Project Office / Game / Guest Room

As some of you may know, my brother (and later, good friend, Lisa) moved out of my little two bedroom condo leaving me with a spare room...  An empty canvas to do whatever I please.  I've always envisioned having a room dedicated to being either an office, gaming, or guest room.  Currently, the room functions as a guest room or if I'm too drunk to make it 5 more ft. to my own room (that rarely ever happens, by the way).

After some great advice from my friend Vince, I finally found a desk that I think would work great!

The Deluxe Loft-style L-shaped Computer Desk - about $250

You can get it at Overstock.com - Link here:  http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Deluxe-Loft-style-L-shaped-Computer-Desk/3187825/product.html?rcmndsrc=2

Here are some pictures of what the room looks like now:

Yes, that would be Lord of the Rings and the Rat Pack

Another "upgrade" I want to do to the condo, is install California Shutters... I think they look awesome!

I'm also looking for a good futon that can be pulled out to be a bed; hence, the optional guest room function...

Next, and, the hardest part in my opinion, is the decision of color...  

To quote my little sister Jessica:

 "Red, orange and yellow are too busy..  They're considered aggravating in a long term sense.  Purples and blues may be too overwhelming considering you have less light that pours into that room.  You have too much browns.. I would say greens or even possibly grays then hang your photos at the zoo or something for contrast."

Needless to say, I think my family has a little interior decorator.  And what's up with the too much brown comment?  So I like earth tones...  I'll be sure to consult her "professional" opinion in the future.  Haha!  For those that know me... You'd think I'd be good at this.  Where are these so called "inherent" traits I'm supposed to, magically, possess?  Here are some colors, I've settled on... At least for now:

My Thoughts on William Shatner's - The Captains

When I first heard that William Shatner was doing a film about all the captains in the Star Trek franchise, I was super excited and immediately set out to find a medium to watch it: streaming, Amazon download, iTunes, subscribing to EPIX, but... to no avail.  EPIX wasn't offered thru my cable company, so I had to wait till it came out on DVD or Blue Ray.  The other night, however, I was browsing through Netflix and found the film available!  A rare thank you to Netflix for actually doing something right!

My take aways from watching the film:

• I'd love to just sit and listen to Kate Mulgrew and Patrick Stewart talk about their lives
• Avery Brooks operates on another plane -- He is totally out there!  I get the jazz and I get how he explains things thru music and ambiguity, but man.. He was hard to follow
• A tremendous respect (more so than before) for English and Drama teachers.  Almost all the actors said their passion for being on stage/camera can be traced back to their English or Drama teachers.  This just, again, reinforces the level of respect I have for people in the educational field.  They get paid crap, but their impact on the world is huge... To teachers out there: you never know if you'll be the one to inspire the next Patrick Stewart, Steve Jobs, Yo-Yo Ma, or Wynton Marsalis
• Lastly, a quote by Socrates best sums the film "The unexamined life is not worth living."  It was great to see the depth of examination William Shatner had on his life and his journey to resolution and contentment

This film dug real deep into all the actor's lives, especially Patrick Stewart, Kate Mulgrew, and William Shatner.  There's something about Star Trek that is so appealing to me above, the most notable "rival", Star Wars.  Every single actor brought with them a background and training in classical theater that just added to the show's appeal.  Shakespeare. Broadway.  And if you've seen Star Trek, you can clearly see the love for the classics.

I remember having to read Shakespeare's Hamlet in high school...  We also read another take on Hamlet, but from the perspectives of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.  I forget the title.  It was really hard to find an appreciation for it, as a kid that was more interested in playing trumpet and designing websites for fun...  This time, I think I'd love to have the opportunity to read it again.

Question is... Digital or paper?  Perhaps, narrated by someone that really understands the material?  We'll see...

Do Something That Scares You - London 2012

"Do something each day that scares you..."  A quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, and something my friend Shawn told me, as he left for the rest of his world travels.  It left me thinking about my life... In fact, I've been doing a lot of thinking about my life this trimester; especially because of this leadership class I'm currently enrolled.  The professor has us doing a lot of introspective examination -- something I'm only now fully appreciating.

I'm 28 (ugh! two more years till the big 3-0) years old and nearly finished with my MBA program, and I've come to the realization to how little I've experienced the world.  Everyone seems to tell me how I should be proud of all my accomplishments: a good career, a mortgage...  I'm just missing the other two M's - matrimony and maternity.  Well, I'm not quite sure that's going to be happening anytime soon!  Don't get me wrong, I recognize my blessings and thank God for them everyday.  I just feel like I'm missing out on a lot...

I've been doing a lot of thinking around what I really want in my life: career, perspective, achievement, fulfillment... someone to love.

So, in an attempt to do something COMPLETELY out of my comfort zone and something that ABSOLUTELY terrifies me is to travel... ALONE!  Not a big deal to some people, but for me... It's like jumping out of a plane (something that I actually wouldn't mind doing).  Imagine that... I'd rather jump out of a plane than travel to a foreign country alone.

Where to, you ask? London!

London

I've always wanted to visit London.  I think it has a lot to do with my love for JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis.  Nevertheless, I am nervous, scared, but really excited.

I'll be in London July 21-28th.  Just in time to, perhaps, experience the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics!  Fortunately, all the traveling and working in LA has paid off as I have enough Hilton points to cover most, if not the entirety, of my stay.  I'll be staying at the Courthouse DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London on Regent Street.  An absolutely AMAZING looking hotel which was, apparently, a jail or courthouse back in the day.

I still need to find accommodations for a portion of my stay; fortunately, I have a friend that's a hotel manager that is assisting me with my search.  Until then, I'll be doing a lot of research and planning of activities. I have a lot of "must-sees" so, hopefully, I can squeeze them in!

If you have any suggestions, please feel free to comment!

~~~
On another note...
The business simulation class is FINALLY over and I'll have a little more time to spend on my blogs.

I'll still be writing comic reviews here and there.  Most of my initial reviews were just to cover the #1 issues of DC Comic's new 52.

Please visit Shawn's blog: http://rockyontheroad.wordpress.com/.  He's a daring, interesting, fun, and courageous friend that's embarking on an amazing world tour!  I'm super jealous of where he's been and where he's going.  Definitely someone that has motivated and inspired me to...  Just do it.  Just travel and have fun doing it...

Also, subscribe to my good friend Natasha's blog: http://www.inlovewithsandiego.com/.  She, too, played a big role in me booking my trip.  In her own words, "Doooooo iitttttt." Hah