Weekends need filling

So last weekend, Erin and I watched a couple movies. It was cold, kinda rainy...

Actually, I think it was just cloudy, but in my memory it's rainy as well because that's the way I justify our lazy day.

We made dinner: our special tuna salad wraps with roasted garlic mayo, snap peas for an appetizer, and wine. Because that's just how we roll. We bundled up in the living room (on separate couches) and lit candles and watched two movies.

The Tree of Life.

Most confusing movie. Ever. Watched. It was so confusing. Instead of being described as "Impressionistic," it should be described as "Abstract." There are dinosaurs, dream sequences, flying, not a lot of talking, and a LOT of pictures from the Hubble telescope and a couple volcanoes. Sorry I just ruined the movie for you. It doesn't really have an ending so I guess I only partially ruined. Decide if you want, but I'm warning you: we watched for about 45 minutes before deciding we had to take an intermission to get cokes and popcorn. That last 1.5 hours was brutal with lots of me and Erin screaming "WHAT??? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DINOSAURS. WHY DID THAT JUST HAPPEN???"

So then we watched Trespass.

Which most of you will know as the Nicholas Cage Nicole Kidman action drama. It really pulls at the heart strings. But I will tell you this: at least it had a recognizable plot. We definitely understood that movie.

The moral of this post is if given a choice between these two movies: stick with the recognizable one. Impressionistic = crappy movies. Great art, crappy movies.

Let's play a game.

It's called "If I could be anywhere in the world where would I be?"

I'll start:

*Not. Here.

Not definitive enough? How about this one:

*Anywhere but here.

Ok, fine. It's a cheap shot, I get it.

*Anywhere on Earth but here.

Final Answer.

Can you tell my day was rough?

It started out fine, well, fine for Macau. Grey, foggy/smoggy (the two are interchangeable when you live in this part of Asia.), drizzly. I left my work pass upstairs and had to go back up to get it. Made the bus. Point for me

Go to work, passed out cookies I made so that I wouldn't eat them. Healthy living (Lent) started yesterday and what do I do? Naturally, I bake cookies. Sometimes I confuse even myself, so don't feel obligated to attempt to understand my reasoning. You are not alone.

And then, it was all down hill from there. I ran through daily checks (where I travel the building from B4 to L8 - a long way - looking for flaws in our system) setting a new record for speed, turned over my laundry on L2, and then changed for yoga. Went through an hour of torturing myself because I have to put a bathing suit on in two weeks before going back upstairs only to be tortured some more by soldering LEDs all day.

Now, normally this wouldn't be a problem, because I do like to solder...except for that time I was soldering and I lit my hair on fire with the soldering iron...

That was not fun.

But today, it kept spitting impurities at me and landing on my arms and then I flicked hot solder on my face because I solder like I paint: messy. Anyone who's worked with me at Totem Pole knows I am one of the messiest painters ever. Love it. Make a mess, though. So after flicking solder on myself Monday doing the same task, except that time it landed on my jeans, burned my leg through the denim (without burning the denim, I might add) before blistering the finger it stuck to when I attempted to brush it off...

Yeah, I know. About as brilliant as the time I tried to straighten a lamp plug with my tooth and chipped it. Disclaimer: I was NOT a professional electrician at the time. I use pliers now... NOT my very very expensive teeth.

My day just never stopped. Stripping cables, soldering, crimping, LEDs, cleaning, organizing, consolidating, redistributing... This project is either going to be my greatest triumph or my most heartbreaking defeat. For all our sakes, I hope it's the former, rather than the latter.

Then all of the sudden, it's time to go home and I want a beer. So I come home, drop my laundry in my room in my newly cleaned apartment (cleaner comes on Thursdays), put on my LSU polka dotted flip flops that I love and head out the door towards the pub. Halfway there, my flip flop breaks. I am, of course, pissed because this is not the first time I have put on flip flops here in China and had them break on me, no where near my house so that I have to limp back to my apartment to get new shoes, hoping the Chinese are not noticing me the entire time.

I make it home, put new shoes on, get to the pub in one piece and chat with some friends, then the new manager of the pub (who's a DICK - sorry for the language Mom, but he definitely is JUST that) lies to me about whether my favorite manager is there. AFTER he looks at me like I'm mental because I wanted mashed potatoes with cheese on top, not the fake cheese dip, a slice of cheese melted on top. Look, you jerk, this is my pub, this is what I eat at my pub, YOU are new, and I do not like you because you tried to talk to Erin and me during football games on the TV. Like an idiot. And also because you dress like a sleazy car salesman from the 70s. SO. If I've seen Ary there, don't lie to me about her being there. That just makes me dislike you even more.

But now I'm safe inside my apartment and I'm going to go to sleep. Because the only thing to do with a tough day is sleep it off and start over in the morning.

ALL SMILES!

I need a vacation from planning my vacations.

Just kidding.

But seriously.

I'm booking two holidays right now and it's stressing me out fully. I'm not sure how Erin books three at a time.

I know how this sounds, but I have never had the ability to take vacations like this and I won't again, so I'm going to enjoy talking about them. Besides it's my blog. If you don't like what I say, guess what? You don't have to read it!!!

The girls and I have been trying to take a holiday together for the longest time. One of us inevitably can't get the time off or has another commitment or can't afford it, but this time, all four of us are going on vacation together. Whether we like it or not, kicking and screaming, and boozing all the way, we are going to Bali. Together. The four of us.

It will most likely be the last vacation we take together as a group. First and last, because it's time for some of us to move on. All people in this business do is move, get comfortable, and leave. Painful. Change sucks. Sometimes we see them again, sometimes we don't.

I talk to Canadian Pete sometimes, he left. Chris and Christina left. We went and saw them get married. Kate comes back to visit and work for a couple weeks at a time, that's lovely. British Pete used to come and go and now he's permanent. But that doesn't usually happen for me. That success rate is rare and I think it should tell you all a lot about the sort of relationships Macau forces you to develop. I mean, let's be honest. We're in the trenches together.

So Bali is booked. Officially. I booked our layover hotel in Kuala Lampur tonight and it feels GOOD to have that out of the way. All we have to do is make arrangements with a dive center in Nusa Lembongan and then we won't have to think about it again until March 12th. Cutting it close, I guess. But that trip will be so amazing and peaceful it doesn't even matter. Bring on the sun, the sand, the water, and the umbrella drinks. (Although, I'd kill for a hammock and or a beer.)

Then a week of work before taking off for Japan. AHHHHHHHHHHH. This is going to be an AMAZING vacation. I am swallowing the fact that it will be the single most expensive trip I've ever taken in my life and I'm going to charge everything and not look at my statements until I get back. I want to see and experience everything. Literally everything. Quentin (my little brother) is taking his spring break to meet me in Tokyo and we will travel together for the first time in ages. Huge shout out to his girlfriend for driving him to Texas to meet her father and then sending him to the airport to hang out with me for a week. Michelle, I still don't quite understand how you love that beard of his so much, but you're a pretty cool girl and I have huge respect for you. I'm glad you're around!

Bed time. Dreaming of adventures coming up and those yet to be imagined...

Consider this my notice:

I will not make any more excuses for being sucky at keeping up with my online journal. None. So there. I refuse to give myself any more guilt than I already do in my daily life, though as my roommate will tell you: I have The Guilt. So I will probably give myself more anyway.

There. Now that that's been stated, business.

The Cirque show across the street from our's is closing. I would like to officially wish them a happy closing and hope that they all find bigger and better things. Especially my friends over there. Emily, I'm super proud of you for hoofing it out here against all odds. You are the reason I had the confidence to come over here and I cannot thank you enough for that. You're a great friend and truly an inspiration. I love you dearly and I will absolutely come visit you, no matter what crazy and insane part of the world you end up in next. Let me know if there's a job available, I'd follow you anywhere after this! Kentucky, Macau, next the world!!!

Speaking of awesome friends, Erin. She is my domestic soulmate. Remember how I wished everyone an Erin for Christmas? She's done it again. Erin has this boyfriend, Fred. Whom I also love. Fred's an awesome guy who is known for being eccentric in the best way possible. Eccentric in the way that I got into theater to meet this sort of people because they make sense to me and make my life more fun than others. That sort of eccentric. Anyway. Tonight, as I was staring (literally) into the open refrigerator, willing my food to prepare itself - unsuccessfully, I might add - Erin suggested " I have that roasted garlic in the fridge. You know what's really good? It sounds weird, and I will not judge you if you don't try it, a sandwich made of crackers, peanut butter and jelly, and roasted garlic. " If you could have seen my face. It was my sceptical face. It's a good one. She said Fred introduced her to it. Being a sceptic, but feeling incredibly adventurous, I tried it. HOLY MOLY.

Game Changer folks.

Saltines, crunchy peanut butter (which I didn't like until about ... 24?), apricot jelly, and a clove of roasted garlic. Erin says the jelly flavor doesn't matter. I say: GENIUS. New favorite snack. Thanks to Fred by way of Erin for that one.

And again, I am definitely not the most adventurous eater: no mushrooms, no onions (mostly), very little meat (indeed none right now), no celery, et al. But that snack is AWESOME.

Just another reason I wish everyone an Erin for their lives. Indeed no one is complete without her.

Sometimes, You have a Cup of Tea By Your Bed.

Other times, you have a beer. I confess tonight it is the latter for me. Though, my empty tea mug from last night is still on my nightstand as well. No worries.

I am just plain weary. It has been a long two weeks and the next 1.5 will be rough as well. We are gearing up for another dark here in Macau and two weeks ago it was decided that instead of a global lamp change (giving every fixture in our inventory new lamps) we were going to be replacing LEDs.

Now, let's back track.

In October, when we were dark, you may remember I mentioned everything going to hell in a hand basket. That's because the 150 LEDs we ordered from our supplier in July were late arriving (re: two days into the dark), were not waterproof, got rained on when our rain gutters leaked, and were finally made waterproof before being reinstalled.

They died anyway because they were Rubbish. With a capital R.

We're replacing them with our own creation. Finally. But it was a last minute project, so we've only had 2 weeks to get it together. I have high hopes for this because I take a certain amount of pride in this project. It's my baby and I feel like I have nurtured it to a point where it's time to set it free and let it swim. Hopefully all those swimming lessons and floaties give these LEDs some hope because otherwise my June dark will look exactly like every dark I've been a part of since arriving here: LED-Tastic.

That being said, it's past my bedtime.

The joy in my life right now: my clean room (got rid of some more stuff this weekend), my new plants (a fuschia and a version of a mum), candles lit, and internet in our house again after it being dead for 2 days.

The little things.