I'm glad I called Micah. I had a really good time.
It's nice to be reminded of how things were, without that "I couldn't enjoy this alone" feeling.
I used to go to his shows by myself just to be a supportive friend; and to be a supportive friend e took me to a show.
Win!
In other news, but not new news, I gotta get up and go to the closing class for this externship tomorrow.
Hence getting to see Micah and Will and Southpaw Jones tonight.
Austin is strange, but it has so many people I love.

I blog about this stuff all the time, cuz like duh it's what I am passionate about. But seriously:

The #1 thing to remember is that you are a drop of water in a still lake -- everything you do ripples through the rest of the world with consequences; so try and be sure that they're as positive as possible, and when not possible that they are negative on the smallest possible scale.
Ok. That said here's some tips that have helped our family a lot

• Switch your lightbulbs. It sounds silly but it works. CFLs (compact fluorescent lightbulbs) put out a little less light, but use a lot less energy wattage. And, if you live someplace where summer is warm, and every other season only slightly less so they put out a ton less heat, too. You will save on your electricity bill from a straight-usage and a heating/cooling perspective; you will also be burning less coal or otherwise consuming.
  
• Eat vegetarian. I know this isn't for everyone, and I'm not asking you to eat no meat at all. I myself eat fish, and occasionally something more. Even cutting your meat intake down to 1-2 times a week will still satisfy you, provided you have other sources of protein. It takes a BUNCH less resources to raise, say, corn than it does to raise cows. (It used to be I could say that "unlike chickens, no one gets salmonella from tomatoes" but ...  well you know). Your body will thank you, and you will get more vitamins and less bad fats. This type of lifestyle also helps fight cancer. If you want recipes or tips I know some great sites! You'll be pleasantly surprised that you don't have to give up taste to reduce your footprint and increase your feeling of wellbeing.
• Recycle. As a last resort.
  
• STEP 1 is to Reduce your consumption -- that's everything from milk bottles, to plastic bags, to fast food wrappers, to energy wattage. Just use less; people in other countries get by JUST FINE with the other 65% of the world's energy usage. We are hogs, just face it. Don't just reduce: consume wisely. Go someplace that has paper cups instead of styrofoam; post-consumer paper instead of waxed; or better yet, bring your own mug/thermos/cup. Most places don't mind, plus it makes you look hip to all the Green Girls like myself. We love that kind of thing!
  
• STEP 2 is to Reuse whatever you can -- those pesky plastic bags will last essentially forever if you use 'em right. Pack them with you when you go to the store; cart your lunch in them; use them as a hairnet I don't care. It takes more energy to recycle than it does to reuse so bear that in mind. Buy things, and consume as byproducts of other things, that which is reusable by design. If you ever want to feel good about your footprint, I mean really good, challenge yourself to go a week without consuming anything more than you have to: eat someplace where they wash the dishes instead of throwing them out; take your own coffee mug to Starbucks or whatever; pack your lunch in tins instead of plastic baggies; buy your tea loose instead of bagged; brew coffee in a decanter, or a french press, without the need for a filter. You don't have to give anything up from your 'normal life' to live in a greener fashion.
• STEP 3, the last resort, is to Recycle. Golden rule is this: when it can't be avoided to consume, and it's past the point of reusing (and if you've consumed wisely, it can be recycled; and if you're a genius about consumption, it takes minimal energy to recycle) then cart it down to the local recycling center. If I were you, I'd take the bus. Or bicycle. Or walk -- in progressive order of greenness.
• Know what to throw away and what not to. My awesome Austinite friend Taylor has a compost pile. She will gladly tell you all about it, but the short of it is that many things (especially organic things) compost well, and can be used to sustain a backyard garden, or if you don't have the time, desire, or room for a garden can be sold away to those who do, to offset your composting lifestyle (I jest -- it costs practically nothing). Short of everyone on Xanga mass-messaging mrandmrswingo's site, I suggest you wiki it first. Wiki is actually pretty good for stuff like this.
• Drive less. Some of us live in the middle of nowhere and we have to drive to get anywhere worth going. But once you get there walk. Or take public transportation -- which is nasty now, but will improve as more people patron it -- or failing that take a bicycle, which like walking has the added benefit of improving personal health (another nasty plague upon this country brought on by our over-consumption: America eats everything from petrol to cheeseburgers like they'll never run out. But I digress). If you can't drive less, as many of us can't, invest in an energy-saving car. Here's a hint: low emissions is good, but high mileage is better. Carbon output is directly proportional to how much gasoline you burn. Don't go for ethanol or sugarcane: those just take up valuable cropland space, get my drift? And hydrogen has to expend less clean forms of energy for its extraction. Hybrids that recharge still expend other sources like coal for power consumption. We haven't perfected localized solar usage yet, but do the best you can and get a car that will eat less gasoline. Good for the wallet, and (slightly) better for the planet.
• Tiny things are easiest, and do a suprising amount of good:
• LCD monitors use less energy than projection. This is true for computers and TVs. I don't know anyone who still has a projection, but here's another reason your wife might let you upgrade.
• Turn the lights/TV/fan off when you're not using it. Turn off your heater or air conditioner when you leave (unless you have pets, then set it closer to the outdoor temperature -- hotter in the summer, cooler in winter); you can always switch it on when you come home. The worst that happens is you're kind of uncomfortable for a half hour or so. Big deal.
• If you use a laptop, don't run it straight from the wall -- run it on battery until it's almost out, then recharge it. Repeat. Likewise, be cautious that many devices draw electricity just from being plugged in. Common devices like this include:
• microwaves or coffee makers with clocks
• VCRs/DVD players
• video game consoles
• and frankly anything with a converter box on the cord
• Buy organic fibers. Sure Nylon and Polyester and Rayon are convenient, but cotton and wool don't pump noxious chemicals into the water. So there.
  

For even more tipes, check out the SEQL website!
I know I come off as a raging hippie when I write this. I don't care. I found one thing to care about on this planet, and that's the planet.
No, OK -- we don't know everything about how our actions affect stuff. That whole 'drop in a lake' thing works two ways, and I understand that.
But we know enough to know that we CAN do something good, and that consuming less energy means less pollution, and whether that's the cause of all this global change mess or not, it can't in-and-of itself be a bad thing. Use less? Hmm? Hurt others less? Save money and resources (which I don't need to remind anyone are -- rather like this planet quickly filling with people -- finite)?
It's not so hard. And it's not that bad.

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

Since I have to be in Austin next weekend for a closing class for my internship, and Rebecca and I move into our apartment on Tuesday, this is my last "free" weekend until we move.
Of course once I get there I'll be bored for almost 3 weeks, studying and sun-tanning, and buying plastic furniture. Playing games, if I have room for my computer -- making a trip back for what I leave, if not.
The point is, I'm spending today packing stuff into boxes in such a strategic manner that if I run out of room things like winter clothes and extraneous electronics can be left behind (and retrieved on above-mentioned extra trip back).
Moving itself isn't so hard -- although every time I do it, I'm reminded how much JUNK I own and I hate it -- it's the stuff itself that's hard. As before, I have all these things I either a) got from Ben, b) got with Ben, or c) got because of Ben. He's everywhere! Literally. It's upsetting.
So at this point I'm kinda just hoping to get done packing ASAP and not to have to look at it once I'm back at school.

On a different note, I saw Norton as Hulk last night. *DROOOOOOOL* It was about 100 times better than Ang Li's version (no offense to Ang). Somehow when that CGI Hulk cries, it is with frustration and grief, not blind dumb anger, and the viewer can almost see Norton underneath there somewhere. Not so with Eric Bana. It was very Stan Lee -- the struggle between the humanity within and the monster he has to be -- which I appreciated in Spiderman and the Thing as well.
I have high hopes for Dark Knight, although it is D.C. Should kick ass.

I still know what I brought about is what I need,
but I still don't really know how to feel about it all.

I imagine this feeling will last for quite a while :-/

I really don't know how to feel about all of this.

I mean, mostly I just feel good that I did the right thing for me.
I feel stronger, more confident in myself and surer of what I need for my life to be happy.

Part of me wants to be optimistic; it wants to find someone better.
Part of me wants to just focus on me, and do what I need to do with school and stuff.

And a little part of me still hurts every time I see his face on facebook; it wants to cry when it reads his status
that says he's ready for whatever comes next because it knows that means he's moved on.

What DOES come next? Where do I go from here?