Below are the 18 most recent journal entries recorded in aktolkynworldww's LiveJournal:

Thursday, January 7th, 2010
1:57 am	I Must Have Left It In My Other Onesie... I really don't know what to say about everything that went on this weekend. For the first time in a very long time, I had something going on every day, which was a nice change of pace. Spent time with old friends, discovered a great restaurant, scored a great pair of jade earrings in Chinatown, went to a party, made new friends (and apparently spent so much time talking to Matt's friend that he got a little jealous - oy), and was introduced to the comedic genius of "Scrubs." All in all, not a bad way to spend three days. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
1:44 am	Hide the Rum! Everyone needs to go see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. Seriously. You think you know, but you have no idea... Davey Jones, the kraken, rum, and the antics of Captain Jack Sparrow all made my night.Incidentally, I now have a taste for calamari. (Comment on this)
Monday, January 4th, 2010
9:41 pm	The Sweet Smell of... Sulphur? This holiday has ceased to be a celebration of freedom and sacrifice, so much as it has become an excuse to wave a flag, eat too much in Jell-O salad, and blow things up. You know, there's a world of difference between celebrating 'Independence Day' and celebrating 'The Fourth of July.' Too many people have forgotten just what it is they SHOULD be honoring - and not just today, but EVERY day.*pauses to listen to bottle rockets exploding in the streets*Somehow, I highly doubt this is what the Founding Fathers had in mind... (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 3rd, 2010
6:25 pm	I Challenge You to a Duel! LIVE TRUMPS 1.1watch deviousgeke fightCREATE YOUR CARD (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 2nd, 2010
5:14 pm	D[eadline] Day After two months of all sorts of snafus and delays, I am proud to say that I've finally finished the masterful piece of YA fantasy fiction that is Mr. Marlowe's Practice! I literally just sent the last 5 chapters of line edits to Kate in Japan. Granted, I still have to type up my chapter comments/general feedback, but the majority of the editing process is complete and, even more importantly, I finished on time. (I had my doubts, trust me.) It's been a pleasure editing for Kate, and I hope this is just the first of many future collaborations. So, one more project done - time to move on to the next...! I need to spend a little time with Woven before I start work on Food for Thought. ;) (Comment on this)
Friday, January 1st, 2010
3:20 pm	You Got Proxy'd! Oh my God. I talked to the fabulous Miss Frain (siriusly7) for like 3 hours online this afternoon and she TOTALLY just made my day...! :DMel, you rock my world. Today is just one of the many reasons Courtney & I decided that you get to be our Heirophant, lol. (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 31st, 2009
2:07 pm	...And Toriphiles Everywhere Rejoiced Now that Here. In My Head is switching servers and The Dent is defunct, it's been a little hard to keep up on the latest Tori news and gossip. (And nothing is more distressing/irritating/annoying than trying to find a reliable news source on the internet.) But, thanks to Undented, this is no longer going to be a problem. They're picking up where MikeWhy @ The Dent left off. And thank God for it, because they were up and running just in time to report on Tori's big announcement about her newest CD release! So, for those of you who haven't heard or don't have all the juicy details: News: Get Ready For The Rarities Box SetPosted by Violet on Monday, June 26, 2006 | Releases Following up on the previous item we posted about an upcoming rarities box set, Undented has received a copy of the press release containing details of the set. A PIANO: THE COLLECTION, will be a five-disc, career-spanning box set consisting of classics, rarities, demos, B-sides and unreleased tracks. And yes, indeed, very exciting news for Toriphiles... Tori will finally introduce us to five very special songs: "Not David Bowie," "Zero Point," "Peeping Tommi," "Ode To My Clothes" and "Dolphin Song." Presented in deluxe packaging that resembles a piano's keyboard, this set will be released by Rhino Records on September 26, 2006, and will be available at regular retail outlets and at the Rhino Records website for a suggested price of $74.98. Produced by Tori, the career-spanning collection highlights selections from her studio albums as well as b-sides and songs that debuted on Tales of a Librarian. Featuring numerous unreleased songs, the box set contains a total of 86 tracks that combine well-known studio versions with rare alternative mixes, including several songs Tori remixed for this project. A PIANO: THE COLLECTION also offers a revealing and extensive track-by-track commentary penned by Tori, who discusses the inspiration behind the songs and albums and explains why they were chosen for this box set... The track listing for A PIANO: THE COLLECTION is as follows: * = previously unreleased Disc 1 1. Leather (Alternate Mix) 2. Precious Things (Alternate Mix) 3. Silent All These Years 4. Upside Down 5. Crucify (Unedited Single Version)* 6. Happy Phantom 7. Me And A Gun 8. Flying Dutchman (Alternate Mix) 9. Girl 10. Winter 11. Take To The Sky (Russia) 12. Tear In Your Hand 13. China 14. Sweet Dreams 15. Mother (Alternate Mix) 16. Little Earthquakes Disc 2 1. Cornflake Girl 2. Honey 3. Take Me With You* 4. Baker Baker (Alternate Mix) 5. The Waitress (Alternate Mix) 6. Pretty Good Year 7. God 8. Cloud On My Tongue 9. Past The Mission (Alternate Mix) 10. Bells For Her 11. Yes, Anastasia (Alternate Mix) 12. Blood Roses 13. Mr. Zebra 14. Caught A Lite Sneeze (Alternate Mix) 15. Professional Widow (Merry Widow Version Live) 16. Beauty Queen/Horses 17. Father Lucifer 18. Marianne Disc 3 1. Walk To Dublin (Sucker Reprise)* 2. Hey Jupiter (Dakota Version) 3. Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix) 4. Putting The Damage On 5. Bliss (Remixed Version) 6. Suede 7. Glory Of The 80's 8. 1000 Oceans 9. Concertina (Single Remix Version) 10. Lust 11. Datura 12. Sugar (Live from Sound Check) 13. The Waitress (Live) 14. Snow Cherries From France 15. Doughnut Song (Remixed Version) Disc 4 1. A Sorta Fairytale 2. Not David Bowie* 3. Amber Waves 4. Iieee (Remixed Version) 5. Playboy Mommy (Remixed Version) 6. The Beekeeper 7. Jackie's Strength 8. Zero Point* 9. Sweet The Sting 10. Ode To My Clothes* 11. Spark 12. Intro Jam* and Marys Of The Sea 13. Cruel (Remixed Version) 14. Dolphin Song* 15. Gold Dust Disc 5 1. The Pool 2. Never Seen Blue 3. Daisy Dead Petals 4. Beulah Land 5. Sugar 6. Cooling 7. Bachelorette 8. Black Swan 9. Mary (Tales Version) 10. Peeping Tommi* 11. Toodles Mr. Jim Demo Medley: 12. Fire-Eater's Wife/Beauty Queen (Demo)* 13. Playboy Mommy (Demo)* 14. A Sorta Fairytale (Demo)* 15. This Old Man 16. Purple People 17. Here. In My Head 18. Hungarian Wedding Song 19. Merman 20. Sister Janet 21. Home On The Range (Cherokee Edition) 22. Frog On My Toe (Comment on this)
2:02 am	Off to the Races It's a little depressing to find that most of your life can fit into small-sized U-Haul boxes and Rubbermaid storage containers.Obviously, I started packing last night. I haven't touched my clothes or my bed yet (well, other than the posts nearly killed myself doing it, too), but I've gone through all my books and DVDs, moved all the boxes I never unpacked out of my closet, taken down my small leaning shelves, and started piling everything up in one central location. It looks like I'm about half-done... but you never know. Whenever you start shoving things into boxes, it tends to look like you've done a lot more than you really have. I figure if I keep doing a few hours every night for the next couple nights, I should be good to go by Friday. I think.Moving is such a hassle. Especially when I'm all anxious/nervous about being on my own for the first time... (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 29th, 2009
10:15 pm	Munch, Munch, Munch The great thing about Daylight Savings Time is the resulting confusion when you forget to change ALL your clocks. Especially if you're out and driving about with Erek and he suggests getting a drink or two. We both thought it was after 8 PM and so, though it was still a little early to start drinking, we thought it was late enough where we wouldn't feel like complete lushes for having a beer or two. We ended up sitting in Old Chicago for an hour, wondering why it was so empty. We didn't figure it out until we got back in the car - lol. It was barely 7:30 PM and we WERE lushes. Haha.After some down time at our houses, we attempted to go out again. Took Erek to Carlyle Brewing Co. because he'd never been down there. Had some phenomenal beer and soft pretzels as we chatted about my upcoming move and other sundry things. Over the course of the night we also decided that "munch" is one of the funniest words in the English language. All in all, it was a good time - gotta make the most of what little time I have left in Screw City, after all. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009
7:56 pm	Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil Halloween is such a wonderful time of year... There's something about the phrase "All Hallow's Eve" that sends chills down your spine. It makes me think of eerily carved Jack O' Lanterns faces peering into the darkness, or a dense fog that slowly winds its way through a silent wood, maybe an errant gust of wind that blows a pile of dead leaves across a deserted lane. It's a sense of tradition, a celebration of the harvest, and a time to remember that every thing in nature experiences death. As winter approaches we huddle by a fire and celebrate the forbidden. There's a wonderful cycle to it all.(I will refrain from typing a bitter diatribe against postmodern goths and their bastardization of Halloween and gothic sensibility. It's enough to know that their idea of tradition is to call each other on cell phones and say "Hey, man - my coven's going to perform a ritual sacrifice tonight at the cemetery off the interstate. We're using syrup for blood and wearing our best capes, you wanna come?" WTF, people. I don't care if you're into witchcraft or the occult, but don't play a CHARACTER. And for God's sake, people who seriously delve into the Craft don't go around using phrases like "So mote it be" in regular conversation. Right, so I said I *wasn't* going to type a bitter diatribe, but I did anyway. Meh.)Now that the first phase of apartment hunting is over, Mom & I have embarked upon the gathering phase of this little adventure. We started making the rounds (Pier 1, World Market, Target) in an attempt to find the everyday apartment wares one needs. What I love about a new place is that it gives me a chance to start from scratch and build a design aesthetic from the ground up. After my quasi-Moroccan experiment of the last year, I'm returning to my contemporary/Asian ideals - black or cherry-hued woods, cherry blossom patterns, dark jewel-toned silks, and natural fibers. I bought a dark green bolster pillow that I think will be the jumping off point for the color palette. But, considering my current lack of extraneous funds, I shall have to limit myself to the necessities for now. Besides, I want to be able to use the nickname "Spartan Apartment" for awhile. I find such things amusing.Time to run - dinner's ready and there's a barrage of little monsters waiting to have candy handed out to them. And Erek & I have some questing to do - assuming he feels better. I have a major jones for Caramel Apple Pops that cannot be quelled. (Comment on this)
Monday, January 26th, 2009
2:42 pm	Alphabet Soup Because I'm only working a half day today, and I need to have something with which to while away the time until I get to leave. Then lunch with Becky & Lisa, and then I hit the road with Joey. Action-packed day. Or, it will be once I leave work. Work is NOT action-packed. Even work for the military. [A is for age of your first kiss:]13... a lot of firsts that year, now that I think about it.[B is for booze of choice:]Amaretto, rum, or whiskey.[C is for career:]As of Nov. 7th, editorial assistant for McDougal-Littell's Language Arts department skills team.[D is for dad's name:]Robert (occasionally known as His Holiness Robert I)[E is for essential items to bring to a party:]A bottle of something, and a single friend. ;-)[F is for favorite song at the moment:]Well, lately, "Face to Face" by Souixsie & the Banshees keeps popping into my head. Although "Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect" by The Decembrists is certainly giving it some strong competition.[G is for favorite game:]Scrabble I never lose. Ever. And I like that.[H is for hometown:]Rockford, IL (Screw City Pride, y'all!)[I is for instrument you play:]Guitar, really badly.[J is for jam or jelly you like:]I don't like jellies, sorry. And no, I'm not a terrorist[K is for kids?]Eventually... when I'm ready. Though I doubt anyone is ever *truly* ready for children.[L is for last kiss?]Sometime late July; had "mistake" written all over it. And he wasn't that great of a kisser, either.[M is for mom's name:]Carol (occasionally known as Mother Superior)[N is for name of your crush:]When I find out, I'll be sure to let you know. ;)[O is for overnight hospital stays?]Not if I have anything to say about it I HATE hospitals.[P is for phobias:]Slight problem with heights. And I've had issues with small spaces ever since the time my brother shut me up in a fold-out sofa. Oh, and there's the completely irrational vampire thing.[Q is for quote you like:]"You can lead a horticulture, but you can't make her think." Dorothy Parker.[R is for relationship that lasted the longest:]Two years and change.[S is for sexual preference:]Whoever's handy. "I park like I love mostly straight." LMAO[T is for time you wake up:]6 AM... *groan*[U is for underwear:]I own a ridiculous amount (something like 65 pairs) and sometimes, I even wear them.[V is for vegetable you love:]Potatoes, red peppers, or cucumbers.[W is for worst habit:]Closing people out.[X is for x-rays you've had:]Just my teeth. Always been a bit disappointed that I've never broken a limb I've wanted a cast ever since I was really little.[Y is for yummy food you make:]Marinated chicken, pasta with marinara, grilled cheese sandwiches.[Z is for zodiac sign:]Sagittarius (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 24th, 2009
8:49 am	Ahoy, Midwest What a day. I've been up and traveling since 5AM (Pacific Time); nothing but planes, trains, & automobiles until we got home at 6:15PM (Central Standard). All traces of enthusiasm over getting to use the special United Red Carpet Room at the airport (because I was with my dad) have vanished. I'm too jetlagged to bother unpacking, but I'm not tired enough to take a nap. Thank goodness for the 30 e-mails I have to sift through, right? Yeesh.Seattle was really cool. I've never been that far west before, so all the trees and mountains just blew me away. It's no Chicago, but it's not too shabby. ;) Did the normal touristy things - Seattle Aquarium (watched two octopi being fed, saw otters do cute human things with their hands, spoke in a French accent), went to the top of the Space Needle (had a smoothie), walked through Pike's Market (saw people toss around a huge Alaskan King Salmon), shopped downtown (glass-blowing factories, funky pop art stores, upscale department stores), and hiked at Mount St. Helens (learned all about pyroclastic flows and assigned everyone famous explorer nicknames - mine was Balboa). Had fabulous food the entire time. I particularly enjoyed the plate of sashimi-grade Ahi tuna at McCormick & Schmidt's, the pizza from Zeek's, and the ice cream at Coldstone Creamery.The wedding itself was nice, if not a little cold and slightly boring. The ceremony lasted all of 15 minutes- not that I saw much of the ceremony, because Mom appointed me the family photographer - while the cruise lasted 2 more hours. The high point was sailing past Bill Gates' grossly expensive semi-subterranean mansion. Sigh. What a waste. At least it was sunny. I still haven't figured out if I really like my new sister-in-law, but Monique's so shy around the family that I don't know if I'll ever figure that out. But it's not like we're gonna see them all that often, anyway. In true wedding spirit, I wish them well but am completely apathetic. Besides, I was mainly focused on trying to not succumb to the urge to kill my aunt. I tell you, family only exists to drive you crazy most of the time. (Comment on this)
Friday, January 23rd, 2009
6:41 am	Shakespeare a la Becki One of my favorite passages:She should have died hereafter;There would have been a time for such a word. To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps to this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time;And all our yesterdays have lighted foolsThe way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle'Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,And then is heard no more; it is a taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury,Signifying nothing. - Macbeth (Act V, Scene V) (Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
12:45 am	Ballad to the Big Easy The time has come, child, to write of the Deep South, where cotton was king and hot nights are full of dark deeds.We watched New Orleans with bated breath and prayers of hope as Katrina made her way to the Big Easy. Just another Mardis Gras, just another storm - weathered with bourbon and the sweet sounds of a saxophone wailing as the water rose and the levees began to fail. And in the thick of the storm, we watched you, New Orleans.We prayed as Katrina danced the delta blues through the streets of the Big Easy, as the water came crashing down. And when the dance was finished, there were no more southern belles, only those who couldn't dance their way home when the levees began to break. And in the aftermath, we prayed for you, New Orleans.We waited as Katrina broke upon the Gulf, a headstrong girl trampling over the Big Easy. The best of human nature was eclipsed by the worst - disease rising in floods like the floods that ruined your streets. The waste and tragedy swept out into the Gulf, when the levees finally broke. And we waited to send help to New Orleans.We mourned once Katrina had packed her bags, but there was no relief for the Big Easy. War refugees in a country at peace as the bullets flew and the cries for help died like so many people trapped in New Orleans. Grab your carpetbags to reconstruct the new antebellum South, on the brink of yet another storm as the levees failed. We mourned as our people drowned in New Orleans.Just another storm, just another Mardi Gras.Apathy sealed the fate of New Orleans.The time has come, child, to weep for the Deep South.What can I say about Katrina that hasn't already been said. I only wish there was an explanation. An entire region has been dispossessed and our government did nothing to help. America is so quick to respond to the need of foreign nations - with or without just cause - and yet it abandons its own people to suffer when their need is greatest. This is a wound which will fester in the hearts of Americans for a long time. (Comment on this)
Monday, January 19th, 2009
10:00 pm	Take This Job and Shove It! Free at last, free at last! Thank the Lord, I'm free at last!The shackles of bondage have been lifted! I am free! Free of responsibility and obligation and office politics and all the rest of it. Wore jeans and flip-flops today to work as my final "fuck you" to the establishment. Like much of the previous week, I kept getting interrupted and felt like I wasn't getting anything accomplished. But, I don't have to deal with it anymore, so why bother worrying about it? Practically ran out the door after I turned in my key and my flash drive. (Totally thought about stealing the flash drive, but I ultimately decided it was tainted goods, having been one of the few perks of my miserable job.) Rode home with the windows down and the music blaring... It's going to be a beautiful day. I say this calls for a weekend full of shameless, drunken debauchery! (Comment on this)
Saturday, January 17th, 2009
3:28 pm	Commander of the Grammar Squad I have joined the few, the proud, the moderators...Courtney requested that I join her brand-spanking-new community, lit_aspiring. In doing so, I represent that "other half" of the publishing world - the editors. It is my responsibility to combat the urban legend that editors are cold-blooded, vicious tyrants whose sole purpose on this earth is to bastardize the genius of authors. In short, to slash & burn until a manuscript is more palatable to John Q. Bookbuyer.Starting today, I set out to convince the world that editors are not a "necessary evil," but a symbiotic partner in the writing process. I exist to help educate aspiring authors (and novice editors) about what the role of the editor truly entails, some common pitfalls of the editing process (like how to make constructive comments without being cruel), and other fun facts of the trade. And yes, I am actually enthusiastic about it. Once again, Courtney gives me the opportunity to play Commando and wax poetic on grammar. "With great power, comes great responsibility..." Mwa ha ha. (Comment on this)
Friday, January 16th, 2009
1:04 pm	Tori's Piano Bar Original SinsualityFather LuciferMother RevolutionImprovYes, AnastasiaApollo's FrockParasolMother Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels) [Jim Groce]The Circle Game [Joni Mitchell] Cars and GuitarsSpace DogMarianneBarons of SuburbiaCool On Your IslandThe Beekeeper *****HoneySweet the Sting *****Cloud On My TongueRibbons UndoneThis concert was one of the best experiences of my entire life... Absolutely beautiful. And I have no shame in admitting that I cried during "The Beekeeper." Tori is a goddess. (Comment on this)
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
8:17 am	Checking In Becki and I are total rock stars.I talked to Miss Reba this afternoon, to discuss the topics of hotels in Chicago, airfare to Portland over the summer, and orange panties. So, after much deliberation (because we are frugal) and much consternation (over the relative lack of speed a 56K connection possesses), we have booked ourselves a hotel for Tori-fest 2005. Our excitement is unparalleled. Thanks to Sir Joel for hooking me up with Hotwire.com, because we got a room at the Hyatt Regency (4 star establishment) for $67 a night. We're both quite excited about this, as it has a pool. Woohoo! We will be in the lap of luxury as we plan our next joint venture - our much-anticipated trip to Portland in late summer.Our plans for the weekend are these: Becki rolls into town Friday morning, and heads out sometime Sunday night. In between those two points in time, who knows where we will end up? (Other than rocking out at the concert.) You never know, we could land ourselves on Tori's tour bus... or in the front rows of the Auditorium Theatre. Cross your fingers, hah.This will be a weekend to remember.***Sidenote: Nothing makes me sing "I bring home the bacon" like paying my bills on time.*** (Comment on this)