I Have a Love/Hate Relationship with Dairy

When I was little, I was sort-of lactose intolerant. By sort of, I mean that if I ingested too much dairy in a short period of time, I'd get something akin to a cold. I grew out of it by the time I hit my teens. The same thing happened to my aunt and Fratello (granted, Fratello was allergic to EVERYTHING; milk, eggs, wheat, beans, etc).

Junior year; I had a New Year's party. Just before the party, I had some oreos. But, as always, oreos just aren't as good without milk. So, being a daring individual (because I generally don't drink milk, it tastes funny), I poured myself a glass of milk. It tasted a bit funny, but Mater said it was fine, so I drank it. It turned out to be TWO. WEEKS. EXPIRED. I spent all of New Year's Eve with the porcelain god.

I don't drink milk anymore. Fucking evil cow juice.

Senior year; Sorella and I were left home alone for a weekend. Being unconventional, we decided to get smashed alone instead of with a large group of people.

[Just a note - Rum is NOT your friend. Captain Jack Sparrow is lying.]

Anyways, I drank enough to puke my brains out. Sorella, having a bit more experience with booze, was unaffected. In the middle of the puking, I got a call from my (now) ex-girlfriend. She was pretty straight edge, so I told her that I had eaten expired yogurt. We later fed Mater the same story when I wasn't feeling well when she came home.

I didn't actually eat any yogurt. But I did develop a generalized taste aversion* to yogurt.

Tonight; I had a milk shake from Friendly's. It was a damn yummy milkshake. While I was in the bookstore, it only made my stomach uncomfortable, like I ate too much. The moment I went outside to listen to the Mc'lovins play, I became so incredibly nauseous (Pater later explained that heat speeds up bodily functions). I went home and threw up my milkshake.

Clearly, dairy has something against me. I don't understand why. I really hope I don't get an aversion to milkshakes now.

Wander safely,
Arc.

*Psychology term - Generalized Taste Aversion, discovered by Dr. John Garcia, occurs when someone (or rather, an animal) associates a certain feeling or taste with a food. Because I was thinking of yogurt when I puked up my liquor, the thought of yogurt now makes me nauseous.

The Storm

Here in my lovely little New England state, we've been in the middle of a heat wave. For the last week and a half, every day has been at least 80 degrees. The last two nights, however, we've had storms

Last night, the storm was SCARY. It came out of nowhere; high winds, thunder, and lightning you've only seen in National Geographic pictures. Sorella and her friend were tearing up the walls, they were terrified (until Friend this point of morbid calmness). It got worse when I had to drive over to Pater's house and close the windows. There was a lot of screaming in the car.

Sorella: OH MY GOD WE'RE GOING TO DIE.
Friend: DID YOU SEE THAT LIGHTNING?!
Arc: YOU TWO NEED TO CALM THE HELL DOWN SO I CAN STAY CALM AND NOT DRIVE OFF THE ROAD.
Friend: *Shuts up*
Sorella: *really tiny squeaky voice* Okay!

By the time we reached Pater, Friend had reached her morbid calmness ("If I'm going to die, I'm going to die. It's all cool.") and she and I just stroll up to the house. Sorella is tearing towards the house and yelling at us about "WHY ARE YOU WALKING SO SLOW WE'RE GOING TO DIE!!!".

In the end, we didn't die. We closed the windows at Pater's, went back to Mater's, and Sorella and Friend sat on the front porch and watched the lightning. I found that kind of ironic, considering how panicked she was earlier. I envisioned her hiding under her bed.

The second storm is happening right now, though it's mostly just thunder and rain. When it was just starting, I stood outside and enjoyed the wind.

I remember when Sorella, Fratello, and I were little, and whenever it rained really hard in the summer (or even late spring or early fall), we'd go play in the rain; dancing and laughing and splashing each other with the pools of rain water against the curb.

The rain is slowing now to just a drizzle, but there's this deliciously cool wind blowing in through the windows. I think I might have to go sit on the porch swing and enjoy the change in weather.

Wander safely (and play in the rain every once and a while),
Arc.

Ps. - I finally finished cleaning out my room! It hasn't been this clean since....I don't even know when!...It's a bit intimidating XD

CHICKENPOX?!

As many of you recall, I'm nineteen years old, and like most kids, I had the chickenpox when I was little. I didn't have a raging case like Sorella and unlike Fratello, the freak of nature, I didn't have it twice.

Until now.

I came home from Collegeland and within six hours, I didn't feel good. I had this pain behind my ears that we deduced to be swollen lymph nodes, and I starting having a vicious cough. My energy was sapped. I have really bad sinus to begin with; I have to take medication from October to May or I get sick about every six weeks (I'm allergic to dust and animal dander). So, going from an open, relatively dust free college dorm to a closed up, dust infested home of two cats isn't the best idea.

When I woke up on Monday with a swollen eye, Mater sent me to a walk in clinic. The diagnosis? CHICKENPOX.

Or, more accurately, Shingles (the adult version).

.....WHAT.

I have no idea how I contracted it. According to the clinic, you don't need a sick kid. When you're little and get the chickenpox, you assume you're safe from every having it again, and so your parents don't get you the vaccine. Bad idea.

The chickenpox virus is like a sleeper solider; it stays in your system even after you're cured. Then, it waits for your immune system to be weak, and it attacks. This explains how Fratello had it twice.

As far as sicknesses go, it's really not that bad. I'm not sapped for energy and I can breathe through my nose. The sucky part is the swollen eye, the intense pain in my eye muscles, and the headache. It trumps all headaches I've ever had. I'm ridiculously sensitive to noise. Example: Pater keeps the TV volume anywhere from 35-50. For me, anything about 12 is too loud. It sucks ass. Worse than that, if I move too fast or cough, it feels like my brain is trying to explode out of my skull.

Oh, and the most entertaining part? Chickenpox and cold sores are variations of the Herpes virus. In order to get better, I'm on Herpes medication. They're freaking HORSE PILLS.

Wander safely (and don't get the pox!),
Arc.

It Must be "Electronics Hate Arcaine" Day or Something

I've noticed I've been on a bit of a gaming kick lately. A video game post, then a video game fanfiction post, and now, an electronics post. I guess this must be my current obsession or something. I'm completely okay with that.

However, electronics seem to hate me lately. At least, the internet and my Playstation 2. I can understand the PS2 hating me; I haven't played it in at LEAST 18 months. But the internet? I am a loyal lover! I have been serving the darling internet faithfully for AGES. Yet, it hates me. Sadface :(

The Playstation 2

So, I've become re-obsessed with Kingdom Hearts. While I was home from college this weekend, I thought, "Hey, I'll get the playstation, and I'll lose many hours of sleep over it." This was not to be the case.

First, I went to Mater's house and got the playstation. I intended to play at Pater's. He's got this EPIC huge flat screen tv. And surround sound. Ultimate gaming experience.

I get to Pater's house and realize the Kingdom Hearts games are at Mater's. I get Fratello to back the truck out of the driveway-

 (Pater drives this really big truck, the driveway is narrow that requires several shifts in direction, and I suck at reverse. This claim is supported by the time I backed the truck into the house. I'm not allowed to back the truck out anymore)

-and go to Mater's at 12:30 am. I'm totally ninja and sneak into the house, up to the ATTIC, and out again without waking her up. I'm that skilled. Then I drive back to Pater's.

Upon returning to Pater's, I realize I have no controller. *Insert rage here.* I have a Dance Dance Revolution pad, but I've tried to play KH on that before, and it's ridiculously hard. I don't have the mental capacity to use a DDR pad for anything except DDR. So, discouraged and disheartened, I read KH fanfic for the rest of the night.

I don't get to attempt to play again until two nights later; life got in the way. Back at college, Pater and I spend an hour trying to get the PS2 to work. I've got a dinky little tv that I love to death, but it's got no red-white-yellow hook up. To compensate, I've got an RF Modulator (don't ask what it does, I have no idea). However, the RF Modulator has decided it no longer likes my dinky TV or the PS2, and refused to work. The PS2 turns on and runs the game, but the picture is all distorted and fuzzy.

After a while of pouting and prodding, I unhook the cable cord from the Modulator and BEHOLD! I CAN HAS PLAYSTATION! Apparently RF Modulator is picky and doesn't like cable unless it comes from a box. High standards, that.

I have several (more) moments of panic when I realize I don't have my memory card. I guess the PS2 gods agreed they have tortured Arc enough and reminded me it was in another bag here in the dorm and not at home. Thank you, PS2 gods!

All is lovely and well for about an hour. I have KH, a comfy bed, left over pad-thai...Arcaine is a happy camper. Then she leans forward to get something thing near the TV and IT DIES. The picture fails and, instead of being a smart gamer and pausing, Mr Magnetix* kills Arc because she tries to fight when she can't see.

SAD.FACE. :(

After more pouting and prodding (and more pouting), I realized the picture died because I leaned forward on the remote and changed the channel. All is well now.

The Internet


The internet at my college is screwy. It likes to say you're connected, but when you try to do something, you realize its enjoying pulling your leg. The only real way to get internet in a WiFi dorm is to have an ethernet cord. Sing it with me, now:

IIIIIIIRONYYYYYYYYYY!


So, doing anything on the internet is a battle, especially if I want to sit somewhere comfy; the ethernet cord doesn't reach much away from my desk, and the desk is NOT comfy. The chairs have BUTT GROOVES, and Arc likes to sit in funny positions.

So, whilst the PS2 picture is out of commission, the internet decides it doesn't love me anymore either. I was officially shut out of all things KH. Clearly, I pissed someone off in a past life. I'm not quite sure what prompted the internet to love me again, but thank GOD it's decided to. My life is on the internet, as I'm sure most teenagers' are.

Either way, electronics hate me. I'm sure if I pulled out my DS, it would shit itself, too. I'd also hold up my phone as an example, but my phone has been a piece of crap since it came into my possession. It doesn't count.

Wander safely (and may your electronics love you!),
Arc.


*Mr Magnetix is not actually his name. He's the first boss in Traverse Town, and he body is made up to five pieces that sort of hover together. He reminds my friends and I of those Magnetix toys, hence his name. See?

He comes back later all cool and inverted as a CANNON. A FREAKING CANNON. BECAUSE HE WASN'T ANNOYING ENOUGH ALREADY. Augh ><

Snow is NOT Okay.

I was born and raised in New England my whole life. It really is a pretty area; spring is green, summer is gorgeous, fall is full of multicolored leaves, and winter....WINTER SUCKS.

I HATE the cold. It's so...COLD. I don't like how it feels against my cheeks, I don't like how it freezes my nose, makes my ears want to fall off, hurts my fingers, etc. I'm a very bitter New Englander.

This year, more than most, has had me in quite a sour mood. We just had our fourth snow storm in a month, and we are about to receive our fifth. FIFTH. Snow storm. In a MONTH. My town has called three snow days in the last two weeks (not that it really applies to a college student). I don't understand why we need all this frozen white stuff to fall from the sky and make the earth all dead inside. I mean, other parts of the world survive without it, so why must we indulge it?

I didn't always hate snow. I loved it when I was little. Back when Fratello and Pater did all the shoveling, and snow days meant going sledding in the park. Now...I guess it's lost its charm.

Well, I know sledding lost it's charm after I did a face-plant into the ground, nearly losing a tooth and breaking my nose.

I guess, too, I never really took to snow in normal ways when I was younger, either. I never really had a snowball fight (or at least, not a fair one; Fratello never fought fair) or built a snowman. I've made forts, but that's about it.

Snow is beautiful to look at, and I will admit that going for a walk at two in the morning when the streets aren't plowed and snow is still falling from the sky is absolutely beautiful. Nothing could ever compare to that. Snow, too, is can be lovely when I've got a good book, a cup of tea, and I'm curled up in front a fire.

I love this image of my neighborhood after the last storm; pristine, quiet, beautiful...It doesn't change the sentiment that I hate snow.

I think everything changed when I became a vegetarian. I didn't do it the smart way, and I know I wasn't getting enough iron (I still don't). I had to go back to meat because of this, and every since, I've had an issue with cold. I mean, I sleep with two quilts, a blanket, two pairs of socks, long pants, a long sleeve shirt, and a sweatshirt, yet I still don't get warm. It doesn't make any sense; I used to run around in bathing suits in the middle of January when I was little and be fine! However, Mater has pointed out that my room, for some unknown reason, is colder than any other room in the house. This might explain why I bundle up and freeze.

I guess it's more realistic to say that I hate the cold more than the snow. Sadly, this makes snow guilty by association.

Point of this ramble: I only approve of snow for so long. Then I start hunting for the fast forward button into spring. Spring is warm :)

Wander safely,
Arc.