Jason's Daily Notes

It's busy and still stressy at work. I stayed late last night (7pm). Went to Whole Foods afterwards. Talked with Ruben. James didn't come back to the apartment as he said. Felix has 2 midterms today (essays). I spent the evening updating my music (overdue). I dreamt that I was an actor in the TV show Glee, in Malibu just hanging out with the rest of the cast.
I have an office lunch for Matt's last day, and I have to rush home to go to a dinner in downtown honoring my mom (and other employees).
More shareholders calling. I tried to get to work early (knowing that I'd be leaving early), but still I got here at 8:30. Brian was at LAX and almost met up with me this morning.
I need to continue my insurance training videos.
The weather is warm and dry and still. Loving it.
Music: Cee-Lo - Fuck You!
Costume idea: "Free candy" with sign pointing down my pants.
Lunch: Firm outing to Johnnie's Pizzeria ("across the street" - but it takes 15 minutes to walk there, same distance going through the mall or not).
I still don't know that guy's name at work. And I sat next to him during lunch. AWKWARD.
I didn't pass the FSOT.
I'm preparing myself to be disappointed with this election :/
Busy at work. Busy busy busy. Stressy.

Drove back to Glassell Park. It took 1 hr and 20 mins. FML. Scarfed down some food before my meeting. There was more food there (Yani's birthday). I met Yazmina and Jasmin. I learned about ILIT.
Stayed at home last night. Woke up late - 8:30. WTF?! Rushed out the door by 8:45 and didn't get to work until nearly 10. Thanks to construction on Olympic. And the usual backup getting off the end of the 2. FML FML.
The weather is dry, Santa Ana winds blowing. I love it. My left ear feels slightly sunburned (from the long commute).
Music: The Streets - Dry Your Eyes; Taking Back Sunday - Sink Into Me
Got a phone call from a recruiter regarding an assistant position with an ad agency. Not for me.
No facebook today.

Watched Chuck, HIMYM. Had only chocolate for dinner.
Jogged.
Work. Feel awkward and clumsy today.
Music: Toto - Africa
Did nothing at work. Read a bit more Omnivore's Dilemma. Messed around with MS paint. Made a spreadsheet. That's about it.

Back to work. Woke up early (like 6:30am) and watched an episode of TAR to get my energy up. It worked!
Lots of shareholders calling today. I have to comfort them and listen to their complaints/rants against lawyers.
Rain showers should finally be clearing out.
Music: Fall Out Boy - Chicago Is So Two Years Ago

Balance.

Lunch: Mom's curry.

Reading The Omnivore's Dilemma.

I should plan my days and week better.

St Bernard Walk-a-Thon! DID IT. 16 laps = over 5 km. Go me.
Finished at 10am. So early. I had the whole day ahead of me.
Burritos. $0.50. Dim sum at house afterwards.
Continued setting up the new computer.
Continued cloudy weather.
Took my car to the dealership for maintenance. Turns out I didn't have to until Dec / Jan. Checked out Best Buy afterwards.
Went out to Alhambra. 38 Degrees bar had its "Oktoberfest." Chris had to set up his fantasy league and wouldn't join us. Costume party in Irwindale. The necklace I had made me a "world cup fan". God I hate the stress of costumes.

Sunday. Woke up at 12 noon. It was so late. I felt like I did nothing all day. I started watching some of the insurance training videos.
Mom made curry. Uncle washed my car. Without me asking. I felt I didn't deserve it.
Began (finally) to watch The Amazing Race.

Went home after work yesterday. It took 1hr 10min. Had the SBS meeting.
We got a new computer! (my mom did.) I helped set it up. Didn't end up going anywhere else last night.
Drove to work. Took an hour on Olympic.
Finance seems to be the right route for me.
The Nissan Leave showcase is going on today outside the office building.
President Obama is speaking today at USC.
The SBS Walk-a-Thon is tomorrow.
I'm now automatically contributing to my retirement account! Feels so weird to think abou it.
Lunch: Leftover chaufa.
It's his birthday.

Watched American Beauty.

Work was draining as usual. I needed to recharge
Met with Michelle and Omri at Canters.
Weather still murky. Should be clearing out tomorrow. Not soon enough.
My sore throat continues to bug me. It's annoying to swallow.
Lunch: Chaufa. Farmers market. $8.
Work. Meh. Moved boxes downstairs to the recycling area. Looking up corporate service addresses.
Going back to Glassell tonight.

I went to the WFG meeting last night. Had to suit up. I'm on my way to being a certified financial broker. Oh boy.

Returned to the apartment ~ 10:45. Gert was asleep. Philip wasn't there. I immediately passed out.

I dreamt that I was living in Rome. It was nice, I was in an old Victorian-era bank/office building/hotel, and I updated my current city to Rome. Everyone was jealous. Sigh.

Music: Ke$ha - Take It Off
I still have a sore throat and am tired.
Helped clean out ND's papers - it made me think - every possession we own and cherish is eventually just going to be thrown away. Stuff is simply not important.
i got to discover the office's storage space in the basement.
Lunch: Frozen burrito
I still hate this murky, damp weather.

Gert and Philip arrived. They're from Belgium (Leuven - home of Stella Artois). Gert just turned 21 on Sunday and Philip just turned 20 on Saturday. They arrived in LA on Saturday and went straight to Vegas to celebrate. They slept in their rental car. We watched HIMYM, Felix arrived, then we went to Zankou.

It's dark and rainy. This stupid weather (and a stupid cut-off low).
My throat feels swollen and sore. Dammit. I don't wanna get sick.
Research at work today: Weather archives for an offshore wind farm in the UK.
Lots of research and shareholder stuff to do at work. I feel drained.
Now I'm trading stocks! :)
Music: NOFX - Franco Un-American
They're building some set/greenhouse outside the office. It's for Nissan's new car, the Leaf.
Lunch: Leftover Zankou. I shared the story of the Zankou murders.
SF Giants beat the Phillies today in the NLCS. Now they're leading 2-1.
Looking up famous houses/places on Wikimapia.

It's cloudy and showery. Supposed to be all week. Where's the hot and dry weather of SoCal fall?
Made cornbread last night (after taking an early evening nap). Watched Chuck with Felix and went to Vons. We were pissed that an employee told Felix he couldn't have his backpack.

Music: Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are; Harled Faltermeyer - Axel F; Eminem and Rihanna - Love the Way You Lie
Looking up passport renewal for MG.
Locating plaintiffs' service addresses - a billionaire in Miami!
Lunch: Leftover curry from last week.

I don't like this weather. Blah.
Tired.

Drove home Friday night straight from work. Took Olympic.

Ordered a new computer for mom.
Went to Rite Aid.
Caught up with all the TV shows I've been behind on.

Drove to Torrance.

My iPod is psychic: When I started driving through a rain shower, it played "I'm Only Happy When It Rains"; then my low gas warning light came on, and it played "Running on Empty"!

Lunch at the Galleria.
Bought two pairs of shoes.

A cloudy, misty morning provided a hushed and gloomily surreal context to my morning. No Friday morning light - traffic was unusually tough.
I cooked chicken curry last night. Watched Jeopardy, Big Bang Theory, The Office, 30 Rock (live!), and Outsourced. Uploaded some pics and left.
Showered. My hair is in tight bouncy curls :). I should get leave-in conditioner. People have been commenting that my hair's been getting long, though.

Music: Faces - Ooh La La
I just hit 200 Yelp reviews.
They're doing a Chipotle challenge today at the office. (Only one of the two could finish his two burritos.)
Lunch: Chicken curry from home.

This weekend. I want to do a food challenge, or a public transit tour of LA, or explore South Central, or donate blood, or finally go to a shooting range.

Made ramen and fell asleep ~ 9:30 after watching Modern Family and the first half of Rescue Dawn.
Woke up at 5:30am (!), finished the movie.
The weather is foggy and cool.
There are new signs on our floor of the office building. Cool.
I learned the distinction between poisonous and venomous.
Found a firm in London that I WANT TO WORK FOR. I'm starting work on a cover letter.
Music: Eminem feat. Rihanna - Love the Way You Lie; Pokemon Theme Song
Lunch: Mrs. Winston's - chicken wrap.
News: Chilean miners are famous. T.I. saved a guy from suicide
... writing Yelp reviews... a lot of them.
It's a slow afternoon.

Watched Sherlock Holmes.
Meg from Chicago arrived. I gave her tips on what to see.
I slept early. Woke up at 7. Mmm, sleep.
Work is the same. I'm trying to look through archived versions of a website but it's taking forever to load.
Music: Katy Perry - California Gurls; Guns n Roses - Paradise City
Lunch: leftover burrito
The apartment is clean. (Bathroom too.) Thanks Felix.
Again with more ennui this workday.
News: Election stuff. Chilean miners.

Felix is going to Washington DC for the Winter Quarter! Should I move out?

I'm back! My flight arrived at LAX last night, and Felix was right there to pick me up. Literally within 5 seconds. Stopped for a burrito on the way back.

My room smells like weed. I LOVE CALIFORNIA :)

I woke up early. Jet lag, huh. I dreamt that I was on a sofa that was sliding on an ice skating rink.

I shaved. No more goatee. Weird feeling.

Lunch: FREE Clementine today! To celebrate Dave's last day.
Found the vanity cards they flash at the end of Chuck Lorre TV shows.
I missed LA. The air here feels like the ocean :)
News: The trapped Chilean miners are set to be rescued today. An injunction was issued stopping "Don't ask, don't tell."
Music: Notorius B.I.G. - Going Back to Cali

Last night: Worked til 6. Drove in a rain shower to Smart and Final to buy toilet paper. Then I looked for new shoes - nothing at Marshall's, nor at the Westside Pavillion. I walked around and bought Mongolian bbq for dinner. Back at 8:30. Watched some Glee.

Alex and Jamie returned around 9:30. They were in the process of making a stop-motion movie of their drive back to my apartment. (Yes, that's right. I'm on YouTube. Again.)

Anyway, these two Brits were part of the Leno studio audience. They ate at El Coyote.

Chilled at apartment. Stayed to watch beginning of Leno with them. Jamie confided just how much consultants earn - converted into dollars, it's close to $200,000 a year. FUCKKK. I WANT THAT. Instead I'm depressed and constantly tired, only for $36,000?! I'm way smarter than every fool in finance anyway.

A busy morning - I woke at 6 am and drove to Porto's in Burbank. There was no line at Porto's! So I got the Porto's done early and went back home. Traffic was bad trying to get onto the 405 at Sepulveda/Ventura. Insane. I was early so I had time to return to the apartment for breakfast.

IT'S RAINING. This is bananas. I'm eating bananas. And grapes.
Music: Blink-182; Coldplay; Bloc Pary - Song for Clay (Disappear Here)
Lunch: Leftover Mongolian bbq
I should be Austin Powers or Disco Stu for Halloween. Grow my hair out.
News: There's a big toxic spill in Hungary.
It's still raining. WTF. I'm annoyed.

Here I go - time to fly to the East Coast!!!

It's chilly and dreary. I turned the heater on last night, full blast.
Watched another 3 episodes of Chuck. Then HIMYM with Felix. Jamie and Alex returned having met their friend and her CS host in Santa Monica and having watched The Social Network. They're going to a taping of Jay Leno today. I stayed in and felt shitty as I forced myself to write another cover letter for another job.
My alarm clock is 30 minutes ahead. :/
The garbage truck blocked my car in as I left this morning.
The weather is stuck in cloudiness. I'm stuck in my life. Yuck.
Music: Toto - Africa
I'm prepping for my DC trip. It's exciting! Printing out Yelp reviews and maps! Philly - cheesesteak and Rocky!

I've found that most people have already decided what they want (like what to get for lunch). You just don't realize it a lot of the time.

Lunch: Mrs. Winston's - I made a chipotle turkey wrap. $3.74

The weather is still chilly, dark, and dreary. It was so hot only a few days ago!

Moved boxes and boxes out of the conference room. Trying to locate and find out if defendants in this one case are married. It's taking the whole afternoon and keeping me at work late right when I don't need it!

It's cloudy and showery - wtf? I had to use windshield wipers. I thought this was supposed to be a dry season? And la nina.

Writing Yelp reviews.
Masters of Sustainable Development? Possibly. UCL MSc. I should do it. GOD I JUST WANT TO LIVE IN LONDON AGAIN.
I need to get moving on my career - Jamie has a job lined up as a consultant with Accenture! WTF. THAT SHOULD BE ME DAMNIT.
Again I notice myself speaking in a negative, tired tone. Even trying to smile when I'm at worked feels extremely forced.
Music: Cee-Lo - Fuck You
Lunch: Bean burrito. Meatless Monday.
I WILL get into whatever grad school I want. And I WILL get a job that I love. I just have to choose and stop being such a whiny career bitch. (Or maybe I subliminally like my current job/life.)

Fri night: Studied for the FSOT by watching Jeopardy and drinking wine/beer with Phil and Felix. Also watched Kick Ass.



Saturday: Took the FSOT. Felix dropped me off in Van Nuys. The test was alright; I think I did well (on the English and objective questions - I don't know about the "biographical" questions or the 30-minute essay on foreign aid). I walked around Van Nuys, stopping for food at Jack in the Box before taking the bus back to Westwood. It was a long wait for the bus in the Valley heat. I walked from Westwood to the apt, picking up a few groceries.

Felix returned from his scholarship reception in Malibu, fancy stuff. I then drove straight to Santa Monica to meet Michelle and Omri for a concert. It was great! Piano, classical guitar, and experimental jazz jamming! I was impressed and swept away by artistry and beauty, which hasn't happened in a while. The library was closed, and homeless people were useless. Then, Ethiopian food! Felix left his phone in the car so he didn't get my text, so he and Phil missed out, sadly :(.

Back to apartment, we have new neighbors! Megta and something. They were locked out, because their key broke. No time - we went out! To Ulrike's for wine, then picked up the other Germans, crammed in a car and went to Hollywood. Steffen, Willem, and Chris. Parking was a bitch. Bar hopped down Cahuenga. The Europeans complained about closing time. We went to Tommy's. There was an adventure trying to get into the men's room. What an odyssey. And what a day - I got back home around 4am.



Sunday: Awoke around 10:30. Walked to farmer's market. Got a dozen eggs for $3, not $3.50 because there was no change. Score.
My mom complained about not seeing me for a while, so I met her as she shopped for a new dining table. I was actually helpful instead of being a whiny child being dragged along shopping.
Returned home in time to drive Phil to the FlyAway bus. It was the exact moment that Alex and Jamie (from England) arrived. AND FELIX ARRIVED 5 SECONDS LATER. There are so many coincidences, what does it mean, double rainbow?!
Watched more Chuck (gotta get caught up, right?). Had a veggie burger for dinner, with lots of lettuce :)
Went out to the Daily Pint. The door girl put me off. Grr.

Happy New Month! And it's Friday! I feel like it's gonna be a good month.
Sushi last night. Jenn couldn't come. I invited Jason. He brought Dan and Jesse to join me, Phil, and Felix. It was B.A.D. I also got his band's CD. Awesome.

Mailed the rent (down the mail chute).
Online banking. I set up interest-earning checking with Ally Bank.
Discovered whatwepayfor.com - it calculates where your taxes go
Music: Lady Gaga - Alejandro; Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA; Smash Mouth - All Star
News: Scientists have discovered a distant earth-like planet; the east coast is getting soaked with more rain; Meg Whitman is disgusting.
Studying for the FSOT - reviewed the constitution
- considering income inequality in the US
Lunch: Courtyard Cafe salad - $4.90.
... looks like Felix will drop me off at my exam tomorrow.
It's the 6-year anniversary. Sad to reflect.

THE WEATHER is like the APOCALYPSE. Thunder, rain, rainbows, heat! Strange days indeed.
Phile biked to Hollywood and saw Amy Adams.
We went to Tomy's last night.
Music: Wings - Live and Let Die; We the Kings - Skyway Avenue; Boys Like Girls - Thunder
I noticed that when I talk at work, my sentences get lower and quieter at the end of each one. It's an expression of negative energy, and I just seem tired and drained with the way I speak. And that makes me feel even more drained. Hmm.
Tony Curtis died. (Some Like it Hot)
Lunch: Soy nuggets.
The weather is warm and somewhat humid still.
- gotta book my mom's flight to the P.I.
- should I go to Boston in November?
Tattoos: A "name tag" on my chest, or a joke lover's heart with an arrow through it on my butt.
at work til 6:15. Yuck. It's already getting dark :(