Neff's Nascent Notes

2003-06-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

Go ahead you can laugh all you want, cause I've got my philsophy (keeps my feet on the ground)

Well, time flies whether you're having fun or not. Only three more days of work left -- I'll miss that dumping of money into my checking account every two weeks. I guess I'll have to learn how to be frugal again, until I get another job. Although no job could match mine right now -- Wednesdays are professional massage days, I got a Christmas bonus even though I was only working 9 hours a week, paid parking or BART fare, free tickets to the A's or the Giants... the list goes on and on. And of course I can't expect to be paid quite as nicely in SacTown as I was here at the law firm simply because the cost of living is so much higher here. Finally, I get to go to Fresno on Monday with Fran and my replacement, Noemi. Fresno is oh so much fun, especially in the summer, when it is the sweatiest armpit of California out there. But it's better than spending the whole day sitting down -- I've definitely got office ass from sitting all the time. More walking more walking!

Okay, Mohsen and Kinman are on their way over here to watch Harry Potter 1 (book 5 on Saturday - yippee skippee!!!!); I'm tired and just want to sleep, but alas, not tonight. Tomorrow lunch in Sac with Sarah, James, Carlin and Eric. Should be fun! Then it's relaxing in Oroville for the weekend.

2003-06-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

They say that absence makes the heart grow fungus
Well, I can understand why people get hooked on television. Here's a shopping list of what I've done today:
I went to work
I went running around Lake Merritt during my lunch break, avoiding slow walkers and scary Canadian geese (I'm always afraid that they'll run after me with their red, blazing eyes)
I came home
I made salmon with a orange/rum marinade (turned out to be quite good) and one ear of white corn
I watched TV - for like three hours
-Last night's episode of The Daily Show was particularly good - Watch the Electronic Jew with Jon "Stewart"
-Simpsons
-Half an episode of Saturday Night Live on Comedy Central
-Two episodes of Friends
-and about ten minutes of American Juniors before swiftly switching over to the Gilmore Girls, beloved by prepubescent females the nation over.
And then I decided I had enough television for one night, although I did make a lot of progress on the scarf I'm knitting. :-)

I think I'll take a bath, do some cleaning, read more of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. -le sigh- It's hard to fill the hours.

I hope everyone else is filling the hours a lot more productively than I am. Je vous embrasse tous.

2003-06-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

Nobody said it was easy, it's such a shame for us to part. Nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard

Yesterday was an extremely long day. I decided to check out Sacramento, since I don't know the area at all. I looked at apartments in only one area of Sacramento, the Natomas area, and I'm completely overwhelmed. There are so many nice places for so much cheaper than in Berkeley. But it was exhausting. Now I just need to find a nice, compatible person to be roommates with, and I can really start looking.

I'm very much alone in B-town. Sarah, James, and Carlin all moved out on Friday, and it was very sad. But I know that I'll be seeing them again very soon, especially for Sarah's wedding preparations. It's going to be a great wedding, and I'm very excited. Still, it's hard to be here when none of your close friends is.

I guess, I'll do some cooking now. Cooking always makes me feel as though I'm accomplishing something.

Does anyone even read this? Oh well, I'm used to talking to myself by now. :)

2003-05-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

Say You Will, Say You Will, Give Me One More Chance

Last night was my last test. I'm officially done with collegiate obligations. Graduation is on Friday, but I feel graduated already. It was such a strange feeling to walk home from my test and think, "I'm not a student at my school anymore." Made me want to cry. I love Berkeley so much, I really do. I hope that I find as interesting people in Sacramento, but where else in the world could I truly be surrounded by some of the brightest and most interesting minds in the world? I've been pretty sheltered -- and yet, Berkeley has had the crime, the homelessness, and the vandalism of a big city -- I just don't see it when I'm busy discussing politics or great literature.

Well, anyway, I'm off to get a haircut; it's been far too long. Then, I'm going to work -- uggh, the thought of working full time again depresses me. At least, I'm putting that off for another two years while I get my Master's. That's one consolation.

Yay! My parents will be here tomorrow -- I'm so excited that I have 15 people coming to celebrate my graduation. That's so exciting -- and they're all the people I want to see. :) Good luck to everyone still in the middle of finals . . . I totally empathize with you.

2003-05-18T00:10:00.000-07:00

I will Remember You
Will You Remember Me?

I am exhausted. It's late Saturday night and I just spent a delightful evening with Sarah, James, and Carlin. I made homemade lasagna and they supplied the ice cream sundae fixings. Then we played Cranium, which proved to be really fun.

Thursday was the schoolwide senior commencement convocation. . . the only opportunity to be in cap and gown with everyone else regardless of major. It was really nice - the speakers were excellent and all went smoothly except for the ugly guy only wearing a Speedo underneath his gown. Uggh... and they're never the type you want to see with that little clothing.

My grandparents are in town - we had margaritas with my aunt and uncle last night. It's strange to think that I can legally drink with my grandparents. And even more strange that they actually agreed to margaritas. Everyone is really excited that I'm doing the Sacramento program, and frankly so am I. I'm really happy to have a plan and one that sounds like it opens more doors for me. I can do almost anything I want during the next two years - study abroad for a semester, do an internship in DC, etc. I think it's perfect. Almost like getting a second chance to do all the things I wanted to do in college but didn't get around to doing.

Tomorrow starts the long string of graduations - beginning with James and Sarah in Music. I like how we're all supportive of one another. :)

Anyway, now that I'm done with finals, I'm going to bed!!! Yay!!!

2003-05-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

Am I part of the cure or am I part of the disease?

Well, today I turned in my 40+ page thesis--the culmination of my career as a history major. The end is finally in sight. Unbelievable! I would have never imagined that I could write 44 pages. As my kindergarten teacher used to say, "Give yourself a pat on the scapula." And boy will I ever!

Everything is winding down. My closest friends at Cal will be gone in less than three weeks. What am I going to do here without them? We were talking the other day and lamenting about all the wonderful food establishments we'll miss when we're gone - like Cafe Intermezzo, Cheeseboard, Plearn, the Thai Buddhist Temple, Gypsy's, Thai Basil, the Coffee Source, Cafe Strada, the FSM Cafe, and so many more. Mmm... makes me salivate just thinking about all those great places. In the past four years, I have only eaten at fast food places a handful of times - why eat crap, when you can have real food for the same price?

Great America on Memorial Day! Yay!

2003-05-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

Happy UnBirthday to you, to you.

More to come later.

Job interview tomorrow - wish me luck!

2003-05-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

And I wanna know, who'll stop the rain?

Drove downtown in the rain nine-thirty on a Tuesday night,
just to check out the late-night record shop.
Call it impulsive, call it compulsive, call it insane;
but when I'm surrounded I just can't stop.

Ah the Barenaked Ladies. I do love that song.

Anyway, I wrote up this whole thing about my experience at the reception at the Chancellor's House, but then it got lost - damn you stupid technology! I had a great time, there was a poor turnout considering over 1500 contributed to the Senior Class Gift, but I got my picture with Chancellor Berdahl, so I'm all set. Tomorrow is the MeetUp at the Starry Plough, which should prove to be some good times. I'm going with two very cool girls - Lauren and Irene. It seems odd to make friends just before we're all parting our separate ways, but at least I know I'll have somewhere to visit should I ever go to Seattle (Lauren's going to be working at Microsoft). Speaking of Microsoft, Irene says we should just follow Lauren there, meet some guy she works with who makes 400K a year and share him. Sounds like a plan! :)

In other news, I have way too little time to finish my thesis and make it presentable.

Somebody, anybody, please drop me a ShoutOut and tell me what's shaking in your neck of the woods! :)

2003-05-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

And nothing else compares
So I'm feeling really odd. High school graduation I looked forward to, this one I sort of dread. People moving all over the place, going off and doing exciting things, and I still have a huge question mark above my head. I generally keep in very good contact with the people I want to keep in touch with, but I'm afraid they'll lose touch with me. And I'll have to start this whole new life. But I guess most people will have to do that no matter where they go. Meet new people, make new friends. I was excited to leave high school because I wanted something more fitting to me and the way I think and act, and I've really found that sort of acceptance here at Cal. The friends I've made are the ones I know I'll keep for the rest of my life. They're not fleeting, they're not temporary. I should feel lucky. And I do. But sad as well.

The first debates were interesting, but a little disappointing. What I found funny is that they put way too much make up on the candidates so that it looked like Howard Dean had a milk mustache (but that was where they didn't put the make up. Anyway, the debate became this full out bitch fest, mostly between HD and Sen. Kerry. Mike and I agreed that Kerry looks like the type who will have an affair the moment he steps into the White House. . . maybe he already has had an affair. In any case, he looks very greasy.

This week: Reception at the Chancellor's House on Tuesday, Meetup at the Starry Plough on Wednesday, last babysitting with the crazy kids on Thursday, MUN dinner and party on Friday, KFOG KaBoom on Saturday. Wow. And I'm supposed to finish my thesis with all these things to do?!

2003-05-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's May 4th - my cousin Steven's 17th birthday is today. This is frightening to me in several ways: A) because it means that he'll be graduating from high school in a year, as will Rick's little sister, Karen. B) because it means that I really am 22 years old. Where does the time go? I mean, seriously!

My thesis is due one week from tomorrow - I have written 24 pages and am almost finished researching. So I probably have about ten more pages to go. My thesis advisor told me that I should make a museum exhibit out of my research, which I thought was really odd. She told me, I'm sure you could call the Exploratorium and tell them you have this great idea. So yeah, instead of going to graduate school, I've decided that I'm going city to city exhibiting my findings on the 1918 Spanish Influenza Outbreak.

And for all of you who were worried, I am almost fully recovered from my bout of the SARS (I use the article "the" because this girl in my history class asked: "Do you have the SARS?" as if it is one specific thing). Thanks for the love.

My co-ed shower for Sarah and James was a success. You can see the pictures here

Today: Watching the first presidential candidate debates with the Howard Dean people. I'm really excited, and I'm baking cookies.

2003-03-25T11:27:00.000-08:00

It's been over a week since I've written a blog, so I guess it's time. Obviously, a lot has happened. America is at war with Iraq, I'm on Spring Break. Coincidence? I don't think so. Everyone has a different opinion of this war. I'm not out there with the belligerent anti-war protesters in San Francisco who are blocking traffic with their bodies and getting arrested. However, I am against this war. I think I'm more Canadian than people realize - I will not support this war without approval from the Security Council. Although, I don't really like the idea of the Security Council - because then it's the opinion of fifteen nations and not the 191 member states of the United Nations. And now Bush is saying that the United States and not the United Nations will be in charge of rebuilding Iraq when (if) we are victorious. At this point, I just want us to win and stop the killing. People are saying that we're trying to avoid civilian deaths, but a bomb is fairly blind - it doesn't see a civilian on its way down and think to itself "oops, I need to change course now to avoid killing these people!"

I think face-to-face combat lessens the dehumanization process immensely. Of course, dehumanizing is bound to happen because you have to think of the person you're attacking as not a person but an expendable enemy, but I feel that the dehumanizing is inevitable if long-range missiles are used. You have no idea who you've killed - be it Iraqi Republican guard or helpless civilian. And I don't care which way we look at this - we as Americans are the aggressors in this war. It is NOT the same as the first Gulf War, which I've studied extensively. In that case, it was an international coalition stepping in to stop Iraq who had violated international law by invading another sovereign nation.

But anyway, I really enjoyed by weekend with Sarah and her extensive family. We played corny bridal shower games - I won the first game (well, Sarah actually did but couldn't get a present since we were throwing the shower for her). Sarah has a really large extended family - and so many females. It was definitely enjoyable, and I actually liked Los Angeles for the first time in my life. The weather was beautiful -- on Saturday, I was wearing shorts and a halter top.

2003-03-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday James! Today is James' Terry's 22nd birthday. Since I've known James, I've celebrated his birthday. Sophomore year we went to a party at his house, had a really great time at the Old Spaghetti Factory (where we all dressed up in clothes we would never wear unless your name is Christy Thornton), and then on St. Patrick's Day we ate corned beef and potatoes. I scared James' two brothers because I told them that I have prehensile toes and can play a tune on the piano with my toes. They thought I was pretty weird. Last year was James' 21st birthday and we celebrated in a very interesting way. It started with Fondue Fred's where we had a fantabulous time with James, Sarah his family, Rick, Kristen, Carlin, and Christy. Afterwards, we decided to play Strip Poker. Obviously we had no idea what we were doing because none of us had ever played it before - we didn't realize that only the person with the lowest poker hand takes off an article of clothing. We sort of played the opposite way, in which only the person with the highest hand kept his/her clothes on, while everyone else (the losers) had to take off an article of clothing. Needless to say, we were all naked very quickly. It was pretty hilarious.

So what's in store for James' birthday today? We're going to Chevy's where I will personally pay for the strawberry margarita pitcher! :) It should be fun - of course it will be - I always have fun with my posse! :)

Okay, I'm off to write pages and pages about the Spanish Influenza. Wish me luck! :)

2003-03-14T15:32:00.000-08:00

Thoughts on Rain and Spring Break...
At work. It's quite the long and dismal day. California is paradise . . . until it rains. Then, it becomes a veritable swampland because we Californians don't know how to deal with water dropping down upon us from the sky. The stormdrains get backed up and you have to not only watch where you're stepping but also avoid getting splashed by rude drivers in the process. Whenever my dad sees someone get splashed by a car, he, without fail, tells me how in France the driver would be liable for such a thing - there's laws against splashing pedestrians, nom de Dieu!!! But anyway, rain in California sucks!

Many people have their Spring Breaks next week - I know of two who are going to two fabulous vacation spots: Seth is going to Paris and then Heidelberg, Germany for free thanks to his World MUN ticket - he even gets to stay with an officer in Paris so lodging is free as well; and Craig is going to the Bahamas with his family! Well, my parents are going to St. Croix for my mom's Spring Break, but do I get to come (let's forget about the fact that I wouldn't be able to even if they asked)? Oh no. Did I get to go to St. Martin with them a few years ago? Nope. Got shipped off to the grandparents in Myrtle Beach, SC. Tahiti when I was 6? You've guessed it - no. Do I seem bitter? Well, I guess I'm jealous only due to the fact that I absolutely love traveling. It's one of my favorite things to do. Well, I guess my consolation is that someday I'll go on all these great vacations with my future hubby, and ship the kids off to my mom! So there!

Okay, time to sign-off as there is cake upstairs for January, February, and March birthdays! :) Hope everyone is having a Fabulous Friday!!

2003-03-13T22:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, thanks to Johnathan's wisdom, I was able to get this shout out thing to work. Now people can comment on my ridiculous comments. :) Hurrah. Well, from now on I'll definitely have more to write about and I'll stop this xanga business.

It's great when your music interests coincide with your friends. Example, I just bought the Barenaked Ladies' Greatest Hits CD, and then discovered that Johnathan, Owen, and Craig are fans. Not only that, they gave me tips for even better songs. How cool is that? The guy at Tower Records asked if I was from Canada when he sold me the CD. I said, "No, but I was there recently."

But here's my biggest test: who has seen Waiting for Guffman? Well, Best in Show is also tolerable, but it's WFG that is the key test. And if someone hasn't seen it, they have to be willing to see it. It just sort of encompasses my esoteric sense of humor. :) I can't wait for the newest Christopher Guest mockumentary to come out!!!

2003-03-13T22:08:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it's Thursday night, and I'm trying this whole thing again. If it doesn't work this time, then I'm giving up.

2003-03-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to get this comment thing to work