12/23/2003 - 3:13 a.m. | i used to jump off the garage as a kid

I have to keep summoning energy to bang out an entry before bed this late, but I do have my secret weapon. A little hypnosis supposedly replaces a good five or six hours of sleep. So, do it like four times, and I've got a day in a matter of an hour. Makes sense to me. That and David Blaine levitating. Science!

The thought was that Justin and I would be going home today, but guess not. Which is fine. Got to do my stupid laundry, so I don't have to be an ass about bringing it home. I should go grab it from the laundry room now, but it's not like it matters. I am almost positive that Kyle and I are the only ones left here. Campus is seriously thinned out. It's sort of fun. Showered and sort of meant to do stuff but instead sat about reading. Today's official songs for looping were Kelis' "Milkshake" and the Mortal Kombat dance remix. And they say I lack taste.

Kyle emerged late and suddenly realized that he had a shitload of errands to run, so we gradually got our acts together, picked up Yousaf (also likely the only one left in his building), and headed out to Sam's. Traffic was fairly nuts, but I remembered my cassettes (!!) for the minivan today. Sheryl Crow's "Strong Enough" single, some techno from 1997, and foreign summin-summin. We rock hardcore. Kyle got Brytne's final gift - the largest roll of bubble wrap that I could ever conceive of - as well as a sickening amount of wrapping paper (A single roll is unfathomable there - you can have one giant roll or a pack of five regular rollls - that's it). Why do I drink cola when it only makes me ill? Who knows? Wrapped Kyle's stuff when I got back - I've still got it! - and he gave me this totally bizarre Playstation game that I wish I had enough time to try.

I passed out for a while, on and off, I guess until Kyle got back from taking Brytne to the train. We went over to Yousaf's to, uh, admire his brand new $700 monitor (see, the old one was... ghosting a little, so he had to have a new, slightly bigger one rushed here today). The connected desktops are cool, but I think you need like 8 of them on all sides for the full effect. We ran out to Rentertainment to try and find some stuff. It took us a loooong time to come to some agreement on our choices because between the three of us we have seen pretty much every movie in the place. We finally got out about an hour later, hit Schnucks for some junk, and headed back to Yousaf's.

Kyle's microwavable White Castle cheeseburgers are so good and so fart-inducing that you could not even believe it. Add his choice of peach punch Tampico, which I couldn't even stand, and I grew up on the damn brand, and you've got a winner. I'll stick with my cheese and chocolate combination, I believe. I got sort of outvoted and gave into the decision to watch Seabiscuit. It really wasn't a terrible movie. I mean, predictable and all, but cute and inspiring or whatever. I like the horse too. Leave me alone. The main thing that got me was the damn music. I don't like it when producers think audiences are made up of total cretins and that they therefore need to spell everything out for us. Laugh tracks are one thing, but I think the leading music bothers me even more. Yes, I realize the scene is dramatic. No need for the French horn solo. I understand. Some credit please.

I believe that Yousaf thinks I am sort of an awful person because I hold unexplained grudges against certain actors - Taye Diggs, Kate Hudson, William Devane, Angelina Jolie, etc. - but trust me... I know what I'm talking about. I haven't been taking these psychic lessons for nothing now, have I? These people are all assholes, and I need nothing more than my hunch to tell me so. Maybe you don't understand yet, but the truth will come out. Watch it.

Second movie was To LIVE and DIE in L.A. starring Willem Dafoe and Ira from "Mad About You." It rocked. I've seen so many cliches about 80's cop movies that it's nice to finally catch the source material. The partner shot two days before he retires. "I'm getting too old for this shit!" Which Yousaf predicted verbatim. And, whatever they saw about modern films, if this one was typical, the violence and sex has been toned way down. I mean, a guy got shot in the fucking head with a shotgun - and they showed it! Then an immediate cut to the hero having sex with some chick - her boobs and the shadow of his penis quite visible! That's movies, folks! Shoot the Asian guy in his undies in the back? Random stuff about bungie jumping or something? YEAH! I suppose the best part was that the entire soundtrack was done by Wang Chung, and it kicked total ass. Even now I am scouting Amazon to see if it is worth buying. We shall see.

Kyle and I walked back to his car, but he was ambling like the stupid fat hobbling old lady that got in front of us at Sam's today. I made the comparison known and told him to hustle. I say weird things sometimes. Came back home, all ready to get in bed and be all cozy and happy. Forgot my damn keys, though, so I rode back to get them. Yousaf was pooping, it seems, though, so I was trapped outside and sort of bewildered for a while. It does not seem like winter. It's been raining all day. And my stupid ass is soaked from riding there and back. I eventually reached the point of no return and just aimed for the puddles instead. God willing, it will not snow, so I won't have to hear people talking about our fucking "white Christmas after all." Not bitter. Love!