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So I was working on a bunch of articles while at Starbucks today like I usually do. I was sitting in one of the couches, typing away, when all of a sudden this woman comes up and gestures at the couch opposite me, as though asking if she could share the table. I didn’t say yes. Actually I sort of just blinked and frowned since apart from the baristas and the occasional Ned Parfan (hi Ned! :D), I’m not used to people suddenly approaching my table, so I was startled. But that didn’t seem to matter, because before I had any time to respond she just went ahead and sat down, took out a laptop and started setting up on the table.

A few things made the whole thing seem not quite right to me. First of all, she didn’t have a drink. Second of all, the shop wasn’t actually full. Out of growing suspicion, I actually scanned the place and found a few empty tables, so it wasn’t like she just had no other place to sit.

The distrustful little brat that I am, I didn’t say anything, but I just sat looking vaguely bothered and hostile. It wasn’t purely an act, since I was in fact feeling bothered and hostile, because she was distracting me from my work. I kept glancing around and throwing glances toward her general direction, as well as a few toward the nearby guard. (more…)

I installed Pro Evolution Soccer ‘08 on my netbook*, and I’m happy to report that — after I installed DirectX9 and ignored Windows’ concerned dialog boxes about my system being insufficient — IT WORKED!!! I was worried because I had read somewhere that trying to play games on netbooks running Win7 will most likely result in massive fail, but HAH, tell that to the little Spaniards running and kicking around on my little netbook screen. :D

I’m likewise happy to report that I’m sort of kind of almost getting the hang of the game controls (which means I don’t fail as spectacularly as I started out, but I still suck) and I can play the game on Beginner. And I am loving the player reactions when they score a goal or miss an attempt. THE SPANISH TEAM DOES THE MANPILE LIKE THEY DO IRL OMG BAHAHAHA.

This should hold me over until I make a decision about StarCraft.

*In case anyone needs to know: My netbook is an Asus 1005P with the standard-issue specs, running Win7 Ultimate. PES ‘08 runs smoothly at low settings.

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A few things about my recent two-day trip with the family (which I mentioned in my last post):

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My sister arrived from Japan last Sunday with her son Ricky. They’ll be here until the 20th. It’s nice to have the family all together considering everything that we’ve been through this year. And she’s been through a lot with her own family too, so she could definitely use the break.

She got me shoes! :D I am in love with these:

The heels aren’t crazy high, and I love the fact that my feet are totally strapped in so I don’t have to worry about stepping the wrong way and hurting my ankles. The back part kind of digs into my heel a little bit :’( but I’m guessing that’ll go away once it’s broken in. I’m not usually one to suffer for the sake of fashion, but I’ll make an exception for this, lol.

Aaaaand then we have these:

–which I have yet to figure out what to wear with (ideas plskthx). They look ok with jeans I guess, but I haven’t really put together an outfit that it works with. XD

By the way, my sister and I went to my usual coffee place yesterday and she pointed out that someone *cough* was checking me out. Hee. :’D I’ve got to get a move on about this crush, dammit. It’s just that I have this thing — I’m often unable to make eye contact with a guy that I like, let alone start flirting. *facepalm* (Uh. I guess I need ideas for this too, plskthx. Haha)

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My addiction du jour is a strategy game called Rome: Total War. It’s not new (it came out in 2004) but it’s brilliant, and the learning curve is nice and steep. It’s basically a mix of turn-based and real-time, with the turn-based part involving the governance of your empire, and the real-time part comprising the battles that you fight in order to gain and keep territory. It’s wonderfully complex, and I’ve found it entertaining even though I’ve never been a fan of TBS games. (I recently started a game of Civilization IV but I’ve left it alone. I like the idea of that game and I can totally see why it has so many fans, but I guess I just don’t have the attention span for it.)

I might install Rome on Fernando Torres (yes, that’s still the name of my netbook), because the internet says it should be playable enough on a netbook. And check this out: a strategy guide that’s written in semi-archaic English for the lulz.  (“Have thy rodent chew upon these runes” = “click here”. OHOHOHO)

Today one of the girl baristas at my usual Starbucks surprised me by  bringing the coffee to my table instead of calling me to the counter (special treatment! lololol). It was way nice, but then she commented that I don’t go there often anymore.

And I thought–

–because I had already been there three times this week. They expect to see me there every day now? :’D LOL. Granted, I will probably end up spending more time there (maybe not go there more often, but just stay there longer) when I finally get my netbook.

Oh right–I NEED A NETBOOK. I suppose I’ve needed one for months now but I’ve put off buying it (for good reasons, really), but now I’m starting to feel like only having one place to write–my desktop, in my room–is starting to take its toll on my work. So now I’ve decided to buy one, and hopefully the fact that I’ll be more productive will mean that the thing will pay for itself in the long run. :D  I think I may have been subconsciously using that same excuse for my long-term caffeine dependence.

As an added bonus, when I finally buy a netbook, people may finally stop wondering whether or not I have a job and why I have the luxury of being at the mall on many a Tuesday afternoon. You see, I am no good at explaining these things. Some of the baristas already know that I work freelance, but I don’t usually get into detail about exactly what I do, so I could be a freelance drug dealer for all they  know. :D

I can’t decide which one to get though– the Asus Eee 1000HE or the 1005HA. They’re very similar inside, with mostly aesthetic differences. I’ve read that the 1005HA is sleeker and better-looking, although I’m a bit partial to the matte screen and chicklet-type keyboard of the 1000HE. The keyboard is a big deal, considering I’ll probably be typing the hell out of that thing.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether a 3-cell battery would suffice or if I should spend on the 6-cell?

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Plugging! IF YOU LIKE FOOTBALL AT ALL, or at least find it remotely bemusing, do check out http://larojaaaaa.tumblr.com. It’s the humor tumblelog that I’ve made, dedicated to the Spanish National Football Team (because that team, I swear, is comedy gold).

Yes, this is precisely the sort of shit with which I amuse myself.

It’s doing pretty well in terms of ‘likes’ and reblogs considering I only made it last night, LOL. I’ll definitely be adding more material regularly.

I like boots.

I’ve been wearing them for years; I have two pairs that I usually wear, both hand-me-downs from my sister in Japan. This is the one I use most often:

As you can see, they’re neither outlandish nor impractical since they only come up to a few inches past my ankles. (I have a knee-high green leather pair, also from my sister, that I never wear; I draw the line at some things, besides, it’s a tropical country.) But at the mall these ones still get odd stares from people, and sometimes even remarks and giggles when I walk past. It doesn’t actually bother me, but I do find it a bit… I don’t know, retarded? :’D  I mean, apart from the fact that they’re boots, which not too many people wear, there’s nothing remarkable about them.

But the thing that baffles me, is how people would find great interest in me plain ol’ scruffy footwear, and yet seem to have absolutely no problem with this big-ass billboard of Derek Ramsay wearing LEGGINGS UNDERNEATH DENIM SHORTS. :D

I would like to meet the creative director who thought it would be fashionable to put Derek Ramsay in this outfit, shoes and all, then stick him in a bath tub with unnaturally blue water. While posing like a pensive little teapot.

I mean, like, dude, you’re hot and all, but
leggings and… JORTS?!?!

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I totally got caught off-guard this afternoon–I went to my usual Starbucks and one of the female baristas asked to take my picture. XD They said they were making a scrapbook with photos of their regular customers, for their desktop computer. Actually when they asked (“Liz, pwede bang magpa-picture?”) I immediately thought they meant they wanted me to take a picture of them–because that’s more commonly the case when I get that question–and I started wondering how they hell they figured out that I’m always armed with a camera. XD But instead it turned out they wanted me to be in the picture, and so I did, even though in my head I was like “WHAT IS THIS I DON’T EVEN–”, because I’m panicky that way.

They also asked what I was up to–which led me to explaining the embarrassingly cushy-sounding life of a freelance writer. (“Wala akong pasok, ever.”)* :’D LAWLZ. Seriously, whenever I have to summarize my job status I completely sound like an underachieving slacker. I guess it’s because I always omit the small detail of caffeine-powered all-nighters and rush deadlines.  :D I think I should be more concerned about this, but I just find it amusing.

Anyway, next time I’m there, I’ll ask to take photos of them so I could post here. They’re a cute bunch. :D

*”I don’t have to go to work, ever.”