Greetings From SoCal

I've been told that a good lot of you will be in Berkeley this holiday season. This makes me sad because I'll be a bear on a plane to cold cold NYC and Boston (yay Dylans). I'm going to be meeting my bf's parents. I still haven't figured out exactly what to get them yet, but Thomas never gave anything to my parents, so I'm wondering if I'm obligated to get something really nice or not?

Anyway, most of you I haven't seen for at least a year and the last time I saw you, I think I was in between jobs. Well now I have a job. I now work in the biofuels industry--I make beer for your cars! Work is pretty nice. I like my coworkers a lot. It is a chill and fun place, plus I feel like I'm doing something relevant.

Alas San Diego hasn't been that good to me. Since I now drive everywhere I hardly get any exercise, plus there was that past winter where I was all depressed w/ no job...long story short Ms. Size 6 is now a Ms. Size 10/11. I'm starting to find odd comfort in watching BET movies about fat black chicks who go to africa and are deemed sexy. Yup. So I'm going to take advantage of my company subsidized gym membership and get back down to college size. If I lose 10 lbs I'm going to buy myself one of those Swarovski crystal flowers (like the one pictured above). Wish me luck! Linli, be my sponsor!

I do want to take a trip to norcal, I hope we can organize some stuff. I'll be unavailable MLK weekend and week containing Feb 5. My parents will be celebrating their silver anniversary (25th). I think I should get them something for not making me a bastard and staying together so that I can grow up in a tension filled joint household, instead of a cash strapped-emotionally charged split household.

You know something I do miss very much about being out of school? I miss the ease in which you can socialize. Remember when we'd just call ahead like 5 minutes to hang out at someone's house and doing nothing in particular was a very good way to spend time? It almost makes me want to go back to school. Almost, because I know it's going to be nothing like those 4 years we spent in individual misery and shared joys. I can safely say that there's nothing redeeming or worth reliving in college save for every moment out of class. Working has been weird because I have the time and money to chill, but I don't have you guys to chill with anymore. I miss you all terribly on some days.

***Addendum***

I just read through that entire passage and went on to read old passages. I'm sorry that this is so boring. The other down side of working is that you become less profound and start writing like an idiot.

I dislike the fact that I can't be witty and clever if I don't have copious free time, nor can I tell a good story anymore. It's like as if god said, be thou boring and happy or interesting and sad. Why? I don't know. See I can't even make that into a good spiel!

Ok I promise you guys something better by the end of this week. I don't know what yet, but the above is unacceptable. I've been brain farting since May. Hopefully I'll pop out a good solid cerebral turd this week.

Updated

Well, I must be one of the "missing people" mentioned. :P Sorry guys. I've just gotten really tired really easily lately. I'm glad that you guys are doing all good! :) The below will be a bit depressing. I was told by a friend just yesterday that my writing was depressing them... so ... read at your own discretion!

Hm... what have I been up to? Social hermiting. I'm trying really hard to re-engage with my friends up here, but it's hard because we all had such different college experiences. That and about half of them have either moved out of state or are doign some other higher education somewhere in the world.

Been working as a Comissioner. That's fun stuff. Lots of local politics. As opposed to increasing the amount of respect I have for the "field," I think this work has successfully made me feel that even on a local level, most people are in it for personal gain. And that makes me sad. At the same time, there's a handful of people who are really in it to hammer out policies. Dear goodness, I thought I was going to go mad after debating one sentence about whether or not the city would support a DBA with seed money. It took over 2 meetings and ten hours of work to hammer out ONE sentence.

Been working out. Yeah. I got fat in college. And I'm trying to regain some semblance to my curves. So I don't have to buy new clothes and I can actually fit in the things I already own. I've never had much of a sense of fashion, but right now, I feel hideously blasee with what I wear. Trying to make every day's clothing/make-up an artistic experience.

Been playing the piano. It's like re-learning to ride a bicycle. After about an hour, my hands were shaking. Nothing like Chopin's Waltz in B Minor to remind you just how formidable a piano really is.

Been realizing that having time off is great. But having accumulated two weeks of vacation is pointless if I can't use them at any time that I want to. Bleh.

Been reading a lot more. As part of my social hermit program, I've been reading books. Twilight Series. The Host. Anathem. The Gargoyle. Becoming Mexican-American. Main Street. Words that Work. The Economist (yes, they have books too).

I think I'm becoming a boring person. Finally bought an iPod. I need a way to tune out the world. :P Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Still alive!

I've been wondering about this blog too. I"m glad someone posted, haha.

I'm happy to hear that Mel is doing well. I've been pretty busy myself, although probably not as bad as Mel. My everyday consists of going to lab and staying there the whole day, either doing lab work or sitting in my office taking care of other stuff. I decided to join the university choir this year, so I'm doing that every monday and wednesday from 7-9pm. I also decided to be the organizer for the mentoring program that we have in our department, so that takes up a chunk of time as well.

Aside of that, I really haven't accomplished much. I hang out with my friends occasionally, or go over to my boyfriend's place to just chill. I played Risk for the first time last weekend, and while I lost, it was a lot of fun. It's starting to get cold over here, so that also means cold season for Yuri.

On the other note, I went to see Cirque de Soleil few weeks ago with bunch of my friends. That was a lot of fun, because the tickets were fairly cheap (student discount!) Also, I went to see a show at a nearby venue the other day as well (local band, but still pretty good). I was sad that I couldn't go see Weezer (it was 2+hours away from where I lived), but there are still pretty good shows around here every once in a while.

The other three peepz should also update us on what's going on in their lives :)

Wake me up when September ends...

Hey guys!

I guess I'm relieved to know that I'm not the only one not updating this blog! I just thought I'd check in and see how everyone has been... um... so I guess if anyone checks this, give us an update!

September really has been the month from hell for me. In work related news, PSP toxins have been rampant in northern California, so naturally testing has increased. We're wrapping up the last year of the project, so lots of write ups as well. Schoolwise, I've been doing my long delayed graduate school search and everything that comes with it (researching professors, personal statements, GRE, all that good stuff). On top of that, I'm still taking a chemistry class during the evenings on Mondays and Wednesdays which has been good so that I don't forget what a classroom setting is like.

I hope that you all are doing well, whether that be with work, graduate studies, or exploring Guatemala... that is if any of you get this message ;)

MeLp.s. who doesn't love random squirrel pictures?

Cali here I come

Hey guys. This is a last last minute trip. As in I scheduled it at like 8pm last night. I'll be arriving in SFO at 11:15 on Saturday and leaving at 7:30 AM on Monday. It was a free ticket and Alaska has all these rules about when those can be used. Sucks but oh well. Anybody know of a better mileage plan?

See y'all this weekend!!! I can't wait!

Get me cheap tickets!

I'm still figuring out where my free ticket is!!!

I thought I'd just pay for it since they don't seem to want to help me do this on such short notice. It costs me $338 to go to SF? Holy cow!!! ..... That's almost as expensive as flying FARTHER....

So it's this weekend or July 4..... help me!!! Find CHEAP ticketS!!!

Memorial Day

Mel, it sounds like you died and went to heaven. Did you at least FILM your meeting? ;) Man, what ever happened to "Finding Green Day?" I'll need crashspace if I can manage to plan a super last minute trip down to see people graduate this coming weekend. :P

Liang, that's cool that you're going up. I wasn't sure when I would be able to make it down or rather up? So I didn't plan well... I started working at an OHSU lab in the medical school. So I do that in the day 8-5 and then I do that other job that I do now shifted to evenings and sometimes weekends. It's actually pretty neat. I'm seeing a lot more than I used to and every new encounter is something worth writing down. I don't have vacation days built up at the lab yet. Just lots o' paid sick leave. I do have a free flight... I think. I'll have to double check on that.

Yuri, you'll do fantastically on your next cumulative!!! *I'm giving you a charm*

The last few months have been pretty calm. It's almost always calm at home. I've met up with some high school and elementary school friends. I've worked. I've pretty much become a good cook, which is amazing to me because I never thought I'd be in that category of people. I guess the best way to put it is the same way that Rome was described --- that is, "everything has changed and yet, nothing has changed at all."

I met a person I really liked at the lab, but he went to San Diego. Then a few days ago, I found out that he had Crohn's disease. I felt like such an ass for joking around and saying "I'm never going to see you again." Some people with Crohn's don't live past age 40 and he was already getting blood transfusions regularly...

I went home and cried a bit that day. Then spent time remorsing over my other friends who died abruptly. I thought to myself, is this the fate of all people? Do we only live on in other's people remorse?

On a total aside now, I was also wondering if I should go to Anime Expo this year? I really miss all the friends I made the first time around and I'm happy as a fish in water around manga and anime. It'd suck because I'd only be able to do part of the three day thing. Meh, it might not be worth the hassle this year. Maybe I'll wait until next year.

That's the other thing, I'm getting into the habit of saying "Maybe next __[fill in date]____" I'm starting to think that I may never get plans actually set in place. >_< I keep pushing things out of my schedule like that.

Well, my friend is coming back from being stationed in Cuba in another month or so! I'm excited. We've known each other since 3rd grade.

Well, off to work out. Still fat as ever, but I'm trying to actually make a point of slimming down so I don't need knee surgery in the next few years.....