i've been saving up for something we need as long as you're open to the possibility

I took the day off from work tomorrow for no reason other than I decided it would be nice to do so. The weather is supposed to be decent, too. I haven't entirely made up my mind what I am going to do, but I do know that I'm going to wake up super early and attempt to finish all my chores and errands before lunchtime.

Really, I'd love to go on a daytrip somewhere but I am totally flat broke. I'm saving up for another trip in September and possibly (should certain endeavors in the works produce better than expected results) a rent deposit.

I've been super, super moody lately though. No idea why! One day I'm full of plans and hopes for the future, the next I'm completely desolate and melancholy. I get this way just about every time things in my life are up in the air and dissatisfying in the present. At least right now I have something that--although also frustrating and uncertain--makes me smile. There is a comfort in that. :)

Alors, ce soir, as I must wait until tomorrow for the arrival of the first 3 discs of "Rome", I think I'll chill out with une bouteille de vin rouge and geek out to an episode of MST3K. Did I mention yet that I finally finished The Time Traveler's Wife? I totally cried through most of the final 100 pages. Highly recommended, I don't know why it took me so long to read it. I'm whisking my way through yet another Jeeves book (starting to feel some withdrawal, you see...) and then will either start Vile Bodies or Black Swan Green. Outside, ideally.

Maybe, since my posts have been so direly lacking in content, I will leave you with some more Vox Questions of the Day, as I haven't posted any in quite a long while. Have a lovely weekend!

After all the recent season and series finales, what are you watching on TV these days?
Absolutely nothing! I'm waiting for the most recent seasons of "The Office," "Battlestar Galactica," and "House" to come out on DVD.

What are your top 10 most-played songs currently?
1. "Don't Worry Baby" - the Beach Boys
2. "The Funeral" - Band of Horses
3. "I Want You" - Elvis Costello
4. "A Sweet Summer's Night on Hammer Hill" - Jens Lekman
5. "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" - Neutral Milk Hotel
6. "Maybe You Can Owe Me" - Architecture in Helsinki
7. "Kings of the Wild Frontier" - Adam & the Ants
8. "A Little Respect" - Erasure
9. "Fidelity" - Regina Spektor
10. "Postcards From Italy" - Beirut

What is the most interesting class you have ever taken?
Medieval Popular Culture was pretty fascinating.

What's the weirdest baby name you've ever heard?
"Assholé," pronounced (so I'm told) "Ash-ol-ay." I saw it in the birth announcements in the paper. Amazing.

If a waiter stopped by right now to take your order, what cocktail or drink are you having?
If I wasn't drinking red wine already I'd love a champagne martini!

What are your deal breakers in a relationship?
Dishonesty. Tapered pants.

What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?
I like vanilla with cherries and chocolate. Or rocky road.

What kind of camera(s) do you own?
Kodak EasyShare V603 Zoom (in red).

What was your favorite TV season finale this year?
The only one I watched was "Lost," so I'll say... "Lost."

What is the one saying that your parents said to you that you absolutely hate?
When I tell my mom something that happened and she doesn't remember it, she tells me that I dreamt it. It drives me crazy.

How many times do you usually re-edit posts? What is the most common reason for doing so?
I take so long to write the stupid things that I rarely go back and re-edit them after they've been posted, unless I notice technical errors like typos or misspellings.

Who is your favorite video game character?
Link, maybe?

What words, for the life of you, can you never spell correctly?
Traveler, inane.

What were you doing one year ago today?
Getting ready to leave my job in Connecticut and move back home.

Which household chores do you most/least enjoy?
I most enjoy cleaning the bathroom, I think because of the way it looks and feels after it is SoftScrubbed and sparkly. I hate doing laundry... it involves a great deal of waiting.

Who was your first celebrity crush?
Davy Jones.

What's the best way to get on your good side?
Flattery will sadly work wonders. Or, really, just attentiveness. Interest.

What is your favorite kind of bagel and what do you put on it?
Everything bagel, lightly toasted with jalapeño cream cheese!

What's the next country you want to visit?
Hungary, Belgium, or Iceland.

What are five books that changed your life?
I can really only think of two off the top of my head: Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera.

What's your favorite holiday movie?
The Shop Around the Corner or It's a Wonderful Life. I have a thing for Jimmy Stewart during the holidays.

What books did you love as a child?
Just about anything by Roald Dahl. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Goodnight Moon. John Bellairs mysteries.

really too late to call, so we wait for morning to wake you

Holy cow my allergies are out of control today. I feel as though I have flu, and I can barely see through my watering eyes. Good grief.

Anyway, you're probably (marginally) more interested in hearing about my trip to LA than my allergy woes, so I'll dive right in.

The flight was OK, despite being seated with two of the most obnoxious.hipsters.ever. Granted, it could have been much, much worse, but sheesh. By the end of the flight I was quite through with hearing about how everything was "soooo amaaaazing" and their plans to play league kick ball in some park in Williamsburg. He was designing t-shirts, she was making jewelery. "So, are you into that whole, like, Edie Sedgwick vibe? I think it's soooo amaaaazing!" Bleargh.

Anyway, J was waiting at the airport and (thanks to Long Beach's totally manageable size) we swiftly grabbed my bags and headed back to West Hollywood. Oh, with a brief drive-thru visit to In-N-Out (fries were subpar, burger was good), natch.

J had to work on Friday, so I stole his car and took a spin. I was a little apprehensive about this, not least because the gas gauge was below E, but I managed to locate a gas station and navigate my way to the diner J recommended for brunch near (in?) Santa Monica. Delish. I lounged away the rest of the morning driving up (and down) the PCH, then through the mountains. Gosh, I love the mountains. La la LOVE them.

En soirée, we had a lovely dinner at a charmingly hidden French restaurant called Stella. Dining outside, we devoured escargot and lamb while Serge Gainsbourg crooned. Lovely.

As for the weekend, I can't remember what days we did what, but highlights included:
*Winding through the Angeles Forest (more mountains! yay!)
*Drinks on the roof of the Standard (sunburn! not so yay!)
*Drinks at the Figueroa (my favorite)
*Sunbathing at Venice Beach (only for about an hour)
*TWO visits to Fred 62 (and other ridiculously delicious meals)
*Strolling through the garden of the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena
*Memorial Day get-together beside a pool in suburbia

All in all, a lovely trip. I was sad to go, and of course this "week" (3 days) at work dragged like you would not believe. I still haven't fully unpacked, but that's something for this weekend I suppose.

Now I'm right back here; I'm lost and confused and don't know what to do with myself. I've been sapped of my élan once again, but I'm not entirely sure how to pull myself out of it. It's like... I clearly could have done an infinitely better job of recapping my vacation, but I just don't feel like it. I don't feel like putting effort into much of anything anymore, which is just about the WORST POSSIBLE attitude to have when faced with the present circumstances. I'll have to snap out of it, clearly, but it's not going to be easy. Grah. I am not a happy bunny.