Saturday, May 24, 2008
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.
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.
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.
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