Have you ever written someone a letter? Not an e-mail. A real letter that requires a stamp. Remember those?
For the past month or so a very dear friend and I have been sending letters back and forth. There's something very connecting and, almost, therapeutic about writing an old fashioned letter. At first, I was trying to write the letters as quick as I can type an e-mail. I can type about 80wpm or 90wpm, if I'm having a good day. So, you can almost picture my frustration and the chicken scratch that resulted from my furious "need" to finish the letter. Getting out the door and actually putting the letter in the "Outgoing Mailbox" was almost as bad, at first.
Eventually, I slowed down dramatically and took the time to write.
We talk about our thoughts, what our day was like, what we should do this year, etc.
If you haven't written to a friend, you should try it.
Sometimes I think that we all just need to slow down and reflect on our day. This blog is another great example of "slowing" down. Even though I'm typing (as evidenced by my occasional grammatical error) it gives me a chance to stop and think about things. Doesn't matter what it is...
Do Widzenia!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Day 18 - Breaking the Habit
Yes, I know... 17 days into the blog, I've already broken the streak. Frankly, it was actually getting difficult to reflect on a blessing without repeating myself. It's easy to recognize a blessing when it's something small and that is not, necessarily, something I want to write about on my blog. Otherwise it would be a bulleted list of:
God thank you for x.
That's not what I consider really counting a blessing. Personally, if I want to count a blessing I want it to have a sense of depth and meaning. Should I really be thinking about blessings this way or do you think counting every single thing is just as important? Even the most trivial? What really constitutes a blessing anyway? Thank you for this DVD? Thank you for the ability to use Net Flix on my X-Box? Thank you for the X-Box?
Put it quite simply: counting a blessing is not easy. You can think about it in passing and in a brief whisper in your mind, but to really sit and reflect about what God has blessed you with... That can take a lot of reflection and perspective to even recognize. I'm asking God for the clarity of mind to show me what He's blessed me with and how I can be thankful. I almost want to pull my hair out because I just can't see them. I've written about my family, career, school... But there has to be more! This life He's given me is like a ball of yarn that I have to unravel.
This journey is taking a little bit of a turn, from what I've noticed. I'm taking the time to recognize these blessings, but in turn, He's turning me to pay more attention to Him instead of what He's blessed me with. He'll continue to bless me and through knowing Him, I'll be more likely to recognize them even if those blessings come in the form of what we might consider negative. That is what I want to know... That is what I want to understand... And right now I can't... So I call it "breaking the habit" of an unnoticing eye.
With that aside... I'm also trying to break another bad habit of mine which, I'm sure, many of you have or are suffering from... Procrastination!! I am a pro at this and it's not something I'm proud of. I definitely have to kick it, if I want to keep up in this MBA program! We all know what is keeping us from doing what we really need to be doing... For me (in order):
#1 - Video Games is my #1 culprit
#2 - Facebook and YouTube
#3 - Television
#4 - Overall laziness
I seriously need to kick this habit...
God thank you for x.
That's not what I consider really counting a blessing. Personally, if I want to count a blessing I want it to have a sense of depth and meaning. Should I really be thinking about blessings this way or do you think counting every single thing is just as important? Even the most trivial? What really constitutes a blessing anyway? Thank you for this DVD? Thank you for the ability to use Net Flix on my X-Box? Thank you for the X-Box?
Put it quite simply: counting a blessing is not easy. You can think about it in passing and in a brief whisper in your mind, but to really sit and reflect about what God has blessed you with... That can take a lot of reflection and perspective to even recognize. I'm asking God for the clarity of mind to show me what He's blessed me with and how I can be thankful. I almost want to pull my hair out because I just can't see them. I've written about my family, career, school... But there has to be more! This life He's given me is like a ball of yarn that I have to unravel.
This journey is taking a little bit of a turn, from what I've noticed. I'm taking the time to recognize these blessings, but in turn, He's turning me to pay more attention to Him instead of what He's blessed me with. He'll continue to bless me and through knowing Him, I'll be more likely to recognize them even if those blessings come in the form of what we might consider negative. That is what I want to know... That is what I want to understand... And right now I can't... So I call it "breaking the habit" of an unnoticing eye.
With that aside... I'm also trying to break another bad habit of mine which, I'm sure, many of you have or are suffering from... Procrastination!! I am a pro at this and it's not something I'm proud of. I definitely have to kick it, if I want to keep up in this MBA program! We all know what is keeping us from doing what we really need to be doing... For me (in order):
#1 - Video Games is my #1 culprit
#2 - Facebook and YouTube
#3 - Television
#4 - Overall laziness
I seriously need to kick this habit...
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Day 17 - Deja Vu Accounting
So, accounting last night went really well compared to last trimester. Dr. Briginshaw was either on his game or he has changed some things up. I attended a couple classes before I decided to drop and focus on economics. So far, almost everything is identical to last trimester: same homework assignments, same lectures, and even the same jokes at the same time...
I received some bad news, but... don't think this is the medium to talk about that.
I'm thankful that I actually have the first three homework assignments done already!
I received some bad news, but... don't think this is the medium to talk about that.
I'm thankful that I actually have the first three homework assignments done already!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Day 16 - Calm Before the Storm
I'm sitting in my hotel room after a long day at the office. This week has been a whirl wind and there are a lot of frayed edges at work. People are pulling their hair out and, sometimes, you can totally feel the tension in the air. It's a very productive week, and people are definitely putting in the overtime.
On top of it all, someone decided to come to the office and spread a lovely coughing virus that I just got over a week ago. I think I can totally beat it though... I just got over my sickness so my immune system is total rocking, I'm taking my vitamins, and I'm equipped with DayQuil.
Tonight, I'm reviewing my Accounting homework and chapters 1-3 because the first day of the trimester (for me) starts tomorrow! Hooray! Tonight is definitely the calm before the storm because this trimester combined with a crazy work schedule is going to be... Insane!
However, I need to remember how blessed I am to even be where I'm at. I get to go school and be at job that pays the bills. So I just need to focus and do my best...
On top of it all, someone decided to come to the office and spread a lovely coughing virus that I just got over a week ago. I think I can totally beat it though... I just got over my sickness so my immune system is total rocking, I'm taking my vitamins, and I'm equipped with DayQuil.
Tonight, I'm reviewing my Accounting homework and chapters 1-3 because the first day of the trimester (for me) starts tomorrow! Hooray! Tonight is definitely the calm before the storm because this trimester combined with a crazy work schedule is going to be... Insane!
However, I need to remember how blessed I am to even be where I'm at. I get to go school and be at job that pays the bills. So I just need to focus and do my best...
Monday, January 10, 2011
Day 15 - Bro, Make Me Fried Rice!
Today is definitely a case of the Mondays. A few coworkers and I are working in Anaheim, CA to perform regression testing on an updated version of our most recent enterprise software implementation. My eyes feel so heavy that I caught myself dozing off earlier and actually writing a sentence about "green ninjas" when documenting my actual test results. Just what the project team needs to read: failed tests and green ninjas.
Besides the sleepy-eyes, I've been thinking a lot about my brother, Phillip. My brother is living in Las Vegas, NV working at the new Cosmopolitan Hotel. He's the sous chef at the Wicked Spoon Buffet. It's no ordinary buffet, and I'm looking forward to trying it out someday.
My brother lived with me in the condo for about a year and a half. I really enjoyed living with my brother and miss having him around. We didn't see each other much since he usually worked the afternoon/evenings and I'm usually a 7am-4pm-ish person. I loved it when his girlfriend, Amii, would come over because that usually meant that my brother was going to bust out the pots and pans and make something totally awesome. I enjoyed having Amii around too! I'm just saying... When she was around, that meant there was going to be some yummy food! I'm pretty sure I took it for granted, but I always loved it when he busted out king crab, lobster, fillets, garlic mashed potatoes at 11:45pm when he and Amii got in from work.
I'm super proud of my brother. My brother is always telling me how proud he is of me and that I'm the "bread winner" or the family, but what he doesn't know is that he's the one that I look up. My brother has a huge passion and determination for what he does and sacrifices and takes risks to reach his life long goals. Since we were little, he was always cooking something in the kitchen. I remember when he first discovered how to make scrambled eggs and would whip them up for the family. Eventually, he graduated to fried rice and that's when our inside jokes started... My brother grew to become a talented cook, but I would always tease him to make me fried rice.
I miss my brother a ton. He'll always be my inspiration and my motivation to work hard.
Love ya, big bro.
Besides the sleepy-eyes, I've been thinking a lot about my brother, Phillip. My brother is living in Las Vegas, NV working at the new Cosmopolitan Hotel. He's the sous chef at the Wicked Spoon Buffet. It's no ordinary buffet, and I'm looking forward to trying it out someday.
My brother lived with me in the condo for about a year and a half. I really enjoyed living with my brother and miss having him around. We didn't see each other much since he usually worked the afternoon/evenings and I'm usually a 7am-4pm-ish person. I loved it when his girlfriend, Amii, would come over because that usually meant that my brother was going to bust out the pots and pans and make something totally awesome. I enjoyed having Amii around too! I'm just saying... When she was around, that meant there was going to be some yummy food! I'm pretty sure I took it for granted, but I always loved it when he busted out king crab, lobster, fillets, garlic mashed potatoes at 11:45pm when he and Amii got in from work.
I'm super proud of my brother. My brother is always telling me how proud he is of me and that I'm the "bread winner" or the family, but what he doesn't know is that he's the one that I look up. My brother has a huge passion and determination for what he does and sacrifices and takes risks to reach his life long goals. Since we were little, he was always cooking something in the kitchen. I remember when he first discovered how to make scrambled eggs and would whip them up for the family. Eventually, he graduated to fried rice and that's when our inside jokes started... My brother grew to become a talented cook, but I would always tease him to make me fried rice.
I miss my brother a ton. He'll always be my inspiration and my motivation to work hard.
Love ya, big bro.
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| My brother Phillip, Richard Blais (top chef contestant), and sous chef Drew Fortenberry |
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Day 14 - Homework and Polish
Today was pretty uneventful except for getting started on my homework. I read the first two chapters of my Marketing Management book, and it was a total bore. After that, I spent a few hours on Rosetta Stone. The first two lessons in Polish weren't that bad, but it's starting to get a little more difficult. Sometimes, it's not an issue of pronouncing or figuring out what the right answers are, as it is trying to figure out what exactly the concept is that Rosetta Stone is trying to teach you. You can pretty much figure out what the answer is by simple elimination or looking at the pattern the last two examples gave you...
In any case, it was a really quiet Sunday. I mostly did stuff around the condo: cleaning, laundry, studying, etc... A nice quiet day to yourself is always good for relaxation. Oh.. and no hang over.. woot!
See ya.
In any case, it was a really quiet Sunday. I mostly did stuff around the condo: cleaning, laundry, studying, etc... A nice quiet day to yourself is always good for relaxation. Oh.. and no hang over.. woot!
See ya.
Day 13 - King's Cup and Drum Corps
Wow! What a late night!
You'll have to forgive me, as I'm a little bit on the "had a couple of drinks" mode...
I had a GREAT night with some of my closest friends from drum and bugle corps. We played drinking games, caught up, and watched a really raunchy episode of South Park. We all went to Hunter's place where he made an amazing dinner. I'm not sure what to even call it, but it was pork, asparagus, broccoli, and some wine.
When everyone showed up, we got to playing drinking games: King's Cup and the 'H' game... I'm pretty blitz and really happy and BLESSED to still have friends from drum and bugle corps that I still hang out with. EVERY time we hang out it's like we pick up from our last conversation... We always talk about our days in the Blue Devils, but this time it was a debate on marching dot-perfect or guiding to the form. Lots of great conversation and an all around GREAT evening. Thanks to Hunter for putting all this together...
You'll have to forgive me, as I'm a little bit on the "had a couple of drinks" mode...
I had a GREAT night with some of my closest friends from drum and bugle corps. We played drinking games, caught up, and watched a really raunchy episode of South Park. We all went to Hunter's place where he made an amazing dinner. I'm not sure what to even call it, but it was pork, asparagus, broccoli, and some wine.
When everyone showed up, we got to playing drinking games: King's Cup and the 'H' game... I'm pretty blitz and really happy and BLESSED to still have friends from drum and bugle corps that I still hang out with. EVERY time we hang out it's like we pick up from our last conversation... We always talk about our days in the Blue Devils, but this time it was a debate on marching dot-perfect or guiding to the form. Lots of great conversation and an all around GREAT evening. Thanks to Hunter for putting all this together...
Friday, January 07, 2011
Day 12 - Dzien dobry świat
That's "hello, world" in Polish. I think...
That's right... I'm on my way to learning Polish. I know what you're thinking...
"That's kind of a random language, Carl..."
But, Mark speaks Polish and we're planning a trip to Poland towards the end of the year. I'm sure it will come in handy and it'd be nice to maybe speak to Mark and his family in their native tongue someday.
The first week in January has been a total frenzy of work. I definitely have my hands in a lot of pots, but as my boss told me today, "But that's a good thing. I always want you to be challenged." As much as my boss can really make my work week a complete.... *thinking positive* opportunity to excel... I am pretty lucky that my boss does, to some extent, see the potential that I might have at the company. She's always throwing me curve balls and putting me in situations where I might fail, but learn a lot at the same time. But sometimes she does open the fire-hose and tell me to say "ah".
I'm really looking forward to some of the challenges this year. I know... I say that now, right? I'm sure there will be blogs where I'm totally pulling my hair out, but for now... I'm thankful.
So here we go.. Lesson 1 in Polish!
That's right... I'm on my way to learning Polish. I know what you're thinking...
"That's kind of a random language, Carl..."
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| RosettaStone - Polish Lesson 1 |
But, Mark speaks Polish and we're planning a trip to Poland towards the end of the year. I'm sure it will come in handy and it'd be nice to maybe speak to Mark and his family in their native tongue someday.
The first week in January has been a total frenzy of work. I definitely have my hands in a lot of pots, but as my boss told me today, "But that's a good thing. I always want you to be challenged." As much as my boss can really make my work week a complete.... *thinking positive* opportunity to excel... I am pretty lucky that my boss does, to some extent, see the potential that I might have at the company. She's always throwing me curve balls and putting me in situations where I might fail, but learn a lot at the same time. But sometimes she does open the fire-hose and tell me to say "ah".
I'm really looking forward to some of the challenges this year. I know... I say that now, right? I'm sure there will be blogs where I'm totally pulling my hair out, but for now... I'm thankful.
So here we go.. Lesson 1 in Polish!
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Day 11 - The Flammers
No, not that kind of flamer.
Yesterday, I was having a bad day. And I was really surprised by the kind of support I received from my online friends at Lord of the Rings Online. I know that not many people and relate to this... Well, maybe in this day and age people could.
Have you ever built a close friendship with people that you have never met in your life?
After over 3 years playing LoTRO, I've developed pretty close relationships with a number of people. I'm so blessed to have great friends: Ane, Michael, Ed, Shell, Monica, and Ryan just to name a few. They always cheer me up and, for some reason, send me drunk text messages that make me laugh.
Thank you to the Flames of Arnor for making me feel so blessed and giving me great advice when I'm feelin' down.
I really hope we all meet someday! Everyone together in-person would be a great day.
Yesterday, I was having a bad day. And I was really surprised by the kind of support I received from my online friends at Lord of the Rings Online. I know that not many people and relate to this... Well, maybe in this day and age people could.
Have you ever built a close friendship with people that you have never met in your life?
After over 3 years playing LoTRO, I've developed pretty close relationships with a number of people. I'm so blessed to have great friends: Ane, Michael, Ed, Shell, Monica, and Ryan just to name a few. They always cheer me up and, for some reason, send me drunk text messages that make me laugh.
Thank you to the Flames of Arnor for making me feel so blessed and giving me great advice when I'm feelin' down.
I really hope we all meet someday! Everyone together in-person would be a great day.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Day 10 Supp. - Better to Work Out Than Beat a Face In
It’s impossible to always have positive days. We all have our good days and we all have our bad days, and today was a bad day for me.
Have you ever hated someone so much that you wanted to inflict some damage and just cut a B----? These are old wounds but the hurt is still very much there. I’m talking about betrayal of trust, friendships, and relationships.
This is a problem with me… Being a Christian and very much a forgiving person, this has really perplexed me and hurt me… Why do I hate this person so much? I know the reasons, but WHY can’t I get myself to forgive this person? As much as I try to give this problem to God I can’t seem to resolve the feelings inside. Sometimes I have really good days, but some days… The feelings creep up and it just hurts…
Just forgive and forget, Carl… Be a better person… Give it to God and everything will be fine.
So instead of beating someone’s face in, I decided to go to the gym to let off some steam. I feel a lot better, but it’s still somewhere in there…
I’ve got to turn this around and recognize that I am really blessed with someone that will continue to love me and continue to build on the relationship we have. I also have great friends to lean on to encourage me and to help me realize that this “friend” wasn’t worth my time…
Yes, I know this is vague… But I think you understand at some level.
Happiness is my choice and it my choice to spread it and make others happy… NOT cut others down for selfish gain. Unlike other people, I like to put others before myself and make this world a better place to live in. I enjoy and love to flourish the friendships others and I have… NOT manipulate and dissolve relationships...
So that’s still a little bitter, but… At least I’m getting there…
Have you ever hated someone so much that you wanted to inflict some damage and just cut a B----? These are old wounds but the hurt is still very much there. I’m talking about betrayal of trust, friendships, and relationships.
This is a problem with me… Being a Christian and very much a forgiving person, this has really perplexed me and hurt me… Why do I hate this person so much? I know the reasons, but WHY can’t I get myself to forgive this person? As much as I try to give this problem to God I can’t seem to resolve the feelings inside. Sometimes I have really good days, but some days… The feelings creep up and it just hurts…
Just forgive and forget, Carl… Be a better person… Give it to God and everything will be fine.
So instead of beating someone’s face in, I decided to go to the gym to let off some steam. I feel a lot better, but it’s still somewhere in there…
I’ve got to turn this around and recognize that I am really blessed with someone that will continue to love me and continue to build on the relationship we have. I also have great friends to lean on to encourage me and to help me realize that this “friend” wasn’t worth my time…
Yes, I know this is vague… But I think you understand at some level.
Happiness is my choice and it my choice to spread it and make others happy… NOT cut others down for selfish gain. Unlike other people, I like to put others before myself and make this world a better place to live in. I enjoy and love to flourish the friendships others and I have… NOT manipulate and dissolve relationships...
So that’s still a little bitter, but… At least I’m getting there…
Day 10 - Even the Homeless Are Blessed
I think this video clip says it all. God is so good and I'm so thankful He is always in control and looking out for us. I know things don't always have a happy ending and it can be difficult to see the purpose in things, but if you believe and trust Him... Everything will work out for the best (even if it's not what you personally want).
Ted Williams has such a great outlook and, I think, everyone should have the same appreciation for life he does. This is just awesome.
Ted Williams has such a great outlook and, I think, everyone should have the same appreciation for life he does. This is just awesome.
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Day 9 - Pepperdine and tacos
Taco Tuesdays before class has become a little tradition that some of my Pepperdine friends started this past trimester. Today before the start of the Spring trimester, a bunch of us got together. I was really surprised that Jason made it out. He's usually out of town or something and hasn't attended any of our "extracurricular" get-togethers. I was really happy to see Spence show up too! He was in our Organizational Behavior (or the "feelings" class according to Jason) class and left to attend Colorado University (or something like that). I'm glad to see he's back at Pepperdine.
I'm thankful for having awesome (and super smart ^_^) friends to hang out with. I've met some of the most brilliant minds at Pepperdine and they all motivate me to push myself and shoot for the stars.
School starts up next week and I'll be working in Anaheim, CA for the next few weeks. I'm actually looking forward to the trimester and glad I'll be in Anaheim. My commute to school will only be 15 minutes opposed to the 1.5 hours.
I'm thankful for having awesome (and super smart ^_^) friends to hang out with. I've met some of the most brilliant minds at Pepperdine and they all motivate me to push myself and shoot for the stars.
School starts up next week and I'll be working in Anaheim, CA for the next few weeks. I'm actually looking forward to the trimester and glad I'll be in Anaheim. My commute to school will only be 15 minutes opposed to the 1.5 hours.
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| Emily, Chelsea, and Charles |
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| Jason, Theo, and Sandi |
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| Emily can't feel her face and Spence is looking way too excited ;) LOL |
Monday, January 03, 2011
Day 8 - Big Sis' the Nurse
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| Big sister, Vanessa, and her son, Ethan |
I never really appreciated the amount of patience and kindness it requires to be a nurse. What really changed my perspective, was when I went to visit my sister at work. My sister works with special needs children: health issues, autism, etc. The way I saw my sister talk to those kids really made me proud. I didn't tell her that day, but I am so proud and blessed to have a great big sister. It really does require a special type of person to care for a perfect stranger.
Tomorrow, my sister will attend National University to work on becoming a Registered Nurse. Nursing programs are becoming increasingly competitive and I'm really proud that she stuck with it and finally got into a great program.
Go Big Sis!
Day 7 - Mom's Here
My mom is going to be spending a few days over at the Casa' de Carl. Usually when my mom comes to visit, it prompts a little cleaning of the condo:
I'm definitely blessed to have my mom around. She's always been there for me: helping me through college, financing my drum and bugle corps years, and just being so loving and supportive. I've noticed that since I got my own place, my mom and I have grown a lot closer. Anyone else have the same experience? My mom and I talk at least once or twice a day, and I'm really loving how close we're becoming. One of the biggest surprises is asking my mom for relationship advice and the amount of wisdom she actually has. It's one of those... "Wow, my mom really isn't that naive..."
That sounds so TERRIBLE to say, but I'm sure you felt that way when you were growing up.
"What do parents know... They just want to keep us from what we really want to do..."
But, behind all that "sheltering" comes a lot of wisdom and experience. I'm sure...
G'night.
- Vacuumed the carpets
- Dusted around the house
- Did the laundry
- Cleaned the toilets
- Cleaned the kitchen
- Cleaned the shower
I'm definitely blessed to have my mom around. She's always been there for me: helping me through college, financing my drum and bugle corps years, and just being so loving and supportive. I've noticed that since I got my own place, my mom and I have grown a lot closer. Anyone else have the same experience? My mom and I talk at least once or twice a day, and I'm really loving how close we're becoming. One of the biggest surprises is asking my mom for relationship advice and the amount of wisdom she actually has. It's one of those... "Wow, my mom really isn't that naive..."
That sounds so TERRIBLE to say, but I'm sure you felt that way when you were growing up.
"What do parents know... They just want to keep us from what we really want to do..."
But, behind all that "sheltering" comes a lot of wisdom and experience. I'm sure...
G'night.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Day 6 - Welcome Home, Grandpa!
Whoa! I almost missed a day...
Personally, today was pretty uneventful. I had a chance to chat with Mark for a little while and get in an extra few hours of shut eye. I stayed home all day except for a trip to the grocery store to pick up some necessities.
However, today is a GREAT day for my Grandpa! I'm so happy that he was let go from the hospital and is back home with his loved ones. I'm very thankful for that. I'm also really happy that he might have a nurse that will come visit him to see how he's doing.
Anyway, short blog today. Have a good night!
Personally, today was pretty uneventful. I had a chance to chat with Mark for a little while and get in an extra few hours of shut eye. I stayed home all day except for a trip to the grocery store to pick up some necessities.
However, today is a GREAT day for my Grandpa! I'm so happy that he was let go from the hospital and is back home with his loved ones. I'm very thankful for that. I'm also really happy that he might have a nurse that will come visit him to see how he's doing.
Anyway, short blog today. Have a good night!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Day 5 - Happy New Year
My original plans were to try and to celebrate New Years with some friends in Pacific Beach, but with everything that's going on with the family, I thought that it would be important to bring in the New Years with my loved ones. I am blessed with a very loving family.
There is a lot to be thankful for and I'm looking forward to what 2011 will bring. Some things that I'm really looking forward to:
There is a lot to be thankful for and I'm looking forward to what 2011 will bring. Some things that I'm really looking forward to:
- China trip with Dr. Gertmenian (my econ. professor at Pepperdine)
- Ashley's Wedding
- Comic Con 2011
- Possible trip to Poland
- Learning Polish
- As challenging as it may be, attending Pepperdine University
- And whatever surprises that come along
- Regularly hit the gym
- Learn to cook
- Stay on top of my studies and homework
- Become more of a mentor and leader at work
Day 4 - Frank's Birthday and Good Friends
Sorry for the late post, but I just got home from a night out with some friends to celebrate my friend's, Frank, birthday!
Sometimes it's so easy to take your friends for granted: you get a text or phone call from a friend asking you to come out and play, but you make up some excuse because you just want to stay home. I'll be honest, I've done it before and I'm sure all of you have done it as well. I love my friends. They're the people you can just be yourself, laugh and have a good time.
Tonight, we, along with Frank's family, friends, and coworkers, went to West Coast Tavern in San Diego to have dinner and some drinks. I ordered the salmon and it was delicious AND FREE!! A benefit for being patient and polite with the waitress that forgot to put my order on the ticket. Afterwards, we went to Bourbon Street for more drinks and a little dancing.
I'm really glad I got to spend time with all of 'em before the New Years. I'm definitely blessed with great friends who know how to make me laugh and let me be... me. Those are the friends that, I think, everyone should have. Too many people these days will have friends just because they fit some kind of label, they're good looking, they're popular, or, worse yet, they (eventually) want to "get it on." Good friends, and I mean the really good ones that will always be there and don't care who you are and what color your hair might be (etc), are rare commodities and go well beyond "skin deep."
"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~ Dr. Seuss
Sometimes it's so easy to take your friends for granted: you get a text or phone call from a friend asking you to come out and play, but you make up some excuse because you just want to stay home. I'll be honest, I've done it before and I'm sure all of you have done it as well. I love my friends. They're the people you can just be yourself, laugh and have a good time.
Tonight, we, along with Frank's family, friends, and coworkers, went to West Coast Tavern in San Diego to have dinner and some drinks. I ordered the salmon and it was delicious AND FREE!! A benefit for being patient and polite with the waitress that forgot to put my order on the ticket. Afterwards, we went to Bourbon Street for more drinks and a little dancing.
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| West Coast Tavern |
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| some friends and new ones |
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| Frank and Stephen - two great guys that make me laugh |
I'm really glad I got to spend time with all of 'em before the New Years. I'm definitely blessed with great friends who know how to make me laugh and let me be... me. Those are the friends that, I think, everyone should have. Too many people these days will have friends just because they fit some kind of label, they're good looking, they're popular, or, worse yet, they (eventually) want to "get it on." Good friends, and I mean the really good ones that will always be there and don't care who you are and what color your hair might be (etc), are rare commodities and go well beyond "skin deep."
"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~ Dr. Seuss
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Day 3 - Pho-tastic
For the past 2 weeks I've had some kind of sickness going on: coughing and a sore throat. I'm not sure if it's the weather or allergies, but today I've developed a runny nose.Thankfully, there is a Pho restaurant (Pho T Cali) near by; which by the way, I highly recommend for your Pho cravings! I'm not sure what it is about Pho, but I always feel a little bit better after having a hot bowl of Pho Tai (rare steak).
For the 2nd day in a row I'm thankful for food, but, more importantly, I'm thankful for a roof over my head during this cold and rainy day in San Diego.
In family news, my grandpa is doing a lot better. The doctors put a stint in his kidney to help relieve the inflammation caused by his infection. Hopefully, he'll be out by News Years eve and spend some time with his loved ones.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Day 2 - Adobo my chicken, thanks!
People that know me know that I'm not the greatest cook in the world. God blessed my brother with that talent. I can find my way around a kitchen well enough for myself. I've made spaghetti, grilled cheese sandwiches, steaks, mashed potatoes, and, of course, rice. If you're Filipino, you probably eat rice with almost every meal. I'm not terrible, but let's just say there have been more than a couple times when I've screwed up top ramen.
Tonight, I decided to step out of my comfort zone a little and make Chicken Adobo.
Not only am I thankful for the deliciousness of chicken adobo, but also thankful that my mom was available to laugh at me and attempt to step me through the process.
To be best of my recollection:
I also made corn and rice (refer to my aforementioned statement). And here are the results..
Grade: C . It's not my brothers or my mothers, but it was good enough for me. Kind of on the salty side and the chicken was weird and soft. I'm so used to my mom's chicken being more crispy. I think I need to fry up the chicken more in the future...
Tonight, I decided to step out of my comfort zone a little and make Chicken Adobo.
Not only am I thankful for the deliciousness of chicken adobo, but also thankful that my mom was available to laugh at me and attempt to step me through the process.
To be best of my recollection:
- Olive oil and cook up about 4 cloves of garlic
- I decided to throw in some onion
- Brown some chicken in the pan for a little bit
- Throw in 1/4 cup of soy sause and a cup of water and let it boil
- Once things are cooked, remove everything and fry the chicken (I like it crispy)
- Put back the soy sauce/water/onion/garlic sauce
- Simmer and serve
I also made corn and rice (refer to my aforementioned statement). And here are the results..
Grade: C . It's not my brothers or my mothers, but it was good enough for me. Kind of on the salty side and the chicken was weird and soft. I'm so used to my mom's chicken being more crispy. I think I need to fry up the chicken more in the future...
Day 1 - Happiness is a choice...
Why hello there again, blogger...
With the year 2010 coming to an end, it's a good time to reflect on everything that has happened. 2010 has definitely been a year of challenges, upsets, heart-ache, and plain ol' crap. But it's also been a year of success, achievement, blessings, and a lot of positive events. And that's what I want to start focusing on... The positive stuff (quite the vocabulary, right?). I'm generally a pretty lucky guy to be where I'm at for my age, and it's time I really start counting my blessings and maybe be just a little bit more (or a lot more) appreciative of everything that God has blessed me with. Hopefully, I'll be able to spread the positive vibes and affect the people around me. I like to see people happy, and it makes me feel even happier when I can affect someone in a positive way to maybe put a smile on their face.
So, today is the first of, hopefully, 365 blogs counting a positive experience or aspect of my life that occurred for each of the next 365 days... That is quite the commitment considering I'm not an avid blogger.
Let's begin...
Today, I went to visit my grandfather in the hospital along with my mom, sister, cousin Alan, and aunt Tess. My grandfather has had some health issues and became quite ill just before Christmas eve. Without going into all the details, my family was pretty shaken up and Christmas day had a awkward and eerie feeling. I could tell that everyone's thoughts were of my grandfather in the hospital.
I'm glad to report that my grandfather is doing a lot better and looking a lot more like himself. I've been sick myself, so it took a few days before I could see him (even if it was at a distance).
My grandmother came up to me before she left and put her hand on my cheek and said, "I'm so glad that you could come and see your grandpa. I love you, Carlos." That meant so much to me. Even if I didn't really realize it then... Really thinking about it helps me appreciate how much I really love my grandpa, grandma, and the rest of my family.
With the year 2010 coming to an end, it's a good time to reflect on everything that has happened. 2010 has definitely been a year of challenges, upsets, heart-ache, and plain ol' crap. But it's also been a year of success, achievement, blessings, and a lot of positive events. And that's what I want to start focusing on... The positive stuff (quite the vocabulary, right?). I'm generally a pretty lucky guy to be where I'm at for my age, and it's time I really start counting my blessings and maybe be just a little bit more (or a lot more) appreciative of everything that God has blessed me with. Hopefully, I'll be able to spread the positive vibes and affect the people around me. I like to see people happy, and it makes me feel even happier when I can affect someone in a positive way to maybe put a smile on their face.
So, today is the first of, hopefully, 365 blogs counting a positive experience or aspect of my life that occurred for each of the next 365 days... That is quite the commitment considering I'm not an avid blogger.
Let's begin...
Today, I went to visit my grandfather in the hospital along with my mom, sister, cousin Alan, and aunt Tess. My grandfather has had some health issues and became quite ill just before Christmas eve. Without going into all the details, my family was pretty shaken up and Christmas day had a awkward and eerie feeling. I could tell that everyone's thoughts were of my grandfather in the hospital.
I'm glad to report that my grandfather is doing a lot better and looking a lot more like himself. I've been sick myself, so it took a few days before I could see him (even if it was at a distance).
My grandmother came up to me before she left and put her hand on my cheek and said, "I'm so glad that you could come and see your grandpa. I love you, Carlos." That meant so much to me. Even if I didn't really realize it then... Really thinking about it helps me appreciate how much I really love my grandpa, grandma, and the rest of my family.
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| Me and Grandpa at my cousin's wedding |
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