100

Happy New Year!!!

What a 'count-up'; to celebrate 2008; I give you my 100th POST. 2007 was an interesting year; growth in my personal life but very stagnant on the career, physical, and spiritual aspects of my life. 2008 has potential to be big on all fronts. I plan on stepping it up and making sure I make giant strides across the board.

I do want to leave this year with one premonition; a prophecy that will fulfill itself in 2026: we will still be playing in our local men's basketball league but with a new starting point guard.

99

98

Buck 70

I reached a milestone in my life yesterday. At no point prior to yesterday have I reached such a monumental achievement. Upon stepping on my electronic scale, my current weight is at an unbelievable and hefty 170*. As a self-proclaimed procrastinator it usually takes a swift kick in the butt to fire my belly. I now have a target in mind; I plan on dropping down to a slimmer, healthier 160 by the end of March, 2008. Wish my fat ass luck.

*Actually the scale originally read 169 but being so close, I drank two glasses of water and stuffed myself with rice and almonds. After several tries and more stuffing, I got myself up to the record breaking weigh-in.

Purpose of Christmas

I am very glad that I have a small immediate family who aren't interested in the popular Christmas culture. I've noticed recently (before that I was in Asia for a few years and no one really cared about Christmas) that people really stress out about buying presents. And if they are not stressing out now, they will soon because so many of them spend beyond their means (why would you want to go into a new year with credit card debt?). How unfortunate for these individuals who require materialistic giving and receiving to be satisfied with Christmas. In the end, Christmas is about spending time with family; there really is no point in all this gift giving formality. Ultimately I'm the type of guy who doesn't need a special day to give; if I see something that a family member should have, they will get it without having to wait till December.

Rat Poison

So PiRo got herself into some trouble yesterday. K and I were upstairs for a few minutes and when we came back downstairs a box of rat poison was spilled and across the garage floor. Rat poison is a blood thinner that eventually causes internal bleeding and usually takes a few days to take effect. We actually called poison control who informed us that about 1 oz. of rat poison was considered an emergency. The box of rat poison was 3 oz. and it didn't seem like PiRo came close to eating 1/3 of that (so it wasn't an 'emergency'). We tried inducing vomit with salt water (that is a whole separate story in itself) and based on another blood specialist's consultation, we went out and bought protein shakes for Piro (which she loved... it was vanilla flavored). She seemed totally fine but K still took her to the vet today for some blood work, vitamin K injection, and brought home some vitamin K tablets to supplement PiRo's diet for the next few weeks. [Vitamin K is the direct antidote for rat poison - mild cases; severe cases could result in blood transfusion] Ultimately K spent a little over $200 on vet bills. I guess that was necessary to ensure PiRo's safety. I think K may want to do some more blood work in the next few days; at $100+ a pop, I veto that - YES to protein shakes; NO to more useless vet visits...

Wedding Update

As of today, we are exactly 4-months away from our wedding. We've made some progress in the last month or two. We've decided on the cake, wedding gown, photographer, wedding-bands, invitations, and most recently a confirmed color. We'll be speaking with the florist this weekend and the DJ in early January. Although all of this is important, the most exciting thing to me is our honeymoon decision. We've already booked and confirmed a destination; we'll be going on a 12-day cruise in the Mediterranean. We fly into Athens and will spend 2 nights before embarking on a cruise to several Greek Islands, Alexandria (to see the Great Pyramids), and Istanbul (where we will visit the famous temple dedicated to my mother; the Hagia Sophia). 4-more months until the big day, but more importantly 4-more months until a much needed vacation.

eBay, PiRo, My Buns of Steel, and a New Season

We are nearing the holidays and since I'm not big on gift giving/receiving there really isn't much to blog about.... so I have decided to blog a little about everything.

1.) eBay - for my companies annual Christmas Party everyone was supposed to bring an unwrapped toy. I have a bunch of Warcraft/Starcraft action figures courtesy of my friend who worked at Blizzard. I was going to bring those to work but went on eBay to see if they were worth anything. I have 7 action figures total; so far with 3-days remaining they have already totaled over $90. I fully expect each to sell for $20+ (one of them is already at $26.00) - nice chump change.

2.) PiRo and Money are lazy. All they do is sleep, especially in this cold weather. Below is a picture of them caught in the act... of sleeping.

3.) I've been riding on my trainer (see previous post). I hit 30-minutes today, shooting to ride 45-60 minutes 5-days a week. Good exercise, good sweat, good for my buns of steel.

4.) Season '3' for men's basketball started this past Sunday. A heartbreaking 38-34 point loss to a rival team. I picked up 4 quick fouls with ~8 minutes left in the FIRST HALF! I sat out the rest of the first but ended up playing all of the 2nd half and finished with 14 points. It is going to be a tough season w/ only 6-confirmed players. More PT but it gets hairy when someone is in foul trouble...

Vanessa

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.

You have forever filled all those around you with love. Please look after John and your family from above; we will hold you close.

CycleOps Trainer

Last week I cleaned off the cobwebs on my bike, degreased the chain, pumped up the tires and took it out for a spin. That is when I realized that I really missed riding so I decided to get myself an early Christmas present. I've been lazy; other than the weekly basketball games, I've done nothing to improve my cardio. The best way to feed my desire to cycle and to get in shape is purchasing this trainer; I've always wanted one and after some quick research I ended up with the 2008 CycleOps Fluid Trainer. If you are unsure what this contraption is; it is basically a stationary bike except you're riding a real bike (your own bike). You hook up the back tire and you cycle in place with varying degrees of resistance and since it is your bike it feels like you're actually out on the road. I foresee some nice workouts in the near future and I look forward to rekindling my love of cycling with my Trek 1000. Buns of steel baby, buns of steel.

SICK

I feel it coming on; stuffy nose, heavy eye-lids, cloudy head... I don't really want to be at work today. Hopefully I feel better as the week progresses.

I blame it on my adorable nephew Aiden.

The Melting Pot

Wow, Thanksgiving is tomorrow. This year has roared by and Christmas is already on the horizon. So recently a lot of my co-workers have been talking about the Melting Pot (which recently opened near Brea) and how great the food tastes, etc. There is one in Irvine but I have never eaten there before. Yesterday, I took Kaini to the restaurant and here is my breakdown of the complete meal:


First Course: Cheese Fondue
We chose the fiesta cheese; they used a beer base and added cheese, garlic, and a lot of jalapenos; it was pretty good but heavy, the cheese was gooey. It came with vegetables, breads, and chips to dip. I think I had a little too much here.

Second Course: Salad
Several to choose from; K's Spinach Mushroom Salad was pretty good, my Athenian salad was OK. Nothing too special here.

Main Course: Fondue
We chose to use the Coq Au Vin base and chose the Fondue Fusion meal (includes; lobster, fillet mignon, ravioli, citrus pork, garlic herb chicken, etc...). The Coq Au Vin uses a burgundy wine base and adds herbs, mushrooms, garlic, etc. The main course came with as many dipping sauces as items to cook. The lobster was great; and the fillet mignon was great - midway through I was already stuffed (and started 'not' enjoying the food as much).

Dessert: Chocolate Fondue
There were a lot of different choices; we chose the Flaming Turtle which is milk chocolate and caramel flambayed with 151 (with random nuts). It was good but I was already too full before dessert to enjoy it much; the marshmallows were awesome though.

Final verdict:
Great dining experience, the food was mediocre, and it was just too pricey. I think the 'big meal' could easily feed 3 or even 4 (that would cut the cost significantly). I would go back but probably not as a couple (way too much food); or go back to just do appetizers and the dessert; not the complete meal.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Happy Birthday!!!

PiRo is one! [wow, time flies...]

Happy Halloween

POLL. Which pumpkin do you like? [one of them is by K the other by J]

27

"It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting"
-the Alchemist

What are my dreams, what is my personal legend? I started reading the Alchemist again and on this 27th year of my life, I plan on dreaming larger. I've become too complacent over the last year and it just isn't my style. Dream big, aspire more, and accomplish the impossible. It's game time again.

Thanks mom, today and the rest of my life is dedicated to you.

Exclusive Resort...

I've been doing some research on Greece and the more I read the more interested I am in going there for next years honeymoon. You have Athens, Delphi, Olympia on the mainland and then the beautiful islands of Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, etc. You could probably spend a whole month in Greece exploring all the history and culture (and food). One place I would love to visit (although it is probably the most exclusive resort in all of Greece) is Mount Athos. And it actually isn't a resort at all; it is a cluster of monasteries in the Northeast. Why is this place so exclusive? First of all there are no roads from Greece that lead to Mount Athos; it can only be reached by boat. Secondly, there are no women or children allowed on Mount Athos. It has been this way for thousands of years. Plus they only allow 10 visitors per day and those must be requested months in advance. There is no hot water or electricity and all visitors must wake up at 3:30am to participate in the daily prayers. I read that the monks enjoy conversations with the visitors and that all food and lodging comes free of charge. Sounds like a revitalizing and spiritually awakening experience. Looks peaceful:

weekend activities

saturday night marked the 2nd time in my life that i went to knotts scary farm; the first time over a decade ago. the next time... i don't think there will be a next time. reasons:
1. not that scary (i wasn't really scared in the picture...)
2. way too many people
3. lines for rides 60+ minutes
4. lines for 'old' mazes 30-45 minutes
5. lines for 'new' mazes 60-90 minutes
6. not that scary
7. way too many people
8. on a final note, we got in line to get into the park at 7:30; we didn't get through the entrance and security until 8:30 - ONE HOUR to get into the park, this was with pre-purchase tickets, i can't imagine waiting 30 minutes to get tickets and then another hour to get in...


sunday after another heartbreaking lost in the morning i was hoping going to corteo would cheer me up. to some extend it did; a few of the acts were extraordinary; most were pretty mundane. overall i did enjoy this cirque and although several of the acts had 'errors' the performers recovered quickly and the show went on; i enjoyed that. i would recommend the show for other socal residents especially if they have little ones and (50% off tickets). i would say this cirque outshines zumanity although it probably pales in comparison to the higher caliber cirques in vegas. the night and week ended with some hot ramen. perfect. back to work.

4/12/08

Saturday April 12th, 2008.
See you on-board, the Majestic.

The Life of Luxury

There is a whole world of luxury out there; even in the most unlikely places. I was researching Manchu Picchu and I came across Amazing Peru. It is a luxury tour company that takes you on the 4-day Inca trail in style. Normally you would find your own porters, live in small tents/sleeping bags, and stink it out for the duration of the ascent. With Amazing Peru, you roll with a full entourage including your personal masseuse, personal chef, personal guide and even personal musicians to play music for you while you dine on gourmet meals and wine. They also bring warm showers and portable restrooms for you and your loved one. You sleep in large tents with over sized mattresses; I wouldn't call this roughin' it at all. On a similar note, I came across a website for adventure cruises for small private groups. The company is called Abercrombie & Kent; the curise in the Galapagos sounds extraordinary. Once I become 'affluent' these are the types of trips I want to go on; this is the high life. Until then I'll just have to low roll it in economy baby, economy.

Amazing Peru
Abercrombie & Kent

Odom for Marion

This would be a nice trade for the Lakers; Marion does a little of everything. The Lakers could have a solid line-up especially if Bynum continues to grow and plays a solid 30-35 minutes. With Marion in the line up, we would have:

PG: Derek Fischer / Jordan Farmer
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Radmonovic/Cook
C: Bynum

The 3 point shooting PF's will open up the floor for Bryant and Marion. Now imagine if the Lakers had traded Bynum for Jason Kidd in addition to Odom for Marion; we would have:

PG: Jason Kidd
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Shawn Marion
PF: Radmonovic/Cook
C: Brown/Mihm

Yes a little weak in the back court, but that would be the best front line in the NBA; it would rival Garnett, Allan, & Pierce. Even without Kidd, I hope the Lakers' executives trade for Marion. If not to improve the team; do it for the fans.

Crimson DS Lite

Impulse buys - my favorite kind. Just recently picked up the Nintendo DS Lite; it is the new Crimson/Onyx color that comes with Brain Age 2 (I think it is a special edition color). The DS is actually a pretty cool system; backwards compatible, touch screen, great color, light, and even with only one game (so far) it is very entertaining. I've been competing with K on the various brain games - she is better at some games but I think I have more records. Everyone should get a DS. I'm going to introduce the game to my dad tonight; he just returned from his Dubai trip (he wasn't very impressed and said it was one of his worst trips...).

Snickers

I love Snickers. And I've just recently had Snickers Almond. I know they've been out for a long time but didn't know they were this good. Since almonds are good for you, I think a Snicker Almond a day will keep the doctor away.

Nike Dunkesto

We were on the topic of shoes today and I was telling my co-workers that I saw a really interesting pair of shoes in Taiwan that I almost bought. It was a pair of Nike Dunk Low's but it used the soft material from the old Nike Prestos (by the way, one of my favorite shoes were my old Presto's; they were super comfy). I proceeded to inform them that Asia usually has more shoe variety and many of those styles & color schemes aren't sold in the US. The conversation continued and we ended up agreeing that with Google and eBay you can pretty much find anything you want. So this afternoon, I wanted to test that theory and did a search for those shoes I saw in Taiwan; I didn't even know what they were called. I knew that it was Presto material in Dunk Low form. After some research I found them; the DUNKESTO (haha, Dunk + Presto = Dunkesto; pretty intuitive...). So on eBay there were several different color schemes and they ranged between $70-$125 (including shipping). At the low end ($70) it is actually cheaper than the price in Taiwan. I would have bought a pair on eBay if they had my size. I decided to do some additional research on the Nike website and to my surprise, they only had size 9.5, in the color I wanted (Berkeley Blue and Gold baby), and on clearance for $50.99. I know K might be mad at me for buying another pair of shoes, but it was too good to pass up. Take a look at these, they are like wearing a t-shirt on your feet and walking on air. They are going to be very comfortable. Good thing I didn't buy them in Taiwan and definitely a good thing we talked about shoes today.

Tickets to this and that...

I am finally settling back into normal life again. Last Sunday, after getting beaten badly in our exhibition (practice) game, I've realized that once again I am way out of shape. I need to put my conditioning as a priority over the next few months. In the meantime I've come across several events I would like to attend:


Actually I'm not really interested in the Clippers at all; it is actually the opposing teams that I am interested in watching. Lakers tickets are too expensive so I've decided on this cheaper alternative; 4-games for $100. Not bad at all considering some of the possible games (depending on which plan you choose) would be Dallas, San Antonio, Phoenix, Lakers, Houston, Cleveland, and most importantly Boston (who could miss the Garnett, Pierce, Allan trio). Will be deciding on which 4-game plan to purchase soon!


Phantom will be coming to Orange County next Spring (2008). My company is currently selling premium orchestra seats for under $60. Although K and I have already seen the show (I've seen it several times); I don't think I can pass it up. In addition, I'm most likely going to take Big Daddy Lee to the show - it will be his first time.


This also looks pretty good. I'm sure this Cirque du Soleil show is better than Zumanity (which was crap). It is currently at the Forum and will be coming to Orange County soon. I'll see if K wants to go; I'm sure Big Daddy Lee would be interested as well.

NAPLEX

Kaini passed.
She is a board taking stud.

Back to Reality

Back from vacation, back at work, back to reality.
We took around ~1000 pictures; if you want to take a look at a few, I've uploaded them to Flickr:

our pre-marriage honeymoon

.500 Season

So JETS (our basketball team) ended its rookie season with a .500 record (5-5). We brought home the bronze (not so impressive considereing there were only 4 teams). However, the most amazing part is that we went 1-4 during the first 5 games and 4-1 during the 2nd half of the season; much improvement. Our team has made giant strides and we plan on adding a few pieces during the off-season to make the team even stronger.

Fall season starts on 9/16. We better be taking home the Gold this time around.

5 more days...

K and I depart from LAX Friday at 1:15pm. This will be the longest vacation I have been on since the beginning of my corporate climb. It is going to be busy at work but the reward at the end of the week certainly out weight the pain. I am also finalizing a few things for the trip. The only question I have left is: will PiRo be OK with Big Daddy Lee for ~3 weeks!?!?!


[PiRo is now 35.5 pounds - I hope it stays that way...]

Naplex and Dubai

After many weeks of intensive studying, my lovely fiance took the NAPLEX board exam yesterday. Although she said it was hard (what board exam isn't); I'm sure she passed with flying colors. She has another exam to take next Tuesday then she can officially relax and not worry until we return from our vacation. Speaking of vacations, I just found out my dad will be visiting Dubai in mid-September. I am personally fascinated with Dubai; it is a desert in the middle of nowhere yet has become one of the premier destinations for the world's rich and famous. And what makes me more jealous is the fact that he will be staying one night at the Burj Al Arab; the world's most extravagant hotel (and self-proclaimed 7-star resort). It is currently the tallest hotel in the world (soon to be surpassed by another hotel in Dubai) and also one of the most expensive; one night will set you back $1,000+. Their royal suites are $25,000+ a night. I hear they shuttle you into the hotel in a Rolls Royce. Dubai in general is just amazing; the Burj Dubai has already surpassed the Taipei 101 in height; upon completion it will be the tallest man made structure in the world. Dubai also boasts the world's largest shopping mall. And if you haven't heard of 'The World', google "the world dubai"; you will piss yourself silly. And just for good measure, go ahead and google "dubailand"; I'm speechless. What a lucky dad (though much of this stuff won't be completed for another few years).

HP7

Just finished reading the final installment of Harry Potter. This is all out war between good and evil; let's just say I can't wait to see how they port this one over onto the big screen. Good job Rowling; confusing at times, but you ended this with a bang.

New Number, New Home

NICE.

Big Ticket in Boston

KG, one of my favorite players in the NBA is leaving Minnesota and taking his game to Boston. This is big news; this makes the Celtics instant contenders in the East and the NBA at large. It is reminiscent of Shaq going to Miami and bringing home a trophy that first year. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen already formed a formidable back court, now anchor that team with Big Ticket and you have on paper a very difficult team to beat. If the 3 of them mesh well I can easily see them taking the East and winning the Eastern Conference finals. I should buy some Lakers and Clippers tickets soon... would be awesome to see KG, Allen, & Pierce play together (that is almost like an All-Star team). On a side note; K and I did see KG up close and personal when we went to a game in Philly. It was one of the last games that AI played before being deported to Denver. We payed $15 for nose bleeder seats but eventually found ourselves down at courtside. We were 6 or 7 rows right behind the Timberwolves bench; best $15 ever spent. KG is my idol.

The Original 300

Watching the original "300" made in 1962.
Best line:

Spartan: . . . They are drinking the rivers dry; and at night there are more of their camp fires then their are stars in the sky.

Leonidas: Good. When I was a boy, I always wanted to reach the stars with my spear. (laughs)

Spartan: (laughs)

7.4 mile commute in 45-minutes

Actually, the last 5.15 miles were relatively painless; probably took about 6-8 minutes. So that means the first 2 miles took me over 35 minutes. What was the cause of this absolute nonsense; a car somehow went up in flames near the on-ramp that I take, blocked off the two slow-lanes for I don't know how long. I can't believe that one idiot could ruin the commute for so many thousands of individuals. Everyone going 57-N would have suffered because of this idiot.

And everyday I drive to work I notice people doing their make-up; reading a book, etc; all while driving. Are you F*$%@!!! kidding me; these are the idiots that get into accidents; you are not only a menance to the public but a danger to yourself as well as your loved ones.

Please drive carefully. Don't hold me up from my business because you are stupid. Be stupid on your own time.

Food for Thought.. the Future.

I know statistics are always skewed and manipulated to make whatever point the report is trying to prove. Even if that is the case, the following information is pretty interesting; take it for what its worth.. some of it is actually pretty scary.

Sometime size does matter.
If you’re one in a million in China there are 1,300 people just like you.

In India, there are 1,100 people just like you.

The 25% of the population in China with the highest IQ’s is greater than the total population of North America. In India, it’s the top 28%
[Translation for teachers: They have more honors kids than we have kids.]

Did you know?
China will soon become the number one English speaking country in the world.

If you took every single job in the U.S. today and shipped is to China it still would have a labor surplus.

During the course of reading this:
60 babies will be born in the U.S.
244 babies will be born in China
351 babies will be born in India

Did you know?
The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today’s learner will have 10 to 14 jobs by age 38.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor 1 out of 4 workers today is working for a company for whom they have been employed less than 1 year.

More the then 1 out of 2 are working for a company for whom they have worked less than 5 years.

According to former Secretary of Education Richard Riley the top 10 jobs that will be in demand in 2010 did not exist in 2004.

We are currently preparing students for jobs that currently don’t yet exist; using technologies that haven’t yet been invented in order to solve problems that we don’t even know are problems yet.

Did you know?
The U.S. is 20th in the world of broadband Internet penetration.

Nintendo invested more than $140 million in research and development in 2002 alone.

The U.S. Federal Government spent less than half as much on research and innovation in education.

1 of every 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met online.

There are over 106 million registered users of MySpace (as of September 2006).

If MySpace were a country, it would be the 11th largest in the world (between Japan and Mexico). The average MySpace page is visited 30 times a day.

Did you know?
We are living in exponential times.

There are over 2.7 billion searches performed on Google each month.

To whom were these questions addressed B.G. (before Google)?

The number of text messages sent and received every day exceeded the population of the planet.

There are about 540,000 words in the English language, about 5 times as many as during Shakespeare’s time.

More than 3,000 new books are published daily.

It is estimated that a week’s worth of New York Times contains more information than a person was likely to come across in a lifetime in the 18th century.

It is estimated that 1.5 exabytes (1,000,000,000,000,000,000) of unique new information will be generated worldwide this year.

That’s estimated to be more than in the previous 5,000 years.

The amount of new technical information is doubling every 2 years.

For students starting a new technical or college degree, this means that half of what they learn in their first year of study will be outdated by their third year of study.

It is predicted to double every 72 hours by 2010.

Third-generation fiber optics has recently been tested by both NEC and Alcatel that pushes 10 trillion bits per second down one strand of fiber.

That’s 1,900 CD’s, or 150 million simultaneous phone calls, every second.

It’s currently tripling about every 6 months and is expected to do so for at least the next 20 years. The fiber is already there. They’re just improving the switches on the ends, which means the marginal cost of these improvements is effectively $0.

Predictions are that e-paper will be cheaper than real paper.

47 million laptops were shipped worldwide last year.

The $100 laptop project is expecting to ship between 50 to 100 million laptops a year to children in underdeveloped countries.

Predictions are that by 2013 a supercomputer will be built that exceeds the computation capability of the human brain.

By 2023, when first-graders will be just 23 years old and beginning their (first)careers it will only take a $1,000 computer to exceed the capabilities of the human brain.

And while technical predictions farther out than about 15 years are hard to make predictions are that by 2049 a $1,000 computer will exceed the computational capabilities of the human race.

What does it all mean?

Shift happens.

Now you know.

Pictures from 07/07/07

The view from dinner at the Montage in Laguna Beach. There would have been a beautiful sunset if not for the clouds.

Appetizers on the patio of the Loft. Nice presentation. Interesting pairing of foods. $$$.

On the beach a few minutes before both our lives would change.

Hmmm... I guess not much has changed except for that big ring on her finger. Love forever.

yes!

she said yes.

Transformer with Heart

So we ended up watching Transformers on opening night. I have to say it was a pretty cheesy movie but definitely one of the best movies I've seen all year. The movie had everything you need for a summer blockbuster; it had a hot female lead, it had fast cars and robots, it was visually stunning, and the story line was actually pretty decent. As you can see from the pictures, my favorite character from the movie was Bumblebee. I actually want one of the toys now, it looks hot (above). And check out the picture below; it is a life size model used in the production. Thinking about the movie, I think Transformers should get an Academy Award; if In the Bedroom can get best picture, so can Transformers. If Halle Barry can get a best actress award for showing her boobs, then so can Megan Fox. Transformers = Good. In the Bedroom = Bad. Megan Fox = Good. Halle Barry = Bad.

Losing, Transformers, & Baby-sitting

What happened between my last post and today's post? Losing. Our basketball team is on a 3-game losing streak (not very good considering it is a 10-game season). I am very disappointed in defeat; at my own sub-par performances as well as the team's performance in general. Oh well, there are 6 weekend games for us to redeem ourselves.

On a different note, I plan on watching Transformers sometimes this week; it definitely looks good and I am excited to see how it turns out.

Also have a very important duty to perform on Saturday. K and I will be baby sitting. It will be a fun filled day hanging out with my favorite nephew. Maybe I should take him to the mall; I'm sure the little dooooooood is a chick magnet.

When do you water the grass?

Should I water the grass during the day time when it is hot and when the grass is most thirsty. This will ease their thirst and help them get through the burning sun and prevent them from crisping. Or should I water the grass in the silent of night when the grass is cool. The water won't dry as quickly and will have the opportunity to seep into the roots. But the grass isn't thirsty at night and would probably be more happy swimming in the water right at noon. Maybe the best time is to water them at dusk to have the best of both worlds, but then again if you water them at dusk there are so many more hours before the sun comes out and many of the chemical reactions that require water and sun will be lost.

Remember one thing, indecisiveness killed the grass. Some things in life shouldn't be over analyzed. Sometimes it is good to have the 'just do it' mentality. My motto as always: SUABALB - sack up and quit being a little bitch. Do it.

Blockbuster Plug

My two week Blockbuster trial at 3-dvd's at one time is about to end; all these DVD's come via mail from Blockbuster's distribution center. In these past two weeks I have been sent (or am in the process of being sent):
The Holiday
The Prestige
The Illusion
Pan's Labyrinth
The Last King of Scotland
Flags of Our Fathers
Little Children
Stranger than Fiction
Stomp the Yard

And since this program allows you to return the mailed DVD's in store, I have also rented from my local Blockbuster (free of charge):
Pursuit of Happyness
Rocky Balboa
Fast Food Nation
Gridiron Gang
The Hidden Blade
The Science of Sleep

With 3 more DVD en-route (bolded) from the distribution center, I can translate that into 3 more free in store rentals, which means that these two weeks resulted in a total of 18 free movies!

I am actually changing my subscription today to 1 DVD at a time and even that would be a great deal. If I watch 2 movies a week (and use my free movie coupon); I should be able to watch 6-9 movies a month; which is definitely worth the 9.99 subscription price (especially since I don't have cable, satellite, and/or any other form of multi-channel television).

Good Blockbuster. Good movie watcher.

PS. in queue:
Letters from Iwo Jima
Azumi
Stranger than Fiction
Hotel Rwanda
Stomp the Yard
Freedom Writers
Volver
Good Shepherd
...
..
.

PTO: Paid Time Off

I think PTO should be re-named: Pretty Tham Owesome.

My company recently announced that all employees starting in 2008 will be eligible for 13 days worth of vacation and employees with over 2 years of service will be eligible for 15 days of vacation (me). Adding in personal days and sick days, that means I will have over 20 days of 'PTO' in 2008; good thing too, I may need it for a honeymoon :). Just for reference, 22 buisness days is equivalent to 1 month of work, which translates to 1 month of pay to go on vacation.

And actually today I submitted my PTO for my Maldivian getaway in August. Everything should be set; we will be on vacation from 8/17 - 9/4; essentially 2 1/2 weeks or 11 total business days. Since the 7 nights I am spending in the Maldives do not count against my PTO; I still have over a week and a half worth of vacation time this year.

And the best part; I am being PAID while I sit on the beach and I am getting PAID while I go diving in crystal clear waters with pristine reefs.

I know my favorite pharmacist will be making some big money after she passes the board but since most pharmacists are paid hourly; it means work = money. I'm glad for me it's; get a tan = money. And I don't think my favorite pharmacist will have as many vacation days as I will next year; does that mean I will have to travel alone (hehe)?

Return of the King

One player took on the entire Pistons team yesterday; a Pistons team that is known for their elite defense. King James was amazing, he was the only Cav to score in the two overtime periods; he was the only Cav to score in the final 12 minutes, dropping 25 straight points on the confidence shattered Pistons team. Give him another page in the history books because what he did was unbelievable; he is truly a remarkable talent. Game 6, Saturday; I want to see the Return of the King, finish the Pistons and get ready for Tim Duncan and his cronies. I believe.

To Save or Not to Save

Off the bat, I'm putting away 30% of my salary into my 401; I will definitely max that out this year. Last year's company match was close to $3000; and this year should be even higher (it has been paid out, I just haven't checked the actual amount). Regardless, it seems that my checking account dips, then plateaus, a roller coaster of up and downs; more 'down' in recent days (mainly due to the $2000+ paid to car care...). I know I have my Roth and my HSBC savings but I would simply feel more secure seeing my checking move in a steady upward direction. However, I don't see that happening anytime soon as I foresee additional expenses including many additional wants (never any needs); the next likely purchase being a nice new pair of polarized Oakley sunglasses. In the mean time, both my brother and I have cleared out our closets and a group of my friends intend to hold a garage sale sometime in the next few weeks. I doubt we will make any real cash but it will certainly clear out our closets and whatever doesn't sell will be a nice tax deduction from our local Goodwill.


More money, more wants and that is perfectly fine; as Kobe's new 24-logo states, carpe diem. I'm living for today (hello new sunglasses); with all the money I'm stock piling in my 401, I shouldn't have to be worried about tomorrow.

into the REAL WORLD

Congratulations babe!!! After 4 long years of hard work, you will soon have a nice piece of paper to frame (haha), which will come in handy in the REAL WORLD. Here are some pictures from your graduation:








...PiRo fell asleep and no matter what we did, she wouldn't wake up; I spoke with her earlier and she feels very sad that she missed your graduation and she really hopes that you will forgive her.