Aaah, Sunshine

I had a blast down in LA last weekend. Warm, sunny weather in December was a very nice change from the current Sacramento-area fogginess. I really enjoyed hanging out with Kate L.--it was almost like the old days at TWFL. =)

And yesterday, I was over in the Bay Area (also warmer than Sacto., in case you were wondering). A whole group of Unit 2 hall staff got together. Kate W. is visiting from North Carolina, which was the occasion of the reunion. It was cool to have so many people back together, and of course, I always enjoy spending time with Miss W.

All my travels, though, have me nostalgic for the time when my friends didn't *ALL* live in different zip codes. It seems like everyone has just spread out. And I'm realizing that there's a pretty good chance that no matter where I go to law school, I won't be very close to anyone. Or almost anyone, at least. I miss you all!!!! Well, thank goodness for the internet and free cell phone minutes.

Oh, law school news: I was accepted at Santa Clara. So now I've heard from all but 3 of the schools to which I applied. Still waiting on U Penn, Columbia, and Yale. But it's not like I really need any more options; deciding should be difficult enough as it is. I can't even order food at a restaurant easily. And that's assuming I managed to decide on a restaurant in the first place. Wouldn't it be funny if I ended up not going anywhere cuz I couldn't choose? Hmm, maybe not so funny....

One last thing: I think I'm gonna buy some hardware that'll help me to record music from tapes and records onto my computer in the form of mp3s. Then, I'll be able to convert all our old music into cds. Isn't technology great? If anyone has had experience with such things, let me know cuz I'm sure I'll have questions. =)

Too Tired to Make Up a Title

I was accepted at NYU this week, but after all last week's excitement (See previous post if you have no clue what I mean.), I was kinda blase about it. I guess the novelty is wearing off a little.

Or maybe it's cuz I've been sick this week. The usual: cough, fever, stuffy nose. But it sucks cuz 1) I was already sick once this year, and 2) I've got waaay too much to do. Right now, I'm feeling fairly clear-headed, but mostly I walk around in a haze. Actually, mostly I lie in bed, too out of it to accomplish anything, but too bored for words. Anyhow, I hope it goes away soon. (Does anybody ever hope to stay sick for a long time?) Okay, I'm stopping now cuz my bed is looking really appealing again.

A Crazy Week

This week has definitely been a whirlwind. The semester is ending, so I've got all kinds of final projects. And of course, there are Christmas presents to buy and make (and stress over). The sad news this week is that my sister lost her baby. The doctor couldn't find a heartbeat at the 8-week check-up. So if you get a chance, say a prayer or think good thoughts for her.

There was also some happy news this week. I got accepted at Stanford, Harvard, and Cal. I can't believe that I got into all these schools, and it all happened within one week! It seemed like each day brought a new surprise; I definitely didn't expect to hear so early. I am expecting to hear from a few schools in December, but none of those are on the list! Anyhow, I can already tell I'm gonna have real difficulty deciding where to go, but for right now, I'm just enjoying getting in.

Here's hoping Cal doesn't get screwed tomorrow when they announce the BCS Bowl berths. I think an impartial analysis shows Cal is so, so, so much better than Texas. And I think it's pretty uncool that Texas is trying to "campaign" for a spot; if they really deserve to be there, they should let the record speak for itself. Anyhow, we'll see how it all goes... I'm keeping my fingers crossed....

Survivor

Happy to announce I survived Thanksgiving with my family. =) And I never want to leave my house again. My nieces were adorable, and they seemed to love hanging out with me. This is good, especially since they couldn't remember my name when they first arrived.

But they required LOTS of energy--even more than one would expect from a 3 year old and a 6 year old. Add in my baby nephew, Mark, my brother, my sister-in-law (Kristi), Kristi's niece and mother, my sister, my brother-in-law, my step-grandmother, 2 cats, 2 dogs, my mom, and me, and the small house was *very* packed. And I was very exhausted.

Also, I went to professional photo sessions 3 times over the course of 4 days: twice with my family and once for the church directory. Having my pic taken is definitely not my favorite pasttime, but I'm very glad to be done with it.

Other than all that, it was a restful holiday weekend. Except, of course, for our house cleaning today. And all the homework I have for my classes. Can I have next week off?

Good Stuff

Very busy around here. Last weekend, I went to Berkeley for the Cal game and to San Francisco for a sea chanty singalong. All very fun--many thanks to Noah for inviting me. Next weekend, my mom and I go on retreat with her work. And the next week, my mom and I are going to my brother's house for Thanksgiving. My sister, her husband, and their kids are coming up for the holiday too. I'm excited to see my nieces--I haven't seen the older one since she was 3 (she's now 6), and I've never met the younger one (she's 3).

Meanwhile my sister has good news: I'm gonna have another niece or nephew. She's due in late June! My family just keeps on growing.

I also have a bit of good news (although my sister just had to show me up with her announcement), I got accepted into Georgetown for law school. I didn't expect to hear so soon. Of course, it'll be an eternity before I hear from all the schools, and I'll have to wait on scholarship info too. But I'm just happy to be accepted at one school cuz now I know that I really will be going somewhere for law school.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, in case I don't get a chance to post in here again pre-turkey day.

Number Four

I can't believe that Cal's football team is ranked NUMBER FOUR for the first time in 52 years. The last time Cal had back to back shutout wins was 1968. Amazing. Definitely, this is a season to savor. I love football.

As for the Niners, well, my brother always says that if your team isn't gonna make it to the playoffs, it's good if they're the absolute *worst* team. That way they get good draft pick for the next season. So things are clearly looking up. I guess.

Law school update: I applied to a couple more schools since my last post on the subject. I added in NYU and University of Pennsylvania, because, well, because I can. I figure I may as well increase my chances of getting in somewhere.

And last but not least, go VOTE!!! Early and often. Preferably in Florida. And don't mess up. =)

Long Time Passing

I can't believe how long it's been since I last posted in here, but then time passing has been a theme of my life recently. For instance, I'm volunteering as an assistant religious education teacher through my church. I'm helping out with some 8th graders, and the class meets in my old 8th grade classroom. It's hard to believe that it was 10 years ago that I sat in there last. I'm enjoying the class so far-the students are hilarious, and I like the teacher (Kathleen) and other assistant teacher (Dave). It's good to meet new people in Davis, since prettty much everyone I knew here has moved away.

Meanwhile, I have been sick for the last 8 days now. I'm feeling a lot better, although not 100 percent yet. It seemed like time stood still while I was sick--I thought it would never go away. Glad to be almost back to normal. Guess I don't need one of those impossible-to-get flu shots-I already had my turn...

Yesterday, I went over to Berkeley. Ryan was up on a brief visit from L.A. for work. We had dinner at Zachary's. It was good being back in the East Bay-I realized how much I miss it. And it was obviously wonderful to see Ryan again. I hadn't seen him for almost 2 years, yet another example of time passing quickly. It seems like yesterday that I thought I'd never get out of Arkansas. And with election day coming up shortly, I think back on the 2000 election, which I truly cannot believe was four whole years ago.

Speaking of the election, I have to put in a political plug. Anyone reading this can probably guess my preference for the presidential ticket, but I actually want to make one plea about one of the propositions on CA's ballot. Please, please, please vote NO on Prop 64. This proposition claims to protect businesses from unfair lawsuits. What it actually does is keep organizations and indivduals from being able to file suits on behalf of the government. In other words, environmental lawsuits, public health lawsuits, and anti-fraud suits would all be hindered. So when some company does illegal dumping, the government will have to pay to sue, meaning that more polluters will get away with their crimes. This proposition is bad policy and will end up costing Californians money, as well as harming the public interest.

Please read this--it could be the most underreported important news story of our time. Sorry to be so wonky and depressing, but I just have to get the word out about the horror of what's going on in Sudan. It's genocide--Arabs are systematically raping and killing blacks in an effort to get them to permanently leave the area to Arab control. Over 10,000 people are dying per month, and this has been going on for 17 months. Meanwhile, the US and the UN won't send peacekeeping forces (they're tied up in places like Afghanistan and Iraq), just humanitarian aid. Humanitarian aid is good-people need food and medical treatment, but it's not gonna stop the killings. If there is such a thing as a "just war" or just military involvement, ending genocides like the one in the Sudan would have to qualify. I just can't believe how little news coverage there is about this. If you want to read more, here's an article from"American Prospect", and another one from the Washington Post.
Things you can do about these atrocities.

Legal Eagle

Woohoo! I'm finally done with law school applications--for a little while, anyhow. I've finished all of the ones I know I'll be applying to, but I'm gonna apply to one or two more. I'm just waiting to figure out which schools are most likely to offer me scholarships (note to Kate W.: not Wake Forest!).

Here's the list of schools to which I've already applied:

• Harvard
• Stanford
• Yale
• Berkeley
• Columbia
• Georgetown
• Santa Clara

So it's a pretty daunting list. I figure I'll just apply and see where that gets me. Hopefully, I'll get into at least a couple of them. But if anyone's best friends with the admissions committees at these schools, feel free to mention my name (but only with good stories!)

By the by, take my new poll about ideal law school locations! ---------->

Eruptions

Ooh, it's so very exciting: Mount St. Helens is erupting! And since there's been plenty of warning and it should be only a moderate eruption, very little damage is expected. Which means, I can just enjoy the thrill of a volcanic eruption.

I've always loved earth science (yeah, I know I'm a nerd), especially plate techtonics, volcanoes, and weather. The complexity and mystery of the earth's processes are soooo fascinating. The truth is, scientists know very little about why the earth does the things it does. So there's still a lot to learn.

That's really all I had to say. Back to the law school application grindstone.

Butterflies, Fortune Cookies, and Barry Bonds

I suppose most everyone has heard of the Butterfly Effect--the fact that something as small as the flapping of a butterfly's wings can cause weather changes half a world away. It demonstrates the way seemingly insignificant actions can have an effect you might never have imagined.

I think that the Butterfly Effect is both a great excuse for random acts of kindness (Smile at a stranger today!) and a possible partial explanation for synchronicity: when things in life seem to come into some strange sort of alignment.

So maybe that explains why it turns out that my apartment's maintenance guy and I were in the same 6th grade class--predicted perfectly by that day's fortune cookie. Or the three engagements I've heard about in the last week. Or the fact that I had my first dream ever about Barry Bonds (I've never even dreamed about baseball before) on the night he hit his 700th home run.

Maybe stuff happens because of the energy we put out--you think enough about something, and it starts coming to you; it's a favorite theory of lots of self-help book writers. Or maybe it's some kind of predestination-fate and the like. Or maybe it's just good old-fashioned 1 in a million chance.

Or perhaps, right now, someone, somewhere is opening a fortune cookie that is gonna change your life.

Go Bears!

Today, Noah and I went to Berkeley and watched Cal trounce New Mexico State 41-14. Cal's score would've been higher, but they were very nice and didn't go for a touchdown at the end of the game. I thought they could've gone for it, but I guess good sportspersonship is more important than the point spread. But still....

Ooh, according to the AP story, the crowd at Memorial Stadium was a record for home openers!

In other great news, my cell phone is finally working properly. =) Very, very happy about that. So, everybody call me!

Race Day

Hurrah! I finished my very first 5k race today! After 7 weeks of training, I accomplished my goal, and I'm pretty darned excited about it. My time was 35:11, and I finished 16th in my age bracket. I'm not sure exactly how many people were in my age bracket, though, so take that ranking with a grain of salt (but it seemed like there were a ton of people there, and my bracket was something like 20-34).

But I'm just happy to have finished (my goal), and in a respectable time. After the 5 and 10k people got back, they held a 1k kids race--it was so, so cute! Now, I just have to start training for the next one. I'm thinking of running a 5-miler in December.


On other fronts, I'm also very excited b/c I sent in my first law school application last week! One down, 7 to go....

A Travel Blog

No, I haven't gone anywhere, but I did take an exciting trip around the Blogosphere. Using Blogger's exciting new feature that allows one to go from blog to random blog, I explored several other web logs. I saw a variety of blog styles, all of which make me even more excited about the web production knowledge I'm gaining.

I was also amazed by the geographic and language diversity: there were bloggers from Japan, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, Korea, Mexico, Australia, the Dominican Republic, and TWO from Kansas (both at the University of Kansas--apparently a blogging hot spot). It was like the Olympics; I felt wrapped in the warmth of shared experience that bypasses national borders.

And it further fed my desire for real travel. I've been seized by an increased awareness of wanderlust recently. I always enjoy travel, but lately, I've been practically craving a trip to Europe.... Actually, with all the political problems in this country, I've momentarily seriously considered the idea of moving abroad. I just wouldn't know where to go or what to do. And I don't think I could live so far away from family and friends. So the solution is.... I need to start a colony of US expatriates, and just bring my close acquaintances and loved ones with me! Who's in? Heck, that's how America started!

Update, So You Don't Forget Me

Just over a week til the 5k! I'm very excited and a little nervous. I've gotten comfortable running around 3 miles now, and the race is 3.1, so I feel pretty good about that.

I'm enjoying my classes so far, but I'm keeping busy with homework already. And I'm trying to get my law school essay done this coming week, so I can send in my Yale app before the week's over. We'll see if that happens.

And I've watched the Olympics almost every day. Yeah, I'm slightly obsessed. But I just love watching people do what they're great at. It's a beautiful thing.

And speaking of sports, I can't believe that Cal is going into the football season ranked 12th! Unbelievably great; maybe it'll make up for how badly the Niners are gonna do this year.

I think things will calm down a little after this week. Once my law school stuff is under control and the race is over, crunch time will be over. There are so many other things I've put on the backburner. Like getting back to all the people who have called/written/emailed... And that'll also be easier once my cell phone works again, hopefully that'll happen soon too.

Bracing Myself

As most of you know, I have braces. My orthodontist has me wearing elastic bands from the top teeth to the bottom to close my bite. But whenever I wear these elastics, after 4 hours my lips are swollen to twice their normal size, in tremendous pain, and they continue to be sore for days afterwards.

At first, I thought it was just the rubbing that irritated them. But I did some internet research, and now I think that I might have a "sensitivity" (one step below allergy) to latex. The ortho has sent me some new non-latex elastics, and as soon as my mouth recovers from the previous elastics, I'm gonna try those out. Hopefully, they'll solve the problem. If not, I may be wearing braces forever...

In other news, I started my new classes yesterday. So far, so good, but I look forward to the coming weeks when lots of students will drop out. It's waaaay too crowded on campus right now.

Don't you just LOVE the Olympics? I do; they make me so very, very happy. I'm trying to watch as close to all 226 hours NBC is showing as possible. On NBC's cable affiliates, they're airing over 1300 hours of coverage; it's probably a good thing I don't have cable. =)

For Lack of Anything Better to Write

Or, for that matter, anywhere better to put this, here's my list of every song I can think of that I don't have, but wish I did. Many of these, I had at one point, but no longer do (insert sad face here). In no particular order:

Time of Your Life (Green Day)
Little Black Backpack (Stroke 9)
You Were Always on My Mind (Elvis)
Karma Chameleon (80s Culture Club)
How Do You Talk to an Angel (Jamie Walters)
Just a Girl (No Doubt)
Don't Speak (No Doubt)
I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
I Want it That Way (Backstreet Boys)
Manic Monday (Bangles)
Eternal Flame (Bangles)
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper)
This Kiss (Faith Hill)
Breathe (Faith Hill)
The Way You Love Me (Faith Hill)
Can't Help Falling In Love (Elvis)
Stuck in a Moment (U2)
Iris (Goo Goo Dolls)
It's Gonna Be Me (NSync)
Cry (Faith Hill)
Lose Yourself (Eminem)
Breakfast at Tiffany's (Deep Blue Something)
You're Still the One (Shania Twain)
Hanging By a Moment (Goo Goo Dolls)
Without Me (Eminem)
Maria (Blondie)
Bobby McGee (Janis Joplin)
California Girls (Beach Boys)
Big Yellow Taxi (Counting Crows version)
Cathedrals (Jump Little Children)
Stacy's Mom (Fountains of Wayne)
A Woman's Worth (Alicia Keys)
The Call (Backstreet Boys)
Falling (Alicia Keys)
Next Year (Foo Fighters)
I Need a Girl-Part 1 (P. Diddy)
California, Here I Come (Phantom Planet)
I Want Love (Elton John)
Wherever You Will Go (The Calling)
Our Lives (The Calling)
All or Nothing (O-Town)
Roll out-My Business (Ludacris)
I'll Never Fall in Love Again (Burt Bacharach)
Still the One (Orleans)
It's Raining Men (The Weathergirls)
Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bonnie Tyler)

Bibliophilia: A Dangerous Disease

For me, summer is inextricably linked to reading. As a kid, I took part in the library's summer reading program--always going way over the required numbers to get the prizes (exciting things like bookmarks). Then in junior high and high school there was summer reading. I was one of the nerds who read all the books on the list when they said to choose one.

And summer remains for me a time to tackle reading projects, and I'm definitely a sucker for classic literature. Sometimes, I go for the hard books, the kind you can only slog through when you have the time. For example, last summer I read Dostoevsky's "The Brothers Karamozov," a book that is, I swear, longer than "War and Peace." Other summers, I choose to go with fluffier works, appropriate beach or pool-side reading, like "Bridget Jones' Diary."

Having moved back to Davis, this year I had the chance to organize my book collection, and I pulled out several books that I've purchased but never gotten around to reading. I have a very large pile of books to read now, and I really don't think I should buy another book until I get through all of them.

I just finished George Eliot's "Adam Bede," which was okay, but I didn't like it as well as some of her other works (ie. her masterpiece, "Middlemarch.") In the past couple of days, I read "The Chosen," by Chaim Potok. This book rocked, and I want to read more by him (too bad about my book buying ban).

In my reading pile, I have a couple of Dicken's novels ("Our Mutual Friend" and "Martin Chuzzlewit"), "The Beautiful and the Damned" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, George Orwell's "Burmese Days," "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel, Anne Diamant's "The Red Tent," "The Long Loneliness" by Dorothy Day, and another George Eliot work, "The Mill on the Floss."

Anyhow, summer's coming to a close, and I wonder how many of my books I'll be able to fit in before law school applications completely distract me. There are so many wonderful books to read, and so little time.

An Entry for Noah

This entry is dedicated to Noah, mostly because he made me agree to write the contents of this first paragraph. First of all, Noah asks that I clarify to all that when I stated that I would be taking classes in the fall but would not be taking tennis until at least fall, I was referring to two different educational systems. My design class and web production classes are taught at community college in Sacramento, while the tennis classes are taught through the city of Davis. Is that clear enough, Noah? Second, Noah wanted me to point all my readers to the "Other" section on the poll results, wherein you will find a humorous response. I'd say more, but then I'd ruin the surprise.

Another semi-Noah related topic, which illustrates a problem in my life: I had fun today hanging out with Noah, then Noah and Shelley, and later, Noah and his girlfriend Christina. Noah and I were in Ace Hardware, and I was telling him that I need to buy a lock for my locker, since I'm taking that design class.

Noah said, "What, are you taking metal working, or something?" Next thing I know, this guy comes over and asks if I'm taking a metal working class. He tells me that he has taken several metal working classes but has just moved here, and he doesn't know where to take one in the area. I explain that I'm not taking metal working, but wanting to be helpful, I suggest a place he might be able to take one.

After this guy walks away, Noah says that the guy was hitting on me. Now this guy was really very cute, but the thought that he was hitting on me never even crossed my mind. The point of this story: how will I ever find another boyfriend if I can't even tell if a guy is flirting with me??? Yeesh, at this rate, I'll never even find another date!

Now I'm wondering if people have been hitting on me left and right, and I've never even known it...yeah right, I'm sure that's it. So advice please: how can I tell if someone's hitting on me?

Unemployed Person Seeks Personal Assistant

It's amazing how busy an unemployed person can be. On Sunday, I went over to San Francisco to see Kate W. and her boyfriend Mike, who were visiting from the East Coast. It was a great visit, and I was very happy to finally meet Mike (I felt like I already knew him).

Meanwhile, back in Davis, I have had plenty on my plate. I've recently started training for a 5k (3.1 miles) race, and so I am trying to run 4 days a week. With 1 week down and 6 training weeks to go, I can comfortably run 1.2 miles. So I still have a ways to go in my training. Especially since I'd like to finish the race before the people with strollers get there.

I'm also trying to get law school application stuff planned out. This week, I secured my second person to write a letter of rec for me, so I'm feeling much better about that. I still have to request transcripts from 3 schools, get the applications, and start writing my personal statement. But at least I have time: I can't start applying until September 1st for the earliest schools.

And, of course, there's the job search. Today I went to an "audition" for Princeton Review Test Prep. I had to give a presentation to showcase my teaching style. I did "How to Become a Jeopardy Contestant." I enjoyed several of the other presentations, including "How to Play Texas Hold 'Em," "How to Splint a Broken Arm," and "Statistical Regressions." I should find out soon whether I made it to the next portion of the process, but it's very dependent on their test subject needs, so I don't have any clue whether I did.

Then there are all the millions of errands and tasks to do. For example, my cell phone currently refuses to charge. And I don't know why (Note: I can't check messages, so if anyone tries to call me on my cell, I won't know! Call my home phone instead...) So I will be taking a fun trip to the AT&T store tomorrow to see if they can help me figure that out. Is it the phone? Is it the charger? Is it just the universe messing with me again?

And my community college classes will be starting in a couple of weeks. Then things will most likely be even busier. Especially if I actually get a job one day. I just wish I had an unpaid intern or something to do all the stuff I don't want to do. Any applicants?

Disparate Collection of Thoughts

1. No one answers my poll questions. But I'm putting on a new one tonight anyways.

2. I miss my tv shows. "The OC" won't be back until November. I've been making the rounds of shows I wouldn't normally watch. "Summerland" (Tues, 9 pm, WB) is passable at best. It certainly doesn't make up for no new "Everwood" or "Gilmore Girls" episodes, though. I've discovered "Tru Calling" (Thurs, 9 pm, Fox), which reminds me of "Early Edition" (if anybody remembers that show). I'm enjoying it, but "The North Shore" (Thurs, 8 pm, Fox) is appallingly bad. And to think they tried to advertise it as this year's "OC!"

But what really sucks is that the stupid Sacto. CBS affiliate shows "Joan of Arcadia" at 7 pm instead of 8 on Fridays. My mom is a big fan of "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune", which air at the same time. So much for watching Joan...

3. I wish I had a digital camera so I could post pics on here. But I'm not allowed luxury purchases like that til I get out of the unemployment line. I also wish that all the nice Blogger text editing features worked on my Mac. I can't even put something in bold unless I do it manually with HTML. Ugh. Guess my blog won't be getting prettier any time soon.

4. I signed up for fall classes. I'm taking a class in Web Production and one in Design. Maybe one day I'll create the next Google. Only prettier. And then I'll become a millionaire.

I almost signed up for a tennis class too, but then I remembered that tennis courts get around 10 degrees hotter than the actual temperature, which is kind of a problem when one is running around in 100 degree weather. Maybe in the fall.

5. A funny quote from Debbie Reynolds (the actress who was in Singin in the Rain): "I thought by now I'd be retired and rich, but I kept marrying idiots." (She's 72, and still touring with a one-woman show.)

6. I can't wait for football season to start up! The Olympics should be good too, although I prefer the Winter Olympics.

It's Just Like Riding a Bicycle

You know how everyone says that you don't forget how to ride a bicycle? Well, maybe they don't, but I obviously have. Admittedly, I hardly rode my bike as a kid; I probably only rode it 4 or 5 times after I got my training wheels off. And I had some trauma: an adult who had been telling me that riding a bike is "sooo easy" fell on top of me while we were both on bicycles. That was my last bike ride.

Until last week. With my new used bike, I made a couple of clumsy attempts at riding. These attempts made one thing absolutely clear: I do NOT remember how to ride a bike. A near miss with a bush, and a few face-firsts into the pavement have me certain that biking isn't as easy as it looks.

But living in Davis gives me plenty of examples of successful bike riders: the city has the world's highest ratio of bicycles per capita. And I am always so impressed by those people on their fancy bikes, with all the biking apparel. So it inspires me to keep at it. Who knows? Perhaps one day I'll join their ranks. Move over, Lance Armstrong!

But first, I have to actually learn (or re-learn) how to ride one of the darned things.

Ah, Wilderness

I knew I didn't want to go to that picnic. My mom & I were invited to a picnic being held by staff from the place she used to work part-time as a graphic designer. For some reason, I found myself dreading it.

On Thursday night, my mom started looking up how to get there. That was when I found out the picnic site was located within a sort of wilderness area: by the American River, filled with coyotes, hawks, mountain lions (!), rattlesnakes, and the like. And so, of course, it was gonna be a little hard to get to by public transit.

But we looked at the maps, knew we'd have to walk a litttle, and decided we'd be alright. Friday morning, we set out at 8 am. We got out to the area and began walking through a residential neighborhood. We planned on following the river (there's supposed to be a bike trail there) up to the picnic area.

We got super lost, hit several dead ends, had to walk on all these hard to see dirt paths (Did I mention I hate, hate, hate nature?), and basically hiked for over 2 long hours. By the time we FINALLY found where we were going, my mom and I were incredibly exhausted.

But the picnic was fun (except for the bees), and my mom got great news: she's most likely being re-hired as a graphic designer!

Then came the trip home. On the way home, I suddenly got sick to my stomach. We made a stop in downtown Sacramento, and got on the bus to Davis. While on the bus in Davis, I once again felt sick. I got off the bus fairly far from home and ran to a park bathroom. But this meant that I had to walk all the way home. And I was already soooo tired!

By the time I got home, around 45 minutes later, I was exhausted, still felt sick, and I had a sunburn. I have since sworn never to go outside again, especially to anywhere remotely wilderness-y. Since I have to go to church tomorrow, I guess staying inside is out of the question. But I'm never going on a picnic again!

Am I Pretty Yet?

Many thanks to Clara, who in all her computer-saavy wisdom, told me how to fix my blog so it looks normal on PCs. So now, somebody with a PC, please tell me if it looks right!

Wish Me Luck

Well, some things are looking up. I have 2 job interviews (both for part-time administrative assistant jobs in Sacto) coming up soon. So we'll see how those go.

Also, I'm excited because a friend of the family, Valerie, is going to give me her old bike on Monday. She's just getting the lights fixed and repairing or replacing one of the wheels. So it's a decent bike in pretty good condition--just used enough to hopefully keep it from getting stolen.

Meanwhile, I've started thinking and planning again for law school applications. I even have some tentative long-term career ideas. And I'm looking into some community college courses this fall. I might take Design and/or an HTML/Web Design course. The html course could be useful cuz it covers cascading style sheets (CSS), which is what this blog template is in. If I knew CSS, maybe I could make this template work!

It's still a little hard getting into the rhythm of things here, but I'm sure I'll eventually adjust to life back in Davis.

Back in the Valley, Again

Well, I got successfully moved. I even managed to get my bed to Davis (hurray for George!). So now I'm settling back in. When I moved my stuff (last week) it was around 100 degrees here. Great timing, as usual.

What now? Get organized, pay overdue bills, do laundry, search for jobs. I really don't know what to do with myself. Right now, I'm just taking it one day at a time. I figure existential angst can wait til I've finished my long list of errands.

Many thanks to all the supportive souls out there who listened to my complaints, fears, (a few) sobs, and offered me lots of encouragement. I feel like the hardest part is over (knock on wood)....

Oh, and sorry about the funky formatting on this site. It only comes out funny on PCs; it looks totally normal on Macs. So either everyone should go buy a Mac (my preference) or I guess I need to dump this template. One or the other.

Augh!

This has absolutely been the most stressful week of my life. I am the sort of person who always allows extra time to do things because I can't stand hurrying.

But I've had no choice. I had to hurry to search for apartments. Hurry to sell off all my stuff. Hurry to pack. Hurry to plan a move to Davis this weekend.

I still don't know what's expected of me for the rest of this month at work. I still have to figure out whether to switch orthodontists. Forward my mail. End my phone service. Finish selling my belongings. But worst of all, I still don't know how I'm getting my things to Davis. The problem is that I haven't been able to sell my bed. I love my bed, and I'd bring it with me if I could. I'd find room for it there. It would be just one thing I'd have left from the life I'm leaving behind. But I have no way to move it.

I feel so helpless. Useless. I just wish I could drive. Something so basic. Actually, I have no real desire to be able to drive. I just hate having to rely on others to do things I should be able to do myself.

More Than a Bit Stressed

Well, I think I can pretty much say without exageration that my life has turned upside down. Actually, it feels more like it's crumbling beneath me.

I've figured out that minus a job (or really any idea of what I'm gonna do), I can't afford my current apartment. Since the lease is up June 15th, that means I have to move before then. That's 9 days and counting to: find a place, secure a lease, get packed, find someone who can drive to help me move, get rid of excess stuff, and get moved in.

I'm trying to find a place in the East Bay at a really cheap price. If I can't, I'm gonna get rid of all my furniture, and run back to Davis.

So far, I've applied for one place and contacted people about two others (haven't heard back yet). I'm not feeling too optimistic about the first place cuz they sound like they want a co-signer, and I think we remember what happened the last time I needed one of those.

I want to feel independent and able to take care of myself. I don't want to have to rely on my mom to provide for me. At the same time, I wish I had more friends here in SF. I feel so totally overwhelmed and incapable of handling everything. If you're looking for me, I'll be hiding under my covers.

Good News, Bad News

The good news is that I can finally pursue my dream of running off and joining the circus.

The bad news is that I lost my job.

The good news is I didn't like it that well anyways.

The bad news is that I have lots of bills to pay.

The good news is that the decision to lay me off was purely financial, so I can get references.

Y'all get the picture.

Anyone have a yacht?

Work is totally dragging me down right now. First of all, the Exec. Director is totally breathing down my neck about a project. He thinks he's being helpful, but he's so not.

Then there's the computer disaster of 2004. My computer is,like, fatally infected with spyware. And my boss is asking me, "What sort of sites are you visiting because they must be sketchy?" Great, so now he thinks I'm some kind of porn hound. The truth is that I do Google searches on everything, and you don't always know whose site you're visiting.

Anyhow, the computer situation is literally so bad that it looks like I'm going to have to stop using the computer entirely. I can't even just delete everything on the hard drive--it isn't working.

Meanwhile, it's not like I was enjoying work before this crap started. I've been considering other career paths generally anyhow. According to my astrology book (hey, I don't have the answers; maybe the stars do), Pisces (that's me!) are supposed to do best in jobs like acting, art gallery work, writing, and (I'm not making this up) lounging on yachts. I want that job! So if anyone has a yacht they'd like to lend out...

Websites, anyone?

Anyone else have websites you want me to link to? Ooh, and feel free to send me digital pics cuz I want to try the new photoblogging feature.

I don't have a digital camera yet because I'm trying to decide between purchasing a digital camera and roller skates. Use my exciting new poll feature to tell me what you think I should do! -->

Shhh, They'll Hear You!

Hello, and welcome to my new blog. Thanks for dropping in! You are probably an emigrant from my old blogworld, so I really don't have to say too much in the way of an intro.


Still working out some of the kinks in my template design, so definitely let me know if anything isn't to your liking. =)


You may notice a few differences in the way things are done around here. You'll notice that there's no reference on the site to just who I am. That's because this is sort of a secret hideaway, a "hidden annex," if you will, from the prying eyes of the web. Let's keep it that way, shall we?


I'm rather sad to say goodbye to the old blog, and just as we were going to celebrate the one year blogiversary (blog + anniversary. Maybe there will still be a blog party for that. I'll let you know. But right now, I'm just glad to have the new blog. And glad you found me.