One Hundred Tenth Entry
Well, I was thinking about finishing my Bos/NYC journal entry today, but I think the rest will have to never be written...at least for now. No patience!!
So, the Firmino Experiment failed miserably. He is moving back to San Leandro after attending just one day of classes at the lovely COS campus. I didn't realize just how unhappy he was at that school. He misses home. He misses the family and his girlfriend. I just hope I was able to keep him somewhat entertained.
This whole thing with Firmino has got me thinking, do I really want to be here in Tulare?? It's super hot in the summer and super foggy in the winter. I work with a lot of apathetic people that have been working for the county for so long, they don't care whether something gets done or not. I do not want to be one of them!
I had previously said that I would not leave my job until I got licensed. That is a whole 1.5 years away, at the very least. If I fail the test, I have to wait another 6 mos. before taking it again. I don't know if I could wait that long.
I was told at my break time today that one of the E3's (Jane) was going to the boss (Marcia) about making Kham and I E2's, since our one year anniversary is coming up in August. And just for those who don't know, an E2 is an E1 with a chunky pay raise. I don't think that will happen with all the budget cuts and whatever.
Soooooo, for the first time in about 6 months, I started to cruise the job websites at work. I know its illegal, but sue me. Nothing in the public sector, and I was afraid to look for anything in the private sector because of the economy the way it is.
This won't last long. There are other reasons contributing to my dissatisfaction with work.
The "far and away" biggest one is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). I really do not like the ADA. As a result of this ADA, all of the pavement rehabilitation projects that occur along ADA accessible routes have to include curb ramp installation (curb ramps are those "cut-outs" at intersections to allow wheelchairs access to the sidewalk). Now, even to the pavement layperson, you can see, thinking logically, how laying asphalt has absolutely nothing to do with the ADA. It is asphalt. On a mile-long road. With a deep irrigation canal on one side, and 5 houses on the other. Neither of which have anything remotely resembling a sidewalk. So why do we need curb ramps? Because there are crosswalks. The crosswalks lead to dirt at three corners. I would very much like to see a wheelchair try to ride on bumpy, uneven dirt.
So, because one of the corners of that intersection has a curb ramp, and because there are crosswalks, the rest of us have to suffer. It is to the point where I just want to say forget it to all the disabled and tell them to deal with it.
Oh my God!!! I'm turning republican!!!!!!!!!!!!
6.26.2003
6.14.2003
One Hundred Ninth Entry
I just read Jen's lovely blog about her haircut. Very funny. Sad that it didn't turn out the way she wanted...but that's life...and it'll grow out.
Personal observation:
Why do girls cut their hair short? Is it because it is easier to maintain? Is it because it is lighter on their skull? Is it because they just plain like it better? I don't know why, but I hate to see girls cut their hair.
Mylinh's hair was just growing out to a good length when we started going out, good finger running length(did I say that out loud?), and then she cut it. She had great, black, thick hair and she took good care of it. Why cut it? I can understand why she keeps it short now though(Triathlon). Lisa was next. Long, straight, thick, black hair that you could use as floss. Really pretty hair. She also took good care of her hair. Then she chopped it off. Why??
And now Jen. Again, long, thick but somewhat curly/wavy, dark, dark brown, luscious hair that she took excellent care (quite possibly better care than Louis) of and its all gone. Why???
Perhaps for a man, the long hair evokes the primal instinct to bonk a woman over the head with a club and drag her around by her hair.
Perhaps for a woman, the long hair evokes the primal instinct to avoid being bonked over the head with a club by a man and being dragged around by her hair, but now that technology has evolved to the point where they can see a professional for a haircut, they so choose to do, avoiding the clubbing man.
I guess what it all boils down to is that women with long hair get a rise out of a man, and women with short hair don't.
No offense, Mylinh, Lisa, and Jen. I'm sure you have your reasons for going cut crazy. Just don't ask me how it looks. :)
I just read Jen's lovely blog about her haircut. Very funny. Sad that it didn't turn out the way she wanted...but that's life...and it'll grow out.
Personal observation:
Why do girls cut their hair short? Is it because it is easier to maintain? Is it because it is lighter on their skull? Is it because they just plain like it better? I don't know why, but I hate to see girls cut their hair.
Mylinh's hair was just growing out to a good length when we started going out, good finger running length(did I say that out loud?), and then she cut it. She had great, black, thick hair and she took good care of it. Why cut it? I can understand why she keeps it short now though(Triathlon). Lisa was next. Long, straight, thick, black hair that you could use as floss. Really pretty hair. She also took good care of her hair. Then she chopped it off. Why??
And now Jen. Again, long, thick but somewhat curly/wavy, dark, dark brown, luscious hair that she took excellent care (quite possibly better care than Louis) of and its all gone. Why???
Perhaps for a man, the long hair evokes the primal instinct to bonk a woman over the head with a club and drag her around by her hair.
Perhaps for a woman, the long hair evokes the primal instinct to avoid being bonked over the head with a club by a man and being dragged around by her hair, but now that technology has evolved to the point where they can see a professional for a haircut, they so choose to do, avoiding the clubbing man.
I guess what it all boils down to is that women with long hair get a rise out of a man, and women with short hair don't.
No offense, Mylinh, Lisa, and Jen. I'm sure you have your reasons for going cut crazy. Just don't ask me how it looks. :)
6.04.2003
One Hundred Eighth Entry
San Francisco-Minneapolis/St. Paul-Boston: Friday the 16th
Got to the airport at 4am. Got our boarding passes. Checked in the baggage. My stupid mistake: I had a giant Swiss Army Knife in my pocket. I discovered this fact when I was next in line at the Security Checkpoint. Being retarded, I just threw the knife into the little baskets they give you to put all your change in. The Security guy:
"You are my easiest catch today."
That left me with two options: Mail the knife to myself from the airport, or check in my carryon. I tried to mail the knife to myself, but the FOB that worked at the bookstore didn't understand a single word I said. So I smiled and said thank you profusely and walked to the Northwest counter. I told the lady my situation and she told me that it would cost an additional $80 to check in another bag. Then she said that if I saw my bag still back behind the counter, I could just stuff it in there. I saw it, so I stuffed it. Phew.
I got back into the Security line and Jen was already at the gate chillin. So I waited and waited and finally got through with my carryon. Excellent. The flight boarded an hour later.
Our flight stopped in Minneapolis/St. Paul (Twin Cities). We meandered through the terminal. And a cool terminal it was. Very much like a mall. No smoking though...arrghh.
Flew in to Boston. My first impressions of Boston were that it is a busy city, and that, at least at the airport, the people were nice and friendly. They might have been tourists like Jen and I. I called up my friend Micah. She had emailed me directions on how to get to her apartment from the airport. But being new in the city, these directions meant nothing. I called her up on her 'briefcase' and asked to tell me what to do. Simple enough..."Get on the shuttle bus to the 'T' station. Hop on the inbound blue line and get off at government center. Transfer to either the 'B', 'C', or 'D' train of the green line and get off at Arlington. I will be waiting at the top of the stairs." Simple enough.
We navigated the subway network they call the 'T'. We met up without any major incident. Introductions made.
"Jen, this is Micah. Micah, this is Jen."
We followed Micah for about 5 minutes to her apartment. Her street is really beautiful. Trees line the street on both sides and make a clear view of the sky near impossible. On a sunny day, the green-filtered sunlight is really something.
We dropped our stuff off at our home for the next few days, got the tour of Micah's apartment, rested a bit, and took off for dinner and a BoSox game.
The place we ate at for dinner was called 'Marche'. "Allons au Marche!" That was the coolest place we ate dinner during the whole trip! It was set up in the style of a French market. There were different stalls in the restaurant. Some with raw meats that they would cook up right then and there, some with different kinds of hot soups, some with Asian foods, some with desserts.
How it works:
You are given a sheet of paper upon entrance to the restaurant. You go through and if you see something you like, you ask the person behind the stall for it and they stamp your card. Its as simple as that!
The tough thing is controlling how much you take...it all looks so good. So, nearly $30 later, I was on my way to the BoSox game with Jen and Micah. We hopped on the 'T' and got off near the park. The walk to Fenway Park was full of encounters with ticket scalpers.
"Need tickets for the game?"
"Got two tickets for tonights game...TWO TICKETS!"
The game was fun. We got there in the middle of the 4th inning. The BoSox were up by 2. But true to form, they choked and ended up losing. The game itself, however, was not the most entertaining part of the game. The crowd is what was the main attraction for me. We had great seats. Right behind Center Field. Right next to the loudest, crudest, drunkest fans ever. I couldn't help but laughing because their accents are so foreign.
"Yoh bray-kin mah dahdeh's haht!"
In English:"Your breaking my daughter's heart!" (Still doesn't make sense out of context)
So we walked back to the 'T' after the game. On the way to the 'T', we saw something that would be imitated, mostly by me, for the rest of the trip. Apparently, Bostonians like to stomp on things, especially the grates one sometimes finds in the sidewalk. You know, the metal gate-lookin things you walk on top of. Anyway, Bostonians particularly like to stomp and scrape their shoes on these grates while cussing under their breath. And so it was for the rest of the trip.
"God-dammit son-of-a mother, gaad"
Boston-Providence-Boston: Saturday the 17th
We woke up early on Saturday because I had made arrangements to take the train down to Providence and hang out with my family. I have several cousins in Providence, by the way. I had heard a lot about these cousins, but nothing I had heard could have helped me prepare for them. They are the most energetic and friendly people you would ever want to meet. Apparently, I had met them when I was a lot younger, but I don't remember.
Jen and I got off the train at about 10:30. The plan was that Jen would go off and 'explore' the city, while I hung out with the family. As we got off the train, I got my cell phone ready to call my family. That was the plan. I would call them and they would come to the train station and pick me up. I got to the top of the escalator from the platform and I vaguely recognized three people sitting on the bench waiting for someone. I walked up to them and said,
"Hi, I'm Phillip."
They all stood up and introduced themselves again and hugs and handshakes all around! I was so happy! My peoples!
I introduced Jen to Elio, Lucy and Tia Serafina. This was the part where Jen was supposed to go off and 'explore'. But we quickly got sucked in to the "Da Rosa Whirlwind". So much for Jen 'exploring'. Before you know it, we were at a Dunkin' Donuts, one of millions we would come across in our travels. There we took the first pictures. (I forgot my camera, so Jen became the official Providence photographer. Thanks Jen!)
After a quick cawfee and donut, we were whisked to my aunts house. My aunts house is an old tenement house. There are six apartments in this three story house. Each apartment is occupied by members of the same family. After a tour of two of the apartments, Jen, Elio, Tia Serafina and I were off to eat lunch at a Portuguese restaurant called Riviera. It is owned by someone my dad grew up with in his village back in the "old country". The food was pretty good. I haven't eaten in a proper portuguese restaurant in quite some time.
After lunch, we went back to the house. We hung around for a while and saw the grounds. We saw their wine making tools and actually got a bottle of wine to take with us back to Boston. We also got some sweet bread to take with us. Yummmm.
We made plans to go to Newport, a pretty town on the coast of Rhode Island. This time the whole family went. Tia Serafina, Lucy and her two daughters Mikaela and Stephanie, Vital and his son Joshua and Elio. Off we went to Newport.
In the car on the way to Newport, everyone was talking at the same time. It was so cool. All the kids were listening to Eminem. At some point, I was asked what California was really like by Joshua (14 yrs). To which I responded...
"Everyone is tanned and surfs a lot."
In Newport we got to see the mansion Jackie Bouvier grew up in. We got to see the church she and JFK got married in.
In Newport, there is a street that is lined with giant mansions built by old money in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. For a reasonable fee, you can tour as many of the mansions you want. They were just beautiful...and giant!!! We didn't get to see any of them because we were on a tight schedule. We did stop at a monument honoring the portuguese people of Rhode Island. It is right on the coast. We took a family photo there (thanks Jen!) and then climbed down a scary lookin ladder to the actual shoreline. It was full of tidepools, full of warm Atlantic Ocean water. Very picturesque.
The highlight of the drive, had to be the pitstop at a seafood shack on the side of the road. It was a tiny little building. They serve all kinds of seafood machinations. The things I had were Clam Cakes. They were sooooooo good. Mmmmm-mm. Jen had something called a quahog. It was stuffed, and supposedly good.
After the Clam Cakes, we drove back to Providence. Once we got there, it was very nearly time for Jen and I to get back to the train station. So we said our goodbyes and with sweetbread and wine in hand, Lucy drove us to the train station. At the train station, we found that we had 20 minutes to kill because the train was late. Lucy, Tia Serafina and Stephanie all hung around with us til it was time to leave.
When it was time to say the final goodbye, it was sad for me. I did not think I would ever enjoy visiting my family this much. I thought it would be awkward and clumsy at first because I couldn't remember meeting these people. But they didn't care. I was family, and Jen was as good as family. They are a very hospitable family that made me feel welcome. They were already making plans for me to go there next year!
I felt kinda bad for Jen because I know she wanted to go and 'explore' Providence. But when I told her I felt bad for that, she said it was cool and had fun. Sweet!
So, the train ride back to Boston was uneventful, as it should have been. I called Micah once we got back into historic South Station. I was supposed to snag her keys so I could get into her apartment. She was going to dinner when we got into Boston. So we hooked up and she gave me her keys.
We got to her apartment and unloaded. I busted open the wine and drank some with Jen. I'm not usually a wine person, but this wine was good. Then I remembered that I was supposed to call Lucy to let her know that we got back OK. I did, and I again expressed my gratitude for their hospitality.
After resting a bit, we took off for dinner. We decided to go to Chinatown. We found a decent looking Sushi place and grubbed. It was pretty good. The pearl tea wasn't too hot, but oh well. We walked around Chinatown a bit and made our way to a CVS. CVS is just like Rite-Aid. We bought toilet paper and water. There were tons of people walking around downtown. We walked around a bit more and headed back to the apartment. We watched some TV and drank the rest of the wine. Then we went to sleep.
Boston: Sunday the 18th
Sunday morning I awoke to the ringing of my cell phone. It was Micah. She spent the night over at her sisters house and needed someone to let her in to her apartment when she got there. I said sure. I really had no choice since I had her keys. I got up and milled around the apartment for a while.
Micah showed up with her cousin John. He seems like a pretty cool dude. He's married and has a kid...and looks about my age.
Jen and I got ready and left the apartment. We visited historical Faneuil Hall. It is a pretty cool shopping area. There are a bunch of buildings, old and new. I had some pretty good Fish and Chips. We walked up and down the promenade they have there between buildings. Very pretty, lots of people.
Outside of Faneuil Hall, there was an Australian Tom Cruise look-a-like Street Performer. He was some sort of a contortionist with a screw loose. His accent was funny, it was a mix of Australian and Bostonian. I wasn't too impressed with his act. I have seen stuff like that before on the Late Show w/Letterman.
Afterwards, we found the Holocaust Memorial. Very moving. I had a moment...
Then we found a trail of double bricks that weaves all over the city known as the 'Freedom Trail'. This trail, when followed from start to finish, passes by all of the historical places in Boston. We started at Faneuil Hall and walked all over the city following the trail. We saw Paul Revere's house, the nation's oldest restaurant, Little Italy, Old North Church, some cemetaries that have some really old dead people, Bunker Hill (the famous Revolutionary War battle site), and ended up at the USS Constitution. In all, it took us the major part of the day just nonstop walking. We even got a little lost when looking for the Constitution. We had to walk under a freeway in a very shady neighborhood.
On the way back into downtown, we decided that it would be best to take the 'T' since neither of us wanted to walk all the way back.
Back in downtown, we found a Borders and did a little more sightseeing.
I called Micah because we were to have dinner with her and her family. She met us in Boston Common and walked us to her sisters house. After walking the whole day on the 'Freedom Trail', the last thing I wanted to do was walk some more. But it was a short walk.
Micah's sister, Karissa, had just had her Bridal Shower and there was tons of food left. I pigged out on deviled eggs and cake. It was good! As it turned out, Micah's family was not too interested in eating out. Micah still wanted to go, and so did her Aunt and cousin, so we met them at the Cheers bar in Faneuil Hall. Again, we walked there.
Micah's aunt and cousin are really cool. Ron was also there; he is a very good friend of the family. We all just hung out at the Cheers bar (which looks nothing like the one in the TV show, even though it claims to be an exact replica of the set) for a little while. Then Ron took off after consuming several beers. When it was time for the rest of us to leave and go eat, we discovered the Ron, who had said he would take care of the check, had done no such thing. Well...
In any case, we made our way to Little Italy for some Italian food. Micah claimed that this place was the best Italian food in Boston. She wasn't too far off the mark. I really liked it. We did have to stand outside in line forever, but it was worth it. Micah's Aunt Mary is hilarious!!!
After dinner, Micah and her family headed back to her sisters house and Jen and I went off and ate some Gelato. We couldn't find anything close to authentic Italian Gelato. It was all too creamy. Oh well.
Little Italy was hoppin that night. Tons of people and cars. Everyone wanted to eat Italian that night, I guess.
We made our way back to downtown and chilled in Faneuil Hall. We just sat down on one of the benches and rested. It was a long day and we needed a rest. It was then that we noticed a strange man throwing stuff about. We feared for our lives and took off.
At about 10:30 at night, we walked through Boston Common. Boston Common is the Central Park of Boston. It isn't nearly as big, but serves the same purpose; it is a haven in the middle of downtown which provides a calm, peaceful setting amid the noise and traffic of urban Boston. It was very nice. Very pretty.
For some reason, I can't remember what we did next, but I know I ended up back at Micah's apartment and fell asleep.
Boston: Monday the 19th
Monday was Micah's college graduation. Micah got a Master's degree in English. Very good! Congratulations Micah!!
I got up at the butt crack of early and helped Micah iron her gown because she doesn't know how to iron.
"Oh, how very domesticated of you!"
What am I a cat??
We had to be on the 'T' and meet the rest of the family by 8am. OK. We all met up at the 'T' and boarded. The 'T' was completely empty. There were no other graduates on the train whatsoever! We all started to tease Micah and say that the graduation was actually on Sunday and that her "special" graduation was on Monday. We also teased Micah about her cell phone which was jokingly, but pretty accurately, refered to as a briefcase. Her phone is huge!! It looks like one of those mini hand held TV's. According to John, she could fend off many an attacker with that giant phone.
The teasing continued well after we got off the 'T' and headed for the stadium. There were tons of people out there. Everybody and their mother came to this graduation. We sat in full sun on the side where Micah was supposed to come out. Well, the full sun got the better of us and we all trekked to the other side of the stadium where we were in full shade. Excellent. We waited for what seemed like an eternity, and then the graduates started filing out. We looked and looked for Micah, but we couldn't see her. Ray (Micah's step-dad) finally got up and walked down as close as he could to the grads, and found her. We all waved. She wasn't looking.
After the massive graduation, with its many boring speeches, we hiked to Micah's small ceremony. We could see her a lot better there. When her name was called, we cheered and she got up. She owned the place...for 10 seconds. She strutted (inside joke) across the stage and shook everything she had. Fire!!!
A reception followed the ceremony and it was just a 'coffee and' type thing. Micah (forcefully) told us that she wanted to take pictures in front of a pretty building. It was nice indeed. But too many pictures!! Just Kidding.
We then headed downtown, back home. I called Jen to see if she wanted to meet up or something. She said she was cool and that she would see me at the BBQ. Micah was having a BBQ at her apartment for her graduation. I needed to go do something so I told Micah that I would be there later. I was on a mission. I needed to find a BoSox hat.
Micah had suggested a place called Lids. I went there, but they had every size except for mine. Arrrrgh.
I tried another place. They told me that I should just go over to Fenway Park and buy one there.
I stopped by Bath and Body Works and bought Micah her grad present. I also bought her a card with some sexual innuendo, because what would a card to Micah be, if it didn't have any sexual innuendo?
Present taken care of, I went to Fenway Park to complete my mission. I found the BoSox shop and shortly after entering it, I noticed a loud voice that seemed familiar. I listened, and turned toward this man. It was one of the crazy guys from the game on Friday night! Very interesting!! I regrouped, continued my mission and bought a clean, fitted, 7 3/8 size BoSox hat. Mission completed.
I decided that the walk back to the house wouldn't be that bad so I walked home. Boy was that a mistake! I saw stuff that I really wouldn't have seen otherwise, though. I saw Back Bay Park...uh...thats about it. It was a long walk.
I remembered that I was supposed to walk Newbury street. So I did. Very interesting. A bunch of stores.
I was dead tired from all that walking. So I stopped at the Public Gardens. I sat there for a good half hour just people watching. There were a lot of young professionals walking around like they just got off of work, all talking on their cell phones and talking with that cool accent. While people watching, I noticed that Jen was walking around too! I was going to call her, but then said no, she is probably on her way somewhere. But then I thought, what the hell.
Jen had the idea to buy flowers for Micah for graduation. Awwwww, how sweet! She bought her a Gerbera flower in a pot. Very pretty.
At some point in our walking that night, I bought a puzzle ring from a street vendor. More on that later...
At some other point in our walking that night, we went to Trader Joes and, on the way, ran into Lisa's future husband, Ed. He said it was way far. We weren't deterred. I bought some nasty snacks for the bus ride into NYC and some candies for Micahs party. Excellent. We made our way to Micah's.
As we were walking to her apartment I had to stop and take a picture of a restaurant which had the name of one of my coworkers. Via Matta, it was called. While I was stopped fiddling with my camera, a homeless bum came up and started harassing us. I ended up giving him a cigarette. Not too bad.
Micah's BBQ was fun. Good food, lots of fun people. I actually mingled a little bit. I surprised myself. Then, I decided to take off my puzzle ring and mess it up. That was a mistake and that was 9 hours of my life that I want back from the street vendor that sold the ring to me. The rest of my night was spent trying to put it back together again and asking other people to help. I went to sleep and the ring was still not put together.
Boston-New York City: Tuesday the 20th
New York City: Wednesday the 21st
New York City: Thursday the 22nd
New York City: Friday the 23rd
New York City: Saturday the 24th
New York City-Boston: Sunday the 25th
Boston-Detroit-San Francisco: Monday the 26th
San Francisco-Minneapolis/St. Paul-Boston: Friday the 16th
Got to the airport at 4am. Got our boarding passes. Checked in the baggage. My stupid mistake: I had a giant Swiss Army Knife in my pocket. I discovered this fact when I was next in line at the Security Checkpoint. Being retarded, I just threw the knife into the little baskets they give you to put all your change in. The Security guy:
"You are my easiest catch today."
That left me with two options: Mail the knife to myself from the airport, or check in my carryon. I tried to mail the knife to myself, but the FOB that worked at the bookstore didn't understand a single word I said. So I smiled and said thank you profusely and walked to the Northwest counter. I told the lady my situation and she told me that it would cost an additional $80 to check in another bag. Then she said that if I saw my bag still back behind the counter, I could just stuff it in there. I saw it, so I stuffed it. Phew.
I got back into the Security line and Jen was already at the gate chillin. So I waited and waited and finally got through with my carryon. Excellent. The flight boarded an hour later.
Our flight stopped in Minneapolis/St. Paul (Twin Cities). We meandered through the terminal. And a cool terminal it was. Very much like a mall. No smoking though...arrghh.
Flew in to Boston. My first impressions of Boston were that it is a busy city, and that, at least at the airport, the people were nice and friendly. They might have been tourists like Jen and I. I called up my friend Micah. She had emailed me directions on how to get to her apartment from the airport. But being new in the city, these directions meant nothing. I called her up on her 'briefcase' and asked to tell me what to do. Simple enough..."Get on the shuttle bus to the 'T' station. Hop on the inbound blue line and get off at government center. Transfer to either the 'B', 'C', or 'D' train of the green line and get off at Arlington. I will be waiting at the top of the stairs." Simple enough.
We navigated the subway network they call the 'T'. We met up without any major incident. Introductions made.
"Jen, this is Micah. Micah, this is Jen."
We followed Micah for about 5 minutes to her apartment. Her street is really beautiful. Trees line the street on both sides and make a clear view of the sky near impossible. On a sunny day, the green-filtered sunlight is really something.
We dropped our stuff off at our home for the next few days, got the tour of Micah's apartment, rested a bit, and took off for dinner and a BoSox game.
The place we ate at for dinner was called 'Marche'. "Allons au Marche!" That was the coolest place we ate dinner during the whole trip! It was set up in the style of a French market. There were different stalls in the restaurant. Some with raw meats that they would cook up right then and there, some with different kinds of hot soups, some with Asian foods, some with desserts.
How it works:
You are given a sheet of paper upon entrance to the restaurant. You go through and if you see something you like, you ask the person behind the stall for it and they stamp your card. Its as simple as that!
The tough thing is controlling how much you take...it all looks so good. So, nearly $30 later, I was on my way to the BoSox game with Jen and Micah. We hopped on the 'T' and got off near the park. The walk to Fenway Park was full of encounters with ticket scalpers.
"Need tickets for the game?"
"Got two tickets for tonights game...TWO TICKETS!"
The game was fun. We got there in the middle of the 4th inning. The BoSox were up by 2. But true to form, they choked and ended up losing. The game itself, however, was not the most entertaining part of the game. The crowd is what was the main attraction for me. We had great seats. Right behind Center Field. Right next to the loudest, crudest, drunkest fans ever. I couldn't help but laughing because their accents are so foreign.
"Yoh bray-kin mah dahdeh's haht!"
In English:"Your breaking my daughter's heart!" (Still doesn't make sense out of context)
So we walked back to the 'T' after the game. On the way to the 'T', we saw something that would be imitated, mostly by me, for the rest of the trip. Apparently, Bostonians like to stomp on things, especially the grates one sometimes finds in the sidewalk. You know, the metal gate-lookin things you walk on top of. Anyway, Bostonians particularly like to stomp and scrape their shoes on these grates while cussing under their breath. And so it was for the rest of the trip.
"God-dammit son-of-a mother, gaad"
Boston-Providence-Boston: Saturday the 17th
We woke up early on Saturday because I had made arrangements to take the train down to Providence and hang out with my family. I have several cousins in Providence, by the way. I had heard a lot about these cousins, but nothing I had heard could have helped me prepare for them. They are the most energetic and friendly people you would ever want to meet. Apparently, I had met them when I was a lot younger, but I don't remember.
Jen and I got off the train at about 10:30. The plan was that Jen would go off and 'explore' the city, while I hung out with the family. As we got off the train, I got my cell phone ready to call my family. That was the plan. I would call them and they would come to the train station and pick me up. I got to the top of the escalator from the platform and I vaguely recognized three people sitting on the bench waiting for someone. I walked up to them and said,
"Hi, I'm Phillip."
They all stood up and introduced themselves again and hugs and handshakes all around! I was so happy! My peoples!
I introduced Jen to Elio, Lucy and Tia Serafina. This was the part where Jen was supposed to go off and 'explore'. But we quickly got sucked in to the "Da Rosa Whirlwind". So much for Jen 'exploring'. Before you know it, we were at a Dunkin' Donuts, one of millions we would come across in our travels. There we took the first pictures. (I forgot my camera, so Jen became the official Providence photographer. Thanks Jen!)
After a quick cawfee and donut, we were whisked to my aunts house. My aunts house is an old tenement house. There are six apartments in this three story house. Each apartment is occupied by members of the same family. After a tour of two of the apartments, Jen, Elio, Tia Serafina and I were off to eat lunch at a Portuguese restaurant called Riviera. It is owned by someone my dad grew up with in his village back in the "old country". The food was pretty good. I haven't eaten in a proper portuguese restaurant in quite some time.
After lunch, we went back to the house. We hung around for a while and saw the grounds. We saw their wine making tools and actually got a bottle of wine to take with us back to Boston. We also got some sweet bread to take with us. Yummmm.
We made plans to go to Newport, a pretty town on the coast of Rhode Island. This time the whole family went. Tia Serafina, Lucy and her two daughters Mikaela and Stephanie, Vital and his son Joshua and Elio. Off we went to Newport.
In the car on the way to Newport, everyone was talking at the same time. It was so cool. All the kids were listening to Eminem. At some point, I was asked what California was really like by Joshua (14 yrs). To which I responded...
"Everyone is tanned and surfs a lot."
In Newport we got to see the mansion Jackie Bouvier grew up in. We got to see the church she and JFK got married in.
In Newport, there is a street that is lined with giant mansions built by old money in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. For a reasonable fee, you can tour as many of the mansions you want. They were just beautiful...and giant!!! We didn't get to see any of them because we were on a tight schedule. We did stop at a monument honoring the portuguese people of Rhode Island. It is right on the coast. We took a family photo there (thanks Jen!) and then climbed down a scary lookin ladder to the actual shoreline. It was full of tidepools, full of warm Atlantic Ocean water. Very picturesque.
The highlight of the drive, had to be the pitstop at a seafood shack on the side of the road. It was a tiny little building. They serve all kinds of seafood machinations. The things I had were Clam Cakes. They were sooooooo good. Mmmmm-mm. Jen had something called a quahog. It was stuffed, and supposedly good.
After the Clam Cakes, we drove back to Providence. Once we got there, it was very nearly time for Jen and I to get back to the train station. So we said our goodbyes and with sweetbread and wine in hand, Lucy drove us to the train station. At the train station, we found that we had 20 minutes to kill because the train was late. Lucy, Tia Serafina and Stephanie all hung around with us til it was time to leave.
When it was time to say the final goodbye, it was sad for me. I did not think I would ever enjoy visiting my family this much. I thought it would be awkward and clumsy at first because I couldn't remember meeting these people. But they didn't care. I was family, and Jen was as good as family. They are a very hospitable family that made me feel welcome. They were already making plans for me to go there next year!
I felt kinda bad for Jen because I know she wanted to go and 'explore' Providence. But when I told her I felt bad for that, she said it was cool and had fun. Sweet!
So, the train ride back to Boston was uneventful, as it should have been. I called Micah once we got back into historic South Station. I was supposed to snag her keys so I could get into her apartment. She was going to dinner when we got into Boston. So we hooked up and she gave me her keys.
We got to her apartment and unloaded. I busted open the wine and drank some with Jen. I'm not usually a wine person, but this wine was good. Then I remembered that I was supposed to call Lucy to let her know that we got back OK. I did, and I again expressed my gratitude for their hospitality.
After resting a bit, we took off for dinner. We decided to go to Chinatown. We found a decent looking Sushi place and grubbed. It was pretty good. The pearl tea wasn't too hot, but oh well. We walked around Chinatown a bit and made our way to a CVS. CVS is just like Rite-Aid. We bought toilet paper and water. There were tons of people walking around downtown. We walked around a bit more and headed back to the apartment. We watched some TV and drank the rest of the wine. Then we went to sleep.
Boston: Sunday the 18th
Sunday morning I awoke to the ringing of my cell phone. It was Micah. She spent the night over at her sisters house and needed someone to let her in to her apartment when she got there. I said sure. I really had no choice since I had her keys. I got up and milled around the apartment for a while.
Micah showed up with her cousin John. He seems like a pretty cool dude. He's married and has a kid...and looks about my age.
Jen and I got ready and left the apartment. We visited historical Faneuil Hall. It is a pretty cool shopping area. There are a bunch of buildings, old and new. I had some pretty good Fish and Chips. We walked up and down the promenade they have there between buildings. Very pretty, lots of people.
Outside of Faneuil Hall, there was an Australian Tom Cruise look-a-like Street Performer. He was some sort of a contortionist with a screw loose. His accent was funny, it was a mix of Australian and Bostonian. I wasn't too impressed with his act. I have seen stuff like that before on the Late Show w/Letterman.
Afterwards, we found the Holocaust Memorial. Very moving. I had a moment...
Then we found a trail of double bricks that weaves all over the city known as the 'Freedom Trail'. This trail, when followed from start to finish, passes by all of the historical places in Boston. We started at Faneuil Hall and walked all over the city following the trail. We saw Paul Revere's house, the nation's oldest restaurant, Little Italy, Old North Church, some cemetaries that have some really old dead people, Bunker Hill (the famous Revolutionary War battle site), and ended up at the USS Constitution. In all, it took us the major part of the day just nonstop walking. We even got a little lost when looking for the Constitution. We had to walk under a freeway in a very shady neighborhood.
On the way back into downtown, we decided that it would be best to take the 'T' since neither of us wanted to walk all the way back.
Back in downtown, we found a Borders and did a little more sightseeing.
I called Micah because we were to have dinner with her and her family. She met us in Boston Common and walked us to her sisters house. After walking the whole day on the 'Freedom Trail', the last thing I wanted to do was walk some more. But it was a short walk.
Micah's sister, Karissa, had just had her Bridal Shower and there was tons of food left. I pigged out on deviled eggs and cake. It was good! As it turned out, Micah's family was not too interested in eating out. Micah still wanted to go, and so did her Aunt and cousin, so we met them at the Cheers bar in Faneuil Hall. Again, we walked there.
Micah's aunt and cousin are really cool. Ron was also there; he is a very good friend of the family. We all just hung out at the Cheers bar (which looks nothing like the one in the TV show, even though it claims to be an exact replica of the set) for a little while. Then Ron took off after consuming several beers. When it was time for the rest of us to leave and go eat, we discovered the Ron, who had said he would take care of the check, had done no such thing. Well...
In any case, we made our way to Little Italy for some Italian food. Micah claimed that this place was the best Italian food in Boston. She wasn't too far off the mark. I really liked it. We did have to stand outside in line forever, but it was worth it. Micah's Aunt Mary is hilarious!!!
After dinner, Micah and her family headed back to her sisters house and Jen and I went off and ate some Gelato. We couldn't find anything close to authentic Italian Gelato. It was all too creamy. Oh well.
Little Italy was hoppin that night. Tons of people and cars. Everyone wanted to eat Italian that night, I guess.
We made our way back to downtown and chilled in Faneuil Hall. We just sat down on one of the benches and rested. It was a long day and we needed a rest. It was then that we noticed a strange man throwing stuff about. We feared for our lives and took off.
At about 10:30 at night, we walked through Boston Common. Boston Common is the Central Park of Boston. It isn't nearly as big, but serves the same purpose; it is a haven in the middle of downtown which provides a calm, peaceful setting amid the noise and traffic of urban Boston. It was very nice. Very pretty.
For some reason, I can't remember what we did next, but I know I ended up back at Micah's apartment and fell asleep.
Boston: Monday the 19th
Monday was Micah's college graduation. Micah got a Master's degree in English. Very good! Congratulations Micah!!
I got up at the butt crack of early and helped Micah iron her gown because she doesn't know how to iron.
"Oh, how very domesticated of you!"
What am I a cat??
We had to be on the 'T' and meet the rest of the family by 8am. OK. We all met up at the 'T' and boarded. The 'T' was completely empty. There were no other graduates on the train whatsoever! We all started to tease Micah and say that the graduation was actually on Sunday and that her "special" graduation was on Monday. We also teased Micah about her cell phone which was jokingly, but pretty accurately, refered to as a briefcase. Her phone is huge!! It looks like one of those mini hand held TV's. According to John, she could fend off many an attacker with that giant phone.
The teasing continued well after we got off the 'T' and headed for the stadium. There were tons of people out there. Everybody and their mother came to this graduation. We sat in full sun on the side where Micah was supposed to come out. Well, the full sun got the better of us and we all trekked to the other side of the stadium where we were in full shade. Excellent. We waited for what seemed like an eternity, and then the graduates started filing out. We looked and looked for Micah, but we couldn't see her. Ray (Micah's step-dad) finally got up and walked down as close as he could to the grads, and found her. We all waved. She wasn't looking.
After the massive graduation, with its many boring speeches, we hiked to Micah's small ceremony. We could see her a lot better there. When her name was called, we cheered and she got up. She owned the place...for 10 seconds. She strutted (inside joke) across the stage and shook everything she had. Fire!!!
A reception followed the ceremony and it was just a 'coffee and' type thing. Micah (forcefully) told us that she wanted to take pictures in front of a pretty building. It was nice indeed. But too many pictures!! Just Kidding.
We then headed downtown, back home. I called Jen to see if she wanted to meet up or something. She said she was cool and that she would see me at the BBQ. Micah was having a BBQ at her apartment for her graduation. I needed to go do something so I told Micah that I would be there later. I was on a mission. I needed to find a BoSox hat.
Micah had suggested a place called Lids. I went there, but they had every size except for mine. Arrrrgh.
I tried another place. They told me that I should just go over to Fenway Park and buy one there.
I stopped by Bath and Body Works and bought Micah her grad present. I also bought her a card with some sexual innuendo, because what would a card to Micah be, if it didn't have any sexual innuendo?
Present taken care of, I went to Fenway Park to complete my mission. I found the BoSox shop and shortly after entering it, I noticed a loud voice that seemed familiar. I listened, and turned toward this man. It was one of the crazy guys from the game on Friday night! Very interesting!! I regrouped, continued my mission and bought a clean, fitted, 7 3/8 size BoSox hat. Mission completed.
I decided that the walk back to the house wouldn't be that bad so I walked home. Boy was that a mistake! I saw stuff that I really wouldn't have seen otherwise, though. I saw Back Bay Park...uh...thats about it. It was a long walk.
I remembered that I was supposed to walk Newbury street. So I did. Very interesting. A bunch of stores.
I was dead tired from all that walking. So I stopped at the Public Gardens. I sat there for a good half hour just people watching. There were a lot of young professionals walking around like they just got off of work, all talking on their cell phones and talking with that cool accent. While people watching, I noticed that Jen was walking around too! I was going to call her, but then said no, she is probably on her way somewhere. But then I thought, what the hell.
Jen had the idea to buy flowers for Micah for graduation. Awwwww, how sweet! She bought her a Gerbera flower in a pot. Very pretty.
At some point in our walking that night, I bought a puzzle ring from a street vendor. More on that later...
At some other point in our walking that night, we went to Trader Joes and, on the way, ran into Lisa's future husband, Ed. He said it was way far. We weren't deterred. I bought some nasty snacks for the bus ride into NYC and some candies for Micahs party. Excellent. We made our way to Micah's.
As we were walking to her apartment I had to stop and take a picture of a restaurant which had the name of one of my coworkers. Via Matta, it was called. While I was stopped fiddling with my camera, a homeless bum came up and started harassing us. I ended up giving him a cigarette. Not too bad.
Micah's BBQ was fun. Good food, lots of fun people. I actually mingled a little bit. I surprised myself. Then, I decided to take off my puzzle ring and mess it up. That was a mistake and that was 9 hours of my life that I want back from the street vendor that sold the ring to me. The rest of my night was spent trying to put it back together again and asking other people to help. I went to sleep and the ring was still not put together.
Boston-New York City: Tuesday the 20th
New York City: Wednesday the 21st
New York City: Thursday the 22nd
New York City: Friday the 23rd
New York City: Saturday the 24th
New York City-Boston: Sunday the 25th
Boston-Detroit-San Francisco: Monday the 26th
5.24.2003
One Hundred Seventh Entry
As I sit here in EasyInternet writing my blog, I can hear the taxis outside honking away at unsuspecting pedestrians.
I am in New York. Today turned into a do your own thing day.
This is our (Jen's and mines) last day in NYC. I am coming home with a ton of souvenirs.
The trip has been a success! I have yet to go up the Empire State Building because everytime I have tried, it is shrouded in fog.
Recap:
I was on TV
I saw Al Roker, Katie Couric and Matt Lauer
I saw Rupert from the Letterman show
I had several bad experiences in Chinatown, and one really good one
I ate BBQ in Harlem
I saw Antonio Banderas
I sang Karaoke on my birthday
I walked through Central Park
I almost got a ticket for Conan
I was on TV
I ate at the Seinfeld restaurant
I saw the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
I cruised Times Square at night
I saw RENT
I visited the Guggenheim
I visited the Met
and I was on TV.
The only thing left to do is go up the Empire State Building.
It has been really fun, and I must thank Jen for making it as fun as it has been!
More later...times running out.
As I sit here in EasyInternet writing my blog, I can hear the taxis outside honking away at unsuspecting pedestrians.
I am in New York. Today turned into a do your own thing day.
This is our (Jen's and mines) last day in NYC. I am coming home with a ton of souvenirs.
The trip has been a success! I have yet to go up the Empire State Building because everytime I have tried, it is shrouded in fog.
Recap:
I was on TV
I saw Al Roker, Katie Couric and Matt Lauer
I saw Rupert from the Letterman show
I had several bad experiences in Chinatown, and one really good one
I ate BBQ in Harlem
I saw Antonio Banderas
I sang Karaoke on my birthday
I walked through Central Park
I almost got a ticket for Conan
I was on TV
I ate at the Seinfeld restaurant
I saw the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
I cruised Times Square at night
I saw RENT
I visited the Guggenheim
I visited the Met
and I was on TV.
The only thing left to do is go up the Empire State Building.
It has been really fun, and I must thank Jen for making it as fun as it has been!
More later...times running out.
5.04.2003
One Hundred Sixth Entry
I am super pissed.
The two hour season finale for Alias was really good. The fight scene at the end was reeeaaaalllllllllly good!! But, I absolutely did not like how it ended!!
They are in the future. Only 2 years in the future, but in the future. Vaughn has moved on from Sidney, thinking she was dead, and got married to someone else.
How could Sidney be asleep for two years??
Answer: The Rimbaldi machine is a time machine. At some point early in the next season, Sidney will eventually return from 2005 to 2003...hopefully.
That is the only out I can think of. Last seasons finale was of the classic variety. A "Who Shot JR"-esque finale. But this one is unparalleled. It is absurd that Sidney wake up in Hong Kong after 2 years with some scar on her belly. It is just too weird.
Another thing. Why did Sidney pass out after the battle with Francine? She shot Fran twice, but neither of them were lethal shots. In the shoulder and the side. During their struggle, Fran must have taken the poison she had in her ring and stabbed it into Sid. And $20 says that Francine did not die. After Sid passed out, she called for backup and they took Sid. They got what they needed (hence the scar on her belly) and threw her into the Rimbaldi time machine 2 years into the future. It is the perfect cover up for the crime!! If the victim is in the future, how can anyone find out??
Very interesting....much to think about this summer. It's gonna drive me nuts!!!
So yeah, I am pissed with how they ended the season. I have a nagging feeling that this upcoming season will be one of many character eliminations, now that Will is dead (in particular, Sark, and Dixon; with two years time elapse to play with (assuming they don't come back to '03) these two, being minor characters and having a lot of baggage, can have a lot happen to them).
We shall see.
I am super pissed.
The two hour season finale for Alias was really good. The fight scene at the end was reeeaaaalllllllllly good!! But, I absolutely did not like how it ended!!
They are in the future. Only 2 years in the future, but in the future. Vaughn has moved on from Sidney, thinking she was dead, and got married to someone else.
How could Sidney be asleep for two years??
Answer: The Rimbaldi machine is a time machine. At some point early in the next season, Sidney will eventually return from 2005 to 2003...hopefully.
That is the only out I can think of. Last seasons finale was of the classic variety. A "Who Shot JR"-esque finale. But this one is unparalleled. It is absurd that Sidney wake up in Hong Kong after 2 years with some scar on her belly. It is just too weird.
Another thing. Why did Sidney pass out after the battle with Francine? She shot Fran twice, but neither of them were lethal shots. In the shoulder and the side. During their struggle, Fran must have taken the poison she had in her ring and stabbed it into Sid. And $20 says that Francine did not die. After Sid passed out, she called for backup and they took Sid. They got what they needed (hence the scar on her belly) and threw her into the Rimbaldi time machine 2 years into the future. It is the perfect cover up for the crime!! If the victim is in the future, how can anyone find out??
Very interesting....much to think about this summer. It's gonna drive me nuts!!!
So yeah, I am pissed with how they ended the season. I have a nagging feeling that this upcoming season will be one of many character eliminations, now that Will is dead (in particular, Sark, and Dixon; with two years time elapse to play with (assuming they don't come back to '03) these two, being minor characters and having a lot of baggage, can have a lot happen to them).
We shall see.
5.01.2003
One Hundred Fifth Entry
I suck.
I didn't walk today.
That leaves two hours to do sometime this weekend.
Guess what, it is supposed to rain all day tomorrow and Saturday. So much for my fuckin plan.
I should just surrender now.
There is no way I am going walking in the rain.
Even more bad news...next week the temperature is going to be in the high 70s and low 80s all week. And that means that it is just going to get hotter from here on out.
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.
I suck.
I didn't walk today.
That leaves two hours to do sometime this weekend.
Guess what, it is supposed to rain all day tomorrow and Saturday. So much for my fuckin plan.
I should just surrender now.
There is no way I am going walking in the rain.
Even more bad news...next week the temperature is going to be in the high 70s and low 80s all week. And that means that it is just going to get hotter from here on out.
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.
4.30.2003
One Hundred Fourth Entry
Today was a good day. Yesterday was a good day. Monday was OK.
Monday my legs were super sore from the marathon I walked on Sunday. I could hardly walk at work. Yes, I know, I shouldn't have waited 'til the last minute. Work dragged because my legs hurt. After work I had a test in Spanish and after that, I took my Portuguese test a day early so I could miss class yesterday.
Tuesday my legs were not feeling any better when I woke up. Once they got warmed up though, they felt better. Work also dragged again. After work, I attended a public meeting in Visalia. I was the Official Portuguese Language Liason. I wasn't needed. There wasn't a single non-English speaking person there.
The meeting was totally interesting. The consultant had set up four tables all with parcel maps (maps showing each property on the street). One table was Engineering, one was Traffic/Safety, one was Environmental, and one was Right of Way. My job was to interpret for Portuguese people, but that wasn't necessary. Instead, I helped people find their houses on the maps and try to answer questions.
It was interesting to see peoples reactions when they realized that this road widening project was going to tear through their home. I think only 4 or 5 houses are going to be torn down for the road. It makes complete sense to me. If it was my house, I would understand. The County would pay me a fair market value for my house, and I would move. But some of these people at the meeting have been living there for their entire lives.
We were expecting a bloodbath from the residents, but that did not materialize. They were understanding. I asked one lady if she needed help with anything. She turned to me and said that she didn't need any help, but that she was extremely dissatisfied with all the property she was losing. She then looked at my nametag and noticed "Engineer I". I saw that, and said that I was pretty new at all this. She smiled and said gently, "Don't you let all this talk discourage you. We know that this project is needed. But its our job as residents to complain, just as it is your job as Engineers to make these projects happen. Its just the way it is." I thought that was a great way of looking at it. Of course, she wasn't losing her house. The road missed her by several yards. Lucky.
Today my legs felt a lot better and the soreness was reduced to my shins and ankles. Can you die from shin splints?? Anyway, work had an air of excitement about it because tomorrow is Birthday Treats day.
Background: Every first Thursday of the month one of the divisions in our agency sets up a buffetesque deal in the Breakroom to celebrate all the birthdays that are happening in the month ahead. Its a different division each month.
Tomorrow is Designs turn. We were all kind of excited. I am bringing, ahem..., fruit salad, 15 loaves of sweetbread, deviled ham sandwiches and Sunny Delight. I should probably now say that some people participate more than others. We will also have deviled eggs, hot dogs and honey sesame buns (which I am excited about because Gloria made them...yummmmmm). Its gonna be good.
Since it is Mayday (May 1st), we decided to go with a Mayday theme. We made a Maypole and everything. Its pretty cool.
I ditched class tonight. I decided that I did not want to starve, so I came home and made a Mac n Cheese Casserole thingy. Not the box crap, the real stuff. I liked it. I made way too much though. Oh well, leftovers for a week.
American Idol pissed me off tonight. I thought for sure Josh would be in the bottom 2. Damn it!! I kinda liked Trenyce. I hope Josh goes soon. He sucks ass. And is it just me, or are Clay and Kim hookin' up? It sure looks like it. I totally want to see "From Justin to Kelly".
I am going to watch the Lizzie McGuire Movie this weekend with my 11 year old cousin Dalila. The reviews for the movie say it sucks, but I'll go anyway.
Starting tomorrow (Thursday) I will walk 30 minutes each day. If I feel like it, I could walk more. I was thinking that 40 minutes each day would take only three days to complete the requirement, as opposed to the 4 days needed for 30 minute walks. Excellent thinking Phil. Thank you Phil.
Wish us luck tomorrow for Birthday Treats!!!
Today was a good day. Yesterday was a good day. Monday was OK.
Monday my legs were super sore from the marathon I walked on Sunday. I could hardly walk at work. Yes, I know, I shouldn't have waited 'til the last minute. Work dragged because my legs hurt. After work I had a test in Spanish and after that, I took my Portuguese test a day early so I could miss class yesterday.
Tuesday my legs were not feeling any better when I woke up. Once they got warmed up though, they felt better. Work also dragged again. After work, I attended a public meeting in Visalia. I was the Official Portuguese Language Liason. I wasn't needed. There wasn't a single non-English speaking person there.
The meeting was totally interesting. The consultant had set up four tables all with parcel maps (maps showing each property on the street). One table was Engineering, one was Traffic/Safety, one was Environmental, and one was Right of Way. My job was to interpret for Portuguese people, but that wasn't necessary. Instead, I helped people find their houses on the maps and try to answer questions.
It was interesting to see peoples reactions when they realized that this road widening project was going to tear through their home. I think only 4 or 5 houses are going to be torn down for the road. It makes complete sense to me. If it was my house, I would understand. The County would pay me a fair market value for my house, and I would move. But some of these people at the meeting have been living there for their entire lives.
We were expecting a bloodbath from the residents, but that did not materialize. They were understanding. I asked one lady if she needed help with anything. She turned to me and said that she didn't need any help, but that she was extremely dissatisfied with all the property she was losing. She then looked at my nametag and noticed "Engineer I". I saw that, and said that I was pretty new at all this. She smiled and said gently, "Don't you let all this talk discourage you. We know that this project is needed. But its our job as residents to complain, just as it is your job as Engineers to make these projects happen. Its just the way it is." I thought that was a great way of looking at it. Of course, she wasn't losing her house. The road missed her by several yards. Lucky.
Today my legs felt a lot better and the soreness was reduced to my shins and ankles. Can you die from shin splints?? Anyway, work had an air of excitement about it because tomorrow is Birthday Treats day.
Background: Every first Thursday of the month one of the divisions in our agency sets up a buffetesque deal in the Breakroom to celebrate all the birthdays that are happening in the month ahead. Its a different division each month.
Tomorrow is Designs turn. We were all kind of excited. I am bringing, ahem..., fruit salad, 15 loaves of sweetbread, deviled ham sandwiches and Sunny Delight. I should probably now say that some people participate more than others. We will also have deviled eggs, hot dogs and honey sesame buns (which I am excited about because Gloria made them...yummmmmm). Its gonna be good.
Since it is Mayday (May 1st), we decided to go with a Mayday theme. We made a Maypole and everything. Its pretty cool.
I ditched class tonight. I decided that I did not want to starve, so I came home and made a Mac n Cheese Casserole thingy. Not the box crap, the real stuff. I liked it. I made way too much though. Oh well, leftovers for a week.
American Idol pissed me off tonight. I thought for sure Josh would be in the bottom 2. Damn it!! I kinda liked Trenyce. I hope Josh goes soon. He sucks ass. And is it just me, or are Clay and Kim hookin' up? It sure looks like it. I totally want to see "From Justin to Kelly".
I am going to watch the Lizzie McGuire Movie this weekend with my 11 year old cousin Dalila. The reviews for the movie say it sucks, but I'll go anyway.
Starting tomorrow (Thursday) I will walk 30 minutes each day. If I feel like it, I could walk more. I was thinking that 40 minutes each day would take only three days to complete the requirement, as opposed to the 4 days needed for 30 minute walks. Excellent thinking Phil. Thank you Phil.
Wish us luck tomorrow for Birthday Treats!!!
4.27.2003
One Hundred Third Entry
Well...
I should really be writing this in a separate journal, but I am currently almost too tired to type, so setting up a new blog would probably kill me.
My hell that is Cardio Bet got under way today.
In what turned out to be a very tiring and stressful week at work and school, I had to, at some point in time, fit in two hours of cardio exercise.
I was tired all week and on top of that, I woke up Friday to a mild sore throat, which almost always means an illness to follow. I was not able to complete my requirement during the week.
I was fine(apart from mini sore throat) Saturday and babysat the kids. They are a lot of fun. But they tired me out. I slept all day after they left and woke up at 6p to go back to Paulas for dinner and a game. Again, not able to complete requirement.
I woke up this morning feeling OK. I couldn't find my wallet. I needed to go do laundry, which requires driving to the laundromat, which requires a license, which was in my wallet. I called Paula and she didn't have it, and said she would call if she found it. I searched and searched all over my house and truck. Nothing. I called Paula at about 1:30 pm and she found it in the cushions of the sofa. Excellent.
I got my wallet and took off for the laundromat. I threw all my wash in and went walking. I walked for 15 minutes one way and turned around and walked the(presumably) 15 minutes back. I did this when the clothes were drying too. I completed first hour of Cardio.
What I did wrong.
I wore sandals to the laundromat. And not the cushy kind that you could run a marathon in, the heavy hard leather ones...kinda like birks. I have blisters on the top of my foot where the strap was rubbing. OUCH!
Once I got home, clothes washed and 1 hour of Cardio done, I watched a little TV. That was a mistake. I did not want to get up. I sat there for like 2 hours. My leg muscles had completely filled with lactose or whatever and I was pretty sore.
I made myself get up and walked to my grandmas house, half an hour away. I wore proper shoes this time. I felt better. I got to my grandmas house, ate dinner and left. My grandpa wanted to give me a ride home, but I had to explain the bet to them and when I told them of the part about Union Square, they busted up laughing.
I started my walk home. I was about a third of the way there when I felt a bowel movement coming on...OH NO!!! Luckily, there was a mini-mart on the way. I stopped and used their bathroom. Just as soon as I sat down and started to go, I noticed there was no TOILET PAPER!!! Shit, shit, shit, shit. No pun intended. There were papertowels, which I ended up using to, ahem, wipe. I pooed for days. I hadn't pooed all day, so.... Anyway. I got up from the toilet and, well, the papertowel was a lot thicker than regular toilet paper...so...I kinda clogged the toilet. I looked around for a plunger, but nothing! I quietly gave it another flush to see if it would budge, but no. I then swiftly shut the toilet door, weaved through the store aisles and was out the door before you could say 'clog'.
As soon as I got home, and sure that the police would be knocking on my door for the toilet incident, I layed down quietly on my sofa and watched a little TV. It was then that I noticed another thing.
I remember a while back Jen telling me that exercising can compromise your immune system. So guess what happened to that sore throat that I had Friday and Saturday? Well, its turned into something and I feel like shit all over. Fuck me.
You try to do something good in your life and what happens? You get sick and clog toilets.
Silver Lining: Alias was really good tonight, and I can't wait for next weeks finale!!!!!
Well...
I should really be writing this in a separate journal, but I am currently almost too tired to type, so setting up a new blog would probably kill me.
My hell that is Cardio Bet got under way today.
In what turned out to be a very tiring and stressful week at work and school, I had to, at some point in time, fit in two hours of cardio exercise.
I was tired all week and on top of that, I woke up Friday to a mild sore throat, which almost always means an illness to follow. I was not able to complete my requirement during the week.
I was fine(apart from mini sore throat) Saturday and babysat the kids. They are a lot of fun. But they tired me out. I slept all day after they left and woke up at 6p to go back to Paulas for dinner and a game. Again, not able to complete requirement.
I woke up this morning feeling OK. I couldn't find my wallet. I needed to go do laundry, which requires driving to the laundromat, which requires a license, which was in my wallet. I called Paula and she didn't have it, and said she would call if she found it. I searched and searched all over my house and truck. Nothing. I called Paula at about 1:30 pm and she found it in the cushions of the sofa. Excellent.
I got my wallet and took off for the laundromat. I threw all my wash in and went walking. I walked for 15 minutes one way and turned around and walked the(presumably) 15 minutes back. I did this when the clothes were drying too. I completed first hour of Cardio.
What I did wrong.
I wore sandals to the laundromat. And not the cushy kind that you could run a marathon in, the heavy hard leather ones...kinda like birks. I have blisters on the top of my foot where the strap was rubbing. OUCH!
Once I got home, clothes washed and 1 hour of Cardio done, I watched a little TV. That was a mistake. I did not want to get up. I sat there for like 2 hours. My leg muscles had completely filled with lactose or whatever and I was pretty sore.
I made myself get up and walked to my grandmas house, half an hour away. I wore proper shoes this time. I felt better. I got to my grandmas house, ate dinner and left. My grandpa wanted to give me a ride home, but I had to explain the bet to them and when I told them of the part about Union Square, they busted up laughing.
I started my walk home. I was about a third of the way there when I felt a bowel movement coming on...OH NO!!! Luckily, there was a mini-mart on the way. I stopped and used their bathroom. Just as soon as I sat down and started to go, I noticed there was no TOILET PAPER!!! Shit, shit, shit, shit. No pun intended. There were papertowels, which I ended up using to, ahem, wipe. I pooed for days. I hadn't pooed all day, so.... Anyway. I got up from the toilet and, well, the papertowel was a lot thicker than regular toilet paper...so...I kinda clogged the toilet. I looked around for a plunger, but nothing! I quietly gave it another flush to see if it would budge, but no. I then swiftly shut the toilet door, weaved through the store aisles and was out the door before you could say 'clog'.
As soon as I got home, and sure that the police would be knocking on my door for the toilet incident, I layed down quietly on my sofa and watched a little TV. It was then that I noticed another thing.
I remember a while back Jen telling me that exercising can compromise your immune system. So guess what happened to that sore throat that I had Friday and Saturday? Well, its turned into something and I feel like shit all over. Fuck me.
You try to do something good in your life and what happens? You get sick and clog toilets.
Silver Lining: Alias was really good tonight, and I can't wait for next weeks finale!!!!!
4.26.2003
One Hundred Second Entry
It's been a while.
I have yet to complete my Cardio Bet requirement for the week. I think that I will fail. No time and no energy. I am completely drained after this week...the week from HELL!! Just Kidding. I was just tired all week.
Since the workout week is from Monday to Sunday, I still have this weekend to try and dig myself out of this little hole I've dug myself into. Arrrgh. I already hate this bet. It is so impossible!
Maybe I could do my walking while my clothes are at the laundromat. It takes about half an hour to wash and another half hour to dry. I could walk for 1 whole hour while my clothes are washing and drying. Very good thinking Phil...thanks Phil.
I am going to babysit my little cousins tomorrow while Paula is at work. It should be lots of fun. I get to watch Dalila play softball. After that, we come back to my house and watch TV all day. Paula gets off work at 1:30, so hopefully the kids won't be completely bored tomorrow. I don't know how I am going to keep them off my stairs though...I'll have to think about it.
Lisa's visit was a very welcome respit from my dreary weekend routine of doing nothing. I really enjoyed her company; it was good to see a fresh face. Thanks Lisa for coming down!!!!
Everything is officially in stone for the Boston trip. No thanks to me of course, it was all Jens doing. Thanks to her forward planning and excellent credit card wealth, everything is secure. She will be handsomely rewarded...lets just say the reward is ummm...yummy.
Jen wants to take the Fung Wah Bus into NY. At first I thought it was kind of shady. It only costs $20 round trip and it will all be Chinese people. This bus drives from Boston to NY in about 5 hours. But it drives to Chinatown in NY which is many miles away from our hotel in lower lower Manhattan. But, this afternoon, I spoke with Micah and she told me that she has taken the bus before and it is "crazy", in a good way. Even though she liked it, she said that since Chinatown is so far away from the hotel, we would not like lugging our luggage for like 5 miles on the Subway. I almost agree with her, but we would only have to do it twice on the whole trip, once to our hotel, and once to go back to Boston. Micah says that the Greyhound bus is the one she takes now because it drops you off in the middle of everything, Times Square, and is not much more expensive than the "China Bus", as she calls it. She also maintains that we should be able to just walk up to the ticket counter the day we need the ticket and buy it, like in the movies...hmmm...I don't know if I buy that.
Anywho, more excited about Boston, less excited about the Cardio Bet and somewhat apprehensive about babysitting tomorrow.
If I am alive tomorrow night, I will let you know how it went.
It's been a while.
I have yet to complete my Cardio Bet requirement for the week. I think that I will fail. No time and no energy. I am completely drained after this week...the week from HELL!! Just Kidding. I was just tired all week.
Since the workout week is from Monday to Sunday, I still have this weekend to try and dig myself out of this little hole I've dug myself into. Arrrgh. I already hate this bet. It is so impossible!
Maybe I could do my walking while my clothes are at the laundromat. It takes about half an hour to wash and another half hour to dry. I could walk for 1 whole hour while my clothes are washing and drying. Very good thinking Phil...thanks Phil.
I am going to babysit my little cousins tomorrow while Paula is at work. It should be lots of fun. I get to watch Dalila play softball. After that, we come back to my house and watch TV all day. Paula gets off work at 1:30, so hopefully the kids won't be completely bored tomorrow. I don't know how I am going to keep them off my stairs though...I'll have to think about it.
Lisa's visit was a very welcome respit from my dreary weekend routine of doing nothing. I really enjoyed her company; it was good to see a fresh face. Thanks Lisa for coming down!!!!
Everything is officially in stone for the Boston trip. No thanks to me of course, it was all Jens doing. Thanks to her forward planning and excellent credit card wealth, everything is secure. She will be handsomely rewarded...lets just say the reward is ummm...yummy.
Jen wants to take the Fung Wah Bus into NY. At first I thought it was kind of shady. It only costs $20 round trip and it will all be Chinese people. This bus drives from Boston to NY in about 5 hours. But it drives to Chinatown in NY which is many miles away from our hotel in lower lower Manhattan. But, this afternoon, I spoke with Micah and she told me that she has taken the bus before and it is "crazy", in a good way. Even though she liked it, she said that since Chinatown is so far away from the hotel, we would not like lugging our luggage for like 5 miles on the Subway. I almost agree with her, but we would only have to do it twice on the whole trip, once to our hotel, and once to go back to Boston. Micah says that the Greyhound bus is the one she takes now because it drops you off in the middle of everything, Times Square, and is not much more expensive than the "China Bus", as she calls it. She also maintains that we should be able to just walk up to the ticket counter the day we need the ticket and buy it, like in the movies...hmmm...I don't know if I buy that.
Anywho, more excited about Boston, less excited about the Cardio Bet and somewhat apprehensive about babysitting tomorrow.
If I am alive tomorrow night, I will let you know how it went.
4.15.2003
One Hundred First Entry
This is gonna get tricky in the 100's.
I am really excited about the Cardio Bet. I am also very excited about Boston in May.
I was excited about Canada in July, but noone in my family wants to go. So I put it out to the public. Does anyone want to fly to Toronto for my cousins wedding the weekend of July 4th? Ooooh, Toronto!! The largest city in Canada(I think). Fun, fun, fun!! Niagara Falls!! The CN Tower! I think I can take a guest to the wedding...interesting...I will have to check it out. But yeah if anyones interested.
I am excited that Lisa is going to be here on Thursday! I get to pick her up at the luxurious Hanford Train Depot and whisk her away to the fabulous Toste manor. There we will dine solely poultry cuisine and partake of the various activities in surrounding beautiful Tularia.
I have to get some sleep, the SARS is affecting my brain.
This is gonna get tricky in the 100's.
I am really excited about the Cardio Bet. I am also very excited about Boston in May.
I was excited about Canada in July, but noone in my family wants to go. So I put it out to the public. Does anyone want to fly to Toronto for my cousins wedding the weekend of July 4th? Ooooh, Toronto!! The largest city in Canada(I think). Fun, fun, fun!! Niagara Falls!! The CN Tower! I think I can take a guest to the wedding...interesting...I will have to check it out. But yeah if anyones interested.
I am excited that Lisa is going to be here on Thursday! I get to pick her up at the luxurious Hanford Train Depot and whisk her away to the fabulous Toste manor. There we will dine solely poultry cuisine and partake of the various activities in surrounding beautiful Tularia.
I have to get some sleep, the SARS is affecting my brain.
One Hundredth Entry
I never thought I would get this far! Wow!!! It has been a turbulent and trying 100 blogs. I'll spare the flashbacks, you can read them if you want to.
I watched "Not Another Teen Movie" last night. It was hilarious!!! Very "artfully" done.
I watched "Minority Report" today because I left work early due to my SARS. Very good movie!! I really enjoyed it all the way from the beginning to the end. Great 'Film Noir'(I learned that watching the Special Features DVD that came with it).
I am really getting excited about the whole Cardio Bet thing with Jen and Amy. Much exercise will be had by ALL!! I need something like this to get me motivated to workout. Lord knows I need it. Not to mention all the TV I will fall out of the habit of watching!!
I watch too much TV. My most recent obsession has been BBC America again. But Michael Richards was on Graham Norton last night! How could I not watch?
I have started a good habit recently. I read now at least 20 pages of a book before I go to sleep every night. It helps me fall asleep faster. I am not reading novels, just collections of short stories. It is easier to go to sleep when the issue in the story has been resolved. Thank you Isaac Asimov.
That is all.
I never thought I would get this far! Wow!!! It has been a turbulent and trying 100 blogs. I'll spare the flashbacks, you can read them if you want to.
I watched "Not Another Teen Movie" last night. It was hilarious!!! Very "artfully" done.
I watched "Minority Report" today because I left work early due to my SARS. Very good movie!! I really enjoyed it all the way from the beginning to the end. Great 'Film Noir'(I learned that watching the Special Features DVD that came with it).
I am really getting excited about the whole Cardio Bet thing with Jen and Amy. Much exercise will be had by ALL!! I need something like this to get me motivated to workout. Lord knows I need it. Not to mention all the TV I will fall out of the habit of watching!!
I watch too much TV. My most recent obsession has been BBC America again. But Michael Richards was on Graham Norton last night! How could I not watch?
I have started a good habit recently. I read now at least 20 pages of a book before I go to sleep every night. It helps me fall asleep faster. I am not reading novels, just collections of short stories. It is easier to go to sleep when the issue in the story has been resolved. Thank you Isaac Asimov.
That is all.
4.14.2003
Ninety-Ninth Entry
I only worked half a day today. I have SARS. I got the SARS from one of my coworkers, probably on Friday when we were driving around forever. It was fun though. I had never gone out in the field with Bill. He is a fun guy to work with. So yeah, he has been sick for like 2 weeks and decided it would be fun to pass it on to me. Oh well. After our drive we stopped at Perkos and ate. Being a good Catholic, I ate pancakes and eggs...no meat.
After work on Friday, I went home and packed for my trip up to the Bay. I was packed quickly and took off. I made good time...approx. 3.25 hours. I stopped at the SLUSD District Office to pay a visit to old coworkers. I stopped and visited my dad at Madison, then I went home. I did nothing, absolutely nothing on Friday. I hung out at home. It was fun. Fred showed me all sorts of stuff he has been doing on his computer. It was cool. If you all ever get the chance, check out this website, Homestar Runner. It is stupid funny. It is full of flash cartoons. Just surf around a little and check it out.
On Saturday, I woke up at the butt crack of 8. I took my truck in at 10 to be serviced and came back just in time to help my mom with the BBQ she was having at 4. The BBQ was in honor of my brothers birthday which was 3 weeks ago. Better late than never. It was a fun BBQ and a great excuse to have all my friends get together. It was nice to see Louis and Jen together. They are happy. Everyone was looking at Jen's ring. I could tell she was a little embarrassed by everyone wanting to see her ring. Louis was all showy with his. Typical Louis, of course. Kameelah(spelling?) was there and it was good to see her. She is doing very well. My parents were very impressed with her. My mom called me today and said that she and my aunt were talking about Kameelah and how sophistocated she is. I was like, yeah, she is. A very nice person.
After the BBQ, we went to Karaoke. It was really fun. There was a newcomer, Larry. He is one of Dayni's friends from Davis. After Karaoke, we went to IHOP. It was OK. Mylinh, of course, didn't eat anything. I worry about her sometimes....After IHOP, Dayni went with Larry to Mountain View to spend the night...hmmm.... Add on top of that the fact that I didn't see Dario this weekend and, well, you can draw your own conclusions. Just Kidding!!
Sunday I woke at 10. I went downstairs and sat outside and chatted with my parents for like 2 hours. It was cool. My brothers are completely lazy. They slept all morning. Ah, to be young again...
I went out to Pearl Tea with Jen and Lisa in Newark. It was good as usual.
I left my house at about 5:45 and made it back to my apartment at about 8:40. I made really good time! That was the first time under 3 hours in quite a while. It does help that I do live near a freeway on both ends of the trip.
And then I woke up this morning to congestion and SARS. If I die from this SARS, I blame all the Asians I encountered in Newark on Sunday. Just Kidding. I'm sure its just what Bill had last week.
So thats my recap. How is everyone else doing?
I only worked half a day today. I have SARS. I got the SARS from one of my coworkers, probably on Friday when we were driving around forever. It was fun though. I had never gone out in the field with Bill. He is a fun guy to work with. So yeah, he has been sick for like 2 weeks and decided it would be fun to pass it on to me. Oh well. After our drive we stopped at Perkos and ate. Being a good Catholic, I ate pancakes and eggs...no meat.
After work on Friday, I went home and packed for my trip up to the Bay. I was packed quickly and took off. I made good time...approx. 3.25 hours. I stopped at the SLUSD District Office to pay a visit to old coworkers. I stopped and visited my dad at Madison, then I went home. I did nothing, absolutely nothing on Friday. I hung out at home. It was fun. Fred showed me all sorts of stuff he has been doing on his computer. It was cool. If you all ever get the chance, check out this website, Homestar Runner. It is stupid funny. It is full of flash cartoons. Just surf around a little and check it out.
On Saturday, I woke up at the butt crack of 8. I took my truck in at 10 to be serviced and came back just in time to help my mom with the BBQ she was having at 4. The BBQ was in honor of my brothers birthday which was 3 weeks ago. Better late than never. It was a fun BBQ and a great excuse to have all my friends get together. It was nice to see Louis and Jen together. They are happy. Everyone was looking at Jen's ring. I could tell she was a little embarrassed by everyone wanting to see her ring. Louis was all showy with his. Typical Louis, of course. Kameelah(spelling?) was there and it was good to see her. She is doing very well. My parents were very impressed with her. My mom called me today and said that she and my aunt were talking about Kameelah and how sophistocated she is. I was like, yeah, she is. A very nice person.
After the BBQ, we went to Karaoke. It was really fun. There was a newcomer, Larry. He is one of Dayni's friends from Davis. After Karaoke, we went to IHOP. It was OK. Mylinh, of course, didn't eat anything. I worry about her sometimes....After IHOP, Dayni went with Larry to Mountain View to spend the night...hmmm.... Add on top of that the fact that I didn't see Dario this weekend and, well, you can draw your own conclusions. Just Kidding!!
Sunday I woke at 10. I went downstairs and sat outside and chatted with my parents for like 2 hours. It was cool. My brothers are completely lazy. They slept all morning. Ah, to be young again...
I went out to Pearl Tea with Jen and Lisa in Newark. It was good as usual.
I left my house at about 5:45 and made it back to my apartment at about 8:40. I made really good time! That was the first time under 3 hours in quite a while. It does help that I do live near a freeway on both ends of the trip.
And then I woke up this morning to congestion and SARS. If I die from this SARS, I blame all the Asians I encountered in Newark on Sunday. Just Kidding. I'm sure its just what Bill had last week.
So thats my recap. How is everyone else doing?
4.12.2003
4.09.2003
4.08.2003
Ninety-Sixth Entry
Work was interesting today. I was somewhat busy today. One of the recent promotees is starting to get on my nerves. It's nothing too bad, just incessant. He was an instant ally because we both went to Cal Poly, and most everyone else went to Fresno State. I think a Mustang could stomp all over a bulldog any day.
Anyway, he is constantly commenting on my cigarette breaks. "I could smell your trail." Oh please, 50% of the people that work for the county smoke. That's what we get for living in an impoverished, undereducated county.
So I have bad news. Fenix, my brothers kitty, has apparantly met her maker at the hands of the neighbors dogs. She got out of the house and hopped the fence and met 2 big dogs. The last thing my brother heard was the dogs barking and a loud squeal by the kitty. He is pretty upset about it all. Oh well. That cat was all screwed up in the head. She was nuts. And who's fault was that, FRED??
I am tired. I have an exam tomorrow night in Psych. I haven't studied. This could be the end of my A's streak. Who cares!! Next week is Spring Break!! Wooo hoooo!!...I have to read 4 chapters by tomorrow night at 7pm. Each chapter is 30+ pages. Oy...
I have been in contact with Jen and she says that I could join in on the "bet". What bet? I asked her to clarify it.
I discovered the joy of internet radio at work last week. So many channels to choose from. I found this great British radio station from London that plays a lot of Brit pop and rock that you don't hear here. Supposedly, the powers that be downstairs don't care about internet radio use, just improper net surfing. Sounds lame.
I am thinking of skipping work for a few hours and going to the flea market on Thursday morning. I heard it is all that and a bag of frijoles, if you know what I mean. DVD's for $10. Sweeeet.
Anyone want to go to Canada in July? I am going to my cousins wedding on the 6th of July. Fortunately for me, the 4th of July is on the Friday prior and means one less vacation day. Double sweeeet. So yeah, the wedding is in Toronto. My parents are thinking of going too which means free everything, except for plane tix. I am planning on leaving July 3rd and returning either the 8th or 9th.
Wow, I am really on the move here! Two vacations in one year?? Wow.
And I still think I will have enough vacation come next February to go to Mardi Gras in Brasil. Triple sweeeet.
Well, I am off to study. Wish me luck.
Work was interesting today. I was somewhat busy today. One of the recent promotees is starting to get on my nerves. It's nothing too bad, just incessant. He was an instant ally because we both went to Cal Poly, and most everyone else went to Fresno State. I think a Mustang could stomp all over a bulldog any day.
Anyway, he is constantly commenting on my cigarette breaks. "I could smell your trail." Oh please, 50% of the people that work for the county smoke. That's what we get for living in an impoverished, undereducated county.
So I have bad news. Fenix, my brothers kitty, has apparantly met her maker at the hands of the neighbors dogs. She got out of the house and hopped the fence and met 2 big dogs. The last thing my brother heard was the dogs barking and a loud squeal by the kitty. He is pretty upset about it all. Oh well. That cat was all screwed up in the head. She was nuts. And who's fault was that, FRED??
I am tired. I have an exam tomorrow night in Psych. I haven't studied. This could be the end of my A's streak. Who cares!! Next week is Spring Break!! Wooo hoooo!!...I have to read 4 chapters by tomorrow night at 7pm. Each chapter is 30+ pages. Oy...
I have been in contact with Jen and she says that I could join in on the "bet". What bet? I asked her to clarify it.
I discovered the joy of internet radio at work last week. So many channels to choose from. I found this great British radio station from London that plays a lot of Brit pop and rock that you don't hear here. Supposedly, the powers that be downstairs don't care about internet radio use, just improper net surfing. Sounds lame.
I am thinking of skipping work for a few hours and going to the flea market on Thursday morning. I heard it is all that and a bag of frijoles, if you know what I mean. DVD's for $10. Sweeeet.
Anyone want to go to Canada in July? I am going to my cousins wedding on the 6th of July. Fortunately for me, the 4th of July is on the Friday prior and means one less vacation day. Double sweeeet. So yeah, the wedding is in Toronto. My parents are thinking of going too which means free everything, except for plane tix. I am planning on leaving July 3rd and returning either the 8th or 9th.
Wow, I am really on the move here! Two vacations in one year?? Wow.
And I still think I will have enough vacation come next February to go to Mardi Gras in Brasil. Triple sweeeet.
Well, I am off to study. Wish me luck.
4.07.2003
Ninety-Fifth Entry
Work today was somewhat of a bear. I was soooo tired all day. I hate Daylight Savings or whatever it is.
I am feeling motivated by Jen's new website and blogs. I want to set a regimen for myself which includes working out, eating sensibly, and regaining that positive outlook on life. I think that once I am done with school I can devote more time(like I do any now) to working out and cooking more for myself. As it is now, the work out I get is walking at work, at school and at home. And I eat fast food four or five times a week cuz I am always on my way somewhere and its fast. Any tips Jen?
As per Lisa's request, I watched "Bend It Like Beckham". I DL'ed it off a certain file sharing program and watched it. It is a very funny movie. Thanks for the tips Lisa!!
I am soooooo tired. It's only 9:45!! Time for sleep.
Work today was somewhat of a bear. I was soooo tired all day. I hate Daylight Savings or whatever it is.
I am feeling motivated by Jen's new website and blogs. I want to set a regimen for myself which includes working out, eating sensibly, and regaining that positive outlook on life. I think that once I am done with school I can devote more time(like I do any now) to working out and cooking more for myself. As it is now, the work out I get is walking at work, at school and at home. And I eat fast food four or five times a week cuz I am always on my way somewhere and its fast. Any tips Jen?
As per Lisa's request, I watched "Bend It Like Beckham". I DL'ed it off a certain file sharing program and watched it. It is a very funny movie. Thanks for the tips Lisa!!
I am soooooo tired. It's only 9:45!! Time for sleep.
4.05.2003
Ninety-Fourth Entry
Today I had a thought of how funny it would be if someone referred to Amy Grant's music as foreign or alien. I thought of this while passing the intersection of Mooney and Prosperity (SB, of course) and instantly laughed out loud for at least a minute. Then I remembered that my window was open and thought it best to stop.
That was not the first time I had a hilariously funny thought whilst driving to and fro places and laughed out loud. In fact, it has been happening a lot recently. I had several yesterday. I wonder if it is a sign that I am exiting my "Winter funk". It must be.
Work is really looking up. I am super busy and on Thursday I was told that I get to play contract manager for a Caltrans project. I was really surprised because usually they want someone with a little more expertise in the "contract arts". Supposedly this is a good project to get acquainted with the ways of contract management. I am truly excited. Also, things are moving along very well with my preliminary engineering efforts for the overlays for next year. Things are looking up and a promotion in August to Engineer II is looking a lot more possible than it did a month ago.
I must say that I never thought that being so busy at work and having stuff pile everywhere would be so fulfilling. But after 2+ months of just fuckin around at work with nothing to do, you learn to enjoy hard work.
Something extremely odd happened at work on Thursday. I had to call Mindy(names changed to protect the idiot) at Caltrans. Mindy sounded like the type of woman you would just enjoy having a drink with after work. Very down to earth. Well, the conversation went a little like this...
Me: Hi, I was told by a co-worker that you are the contact at Caltrans for requests for as-builts.
Mindy: Yes, thats me!
Me: Excellent. I just have a few questions for you before I fax the request.
Mindy: Sure.
Me: How much does it cost to request the as-builts?
Mindy: We charge 25 cents a copy, but if there are less than 10, I will just do it for free.
Me: Well, I'm afraid I have quite a few more than 10.
Mindy: Well, if you want, you could send me the paper you want me to print it on.
Me: Excuse me?
Mindy: Yeah, just send me a ream of 11x17 paper and we'll call it even. If its OK with your boss...
Me: (Confused)Ummm...
Mindy: Well, we used to do it for free but I have a Paper Nazi here in the office.
Me: What??
Mindy: Yeah! There's a Paper Nazi that comes around and steals all the extra paper he can find! He is such a fuckin jackass!
Me:
Mindy: He comes around with his little metal push cart and takes all the extra paper! My boss even says that I should use the back side of old paper. I don't want to send that out to the public! They wouldn't know which side is theirs!!
Me: No, no of cour...
Mindy: These fuckin jackasses are so stingy with the paper.
Me: There are two of them?
Mindy: Yeah! They run around the office getting the paper!
Me: Bu...
Mindy: They don't care what we send out to the public!
Me: Hmm...I will have to talk to my boss and see if its alright to send you a whole ream of paper.
Mindy: Alright, let me know.
Me: Ok.
Mindy: Bye.
She had me rollin from the minute she said Paper Nazi and even more rollin when she started cussing. It was hilarious!!
So, I sent her the paper and the request. But I sent it with Khamsing. He is the other Engineer I, and lives in Fresno. He just took off a bit early on Friday to drop it off.
I swear, that call was the funniest thing that has ever happened to me at work.
(Dripping with no sarcasm!)And the fun starts again on Monday!
Today I had a thought of how funny it would be if someone referred to Amy Grant's music as foreign or alien. I thought of this while passing the intersection of Mooney and Prosperity (SB, of course) and instantly laughed out loud for at least a minute. Then I remembered that my window was open and thought it best to stop.
That was not the first time I had a hilariously funny thought whilst driving to and fro places and laughed out loud. In fact, it has been happening a lot recently. I had several yesterday. I wonder if it is a sign that I am exiting my "Winter funk". It must be.
Work is really looking up. I am super busy and on Thursday I was told that I get to play contract manager for a Caltrans project. I was really surprised because usually they want someone with a little more expertise in the "contract arts". Supposedly this is a good project to get acquainted with the ways of contract management. I am truly excited. Also, things are moving along very well with my preliminary engineering efforts for the overlays for next year. Things are looking up and a promotion in August to Engineer II is looking a lot more possible than it did a month ago.
I must say that I never thought that being so busy at work and having stuff pile everywhere would be so fulfilling. But after 2+ months of just fuckin around at work with nothing to do, you learn to enjoy hard work.
Something extremely odd happened at work on Thursday. I had to call Mindy(names changed to protect the idiot) at Caltrans. Mindy sounded like the type of woman you would just enjoy having a drink with after work. Very down to earth. Well, the conversation went a little like this...
Me: Hi, I was told by a co-worker that you are the contact at Caltrans for requests for as-builts.
Mindy: Yes, thats me!
Me: Excellent. I just have a few questions for you before I fax the request.
Mindy: Sure.
Me: How much does it cost to request the as-builts?
Mindy: We charge 25 cents a copy, but if there are less than 10, I will just do it for free.
Me: Well, I'm afraid I have quite a few more than 10.
Mindy: Well, if you want, you could send me the paper you want me to print it on.
Me: Excuse me?
Mindy: Yeah, just send me a ream of 11x17 paper and we'll call it even. If its OK with your boss...
Me: (Confused)Ummm...
Mindy: Well, we used to do it for free but I have a Paper Nazi here in the office.
Me: What??
Mindy: Yeah! There's a Paper Nazi that comes around and steals all the extra paper he can find! He is such a fuckin jackass!
Me:
Mindy: He comes around with his little metal push cart and takes all the extra paper! My boss even says that I should use the back side of old paper. I don't want to send that out to the public! They wouldn't know which side is theirs!!
Me: No, no of cour...
Mindy: These fuckin jackasses are so stingy with the paper.
Me: There are two of them?
Mindy: Yeah! They run around the office getting the paper!
Me: Bu...
Mindy: They don't care what we send out to the public!
Me: Hmm...I will have to talk to my boss and see if its alright to send you a whole ream of paper.
Mindy: Alright, let me know.
Me: Ok.
Mindy: Bye.
She had me rollin from the minute she said Paper Nazi and even more rollin when she started cussing. It was hilarious!!
So, I sent her the paper and the request. But I sent it with Khamsing. He is the other Engineer I, and lives in Fresno. He just took off a bit early on Friday to drop it off.
I swear, that call was the funniest thing that has ever happened to me at work.
(Dripping with no sarcasm!)And the fun starts again on Monday!
4.01.2003
Ninety-Third Entry
(To the Eminem "Without Me" song)
Guess who's back.
Back again.
Phil is back.
Tell a friend.
Guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, na na na.
Yes I am back and better than ever. With a new computer and a loaded arsenal, I can't go wrong.
After a month of no communication with the civilized world, I finally got my internet to work at home. Thank you all for all the lovely messages of encouragement through my troubled time.
Now to get you all caught up...
I got a raise at work, I got a new TV and computer, I have been doing really well in school, I have been to the coast TWICE!, I had two visitors from the Bay Area, I have eaten at many peoples houses, I have probably broken a record for the most consecutive trips to Taco Bell, I cleaned my house, messed it up, cleaned again and messed it up again, I have watched more hours of war coverage than all of you combined(except for maybe Louis), I have tried to quit smoking twice, I survived a white out rain/hail storm, I almost got poison oak, work got infinitely more interesting, and I have prepared my garage for painting(Lisa).
Now that you are all caught up, I have some interesting news to share with you all. I left work today and walked into a dust storm. Its not like the ones you see on TV in Iraq, it was more hazy-ish. It was extremely bizzare. It was about as windy today as it had been all winter.
Tell me something interesting about yourselves.
(To the Eminem "Without Me" song)
Guess who's back.
Back again.
Phil is back.
Tell a friend.
Guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, na na na.
Yes I am back and better than ever. With a new computer and a loaded arsenal, I can't go wrong.
After a month of no communication with the civilized world, I finally got my internet to work at home. Thank you all for all the lovely messages of encouragement through my troubled time.
Now to get you all caught up...
I got a raise at work, I got a new TV and computer, I have been doing really well in school, I have been to the coast TWICE!, I had two visitors from the Bay Area, I have eaten at many peoples houses, I have probably broken a record for the most consecutive trips to Taco Bell, I cleaned my house, messed it up, cleaned again and messed it up again, I have watched more hours of war coverage than all of you combined(except for maybe Louis), I have tried to quit smoking twice, I survived a white out rain/hail storm, I almost got poison oak, work got infinitely more interesting, and I have prepared my garage for painting(Lisa).
Now that you are all caught up, I have some interesting news to share with you all. I left work today and walked into a dust storm. Its not like the ones you see on TV in Iraq, it was more hazy-ish. It was extremely bizzare. It was about as windy today as it had been all winter.
Tell me something interesting about yourselves.
2.24.2003
Ninety-Second Entry
I thought of something funny that I could have added to the end bit of my last entry about the Mardi Gras. I could have just modified that last entry, but then this would not have come through as an afterthought.
Jeff Murdoch(Coupling): "It's brilliant! Naked women and breasts! Breasts! Breasts, breasts, breasts!"
Thank you.
I thought of something funny that I could have added to the end bit of my last entry about the Mardi Gras. I could have just modified that last entry, but then this would not have come through as an afterthought.
Jeff Murdoch(Coupling): "It's brilliant! Naked women and breasts! Breasts! Breasts, breasts, breasts!"
Thank you.
Ninety-First Entry
As written in bed last night...
I am lying here in bed feeling defeated.
This weekend was Mylinh's birthday party in San Luis Obispo. I was not invited. This did not surprise me at all. I really would have liked to have been invited, but as better judgement prevailed(if it was even a thought!), I wasn't. It is too soon. To be honest, I think that seeing her anytime before she leaves for Vietnam is too soon.
I knew today was the day my(invited) friends would get back from SLO. Like a soldiers' mother, waiting to hear news of her son from the warfront, I sat around nervously all night waiting for a call I was not sure I would get, with news about the weekend trip. I was actually rather excitable. I pounced on the phone only to find it was a wrong number. I was so sure I would get a call.
I didn't get a call.
"They hate me." "They are tired of all the drama." "They could care less."
Of course, I talked myself into believing that these are unreasonable thoughts.
"If they hated me, they would show it."
Although there is no obvious connection, my last thought led to the realization that I am miserable about the whole Mylinh thing. And the only reason I wanted to hear about the weekend is to hopefully confirm that Mylinh is as miserable as I am.
I think about her all the time. At work, at school, at home. She is in my dreams, visions, nightmares. The more I try to forget, the harder it is. At times I am "in regret". How could it have turned out? Could it have worked out?
But then my brain says, "Shut up heart, you ol' softy. You know the real reasons it ended." And to say that it is my brain saying that, is a stretch.
So when will my heart stop reminding me of what could have been? I don't know, and can't even begin to guess an answer.
Is someone trying to tell me something with all these feelings and thoughts? Perhaps a higher power trying to steer me down the correct path?
Its disgusting isn't it. This is the first time any of this has ever happened to me. I have never had these feelings, and I don't want them ever again.
Apparantly, the party was a huge success, complete with (poisonous?) fog machines and (contaminated?) tri-tip, according to Lisa's livejournal.
She seems to be moving on, so why can't I?
I need to do some intense thinking. I'll probably go "radio silent" for a few days.
I still, today, the day after yesterday, feel the same as I did when I wrote the above on my pad of Calvin and Hobbes paper.
And although, I like the idea of isolating myself for a few weeks and reflecting and possibly picking off the pieces of shit that landed all over my heart, I made a happy realization today: Mardi Gras is next weekend!!! Who wants to go? Parade is on Sunday at 2:03 pm. And you all know me, if I can't find anyone to go with, then I just won't go....sniff, sniff.
As written in bed last night...
I am lying here in bed feeling defeated.
This weekend was Mylinh's birthday party in San Luis Obispo. I was not invited. This did not surprise me at all. I really would have liked to have been invited, but as better judgement prevailed(if it was even a thought!), I wasn't. It is too soon. To be honest, I think that seeing her anytime before she leaves for Vietnam is too soon.
I knew today was the day my(invited) friends would get back from SLO. Like a soldiers' mother, waiting to hear news of her son from the warfront, I sat around nervously all night waiting for a call I was not sure I would get, with news about the weekend trip. I was actually rather excitable. I pounced on the phone only to find it was a wrong number. I was so sure I would get a call.
I didn't get a call.
"They hate me." "They are tired of all the drama." "They could care less."
Of course, I talked myself into believing that these are unreasonable thoughts.
"If they hated me, they would show it."
Although there is no obvious connection, my last thought led to the realization that I am miserable about the whole Mylinh thing. And the only reason I wanted to hear about the weekend is to hopefully confirm that Mylinh is as miserable as I am.
I think about her all the time. At work, at school, at home. She is in my dreams, visions, nightmares. The more I try to forget, the harder it is. At times I am "in regret". How could it have turned out? Could it have worked out?
But then my brain says, "Shut up heart, you ol' softy. You know the real reasons it ended." And to say that it is my brain saying that, is a stretch.
So when will my heart stop reminding me of what could have been? I don't know, and can't even begin to guess an answer.
Is someone trying to tell me something with all these feelings and thoughts? Perhaps a higher power trying to steer me down the correct path?
Its disgusting isn't it. This is the first time any of this has ever happened to me. I have never had these feelings, and I don't want them ever again.
Apparantly, the party was a huge success, complete with (poisonous?) fog machines and (contaminated?) tri-tip, according to Lisa's livejournal.
She seems to be moving on, so why can't I?
I need to do some intense thinking. I'll probably go "radio silent" for a few days.
I still, today, the day after yesterday, feel the same as I did when I wrote the above on my pad of Calvin and Hobbes paper.
And although, I like the idea of isolating myself for a few weeks and reflecting and possibly picking off the pieces of shit that landed all over my heart, I made a happy realization today: Mardi Gras is next weekend!!! Who wants to go? Parade is on Sunday at 2:03 pm. And you all know me, if I can't find anyone to go with, then I just won't go....sniff, sniff.
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