What a long, strange trip...

I'm applying to San Francisco State to get a Masters in Cinema Studies. But, I misread the site. I thought I had until January 26 to send my application in and in fact, I had until today (The MFA is the 26th). Or, yesterday...January 12. I discovered my blunder on Tuesday and set about totally, totally freaking out all week. See, SF State only lets you apply NOW for the fall semester. I blow it now, it's one more year of fart jokes and pee-pee pants at my job. I need to motivate and fast. While the application process isn't all that tough, I still had a hillarious time gathering my shit.

Long story short...I got all my stuff together. Scholarly paper (NIGHT OF THE HUNTER beeotches!), personal statement (to learn more, teach others) thesis (Mexican new wave...it's sooo on right now!), letters of recommendation ( thank you Frank and Sandy, resume (yeah, I been around) and...unofficial transcripts. That's where the plot thickens.

I need to send "Official Transcripts" from the 3 colleges I attended to the main office and UNofficial ones to the cinema department: Santa Rosa JC, College of Marin, and Cal State Northridge. SRJC is the original bitch school. I honestly believe they think they should be a university. They simply "cannot" give me official transcripts. Too busy. College of Marin, sure. Northridge..well. We'll get to that. But fuck SRJC. I'm sick of them. 10-15 days until they can "send" my transcripts. Ohh...SRJC...you're so, so busy. Anywho, I get all my stuff together...except for my Northridge stuff. I figured I could log into the system like the old days (like, when I was a student) and get my unofficial stuff which is all I needed to complete my packet. No go.

It seems after 2 years, they bump you out. I called and found this out and I also discovered the only way I could get my UNofficial transcripts was to
1. Show up there (it's 6+ hours away)
or
2. Give a friend a handwritten note that says they can get them.

I called my friend (I have "1" friend) there and he's out of town so...yeah. I have to drive to Northridge, get my unoffical transcripts, put together my packet (and like, make it look presentable) and mail that shit with a postmark that says I got it in the mail today. Here's how today went:

3:30 a.m. Earthquake. You guys feel that shit? It was funny, really. I heard it before I felt it (like...someone really big groaning) and then when it started. I rolled over to Erica and gave a phony "Ahhhh...earthquake." We were both awake and she said, "yeah, that was an earthquake." We went to sleep.

5:30 a.m. Alarm (I have the theme to THE EXORCIST as my alarm tone...it works) I get up. Erica and I had an arrangement that I would take Igby (the dog for you late comers) outside. But, he didn't wake up. So, I got in the shower.

5:40 a.m. The reason things are so expensive here is because the weather is nice. It's been 20 degrees in the morning all week and this morning was no different. By the time water fell out of my fro, it was icy. Ugh.

6 a.m. I head out to L.A....Northridge. I stop for coffee and gas...away I go.

12:45 I get to Northridge. I walk around. Man, I sorely, sorely miss living in L.A. It was the one time I felt free and like I was truly pursuing what *I* wanted. Yet, I digress. That school...meh. Great cinema department in terms of trying to be a contender. Overall....blah. I did buy a new CSUN hat, I get my transcripts and go settle in the lounge area to quadruple check the stuff I quadruple checked twice before. I have it all. Yet, I still check it over OCD style 4-5 times.

1:00 I go to this real sketchy printing place that I always went to as a student. It's like... the same. How dare life go on as usualy without me there! I get my packets together and again, check them page by page three times.

1:15 Post office. After some confusion, I look over them and count them page by page, checklist number by checklist number...three times...then I send them "certified mail." I put my hands on the applications, wish them the best and off they go.

1:30-2:30 I want to go eat at my favorite places in my old 'hood, but I know L.A. traffic. I need to be outta there by 3:00. I get hammered by traffic and finally drive by my old apartment (I miss it so much, it hurts. Like, my gums hurt like I was chewing on paper) when I went by but, things are good here too. I miss Igby. Oh, and Erica. I go home.

9:15 Six diet cokes and a diet rockstar later, I'm amped as I roll into Petaluma. I still have 20 mins to go to Santa Rosa, so I stop by Dempseys. I see some friends, have 2 beers...head home.

Ugh...long day and I'm still all wired out. I had so many great ideas for films and docs today and I really realized just how many times I've gone from Petaluma to L.A. So many weird, funny stories...really. Anyways...good NIGHT!