Friday, July 31, 2009

Chuck Norris doesn't get old...

He roundhouse kicks time in the face!

I just read "Black Belt Patriotism" by Chuck Norris.

I was pleasantly surprised! It was a really decent book. While his sources, for the most part, are not exactly dependable, and his opinions far from supported by the general population, his writing, overall, is very clear and persuasive. I was even agreeing with his extremely capitalist viewpoints. But I'm the polar opposite of an economics expert, so I have no idea what works and what doesn't. He could be right, he could be wrong.

Black Belt Patriotism is Chuck Norris' critique of today's America, particularly "what is destroying our country" as well as the solutions he believes would fix the problems. Basically, we Americans are enslaved by greed, overrun by illegal immigrants, immoral godless drones, murdering apathetic obese liberals who have lost our roots.

While I obviously didn't agree with most of what he said (I am part of the problem, in his opinion, being liberal, queer, atheist, pro-choice and of the "transgender sexuality"), I agree with a few of his main points.

While I agree that we have become too greedy and materialistic, 2/3 of Americans are fat and it's their fault and they'll suffer the consequences if they don't bother to exercise and eat right, and some illegal immigrants are bad (while others are hardworking decent folk, though he mostly focuses on the drug cartels and gangs), and we need to reconnect with our history and foundations of our country, I disagree that teaching the Bible in schools and making everyone a Christian will do the trick. I disagree that non-religious folk are immoral, and that Christian folk are automatically more moral than the rest. There are many moral non Christians, and many immoral Christians. I think that homosexuality, bisexuality and the "transgender sexuality" (which, by the way, Mr. Norris, isn't a sexual orientation. It's a gender identity) as well as non-nuclear families, are not part of the problem. There are many decent, moral people who have come from alternative families and "broken homes." And parents who choose to work can also be good, active parents. The Bible is not the answer for everyone. Kudos to you if it's your answer, but the Bible isn't the Law. I, for one, am glad the Bible isn't taught in public schools, and I think that students should be able to worship individually, but no religion should be institutionalized into school curriculum. The country isn't made up of just Christians.

Oh, and the kid who got an F on the evolution paper didn't follow the instructions. If the teacher wanted a paper on each students believes in evolution vs. creationism, she would have asked for it. She asked for a paper on evolution. The kid, who doesn't believe in evolution, wrote it on creationism instead. Great that a 10 year old kid knows what he was taught at church, but if a teacher asked for a paper on Islam, would you write about Christianity instead? You always stand to benefit from learning about something different from your own beliefs. You can learn about something and not believe it. I agree with the scientific community that evolution is the likely answer to how we came to be, and I do not think we are made in God's image. We are more than glorified apes because we have developed the power to be, not because someone made us better than apes.

Also, eat right and exercise. Chuck Norris says so. It's not that hard.

Anyway, a good read, even if you disagree with a lot of it, like I do. It's always fun to stretch your comfort zone, and it's a pretty easy read too.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Jealousy Will Drive You Mad!

There are very few things that make me jealous. I get jealous when I see someone flirt with someone I flirt with. Only briefly and I usually laugh at myself for it. I get jealous when someone sighs happily. I love being able to sigh contentedly, and I wish I could all the time.

The richest person can walk by with all their possessions, or the happiest person can walk by with all the things that enrich their life, or the most beautiful, successful person be hot and awesome, and I don't feel a twinge of envy. It'd be nice, but I don't need it. Congratulations Rich Dude, you have money. Congrats Happy Dude, you're happy. Congratulations Pretty, Awesome Dude, you're pretty awesome. I will be all those things to my hearts content someday.

What really makes me green, though, the thing that stirs up all sorts of feelings of longing, is when I see someone else sleeping.

I get so damn jealous.

I love naps. I love going to bed. I love waking up just so I can fall asleep again. I love dozing off in the sunlight. I love curling up with a blanket on the couch. I love stretching out in my bed.

And when I can't do that, and someone else can, I really, really want to be them.

I know, I know. I will be able to sleep 10 hours tonight, and I can even take a nap now, if'n I cared to. I know it's not rational, but jealousy isn't very rational in the first place, is it? I just love everything about sleeping, the falling asleep, the dreaming, the waking up and falling back asleep, the dozing, the waking up languorously, all of it, and I want to do it all the time.

There's a reason I wear sweatpants most of the time when I am home all day, and put blankets on all the time: so I can be warm just in case I want to take a nap. I even sit in the yellow chair and not on the couch, because the sun hits the yellow chair and I can sleep in the sunlight, on the off chance that I doze off while reading.

There are much more dangerous or sillier things I could be jealous of. I think I'll stick with this.

2,000 Calories

Today, I ate poorly.

I skipped breakfast. For lunch I had 2 falafel pitas, with 2 cups of tea.
At around 3, I had 5 jumbo cinnamon rolls.
And about 10 cups of tea.
That's it.
6 hours later, and I still can't think about eating.

I think I went over 2,000 calories though, considering how little I ate. Just really unhealthy calories. The pita bread wasn't even wheat.

This is the first time since May where I've overeaten an unhealthy food, such as cinnamon rolls. Thus, I will excuse myself (hell, I excused myself before I even opened the tube!) But tomorrow will by a raw food day, dammit! Beans and fruit and veggies. Back to basics. The stuff that doesn't make me feel like crap and gives me energy.

Brother and I were discussing my poor diet of the day, which led to the discovery that 2,000 calories, for him, Mr. Exercise, is a really strict diet. It's OK for me though as I am a "sedate female."

Irritating, but true. I am sedate. Ah willpower, why am I not using you?

PS: The cinnamon rolls were totally worth it, though.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

I see him there and I feel pity

Today I watched Hamlet 2. It was pretty funny, but mostly I just felt bad for the guy. (I give it 3 out of 5 stars. Not great, but far from bad). It just reminded me how shitty some lives and places can be.

Granted, I don't like when people say things like 'oh, your life is so tragic. It must suck to be you," (they say it much more tactfully, but you know what they mean). One person once told me that they were glad they weren't me. I wanted to punch him. Granted we were only 9 and he wasn't me nor was I him, but that was a blow. Pity is the worst feeling in the world.

My opinion: if you feel pity for someone, keep it to yourself. Give them sympathy and support, but don't tell them that you pity them. It's like someone saying there is no possible way they'd ever want to be you. And no one's life sucks that much.

The guy in the movie had a really shitty time during the movie, but his life could have been a lot worse. Life is always worth living unless you are no longer willing or able to try to live it. We are all extremely fortunate to have life and to have as good of a life as we have.

Ok, I'm off my soapbox, now. : )

Do you hear the people sing?

My mom is an unfortunate driver. Since I've been alive, she has received 3 tickets. All three times, I have been there. The first time, Mom, 3 cousins and I were returning to Grandpa's farm from picking strawberries. Apparently she crossed over the center line, though she doesn't remember doing so. In any case, the rest of the day and fairly frequently since then, we sang "Mom got a ticket! Mom got a ticket!" and make siren noises. Embarassing for her, especially since everyone in the family knows of the incident and it is now a part of family history.

The second time, it was my 10th or 11th birthday. We were returning from seeing a movie or going out to eat or some such thing. In the van was Mom, myself and 4 of my bffs in 4th grade. She didn't see the reduced speed sign in the construction zone, and the fines double in construction zones. However, there was no good-natured teasing or singing this time. Nope, one of my bffs had NEVER been pulled over before. She ended up crying because she was so scared. Little anxious, eh? Two of the others tried to be bad-ass and flirt with the cop and said things that would get them in trouble. Not a good night for Mommy dear.

The third time was today. Mom, Brother and I were at the Mill City Museum, and underestimated how long we'd been there. When I went to put more coins in the meter, we already had a ticket. After getting over the exhoribant cost of being 15 minutes late to the meter ($42!! Why is it so high?), there was another chorus of "Mom Got a Ticket" complete with siren noises. Although it's not really entirely her fault that she got a ticket. I could have been more on top of time (although I did tell her when we had 15 minutes left, and she spent 20 minutes playing with the water tables in the kids area and even more time in the gift shop).

Mom laments the fact that she cannot get away with getting a ticket because there's always a car full of kids (though 2 of her own grown kids is hardly a carfull). She wonders why she can't get tickets when she's alone. I think carfulls of kids are distracting.

Friday, July 24, 2009

If wishes were fishes, I'd be dead from mercury poisoning

I finished Dubliners by James Joyce today. Not so great, but not "wtf"-worthy. I think if I had notes or an English professor to guide me through it, I could have appreciated it. In all, it was a rather dull read which I didn't really understand. I will try again later with another book of his. Hopefully I will appreciate it more. For now though, it's on to Don Quixote, which I hear is a menace. We shall see though. I do enjoy adventures.

I enjoy adventures, but not enough to go on my own. I also enjoy comfort. I would like to walk somewhere far away though. I would like to walk to the ocean (either one), I think. Maybe in Maine, I haven't been there before. Or Seattle, maybe. Or maybe take a tour of the outline of the US, you know, go all the way around the borders/coastlines? I don't know anyone crazy enough to go with me. At least, anyone who I would want to go with who is crazy enough to go with me. I'm sure there are lots of crazy beatniks or hippies out there who would go with me, but I don't want to go with a random crazy beatnik. I don't want to go by myself. That's dangerous.

I do wish I had the effort to get out more though. I guess I just don't wish it enough. I need a buddy to make me accountable who will go do random obscure slightly insane things with me. Like walk to Gooseberry Falls. Maybe next summer. : )

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Fairy Tales

Book reviews? Ok.

Faulker: The Sound and the Fury: WTF!? I hated it. It makes no sense until the very end when it makes a teensy tiny bit of sense. Or rather, I figured out 1 thing that they were talking about. I put 1 puzzle together, out of dozens of puzzles the book presented. Read it for the sake of having read it, but WTF, Faulker, W. T. F.

Lackey: The 500 Kindoms Series: I've only read 2 so far, but they're cute books! They're fairy tale parodies of sorts, but for grown ups. There are some juicy sex scenes, but they are far too short and infrequent. It's almost as if she wants to be a smut writer, but isn't quite willing to stake her good reputation on it. She brings a new dimension to fantasy writer though. The sex scenes are very woman-centric. Sex scenes aside, the books are very cute and intelligent. I call them cute because they are fairy tales and people end up happily ever after and they are far from dark, but they're very witty as well.

Dragonlance series: Good as always. (Library complaint: Get the 3rd book! That complaint pretty much applies to almost every fantasy trilogy the library owns. Or partially owns. I don't want to buy 1/3 of a trilogy, so why did you only buy 2/3? Good lord. [I am exagerating, but it's true in some cases]) Dragonlance, a young adult favorite of mine, has bitten me again. I love this series. It adds a bit of dimension to the good vs. evil battles which are typical of fantasy. Good can be just a bad as evil and evil isn't usually that bad. Oh, and most of the Bad Guys aren't ugly and the Good Guys aren't always beautiful. Which is refreshing. A lot of the fantasy genre is too simple. There has been some depth added to it, usually in the good books, but there are some pieces of crap out there which are just cliches that have been puked out by someone's imagination.

Verne: Journey to the Centre of the Earth. I liked it overall. Very different from the movie. In some ways, I liked the book better and in other ways I liked the movie better. I was about 3/4 finished with the book when I realized they weren't going to meet any people in the centre of the Earth like they did in the movie. It is a good adventure story for people who can appreciate education and knowledge. It's also a very easy read.

Currently Reading: Dubliners by James Joyce

Monday, July 20, 2009

Pictures!

Yay. Pictures of Rhode Island!
This is us at at a dinner the night before the graduation. Me, Mom, Brother, Aunt and Uncle.


The graduation. It lasted 20 minutes.

The Mayflower 2.

Plymouth Rock. Exciting.

Easton's Beach with the red algae. Cool, eh?
Purgatory Chasm
The most patriotic town in America: Bristol, Rhode Island. The place of the first Independence Day Parade in the country, apparently.

This is my aunt's ridiculously big house. And her ridiculously big dock.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Long time, no post, eh?

Hello faithful and devoted readers. ; p
I am sorry. I have been really busy and tired. I have not been able to stay awake long enough to read your blogs, let alone write one of my own. So much has happened the past week and a half.

1) Rhode Island. The vacation was a lot of fun. Here is a link to the public facebook album: Link! The purpose of the trip was to attend my brother's graduation from officer candidate school with the Navy. Once he gets a bachelors degree, he will be an officer. For the next three years, he is Officer Candidate Jordan and will become Ensign Jordan after graduation from the U in 2012. So he is home. It's a nice change. Even though I don't automatically have privacy anymore, it's nice to see him and talk and everything.

2) Rhode Island take 2. I didn't really talk about Rhode Island in the first attempt, did I? Anyway, we went to the beaches a lot. It was too cold to do anything but dip our feet in, but it was still nice to see the ocean. We spent our first morning at Easton's Beach. Some of the water was maroon/red from the algae/seaweed. There was a big machine/tractor that scooped up the red gunk that piled up on the beach. I prefer small freshwater lakes to the ocean, but it's cool to see every now and then. We went to a few nature places, including Purgatory Chasm. It was cool. Just this large rift in the rock. It was a pretty cool place with lots of exploring opportunities. It is just off of Purgatory Road. It's also Cemetary #32 of Newport, though I was not able to find any markers unless you count an unlabelled cement block. We went to some history places, too, including the Newport History Museum and Shop, which was a little biased and boring, and the Plymouth re-creation of the 1627 village with a Wampanaog village as well, the Mayflower 2 and Plymouth Rock. It was all pretty cool. The graduation ceremony itself was super short, only 20 minutes or so. That's ok with me. I don't need to sit through a long ceremony and neither does my brother, I'm sure. Although he had to stand.

3) Girl Scout Day Camp. Oh man, I love day camp! It is sooooooooo fun. I usually don't write an exhorbitant amount of letters to emphasize my meaning, but it's the only way I can really describe it. It is sooooooooooo fun. It was my first year being a leader, which is less fun than a caddy but less exhausting. Although I conked out at 8:30 usually every night after camp. It's very tiring, running around from 7:45 am til 5:15 pm. I was bus check-in for L-Z last names, so I had to be there early and stay late to make sure there were no abandoned girls left. It was tons of fun, though. I was a brownie leader this year, so I had 15 8-year-olds running around all the time. Brownies don't follow instructions as well, nor to they have much respect for personal space (I got felt up a lot and people just plopped into my lap without much notice), but they're so darn cute. I learned a lot about their families in 4 days. They don't require much prompting to talk, just a "hello" and off they go. Even the shy ones will open up with some one-on-one attention. There are always a couple tough ones. I used 3 bandaids on one girl, and another one cried 3 times a day. Others were out of control hyper at times, and a couple were so tired by the end of the week, they got really crabby and upset about things easily. Overall, I think everyone had a lot of fun, though. Myself included.

4) My 12 year old cousin got a cell phone for her birthday. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I don't think she needs one yet, but I probably should have gotten a cell phone about 4 years before I did. Ah well, now I can keep in touch with her better. : )

5) I need to clean my grandparents house. My cousin and my aunt shunted house cleaning duty onto me, and the things I need to clean are really obscure things that I would never think of cleaning, such as baseboards. Who honestly cleans the baseboards?

6) Sorry that I don't have pictures with this. The internet is slow so it's taking too long to upload even 1 picture. I'll try to do a picture post tomorrow while I'm at Dunns.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Rhode-eo

I've been on vacation. Spending a few days in Rhode Island with my mom to attend my brother's graduation from officer candidate school. So all he has to do is get paid $50k a year for three years plus the tuition to attend school, and get a bachelors degree in something. Lucky bastard. He gets paid to go to school.

Anyway, we've had fun here in Rhode Island. We've been going around to a bunch of places and eating lots of food and sitting by the beach and having a good time. I ate lobster for the first time in a long time at my aunts house. It tasted good, but was a little disturbing in that we boiled them alive then tore them apart. It wasn't a remarkable meat, so I think I'll skip it from now on.

Newport is an interesting town. It's got very big, wealthy houses and lots of vegetation. I will post pictures and stuff later. My battery is about to die. : )

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Another tattoo post

I love tattoos. I love looking at other peoples, and thinking about them and poorly drawing them and imagining them.

I always wonder the inspiration behind people's tattoos. I am always sorely disappointed when they just got them because all their friends got stars together or they just wanted a tattoo and picked it out of the book. I guess I feel something so permanent should have meaning to the person it's joined with. Kate from Jon and Kate Plus 8 regrets getting her tattoos. She got two stupid tattoos though. I kind of doubt that Winnie the Pooh is a huge part of her life, or that it ever was. I think she just wanted a tattoo and picked the Winnie the Pooh flash.

That's not to say that the standard tattoo from the book can't be meaningful, and sometimes looking through the book is helpful. I looked at all the suns trying to find the right rays that I wanted. I ended up combining a few different suns to get mine.

When I see really unique tattoos that are just ugly or disturbing or ridiculous, I always want to ask them why they got that one. Like the legs around the armpit hair, or the various crazy genital tattoos or the cat butt/belly button tattoo. Wtf, people? I mean, why do you want your armpit to look like a woman's pubes? Why do you want a six pack of beer cans tattooed on your beer belly?

But then there are really cool ones. I really like tree tattoos. I hope to get a large oak tree on my side one day. I like the cherry blossom tattoos, but they're not for me. Amazingly beautiful though. I also like characters and tribal tattoos, though I probably will not get them. I was watching Craig Fergson, and some celebrity was on there who thought her tattoo said "Determined Love" or something like that but translated to "Rough Sex" colloquially. And while tribals look cool, I don't personally take any meaning in them. Tramps stamps can be so sexy, but then again, they are called 'tramp stamps' and there is a lot of notions about them. That and it's not a discreet enough place for me.

On another tattoo note, why do wolves/dragons/tigers/carnivores always have to be snarling fearsomely in tattoos? Why can't they just be hanging out, looking alert?

Chacos and Chicken Shit

I haven't raved about my favorite sandals yet. They're Chacos. They're awesome. Chacos are designed so it's practically impossible for ankles to pronate, they have unbelievable arches and I love them dearly. If you buy a pair, and the strap breaks (there's only 1 strap!), you can send it in and it'll be repaired for free. I've had mine for a year, and the strap hasn't worn out at all. It looks a little dusty sometimes, but that's about it. It's easily adjustable so your shoe fits you and not the standard foot of America. I prefer the solid strap over the double strap, but I like the option of being able to put the toe strap down (the Z1 comes without a toe strap, but the Z2 strap doesn't have to be up).

The bottom of the soles is designed for good traction for hiking and whatnot, but also to keep the tread clear of debris. It's kind of a self cleaning shoe. However, if you're like me and have been spending a lot of time around chickens lately, it's a little hard for chicken shit to just fall out the way dirt and grass does. Which is another great benefit of Chacos sandals: Easy cleaning! You can hose them off, stick them in the washing machine or even put them in the dishwasher, and voila! Clean shoes. I'm going to hose mine off though. I don't want to get chicken shit on my plates.

Chacos are really comfortable, too. I've only had 3 blisters in them, and I've walked dozens of miles. They can tinge your feet black and it takes some people time to get used to the high arches, but even after a 4 mile walk, I don't even limp, which is amazing for sandals.

They can be pricey, but I know people who have had theirs for 8 years without a problem, so it's a good investment, I think. I found cheap ones online for $75 plus $8 s/h. They usually run around $100. I haven't met a person who didn't like them.

Plus you get a cool tan line on your foot, as seen in the picture. : )

PS. Not my legs. I don't get a Z tan, I get a Z burn. And mine are black. : )

Sunday, July 5, 2009

The Boonies

In the past few days, a few people have mentioned that it sucks to live in the boonies or it must suck to live far away from people. While it is a bit harder to socialize frequently with people while living a bit farther out, I like it. I would argue that I don't live very far away. I am less convenient because I can't make sudden plans because I don't drive, but I am able to get to where I need to be given enough warning or a ride. I really enjoy living in my mom's house. It is a beautiful peaceful place where we can live in seclusion while still able to have lives.
I like to walk, and since it takes 4-8 miles to get somewhere, I can take 4-8 mile walks fairly often. While it is not always safe to walk at night or during times when there may be more traffic or unsafe drivers, I can always get a workout from going to the library or to get coffee.
I also save money. Since it is harder to make spontaneous plans with someone, I go to less movies (only the ones I really want to see), go out to eat less (the nearest restaurant is 4 miles away), and go shopping for things I don't need less often.
I usually don't get tired of hanging out with people. You know, sometimes when you see someone so often you get sick of them? That usually doesn't happen very often for me.
I get to see more wildlife. How many people have dozens of birds and mammals living in their yard? How many rabbits do you scare on your way to the mailbox in one day? The other day, I scared up 3 of them. I've learned a lot about birds by living here, seeing everything from hummingbirds to turkeys to hawks up close in my own backyard. I've seen little fawns every day from the day they were born til the time they're all grown up.
I've always like where I live, despite the distance or poison ivy or ticks. It has given me, even though it's a suburban house in a suburban neighborhood, an appreciation for nature in a way that a neatly mowed lawn on a quarter acre plot of land in a McHouse ever could.

Shoes.

I don't understand shoes. In particular, I don't understand the fashion industry and the craze for shoes. I can't stand wearing flip-flops, stilettos or any other heels, converse, ballet flats, platforms or sketchers or most other kinds of shoes. They are uncomfortable and painful. Why do people hurt themselves to look cool/cute/sexy/fashionable? I understand the brand label preference. I usually only buy New Balance and Chacos because I know I can trust them not to hurt most of the time, but why would I trust a brand that hurts?

I used to wear Sketchers platform shoes in elementary school when they were in style. I ended up spraining my ankle jumping into a pool because my feet weren't able to sit flat anymore. Sketchers really does have cute shoes. I wish I could wear them. But when I do get them, they either wear out in a few weeks or cause my knees to hurt unbearably.
I have Simple shoes right now. They started off nice and supportive, but now they're starting to wear out and give which is starting to get annoying. I got 6 months use out of them, though, which is nice. They're an attractive shoe but is still dependable.

I don't really see the point of having fashionable feet. I mean, I understand not wearing combat boots to the Oscars or a job interview, but why are people expected to wear shoes that will hurt them? Why do people do it? People who wear heels can't walk in them very well normally or have a grimace of pain on, so they end up looking sillier than if they had just worn comfortable shoes.
I also do not understand makeup beyond mascara, eyeliner and lipstick/gloss. Everything else seems to hurt more than help. People wear makeup to cover up skin flaws, but the makeup just causes more zits. I personally don't wear makeup because I don't like to lie about or artificialize myself, but I usually don't make other people live up to my standards. I still do not understand, despite my attempt to rationalize the fashion and beauty aspects of society, why people would wear makeup every day or wear shoes that hurt them. Why???

Feel free to explain if you can. This isn't rhetorical. I really want to understand. I don't plan on starting to wear high heels or foundation from it, but at least I might stop judging the girls teetering along in pinchy heels so poorly.

Friday, July 3, 2009

Sweatpants and Piracy

Today, I became a pirate.

I mean "pirate" in the sailing the high seas, pillaging merchant ships and being rowdy and drinking rum kind of way, not the illegally distributing media way.

However, I am not a cool pirate. I am a silly pirate. I am a pirate who wears sweatpants and glasses and wears a chicken on my shoulder, not a parrot.
That's right, today Kelly Kapoor decided to make a perch/pirate of me. She was very jealous that all the other chickens could fit on the henhouse peak, and she didn't. Apparently my shoulder is the next best thing.
I looked into her eyes as she circled the ground around me. There, I saw determination. I croaked out an "uh oh" and the next thing I knew was a swirl of feathers and chicken feet on my shoulder.

( Chicken feet, by the way, are very interesting. They look scaly and cold, but they are scaly and warm. Warmer than I am. It was slightly disturbing. )

After Mom and I stopped laughing, we took some pictures of the event and I shook her off. At which point the grand adventure of putting the chickens away started. It was eventful. They are really good at staying put.

In other news, I love sweatpants. Pros: they are warm and cozy and it feels like I'm not wearing pants at all! Cons: I can get too warm, and I look 20 pounds heavier. I also look like a lazy college student who doesn't have a job. Oh, what do you know! I guess I should wear sweatpants!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

CT and KT's Adventure in Uptown

Today, my friend KT and I went on a grand adventure. She didn't have to take her physics final today, so we decided to go to uptown and enjoy ourselves. We took the bus down there (we went down to uptown. haha) and whilst waiting for our transfer, made a short strange movie. : )

We had a lovely lunch at Namaste Cafe, which is a South Asian cafe that serves meat that had a good life (the only kind I eat). I enjoyed Chana Masaala Curry while KT got the Namaste Chicken. And we got various side dishes too, including momos for an appetizer. I highly recommend Namaste Cafe. It can be pricey for a college student's budget, but it's cheaper than Chapatis, and similar quality. Also, it has edible portion sizes, so there's no awkward leftovers.














Then we traversed across the road to the Tea Garden, one of my favorite establishments ever. While I don't always get bubble tea, the signature dish, if you will, of the Tea Garden, I always enjoy their drinks. I wish coffee places would serve more tea lattes than just chai or occasionally matcha green. I did enjoy my hot chocolate black tea latte today. The Tea Garden has tea drinks of almost any flavor or flavor combination imaginable. Well, that's not true. I'll rephrase that. They serve dozens of flavors and flavor combinations that people might actually want. It takes me longer to decide what I want than it does for them to make it, no matter how complex. I recommend going there to everyone who enjoys drinking. : ) There are Tea Gardens on Hennepin in Uptown, Washington by the Stadium Village (U of M), Grand in St Paul by Macalester, and now there is one in the Mall of America! How convenient! I'm glad my favorite place to get a hot drink or fruit shake is doing so well.

After we had finished off our desserts/drinks, we went for a short walk to Cheapo. I, who intended on buying nothing, left $20 poorer (but 6 CDs richer!) and KT, who wanted to go there in the first place, ended up putting all but 1 of the CDs she wanted back. I was saddened. There was not one Indian or Middle Eastern CD under $3, my spending limit per CD (what? an attempt to control your spending? unheard of!). I really like Cheapo, too. My goodness, this blog is just one huge advertisement! Cheapo can be very cheap, especially if you buy used. Of course, not all the CDs are cheaper than buying them (or stealing them) online, but you find some great bargains sometimes.

Then is was back home one the strange commuter bus full of people reading and lining up and being quiet and respectful. I'm still not used to it. It's strange to ride a bus without at least one annoying obnoxious weirdo on there. I love metrotransit, most of the time. One major suggestion for them: please have more busses in the Northern suburbs. The schedules are sometimes irritating and impossible. Thanks.

All in all, a good day, even if I am much poorer now than when I started out.