In Which I Apologize For The Lack Of Posts

My my, do I have some catching up to do. I'm sorry, late nights and much homework have distracted me from the blog...

Thursday was primarily devoted to homework; I didn't get as much Chem studying in as I might have liked but I finished my project, and then needed to practice it. Alas, I was at a loss as to who would want to sit through a 10 minute presentation on the gods that were unique to the Roman pantheon (as opposed to those borrowed wholy from other regions). I complained along these lines to Ryter via AIM and he immediately invited me over to practice it in front of himself and Loquelo, who was visiting. After much reassurance that it was okay (I am a nervous sort and hate being a burden) I consented in exchange for buying them a pizza. I thought it a fair trade.

One half-sausage-half-mushrooms-and-black-olive pizza and a lot of procrastination later, I gave my lovely speech, and was informed that while it was engaging, it was 25 minutes long. Factoring in the amount of time we got distracted it was probably about 23 minutes. So I knew I had to cut it down to a more manageable size, anyway. But I got back late because of this and still had studying for the Chem test the next day, so I was unable to write.

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The Chem test went surprisingly well, considering that I spent maybe a half hour preparing for it. I didn't remember everything but I think I got a decent amount correct, at least. We'll see.

As for that Latin presentation, I think it went well. Forgot nothing, paused seldom, only took fifteen minutes all told and I think I did well.

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After Latin I walked over to Ryter's apartment (it's a short walk from Murkland Hall) and helped him get ready for the party. This was basically washing dishes and sweeping the floor. I was a little worried that I would seem pushy or something, or like I was calling him a slob (Which would go somewhat like this: "Hi, kettle. My, you're looking black today"). But we got the place ready, then bought party supplies (the alcohol, though, he bought earlier) and then hung out until the first gues arrived, a very close friend of Ryter's named Inconcinnus, or at least, named that here because it would kinda suck if you had a parent who named you after the Latin for "awkward, inelegant, and absurd." The reason for this naming will become patently obvious.

Ryter showed Inconcinnus his sword upstairs (REAL sword. It's a katana. Though when you're downstairs and they're up there saying "Oh, cool, can I hold it?" and "That's so cool, I need to show you mine someday" giggles are induced. Ryter apologized for abandoning me at one point, so I pointed out that I was getting a good laugh out of it. Living up to his name, Inconcinnus [and Ryter] promptly started making the lewdest sword-related innuendos they could conceive), and then Inconcinnus discovered the foam sword Ryter bought when he visited me in Londonderry, and it was decided that the party would be unable to progress unless I fetched my sword from my dorm. I took Ryter's SUV, fetched the sword and also some bubbles, and returned, and I only drove the damn over sized thing over a curb once.

Oops.

When I got there, the company had increased by two, both guys (or maybe not, I'm a little fuzzy on who arrived when), and there was a sword fight on the deck, then Inconcinnus discovered the bubbles and started to blow them, and continued through the arrival of two more (one girl, one guy), even blowing them down from the opening between the loft and the kitchen so they would fall down into the kitchen without an obvious source...

They played a video game, Soul Caliber for a few rounds, then put on a bad kung-fu movie to comment on. The girl left after only 45 minutes, pleading homework, and a while after Loquelo showed up with a female friend, and then the awkwardness began... Put Loquelo and Ryter in a room and the sketch factor raises precipitously. Inconcinnus could stand in a room all by himself and the sketch factor would be raised. Three of them together... yeah.

But it was fun. There wasn't that much drinking, really-- only about three people seriously drank and no one was really impaired. The majority of us steered clear of the alcohol. The biggest the party ever was was ten people, enough to please Ryter (who had been worried that no one would show besides like, me, and maybe one other person), but not so much that I started to get nervous, which happens at around fifteen. And yes, I go through my classes in a constantly nervous state. Plus everyone had fun and it was in general a rousing success, and I survived Never Have I Ever without making it uncomfortable (I've gotten much, much better at that, but in my heyday I could have topped Ryter, Loquelo, and Inconcinnus combined), and I carefully seem to have forgotten everything awkward Ryter may have admitted that I didn't already know, which is convenient.

Alas, it was 2:30 when I got back last night, I started to write this blog entry then gave up and went to bed.

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Today I woke up late, went to see Spiderman 3 with Ryter (and went to a Fresh City for dinner, there's one here! This is exciting), and then we went back to his place and had a quiet, low-stress evening, which was nice. We watched the Count of Monte Cristo and then I mentioned that it was a kind of sandwich and I think I have instilled in Ryter a serious desire to eat one. I have no problem with this... Sans the ham, Monte Cristos sound pretty good.

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2:03. Shit. Well, I'll sleep in late tomorrow.

The Snow Dance Worked, The Ground Is White!

I was wondering if I should change my blog name. I mean, sure, it's catchy and cute and goes well with "Basiorana," meaning "I kiss the frog" or, if you want to be literal, "I, the frog, kiss" which is not nearly as cool, but to translate directly involves the insertion of an "m" at the end and "Basioranam" is not nearly as rad as "Basiorana."

BUT I digress. Despite the high quality name I have for this here blog, the name is not really accurate. I mean, sure, it speaks of my pathetic desperation, but it implies that I actually am kissing people. Which is inaccurate, as the only frogs I have kissed are the amphibious sort that don't change into anything cool when you kiss them, much to my seven-year-old chagrin. The only human I've kissed was not actually a frog, but in fact a prince, if by prince you mean "Kal-El, Prince of the Planet Krypton" since I'm still pretty sure he's Superman and hasn't told us yet.

Actually, I don't know if Superman was a prince on his home planet... Hang on while I check Wikipedia... Oh. Nope, not a prince, just the "Last Son of Krypton." Bummer. Anyway, mild-mannered Clark Kent aside, there is still the matter of the name. So I think I need a disclaimer on the top of the page: "The Amphibious Sort."

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Thanks to doing some online research, I'm starting to worry about the Vector job. People have had bad experiences, it seems; first a guy in Group mentioned that his friend had a bad experience, and then there's a blog that contains lots of negative (and some positive) information: Cutco Complaints. Like the claim that you have to sell to husband and wife at the same time (absolutely MORONIC, if there's one thing Girl Scouts have taught me it's that people buy more without their spouse to criticize), or that employers try to make employees feel ashamed about asking for base pay.

And there's talk about them not giving you any referrals- making you get all your own from family and friends. Well, I can think of maybe, uh, three couples that fit the demographic and that it wouldn't be a total waste of time to go to. Since I don't expect to get commission for those sales- I mean, I might be able to convince, say, Mistake's folks to sit down and listen to the presentation, but I'm not gonna expect them to actually buy anything. Same for my folks, even though Mummy needs knives. I might convince her to buy the $135 knife set from me afterwards, but I doubt I'd get her to pay $500 for knives. So if they don't give me referrals, there wasn't much point in hiring me.

Plus, you know, there was a lot of complaint about pushy salespeople, despite what they said in the interview about that being a good way to get fired. I was gonna e-mail my questions to the manager, but he doesn't have an address available. So I was going to call him, but I'm really uncomfortable confronting him over the phone.

You know what? I was thinking I'd go with the job anyway, since I didn't have another choice and all, but honestly, I should not feel uncomfortable about a job. If it's making me uneasy, I shouldn't do it. And I got a call from TJ Maxx today saying that I got that job, he just has to check my references. Plus I'll have full-time work at a company that I haven't heard anything bad about. So as soon as he confirms next week that my references are sound and I can have the job, I'm calling Vector and telling them that I changed my mind.

But man, was I panicking last night, when I thought I had to take the Vector job or not have anything to put on my resume for the summer. I felt kinda crappy and down before I went to bed, and my chest hurt like it does when I get anxious. When I finally fell asleep, I dreamed about stripping.

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So I never did mention what I did last Sunday. Well, my family went to this Cultural Bazaar down at Harvard. They have merchants selling for lots of money things you can get for pennies overseas, but a percentage of it goes to help indigenous tribes, so I didn't mind too much. There was an Indian dancer who performed with bells on her feet, that was cool, and there was good Indian food, and all kinds of cool stuff, like a Native American man who sold gorgeous dream catchers and a Thai man with cool hair sticks. I bought some Christmas presents.

Anyway, that's only mildly interesting and has little or no continuing importance on my life. More important is that while we were taking the red line into Boston I happened to see a poster advertising this study they're doing at Harvard, on personality and family. They were looking for volunteers and promised $275 for three hours of questioning and 20 ml of blood (meh, I'm not really using that stuff anyway). You have to sign up two family members as well and they have to undergo the same thing and get paid the same. Other requirement, for anyone who's thinking this sounds like a good thing to sign up for, is that everyone must be over 18 and one must have a history of depression (me, I've got all three with a history of depression, between my sister and mom, but that's a different problem).

I called and the woman in charge gave me a quick interview to see if I qualify; suggestion: never agree to an interview regarding your psychiatric health while in a dorm room with your roommates and the door open; and then once she confirmed that I was, in fact, quite insane, she arranged for me to come in on the first Friday in January at 1:00, at which time I hope that the TJ Maxx hours will be calming down. She said that they call the family members and have them come in at different times, later on, so Shrewd and Mummy can pick whatever time works best for them.

So yes. Basio is selling her body for science. I have ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THIS. There is quite a lot you can consequently say about my personality because of this, but let's not go there.

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There was a news article on CNN during breakfast today about those Wii game controllers that came out recently. You hold the controller and move your hand, and then your movement is picked up by the thing and translated into your video game character. Problem is, people get a little over-energetic, and the things fly out of their hands and into lamps/windows/plasma screen TVs. Oops.

This is hilarious to me. Besides the image of somebody explaining to their landlord why they put a hole through their glass window with a game controller, the very idea that you'd have a Wii is kinda pointless. I mean, you want to move around? GO OUTSIDE. Or to the gym, if it's a day like today. Or SOMETHING, I mean, they've got like fantasy tennis and stuff, and you can be just as active playing fantasy tennis as real tennis, and honestly, that's like the most ridiculous idea ever.

I guess it's like DDR- designed to be played in the privacy of your own home, so you don't embarrass yourself with your terrible skills. I dunno. I like computer games well enough, but I mostly like cheat codes so I can annihilate the ancient Romans with rocket-launchers on my cars. And Sims amuses me because it's essentially social interaction without the actual social interaction.

I can't wait until we develop HoloDeck technology, and people can immerse themselves in a fantasy world. Give them a world with cool weaponry and hot girls and feed them. Next thing you know, the population will decrease drastically. OO! New plan for world domination! TO THE WAR ROOM!

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That funeral I mentioned earlier this week, in Somerville, is on Monday, so I can't go. Finals. The wake is Sunday night, though, and I can't decide if I should go or not. On the one hand, I'd like to pay my respects; on the other, no one will judge me if I don't go since it's finals week, and it would consume all of Sunday afternoon. I have to think.

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Today was the last day of class for the semester. Tonight Mistake, Closer and I are going to this Stress Fair thing, which is not, apparently, a fair where you go to get stressed, but rather a fair to address the problem of stress. Only mildly disappointing. Then tomorrow I may or may not be going to a frat party, depending on the final verdict from Mistake and Closer and their gang, which is not actually a gang, because they don't wear bandannas. Most of the time. Then it's study, study, study, test, study, test, study, test, study, test, home. Fun and exciting, no?