The Paradoxical Me

The View Has Changed

2010-07-05T22:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've hiked a mountain; the ascend was steep, uneven, narrow, and triggered a few memories. The trail ahead looked familiar, but when I turned around to see where I came from, the view has changed.

Instead of bare earth and rock, I saw cement walls and rooftops. Replacing creeks and lakes were swimming pools, large and small. Scattered trees in place of dense greenery. Nitrogen oxides in the ozone limited my view, and could no longer see as far as my eyes could see. The amount of people present also prevented the feeling of complete solitude. For a time, I felt like I was at an outdoor gym.

The view has changed, indeed. Yet, there was a certain charm to the fact that within a couple of turns out of the parking lot, I was on the main road, minutes away from a hot shower and a good breakfast.

But there is no replacing the raw nakedness and innocence of nature. For now I will be happy with whatever amount of nature am blessed with. Shrubs, dirt, smog. The view has changed, indeed. But only for now.

Only In California

2010-01-26T13:55:00.000-08:00

California still surprises me. I keep saying how much I love the state of Utah and how beautiful it is (and it still is) but sometimes I tend to be too partial and refuse to see California for it's own beauty. Traffic and the mass of female Asian drivers aside (I know, I am harsh to my own sex and race), this state may not be so bad. Where else can you be snowboarding in a blizzard in one day, and play outdoor tennis the day after? Odd that I actually welcomed the warm climate, maybe the Utah in me is starting to melt away...

Free Night

2009-12-22T16:01:00.000-08:00

So last night was fun. I came home from a long day's work and also sore from tennis the day before. But I did not have homework to do :D

Ate Ainee, Kuya Alvin, and I played some board games and each won - we are all reigning champs of different games.

K Alvin is the Friends Trivia know it all. Ate Ainee is the Scrabble queen. And I am the Boggle leader!

MWAH HA HA HA HA

Distracted

2009-11-10T23:54:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's "senioritis."

I have four weeks of school left and, wait, did you really grasp that? I have FOUR WEEKS of school left!!!!!

I really am the busiest I've ever been with projects, papers, and exams coming at me. There's too many to mention. Seriously. And after spending one week in bed with a mean cough, I am more than behind. I am better now, and instead of jumping into work - I choose to blog. :0

I will start my research eventually, I think it's just difficult for me to dive right in after taking such a long break (not by choice, I was sick). So I am easing into it...

But even before this blog, I had other distractions: I had a mini photo shoot with Java. After that, I caught up with all the TV shows I've missed. After that, I finished a knitting project I've been working on for months! Oh and after that I started and finished a crochet project! Did my laundry. Cleaned my room (sort of).

At this point I've run out of distractions. I think I've done everything. Hmmm. Fine. I will put it all away now, and start on my school work. :/

Here's to the last stretch!

Sleepless In Anaheim

2009-10-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

A funny thing happened to me yesterday (note that it was only funny because it all worked out). I just got home from work, exhausted, and was getting ready for the Jazz concert. Since I had furnished the tickets, Jackie elected to drive and she was supposed to pick me up at 5PM.

I have not been sleeping much at all the past week and was simply exhausted. Taking a shower did not help wake me up as I thought it would. I figured, the hell with my hair, I will take a quick 15 minute nap and just stick it in a bun and I will feel fresh and ready to go. Well, it was no nap. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out faster than five shots of tequila that one time in...nevermind.

Indeed I woke up fresh and rested. But quickly replaced that feeling with panic, embarrasement, and utter remorse. It was a quarter to 6PM and Jackie has been waiting patiently in my driveway! She called, but I did not hear it. I don't know why she did not get out of her car sooner; I would've banged on the front door!

After a quick change and several apolologies, we made it to UCLA in time. It actually may have worked to our benefit since the traffic was not so bad. I assume it had time to clear out and dissipate while I was sleeping - yes, I am resolved to keep telling myself this.

Jazz Concert

2009-10-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to find out that Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at the Lincoln Center Orchestra was going to be in town. I looked up tickets and they were a bit pricey for my taste (unless I sat in the nose-bleed section). Since it is a big deal for me to see Wynton, I was going to buy them anyway; but the problem was finding someone else that would shell out money to see them - you won't believe this, but there's just not enough people that like jazz! Get your act together people! You're certainly missing out! ;)

As luck would have it, I did not have to pay for tickets anyway. Last week, I happened to finish my exam 30 min early and got to my car earlier than usual. I turn my radio on and hear "10th caller gets to see Wynton Marsalis at Royce Hall in UCLA."

I've won a total of two times on the radio. Once for correctly identifying a movie from a quote (the movie was Princess Bride), and second from finishing my exam at the right moment, to get me to hear announcement at the right time, and become the 10th caller! YAY!

I did manage to find another Jazz enthusiast in my friend Jackie, and we had a great night at UCLA last night. It was a 2-hr concert that felt like 30 min; full of blaring sounds and great rhythm. It was extremely fun and exciting, I worked so hard to keep myself from swingin' away and stay in my seat!

It was such a delight, we were left unfocused on the way home and ended up on Rodeo Drive (the opposite direction). Not a terrible detour. But we found our way back eventually, still enamored by the great jazz that was.

Group Work

2009-10-03T11:31:00.000-07:00

What usually comes to mind when you hear "group work"?

In my history, group work usually means I get to do all the work. So it's no surprise that I was less than ecstatic, to hear that my final semester will be spent mostly on group projects.

Still, I had some hope it would be better this semester since my classes are all upper division and my classmates SHOULD be more responsible this time around. Yeah...I assumed wrong.

My Management 449 group have met twice now and both times, I was the only one with their assigned work done. What a great start! C'mon people! You're not going to learn anything when you slack off and have other people do things for you. Have some dignity for cryin' out loud!

On a much different note, there's my Tax group that blew my mind away. May I just say that I LOVE this group! This is what group work is supposed to be! We test each other's brains, we check each other's thoughts, we constructively argue, and it's wonderful! I have been so sleepless the past week due to tax code research; but the great thing is, I am not alone. I send out ideas and info via email at 3 o'clock in the morning, and I get a reply back! HA! We are all up working our asses off together. Sucks to be up that late/early, but I will get through it much easier knowing I am not the only one working.

All I can say is that I am greatful for finally being in a productive group. As far as my Management group, however, they better get their act together or I will leave their names out of the group paper due next week.

Rude Airport Man

2009-08-07T23:34:00.000-07:00

Let me take this opportunity to say that I love coffee - good coffee. And if I have an excellent brew in my hands, like Peet's coffee, I will cherish every single drop.

I am well aware liquids greater than 3 oz are not allowed passed the airport check point. So I did my best to get my 12 oz cup down to 3, with plans to savor the rest while at the gate.

My plan did not play out, security made me finish my drink in the spot and make snide remarks about holding up the people behind me. Uh, first of all, the woman in front of me took a hell of a lot longer unstrapping her sandals, untying her belt, and emptying her pockets, than me attempting to savor my final 3 oz! Second, there was ONE person behind me! Even he was taken back by the rude comment and was nice enough to reaasure me that he was in no hurry. What a Jerk! I realize it's for securuty purposes and that's fine. What gets to me is that he really could've approached the situation in a more polite manner, instead he chose to embarrass me. Learn some manners you arrogant jerk! Maybe I should've given him the rest of my coffee, then at least he would've been more pleasurable later in his shift.

Pet Peeve

2009-08-05T23:40:00.000-07:00

We all have our pet peeves. But one haunts me every single month when a particular bill comes at work and I have just had it! Here it is, one of my biggest pet peeves is when I see this phrase alone on an entire sheet of paper: This Page Intentionally Left Blank.

Then why print it then? Save the paper and ink and don't bother printing an empty page!!!! GRRRRRR!!!!

FIGS!!!

2009-07-23T18:29:00.001-07:00

It's fig season!!! YAY! I LOVE figs! They are like mini guavas :D So refreshing. I look forward every year for fig season, and it's here!!!

Coordinated Mess

2009-07-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

I admit, I have a messy room. But it's one of those kinds of messy where I know where everything is; it only looks messy to the outsider.

But then, it recently passed the coordinated mess point. After spending time in and out of the house almost everyday (having summer fun :D), I spent a few minutes feeling like an outsider to my own room. I stood there, racking my brain, trying to remember where I put my wallet and ipod. I searched under a pile of clean laundry I have yet to put away, under my bed, inside 3 purses, one backpack, my tennis bag, and then finally my gym bag - found it. After a little bit of panic, I realized my coordinated mess, was no longer coordinated; it was out of control.

There is one solution. Although I despise it, it must be done. Time to clean my room.

Hello Summer

2009-07-13T23:07:00.000-07:00

It is officially, my summer vacation! I had planned to go for round 2 in the summer; but with the budgets cuts, the class I needed to take is no longer offered. So here I am with 6 weeks of freedom! YAHOO!

I am filling my weeks with culture, sun, and fun; things I rarely have time to do when school is in session. Funny how I had no time to do anything before, now I have ran out of time to fit all the things I want to do! Not complaining of course, although I wish there were more free things to do. I need to work more to pay for my summer activities - vicious circle.

Adventures of the Copper - Colored Hat . Chapter 2

2009-07-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

Chapter 2, Santa Barbara French Festival, July 12 2009

I’ve been stuffed in this bag for hours! I know she has to be taking us to someplace exciting. Her uncle with the straw fedora hat is with her, along with someone I’ve never met: Diane.

Finally, we are stopped. She gives me a few shakes and I am back in shape! Wow. Where are we? I see trees, booths, flags, dogs, and people, LOTS of people. Chairs are laid out in front of a stage; and I see a smaller stage further back. There is a tower up ahead, and we take photos against it, as well as next to a cardboard cut out of a short soldier man that Cris got excited over; although I don’t know who he his and what the big deal is, I go where my anchor takes me.

We cross a wooden bridge and find a much larger stage. A breeze brings a hint of lavender, but it is overcome by the aroma of crepes, berries, and caramel from a few booths down. She makes sure to visit each vendor booth, lingering longer when something catches her eye. Another breeze blows by, this time with a stronger scent of lavender. There are more people on this side of the bridge. Loud drums, people cheering and clapping, what a fun place this is! We go around the stage and VOILA! A booth selling lavender! So calming and refreshing.

We park ourselves on a bench after eating lunch and watch the different shows as they come on stage. It is mid-afternoon now and our new friend Diane seems to be particularly eager for the next show: Traditional Dances of France. Apparently, she is from France, Brittany to be exact. Next thing we know she has dragged us on stage to join in on the dances. Cris remembers to tighten me up and I am secured as she spins, taps, bounces, twirls, and sways.

The afternoon was filled with shows and demonstrations, I can tell they are all getting tired. So why are we still here? Diane accompanies us to the nearest place to get coffee – a hospital cafeteria. That’s right, we were completely embedded in a residential area that there are absolutely no shops within walking distance. You would think that at least one of the booths would carry coffee, but you would be sadly mistaken.

The sun is beginning to set and soon, Cris won’t need my shade anymore. I wonder what it is they are waiting for. We are back in the larger stage and it is the most crowded it has been all day. People cheer as introductions are made. The stage is set, and out comes…a woman, no a man. Wait. It’s a man dressed as a woman! Everyone else finds this just as amusing as I do! They are singing and dancing, How exciting!

The show and festivities come to an end just as the sun fades out. Cris stuffs me back in her bag as they take their final photos and begin their drive back home.

Adventures of the Copper-Colored Hat, Chapter 1

2009-07-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

What a blistering day! Even so, Black is a popular color. Blue just went. Green too. I guess us hats perform well in whatever color. There were 3 pink hats; now there’s only one. Two yellows, three whites, several others with patterns of colors, and me – a lone copper-colored hat.

A peculiar girl walks by; she carries a bright-colored bag, less of a rusty shade than me, but a fine pairing nonetheless. She tries on several hats...Lingering...Browsing...

PICK ME! How I'd love to travel and rest on something else than this crowded head-cover stand. How it would be like, to be hoisted away and see new and exciting things. In return, I provide shade and style to my sun-sensitive bearer. Oh what a mutual relationship it would be!

She is fond of the black hats, trying on a 3rd style. Wandering closer, she bravely tries on my yellow sister, and puts it back after evidently seeing it does not suit her. Pink, green, white. She tries them all on, but remains unimpressed. She follows her party away from the booth, fleeing from the scorching sun. More people come and go. Someone buys another black hat; some surprise there. I did mention they were popular. Minutes slowly pass... That girl is back! I have a good feeling about her. Yet, she tries the black one on again! Wait, I think she notices me. She does! She picks me up and tries me on! "Oh! What a fun and young color” she says. "And it matches my bag!"

Her companions surround her, agreeing with praise. They have new hats as well: the man sports a fedora straw hat, the woman with a wide-brimmed green hat. I think this is it! I am resting on my new mobile anchor! She instantly feels cooler with me, and walks away. And I think: if I want to be introduced to new things, I have to protect this delicate and fragile being. Thus our adventures begin, the copper-colored hat and the peculiar girl, named Cris. I watch my old stand get further and smaller - it is a sight I longed for, and welcome

Crash and Burn

2009-06-26T02:00:00.000-07:00

All the reviews I've heard for Transformers have been the same: a bit long, but I like it.

I think they were being nice. All I got was a headache and lost sleep. After giving the first installment rave reviews, I was very disappointed at what followed. I remember when a friend admitted that she was not a fan of the first Transformers; it was too loud, too cheesy, and too much special effects - that's EXACTLY what I thought of the second one.

What a waste of 3 hours.

Summer School

2009-06-25T23:58:00.000-07:00

I just finished my second of three exams for my summer class. Not Bad. I ended up writing a 5 page essay (by hand!) on Japan, which half way through, I realized the other essay topic would've been much easier to write about.

We were given two essay topics and we choose one to answer. I chose the history of Japan, and the other was regarding the French Revolution. I know the French Revolution. I've written many papers on different aspects of the revolution. And I know I could've easily pulled off an A if I just chose that as my topic. Oh, who am I kidding! I'm sure I will still get an A on the Japan essay, but I would've been out of that exam room sooner if I just went with the French Revolution.

So why did I go for a topic I was less comfortable with and knew would take longer? Boredom? Maybe I wanted a challenge? Who knows. This is probably something I would ponder about for a few more hours or so if this were the Fall or Spring semester. Heck! It's summer! And I don't really care to analyze my choices right now.

Who's up for tennis?!

Freshmen

2009-06-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

I have been hounded by mean thoughts towards some of my classmates the past couple of weeks. There are such things as STUPID questions!!!

I try to give them the benefit of my doubt and assume they are freshmen students, new to the college process. Even so, after comments and questions regarding lecture we spent days on, I cannot help but loudly sigh, slump my shoulders, and roll my eyes.

Our professor was explaining the exam process tonight and one girl asked, "would you have extra credit?" "NO" he answered, and continued to talk about the essay portion. He was to provide us with two topics and we choose ONE to write about.

"If we write both essays, can you give us extra credit for that?"

Just then, my eyes widened. I tilted my head to the ceiling, shut my eyes, and started to shake my head side to side. Apparently, our professor was getting just as annoyed and while I still had my eyes shut, he exclaimed:

"Last I heard, this was a University."

I looked around the room and no one knew how to respond. Finally, to break the ice, someone from the back row shouted "OUCH!" and the entire class proceeded to laugh.

Glad to find out I am not the only one annoyed. There's a little over two weeks of class left, and if I burst of impatientness before then, here are parting words for those "freshmen":

- This is absolutely, NOT the hardest class you have/will ever take. In fact, it's one of the easiest.
- Attending lecture and reading the assigned textbook material, is the MINIMUM work you do to pass the class!
- Reading ONE chapter per day is expected. In a compressed summmer semester, it really should be 2-3 chapters per day. Stop whining! Instead, start READING!
- You want to pass? Simple. Do the work.
- Stop complaining about how hard the exam material was while admitting you did not read the textbook. You really set yourself up here. Foolish Idiot!
- Log in the hours first and do the work. After all that work and you still did not get a good grade, only THEN can you bitch about it.

My Curious Java

2009-06-22T00:14:00.000-07:00

I was taking Java out for a walk earlier when he rushed towards a truck and started to frantically sniff about it. "What's up Poo?" I ask as I approach the vehicle. Then I hear it.

Yes. Ugh. YES.

I tried to pull my 108 lb dog away from the truck; but, my curious dog did not want to let up. I could not yell Java's name, for fear the couple would realize they had an audience. Then, Java tried to jump at the window and I saw the opportunity to yank his leash. Sorry to take you off balance Java, but mommy was not about to stay there one second longer.

Awkward. Gross. Funny. Moving on.

And The Dust Settles

2009-06-07T23:46:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time. So long that I have forgotten how to rant and blog. So many topics I’ve wanted to share; but, school work did not permit any time. Even tennis has taken a backseat to school. It’s a relief to say that sacrificing my outlets did contribute to my relatively good grades this past Spring semester. I am back in summer school now, but since my textbook has not arrived in the mail yet, I am unable to do homework, which has brought me back to you, my audience ;)
Let’s start with something easy. I saw two movies this weekend, Drag Me To Hell and UP. Drag Me To Hell was very entertaining. Jumpy and funny if you can believe that in a horror classified movie. I must’ve jumped at least 20 times; but, they were quickly followed by a laugh and so the scary movie, wasn’t so scary after all. It was great because you can get the thrill of a horror flick, but none of the can’t sleep alone in my bed, keep the light on, must lock all doors and windows paranoia that normally come afterward. Drag Me To Hell was refreshing; entertaining; absurdity at it’s best.
UP was THE BEST movie I have seen in a long time (at least that I can remember)! Emotional, laugh-out-loud funny, creative, and has a good backstory. I cannot do this movie justice by simply writing about it. You MUST see it for yourself. That’s it. I won’t try to review it because I can’t. Just watch it!
The blogger is back, for now. Did you miss my updates? My never-ending rants and complaints? My bossy tone? Seriously, go watch UP!
Until my next post…

UP! (in 3D)

2009-06-07T22:54:00.000-07:00

This is such a GOOD movie!!! I laughed, I cried, I had a blast! Granted plane-flying dogs were too far fetched but I am willing to overlook it :)

My sister saw this movie also but sang less praise compared to me. I told her maybe it was because I saw it with a friend of mine and we just laughed together. Sometimes the company makes a difference, I was not afraid of laughing too loud...or sobbing too much. I was simply there to have fun, and I did :D

Anyway, she still liked it. I LOVED IT!

Go watch it!!!

SQUIRREL!!!

Dodging Bullets

2009-03-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

Oh Boy! I have been lucky this week.

Read about my car accident? Well, it was my first "not at fault" accident and did not get all the information I needed to file a claim. We were both running late for class and with all the people honking behind us, we agreed to discuss insurance later and just exchanged phone numbers.

Boy did I get yelled at from my family! I am too trusting they said. "There is no way she's going to call and give her insurance now!" Haunted by how I would come up with the money to fix my car, I waited anxiously for her to call me back. Luckily, she did. I received a call from her insurance today accepting liability.

Also today, I received an email from my sister who was told by a friend to look into the new Stimulus Package. We have been really pressed to find me good, affordable health insurance by April, when coverage ends, along with my mom's employment. Individual insurance is painstakingly expensive. And to continue our current insurance by COBRA would cost us $830/month!

Then I looked into the new Stimulus Package and read about the Subsidized Cobra Package. To get right to the happy ending, my mom qualified for the Subsidy and the government will pay for 65% of our COBRA, leaving us to pay only 35% - a very good deal when it means I can keep the same doctors, and have the confidence in knowing I have the same coverage. 35% turns out to be cheaper than individual insurance as well.

Phew. I am greatful to the power that's pulling me aside, enabling me to dodge these bullets.

Thank you Father.

Some People Are Jerks

2009-03-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

To think this could’ve all been avoided if I just woke up on time…

Instead, there I was in the school parking lot, exchanging phone numbers with the girl who backed into my car

But this post is not about her. She turned out to be an honest person (greatly added to my luck and benefit), who was running late and admittedly neglected to look behind her when she tried to back up to grab a parking spot. No, this post is about the person behind me. The first person to witness two people trying to get through a minor, yet, still a traumatic experience. He pulls to our side, inching forward. He manages to get my attention and the first words that came out of his mouth were: Can you guys close your doors [so I can get by]?

“I’m sorry. The first thing that should’ve popped in to my head after being jerked forward from a frontal impact should’ve been to search for a tool to pry her car off mine, and then push it aside, just so you can get by – my unbelievably inconsiderate schoolmate. Jackass.”

Yeah, that’s what I should’ve said. Instead, I gave him a dirty look and walked slowly to shut my door.

Sadly, he was not the only one. Impatient drivers with cars too wide to squeeze through became infatuated with their honking mechanisms, and made it nearly impossible for us to think and discuss.

What happened to courtesy?

So is it Dairy or Isn’t It?

2009-03-10T17:35:00.000-07:00

Although I am not Catholic, I’ve always appreciated the practice of Lent. So, for this Lent season, I have decided to give up dairy.

I became very confused when it was time to put cream in my coffee. I have the Coffeemate creamer that claims to be non-dairy. Just to be sure, I glanced over the ingredients and it has in it, a milk-derivative. If something is derived from milk, how can it be not milk? Then a friend brought up Splenda and how they advertise: “made from sugar, but it’s not sugar.” Now are you confused?

For the sake of my coffee, if it says non-dairy, I will take it.

Accounting and Snow Sports

2009-03-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

I attended an accounting event last night where CPA firms have tables set up for students to introduce themselves, ask questions, and network. A representative from Singer Lewak put something in a different perspective for me when I claimed to be undecided between tax and audit. She said that tax has a shorter achievement curve compared to audit, meaning you'd feel a sense of accomplishment sooner compared to audit. It makes sense. You can work in audit for 3 years and have only done pieces of reports; but, in tax, you can finish full returns in a year. On the other side, once you know tax, that's it. In audit, you learn new things for years; it has variety. That's where I got the analogy between accounting and snow sports.

Tax is like snowboarding, and audit is like skiing. Tax/Snowboarding is frustrating to learn at first, but then it all clicks and you master it in 5 years. Audit/Skiing is a gradual process, you learn one technique, and then another that builds from the one before. It's an ongoing progression that can span a lifetime.

The question is, am I skier? Or a snowboarder?

Tax People Are Crazy

2009-02-17T23:36:00.000-08:00

It's an unbelievable scene right now, as I sit here taking a break from homework, waiting for my sister to get off work (we carpooled). I am at a vacant Ernst & Young cubicle, and there are lots of other people here, at 10PM! And they show no signs of leaving! Weird since in my workplace, people consider staying passed 6PM overtime; here I see employees staring down reports and spreadsheets with every ounce of energy. Granted its tax season, but it got me thinking…do I want to become these tax people that work until the sun comes up? I swear they have sleeping cots somewhere around here.

Five Classes

2009-02-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

I am attempting something this semester I have not done before - I am adding on one extra class to my load and taking a total of 5 classes in one semester. I know a few of you are probably thinking this is cake since you've taken 5 classes every semester of your college life. But me, this is my first. I've always thought 4 was just enough but I decided to tackle one more to give me a little more flexibility getting closer to graduating.

Two weeks into the semester and I am already behind. But that's because I lost one week to tennis sectionals. I am starting to get my bearings now and my schedule is beginning to come together.

Check back in a month - I will be crazy for sure; but, will I be manageable crazy or insanely regretting what I got myself into?

The 2009 Australian Open

2009-02-03T18:18:00.001-08:00

I am not sure about the rest of the world; but, in my part of town, I was shunned for rooting for Nadal. I respect Federer, I LOVE Federer! Honestly, the way he had played throughout the tournament, I believed he would win over Nadal. But as many of you would know by now, Nadal defeated Federer in yet another exciting 5-setter match.

Days later, Fed fans are still bitter about the result. Get over it guys! I know it was very sad to see Federer lose, but you cannot deny Nadal earned it. Some of the excuses I've heard is that Rafa's younger, or Rafa had less pressure to think about, or Federer just did not play like has was earlier in the week. Well, don't you think there's a reason why he did not play as well? (BTW I think is crap bc he played great) The difference was that unwaivering opponent accross the net. I love Rafa; and now I love him even more. Sure it was a bittersweet victory but I think what broke and made the match was the mental toughness of that incredible Spaniard. Despite all the momentum switches and losing crucial sets; he was able to put it all behind him and just play - so admirable. I also think that's what shook Roger from his focus. You play several great points and usually that would be enough to unrattle your opponent's confidence and instigate fear; but, not against Rafa.

Whoever you were rooting for, it was a great match. And when the time comes that Federer defeats Nadal again (and it will come), then he will earn more of my admiration. Right now, Federer has my respect; but Rafa has my heart.

Hole In My Pocketbook

2009-01-26T21:37:00.000-08:00

I HAVE NEVER SPENT SO MUCH MONEY ON BOOKS IN MY YEARS OF COLLEGE!!!! Great timing on this economy too! Aren't you glad to know I stimulated the economy with these purchases?

Stat 2
Textbook: $90.00 - not even hard-bound.
Workbook: $15.00

Tax Acct
Textbook: $205.00 - I got an older edition for half the price but the professor insisted today that I get the newest edition.

Cost Acctng
Textbook: $115.00 - USED price! $185 for new.

Acctng Info Sys
Textbook 1: $95 - this is the older edition; I forgot to ask if it is acceptable. If not, I'd have to get the newer one for $130.
Textbook 2: $45 - can only get this from the publisher online. No competition; so, no cheaper price. This is a flimsy 60-page notebook wire-bound text.
Lab Manual: $15

Mngmt & Operations
Textbook: $80 - this is the USED price! Custom made crap.

$660 total. I am still in shock. Furious at the same time. But more in shock. Seriously?! $200 for ONE book!!! And another for $115?!!! And then several others nearing $100 each!!!! OMG! Speechless. I cannot believe I am paying this much for books. Mainly I am freaked because I have no idea how I am going to pay for these.

I do have money left over from my grant: $169. Oh but that went to pay for my semester parking permit. Yup, one semester of parking costs $160.

And people wonder why students are poor...

Only In California

2009-01-12T16:11:00.000-08:00

I would not normally endorse California; but, recently appreciating the variety in my activities (last week snowboarding, this week outdoor tennis), maybe it's not so bad.

Birthday Cheer

2009-01-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your birthday greetings! My day was filled with birthday email notifications, facebook wall postings, and text messages. Never a lonely minute!

I had a wonderful birthday that actually spanned into three days. Since my cousin Magee arrived from San Jose the evening of Jan 5 with my uncle, we decided to celebrate early and all have dinner together at the Old Spaghetti Factory.

I celebrated most of my birthday at work and my coworkers made it special by buying me coffee for breakfast, and also took me to Roundtable Pizza for lunch where they paid for my meal. :)

Magee was waiting for me at home and we made triple chocolate brownies as my "bday cake" not knowing Ate Ainee would come home hours later with a chocolate cake with strawberry mousse filling - yum! Stocked up on sugar, the celebration continued into the early hours of Jan 7 when Magee and Ate Ainee were determined to beat me at Boggle. Although Ate Ainee was the first to find an elusive 8-letter word (she found "replaces") that bumped her score up and ended the round of games, my score was still way ahead of the total tally. The Boggle champion reigns ;)

Thank you everyone!

Crash Update

2008-12-23T13:14:00.000-08:00

My insane Fall 08 semester has kept me from blogging. It has been a long time and I would like to say "hello."

So what did all my hard work turn into? Not as good as I wanted, or even believe to deserve. I received two A's, one B, and a C+ in Accounting. I am glad to pass my acctng class but never did I think that I would ever be so close in having to repeat any class (not counting Lupus flare moments of course). I studied so hard all throughout the semester; messing up only on the first exam, and I receive a crap grade. The average of the class failed with a C-. Aside from the first exam, all my scores were above the average; it really saddens me that so many have to retake that class. Guess, I would just have to be thankful that I won't have to. But still, a C stings.

On better news, my Fall Doubles tennis team made it to sectionals!! YAY!!! We will be heading off to Palm Desert/Indian Wells at the end of January to battle 3-4 other teams for the championship title. I am very excited. At least my hard work on captaining this team had a positive outcome. Wish us luck!

CHOKED!

2008-11-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

I did not know what nervous was until today.

Sure, I have given public speeches before, but that was a kind of nervous I knew how to channel and control. This afternoon, I walked on to those tennis courts and it dawned on me, "holy cow, I am at sectionals." It was nervousness and anxiety at an entirely different level, a level I never knew existed, and did not know how to handle.

I could not get anything right. I played tentatively and I'd sink it into the net, then I would try to adjust but it would fly out. I tried everything. I was so tight and mechanical. I never found my rhythm. My doubles partner told me afterward that she had never seen me like that before. She did not know what to do because she did not recognize who was playing next to her. It was horrible. I was unable to focus and it was so frustrating!
That was my first appearance at sectionals. I truly can say that today was definitely an experience. I will be back at sectionals, and when that time comes, I will know what to expect.

Rent-A-Pet

2008-11-22T22:01:00.000-08:00

I was browsing through a magazine this morning and was horrified at what I saw. Pets are now available to rent. One customer was quoted, " I love the idea that I can indulge my Labrador fix and be the person with a cute dog on the street, without the ongoing responsibility. I can have a dog for a week when I am home, and it's convenient when I travel, I don't have any pet to worry about!"

Okay, take a step back. Don't you see that this is INSANE? What is wrong with you people? Some of you may argue that this is a great way to have pets when your hectic traveling schedule would normally not allow. C'mon. Grow up and get over yourself!

First of all, pets are not like chocolate that you can indulge in from time to time. They are living creatures that cannot just be passed around from one person to another. Can't you understand how traumatic this is to an animal. To come from a caged facility and then taken home to bond for a couple of weeks and then wonder what they did wrong when they are returned? Not to mention different sets of rules these dogs have to learn every time they go into a different house. Pets are a real commitment. You can't just have a pet whenever you can or feel like it. If you were a true pet-lover, you'd see how cruel this is and won't even consider this option.

If you don't have the time or space to take care of a pet, then you should not have one. Think. Wait until you can finally have a pet that you won't have to share with anyone else. A pet that you would form a priceless bond with and become your cherished companion.

Pets are living animals with true feelings. Pets are real. Pets are precious. Pets are worth the wait.

USTA Sectionals

2008-11-21T21:49:00.000-08:00

Because of the fires here in SoCal, Sectionals (supposed to be last week) and Nationals are both taking place this weekend. Double the matches = need to double the players.

I received a phone call Tuesday from one of the USTA captains and asked me to fill in for one of the spots!

"Of course I will do it! Uh, wait. I actually rolled my ankle two days ago..."

"Again?! Okay, I will leave it up to you. If you feel well enough to play, then play. But if not, then you find me someone to take the spot."

Are you kidding me? Pass up this opportunity and give it to someone else?! Right. My ankle was compressed, elevated, and on ice for the next two days.

It's Friday night, and I feel great! Going to practice tomorrow and head to sectionals Sunday afternoon.

TriLevel Sectionals, here I come!

The Payoff

2008-11-19T21:37:00.000-08:00

My test results are in and...not bad. Two As and one B. Nice that this time around, I have something to show from all that studying.

Although I have to say that I am a little disappointed. Can't help but think 3 As would've been better, especially when the questions I missed that fell short of the A, could've been avoided if I had just slowed down a little bit. It was the last of the three exams and I was at the end of my sanity.

I have this week off due to Thanksgiving. THANK YOU!!!! Then there are 3 more weeks of school and back to my crazy schedule. Almost over. My goal is to end the semester with truly satisfactory grades.

More Fires

2008-11-15T21:33:00.000-08:00

I have not seen it rain here for nearly a year! I have seen fire. Lots of fire! Huge fires just this summer, mainly in Lake Arrowhead but one close to where I work. Now fires are back and one is close to school. They are certainly making their way closer to home.

Breathing in ash. Have to take my mask out again...*SIGH* We need rain.

Sauvignon Blanc

2008-11-14T14:51:00.000-08:00

It's been a hell of a month! I have been studying like crazy for round 2 of my exams, the last of which I finished two days ago. It's now Friday night, and you know what I really want to do? Crack open that bottle of wine I purchased while taking a break from my books a week ago - total perk when my coffee shop/study place sits next to a wine store, hehe. Alas, I cannot. Because aside from those books I've been hitting, I've also taken a few whacks at tennis balls. My USTA league team has finally reached the #1 spot, and to stay there, we have to win our final three matches in straight sets. That is a very tall order. The first of those three matches is this Sunday. No alcohol for me just yet.

Heaven In A Cup

2008-11-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year when my absolute favorite drink is being served - Peppermint White Mocha.

My coffee pallate has extensively changed this past year to be more of a connoiseurs. With that said, Starbucks Coffee, with their burnt beans and pitiful, or should I say, non-existent frothing skills, is never on my list of stores to stop by anymore. What has replaced Starbucks on that list is their former trainer: Peet's Coffee - the best coffee distributor/service out there. I was more than ecstatic to find that they too have a Peppermint White Mocha on their menu, so of course, I did not hesitate to indulge myself. The result? Absolute heaven! Seriously. Instead of burnt coffee covered with peppermint syrup, Peets' version is great tasting coffee, with only a hint of peppermint. You get your espresso with a nice minty aftertaste - oh so wonderful. I don't even know how I survived without the heavenly cup; but, I do know I cannot survive any future winter seasons without it.

Peet's is the best!

Lupus Walk 2008

2008-10-18T23:57:00.000-07:00

The 2008 2nd annual Lupus Walk was held in LA's Exposition Park. My team consisted of Linda, Ian, Kumi (unable to make it to the walk today), Java, and me. It was a nice day for a walk and we planned on walking the full 3 miles, but ended up cutting only to two miles since Java was pooped out - you would be too if you carried a big load like he did. Java was a real trooper carrying his and mommy's snacks and water, also mommy's wallet and cell phone. Of course he also got to rest when we stopped for pictures :).

Thank you team for your fund raising efforts and contributions! Thanks to all the supported us and donated to the cause for Lupus!

Happy Birthday Java

2008-10-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

Java turns SIX years old today! He has been a great companion the past few years and since he did not get a party last year, I thought it fit to at least have a small get together at a park this year. It will be a belated celebration since his mommy has tons of homework this week ;)

Happy Birthday Java!!!!

More on the party to come.

You Want It When?

2008-10-16T23:31:00.001-07:00

There is a comic up in the accounting office with people laughing so hard they are about to hit the ground, the caption notes: YOU WANT IT WHEN?!

I had that moment this morning when I came into work. Char mentioned an email request from one of the attorneys which she had no time to get into so, she forwarded it to me. I proceeded to settle into my desk first by opening my mail and e-mail, separating the invoices, and opening up related programs. I finally get to that request and I busted out laughing! Char and Linda instantly knew what I was reading and they started laughing too! I read it aloud and we resembled that comic - laughing until our stomachs ached. Here is what the attorney requested:

Copies of ALL invoices AND copies of the checks we paid the invoices with, on 4 different files, dating back from 2006 to present! OMG, I am still laughing! It's absurd! Oh and the clencher - he wanted it when? BY TOMORROW!!!!

NO WAY! NO WAY! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT CAN BE DONE! On two files maybe, but on four? And back to 2006!!?? SHIT! NO WAY! I didn't even know where to start!

Char understood my pain and mentioned to the attorney how this was going to go further than tomorrow. If he could not change his deadline, then he'd have to shorten his request - and he did. He looked through the list and only really needed backup for half of them. Seriously! The other half I would have gone through would have been a waste! The stress! The time! Ugh, I have other things to do mister!

Due by tomorrow. At least this time around it's possible. Alright, I'm on it.

Embarrassed?

2008-10-13T23:19:00.000-07:00

I fell asleep in class today! I have never been that tired before, I knew I should not have fought against it and stayed home; but, there was an exam review I had to attend earlier that day. I figured, I am already here so, just stay the rest of the day. As far as my body was concerned, that was a terrible idea. I wanted to pay attention; my body wanted to sleep - and it won. I gave up and said "okay," I will close my eyes for 15 minutes.

Indeed I did wake up 15 minutes later, but not to me watching the clock. Instead, I was out like a log and awoke to my own snoring!!!!! During class!!!!!

Horrid! I know! Funny part was that I felt so rested, I didn't care that I was snoring. I was not even embarrassed! I realized what had happened and moved on. Just got that boost I needed to stay awake for my next class: accounting. Everyone knows how I really need to pay attention in that class.

My Pick Me Up

2008-10-04T18:31:00.000-07:00

Life is crazy hectic, this I know. But the past couple of weeks have been filled with deferred taxes, bonds, and accrued interest. Yup, my first Accounting exam was upon me. I also had an Econ exam on the same day! So, when I say the past couple of weeks have been nothing but studying, that's no exaggeration.

October 1, 2:15 PM, I just finished my Econ test, not bad. Now I have to head to Accounting. I feel pretty confident. Just yesterday, I was doing some more practice problems and was getting them right. Walk in, sit down, breathe.

October 1, 3:50PM. "What the hell was that?!!!!??" I felt like I studied the wrong chapters! Yes, they were of bonds and tax but the format threw me off so badly I did not know where to start! I really don't want to get into how difficult that exam was; but, how I felt afterward was crap. Like the past few weeks were a complete waste! And they were! That's the worst feeling when you invest so much time studying and think you understand something the material then, BAM! Nope, you were wrong.

I have a Stat exam on Monday so I knew I had to move on from this. I was really depressed and stressed out about my grade that my entire body ached. I couldn't focus at work, I couldn't do my homework. I played tennis on Thursday but sadly, even that did not help. TENNIS DID NOTHING!! Now are you getting the picture of how in terrible shape I was?

I needed help. I realized I was holding on to lots of tension and could not release them by simply shaking it off or with exercise. Come Friday evening, I was determined to relax; so, I drove to the grocery store, picked up some pasta and a bottle of wine, and headed home to watch one of the funniest sitcoms of all time.

Halfway into that bottle, I was laughing so hard and I don't think it was even at the funny parts. Later on, I danced to every alternative song in my iTunes. Worries dissipated, tension melted. I finally got to rest that night. The best part? No hangover ;) Although, I still wonder how all my stuffed animals ended up scattered on my bed that morning...from storage...

They Called Us Traitors

2008-09-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

Here we are at Coffee Bean with our Peets Coffee mugs. Can we help it that Peets has better travel mugs? C'mon, both get our businesses after all. No need to be bitter; unless you're Starbucks.

Contamination by Infiltration

2008-09-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

The N*Sync fan's worst nightmare: the discovery of a Backstreet Boys song in her iTunes library.

That brought me back to 8 years ago-high school, when the most important agenda was to win the debate over who was the better band: N*Sync or Backstreet Boys (BSB). Then there were others who faced every teenage girls' wrath when they claimed that neither were "real bands" - that's a whole other story, do not get me started.

Back to my iTunes. I remember my sister asked if she could download some songs to burn into a CD. "Sure," I said. That began the BSB contamination into my music library. OM Gosh! The horror! Imagine this die-hard N*Syncer's reaction when her shuffle mode turned up All I Have to Give from BSB. "WHAT THE @#$@! Where...? Is that...? NO WAY! Seriously! That's coming from MY computer!

What have I become? Am I a traitor to my fellow N*Syncers? Have I let time mellow out the feud that so consumed my teen years? No. I will not let all that time spent on covering my walls with N*Sync posters go to waste. I will not ignore all my efforts made toward constructing N*Sync scrapbooks. That stage in my life will not be pushed aside. To the memory of my N*Sync years, know that this painful example of vocal harmony and charlatan of a band, will be extinguished from my library.

Mono Vision

2008-09-11T22:15:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day I have my mono-vision contact lenses on. Mono-vision is where one eye sees far and the other up close. I opted to try this because I despise having to pull out my reading glasses every time I read.

It's weird. It feels like I only have one contact lens on because I can see blurry spots; but, I can see up close now with out glasses. I was told it would take about 1-2 weeks for my brain to process and adjust to the new vision correction. Until then, I have to try to get used to the "one eye-contact" feeling.

*SIGH*

I am very excited about this though. I really hope it works out.

Shredding Day

2008-07-30T23:05:00.000-07:00

I think my firm should invest in a shredding company, mainly because I do all the accounting shredding.

It's the most brainless, monotonous, time-consuming, incredibly painful job. And the firm's part-time people are its victims : Me and Michael. Though I think my version is the preferred way, cleanliness wise.

EARTHQUAKE!

2008-07-29T11:48:00.000-07:00

This cannot wait! I just experienced my first earthquake here in CA and am a little freaked. It happened just a few minutes ago and I never jumped under my desk so quickly in my life! I don't understand why the building is not being evacuated right now - are we not concerned of an aftershock?

People around me are calm and laughing. I am not quite there yet; being the girl from Utah.

OOOHHH, the building just shook again...is that the aftershock?

Okay, I want to get out now.

================================================
12:05 PM - So apparently, there can be more than one aftershock; but, not the same size as the original quake.

News says it was a 5.8.

====================================================

12:30 PM - Just got back from a quick trip outside. I really had to get out. Funny, everyone was eating lunch outside. I wanted to take the stairs but since the fire alarm would go off so I was forced to take the elevators - that was pretty nerve racking.

12:59 - I just realized this is Java's first earthquake too. I wonder how he is doing...

=====================================================

Back at home - exciting day at work today. Came home to a seemingly unaffected Java; he was just happy to see me, as always. My room is a mess! My picture frames fell, one of them on my laptop - but it's working fine. All was restored but one frame - the one from the Strut Your Mutt event in Sugarhouse, UT 2005. The glass cracked in three places.

The Greatest Game

2008-07-06T22:35:00.000-07:00

I LOVE tennis! And even if you are not an avid tennis fan, you would've at least appreciated what went down in London today. I was blessed to have witnessed one of the greatest tennis matches in history.

A friend hosted a Wimbledon party and I was welcomed in bearing Peet's coffee at 6 AM. The welcome wore out when I admitted to be rooting for Nadal, and she for Federer. Tough crowd, all Fed fans. No matter who won, we all agreed that it was one of the greatest matches we have ever seen. So intense. Edge of my seat riveting on every single point! This was the match of all matches - the two greats: one seeking his 6th consecutive wimbledon title, and the other hungry for his first and to also become the #1 ranked player in the world. Well deserved. It was an epic, momentus match that broke all records: longest (4 hours 48 min, not including two rain delays); latest into the night; Nadal, latest in decades to win both French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.



	Federer	Nadal


Aces	25	6

Double Faults	2	3

Unforced Errors	52	27





Break Point Conversions	1 of 13 = 8 %	4 of 13 = 31 %

Net Approaches	42 of 75 = 56 %	22 of 31 = 71 %

Total Points Won	204	209

Fastest Serve	129 MPH	120 MPH

Average 1st Serve Speed	117 MPH	112 MPH

Average 2nd Serve Speed	100 MPH	93 MPH

Look at these stats! Such a close match up, Here is the match score: 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-7 9-7

Awesome! They bring the best out in each other and this match was not just between physical skill but also mental toughness. That was some great tennis. And this is why I LOVE this game.

If by some bad luck, you missed this momentus occasion, don't fret, I have online access until July 21st to watch this match. If you missed it, let me know and I will set you up for the greatest tennis experience yet in this century.

It's SUMMER!!!!

2008-07-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

Woohoo!!!!!!!

I just took my final quiz and turned in my essay - I am done with summer school!!!!! YAY!!!!!

Oh my. What possibilities lie ahead for me in the next five weeks? Let's see...

I want to knit, read a non-school related book, improve my tennis game, organize my room, CLEAN MY DISASTROUS CAR, give Java a bath, frame and hang my art collections, watch the entire season of Buffy, and RELAX!!!!!

The next five weeks will go by quickly.

Woohoo hoo!!!!

~Remembered that I also have to prepare for my accounting class in the fall. I should give myself at least one week of absolutely NO SCHOOL though. ;)

To Cut of Not to Cut

2008-06-26T12:45:00.001-07:00

My hair has gotten to that point where I cut it off, or I put up with it and grow it long. This is where I have not decided on what to do and my co-worker Char suggested that I take a poll. So, what do you think friends and family, should I cut my hair (shoulder length)? Or grow it long?

Poll is on the right column of this blog.

I can't get photos of me b/c my computer crashed last month. Here are some I think I may be interested in: The short haircut I got last time was based out of Catherine Zeta Jones' hair less the bangs in Oceans Twelve, also like Charlize Theron. Then it grew out to be like Ashley Judd's hair. Now, it's slightly longer than Jessica Alba's hair.

So, I can get any of these haircuts. I can get it real short above my shoulders, or basically keep it medium length like Ms. Alba's with the purpose of letting it grow.

Thai Massage

2008-06-21T23:09:00.000-07:00

The tennis playoffs were in Pasadena so I asked Tito Buds (uncle) if I could sleepover instead of driving all the way back to Anaheim (40 min away, without traffic).

Anticipating how sore I would be after the match, he scheduled for me to have a massage, out of his caring heart (or to save himself from an evening of complaining and grouchiness - I get cranky when I'm tired).

So I had my first Thai massage tonight - oh, and it was wonderful. The style is different from the massage Ate Ben gives me (sister), I think she does a Swedish massage. Thai massage is when they step on your back. It was amazing! They used their toes, heel, hands, and elbows with such precision. They would use their feet to cover the big areas like your back and legs, effectively shifting their weight to their heel when they need to put more pressure on certain areas of stress. The width of the elbow is just the right size to go between the spine and shoulder blades; and they use their hands on more delicate areas like the neck and head.

I am soooooo relaxed. I actually stopped by Trader Joe's right after the match (before the massage) and bought myself some beer and chocolate to ease my loss. But now, after the massage, I don't think I need them anymore...well, I could always use some chocolate. Afterall, these are chocolate covered macadamia nuts ;)

ONE - FOUR

2008-06-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

1-4. That's the score of both my tennis playoff matches today. One point for my team, and four for the opposing teams - yes, my teams lost :(

The morning started off at 11AM with my 3.5 team, it was 102 degrees; and usually 10 degrees higher on the tennis courts. One singles player won, the other retired of heat stroke, and the rest of the team ran out of energy. We walked away disappointed, thirsty, and exhausted.

4PM, 106 degrees. It was time for my 3.0 team (the one I captain) to battle for a spot in sectionals. We took frequent breaks, cooling off with an iced towel; but, the reliefs were short lived. As soon as we stepped back out onto the courts, the rubber on our shoes were melting and stuck to the pavement. Our feet were scorched. Our sweat stung our eyes. The sun beat us down.

My team has not played a match in the late afternoon, and we only practice at night; compared to the other team who always played their game in the afternoon. Since this was their home court, and were better adapted to the heat, they overcame us and kicked us out of sectionals.

It was a good season for both teams. Just really sad that neither went as far as we hoped.

My game is still not up to par since I sprained my ankles. I am going to work and hone in on my tennis skills. The spring season may be over; but, the Tri-Level and Fall Doubles seasons are going to be here soon...I will be ready.

The Fit Flop

2008-06-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

I cannot stop raving about these shoes! Flip flops actually. They are the most comfortable shoes ever! They are called fit flops because they stimulate leg muscles more than regular flip flops, therefore, giving you a workout.

I wore them to two all-day Disneyland trips; my legs needed stretching afterward, but I was so happy to find that my feet did not hurt at all! After an entire day of walking!

Plus, when I sprained my ankles, they were the only shoes I could wear! Something about spreading my weight evenly, having less pressure on the ankles. And less pressure on my knees! I can feel SUCH a difference!

Seriously everyone! I LOVE THESE SHOES! Comfortable, easy on the joints, and a workout!

Enough. Go check them out for yourself.

http://thefitflop.com/

Number ONE!

2008-06-10T17:36:00.001-07:00

YAY! My Sundowners league has won 1st place! We even got individual trophies! Aside from the USTA leagues that last only a few months, the Sundowners span from October to May. After months of battling, the Shooting Stars (that's us) came out on top out of 9 teams.

Woohoo!

Another Twist On The Rocks

2008-05-29T23:01:00.000-07:00

My ankles are lemons/limes.

Here I am multi-tasking with my foot elevated and iced, as I snack and enter payables in the system.

Pays to be flexible. Just don't ask how I answered my phone. ;)

Budding Klutz?

2008-05-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

It was the first day of the summer semester. With the previous semester from hell behind me and an interesting summer class, the day was not so bad.

I was in the parking lot walking to my car and I noticed the nice cool weather. It's summer, yet it's not hot. The leaves fell to the ground as if it was autumn. The leaves crunched underneath my gate, I take in the unusually fresh-smelling air as I think to myself: this is a welcoming start to a fresh semester and summer. I start to smile...

BAM! I hear a POP as I trip and twist my right ankle. My car is in sight, but I can't move towards it. Only 5 weeks have passed since I sprained my left ankle, now I injure my other ankle?! The wind blew, carried with it the foul stench of nearby exhaust from vehicles on the neighboring freeway. The wind also separated the leaves in front of me, revealing the source of my throbbing pain - a pothole.

I realize there was never a fresh start; just a temporary illusion. Misinterpreted. In front of me is the same system, same lifestyle - difficult and sacrificing, to be continued.

Here I go...

Much Needed Escape

2008-05-23T00:10:00.000-07:00

Took a flight out to San Jose as soon as I stepped out of my last final exam. Tito Larry took me to a Giants game - they lost but we had some great food.

Up first on bat is bratwurst with mustard and sauerkraut.

What would a good bratwurst be without a great draft? Smithwicks, mmmmmm.
Our stomachs died down with the Giants' game :( so we got this rice and steak bowl - bbq and spicy flavored.
Too bad for the Giants that night. But our palettes certainly won a few rounds. ;)

It's OVER!

2008-05-15T22:01:00.000-07:00

That was the semester from hell!!!! Not exaggerating either, it was the toughest semester of my college career! Oh yes, it was tougher than the semester I had Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, and Cellular Biology together. Hard to imagine right? No question that semester was also difficult, but I managed.

There will be hard classes everywhere, the difference about what makes them tolerable or even enjoyable is the one presenting you the information: your professor.

Anyway, that's semester is over with and I came out alright. I have 10 days until summer semester starts...what should I do with my time?

I Heart Peet's Coffee

2008-05-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

Sleepless nights. No social life. Endless reading. Constant studying. Unimaginably rude professors. What made it all bearable?

I love Peet's Coffee and it loves me :)

All In A Day's Consumption

2008-05-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

The typical breakfast, lunch, and snack towards the end of the semester; particularly finals week.

Unless You Come Bearing Coffee, Don't Bother Me

2008-05-05T00:44:00.001-07:00

It's that time again! This week is the last week of the Spring semester and of course, the week after that is FINALS WEEK!

So here we go. The 2 weeks of no sleep has started. The even later nights have come. The irritability. The stress. The pressure. The caffeine.

Come on! Let's get this over with so that I can enjoy my 10 days off before summer school starts. HAHAHA - just laughing through the pain...

Definitely A Twist On The Rocks

2008-04-23T20:09:00.000-07:00

My sprained ankle on ice at work :)

OWWIEEE!

2008-04-20T20:13:00.000-07:00

The sweet 5-0 victory came with a price...the rest of my teammates finished their matches as I was left in the tiebreak. Run left, switch right, BAM! I rolled over my left ankle = sprain :(

Somehow, I got up and finished the tiebreaker and won!

My left ankle has always been weak; but, this was my worst injury by far (knock on wood). I will see my doctor in a few days after the swelling goes down, let's hope I won't be off the tennis courts for too long.

Temporarily Out of Service

2008-04-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

This blog has been pretty quiet lately due to the ending of Spring 08 semester. I'm in the stretch; wish me luck...

Do You Have This In A Smaller Size?

2008-04-09T23:09:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to buy a summer dress for a while now; so finally, I walked into Brea Mall today. Interesting thing happened when I started to grab all these clothes and headed off to fit them...they were too big!

All my hard work is starting to pay off. All the soreness, the stiffness, the pushing myself to the limits; all the pain started to become distant memories as I uttered one of the sweetest questions known to humankind: Do you have this in a SMALLER size?

The B Game

2008-04-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

My B game showed up today and I fell short of beating my opponent :(

Today's match was for a women's USTA league that I am captaining. Thanks to my awesome teammates for winning their matches; the team overall won 4 out of the 5 matches. Yup, I was the only one that lost :(

It was a 3 hour struggle and I fought hard. My backhand and first serve failed me today, and that was enough for my opponent to take advantage. I lost the first set, won the second set in a tie-breaker, and instead of a 3rd deciding set, league rules state that a Coleman tie-breaker is played instead - this I lost. So close. To have fought so hard and come that close, only to lose it in a tie breaker - argh! I am not happy with myself right now.

The Walking Advertisement

2008-04-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

So I mentioned that I got a new racket this week. I've always played with a Wilson; but, when I demoed the Babolat rackets, I fell in love with them.

I've also been looking for a new tennis bag since my old one has a real screwed up weight distribution and is real uncomfortable when I carry it around. So, of course, my new racket is a Babolat, why not match and get a Babolat bag?

My feet have been bothering me the past month. I finally figured the cause of my pain has been the lack of arch support from my tennis shoes - I have high arches. I did some online research and turns out the best shoes with great arch support are: Addidas, and you know it, Babolat. I checked both brands at a local tennis shop and guess which one I liked better... uh-huh...the Babolat.

So now I have a Babolat racket, a Babolat bag, and Babolat tennis shoes. Not at all my intention; but, in all my demoing and research, this is the brand that suits me and my game. So there it is, I am a Babolat girl! Good job Babolat. Cannot argue against great products.

Re-Re-Match

2008-03-31T23:15:00.000-07:00

What a fun match! I can always look forward to a good game when playing against Rhonda. We have played each other 3 times now, all under the Sundowners Women's League; I lost to her in October, then we tied 3 weeks ago, and tonight I took the win.

I started out behind again at 2-5 on the first set. Finally stopped goofing around and caught up to 5-5, held serve to 6-5, Rhonda also held serve to force a tiebreaker at 6-6 and then I won the break at 7-2. Second set was just as intense; I was actually behind a game until the last possible opportunity: 0-2, 1-3, 3-4, 4-4, then won at 6-4.

Not quite the longest match I've played this season, but pretty close, lasting 2 hours and 15 minutes. Boy am I sore! But so worth it!

After our match, Rhonda told me she noticed that I have progressively gotten better. I have been playing a lot of tennis lately and am so happy to know that someone noticed my hard work. :)

Good game. Good game.

My New Weapon

2008-03-27T23:11:00.000-07:00

I got my new tennis racket today! YAY! I've been demoing rackets for two months now and after serious deliberation, this Aero Pro Drive came out on top.

I could not resist - I had to include Rafael Nadal (tee-hee).

A Day In Court

2008-03-26T22:23:00.000-07:00

"All rise. The honorable judge Evans presiding. Court is now in session."

A half an hour ago, the waiting area was full of "traffic offenders" anxious to defend themselves, I was one of them; ready to plead guilty but with reason. My offense? Violating Vehicle Code, Section 22350 - or simply speeding. I had my supporting documents and a persuasive/argumentative speech prepared; but, I was still real nervous about going into court.

There are 3 ways a traffic ticket can be dismissed:

The ticketing officer requests for the court to dismiss the case.
The ticketing officer does not show up to court to plead his/her case.
A trial takes place and the judge rules in the defendant's favor.

Time to go in...

The police officers were seated separately from the defendants. The room grew quiet as the clerks prepared for trial.
The judge began with roll call - calling out each case with the defendant's name and then the officer's. In the first two cases, the officers requested for dismissals and the defendants were free to leave. In the following three cases, the parties were to stay and defend their cases at trial after roll call.

Still waiting for my name to be called. Five more cases called - all dismissed. The room was becoming empty. I was growing nervous. There were more officers in the room than there were defendants, one of those officers were bound to be the one that issued me a ticket. Guess it was going to have to come down to a trial after all. I started to shrink into my seat. I was trying to go through my argument in my head, when finally...

Judge: Cressida Lloren Ong
Me: Present
Judge: Officer Harken. Officer Harken? Regarding case #: FL808401, the people are unable to continue at this time. This case is dismissed. Ma'am, you are free to go.

WOO HOO!!!! What a relief! Winning by default? Feels just as good to me!

It was not as bad as I had imagined. It was still pretty nerve racking, oh yeah. But, the officers were casual about the situation; even the judge had a sense of humor. Although it was not as bad as I thought, it's still not an experience I want to relive.

Are You a College Student?

2008-03-20T23:28:00.000-07:00

You know you are a college student when:

You lose track of what day it is. It does not matter, each day is the same - the day that you do homework.
The concept of the "weekend break" is completely lost to you. "Saturday? Oh, you mean homework day?"
You keep telling yourself: "Sleep is for the weak! Real students take naps!" - that should motivate you to stay up another hour.
When you finally do get to take that nap, the birds outside your window are chirping loudly, welcoming the sun.
Alcohol is the new water.
Your main food groups are coffee and take-out.
Your e-mail's inbox is full of correspondence from professors and classmates.
Your day planner is the only thing keeping you from being insane.
Looking at your day planner makes you want to become insane.

The best years of our lives? It better not be!

We're #1!

2008-03-17T23:21:00.000-07:00

It's official. After tonight's win, my women's league has taken the number one spot! Woohoo! Yipee! Tonight's match was particularly difficult; since, we were against the other team in contention for the top spot. Our team won by a total of two sets - one from the 4.0 doubles and the other from the 3.0 singles - ME! I won both my sets at 6-2, 7-6 (10-8).

We have three more matches until the season is over and it's crucial that we stay at #1! Let's go Shooting Stars (that's the team name)!

Speed Demon

2008-03-11T00:11:00.000-07:00

Seems like I've gotten into a habit of getting a traffic ticket right after another (see Ms. Jinxed & Another Ticket) . I just paid my most recent ticket last week; so of course, I have been extra careful on the road lately. Or so I thought.

I was driving home on the freeway from my tennis match and I sped right past a cop! I changed lanes and he came up right behind me!

S#*T!!!

My exit was coming up so I moved to the right lane. Sure enough, so did he!

F*$&!

I was freaking out! I cannot possibly get another ticket! Just then, I decided if he wanted to give me a ticket, I will make him drive further. I purposefully missed my exit to see if he'd follow...he didn't. *PHEW* Guess he was not going for me after all.

I gladly took the next exit and backtracked my way home - lawfully.

A Mental Game

2008-03-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

I've only lost to one person in my women's tennis league and we had a rematch tonight. I lost the first set 3-6, that was disheartening. It took me a while to warm up and she just kept playing smart against me.

Coming into this match, I told myself: I will not lose!. Well, I already lost the first set and all I could hope for now is a tie (we don't play best out of 3, just 2 sets total - win both, or split). Still did not start off well, I was behind 0-3. Then finally, my serves started to pick up and I got my confidence back. All of a sudden it was 2-3. Then back in trouble at 2-4. Refused to give her a bigger lead and got up to 3-4. Then she held serve and I was in deep, deep trouble at 3-5.

"I will not lose this match! One point at a time. Come on Crissy!"

Held serve to get to 4-5, she had 3 match points and could not convert them. Losing that game so close to winning the match played with her head. Her mental game suffered and I broke her serve to get to 5-5. We each held serve to get to 6-6, again she had a couple of match points and I kept shutting her down.

I was determined not to lose, and my opponent was discouraged having to play a tie-breaker when she had several chances of ending the match.

Your mental game plays such a big part in tennis; it could make or break you in intense points. I have my weak moments; but tonight, I came out on top, winning the tie breaker 7-2.

Even though we split sets, technically a tie, I feel really good about my game tonight and how I pulled out of a hole. I did accomplish what I came in to do - I did not lose. We play the same team in two weeks and they may set up another rematch; looking forward to it.

Raining in Accounting

2008-03-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

Interesting day at work. My office buddy moved out this weekend, leaving each of us to have our own office. While unplugging his computer, he managed to disconnect mine and that caused a lot of confusion for the office administrator. Waiting for my computer to reboot, which took longer than you think, I visited my friend who was training his replacement. His last day was supposed to be last Friday; but, he was persuaded to work one extra day for training purposes. We took this "new guy" around the area, showing him the nearby cafe, sandwich joint, and of course, Starbucks.

My computer finally started work. I was in the accounting office this time ( I have 2) and all of a sudden, our ceiling started leaking! Turns out that right above us was the upper floor's kitchen (so glad it was not their bathroom), and their water heater broke. Our ceiling was sopping wet that pieces started to fall off! Luckily, nothing important was damaged.

Weird day. Odd. Interesting

Nay to Spring Forward

2008-03-10T22:08:00.000-07:00

I was late to work today :(, the first Monday after the time change. I forgot to set my alarm and my body's time clock just woke up the way it's used to, except now it's one hour late. Aside from losing an hour, most people like the spring forward time change. They love driving home and there's still light out. But what about the rest of us that get up at 6 AM? I got used to getting up with the sun; now, I am up before it. It doesn't feel right to be awake and it's still dark out, feels like I am getting ripped off or something.

Psuedo Captain

2008-03-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

We had a mixed doubles match today and I showed up to support my team. It was at the same club where we took a 3-0 sweep a few weeks back; but, this round was against a different team. Apparently, we do well on these courts because we took another 3-0 sweep! Yay team!

Line 1 was played by our captain and Lisa H. After winning in straight sets: 6-2, 6-2, the captain had to rush off to tend to his other mixed doubles team. He then asked if I could finish his captain duties. Since I am planning on being co-captain for my women's spring league, I welcomed the practice.
Line 2, Brian and Shari, won in 3 sets: 6-1, 4-6, 6-1.
Line 3, Al and Lisa L, also won in 3 sets: 6-1, 6-7 (0-7), 6-4.

I did everything I was supposed to. Granted all there was to do was fill out a score sheet. :) Who knows, I may do well as captain after all.

Interesting Practice Tonight

2008-03-06T23:32:00.000-08:00

The mixed doubles season is almost over; we have 3 matches left. There was tennis practice tonight and only 3 people showed up: Joel, Victor, and me - and all 3 of us are done playing matches for this season. Where were the people that are still scheduled to play?!

Anyway, aside from the attendance shortage, Victor was late, leaving Joel to kick my tired, sore, and lazy ass. All the men on this team are talkers, I've had my share of talkative men; but, this was a whole other level. Funny how one simple question: "what grip do you use at net?" turned into a half hour discussion. Can we play some tennis now? Reluctant to ask further questions, I just made a statement: "I need to work on my backhand volleys." Boy, did I open a whole new can of worms that time! Interesting, interesting practice. All in fun, I actually welcomed the advice and comments - way too sore to play hardcore tennis tonight.

Just Keep Pushing

2008-03-06T23:16:00.000-08:00

Wednesdays are tough. It was not always like this. My schedule worked out well when tennis practices/matches were on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday/Sunday; in keeping with my commitment to getting fit, I added a visit to the gym every Wednesday. Then, the Tuesday practice was moved to Wednesday. Here is a glimpse of my Wednesdays:

6:30 AM Get up and go to work
1PM Hit the gym during lunch hour
2PM Clock out of work but stay to do homework (can't seem to get anything done at home)
5:30PM Leave work and grab something to eat on the way - lately its been a granola bar
6PM Tennis
10PM Starving!!! Eat a late dinner with teammates.
12PM Drive home
12:30 Homework
2:30 Sleep

And Thursday starts just as early... go to school all day and afternoon, then go to tennis practice again. I am dragging my feet today, and it's like that every Thursday. The tennis winter season is almost over and this Wednesday double-hitter will soon be over. I just need to keep pushing. Just a few more weeks! Then again, there's the Spring season that begins soon after.

*SIGH* push... push... push ...push... push...

The Beach

2008-03-04T18:49:00.000-08:00

I'm supposed to stay away from the sun. I know this. Furthermore, it's verifiable that the sun weakens me. But, for whatever reason, I really want to go to the beach. I cannot swim, so it's not the water. I just want to sit on a lounge chair, with a cold drink in my hand, and sun bathe.

Is it vanity? Maybe it's the three different tan lines from tennis that I want to get rid of.

Is it stress? Maybe there's just a lure to get some R&R.

Is it California? Maybe living in "sunny Cali" is getting to me. OMG! I'm turning into an OC girl! (that's Orange County for you east coasters).

Whatever the reason, I think I'm going to find out the hard way why I am supposed to be sun-free. Expect a following ranting post. :)

Too Much Sun

2008-03-02T22:45:00.000-08:00

The past few months have been great - health wise. I have not felt like a sickly person, and possibly even lived a life of a normal healthy woman. YAY!

Got a reality check today when the sun finally brought me down. I felt so weak and slow. Somehow still managed to win my final mixed doubles match though, probably due to my partner who chased every ball down for me.

I came home around 5PM, laid down to rest...and just woke up (it's past 10PM). Bummed that I did not get to do any homework today; but, grateful that this small breakdown did not occur during an exam week.

It's getting warmer now, I need to watch out.

Study Buddy

2008-03-01T23:04:00.000-08:00

It's been difficult doing schoolwork at home. The past couple of weekends, I have tried going to coffee shops instead, and have been successful at actually getting stuff done.

After another failed attempt at studying at home this morning, I gave my friend, Ian, a call to see if he can be my study buddy for the day. Coincidentally, he had just arrived at Coffee Bean for his own study session and I decided to join him.

It's been a long day. I admit that if I was studying alone, I would have been home hours ago. Instead, Ian and I kept each other at Coffee Bean for a little over 4 hours. Agreeing not let each other go home, we took a break and ate a very late lunch/early dinner at the Lazy Dog Cafe. We then proceeded to a nearby Starbucks and finished out our schoolwork.

Now that was a productive day.

Somebody SHOOT ME!

2008-02-29T12:28:00.000-08:00

Have to stop. Too much. Too much.

Work is CRAZY!!! I am drowning! Need to stop. Taking a breath...okay.

So, I am neck up in work - the usual. But I am so out of my mind today - I can't remember what I did two days ago! I have tons of separate cases to work on and bill and follow-up; but, I cannot seem to remember how far I got last time so I find myself going back and researching stuff all over again. Too many little things to remember! I even made notes; but they are of no help because they don't make sense to me now. Oh! And I can't seem to remember where I placed one of the files!

F@#%! Stress mounting...breathe...okay.

Calm down Crissy. Calm down. Deep breath.

I'm taking my lunch.

Coffee-driven Life

2008-02-25T12:28:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine has been coffee-free for weeks now - Go Pepper! I just wanted to show how opposite my relationship is to coffee in comparison. Here is a glimpse of a week's intake:

Monday: White Mocha (Starbucks)
Tuesday: Sugar-free Vanilla Latte (Aloha Java)
Wednesday: White Mocha (Starbucks)
Thursday: Unintended Skinny Latte (CSUF Cafe)
Friday: Peppermint White Mocha (Starbucks)
Saturday: AM - Sugar-free Vanilla Latte (Peet's Coffee and Tea), PM - Honey Latte (Starbucks)
Sunday: Caramel Fredo - like an ice blended caramel (Peet's Coffee and Tea)
Monday: Caramel Macchiato (Starbucks)

This is where my money goes and where I get my calories from. Well, that and beer. My two greatest weaknesses of late: coffee and alcohol.

Isn't college fun?!

What A Nice Day

2008-02-24T03:34:00.000-08:00

It's past 3 AM on Sunday and I am wide awake. I guess yesterday, Saturday, was the nice day...

I got up early and went to Kohl's for their early bird sale - I found a pair of gym shorts for $2! I then decided to try another coffee house, instead of Starbucks, named Peet's Coffee and Tea. Oh my! That was an awesome latte! I was there for about 2 hours studying, sipping my sugar-free vanilla latte, and enjoyed a chat/visit with my friend Michael.

Although I was not slated to play a match of mixed doubles today, I still came in my tennis gear to help my teammates warm up. Too bad they only got a few games in before the rain booted them off the courts. We tried to wait it out as the opposing home team offered us snacks and beer :) The rain did not let up so we rescheduled and went out for a late lunch at the Lazy Dog Cafe. Tee Hee - I got a Guinness Stout :)

After a yummy lunch with good company, I decided to stay in the area to study. Luckily, my friend Ian was available to study with me; so, we went into Starbucks for a homework session lasting nearly 3 hours. Needless to say I was homeworked out; but, the night was not over.

Somehow, I ended up going out for drinks with more of my tennis teammates. Our plan was to drink drink drink, and sober up while watching a movie. I went straight for a margarita this time - four actually, or was it five? Six? We then watched Vantage Point - the movie about the US President getting shot - it was not bad.

Just got home and wanted to share my nice day - figured I better document it while I still remember what happened :)

Good night! Or Good morning?

Skinny Latte

2008-02-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

I swear I said 2%; but, for some reason, my afternoon latte was mistakenly made with skim milk! Ewww! Who in their right mind would knowingly order a latte with skim milk?! It's disgusting!

I am so disappointed. By the time I took a sip of it and realized its non-fat contents, I was already in class and unable to fix it :(

That left a nasty taste in my mouth.

Gross.

Mixed Nuts Take the Sweep

2008-02-17T19:43:00.000-08:00

The Mixed Nuts Tennis Team enjoyed a sweeping victory this afternoon, winning all 3 line-ups. I played line 1 with Mikey; we've practiced before but never played an actual match together. We lost the first set 4-6 but came back and won the next two sets 6-3, 6-3.

I feel so much better now that I have a match under my belt. I owe it all to my awesome partner who kept me calm during intense points. My serves were really on today too :) - hehehe, I was dubbed Ace-Crissy today :)

Shown on the left is me and Mikey. Below are the 3 line ups (left to right): Don and Athena (line 3), Mikey and Me (line 1), and Brian and Shari (line 2).

On a side note, I was so dedicated to chasing down a ball that I ran into a low wall and bruised my right thigh. There's usually a fence to stop me but this particular area had a low wall, then a gutter, then the fence. I thought I would have all the way to the fence to run but then ran into the wall instead. Owwie :(

Coffee Blunder

2008-02-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

I just can't win. I've been having coffee everday and am still trying to break free from it. I made it the entire day without coffee yesterday :) can you believe it!? But then I somehow ended up drinking two coffees today :(

I think it's time I wave my white flag.

Heat Kills

2008-02-15T14:27:00.004-08:00

I am going to die!

I have a match this Sunday and my trusty weather uncle advises it to be a hot and sunny afternoon. My game happens to be right in the hottest part of the day - 1PM. You all read about how the heat affected me last time (Match Loss). I am pretty nervous to see how I will respond to Sunday's match.

Please clouds, can you just roll in front of the sun for a few hours?

Beer Hopping

2008-02-15T14:27:00.003-08:00

It must be the stress and the need to chill. At least that's what Saturday was about - went to Alcatraz Brewing Company.

The Mixed Nuts Tennis Team went to BJ's to hang out on Tuesday after practice. That was a need to chill after my Acct exam, Wrtng exam, and Organizational Beh presentation; yes folks, that was all in one day.

Yesterday...hmmm...I'm still trying to find an excuse for going to the Tustin Brewery. I did get quite a beating from our team captain for missing shots we've been working on - I could use that. I could also say I am anticipating my work load - it's not helping that I am blogging instead of working (hey! I am on my break!). What ever the reason, maybe just simply to hang out with friends or maybe drown the fact that it was Valentine's Day, I had fun.

Interesting week it's been. Stress, friends, and beer.

Just Laugh

2008-02-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

I have to share exactly how heartless my Intermediate Accounting professor is. We had an exam on Tues - a really hard exam. Today was the class after, Thursday, and he pulls out a pop quiz! I was chuckling and laughing the entire time I was taking that quiz. I was already way past tears and I just thought, who would've studied for this?! Seriously! Just could not do anything but laugh about it.

He went on with the lecture about the time value of money - this was something the entire class already learned in Finance (prerequisite) so it's old news. He then mentions that he will prepare another quiz for Tuesday regarding calculating these problems, and then he says, "you will NOT be allowed to use a financial calculator. I will not have you rely on simply punching in numbers in a machine."

JackButt! Hello?! That's why we all took Finance in the first place! We learned how to use financial calculators so we would not have to do them the long way and risk errors.

Some professors are just impossible. But, there's nothing I can do about it but laugh. Just do it and laugh. Just laugh.

Sunny California?

2008-02-14T12:24:00.000-08:00

What is up with this weather!? Monday was cold, so I anticipated the same for Tuesday. I wore a longsleeve shirt to school and I was burning up! Due from Tuesday's warm weather, I did not bring a jacket to work on Wednesday and it was really cold; then it became hot in the afternoon. So I thought I was being smart when I dressed in two layers today - shirt and crew neck jacket. It's raining! Argh! I looked up the weather for tonight and they claim it would clear up - what is going on here?

This is the reason why people have internet on their phones - to receive hour-by-hour weather updates.

Seriously!

To Friends. (Cheers)

2008-02-10T20:07:00.000-08:00

I know. I know. I am supposed to be doing homework right now but decided to take a break and tell you about last night. I have had a pretty intense week - not in a good way. Work has been piling, school just keeps coming at me, man troubles plague my thoughts, and my tennis game failed during a critical match. So you can all understand when last night, I just needed to get out. I sent this mass text message to everyone on my phone within the OC vicinity: Hello Friends, I need a drink. Care to join me? I did not think people would be available in such short notice on a Saturday night. Thankfully, I have great friends who dropped what they were doing to accompany me and get my head out of things and unwind.

After 3.5 hours of chilling, talking, munching on appetizers, and drinking good beer, I felt much better. I got up this morning feeling refreshed and ready.

Alright, time to tackle that accounting homework again. I'm back baby!

Match Loss

2008-02-09T13:53:00.001-08:00

I am really bummed out. Today was my first mixed doubles match and we lost. Joel, my partner, and I took the first set but lost the second - so close we almost brought it to a tiebreaker. The 3rd set started at noon - it was hot. Most of you know how the sun and I just don't agree with each other. My game fell apart and before we knew it, we were down 0-5. We tried to pick it up from there and won the next two games. A couple of more errors from me and the match was over ending the 3rd set at 6-2 .

I feel so bad letting my team down :(

Bummed. Just Bummed. So Bummed.

Sign from Above

2008-01-31T18:29:00.000-08:00

I almost always take the elevator to get to my classes on the 4th and 5th floors. Today was different. By some power, either a guardian angel or just guilt from eating a hamburger the day before, I decided to take the stairs. Just then, my entire campus experienced a power outage. I would've been stuck in the elevators! You could hear some of the people freaking out.

Talk about good timing. I should listen to my angel more, that or my conscience.

Two Birds, One Stone

2008-01-29T18:04:00.001-08:00

Have you ever really thought about this phrase? It's awful! Knocking birds down with rocks! How primitive! And cruel!

I propose eliminating this phrase from your vocabulary. It's just an outdated, unapplicable, and mean thing to say.

Drugs Lose

2008-01-28T23:00:00.000-08:00

I just woke up from an unplanned 5 hour nap! Well, 30 min of it was planned; but, now it's actually bed time and I have mounds of homework! I'm not even medicated! Have I mentioned that I am sick of being sick?! I even tried to drink caffeine to keep me up today.

I guess sick trumps drugs any day.

Tastless

2008-01-28T12:54:00.000-08:00

I am so done with being sick. I am sick of being sick. I cannot taste my food! :( I did not get to savor my sister's eggplant parmigiana last night for dinner, I was unable to enjoy my chocolate muffin for breakfast, and this afternoon - this afternoon drew the line! I could not taste my white chocolate mocha! Madness! I might as well have ordered a skinny decaf and would not have even known the difference! If I shell out $4 for a drink, I better damn well be able to taste it!

Rude Awakening

2008-01-27T16:49:00.000-08:00

So pet owners, how do your pets wake you up? A little purring? Barking? Whining? Face licking? Java used to do all of the above, except for the purring of course. However, I have been harder and harder to wake up lately, the Nyquil the past few nights is certainly keeping me in my deep sleep. Java's barking and whining are just distant sounds like my alarm clock - easily ignored. He is not allowed to jump on the bed anymore and so a lick in the face is out of the question. His new-found way to wake up his mommy is nothing short of annoying. Not at all sweet or thoughtful; but, a complete single-minded way to say "wake up mommy! I need to pee!"

How does he wake me up nowadays? Well, he rams his massive 100 pound body right into my mattress! The entire bed shakes as if there was an earthquake! I don't know how he does is exactly, head on or by his side, but it gives me a headache every morning! Stop it Java! You're bugging your mama! I'm up! I'm up!