Still Adrift

Waiting for Karma's Revenge

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:14:00 +0000

Okay, so I did something last night - not terribly bad, I mean I didn't kill someone. But, today I am still wondering if I did the right thing.

I was parked on the street last night and I hit the car behind me trying to back out of my spot. I was fine with the car in front of me, but the car beind me left me practically no room. I had to do some nice drive/reverse/turn my wheel maneuvering to get out of the spot. Well, when I initially got in the car to back out, I backed to far and hit the car behind me. I heard the sound of metal kinda crunching so I was a bit freaked out. I pulled forward and sat in the car for a few moments. I will admit that I considered just pretending nothing happened, but then my conscience chimed in. So I go out of the car to inspect the damage. Well, I didn't see any. My car has a big bumper that sticks out and I suspect that my big ass bumper hit the car's license plate (the metal I heard). The car was black, mine silver and I didn't see any exchange of paint. Granted it was at night - but I was parked right by a street light. So, I got back in the car, got myself out of the spot and left.

Now, I decided not to leave a note because I didn't see any damage and while I do feel bad for hitting the car, I didn't want to leave a note saying so and then maybe have this person try to accuse me of creating damage that was already there. But, I very well could have left damage and did a hit and run. I looked at my car this morning and I really didn't see anything. I saw some chipped paint around where my license plate is, but I don't know if it was from what I did last night or if it was already there.

I'm just torn - part of me feels okay, but part of me doesn't. What if I did the wrong thing and Karma comes after me? Sigh. I don't know, what would you have done?

Music: Mamas & the Papas - Dream a Little Dream of Me

Happy 311 Day!!

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Well, here you are, my annual "Happy 311 Day" post. This year 311 is putting on a huge show in Vegas - every other year, they put on a big concert on 03/11. Most of the time it's in the mid west or east coast, but this time they made to the west coast. I wish I could be there, 311 fans from all over the country come and meet in once place for a 311 show. I bet it's amazing because you know these people are hardcore fans. Hell, most 311 fans are hardcore. And, I've been to some awesome 311 shows and the energy that all of these fans bring is amazing.

Since I've had this blog over 7 years and been in love with 311 for 14 years, I know that I've mentioned what they mean to me. I will say that they have a different meaning to me now than they did years ago. Now I kind of look at 311 as a best friend - they've been around a while, have brought me happiness and comforted me in times when I needed it. It's a relationship, even though slightly changed now, that will never die.

Anyway, just a small shout out to my favorite band - and an awesome desktop picture that I love. Be sure to give a little listen to them today. ;)

Caught in the Middle

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:37:00 +0000

In most situations in life, I always try to be the neutral one. The one that sees both sides, doesn't have a strong opinion of A over B, the one that tries to help side A see the view point of side B or vice versa. Admittedly, there are times when I definitely feel more strongly about one side than the other, but I will usually keep that quiet and, for appearances, will be neutral. I don't know, I kind of think it's good to be neutral - it's good to see both sides of a situation, it's good to be objective where you can be and it's probable that you will be seen as trustworthy and will have more friends than enemies. But, it also gets you in trouble.

I won't go into details, but there is some drama at work right now - mainly two situations that I am somewhat involved with. I am not part of the drama, but I am involved with the people in/creating the drama. This is where being neutral gets tough. I am ALWAYS in the middle. In these work situations, I see both sides. I honestly do. And, at the same time, I'm trying to be friends with both sides. Though, in both situations, I feel more strongly about one particular side, but... I can't really show it. So, here I am getting talk from this person in my left ear and getting talk from that person in my right ear and it is so emotionally draining and somewhat stressful at times. Half the time I just want to yell "leave me the fuck alone, I can't handle this right now," but because I'm in the business of being neutral, I can't create conflict. Or, even if it's not a drama situation, everyone at work dumps on me - about their personal problems, work problems, etc. I don't know, I am kinda flattered that they feel they can talk to me, but it takes a lot out of me. Sometimes I can barely handle what's going on in my head. And I really just have this issue at work - very rarely does it happen in my personal life. I don't know, maybe it's because I spend 40+ hours a week with these people.

Being fair and seeing things neutrally is good, but I never know when to speak up for myself. And I'm always so worried of getting on some one's bad side. I apparently have this problem of needing/wanting to be liked. It's just very frustrating for me and I have dealt with this all of my life, since it happens with any human relationships that I have. And I'm not really sure if it's something I necessarily need to change, but I think I need to learn to handle it better - and well, I probably need to learn to not worry about what people think about me. It is hard trying to be everybody's friend and sometimes, it just doesn't seem worth it.

Kitty & Cali

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:32:00 +0000

Earlier this week my mom told me that two of our cats passed away. Even though I'm not living at home anymore, it still makes me very sad. Kitty was 15, Cali was 17...so they had both been around a long time and for a good chunk of my life. The oddest thing was that they both passed away about a day within each other. Not sure if they both had some sort of illness or if it was just coincidence. My mom says that the other two cats we have left are doing fine.

Cali, I was kind of planning for - I knew she was older and the last time I was home, she wasn't looking her best. But, Kitty, I definitely wasn't expecting. Cali had spent a good chunk of her years as an outside cat. We would try to bring her in, but the other cats would chase her and pick on her and she would always head for the door. It was kind of cool, you could pull into the driveway and Cali would run up and meet you. The last year or so my parents had gotten her to come into the house since she was getting older and, for the most part, the other cats left her alone.

Kitty and Cali are actually sisters - same mom. Kitty wasn't always the nicest cat, if I remember correctly, she was quite the little pain until we got her fixed. Then it seemed like she did a complete 180 and constantly wanted attention, when before, she'd want nothing to do with you. She never was a lap cat and you couldn't do things like pick her up and cuddle with her, but she was sweet. And she loved to go "hunting." She'd go into my parents bedroom and grab a clothes hanger that fell on the floor and she'd walk down the hallway with this hanger in her mouth, meowing. And it was quite difficult for her to walk. She would drop it on the floor, look at us and meow like "look what I got for you!" (If you don't know, most cats are like this - if you've ever found a mouse, lizard, bird or something on your doorstep, they bring back their kill to show you what they did...it's to sort of gain your approval and show their love).

Here's a picture of Kitty, unfortunately, I don't have a digital picture of Cali...

Anyway, they will be missed and while it's a little easier for me because I am removed from the situation, it's still hard and still a lot of memories. And it's never easy to lose an animal.

"Nice & Romantic" Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:32:00 +0000

Alright, so...my best friend and her hubby are visiting me this weekend. Last night, she and I decided to go to Cheesecake Factory for dinner. We are seated on the patio and the waitress has already stopped by the table a few times to take our drink and food orders. She was passing by and noticed the little candle on our table was out, so she asked if we wanted it lit. It really didn't matter to me, but I think we both said sure. She lit it once and it went out, so she tried again. It was on this try that she said, while lighting it, "...make it nice and romantic."

Okay, so WTF? Apparently two girlfriends can't have dinner together?? It was early, like 6:30p, so not a late "dinner date." We were seated at a table for 4 and were sitting across from each other, not next to each other. Now, maybe it was one of those foot and mouth situations where she just said something she didn't mean to say, I mean, I do that all the time. Ya know...candles on a dinner table can be romantic, so maybe she said it w/o thinking that there were two chicks at the table. But seriously? Just because two people, of the same or opposite sex, are sitting at a table together doesn't mean they are TOGETHER. I've run into this problem w/some male friends as well. Unless you see some sort of affectionate activity, maybe just assume that the two people are platonic.

Also...not sure why it bothers me so much. My friend and I laughed about it, but...I'm still kinda offended. The waitress also touched me twice...once on my arm and once on my back as she was walking by. I think the one on the back was her way of saying, "I'm going to run your card, I didn't forget about you," which is cool...but dude, just tell me. Not into random waitresses who think I am a lesbian touching me.

Music: Tone Loc - Funky Cold Medina

You Have Something on your Forehead

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:42:00 +0000

The radio station that I'm listening to right now is asking listeners to call in and share what they are giving up for Lent. This reminded me of a story...

A few years ago, when I as working at the hospital, a client came up to the counter. I was helping someone else, but acknowledged her and saw that she had something on her forehead. The whole time I was finishing up with this other client, I toyed with whether or not I should say something. I usually try to avoid awkwardness, but...in the event of it being so noticeable, I decided to say something. So, when I was done w/the one client and began helping her, I told her "You have something on your forehead." She said, "yeah, it's Ash Wednesday." I can't remember what I said, I'm sure it was something along the lines of "Oh, I'm sorry!"

But yeah, I'm not Catholic, so why would I know, but I suppose it's common knowledge that this happens on Lent? I really didn't/don't know...and I really felt foolish. At the same time, I would expect nothing less to happen to me.

Dream Definitions

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:16:00 +0000

I feel like I should say something on here...admittedly my brain has been consumed with a lot of crap, most of which I'm not willing to share on here, so I've been a little at a loss of what to say. So, instead, let's talk about some wacky happenings in my dreams last night...

Last night I had teeth falling out, I was pulling my hair out and I had a headless rat for a pet. According to The Curious Dreamer, teeth falling out "can indicate a feeling or a fear that something has caused you to lose a healthy balance within your physical body or within your mental state or life." Pulling out my hair "could represent frustration or rejection of something about yourself or your situation." And, trying to define what the hell a headless pet means was a little more difficult, but this is what I could find: "A dream about your pet being in trouble or sick can mean you feel you're overlooking a responsibility for taking care of yourself or your life."

I really want to put a check mark by each of these items. While I know this is only one source of information, I find it interesting that each of these definitions pretty much sums up how I am feeling in my life right now. I know dream analyzing is nothing but interpretation, but I do believe that dreams are our brains way of trying to make sense of our emotions and everything that happens to us in our daily lives. I feel like dreaming creates a clean slate everyday that way our brains can absorb what is to come.

Just found it interesting...and I often dream about the teeth and hair - not so much the headless pets.

Music: The Raconteurs - Pull This Blanket Off

Dairy Saga

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:22:00 +0000

Alright, well, it's more of a saga for me than anyone reading this. I've been doing the no dairy thing for a few weeks now and it is proving to be much more difficult than that I thought. Admittedly, the hardest part is not avoiding the obvious dairy products, but the products that have dairy in them. I've had two bad experiences because of this, one intentional and one not. The not one was just my ignorance.

One night I had a big piece of chocolate cake w/chocolate icing. While I'm sure the cake mix took oil (I did not make it), it being chocolate, there was probably some form or milk in the cake and/or frosting. At the time, I didn't care, because I figured it wasn't a straight dairy product, so why would it matter? Well, and maybe it's a coincidence, but I woke up the following morning congested w/a really bad sinus headache. And I hadn't had a sinus headache for about two weeks prior to this happening. Interesting.

Then, this past Saturday, I went to the grocery store. I was mindful of everything I bought except for one thing: frozen waffles. Once in a while I get into this habit of toasting some waffles, putting butter on them and eating them that way for a snack. I was in the freezer section, saw the waffles and thought they sounded yummy. Not only did not not cross my mind that I bought waffles, that normally contain milk, but I bought buttermilk waffles. So, I did not clue into this fact until AFTER I hate them. Um, hello Amanda. So, I woke up yesterday morning with a massive sinus headache and this one was bad enough for me to stay in bed until the early afternoon.

So far two things have seemingly caused a sinus reaction. I find it interesting because, I have been eating biscuits, which according to the ingredients, have milk, but they have not bothered me. My ultimate experience will come before my follow up appt. w/my doctor next Friday. I bought a 12 oz. container of milk and I am going to drink it one night before bed and see how I feel in the morning. I'm a little concerned, part of me is thinking that if the stuff I ate w/just some milk in it caused bad sinus headaches, what is the actual product going to do. And mind you, these two headaches I've had were far worse than "normal" sinus headaches I have. I really think this will be the only way to dry and definitively tell. Though, I guess it won't be too definitive unless I'm actually tested, but it'll be the closest thing so far.

Yep, there's my saga. I'm actually very saddened that I may be allergic to dairy. I'm a big fan of dairy products...and ya know what makes me the saddest? No cheesecake. :( *sigh*

Music: The White Stripes - I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)

Water in the Trunk

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:26:00 +0000

I am pretty frustrated at myself. A few months back when I made a trip to Tulare, I decided to unscrew my antenna from my car because it was starting to bend and break (it's a rubber antenna and not the one that came on my car). Last month it rained for a day or two and I remember afterwards getting into my car and noticing a moldy type smell. I got into my trunk one day and noticed that the corner of the trunk where my antenna is was wet. I had a roll of paper towels that was soaked and the carpet in the trunk was wet. At the time I assumed the water was coming in through the screw hole that the antenna screws into.

So, for some idiotic reason, I never put my antenna back on and having the down pours that we had last week, I now have a ton of water in my trunk. Well, it's not puddled, but the carpet is soaked. I was able to pull the top carpeting out (Thanks to Ong for giving me that idea) and it is now sitting my balcony so it can dry out. There's some padding around and under my spare tire that is soaked and when you press down on the padding, water puddles up. I'm also a little concerned because my battery is in my trunk, but everything seems okay with that. The plan is to leave my top carpeting out to dry and I am hoping with that being gone, it will give a chance for the other padding to dry. Oh and there's also the funky ass smell - though, I think it was mainly coming from the top carpeting.

I called my dad because I wasn't sure what to do, he suggested I go buy some silicone to put around the base of my antenna where it attaches to the car just in case that is where the water is leaking. I did that and I also put some around another part of the antenna. Oh and I also put the antenna back on my car. I am fairly confident that the water is coming from the antenna area because I initially felt dampness right underneath there. I've also had this antenna for over 2 years and I've only gotten water in my trunk when the antenna was unscrewed from the car.

Since my antenna is starting to break (it's wrapped in electrical tape right now), I figure I will contact the dealer at some point and get an estimate and see how much it would cost to get the right antenna back on my car. But if this works for now, I am in no rush.

But, yeah, can only be mad at myself. I was the dumb ass who didn't put the antenna on after the first time. *sigh* Sometimes I wish I knew what I was thinking.

Also, thank you to my dad is who is always there whenever I am having an issue, especially when it comes to my car. It is much appreciated and means a lot.

Music: No Doubt - Ex-Girlfriend

Rain Weenie

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:03:00 +0000

It's been quite the wild weather week in Southern CA. I have always chuckled a little at Southern CA because anytime there is a slight sprinkle, everyone freaks out and it's the top news story on all of the stations. Last week when they were talking about Southern CA having 8in. of rain, I kept thinking they were exaggerating. Yeah, I don't think they were.

I hate the rain, I really do. Actually, I think the rain is good - I definitely understand the importance of it and I know we need it. I just hate being out in it. I hate that feeling of being cold and wet - shoes wet, feet wet, pants wet up to my ankles. And, half the time, having an umbrella doesn't do any good. I have yet to master getting gracefully in/out of my car w/an umbrella without getting wet. I also hate lightning/thunder storms. There's no real logic there, I just do.

I also hate driving in the rain. It just makes me so uncomfortable. I already don't trust anyone else on the road, so I really don't trust them when it's raining...and some people are just plain stupid when it comes to driving in the rain. Yeah, go ahead and tailgate me...if I have to stop suddenly, you probably won't have enough traction to stop before hitting me. Jerks. I'm not one of the slow pokes, but I am careful.

So, I am quite enjoying the break in the rain and it's nice to see the sun. Don't suppose it will last long though, I hear it's supposed to rain at some point next week. The one thing I enjoyed about this last week? The cold air and actually having a winter.

Music: Sheryl Crow - Diamond Ring

Nine

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:59:00 +0000

I just got back from seeing Rob Marshall's film Nine. The minute that I heard he was directing a new film, a musical, I knew I wanted to see it. Rob Marshall directed Chicago and Memoirs of a Geisha, both of which I really loved.

The movie is about a famous Italian director who is having trouble writing his next big movie and looks for inspiration from his wife, his mistress, his colleagues, his starlet and other various women he's had previous contact with, but it's only when he separates himself from his life, that he gains his true inspiration.

Nine wasn't glitzy like Chicago, but just like Chicago, it had some gorgeous shots, awesome choreography (which Rob Marshall does himself), great actors and singing. One of my favorite shots starts off looking at water washing up on the beach and has it slowly recedes you see the figure of a man reflected in the remaining water on the sand. Ugh, it was beautiful. The musical numbers were also done in the style of Chicago, as a part of the characters imagination, which works very well when turning a Broadway play into a film. I really enjoyed the music as well and as I mentioned, the singing was great. I'm pretty sure I will be buying the soundtrack.

From what I've read, I think the movie wasn't as great as people/critics anticipated and I think a few people in the theater weren't too happy with it. Or the ending. I liked the ending myself...and while I admit, the movie wasn't as good as I hoped, I still really loved it and got right into the middle of it. For me, that's how I know a good movie...the emotion vested into it.

I say, if you're a fan of Chicago and/or Rob Marshall, go for it. It's not as good as Chicago, but it's good.

Music: Rob Thomas - All That I Am

No Dairy, What?

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:47:00 +0000

After being sick for 2 weeks and my sore throat never going away, I decided to make a doctor's appointment. He's treating me for a sinus infection. Thinking back, I probably didn't have a cold, it was probably sinus the whole time. Most of the time when I get a cold, I get major chest congestion. This time I didn't, I barely had any and most of my coughing was a hacking, throat tickles cough. He also thinks my eye infection was attributed to my sinuses as well.

So, he starts the appointment talking about my sinus issues. I saw him back in March 2007 and complained about my sinuses - he mentioned something about cutting wheat out of my diet and then sent me for an xray to make sure I didn't have a cyst in my sinus cavities. Um, okay. This time, he brings up the wheat again, but also mentions dairy products. He informed me, which I did not know, that all people lose the ability to digest dairy - he said some stop at 10 years old, some stop at 100 and everyone is in between. He suggested that I stop eating dairy for two weeks and see how I feel. I do find this interesting because not too long ago I was wondering if I was lactose intolerant and I cut out dairy for a little while. Unfortunately, I can not remember how my sinuses may have reacted. I suppose he's considering an allergy to dairy, not just intolerance, but maybe it's all the same?

I'm a little nervous about cutting out dairy, but I know I can do it. I guess it just sucks - no milk, ice cream, cheese :(, yogurt, etc. I figure I am going to focus on the main dairy products (i.e. the ones I mentioned). A lot foods seem to have milk products in them, but I am just going to cut out the dairy products themselves, if that makes sense. I think If I went hardcore, I'd have a hard time finding stuff to eat - though, might not be a bad thing?

So, I guess I'll see. It's all in the name of my health and in recent months, more than ever, I've been more aware of my health and what I need to do to better it. I've taken small steps forward and big steps back, but when I am feeling back to par, things are going to happen. They have to. And I'm sure cutting out dairy will be more healthy anyway.

Oh yeah...I will decrease my chocolate consumption, but I can't cut it out completely. OMG can you imagine? No chocolate? Scary thought.

Music: Rebekah Del Rio - Llorando

Softsoap

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 17:22:00 +0000

Not sure if you are familiar with the Softsoap brand - they mainly produce hand soaps and body washes. I have always loved one particular type of hand soap they make, it looks like this:

I was introduced to this soap when I first moved to Fullerton about 7 year ago. I moved to go to school and was moving into a dorm on campus. I happened to live w/the RA and she bought this soap for our bathroom and I fell in love with it.

I don't recall ever buying it on my own - I always bought the generic brand of soap because it was a few dollars cheaper. Through the years, I've come into contact w/this soap and I would always tell myself that I needed to break down and spend a few more dollars to get this soap because I loved the scent. Truth is, the scent takes me back to 2002 when I first moved. I find it comforting and smelling it makes me smile. Honestly, I do find it odd that I have this attachment to this soap because of the three years I lived in the dorms, the first year was my least favorite I think. But perhaps the scent reminds me of my first experience of independence in my life - of being on my own, being younger and having a plan. On my last shopping trip, I finally bought the soap.

It's very interesting how scents can take us back to a moment or time in our lives. Definitely shows how complex our brains are, associating a scent with a certain place and time. I have an old perfume at my parents' house that, if I smell, takes me back to 7th grade and the crush I had at the time. Or the Sun Ripened Raspberry body spray that I have from Bath & Body Works takes me back to my early high school years.

I guess scent is a nice way to remember a former time.

Sick Habit

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:36:00 +0000

First, let me clarify that this post will be about a habit that I have when I am sick - not a disgusting habit that I have.

So, being sick sucks and being sick and alone sucks even more. There's one thing I always do when I am sick - it helps me feel better, it comforts me and helps me not to feel so alone. I will always pick about 4-5 movies and watch them over and over.

When I know I will be napping or at night when I know I am hitting the hay for good, I will pop a movie in and put it on repeat that way the same movie plays over and over all night long. Sometimes I will turn it off, but often I leave it on until I wake up. And, a lot of times after I wake up, I will watch the movie till it's over and THEN watch it again in it's entirety.

When I am not repeating the same movie over and over, I will still watch the same movies over and over. So, instead of watching the same movie over and over, I will watch the same 4-5 movies back to back.

This particular time, I set up my 13 in. tv, which used to be in my living room, in my bedroom area on top of my dresser. I then brought my dvd player from the living room and set it up. And for 4 1/2 days straight, I laid in my bed and watched movies. These were the movies I watched over and over: The Adventures of Milo and Otis, You've Got Mail, Jurassic Park, Grumpy Old Men, A Christmas Story and War of the Roses. For some reason, watching these movies over and over never bothers me. I love it and find it very comforting.

Now, I also watched these movies while being sick, but only watched them once: Catch me if You Can, Public Enemies, The Object of My Affection, First Wives Club, The Shop Around the Corner, Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers.

The last two nights, I've slept w/Jurassic Park playing all night. I don't know, I guess it might seem weird, but when you don't feel well, you do what you can do to help yourself feel better.

Oh and overall, I am feeling better - I'm still a mucus factory and my throat and head hurts from hacking up a lung, but I am at least able to function. And my eye infection appears to be gone. I'm still using the drops to make sure.

Now, I think it's time for bed...not sure which movie I will have on tonight...

Music: Johnny Cash - In My Life

Welcome Twenty-Ten

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:55:00 +0000

I did not do anything to celebrate a new decade...in fact, I was asleep and it was only the Disneyland fireworks that woke me up and then I figured it was midnight. So far, not too impressed w/2010, but I guess I am biased. I am sick and, as found out today, I have an eye infection. Apparently two unrelated things. Just very odd - don't believe I've ever had an eye infection before.

All and all, I am feeling better. Am feeling a little run down after going out this morning, but I know it's because I've been doing nothing for 2 1/2 days, so I need to build my energy back up. I suspect I will be good to work on Monday...red swollen eye or not.

Another thing that has yet to impress me about 2010 is my computer appears to be sick as well. I am rapidly losing hard drive space and I don't understand why. A few weeks ago (I think), I got a warning stating that I was low on hard drive space, so I did disk cleanup, at that point it had been a while, and after that I had a total of 2GB worth of hard drive space. Since then, I've been getting the same message, stating that I am low on hard drive space, so again, I do disk clean up, I delete things, I move things to my external hard drive and nothing seems to be working - it actually only seems to make it worse. For example, yesterday morning I had like 300MB left on my hard drive, I did some stuff and freed it up to 700MB. I came back later that day, it was down to a little over 100MB and when I checked it again, it was up to 500MB. And now, it's saying I have 36MB worth of hard drive left. I have no effing clue what is going on. I have only deleted and moved things, I have not added a thing. So, I guess the best I can do is make sure my crap is backed up and hope for the best. I don't have the money to replace a computer right now. Here's hoping it doesn't crap out on me.

Oh and I did successfully post a blog everyday from Nov. 1, 2009 - Dec. 31, 2009. I thought about doing one for everyday this year, but I don't think I will. I think I will just be more mindful about blogging more frequently and since I have been blogging everyday, I hope it is easy for me to stick with.

Alright, time of some OJ and my bed, I think. Happy weekend, all.

End of a Decade

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 18:26:00 +0000

So a new decade will be starting in a few hours...and I had this idea of going through my blog posts and noting significant things that I have happened, but I think I can remember them all:

2002 - Moved to Fullerton, started going to CSUF
2004 - Got my first car and first real job at Target
2005 - Graduated from CSUF with my Bachelor's
2006 - Quit Target, started working at the animal hospital, got in a car accident which resulted in my car being totaled
2007 - My grandma passed away, my mom was diagnosed w/cancer, I moved out on my own (no roommates)
2008 - My mom was cleared of cancer, started my current job
2009 - I honestly can't think of any real significant thing that happened to me this year. I think for me, it was a pretty stagnant year, which I guess depending on how you look at it, could be good or bad. I've known a lot of people, though, who had a crappy year in 2009, so I hope nothing but the best for them in 2010.

Whatever it is you are doing to celebrate the end of one decade and the beginning of a new one, be safe and have fun. Me? I will be home and in bed likely, as I am sick. What a time to come down w/sickness. I'm bummed that I will be alone. Ya know, New Year's Eve is like Valentine's Days older brother. If you don't have a significant other, it kinda blows. And, being sick just makes it a tad bit worse. Oh well. It is what it is.

As far as resolutions? I don't really believe in them. Why do you need a new year to start to do something? I think July 17th at 4:37p is no different than January 1st.

Hmm, I think I need to lay down - this is taking a lot of energy.

Happy New Year everyone! *cough*

Rough Night

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:56:00 +0000

I took some nighttime meds last night was good until about 2am when I woke up feeling horrible. I kept trying to go back to sleep, but it wasn't happening. I didn't want to take more nighttime meds since I was planning to work today. For some reason it took me an hour to realize that I could take the daytime meds just for the relief. I finally did that around 3a and fell asleep shortly after. I then got up at 610a. I'm pretty damn tired, but...I need to try and go to work. We're already a girl short and I am behind on my work. I figure I can try to go and if I get to feeling too bad, I can always come home. My plans is to stop by Walgreens on my way to work for some better tissue (my nose is freaking raw) and some more meds.

Hooray for sickness!

It Finally Happened

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:52:00 +0000

After 2 1/2 years, I have finally gotten sick. Go me. I woke up this morning hoping it was just an extreme allergy issue, but nope. I am convinced and am freely using the "S" word. (Sick). I got home from work and went to bed and now I am up to eat and then probably go back to bed. Two words: Sick sucks.

Absolutely Livid Day

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:27:00 +0000

Remember lazy girl that I complained about a few posts back? Well, she is on vacation in Tennessee this week. For the team I belong to, it is our standard to try and help out others when they are gone; it's not expected of us to do all of their work, but to try and maintain it. Mainly for the clients, but also so not one person is left behind.

My whole team has been behind since November...between team building, meetings and holidays, we are all struggling. So, in this instance it is a little frustrating to have to work on not only your work, but a coworker's as well.

None of us have ever really helped out lazy girl before because, out of the 6 of us, she usually has the least amount of work. This time we are delving into her work and, oh. my. god. She is so freaking behind it is not even funny. We are not maintaining her new work, we are freaking doing her old shit! Each one of us had some of her work today and we each ran into several instances where she was lazy about her work - taking 2-4 weeks to make a return phone call or not properly looking at the records to make sure we have everything. And who has to do all of this work that should have been done a month ago? US! I could go to Tennessee and fucking strangle her. She's known for MONTHS that she was going on vacation and she made no attempt to get herself caught up. I can guarantee you she just thought, "well, the others will deal with it." UGH.

Oh and another thing I am pissed about is my supervisor did not properly communicate to us who was doing what work of the lazy girl's. She, of course, is also on vacation this week, so we can't even bring all of this to her attention. We had a quick 5 min. meeting to discuss that she and lazy girl would be gone but that's it. All of the sudden we're all getting tons of extra work that we were not expecting. I think we are going to bring it up to my supervisor when she gets back next week. Not sure if it's proper of us, but obviously my supervisor is not paying attention to lazy girl's work and since the rest of us are having to make up for it, we think she should know.

I know there are these types of people in every job, but seriously? Have some fucking respect for your coworkers. Maybe you are a lazy ass and don't care about your job and have a horrible work ethic, but the rest of us don't. I know for sure I have lost tons of respect for her and that I never want her touching my work when I am gone.

Back in Fullerton

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 04:35:00 +0000

Well, here I am, back in the OC after being in Tulare for almost 4 days. I have to say it was a very nice trip and was a lot of fun. I was able to make it to the bar a few nights for some drinking and dancing - nothing too crazy of course. I was able to spend time with my friends and my family, which is always awesome.

The suckiest part is that my mom got sick Christmas morning and spent all day Christmas and yesterday in bed. I felt so bad for her. I know she felt bad for being sick while I was there, but I know she can't help it. What's good is that she is feeling better today and hopefully she'll be back to 100% in the next few days.

The most interesting thing that happened? I spoke to my sister on the phone for the first time in over 2 years. The last time I had spoken to her was when my mom was in the hospital in San Francisco back in the summer of 2007. It was kind of odd to talk to her and it felt kind of forced. My mom received a Christmas card from her earlier last week, but I never did. I thought I'd have one when I got back today, but nope... no Christmas card. It's very interesting - I think this is the first time my mom has received a card and I have not. I sent her one, though...she even thanked me for it. Just not quite sure what to think about that. But, I am VERY glad that she called my mom and talked to her - that meant more to my mom than she will ever understand.

Anyway, that's was my Christmas in a nutshell. Back to the grind tomorrow.

Friendship Necklace

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 06:16:00 +0000

Just got back from doing a gift exchange with my best friend. When I was in town for my high school reunion, we both came to Target and came across this Friendship necklace.

I'm sure you can read the saying on the card, but on the actual necklace, it says. "I am thankful your path crossed mine." We immediately fell in love with it and decided to buy each other one for Christmas. Though we did have to get different chains...it came w/a 16in. chain. Seriously, who has a 16in. neck.

Anyway, I absolutely love it and I can't wait to starting wearing it. And, ya know, it's so true. I don't know what I'd do w/o that girl.

Oh and she also got me the Public Enemies dvd (yay!!) and a pair of christmassy socks. ;)

Merry Christmas!!

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:42:00 +0000

I hope everyone has a fabulous day! :)

Milestone

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:06:00 +0000

Here ya go folks, my 1,000th blog post!! Yay!! Only took me about 9 years to get here. ;) I hope you've had as much reading as I have writing. Let's hope it doesn't take me another 9 years to hit 2,000!

Happy Christmas Eve!

The Plan

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Alright, so I FINALLY get to spend Christmas with my parents. The last time I spent Christmas with them was in 2006. Right now my only enemy is weather. I'm planning to leave today after work since my dad is worried about fog on Thursday morning. And, well, I think I'd rather drive at night than in the fog. Of course, all of this is on a "play it by ear" basis, but I'm 95% sure I will be leaving after work tomorrow. I'm also really hoping my supervisor will let me leave early, but I won't get my hopes up. I figure no matter when I leave, I will hit traffic, so that's not really a factor.

My biggest worry, is that as of yesterday morning, there's a chance of rain in Tulare and southern CA and also rain/snow on the Grapevine on Sunday the 27th. If the chance gets stronger, then I'll be heading back to Fullerton on Saturday.

While I would hate my trip to be shortened, I need to be comfortable when I drive and ya know, I get to be there on Christmas, which is the important part, right?

Christmas Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (amu311bd) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:57:00 +0000

I love this movie, always have. Even after all these years, it still makes me laugh. Here's some of my favorite lines:

Clark: Burn some dust here. Eat my rubber.
Rusty: Dad, I think you mean burn rubber and eat my dust.
Clark: Whatever, Russ. Whatever.

Clark: 'Tis the season to be merry.
Mary: That's my name.
Clark: No shit.

Clark: Russ, go get the hammer.
Ellen: Clark, what do you need a hammer for?
Clark: I'm gonna catch it in the coat... And smack it with the hammer.

Clark: The most enjoying traditions of the season are best enjoyed in the warm embrace of kith and kin. Thith tree is a thymbol of the thpirit of the Griswold family Chrithmath.

Rusty: Dad, this tree won't fit in our back yard.
Clark: It's not going in the yard, Russ. It's going in the living room.

Clark: Hey! If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is! Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where's the Tylenol?

Hehehe.