So... It's been a few days since I wrote last. That would be thanks to the computer section of this particular blog. So, here's the story...
Computers:
Saturday I got up to work on my paper that is due next week in my film class. (Can you believe we are to midterms already??) I turned on the coomputer, waited for it to warm up, unclicked all the annoying boxes that come up saying things like the toner in the printer is low, and my internet is now connected, and manuevered (sp?) my way to my home page.
Errrrrk! (That's the sound of a car braking too fast.)
I got a BIG screen on my computer that said my computer has been quarantined. Quarantined?? Wha-huh?
Ok, so backing up just a bit - A week after school started they made everyone download some stuff to help get into the UCLA network, and keep it safe. I did that. I got on the internet. It kept telling me my Norton Anti-Virus was expired, and kept trying to direct me to a site where I could get their "Best Value" for $200 and blah blah dollars. Whatever. So, I would laugh and say, "Ha Ha! With what money? Moving on..." and I would go about my internet journey-o-the-day.
So, apparently that came back to bite me saturday. I got quarantined as being a menace to the UCLA network. Grrrr. On the plus side, I have 2 computers! However, my other computer is old, and the hard drive is almost full. (I call that one my "play" computer.) So, the problem was, my school computer was disabled, and my play computer- though it could get to the internet- would not connect to my printer. Double Grrrr. To top it off, the Student Technology Center (or students that are cool and fix your computer and make you happy) was closed on the weekend. Sadness. Haitus on the paper. Until TODAY! I got up, got breakfast, and marched my sad quarantined computer to the STC. Half an hour later, do do do do! (Yeah, those were trumpets.) I had a happy working, unquarantined computer, and a date with my blog. Happiness again fills the air with the laughter of small children and the smell of brownies...
Laundry:
Ok, this is SO going on the "Things you thought about and they should have told you in advance" list!
Now, before I came to school, I made super-detailed lists of all the things I needed. Even down to like nail polish remover and my Magic 8 Ball. (Ok, I didn't NEED that, but still - it's a MAGIC 8 BALL!)
One of the things on my list was quarters for laundry. Makes sense, right? When I was in Texas, I learned that a great place to keep laundry quarters were in the plastic tube containers they sell that hold mini M&M's. My mom and I both looked for one - believe it or not, a hard task - but I finally found a regular sized one, and a super LONG one. I decided to use the long one, because it holds more quarters, which means more loads of laundry before I run out again.
Last monday I was finally in need of doing laundry, or I would have to start wearing my underwear inside-out... Ew. Nevermind. Anyway, LAUNDRY! I got my clothes, my detergent, my dryer sheets (which like a dork I forgot to use, even though I brought them) and my quarters. I walked to the laundry room, put my clothes in, and... where are the slots for the quarters? I looked all over. No slots. Hmmm...
Then I realized that there was a computer with a swiper on the wall. I read the screen, and it told me which washers and dryers were free. It then had other instructions roll across the screen. Choose the number washer you want to use, and swipe your school ID. Ok. Will it then tell me where to put my quarters? NOPE. Apparently, quarters are so last year. Now they use your ID card like a credit card, and debit the money from your ID account. It's a good thing I had a few dollars left on the card from my orientation this summer! Otherwise I would have been stuck with the inside-outs. *shudder*
Here's the kicker though... I took my quarters to the front desk, because they have a machine to load more money on your card. I decided I would just add back in what I took out, so I would have enough for my next laundry rendevous (sp?). BUT, the money machine doesn't take quarters! Lame. I had to go to the front desk, and ask for a $5.00 bill in exchange for my quarters (because it doesn't take 1's either) and then put the money on my card. Ugh! What a hassle! Had they told me all this before I came to school, there would not have been the search for the quarter containers, and I would have brought bills instead of my all now useless quarters. Well, I can use them on the bus, I guess...
Yogurt:
Ok, Seriously. Apparently lack of options makes something in LA worthy of being fashionable. Have you ever heard of Pinkberry? Well, it's apparently a very popular frozen yogurt chain. There is one down in Westwood Village, just up from Wilshire, and I decided to go in while I was walking around last week and see what all the hoopla was about.
I walked in, and told the guy at the front counter, "So, how does this work? I've never been to a Pinkberry before."
Now, you might think this is a weird thing to say, but I asked because the menu had prices, and that's it. No list of flavors, or anything. Just size prices, and how much extra for a topping. Ok, back to the story...
So the guy at the counter looks at me, and says, "You've never had frozen yogurt before?"
Duh. Of course I have. "Yes, I've had frozen yogurt, but what flavors and stuff do you have here?"
This is the kicker. "We have original, green tea and coffee."
What? Original, green tea and coffee? And the other flavors are...? And "original" would be flavored how...?
So I opted for a small original, and splurged and got strwaberried for a topping. It came to just under $5.00.
So I ask you, what kind of a lame yogurt shop only has 3 flavors? And one of them is called "original"? Apparently it's really all about the toppings, because they add like a buck to your order for one small spoonful of junk slathered over the top of your oh-so-creative frozen treat.
Of course, my next question would be (if I had continued the conversation), "So where exactly does the Pinkberry come in?"
The answer would probably be, "Pink berries are a dollar extra."
Lame.
So a couple days later I decided to look into a different frozen yogurt shop I saw in the village called Red Mango. I thought there for sure had to be more options on yogurt flavors than 3...
I was wrong. Original, and green tea. *Rolling eyes* I turned around and walked out. What ever happened to options??
I'm going to open a store up here called BREAD. We will only serve wheat and white bread. A 1/4" thick piece will be $3.95, 1/3" will be $4.95, and 1/2" will be $5.95. We will charge extra for toasting - $0.55. Our toppings will include butter, jam (strawberry or grape), peanut butter (creamy or chunky), cheese and marshmallow fluff. Each topping will be $1.05.
Sales will skyrocket, and I will have school paid off in a month. It will be awesome.
Why?
Lack of options. Yup. It's the new pink.