It sure has been a while since my last post. Mainly because of my trip to the UK. Which was quite fun except for the few times my mom went psycho towards the end. Here's the quick rundown of what we did:

Sunday: Got in with 3 crappy hours of sleep during the 10 hour plane ride. Checked into our hotel which was very fancy smancy and we were on the top floor. Took a nap, then walked to the nearby Hydes Park (big, beautiful, & royal park). We got ice cream and just enjoyed being outdoors (which you just can't do until October here in AZ).

Monday: Rode on a Subway for the first time ever and it took us to the first train I ever rode on which took us to World of Chessington. This is a decently fun amusement park that is a kids version of 6 Flags.

Tuesday: Took the subway to the train station again which took us to Stratford Upon Avon (better known as the place where Shakespeare was born and grew up). It was a 2 hour train ride that I got enough sleep on to be functional for the rest of the day. This place is awesome, we looked around the shops, toured the 500 year old historic house that Shakespear was born in, took many pictures and video footage, ate at a 300 year old pub (the building was about 500 years old, the pub had been in business for about 300 years). We walked down to the river Avon and then took a horse-carraige ride around the city with the guide telling us all the neato things about Stratford. I was going to see Hamlet in the Royal Shakespeare theater there but the show started only an hour before the train left and there was no time. :(

Wednesday: First we saw Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - its was amazing, even the children's theater was fucking cool! We then took the train to Westminster Port and saw Big Ben, Parlament, and the anti-war demonstration outside of Parlament. Again, many pictures were taken. Then to make my brother be quiet, we hit up the McDonalds across the bridge. After that we took a guided boat tour down the river Thames.

Thursday: We got up somewhat late and took our time with breakfast and getting to the subway station. We tried to get afternoon theater show tickets but they were sold out. So we went to the London Aquarium which is across the river from Big Ben. It was very informative and we heard a short lecture about sharks and watched the tropical fish feeding demonstation. I was dissappointed with the aquarium as a whole. Perhaps I was spoiled living 2 hours away from Chicago's awesome museums and displays, but there just didn't seem to be that many fish there and there was only 1 small shark tank. After that we went back to the hotel to rest a while and then to Victoria Sation and ate food and then we split up. I took the subway to Leichester Square (pronounced Lester Square - the subway guy I had a conversation with asked if I was American when I said "Lie-Kester") and from there I walked to the theater a few blocks away to finally see Les Miserables. I've always wanted to see it and it was nice to just be out on my own. At the same time, mom and Yahya went to the Rod Stuart Musical "Tonight's the Night." And her's got out early so she met me at my theater and then we took the subway back to the hotel. Those theater productions were so amazing...I have developed a new love for the theater.

Friday: This was the day! Finally a day all for my brother Yahya. Our personal guide picked us up and we were off even before morning traffic started for our very own Harry Potter tour consisting of Oxford (Hogwarts and the Great Hall), lunch, King's Cross (Platform 9 3/4), the area used for Diagon Alley, and of course Gringot's Bank (better known as the Australian Embassy). Oxford was neat, beautiful architecture, neato history up the wazoo! We saw the place where the kids in the movie first met Professor McGonagall on those steps and we saw the Great Hall. I have many pictures and video footage. Then we choose the first country-side inn we could find. This is where I learned that a smoked salmon sandwich is cold and quite slimy. But I ordered it so I ate it. The inn was called the White Horse Inn next to the White Horse Hotel, better known as the Flemming Hotel. The reason this is significant is that its Ian Flemming's Town: he grew up there and now he owns it. Ian Flemming wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as well as all the James Bond movies. And we landed there completely by chance! After that we went back to London to King's Cross which is the train station that they used for Platform 9 3/4. Then we saw Diagon Alley and finally the Australian Embassy which is so tall I could get barely the front doors into my frame for the camera. Its a beautiful building. Then we got back to the hotel at about 7:30p and just took it easy til bedtime.

Saturday: 6:50am wake up call! We got up, got breakfast, and the tour bus picked us up from the hotel a little after 8am. We first went to the outskirts of London to tour Windsor Castle, where the Queen lives for a part of the year. It was beautiful and we have pics and video footage. Then on to the City of Bath to see the Roman Baths which is a restored bathhouse that the Romans originally built in 1100 AD. It is built on a hot spring all the water flows and is heated naturally. Darn neat!! And then we went to Stonehenge!!! I was so so happy! We didn't get much time there compared to the other sites...I only had about 2 minutes to look thru the gift shop after seeing the beautiful site. The tour was excellent, the food was not, and also we didn't see some things that were listed in the brochure like the Changing of the Guards and the Magna Carta which made us quite mad. Oh, and the tour bus dropped us off several blocks away from the hotel instead of back at the hotel, we were none too happy about that.

Sunday: Got up leisurely and had breakfast. Tried to see the Changing of the Guards but there were too many people and we couldn't see hardly anything. Then we tried to get tickets to see the Lion King in the theater, all sold out except for a few shitty seats where you can't see anything. So after looking for tickets for about 3 hours, I finally convinced the other two to go to a museum with me. We choose the Science Museum. It was ok, that's about it (again, I think I'm spoiled from so many Chicago Museums). Then we went back to the hotel, had roomservice, mom packed while I was playing the Sims, and that was our last night.

All in all, I rate it as a super great trip! Oh, and why the fuck don't we have a subway here in Phoenix? The Underground in London is just about the most efficient and cheap public transportation I've ever seen - even faster than driving! I hope to get the DVD of my trip out within a month or so, it has so much cool stuff on it.

Whee! I get to work to find the computing site that I am working in today closed for maintainance. I was completely confused but apparently at the last minute they decided to upgrade to XP this morning and thought they'd be done by now. Being the bitch that it is, of course they are not quite done. I asked what I should do and they just told me to stay here and hang out til the site is open. Kick ass!

So, things to talk about. This past weekend was awesome. Got my gaming on, Sims works fine now and I have played a lot and am looking forward to playing more. Also played some Rachet & Clank and Final Fantasy Crystal Cronicles, fun games! Got a bunch of long-awaited Mike time on and I also got pretty drunk at my party on Friday. It was a small turn out but it was awesome to see my old friends from high school, they haven't changed much and its great. I had a great time...plus Mike from work finally brought back my sleeping bag that he has been hording for over a month now. Saw fireworks on the 4th, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who had a good time. Nick was suppose to come with us but he didn't get there in time because he got pulled over by a cop for not wearing his helmet visor down and a bonus ticket for not having the insurance that goes into effect this Saturday. Mike was wonderfully generous enough to help pull the rest of the root system out of the poison berry tree - it is now officially gone. I'll get a lemon tree when I get back from vacation, no time right now to browse plant nurseries. I'm also going to be starting a garden now that I hired someone to clean it up, it looks 10x better than before. Since I pretty much don't like fruits or veggies, its up to my friends to eat the watermelon, tomatos, and other things I grow. And there will always be a fresh pitcher of lemonade in the fridge. Eeee! I'm excited.

I find it funny that on Tuesday at work, during my whole 6 hour shift, I only helped one person and it was getting a splinter out of Mike's foot because it was out of his reach. My boss was cracking up when she came out of her cube to find me holding Mike's foot, poking at it with tweezers and a needle. I told her that he got the splinter while web surfing and its just one of the many services we offer at Information Technology.

Battery Update: I went to the address that UPS delivered my package to. Its houses inside gates that enclose a golf course. The gates go all the way around and there's no gaurd or anything and I cannot get in. Bleh, so mad! Ang was nice enough to lend me one of her laptop batteries because hers is just a model down from mine so they are compatible. This solves the current crises but I'm still irritated at the whole situation. Plus now the seller isn't answering my emails. Whee! I'ma start killing if my battery isn't here by the time I get back from London.

Some good news for once: I finally found the only copy of a website I made. It was a really nice layout that I was proud of and the owner took the site down without telling me. I've been in a panic the last few weeks because all the copies I could find were a version before the main page was finished. I finally found the right copy on a zip disk that has been in my backpack for over 6 months.

Now its time to read a book...since the computer lab is still not open and they are paying me to do nuthin'...sometimes I really really like my job.

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Reach for the lasers with Antic's Sims-ulator!

While I was watching my brother yesterday afternoon, my mom ordered a pizza from Little Caesers and I went to pick it up. Its just around the corner so I grabbed my keys, sunglasses, and money and headed out leaving my bag in the house. When I turned into the parking lot I was confused at its set up. Instead of having parking at the curb by the restaurant, it was in the exact middle of the parking lot, but evenso, there were about 4-5 open spaces and I was in 2 of them. I put the car in reverse to straighten out so that I wouldn't be taken up so much space but a woman pulled up behind me (which was in the middle of the lot - not where parking is). I was annoyed that she was being dumb so instead of backing out to straighten up, I went forward. As I inched forward so did she until she had fully stolen my parking spot with 4 others right next to me. I was completely dumbfounded as to the stupidity of this woman. I should have just let the car be crooked. But I made a quick U-turn to let her know I was pissed and parked as close to her as that u-turn would allow. She gave me this look like "I didn't know you were trying to park." I avoided confrontation and ONLY gave her a dirty look and slammed my door and went inside. But I could've taken her. Then I got to deal with the wonderful dim-witted trained food professionals at Little Caesers. Here's an excerpt from my conversation with the guy at the counter:

Me: Hello, we called in an order for a cheese pizza and breadsticks.
Trained Professional: Okay, that'll be $6.xx
Me: A no, I think our order is a bit more than that, could you check it again please.
Trained Professional: You said you wanted a cheese pizza and breadsticks.
Me: No, we called it in...about 40 minutes ago, I don't remember the order exactly.
Trained Professional: Oh, well we make it hot and ready to go at all times so you don't need to put in an order.
Me: Ok, I didn't know that, but still we did put in an order so is it ready?
Trained Professional: You don't need to order, but I'll look for a ticket [searches, can't find it] nope I don't have one for your order. Just tell me the order and we'll make it for you.
Me: Ok, well, we phoned it in and I don't know exactly what we ordered because it was 40 minutes ago, I don't have my phone on me to call and ask.
[Trained Professional gives me their phone for me to call and ask my mom - then relay the info to the guy and pay for it.]
Trained Professional: Ok, I'll get that ready, it'll be a while.
Me: What? Why? I thought it was hot and ready when you order it?
Trained Professional: It is. But you'll have to wait for the bread.
Me: Isn't the bread hot and ready to go?
Trained Professional: Yes, but you'll have to wait.
Me: Ok, but we phoned it in 40 minutes ago, I see that you must not have gotten our order, but you said that everything is hot and ready to go.
Trained Professional: It is.
Me: Then why do I have to wait?
Trained Professional: Because we have to make the bread.

At this point I gave up. I told Nick this story last night...he was silent as he tried to comprehend and then said, "wow...huh...all I can think of is that I bet that guy doesn't get paid much."

After this, I think the only reason I would continue to go back is because their pizza is very good for the price. How can you beat the normal price of $.99 for 5 breaksticks? I pay almost $3 for 3 breadsticks at the pizza hut at school. Ah well, there was no lesson learned except you'll never win an argument with someone who doesn't know what the fuck is going on. And remember kids, always be nice to food service providers...see the movie Super Troopers to understand what I mean.

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Reach for the lasers with Antic's Sims-ulator!

OMFG UPS IS STUPID!

Because of one of Mike's friend's family's cat peeing on my laptop, I was forced to buy a new battery. These batteries retail for $169.00 on Dell's website. So seeing as how I'll need the battery when I leave on the 10th, I decided not to procrastinate and to get the battery off ebay. I did a buy it now auction on the 23rd of June for $80 including shipping. It was suppose to arrive yesterday. And it did, but not to my address. After being on the phone with them for a half hour, I have the following information: the address that it was left at WITHOUT A SIGNATURE and the knowledge that both on my package and in their system they have my address written in. How the fuck does a driver deliver a package to an address that is so blatently not mine? So assuming UPS can get ahold of these people, a driver will be sent there to pick it up and deliver it to me the same day. If they can't, there will be an investigation and the seller can send out a new battery after it is concluded which will take 1-8 business days. Whee!! That's is shortly after I'm already gone. How is this helpful? Fucking brainless assholes! I'm going to the address myself to get the damn battery.

New funny spam subject lines:
"Re: ground bombproof"
"Re: punctual yeast"
"Eliminate your bills the Christian way"

Hunger Comfort Hygiene Energy Fun Social Bladder Room UPS & the Cat

Reach for the lasers with Antic's Sims-ulator!