Best. Wednesday. Ever.

[aruan]

Did the dance of the won eBay auction first thing this morning. I've been watching this puppy for a week and set my alarm for 3:50 am to make sure I wasn't outbid in the last ten minutes. And yay! Miiine!

After waking up for real at 8:47, I finally made that trip to Jacksonville, which ended up being neither as painful nor time-consuming as expected. They took my fingerprints electronically, which was really cool. And the INS people, while not helpful, were surprisingly cordial. Imagine that. Next ceremony is October 18th or 20th, they'll let me know as soon as my fingerprints are processed. I'm thinking Miranda's getting dragged this time. Citizenship! About time after thirteen years, right?

Also, Carl Hiassen's Tourist Season is rocking so far. I ought to read more murder mysteries. Plus it's set locally! Nothing like being familiar with the geography as you read.

I burned a mix before going to sleep last night (it takes exactly twelve seconds to burn a song onto a minidisc, whoot!) which ended up being just as kickass as I'd hoped. I'm officially in lovelust with Immaculate Dawn and Fiona's Sleep to Dream sounds orgasmic coming from my car's speakers.

Since the INS office was about twelve miles from the beach, and I start feeling withdrawal after our first week back at school, I decided to side-trek before heading home.

Now, I wasn't planning to go swimming, but. The weather was so nice! The beach was wide and pristine, with soft grey sand stretching into infinity in either direction. The waves were inviting, the sun wasn't overbearing, I was wearing two shirts, so really, why not? So, yes, took a dip and mmm, yeah, miss that a lot.

While taking said dip, I met three twentysomething locals. In about fifteen minutes we'd traded names, college and dog stories, and I was extended an invite to their pig roast shindig the weekend after Halloween, an offer I'm actually seriously thinking about taking them up on. Further going against all friendly stranger common sense, I walked the block and a half from the beach back to their house on the promise of a shower. There would've been happy hour at the Ritz and backyard grilling as well (not to mention the weed Jessie so freely offered as her roommate took a hit off the single largest water bong I've ever seen), but alas I have class at 7:30 tomorrow morning and a two-hour drive ahead of me yet.

Lovely, zippy trip back thanks to entirely disregarding the zany sideroads Mapquest suggested, windows down and music up. While stopping in to the downtown Starbucks after my triumphant return, I was serenaded with a breathy, Marylin Monroe-esque Happy Birthday by the barista, who then proceeded to make the best gingerbread latte I've had since New York last winter, though quite possibly the best in the three years I've been imbibing them. Rawr, baby. Also, there's apparently $50 on the giftcard mum sent. She does love me so.

In related money news, I have close to $2,000 in my bank account for the first time in... I don't even remember how long. Probably since I opened it. Time to pay off every last shred of that New York/Challenge-incurred debt and see about standby tickets to Houston, because I'm not so good at taking my own good advice.

Glimpsed Britney's issue of Esquire at the Murphree Area desk as the girl was getting my package and wow. Like, wow. Definite magazine detour tonight.

Got a reply to a rather long-winded e-mail I sent my middle/high school English teacher earlier this week. She's doing well, which is always good to hear, but her tenth graders had no grammar in middle school, which makes my heart ache in sympathy for all concerned. I love grammar, but beyond that, it's incredibly necessary and useful.

Registration for spring semester begins October 27th. I can't think about that, so instead I'm off to formulate dinner plans.

Whee!

Comments

[meinnim.livejournal.com]

Citizenship! About time after thirteen years, right?

Yay! Congratulations!

It was just about thirteen years ago that I received my citizenship and naturalization papers.

The ceremony (especially reciting the Pledge of Allegiance) brought a tear to my eye, man.

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

I plan on crying harder at this than any ceremonious event past or future, man. I want to be a citizen, to be able to officially claim the only place I've ever wanted to stay in all the traveling I've done my own. That, and I am so American it's almost ridiculous that I'm not, you know what I mean?

Where are you originally from? I was born in Budapest, Hungary and came here when I was nine. And wow with the culture shock - I can only imagine what it must've been like for my parents.

[meinnim.livejournal.com]

I'm originally from the Philippines. I moved to the US when I was 17 along with my siblings.

Talk about a huge culture shock. I remember going into a grocery store the first time and seeing an aisle for dog food.

"They have an entire aisle just for dog food?" In the Philippines, the dogs ate whatever their owners ate. There was no specialized dog food -- ones that came in cans/pouches.

As soon as I saw that, I thought America lived up to its "land of plenty" image. I knew I'd fit in somehow.

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Hm. I was only 9 when my family came here, and I don't remember any one moment of 'we're not in Kansas anymore,' but that's very interesting. Possibly the year-round produce, that was new. The milk coming in plastic jugs instead of glass or pouches. Cereal was a big wow thing, too. Hee. So, probably the supermarkets for me too, yeah.

[meinnim.livejournal.com]

I want to be a citizen, to be able to officially claim the only place I've ever wanted to stay in all the traveling I've done my own. That, and I am so American it's almost ridiculous that I'm not, you know what I mean?

I know the feeling. I fit here so I was so happy when I became a citizen. Even though I still refer to the Philippines as 'home' (it's habit), the US is where my soul lives. I feel most at home here.

You mentioned traveling a lot. What other places have you lived in?

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

I've only lived in Hungary and all over Florida, but I've been all over Europe including England, Australia, New Zealand, and traveled extensively throughout the contigious US states. In my heart of hearts, it's New York for me, all the way.