Arclight Troubles

I was trying to buy tickets for a 21+ screening of Walk the Line at the Arclight. Little did I know God was thinking, "Okay, but I'm making it as difficult as possible."

I logged into the Arclight website like usual, click on the showtime I wanted, then when I chose the seating section it said, "Internal error. Please try again later." Hm... weird. Okay, I'll try again in a few minutes. NOPE. Same thing. So I called their automated ticket-purchasing line, and when asked to enter the first three letters of the movie I wanted to see, I did... and they said "I'm sorry, I can't find the movie you're looking for." and offered to let me listen to a list of all the movies. After listening to 19 options, I realized the list was done, and I had not heard Walk the Line anywhere in there.

So I call member services and this is the conversation that transpired:
"Hi, I tried to purchase tickets for the 21 and up screening of Walk the Line online and there was some kind of error, and when I called to purchase them it wasn't even listed so I was wondering if I could get them from you."
"Hm, okay... what kind of browser are you using?"
"Firefox..."
"Yeah, our site doesn't work with Firefox, do you have Internet Explorer?"
"No, but I have Safari."
"Yeah, Safari doesn't work with it either."
"Um... I've bought tickets online before."
"You have?!"
"... Yes."
"Hm... [looks at list]... yeah, Netscape, Mozilla, Safari, and Opera... our site isn't really compatible with them. They all have a lot of consistent problems with our site."
"Convenient..."
"Haha... yeah... so do you have a way of using Internet Explorer?"
"No..."
"Okay..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"... Well I can go ahead and get those for you."
"Oh can you? That would be great... yeah let's do that."

What the fuck? I like how Microsoft and Arclight are in cahoots. And way to LIE... Mo and I have both bought tickets using Safari and I've used Firefox as well. Jerks. But we're still going to see a movie there. Woo!

Current Status:
Mood: Confused. And betrayed.
Food: Nothing.
Song: "Chewing Gum (Mylo Remix)" -Annie

Hector & I = Best Friends

Hector is the sweetest boy ever. And myspace just proved it to me.

So out on our crazy-wild evening of fun, Hector asked if I saw the bulletin he left on MySpace which he wrote about me. And I was like, what? No. Apparently it was one of those "bulletin quiz" thingies, and it was about the 1st person in your top 8 list... of which I am on his list. Anyway he told me I should read it because it was about me... so I did. And I nearly cried. The following is what Hector wrote in his bulletin, and it has not be altered in any way, and you may want to grab a tissue before reading. Of course it probably won't mean as much to you as it did to me, but that's because you're HEARTLESS. I digress...

"How well do you know the 1st person in your top 8? Now don't go and change it to someone you think you know well, keep it the same!!

Body:
1. name: Justin Porter/Todd/The Flying Duck

2. age: 22

3. birthday: I'm SO bad with birthdays... March 9th?

4. how long have you known this person: Um, Since August of 2001

5. are you related: Nope, thank GAWD!

6. where does this person live? LA, near the artsy Los Feliz area.. bastard

7. how often do you see them: Not often enough, but we talk a lot anyway :-P

8. when was the last time you talked in person: Last night at Fred's

9. on myspace: Never I don't think.

10. on the phone: Last night

11. how did you meet this person: This one time at band camp... (No, we really were at Band Camp, not at an American Pie screening)

12. their favorite color: yikes, um, Green? I always think of green when I think of Justin, I dunno why.

13. when will you see this person next: Soon, we have to go check out venues for a certain function for a certain holiday at a certain time

14. have you ever kissed this person? haha no.

15. whats their favorite type of music: He has an eclectic taste in music which i appreciated when we would be bored in our room and he would be DJ for the night. His favorite is anything he can dance to.

16. whats their best feature: His electric smile... you can't help but smile when he is smiling. Well, then i guess his facial expressions, however many, would be his best feature as they are infectious.

17. whats your favorite memory of this person: Only one? hrm, it would have to be all the nights we spent planning and decorating each and every one of our parties. THAT was always a fun time.

18. what are your true feelings toward this person: He's my best friend... he will be my best man at my wedding.

19. in 10 years do you think you'd still place this person at the top of your top 8: No...by then Myspace will be gone and I'll place him at the top of my list on...um... whoareyou.com"

Current Status:
Mood: Crying
Food: Tears
Song: I can't hear over my crying

Lost

If you haven't yet seen the show... I think you should reevaluate your priorities.

My friend Aneesa kind of got me hooked on the hit ABC show Lost, and by "hooked" I mean she said "I'm watching Lost" when I was talking to her online one night and I tuned in to watch it myself. SO GOOD. What's even better? ABC is now replaying shows from the first season, so I'm getting caught up on everything. I really, really like this show and I'm actually tempted to buy it on DVD.

So what? I've never bought a show on DVD, and there are a great many shows that I love that I could buy on DVD... but I haven't. So the point is you need to watch it if you haven't. And if you have... then I guess you're pretty bored up to now. SO... I'm on a car hunt again. I don't know what's wrong with my car - and I'm so sick of dealing with its problems at this point that I've decided I'm not sinking any more money into fixing its stupid problems.

You may think me irresponsible, but its got so many things randomly going wrong that it would cost almost twice what it's actually worth to get it fixed. I think I'd rather put money down on a new car if I'm going to have to spend that kind of cash. Thanks for the cars that only last 10 years, America. Does it bother anyone else that we're so behind in automotive technology and quality? Ugh.

But yes my car has gotten to the point that I'm surprised if I drive somewhere and don't see the "Low Coolant", "Service Engine Soon" and "Check Oil Level" lights come on. My question is, why doesn't the "Service Engine Soon" light stay on? I mean... don't you normally have to get the dealer to specifically turn it off once it comes on? Yet here's my car... my bipolar car... constantly changing its mind as to whether it needs some attention or not.

I do need to get an oil change though, since that's on the more important side. I think there must be an oil leak - because I've never seen the "Check Oil Level" light before, and its not overdue for an oil change. Oh and the fan for the heater AND the A/C starting working again. But only for short spurts, so if I'm freezing there's a 50% chance I'll actually be warmed by my car. This may sound low to you, but it used to be 0% since it wasn't working at all.

Oh and I just noticed one of the back-up lights doesn't work, which isn't life-threatening but I really hate it. Wow this is a long entry, but I just wanted to make sure you thoroughly understand the extent of my car's handicaps. I want a new car. I love my old one, but it just needs to be put down. And don't think this is easy... I really do love that car. It's like having to put your family dog to sleep because its sick and can't be helped and is suffering and throwing up all over your new carpet.

Well that's all for now, I suppose. I got a mass email from my UK friend Mark who is living in Indonesia, so that was exciting. I haven't read it quite yet since it's like 50 pages long and I just got it recently. He better follow up with some pictures!

Current Status:
Mood: Car-crazy
Food: Leftover Vday candy
Song: "Hideway" -The Corrs

You need to own it more

My keyless entry battery died last night. Good thing I left the keys locked inside and only had the remote with me.

So it was a weird ending to Hector's fab mardi gras party... but thank God AAA was on-call and only took two hours to get there to unlock it for me. Wee! I had so much fun, I haven't seen Mo in so long and haven't hung out with Hector in what seems like forever. Of course there were some weird happenings which I shant discuss on here, you know... protecting the innocent and all. But those of you in the know... you know what I'm saying. Eeek!

Anyway I drove Mo home so we could pick up Tiff and Seth and go to Weho for some added fun at 2am. And Tiff backed out so we were just going to take Seth, but while waiting for them to get home, Mo decided to back out and so Seth and I kidnapped Tiff and dragged her out dancing with us. Then some stranger told me that I was beautiful and needed to "own it." To which I replied "I do..." which was responded to with "You need to own it more."

What?

What??

What does that mean? I'm not owning it? I think I own it pretty well. I have receipts and everything. I don't know how I should respond to a statement like that in the future. Does that mean I should act like a snob and be pretentious and stuck-up-looking so that everyone instantly thinks I'm a prick who's full of himself? Yes, please. I'll take two of that. No.

Well anyway, the point is... by some stranger's good advice, I've decided to "own it" more... because I will not have another person telling me I'm not owning it enough. So if I look pretentious and stuck up if you meet/see me and thus you're afraid to approach... rest assured, I'm just owning it at the moment and I'm perfectly harmless.

On another note, I arrived at work last week and when I parked the car in front of me had their car keys dangling out of the trunk lock. I went to the house they were parked in front of, but they didn't know who the car belonged to, so I ended up wrapping their keys in a paper towel and tucking them neatly under their windshield wiper. I wrote a little note on the towel that said something like, "I found these hanging out of your truck, let me know if you get them..." and put my name and number.

Well this morning I woke up to a voicemail message from they lady calling me to thank me so much for the keys and wish me good karma. What a brilliant way to start the day! So here's my assignment to you, children: Find someone's keys and somehow return them to their owner. It feels great, especially when you know they got them and you prevented grand theft auto. If you have to steal the keys first that's fine... as long as you have the experience of returning them. Just don't let them know you're the same person that stole them. I can't imagine that being a very pleasant exchange.

Current Status:
Mood: PUMPED! I just watched Red Eye. (P.S. Rachel McAdams I love you)
Food: V-Day Reese's Heart. I'm so off the diet wagon. Tomorrow I'll get back on.
Song: "California" -Phantom Planet

Diet Time!

I've been good for a week, it's time for a day off.

When I went to Colorado last week, I sort of automatically started on a diet and exercise routine. I didn't drink any sodas or eat a bunch of fatty shitfood. And, of course, I went skiing everyday (aka exercise). And why is this exciting? Because I continued doing it after my vacation was over. That's right! Hail to the will-power. Tonight I took the night off though. I didn't eat junk, I just didn't go running. I know, shame on me. But you can go to Hell! I will exercise a week straight starting tomorrow then take a day off again.

Moving on, I'm currently watching TV and I'd like to quote/comment on a few things:

"I can't fire her! It would be like cutting of my arm... my drunk, useless arm..." -Grace, talking about Karen "Will & Grace"

I just saw a Wienerschnitzel commercial boasting the chile cheese-dog diet... and I think I'm going to vomit everywhere. What if there's some poor sap out there who actually thinks this is a REAL diet? Can we say lawsuit? Can we say IWANTTOVOMIT?! Gross.

Jeff Goldblum is strange but I enjoy him. I don't know if he can't act or he can... he's got me totally stumped.

My battery preferences have gone from Energizer to Duracell to Energizer to Duracell again... now I'm kind of neutral.

I just saw a commercial for Mountain Dew MDX featuring nocturnal animals lip-syncing "All Night Long" and I laughed hysterically. I think it was the night vision that made it so funny. You'll have to see it for yourself, I guess.

I want to see "8 Below". Why? The dogs in it are adorable and if you don't like them you're Satan and you probably put puppies and kittens in bags and beat them against walls on the weekends. You make me sick.

"Sometimes you have to forgive someone because you want them in your life." -Mya Gallow, "Just Shoot Me"

Current Status:
Mood: Bubbly
Food: Nothing for now.
Song: "Heartbeat" -Annie

Colorado = Skiing = Amazing

So I spent the last week of my life in Colorado... why do I have to come back?

Because I have to make money so I can afford to be alive, basically, is the answer. But the point is, I had an amazing, AMAZING time in Colorado this past week. It all started as a road trip with my high school friend, Aneesa. She was moving back to Colorado from LA to live with her parents and save up money for a little bit so she can move to Austin and live happily ever after.

Since the drive from LA to Denver can be a perilous one, she asked me to accompany her on the trip. It just so happened that my Dad was going to be visiting my Aunt in Aspen around that same time. So, the plan became clear: drive to Denver with Aneesa, bond, spend a day or two with her family doing amazing things, then fly to Aspen and spend time with my Dad and Aunt which of course includes skiing my fat ass off.

Well the entire trip was fantastic... I had a blast driving with Aneesa, and it was nice to finally bond since we haven't had much contact over the past four years since high school. And her family is great... I loved hanging out with her and her mom. We went to this place near Denver called Garden of the Gods, which was beautiful. It's basically huge red rocks jutting randomly out of the ground.

Then I got to Aspen, and my aunt picked me up from the airport, then basically said, "I'm going skiing, and since you won't have equipment until tomorrow, walk around town for a couple hours and shop for clothes for your birthday." Tremendous! What's better than picking out the clothes you want for a gift? Nothing.

I spent the next two days attending ski school, which is the only kind of schooling for which I'd willingly get up at 8:30 AM. And both evenings were filled with five-course meals, leaving me fat an sassy by bedtime. The third day I didn't have class, so my Aunt and I went skiing together then had a lovely lunch. Then a little more birthday shopping... :) ... then home for some jacuzzi-time before going to the airport.

Overall, I'd say the trip was a total success-ball. And while I'm sad to leave the "ski and eat everyday" life, I'm happy to be getting back to making money. And seeing Stefanie... I missed her. Oh and the flight attendant gave me a huge sack of peanuts when I asked him for a couple extra packages (that's what the picture is). Holy crap!!

Current Status:
Mood: Tired... it's 1AM and I'm about to land at LAX
Food: Peanuts
Song: "How High" -Madonna