Laurel and I had our birthday cookout thing last weekend. Apparently we forgot to invite some people. I apologized and if that's not good enough, oh well, what can ya do? We had a really good time. I think we were the only drunk ones though. Hehe. We have tons of left over food so another cookout in the near future is probable. We forgot to serve the cake too so if anyone wants some delicious peanut butter chocolate cake, come get it. 

The first week of class is over. I think I'm going to stick with my community health education class as my elective. I'm also taking an online class for the first time. They want me to get a webcam and we're supposed to have online 'meetings' every week. Wtf? It's madness. 

In other news, I've been spending way too much money on stuff. I got these really cool silky red sheets for my bed and they are HOT. I can't wait to get in there. I took Laurel to World Market yesterday. She had never been before and I think she liked it a lot. We got some cool stuff. I got some pretty curtains that were on sale for $15 and some 'toss pillows' for my couch. Heck yeah man.

I've been riding my bike to campus. I hope my legs start getting stronger because it hurts a lot. 

I wanted to go to the Vox meeting last night but my dad came to take Laurel and I out to dinner for my birthday. I want to do stuff with STAND too. And I will probably see what the Dems have going on this semester.

Laurel and I had a good time at the beach. We ate at a lot of yummy restaurants and a few bad ones. I took her out for a nice steak dinner on her birthday. We wanted to go kayaking but we ran out of money. Hehe. Our room was really tiny but inexpensive and not that far from the beach. The pool was small too but it was ok. We got to hang out with Laurel's friend Tanya and her dude, Steve, while we were there. Sunday we spent the whole day on the beach...well, I did anyway. I had a wardrobe malfunction in the ocean due to a big wave and a faulty halter top. Laurel got sick the night before we left. I felt so bad for her. She also got sunburned but I've been putting Aloe on it and it's getting better. Overall we had a really good time and I wish we were still there!

Everything here is fucked up. My oven broke or something a few days before we left and when I came back there was a different one in my kitchen, completely filthy, unplugged, and with no burners. No one had called me to let me know what the deal is. WTF??? So I called and they said I would be getting new burners in a day or two. So it will have been like 2 weeks that I haven't had a stove or oven. I'm out of food that can be microwaved or toaster ovened and I have no money since my stupid refund check isn't here yet. I'm hungry! I'm going to ask if I get a discount on my rent since I've been without the means to cook for half the month.

We have a party coming up this Saturday. Laurel is sick, I feel like I'm getting sick, and we don't have any money. I'm not really sure how this is gonna work out.

I'm taking the kittens to the shelter SOON. I've only had ONE person interested in them and she stopped emailing me a couple of days ago. I can't take it much longer. I know Athena can't. She's so miserable. My poor baby.

I'm really aggravated that one of Laurel's birthday presents hasn't arrived yet. That means it only has one more day to get here if it's going to make it before we leave for the beach. Dang. It. At least her other present got here, and I gave it to her, and she loved it. Yay! I like giving people stuff. 

My birthday is coming up too. I'm not really excited about it. I got a card from my dad today with some birthday money...and he wrote that I should spend it on something I 'need.' WTF? Isn't the whole point of birthday money to spend it on something you want??? Once again, I'm pretty sure my dad thinks I'm really stupid and/or irresponsible, just like I told my therapist this afternoon.

It is so freakin hot outside. It makes me want to not do anything but sit around and enjoy my air conditioning. Of course, it's set on 70 degress but it's 76. Oh well...maybe I'll just go make some food. Nope, can't...my stove and oven don't work. My current landlord is the worst I've ever had by FAR, and not just because she dumped two kittens on me.

I can't wait to go to the beach. I haven't been to the NC coast since 2004 I think. I wish we could stay longer. We're going to visit some friends of Laurel's while we're there. Then when we come back it's party time! Woo.

These emotion icons just aren't cuttin' it anymore. It's time for a change.

So my boss didn't do my paperwork for second summer session until yesterday (5 days after it ended) and as a result, I have about $1000 less than I should have today, which was supposed to be payday. Also, I found out that I won't get my refund check until after August 13. What all this means is that the beach trip that Laurel and I planned and have been looking forward to won't be possible. It just really irritates me a little how not on top of things my boss can be. For example, she doesn't tell me when I'm supposed to be on break from work (between semesters or summer sessions) unless I ask. For the break between Spring and Summer session 1, someone else told me we had like 5 days off, beginning the following day. I asked her if that was true and she was like "Yeah, didn't I tell you?" and I was like "NNNOOOOOO................................" If she had, I might have gone on vacation or something. And this time, I've been screwed out of a lot of money. Well, I guess I'll get it later, but it sure would have been nice to go on the trip I planned, to get the money I earned (kind of) when I'm entitled to it.

Well there may still be sources to pull some dough from, so we're going to try very hard to get the money together to go. It's the only thing not making want to kill myself.

Speaking of killing, it's what I'm about to do to these kittens. I seriously can't take it much longer. Today they were crawling all over my desk when Daphne fell off the end, into the trashcan, which startled the other one, who ran into my wireless router on her way out, knocking it onto the floor, and my wireless connection hasn't worked since (this was right after I found out we probably weren't going to the beach). I was ready to kill. They also tried to get out the door every time I came in or out of it while I was doing laundry this afternoon, which was especially difficult when I had my arms full...I was lucky to get the door open nevermind keeping them inside. Then they were attacking my nice clean laundry as I was trying to put it away. All this might be ok if I had actually wanted kittens. THESE ARE NOT MY FUCKING KITTENS. I didn't pursue them. I didn't go out looking for them. This was supposed to be a temporary situation, my landlord was supposed to be helping me, but she seems to have forgotten or stopped caring. And now if they have to go to the pound, it'll be MY fault because no one else will take them. What am I supposed to do?

The people/person that lived above Laurel, who had sex very loudly very late at night, just moved out. Yay, right? NOT, because at least one very young looking boy just moved in, like the NEXT day. He's probably a freshman. We're hoping he's a loser who never gets laid or has any friends. Maybe he'll spend all his time playing video games or something. That WOULD be ideal. The dude above me just moved out too. No one else has moved in yet but I'm sure it won't be long. I haven't had much of a problem with other people in this house yet, just some stomping but I'd much rather hear that then sex. GROSSSSSSSSSSS.

Ok, Laurel is about to get here so we can go over the possibilites for our little vacation.

Man, today has been kind of a shitty day. I was pissed off the whole time I was at work about some shit, then my boss called me 3 minutes before I was supposed to leave and asked me to do some stuff for her, which kept me there an extra 25 minutes. It sucked, but I guess it's a small price to pay for how flexible she lets me be with my hours. It just sucked today because I was really tired and wanted to go home so I could go back to sleep. Finally I got to go home and I watched the Season 2 finale of The L Word (what the hell is up with Jenny? she's starting to get on my nerves). Then I read some and went to sleep and had a nice peaceful hour or so of sleep before Laurel called and woke me up. Then I tried to go back to sleep but then Athena got in my face (she never lets me sleep, EVER) and then Kathryn called but it was ok because she wanted to go to Ganache which has been the highlight of my day, so far. Yummy chocolate mousse cake! And good company of course. Helen is in town and we hung out a bunch yesterday and she stayed the night with me. I think she's staying tonight too. I might go to a party with her. I think James, Laurel and I are going to get our eyebrows pierced tomorrow. It's James's birthday tomorrow, and that means the birthday tiara has lasted an entire year, although other things have not. The tiara will outlive us all. James feels that he is ready for an upgrade this year though.

Sunday I am going to see my dad and Liz. I haven't seen them in like a month, because my dad was being weird. He's trying though, which means a lot.

Hey Jenni, what's a piccadilly palare?

I'm putting off working on my Gender and Health paper. It's really cold in my apartment again. Yesterday it was hot, I thought about turning on my AC. Now I'm thinking about turning on my heat again. That's NC weather I guess. But I ain't turning on shit. I'm not spending $100 a month anymore. Dammit. Tomorrow I am going to look at an apartment. My lease here runs out in the beginning of June. This place that I'm going to look at tomorrow is pretty cool I think. It's MUCH closer to campus (I should be able to walk or bike to class). It's the same rent but all of the utilities are included, unlike here where NOTHING is included, so it would be really awesome. It's an apartment in a house, which I wasn't sure about, but we'll see. It might be ok, the house is really pretty. I'm excited.

Other things are changing too. I'm doing what's right for me, what's best for me, and putting myself before others, which feels good. It's been too long since I did that. I'm very happy. Life is good.

I got a tattoo last week. Here it is:
 
It's the leo symbol. I like it a lot. Patrick says it's 'tasteful.' I guess that's good. I haven't told my dad yet. I think it might be too much for him right now, especially with other revelations he's had to hear from me lately! Haha. Nah, he won't care that much. About the tattoo. He won't like it though. 

He's trying not to care that I'm gay(ish). I guess straightish would be more accurate. But it's the ish that he is struggling with. It's an ish that has become more real and unavoidable. I know he will do the right thing, I can see that he is trying and doesn't want to hurt me. My mom and sister are being awesome about it, as I knew they would be.

Damn it's freeeeeeezing in here! Ok I'm for real going to work on my paper.

Wow, I just loooooove my horoscope today!

Your long-established values about how things should be done and what you hold most dear, dear Leo, are apt to be challenged by a radical force that seems to be looking to stir up trouble. The truth of the matter is that what you may see as trouble is really a growing pain that you must endure as you move to the next step in your own personal evolution. Change is often a difficult thing; however, this is what you are being called on to do.

I always wanted to be called on to do something.