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.