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[Inlander]

I went to Darren Hanlon's Christmas show tonight! So good. Every gig he does is basically like a big Darren Hanlon fan-club convention anyway, and he's such a great entertainer. Bonuses tonight were a bunch of new songs, a surprise appearance by Angie Hart duetting on two songs, and Hanlon asking if there were any drummers in the crowd because he was feeling a bit self-conscious performing all by himself all night, which resulted in a guy from the audience getting up on stage and accompanying Hanlon on the bongos (and doing it really fucking well - he got the biggest cheer of the night and was invited back on stage for the final encore). Plus all the usual funny stories and banter and jokes at his own expense that Hanlon likes to tell.

Sydneysiders, he's playing a show at St. Stephens Church in Newtown this weekend - go check him out, it's only $20 and it will be one of the happiest gigs you've ever been to in your life. (And if you go, turn up early to see Oliver Mann play the support slot, because he's pretty amazing.)

[valley_parade]

Will I ever see a white Christmas again?

You could come spend christmas with me, Kris. 

(Seriously. We've got a few inches, we're getting more tomorrow, and it's going to be cold straight through next week)

[Christophe]

The West Wing is essentially the best show.

Good luck not dying of hypothermia Jens, I'm actually typing with gloves on right now.

[pen]

Take a hot bath!  That's the only way I find I'm not an icicle when I'm sick...  Feel better, Jens!!!

[Liz]

D'awww, poor Jens. I wish I could help somehow!

[Jace]

Bog ead,

I am currently sitting in a large room waiting for orientation to start for my new job. I am wearing my nice tshirt because I wanted to look classy.

In other news, I'm going to flat out quit my other job today.

[Stryc9Fuego]

I am sick. Terribly so. I can barely move, I am freezing cold despite having packed myself into several layers of clothes and a giant blanket. I had to call in sick at both school and at work. This sucks. Oh well, I have stephen colbert, the west wing and teabags.

Enjoy teabags and your coal-bear. Best thing to do when you've got the sicknesses.

@ Pants:
WOO! Congrats!

[Lunchbox]

Oh man Harry I am so jealous! Basically I am in love with Darren Hanlon and I am going to marry him but my work Christmas party is on Saturday. I was so angry when I found out I had to choose between the love of my life and the people I spend eight hours a day with.
Today is my last day of work for two weeks anyway

[jhocking]

The subway train home today was pretty awesome. It was all decked out in Christmas decorations! I took a picture, but forgot to hit save after taking the shot, doh.

[Eli]

Dear Blog Thread,
Today my boyfriend gave me part of my Christmas present. He took me to Build-A-Bear to make a koala teddy bear. It's adorable and has a tux to wear. I also got to finish my Christmas shopping and found out I won't be working on Christmas and will be seeing the Flaming Lips on New Year's Eve. Yay!

[KvP]

Got in touch with some friends today, turns out it will be a full month before I see them again, which worries me. I have a tendency to get depressed during the Wintertime, and my friends keep me sane. Being isolated from people and not moving around much on account of snow and icy roads is a bad combination for me.

[StaedlerMars]

Yay Internet!

[20 jazz funk greats]

lately i have been spending way too much time with the internet and not enough time with real people. it was alright at first but now i'm starting to find it depressing.  i miss people. a lot.

[Edith]

Tommy, I haven't read the book in question, but I feel from your description that I might be able to offer some insight into King Nog's problem. I think that if he were to discover that he was King of the Birds as well, that he knew he had thus far been doing a bad job as king of them. He was a good and just king of his people, but if he were also king of the birds then he had most likely been neglecting his kingly responsibilities toward them. He didn't even consider until then whether they were his subjects or not! Perhaps they also had grievances, or were being treated unfairly by his other subjects!

Hope you can sleep soon.

E.

[Metope]

Dear blog thread,

I had my wisdom teeth removed on monday. Because I've complained about it for a long time I figured people were sick and tired of my whining, and therefore I decided to spare you from any further annoying details. Well, that was until I got this.

Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) is a temporary dental condition that sometimes occurs after extraction of a permanent adult tooth. Dry socket occurs when the blood clot at the site of the tooth extraction is dislodged, exposing underlying bone and nerves and causing increasing pain.

Dry socket is the most common complication following tooth extractions, such as the removal of impacted wisdom teeth. When it occurs, dry socket usually strikes one to three days after a tooth extraction. The most common hallmark of dry socket is significant pain.

So this is going to be (and already is) a horribly painful experience. I didn't sleep anything last night, I've lost all appetite and I feel like I'm about to cry all the time. It's apparently easy to make the pain disappear, but it can only be done at a dentist, and everyone closed yesterday because of the holidays. Fuck my timing.

[Barmymoo]

I never met Oliver Postgate but I know Sandra Kerr, who worked with him on Bagpuss and was the voice of Madeline (I think). I know her daughter Nancy pretty well, they are both amazingly cool people. So I was quite upset to hear that Oliver had died He was such an amazing guy!

Today is the last day of term and the college is completely deserted, I have no idea where everyone is but I have a pretty good idea that it begins with h and ends with ome.

[valley_parade]

I wake up at 5AM, knowing I have to catch a 6AM bus for an 8AM final. While waiting for the bus, I check the college's website to see if the Impending Snowstorm of Doom™has forced the school to cancel finals. "Campus is open", says the website.

So I pay my $5 fare and get on the bus. Half-way down, I get a call from my mom, saying it just came over the radio that BCC is closed. Here I am, waiting in the bus station for my bus to come back around so I can pay another $5 and have a $10 useless round trip, where I could have been sleeping.

Shitfucks.

[pwhodges]

Hey Jens.  That sucks - but another half-year of school to keep going forward through the system is really  a lot less painful than the years of regret afterwards while you sort your life out if you kick it now; I know - one of my children did that.  What are marks in those subjects, in the end?  Just someone's opinion.

[jodizzle]

Dearest bloggles,

I am having what I have dubbed as 'an ultimate stabby day'.  My old friends the mysterious stabbing pains have reappeared, but instead of owing me for half an hour at the most they have been causing me horrible suffering under my ribs for the past oh... almost 6 hours and counting.  It hurts to breathe, and move, and laugh!  I am currently in a 'broken but better'  stage, as I can currently sit up, whereas earlier i was laying as still as possible on my bed and weeping every time I breathed or moved.

AWESOME

Thanks mystery pain, I hate you so much.

(Tonight, Jodie whines alot!)

[pen]

Blog thread, hello!  We're gonna get lots of snow today and my boss is letting us out of work early, if we want!  I dislike snow, but I LOVE getting out of work early.

[0bsessions]

Oh, yay! You can help me frantically do my laundry before the laundromat is buried.

[Liz]

Jens I hope you realize that you promised me you would come to Fargo if you ever dropped out of school.

Get packing, dude.

[ampersandwitch]

Wooo 94 on the Chemistry final.  Usually I would be pissed because it's not perfect and I spent 20 + hours sitting on my ass cramming for this thing and memorizing extraneous bullshit, but apparently I got the highest grade in the class. 

Eeeeew neeeeerd

[michaelicious]

We've had a lot of snow over the past few weeks, but yesterday it started to rain and the snow is now melting really fast. It continued today, and it is supposed to continue until Christmas at least. WHY NOW?! Will I ever see a white Christmas again? This is exactly what happened last year and the year before that, and I'm sick of it.

If I open my front door, I can barely see to the end of my driveway because of all the snowiness. It's pretty wonderful.

[Puki]

If I open my front door, I can barely see to the end of my driveway because of all the snowiness. It's pretty wonderful.

Show off! I am hoping for snow, but probably nothing will fall for at least few more weeks...

[Edith]

My power just went out because of the ice storm. Wheee!

[Professor Snuggles]

I have a four pack of that I've been aging, let me know how it is when you try it.

[pwhodges]

plans...

That's good, then - I was concerned you were jumping first without thinking it through.  Your plans seem to indicate more flexibility in the system than I remember from your previous discussions in the summer, which is also good.

Also, I recall you saying you were giving up photography, so I'm glad to see you kept it going.

[Alex C]

I've come to realize that the Norwegian education system is pretty incredible. I don't know if this would have been possible anywhere else, but I sure am glad it is here. Thank you, communist government!

You have no idea how envious I am of the Norwegian system. School just wasn't a good fit for me considering what was going on in my life at one point and while I don't exactly regret dropping out, getting some distance from things and having an opportunity to go back would have been ideal.

[Liz]

Liz: The promise was if I dropped out before Christmas, so it doesn't actually count. However this means a lot more spare time and probably also more shifts at my job, so there is more money. Who knows?

Man, you are making the decision to drop out before Christmas, I think it counts.

Also I think you should plan your visit for March 13-20 and go on my spring break trip with me.

[tania]

stupid post ahead:

every semester i aim for an 80 (A) average and i can never quite get there cos there is always one class that manages to screw me over. i got my grades back today and this semester i ended up with a 79.8.

this makes absolutely no difference in the long run so i am not really sure why i am complaining. i guess i am just irritated cos i came so close once again and all i want is that dumb 80. rrrgh

[Edith]

My power went out at 10am, right after my nice hot shower. It's off here and there all over the city and in fact this part of the state, because of a lovely ice storm. Seriously beautiful.

I am warm enough and safe, but a bit worried about what might happen if the power stays off overnight or longer. I have been keeping the thermostats in the unoccupied portion of my building set at 48F, which means it doesn't have to get a whole lot colder before pipes start freezing. And then bursting when they thaw. I'll set the faucets to trickle if I don't get power by dark tonight, so they should be fine, but it still makes me. Little anxious.

I'm a tad bored what with only BlackBerry access to the internet and no TV, but I think I'll heat some water on my gas stove and wash some dishes. That should be fun. Woo!

I'm also supposed to go visit a friend who recently had a baby. Wee little infants are nice!

[Allybee]

my parents are throwing the biggest fit because I won't send in my college applications (due january 1st) today. I've already sent in about half of them and I've finished the rest, but I want to wait another week before submitting them. I wish I hadn't sent in the other ones so early because I later decided that I would've applied for a different program, and now it's too late. we've been fighting about this for so long. I'm so sick of them screaming at me. my dad actually told me that I'm ripping the family apart. because I haven't submitted college essays.

I understand that they're stressed out but why can't they understand that it's my future? some of these schools have optional essays, I'm not sure if I'm going to write them or not, I think it's wise to wait a few days before submitting my applications. these aren't even schools that I picked out! I've put up with my overbearing, neurotic parents for so long but I'm almost at the end of my rope. I was just told to get out of the house for the weekend and "you haven't seen enough of the world, you need to grow up" but there's a snowstorm outside and I don't have anywhere to go.

[nobo]

I can say that I was going through the same thing 6 years ago. My folks felt like they could interfere with my life so long as they somehow contributing to my financial situation (despite no longer giving me any money for college tuition after my freshman year). I finally got "independence" from them about 6 months ago when I got the car title and insurance in my name. But all through college I had to deal with the same sort of bullshit you're going through just because finances could be held over my head. So good luck getting out of the house, but don't expect things to change once you get to college.

[Allybee]

I know, I'm pretty upset. I want so badly to be financially independent but I'd be an idiot to not accept four years of free tuition. looks like I'm stuck.

[michaelicious]

I just went outside to shovel the driveway and there was a ridge of snow hanging off the roof of my house! It's really windy and I guess the wind blew the snow that was piling up on the roof. I took a picture of it. The picture doesn't really capture the majesty of it, to be quite honest. It hangs like a metre off of the house and it makes standing on the porch feel like you are standing inside of a cave, kind of. Yay winter!



This is what I do when I am at home visiting my parents for Christmas. I have also read a 600 page novel in like 2 and a half days.

[Lines]

It went up to 60 degrees today. No, I don't really understand it either. Yesterday it was around freezing and it will return to freezing by Sunday. Silly valley.

[jhocking]

I am extremely pissed off at the postal service right now. Over the weekend I payed up the yin-yang for next-day delivery on one item that I wanted to give my fiancee before she left town last night (she's visiting her family.) Not only did they fail to deliver the package in time, I've been trapped at home all day today waiting for the delivery guy to come so that I can finally get the damn package. It is officially, right this minute, too late for me to go to the gym today, so this delivery guy has wasted my entire fucking day.

I mean shit, I paid more than the item cost to have it delivered next day, and 5 days later I still don't have the fucking package. Fortunately I wasn't counting on that for my sole Christmas gift to her (I purchased a number of items a month ago, and at the last minute decided to get one more thing.) Still, I mean come on!

Oh, and to make things even more infuriating, I was around the entire day when he first stopped by a couple days ago. Apparently he made no attempt to see if I was actually home (ie. ring the doorbell) and simply left me a note in my mailbox that he attempted to deliver the package.

To clarify that last bit, here is a full time-line of this little drama:
Sunday - I order the item, paying a ton for next day delivery.
Monday - The package ships.
Tuesday - First delivery attempt. They did make the first attempt next day, I'll give them that. However, I was home literally all day, and all the delivery man did was leave a note in my mailbox saying "oops can't delivery it lol"
Wednesday - I sign the note and indicate that he should leave the package next to my mailbox. I get home, still no package.
Thursday - I call the post office to find out why the package still wasn't delivered. They inform me that it requires a signature and cannot be left unattended. this was not mentioned on the delivery guy's note
Friday - I sit around all day waiting for the delivery guy. I've called the post office to ask if they have any idea where the delivery guy is or if they can give me any estimate of when he'll be here, and they (rather indignantly) informed me that no they have no idea. There are only a couple more hours before the post office is closed, so I fear the delivery guy will never come.


tldr: Do not waste your money buying Express delivery from the post office. If you need next-day delivery, use a competent outfit like FedEx. Also, when ordering items ask the merchant who they use for delivery, because if they will only use USPS Express, do not waste your money.

[jhocking]

I was close to ordering a Macbook Pro from Amazon because they have a special deal right now, but I was leery of having the computer delivered for basically that exact reason. Even if they don't have any special deal, I can at least get the educational discount if I go to the Apple store, and that has the huge advantage of the purchase being made in person.

[Emaline]

Dear Blog thread,

Good news!

I can stay where I am currently living, if I find two roommates! So I am attempting to post on craigslist  to find them, but I have no idea what to say. Ideas?

[ampersandwitch]

Today I shoveled nine inches of snow, played some wonderful videogames, and then made a lot of dick shaped cookies. 

Would be posting pictures, but they got gobbled up.  I can't deny the family I'm staying with my scrumptious dickerdoodles!

[Gemmwah]

Blog thread, I am confused. My collarbones hurt. I think it may be my posture causing it, but I've never had the problem before, and it's at the worst after I've been at work. All I do at work is lift cartons of cigarettes up and down from shelves, so I don't really think I can attribute it to this. Still, it's weird as hell, and really rather unpleasant.

[Liz]

Hey Jens guess what!

[KvP]

Chicken Butt

[Liz]

I found out where my Norwegian family lives!

[Emaline]

That is awesome! I am glad things are working out for you.

Yeah. Thanks. I am super pumped about the thing. Woo having a pretty great landlord!

[Katherine]

tldr: Do not waste your money buying Express delivery from the post office. If you need next-day delivery, use a competent outfit like FedEx. Also, when ordering items ask the merchant who they use for delivery, because if they will only use USPS Express, do not waste your money.

I have had this same problem with lying, incompetent deliveries but both times it happened to me, the culprit was FedEx.  I think it is time to bring back the carrier pigeon.  Or use DHL or UPS.

[Edith]

DHL is no more.

[Liz]

Tynset. It is quite small but apparently pretty rad, according to Wikipedia.

[jhocking]

OH MY FUCKING GOD

Apparently in the multiple times I called today, it didn't occur to them to mention that the delivery guy didn't have my package and it was still at the station. I just found this out after calling them now. A phone call which I might add included being put on hold for 15 minutes before someone picked up the phone to inquire why I was on hold. Apparently when I informed them yesterday that I would be home all day waiting for the delivery guy, and I even gave them my phone number so he could call when he got here, well that does not constitute a request for redelivery. a request that they never mentioned I needed to make

So tomorrow I am going down to the station to pick it up. Let me sum up again the situation: Last weekend I paid a shitload for next day delivery, and then a week later I will be trekking for an hour through deep snow in order to pick up the package.