Jason's Daily Notes

Had my doctor's appt this morning. Everyone there was so friendly!
Went back to the apt to get my lunch and jacket.
Uncle's getting passport work done. Mom has an appointment at the hospital too.
Got to work 10am. Jack had to take over my follow-up with the MI board of medicine.
It's still chilly but pleasant in the midday sun.
Pulling research on web retailing for my interview tomorrow.
Collecting responses to my tutoring ad.
I might be going to grad school in NORWAY!
Lunch: (Final) leftover turkey with lettuce and ranch dressing in a pita
Helped move furniture out of Neal's former office.
Looking at MSc programs all over Europe!
Music: Taio Cruz - Dyanamite

Alvaro leaves today, flying to London then to Madrid.

I have a very busy week, with an interview, doctor appointment, tutoring appointments, and WFG meeting. I have to worry about researching

It's cold. It's been cold this entire Thanksgiving weekend. I'm wearing a jacket at my desk today.
I think I forgot my work keys at home. I also forgot my notebook.
Somewhat busy at work. But I feel magically more productive. I'm organizing files on the computer.

Music: The Big Bang Theory theme; Phoenix - 1901; A-ha - Take on Me

Leslie Nielsen died. :(
I'm going through the day without checking my email. Good so far...
Lunch: Mrs. Winstons salad bar. Got some sides of tofu too.
The internet is slow at work today.
I'm pretty sore from this weekend's snowboarding.

"Don't leave until you're done" - I'm clocking in some overtime tonight. And working too!

So the little idea that Stephanie suggested actually came to fruition: We went snowboarding!

Saturday - Hitting the Slopes
Alvaro and I got enough sleep after arriving back around 2am. The girls (Stephanie and Sandra) arrived at 8am as they promised. But I had just gotten up and was in the shower. We ended up leaving around 9am, with a stop at my mom's to get my beanie and all my winter stuff. And a stop at Jack in the Box for some breakfast for me. (A sausage croissant was all I ate the whole day until dinner - we were all so hungry!)
We arrived at Mountain High around 11am; luckily I got a parking space in the closed-off lot. We bought our lift tickets and rentals - $85 total. Alvaro was the only one who chose skis. I was the teacher for Sandra and Stephanie, who had the hardest time just standing up on their boards. The snow was packed and not very powdery, but at least the slopes were open! After an hour or two of teaching the girls, I joined Alvaro and Felix on the more advanced slopes. I was slightly intimidated (and I still can't get off a lift without falling), but I actually ended up doing really well. I can control myself on a snowboard! I can't carve turns or twist backwards yet, but I can cruise down even advanced slopes without crashing. I definitely prefer snowboarding to skiing now! Our four-hour passes expired around 4pm, just as the resort was closing for the day; I went up by myself for one last run (and to practice how to spin around). The rest of the gang had met each other and was worried that I wasn't there and told the Red Cross to page me. How silly. But they did have to look at me and check me out for my "headache" because I hit my head. Psh whatever. We ended up being late and I felt embarrassed and violated. And I didn't get the picture of all five of us that I wanted. :(
Felix drove back. It was dark and there was traffic (from Vegas?). We had dinner at Chili's in Covina. Adrian was our server. Presidente margaritas. Brian met up with us. For some reason, there was water falling out of the sky ("rain") when we left. After stopping by Covina for Brian to get his stuff, we then went to downtown for a quick bout of karaoke. 1 hour. It didn't feel like enough. And the music had no backing vocals. Eh. Then back to West LA for a semi-party; Julia and Camilla came, and so did Jan. Alvaro wanted to play beer hockey. The girls took a cab home. Felix went to bed. Jan wanted Oaxacan tacos. No one wanted to get up. It was cold. Finally Brian drove us to the taco truck. A delicious torta for me. Jan left our slumber party and I finally got to bed around 5am.

Sunday
Brian and I both had work Sunday morning at 11am. He at Target, me tutoring in Studio City. It was a sleepy morning as we got up and ready, Felix and Alvaro still asleep. I drove up Laurel Canyon to a big house just north of Mulholland where I tutored Mark in his economics term paper for 2.5 hours. An easy $80. I'll be following up with him on Tuesday and Wednesday.


I returned to the apartment. Jan soon returned and he and Felix and Steffen went out to the Lakers game. Exhausted, Alvaro and I fell asleep for like an hour or two before heading out to watch the Lakers game. First we went to Backstage Bar & Grill in Culver City, which has a great vibe and lots of TVs but hardly any table space off which to eat your food. So we left at halftime and went to the SF Saloon. I liked that they have free-range turkey burgers. And Newcastle on tap. Hanna and Madelyn were too busy studying to join us. I finished watching the Chuck DVD (I'm now on season 3). The Lakers lost to the Pacers, btw.

Alvaro arrived Wednesday night. I discovered the awkwardly shaped packaging for the darts with the steel tips. We went out to Q's with Felix and Jan. Lots of beer. And I got into a shopping cart to get raced back to the apartment. And I fell. Both my knees are bruised; one tore open.

I drove back home on Thursday morning around 10:30. I was greeted by a pile of food, and no turkey (finally)!
Spent the day catching up on my backlog of TV shows. The Office, Big Bang Theory, Outsourced, Community, Parenthood, and Glee.


My mom, uncle and I went for a walk/hike in Griffith park. The sunset from the trails just behind the Observatory was gorgeous.

Watched

Friday. No shopping for me. I watched more TV. I helped teach my uncle a bit more about using the computer.

Back to West LA in the afternoon. Apparently Alvaro had been locked out after a party at Ruchi's because Felix slept through his texts. So he slept by the beach then.

Alvaro and I went out to Q's with my Swedish neighbors - Hanna and Madelyn (who will be gone in a few months :/). Cigarettes. Beers. They wanted to dance. But Alvaro and I had to get back early - it would be an early (ish) Saturday morning...

Watched Glee. Didn't go to my meeting.
Went to Cabo Cantina to meet up with Saskia, Stephanie, and Sandra. The bouncer was a douche. Jeez, why do people take themselves so seriously?
Dropped off the girls. Said bye to Saskia.
Felix was working on an essay due next week, so it doesn't look like he's going to SF this weekend.
I dreamt I was sort of on TAR. There was a "trick" clue, and we ended up hiking in a canyon in Encino, just a group of friends, not competitors.

--

Work. No traffic this morning (finally). Someone took my parking space :( Way to start my day off the wrong way. Now I just feel foul.
Music: All Time Low - Damned if I Do Ya (Damned if I Don't); Lucy Woodward - Dumb Girls; Bruno Mars (via Glee) - Just the Way You Are
I want to go back to Germany.
Drawing with MS Paint at work. For most of the day!

I'll go back to 90065 tomorrow. Probably will only stay for one day. No big family Thanksgiving; I really just want to do nothing and eat pizza. No more turkey, please!

Alvaro's coming back tonight.

IT'S FUCKING COLD.

Watched HIMYM - "Blitzgiving". I know I have often felt like the Blitz. Aw, maaan!
I dreamed that I was somehow on Wheel of Fortune, which filmed in a sketchy part of East Hollywood.

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I learned that turkeys were first thought by the English to come from Turkey. And the Turkish word for turkey is "hindi".
News: Tension between North Korea and South Korea
Music: The Gaslight Anthem; The Dangerous Summer; Blink-182 - Dammit
Lunch: More turkey. Avi asked about my German; he speaks Yiddish. And Rob is half Indian (Punjabi).
Uncle came to West LA looking for jobs; he visited me at work.

Saskia's last night in LA tonight; we're going out. Forget my WFG meeting!
At work til 7:10.

Yawn. I am still so sleepy. Having ht eheater on constantly must make the apartment just so cozy.
I'm eating turkey leftovers all week.
It's so cold now. I'm wearing my purple sweater. It's a little too small.
Uncle needs help with email.
I'm living with the anticipation of having the time of my life on my round-the-world trip. Thus, I am subliminally limiting how much fun I can have in LA.
I'm feeling more snappy today. When I talk to shareholders on the phone.

Friday night: Stayed in. Enjoyed my new shredder. Saskia, Stephanie, and Sandra dropped off cooking supplies for the Thanksgiving feat. We ate pasta.


Saturday: The big Thanksgiving feast / going away party for Saskia.
There was rain overnight. Sandra arrived first, around 10:30am. Felix and I went to Von's (recycling and supply buying), Smart & Final, and Ross. But no gravy boat was found. The girls (now with Stephanie's friend Charlotte) had arrived and began cooking the turkey. It was a 20 pound bird!
6 hours of cooking: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, Glühwein, sweet potatoes. Whew!
More people came. Gavin from Ventura. Juslia, another German. Jan and Steffen. Jenn. Brian. Later, Michelle and Lawrence, and Ruben. Saskia's boss and her boyfriend (an animator for the comic The Tick. We played mafia for several fun rounds and then switched to a guessing game. I was Hello Kitty, Darth Vader, Greece, and strawberry shortcake.
Brian stayed over. "Let's Go to the Mall"


Sunday: It was cold and windy. Spent much of the day cleaning up. There were sooo many dishes to clean. Felix cleaned the floor. Later he went to Universal Studios with chris and 2 friends.
I went to Koreatown to tutor Alex on his UC transfer application essays. Easy money!
Felix arrived at the same time I did. I was so sleepy back at the apt. Stephanie and Sandra came around 7:30 to pick up their dishes. I was drowsy. Watched The Amazing Race go to Bangladesh.
Later, watched The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It was good.

Party last night at Ruchi's. (After a quick after-work nap and watchingBBT and finishing season 2 of Chuck.)
I punched Felix in the face and made his lip bleed. I blame the caffeine. (Yet another reason to keep Jason away from coffee and energy drinks.) The party was yet another mini-United Nations: A Korean-Brazilian girl, twins from Saudi Arabia (but Eritrean/Ethiopian), a Canadian, Spanish, Mexican, and Swiss Dutch people!
I did my "Bye Bye Bye" dance. Oh my. Yet another reason to keep Jason away from energy drinks and coffee.
Slept solidly for 5 hours. Ugh, caffeine hangover. My breakfast was tea and nutella on toast.

--

It's cloudy and about to rain! Might not be good for the Thanksgiving party tomorrow. But I'm liking the fresh air.

Music: Neon Trees - Animal
Work: Responding to hella shareholders on the phone nonstop. My latest assignment is to create a blog for the firm :) Very. cool.
At work late - 6:40 pm.
It's now too cold and I don't want rain :(

I woke up dreaming that I was dreaming. Inception much? (even though I haven't seen the movie). There was a competing law firm just at the other end of the mall, my firm was invited over - everyone else bought gifts, so I went to Macy's, walking through the mall (which has become the Westside Pavillion), walking through aisles that resemble a Target or Rite Aid before deciding to buy candy. There was also a scene in the underground parking structure, which was more cramped than in real life.

Music: New Jimmy Eat World
Trying to avoid online distractions today. I.e. no facebooking.
Lunch: Chicken and broccoli. Mom's leftovers. Meh.
Still lots of shareholder cert stuff.
News: GM's IPO. The TSA sucks.
I gotta plan for Saturday's party. And tonight's party?!

Slept well. Tuesdays are always so exhausting.

26 shareholders called/emailed so far today (it's only noon). One guy was from the UK. It made me homesick. Well would you call it homesick?
Music: Calvin Harris
KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas?

Lunch:

• Part 1: Penne pasta with chicken and mushrooms (thanks mom)
• Part 2: Courtyard cafe with Brian, who stopped by to visit me!

All these shareholder calls. WTF is going on.
I'm going to stop by Ralph's on the way home. Traffic just sucks.

I watched Changeling. Felix returned from Long Beach airport earlier than I had expected (he took a shuttle). He enjoyed Seattle, but had an essay to write and so was gone to campus.
The new episode of HIMYM had Robin Sparkles and Jessica Glitter! Two beavers are better than one :). My dinner consisted of tortilla chips and ranch dressing.

--


The stock market is down today.
We have a new press release up - and I am INUNDATED with shareholder emails and phone calls... The voicemail was FULL. And the calls keep coming in all day! Over 30 phone calls, and I have to explain the case to each person. WHEW.
Leaving work early for my job interview.

--

My appointment was at 5pm. Here's my intense journey from work to the Valley:
Left work. 4:05. Rushed back to the apartment. 4:15. Shaved. 4:20. Got on the 405. 4:30. Made it to the 101. 4:50. Got off the freeway and parked right on the street. 4:59. Arrived in the office. 5:01. WHEW.
The job ended up seeming more interesting than I had anticipated. It's a legitimate opportunity to become an entrepreneurial business leader. I could actually be running the business in time! I just don't know if the personality match was there, which is crucial.
Afterwards, I drove along side streets, stopping at a Jack in the Box in Van Nuys to get my TWO FREE TACOS! YES!
Had my usual Tuesday meeting in Glendale. Tracy from the life insurance provider was there.

A positive morning - I'm pretty well-rested but also getting things done.
Working on my CV for a potential job in the UK.
Good.
Lunch: Panda Express. yum - sweet fire chicken is delicious!

Music: Robyn - Do You Know What It Takes

Felix returns from Seattle.

Fri Night: Made pumpkin bread while watching Pi. Then went to Covina. Beer hockey. Drove back to Glassell. Passed out.


Saturday: Slept in. Til ~11. Set up the printer/scanner at home. Then began a project to scan in all our old photos. I actually liked looking through old childhood pics of myself. I also caught up (somewhat) will all the TV shows I missed. There are a lot.
Dinner at Indra. It wasn't as hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurant-y as I had thought.
Mom and Tita E. left to watch the Pacquiao fight. He dominated, again.


Sunday: The family went to San Diego. I watched more TV at home alone, then left for Juan's bday celebration.
Homemade pizza! Picking avocados! Trampolineeee! Apples to Apples, Cranium, TAR!!! (The race went to Oman, where the dating couple became engaged.) Moscato wine and chocolate fondue. An awesome time!

Downtown LA Artwalk! It was great. Met up with the CS group at the Edison (with $0.35 cocktails) and went from there! I met Jeff, Levi, and Jeff; then convinced Catherine and Martha who got swallowed into our group to join CS. Got some food. Went outside - Saskia was there! Bebe led our group. Brian arrived. Saw lots of underground and very cool art. There were lots of people - it felt like New York or London, definitely not your usual LA. I met David (From Portugal via Sweden, now working at JPL) and Joaquin.

Felix is now gone. To Seattle.

Work is busy. LG's constantly checking in over my shoulder.

Updating my travel blog.

Going to Covina tonight.

Yesterday was probably the worst and best day I've had in a while. After work I drove over Beverly Glen to the Valley for the Stammtisch. It was nice, even though everyone there was much older than me, heh heh. The restaurant was great - I really recommend it - Swiss Chef.

I stopped by Ralphs on the way back. I was already out and tired, might as well make myself totally exhausted. The Ralphs is open 24 hours! Nice.

Felix went to Barney's Beanery. I turned down his invite to join. I needed a beer (PBR!) and lots and lots of rest. And I did get to relax. Despite the yuckiness of PBR.

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I jogged this morning. It's windy - weeeee!
Work @ 8:40. Still lots of traffic. Despite it being Veteran's Day. :(
I have a new multi-day project at work. :/
I'm planning to go to the Downtown LA Artwalk tonight.
I got a call from a recruiter - to interview for an internet company. Hmm.
My friend got into some trouble :(
I wish I had the day off. It's warm, sunny, and breezy. A day to frolic about outside!
Lunch: Courtyard Cafe.
Music: The Gaslight Anthem; Bad Religion - Sorrow (Acoustic)

Lately I've been feeling depressed in the mornings but cheery in the afternoons. Hmm.

Last night was stressful. I had my WFG meeting, but I had to get my laptop from the apartment first. So I DROVE. 5pm From work to the apartment. 5:30. From the apartment to Glassell Park. 7PM!! To my meeting. 7:30. Back home. 9:45. Back to the apartment 11:00.

The meeting was useless too, just learning how to fill out a form online. I picked up my laundry and returned to West LA. I took a hot bath to calm my nerves and fight the cold night. I then passed out around 11:30. Or tried to. I was half groggy and heard Felix return with a girl, it sounded like. I thought I was dreaming but then I just ended up thinking, my thoughts keeping me awake. My body just wouldn't fall asleep. It was 1 am. Then 2 am. FUCK IT. I got up, drank some water, and watched an episode of Glee online. 3 am. Still no sleep! 4 am. WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING TO ME. I don't remember my last thought but I groggily awoke at 7 am, my ALARM CLOCK BLARING at me. So I got maybe 2.5 hours of sleep. I was a zombie.

I now realize that it was probably because I drank three cups of iced tea during my meeting. But am I really that sensitive to caffeine now?

To work. 8am. Yuck yuck yuck. This sucks. I'm feeling really down and depressed, frankly.

I'm just miserable and having a miserable day.

The only thing getting me through is planning to get away - maybe Austin, Texas?

Music: Bon Jovi - Livin' on a Prayer; Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
News: "Mystery missile" fired off the coast of LA; CSU tuition increases; Obama's in Indonesia

Hmm, they're filming what looks like America's Next Top Model right outside my building.

Lunch: Some chicken curry that my mom cooked last night.

My coworkers went downstairs to "meet the models", and you'll never guess what happened.

I exited the side staircase and was immediately asked to be filmed talking with the models!!!! HOLY SHIT. I had to sign a waiver and give them my cell phone and everything. I didn't really know what we were supposed to talk about so I kind of just asked them where they were from and small talk like that. Damnit, I should have been more creative!!! I didn't really have time either.

Haha, now I can't stop smiling :) I was so depressed this morning and now I'm on cloud nine. WHAT A DAY!

And tonight I'm going to a Stammtisch tonight in the Valley. Going to meet new people and practice my German. Toll!

Watched Chuck and HIMYM last night. Cooked (aka microwaved) quesadillas for dinner. Mylife is boring.
I woke up early, walked to the post office to mail in the Netflix, got to work around 8:45.
Daylight Saving Time. I hate it.
Against my will, it's a busy morning. I have to pull a lot of docs.
EDIT: Not a busy morning, a busy DAY.
Lunch: Leftover Panda Express. Ryan liked how delicious it looked.

I have to pick up my laptop, drive back to Glassell, start my laundry, write a check, dress up, go to my meeting, potentially meet up with Brian, then head back to West LA. WHEW, just thinking about what I have to do after work is stressing me out!

Music: The Gaslight Anthem; The Killers - Mr. Brightside; Jack's Mannequin
It's 3:30 and the sun's going down. Depressing.

Woke up earrrrly, before 7am, to finish watching Youth in Revolt. But I forgot to bring the DVD with me to mail back. D'oh.
Got to work early, 8:05. Thank you, daylight savings!
Face Research is kind of fascinating.
Conan O'Brien's show premiers tonight. Finally!
Word of the day: Sartorial: Of or relating to suits (tailors)
Thinking of getting new clothes, updating my style.
Why isn't the US on the metric system? This go-it-alone attitude really bugs me.
Scheduling a doctor's visit.
Lunch: Panda Express. Got a free entree item with the coupon I brought.
It's chilly and breezy. And dark by 5pm now.


Too cold for me.

Fri night: PARTY. First, cooked dinner (too much penne pasta), then went to Target with Felix and Alvaro. Bought supplies and games (twister, poker), but no bean bag. Then to BevMo for drinks.
9pm and everyone arrived - SO MANY FOREIGNERS. Iceland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Mexico, New Zealand, Denmark, Philippines (technically), Kentucky (x2!). I was shuttling around greeting everyone the whole night. I spilled a whiskey coke all over my pants. Whew so much fun. 10 seconds of twister resulted in beer spilled all over. I passed out after a foolish round of king's cup. Felix passed out too - so the party ended with both hosts passed out! :)

Saturday:
I woke up with a German girl (Lea) sleeping on the floor in my room. The floor of the whole apartment was incredibly sticky. The visitors from Irvine were soon up and getting their stuff ready to go by 10:30. Alvaro, Brian and I watched several episodes of HIMYM. Felix was still in his room with a girl. I felt like going for a drive. So the three of us left, blasting "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" through Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, and Malibu. After getting bottled water at a gas station (I was fine but the other two seemed hungover), I drove us through Malibu canyon.

It was absolutely gorgeous (GORGE-ous)! I had no idea such scenery existed in Los Angeles county. We passed through Calabasas (so Brian could see the Kardashians) then ended up at the Topanga Mall in Canoga Park (much nicer than the nearby Promenade). The mall had a couple live pianists! We went to Target and I bought a tennis racket and balls. We ate at Tommy's. Alvaro soon felt sick. Drove back along Ventura Blvd and home. We played tennis at nearby Stoner park for 1.5 hours; it was a great workout but I had forgotten proper technique; also, people were waiting to use the courts. Watched more HIMYM; Brian left; then just sleep.

Sunday: Daylight Saving Time ended. I drove to Chinatown to meet family for dimsum at Empress Pavilion. I found street parking and discovered some hidden pockets in Chinatown. We left and drove in two cars to the Hollywood Sign. I then said bye so I could drive Alvaro to the airport to meet his parents. On the drive back, I stopped by Ross to buy a small gift for Christoph. The birthday celebration was at Westwood Brewing Co. Felix and I arrived around 8:30. It wasn't that intense, but we stayed to the end with Christoph and Jan.

What a night last night.
James B stopped by to pick up his letter. He was soon off, then Alvaro arrived. We watched Big Bang Theory then got beer and tacos. Saskia arrived and the four of us (including Felix) went out. First stop: Liquid Kitty. It was a nice bar, not very big, but had the chic divey feel of the Verdugo. And! There was a really great band playing - funky jazz rock, with an awesome keyboardist. After our drink, it was time to roll on. Next stop: The Arsenal, a restaurant that turns into a bar/lounge after hours. And I ran into my former COWORKER there, Nate! What a surprise! We chatted for a while, he met his friend, and me and my friends bounced to our third and final stop: Busby's. I think my friends liked it. It was quiet around 11 when we arrived, but soon got crowded. We played some "never have I ever" with a twister game board. The vibe of Busby's felt like a mix of frat house and beach chic. The music was too much hip hop for me to enjoy dancing. I got tired and just sat while everyone else danced. Stayed til 1:30. Drove Saskia back to her place, returned to the apt at 2:30. One more beer with Alvaro, who wanted the party to keep going.

Whew.

Woke up 7:45. Oatmeal, shower, to work.

I had to pull papers out from LG's desk, "because I'm skinny" lol.
Trying to work on my CV.
Overheard: "Maria Bartoromo isn't looking too good."
My car has a big scratch/dent. :/
Music: Bed Intruder song (autotuned)
Yawn. Tired - from last night? And the party's tonight!
Lunch: Quesadilla, leftover from last night.
Tita Elsie is staying at our house now.
Stopped by the container store. Now gotta go prep for the party!

Came back to the apartment around 6pm last night. Brian was there, watching HIMYM. It was FUCKING HOT. I watched one episode with him, and then declared, "Let's go to the beach."
And so we did. As if on cue, right when I pulled the car out of the driveway, Alvaro was arriving on the bike. I shouted to him to join us. It was dark by the time we got to Santa Monica, but still unbelievably warm. Over 80 degrees at 8pm at the beach. Felix and I jumped in the water. It was frigid and oh-so refreshing! I stayed in for a couple minutes then air dried out. We went to Big Dean's Cafe right below the pier, because Felix wanted fish and garlic. I didn't have my wallet. Felix covered me.
Back at the apt, a couple more drinks and some Chuck.

STOCKS ARE UP. LIKE 200 POINTS. YES!
It's still really hot today. Like 96°.
Planning for the party. Tomorrow!

Brian came over around 8pm. He, Alvaro, and I went to Tara's for some Himalayan food. Spicy and good.
Drank beers and played asshole at the apartment.

Work. Same. I did a lot of facebooking today.

Brian visited me today for lunch! My first lunchtime friend visitor. We had Fuddrucker's and I had a buffalo burger.

Stocks are up today. That's good for me, now that I'm in the stock market.
The plan is to go for sushi tonight (Brian's waiting at my apt).

Went to Smart and Final after work. Watched HIMYM. Did not go to WeHo to meet Mike.
A busy morning. I VOTED. At 7:30 am. No issue with any provisional ballots this time (I got the envelope but no vote-by-mail ballot in the mail, wtf?)
Drove with Felix to UCLA. Met Jenn. Saw Paloma (!). High-fived a No-on-23 girl and injured her hand - oops.
Finally met Mike at 9:30, he was getting his stuff ready for last-minute campaigning.
There's a "voted" button on facebook. Eh.
Work. Got here at 10:30.
Circulating new complaints - see lawsuits against the Black Eyed Peas and against Eva Longoria (!)
Lunch: Leftover fried rice from yesterday.
Going to pick up Alvaro from LAX. During my lunch break!
...
Felix was at the apartment. It was HOT. Like over 90. Dropped off Felix and took Alvaro with me to work. He saw Beverly Hills.

Matt asking for his deposit back for the rent.
The office is watching election results roll in (as they begin).

Happy halfway birthday to me!

Google Buzz class action settlement ?!
Giants won the world series. :/

Happy new month! (new notebook... AND new shoes!)
Made a batch of fried rice this morning for my lunch.
Pumpkin pie at the office. Yum.
Election day tomorrow! Mikeee's in town to GOTV (get out the vote).
Alvara arrives tomorrow. I'm picking him up from LAX.
My tire pressure warning light went off. Hmm...
I match. My shirt matches my new shoes: Red, black, and white. Cool.
My pants are button fly, and the top button is loose, so I have to use my belt to hold my pants up.

My weekend was spent on the westside. I self-imposed a type of isolation since I wouldn't be celebrating Halloween.
Felix was gone to Santa Barbara so I had the apartment to myself.
Friday night: Watched Milk. Ate tortillas and salsa. Slept.




Saturday: Coordinated and dropped off the recycling. In Culver City. I then bought some groceries with my recycling credit, but I forgot a bag at the Ralph's. D'oh!
The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was going on, but there was no live broadcast on Comedy Central as was promised. :/
It was a gorgeous day. I drove to Malibu and discovered a secret beach: El Pescador State Beach.


I drove in, parked, hiked down the cliff to the secluded beach and dipped into the water. It was so refreshing! I got out and walked around to air-dry (I had no towel with me). Then I drove onward. I took Mulholland Highway all the way from the beach near the Ventura county line to Woodland Hills. The road wound trough the mountains, with many twists making me feel like I was in a car commercial. Such a nice drive, and being in Woodland Hills kind of took be down memory lane.

Back at the apt, I watched Get Him to the Greek. Cooked potatoes (we have plenty).


Sunday: Farmers' market. Eggs for breakfast. And potatoes and bacon.
Hiked Mandeville Fire Road trail. It was sunny and warm. Lots of people walking their dogs or going mountain biking. I hiked at least 5 miles, all the way up to a former anti-Soviet missile station in the hills. Some of the hills were steep.
Back to apartment. Caught up with The Amazing Race.
Felix returned a day early from Santa Barbara (bc everyone else there returned too).
Watched TAR and got Felix into it too.

Went home for mom's dinner thingy at the Biltmore last night. I exercised out all my pent-up energy from the frustrating commute. Talked with her boss about traveling. Good times.
I dreamt I was in Philly. The hammock guys were there, and so were some of the Germans. I found the water park I went to as a 5-year-old, in North Philly. It was essentially a big fountain.
Felix goes to SB today.
Costume: Mac/PC?
Funny pics online. heh heh.
Music: A Day to Remember; The Academy Is... - His Girl Friday
Auto-tune. Yes?
The partners are not in today. Thus, not much real work ftw.
Lunch: Office snacks! I ate enough yesterday.