the beach, for a good while throwing the frisbee in the cool water; watching narnia and eating the kid's fantastic chicken; returning the movie and enjoying perfect tiramisu ice-cream; discovering that it's now far later than i'd thought and getting ready for the next week.
the planning for moving out of the apartment has begun - it's a bit unnerving.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
smooth it out
i feel horrible. i haven't slept decently since i've been back at home, i've been constantly and completely exhausted and i think it's a summer cold.
i did some shopping yesterday morning, spent a while online, watched the pamela anderson roast, thoroughly enjoyed making noises with my guitar and crashed for an hour or two. my cousins picked me up on their way to herzeliya, and we had a great bobotie dinner.
around 11.30pm i met up with egg in dizengoff and we went barhopping. the first bar had great music but was almost exclusively filled with guys, the second looked promising so we went inside and ordered "camel" beers.
first, i think i know what part of the camel was used to make that beer. second, although the music was decent the atmosphere sucked. third, not a single girl with potential. every time i made eye-contact thinking "hmmm, cute" at first glance i was almost immediately afterwards disappointed. and the dog that was running around stopped at one point to hump my leg, i was unimpressed.
after managing to finish the beer - an experience somewhat reminiscent of participating in fear factor - we escaped and stopped by the ilke. egg keeps pushing to see if something will happen with bt.
singer was there, so we sat down with her to an evening of too much alcohol and general silliness. bt was actually fairly pleasant - which means that i've now lost my excuse to not steal glances at her bum.
oh, well ;)
the boss and i sat singing and laughing over his richard cheese playlist until just after 5am, and singer and i stumbled out together in a bad state. i hailed her a taxi, put in my headphones and slowly walked home singing to deftones - passenger and a perfect circle, and i've been "sleeping" since i got back.
my head's stuffed with cotton and i can barely see. her mother explained to me last night that the muscles accessible via the temple are connected to exhaustion, not eye-strain. singer claimed that if you massage them too hard you can damage your eyesight but i can't find anything to back that up.
i did some shopping yesterday morning, spent a while online, watched the pamela anderson roast, thoroughly enjoyed making noises with my guitar and crashed for an hour or two. my cousins picked me up on their way to herzeliya, and we had a great bobotie dinner.
around 11.30pm i met up with egg in dizengoff and we went barhopping. the first bar had great music but was almost exclusively filled with guys, the second looked promising so we went inside and ordered "camel" beers.
first, i think i know what part of the camel was used to make that beer. second, although the music was decent the atmosphere sucked. third, not a single girl with potential. every time i made eye-contact thinking "hmmm, cute" at first glance i was almost immediately afterwards disappointed. and the dog that was running around stopped at one point to hump my leg, i was unimpressed.
after managing to finish the beer - an experience somewhat reminiscent of participating in fear factor - we escaped and stopped by the ilke. egg keeps pushing to see if something will happen with bt.
singer was there, so we sat down with her to an evening of too much alcohol and general silliness. bt was actually fairly pleasant - which means that i've now lost my excuse to not steal glances at her bum.
oh, well ;)
the boss and i sat singing and laughing over his richard cheese playlist until just after 5am, and singer and i stumbled out together in a bad state. i hailed her a taxi, put in my headphones and slowly walked home singing to deftones - passenger and a perfect circle, and i've been "sleeping" since i got back.
my head's stuffed with cotton and i can barely see. her mother explained to me last night that the muscles accessible via the temple are connected to exhaustion, not eye-strain. singer claimed that if you massage them too hard you can damage your eyesight but i can't find anything to back that up.
Friday, May 30, 2008
back to basics
the remainder of the last weekend was a bit intense. lots of drinking, including at the ilke where bt was on duty... so a bit awkward, too. anyway, it was a very serious send-off.
i thought i'd write things down this week, but i've been in another world entirely. this really is a paid vacation :)
it all began with my razor breaking. as i walked past the old woman who's always cussing israelis, she had a go at me for being a soldier - i responded with something along the lines of "thanks! right back at you!" and then felt really bad because that was completely unnecessary and inexcusable.
the week gone by was wonderful. i shouldn't be at home, but my great-uncle passed away (the one with alzheimer's) and so i got permission to return for the funeral. i thought i'd go back to base afterwards, but now i know just how unrealistic that is. it took me eight hours from end to end, cramped and uncomfortable, with horrible company* and no musical accompaniment.
* there's a cute girl in the course with me who also had to travel home today. she was great company until she ditched me with some stray kazakhstani moron who just didn't get that i didn't want to talk to him. he followed me around saying remarkably stupid things until he found somebody else to harass... two hours too late for my nerves.
back to the course: i'm stuck in the desert with a great group, running around in working uniform for the first time in ages, the food is good and the workload and lack of sleep is laughable compared to my real job.
we're even getting a bit of exercise! i played badminton! siesta is an option, our commander is fairly good looking and only about a year younger than me. the army diet's actually possible - that means that aside from coffee i haven't spent a cent the entire week :)
i'll have to do laundry there though. that sucks. specifically because it's expensive as hell :S
the funeral today was well done, ignoring the guy who slid into the grave with the coffin. even though the circumstances weren't good it was nice to see my cousin and all her siblings together.
i made it to the odradek performance, and it was excellent even though we had to suffer through the first two bands, one of which was mediocre with potential and one of which was painful and unpleasant. even the super-strong coffee and a brownie couldn't really help me.
oh, right - when filling out a form for the welfare officer:
"my younger sister, who doesn't exist, is a little unsound of mind". i'm wondering at what point somebody's going to ask to see me about that :P
i thought i'd write things down this week, but i've been in another world entirely. this really is a paid vacation :)
it all began with my razor breaking. as i walked past the old woman who's always cussing israelis, she had a go at me for being a soldier - i responded with something along the lines of "thanks! right back at you!" and then felt really bad because that was completely unnecessary and inexcusable.
the week gone by was wonderful. i shouldn't be at home, but my great-uncle passed away (the one with alzheimer's) and so i got permission to return for the funeral. i thought i'd go back to base afterwards, but now i know just how unrealistic that is. it took me eight hours from end to end, cramped and uncomfortable, with horrible company* and no musical accompaniment.
* there's a cute girl in the course with me who also had to travel home today. she was great company until she ditched me with some stray kazakhstani moron who just didn't get that i didn't want to talk to him. he followed me around saying remarkably stupid things until he found somebody else to harass... two hours too late for my nerves.
back to the course: i'm stuck in the desert with a great group, running around in working uniform for the first time in ages, the food is good and the workload and lack of sleep is laughable compared to my real job.
we're even getting a bit of exercise! i played badminton! siesta is an option, our commander is fairly good looking and only about a year younger than me. the army diet's actually possible - that means that aside from coffee i haven't spent a cent the entire week :)
i'll have to do laundry there though. that sucks. specifically because it's expensive as hell :S
the funeral today was well done, ignoring the guy who slid into the grave with the coffin. even though the circumstances weren't good it was nice to see my cousin and all her siblings together.
i made it to the odradek performance, and it was excellent even though we had to suffer through the first two bands, one of which was mediocre with potential and one of which was painful and unpleasant. even the super-strong coffee and a brownie couldn't really help me.
oh, right - when filling out a form for the welfare officer:
"my younger sister, who doesn't exist, is a little unsound of mind". i'm wondering at what point somebody's going to ask to see me about that :P
Saturday, May 24, 2008
completely anaerobic
lethargic? no. gym was hardcore, and neither of us can believe that we haven't been doing this properly the entire half year that we've been signed up.
i think it was particularly difficult for me because i don't usually breathe normally, so i don't really get enough oxygen even when i'm focusing on proper technique.
i didn't quite finish because i got a bit dizzy, but my noodle-arms are already feeling better and the only thing bothering me is my neck, which i mentioned earlier. i'm also glad i didn't do any legwork, because i'm already paying for yesterday's crimes :)
we've watched all but the last two episodes of how i met your mother, which has taken a couple of rather dramatic turns but still hits good (the x-box joke took a second to sink in).
we took a break to get ice-cream, and i tried waking our neighbour with a tennis ball to her window so she'd join us: this was totally unappreciated and i really upset her, and i felt awful. the kid hit upon a good idea - to apologize to her with half a kilo of her favourite ice-cream, but she hasn't responded to the invitation yet :S
we watched a history of violence, a beautifully made comic book movie that totally flew below my radar. i really enjoy a good story told well. and the romantic bits weren't soppy.
we've just done the last of the shopping, now to close the packing and get out of here.
i think it was particularly difficult for me because i don't usually breathe normally, so i don't really get enough oxygen even when i'm focusing on proper technique.
i didn't quite finish because i got a bit dizzy, but my noodle-arms are already feeling better and the only thing bothering me is my neck, which i mentioned earlier. i'm also glad i didn't do any legwork, because i'm already paying for yesterday's crimes :)
we've watched all but the last two episodes of how i met your mother, which has taken a couple of rather dramatic turns but still hits good (the x-box joke took a second to sink in).
we took a break to get ice-cream, and i tried waking our neighbour with a tennis ball to her window so she'd join us: this was totally unappreciated and i really upset her, and i felt awful. the kid hit upon a good idea - to apologize to her with half a kilo of her favourite ice-cream, but she hasn't responded to the invitation yet :S
we watched a history of violence, a beautifully made comic book movie that totally flew below my radar. i really enjoy a good story told well. and the romantic bits weren't soppy.
we've just done the last of the shopping, now to close the packing and get out of here.
forming muscle memory
i can't remember how to sleep. this upsets me no end. the worst bit is that when i get to that phase between fitful sleep and restlessness i find myself on my belly with my neck forced to awkward angles, and it doesn't matter how i try to correct it, i return to the same situation until i get out of bed.
at least i picked up the guitar when i woke up - it feels more comfortable (although my fingertips are still aching) and i can feel an increase in precision. i'm pretty good at remembering C, G7, Am and E, and just remembered to play through the solfège :P
i can't really spend a lot of time messing about because my fingers just aren't strong enough yet, but i'm getting the hang of strumming and enjoying myself so so far it's been good :)
i'm on the verge of closing up the packing session, but i have this sensation that i've overpacked by a long shot... in other news, here're some links:
ooh - fluffy!
thruster explosions are all a part of progress
a brilliant mind solves a plastic problem!
penny arcade's game is out! pity i don't have time to play it :S
i can't imagine that i'm going to be wasting too much time online for the next half a year, which means a lot of unread comics and ignored news. this might be a good thing.
as for the blogging, which is going to be reduced to bimonthly (twice a month) posts, i have a feeling that only the magnificently interesting bits are going to make it online...
at least i picked up the guitar when i woke up - it feels more comfortable (although my fingertips are still aching) and i can feel an increase in precision. i'm pretty good at remembering C, G7, Am and E, and just remembered to play through the solfège :P
i can't really spend a lot of time messing about because my fingers just aren't strong enough yet, but i'm getting the hang of strumming and enjoying myself so so far it's been good :)
i'm on the verge of closing up the packing session, but i have this sensation that i've overpacked by a long shot... in other news, here're some links:
ooh - fluffy!
thruster explosions are all a part of progress
a brilliant mind solves a plastic problem!
penny arcade's game is out! pity i don't have time to play it :S
i can't imagine that i'm going to be wasting too much time online for the next half a year, which means a lot of unread comics and ignored news. this might be a good thing.
as for the blogging, which is going to be reduced to bimonthly (twice a month) posts, i have a feeling that only the magnificently interesting bits are going to make it online...
munchkin munchkin
that was without any doubt the most intense game i've ever played. we began around 10pm explaining the rules, and called it quits at 2am, unresolved. our group was composed of two rules lawyers, two cheaters who were on a path to becoming ex-best friends, and two complete innocents... and the final decision on all matters came to me for having brought the kid's cards.
we argued A LOT. i think that during the four hours of play, there were two sequences which weren't messed with, and about 80% of all dealings were absurdly munchkin and nothing short of inspired. or just plain weird.
my favourite part was the sisterhood of pantyhose: i stole them fair and square, and a one-shot ("help me out here") moved it to someone else. by the third theft things started getting really silly :P
i think having a faq detracts from the game, because the strange and heated debates were really entertaining.
my bedroom's a complete mess, so much so that i can't see my bed. i need to finish packing :P
we argued A LOT. i think that during the four hours of play, there were two sequences which weren't messed with, and about 80% of all dealings were absurdly munchkin and nothing short of inspired. or just plain weird.
my favourite part was the sisterhood of pantyhose: i stole them fair and square, and a one-shot ("help me out here") moved it to someone else. by the third theft things started getting really silly :P
i think having a faq detracts from the game, because the strange and heated debates were really entertaining.
my bedroom's a complete mess, so much so that i can't see my bed. i need to finish packing :P
Friday, May 23, 2008
95% packed
i'm quite impressed at the amount of arbitrary bits and pieces that i've collected over the years that i'm finally going to put to good use :)
food shopping was quick, but buying a case for my guitar took forever. not the actual purchase, mind, but waiting for someone to realize that we needed service after we'd already indicated multipled times wasted a good twenty minutes.
the kid and i ran into his sister on the way home. i'd forgotten how hot she is - i was smiling broadly at her before she said hi, but i'm not interested because i know how she treated her brother before so the smile went away fairly quickly :/
i quickly changed into bordies, the walked to the beach to meet up with egg and a co-worker of his. the water was awesome, the weather was great and i only got slightly coloured :P
egg and i walked to his place to drop off our gear and then had lunch on sheinkin, and we realized after we were done that it was already 5pm. i made my way home, running into the rollerblading group on the way and picking up my pace a little in order to join them.
i punched it, and eventually managed to catch up to them on their way out of jaffa. we had a great ride, which ended up at the metzitzim beach ("from breasts"? "men who give blowjobs"? i don't know), where we stopped for a beer at sunset.
after chatting to my mother, i met a couple of munchkin fans and i'm off to play.
food shopping was quick, but buying a case for my guitar took forever. not the actual purchase, mind, but waiting for someone to realize that we needed service after we'd already indicated multipled times wasted a good twenty minutes.
the kid and i ran into his sister on the way home. i'd forgotten how hot she is - i was smiling broadly at her before she said hi, but i'm not interested because i know how she treated her brother before so the smile went away fairly quickly :/
i quickly changed into bordies, the walked to the beach to meet up with egg and a co-worker of his. the water was awesome, the weather was great and i only got slightly coloured :P
egg and i walked to his place to drop off our gear and then had lunch on sheinkin, and we realized after we were done that it was already 5pm. i made my way home, running into the rollerblading group on the way and picking up my pace a little in order to join them.
i punched it, and eventually managed to catch up to them on their way out of jaffa. we had a great ride, which ended up at the metzitzim beach ("from breasts"? "men who give blowjobs"? i don't know), where we stopped for a beer at sunset.
after chatting to my mother, i met a couple of munchkin fans and i'm off to play.
wedding crashing
after posting on wednesday i went shopping for a birthday gift for my TL. i began with a miner's light (for reading at night), passed by my art for a small canvas as a greeting card*, and found the chocolate place.
* i bought a canvas, pens and a cute sticker to scribble around. unfortunately the sticker turned out to be a piece of card, and by the time i realized my mistake there was no way to find glue to affix it.
deskalides (go with what you know) is a dangerous place to enter, and i walked in and lost myself trying to figure out what to get. the saleswoman convinced me to go with what i like, and i just randomly began pointing until i got to the other side... and stopped.
"what's the problem?"
(mumbling) "i'm not gonna have any i'm not gonna have any..."
"what're you looking at?"
"dark chocolate with nougat filling."
"i know what you mean..."
"how can you go wrong with dark chocolate and nougat?!"
"you can't! i love dark chocolate too... here, on me!"
after a few seconds of nibbling, i apologized for my impending lack of communication and popped it into my mouth, and for the rest of our encounter i used impromptu sign language or wrote little notes. this wouldn't have been so complicated, but the saleswoman's little sister got all excited when she saw my wallet but couldn't remember the name "jack skellington" :P
the section evening was... awkward. not to mention the scaly, stupid waitress at mike's place who relieved us of way more cash than she should have AND provided really, really shoddy service.
watching the game (chelsea vs man u) wasn't something i'd have chosen to do, but it had a few good moments. it was a nice way to do the military goodbye, and it was nice to see a couple of guys from my old team - they were shocked at how... weird my new co-workers are.
the kid, piles and i walked home slowly, and after a quick shower i crashed. i woke up late, slowly, vegetable-like, and bussed to base... i had a long day ahead of me, an "outlook not positive" on my internal magic eight-ball, and i didn't need to enter a two hour section status meeting before hitting some coffee.
i suppose it wasn't all bad - my TL explained (nicely) to our SC that's he's incompetent, and i got an opportunity to neatly summarize all the shit that's been annoying me for the last couple of months.
lunch was unpleasant. one of the guys drew everyone into a political argument with his naïveté, and when he began to state irrelevant and likely unrealistic statistics and i responded, he turned around and explained to me that i haven't been in the country long enough to participate in the debate - that right pissed me off.
there's nothing that annoys me more than trying to explain something to someone who rejects it out of hand because i'm the person saying it.
the rest of the day was hard work, with some entertaining bits forced on me at random intervals. i'm still in shock that i managed to get almost everything done, although it took so long that i messed up all the kid and his brother's plans for getting to our first TL's wedding.
i had a choice of walking to meet them (25 minute estimate) or getting a ride (5 minutes), which wasn't a difficult choice to make. the guy giving me a ride finished working about five minutes later, and as i began to feel relief he pulled out an orange, went to find a knife, and stood eating over the trash can for another five. he knew i was in a hurry, i reminded him, and he told me to chill.
when he finished with the orange, he began to get undressed. "WTF?!" i yelled, and he just smiled and slowly changed into civvies.
when he was done, and i was all stressed out, we began moving. he dropped his bag and went off to the toilet for another five minutes, but hey, what could i do?
as he picked up his bag he exlaimed "oh shit! it's my turn to take out the trash!"
i pleaded with him to do it on sunday... it's always done a day late and nobody's on base for the weekend... but no, it had to be done now. so that's where the next ten minutes went, so instead of saving fifteen i lost five AND got pissed off.
for the past week i've been unsure of whether i'd go to the wedding or not - when the couple set a date they sent out an invitation on facebook, and i accepted, but i've been a little offended that i didn't get a real invitation. especially seeing as the kid did. in fact, until wednesday night i was leaning towards not going, but then one of the girls in my old section said that the groom had told her a while back that he'd intended to send both of us invitations, so i figured i'd go.
and crash the wedding - i wasn't on the register. we had a good laugh over his possible reactions: i imagined him whispering "security" into his watch :P
the ceremony was nice, and he was excited to see me. the evening was fun, but i was really exhausted and drank too much rum. most of his friends are people we all served together with, so it was kind of like a unit trip but with alcohol served and slightly better music :)
i'm now about to begin packing for the next week, and then i'm going to go buy whatever's missing. like a guitar case.
* i bought a canvas, pens and a cute sticker to scribble around. unfortunately the sticker turned out to be a piece of card, and by the time i realized my mistake there was no way to find glue to affix it.
deskalides (go with what you know) is a dangerous place to enter, and i walked in and lost myself trying to figure out what to get. the saleswoman convinced me to go with what i like, and i just randomly began pointing until i got to the other side... and stopped.
"what's the problem?"
(mumbling) "i'm not gonna have any i'm not gonna have any..."
"what're you looking at?"
"dark chocolate with nougat filling."
"i know what you mean..."
"how can you go wrong with dark chocolate and nougat?!"
"you can't! i love dark chocolate too... here, on me!"
after a few seconds of nibbling, i apologized for my impending lack of communication and popped it into my mouth, and for the rest of our encounter i used impromptu sign language or wrote little notes. this wouldn't have been so complicated, but the saleswoman's little sister got all excited when she saw my wallet but couldn't remember the name "jack skellington" :P
the section evening was... awkward. not to mention the scaly, stupid waitress at mike's place who relieved us of way more cash than she should have AND provided really, really shoddy service.
watching the game (chelsea vs man u) wasn't something i'd have chosen to do, but it had a few good moments. it was a nice way to do the military goodbye, and it was nice to see a couple of guys from my old team - they were shocked at how... weird my new co-workers are.
the kid, piles and i walked home slowly, and after a quick shower i crashed. i woke up late, slowly, vegetable-like, and bussed to base... i had a long day ahead of me, an "outlook not positive" on my internal magic eight-ball, and i didn't need to enter a two hour section status meeting before hitting some coffee.
i suppose it wasn't all bad - my TL explained (nicely) to our SC that's he's incompetent, and i got an opportunity to neatly summarize all the shit that's been annoying me for the last couple of months.
lunch was unpleasant. one of the guys drew everyone into a political argument with his naïveté, and when he began to state irrelevant and likely unrealistic statistics and i responded, he turned around and explained to me that i haven't been in the country long enough to participate in the debate - that right pissed me off.
there's nothing that annoys me more than trying to explain something to someone who rejects it out of hand because i'm the person saying it.
the rest of the day was hard work, with some entertaining bits forced on me at random intervals. i'm still in shock that i managed to get almost everything done, although it took so long that i messed up all the kid and his brother's plans for getting to our first TL's wedding.
i had a choice of walking to meet them (25 minute estimate) or getting a ride (5 minutes), which wasn't a difficult choice to make. the guy giving me a ride finished working about five minutes later, and as i began to feel relief he pulled out an orange, went to find a knife, and stood eating over the trash can for another five. he knew i was in a hurry, i reminded him, and he told me to chill.
when he finished with the orange, he began to get undressed. "WTF?!" i yelled, and he just smiled and slowly changed into civvies.
when he was done, and i was all stressed out, we began moving. he dropped his bag and went off to the toilet for another five minutes, but hey, what could i do?
as he picked up his bag he exlaimed "oh shit! it's my turn to take out the trash!"
i pleaded with him to do it on sunday... it's always done a day late and nobody's on base for the weekend... but no, it had to be done now. so that's where the next ten minutes went, so instead of saving fifteen i lost five AND got pissed off.
for the past week i've been unsure of whether i'd go to the wedding or not - when the couple set a date they sent out an invitation on facebook, and i accepted, but i've been a little offended that i didn't get a real invitation. especially seeing as the kid did. in fact, until wednesday night i was leaning towards not going, but then one of the girls in my old section said that the groom had told her a while back that he'd intended to send both of us invitations, so i figured i'd go.
and crash the wedding - i wasn't on the register. we had a good laugh over his possible reactions: i imagined him whispering "security" into his watch :P
the ceremony was nice, and he was excited to see me. the evening was fun, but i was really exhausted and drank too much rum. most of his friends are people we all served together with, so it was kind of like a unit trip but with alcohol served and slightly better music :)
i'm now about to begin packing for the next week, and then i'm going to go buy whatever's missing. like a guitar case.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
i thought i was handling...
... but i'm not. i'm broken - last night was great fun but i drank a little too much and today just coasted through in odd colours. and unfortunately, i get aggressive and stressed with a hangover. and i have plenty of reasons to stress.
and now all the plans for the section evening out have gone pear-shaped :S
and now all the plans for the section evening out have gone pear-shaped :S
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
t'was a silent, tired morn...
...no cock crowed, not even at dawn
as i let my eyes' poor membranes rest
i put my faith in men to the test
but disappointment made itself known
my quiet, peaceful daybreak blown
for as i arose, gave myself over to a yawn
so did the rooster, his battle lines drawn
and i, slave to old father time
could not help but give in
and turn my back on this crime
in addition, i woke up all depressed that the apartment's not happening :(
i'd organized a section breakfast for this morning, and then completely forgotten about it. excellent. the reminder came in the form of two people calling me to inform me that they had to pull out, so i was left to carry for three.
a pity i was already on base. i paid a visit to the strip mall:
a) the bakery doesn't do bread until the early afternoon, for mornings it's pastry only
b) aroma's bread is super-expensive (although really, really good)
c) i told the girl at aroma's counter that i wanted a salad for about ten people. she brought out a huge bowl and said that all the salads except the basic one come in that size, so i agreed. when my order eventually came out, it was a tiny little single-serve box... i argued with her until the manager came out, and argued with the manager until i got my money back. that wasn't pleasant, but i don't like being served something that i've already explained i'm not interested in.
i spent the morning translating - it's horrible. most of the shit doesn't make sense in hebrew. it looks like it was made by a bored secretary, and i'm shocked the our commander expects me to handle the graphic stuff as well.
the late lunch was alright - with two disturbing notions making a round at the table.
1) singing telegrams by a fat, unshaven man named maurice dressed in a pink bunny suit with the duracell drum for accompaniment.
2) a "two girls one cup"-style video as the continuation of the story of goldilocks and the three bears - after goldilocks has been digested by the bears. god that's horrible.
i must have been really dehydrated after lunch, because i was completely incapable of processing anything and any motion was difficult. i'm so glad that nystire had the presence of mind to photograph me in the coffee circle :S
i started coming around, and the more i got into what i was doing the more i realized that none of the results made sense. it took the remainder of the day to figure out that our work was fine, our computers weren't, and by then i'd had more than enough.
i noticed yesterday that the quality of my posting has dropped dramatically the last while, and i'm just as disappointed with this one but i'm too tired to do anything about it.
i'm still exhausted. and i'm going out in an hour. stupid me.
as i let my eyes' poor membranes rest
i put my faith in men to the test
but disappointment made itself known
my quiet, peaceful daybreak blown
for as i arose, gave myself over to a yawn
so did the rooster, his battle lines drawn
and i, slave to old father time
could not help but give in
and turn my back on this crime
in addition, i woke up all depressed that the apartment's not happening :(
i'd organized a section breakfast for this morning, and then completely forgotten about it. excellent. the reminder came in the form of two people calling me to inform me that they had to pull out, so i was left to carry for three.
a pity i was already on base. i paid a visit to the strip mall:
a) the bakery doesn't do bread until the early afternoon, for mornings it's pastry only
b) aroma's bread is super-expensive (although really, really good)
c) i told the girl at aroma's counter that i wanted a salad for about ten people. she brought out a huge bowl and said that all the salads except the basic one come in that size, so i agreed. when my order eventually came out, it was a tiny little single-serve box... i argued with her until the manager came out, and argued with the manager until i got my money back. that wasn't pleasant, but i don't like being served something that i've already explained i'm not interested in.
i spent the morning translating - it's horrible. most of the shit doesn't make sense in hebrew. it looks like it was made by a bored secretary, and i'm shocked the our commander expects me to handle the graphic stuff as well.
the late lunch was alright - with two disturbing notions making a round at the table.
1) singing telegrams by a fat, unshaven man named maurice dressed in a pink bunny suit with the duracell drum for accompaniment.
2) a "two girls one cup"-style video as the continuation of the story of goldilocks and the three bears - after goldilocks has been digested by the bears. god that's horrible.
i must have been really dehydrated after lunch, because i was completely incapable of processing anything and any motion was difficult. i'm so glad that nystire had the presence of mind to photograph me in the coffee circle :S
i started coming around, and the more i got into what i was doing the more i realized that none of the results made sense. it took the remainder of the day to figure out that our work was fine, our computers weren't, and by then i'd had more than enough.
i noticed yesterday that the quality of my posting has dropped dramatically the last while, and i'm just as disappointed with this one but i'm too tired to do anything about it.
i'm still exhausted. and i'm going out in an hour. stupid me.
the rooster
at 5.30 this morning my alarm went off. if i had hit "snooze", it wouldn't have given me those precious five minutes extra... the rooster would've jolted me right out of bed.
the kid, unused to such ridiculous hours, was pissed. he got dressed and went a-stalking, and he was joined by other members of the auto-neighbourhood-anti-fowl-play-league.
i spent the morning helping out the new girl and busying myself with all manner of arbitrary tasks... turned out i missed one...
around mid-morning, the kid called to let me know that they'd found the building, but that the city council refuses to take action without a specific apartment.
great.
the afternoon was filled with frustrating difficulties, and i passed out while someone was helping me with a technical fault - i must've slept about twenty minutes, and it took so long for him to deal with that he didn't even notice.
in the afternoon the woman from the mortgage bank called, i updated her and discovered that everything was much easier to handle than i'd anticipated... it was a sign - too good to be true.
i walked into my office a little after home-time, and said hi to our unit commander as i passed him.
"did you begin working on the little job i sent you this morning?"
"what job?", i asked innocently :/
he was pissed and i was surprised to discover that an email that he'd sent me this morning was marked as read - and i hadn't seen it. can't explain that one...
either way, it's a really irresponsible task to be giving me a week before i disappear for half a year, and i have real work to do that's not looking like it'll make the deadlines. yeah, sure i'll translate the meaningless drivel that you plan on presenting to a bunch of people who don't care. fantastic. first priority.
i love my work: every now and again i'm reminded of what it looks like and why i made the right decision. the rest of the time i hate the military and all i want to do is get on with my life.
speaking of which - for the next half a year i'm going to have internet access once every two weeks. this should be interesting!
a british couple stood next to me on the bus, loudly discussing inappropriate things. one of them began describing a bus route, but trailed off halfway with "and i don't know where it goes from there" - and i automatically blurted out the rest of the line.
we all looked rather sheepish when they realized that i'd understood the first part of the conversation and i realized that i'd let on that i was essentially eavesdropping. i suck.
i joined the kid in a good meal when i got home, and we went rooster-hunting. we picked up our neighbour on the way, found the building, and started on our door-to-door mission. by the fifth apartment we had a vague idea of what was going on, and nothing but blessings for our courage and curses for whoever's responsible from the neighbours.
our tip-off led us to a large, overgrown backyard, and while sniffing around in the dark a door suddenly opened, and an old woman came out.
we got an interesting yarn from her, and at the end of that story the rooster is captured and sent away. it's not clear if that happened today or will happen tomorrow, but either way she pointed out the windows of the people who know so we'll see if that information becomes necessary.
an amusing shopping at the pharmacy later, we sat outside discussing our plans for the next few months. they're complicated. i spoke to my mum, and sadly came upstairs with the kid to fold laundry and get the net stuff over with.
nothing doing as far as the apartment i found is concerned. i'm disappointed, but such is life.
it did bring to a head an issue that's been bugging me for many years - israel is a country where it's simply not financially sound to put away cash. the best place for one's money is in liquid form or high risk / high return investment. the second you try to play it safe, somebody invariably shafts you.
now it's bedtime, and i'd planned on picking up the guitar but i'm exhausted.
i suppose i've learned a hell of a lot from this round of apartment seeking, now to move on to the next item on the agenda - partying hard before sunday.
the kid, unused to such ridiculous hours, was pissed. he got dressed and went a-stalking, and he was joined by other members of the auto-neighbourhood-anti-fowl-play-league.
i spent the morning helping out the new girl and busying myself with all manner of arbitrary tasks... turned out i missed one...
around mid-morning, the kid called to let me know that they'd found the building, but that the city council refuses to take action without a specific apartment.
great.
the afternoon was filled with frustrating difficulties, and i passed out while someone was helping me with a technical fault - i must've slept about twenty minutes, and it took so long for him to deal with that he didn't even notice.
in the afternoon the woman from the mortgage bank called, i updated her and discovered that everything was much easier to handle than i'd anticipated... it was a sign - too good to be true.
i walked into my office a little after home-time, and said hi to our unit commander as i passed him.
"did you begin working on the little job i sent you this morning?"
"what job?", i asked innocently :/
he was pissed and i was surprised to discover that an email that he'd sent me this morning was marked as read - and i hadn't seen it. can't explain that one...
either way, it's a really irresponsible task to be giving me a week before i disappear for half a year, and i have real work to do that's not looking like it'll make the deadlines. yeah, sure i'll translate the meaningless drivel that you plan on presenting to a bunch of people who don't care. fantastic. first priority.
i love my work: every now and again i'm reminded of what it looks like and why i made the right decision. the rest of the time i hate the military and all i want to do is get on with my life.
speaking of which - for the next half a year i'm going to have internet access once every two weeks. this should be interesting!
a british couple stood next to me on the bus, loudly discussing inappropriate things. one of them began describing a bus route, but trailed off halfway with "and i don't know where it goes from there" - and i automatically blurted out the rest of the line.
we all looked rather sheepish when they realized that i'd understood the first part of the conversation and i realized that i'd let on that i was essentially eavesdropping. i suck.
i joined the kid in a good meal when i got home, and we went rooster-hunting. we picked up our neighbour on the way, found the building, and started on our door-to-door mission. by the fifth apartment we had a vague idea of what was going on, and nothing but blessings for our courage and curses for whoever's responsible from the neighbours.
our tip-off led us to a large, overgrown backyard, and while sniffing around in the dark a door suddenly opened, and an old woman came out.
we got an interesting yarn from her, and at the end of that story the rooster is captured and sent away. it's not clear if that happened today or will happen tomorrow, but either way she pointed out the windows of the people who know so we'll see if that information becomes necessary.
an amusing shopping at the pharmacy later, we sat outside discussing our plans for the next few months. they're complicated. i spoke to my mum, and sadly came upstairs with the kid to fold laundry and get the net stuff over with.
nothing doing as far as the apartment i found is concerned. i'm disappointed, but such is life.
it did bring to a head an issue that's been bugging me for many years - israel is a country where it's simply not financially sound to put away cash. the best place for one's money is in liquid form or high risk / high return investment. the second you try to play it safe, somebody invariably shafts you.
now it's bedtime, and i'd planned on picking up the guitar but i'm exhausted.
i suppose i've learned a hell of a lot from this round of apartment seeking, now to move on to the next item on the agenda - partying hard before sunday.
Monday, May 19, 2008
urban survival
in all of last night's excitement i forgot about this completely...
who the hell brings a rooster into the middle of a residential area in tel aviv?!??!
when i woke up at 5.30 yesterday, i was horrified to hear the crowing loud and clear, and wondered how the idiot's neighbours could bear it. the kid just woke up pissed off and has gone hunting, and i'm really *lucky* that i get up at these hours anyway.
who the hell brings a rooster into the middle of a residential area in tel aviv?!??!
when i woke up at 5.30 yesterday, i was horrified to hear the crowing loud and clear, and wondered how the idiot's neighbours could bear it. the kid just woke up pissed off and has gone hunting, and i'm really *lucky* that i get up at these hours anyway.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
fresh start
yesterday morning i read for a bit before passing out again, then woke up a couple of hours later and almost bust my fingertips completely. new strings, newbie, frighteningly sensitive. but i do feel like i'm making some headway :)
the kid and i watched lots of how i met your mother, interspersed with good food and ice-cream*. it's been too long, and damn that series rocks! the bits with ted's mustache and robin's giggling nearly ruptured my spleen!
* going out for ice-cream was a good idea, as we realized what a great day it was and missioned down to the beach. we didn't stay until sunset, but it was a pleasant walk and it's always good to have sand between one's toes. and a breezer in hand. and eye candy in front.
i talked with my mum for a bit, and then left the building to meet up with egg. we walked to levontin, had a drink, made an awkward escape from some guy who just didn't *get* that i wasn't interested in him, and returned in time for einav jackson cohen's performance.
she's great, she's really great, and the only problem is trying to stay awake with such lulling music. and maybe we drank too much. and maybe having a drink with wr at the smith bar on the way home wasn't too good an idea.
what was a good idea was washing all the dishes and shaving before going to bed (1.30am). that was a fantastic call!
getting up at 5.30 this morning hurt me just as i'd expected. i had the most horrible hangover, and was absolutely exhausted, and i still haven't recovered.
our new team-member arrived, she seems really quick and she's pleasant, which is an excellent start :)
my quote for the day: "one what-the-f*** is better than six"... but i managed to find a few more as the day wore on :(
i got a ride home with my favourite SC (not mine, obviously) and another couple of guys from our unit, and it was educational. when there're organizational problems, it's always better to know you're not alone.
before leaving the base i left an instruction with my agent to stick to her guns, and on my way in to the apartment she called back - with a reasonable final offer. since speaking to my mom i've called her back to let them know it's acceptable, and now i'm really excited and i can't calm down long enough to get some much-needed shut-eye :/
i really hope everything goes through smoothly! and that i can sort out most of it before disappearing on sunday!
the kid and i watched lots of how i met your mother, interspersed with good food and ice-cream*. it's been too long, and damn that series rocks! the bits with ted's mustache and robin's giggling nearly ruptured my spleen!
* going out for ice-cream was a good idea, as we realized what a great day it was and missioned down to the beach. we didn't stay until sunset, but it was a pleasant walk and it's always good to have sand between one's toes. and a breezer in hand. and eye candy in front.
i talked with my mum for a bit, and then left the building to meet up with egg. we walked to levontin, had a drink, made an awkward escape from some guy who just didn't *get* that i wasn't interested in him, and returned in time for einav jackson cohen's performance.
she's great, she's really great, and the only problem is trying to stay awake with such lulling music. and maybe we drank too much. and maybe having a drink with wr at the smith bar on the way home wasn't too good an idea.
what was a good idea was washing all the dishes and shaving before going to bed (1.30am). that was a fantastic call!
getting up at 5.30 this morning hurt me just as i'd expected. i had the most horrible hangover, and was absolutely exhausted, and i still haven't recovered.
our new team-member arrived, she seems really quick and she's pleasant, which is an excellent start :)
my quote for the day: "one what-the-f*** is better than six"... but i managed to find a few more as the day wore on :(
i got a ride home with my favourite SC (not mine, obviously) and another couple of guys from our unit, and it was educational. when there're organizational problems, it's always better to know you're not alone.
before leaving the base i left an instruction with my agent to stick to her guns, and on my way in to the apartment she called back - with a reasonable final offer. since speaking to my mom i've called her back to let them know it's acceptable, and now i'm really excited and i can't calm down long enough to get some much-needed shut-eye :/
i really hope everything goes through smoothly! and that i can sort out most of it before disappearing on sunday!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
glorious, neck-twisting sleep
i lay down after publishing my previous post and passed out reading the hebrew comics - i find that reading hebrew makes me sleepier far faster :P
i expected to wake up in time to enjoy the evening, but it was only about 1am when i roused myself, acquired some chocolate and sat down to read news (?) and play around with my guitar.
i can't decide if i should name it "fingernails on chalkboard", or "TIA" because that's the feeling the acronym inspires in me.
i only tired out around 4am, and have been lying awake since 7.30am not wanting to get up, but unable to sleep.
seek irony - singer sent me a link and although the first song on their page didn't impress me the rest were rather good.
battlecorps: aside from news and plucking the guitar i read one of the short stories, and the material is top class. another good link from tycho :)
from io9:
they're making a movie of the men who stare at goats? the kid still calls it "the minister of goats", refusing to read it because he didn't realize that it wasn't trying to convince him that he could read minds.
donald soffritti isa balony-an an artist from bologna whose work includes retired superheroes, like a fat, smoking wonderwoman and an incontinent spiderman.
these are some weird-ass slugs - national geographic has done an exposé on the colourful alienness of these deep sea gastropods.
i expected to wake up in time to enjoy the evening, but it was only about 1am when i roused myself, acquired some chocolate and sat down to read news (?) and play around with my guitar.
i can't decide if i should name it "fingernails on chalkboard", or "TIA" because that's the feeling the acronym inspires in me.
i only tired out around 4am, and have been lying awake since 7.30am not wanting to get up, but unable to sleep.
seek irony - singer sent me a link and although the first song on their page didn't impress me the rest were rather good.
battlecorps: aside from news and plucking the guitar i read one of the short stories, and the material is top class. another good link from tycho :)
from io9:
they're making a movie of the men who stare at goats? the kid still calls it "the minister of goats", refusing to read it because he didn't realize that it wasn't trying to convince him that he could read minds.
donald soffritti is
these are some weird-ass slugs - national geographic has done an exposé on the colourful alienness of these deep sea gastropods.
Friday, May 16, 2008
sunned and sleepy
the early wake-up this morning was a killer, but i made it to the meeting on time.
the man i'm dealing with is about my age, wealthy and extremely confident, and i suck at bargaining. i did my best, but i can't say that i'm entirely pleased with the results.
to be fair, though, if i was in his position i wouldn't be very flexible either.
we drove to see the apartment together, which looks much better post-paint, and noticed that the next road over was closed. none of us knew why, so we just carried on with the morning.
the kid and i did some shopping, and i took one of the books i'm reading (justina robson - selling out) to coffeeholic for breakfast, then walked to meet singer and egg at the flea market.
it was on the way there that i discovered that there was a street party on the other side of the barricade, with loads of stalls, ramps and a few stages set up. walking through with all the crowds (early as it was) was irritating, and some stupid cyclist girl ran into me full tilt.
we went to the music store (is that what it's called? my english is terrible), found a decent acoustic guitar for a fair price (cheaper than i'd anticipated, at any rate), a solid beginner's guide and a tuning harmonica.
singer introduced me to a friend of hers who's the drummer in a well-known band, and it turns out that he's friends with a couple of my favourite artists :)
fair play, though - i'm only familiar with all these bands through singer...
i came home to drop off the new acquisitions, and singer and i went back to see the show. the first band we saw was highly amusing and pretty good (dunno what they call themselves), the dance-off was a bit weak, and the punk band got no shame were brilliant.
we made a detour, singer reminding me that in south africa i wouldn't have been able to walk through a police barricade drinking a beer (what's up with that?!), and after deciding that the band wasn't coming back we each went our separate ways.
i put on my blades, coasted to the park - empty due to the music festival - and read a bit on the bench, then returned to shower and glue myself to the screen until now. now being the time to read the comic i bought - להZOO (zoolah), fantastic artwork by some guy from netanya (ארז צדוק - erez tzadok) - and sleep some.
this wall animation is absolutely incredible. that's the craziest piece of art i've seen, and it's something i can totally identify with. thanks to tycho from penny arcade for the link. and thanks to the artist for being amazing.
the man i'm dealing with is about my age, wealthy and extremely confident, and i suck at bargaining. i did my best, but i can't say that i'm entirely pleased with the results.
to be fair, though, if i was in his position i wouldn't be very flexible either.
we drove to see the apartment together, which looks much better post-paint, and noticed that the next road over was closed. none of us knew why, so we just carried on with the morning.
the kid and i did some shopping, and i took one of the books i'm reading (justina robson - selling out) to coffeeholic for breakfast, then walked to meet singer and egg at the flea market.
it was on the way there that i discovered that there was a street party on the other side of the barricade, with loads of stalls, ramps and a few stages set up. walking through with all the crowds (early as it was) was irritating, and some stupid cyclist girl ran into me full tilt.
we went to the music store (is that what it's called? my english is terrible), found a decent acoustic guitar for a fair price (cheaper than i'd anticipated, at any rate), a solid beginner's guide and a tuning harmonica.
singer introduced me to a friend of hers who's the drummer in a well-known band, and it turns out that he's friends with a couple of my favourite artists :)
fair play, though - i'm only familiar with all these bands through singer...
i came home to drop off the new acquisitions, and singer and i went back to see the show. the first band we saw was highly amusing and pretty good (dunno what they call themselves), the dance-off was a bit weak, and the punk band got no shame were brilliant.
we made a detour, singer reminding me that in south africa i wouldn't have been able to walk through a police barricade drinking a beer (what's up with that?!), and after deciding that the band wasn't coming back we each went our separate ways.
i put on my blades, coasted to the park - empty due to the music festival - and read a bit on the bench, then returned to shower and glue myself to the screen until now. now being the time to read the comic i bought - להZOO (zoolah), fantastic artwork by some guy from netanya (ארז צדוק - erez tzadok) - and sleep some.
this wall animation is absolutely incredible. that's the craziest piece of art i've seen, and it's something i can totally identify with. thanks to tycho from penny arcade for the link. and thanks to the artist for being amazing.
missed the second
today was... lazy. i had a haircut in the morning, and for the first time i made it through most of the session without fighting with the arshole senõr snipper. his son-of-an-alcoholic-mom sidekick left me with a bit of a step, which displeases me.
i dream of dreads.
natty ones.
as soon as i had arrived home and showered, i called my cousins up north to inform them of my impending arrival - i'd completely forgotten that they won't be around this weekend, so my plans took a quick shift.
i bought eatliz - violently delicate, as i've been listening to it and enjoying it and i can't not compensate them somehow. maybe i'll buy a shirt.
i met up with egg, we had a quick bite on sheinkin, and then took the bus to tel aviv university's student day. we'd missed all but the last performance - a pity, as i wanted to see eatliz live again - but that last performance was absolutely brilliant old-school rock 'n roll that was great fun.
it reminded me of !זבנג (zbeng!), israeli comics for teenagers that i absolutely adore.
oh, and the mongoose's girlfriend's new breasts are nice. during one of her favourite songs she got on my shoulders, and together we managed to piss off every last one of the security team while the crowd around us shouted their support.
why would security have an issue with it?
i had no trouble with her weight, but my arms got all tingly and i think she might have been sitting on a nerve :P
egg and i had beer-flavoured water before making a round and then taking an exciting bus home. when the bus is sardine-packed full of students it makes for interesting travel, not to mention the frotteurism... when i caught the girl behind me grabbing onto my shirt she at least had the decency to blush, which got me to turn around and make eyes at her friend ;)
i need another shower, and some sleep before i meet with the apartment owner at 7.30am. freak.
i dream of dreads.
natty ones.
as soon as i had arrived home and showered, i called my cousins up north to inform them of my impending arrival - i'd completely forgotten that they won't be around this weekend, so my plans took a quick shift.
i bought eatliz - violently delicate, as i've been listening to it and enjoying it and i can't not compensate them somehow. maybe i'll buy a shirt.
i met up with egg, we had a quick bite on sheinkin, and then took the bus to tel aviv university's student day. we'd missed all but the last performance - a pity, as i wanted to see eatliz live again - but that last performance was absolutely brilliant old-school rock 'n roll that was great fun.
it reminded me of !זבנג (zbeng!), israeli comics for teenagers that i absolutely adore.
oh, and the mongoose's girlfriend's new breasts are nice. during one of her favourite songs she got on my shoulders, and together we managed to piss off every last one of the security team while the crowd around us shouted their support.
why would security have an issue with it?
i had no trouble with her weight, but my arms got all tingly and i think she might have been sitting on a nerve :P
egg and i had beer-flavoured water before making a round and then taking an exciting bus home. when the bus is sardine-packed full of students it makes for interesting travel, not to mention the frotteurism... when i caught the girl behind me grabbing onto my shirt she at least had the decency to blush, which got me to turn around and make eyes at her friend ;)
i need another shower, and some sleep before i meet with the apartment owner at 7.30am. freak.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
from dusk till dawn
i really didn't mean to go to bed so early, but after posting i woke up at 5.30am to begin my day. it was so icky that i had to leave the aircon on the entire night, which makes me uncomfortable in other ways.
and it's always strange to have energy in the morning.
my team-mate made captain today, and at the ceremony the daughter of a woman in my previous team made corporal. the quote of the day was by the head of our unit: "if it's not alcohol, i'm not drinking it". he was referring to the custom of a celebratory drink on promotion, which is supposed to be alcoholic but was replaced by grape juice.
the comms boys were testing our PA system today, and i was reminded of the billy connolly phrase "fuck off, he hinted". which reminded me of a discussion i had with nystire yesterday:
"tentative is not an option"
"tentative is always an option"
"then i will tentatively kick your ass"
i met up with a member of my first section before lunch, and he handed over some books that should prove rather useful in the next few months :) [sneaky, sneaky]
i ate alone, and was joined by a civilian and a warrant officer. a few minutes after everyone had begun eating the warrant officer exclaimed that it's hard to get over the idea that he's leaving the army soon... the civilian began a futile attempt at explaining to the poor sod that there's life after the military.
i didn't have the heart to correct him :P
i've discovered that it's possible to enjoy working with this godforsaken application i've been bitching about: it's an incredibly repetitive task, it doesn't require use of intellectual faculties and nothing actually happens when you use it. it's the most therapeutic thing i've come across in years, and i've learned to use it as a form of meditation.
we had a huge unit meeting to listen to boring speeches, and when i got back it was to get some work done. unfortunately, i discovered in the course of the evening that a problem i was certain resided somewhere else didn't, and not only am i embarrassed about it i'm also totally confused as to how it seemed to work before.
at least we caught it.
i got a ride to the bus, shared my thoughts with singer about her band and career in general, and got home chilled and ready for bed.
pity it always takes me so long to get offline :P
i haven't been able to listen to anything but eatliz since the concert. *so* good!
and it's always strange to have energy in the morning.
my team-mate made captain today, and at the ceremony the daughter of a woman in my previous team made corporal. the quote of the day was by the head of our unit: "if it's not alcohol, i'm not drinking it". he was referring to the custom of a celebratory drink on promotion, which is supposed to be alcoholic but was replaced by grape juice.
the comms boys were testing our PA system today, and i was reminded of the billy connolly phrase "fuck off, he hinted". which reminded me of a discussion i had with nystire yesterday:
"tentative is not an option"
"tentative is always an option"
"then i will tentatively kick your ass"
i met up with a member of my first section before lunch, and he handed over some books that should prove rather useful in the next few months :) [sneaky, sneaky]
i ate alone, and was joined by a civilian and a warrant officer. a few minutes after everyone had begun eating the warrant officer exclaimed that it's hard to get over the idea that he's leaving the army soon... the civilian began a futile attempt at explaining to the poor sod that there's life after the military.
i didn't have the heart to correct him :P
i've discovered that it's possible to enjoy working with this godforsaken application i've been bitching about: it's an incredibly repetitive task, it doesn't require use of intellectual faculties and nothing actually happens when you use it. it's the most therapeutic thing i've come across in years, and i've learned to use it as a form of meditation.
we had a huge unit meeting to listen to boring speeches, and when i got back it was to get some work done. unfortunately, i discovered in the course of the evening that a problem i was certain resided somewhere else didn't, and not only am i embarrassed about it i'm also totally confused as to how it seemed to work before.
at least we caught it.
i got a ride to the bus, shared my thoughts with singer about her band and career in general, and got home chilled and ready for bed.
pity it always takes me so long to get offline :P
i haven't been able to listen to anything but eatliz since the concert. *so* good!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
1.5 days
the weather's gone all dusty and icky - this sucks. and i was so cold this morning i was walking around in a jacket... weird.
yesterday:
work *sucked* yesterday. really sucked. i felt horrible, i didn't get much done, i was generally unhappy.
i went to take another look at one of the first apartments, and i've decided that i'm putting in an offer. at least this time i took photos for my mom.
on the way out i was walking and talking with the agent when i noticed a cute girl in a taxi, who looked back at me... and the two of us stared at each other for about ten seconds before something clicked in my brain and i mouthed her name - she rolled down the window and gave me her number as the driver pulled off.
i met her at a party a long time ago, her first words to me were "so you're the guy who burned down his school!" - she was one of psychotic american's flatmates and had heard nothing good or true about me. i haven't seen her in four years!
the agent and i talked real crap for about fifteen minutes. unbelievably, i didn't lose patience completely even though i was itching to go - i'd like things to remain comfortable at least until a sale goes through.
waiting for the bus on the way to meet up with egg and ssf, i was given an odd complement by some old woman. we started talking, and when her bus came she needed help to get on so i happily obliged. the weird thing is that when i'm at a party i have no problems with touching strangers, even sweaty and icky ones, but in a regular situation it drives me demented. i couldn't shake the urge to wash my hands.
the concert last night was awesome - the only reason i went in the middle of the week was because eatliz were listed as playing at 9.30pm, so i figured it wouldn't be so bad. panic ensemble warmed up for them, going on at 10.30pm and finishing a little before midnight... so yeah, that was well planned...
i really enjoyed panic ensemble - they're a talented bunch with great potential, and it's music i would definitely put on in the background when sleeping. and eatliz... well, i've talked about them before, but last night i registered that aside from the singer and the drummer the other four band members are all guitarists. and amazing ones at that. i didn't notice at levontin because there was a pillar in the way.
this morning was a nightmare - i got home around 3am, and thank the gods that i had the presence of mind to shave before going to sleep. when i woke up three hours later i was in deep shit.
not to mention the general state of disarray and dishevelled hangover, i managed to drop my trousers on my boots and they got black all over them. i missed the bus because i was busy scrubbing them after spazzing out while discovering that the only other pants i have are on base in case of rain.
genius.
i was lucky enough to catch one of the guys in my unit as he was leaving the city, but the pain of the awakening was too much.
i had a fight with my TL today - he wanted me to give him an amount of hours until the end of this craptastic application's use, and i couldn't get him to understand that if i've been doing the same shit for over a month with the expectation not changing, then whatever bullshit figure i give him isn't going to tell him anything.
other than that it was a pretty good day.
the next .5 involves napping, and either rollerblading or drinking. good times :)
yesterday:
work *sucked* yesterday. really sucked. i felt horrible, i didn't get much done, i was generally unhappy.
i went to take another look at one of the first apartments, and i've decided that i'm putting in an offer. at least this time i took photos for my mom.
on the way out i was walking and talking with the agent when i noticed a cute girl in a taxi, who looked back at me... and the two of us stared at each other for about ten seconds before something clicked in my brain and i mouthed her name - she rolled down the window and gave me her number as the driver pulled off.
i met her at a party a long time ago, her first words to me were "so you're the guy who burned down his school!" - she was one of psychotic american's flatmates and had heard nothing good or true about me. i haven't seen her in four years!
the agent and i talked real crap for about fifteen minutes. unbelievably, i didn't lose patience completely even though i was itching to go - i'd like things to remain comfortable at least until a sale goes through.
waiting for the bus on the way to meet up with egg and ssf, i was given an odd complement by some old woman. we started talking, and when her bus came she needed help to get on so i happily obliged. the weird thing is that when i'm at a party i have no problems with touching strangers, even sweaty and icky ones, but in a regular situation it drives me demented. i couldn't shake the urge to wash my hands.
the concert last night was awesome - the only reason i went in the middle of the week was because eatliz were listed as playing at 9.30pm, so i figured it wouldn't be so bad. panic ensemble warmed up for them, going on at 10.30pm and finishing a little before midnight... so yeah, that was well planned...
i really enjoyed panic ensemble - they're a talented bunch with great potential, and it's music i would definitely put on in the background when sleeping. and eatliz... well, i've talked about them before, but last night i registered that aside from the singer and the drummer the other four band members are all guitarists. and amazing ones at that. i didn't notice at levontin because there was a pillar in the way.
this morning was a nightmare - i got home around 3am, and thank the gods that i had the presence of mind to shave before going to sleep. when i woke up three hours later i was in deep shit.
not to mention the general state of disarray and dishevelled hangover, i managed to drop my trousers on my boots and they got black all over them. i missed the bus because i was busy scrubbing them after spazzing out while discovering that the only other pants i have are on base in case of rain.
genius.
i was lucky enough to catch one of the guys in my unit as he was leaving the city, but the pain of the awakening was too much.
i had a fight with my TL today - he wanted me to give him an amount of hours until the end of this craptastic application's use, and i couldn't get him to understand that if i've been doing the same shit for over a month with the expectation not changing, then whatever bullshit figure i give him isn't going to tell him anything.
other than that it was a pretty good day.
the next .5 involves napping, and either rollerblading or drinking. good times :)
Sunday, May 11, 2008
no ctp
capture the flag was cancelled this evening, and i was totally excited for it - a chance to get silly in the park and meet the cute girl from the independence day bash...
today wasn't too good - especially after such a fantastic four day holiday. the evening was much better, i went out with ssf and we enjoyed a good meal together. i took a look at her apartment on the way home - totally over my budget :P
*sigh* my pc's dying of old age. i opened it up and cleared out the thick muck that's been dragging the main fan, but there's no such thing as a dust-proof case in this country. i have to face that fact that relatively soon this old box is going to be rendered unusable, and that kinda hurts.
today wasn't too good - especially after such a fantastic four day holiday. the evening was much better, i went out with ssf and we enjoyed a good meal together. i took a look at her apartment on the way home - totally over my budget :P
*sigh* my pc's dying of old age. i opened it up and cleared out the thick muck that's been dragging the main fan, but there's no such thing as a dust-proof case in this country. i have to face that fact that relatively soon this old box is going to be rendered unusable, and that kinda hurts.
a slice of history
lunch in rishon le'zion - not my favourite of places, but the food was good in spite of the awkward service (an ars acting politely is an ars no less) and layers of filth on the tables.
the company was pleasant as usual, and now i've done my bit as far as seeing the family before leaving for the desert is concerned :)
i got home and immediately went for a walk, i couldn't possibly stay inside on such a beautiful afternoon. i took random turns until i arrived near the harbour...
... and ran into someone i haven't seen in twelve years. this is a guy i used to rollerblade with regularly, and it was he who pushed me down a short flight of stairs:
i was on rollerblades in the ballroom, and we were making an exit. as i hit the stairs, intending to take them backwards and one at a time, i was bumped and came down fairly quickly.
although i managed to stay upright, i brushed against the three people that were already on their way out. one of them, quite short and a year ahead of me in high-school, pushed me - and i simply shoved him back. i mean, i'd already apologized, there was no need to pick a fight.
suddenly i was being held up against a wall by his tall, blonde friend - the biggest gangster in our school. he was shouting at me and kicking at my blades, but i wasn't going down. he was getting frustrated, i was arguing back, and after about half a minute of this he put me up against the adjacent wall.
when he failed to get me off balance, he ripped off my cap and threw it to the ground, and my sunglasses followed immediately after. i remember screaming at him something along the lines of "dude, i'm much smaller than you!" when his elbow came crashing down on my throat. my head bounced hard against the wall, and the next thing i recall is coming around with a crowd around me, helpfully informing me that those guys were complete assholes.
i spent the next weekend unable to speak because my throat was all swollen, but i refused to press charges. the next monday at school saw me being threatened by a bunch of the blonde's idiot cronies (i actually ended up living with the brother of one of them for about half a year in 2003 / 2004), and someone got the school involved. that's never good.
during that week i went out blading with this guy, and on the way to meet up i found that the blonde bastard's buddies were waiting for me, on rollerblades, in cars, on motorcycles, and all armed with various handy items like baseball bats and such.
escaping from that was one of the scariest things i've ever been through, and even worse than that nightmare come true was the fact that they all knew where i lived, and they hung around waiting for me for hours.
so yeah, we had coffee and i learned just how different our paths went. i have to admit it was incredible and terrifying to be in touch with someone from such a dark period in my life, someone who really knows how unsheltered a world i lived in during my late teens and who is a shining example of how i made the right choices in life.
a world that i'm really glad i made it out of without too much badness.
on the way home, i stopped by one of ze germans, and ru55 and his fiancée rocked up. we had some wine and left together. i got back home and had an interesting discussion with the kid, and once again it's late on a workday night, a feeling i have happily been able to forget since tuesday :)
the company was pleasant as usual, and now i've done my bit as far as seeing the family before leaving for the desert is concerned :)
i got home and immediately went for a walk, i couldn't possibly stay inside on such a beautiful afternoon. i took random turns until i arrived near the harbour...
... and ran into someone i haven't seen in twelve years. this is a guy i used to rollerblade with regularly, and it was he who pushed me down a short flight of stairs:
i was on rollerblades in the ballroom, and we were making an exit. as i hit the stairs, intending to take them backwards and one at a time, i was bumped and came down fairly quickly.
although i managed to stay upright, i brushed against the three people that were already on their way out. one of them, quite short and a year ahead of me in high-school, pushed me - and i simply shoved him back. i mean, i'd already apologized, there was no need to pick a fight.
suddenly i was being held up against a wall by his tall, blonde friend - the biggest gangster in our school. he was shouting at me and kicking at my blades, but i wasn't going down. he was getting frustrated, i was arguing back, and after about half a minute of this he put me up against the adjacent wall.
when he failed to get me off balance, he ripped off my cap and threw it to the ground, and my sunglasses followed immediately after. i remember screaming at him something along the lines of "dude, i'm much smaller than you!" when his elbow came crashing down on my throat. my head bounced hard against the wall, and the next thing i recall is coming around with a crowd around me, helpfully informing me that those guys were complete assholes.
i spent the next weekend unable to speak because my throat was all swollen, but i refused to press charges. the next monday at school saw me being threatened by a bunch of the blonde's idiot cronies (i actually ended up living with the brother of one of them for about half a year in 2003 / 2004), and someone got the school involved. that's never good.
during that week i went out blading with this guy, and on the way to meet up i found that the blonde bastard's buddies were waiting for me, on rollerblades, in cars, on motorcycles, and all armed with various handy items like baseball bats and such.
escaping from that was one of the scariest things i've ever been through, and even worse than that nightmare come true was the fact that they all knew where i lived, and they hung around waiting for me for hours.
so yeah, we had coffee and i learned just how different our paths went. i have to admit it was incredible and terrifying to be in touch with someone from such a dark period in my life, someone who really knows how unsheltered a world i lived in during my late teens and who is a shining example of how i made the right choices in life.
a world that i'm really glad i made it out of without too much badness.
on the way home, i stopped by one of ze germans, and ru55 and his fiancée rocked up. we had some wine and left together. i got back home and had an interesting discussion with the kid, and once again it's late on a workday night, a feeling i have happily been able to forget since tuesday :)
Saturday, May 10, 2008
death of a true hero
dr albert hofmann recently passed away - there's a man whose research and attitude towards it brought us real cultural transformation and transcendence.
and a host of problems, too - but that's because we're human and we can screw up anything.
and a host of problems, too - but that's because we're human and we can screw up anything.
catching up downtime
i did go back to bed last night, and woke up at 6.30 sharp. i had breakfast and watched a bit more bleach, then passed out again. i should be saving myself for the course that begins in another two weeks, where i'll have plenty of time for sleeping and none for going out...
bleach is a beautiful movie, but i can't figure out how i feel about it as far as story is concerned. it's good, but it's not epic.
now i'm getting ready to go for lunch with my cousins to celebrate her grandmother's birthday yesterday.
bleach is a beautiful movie, but i can't figure out how i feel about it as far as story is concerned. it's good, but it's not epic.
now i'm getting ready to go for lunch with my cousins to celebrate her grandmother's birthday yesterday.
Friday, May 09, 2008
between sleeps
i just woke up from a crazy nightmare involving some psychopath tormenting everyone with knives... i ended up having a knife-fight with him, and suddenly realization dawned: "wait a second! i'm better than you, and i don't care if i die. i should be kicking your ass!"
which i promptly did.
that was a great two-hour nap, needed after watching mighty mouse - the great space chase at the end of a long day of relaxing and slouching around tel aviv.
the fish i ate for lunch was a mission and expensive. there should be a warning on the menu that reads along the lines of "your fish will arrive whole, head intact and fins still attached" so that people will know that if they haven't brought the right tools with in a baggie that they should stick with the hamburger.
and the waiter really should bring the bowl for the bones before the customer finishes his meal. yeah, great, that might have helped.
a part of me wants to go out right now. the rest thinks that going back to bed would be fantastic.
which i promptly did.
that was a great two-hour nap, needed after watching mighty mouse - the great space chase at the end of a long day of relaxing and slouching around tel aviv.
the fish i ate for lunch was a mission and expensive. there should be a warning on the menu that reads along the lines of "your fish will arrive whole, head intact and fins still attached" so that people will know that if they haven't brought the right tools with in a baggie that they should stick with the hamburger.
and the waiter really should bring the bowl for the bones before the customer finishes his meal. yeah, great, that might have helped.
a part of me wants to go out right now. the rest thinks that going back to bed would be fantastic.
i had to sacrifice
yesterday was so relaxed! i ate good food and drink, enjoyed good company, saw half an air show*, lounged in the pool, played frisbee and worried about absolutely nothing ^_^
so i missed out on the street fighter thing. too bad.
* someone who was standing with us commented that the air show was the IAF's way of waving its dick about, but i explained to him that considering the fact that it's a display for israelis, it's more like the country sneaking a peek at itself - "right, yeah, it's still big and beautiful" :P
and the best part of it all? TODAY'S FRIDAY!! w00t!!
so i missed out on the street fighter thing. too bad.
* someone who was standing with us commented that the air show was the IAF's way of waving its dick about, but i explained to him that considering the fact that it's a display for israelis, it's more like the country sneaking a peek at itself - "right, yeah, it's still big and beautiful" :P
and the best part of it all? TODAY'S FRIDAY!! w00t!!
Thursday, May 08, 2008
dirty dancing
alright - backwards!! happy independence day, everyone!
i'm waking up after just under five hours of sleep, my ears still trembling from the aftershock of all the street parties and i'm in a hurry to jot this down before heading to the traditional barbeque.
i abandoned nystire's little sister in order to take a cab home, i *had* to get to bed.
the last little trance party did wonders for my head - i hadn't heard anything decent since we'd left newe tzedek.
i saw a lot of people back in florentin, egg decided it was time to go and left me with nystire's sister and ze germans to park outside a building where the dj couldn't decide between cool funk and britney spears.
the highlight?
some jerk-off (turns out to be a guy who was in school with her little sister) and his friend climb up onto a second-floor balcony to make asses of themselves, and when it becomes time to come down everyone begins yelling "jump! jump! jump!".
he made as if to, almost fell, and caught himself by placing a foot on a twelve-inch plastic pipe jutting out of the side of the balcony... which snapped as soon as he relaxed, and he came down to earth face first.
...
miraculously, mostly in one piece. there are so many cellphone videos taken i'm SURE i'll find one.
we ran into nystire's sister on the way back, and she joined us. the awesome guitarist from the beginning of the evening had assembled his crew downstairs by the time we got back, and they were playing a pretty cool gig: he can't sing for shit, but his guitar-work was really enjoyable.
"location 2" in newe tzedek was a bit odd the second time around, even though the music was still kicking ass, so we decided to leave in favour of florentin.
singer and her friend had made themselves scarce at "location 1", we'd been standing in a good spot and couldn't stop staring at all the eye-candy... especially when the eye-candy was staring back and smiling. we left soon after because we could either dance to the crappy music in the dark, or lurk in the light where all the girls were.
there's only so much walking back and forth that i could take.
fantastic music and good times at location 2, singer and her friend joined us and we were having a good time, but then the music cut out and we decided to check out location 1 again.
egg and i left florentin to find the newe tzedek street party, and arrived at location 1 - not the actual street party, but a decent night-club that had spilled over some. gorgeous girls but icky music, and we left in search of the actual street party (location 2) when karnaf sent an sms to say he'd arrived.
the street party in florentin hadn't actually started, so we sat down in lenny's for a beer. suddenly everyone was getting into the street and looking up, some guy had pulled his amp onto his balcony and begun playing hardcore electric solos... there was an attempt to play along by one of his neighbours, but he sucked and that soon came to an end. a bit later the solo resumed, and he kicked ass.
i met up with egg at his place, we had a drink and i introduced him to philosomatika. we had some cognac and then went out for a sidewalk supper on rothschild, a good sandwich that really hit the spot.
i'm glad that my white jacket was unavailable, because i wore my crazy sweater and chicks dig it ^_^
i couldn't sleep, and i decided to go out early after the kid and i couldn't agree on what to watch until the partying began. the vibe on the street was already picking up :)
i spent the afternoon with ze germans eating humus and chilling in the park. one of them posed an interesting question: "if you were in a coma, would you want someone to shave you?"
"no, i'd want to wake up with a massive beard fanning out and covering my hips."
"even better if whoever's not shaving me can roll the beard and my hair into dreads. imagine waking up with a giant dread-beard!"
"imagine sitting upright and looking in a mirror - the first thing you do is yell BOB!"
"and then pull out a joint from somewhere inside your dreads and light up"
what an interesting image!
i received a final communication from bt - she sent back two sms's that just seemed so... weary of me. oh, well - bits of it were great...
when i later told egg he replied with a different theory: that she's had a couple of crap days, and now on top of that she's not going to understand why i've stopped trying to talk to her.
i find that to be a little bit of a stretch, though.
i left the apartment to do shopping that never got done, after spending over two hours in traffic jams on the way home.
and the holiday had begun!
the work day was over fairly quickly, and it really wasn't bad. there's a lot of work to be done, but i'm not feeling so down any more.
i'm waking up after just under five hours of sleep, my ears still trembling from the aftershock of all the street parties and i'm in a hurry to jot this down before heading to the traditional barbeque.
i abandoned nystire's little sister in order to take a cab home, i *had* to get to bed.
the last little trance party did wonders for my head - i hadn't heard anything decent since we'd left newe tzedek.
i saw a lot of people back in florentin, egg decided it was time to go and left me with nystire's sister and ze germans to park outside a building where the dj couldn't decide between cool funk and britney spears.
the highlight?
some jerk-off (turns out to be a guy who was in school with her little sister) and his friend climb up onto a second-floor balcony to make asses of themselves, and when it becomes time to come down everyone begins yelling "jump! jump! jump!".
he made as if to, almost fell, and caught himself by placing a foot on a twelve-inch plastic pipe jutting out of the side of the balcony... which snapped as soon as he relaxed, and he came down to earth face first.
...
miraculously, mostly in one piece. there are so many cellphone videos taken i'm SURE i'll find one.
we ran into nystire's sister on the way back, and she joined us. the awesome guitarist from the beginning of the evening had assembled his crew downstairs by the time we got back, and they were playing a pretty cool gig: he can't sing for shit, but his guitar-work was really enjoyable.
"location 2" in newe tzedek was a bit odd the second time around, even though the music was still kicking ass, so we decided to leave in favour of florentin.
singer and her friend had made themselves scarce at "location 1", we'd been standing in a good spot and couldn't stop staring at all the eye-candy... especially when the eye-candy was staring back and smiling. we left soon after because we could either dance to the crappy music in the dark, or lurk in the light where all the girls were.
there's only so much walking back and forth that i could take.
fantastic music and good times at location 2, singer and her friend joined us and we were having a good time, but then the music cut out and we decided to check out location 1 again.
egg and i left florentin to find the newe tzedek street party, and arrived at location 1 - not the actual street party, but a decent night-club that had spilled over some. gorgeous girls but icky music, and we left in search of the actual street party (location 2) when karnaf sent an sms to say he'd arrived.
the street party in florentin hadn't actually started, so we sat down in lenny's for a beer. suddenly everyone was getting into the street and looking up, some guy had pulled his amp onto his balcony and begun playing hardcore electric solos... there was an attempt to play along by one of his neighbours, but he sucked and that soon came to an end. a bit later the solo resumed, and he kicked ass.
i met up with egg at his place, we had a drink and i introduced him to philosomatika. we had some cognac and then went out for a sidewalk supper on rothschild, a good sandwich that really hit the spot.
i'm glad that my white jacket was unavailable, because i wore my crazy sweater and chicks dig it ^_^
i couldn't sleep, and i decided to go out early after the kid and i couldn't agree on what to watch until the partying began. the vibe on the street was already picking up :)
i spent the afternoon with ze germans eating humus and chilling in the park. one of them posed an interesting question: "if you were in a coma, would you want someone to shave you?"
"no, i'd want to wake up with a massive beard fanning out and covering my hips."
"even better if whoever's not shaving me can roll the beard and my hair into dreads. imagine waking up with a giant dread-beard!"
"imagine sitting upright and looking in a mirror - the first thing you do is yell BOB!"
"and then pull out a joint from somewhere inside your dreads and light up"
what an interesting image!
i received a final communication from bt - she sent back two sms's that just seemed so... weary of me. oh, well - bits of it were great...
when i later told egg he replied with a different theory: that she's had a couple of crap days, and now on top of that she's not going to understand why i've stopped trying to talk to her.
i find that to be a little bit of a stretch, though.
i left the apartment to do shopping that never got done, after spending over two hours in traffic jams on the way home.
and the holiday had begun!
the work day was over fairly quickly, and it really wasn't bad. there's a lot of work to be done, but i'm not feeling so down any more.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
stiff [upper lip/legs]
egg reminded me that as part of the dating thing i'm supposed to be an asshole, which certainly makes things easier. it might be a case of too little too late, but it's a learning process :P
the ceremony was good, although after a long day my legs were severely strained by standing for an hour and a half. what's great is that israelis are slowly regaining the pride that's been dwindling over the last few years, and although it's a bit late it's most certainly a good start.
i just had a long, overdue chat with my mum, and most of it was regarding the apartment hunting. i've had the wrong attitude the whole time - my mother agrees with bt's observation that it's not something to get too serious about. it's okay to make a mistake, and so this week will see me making an attempt at one of the first ones i saw.
in the meanwhile: time for bed.
the ceremony was good, although after a long day my legs were severely strained by standing for an hour and a half. what's great is that israelis are slowly regaining the pride that's been dwindling over the last few years, and although it's a bit late it's most certainly a good start.
i just had a long, overdue chat with my mum, and most of it was regarding the apartment hunting. i've had the wrong attitude the whole time - my mother agrees with bt's observation that it's not something to get too serious about. it's okay to make a mistake, and so this week will see me making an attempt at one of the first ones i saw.
in the meanwhile: time for bed.
here i come to save the day!
i can't stop grinning, i hold in my hand a digitized version of mighty mouse: the great space chase and now all i have to do is figure out how to rip it :)
the girl at the store was helplessly happy when i passed my other wallet over the counter and said "if you're actually going to use it, you're welcome" - sharing a smile was way better than getting cash for it.
waking up late this morning helped, and arriving late turned out to be alright too. i'd forgotten i had a doctor's appointment regarding next week's surgery at 9am, and scrambled without reading my mail... one of the emails was a notice that my appointment had been cancelled.
so i arrived there, innocently forced my way in to see the doctor, and was blessed to be speaking to a qualified surgeon. the first i've spoken to about this procedure since i began the whole ordeal, and he's the first person who's been able to explain to me exactly what the recovery entails. and there's no way in hell (well, maybe in hell) that i'd be able to go to the six-month course within the first couple of months, and if i don't do the course now i'll have to sign on another year of military service, which i don't want to do unnecessarily.
so i called the hospital to cancel.
"how's november?"
"can i have it done later?"
"december?"
"well, i think i'd like to celebrate the new year before dealing with the recovery, how's about 2009?"
"i wish every patient was like you. i haven't opened 2009 yet, call me in another month."
today ended on a fairly decent note, in spite of a lot of it being rather irritating. on a specific point i was put in my place regarding the infuriating application, but on all the rest i stand tall and i'm just going to keep bashing my head against the wall until somebody has mercy.
i just had a chat with my previous SC, and he keeps getting me excited about going to the course. i think i'm going to be just fine, and enjoy it.
moving apartments in the middle will suck, of course - and i can't see myself buying an apartment in such a hurry.
now if only i could figure out what to do about bt. i can't help feeling like i'm on a whole different mission, and i have no idea how to go about expressing myself to her on the topic.
the girl at the store was helplessly happy when i passed my other wallet over the counter and said "if you're actually going to use it, you're welcome" - sharing a smile was way better than getting cash for it.
waking up late this morning helped, and arriving late turned out to be alright too. i'd forgotten i had a doctor's appointment regarding next week's surgery at 9am, and scrambled without reading my mail... one of the emails was a notice that my appointment had been cancelled.
so i arrived there, innocently forced my way in to see the doctor, and was blessed to be speaking to a qualified surgeon. the first i've spoken to about this procedure since i began the whole ordeal, and he's the first person who's been able to explain to me exactly what the recovery entails. and there's no way in hell (well, maybe in hell) that i'd be able to go to the six-month course within the first couple of months, and if i don't do the course now i'll have to sign on another year of military service, which i don't want to do unnecessarily.
so i called the hospital to cancel.
"how's november?"
"can i have it done later?"
"december?"
"well, i think i'd like to celebrate the new year before dealing with the recovery, how's about 2009?"
"i wish every patient was like you. i haven't opened 2009 yet, call me in another month."
today ended on a fairly decent note, in spite of a lot of it being rather irritating. on a specific point i was put in my place regarding the infuriating application, but on all the rest i stand tall and i'm just going to keep bashing my head against the wall until somebody has mercy.
i just had a chat with my previous SC, and he keeps getting me excited about going to the course. i think i'm going to be just fine, and enjoy it.
moving apartments in the middle will suck, of course - and i can't see myself buying an apartment in such a hurry.
now if only i could figure out what to do about bt. i can't help feeling like i'm on a whole different mission, and i have no idea how to go about expressing myself to her on the topic.
not giving us the slip
the slip is around, it's free, and it's awesome - i left it playing while i slept and am totally impressed.
trent driving home his point.
trent driving home his point.
manic to bummed: round trip
this morning began positively, but the problems with the application just became more and more severe, until i felt like i was playing a game with broken controls and dynamic rules.
it got so frustrating that i almost cried. i did shout, and i did hit my desk, and i did giggle nervously and curse the incompetence that i hope is the cause - because if it's intentional then the devil walks amongst us and calls himself "rational". <he hinted>
around the same time as i was going through my ordeal, bt was supposed to be finishing an exam. after a flurry of sms miscommunication i called her, and our chat went from fun to "sorry, i just don't have the energy to talk anymore" (that was me, the conversation was turning awkward anyway).
while stewing over that, i decided (again) "fuck them", and i sent a rather extreme mail to a group of people that really pissed off my commander: my final line went along the lines of "i'm begging you: let me be productive, stop making me use this product".
the rest of the day was completely bipolar, and the last bit of the day was the 8pm ceremony for the day of remembrance. i got home at 9.30pm, got out of uniform, sat with our neighbour and her friend for a few minutes and skipped off to visit bt at work.
i was in a great mood and she wasn't tending the bar, but my mood turned sour after she turned out to be unresponsive and disinterested, and i finished my beer mostly in silence. every now and then she'd look at me and get this big smile on her face, but i couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.
she went behind the bar just as i was finishing, and by that stage i was having difficulty looking in her direction. i was actually considering walking out without saying goodbye, but i caught her eye and she suddenly skipped over, blew me a kiss and proffered her hand, and i have no idea what the hell she's on about.
all i know is that i'm glad that my problem is that i'm too picky and not that i'm emotionally disabled as i'd begun to suspect, i'm annoyed that when i do find someone that i'm interested in i get over-enthusiastic, and i refuse to go through this discomfort even if it is a misunderstanding. i've been upset and brooding since i left the bar.
i was upset to discover that yesterday, when the kid told me not to call him "the kid", he was being serious - i explained to him when i got home that it's used with respect. you can't just undo a nickname, but either way it irks me that he saw it as something negative.
it got so frustrating that i almost cried. i did shout, and i did hit my desk, and i did giggle nervously and curse the incompetence that i hope is the cause - because if it's intentional then the devil walks amongst us and calls himself "rational". <he hinted>
around the same time as i was going through my ordeal, bt was supposed to be finishing an exam. after a flurry of sms miscommunication i called her, and our chat went from fun to "sorry, i just don't have the energy to talk anymore" (that was me, the conversation was turning awkward anyway).
while stewing over that, i decided (again) "fuck them", and i sent a rather extreme mail to a group of people that really pissed off my commander: my final line went along the lines of "i'm begging you: let me be productive, stop making me use this product".
the rest of the day was completely bipolar, and the last bit of the day was the 8pm ceremony for the day of remembrance. i got home at 9.30pm, got out of uniform, sat with our neighbour and her friend for a few minutes and skipped off to visit bt at work.
i was in a great mood and she wasn't tending the bar, but my mood turned sour after she turned out to be unresponsive and disinterested, and i finished my beer mostly in silence. every now and then she'd look at me and get this big smile on her face, but i couldn't tell if it was genuine or not.
she went behind the bar just as i was finishing, and by that stage i was having difficulty looking in her direction. i was actually considering walking out without saying goodbye, but i caught her eye and she suddenly skipped over, blew me a kiss and proffered her hand, and i have no idea what the hell she's on about.
all i know is that i'm glad that my problem is that i'm too picky and not that i'm emotionally disabled as i'd begun to suspect, i'm annoyed that when i do find someone that i'm interested in i get over-enthusiastic, and i refuse to go through this discomfort even if it is a misunderstanding. i've been upset and brooding since i left the bar.
i was upset to discover that yesterday, when the kid told me not to call him "the kid", he was being serious - i explained to him when i got home that it's used with respect. you can't just undo a nickname, but either way it irks me that he saw it as something negative.
Monday, May 05, 2008
my modem's on the blink
(motivator / demotivator)
my commander made me promise to do the impossible this morning, which is to somehow finish the last month's frustrating torture before taking sick leave - that's now less than two weeks away.
that's in addition to the other work that actually has value, only i've become so demotivated that i spent a large part of today staring at my screen blankly.
on the bus home i blasted my brain with ministry - i know how bad it is for my ears, but it's the only way i know how to kick my neurons into action and rid myself of the raging headache caused by "forgetting my glasses at home" (i hadn't forgotten them, i'd simply lost them in my bag).
at least i managed to get a good scribble going, far superior to the crud i did yesterday morning.
once i got home, i switched over to intense psychedelic beats, and for the walk to bt's i switched from psychedelic rock to hard rock. by the time i got to her place i was mostly sorted out.
she's staying in a great apartment with an absolutely stunning view, pity about the ten steep flights of steps. the last thing i expected was to be watching maccabi tel aviv being broken in the final, but it wasn't a complete bore and i got into it enough to be disappointed at the end.
the reporter was most amusing:
"so did you guys realize how much you'd suck tonight?"
"how does it feel knowing that everyone was betting against you?"
i'm paraphrasing, but that's the gist of what she was asking them and she just didn't stop.
so things seem pretty good with bt, but very obviously in early stages so there's still time to screw things up.
the walk home was covered nicely by a perfect circle and a complete lack of shame in continuing with my emotional renditions regardless of passers by.
i've just made myself a decent toasted sandwich, and i'm ready for bed. i'm somehow going to have to psyche myself up for tomorrow, and i've no idea where to begin.
moonflake's latest post on expelled is a must-read.
my commander made me promise to do the impossible this morning, which is to somehow finish the last month's frustrating torture before taking sick leave - that's now less than two weeks away.
that's in addition to the other work that actually has value, only i've become so demotivated that i spent a large part of today staring at my screen blankly.
on the bus home i blasted my brain with ministry - i know how bad it is for my ears, but it's the only way i know how to kick my neurons into action and rid myself of the raging headache caused by "forgetting my glasses at home" (i hadn't forgotten them, i'd simply lost them in my bag).
at least i managed to get a good scribble going, far superior to the crud i did yesterday morning.
once i got home, i switched over to intense psychedelic beats, and for the walk to bt's i switched from psychedelic rock to hard rock. by the time i got to her place i was mostly sorted out.
she's staying in a great apartment with an absolutely stunning view, pity about the ten steep flights of steps. the last thing i expected was to be watching maccabi tel aviv being broken in the final, but it wasn't a complete bore and i got into it enough to be disappointed at the end.
the reporter was most amusing:
"so did you guys realize how much you'd suck tonight?"
"how does it feel knowing that everyone was betting against you?"
i'm paraphrasing, but that's the gist of what she was asking them and she just didn't stop.
so things seem pretty good with bt, but very obviously in early stages so there's still time to screw things up.
the walk home was covered nicely by a perfect circle and a complete lack of shame in continuing with my emotional renditions regardless of passers by.
i've just made myself a decent toasted sandwich, and i'm ready for bed. i'm somehow going to have to psyche myself up for tomorrow, and i've no idea where to begin.
moonflake's latest post on expelled is a must-read.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
the close
the kid made brilliant lunch, our neighbour joined us. she asked me about this morning's occurrence, and she was actually a bit too supportive :)
the kid and i went to get some ice-cream for dessert, and had to wait fifteen minutes to get service. normally we'd have pissed off and not returned, but there isn't any better ice-cream and those bastards know it.
i went out with egg to a nice bar down the road, and bt called me. i had a prepared statement, but couldn't bring myself to say it... we did talk about what happened this morning, and she was surprisingly eloquent in defence of her behaviour: we'll continue talking tomorrow evening, only now it appears that the onus is on me not to screw things up.
after too much to drink and a good cup of coffee at coffeeholic (the cute girl got all excited when i pulled out my wallet - it's becoming a trend) egg and i called it a night, and now i've got to get some shuteye as tomorrow's supposed to be a demanding day - work as well :P
the kid and i went to get some ice-cream for dessert, and had to wait fifteen minutes to get service. normally we'd have pissed off and not returned, but there isn't any better ice-cream and those bastards know it.
i went out with egg to a nice bar down the road, and bt called me. i had a prepared statement, but couldn't bring myself to say it... we did talk about what happened this morning, and she was surprisingly eloquent in defence of her behaviour: we'll continue talking tomorrow evening, only now it appears that the onus is on me not to screw things up.
after too much to drink and a good cup of coffee at coffeeholic (the cute girl got all excited when i pulled out my wallet - it's becoming a trend) egg and i called it a night, and now i've got to get some shuteye as tomorrow's supposed to be a demanding day - work as well :P
on the other voet
i meant to write foot, but i'll leave it as is anyway.
my friday night was most certainly interesting. i visited bt at work on the way to ze germans, nobody had arrived yet and we had a drink and chatted arbitrarily.
we ended up playing shabbas poker at the irishman's place, to which i lost all my money (at least i hadn't arrived with more than a 50), but i lasted quite a while so i'm okay with that.
the graduate was on in the background, a classic movie that i have yet to see. i'm horrified that they overused simon and garfunkle tunes to such an extent that scarborough fair became jarring.
i came home, crashed for an hour, and then made the mistake of heading back to bt. she'd told me to arrive around 3am, and a cute friend of hers too, and the two of us sat having awkward conversations until 4am. her boss introduced me to richard cheese - closer, a brilliantly tragic rape of a song that made rape something to sing about.
we walked around for a bit, then took a taxi to dizengoff center and entered the club across the road along with bt's boss. a proper club, replete with odd assortments of strange people in various stages of sobriety and decay. the music was half-speed electro-funk, and quite a lot of it was pretty groovy.
the thing is, when there were four of us it was quite enjoyable, dancing and drinking and bumping elbows with strangers, but at 6am her friend left and a short while later the two of them abandoned me to go dance fairly intimately on the other side. i tried to be patient, but i'm not and i went to say goodbye. the boss made himself scarce, and i was kissed tenderly and begged to have a seat: "i'm sorry, i'm a bit problematic".
there's nothing worse than being in a situation that i've put a few girls in before, oft-times when i'd decided that i wasn't particularly interested. we had a short, uncomfortable chat, and after making my exit i spent the half-hour walk home driving myself absolutely nuts with bi-directional bullshit.
i woke up in the same headspace i went to sleep in (and i slept pretty badly), and spent the first half-hour to an hourabusing sketching d onto a canvas... extremely badly. my plan is malformed at best and it didn't really help me to work out my frustrations, although some of them were included in the draft.
so i put on my blades, put on tool, and went out to forcibly eject the cigarette i stupidly ingested on my way out of the club in the most brutal fashion i know how. it was an emotional run, with me flying past hundreds of picnicking people breathlessly belting out the lyrics to songs like push it.
that was a bit therapeutic. when i arrived back home i sat on the doorstep cooling down and crooning along, sent bt an eloquent sms ("coffee?") and went for another round. the negative response didn't touch me, which i think is quite sad as i was finally starting to relax a bit and now i'm all walled up again.
my friday night was most certainly interesting. i visited bt at work on the way to ze germans, nobody had arrived yet and we had a drink and chatted arbitrarily.
we ended up playing shabbas poker at the irishman's place, to which i lost all my money (at least i hadn't arrived with more than a 50), but i lasted quite a while so i'm okay with that.
the graduate was on in the background, a classic movie that i have yet to see. i'm horrified that they overused simon and garfunkle tunes to such an extent that scarborough fair became jarring.
i came home, crashed for an hour, and then made the mistake of heading back to bt. she'd told me to arrive around 3am, and a cute friend of hers too, and the two of us sat having awkward conversations until 4am. her boss introduced me to richard cheese - closer, a brilliantly tragic rape of a song that made rape something to sing about.
we walked around for a bit, then took a taxi to dizengoff center and entered the club across the road along with bt's boss. a proper club, replete with odd assortments of strange people in various stages of sobriety and decay. the music was half-speed electro-funk, and quite a lot of it was pretty groovy.
the thing is, when there were four of us it was quite enjoyable, dancing and drinking and bumping elbows with strangers, but at 6am her friend left and a short while later the two of them abandoned me to go dance fairly intimately on the other side. i tried to be patient, but i'm not and i went to say goodbye. the boss made himself scarce, and i was kissed tenderly and begged to have a seat: "i'm sorry, i'm a bit problematic".
there's nothing worse than being in a situation that i've put a few girls in before, oft-times when i'd decided that i wasn't particularly interested. we had a short, uncomfortable chat, and after making my exit i spent the half-hour walk home driving myself absolutely nuts with bi-directional bullshit.
i woke up in the same headspace i went to sleep in (and i slept pretty badly), and spent the first half-hour to an hour
so i put on my blades, put on tool, and went out to forcibly eject the cigarette i stupidly ingested on my way out of the club in the most brutal fashion i know how. it was an emotional run, with me flying past hundreds of picnicking people breathlessly belting out the lyrics to songs like push it.
that was a bit therapeutic. when i arrived back home i sat on the doorstep cooling down and crooning along, sent bt an eloquent sms ("coffee?") and went for another round. the negative response didn't touch me, which i think is quite sad as i was finally starting to relax a bit and now i'm all walled up again.
Friday, May 02, 2008
a slow drop
i sit here, drinking dr pepper after spilling sesame seeds from my giant beef-and-leafy sandwich, high tone in the background and a feeling that i should've slept a bit instead of playing so much final fantasy viii (i'm completely back in).
i woke up around 10am this morning, and after a quick breakfast went to meet bt to go shopping for a bow and arrow. i got to the coffee shop she was at, she handed me my giant daybreaker, and i was looking at some absolutely stunning artwork over her shoulder (she knows the artist, so he was giving her a quick run-through) when karnaf called me to say that i'd just walked past him.
i took a quick few steps back and sat down to chat with him for a bit, it's nice to touch base every once in a while. bt joined us, we laughed about bringing take-away coffee to another coffee shop, and then we walked to the mall.
there was a lot of interesting stuff at the mall, but nothing that we were looking for. my favourite moment was bt walking up to a counter manned by a weary looking girl:
"do you have a bow and arrow?"
"umm... no."
"okay... do you have bunny ears?"
"not really."
"okay, thanks."
as we turned to go i wondered if the girl would at any stage begin wondering what the hell we're planning on doing with them, because she can't know that the two items aren't related :P
we milled around, i found inspiration (i'll begin looking online for something a little less problematic), and then ambled about tel aviv visiting art galleries.
life is good. we were debating whether or not the beach was a good idea and ran into my old flatmate (been seeing quite a bit of them lately) who invited me to come to a picnic later. with the beach in mind, i came home to change and we ended up napping for an hour or two - it has been a long, long time since i've been that comfortable sharing a bed. all i could think of was an awful line that i came up with an age ago - "i think some of the ice around my heart just melted".
while looking for a reference to that line, i found the post from the day before the evening i first said it - i'm glad i wrote it down, because i'd forgotten about it and it intrigues me. and it's still as clear a memory as when i woke up afterwards.
i walked bt home, and continued on to the park where i met up with ze germans. i brought a sixpack of beer and another of dr pepper, we chilled for a while and then i walked home, running into piles on the way.
now i'm trying to decide if i'm going to pay bt a visit at work before joining ze germans for a session of risk. seems like an interesting way to spend a friday night :)
i woke up around 10am this morning, and after a quick breakfast went to meet bt to go shopping for a bow and arrow. i got to the coffee shop she was at, she handed me my giant daybreaker, and i was looking at some absolutely stunning artwork over her shoulder (she knows the artist, so he was giving her a quick run-through) when karnaf called me to say that i'd just walked past him.
i took a quick few steps back and sat down to chat with him for a bit, it's nice to touch base every once in a while. bt joined us, we laughed about bringing take-away coffee to another coffee shop, and then we walked to the mall.
there was a lot of interesting stuff at the mall, but nothing that we were looking for. my favourite moment was bt walking up to a counter manned by a weary looking girl:
"do you have a bow and arrow?"
"umm... no."
"okay... do you have bunny ears?"
"not really."
"okay, thanks."
as we turned to go i wondered if the girl would at any stage begin wondering what the hell we're planning on doing with them, because she can't know that the two items aren't related :P
we milled around, i found inspiration (i'll begin looking online for something a little less problematic), and then ambled about tel aviv visiting art galleries.
life is good. we were debating whether or not the beach was a good idea and ran into my old flatmate (been seeing quite a bit of them lately) who invited me to come to a picnic later. with the beach in mind, i came home to change and we ended up napping for an hour or two - it has been a long, long time since i've been that comfortable sharing a bed. all i could think of was an awful line that i came up with an age ago - "i think some of the ice around my heart just melted".
while looking for a reference to that line, i found the post from the day before the evening i first said it - i'm glad i wrote it down, because i'd forgotten about it and it intrigues me. and it's still as clear a memory as when i woke up afterwards.
i walked bt home, and continued on to the park where i met up with ze germans. i brought a sixpack of beer and another of dr pepper, we chilled for a while and then i walked home, running into piles on the way.
now i'm trying to decide if i'm going to pay bt a visit at work before joining ze germans for a session of risk. seems like an interesting way to spend a friday night :)
archiver SUCK!
when did blogger switch from a 999 post limit to 500? 2006 is now inaccessible in a single page. that's horrible.
on wobblies
my legs, i was absolutely exhausted before i walked back after walking bt home this morning.
we'd spent an hour or so watching invader zim, which she really enjoyed (i'd intended to show her only the first episode), after doing the sushi / ice-cream thing in bazel.
the apartment i looked at was nice, spacious and perfectly situated, but i can't believe that there won't be serious competition for it and i'm terrified of starting on the path of buying and being pushed out.
also, i'm still terrified of making a mistake, but maybe i shouldn't be?
we'd spent an hour or so watching invader zim, which she really enjoyed (i'd intended to show her only the first episode), after doing the sushi / ice-cream thing in bazel.
the apartment i looked at was nice, spacious and perfectly situated, but i can't believe that there won't be serious competition for it and i'm terrified of starting on the path of buying and being pushed out.
also, i'm still terrified of making a mistake, but maybe i shouldn't be?
Thursday, May 01, 2008
the new to-do list
i've decided that what i really need is a list of how to deal with stuff.
1. things not going your way
step back, consider the possibility that they're not supposed to. can you do something about it without upsetting everyone? if not, sigh and accept.
2. things not going right
if you're not in control: just laugh it off, funny man. shit happens, remember?
3. the person you're talking to is a jerk
there are two possible methods for this one. either take pity, and be glad you're not like him, or identify with him and try to stop being like him.
4. you've just been handed a lot of shit to deal with, when you're right in the middle of dealing with other shit
prioritize, breathe, focus. prioritize, breathe, focus. and when the next three items hit, repeat. and if you can't prioritize, pick the most annoying task.
5. you've left work
stop thinking about work. drink. repeat if necessary.
i suppose today went well, and i learned a lot. all that's left to do is cheer up and enjoy the weekend... i think the thing that's really bothering me is that i can't stop thinking about how wonderful it would be to not be a soldier.
in my head, i'm not.
1. things not going your way
step back, consider the possibility that they're not supposed to. can you do something about it without upsetting everyone? if not, sigh and accept.
2. things not going right
if you're not in control: just laugh it off, funny man. shit happens, remember?
3. the person you're talking to is a jerk
there are two possible methods for this one. either take pity, and be glad you're not like him, or identify with him and try to stop being like him.
4. you've just been handed a lot of shit to deal with, when you're right in the middle of dealing with other shit
prioritize, breathe, focus. prioritize, breathe, focus. and when the next three items hit, repeat. and if you can't prioritize, pick the most annoying task.
5. you've left work
stop thinking about work. drink. repeat if necessary.
i suppose today went well, and i learned a lot. all that's left to do is cheer up and enjoy the weekend... i think the thing that's really bothering me is that i can't stop thinking about how wonderful it would be to not be a soldier.
in my head, i'm not.
in review
i handled it in a tactless manner, which makes me an asshole, but i was right: you cannot watch a movie like saving private ryan with an ordinary girl, and watching with our hyperactive neighbour was out of the question.
i've seen it, the kid hasn't, and i'd warned him beforehand. and then i couldn't control my mouth when she started distracting him.
on the other hand, the message i sent to singer set the lines of communication to "positive".
awesome calvin and hobbes
gta's reviews are out
i've seen it, the kid hasn't, and i'd warned him beforehand. and then i couldn't control my mouth when she started distracting him.
on the other hand, the message i sent to singer set the lines of communication to "positive".
awesome calvin and hobbes
gta's reviews are out
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