Long time no blog

Well, it feels like that anyway. Doesn't feel like I've written anything interesting -- or well -- for a few weeks now. So I suppose the best way to remedy that is to write all jerky style and just mash together random topics...yeah, that's what I'll do.

So I had a feeling my new landlady was a mean son of a bitch. I really did. Just from the one phone conversation I had with her before I moved in, I got that vibe. Then after I moved in, when the phone connection and internet in my new place wasn't working properly, I had to call her in Florida and it was confirmed: my new landlady is a mean son of a bitch.

But then I was thinking, how can you really tell over the phone? How can I be such a mean son of a bitch that I would actually label someone else a mean son of a bitch just from two phone conversations? So I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps she was just a lonely, old spinster lady with bad (no, horrible!) (no, disgusting!) (no, ugly like a dead plant!) phone etiquette.

Then one night this week, I was doing the mailbox dance with a neighbor in my building. Turned out he also lived on my floor and had just moved in. So after making the customary introductions (because neither of us are mean sons of bitches) I asked him if he had ever met the landlady:

"Yeah, I have," he said.
"Really? What'd you think of her? I've only talked to her on the phone and I thought she was really mean..." I replied.
"Oh, yes. She was an extreme bitch. I was actually taken aback by how bitchy she was..."

Taken aback? He was actually taken aback by how bitchy she was? I loved that. Who gets taken aback anymore? And what else these days has the power to take someone aback? Not much that I can think of. It made me realize the extent of bitchiness my new landlady must possess. And for a moment I felt a mix of annoyance, anger and bitterness that I have to pay her a chunk of my salary every month. Oh, I hope I'll never have to look her in the eye. But I know I'll have to. Fist shake! No, double fist shake!

So what else?

Oh, right. I've been doing so much holiday shopping this week. Usually I don't buy this many gifts for people, but because I'm going home after 6 months away, I don't want to just show up empty-handed. That's the Asian in me. So I've started to pack and already three quarters of my suitcase is filled with gifts. It's pretty ridiculous actually. But it will feel good to open it up when I get home and toss presents into my parents' hands. It will help to break the ice. (Just kidding.) I also got a bunch of small things for other family, stuff for my old coworkers, stuff for friends. I guess this really is what Christmas is about. Finally it feels like I'm doing Christmas right. I'm walking against the cold wind on busy streets while carrying shopping bags and bumping into other shoppers and feeling paranoid about having my wallet pickpocketed. It just feels right.

Also today our boss took us -- the interactive department -- all out to lunch. We all went dressed in our red and green outfits for "Red and Green Outfit Day". On the way back to the office, we saw two Chicago police cars parked across the street from one another. One of them had a parking ticket on the window. Oh, those Chicago policemen. So funny. Hehe. But also corrupt.

I went right up to the car to take this photo with my phone. As I was taking it, the cops came back and yelled out jokingly, "Get her! Get her!" Then I ran away.

Comments

[jessi]

such a fun day. now i'm off to catch a plane in 6 hours. merry xmas smiz!