Val Murphy

09:37 am - heart val

Howdy All,
As most of you know, I am off to Venice. I have set up a blog so anyone who wants to follow in my misadventures may (or at the very least have another website to distract you from work). I'm hoping to have updates at least three times a week, but as school gets busy and I get lazy that number may decrease. Thanks for everyon'es well wishes and pass this along to whoever might want a read!

www.heartval.blogspot.com

heart val

09:04 pm - Crap- it just hit me

I'm leaving the country. As in no more USA.

I've visited in other countries before- hell, even lived in other places, but for some reason this adventure seems a little more daunting than any. Maybe due to the duration, possibly the level that is expected of me in school, but mot likely that I am doing in to major debt only to start the job hunt all over again. Woopie!

My going away party in Chico was extremely fun. I drank way way too much. My tally marks ended at 11, and that was before the beer bong. Hell, why not? Rule one in venice: No booze, No boys. Seems like I should get as much as possible of both right now.

Speaking of- I seem to only fall for guys when I know I will have an out. I went for Leow as I was applying for Davis, Sherk with in 5 months of leaving Portland, and now A.H.? But lets get real here- A.H. and I are no where near Sherk, and not even in the same universe as Leow.

I've started packing. Woot!

11:55 pm - 31 days away

Zowie- things have been busy.

The Chico Dream is an excellent life style. However, there is a fine line between living the dream and being a piece of crap bro-dawg. To live the dream one must:

- Have some form of employment
- Have acquired some form of higher education (at least a bachelors, preferable some post graduate work)
- Have aspirations beyond living the dream. Come in, party hard, but have an exit plan.
- Have no regrets
- Worry not for tomorrow.
- Drink.

All of these key points have been the guide Jeff and I have been living by. Strangely enough, this had lead to both of us find people of the oppsite sex who are interested in us. Very odd. Getting fall down drunk and refusing to show any signs of involvement in potential mates would be my idea of a turn off- but I am but one person. I guess people are more like abused pets.... the more you ignore them the more they want your attention.

31 days until I am out of Chico. Zowie again.

06:59 pm - Holly's Las Vegas Birthday Party

01:19 pm - Evolution

I am no longer human. I have evolved in to a party animal.

Las Vegas party tonight (I'm going as a ring girl) and Nate's Free-Rent party tomorrow. I drink more nights than not, am late to work everyday (but I work for my Dad and I know he can't pay me for 40 hours a week- I'm helping him out!), and the pin to my moral compass is just spinning. I'm possibly the happiest I've ever been.

Less than two months to Venice. Wow face.

Design kids are coming to Chico on the 8th. Drinking, eating, swimming, tubbing, the whole 9 yards. I have set up a blind date for Jeff and Kitty. They both want to makes this a blind date to end all blind dates- if anyone can it's them.


kitty: "I want to dress like a whore- no wait- my prom dress."

jeff: "I'll just get fall down drunk."

Wow face.

03:12 pm - 88 mph and a De Lorean

Three weeks ago I planned to go to Vallejo today to visit with Tony. I hadn't been able to get a hold of him last week so I thought the trip was off. At 2:00 I get a text message from Tony: "In NewYork on standby trying to get home. i'll call you when I land."

So I'm just suppose to run down to Vallejo whenever Tony calls me? Maybe not!

I need to go to the city on Monday to get my visa. Might as well be down there more than one day. However I have made zero plans, am totally unprepared, and have no where to stay.

I gotta get out of this smoke- this insane town- just go be normal for a few days.

Oh I am moving slow... being far too lazy.

06:23 pm - Father's Day

Took the pop painting up the Feather River Canyon today. Meliss and Mom came as well- a good outing over all. I'm not really an oil painter, nor a landscape painter, but it is the medium and subject of choice for the dad.

Any more painting puts me in a pissy mood. I used to be so good at it, but not having been proactively practicing for the past few years has defiantley shows in the final product. I just need to get back on the wagon.

I'll be going to the bay for the 4th of July and to get my visa. Good fun!

08:20 pm - Jump away or stay and play?

Last week was way too much .... I'll call it fun.

Going out and drinking for 5 days in a row, with one night off, followed by another 4 wore me out. I used to be able to do 10 days straight, but no longer. I get sleepy/sick, much as I am now with a sore throat. My allergies are more likely to blame for the icky throat, but it won't hurt to take a little time off.

I wish I had the money and/or time to just go away by myself for a weekend. I love living with my family and all, but I miss quite val time. Problem is that I need to be saving all of my money for Venice. I am only four months away. Wow!

10:26 am - Even a Tuesday can seem like a monday

I love walking in to the shop at 10:00 and already have my Dad fuming mad about whatever. This time we did a project wrong where the dropshadow (which should have been bearing right) beared left. Come on, the shirt still works! Anger.

I'm back on the idea of marrying rich. How sweet would that be? I would gladly be a kept wife with my only responsibilities being to have dinner waiting after work, keep a clean house, and not get fat. I have to do those things anyways, as well as go to work. Lame.

I got my letter of invitation from the school in Italy. I have to wait until July 17th to get visa, as you can only apply 90 days before you leave. This means that I also have to buy a plane ticket by then, which I am not looking forward to throwing down the fat cash. Again, that rich husband would make this very easy.

Only two more weeks of after school then it is summer school time. Sweetness.

06:41 pm - Worth the ticket price

I bought Marvel vs Capcom 2 today. It is the most I will ever spend on a video game, but so worth it.

08:02 pm - Yep

Hot today- gonna be hotter tomorrow.

I want more money, but lack the drive to get it.

Had a good time in Oakland. Very relaxing for the 12 or so hours I was there. It was worth everything to see how drunk Jeff got on the way down.

P.S. I think open containers in cars should be legal. It is stupid to band the entire car from drinking- so long as the driver is sober, what does it matter? I personally don't like downing beers in cars- i get too sick, but why shouldn't the guys in the back seat be having a good time?

05:15 pm - 59 word fiction

A pandemic broke out at the sorority house. Tiffany blamed Heater, Crystal pointed a shaky fingure at Brittany. Tina was pissed at them all. Her hollow voice echoed from the violated toilet bowl, "I told you not to kiss those frat boys! They are all diseased! We don't have the immunity!" But who could, they were just too cute.

by valerie and darrell murphy

10:51 pm - Chico in Spring

I still feel suspended from existance in Chico. Sure, I have been back for four months now, but it still seems like I will leave to go back to some other home. Like I am on a long vacation here - with all of my stuff.

Well, if I am on holiday, there is no better time to be here. The town is beautiful!


1 mile looked so nice i had to stop my bike and take a picture

08:21 pm - Here now There later

Here Now-
Poor Paige was tricked in to a trip to the Murphy ranch today. The morning after a night of drinking for Amy V's birthday is always started off well with a visit from the Pop and a grand slam at Denny's. I let into my Dad's puppy dog-face and agreed to go out to the ranch.
Today was marking day, meaning all the yearlings are branded, castrated, and tagged. All the elements are just perfect to lead to a good kick to the gut from a pissed-off cow. Thankfully we showed up just as everyone was finishing. I was handed to bowl of bloody testicles. Yummy.

There Later-
I'm going to Italy!! I got the offcial letter of acceptance, so now I just have to pay that sweet fat cash that I don't have. Tomorrow I turn in an application for a second (third if you include my web stuff) job. I've run 12 hour days before, don't see why I can't do it again.
I'll be getting an MA in Graphic Design, learning all about the printing press. Very exciting! Working at the screen printing shop has me thinking of all kind of ideas. Fun stuff.

Portland in 4 days. I am excited for the roomies and a little nervous about a certain pale eyed boy. Let's see how this works out.

04:34 pm - Interview

Tomorrow at 1 p.m. EST I have a phone interview with KEI, who are facilitating my possible acceptance in to grad school in Venice Italy. The school is the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica di Venzenia. http://www.scuolagrafica.it/

Wish me luck!

01:55 pm - san diego / working / vita

Weekend in San Diego went well. I visited with my family (aunt/grandmother) drank with the little sis (a fell down a hill in a drunken state) and visited with old santa cruz buddies (percey, edwin, flo, tim). Over all it was a good trip, but I spent way too much money. Seeing as how I do not have a real job, the money thing is a big deal.

I am currently working freelance as a webmaster for Pacific Dreams Inc, the japanese translation firm I worked for in Portland. Oh ya got to love the Japanese.

I am also a web developer for a certain place in Chico which i will leave nameless. Short in the long, I knew this guy would take advantage of me and my work, which he has. I knew he would be a jerk, which he has been, but personally offending me was an unexpected bonus! Let's put it this way: no one is working at 8:30 at night so stop calling me after dinner. After this project I am working on I will cut the cord and run.

Next week I am leading a coup d'état at the shop. Pop will be out of town so I plan on firing the meth-head employees and making a functioning website. Things are alreasy looking up!

03:19 pm - Back in Shittown

Howdy team,

So I am offically moved back to Chico. I left my keys with Sherk yesterday morning and hauled ass back to the homestead with Capatain and the Crazy, AKA the parents.

Awesomely enough, I got sick on the way home and have been aching and sneezing since then. Everything is in piles around me. Unhappy times. I like having things in order.. it allows me to work better.

Speaking of work, I got some things I need to get done:

1)Portfolio for Grad School (Scuola Internazionale / Monterey State / CCA / etc)
2)Personal Statements (listed above)
3)Resume
4)Part time work (Accu Graphics / PVHS / TA at Chico State?)
5)Oh yeah, and unpack.

I might be home ridden for new years- woopitie doo. Oh well, it might be the best... I need to wallow in my own crapulance over too much emotion and not enough realitly.

Keep love excellence!

11:00 am - It's official

At HB Lee Middle Schoool yesterday I asked the series of questions to my students:

1)Who would want to take this course again next quarter? --->All hands go up
2)Who would want this class to be offered more days every week? --->All hands go up
3)Who would be willling to have this class two periods a day?--->All hands go up
4)Who would want to take this class if I wasn't teaching it?---> You could hear the crickets

So it is official. I told the kids and boos-man yesterday I would be moving back to California in jan. I only stayed in Portland the last 3 months for this part-time job, and am really bummed to be leaving. But, the boss gave me well wishes and said he would write an excellent letter of req for grad school.

Speaking of grad school, I found the perfect program. I am still making sure it will work, but if I got it.... drool.

09:38 pm - Post-Peggy

The weekend with Melissa here was excellent. We hit such hot spots as the zoo, Powells Books, the Cyrstal Ballroom for the Great Northern Show, Vista House, and various waterfalls, as well as drinking ourselves stupid. Girlie drinks a LOT, and OFTEN.

But the highlight of the weekend for me was this video, shown to me curtious of MP.

09:40 pm - Oh the glory!

Upcoming events:

Melissa P. Murphy comes in to Portland tomorrow for the weekend. She will be joined by 2 other house guests (via the roommates) and a livingroom full of drunk fools. Wyley will be making his famous Fish-House punch, which has been said to take Goldie Hawn down. I'll update after the event.

RAGE '07. I have been conditioning my lungs and liver for the event. Here we come-woot.

Rosanna will be coming to visit on Dec 6-8th. I am highly looking forward to the swash buckling and other foolishness that is sure to occur.

I will be done teaching on Dec. 18th, which is bumming me out big time. The kids have been rock stars this year. My favorites are Thao-Vi, who draws better than Disney, Fluffy (Devin) who is such a sckranwy little guy, Bobby (the scarecrow) who needs to sit down more, and Conner (that guy is up to something, I can tell.)

OKay, clean 'em up, move 'em out!