umm..yeaaaaa

I had the best weekend this past weekend that I've had in a while. Two of our closest friends came up to visit and the other half of this blog (or the kid who only posted ONCE, but gets half the glory of its namesake...) planned a REALLY great weekend. It really was a blast - good food, good company and really good laughs. I miss the Mertzes, and I ALMOST forgot (how could I???) how funny some of our friends are. But this isn't the whole point of this post. I've been thinking about this for some time now, really since we first moved to SF, and the thing is...I think I've become more awkward in conversation. I mean I've always loved socializing, it's really half of my job now - literally - and I find myself in social settings thinking to myself, "Say something, girl. OOooOoo not that..." And I don't believe that I make uncomfortable comments (at least I hope not - though I guess I won't really know, cause the people who have been in said settings probably don't read my blog..), but sometimes I just don't know what to say. Or I'll make a comment thinking it's a funny joke and either nobody will even courtesy chuckle or it'll just go unnoticed. I don't have any real theories as to why this is occurring to me now, especially since we've moved to a brand new city and now more than ever need to utilize social skills that will aid us in acquiring friends (and I say us, but really it's just me. James is a hit!). Anyways, just a thought.

In other news I'm excited to go back to Wichita Falls. I feel like a lot of people will be home, reunions will be had, and I wanna see our newly renovated restaurant - woo hoo! I also want to have a sip of beer out of the lava lamp at Krank It Karoake, the Falls' hidden gem. This will most likely be my last post unless boredom stages a hostile takeover while I'm at home - which is likely a possibility. I'll be on high alert.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Well, I have obviously been very bad at updating this blog. Thank you to the three of you loyal followers who persistently remind me that I need to update. I still haven't taken pictures of our place to post, and I think it's because I really don't like how it's decorated. But even more frustrating, I'm not sure who I want it to be decorated. I mean we do have a salmon toned pink sofa and a huge UT flag hanging above where a real fire place would be (except that it's a wall). I wish I could turn it into an instant SF apartment with a cozy feeling and randomly colored rugs/throws to feel homey. But I do love our kitchen, because it is quaint (ie there is not much room). Now that I'm typing this, I'm wondering if I've previously blogged about this already...or maybe that I've been wanting to blog about it...oh gosh. So seester dos recently started a blog (recently as in tonight), and that has also prompted me to update. I'm currently at my hotel in LA on a business trip, and my nose is so stuffed up that I have to breathe out of my mouth. And you know it's gotten to the point that my mouth is way too dry, and I didn't even get to really enjoy the Papa John's pizza I ordered (ham, pineapple and jalapenos for those who are wondering) tonight. I digress...

I was just about to blog about random thoughts, but instead my very recent trip to Vegas and my deep love for Vegas has prompted me to blog about that instead. So we went to Vegas for Thanksgiving, and I shield your judgments (or perhaps this is my subconscious guilt voicing itself..) by saying we were JUST in Austin for a wedding and shared a fantabulous Thanksgiving meal the Sunday night before we left with James' fam. We met up with our friends BL&JL and their friends, and we had a great time, good food and we came out on top after our trip. Now a couple of things. James and I recalled a conversation we had with another fellow casino patron and friend a while back, and we talked about the lure of Vegas. Because we all love gambling, and we all agreed gambling is gambling wherever you are, but for some reason, it's just different in Vegas. And I think it's because it's the AMAZING food, the vibe and how one can almost avoid materializing every bet placed. We've eaten at a ton of places in my previous trips, but only in the most recent have we gone to Michelin-rated restaurants. Nonetheless, the buffets have always been awesome and the hotel restaurants top notch as well. In Vegas, it's harder for me to visualize my $X bet as a pair of shoes or a purse or something tangible. And I don't think I gamble any crazier than at other local places, but I dunno. Also, the rush that you get from winning a good split followed by another and then a double down in Blackjack is so fun! I also play Roulette, because I usually hit a number, so I feel like it's a good game to play. We definitely stayed away from the craps tables as our luck has not been so good there the past few times. I've also noticed that I've become a gambling snob. I used to hear my parents talk about it and complain about people who come in in the middle of the shoe or stay on 15's, and I thought well they'll play how they wanna play. But then this guy sat next to James and single-handedly busted three of James' hands in a row, because he didn't hit when the book said he's supposed to. This is one of many reasons I like to gamble late at night, past 1 or even 2 am when there aren't randoms and drunks floating from table to table. I feel very badly, I honestly do, but I really don't like seriously playing when there are those types of people at the table. And I realize everyone has to learn at some point, and I hope this doesn't turn any of our friends away from ever wanting to join us on trips (especially if they haven't played much in the past), but I guess when I'm in the zone I just prefer to be at a table of "good" players.

One of the highlights: Beatles LOVE! That show was awesome. Not only did it incorporate dancing, skating and a mini bubble show, this Cirque du Soleil show was done to the tune of Beatles' songs (obviously) and it also told a story the whole way through. I really, really loved it. We also went out for the first time in Vegas to LAX at Luxor with our friends. As many times as I've gone to Vegas I've never gone out, and it was really fun. I think we expected the club to blow our minds, but it was just okay. I mean it was definitely roomy, had a good DJ mixing and was crowded, but yea. So I'm now recovering from 3 near all-nighters in the desert city. So I guess that's really it. Hopefully this holds us over until I can ramble on about more things that are meaningful.

DICLAIMER: I feel there is no way to blog about this without sounding like a complete compulsive gambler or a junkie feeding an addiction, but please know that we are not such people!

Okay two random thoughts I must get off my chest: I'm tired of hearing about Tiger and who are these random people who crashed the White House dinner party? More importantly, who cares??? I'm actually impressed that they crashed it and wonder if I could've gotten in myself...

Three things I should be putting more thought into:
1. What is going on in Afghanistan now? (I know more troops were just approved)
2. Booking our return flight from Texas post New Year's Eve
3. A good optometrist, dentist, family practice doctor and hair stylist in SF

What if...

The other day a friend of mine got a new blackberry and had posted a status on facebook to add more Blackberry Messenger friends (which is awesome and perhaps the only thing that bb has on the iPhone). Well I immediately pinged him my PIN so we could be friends, sent him James' and also gave him another friend's PIN who was living in the same city as him. This is all leading somewhere folks, stay with me. Well I started chatting with James afterwards and said, I wish I could just be a socialite. In my mind I would just make friends, introduce people to each other and have free stuff dumped on my front porch daily. But then I found this website (thank you google): www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Socialite

Well I wouldn't want to be a Paris Hilton, I'm already married and I could refrain from loving expensive things. I could just be an average jane's socialite. I guess amongst the average young working professional class, and that would be my job. I could make a ton of friends and just connect them with each other - like a human LinkedIn/Facebook/MySpace. Sometimes I think about it, and we do have really random groups/pockets of friends who are all really different from one another.

DISCLAIMER: not saying we're soooo popular

And I've tried to mesh groups, but it's never been quite that successful. So we keep it separate unless it's a big thing like birthdays and such. So if we have the ability to make these different types of friends, it would be so useful to me if I became a socialite. I'm already on my way! A big what if. Do you think this could work?? Or do you feel as if I just sound like a self-proclaimed prom queen...



In other news I finally sprang for some yoga type pants. I realized after joining my Pilates class that there was a good reason that girls didn't just wear shorts. I always felt like I was flashing Amy, my mat class instructor. Well flash no more Jen, you have yoga pants. And I gotta admit, I thought they were more for fluffy girls who wanted to look cute when they were exercising, but when I was trying them on I thought OooOoOO, these fit nice. I feel sexier, more fit and slimmer already! So maybe THAT'S why girls tend to buy them. Don't get me wrong, I still like my Nike running shorts, and I'll stick by em til I die, but SF is a bit cold and the pants are snug. Don't judge me.

ALSO - calling all website saavy people:
PLEASE HELP ME REDO MY PICTURES AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE! I want to update the pictures, because believe it or not there are MORE pictures of us eating and drinking good food and drinks. I just remember last time it took me a while, and it was really frustrating. So maybe if you're good at it, and maybe if you take pity on those of us who aren't so much good at it then you'll help?

Should I Recycle This?

As most of you know (all 2 that might read our blog) we have recently relocated to San Francisco, CA. I really hoped blogging wouldn't just be a phase I went through and seeing how my last post was in April, my fears were realized. And this post was only birthed because I'm putting off some reports I need to fill out for work and after 45 minutes wasted on Facebook, blogging somehow makes me feel less guilty for procrastinating.

Well six days since our move out west, our stuff is still "in transit". The truck driver won't call us, and we don't have his information so what I keep picturing is him going through our drawers, relaxing on our pink sofa and eating our non-perishables doused in our Asian cooking sauces. All with an evil laugh. And all of which is probably not true. It just doesn't feel like we're settled in without our stuff. It's actually like we're squatting in our apartment, because we have random IKEA furniture boxes, every electronic we own plugged in to the walls right now surrounding our friend Tim's futon mattress he's generously let us borrow. And it's actually been good cause James and I get to read what we originally thought was a sorta cheesy book (and I'm so sorry if whoever gave that book to us ever reads our blog..) and almost gave away, but actually is a pretty good one called "Moments Together". Like a daily devotional for couples, which has been fun and nice.

Here's some things that have been running through my mind and some new things we've learned about the great state of California:

• There's a hands-free law, and you can't talk/text while driving. I usually do both responsibly and you can judge all you want.
• You can't have the two front windows tinted, but the back two can because it obstructs your view of pedestrians at night.
• You can't mount GPS' on the windshield.
• Will my neighbors judge me if I don't recycle everything that's recyclable?
• Does every girl really need yoga pants to exercise outside?
• I hope my sister's friend doesn't find out I read her blog cause Mel said it's hilarious...but I really don't know her. And she is quite funny.
• I need to pound out my speech for Brookey's wedding so I can memorize it and practice to the point that I won't cry when I give it. Cause everything I've been thinking about has made me cry.
• I will try my best to be at a beach every weekend I possibly can.
• I laughed really hard the other day when this guy who was riding his bike along the Marina while talking on the phone tried to weave through some parking bumps and ate it. HARD. He was okay, so I didn't feel too bad. It still kinda makes me chuckle..

Hopefully it won't take me 4 more months to make another post...

My Friend MK

This morning I logged into facebook and in the sidebar there was an ad that had "JOHN" in barbwire tattoo writing and underneath it said this:

"Love your husband? If so tattoo his name under your profile picture to prove it"

or something like that. I immediately thought, "Yes, I love my husband" and then realized a tattoo was too permanent. I wonder who made up that app and how much they're getting paid for it. I probably could have thought it up as well and be sipping coladas watching sunsets of the coast of Brazil right about now...

Anyways I deter. This post is all about my friend Mary Kate T. (abbreviated to protect her identity of course), whom I so affectionately call MK. Yesterday we got to catch up for a bit about what's going on in her life as she currently resides in Dayton, OH. So she told me that she just got back from interviewing for a job in San Diego and she proceeded to go on about how awesome the city and its weather were. So this whole time I'm assuming that she interviewed for a copyrighting or some type of web design or design/computer art whatever type job - cause that's sort of what she had been doing for the past couple of years in New York. Well come to find out she applied for a job as an animal trainer at Sea World. She heavily trained in a pool for two weeks prior to her interview, flew to San Diego and had to swim in 50 degree water up and down in the pool as if rescuing someone or something for her interview. She also had to perform a script and an improv act for her interviewers to become an elite member of the Sea World team. I think she might have had to sing as well...She did not get the job, but we got a good laugh.

So MK's always been one of my most interesting friends. She always has a good story, and yesterday the stories did not stop there. Come to find out she's been applying for all sorts of jobs including a posting for an ornithologist (one who studies birds?). Her game plan is to first land an interview and then spend the next week or so becoming an expert in that field. In the mean time she is also posting job listings of her own so she can see what legit people submit for their cover letters and resumes. (I mean, do people actually do this?? It's a great idea...) This might seem unethical and slightly shady of her, but if you knew her like I did you would most likely be laughing really hard. And that's why I've chosen to post her story today. Because it gave me a good laugh, and I hope it does for you as well.

On closer inspection... (these are loafers)

So I've been receiving pressure and mixed innuendos from the wifey that I should begin blogging more regularly. However, I usually like to blog when I have stuff to blog about. As I think about it more in some ways my life has been more eventful, in which case I have no excuse, but paradoxically in other ways it has been less eventful, in which case I am free from my wife's tyranny. I will present the cases before you in what I like to call:

Is my life eventful?

Affirmative
Exhibit A: I have traveled more in these past year than I ever have in my life. (on a side note, when you write do you ever get so paranoid about your use of vocabulary and spelling to the point where it's unhealthy and you have to dictionary.com everything and then you get ambitious and want to use bigger words so you start to thesaurus things as well; yeah me neither.... on a conterminous note: I already knew that the word traveled has one "l" and not two, unless you're a BRIT!) (By the way, don't you hate it when people's parenthesis become paragraphs and you have to go back and reread the original sentence and then skip the paragraph just to know what the heck the person was talking about in the first place! I mean after a certain point if the parentheses (plural? or parentheseses - you choose) become longer than the paragraph itself, wouldn't it suffice to say that the parentheses then become the body? And actually upon writing that, I can draw parallels with my life. I feel like I'm currently living a parenthesis. I was writing something mid-sentence and then boom! I ain't got no job and I ain't got s41t to do! So now I'm in that real life limbo waiting for "the man" whether it be school or work to call my number, so I can resume with the sentence. But therein lies the rub, sentences are not meant to be defined by work, nor parentheses by the lack thereof, hence my predicament and my frustration.) Maui, New York, European Tour including: Paris, Barcelona, French Riviera, Switzerland, Italy, Germany; Las Vegas, Vail, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Big Bend. Especially with my current employment hiatus, we've been able to travel as religiously as we darn well please, so we have.

Exhibit B: In this past year I have eaten well. If there is any vice that Jen and I indulge, it is eating (or gambling) oftentimes without conscience towards the price tag. (Of course if we narrow it down to individual vices, I'd definitely have to go with designer jeans for Jen and buttressing my HD quality movie and sportswatching experiences for me. But we're speaking collectively here.) The other day while in Vegas (haughty laugh) we ate at Picasso to celebrate our 11-month wedding anniversary because the 11th month really doesn't get enough love with the greedy, narcissistic 12 looking down on it (coming up this weekend by the way woohoo!!!). So here's what we had: both: Roasted Puree of Serrano Pepper Amuse Bouche; me: Maine Lobster Salad, Pan-Seared Scallops with Potato Mousseline and Jus de Veau, Sautéed "A" Steak of Foie Gras with Roasted Peaches, Vanilla, Muscat and Crushed Almonds, Roasted Aged Lamb Chop with Ragout of Flageolets and Mushrooms; Jen: Poached Oysters Garnished with Osetra Caviar, Sauce Vermouth, Sautéed Filet of Black Bass with Saffron Sauce and Cauliflower Mousseline, Sautéed Medallions of Fallow Deer with Caramelized Green Apples and Zinfandel Sauce. One of the best meals I've ever had and with the Bellagio fountains spraying right out the door and the ambience of actual Picasso paintings lining the walls, it was a really nice experience. I often ask people if they were to give up one sense what would it be ( and you can't pick smell cause that's cheating), and I think I'd choose sight for spiritual reasons as well as the fact that if I were to choose touch I'd be a leper and die an early age, I would hate to give up conversation and music, and I just love food that much.

Exhibit C: I should have more time to blog and be interesting and do interesting things because I have so much time on my hands... in theory. I started off really well because I idolize Demetri Martin and was inspired by his "If I" (palindrome) comedy routine. In it he lays out numerous tasks he gave himself each week to complete and would give himself prizes every week he completed those tasks. Tasks such as: 30 minutes of solving puzzles, 3 hours of lateral thinking, 1 point for filing out the task sheet, try to see someone else's point of view/week, read 2 books a week, demonstrated unassailable confidence etc. (look up "If I" on Youtube by Demetri Martin... awesome) So I thought, well that's a great way for me to spend my time, so in the spirit of Demetri, I endeavored to make my own list and keep score. I had things like read 2 books a week (which quickly changed to 1, which quickly changed to 1 per 2 wks), hours of personal reflection, learn new language (el chico debajo un avioneta), write a screenplay (which quickly turned into write a short story to be adapted to a screenplay), 1 hour of poetry writing, learn to cook two new dishes/wk, 1 hour of personal dancing study/wk, 5 hours of exercise/wk, approach random person and have conversation/wk, perform a random act of kindness/wk, fast one meal/wk, solve a rubik's cube without cheating/yr, improve stock investing ability/yr (fail), think of something original/yr, run 15 miles/wk, etc. So I started off really well, but since I've returned from Europe these have become almost non-existent. In any case, I suppose I should have more stuff to talk about, but in most cases I talk about how I have fallen short of most of these tasks.

Negative/Rebuttal
Exhibit A: I'm an unemployed man who plays way too many video games for a 26 year old. I got really excited the other day when in my NBA 2k9 association league I pulled off a masterful trade by getting Danny Granger for Shane Battier and Stephen Hawes. Danny Granger has subsequently gone on to win most improved player of the year making the All-Star team for the first time. I have killed thousands of innocent pedestrians in Grand Theft Auto 4 and received my first trophy for completing all of Brucie's missions. Also, I get really excited when I beat the computer on level 5 on Tetris. And although it's not a video game, at one point I spent late nights playing in play money no limit hold'em and no limit omaha eight or better tourneys to build my play money account on PokerStars.

Exhibit B: My reading used to be interesting books like Satanic Verses and The Fate of Africa, but now I read the Watchmen, which is actually really good, but I feel like a loser when I must join the community that defends the use of words like "graphic novels" instead of "comic books for adult losers."

Exhibit C: I have recently started studying for my CFA2 exam, so if you find the difference between neoclassical economic growth theory vs. classical economic growth theory or how to take advantage of arbitrage opportunities in put-call parity interesting give me a call and we can discuss. I don't expect many phone calls.

Exhibit D: I watch more tv than I should, including LOST, 24, Flight of the Conchords, Eastbown and Down, old Arrested Development episodes, anything poker, anything sports, 30 rock, office, fringe, wire, weeds, topchef, anthony bourdains no reservations, real sports with bryant gumble, family guy, etc. I could talk about this for hours, but I feel like so much of my life is wasted on watching tv I should really not proselytize others into my web and vaccuum of space and time.

Exhibit E: I've spent hours writing this blog post and have only given up study time to do it.

So the evidence has been laid out; what is the verdict?
You decide.

Mix Tapes

Maybe it's because we've been traveling a lot lately and listening to "Hip Hop Car", an affectionately named playlist on Lupe (James' iPod) or because I considered making my friend Kelly a "mixtape" for her birthday last week and then realized that was so 1999 (or later, I don't remember...). But I've been reminiscing about how I used to burn cds for people all the time. Or when I was in junior high and would record songs from the radio on my tape. TLC and Alanis Morissette...awww yeaaaa. But people don't do that anymore, right?*

Well I have been thinking about what I'd put on my ultimate mixtape, and now that we can burn even more songs on one single cd, this has made my life much easier and my decision making process a lot faster. Here's a preview of what I'd think about adding (I LOOOOOVE lists on my blog..):

1. TLC - Creep
2. Mariah Carey - something from Daydream, Emancipation
3. Fuel - Shimmer
4. Sublime - What I Got, Pawn Shop, 40 oz to Freedom, Santeria, April 29, 1992 (Miami)
5. one or two Tom Petty's
6. three or four Beyonce's
7. Jay-Z - a couple from his Unplugged album
8. Alanis Morissette - some Jagged Little Pill songs
9. Amos Lee
10. John Legend
11. Sandra McCracken
12. Notorious B.I.G.
13. The Format

That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure I'm leaving some off. What would you put?

RANDOM - I totally redid this blog so that I could include James on here. I even spent like..a lot of time..making the picture at the top of this page - and most know that I am NOT technologically saavy (so you can guess how long it took me) - and he hasn't blogged since.


*actually the last time I did it was for my wedding gift to the guests..

random thoughts as of late...

It's really annoying when older, bigger ladies crowd right behind you at the baggage carousel in baggage claim and then say, "Oh! That's mine!" while looking at you dead in the eye as you turn around to see who said that. Why can't they just nicely ask you to get their bag for them? Passive aggressiveness wins. (shared by the husband)

I really miss corporate worship at City of Refuge since we've been out of town for the past month or so. I remember when I just wanted to hear the right songs that would put me in the right mood, but you never know what song is going to be sung at our services, and a lot of the times I don't know them. But I love watching the Barnes family, Wendy on stage and Sandra with her tambourine. Even if I don't know the song they just look so happy worshipping that I know God's presence is there.

My junior high girls from youth group have been coming to church on Sundays almost regularly, last time I checked before my month hiatus. This past Wednesday at youth group I deliberately told them I wanted to take them out to lunch after service on Sunday. None of them showed up yesterday.

Number 3 leads me to www.fmylife.com which is a blog that has been repeatedly referenced and suggested to me. I read it regularly at work knowing that some of it is probably not real and most are rather vulgar, but I still laugh at the stories.

When I watch ABDC sometimes I think to myself, "Oh yea, I can probably do that if I really tried and exaggerated my movements". But then I try and fail miserably and just look really weird. I need to YouTube some more videos before I try learning again.

Our neighbor snores really loudly, and after I snooze my alarm in the mornings he's all I can hear through the walls.

James claims that I regularly lose to him in Rock, Paper, Scissors. This was brought to my attention after we were trying to decide where we should eat (or something like that), and I said if I win, then...etc. And then he told me, no that's unfair because I have an advantage over you. I always beat you. Of course I disagreed, we played and then I lost. But I demanded a best out of 3 of the best out of 3, and he declined. So is he really right?

That made me remember that yesterday when we were playing ultimate frisbee with some random friends I paired up with a girl to decide which team we'd be playing on. I threw a paper and she a rock, and then I said YES! And this is how our conversation went:
Her: Wait, did you win?
Me: Yea, I was the paper.
Her: Oh really? Oh ok. Well some people play that the rock smashes the paper.
Me: What? No way, I've never heard of that. I'm pretty sure the paper beats the rock.
You be the judge.

I've been trying to think of something more meaningful to post. Something that might require more thought, but nothing's come up.

...but really 25

Allllllright. I feel compelled to put the rest of this on here, because my besties have tagged me in theirs as well. So here's the rest. Lawrence - I hope we are two different people now...

16. [edit]..I prematurely received this tag and apparently there are 25 Things, not just 16 that you may not have known about me. So let's continue, and I've added others who have tagged me in theirs. Please continue to enjoy. PS. This time I'm at home and not stealing company time.

17. I am terribly good at Tetris and yes, I challenge you to a game any time, any day.

18. I am currently watching the Grammy's and had no idea that Bono wore eyeliner?? I don't know how I feel about that. Please share your thoughts.

19. I am super competitive. And please feel free to replace "super" with "uber", "ultra" or any other new age word that I haven't learned yet.

20. I cry when watching Grey's Anatomy. Almost every episode to this day. PLEASE don't judge me, especially you Andrea.

21. Most already know, but I am in desperate need of rehab for my addiction to Hollywood gossip. Can you name who was spotted at LA's hottest new club with whom and then again with so and so in Vegas on Saturday? Well you've met your match.

22. My #2 fear of all time may be that I am missing out on a good time. So even if my eyes are bugged out, the lids are heavy and I should probably not have another I will overcommit myself so I won't NOT be there.

23. "When do my besties want to make another trip, and where should we go?" is a question I often think about. I vote Seattle or Portland. The box is open for suggestions.

24. I want to commit myself to running a full marathon but am not confident that I'll follow through with it so I will probably never sign up. But I think I can live with that.

25. In this past year I have signed up for more email alerts, more web-based communities (I feel your judgment already) and more internet stuuuuff than I have in my life. These include Twitter, Yelp, my blog which I started because of Brooke, LinkedIn, Google Latitude, Google Reader and probably much more. And now I wish this was hidden around #12 instead of being #25 so it's not what you last remember about me.

16 Things

I always get emails that are forwarded with the same people who preface their forward with "I usually don't do this but..." and let me start by saying I usually don't do this but work has driven me to do so. Much like the birth of this blog. So this lady in my bible study tagged me in her note on Facebook for this list, and at first I thought - I probably won't return this. But I read so many random interesting facts about her, and since most of us don't meet except for every other week, I sent it back and tagged the rest of the ladies as well so they can know a bit more about me too. It turns out I thought it was cute and found out things about others in the group I didn't know either. So I've decided to share my note. Here goes and feel free to share yours as well:

Here are the rules: once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 16 random things, facts, habits, or goals. At the end, tag 16 other folks. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

1. I have really bad road rage, and I've posted a blog entry about it. Search for it at www.chispeaks.blogspot.com and please don't judge me.

2. I have an incredible fear of not reaching my full potential and settling for the comfort zones of this materialistic, consumerist society rather than really making a change and impact in the world, whatever my role may be in realizing that.

3. I bite/chew on my nails because of my crush named Justin Parker in the 1st grade. He did it, and I just wanted him to notice me! Well he moved by 2nd grade, and I still have this horrible habit...

4. I love meeting new people and making new friends and will most likely stalk you to keep your friendship. Do not be alarmed if I call/text/facebookpost/email you until you are uncomfortable. It's completely normal.

5. I have an insatiable hunger for gambling, but I only play lottery tickets (only Break the Bank), Roulette, Black Jack, Pai Gow and craps. Slot machines are only for my down time at the casino. I really don't have a gambling problem. Promise. But as I type this note there is a sidebar with The National Problem Gambling Hotline that has popped up as an ad...irrelevant.

6. Even if I don't shower at night before I go to bed, I HAVE to wash my feet to feel clean before I climb into bed. And then I have to watch tv until I fall asleep.

7. I often think about what it would be like if the husband and I moved to another country and got random jobs to support ourselves. Like selling tomatoes in a market or performing spoken word in the public squares at night. But I will most likely not do this because I will always feel obligated AND want to support my parents and extended family as they age.

8. I enjoy watching the NBA, Winter X Games, World Poker Tour, college football games, sometimes NFL though not very likely unless it's a "good" game and volleyball not because I want to look "cool" in front of boys, but because I really do enjoy watching these sporting events.

9. My goal has been to read the bible all the way through since sophomore year of college, but I still have yet to do so. I'm not sure what's holding me back except my own laziness and the invention of DVR.

10. I really want to get a tattoo on my back under the shoulder bone (you know the part where it looks like you could have wings), but I'm not sure what I would get, and I don't think the husband would like it very much. But just so you know, it's on the table.

11. When I hold/use really big knives I always picture something bad happening. Like it's going to slip out from underneath me and slice my toe off or something really bloody. That is so weird, and please don't think I'm crazy!

12. I often think back to high school and college and wonder what I could have achieved by now and where I might be and what I would be doing if I hadn't done enough to JUST get by and instead really put my nose to the grindstone. I think I would've liked to be a doctor. But then I wonder if I just want to do that to feel accomplished and make my parents proud.

13. I have really low tolerance for people who say ignorant things, act ignorant and who are close-minded, but then forget that I am guilty of not loving them as I should.

14. I played the piano for 11 years from 5 years old to 16 years old, but I can't remember a single song all the way through, and I have no music theory.

15. When I was in college I watched Love and Basketball almost every night when I went to bed. It is still to this day a movie I can put on and watch over and over again.

16. I really have nothing left to say and can't think of anything else right now, but I feel obligated to write 16 things because that's how it was passed along to me.

ABDC

It is back and in business. I gave up midway through last season because I was so disappointed in the groups. Super Crew was awesome, but nobody else really impressed me. But I watched the premier last night, and aside from missing Lil Mama being the most dramatic and "loud" person, the groups for were awesome. So far I am hoping that Quest will make it to the end. I loved Hok when he was on SYTYCD, and Dominic too, and I hope this is their second chance to win it all. Does anyone want to join my dance crew if I start one? I do a mean running man, working on the lawn mower and flail my arms about when I run. That's a start, right?

Goin in Blind 2009

I knew most people would probably have a reflective post filled with crossed-off items on a list, unmarked lists or deep thoughts of what could've been. I really didn't want to have to think about what to post. Most of the time I just want to write about random things that come to mind. *ahem* Please keep reading our blog. We're not shallow people!!

I guess most of 2008 was a blur except for my wedding, last Chang's graduation from high school ushers in the empty next at the Chang household and last but not least - travels galore. I know it's good to be reflective and introspective so you are able to set future goals (right?), but I feel like so much is riding on 2009 - it's hard for me to think about what's happened in 2008. I guess for the better part of the past year, apart from the eggciting, unpredictable adventure of marriage, I have been deciding what I want to do with my life and career. I knew James' 3 year slavery to investment banking was coming to an end. I knew I didn't like my job at that point. But I didn't know the economy was going to self-destruct nor did I know that James would be applying to grad school. So most of that time was spent waiting for our backpacking trip to end so that I could look for another job or do something else. We still wanted to move to the Bay Area or move somewhere out of Texas. That's all I knew.

Well here is 2009, and I feel like after a little over a year I still don't know what's going to happen next. James has applied to schools all over the country, and he doesn't hear back until March-ish - right (directed towards husband)? So where will we be 8 months from now? What will I be doing? Who knows. It's just weird to be stuck in the "in-between" for so long. So I look forward to 2009 and all that it brings - our next destination, Obama's first term, being an aunt (sister-in-law is due any day now), etc.

Andrea Mertz said it best: "Lookin' fine in 2009"