I am a mock draft...

Dude, I'm pretty damn tired...played ball last night til later than usual, so I didn't get home until about 11:45ish or so. I sat down for a bit, ate a little before bedtime snack called Cic and then went to go take a shower. While I'm getting my things for the shower, I realize that my uncle and aunt(the ones that are currently residing with us) aren't home yet, and I ask mom where they went. She's starting to get all worried cuz now it's like 12:15 or something and they took the bus out to Cerritos. So I go driving around checking to see if they were stranded at a bus stop or something. I figured they'd have called if they ran into any travel issues, but they didn't (Turns out they missed the last bus and had to wait for the busses to start again. Didn't get a text til 3AM though...they should've called). So I did that for about 20 min, got back and told mom that I'm sure they were alright and went to go take my shower. After the gettin-ready-for-bed rituals were finished, I talked to Cic again briefly and headed for bed. I had to wake up at 6:30 and bring my car in for servicing at 7AM. It's major service, so I needed a rental, which is free w/ the service anyway, but too bad I don't get the rental until like 8AM practically. So if I got my rental even around 7:30-ish, I could've gotten to work early and napped til my normal start time, but oh no...I had to get it at 8 and THEN, La Cienega had to be closed so that it took me 50 minutes to go 4 miles. So I didn't get the rest I was sooo looking forward too.

Man, a dollar sure doesn't go as far as it used to. Remember all those $1 menu things? Well, I picked up McD's for lunch today, since it was $1 McNugget day. I decided that I wanted a few of the things on the regular dollar menu. So I ordered a double cheeseburger, and I also wanted fries. I looked at the dollar menu and looked for McValue fries...and lo and behold, they WEREN'T there!!!! You know what's on the $1 menu now? SMALL Fries!!!! WTF?!?!?!?! Man....what is the world coming to?

The NBA draft is today, I can't wait to see who the Lakers get. We'll just have to see...keepin my fingers crossed. I definitely love basketball above all other sports, but I'm no die-hard, like Jevon, so no sick day for me today, which is something he would probably do if the NFL draft was held in the middle of the week, he he he.

Haven't been to the gym in quite a while. I hope my plans come to fruition and I go tonight...just a little cardio and a major ab workout in store...again, crossing my fingers.

With the NBA draft in mind, today's quote is NBA-related. I thought it was quite funny...
"As a Pistons fan and a basketball guy I cannot figure out how to explain the sheer stupidity of leaving Robert Horry wide open at the end of overtime up by 2 points. This was a stomach punch game. But not just your normal stomach punch, it feels like a stomach punch from my mom for no apparent reason."

Grrrrrr

You know what irks me here at work? When people touch, actually TOUCH monitors to point something out. ESPECIALLY on MY monitor. Why must you actually physically connect your finger to the screen to point out something? I can see where you're pointing, thank you very much, no need to see your damn ugly ass fingerprint on my screen. And I have one of those anti-glare screens, so it makes it even worse...cuz those things are hard as heck to clean off!!!! Next time someone tries to touch my screen, I swear...I'ma hit it w/ my backscratcher. Man, that sounds kinda mean, huh? Well, I guess that just means...
DON'T TOUCH MY DAMN MONITOR!!!!

I am a bowl full of oatmeal...

Good Lord, I just ate the biggest bowl of oatmeal. I really need to get some brown sugar, fruits, maple syrup..SOMETHING. I just put regular sugar today, but it didn't taste very good. Nonetheless, I still feel very refreshed today...and good about myself. Why? Well, if you asked Cicely, she would probably say it's because it's the "2nd day of summer and it's totally beautiful outside!!!" But I would have to tell you that is NOT the case. It's very strange, but I feel so good about myself, well...because I did something heroic...in my dream. YES, in my DREAM! The events may not have been real, but my feeling of pride in my actions are, he he he...

(Cue fog machines, and transition music...fade to dream sequence)
...I was walking down some street w/ Cic and we were watching this small like experimental plane flying around...all of the sudden this strong gust of wind comes and totally messes it's flight pattern or something, and suddenly it CRASHES to the ground! The pilot luckily ejected himself but lands in this giant trash compactor truck! So the fire dept goes there to get him out and they're like all lifting the compactor thingy, and they all fall in and the compactor thingy traps them too! So I run over there w/ Cic and we start yelling for all these people to snap out of their dazed looks and help us...we eventually are able to pull the compactor thingy apart and get out all the trapped people! After that, everyone was clapping because they said I really took action and saved the day!...

(Cue alarm clock, transition from dream to sunny morning)
So I wake up and totally thought it happened for like a split second before I realized that it couldn't have been true...it was too farfetched. BUT, at least I know that I am a hero!!! Woohoo! What a good way to start your day, no?
~~~~~

Man, our dept has these wireless broadband access cards for our laptops. Basically, we can access the internet and our servers from outside the building, or wherever we are. The people in our group spend so much time on the road and stuff that sometimes we have to be able to access our network from far away, so someone suggested that we get these broadband cards. I think it's basically like how our cell phones have wireless internet, only that we can use it for our laptops. I sooooo want one for myself. Too bad PC5220 Data PC Cards cost up to $100 and then you still have to pay for the monthly access...which is like $80 a month. Pretty sweet though, I must say...

"The first and most difficult step for an alcoholic is to admit that he/she is powerless against the urge to drink. Only then can he/she move onto the path towards recovery..."

You know, I think most of the time, it's hard for anyone to accept their own faults...and when I say anyone, I'm saying esp me. It's tough for me to take a good look in the mirror and accept myself for everything I am...good AND bad...and specifically my faults. And it's not that I think I don't have any faults, I guess it's just hard to face them, especially when they deal with areas I thought I wasn't so lacking in...it's just so freakin frustrating. I think that the important thing is is to see what tendencies you have and what you can do to resolve them. And for me, I've found that there are a few things I can do to improve my own personal being. First and foremost, shutting up. I definitely need to keep my mouth shut more often and not try to always get my thoughts in, or answer for other people, or try to make things better...according to me. I should stop thinking that my way is always(because more often than not, it isn't) the right, or better way. And along with shutting up, comes knowing what's appropriate and what's not. Tell a joke when it's joke time, and be serious when it is deemed necessary. Jokes and attempts to make people laugh aren't always the best solution, or even A solution for that matter, for any given situation. It's funny how liberating it feels to acknowledge and deal with one's own faults. I guess that's just all a part of growing up; retrospection. And the list goes on and on. And there you have it, a few of the things I need to work on, ambiguous or not-so-much as it might sound, baby steps does the trick...

I am the first day of summer...

First full day of sommer y'all. Man, it's nice and warm outside. I say it's time for cheap outtings, such as kicking it on the beyotch on the weekends! Who's down?!?

So I am out my water bottle for a while, well, until I can clean it. I noticed a greenish tint in my water bottle the other day and I decided to empty it out. The tint didn't go away. So I ran my finger along the sloped end of my bottle...and it wiped off! I soon came to find out it's algae! Yuck! So I decided to research algae grown in water bottles and here's what I found:

Courtesy of www.eawater.com
Algae in Water Bottles
Sometimes we can see some greenish appearance in the water bottles. This is due to formation of Algae, which generally happens in five-gallon water bottles. The reason behind the algae growth could be contact of water with air and sunlight. One basic reason could be the cistern that is the part of the cooler, in which the bottle rests might develop algae and can contaminate each new bottle that come in contact with it. To avoid this sort of situation the cistern should be properly cleaned time to time and the bottles should be stored away from sunlight.

So I guess it's bad to keep your water bottle in sunlight and exposed to air. What's tough is that I face the window, so sunlight is practiaclly pouring into our dept, esp towards the latter part of the day. I also have a water dispenser thingy for my water bottle, which allows air to get in and really help algae growth. I just need to clean it more often than usual I guess, so those suckers just don't get the chance to grow. Either that or get an algae eater for my water bottle, he he he.

I am a weekend recap

Another busy weekend. Cic's graduation, Batman Begins, and Father's Day.

The graduation was hot as hell man. It was at the Greek Theatre. Ceremony started at 8 and the sun had already been out for about an hour by that time. By 9 o'clock, the sun was glaring down at us w/ intense heat, and Cic's dad even had to leave our seats for a while and go hang out in the shade. Thank goodness the ceremony didn't last til 12 like it had said on the papers. The ceremony itself wasn't too bad, though it didn't seem very well organized. It did have its entertaining moments though, there was a guy who was wearing nothing underneath his gown but some sarong type thing...he was immediately escorted out by security. But the important thing was that Cic walked! Another big congrats! ...on another note, parking was another thing that sucked. It took us about an hour to get out of that parking lot...frickin stack parking sucks man.

Later that night we went to see Batman Begins w/ Tinz, her cousin Jane, Belle, Lou, Jon Jon, and Ivy. That movie was pretty dope. I like how they set up the story line for Bruce. I just thought it was pretty well thought up. I am no hard-core DC fan, nor is Batman even one of my favorite super heroes(something I've always debated, he he he) but the movie was pretty darned. good.

Yesterday, went to Church w/ the fam and went to lunch at Thai BBQ(my folks don't really like going to different restaurants all the time...they stick to what they know). Jos and company weren't able to join us cuz they're currently in Idaho for her bro-in-law's wedding, which was yesterday. Anyway, so it was Mom, Pop, uncle Lem, auntie Auntie Adel, Cic, and me. It was a nice cozy little lunch...our server was pretty new and seemed to not have any clue of what he was doing. I got Pop a Greatest Dad hat and was supposed to get him some tools but, as always, my gifts come post-celebration day...I think it's becoming my thang...

Went shopping afterward and watched Detroit lose to the Spurs...frickin Big Shot Bob man...I called that last 3 from the beginning of the play. Read more HP and went to bed...which brings me to another Monday. Hope this week goes by quick!!!

Check out this e-mail I got from one of my coworkers...all in good humor ladies...

Why ARE Men Happier ?

Men Are Just Happier People-- What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend. Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck. You can play with toys all your life. Your belly usually hides your big hips. One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can "do" your
nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a
mustache. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25
minutes.

No wonder men are happier.

I am a 15-minute break...

Man, work has been kinda busy lately.

Big news, I have officially jumped on the Apple bandwagon and am now one of "..the millions, and millions" of IPOD owners! On Monday this week, we got this special work deal to get an IPOD-mini for $149 plus shipping and well, I have actually been holding off on getting one because it was too expensive, and yada yada yada, but this deal was too good to pass up. It actually came in today too...I thought I might have to wait til next week. So now I have a 4-gig Silver IPOD-mini!!! How exciting...I don't buy toys too often, but I'm actually kinda excited for this one. I started moving my songs from Media Player into ITUNES and started playing around w/ playlists and stuff. I know it's small...4 gig, but I would only really need it for like plane rides, working out, and running and stuff, so it's more than good enough for me. I know I have about 3 or 4 gigs of music on my comp, but if I go over 4, I can just go back and forth w/ different songs and stuff, which isn't too big of a deal.

Man, I haven't really said much in a while...there were so many things I wanted to update about, but now, I can't even remember them anymore. Damn, I hate being old...

I am a pretzel in a can...

Wow, it's been a while...

Beyond a shadow of a doubt
Of course, since it's the big news, I had to give my own shpeal on Michael Jackson's aquittal on all counts. I'd like to think he was really innocent, but whether or not he was truly guilty, only he, the accuser, and God will know, and he'll have to answer for all that in the end. Anyway, it's funny to see the reactions from everyone regarding this whole trial. Some people saying that he still was guilty and others that believe him to be innocent. Strange, isn't it? That one can go to trial and the trial can come to a verdict, and regardless of what that verdict is, people will still go on believing what they originally thought, like, "I still think he's guilty." Regardless of the outcome, you can't change someone's mind anyway. Kinda sucks for accused parties who are exonerated, because they aren't really.
I have always been kind of in the middle when it comes to our justice system. I mean there are things about it that are great, and just the same, not so great. The greatest part about our system is that you "are innocent until proven guilty." There are so many other systems where you are guilty until proven innocent, and that by no means is an easy task. The drawback to it is that because you are innocent before proven guilty, they, whoever "they" might be, must prove you guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt. Meaning, if the jury or judging party thinks you might be guilty, even a little but, but can't be sure...then the accused is home free. That puts the actually guilty parties at an advantage, because all they have to do is fog things up just enough so that they cannot be 100% sure. In my mind, if you're a little guilty, then you're guilty. I bet loads of people have gotten off because they had kick ass lawyers that were good at brining reasonable doubt into any situation. I don't even need to name names, because people probably can easily pull up 5 or 6 examples of their own. At the same time, there are those who were found guilty because they just could not make their case. Another thing that bothers me is due process. Everyone goes to court....eventually. That's what kind of sucks. People are incarcerated for long periods of time and don't go to trial until so much later in their lives. I remember hearing this one story on the news a couple days back about this guy who's finally going to trial about his involvement in the murder of two civil rights workers...almost 40 years ago! Dude, what is THAT all about? I mean, what if, in such a case, the accused is innocent? Then they just lost so many years of their life...for nothing? I don't know, kinda sucks if you ask me. A lot of people always say that our justice system sucks and that it should be more strict, and even to the point where it should be so that you are guilty first, until you prove yourself otherwise. Easy to say, until it happens to you. Of course, I am no expert with the justice system, but these things DO happen all the time. And I don't have a better solution either. It just, sucks...just like everything else. One of those things where you wish there was some sort of truth serum you can just use in court, he he he. I guess it's just one of those things where you have to accept it becuase that's just the way it is...