I just can't help myself...so many frustrations these past few days. Must...vent...now...

My cell phone:
After I accidentally drop-kicked it a few days ago (don't tell Verizon that), it has essentially stopped working. I only get reception in the very best reception areas. Everywhere else, my phone searches and searches and searches for service and usually drains its battery doing so. So I called Verizon on Friday from my office to see what could be done (since my phone's still under warranty). They told me to take it to a technician at the closest store that actually has a technician, which is in Bethesda. So I structure my entire day today around that task, only to return home from having my phone "fixed" (they deleted the hundreds of "sent" text messages I had, saying that they were hogging my battery's power and that's why I wasn't getting service) and finding that nothing has changed. So I've gotta go back to fucking Bethesda tomorrow and try to convince them that it's still not working. The problem is, it gets great reception in the Bethesda store, because the tower is right there.

Home Depot:
I went there a few days ago looking for a fire extinguisher and irrigation tubing. The first employee didn't speak English well enough to help me out. The second two employees each pointed me to different aisles for the fire extinguisher and it wasn't on either of them. The fourth employee simply didn't have enough brain cells to help me out. I finally found the fire extinguisher as a result of my own enraged wanderings around the store. Never found the irrigation tubing, and the employees told me the only way they could find out if they even carried it was if I could give them the SKU number. If I had the fucking SKU number, that would mean I had the product in my hands!!! This was simply a repeat of every other trip I've ever made to Home "we're-as-stupid-as-we-look" Depot. I think I better have some Prozac (or a gun) on hand if I ever have to go back there.

Costuming:
I need a sewing machine...doing everything by hand is killing me. But I can't afford one. As Burning Man looms ahead of me, I'm noticing a lot of things I can't afford. This has actually caused me to think about getting back into real estate, where I could easily double my salary. But I work for my hero (and I fought really hard for my job!), so it's hard to imagine giving that up.

Babies:
My body wants me to get pregnant. Guys--you have no idea what torture this can be. Imagine that every single day you woke up wanting a huge piece of chocolate cake. And several times a day you saw scrumptious-looking chocolate cake, but you knew that if you had some (any!), your life would change forever and irrevocably. Oh, and also that you were completely on your own in this new life change--no partner to help you out. That's about where I am.

Money:
As mentioned above, I'm po'. I work for a non--profit organization and as I fill up my life more and more with my hooping and performing, I'm spending more and more money on those things. Money that has to be spent, on stuff like costumes and hoops, and parts and fuel and fishnet stockings. ;-)

The Supreme Court:
In the recent "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case, Justice Alito and his conservative pals on the court essentially trashed the First Amendment, saying that students don't have an unlimited right to free speech, especially if they are promoting illegal drug use. Okay, I'm sorry, promoting illegal drug use? "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" doesn't tell anyone to do anything--it's completely and hilariously non-sensical. Which is what Justice Stevens asserted was the case. He also said that even if the sign were promoting illegal drug use, just like back during prohibition of alcohol when a lot of people secretly opposed the prohibition but were afraid to speak out, the same is probably true of today's environment with regard to the prohibition of marijuana. He argued that it should be okay for students to express and debate their views, even when that entailed questioning whether something should be illegal. Hooray for Justice Stevens! He's my new hero, along with Mika Brzezinski (see why here: andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/th...tml ).

Okay, I'm done bitching. And just to end this all with a little sparkle of sunshine, I'll list a few good things going on in my life:
--I live in America, where you have a selection of at least fifty different deodorants on any given grocery store's shelves
--I'm going to New Mexico at the end of this month to introduce a guy I'm very excited about to my homeland y mi madre
--I'm going to have at least one kickass costume at Burning Man this year, and it's entirely Sarah-made
--I watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off last night (I haven't watched a whole movie in probably 4 or 5 months) and took a two-hour nap today (can't remember the last time I napped)
-Fuzzy-wuzzy memories of my lovely cat Reef (who passed away in Dec. '05)
-I'm so much more me than I was back in Aug. '04 when I first went to Burning Man (pic attached--taken in a Denny's in Reno before heading up to the playa)
-The word "accoutrements"