I had three rugs at the House of Leaves. I can now only locate one. My apartment complex wants us to cover most of our wood flooring with rugs in order to reduce scratching and noise. One is not enough.
I got a text from my friend Anna today telling me that there were two rugs rolled up by the dumpster in the complex across the street from her apartment. I told her I'd go take a look at them and see if they would be worth taking.
I immediately spotted them as I pulled up into the parking lot, rolled up by the dumpster just as I expected. What I didn't expect was the condition they would be in.
They are cleaner than the rugs I took home from the HoL.
Rugs are heavy though. And awkward to carry. And I'm sure I looked like a creeper as I struggled to pick up these garbage rugs and stuff them into my tiny car. I eventually managed and made it back to my apartment where I immediately rolled out the green and beige carpets in the living room.
They aren't the best looking rugs as far as style, but they're at least something.
And the funny part is that one is exactly like one of the rugs I cannot locate at home. It's the green one and you can't miss it once you step into my apartment.
Now they just have to pass the roommate test. I'm going to lobby hard for the garbage rugs because I just don't feel like footing the bill for new ones.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Delays
So, I forgot to mention earlier that because of the outages and trees being down at my apartment complex, I cannot move in until Sunday at the earliest. I'm pretty bummed.
I'm back in West Point for the night so that I can get more of my stuff and take it up to Cville tomorrow.
I'm back in West Point for the night so that I can get more of my stuff and take it up to Cville tomorrow.
Severe Storm
We had a pretty massive storm pass through Charlottesville yesterday around 5 in the afternoon. It sprung up all of a sudden and just as quickly disappeared leaving a trail of destruction.
Trees were down in roads, on cars, and on power lines. Branches and debris were strewn through the streets and power was knocked out for large areas of the city.
Driving became a particular hazard afterwards as most stop lights were out and the drivers did not know how to proceed through the intersections. There were multiple accidents because of this.
Phone service was down for a while as well.
The explanation that is emerging is that we were hit with a microburst, although it looked much more like a hurricane had come through.
The storm lasted maybe three to five minutes.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Orientation Observation
The heat index is hovering between 107 and 110 degrees today while the actual recorded temperature is around 100. It's disgustingly hot.
One of the rounds of orientation is going on today. I walked up to central grounds and watched as groups of confused people maneuvered around the various buildings and sidewalks. Some of these people looked nervous, some looked overly excited, some looked like they didn't care, and others simply looked down as they walked.
I wonder what I had looked like to an established student when I came up for my orientation..I can only assume I would have been the person looking down at my feet..the way I had always walked before I came to UVa and learned to look around and notice my surroundings and the people who are usually too wrapped up in what they are doing to notice other people walking on the same sidewalk they are.
One of the rounds of orientation is going on today. I walked up to central grounds and watched as groups of confused people maneuvered around the various buildings and sidewalks. Some of these people looked nervous, some looked overly excited, some looked like they didn't care, and others simply looked down as they walked.
I wonder what I had looked like to an established student when I came up for my orientation..I can only assume I would have been the person looking down at my feet..the way I had always walked before I came to UVa and learned to look around and notice my surroundings and the people who are usually too wrapped up in what they are doing to notice other people walking on the same sidewalk they are.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Gauging the Width
Today Channing and I went up to Virginia Center Commons so I could get some new earrings and we could hang out for a bit. I also was finally able to give him the dozen or so Spanish music CDs that I've been carrying around with me for weeks now.
I found the Piercing Pagoda pretty easily, seeing as how it's right in the middle of one of the arms of the dying mall. At first I just looked and talked to the woman about gauges, which really intimidated me so we just kind of walked away after I told her I would be back later. After around 30 minutes of walking the mall and pointing out where stores used to be I returned to the Piercing Pagoda.
I found two pairs of earrings that I liked, but they were 16 gauges and I'm roughly 18 right now. I talked with the girl about whether or not I'd still be able to wear them and she said that, yes, I would. So I bought them.
After I dropped Channing off and went home I struggled with the earrings at first, not realizing the ends screwed off rather than pulled off. After that I put some Neosporin on the tips as the girl had advised me to do. With much difficulty I eventually got the left one through. The right one though gave me quite a bit of trouble. I could get the tip in but it kept going down into my ear, rather than through. The best part was having to pull it out each time after a failed attempt.
I ended up going to the downstairs bathroom and using a set of mirrors to find the hole on the back of my ear and poking it through that in order to kind of help it squeeze through once I started putting it in from the other side. This worked and I now have both of the new earrings in my ears.
My left ear feels fine now, but my right one is still very tender. It'll probably be like this for a while.
I found the Piercing Pagoda pretty easily, seeing as how it's right in the middle of one of the arms of the dying mall. At first I just looked and talked to the woman about gauges, which really intimidated me so we just kind of walked away after I told her I would be back later. After around 30 minutes of walking the mall and pointing out where stores used to be I returned to the Piercing Pagoda.
I found two pairs of earrings that I liked, but they were 16 gauges and I'm roughly 18 right now. I talked with the girl about whether or not I'd still be able to wear them and she said that, yes, I would. So I bought them.
After I dropped Channing off and went home I struggled with the earrings at first, not realizing the ends screwed off rather than pulled off. After that I put some Neosporin on the tips as the girl had advised me to do. With much difficulty I eventually got the left one through. The right one though gave me quite a bit of trouble. I could get the tip in but it kept going down into my ear, rather than through. The best part was having to pull it out each time after a failed attempt.
I ended up going to the downstairs bathroom and using a set of mirrors to find the hole on the back of my ear and poking it through that in order to kind of help it squeeze through once I started putting it in from the other side. This worked and I now have both of the new earrings in my ears.
My left ear feels fine now, but my right one is still very tender. It'll probably be like this for a while.
Friday, June 18, 2010
TEA Party Infiltration
Rather than type up a whole new thing for my TEA Party visit last night, I am just going to post what I wrote and sent out to the other KW Democrats after I returned home from the meeting and had a chance to listen to some of my audio recording:
Fellow Democrats,
I have just come back from a place where few Democrats ever tread: a T.E.A. Party meeting. My decision to go to the meeting came after I read their write-up in the Tidewater Review which said something along the lines of "The King William TEA Party will not tolerate any racist, sexist, or bigoted statements by any of its members or at its sanctioned meetings." I wanted to see if this was a true statement or not.
So, armed with just a pen, notebook, and audio recorder I swallowed what dignity I had and went to the meeting. I was greeted warmly as I picked up their handouts and then I went into the room where the meeting was about to begin. Attending were 24 people, 14 men, 10 women, all white, all but me and the Chairman's daughter were over 45, with most being in their 60s or so. The meeting was much more like a
church session or informal get together, even though they have the same elected positions that we in the KW Democratic party do and are now incorporated as a non-profit organization. There was no actual business that they conducted, but they already have $1068.68 in their account.
I have an audio recording of the entire meeting so I will not go into too many details of it now as my email would be pages and pages of me talking about what they said. Essentially though, the TEA Party claims that they are "not racist, not violent, but informed" citizens. To me, if you, as a functioning organization, have to explicitly state those things then you probably are what you say you are not.
Statements that contradicted the above claim include, but are not limited to racially profiling illegal immigrants by saying that they will be speaking Spanish and not listing a single country of Europe as a place where undocumented immigrants come from, only countries in Central and South America, Asia, and Africa. These statements were part of a series defending Arizona's new anti-immigrant law which they see as fully justified.
The members of the TEA Party also want to deny citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants even though it is explicitly stated in the US Constitution (a document they claim they wish to return to) that anybody born within the borders of the United States or any of its territories is a citizen of the United States.
As for non-violence: one woman suggested term limits and recall measures for Representatives and Senators who do not fulfill any of their promises by 1/3 of their term. After she said "if they do not do any of them by the end of that time then they're gone" a man seated behind me asked "can we shoot 'em?" So much for non-violence..
As for "informed" all of their information material was from one source, as the Chairman admitted at the end of the meeting. I learned as a journalist and as a historian that one source does not, by a long shot, give you all the information you need in order to make an informed report or decision. This is also just common sense, something these TEA Party people believe they are full of.
I was called out at the meeting for taking "very distinct notes" and was asked if I was a reporter (25:40 of my recording). There was also a brief period of UVa/Charlottesville bashing as they are considered a "bastion of the Left" by the TEA Party -- and when the man seated next to me asked me if I would be at the next meeting I replied, "No, I will be back in Charlottesville, at UVa where I go to school."
One last bit of interesting information, they also wish for the repeal of the 17th Amendment -- the direct election of Senators. They believe that by returning the choice of Senators to the state legislatures, it will return the Senate to what the people of the state actually want, rather than by having the people decide for themselves what they want in a Senator.
Sorry for such a long email. It would be longer but I am cutting it here. If you would like more information on what I saw and heard or want a copy of my audio recording so you can hear for yourself word-for-word what went on at the meeting I will be more than glad to supply you with that information.
Thank you for reading and have a great Friday.
It was quite an interesting meeting.
Fellow Democrats,
I have just come back from a place where few Democrats ever tread: a T.E.A. Party meeting. My decision to go to the meeting came after I read their write-up in the Tidewater Review which said something along the lines of "The King William TEA Party will not tolerate any racist, sexist, or bigoted statements by any of its members or at its sanctioned meetings." I wanted to see if this was a true statement or not.
So, armed with just a pen, notebook, and audio recorder I swallowed what dignity I had and went to the meeting. I was greeted warmly as I picked up their handouts and then I went into the room where the meeting was about to begin. Attending were 24 people, 14 men, 10 women, all white, all but me and the Chairman's daughter were over 45, with most being in their 60s or so. The meeting was much more like a
church session or informal get together, even though they have the same elected positions that we in the KW Democratic party do and are now incorporated as a non-profit organization. There was no actual business that they conducted, but they already have $1068.68 in their account.
I have an audio recording of the entire meeting so I will not go into too many details of it now as my email would be pages and pages of me talking about what they said. Essentially though, the TEA Party claims that they are "not racist, not violent, but informed" citizens. To me, if you, as a functioning organization, have to explicitly state those things then you probably are what you say you are not.
Statements that contradicted the above claim include, but are not limited to racially profiling illegal immigrants by saying that they will be speaking Spanish and not listing a single country of Europe as a place where undocumented immigrants come from, only countries in Central and South America, Asia, and Africa. These statements were part of a series defending Arizona's new anti-immigrant law which they see as fully justified.
The members of the TEA Party also want to deny citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants even though it is explicitly stated in the US Constitution (a document they claim they wish to return to) that anybody born within the borders of the United States or any of its territories is a citizen of the United States.
As for non-violence: one woman suggested term limits and recall measures for Representatives and Senators who do not fulfill any of their promises by 1/3 of their term. After she said "if they do not do any of them by the end of that time then they're gone" a man seated behind me asked "can we shoot 'em?" So much for non-violence..
As for "informed" all of their information material was from one source, as the Chairman admitted at the end of the meeting. I learned as a journalist and as a historian that one source does not, by a long shot, give you all the information you need in order to make an informed report or decision. This is also just common sense, something these TEA Party people believe they are full of.
I was called out at the meeting for taking "very distinct notes" and was asked if I was a reporter (25:40 of my recording). There was also a brief period of UVa/Charlottesville bashing as they are considered a "bastion of the Left" by the TEA Party -- and when the man seated next to me asked me if I would be at the next meeting I replied, "No, I will be back in Charlottesville, at UVa where I go to school."
One last bit of interesting information, they also wish for the repeal of the 17th Amendment -- the direct election of Senators. They believe that by returning the choice of Senators to the state legislatures, it will return the Senate to what the people of the state actually want, rather than by having the people decide for themselves what they want in a Senator.
Sorry for such a long email. It would be longer but I am cutting it here. If you would like more information on what I saw and heard or want a copy of my audio recording so you can hear for yourself word-for-word what went on at the meeting I will be more than glad to supply you with that information.
Thank you for reading and have a great Friday.
It was quite an interesting meeting.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Having a T.E.A. Party
I've decided to go to the King William County T.E.A. Party meeting tonight.
The reason is because in last week's Tidewater Review the TEA Party published an advertisement for their upcoming meeting about illegal immigrants and at the end of the article they wrote "The King William Concerned Citizen's Movement does not tolerate any racism, sexism, or bigotry of any kind by its members or at sanctioned meetings."
So, I've armed myself with my audio recorder, my notebook, and a fast-writing pen and I'm going to go to this meeting and just see what they actually say then, because, I mean, I'm pretty sure some racist or bigoted things are going to be said when they talk about illegal immigrants.
I guess I'll just have to find out for myself.
The reason is because in last week's Tidewater Review the TEA Party published an advertisement for their upcoming meeting about illegal immigrants and at the end of the article they wrote "The King William Concerned Citizen's Movement does not tolerate any racism, sexism, or bigotry of any kind by its members or at sanctioned meetings."
So, I've armed myself with my audio recorder, my notebook, and a fast-writing pen and I'm going to go to this meeting and just see what they actually say then, because, I mean, I'm pretty sure some racist or bigoted things are going to be said when they talk about illegal immigrants.
I guess I'll just have to find out for myself.
Kings Dominion Adventure
We had decided a while ago while we were still in school to go to Kings Dominion during the summer. Yesterday we finally did just that.
The coordination was the most difficult part of the whole thing. I got some free tickets from my friend who is an employee at the park. After some work convincing others that a "chance of scattered thunderstorms" was not that big of a problem we finally were on our way to Doswell.
It only takes about 50 minutes or so for me to get up there from my house. We met up with Ronnie who was coming down from NOVA and then went on to the park.
It was not crowded. At all.
We got to ride anything and everything we wanted to with minimal wait time. I think the longest we waited was 20 minutes for Flight of Fear...but it's inside so it wasn't too terribly hot.
So in the end we stayed there for roughly 7 or 8 hours. It doesn't really matter.
Either way I was still very chafed at the end.
The coordination was the most difficult part of the whole thing. I got some free tickets from my friend who is an employee at the park. After some work convincing others that a "chance of scattered thunderstorms" was not that big of a problem we finally were on our way to Doswell.
It only takes about 50 minutes or so for me to get up there from my house. We met up with Ronnie who was coming down from NOVA and then went on to the park.
It was not crowded. At all.
We got to ride anything and everything we wanted to with minimal wait time. I think the longest we waited was 20 minutes for Flight of Fear...but it's inside so it wasn't too terribly hot.
So in the end we stayed there for roughly 7 or 8 hours. It doesn't really matter.
Either way I was still very chafed at the end.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Public library Awkwardness
It's always awkward when you run into someone you used to be friends with but aren't anymore. That awkwardness is increased when the person is slightly mentally off and you just kind of dropped them from your life one day.
I'm currently sitting near the person I did that to in the library in West Point.
He is much more tan than I remember though..
I'm currently sitting near the person I did that to in the library in West Point.
He is much more tan than I remember though..
Monday, June 14, 2010
Random Update
I'm actually at home...using a broadband connector that my dad is borrowing off one of his employees. I'm just scared about how much I can use because we only have 250 MB per month and it's quite a few of us using it.
Anyway, Laptop's new battery came in today. I've performed the transplant and am now just waiting for the battery to die before I charge it up fully for the first time.
I think I'm also going to go lay down for a bit. It's hot and humid, which makes me sleepy.
Anyway, Laptop's new battery came in today. I've performed the transplant and am now just waiting for the battery to die before I charge it up fully for the first time.
I think I'm also going to go lay down for a bit. It's hot and humid, which makes me sleepy.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Battery
I have to get a new battery for Laptop (that's my laptop's name). He died on me the other night after only 30 minutes of non-plugged in usage. I did a health check on him and HP told me that he needs this transplant soon, both for his sake and mine. I just didn't think he would still be this young when the time came..
I guess he's two years old now though. I got him after I graduated from community college...somehow I had to go through a whole year of college (don't say ANYTHING about community college not being real college. I will find you...and I will fuck you up...) whereas my sister gets a laptop in the 10th grade.
I'm sorry...I guess my emotions are just running a little high right now. Even though Laptop is assuring me that he's doing fine by his whirring and proper functioning right now, I know the minute I leave the room he's going to sputter and possibly pass out again. I just want him to be healthy...
So tonight, with his approval, I went on and ordered him a new battery. In about two weeks or so I will perform the transplant myself and possibly donate his old battery to a needy computer somewhere else in the world.
It's what Laptop and I both want.
I guess he's two years old now though. I got him after I graduated from community college...somehow I had to go through a whole year of college (don't say ANYTHING about community college not being real college. I will find you...and I will fuck you up...) whereas my sister gets a laptop in the 10th grade.
I'm sorry...I guess my emotions are just running a little high right now. Even though Laptop is assuring me that he's doing fine by his whirring and proper functioning right now, I know the minute I leave the room he's going to sputter and possibly pass out again. I just want him to be healthy...
So tonight, with his approval, I went on and ordered him a new battery. In about two weeks or so I will perform the transplant myself and possibly donate his old battery to a needy computer somewhere else in the world.
It's what Laptop and I both want.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Thunderstorms
We ended our last class early...two hours early to be close to precise. We said our fond farewells to the people we cared about and then my good friend from my class took me back to the Lodge. I noticed how extravagantly humid it was outside and how a deep haze hung over the horizon and treelines through Charlottesville. I should have known what that meant.
I was laying in my bed watching television at around 3:30 when I heard a noise that sounded like one of the older women who work at the hotel pushing around a cart of used towels. I didn't really pay much attention to it until I heard it a second time, this time louder though. I kind of figured we were having a passing storm but did not think it was going to get too serious. Until the power went out.
It quickly came back on and I was glad because I really needed the AC going in my room. The power stayed on for another three minutes or so and was then cut out again. This time it did not come back on for a while.
Lightning was cracking all around the Lodge and I could hear water pouring off the second floor balcony into the area in front of my room. I pulled the blinds open and looked outside at the strong winds blowing leaves, sticks, and small branches down from the woods behind the motel. Rain was coming down heavily and running down the hill towards the back of the motel where my room is.
Then the hail started. It wasn't large hail, nothing damaging, but it was enough to take note of. Water, in the mean time, kept building up more and more outside of my room. I opened my door and was met with about two inches of water standing in the walkway. Luckily the doors have enough of a doorstop ridge that the water was never able to breach. I stood in my door frame for a few minutes as the storm raged beyond the protection of the overhang balcony. A Hispanic guy ran out of his room and passed me in order to get to his car for something. As soon as he leaped over the giant puddle that was in front of my door and started going up the stairs we saw an intensely bright flash of lightning and immediately heard a sky-splitting crack. He just turned around and looked at me for a second or two, smiled, and continued running out to his car.
I eventually closed my door (after taking a few pictures of the water) and turned the TV on to continue my done-with-class-early rituals....and the cable was out. It remained out for several hours...Several hours in a hotel room by yourself with nothing to do is terribly boring.
Around 8:30 another storm rolled through. Not as powerful as the first, but still fairly rough. It completely broke the humidity's stranglehold on the area and somehow restored the cable. Unfortunately, the Internet at the Lodge is still out so I'm sitting in my car outside of the Ed. School siphoning the network connection.
It feels a lot like what I have to do at home..
I was laying in my bed watching television at around 3:30 when I heard a noise that sounded like one of the older women who work at the hotel pushing around a cart of used towels. I didn't really pay much attention to it until I heard it a second time, this time louder though. I kind of figured we were having a passing storm but did not think it was going to get too serious. Until the power went out.
It quickly came back on and I was glad because I really needed the AC going in my room. The power stayed on for another three minutes or so and was then cut out again. This time it did not come back on for a while.
Lightning was cracking all around the Lodge and I could hear water pouring off the second floor balcony into the area in front of my room. I pulled the blinds open and looked outside at the strong winds blowing leaves, sticks, and small branches down from the woods behind the motel. Rain was coming down heavily and running down the hill towards the back of the motel where my room is.
Then the hail started. It wasn't large hail, nothing damaging, but it was enough to take note of. Water, in the mean time, kept building up more and more outside of my room. I opened my door and was met with about two inches of water standing in the walkway. Luckily the doors have enough of a doorstop ridge that the water was never able to breach. I stood in my door frame for a few minutes as the storm raged beyond the protection of the overhang balcony. A Hispanic guy ran out of his room and passed me in order to get to his car for something. As soon as he leaped over the giant puddle that was in front of my door and started going up the stairs we saw an intensely bright flash of lightning and immediately heard a sky-splitting crack. He just turned around and looked at me for a second or two, smiled, and continued running out to his car.
I eventually closed my door (after taking a few pictures of the water) and turned the TV on to continue my done-with-class-early rituals....and the cable was out. It remained out for several hours...Several hours in a hotel room by yourself with nothing to do is terribly boring.
Around 8:30 another storm rolled through. Not as powerful as the first, but still fairly rough. It completely broke the humidity's stranglehold on the area and somehow restored the cable. Unfortunately, the Internet at the Lodge is still out so I'm sitting in my car outside of the Ed. School siphoning the network connection.
It feels a lot like what I have to do at home..
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Internet Problems
The hotel changed the password for their Internet server on Monday and rather than calling the front desk and asking what it is, I've just kept with what I first did when I got here -- siphoning someone else's connection.
Poor "Carrie." She might not even realize that her signal can, for most of the time, be picked up at the Lodge. It does happen to cut out occasionally which causes some problems, but since I'm done with my classes now, or at least the work associated with them, I only use the Internet for my own needs, not for work.
I'm only here for three more days...really just two because I have to be out by 11 a.m. on Friday.
Poor "Carrie." She might not even realize that her signal can, for most of the time, be picked up at the Lodge. It does happen to cut out occasionally which causes some problems, but since I'm done with my classes now, or at least the work associated with them, I only use the Internet for my own needs, not for work.
I'm only here for three more days...really just two because I have to be out by 11 a.m. on Friday.
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