Below are the 19 most recent journal entries recorded in Laura Pinwheel's LiveJournal:

Tuesday, February 25th, 2003
6:12 pm	limbo Well, I was supposed to go to Manila today, but there was a bureaucratic mix-up with my ticket so I'm delayed until tomorrow. I remember a time, even a few months ago, when I would have gotten genuinely pissed off about something like this. But now it happens too frequently, and I just don't see the point of wasting precious caloric energy on pitching a fit. Being in limbo with my job and my life (we're still on high alert for terrorism/evacuation/armageddon) is really taking its toll, and I'm not the only one. It is very hard to walk around and live the life you've worked very hard to build when there is a constant threat in the back of your head that you might have to just pick up and walk away from it all. I don't want to leave Mindanao, but even more than that, I don't want to be constantly threatened with leaving. The only thing to really do is dig in and hope it all blows over, so that's what I'm trying to do. On the plus side, I am now moved into my new room at Moe and Dave's. I still feel like kind of a loser for moving in on this poor nice young couple who have never had their own place, but life there is sweet. They have all kinds of good books and real maple syrup for the pancakes and hot water for my evening bucket bath. I told them that if they don't get a lot less accomodating they are never going to have the opprotunity to live alone, ever. (Comment on this)
Saturday, February 15th, 2003
7:32 pm	A Small Silver Lining Well, I was so freaked out last night by all the uncertainty in my life (the threat of our getting evacuated from the country is now very real) that I finally called Pops. I love his reactions to my problems...the first few seconds of our conversation went like this: Kathy: Pop, there's a pretty reasonable chance you might be seeing me again in a few weeks. Pops: OH NO, KATH, DON'T GIVE UP JUST BECAUSE SOME CRAZY LADY... Kathy (interrupting): No, I'm not thinking about leaving on my own, Peace Corps is telling me I might be evacuated. Pops: Oh. That DOES really stink. Anyway, the good news. IF the country can remain stable for the next two weeks, I will most likely be moving in with my married friends Moe and Dave, who have a really cool house about 25 minutes away from where I live now. They are looking forward to the company, and I am looking forward to the peace and quiet. When I first brought it up to them, I was a little concerned about the fact that they are a relatively young couple and I would be invading their privacy. However, they made it clear to me that they have more room than they know what to do with and it wouldn't be imposing. So, I can look forward to amicably getting away from Nola without giving up my life here in Butuan. Project Building Blocks is going well - off now to put on another coat of paint. I'm such a handywoman...hehehe. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
7:32 pm	Numb I spent the afternoon glued to CNN and sawing blocks out of spare plywood. The kids at the center don't have any toys, so I had the brilliant idea of buying a saw and some paint and making some. What I had forgotten, of course, is that my poor arms are no longer in condition from the museum or bookstore, and cannot handle an afternoon of constant activity. Oh well...if I don't get evacuated, I guess I'll get my biceps back. I also found avocadoes, so I've been eating guacamole like crazy. I put a whole head of garlic in it, which makes it taste really good, but for some reason people on the street have been avoiding me. Is it Anti-Americanism??? Kendra and I lost the dance contest at the El Pomodoro V-day party. I'm really mad about that...we were clearly robbed. Nobody can bust a move like I do, especially on a high-energy diet like garlic guacamole. (Comment on this)
Friday, February 14th, 2003
6:17 pm	Mom Fidler, Gettin' Punchy in Her Retirement These both came from my mom in the past 2 days: Yo Kathy, Cold air has arrived, supposed to be the coldest so far, but it's beautiful, with bright blue sky and sunshine. Mailed off the two newspaper clippings about the farm to you along with the usual miscellany, and have just done my bit to save democracy by taping plastic over the basement windows...actually, I'm just repairing holes where the Kids clawed the original plastic storm seal, hoping to keep Ben from freezing, but it counts as Homeland Security now. We are all supposed to lay in supplies of plastic sheeting and duct tape (they obviously haven't yet discovered clear package mailing tape) so we can quick seal ourselves in in case of chemical or biological attack. To give the American public its due, everyone interviewed on the news recognized the ridiculousness of this. Obviously Cheney, Rumsfeld, and company have never tried to block drafts of cold air in an old house, or they couldn't suggest this with a straight face. Let alone the fact that I haven't seen any terrorists with canisters of cyanide running wildly down Radcliffe Avenue...it's too icy for running. I wonder if it will ever occur to anyone who can do anything that the power structure in this country is certifiably insane??? Not much else to report...Ben is at school, Papa will be soon, and I'll go down this PM to work after the replacement people finish office hours in G115. Take care, love ya very much...XXXOOO Mom Yo Kathy, A real bummer. Maybe Miss Nola needs to be told a few of the facts of life in nice, clear, calm English. Like Fuck Off, you're no sicker than I am, leave the bed for somebody who is. Or If you're sick, stay home and be sick, and stop thinking the whole world is interested in it. Anyway, make sure you get to that party...I'm betting you will be the sexiest babe hands down. And get an address so you can keep in touch witgh your kids if you get evacuated...though I hope that won't happen. Maybe, just maybe, the Belgians, French, and Germans can make somebody see reason. On the home front, Alan Greenspan has finally actually said the tax cut for the rich is a bad idea, and we shouldn't let the deficit get too far out of control. MAYBE people will begin to see through all this and get rid of Bush's policies (he himself is too stupid to know the difference). Actually, maybe the two situations are in some ways similar. Is it the PC supervisor or Nola who decides she should be hosppitalized?? If it's the supervisor, you have to go. If it's her, you can just say I'm not taking you to the hospital without a direct order from a supervisor, and see what she does. Make her call and bug them, so they at least know what's going on. Anyway, try to stay sane in this crazy world. Call if you need to any time, and probably somebody will answer if it rings long enough. This too shall pass...we loveya very much...XXXOOO Mom For those of you who have met my mother, can you ever picture her using the words "fuck off"??? (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, September 11th, 2002
4:26 pm	Pinheads in the Tropics Well, after not having posted for so long, I find myself in a very noisy internet cafe and inclined to get back on the LJ bus (or, as we would say in the unidentified tropical country I live in - the LJ jeepney). Stuff here is good and I've been sending most of my important news over e-mail. The only thing I've really ommitted - for the sake of the elderly - is the fact that my "friend" Kevin is in fact quite a bit more than my friend. Ask Kelly if you want the story. It's always good to read this site and see everyone's pictures and read stories of their daily lives. It is really hard to describe the psychological fact of being here. I'm certainly not homesick in the sense of being miserable, or overwhelmed by missing people (though I do miss people!). It's more of a random process - I'll have a thought that I must tell Kelly or Ben or whoever, or I'll start to crave a cheesesteak (one of my best friends here is this guy from Philly and we talk about food a lot) and then it will occur to me that I am more than ten thousand miles away from whoever it is I want to talk to and Filipinos have never heard of a cheesesteak. Then I compensate - I talk to Mel or Nola or Seyla and go eat a Yum burger at Jollibee (the coolest fast food chain EVER! and there's one in San Fran, if you're ever there). Then it only seems more surreal - does America as I know it really exist? Or do I in fact live in the Filipino idea of America, where everyone eats roast beef on their pizza and looks like the people on Friends? Off to the coffee shop for some serious caffeine. BTW, don't forget to send me your snail mail addresses!!! Don't you want pretty postcards of Mindanao?!? (Comment on this)
Monday, October 8th, 2001
9:30 am	graced with my presence hi all - it has come to my attention that: 1)there is some desire for me to visit philly this month, both on my part and on the part of my devoted friends 2) the weekend of the 27th is a big one for kelly and roopsi, and comparatively free for me 3) plane tickets are rather cheap right now. ergo, i think i am going to look into the possibilities. any thoughts from anyone? (Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 21st, 2001
3:29 pm	how to build a mongolian yurt well...i DID learn yesterday, in great detail, in fact, but i have more salacious things to discuss: remember how in every bildungsroman thriller about how a young pinhead puts her life together after college there is a guy known as The Minor Romantic Character Who is Absent For Most of the Action? (just say yes...) well, the pinhead has coped with her failed relationship, uncertainties about her job, and various personal-growth issues. suddenly, as she heads off to slay the quizo dragons one last time, she encounters The Samurai, just back from europe and lookin' mighty nice. there follows a scene in which she demonstrates her feisty personality and plays hard to get, but finally relents. in my case, it went something like this: Absentee Samurai: Can I take you out tomorrow night? Pinhead: Yes. so anyway, ol' zip has a date. maybe the world finally is coming to an end, and he will whish me away on a flying pig to watch the red sox win the world series. p.s. mongolian yurts smell like wet wool (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, August 19th, 2001
7:02 pm	my immediate future well, i realize that i have not told all of you of the great and momentous decision that i made last week (my apologies to those i've told already). the peace corps offered me my choice of two potential regional assignments (they don't assign you to a specific country until 2 months before you go, but they can take requests). the first would leave in january and be going to one of the -stans of central asia. the other would leave in june and be going to other countries in asia, including china. they told me at "the office" that they couldn't guarantee china, but that i had a decent chance of getting it if i applied to the june program and requested to be placed there. so i did. therefore, i will be in providence, mooching off my parents and working somewhere, for the next nine months. then i go wherever they tell me to go. in the meantime, all of you have to come visit me!!! :-) anyway, i'm leaving next sunday, so if you're around before that, let me know... (Comment on this)
Monday, August 6th, 2001
9:31 pm	ranting and raving 1) the peace corps should stop sending people to foreign countries entirely and focus on designing scavenger hunts. this time, it is a typewriter. i have a form that needs to be typed, not entered on a computer or merely printed, but TYPED. the lady in van pelt library looked at me like i had antlers instead of a pinhead and said, "we don't have one of THOSE here, honey..." 2) certain ex-boyfriends think way too much of themselves and their puny little jobs. i got an e-mail this morning about the glory of pennsylvania environmental activism, and, to go simply by the e-mail, all advances in recent local policy are solely due to the efforts of ONE SINGLE chicken-eating syncophant. now, i may have a pathetic and unimportant job at an institution with little social relevance, but i don't try to front and say that i have massive amounts of power to change the world and ruin the lives of those who aren't enlightened enough to listen to me and my pseudo-naderish propaganda bullshit. hint from the pinhead: don't clog my inbox by bragging about what a tool you are. 3) this weather sucks, but.... 4) our air conditioner at work was rewired yesterday to give us MORE POWER!!!!!! :) (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, July 31st, 2001
4:30 pm	i now officially exist in the eyes of the law getting fingerprinted is fun, in a sort of sick way. the detective who does it at the U city police station is really funny and keeps telling stories about "crooks" he has known. now i am off to drink tea and go. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, July 27th, 2001
7:04 pm	takin' a heaht attack ...such is the RI euphemism for a coronary. anyway, this week i turned down a job, nearly lost the job i have (well, not really, but the daring young nancy and i were quite afraid), and now it is time to par-tay because I DESERVE IT. dammit, i have as overblown a sense of entitlement as anyone else! you're only young once, but most of us are stupid forever! ;-) (Comment on this)
Sunday, July 22nd, 2001
12:53 am	chinese handcuffs so, i was sitting outside on this beautiful clear day, writing in my journal and beating myself up about life in general, and i finally worked myself into such a funk that i decided i'd just go cheer myself up by reading in live journal about other people's lives that are cooler than mine. i gave my hotmail a perfunctory check, saw a message from my mother, and almost put off reading it b/c i didn't want another treatise on the nature of foxhunting. good thing i read it...she worte in big bold capitals that the peace corps had contacted my permanent address and seemed VERY interested and wanted to schedule and interview IMMEDIATELY. maybe i won't starve to death after all!!! and garbo wants to get together at a REAL TIME tonight...pigs are flying, doubtless leaving from the tent of madame delores :-) pincushion, how's the tattooed man? world's tallest, call me: i have a funny dream to tell you about and snake charmer, when you get back and feel up to it, i'll buy ya a parent-free cup of coffee ;-) (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, July 19th, 2001
3:31 pm	scratching my pointy head... ...when was the last time I wrote? oh, I don't know. anyway, a few things: 1) warm sideshow welcomes are in order for the tattooed man (arriving today!) and my roomate, the daring young nancy on the flying trapeze, who arrived on sunday. she is my co-worker at FREACSHOW and a really cool person, and i'm sure you'll all meet her soon. 2) speaking of my co-workers, liberace is unable to attend the world's tallest woman's shindig. daring young nancy and i believe that it is because he is too busy sitting in his room jerking off to the image of samurai armor. 3) A. Gorilla, I want to have your baby. 4) A funny story courtesy of my father, Dr. Bruno vonPinwheel. Last sunday night, my mother was making one of her rare visits home, and The Bionic Legume (Ben) was elsewhere. Overtaken with "that old feeling" and in the knowledge that a new movie had just come out about the wife of Gustav Mahler (the official composer of the pinwheel family), Dr. Bruno asked his wife out. They gussied themselves up and puttered off in their little blue bug to the 16 screen mulitplex. The admission price was $8.50, which presented something of a problem, as Dr. Bruno was not feeling quite THAT romantic. He immediately demanded senior citizen admission price, and got it. There were 3 other people in the theater. After the movie, they emerged only to find that the mall was closed, and being my parents, they got lost. Finally they had to be rescued by the other couple, who had seen them wandering panic-stricken in the far end of the mall and were able to point out the very large sign that said "parking garage". Daunted, they puttered back and Dr. Ruth Carol Pinwheel summarily returned to the comforting wilderness of the farm. What can you expect from two people who met under the shrunken heads at FREACSHOW? It's a wonder I'm even here! 5) Hello, bouncy-bouncy! (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 14th, 2001
3:48 pm	Dear Landlord... Painters showed up unannounced at 8 am today, and when called by me in a fit of extreme perturbation, my landlord wisely did not pick up the phone. If a nasty, unwashed old guy named "Bill" is found emasculated with a utility knife, I wasn't in town and I don't know anything. Get it? (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, July 12th, 2001
10:28 pm	son of a donkey-raping clergyman i would like to expostulate, briefly, on the nature of the dum-dum lollipop. as everyone knows, the dum-dum is not made to any standard size specifications nor in any remotely recognizeable flavors - "strawberry", "cherry", and "fruit punch" all look and taste the same. however, there are several disturbing trends that i have noticed as a newly reactivated dum-dum consumer. 1) there is no more sour apple 2) there is still that asstacular "cream soda" flavor in the green wrapper. 3)there is a flavor entitled "buttered popcorn" 4) i am actually taking the time to think about this (Comment on this)
Monday, July 9th, 2001
6:55 pm	Thus spake Zipathustra Here at FREACSHOW we get a very generous lunch, even if we don't need it. Thus, I am writing. First of all, let me state that I very much agree with The Human Pincushion - Nitro is WAY better than sex!!!! Speaking of sex and people that your neighborhood pinhead has been known to have it with, guess who came to see me (platonically, of course) last night? You guessed it...CHICKENMAN! He's not dead!!! Anyway, we had a bit of a discussion and patched things up as well as we could - since it's likely that neither of us will be here much longer (sigh) we have basically decided to just try to let bygones be bygones and be friends. So that's good. Now I go back to my silly hats and then to get my hair cut. My poor little pointy tuft is still green, and it's time for something to be done. In closing, I have four words: sexually ambiguous man child. Have a lovely day! (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Friday, July 6th, 2001
11:32 am	"Some people go in for golf or bridge. I swallow rats." The human ostrich was so correct. Currently I am sitting in the very clean apartment of the Welsh Snake Charmer and the Human Pincushion, waiting for Madame Delores to get her clairvoyant ass over here so that we can go and ride on big frickin roller coasters. I didn't realize that we needed to wear sneakers for this endeavor, so I am now wearing a borrowed pair of smurfy blue shoes and squeezing a water bra. I would like to state for the record that THIS is what happens when you devote four years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to the University of Pennsylvania. (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, July 5th, 2001
4:52 pm	Well, here I am again, now free of the frigid aircon and silly hats of FREACSHOW for another weekend. There is a man who works down the corridor from me who seems like quite a promising prospect - very tall, dark hair, beard, NICE blue eyes, but I haven't had the chance to ask his name yet. "He's probably married or something anyway", I say to myself every time he walks past, but the truth is that I am just a big weenie. Maybe I should take my cues from The Human Pincushion and buy some sexy lingerie to restart my mojo :-) (Comment on this)
9:10 am	Welcome to the Freakshow..... Hello all...you knew it was only a matter of time until your friendly local pinhead put in an appearance. A picture will be forthcoming as soon as I can get someone to help me put it up. Anyway, this little pinhead has procrastinated too long as it is and must get to FREACSHOW and earn her daily crust of bread. (2 Comments |Comment on this)