This is Ali. A few weeks ago, Tricia’s coworker invited us out to join her and her boyfriend on a bit of a double-date night. Her roommate joined in, and the 5 of us ate at Hooters (deep fried pickles FTW) and found ourselves at our original destination for the evening: Dave and Buster’s. I’d never been before, and if you haven’t, imagine a large arcade with an adjoining bar, billiards room, restaurant, the works. We were only there for the arcade, and after paying for a swipe card (the entire establishment works on swipe cards – swipe to play, tickets are stored there, etc), we were off.

Inevitably, I found myself at a claw machine. I figured “what the heck, I’ll try”. I’d never won before, despite having tried my luck many times in the past. I swiped my card, went for a strategic target, and pressed the button. Lo and behold, the claw actually grabbed this bear. I’m STILL surprised. First try at D&B, and I had it. That’s the furthest extent my luck may ever reach regarding those machines, too.

…We have a kitten now! Here’s the story: Tricia, my younger brother, and I all live and share an apartment together. We’ve wanted a pet for a while now, and had pretty much decided upon a cat, probably adopted from a shelter. About four weeks ago, along comes a friend of mine messaging me up online. A friend of a friend of hers works at a veterinary clinic in mid-GA, where they had gotten in a 4-week old black kitten, abandoned by the mother-cat and attacked by a dog. The vet took her in, but absolutely could not keep her, as the vet herself had 2 young children and a host of other territorial pets already. My friend advised us to contact the vet and get more information.

After an exchange of calls and info, we learned this kitten was completely healthy – negative on kitty leukemia and kitty AIDS, no worms or fleas, etc. The vet began her on vaccines and other prevention shots, and was taking care of her. She said, if we wanted, we could have her completely free (medical treatment/papers and all) in two weeks, as she was underweight and still needed eyedrops and anti-bacterials as a result of the dog attack.

Two weeks later, we drove out there and got ourselves a six-week old, pound-and-a-half black kitten. The vet was even kind enough to give us a bag of Iams for her – a saint, this woman is. For my brother and myself, it’s our first pet that’s not in a glass tank. XD She’s the most adventurous kitten – within 20 minutes of getting her home (from an hour ride on the highway in a box, no less), we had her playing with her toys, and within another 20 minutes we had her purring up a storm (like an old computer doing its damnedest to load a huge Geocities page). She eats and drinks and poops like a machine, and jumps on EVERYTHING. She seems to enjoy sleeping with us in bed, jumping on us at 8AM sharp, running around and attacking everything and anything, using my shoes and messenger bag as scratching posts, and hiding in her cube house.

Anyway, her name is Ella, named after Ella Fitzgerald. Have some pictures and YouTubes. (Click the pictures for bigger versions!)

She did surprisingly well with our move. Oh, yeah, we moved. On June 8th, we moved to another apartment in our complex – an upgrade move, 2 bedrooms to 3 bedrooms, since my brother’s girlfriend will be joining us in August. That day was exhausting; 12 solid hours of moving all my crap into a new place. However, I did get to take a pretty neat shot of the old place before we moved, so I may as well share it here now.

Drag around! It’s nifty, I think. :P Soon I’ll attempt this with the new place, but it’s a weird layout that I don’t think will work too well with this sort of technology.

Other events in my life surround Apple. No surprises there, for anyone that knows me well enough. I applied for a position as a Specialist (floor retail) at the Lenox Mall Apple Store, while simultaneously being referred to the position by a friend working at the Augusta Mall Apple Store. I got a email requesting a phone interview in the following days, and I must have done well enough on the phone interview to warrant an in-person interview at the store itself. At this point, my friends intervened and to make a long story short, I now have 10 less inches of hair, a goatee, and I rather like the new style. Pictures to come, but not yet.

Unfortunately, I was turned down for the position at the Apple Store in Lenox Mall, and I’ll attribute that to having never worked retail before. Alas. I politely responded asking about perhaps a position at the Perimeter Mall Apple Store, so here’s hoping. :)

The other Apple event in my life is my iPhone 4 preorder. I’m fairly excited; it’s been a while since I had a new iPhone, and this one has the works: new design I love, way better screen, the new iOS 4, front facing camera (videochat!), better rear camera with flash and 720P video recording… And I was lucky enough to secure a preorder slot before they were shut down. I’m expecting the phone to arrive via FedEx on the 24th, launch day. Let’s hope everything works out!

My fingers are tired, and so am I. Goodnight, all!

Another thing one may notice is that I’ve replaced the blog. I had to update my WordPress installation, which borked itself and I had to restart from scratch. I’m surprised and amazed I remembered HOW to even do it. As a result, though, things may take a bit of tweaking for a few days, but I’m overall very pleased with the new WordPress (I upgraded from 2.5.1 to the current 2.8.4, so there was a LOT of newness in here for me).

I’m currently sitting in my Shakespeare course watching Morpheus Laurence Fishburne play Othello on the DVD my professor is showing. These stories are always so tragic. =/ This is just one of several classes I’m rather enjoying this semester – I’m taking a course in Interactive Narrative and Fiction, another in Constructing the Moving Image, another in User Interface Design, and another in Ethics in Computing. Very good semester, and all things I’m interested in. :)

My apartment is quite nice and comfortable, but needs a bit more decoration and furniture. I guess that’s why Tricia’s moving in (TOMORROW!) to take care of that sort of thing for me. ;D She’ll enjoy it, and I’m looking so forward to finally having her here – words cannot do my feelings justice.

So I can’t remember if I actually wrote about my new Macbook Pro that I love so very very much. Everything about this magnificent machine is to my exact desires – a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GBs of DDR3 RAM, and a 320GB HDD for starters. I JUST purchased Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard for only a mere $29 a week ago today, and I’ve seen some significant improvements in the realm of how this computer runs and handles itself. I’m quite pleased overall. I’m now waiting for two dates for Apple-related excitement: September 9th is Apple’s standard media event for the refresh of their iPod line (here is where they typically release a new version of iTunes, hoping for some sweet improvements… maybe 64-bit?), and September 25th, when AT&T finally stopstries to stop failing so fucking hard and grants iPhone owners the ability to MMS-text message pictures for those not in the know. I have some sweet programs for my Mac now too – Things for Mac (and subsequently, Things for iPhone) have made task management and keeping up with things so. much. easier. for me. I’m kinda in love with being able to take a quick glance and see everything that’s due of me. ^_^ I’ve also obtained Adobe’s CS4 Master Collection, which is fantastic for the programs and talents expected of me in my major here at Georgia Tech. Photoshop and Flash will more than likely prove to be far more useful than anything else I can possibly have. I’ve also installed Aperture 2 for my Mac, in preparation for the DSLR I plan to get – Aperture 2 is a photo management and RAW image handler developed and sold by Apple, and it should work wonderfully for my needs. :)

But yes! A DSLR – specifically, the Canon EOS 500D (otherwise known as the Digital Rebel T1i), a fantastic 15 megapixel DSLR camera that also does HD video and has Live View, two neat knick-knacks for a DSLR. Every review I’ve read says this camera is best in its price class and seems perfect for my desires and hobbies. I can’t wait to purchase this camera and develop my photography skills, but I want to sell my current camera before I run off and buy this thing… and I need to find a buyer. Anyone who is interested and reading this, hit me up, PLEASE. :P

I wanted to say more than simply facts or… almost sales-pitchy things in this post, but I suppose I have to get all that out of the way before I go on with other things. I guess those thoughts will come later today though – class is almost over and I should wrap this up. :P So, until later…!

… So yeah, I finally ordered it. Brand new 13″ MacBook Pro 2.53GHz, 4GB DDR3, and 320GB HD. I’m fairly excited. Also, I got a free 8GB iPod Touch out of the deal and I ordered MobileMe (mostly for the Find My iPhone feature) at a discount, not to mention opted to have iWork ’09 preinstalled (no more MS Office for meeeee).

Funny enough, each of those three things (MBP, MobileMe, iPod Touch) are all being shipped separately, but all should be arriving within this coming week. Which is good, considering I have a lot I need to do this next week, too. A week from today is when my brother and I are going to be signing for our new apartment in Atlanta at the Post Renaissance. We’re getting a 2 bedroom/2 bath place, and we have a bit of work to do in making sure everything is squared away. No cable TV for us, to begin with – I don’t feel like paying for the Comcastic rape that is their TV charges. Yuck. But we need to set up utilities and the like before moving in, including connection dates and everything. Then the actual “moving” portion, which will suck. But, nevertheless, I’m looking very forward to it.

Tricia bought a plane ticket, too, for September 6th. One way, and then she’s stuck here. ;) Looking forward to receiving her at the airport for hopefully the final time.

Well… I need to be going. Will be writing sometime soon again.

I’ll leave you with my favorite MJ performance. Sucks that he’s dead.

I apologise for not having written sooner – I was just getting back into the groove of it, too. :P But what with finals, immediately having to move out, and then immediately having to start work? It’s almost a surprise I haven’t dropped dead yet.

Almost.

So I’m all moved out of my fraternity. It’s a weird feeling, but altogether I’m so entirely glad I got to live there, and at the same time I’m so entirely glad I’m getting my very own apartment. However, the reality is sinking in of all the preparation I need to undergo for this immense move (after the home move in the coming month, which is even MORE immense). I need to have a kitchen table+chairs set, hopefully donated by my mother when she gets a new set for our new home. I hope to inherit a full-size bed from my grandmother for Tricia and I to sleep on in our apartment as well. The mattress is apparently so new it’s practically never-been-used, so I’ll probably get some sheets and a pillowtop for it and we’ll be set. :) Then I can use my futon for a sofa, and I won’t need to spend my money on toooo much else for the apartment.

I have other plans for my money. :)

For instance, I want to get myself a cheap $299 camcorder for dicking around and youtubing… and while I’m at it, a larger external HDD to store the raw video on! And my brother Cody has been teaching me bass guitar, and I’d love to get my own bass. I’m proud of myself; I’m actually improving. Though, my fingers hurt. I have the bass and camcorder picked out, so click the links for pics and such. I even have the bass guitar case picked out, and be sure to look at the sexy red interior in the next picture one you open the link. :P

So, my job. To earn the money for this stuff, I’ve been working a LOT. All at Contract Callers Inc. Yep, I’m a debt collector this summer. Well, sorta. Where I work there are two kinds of debt collectors: 1st and 3rd party collectors. 3rd party collectors introduce themselves as debt collectors with Contract Callers Inc, and are the hardball guys. 1st party collectors introduce themselves as part of the clientele company (in my case, Orlando Utilities Commission) and I forward delinquent accounts to the 3rd party types. I basically just ask for money; the other guys DEMAND the money. I like my job, but I’m new and still nervous with it. My supervisor, Beau, is a really great guy for reassuring me though. :P And it helps that I’ve known the head honcho boss for about a decade through TaeKwonDo. ;D

So, Pruitt-Igoe. I looked into this recently after noticing one of the films I watched in Ozge’s film course at Tech was put, in its entirety, on youtube: Koyaanisqatsi. Click the damn link, I think this movie is haunting and yet beautiful. It has no plot, no dialogue, just images. Powerful images. And the music…. however, most people will probably recognize it now as WATCHMEN used it for Dr. Manhattan. :P Kinda makes sense, though. XD

But the scenes with Pruitt-Igoe show just… the scope of this public housing project and how badly it ended up being. How we, as a species, build and build and build… sometimes without thinking, and it’s all for nought. Makes you think, y’know.

Give the movie a glance, at least.

I need to call Tricia back. :P Until next time!

What is all this, I wonder. I have hopes and dreams and no means.

I’m so tired.

I realize I haven’t written in forever. For that I apologise. I’ve been absorbed in the real world, and I fear my attention span has dimmed. I’m rather certain I have ADD by now – I can’t even concentrate on this window and yet it is something I want to do. I miss writing.

I should try to update on where I stand in life. It’s initiation in my fraternity right now, so this week is a particularly busy one. I’m sitting in my CS1050 Constructing Proofs course right now. I’ve never found it particularly interesting. I just can’t concentrate on it. *shrugs*

It began to rain just as I was leaving for class this afternoon, and it’s been pouring and lightning and thunderstorming since. I wish I had some more gadgets, like a video camera and tripod and a better camera. I think time lapse photography is pretty interesting, and I can only imagine what that would look like in the rain…

The biggest thing on my mind is that I need money. I need a job for the summer in Augusta so I can begin saving to furnish an apartment for Cody, Tricia, and myself to live in next fall… I need to afford expensive ring-thing for Tricia down the line so I might as well save now… I want to go to Disneyworld for New Years with Tricia, Patches, and Kiki… I would like a new computer and a new camera, but those come dead last for “things I should save for”. I couldn’t be a waiter in Augusta, though. I can’t remember orders well, and I’d drop everything. I don’t know what else I could be doing in Augusta. Retail? I dunno. I just need a summer job.

SO yeah, if you read between the lines, you see that I’m getting an apartment in Atlanta. Right now the only place Cody and I have looked is the Post Renaissance, but we’re planning to look at more. It’ll be nice and quiet, and moving Trish down here will be an adventure, expensive, but well worth it. Meanwhile, in Augusta, my folks are moving into the home they’re building, and it’s gigantic and beautiful. Everything is going to be different soon… Another “reading between the lines” (not really) was the plan for the four of us (myself, Tricia, Patches, and Kiki) to go to Disneyworld for New Years! I cannot wait – we did the math, and if we stayed at the Walt Disney World Port Orleans – French Quarter resort for a week and each of us had park tickets for a week with Park Hopper passes, it comes up to (split evenly) $660-ish a person. VERY affordable. A bit more if we want to do Cirque Du Soleil’s “La Nouba”, which I want to, but… yeah. :P I’ll be saving money for souvenirs this time. I want the giant beer mug from Epcot’s Germany, among other things. Best of all, we don’t have to do the ridiculous one-night hotel stays before and after the week because Patches has a cousin who we can stay with in Orlando. :)

I bought a book on how to knit when I went to Vanderbilt University one weekend with Nick and Frendahl to visit Lisa, Frendahl’s girlfriend. I hope to find some time over the summer to do that and be good at it. I have both Grandma and Kiki to help me, which is nice. Then I can make gifts instead of buying them, which is ultimately much more heartfelt (to me), not to mention more inexpensive.

I don’t have anything else right now. I’m glad I wrote, but I wish I had more to say. Something more sincere. But I’ll be honest, I’d be very surprised if anyone reads this anymore – especially after the hiatus I accidently took.

Um… yeah. Until next time.