The constant rain is starting to become somewhat of a nuisance. My Amazon package from Jack arrived this morning, and it sat in the rain for hours because the postman left it sitting on top of my pillar and no one noticed it. My new book was dripping wet when I opened it, but fortunately Amazon has a replacement service. Unfortunately, it means I won’t actually get to read my book for another 7 weeks. Bummer eh?

The roads have also been flooding, especially near where I live where it’s infinitely under construction or repair of some sort. Don’t even let me start on how bad the traffic becomes when it rains.

Everything looks drearier and much more depressing when it rains. Even the birds don’t sing.

I can’t believe Seattle is like this 9 months in a year.

I figured it was time to write something, only I have nothing much to write about. Maybe I will write about how Roy is buying all of us dinner at Tamarind Springs, something we more or less force him into on an annual basis. It’s not a big deal for him anyway, since he just made bucketloads of moolah on a stroke of luck. Sharing is caring, no?

I could also write about how we plan to go to Bar Savanh after dinner, for the blabbing bloggers meet-up, and to party, but you already know that.

Perhaps I could mention the apartment party I had planned for Saturday, which has been postponed indefinitely due to lack of available rental space.

Perhaps then, I should write about my day which started at 10:55 am when I woke up and realized that I was supposed to be at Lynn’s at 11 am. I overslept because I was watching Season 5 of Sex and the City till 4 am. I got there at 11:27 am and we picked Roy and Phoung up and headed into the city for some serious shopping. My only involvement in the whole entire shopping process was buying a box of Lancome Juicy Bar. We each bought one, and my wallet wailed in protest.

I could write about how broke I was after that one purchase.

I could write about the mad rush home at peak hour traffic, that didn’t turn out to be as bad as it normally is, so that mom could take me to see the chinese woman that will fix my (ouch) ankle.

I also could write about how the skies were feuding and I almost got my newly bandaged foot wet in the resulting torrent of rainwater. Almost.

I could also procrastinate and not write anything at all today.

Perhaps I shall do just that.

And thus ends the festive holidays for most people, having to slog back to work on Monday morning isn’t the most joyous of things to do, and I have about a week or so left before I have to wake up at 7 am everyday and face morning rush hour traffic.

I have been uninspired to post much at all, having fulfilled my constant need to write by way of email instead, which is probably a good thing.

I’m off to catch up with Q, Roy and Phoung for lunch.

Can someone tell me why my site is listed (under Stephanie) on this page? Like, seriously.

Lately I’ve noticed that when I bump into someone I haven’t seen in a long time, I usually don’t make it past small talk. In fact, even small talk requires tremendous effort on my part. Sometimes. My ability to chatter endlessly has degenerated into mumbled phrases. Even my close friends whom I used to spend endless hours on the phone with are now restricted to 10 minute calls and weekend cafe gossip.

After the usual hellos and how are yous, I’d randomly go through career, family, significant other and recent events.. and it ends there. If the other person is just as bad as I am, the conversation would end in two minutes.

So, hows Kevin?

He’s good, still as busy as ever.

And you? Same job?

Yup.

Cool. So, what have you been up to lately?

Nothing much, I work 6 days a week, not much time to go out. You?

Oh, this and that. Still doing the party circuit.

With a little effort, I could stretch it to about four minutes, but if it’s as interesting as watching bread bake, really, is it worth it? Sure, I pick out all the leads and prompts, but I can never decide what to say so I don’t say anything. Much.

I’ve just lost my social mojo (not that I had very much to begin with)

At a gathering with my old high school friends just last week, things were great. We couldn’t stop talking. These are a bunch of girls I spent years with on a daily basis, 5 years ago. On the surface everything looked great, but when I went back and thought about us, it seemed painfully evident that the 5 years we spent apart has changed all of us and things will never be the same as before. Small things, like how we still pick on Irene the exact same way we did 7 years ago, prove that we’re all trying hard to pretend nothing has changed.. but it has.

More and more, I’m feeling like a derelict adrift in a sea of whispered conversation.

More and more, I find myself withdrawing from social obligations and wanting to be alone instead. I shed even the pretence of being interested in meeting new people.

What’s wrong with the picture?

Seeing as how some people perceive me to be a social butterfly, plenty! Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t entirely given up speech or anything, I’m still doing the rounds and making monumental effort to deal with the finer points of networking.. but I’m also discovering a side of me that’s very reticent and I don’t know if I like it.

Maybe I just _can’t be bothered!_

—

Last night, three cousins and three friends went to Cafe Flam and got very drunk. As Luke, Sam and Steph walked out of the club laughing and holding on to each other for dear life (having indulged in the intemperate pursuit of pleasure by way of a bottle of Chivas) two words popped into Steph’s head:

Kodak moment.

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! May the year of the Monkey bring you prosperity, luck and happiness!

My chinese horoscope tells me, ‘Arise early, Rooster, and usher in the Lunar New Year with loud crowing. For the hen house must be awaken early to make much noise for prosperity.’

I wonder what my neighbours would say if I started crowing loudly at 5 am.

I got picked up today, mid-toilet dash and wearing a white tank that says ‘high maintenance’, by a middle-aged caucasian in Telawi Street Bistro. His choice of wit was obvious: ‘Are you really high maintenance?’

As I related the incident to my friends, the retort ‘Can you afford to find out? (a maybe)’ or ‘You can’t afford to find out (a no)’ surfaced and I mentally kicked myself for not thinking of it minutes earlier. I always come up with a comeback too late, sigh.

I only managed a lame ‘No’ before I walked away.

I had a high-school reunion thing last night, which generated way too much noise and laughter, in Secret Recipe OUG. The turn-up was way more than I expected, and I finally see Fay Yin after almost 2 years. I took a bunch of pics with my new cam, but have been too lazy to transfer them out.

Nik’s left for Kuantan. Tonight I’ll be having dinner with some friends somewhere and going for a pre-CNY gambling sesh at someones place later. Nothing’s been decided yet. I might have a game of Scrabble with Roy later.. $1 per point, which should make me at least $100 if I play decently and $200 if I get lucky with my draws judging from our history.. unless somehow within the last year Roy’s been secretly studying Scrabble instead of playing 7 hours of online Magic a day like he says he has been. We’re all closet geeks, really.. and it was hilarious what Eugene said to me ‘..but you so bimbo! You play Scrabble one meh..?’

Things I have been addicted to in the past:
Hockey
Rollerblading (and street hockey)
Monopoly
Crossword/word/IQ puzzles
Vodka
Scrabble
NBA
WWF (yes, wrestling!)
Formula 1
Basketball cards (I still have a few Shaq rookie cards somewhere and used to think Shaq Attaq was the coolest book ever.. I have that book too)
Salvador Dali
Ren & Stimpy cards (anyone want a whole stack of them?)
Swarovski crystals
Books
Photoshop
MP3s
TetriNET/mIRC
Red Alert
Diablo II
Stamps

Things I’m addicted to now:
Vodka
Champagne
Books
Scrabble
Neverwinter Nights
Diablo II.. still..

..which sums it all up pretty good, really. I’m an alcoholic geek (or at least a self-declared one if you don’t agree..)

What’s your claim to Geekdom?

I spent the day not spending any money because I’m broke. It was fun watching Roy trying to buy out all of Prada and Phoung go ape over the number of designer stores in KLCC. I saw a pair of pink monogram Gucci heels for RM 585 which I don’t buy, of course, and a Prada laptop bag for RM 3950 which I also don’t buy but I secretly want because it is the ultimate geek chick accessory. *shrug*

I also saw another old friend, Eugene, back from the days when Arena was the place to be, the legendary Boom Boom Room was still in existence and you party like hell in Heaven. These days I only see him when Roy comes back - he’s doing the married thing now and has quit smoking. Heh.

I’m really tired, but in ten minutes I’m supposed to be at Steven’s Corner to meet up with my old high school buddies who’re all back for CNY. I don’t know how I’m gonna last the night.. phbt!

So you’ve probably heard all about Blabbing Bloggers @ Bar Savanh, but spread the word anyway:

If you live around KL, blog (or no blog), and just wanna party/say hi/get drunk or something, come join us. Bring your best friend, grand uncle twice removed, your pets and your liver. Any questions about who/where/when/how/why just leave a comment or e-mail.

I had to go to KLIA at 7am this morning to pick Roy and Phoung up. After breakfast, me and Nik crashed out the entire day till it was time for dinner with Kevin and Aom. She cooked us such an amazing Thai dinner that I almost didn’t want to leave, but I wanted to go pick up my new camera from Tiff, so I did, and ended the night at Alexis Bangsar with Nik, Roy, Phuong, Alex, Q, Eleana, Lynn, Yee Lin and Tracy. Two hours of catching up and everyone’s already picking on Roy.. heh. Some things never change!

I’m so tired today, all that running around. I have to sleep early today too, because I want to check out how bad the morning traffic is in my area before I start working.

It’s confirmed, I start working on 4th of February.. oh no!!