Can't stop thinking about

• the painting I lost last weekend at a silent auction (fundraiser event for the Aja Project, where Andrea works). This stupid bloke swooped right in front of me with 12 seconds left in the auction and out-bid me. I was, am so sad.
• the 3-day weekend and 3-day week to follow. Plus, Incubus!!
• random stories, characters.
• how Sparkle (our goldfish) looked dead.
• how my car will break down.
• booking a flight to anywhere.

The one on the far left... the painting ("Floating Nocturne") that was almost mine.

Weekend of Reconnecting

• Spent the weekend at my mom’s. I love how quiet it is in Lake Elsinore. It’s almost a little eerie, but I like it.


• Went to church. It’s so nice to worship with others and pray together. It’s always comforting to spend time with family. Plus, loitering in the parking lot never gets old.


• Called my father Sunday morning. We were both quite happy.

See-Saw

I don't like that I can find someone absolutely intolerable one moment then be so enamored by that same someone the next moment.

According to 'Understanding Human Behavior,' a book from the '70s Andrea bought at a thrift store, I may be "irredeemably neurotic". I thought this was hilarious.

Koala-ty Time

Ames and Dan visited yesterday and wow, what a day. We first went to the zoo where we saw animals, got frustrated because we couldn't see the animals, saw the many faces of Daniel Cho (I should post them here; they really tell a story. Although one may assume that I must continuously say or do silly things to evoke such looks.), was captivated by plants (or at least I was) and basically walked. A lot. It was quite hot yesterday. We concluded that the koala's life is the best. They just sleep and eat. They rest for about 20 hours a day, sleeping for most of that time.

After the zoo, we went on The Very Long Journey to watch 'North by Northwest' at an outdoor movie theatre called Cinema Under The Stars. I had always wanted to go, but it's so expensive, so I was saving the experience for a special occasion. The three of us trekked several blocks to get to the theatre on time. We actually made it in time. Only to see the "Tickets are Sold Out" sign. So we sadly walked back towards my place. We ended up watching 'Once', which was very good.

It was nice to spend time together and laugh. Overall, it was an enjoyable day simply to be surrounded by familiarity.

Don't worry Dan. I'll post the pictures online soon. Here are a couple to appease you for now:

The Fall

I attempted surfing today. 'Attempted' is the key word. I eventually couldn't even get out past the little waves. I borrowed Andrea's friend's longboard. It was dense (filled with water because of cracks, so heavier) and way big for me. I realized I need a foam longboard to start. I basically got my ass kicked by waves. It's terrifying, yet freeing to just get thrown by waves. I felt so beat up. I felt that my brain was filled with salt water. Although there's something about being filled up with salt water that makes me feel very purified and clean. I think it helps with my allergies. Anyway, after getting thrown by waves, I came out and just sat for the rest of the time and watched everyone. It was amazing to watch everything go dark and see the thin crescent moon make its way through the dark blue clouds. Getting beat up by waves sucked, but the feeling after was pretty good. I felt purged.

So now that I've faced my initial fear of the waves, I think I'm ready for a second try sometime soon. I'm excited. I really enjoy watching the surfers. I imagine how amazing it must feel to stand on the board, ride a wave, then fall into the waves. I keep seeing the fall replay in my mind. I know standing up is the big deal and it's supposed to be a high. But to me, I think the fall after - the letting go - would be amazing. After that feat of standing and riding a wave, I look forward to the fall. I imagine it's refreshing and so satisfying. I can't wait for the fall...

scratch that.

I just wrote this long laundry list of things that I've done this past weekend, but I realized how lame it was and it was no fun to read. So, I deleted the whole thing and decided to just write about what I want to write about. I don't know how I got into this silly habit or feeling of having to reveal all of my daily activities to you all. Forget that.

I've gotten a lot more cynical lately. Or, maybe I'm just allowing that side of me to take over more often. I'm still an optimistic, hopeful person for the most part. But, I definitely feel that my two sides are playing tug-of-war. It's not a dramatic fighting-for-my-soul kind of battle, just a friendly game that involves rope. By the end, I imagine I'll be a little worn and stretched.

I've been reading 'Franny and Zooey' and am thoroughly enjoying it. I don't understand how/why no one has made it into a movie. I see it so perfectly as a movie in my head.

"You know sometimes we don't recognize our dreams inside
our reality and other times we're not aware of exactly
what's real

We walk around day dreaming but the sunshine,
the sunshine always is."

Off to the races

I watched the horse races at Del Mar last Friday. It was so exciting. People go absolutely crazy cheering for their horses. I’ve only seen horse races in movies. I remember shots of the crowd standing up and cheering as the horses neared the finish line. It was so different actually being a part of the crowd. I didn’t bet too much, but I had to bet on a horse named Drewthegentleman simply because of his name. That was the one time I actually won.

It was nothing like ‘My Fair Lady’ or ‘Pretty Woman’. People did dress up a little more than a baseball game, but there was a lot more drinking, cursing, gambling and overall excitement.

After the races, the Violent Femmes performed. Although we were all so dead tired by the end of the evening, the music was great and it was fun to watch everyone. I somehow got stepped on a lot and ended up with a bruise on my foot, so my foot looks dirty. In the shower, I kept rubbing it thinking it was dirt. I finally realized that it hurt and saw that it was a bruise. It took me about a minute of rubbing and "oww"ing. I felt like a flippin’ idiot.

Cake is performing next Friday, the 17th. I think I’m going. The admission is only $6 and if you want a seat, it’s an extra $8. And the concert’s included in the admission price! If you’re interested in going, let me know.

Happy Hump Day!

Sometimes, people here at the office will say the above in a cheerful tone on Wednesdays. I hear it on the elevator, in the corridors, etc. I can't help but be a little surprised every time I hear it. It's just weird.

I'm so glad it's finally Wednesday. It's been one of those weeks where the first thought that enters my mind when I wake up in the morning has been, "I'm going to take a nap when I come home after work." Yeah, I'm excited for the weekend.