Gimoo and Aldrich

Originally uploaded by Gretaash

I changed Wombat to Aldrich and then invested in a friend for him. His name is Gimoo. (Nikuoro for "rat").

I think all my friends think I'm crazy. My brother said, "Dude, if I ever found out chick I was interested in had a thing for rats, I'd be so turned off." Well. Yeah, I can understand that completely. But the rats are AWESOME. So I do not care. If a guy thats after me finds my rats too disturbing, he doesn't have the backbone required to handle me anyway.

They are starting to have personalty traits I can identify. Gimoo is definitely dominant.

Ugh this next week might suck. I start working at Bolton and have two tests on Friday. But then I go home and see Frank, my Mum, and my sister and Baylee is coming to keep me company while I dog sit at my dad's house. So all the shit I put myself through this next week will pay off very well, but I just have to get to that point....

Wombat

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Originally uploaded by Gretaash

Meet Wombat. My new pet rat.

At this moment he is actually buried deep in this nasty couch that came with my furnished apartment. But other that that he's been a pretty clean little fellow while I've had him. He obsessively cleans himself. And poops in the same spot in his cage. Awesome. His favorite food (that I've discovered so far anyhow) is celery.

I've had a few folks look at me reproachfully when I've told them I am now a rat person. Haha... well I don't know if I'm a rat person but I now have a pet rat, so perhaps they are synonymous? Anyhow, rats are actually fairly intelligent and share a lot of human DNA. This is why (among various other reasons) lats are used so frequently in lab experiments.

So far this rat thing is going alright. We shall see if it goes south.

Nothing

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Originally uploaded by Gretaash

I'm wasting time before Linguistics. Which I do not want to attend any way. It is far too long and dull... we're just going over the basics of phonetics right now. Its all inane details, not the interesting information that actually applies to reality. I'm passionate about languages and cultures and how the human brain works. But this is like learning how to put a new puzzle together-- only, unlike learning an actual language (which I consider to be a sort of puzzle) barely anyone understands this shit. I sure as hell can't write out English phonetically and pass a note in class.

This is a picture I took of some small items I collected throughout the day a few weeks ago. I really liked their textures.. so I loped 'em down in the sun light and pulled out my macro lens. Of which I am very fond. And need a x10 supplementary lens attachment. Donations accepted.

January Sunlight

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Originally uploaded by Gretaash

Taken on perhaps the first sunshine-spoiled day of the year. Spoiled in the I-love-my-child-dearly-and-cannot-stand-to-see-anything-but-a-smile-upon-their-face fashion. It was genuinely glorious.

Ugh, I'm exhausted. I've been doing almost nothing but shuffling through Craigslist Athens for the past few days... Madison and I went and looked at a house this morn and it was lovely! But it had a gnome bedroom which pretty much voided our interest.

We know very few gnomes well enough to invite them to be housemates. Besides, I've heard rumors that they have stink issues.

Speaking of which, I'm considering investing in a rat. Yes. A rat. A pet rat. Of the fancy variety.

A few people I have mentioned this to have called me crazy, but its not as if that has never occurred before. I'm rather fond of rodents; just not gerbils or guinea pigs. I like mice and rats, so it is only logical that, consistent with my preferences, I purchase a fancy rat. Or a dumbo rat. Which ever happens to strike my fancy. So probably fancy.

Anyway I did some research. Apparently you can train them to shit in one place (although with piss its a different story. Esp. with males, as they are fond of territorial markings...) and they respond to their names when called. I calculated the original investment to be roughly forty dollars. Unless I can find a nice person on Craigslist to give me a cheap aquarium or cage. Then it will be about twenty bucks!

Returning to this Craigslist ordeal. Madison and I are in desperate need of room mates... and I found some personal ads on there for folks wanting roomies that truly seem like some people she and I would get along swell with. However, personal ads on Craigslist give me the heebiejeebies. Or whatever its called. I feel like it is truly not an ideal place to meet someone you will live with for a year. But... maybe? I'm not sure. I'm just hopeful.

Mostly I'm frustrated that everyone else is settling on houses that they do not have enough people for and won't compromise. If we all compromise then perhaps we can find affordable, classy solutions.

Or not.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Fairly Exhausted

I think I am going to have to bail on my date tonight. Last night was sort of taxing, so I don't think I can do it over again with another person.

I think perhaps I am too nice. I don't want to upfront say "Yeah, nahhh I'm not interested." So I try to relay it in subtle hints. But guys are FUCKING DENSE. But at least by the time I decide I must cut them down its less surprising. Or at least I hope so. I don't want to lead any one on. But I do want to be friends with all of them :( and I don't think it works that way. I'm friends with all my exes... some I'm better friends with than others, but I'm certainly on good terms with all of them. I just hate to think I have to date guys before I can become friends with them unless they're gay or psychotic.

And then I tear their hearts out and proceed to grind them into highly processed hamburger meat.

Not intentionally.

I'm a little upset. I have tons of school work to do and I can't balance my leisure-needs with it. I have tons of books I'm in the middle of reading and many I would love to start soon. There is a shitload of new music to explore! And I would like to improve my photography and painting... and creative writing skills. AND I need a job so I can afford the program I would like to attend this summer. If anyone has 4600 bucks they're not sure what to do with, please comment and we can arrange something. Your investment: All the awesome shit I will get out of participating in this program.

Breakfast this morning consists of coffee and a banana. (And probably granola and a bagel later, and the last of my skim milk). I'm pretty happy with this banana. Perfectly ripe in my book. (When they have all the dark freckles and are slightly beginning to brown) ... Speaking of food I baked these last night around one AM. Fucking melt-in-your-mouth-delicious. Like whats-his-face's Wads on that shitty movie Accepted.


This is my bed. :)

Photos

Mein Schwester




... am Strand, 2006

Mein Brüder


...Letzte Sommer, 2009

Empty Management

One thing I find myself recently aching to do involves running through a crowd frantically. With no destination. I have often entertained myself by speculating that the acts of others in public are not genuine, but rather the deliberate self-serving ploys of the bored. Especially in college.

Some things are obvious though- like last year when I saw that kid running around campus in a Spiderman costume.

I would like to be more subtle. I could simply run everywhere. No one questions you when you're running through a throng of people, apologetic and wincing. "Excuse me, excuse me, so sorry, I'm sorry I need to get by! Please let me through! I'm sorry-- excuse me!" Or I could even mumble it in German. "Entschuldigung! Bitte!!!" Hah. A foreigner dashing through a crowd. I love it.

I could motivate myself by pretending I have some one to save- or making way like a reporter getting to the scene of a crime, a camera man trailing behind in earnest. "We need to get through! Excuse us its an emergency!"

And then I'd have some lovely, pure confusion caught on tape. I love how the masses react. Everyone sort of mimics one another. (Which is terrible in the cases where people are murdered on the street or robbed and people just stand around and stare. DO SOMETHING YOU ASSHOLES.) Ehh... it wouldn't be good if the group of folks I decided to bolt through then became intrigued and begeistert and began to follow, concerned... But I doubt that would happen unless they could sense commotion or something in the direction I was dashing toward...


Quote of the day (von Montag Nacht): "If it spilled into your lap and popped out your contact it must have been REALLY exciting."
-Mein Bruder

Und zuletzt, ich liebe Yeasayer, Odd Blood.

Morality Smells Like Garbage

Just got out of my political science discussion class. I can say with complete resolve that I am proud of my decision to withdraw from the poli sci 1101 I took last semester. My new teacher, Marietta, is fantastic. His lectures are riveting, unbiased and thought provoking. Now, I’m not a huge fan of politics. The system intimidates me – I have dipped my toes in before, due to the passion of boyfriends or up-to-date pals who approach the topics and issues so fervently that I feel myself itching to involve every particle of my being in the debate. When I don’t have an opinion.

As a side note: Arguing is very difficult for me. I find it fairly easy to fight both sides of the battle, and that doesn’t do me any good. I can easily get caught up in the opposing party’s tactics to distract me, and start arguing about a different aspect of the issue that is irrelevant in order to defend myself. I also find myself to be largely ambivalent about issues. I can make myself care or make myself not care (product of being raised by a father that always offered false promises for the future). But mostly I find it hard to care one way or the other.

I say that now, but I’m about to rant about morality.

So here I am, sitting in Tate 2, eating garbage. Normally I don’t buy my lunch, but I thought I’d indulge today. Mistake. This is not indulgence. This is punishment. Supposedly Teriyaki Chicken, but it tastes like Styrofoam drenched in vinegar. Joan River’s sunken face is stretched across the HDTV mounted to the wall, she looks like her dentures are missing. I will never have cosmetic surgery.

I mean I considered a boob job but no way in hell could I ever justify that financially or internally. Who wants to be fake? I remember getting my braces off summer after my junior year of high school and feeling devastated as soon as I learned they were installing a permanent spacer. I’d never be able to run wild and free in the rainforest! I could never be completely natural! I can take off my clothes, take out my earrings, let my hair dye grow out... but I can never remove that spacer. I will be eternally linked to western medical practice. Some call it a blessing. But I’ve never had a cavity so I fail to see the point of my attendance at dentist appointments.

I do, however, see the value in my attendance at my new political science class. Especially the discussion. In the past I’ve rarely participated in group discussion for my classes... way back into high school. Perhaps due to my timidity. But recently I have been working to evolve out of that comfy cocoon of “say-nothing-and-you-shaint-be-judged”. Partially because that’s not true. Partially because there is a big bright world out there and if I keep my mouth shut I won’t experience what it has to offer. Its taken a great deal of time and effort on my part, but I’m a few steps away from abolishing my shy tendencies.

I could tell today in class. I wanted to talk. I wanted to share my opinion and participate and be heard. And my voice was steady! Hellz yeah! You have no idea what a triumph this is for me. Junior year high school honors lit- I had to read a speech I wrote about Euthanasia to the class. I argued for it, but my voice shook the entire way through. I could barely breath. And I was making everyone in the room feel terribly uncomfortable. Yuck.

Anyway. Morality. It came up--- does society need religion in order to be moral?

I brought up Richard Dawkin’s theory discussed in The God Delusion about morality evolving separately from religion. I said that without religion society would still be moral because it is in society’s best interest. Without morality nothing functions! In order to benefit from the wonders of a large society, man must develop morals. If religion is the truck they drove in on, so be it. But ultimately it is in everyone’s best interest to be good and civil to one another.

The girl behind me immediately raised her hand when it appeared I was finished and shared that she’d been brought up in a heavily Christian household and her parents had taught her what was wrong and right through those teachings. Without that guideline, she does not know how she would have learned her morals.

It was the end of class, we’d already run over, so I couldn’t reply. I would like to have emphasized that its in the best interest of people to be good! If we cannot trust one another at all, society falls apart. And then I would have embarked on the line of thought that would have upset her.. that morals obeyed purely on the basis of religion are not morals. In my opinion. Whoa re you being “moral” for? Are you merely obeying God’s will, or do you believe what you are doing is truly right? And for some that is one and the same... but I feel as if some folks are just trying to avoid hell, and do not truly see the beauty of morality. If you are immoral, sure, you’re going to go to hell. I don’t believe in heaven and I don’t believe in hell, and I still avoid being immoral. Its not conducive to my happiness. It won’t get me anywhere I want to be--- my life would fall apart around me. Killing my sister is wrong. Raping a little boy is wrong. Stealing someone’s wallet is wrong. Not wrong because the act will condemn me to hell (unless I ask forgiveness!) but wrong because it hurts other human beings, it affects their livelihoods.

I like Miike Snow. Song for No One.

Listen :)

Tuna Casserole

I hesitate to begin this madness,yet again... but recent events have inspired me. I highly doubt this will last over a few weeks. If I retain my insanity perhaps it shall prevail. And my brother shall scoff at me. And I shall stand up straight and yawn.

Yuck, this is not starting off smoothly. I should stay off the reef. Not likely to happen, though, I'm afraid.