December 21, 2004

• It’s been too long.  We should catch up.

   

  This has been one crazy time lately.  On 11 Dec, I flew from the SLC to Burbank and directly (I mean DIRECTLY, like grab bags from baggage claim and get in the car) w/ Sheila to Big Sur to meet up with some of her homies from CSULA.  We got there at 12:30 AM, just missing Laura’s (Sheila’s (awesome) advisor) BDay.  We brought the cake, but alcohol was consumed instead.

  

  Big Sur is certainly nice looking.  The next morning we ate breakfast cake, which you should try, if you’ve never experienced.  We lazed it up and eventually made our way to San Fran to start AGU.

  AGU is certainly not as fun as GSA.  I did see some good talks, but there wasa lot of downtime due to lack of interest in sessions.  Well, I’m not a geophysist, so that’s probably why.  The best part was seeing people I know give talks and/or hang with them.  I saw Jorge, Kari Cooper, Eric Middlesteadt, Teresa, my advisor, and the other prof from the Mongolia trip all present.  I also saw Jeremy Boyce, who is (as of 1 week ago) engaged.  I also saw Kelly, Pat, and Nate while in P-a-l-o A-l-t-o.  I was stating w/ Sheial at her parent’s place.  We took the CalTrain in every day.

  

  Here is Sheila and Kelly enjoying the Gates of Hell at Stanford.

   

  

  Here is Kelly working hard (or hardly working) at her fam’s store: Kumura (sp?) Gallery

  

  Here is the Stanford Geology Library.  That’s right, this is for ONLY geo books.

  

  Probably the most entertaining thing at AGU was this guy.  Luckily, I’m not a geophysist.

  So, after AGU, I’ve been down in LA being crazy like every Festivus break.  Right now I am at Gabe’s place on 510 Landfair.

  And now, it’s time for another instalment of…

  Tales of Fernman

  Starring: Our hero, Fernman; Monica (Fernman’s girlfriend); Reyna (Monica’s friend); Gabe and Javy (Fernman’s friends and fratbrothers).

  Special guest apperence by Matt Affolter as “The Comforter”

  This enstalment is rated R.  It contains adult content not sutable for children.

  

  Our tale begins at everyone’s favorite Monday late night activity: Karaoke.  Everyone was having a great time, especially the girls, who were comfortably over their two drink minimum.  After rousing renditions of “Instant Karma”, “Boy’s Don’t Cry”, and a falsetto version of “About a Girl” by Matt (who is sick), the bar closed and our merry group was forced to relocate.  The girls offered their place to facilitate the proposed prelonged beverage consumption.

  As an aside, the nobel nature of our hero Fernman should be noted.  After a long list of conquests, both quick and extended, and with his current situation of a comfortable relationship, his motives turned to extending his empire; not through continued feats of his own merit, but through the success of his supporting cast.  On this night, Fernamn’s aim was to acheive his new goal toward Matt.  Am earlier meeting between Reyna and Matt had sparked interest on both sides, and Fernman was going to try to use this to enable a connection.

  After arriving at the girl’s place, our party found that the other (male) roommate of the girls had a female caller, and they were watching Reservoir Dogs.  They quickly preceeded into his room.  Fernman, Javy, Monica, and Reyna, by means of yelling, entering the room, and various other activities, performed one of the crulest things one can do: cockblock.  (This, by the way, shows the power of Fernman, who takes it away from those outside the inner circle while encouraging his allies).  After a bit, they left. As this was occuring, some Smirinoff’s were taken out and drank by Reyna, Monica, and Javy.  As the night went on, the beligerance increased exponentially.  At about 3:30, Gabe was ready to go, and Javy drove him.  Since Matt was staying with Gabe, Gabe told Matt to come along.  But after several subtle guestures by our hero, he realized that he should go alone with Javy.  This left the male:female ratio = 1.

  Fernman, in order to set the mood (one would assume) began to engage Monica.  Matt and Reyna engaged… in small talk.  Then, a fatefull ring of the phone broke up the awkward situation.  Reyna answered and locked herself in the bathroom.  After a few minutes, sobbing began to emanate from the bathroom.  The person on the phone was Reyna’s ex (later conversation would reveal that they broke up with much difficulty, and the previous day a conversation between Reyna and the ex furthur complicated the situation: The ex had requested a reconciliation.).  After another half hour, with continued crying, Matt was ready to leave, but the keys to the car were lost.  So, Matt went into the departed roommate’s bed to sleep.  Fernman took the couch with Monica (guess what they did).

  At about 4:30, Reyna was finally coaxed off the phone by Monica and Fernman.  She was an emotional wreck.  She was placed into the room with Matt on another bed, still distraught.  Fernman went back to the couch with Monica (yes, again).  A conversation began between Reyna and Matt, about relationships.  She needed to be consolled, so she layed down next to Matt.  They talked for approximately 1 hour, mostly concerning the ineptitude of people in relationships and the subsequent confusion and distress.  They both lemented and reciprocated, but holding each other was the extent of the contact.  They discovered how naive they both happen to be and could certainly relate on the topic of lack of experience and difficultly in relationships.  At 5:30, there was a second phone call, this time from a friend of Reyna’s.  They had a (relative to the last) pleasant conversation until 6 AM.  During this time, Fernman moved to the bed Reyna was going to sleep on, away from Monica, due to an argument.  When Reyna got off the phone, ready to sleep, she discovered a snoring Fernman, and slept in the livingroom.

  In the morning, Reyna left to go to work (9ish).  At 11 AM, Matt requested a ride home.  After Matt was kicked out of the room by Fernman, (yup), he was taken to Gabe’s.

  So, are there any regrets?  No, because as much as we would all love to live up to the model patented by Fernman, it is not always possible.  Matt could have taken advantage of this inebriated and depressed girl, but that is not how he operates.  That’s only a feat that a Fernman can attempt.  And believe it or not, dispite the lack of sleep, this night was enjoyable to Matt, if only for the holding of Reyna.

   

  Well, that’s it.  I’ll have upates from the rest of my LA trip as they happen.  And next entry, stay tuned for a Fernman special investigative report on the clitoris, nature’s rubix cube.

  • 6:42 pm
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