Despite being such a slow weekend, I got a little bit sick. It's not too bad. It's mostly headaches and congestion, but my parents convinced me to take the day off. Sleep deprivation that is waking up at 6:15 aside, in retrospect I think I could've survived work. I'll probably go into work tomorrow, but I'm not going up to Rutgers. Fortunately, only one class is meeting in person and the other is an hourlong online chat. Naturally, like any sick person, I used the time to hit level 20 in Fallout 3, securing my role as a stealthy sniper dude, and keeping myself a good 10 points ahead of Doris in Scavenger Hunt. bwahahaha

It's been a while since I made a Twilight update, so let's see what's happened. I got to the infamous meadow scene and witnessed the sparkling firsthand. I have to admit I originally thought this was going to be a metaphor taken out of hand, but the author lays it out very clearly that Edward is one big sparkle machine and this is somehow a good thing. Oh, and he watches her sleep, but that's okay because he's handsome and handsome people can't be creepers. Carlisle's back story was fairly interesting, what with vampire hunters and an evil council of doom or something to that effect, even if the guy is basically a walking plot device to explain why these the locals haven't been eaten yet. I know there's supposed to be a book from Edward's point-of-view someday, but I think a prequel about the people such as Carlisle and Aro would be more interesting. I also read the famous vampire baseball scene, which was good for a laugh and at least forwarded the plot because it lead the bad vampires to the good vampires. Fortunately, I think it's almost fighty time, fighty time, blood blood blood. Unless it really changes before the end, I am definitely going to have to write about how the text is overtaking the subtext for me to the point where I question whether or not I'm reading a genuine love story. "Love and Midi-chlorians" sounds like a good title.

I'm fairly certain Operation: Stunning Failure is going to live up to its name. I guess it was rather rushed. I thought of one person, but at this rate I figure now it's too sudden and it borders on using this person for David Cook tickets which isn't right.

Not much to report about Operation: Stunning Failure except that's fun to say, especially if you remember the notes you're supposed to say afterwards. I began thinking about the primary places I could meet people and broke it down into three categories: ETS, Rutgers, and Other.

I've never been a proponent of workplace romances, but I wonder how far the boundary lies. I figure since I work in a relatively small building it's pretty much off-limits, not that anybody in the building falls into the right demographic. I figure it'd be a secondhand sort of thing like a sister or a friend of a friend, even though after going out with the non-nerdy people for lunch, I'm convinced they might be evil. No... really. However, ETS is quite a large campus, so theoretically if I met somebody in another building would they be fair game? Rutgers would seem like the most likely place, but there's the distance factor and the fact that I spend all of 6 hours a week there. Plus I'm pretty sure the YA class already has me labeled as Sam's. I had one of those weird "You know..." kind of moments at Rutgers recently, but who knows. Other has the advantage of having more people, estimated at roughly 6 billion over the other two combined, but I don't know where they are. In fact, without a unifying place to corral people (i.e.: a school or... okay just a school) I'm kind of lost in that regard.

Continuing with today's theme, I was driving home when I heard an ad on the radio. Flowers die and chocolates get eaten, so give him or her the gift that'll last a lifetime... laser hair removal. I couldn't make this sort of thing up if I tried. I guess if all you have to sell is laser hair removal, you've got to do it any way you can, but is there anybody who doesn't think this doesn't sound like a one-way ticket to getting slapped and/or dumped?

And in totally unrelated news, Nuka-Cola Quantum IS REAL.

Edit: Sidenote, I put the bulleted list in a table because it looked really weird on my page because of my icon displaying in the top left. If it makes your page look really messed up, let me know because I'm planning on doing this to a blockquote at the top of my page on my academic LJ.

Once again my LJ queue has been shot to hell, as there are four incomplete posts waiting to be written. Let's start sharing my thoughts:

I'm still reading Twilight. I think I've met the entire major cast, as now we've run into Jacob Black. So far I like Jacob better than Edward because he doesn't have to be bipolar and obnoxious about everything. I'm beginning to piece together a theory that explains everything while allowing me to continue to dislike all the characters I dislike. It largely revolves around Edward's mindreading abilities, because vampires totally have that, and Professor Charles Xavier. The character, not the actor.

One running theme seems to be the author's issues with blondes. It's almost like the old "white hats vs. black hats" thing in westerns, so if Bella describes someone's blond hair, they're probably going to say or do something unpleasant with one exception: Carlisle. When she first encounters as her doctor, she creams worse than her first encounter with Edward. I do have to admit that for the incredibly low standards set by the other characters, Carlisle is kind of cool for a Twilight character.

I have a new out-of-context quote for you, as Bella makes good on her threat to Mike:

"I will cheerfully beat you to death," I threatened, "But I think that would hurt Jessica's feelings." (Bella, page 144)

Well at least she considers her frenemies before committing acts of violence.

Also I've reached a big point in the book. Edward is driving with Bella, and he's finally confirmed that he is in fact... ( SPOILER ALERT )

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Time to start another game, Livejournal. I've decided with Valentine's Day approaching, I would like to find a date. Nothing too serious. It's more of me playing with the system than anything else. I mean, do people date anymore, or do they just screw at random meaningless sex? I keep forgetting to TiVo Grey's Anatomy to be reminded how I'm supposed to act as a member of society. Anyway, Superweekendathon '08 was such a success that the Impact font will be brought back out and this will be called Operation: Stunning Failure My first report is that Friday night I had an offer to go to a bar with coworkers, which meant possibly meeting new people and I didn't so the operation is a nominal success! That's right, due to the naming I succeed either way. So ha! ...I'll let you pick your brain up off the floor now.

Also, as the pronunciation of Superweekendathon '08 was so important, Operation: Stunning Failure is pronounced by saying it and then playing the beginning notes of the Theme to the A-Team like this:

Operation: Stunning Failure Daaaaaaah dun duh, dot dah dun!

With that space cleared up, I can go back to trying to come up with 25 really obscure facts about myself and writing the grand conspiracy of the Twilight! Stay tuned true believers!