North Carolina

Ah, just when the title makes one think that I went to visit North Carolina, all I have to say of my sight-seeing experience was the inside of the Embassy Suites hotel in Durhan/Raleigh. Makes me laugh to think about it really.

I flew out of San Luis Obispo at 9:45am PST on a warm Tuesday morning. Flew through San Francisco and Chicago. Landed in Raleigh/Durham and checked into the hotel at 11:00pm EST. That was a long day. I met another Cal Poly student headed to the event from SFO on to O'Hare and to Raleigh. And then I also noticed a student at O'Hare who became friends with me on the shuttle from the airport to the hotel. Not to mention another student who goes to Stanford and knows two of my friends at Cal Poly from working at Agilent this past summer. What a small world. :)

Gorgeous hotel. (Not so gorgeous weather...25 degrees and below isn't ideal for flip flops I've decided). Back to the hotel though...essentially a forest smack in the middle. And the suites were really nice. Living room, bar/fridge area, bathroom, and bedroom. Two beds! Tough decision...which one should I sleep in haha. I got my stuff all laid out for the next day and pulled together some homework and then some studying for the interview. I was asleep by what...3:00am EST. The interview event started at 7:00am EST...ie 4:00am PST. Which essentially meant waking up at 5:30am EST...2:30am PST to start the day. Believe me I was in a haze all morning. As I'm sure all the west coasters were lol.

In the end, I have to say that it was kind of silly to come all the way out for two 30-minute interviews, but at the same time, the friends and connections I made mingling on the side were invaluable. I had bought the text that they were testing us on, and within two days have gone from knowing nothing to something about networks. *pats self on back* This is just such an exciting experience (minus the flying). I had fun and that tells me a lot. The people I met were awesome...really bright, down to earth, friendly, and real. And I hope to see them again soon. :)

Left North Carolina at 5:15pm EST to Pheonix, AZ with its 74 degree weather. Then split off from my new found friends to San Luis Obispo (they were all headed up to San Jose). Of course go figure there'd be something wrong with the plane so we were de-planed into an airport that had shut down all its food courts. Anything going to San Luis Obispo is bound to have problems or delays haha. Though I pretty much had it coming with all my good fly luck thus far (flights were even arriving early!). Twitter pretty much kept me occupied as my iPod had died on me. Got in at 10:45pm PST on Wednesday night. Slept really well that night. Now just anticipating results. And catching up with school like no other.

Sales Engineering

So here's a random story.

I applied for a position about two years ago with a company's sales engineering program because I was interested in it. Of course they said well you're not graduating yet, so that was a no go. Then I tried again the next year and they turned me down based on minimum requirements. This year I was a bit discouraged from the previous years and with my experience I wasn't too worried about a job anyways (I wouldn't even be too worried graduating without one either...mostly because life is going to move forward no matter what...and something will happen I'm sure). My turn to sound arrogant: I am invaluable and if a company doesn't recognize that it is their loss. At the same time, I say that only because I know that I will do well at something I love. I'm so ready to take on this world and make my impact. I'm not really arrogant (though a certain individual might snicker at that haha).

Anyways, though I did not get a chance to visit them at the career fair, I got a call from one of the recruiters who had my resume from (who knows when), asking to talk later that week. I was thinking well, if they are willing to call me, then sure. I thought it was for development, so I didn't take it too seriously. Anyways, the day comes and I had just gotten back from on-site interviews in San Jose (there and back in one day), and slept right through the early morning interview. Of course, the guy had called me over a half-hour late due to meetings, so we were both on pretty even ground lol. Rescheduling, we talk later and I find out it is not for development, but instead the sales engineering position that I'd had my eye on for years. Okay I am all ears now!

I make it past the first round interview. The second interview came way late because there is someone else with my name applying and they had accidently contacted her instead of me. Don't think it was til I emailed them that they realized their mistake. Unfortunately for me then was a rushed scheduling right after my return from Baltimore, MD (SWE Conference). I was nervous! But I made it through. Some explanations, questions, experiences. Passed on to the final round: On-site. Next week. East coast. And just like that, a position I applied for bout two years ago determined where I might be a year from now. Amazing. I don't know if I got it yet, but it's what I want to do and I hope that it shows.

I refuse to get a motorcycle for myself until I accept a job offer.

Prioritizing

How on earth do I continue to do this to myself?  Of course, no body is surprised that I might be talking about doing too much.  Too many commitments.  Is it so bad though?  I get a lot out of each.  I get to learn some great new technology and share new ideas and be a backbone to something that makes a difference.

Either way, I am still behind in school.  Dance I am barely keeping up with (even though it's my favorite) because I can dance fine, but haven't studied all the history and diagrams.  Capstone is dominating my time.  And Programming Languages...don't even get me started.

I need to re-evaluate my priorities.  There is always going to be a long list of things to do.  Now which ones are really important...which ones will affect me the most?

Priority numbero uno right now: sleep.  Okay I'll start with that one.

Week 1 Milestone

Well I've managed to get through my first week back at Cal Poly. I am not in my best condition though I must admit. For one, I am most definitely sick, but it's the kind where you can still keep going with that limp. Perhaps I should have just slept all of today. Not that I had a choice since I had to wake up at 7am to get ready for church sermons and such. But gone back to sleep...that would have been nice. Ah well. It was a good day. But I'm definitely not feeling any healthier. My throat is dry and constricted, I can't breathe, and my head kind of throbs. Ugh. But at least nothing hurts.

Anywho, enough about the bad stuff. Week one was great. I'm taking Programming Languages I, Software Requirements Capstone, Artificial Intelligence, and Ballroom Dancing. I'm highly considering dropping AI since I don't need it. Capstone is going to be awesome (we're working with Intuit), and PL is gonna kick my ass. Bring it! A note about Ballroom Dancing...I am the only Asian in the class (with the exception of the instructor herself), and I am by far the tallest girl in class. By at least two inches from the next tallest girl (there are maybe about 3 or 4 in this height range) and at least 6-8 inches from all the rest of the girls in class. It is ridiculous how tiny some of these girls are. Who knew?

I've also discovered something about myself. I always thought that I had a problem with dry lectures (who doesn't), but now I realize that I'm falling asleep in most of my lectures and have to try extremely hard to stay awake or keep my eyes from getting heavy. I'm not even talking about dry lectures. I was very engaged some of the lectures this week, but found myself getting heavy eye lids despite this until I started focusing on something completely different, like taking out my laptop and surfing the web (bad I know), or letting my thoughts wander into solving a problem outside of class or something. I have the hardest time staying focused...and when I am, I get heavy eyelids. I even get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, which is a big difference from previous years. I can't win!

How has your heart been hardened and then broken by God's grace?

My two minute sermon testimony at Mt. Carmel Church Service...

I was about the age of 15 or 16 when I started to realize that the world was not a bubble so perfectly shaped around me. I had been sheltered most of my life through the storm of divorce and sickness. But that roof had finally blown away. My heart was hardened.

I remember I would pray through tears at night to a God that I didn't really understand for things like...more ice cream after dinner, and A on a test that I didn't study for, for my parents to be happy, and for my dad to get better...a miracle if you will. You see, my dad was sick.

Then I started to realize my dad as himself. He was always smiling, always encouraging, still teaching me new things, playing a heated game of chess and sometimes letting me win, head buried in text books and scientific magazines, laughing at jokes and memories from when I was a child, like paramecia and runny noses. He always told me everything was okay. And I believed him.

Now let me tell you about my father. He had cancer when I was two years old. He went through radiation treatment which left him cancer free, but with terrible side effects. He had minimal eye-sight, loss of hearing, loss of equilibrium, skin disorders, hardened neck muscles (can you imagine not being able to turn your neck?), loss of saliva glands, and a stomach tube...and later on a trach tube. Yet he was one of the most loving people that I know. He spoke of a God and of unconditional love. And God's grace flowed through my father and showed itself to me.

My father passed away on August 17, 2007. But I had no doubt that I was loved and will always be. Something I didn't realize until recently is that I did get that miracle that I prayed so fervently for as a child. I had always expected my miracle to be a full healing of my father, but God works in other ways. The doctors had given him five years to live after he was diagnosed. Instead, he lived for over twenty years and I had him in my life growing up. He was sick since I remember yes, but I can't imagine my life without my dad in it. He's been such a big part of it. Thank you God.

Something About Home

So I finally made it back to SLO. In my room. Contemplating sleep. It was on a whim you know. I received an email talking about a meeting tomorrow at 9am and I was like oh shewt. I hadn't planned on coming back until tomorrow afternoon. I still had a pile of things to do. And I wasn't at all packed. But what can ya do? So I did what I could, had a home cooked meal with the family (mom doesn't cook often, but it's fabulous when she does), took a shower, and got distracted playing with the pup and watching Myth Busters with Jimmy. Did you know...if you interleave individual pages of two phone books together like shuffling two decks of cards, that the friction in the pages would need over 8000 pounds of force to separate? It's craziness. And true.

It's always a weird state of mind whenever I'm home. I keep thinking it's my family that drives me nuts, but I still love and admire them like nobody else in this world. And yet, I feel like I'm so unproductive when I'm home. I spend my time trying to do all the back log items, like cleaning the house, organizing, ridding the computer of spyware and viruses. And I sit in bed and read or do stuff on the computer quite a lot. And nap. I seem to do a lot of napping when I'm home. All in all, I do a lot, and yet I feel utterly unproductive.

On the other hand, I come up to SLO and get one thing done after another. Emailing this, sending that, meetings, study groups, organizing, reading, programing. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's because at home, it's not my space anymore. My room has turned into Jimmy's study room and full of old furniture that I can't do much with. I don't use the drawers, the shelves are full of other books and papers not mine, and the bed frame is taped to hold it together lol. I live out of my bags at the foot of my bed. So perhaps I just need to make it my space. Take back my desk. Get rid of the over heating virus infested computer from my room. And move my college furniture on in. Or just get my own place when I graduate lol.

New York to Los Angeles

It was hard to wake up this morning I was so tired. I went to bed at around 1:30am last night and woke up at 7:10am this morning to hop in the shower and decide on what I wanted to wear. I decided on a white dress. Comfortable and cool in this hot humid weather. I've only worn a dress twice on this trip and both times have been when meeting up with Ryan. I thought I'd change for the plane, but decided that the dress was perfect fot the plane ride as well. Subtly in the back of my head, I think that when a girl looks nice she gets treated better by those around her as well, such as the shuttle bus driver or people in the airport...I could be wrong but who knows.

Ryan was late by a half hour, but I didn't mind. I had perched myself on a bench outside on the corner and continued to read Eat Pray Love. Turns out he had stayed at work til about 2:30am so I'm just amazed that he was able to wake up to have breakfast with me at 8am. The fate of a potential wall street disaster has kept people in the financial business working through the weekend and the night. It's a big deal. Lehman Brothers, the 4th largest financial firm in the US will likely be filing for bankruptcy, thanks to the investments in dropping housing market, if nobody buys them out. Barclay has backed out, and BofA took up the opportunity to buy Merril Lynch instead. If Lehman goes down, it is likely that it will take down other financial companies with it and greatly contribute to our economy's recession. So Ryan, along with many others, worked late into the night to do analysis on their files at JP Morgan Chase. I watched CNN news last night and saw people leaving with bags and boxes of stuff from the Lehman Brothers building. That must be tough to be so quickly without a job...just like that.

We walked down to the corner of 57th and 11th and shared french toast and a western omlet at a small diner. The food was pretty good and darn cheap compared to a regular meal in the City. We talked about the banking industry, traveling, and just life. I felt very comfortable around him...it's as if we didn't spend 12 years apart as friends lol. We have a lot in common and I hope he makes an effort to keep in contact as well.

I walked with him to the subway station at Columbus Circle and we split up to go our separate ways. I can kick myself for not getting a picture though. Oh well. Perhaps in the next 12 years eh? On a whim, I headed down to Union Square area taking the 1 and getting off at 18th Street. I walked around and bought some pink roses for Aunt Margaret and picked up a few fruits and a coffee at the farmers market. Aunt Margaret liked the flowers and I put them into a hairspray nalgene bottle for her (LOL) as a vase. Then it was time to pack up, spend some time with Aunt Margaret, and head downstairs to wait for the Blue Shuttle. I'm going to miss New York I thought to myself. For a city, I was relaxed most of the time I was here. I walked a lot, and experienced a lot of the City despite also not doing anything a lot of the time as well. I seem to be good at that...looking like I'm doing absolutely nothing all the time, and yet still being busy going out all the time. An odd mix of extremes.

I'm going to miss Aunt Margaret too. I think she's younger at heart than I am even though she's 81. We have a lot in common and I absolutely loved spending my time and evenings with her. She's got a coop in Queens that I'm considering taking off her hands if I like it. It's too bad that she didn't tell me before so I could have gone to check it out yesterday. Oh well, I'll go check it out next time I'm in New York, which hopefully will be soon. As well as see cousin Jimmy who does IT at a law firm in Manhattan and other family members I might've only met once before. Buying a place on the east coast is somewhat feasible now that the LA house is officially rented as well. Next house after that...Italy. Or Monaco lol.

I slept in the front seat of the full shuttle bus on the way to the airport. I wanted to see the scenery around me as we drove from Manhattan to JFK, but I could not stay awake for the life of me. I was awoken when we got there by Erik's phone call asking for technical elective recommendations in Computer Science. I was so groggy that I couldn't really think straight and I said I'd get back to him lol. The plane ride went smooth, and now I'm back in California. Good ole California...but it's just not New York.

Sunday Afternoon

Today was a pretty relaxing day in the fifth story apartment. I got to talk to friends from Sweden, Belgium, and Orange County all at the same time. :) Ah, technology these days.

I spend most of the evening setting up my Aunt's computer and teaching her how to use email with her new GMail account I created for her. She's having a hard time using the mouse and the whole concept of it all is a bit frustrating for her (she keeps saying she's dumb), but I think she's smarter than anyone else I know her age...she's actually trying to use the internet! That's amazing in itself. Besides, using a mouse for the first time ever is difficult for anyone.

I ordered hamburger delivery from a place with high ratings on Yelp called Island Hamburgers. The meat patties were like gigantic balls of meat. It was all quite delicious and my aunt was amazed at the size. She kept their number and I'm sure she'll be calling them again, especially when she has other visitors in town.

We talked about taking trips to Colorado to visit Aunt Patsie and about going to Ireland next April. I am so in...at least I hope I am. I should book my ticket to Europe soon so that there's no more question about whether I'm going or not. I do have to start looking into my financials to see if I can make the trip and for how long doing what. My trip to NYC for two weeks was pretty pricey and I didn't even pay for my plane ticket or half my meals. (Transportation costs will eat you alive if you aren't patient enough to take the subway everywhere...and I'm not that patient).

MoMA

I came across a street fair on 6th Avenue this morning. The trash cans are overflowing. The food is magnificent. And it was for blocks.

Then I spent the day at MoMA...amazing. The museum was great and the Dali exhibit was fascinating. Especially all the abstract paintings and eye balls. But even more, their store...oh em gee. I am a fan of the MoMA store lol.

Milk Culprit

I just took the last bit of Nate's milk for a bowl of cereal. He's still sleeping lol. Hopefully...he doesn't mind. ;)

Princeton, New Jersey

It's a beautiful day. I've never seen rain look so pretty.

I woke up this morning in a groggy state. I never seem to get enough sleep at night. But it's another exciting day on the east coast. Nate is in the living room having a meeting with one of his RAs and Rachel is still in the next room. I pull myself out of bed and peek my head out to see if I could take a shower, but decide it's best to wait until his meeting is over. Silently I close the door and let my brain start thinking. I look at my cell phone and remember to call United Airlines wondering if I should extend my stay here in the east coast or not.

Why not. I look up the number and decide to leave Monday afternoon on the 3:40pm flight out of JFK. Monday it is! I hang up the phone and think to myself...now what? Lol. As if I had any plans (I don't). A second later I hear a knock on the door. Nate's done with his meeting and it's time to eat breakfast (Captain Crunch yum) and take a shower to get ready for a day trip to Princeton.

Princeton is gorgeous. High class. Historic. Sophisticated. Sophisticated...that's the word I would use if I had to decribe it in one word. We turn onto Washinton Street and it is a paved road lined with trees a mile down. Everything is so green and lush. The sky is overcast just right to give that emotional effect. From this street, we pull into the town itself and I turn into a puppy in the back seat, looking everywhere and amazed by everything. All the buildings on campus are bricks and stone and look like they were just built...how they keep them looking that good is amazing. Students are walking around and they are all dressed up nice and preppy. We pull further into town on the edge of campus and you can tell that this is a posh town. Boutiques everywhere. Older people and parents walking down the street in suits and dresses. You could tell that even people dressed casually were dressed casually in fine brands and quality clothing. And the cars were all expensive and shiny. Lots of old money here.

We took a tour of the Morven Museum which is basically the household of the Stockton family (hence the name Stockton everywhere, both in New Jersey and California). It was a good tour. And the garden was beautiful. We hit up an italian place for lunch and the pizza was scrumptious...Chicago style as I was told.

It was starting to rain, so we headed back to the car to pick up umbrellas (just in time too) before heading back to a bakery to try some goodies. They were alright. The chocolate cake was too rich for my taste and the pastry was too buttery. We walked further into town and then back towards the campus. I asked if we could walk into campus and they said sure so we headed into the stone walls of Princeton University. My goodness. I've never seen anything like it. It's like stepping into Harry Potter or something of the sort. Beautiful architecture. Green trees. The dorms looked like castles. It would be so awesome to go here. We stopped by the Art Museum and University Store before leaving and I picked up a duffle bag, more for the purpose of carrying other items I'd bought in New York. Course, I'd feel a little silly since carrying around the bag in California when I never went to Princeton U so it would be a little tricky. But oh well it's my memorabalia of this beautiful place.

My toes were squishing in my shoes by the time we got back to the car. It took a while to get out of town with the one lone street to head out in and traffic building up. I was tired. When we got back to Rutgers, Rachel proceeded to pass out right away and I repacked my bags using my Princeton duffle. Perfect. :) Now I can take a nap before dinner and a train back to NYC tonight. Oh how I love the east coast.

Elizabeth, New Bruinswick, and Rutgers

I wake up later than I intended to today because I had forgotten to take my phone off silent after Broadway last night. Shoot. I'm still dead tired too. I think it's the floor. I drag myself to the shower after Josh leaves for work giving me a wake up nudge on his way out. Making sure I have everything (all this moving around is going to make me forget something somewhere I swear), I head out and give the key to the front desk telling them no, I'm not leaving yet, and start walking to Penn Station about 11 blocks away on 34th Street. It's always an interesting adventure when you haven't taken a certain route yet (in this case, NJ Transit), and you wander around looking for where you're supposed to go next. I'm never worried because I know I'll find my way around. But I'm not one of those people who can just walk and look like they know where they're going. When I don't know where I'm going or am not sure what to do next...I definitely look like I have no idea what I'm doing. I look up information and directions beforehand online, but not extensively, so I'm more of a go with the flow kind of person. And I ask lots of questions. If you smile while asking it, people are more than happy to help you. And, as I discovered, if you wear a dress or something nice (a damsel in distress look maybe?), people will come up to ask you if you need help with directions LOL. Or maybe I really just look THAT lost lol. Of course, they tend to come up right when I just figure it out so I ask some stupid question I already know like..."Which way is ___?" when I already know the answer. Perhaps I just like confirmation because sometimes I know I'm wrong.

Anyways, I awkwardly get all my stuff onto the train and take off to Elizabeth, NY. Note to self and rest of the world: DO NOT take the elevator down from the train platform to street level in Elizabeth. It apparently has a second use as a public restroom. There are stains to prove it if the smell doesn't kill you first. I don't care if I have to lug down ten bags...I'm taking the stairs. I see a 9/11 memorial in front of the station...how appropriate considering today is 9/11.

Nate's right on time pulling up to the side of the road within a minute of my arrival with a hoooonk to announce his presence. I load up my stuff and we take off down the street to get hot dogs for lunch. There are apparently two hot dog places competing right next to each other and how they both survive is beyond me. Jerry's is the only place that Nate will eat at...a devoted patron. We take our "the works" hot dogs and sit on a bench to enjoy the outside air and chat. I can't believe I'm here. After all this talk for the past year about the east coast this and that, I'm here. My world just got a little smaller...in a good way. Friend's aren't quite so far anymore. We stop by the house he grew up in and I meet his brother and dogs. Omg I love dogs and the pugs were so cute. Onyx was too of course. :) I'm baffled by how steep the stairs are in the house. You definitely couldn't run down those stairs. I actually had to go down them sideways to make sure I didn't fall.

Anyways it's time to go and we hop onto the breezeway towards New Bruinswick after a Dunkin Donuts pit stop for some Munchkins and Iced Coffee. There are tolls all over these freeways. I thought it must be annoying at first, but it made sense since it meant that only the people who used the freeways actually paid the "tax" on them. Unlike California where everyone pays and a chunck of our tax dollars goes towards maintaining the roads whether you used them or not. So perhaps they're smarter in that sense, but that sucks to have to stop every few miles to pay...time eater...gas guzzler?

We pull off the freeway and arrive on the Rutgers campus. The land opens up and the buildings and trees greet you like "Ta-daaa." The weather is gloomy but in a rather welcoming way. It's almost emotional. Unfortunately, the weather doesn't go to well with the dormitories. I feel like I'm in a gloomy cave walking into the apartment since the light is so dim and the walls are bare. But he's a hall director so he's got a place normally used to fit four people all to himself. It's mostly the lighting though that makes me feel almost isolated. I notice some asian decor on the wall and scent of eucalyptus makes me smile. Not that I'm Asian enough to "feel at home" in this setting lol...but it smells good. Nate puts on some classical music and shows me around the place. Okay, he is officially more Asian than me since he has a rice cooker and...I don't. Lol. I get myself settled and we head out, umbrellas in hand, to take a tour of the campus and town.

There's a football game today and the campus is swarming with students and family in their red shirts and hats. And I mean...everywhere!!! BBQs, tail gate parties, beer pong in parking lots...it's one huge party of a few thousand people all over campus. Bright red every where you look. They rented out charter buses to transfer the students all around and between campuses. We tried to catch an A bus but the swarms of students waiting to get on was quite dense. Nate pushes his way to an upcoming bus with me right behind him and manages to get on, but somehow between him and me another 5 students pushed on through. I was standing halfway up the steps on the bus and it didn't seem like I was going to get up much further than that. The driver was a prick and just sat there not saying anything like pack on back or if we should get off or anything. He just sat there until we looked at him and he said he needed to be able to see and so everyone behind me got off. I should have too, but what would I do without Nate, packed in five people infront of me lol. I squeeze myself into the first row leaning against the front railing practically sitting in the girls lap, but it's enough for the driver to close the doors and head on out. I stand in this awkward position for what seems like forever leaning all my weight on one arm against the railing under me and three people literally (yes literally) standing ON my feet in the aisle. I guess it helped hold me down from falling over the railing when the guy stepped on the brakes. But thank goodness I didn't wear flip flops.

I'm facing the back of the bus and all these students have blank bored looks on their faces. I on the other hand am grinning ear to ear I'm so exicted to be here and looking every which way out all the windows at the scenery passing by. They don't even check for my ID which surprises me really. We get off at the main campus and walk around the streets, through downtown New Bruinswick, and back through campus. It feels small and big at the same time...probably because it's all new to me. Nate reminises on his olden days as an undergraduate. I find it funny how he speaks because it was so "different" back then and yet here he is a student once again. It's the same...just different perspective. A prime example of what time does to us and our maturity. I feel old too talking about the fraternity parties and drinking when here I am a 23 year old who didn't even do any of that stuff until I was almost 22. It's been like a year and already it was old stuff to me lol. Somewhat at least.

We catch a bus back to the stadium and the dorms and start walking back against the crowd. There was a guy in front of us on the bus that was talking on the phone and then passed out within two minutes of hanging up. The poor guy's head kept falling sideways and he'd wake up to sit up again and then nod off. When we reached the end of the line, Nate got up and gave him a nudge. The guy didn't budge. "Is this guy for real" he says and gives him a small punch. Nothing. The guy wakes up when Nate shakes his shoulder and we all head off the bus. You gotta kinda hop skip down the steps and this guy almost ate it coming down. If you haven't figured it out already, this guy was drunk off his ass. How do you enjoy a football game or time with friends if you're that drunk? Sheesh. He proceeded to thank Nate for waking him up and told him he'd had 15 shots. Goodness. That would kill me.

We walk back like salmon swiming up stream against the crowd of people headed to BBQs and the stadium and turn on the game back in the dorms. Haha Nate passes out on the floor cause he's so tired. That's really nice of him to show me around the town and I smile to myself thinking that I have such great friends. Then it's time to hit up a potluck across campus and watch the game. Rutgers played North Carolina, who hadn't won a game on the road in 6 years, and were squashed by them. It was sad. By the third quarter, the stadium had emptied out of spectators. A guy even flicked off the camera and the rest of the world on ESPN (someone out there is in trouble), and they showed a poor boy who was distraught that they were loosing and had the saddest face with wide eyes and a towel covering up his mouth (like an "oh no"). It was hilarious and they kept showing it I almost felt bad for the guy who got this national coverage, but it was just too funny. Anyways, yea, Rutgers lost big time. (they lost to Fresno State in the first game too)

I'm Going Broadway!

I wandered myself down to Wall Street today to check out the financial district in all of it's glory. For the first time since I came here, I bought a map after getting off the subway near Gold Street. I also bought myself some gelato and a chicken pie. The buildings here are so tall and pretty. At the end of Wall Street, I walked into Trinity Episcople Church and sat down in a pew to observe its silence and magnificance. Outside they have a piece of art made from a root of a tree that was uprooted in the 9/11 attack. Continuing my walk, I recognized in the distance where the twin towers used to be in between two other buildings. It is really odd to see that gap of space and sky there.

I remember when I was a kid looking out of the taxi cab twisting my neck to see the top of the building as we drove past it through the closed window. We went to the top, and shopped at the bottom. And now it cease to exist.

I walked east to see the Brooklyn Bridge and came across Pier 17. Well it's about time. Josh had said I should check it out, and I never really got a chance until I stubbled on it now. I walked around and bought myself a Yankees baseball cap and sat on top of the pier on a bench and lounge chair to eat my chicken pie. What a view! They have lounge chairs lined up all over the end of the pier...like a cruise ship. You can overlook the river and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges as well as the Brooklyn skyline.

On my way out, I walked into Express and bought myself a pretty dress that I decided I would wear to Broadway that night. And so I went back home (Josh's place)...or so I thought. Nope. I was barely going to make it on time to meet Ryan on Broadway to see Hairspray as it was, but then I took the subway in the wrong direction...for miles. I went deep into Brooklyn almost to the airport. It costed me an hour to go out there and come back. Then run down the street and rush up to the room to change before heading out again. By chance Josh came back in a hurry at the same time to go out for the evening too. We were both in there for all of 5 minutes coming from our separate directions and leaving our separate ways lol. I flagged down a cabbie to take me to the Neil Simon Theater. I was all kinds of frustrated for being late over such a stupid mistake. So I took a second to stand and compose myself before walking up to the crowded front of the theater.

I took a look around for a few seconds to orient myself on where to go (box office), when an elderly usher walked up to me and promptly said "Are you Michelle by any chance, Margaret's neice?" I looked next to me and back at the man. Of all the people in this crowded sidewalk, he was definitely talking to me. I nod and reply that I am, and he says oh great your tickets are waiting for you in the box office and he opens up a door for me. I walk in, wait in line, call Ryan who says he's on the other side of the theater, and and walk up to the window. "Hi, my name is Michelle and I'm here to pick up tickets under Margaret." I take out my ID and ask he wants to see it. He looks at it for a second and says "Only to see where you're from...Yorba Linda huh?" and gives a chuckle. I smile and take the tickets. Everyone here is so nice. Walking through the mass of people, I look for Ryan wondering if I'll recognize him in the crowd. He's leaning against a sign post, dressed up nice with a messenger bag over his shoulder, and engrossed in a novel. Found ya. He definitely resembles the Ryan I remember as a kid lol.

The Broadway show was great. I had forgotten it since the last time I'd seen it ages ago. And instead of fold out chairs on the boucany level, these were first level center isle seats. Prime. At intermission, I went downstairs to the lounge to look for Aunt Margaret. It took a few minutes, but I found her and we all sat down to chat. I totally admire that woman. 81 and choses to work still...she says...they key to staying young is hanging out with young people. I think I get younger hanging out with her! She introduced me to her co-worker who exclaimed that Margaret can really make anything happen (I have no idea what she's refering to), and she gives me a big hug. Consessions are expensive here. $5 for a cheap bottle of water. She opens it up to us and gives us whatever we want for free...popcorn and water. And we head back up to watch the rest of the show. I laughed so much. Goodness I love broadway.

After the show we walked out through Times Square, which was absolutely packed with people at 10:30pm. Of course. We catch a subway from Grand Central Station (I was so excited to see it) to Union Square and grab some dinner at a sit down cafe chatting about life, New York, and catching up on the past decade. We have a lot in common, including being restless in the state we're in (he's stuck in a job and I'm still in school) and wanting to go out and explore the world. We call it a good night and he flags down a cabbie to take me home.

Josh is still awake and he tells me about his Trump Tower experience. I laugh because he decided to stay here instead of there for the night. He says he feels like he's being watched wherever he goes because of all the staff that keep trying to wait on him. Lol.

High Class

I've gone from big fancy beds, to tiny beds in a confining room with dirty sheets, to clean sheets and a floor. And I'm loving it all. Admittedly, the floor doesn't work too well with my body. I'm more of a firm bed person than a squishy one, but I'm definitely sore waking up on the floor lol. Oh well, it's a roof over my head and I'm not going to complain. The hotel is pretty spooky really with it's high ceilings, large empty room, and tiny bathroom. There is a kitchen, but I hardly notice it since it looks like it's in a walk in closet lol. And get this...

I ask if there's any way I can get in during the day when Josh is gone. Sure he says, just walk up to the front desk and ask for 324. Everyone leaves the key at the front desk when they go out each day. And apparently anyone can then go in and ask for it. They don't know who I am. I just walked in one day and said with confidence "324 please" to which the guy reached behind him and handed over the key. I imagined myself saying "oh yea, and 350 too please" or something of the sort. You can just get a key to any room here. Oh yea, I feel real safe now. There are some residences here as well from what I hear. And others pay their rent with art, which explains all the random artwork and photography lining the walls. The place is really old. And the stairs have indents in them from the wear of people walking up and down it for so long.

Anyways, today is a day of shopping...and getting my nails done. :) I hadn't really shopped all summer, so I felt that I could treat myself out. A waterproof coat, a nice suit coat, a warm fancy coat, four shoes (Asics, Merrel, Adidas, and Timberland), and a dress from Peru. All on sale for about $250. I'm rather impressed with myself lol. It was time to upgrade from all my hoodies back home anyways.

Tonight Josh's dad is visiting NYC and has offerred to take us both out. I felt a little odd, but sure I'd love to come out. I had no idea what to expect really. I dressed up nice because it's what I like to do anyways, and wow it's a good thing I did. An Italian restaurant 8(?) floors up near Times Square where I've never seen service like that in my life...not even eating out with Aunt Judy and her husband (they would love it here btw lol). Everything was so classy and expensive I didn't feel like I deserved more than a glass of water...maybe a piece of bread. The place was small and men were dressed up in fine suites and women in classic dresses of elegance. It was like I was getting a peek into the life of the rich and famous. Okay, perhaps I'm taking it a bit far, but it was actually really exciting to me. A whole new way that people live...a different culture I never noticed right under my nose. He travels all over the world weekly...for fun! Yea I can't wait to be doing that...in my dreams. Anyways, the food was great and we finished up to catch a comedy show in Times Square. This was also great with our front row seating and drinks. Then when I thought it couldn't get any better, we went to the W for drinks at the bar. Oh my goodness. I know that I sound like a puppy that experienced life outside the house for the first time, but really was kind of what I was. Lol. And as always, I loved it all.

At the end of the night, his dad went back to his place in Trump Tower. And I went back that night and happily curled up in my sheets on the floor. :)

Day in Central Park

Last night I stayed with Aunt Margaret in Manhattan and tonight I'll be in Chelsea crashing with Josh. I met up with Josh yesterday and we grabbed a bite to eat and walked around the City (and he showed me Google's NYC office...woooow). Today was wandering around Central Park all day. I was bummed because apparently the Metropolitan Museum of Art isn't open on Mondays. So I had wandered the park going in the general direction until I found it...and it was closed...bummer. Aside from that, Central Park is amazing. Absoluetly gorgeous. Nothing like Golden Gate Park. Sunny. Clean. Classic. I took my time and enjoyed my stroll.

Anyways, I gotta get back soon to grab some dinner with Josh so I jump into a cab and ask to take me down 55th Street to pick up my stuff. The cabbie finds out I'm from California and starts giving me a grand tour of the city pointing out this and that. He goes down 5th Avenue and points out the Rockafeller Center. I wait for him to pause and tell him that I'm interested in seeing it and I'll get out here. Ha! He makes a comment about this is what he gets for pointing things out. I'm like whatever dude and tell him that he passed 55th Street a few blocks back. C'mon, do I look like I'm a stupid traveler wanting to get ripped off by a cabbie. I don't think so. Anyways, my advice...watch out for them cabbies!

Thinking might as well, I walk through the Rockafeller Plaza, into a few buildings, through the outdoor setup viewing of the US Open, down and into Trump Tower, and then walk up to 55th to flag down another cabbie. There's a guy across the street to is whistling (as if to call a cabbie) and after a few of them I turn to look at him...mostly out of annoyance. Turns out he's whislting at me and he tells me to come over to his side of the street so he can call a cab for me. Turns out he's a doorman at this nice hotel I'm standing across the street from. Alright. I walk over and he tells some little man to go get a cab and this tiny man runs off with a real whistle down to the intersection waving his hands wildly. Haha if that's how you catch a cab I sure wasn't going to be getting one any time soon where I was lol. This doorman starts talking to me and he's nice enough. As he opened up the door of the cab, he told me to come back and check out the bar here, describing it to me. It sounded real nice. And it's got a view...very nice. Course then he had to finish his talk off with "Well bring your friends back to come check it out, that way I can see you again" with a little wink on the end. LOL. Okay no go. More of because I don't have time anyways. And who would I bring with me? Lol.

Port Jefferson, NY

Well to sum up the last few days, I just relaxed on Long Island in Port Jefferson not doing much more than reading books, working on the www.naesc2009.com website, and eating good food for a good four days lol. Boring...yea kinda. Relaxing...yes. I think by the end I was definitely itching to get out and was a bit restless. But what can you do when you're stuck in some random country area not close to anything and with no transportation? And no plan. That was probably what did it for me. If I had more of a plan I'm sure it would have been different, but you know me lol...go with the flow.

I have to admit, I was definitely spoiled staying here. They gave me my own room, full access to anything I wanted, made me breakfast, and took me out to at least one huge meal a day...normally combining lunch and dinner because they were so big and lasted for hours. I considered this quite a bit much, but there's no use fighting it. They'll just order for you anyways, so I sat back and enjoyed it thoroughly. Expensive meals and good wine each night and service that waited on your every need and want. It was a bit much for my tastes as a college student and I'm not the demanding or picky type, but I enjoyed the time with my family. My point is that...I'm not complaining! Lol.

LAX to JFK

Took the red-eye at 10pm Wednesday arriving 6am Thursday morning in New York. I'm here! Now what? Lol.

My Bike Story

So I'm hanging out at work late today. I'm thinking I'll get some other personal work done since I have such a nice spacious desk space, a fast computer, and nice environment. Back at home, my room still feels kinda dirty (I need to vacuum), and the sheets on the bed are still gross and sandy since I never got a chance to change or wash them yet...I just don't even want to use them I think I'll buy new sheets this weekend...jersey. The desk is old and warped and covered with all the stuff I put on there that I didn't use in the room (ie the bed sheets, lamps, an old record player, etc.). So I have to sit on the bed to do stuff and use the computer. I think I'd rather use my workspace at work lol.

Anyways I'm there late, also pumping up the body ball that I had requested to sit at my desk (it's loud and squeaky to pump up LOL), when another intern from Poly comes over and brings up grabbing some dinner. I'm thinking hmm cause dinner sounds good but I don't really want to spend more money. We head out to get dinner near First and Market and I grab my bike from the bike room since I don't like walking back home late from the Ashby station to home in Berkeley. Riding a fast bike seems safer than walking after dark lol. When we get to the general area, it's time to choose a place to eat so I park my bike on the sidewalk chaining it to a bike pole with my expensive fancy bike lock (not a U-lock mind you since my U-lock currently decided to stop working about a month ago). I run in through the frame and front wheel, taking a minute to take out the bike seat and put it in my backpack since I had suspicions that it would be taken. We must've walked around for an hour not finding anything we could agree upon. Finally we end back up at First and Market and he makes a comment about my bike still being there. Well...of course it's still there. It'd better still be there!

So finally I'm thinking I'm hungry and I settle on going lower class to Subway right next to my parked bike. We head in and take about 15 minutes to get my sandwich and eat it. I walk out and it's like a dream...one of those feelings where something is out of place, but you can't put your finger on what it is. I walk over to my bike. Where is my bike? I must've parked it somewhere else. I look down and see my lock. Oh no, did I not even lock my combo lock? I pick it up and see that it had been cut through with some heavy duty cutters. Whoever it is had made more than one attempt before successfully cutting through. No. Way. My bike was stolen. I've been in this city for less than a week. Effing eff. Sigh. My friend tried to talk about other things to take my mind off of it, which I appreciated despite not really showing it. I was pretty bummed. I wasn't mad though...it could have been worse...a bike is just a thing and can be replaced...but it was a nice bike...and it means there are so many bad people in this City...in this World. That's just disheartening. We grab some stuff at 7-11 down the street and head down to BART at Monterey. I get on my train towards Bay Point but in some last minute decision from my bitterness, I get off on Embarcadero. By coincidence, another friend who lives in the City calls me up to say hey and ask what I'm up to. I tell him what happened and that I'm headed up from BART to wander the City hoping to see some bum with my bike. Ha looking back on it, that was probably not one of my brightest ideas. He tells me to stay put and he comes to pick me up to grab dinner with another friend of ours since he didn't want me wandering the streets. I'm glad I have friends to look out for me when I make silly decisions like that. I'm not gonna lie though...I might have been more safe on the streets than inside his car LOL. His driving was nuts but we ended up getting every where very fast and...we got there. So I can't complain too much, but it was a crazy ride around the City. We all went out to Pizza Orgasmica...pretty much an erotically named Pizza place. Very...interesting somewhat disturbing names. "Oh waiter, I'd like a Manage A Trois please...make that half Kinky Cow. Oh yea and while you're at it, some Cream Between Her Thighs. Yes, that's all for now. Thanks."

We had taken seats on the ground table, so getting up afterwards felt good to stretch the legs out. My friend and I left town to drop me back off in Berkeley...that was really nice because getting home on BART this late would have sucked. Especially without a bike. I am still bitter. My roommate's response as I told him..."Wow, you just got here!" Yea, it sucked. Oh well, what can ya do. If you see someone walking around with (or on Craigslist lol) a Giant Mountain Bike, Silver, 21 speed, and no seat, you let me know.

Another Day at CNet Networks

So yesterday after clocking out, I checked out one of the massage chair rooms and sat down in the Sharper Image chair. I've done a few massage chairs before and they've been...alright. But this one is awesome! I must've sat there for like 15 minutes almost falling asleep. They've got a music library in there too to put in the stereo and listen to. After dragging myself out of there, I stopped on the 3rd floor to try out some of the arcade games...free! I had to jet so I couldn't finish an entire game, but I'll definitely be back.

I just got my ergonomic evaluation and workstation modifications today at work. Not only that, but after looking around and talking to some other people, I requested a body ball to sit on at my desk. Someone delivered it up a few hours later new in the box. AWESOME! Haha I can now exercise in my bull pen lol (that's what we call our cubicle space because each cubicle square has four desks...one in each corner...and our cubicles are HUGE...I keep thinking I want to put a basketball half-court in the middle to fill the space).

I really like it here. :) CNet Networks rocks!

I had made some suggestions for the intern program here and Libby wants to meet with me and another intern tomorrow to talk about ways to improve the program. Sounds fun! Ironically it's almost like what I did last summer at IBM lol.

Exploring SF on Lunchtime

I love coming to work each day. Still working out the kinks though lol. I got stuck on BART in the terminal and not enough money on the card to get out back to the streets of SF. So I walked tentatively over to an Add Fare machine and it spit out my money since I only had a 20 and it only took 1's and 5's. And no credit cards. Great. So the guy let me go out to get change as I left my bike behind the gates. Once I got back in and put in a 5, it spit me back all my change in quarters...lots of quarters LOL. I could have used all those quarters for meter parking at Poly! Anyways, I get my bike through and chink, the little doors close between me and my bike. Fantastic. I stand there thinking how funny it would be if someone had a camera right now and thanking God that a BART hadn't just unloaded. Some guy grabs onto my bike and I have a moment of panic that he's just going to take it out of my grasp, but he stands there and smiles and nods over to an attendant who looks over and ushers me through the emergency gate. Embarrassed, I say my thanks and walk off to buy another BART pass for my trip home later.

Something to note is the inconsistency of the public transportation. I had paid for a pass with a Visa before. Now they didn't take Visa cards at these kiosks. I walk over to a lady at the window and she says that none of the machines take Visa. I tell her I've paid for it at Ashby with a Visa before. She refines her statement to say that the Embarcadero, Montgomery, and Powell stations don't take Visa. I say oh and walk off. LONG BEHOLD, as I'm walking past another set of kiosks along a wall, one of them has a little Visa card sign that catches my eye. I think it's the only one. But I bust out my Visa and put 20 buck on a new BART pass. I'm convinced that they make it all this confusing on purpose just to mess with all of us...employees included.

Oh yea, and an older man asked me to marry him after I helped him put only a little bit of money onto a BART pass from a larger bill. He was very nice and I thought it was cute haha. To be honest, I hardly knew what I was doing myself since I just moved up here and all.

Steven came over here for lunch today. We gave him some free CNet food because it was Bring Your Kids to Work Day. LOL that statement sounds funny. Steven was our kid I guess haha. I had snuck some food a little bit earlier and found some other interns doing the same thing so I went up to eat with them in the gameroom on the third floor...Allison and Stephanie. Free arcade games yea! Anyways, with the free food that we didn't have to get else where, we spent the rest of our lunch break with Niklas exploring the city blocks at the Moscone center and surrounding parks and gardens. It was fun. I found out that there's a 24 hour fitness literally less than a block away from my work. I'm going to start making use of that for sure...just have to figure out how to plan it in to my weekly schedule with showering and bringing extra clothes and all.

Okay, well I think it's time to go back to the game room and go home. Everyone's been kind of playing today while I worked (feels more like studying) with their kids here and all, so I don't feel bad taking a break to the game room. Hmmm...better make it quick since I'm meeting Kimpers in Berkeley for dinner tonight. Okay, Michelle out! See ya.

Getting Home in Daylight

So one of today's notables consisted of actually getting home before the skies got dark (I think it gets dark around here by 9pm or so). I got to see my landlord and his wife (she thought I didn't exist since nobody except Scot had seen me yet lol).

I was starved and didn't have any food at home, so I left and drove towards Berkeley just wandering around until I found myself on Shattuck Avenue and passed a Hawaiian BBQ place that made me U-Turn to go back to. I had a sugar low or something so waiting for the food was really a drain on my patients lol. My eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach so ordered too much and only ate like 1/3 of my food before packing it up to go and heading out. I had not idea where I was going...I didn't really feel like doing anything, nor going home, nor...I dunno lol. One of those wandering states of mind. So I just drove toward the direction of Berkeley and found myself back on Telegraph and then on the edge of the UC Berkeley campus. I parked and got out and started to walk, grabbing my backpack out of the back seat so nobody would think of breaking into my car and so I could look more like a student lol. It was getting dark, but there were so many students out and about!...like Cal Poly campus between classes. Okay maybe not that busy, but you get the idea. I call up a few friends whose calls I had missed earlier that day to talk while I walked, but just ended up leaving messages.

As I wandered past the library and alumni center, I got a call from one of my good friends from last summer and I plopped down somewhere in UC Berkeley's University Union to talk, staring at the fountain and clock tower over the treeline. It was fun I love talking and catching up with old friends. He made a comment that is very true...how he's all busy and I'm always busy and it's always nice when busy people can find time to still sit down and chat. It is nice. He'll be heading back to New Jersey for good in a few weeks, which I'll be sad about. While talking I got up again to wander and stumbled towards some music floating across the air to where I could see people dancing through the glass doors of a building. After finishing up my philosophical conversation, I wandered in and sat down next to a random girl named Marie and asked what was going on. There were dozens of people just break dancing in the middle of the building hallways, practicing and showing off. She was just as clueless as I was and had just come with a friend. We chatted a while before she left and I continued to watch. I had a few looks my way...I probably looked out of place there...oh well. Eventually I got up intending to just walk and wander more down the empty building hallways but ended up stopping and talking to a girl named Pernilla who looked like a dancer to ask what was going on. It was basically just an informal place for break dancers in the East Bay to come together and learn and practice together with different crews. I told her I was impressed and intrigued and she said I should come out to a battle sometime. I said I would totally come watch a competition, so she gave me a website, her number and said to call her and she'd be happy to teach me a few moves sometime. How awesome is that?

I headed out. Headed home. Met my other roommate Scott for the first time (yup another Scott spelt differently lol), and we chatted for a while...even talked about camping and he invited me to one of his gigs next Thursday. Sounds fun. His room is sweet...tons of instruments and tech stuff. I got ready for bed, and ended up talking to two more really good friends a good 20 minutes each before hanging up barely able to stay awake. I'm smiling right now. I predict being fast asleep within a minute from ending this sentence.

CNet Projects

Went to lunch with my team today. Mmm Thai food. There are so many good restaurants around my work...as you can see. Sam sent me a link about CNet's plans for a new upgraded look. How funny because yesterday was the alpha launch of the new site and it was fun to see it being rolled out. I should note that it was fun for me to watch (all of us at CNet did) but my team was definitely more than a little stressed about it and it's high potentials for problems.

Anyways, here's the news article of CNet's New, Improved Look. Check it out.

I finally found out my last potential project that I can work on today too. I get a choice of supposedly one of three. I want to work on two, so we'll see if I can send that idea through (and complete it). One is a useful tool for my own team to gather information, and the other is actually on a different team for CNet TV.

I like this place. The City is still in limbo with my preferences, but this company and the people are great.

First Day on the Job

What. A. Day!

Ha that could mean anything...the downfall of words on a screen and not being heard aloud. Of course I mean it in a good context. I had butterflies for sure, but admittedly they were kind of muted with all the other happenings of the day. What other happenings do you ask? Well, I'd get ready to laugh a bit (it's okay, I laugh at myself too).

Buzz...buzz...my alarm goes off and after hitting the snooze button a few times I drag myself out of bed. Four hours of sleep does not leave me waking up refreshed. But the early morning light coming in through all four of my tall windows is quite gorgeous so I stretch out my arms, smile and say good morning to Fish, and head off to take a shower. The tub is an old style tub (you know, the ones with four legs) and I reach over to turn on the water, which comes out nice and fresh. Now this is where it gets tricky...there's no pully thingy to activate the shower head. No buttons, knobs, levers...nothing. I am confused out of my mind and step in anyways hoping to find the magic of this shower. Well. I failed. That had to be the most awkward shower ever lol. I won't really go much further than that since I guess it wasn't officially a shower LOL. I figured it out later after getting to work and talking to Scott that you have to kind of reach inside the pipe and flip some plug. Now why didn't I think of that?? Sigh.

Now to get to work. I've got a bike that's in three pieces (frame and two wheels), some money, and some minor sense of direction. No map. No internet (apparently we don't get wireless at the house, it's hard lined and I don't have time to figure out where that is. I grab my backpack with potential things I might like to have for the day (packed a few hours before), and walk outside to my bike taking a few minutes to put it together and get my hands all greasy before hoping on and just picking a general direction with lots of traffic. I was told that there was a BART close by...somewhere. And I had remembered Kim making some side comment of "oh there's a BART" when we were driving around a few days before. I keep riding and stop a nice young man to confirm my suspicions of an existing BART and he says to keep on going. Yay I found the Ashby BART! Okay. Now what?

Lol I've seen these kiosks before when I went to SFO from Pleasonton over spring break to Minnesota. I go to an empty one and kind of quizically push buttons as the thing pings at me. It's too easy. I felt like I did something wrong. I finish and look behind me to find a line of about five people behind me. I swear the place was empty a minute ago lol. I move quickly out of the way and stare at the slots to walk through seeing how people got through and wondering how (and if) I can get my bike through. I'd heard they were allowed on BART, but wasn't sure. Some guy passing with his bike gives me the low down on getting through (there are no formalities), and the bike black out hours. I head on down. For some reason I get the feeling that bikes shouldn't be allowed on escalators, but I don't know how else to get it down...didn't look very hard for an elevator though there must be one lol. Grabbing maps, I stare and keep looking up at the blinking signs before picking a station and hoping on the BART that rolls through. It's not such a bad ride...kinda boring since I'm standing most of the time and with a bike I have to hold up and keep out of people's way. When I get to Montgomery, I hop off and ride up the escalator with my bike. This time, there is no wide exit to go through and I stand there wondering how on earth I'm supposed to go through the skinny stations with a bike until someone else lifts his up vertically on the back wheel and slides on through. Aha! So I do the same...a lot more ungracefully mind you, but it works.

It felt like the movies watching the City scene slowly rise into view as I ride up the escalator to the street surface from the caverns. I take a second to look around. I'm pretty aware that I'm close to my work and what general direction to go (based on somewhat of a memory of looking at a map last week), but I must've looked lost or shocked or something because one person asked me if I was alright, and another asked if I was lost. I smiled and said I was fine. Then headed on my way up 2nd Street. I parked my bike and locked it to a pole (someone had suggested a tree, but I couldn't get myself to lock my bike to a tree) before heading inside. I was 20 minutes late (surprising eh?). I went down to orientation, and found that I had missed nothing...just some mingling and waiting for people to take their ID photos. Libby wasn't even there yet.

Snap my photo, get my badge, get access to the bike room, go through orientation (this is gonna be a fun summer I'm sure) with the one other person starting today Jackie and go on a tour of the place (getting Libby to detour to lock my bike in the bike room she'd never even been to) before getting dropped off at the Ops area to begin my work. Jackie and I are the last interns to start of the summer. She works in corporate marketing. My eyebrows were definitely raised.

Work was fun. I went all over the place. Third floor was awesome with GameSpot taking up the floor. Every console and PC game imaginable down there with a studio, testing rooms, action figures, the works taking up the floor. I'm on the fifth floor and I like it up here...nice view from the side windows. I get introduced to everyone...I mean everyone all over the place, not just my team. It's great. Everyone is so nice. There's also a new hire that started today on my team named Sergey. It's nice to do all the training and learning with someone else. And I love my team...they are fun and dynamic.

After the day is over, Steven calls and comes by the office to check it out. I'd remembered he was in the City and sent him a message to hang out earlier that day. He came up and found me with Niklas to my surprise since I didn't know how he got in (Niklas obviously), and the fact that I'd been looking for Niklas earlier that day and never found him. We all walked over to North Beach area for some good Italian food and wine and a good time before heading back to Market to catch a show. There's nothing really good out right now, so we settled on Forgetting Sara Marshall. Oh my goodness my poor eyes! Lol I got a kick out of the movie, but it could have done without the crying men and full frontal male nudity. I would give it...not a very high rating. But it was fun none-the-less and the company was great. We jumped on a BART and parted ways to head home.

I met a woman on the BART home who smelled of beer and was a project manager for some company. We talked the entire ride back and it was good conversation. She's from Tustin down in the OC so we had a lot in common. She put me on the right connection BART and told me to be careful. I was kinda sketchy to begin with, but her fears of being mugged didn't help my own lol. I got off at the Ashby station and started to walk home. It's a LOT slower without a bike (I'd left it at work to walk around SF that evening) and 1am in the morning. My boss earlier that day had made a comment about how I lived in the hood lol. Well that didn't help either. I was tired and to be honest, yea...I was scared. I put my hood on and walked quickly down the streets and neighborhoods an ran up the steps to my haunted house (I'm just gonna call it that lol). I am tired! Falling asleep is never a problem these days lol.

New Summer, New Beginnings

Ah the adventures of moving. It's almost like going back in time every time I move because of all the stuff that I uncover that I had stuffed under my bed or back in my closet. I'm bringing one car full of stuff up and hoping that's all that's going to be in Berkeley. Importantly I've got my bike, long board, documents, plenty of ready books, clothing, and computer stuff. I think the only furniture I have is my laundry basket, small book shelf, and a desk light. Next week I'll bring up my guitar and surfboards.

I'm gonna forget something that I use daily lol. Oh well I'll be back in a week. I also spent my time dancing around the house to music by Pandora and keeping myself entertained with YouTube lol. I didn't used to procrastinate on YouTube much until summer started. Here was my laugh of the day...M&M Cru Vs. ACDC. Dustin this reminds me of you!

Aside from this post and looking around my room for some little details (doesn't really look like I made a huge impact except for emptier shelves...and my car is full haha), this is my relaxing time before hitting the road and stressing about getting up to Berkeley at a decent hour...at this point it won't be a decent hour lol. I have yet to figure out how to use the BART or where it is! Nor do I know where to get off, how much it costs, or where my work is relative to BART in the City. Oh my life. Well it keeps things interesting. :) Oh yea and I'll pick up Fish from Will (thanks Will!) as soon as I head out. Notes to self. Call Sabi to see if she really really needs her stuff by this weekend, pick up my pillow that I left in Mountain View (probably not tonight) and get my money from Atherton from Cal Poly ASI!!! Sheesh I could use a few thousand dollars back in my account since banquet.

Okay. My nerves are calmed. Time to hit the road to Berkeley. First day of work is tomorrow. I've got the butterflies, but I'm smiling inside...this is going to be exciting!

I Got Berkeley

Got a call this morning from Scott in Berkeley. I got the place. :) Thank goodness I didn't have to start all over again from scratch. I've got some pretty awesome angels on my shoulder working their magic because even though I get all nervous I won't get the place I like...that's never happened. I've always ended up getting my first pick place to live at. Knock on wood.

Hopefully I won't have to deal with this kind of thing too much longer though. I've got a place for summer, a sweet place for fall, and then perhaps only one more house hunting adventure before the actually finding a permanent home to own a few years down the road. Of course, I hope to own a few places by then to rent out to others and make some kind of side income. I already have one place kinda dropped into my lap. Kinda like someone giving me a bike in a runner's race and not considered cheating lol. I should take advantage of that. Next question then is where.

Housing Discussions

So here's my story of the day. Moral of the story...I'm not cut out for San Francisco. I'm too nice and I don't really want to harden up for the City life.

I woke up with a dry throat this morning because of the smell of weed wafting through the windows and corridors. It wasn't really strong, but enough to make me gag for some break of fresh air. I moved my car a few spaces to avoid a ticket, took a shower, and then took off to the last place on my list in the City. I got there fine. It was really hot today...they say it's always foggy in the City. Anyways, I get there and Daniel is waiting outside for me and I do my perfect parallel park and get out to say hello. He ushers me inside and shows me the place and his fish tank (a big point of the sublet is for someone to watch and clean his fish tank while he's gone). It's a lot smaller than I expected it to be. And not much room since his stuff will probably stay there. It's nicer than other places I've seen, but perhaps being a spoiled OC girl and then a spoiled SLO-Town gal, I really wasn't gung ho about the place. I tell him my standard "I'm looking at a few other places and will get back to you by tomorrow or the next day latest" routine along with "do you have any questions for me?"

He starts to chat about his life style and things about why his place is a great place and I'm keeping it conversational when all the sudden he cuts in with "I think we should keep in touch while I'm in China" to which my casual conversation pauses, and to make up for the silence I say "yea you should tell me how the teaching English thing on the side of traveling works out cause I'd like to travel someday and make a little income too." The comment had hit me, and then I'd let it slide. He says a few more things and asks me about my hobbies and lifestyle (hypothetically for if his place would be alright in my control), and then looks at his watch, picks up his coffee, and says "It's a nice day and there's that park I had mentioned just a block down. My next appointment to check the place out is at 1pm so we'd have plenty of time. Want to go for a walk around the park? We can walk and talk." Not thinking much of it, I smile and say sure. The park is really nice...for a city park...I guess. I'm still not a fan of San Francisco. Take me to a real park and we'll chat then...I'm talking like the Sequoias, Yosemite, Big Sur. But the dogs in the dog park were cute, and he told me more about San Francisco and his work. He seemed friendly enough and he's half Chinese half Dutch and surfs, but is out of my age range, isn't my ethnic attraction, and I'm just not looking for anything from the City. True I could just be reading into it that he seemed to like me, especially with giving me a hug at the end instead of a typical hand shake, but I'll still say the comment that I just kind of wish the City would keep it's grasps away from me. I am not interested in a San Francisco guy. Ha. Or maybe Russell is right. I just don't give anyone a chance and the guys I do like are somewhat oblivious (or would like to pretend to be so who knows). Story of my life.

Anyways, not necessarily because of the guy, but I'm crossing that place off my list. That only leaves me with one place that I really like. I called up Scott in Berkeley to tell him but I still have yet to hear from him. Hopefully early tomorrow. I don't think I have a second on my list. I'll probably scrap them all and start all over again...what an immense pain.

I grabbed lunch with Gloria in the Haight at Askew Grill. We walked around and got some kewl henna art at a tattoo shop for fun. Then went back to Chris' place, played some games, got some logistics worked out, baked some cookies, and went to Bucca di Beppos for dinner with her friends. It was fun. I'm bummed I missed the Brad Paisley concert though...majorly majorly bummed...totally didn't know it was today until it was too late. I could totally have gone. Oh well. I'm in Mountain View now with Leif. I love my friends...my wonderful friends. :) Thanks Leif and Justin for the roof over my head. And I must say that after all the place hunting I've been doing so far, this little apartment is luxury in comparison. I almost wish I could live here. A lot of my friends are down in this area too. Sigh.

Housing Decisions

So I just put in and watched Little Miss Sunshine over at Kim's place. Cute movie. I was definitely like oh my goodness at more than a few points, but that's pretty expected lol.

At this point, I've been all over the bay area. I've almost got most of down in my head...from going places multiple times to getting lost to looking at my makeshift drawing of a map...I pick up a sense of direction pretty quickly.

I made six stops today. I think. We'll map them out and see.

[an hour later]

Seven stops today. Yesterday, I did three and didn't like any of them. Today I found one that I liked and two other potential backups. There was also a cool one on Alameda island, but that's just kinda ridiculous because if I missed the ferry (that's right, I'd take a ferry to work every day), then I'd be kinda screwed. But I sure do love that island. It's pretty much a deserted navy base. You can tell it was a happening place once upon a time...wish I could have seen that!

One more tomorrow in San Francisco. The ad makes is seem like a sweet place. But we'll see because it doesn't look to be near other public transportation in SF. My most prime option at the moment is in Berkeley. And it's pretty near BART. So if the SF place doesn't work out, I'm gonna try to nab it really fast.

Which brings me into thoughts of maybe being able to stay at a place for free down in southern east bay or peninsula. Should I even consider it? I'd have to ask too which doesn't mean it'd even be and option. But is it worth asking if I live that far from work? The thing though is that all of my Cal Poly friends are down there...which is really really nice. I'd love to see them more. Sigh...just can't have your cake and eat it too.

House Hunt Update

The process of finding a new place to live has to be one of the most time consuming, patience testing, snipe hunting games to be played. Either that or it falls out of the sky and is handed to you on a golden platter. The latter of which is not the case lol. But still, I'm optimistic. They all like me fine, but I can't seem to find a place that I like. Maybe it's cause it's the bay area lol...still not a fan.

Checked some places out today and who knew they would take so long to drive to and find? It was pretty much an hour for each place (mostly because of all the driving and getting lost). Funny thing is that some wouldn't give me directions up front and said to call them on the way. Omg never say okay to that since that is just asking to get lost...miserably. They would speak in accents so thick that I had to ask to repeat two or more times. I just told them my reception was bad on my phone though lol.

In the end, I didn't like the three places I saw today, although one of them is at the top of this huge hill that overlooks...everything...in Berkeley. Just as much as the location though, I want some good fun roommates.

As I lie here in this futon bed in San Francisco, my mind keeps wandering to things that really matter in life. Or more like...what things matter more than others. And I find myself missing a lot of things about SLO, including the people...the wonderful people...my friends. As well as a certain friend who might not be there when I get back in the Fall (there's a few people, so I can say that publicly since you'd never guess! Lol). Basically, it would have been great to know em better.

Okay time to turn out the lights, charge the phone for another day, and shut the windows so Mary Jane can't seep in and strangle me by the throat like she seems to be doing. Ugh. Good night!

A 23rd Birthday Story

I had no idea what to expect of today. As usual, I knew there'd be some chaos, some delays, but I don't think I stopped smiling today. :)

To prep the week my family was here for graduation this weekend and it was a blast! Stressful in a sense yes, and a bagillion pictures, but it made me feel so special that everyone was there. I went downtown to meet some friends that evening (leaving the fam at home) and the guy at Mother's Tavern says "Cover is 10 bucks no discounts tonight" without even looking up at me as I hand him my ID. He stares at it for a few seconds and I'm shuffling my feet and he looks at his watch then at me and says "It's two days til your birthday, you can get in free" and waves me in. How fun! I wasn't out long considering I got there past midnight but I just wanted to see my friends and old roommie.

Today was amazing. I woke up and finished my paper and sent it off while talking to a few people online and making silly jokes. Took a shower. Met Dan and Melissa for lunch at Gus' and had so much fun in the presence of good company. Dan I am so glad we are such great friends...how looking back I can see all the times you guys were there for me and I appreciate it a lot. Melissa I love to see our friendship grow...so you'll be in Chicago...that doesn't have to change anything.

Of course I completely overlooked the time and when we parted ways I raced home to everything I hadn't packed or prepared yet for my road trip to the bay area. I was slightly stressing until I walked up my driveway to see flowers on the doormat. So beautiful! Thanks Mom! I carried them inside, tidied up the house a bit and threw things into bags without really taking time to decide what I'd need and didn't need. I stuck clothes in the dryer before heading out and paused in front of the sink of dirty dishes before deciding I really couldn't take care of them right then.

I do a scan of my room and realize that Fish is just swimming around his bowl and I'm thinking oh no. I can't think of anyone in town off the top of my head until I pick up the phone and call up Will. :) So Fish won't starve now thanks to more good friends. Thank you Will! Although your face when you picked it up questioningly made me laugh. That Fish is special...he knows all my secrets!

Off to pick up things for Sabrina and Amy and I jet out of town to Fremont. The drive up was filled with hellos from Julie, Cameron, Kyle, and Tyler. I had to call Sabi because I realized that I had no idea how to get to Olive Garden myself LOL. It worked out perfectly really. I got there 15 minutes before 7:30 (my rescheduled time lol) and people showed up in a timely manner. A lot of my friends also don't know each other. That's how I role lol...new people, new friends for you. :)

Dinner was amazing! Not necessarily the food though it was good...but I couldn't stop smiling thank you all for such a wonderful evening. The stories kept me laughing and I found out something new about everyone for the most part. I recall sitting there letting all the chatter well up around me drinking my margarita and just lost in my own thoughts about how everyone came together to this one moment. In other words, you are all from such different backgrounds and with different interests and yet you come together at this time and place together. And my life has been touched by each and everyone one of you in different ways...we have a history and a story and an ongoing friendship that...makes me smile.

Thanks to everyone who came out again! It means more than you know. :)

And thanks Sam for the roof over my head, internet access, and jenga. Wish me luck on my summer house hunt this week! :P

College Golf Tourney

Wow it's been a long day. I had to drag myself out of bed once again this time for an 11am breakfast lol. Mmm apple pancakes homemade. Then it was time to jet off to help out the CENG Golf Tournament at the SLO Country Club. High rollers! Geeze I wish I had dressed up more lol.

So here I am the only student at this function welcoming guests...some who would look at me and smile as I greeted them and others who would never even notice I'd said hello. Everyone was very nice though. Proper...I'd say not lol. A lot of them had played golf that morning, and I was on the shift for the wine tasting function. So that's what I did. :) I had my glasses of wine and fair share of cheese and veggies. I talked to reps from Raytheon and the CENG staff. I made friends with Bill Swanson's personal driver (wall-be) who convinced me to stay for dinner and talked with me the rest of the afternoon. As well as Kurt whom I'd been my Raytheon contact with for the past two years and finally was able to meet in person. People at this event were...whew...the titles were almost overwhelming. It was a small group really. President Baker, Dean Noori, all the rest of the important CENG staff...Joe, Debbie, Donna, Jeff, Zahed...Department Chairs like Dr. Griffin from Biomedical and Dr. Puig-Suari from Aerospace. CEOs from Raytheon like Bill Swanson and from Northrop Grumman and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems.

I like the keynote speaker's line stating that with all the defense system head honchos, this is probably the safest place we could all be right now. Either that or a gigantic target on the map.
I got a very nice Cal Poly polo and hat. Very nice. Perhaps I'll be back someday on the corporate end. Someday. It is fun to be wined and dined!

Meetings Galore

I had to drag myself out of bed this morning and race out of the house to my first meeting at 9am with Donna for ESC stuff. Then it was off to the LCM house for Peer Minister meeting which I predicted would take a while, but am worried about how long these meetings will last next year. I just don't have that kind of time! Anyways, it was good and very productive and Cameron and I went over to Tyler's house to have a final lunch with him before he and Cameron left for the summer. Ty had made pesto pizzas (omg it was amazing) from scratch and I stuck around in the Patricia house after lunch divulging into my novel "The Memory Keeper's Daughter". I should have been writing my papers. I should be writing my papers now. But the nice thing...I finished my book yay! Literally one minute before my next meeting at 5:30pm...another LCM Team meeting with the adults. Free Mama's Meatballs mmmm. Then it was home, some time to get things done (not much mind you), and then off to the Grad with Will for a night of dancing.

Now that's a story lol. I got a call from a friend that evening asking for a ride to the Grad that night. When I called him back to confirm, he said he couldn't go, but his friend would like a ride. Anyways, after talking to his friend, I said alright and picked her up from the dorms. It was just so random lol. I stopped by to pick up Will and we headed off! Oh it was fun. Of course. As always. :) I nodded my hello to the bouncer who normally checked IDs on the way in. He knows me now and I should get his name next time for formalities sake. I don't even have to show my ID anymore these days lol. Will picked partner dances up pretty quickly actually and it made me smile to see him try the line dances. There have definitely been times I've taken people who just sit on the side like wallflowers and find it mandatory to have their liquid courage before stepping on the dance floor. That always annoyed me just a bit. But this night...this was fun.

It was also great to see Dustin there. One of the smoothest dancers I know. Another CSC Grad student...goodness he's done with his thesis already! I remember taking undergrad classes with him and working long hours on those class projects...and now he's done! I'll miss him for sure he was a great friend and always made me smile. It was his last night at the Grad and probably the last time we would dance and he makes it so much fun cause I don't mess up much! Lol. Anyways, he finally showed off some of his swing moves after my ongoing requests, and I regretted it as soon as he started because he was really really good and I felt totally incapable. But the blues dancing was fun I'd never done that before...properly lead at least. Hot hot hot lol. I'm pretty convinced that all guys should learn how to dance (or at least be open to it).

After some fun dancing it was off to donuts and Leo, the donut man! As it turns out, Will and I share the same favorite donut. Who knew? Chocolate Rainbow Sprinkles. Highly recommended I tell ya. I like the regular rainbow sprinkles too.

What Now?

I feel like I'm disjoint from this life. I still have passions and I love everyone and everything...but at the same time, it's like I'm not attached to anything. I want to be with everyone, and yet I don't. And there is nobody here that has enough grip on me to move me...move my heart. Maybe that's why I feel so disjoint.

Not that I'm worried. Perhaps it's the hype of so many friends graduating and moving along while I still remain. And so many more getting engaged before my story has even begun. More people with set plans of adventure while I still don't know where I'll be in a week. And others with opportunities and access that I don't know how to get. Last summer there was someone who was always around for me to call often when I wanted to...at least one good friend that I was close to at each phase of my San Jose summer. Most of those people are tied down now with girlfriends. And others are heading down to Southern California or out of state. How I long for my Southern California roots and familiarity. When I'm there, I never hear anything about this whole Nor Cal vs. So Cal Pride...people really didn't care where I was. But when I'm here in SLO and up in the bay, it becomes a big thing and I don't know why.

Perhaps I'm just not in the mood at the moment. I would not make the effort to introduce myself to someone new nor do I care to scan the crowd for a face or personality that attracts me. Yet I know that when it comes down to it, it's what I do in the adrenaline rush of a new setting. I guess that I am scared of what's to come...and at the same time unsatisfied that it is not more extravagant and mysterious as a trip out of the country or a road trip with friends. But I guess I shouldn't doubt myself too much. That's how I roll...too free for my own good. So much that I'm confident enough to get a place within a week and not having a place during that time..."winging it" if you will.

Oh dear. What am I getting myself into lol.

Dead Week Weekendness

My Current Location: Computer Science Grad Lab. Feet up on the couch for a stool and facing a blank wall. With Will working (working? he was totally procrastinating a few minutes ago) somewhere facing another blank wall. Oh the life of a computer science student.

Recent realization: I have a lot of grad student friends.
What that really means: I am old and should have graduated by now.

So what happens when someone asks if you blog. And then why don't you have it linked to your Facebook account. I laugh on the inside and debate whether to tell them that my blog IS linked to my Facebook account, or just nod and smile. Mostly because I'm sure that lot of things I write in here are embarrassing! Well, not that the time, but perhaps in hindsight. At the same time I'm not embarrassed enough to delete it...or not write it haha. I'm just telling the story of an ordinary girl with flaws, who's gone through heartbreak, and who likes to think everyone in the world has a big heart...or should have a big heart.

Anyways, I will tell two stories. My story for today. I spilled sour cream all over my pants and sweatshirt. So now I smell of sour cream gone bad. But I'm too lazy to get up and go all the way home. So I continue to sit in the grad lab lol. I'll probably leave after this since I'm not studying and that's what I'm here to do...sigh.

My story for the weekend is kinda nuts. Starts on Thursday bike night being somewhat what I felt was ditched and then stood up for line dancing from a friend. But hey, it happens right? Then on Friday going to a kick-ass CPE Banquet (not as good as CSC though!) and helping them set up. It was fun because I got to hang out with my Vicky and Ebrah...so much fun! Went back to town and picked up my bike from Joel's. And then stopped by a friend's place where everyone was young and I felt old and out of place (ah I'm a predator! lol) and a boy tried his charm on me haha. Nothing to tell I promise. Saturday was Camaroon's surprise orange birthday, blacklight party, and downtown with the underage 18 year old Ausies with fake IDs. They were a hit at the bar but I went to hang out with my own friends...though I love the accents I won't lie. Sunday is church, meetings, and studying all day. Lol despite the sound of it, I did study a lot this weekend. I should be right now. Right. Okay okay I'm going...

Movie time. :)

Sometimes I wonder if there's something wrong with me. Not like in a depressing way or anything. But just kind of like...why is my life not the life like those I see around me? People are interested to see where I'll end up in 5 years. So am I. But why? The normal graduate college. Get a job. Get married. Have kids and raise a family on a foundation of good morals. Ha, as if that's the world these days anyways lol. Well, I do want all that. But that's the thing...I really want it to be that way (maybe with a little flare lol). I'll graduate eventually. Leave behind a legacy. Travel the world and find love...not lovey dovey in-love stuff...but love...the real I choose to stand by your side love (lovey dovey crazy is good too lol). I want a job that makes a difference in the world, or supports me to make a positive difference in the world. I want to have kids...definitely more that one...definitely not more than three or four. And then I want to be a Mom...super mom if you will. Not to strict...there are some things you have to learn on your own to really understand...but definitely set a good example and lay down the rules. And I want to curl up in the protection of my man's arms every chance I get.

Sigh. But who knows what path God will lead us down. Ah the river less traveled. Or create a new river path. Who knows. Patience. I will have patience.

Stories of My Life

So. When do I have time to just hang out, take advantage of an empty house, and watch movies all night long? Uh...practically never!

Three day weekend. Friday night. Don't feel crazy enough to go out. I got work to do. Why not catch up with the rest of my life?

So what's on my mind...

It's wondrous how the river of life seems to change paths and take side roads...and you don't even know that you're deviating from the main river...nor do you know when or if you'll be coming back. Not that I'm far. But I feel like I've lived three completely different life styles over the past school year...one for each quarter I guess if you want to split it up. I recall in fall spending almost all nights in the library...being homeless for two weeks or so...the friends (just happen to be guys) who had most influences in my life were gone for the quarter (which isn't a good or bad thing). Winter they came back and I spent a lot of my evenings in the SDL studying pretty much every night. Spring quarter brought new people and a new light in my life. Old frustrations left me finally and a new calm set in along with a much better living location. I haven't gone out partying much this year I've noticed...just really haven't cared...although I won't lie there have been some times when I've wanted to go crazy on the dance floor again like before. Ha, I bet that not many people (and definitely not my new friends) can imagine that!

Anywho...

I can't sit and rewrite my entire spring quarter thus far. Although there have been some stories I might tell at random. An interesting one falls on Mother's Day weekend. Let's make this as short as possible since I'm starting to get sleepy (short? yea right). Let's see. I get an email on Monday the week before for an invite to an Anita Borg Banquet for Sun Microsystems for that Thursday the same week. I'm thinking...oh man I can't go to that it's in the middle of the school week all the way up in San Jose. So I don't reply. Wednesday I get an invite confirmation to the banquet and I'm like wha? Then I get an email from Wendy (the university relations manager) saying that she's heading up and if I wanted to hitch a ride there and back same day. I thought well then that's a possiblity...but she wanted to leave at noon, which would make me miss all my classes of the day. I scroll down to some previous conversations and notice that they've still got two spots to fill and it's the day before the event. Gears turn. I call up Wendy and I talk to her about a few people who I thought might be good to come up. Her first response..."Michelle, remember that these are gift seats." In other words..."Michelle, you can't just bring anyone sheesh." C'mon...do I really look like I can't acknowledge good talent? I justify my proposals and her decisions change to..."Yes, definitely invite..." I'm thinking it's not even going to work anyways because it's the day before the event...talk about last minute notice. But...if it did, I figured it'd work out for everyone. I could hitch a ride up with him later in the day and not miss classes. He gets to go to a banquet, meet the company reps personally, and go home early for Mother's Day weekend. Sun gets to meet another one of Cal Poly's finest. I was planning to get a ride back that night with Wendy, and then head down to Orange County after classes on Friday to hang out with my mum.

And so it was. Wednesday midnight after Crusade and Yogurt Creations the verdict with Joel was...this is crazy...let's do it. Thursday morning I find out...what?? Mom you're in San Francisco? from a message she'd left me. So plans changed. I drove up...blindly mind you because I wasn't able to get a hold of my mom, nor did I know where she was staying or when or for how long. But how cool would that be if it worked out...I got to see her in SF and I was going up there anyways. (I mean, I'm dying to go back to So Cal, but this would save the full California road trip). So I do the normal...I wing it. :P Russell and Michelle style lol. We hit the banquet right on time. It was fun, inspirational, and good for networking. I think Joel wants my job lol. Afterwards, I didn't know if his sister was going to pick him up or not, but due to not thinking before hand, I just opted to drive him all the way back to his hometown. Mum was around somewhere with some friends from what I'd heard. And any friend or family that I could have just called randomly at 10pm were in San Jose (only a few miles from where we were actually). But I couldn't leave Joel stranded lol. So it worked out alright. Dance party in the car to his place where I was skeptical to stay the night since he was surprising his parents. In other words, they didn't even know he was coming home. How awkward would it be for there to be a random girl sleeping under their roof without asking permission first...even if it was his sister's room? Luckily! He walked in the door and his mom was still awake. (thank goodness) So I met her and she said of course! And we all hung out for a while before hitting the sack.

The next day I had no plans since mum was in the conference all day. So I opted to help out Joel's family. I didn't do much...just lined things with tape in preparation for painting. Their family is amazing...I guess I just love the interaction they all share with each other. Ha they thanked me for helping, but I was the one who was in great company. It was fun. And they bought me lunch which was nice...mmm Chipotle's. I must admit, that east bay isn't too bad...and Walnut Creek is pretty darn nice. Though you won't hear me just saying that randomly out loud very often lol.

I headed out in the late afternoon to San Francisco to find my mum. I had been given a map which helped, but I impressed myself with my memory from LSM Spring Retreat to find Geary Street and follow it (backwards on side streets) downtown to the Monaco hotel. I always knew where I was and where I was headed, but it took a while to get the 'darn one way, no left turn during certain hours, waiting patiently for pedestrians' right. I put my car in a 24 hour garage, and felt like Paris & Nicole on the Simple Life with not enough cash and a little pout. I offered to get more money from my parent inside the hotel. The guy just smiled and said don't worry about it. I said..okay. :P

And so the family adventure began. I love hanging out with my mom. But my step-dad was there and I honestly don't like spending much time with him. He just complains a lot. Silly things like if we stop to see something, he gets impatient and says let's keep walking so we can get "there"...which I think is dumb because it's not like stopping less and walking more is going to get us anywhere faster...we don't have a destination...we're just exploring. Anyways, I won't get into it.

We had dinner that night at a fancy fish restaurant...fancy 'expensive' seafood restaurant. It was fun. I always make it fun lol. After that we went to a recommended Cobb's Comedy Club where I was pleasantly impressed with the stand up that evening (it tends to be a hit or miss I feel). Mom and I had a few drinks together (now that doesn't happen often lol). I really liked the story from Jim from The Office and the guy's wife's free pass lol. And I totally agree with second hand drinking effects and have similar murse stories. Went back to explore the hotel some and hit the sack. The next day was breakfast, exploring, Embarcadero, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirradelli, then heading out of the City.

Ah...but to leave the City scotch free? Of course not. The parking garage story. I give them the ticket for my car and a little man runs off to get it two blocks away. And the guy, and older short hispanic guy from Oakland starts up a conversation with my mum and I. It's casual...the norm where you from what are you doing here stuff. Then blurts out 'so what's your number?' The list of things that goes through my head..."omg is this guy asking me for my number ie hitting on me...oh maybe it's for my car or something...oh how silly of me to think that he'd be hitting on me in front of my mom." To which I start laughing and my mom does the same and this guy follows suite waving his arms like oh no no not like that. Then he stops and says it again "so what's you're number?" I'm confused, and so I say "for what?" To which he replies "Oh I think it'd be nice if we could talk maybe once a week?" I politely say no that's okay and he asks again. So I tell him he can give me his, but I don't give out my information. He says that I should. I say I can't. He says yes I can. I've stopped laughing at this point. My mom had already walked away trying to contain her laughter. I'm I'm like oh man! I remember why I don't like San Francisco! The whole ordeal was so funny/awkward too because he was just so blunt with a casual shy hesitant smile on his face as if he was talking to me about innocent questions like my favorite color. My car finally came and he helped me pack it and told me to come back next time as he waved goodbye.

And so we drive off and good riddance. To Atherton we go. There's a party going on there so homemade food is in abundance. Better than any food we could have paid for in San Francisco. Mom wants to see a friend. I have the car and I don't want her driving it alone at night. So I take her to Milpitas to visit her old high school friend and make up some excuse not to stay. What to do in the meantime? Hmmm. Hey Jimmy! Lol he lets me crash his party of old high school friends last second. This was completely unplanned...just winging it Michelle style lol. They drank, talked, an had their high. I took one tequila shot for Jimmy's graduation and cut it off from there. I've decided that it's not good for me to drink unless I'm on the town or on some adventure. Any kick back thing indoors and I'll be going to sleep early that night whether I like it or not. His friends really liked me for the hour that I stayed. I just missed my Jimmy and his IBM comments lol. He won't be here anymore this summer. *tear*

Anyways I take off and pick up the mum and head back to Atherton where I fell asleep promptly and woke up way to early the next day to take mom and pa to the bus station. Waaay to early lol. Indeed I was sad to leave my mum. And so here I was...now what? Kimmers is somewhere in San Jose so I give her a ring and head on over to her friend's house. We wake everyone up and make breakfast (I got to be the assistant chef yay). I love meeting new people lol. You can leave whatever impression on them you want...preferably a good one. A friend calls me back and we decide to hang out later that morning. I take Kimmers to the Cal Train and spend the rest of my morning playing tennis with my Nate-dawg...my Jersey boy. Nate I absolutely adore you! Lol I love my friendsies. He's got plans to go back to Rutgers this fall and the girlfriend is going with him...I don't know her very well but from what I do I like her a lot too. Doesn't make me feel so young anymore since he'll be back in school...but he also won't be here again this summer.

Anyways, after losing track of time, I take a speedy five minute shower, give Nate a big ole hug running out the door with un-brushed hair, and take off to look for my passengers back to SLO. I would have been there on time had I gotten off the freeway and made a right instead of a left! Darn. I was waiting at the wrong gas station the whole time. When I finally do get it right and head back over the freeway, I laugh to myself as I see Joel and Scott just standing on the side of the road with their luggage on the busy busy street. I pick em up and we start our trip down to SLO. Fun ride! I love road trips in good company. Joelle drove part of the way and I just laughed a lot since those two together are hilarious. They said I was quiet, but what was I supposed to say when they talked about things I didn't know and about bachelor days as if a girl wasn't even there? Ah well. We make it back and I head over to play what's left of the soccer game. Then I go home, do homework, and call it a good day.