Wednesday, July 31, 2002

One more thing...

THE POOL IS DONE! Pictures are forthcoming.

I've hatched my plan...

I'm gonna run away to England NOW. I'm leaving everything behind... it'll be just me, my new Kate Spade, and my passport. Then I can hitch hike around the English countryside and roll around in the green, wet grass with the sheep. While avoiding the manure. Ewwwwww...

Okay, my plan needs a bit more refinement. I guess I'll continue living here until I go back to USC.

About Express: I like the people. I really do. I didn't think I'd like my co-workers so much, but I've met a LOT of really cool people. Illiana, Nneka, Nancy, J-Lo, Angela, Keisha, Mark, George... I look forward to seeing these folks (as well as others!) when I go to work. Express is bearable because I have such nice co-workers. Otherwise I'd just have a lousy job with lousy hours and lousy (aching!) feet.

I'm making King Ranch casserole and snickerdoodles for our big potluck fiesta on Friday and Saturday. Yummy... At least it's *something* to look forward to... no tax weekend would just be complete hell otherwise. We're expected to make mounds of money... but that means mounds of work... and FOLDING MOUNDS OF DENIM! I can brick-fold jeans in my sleep now. My jeans are even brick-folded in my closet. How sad is that?

Saturday, July 27, 2002

Only one thought runs through my mind...

SLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP.

Unfortunately, I hurt too much to go to bed. Dammit.

I saw Caberet tonight at the Country Playhouse with Justin. I liked it a lot. I would write a longer review than "I liked it a lot," but I'm still concentrating on the joys of sleep and the sorrows of insomnia.

I'm going to lie down in my bed and pretend I feel peachy.

Thursday, July 25, 2002

I'm a bad person...

I bought this. It was on sale, I couldn't stop myself. I worked hard this whole summer. I deserve some compensation for my misery at Express. I've been good, really. I eat at home 95 percent of the time. I stay at home instead of going out. I work all the hours that Express offers me. I clean the house. I've been a model daughter. I needed to indulge SO BADLY. On that note, I almost bought this. But I resisted the temptation... they didn't pay me enough to afford two purses. However, I still really want it. If you ever feel inclined to buy me a Lulu Guinness clutch... you have my blessing, along with my eternal love.

Same with this.

At least I've learned the value of three hundred dollars. And I know I have to work for quite a while to get such a sum. It would be nice if $300 just fell from the sky onto my car one day. Unfortunately, all of these little luxuries are just figments of my imagination, especially in the current economic crisis in my household. Damn energy companies (and the domino effect of failure on the economy). Damn falling stock prices (and falling further every day). Damn California (especially the stupid governor who refuses to honor his contracts). Damn media (for being leech-like creatures who feel a need to sensationalize everything). Damn Reliant Energy (for overstating over 400 BILLION DOLLARS IN IMAGINARY PROFIT).

It's not a good time to be involved with the energy business. Consequently, it's not a good time to be a member of the Noble family household.

Wednesday, July 24, 2002

Apparently, I'm a leftist libertarian.

At least according to this quiz. I'm like Gandhi! My specific measurements are:

Economic Left/Right: -4.50
Authoritarian/Libertarian:-3.23

Now, this won't make any sense unless you take the quiz. But I have to say, unlike most of the quizzes that I've put up on this site, this one actually talks about thought-provoking material. I didn't feel my brain shrinking quite as much as normal. That's a good thing.

Tuesday, July 23, 2002

One quick note:

Due to complaints about a previous entry, I must clarify something. Mary Louise and Anna were also in attendence at "Ladies Night." I forgot to mention that. They were an integral part of the girly fun!

And a denim expert is not something "shady," as MLB likes to say... it's a position of high honor and prestige at Express. Err... well... umm.. it's a position. Of something.

Thank you.

Monday, July 22, 2002

Zero 7's "Destiny" is in my head.

Well, I went to the DCI show, and it was fabulous. Wonderful. Amazing. I was in shock. I nearly started crying, it was so good. Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet up with Miah. The dork DOESN'T TURN ON HIS CELL PHONE!!! I wandered around the Glassmen's trucks, looking for him, but to no avail. I was disappointed... but not too much. I still got to see one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen. I absolutely loved the Blue Devils. I thought the drummers in the Cavaliers were the hottest things I've ever seen, not to mention extremely talented. I love how the theme of the Cadets show was so appropriate, not to mention well-incorporated.. The Phantom Regiment sounded brilliant. And, oh, yeah, the Glassmen were decent too... teehee! Overall, I was just shocked by the intricacy of all the shows.

At Express... I'm in training to be a "Denim Expert." God. Why? WHY ME?!! ::sobs::

I'm thinking about giving my notice tomorrow, instead of on Friday. It'll mean a few less days of misery.

I had the best conversation with Jessica yesterday. Although I'm horribly horribly sad that she's no longer a SILK... she's still one of my favorite people. I'm pumped that we're going to live close to each other next year. I'm already planning on visiting way too often. Oh, and I'm gonna steal all of her decorating ideas. Muahahahahah! And to think, she was the first person I met at USC... scary, huh?

We're having our windows replaced at the moment, even though the sky is threatening to pour down with rain. That's a smart move, I think. Fortunately the installation guys are pretty nice, not to mention EXTREMELY efficient. They're almost done... that's more than what I can say about our pool contractor. They were supposed to be here nice and early at 7 o'clock... then called to cancel. Well, my father got really mad and started screaming at him on the phone. Wow, that was a sight to behold. My father NEVER screams. Yikes. We've been dealing with these nitwits for 6 weeks... and the pool is nowhere near completion. It'll probably be done the day I leave to go back to Los Angeles.

Alright, this is way too much of an update for me. I suppose I'll stop here.

Thursday, July 18, 2002

I'm currently listening to "Black Magic Woman" by Santana. Groovy.

Wow, I haven't updated in a long time. A lot has happened... Anne visited me from Austin, we had a "Ladies Night" where we watched Risky Business and Reality Bites... I got "secret-shopped" at Express... and tomorrow I'm going to see Miah! Well, not really, I'm going to see a DCI show, but he'll be there!.

I'm in a "what if?" mood. There aren't a lot of things I'd change in my life, to be honest. I've made quite a few mistakes, but I've learned enough to make them all worth my time. But there are still a few things that I wonder about. The logistics of fate are fascinating... I've *not* done a lot of things that could've made a really big difference... and I've also been in certain situations due entirely to logistics. What if I didn't live where I do? What if I was born in another year? What if I ran down the stairs to comfort a troubled friend instead of holding back? What if I had made my true feelings known? What if I decided *not* to join? What if I studied hard?

It can make a girl crazy. Egads!

Thursday, July 04, 2002

Yeehaw!

Although I always saw myself as Genevieve, I could DEFINITELY deal with being Laurie. :)




take the which one of the trading spaces cast are you? quiz!



And it's a good sign... I evidently have sorority sisters! This means I'll get into one! Hallelujah!

Thanks Jess, for indulging my Trading Spaces fetish. Now they need a Changing Rooms quiz...

Monday, July 01, 2002

Weekends always rush by too quickly.

Justin's visit was a blast! We had a ton of fun on Friday - we went to the Art Museum, the Galleria, and ate tremendously yummy Chinese food at the Lai Lai Dumpling house. I just want to say that there are WAY too many potholes in Houston. The amount of construction was just amazing - every single street was torn up. Poor little Penelope (my car, for the uninformed) fell into three big holes. She's not rattling anymore than usual, but I'm still concerned, for obvious reasons. One on Main Street was just incredible. It was actually a steep incline that I went down at 5 miles per hour AT AN ANGLE. Normally, that approach solves every ridiculous incline... but it didn't work on Friday. The state of Houston roads is just sad.

I want to say something about our visit to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts... I would like to be a docent when I retire. The people that work there, and at most art museums that I've visited, actually, seem to love working in such a beautiful atmosphere. And oftentimes, they love seeing young people coming in to view the art. When Justin and I went to inquire about tickets, we had a very nice person working at the front desk. I asked him about the rates as I pulled out my wallet. He gave me an impish smile and said, "Well, they're two dollars per person... but if you're a student working on a project, you get in for free." Then he winked at me, and Justin picked up on the hint as he said, "Oh, yeah, well, we're researching Impressionism for a *school* project... I just left my backpack in the car." I started giggling and said, "Yes, that's it." The man at the desk just grinned widely and handed us our admittance stickers.

That's actually the second time I've encountered really nice employees at an art museum. When I was in Chicago for the Notre Dame game, we had an afternoon of freedom! Serena and I decided to go to the Art Institute of Chicago, seeing that it's one of the premier museums in the world. We went up to this lovely grandmotherly docent and inquired about the tickets. The lady smiled at us, as she started reminescing about her youth. Evidently she couldn't afford to go to the museum very often... money was very very tight. Then she whispered, "How about I just let you in?" Serena and I were flattered... evidently, you're supposed to donate something to the museum, but it shouldn't be free... We had a wonderful time, though. :)

Back to this weekend... on Saturday, I went to Sarah Young's wedding. I can't believe she's married! At 20! It was fun... it was like a high school reunion, actually. I saw all of these people I haven't seen in years. Sarah was radiant, just beaming... and it was a surreal experience.

The best part about that day was my "date" with Mary Louise. We went to the wedding together because Mark was out of town and I'm... well, always dateless. There was a lull inbetween the actual ceremony and the reception, so MLB and I decided to go to Tootsies! For those who are not Houston locals, Tootsies is an exclusive boutique... it has all of the posh designer brands, with a huge formal dress collection. Normally, when I go into a store like that, the salespeople treat me like I have a disease. No one ever comes up to me. However, Mary Louise and I were greeted as we wandered around the collection... the lady was very nice, showed us the advantages of their sale, and even offered us a "Coke or a Dr. Pepper." It must have been the nice clothes we were wearing... so, the lesson learned is this: dress like you can afford things when you go shopping... even if you can't!

Sunday was tiring, but enjoyable. I went to Astroworld with Justin, Matt, and his two friends, John and Diana. Except for the fact that I got dehydrated and nearly fainted in line. That kinda sucked. But I went to the first aid station, and they gave me lots of Gatorade and water. I felt a lot better in no time... Astroworld's just really ghetto nowadays. Everything was coated in chewed bubble gum. The rides just aren't thrilling... and one of the brand new rollercoasters was closed. But we made the best of it... and afterwards, we had a great time pigging out at CiCi's Pizza... even though I nearly got us lost in Bellaire when I tried to navigate. Times like that, I'm thankful that my parents have a good sense of direction!