This ain't no party, this ain't no disco...

Under new management.

2004-08-12T14:23:10Z

dancecorestella @ 2004-07-30T04:39:00

2004-07-30T08:39:46Z

Closed.

We are wild and crazy.

2004-07-28T19:22:02Z

Tuesday afternoon we went to Los Loros with Marie...and here is where the magic begins!
Tarleton and I discovered that Marie's parents have a beach house in St. Augustine. So, because we were bored, we drove 6 hours to Jacksonville and stayed with her parents. We didn't make it to St. Augustine, but we did go to Jax Beach yesterday. It was absolutely amazing. The weather was, for the most part, great. The ocean was wonderful, the sand not as irritating as usual. Then we ate at the real Joe's Crabshack (not the sorry excuse for a "seafood" restaurant like the one in Buckhead). We got coconut shrimp, fried shrimp, crab dip, hushpuppies, and a crab cake sandwhich to share between the three of us and we almost died because we ate too much.
I only got a little pink right where my bikini was and on my chest. Tarleton, on the other hand, is fried. Toast. Lobsterfied.
But it was all worth it. Playing in the surf was so relaxing and it was fun being the Big City Girls sunning on the beach.

Cody sleeps with his eyes open and it is very disconcerting.
Tarleton and Cody snore and it drives me crazy.
I love them both. (Except when they snore.)

So I think I'm going to New York for my birthday. Cody will (hopefully) have settled in by then, so I'm going to spend a few days with him going to the Met, riding the subway, and walking in Central Park.
This has become the year of trips for me!

Amazing what you can get with $15 bucks

2004-07-22T02:48:17Z

So, scratch that last entry.

Boy Wonder and I are still an item. Mostly because we seem to have transformed into Hopeless Romantics during the past 24 hours apart and realized that We Just Couldn't Live Without Each Other.
Ahem. Yeah.
(For those who are curious, I broke up with him yesterday afternoon because he is moving to New York in a month or so. By 3 o'clock today, I was back in his clutches. We decided that we should at least try and make a long distance thing work. If it doesn't, then at least we know things weren't meant to be. Yes, I am an idiot.)

I saw Napoleon Dynamite last night with the ladies. It was a really good pick-me-up after my mopey evening.
Those Mormons sure know funny.

dancecorestella @ 2004-07-16T21:04:00

2004-07-17T01:04:20Z

So, right.
What's up?

Haven't really been posting, have I?

Ramona Beezus Quimby, Age 8 and Merrit the Beta Fish have settled in rather well to our happy home.

My life has been deliciously mundane. Matching "His and Hers" toothbrushes in the medicine cabinet brighten my day. Having Rosemary "Kiki", Age 2 hug me and having Lily Belle, Age 7 tell me that I am her favorite babysitter in the whole world brightens my day. Plastic swimming pools, surprise Jake's icecream, boyfriend birthday presents, drunken parlor games, and walking to the park twice a week brightens my day. So no matter how hard I try to stay down, all these little things are set on making me smile.

Right now, our apartment is just overflowing with cute and delightful. Tarleton rearranged things while I was in Birmingham and it looks delovely. Not to mention Tarleton and I are being our ususal zany selves, telling anyone who'll listen about "Oh my god that one thing that Cody/NNK/thekidsIsitfor/Merrit/RamonaBeezusQuimby,Age8 did was just so precious!!"

My new cat Ramona Beezus Quimby, Age 8:

Tarleton's new fish Merritt:

New apartment decor, compliments of Miss P. Tarleton Walmsley. (Yes Virginina, the backsplash in the kitchen IS chalkboard paint):

dancecorestella @ 2004-07-09T16:33:00

2004-07-09T20:33:32Z

Dude, I'm a 19 Year Old Senior in College!

Stella's current school status?
Tori Spelling Made for TV Docu-Drama?
Both?

This livejournal program is sponsored by Viewers Like You

2004-06-25T20:54:58Z

Everyone seems bored and dissatisfied with their livejournals, and I am no exception.

I got my first credit card today so that I will be well on my way to having perfect, amazing credit.
Most of you are probably thinking "Uhoh, another helpless college student fallen into the trap of lifetime debt" and those of you who live with me are thinking "Great. Another financial lecture from Stella about how I need to be responsible and think of my fiscal future."

Lately I've become obnoxiously fascinated by the larger world of economic stability.
By the end of the year my goal was to have my first credit card (with no balance, thank you), and $2,000 in a Roth IRA.
So far I've gotten my credit card and I am now saving up for the minimum IRA investment at the Vanguard Group where I will take my first steps to set up my portfolio with a no load index mutual fund (VFINX).
Phew!
I am still learning so much though...

The past month has really been my time to sit down and really plan out the next few years of my life. I know these plans will probably change, but I needed a direction.
I'll probably be graduating next fall. After that, I'd like to either get a full time job with a non-profit or join the AmeriCorps for a year or two, giving me time to get everything together for grad school. Hopefully I'll be at Oxford, but maybe UC Santa Barbara, maybe elsewhere.
That's the direction I'm heading as of 4:51pm, June 25, 2004.
At 8:48 am, October 4, 2005, maybe I'll be working the morning shift at McDonalds.
"Welcome to McDonalds, this is Stella. Would you like to try a breakfast combo?"

Recipe for self deprecation

2004-06-19T05:49:04Z

1 Ccp of I am positively, absolutely psychotic.
2 1/2 cups of I do not have a rational bone in my body.
3 tablespoons of Not to mention I am a chronic fun sponge and resident party pooper.
A pinch of I am a spiteful, jealous, bitchy person.
Bleh, I don't feel so great.

I met a guy named Cromwell today. He came to the Soto's today to get rib seasoning while I was staying with the kids. (Their mom went into labor this afternoon.)
My first born has been renamed from Gates Bradley to Cromwell Cromwell.

My hair smells like cigarettes and the sadness of defeat. I should write that in French. It would certainly sound more insightful.

One of these days I will be socially graceful and kind to all things great and small.
Until then, you'll know me by the scuffing of feet and awkward hellos and the general air of bitch in a halo around me.

As you can tell, this week has not been the best and I'm not sure the weekend will be better.
But ballet is next week! And maybe there will be swimming in the sun, a trip to the High, and another visit from my first born's godfather Cromwell.

"Did you just call me a ho?"

2004-06-17T06:02:06Z

My first ballet class today was cancelled because the instructor got in a car accident. I was feeling really down about that and our internet being down for the past few days...

...so Tarleton and I cleaned the toilet with our BRAND SPANKIN NEW BIODEGRADEABLE DISPOSABLE GERM FREE TOILET SCRUBBER that we and Boy Wonder purchased at the grocery store. We had a very gossipy conversation with the middle aged grocery clerk about Lindsey Lohan, Raven, and Hillary Duff. She was shocked to hear of the rivalry between the Lindsey and Hillary, and wasn't aware that Lindsey and Raven were roommates and were reportedly "party girls."
Afterwards, our happy little Domestic Partnership curled up on the futon with homemade chocolate cake and watched Wonderboys.
I'm so easy to please.

I nearly called Tarleton a "Ho" today.

Tommorrow- the zoo!

So sad. So true.

2004-06-12T01:02:10Z

My name is now "Mom."

No, I'm not kidding. My new nanny job involves a 20 month old who can't say Stella, so I'm Mom. (Hey, at least it's not Barney.)
I also went to Target today to purchase Mommy Clothes. For those of you not in the business, these are anything machine washable, stain resistant, strechy, and cool enough to keep you from heat stroking while pushing a double stroller to the park in 90 degree weather.

Damn I'm hip.

dancecorestella @ 2004-06-07T18:21:00

2004-06-07T22:21:14Z

I have been harassing Boy Wonder for two months now, literally begging him to get his uncle's autograph for me
So last night, after returning from his trip that his uncle attended, Cody says "I have a surprise for you" and hands me AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF R.L. STINE'S NEW NOVEL!

It says:
"STELLA!
Scary Best Wishes,
RL Stine."

I also got a haircut.

Not the best picture, but I feel that my inquisitive look adds a bit of charm to the whole ordeal. More to come? Maybe.

McSentimental

2004-06-06T07:00:03Z

Yesterday I thought about climbing into a hot tub and soaking until I was nothing but pruned. Days before that, I noticed the uncontrollable crying not only triggered by any sort of sentimental long distance commercial, but just because I found myself alone with my thoughts. Week before that, I was snipping at anyone who looked my way and flashing a steely glare daring them to just try and touch me. And so on and so on, correlating to the slow but complete metabolization of a certain chemical in my bloodstream, all the way back to the day I decided I was just fine.
So I'm back on the wagon again- being a proper patient, marking my Sundays with stickers to remind myself to gulp down a little bit of sanity with my lunch.

Now, why do I inform you of all this mish mash emotional hogwash?
Because whenever I am convicted of murdering this damn dog,</i> you can blame it on nothing but my own good sense.
The dog next door moans all day. It penetrates through the walls and elevates itself above the music, white noise, and conversation. Then at night it barks loud enough to set every mangy mongrel in the Cabbagetown vicinity off. And believe me there are LOTS of them.
I do not kid when I say I am going to murder either this mutt or his owners. Honestly, I tried to be reasonable. I tried to tell myself, "Stella, it is just a dog. It can't help it's natural instincts." But after a month of his incessant yelping, I am convinced he is doing it out of spite.

So tomorrow I am going to march right over and leave my nasty note. I refrained from commenting on their parking in our lot. I even refrained from complaining about their miserable jam band session lasting far into the night. But enough is enough!

In other news, I read through a local musical sensation's livejournal today. We have the same birthday and the same first name.
Her journal has documented her work as a stripper, her coke addiction, kicking her coke addiction, her emotional status, her lack of sex, and her feelings about Brian "McParris." I was intrigued and amused. I laughed and I cried. I read all the way back to bloody December . (Yes, I realize this journal is turning into an overly sentimental Whoever and Ebert with all it's mediocre reviews. Eh, quality schmality I say.)
Strange how I feel a bit connected by our names and dates, even when I've only known her through an ex-boyfriend's stories.

Strange how I have such a McJournal.
Hmm, strike that. Not so strange...

Laughing, crying, and literary merit

2004-06-05T05:58:50Z

Now that my fear of the draft has been assuaged by both Chrisisharcore and Mr. Saxby Chambliss himself (or a minion thereof) I am free to devote my time to other matters.

Such as:
I just finished Atonement by Ian McEwan and it has completely restored by faith in the Great British Novel.
I am smitten.

Today I babysat and the children were absolute heathens. Honestly, the Terrible Two is a piece of cake next to his Fearsome Five brother. I connect with toddlers. I understand them. Preschoolers I just don't get sometimes.

I have to wait until my good-for-nothing boyfriend gets back into town before I can see the new Harry Potter movie, but let the record show that otherwise I would have been the first in line to see it.
It's technically my fault, but how could I have known that a such literary snob could get so enthused in such a short time?
(The phrases "good-for-nothing" and "literary snob" may be more a testament to my jealous nature over boyfriendly vacations than actual fact, but that’s what one gets for running off to a conference in which free books fall like manna from heaven and not shoving me in a carry-on.)

However I did see Raising Helen and thought it was top notch. I laughed, I cried, and I watched with incredulity as the main character managed to find a three bedroom apartment in Queens for $1,200 a month. Seems sort of fishy to me.

Er, yes.

You'll have to draft me kicking and screaming.

2004-06-03T03:30:10Z

So everything with my grandma is fine- the news was nothing but excellent. As long as she behaves herself, everything should be fine.
We got back into the city on Monday afternoon after a very long day at the hospital.

Now that I have fallen out of practice with this livejournal business, it is hard to think of anything even mildly important to mention.
I have a new job as Babysitter Extraordinaire and I am definitely the best babysitter in the business.
However, I have added a new concept to my nightmares- irresponsibility leading to the possible death of a child. Last night's nightmares featured Zack (the cutest two year old you ever did see) taking all the pills from my bag and swallowing them.

Tonight, Tarleton and I went to an advanced screening of Jeux d'Enfants. Merveilleux!
Everyone there was French- a bit disconcerting, but I think we were both entertained.
I give the movie a month before every Salon-kid on myspace is preaching the gospel of just how amazing this film is.
C'est la vie, huh?

Things with Boy Wonder are fairly wonderful. Not much in the way of news there. He's going to Chicago tomorrow for a Book Conference of sorts and I am extremely jealous. Well, I'll just be having my own wonderful time babysitting and avoiding Spencer and his Cohorts at the Cabbagetown Festival.

Oh, by the way...
I think I need to move to France.
I know that half of you on here couldn't care less about the United States Legislature, but things like this worry me. For those of you not clicking the link, it appears to be a bill requiring both men and women to be DRAFTED without any academic deferments past high school that could begin as early as Spring 2005. For a commentary on the subject, go here. I would advise using Congress.org's handy tool to write to the three congressional representatives (the tool locates them according to your address and provides the spaces for your questions and concerns) and find out what the hell is going on.

Quick Update

2004-05-31T04:22:30Z

Unfortunately I only seem to update primarily when I have bad news, but...

My grandma had a mild heart attack this week and I'm back home again in Birmingham with Tarleton. My grandma appears to be doing just fine, but they are running tests tomorrow to find out how bad things are and whether or not she'll go into surgery.
Unfortunately my psychotic aunt is in town and she has spent the past 12 hours talking non-stop and "social working" everyone.

Highlight of the trip: My gay uncle Jerry saying to me and Tarleton "So, apparently blow jobs are in for high-school girls?" Of course, Tarleton and I assured him that blow-jobs were always in for high-school girls, but being a gay man he was probably not in the loop.

I'll be back into town tomorrow evening, roommate in tow.
Everything should be just fine. Just fine, indeed.

Do not operate heavy machinery or make important business decisions within 12 hours.

2004-05-20T19:14:28Z

I am not crazy!
Well, at least not a raging hypochondriac.
Turns out all this stomach drama is an infection in my stomach lining with Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that causes stomach ulcers.
So Adam, I am currently taking per day:
3 pills of Tetracycline 500mg
3 pills Metronidazole 250mg
3 pills of Pepto Bismol
and one cute pink pill of Prevacid 30 mg

Hopefully heroin chic is in for this season, because both arms are bruised from IV needles.
My only disappointment? They didn't give me a picture of my stomach to take home! It wouldn't have been hard. They already had the camera shoved down my throat. Couldn't they have at least made me a print out for the fridge? Sheesh.

And my grades were posted last week:
Astronomy- A!
Philsophy- A!
Intro. to Religion- A!
World Religions- A!
French 2001- A!

I'm really proud of how that turned out. Hopefully I can maintain that next year, my GPA could use the boost.
Well, cable television- here I come!

Simply Smashing!

2004-05-19T02:27:51Z

Yesterday around 8 o'clock, Ronald and I decided to drive to Mexico and get married.
Well, we got as far as Oaklawn, GA where we decided to stop at a truck stop to purchase a map to Mexico. Much to my amazement, when we opened the Rand McNally to "Mexico," Mr McNally informed us we needed a passport to get past the border! Ronald suggested we might phone our Senator and get a passport expedited for my use and it might be available for me by the time we reached the Mexican border (which we estimated was another 13 or so hours away) but neither of us could name a Georgian Senator. So we settled on Wendy's cheeseburgers instead of marriage, turned around, and drove home.

So I am not Mrs. Stella Stine, and I still have not been to Mexico.

However, I did visit the Container Store today and I purchased some organizational aids.
My underwear and sock drawers are now so organized, it's sexual.

Oh, and aside from my impromptu engagement/elopement attempt, things are smashingly just fine.
Tarleton has been established as the Temptations to my Supremes, I'm scheduled to have a camera shoved down my esophagus on Thursday, and I have my first babysitting job this Friday.

You know how the story goes...

2004-05-12T02:48:43Z

So I went to the gastroenterologist today. They're putting me under for an endoscopy and an ultrasound next time I come home. Yippee.
Afterwards I went down a floor in the building to see about my headaches. I got a medicine for migraines and a medicine I can take daily for tension headaches. Hoorah.
I'm taking so many pills at this point that my grandma bought me a purple daily pill holder that looks shockingly space-age.

I'm still feeling woozy from the blood they drew. Unfortunately they wouldn't just let me pass out in the lab chair but instead insisted on asking me trivial questions to keep me concious. So I threw up my lunch.

In addition, my best friend has decided she just "doesn't like me."
So, I feel grumpy and depressed, poked and prodded.
I don't want to go back to my apartment, so I think I'll just live here. A local library, cable, and a lock on my bedroom door- what more could a girl want? Ok, don't answer that.

I just don't feel up to dealing with Atlanta for a few more days. Physically I don't think I can handle dealing with anyone else's problems.
A very Irrational and very unsupportive part of me wants to just scream "they're YOUR problems, I haven't DONE anything that anyone else hasn't done, if you can't act like an adult then leave me the hell OUT of it." But then the slightly more Rational part of me remembers that I am complaining about this on my livejournal. And then Irrational mentions that I have already put the line of communication open, so I have every damn right to bitch on my livejournal, and Irrational is tired of being so damn nice to people who don't appreciate anything. In response to which Rational just shakes its weary head and wonders if It can delete my livejournal when Irrational isn't looking.

Well, to look on the bright side, this stuff is all temporal. In six months, everything will be different, with new problems and excitements and changes. So, until then, c'est la vie.

dancecorestella @ 2004-05-09T16:34:00

2004-05-09T21:53:35Z

I am in Birmingham.
Also known as Boringham.

Fortunately I have cable, Blockbuster, the new issue of Nylon, and five books to keep me company.

This entry is boring.

2004-05-05T19:13:18Z

I wrote a poem just now:

I woke up this morning,
threw up,
took MARTA to GSU,
aced my Intro to Rel. final,
ate some pita and saltines,
and threw up again.

I have this gastrointestinologist appointment on Tuesday in Birmingham, and hopefully he'll figure out what's wrong with my stomach.
Yeah, other than that, not much going on.
Still miss my roommate.

Ronald and I are planning a trip to Cagles Dairy Farm next week, and I'm so excited! I've never been to a real farm before.

I watched Gigi and Two for the Road yesterday. Today I plan on watching An American in Paris.
Tonight if I leave the house, it will be to watch jazz at Churchill, not to snort cocaine in the bathroom at MJQ.
I am a boring old woman.

(By the way, for those of you who don't know, Amy from I Am the World Trade Center has Hodgkin's Lymphoma. More info here.)

Update?

2004-05-03T03:13:29Z

This house is empty and lonely.
I miss my roommate.

Futile ways in which I have attempted to fill the gaping void:
1. Purchased l'Occitane Verbena soap.
2. Saw My Architect. (Wow. What a fabulous documentary. Highly recommended!)
3. Obsessively cleaned.
4. Ate southern comfort food with Ronald at the Colonnade including fried catfish, fried okra, macaroni and cheese, yeast rolls, and cornbread.
5. Got drunk off a pitcher of PBR at Estoria with Marie. (First time in a month, sheesh)
6. Slept a lot.

Does anyone know where I could get blueprints? I need them for a craft project, but I have no idea where to look.

And that's about it.

No Clue References to be Found

2004-04-26T04:37:57Z

FOUND: One Shard of Glass
WHERE: In my tire
SUSPECTED OWNER: The Damned Inman Park Festival
Have all of you Eastern Atlanta Folk found a delightful scapegoat in the Inman Park Festival? I know I sure have. With the closed roads, obnoxious traffic, and litter everywhere, I've decided to blame everything from my flat tire to global warming on that sorry excuse for a holiday.

This weekend has served as sort of a mini-vacation for my frazzled nerves
I spent a large portion of it hogging more than my share of Ronald's* bed, reading aloud inappropriate poetry involving masturbating and pee-stains, and feeling the cool breeze of sweet, sweet central air across my shoulders.
Tarleton, Marie, and I went by a jazz bar on Wednesday to watch him play piano with some folks. It could have been the wine, the fine company, or the spectacular music, but I was simply awash with delectation.

Now I find myself thinking for the first time in two years that if ACertainObnoxiousSomeone suddenly appeared in Atlanta and professed his undying love for me, I'd be very much inclined to send him packing. Amazingly enough, I think I'm content without him. No, I'm happier without him. Surprising, huh?
I've spent so much of the past two years convincing myself that to care for someone, you had to be miserable, confused, and anxious, with loads of pining and unrequited feelings and only just a little tiny bit of happiness.

But so far, I'm just plain happy. (Ok, I'm worrying and flailing a little, but old habits die hard.)
I guess what it comes down to is I'd rather be banging out "Why Don't We Do it in the Road" on piano while Ronald sings and strums the ukulele, than chasing some ridiculous pipe dream off in Podunk Alabama. It isn't that I've suddenly seen the light, I'm just reminded that there is more for me here in this city than cokeheads and idiots.
I know I sound like a self-help guide, or a televangelist, and I'm aware that I'm jinxing things with Ronald by being just so damn giddy. However, Ronalds will come and go, but the lessons I've learned will last a lifetime. (Haha!)

Between my daily doses of Omeprazole, Fluoxetine hydrochloride, and Ibuprofen, I feel like my body is falling apart. This is not a metaphor. I'm talking limbs and organs dropping like flies.
One might venture to guess that my seemingly chronic headaches and stomach pain are probably from worrying about everyone from Tarleton to Katie to Marie to Ronald*, but I prefer to blame my old age (and the Inman Park Festival, of course.)

*You guys got it by now, right?

Books for sale!

2004-04-22T21:43:18Z

ATTENTION GRAPHIC DESIGN FOLK

FOR SALE!!

As you guys know, I used to be in school for graphic design and now I am definately not.
I am selling each of the books below for $10 and under because honestly, I need the space for other things. Some are like new, some have a little shelf wear, but all are in great condition.
Let me know if any of you guys are interested.
Each of the images is a link to the Amazon page where the book is listed if you would like more info.

Happy Outlook

2004-04-21T15:46:54Z

If there is only one reason why my year and a half as a graphic design student was not in vain, it is this:
95% of the people in the Library South's computer lab are too stupid to use Macs, allowing me to update my livejournal at my leisure, stalk people on the internet, and generally waste my time without a nagging conscience explaining that others need to use the computers too.

I went to the mall yesterday with Tarleton and it was everything I hoped for and more.

In which I wax philsophical with the OED. (Feel free to take shots at a stationary target.)

2004-04-19T02:10:33Z

Happiness renders me helpless as a livejournal participant. I want nothing but long afternoons in bed that drift into evenings that drift into sleep.
If you want sappy poetry, go pick up some Shakespeare. If you want hyperrealism, go pick up some Hughes. But if you want honesty, don't look at me.
I can tell you the whats, wheres, and hows, but truthfully, it would end up sounding less like enchantment, and more like Clue.
Mr. So and So, In the East Room, with the piano.

I suppose it's because writing about minor irritations and drunken revelry isn't nearly as personal as writing about romance. Drunken revelry is amusing, romance is moth-eaten and banal. Not to mention difficult.
It must be nice for those of us with a pseudonym to duck behind.

I have decided to change my Honors Thesis topic from "The Emergence of the Deaf Church in the 1950's and It's Effects on Liturgy," to "People Who Mention Jesus in their Internet Profiles."
As a mildly religious person, I suppose I can see how some one would be so damn into the Lord that they just can't help smattering it all over everything. I'm sure if I were evangelistic I'd be so infatuated that I just couldn't help wearing a tee-shirt and a bracelet proclaiming my faith, and just couldn't help but mention him as "Who I want to Meet," "My Heroes," AND "My Interests."
And really guys...are the only books you've ever read Mere Christianity and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius?
Let me tell you right now, I talked to Jesus, and Jesus doesn't even like Dave Eggers.

All right, all right. I'm being just a bit pharisaical and more than just a bit facetious.
And most of all, I'm probably being a bad Christian. However, there is certainly some part of me hoping my Religious Leader has a sense of humor. If he doesn't, I'll be rotting in hell right next to Dave.

"Stella, our eternity is mirrored in our generational plea for some sort of psychic understanding. MTV, VH1, we are all lost and this is our fate."
"Shut the hell up, Dave."
"We lose weeks like buttons like pencils."
"..."