Calling All Science

I have discovered a new mushroom, science. I will name it after myself.

Tunderscores.

From the Vault

These are some pictures from like Spring 2011, my sophomore year of college, when I made a robot out of cans of peace tea that I collected in my friend's apartment. This used to be on the blog but I purged most everything from pre-2012 because I used to curse a lot and then got really worried about that.

kinda wish I still had that Big Lick t-shirt...

I would later go on to rip those pants completely.

Essence

Julie told me today that I have a 'muted presence', like that's the impression I give off just standing around, doing nothing, being neutral, to a stranger. Which I like. I guess everyone looks kinda muted just standing around doing nothing but like I've asked people like which Harry Potter house I would be in and someone told me 'you're kind of a mix', which, to say everything is to also say nothing. And I really don't like personality tests and groupings and things.

These blogs have been extra bloggy lately. Anyway, if you're reading this and you've met me and you remember having a thought, like, when you first saw me or first met me and had an impression, I would really appreciate you posting it in the comments. Even if, especially if, it didn't turn out to be true and ESPECIALLY IF it wouldn't be the kind of thing that would've been socially acceptable to say in the moment.

Oh, I guess to also clarify what this is all about you should watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDrMmn6YkwM

enjoy. if you respond I will try to give a reciprocal essence if you'd like

Pepper

Today I had an idea for a movie where the ground pepper on my spice shelf starts infecting all the other spices with evil pepper.

But really the reason the pepper was evil was because the condiments in the fridge, which are in charge of the kitchen for some reason, developed the evil pepper contagion and spread it to the pepper. Something about wet flavoring superiority. And so most of the movie would just be the pepper infecting all the spices, kinda slasher movie style, one by one, and you see the spices' personalities before they're subsumed by the horde.

And then everyone is infected and the honey bear eats them all to represent how nature will take back the Earth when society sabotages itself.

Late Night Wegman's Grocery Shopping

I have spoken to...in real life...with talking words...exactly two people today. This first person was my coworker who I was talking to when the clock flipped over to midnight and I was still at work because my Saturdays start at 8AM and end when I decide to stop doing paperwork. And then I didn't say any words out loud to another person until around 11PM when I was checking out at Wegman's. But, to be entirely honest and give the absolute fullest disclosure, I was also speaking when and mumbling to myself throughout the day and then scream singing when I was driving to Wegman's and Portugal the Man's Feel it Still came on the radio for the 80billionth time. Oh man. I belted it. That's one of those songs where you think you know the words cuz you've heard it so much but then you try to scream it and you find yourself just yelling over whatever the actual words are. Yeah. I was exhausted today. I got out of bed at noon. Just didn't put in any effort but I think that's what my body needed. Then I had an ambiguous negative interaction where I assumed negative intent and kinda victimized myself and got all in my head and turned around and stewed in it on the couch for way too long. Boo hoo poor baby.

What else? I was going to write about how much I could tell high school me about how I had absolutely no conception of what the world was like outside of school. Oh, and I woke up to a text asking if I could come in and work on my day off. Which I really don't like saying 'no' to but it was the kind of day where there was no way that I was going to do laundry or buy groceries or even eat a real meal until at least 5 PM. I like my life though. I wouldn't give it up for very much. I like that, outside of work, I can do pretty much whatever I want. I'm also working on getting better at basketball. I'll get back to running eventually. Sometime soon probably. Really depends on the recently injured foot and I'd really like to get my old-injured foot figured out so maybe not running will help with that for a bit. We'll see.

hey! I've lived in Charlottesville for 2 years!

It was actually yesterday but I kind of forgot.

On December 1st, 2015, I started my afterschool job and was living in a townhouse with 2 roommates. In March, I ran in the Charlottesville 10 Miler for the first time and got 5th. By the summer one of the roommates had moved out and a new one moved in and I started working at the summer camp as a counselor in 2016! Let's see, then by the Fall the other original roommate moved out and Luke kinda lived with me for a month though I barely saw him and a new guy moved in by January. Also on December 1st, 2016 I saw strfkr play and had a terrible day at work and resolved to leave my job after working there for exactly one year. I woke up to 2017 with my head where my feet should have been, my pants on my pillow, and vomit on my pants. I started training for my current job in January 2017 and officially started at the beginning of February. In March I got 2nd in the Charlottesville 10 Miler! Then in May I moved to the summer camp and got new roommates, Maddie and Otis, who were really great. I volunteered at the camp and got an even more full-timer position over the summer at my job. I also hurt my foot in May and haven't run any races since. Um, I also got an Instagram after not having social media since November 2011. Since the Fall I've lived alone at camp and worked a lot at work and over Thanksgiving just recently hurt my other foot so I've been taking a break from running that I'm honestly not all that upset about.

The Count:

-4 jobs
~7 roommates
-2 houses
-1 concert

In a Writing Mood.

I watch Peter Draws a lot and he talks about taking a line for a walk when drawing. So you just begin drawing and you have no idea where it's going. I guess the same can be said for writing. But, as in drawing, it's pretty unfulfilling to read when it doesn't come together in a cohesive whole. You want the sense that you're building towards something or have done something by the end of it instead of just walking around sniffing everything you come across.

I guess I'll share that I've been getting headaches lately. I don't normally ever get headaches. Usually it happens on my day off from work when I get a later start to my morning. So it could be from going too long without eating or going too long without coffee or stress from work. But I don't feel that stressed from work. It's come close to a baseline for me, being at work. I used to, when I first started, have a really strong reaction to driving down the road that leads to the school. Like almost cold sweats and heart beating really fast and a sense of dread and foreboding. But I don't like sharing that. A part of me knew that wasn't a valid reaction to what I was about to do so writing it down feels like it legitimizes somehow. Or that I need to contradict myself to tell you it wasn't true. And then how are you going to believe a person who contradicts himself? Ah, my facade has been shattered. And now the central paradox of Me is exposed and squirming, my shell cracked wide open.

boogidy boogidy boogida boo