Memory

It's odd what kind of strange things from your past pop into your head. For some reason i've been recalling some random words that i've picked up some time ago. Like defenestrate. And akimbo. So weird.

Feel free to look up defenestrate for those who don't know or remember. Don't make me defenestrate you!

I have nothing else really important to add, so here's some pictures of Jennifer's dog Peanut that i took when she came over last week. Awww, ain't he cute!

Hummmm

Just kinda relaxing this long weekend, doing some more cleaning up of my various rooms. There hasn't been too much going on lately, hence the lack of significant updates the last week. Work is work... with more email guys and various stability improvements with WoW, the work load has decreased significantly. So much that we pretty much get all our work done by Tuesday, rather then playing catch up until Friday like it was a couple months ago. That certainly reduces the stress from work, with far less issues to worry about and more time to relax a bit instead of doing emails non stop throughout the day. We've managed to spend an hour playing a game of Warcraft II, and even got off a couple hours early on Friday. One note of interest is that we were informed that my current Senior for emails is moving on to another position, so there's going to be an opening and they're currently taking resumes for that. I'm hoping to apply; not only to show that i'm interested in staying with Blizzard for some time, but that such a position of more leadership interests me. So we'll see how that goes.

Spent an entire afternoon playing basketball yesterday, really exhausting myself. Still it was a lot of fun, and hopefully we can all play again on Monday with the holiday. I went out again today for 30 minutes to shoot around and keep myself fresh. I really want to set out and spend more time doing more physical activities like that; something at least to make up for the lack of gym time that Abe and Nik are getting in.

Other then that... spent a good hour and a half chatting with Harriet on the phone the other night. I don't know, I think she's one of the few people i can spend on the phone for that long these days. I'm not so sure i can even do that with Jennifer anymore. Hearing her talk about Chris is always pleasing to me; I like hearing that my friends are happy. Strangely enough, i also got a call from Betty that night and spoke with her for another half hour or so. I haven't seen her... or quite a lot of San Diego peoples in quite some time. Maybe when Andrew moves down i'll find more of a reason to go down and meet up with some old friends. I keep telling myself that i will, but i never do. I need to stop doing that.

I've been surrounding myself with a ton of music lately. Some new music i've been listening to include Audioslave's Out of Exile, Black Eyed Peas' Monkey Business, Gorillaz's Demon Days, some new Wallflowers songs. Not a big fan of Gorillaz at all, despite loving the song Feel Good Inc. Ever dislike a band but enjoy one of their songs? Haven't had much time to listen to Audioslave; I like the first two tracks of the BEP CD, but everything else hasn't really been interesting to me. I'll give it some longer listens in my car. And listening to the Wallflowers reminds me of how much i enjoy them. Their old song One Headlight is one of my favorite songs too.

Other then that, not much going on as we approach June. Spending my time playing WoW again and CS: Source. Watching my movies, watchin the NBA playoffs and the Dodgers. Life is chill right now.

My Heart?

Ok, since like EVERYONE has this on their blogs/xangas/pages/FACE, i might as well do it too. The whole time all i could think was... why weren't there more Monkey choices? Stupid quiz! Although... i suppose it's actually kinda accurate.

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who have a split personality - cold as ice on the outside but hot as fire in the heart.

In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored.

You'd like to your lover to think you are loyal and faithful... that you'll never change.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was ruthless, cold-blooded, and sarcastic.

Your ideal relationship is traditional. Without saying anything, both of you communicate with your hearts.

Your risk of cheating is low. Even if you're tempted, you'd try hard not to do it.

You think of marriage pessimistically. You don't think happy marriages exist anymore.

In this moment, you think of love as something you thirst for. You'll do anything for love, but you won't fall for it easily.

A Whole Lotta Stuff!

Whew, it's been awhile since an update, and quite a lot has been going on the last few days! So i guess i'll begin on Wednesday, with E3!

So Wednesday i hit work at around 8 AM to catch a bus to the LA Convention Center for the first day of E3. All in all, it was a great experience and i had a lot of fun checking out all the booths, the games, and the babes. I got to check out Blizzard's booth, which was showing off WoW and Starcraft: Ghost, along with the opening of Ghost playing on a giant monitor. I got 3 free t-shirts, one for the next True Crime game, one for Dungeon Seige 2 (Which is an XL shirt and waaaay too large for me to wear), and another one for the Konami game Beatmania (i guess one of those DDR style games?). I got a handful of Sony keychains, and a Ninetendo one which was from the badgeholder that i had for my ID. Umm.... what else. I got to see 3 of the Wayans brothers, which was pretty awesome. Keenan, Shawn, and Marlon. Yay Marlon! I got to check out the Xbox360 and play around with the controller, which feels and plays awesome. I got to try Maddeon 06, which was pretty nifty, both on the PS2 and PSP. I got to meet Abe's friend Frances over at the Razor Mouse booth and chatted with her on the bus back to Blizzard. I got to check out the new Batmobile for the next Batman movie, which looked pretty sweet in person. So yeah... it was quite a lot of fun, just spending an entire day checking out something that i love and enjoy being around and working around. I probably should have wrote about this back on Wednesday or Thursday so i could be more detailed... oh well. I went out with Jennifer to La Salsa afterwards and gave her the True Crime t-shirt too, since i doubt i would have ever worn it.

I ended up passing on the party on Thursday, as i was far too tired to go and be out that late. I kind of wish i went, since my coworkers said it was pretty cool and fun... i don't know. Maybe next year.

Didn't do much on Friday... pretty nice day at work with lots of people at the office gone to E3. I like it when there's not many people around... its really quiet and the day goes by quickly.

Saturday, i woke up bright and early and went off to see Star Wars Episode III at 9 AM with Jon. I gotta say, i enjoyed it quite a bit. The pacing was a lot better and the story just seemed to be more interesting and move along better. The action scenes were great to watch, especially the ending. Although Yoda kinda sucked. The dialogue was still pretty bad, with Hayden and Natalie Portman pretty terrible together. Still, everything else made up for it and it was a really good movie. It's easily better then Phantom Menance and Attack of the Clones. I'm trying to rewatch the original trilogy and see how they compare though. It's kind of interesting to see one of the big event films in history come to an end.

After the movie, i went over to pick up Nik, Andy, and Abe and drove down to Dodger stadium for the Angels and Dodgers game. A ton of traffic and the worst parking design ever made made us show up 3 innings late, but it wasn't too bad i suppose with most of the scoring in the later innings. Plus, i got my Dodger Dog so i was happy. I had fun going to the game, and i still kind of wish i could go to more games. Although the drive to Dodger stadium isn't particularly fun. They seriously need to make it easier to park there. Note to self: Get there an hour early next time.

Today, Harriet and her boyfriend Chris were around visiting southern California from San Jose. It was nice seeing her again and meeting her boyfriend. She came down from LA with her cousin Henry, picked me up, and then drove down to San Diego to visit her sister Shirley at UCSD. Went out to lunch at Chipotle, tried to go to the beach but couldn't find parking, so turned around and just went to the mall. I remembered that Judy works at the Victoria's Secret there, so we went to see if she was working, which she was and got to say hello. I haven't seen Judy for months, so it was cool saying hello and signing up for an Angels card for her. Note to self: Cancel card when it arrives. Wasted some time at the mall before heading back to campus and picking up a bunch of stuff that Harriet's sister wanted to take back since the quarter is ending soon. And then we drove back to my house in Irvine, and just hung out a bit watching Strong Bad on DVD for awhile, before Harriet, Chris, and Henry went to BJ's to go eat. Chris left his wallet at my house, so i drove down to give it to them and ended up eating dinner with them there, which was pretty neat. And.... i guess that's it and here i am. Kinda tired after an eventful weekend, so i need to shower and sleep.

I guess my update today was rather fragmented... i guess i'm just tired and my mind isn't on straight. Ususually my recaps flow a little better and are probably more detailed and better thought out. Ah well. Just trying to get something new written up on my page before i forget even more of it. Plus, i'm still sick and still coughing, which really sucks. My mom thinks there's something wrong with me. Bleh. I can handle it, i'm tough! Grrr!

Andrew moves down to San Diego on Friday, so i'm looking forward to hopefully meeting up with him on the weekend. And tomorrow, probably out to dinner at Ouback with Jennifer since i got a free coupon for their bloomin onion thingy. So that's pretty neat. I guess that's it... not too much on tap for me now. It's been a rather eventful May.

Oh yeah, guess what Anh-Thu! I ate another potato at BJ's! Haha.

Okey doke, gotta shower!

E3 Pictures

Too tired to make a recap of my trip, but i managed to upload my pictures. Check em out.

E3 Pictures Part 1
E3 Pictures Part 2

Disneyland, Vegas, E3, and Button Fly Shorts

So how do all of those things fit together? Well they don't really, but i suppose they all kind of link together in some sort of odd fashion. I mentioned last week that i'd delve further into why i'm not particularly interested in going to Las Vegas again for Memorial Day, and after reading Anna's latest Xanga post which has some relevance i figured i could expand on that.

Upon describing her trip to Disneyland this past weekend, Anna mentioned that the trip becomes a far different experience when you're with a significant other. In a sense, that becomes something difficult for me to deal with. Some history. Coming out of high school, i was in my relationship with Jennifer for 3 years. That's quite a long time, and even longer considering the fact that 3/4 of that time was spent long distance. That kind of relationship takes a toll on you, being so far away and being unable to see someone that you love on a regular basis. On top of that, Jennifer's parents were mindful and her schedule busy enough that even when we did have time together, be it vacations or summers, that we could rarely spend an entire day together, let alone an entire weekend. Part of the difficulty I had when we broke up was the realization that in all of our 3 years, we never got to spend the time doing the things and activities I had always dreamed of. No amusement park trips, no weekends away alone, no adventures to new vacation spots, no days at a concert, no romantic evenings and hotels. When you go 3 years, expecting and hoping for so much, it's difficult to see it drift away without the chance to turn certain expectations into realities.

With the relationship over, and the new found opportunity to find my own new experiences, trips like Las Vegas are definitely welcome and definitely enjoyable. However, it's also difficult for me to avoid remembering and wishing for what could have been or what i had hoped for. I don't mind spending and enjoying time with my best friends, especially something exciting like taking a trip to Vegas. But on the same level, i can't help but feel depressed when i see so many sights and sounds that i would love to share with someone else. Nothing against Nik and Anh-Thu being together there (There's no one else i could bet and talk about sports with, and as much as i'd hate to admit, I had a lot of fun spending the morning shopping) or having Abe around, but it's hard to look around, sight seeing, gambling, or even going to see a show without thinking to myself that I never had the opportunity to have that experience yet with a loved one. I put a lot of blame on myself for losing out on that chance with Jennifer. And i know it's not my fault and that i'll have plenty of chances in the future to have these kind of experiences with someone special. But I know myself, and i'm sure my friends know it too, that when i'm unhappy it shows. I'm someone that will become quiet and non responsive when there's something going on. I don't want to feel that way on a trip when i know I should be having fun. I had a blast last month, but something tells me that if i made the trip again I would have difficulty maintaining a heightened sense of satisfaction. I just can't do it, and i don't want my friends to have to deal with me like that.

I guess that sounds a bit silly, but at 22 i feel like i should be further along in my life. I look at my other friends like Jon or my friends that are out of school and have a life working full time and think that I should be on that level, working towards something. School, homework, tests... all those things feel like a different world to me now. I may work at a video game company, but there's a part of me that's eager to grow up. I don't know... so rather then spending some money and having a bit of fun coupled with a whole lot that would be on my mind in Vegas, i'll enjoy Memorial Day just relaxing a bit, maybe helping Andrew move to San Diego and hang out with him, visit some bars, have some drinks. I don't know, i guess we'll see. I'm sure i'll want to go to Vegas or take another trip again sometime in the summertime, but right now it's just too soon. When i go again, i want to be excited, and have something to look forward to. Maybe even go on a lark one weekend where we just pack up and go sporadically. At this time, there's just no interest there.

In the mean time, all my interest is leaning heavily towards E3 tomorrow. With so much news surrounding the Xbox360, Playstation 3, and Nintendo Revolution, the nerdy video game player in me is on a high with anticipation on spending my entire day tomorrow at E3 in Los Angeles. I'm sure it won't be as cool as i hope, with probably an annoyingly large amount of people and fewer items of interest then i think, but still. I feel like i get to do something special and unique. As for the party on Thursday night, at this point i'm leaning towards not going anymore. I kind of want to go still, but with no one really to go with me and work on Friday, staying out til 2 AM Thursday night isn't all that appealing. We'll see though.

Button fly shorts are rather annoying when it comes to using the restroom. An awful addition as far as attempting to get your business done as quick as a zipper goes up and down versus fiddling with an odd belt and buttons. Ah well.

Happy 21, Rachel.

That's all for now... i'll need to sleep early tonight for the long day tomorrow. Need to remember to bring my camera and take lots of pics from E3 as well.

Summer Clothes!

It's been pretty hot this week, and i realized i'm severely lacking in hot weather clothes, strangely enough. Even despite spending the last summer in Sunny San Diego. So i finally went out this afternoon to pick up a few things for the warmer weather ahead, buying 2 pairs of shorts and some Adidas slides so my poor footsies aren't clamped up inside sneakers all spring and summer. Why are pants and shorts referred to as pairs, singular? Weird. Anyway, i've been wearing jeans and khakis pretty much exclusively for the longest time, so some new cargo shorts should be a nice change of pace. The awesome thing about working for a video game company is that i can stroll in to the office wearing shorts and it's perfectly normal and acceptable. God i can't imagine having to wear a dress shirt and tie these days. Yikes! Something tells me i'm far happier working at Blizzard then i would be if i got a job at a bank. So yeah, having new shorts should be helpful playing football at work, going out on weekends, and when we're out watching baseball games! Yay! As for the Adidas slides, i've been meaning to get some for the longest time. The flip flops i have cut up my feet, and i can never walk around in them casually. So these ought to be nice, and a nice change of pace when i just need to run out for something quick or don't feel like wearing shoes. I've always just worn shoes everywhere, so something different for the summer for me.

I was tempted to pick up some t-shirts to match my new shorts, but i guess it isn't necessary. I already have a handful, not to mention some new shirts from work, so i probably shouldn't waste the money. I've been meaning to buy either some new Lakers or Dodgers clothes, or some shirts for some different bands that i like, like Linkin Park and The Killers. I don't know, i'm odd. I'm not really sure how i want to dress, whether i should be a little more refined with the open button shirts and sweater tops, or be more relaxed and casual with random t-shirts and more of a punk look. I'm such a weenie worrying about that stuff.

Yesterday, me and Jon went out for some DVD shopping, lunch, and to watch the new movie Jet Li movie Unleashed. The movie was pretty good, with a lot more drama and heart then you would think. There wasn't as much action as i had hoped, but what there was was still very impressive. Jet Li is just so quick and so fun to watch, and he added to that in this film with a very likeable character. Watching him change from a cold blooded killer and fighter into a some what of a child learning how to live and function in the world was very sweet. I was telling Jon... there's just something in particular about Jet Li that makes him seem extra goofy when he's doing something silly in a film. Weird. Anyway, highly recommended movie, and one of the better Jet Li movies to come out.

As for DVD's, i bought this limited edition set of an anime movie called Appleseed. It's really slick, being a "3D Live Anime" movie. I guess the movie is rendered in 3D with a Cel-Shaded type look, making the images and action scenes just really pop out on the screen. It's by the fellow who did Ghost in the Shell, which means you see a similar theme regarding humans and artificial beings, Bioroids in this case. I enjoyed the movie a lot. The visuals are just stunning to see, especially the opening fight sequence with Deunan. It's absolutely amazing, and i'm really glad i bought the DVD even though i hadn't seen it. Plus, the DVD packaging is freakin sweet in an awesome tin case. Plus, i got a little toy of one of the characters, Briareos (yeah the names are weird and kinda stupid). Anyway, it was worth the purchase and worth a viewing for anime fans.

Anyway, not much else going on. I'm still a bit sick, but recovering nicely, at least compared to how i started off last week. Still coughing at the moment. But anyway, being sick all last week kept me from catching up on a lot of TV i need to watch. Smallville episodes, Justice League episodes, Coupling. With baseball and NBA playoffs, it's hard to find time since i sleep by 11. Toss in some Counterstrike gaming with Jon, and a new found interest in Tower Defense for Warcraft III, i'm more occupied then i imagined. Plus, i'm about 70 pages or so in to Angels and Demons. Yikes, i last read that like a year ago. It's like reading a brand new book to me.

Still undecided about the party on Thursday... i guess we'll see what happens. I wanted to take my car in to be fixed, but with Brian staying in LA for E3 Wed - Fri, i won't have a ride to work. I'll put it off another week, i suppose.

I've been listening to the new MxPx CD, Panic. Great CD, i like it quite a bit. Something i may buy when it comes out.

T-Shirt Fun

So they gave us two shirts today, and we get to pick which one we want to wear to E3 to represent the company. I really like the Ghost shirt, it looks really bad ass. Plus, the chick is all hot and stuff!

Being Sick, Las Vegas, and Other Musings

I've spent the last 3 days rather sick, with a variety of ailments, including overall soreness from last Saturday, a sore throat, coughs, headaches throughout the day, and most recently some nasal congestion. It's quite a pain, especially trying to work through it and keeping my mind on things. I gotta say, driving to and from work has been quite odd as well, especially when there's a slight hint of dizzyness there. I'm a little dissapointed, as it's prevented me from fixing my car that i was hoping to do early this week, as i'm not in shape to lose an hour of sleep to take my car in in the morning. I guess i'll be delaying it another week. This is probably the first time i've had to consistantly take drugs to help get me through the day. Ugh.

I pretty much decided today that i wouldn't make another Vegas trip on Memorial Day. There's many different reasons behind it. Cost is a big one, considering the hotel and food alone would cost at least $150+ dollars. Trying to offset that by reasoning i could win money just doesn't seem like the right way to go about it. With 300+ dollars for my car, not to mention other concerns, it just doesn't seem worthwhile enough to take another trip so soon. I had lunch with Brian today, and we happen to be talking about days off between salaried employees and hourly. He mentioned how he has a limited number of days off he can take during the year, and some of that he wants to save for a decent length trip. I'm kind of leaning that way as well... not that i have major plans on a week long trip or anything like that, but it's something i want to keep open if the opportunity arises. Using up all my sick or vacation hours for another quick Vegas trip just isn't appealing at the moment. I have other reasons as well... a bit more complicated ones that i'm not up to writing about tonight. I'll come back on touch on it a little later when i'm healthier and have my head on straight.

Harriet mentioned she's planning on heading down to LA with Chris soon and possibly next week. I'm excited to meet up with them, hopefully i'll have enough time.

And with Andrew moving down to SD in a couple weeks, i'll be looking forward to visiting him as well. I imagine heading to bars for a few drinks with him will be quite a bit more amusing and interesting then i'm used to. Looking forward to it! I haven't been to San Diego in awhile... i feel sometimes that it's something i shouldn't leave behind and need to keep better tabs on. Maybe with Andrew down there i'll try and head down more.

I'll be at E3 on the first day next Wednesday! Woohoo! I'm so looking forward to it. People say that E3 is only cool the first time you go, and later you realize it isn't that special. But since this is my first time and there's all sorts of interesting things like the next Xbox, i'm pretty excited. Plus, supposedly we get some more free shirts and get to go representing the company. Neato. Makes me feel all special =)

Apprently Blizzard also rents out a movie showing for big releases, so they're doing that for Star Wars. Yay, free Star Wars showing! Supposedly it's going to be on Friday or Saturday. I hope it's Friday... baseball game on Saturday =(

What else... too sick to play football tomorrow. That's majorly dissapointing.

I like the song in the new IPod commercial. The Gorrilaz - Feel Good Inc.

That's it for now, i need rest.

Some Stuffs

Not much going on, but i'm sitting around a little bored and awfully exhausted after playing basketball for 3 hours this afternoon. But anyway...

Friday, only had to work from about 9 - 2, before our entire department got to relax a bit and go to Dave and Busters for food and games. It wasn't too bad. The food was a little crappy, but we each got gamecards with 10 bucks on them, so it was nice going around playing all sorts of random stuff. Wasted a lot of time playing with the football throwing thing, as well as some random arcade games. I'm a terrible Turkey hunter. Not a bad driver for that Cruisin' game though =) Anyway, it was kinda cool just hanging out there with a bunch of coworkers. Everyone pretty much got played out by 5, so we got to head home early too. Cool!

Today... well i went out around 12 to go get some exercise and shoot around a bit. I ended up seeing this group of guys, like some fathers and their sons or something, playing there. One of the guys left, so they asked me if i wanted to play. I ended up playing two games with them, and did pretty poorly. Still, it was kind of awkward as this one fellow kept yelling at his son over and over again for any little mistake. I think something like that would drive me crazy, having a father watching over your shoulder like that with that sort of temper. Anyway, Nik called while i was playing so i headed straight from Meadowood Park over to Orchard, and ended up playing a few more games with Nik, Andy, and some old IHS people that happen to be there too. So pretty much 3 straight hours of basketball, a cut up heel, and an incredibly tired body later, here i am. Spending the rest of the evening just watching the NBA playoff games. It would be nice to get out... but eh.

I'm not sure if it's going to rain at all this week, because my car is still really dirty after Vegas and i thought i could hold out from washing my car if it rained. Sadly, all the rain has come while my car has been in the garage. Dang it. Maybe i'll was my car tomorrow, and just head out to get out of the house.

As for the request below, no i don't NEED to take a girl, but i would greatly prefer it. Just not interested in bringing a guy to a little party like that. Why are all my female friends attached? Hmph. I guess Anna is the only one that would want to go with me? Geez, i'm such a loser =(

A Favor/Request For Anyone Reading

Hi everyone! On Thursday, May19th, Blizzard is going to have a party in LA following the events of E3 on that particular day. Now, i haven't decided if i want to attend, but if i do i have the opportunity to bring a guest. If you know someone who would like to attend, or perhaps would like to accompany me yourself, please let me know. And yes, i would prefer a female to go with me. It's nothing fancy, and a bus would leave from my office at 6:30 PM with the event lasting until about 12:30 AM. There's going to be food, music, DJ, and dancing and it takes place at The Highlands in Hollywood. Included is 2 drink tickets per person, for those alcoholicly inclined =) So there you go, an open chance to spend a random evening hanging out with me and meeting my coworkers, or a chance to set me up with someone nice =P All of your assistance would be much appreciated!

To Do List

Coming back from Vegas and going immediately back to work, i realize that i'm so tired these days and seem to have such fewer time to do things that i've been meaning to do. After going to Soup Plantation today with Jennifer and picking up a few things, i figure it's going to take awhile to catch up. So let's see...

DVD's i've purchased that i need to watch:
Blade: Trinity
Spaceballs Collector's Edition
National Treasure

I bought the illustrated version of Angels & Demons today too. I already have the illustrated Da Vinci Code, so they should match up well together! Hopefully i have the time to re-read it. Man, it was one expensive book. Ended up being like 34 bucks, even after the B&N club discount. I swear i only paid like 25 for Da Vinci. Ah well.

So along with those... i've been meaning to watch more episodes of Coupling that i downloaded.

You know, talking with Jennifer tonight, i realize i'm a lot more confident in my capabilities. I don't know, i'll have to see if she agrees with me, but it just felt like i could talk about and discuss things with more passion and forumlate ideas a little better then i could before. Maybe it's a case of growing up and maturing... moving away from more childish discussions and leaning towards a better understanding of various things going on, formulating a stronger opinion on my end, and just being able to take different perspectives on matters pertaining to myself and others in a more philosophical manner. I've never been one to hold a large ego and be touting my own intellectual abilities, but i don't know, i feel like i can hold my own far better now then when i was in college. I think a more mature me would be a lot stronger student if i could go back and do it all again.

Not to mention that it feels like i'm honing my writing skills by updating my page so often, as well as learning how to clarify and organize my thoughts.

Talking to Nik about the possibility of Vegas again on Memorial Day... i'm really not too sure about making another trip. I mentioned that it felt more worthwhile meeting and hanging out with new people (like Christina, Alice, and meeting up with Bryce) this time around rather then just doing the same thing with the regular group of friends. Don't get me wrong, i have nothing against hanging out and taking trips with my close friends; it just feels that spending the money and taking these trips feel more enticing when i'm expecting something new. Plus, spending the money and possibly taking the extra day off work is a bit of a worry. It's difficult for me to continue spending money, especially in such a large clump that Vegas demands, again so soon when i know i have other expenses i need to take care of. I guess we'll see...

Jennifer is going to Mexico at the end of the month for a few weeks for a field study for school. I know i'll miss her... i'd be lying if i denied that there wasn't a spot in my heart for her. I know that particular relationship is over, but discussing new relationships will always be difficult.

Harriet's BF Chris should be here from Australia. If you get around to reading this Harriet, post a comment! Hope everything is good!

My friend Andrew from Santa Cruz is moving to San Diego! I'm pretty excited about that, and looking forward to him coming down. He's looking at places near or around Mira Mesa, and i guess his new job is like totally where my old neighborhood there was. I can't wait to head down and visit when he moves.

Crud, i need to get to sleep. If anyone's bored, feel free to drop by D&B at the Spectrum on Friday afternoon to find me with my coworkers =)

You know what...

It sucks trying to do something small and sweet and not getting any hint of thanks for it. Makes me think i should stop trying to do whatever little things i can for people when they don't seem to care. A simple thanks or smile can go a long way. It's a good thing i'm not a major asshole or jerk about things. I don't know, i try and do so many sweet little things for people, giving my friends little things hoping they smile and be happy... just dissapointing when it feels like they ignore it. I know, i know, its the act of giving, not the appreciation you get in return, but still... I guess it's hard to get what you expect out of life.

What's the deal, with my brain
Why am i so obviously insane?
In the perfect situation, I let love down the drain,
There's the pitch, slow and straight,
All i have to do is swing, and i'm a hero,
But i'm a zero...

Vegas Returns!

Alrighty, back from work. Time to continue my story! Ok, so as we last left our hero, he was hanging out at the mall with Anh-Thu! You know what's funny watching Anh-Thu shop for shoes, is that there were two mirrors proped up at opposite sides of the shoe rack, and she tries on a pair and walks from one mirror to the other, complete with the little model twist and pose. Haha. Sorry Anh-Thu, it was funny to see! I'll never understand girls. Looks over comfort. Sigh.

So anyway, from the mall we drove up the freeway to these outlet stores, for some more shopping and wandering. I swear, hanging around girls leads to no good. It's bad when you start spotting Coach stores and stuff (Anh-Thu kept calling me her girlfriend for the trip... damn it! Am not!) Anyway, we wandered into a Hot Topic and i bought these cute little Care Bears fuzzy dice for Jennifer. It has her favorite bear on it, the Good Luck Bear, so hopefully she loves it.

Anyhoo, drove back after a bit to the hotel to meet up with Abe and Nik again. I tried to take a brief nap in the room, but i just couldn't do it. Something about Vegas just makes it difficult to sleep. It's weird. Anyway, Bryce finally showed up in Vegas after we were waiting for him for some time. It turns out that he didn't leave until 2AM on Saturday and was too tired that he had to pullover on the side of the freeway to sleep. Crazy stuff. Anyway, he came up with this friend of his Alice, and they played a pretty mean trick on us. Anh-Thu was up sleeping, and the 3 of us were hanging out at the Sports Book. Alice came up to us pretending to be alone in Vegas with her parents, and was asking us what kind of stuff there is to do there, and i think the 3 of us totally bit on it. Abe says he caught on, but i know better! He totally had no game, and nothing to say when she was asking about stuff =P Anyway, it was fun watching Nik list all these clubs and hotels and where to go and stuff, and all the time Bryce was sitting right behind us without us having a clue at all. So mean =(

Anyhoo, Bryce finally made his presence known, got Anh-Thu awake, and went over to the Bellagio for another buffet. Trouble is, the 4 of us, (Bryce, Alice, me, and Abe) were all drinking random drinks during the walk there, with Bryce and Co. taking a shot as well at MGM Grand. So by the time we finally got there, the 4 ofus were pretty buzzed/drunk. I tell ya, waiting an hour in line at the Bellagio being loud and obnoxious was pretty funny. It's just too bad that by the time we finally started eating, the 4 of us that had been drinking had like no appetitte at all. What a waste of a buffet. Haha. Oh wellz!

The rest of the night, not much going on. Me and Abe checked out where Bryce was staying and met a few of the people he was with. Nik and Anh-Thu went back to sleep. We were supposed to meet up and possibly check out some clubs, but all the guys except Nik lacked black shoes, so we ended up meeting back at Excalibur and spent a couple more hours gambling. My sports bets?

Bet on Rockets to beat the Mavericks. Lost. Tough game to watch.
Bet on Marlins to beat the Phillies. 2-1, rained out in the 6th so we won. Yays!
Bet on Spurs to beat the Nuggets. Won. Sweet, 2/3!

Tried to win a BMW Z4, but that didn't quite work out either. Anyhoo, Saturday came and went, and Sunday came and we checked out and everything. Nik peer pressured me into betting on Johan Santanna and the Twins beating the Angels. Santana had won 17 straight. And of course... the Twins lost. God damn it. I could have left happy, but I lost another 50 bucks. Ugh! Well, we kind putzed around killing time, and Anh-Thu went to the pool to tan a bit. We finally met up with Christina again and left Vegas around 2 ish.

Unfortunately, we hit some pretty bad traffic and didn't get back until 7:30ish, except it wasn't too bad because everyone in the car busted out some paper and my fancy McDonalds kids activity book thing that i got back on Friday and started playing Pictionary in the car. My gosh, i wish i wasn't driving because i totally would kick everyone's ass. Anyway, it was a lot of fun seeing the words and pictures that people had drawn and guessed. Oregon Trail?!? Space Thread? Of course, the best time came with the word i picked. The word Abe had to draw and Nik had to guess was Monopoly Man. Abe forgot what he looked like, so he drew like all these monopoly pieces and the board, and a guy with a top hat. Man, good times, good times.

So yeah, that was pretty much the trip. It was a lot of fun, and Nik has reservations for a room during Memorial Day. We'll see if we go again that soon though. My poor car is still covered in dead buggies. It was a lot more fun getting to meet up with so many other people too. Vegas is totally a place i would have fun with if i had a girlfriend. Just so many nice things to see and do. If only...

Anyway, back at work today. I went out to lunch with Brian and Jeff Chang today, which was pretty cool. 3 IHS people workin at Blizzard. Nice chattin and talking. And i found out my department gets to go to Dave and Busters during work at the Spectrum on Friday to just hang out, eat and have fun. How cool is that! And we get paid for that time! Woohoo!

Alright, so thats it. It's been a long week, and i'm super tired still.

We're Back!

Writing this up in the early hours of Monday morning, after crashing early last night after a long drive, a long weekend, and less sleep during the weekend in Las Vegas. A handful to write about... for some reason the weekend seem's a bit of a blur to me, so let's see. Friday, left with Abe, Nik, Anh-Thu, and Nik's (real cute :P) friend Christina 'round 11ish. The drive there wasn't too bad at all i don't think, just chattin/music all the way down and we got there around 3 maybe? Checked in at Excalibur... yay, no more ghetto hotels or motel 6's for us this time! Anyway, first thing us guys did was bet on a few sports games. For me on Friday...

Took the Pistons to beat the Sixers. Lost. Badly. Damn it.
Took the Suns to beat the Grizziles. Won. Yay!!

Anyway, killed some time as Christina went off with the friends she was meeting there, before the rest of us went driving out to go eat dinner at The Village Buffet at Rio. I gotta say, it's definitely rated the best buffet in Vegas for a reason. Pretty kick ass selection of seafood, as well as anything else you would want to eat. Hooray for Abe having $10 off coupons! It's a bit of a hassle to get to the hotel, but well worth it to take the time to eat there. Naturally, i'm not a big eater (watching my girlish figure) but even i enjoyed the food there. Not to mention watching Nik have 8+ different plates of a different desert in front of him with only a few bites out of each one was most excellent. Think of the starving children in Africa!!!!

But anyhoo, Rio also has this pretty cool show that goes around the casino every hour or so, where a bunch of things go around on tracks on the ceiling, as well as this dude ridiing a fake horse, and some carts that drive around the floor of the casino. It's pretty fun to watch with the music, and the performers throw out beads like Mardi Gras style (minus the boobies *sniffle*), so all us guys were trying to get beads for Anh-Thu. Nik and Abe managed to grab handfuls of them since they ended up throwing out clumps, so each grab ended up having like 5 strands together, so we managed to get Anh-Thu a TON of beads. I have my little gold one as a souvinier. I can put it next to the beads i got way back in college at a Mardi Gras party =P

After Rio, we drove off and decided to visit the new Wynn hotel that just opened this last week! Man, is that place ever high class! The stores there are pretty nuts, with million dollar jewelry on display and for sale. They even have a freakin Ferrari store inside!! We had some fun watching some random people play at $500 minimum tables. That's nuts, watching people throw down thousands of dollars on one hand. Some day... that could be me! Haha. Here we are worrying about 5 dollar minimums, and these guys are tossing 500 and 1000 dollar chips. Yikes. Ooo, and i got to use Valet parking for the first time on my car. Yay. Hehe. That place was absolutely packed. Oh, and the grass outside is fake. It's fun to touch. Haha.

After the Wynn... um... i don't remember. Did we just head back to Excalibur afterwards? I think it was after 1 by the time we finished checking everything out. I have a bad memory... so... flashforward to Saturday!

In the morning, me and Anh-Thu were up early since the other guys were out gambling more. And me, being the incredibly kick ass fellow that i am, drove the two of us up to the mall thats in front of the Wynn. I gotta say... that's one nice looking mall! Plus, being there at like 9 AM with no one else in it is totally weird. There's nothing like going to Las Vegas and ending up in a mall and shopping at Macy's, huh? And even weirder... going all the way to Vegas and ending up buying a suit. Yep, i got a suit! We were just checking out random things, and i happened to quip that i've been meaning to get one. So Anh-Thu had me go try some on, and we actually found one that fit! (what with me being so huge, its hard to shop). So i was trying on jackets and pants and stuff, and found one that fit perfectly, was a nice dark color, and that supposedly i looked good in... and ended up buying it. Haha. Originally $450 bucks and it was half off, then Anh-Thu has another 40% off on top of that. So a 450 dollar suit i got for about 150ish. Not too shabby! Anyway, walked around the mall a bit, grabbed some food at the food court (which is on an entire floor, all by itself), and went from the mall up the freeway to go to some outlet stores (yes, i spent an entire morning and part of the afternoon shopping in Vegas. Yes, that's pretty wussy. But wouldn't i be the BEST boyfriend ever?!? Haha.)

Gotta go to work, i'll finish my story later tonight! More comments!