Things are lookin' up

So to sort of balance out my last, somewhat depressing post, I will write a positive one (gasp). Today I got all dapper'd up for my interview with GLAAD (for those of you living under a rock, that stands for Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation), for an Entertainment Media internship. Yes, like many other internships, this one is unpaid, which is not the best, considering I need to move the hell out of my brother's house still (nothing's changed there, my door still doesn't close). But I got such good vibes from the whole experience, unlike my interview for a retail job that I royally failed two days ago (shudder). First of all, GLAAD's office is on Wilshire, right outside of Hollywood. How do I know this? Because for my interview, which was on the 15th floor of this awesome building on a road lined with palm trees the length of a football field, I could see the HOLLYWOOD letters on the hillside. I felt like I was living in a dream or something. Like the most cliche, "I'm just a small town girl moving to a big city" kind of dream. Except gayer. Anyway, I met with this wonderful young gay, who commented on how nice I looked (serious props considering LA gay men and fashion), and we had a sort of conference interview with a woman who was the head of volunteer/interns in GLAAD's office in San Francisco. It was a bit awkward at first...I was thinking, who/what do I look at when I answer her questions? The phone? The gay guy? The Hollywood sign? I settled with looking at the phone. She asked me a bunch of questions that I was somewhat prepared for--why I want to work at GLAAD, why I am good for the position, etc etc. Anyway, by the end of the interview, we hung up with the SF lady, and the young gay looked at me, and said something like, "You got it," and then "Just act surprised when she calls you tomorrow and says you got it." I can do that. "Who, ME? You love me! You really love me!"

So that's good. Hopefully I get to start soon. The next step is getting a job that will pay me. Any takers? I'm cute? I like to write? I love the gays?

F you, Pinkberry

So I haven't been keeping up with this thing. My time is mostly spent searching for jobs on mediabistro, journalismjobs.com, monster (which is usually disappointing), and Craigslist when I realize that I need to expand the job search to mediocre jobs that include a Pinkberry employee (I'm pretty sure I would be the most disgruntled, bitter employee in their history...they still haven't gotten back to me), a photographer's assistant (a random dude who asked me to go to his home studio in the valley for an interview...sketchy), and a sales associate at a thrift store. Each day I am gradually losing the feeling of entitlement that I gained from four years at Johns Hopkins. I even got rejected by a soccer mom who needed a chauffeur for her kids after school (apparently it would not be economically worthwhile to take the job if I don't live in Santa Monica).

So when I'm not applying to jobs, walking the dogs, or cooking dinner, I figure I should do some volunteer work. You know, give back. Of course, when it involves free labor, I always get a call back for an interview. Go figure. But I am actually excited to volunteer at the LAGLC. And who knows, maybe it will open some doors.

My brother (who I am living with for the moment) told me a few days ago that I need a job by the end of the month so I can get the hell out of his place. I feel so welcome. Don't my amazing cooking skills vaguely substitute any sort of rent that I could be paying? I guess not. It's not like I really dig living in a tiny room where the door doesn't close all the way. Not an optimum situation for love connections. Maybe I should have chosen New York. Sigh.

New coast, new bike

So I know it's been forever since I've posted, but you know...life is busy. I graduated college, am still unemployed, still drinking too much beer, still waiting for shit to happen. I'm leaving for my cross-country journey in four days. Yikes. I feel drastically unprepared. So far the stops on the trip include, but are not limited to...
1. Ann Arbor, Michigan-to stay with my brother Phil
2. Chicago, Illinois-to hopefully stay with my roommate's cousin
3. Des Moines, Iowa-to stay in a dirty ass motel
4. Boulder, Colorado- to stay in another dirty ass motel
5. Santa Fe, New Mexico- to stay with one of the coolest girls I know, Michelle
6. The North Rim of the Grand Canyon- to stay in a teeny tent with a hopefully huge fire.

If anyone knows of any must-sees in any of these locales, please let me know. My interests include beer, bikes, girls, sunshine, and nature.

Since I figured this is the time of new beginnings, I decided to buy a new bike. I'm going to put it together myself. We'll see how it works...if I retain my sanity and my fingers, then I will consider it a fruitful endeavor. Here's what I've purchased.


This is the frame...Jury 49cm. Affordable, slim. Just how I like it.




















This Sugino RD 165mm Single Speed Cranket in Gold










Nitto Alloy Riser Handlebars


And some other stuff. It should look pretty cool. I'm very excited for the flatness of LA. I was in Philly on Thursday and Friday, and I realized just how many fixed riders there are in that city. It is really flat, and it seems very biker friendly--lots of bike lanes, one way streets, etc. I wish that Philly could be transported somewhere else, so I could enjoy the warm weather of the West Coast while still having the bike community that Philly seems to thrive on. The one thing I know I need to do once I get to LA is join some sort of bike collective/group that is preferably all women. We'll see how that goes. I know lots of people in LA are more into surfing and skateboarding than fixed gear biking, but it seems like such a perfect place for a fixie culture...consistently warm weather, well-paved roads, flat streets, cute people...maybe there is a culture there that I'm just not aware of at the moment. I guess I need to troll around the South Bay area looking for cute bikers. Wish me luck.

but that's the ladies' room...

So because I had such a great, vaguely technology-free weekend, I couldn't keep up with the blog. But let's be serious...I'm pretty sure no one reads this but me...I ended up going camping this weekend. Just for Friday night and most of the gorgeous, yet sunburnt day that was Saturday. It was me and a bunch of queers (mostly girls leaning towards the Sapphic end of the spectrum). It was great-I brought this Jiffy Pop that my mom (the ex-girl scout)told me to get. If you've seen the opening scene of the first SCREAM, then you know what I'm talking about. There's something fun about watching a thing that looks like an alien pod grow in front of your eyes. And it's even more fun when you open it to discover that there aren't baby aliens, but instead, a huge quantity of obscenely buttery popcorn.









Ollie and Kingsley

Lez camp...plus a hot dog and a gay




So I really need to take a nice long bicycle ride this weekend...and seeing as how it's supposed to be in the...drumroll...mid EIGHTIES in Baltimore, I'm sure it will happen. I've been having some problems with my tires lately, or should I say, my pump. I bought the cheapest one I could find back in September (after my ex-girlfriend reclaimed hers) and it has given me nothing but hard times. It loves to just suck the air from my tires instead of filling them UP with air. So after a heated argument, during which I thought sticking gum in the mtn bike valve was a solution to the problem, I broke it. Now all I have is a little hand pump, which I can't really use despite my hulking biceps' strength. Bottom line, I haven't had full air in my tires since...for a while. I really need to break down and go to the shop.

I'm going to Six Flags this weekend. It should be sweet. I really do love roller coasters. Especially ones like this...when you're riding laying down on the tracks...and flying head first down the slope...booyah.

Sunshine and spice and everything nice.

It's a beautiful day. So I won't spend much time talking about how gorgeous it is instead of actually enjoying it. I took a little bike ride today and realized that life is pretty good. And that I want more stuff for my bike. This is the season for showing off the goods. Looking fresh is key. So next on the bike agenda, I purchase this bad boy.














Since I'm feeling bike happy today, I think I've decided that I need to go to Japan someday. The fixed culture for girls there is pretty big apparently. Mostly I want to go there to be friends with girls like this one. It's pretty refreshing and exciting to see girls rocking the tricks...I'd like to say I know what this little trick is called...a rotated pop-a-wheelie? A single-wheel-track stop with a twist? That sounds like a drink that I should invent. This is a reminder to myself that I need to work on my track stops. What kind of badass fixie girl am I going to be if I can't even stand still? My friend Katie told me she'd teach me. It's all about baby steps...first I conquer track stops, then I take on the world. Who is with me? A bike is required.

Work and play...a delicate balance.

So I should be working, as usual. But I'm stoked about this show tonight at this local bar/venue in Bmore called the ottobar. Leslie and the Ly's are performing...this amazing chick rap group with lots of glam and spandex and glitter. Oh, and dope beats. I hear they are amazing live. I should be working on a term paper instead of going out, but hey, you only live once. And I do truly love glam performers...Bowie, Gil Mantera's Party Dream...I love it all. Stereo Total will also be performing, who I am not as familiar with, but I checked out a few of their tracks and I approve. And they're from Berlin, which is pretty much supposed to be one of the coolest cities ever.

Here's an amazing video by Leslie...


So this April showers thing has really hit Charm City. I'm not that thrilled with mother nature right now. I'm usually okay with riding my bike in inclement weather, but yesterday I had a bit of an incident involving skidding into a pickup. Mostly my ego was harmed, so no worries, but I decided it's probably not the best to ride my thin-tired fixie Schwinn when I can hardly see due to the rain droplets on my glasses, and my feet sliding around on the pedals. No good. California's call is even louder when it rains for four days straight in Baltimore. But there's always this weekend, which could possibly involve a camping trip if I do what I need to do before hand. I haven't been camping in quite a while, and seeing as how the last time I went camping I couldn't even get a fire started, I'm glad I'm (possibly) going with a big group, which could increase our chances of a starting a nice, cozy fire. But then again, we are a bunch of queers, none of whom are granola dykes (but who knows what secret talents us queers have). We might be eating nothing but PB and J. And beer. I hope I can go...

The first, the last...

So today, sitting on my couch, eating jelly beans, I realized I should get on this blogging train. I'm still trying to figure out what my general theme will be, but let's say it's going to be a strange culmination of queer stuff, writing, eating, drinking, and biking. Because I like those things. So for today's news, I am procrastinating working on this school thing. I graduate in one month. I really don't know where the four years went. I considered failing out of school so I could do another semester here, but I figure that would harm me in the long run, no? I have been attending the library more often lately, and I've realized the true intensity of the place. I need to put on some Enya or something when I'm there because otherwise I feel like the whirring sound of the fans and the conversations about foreign scientific processes could harm me emotionally. I also kind of feel like I did in gym class back in the day. It's like survival of the fittest for a damn table. I contemplate and calculate trying to pick the best table, with the highest chance of success for allowing me to sit there. I usually pick the smaller parties with headphones on, because conversation doesn't seem to be the reason why they are there. I usually say something like,
"Is anyone sitting here?" I know, genius right?
"Actually I'm waiting for some people"
This same conversation, more or less, happened to me three times. I felt a strange feeling of rejection. Like when I was ten and that Tyler never picked me for his dodgeball team even though I was a nimble motherfucker. But I'm not bitter or anything.

Right now I'm watching Law and Order: SVU, partly for the engaging plot lines, but mostly for Mariska Hargitay. I think I'm in love. She can take me in for questioning anytime. Plus, she's a total lez, contrary to popular belief. I know these things.



In other news, I want to get an addition to my tattoo. The one on my back is an open book with a light bulb illuminated over it. I've always wanted a little blurb underneath, and I think I might have found my inspiration. It's from this W.H. Auden poem called "In Memory of W.B. Yeats" that I read a few weeks ago, and I love it. Here's a little exerpt from the last part...

Follow, poet, follow right
To the bottom of the night,
With your unconstraining voice
Still persuade us to rejoice.

With the farming of a verse
Make a vineyard of the curse,
Sing of human unsuccess
In a rapture of distress.

In the deserts of the heart
Let the healing fountains start,
In the prison of his days
Teach the free man how to praise.

I think I might get those first two lines. Readers, if there are any, let me know what you think.