Bitch and Rave Fest

One Year Anniversary

2006-02-15T23:56:00.000-08:00

Hey, it's been a year since I opened my Blogger account.

This time last year I was a frustrated NJB coach. I had massive deadlines at work. I was addicted to Starbucks. Uhh, that's all I remember.

This week I am a frustrated NJB coach. I have more massive deadlines at work. I'm again addicted to Starbucks.

Random rambling for the day. Or not so random. I'm addicted to the Olympics and all the weird events. Curling is great but it's all about the Short Track. The men's Short Track relay was so exciting! I haven't gotten that excited watching sports in a while.

The Stanford Band Sucks

2005-11-22T02:33:00.000-08:00

If I didn't emphasize it before, Stanford is one of the wackest places ever. I know I shouldn't care, as I don't work for them anymore, my sister does not work there anymore and I don't have any friends there. But this past weekend I went to the Big Game, something I swore I'd never experience. (To reiterate, the only thing lamer than Cal fans are Stanford fans.) And it is pretty lame that 2 mediocre teams are fighting so passionately about how the other sucks worse.

I was presented with last-minute free tickets (I later found out they were worth $100 each). I went to go see my cousin who is a cheerleader for Cal and Ed wanted to see some of the Cal players he knows from CCSF. The rivalry was not of interest to either of us, although I found it interesting that 3/4 of the stadium belonged to Cal supporters and that the Stanford band, mascot, pep group, etc. try to go out of their way to say "I'm so f-in lame and retarded and stupid" in as many ways as possible. The Stanford band's half-time show (wait...I can't describe it in any other words than "what-the f---"...it made me think of the Family Guy's Peter Griffin when he was watching an existential Eugene O'Neill play and goes "what the hell is this crap? Jesus Christ, someone throw a pie!")

So Cal won, but Ed's boy Ayoob only played the last 2 kneel-downs. Ed and I left very quickly.

***
Oh yeah (I'm not trying to have any organized thoughts here), here's to a band that does not suck. I went to the depeche mode concert on friday. they played all but a few of my favorite songs of theirs. the show was great. they had like 3 encores. the nachos were intense as hell.

***
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_Banana
The funniest random reference from Family Guy yet.

Long Time No Blog

2005-11-17T00:07:00.000-08:00

Yeah, you know the story...I've been REALLY busy...New position, bball coaching season, lazy football Sundays, etc.

Here's a new list.
Things that make me really angry. But not like war and gas prices. Other stuff.

1. Just in time for the Big Game - Cal's bear mascot Oski is mildly annoying and pathetic but Stanford's lame excuse for a mascot needs to be shot and killed. And then killed again.

2. Still on the Stanford topic. Kwame Harris. Not only a waste of a high draft pick for the wounded Niners (and speaking of lame excuses...what a lame excuse for an O-Line...). So all of a sudden his name isn't "Kwamie" - it's pronounced "Kwayme" What a dumb way to say that name.

3. Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. People think she's pretty cuz she's always standing next to the other ugly guys in the group. She can't sing. Is ugly as hell. Has a stupid name. Etc.

4. R. Kelly's Urban Opera thing.

5. Ok back to football. Those stupid Miller Lite commercials with those football referees who say stupid things like "Intentional Tastemask" and "Roughing the Palate" -- sooooo not funny!

6. More football. Those stupid people who call into sports radio shows and blame Mike Nolan for all of the 49er's problems. What idiots to think that one single factor can be entirely responsible.

7. The Lakers. They'll always make me angry.

8. Ruby Tuesdays and Sonic. For broadcasting all their commercials nationally but limiting their chains to NOT the Bay Area. And Dunkin' Donuts too!

9. The font Comic Sans. I hate it.

10.

Crazy Week

2005-10-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Anyone want to do a shot? Or clean up my apartment and do a ton of laundry for me? Or feed me healthy, nutritious meals with fruits and vegetables? Or pause time for me so that I can take a nice nap?

Not enough hours in the day. Need to clone myself. Ugh, what a terrifying thought!!

Howling Husky and Caption This

2005-09-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

Nik and I fell in love with this husky at the animal shelter. Don't tell Dano. He didn't have a name, but he had a pretty smile and kept howling "Hellooooooo" at us. We were so tempted to rescue him and send him to our oldest sister who just lost her husky-wolf. This sad shot behind the bars does him no justice -- this guy is soo pretty.

Caption this...
A. Coloradoan exchange student with his Bay Area hosts
B. Asian tourists pose with American celebrity
C. A typical group of Stanford students on some type of lame retreat

D. This are some of the "DreamLot crew" celebrating Jordy's birthday at Golden Gate Park. For real, the picnic was a blast. Jordy brought back the old school games such as kickball, hula hoops, wiffle ball, dodgeball, a water balloon toss and molly pitcher (a mini bucket brigade).

Fun Stuff

2005-09-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

because I'm way too busy right now

Greedy
You're prolly hungry right now.

Which Smurf Are You?
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Thug Bear

Which Dysfunctional Care Bear Are You?
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Oh, you're Ocky! You're everyone's favorite! Of
course, maybe that's why you're the mascot!
You're loyal and sweet and plain adorable!
Truly, everyone can not help but to wish they
had a stuffed animal of you.

Which Snork Are You?
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You are Sweetums.
A hard exterior covers up the soft sweet center of
your soul. And you love to eat humans.

SPECIAL TALENTS:
Really big dance steps.
FAVORITE MOVIE:
"Big"

QUOTE:
"Wait for me!"

LAST BOOK READ:
"Taming Your Outer Beast"

NEVER LEAVES HOME WITHOUT:
Robin the Frog

What Muppet are you?
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Hamburglar

Which McDonalds Character are you?
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You are Boo Berry!! Still popular to this day in
the cereal world... congrats!

What Creepy Cereal Monster Are You?
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Movin' On Up

2005-09-27T17:05:00.000-07:00

yup, that's a promotion!

Reading Rainbow

2005-09-26T19:01:00.000-07:00

(don't tell me that theme song from the show is not running thru your head right now)

Some interesting books I recently finished:

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto
by Chuck Klosterman
I inhaled this light one quickly while on an airplane and sitting by a pool on vacation. This magazine writer uses his cleverness and wit to analyze "Gen-X" topics in a half-serious tone. Each chapter is a memoir; he tackles the important issues, such as The Real World and Saved by the Bell, The Sims computer game and his experience as a member of a Guns n Roses impersonating band. One of my favorite stories is about how he was fired from his volunteer position as a Little League coach, because he took his team too seriously and acted too competitively. Another fun analysis is his comparison of the Laker/Celtic rivalry in the 80's to U.S. bi-partisan politics -- namely that based on team image conveyed, management style, and court strategy, the Lakers represented a liberal/Democrat school and the Celtics were the conservatives and Republicans. If you were born in the 70's or early 80's, you'll appreciate this book.

How to Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication
by Stanley Coren
This is a non-fiction book and is not read as quickly. It is a language manual for how to interpret a dog's verbal and nonverbal communication, including body stance, positioning of specific body parts such as tails and ears, sounds and actions. Includes case studies of how dog owners misinterpret communication, such as acts of dominance mistaken for affection, and acts of submission mistaken for rebellion.

Amazing Gracie
by Dan Dye and Mark Beckloff
Very cute story and also a quick, light read. Nonfictional account of a guy and his best friend in Kansas City. The guy's job lacks passion. Both are waiting for their "idea" that will make them rich. The main guy, Dan, still mourning the recent death of his dog, Blue. His best friend and roommate has a lab mix and dalmation. Dan's friend and coworker buys a great dane puppy and tells Dan that there's a runt in the same litter who is about to be put to sleep because she is a deaf, half blind albino great dane. Dan goes and rescues her and falls in love with her. Faces a bunch of challenges because of her disabilities. Also realizes she doesn't eat. Tries every kind of dog food possible. Vet suggests maybe he cook for Gracie. Dan doesn't know how to cook. Eventually gets it right. All the dogs love the homemade food. Forms a small company that sells this fresh dog food and treats. Struggles at first. Now it's a chain and Dan no longer has to work at his old job. Gracie gets old and dies.

New York Diaries: Too-True Tales of Urban Trauma
by Daniel Drennan
Another memoir written half-seriously and cleverly, by a guy who loves and hates living in NYC. Includes quirky accounts of a neighborhood always seen taking trash in but never out, a subway token booth nazi, a secret society of conceited dog owners on the upper west side, his cult-like job at the famous Strand book store. Hits the spot to those living in the city as broke recent college grads. Sometimes, however, his quirky attitude comes off as cynical and lacking confidence -- reminiscent of a David Sedaris novel.

best vacation ever

2005-09-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

You are fun, freewheeling and fast-paced. You don't
only spot the latest trends; you set them. A
free spirit, you're not afraid to wander out to
Coney Island with your friends for a bit of
surrealistic fun.

Which New York City subway line are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

***

Just spent some days in Jersey for my college roommate's wedding, followed by a few more nights in NYC to catch up with some college buddies. Had the best time ever. Realized how different my life has become ever since moving back to the Bay.

Here was my trip in a nutshell (look i'm in a nutshell!)

The wedding was beautiful. There were a ton of people, but it managed to stay intimate and fun. Highlights were traditional Indian dancing at the Raas-Garba (I was sad that I didn't own a sari), a ceremony covering Christian, Hindu and Zorastrian faiths, Indian buffet meals all weekend, good 90's hip-hop at the reception, open bar and the dessert...The dessert was two rooms (!) filled with tables and tables of sweet, exquisite Goodness: 2 flowing chocolate fondue fountains and fruits for dipping, a long-ass table with a bunch of rich round fancy cakes, a display of Indian desserts like Gulab Jamun (always get one or three but not 2 --some of you get it), tables with those fancy mini tarts and cannolis, a bananas foster station with ice cream and a coffee flambe station where you pick your liqueur (kahlua) and the server pours a little in a champagne glass and runs it over a flame, then coats the glass with melting sugar, then pours in the coffee and adds whipped cream. Instant happiness!

Dilley and I had a Harold and Kumar moment, getting lost around Jersey late at night searching for a Friendly's. Ironically, I think we might have passed a White Castle or two.

Didn't do much touristy stuff, except for the obligatory ESPN Zone meal with Michael Wilbon. I found my way out of Jersey between wedding events. BTW, Jersey is one of the most counter-intuitive (this is how my sister describes my dad when she has a load to say but wants to sound tasteful). The lady at the hotel front desk gave me a ride to a bus stop, where I rode happily into Port Authority. Spent the day with my college buddy Tim, talking about our favorite thing, Fantasy Football, and walking down to Chinatown -- where inflation had the price of a fake Rolex up to $45!

Came back into the city and stayed with my friend Kelsey, who is twice as overcommitted and busy as I am (imagine that)! Had a few chuckles from his Mandy Moore action figure and Darrin's Dance Grooves tape. Note to self: Unless you have the rest of the afternoon and evening to kill, don't take a bus all the way from the upper-east side to the village!

Ooh guess what we found at the NYU bookstore:

A bunch of people didn't get the humor, but I guess when you compete for a DIII school like this one, the thought of NYU football is the funniest thing in the world. Imagine the "NYU Violets" in their lavender and purple spandex....

Speaking of people who get the humor, did you know that there's a W.W.J.D. (What-Would-Jesus-Do?) Thong? Only to be worn with the "I gave my word, I'll stop at Third" t-shirt.

Also got to see my friend John at his new job on the upper west. Did much drinking, then more drinking. Demonstrated (again) how bad I am at pool, then we proceeded to bar hop down near campus. Are my cheeks hot? Ah, good (herbalicious) times. And always a nice ride home.

Dunkin' Donuts rocks. And I finally got to hit a Ruby Tuesday after getting teased by the commercials (Sonic also, but I found one an hour away) on TNT and TBS.

Anyway, I get so busy and caught up in my suburban life here, with my start-up office job, a thousand places to be, etc. but I miss my college friends often and it was so great to get to spend time with them. Ok, now off to start me weekend - a thousand more things to do and places to be....

I (heart) the Internet

2005-09-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

Interesting things I recently came across:

Sumo Waterskiing Suit - Clumsy fun

Tetris Bookshelves - is the one incorrectly-placed L-shaped piece bothersome to anyone else?

Cats in Sinks - cats in sinks...

Doggles - UV eye protection for your dog

Octodog - If I thought hot dogs were edible, I'd so get one of these

Banana Guard - Keep those bananas safe!

Ghetto Prom - wow...I have no words

The best one: go to Google and type in "failure" and hot "I'm Feeling Lucky"

Football Weekend

2005-09-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

BOO!
Sat thru 2 painful high school football games, in ghetto bleachers surrounded by disgruntled yet supportive parents. JV game led by inexperienced coaches, penalty markers on every play. Not one or two, but three illegal motion flags in a row. Came out of the locker room well after halftime was over. Varsity didn't provide much more relief. Still have not seen Ed's team win. The talented kids can't seem to stay out of trouble and don't get to play. The cheerleaders were the type to start "defense" cheers on the sidelines as their own team had posession. It was freezing and my ass hurt. The chili nachos and hot cocoa rocked.

YAY!
Got up early the next morning for my high school's alumni XC race. Alums vs. current team. Current team's families bring the BBQ. My ankle is still bad, so I did not race. Instead, I chilled with the alums who wore flip-flops with the blatant "go ahead, i dare you to ask me if I'm running" smirks followed by the obligatory references to massive weight gain since x-country days, denial that we looked "that small and that geeky" when we were on the team, and trippin out when kids who graduated in '05 introduce themselves as alumni. Got to hang with old teammates and friends, including this fun guy I've known since 2nd grade. The carne asada and picnic tables filled with fruit salads and cookies were excellent. Seeing Coach Wilder is always refreshing. We did the infamous IMUA cheer, although none of us remembered what it meant, other than "something very inspirational and important" and he started the race with the traditional "On your mark...Enjoy!"

YAY!
Raced off to my company picnic, but it was so late that everyone was gone. There were a few hours to enjoy the water slides, but it was too windy. Water slides are one of my favorite things (along with karaoke, board games, basketball and air hockey) so I was happy to get in one trip before the season ends.

BOO!
I think my Fantasy Football team is so great, but in the 3rd qtr of the MNF game, I am down by about 100 points and will lose, barring a miracle. My big stars underperformed in Week 1. I thought I had a good chance against this opponent, a guy who drafted Lamont Jordan in the first round and started both of Buffalo's CBs on the same day -- two moves for which he should be clowned.

YAY!
The 49ers looked sweet yesterday! No one game them a chance in hell against St. Louis. They had far from a perfect game and will have a very challenging season, but things are not looking as dismal as I had imagined. The vet Bryant Young sacked Bulger three times! Team defense looked hot. Julian Peterson is back and healthy and Derek Smith made some great plays too. Special teams got a return for a TD. Most importantly, the presence of the new coaches brought forth something I have not seen in the organization in a long time -- creativity! Gambling on an onside kick after the special team TD, when defense was worn out, lining the QB Rattay up on a slot, using WR Battle as a QB, all definitely exciting to see. It might be a while before the organization becomes as strong as before, but yesterday's game brought a little bit of hope I had not seen in years. Go niners!

YAY!
I've always hated TO (Terrell Owens) and always wished he would shut up and let his natural talent speak for itself. He finally did something endearing. He is donating his NFC Championship ring to hurricane relief.

The Best Names in the NFL

2005-09-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

In honor of NFL kickoff weekend. The NFL players with the best names aren't necessarily the ones who have 30-syllable long Samoan-ish names. I just like saying their names. Chris Berman ("Marshall, Marshall, Marshall!") probably does too.

1. Quentin Jammer

2. Marques Tuiasosopo

3. Justin Smiley

4. Samari Rolle

5. Dave Zastudil

6. Chike Okeafor

7. Marcellus Wiley

8. Takeo Spikes

9. Jim Kleinsasser

10. Larry Izzo

11. Tai Streets

12. Cody Pickett

13. Alge Crumpler

14. Julius Peppers

15. (tie) Boo Williams, Tank Williams, Cadillac Williams

16. Todd Sauerbrun

17. Jeremy Shockey

18. Dre Bly

19. Tiki Barber

20. Woody Danzler

New Dog-Stalking and FFB

2005-09-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

I've found a new dog to stalk. Meet Melody. And meet more Melody. Just rescued from the Hayward Shelter. I keep thinking that since my lease is ending soon, I can move to a pet-friendly place and adopt a dog and just make things work (mostly time issues, since I'm always busy). Then I wake up and realize that it might be a while.

***

Went to the Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire concert over the long weekend. 2 of my favorite bands, sans Maurice White (Maurice Green, Maurice Cheeks, Maurice Clarett as Ed calls him) and Peter Cetera. The highlight was not only watching them jam together, but Philip Bailey stepping in on the lead vocals of "If You Leave Me Now."

***

I've been playing FFB (Fantasy Football) for many years now, but it wasn't until last Saturday that I took part in my first live draft. For the first time, I am completely satisfied with my team and am not "stuck" with any player I do not want. I will miss having LT as my main guy (lucky to have him as my first rounder for the last 2 years), but some amazing streak of luck allowed me to get Shaun Alexander as the 5th overall pick, followed by Donovan McNabb in the second round. My league drafts individual defensive players, and I was hoping to get Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Rodney Harrison, Corey Simon and/or Julius Peppers but ended up with Derrick Brooks, Julian Peterson, Terrell Suggs, Troy Polamalu, KGB and Roy Williams (DAL). Still not bad. I drafted my risky sleeper pick in the 12th round. It was Ricky Williams. A few people thought I was crazy, but I figure. I think once Ricky Williams comes back from suspension, he'll win his spot back and produce some good numbers. If not, no real loss for me. I have Shaun Alexander and Corey Dillon already.

Bitch and Rave 9/2

2005-09-02T17:53:00.000-07:00

BOO! Talked to Anna yesterday, and she is heartbroken and devastated as you can imagine. Juneau probably died from some internal wounds from a coyote fight. They buried him with his toys in his favorite spot. They were able to give him a good life for many years, ever since he was a rescued pup.

YAY! I walked off a big lunch at the Humane Society today. I'll find any excuse...There was a beautiful med-sized sweet Rottie named Heidi. Loved the attention and responded to "shake" thru the fence. I petted her for a cool 10 min and could have done it all day. There was another affectionate and playful young Pitbull mix named Bue and an older Akita named Kona. On the way out I saw the board of pictures of successful adoptions and saw Flash (the apricot Chow I liked last time) with his new owner.

YAY! Finally some relief in the gulf coast area.

BOO! Kind of slow for the relief to get there, if you ask me. I'll jump on the bandwagon and blame the federal government. Along with the cuts to fund prevention of such emergencies, this goverment's priorities are obvious. Would it be different if the people in need weren't mostly lower-income people of color?...

YAY! It seems like a lot of citizens are eager to help (I've been doing a bit of web smurfing)

BOO! There are a lot of good-intentioned STUPID people, who are eager to drive down to NO from places like Oregon and Idaho to rescue people or animals. They do not realize how bad of an idea this is. Not only will they be adding to the traffic congestion surrounding inaccessible places and adding to the chaos in the area, they are (1) probably untrained to handle a situation like this and could cause more damage and (2) positioning themselves in areas where it is simply unsafe because of crime and violence. Step back, donate money, and let the National Guard, red cross and other officials and rescue orgs do their jobs. Don't make them worry about you also.

More Sad News...

2005-09-01T17:42:00.000-07:00

R.I.P. Juneau Reyes-Potts.
My mom just called me and told me the news. This was my oldest sister's awesome and beautiful baby. We're both kind of teary right now.

Gulf Underwater...

2005-09-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

How to help:
Network for Good - Can safely donate to a bunch of different charities here.
Noah's Wish - Rescues the animals in disasters.

***

On a lighter note...It's official that Dano was not kidnapped from the SPCA. Here's the lookalike from Animal Cops SF.

Back to the Bitching and Raving

2005-08-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

YAY! I found my friend Steph today. Stumbled on her Friendster profile and contacted her. She called me this afternoon and it was so great to hear from her. Steph is a friend from grade school and high school -- almost like a sister and one of the sweetest people I know. I've kept in touch with most of my high school buddies, but Steph and I have lost track of each other over the years. She had been travelling and doing work all over.

YAY! Yay for Moana Sands girlie drinks. My friend Nafa introduced these to me at the Sheraton Moana in Waikiki last year. Blend up some ice, Peach Schnapps, OJ, Chambord (sp?) and coconut syrup and it looks just like sand. And tastes sweet adn yummy.

BOO! While enjoying the Moana Sands, wasted a few hours and killed a bunch of brain cells watching MTV's Video Music Awards. This was my first time ever to watch an MTV award show, so I'm not sure if I'm just too old or if they were always that lame. A bunch of the celebs in the audience had that same glazed "I'm too old for this" look. I guess this is standard for all award shows, but it just seems so unnecessary for the host to build up some celebs then introduce them, just so they can not perform, but only present some award by acting out a corny, teleprompted dialog. Diddy (note the name change, whatever...) was not a very good host. Fat Joe actually had more presence than he did. There were a few good performances by Mariah Carey and by Ludacris and Bobby Valentino, and a classy tribute to Notorious BIG. However, I could not help but smirk at R Kelly's lip-synched "Trapped in the Closet"...uhh I am not even sure what to call it...I'm at a loss for words. He lip-synched the song while acting out every character's part. And I guess added another chapter to that piece of TERRIBLE crap. Then there was another part where MC Hammer came out with a posse to perform some kind of Hammer rap-and-dance medley from the 90's. Okayyy....

I sat thru it cuz I was watching the Tivo recording at a friend's house.

Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas sucks.

Ok, now I'm angry. haha.

Dano's Poop

2005-08-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

I met up with my parents and Barb for a gluttonous American comfort food meal at Marie Callendar's for my mom's 58th birffday. Was so full when we got back to their house that I decided to crash there. Ok, I always have a hard time leaving the dog. Nik and I tried to find Dano's roots by surfing Dogster. You can do an advanced search, choosing 2 dog breeds, and see photos of those mixed-breed dogs. Among the Dano lookalikes were a Chow-GSD (German Shepherd Dog), Chow-Golden Retriever, Chow-Alaskan Malamute, Chow-Bullmastiff, Chow-Sharpei, and Chow-Akita. We're not sure what he really is.

Nik and I saw something really funny on Animal Cops: San Francisco. Some girl in San Leandro applied to adopt a Chow and got rejected. She proceeded to steal the dog and brought him home. When confronted, the parents were unaware that the dog was obtained illegally and explained that the daughter was bipolar. The funny part -- the dog looked just like Dano! Nik and I stared at the TV, frozen, with nervous giggles...Hmm...

Got up this morning and took Dano for a walk/jog on the trail behind the house. He must have "marked" every single tree. Not sure why, since he did this last time also. But when we got to the end of the trail and met the busy street, he turned to face me and backed up into the tree. I was officially blessed with Dano poop. I had to clean it up with the baggie tied to the leash and I held my breath and kept thinking "it's like cookie dough...cookie dough...cookie dough...."

My Perfect Weekend

2005-08-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

40-Year Old Virgin, same crude humor as Wedding Crashers and American Pie

Last minute free club-level tickets to Giants and Mets game.

Unsuccessful rollerblading with Dano. After zig-zagging in front of me, dragging me, tripping me and getting me tangled on the leash, Dano decided this wasn't fun. We settled for a 15-minute jog together. No pain in my knee or ankle. Good news.

Crab alfredo at the Market Broiler.

Freaks and Geeks on DVD.

OC Paddling inLexington Reservoir. This place is calm, quiet (you can whisper to someone 20 ft away) and clean. I don't think too many people know about it. Hope it stays that way. Outrigger Canoes are a bit different from kayaks. They're longer, thinner and more balance-sensitive. They are made of fiberglass and super lightweight, sporting a support (an outrigger) on one side. Rather than by paddling, direction is dictated by pressure on right and left pedals. Rather than a double-sided paddle, you have a lightweight angled wooden paddle and change sides every 14 strokes or so. Instead of resting on a back support (there is none) you thrust your hips forward right before you stroke back. We paddled on single canoes for probably a little less than 8 miles. Kayaks are much easier to maneuver and don't require as much set-up and assembly. OCs give you a better full-body workout. Both are pretty neat and I wouldn't mind learning to be a better paddler.

After we worked up an appetite, my cousin's friend Ben (the OC expert) took us to Mahalo Hawaii, where we grubbed on BBQ mix plates, mac salad and Hawaiian Sun drinks.

Slept really well last night.

Blogging About Blogging

2005-08-25T18:09:00.000-07:00

I don't really have a reason to make Blog entries. I think Blogs tend to be more effective when centered around a specific theme, more specific than "what I'm doing today." Fine examples are to keep a chronological account of something (day to day observations of a plant growing through a maze?), wedding planning rants and details, backpacking through Europe and having one's friends at home log on to track the journey.

I cannnot promise anything interesting like this to tell you. I don't even have a clear audience to write for. I just know a few friends check in once in a while to see what I'm up to and read up on the quirky stuff going on in my mind. I'm fine with that. In this space, it is acceptable (and very tempting) to show self-importance or narcissism; I'll kindly waive that. Alternately, I'll tell you what's really going on inside of me.

There's a type of person I've spent some years scoffing at and looking down upon. (Did you cringe at my ending those phrases with prepositions? Good.) The young adult, successful in her career and good at what she does. This person seems to have it all, but can't help feeling that something is missing. This person leaves a steady job to join the peace corps. You all know da kine. She spends all this energy looking for something when she can't seem to realize that everything is so easily right there.

I've known a bunch of them. I dated one (but he was not a "she") for a few years. Drove me crazy.

Well guys, I think I'm getting to the point where it's hitting me and I feel like that something is missing. And it might soon be my turn to face that breakdown. I'm starting to feel like that are more important things to do/feel/see than what I experience every day in my shrinking world.

Why am I thinking about this now? Turning 29. End of summer blues. Dreamy vacation. Job rut. Almost time for employee evaluations and not phased. All my friends getting married. All of the above?

Recently a close friend told me that he "has no purpose" in his life right now. Disturbed me a little. Made me think that I NEVER, EVER want to feel that about myself. Life purpose can mean different things to each person. For me, I just think about every extreme adrenaline rush I've ever had. Every time I've said "F*CKIN' WOW." Every time I've won a close basketball game. Every time I've jumped into a lake or river. Every time I've laughed so hard I cried. Every time I've danced with someone and felt butterflies. Every time I've slept under the stars. Every time I've sprinted into a finish line. Every time I've sung at the top of my lungs in the car with friends.

One can argue that none of those are a true purpose. One's purpose should be find some important cure, raise a family or to help kids in the ghetto. That would be the admirable thing to say.

My "purpose" is felt through moments that make me feel alive and make me completely comfortable with who I am. It just might almost be time for me to create more of these moments for myself.

Is this me?

2005-08-24T15:28:00.001-07:00

From Quizilla...I'll let you decide

August,
Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless.Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride of oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends

What does your birth month reveal about you? (read memo)
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More Raft-erthoughts and a DanoDog

2005-08-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

The obligatory 10:30am beer drinking on rafting day. Corona does come in cans. My sister Barb and I have the same swimsuit. On the river, we saw the oddest thing. This raft full of about 10 black people (different ages, maybe a family) were towing a small, flat raft with one white dude lying down with a magazine or t-shirt covering his face. Half of us immediately thought, uhhhh why do the black people gotta tow the white guy...and the other half thought uhhh is he a hostage or a human sacrifice? Weird. I should have taken a pic.

I've got so much food and drinks leftover. Yay for chili-cheese Pringles. My friend Jul also sent a massive package of Godiva chocolates to me at work. And tonight my DL ex-co-worker buddies are taking me here. Yay for meat.

Bought Dano a stuffed squeaky hot dog. I love this guy....

happy birffday to mee!

2005-08-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

i'm 29 now...yay. did my annual rafting trip. only 19 folks this time. very mellow. not too many water fights with other groups. many water fights within our own group. got back early and played with dano. he's so adorable - it's so hard to leave him and go home.

maybe kayaks next time. sans the mini rapids part.

***

back to the hawaii thing...another top reason i fit in there. they dress down all the time! i think it's been about a year since i've worn da professional kine clodes to work.

i heart hawaii

2005-08-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

it's been a while since i last posted. yeah, i'm still obsessed with dogs. my sister finally adopted her new pooch, Dano (danno) . he's incredibly adorable, loves treats, doesn't fetch tennis balls and hates car rides.

then i went on a family vacation to kauai. overall great, as one can expect nothing less from being in hawaii. but i found myself flirting with that fine line between F**KIN WOW, I need to Live here...NOW! and grrrrrr, this island is too small for all 5 of us. the highlight was definitely kayaking excursion down the wailua river followed by a really rugged hike to a waterfall.

seriously tho, this was my 3rd time in hawaii and i can't think of a place where i fit in better -- where i can be myself and Love everything and everyone (except for american tourists) around me.

why i think i can live in hawaii:
1. i look like a local already. and over there, i'm not considered fat or too big! the clothes fit wonderfully (an ongoing problem i have here).

2. the local people are soo chill, carefree and...Real. no attitudes or superficial crap. on a normal day here, i hate small talk and awkward conversations, and honestly, so many people around me are just not interesting to me and not worth the superficial attention. but the people there are so easy to talk to. even the salesmen. and they're interesting.

3. massive plates of Meat and mac salad. with an egg on top. maui onion potato chips. portuguese sausage. good seafood. lilikoi everything! and POG.

4. they love nissan trucks too. i'd bring my crew cab over. and get some red dirt on the tires.

5. they love big dogs. i'd adopt a 100+ lb rottie and let him hang out in the back of my crew cab. and he can come fishing and swimming with me and roll around with me on the beach. and fetch tennis balls :)

6. watersports! i don't think i can ever get sick of swimming, snorkeling, boogie boarding, surfing (when i get better at it) or paddling. i Love being in the water and being in the warm pacific on beautiful beaches makes it that much more awesome.

7. the music rocks. at first it's cheesy. american pop 70's and 80's hits remade to a pseudo-reggae, casio keyboard-karaoke-sounding beat, performed by some nasal singer. it grows on you. just found out they call it Jawaiian. jamaican and hawaiian, i guess.

8. i love hearing people talk pidgin. for real. it sounds really...refreshing. we're so uptight over here about how to say everything correctly, when it really doesn't matter. it comes down to communicating clearly. a "table of contents" being "da stuff insai" is very clear to me.

9. i get a kick out of hawaiian names. they have half of the american letters to work with but can find 5+ syllable words made up of every combination of those letters and add "kahlua" or "ani" to the end.

10. it's beautiful as hell. duh.

so it sounds like i have a "plan B" if things don't work out here. don't get me wrong, i love being here and what i do and the people i'm around (not the small talk ones). so for now, i'm a wanna be hawaiian (and dog owner) but sometimes it's nice to fantasize about how my life can be completely different...and still wonderful.

Funny Web Page

2005-07-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

http://www.attackchi.org.au/kits.htm

This had me laughing out loud sporadically for the past few days. The idea is absurd, but the message is true.