The other day after I finished my workout I ran into that (black) (female) cleaning person at the gym.
"How you doing?", she was like.
"Great!", I was like. "I had a good day at school, and a good workout, and now I just need to go home and relax."
"Oh," she was like, then she smiled and was like, "You stopping off anywhere first?"
"Actually," I was like, "I *do* need to take a shit, I'm going to do that now!"
At that she just laughed and was like, "I knew you did!"
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
...an idea...
I might try to go to Hooter's this Sunday.
I'm really interested to see what Hooter's is like, on a Sunday.
I'm really interested to see what Hooter's is like, on a Sunday.
Michigan politics update!
I've never thought Mitt Romney was from Michigan, and I asked my mom about that, and she didn't think so either.
"But his dad was George Romney," I was like.
"Yes," she was like, "I know that. But when was the last time that he lived here? Has he ever?"
She also said that she didn't know much about Rick Santorum, but she found him "scary".
"He's one of those way-out conservatives," she was like.
"But his dad was George Romney," I was like.
"Yes," she was like, "I know that. But when was the last time that he lived here? Has he ever?"
She also said that she didn't know much about Rick Santorum, but she found him "scary".
"He's one of those way-out conservatives," she was like.
3 stories: post office; another birthday party; bus.
1) On Feb. 15th I had to drop some letters off at the post office near the university. They had this big tray out of heart-shaped sugar cookies for customers, and the (black) lady who I told about my parasite was like, "Please have some!", then added, "Be careful, the chocolates contain nuts."
2) Yesterday I show up at a restaurant downtown like 9:07pm for the 9pm birthday party of the sister of my (half-African) (half-British) friend (who is also my friend, and who is also half-African and half-British), and so I ask the hostess at the restaurant where the party is seated, and at first she's like, "We don't have anyone here by that name," then she's like, "Oh, I remember, I worked last night as well, they were here then." I had the wrong date down in my planner!
I was pissed at first, but at least I have a funny story. I texted my one lawyer friend from Missouri that now her lateness looks like nothing, and she texted back -
I've never been a day late for a party! -
and this morning, too, a masters student told me about how he was a day late for an exam once, and my one (Mormon) colleague told me about this basketball game date he had with his now-wife where he felt like he was missing something, and then 30min. into the game he was like, "Shoot, I missed the GRE!"
3) On Wed. I got on the bus, and I hear a voice saying "hi!", and it's this (young) eccentric (light-skinned black) woman I know who is not associated with the university, but always goes to public events there, especially if they have free food.
"I haven't seen you for a while," she was like. "How are you doing?"
"Good," I was like, "Just working hard on my dissertation."
"No," she was like, "Don't joke with me. That's impossible, you must be a professor already!"
"No, seriously," I was like, "I'm still a student."
"No," she repeated, "That's impossible! I know you must be a professor already."
2) Yesterday I show up at a restaurant downtown like 9:07pm for the 9pm birthday party of the sister of my (half-African) (half-British) friend (who is also my friend, and who is also half-African and half-British), and so I ask the hostess at the restaurant where the party is seated, and at first she's like, "We don't have anyone here by that name," then she's like, "Oh, I remember, I worked last night as well, they were here then." I had the wrong date down in my planner!
I was pissed at first, but at least I have a funny story. I texted my one lawyer friend from Missouri that now her lateness looks like nothing, and she texted back -
I've never been a day late for a party! -
and this morning, too, a masters student told me about how he was a day late for an exam once, and my one (Mormon) colleague told me about this basketball game date he had with his now-wife where he felt like he was missing something, and then 30min. into the game he was like, "Shoot, I missed the GRE!"
3) On Wed. I got on the bus, and I hear a voice saying "hi!", and it's this (young) eccentric (light-skinned black) woman I know who is not associated with the university, but always goes to public events there, especially if they have free food.
"I haven't seen you for a while," she was like. "How are you doing?"
"Good," I was like, "Just working hard on my dissertation."
"No," she was like, "Don't joke with me. That's impossible, you must be a professor already!"
"No, seriously," I was like, "I'm still a student."
"No," she repeated, "That's impossible! I know you must be a professor already."
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Memories!
1) At my last haircut, the (Japanese) (female) owner cut my hair. She was telling me how the previous weekend was her business's 6th anniversary, so I asked her how she got started in the business. Way back in Japan, she was already a stylist, and then got married and moved here, and after raising her kids went back to work as a stylist, and then opened up her own business...
It turns out, too, that her family is a family of independent businesspeople. In Japan, farmers only really use perfectly-shaped cucumbers and would throw out the funky ones, so her grandfather got them, cut them up, and salted them for a year, then sold them to pickle companies to put in vinegar and season, and that's now her family business.
Also, her dad died at 42, so her mom, who was very traditional and still thinks men are superior and only had a high school education, took over the business at 36, in addition to having to care for 3 children and her aging mother-in-law. She was very honest, so people trusted her and she was successful at business, and now one of her sons runs the company - the 3rd generation in the family to do so.
2) The (older) (black) (male) attendant was telling me that back in the 1950s, this city's Chinatown was small, and there were a lot of houses, which was typical for many neighborhoods, especially those close the railroad tracks. He also talked about how much people canned and baked bread, though they don't do that anymore.
"Soup, whatever," he was like, "You could make it, they would can it."
It turns out, too, that her family is a family of independent businesspeople. In Japan, farmers only really use perfectly-shaped cucumbers and would throw out the funky ones, so her grandfather got them, cut them up, and salted them for a year, then sold them to pickle companies to put in vinegar and season, and that's now her family business.
Also, her dad died at 42, so her mom, who was very traditional and still thinks men are superior and only had a high school education, took over the business at 36, in addition to having to care for 3 children and her aging mother-in-law. She was very honest, so people trusted her and she was successful at business, and now one of her sons runs the company - the 3rd generation in the family to do so.
2) The (older) (black) (male) attendant was telling me that back in the 1950s, this city's Chinatown was small, and there were a lot of houses, which was typical for many neighborhoods, especially those close the railroad tracks. He also talked about how much people canned and baked bread, though they don't do that anymore.
"Soup, whatever," he was like, "You could make it, they would can it."
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Burned out on bars.
I'm burned out on bars; I want to stop using my spare evenings to barhop, and instead have a normal life again, where I can go to movies, or sit around at a coffee shop, or stay home with a book.
As it is, I just got over a slight cold, and I need 15 more bars to be over a "10 bars per week" average for the past year, so I have to force myself limping across the finish line. I'll never be in a position to do something like this again, ever, I think.
As it is, I just got over a slight cold, and I need 15 more bars to be over a "10 bars per week" average for the past year, so I have to force myself limping across the finish line. I'll never be in a position to do something like this again, ever, I think.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Birthday party.
Since my one (older) (black) (female) friend has retired from working at the library on Sunday nights, I've been meaning to get together with her and this (older) (white) retired nurse who appears to live in poverty and who's lingered on in masters/ph.d. programs for years.
So, the other week, the retired nurse suggested we get together to meet up for Chinese New Year and her birthday, and she arranged everything, but when the day came, my one (older) (black) (female) friend wasn't feeling well and ended up staying home.
As it turns out, the retired nurse, who's very sweet, was eying the prime rib at the cafeteria, but was going to opt for something cheaper, so I told her to order whatever she wanted, since it was her birthday meal and it was on me.
So, she got the prime rib, and the cut was like an inch-and-a-half thick and bigger than her head, and she ate the whole thing and then put the bone in a ziploc bag she pulled out of her purse so she could take it home and use it for soup.
The next week, she dropped a grocery bag full of dry pasta off to me while I was working at a computer on my dissertation, since she's developed an allergy and can't eat the type of pasta anymore she used to stock in her pantry.
So, the other week, the retired nurse suggested we get together to meet up for Chinese New Year and her birthday, and she arranged everything, but when the day came, my one (older) (black) (female) friend wasn't feeling well and ended up staying home.
As it turns out, the retired nurse, who's very sweet, was eying the prime rib at the cafeteria, but was going to opt for something cheaper, so I told her to order whatever she wanted, since it was her birthday meal and it was on me.
So, she got the prime rib, and the cut was like an inch-and-a-half thick and bigger than her head, and she ate the whole thing and then put the bone in a ziploc bag she pulled out of her purse so she could take it home and use it for soup.
The next week, she dropped a grocery bag full of dry pasta off to me while I was working at a computer on my dissertation, since she's developed an allergy and can't eat the type of pasta anymore she used to stock in her pantry.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Several things.
1) There's this one (Indian) (female) grad student I know, who was raised in the Middle East and then the U.S. by Pentecostal parents, and I always joke with her about how everyone assumes she's Hindu, vegetarian, etc. ... The other day after a talk everyone headed over to the campus bar, and she was wondering aloud whether the sponsoring club would buy good food, "Because if it's just deep-fried appetizers, I might have to get a hamburger."
"I'm done with India," I was like, "Get me a hamburger!"
She laughed.
2) That same student also loves pop music, esp. songs with a good beat you can dance to, but her husband doesn't. She was asking me about some song, and I was like, "You know I don't dance," and she was like, "Neither does [her husband's name]; you guys have the same problem," and then she went on to gently trash (American) (males) with Central European backgrounds, and how they can't let loose.
3) The other morning I was sprinting to get to the subway and the doors were closing just as I was dashing there, but a young (Mexican) guy getting off and walking down the platform made an "open the doors" signal and the engineer re-opened the doors for me. I've never seen anyone do that.
4) There's a (black) cleaning woman at the gym that I always chit-chat with.
For example, once when I was leaving I told her to have a good weekend and asked her if she had any big plans, and she was like, "Getting f-ck-d up," and we both laughed a lot.
The other day, she asked me how I was doing, and I was like, "I just took the biggest shit in the locker room," and she just laughed and was like, "I don't doubt you did," and I laughed really loudly and warned her not to go in there.
"I'm done with India," I was like, "Get me a hamburger!"
She laughed.
2) That same student also loves pop music, esp. songs with a good beat you can dance to, but her husband doesn't. She was asking me about some song, and I was like, "You know I don't dance," and she was like, "Neither does [her husband's name]; you guys have the same problem," and then she went on to gently trash (American) (males) with Central European backgrounds, and how they can't let loose.
3) The other morning I was sprinting to get to the subway and the doors were closing just as I was dashing there, but a young (Mexican) guy getting off and walking down the platform made an "open the doors" signal and the engineer re-opened the doors for me. I've never seen anyone do that.
4) There's a (black) cleaning woman at the gym that I always chit-chat with.
For example, once when I was leaving I told her to have a good weekend and asked her if she had any big plans, and she was like, "Getting f-ck-d up," and we both laughed a lot.
The other day, she asked me how I was doing, and I was like, "I just took the biggest shit in the locker room," and she just laughed and was like, "I don't doubt you did," and I laughed really loudly and warned her not to go in there.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Another Bar Story: Redheaded Bartender.
The bar after the one with the unique restroom indicators was a yuppie bowling alley/pool table place, and the bartender was this freckled redheaded guy with a beard, a tight t-shirt, jeans, and one of those caps they sell at H&M but are okay for edgier jocks to wear.
"So how do you feel about being a redhead?", I asked the guy as he was getting my drink ready.
"I like it," he said. "It's fun to be part of a vanishing minority. Did you know that they say in 200 years there will be no more redheads? We're disappearing."
He then told me about some popular science article he had read.
I also said it was nice to be found a fetish item, though I don't know if he had ever encountered that.
"To be honest," he was like, "I haven't. But they probably just don't tell me if they do."
"So how do you feel about being a redhead?", I asked the guy as he was getting my drink ready.
"I like it," he said. "It's fun to be part of a vanishing minority. Did you know that they say in 200 years there will be no more redheads? We're disappearing."
He then told me about some popular science article he had read.
I also said it was nice to be found a fetish item, though I don't know if he had ever encountered that.
"To be honest," he was like, "I haven't. But they probably just don't tell me if they do."
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