Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Only 2 days 'til the big day!

Here we are again, another year gone by so quickly. I remember when I used to be excited about Christmas 3 weeks beforehand, but now, it's so much different. It all became so complicated when I got my first job 9 years ago. I miss the old days when all I was worried about was getting gifts that I liked. Now, it's all about "I hope this person likes this" and "How much have I spent so far?"

Don't get me wrong I'm still looking forward to it, but now it's mostly because I get to see my family. We all live in different cities now, so we rarely see each other. Not to mention I never seem to get that Sunday phone call anymore.

Anywho, today I leave for Ventura at 2:30ish . . . which is approximately one hour and thirty-five minutes away. I'm not looking forward to the six or seven hour drive, but on the bright side I'm not actually the one driving. Hopefully I will fall asleep for most of it. I'm really tired because I forced myself to get out of bed at 10 am this morning. I know, my life is rough. The worst part is, I recently began struggling to get out of bed at 3pm. I don't know what's wrong with me.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

3 truths and a lie

I read a post by a fellow blogger who wrote three true things about himself, and one lie. Then he had his readers guess which one was the lie. I haven't posted in a while so I thought I'd give it a go. Since most of you who read this know me pretty well, I will be taking things that happened to me in the last 2 weeks.

1.) I went to Target about a week ago seeking small sports balls. I am sort of in love with them now. While I was there I bought a size 1 soccer ball, and a very small football. I bet you're thinking that I played with them once and now they just sit there. Well, YOU'RE WRONG! They are TONS of fun and me and my roommates play fun games with them when we are bored.

2.) For Thanksgiving I drove to Reno, Nevada as most of you may know. On my way there I was unfortunate enough to see a dead deer on the side of the freeway. It was very very sad.

3.) Last week I decided that I must be friends with Steve Carell. I knew in my heart that it wasn't going to happen by chance, if I wanted it I was going to have to go after it, so what did I do? I'll tell you what I did. I wrote him a letter telling him why I would make a good friend. I think it will work, but only time will tell. Oh . . . by the way, if we do become good friends I will probably end up spending the Holidays at his house from now on.

4.) Finally, I bought Christmas cards about 2 weeks ago. I'm not writing a letter that will be enclosed in every one, but I am writing a personal message to all those who will be lucky enough to receive one. However, I keep procrastinating because I can't think of anything to write.

Ok, there you are. Leave me a comment telling me which one you think isn't true and why you think it isn't true. Telling me why is very important, I want to see how well you think you know me. Also, my roommates cannot guess because they probably know which one it is.

Good luck! . . . oh and the winner will get a surprise! If more than one person gets it right then it will be the first one who answered correctly.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

My biggest pet peeve of all

"Why do you look so upset?"

"Turn that frown upside down."

"How come you never smile?"

"WHY SOOOO SERIOUS!?!"

I probably hear variations of those phrases/ questions about a hundred times a day from my co-workers. This has been going on for as long as I can remember. People constantly tell me I need to smile, or that I look really sad. I'm sooooooooooo effing (excuse my language) sick of it.

I don't know how to respond anymore. The other day somebody said it, and I told that person I was really sensitive about it. I don't know what to do anymore, I'm not a big smiler. My face looks sad because of genetics! If you've ever met my dad, you would know that he looks kind of pissed all the time. Also he looks like a turtle . . . and so does my Grandpa! (no offense dad).

Maybe from now on I should just tell people that my dog died. Sure, they'll soon start to wonder why I have so many dogs, and why they keep dying . . . but maybe eventually they will just stop asking me. . . . which is all I really want.

I know my sister gets the same question all the time too ( cough . . . genetics . . . cough) and she tells people she just has a very neutral face. I tried that for a while, but people would always say "no, it doesn't look neutral . . . it looks sad". I've also tried telling people that one day I frowned for eight hours and my face just got stuck that way. They just laugh and say "no really, what's wrong?"

Well here I am telling you what exactly is wrong. Are you ready for the answer because I really only want to tell you once. Here we GO . . . . .

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

My interview with Santa Clause

As some of you may remember I met the Easter Bunny last Easter. If you don't remember, just know that he came to me for career advice and has considered me his mentor ever since.

Well, as it turns out he is very good friends with Santa Clause, so he was nice enough to give me the big mans phone number.

At first Santa was none to thrilled that I called him. He said he was a busy man, especially with Christmas only being two months away. He told me he had a long list to get through and that he didn't have time for fans calling him up and interrupting his work.

I was shocked at some of the language he used as he was telling me all of this. I guess Santa gets very stressed out.

Once I could get a word in edge wise, I told him that I was good friends with the Easter Bunny. After hearing this he quickly apologized and said if I was a friend of the Easter Bunny ( AKA Fred) than I was a friend of his. Apparently, Fred helped him deliver presents the year before after he got way behind because some cheap bastards left out bad milk causing him to spend an hour with his head over the toilet . . . if you know what I mean.

Anyway, the reason I called Santa was because I needed his help. My siblings and I had decided to participate in "Operation Secret Santa 2008" and I wanted to make sure we would all be getting letters with detailed instructions of the rules and regulations. He said that he would put me on the list, but also asked me if I could take over as president of the board of directors for the project. Apparently the elf that usually runs that program received a job offer from "Keebler". It was an offer he couldn't refuse so he took it.

I was hesitant at first. I wasn't sure if I could just pick up and go to the North Pole for two months. Plus I have another job.

Santa assured me that he would work with my schedule, and that I didn't need to move to the North Pole because everything was done over the internet. He did however say he couldn't pay me due to the poor economic situation, but it would definitely look good on my resume.

I was happy to take the job. If I owe anybody anything it's Santa Clause. . . . I did however ask him for one thing . . . an exclusive interview.

He agreed, in fact he said he would love to do it. He was tired of all the rumors that were circulating about him. He wanted people to know the truth! He felt he could trust me to make sure none of his words were taken out of context.

So a few days ago I sat down with Santa Clause (via AOL instant messenger) and asked him the following questions.

Me :Thank you for joining me today Santa, lets get right to it! A lot of people out there give you a hard time because you only work one day a year, but I always tell them there is probably a lot of preparation involved. Is that true, or do you just work the one day?

Santa: Of course there's a lot of preparation involved! It's not all Milk and cookies over here! Sure, the elves do their fair share of the work, but they have to be managed. I have to make sure they all take their breaks on time, that they aren't stealing any of the toys they make . . . people see movies and they think these elves are just happy go lucky all the time, but there are problem employee's here, just like there are at any job. There is a lot of paperwork involved. I am also head of quality control, making sure the toys were not poorly made.

Not to mention the list I have to get through . . . TWICE! I don't even get the list until October 15th. Most people don't realize that they can be naughty from October 15th all the way until December 31st and I would never know about it.

Me: Does Rudolph's nose really give off enough light so you can see where you're going?

Santa: Well you have to remember, I only use him in foggy area's (Like San Francisco and Daly City), and you of all people should know that too much light in the fog can be a bad thing. So yes, his nose gives off the perfect amount of light.

Me: During my lifetime there have been a lot of questions about the whole "sliding down chimneys" as way of entrance. Is that really how you get into houses? What if they don't have a Chimney?

Santa: That's a funny story actually. One night . . . back in 1931 I think it was . . . I couldn't find my magic key, which works on every door in the world. I'm sure you can understand . . . people lose their keys sometimes you know? So anyway, I couldn't find it, but I couldn't just NOT give people their gifts. So I tried several things before actually resorting to the chimney.

I checked doors to see if they were unlocked, I tried going in through windows, I even tried just knocking . . . but nobody wants to answer their door in the middle of the night. Finally, I saw the chimney. . . and it dawned on me, maybe I could squeeze my way down there. Unfortunately, I could only get into the houses that had chimneys that year. Most people attribute the lack of gifts to the depression, but really, I had just misplaced my key. Long story short, some people saw me and took pictures. Now everyone thinks that is how I always get into every house.

Me: Wow, that is quite a story. Speaking of people seeing you . . . I used to wait up for hours hoping to run into you by the tree, but it never happened, I always fell asleep. Do you ever accidentally run into people?

Santa: Of course I do. Sometimes when I know people are still awake I have to wait on the roof for a while before landing on their front lawn. Occasionally I get lucky and they finally go to bed, but other times I just go in, do what I need to do, and before I leave I say something like, "You think I would leave you more gifts . . . I mean, it is YOUR dream." It works like 90% of the time. The other 10% of people that don't buy it tell their friends, but nobody ever believes them.

Me: Wow, so most people are pretty stupid huh?

Santa: No comment.

Me: Okay, this is a question I know everyone has wanted to ask you since they were little. . . How do you fit enough gifts for the entire world into the back of your sleigh?

Santa: If I told you, you wouldn't believe me.

Me: Try me.

Santa: Okay, here it goes: Have you ever seen "Honey I shrunk the kids"?

Me: Yeah sure . . . wait, you don't mea . . .

Santa: Yup . . . that movie is actually science NON-fiction.

Me: Wow! . . . Okay, well I don't want to take up to much more of your time, but I just have one last question. Do you ever get sick of Milk and Cookies?

Santa: Ho, Ho, ho, . . . Well, ever since last year, I do not drink milk! I prefer water, coffee, or red bull. As for cookies, I love them, I can't get enough . . . but Mrs. Clause doesn't let me eat them any other day of the year, so I look forward to the one night that I can eat them.

Me: Well, thank you very much for revealing some of the most unanswered questions about you today. I know you're a busy man and I appreciate the opportunity to finally sit down with you.

Santa: It was my pleasure.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Court TV

Sometimes it's your only day off and you just want to relax. But what do you do when there's nothing on tv? I'm sure some of you will say, why not read a book, put in a movie, or do something productive? I will agree that these are all valid arguments, but I have already started two loads of laundry and cleaned the inside of my car.

Now, I am waiting for my laundry to be done, so I figured I'd watch a little television. I don't want to put in a movie because I have things to do later and I don't have the time. All I was hoping for was a little "Frasier", maybe an episode of "Friends", but no . . . there is nothing on that I enjoy watching. So what do I do? I leave it on the channel it was already on: "Judge Alex".

I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of engrossed in these ridiculous trials. I just want to know a few things:

Do these "Judges" have any self respect?

Do the celebrity jurors actually consider this "doing their part"?

Why are there so many of these shows . . . "Judge Judy, Judge Alex, Christina's Court . . . " are they really that popular?

Is part of the criteria for being on this show poor grammar, immaturity, and mental retardation?

And finally can you become less intelligent for watching something that is the complete opposite of intelligent?

These are just a few of the things I ponder while I watch.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

"The Last Lecture"

As some of you may remember from one of my recent posts I received a book called "The Last Lecture" for my birthday. After I got it I began to read it right away, but only got to page 7. Then a few weeks later I picked it up again and read about 20 more pages. I would have kept reading, but my roommates got home from work and demanded my attention as usual.

Finally, I picked it up again today and began reading at about 1 pm. With no foreseen interruptions I figured I would read for about an hour. But I couldn't put it down. I finished at about 3:30 pm.

When you read a good book you have this incredible urge to tell everyone you know that they need to read it too. I only read it because my second mom raved about it. Normally, when you tell people to read a book they say they will, but never actually do. I've seen it happen a thousand times. However, knowing how enjoyable it can be to read a good book, I listened to my second mom. Sure it took me a little while, but I did it. And I'm glad I did.

"The Last Lecture" is about a Professor named Randy Pausch facing his own mortality when he is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As some of you may know pancreatic cancer is one of the hardest cancers to treat because doctors only find it when it's way too late. Because he was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University he was asked to give a last lecture. The book talks about going after your childhood dreams, and the fundamentals you need to get there . . . which is what his Last Lecture was on.

Reading this book was kind of inspirational. Maybe you think I'm dumb, but until you read it yourself I'm going to have to call you the dumb one.

I'm sure the inspiration I got from this book will soon wear off, as most inspiring things do over time, but I'm going to try and make the most of it while I can. Hopefully, even when this feeling fades I will still remember what I learned from this book when I am faced with a difficult situation . . . because . . .
_________ (a quote from Randy Pausch)
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"Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things" . . . . and

"Experience is what you get, when you didn't get what you wanted." - - - quote from his book, although not his own words.

Just read it.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

100 divided by 4 Part II ( I told you I would write it)

Okay, where was I?

Thinking . . .

Thinking . . .

Should've read the end of my last post . . .

Thinking . . .

Thi . . .Oh Right, I had just opened a package from my parents and sister. After that I called Anna . . . no answer. My stomach was growling! I think I ate some candy or a cupcake in hopes of ruining my appetite. It was at this time I discovered that appetites can not be ruined and my Mom had lied to me for a very long time. But I digress . . .

Anyway, I was hungry, and Anna and Bo were taking forever! Finally my phone rang, I was so excited! But it wasn't them. It was my friend from Bakersfield. Once I saw who it was I felt a series of emotions. My thought process was as follows: "Damnit, it's not Bo and Anna (sadness and grumpiness), Oh wait it's my friend from Bakersfield, I haven't talked to her in forever! ( remorse, because I only sent her a text message for her birthday just ten days earlier, followed by excitement mixed with happiness).We talked for a bit about her son, my age, my job, her job, her new place, my new place. . . old friends . . . and that's about it.

Side Note : I forget to mention that my second mom (Anna's biological mother) had called me earlier to say Happy Birthday. When I first answered she sang happy birthday to me and I said thank you. Then I asked her if she was still at the DMV. OOPS! I thought it was Anna.

So . . . I'm still at the house, hungrier than I have ever been in my life. . . Except for that one time I was at my Grandma's mobile home and me and my fam had just gone swimming. . . and finally they call. They told me they would be home in about ten minutes and when they got there they were going to honk, at which point I was supposed to go into their room and close the door.

Why their room you ask? Because they thought I might look out my window and see them coming up the stairs with whatever it was I wasn't allowed to see. But in their room all you can see when you look out the window is a wall. It's so nice that they trust me so much.

It seemed like a lot longer than ten minutes until they finally got home, not to mention other people kept honking downstairs and it was very confusing. So in order to avoid being in the living room when they got back I just stayed in their room.

After what seemed like days, they finally got back. I said "WHERE'S MY SANDWICH!" . . . Sure it might have been rude, but I was hungry, and when I'm that hungry I get angry and demanding. Luckily they understood. After a few minutes they said I could come out of their room but I wasn't allowed to go into my room now. Then they said they were going to be in my room for a while and to not ask questions. I said "whatever, I just want my sandwich!"

So I ate, and I ate, and I ate some more . . . it was a big sandwich. When I finished I knew I had gone too far. I was really full. The type of full where you don't want to move, and if you were to lay down, you might be asleep for a while.

Fortunately I didn't fall asleep. I just watched tv and waited . . .

and waited . . .

and waited . . .

and waited . . .

Finally, Anna came out of my room and asked if I wanted them all at once or throughout the rest of the day. I couldn't decide so she said " okay! All at once!. So she brought out the gifts . . .

and then she brought out more gifts . . .

and then even more gifts . . .

Basically there were a lot of gifts.

I began opening them one by one.

The first one I opened was a tiara. Then I had about 20 gifts that were pens, notepads, post-its, mouse pads, more pens, more notepads . . . ALL WITH CHARACTERS FROM THE OFFICE ON THEM! I WAS SOOOO EXCITED! And it only got better, they also got me a 24 pack of Redbull, and a very cool hat that really can't be explained with words.

They really know the way to my heart. After all the gifts were open I sort of forget what happened. So I'll just skip ahead to the next cool part of the day.

Our friend Dick came over because he wanted to celebrate my birthday with me (probably because he's in love with me, but it also could have been for Anna's cooking . . . either way . . . ). But they had to go pick him up from the Bart station.

When they arrived back at the house they asked me to come downstairs because they said they wanted to show me something.I was nervous, I knew it meant trouble, but my curiosity took over and I went down anyway. Bo and Anna were both waiting by the trunk of their car . . . I knew they were up to something, but I thought that they may have caught one of the kittens that roams the neighborhood. I know we can't have a kitten, but I thought they were just going to let me pet it so I went closer (with hesitance of course).

As I slowly approached the vehicle I became more and more weary of what was in store for me. When I finally reached the trunk of the car BAM, SILLY STRING EVERYWHERE, ALL OVER MY CLEAN CLOTHES. I ran away, but Bo was not about to let me get away. He chased me up and down the street until I finally gave in and just stood there while he continued to cover my whole body with silly string.

When it was finally empty he walked away and Dick began spraying me with his can. Eventually he set the can on the ground and asked if he could give me a birthday hug. I allowed it, but quickly escaped, grabbed the can and began to spray him, then David, and Anna as well. I wasn't able to cover them with it quite as well as they did me, but I still got them back.

Note to everyone : Never EVER leave a can of Silly String unattended. I think they learned a valuable lesson that night.

After that Anna made Meatloaf, my favorite dish, and the four of us fully intended to go bowling. But somehow we wound up in front of the tv and our computers until it was too late. I was okay with it though. My bowling abilities are not what they once were when I used to practice three or four times a week, and I feared letting down their high expectations of my skills. I always like to emphasize that it's not my score that reflects my ability but my potential. Does that make sense? I don't really care if you understand, I know what I mean.

So that was my birthday. It was simple and fun. Just what I wanted.

But that's not all, no no no, that's not all. The great thing about living in different cities/ states than the rest of your immediate family is the gift delay. Even though my birthday was a week ago, yesterday I got another package in the mail. It was from my oldest sister. She got me like 5 puzzles. Extremely difficult puzzles that only someone with my extreme puzzle putting together skill would be able to do. I like them very much, Thank you sister who is eight years older than me, Thank you for understanding what a much younger person like me would enjoy .. . . and for being able to read my birthday list.

One last thing, my extreme laziness has left me no choice but to post this without proof reading it. Please excuse any grammatical/ spelling errors that might have occurred through the duration of this post. Thank you.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

100 divided by 4

Well, as some of you may know it was my birthday a little while ago. I turned 25 and I feel at least a day older than I was the day before. I didn't mind turning 25, you see, every time it's almost my birthday I start thinking of myself as the age I will be when my birthday finally arrives. So, although my birthday was only a week ago, I've been telling people I am 25 for at least 3 weeks now. Also, I know no matter how old I get I will always be 8 years younger than my oldest sister, 6 years younger than my brother, and a year and a half younger than my other older sister. In other words, I will always be the youngest person in my immediate family. However on the other side of that I will always be 9 months older than my best friend and 2 years older than her boyfriend who is also one of my roommates.

Anyhow, the point of this post is not to talk about how old I feel (18) or how much younger I am than my family members. The point is to talk about all the cool stuff I got. Which is really what birthdays are all about. Right?

Lets begin with what I did that day and I'll work all the Cool gifts in.

When I woke up it was early. I thought it was at least 10 o'clock, but it was apparently only 8:15. I would have kept sleeping but I just wasn't tired. So I woke up, showered and went to the gas station to purchase my daily RedBull. MMMMM . . . . RedBull . . . so delicious . . . so full of caffeine . . . what was I talking about? Oh right, my birthday.

Okay, so after I got my RedBull, I decided to clean the apartment. My roommates family had just left the day before and I needed organization! Luckily I know how to clean thoroughly because I lived with my OCD sister for a total of one year. ( Just to be clear, I said a TOTAL of one year . . . I just want to make sure you understand that it was not one consecutive year).

I knew my roommates wouldn't wake up for quite some time. I'm not even sure they know what 10 am looks like, let alone 8.

So I began cleaning. I took out the trash, wiped down the counter, scrubbed the kitchen floor. It felt good. By the time I was done my roommates had woken up and while I was putting away the mop and broom in the closet right next to their bedroom door, Bo opened the door and yelled my name, which scared the bejeezies out of me, as was his goal. You see we always try to scare each other. Unfortunately, he is always much more successful than me, because I scare much more easily. In fact I think the only times I've ever really scared him were accidental.

Anyway, when they woke up Anna asked me what I wanted to do that day and I told her nothing, which was completely true. It was my only day off that week and I just wanted to relax. She said that was fine but she had to go to the DMV to take her driving test because she needed to get a California driver's license instead of the stupid Nevada one she was carrying around.
I said that was fine, it gave me more ME time. So her and Bo left for the DMV around 11 o'clock.

I spent the next few hours just relaxing and watching television. Around 2 o'clock I was very hungry. My roommates were supposed to be bringing me a sandwich from Mr. Pickles, but they were taking FOREVER. I still waited though. I love Mr. Pickles. While I was waiting the mail came and I got a package from my parents and my sister (the older one, not the oldest one). I was so excited and opened it quickly. It was a little difficult because my hands were shaking from the hunger.

When I finally got it open there was a bag (some might consider it a purse, but I refuse to call it that). A really cool bag! One I would actually carry with me wherever I went. I know this was my sisters idea because she thinks I have a problem with losing my wallet and keys. I mean, yes I do occasionally forget where I put those things . . . which in turn causes me to turn the house upside down looking for them . . . but that's normal right? And I don't understand what the big deal is about leaving your wallet in your car! Just because I have one of the easiest cars to break into, and it's been stolen once and broken into once doesn't mean it will keep happening.

Nevertheless, I really like the bag. And I am proud to say that I have taken it everywhere i go for the last week that I have had it. Oh, and did I mention the bag is made entirely out of seat belt material! Well it is!

Okay, so there was more in the package than just the bag. There were things inside the bag too. They got me a book I asked for called "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch . . . it was recommended to me by my second mom (not to be confused with my biological mother whom I will always know as Mommy). I also got some really cool markers. They are kind of hard to explain, so I'm not going to try, but I like them very much.

I would like to publicly Thank them once again for those super cool gifts. Thank you Sandy (my sister) for finding a bag you knew I would like instead of picking one you know you would like. Thank you mom for giving birth to me 25 years ago, even though I was a "surprise" and also for the gifts. And Thank you Dad, even though you had no idea what you got me, but you worked hard to support our family and made sure we had enough. (Although Cable tv would have been nice when we were little).

There is much more to tell about my 25th birthday, but I feel as though this getting longer than most people would like to read , so lets consider this part one. Don't worry there will be a part II!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Long time no post

Well, it sure has been a while since my last post hasn't it? Soooooo much has happened since September 25th!

Since my memory is going in my old age of 25 I will start with the most recent events and hope more will come back to me through out my writing.

Most recently it was my roommates birthday. On October 10th he turned 23. His girlfriend and I had plans, BIG plans. She wanted to make a scavenger hunt for him that would last all day long. We spent weeks, nay months coming up with clues that rhymed. Okay, so we thought up most of them minutes before he woke up that day. What can I say, we work well under pressure.

We began by leaving him a note on the bathroom mirror. We also decorated the bathroom with balloons. Anna (his girlfriend, my bestfriend/ roommate) blew up most of them as I was exhausted from work the day before. The note on the mirror instructed him to take a shower, get dressed, and head to the car to find his first clue.

With each clue we left a gift. We had several gifts from various people in his life. I was in charge of leaving the clues at each location. We only told him where the first clue was, after that, each clue was hint for the location of his next clue.

We tried to be as clever as possible, which, if you ask me was pretty damn clever. The location of these clues were as follows: A big slide by our house where he once passed out after going down backwards (yeah it's that big), Mimi's cafe, In N Out Burger, his locker at In N Out burger (he's sort of a VIP customer there, and VIP's all get lockers), the sidewalk outside of the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum. . . which is wonderful by the way . . . , our friend Dick, and finally we just gave him the last clue at dinner.

It was a long day that didn't go quite the way we planned, but was still amazingly fun. It was also very tiring and I had to work at 5 am the next day.

Other than that our apartment has sort of been like a hotel the last week. Anna's mom came to stay for about 5 days, and then Bo's family was here for about 5 days. Note to everybody (never offer room service as a joke . . . some people won't know you're joking, and making grilled cheese sandwiches at 3 am is no fun at all!)

We also got to go on a boat tour around Alcatraz Island last Wednesday. It was really cool, and very informative. I finally got to see the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time on this tour, plus I got to see Alcatraz up close. We didn't actually get to go on the island, but we'll do that another day I'm sure.

Now, Let's recap . . . Birthday adventure, families in and out of our apartment and Boat Tour around Alcatraz Island.

The only other thing I can think of is that October 9th - 14th was Fleet week. So basically Fisherman's Wharf has been even more insane than usual. But it's over now, and I couldn't be more happy. Things are finally getting back to normal in my life and it feels so good.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Big Night

Tonight's the night! The night when regular people without interesting lives of their own drop what they're doing, sit down on the couch, turn on the television, and watch the two best shows on television to date. The Office and Grey's Anatomy! That's right folks, the two season premiere's of the year that make life worth living!

We are a mere 6 and 1/2 hours from the moment we have all been waiting for (some people longer than others). I am so excited, but also torn between which one to watch first.

First of all, I feel the need to tell everyone that I have to work tonight, so I won't be able to watch them until I get off at 1:30ish in the morning. I thought a lot about calling in sick, but decided to suck it up and go to work.

Now, back to the real dilemma, The Office or Grey's Anatomy first? If I watch The office first, I'll only have to wait an hour before I watch Grey's Anatomy. BUT, I've seen the preview for Grey's Anatomy and I am dying to know what's going to happen. I guess I'll have 8 long hours at work to think about it. In the end I will probably just flip a coin.

Friday, September 19, 2008

All alone for a whole week

My roommates are taking a trip this week to go see a baby. I don't really understand why seeing this baby is more important than spending time with me, but I'm trying to be supportive of their decision.

However, it's going to be a long lonely week without them and I don't think I'll know what to do with myself. I used to love it when my old roommate went out of town. I feel bad for saying it if that person is reading this, but I think she already knows. I think the difference this time is that my roommate is also my best friend and we always have a good time together. Plus if we're annoyed about something, like the fact that I take a sip of water and then put the bottle back in the fridge, she can tell me, and vice versa.

And now they're deserting me! When they are here we always have so much fun. We do puzzles, play scene it, and have foosball tournaments. I don't want to be home alone! I don't know how to entertain myself anymore. A girl can't live on tv alone!

I suppose I will get by, try to work extra hours, and maybe branch out a bit as far as friends go. I mean I like the people I work with, we get along, maybe they will want to hang out with me?

Friday, September 5, 2008

Update

I can't really think of any specific thing to write about right now, so I figured I'd just give you a little update on what I've been doing.

I've been working.

A lot.

I don't think I've ever worked more than forty hours in one week before in my life. School was an issue. An important issue, but still an issue. I just got over my entire body throbbing with pain from all the work. It's only been two weeks, and it's not as though it's a difficult job.

Sure it can be stressful, but not mentally. Just physically.

Other than that, I am currently addicted to Grey's Anatomy. My roommates wanted to get me hooked so we would all crave a fix together. I understand. It's hard to have an addiction and not want others to be going through the same thing. So since I couldn't fight them, I joined them. Over the last week I've watched three entire seasons. The fourth one isn't out on DVD until September 9th, so I will have to wait five days until I can have another fix.

I don't know if I'll make it.

Sometimes I feel really pathetic enjoying something that isn't even real. I just think "what is the point? None of this is actually happening, nor did it ever happen, and yet, I can't stop watching."

It's kind of weird actually, because I can sit there and think that all day about a drama or a comedy, but when it comes to scary movies I can only focus on the possibility that I might wake up in a really gross place, with a chain around my leg and a tape lying there that says "play me".

But* I digress. My roommates and I are getting a long very well. Except for the time one of them thought it would be funny to trip me down the stairs which led to a great big bruise on my gluteus maximus. At first I was really angry. But then I realized I can rub it in his face whenever he's being mean to me. So, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise really. Plus he tried to buy my friendship back with redbull, rootbeer, and Disc one and two of Grey's anatomy season three (rentals anyway).

Moving on. I currently have a sinus infection. It's annoying but I think I'll live. Although with all the Grey's Anatomy I've been watching I'm constantly afraid that my next doctors visit will lead to a terrible diagnosis of an untreatable disease.

Let's see . . . what else . . . OH! The tv in my room is interesting. It's not mine, it's my roommates, and it has character. If I want to watch something before I go to sleep I need to turn it on an hour before I go to bed so that it will work when I finally lay down. It has to warm up. Not to mention that since I've used it more than it's been used in a while the color is no longer . . . normal. It's actually a green tone now. Which kind of makes everything more toxic-waste looking.

You're probably also wondering if I've had a chance to explore the city much. I'm guessing you're wondering that because everyone I talk to asks me that question. Well, the answer is no. I go to work, and then I go home. I've been to Target, Lucky's, Blockbuster, the gas station down the street, and Walgreens. However none of those places were in San Francisco, they are in Daly City.

Well, that's all I have to say for now. Stay tuned for more updates on my exciting life in a big city.

* I always feel guilty about starting a sentence with a conjuction (and, but, or). I think my middle school english teacher drilled it into my head that it was a big no no. I'm sure it is, but on the very few occasions I read a book, I see sentences that start that way. Am I crazy or is it against the laws of grammar?

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

I'm Sorry

okay, so I know I haven't been around and I would like to apologize to my 6 readers out there. I'm sorry. I know you are all waiting patiently for part four of My Most Recent Adventure series. However, motivation for me to write about that is at a bare minimum. You see, being the procrastinator that I am, I have forgotten most of what happened on that trip, and I feel that the rest of my story would not be that interesting to all of you. I also have no desire to try and remember what happened on those last three days.

Please, don't be angry with me. Over the last 2 weeks that I have lived in Daly city I have worked more hours than I have worked in a long time. I've been tired, I've been achy, and most unfortunately I have neglected this blog. I know that for most of you it is the highlight of your day, and I feel terrible for not updating since the fourteenth. I would also like to mention that I would have twittered, but every time I try my browser shuts down.

Stupid twitter.

Anyway, lets get you up to date on my current life in a strange new world.

Living in Daly City is nice. I've found my way to the bank, and the grocery store. So I know how to get to those two places pretty well. I could even tell you the names of a few streets. Impressive I know. I also know how to get to and from work.

I work on Fishermans Wharf. It's kind of a new adventure everyday. I never know who I might almost run over because tourists don't pay attention to cars or street lights. After all, they are pedestrians and they are more important than us simple folk driving. I also never know when a bus might almost hit me because they don't pay attention to oncoming traffic. I mean why should they, they are bigger and can do a lot more damage to us then we can do to them. Plus, they are working, which means where ever they need to go is far more important than anybody elses safety, let alone where they are going.

Did I mention I work about 8 miles from where I live. Well I do. Now I want you to think about how long it would take you to get 8 miles from where you live. It doesn't matter where, just so long as it's 8 miles away.

Are you thinking about it?

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Was that long enough or do you need more time? Feel free to go for an eight mile drive if you need to, this post will still be here when you get back. I'll give you a little more time though. Just in case. I wouldn't want you to not take this seriously.

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Okay, now that you've thought about it, I will tell you how long it takes me to get to and from work. When I work at 11:30 am, I leave at 10:30 am. Getting there is a little faster than leaving, but still, it normally takes me 30 to 45 minutes. When I get off it takes me an hour to an hour and a half, and that's using the quick route.

It's a little ridiculous.

I know a lot of this sounds like complaining, or that maybe I don't like it here, but that's not true. I like it very much. In fact, I kind of enjoy the drive to work. When I wake up I think "ahhh, I have to work . . . but wait . . . I get a nice long relaxing drive first!" I know what you're thinking. . . "but you just said you get cut off all the time and almost demolished by busses?" Well, you're right, I did say that, but the greatest thing about the long drive to work is this. . . I can only get there as fast as I can get there. Maybe someday I won't wake up on time and show up to work half an hour late. "Why are you late?" my boss will say . . . "well, sir, I left an hour early, but the traffic was insane!" Next thing you know he feels bad for me, because I just waited in an hour and a half of traffic . . . or at least that's what he believes. (insert evil laugh here . . . you know the one, it kind of goes like this MUAHAUHAHAHA. . . and so on and so on.)

Now you are jealous of my long drive to work aren't you? It's okay, maybe someday you will be lucky enough to work an hour away that is only 8 miles.

The drive home is another story though. The drive home sucks. My back often hurts in an excrutiating kind of way after eight hours of looking down (which is basically what I do). I'm usually hungry because I haven't eaten all day, and sometimes I have to pee. I try to make the best of it though. I keep a tennis ball in my car to massage my back while I'm driving. I deal with the hunger by thinking of nauseating smells, and having to pee helps keep me awake.

All in all things are going pretty well for me right now. Constantly working helps me save money. I've only bought gas once in the last two weeks because I only work 8 miles away. Plus when I get home, I get to hang out with my cool roommates. I think the best part so far though, would have to be the weather. I love it when it's overcast. And it's almost always foggy and overcast here. It's great!

Lastly I would like to acknowledge a typo in my last post. I would go back and change it, but the likeliness of you reading it again and realizing that I changed it is probably slim to none. So here it is . . . I mispelled there, well actually I just used the wrong form of there (their, they're). I typed there, but it should have been their. I am extremely embarrassed as well as disappointed in myself from this mistake. I don't even want to get into how much I've let my mother down. So just know, that I eventually saw it, and realized what I had done wrong. I read each of my posts like eight times, but typos aren't always caught before publishing occurs. I hope you can forgive me, and have faith that I will try my best to not let you down again.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

My move to Daly City

I'd like to take a break from my most recent adventure series to talk about my actual most recent adventure which was moving from San Diego to the Bay area.

I decided I was going to move here about 2 months ago. My friend Anna lives here, and I wanted to get out of Southern California and start a new adventure. Basically I made a huge decision as if it were no big deal, but life is all about taking risks right?

On Sunday I left San Diego and went to Ventura for a few days. Anna and her boy toy Bo were going to be in Ventura on Tuesday with a truck to help me take all my stuff. My dad had already come to San Diego the saturday prior to take all the stuff I couldn't fit in my car. It was a big help. My sister didn't want my stuff in her garage anymore so my dad was kind of a life saver.

On Tuesday we loaded everything into the rental truck and started our long journey towards Daly city. We had to make a few stops first though. You know, make our rounds at all the In N Outs. By the time we actually left it was about 4 o'clock.

The drive was long, really long. I kind of wanted to kill myself by the fifth hour. On the way we had to stop in Santa Cruz to pick up some of Anna's things that were stored in her cousins garage for a reason that isn't really worth telling you about. As it turns out her cousin lives in a house that's up a narrow windy road, with no street lights to help you see addresses. We spent about half an hour looking for the damn place. When we finally got there her cousin wasn't home. Luckily they hadn't locked there doors.

I'm guessing when her cousin got home that night it was a goldie locks type situation. You know . . . someones been sitting in my chair . . . someones been using my computer . . . etcetera etcetera.

Anna searched the house for her things with no success. She concluded that it must be in the garage. Now all she had to do was find that garage. It wasn't attached to the house, and it was pretty much pitch black outside. She finally found it and her and Bo went in with hesitation. They described the experience to me by comparing it to a scary movie. They heard noises and it took them a minute to find the light. They were sure that any minute someone was going to jump out at them with a knife.

Luckily that wasn't the case and they found her things! We carefully loaded it into the truck and got the hell out of there. We were on the final stretch of our journey and I couldn't get there fast enough. My back hurt, I was tired, hungry, and grumpy.

After what seemed like an eternity we arrived. Our apartment is at the top of a hill. the view is pretty much spectacular on a clear day. We are also on the top floor, but luckily no one is beneath us, it is just the garages. So we can make as much noise as we want! Sort of.

All we had to do now was unload everything. It's weird how you can think you don't have much stuff until you have to carry all of it up a flight of stairs. It took me about 6 trips. When I was finally done I was exhausted, but I was also hungry, so instead of going to bed, I ate 2 corn dogs. They were delicious.

Then I went to bed. End of story.

Monday, August 11, 2008

My most recent adventure part 3

Before I begin, I would like to send a special shout out to my father for helping me move a lot of my stuff from San Diego to Ventura. I would also like to acknowledge my friends mother in Santa Paula (you know who you are) for being one of my most loyal readers of which I am not related by blood. Without her nagging this post would not be done yet. Okay, lets get started.

I have decided to assign names to all the people involved in My most recent adventure. These will not be their actual names of course.

Name Key:

brother : Don

sister: Sandy

brother's girlfriend: Taren

Mother: Mom

Father: Dad

sister # 2 (who has not been introduced yet, but will be soon) Alyssa

sister # 2's husband ( also not yet introduced) Beau . . . not to be confused with Bo, a friend from an earlier post.

Grandpa : Grandpa

Okay, so lets get started. Last time on My most recent adventure I had just barfed into a plastic bag from K-Mart. Good thing I hadn't decided to go green and skip the bag! We were on our way to have dinner with Taren's parents. My dad offered to take me back to the hotel, but I didn't want to be rude so I toughed it out. I knew the Excedrine Migraine would start working in 15 minutes (at least according to their commercials), so I just had to make it that long.

When we arrived, everyone else was already there. I guess none of them had to stop at K-Mart, nor did they barf along the way. We were eating at a place called Famous Daves. I would tell you if it was good or not, but I didn't eat anything. I would have, but I was afraid I would have to see it again . . . if you know what I mean.

The dinner was lovely, there were no awkward pauses, or offensive comments made on accident. I, of course, made a few sarcastic comments (which sort of goes without saying), but Taren would quickly assure her parents that they were just jokes. We stayed there talking for quite sometime before we realized that we were the last ones in the restaurant and all the people working there were glaring at us to get the hell out so they could go home.

But we weren't ready to let the night end. After all, we were having such a great time. So we all decided to take a walk around Downtown Naperville. The walk didn't last long, apparently downtown Naperville is really just a block of Bars and restaurants, as well as a construction site. It was a nice walk though, and the night with 2 completely different families seemed to go off without a hitch.

Oh, I forgot to mention that the Excedrine Migraine had done it's job, and I felt great the rest of that night!

After our exciting night with Taren's family, we all went to our seperate hotels. We had to get some sleep before our long drive to Carmel Indiana the next day.

I slept like a baby that night . . . literally . . . thumb in my mouth, blankie by my nose, and crying every couple hours. Okay, that's not true at all, but I did sleep really well.

The next morning I awoke to the phone ringing at 7:30 am. It was our wake up call. I really didn't want to get out of bed right then so I laid there for another half an hour going in and out of sleep. My sister Sandy didn't get out of bed either, but that's nothing out of the ordinary.

For fear of being late, I forced myself to get out of bed and take a shower. Taren and Don said they were going to try and be there at 9:30. It doesn't take me that long to get ready, but I prefer to let my hair dry for about an hour before I slather it with gel and hairspray. Also, I needed to get my redbull (which luckily they sold in the lobby). I knew if I waited and drank it in the car, I would have to pee real bad an hour into the 3 and 1/2 hour drive. I didn't want to be the one to make us stop.

Taren and Don were late as usual. Taren's the type that will never be on time. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she was late to her own wedding ( don't let this example confuse you, Taren and Don are not engaged, and they don't want to be bothered about it either so just leave them alone!) . Anyway, by the time we left it was already 10:15. However, because we were going to Indiana it was actually 11:15. We needed to be there by 3 o'clock so everyone could shower and get ready for my cousins wedding at 6pm. Did I mention that was the whole point of this trip. Well, it was.

I would like to take the time to mention that my cousin who was getting married that day is a year younger than me. It is important that you know I am not bitter about the fact that she got married before me as well as finished school before me. None of this matters in the big picture because when it comes right down to it, our grandpa will always like me better. In fact, I'm sort of his hero. Now, back to the story . . .

After 3 and 1/2 hours of drivng, we had arrived. Carmel Indiana is the kind of place people dream about . . . beautiful houses with white picket fences, and beautiful green lawns. However, the dream quickly turns into a nightmare when you realize you are in Indiana, and the most exciting city is equivilent to . . . well, a really boring city. I would only recommend visiting this state as a means to get to another state close by, but if you can avoid driving through it, you should.

My parents, my other sister (Alyssa), and her husband (Beau) were already there. Unfortunately, Beau had aquired food poisening from some sort of Mexican food the night before. He felt terrible and was in his hotel room sleeping . . . or possibly puking. My parents and Alyssa were in the lobby eating lunch. Sandy checked us into the hotel and we went up to our room to get ready. We had two rooms. I was in the one with Alyssa and Beau, and Sandy was in the one with Don and Taren.

I had to get ready in the room with Don, Taren, and Sandy so I wouldn't disturb Beau. Time was dwindeling, but I was of course, the first to be ready. After all, it doesn't take much to make me look beautiful. I wore a black dress that belonged to my sister Alyssa. I'm not going to lie, I looked pretty hot. My sisters insisted on doing my hair, but we ran out of time, so I just did it myself. I think it looked great . . . although others would probably disagree.

When we were all ready we looked pretty sharp! My sister Sandy looked a little shocking though. Let's just say you could see a little too much of her upper body. It was a dress appropriate for working at an "escort" service.

At 5:15 we headed for the wedding. It was a beautiful day for getting married outside.

Stay tuned to hear about a wild wedding, a terrifying drive back to Chicago, and a crazy thunderstorm.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

My most recent adventure part 2

When we last left off I was falling asleep on my brothers couch, it was almost as good as staying in a 1 star hotel! I woke up feeling sore and the opposite of well rested, but at least I didn't have to sleep in an underground parking garage like many Chicago natives do.

It's Friday now, and the beginning of my second full day in Illinois. I didn't know it then, but my decision to not buy a redbull that morning would have serious repercussions later that day.

My brother had the day off so we had plans, BIG plans! After we all showered. . . which took forever . . . we headed for Michigan avenue, the hippest place to be in Chicago. If you've never been there, well then, you haven't truly lived! Okay, it's not that great, but it is the talk of the town!

It was a hot muggy day and after about 5 minutes of walking, I needed another shower. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option, I had a city to see, and a limited amount of time to see it in!

Michigan avenue is basically a really crowded street with lots of stores and landmarks. We saw the Chicago tribune building, the famous Water Tower, and the Sears Tower might have been in there somewhere, but it could also be somewhere else entirely. We stopped at the mall for a short time where my sister bought some things and I averted my eyes from anything I might possibly want to buy because I am currently broke. It was fun!

For lunch my sister wanted a hot dog, a real city hot dog! Which is strange because I do recall her saying she would never eat a hot dog again after hearing about what they were made of in freshman Health. Nevertheless my brother guided us to some famous hot dog place called Portillo's. We got 2 hot dogs with the works : relish, tomatoes, onions, mustard, peppers, and a pickle spear. My sister thought it was wonderful, but I just thought it was okay. We also got an order of French Fries that were out of this world!

Our next stop was the river. My sister and I were going to take a boat tour! After a quick stop at my brother's girlfriends office we were on our way. We ended up taking an architectual / Michigan Lake tour. We learned all about the history of several buildings. For instance, did you know that inside the Sears Tower there is no Sears at all! Just kidding, it is a really tall building though. We also learned about the Great Chicago fire of 1871. Everything burned except for the Water Tower because everything was made of wood. The entire city was gone, they had to start from scratch!

During the boat tour, I began getting a headache. My lack of redbull was starting to take its toll on me and that was only the beginning. I thought I could nip it in the bud by getting a red bull on our way back to the condo, but the damage had already been done!

When we got back to the condo it was time to pack up our stuff again and head to Lisle, Illinois. My headache was getting bad, real bad! But we had to go, we were having a very important dinner that night. A very important dinner indeed!

We took the train to Lisle, and my sister and I checked into our hotel room while my brother and his girlfriend went to her parents house. My headache had turned to migraine now. I knew only one thing would help . . . Excedrine Migraine! Also known as "the miracle drug". My parents picked up my sister and I and I made them stop at a K-Mart so I could get my precious pills. Each moment without it in my blood stream was hell on earth. I felt like I was going to barf and my head was pounding!

When we arrived at K-Mart I ran inside, I was desperate for it. I pushed over anyone who got in my way, old people, small children, I didn't care I needed the drugs! All the while I was screaming where is it! Where is it! No one knew what I was talking about so it was up to me to find it. Once I had the pills in my hand I rushed to the checkout lane, the pills were almost mine! I paid and left. Now all I had to do was open the box, open the bottle, pull off the damn seal and swallow!

When I got into the car I couldn't open them fast enough, but my urge to vomit was getting worse. I paused for a minute, I didn't want to take one only to barf it up three seconds later. After a few moments I took one. Oh NO! I had swallowed to soon . . . it was too late now! I was going to barf.

Luckily they gave me a plastic bag for my purchase. I emptied the bag as quickly as possible throwing everything in it across the car, and then it happened. I vomited. Into a plastic bag.

I was surprised I vomited, I've had many migraines before where I felt as though I would barf, but never actually did. Afterwards I didn't feel any better, my head still felt like it was going to explode. Fortunately, I think I was done barfing. So I took two more Excedrine Migraine.

I will leave off there. Stay tuned to hear about the Important dinner, a wild time in Indiana, and a long drive that will blow your mind!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

My most recent Adventure Part 1

This last month I have been to Bakersfield, San Francisco, and most recently, Chicago, Lisle Illinois, and Carmel Indiana.

My adventure begins on an evening flight to Midway airport. I had never drank alcohol on a plane before, but I felt that 4 hours was too long to be stuck in a cramped and smelly airplane sober. So I ordered a vodka sprite. I hadn't eaten much that day so it hit me quick, which is what I was going for. My sister was also on the plane with me and drinking as well. Before we knew it we were having a great time! We both had are headphones on, so we would write each other notes on my notebook. We each danced to our own music while playing Character Hangman.

What is character hangman you ask? Well, it's similar to regular hangman EXCEPT instead of stick figures we drew various characters such as a cowboy, a clown, a cat and much much more! I have the drawings if anyone ever wants to see them.

When we arrived in Chicago it was 1 am (central time) and we went to go meet our parents who were waiting for us as well as grab our bags. Unfortunately my sister had discovered her wallet was missing from her purse. If you've ever landed at Midway airport you probably already know their runways aren't very long so they slam on the brakes much harder than usual. We are guessing it fell out then.

After about an hour, the wallet was found and returned minus 40 dollars in cash, but that was a small price to pay for having an ID to get back to California.

We finally got to The Hotel Monaco, the first of many hotels we stayed in, at about 3 a.m. and we were in bed by 4. This gave us about eight hours to sleep, shower, and get the hell out of there by our check out time. Our room number was 1408 which I thought was a little creepy, but no one else really seemed to care. Luckily nothing scary happened during our stay. . . unless you count sleeping in the same room with my snoring parents.

Later that day we had lunch with my brother at a classy little joint you may know as Arby's. The meal was delicious which sort of goes without saying, and catching up with my big bro was all right too. Unfortunately he had a limited amount of time because he had to get back to work. So my family (minus 1 sister, and the only brother) and I trudged back to my brothers condo. Then my parents went to Naperville, a city where the hotels are cheaper and theres a lot less to do.

My sister and I were staying at the condo that night. When my brother returned from work he gave us the grand tour. This took less than a minute because the condo is similar to the size of a large walk in closet. Okay, I'm exaggerating a little, but it's pretty small. However, the view is amazing! You can see the river, the Hancock building, and several other tall buildings that aren't as important.

At around 7 in the evening we went to dinner with my brother and his girlfriend where we dined on slices of salami, some sort of green leaves, and thin crust pizza. It was pretty fancy shmancy for my taste.

We were then deserted by my brother and his girlfriend because they had better things to do than show us around the city. After all wasn't their presence at dinner enough? They said we were lucky to spend any time with them at all and quickly walked away as though we were hideous monsters they couldn't stand to look at anymore.

JUST KIDDING! Actually my brother's very sweet girlfriend had purchased tickets to a concert for my brother. It was for one of his favorite bands. Isn't that precious? Yes, yes it is.

My sister and I used our time away from them to take in a movie. We saw "Step Brothers" which I highly DON'T recommend! If you've seen the previews, you've seen all the funny parts. . . only the previews make them seem funnier than they actually are. I'm just glad my parents weren't there . . . it would have been really awkward.

When we got back to the condo my brother and his girlfriend had already returned. They said they really missed us, so they left the concert early. . . or something like that. We stayed up talking for a little while before hitting the sack. I slept on the couch and my sister slept on an air mattress. We could have shared the air mattress but I have personal space issues.

If you enjoyed reading about my most recent adventure part one, stay tuned for parts 2, 3, and possibly 4. I have a lot to cover and it only gets more exciting from here!

Friday, July 25, 2008

My SF Experience

I left for San Francisco on Sunday morning at 6:15 am. I didn't have any trouble waking up that morning because I didn't sleep a wink that night. This was partially from excitement, partially from stress, but there are also other factors I'd rather not mention at this time.

When I got to the airport my flight had been delayed 40 minutes. No big deal right? WRONG! I had forgotten how much I hate airports and all the people traveling within them. It might have been okay, had I brought something to do, but I didn't.

After what seemed like an eternity, I finally arrived at about 10:30 am. My friends (I'll call them Bo and Anna) picked me up and we headed straight for the wharf. On the way, Bo was quite the tourguide, but for all I know everything he said could have been made up.

My first impressions of the city were that it's messy, and squishy. I don't understand why these people refuse to paint the outside of their houses! Pastel is no longer in style, and I think the rest of America needs to tell them that!

The Wharf was not what I expected it to be at all. I expected it to be a lot smaller, and shorter. It is still a really cool place though. Anna says the best part about working on the Wharf is watching all the Tourists.

We had lunch at a seafood restaurant because Anna was against Bo's first choice. I ordered a burger, I know it's not seafood, but I like to think of cows as the Whales of the land. Bo got fish and chips and after going back and forth between several options Anna finally picked a bread bowl with a crab like soup in it. None of us were very impressed with our food, but Anna hated hers. The crab in her soup still had the shell on it, so she spent most of the meal getting it out. By the time she was done it no longer looked appetizing and her hands were covered in ickiness (yeah I said ickiness), so she left the restaurant dissappointed and hungry. The moral of this story is " Never pick your second choice, and never EVER disagree with Bo, because you will never hear the end of it . . . from me, not Bo."

I won't bore you with every tiny detail of my trip, but some of the highlights include: seeing Batman in Imax, almost getting an apartment, getting pedicures, eating at Bennihana, seeing the city at night, and a dinner at CPK that I will never forget.

All in all it was a good trip, and I hope we get an apartment soon so I can move A.S.A.P.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Wahoo!

Tomorrow I leave for San Francisco! I'm not moving tomorrow, but I'm going for a visit and I am super excited. Plans for fun during my visit are as follows:

Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge

Swimming in the Bay - - - you say it's illegal, I say that only increases it's fun

Staying the night in Alcatraz - - - this isn't for sure yet, but once we swim in the bay, they will either throw us in there, or we'll sneak in since that is our swimming destination.

Looking at apartments - - - we still don't have one yet, and I'm getting desperate.

Stealing one million dollars - - - this will solve my budget problem, making it easier to find an apartment.

Applying for jobs at restaurants - - - I already have one job, but want to have two in order to get rid of that pesky free time I will have.

Seeing the new Batman movie - - - if everyone else is doing it, I might as well. Plus maybe I will learn something from the Joker that will help me steal that 1 million dollars I mentioned before.

Eat Cotton Candy - - - I just really like the stuff.

Go to the Fishermans Wharf - - - I want to see it because that is where I will be working.

So far that is all, but who knows what kind of crazy shinnanigans the three of us will get into. After all, we are one wild group.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Exercise Catch 22

Over the past two weeks I have been working out at Bally Total Fitness. I got a two week trial online because . . . well . . . I gained a little weight and I didn't like it. Not a whole lot of weight, but enough to make me say " I think I want to lose some weight."

I know two weeks isn't really enough time to make a whole lot of difference, but I feel it is better than nothing. I haven't gone everyday because I was out of town for three days, but I have gone as much as I can.

I sort of know what I'm doing because I used to be what some people might call a "Gym Rat". When I was in high school I took a circuit training class as well as a weight training class at the local community college. After that I went to the gym religously until I moved to San Diego where I kind of fell out of it, with a few exceptions.

Anyway, back to the point of this post. The thing about exercise is that you feel great afterwards because your body releases endorphins to ease the pain you would actually feel if your body didn't release them. So that part is nice. Unfortunately, if you don't do it everyday or keep busy on the days you don't you pretty much feel like crap. At least in my case. I get headaches and feel guilty for not going . . . among other things.

HOWEVER, when you do go you are super super hungry all day long. Insatiable really. I, personally, end up eating way too much. Mostly due to lack of self-control, but still. So I ask . . . WHAT IS THE POINT? Sure exercise is good for your health, but I don't really care about that, I just don't want to be fat, and I'm pretty sure that's why everyone does it. In fact I have no doubt in my mind that's why people do it.

All I want is to not be so damn hungry afterwards! I remember the good old days when ephedrine was still legal. Why does everything that works so well have to be illegal?

Oh, I would also like to take this time to announce to my friends and family that I will be moving to San Francisco in August . . . right after I get back from my trip to Chicago / Indiana.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

You're Welcome

Okay, so I was thinking the other day about how parents always tell there kids to say Thank You. I myself witness this constantly as a server, and sometimes get stuck at a table for way too long simply because I'm waiting for some shy kid to just listen to their mother and tell me thank you.

But what about You're Welcome. How often do you hear a mother or father say "Say You're Welcome Honey!"

The answer is never. I know my mom and dad never forced me to say it. It was always " Say please Madelyn" or "Say Excuse me Madelyn." But not once do I remember them making me say You're welcome.

Well now, here I am, 24 years old and finding it almost impossible to say those two (well sort of three) little words. All I ever say is "yuppers" or "no problem". I think most of the time I'm afraid to say it because saying you're welcome is like saying "yes, I know I did a wonderful thing and you are now forever in my debt."

Thoughts?

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Grand Gestures

Grand Gestures . . . Women want them and men don't give them . . .well I guess they do in the movies, but that doesn't count.

So why do we (women) keep thinking they will happen? Lets face it, women are crazy and often think things that happen in movies will happen in real life. But don't men watch these movies too? Don't they understand that's what women want even if they say otherwise. Sometimes we tell them to leave us the hell alone . . . and yeah, sometimes we mean it. But sometimes all we want is that grand gesture just to make sure they are the right one. Perhaps it only happens when it's truly meant to be, and maybe I'm the only one it hasn't happened to yet. (if that's true, I'm even more pissed)

The point is, we like them, and sometimes guys, you should take a risk and go for it . . . even if you're not sure, because maybe that's all they really wanted in the first place, just to make sure you're worth it. Anyway, I just watched some girl movie so thats where all this is coming from.

I think a certain ex-roomate of mine would strongly agree, and that's all that really matters.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Steve Carell

I was watching this show on E! called "The Red Carpet" and they were on the red carpet for "Get Smart", the new Steve Carell movie.

This got me to thinking. The only way I am ever going to meet Steve Carell is by becoming famous. Sure, I could stalk him and perhaps pretend to run into him casually . . . but all that would get me is an autograph. If I ever want to have a real conversation with him, I MUST become famous.

It's just not fair. Professional Bowlers never really become famous, and I bet Steve Carell isn't wondering who the next Chris Barnes is going to be. This means I need to find another way to get that fame!

I just need to think about all of my talents . . . incredibly hillarious .. . the ability to cut my own hair . . . straw whistling . . . watching tv for hours on end . . .making dinosaurs out of clay . . . making plain t-shirts into t-shirts with dinosaurs on them. . . Wow, and the list goes on. Now all I need is for someone important to recognize these talents, give me a reality tv show, make the world fall in love with me (which, who are we kidding, wouldn't be hard), and finally have Steve Carell become one of MY fans!

Once all of those things happens, his people will be contacting my people and before you know it we'll be best buds.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Prayers Please

Here's the deal. My sister has 2 cats. Well, the other day one of them ate 50 feet of that string you sew with (what's that stuff called mom?) I know I said 4 on my twitter, but apparently it was more like 50.

She was puking yesterday morning so my sister decided to take her to the vet. They took X-Rays, and found the string in her stomach, with a high possibility that it will end up around her intestines. Then my sister took her to a cat surgeon where they quoted her an astronomical price. So now we are waiting.

My sister is watching her carefully, but here's the problem . . . they said to be worried if she's lethargic, continually puking, and not eating . . . BUT THAT'S HOW SHE ALWAYS IS . . . so we don't know what to think. Anyway, please pray for her or donate money for her surgery.

Make checks payable to CASH.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Last Nights Basketball Game . . .

. . . WAS PATHETIC! I don't normally watch sports, but I also never really knew when they were going on . . . at least not since the last time me and my brother lived under the same roof. However, I work at a Sports Bar now, so it's kind of hard to stay oblivious.

I watched the game on Sunday night after reading Shucknjives blog, and I really wanted them to come back . . . partly for shucknjives sake, but also because the more sporting events going on, the more business there is for me. Needless to say I was pleased with Sunday nights game . . .

. . . Then I watched last night, and have never been more ashamed to be from the L.A. area. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!? HOW DO YOU LOSE BY 30 POINTS (give or take a few . . . I don't remember the exact score, and it's probably better that way). It was pathetic. These teams are suppose to be the best of the best, but last night it seemed like the best was playing the worst. The Lakers played like a soccer team I used to be on called the Pirahna's. Like the Laker's, the Pirahna'a had purple uniforms, and only a few good players who were not effective because the rest of the team sucked.

Okay, okay, so I don't know a lot about basketball, or how good their players are, but I just wanted to mention my old soccer team The Pirahna's . . . who by the way were more like Goldfish, in that, they looked healthy, but died quickly. We never even scored 1 goal the entire season!

Well, that's all for now. Your turn Shucknjive!

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Ode to our Father

This is a poem to our Father, written by his two youngest daughters :

Our dad is one hell of a unique guy,

For this we can tell you many reasons why . . .

If you were to sit and pick his brain,

Be prepared to hear a lot about the metrolink train.

You will also get to hear,

about his love for Becks Beer,

and his trips to Germany almost every other year.

Now let us take you back to earlier days,

when "cats is cats" became his favorite phrase . . .

when he told us he voted for Donald Duck,

and The Carl's famous star burger was only a buck.

When he truly believed the tv turned your brain to mush,

and we went on magical mystery tours to see "snow" that was more like slush. . .

When "Guess the Composer" was the game before dinner,

so we'd yell "Beethoven . . . BACH . . . NO MOZART!" until someone was the winner.

Back when he taught our Sunday school classes

where he spread the word about Martin Luther to the 12 year old masses.

Yes, these are some things that make him OUR dad,

Yes, because of this man, wonderful times were definitely had!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Teenagers

Today at work, I had a small party of teenagers. They were probably about 16 years old . . . 17 tops. At first there were going to be 11 of them, then it was just 4, but eventually it was 7. However, three of them didn't order anything.

They all ordered waters to drink, an appetizer . . . and four entrees. I didn't really pay as much attention to them as my other tables because something told me they weren't going to leave me much for a tip. Maybe that was wrong of me, but I couldn't help it.

While they were eating I overheard one of their conversations. They were trying to figure out if Bulimia or Anorexia was better. In the end, I think they came to the conclusion that Bulimia was the way to go because you still got to eat food. . . they seemed very intelligent.

When the bill was given to them the total was $51.42. They had some problems with this. They had ordered a quessadilla, but apparently I charged them for the wrong one. When the change was made the new total was a WHOLE dollar cheaper at $50.42. They continued to analyze the bill to make sure I hadn't over charged them for anything else. Then a girl asked me if she still had to pay for the chicken in the Chinese Chicken Salad she had ordered even though she ordered it without chicken. I said yes . . . and maybe I was a bit rude about it, but I couldn't help it . . . it was a stupid question. Everyone know's that restaurant menu items can only go up in price, not down. I don't make the rules, I just follow them.

Finally they gave me 60 dollars and waited for their change. I gave it to them, said Thank you and walked away thinking "there's no way they are going to leave me anything".

To my surprise they did leave me a tip! It was a WHOLE dime! I don't know what to spend it on, perhaps half a piece of gum, or maybe I will make a wish in some nearby fountain. All I know is that somehow teenagers are oblivious to the fact that tipping a server in a restaurant is normal. I might not have tipped well when I was younger, but I knew about it. Who knows, maybe it was my fault.

Oh, and just to be clear, their waters were always full, I checked on them at least twice, and except for the Chinese Chicken salad question I was extremely polite. I even kept my mouth shut about how dangerous eating disorders are . . . but, oh well.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Random

Wow. On May 30th I had a post titled Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, that was eight days ago, and in that time 100 more people have looked at my blog. It's not a thousand, but its something.

It's summer now and the job hunt continues. Who knew leaving the life of a student and entering the life of a mature adult with a career would be so difficult. I'm trying to find a job in Human Resources, and it's not easy when you have no experience. I sure wish something would just fall into my lap already.

I would really like to move away from the San Diego area. I'm over this entire area, and ready to move on. Besides it's always easier to run away from your problems rather than face them head on. When I first came to San Diego, I loved it. Now it just reminds me of more bad experiences than good.

Gas prices are at an all time high of about $4.49 a gallon and the popularity of the Vespa scooter is rising. I just wanted to make sure that everyone knows I have always wanted one, but now they are too trendy...that and I don't want Helmet hair all the time.

If any of you read shucknjives blog, I'm sure you are wondering if there will ever be a new post again. I am also one of those people. It's not looking good. If shucknjive is reading this, POST SOMETHING! I know you've been sick, but you must be better by now.

Okay, thats all...I know all of this is random, but I'd hate to turn into Ms. Once a year post like somebody I know. Also, I'm about to read the book "Running With Scissors" so without giving anything away tell me what you've heard...or, if you've read it, what you think.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Insomnia

Well, it's 1 a.m. right now, and I can't ...or rather, I don't feel like sleeping.

It's weird how sometimes you'll be thinking about something and be completely fine, but then, what you were thinking about leads to other things and before you know it you feel like crap. Don't get me wrong, I'm not depressed or anything, just having a moment.

Sometimes I'll be thinking about something or somebody and I'll get so angry and I can't stop it. Like anger ever solves anything anyway right?

Last fall I took a class called "Death and Bereavement Psychology" and one of the lectures I actually remember was about how when you feel sad about something, you shouldn't try and block it or you'll never get over it. You'll think you have and then one day BAM ...there it is again, and you're back to square one.

There's a certain person I wish I had never met, and I really mean that (in case you are wondering it's not a certain ex-boyfriend you might all be thinking of). Sometimes you meet people and they turn out to be a jerk, but you learn something from it and you realize why you had to go through that. I feel like this isn't one of those people, just a jerk that I wish I had never been nice to.

Anyway, I suppose that's all I really want to say tonight...sorry this post was kind of sappy...who knows if I can type sappy, maybe one day I'll actually be able to show my emotions in person. I guess only time will tell.

Oh, and one more thing...if the aformentioned "jerk" is reading this...it's a free country and I'll type what I want. Deal with it!

Friday, May 30, 2008

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

The title of this post is simply a ploy to see if I can triple maybe even quadruple my traffic. I think it will work. However, as long as I have them as the title, I might as well say, What is up with those two? I'm sick of hearing about them. Who cares if they're are breaking up or if they're getting married.

Don't get me wrong, Brad Pitt is definitely someone I think is hot, but I think my chances of winning him over are slim to none.

Speaking of Definitely, why are people abbreviating that word now? Is it because they don't know how to spell it? Is it that they don't have time to say the whole thing? Or are they simply just trying to sound cool? Whatever it is, and I think my mother will agree with me on this, it must stop!

Why to we live in a world where pronouncing certain words wrong is accepted, and sometimes even encouraged. My mother and I were talking about this last week and we decided that people who say the following words must be eliminated from society or forced to repeat the 3rd grade, where these things were suppose to be learned.

Words : alls...all cannot be made more plural than it already is, acrosst... it's either crossed, or across...when you put the two together you have "crossed" the line. Tomorrow...of course this word is acceptable, but for goodness sakes people, learn how to spell it! So's...just don't say this (cough...dad...cough). Peeps...unless you are talking about the delicious marshmellow candy, than please...don't say it. There are two ways to spell the word your...however, they have different meanings. Your is possessive...meaning something that belongs to you (example : your room, your cat etc) You're is the words you and are combined meaning something about you or something "you are" going to do. So before you make a mistake and write the wrong one, think about what you are saying.

I don't know why this is so hard for some people, probably because they didn't graduate from college like me or maybe they just don't care. However, I'm telling you right now...CARE! Do it for people like me, someone who can't stand incorrect spelling and grammar.

Well that's all for now, but I'm just going to put down a few more things to increase traffic here at the bowling express


Mariah Carey

Indiana Jones

The Chronicles of Narnia

Sex and the City: The Movie

How to make money fast

New! Lose weight in your sleep...see how I used the word your in that sentence

Free Money

Okay, I'm done...my stat counter is currently at 738 visits...watch as it sky rockets!

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Simply a formality

Today I spent 4 hours with my fellow graduates for 3 seconds of glory. During that time I did feel pretty special though...that is until I heard about the much greater accomplishments some of my fellow students acheived .

All kidding aside, attending my graduation ceremony was definately worth it. I enjoyed all eyes on me ( and like a thousand other people), I enjoyed getting my name called (although it was slightly butchered as usual...Muller, not Madelyn) and I enjoyed being congratulated by the President and faculty of SDSU.

I wasn't going to walk originally, but something made me change my mind. It wasn't everyone telling me I would regret not doing it, or my sister's yelling at me about how I needed to do it or else! I think what really did it, was the fact that it would be a cheap mother's day gift. JUST KIDDING!

However, I had already bought the cap and gown so I could get my pictures taken, so I guess I just figured why not?

The only thing I didn't like about it was... the crowd, the fact that I had to pee really bad for most of it, my back hurting, the headache I got, and my empty stomach...otherwise, it was a good time!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

I'm Not Pregnant

The title of this post might be a little schocking for some of you. So let me calm you down a bit. I have not been trying to conceive a child, at this point in my life that would be dumb. I haven't spent the last two weeks worried that I was pregnant. In fact, pregnancy for me right now, is an impossibility.

The purpose for this post is just to tell as many people as possible that I am not pregnant.

Why do I feel the need to tell people?

Well, for some reason, ever since I moved in with my sister I have been receiving interesting mail. Mail that someone in my unpregnant condition, should not be receiving. It started out as coupons, and notices for upcoming sales, but it is getting worse lately and my sister and her husband will not believe me.

You see, the mail I have been getting is for stores like Babys R Us and Bergstroms. I have never even been inside of a Bergstroms. More recently I have gotten a free diaper, diaper coupons, letters from Gerber, and worst of all....a free box of formula. I don't know if I'm the butt of some really weird practical joke or what? All I know is that I'm not pregnant and my sister and her husband don't believe me.

So, if you hear anything from my sister about me possibly being pregnant, disregard it, because it's not, nor has it ever been, true.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Resume

This post is for anyone willing to hire me on a whim. Here's the kind of work I'm looking for:

1.) Flexible hours...I only want to work about 20 per week.

2.) 6 figure salary...I want that 20 hours to make me buckets of money. (I'm guessing people that work 40 hours a week, probably only get about 20 hours of work done during that time. I am promising you a minimum of 15.)

3.) I need to be able to listen to music I like.

4.) I will only work for you if you have a bowling league. (trust me, I won't let you down {bowling wise that is})

5.) I will need the daily jumble, and some sort of caffeinated beverage provided for me everyday.

6.) I want to start at the top...I've done grunt work for eight years, I think I deserve to be at the top of the ladder already.

7.) I want paid vacations and a company car (preferably a BMW 325i...in a reddish orange)

8.) I'm looking for a job where I can express my creativity. You'll be amazed at what I can do.

9.) I like interacting with people...so long as they have a good sense of humor (and by good, I mean exactly like mine...which is more like best...but we can't expect too much from people.)

10.) I would like to work weekends, but have Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday off...I don't really understand why people like the weekends off, everybody is everywhere on those days.

11.) Finally, I'm going to need a massage once a week, as well as a gym membership to the finest facility in town.

Now that everyone know what I am looking for, I'm sure I will get offers up the WaaaahhhZuuuueee. If you are interested, leave me a comment on this post with your companies name and phone number...if you seem interesting, I'll get back to you when I can.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Protect Your EYES!!!

I have a cold.

Why do they call it a cold?

I'm guessing because they used to think thats what caused it.

Maybe they should change the name to "Oh No!, I must have gotten a virus on my hand and then touched my eye!"

I guess that would be hard to put on a medicine box though.

How come they haven't found a cure yet? Is there anybody working on this??? I agree that cancer and AIDS are important, but nobody likes to have a cold. For such a "common" thing it sure does make you feel like you want to die. The only reason I have energy to type all this is because of a wonderful, wonderful, over the counter drug I bought.

Did you know?

Most of the illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroine were used by drug companies (eg; Bayer) at one point before they found out how addictive and terrible they were. In fact, after the civil war, a lot of veterans became addicted to Morphine, so in order to get them off of it, they started giving them what they thought to be a non-addictive drug with similar effects. The drug was heroine. Lets just say it didn't work out so well.

Anyway, I have a cold, it sucks a lot, and if you know somethings going around DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYES. Contrary to popular belief...and this is just a little something I learned at a place called COLLEGE...it is harder for germs to attack when hey are passed through saliva. It is possible, but most likely they got in through your eye.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Ode to my Mother

Thank you mom for all the home cooked meals,

For picking me up from school...

Even though it was in an ugly hunk of metal with wheels.

Thanks for all the chocolate milk,

and the clown costume made out of silk.

Thank You for "helping" me with all that homework,

and for putting up with me when I was a jerk.

Thank you for having just one more kid,

Even though you found out about me the way you did.

I know being a mother can be a thankless job,

but in the end, you get poems like this that make you sob.

Happy Mothers Day!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Life after College

Well, it has officially been 2 whole days since I finished college. Surprisingly, I am not making millions, or even 6 figures yet. I am a little upset about this and was wondering if there was anyway to get my money back. I mean, if I were to buy an item at a store, and wasn't completely satisfied, all I would have to do is take back the item I was dissatisfied with in order to get a full refund. Does any one know if you can do that with a college degree?

I'm not trying to complain, but I feel as though I was promised a lucrative career in anything I so desired once I completed 4, or in my case 6, years of college. I suppose I should give it more time, but I'm more of an instant gratification kind of girl.

Had I spent the last 6 years completely focused on my bowling career, I think I'd be making pretty good money by now. Instead, however, I am currently 22,000 dollars in debt, and working at a job where the only real requirement is sucking up to people. Don't get me wrong, I'm a great suck up, but I'm kind of over it.

What do I do?

Friday, May 9, 2008

Does anyone need a wake up meow?

Every morning my brother-in-law leaves the house at a time in the morning most people never see intentionally. To be more exact it's about 5am, but don't hold me to that, it could be as early as 4. In fact I think when he leaves at 5 he's excited because he "gets to sleep in".

Well, when he leaves, my cat, who has been mentioned previously in one of my posts, gets out of the garage. He is allowed to go outside...in fact we encourage it during the day, but when he gets out before 5 AM we...or at least I, have a problem. . .

m - E - O - W ! M-E-E-E-E-O-W-W-WWW!!!

He meows* his little ass off until someone lets him in. Normally, I could just ignore him...but, he's so loud that he wakes the neighbors. My sister has talked to them about it and they aren't upset...just extremely annoyed. In fact, if I don't get up to let him in, some of them open THEIR garages so he'll shut-up.

So, if you're interested in a cat that can wake you up without fail every morning...even if you're on the third floor, I am starting the bidding at 100 dollars. Although, I would have to pay you in installments if that's ok...

Hmmmmmmm....maybe I could sell him to a farm, all I'd have to do his dress him up like a rooster.

* I would also like to mention that when he meows, it is as though he has never had a bite to eat, or that the world could very well be coming to an end. Another way to describe it would be a boy cat in heat (although he has been fixed).

Thursday, May 8, 2008

I am D-O-N-E, DONE!

No more teachers, no more books, no more (something), dirty looks!

Today I had what I thought was my second to last final. After that, I went to my next class for a review. Well, my Professor had the BEST news ever. She said if you are happy with your grade (which was posted on the chalk board), then you don't have to take the Final exam. After that all I heard was HALLELUJAH...over and over again (kind of like that one symphony, by that one composer)...I looked around and couldn't find the source of the noise, but that could have been because of all the bright lights and Angels that had suddenly appeared. Anyway, I checked my grade, and saw that no matter how well I did on the final it would not raise my grade. Therefore I am DONE with school for as long as I don't want to go back.

By the way, I know I didn't mention what that grade was, but don't panic Mom and Dad, it was a B.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Victory is mine

As some of you may know, I purchased a guitar about a month ago. I've wanted to learn for a long time, and I was fooling around with my toy guitar one night, when I decided to finally go for it. So, I went to a guitar store the following day and purchased an acoustic guitar by Yamaha. It was a kit, that also had a gig bag, tuner, picks, and some other guitar essentials. When I got home I couldn't wait to open it and start attempting to play. The first thing I did was pop in the instructional DVD that was also included. They told me, before I could begin learning chords I would have to tune it. So I spent about an hour doing that. The tuner was pretty terrible, and so was the guitar. However, I still tried to play it. I wasn't sure if the guitar was terrible, or if it was just because I had never really played before. Due to my frustration, I didn't try to play much over the next week.

My lack of intersest made me even more upset and frustrated because I had paid a decent amount of money for something I wasn't even using. Don't get me wrong, I still wanted to play, I just didn't like the guitar I bought.

Then one night I decided it must be the guitar that sucks. So the next day I took it back and traded it in for the guitar I have now. It is so much better (extra emphasis on "so"). Plus, its an acoustic-electric which I feel is self explanitory, therefore I will not explain.

The kit for the new guitar came with an amp, a much more sturdy gig bag, picks, and a bunch of other stuff. After I tuned it using the built in tuner, I attempted to play a chord. Guess What? It actually sounded like a chord.

After I finally felt good about my guitar purchase I decided I needed lessons. However, I didn't have money for them.

What was I to do?

Well I called up a friend of mine who has been playing for years and asked him if he wanted to hang out. He said "sure, what do you want to do?" AND I responded with "hmmm...I don't know...I guess you could teach me how to play the guitar I just got."

Okay, so that wasn't the actual dialogue, but you get the idea. He actually already knew I had bought a guitar so I just asked him if he would teach me. Ever since, I've made an effort to try and hang out about once a week. In fact I usually can't wait until I have a whole day off to go down and LEARN, LEARN, LEARN! He's a great teacher, and I like to think I've come a long way in the last month. He's taught me all the basic chords, different scales, strumming patterns, as well as how to read guitar tablature*.

Now, just to be clear, I don't practice everyday or anything, but I try to practice at least 2 or 3 times a week. It's a lot easier to practice when I'm hanging out at his place, because he's playing too and it motivates me to try harder. (He's really good...not Santana good, but good.)

Okay, now that you have a little background on the situation, I will explain the title of this post ("Victory is Mine" in case you forgot, or are too lazy to look up). Today, I FINALLY ( Finally is written in all caps to put more emphasis on the word) switched from one chord (G to be more specific) to another (G2), WITHOUT (and this is key) any pause in my strumming pattern. You might be thinking "SO WHAT?" , and if you are...WELL YOU TRY PLAYING DAMNIT, IT'S NOT THAT EASY. (In this case, capital letters are used to imply talking loudly in an angry voice....some may call it yelling)

I think the best comparison I can make to switching chords without pausing is to that of wearing Heely's. It looks easy when you're watching someone else do it, and you can say things like "that's easy". But unless you've actually tried to play guitar, OR wear Heely's you don't know what you are talking about at all. I think a few friends with my shoe size could vouch for me there.

So that is my victory. You may congratulate me.

*tablature - a form of musical notation indicating fingering rather than pitch of notes, written on lines corresponding to, for example, the srings on a guitar, or the holes on a flute.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Pet peeves

I went bowling last night for the first time in a while. I had a great time, and I had some okay games.

While I was there, I saw so many things that made me angry. Here they are:

1.) If there are four of you bowling on one lane, you probably don't need two balls per person. Pick one, and use it.

2.) Rolling the ball so that it hits the pins just after the pin sweeper goes up, is not only disrespectful, but isn't, nor has it ever been, funny.

3.) If you are an insecure girl, who is too scared to actually try a normal approach before throwing the ball, stay at home, or just watch your idiot boyfriend bowl from the sidelines.

4.) Walking up to the beginning of the lane and dropping the ball, isn't bowling. The ball isn't meant to go less than one mile per hour. And yes, that's why you didn't knock over any pins even though it wasn't a gutter ball.

5.) If you are there with your boy/girlfriend, I don't want to see you make out between frames...or ever for that matter.

6.) If you're waiting for the pins to reset, sit down, relax. DON"T effing wait on the approach! It's rude, and it makes me uncomfortable.

7.) If you refuse to wear the bowling alley shoes, guess what, you probably aren't going to want to use the balls they have there either. So don't bitch and moan about how gross the shoes are, because everything there is gross. If you're too good for the shoes you should probably spend your nights somewhere else.

8.) Just because your ball hooks like the pros, doesn't mean you're any good.

9.) I know I have amazing skills, but pointing and staring are both rude.

10.) Finally, and most importantly, when someone else is about go (throw the ball), don't run up there and go at the same time. It's rude! Wait your effing turn! I waited mine.

Okay, now that I've gotten those things off my chest I feel a lot better. I hope they made sense, but I also don't really care if they didn't, because I know what I mean. I also hope you learned a little something about proper bowling etiquette.