I Got 911 On Speed Dial 'Cause I'm Killing It On A Daily Basis

(picture blatantly stolen from savagesunshine. all use of sarah morrison is uncopyrighted and in the hopes she won't kill me for using this picture)

Lalala life is good. It could be worse. It isn't great. But it's good and that makes me happy. Tralala! Yesterday was my last day of therapy. It was awesome. It's like, unbelievable to think about all the progress and change I've made in the five months I've been in it. I feel like I can handle anything. Booyah!

Also, my friends are awesome. I love them. I love my real life friends Sarah and Emma and Sarah and Olivia and Sam. And I love my internet friends unicornfandance and calcium and dizzydance and scaramouche and itsamystery and eventhis (dude, if you're not on tumblr you're totally not even gonna get this). Oh and my blawg friends Jewels and Randi and Dinah and Amaris and so on a so forth.

Basically I love everybody! I can love you too, if you want. It's free, unless you want fame too. Fame has a price, and right here is where you start paying. Or something like that.

ANYWAYS, I am still trying to get all the money together to get into a studio apt closer to the city. People get poorer and things get more expensive. So I'm assuming I might actually get into the city when I'm 40...if I'm lucky. It's good to have a dream. So I hear.

So yup, I love everyone and things are fun lalala I'm going to learn to sew clothes because I don't go shopping anymore and I have this dream to basically have the wardrobe of a few certain amazing Skins characters (Naomi, Emily, Pandora).

Oh and if you want to reach me, you can do so through my Tumblr. I'm really there ALL the time. My IRL friends can attest to that. And I'm funnier. In case you didn't think that was possible.

And also thank you to LiLu for sending me that Planet Unicorn link. It did make my day, in the way only a gay unicorn is capable of. And also I cannot wait until V puts up the last of those party pictures because I look extremely good and since I can't really remember what happened, I'm hoping those pics will jog said memory.

2009 is kicking it SO HARD, no?

E

Turn Into A Jet (Like A Boss)

(via)

Things have been craze around here y'all. And when I say craze, I mean, eh, mildly worth mentioning, which is craze since it's more than normally happens. Sarah's still here, being awesome, and Olivia moved into a really cute house in LA, which Sarah will go to, one day, probably when I stop making her waffles for breakfast and tortilla strips when she's hungover. So, never. But when Sarah leaves it will officially mean things over here are back to normal, which is kinda sad, because the two of them being here was the most fun I've had in my six months of living in LA. I'm going to miss them. And probably get them a housewarming gift. I have an idea, but MDMA is pretty expensive, so I guess I'll just be making them ordinary brownies. Oh well.

How was everyone's Valentine's day? Sarah and I watched Bridget Jones' Diary and fell asleep on the floor. But the Friday before was fun. Sarah and Olivia and I got drunk and watched Bring It On: All Or Nothing and then I got some cake and then we walked to the liquor store but all I really remember is spilling my drinks a lot and falling and then telling them my plan to get acid with Sarah (the Fonder of the two) and going to Venice and painting with watercolors and then someone said, "Watercolors?!" but I'm not sure if that was a dream or not. Either way, fun.

On the subject of my love life (or lack thereof), I've been attempting to win over the hearts of the scruffy skateboarders on campus, but it's been generally unsucessful. I should perhaps think of better ways to get them to notice me other than staring at them nonstop from across the hall and then greedily eyeing their bags of Taco Bell. But that's just unfair because I don't have the energy to walk to TB. Of course if I had a skateboard I would go there! If I had a skateboard I could make all my transpo dreams come true.

This new Lily Allen album is also completely blowing my mind. Sarah (the Fondest one, again) gave me a copy of it two days ago (she got it on presale because she's so clever) and I've already listened to it four times. I've also put on "The Fear" and cleaned my kitchen while jumping and bouncing around like a crack addict, but be thankful you weren't there to witness that firsthand.

But that's basically it. My life is finally picking up and heading in the direction I envisioned and I'm almost a little proud that it only took 6 months in one of the toughest cities in the US for it to happen. The year is finally starting off for me and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't fucking stoked for it. Things still bum me out, get me down, and defeat me. I still stand in front of my kitchen window smoking a cigarette and crying, and I still look to others for strength sometimes, but I also laugh more and love more and live more and that makes it all worth it. I've taken a lot of risks, made a lot of mistakes, and (hopefully) learned from all of them. I'm going to continue to work hard and play harder and if you wanna employ me, I'm a bomb ass employee. I know a lot about a little, but I like to learn and I have a fabulous work wardrobe. Really. I impress myself sometimes. Did I mention I need a job? Just checking.

E

Do You Really Want To Hold My Dirty Hands?

World. I am so happy. I couldn't be happier. Well, maybe if I was rich and had a nicer car and lived in a sweet ass apt over in Echo Park. THEN I could be happier. But as things stand, I'm more than satisfied with this.

The day started with me running over to Kroger to buy cupcakes per my promise to Lillian and everyone who would attend the Los Campesinos! in-store today. I said I would get 100 cupcakes...but sadly got 91 (yeah, did not properly multiply 14 x 7), but that was still more than enough. And people loved them. You know what I'm always saying, the way to a person's heart is through a cupcake!

Oh and the LC! show was awesomesauce. V, my pictures leave a certain something to be desired (this is the reason pro concert photog is not listed anywhere on my resume) so I'm borrowing some from the Criminal Records' Flickr set. I think you will feel like you were there? Hopefully?


The setlist was:
"Don't Tell Me To Do The Maths"
"My Year In Lists"
"Miserabilia" (I'm pretty sure)
One other song whose title escapes me

And then at the end of the set Lillian held up a sign and the lead singer said, "And thanks Erika for bringing the cupcakes." OMG. I practically died on the floor from sheer awesomeness, but I managed to just eeek out a "whoo!"

After that Sam and I went to the park and then IT SNOWED! It was amazing and fantastic! It was famazing and amatastic! Some snow got in my eye and then it wasn't so cool anymore. Then we went to Noni's, where I had the most ridiculously good meal. And it was someone's bday - again. I swurr, everytime I go there someone is having a birthday!

Then Sam and I talked and agreed that we were better off with other people and that we would remain friends and it was so awesome that I cried. Yeah. Yeeeaahhhh. And then I listened to "Brooklyn (Go Hard)" on the train home and tried to pretend I was in BK. For a split second, I so was! Then the train stopped and said, "North Avenue Station" and I remembered where I was.

Allz in allz, it had to be one of the best days of my life, and one of the most memorable, not to mention one of the most fun! But I have more than overstayed my welcome here, and I'm glad to be going back to LA...ahhh, fun in the sun.

E

Hey Internet, Still Here

Recently, for reasons that are both here and there, I've been thinking about how to really start 2009 off in a great way. Things don't seem official yet. I know we're halfway through the first month, but I don't feel like I can start the year until I take care of things that were bothering me in 2008. Looking through my diary from late last year, I've realized that problems can get swept under the rug, but they never truly go away until you DEAL with them.

The sweeping bit is not the issue, obviously, it's the dealing with it part that presents a problem within itself.

Also funny (in that funny way that isn't really funny at all), I've learned that trying to plan too far ahead into the future is not practical. And only ends up frustrating you, especially when you make plans with someone else, because at that point, if you seem committed enough, even "maybes" start to sound like promises.

I do have a lot to look forward to this year. Rooming with Sarah and Olivia for a while, then probably again a little later, getting Brooklyn Prom Queen off the ground, cementing some friendships and breaking others...and, of course, blogging my eyes out. That sounds gross but it'll probably be fun. Kinda like those pedicures when fish nibble on your feet.

Other people have inspired me so much lately and at this point, I'm straddling that fine line between inspiration and replication. I'm trying to land in the former end of this spectrum, although my creative juices, like the delicious cranberry/pomegranate juice in the fridge, are gone and thus making it harder for me to step outside the box like I so normally can.

So, I'm not making any plans as of yet except to be happy and healthy (and guh, finally finally finally lose fifteen pounds?) and to take care of myself. I've kinda realized lately that I need to grow up already; that you can't just pick and choose when and where you feel like being and acting like an adult.

But like I said, no plans.

E

OMG OMG OMG OMG!

Dudez, guess what I just got?! A text from Karmaloop!

50% OFF THE WHOLE SITE! GO BUY SOMETHING TODAY! THE SALE ENDS THIS MONDAY!

Use the code: GLOW

Or use the above code for 40% off the ENTIRE MOFO'ING ORDER!

ZOMG people! It's the biggest fucking sale Karmaloop history! Dooooo it!!!! WE CAN FINALLY AFFORD MOB AND P.O.P AND HELLZ BELLZ!!!!!!

//Update//

I just got a MOB tee, Hellz Bellz tee, Obey tee and IM King tee all for only 62.42! I saved over 54 dollars ya'll!

Holla fo a dolla!

E

"And That's A Job Well Done!" And Other Reasons Why The Holidays Can Be Fun

So now that the doom and gloom of my previous post is over, let's talk about something funner, like how I spent my Thksgvng Brk. Yeah. It really does look cooler spelled that way.

I got in really late on Wednesday night to find my awesome sauce bf waiting for me in my old bedroom with flowers. Total "awwww!!" moment. Then Thksgvng day I got to sleep in till 1:00 pm, when I was awoken by my bf jumping on my bed. It's moments like that that make you forget anything bad that's ever happened to you, if only for that second.

After Turkey Day, which was hella boring and included us watching The Invasion, which no one but my mom and I found hilario, my bf and my mom went off to pick up a rental car. To properly illustrate how that turned out, let me provide you with an equation:

ME + CAR = SAFE FUN TIME. BF + CAR = CONSTANT TERROR AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF LIFE.

Just kidding. Not really. That is an exaggeration, but I did hold my breath a few times. And since he was driving, my bf got to control el radio, but that wasn't so bad because we listened to the CDs I burned him, and then (after much begging and asking) he let me listen to my Spice Girls album. Holla!! (and i'm totally not supposed to say anything, but he did dance to some of it)

So Friday was awesomesauce. We hung out with my bf's roommate April (who is awwweeesommmeee) for a bit. Her cat is pimp too. We sat in her apt, listening to records and eating some of her awesome "space cookies."

Let me just interject here that I am MUCH MUCH MUCH more fun when I have a substance in me. Just saying.

So then we went to a bar and then I got kicked out and then we went to another bar and then I had a beer! So you know, back to that whole win some, lose some philosophy. It turns out it was some guy's 30th bday and so everyone was dancing drunkenly and one seemingly coked up guy was jumping around. To emphasize this awesomeness, I proceeded to list some of the things you can't do while on cocaine. And then, since everyone was in the party mood, our waitress came to our table and looked at me and said,

"Do you want a beer?"

In the words of Sweet Dee: Boom. She was nice enough to pour me a small glass and then didn't even put it on the tab! And I got to drink Sweetwater, which is fantastic and totally snobby beer because it's a microbrew and owns all other beers in existence.

Then on Saturday my bf and I went to his apt and made the BOMBEST tomato soup everz. Por serio. Then we made garlic cheese bread and potatoes. We are perhaps the best cooking tag team since Chico & The man.

Alright...I know that was irrelevant but I NEVER get to make Chico & The Man references. Bear with me. Kthx.

Then we watched Idlewild, which was weird, but not bad and then we killed time for two hours and got back to my mom's house a little after 3.

So,uh, it's safe to say my ho-liday was thebomb.com. And you know what? So is my relationship. To quote a Pheonix album title, "It's never been like that." We talked and laughed and I got to punch him again and we communicated and it was gorgeous.

And then you know what my bf told me? He said I could "make love with words." That's fucking badass. I think I'm going to put that on my business card:

ERIKA
FREELANCE JOURNALIST/AUTHOR
MAKES LOVES WITH WORDS

Oh and while we were in the kitchen making that soup, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, but I totally made him stand up because I didn't want the gesture wasted. Pfft! Boys.

E

WHITE RICE: THE UPDATE

Since I know you guys are genuinely interested in the state of White Rice Magazine (my most exciting endeavor and bastard child of a feminist startup magazine), I thought I would let you know what's going on with it.

So I got the old drafts that were printed up about a year ago and after I read over them, I realized that White Rice surriously needs a facelift. But more than that, it needs a concept. The poor thing was seriously lacking in theme and cohesion. That's the first thing to be fixed.

Secondly, the White Rice I was writing focused on music, books, movie, and fashion. Is there anything else anyone can think of throw in there? Maybe art or social events?

And awesomely enough, I've been reading up on creating flash websites in the hopes that we could produce White Rice as an online magazine (making it easier to communicate ideas between the many states we reside in since we can all look at the same thing at once, and making it more accessible and cheaper to create!). It looks easy enough, but I have a feeling a little AV nerd seduction is in order to make this a reality.

So that's it everyone. Things are still very much in their infant stages, but I'm looking forward to 2009 for the opportunities it will present.

Oh and V and I have the launch party planned out. Free beer, cheese, and crackers for everyone who attends!

E

I'm Sofa King Excited!

Not just because I am moving, but because nothing but good things are happening! It turns out that not only does my boyfriend not have cancer anymore, but he's moving too! Long, slightly sad and personal story short, he was living with his father and nothing was going well there. They don't have the best relationship. So he got together with his art friend and her friend and decided to rent this house out from this dude. I hear it's gorgeous and cheap and whoo! and yea!

It's like we've all hit our senior years (metaphorically, of course). We were weighed down by our schoolwork and the heavy hand of the principal and teachers, plus the pressure to get into the right college...but now all that's done. We've been accepted into our schools of choice, after months of sacrifice to study, passed our tests, and now we're just waiting, scribbling hearts onto desk corners, pretending to pat attention in class...with our eyes on the prize. People can't touch us. We put in four long years and now we're almost out. We won.

Does anyone get that metaphor? It's really working for me now. I'm at complete peace. I can't stop crying. For the first time in my entire life, they're tears of joy.

Deuces,
Erika