monday,
jun 26, 2006
[freehand, click, click]
Started at the new job today. Judging by today's experience it seems challenging but not too difficult. I.e. I can learn it but I won't get bored.
FreeHand is a challenge, as is using Mac in general. But I've decided I'll master it by the end of the summer. Haha.
Milla and me stayed in Joensuu until Saturday noon and went to see the Bloodpit gig on Friday night. The gig started dreadfully late (2:20am or something along those lines), so we had to flee pretty much the moment the gig ended. Also, nightclubs aren't really the best venue for any rock band, are they? The place was packed but only about twenty people showed even remote interest. How boring.
Anyway. We drove to Karkkila on Saturday, we were here around 7pm. Then we went to see Mirka (= eat birthday cake) and I finally got home around 10. It was rather depressing. The room needed a huge amount of organising (which Milla and me did yesterday, I couldn't have done it alone, too much stuff to move around) and there wasn't anywhere I could unpack my clothes. Sigh. Mum and Jussi are coming back home tomorrow, we'll see what they say about the current placement of all the furniture..
Ville phoned today and asked if I'd like to go and translate the online news and stuff at Ilosaarirock. And without giving it much thought, I agreed. I also phoned Emmu and asked if she's still interested in going. Now we're trying to find a car we could borrow because driving would be way cheaper (for her) than going by train. We also asked if Mervi wants to come, but she's not sure yet. That'd be one more person to share the costs.
Going by car would be god also because I need to be at work on Monday morning and taking any of the festival trains doesn't sound too tempting. Grah.
Ah well. Whether we'll find a car or not, after this summer I won't be the weirdo who's lived in Joensuu for years but has never been to Ilosaarirock. Hurrah. :)
(I also hope I get a chance to see the Lemonator gig. Teehee.)
she said she said @ 05:15 pm
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wednesday,
jun 21, 2006
[vaavi ja provinssi]
Käytiin eilen Millan kanssa katsomassa Karin ja Marsun vauvaa. Että voi ihminen olla pieni! En ole edes yhtään vauvafani, mutta jos tuollainen käärö ei valloita, niin ei sitten mikään. Pidin sitä sylissäkin aika pitkän tovin (ekaa kertaa ehkä ikinä muuten pidin tuollaista ihan pientä vauvaa sylissä) ja voi kun se vaan pötkötteli siinä. Vanhemmatkin olivat niin söpiksiä, ettei sitä meinannut kestää. Millan kanssa lähtiessä puhuttiin, että isä ja tyttövauva on aina jotenkin valloittava näky. Vaikka vieläkin tietty vähän hassuttaa, että Karilla on vauva. Mutta mikään huono hassutus se ei ole.
Vietiin tuliaisina Toblerone-jätskiä ja vauvalle sellainen harmaa puku, jossa oli sammakko. Vaate oli tosi pieni, mutta niinpä oli tyttökin. Eli hetken menee vielä päälle, mutta kesän jälkeen ei kyllä toivoakaan. Vaan eipä sillä väliä, pääasia on, että sille on nyt käyttöä. Kiikutin Karille viimeinkin myös sen Soundi-kortin, jota olen pimittänyt jo vuosia. Nyt ei ollut enää mitään syytä olla antamatta sitä.
Vähän harmittaa lähteä nyt pariksi kuukaudeksi pois, kun vauva ehtii hujahtaa sen aikana vaikka kuinka isoksi. Onneksi näin sen nyt pienenä. Hetken jo pelkäsin, etten ehdi käymään ja jää tämä vaihe kokonaan näkemättä (vaikka oli kuulemma jo kasvanut parisen senttiä syntymäpituudesta).
Joo. Se vauvasta, ettei ihan ihkutukseksi mene. Ilokseni voin silti todeta, että Suvin uhkailuista huolimatta vauva jäi ehjäksi myös visiittini jälkeen.
(Odotan kovasti, että nimi annetaan, että voin kutsua vauvaa jollain muulla termillä kuin "vauva" tai "vaavi" tai muuta vastaavaa.)
Provinssissa meni hyvin. Työ oli yllättävän kivaa ja vuorotkin meni oikeestaan aika nopeasti (paitsi sunnuntain viimeinen 2,5h, kun ketään ei enää tullut ja piti vaan nököttää hiljaisuudessa siellä - onneksi ei tarvinnut olla yksin). Ihmisiä ehdin näkemään aika vähän, mutta enhän sinne hengailemaan toki mennytkään. Kivaa oli myös, että oltiin Kaisalla yötä, kun en ollut Kaisaa muutamaan vuoteen nähnyt (vauva tulossa sinnekin ihan tuota pikaa, maha oli valtaisa). Lisäksi pääsi jonottamatta suihkuun aamuisin :D
Bänditkin oli hyviä. Siis mitä nyt jaksoin ja ehdin katsoa. Perjantaina katsotiin oikeastaan vaan The Ark (ja kolme biisiä Ukkosmainetta). Lauantaina nähtiin POTF, Egotrippi ja vähän HIMiä, sunnuntaina Jonna Tervomaa, In Flames ja Von Hertzen Brothersin loppu. Katsottiin myös M.A. Nummista ja DJ Sanea hetki, mutta myötähäpeä oli liian suuri (ja pettymyskin vähän, odotuksen kun oli aika kovat).
Sanoisin silti, että Ark ja VHB olivat viikonlopun kohokohdat. Arkia en ole aikoihin kunnolla kuunnellut ja livenäkin nähnyt viimeksi keväällä 2003. Uusin levy oli vähän pettymys, mutta tuonkin siinä keikalla unohti. Kyllä se bändi rullaa aika lujaa. Learia en nähnyt melkein ollenkaan, kun oltiin aika kaukana, mutta voin ehkä kestää.. VHB oli myös aivan ihana. Olen ihan valmis unohtamaan kriisini Mikon äänestä, ei haittaa enää yhtään. Nyt haluan sen levyn. Eilen olisin jo ostanut, mutta tuntui jotenkin pahalta maksaa eli 20e CD:stä. Ostamatta jäi siis toistaiseksi. Mitäköhän se maksaisi vaikka CDON.comissa?
(Nyt kun on hetkellisesti rahaa tekisi mieli tilata myös se Day Elevenin levy, josta olen haaveillut jostain helmikuusta.)
POTF oli vähän mitäänsanomaton, mikä oli harmi. Egotrippiinkään en oikein päässyt sisälle tällä kertaa. Lopun hittikimara kyllä lämmitti. Tuli mieleen Ankkarockin -97 ja -98, joissa Egotrippiä fanitin ihan kympillä. Ne oli kivat Ankat ne ja ilmaisetkin vielä.
Jooo. Mitäs vielä? Niin, HIM. Hitto kun oli tylsä. Yritettiin lauantain vikan työvuoron jälkeen katsoa sitä, mutta ei kyetty. Mentiin sitten sämpylälle ja kerättiin voimia uuteen yritykseen. Nähtiin ihan vikat biisit ja niissä ei kyllä ollut mitään katsomista. Eli jos olisin HIM-fani ja mennyt Provinssiin vain niitä katsomaan, niin ottaisi päähän aika rankasti. Onneksi tämä ei siis ole tilanne. Hehee. In Flamesista kyllä tykkäsin, ja sen aikana oli fiiliskin melkoisen leppoisa. Työvuorot oli ohi, aurinko paistoi ja kojusta ostetut paistetut nuudelit oli hyviä <3 Tanssahtelevia fanipoikia oli hauska katsoa ja lavalla laulajan rastat viuhui ansiokkaasti. Siihen oli hyvä lopettaa.
Vähän harmittaa, etten nähnyt Kuolleita Intiaaneja, Satm1naa, Mokomaa ja Diabloa, mutta koitan kestää. Lohdutukseksi ostin neljällä eurolla hienon Kuolleet Intiaanit -kangaskassin.
Eli se siitä. Millan kanssa päätettiin ostaa siiderit lähikaupasta sunnuntai-illaksi, mutta eihän siellä mitään ollut. Säkällä löysin yhden kuivan omenasiiderin ja ostin sen kaveriksi sitten limulonkeron. Muut vaihtoehdot kun olisivat olleet jotain esanssihirivtyksiä henkeen "Vanilla Light". Ei kiitos. Eilen käytiin sitten Joensuussa Old Dogissa päiväsiiderillä, kun periaatteessa sain projektityön valmiiksi. Jotain paperityöhärpättejä on vielä, mutta se itse sivu on nyt tehty. Hurraaa. Seuraavaksi esseitä, että saan kirjat huomenna palautettua kirjastoon.
Millan kanssa pohdittiin, että lähdetäänkö ajamaan Karkkilaan perjantaina vai lauantaina. Päätettiin, että torstai on liian aikaisin. Ja nyt Masalta tuli spostia, että Bloodpit olisi Kimmelissä perjantai-iltana ja päästäisiin listalle, jos ollaan maisemissa. Pitää kysyä. Vähän kyllä houkuttaa, kun ei juhannukselle muutakaan tekemistä ole eikä Karkkilaankaan mikään hillitön kiire. Mietintämyssy päähän.
she said she said @ 11:31 am
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wednesday,
jun 14, 2006
[secret travel companion]
The effin' website project is a mess. Today we spent six hours at school trying to fix it.
Six hours. Of course, it's still not completely finished so I have to go back tomorrow morning at nine. Tomorrow I can't stay for six hours, though, since I have to catch the train at 3.10pm, but probably it'll take at least three. Bollocks. Right now I'm very much regretting I took the project. I don't handle the stress well.
Anyway. Since I probably won't have any time to pack my stuff for the Provinssi weekend tomorrow, I did it today. And something tells me I have a secret passenger. Hmm.
(And yes, I am aware of the fact that the bag is ridiculously large for a weekend trip. But I managed to fit my sleeping bag in it, too. Ha. Also, now I can take about bazillion different outfits and panic about what to wear
on location. N.B. My summer wardrobe is still pretty much nonexistent. So frustrating.)
ps. Me and Matti went to see the new X-Men last night. I have some thoughts about it - not too many, though - but I'm too tired to post them now. Except: Angel. Huh?
she said she said @ 10:34 pm
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sunday,
jun 11, 2006
[Infernal Stomach Ache™]
Oh bollocks.
Went out to coffee with Matti today and we got this sudden idea to go to see X-Men 3, since neither of us had seen it. And so we went to see when it'd begin and noticed that we have 45 minutes. I wanted to get something to eat at home, and once we got here, the Infernal Stomach Ache™ attacked again. I guess it's needless to say that I had to skip seeing the film as I could barely sit.
We decided to try again on Tuesday but I'm still extremely annoyed. This is the second time the stomach ache has caught me in two weeks. That's way too often. And ocne again I have no idea what caused it. Unless it was that the smallest amount ever of goat milk cheese I had on friday evening when mum took me out to eat (and wasn't the burger nice?). Hmm.
The ache is going away now and I was able to eat a litte already, so I'm feeling better, but as is always the case after the ache fits, I feel exhausted and extremely sleepy. But it's only 8pm so I can't go to bed yet or I'll wake up at five am. Trying to think fo something to do.
...
...
Not succeeding.
It was nice to have mum over. We even acted like civilised people, i.e. we didn't fight at all. We walked around a lot and saw a few free art exhibitions. That's about it. I had two meetings about teh website project and so I had to abandon mum for a few hours on Thursday and Friday, but it was ok. Observing the people at the humanities building café apparently kept her entertained enough. But as nice it was to have her here, it is also nice to have my own bed back again.
Mentioning the project, I'm so fed up with it I can't believe it. 10 days and the whole thing will be over. I just don't know how I can put up with that long. Arggh. I'm trying to do extra as much as I can, because I'll be leaving for Provinssi on Thursday and won't come back until Monday evening. The project needs to be ready on Tuesday morning. We'll see how it goes.
Besides hanging out with Matti and Reeta has been really nice, but I think the real cheer-up of the weekend was yesterday. Matti L. messaged me on MSN yesterday, and we actually had our first conversation in almost two years or so. He'sworking in Denmark (figure that) and wanted to communicate to someone in Finnish and apparently I just happened to be online at the right time. It was really nice even though the conversation was far from intelligent. But that was probably the best thing about it.
she said she said @ 08:11 pm
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wednesday,
jun 7, 2006
[new radicals]
Jason Newstead, that's it. And once Rika gave the name, I remembered the face.
Ah well. I'll forget them in a few days again, I know.
Which is weird because I remember that, when we were around ten, my friend had a Metallica poster and I always thought how handsome Jason was in it. o_O
Hmm.
The website project layout: I think I've nailed it. Whooo-peee! We're having a meeting about it tomorrow morning, but at least in his e-mail Janne said it's alright now. The content still pretty much sucks, but I don't know if that's my problem or someone else's. We'll see about that. But this means that I don't have to worry about the project too much this evening and can concentrate on entertaining mum.
The Cold Case episode last night was set partly in 1998. The soundtrack! I mean, the episode started with You only get what you give by New Radicals - and that wasn't the only marvellous late 90s hit that was playing. It was just ... brilliant. <3
The thing is, I heard this horrible mixed version of the New Radicals song in March, and it's been popping in and out of my head ever since. I haven't found the original version anywhere (I used to love it when it was a hit), and now, there it was on my telly. Lovely. I need to locate the original version on CD (or as mp3, if I'm lazy), if it makes me this cheery. Most wonderful one hit wonders.
she said she said @ 01:45 pm
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monday,
jun 5, 2006
[baby!]
And once again I have to modify the layout of the media culture website project. It just won't work. Bollocks. I have to have it ready by Thursday, which really wouldn't be a problem but mum's coming to visit on Wednesday (she'll be staying until Saturday). So in other words, I'll be working by butt off the whole of tomorrow. Whooopeeee..
I also received e-mail from my Bristol contact person again and it turns out my learning agreement was incomplete. Apparently, I should've chosen four modules. I chose some random modules that sounded nice, five altogether. Two of those I added to my original learning agreement, three were alternative choices if the courses are full. We'll see. Probably the whole thing will still be a mess in January.
And then I e-mailed mr. Zbigniew B. and asked help for finding a good approach for my Coetzee essay. I hope he replies soon, I want to get all my materials in order before June 22, and preferably a rough outline of the essay as well. If I can do that, I'll be able to finish the essay in Karkkila.
Kari phoned me today and asked if Samu had phoned me about the baby on Saturday. Apparently, in all the hassle he had just deleted my "congratulations" message without paying much attention to it. I don't blame him, though, it must've been hectic. But awww, he sounded so happy. Now I'm building courage so that I can go see the baby. I know it won't be this week, but maybe next or the one before that. I really want to go before I leave for Karkkila, though. I want to see the baby for the first time when she's still all tiny.
And despite Suvi trying to scare me, I'm trying to convince myself that the baby won't break if I go to see it, or even if I touch it. Having hard time, though.
And the to something completely different..
I was watching this Metallica documentary on MTV the other night. Random comments of a non-fan:
- I can never remember what the old bass player looked like (or what his name is, for that matter)
- I think I'd like Metallica if I just took the trouble to listen to it for once
- James Hethfield looks extremely American, and very common - it's the hair and beard that give him personality
- I like his hair short
- That applied for Kirk Hammett's hair, too - what was he thinking whenhe grew it back?
- Lars Ulrich makes me think of Tony Head (!?)
- I would've liked to see the concerts with the symphony orchestra
- The documentary was fun, I wish they'd show more stuff like this on MTV (and gave it better airtime, this was on Saturday night, after 11pm or so)
Very important comments. I know the world wouldn't have managed without them.
she said she said @ 05:56 pm
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thursday,
jun 1, 2006
[...]
I switched the order of "submit" and "reset" buttons in the comments field, just for Suvi. I also finally got rid of the effin' emoticons. They've been annoying the hell out of me lately, and hey, the act of removing them must have taken me at least two minutes. Had I known that, I might've done it before.. :|
Yeah well. Whatever.
I'm really enjoying the South African Literature course, but am already panicking about the essay. I'd like to concentrate on Coetzee, because I was really impressed with Disgrace, but can't think of any angle to take. Might have to ask advice from the lecturer with the unpronouncable name.
It's funny how people keep referring to him as "he", "the South African literature lecturer" or "the Polish guy" - basically anything that helps them to avoid saying his name. Can't blame them, though. I can't even spell the name, let alone pronounce it. And once again I realise how lucky I am to have at least somewhat international first name.
Some sort of welcome package arrived from Bristol today. The envelope was badly damaged, it was actually torn, but all the papers were still inside (I presume). They were all wet, too. Many of the leaflets were stuck together and the application forms for student identity card were striped. They're still readable but I might have to ask for new copies. I find sending those a tad bit embarrassing.
I also have to get four passport quality photos in colour from them (and four more for later use). Lovely. I knew this was coming but the idea of having the photographs taken is not in the least bit appealing. Blagh.
It has not been my week. I've broken plates, collected small injuries (like bruises and stuff) and have basically been all moody. Of course the rain's not helping because I can't even go outside for a walk. I hope this weather won't last too long.
she said she said @ 05:27 pm
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