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| 2:10 AM, Sunday, May 04, 2003 |
Friday night: no roommate. Stayed up until 4 am listening to music and playing Starcraft. 'twas good stuff. Except ... um ... Saturday morning I had to get up at 8:30 and head into the Bronx with Leia and her family. The city council changed the name of Pond Place to William Valcarcel Place in honor of ... well, William Valcarcel, who was lost in Tower Two on 11 September 2001. Today was the official unveiling ceremony.
So I set my alarm clock, except I set it for 8:30 p.m. Fortunately, I asked for some help from the Big Guy to get up the next day ... so I got up fifteen minutes late. Not that bad.
Ran outside at 9 and met them outside the building. Working on 4 hrs 45 minutes of sleep here, so I'm dead tired, but oh well. Anyway, we drove into the Bronx and met the rest of the family, which was ... interesting. I won't go into it. About half an hour into it Leia's cousin Jessica finds out that I'm 18. Her next question: "And you're going out with a 13-year old?"
... apparently I was beet red.
For the record, no, I am not going out with a 13-year old. Of course, if you ask anyone who met me that day, they won't know that, because Leia's father and uncle were not helpful in correcting misconceptions.
*sighs* So then Leia and I stand around for a while discussing the various people that a certain someone not present is going to kill for this.
Anyway, a little later someone comes running in to report that someone, nobody knows who and nobody will ever know who, has taken down the veil over the new sign. So Jason - Jessica's boyfriend - me, Leia's father, uncle, and cousin go to investigate.
Yup, someone took the veil down. Why? *shrugs* Dunno. Anyway, we rigged up a garbage bag on a rickety ladder, and Jason got to go up the ladder, secure the garbage bag on, and loop a rope around it to prevent the bag from flying off.
Except the problem now is that there's no way to pull it off from the ground.
Time to put those Stony Brook engineering classes to use! Of course, that means ... I ... get to ... go up on the ladder.
Joy.
When you're standing six feet off the ground, on the top step of a ladder that's seen better days ... no, better aeons, and someone knocks your foot trying to hold your leg, it's scary. Anyway, someone hands me a piece of twine so I cut a hole in the bag, loop the twine through it, tie it around the rope, and done.
Anyway, the politicians made my skin crawl, except since I was standing behind them and there's cameras trained on them I had to keep this fake smile plastered on my face. Ugh. Anyway, the speeches were over with after twenty minutes or so, and the family gathered around to pull the string so the garbage bag would come off. And hey, it worked!
Good to know that those $16,000 a year are going to good use. Sort of.
Anyway. More ceremonies, more pictures, more politicians, then went to lunch and just chatted for a while. Bro-man got kicked by a certain 13-year old female who shall remain nameless, and then got complained at by said girl for knocking her on the head.
Didn't get to see aforementioned certain someone who had NYSSMA recitals, however. Ah well. Hope those went well, and we missed you. Me, especially.
That finally over with, we headed home and I got back to the dorm around 4:20. Got to G's place for cooking around 4:30 and realized I didn't have black beans or ginger, so made a quick run to the Chinese grocery store on 347. That place is actually really nice -- I'm impressed. They do a good trade, and it's clean and well-lit; lots of Asian grocery stores aren't. And I'm Asian, so I can say that. Anybody who's not Asian says that will receive some serious rebuking.
Got the fish all prepared and stuff, cooked it, and headed over to the commons for the potluck. The fish turned out really well; I'm quite pleased with that. Had a chill time with the saints and stuff. Amusing anecdote of the day:
Me: I still haven't seen X-Men 1 actually. Someone offered to loan it to me, but it's on VHS and I don't have a VCR.
Rachel: So why not go to someone else's place?
Me: None of the brothers on campus have a VCR.
Rachel: Oh ... true. Isn't there a way to copy it to DVD?
Me: Yeah, if I had a VCR.
It's alright, Rachel, you know I love ya, even if I do usually see you when you say really stupid stuff. ;-)
Hung around and had fun with Taboo and Pictionary for an hour or so, then headed off to X2 at the Loews with something like ten other people. Huge group, and the show was sold out, but the theater was only about half-full. Interesting, but we weren't complaining. Chilled for a while waiting for the movie to come on. BJ puts on Rachel's sweatshirt 'cause she mentioned that they were on sale but she couldn't find any in his size, and he responds with, "I can fit into a small." Yeah, Bryan, but the bottom is at your waist and the sleeves are about three inches too short.
Moving on. There was this preview for a movie about a gang of criminals getting revenge on the guy who sold them out and stole the money from a gold heist. Dumb concept, but when their plan went off successfully (I assume that's when it was) one of them in a crowded airport screams, "Yes!!!!!", quite loudly. Everyone looks at him, and he smiles this really dopey grin and says, "I got the Holy Spirit!"
11 people burst out laughing. Everyone looks at us. :-D
Anyway, watched X2 and it was actually pretty cool, even if I still haven't seen X-Men. Kaelis liked, although it's not the sort of movie you go to and then spend three hours discussing the nuances of the ending afterwards. End of the movie, Bryan says, "I was wondering why I was blazing hot. I forgot I had your sweatshirt on."
This is to Rachel, who's 5'3" or something. BJ is 6'2". How do you forget that you have someone's sweater on when said someone is a foot shorter than you?
Headed back to campus after that and hit the room. Still no roommate. Kaelis has speakers up and lights off.
A great day, even on 5 hours of sleep.
-David
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