Alice

writtenforme @ 2007-08-23T20:07:00

2007-08-24T01:15:59Z

I have had a pretty rough week.

I'd rather not get too much into it, but it does involve a new cashier starting Friday, who attempted to undermine me and get me fired by Saturday; I hit a trash can backing out with my two week own brand new car, and I am afraid to look at the damage (which is probably little to none, but I'm still scared because it's only two weeks old and my first personal vechile); Chase and I have been having Serious Discussions; my cat has decided to be passive-aggressive and has started to use the restroom on the carpet (which I'm not sure if it's a Go Screw Yourself sign or a medical thing - I'm waiting for a few more days to see); I have someone in my Physical Science class who can't get the hint GTFO, constantly pointing out problems I haven't worked out and thus must be wrong; my English professor is a smartass, not in a good way.

Otherwise, I'm good.

My ~~eight~~ ~~ten~~ eleven year old sister caught me as I was dragging myself in from college this afternoon. Eager and proud, she announced, "I asked a boy out to the movies today!"

She's eleven years old. She's in sixth grade. I suddenly felt very old and very protective, all in one go.

writtenforme @ 2007-08-16T21:54:00

2007-08-17T03:15:12Z

I recently started back to college. I have to say, my English professor is a nut. I had her briefly for a previous English class; we didn't mesh well. This semester I had no choice but to take her class. We reviewed a short story today entitled Desiree's Baby by Kate Chopin. Now, admittedly, everyone is going to have a different take on a piece of literature. There is no one true take.

However, she had views on the piece which were, quite frankly, completely out there. True, symbolism is a good device, but I promise you, not every single author consciously places symbolism in his or her work, and I can almost say for certain not every single person, place, or thing has a symbolic meaning attached to it. Simply because a character sneezes, for instance, does not symbolizes disease, which in turn symbolizes death. I think, personally, the character merely sneezed because the author wanted the character to sneeze at that particular moment. I seemed to be the minority in the class, though. As soon as she would mention something, the sheep-like class would instantly attach themselves to the idea - her idea - and would argue any point otherwise. I enjoy literature because you can have so many different views on a single piece of work, not because everyone sees the same exact thing.

But oh well.

In other news, we recently restrung my guitar. This is news since I have had the guitar since I was fourteen, and I have never learned to play it. It was one of those implusive, Daddy I Promise I Will Practice If You Buy It gifts which, upon receiving it, quickly found itself lost in my closet after two poorly attempted weeks at playing it. The flute I can do and do decently. This of course means I obviously could play guitar well, too. (At age fourteen, it did not take me too long to figure out no, it does not.)

I am proud to say that I have been practicing for all of two nights. Thus far I can play "Old McDonald" in an extremely simplistic fashion, and I am trying my damnest to teach myself Tom Petty's "Free Falling". Chase, who can play, is also trying - trying to put up with teaching me. I tend to get frustrated when I cannot do something instantly, and I'm afraid I have let him and the guitar know about it. At age twenty-something, it has not taken me too long to figure out yes, I do need practice. A lot of it.

Does anyone else play an instrument? If so, was it a recent endeavor, or did you learn through band or lessons when you where younger?

ETA: I do believe I hate the rich text formatting. I am in too much of a habit of html, and I forget to jump over sometimes. Sorry for the last few disappearing/reappearing entry instances; I was editting, and I was doing it very badly.

writtenforme @ 2007-08-11T22:15:00

2007-08-12T03:56:59Z

(As I sit in by bedroom, I can't help but be slightly distracted as someone screams in pain from the distant playing movie of Jackass: The Movie. I truly hope this doesn't affect the mood of this entry. I'm going to attempt to stay on track, but forgive me if I dive too much into the rambling side than the coherent side of things. One can only keep a train of thought for so long before one gets completely sidelined by boys believing that, yes, rolling down a hill in a barrel is definitely a good idea.)

I work as a cashier in office supply retail. You would think this would be a simple, hassle-free job. You would be much mistaken.

Take last night, for example. We're five minutes until closing up shop when two men walk in to the place. They are both dressed rather heavily - much to baggy for the weather we've been having here (ranging in the three digits) - and both of them are being loud and vulgar. My manager on duty is instantly alert, and she messages over the radio for our male co-workers to head up front to keep an eye on them.

One leers at me, smirks, and says, "Hey there, pretty little thing. Missus Alice. You gotta guy, 'cause he can't do nothing I can't." I stood there, frozen in pure shock, as he blows kisses at me as he passes.

I do have a boyfriend, and we work together. As soon as the guy was out of sight, I call him off of keeping an eye on the two and told him to come up front so I wouldn't be alone. Confident and loud as I am in familiar company, you put me in an uncomfortable situation and I instantly don't know how to react. I freeze - exactly what you are told not to do in those situations. In other words, I become vulnerable, and I need to learn how not to be.

The guys spend about fifteen minutes in the back dealing with our copying services, and we're all on edge. Due to their erratic behavior, one of our supply men actually goes outside to check the gentlemen's car and plate number, only to come back and inform us there was no plate nor temporary plate on the car. (This will not encourage calm, let me tell you..) The two come to check out through my register, and I try to be as nice and polite as I can. After all, while their behavior is absolutely odd, we don't have any strong evidence they are going to try anything.

They weren't planning anything, it seems, but the one who spoke to me earlier definitely had something on his mind. Now, mind, Chase (the boyfriend) was just far enough away to be out of earshot, or else there would have been something that would have happened.

"Damn, look at Alice," he says, nudging his friend and trying to catch my eye. "Looks like she ate damn good food. Chicken and broccoli, all them vegetables. Look at her tits, man."

In the entire year and handful of months that I have been there, never have I wanted more than to crawl under a rock than at that moment. I've never had a customer who was so upfront with their dirty comments. More to the fact, I've never stood there and took something like that. I did then, again simply because I was frozen in shock.

So I pose the question to my newly developed friend's list: what, in your opinion, would give someone the gall to say things like that? What would you have done?

It turned out later that I wasn't the only one affected by that man's actions. He went as far as to kiss the woman who worked in the copying service area. I have no idea if he would have tried that or more if Chase had not have been there. From her, I discovered he smelled profoundly of liquor, so our opinion was that he was drunk. I can only hope.

Introductory mess and all of that.

2007-08-10T05:43:48Z

This is all new to me. Not the fact that I am writing a journal - I've been doing that particular thing for ages - but the fact I will be, for all intents and purposes, pouring myself into an anonymous diary which anyone and everyone can read. This is a secondary journal, for those of you who haven't glanced at my information page. I have another journal to which others from my daily life have connection; however, like most of the human population, everyone needs a little place to vent, a place to put it all out there without fear. This will be my place.

To start off with, I'll give a few details about myself. I was born and raised in a somewhat small city in the southern United States. I am not a redneck nor am I a hick, although I have family members I am proud of who happen to be. (Not of the fact that they are what can be considered a stereotypical redneck but of the fact that they are still my family members.) I graduated from a public city high school a few years back. While I wasn't one of the top five students, and I had my slip ups here and there, I was ranked rather high. From this point, I have started college in hopes of completing a degree in English for it is a passion of mine.

I don't consider myself a liberal. That being said, I do tend to have liberal views. On my Facebook, I list myself as a moderate. Might as well pick the medium, you know? I dislike political discussions because they tend to lead into political arguments. I will try and avoid any mention of President Bush, the war in Iraq, or what I believe should happen in either case. I am not a Democrat. I am not a Republican. I vote based on individual stances and beliefs.

Trust is a problem of mine, and I deal with it constantly in the relationship I am in. I am bisexual, and the last person I was with happened to be not only a female but a best friend as well. She ended up cheating on me, and even after being with the current gentleman I am with for a year, I still have remaining issues I need to deal with. These will probably be posted as I try to work through them. (I promise I will attempt to remain rational and non-emo with the posts should and when they happen.)

I work in retail. This, I am coming to discover, is a personal hazard. Customers and co-workers can make ones life hell, and scoffing is not an option when it comes to holiday rushes. It's not a dream job, but it pays well. As a poor college student, this is all that matters.

Fandom in general interests me. I am active with the Harry Potter fandom, as well as Yami no Matsuei, Fullmetal Alchemist, Loveless, and Gungrave. I read frequently, and I watch anime when I get the chance. These interests may change, and they will definitely grow. I don't write fanfiction currently (although in the past I have), and fanart from my own hand is something that will probably not appear in this journal.

I hope to entertain, to learn, and to grow through this journal. I encourage anyone to comment - heavens knows I don't mind.