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Random thoughts

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Dark Chocolate Peanut M&Ms?!

I was just reading Angela's blog, and in it she announces what feels like the best news I've ever heard in recent days. I could almost hear angels singing in the background while I read her post. They've started making dark chocolate peanut M&Ms!

First of all, I love peanut M&Ms - it's the only kind I eat. I actually had three greedy handfuls this morning, for my morning snack. I put the M&Ms in a small sandwich Ziplock bag, and headed out the door. It takes less than ten minutes from my house to the place I work, and a little over halfway through my drive, the M&Ms were gone.

And then of course dark chocolate has always been my preference. Put it this way: everytime someone gives chocolates as a gift, the dark chocolates are always mine. No one dares to touch it at home. Haha! I'm kidding, but it's somewhat true though that the dark kind, everyone usually saves for me.

So peanut M&Ms + dark chocolate = a very happy me on an extremely serious sugar high. Joedie said it will be in stores April 1, so you know I'll be at Ralph's first thing in the morning that day, like a druggie craving his weed.

Now I wonder when they're bringing dark chocolate KitKats to the US? I think they only have this in Canada. Hey KitKat people, there's demand here too!

Cathy's Movies To Watch

I've been browsing the trailers in the Apple Quicktime website; here is my list:

1. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I've read almost all the books in this series, so I'm really excited about how they'll translate the story onto the screen.
2. Sin City. Star-studded!
3. Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. Just because I watched the first one, and just because it's Rob Schneider.
4. Kicking and Screaming. Saw the trailer, and it looks hilarious!
5. Winter Solstice. Has that quirky vibe to it that I like.
6. Robots. From the makers of Ice Age.
7. A Lot Like Love.
8. A Scanner Darkly. I can't find the official site (too lazy to search), but the graphics in the trailer look cool.
9. Kingdom of Heaven. I love epic movies like this, especially if it involves medieval war scenes.
10. Bigger Than The Sky. Another quirky one.

There's still a lot of old ones that I missed though, and I'm still trying to catch up. Just recently, I watched Big Fish, and I loved it! But I still have a long ways to go before I get myself up-to-date with these movies.

Monday, March 28, 2005

Gadget Addiction

Man, getting an iPod has really screwed up my sleeping habits. Last night, I was up till almost midnight fixing my mp3s and importing more CDs into my iTunes so I could load my iPod with as much music as I could. I have 4.2 days worth of music, but there's so much more space and I feel pressured to fill it up. I've been borrowing CDs like crazy, although I still make sure I only put in the music that I really like.

Still on the seemingly never-ending quest to find the perfect sport case for my iPod. There's not a lot of options out there for the 60GB yet, but I think I might just have to get the iSkin evo2, which will supposedly fit mine.

I'm gearing up to get a new phone as well, and I've asked so many people for advice. I'm switching carriers so I have a lot of options, but I've narrowed it down to just three:

1. Motorola Razr. Jodee says it's well-built, has the features I want and more, and is totally hot (his words, not mine ). Andoni on the other hand says that it breaks easily. But the guy who works for Motorola probably knows better, right?
2. Nokia 6230. Andoni's recommendation. Poor guy, he actually just got this phone and then he accidentally flushed it down the toilet.
3. Nokia 6620. Jodee's first choice, out of all the Nokia ones I had originally picked out. Kind of big though, but it has a better camera.

Dilemma, dilemma.

You don't like me? I don't like you either.

Ever come across someone who, no matter how you try to befriend, he/she just remains aloof somehow? I can't seem to find the defrost button on some people I've met just recently. It's so weird because there are days when they're lukewarm, almost friendly, but then there are days when you can practically cut the awkwardness in the air. What is up with that?

Also, do you remember when you first met the person who is your best friend now? What was that defining moment when you finally said, "Wow, I can really get along with this person, and I want to spend more time with him/her."? When did you get past the small talk?

Small talk, by the way, is a necessary evil for me. I don't much care for it, but I know that it needs to happen in order for me to meet new people. But when does it stop? I feel so restless and impatient, because I feel like reaching out more to certain people I've met, yet I just don't know how well-received I'll be.

Pathetic, isn't it? But, for how shy I am, I really treasure the company of people; it's important for me to have friends in my support system. Otherwise, I just become too much of a hermit, and find myself with no one to do things with. But wait, that's not even the issue because I have a good number of friends here - it's just that there are still those people I'm in "small-talk" relationships with, and I hate it. I can't wait for these connections to move ahead into something more comfortable.

Sunday, March 27, 2005

Push

Lately I've been feeling a little uneasy about certain things, and when I get careless, I find myself getting lost in thought and losing track of time. It's been more of an effort to push myself into doing things to forget what I inevitably start to think about when I'm alone.

I find myself trying to create some semblance of what I had before, but I know I might just be kidding myself. So I try to push myself to move out of my routine, in the hopes that maybe this will put me in a situation that will bring me satisfaction and peace.

Truth is, I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm foraging ahead but I don't know if I'm making mistakes on the way. I only hope that somehow I get to the same outcome that was meant for me.

Please Deflate Me

This is the most bloated I've ever felt in ages. My day started pretty much the same, but after the Easter service at St. Monica's, I went on to gorge myself on pancakes, waffles, an omelet and two kinds of dessert at Cafe Bizou. And I had two full glasses of wine, a glass of OJ and some tea. Geez! I probably looked like I was scared to starve to death or something. I guess I have to put in some extra time on the stair machine tomorrow.

I find that the main requirement in climbing better seems to be keeping your weight down, so I've really been trying to watch what I eat. I can see the difference - when I've been eating badly, and I try to climb, I'm not nearly as effective as when I eat healthy. Not to say that I regress, but I just have an easier time pulling myself up on the wall. Also, as one of my friends who came to visit pointed out, everyone at the gym looks like they're underweight. Haha!

Got an invite to go out to New Jack today, but as it's Easter, I had to say no. I'm so envious though - I've never been to New Jack but I've seen photos of it, courtesy of Jean-Michel, and it just looks beautiful. I hope Mike agrees to go there again next weekend, or sometime in the near future.

Friday, March 25, 2005

Communicate Hope

Just came from the Good Friday service at St. Monica's, and the main message of the homily was pretty good: Communicate hope. This comes at a time when I am trying to have hope in my life, and at the same time trying to give hope and support to someone else. It was a pretty good feeling to sit and listen to the sermon; it was like an affirmation or encouragement that somehow what I'm doing is right.

Thursday, March 24, 2005

Punk'd!

Zach Braff was Punk'd recently, and it was hilarious but at the same time painful for me to watch him lose his temper. But goshdarnit, he's still babelicious even when he's angry.

This is what he says in his blog about the experience:
Yes it's true. I got Punk'd bad. I've been meaning to write about it for sometime, but I wasn't allowed to talk about it until it aired. It was a very disturbing sight to see my brand new car covered in graffiti. I'm pretty sure I'd do the exact same thing again. For those of you that don't understand, maybe it's a Jersey thing or something. I don't have too many alpha male qualities (I went to theater camp for God's sake) but growing up in Jersey, me and my buddies always loved cars. Hurting a nice one is sacrilegious. All I can think about now is plotting my revenge on Donald Faison. It consumes me. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night just to jot down good ideas. I'm open to any and all suggestions.

A Day In The Valley

Took the day off today and did work for myself, for a change. It was refreshing not to have to rush to work in the morning and worry about all the trivial things I have to do. I feel like I accomplished a lot - I was able to arrange my papers for passport renewal, and I met with my lawyer to discuss a few visa issues. It felt like the most productive day I've ever had in a long time.

John had given me a gift certificate to an Italian restaurant in Toluca Lake, so Marc and I headed over there to sample their menu. The restaurant is called Ca' del Sole, and their food was pretty good. The ambiance was a little homey, but it seemed really popular. We got there kind of early, and the place was empty, but when we left, it was close to full capacity. So if you ever find yourself in the Toluca Lake area, you know where you can go.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Goodbye, Terri

What is up with all these people wanting to keep Terri Schiavo alive?

Okay, that probably sounds really morbid and inhumane, but Terri herself said she didn't want to be kept alive, so why do otherwise? The woman is a vegetable, and is barely living anyway. Sure, with therapy they can probably bring some parts of her brain back to a semi-normal state, but how long will that take, and when it happens, then what? You know she can't be brought back 100% anyway.

What I would do if I were in her parents' shoes would be to go in her room, talk to her, tell her everything they'd ever wanted to tell her, then finally say "I love you", kiss her, shed tears, and then let go. Why prolong the agony? Death is inevitable, and a life is only a waste if someone perfectly healthy and very much alive commits suicide. But this is a woman who is barely functioning.

I don't know. I guess if I was in Terri's shoes, I'd want to just save everyone the misery. My death (okay, God, this is hypothetical, alright?) would be the start of my family's closure, and I'd want them to get on with their lives. I don't want them to be constantly holding their breath, waking up each day with that sorrow in their minds. My death would relieve them of the burden and would stop giving them false hope, and then they can find joy in other things. Why let them hold on?

So, people, you know what to do if I ever become another Terri. For heaven's sake, don't drag it to court, and don't make me a public spectacle! Just let me go, and everything will be alright. Deal?

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Wretched Rain

Damn this weather. It's raining like hell outside, and I feel so unmotivated to do anything. I was planning on spending the whole night tidying up, but the cold weather just makes me want to curl up on the sofa and watch TV, hot chocolate in hand. And yes, this is probably what I'm going to do. Screw the paperwork!

I did however finish my taxes, and that's one thing to be happy about. Tax refunds are great, it's like winning the lottery, because you get money that you didn't think you'd have. Of course, getting a tax refund usually also means you don't make that much, so in some twisted sort of way, I'm hoping to finally get to the point when I do have to pay.

Okay, typing is too much work for this kind of rain. Back to the couch.

Who Are The People In Your Neighborhood?

I've been asked this question before: What are your requirements before moving into a neighborhood?

I thought this over today (yep, not much to do haha) and came up with this list (this is in no particular order):

1. Trader Joe's
2. Whole Foods, or any cool store selling organic and healthy stuff
3. A place to climb
4. A gym to do cardio and lift weights
5. A place like the 3rd Street promenade
6. Eclectic mix of restaurants
7. A cafe where it's okay to hang out by myself
8. An indie film theatre
9. A regular theatre
10. Drugstore
11. A regular grocery store (Ralph's, Vons, whatever)
12. Nice people

Hmmm. This sounds suspiciously like where I'm living now.

I do love living in this area, it's such a blast, and the people are great. Now I know why people who live on the westside never seem to want to move. I don't! No matter where my career/work takes me, I know if I were to pick a permanent place to be, it would be here. Or in a place very similar. Or France. But I'm dreaming now.

Kelly Green

I was driving to work this morning when I saw a girl crossing the street. She was wearing a black tank top, black pants, and she had a kelly green sweater tied around her waist. The first thought in my head was, "That's a great ensemble."

Then I stopped. Kelly green's been around for the longest time, it's not like I haven't seen that shade before. So how come I've only admired it now? Is it because of the magazine article I read not too long ago that kelly green is the "in" color now? Man, modern media has really gotten to me. Damn those glossies.

Actually, I'm cancelling most of the magazine subscriptions, save for the following:
1. Fitness
2. Outside (haven't actually subscribed yet, but I will)
3. Real Simple (I think mine already expired, but I probably will re-subscribe)

So, no more of these:
1. In Style
2. Shop
3. Los Angeles
4. Jane
5. Lucky

Don't get me wrong, they're good magazines. But, for example, I have no desire to read about tank tops that cost $200 and upwards. If I get into a mood, maybe I'll grab a copy from the local drugstore, but I don't want to be reminded every month of how ridiculous some of these prices are. And they make it look so enticing, so sometimes temptation reels me in! They're evil!

Monday, March 21, 2005

I Was There!

Bored out of my mind, and when I went to check the missed connections listings, this is what I found:

Banff Film Festival - m4w - 35

You sat directly in front of me and one seat over, long brown hair, beautiful eyes, and a green sweater. Me, tall, sitting with two girls (friends!!!!). Madly kicking myself for not saying hi.

Ooh! Now I'm trying to jog my memory, if I saw a girl wearing a green sweater anywhere around me. This is juicy! Of course, this post may have been for the Saturday night showing (I went Friday), but it's exciting anyway. I hope the girl replies!

Sunday, March 20, 2005

Alone Across Australia

Picture of Jon Muir while crossing Australia with his dog Seraphine (who died towards the end of the journey, sniff)

The Banff Mountain Film Festival

Friday, Marc and I went to the first night of the Banff Mountain Film Festival 2005. It felt a little bit like being at the climbing gym because when we got there, we saw most of the climbers that we knew. We actually all sat together and took up about three full rows total. It sort of reminded me of college too, when we used to go in big groups to watch movies at the theatre.

The films they showed were amazing - ice climbing, extreme skiing/snowboarding, a disabled person getting back on the rocks (I was cringing the whole time because he had lost his arms and they showed him trying to climb with the stumps that were left), base jumping, bike stunts (which I didn't really care for), even a funny little cartoon that left us all laughing out loud, and best of all, a film about adventurer Jon Muir's 128-day hike across Australia.

That last one stood out among the other films because the audience could follow the emotional and mental progression as well as the progression of his hike, and Jon Muir had the most wonderful insights while he was traveling Australia on foot. I suppose subjecting yourself to that kind of hardship will give you a better appreciation of the life that you're coming back to once it's already over. Jon Muir certainly gave light to all the things that we take for granted.
During the 128 days he spent crossing the Australian continent in 2001, Jon Muir lived on small amounts of rice, flour, muesli, supplemented by whatever he could shoot, catch, or forage. Along the 2500-kilometre walk, he ate termites, bull rush greens, wild duck, dried lizard, a piece of a dead cow at an indeterminate stage of decomposition ("a bit smelly, but I'll give it a go"), spit-roasted snake, and about 50 types of native bush fruits and vegetables, and drank water collected from a camel's footprint.

Amazing, isn't it?

Thursday, March 17, 2005

You Slacker!

This is the other thing that I am trying to do at the climbing gym. It's called slacklining - you sit on the rope first and then spring up and balance yourself on it. And then you try and walk the rope. The guy in the picture makes it look easy, but it's a bitch to learn - I can't even spring up yet, I always need someone to hold up their fist for me so I have something to hold on to while I try to find my balance.

Hugs Are The Best

Isn't getting/giving a hug the best feeling in the world? It's nice to be curled up in a big bear hug, especially on days when you need the extra affirmation that you're not such a bad person after all. And yesterday was such a day for me; I think I may have hugged ten people in a span of two hours. Some hunky ones too! Haha!

But seriously, hugs are the ultimate mood-enhancers for me. That's why last night, when I was leaving the gym, I had a big smile on my face. To think both my friend Mike and I started climbing with such bad dispositions! I was doing great by the time I finished; hopefully Mike was able to cheer himself up as well (didn't see him leave, I was probably busy getting another one of those hugs haha).

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

The Blues

Just came from the climbing gym and... (drumroll, please)... I'm doing the blues now in the bouldering area! Woohoo! Okay, so the hierarchy goes: pink (5.9), yellow (V0), green (V1) and then blue (V2). Don't ask me what colors come after that because I haven't even looked that far yet. I'm just happy to be one step up. Of course, I have yet to actually complete the blue problem I'm doing, but I'm only one move away from success, so it's still a step up. Yay, me!



So it's almost time for another reward, although I should probably hold back since I just "rewarded" myself with the iPod, which is still sitting on my nightstand because I refuse to use it without a protective case. I used it on the roadtrip to Lancaster though, so it's not entirely dormant.

But back to the topic - I'm doing blues now! Yay!

Happy Birthday Daddy-o!

It's my dad's birthday today, so I thought I'd pay tribute by mentioning it in my blog. Called him last night to greet him (time difference) but even before that, we had already texted each other. This is how it went:

Dad: Happy New Year
Me: Merry Christmas!
Me: When are you coming here?
Dad:May
Me: Why?!?!
Dad: Secret

I just kind of turn into a baby when I talk to my dad, and he kind of turns into a goofy kid as well. Not the most sensible conversation, but these exchanges still mean a lot.

Entertainment

Sometimes when I'm having a slow day at work, I check out some of the funny stuff on craigslist. The best read is the missed connections board, where all sorts of people, both normal and weird, post descriptions of the people they supposedly had missed connections with.

Check out this guy:

the chick i had sex with and didnt call back for over a week - m4w - 25
you seemed a little upset that i waited a week to call you.. how do you know something important didnt happen that took a week of my time. Or how do you know that after i got you in bed, i wanted the thrill of getting another chick in bed, did that, and then remembered that our sex was pretty good and we got along well? Why do women get so upset when guys wait a week to call? We are supposed to have perfect manners when the way you acted up until we got the sex could be seen as nothing short of rude for someone who actually likes someone else???

--hates the player and the game, or just the game, or, well, not sure who he hates


Yeah, I really see a special relationship growing out of that missed connection. Good luck, buddy!

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Rush Hour Traffic

This is what the traffic looks like along Bundy during rush hour. What a nightmare!

New Look

I found this cute template, and since it's almost spring, I thought it would be an appropriate makeover for my blog. There's much to be said about the smoothness of scrolling down the page, but it's tolerable. It's the butterfly that makes it all worth it.

Monday, March 14, 2005

The Other Side

I did my usual ritual today - got home from work, had dinner and then went straight to the climbing gym. This time though, I went climbing with Debra, a friend who is simply starting out and discovering climbing for herself. It's odd being the teacher instead of the student - I got so used to just listening to advice and tips from more experienced climbers. So I was at first at a loss as to what to tell her. I felt awkward checking her knots, and calling out advice to her from the bottom. I didn't feel as though I was qualified to actually be teaching someone quite yet.

It felt pretty good to know that I helped in some way though. Debra seemed like she really enjoyed the session. And everyone else I knew at the gym helped out in their own way, so it really made it more enjoyable.

The truth of the matter is that sometimes I think part of the reason I'm addicted to climbing is because of the people I get to hang out with at the gym. Everyone's so positive and so supportive, that it's so easy to progress and to succeed. It's definitely an environment I wouldn't mind being in all the time.

Another Addiction

I've had this blog for awhile but it was only yesterday that I started tinkering with it, and really researching how to enhance it and make it more my own. Man, this is becoming an addiction as well! I've been scouring websites for new templates, and have been researching like crazy about how to make my own design (I have these great pictures that I'd like to use). It sucks that they've stopped selling Blogger*Plus accounts; I guess I'll have to make do.

I've actually purchased a domain and some webspace for myself and my ultimate goal is just to publish my blog through that, just like my cousin-in-law's, but I haven't had a chance to discover how I can do that. I tried it before and just ended up with a whole bunch of errors that I just gave up in frustration. I'll try again some other time.

Sigh. Another addition to my already long list of hobbies. I barely have time for all of them! I'm so behind on my knitting, haven't played the piano in awhile (partly because of that very elaborate setup I have with the piano covers) and now I'm hoping to have time to focus on this as well. Maybe I really need that G5 in my room. Haha!

Okay, I'm really lusting after that G5, but I think I'll look like a zombie if I get that. There's no way I'll be motivated to go to bed early!

Anyway, at least I'm still doing well with climbing. That's a relief. At least I'm getting better at something.

Sunday, March 13, 2005

Day Trip

Marc and I drove up to Lancaster to look at the California poppies already in bloom. It turned out to be a windy day so the poppies were mostly closed, but we did get a couple of good pictures.

Well, maybe not so good pictures as well. It was windy!

Then we headed to Devil's Punchbowl for a short hike. Before we headed out onto the trail, we met this girl who was so calmly holding a snake.

There was also a cute little owl in the visitor center. It doesn't seem like it liked me very much - I kicked his stand by accident, and this picture was taken right after that.

We hung out for awhile where these rocks were (this picture was taken before we went on the trail too).

And of course, for lack of something better to shoot, I just took a photo of my shoes again.


Afterwards, we heard mass, ate dinner and then sat down to watch a couple of episodes of Scrubs, which had us chuckling and laughing out loud until we had to say good night.

Friday, March 11, 2005

Appreciation

10 Things I Love About SoCal
1. The weather.
2. The beaches. My favorites are Malibu, Huntington and La Jolla, so far.
3. How I can choose to stay in the city or drive a little ways to the mountains and go on a hike. And there are literally hundreds of trails out there, and I'd like to try each one! I've actually been doing research lately because I miss the days when I used to go hiking by myself in Griffith Park, just to clear my head.
4. How a little long-driving can take me to snow. Mammoth Mountain!
5. The variety of people you can meet.
6. How I can wear clothes that would be thought of as outrageous back home.
7. Juice that's fresh, not loaded with sugar and not overpriced!
8. Joshua Tree National Park.
9. My cousins who live here, who treat me so well and who always tell me they love me.
10. How easy it is to live a healthier lifestyle here.

10 Things I Miss About Manila
1. Family.
2. Friends.
3. Greenhills.
4. Not having to explain every gesture I make or every other expression I use.
5. Good old Filipino humor.
6. Clubs that stay open past 2 am.
7. Sizzling sisig at Dencio's.
8. Hour-long massages that cost less than ten dollars, when converted from Philippine pesos.
9. Dulcinea's churros con chocolate.
10. The taho guy who always comes by the house in the afternoon on weekends.

Last Song Sydrome again

Blackbird
Beatles

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.

Blackbird fly blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird fly blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.

Thursday, March 10, 2005

Radio Ads

Getting stuck in traffic is bad. Getting stuck in traffic when all the radio stations seem to be playing stupid commercials is even worse! I had a shorter temper after listening to the 1-800-MERCEDES ad; just stop repeating the number! I know, I know, it's supposed to be a marketing technique so that people will remember the number, but it still seems like my brain cells are being insulted by this radio commercial everytime I hear it.

Radio: 1-800-MERCEDES!
Me: Oh.
Radio: 1-800-MERCEDES!
Me: You just said that.
Radio: 1-800-MERCEDES!
Me: You just said that.
Radio: 1-800-MERCEDES!
Me: #$^#^$%&^*%@#$%^%&%&*!!!

Also, that Carls Jr. radio commercial airing right now simply doesn't make sense to me. So the guy is woken up to eat breakfast, and it doesn't seem like he's overly enthusiastic about it. And then the ad goes something like, "If you want to eat breakfast but don't want to get up that early, go to Carls Jr."

I just don't get it. This is supposed to draw me to this place?

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Magazine Wisdom

I've been doing a lot of spring-cleaning, and my current task is ripping out articles I want to keep from old magazines that are gathering dust in my room and on my bookshelf. This forces me to at least skim the magazines that I was complaining I didn't even have time to read anymore. Turns out you can get some pretty good stuff from these glossies too! I've compiled dozens of recipes now, for example, and I'm really inspired to host another dinner just to try them out.

Also, I found this great passage from Fitness magazine (I'm a sucker for good quotes, can you tell?):
Think about the times in life you've really succeeded at a personal goal. Chances are, you focused on it with intent, shutting out distractions and doubt. Focus is knowing what matters to you and committing to it. It's choosing to ignore the white noise in your own head. When you truly target your mind, your actions will follow - and that is the surest way to write your own future. What are you going to focus on today?

Monday, March 07, 2005

What's New


Here is the new look of my bedroom. I know it's a little early for summer colors, but hey, the weather's warmer anyway, right? Besides, I was itching for some change since I'd had pretty much the same colors in my room for the last year or so. I feel refreshed everytime I go into my room now!

And of course the much-awaited arrival of my iPod photo. Isn't she just lovely? I got a pleasant surprise when I opened the box too - it had all the accessories I thought I was going to have to buy: the dock, the clip case and the AV cables. Pretty cool!

And last but definitely not the least.... Napoleon Dynamite! Marc "surprised" me with this thoughtful gift. I put surprised in quotation marks because I guessed it before he actually gave it to me. Anyway, this is precisely the reason why I have to cut this entry short - I'm watching this movie before I go to bed! Good night, everyone!

Sunday, March 06, 2005

Get Movin'!

I went to mass yesterday, and the priest had this great saying that sounded so familiar. He had a thick African accent so I know I'll probably get the quote wrong, but I'll give it a go anyway:

If you're sleeping, wake up. If you're awake, get up and walk. If you can walk, try to run. If you can run, try to fly.

It sounds so much like that catch phrase from a sports ad (Nike? Reebok? Can't remember. Maybe it's not even a sports ad.): Why walk when you can run? Why run when you can fly?

I love that kind of sports psychology stuff. Makes me get off my butt and actually do something.

Saturday, March 05, 2005

What A Cutie

I was doing a little bit of research on a song that was played in the last episode of Scrubs, and I came across Zach Braff's Garden State blog. I just have to say that I'm becoming a bigger and bigger fan the more I read about him, more so when I read the things that he writes. Like I said in the title, he's such a cutie!

Could you run that by me again?

Things I never thought I would hear in my lifetime:

1. "Doctors don't really make that much."
2. (In reference to giving financial aid to someone who has a few millions in the bank) "I just want to help him while he's just starting out."

Freak Show

Sometimes, friends who come to visit ask me to take them to the "place where we can see all the freaks", where these supposed "freaks" let people have their picture taken with them, sign autographs, etc., etc. In the past, I've always just smiled and shrugged because I had no idea what place they were talking about - I'd never before seen anyone amiably giving an autograph because he or she was a freak.

But today when I took my mom to the Fashion District in downtown LA, I was substantially enlightened about this. As we were walking along Santee Alley, I saw a small crowd of people looking like they were so fascinated by something. At first I thought, "Is Michael Vartan here?!" Well, he wasn't, but there was this person of average height who had the biggest %^%&%^*$#!$^ feet I have ever seen in my life. He even had special flip-flops because not only were they huge, they were deformed as well. And he was just signing autographs left and right, like he was a movie star.

All I could think of was: I wonder if he pays extra when he gets a pedicure?

Thursday, March 03, 2005

Changes

I think a lot of things in my life are going through major overhauls, from the material things (I'm rearranging and redecorating my room) to actively working on getting a new job to even more serious matters (sorry, can't say). My closet has been weeded out, my resume has been sent out and I have notified my employer that I would like to try other projects now, and I've had some "revolutionary" insights to what I seem to be doing wrong in one other aspect.

Anyway, my point is that change is so refreshing to me, so freeing. Even something as trivial as changing the color of the sheets on my bed makes me feel like there are so many possibilities out there, and I get all excited. There's always that natural high I get from experiencing something new, and being challenged by the unexpected.

Apple of My Eye


I got a bunch of emails from Apple about my iPod order, and it was all pretty confusing at first. I had to go through each one and I couldn't quite believe what I thought the whole series of emails was telling me. So I called Apple Customer Care to set the record straight.

Me: "I just wanted to find out exactly what's going on with my iPod order. I got a bunch of emails telling me that I'm getting a 60GB."

Customer care guy: "Yes, we discontinued the 40GB iPod, so we upgraded you to the 60GB."

Me: "Is that the iPod photo?"

Customer care guy: "Yes."

Me: "Did it still get the engraving?"

Customer care guy: "Yes, it was personalized."

If it was possible to kiss someone through the phone, I would have slobbered over him then. Don't I feel lucky right about now!

The only thing is that it doesn't come with the dock anymore....

Shut up, Cathy.

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Beware of Brat!

I got a chance to spend time with a little kid just recently, and now I'm having second thoughts; I said before that I've finally decided that I want kids (although I still had that disclaimer about not being sure) but this little guy just makes me want to change my mind! I admit it was fun tickling him to death, but just seeing how he was, and how he acted when he didn't get his way scared me, and now I don't know what to think about having kids. I can see that it would take loads of patience, and I don't know if I have it in me.

Of course not all kids are like that (I turned out okay, right? Haha!), but how can I be sure mine won't turn out to be like this one was? That's the scary thought - there's no reassurance.

This whole experience made me appreciate and admire those people who take it upon themselves to raise families. My poor parents! I hope I wasn't that bad when I was little!

I Can't Stand It!

I got home yesterday looking forward to a night of laughing hilariously at the latest Scrubs episode (I know it's only half an hour, but believe me, my laughter doesn't die down until the next morning - I keep getting flashbacks in my head), but my uncle suddenly piped up, "Guess what?!"

Me (all excited, ready for a surprise): "What?!"

Tito Monching: "The Amazing Race is starting again tonight!"

I got that sinking feeling in my stomach, and it didn't help that when I checked the TV Guide, I found out they weren't replaying it on Wednesdays anymore. And then just out of the blue, I remembered something Joedie said to me in Big Bear.

"You know you can download it too."

Enter angels singing hallelujah. I've been saved!

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

Scratching an Open Wound

You're in Vegas with a friend and he bets his money and loses big time. You know he still owes you money and you've been meaning to ask him for it. How long do you have to wait until you can ask for it?

Someone is down in the dumps, but there is still something about this person that bothers you and it's killing you to not say it. You know this person will not take it so well or will not want to talk about it. How long do you wait until you sit the person down and bring it up?

How many beats do you have to wait to tell a good joke when someone else's joke falls flat?

In school, how do you feel when your best friend recites a wrong answer and the teacher calls on you, and you know the correct one?