11/15/2003 - 2:30 p.m. | am i truth? am i free? i'm like everyone i see

That's right! It's 2:30 in mid-November! My, how time flies. I know, I know - should've written last night, but I was under the weather, so to speak. Or 4 and smashed, whatever.

So, yesterday!! Day the second of classes. I dunno - it's so good to be in psych. All the classes actually interest me, and they have some sort of connection with each other. That makes me a whole lot happier than the shit arrangement of last semester. The Brain and the Mind (BaM from now on) seems like it'll be interesting, if only because it will be taught by four different teachers over the course of the semester. Also, Soumya's in class, and there's a barrel of excitement right there. Biking in the cold for long distances gives me a headache, but I went to Schnucks to get my meds and even the score a little bit. Some things I do are just bizarre. Bringing a lawn gnome in with me, for one. And I don't really see the problem with the cranberry juice.

Phonetics seems neat, too, even if iit is sort of useless. The professor looks like Harve with a sinister mustache, but at least he doesn't act like him. And look! Now I use Mallard, too, physics assholes!

Then hours and hours of my life were sucked up by UO. I tamed a cougar and named him John Mellencamp. And I chased this guy Kenan around and kept asking him where Kal is. Power gaming is for nerds. Hold on, have to listen in on the fat redhead girl act all whiny... OK, that was worth it.

We all went over to Kyle's parents' for chili (doom!), and then Kyle and I waited around for his dad to come back so we could get books, which are still grossly expensive. I decided to just buy them for now, then search for cheaper versions, and get a refund if I can find any. Which is doubtful. Some lady honked at Kyle's dad, and he got out of the car to yell at them. I wish I weren't lacking in road rage.

Watched "American Idol" alone, because that's what I do. Also nearly died laughing at the last guy who went. Kick a goat, and it will sing like him. Much more time wasted doing not much in particular, and then I decided to go to bed. Or stay up and drink with Spritz and some other IMSA people I don't really know. Except Moller, who belly danced a little. Ugh, incidentlly. Not 'cause of that either. I miss wine.

Anyway, up today for sensory blah blah blah. Dunno - the teacher was adorable, if a little hard to understand, but she more or less just went over exactly what I read. And it's all crowded and smelly. I hope it gets better. Then home to delay showering for as long as possible, and back out to AbPsych. The lectures there are even more redundant, especially with the lecture notes online, but she takes attendance, so I guess I just take it up the butt on that one. On the way home, I thought, "Even if I never get married, I'm going to adopt a kid." But then I thought, "But then I'll have to try and help her with her period and bra sizes and stuff, and I bet that will make her feel awkward." Shit. Nevermind.

As far as startingly good news, today I got two letters from the Wendy's Corporation. They begged my forgiveness AND! gave me three coupons: 2 for anything on the Super Value menu and 1 for a small fry! YES! The system works! That's almost four bucks for free, right there! I was planning on having some ramen or something, but if I can keep this trend up, I can get by on a free meal every now and again. Of course, I guess there is the shame of trying to use three coupons all at one, and all the confusion it causes amongst the trolls, but honestly, I have no shame.

We tanned, which is pleasant after all of this cold, and saw creepy David Lee Roth / Cryptkeeper (or is that redundant? HOOOOOOOO!) shoveling snow / bodies on Coler. I am at work now in my snazzy new Campus Rec t-shirt, which all the ladies have been drooling over. Especially the big "STAFF" on the back. Incidentally, a song you should listen to is the Proclaimers' cover of "5 O'Clock World" because it's really cute. And then get the "Once in a Lifetime" video after that, if only for the dance at the first chorus and the "MY GOD! WHAT HAVE I DONE!"

The lock on the main entrance to the girls' locker room isn't working completely, and to open the door from the other side, I have to walk through the guys' and all the way back through the girls' to do so. This is extremely awkward, so I just talk very loudly. "I HOPE NO ONE IS IN HERE BECAUSE I WORK HERE AND HAVE TO OPEN THE DOOR! PLEASE DON'T MACE ME!" And people keep coming to tell me about how the soap containers are on the floor, and honestly, I have no jurisdiction over that. If I had a mop, I'd clean it up or refill the soap or something. Instead, I just sit here and act useless. [UPDATE: Since I am such a man, I put all the dispensors back and turned on all the showers. Problem solved.] Speaking of, I've decided to apply for a second job: Crossing guard. It pays pretty well ($8.10 an hour), I like kids well enough, the hours are pretty short, I've gotten pretty good at dodging traffic, and standing still seems downright tropical in this weather compared to bike riding. Plus, as always, the hilarity. I've watched so many people check the change slot on the pay phone in front of me. I should warn them in advance, but the failure touches me. But other than that, I'd pretty much bend over backwards for anyone.