I am my wits end...

Work is terribly busy...and I mean TERRIBLY busy. We are in the final test phase for my project(thank goodness), but the amount of work needed to get done before I head out to Japan is absolutely ridiculous. How I ever agreed to working on a project with less than minimal resources(and minimal is really an understatement), I'll never know.

Two weeks before I leave for Hapone. Not really lookin forward to this trip. The last time I was excited, cuz I'd see Japan for the first time and I got to sightsee and stuff on the weekend, but this time, I know how lonely it'll be and I will have already seen Japan. Of course, I can check out the things I didn't see before, but it's just different to know you're goin on your own...again. I'm an adventurer though, I'm sure it won't be all that bad. I'll have my PS2 and my books and a camera. But I'll only get to sightsee on the weekend...so hopefully I can hit up the Tsukigi fish market this time around...you gotta get up hella early though, and I don't think they're open on Sundays.

Thanks to everyone who showed up on Friday to celebrate my 29th with me. I lasted most of the night, and I only had about 6 or 7 drinks, but of course, being the lightweight I am, I could not maintain...for those that left early, HE returned, after a 2-year hiatus, why I do something so stupid like that when I'm driznunk is beyond me. But I hope you all had fun...I know I did. I love seeing my friends and hanging out with them. I definitely paid for it the next day...where I had a MONSTER headache, and the day after, when I finally threw up Sunday morning whilst brushing my teeth. That was definitely an unpleasant surprise.

Dude, check THIS out!!! It's frickin hilarious. Chris said I need them, he he he. I bet more than a few of us do :)

Lesson of the day
Never play leap frog with a Unicorn...

I am another day come and gone...

Man, I've been on hiatus blog-wise. Things have been getting busier and busier at work...which is probably why, and I don't usually take the time to post when I'm at home...which I actually should do more often, since thoughts pop into my head all day long. I guess it's because I'm in front of my computer at work most of the time, so it's most convenient.

Anyway...so today I turned 29...it was a pretty good day, with the exception of work trying to pound me in the ground...i just wish I didn't have to work today, but alas...that's what happens when your b-day is on a Tuesday. I got a kick-arse pair of new white pumas and a Magic Johnson jersey from beeb, and a Detroit Lion's watch from her folks. I had a b-day lunch with my coworkers, and hit up In N Out for a quick bite w/ Viv before my basketball game; and we won...another good gift. We are 3-0 so far this season. Thanks to all of my friends who called, texted, mailed b-day cards, e-mailed, aimed, myspaced, and even friendstered me b-day greetings. I really feel truly truly blessed to be surrounded with such awesome friends. I can't wait to party on Friday :) I used to hate my b-days in the past...and to tell the truth, I didn't really look forward to turning another year older this year either, but something hit me sometime during the long hours of driving over this weekend. (cue sappy music) I have a lot to be thankful for, and feel really blessed, and lucky to have had such a wonderful 29 years. Sometimes, I think I don't deserve it all, but we shouldn't think like that. I can only look forward for the years to come. Maybe it's because of all the exciting things happening in my life and going to happen, but I think I just have this excitement about life...and I know things won't always be on the up and up(and there have been a few pretty serious events in the past 5 years), but I just want to try to look at everything in the light, not in the dark... And If I could give a few words of wisdom(which I'm entitled to at this point), I would have to say that happiness is a choice. You choose to be happy, and you choose to see the good things. Choose to be happy...it's a lot better on that side of the grass.


Lessons of the day
In the Spirit of choosing to be happy...here are a few motivating e-mails I got. I don't really like to forward these things. Rather, I enjoy posting them and letting those who want to read it read and those who don't want to read it skip right over it.

Up to you
It is easy to be miserable. It is just as easy to be happy.

Being miserable will nourish and support your ego. Being happy will bring peace and fulfillment to your spirit.

Being miserable can be very dramatic, complicated and sophisticated. It can make you appear quite impressive to other people.

Being happy, on the other hand, is an expression of simplicity and freedom and joy.

Chances are, others could be suspicious or resentful.

Once you have chosen to be miserable, it will require a great deal of energy and effort to maintain that state of misery. By contrast, when you choose happiness, that happiness actually brings additional energy and positive passion to your life.

The choice between happiness and misery is one you make in each moment, over and over again, day after day. Whether you're happy or whether you're miserable is completely up to you.

CHOOSE
John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it!

You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood.

I choose to be in a good mood."

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.

You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

He continued, "..the paramedics were great.

They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'."

Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

I am the turning of the page...

Happy New Year!!! The holidays were a good break...definitely not long enough, but hey, I'll take what I can get. Spent NYE over in Tustin at Belle and Lou's. Nothing rings in the new year like drinking and playing wii, he he he. The highlight of the eve must have been rewinding the countdown so we could take another drink, he he he.

Anyway, new year, new resolutions. Well actually, old resolutions revisited, he he he. And here they are:
-Be more organized, which includes throwing out all the stuff i don't need
-Be more assertive when the situation calls for it
-Spend my money more wisely

Not too many this year; I'm not really sure how many I had last year...I just checked and it turns out I didn't write any down. They're pretty simple to abide by I think. I started throwing stuff out earlier this week, and I've urged the fam to do the same. Gonna be a little tricky though, cuz pop is even more of a packrat than I am. There was a tie that was totally thrashed that I tried to throw out a few weeks ago, and I found it on my bedpost when Igot home from work. Pop's funny...he's like a trash filter; nothing goes out that he doesn't see. At least I'm donating the clothes...I can take them out with me when I go to work. Really gotta go through that garage though. And the files. Looks like it won't be as simple as I thought, he he he.

I was reading over beeb's blogs and she was talking about how this time last year we were training for the marathon. I can't believe it. I miss running...strange as it sounds, I do. I'm afraid to get out and start again too, ever since I've been having my knee problems. I've pretty much chilled out for close to 2 months now, so hopefully I'm okay by now. Maybe I'll ease back into it, just one run a week coupled by a few elliptical workouts. I was supposed to get in a few workouts this week, but looks like I may only get one in, since it's already thursday night and all...

well here's to 2007...as my friend kay put it, may your year be filled with happiness and weddings, ha ha ha. Lots of weddings this year!!!