's why I like being an editor. XD Someone else comes up with a good idea, and I tell them how to make it better. ;D
07. What's your worst recurring nightmare/biggest fear? I don't tend to have recurring nightmares, yay me. XD My biggest fear is drowning, specifically drowning in a car. XD I DID have a dream about that once, and it was traumatizing (it turned out I dreamed something that was actually happening at the time, I heard about it later on the news oO;; a bridge had broken and people were driving off, not realizing).
08. Faith, has you any? And if so, what, and if not, why not?: Not especially. I'm not keen on religious stuff... I think people can't really know what's out there, so why bother trying? I'm not, like, against God or anything. If he's out there, he is. If he isn't, he isn't. I try to live my life, y'know, the good way...without any of the spiritual stuff. XD
09. Do we know each other outside of LJ? Do we want to? Most of you, yes, somehow. XD I don't have many LJ-exclusive friends.
10. What's your philosophy on life? Hm. Sometimes it sucks, sometimes it's cool, but either way you have to live it. XD
11. Is the bottle half-full or half-empty? Well, it's obviously both, isn't it? XD
12. Would you tell me something painful if it was in my best interest? Depends on what it was...?
13. What is your favorite memory of us? This moment, you reading all this stuff about my life, bwahaha....
14. What is your favorite guilty pleasure? Ooh. Right now, totally reality TV about dancing ;D Also DRAMA BETWEEN MADE-UP CHARACTERS omfg XD I especially feel guilty about it because it's almost always with Steve. ;) Ah well.
15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you: I have never been drunk! I don't know if I've ever finished a whole glass of anything alcoholic. XD Maybe once a flute of champagne or something, although I don't think I even managed that at my wedding... XD
16. You can have three wishes what are they? NO MORE BIGOTRY. ><;; I hate when people hate people, especially if it's for no reason. Universal public transportation, so we can get rid of all the friggin cars. XD That I would stop being so nuts all the time ;D
17. What is your favorite food? PIZZA =d
18. Which country is your spiritual home? Er? I will say the UK. I always wanted to go there, and when I went there I TOTALLY fell in love with it.
19. What is your big weakness? See 17 and 14 ;D
20. Do you think I'm a good person? All of you, yes, or we wouldn't be friends ;) Although some of you are chaotic good and some are neutral good.... XD
21. What was your best/favorite subject at school? Anything related to language. English, French, Spanish, Japanese. :)
22. Describe your accent: Trying-not-to-be-midwestern with a dash of picked-up-something-weird-from-Steve. XD
23. If you could change anything about me, would you? Only if you asked me to. XD I assume you would know I had this person-changing ability ;D
24. What do you wear to sleep? T-shirt and cute pajama pants. They have to be CUTE. XD
25. Gender identity? Girl girl girl with a dollop of tomboy. XD
26. Affectionate/sexual orientation? It's kind of hard to say, as I've been with the same dude for uh, almost all of my sexually formative years. XD I am a firm believer that people should just accept whatever does it for them, you know? I formed this philosophy while listening to the Garbage song "Androgyny" which has the line "Take what you need to turn you on" XD I don't like to identify as anything sexually, really. Obviously I'm more than happy with what I have, but I wouldn't say that necessarily makes me "straight". Maybe somewhere out there is a girl I'd like. I just don't waste time worrying about it. ;)
27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together? (If you have no idea, just say something crazy, it'll entertain me!) Whatever you like...it'd be selfish to do what I like, if it's your last day to live. XD
28. Will you repost this so I can fill it out for you? This is all sorts of paradox. ;)

From jenovan I hope she fills it out ;D

YOU'RE ON MY FRIENDS LIST, I want to know 28 things about you. I don't care if we've never talked, never really clicked, or if we already know everything about each other. I really don't. You are obviously on my flist, so let me know with whom I'm friends!

01. Your Middle Name, or explain your Chosen Name:
02. Mental Age:
03. Single or Taken:
04. Favorite Book:
05. Favorite Song or Album:
06. What do you believe is your calling in life? Your greatest passion?
07. What's your worst recurring nightmare/biggest fear?
08. Faith, has you any? And if so, what, and if not, why not?:
09. Do we know each other outside of LJ? Do we want to?
10. What's your philosophy on life?
11. Is the bottle half-full or half-empty?
12. Would you tell me something painful if it was in my best interest?
13. What is your favorite memory of us?
14. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
15. Tell me one odd/interesting fact about you:
16. You can have three wishes what are they?
17. What is your favorite food?
18. Which country is your spiritual home?
19. What is your big weakness?
20. Do you think I'm a good person?
21. What was your best/favorite subject at school?
22. Describe your accent:
23. If you could change anything about me, would you?
24. What do you wear to sleep?
25. Gender identity?
26. Affectionate/sexual orientation?
27. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together? (If you have no idea, just say something crazy, it'll entertain me!)
28. Will you repost this so I can fill it out for you?

If there is one person or more on your friends list who makes your world a better place just because they exist and who you would not have met (in real life or not) without the internet, then post this same sentence in your journal.

Things for sale...they don't have any prices, I dunno. Name a price. I need money to buy parts for my dance costume X__X I can take photos of stuff if you like.

Books
Manga Clip Art (with photoshop disc)
Breaking into Japanese Literature
Cosplay Girls: Japan’s Live Animation Heroines
Fruits (volume 1)
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident

Phonebook Manga
Cheese July 2007 (Aihara Miki, Shinju Mayu)
Cheese Feb 2008 (Aihara Miki)
Cookie July 2007 (NANA wedding?!)
Juliet November 2000
Juliet September 2001

Manga
So Bad vol 5 (Aihara Miki)
So Bad vol 6 (Aihara Miki)
Honey Hunt vol 2 (Aihara Miki, shrinkwrapped!)

DVDs
American Psycho (Unrated Version)
Collateral (unopened)
Blade II
Apocalypse Now Redux
Hellraiser: Inferno
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Intolerable Cruelty
A Nightmare on Elm Street
New Nightmare
The Simpsons Movie
NewsRadio Season Three
A Bit of Fry and Laurie the Complete First Series (REGION 2)
Transformers: The Movie
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (collector’s edition)
Sleeping Beauty: Special Edition
Manhunter
The Dreamers
Bride and Prejudice
Sex and the City, seasons 1-4
Powerpuff Girls: Down ‘n’ Dirty
Powerpuff Girls: The Mane Event
Powerpuff Girls: Meet the Beat-Alls
Powerpuff Girls: Powerpuff Bluff
Bellydance Fitness for Beginners: Basic Moves and Fat Burning

Anime/Japanese DVDs
Magic User’s Club vol 1
Fruits Basket vol 1
Sorcerer Hunters vol 1
Shinesman (one-shot)
Cosplay Encyclopedia
Chobits (full series, Chinese bootleg with English subs)
Angel Sanctuary
Tenchi the Movie 2: Daughter of Darkness
Maiko Haaaan!!!
Mamiya Kyoudai (Chinese bootleg with English subs, starring Sawajiri Erika and Kitagawa Keiko)

Japanese Magazines
Gothic and Lolita Bible vol 6 (November 2002)
Seventeen Jan 2004
CosMo (Cosplay Magazine) vol 3
CosMo vol 2
CosMode vol 4
Kera June 2004
Kera June 2005 (crease in cover)
Kera Maniax vol 2
Kera Maniax vol 6
Cutie March 2005
Cutie April 2008
Happie Nuts March 2008
Ego System July 2006
Es POSHH! March 2008
Es POSHH! May 2008
Egg October 2006
Egg May 2008
Kera April 2009
Zipper February 2009

My fail is on failblog. XD Please vote to get it on the front page!


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I totally had to do this.

One: Take a picture of your bag.
Two: Now dump everything out, neatly adjust them, and take a picture (no matter how embarrassing).
Three: Talk about the items inside. Details, please.
Four: Tag 6 people

I won't tag you, but it's really fun to snoop. XD

So this is my purse. I bought it in Osaka, for 1,000Yen :D It is pretty awesome, and also has an expander zipper thing for when you have LOTS of stuff. Actually my purse varies with what it has inside...sometimes more junk than others. Items not shown here that are often inside include: umbrella, digital camera, electronic dictionary, ipod cord, cell phone charger, a bazillion more hair ties, Nintendo DS, various earrings and sometimes other jewelry...

Click on the cut to see inside...
( Oh the horror!! )

Hmm, it looks like I haven't updated in, like, millenia. XD Things are going well-ish. I seem exceptionally affected by nice weather and sunlight these days--I don't remember that happening so much in the past, but this spring I feel SO much happier and upbeat when the weather is nice. It's so funny, I was telling Steve earlier...friends who met me in high school or earlier tend to still think of me as being an optimistic, upbeat person. But friends who met me on the internetz or in college don't, really. I wonder if they would notice if I changed back, or if first impressions really do just stick around...

Anyway, work has been okay lately. Sometimes even fun. ;D I've been super busy since we got back from San Diego, both with catching up and with new projects that came in. I'm also using InCopy for the first time, which is sometimes challenging and often frustrating. It's also a real power trip, because when I want text moved I just move it. AWESOME!

I am totally loving belly dance classes. I've been going like...10 weeks now. In June, I'm going to dance in a show. :) http://thegoddessdancing.com/Chrysalis.htm I'm in the advanced beginner class right now, so I guess I can pick whether I want to do the beginner or advanced beginner dance, but I think I'll go with beginner...better to be one of the better beginners (if I can, even X__X) than one of the worse advanced beginners... ;D I spend a good deal of my time now dancing, looking at costumes, or driving Steve and MJ nuts playing finger cymbals badly =X I've only lost like three pounds, but I think my thighs are a lot smaller XD (hooray for impending shorts season...)

Everything is pretty much the same...? We got totally caught up on LOST in like three weeks. XD It's pretty nuts. Now we're actually watching it the day it's on (but not live, 'cause I have dance class till 9 and usually don't get home till 9:15 or so)! Also we got Guitar Hero: Metallica, which is pretty awesome and we should play more. XD Also we've been going for more walks, now that the weather is nicer. I really want to lose like ten pounds before the dance show. XD Buuuut I could really use a yogurt right now... =d

Glanced at the flist a few times during vacation, but it didn't seem like anyone was doing anything super exciting or important--correct me if I'm wrong. XD

Had a great, relaxing five days in San Diego. Here's a quick rundown:

Day 1 (Friday): Got in, felt sick, mostly hung out at the hotel.

Day 2 (Saturday): Intended to go to the park, ran into a parade, decided to avoid it and wandered around downtown. Saw a movie. Old town for dinner, crazy Mexican place. XD

Day 3 (Sunday): Our anniversary! We went to the zoo, then Sarah's Smash Shack.

Day 4 (Monday): Went to Coronado Beach, hung out in Coronado.

Day 5 (Tuesday): Finally went to the park. XD Hit the Museum of Science (dinosaurs!!) and the Japanese Friendship Garden (great lunch there =d). Then went back to the hotel and went SWIMMING and had room service and played pool at the sports bar, where I injured myself. XD

Now I have like fifty million hours of work to make up :( I did like 20 out of the 60 I should've done for two weeks.

wtf, I was going through my (FOUR HUNDRED, no joke) emails in my inbox, and keep noticing these comments I never replied to and stuff. XD

Anyway, I replied to hotarus_sister's meme thing and I got the letter M...on January 19th ;D

So here it is!

13 ways to describe yourself meme

You comment on this post and I assign you a letter.
You must then use that letter to describe yourself 13 different ways.
If that letter is too hard for you, you may use the letter before or after it in the alphabet.

Using the letter M.
I am (a)
1. mummy! to MJ ;D
2. moper =/ I tend to get down a lot.
3. multi-talented (or so I like to think sometimes)
4. movie lover
5. meme-er, obv
6. miracle! XD My parents tried for 7 years to have a baby, and thought they couldn't--then had me, 5 weeks early and upside-down.
7. musical. I like to sing =X
8. Massachusetts resident
9. mood-swing-y fo shizzle
10. Martha-hater BAHAHAHAHAHA okay I like her better after watching again, but still...
11. manga reader (though lately only to practice Japanese)
12. Ms. ("Mrs." seems too old to me)
13. Mostly harmless. (mad props if you get it ;D)

We finished watching The Sopranos, and started watching LOST (NO SPOILERS PLS KTHX). We're through the first season and waiting for the second to come from Netflix ;D Apparently my boss is also watching now, and she saw the first few episodes on abc.com. I just went there and IT'S LIKE A MINEFIELD OF SPOILERS ><;; I may or may not have seen something relevant, although if it said what I thought then it doesn't make any sense...

I bought Jess's gazelle fitness thing, and promptly FUCKED my entire body with it. I pulled like every muscle in existence, and now I walk with a limp. Sigh. Steve wanted to go to the movies today, but I don't think I can go because I wouldn't be able to get up the stairs at the train station. X__X Hopefully I'll be in less pain tomorrow... Sucks, too, because the weather is really nice today...maybe I'll go for a limp outside anyway. XD Thank god our building has elevators.

That's like, all the news I have. My life is soooo exciting....

PS: Does anyone have ideas for thoughtful first-anniversary gifts? I'm kind of coming up blank, but it's steadily approaching... XD

I get sick a lot. It's sooooo not cool. Right now I am sick. Doing work was pretty much torture, everything made me so stressed out. Even the thought of looking at polar bears made me want to cry, and I LOVE polar bears =/ It just takes me so much longer to think, because my head is so fuzzy, and every time I try to concentrate on something I just want to go back to bed... Not to mention I got something back that I thought was done and apparently the EiC hates ALL of the fucking photos.. ><;;

Guess that's a pro and con of working at home. I can't take a sick day (especially now that I'm trying to save up hours to take a vacation in two weeks), but I didn't have to drag myself in to the office, either... Blargh.

Work has been alternatingly awesome and sucktastic. I like to work on editing stuff, but I haven't been doing anything besides work and the hours seem to draaaaagggggg on... I get up, work until Steve gets home or after, eat dinner, watch some TV, and go to bed. I thought working at home would mean I had more time to do stuff! I just didn't realize "stuff" takes so long. X__X Even if I do end up cleaning, it'll take me two hours just to do half of the kitchen. And it's one thing for the hours to drag at an office, because then you get to go home and feel better. But here, the hours drag on and then I'm still here... No change of scenery often leads to no change of mood. It doesn't help that the house is a mess and it's even been shower optional a few times X__X It definitely adds stress to be in a messy environment. I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I miss having structure. I miss leaving the house. I know I could go out and work somewhere like Starbucks, but the time it takes to get ready and go there is time I could be getting PAID for if I was doing work at home.

Anyway, sorry to complain... I dunno. I know there are lots of people out there who would like to have my job. I would also like to have my job, it just gets me down sometimes X__X Especially when I'm sick.

On to other things... I think Steve wants to have a baby. He said not now, but I dunno... I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I get really scared that we'll never really be ready to have kids. I'm so immature and needy, how could I possibly be responsible for someone who's even more immature and needy than me? Anyway, where would we ever come up with the money for it? And I don't like the thought of not being able to do things I want, when I want (though see above for how many things I actually do...). I mean, we wouldn't be able to just pick up and go on vacation, or see a movie on a whim. There's more planning involved, and more things you just can't do. It's like a social death sentence. I don't know how or why other people do it...

My friend in Japan, MANA, has started a band. If you like J-pop (indie?) then please give her band a listen at their MySpace page: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=1004191548

Hooray for her! :) She's a good singer, too!

Dear Tony,

I don't really know how to tell you this, but you're a leprechaun. I think I realized it when I quoted Forrest Gump at the mental hospital and I saw you drive over my kneecaps. I'm sure you're cowardly enough to understand that your driving sucks. I'm returning your toe ring to you, but I'll keep my virginity as a memory. You should also know that I will never forget that night and I will haunt you when I’m reincarnated as an Eskimo.

Love always,
ali

( PS! )

I feel like I'm being a real grownup lately. I don't know exactly how I feel about that. I sold all my dolly stuff (!!!), or as much of it as people would take... I've spent lots of time cooking and cleaning and even wearing makeup sometimes. I dunno what's come over me. XD

Yesterday we went to Porter Square to buy stuff at Kotobukiya ;D I spent like $70 but came out with all sorts of neat stuff. My major triumph was finding dried YUBA! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu_skin) You can just take my word for it that it's delicious. I also got the February issue of Zipper. Then when I came home I had cherry sencha and watched a ドラマ and then I read some Japanese stories. XD It was a very Japanese day.

Today we went to this place in Brighton Center (read: a little less than a mile's walk) that did proper fish and chips. XD Of course we only ate the chips (well, Steve got some mushroom thing and some kind of potato pie thing), but they were FABULOUS. Then we got a donut and tea at this cafe we used to go to all the time, and then we went to the regular supermarket with Jess...where I bought digestives and Nutella and cream crackers... Today is a very British day.

I think I have this weird tendency to try to re-create the feeling of going on vacation when I don't have the time/money to actually go. I guess it's good, but also sad. ;D Maybe today I should bust out my Cadbury's drinking chocolate and watch BBCA...or Doctor Who =d

The first 5 people that respond to this post will get something made by me. It will be about, or tailored to, those first five people who respond.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
- What I create will be just for you.
- It'll be done this year.
- You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a mix tape. It may be fic, or a poem. I may draw or paint something. I might bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange (you really should be worried at this point).

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you have to put this in your journal as well, if you expect me to do something for you!

...although I dunno if five people even read my LJ anymore. BAHAHA...

Why does Lloyd have two Ls in it? Can't it just have one...?

Does anyone want 19 bags of Stash Premium Licorice Spice caffeine free herbal tea? http://shopstashtea.com/030050.html

You can have it, but I warn you it's the worst tea I've ever tasted. XD I heard licorice is supposed to be good for digestion, so I wanted to try it... And I like licorice, too. But I dunno, I just couldn't take it.

That said, you could like it. XD It's apparently one of their more popular teas.

I cheered, I cried. I have never been so excited or proud to be an American. If there is a God, then God bless Barack Obama. :) (That's the highest honor you can get from an agnostic, you know.)