I am a pheonix, taking it's last few breaths before....

The Year in Retrospect
Okay, since the end of the year is here and I am actually done w/ work for the year, I am gonna just sit for a sec before I leave and reflect on the year almost gone by. Some things were awesome, some well, not so much...

Things I hated about this year:
Pop's stroke
Auntie Zeny's stroke
"Mama's" stroke
Friends getting laid off
Money problems
Alcoholism
The Lakers' playing up to this point in the season

People who left us this year...
Lolo Bo
Marlene's Dad

On the brighter side...
I spent 2 Weeks in the East coast
Got a new job, a secure one
Went on a retreat that allowed me to refresh my relationship w/ God
Splurged during x-mas
My cousin Leilani got married
The Angels won the World Series
Lakers 3 peated

That's all that I can think of for now...but now, the traditional new year's resolution list...I thought of a few before that I blogged about, but this is a more recent and updated version I guess...now remember, the key to keeping resolutions is to maintain realistic goals:

Workout at least 2x a week
Lose 5 pounds by April
Quit Smoking by March
Clean the apt every other week at least
Be less critical
Maintain a budget and watch my finances
Take some classes(I love learning)
Be more assertive...a lot more
Take more risks

I still am not totally sure what I'm gonna do tonight. Seems like the plan is to barhop around the spectrum and get sloshed :) So anyone else wanna join, you know my number...or e-mail me or whatever...drunkenness loves company! I don't know, but it seems like this year, New Year's isn't the big exciting holiday as it has been in years past. Is it just because we're getting older? Or is it just one of those years? Cuz i remember before, not just when it hit 2000, but like every year before, everyone was making their new year's plans like weeks in advance. We'd know of all the parties...or we'd be heading to Vegas or NYC or something. This year, it's just like, "Hey, what are you gonna do?" Met with, "I don't know" and subsequently, "Me either." Maybe cuz everyone's out doin their own thing, I don't know...but it just doesn't seem the same. Regardless, whatever you and your friends and family are doing...be safe...there's a lot of crazy shit out there happening and don't get yourself caught up in it! Til next year!

I am a bruised apple...

I am so sore right now, I didn't even feel like getting out of bed this morning. Goodness, so now I don't feel like working either. Plus the fact that it's new year's eve eve, and tomorrow is yet, ANOTHER half day. And remember, half days, in my opinion, are pointless. It's weird cuz I've felt so out of it workwise the past 2 weeks, cuz the holidays fall right on hump day, so it's like having 4 mini weekends in two weeks...throws you off a bit. But I am sitting here w/ work to do, and totally reluctant to do any of it. Days like these suck, now I know that time is gonna go by soooo slowly, and that's gonna suck major doodoo. I'm still trying to figure out what to do for tomorrow...so far, the tentative schedule is to go to dinner and roomie's grandma's and then head to the spectrum and just get sloshed and party over there, take a cab home and pick up the car in the morning. Sounds good so far... I think I'm gonna go outside and smoke, that'll kill some time... I only have a few weeks left of smoking...down to like 2,sometimes 3 a day...I've eliminated the late evening cig and the morning commute one...just gotta get rid of the breaktime, postlunch and after work commute ones. So far so good though...

The day after the gluttonous evening is a lot better now. I think I've gotten rid of all that food I took in at the party. Played football w/ "my" inlaws today...shit it was fun..but I'm hella tired and only have a minor injury...took a cleat to the ankle, from a guy on my own team! We slammed into each other going for a pick... and I scored, count'em, ONE, TWO touchdowns, baby. Caught one deep in stride and the other was a floater in the endzone. Fun fun fun. Pop was there too and was walking around the park while we played...It was cool though, I hadn't run like that since our championship game, and it felt good to get a little exercise. I know I'm gonna sleep nice tonight.

My cousin from the Philippines called tonight, he was pretty funny...I haven't really talked to him in over 15 years and haven't seen him since like I was 4 and we were talking like we always talked on the phone. He was saying that he had 6 girls and that he'd give me 3 cuz I didn't have any, ha ha ha. I really wanna go home to see him, and he asked when we were gonna go back there, but I told him we were supposed to, but w/ all the crazy stuff that happened to pop, we have to wait til he gets better before he can really travel again. But it was good talking to him nonetheless. Hopefully, I can go soon...

It's funny how one plan doesn't seem to work out, but things always happen so that another plan comes up. I was supposed to hang out w/ my friend tomorrow at this cafe I love going to in Fullerton...steamers. But she couldn't hang out, cuz of a work project. So, on my way home from my folks' place, my friend Kaye called, who just so happens to be over here for the holidays from Japan...and tomorrow she's totally free to hang out. Being that that's pretty much the only day she could hang out before she goes back on the second, it worked out perfectly...somebody's lookin out for me :). Anyway, time for bed...

I am a nose....a big red ugly nose...

I hate when my allergies act up...I've been sneezing all day and my eyes are all teary and nose all runny. I don't even know what it is that triggerred it. Well, it might not really be just allergies, because I don't have the itchy scratchy throat feeling...so maybe I'm getting sick...AGAIN. I think it just creeps up on you cuz it actually takes a cold or something like 2 days to gestate before you actually start developing symptoms. And so many people have been sick lately it's practically impossible to figure out who has whatever and who gave you this and that. Sucks...sickness that is.

Today was pop's 61st b-day. The family party was pretty good, lots of people, too much food...maybe that's one of the things that contributed to my feeling so sick. I was pretty damn tired all throughout though, I took 2 naps...and I think they were each over an hour long....which explains the reason for my still being awake. I was actually supposed to go see LOTR: The Two Towers again, but BOTH my cousin and her hubby got sick after some party they went to, which I think turned out for the best. Because I'm not feeling so hot myself. So here I am, bloggin and watching Toy Soldiers...man, it was a great film, I remember after Tae Kwon Do class and we went to watch it...I loved it. You know what was another great movie? Sneakers...ahhh, those were the days.

My cousin was looking throught some old pics of our family earlier today, and she was commenting on how skinny I was...and I was thinking, "Oh yeah, I used to be pretty damn skinny back then." But when I looked at the picture in question, it was a picture of me holding London just when she was born. WHEN SHE WAS BORN! That was only a lil over 2 years ago, sheesus, I've gained that much weight since then? That kinda makes me sad, because everyone's been saying that I'm gettin a lil pudgy, I guess I better act on that and hit the gym finally. Well, I think that's enough for tonight...the Lakers finally managed to pull of a decent win, which I hope becomes some sort of streak. Denver did get to within 3 but the comeback was quelled by sir Kobe and gen Shaq. Til next time dear friends...I bid thee adieu...

I have that it's-Friday-I-don't-wanna-work-even-though-I'm-busy-but-who-cares-it's-friday feeling...which sucks cuz I know I'm gonna be here late today. My friends are starting a business of their own...four of them. People I mean, not businesses. But it's pretty cool, they were all signing paperwork and stuff for their company at lunch today. It seems like it'll do well...and they have all the resources they need available to them. Plus they've got some really smart people on their team. I was inspired to see them so driven to do something like that, and they said that if I want to invest in it later, I can. Pretty crazy...I'd like to start a business of my own, but I nothing is really driving me like it is them, for now at least. I'm still trying to settle into the life of an adult...Yikes, I said adult. Am I one, already? Man oh man...I think hell's freezing over...

I am an upset stomach...

I don't know why, but my stomach is killin me right now...and it's not the I have to go to the bathroom, so I can feel better pain, it's just hurting...like I wanna go home lay down on the floor and curl up into a lil ball type pain. I don't know what's wrong, I only had a tuna melt...but I just ate that like 15 minutes ago, can it cause pain that fast? Well, also only ate one shrimp taco for dinner yesterday, maybe that was it? I kinda wish my body was like see through right now so I could see what it was in there that was messing everything up. It's something, but I don't know what it is or what it was, I just know my stomach hurts, I have to work, and it sucks... My friend suggested that I drink some tea, and after a valiant search....no tea. Crap man, this really sucks...Oh well, all I can do is ride it out...

The thing that sucks about salary is that no OT...well not in my case anyhow... I stayed late yesterday at work, I'm probably gonna have to stay late tonight, and then I might have to come in tomorrow as well...this bites man. I like my work, and I love the people I work with. However, that doesn't mean I wanna be here all the time, outside of my 40-45 hours I put in a week. I do have a life outside of SVF...and that's family and my friends. Thank goodness mom's off tomorrow just in case I have to work, cuz then otherwise, no one would've been home to take care of pop. But if there wasn't I'd just lay it out for work people, and if they don't understand he's more important to me than getting inventory done, then so be it. But that's not the case, so I don't have to worry about it. I just don't wanna stay late...so cross your fingers and pray for me :)

I read that Shaq got married yesterday, congratulations big guy! It was pretty crazy though, cuz he kept it all a secret until the last minute, even guests weren't told until the last minute. Tha'ts crazy, hiding all that from the media. Which got me to thinking, there are ups of being rich and famous, but I think there are a lot of downs too...and to me, personally, the downs make me lean towards not wanting to be famous(which, in the first case, is just as possible as I can move this bottle on my desk over here with my mind). You have to pretty much hide everything that you do...people stop you everywhere you go, you never have privacy, and everything that does get leaked out to the media and the watching public, they twist and manipulate to make it look like you're life is all messed up. All that is just too much, I think...I wouldn't want to live my life worrying about who's in the shadows, if my kids are safe, dadadadada. I mean, as an adult, and even as parents I think there's enough to worry about, and all these lil extra amenities of "famedom" would just muck it all up.

"In life, know two things: 1) You can't win'em all 2) At your best, you're always a winner"

I guess if you're gonna look @ perks about working while no one else is, here goes...Traffic...there is none during these few days...how's that for a silver ligning, ay? I just saw Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets...it was a good movie. Yes, I am easily satisfied when it comes to the big screen, but I just enjoy lots of things. Anyway, it so reminded me of the times when I was back reading th@ book...and maybe, after I've finished reading the LOTR trilogy again, and then, all those books I got for x-mas, I'll be up for the task of reading HP again. It's quiet here...all by my lonesome, I guess this is what it would be like to live alone. I'm not ready for that yet, in my opinion, I need a roomate or someone to keep me company during an evening like this...where I turn to my new best friend, at least for the meantime...my blog...he he he...well nitey nite!

Back to normal...
The holiday season won't fully come to it's end until after next week, but you can already see signs that things slowly returning back to the ways of our mundane everyday lives: KOST no longer plays X-mas songs all day long, it's the AFTER X-mas sale, people are going back to work, flights home are being arranged...decorations are being taken down, etc. Wow, X-mas came by swift and hard... like a quick moving storm...you see it coming, but it doesn't last very long. But people are still on vacation, and that was indicative by the fact that I was the only one signed on this morning...a few other people came on a lil later...but still, the "regulars" aren't on today.

X-mas was great...I couldn't have asked for a nicer one...except maybe to have won the lotto on x-mas day, that would be pretty dope. I got a lot of wonderful wonderful gifts, so thank you to all of you for the warm wishes, cards, and presents. But what was even more, was the triumphant satisfaction I felt when people told me they absolutely loved their gifts. I put some thought into gifts this year and I got a pretty good response... Both X-mas eve and day was pretty much spent w/ family...went to my sister's future brother-in-law's new house w/ the rest of the in-laws(doesn't that make them MY inlaws too? Hmmm, but if I said my in-laws, people would think I was married...oh well, who cares, they're mine too). So I spent christmas eve w/ the inlaws, and we exchanged gifts there...then went to midnight mass later that night with mom pop and my cousin Irene. Slept in til 11 on x-mas day, extended family came over and more gift exchanging...watched the lakers lose before I headed out to drop off a couple more gifts and visited my friend who's down here from Boston for the holidays at TGIF's...good times good times, except for the Lakers...damn man, they need to turn it around already...us loyal fans are being really disheartened, but I will not abandon my team, faith, hope and prayer, is all I can do...well one more holiday to go...and then it's the beginning of a whole new year!

I am a winded warrior...

I've opened the majority of the X-mas gifts I received from friends...yes I know, I'm a cheater, but hey, oh well....I love ALL my gifts, my friends are awesome, but one stands out for this particular blog because it actually segues into the last section of my blog. I got a replica LOTR Ring!!! That's right baby!!! I am a bearer of the one ring...too bad my ring finger on my right hand swollen because I think I might have authritis in it or tendinitis or something...but when it goes down, I'll put it on. Maybe I can wear it on a chain in the meantime! :) HELL YEAH, I'm practically hobbit-sized anyway...too bad I can't take a picture of it...cuz it would go right here MUAH HA HA HA!!!

Half days of work prior to the holiday off are completly worthless because you already know you're only working half the day, so you feel like it's pointless and do no work...so here I am, having eaten cake, doing a lil work, just talking to people, e-mailing, yada yada yads...and now, counting down the time...so to kill some...I have decided to be Lou's counterpart and be Ebert...or Roper(spelling? who cares), whichever it maybe...so here's the disclaimer...if you haven't seen Lord of The Rings: The Two Towers yet...do not read:

I enjoyed the movie, but also had my own concerns, some that are on par with my counterpart and some...notsomuch.
Let's start with the shortcomings...not many, in my opinion. But w/ each I have a possible explanation, except for the first. As with popular opinion, I too felt that Gimli, son of Gloin, was too much of a comic relief character and lacked the strength portrayed throughout the novel. There were also missing characters in this film(namely, the Huords), as with the missing Tom Bombadil from the Fellowship, but is understandable with condensing an epic into a 3 hour time frame. The difficulty in movies is character development, and it is very hard to develop your main characters when there are hundreds more that you need to involve, so sometimes, cutting out is a necessity to keep up. Faramir's character is changed in the film, which disappointed me, but again, is understood. Faramir was always compared to his brother by his father, and thought less of him than Boromir. So naturally, Faramir is determined to prove his worth, and if the ring can do that, he would, but soon sees that it is "folly" and releases the two. I also feel as though the viewers(who did not read the book) miss out on the development of the friendship between elf and dwarf, there are glimpses, such as when Legolas defends Gimli from Eomer and the Rohirrim, but not much else...but again, time restraint is a factor here. And the ending of the film, before Gollum takes Frodo and Sam to see "her." Again a mini disappointment, but it is my belief that it will be used to add more suspense and action to the finale of the trilogy. The films do not seem to end at the ends of their respective novels, because the first film actually ended into the second and the second prior to the actual ending of the two towers. There are many more, but they are quite minor, or else I would have already talked about them. Like I think how Frodo was able to hide sam in the rocks w/ the elven cloak might need a lil explanation.
With every shortcoming, triumphs are made. First of all, remember how difficult it is to create a visual representation of a literary classic such as LOTR, or any story, that remains completely parallel all throughout. One of the characteristics that will always separate a movie from a book is the lack of a time restraint. A book does not have the restrictions that a movie does...the entire story must be told within a resonable time frame...and for LOTR, even that stretches towards those limitations. Books, there is no timeline... But more important than anything else, reading a book involves the participation of the reader's imagination. In a movie, it is the director's imagination that we are looking through, so every picture is painted according to his eyes. And lastly, a movie needs to be independent of the book. It is not a supplement, because it should make sense for a spectator who has never even heard of the books. Rather it should be a compliment to the reader and a new experience for those otherwise. So in my opinion, Peter Jackson did an incredible job bringing the second segment(and I mean segment) of the trilogy to the big screen. Gollum was for lack of a better word, a masterpiece, exactly the way I had imagined him. The continued portrayal of the Elven kind being so completely awesome was only too satisfying. Everyone wants to be an elf. And the opening of Gandalf's battle w/ the Balrog was actually a pleasant surprise. Overall, I thought the film was great...but also take into consideration that I am a LOTR Freak...so there. A great movie and a THUMBS UP in my opinion. Can't wait for the EXTENDED DVD to be released!!!

Merry X-mas eve all!!!

I am an over-pressurized water bottle...

Weekend in Recap
What a weekend. Friday, I went to a lil Christmas party in Venice beach before I went home to take care of pop. It was cool, seeing my friends from New York and stuff, and doing the whole White elephant thang. I got a dvd, cd, and fleece throw blanket taken away from me and ended up w/ some x-mas mugs...damn. But, we drank wine and caught up on old times...it was a lot of fun. Saturday, went to Simbang Gabi with pop @ St. Augustine and saw people I hadn't seen in years. I didn't do much else but a lil shopping w/ the folks and wrapping gifts and preparing for the UFFNOS partay that was going to happen the next day over at my folks' place. Oh yeah, there was a black out at about 1 AM...which sucks when you're wide awake...so I broke out the emergency lantern and read...YES, read. Sunday morning, started cooking and cleaning some more for the party. Party came around, we did White Elephant #2(for me) and I ended up w/ a starbucks gift card...DOPE ASS. We exchanged and I got stuff that I really wanted...stuff for my office(decorations), a filing cabinet thingy, a box of chocolate covered cherries(which, for some reason, no one likes but me, thanks Caren). I got Viv, the new Tim McGraw CD, Monsters Ball DVD and a 4 pack of 35mm film to go w/ the new camera she's gettin from her dad. After that just hung out pretty late and just reminisced about the good old days. I hadn't laughed like I did last night for a long long time. You know, when you're stomach feels like it's gonna break and you'll just topple over? When you start coughing cuz you're laughing so hard your back hurts? It was like that.

When I went to th@ mass on Saturday, I saw my old teacher from elementary school...man it was like 11 years since I last saw her...she was really really close at guessing who I was, I guess my bald head throws everyone off. No one from mid-highschool and prior seems to recognize me at all...I guess I must have really filled out or something, cuz I've had countless experiences where I ran into someone from said eras and they totally didn't recognize me. I trip out that I'ce changed so much, physically...that people don't recognize me...is that a good thing or bad? Who knows...all I know is that I'm different...which is weird though cuz I always recognize people and to me, so how come no one I know or knew has changed that much. Or maybe they did...maybe they have changed so much as I have and we walked pass each other and didn't even notice? Cuz we were both so completely different, it never even crossed our minds....that would be crazy.

The thing I hate about going up to LA during the weekends is not having access to the internet...and stuff like that. I have a laptop, but my dial-up configuration is messed up...actually the plug is messed up so I can't use it to dial up...so no blogs, no internet, no www linkage... I should just jot down the ideas as they come into my head and write about it later...but it's not the same. It's not like being up at 2 AM and wanting to write something...oh well...I'll figure something out. But the topper is that I have no AIM...yes, digital cable is all well and good, but it gets a lil lonely at night after pop is sleeping and I am just there. Mind you, I can be enriching my ever-decaying mind by reading or by learning stuff, but hey, it's the weekend...F that. Ha ha ha...I need to get a new plug but it's gonna cost me a few dabloons...so I gotta wait til I recover from the financial dip of the season of giving.

You wanna know how lazy I am? I was shopping the other day and saw something(can't say what, cuz it's an x-mas gift, and YOU might be getting it...he he he)...anyway, I saw the price and it was 2 bucks more at the place I currently was at. But I knew I could get it for cheaper elsewhere, but I was so not feeling like going to another place I got it anyway. Lazy huh? But I can justify it...is it really worth those two dollars to get INTO your car, DRIVE to another place, LOOK to see IF they even have it, and then GET in line...AGAIN? Nah, not worth two measly dollars...not to me at least. So I have justified my end w/ a means. Being lazy is so funny...are you ever really hungry, but you're so tired that you don't feel like getting up? So you just starve? Here's another one, we'll drive around a store parking lot for like an extra five minutes to get a close spot, when we could've gotten one further away and saved 3 minutes on the driving around and wasting time. Sheesh, that's funny...our laziness is the bane of our society...cruise control...what a joke.

My niece is so damn cute and smart. She is, she names all of her lil toys, and REMEMBERS them. She loves to sing and dance, and do gymnastics and stuff. She could totally keep you entertained for hours on end. Seriously, I'm not even just saying this because I am a biased uncle/godfather...but because I really think that if I were a totally un-biased stranger...I would still think the same thing. For a 2 year 3 month and two days old baby...she can speak w/ astonishing clarity. Her thought process is amazingly organized and she is just soooo polite and funny. Cute I tell you, anyone dare challenge the cutest baby in the world?(If I were all pro at this website stuff, which aparently, I am NOT) that would have been a cool link that when clicked, showed a picture of London...my only niece. he he he...

So today we had a potluck at work, and now I'm hella tired. Cuz there was so much food, and one of the items...turkey. The deadliest food of all when you need to do stuff. Turkey is like the most potent sleeping agent known to potlucks. He he he, It's one of those things that reminds you how much you DON'T wanna work...goodness...it has me counting the hours down for today and tomorrow. I think I'm gonna be like the only person of all my friends in Irvine, cuz I have work tomorrow AND the day after X-mas. How much does that suck? One day w/ the family for x-mas...whoop dee doo. I can't even hit the day after X-mas sale. Why? Cuz I"ll be at work. All I can say is, well, what can you do...so take a deep breath, shrug it off, and complain a little more. I HAVE TO WORK, IT SUCKS. To all y'all on vacation or don't have a job to report to, you don't know how lucky you are.

Funny how people use their sites for so many different things...updates, vents, and mine...I use it for moaning and complaining about things that I have no real control over...ha ha ha...and then I look back and laugh...and then complain about how much I complain. Wow, this is a long blog man....

Tip for the day...
Matches contain sulfur...and igniting sulfur aides in extinguishing some harmful odors. Interpret and use at your own discretion.

Flowers are Love's truest language
-Park Benjamin

I am the tortoise at the end of the race...

Finito...
Oh happy day...break out the champagne and set off the fireworks. I am FINISHED w/ my X-mas shopping. I can't believe. Yes, I still have to wrap them all, but that's not really much of a task for me cuz I enjoy wrapping presents. But finishing my shopping last night gave me that euphoric feeling of being done...kinda like taking your last final...but instead of spending study time, I was spending money. I spent A LOT more than I had budgeted, but hey, I don't really care. There is thought behind each and every present I got...so it's not like I tried to spend a lot, there were just a lot to get. Bottom, line? Done...just like this blog...done

N------i--------g--------h--------t--------s
(long, nights...ha ha ha, pretty creative don't you think? It's probably just me that finds humor in that huh...eh, oh well, screw you then...hee hee) Will someone please remind me that I'm not in college anymore? That I can't stay up til 3:30 something and wake up at 7? That I am too old to be "galabanting?" Cuz that's what I did...went out to LA and watched a three-hour 10:55PM showing, which didn't really start til 11:10 after previews, drove back to Irvine...and now I'm tired. But was it worth it? Heck yeah. I saw LOTR The Two Towers last night. And to remain in league w/ you other LOTR bloggers(Jevon, Jonjon) and not ruin it for you, I will say nothing but it was worth the late watch, I liked it. And was I comfortable? Heck yeah...the Bridge is tight...even if you're gonna go only once becuase you think it's too expensive, extra-wide leather seating, AND having a few drinks right before you walk into your theater is, in the words of a wise man I know, "bad-ass." I think you can even bring your drink into the theater, but you have to take it out from the glass and pour it into a paper cup or something, not sure on that though. But soft leather on my tushie for 2:59:00 plus previews is nice. And there were a lot of previews...didn't see the T3 or the X2 trailers, but I did see Bad Boys II, which totally fired me up w/ excitement, and Dumb and Dumberer...there were a few others too, but for some reason I can't think of them...OH yeah, that new disney/pixar pictures one about the fish...that one looks pretty cool. Anyway, like I said, I'm tired...but I don't regret seeing it...and seeing it at the bridge too. I got the Silmarillian for X-mas from V-dogg...hell yeah...now I am the complete LOTR geek that I wanted to be for x-mas. Now if only I can grow some pointy ears, long hair(fat chance, in my case), and learn how to be an expert archer, my life would be complete...

Weather watch...
Being the wannabe meteorologist I am, I was looking at the radar maps off of cnn.com and stuff and I can even tell you that it's gonna rain tonight. Low pressure system moving in slow...with precipitation. That means, when it's gonna rain..it's gonna stay for a while. So of course I had to get some backup info...the weather forcast says 20% chance of rain this afternoon and 100% tonight. 100% chance of rain...is that still a chance if it's for sure? Hmmm....anyway, be careful out there kids...bundle up, grap your umbrella, and finish that x-mas shopping before 8-ish...don't say I didn't warn ya.

I got a speeding ticket on Bloomfield during lunch...damn. 54 in a 40 zone...anyone know how much it is? Cuz I don't. The worst part is I can't even go to traffic school to get it stricken off of my record, cuz I just went to freakin traffic school for that ticket I got in August on my way home from vegas. Damnit, that sucks. And everything else was going so well for me today...all except for that darned ticket. Oh well, can't sulk on that for too long or else I'll ruin my entire day. I'm just counting down the hours for when I see LOTR at the Bridge tonight. I think I already talked about this place...leather seats...that you RESERVE, so your place is already set, and COCTAILS...how much doper can it get...especially for a long movie like that. 7 more hours...and 1:15 til work is over...hell yeah. Tick-tock, tick-tock...

I am the one ring...part two...

Stuck
It's 12:40 and I am stuck. Whoever installed XP onto my laptop had already installed it onto another PC and apparently, XP can only be installed onto one computer because it has to be registered. So now, the activation period has expired and all of my office programs went into "reduced functionality" mode. Aparently, in this mode, one cannot edit documents, or create new ones...on Excel or Word...BS man, that's waht this is. So I can't do anything. I shouldn't be complaining cuz then that means I can't really work, but I don't like not working. As long as I'm busy, the day goes by a lot faster. Now, I get to watch the minutes slowly and torturously pass me by. Argh...so they're working on getting another copy so that I can register it. Goodness...the most minor of details, registering a product, can cause catastrophic(of course I'm exaggerating here) setbacks.

New developments?!?!?
This is the type of stuff that happens while I'm at work. I am saved...I don't have to worry about being a bachelor for the rest of my life. I don't have to rush to find someone anymore, why? because my future is set. I got myself a back-up today. So if I'm not married by the time I'M 32, yes, she's younger, and she's not married, then we're gonna tie the knot and get on w/ our lives and work on our 4 kids. I can't tell you who it is, you'll just have to wait until I'm 32 and see if I'm married or not. It was so funny, we were role-playing and we pretty much had the same visions...it was fun. So we're gonna sabotage each others' relationships so that we ensure that we're gonna get married...ha ha ha.

This is what happens when you put me in "reduced functionality" mode.

Damn, today was a busy ass day of work. I didn't even get to eat lunch... What has become of my life? Just work, work work. I didn't get a chance to get a tree today, so I guess no tree this year...that makes me kinda sad. No tree... sheesh. I didn't get to finish my X-mas shopping, but I did knock off another 2 people...so that leaves like 2 people left. At least it was somewhat productive. The Lakeshow lost...it's getting annoying to watch them play with so much complacency. I know they're gonna be alright, but still...how do you stand to watch a team play so bad? But I shall not give up. I shall not. I felt like saying a lot, but I'm tired...hopefully I'll remember later on...

what an unproductive evening. The rain delayed my drive home by like 20 extra minutes...6:20 when I get home. So my plan was to go home and wait for the roomie to get home and look for a tree... He gets home, we watch a lil tv and I fall asleep for like an hour...7:30 now. So of course we're hungry...we go to the ATM, get some greens and go eat @ Tenko, and after we'd go look for a tree. We end up eating til like 9 and head to Rite-Aid for a tree...no trees. Strike one. We go to Target's Garden Center...closed. Strike two. So we go to another Rite-aid...there's like 4 trees there, but they're all pretty crappy, PLUS that Rite-aid was already closed. Strike three. So unproductive...no tree. So now I'm thinking that maybe it's too late for a tree...but I refuse to quit...tomorrow is the deadline for a tree...if I don't get one for tomorrow, it's too late...maybe today is already too late... Man, today would've been perfect. I didn't have anything else to do today, I could've totally decorated it. Man...I'm starting to get over this whole tree thang...you know what...I'm over it. How unproductive.

Wow, I can't believe how much it's raining right now...and it's only been raining for like 2 1/2 hours. I can watch the flood waters rising outside my NEW office. It's bigger and has a door to go outside, where I can smoke, but not much longer cuz I'm quitting(hopefully), and I just like it a lot more than my last one. Why? Cuz I got a new boss today, he's really really cool. I actually learned a lot from him this being his first day here...a really experienced ball-valve engineer and I am looking forward to working w/ him. Having a direct supervisor rather than 5 people all coming to me at the same time w/ projects. It's good to have another engineer to work with, and one that really knows what he's doing. Still need some decorations in here, it's still not "Jay-ified". Man, I am so not looking forward to the commute home today, I already heard there's hella traffic on my on-ramp...shit. Oh well...suck it up...at least it's raining...I love it.

I am a ficus plant...

Politics
I’ve heard recently that Iran, Iraq and Korea have either continued to or restarted plutonium reactors, thus possibly indicating the continuation of construction for weapons of mass destruction. Now the administration is saying that we are dealing w/ one crisis at a time. However, personally, I think that this can be a dangerous approach. We deal with each of these powers, and that’s only IF all this weapons of mass destruction stuff is true, individually, as if they would never join forces. I mean, if we have the UN, and have “allies,” then is isn’t it only logical to think that they can do the same? But then again, I’m not a very strongly aware and knowledgeable about this issue, so maybe there’s reasons for taking that approach.

Pretty scary to think that so many countries are even pursuing such measures, for weapons I mean. If any person were to launch, then everyone else would naturally follow suit, and there goes the world. It’s pretty scary to hear stuff that there are enough nuclear weapons to destroy the earth 30 times over. Makes me reconsider bringing children into this world, but there’s always hope, and faith, so until those die as well, I guess I shouldn’t be so scared.

One of the hottest issues plaguing this great nation lately it is that of Sen. Trent Lott and his outbursts about racial segregation and stuff. Basically, he said that if Thurman had won the presidential election in 1948, America would be a better place. Thurman was running as a segregationalist candidate...draw your own conclusions. He apologized for it, and then did it again afterward. But now people are beginning to take steps to having him step down as senate majority leader. There is something really wrong w/ this picture though, I mean as far as how they are going about it…and another thing is that it’s pretty sad to think that people still think that way. And watching all the debates on the news is so annoying because everyone has such malicious motives behind their debates. They’re just trying to tear each other down sometimes, and there’s a lack of sincerity of getting the real story and where to go from here. The questions are always attacking someone, and the answers are always too vague to discern any real meaning.

Blurps
Nothing spectacular happened this weekend, same old story w/ a lil X-mas shopping squeezed in here and there. Watched some more movies...tried to do some work, but didn't. Oh, here's one: Baby sat London Friday night..after she had her 5 minute freak out session that Jos wasn't there(she's really attached to mommy), we had soooo much fun. That girl is amazingly smart for a 2 year and 3 month old(almost) baby. She names all of her toys, and more than that, she remembers all of the names she gives them. Smart, I tell you. But one thing is it's funny how they can be so easily entertained. She would bring me a my little pony and ask me to put this necklace on it...then she would take it and ask me to sing the ABC's while she danced. After taht, she would bring another my lil pony, tell me to take off the necklace on the first and put it on the next...and so went the cycle. We must have done that over 20 times...and it was sooo funny. Not much happened, yet we were having so much fun...I love babies.

I’m almost done w/ my X-mas shopping. Let me just tell you, Brookstone and The Discovery Store are pretty dope man, along w/ Target and Best Buy. Just like 3 people to go... I was wrapping all my gifts while I was w/ pop this weekend...and it took like 4 hours! Altogether four hours, took breaks here and there, ate dinner, checked pop's blood sugar/pressure, watched the game...but there were A LOT of gifts. It's fun to wrap gifts, it gets a lot easier when you have so much practice wrapping gift after gift. It only takes me like 5 minutes to wrap a reasonably sized gift, with ripples and everthing. I was a wrappin machine! Makin my list, checkin it twice...I felt like santa...but now I'm broke, but that's okay, cuz it's X-mas!

I'm so excited for the coming of this storm...it hasn't totally hit my area yet, but it has in other places...and it's gonna be great! I love rain..I just hope it rains harder AFTER me and Chris go get the x-mas tree...I'm crossing my fingers, but as we all know, that never works out the way we want it too...so I'll have to deal w/ a wet tree and see what can be done about it...anyway...here's to the RAIN!!!! I shall do a little rain dance...just for that :).

Thoughts w/ nothing much else to say behind them...
-Dude, the new accord is pretty nasty. I saw it today on the way back from Carson the other day...just a random thought.
-new win streak comin on for the lakeshow, I can feel it
-Being stuck w/o a ride sucks major doodoo
-At Last(Some Asian singing group, I think I got to meet them once) just got a spot on Jingle Ball, compliments of Rick Deez
-There's practically no one signed on during the holiday season(school and work vacations, I guess, damn, how lonely I am)

"Life is like a box of Bernie Bott's every-flavored jelly beans, you NEVER know what you're gonna get..."

I am a stem...

LJ
If you are a sports fan and have not seen 17 year-old basketball phenom Lebron James play yet, you are truly missing out on a spectacular sight. This kid is awesome, truly amazing, and they say that Kobe or KG wouldn't have been able to hang w/ this guy when they were 17. He is just much more skilled and more athletic than they were at the same age. So an amazing basketball player...a highschooler, but still amazing. So now comes the question...college? or pro? Sources indicate he'll most likely go pro... but most of the commentators were hoping he'd go to college and stuff..."there's no substitute for knowledge," Dick Vitale said last night. And it's a shame that the endorsement-run, greedy-ass NBA is pushing him to probably take their road. I just think, if you truly love the game, the money will be there...and you're definitely missing out on a lot of things by skipping college...experience is such a valuable lesson in life...it's just sad that he most likely will never have those experiences. That's why, if I had like a child prodigy kid, I'm not so sure that I would want him to skip all these grades and stuff, cuz I want him to experience life, with people his age. I remember back in college when we'd tease the lil kids that were taking some college classes, but come to think about it, there is an emotional maturity that needs to be attained when skipping levels, i.e, skipping grades in school(and not just one, I'm talking like 3 or more), or going straight to the pros. I mean, I just don't think a person is ready to make that sort of leap. And of course I can be totally and utterly wrong, but this is my opinion. If you look at the stats, these types of people don't fair so well in their own personal lives and are emotionally affected by this. And in the scope of pro basketball, most of the young players who come out early, w/ the exception of your Kobe's, T-Mac's and KG's, avg like 4 minutes a game. What experience is to gain from that? Kinda sad that we can be so selfish sometimes, push someone beyond their emotional and psychological limits so that money can be made off of them, cuz really...that's what I see is the driving force behind it all...

HA! I did IT!!!!!!!!!!! It's a lil not-so-neat, but it serves it's purpose... I am SO SATISFIED right now...time to catch some Z's

I am a bee whose wings are flapping 257 times per second...

Sheesh, work has been crazy lately. I've had so many projects stacked on my desk I didn't think I was ever gonna finish. I thought I was gonna get buried neck-high, and for you normal heighted people, waist-deep, in projects. But I finished all but one, which is isn't an immediate concern. The boss isn't here so I can't proceed further until I get his okay...whew. I got my new mousepad and keyboard paddy thingies that make your wrists hurt less...for those of you who station yourself @ a computer for most of your living breathing day, you know what I'm talking about. I love it! And I didn't spend a penny...why? Company expense acct baby! I also finally changed my voicemail...no more Wei Bon Chang...it's now "Jay Bermudez's desk." Take that mofo's!

I've been eating way too much lately...way too much. And not exercising enough. I'm afraid to stand on a scale and find out how much I weigh now. It's rather quite frightening to think of the pounds of food I've taken in and the pounds I have not burned off. But not only that, I don't FEEL healthy, you know that feeling you get when you know you're body is working? Keeping those systems in check, making sure they all work? So tonight, I hope to get a run in somewhere and begin my road back to healthdom.

Two Bathroom concerns...

Number one:
Why the button fly? I mean, people don't even look there(do they?)_on a normal basis? Hey, nice pants, I especially like the fly...they must be great! Yeah right...my ass. But my concern is that it becomes an obstacle when going to the bathroom. Cuz I have button-fly's...and I go pee probably about 4 or 5 times throughout the day...and man, is opening and closing this stupid thing a beeeeeyatch. I mean, what if it was a bathroom emergency, like you were on a road trip to vegas and have been holding it in since you were jammed in gridlock on the 91 out in riverside and thought you didn't need to when you cruised past Barstow and now you need to go, and I mean GOOOOO. You can't just zip and go...you have to unbutton that crap...I'd hate to see that happen to someone I knew. And putting them on is just as much of a bitch...mind you, there is no real urgency in buttoning them, but still...too much work for pants. I'm telling you man, some fool is making millions off of torturing people like us.

Number two:
This is also one of those emergency bathroom concerns. And not @ home, but in other areas where you are not always sure about the cleanliness of a particular restroom facility. Sani-seats. They are great and serve their purpose, and don't get me wrong, a valuable and important contribution to the evolution of bathroom supplies. However, they are just not practical enough. I mean, if you really gotta go in one of those places where you gotta use one of these paper seats, public, work, etc., and I'm talking turtle peeking out time, it just takes too long to prep up the throne. I mean, you have to pull it out of the dispenser, and maker sure you rip it along those stupid perforations. And if you're not careful and rip too quickly, you'll soon find yourself needing another one cuz you tore it in half. Think all the while that you are dying to sit and let loose...isn't there someone out there being paid to think of a solution to this dilemma? Hurry up man! People are waiting!!!!!!

Does tomorrow start the 1st of the 12 days of X-mas? Or is X-mas the first day of the 12? I have never really known. But I thought Channukah was better than X-mas because it was eight days opposed to one? But didn't I just say 12 days of X-mas? So is there such thing or no? Hmmm...

Remember...
Fido Dido?

"The poor person is not one who is without a cent, but one who is without a dream"

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!

We won our game tonight 60-59!!! We rallied from an 11-point first half deficit and won...thank goodness. The ever elusive championship that has eluded my roomates and me has finally come to us, after almost 7 years. Our opponents played a hard fought game and in the end, we duked it out. Thanks to the wonderful crowd that came to support us, late, but hey, better late than never! So ends a wonderful season...now it's time to train for next time!

I love X-mas songs...so I have listed my top 10 favorite X-mas carols/songs.

10. Rudolf the Red-nose Reindeer(it's a classic...what's X-mas w/o Reindeer?)
9. Silver Bells(It's just one of those nice songs)
8. Have a Holly Jolly X-mas(Fun times)
7. Rockin Around(Remembemer Alone? They used it in that movie)
6. Gloria, in exel cis Dio..spelling(Angelic songs are great)
5. The theme song from the Nutcracker prince(gives you that snowy feeling)
4. Let it Snow(awesome song, love the lyrics)
3. Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire(can't beat Nat King Cole)
2. Sleigh Ride(I think this is one of the all time greatest X-mas jingles, it's so happy =p)
1. Hark go the bells, sweet silver bells(the instrumental one they always use in movies...it's dope)

Ever wonder why or how Santa came to choose reindeer as his noble steeds? Of all the carriage pulling animals in animaldom, why them? Why not clydesdales? Or oxen even? I mean, are they faster than horses? Stronger than snow dogs? I guess, it's the antlers, they scare off anything else in their way since they can be useful at ramming objects, and most of all, you can put lights on them and make them real pretty and nice. Whattaya know, I answered my own question. Who cares what is pulling his sled, they haven't failed him yet, and as long as I get my presents, I'm happy =p

I am a human CAD factory...

I don't know what it is about sitting in a semi comfortable seat, holding on to a wheel, and using one foot to depress two different pedals that makes you so tired, but it does. I had to drive back to Irvine about an hour and a half into my work day to drop off some stuff @ Mr. Presidente's house, cuz they decided to work out of there today instead of the office, and of course Mr. New Guy has to be the gopher. He has a nice house, and they even offered me some pasta, which I politely declined. I am back @ work, but now I'm tired cuz I've made my second trip here in one day...that's 80 miles by the time I get home tonight...shit, and I'm driving to the game too...tack on another 40 for the round trip. And I HAVE to drive cuz we only seem to win when I drive...call it superstition, but I'm not gonna mess w/ it. Next season, maybe. Anyway, so I'm tired from driving...goodness....what is THAT about?

I started trying this new thing that I heard on the radio KIIS FM sometime last week... Drink 2 glasses of warm water in the morning everyday and supposedly you're supposed to feel a whole lot better. Has to do w/ something about breaking the fast(hence the name, breakfast) and that your body is more receptive to liquid in breaking the fast than solid food. Warm, because it signals your liver to detox and all this other good stuff. It kinda sucks, cuz I HATE warm water...So this morning, while getting ready for work, I heated up one full mug of water in the micowave, drank it...and then heated up another mug, finished getting ready and drank again, slower this time, cuz the lady on the radio said so...take it slower cuz then you won't over load your absorption system. So I feel good today, pretty good, plus I got a decent amount of sleep, considering it's me we're talking about here, but it might all be psychological right now. So I'm gonna try it out for about 2 weeks or so and report back w/ my findings. THEN, I'll figure out whether or not to tell other people to do the same. I shall take one for the team and be the guinea pig!

Congratulations to former president Mr. Jimmy Carter, who today received the Nobel Peace Prize. I really admire people who strive and work so hard towards peace...we all should be a little more like him. He is urging Bush NOT to go to war w/ Iraq, and pursue more peaceful approaches. And I agree. But I am aware that sometimes there is NO alternative, i.e defending oneself from threat, but I feel that you must try all other avenues first and resort to war last. So once again, congrats Mr. Former President, may we all be more like you.

"The occurences in life are all relative, what may seem like a mistake today may turn out to be one of the greatest things that happened to you when you look back some time from now..."
-Me

I think I eat too much. Just went to Jack in the Crack and had a jumbo jack, chicken sandwich and two tacos...too much? But I'm not totally full...I could probably eat another burger...but I'm not gonna...food + no exercise = fat bastard lil jay. Granted, I did play some basketball today, but that would just negate like one burger and maybe half a taco...so I doubled that, no problem. I definitely need more exercise, so after our championship game tomorrow, I think I'm gonna get back into running and hitting the gym a lot more. But then there's X-mas shopping to do also, and since I can't do that on the weekends cuz I'm w/ pop all day, gotta do it during the week. Damn, there goes that idea...

I'm pretty excited about this game tomorrow, we're trying to get a bunch of people to go. Just to pack the place up and get some support. I love it when there's a lot of people watching and screaming, it's fun...so if you're reading this, then come...just ask me and I'll give you directions. If you can't make it, wish us luck!

I've only been smoking on average, 3 malboro lights per workday, and only 1 on the weekends...and I aim to have quit by christmas, so that @ New Year's, I can keep true to that continuation thing I wanted to do in addition to my resolutions...I hope to cut down to no more than one every other day in two weeks' time. Cross your fingers folks!

I am an unused wet-nap...

Breaktime
While I was at my folks' place this weekend I saw the strangest thing. For all you LA-dwellers, drive over to the San Vicente and Wilshire Blvd intersection and you will see a billboard that a man sitting on the toilet and has the following phrase on it..."I am the shit!" I think it's some kind of record ad or something like that... but Ummm, is it just my imagination, or did it say sh*t? I thought that word was censored? I was wondering if it was some goof-up or some brazen attempt attacking the censors...or maybe I'm so out of it that word is now allowed on public ads? I would like to think not...but check it out for yourself, you can't miss it...but hurry, it might come down soon.

Today's focus is the get rich quick book genre. How many of these books are there? And if it truly truly TRULY worked, then why isn't everyone buying the book and making themselves rich? But it's not like that. I mean, I totally respect those people that have made their millions and what not without an education, making their money work for them, dadadadadada, but I think the emphasis alone already skews our perceptions. It's about MONEY! Telling you how money can make you so much happier...and I'd be a hypocrite if I said I didn't need any, because, if you only knew, I need a lot! But that isn't my focus. I'm not dying because I don't have this money, I'm working at it little by little. What these books don't tell you is how to use what you've got and how to make it work out that way. I mean, I think I'd be happy enough knowing that I like what I am doing, I'm doing what I want, I know it sounds a corny, but just loving where I am in my life, would make me happy enough. Education to me isn't my tool to get rich, it's just my tool to become more aware of the world around me, and using that to my benefit in order to get by. I don't know, maybe I'm being totally unreasonable here, just because I'm just fed up w/ all these get rich quick schemes, but maybe, just MAYBE there is is SOME ring of truth to the fact the money doesn't does not = happiness?

Just a few more...
-So many peopel have been sick lately...QUIT IT already.
-7 people off the list(I mean I got their gifts already), 18 to go
-Can you really "smell" when it's gonna rain?
-Lakers! Hell yeah, finally...
-Lakers vs. Dallas, December 6th? Got it on tape babeeeeeee!

"Man with hand in pocket feel cocky all day"
-a sign I saw on the road on my road trip back from Michigan last year(it was Iowa or Montana, I think..you don't believe me? I have a picture of me standing under the sign!)

This web page stuff is quite annoying when you don't really know what you're doing. It's kinda like giving legos to a dog.

I am Scrooge McDuck, off for an afternoon swim in me money bin...

While the Cat's away, the mouse will play...and play he will...
he he he, all the bosses are gone for the day...actually they've been gone since like 2:30, so since then, I've had the chance to tidy up my office a bit and just relax...since they aren't around breathing down my neck all the time. Well they don't really do that, cuz that's pretty nasty. They're just on me all the time about the gazillion and a half projects I'm doing. So things are actually very nice right now, I can work on my projects on a steady pace w/o the constant page into my office w/, "...so Jay, where are we on the dadadadada." so I got to reorganize my files...so that things are easier to find, replaced my legal hanging folders w/ letter size ones. Deleted unnecessary files from my hard drive, finished a design modification, and went pee. I even got to help Cindy decorate the conference room. While I was lookin around my office though, I noticed how bland it is in here. I haven't decorated my office yet, at all, if you came in here, you wouldn't know that JAY BERMUDEZ, engineer, worked here, you would know that SOMEBODY worked here, unless of course my bottled water counts as a decoration, which still doesn't identify ME. I need to put up some nice pictures in here, maybe of the roomies, my lil bubsie London, Lakers poster maybe, some art, we'll see. Even a calendar will make this place look nicer. Some people suggested plants, but my window is behind me and not always open, so I don't know if that's a good idea anyway.

How come when you get returned mail, DAEMON is the one who returns it? Yeah, you know what I'm talkin about, you've all met him @ least once, I'm sure... Who is this DAEMON guy, the e-mail returner? They make it seem like he's a real person. Funny, what if he WAS? I wonder how they got this name, is it some sort of Acronym? Or is he the dude that first thought of it...too bad it wasn't me...then you'd get..."JAY has returned your mail because the address does not exist, dadadadadadada." That would be pretty cool. JAY, the e-mail returner guy...has a nice ring to it...

A lot of people talk about how they get sucked into IM and how distracting it can get and stuff like that. How it is kinda impersonal. I would be lying if I didn't say i didn't agree sometimes, because it gives you an easy excuse to say you ARE keeping in touch w/ people, but if you can see them, then that would be so much more meaningful, I think. But such is not always the case...some people you just CAN'T see...and WON'T see, at least not for a while. Let's look at the brighter sides of signing on... I get to talk to people far away, like in NYC and Japan. When I was in Europe, talking to my friends on my buddy list in the wee hours felt so refreshing. I have "online friends," that I can't see or talk to on a normal basis, simply because my day is so tied up most of the time. So IM doesn't have to be such a black hole all of the time...as with life, everything is good in moderation. Too much of most things isn't good, so be wise. Just because you have a license doesn't mean you can go around speeding and driving recklessly...you have to be smart w/ what cha got =p, okay I'll shut up w/ the preachy shit now...

Thumbs up to...
-Friends "you talk to online a lot"
-Bosses who start their weekends early
-get togethers
-FRIDAY

Thumbs down to...
-Knowing you're gonna run into traffic
-headaches

"It's not what abilities you have that make you special, but how you put them to use."

Goldilocks...it was GOLDILOCKS and the three bears...thanks Tam

I am butter scraped over too much pan de sal...

I have not been a very efficient X-mas shopper the last few times I went out to shop. I ended up buying nothing from my list and something for me...shit, Target is the devil! Anyway, why is it when you think you've completed your X-mas gift list, you realize you forgot someone and the list goes from like 20-30? Goodness...looks like Cards will have to suffice! I love holiday shopping season cuz places are open til hella late. Me and Caren were walkin around Target at like 10:20 and there was practically no one there...it was awesome...no wait in lines no crowd, but that's only for like this week and maybe next...after that, Chaos will ensue...and I definitely don't wanna be there when that happens.

After 3 years of living in the same old apt, I am moving elsewhere. We are losing a roomate, leaving only 2 of the original 5 roomies left standing...from 5 going on 6 years ago. I can't believe we lived together for so long...but it was cool though, it was like living w/ 4 of your brothers. Didn't have to deal w/ a lot of things that my friends w/ roomies they didn't really know had to deal with. And now we are gaining two new roomates, but they have been like little sisters to us for as long as I can remember. It's gonna be cool and I'm excited at the prospect of a new place of residence. We've decided that we want to stay around the Irvine area...and yes, though it is a bubble of a place, the weather is almost always nice, the beach is right here, it's not that far from LA or any of the major places one needs to go in Southern Cali, my commute to work isn't so bad...and well it's just right. I feel like that one girl, damn, I forgot her name, the one w/ the Three bears...not too hot, not too cold, just right...you know? Anyway, that's how I feel.

So our Lakers are playing like crap lately, yes, I can admit it, they're playing like absolute crap. And all those other championship-thirsty squads are gonna jump on that. I know it's only the beginning of a very long season, but hey, you gotta call a spade a spade and count your losses. But I have faith... They need to get it together and just focus, they play only to the level of their competition and no higher...But you will see...They WILL get a 4th Championship, they haven't played @ 100% yet, so people beware, you have been warned.

What is the deal w/ the resurrection of ALF? That was like mid 80's shit. It's cool though, I love to see old things revived, they should bring back Pogoballs and Flat Tops and Gumby's and stuff like that. That would be cool.

"Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to the understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same."

How sad is THIS story...I pray that no one ever feels this alone...

MILAN, Italy -- An Italian man who packed his bags 44 years ago and told friends he was leaving for America was found dead inside one of the walls of his home today.

An American woman who recently bought the house near Lucca in northern Tuscany discovered the body as she was carrying out renovations, police said.

Inside a thick wall in the cellar the woman found human remains, two packed suitcases, a trowel and other equipment to make a wall, a rusted rifle and a bottle with a suicide note.

The note, on paper headed with the name Nemo Cianelli, explained that the man had discovered he had an incurable disease and had decided to kill himself. He said he had invented the tale of going to America to avoid upsetting his family.

Local newspapers reported in 1958 that Cianelli was missing, and speculated that he might have gone to America, but after a period of rumor and mystery, the story was forgotten.

Police said it appeared Cianelli had packed his suitcases, written the suicide note, built a wall up around himself and then shot himself.
-Courtesy of the Los Angeles Times

I am Thomas the Train, on a 49 degree inclined plane...

Have some Coffee, have some Tea...
For the past few weeks as I have driven to various locations for whatever reasons, I've noticed the plethora of coffee shops, namely, Starbucks, on like every street corner? And yes, coffee get togethers has become the new social icon but there is a fine line between adhering to public demand and lunacy. I mean, I think it's just getting way out of hand. Take this for example: Me and Verwin went to Starbucks @ the Towne Center on Wednesday night on my way home to my folks' place. The place is packed and we're in line to place our orders...I take a look around and notice how young everyone was...dude, I swear 13 and 14 year olds having coffee...and it totally seemed normal to them. Is it just me? Or am I outside my mind? KIDS, having coffee? That is just absolutely ridiculous, I mean talk about tainting your body at an early age...and this is why I think this whole coffee phenomenon is getting just completely out of hand... Kids that young, in my personal opinion do not need loads of caffeine in their systems, I mean they have 2x the energy we already have AFTER we have coffee... Something is wrong w/ this picture, somebody do something.

Mental Ejaculations
If I was to judge cleanliness on a scale of 1-10, 1 being a complete and utter slob, and a 10 having the cleanliness of surgical proportions, I would have to classify myself as an 8.5. Now that's pretty clean, but not anal. However, my place of residence has not been reflective of an 8.5 over the past few weeks, or maybe even months. I am rarely home long enough to clean and on the weekends, well, you know where I am, so I can't possible do it then. So, in spirit of taking baby steps, I decided to tackle lil things each day, so that one day in the near future, I will have my 8.5 clean apt. Only it took me almost an hour to clean a quarter of the kitchen, namely the sink and the counter area. Is that anal? No, I think it's just really clean...I mean, would you rather have a 100% clean place that took a long while to do or a 75% clean place that was done rather hastily? I vote for the former, and not the latter... So it takes a while, at least I know it's clean...so maybe I have to amend my 8.5 and push it to a 9.1? Am I really talking about cleaning? I think I'm going crazy.

I wonder why or how people, present company included, can put their friends into such hard and trying situations. And because I am one of those who HAVE done that to people, have treaded both paths, been in the other person's mocassins, whatever you wanna call it, so there. I understand that people DO make mistakes and sometimes unknowingly put them into that position, that's one thing. But it's a completely different thing to be conscious of the fact that you are putting people into a bad situation. There's intent, and even a sense of malice in that...but why? Why would you be so blinded by your own selfishness and greed as to put these people that you know you care about and in turn care about you, through such trying times? I think that's pretty messed up.

Money is the bane of our existence...people kill for it, steal it, launder it, and every other bad thing you can probably think of, the list is probably 1000 miles long. Yet, rationally speaking, one cannot live w/o money. But then money is a relative term I guess, because if we were all farmers for example, then we would probably trade corn or wheat or whatever. That would in turn be money. I wish there was no such thing as money, that people just helped people out. Cuz then we wouldn't really be trading, we wouldn't have the mindset of giving something and expecting in return, we would just give because we KNOW we would be alright. Unfortunately, this is not heaven, and people DEFINITELY don't think like that...well most of them, anyway.

I've been writing a lot lately, and some people say it's overwhelming...welp...sorry, this is MY blog. MUAH HA HA HA!

Thumbs up to...
-Best Friends
-basketball
-105.1 FM

Thumbs down to...
-Money
-Waking up late for work
-judgement day....

"The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand in times of challenge and controversey."
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Weirdest thing happened this morning, I forgot to mention it. Well it wasn't weird, so much as it was cool...Anyhow, I was thinking about my best friend and started to get all sad because we haven't talked in a really long time. I really miss her. Anyway, I tried to call her on Thanksgiving and stuff, but she wasn't home and her cell phone was disconnected as of like 3 weeks ago...and e-mailing her, I don't even think about it...she's not one of those types of people...the e-mail type that is. Anyway as I was doing my normal morning work routine, turning on my comp, filling up my water bottle, etc. I got a voicemail...turns out she called me(I have no reception in my office) and was telling me how much she missed me and she got a new cell phone. Tripped me out...we were both thinking about each other at almost the same time....that's probably why we're best friends. Anyway, now I'm actually looking forward to my drive home, because I'm gonna call her and we're finally gonna catch up! Yay!

Has anyone been paying attention to the news at all lately? What's w/ the homeland security act being passed. If you don't already know, it was an act that set up the Department of Homeland Security, and the whole issue is raising up a lot of concerns. Because some of the stipulations of the home security act is that agencies will be given the greenlight to monitor e-mails, bank accts, etc, whatever they deem as necessary means of surveillance. I think I am @ a crossroads with this...because I feel that this puts a tab on all of us, having everything we do possibly monitored and to me, that's one scary step closer to implementation of the mark of the beast...goodness, and I KNOW I don't want that. But also I guess only those types of accts...or people with sudden irregular activity would cause them to probe their lives. If you led a more or less normal life and they ran a sweep over a group of people and you were included in taht group, I don't think that they would really totally check to see everything that you're doing, because if you're doing normal shit, then I'm sure they wouldn't really give much of a rat's ass about what's going on w/ you. However, your privacy is definitely invaded, and well...like I said, I have to say I stand somewhere in the middle right now. In all this striving to protect our fellow americans and future, I just hope we don't end up sacrificing the freedoms that brought our families here in the first place. The saddest part is that barely anyone even knows these things are happening... I mean some of these courts are pretty secret and you have to keep an eye out on any information that comes your way, such that you have to try to make an effort to learn about the world around you...so learn about it people!!!

"Perhaps it is a universal truth, that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad."
-James Madison in a May 1798 letter to Thomas Jefferson...

I am a piece of chile lime chicken in a semi-open bag, in the freezer...

When I woke up this morning, I still didn't remember what I said I was gonna talk about...damn, I hate that. It was pretty damn cold(according to California standards, so all you East coast folk....shut up already, I know this is nothing compared to that...dadadadada) this morning, I think one of the colder days this season this far. I love it though, too bad it didn't know here...cuz then we could really sing those christmas songs that have words like, "I'm dreaming of a WHITE christmas..." and "Dashing throught the snow..." and others just like that. Anyway, it was cold...and folks, it sucks when it's real cold outside and you have no rear defroster on your car... I was getting freaked out cuz I couldn't see through my back window, so my morning commute probably raised my blood pressure a couple notches, until the sun burned it all off...

Dang, I stayed up too late last night, til 2 something, and even though I'm wide awake right now, antics like this will contribute to getting me sick...again. Don't want that to happen, cuz I'm a lil bitch when I'm sick, so I will aim to get some rest, more rest. I didn't rest up most of the long weekend just so that I can get sick again. I didn't even do much really, so if I DO end up staying up late, I had better have a good reason for doing so. Last night it was bitching about the lakers and updating my blog...so that's not a really good reason to stay up, because I have 24 hours of the day to bitch about my beloved Lakers and all day at work to update my blog, ha ha ha.

I was thinking about the holidays and Christmas and stuff, and naturally, New Year's. So with the thought of New Year's comes the thought of resolutions. As to remain constant with this year's theme of getting things done ahead of time, e.g. Christmas shopping, I wanted to get a head start on my "resolutions" for the year-to-be. But in addition to resolutions this upcoming year, I have planned on also continuing some things that were started BEFORE the new year, like a new year's maintainings? Better yet, continuances...that's it. I hope to already have quit the filthy habit of igniting nicotine and tobacco and introducing(well, not introducing anymore) hazardous chemicals into my body. I also plan to continue, assuming I start sometime, working out and already trying to be in shape...STAYING in shape. That's only a few, there are probably going to be more, but one of my resolutions is gonna be not to try to do so much all of the time, so 2 continuances will be fine. =p

It's funny how movies and books can be so completely fictional, and we constantly make fun of how ridiculous they are, yet you can learn so much from them...

"No limits, no boundaries...breathe in the freedom like fresh air after the rain..."

I am a stuffed turkey...

I apologize in advance for the possibly long blog...but hey, it's been like 5 days.

Man, what a long ass long weekend...
4.5 days of eating, chores, giving thanks, eating, more chores, sleep, and more eating. Thanksgiving was really cool, had thanksgiving lunch w/ the fam + another 9 people...so not many thanksgiving leftovers, thank goodness. But we were all nonetheless very very full. I really took a second out of my day to really think about what I had to give thanks for...my life, my family, my friends, and everything else. I don't think I've really done that very often in past thanksgivings. Later on that evening, V and Chris came and chilled...and ended up crashing for the night. So thanksgiving was cool...very cool. Saw the Kings/Ducks game the next day, which ended in a freakin 2-2 tie...but it was a great game. The official weekend was mainly about taking care of pop. His blood sugar was all over the chart this weekend, which was kinda freaky, but the doctors weren't worried, and I don't totally understand about blood sugar leves(which I aim to read up on more, just to be more educated about diabetic and blood sugar control, and thus be more in tune w/ pop's health). Aside from that he's doing okay, we walked for 20 minutes each day, cuz mom was feeling a lil sick and he ate and felt pretty good the whole weekend. I got to meet his speech therapist, Joe, from New York...kindof had that jerky, crass attitude, but did a great job w/ pop. It was funny, cuz he thought that people in new york were nicer and that people from Cali were assholes when I personally feel that it is the COMPLETE opposite...I've been there, and here, I think more people are prone to greeting you than on the busy streets of NYC. He was right about one thing though, is that over there, there's millions of people walking around, yet they never crash into each other, but here, two people in a grocery store in a 6 foot wide aisle will still hit one another...guess we're not as aware of our spacing as they are...

Anyway, I realized that I'm gonna REALLY have to learn to organize and maximize any time I have over the next few weeks or so, because since I have to take care of Pop pretty much the entire weekend while I'm there, I don't have extra time to do lil things I usually wait for the weekend to do...such as cleaning the apt, bills, dadadada, basic run of the mill stuff like that...and with the Holiday season upon us, Christmas shopping as well. I mean I can bring him here and there, but he gets tired very easily so taking him out for a long time isn't a good idea. So weekends to do these things, except maybe for the bills thing, everything's out of the question, meaning I gotta take care of that shit on the weekdays. And usually during the weekdays, I mess around and don't do anything...looks like days after work will be filled w/ playing ball, cleaning, and x-mas shopping. Didn't realize how tied up I'd be w/ the whole family thing... And now Jos might get a job soon so we gotta figure out what we're gonna do w/ that, cuz we'll need someone to watch pop for about 3 hours til jos is done w/ work. But I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. But I am prepared and have options set up for when we do get there...

I don't think I've watched as many movies in a 5 day span as I did this weekend. I think my brain totally went dead because of that...I'm having trouble speling words...he he he. Here are just a few to name, Remember the Titans(twice), Fast and the Furious, Coming to America, Bachelor Party, Ski School, The Gate(one of the worst movies ever), Emmanuelle(If you're a Krista Allen fan, who by the way I think belongs on a NOC list...ahem, hint hint), Dragonheart, and a lot of others. Oh yeah, I also saw amongst these flics, the ORIGINAL Ocean's Eleven...great movie...check it out. Cable can be quite deb

I had to tell mom what I was getting them for X-mas, cuz she almost bought one...so I told them I was getting them a new dryer...she was pretty excited and I was a lil disappointed because it took away that element of surprise...which kinda sucks, but oh well, at least I know they'll love it. They already looked like they did and I haven't given it yet.

Let's see, the Lakers lost, again...but as a wise man once said, they're just setting themselves up to get the eigth seed and sweep through the playoffs and set an unprecedented record for being the most kick-ass team ever.

Damn, there was a bunch of stuff I wanted to talk about, but I don't *beep* remember(he he he, if you have a tag-board, you know what that meant). Oh well, guess I'll have to wait til I wake up in the middle of the night and say, "NOW I REMEMBER!!!" but then I'll fall asleep and not remember in the morning again. Hmmm, what was I talking about? Oh well, I'm freakin tired...time for sleep...then work...again...damn...

"Whoever said life was easy?"