4.29.2000

    I am alone.

    I am alone.

    I am u t t e r l y alone.

    T. is off in Australia. Left yesterday. He'll be gone for two weeks. Well, actually, a little less than two weeks but I leave for a quick jaunt out to Vail to visit Chelsea four hours before he arrives in PDX. The last time we were apart for longer was in '97 when he moved down to L.A. leaving me in Portland. What a phone bill that was!

    When the hint of this Australia thing came up about a month ago, I told T. in no uncertain terms that he was not going to Australia without me. He knew. He was in agreement. Unfortunately, his company decided at the last minute that he was going... during my Vail trip. In the beginning, it wasn't going to be a four hour difference as it is now, it was going to span the trip. So, I didn't want to cancel. I've been trying to get out to Vail for three years. Also, it's hard to ask for two weeks of time away from work at the last minute. And, finally, while it would be a much cheaper trip because T. would be paid for — it wouldn't be inexpensive. We just put money down on the apartment. We need to fix the AC on the Honda so that we can sell it (a $350 expenditure). We have moving costs coming up. A ticket to Australia is over a thousand dollars. Hard money to come up with at the last minute.

                   *sigh*

    I so wish that I could go. I so wish I was in Sydney right now. I have had some weird longing for Australia since I was a teen. It seems like such a fantastical, mythical place. Pardon me while I mope.

    The upside is that this means that I get to be SINGLE GIRL!

    Last night was a great way to start my week of being SINGLE GIRL! A coworker is moving down to San Francisco so I met up with some kids from work and had a beer. The coworker suggested we go crash the party of a friend of his. So, the four of us headed over to this Elvis party with a guy named Todd shrieking randomly and firing off a toy pistol. Kind of reminded me of that scene in Boogie Nights where they are going to steal a bunch of money and a big bag of coke from this guy who is dancing around in his underwear singing "Jessie's Girl" while a slim, Asian boy lights firecrackers. We stayed there for a bit and then said goodbye to the coworker and went to Colosso (1932 NE Broadway) and had yummy, yummy tapas and scintillating conversation.

    I got home very, very late.

    Of course, I couldn't sleep. Took me awhile to settle down. The cat was a bit out of sorts. I think he thought we were both leaving since there were suitcases and all. He tore around the apartment before settling in about 2:30 a.m. I slept in this morning. I had a hair appointment at nine but, since I opened my eyes at nine, I decided to roll over a go back to sleep.

    I've done nothing with my day. Read a magazine. Read through some journals online. Sent some email. I did go see the matinee showing of High Fidelity. I enjoyed it. The book was better. John Cusack was alternately adorable and difficult to look at. Some reviewers disliked his girlfriend, Laura, in the movie and found her an unbelievable partner for Rob (Cusack). I think Laura didn't quite work in the book either. Tim Robbins was hilarious and the two Championship Vinyl employees were really good. I didn't laugh as much at the movie as I did at the book. Oh, and I think if they're going to be putting John Cusack in eyeliner then they should cut down on his closeups. During the entirety of every one of his closeups (there are a lot as he talks to the camera quite a bit) I was studying his lower lid trying to determine if he was wearing eyeliner. I think he always looks like he's wearing eyeliner but maybe that's because he is. Kymm would probably know. Good movie for a matinee. It'll stay in my top five John Cusack movies of all time, though I think I need to revisit The Grifters.

    I don't know what the hell I'm going to do with my evening.