from today's Wall Street Journal:

Befriending WitchesIs Still a ProblemIn Salem, Mass.
Rev. Wyman Talks to Pagans,Is Expelled by His Church;A 'Kiss' on the Hand
By SUZANNE SATALINEOctober 31, 2006; Page A1
SALEM, Mass. -- The Rev. Phil Wyman presides over a small evangelical church here that befriends local pagans and folks who call themselves witches. It's an odd mission, even in Salem, a city where tourism capitalizes on infamy -- the mass hysteria of 1692 in which 20 men and women were executed for practicing witchcraft.
Salem (pop. 40,000) is home to hundreds of professed witches, psychic readers, potion brewers, mystics and Wiccans, a group that practices a nature-based faith. In 1999, Mr. Wyman, his wife and two friends set out to minister to them, hoping to convert some to Christianity.
Last year, local ministers began saying that Mr. Wyman was getting too close to the witches. They pointed to his friendships, his Web site's links to pagan sites, and a photograph that seemed to show him kissing a witch's hand. Mr. Wyman's denomination accused him of aberrance, revoked his ordination and expelled him. One letter to him said he had strayed from Christian teachings and was disobedient.
In recent days, as tens of thousands of tourists have flocked to Salem's leafy streets in anticipation of Halloween, Mr. Wyman has been hustling to keep his 35-member church going. He denies violating Christian precepts and says he himself is the victim of a witch hunt.
"I can imagine the Salem witch trials were not much different from this: It starts with a rumor and escalates to a trial," says Mr. Wyman.
Mr. Wyman's fans say he has helped bridge divides. "He's actively changed the dynamic between witches and Christians in this town," says Christian Day, a member of the witch community. But some pastors say Mr. Wyman's alliances have tainted him. "There's a fear mentality, if you hang out with members of the witchcraft community, you will come under the influence of the darkness," says Scott Smith, a minister for the Assemblies of God.
Mr. Wyman, 47, and his wife, Beverly, were members of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, a Pentecostal Christian denomination whose adherents speak in tongues and believe in miracles. Foursquare, based in Los Angeles, was founded by famed revivalist Aimee Semple McPherson in 1927. It claims 4.5 million members world-wide.
Mr. Wyman joined Foursquare in his 20s when he was playing guitar in Southern California. Yet he liked the intellectual challenge of talking with nonbelievers. He was drawn, he says, to those following pre-Christian traditions. Once in Salem, he volunteered to work with the city's biggest event, the annual Halloween festival.
Many evangelicals consider Halloween and witchcraft to be Satan's work and have persuaded some schools around the country to drop Halloween parties. Many Pentecostals believe that angels and demons are waging an active spiritual battle, and Halloween is a sign of Satan, says Matthew Sutton, professor at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich., who has written about Ms. McPherson.
Mr. Wyman, hoping to get Salem's pagans to open up to him, tried neighborliness. Christians and witches debated the difference between magic and miracles at his Thursday night Circle and Cross Talk. He chatted with people at Salem's witchcraft shops, and he was shown how tarot cards are read. Some witches sought him out for counseling. Eva Porcello, a potion mixer, joined his church, saying Mr. Wyman didn't dictate beliefs. "He lets people figure out their own spirituality," she says.
Despite his friendships, Mr. Wyman says he has always been careful to observe, not join, pagan rituals. "It's their worship, not mine," he says.
On October weekends, Salem's Essex Street teems with folk musicians, candy-apple sellers, and caped tour guides. Mr. Wyman's church, called the Gathering, provides a stage, sound equipment, live music and hot chocolate.
He also provides Christian-tinged theater. Near the stage, people lined up this year for dream interpretations and "psalm readings," in which volunteers proffered their advice through scriptural passages. In another tent, redolent of incense, James Wilcox, a friend of Mr. Wyman's, was dressed in a monk's cowl as he confessed the "sins of the church," dating all the way back to the Crusades. Mr. Day said some of his witch friends were moved when they heard a Christian admit the church has wronged people. "Sure, he wants to convert people," he says about Mr. Wyman. "But he does it in a way that respects you."
At first, Mr. Wyman's supervisors seemed pleased with his work in Salem, according to other Foursquare pastors and leaders. Mr. Wyman's district supervisor, John Hatcher, lauded him at a convention last fall before dozens of ministers, two pastors said.
Jack Hayford, Foursquare's president, didn't return phone calls, and other church leaders declined to comment. Mr. Hatcher said only: "Phil had a strategy and methodology that was significantly different from how we perceive church life."
In September 2005, four local evangelical clergymen told Mr. Wyman they were concerned about a picture on a witch's Web site of Mr. Wyman bending as if to kiss the hand of Melantha Blackthorne, a Canadian horror-movie actress who appears at the Salem vampire ball as Countess Bathoria.
Mr. Wyman appeared "too familiar, too cozy, too amicable with that community," said the Rev. Kenneth Steigler, a United Methodist Church pastor.
Mr. Wyman said he was playacting, didn't kiss Ms. Blackthorne's hand, and didn't know that Mr. Day had posted the photo online. The photo was removed right away. But Mr. Wyman's superior, Mr. Hatcher, wrote to him several days later saying he was discomfited by local pastors' concerns and Web links connecting the Gathering's Internet site to those run by pagans -- people whose views oppose that of Christians, he wrote.
"I feel you are not seeing the vulnerability you are opening up to regarding demonic activity," Mr. Hatcher wrote. "It is my judgment...that you are crossing the line into the aberrant."
Mr. Wyman, his associate pastor, Jeff Menasco, and their wives were summoned to a hearing in October last year at Mr. Hatcher's church in Weymouth, Mass., before several Foursquare leaders. They grilled the two couples as to how a Christian could be friends with witches.
A few weeks before the meeting, Mr. Wyman got word that an application he had made for a grant from the church-funded Foursquare Foundation had been approved, awarding him $84,000 to teach evangelizing techniques. Mr. Wyman pressed Mr. Hatcher for another meeting, saying he had not been given a fair hearing. Mr. Hatcher refused. In March, Foursquare's board expelled Mr. Wyman.
Mr. Wyman has been using some of the grant money to pay church rent and bills. Once it's gone, Mr. Wyman says he may weld or give guitar lessons to keep his church afloat.
Write to Suzanne Sataline at suzanne.sataline@wsj.com

okay, so i got a roommate! she's 24, korean, lived in dorms for the last 4 years, going to different colleges, etc. she's an illustration major at sva. she'll sign the roommate agreement with me on nov 10 (because i'm away, and she is too until then, etc.). she seems pretty laid back, kinda nerdy (which is always a good aspect in a roommate!) and homey. YAY!

sunday was a really good day: relaxing & watching movies (really recommend this movie called the prize winner of defiance, oh - very touching) and of course church. for some reason, i was really happy during the service & really alert too! :)

on saturday, had 2 girls come & see the apt. 1 was a flake and 1 was okay. have 1 more coming tonight to see the apt. i'll probably decide soon...

so last night...

(isn't that how i always say things?!?!)

i'm minding my own biz...and then the roomie goes...

Roomie: can i talk to you?
Me: okay
R: a few things...i wanted to apologize for the other night. i didn't mean to get upset
M: oh...
R: see, in LA, when you say something about someone being "passive-aggressive" that means you're a real jerk
M: well..you'll find more passive-aggressive people in NYC who are not jerks
R: so i'm sorry i got mad...and the other thing is that i found an apt right next to my school
M: oh that's very good
R: so...the lady wants me to move in by nov.15. i'm wondering if i should move in by the 15th?
(NOTE: here's the example of passive-aggressive - she's "wondering," instead of ASKING me)
M: well, it's up to you. i'm fine with you moving out on the 15th or Dec.1
R: but the agreement said Dec.1 so...my dad asked me to ask you
(NOTE: another example of she can't think for herself)
M: that's fine. just let me know when you make up your mind. i'm in no rush to get a roommate
R: okay thanks

so! looks like I"ll be freerrrrrrr earlierrrrrr!!!

things are never free in manhattan...or is there?

this morning, i had yet another visit to my one of two dentists (yes, i'm one of THOSE people who have more than a doctor...i have TEAMS of doctors!) who decided that my REAL TOOTH (RT) behind the IMPLANTED TEETH (IT) need to have the fillings re-done so that the IT will not have a big gape between the RT & IT. i was really miserable: not just because there was another procedure (and of course, BIGGGGG needle filled with novocain) but because it'll be one more bill to pay...which i haven't finished paying. then he said "free of charge." i was like WHA???? what's THAT? "FREE OF CHARGE"!

see, i told you...i'm always being "taken care of..." by the BIG GUY UP THERE! (BGUT). i dunno why i'm capitalizing everything. i think i'm still NUMB.

okay, so the roommate saga is now OVER. she is moving out on Dec.1.

so this morning, i'm relaxing and watching a movie and this happens:

Me: (i go to the sink and see food stuff on the mesh thingy) Oh, lalena, you forgot to empty the drainer
Roomie: well, i was GONNA do it, but i didn't have the time.
M: okay (then empty the drainer & get back to the couch to continue with movie)
R: it's not like i left it there, unlike your gross brown stuff
NOTE: she calls my brown stuff = oatmeals
M: what?
R: you left your brown stuff all days and then you just make such a big deal about this
M: wait, are you saying you left your stuff cuz of my "brown stuff" from like 2 weeks ago? Lalena, i don't think that's a good way to communicate
R: well, i've told you stuff before and you ignored me
M: how did i ignore you?
R: you never clean things right away
M: wait, i didn't know that before. as we discussed at your room the other day, we have differences. so we have to communicate
R: well, if i have to communicate every time something bothers me, then i'll be bothering you ever 5 mintues
M: so what's bothering you right now?
R: well...nothing. i can't think of anything
M: well, just the fact you keep track of things, or it seems like you are, that's so passive-aggressive and i can't live like that
R: (all mad) listen, you have MAJOR personality problem. don't call ME names
M: i didn't call YOU a name. i'm just saying i can't live like that
R: well, i can't either but i'm giving you MORE than enough for this apartment and...
M: that's your agreement with me, and that doesn't concern you, what my term is with my landlord
R: well, all i'm saying is, the apartment was NOT ready and i have 3 witnesses who's seen how horrible the apartment is and 20 others who's seen pictures
M: then why do you stay?
R: i told you i'll move out soon
M: no we have to set a date. this isn't working out
R: i told you in the spring
M: no, we have to set a date SOON
R: Dec. 1
M: that's less than 45 days from now but you're fine with it?
R: yes
M: i'll be sending you an e-mail so it's written out

there's actually more to than this convo, but it's soooo ridiculous and just beyond my belief, i decided to just focus on the main things she threw at me today.

THAT'S IT FOLKS

so....just had the roomie sign an amended agreement. i'm free! that means jan.29 notice for mar.14 move out date. i'm happy. but on a funny note, here's what happened before she was about to sign:

Roomie: wait, i don't want this "Bathroom cleaning: including emptying the garbage."
Me: why not?
R: because i consider a bathroom garbage can a personal recepticle so i don't want to touch it, so i don't use it AT ALL
M: but where do you put the hair you pick out from the drain after the shower?
R: i wrap it and put it in my garbage in my room. so...can you have this crossed out? i don't want to empty what's not mine

....she....is....nuts~~~!!!

miracle of all miracles:

yesterday i come back home a bit...happy, from my boss's birthday celebration. it was around 10 PM. my roomie is there. suddenly says

"I just got Click from netflix...do you want to watch it? I'm going to watch it now."

I was...really speechless. Unfortunately i had to decline.

but can you believe it? A MIRACLE!

feeling good this morning. drafting up the amended agreement. don't get me wrong: she still has to move out...she is crazy! (her logic, etc.) but i'm glad we had it an open discussion about her moving and stuff. so we'll see how it goes. i have 2 months to "evaluate" the situation and if it gets worse (who knows? this morning i said, have a nice day and again she didn't say anything back to me), now i'll have amended agreement to say sayonara 45 days before, nothing to do with 6 months, etc.

yay!

God is great. he is truly wise. he moves hearts like nobody can.

tonight, i decided (after many gulps & would-be scenarios in my head) to talk with my roommate. just ALL OUT.

that talk, which i was going to have for 10 minutes, ended up being 45 minutes.

the end result is that she was smiling and i was happy.

this is what happened:

i approached her and asked if we could talk and she was very cautious about saying yes. after me standing by her doorway and her still sitting at the desk, i asked her, "i feel like...you really resent me. and i'm wondering why." then this is HER story:

that she came here, for the first time ever, out of her parents' house, and wanted to start CLEAN, in every sense, with her schooling & being independent. what she found was that, while the room she rented was clean, other parts of the apartment was not clean according to HER standard. then she was busy cleaning every weekend of the first month of her being in a new city and instead of enjoying, she was cleaning on her knees and i was like "whatever" about it all.

my rebuttal to that was:

why does she have to clean like that? i never asked for it. 2 roommates who lived here never complained about cleanliness. and yes, when i moved to this city, my dorm was brand new so i never experienced anything like what she was talking about.

so i told her: listen, i don't want to make anybody feel resentful towards me, whether i consciously know it or not. and i think we have to agree we both had a completely two different views on what's clean, what to expect from each other (or in my case, not to expect at all). so i think this isn't going to work out

she agreed very sweetly and honestly. see, she's not a biatch. she was just mad that i was like whatever. i guess i'd be mad too if i'm trying to fix something and she was like "whatever."

so the conclusion is this: i'll draw up a new amended roommate agreement which exclude:

1. her obligation to find a roommate for sublet (she is leaving earlier for her internship than she though, so she was apparently stressed about that point in the agreement but didn't bring it up to me)
2. her being here for minimum of 6 months
3. but keeping the 45 day notice for each side.

then she really opened up about how it's not me, really, but it's new york city. commuting is getting to her and she just wants her own space, cleanliness and all, all in a bundle. she wants her own things, etc. i said, hey, look at the bright side: you saved some bucks by living here. so she was happy about that.

we're all set now. i'm glad i approached her. i'm thankful for god!

today's a good day. i'm completely finished with getting new teeth. these $7,500-per-teeth better last me my life time. it feels strange: it feels heavier on that side when i was missing the two teeth. now i'm "whole" in the mouth again. i can actually start to chew.

even though i still owe like $4K on these, i'm happy to now chew on the left side after 13 months of a "hiatus."

i kind of woke up grumbling cuz of you-know-who, but now, i'm back to "thank GOD i have teeth!" mode.

hehehehehehe

tonight's sermon was on the parable of Matthew 20:1-16:

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard 1"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. 3"About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' 5So they went. "He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?' 7" 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.' 8"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.' 9"The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' 13"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' 16"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

as pastor justin was saying, this one is a hard one to swallow. at the face value, it sounds like jesus is telling us to just "suck it up" and don't question...and perhaps don't complain either. and what's with that mysterious last verse?

but alas, it's not about us but it's about the GRACE we're living in, with, cuz of, etc. here are 3 points:

1. god is saying he is fair: don't focus on the "injustification" of workers who worked harder but got the same pay, but focus on the workers who he "recruited" last but was paid the same;

2. god is a persuing god: he is constantly and tirelessly "recruiting"

3. god is generous: this has nothing to do with who DESERVES or what doesn't. it is HIS will and HIS generosity.

i was thinking about my current roomie situation. i am being judgemental, i cannot just stand why she is like that. but she is like that...because god has also given her a life, whatever that's worth and that's NOT MY CALL to judge (e.g. "why does god even give her a good school life? all that scholarship? why is she here to bother me?" etc.). i should be just thankful that god has granted me

a) a non-druggie roomie
b) a CLEAN roomie
c) a relatively QUIET roomie
d) one who pays on-time roomie
etc.

there's much to be thankful for. i should be grateful for HIS WILL that he has brought me to the arms of him again after a long period before, that i am at a good church, being fed, etc.

boy do i ever need the reminder! it's really hard for me to do that because whenever i deal with my roommate, i completely forget.

oy vey, GRACE POR FAVOR! heheheh

roommate saga continues:

last night, i asked her, when are you going to replace the broken blinds?

Roommie: why should i replace something i didn't break?
me: but you broke it?
R: no i didn't. i told you that's how i found it
m: what??? you said you broke it
R: no i DIDN'T. i SAID, it was on the floor when i got home, all shattered and it fell to the garbage can.
m: you did NOT tell me that part
R: I DID
m: okay well i didn't hear you on that one
R: I TOLD YOU
m: okay then. you didn't broke it. it broke by itself
R: well, it DID, because i didn't do anything to it, so obviously you lived here for so long, it just fell apart
m: okay. sorry to have misunderstood you
R: (no sound, nothing)

then this morning, i was putting away my tupperware on my tupperware drawer and it's not there. instead it's HER stuff, so i say to her

m: what happened to my tupperware drawer?
R: oh, i moved it up above the stove because i needed a drawer
m: well, i'd appreciate it if you can tell me BEFORE you move my stuff
R: yeah

then suddenly out of nowhere she goes

R: by the way, the bathroom is gross with all your hair
m: excuse me? i cleaned out all the hair from the drain
R: no you didn't. it's all over the wall.

so i go to the bathroom and there's NO HAIR ANYWHERE

m: where's the hair?
R: well, it WAS there
m: so did you clean it off then?
R: (no comment, nothing)

what the heck? talk about wanting to "get back" at me asking her stuff. what the heck. only like a little kid would do that. sheesh!

so re: blind, i'll have my landlord fix it...i don't doubt i would've remembered what she would've told me about just a plain BROKEN blinds. but she didn't. she's really bad at communication!

tonight's sermon was delivered by richard bewes of all soul's church in london. i've often heard of this place, now that i go to an anglican church. it's like supposedly the mother church of anglican faith. har har. i'd love to go check it out when i'm in london.

tonight's title was "The In-Between Times of Life." here are my scribbles from the sermon:

Philippians 4:11 is has the keyword "Content" as in:

11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
(NIV)

The word Content in Greek is Autarkeia, which is based on a secular greek word (from the Stoics).

Main Entry: au·tar·ky Pronunciation: 'o-"tär-kEFunction: nounEtymology: German Autarkie, from Greek autarkeia, from autarkEs self-sufficient, from aut- + arkein to defend, suffice -- more at ARK1 : SELF-SUFFICIENCY, INDEPENDENCE; specifically : national economic self-sufficiency and independence2 : a policy of establishing a self-sufficient and independent national economy

interesting huh?

so basically that means no aid of any kind, full of self-sufficiency and competency.

what does that have to do with Christianity? see verse 13: I can do everything through him who gives me strength. meaning...

we're living in the world of In Between times...between the 1st coming and the 2nd coming. instead of waiting and waiting for (the bus, subway, promotion, meeting a hubby/wifey, vacation time, etc.) various things that take up our time and mind from, concentrate on learning to live within the Christian framework, of living in the grace, having all that we need (2 Cor 9:8, being satisfied in that.

few key phrases which caught me tonight:

• develop the stamina of patience
• it's a slow process
• a waiting period forms our lives

i don't know if i made any sense, but i really wanted to write all this down.

just found out that the flute i bid $250 for for the star trek auction...- it was estimated $8,000 to $12,000-...sold for $48,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

are people crazy???!?!? it's not even a REAL flute. it's a PROP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow, and you guys thought i was crazy to bid $250. man...

from today's CNN:

Harvard committee recommends returning religion to curriculum
BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Harvard University, founded 370 years ago to train Puritan ministers, should again require all undergraduates to study religion, along with U.S. history and ethics, a faculty committee is recommending.
The surprisingly bold recommendations come after years of rancorous internal debate over what courses should be required of all Harvard students. The current core curriculum has been criticized for focusing on narrow academic questions rather than real-world issues students would likely confront beyond the wrought-iron gates of Harvard Square.
The report calls for Harvard to require students to take a course in "reason and faith," which could include classes on topics such as religion and democracy, Charles Darwin or a current course called "Why Americans Love God and Europeans Don't."
"Harvard is no longer an institution with a religious mission, but religion is a fact that Harvard's graduates will confront in their lives," the report says, noting 94 percent of incoming students report discussing religion and 71 percent attend services.
"As academics in a university we don't have to confront religion if we're not religious, but in the world, they will have to," Alison Simmons, a philosophy professor who co-chaired the committee, said in a telephone interview Wednesday.
The report, which has been circulated to faculty and whose contents were first reported Wednesday by The Harvard Crimson student paper, also says Harvard students also "need to have an understanding of American history, American institutions, and American values," calling for a requirement to study the United States in a comparative context with other countries.
The recommendations are the latest chapter in a lengthy, tumultuous saga over revamping the university's core curriculum, which dates to the 1970s. Former President Lawrence Summers made reform a priority in 2001, but the work of several committees bogged down and initial recommendations were criticized as weak. Summers resigned earlier this year, forced out by faculty anger at his handling of a range of matters, including the curriculum review.
Harvard's core has shied away from the "Great Books" approach to general education, focusing on "approaches to knowledge" rather than "bodies of knowledge." But the report notes few Harvard students plan to become academics, while more than half plan to attend business, law or medical school. The new recommendations are clearly geared toward rounding out the liberal arts education of those students.
In addition to ethics, "reason and faith" and the "United States and the World," students would be required to do coursework in two other areas: science and technology, and "Cultural Traditions and Cultural Change."
The recommendations also include making writing and analytical reasoning part of the general requirements, and retaining foreign language work.
The recommendations, by a six-member faculty panel, offer only general guidelines about the kinds of classes that would count. The draft may be revised and would be adopted only after passing a vote by Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
The State University of New York and George Mason University have adopted general education requirements that include mandatory American history.
In the Ivy League, Columbia University has a significant core curriculum with courses that include material on religion, and Dartmouth currently requires a course in the analysis of religion, though that will change next year, according to its Web site. But Harvard would be the only school in that group requiring students to take courses in both religion and U.S. history.
Public colleges in Colorado, along with Ohio University and Arizona State, are among the other universities currently reviewing general education requirements, said Anne Neal, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a generally conservative academic group that has urged universities to toughen general education requirements.
"From the looks of this new proposal, it is extremely good news," Neal said. "It appears Harvard has rejected the 'anything goes' distribution requirements in place at so many colleges in favor of a more structured, rigorous and cohesive core curriculum."
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

so God must've took pity on me since i didn't get mad or annoyed or anything last night. this was the convo after i came in:

Roommie: so did you notice all the cleaning i've done?
Me: yes, you've cleaned according to the schedule
R: no, not just that, but i cleaned everything
M: great, thanks
R: i pulled out the oven and
M: WHAT?!?!?! you PULLED OUT THE OVEN? that's really dangerous!
R: i KNOW it's dangerous but i HAD to do it. i found all this oil dripped & dust bunnies so i scrubbed everything
M: okay, thanks
R: i also cleaned the toaster, the microwave, under the microwave and behind
M: good
R: are you going to clean the fridge?
M: why?
R: there's some spilled korean-food looking thing there under the drawers. see? (shows me under one of the vegetable drawers - which is completely hidden)
M: okay i'll clean that next time i'm suppose to clean the kitchen
R: what about under the sink in the bathroom? the cabinet?
M: what's wrong with it?
R: well, it smells like someone threw up in there
M: i dont' smell anything. it's just all the cleaning supplies in there
R: i think you should clean it
M: maybe

i think she's either really bored or really suffering badly from OCD. i do not live in a pigsty!!! but instead of getting mad and dismissive, i looked into her eyes and responded clearly and just let her know it's not at all serious, all these cleaning priorities.

okay, went to an awesome concert last night. it was really a blast!!! wowowowowow...of course, now i'm tired :)

okay but then, i come home, and there were these broken blinds on my dining chair. i was like, what the...you'd think she'd at least THROW them out! so i asked her what it's doing there and she gave me such an attitude! "well, i wanted you to SEE it" so i said "why would i need to see the broken blinds? i believe you. please throw them out" and then left her. sheesh!

okay, so i've drooled for about 1 hr today at christie's. it was the star trek auction viewing date!!!!!!!!!!!! and it was good that i went in the middle of the day: not many peeps looking. granted there were so many nerds (overheard a convo that said "remember that romulan destroyed this phaser and then..."), but also surprisingly lots of women! i don't mean obese klingon clad women. very attractive, young people! yes also saw lots of zit-faced teenaged boys (probably cut school). interesting mix! i was however, very glad not to have worn my star trek earrings. i would have looked uber-geekette!

so i put a bid in for this item. the estimate at the viewing said between $800-1200 but i put in for $250, MAX bid. i DOUBT i'll get it, but you never know...