Girls Who Stare At Shrimps

T-day dinner was great! Turkey thighs (sweet sweet dark meat), marshmallow sweet potatoes, chicken-heart stuffing, and thick gravy - faves. My mom did a fantastic job! Her Sifu and a Taichi master from Beijing joined us, so I couldn't partake in the Mandarin table talk. But it wasn't so bad, I was busy gorging..

I'm staying at Bryant's while he's in NY, and I'm shrimp-sitting! Well, technically, I'm tending to both aquariums, but the shrimpies are far more interesting than the fish. I never realized how much maintenance saltwater tanks require in order to maintain a proper environment - meticulous to say the least.

I like to stare for half-hours at a time. These are "sexy" shrimps because they gyrate their booties all hypnotic and such. The shrimpies fight each other (and the hermit crabs) over food pellets, and when they eat, their antenna-like appendages vibrate frantically! With cute little legs to grab pellets from me like BABIES, I just can't get enough of these curious creatures.

Poppin' Buttons & Being Thankful

I hit the gym last night, and ran extra hard. Why? On Tuesday when I put my jeans on, the button popped off - I was befuddled. 'Twas the first time, and the last. I will end this madness!

Also, as I'm not a person who lives beyond her means, this month will be a test. Going halfsies on a 50" tv with my bro and dirt bike class has blown one of my paychecks out the window. Another paycheck will go to bills and gifts. Needless to say, there will be no BF shopping, and no excessive spending on alcohol! I love my job, but if I can't pick up full-time hours soon I'll be looking elsewhere. Perfect time to get back into shape and study hard..

And Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for my friends, family, health, and awesome life. Though I still have wants (money/fame/boys), I have no complaints! Happy T-day to you all, you fat bastards.

Dirt Biking!!!!

Today, my co-workers and I did Rob Rickert's Dirt Bike School in Rancho Cordova! It was crazy fun, and exciting, and I learned a WHOLE lot. Prior to this, I'd made many inconsistent attempts at riding street bikes, and eventually sold my Ninja (Tyson) because of lack of dedication to practice. Now I'm a million times more confident, and have mastered shifting. I love shifting, it's probably my favorite part of riding! I had some trouble braking initially, because I freak out and grab a shitload of handbrake, but I learned how to counter this - by pulling in my clutch lever at the same time. I did so much better than I thought I would, and was able to ride a bike with only one foot on the ground (ever).

The coaches were fantastic, and super funny. They were making jokes the whole time and I felt way more relaxed at this class than at my first MSF Street course years ago. The weather ended up being perfect, and it couldn't have gone any better. I had a freakin' blast, and I can't wait to go back for more. Dirt bikes are like ATV x200!! And I REALLY LIKE ATV'ing!!

Hot-Pot Pot Luck

Last night Annie did hot-pot for her birthday, and it was de-licious! Her spicy broth was better than any restaurant hot-pot I've ever had. mMm shitake mushrooms and udon and semi-raw beef =) The cake was yum also - and garlic shrimp chips!

The boys were playing Wii Mario Brothers and shrieking with excitement. The idea of having four people play one level and requiring them to coordinate to survive is ingenious. Introducing that idea has really taken a classic game to a whole new level.

We were also playing a ridiculous version of ro-sham-bo, in which the winner of each round predicts the direction the loser's head will go. This is SO FUNNY when people are drunk, OMG, that might have been the best part of the night. There were card games and other drinking games happening at the same time, I love partying at Annie's house!

Later in the night, Sterling was giving Perry a massage, and V and I put garbage into his pant leg without him noticing. We managed to get two plastic forks, two beer bottle caps, one water bottle cap, a lighter, and a marker in there! I'm so tired from laughing and drinking and having too much fun that I didn't wake up in time to go with them to the motorcycle show =( But what an awesome night, I can't wait to see the pictures!

Night Terrors

So I stayed up hell-of late last night looking at emergency readiness kits, actually until 4:00AM, and two hours later I'm up again after a TERRIFYING nightmare.

I was at Disneyland for some massive ball-like event. Everyone was fancily glad, mostly in black, like they were going to a very sophisticated show. The lights in all of the buildings were soft yellow (just like at Davies Symphony Hall). Everyone I knew from high school was there, and I most specifically remember seeing Anna T., Lisa W., and Lisa P. I was actually WITH V and Jon and Alex watching an interactive opera show? Until it was interrupted by blood-curdling screams and masses of people scattering everywhere. When the crowd cleared, there were dead bodies on the floor with stab wounds. I actually never saw the bodies but I could see everyone around me freaking out.

So we were corralled within our areas as they didn't want the murderer to escape. But because we were at DISNEYLAND, there wasn't enough staff to protect us, and there were just SO MANY PEOPLE! WE DIDN'T KNOW WHO THE KILLER(S) WAS/WERE! And now I'm walking around all paranoid-like, and they're ushering us into some sort of cafeteria area... where we stumble over MORE BODIES!!! OMG!!! And again I don't see the bodies, but I know exactly what my friends are looking at.

The paranoia is nerve-wracking, and I'm closely monitoring the motions of anyone who comes within our vicinity. I eventually need to go to the restroom (surprise surprise) and on the way I see my friend Lisa W. and I'm like "hey your dress is cute" yadda yadda. Then some black girl pushes Lisa W. and tries to elicit a response by badgering her. Lisa's face is frozen with shock. As soon as the girl leaves the corridor, Lisa W. reveals that the girl was actually a football player I went to high school with. We part ways, but I enter the bathroom still distracted and confused.

By this time I had either left V, Jon and Alex behind, or had lost them in the crowd. My friend Lisa P. is in the bathroom, and we say hi briefly but she's apparently consumed by the conversation she's having with her boyfriend and isn't paying too much attention. I, for some reason or other, leave my stall door open (??) while I sit down, and I see this crazed Italian looking guy with Wario hair sneak up and sidestep into my stall without realizing that I'm there. Yes, this is a very long and narrow stall, and the bathroom is dark. So I watch as he's crouching low looking outward toward Lisa, and he pulls out a ridiculously triangular knife, and I KNOW he's getting ready to stab her!!!

I realize that if I yell out to warn her, he will kill me. If I let him kill her, he'll probably flee immediately. I decide to let him kill her, or maybe I'm just too hesitant to act, but he lunges towards the opening of the stall and I know he's ready to pounce. At that last SPLIT second I scream "LISA!!! WATCH OUT!! THE KILLER!!" And the fucking scary ass Wario guy turns and looks at me and says, "You know, now that you've done that, I won't have a job" and I'm sitting there in a silent panic just staring back at him.

Then he asks, "You won't tell anyone, will you?" in an eerily endearing tone while he strokes the knife. I tell him "NO NO I WON'T TELL, I WON'T" but he answers, "But how can I trust you..." And so this madman steps toward me with malicious intensity. I'm praying that Lisa will kick him from behind and then we can both assault him, but she either is still on the phone or has left the bathroom. So - I'm this dark, narrow, stall, about to get sliced up by this psycho and abruptly I wake up.

Now I'm too scared to go back to sleep, I don't want to die. I'm so screwed for work in a few hours. See, in this situation, things would have gone MUCH DIFFERENTLY, had I had a handgun.

California Carry Gun Law

Two years ago, had I known that I could CARRY MY GUN legally in this lovely state, I would have gone through with the license test and purchased a sweet little Sig Sauer P238. Now I'm sort of beyond the whole firearm phase, but even still it tickles me to know that IF I WANTED TO, I could carry a weapon, as long as it is holstered, unloaded, and NOT concealed. That would look so badass with my Stetson. Why would I conceal it??

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/scavenger/detail?entry_id=51902

The Realist: My Views On Life

Your deeds comprehensively shape who you are, and if you live life honestly (being true to yourself and others) and without regret, you will be at one with yourself upon the final hour.

We each only have ourselves - we each can only trust ourselves. More importantly, we each are the ONLY ones responsible for making the choices that allow us to live fulfilling lives.

Being the best person you can be, and cherishing EVERY moment as it comes - taking all of life's turmoil and drama, and using it to re-create an improved "you" is how we can all become whatever it is we want to be.

The fact of the matter is you that don't get things done by dwelling on mere thought. Being happy, finding passion, loving more and hurting less, are all innate. The key is to stop thinking, and start doing - then life will never have been more simple.

My New Hair-Do

Today I was a hair model for a cutting class with Garret H. and now I've got this fantastic haircut which I LOVES! He does hair for the guy from Million Dollar Listing, and I know why - because he's awesome! My hair feels SO light, and the layers are much more aggressive than I've ever had before. I was fed, given free hair products, and now I feel like a celebrity with my new hair =) AND THEN I ate Katanaya with Julian after. BLISS!

Backstreet's Back, ALRIGHT!

My GOD, I love the 90's. Or more specifically, I LOVE 90'S MUSIC! We went to Club 1994 for Mel's birthday at 111 Minna last night, and it was a super-fun blast from the past. I dressed like Steph Tanner: a 90's-esque t-shirt with a destroyed denim skirt and leggings with Chucks! When the deejay played I Want It That Way, the crowd went wild. I really wouldn't have minded hearing the WHOLE Millennium album... but at least they played BSB's best song. There was also Mm Bop, No Scrubs, Ride It, If You Wanna Be My Lover and a whole bunch of other GOODIES! Chad and I were talking about the first albums we ever bought, and mine was totally SPICE WORLD haha. Oh, the 90's. Good times...

Goin' Gaga

Okay, I'm not really a Lady Gaga fan, but somehow I JUST CAN'T STOP watching this video! I really like the lyrics and I LOVE THE bear rug getup she has on at 3:44. Actually, I love all of the outfits. The dance she does during the chorus is so cutesy - this video is JUST SOOOOOO FUN!

I want your lovin'
I want your revenge
I want your love
I dont wanna be friends

CSI Crossover: Las Vegas "The Lost Girls"

So - the conclusion was, well, conclusive, and heart-warming. AWWWW I'm such a sucker for happy endings <3

There was a reference to the "hoe-vine", through which tricks on the Vegas strip stay in contact with one another. I guess technology is the enabler of things we don't even realize, AYE?

CSI Crossover: NY "Hammer Down"

I like good people. I think it's f'd that the witness who stopped to help at the collision was car-jacked, shot, and left to die. It's so depressing because things like this probably happen.

The WWII heart-to-heart moment between Mac and Morpheus was lame. In the junkyard scene, I saw a Ford Probe - my first ride! OH and Morpheus's rotund ass on the dirt bike, and then with the shotgun..WTF! THAT STILL DOESN'T MAKE HIM COOL!

Although Bruckheimer does a good job connecting these two segments, I didn't enjoy tonight's - much to do with doc Morpheus and his bad acting. I hope tomorrow's LV conclusion will make me happy again. GIVE US JUSTICE!

I Got Featured on Yelp!

I realize that a lot of people have probably gotten featured on the Yelp Weekly page, but I still think that this is SUPER COOL, and I only started Yelping two weeks ago! 5 stars for Yelp. =)

I am DEFINITELY a PC

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. MAC USERS.

CSI Crossover: Miami "Bone Voyage"

http://www.cbs.com/csicrossover/video/?vs=Full%20Episodes

Poor Ashley Tanner... the BFT reenactment in the intro was horrifying, her head beaten like a pinata. I learned a new word: "pandering" which essentially means sex-trafficking - the irony is that it looks and sounds like "panda". It was great to see a familiar face - Mr. Cole, whom I recognize from Prison Break. I think casting him as the celebrity butcher was a good call. But then, I found it odd watching Morpheus play the role of a doctor. I don't normally watch CSI but apparently he's a member of CSI:LV. There were no red or blue pills.

I think the whole "cross-over" thing is an interesting concept, and I can't wait to see how well they can tie the three shows together. The next segment is Wednesday, until then -

Truth in Metric

"Get hot, get too close to the flame,
Wild, open, space.
Talk like an open book,
Sign me up

Got no time to take a picture - I'll remember someday
All the chances we took,
We're so close, to something better left unknown..
We're so close, to something better left unknown..
I can feel it in my bones"

- Metric, Gimme Sympathy

The fragmented ideas that are embedded within the somewhat-nonsensical lyrics of Metric's album (Fantasies) strike me as deeply profound, but often I cannot put my finger on exactly what it is that captivates me. All I know is that I'm good at getting "too close to the flame", and at times I wish I could "talk like an open book". I feel like I've experienced the notion of getting "so close, to something better left unknown" too many times for my own good, and when this happens I definitely "feel it in my bones". I guess the most prominent personal connection here is in the identity.

The conscious naivety in the diction is perplexing, and it teeters on the edge of the grasping for your idea of perfect happiness without knowing exactly what it is you seek. The danger here, is realizing that what it is you've been reaching for is not what you really wanted, or ever will want. Or perhaps even realizing that what you've been striving for is certainly what you want, but impossible to attain. This idea is also reflected in "Gold Guns and Girls" where the phrase: "is it ever gonna be enough" is repeated consecutively. This is one of the perpetual themes throughout the album, and the album name Fantasies is very fitting.

I love music that makes me think, I love Metric.

Bridges, Cupcakes, and Handcuffs

On Thursday at happy hour with Jon and Nick, I realized once again that I have no concept of drinking in moderation, or "sipping". We went to Ike's for a sober-up sandwich, then home. I stayed up way too late watching Fringe! Who can resist a series which is best described as Law & Order + Heroes??

I dropped B off at the Oakland airport early Friday morning then went to Hillsdale. I realized that I enjoy driving over the Bay Bridge best. OH how I miss driving back from Cal in traffic everyday and watching the ships at bay. I was SO unimpressed by the San Mateo bridge.

When I got into the mall, I was grossly surprised at how many people were waiting outside of stores for gates/doors to open.

I hit major traffic on my way back (I love SF), but luckily made it to work. Afterward, I came home to change and was off to Chris's surprise dinner at Hard Knox. Parking near Clement was such a challenge, especially because Rupert doesn't fit half of the spaces in Richmond.

I was falling asleep during dinner and the beer didn't help. Steph fed us ridiculously-good cupcakes. That didn't help either. I got super VIP parking at Supper Club afterward, but was still so exhausted that I ended up leaving early anyway. The highlight of the night HAD to be either 1) the boys trying to pole-dance, or 2)Gary getting handcuffed to the wall. Even though I got home early, I stayed up to Yelp. Damn me.

Working Saturday mornings is always somewhat of a dread. And I always eat one too many doughnuts, and drink one too many cups of coffee. Now here I am, crashing, and too drained to party on. It'll be nice though, for once, to stay in on a Saturday.

I am SO NOT Outtie

After ranting about my pet peeve of exposed outties, Chucky tries to make me feel bad.. and it ends up being hilarious:

whoa (2:17:38 AM): I never want to see
whoa (2:17:41 AM): an outtie belly button
whoa (2:17:43 AM): and I can never date a guy
whoa (2:17:46 AM): with an outtie belly button
whoa (2:17:48 AM): I will like ..
whoa (2:17:49 AM): kill myself
bigchucky122 (2:18:05 AM): LOL
bigchucky122 (2:18:07 AM): wowsas
bigchucky122 (2:18:20 AM): i have something to tell u
whoa (2:18:25 AM): YOURE AN OUTTIE?
whoa (2:18:27 AM): oh GOD
bigchucky122 (2:18:28 AM): uhm
bigchucky122 (2:18:30 AM): NO
whoa (2:18:30 AM): GET OUT OF HERE
bigchucky122 (2:18:30 AM): HAHAHAHA
bigchucky122 (2:18:31 AM): jk
bigchucky122 (2:18:33 AM): hadhhahahahahah
whoa (2:18:35 AM): oh ok
bigchucky122 (2:18:36 AM): heavens no
whoa (2:18:38 AM): HAHAHAHa
bigchucky122 (2:18:40 AM): i'd kill myself too
whoa (2:18:40 AM): "heavens no"
whoa (2:18:41 AM): AHAHAHAHA
bigchucky122 (2:18:45 AM): HAHHAHHAHA

Jeri Ryan & Mariska Hargitay - YES !

Earlier I caught "Hardwired", an episode of Law & Order: SVU, my all-time fave show which I haven't seen recently. During the typical SVU courtroom scene, where the victim/witness faces the perve, I watched as the defense attorney made her case against the crazed wife and I was like.. no..is that.. wait who is that.. she looks so... 7 OF 9!!!! I can't believe JERI RYAN was on SVU! With my other fave female actress Mariska Hargitay! I'm such a nerd, but this totally MADE MY DAY. Ah, the simple things in life.

Oh and the Intel commercials were hil-a-ri-ous! The Intel geeks were trying to decide how to cut their party cake - one guy suggests that they cut the "power supply" (the cake looks like a computer chip) and the other guy throws the knife down, freaks out, and says, "why don't you just pop the balloons and spit in the punch bowl??" Primetime television is GREAT!