Procrastination is my middle name

Actually, it's Elizabeth. Which sometimes I pretend is Erzabet. I don't know why. o.O

I can never finish anything I start. I got all crazy into knitting, and then what? Blah. I got all crazy into cross-stitch, and then what? Blah. I started writing a book, and then what? BLAH.

Why do I lack motivation? Why am I able to completely annihilate video games, yet I can't finish one freaking cross-stitch project? How can I sit in front of my computer ALL DAY LONG and play The Sims--A GAME YOU CANNOT WIN--but yet, I can't get all the chapters of my book that I've handwritten typed? WHY?

I need something to jump start me. I don't know what gets me started in the first place, but I wish that thing could keep me going. But I have no idea what that thing is. *headdesk*

I need an idea. A really GOOD idea. I think my book is a really good idea, but when I started typing it all up, my wrists started hurting LIK WO, so I took a break and now I can't get back to it. Meanwhile, all around me, I see people actually DOING things, and it makes me envious. Not jealous. I don't do jealous. EVER.

Maybe I just need goals. For example, my goal tomorrow will be to type up one, no, two chapters of what I have written. Maybe small goals will help me reach bigger ones.

Yes, I think I will do that. No Sims tomorrow. NONE. Book typing before all else.

Wish me luck.

I be illin'

I am so sick that it's not even funny.

I now have a dilemma. My XBOX 360 is on the fritz, about to commit the horrible red ring of death, and I've tried to get it returned to Wal-Mart via my product care plan, but I'm getting the run around with them. They claim to have no record of my blah, blah, blah. I'm worried they're going to say it's not valid or something. That is just how my life goes.

To get it fixed by Microsoft it's going to cost $94. BOO. BUT, I could get a new one along with two games (one of which I'd actually play O.O) for $200. All I have to do is pop my hard drive off and put it on the new one and voila, problem fixed. Is it a better deal to pay the $94 to get my old one fixed OR should I spend $200, get the games, sell one of them, and then try to sell my old for parts?

AHHH, dilemma.

I'll probably spend the $200 and be done with it. I'm such a bargain shopper.

But is that really a bargain!?!?!

Oy.

Zombos!

I went and spent about half of the money I got for xmas on various things, including Moo's birthday present, which ended up being really cheap considering the source. I had buyer's remorse, like I always do, but not enough to take anything back.

A word of advice: do not go to Wal-Mart within a week before or after xmas. It's just a bad idea. They had NOTHING that I wanted, and that makes me absolutely furious.

Anywho, I got the new Resident Evil CG movie aptly titled Resident Evil:Degeneration. It has two trailers for RE 5, which comes out in March. HUZ-ZAH! Great trailers, too. The movie was pretty decent, but really, it could just be another game. It had points where I went, "Will you discard this key?" to myself.

I also got a movie called "The Zombie Diaries." It was just randomly sitting there so I grabbed it. Haven't watched it yet, but HELLO? ZOMBIES.

AND I got Left 4 Dead, which I thought I wouldn't be able to play alone, but YAY, I was able. On easy, of course, but still. It retains it's greatness. Hopefully, I'll find someone to play along with me.

I lurve zombies. I really do.

Snoozesnoreyawn

I forgot to mention that I got Hellraiser 20th Anniversary Edition for xmas too. VICTORY. I'm so glad Maja found it. I drew her a diagram to make sure she'd get the right one. AND some more money came in the mail today, and now I have TONS to spend.

I owe Dork beaucoup de bucks for teh_laptop, and now with my big check coming in two weeks from working the holidays, I'll be able to get most, if not all, of it paid for. About time OMG. I am going to buy Left 4 Dead and the rest of the Sims stuff packs that I need, but that should still leave me with enough to make a dent and assuage my guilt.

Assuage. Is that not a great word?

Hooray, just a day and a quarter left of work. Then I flop for three days. Robodice is visiting on Wednesday. VICTORY! I can't wait to see him. Then hopefully HOPEFULLY HOPEFULLY I will get to go on vacation in January. Such would be LOVELY.

OMG I can't believe I didn't mention that Else and SRC are engaged! It is very exciting, and yet, I am very jealous. If SF would get his ass in gear, I might be in the same boat by the time they are getting married. Until then, YAY PLANNING!

Going home now. ULTIMATE VICTORY!!

Xmas ahoy!

So, despite the depression, xmas was pretty okay. The haul this year includes

• scarf and gloves YAY (Grim Gram)
• the WHOLE Lemony Snicket series *FAINT* (Maja)
• "Burn After Reading" DVD (Moo)
• The Sims 2 Apartment Life, H&M Fashion Stuff, and Kitchen and Bathroom Stuff (Maja)
• The Polar Express...that I've been asking for the last THREE YEARS (Maja)
• some very bizarre press-on Avon eyeshadow (?) (Maja)
• $300 total from assorted fam (Faja, Grabit, Auntie J)
• The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks (SF)
• $25 gift card to Hot Topic HUZZAH! (SF)
• The DC Vault...which is a very cool book which has the history of DC comics and all kinds of old DC stuff life postcards, decoder things, old Batman masks, etc. Very cool. (SF)

Pretty good considering we are bordering on starvation. And SF was worried he hadn't gotten "appropriate" presents, and I loved them. LURVED. The Zombie Survival Guide is GREAT, and the DC book completely blew me away.

Hope everybody had a good holiday. Back to the grind now, and I made so much money working today it's OBSCENE! WOOT!

Xmas, or lack there of...

As far as I'm concerned, Xmas is a sham.

That might be because my family is extraordinarily poor, and though I know that presents aren't what Xmas is about, it's a pretty big part, and so no presents = no YAY. It's more that I can't buy presents for everyone that I want to buy them for, and that's really depressing. I'd be lying if I said I don't LOVE getting stuff because I do. I really do. So not giving and not getting presents just makes the day sort of ridiculous.

Not to mention, this is the first time in my working life that I have to work on Xmas. Not that it matters. I don't have family down here, so it's not like we'd be doing anything, but it's just nice to be able to be at home, enjoying random Xmas movies and the few presents we do get. But no, I get to be at work, dealing with other people's ridiculous problems on a day that there should be none. I do get paid obscenely well for working the next two days, but it's really not the same.

We didn't even put ornaments on our tree this year. It's the second year in a row that we just said, "Eh." It's sad in a way. Maja says Xmas is for kids anyway, but there are no kids here, so what is the day supposed to be without them? Next year, we will have the Peanut, but the Peanut won't be old enough to enjoy xmas, and I'm sure not going to have any kids next year. SF does have a kid of his own, but she's not mine, and I'll miss out on that fun, too, anyway.

So, what, my friends, is le point?

I hope that in a year or two, I have some family to celebrate the day with, even if it's not exactly the family that I want. I'm hoping that we get to go to CT next year to be with Maja's family, but even that might be a little strange, considering the present circumstances of my life.

*le sigh*

I hate being poor.


Where are you Christmas?
Why can't I find you?
Why have you gone away?
Where is the laughter you used to bring me?
Why can't I hear music play?

My world is changing
I'm rearranging
Does that mean Christmas changes, too?

Where are you Christmas?
Do you remember
the one you used to know?
I'm not the same one
See what the time's done?
Is that why you have let me go?

Christmas is here everywhere
Christmas is here if you care
If there is love in your heart and your mind
You will feel like Christmas all the time

I feel you Christmas
I know I've found you
You'll never fade away
The joy of Christmas
Stays here inside us
Fills each and every heart with love

--Faith Hill

Why Heath Ledger Won't Win a Golden Globe

So, we don't even have Oscar noms yet, but the Golden Globes are soon, and those usually show who's going to be nominated, and usually, who wins the GG wins the Oscar. No, not always, but usually. However, I'm going to go on record and predict who will win the Golden Globes for 2008, and I will show you why. (My data has been collected using the last 18 years of Academy Award Winners.)

1. Movies about real people and/or events almost never win Best Picture, but the actors in actresses in those movies usually do take home the statues in their category. Examples: Forrest Whitaker ("Last King of Scotland"), Phillip Seymour Hoffman ("Capote"), Jamie Foxx ("Ray"), Adrien Brody ("The Pianist"), Julia Roberts ("Erin Brockovich") Tom Hanks ("Philadelphia") (Also if the main character of the movie was murdered in real life, that's a bonus point.)

2. Previous winners have a better chance of winning again over people who have been nominated and never won. First time nominees also tend to do better than those have been nominated but not won. Examples: Tom Hanks & Kevin Spacey (multiple winners), Halle Berry, Jamie Foxx, and Jennifer Hudson (First time nominees)

3. Blockbusters have a 50/50 chance, depending on a lot of other factors. "Titanic" is an example of this. It was a blockbuster, but it was about a real event. James Cameron had never won an Oscar or been nominated, but neither had any of the other people in the category. Usually, if a blockbuster movie is nominated, its chance of winning also depends on the other films nominated alongside it.

4. Actors/Actresses who have had a history of crap movies, or those that have never been considered "serious" actors almost NEVER win. Their nominations are almost a stab in the face, if you think about it. Or worse, they could be snubbed i.e. Jim Carrey for "The Truman Show."

5. Movies released close to the date of the Golden Globes usually do well. Movies that have not even been released by the time the GG noms are out usually do extremely well.


So, with those five things in mind, here are a few predictions for Golden Globes.

Best Actor (Drama)
Leonardo DiCaprio "Revolutionary Road"
Frank Langella "Frost/Nixon"
Sean Penn "Milk"
Brad Pitt "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Mickey Rourke "The Wrestler"

This one is easy. The previous winners in this category for GG's are Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Brad Pitt. One point each for them. Sean Penn and Frank Langella are both in films about real people, both of them with dramatic endings. So another point and a half for Sean Penn. Mickey Rourke is a complete freak with a very colorful personal life. Brad Pitt has never been considered a serious actor. Leonardo DiCaprio has not had the best luck with awards, going so far as being snubbed for "Titanic". So, in the end, the winner is obvious. Sean Penn. He's won before (and Oscar, too), he's in a movie about a real person who is murdered, and the other people just don't stand a chance.

Best Actress Drama
Anne Hathaway "Rachel Getting Married"
Angelina Jolie "Changeling"
Meryl Streep "Doubt"
Kristin Scott Thomas "I've Loved You So Long"
Kate Winslet "Revolutionary Road"

This one is a little tough, but historically, the female categories always are. Anne Hathaway has just recently become a serious actress, and after she took of her shirt in "Brokeback Mountain," suddenly Hollywood loves her. I, however, remember "The Princess Diaries." Angelina Jolie has won before and is in a movie about someone real, and Meryl Streep has so many nominations and wins it's almost obscene. Kristin Scott Thomas is in a movie I've never heard of, and Hollywood loves Kate Winslet, but not usually enough to give her an award. So, I'm going out on a limb to say the winner will be Meryl Streep.


Just to be clear, the GG's don't separate Supporting Actors and Actresses into the two categories of Drama and Musical/Comedy.



Best Supporting Actor
Tom Cruise "Tropic Thunder"
Robert Downey Jr. "Tropic Thunder"
Ralph Fiennes "The Duchess"
Phillip Seymour Hoffman "Doubt"
Heath Ledger "The Dark Knight"

Here is the category that everyone will be watching because of the Heath Ledger nomination that everyone knew he was going to get. Unfortunately, though I think he deserves it, it's almost impossible for him to win. But, I digress...

"Tropic Thunder" is a comedy, and comedies almost never win. So Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr. are both out. (Besides that, Tom Cruise is crazy, and Robert Downey Jr. was in "Iron Man." Minus points for both of them.) No one has seen "The Duchess" as far as I can tell, and "Doubt"is in limited release, so those are both minus points, but Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Ralph Fiennes have both been nominated a gazillion times, but Phillip Seymour Hoffman has won an Oscar. Alternately, Ralph Fiennes plays a real person, which usually helps. Heath Ledger has been nominated for an Oscar before, but he has so much working against him. First, he is dead. They never give awards to dead people. Second, he was in a movie that was a blockbuster and received no other nominations, and second and a half, it was a Batman movie. Third, he has never won a freaking thing. So, though I, and half the waking world, thinks he deserves it, he will not win. Phillip Seymour Hoffman will, and he'll win it for playing a possible child molesting priest. Lovely.

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams "Doubt"
Penelope Cruz "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
Viola Davis "Doubt"
Marisa Tomei "The Wrestler"
Kate Winslet "The Reader"

Again, very hard to tell. Amy Adams is suddenly everybody's favorite, though I have no idea why. Penelope Cruz has won before, so she has that working for her. Viola Davis is virtually unknown, so that might help her. Marisa Tomei has won an Oscar in the past, but she is in a very quirky movie, and that never works out. However, Kate Winslet is nominated in two categories, so that will probably give her the win. Plus, "The Reader" is about Nazis and Nazi movies almost always win out over everything else. Kate Winslet it is.


Best Picture Drama
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Frost/Nixon
The Reader
Revolutionary Road
Slumdog Millionaire

I have never seen a more random assortment of movies in my life. I'm suprised "Milk" wasn't nominated. Anyway, here we go. No one in Hollywood will forgive David Fincher for "Fight Club" or "Se7en", so he's probably shot himself in the foot. "Frost/Nixon" is about a real thing, so that might hurt. "The Reader" has Nazis and Nazis = awards. "Revolutionary Road" is one of the most popular books ever, which might help, but the premise is still a snore, which also might help. "Slumdog Millionaire" is a movie that no one has ever heard of, and it is literally about the Hindi version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" and even has a Bollywood dance number at the end. It probably sounds crazy, but I think it will be "Slumdog Millionaire." It will be one of those "Crash" moments where everyone goes "OMGWTF?" and the makers will be so excited and then never make another movie again.

Those are just a few predictions for the categories that I watch most closely. I don't traffic in the nonsense of the categories for Musical/Comedy. I'm not even sure why they are included at the GGs except that a lot of the most popular movies fall into one of those categories, and maybe they feel bad for the actors and directors. Who knows.

A Glossary

Just in case the names get confusing, I decided to put up something of a glossary of terms, or at least a way to tell who I'm talking about.

The Fam
Maja = my mother
Faja = my father
Moo = my sister
Peanut, The = the as-of-yet unknown new addition
Snoop = my dog aka The Bubby

The Friends and Otherwise Assorted People
SF = the somewhat significant other
Hoo, The = my bff, the one who lives in Seguin, Texas
Else = my bff, the one who lives in Marengo, Indiana
SRC = Else's boyfriend
TAGD = my bff, the one who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana
Earl of Kev, The = TAGD's boyfriend type person guy
Robodice = my bff, the one who lives in Gainesville, Florida
JF = my bff, the one who lives in Lexington, Kentucky
Dork, The = JF's husband
Baybee, The = JF and The Dork's son


More to be added as necessary.

Hot Topic score!

The greatest skullcap ever. I can't exactly wear these. They give me Shrek ears, but it doesn't matter. I didn't know there was a 'logo' for the Unbreakable Vow, but I am glad there is!

I'm not sure why the pictures are chopped off, but whatever. Click 'em to see the whole thing.





The inside is in Gryffindor colors, which makes me want to stab people, but whatever. The Hogwarts Crest is pretty.

OMG WORK AGAIN!!

Two minutes ago...

Guy: Do you have an officer with a jack who can come to a four-way?
Me: (in head OMFGWTFAHAHAHA) Um, what?
Guy: I'm broke down [insert random location], and I'm going like 10 miles an hour. Do you have an officer who can come help me?
Me: Um, no? I can give you the number to a tow truck, but our officers don't do things like that.
Guy: Oh. Okay. Bye.


OMG WHERE DO I LIVE, I MEAN FOR REAL!?! Is this the UKRAINE!?!


(no offense to Ukranians!!)

Oh, the joys of my job...

Ten minutes ago...

Me: M C 911, where is your emergency?
Lady: Is this bingo?
Me: No, this is MC 911.
Lady: Do you know the number for bingo?
Me: No, ma'am, I don't.
Lady: Thank you.

*headdesk x 100000*

New blog, new life, new...stuff.

So, today at work was pretty boring. I hate going in to work for only four hours. I know that sounds insane, but at least during the long shifts, I have time to get settled in and such. Four hours is just enough time to get me there, get me in my seat, and then the next thing you know, I'm going home. Ugh.

But in the way of calls, nothing major today. I only had to log one call--reckless driver, our favorite--and that was it. The rest of the time I spent watching movie trailers and playing The Sims 2. Huzzah, Sims!

Xmas is five days away, and I want to barf. I'm happy with the stuff I bought people though. Since none of them will read this, I got Moo some perfume from Victoria's Secret and her usual Paris Hilton. I got Maja some fancy ass gloves ($44!!) and Pride and Prejudice on DVD and candles and stuff. I got SF (who shall remain just initials) two hats and an action figure. I wonder what he'll get me. And then I wonder if I should be getting him anything at all. Ugh.

I have to work the usual 12 tomorrow, but then I am off. Hooray! I do have to work Xmas and New Year's, but aside from the fact that I get no holiday joy, I will get a hella paycheck, and that is LURVELY.

The Sims 2 Happy Holidays Stuff came in the mail today! Xmas for my sims! I'm waiting on Tomb Raider: Anniversary for the Wii. I love getting free video games in exchange for my old stupid ones.

Herpy Herliders ervrywern. :D