So...here I am. After a few day's absence from my blog (and a minor bout of separation anxiety) I have returned.

Shamu, my large maroon Whale on Wheels (1995 Ford Aerostar), is in the shop and I miss her. There was rumor of Chris maybe getting me a Mazda because Shamu has been slowly dying of various terminal illnesses for some time now, but I highly doubt that I will actually acquire said Mazda.

Also, there is a chance that Lil' Ghetto, my AT&T Go Phone, may soon be replaced by a Verizon pre-paid phone that would be, though more expensive, quite a bit nicer. Considering that I do and always have paid for every penny of my phone and its service (it's actually in my name), I am not sure rather I shall accept the proposal or not. The way minimum wage is and the economic recession or whatever the hell it is is not making life any easier on teenage loners.

Speaking of loneliness, I have been quite lonely lately. I still see David quite often, but I used to spend hours out of every day with him, so I'm adjusting, and dreading the day he leaves for basic training. I admire his choice to join the Marines, and I'm very proud of him, but GAH am I scared. I'm one of those people that prefers a few close friends over many mediocre ones, but I honestly hate being alone. And, as stated before, I am terrified of loss. So David's career choice takes a little out of me even though it hasn't begun yet. I'll support him in whatever he wants for the rest of his life, but I pray every day that I die before he does. I suppose it's selfish to want to leave him to cope with losing me instead of the other way around, but let's face it; the ideal way to die (together, old, sleeping in each other's arms) is highly unlikely. I mean, it had to be the Marines. God knows why he picked the branch of service with the highest death rate and the most difficult standards...but he feels called to do it, like I feel called to support my little "family" or to finally publish my book or to push myself to the edge in pursuit of the person that I hope I will become. He wants it bad, and that's all I need to know to follow him...it's just so hard to be the one left behind...especially when you can't be sure when and how your partner will be coming back. God, give me grace...

Anyway, I've been carted around so far this week by Ms. McCurly and my friend Megan, both of which have ended up taking me to BAM until I can get D to take me home. Meg actually was permitted to stay and talk to me until David arrived today, which was quite nice. We went by McGreasy and I got a double cheeseburger combo and one of the new brownie melts (very good, but quite rich a little too much for people like myself that get heartburn easily). We then chilled in Megan's car until David drove up like a bat out of hell (as usual), and then I migrated to David's car and he dropped me off here at Mama Jo's, so here I am...blogging. I apologize, for I am vastly uninteresting today.

Book stores make me feel as though I'm being watched...but in a good way. Not like being watched by creepy people or whatever, but like little pieces of the warmth from the books follow me around while I'm browsing. Yesterday was quite nice...I bid Ms. McCurly adieu, bought myself an iced cocoa, and settled down with a hilarious book that the mistress of dry humor herself recommended. I liked it so much that I almost bought it (I mean, it's a practically worthless book, but too funny to miss), spent an hour looking for the price on the cover while trying to appear like I was not looking for the price on the cover, and finally found it, in the end deciding that a large volume full of random and amusing information was not worth nearly twenty dollars after tax.

I am broke, and my grandmother just gave me money in hopes that it would cheer me up. I feel like a terrible person, but she won't let me turn her down...they need every penny they can get...*long sigh*...

Well, pay day is Thursday, and perhaps I can figure out how to do something to eliminate my occasional need for charity...I hate feeling like a burden, and I hate owing people money. Since my grandparents don't let me pay them back, I feel like crap every time they try to make my semi-self-sufficient life more comfortable. It makes me sad, but I don't know what to do... :/ oh well.

I heard from ED about this movie called Black Sheep. Zombie sheep. Sounds hilarious because 1.) It was filmed with the intentions of scaring its audiences, and 2.)...zombie sheep. Doesn't that say it all?

Don't have much to say, so here are a few suggestions for movie-lovers:

My 35 buy/rent movie picks...

~Interview With the Vampire (BUY)
~The Secret Life of Bees (rent)
~Amusement (rent)
~Hannibal Rising, Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal (BUY BUY BUY BUY BUY!)
~Donnie Darko (very deep cult classic; an American film that originally gained a heavy following in the U.K...if you like weird movies, buy it and watch it repeatedly. If you're only interested in strange movies, rent it and watch repeatedly.)
~The Mothman Prophesies (another deep, weird one...a rent, though)
~Silver Bullet (rent)
~The Howling (buy...both this and the above are CLASSICS of the building werewolf genre)
~The Producers (musical based on a Broadway...rent or buy)
~The Truth About Cats and Dogs (rent)
~The Matrix series (note the many biblical parallels...a good rent or a buy for action fans)
~Tamara (a good rent or buy)
~Forrest Gump (buy)
~Thelma and Louise (Brad Pitt when he was still sexy...and a classic. Buy it, foolish mortals!)
~O Brother, Where Art Thou? (rent)
~St. Elmo's Fire (80's hit, long and dramatic and outrageous in all its glory...a good movie, probably better rented than owned.
~Miracle at St. Anna (rent)
~The Bucket List (buy)
~Anger Management (buy)
~The Crow (A buy for cult film fans, w/ massive amounts of Romeo & Juliet allusions...a rent for others)
~The Color Purple (anyone with a soul should own this movie)
~Fried Green Tomatoes (anyone with a soul and a sick sense of humor should own this movie)
~A Nightmare on Elm Street (nothing will ever be as scary as the originals were...a rent)
~The Exorcist (oh buy it, buy it, buy it! Amazing movie, and at least 50% true to the actual events)
~Something's Gotta Give (quite funny, though not a movie most teens would enjoy...a decent rent)
~Pineapple Express (rent)
~Bottleshock (Great, and based on a truly amusing story...a wonderful rent)
~Ace Ventura ( you must live once...a rent )
~Instinct (the god of all amazing actors, Anthony Hopkins, in an incredible role...a buy, if you can find it)
~The Shawshank Redemption (buy)
~Stephen King's The Stand (buy, but you'll be terrified of the common cold for weeks)
~Stand by Me (another King flick recommended by a very biased fan, but it's a heartwarming movie, and Keiffer Sutherland fangirls will go wild at the mild-mannered actor as a teenage badass. I own it.)
~The Lost Boys (Go Keiffer Sutherland...rent it)
~Mirrors (relatively scary, and with Keiffer again...anyone notice a pattern, here? Rent this one)
~Gravedancers (although many of the Masters of Horror and 8 Films to Die For movies are tremendously visionary and somewhat scary, this one surpasses most of its counterparts with its solid storyline and unpredictable turns. Special effects are pretty good and cinematography is to die for...not a typical in-your-face horror movie...a real winner. Pick it up at an FYE near you)

Well, I do believe I've ranted enough for tonight. Everyone have a good evening and sleep well.

Arvous,
~W.V.~