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FEBRUARY NINE
Alright, it's been another week and benvankat.com is coming along slowly but surely behind the scenes, so hold tight. From now on, all of the news-related items (if you can really call it news...it's mostly just me rambling) will be exclusively at blog.benvankat.com. I even added a fancy new button at the top of the screen linking you right there. so head on over to the blog for the latest and greatest in the life of ben. all of the other information will be here until further notice. And I'll keep updating it so don't fret. All the pictures and the quotes and that crap will keep coming. just the "news" will be somewhere else. peace!
FEBRUARY TWO OK, so I lied, the other page is making me mad. I can't get anything to work, so don't go there yet. This is just way easier to do this way, so until then, stick with the OLD dormitory site ( this one ). I'll let you know again when benvankat.com is truly ready for a grand opening. Tomorrow is our anniversary. Three years. C-R-A-Z-Y. I can't believe it's been this long. But don't worry mom, the future is still up in the air. Nothing anywhere close to wedding plans yet. You're safe.
JANUARY THIRTY ONE Sad, to say, today is probably one of the last days at THIS site. The Dormitory will be making the jump to benvankat.com. New place with more space. Same old stuff though. Right now, it's just the journal, until I get some time to move the pictures and links and all the other stuff. So, don't fret, it'll all still be here, you might just have to update a bookmark though. ( Ha, like you actually bookmarked this. I'm getting ahead of myself. ) Anyway. Enjoy the evening. And check out the new place. Peace.
JANUARY TWENTY NINE Random thoughts of the day. Lindsay Lohan is officially added to the 100 Hottest list. You know her...Parent trap, Freaky Friday girl. Next...I'm in a class called "film directors" ( Yeah, heavy stuff. ) Is there really a need to say that we are "screening a film" instead of just "watching a movie?" If, one day, I was to slip and say "movie", is the ghost of Gene Siskel going to pop out and cut my head off using that black and white thing that they snap shut at the beginning of a new scene? Or will all the dyed-hair, pierced lip, scarf-wearing indie girls ( very obviously the Film majors ) in the class just give me cold stares like I just cursed Conor Oberst or something? Thought 3: Has SportsCenter jumped the shark? Is it possible
that the greatest news show of our generation finally started the long downhill plunge that will eventually cause it to "fade into Bolivian" as Mike Tyson would say? I decided that I don't really find it all that good anymore. ESPN in general has taken a dive. Playmakers? NIGHTLY Outside the Lines? I watch more MTV, which is a whole conversation in itself. At the moment, it's "You've Got Mail." Ben Vankat, book store owner. Good plan. Let's move to Malibu. OK, I just decided that is my life's calling. Catch ya later, I gotta make that happen.
MUSIC NOW: The Bens ( what a perfect name for a band. And they're good too! )
JANUARY TWENTY FIVE HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!
Clubhouse leaders after the opening round in Ben's 100 Hottest Hotties...Mandy Moore and Shannyn Sossamon (from Knight's Tale, Rules of Attraction)...Early surprise (to you, maybe) -- Kelly Osbourne. Look twice, she's hotter than you think. This list is of course a celebrity list and includes no one that I would have an actual chance with. (THAT list will follow quickly on the heels of this one, but will include few names, as I know many girls around campus only as "hewitt center blond basketball player" or "that girl from the other end of our floor" or "hot cheerleader." ooooh. hot cheerleader...ask adam on that one.)
If there was ever a day that I would pray to the UNL administration, it's today. Please, please close school tomorrow. The drive back to Lincoln was bad enough, with the tires going off the road once and all, and semis nearly crashing together in front of us, that I deserve it. This weekend was a real tough one, and I believe that the university owes me an off day. I would love them forever and never say anything bad about UNL ever until Tuesday if they will just grant me this one wish.
DJ KG, thanks for the dedication! I didn't hear it though. Despite, it was the first time my name has ever been mentioned over the radio waves. Good feelings.
Went to the car show with my dad on Saturday afternoon. The Qwest Center conquers again. It's better than the Civic for the show. I sat in a $100K mercedes. Hmm, best in show? ... new Range Rover, 2005 Mustang, Mazda 3, Nissan Altima, and of course the Scion xB. You'll want one, trust me. It's like the most original car design ever. At least that's what I thought until I went to the midnight movie at Dundee and I swear they had the same car in Romeo and Juliet with Leo and Claire Danes. Speaking of old Juliet, where the hell has she gone?!
Completely gone, like Mo Vaughn. Like Ricky Martin gone. Like Mase the rapper (who is now a minister, by the way) gone. Why can't I just be rich? It's not quite fair.
You should be eating Sour Patch Kids right now. They're so good.
NEW IPOD PLAYLIST 1. The Postal Service "Such Great Heights" (This is a spectacular song.)
2. The White Stripes "Offend in Every Way" (From White Blood Cells, possibly the best)
3. Lauryn Hill "Everything is Everything" ("Flippin in the ghetto on a dirty matress")
4. Clever "Swallow" ("If you don't like it, make a change and make it better.")
5. Maroon 5 "The Sun" (This playlist is shaping up well, so far...)
6. Hootie and the Blowfish "Only Wanna Be With You" (Speaking of G-O-N-E.)
7. The Urge "Liar Liar" (They're actually a pretty good standby if you're tired of everything else.)
8. The Beatles "Paperback Writer" (I'd like to be one. Also it's a good sunny day interstate driving song.)
9. The Bealtes "Two of Us" (Nighttime driving on our way home, or in a shower wearing raincoats...)
10. Wyclef Jean "Jaspora" (It's like in French or something...different, but cool. Can't end on this though)
11. Jason Mraz "The Boy's Gone" (CAN end on this. Perfect.)
JANUARY TWENTY TWO My first set of negatives came out! After about 20 minutes of worry, it was a huge relief. I should be scanning them tomorrow and should have some prints by the afternoon so I'll put 'em up if they turn out good.
I have begun my own "100 Hottest Hotties" collaboration. (Mine will have no dudes.) Anyone with suggestions for the list -- send em in!
I only have one class tomorrow. Do you think the teacher would listen to a request to have the time moved from 8:30 to something more reasonable like 10? It may be worth a shot.
Two new pictures. New front page. New links. New people. ( Have you already seen them? ) Couple new quotes too, from over break.
JANUARY NINETEEN The excitement of the day involves me having a place to live next year that is not the dorms. We have finally found a house. It should be sweet! ( Oh yeah....Hey mom, we found a house! ) With Kevin and Brian and Adam. I am so ready to leave this dorm. We had a fire drill at 1230 today. Lovely. So, instead of standing around in the cold, I walked over to the Union and read a magazine and looked for film. More on the day later. Or not, it wasn't THAT cool.
Chris is home. Hope he had a good trip. I should call him tomorrow.
I'm going to start making mix CDs again. I miss them.
JANUARY EIGHTEEN OK, it's been a week already. The semester is 1/18th of the way over. Bad news that I'm already thinking about that.
I am in desparate need of an automobile. Being dorm-locked is unbelievably depressing because it means I can never leave without bothering somebody for a ride. It also means that someone has to accompany me everywhere I go like a damn chaperone. I wish I could just get some privacy. And, I need some inspiration. I'm bored with Lincoln right now. I need to plan a trip. Somewhere exciting and new. I'm gonna have to look into that. I'll go to my advisor and set up next year's study abroad. Then I'll look for plane tickets for going to Europe with Tessa
this summer. Then I'll call people who I haven't talked to in a while. Then I'll start reading again. And watch the news and follow politics. All the stuff I used to do, back in Omaha............................and with that, I think I have found my problem....I miss home.
JANUARY THIRTEEN Today was cool because it meant playing basketball with Wilson Thomas. Just me and him shooting around at the rec. You know him, old Husker receiver and O.North alum. Cool guy, pretty quiet. I don't think I can take him one-on-one, but I held my own shooting against the guy.
Classes are OK, first days, you know the drill...Check the syllabus, get a taste of what you're gonna be doing, look around the class for the hot girl. (Abbey, don't read that.) Once things get going, it gets better. This first week is a whirlwind. Getting supplies, getting comfortable in the loft again, remembering how to write (does anyone else get that? If I take a break from writing, my handwriting is terrible when I get back.) Tomorrow I have to hang up clothes and start actually doing homework. Thus far, it's been nothin but relax, now the work starts.
Chingy, Maroon 5, Brittney Snow (? YES! Now I have to watch American Dreams) on TRL this afternoon, it was a good episode.
Went to my first film screening today for my Directors class. I can already tell its gonna be a bunch of BS. Who decides what a good movie is, anyway? I hate how I already know that we're only going to be watching movies that are in black and white. It drives me insane. And FILM STUDENTS. Aside from Zack C, it's a bunch of dyed-hair shut-ins. Should be fun. I can feel a B already, and what can I do about it? So, I've never seen a Frank Kapra film. I decided I have a new motto. Screw culture!
Tomorrow, I'm going to write a letter to a mass murderer who is in prison. What do they do with their time? What do they read? What is the Son of Sam's favorite movie? These are things I need to know....
JANUARY TWELVE School's back in and I couldn't be happier.
YEAH RIGHT.
My brother now officially has the coolest iPod in history. Engraved on the back is "The ice in my teeth keeps the Cristal cold." Can't beat that. I put the picture up.
My last full night in Omaha was spent in my back yard with Abbey and my parents. I was throwing snowballs at a possum that was just chilling on the fence, scaring our dog. My dad promised 10 bucks if I could hit the thing and I eventually delivered. It was probably the funniest moment of Christmas break.
This class schedule thing makes me tired. Two naps today. Don't hate me.
JANUARY TEN SITE UPDATES! New pictures from break. New people on the people page. New quotes. New colors.
Bad Santa the movie sucks ass. Real bad.
Came home after the movie and watched old home videos and heard the story of how my parents met. It is a wonderful classic and everyone should hear it once ( or twice ) in their lifetime. It was a wrong phone number. c-r-a-z-y.
JANUARY NINE How sad can it be that break is over in one day? I need to transfer already. Everytime the word "Lincoln" is mentioned, I get a negative feeling. Yes, negative. Creighton should definitely lower their tuition price. Or my mom should work there.
I got the rest of my Christmas presents delivered over the last two days...New watch. Super cool for only 30 bucks. And I got the necktie wristband. Not so hot. It's goddamn pink! Pink is cool, but not THAT cool. Like, I could wear a pink shirt. Not a pink necktie around my wrist though. Too much.
Two weeks of sale at Urban Outfitters. Can I survive? Uh oh. I found 2 new coats at American Eagle...
March Madness is already gripping my body. And it is exactly 70 days from today. TEN WEEKS. I can't wait.
Goodnight, Moon.
JANUARY FIVE Tonight was Urban Terrorism night. Todays task in "This book will change your life" was to cut out an "out of order" sign and up it up somewhere in public. Mine found its way on to a bathroom stall door at the Oakview movie theaters. Hehehe...take that! ( Yeah, I know, I'm a badass. )
Me and Ned and Abbey saw "Cold Mountain." Nicely done? Golden Globe Winner? Oscar contender? Probably. Good movie? Would see it again? Hardly. (*in the words of Clipse -- So, what's the fuss about? ) I really do need to see more movies...21 Grams, House of Sand and Fog, the Lord of the Rings 3 (again), In America, the Last Samurai, Runaway Jury, Kill Bill (if they're still out). Hell, I'd even see Love Actually. Sad as that may be. Hugh Grant is cool. Well, About A Boy is cool. The rest of his movies sort of suck. Anyway. Feel free to call me anytime for a movie night. I'm sure Abbs will let me free......
New iPods out in less than 8 hours. I'm excited. I'm pathetic. I might eat lunch with KG. That's exciting and not at all pathetic. Something to look forward to.
JANUARY FOUR I really would update with some new pictures if Tessa would ever give my camera back! LSU is number one. So is USC. It snowed 6 inches. I got March Madness 2004. You won't hear from me for days.
JANUARY TWO Today, I got up late. Then I went shopping. Mmmm, Hollister. It is the most wonderful store in the world. Except when ugly people are working. Where is Chris's hot friend when you need her?! And the clothes are cool too. A tshirt with a hood. Let the trend begin. I bought a new watch online from Urban Outfitters yesterday and I'm sending back the Nixon piece of crap. It's awesome looking, but it resets every two hours or so. What a pile of poop. The U-O watch is a nike one and it's round. Screw all the wide band squareness, I'm doing it different. I tried to buy another one too (white leather band!) but they were out of it...Bummer. Today I got a network card for a penny on eBay! A PENNY!
Yeah, so I've been neglecting my website...and it's time for an update now that I have nothing better to do on a Friday night. Monday and Tuesday and early Wednesday were spent in South Dakota with G-ma and G-pa. I haven't been there in a year! Guess what, they look the same. Not that it's a bad thing. New Year's was over at Tessa's. I had a real good time. Got to see all the old folks...It was really fun.
Nebraska football, hmm......NO. It's basketball season now. But I do have to say one thing...Walt Harris from Pitt will be the next coach. I said it the night Solich got fired.
The Maroon 5 CD is all I have listened to for the past two weeks. It's great. Oh yeah, that and stuff by Kara's Flowers. They're good too.
