Class Registration

My date to register for classes is tomorrow, and I still haven't decided on my classes. I know that there are a few classes I have to take, and a few that I would like to take for fun.

I still have a mountain of papers to grade, laundry to do, finals to study for.

Ekkk. I just have so much to do that even the thought of registering for classes is stressing me out!

Matt Maher

I don't talk about my religious beliefs often, so please bare with me if you are sensitive about religion.

It's not because I don't believe in God (that I don't talk about my religious beliefs). I am a Catholic, but I am not the kind of person who preaches.

I volunteer my time to church. I sometime tutor kids at a church, and have been known to make taquitos for their church fairs. I love God in my own way.

A lot of people may not know this, but I actually LOVE religious music. I don't mean the music you hear at church (I wouldn't be able to deal with the chanting all day), but the music you would hear on the Christian radio stations.

It's actually very hard to find a good Catholic singer. There are a lot of wonderful Christian singers (I love Steven Curtis Chapman. I saw him in concert once. He was awesome). I sometimes have an urge to listen to something religious, and when I want to listen to a good Catholic artist... Matt Maher is right up that alley.

When I heard about a charity concert Matt Maher is having at a nearby church, I couldn't resist. I called my friend, and we decided that we had to go. How could we pass up something like this?

So now we have plans for next Friday night. :)

Favorite Moments

I have been extremely busy lately. Doing what? I'm not even sure. Do you ever feel like you are always doing something, but when you stop to think about what you have done, you don't really recall what you have been doing?

I know that I grade a lot for my job, and that I have a lot of friends that I see on a regular/ semi-regular basis. I know that I spend a lot of time at school and the gym, but when I really think about it, it's almost as if I haven't been doing much.

Because I have been so busy lately, I haven't had a lot of time to self indulge. I haven't read in awhile, watched any Korean dramas (It's tragic! I LOVE Korean dramas) nor have I been watching television or movies at home unless I have it as background noise when I am painting my nails or grading.

Because I have been running around like a mad woman for the last month, I forgot how nice it was to lounge around the house in pajamas all day, and watch movies while cuddled up in my bed. How nice it is to get the do nothing. Really people, there isn't enough time to do all the nothing you want in the world. Sure it's nice to be busy and productive, but being lazy is so refreshing sometimes.

I love lazy days when I can lay in bed and watch shows on my laptop. I love reading in bed until I fall asleep, and I especially love the warm and cozy my bed is. I am reminded every time I have to get out of bed how cold it is.

I just wished I had more of these days, but then again... it wouldn't be so much fun if I always had lazy days. ;)

P.S. Happy birthday, "Sleetha"! Let's dance the night away.

Too Much Madness

Black Friday was terrible. The stores were extremely crowded, the sales weren't that great, and there was barely any product on the selves.

I spent part of my day at all the major stores, but I did not buy one thing for myself. Granted I bought a DSi, but I bought it for someone else. I am rather disappointed. I wanted to buy some cheap winter clothing (I desperately need some), and maybe find some irresistible bargains.

I will never understand the popularity of Black Friday. I understand that people want a great bargain, but the bargains these days don't even seem that great to me. If there is even a great bargain, the quantities are limited.

Maybe I'm a bitter melon because I don't have money to buy anything. Hahahaha.

Happy Gobble Gobble Day!

It's Thanksgiving, and I am so thankful for so many things in my life. Even thought a lot of terrible things have happened to me this year, I know that at the same time a lot of wonderful things happened to me too.

I am thankful for the people in my life. Especially the people that have always been supportive of me. I am thankful for my job, my health, and all of the wonderful things that I am blessed with. I know that I am lucky enough to have a car and a warm bed.

I won't be staying in my warm bed tonight though. I'm going to venture out for some deals in a few hours. I know this is insane, and that I might freeze in the night. Don't judge me though, I doing someone else a favor. I am going out in the middle of the night to buy something for someone else. Wait, that doesn't make me seem any less crazy...

I just hope it won't be a crazy morning, and that I can crawl back to sleeping right after my purchase. :)

KIVA

After going to the Museum of Tolerance, I feel this urge to help the world in some way, no matter how little it is. It's the holidays, and it's the time of giving.

I have joined Kiva (Kiva.org) where you loan a tiny amount of money to someone in need in 3rd world country. Whether it's for a tractor for their farm, materials to build a home or supplies for their factory.

It's amazing how a small amount will impact a life. I have been on the website for hours, and I just love the idea of helping these people achieve a better life. A small amount of money will help them be able to do something big.

I just have to give up eating out for a week, and I will be able to change someone's life. That sounds like the perfect thing to do for the holidays. :)

My Tears are Rewarded with Sushi

I finally made it to the Museum of Tolerance. It has been a goal of mine for many years because the museum had banned my middle school on the year I was suppose to go. Apparently, some children were insensitive to the content of the material, but I digress.

I have always known that going to the Museum of Tolerance would break my heart, and that I would probably be extremely touched. I am deeply touched. I was moved to tears, and my heart is always going to be a little bit heavier after today. I realize that there is a lot of problems in the world, and that there is no way for it to be fully solved anytime soon, but my heart still hopes. I still want to know about it because the first step of solving anything is realizing the problem.

When we first entered the parking structure of the museum, I was shocked by how tight the security was. I had to show my driver's license, and even open up my trunk. That became understandable as I could see the hate posters all around the neighborhoods near by. I was extremely shocked to see the protests toward the museum. I had thought that we were more tolerant as a whole, at least at this time and age.

How my heart broke as I went through the tour that have you go through Germany during the rise of Hitler. In the beginning of the tour, they give you a card of a child. You are then to follow the life of the child to the very end. (My child died in the gas chamber at the young age of 12.) How my heart ache as I heard stories about babies being thrown out the windows of hospitals, and the tragic fate of many Jewish lives. I couldn't stop the tears as I listened to a survivor tell me about the last time to spoke to her father and brother. I could only imagine how much it would hurt if I was in that survivor's shoes. I have a father and a brother that I love to pieces. I could never imagine being torn from them.

I left the museum in such a dark funk. It hurts to know that we humans can treat each other so harshly. The survivor said one line that I will always remember. She said that instead of learning from the mistakes of the Jewish Genocide, people just learned how to do it better. How sad is the world we live in?

The traffic home further my funk, but my dear friends rewarded me with sushi. I have been craving it for months, and that plate of sashimi was... oh-so-gooood.

I had a wonderful experience, and I am glad to have gone. I will just have to find a way to make the world a little bit better. I know I need to be more current on the world news. Even if it's a little hard to swallow sometimes.

I Love a Good Deal

I'm excited for Black Friday, but I don't even think I can afford to buy anything. I will just have to be okay with window shopping. (That is a bit depressing.) I know that there's a lot of great deals out there because I have already seen a lot of the ads. Check out: http://www.blackfriday.info/

Oh dear, I wish I could afford a TV or a fancy camera or even a GPS. I realize that I don't really need any of those things, but it would just be nice to have.

I think it's the crazy shopper in me. If things are on sale, I want it. It doesn't matter if I need it or not. I just think it's such a great deal that I shouldn't pass it up. Luckily for me, I generally don't have any money to spare. I think I need help.

So because I can't afford anything, I hope someone else gets an amazing deal, so that I can live vicariously through you.

So that just means that I will be window shopping with my BFF. I have fun with her no matter what we do, so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing her. :)

Sleeping Patterns

I don't know what it is, but I can't sleep the way I used to sleep. I know this is terrible, but I used to stay up really late in the summer, and sleep until 11 the next morning. I was a creature of the night.

Lately I have been sleeping somewhat late, and waking up really early. I can't help it. I just naturally wake up early even when I don't have to. It's like I know I have a lot of things to do, and my body is telling me to do it right away. Maybe it's the fact that I have to wake up somewhat early for my classes in the morning.

I have been living on 3 hours of sleep for the last three days. I feel ok, but I know that I am extremely tired. There is just so much to do, and I seriously don't have enough hours in a day. It's tragic.

I am going to try to go back to a regular routine. I need sleep.

I Love Harry Potter

I can't wait to see HARRY POTTER tonight. I've been waiting for a long time for this movie to come out, and I am so extremely excited! I even bought the tickets (I love discount tickets from school) well in advance, and am counting the minutes until I get to see it. I know it's going to be bittersweet because this will be the second to last movie, and I don't know what I will look forward to after this. My life will be over! (Dramatic much?)

I also look forward to hanging out with my friends, and being done with my geology test tomorrow afternoon. I am looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend. :)

English Breakfast

I'm obsessed with breakfast food, and that means that I usually want it 24/7. I eat breakfast food for lunch and dinner. The weird thing is that I usually never eat breakfast food for breakfast. I never wake up early enough to eat breakfast, so I enjoy it during the day.

A while back, my brother introduced me to the English breakfast at a local English pub. We love that place, but I usually order vegetarian Shepard's pie or something else of that sort.

Their English breakfast was amazing. I LOVE English baked beans. They are so much better than the American ones, and the beans aren't too grainy. There was fried eggs, sauted mushrooms, sauted tomatoes, toast, etc. It is just heavenly although you should not eat it all the time.

Because it's so expensive, my brother and I made our own version at home today for dinner. My eggs didn't come out as well as I hoped, but everything else came out perfect. I realize that breakfast food isn't hard to make, but it's definitely an accomplishment for my brother and I. We can barely feed ourselves most of the time.

I just need to have an English breakfast in England someday. :)

Jobs, Jobs, and Then More Jobs.

I was just thinking how nice my job was when I started to think back to all of the terrible jobs I have had before. I went through a lot of jobs growing up, and I don't think I was ever as happy as I am now with my current job. I know that it's just a part time job, and that it can be extremely overwhelming, but it's something that I don't mind most of the time.

I started working when I was 16. I remember begging my father to take me to work at a certain theme park in Buena Park. Looking back I feel terrible because my dad had to drive and pick me up. I probably made like $20 a day, and that was probably how much gas I used. Good thing I only did that for a summer.

I then started to work at a movie theater across the street from my house. I remember having a lot of fun working there. The people there were nice, and I practically saw every movie made that year.

I then moved on to the theme park that is near my home. A certain mouse lives there. Although the job was demanding, I think I made a pretty chunk of money, but I eventually moved on.

Coffee was my middle name for awhile. I got so good at it that I even became a shift lead. It was nice job, but it really wasn't worth the drive.

Then I moved on to seafood restaurant, clothing store near my house, and teaching little kids in an after school program. (Now that was really fun. We would do crazy science experiments, and the kids were adorable. Probably my second favorite job.) Which then somehow lead me to work at a call center. (That place made me cry.)

I eventually got a cashier job at school which was a really nice job. I would handle school fees, and was paid handsomely. I really liked that job, but it was only temporary.

After working at all those jobs I became burned out. I had save a nice lump of money by that time, and decided to take a little break from working.

All was well until I started needing money again. I really didn't want to work with food or retail, so I had to find some other way to make money. I eventually met an amazingly teacher who changed me life. She offered me a job as an instructional assistant, and the rest is history.

I love what I do, and I am so thankful to have my job. Geology is just so much fun! :)

Newport Back Bay

I love going to little hidden gems. Places that you would normally not think to go to. I love seeing what is out there, and it's even better when it's in your own backyard (figuratively speaking).

I went on an extra credit trip to the Newport Back Bay yesterday to learn that I lived 20 minutes away from an estuary. It's amazing how many species of birds, plants, and animals there are there. I definitely never saw a great egret in person before (I was a little excited) or even a bush tit. (I got a fit of giggles when I heard that. Yes, I have a maturity level of a 12 year old.)

It actually turned out the be a nice morning with a few of my awesome classmates K and D, and adorable tour guides (I have a weakness for silly old people). Our tour guide kept showing us all the scary plants that would kill us. Apparently the bay is the place to be if you want to kill someone.

The rest of the day was fun because it involved going out, and eating a giant banana split. I don't think it's humanly possible for anyone to eat a huge giant banana split by themselves. It's just too much of a good thing. :)


Can you see my pure unadulterated joy?

Illness is My Middle Name

I have the cause of the sniffles. The weather has finally caught up with me, and my nose is completely clogged up, and is refusing to work with me.

It may not help that I don't wear shoes or the fact that I am prone to getting sick whenever the weather changes. I lie, I tend to get sick all the time.

Summer was nice, I didn't spend any time being sick, and I had such a good time getting a tan under the sun. Oh how I wish we were going into warm weather rather than the cold.

I shouldn't complain so much though, California barely gets cold. It makes me look forward to the bitter cold of Canada. I think that shall be an interesting experience for my immune system. Maybe I can rock the "wearing a hundred layers" look. Haha.

You know what's the worst part about getting sick? Not being able to taste your food. :(

Getting Hit

I don't know what it is about this week, but people are crashing into my car left and right. Actually, it has only been happening on the right side of my car.

Earlier this week when I was in Costco, a lady crashed her shopping cart into the passenger side of my car, and nearly gave me a heart attack. She just crashed into my car, adjusted the cart, and then continued walking away as if nothing had happened. I can't believe she didn't even apologize. It's not like she didn't know I was there. I was at a stop sign waiting to exit the parking lot.

Earlier today, two boys on a bike (one was riding the bike, and the other was sitting on the handle bar) crashed into my car when I was stopped at a stop sign by my house. That really did give me a heart attack because I was afraid I had ran them over (even though I couldn't have done that in a stopped car), and my brother was screaming on the top of his lungs. Luckily they just tapped my car, and rode away.

I think I had enough heart attacks to last me for awhile now...

Turn of Events

I get stressed easily. When I do, I tend to be really tense and on edge. Any little thing will put me over the top. I have been overwhelmed with everything that has been going on. Everything is piling on, and it's making me tired.

Although I was feeling like crap for the last few days, I decided to keep up with my daily routines and work out really hard. I think that helped. I love working out so hard that you become extremely sweaty. Is it weird to like being sweaty after a workout? A lot of people complain about it being gross, but I think it's really attractive.

Mariana and I decided we wanted to eat dinner after our workout and decided to walk to the nearest fast food restaurant. As we were walking off of campus, I found $40 on the ground. Can you imagine my excitement? I almost cried from the joy.

$40 could buy me clothing, nail polish, shoes, food, and a thousand other thing. Although I do feel bad for the person that lost it, I am happy that I found it.

And just because of that, my day turned out so much better. :)

Dia de los Muertos

I got my first glimpse of a carnival celebration of Dia de los Muertos yesterday. In Santa Ana, 4th St. is commonly known as a very Latin oriented street. It's where you go if you want some really good Mexican food or a great discount on baptism clothes. (It's where we shopped during Jonathan's baptism.)

When my friend and I got there, we were surprised to see how pack the street was. There were so many amazingly decorate alters. During dia de los Muertos, families usually make altars honoring the dead. The alters were beautiful... full of beautiful pictures, delicious food, and creative props. I was extremely amused.

The street was full of vendors, and we had a wide selection of food and merchandise. There was even a booth where you could get face painting done of skulls and other related themes.

The music was loud, and a lot of the Latins were AMAZING dancers. I definitely want to take a few dancing lessons. Salsa, anyone?

I really had no expectations as to how the carnival would turn out because the people I was with hadn't been to one either. We were all pleasantly surprised, and had a wonderful time. I think we'd always have a good time as long as there was food involved. :)

P.S. I saw a lot of strawberries and cream. I know someone out there wants them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hahaha.

I Can't Say No

... and everyone knows it. At least my family knows how to get me to do things they want me too. (My mother has learned to cry after menopause. It works every time. I'm a sucker.)

I've been trying to weasel my way out of going to Canada for the last month. I keep telling my parents I didn't want to go, and that I'm going to die in the bitter Canadian cold. I'm a pansy, I need California weather to thrive!

I have been trying to no avail! My cousin even started calling me all the time. She's pretty pissed that I don't pick up the phone most of the time, and has started calling me at 6:30am when she knows my mom is home, and that my mom will make me pick up the phone.

I eventually gave up, and told them I would only go for two weeks. It was really hard for me to give up civilization during the summer. I had no internet, I couldn't make calls, and I missed home.

So because I am the biggest pushover on the planet, and because I was never any good at getting myself out of things... I somehow agreed to stay in Canada for three weeks instead of the two weeks that I originally agreed to. How does this happen? SIGH.

So it looks like I'm going to be going to Canada for three weeks in Dec/Jan.

Free Stuff

My favorite word in the English language is probably the word free. I love free things, and I can never resist anything free. Even if I don't need it. It may also have to do with the fact that I am a pack rat, and claim everything is collectible. (I "collect" everything.)

Just today in the mail, I got some free contact solution, deodorant, and a coupon for a free box of those wet toilet papers. It has been a good day for free things for me.

I usually spend a few minutes each day on slickdeals looking for a bargain and free stuff. I realize that I have a lot of free time on my hands, but I can't help it. I love cheap and free things. Although most of the time it's a bad thing because I end up buying things I don't need just because it's "cheap".

I could never resist a good bargain. :)

Weakness: Ice Cream

I was never a person who loved to eat sweets. Now... I am not saying I don't like sweets, but I usually have a lunch/dinner so big that I never have room for dessert. I'm generally not a snacker either. I eat regular meals, and that's about it.

I've never been a candy person. I will usually turn you down if you were to offer me any candy. I don't even eat that much chocolate (I eat dark chocolate sometimes in rare cases), cookies or cake. I just never crave it.

But I have a weakness... I love ice cream. I love it on rainy days, sunny days, and normal days. I always want a nice scoop of ice cream no matter what time it is. Ice cream is my great weakness (except for peach pie), and I crave it all the time.

I currently have the biggest craving for a banana split. I have been dreaming about the hot fudge, the whip cream, and those nuts... I want one so bad, I am almost willing to spend a ridiculous amount of money to get one.

Oh, how I wish I had a banana split right now! I will never have a Beyonce body at this point! Hahahaha.

Lazy Pants

Lately I have been in some sort of lazy funk. It takes me a little bit longer to grade my papers. I am slower at getting myself to study. I am just pure lazy for the last week. I even woke up at noon one day. (I really enjoyed sleeping in.)

I used to wake up really early to go to school, but now I wake up super late, giving myself only minutes to spare by the time I get into class. It's true... I am doing things that are completely unlike me. Procrastination has not been in my vocabulary in a long time.

I haven't even took off my Halloween nail polish, and put on a fresh new coat of something awesome. I religiously paint my nails! I can see chips in my nail. THE HORROR!

What has become of me?!

I've been noticing my behavior for the last week, and I know that I need to start getting busier. First step to actually finish this pile of paper I need to grade, and start studying for my quiz next week. I need to get busy!

Halloween Block Party Madness

My friends and decided to go to LA for Halloween to be in the largest Halloween party in the world. Little did we know how stressful it would be just to find parking. My goodness it drove me to madness looking for a parking lot. I could feel my irritation build up, but I couldn't stop it.

Parking was terrible. We got to West Hollywood in an hour, but were stuck in traffic for another hour looking for a parking spot. The streets were narrow, and it was just so congested. We were so desperate for a parking spot that we were willing to pay to park, but when we asked the parking lots how much it would be to park, they told us... wait for it... it would cost $50. NO JOKE. That only further my irritation, and made me more determined to find a parking spot.

We eventually did find a spot far, far, far away and had to walk about 2-3 miles just to get to the block party. I don't know what I was expecting, but there were so many people that you could barely even walk a step without bumping into anyone. It was packed, and we ended up walking another few miles.

The costumes there were amazing! We saw so many elaborate costumes that I think I spend the night staring at everyone. A lot of the gay men wore barely anything. It was fine because they had the most amazing toned bodies I've ever seen. The gay men had sluttier outfits then the women there, and that made me laugh. I have never seen so many amazingly sculpted men's bodies in my life. There were Waldos, Batmans, Alice, miners, terrorists, Sarah Palins, etc.

We ended walking until our feet hurt, and we were actually pooped out by 11pm. I even forgot to bring my camera because my brother borrowed it for a project and forgot to give it back to me. (Which is a total bummer because I would have had a lot of interesting pictures.) A lot of people ended up talking to me. I know that my costume was not as elaborate as other people's, but I think people find pumpkins silly? Silly enough to talk to me or yell at me from across the street? Either way, I was amused that they were amused, and I ended up having an exciting night.

The block party is fun, but it required a lot of walking, being in a VERY crowded area, and breathing in smoke and weed. I don't know if I would want to do it again, but I did enjoy myself.