Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Marina M.'s LiveJournal:

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Saturday, November 28th, 2009
9:10 am	Got up early and going to do a NIA workout class at the gym by my house today. So proud of myself for getting up this early on a Saturday and going to a structured exercise class of dance and aerobics to boot. There is another me who COULD have just stayed in bed moping, and wishing the coffee fairies would rouse me with homemade espresso as I sleep. But that's just silly. Current Mood: chipper (Comment on this)
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
10:49 pm	10 min on the Elliptical and 15 min on the treadmill= 1 mile+ of walking and a ray of hope in this silly overweight body of mine. Maybe I will actually lose the 35 pounds I hope to in six months, which would be around May of 2010. Oh, gradual weight loss, how you fly in the face of my Instant Gratification americangirl mindset. Elusive, but not impossible. Current Mood: calm Current Music: Step Into My Office, Baby. -Belle and Sebastian (Comment on this)
Sunday, November 15th, 2009
9:46 am	Finally, a good night's sleep. Went to bed around 12am. Moved to the couch from 1-6am, tv and slept, then back to bed from 6-8:30. Still--l I feel relatively rested. I do have a cold and a sore throat, so I had chicken soup and Lemon green tea for breakfast. Saw an interesting play called Stay For the Cake last night. Invited 3 of my friends but no one could make it so I went alone. Going to a play alone is a little harder for me than going to the movies alone. Movie theaters are dark and anonymous, this was like THE FRONT ROW. It's funny, when I see single people out alone(Usually men actually) I don't assume they are all fucked up and unloved, but for some reason, like last night. I get really self-conscious about what others must think.Couple, couple, couple, couple, buddies, family, fidgety single girl. I know this is kinda silly to even care, and I obviously don't care THAT much, or I'd just stay home. Anyway, the play was three one acts, one was directed by E, who sells tickets at the Movie Theater where I volunteer. It was nerdy, had a bunch of hilarious Shakespeare references, and very very funny. I was so glad I went, and they served the audience slivers of very tasty cake and wine at the end. Not bad, I say. I also saw "Whip It", the movie about Roller Derby girls with my friend C on the night before Veterans day. Even though it felt like a two hour ad for roller derby (and, you know, pushing through your fears and following yer heart), that's ok, because according to C, Roller Derby is AWESOME. We have them here in Portland, but ticket prices run high, so I have not yet been. Also I like that even though Drew Barrymore directed it she simply played a medium sized roll as a wacky, spacey, rainbow leg-warmer wearing, Derby girl who gets the shit kicked out of her pretty regularly. Juliette Lewis plays the bad-ass mofo, with a heart of gold way (way) deep down. The music is also perfect. The script is smart and funny. My only complaint is there are no really great male characters, except maybe the coach. Ok, I have to go get ready now.. Current Mood: relaxed (Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
7:48 pm	BRASSY HEAVY MEME-R GRRRLS, UNITE AND TAKE OVER! Shit, where did TWO WEEKS ago go? That, my friends, was the last time I seriously excerised. Oh SURRRE, I rode my bike the 5 min home from the bike shop a couple days ago, and last night I took a "token" walk home from the antique Mall/ coffeeshop near my house because I didn't want to drive 5blocks in traffic on 2 one way streets, but that doesn't really cut it. I can't seem to make a routine for exercise, though I am eating a ton of new kinds of vegetables and huge salads at lunch and fish shrimp or chicken for dinner. When I cook at home, which is MOSTLY. However the sad news is, after a month of half-assed exercising, (EVEN THE 5mile uphill hike I took with co-workers in the rain,at night in the fucking woods, mind you) I AM STILL, UNFORTUNATELY, FAT. there is no kind way to say it, I am just fat. My formerly "big" pink rocker jeans, size 18, are too small. I am not gaining weight really, BUT I AM ALSO NOT LOSING WEIGHT. I look the same. And people totally treat you differently when you are fat, unless you are one of those Cool, Brassy fat girls who Owns their Size like it makes them THE SHIT. I have not managed to do that, at least not so far. At this rate, I am just waiting for internet porn of amateurs over 200lbs doin' it to Out-meme the Kate Moss, aMERICA'S Top Model Culture. Actually I would like it if top Model did a plus size show. Now That I would watch. Current Mood: good Current Music: Morrissey (Comment on this)
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
10:39 pm	That's just plain MONKEY NUTS! MONKEY NUTS: (Yoinked from Urban Dictionary) tiny organic food eaten by small monkeys, occupying their niche in the rainforests of northern costa rica. The howler monkeys eat monkey nuts to survive. I have a whole lot to say, but it is past my bedtime. I will try tomorrow to continue with this: Julie and Julia was the smartest chick-flicky, mainstream movie I have seen since, well since the Devil Wears Prada, except this was much better. (Which begs the question, DOES MERYL STREEP ONLY DO CHIC-FLICKS with SMART SCRIPTS?) Julia Child was married at 40 to Paul and SHE WAS A VIRGIN. At 40! And if the movie isn't lying, they were totally, adorably, ridiculously, intellengintly IN LOVE. Which any hipstery cat-lady will tell you, is very encouraging news! That is all, I have a dryer to unload and a bed to crawl into after a long awesome blissfull weekend with good friends, music, Mexico City photos, and a couple yummy drinks in the mix. Current Mood: bouncy (Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
7:10 am	"Zine" in for Fanzine, not Maga-Zine, you Dope! Ahahaha! I slept for a delicious 8 hours in a cozy warm bed whilst the Portland Rainstorm 2009, began. It is nice and cozy in my new place. Still, my co-worker, J and I are planning to do a 5 mile walk uphill aftr work today. I guess we will just bring rain jackets. Also T from alanon asked me to review 5 zines for His ZINE called "Daggerboy", which is bascially music and zine reviews. I am starting with 5 and they are due in 2 weeks. Should keep me outta trouble. (wink wink)The first one I am reading now is called SICK and it's a compilation of people who are lefty experiencing major physical illness, like end stage kidney failure. So far it's awesome. (I wonder if there will be some endometriosis in there, $5 says yes.) Cool dreams last night about a big friendly bus driver hugging me, but not in a skeezy way, just a big happy black dude cheering me on while I looked for my shoes and tried to find the right bus stop. Life overall is good. Good cat, good living quarters, great friends, decent mom, rad job, enough money, working car. Not bad. Especially since there was a time when I have had NONE of these things, and I have gradually worked my way into each one. My mom, by the way, turns 69 tomorrow. Crazy. She is in better shape than I am. She's been retired for 20 years, lives in Hawai'i, and basically just exercises, plays classical piano, mows her ginormous lawn (and brags about getting it done), goes to swim class and hikes mountains. Not bad, really. THe card goes out today, because I have been outta town at a speech and Hearing conference in the Oregon High Desert since Friday. Cheers! Current Mood: Rested! (Comment on this)
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
10:14 pm	"Me, I'm Waiting So Patiently, Lying on the Floor..." Ooh, I have a new crush. Hooray! I rarely get this excited about guys, and I still don't know much about this one, but I have seen him around a bunch-- and tonight we had our first real conversation. Teehee! In other News, I leave for the Oregon High Desert of Bend in 2 days for the Oregon Speech and Hearing Conference , which will "confer" here: http://www.riverhouse.com/. (definitely worth clicking on, if for no other reason than the fake river sounds) Very "Twin Peaksy" looking, which I like. However since booking a room and transport is not included in what my school will pay for, and since I don't even get a full paycheck for 6 WEEKS after we started working (and 5days after this conference is over), I will be staying with my friend T, in the nearby, less impressive town of PRINEVILLE, a lovely example o which can be found here missrodeooregon.org Should be fun. I'm riding in a car for 3 hours over Mt. Hood with two co-workers I don't know so well, hopefully we will all get along ok. 3 hours can't be that long right? I'll have my copy of the Time Travelers Wife and my trusty journal to keep me occupied, though it looks like I'll be leaving the work laptop at home for safety reasons. ok here's prineville again : http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cchouk/ford/pix_1/image31.jpg G'night, friends! Current Mood: Healthy Current Music: Belle and Sebastian (Comment on this)
Sunday, September 13th, 2009
9:20 pm	more later Happiness is petting your cat's head with your foot while yer sleeping and having her push her little paws against the bottom of your foot. (Comment on this)
Thursday, September 10th, 2009
7:14 am	Keep On Moving Returning to work at the Speech Job has been fun, but it's all administrative until the kids get scheduled. While other teachers are making nametags and welcoming kids, we in the speech offices are purging files and putting up photos. Fun, but anticlimactic. Also I have learned that without exercise, I get depressed, especially when getting up early. I have to figure out a way to keep moving after 7 hours of work. My original plan was to bike to at least one of the schools. Gotta go..to be continued Current Mood: blah (Comment on this)
Sunday, September 6th, 2009
9:13 am	"I get up around 7, roll outta bed around 9" -Guns and Roses I am officially "on vacation" for about 5 days, although this is day three already. this is not a real vacation in the sense that I am not traveling too far out of town except for day-long road trips with friends. This is A "Staycation" so I'm riding my bike, getting to know the new neighborhood, seeing cheap movies (Saw UP yesterday and loved it, and unpacking the last few boxes from the Move. I am getting a new refrigerator which my rental company is paying for. This is because my current fridge has a GLACIER of frost and ice seeping from the freezer down into the top of the refrigerator. I worry about weird gasses, but i dunno. Anyway next week they will finally replace which is cool, except I have been asking about this since BEFORE I MOVED in, back in July and they kind of forgot about it, I guess. Got the keys to my three elementary schools on Thursday. So awesome!!! I am excited to get back to work, see the kids, play games, and finally get a decent paycheck, which I haven't in months. I hope to get a flat screen monitor for my 'puter in the next 2 months, and a new bed before Christmas. Current Mood: happy (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, August 31st, 2009
12:13 am	And the Winner IS...........................................Taoism. The number 42 has reappeared conspicuously in a couple of places today. The Community Center where I attend weekly meetings has us track attendance and since I was waiting after the meeting for my friend "Paul" to finish chatting so I could come over and meet his kittens, I saw the clipboard and went to write it down. Turns out I'd been beaten to it aND THERE WERE 42 MEMBERS THERE. Later, when I opened the Tao te Ching due to a question of a personal nature, I got THIS Translation of CHAPTER 42..(thank you Douglas Adams and nerdy guy friends from high School) Stephen Mitchell's translation of the last stanza says this: People hate to be orphans, widowers, starvelings. Yet kings and princes take these names as their titles. Therefore sometimes you gain by losing; sometimes you lose by gaining. What others have taught, I teach also 'the violent will not die a natural death.' I will make this the father of my teaching. The actual stanza (of 42) reads: Ordinary men hate solitude But the Master makes use of it, embracing his aloneness, realizing he is one with the whole universe. (Clearly Confucious was an Introvert) Current Mood: amused Current Music: Annie Lennox- No More I Love Yous (Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009
8:20 pm	Kiss Me, You Fool! So here's the sequel to "the internet Party". It's the MySpace intervention, it's fucking hilarious and it is not at all safe for work due to language and homo-erotic makeouts seshs. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br5WPzy4HHk&NR=1 (Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
7:06 am	I want to pull it apart and put it back together I got locked out of my apartment yesterday thanks to the dufus maintenance guy who locked my only key in the apartment after putting in a new screen door whilst I was at work. He said he thought it was a spare. NOPE. Though now, I will probably make a spare key soon. I had to call the manager from a neighbor's phone to let me in. I let the disability program where i work know that I will be going back to my old job as a speech Assistant to kids in a couple of weeks. Whew, relief! There are about 4 people in my position all leaving for other jobs/ nursing school right now, so I wanted to let them know sooner rather than later in order that they may fill our spots with good new staff. I learned more stuff about my neighbors during my little lockout experience. There are a couple of much older (50+) single women in the 8-plex where I live. Sue, in #3, was married for 17 years before she and her husband split up. I have a another neighbor C, who is a little bit of a busybody, who is currently separated from her husband of 45 YEARS!!! Who'da thunk it? I guess I figure after that long YOU JUST DIE TOGETHER. My New friend Tuan and I saw Dave Egger's new precious film endeavor "Away We Go" the other night in the theater where I volunteer. I have to say I agree with the local reviews that said it was a little too precious, and tried TOO hard to be clever. The premise, in case you forgot/never knew, is a young, quirky, thirty-something couple that is unmarried discovers that they are pregnant. (Maya Rudolf of SNL does a great job by the way--and the role she plays is inspiring) When it comes clear that the boyfriend's narcissistic asshole parents have decided to skip town to pursue a lifelong dream of moving to Belgium a month before their grandson is born, the couple decides they have no reason to stay in that shitty town anyway, and they go on a road trip visiting family and acquaitances all over the country and in Canada. This is bascially where the movie falls apart because the plot gets spread too thin. All the characters they meet are grossly underdeveloped in their human-ness, which contrasts sharply with the complexities of the two main characters. The couple is just trying to figure out if these people would make good "family" for their baby anyway, and while what they discover is often hilariously bad fun, it is pretty far fetched. Maggie Gyllenhall has a pretty great cameo as the scary hippy mom still breast feeding her 5.5 year old and defying all sexual boundaries that people should have. She takes awkwardness to a whole new level. I saw her do an interview about this role, which she shot in 4 days, and she said it was very fun to do. I think the makers of this flick subconciously were more interested in making sure their actors had fun MAKING the movie than their audience did watching it. I have decided to take some time away from romantic pursuits for a while and focus on other things, like getting settled into my new apartment home, planting a garden, continuing step-work in alanon and MOST importantly this year getting into the best shape of my life. Buying a car several years ago has radically affected my lifestyle, often in good ways, but I DON'T exercise. So I took a 5 mile bike ride on Saturday and it Kicked my ass. I loved it though, and I have decided to exercise at least 4 days a week. My goal is to drop (and keep off 40 pounds) within the next 10 months. If you have tips, bring em on. Current Mood: happy Current Music: Guster- Sattelite (Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
3:23 am	NOW IS ALL YOU HAVE Ohhhh, insomnia,how you vex me. Actually, I love this 3am awakeness business; the world is quiet, the moon is out, the coffee is chilling in the fridge for tomorrw. THEre is no real need for me to be DOING anything, so I can just relax. ANd write. The Annual Portland zine Symposium has come and gone for another year of nerdy writers crafters artists etc. It is TRUE what my friend who remembers way back in the days of mail trading and Fanzines says though--ZINES ARE a YOUNG PERSON'S CliQUE. You have to be cool and punk and edgy and prolific, and preferably under 30 to be really accepted in that world I think. I am only, like, TWO things on that list (You pick). My friend T , being 43, trading zines since the internets was a mere blip in AL Gores micro-conciousness, is Practically a GRANDPA in zinester years which is why I guess he never ever attends the PDX ZINE SYmposium, despite my prodding. I went for about an hour this year as I was MOVING that same weekend. I scored two zines of note: Stab Heart '05 which is a personal zine by a really cool girl named Jane in Ohio who was in High School when she wrote it. In the back there is this little section where you can join her club and get actual MAIL every month. Zines, letters, art- whatever, just stuff in the MAIL EVERY MONTH sounds awesome. The other zine I like is Rated Rookie, by some guy in NEw York. IF you have never, ever read a zine and this little post sparked your curiousity I HIGHLY RECOMMEND "Cometbus" which has like 50 issues over the years and is brilliant and HAND WRITTEN. Badass. New apartment is settling in ok. Depending on who you talk to I have either "not much stuff" ( my hoarder friend of the last 7 years) or "a lot of Stuff" (my kinda weird but nice neighbor guy-- who my other neighbor has warned me is bipolar and freaky when he gets too manic.) good to know, I guess. Anyway, I am unpacking and It is going ok, albeit slow. I want my new place to be awesome, so I am taking my time setting it up. New couch was acquired yesterday, a very cheap and very cute find from my friend K who is upgrading to leather since her cats clawed up some of the edges on this one. It's a little old but that doesn't keep me from lying down on it and falling into deep hour long sleep sessions , the most recent of which was at 5:30pm tonight and probaly the reason I am up now. After THREE FUCKING years of studio living with only a bed and a Papa San chair squished next to it, HAVING A COUCH Rocks!!! Hoooray. Current Mood: cheerful Current Music: Radiohead- Best of (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, August 1st, 2009
9:54 am	So my friend K is loaning me her laptop until I officially hook my DSL together at home. Worked last night. My client loves the Brady Bunch so she watches the same DVDs of it over and over. I am late to meet grace and must be going. More soon.. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009
10:00 pm	"You get the ankles, and I'll get the wrists" -Soul Coughing It's funny how Moving will eventually break you dow n to the point where morals get really flexible. I have watched SEVERAL documentaries and read at least one book on why McDonalds is PURE evil and yet I at there for breakfast yesterday and for dinner tonight. NORMALLY I NEVER GO THERE. (Comment on this)
Friday, July 17th, 2009
3:28 pm	The move is going swimmingly, albeit endless. Took a load that included the TV VCR Dvd setup over today with my friend Jim. Turns out Jim is an expert mover, I guess from all those years in San Francisco, where he tells me, everyone is always moving. He says the reason he and his wife never got a truck is because they didn't wanna be those people you call when you move who have a truck. Still, it was awesome to get help. The new place is so cute, with little gardens in everyone's backyard. I wanna grow some edibles, tomatoes, lettuce, etc and also some lavender would be nice. Ooh and stawberries. I love picking fresh berries. I LOVE THAT I WILL FINALLY HAVE A BEDROOM SEPARATE FROM THE LIVING ROOM! And probably a couch!! And space!! Cecelia the Cat Has finally figured out that SOMETHING is up and she's been under the bed a lot today. I hope she handles the move ok. My next door neighbor J has some dogs that bark when the mailman comes and I think Cecelia will really hate that. She is uber-territorial. Hopefully she will get used to it, or she will have to research a move elsewhere. Tomorrow Carla comes with a truck to move the big stuff, furniture etc. Sunday T will take whatever she and couldn't do, with HIS truck. I feel extremely blessed to have so many friends willing to help with this. (There are others coming, but that is later next week) Then I will clean and give back my keys and finally get out of this silly place called the Vintage (which prior neighbors said stands for 'Old and Shitty") The new place is more like, Old, But AWESOME. And noisy. It is on a busy street, but its a one way street and my apt is back from the road some. Current Mood: bouncy Current Music: Joanna Newsom (Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009
8:38 am	The First Thing I Move into my new apartment is ZINES!!! Lots and lots and lots of Zines! I am playing the Casual Mover today. Meaning, I do not move Kamakazi like most people. I do not rent a U-Haul and do it in one day, and and ask 6 of my friends to be there all at once. Maybe I should try that next time. But I am just not that organized. Truth be told, I began this process in April, with an Organizer who came over a few times and helped me just throw Shit out. I knew I would move this summer, and I should probably let go of crap like MY GRADES FROM HIGH SCHOOL. Never will I ever need to know how Mr. Van Amburgh liked to do trippy analyses of my take on Sonnets or how I wrote a great paper on Beowlf. Who fucking cares? I am not that girl anymore. (Truth be told my high school teachers were amazing, and probably more than responsible for me not jumping off a bridge or ending up pregnant at 17-they were totally supportive and believed in me) But it's time to move on. So I'm getting rid of TONS of shit. It's awesome. I told my friend Trevor that my goal is to have no stuff by the time I die. I wanna die a little old buddhist lady, with a mat and maybe some knitting. And good tea of course. Meanwhile, I have an oil change in a few minutes. After that A JOB INTERVIEW. Ooooh. Except, I already work there. On call, once in a while. And I have already done the job I am applying for...four years ago and quit. But pickin's is slim in the Job World right now, and I need something to do for a while. So I'll interview. I am even wearing a skirt despite the fact that I have almost no clean clothes left and NEED TO DO LAUNDRY. Today. Gah. Move is next week. So if your bored call me up. Join the FUN!!! ;)Sat Sun or Monday are all big MOVE days. Current Mood: okay (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 11th, 2009
5:17 pm	Swedes Cubans and Moms Just took my mom and dear friend Cara to see my new place and then We got Coffee and headed to IKEA. Which my mom had never heard of and cannot pronounce. She wants to pronounce it (EE-KAY-UH) because that's what the Hawai'ians would say and she lives there. ANyway it was very fun looking at all the cool furnishings and space saving ideas. They also love my new place for which I get the Keys on Wednesday. So excited. We had Cuban food for breakfast. This is by far the best visit I have ever had with my mother. She says getting around Europe on her own this time really boosted her self-confidence and I can tell. She is much easier to be around, and I am enjoying spending so much time with her. Current Mood: happy (Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 7th, 2009
10:38 am	"She was going with a Cinematographer/ everyone knew that he was really a pornographer" "Public Enemies" was ok, if for no other reason than Johnny Depp (aka bankrobber John Dillinger) never fails to deliver as the handsome, brooding, sort of slapstick hottie that he's been playing in one form or another for years. Much more interesting was the female lead, Dillinger's girlfriend, Billie Freschette played by Marion Cottillard. She is exceptional: feisty, sexy, smart as a whip, a woman who makes all the wrong choices (and knows it) for the love of her Bank-robbing sweetheart. I agree with most reviewers that say that the real connection is the way the director of Public Enemies, Micheal Mann uses sly cinematography to connect with the audience. The best scene is when Dillinger is in the theater trying to plan a job with his mobster buddies and his FACE POPS UP ON THE MOVIE SCREEN IN BLACK AND WHITE and the theater "audience is asked to to look around for him as the house lights shoot up, and Depp holds very very still so is not to be seen. HEElarious. Christian Bale is pretty good as the top agent of the NEWLY forming FBI director, named Micheal purvis. It wasn't the greatest role for him though. I don't think his talents have been quite as well utilized as they were in THE PRESTIGE. Or even "3:10 to YUMA" for that matter. Public Enemies is based on a true story. Remember this is the 30s, so criminals could just cross state lines and be much harder to catch than they are now. The FBI was just being formed. They fucked up A LOT! In some ways this movies is as much a political movie as automatic weapon action-shootout flick. All in all this movie gets a B from me. The thing I can't stand about big Hollywood productions is how totally dumbed down they can be. No-where is this more evident than when something sort of emotional happens and then a flood of cheesy filmy score surges past us in surround sound to remind us to be sad. i HATE THAT SHIT. I prefer subtlety, and feeling what I wanna feel without a lot of musical cueing. So Back to regular life. Another day, another 10,000 boxes to pack for the move. I am also magically existing without my debit card, which when you never carry cash, is harder than it sounds. I should get my replacement card in a couple of days. Meanwhile I gotta go pay Comcast for my internets. And show my friend T my new apartment. Yay! Current Mood: happy Current Music: Modest Mouse, Blame it on the Tetons (Comment on this)