Hezo Kittie

This blog now has 867 posts. This site has come a long way, which is pretty cool because it's nice to look back and see what funny or interesting things happened. It'd be tough to remember the details if I didn't have Hezo Kittie.

It's weird to think how quickly things can change in a second. Not just how different things were about three weeks ago, but even last week my life, and probably yours, was quite different.

I took my license test last Friday and missed 6, mostly on stupid things. Other than not yielding to a pedestrian, the points I missed were pretty trivial, such as going 20 in a 25, going 25 in a 35, unnecessary stop, etc. I was glad to have my license because I'd be relieved that for once I wouldn't have to bum rides from my parents or whoever. I hate asking for favors; I don't like it when I force someone to do something or to go out of the way just because they can't say no. It's not that I mind doing favors for other people, I just don't want to end up being a nuisance.

I was nervous while waiting in line during the test, but while taking it I pretty much just went through the motions. It wasn't too nerve-wracking, I just told myself not to fuck this one up. I actually survived in one piece and it was a great feeling to get that monkey off my back that's been chillin there for the whole week. My mom even let me skip physics, because even though the people in that class rule, I was down for some yanagi.

I was completely wired the night before the driving test, and didn't sleep until past 1. It carried on to fifth period, where I could zone out or just talk to random people who sit by me because I was so relieved that I didn't fail.

Only one period of schoolwork and off to poker. The excitement had me bursting at the seams.

I ended up busting out on the first hand at the final table, and I got cozy but not overly tired sitting around or dealing. I tend to not remember things that happen between 2 and 5am, all I know is that poker is nice, especially during those hours.

Whoever's idea it was to go to Deny's at four in the morning is a genius. It was part Dan, and part whoever wondered what was open. My moons over my hammy was so worth 8 bucks after losing 5 to poker and 5 to dinner. That was an expensive day. But it was fun and so was raving with the twirling chips. Man that was a weird night.

But after crashing on the carpet with a sweatshirt for a blanket, things didn't look so hot. My dad picked me up and I had to drop him off on the other side of Blackhawk. When I was coming home, I had to make a three point turn because I turned into a side street instead of going straight into a parking lot farther down. A little too much on the gas, a magical fire hydrant, and the rest is history.

Getting out of the car and seeing the tail light was one of the worst feelings imaginable. Thoughts raced pretty quickly from "I'm so fucked" to "How can I drive" to the thought of losing my parents' trust in driving alone. I was a mess. Kinda like the tail light was.

It was a few inches from hitting the bumper and not having to fix it, but instead it missed the bumper cleanly. If I used a driveway it probably wouldn't have happened. If I backed up about two seconds before or after it wouldn't have happened. If I listened to my dad and went straight, into the parking lot, it wouldn't have happened.

And maybe I'm just afraid to admit that my mom's right, I shouldn't be driving that car yet since I haven't practiced with it. That I didn't know how quickly it accelerates or how much longer it is than the other cars.

And now this weekend is gone because I have a retreat to go to that won't end till Sunday afternoon. Poker and people will be missed and now I'm forced to basically muscle through two straight weeks of classes to mush me down to a pulp.

There used to be light at the end of the very short tunnel in the beginning of last week. Once Friday rolls around, I'm home free. But I screwed this one up and now I'm thrown to the lions for more than I can stand. I'm just lucky school isn't too difficult yet.

But who am I to publicly post my anxieties and screw ups over the past week or so? I'm sure all of you have your own happenings to worry about or look forward to. So instead I'll talk about my sister Rochelle.

My sister Rochelle started college last week, and now she doesn't live in the house. She doesn't give me rides anymore, but if I was smarter I wouldn't need them. Anyway, she's cool and it's weird that she's not home. Rochelle is my opposite, in my opinion. Sure, we are friends in a way, but just mutually and not like buddy buddy. We never fight. She is the vocabulary genius of the family. I'm a math person. She is the artistic god. I can kinda draw stick figures and an assortment of sea creatures. She can speak in front of crowds, in interviews, or in front of classrooms with ease and on her feet. I can barely form sentences in general. We are quite different people. It's really mind boggling to think we're related when we're almost nothing alike.

But overall she's really great and it's a task to live up to the expectations she made over my english and history teachers. After getting four hours of sleep and then standing there in the front of the classroom with my colored pencil drawing of a happy, expressive mask with a tear, I felt stupid when I saw Kinavey, and I'm sure he was disappointed.

Maybe I should wear purses to english. He always commented on my sister's purses, because his wife designs them for a living.

And I don't think Hodges has warmed up to me much yet, but I've never been one to talk to my teachers much anyway. I just want to get it done, get my grade, and get out. Although there is usually some kind of learning experience in between those three things.

Which reminds me, I haven't finished The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn yet but it is one damn good book. I can't even begin to detail all of the great things that are in this book. Probably the most important is the fact that Huck Finn is the most awesome little kid ever created. This naked, river-tested goofball is completely funny on accident because he's so oblivious to things. The population that occupy the towns are nothing more than satiric stereotypes, and the social commentary is exactly on target and actually hits home. Everything about the book is amazing.

I guess that's it for now; here's to...anything.

"So I saw the angel girl hang her wings by the door.
Tired from the windy chill, guilt has forced her to land.
'I no longer know,' she said,
'The way to fly myself home.'"