Happy Halloween!

I went home on Saturday night at around 10:30, and was overwhelmed by how many police officers were out there. I just couldn't believe how many check points, and pulled over cars there were. Just on my drive home that night, I counted 6 cars being pulled over, and it's not even Halloween yet!

I've never been a big on celebrating Halloween because I never really had the money to spend on a costume. I don't think I ever bought a proper costume in my entire life. I have random things in the house that I make into costumes, but that is not the same.

This year, I borrowed a pumpkin costume, and it seriously give me the giggles when I see it. It's not skanky, not fancy, but is exactly the kind of thing I like. :)

I am pretty excited to do something new for Halloween, and I love that I am going to be walking around as a pumpkin.

Have a safe and fabulous Halloween. Don't get drunk, but if you do... be smart, and don't drive.

Winter break: Canada

I have been summoned to go to Canada this winter for a month. During the summer I had foolishly agreed to come back to Canada after being stuck there for two weeks. For some reason I was convinced that Canada was the place I should be living. I was brainwashed, I tell you. Don't get me wrong, Canada is amazing, and I love being there, but I really can't spend 24 hours a day baby sitting. It drove me nuts, and it felt so nice to go home after that two weeks.

It's not that I don't love my family because I do. I love them and I do love spending time with them, but I really wanted to be home for Christmas and New Year. I want to spend that time with my family, friends, loved ones. (Plus I hate the cold, and I know Canada is freezing in the winter.)

I tried to convince my mother to let me stay home, and to somehow find an excuse for me to stay home. My dad at first told me to stay home, but then he suddenly demand that I go. I made a promise, and I should honor it. I know this, but it doesn't make me want to stay home any less.

Stop Calling!

I should have specified yesterday when I stated that I love getting phone calls because that is not necessarily true.

Since it is getting closer to the the state election (I am a registered voter), I have been receiving phone calls from my home number every 30 minutes. It's true. All different campaign people are calling me left and right to try to convince me they are the best candidate.

It makes me CRAZY. I already know who I am voting for, and no amount of you talking to me will really sway my mind. Especially since you are calling me at odd hours. That does not make me like you more. It has the opposite effect actually.

I just want the home phone to stop ringing. I hate telemarketers and I want them to go away...

Phone Calls

I love receiving phone calls. I realize that I am bad at making and returning phone calls sometimes, but I really love it when I receive phone calls from someone I want to hear from.

I can spend hours on phone. I can talk until my phone is dead, and still have more to say. I am a motormouth. It's true. I think Frances and I used to get into trouble during middle and high school because we would talk nonstop. Still do.

I just received a phone call from someone I hadn't heard from in months, and it was just so nice to catch up. I love it when you can talk to friends that you haven't seen in ages, and it's like no time has even passed.

I love phone calls and I love getting phone calls from my BFF, friends I haven't seen in awhile, and those random calls from drunk people (not that anyone that has ever done that to me. I just assume it would be fun to receive calls from them).

Don't even get me started on texting...

Amazing Race

Lately I have been really addicted to watching the Amazing Race. I watch it religiously and I can't help but watch all the extras online.

I've always watched the Amazing Race, but lately I've been obsessed. Partly it's because I like watching KevJumba (YouTube) and his dad, and partly because I've been really dreaming about traveling.

I so badly want to go to Africa, and it's so astonishing to me that that these people get to go to so many amazing places for free. How I wish I was one of them, but I highly doubt I have a personality for TV.

I also love to watch the drama unfold as the teams get more and more competitive. It's hilarious to me when I see them trash talk everyone. Where do they find these people?

The older I get, the itchier I am about traveling. I want to travel the whole wide world, and I have barely went anywhere yet. I still have so much to see in the U.S., and I need to get out of North America and explore some other continents.

I'm sure you have heard me talk about this a million times, but the Amazing Race just makes me want to do the extreme. I want to go on dog sleds and run around the globe.

Green Hats

I've borrowed a cute costume for Halloween this year. As I do not generally dress up or have ever really bought a costume, I am totally excited to finally be dressed up to something that is nothing random things I find at home. I usually do the pajama costume or put on a lab coat and pretend I'm a scientist. Not very clever... I know.

This year I am going to be a nice, big pumpkin. I'm going to be bright, orange, and irresistible! I'm totally excited too as my friends and I are planning on going to the block party in LA for Halloween. How exciting, I'm finally doing something adult-like for Halloween. It looks like I've finally given up treat-o-treating this year. (Hey, don't judge me even though I usually trick-o-treat from kids that are much younger than I am...)

The only problem I am having is finding a green hat that I can pass off as the pumpkin's stem. I see cute hats at the store, but it's always some ridiculous price, and I really am in no mood to spend $20 on a hat that I would barely use.

Maybe I will have to resort to making a paper hat. No one will judge me if I walk around with a homemade paper hat, right? You all wouldn't pretend not to know me? Besides... it's Halloween! Isn't it okay to be weird during this time of the year? :)

Reunited and it Feels so GOOD

I love it when people randomly come for a visit, and it's even better when they are my Godmother and her husband.

It was amazing because I haven't talked to them since I was 16. I didn't know where they were or how they have been. I didn't know how to contact them because we just lost touch over the years. They moved around a lot, and people get busy.

What is really freaky is that the only reason we found each other again was through of Facebook. They had created a Facebook just so they could post some pictures of their family, and somehow I found it. It's awesome what Facebook is capable of doing, and I bet it has reacquainted a lot of people.

I loved catching up with them, and finding out the things we had in common. We all have a deep love for food, and my Godmother's husband is a geologist. He moved to Alabama because he wanted to live by a lake that holds a 320 million year old limestone that contains many, many fossils that used to be in the Gulf of Mexico.

It has been so much fun hanging out with them, and having them spend a lot of time with me. I love how they invited me over to Alabama so we can go canoeing to find fossils. I am just so excited meeting them again, and having this time to hang out with them. I learned so many things about fossil hunting, and I love having someone who is willing to teach me more about geology! YAY!

Feeling the Love

I've always known that I had great friends, but I don't think I ever fully realize how blessed I truly am.

I realize how amazing my friends are when I am most vulnerable. I have friends that will always call to check up on me. I have friends that willing give me money to make sure I have tires during the rainy season. I have friends who cook for me when she knows I'm too busy to do so.

I have the best of friends, and I am really grateful for all of them. I am really lucky to have such thoughtful friends, and I love them dearly.

Thank you, Anh for that gift card. It means so much to me that you are so willing to help without even hesitating. You're the older sister I've always wished I had.

Baptism

I just spent the whole day recovering from a baptism that occurred yesterday. I never knew how much effort was put into a party or how the Latins love to party. I got my first glimpse yesterday.

There was just so much planning and money involved. The food was homemade. The favors and chocolate lollipops were homemade. Everything took so much time and effort, and I barely helped (Yet I became so tired from all my "hard" work).

Everything had to be rented and reserved from the tables to the bounce house. We had to think of so many different activities to do with the children and find ways to amuse them for hours. Children have a 5 second attention span, and it made it difficult for me to keep up.

We played musical chairs, pin the donkey, and I even volunteered for face painting! What was I thinking? I have no artistic abilities, and could not even do what the kids requested for. How on Earth was I suppose to paint a pony? Hahahaha.

The food was amazing though, and even though I stuck out like a sore thumb, I felt like I belonged. We ate cake, and played with the kids. I even got into the bounce house by the end of the night. Who ever said anyone was ever too old to jump around?

It turned out to be really fun, but super tiring because I couldn't even get up the next morning. I even woke up with aches and pain. I'm getting OLD, and I'm starting to feel the effects.

Next time I know just to attend a party, and never try to plan one. It is an huge task that I am unfit to take. Hahaha.

Zoom, Zoom, Boom!

This month has certainly not have been my month. I almost want to laugh when I think about all my car troubles, and how everything occurred right when my warranty ended. How do the car people do it? How do they plan it out so perfectly?

My car decided to die on me yesterday while I was at the bank. It was quite embarrassing as there were a million people to witness it, and I had to call my brother for backup. (He has the AAA card!)

We found out later that the problem wasn't that big and I needed a new battery. So we had the mechanic do his magic on the alternator/starter thingy (I don't know mechanic lingo!), and went home to change the battery ourselves.

I'm always proud when I can do something on my own! I love changing my own battery, spark plugs, etc. It's like I am taking care of my car, and I love that. I love taking care of my things.

All is well, and I have recovered from that little bank incident. I still need to change its filter and get new tires. I hate how expensive it is to maintain a car. It almost kills me every time I have to fix something. It's because my bank account protests!

Favorite Season

My favorite season is finally here, and I am actually enjoying the beautiful weather we are having. I know that winter is around the corner (least favorite season), and that I need to enjoy that California warm weather for as long as it last.

I am a pure pansy when it comes to cold weather. I can't stand it! People tell me to bundle up, but it's seriously never warm enough for me. But fall weather is just perfect... not too warm, and not to cold.

I especially love to step on crunchy leaves during evening strolls. Even though the leaves don't really change colors in California, I can appreciate the beauty of fall. There is no allergies during fall (unlike spring), and I love seeing all the holidays that are associated with the season.

Halloween is just around the corner, and I can't wait to celebrate it! It's the time of year where we all can dress up, and eat an unhealthy amount of chocolate. Now how can anyone hate that?

Thanksgiving is in a little over a month which means that I can spend some time with my family, and eat a ridiculous amount of food. I love the holidays and all the joys it brings to me!

I just adore fall, and I can't wait until it's cool enough for me to drink my first cup of apple cider!

Chocolate Lollipops

My friend and I have been trying to conquer making chocolate lollipops (Or as she says it... Paleta) for a baptism on Sunday.

You all know that I lack creativity, and I am also really impatient when it comes to crafting. It also didn't help that I only made chocolate lollipops once, and they turned out terrible.

Our first batch came out pretty ugly, but we got better with every batch. We were attempting to make lollipops with two different colors, and the colors had a tendency to mix with each other at first. We explored different techniques until we actually made some pretty nice lollipops.

All in all, it was a fun experience. I love that feeling of accomplishment when I actually created something beautiful. I almost want to tell people not to eat it, but I know that would be asking for too much.

I think I should pick up chocolate making for a hobby. It's actually a lot of fun! Especially when you get to lick the spoon! :)

OCD

It's Thursday morning (12:15am), and I am already feeling the itch to study for my quiz and test next week. I know that I have the weekend to study, but I may be freaking out a tad bit because I know that I have a lot of things to do this weekend.

I have been resisting the urge to go take out my notebook and start studying right now. I realize that I should be going to bed, but I'm bothered.

I always get this way for my Geology class, and I realize this isn't even worth posting about, but it's seriously always in the gray area (from black and white) in terms of OCD.

It's like I'm trying to prove something to myself, and it's a bit mad. Why am I competing with myself? Why do I have to beat myself? It's crazy I tell you. It's like I make some ridiculous goals for my and then force myself to achieve them. I am never happy with just an A, I have to get the highest grade.

It's sick, I tell you. I can't resist the urge to be the very best in all my Geology classes. I don't feel like way when I am in any other class. You should see me in my math class. Total slacker.

I think I need help. Crazy person alert. (Hahahaha.)

Contacts

I am so tired of being blind. I can't see anything without my glasses or contacts. I believe I am legally blind, and without my glasses I cannot function.

Contacts are great but they're a double edge sword to me. I hate wearing contacts with a passion. It always dries out my eyes, and I always feel it in my eye. I have chronic dry eyes, so contacts will never be that comfortable to be. Although they look much nicer than having to wear glasses, so I bear with it.

I usually like to wear my glasses, but even that is a curse. It's hard to watch 3-D movies, sleep with them on, and they tend to break over time. They aren't really all that attractive either.

Oh how I wish I had perfect vision (I am jealous of my brother.) because then I would never have to worry about my eyes, but I don't... so I just have to suffer and bear it.

I dream about some day being able to get laser eye surgery, but that would mean I have to wait until my eyes stabilizes (plus I need money).

Maybe I can keep trying for the perfect pair of contacts. Every single one I've tried have failed on me eventually, but something has to turn up eventually. Right?

Camping Gear

I am currently flat broke, and I know I will not recover for some time as I still have a lot of things I have to take care of. I know I need a new set of tires pronto!

Even without money, I am always constantly looking up camping gears that I want. I really want a camping chair, a sleeping pad, a headlamp, and of course a 3-4 person tent.

I realize that I have no money, and a strange fixation on camping gear. I don't know what it is. Being ready at a drop of hat for an impromptu camping trip? I am not really not sure, but I have been suppressing my wants for awhile now.

Oh, if I could buy the things I wanted... I'd have a lot of camping gear. Hahahaha.

Spontaneous Saturday

It's Saturday night, and we had just finished celebrating my mother's birthday. I never really have plans on the weekend or do anything all that exciting most of the time.

Last night as I was already in my pajamas and lying in bed with my computer, in a chat with my friend, he invites me to go watch a movie with him. We were both already dressed for bed, but he randomly brought up that he wanted to see 'Easy A'.

I have been wanting to see that for awhile, and was surprised that my friend actually wanted to see that. I should have known better because he even watches the Disney channel.

So at 11:00 pm, we decide to watch a total teen chick flick. What surprised us was that there were so many middle aged men and groups of teenage boys watching the movie with us. I didn't even think that anyone would be really watching the movie, and it totally caught me off guard. I may have snickered a little bit.

The movie ended up being pretty amusing (not that I would watch it again and again), and it was nice to actually do something on a Saturday night. :)

Happy Birthday, Mama!

Today is my mother's 60th birthday! It is a little bittersweet for me as I do not want my mother to age. I want her to be with me forever and ever, and I never want to think that I may not have her in my life someday.

I love my mama, and I know she will never read my blog or ever really know how much she means to me. I cherish her, and I am very lucky to have her as my mother.

She shares a birthday with John Lennon, whom which I am not a very big fan of. I am convinced that he and Yoko Ono ruined the Beatles (my favorite band), and can never forgive them for it. (Inside joke)

Anyways, this was basically a post about me loving my mother. I love you, Ma.

Car Troubles and a Lost Kitten

Oh I hate when I have car trouble. It's always so very frightening when you don't know what is wrong with you or how and if you are able to fix it. I had just took it to get it checked at the dealers a few days ago, but it's still choking in protest. Every time I try to start my car, it chokes and struggles to turn on.

I can't afford another mishap. I am completely broke as it is, and I wouldn't even know who to turn to if I need to get it fixed.

It has been damping my mood, and I just wish that money was not so much of an issue all the time. I need to win the lottery. So far all those lottery tickets I bought have not been paying off.

I did find a really cute kitten yesterday on a walk around my neighborhood. There was a random kitten (It seriously looked like a tiny mountain lion with its striped tail and coloring.) wandering around.

Of course being the crazy person that I was and never being the kind of person that think things through, I decided to approach and call the little kitten. It actually came up to me, rolled onto its back, and let me pet him/her. The cat was adorable, and I soon decided I was in love. I was so enamored that I even named him/her.

Don't judge me when I tell you what I named it. Just remember that I am a strange person with a weird sense of humor. I named the cat, Homeless. The cat liked it. It would run up to me every time I yelled his/her name.

The kitten followed me everywhere. It rub its scent all over me, and I was just madly in love. Even though I knew that the cat probably belonged to someone, and that I would not be able to keep it, I wanted so badly to keep it. If only, but it came time to let it go.

I am not even a cat person, but I can't suppress my longing for that cat.

Fancy Dining

My friend and I are always eating out. We cannot cook for the life of us, and we always have cravings for delicious food. I don't want to say we a are a food snob (we try to get the best foods for cheap), but we can really be critical of what we eat. We enjoy most food, but there are some things we rather not have.

We are addicted to a place that we just discovered at the Orange Circle. Byblos anyone? It is a little tiny Mediterranean restaurant with amazing humus, and it currently our go to place for meals.

Last night we decided to go have dinner there, but it was closed when we got there. Why do half the restaurant in the Orange Circle close so early? What restaurant is closed by 6? How my heart ached.

There was nothing left for us to do, but to walk around and just randomly walk into a restaurant. We didn't really have any particular cravings.

Wandering down the street we decided to walk into this random restaurant. It was called the Citrus City Grille. There was a a sign that stated that everything was 50% off that day. Ummm... I love bargains, and I love food. What a winning combination!

When we walked into the restaurant, we realized how under dressed we were. Why is everyone wearing business attire? Why do I stick out like a sore thumb? That was when I saw the menu. Fancy food with prices that I could never afford? Thank goodness it was 50% off.

When we were seated, we both decided to order a pasta dish. Carbs is our friend not our enemy. In the middle of our meal, the light started to dim. It was romantic I admit, and my friend and I both ended up giggling. That's what happens when you have two girls that are extremely easily amused. We end up giggling when the lights dim, when we realize we don't know which utensil to use for each course. (Such hopeless girls we are.)

Our food was lovely, and I really had a nice experience. My friend and I never go anywhere fancy, and it was nice to actually do something out of the ordinary. I love random events that end well. It makes me smile when I think back to that little romantic dinner. :)

Galaxy Game

Have I declared my love to to soccer lately? If I haven't, I want you to know that I truly, madly, deeply love soccer (and maybe all of the players too).

My friends and I finally went to a soccer game yesterday, and it was so much fun. It is such an underrated sport, and I am often left wondering why. The players are gorgeous. The sport is exciting. Plus, everyone else in the world loves the sport.

We went to a Galaxy vs Chivas game, and I sat through half of the game in anticipation. The Galaxy had to win (I have a MAJOR crush on Landon Donovan), and the game was really close.

The Galaxy did end up winning, and David Beckham did surprise me by scoring. Overall, the game was fabulous. Fabulous enough for me to lose my voice, and fall madly in love with all the soccer players.

I had so much fun, and I am already planning the next 100 games that I will be attending. :)

Japanese American National Museum

My brother had a project to do at a museum, and he decided to bring me along. I think he knows how much I love museums, and how I love to go to new places.

It was such an amazing experience for me as I didn't know how much the Japanese had to go through after Pearl Harbor. I've always known that Asians had to go through a lot of racism, but I never knew how much the Japanese had to go through. it makes me want to cry for every person who had to go to concentration camp, be sold into slavery, or beaten for their skin color

Although I'm not Japanese, I've always had in interest in their culture because I was born there. Japan will always have a little piece of my heart.

The more I learn about people and their mistreatment of other people, the more it makes me really sad. It's starting to become clear to me that racism is my pet peeve. I hate when other people judge you by your skin. I hate when people make assumption about you because of your race. I hate how intolerant people are. It makes me insane just to think about it.

I love people that don't see color, and when I see a mixed baby... it makes my heart melt. As cheesy and impossible as it sounds, I wish that everyone could just love each other, and that no one ever has to suffer because of what race they were born into. How I wish that was truly possible.

I Wish I Were a Millionaire

Sometimes I have those days where I think life is kicking me from behind, and where I feel completely down because my problems keep adding up. Those days when you can't sleep because you are so worried about your problems.

Well, I've been having those days for a year now. The year started off bad, and the bad luck kept coming and coming. How many accidents do I have to get into that are not my fault? I am still not over my burglary. I just want the madness to end. I am not asking for wonderful things to happen (Although that would be nice), I am just praying that my bad luck ends.

The newest edition to my problem is that my fairly new (3 years old) car is now having problems. My warranty covers me up to 36,000 miles, and guess how many miles are on my car? 40,220. GREAT. The moment my warranty ends, the car starts to rattle. It's making popcorn sounds, and is struggling to start. I fear it's early death.

It's currently sitting at the dealers right now. I have to pay $105 just so they can look at it. OH MAN, that hurts.

Of course my car starts to have issues right when we decide to use all of our resources to fix my brother's car. OH GOODNESS GRACIOUS. I need a hug.

I am just crossing my fingers that the problem isn't that big, and that I will be able to afford whatever it is that it's going to cost. I know I am basically a Negative Nelly on this post, but I just have the urge to rant. I'm so tired of my bad luck streak.