i HEART girlfriends

a few weeks ago, my hometown of fort collins opened its arms and welcomed me back into the fold for a week-long visit. replete with sitting around the house, going to starbucks, hitting the college bars, and eating at chain restaurants, my visit was a raging success.

one evening, i joined my beautiful friend kristina for a little night on the town. due unfortante circumstances regarding my non-secular college experience in pensacola, i decided we should hit the $2 night at tailgate tommy's. i arrived. i spent $2. i looked around. i realized that i was among a crowd of kids that were years younger. i became slightly depressed. "had i really resorted to $2 night at tailgate tommy's?" yes, patrick, you had. face the facts. you're old. you're all washed up. you missed out on your time.

there was only one thing that could make feel better. orange mocha frappuccino! no. no... that wasn't it. supermodel documentary hour! ah, yes. just right. and away we went.

apple store

last months article in the nyt about apple customer service definitely had me thinking. today, i made the trip down the mountain to visit denver's apple store, to deal with the apple geniuses themselves. i have one good thing to say: the kind gentlemen here are repairing the mouse track pad under warranty, even though there is a dent on the back of my powerbook. usually, any physical damage would negate the warranty (hence my quip with the boys); but the fellas here are willing to overlook a few scuffs. thankfully.

i'm happpy to check out the new mac book pro equipped with the intel core duo processor (4x faster!) and--of all thing-- a camera. of course, phones have featured cameras for years. it's about time a computer's standards were upped, too. and i'm sure we will be much more happy with apple's isight camera than any mobile type.

also noteworthy on the new notebooks are the photo booth and front row applications. adding a little more spice to the mix, these applications are a fun plus for the apple world.


thankfully, the mac book pro doesn't yet come in a 17" version. if it did, i would be upset it weren't mine. so that's a relief: mine's still bigger...

i HEART craigslist

the free community bulletin board known as craigslist is a treasure-trove of everything on your mind. screw ebay's "it:" craigslist has got what you are looking for, and it has people who are looking for you.

housing, merchandise, jobs, road trips, personals. . . it's all about sharing what you got. that's why, when i head to atlanta next week to pick up my vespa, craigslist will be my first stop. surely, i can find someone driving that way who will share his ride. just today, i found listings for trips from denver to oregon, seattle, new york, arizona, and all points in between.

the system worked beautifully last week when i headed from the colorado plains back to my place in aspen. i posted a bulletin for a ride into the mountains the night before i needed to leave. it actually took 24hrs for someone to call me back, but a guy did, just the same. unfortunately, i had already taken matters into my own hands--literally--and used the old thumb method. i hitched the ride up the mountains from fort collins.

i suppose i could hitch to atlanta, too (and, you never know what will happen), but it's cold these days. i prefer typing a message inside on my computer rather than freezing my poor little hand off. besides, i can find any cardboard around here to make a sign.

anyone want to help me?

i need to return to pensacola to spend a night in jail, unless someone wants to post the $10,000 bond. ah, heck. i guess i should suck it up, spend the night, and chalk it up to another experience for the "bank of life."

becasuse i had heard no word for three months, i called the pensacola sheriff's office today to find out the status of my citation against pensacola christian college. apparently, there is a warrant out for my arrest.

so, after a night in jail, i will plead my case to the judge, maybe get a fine for trespassing, ask him to make the school give me back my $500, take the money down to west palm beach, pay off the tsa agents who fined me that amount for my airport escapade. then everything will be fine.

on second thought, don't help me. i know there are those who are saying this is what i deserve. i suppose it is. yes...i suppose it is.

a little matter called stealing

i was recently reconciling last semester's school bill with my records, and i noticed i was charged $500 for a "breakage fee." i immediately called the school's business office to dispute the charge. the kind lady said her office was told to charge me $500 because it took "a lot of people a long time" to clean up campus after my last visit.

i was angry. not only had pcc called the cops on me for the same incident, but they had taken the $500--after they kicked me out-–from the credit which they owed me. in other words, they stole the money.

i tried to get in touch with the person who had made this decision. a lady took my number and a message, telling me someone would return my call. i waited. one day. two days. three...four. no call.

i then called the business office, only to find out that dean ohman had left a message for me, saying, "in case i called back" let me know that they would be keeping the money.

funny. just the moment i thought my anger was past another incident inflames me.

i'm going to get my money back.

oh.

check out this great short flick from sevenohfive. this is a message that needs to be heard.

being in colorado reminds me

driving into denver on interstate 70, one may notice a garish pink building hidden within a strip mall in the sprawling suburbs. casa bonita has a long-standing tradition of treating the children of colorado to many glorious birthday parties, replete with pinata punching, shoot-em-up shows, cliff jumpers, haunted caves, and a mariachi band. only...most kids don't go for their 16th birthday.

my friend jolene, however, did. unfortunately, we teenagers were not treated as was usual in earlier years. no longer were we allowed to take a stick to the pinata. i tried putting on a puppet show, but a worker pulled me out of the puppet house just as i was attracting a great audience of children. obviously, their parents were a bit confused when i was booted from the booth. the mariachi band didn't want me to sing with them on stage, and the cliff jumpers left me out of their show. i was sad: i was only trying to have a good time.

it was time to take matters into my own hands. after little deliberation, i brought the birthday crew behind the cliff's waterfall, making them watch my own diving extravaganza. i stripped off my shirt and shoes, looked each way, took a firm step onto the edge of the swinging bridge, and took a great dive.

then i ran. everyone else did too. however, my getaway was less stellar than i had intended. caught by casa bonita's own security force, I was handcufffed and lectured while standing in my tight wet jeans, shirtless and shoeless, "you're under arrest." i was banished from casa bonita forever.

$150 and a court appearance later, i was on my way to six months of good behavior. no more trasspassing. no more nothing. i suppose i should have learned a lesson like "don't jump of bridges that say 'no jumping.'" i won't do it again, i promise; it's already been done. i'm moving on...to bigger and better things.

i HEART apple...?

even as i sit typing on my 17" powerbook, a small bit of doubt regarding the greatness of the apple empire lingers in my mind. joe nocera's recent new york times article centered around his own personal experience with ipods intensifies my slightly uneasy feeling toward the company that has spawned such a great empire from the tiny devices.

a few months ago, mark had his share of problems with apple's customer service; and i have always been uneasy about the necessity for the applecare protection plan, available with any mac product.

sure, my notebook is fast. of course it is beautiful. and i don't mind that it cost me a pretty penny. but along with my hearty endorsement of the apple world follows my little question: "is this hero of the electronics world becoming the capitalistic monster it has fought so hard to overcome?"

i HEART sundance

last week marked my third consecutive year attending the sundance film festival. something continues to draw me back, depspite thoughts that i may not return. even tonight, i don't know if i will make the trip next year; however, tonight i will think about the moments that have made my visits worthwhile.

a few years ago, after watching the premiere of mandy moore's movie saved, i sneaked backstage and into a van with seth green, and a few of the chicks from the movie. the van took us cross town to the party for the film's premiere. although i did talk to mandy for a few minutes (i got the sense that she was over it before we began talking), the best part of the prom-themed party was dancing with my newly-acquired date, shari.

last year, i secretly hopped in a suburban with a few new yorkers - none of whom i knew - and traveled to a house party filled with more new yorkers, vodka, and izze soda. i found my way to a few pockets of interesting conversation-and even a few notable names-but i was more interested in finding the perfect combination of vodka and orange izze.

this year, i was in a car headed to the cast dinner for the darwin awards, but i gave up my seat to wendy northcutt, author of the original darwin awards. i suppose it was my duty. besides–don't tell–but i didn't really care for the flick anyway.

not that i will ever be past using a back door to find what i'm looking for, but i think it's time that i attend these sort of functions in my own right. sundance will always be there for me, but it's time i do some dirty work of my own. and that's why i'm going to la. ready or not, here i come.