Teaser for "I hate traveling in December" Blog

Basically, I am stuck in Utah until X-mas (best situation possible right now.)

Call me if you are bored because I am. Also, you could I-Chat me. :)

I will explain a lot more later. It is way complicated and would take a longer time than my attention span right now to explain it all.

Anyways, yesterday I had dinner at Arnie Ferrin's house. That was fun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnie_Ferrin

Ugh, its cold and snowy and I have nothing to do.

I hate traveling in December.

Let me remind you of last December's experience.

"So I get back to London from Portugal and Spain and I am ready and excited to go home. I was both mentally prepared to go home and fincancially (meaning I had no money). I got my bags picked up, after waiting in the cold for over an hour and many tube rides, and got to the place where I was spending the night of the 18th at. My flight was at around 11 on the 19th. So I wake up nice and early enough to get to the airport on time and leave around 7. It was pretty crappy to lug my stuff up and down lots of stairs, but I kind of had to. So I finally get to the train station and I am on schedual. I take a little nap and sprawl my stuff on a few seats. At Victoria station I had checked and I had my passport, wallet, camera, and phone. I was all ready with my valuables.

So our train gets to Gatwick airport and I get in line at the Delta counter. I am feeling good and responsible that I got there on time and with no hitch. Then, the people came up the line doing an initial security check, you know, asking if I packed my own bags and stuff. They also were checking passports. I reach into my left front jeans pocket, which is where I keep my passport, and I dont feel anything. I then check all my other pockets and still nothing. I started to panic and thrash through my backpack, ripping a few papers along the way. My stomach sank and I realized that I didnt have it. I let the man doing the checks know and I asked him what to do. I was speaking in a quiet voice because I was getting pretty worried. He led me out of the line and got a supervisor. She was the nicest lady and I am pretty sure I would have lost it if she wasnt there. She told me to deeply search my luggage, I did even though I knew it was in my pocket at Victoria station and now it wasnt.

I started to realize that I was not going to make my plane without a passport. I got in line to speak with the Delta representatives. The guy I talked to was pretty sassy and he kept answering the phone and had long converstations while I was just standing there panicking. Finally, I explained my situation and he suggested that I change my flight, duh. It cost, but I didnt really have a choice. So he looks to see the next available flight and tells me that there is nothing open. Then he goes, oh wait, heres one....on.....January 2nd. I was thinking the f-word in my head. Then he continued to search and found a flight to Cinncinatti, OH for the next day, but there wasnt a flight to Portland from there till Jan 2nd. I was thinking, okay...that wouldnt be as bad and was thinking that at least I would be in the states. I could maybe stay with Sloan or something...I still was not happy. Then, for some reason, the sassy asian man tried to book me a ticket on a portland flight that was full from OH to OR. It went through! I had a seat~! I didnt know if I had just kicked someone off the flight or what, but I was going home the next day. I was pretty happy.

Then, I remembered that I still didnt have a passport, so it didnt really matter that much that I changed my flight to the next day if I couldnt get a passport by then. I then made my way back to central London to go to the US Embassy. Another train ride and lots more stairs carrying a hundred pounds of crap plus a backpack with a statue that I bought for my mom in it. By the time I got to the square that the embassy is located in, I was taking about ten steps and then having to rest for a whole minute. So I get in line for security and I got to kind of cut in front of a lot of people because A, I was an American and B, I had an Emergency stituation. They kept referring to me as "the Emergency." I kind of liked that. Even though I got to cut, security still took forever. I had to get everything electronic and metallic out of my bags and off of my person. Then, I still beeped, i dont know why. They were nice about it all though, plus, I was an "Emergency." Once I finally got inside, I talked to a guy and he explained that they were going to lunch. He gave me the paperwork and then everyone took off. I was pretty much alone in there, except an American family. They were trying to get a passport for the daughter because hers had expired, but they didnt have all the neccessary documents, like the signiture of the father. The mom didnt know where the father was, she was with a new guy now, and had a pretty big tantrum. That kept me entertained as the Embassy had lunch. She exclaimed that the embassy worker that was dealing with her situation was keeping her from getting a passport for her daughter on purpose. She was screaming that if she was a whore and didnt know who the father was, then she would be okay without the signiture, but she was being punished for being a respectable, classy woman. She wasnt acting too classy.

Anyways, I got the paperwork finished and after a few hours, I had a replacement passport. I was pretty darn happy. I was going home! I am so exhausted that I decided to take the train to the airport again and just get a place to stay by the airport. I think I needed that because I was soooo exhausted. The next morning, I got up even earlier for this flight. There was no way that I was going to miss my flight. Everything went pretty smoothly, with only minor delays on my flights and I got home that night. Well, that sure was an adventure that I hope to not repeat, but thankfully I knew where the Embassy was (thanks DT) and I had a credit card."

This year wasn't as bad because I didn't need a passport, but it would be just too easy to have my travel plans go smoothly, yeah? I'll write more about that later tonight or tomorrow.

Do you feel sufficiently teased?

100 things I want (first half)

After listing 100 thinks I am thankful for, I wondered how much easier it would be to make a list of 100 things that I want. This is a great opportunity to show how materialistic I can be. Also, this may inspire you in your x-mas gift shopping, whether for me or for others. Again these are not in any particular order, just how they spill out of my head.

As I started doing this, a lot of these starting mutating into things that I want to do in my life. I guess that's okay too.

1.) A soft cover shell for my mac
2.) A good night's sleep
3.) The new R.E.M. CD
4.) Tickets to Sundance Film Festival
5.) One of my designs to be printed on Threadless
6.) A vacation to New York City
7.) Warm gloves
8.) An ice scraper for my car
9.) A new right turn signal for my car
10.) People to comment on my blog (haha)
11.) To see Kanye West in concert
12.) To get my wisdom teeth out
13.) My brother to get his life together
14.) Free car insurance
15.) Some new underwear
16.) A beanie
17.) A significant other
18.) Sushi from Sushiland
19.) Yogurberry
20.) A really memorable New Year's
21.) A cool vintage leather jacket
22.) Friends to visit me in Utah
23.) The new Killers CD
24.) The newest Modest Mouse CD
25.) A puppy
26.) A cool summer job
27.) To start a dance craze
28.) To be a one-hit wonder
29.) To interview a celebrity
30.) To audition for a reality TV show
31.) To write a book
32.) To travel to every continent
33.) To live outside the US with my family
34.) To learn another language fluently
35.) To skydive
36.) To bungee jump
37.) To own Louis Vuitton luggage
38.) To live on the East Coast
39.) To get married
40.) To raise a family
41.) To go to the Olympics
42.) A wife with a good sense of style
43.) To perform a stand up comedy routine
44.) To start a band
45.) To do the gallon challenge successfully
46.) To get up on a wakeboard
47.) To ride an elephant
48.) To pet a kangaroo
49.) A massage
50.) My leg to heal quickly!

Ugh, I am tired. I will finish later. Maybe not.

I have found the source of happiness for all life.

And I owe it to LeAnn.

http://cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/4/viewer.45.swf?cid=317016

Whenever I tell someone about this, they ask "What is this?" Welllllllll....it is a live feed to some puppies. I watch them all day. They run around and fight/play with each other. It brings an instant smile to my face. It also makes me miss dogs. I love animals, especially pandas, polar bears, and puppies. I never really realized that they all start with p.... I love alliteration. (always).

Anyways, I was watching one time and I saw a person on the feed! I don't really know what was happening because I would only see the person from the level of the puppy's eyes, but I think they were bending over to put something in whatever is across from these puppies' home. I saw plumber's crack! So funny. But it makes me wonder, where are these puppies? And why hasn't anyone bought them if they are in a pet store or pound or something? There are thousands of viewers at all times. Come on! I would buy them all if they could live in my condo and also if I had a lot of disposable income. Both circumstances are not likely to change, so I am out of luck.

I think that is all for now.
check out this photo too, if you are bored.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/photo.php?pid=36672880&id=17827202&ref=mf

Matt

Another Bit about Threadless

If you want to buy something from Threadless, use this link so I get points for referring you! Thanks!

http://threadless.com/?from=mgill52

Pre-Finals Surge...of procrastination

Well today wrapped up the semester in terms of class periods. All that really remains is tests, tests, and tests. Oh joy.

I am now taking the time between classes and finals to distract myself as much as possible from studying. I just don't want to get fed up with studying right before I actually take the test. That would suck, right? Great rationalization...(sarcasm).

To fill most of this procrastination time I have been spending a lot of time on www.threadless.com. For those that are unaware, threadless is an awesome website. Basically, it is a funny/artsy/everything-else-that-is-good t-shirt site that makes it's products based on submissions from the public. I have been aware of this site for quite some time, but it wasn't until now that I have very little actual free time that I decided to spend a lot of time scoring design submissions and even trying my own luck. I think this might have something to do with me realizing that if threadless desides to print your design on a shirt, you get $2,000, plus a $500 store credit! I REALLY want to get one of my designs printed.

In addition to making bank from getting printed, I think it would be just as cool, if not cooler, to say that I designed a threadless tee. It's like a validation on one's creativity or humor or artistic ability. That would be so awesome. I think if I got a threadless tee printed, I would get a facial tattoo of the threadless logo.

Last night I finally started making my first design.

Here it is
http://www.threadless.com/critique/32909/Snow_Panda

I realized that I need to get some better software, because that simple thing took sooooooo long to do. I think a lot of people use illustrator or maybe photoshop. I think they have those on campus, so maybe I can procrastinate what I have to do next semester and make some better designs next semester.

Also, if you have any design ideas or if you are way good on some photo editing program and would like to collaborate, let me know~! :)

Matt