Weekend Recap - Memorial Day Weekend 2005
ActivitiesSaturday: Work.
Sunday: Mass (brought the wine during offertory, and saw Governor Arnold). Beach (and ran barefoot in the sand). Picked up Ernest from airport. Got a quick drink at Cabo Cantina.
Monday: Climbing. Gorged ourselves with a whole DVD of Scrubs.
Items bought1. compilation of all the stories in the
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series
2. Strunk and White's
Elements of Style3. hot chocolate
4. berry muffin
5. buffalo wings
6. some hybrid of margarita
7. Jamba Juice's
Tropical Awakening8. a loaf of bread
This is the first time that I didn't go out of town for the weekend. I had forgotten to plan a major trip, and besides my Chicago trip is coming up this weekend so I had to save my energy and resources for that. Plus I still have that pending trip to the East Coast. I really hope I get to go.
It's sleepy time now!
LAX
I must say, going to LAX is probably one of the worst things to do in the world, especially when it's between 5pm and 8pm in the evening. It's totally tolerable if I'm being dropped off to go to some exciting new place, but when it's me fighting the traffic to pick up or drop off people, then it's not the most thrilling experience.
I get a kick out of unloading my luggage onto the airport sidewalk and lining up to get my bags checked, etc., etc. I get caught up in the excitement and feel that it's all part of the experience. If it's me behind the driver's seat though, I'm all envious of the people who are actually doing the traveling so that adds up to more cranky points. I often don't drive away happy.
So I'm looking forward to Chicago next week, and Charlemont and Martha's Vineyard in the summer. I'm counting the days and daydreaming about the fun that I'm going to have on these escapades. I can't wait!
Prepare for Takeoff
I just came from a meeting this afternoon with a group of people to discuss this new venture that I'm involved with. It seems like this is really taking off, and I am crossing my fingers that I will be a permanent part of it. Everyone I've talked to about this idea seems to be excited about it, so I can't wait for it to go live. Meanwhile I'm shaking with anticipation, and getting fidgety and nitpicky about details. I hope this is the opportunity to finally get my life on track again.
Around the World
It was Chris' birthday/bon voyage celebration last night at Tony's place. I haven't really gotten the chance to get to know this group that well but they're really nice people and so much fun to be with.
So Chris is quitting his job, giving up his apartment, selling most of his belongings and traveling for at least a year.
A year! God, the courage these people have to just up and leave like that! I mean, how can someone just give up his main source of income so he can do something that will
drain his money?
I have to admit though, the 'around-the-world' idea seems so inviting, so poetic, so Hollywood. I have this picture of Chris with a good-sized backpack just walking the streets of India or Nepal or Morocco, or some other far-off place I've only seen in pictures. I have this image of him coming back a changed man, with a long Rip Van Winkle beard and a wooden walking stick, talking all kinds of wisdom about the world. Haha! And of course I would imagine him having a different accent, and not saying, "dude" and "stoked" as we've been used to.
I've always wanted to travel around the world, and I think I still do. But I don't know if I actually want to do it as radically as Chris is doing it. I'd first have to have a crazy amount of wealth to be comfortable doing that. I know though that once I get my papers in order and find myself in a much more stable situation, I'm going to be spinning that globe with my eyes closed and pinpointing a location then saying, "There. This year I'm going there." Maybe it won't all be in one go, but I'll try to make it around the world.
Busy Saturday and Slow Sunday
After a late night Friday night, I woke up around 8ish on Saturday morning, had breakfast and started to get ready for the day. The morning started off slowly enough but picked up soon after. I went with Danny, Tito Monching's friend, to Rockreation to climb with him for awhile. Mike was there to climb with us and Marc followed eventually to give tips to Danny, who had been constantly asking me when Marc was going to get better so he could climb with him.
At around 2:30, Marc and I headed out to the beach to catch a few rays of sun. We waded in the water a little bit but decided not to go in because it looked pretty dirty. Then we laid out some more and read books until we were hungry enough to get up off our butts and head back.
We had a huge Mexican dinner with my grandmother then we sat down to finish watching the first disc of the Season One DVD collection of Scrubs. That show is so damn funny! Even my grandmother was chuckling at some parts - Marc and I were definitely slapping our knees and giving belly laughs.
The sun had made us tired so we wrapped up afterwards. I slept like a log that night and woke up past nine this morning. I've been like a walking zombie ever since, just coasting along during the day. We actually had guests over but even that was just a blur to me. I didn't even have much energy to socialize.
And now it's 9:15 at night and I'm feeling myself slowly crashing again. My bed is calling out to me, and pretty soon I won't be able to resist.
Not a Whole Lot of Love
Remember last Sunday when Ernest and I decided to catch a movie? Well, I think we almost wished we had just stayed home. One word of advice: run away from this movie. And yes, even if it's just on DVD or video, walk away. Just back away slowly and run.
The New Apprentice
I know I said that I stopped watching
The Apprentice but John had the last task on Tivo and was watching it while I was there so I ended up watching it as well. I found myself really getting into the show, making comments and predictions with John and Grace. I wanted Kendra to win because of how she worked with her team, and because I hated Tana so bad after she made snide remarks about her team members and showed an irritating "holier-than-thou" attitude.
Well last night was the final episode, when Donald Trump got to announce his decision, and I got my wish! Kendra, you rock! (And no, I'm not a lesbian, gosh!)
Return2Sender
Jean Michel invited us to see this amazing climbing video called
Return2Sender. I was really excited to see the film but nothing prepared me for its effect. I was twitching and clutching at anything involuntarily just watching the extreme moves the climbers in the video were doing. And instead of scaring me to death, I couldn't have wanted to go climbing more than while I was watching the movie. God, if I was only half as good as these people! There was Cicada, a 10-year-old girl who was doing a V10, saying, "I wanted to climb my age," like it was the easiest thing in the world to do (If I were to aim for climbing my age, I'd probably die trying).
There were the extreme crack climbers, and the extreme slackline. Remember when I posted that picture about
slacklining? Well, that was just for practice.
This is the application, and it scares the hell out of me:
So today, I'm down with a cold and I'm burning up but because of that movie, I'm off to the climbing gym! I have a long way to go!
Vindictive Body
Since I haven't been so kind to my body lately - late nights and then early mornings for my workout, climbing even when my knuckles are swollen, etc..,etc - it has chosen to take it's revenge on me. It was warm enough today but my fingers felt like icicles, even after John lent me a nice fleece pullover to fight my chills. My nose is runny and I feel like I'm burning up though. I think if my mouth had a mind of its own, it would actually be saying, "Take that! Let's see you pull another all-nighter on yourself!"
So I need to take it slow now. I'm still going out tonight with my brother though, but this is the last one, I promise!
Overheard in New York
There is this
great blog that posts conversations heard in and around New York. Check out the latest entry:
Conceived While Mom Yelled "No" and Dad Yelled "Yes"Guy: Yeah, they had the baby, named her Maybe, and--
Girl: Wait, they named her Maybe? As in M-A-Y-B-E?
Guy: Uh, yeah. Maybe. But I think it might be spelled differently.
Girl: That's odd, really a weird baby name.
Guy: Yes, yes it is. But it's sort of like, maybe she's theirs, maybe she's not.
- L train
The Beach Day That Wasn't (And Other Mutterings)
Marc and I went to have lunch with our friend Apinya and her friend David. We met them at the Barney's Beanery on Third Street and enjoyed the good food, music and interesting scenery (Apinya couldn't help herself and blurted out, "What is she wearing?" when a girl walked past looking like she didn't check the mirror before she stepped out of her place; of course, David and I whipped our heads around and looked so obvious when we checked her out).
The day started out sunny so we were dressed warm and we had planned to hit the beach after lunch. Well, when we finished lunch, there were goosebumps all over my arms, so we nixed the beach idea and hung out indoors instead.
Afterwards, I took my brother and grandmother to the 5:30pm mass in St. Monica's. We got home and I was ready to wind down when Ernest piped up, "Let's watch a movie!" So now my weekend that I thought was over turns out to still have something up its sleeve. Ernest and I are catching a late movie at the Promenade. Whew! I'm going to be wiped out tomorrow!
Not that it matters because I always feel wiped out when I go to work now. I'm on the exit lane in this job, I think. I'm waiting for the green light that a new job offer will provide, then I'm outta there. This job has its advantages, but I don't think it's for me after all.
100%
It's that inevitable time again when I find myself reflecting on life in general, and the things that I've done so far, decisions I've made. I think being without guidance has taken its toll, although the guidance that used to be given to me was in my opinion a little less open-minded than I'd like.
Is there ever a time in your life when you're 100% sure of where you are and where you're headed? And how unsure do you have to be before it becomes a realization that you've done something wrong? Where is that fine line?
Career-wise though, I know wherever that fine line is, I've already crossed it. I'm getting immersed in something that I don't even want to do, something that hurts not only the career path that I want to be on, but my pride as well. And the bad thing is that it's getting blatantly obvious in how I do my work. This is not for me, and I can't seem to figure out how exactly to get out of it and jump into something else right away. I don't feel comfortable letting something go until I've already found something to replace it with, because I know it's just bad for me to have so much idle time.
So many other things though, and I'm confused. There's so much to be sorted out, so many things to mulled over and talked about, and I know I won't shake this restlessness until I've come to understand what exactly is going on.
Pretty heavy stuff, huh?
Okay, to make light of this situation, I found this
amusing website about women who called off their wedding for some reason or other. I hope this isn's something I'll end up doing, and I hope it's never done to me! The pain and the humiliation!
Thank God for Protein
Last night, I was finally able to complete the V2 route I was slaving away on for the past two weeks.
And I finally started (and almost finished!!) a V3.
I was wondering what had been wrong with me the past two weeks and I finally figured it out (slow me!). I had been eating just cereal for dinner these last couple of weeks so every time I went into the climbing gym, I'd be gasping for energy to get the last move down.
Well, last night I had chicken. Lots of it. And voila! Good results.
Climb on, Bro!
I took my brother to the climbing gym today to show him what it was like there. At first he simply rode the bike and watched the climbers around him, but after awhile his curiosity got the best of him and I was able to convince him to don some climbing shoes (free, thanks to Chris!) and try some bouldering. I was looking for a climbing partner so I could show him how top-roping works - I asked Tad at first but he was a little reluctant so I waited awhile to see who else would show up. When no one did, I finally asked Tad if we could do just one climb. Ernest watched - and declined our offer to have him try it. Aw shucks! But his arms
were too tired from bouldering so I didn't push him.
It was great because he really liked the experience and he liked the people that he met (Tad, Tony, Albert, Jean-Michel, Stacy... although, maybe he liked Stacy for other reasons because I didn't actually
introduce them to each other... sigh, guys will be guys... tsk tsk tsk).
My brother's only complaint? His wedding ring wouldn't fit anymore after climbing. Haha!
Planning for Summer
Summer's just around the corner, and I'm really excited. Aside from the usual multiple beach trips I plan to make, I'm also heading out to Chicago for a wedding, then quite possibly flying to the East Coast sometime after that. Somewhere in between that might be a fishing trip. And of course some climbing trips.
I get restless jitters when I start to think of these plans. I've made so many random lists of things to pack, and reminders to research about places to visit, etc., etc. I think travel will be a major factor in this summer's activities for me. Yahoo!
Welcome
So my brother and grandmother arrived tonight. We swung by
In N Out before going home and scarfed down one cheeseburger each. Uncle Monching had the fries well done (fried twice) so after munching on a few, I started to feel a little lightheaded (didn't stop me from eating a few more though haha).
I always feel like my life is on hold when relatives come to visit because I know I can't follow my usual routine when they're around. Don't get me wrong - I'm really excited that they're here, but at the same time, I keep hoping that I can still do the things I've become used to doing - climbing at least twice a week, working out in the morning, catching an impromptu movie, or having an impromptu dinner, etc., etc. I know I can bring my brother around with me to some of these things, but I guess this selfish side of me wishes I can just get up and go anytime I want.
I've already contracted him to come with me to the climbing gym tomorrow night, and on Saturday we have tentative plans to go to the beach. So I'm halfway to getting my regular routine in order this week. My only concern is spending time with my grandmother who has a hard time moving around and walking, so she has to stay home most of the time. But I'm sure I can work around that.
Samil the Cute Tigron
Napoleon Dynamite will be very upset, but who cares, Samil is still the cutest! He's a cross between a female tiger and a lion.
Picture lifted from Yahoo! News
Weekend Recap - Movies and Exercise
It seems like the weekend just started and now it's winding down. It's Sunday night, my fingers, arms, and thighs are sore, but I feel really fulfilled because I enjoyed pretty much everything I did the past couple of days.
Friday night, as I mentioned, I went to see
Millions with Uncle Monching. Afterwards, we went to Literati for some dessert and hot drinks; Marc joined us there and it was midnight when we ended.
Saturday, I swung by the climbing gym to get a glimpse of the climbing competition. At 1pm, Greg finally called and said he and his friend were ready, so I drove over to his place and we went to Malibu to climb
Planet of the Apes again. It was super-crowded that day, and I was a little disappointed because I wasn't able to put in as much climbing time as I would have liked, but it was fun just the same. When I got back, I caught the 9pm showing of
Kingdom of Heaven with Marc, then we hung out for awhile afterwards.
Today, we rode our bikes all the way to Manhattan Beach from Brentwood (almost 40 miles roundtrip *gasp*). Surprisingly, my butt didn't get sore - but my thighs and my arms got a pretty good workout. We stopped to eat at Mama D's in Manhattan then took a quick nap at the beach. Then we had to haul ass back to the house so I could catch the 5:30pm mass at St. Monica's. I think today's shower broke a record somehow because we got back at 4:50 and I was showered, dressed and out of the door by 5pm. Wow! Maybe I'm turning into a guy.
It's weekends like this that make the workweek so much more tolerable. When I find myself getting frustrated at work, I just look forward to all the things the weekend will bring and it makes me just want to work the day away to bring me closer to the relief Friday afternoon brings.
Tomorrow, my grandmother and my brother Ernest are arriving, so it will be an even more fun weekend coming up. Five more days to go!
Millions
I took Uncle Monching out to see
Millions, a cute quirky movie about two kids who found money - one wanted to keep it for themselves, and one wanted to save the world. On top of the gorgeous accents people had in the movie, I fell in love with the storyline and the character of the younger boy. This feel-good movie is definitely not the textbook kind, and again, I highly recommend it.
Crash
John bought tickets to the advanced screening of
Crash at the Chinese Mann Theatres, but was unfortunate enough to get food poisoning the day of the show (yesterday). He then passed on the tickets to me so that they wouldn't go to waste. As Tito Gary couldn't make it and Uncle Monching was iffy about going, I went to see the movie with Marc. I guess John must really be "bigtime" because while there was a long line outside the movie theatre, I simply had to walk up to the ticket booth, give the girl his name and we were able to go in right away, hands stamped and toting purple
Crash bands that said, "
Live your life at the point of impact."
The movie was more than I expected it to be. Actually I went into the theatre a little apprehensive because I'd heard that it was a downer, but I loved it anyway. Great acting, and really well-made. It was a little odd to see Sandra Bullock in a serious role (she was actually a real bitch), but she did pretty well. Highly recommended.
HelloMoto!
I've been talking endlessly about signing up anew with Cingular and getting a new phone, and yesterday I finally did it! I'm back in Cingularland, and I can talk for free with both Cingular and AT&T users, so I'm pretty psyched about that. Another thing I'm psyched about is the phone that I got, the
Motorola Razr V3:
Pretty spiffy!
The guy we talked to was a little deceiving though, and I got a bit annoyed with all the empty promises he made. I know I still got a good deal on the phone but it wasn't as good as he had promised. I shouldn't complain I know, but it seemed a little underhanded, that's all!
But anyway! HelloMoto! I love this phone!
