Change of plans

Someone use to tell me that it would seriously bum him out when his plans for the day/weekend would fall through. To be perfectly honest, I never understood why it would bother him so much. I use to tell him "it's okay, it's no big deal," and other things. Well, you know what? I had a change of heart, it sucks! Even if plans are only an hour old it's a horrible feeling when they don't come together.

Today for instance, I had last minute plans with a friend, she called me at around 6 and wanted to know if I wanted to grab dinner at 8. Then I went to the mall, but was back by 8, when I called her to finalize our plans, she tells me she was about to go to sleep. WTF?!? Really? Other than the fact that it was barely 8 pm, didn't she think it necessary to call me and tell me she no longer wanted to go out? I of course didn't say anything and just let it slide, but this is the 6th time in past two months that she does this. Other times she isn't feeling well, which I don't know if she's telling me the truth or not, but that isn't important. I can understand if she doesn't want to go out, I get it because there are times I don't want to go out either BUT she shouldn't say that she does and then essentially leave me hanging.

Other times that this has happened, I don't let it bother me too much, I usually make plans else where. But I was particularly bothered this time, and was in no mood to make other plans. Am I being dumb? Well my former self might say that I was, but not anymore. I wonder how many more times this will happen before I get so fed up that I tell her something, or actually do the same thing to her?

On a positive note yesterday on #19 of my birthday list - I'm a perfectionist - I stated that I was rather unhappy with my nails. Well since I had time today (more time then I would have liked) I decided to fix them. They look so pretty now, but since I still need to clean up the edges and I have no idea how long that will take I will not include a picture. But they are black with teal and hot pink polka dots, and yes my toenails match :)

Twitter love

So as you know today is my birthday. I decided to go out on a limb and ask Nicky Hayden, motorcycle racer extraordinaire, to give me a shout out for my birthday. Well to my surprise he actually re-tweeted my tweet, which was broadcast to his 29,000+ followers. Some of which then proceeded to wish me a Happy Birthday, but apparently Nicky re-tweeting my tweet made others jealous. I think I love him more now than I did before. It really did make my day! :D

Happy Birthday to me!

In honor of my 24th birthday, I'd like to list 24 random (little known) facts about myself:

1. I should be left handed - Apparently my parents didn't think left handedness was a good trait, because they would correct me and make sure I'd use my right hand instead. In many ways I think they did the right thing, but it didn't completely work because I do still prefer my left side when it comes to certain things
2. I sleep with a teddy bear - Haha yes, his name is Bear, and I've had him since as long as I could remember. Although in recent years I use him as more of a pillow, that lovable bear has be with me through everything, like moving away from home for the first time
3. I took Hawaiian dance classes when I was younger - It was only for a short time, but looking back it was rather embarrassing. For the short months I did it though, it was rather fun
4. My favorite color is teal - Teal, blue-green, aqua whatever you call it, its that color. It has been my favorite color since I was about 7
5. I consider myself shy - I really do, though some people will tell you that I'm full of it
6. I speak German - Ich liebe Deutsch! Although I only took one semester of German my Junior year in college, I had been studying German for a while. I'm not where near proficient or conversational, but I feel confident enough to not get lost
7. I like scruffy guys - I do, I really really do! I can't explain it but scruffy guys are my absolute weakness; not too scruffy though, more like a controlled scruff. Guys like Liev Schreiber, Bradley Cooper, Brody Jenner, just to name a few
8. I sometimes crave reckless behavior - I have been told more than once that I always plan everything. Yes, it's true, I am a capricorn it's in my nature. Yet, I do sometimes wish I were more spontaneous. I'm working on it...
9. Lisa Simpson was my inspiration to play saxophone - Originally I wanted to play the violin, but after I was deterred, I chose the saxophone because Lisa was the coolest/smartest kid on tv, and I wanted to be like her (haha animated and yellow :P)
10. I use to cry when I would get a B on my report card - I think back on this and want to kick myself! I placed so much unneeded pleasure on myself. Eventually I learned to relax, and B's weren't so bad, in fact sometimes when you're scared of even passing a class, B's are most welcome
11. I wish I had a sister - This is to say I wish I had a sister, as well as keep my brother. My mom has two sisters and I kind of envy the bond. However, I wish I had a sister now, without having to have dealt growing up with one
12. I like to go against mainstream society - I can't explain it, but if something is overly popular without merit, I refuse to conform (Haha I guess it's the rebel in me)
13. I have a birthmark - Haha it's actually really funny because I forget myself I have it. No, I will not tell you where it is
14. I'd like to have twins - I'm not sure why, but I love the idea of having twins. Sure it might be twice the work, but it's also twice the laughs and twice the smiles. But since twins don't run in my family, I know my chances are slim 
15. I'm mildly allergic to the cold - I can't remember when I discovered this allergy, but if it's really cold (windy) outside and if my arms or legs are covered properly, I get itchy and break out in small hives
16. I'm artistic - I've loved to draw/paint for as long as I can remember, and I'm good at it. I've won awards and contests for my art when I was younger, and although I don't draw/paint very often, I do love it
17. If I could travel through time I'd go to the Victorian Era - I'm not entirely sure why, but I'm fairly certain Pride & Prejudice (Jane Austen novels on the whole) have propelled my love for this era. I'm captivated by the language, manners, and dress
18. I love Chicago - Perhaps my favorite place in the world. I visited Chicago for the first time in 2007 with the TMB, and fell in love. It is definitely a city I would love to live in at some point in my life
19. I'm a perfectionist - My family gets annoyed with me because of this sometimes. It depends on the item/event/project how picky I will be of course, but for instance I spent the entirety of yesterday painting my nails because my black nail polish wasn't cooperating. They look nice, but they could be better, and believe me I have every intention of fixing them
20. I have a fear of premature aging - Anyone who has seen my family will tell you I'm crazy and have nothing to worry about, because the majority of my relatives age very well, but I think that's just it. I fear that I will be the exception. But so far so good, I'm 24 today but I know/am told I look younger
21. I broke my wrist as a kid (twice) - I broke my wrist when I was in pre-school while playing on the monkey bars. I fell and landed on my wrist, I remember that day well. I also remember being in a cast for a really long time (like 4-5 months), well it's because apparently during the recovery phase I re-fractured it
22. I once had an imaginary friend - I was an only child for 5 long years, and spent most of that time with adults. So naturally I invented a friend, who would play with me. Her name was Fina (Fee-na), and she looked like a cartoon. I also have no idea how I came up with that name
23. I wanted to be a lifeguard when I was younger because of Baywatch - I loved Baywatch! It was probably one of my favorite shows as a kid. Haha thinking about it now it's kind of lame, but I had a HUGE crush on David Charvet
24. Sylvester Stallone was my first crush - I'm sure I've said before that the Rocky movies are some of my favorite (Rocky IV is the best!), but I'm not sure if I would feel like that now if I hadn't loved the movies when I was a kid. Part of the reason I loved the movies then was because of Sylvester, make fun of him and his speech all you want but at around 4-5 he was my first crush

The true meaning of Christmas

I looked over posts I wrote last year. This time last year, I was wondering/guessing what I was getting for Christmas, I was busy wrapping presents, I was making sure that my cousins didn't eat all the candy canes on the tree (just yet). Well that is all in the past. This year, we have no tree, I personally did not buy any presents, and the only presents I wrapped were as a favor to a friend. All of this, and yet this might possibly be one of my favorite Christmas' ever.

This year, I have so much to be thankful for, I appreciate so much more, and although there is no tree to gather around, there is a man, my grandfather. Earlier this month my family and I were scared beyond belief. There was a point where we all feared the worst but desperately hoped for the best. We had no idea what was wrong, no idea what was to happen next.

I'm happy to report that after nearly two weeks in the hospital, and a heart procedure later, my grandpa is doing great. He may not be 100% yet, but he is on the road to recovery. He is our gift this year, and I don't think I could have asked for anything better.

Merry Christmas to all, I hope you are equally fortunate :)

Weekend Shenanigans

I will be the first to admit that I'm not spontaneous, I never have been, and although this was always a quality I wanted for myself,  the logic in my head prevented it. Well...after a stressful and less than adventurous week, I was determined to have some fun. Mission complete! I stepped out of my comfort zone for a bit and found myself having one of the BEST nights I can ever remember. In retrospect it was perhaps a little risky, but I have absolutely no regrets. So to all those involved (who will probably never read this), thanks a million! It was the most fun I had in a really really long time :)

Hurry up and wait!

No seriously, the title sums up my day. My grandpa was scheduled for his procedure today, but after an entire day of waiting around, the doctors decided to push it back until tomorrow. Tomorrow my day is equally long, though I need to leave home earlier because I am picking up my great uncle at the airport. I am so incredibly exhausted right now. Good night!

Stressful week

I can't remember the last time I posted from my phone.

I've been so busy this week, and not good busy either. My grandpa was taken to the hospital Thursday morning by ambulance (I accompanied him, #185 on my bucket list - ambulance ride), he has remained hospitalized and was transferred to another hospital today. Tomorrow he will have a procedure done and have a pace maker installed. I'm nervous and don't know what to expect. I drove up to San Diego to see him and I'm staying with an aunt to be closer to the hospital. I have no idea what time the procedure will take place and find it hard to believe the hospital doesn't know either. I plan on spending the entire day tomorrow at the hospital, hopefully not alone. Basically it's a HUGE hurry up and wait!

In the works

I just realized the amount of drafts of unfinished posts I have. I just deleted them all, since it was an idea I abandoned, I no longer had any idea what I was talking about, or they were so old there would be no point in posting them. I tend to start posts and then get distracted for a couple of days, this is something I will work on.

Defining a generation

I am fortunate enough to say that I grew up in the 90's. I am able to say that I have witnessed some great technological, political and historical leaps in my lifetime. I remember what life was like before cell phones and the internet, I remember the fall of the Soviet Union (although I was very young), and I watched the Olympic torch run through my town before the '96 games in Atlanta. I can also say that I grew up during the best time for children's television.

Oh! the 90's, there was always something entertaining to watch on tv. There was a mix of cartoons, game shows, live action series, and animated series. As much as I loved watching Disney Channel, and Cartoon Network on rare occasion, I think it's safe to say that Nickelodeon was the king of children's television. It wouldn't be prudent to list all the amazing shows from the 90's, because honestly there were so many. Among my all time favorite are Doug, Clarissa Explains it All, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and Rugrats, but even this short list makes me feel uncomfortable because I feel like I'm leaving out some really good shows. Anyway....

Recently I had a conversation with my 10 year-old cousin (one of many, for I have a fair amount of first cousins), and we were talking about television shows, and she was telling me which shows she liked and which shows she didn't. Interestingly enough, I know my way around children's television these days to know exactly what shows she was talking about and what they're about. She told me that her favorite show was SpongeBob SquarePants, which she has loved since she was a baby, because I remember watching the same SpongeBob DVD with her every time I went over. This made me stop to think about how long SpongeBob has been on air.

I am sure that around 97% of the American population know who SpoongeBob is and have watched (perhaps unwillingly) the television show at least one. The little yellow charismatic sponge, who lives in a pineapple under the sea, and spends his days going on misadventures with his dim witted pink starfish friend, Patrick. SpoongeBob premiered May 1, 1999 on Nickelodeon, but didn't reach enormous popularity until 2000, and he hasn't stopped there.

SpongeBob Squarepants has helped define a generation. Talk about star power, the show was recently renewed for an 8th season and SpoongeBob merchandise can be found everywhere. His likeness has been placed on soup cans and vegetable bags, because if an item is SpongeBob friendly, kids are willing to give it a try. While my generation was defined by a group of teenagers sworn to protect the world from evil (Power Rangers), this younger generation will look back at their childhood and think of a yellow sponge with an annoying laugh. What has children's television become?

I would like to start by saying that although I consider the 90's the golden age for children's television, not all shows were exactly child friendly. Recently, I rewatched some Ren & Stimpy episodes and actually couldn't believe this was the same show I watched as a child. Oh sure, the show was entertaining, but having a better understanding of the world, I was more in tune to certain sexual comments and innuendos.

I suppose that shows change depending on the time they were created. I use to watch Clarissa Explains it All, while my cousins currently watch iCarly, a show about a girl and her friends who star in their own web show. Having many young cousins I've never stopped watching children's television. I will not use my cousins as an excuse, I watched children's tv because I liked it, it was nostalgic, and I liked having something to talk to my cousins about. I noticed that over the last couple of years I have slowly cut back on my kid programming viewing, not because I think I'm getting to old, or an embarrassed by my programming choices, but because children's programming today has because overly silly and uses slap stick humor.

Shows in the 90's had depth, dealt with serious issues, but remained entertaining. I am a little saddened that kids who grew up/ are growing up in the new millennium do not have good television programming, but I suppose you can't miss what you never had. I find it hard to believe that children have changed so much, that writers believe this is the type of shows they want to watch - silly, slap stickesque comedy. I know I am not the only one who feels that 90's tv remains superior to any programming currently on air. Half the merchandise at Hot Topic is 90's television related, though that could be because most of their current customer base are those who grew up watching said shows.

As a whole I'm rather disappointed at the type of television programming currently on air. Every couple of years a new show pops up that shakes up the woodwork, and with any luck the show will last past its third season. My comfort comes in knowing that with people my age graduating and getting jobs in television and film, sometime soon television shows will reflect the voices of my generation. I'd like to think that we'll all be the better for it :)

No regrets

So today to kick off December (my birthday month), I decided to write a Bucket List. So far I have 181 items on it, but there are some activities that will help me cross off more than one item. The items on my list are in no particular order and I have every intention of adding more items as they come to me. I wrote this list for a couple of reasons,  but perhaps one of the biggest reasons is because I find that I tell myself 'I'd like to do that some day' or 'I wish I could do that' a lot. Well, why not? I know I can do anything I set my mind to, and when someone has that ability, why wait?

I'm attempting to start working on this list as soon as possible, though some things on the list like #72 Sail around the world, will have to wait until I'm older and have saved up enough money. I will be sure to update and post pictures of me fulfilling some of the items on my bucket list as they occur. As of right now, I have every intention of skydiving for my 24th birthday.

Truths for mature adults

I came across this blog (The Baboon's Guide to the Internet) while checking my Google Reader items, and one of their posts was a list of Truths For Mature Adults. I will post them here and add my commentary:

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die. - Haha, agreed! But I don't have anything to hide
2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong. - What if you're never wrong :P
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.
4. There is a great need for a sarcasm font. No0o0o...
5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet? I usually just roll it up, is that bad?
6. Was learning cursive really necessary?
7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood
8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died. - True, but does that seem disrespectful?
9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired. - YES!
10. Bad decision make good stories. - Haha yeah, like this one time in the library...
11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day. - Yup, usually around 4 o'clock
12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to restart my collection...again. - I stopped buying DVD's, I noticed I never watch them
13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to. - Yes, yes, yes, that has happened to me too often
14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever. - Eww, that's gross
15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? **** it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away? - I agree, it's really annoying...BUT I'm guilty of doing it
16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste. - YES!
17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call. - Nope, I have nobody to avoid at the moment
18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.
19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.
20. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option. - Agreed! My GPS has taken me on some pretty sketchy routes
21. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.
22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in. - Yup, I'll avoid that second trip like the plague
23. The only time I look forward to a red light when I'm trying to finish a text. - Guilty
24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.
25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said? - I think it's two
26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters! - Haha, yeah I sometimes drive with road rage
27. Shirts get dirty? Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever. - No, no, pants definitely get dirty
28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year? - Agreed
29. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far. - Since I don't lean back on my chairs, I wonder if this is the same feeling you get right before you are hit by a car? In that case it's a pretty bad feeling
30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists. - I was a bicyclist for a while, but while on campus if you are not riding a bike, good look getting around unharmed
31. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is. - Yeah, but I've stopped wearing my watch recently
32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my *** everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time! - The snooze button is the best invention ever!

Life after grad school

With the economy the way it has been/is it comes as no surprise that there are a lot of college graduates who are currently unemployed. I am one of those recent college graduates who has decided to move back home, while job hunting. My reasons for this were simple, I didn't want to burden my parents with having to pay for my rent. I recently read an article which called graduates like me, "Boomerang Kids."

In fact CNN found that nearly 85% of college grads move back home for a minimum of 6 months. Some grads remain at home even after finding employment to save enough money to move out. Yes, living back home does have it's financial benefits, but I have become aware of some serious draw backs, this of course is unique to all Boomerang Kids.

Today was one of those days that has really made me want to expedited my job search. I think it's rather funny that as of late my primary reason for finding immediate employment is to leave home. Don't get me wrong I love my family, but I feel my patience is tried everyday. I feel like I am sometimes (a lot of the time) treated like a 5 year old. I am nearly 24 years old, and I can not leave my house without telling my dad or grandpa, where I'm going, who I'm going with, and at what time I will be back. This of course might be trivial to some, especially if those were/are questions your parents did/do ask you. See, the problem lies with the fact that I have lived on my own for three years, and far from home at at. For three years I did what I pleased, I came and went from my apartment whenever I wished, I went shopping whenever I wanted, and I went to class as often as I chose (this of course was about 95% of the time). I was my own boss, I did not need to justify anything to anyone but myself. Sure I missed my family, but in retrospect this was the happiest time in my life.

Recently I have been presented with an opportunity to teach Psychology at the local community college. Being a college professor has been for sometime a goal of mine, and possibly being at college professor at only 24 would be beyond belief. But the problem is that this job is obviously near home, which would require me to stay here for at least the Spring semester. Some would say that the simple answer would be to apply for the job and if hired rent an apartment of my own, this however, is not an option for me. I feel that if I rented an apartment here (in Imperial County), I would feel like I lived here. It has always been my intention to move away from home, and I promised myself I wouldn't live here permanently. Oh sure, Imperial County might be a good place to grow up, everything is slow paced, violence isn't high/or seen, and in general it's a tight knit community. And although I'm here now, I like to view my stay as temporary.

For now, I will enjoy the time I get to spend with my family, headaches included, and I will continue looking for a job I'll love, that will help me feel like I'm doing something in the world, and that is far away from here.

Hopeful

There's a saying people like to say when facing the unexpected: "Hope for the best, expect the worst" Well it's been my study that this idea is severely difficult if not impossible. I don't see how it is possible to hope for something and yet not really believe it's going to happen. Or shall I say, that one's hope isn't all that hopeful. At least for me, any traces of hope do not allow me to expect the worst, in fact that seems counter productive. Not to mention to always expect the worst must make you a very unhappy person and would prevent you from experiencing many wonderful things. I am aware and have experienced that being hopeful equally leads to utter disappointment when things do not go your way. But for me this is the lesser of two evils, because disappointment with time will disappear, and no one can be wrong all the time.

Leap of faith

Before now, I was not one to believe in destiny or fate. I believed things were accidental and coincidental. However, after recently finding faith, I can honestly say that things happen for a reason; although the reason is not always known, in due time all is revealed. In my last post I mentioned my struggle in finding a  job that suited me, this along with other questions about my future have been on my mind. But interestingly enough, today, while searching for an old letter, I can across a book written by Maria Shriver entitled, 'Just Who Will You Be?'

This book was given to me by my great uncle on the day of my graduation a year ago, where coincidently Maria Shriver's husband Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was our commencement speaker. Shortly after arriving home, I found out that I had been accepted into grad school, and spent the entirety of the summer preparing for that large venture. Needless to say, although the book was small, I placed it in a drawer with every intention of reading it...someday. Well today was that day. I picked up the book, which I had seen hundreds of times, and decided to read it.

I find that in this time, where I'm trying to truly find myself, this book posed an important question "Who do you want to be?" I realized then that I had been asking myself the wrong question my whole life, I was trying to figure out WHAT I wanted to be, instead of WHO. For a lot of my life, I measured my worth through my accomplishments. I think this was the only way I felt I could make my parents proud, although they never placed any pressure on me. I am fortunate enough to say that I have accomplished a great deal in my 23 years of life, but the problem is, is that in between accomplishments I often felt bad about myself. As I read Maria Shriver's book, she stated that the only way you can feel worthy, and really good about yourself - the only way to find a life of meaning and joy - is to find your on voice, find your own path, follow your own heart, and live your own life, not an imitation of somebody else's. So then I asked myself what is my path, what's my heart telling me, who do I want to be?

I took some time to think about this, and I came up with my answer. I want to be a better person. This is not to say that I am not already a good person, but I want to be better then who I've been. I want to be more understanding and tolerable of people's differences. I want to be a more positive thinker. I want to be someone who seizes the day, everyday.

This is who I want to be, this is who I will strive to be everyday. I find it important to pass on this question as it was given do me, ask yourself WHO not what do you want to be?

A hunting we will go

I'm aware that I've been neglectful as of late, but I promise I have good reason. My week was full of celebration, travel and illness. I'm happy to report though that the terrible stomach flu I had appears to be gone.

I have been looking for a job. So far I have only searched Indeed and Monster, but in the next couple of days I will be expanding my search, although I feel the listings might all be the same. I'm also not entirely sure what sort of work I'd like to do, I'm multi talented and have interests in a wide range of jobs, so I'm searching for different types of jobs. I'm positive that sooner or later I will find something that I feel suits me. My family thinks I should just do anything that moderately interest me. Having little experience I agree that I have to start somewhere, but I'd like to think that I can find work doing something I'll love.

Defining moments

Lately I've found myself battling an internal struggle between what I should do and what's easiest. Sometimes the easiest thing to do, is simply not to do anything at all, and yet other times not doing anything at all can also be the right thing to do. I realize that this concept may be difficult to grasp, and I am sorry I can't be more specific, but I increasingly find my fortitude being tested. I have become more observant, both of myself and other people.

 In turn there are aspects of my strength and patience that I am becoming more aware of. Although I'm aware that I am in no way shape of form perfect, I am a stronger person than I previously thought. I have also made more of an attempt to censor my comments and actions (though perhaps not entirely), and realize this is the time to change. While I'm still young, conscience and willing.

Quote of the day

"You can't always control what happens to you, but you can always control how you react to it."  

I head this quote yesterday, while watching "You Again" (the new Kristen Bell film) with a friend. I thought this was a great quote, but I am unable to find where this quote originated from of who spoke it first. In fact this quote embodies my new  way other thinking, and is some what connected to that life lesson I learned a couple of days ago. I think this is such an important piece of advice to remember, especially when you feel like things are out of your control.

Epic fail!

If anyone has advice on how to escape/prevent thoughts, I'd greatly appreciate it. It's times like these that I wish I lived in the wizarding world (Harry Potter) and owned a pensieve like Dumbledore's; that way I'd be able to clear my mind. In any case, on to business...

The Last Airbender: After hearing mixed reviews about The Last Airbender, I finally decided to watch the movie. I had followed the television show Avatar: The Last Airbender from the beginning, and although I don't care for anime (yes, the show blended anime with American style cartoons) I really enjoyed this show. This movie however, severely disappointed me. In my previous post I talked about how a weak story line ruins a movie in my eyes. Well this movie had a storyline already written. I know M. Night Shyamalan couldn't incorporate the entire first book in his screenplay but he could/should have executed the parts that he did use well.

Let me start by saying that I couldn't take this movie seriously; the acting was horrible....HORRIBLE. I did not believe there was a shred of emotion (other than laughter) in what anyone said. I was also not pleased with the character development in the movie, this aspect I don't believe is dependent so much on acting, but on the script. I felt character personalities were changed. Uncle Iroh, for example, was such a good natured and jolly character in the animated series. But in the film he appeared cold and upset. I also did not feel that Aang felt any remorse or guilt that he had neglected his responsibilities, and allowed the fire nation to cause such devastation, which was a HUGE part of book one. This of course could have been due to the pathetic attempt at acting I mentioned earlier.

I also noticed the extra flamboyant movements the benders need to preform in order to use their element. On the topic of bending, this film exaggerated Katara's water bending ability, and Aangs difficulty in learning water bending. Not to mention it appeared that the fire bending soldiers could only manipulate fire, and not create it, which is why they were so surprised when Uncle Iroh was able to generate fire. Maybe, perhaps I over looked this, but it was my understanding that fire benders could generate their own flame. Overall I thought this movie was seriously lacking, I give it a score of 25/100; Rotten Tomatoes score of 6.

After thought

I've been super reflective the last couple of days.Without going into too much detail, I've learned a very valuable lesson. Unfortunately, this lesson I learned very early in life and somewhere I forgot to apply it. I know that overall this is a very important lesson, and I am now a better person for it. The only problem, is that this lesson came at the expense of something very dear to me. However, I promise to never forget this very important lesson again, and hopefully I will be able to rectify what has already been done.

Revelation

I'm determined from now on to no longer live in the past!

Everyone's a critic

I consider myself a tough movie critic; I rarely ever give a movie 5 stars on Netflix.  In today's movie culture, the emphasis has been placed strongly on visual effects that the storyline often suffers. Don't get me wrong, I greatly appreciate the special effect feats that have occurred over the last 20 years, but I don't think any amount of special effects in HD can compensate for a weak story.

It's a running joke in my household that I like depressing movies. I, however, beg to differ; I like emotional movies. I like the kind of movies that send you on an emotional rollercoaster, the ones that can make you laugh and cry within minutes of each other. For me, the best movies are the ones where you can strongly identify with the characters, their pain is your pain, and their joy is your joy (Joy Luck Club, Stepmom, Up).

This isn't to say that I don't like comedies or thrillers (psychological thrillers are some of my all time favorites), but my taste in comedies is complicated at best. Being a typical girl, I love romantic comedies, but I feel like I have grown out of the types of goofy comedies that I have become so popular now a days. For example, I hated Superbad, and as mentioned in a previous post I dislike most movies Michael Cera is in. I once thought American Pie, and Scary Movie were funny, but have since changed my opinion on them. However, to my surprise I enjoyed The Hangover, and A Night at the Roxbury is still one of my favorites.

I do not pretend that my taste in movies follows any sort of rubric or that it actually makes sense, but since subscribing to Netflix two years ago, I have noticed that my movie choices have broadened. I am open to watching most movies as long as the description seems interesting (or the picture is pretty, haha).

I recently watched Life as We Know It, and The Last Airbender, reviews to come...

Froyo anyone?

Almost a year ago I expressed my excitement of my then new T-Mobile myTouch. A couple of months ago, I began noticing deficiencies in my android phone. Comparing my T-Mobile myTouch to the Samsung Behold II, and the HTC Hero, I felt like I had gotten the short end of the android stick. Although, I did take into account that my smart phone was older (months) than the other phones, I couldn't help but feel envious over some of the features other phones had that mine lacked.

Some of the features about my T-Mobile myTouch that I disliked included:

• My phone had three separate home screens - other android phones had five
• Although my camera took amazing pictures, I had no zoom
• When receiving calls from others the contact picture was incredibly small
• The apps I had downloaded appeared that they needed constant updating

Well to my surprise, two days ago I received a message informing me of a new android operating system, code named 'Froyo.' I was fortunate enough to download Android 2.2 last night, and I'm happy to report that the new OS greatly improved my phone!

Not only did it provide me with 2 additional home screens (5 in total), but also revamped my camera  with several different filters and 2.6x zoom. My contact list is now more organized and my contact icons are larger when calling or receiving calls. My gmail app, is improved, and now it is easier to add other existing accounts to my phone. The android market now allows me to have my apps automatically updated, instead of updating them manually (I currently need to update 23 of my apps).

There is now a shortcut to the browser and phone dialer, at the bottom of the screen, which wasn't entirely necessary, but is nice to have. I also received a new app called Car Home, which simplifies my phone for use while driving (I do not encourage or support cell phone use while driving, its illegal....though I will admit I do it occasionally). Even my twitter app received an improvement, and I no longer need to click on links to view web pages or pictures. The icons to standard programs or services have also been changed (ex. messaging, contacts, camera, gallery, etc).

Other than some color scheme dislikes for certain features, overall I love Android 2.2. The new OS addressed some issues I was personally unhappy with and has given new life to my faithful android. I look forward to future updates and features, keep up the good work Google!

Nice to meet you

I've decided that since I was on hiatus for nearly 6 months, it would be a good idea to get reacquainted. List time! This list is definitely not exhaustive, and is arranged in no particular order. These are a few of my favorite things...

Movies (excluding Disney, I LOVE too many)

1. Rocky IV
2. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated version)

Candy - let it be know that I have a sweet tooth

1. Sour Patch Kids - I like sour candy in general, but this is my favorite
2. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - Peanut butter and chocolate is a match made in heaven.
3. PayDay - I'm not a big fan of caramel BUT everyday could be a PayDay :)

Musicals

1. Westside Story - one word MAMBO!
2. Mary Poppins - I didn't watch this movie until I was 17 but I fell in love
3. Grease - I love this movie so much, my parents took me to go watch the 20th anniversary re-release...I fell asleep :(

Colors

1. Red - Go Trojans! Fight On! :)
2. Teal - I've loved this color since 2nd grade. Thank You Crayola.
3. Purple - I love combining purple and teal. But I prefer a darker purple, like a plum color

Actors - Let's just say this isn't based on acting ability alone :D

1. Liev Schreiber - I can't explain it, but I'm in love! I especially liked him in Defiance
2. Bradley Cooper - He's gorgeous, and I like his boyish charm
3. Vince Vaughn - His movies always put a smile on my face. My favorite, Wedding Crashers

TV Shows

1. Dexter - The season 4 finale was amazing!
2. Weeds - I like dark comedy
3. Psych - I think this show is hilarious

Ice Cream

1. Pistachio - I really can't explain it but it's always been one of my favorites
2. Rocky Road - Chocolate + Marshmallows = bliss
3. Apricot Mango Sherbet - It's a Thrifty's brand ice cream, delicious

Okay, not that that is out of the way, on to the good stuff....tomorrow :)

Change of Heart

It comes as no surprise that change is inevitable. Although there is still more than two months left in 2010, it's safe to say that this year alone, I've dealt with more change than ever before. I worked at a known television channel, wrote the biggest/longest  paper I've ever written, graduated from school, my boyfriend of 5 years and I broke up, and now I'm looking for a job. I will be the first to say that I've never been a fan of change. Well that's not entirely true, I openly embrace change when it is towards something I like/want. I don't believe it's so much change that I am uncomfortable with, more like the uncertainty of not knowing what comes next.

Uncertainty has always made me uncomfortable, not knowing if everything will turn out okay in the end. However, over the last couple of weeks I have made a sincere attempt to welcome change and uncertainty with open arms.

 I am sure everyone at some point as been told that "everything happens for a reason," now whether you find comfort in this saying may depend on religious views or faith, but for me, this saying held no comfort...until now. I understand now that change and how someone deals with it, shapes who they've been, who they are, and who they will become. The basis of human progress is dependent on how people have lived with change over time. Where would we be now if everyone would have been resistant to the telephone or democracy.

I am fortunate enough to say that I have a good life. I never faced any real hardships that some people face everyday. I have a loving family who has/will always support me and I've been fortunate enough to have experienced many diverse and amazing things. I am definitely not against experience of any kind, because as a student of psychology, I believe that experiences make up the majority of who we are. Throughout 2010, I have been be given to opportunity to experience many new things, both good and bad. But I suppose the trick is to learn from all experiences. Sure some are easier to swallow than others, but in the words of Mary Poppins, "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down."

It's easy to allow one negative experiences to overshadow hundreds of positive ones, but it's important to remember that it is those negative experiences that make the positive ones that much better.

I'm back!

After nearly six months, I have decided that  my sabbatical is over! I realize now that those six months have flown by, but after I graduated in May, I spent sometime thinking about and writing my treatise (similar to a thesis). So to acquaint everyone with what has happened in those six months would be both impractical and exhausting. I am happy to report, however, that my treatise was approved, and I have officially obtained my masters degree.

Since then I attended a USC football game, and teared up when the band took the field. I was saddened by the loss of a most beloved activity. I then wrote a an open letter to the TMB which I will soon post.

Recently, I have rediscovered my love of drawing and photography, although my talents are not anything to boast. I have also developed an obsession/fascination with makeup which I have not had since I was about 16. I cut my hair last week a little longer than shoulder length, which is incredibly short for me but to my surprise I LOVE it.

I suppose that will be all for now, I've felt dizzy all day and out of spirits, but I promise to return tomorrow :)

***I have just realize that my beloved background is gone! I'm in the process of finding another, or if I'm extremely luck I'll find my old one. I did love that background.***

***Background success! well kind of, so I found my background but unfortunately it's a triple column rather than a double, but it'll do :D***

Busy, busy, busy

I don't know what happened, I blinked and it's already the end of April. Where has time gone? This time last year, I had everything under control and was anxiously awaiting graduation, but this year everything is piling up. Graduation is two weeks away and I have a million things due with no time to do them. I think tomorrow I will write a to do list, starting with renting my cap and gown. I need to make it a point to actually follow this list, unlike the countless others I have drafted. I know that once I start completing tasks on the list my anxiety will subside. As for right now I will take a deep breath, clear my head, and get a good nights sleep. Onward.

Down memory lane

This weekend I went home for a birthday party and found myself packing up my grandparent’s home.

My grandparents lived in a humble home near the downtown area of Calexico, which unfortunately was damaged during the April 4th earthquake. Growing up, the small yellow house in the middle of the block was full of life. My grandmother enjoyed sitting outside watering her plants and the house always smelled of home cooking. My grandmother passed away 5 ½ years ago, and although my grandpa continued to live there, that little house lost its’ twinkle.

As I walked through the empty house one last time I was saddened by what I saw. The home once filled with life was now a shell of its' former self, the walls once painted with laughter and stories were now cracked and bare. The house will soon be demolished, and with it its’ secrets will fade.

Since my family emptied most of the house last week I wonder what sort of things I missed, what secrets could I have uncovered? What I did realize this weekend and greatly appreciated was that my grandma saved everything! I found awards, school work, and miscellaneous gifts I had bought her over the years packed away safely in boxes; these items, which were once of little importance, suddenly meant the world to me.

I took with me some embroidered pillow cases and a blanket which I will keep and hopefully one day be able to give to my grandchildren. Most importantly I left with memories of simpler times, some of the happiest I've ever had.

Boiling point

The summer is quickly approaching, and as part of my masters program I am supposed to to find an internship for the summer. My head is spinning right now! I don't know where to apply, there are so many questions surrounding this decision: paid vs. unpaid, full time vs. part time, corporate communications vs. marketing, known company vs. unknown company, length of internship, and distance. While I'm interning for the summer I'm also supposed to be working on my thesis, which I still have no idea what I'm writing about. Not to mention this week as been hectic, and I don't expect anything less from the upcoming week. I'm overwhelmed to say the least. What to do, what to do...

By the way, my foot is healing nicely (not really). I've taken a picture everyday since the accident so I'll upload some pictures soon.

Lights, camera, action!

It's dark, and over the sound of the crowd there is a familiar song, it's faint at first but getting louder, soon eyes are blinded by a sea of lights. What is this remarkable sight? Disney's Electrical Parade. For years this awe inspiring parade has been a California staple, but yesterday the Electrical Parade lit its' last street, for a while that is. As of today, the Electrical Parade is being packed up and shipped to Walt Disney World where it will once again grace Main Street. The parade is set to remain in Florida at least through the summer, but I don't expect it back at California Adventures anytime soon.

As I watched the parade last night I couldn't help but reminisce about my childhood, when the parade was on Main Street at Disneyland. The parade looked much like I remember it back in the 90's, while I sat on my dad's shoulders watching floats covered with thousands of twinkling lights, an experience only Disney could produce. While I was watching the parade I couldn't help but take pictures of the beloved floats, and uploaded one of them onto Twitter. Then I realized what I was doing, I was watching most of the parade through a camera.

In the age of social media it is no surprise that people are taking more pictures now than ever before, especially since having a cell phone almost always means having a camera. People are quick to share their pictures with the world, and often want to capture every exciting detail. What we fail to realize is that the moment is passing us by; while we are busy trying to hold the camera still we are losing the memory. Sure a photograph will capture a moment in time, but that's all, a picture won't laugh with you, and after a while the people who were so eager to pose for the camera will seem like strangers.

So what I propose is that we live our lives now, and not worry about capturing every moment with a camera, but enjoying every minute. I promise everything looks better without the camera lens.

Worst day EVER!

So where have I been for the last week and a half? I was hit by a car….no, really. I was riding my bike back to my apartment on Friday after class, when I was struck by a car who failed to look both ways before turning. That’s really all there is to it, but I see the images over and over again in my head like a broken movie reel. Unfortunately for me there is no off button. I then of course had the added pain of having to call my parents and let them know what happened. I don’t believe any parent ever wants to hear their child start the conversation with, “I want you to know I’m okay, but…” Other than being shaken up, my only other immediate injury was a swollen left foot. In any rate, I was persuaded by both my Mom and Dad to have x-rays taken of my foot, so off to the ER I went.

To say I had difficulty walking would be an understatement. The majority of the bruising and swelling on my foot was near my two smallest toes, and I also had severe pain in my heel. After sitting and waiting for a while, I was finally taken to a room, where I sat and waited some more. After being evaluated by the ER doctor, who by the way didn’t look much older than I, the x-ray lady brought the machine bedside and took five x-rays*. I sat and waited for a while more, before a police officer arrived to take an incident report. Shortly after that I was pleased to hear that my foot was not broken BUT there was a possibility of tendon damage. Unfortunately I don’t think tendons repair themselves the way bones do, so let’s hope there is no permanent damage. The doctor wrote me an orthopedic referral and I continued to sit and wait for the release paperwork. After spending four hours in the ER I was finally released. In those four short hours, I would like to say that I found the problem with emergency care in the US, (drum roll please) the majority of the time in the ER is spent sitting and waiting. I'm aware this is not a new observation.

Overall I’m fine, and the extent of my injury was nothing more than soreness, a swollen foot and bruises. I am unable to take a picture of my foot that does my injury justice, but let me assure you it looks a lot worse in person. Also, those "shadows" in the picture are not shadows at all, I have a huge bruise on the entire left side of my foot. I feel fortunate, I know my injuries could have been so much worse. On a side note I’d like to point out that I don’t remember x-rays involving peeing in a cup, which was a horrible experience, but I’ll spare you all the details.

Oh my bike! My beautiful Paul Frank beach cruiser, which cost my dad more than anyone should ever pay for a bike, was slightly damaged in the crash (my bike looks very similar to the picture, only that my handle bars are chrome not black). When I got up off the street, I picked up my bike and the handle bars and front wheel were no longer facing the same direction. Luckily, Sam was able to fix the handle bars, but the wheel was bent beyond repair. It looked like the bicycle wheels in cartoons after a crash. I didn’t look at the likely new scratches and dents on the bike but I doubt it will be long before I spot them. I’d be lying if I said that I was not a little frightened about the idea of riding my bike to class tomorrow.

*I befriended the x-ray technichian, and she was nice enough to burn me a copy of the x-rays onto a cd. This apparently is unheard of. Anyways, those images are my actual x-rays.

Earthquake shakes up Baja, Imperial County

Happy Easter? I was having lunch in Anaheim yesterday celebrating the end of Lent with a mouthwatering mushroom swiss burger (oh how I missed hamburgers), when a small earthquake decided to crash the party. The small tremor provided Sam and I with a long steady shake; I enjoyed the small jolt and continued with my meal not giving the ‘quake a second thought. A few minutes later a man with his family sitting at the table next to us said, “Wow, a 6.9 earthquake hit Mexicali.” My heart literally stopped. I know Mexicali; in fact Mexicali is right across the border from my hometown. I then went into a panic and was desperate to get a hold of any of my family members. I was fortunate enough to reach my brother right away and he assured me that he and all of my family celebrating Easter Sunday at my aunt’s house were ok. Right after that call I was able to reach my dad who informed me that he and my grandfather were okay as well. The assurance of their safety was enough to ease my mind, until I started watching the news…

I have talked to them twice since then, and what they tell me does not match up to news stories. Overall, the cities involved fared well against this large ‘quake. My grandpa tells me the biggest damage came from broke windows in the downtown area, a few broken gas lines, and some cracks in the road. There have been over a hundred aftershocks since the earthquake, but after a 7.2 earthquake, a 5.1 aftershock hardly seems unbearable. I read today that Calexico has declared a state of emergency, with various power outages and broken water lines. If this is true, my house has not been greatly affected. Reports also call Calexico a city with 22,000 people. Where? I’ve lived there all my life and would never have thought the town was so populated. Calexico, CA, a town of little consequence to anyone except those who live there has been thrusted into the mass media. Enjoy your 15 minutes Calexico; I’m glad to hear everyone is okay.

I had planned on going home this past weekend, but expecting a lot of traffic coming back to LA on Sunday I decided not to. Part of me wishes I had, I would like to see all the damage first hand, been able to have taken pictures. It is strange, however, that all over the news there are pictures of Calexico, my hometown which I draw maps to, because apparently no one in California had heard of the Imperial Valley. Two hours east of San Diego, is the common direction given, and now this, a 7.2 earthquake.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that the small ‘quake I felt in Anaheim would have had its’ epicenter just outside of Mexicali.

Word Vomit - update

After having a day to reflect, and receiving an email from said middle aged person, I would like to add:
You never cease to surprise me with your pompous tone and self important manner of speaking. Get over yourself.

Word Vomit

CAUTION: the following post is rated PG-13 for language and girlish attitude (Haha watch PPP in Wizard Swears)

It has been awhile since something has prompted me to rant in sheer anger. In my last edition of word vomit, I spoke against the attitude and behavior of a certain person, whom, to my satisfaction as well has others, has improved dramatically. But that's water under the bridge...this is not.

I would very much appreciate if certain middle aged people would keep their extremely large nose out of other people's business. From the moment I met you I knew you were going to be a pain in the ass and I was right. It was bad enough before, but believe me you have elevated annoyance/ignorance to a whole new level. How dare you tell me that I should pursue certain job opportunities because of my ethnicity, even after I clearly conveyed to you that I had no interest in such work. Is it really my fault you don't speak a second language, or that your "experience" is not wanted? Then after realizing I was serious in my convictions, you go behind my back and tattle on me to the director. You pretentious bitch. I recommend you go back to your beach house, continue living off your husband and stay the hell away from me!

Long road ahead

I drove back to LA last night after spending the weekend at home and early in my nearly four hour drive I found an annoyance, a black van! I began listening to my iPod almost immediately since there is not a decent radio station to listen to for 90 miles. I have a Monster iCarPlay transmitter for my iPod, which like other FM transmitters uses a radio frequency to transmit the iPod music through the car speakers. Aside from all the cars driving excessively fast, I was happily singing along to Dashboard Confession; that is until I was interrupted by Barney, the purple dinosaur!

I notice that the black van next to me had a car DVD player, where I'm assuming toddlers were watching Barney & Friends. I was surprised by two things (1) that children still enjoy Barney and (2) that Barney is still on the air! Barney would not have bothered me so much if he had not interrupted Chris Carrabba singing Vindicated (theme to Spider-Man 2), but alas it did. From that point on I engaged in a quiet battle with the black van. Whenever I would pass the van in an attempt to avoid static and Barney's moral stories, 5-10 minutes later my friend was right next to me. There was a point where I thought I had got rid of that 'ol van for good, because I saw the van pass me going about 85mph and if he/she continued at that speed our paths would no longer meet. But there was a checkpoint , and can you guess what vehicle was a car ahead of me....the black van.

I suppose I could have changed my iPod's frequency, driven either extremely slow or excessively faster to avoid my van nemesis, but I did not. Although I was upset by the interruptions Barney & Friends bestowed upon me and Chris, it was sort of a game, although I might have been the only one playing it. At first the interruptions irritated me, and I cursed the the invention of car DVD players, and parent's unimaginative nature in once again using a screen as a babysitter (actually I really like the ideas of car DVD players and I'll be sure to get one!). But after awhile I found the humor in it all, especially when Screaming Infidelities was interrupted by the I Love You song. Perhaps black van, we'll meet again someday, and I'll be ready.

Yes I'm aware I havent updated in three weeks, and let me be the first to say that I feel extremely guilty! I apologize. In those three weeks I've had my Spring Break (nothing eventful), a week of unfortunate events, and incredibily busy days. I've noticed that since I started my internship I have lost any desire for productivity after work hours, which is unfortunate considering I still have classes to attend. I'm sure that this in time will pass but until then I must I will apptempt to keep up with homework, class, and work. Welcome to grad school...

Priorities

It appears to me I have my priorities all screwed up. I believe I'm supposed to do my homework before everything else, this however is not the case. In fact my homework is probably pretty low on my priorities list, unless of course it is due the following day, and even then I always push it 'til the very end. For instance right now I should be doing an assignment that is due tomorrow, which critiques a psychology article, but instead I'm writing this post. Before that I believed it necessary to tweet something frivolous, and after I'm done here I will probably watch a movie. BUT these are all necessary steps I take towards completing my homework. I will probably post again before the night is through.

Top 5 sporting event annoyances

Today I watched the Anaheim Ducks play in a disappointing loss to the Montreal Canadiens that ended in a shootout (final score 4-3). While I was there I realized/remembered what I hate about sporting events, here's my list:

1. People sitting in incorrect seats - especially when you give you a look of, 'oh you're here.'

2. Delays in play due to advertising stupidity - the average football game is about four hours long, with only 11 minutes of play. I understand that advertising pays for everything, but move it along.

3. Small steep steps - having bought the tickets rather late we ended up sitting way on top (honestly for a hockey game, there are no bad seats) so I climbed my fair share of steps. Dangerous.

4. Leaving before the game is over - There is nothing worse than missing the last part of the game because you want to 'beat traffic,' and as soon as you leave the team has a miraculous come back. Equally, people leaving the game because their team is losing, ugh fair weather fans...

5. Amount of time it takes to empty the stadium - It took less than 10 minutes to empty the Roman Coliseum back in its' day; apparently we've learned nothing in the nearly 2,000 years since it was built.

(6.*) Having your team loose - This is self explanatory.

*Obvious annoyance, I believe everyone shares, so

Grade check

The one thing that I've learned after eighteen years of schooling is that grades are arbitrary.  There was a time when I was consumed by the whole notion of a 4.0, but having earned plenty, it is no longer my biggest priority. I can say that I am/was a parents dream. I learned how to talk and read at an early age, was always praised by teachers, avidly played sports, never was a disciplinary problem, and most importantly I got excellent grades. But although my parents were happy with my grades, they saw how much pressure I placed on myself. School has always been easy for me, but unfortunately I am a perfectionist, and therefore good could always always be better. However one day a couple of years ago I had an epiphany, good is good, and being okay with good is okay (haha what a sentence!). My personality will not allow me to completely disregard grades BUT I have been relieved of truck loads of stress by not being preoccupied with them.

There's a formula for getting good grades, and it's simple...please the teacher. Whether you agree with the assignment or not, do it the way they want/like it. I think I will become a professor someday and have the power of assigning irrelevant projects, then grade them without any rhyme or reason. That will be my revenge.

I do wish someone would have told me about the grade thing sooner, but I probably would not have listened. I think it's one of those things that everyone has to learn for his/her self.

Where a kid can be a kid

I can say (now) that I will always be a kid at heart. I love watching cartoons, I love to explore, I love playing video games. So it's not surprise that I like to go to Chuck E. Cheese. One of my favorite memories happened last year when my Dad, brother and I went to Chuck E. Cheese in San Diego and stayed for over two hours. It reminded me being a kid and bothering my Dad for more tokens.

This weekend, I met up with my cousins at Chuck E. Cheese (they are all under the age of 10 so it's not strange for them to be there). I forgot how much fun I have there. One of the last times I went to Chuck E. Cheese with my boyfriend, Sam, was about two years ago. The person at the entrance wanted to stamp me; apparently I looked very young.

There is something about the pizza and game combination that will always be nostalgic to me. I've tried to grow out this beloved children's themed restaurant, but not no avail. I tried D&B a couple of times, which is essentially a Chuck E. Cheese of adults, but I still prefer the original. Thinking about it now, I would not have minded going to Chuck E. Cheese for Valentines day. Sam took me to Outback, because seriously who doesn't love a good steak? But none the less, we could exchanged the difference in tokens. It's a thought...

Commercial break

It is no secret that advertisements are everywhere. On any given day the average American is targeted by 3,000 advertisements and the majority of these advertisements come from television. For the most part, everyone watches TV so everyone watches commercials. Television commercials are often a topic of conversation at social gatherings, everyone has an opinion on commercials. Here is my list of noteworthy ads.

1. Nike: The Human Chain


This commercial recently came debuted along with a string of Olympic inspired advertisements. I love this commercial. The effects are nothing new, but when combined with appropriate scenes and touching music the message is powerful. This is exactly what playing sports is all about!



2. Coca-Cola: Heist


This is such a cute commercial. The idea that insects are so ingenuitive in how they steal a bottle of Coke is so novel; it's no surprise this commercial reminds me of A  Bug's Life. Also the imagery reminds me of Thomas Kinkade. I especially loved how the butterflies formed a temporary Coke bottle to fool the sleeping guy.



3. Dove: Evolution


This ad really shows why our idea of beauty is so distorted. Not even models look good enough to be used in print ads.


4. California: Find yourself here


I really like this travel commercial. If I didn't already live in California I would definitely want to visit. This commercial shows how fun California can be...no wonder the state is in an economic crisis.



5. Sour Patch Kids: Sour then sweet


Since sour patch kids are one of my favorite candies I thought I'd comment on their 'sour then sweet' commercials. I'm sorry if a red gummy cut off my hair, I would not forgive it, I'd pick it up and bite its' eye off. Anyway, because this commercial evokes such strong emotion in me I decided to add it.

Chili-ing with McDonald's new sweet chili sauce

Last night on my way back to LA, my boyfriend and I stopped at a McDonald's where I tried the limited time sweet chili sauce. I was a little apprehensive at first, after hearing my brother rave about this new mcnugget dipping sauce, but decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised, and am reluctant to admit that my brother was right; the new sweet chili sauce makes the chicken mcnuggets taste like orange chicken.The sauce isn't like anything currently at McDonald's, although perhaps they used the sweet&sour dipping sauce as a base. Unfortunately the new sauce will only be available throughout the duration of the Olympics. Perhaps I'll stock up...

I hope this post satisfies the person whom requested I write about the new McDonald's sweet chili sauce. He was even gracious enough to supply the title for me.

I love LA

I have come to find that I love LA. No I don't love the traffic, no I don't love the crime (unfortunately USC is in a sketchy area, to say the least), no I don't love the fast pace, I love the food. Los Angeles, the second largest city in the USA, is full of diverse cultures. In this city I've eaten some great, and not so great food, my favorite is probably ramen from Orochon Ramen, but I'm willing to try almost anything. Yesterday I ate lunch at La Salsa, which is basically a fast food Mexican grill; I hadn't eaten there in years. I know this is going to confirm stereotypes but I love Mexican food! When I came to USC, I never thought I would miss the stuff, but I do. At home I rarely, if ever, eat Mexican food, and since my grandma passed away no one makes any. Since I can't eat the homemade stuff, there is nothing like going across the border and eating carne asada tacos, that is if you don't mind waiting in line for about an hour to come back to the US. I can't say I've eaten very much Mexican food here in LA, to be honest, I'm scared of being disappointed.  What I've noticed is that every restaurant likes to cook food from a different region, I like my grandma's own made up region.

I do have to say that I can't stand cheese on a taco or burrito, I really don't know why anyone would do this, but burritos are American creations. I could really go for some tacos right now, but since today is Thursday, it doesn't matter in the slightest. I'm eating soup :)

Road Rage

I read an article today about some of the consequences that come with using a cell phone while driving. The federal government is creating an educational campaign against "distracted driving," reinforced by an array of new state laws against texting or talking on a cell phone while driving. Some penalize the behavior; others even criminalize it. I think it is safe to say that if you have a drivers license, you are guilty of having talked on a cell phone while driving; this is especially true if you got your license before the cell phone ban in 2008. Well I'm definitely unable to kick the habit. Driving a car has not prevented me from answering a call, nor has has it prevented me from texting or tweeting occasionally. I read another article recently which stated that a cell phone is not more distracting than eating, changing a cd (oh wow, I don't even use cds anymore), looking at scenery, etc. Funny enough, I can't remember ever eating while driving, or changing a cd, so I have no experience as to how distracting those activities are. But for the record I don't find talking on a cell phone distracting. A few months ago I read another article which stated that holding a cell phone isn't distracting, what's distracting is the actual conversation. This got me thinking, how is a cell phone conversation any different than a conversation with a passenger? I've been in my far share of cars with "lively" people, and would have to say that there is no way a cell phone conversation is more distracting than a chatty passenger.

On a lighter note, the weather today was typical of a California spring day, the only problem is that it's winter. So today after class when I opened the door to my room, and it was horribly warm. I decided to turn on my ceiling fan, but since the fan doesnt have extentions to the light and fan switches I had to stand on a chair. Unfortunately, the only chair I have is my desk chair, which has wheels and spins. I stepped onto the chair, but somehow the momentum caused me to spin around, and since I have nothing near by to stop myself I felt I was on an episode of Double Dare, minus the slime. I think I spun around at least twice before I was able to turn the fan to the setting I wanted.

Entering the workforce

I am actually very nervous about starting my internship tomorrow. I drove up to LA alone today for the very first time, in a new car none the less. I wasn't as paranoid as I thought I'd be, and after half an hour I found that I could enjoy the solitude quite cheerfully. I also parallel parked for the first time, with no problem what so ever. I have come to the conclusion that if I have confidence in myself, I can accomplish anything (I've come to this conclusion before but always seem to forget).

I decided to drive up during the Super Bowl, why you ask? I don't like the Super Bowl, it is over hyped and has been disappointing in recent years. That how ever is not the primary reason, I love football, but this is a day when people who never watch football decided to start. It is like not going to church all year long but attending Christmas and Easter mass, it just seems so hypocritical.

Today my boyfriend finally gave me my Christmas present. It really is my fault, because I had wanted a coat at the time and was determined to get it here in LA. By the time we came back after the holidays, I had changed my mind. After I got my car two days ago, I knew that I wanted a TomTom, which coincidentally enough I gave him for Christmas.

I really should go to sleep now, tomorrow I face LA traffic for the first time.

Movie magic

It is no secret I love movies; I spend most of my day streaming movies and tv shows from Netflix. I will watch any type of movie, but I will say that I'm particular when it comes to rating them. I can not explain it, I know what I like and I know what I don't.

Here is a list of my top 25 movies (rated 5 stars) on Netflix. They are in no particular order.

1. Up (but essentially every Pixar movie, with the exception of the Incredibles)
2. The Counterfeiters (True German film)
3. Downfall (this movie compelled me to take German for a semester! I love WWII)
4. Alice in Wonderland (but essentially every Disney movie)
5. Austin Powers trilogy
6. Ballet Shoes
7. The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas
8. Empire of the Sun (a little on the long side, but well worth it)
9. Rocky series (I LOVE Rocky! Rocky IV is by far my favorite)
10. Halloween franchise (John Carpenter not Rob Zombie, excluding 3 and 8)
11. Bridge to Terabithia (I read the book first and literally cried)
12. Bridget Jones's Diary (including the sequel. I am like Bridget in so many ways)
13. Defiance (let me start by saying that I absolutely LOVE Liev Schreiber)
14. Harry Potter series (November is coming soon right?)
15. Pride & Prejudice (BBC '95 version, oh Colin Firth <3)
16. The Prestige (I wanted to rewatch this movie as soon as it was finished)
17. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Gene Wilder was great in this film)
18. 27 Dresses
19. Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter is arguably the best villain ever!)
20. Million Dollar Baby (pretty much any movie Clint Eastwood directs)
21. Hearts in Atlantis (I will watch any movie with Anthony Hopkins)
22. 300
23. Airplane!
24. The Joy Luck Club (what a great book, equally good movie)
25. My Best Friends Wedding (I can understand how this would feel)

I did not anticipate how difficult this was going to be! I started off only wanting to list 20 movies but ended up with 30 before I stopped myself, so naturally I settled on 25. There are so many more movies I would like to add, but that would be an excessively long list. I am satisfied with this list, so there it is.

Pass the Ketchup

I love ketchup. I'm the type of person who puts ketchup, on their ketchup. I especially love Heinz ketchup, and in my eyes there is no other ketchup brand. I just saw a MSN video introducing the new Heinz ketchup package.This new packet, which gives you the option of squeezing out its contents or use it for dipping is in my opinion one of the most ingenious ideas in a long time. The new packets are set to come out this fall, and I cant wait! I am sure that other brands will soon follow, but this will not take away from the fact that Heinz revolutionized those annoying ketchup packets.

Thanks, but no thanks

Today I went to IHOP to go eat breakfast with my mom. We were seated and given the menu, and then I saw it...IHOP places the calories of each item next to the description. I thought this was an ingenious idea, especially everyone watching their calorie intake. As I continued looking through the menu I saw a problem, I was conscious of the calories and was having a difficult time making up my mind. I really went in with the intention of getting a mushroom and spinach omelette; it ranged between 980-1800 calories, which is half or all of your recommended daily caloric intake. The best item on the menu? was of course the pancakes, excluding their new your cheesecake pancakes (1270 calories). I however don't really like IHOP, but had no say in the matter. I am curious to know how others feel about this.

So IHOP I applaud you on your efforts towards a healthy America, but I think it would be a good idea to make your selections healthier, before you divulge their calorie count.

I joined the 21st century

I have joined modern society. Yesterday I got a Twitter account, but I am not sure how this will work out. I sort of feel like a sell out, joining mainstream society and their tweets, but you know what? I love it. I like telling people what I'm doing, as egocentric as it may be,  maybe someone wants to know. My favorite thing about Twitter is my background, which matches my blog. The coordination of the two was importance to me, and was the highlight of my day when I achieved it...I know, I'm a dork. So until something better comes along, I will continue to keep on tweeting, pretending that someone somewhere is reading it.

I still refuse to get a facebook, for reasons only known to me (it was a crazy roommate, obsessed with facebook). But I feel that too coming to an end, until then I will hold off on becoming part of the facebook network.

Oh yeah...please feel free to follow me on twitter :)

Pepsi Challenge

I would like to start by saying that I prefer Coke, but do not object to drinking Pepsi. This weekend, I took an unofficial Pepsi challenge which pinned the current Pepsi against the recently introduced Pepsi Throwback. I never go to the grocery store with the intention of buying Pepsi, but I was intrigued by this particular angle, real sugar. Pepsi Throwback uses real sugar as a sweetener, and not the recently shunned high fructose corn syrup. This is a revolutionary concept for me, since major soft drink brands stopped using real sugar in the early to mid 80's, before I was born. The Throwback can looks retro, and uses the original Pepsi logo and color scheme. The soda was poured into glasses for me, so I would not have any knowledge as to which soda was which. The color was the same and so was the smell (yes, I smelled soda). When I tasted both, it was evident that one soda was significantly sweeter than the other, but which? I chose Pepsi Throwback as the sweeter one and was correct. After the "challenge" I decided to look at the nutritional facts and was surprised, Pepsi Throwback, the sweeter one, actually has a gram less sugar than regular Pepsi.

Pepsi: Calories 150, Sodium 30mg, Total Carbs 41g, Sugar 41g
Pepsi Throwback: Calories 150, Sodium 40mg, Total Carbs 40g, Sugar 40g

My next challenge, how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop?

Books, and Movies, and Jobs, Oh My!

I spent about five hours this weekend at Barnes & Noble. I am a particular sort of reader, and scarcely buy books I have not read. I will however buy books I have read, so I can reread them over and over again. This weekend however I broke my rule and bought two books I have never read and a reference type book. The two fiction books I bought were both written by Lois Lowry whom in my opinion is a very compelling author. I have read two other books written by her and could not put them down, so in this regard I knew she would not let me down.

I watched two movies this weekend, and I would only recommend one.

Book of Eli: This end of civilization type film was rather odd. The film reminded me of I am Legend, not as good. The overall story line was okay, but I found myself checking my watch multiple times during this film. One question I did have was why Denzel Washington was walking through the desert with layers of clothing without breaking a sweat once? The end of the movie was a little unexpected but made me question scenes throughout the entire movie. Again, like Daybreakers, I think this could have been an okay rental but I definitely regret paying to watch it in theaters. Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating of 45%.

Avatar: This movie which is a box office sensation, was not so favorably reviewed with me. I need to start by saying that the visual aspects of this movie were amazing (IMAX 3D didn't hurt either), I particularly liked that fluorescent forest. Perhaps my opinion on this movie is skewed. Before I watched this movie, it had been out over a month; all I heard were praises of how amazing this movie was. The majority of these praises came from men, which leads me to believe that they were biased by the graphics than the storyline itself. The truth could be that I was expecting the best movie I ever saw. I am really not sure about the reasons for my less than positive review. I did see similarities between Avatar and Pocahontas, but that is not exclusive to me, I had read an article on that topic a week before. I am not the only one who feels this way, Rotten Tomatoes itself said that 'It might be more impressive on a technical level than as a piece of storytelling' and although I do not always agree with this critic website, I do agree with this particular rating and comment. Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating of 82%.

Yesterday I had an interview and am pleased to inform that I have a real job...kinda. It is an unpaid internship, with a well known company.

I think that's all I will share for now