Jason's Daily Notes

Friday night: Stopped by the apartment after work. It was raining. A woman had fender-bended me on my drive home, but no biggie. I left to meet (auntie) Nancy and my mom at an African restaurant in Mid-Wilshire. The restaurant had changed its name, and apparently also changed its menu. The food wasn't that great - a lot of mostly flavorless collard greens (at least to my unaccustomed American tongue). We then got some dessert at a nearby (and very cool/antique) Marie Callendar's. Returned home with mom. There is a new, faster internet connection at home now. Hooray.

Saturday: Dentist appointment in the morning. Then to Sweet & Savory. My mom wanted to buy a rug, so we stopped by a couple places in Pasadena, dealt with high-pressure salesmen trying to push us into a $1000 purchase, and my mom finally found one. We got home to realise it's too small. We watched some episodes of Parenthood. Mom soon went to go line dancing with Tita Lourdes. I left for West LA, as Laura was preparing a vegan dinner. It was raining moderately to hard. At the gas station, my credit card wouldn't take, so I had to run inside and pay - frustrating! All rules of driving in LA (what few rules there are) are gone once there is water on the road. Imagine how crazy it was driving in a torrent of water across town. My street had turned into a river. I found it exciting! Dinner was a curry with Laura, Sandra, and Matthias. We played the guess-who-I-am game (names on foreheads) and then left for the Echo. It was a funk-dance night, and there we met Mike with his two couchsurfing friends, Armen (who performs hip-hop?) and Zachary (from New Hampshire). We boogied the night away (for a couple hours at least) to funk music (which I had never danced to before, but it's fun to just let go - no body seemed to be the slightest bit concerned with "how they looked" - it was very un-LA and a reason I like the east side of town). Returned around 1:30am; it took a while for Matthias to close out his credit card at the bar.

Sunday: I woke up and drove to an indoor shooting range in Van Nuys. There was a special range time offer for Reddit users and I was really interested in checking it out. Michelle R, who was supposed to join me, had slept through her alarms so couldn't (it's okay, she had just arrived from the PI on Saturday and was naturally jet-lagged). It was fun! I was surprised how powerful it felt to shoot a gun - the recoil really goes through your arms. Also, my aim sucks. I left around 10:30 and drove to Pasadena to meet up with Michelle. We went to a burger shack near her apartment, then we went to Target to see Brian. He had his lunch break with us and we caught up as he ate. I also asked him about some cameras I might want to buy for my approaching trip. Ben (Michelle's boyfriend) was playing poker at Commerce. It was Ben's birthday, but all he wanted to do was gamble. I also discovered that I'm the total opposite of Ben - politically, motivation-wise, in terms of climate/geographical preference, and family wise (he's having a money issue with a soon-to-pass-away and not-kindly-regarded relative). It's fascinating to see other people's family issues. You see the ways in which they have become set in their ways, dealing with their family; it's really impossible to approach your own family issues with an objective eye.
Anyway, Ben, MR, and I went to Senor Fish in Alhambra. Ben wasn't impressed. It was chilly outside, although sunny. I was the only one with a jacket. MR bought a tea at Starbucks. We drove back to Target; met up with Brian. Ben left to continue playing poker (he's kind of a professional). Brian, MR, and I got a brownie sundae from Fosselman's. Then Brian drove home to change. We met up with him, and I drove them to Pasadena. MR had a prescription to fill, and luckily the Target Pharmacy was still open near her place. Funny enough, as she handed in her prescription, I instantly recognized the guy behind the counter - "Jan?!" I blurted out.
"Whoa, Jason!" he enthusiastically replied. "Oh, don't worry then - I'll get this prescription done in 5 minutes." All the while, we caught up with each other. He's finishing his BA and considering getting an MBA. He's been working in Target for 3 years. He's having a hard time finding a job for Matthew (my classmate) - which is weird, because I'd figure engineers from UCLA would be in demand.
MR, Brian and I left and did some typically "Pasadena" things - walked around Vroman's, then drove to the Rose Bowl, where we walked around the Aquatic center and then did a lap around the Rose Bowl (and the golf course adjacent to it), which ended up being likt 4-5 miles! But we were playing connect-the-celebrities (ala 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon), so time flew by. Then, back to Old Town and dinner at King Taco. It was really cold. Drove MR and Brian back to their respective homes and returned home to rest. All this while, I was texting Laura, Mike, and Sandra. We planned a trip to Tijuana for Monday. Crazy, spontaneous! But this whole weekend was mostly spontaneous and has been a lot of fun.

Louise and Sandra went on a party bus / to a club last night, but Laura and I didn't go. Instead we went to Whole Foods and bought ingredients to make a veggie curry. We then went out, our path determined by flipping a coin, to Mt. St. Mary's College in Brentwood, where we went for a late-night moonlit walk in the hills.Matthias went out to look at a car he might potentially buy.

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Woke up 8am. Continued uploading / tagging FB Vegas pics. Got to work 9:20. SM Blvd was packed, because of construction just past Beverly Glen blvd. (I cut down Westholme to Ohio to Bev Glen to get around it).
Music: B.o.B - Nothin' on You; Ryan Adams - New York, New York; Katy Perry - Firework
Surprise! I get the day off Monday!
Unexpected 3 day weekend! Yay!
Today, a big rainstorm is supposed to move in.
Lunch: Leftover curry.
I bought my plane ticket! I'm flying from Boston to Iceland to Manchester in June! CRAZY.
Having dinner with mom and auntie Nancy tonight.
... the key to the apartment is stuck in the door (?)

Stayed at the apartment last night.
Watched Mulholland Drive. Laura went to the gym with Matthias. I was feeling tired.

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Busy morning. Many shareholders to respond to.
Laura should be riding my bike around the beach today.
It's chilly but sunny (in between storms).
12:15 - Internet down in the office
Music: Keane - Hamburg Song; Die Ärzte - Wie Es Geht
Lunch: TJ's pre-packed Indian fare (+ bread)
TAX RETURNS FILED. Finally.
News: More protests in the middle east. Blah blah.

Laura arrived. She got here early (there was surprisingly little traffic). We went to California Vegan for dinner (she's now vegan). The food was good but costly - $20 per person to fill up.
Stopped by Trader Joe's then went back to the apartment to get ready. Matthias joined us as we went to Angel's Piano Bar in Santa Monica. There was jazz music and a burlesque show later. Sandra, Patricia, and Eliana were there. Louise and her friend Alexandre went to the wrong address (in Los Angeles, not Santa Monica!) but showed up anyway. It was fun.
Returned 12:30, slept - Laura on the floor.

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Woke up late - 8:40. Oops. Rushed to work.
It's raining. Things seem different (the air feels/smells different, like springtime).
I GOT MY FIRST ADMISSIONS OFFER. From the University of Warwick. It's still tentative, pending receipt of my second recommendation, but still - FUCK YES! I'll definitely be across the Atlantic in a few months!

Seems like my friends have bad luck whenever something good happens to me :(
Big research project - nVidia. HP laptop models, looking them all up. Blah.
...watching YouTube videos to pass the time (and to actually see the artists I listen to so often!).

I was at work last night until nearly 7pm.

I decided to go to my mom's. Got some Taco Bell on the way home. Watched The Social Network. I think people like this movie because they can relate to using Facebook, not because the story is overly compelling on its own merits. I don't think the film deserves many Oscars. The movie was also more serious/heavy (at least in tone) than I expected.
Slept @ 10:30. Dreamt that I was back in Berkeley - moving into the dorms (Unit 2) for the new semester. It was raining. There were new dorm building on College, between Channing and Haste. My friend AF was visiting too.

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I switched the license plate frames on my car - I needed a wrench for the front plate. Where did the other hammer and screwdriver (for my apt) go?
Laura arrives this afternoon!
It's cloudy and rainy (slightly). The forecast calls for rain for the next two weeks :/

... submitted my application to the University of Manchester!
Lunch: Panda Express.
News: Revolts are now going on in Bahrain
Music: Ke$ha - We R Who We R
For the first time, the security guard in the building asked me which suite I was going to. Treated like an outsider in my own building. Only took 1.8 years of working here!

Back from Vegas. I'm tired and my head is still kind of ringing. What a great weekend it was!
Slept at the apartment. The key under the mat was gone (I hope I don't lose my key again!).

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Work sucks today. It's busy all day. Research - yuck.
Should I go home tonight, or stay at my apartment?
I'm tired, slow, and lethargic.
Memento mori = "remember, you will die"
Ryan's bridge partner invented a Final Jeopardy betting strategy.
(This week, Watson the computer is competing against the two biggest all-time Jeopardy winners.)
Working late - til 7pm. I've decided to go home (to mom's).

Friday night: I was picked up around 6:15 by Julia and Paulina. We were running late. And LA traffic was doing a great job of adding delay after delay. Paulina had to pee, so we stopped at the most expensive gas station in Beverly Hills. She got into the wrong car and said loudly, "are you driving?" (thinking she was talking to me). We had a healthy laugh. Finally, we made it across the city to Marina's around 7:30. (It's really secluded in the hills of Echo Park.) Gas (with no bathroom), then we were finally on the road around 8pm. There wasn't much traffic anymore. We ate at Del Taco in Barstow, and arrived in Vegas at 12:45.

The French (+ Sandra) were there when we arrived and were dressed up, ready to party. Julia was exhausted from driving over 8 hours that day, but after a few minutes, we all were ready to go out, even for a little bit. So we ended up walking to Tao. We partied for an hour or two. The girls were all getting hit on by random sketchy guys. I was too busy having a blast (and drinking everyone's drinks - they kept giving them to me)! No wonder that I stumbled out by myself, drunkenly lost $40 on roulette, and passed out on the doorstep of the hotel room. The others soon arrived, found me, and put me on the bed (which I soon fell off of).

Saturday: We awoke and got ready, it was maybe 10:30. Our room wanted to go to the pool, so we got our bathing suits on and headed downstairs, optimistic and wide-eyed. To our dismay, the pool was closed for the "winter season". We were suddenly sad. So we changed and got ready for the day. Walked to Bellagio for brunch (a group of 9 people - it's hard to get everyone together!), then toured the hotel, saw inside the Cosmopolitan, and saw the Bellagio fountain show. Then, to Paris! ("what monument is that?" - Julie, pointing to the Eiffel Tower, but meaning "what building is that underneath the tower?") We blocked traffic on the moving sidewalk. I got my Eiffel Tower sippy cup. We walked to Caesars, outside of which Paulina dropped my Eiffel Tower and broke it all over the sidewalk. Sadness. More walking through the huge palace of Caesar. Tired, we returned to our hotel. We rested for a few hours, watching Fight Club and playing some poker (I taught Marina how to play). Then, the other girls came over around 8pm, and we started the drinking games. Fun times, Lucas had these dice for a drinking game. Marina fell on the floor but did so in a very sexy way. It was past 11 when we left to Marquee - the latest and hottest nightclub in the new Cosmopolitan hotel. Julia's host dad is a club promoter, which is how we all got in so easily without paying. The club was PACKED. It was impossible to even move anywhere. Stephanie felt sick and soon went back. Everyone split up. Tired, I just leaned against the wall instead of being pushed around by everyone. After a minute, a guy was pulling me outside through a back door, and I was led down an elevator and outside! WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED? I got kicked out of a club? I didn't even punch anyone! This isn't how it's supposed to happen! So I walked back along the strip, lost another $20 gambling (probably); and found Julia and Stephanie in the hallway as I arrived back at the hotel. We hung out and ate some Subway sandwiches; Stephanie soon had to vomit. We passed out; I woke up around 6:30 as the others returned from the club, when I switched rooms and continued sleeping on the floor.

Sunday: Everyone was really tired, but we had to check out by 12, so I (the most well-rested one) was up and ready by 10:30. It took so long to get everyone packed, showered, and all the luggage moved into the cars. We had to walk to Harrah's to cash Flo's receipt; the Denny's was way too crowded, so we drove to In-N-Out. (Julie missed the turn to get on the freeway HAHAHA!) We ate around one table (it was also really packed at In-N-Out). Then we went to the Las Vegas sign. We took our pics - another group, of 3 people, was there and they saw how much fun we were having and started taking pictures of us! It was then time to say bye to the other car (of the French people), who were trying to get back to LA early. Julia then dropped the four of us off at Mandalay, as she went off to get her tattoo. We gambled a bit, I won some cash at roulette. Walked through Luxor to Excalibur. We played some arcade games. Then to New York New York! Met back up with Julia; we walked to MGM to see the lions. Then we drove to the Venetian. We saw a little street performance, strolled the canals, and ate at the food court. Then, goodbye Las Vegas! We were back on the road, blasing the Ke$ha just as we came in. Played 20 questions and 6 degrees. Julia didn't notice that we were RUNNING OUT OF GAS. Until we were 10 miles outside Yermo. We panicked and freaked out that we would be abandoned i the middle of the desert, but a miraculous small gas station appeared and saved us! We celebrated Stephanie's birthday there with a mini pecan pie and a lit cigarette!

A perfect ending to what could easily be ranked as my most amazing Vegas trip ever!

Artwalk last night. Drove there with Steffen from Century City. Got a couple drinks at the Edison as our German friends arrived - Ulrike (not UCLA), Sandra, Patricia, and Matthias. We then went to the food truck lot. I got a delicious and juicy wrap from the Turkish food truck TastyMeat!. The girls and Matthias wanted to see the burlesque show at the Edison; Steffen and I wanted to see the art. So we split. We then met Josh and his sister.
Wurstkuche afterwards.

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Gotta get things done and wrapped up today before leaving for Vegas...

News: Mubarak steps down! This is kind of a big thing. For the world.
Busy busy today... taking shareholder calls for 3 cases. Monster resume search, and tutoring Alex (he has an essay due).
Music: Abba - Gimme Gimme Gimme; Green Day - Holiday

Stayed in West LA last night. Took the Jeopardy qualification exam - I think I did poorly. I wasn't ready to think so fast! I wanted to go to Father's Office to try the burgers there, but no one was really free. Finally Matthias arrived and we went to Tacomiendo. I needed beef in my system for my blood donation. Louise was out at the Bieber movie premiere, that's why she was so late.
I worked on an essay for Alex H. (my tutoree).

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I submitted my FAFSA. Weird.
I need to write a whole other personal statement for my financial aid application.
Busy morning, yet again.
Blood donation at Loyola with Ryan. I drove. Tried to name Bond movies. They thought we were students (until they saw our jeans and my facial hair and my cell phone). It was weird to see all the high school students now; I feel really old. The donation took a while - 2.5 hours (oops, sorry work!). We bought gyros from Papa Christo's afterwards.
News: Mubarak stepping down finally? Nope. He's still president of Egypt.
Music: Deadmau5; The Cure - Boys Don't Cry
Downtown LA Artwalk tonight!

Worked til 6:45 last night.
Ten Trader Joe's. Watched some Glee. I had no case for my contact lenses so I went on a quest to Vons then Ralphs to buy one. Slept at 10:15. Louise returned as I was asleep.

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Oh, it's a busy day at the office. Two new cases with shareholders continuously calling.
The weather is nice, a little cooler but still dry at least.
The door to my "secret" staircase exit has been lodged open for several days.
I should be happy - my LSE app is in!
Jannes is returning to California this summer!
I'm looing for a person to join us in Vegas thiss weekend.
Music: Gavin DeGraw - In Love with a Girl; Beatles - Let It Be; The Killers - For Reasons Unknown
Lunch: Soy nuggets and bread. Discussed vegetarianism with Coby and Louis (why must lawyers argue in every discussion?!)

Drove back to mom's house. Took 6th street for the first time. It took the same amount of time - 1.25 hours. I arrived at the exact same time as mom! I mean, we pulled into the garage one right after the other. What a coincidence. She had bought Zankou chicken. Yum yum nom nom!
I didn't go to Red Lion tavern or Spaceland with the Germans. I just needed a night in. (Seriously I need to stop saying "yes" to every event.)
Watched The Office, new HIMYM, and Caddyshack. Good movie - Rodney Dangerfield is amazing!
I want to re-learn the piano. I've been able to play "Hey Jude" but not much else lately.
Dream: I walked across town (Vegas) from west to east along one street. It was a combo of Vegas, the Valley, and central LA. I passed Van Nuys airport (the planes were landing steeply), then through Koreatown and into downtown/the Strip. Driving back from "Vegas" in a van / party bus with friends - AF, PC, MM, AM. Then I woke up.

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7:10am. The sunlight that usually wakes me up was shrouded by a cloud. I gassed up on the way to work - a woman asked me for directions to Disneyland. Arrived 9:20.

Thought: part of being adult is being aware of your limits, whether physical or mental. Kids think and live as if they have no limits on what they can do. What happened to us? We should not restrict our minds like that! We should be inspired by children and really live as if we have nothing to lose.

I am going to Vegas this weekend.
BUSY at work. Newly filed case against China Media.
I am still so sore from Sunday's surfing.
Lunch: Leftover Zankou.
Music: Hey Jude; the Brady Bunch theme; Addams Family theme.
I just walked by Sinbad at the mall!
I am in a good mood. Things are good :). My legs are healing.
I FINALLY submitted my LSE application!

I am sore. I knew it would happen after surfing, but it still sucks.
The commute took 1 hr and 5 minutes (Beverly Blvd.). I just coasted along, not even trying to cut ahead. De-stressing - hopefully it will help improve my quality of life as a commuter.
My camera battery is dead, and I don't have the charger on me.
I don't like daylight saving time. Noon should be at 12:00 and midnight at 12:00, not 1:00.
Lunch: Mrs Winston's - soup (I mixed soy chili and lentil) and cornbread.
The weather is warm and yet again perfect. The sun is at the right height in the sky so that it feels warm on your skin.
I left my cell phone in the car.
CAKE! Shared with the office - for Dan's birthday.
Music: Travie McCoy feat. Bruno Mars - Billionaire; ABBA
... I want to learn how to draw animations (like online images - png and the like).

Saturday: Watched On Her Majesty's Secret Service. A good, classic Bond film. George Lazenby is a good Bond.
Cooked eggs, bread. Mailed my mail, bought orange juice at Fresh & Easy (paid for using only spare coins).
Watched more TV. Stayed home. Mom was around. Had pasta (angel hair) for dinner.


Sunday: SURF DAY!
Picked up Vince. Michelle R cancelled (was forced to helping her mom prep their super bowl party). Drove to West LA, stopping by a Wells Fargo ATM. Matthias had rented a car (to drive to a friend's super bowl party in Lynwood) and took up my parking space, so I parked in the parking restricted for a filming shoot (at the Bank of America - "Anonymous"). Lenna didn't respond to my messages, texts, and calls, so it was just me and Vincent off to Malibu. We rented two longboards at the Malibu surf shack (thanks to my boss for the $75 gift card that I used to pay - last year I used my $100 gift card on snowboarding so it's kind of a tradition now).


There were no waves (and not much of a beach) by Malibu pier, so I decided to drive us to Zuma. It was quite an experience jamming two 9-foot longboards into my small Mazda (they stuck 3 feet out of the trunk. Mike was on his way with his host. Vince and I suited up (awkwardly) and hit the waves (just as awkwardly). After about half an hour Mike arrived with Chadni (whose number I remember saving in my phone last time). We chatted (Chadni's a writer) and went back into the waves. It was cold but the wetsuit definitely helped. I caught several waves, sort of. None all the way to the shore but I stood up at least 5 times. I just need more practice.

Chadni left to find a place to write. The three of us rinsed off the sand, crammed the boards back into the car and returned to the surf shack. Mike told me about his recent unfortunate departure from his job (while he was in Hawaii, just in the last week or two). We then went to a vegan/raw restaurant in Culver City/Venice (Leaf). The food was good (and we were really hungry from the surfing). Chadni met us at the restaurant.

Returned to West LA. I weighed the pros and cons of meeting the international people at BrewCo - and I essentially talked myself out of going (I don't want to spend any more money and there's parking and crowds, blah). So we watched the 2nd half of the super bowl at my apartment. Apparently the Black Eyed Peas sucked as a halftime act. And Christina Aguilera apparently messued up the national anthem. The Packers beat the Steelers, big whoop (I randomly decided to support the Packers for this game). I helped Vince work on his storyline/novel. It could be interesting - I hope he keeps up with it. Drove the two back to Eagle Rock (Mike had a host on Avenue 47 near York/Oxy).

Stayed in WLA last night. Watched Weeds and Community. Sandra and Patricia were in downtown/Chinatown and went to the Standard (Louise joined them, after she got her stuff ready for her trip this weekend to the Bay Area!).

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Woke up 6:35 (!). Had time to check email, eat breakfast, watch YouTube clips, jog 1.5 miles, cook spaghetti for lunch, get ready and go to work at my usual time! Getting up early is awesome!
I feel positive this morning.
I have $9 in an unused Starbucks card.
I signed up for YouTube revenue sharing. Apparently my video of the elevator in Switzerland has been getting a lot of views!
Being "human resourceful"
Remember high school career day? I was set on becoming an architect (until I learned how little they earn). The law presentation was boring but they made a lot of money. Business was a little more interesting, and just as lucrative. But what I loved most of all was the film editor. I really wanted to make movies. That was the closest thing I had to a career passion. And what happened? I mean, economics is really fascinating and much more stable and lucrative career-wise. I'm not complaining, but I think I know why I don't have that much passion.
Lunch: Pesto spaghetti.
Compiling a spreadsheet of all my login/passwords. There are so many to remember!
Gave away the lamp on Craigslist. Good deed done.
I'm doing my taxes - online! TurboTax, thank you!
Music to get: Trio - Da Da Da

Tonight: Going out to Santa Monica for Louise (A.)'s last night. Also, Mike should be arriving.

Went to Rainbow Bar & Grill last night. Patricia was there for 40 minutes waiting. Sandra arrived shortly after me, around 6:45, and Louise around 7. Sandra didn't end up going to Mexico, the rideshare person was too flaky. Instead, she and Patricia got invited to the Magic Castle! WTF how does that happen?!
We planned to go to a taping of 2 and a Half Men next month!
I had to park in Beverly Hills (down Doheny). It was cold and breezy. I was running out of gas - Beverly Hills is the worst place to run out of gas!
Slept on the futon.

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Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Finished (sort of) my LSE essay!
Got a call from another law firm (Milberg) that found me resume and wanted me to work for them.
Lunch: Frozen burritos.
News: Egypt protests continue. It has turned more violent. Obama says Mubarak should transition out now.
Free chicken today at Panda Express! Yes!
Music: Ke$ha - Take It Off
Am I crazy to want to leave LA? I either hate it here or absolutely love it.

Drove home last night. Traffic put me in a bad mood (as it always does). Watched Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. I really enjoyed the film, DESPITE SHIA LEBOUF!

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Woke up 6:55. Jogged for a bit - it was so cold! I should've worn a sweatshirt.
Compiled clothes to bring to my apartment, my lunch, and the clock to sell, and I left for work. Left 7:50 - arrived 9:10. FML!
Music: Don Henley (also India.Arie) - Heart of the Matter
My skin is in bad condition. Especially with this scabbing bruise on my forehead.
Lunch: More leftover chicken (and a little salad) from home.
Sold the clock - finally! To a woman teaching in South Central.
Working on my LSE essay. Getting it done - finally!

Rainbow Bar & Grill (famous for hosting many rockers during the '80s) tonight!

- Happy New Month -
Drove home last night. Had some Toto's chicken, watched Bill Maher, re-wrote an essay for my tutoree Alex (whoo making some cash!), and knocked out at 10:30.

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Finally a solid 8-hour night of sleep.
Up and out of the house by 7:30. Traffic was still just as bad as yesterday. It really sticks a knife into your side for the rest of the day.
Music: Linkin Park - Somewhere I Belong; Rose Royce - Carwash; Colbie Caillat - Bubbly
February resolution: Read 5 pages daily.
Egypt. The protests are getting bigger. Mubarak intends to stay but won't seek re-election.
We need corporate tax reform. And why not make companies' tax filings public?
Lunch: Leftover chicken from last night + salad.
So much for being vegetarian this month.
Thinking about "calories" - it should be kcal technically!

I AM TIRED. So tired. I just need more sleep. Only been getting 6 hours.
Last night at the LAX Hilton didn't help.

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Drove to work - Alvarado-Olympic. It took 1 hour. Groan.
It smells funny in my office.
Busy morning at work. Sort of.
Working on my grad school apps, still.
I have a bad bruise on my forehead. ouch.
La-a = "Ladasha". Haha.
Lunch: Mrs Winston's. $8.00
...my good karma momentum from New Years seems to have worn off.
Music: Kings of Leon - Radioactive (to get: the Vaccines!)
Copenhagen Business School?
The sun's still out and I'm heading home from work. Yeah!

Friday night: Drove back to Glassell Park. Traffic sucked as usual.
Watched Bill Maher and The Office. Ate bread and hummus. There isn't much food.


Saturday: Mom had a dentist appointment. Stopped by the Santa Anita mall (to shop for a new phone - but no dice).
We went to a dumpling house and ended up ordering way too much food (for $4 I didn't expect to get a whole meal-sized serving!). So leftover dumplings and noodles were the food for the rest of the weekend.
Watched The Queen.
Mine's birthday celebration at Libertine (on the Sunset Strip). Parking in/near Hollywood always sucks - I got a place on Crescent Heights just south of Santa Monica and walked up. Steffen was also walking there (his new roommate is from Liechtenstein). There was Leanna, Darren, Mine (of course), Juliana, Ched, Joe, two Italians that I met, Chris, Marie, Stephanie, and Julie. There was an all-you-can-drink special for $25 (which is a great deal in Hollywood), and several of the girls took advantage of this. I drove Stephanie and Julie back; we stopped at Canter's at 1:30am, and they had had too much to drink and were vomiting in the bathroom. I ate their eggs and potatoes. Got back to my mom's house around 3:30-4am. Which sucked because...

Sunday: My mom woke me up and dragged me to church (I knew this was going to happen). I was still buzzin' / hungover so I just took my sweet time getting ready. We were 30 minutes late. And the church was packed for SBS's open house (the mass was run by the students).
The weather is suddenly cold and rainy. Looks like I can't go jogging.
I was gonna tutor a girl, but I got no response.
Watched Community, 30 Rock, and Parenthood.


Robert then picked me up for the little "party" at the hotel suite he got. That's right, he got a hotel suite (which is freakin' sweet!) at the LAX Hilton. Parking was $20 which sucks. It was me, Robert, his friend Chris, and Omri; later came Michelle and Lawrence. Patron and organic vodka - and I contributed a 12-pack of Bud. We went to the VIP lounge and took a lot of dumplings and eggrolls and coooookies! Played king's cup (I was the king so I put on the robe) and began to play octopus. I fell on my head trying to do a handstand. Michelle drove me back 1am.

Happy hour last night at Pink Taco.
Sandra, Matthias, "Petzi," Louise, and Michelle were there. The happy hour deals aren't that great. But whatever, it's Century City, full of rich beautiful people with nothing better to do but sit around sipping sugary margaritas and being very shallow.
I showed them my office. They are the first people to actually get a tour of my office.
Slept in West LA, on my futon.

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Work 9:05
News: Egypt is going through even more intense protests. This is a big deal.
I want to learn French, Spanish, and sign language. (One at a time, Jason... you aren't even that fluent in German anymore.)
I am wearing a black shirt, black shoes, and khakis. I almost never wear black. It's just too boring and blend-in.
READING MUSIC FESTIVAL. FUCK YES I WANT TO GO! I am so excited about my summer in Europe this year!
I want Taco Bell. Even if the meat is fake.
Lunch: Leftover pizza. Was that mold on it? Oh well, I just nuked it for a few more seconds.
... I am seriously planning my visit to Iceland.
I want a California map outline t-shirt. And something California-related will have to be my tattoo.

Stayed in West LA last night. Watched some Weeds. Louise got to go to a film premiere and meet Anthony Hopkins (who is really old).

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My futon is feeling more comfortable. A little.
Showing is weird when you don't have a towel.
... There was a big snowstorm on the east coast.
I voted (for the special election in my district).
I have several invites to Vegas. San Diego in March for the wedding. Camping trip too? Oh my.
I'm really tempted to facebook at work. Must resist.
I miss the pacific northwest. And the nice people there. LA people are just assholes.
I want a digital video recorder. I just love making films.
Lunch: Leftover pizza.
Happy hour today at Pink Taco. Huzzah.
I had a hotmail account. I know I did. I just can't remember the login.
Warwick university application = submitted. Booyah!
Pleasant conversation with an older woman shareholder. She would have "raised hell" at Berkeley. Haha.

Rushed to Eagle Rock after work - wanted to get the $0.65 burger at Tommy's. Unfortunately about 200 people had the same idea, it was way too crowded to even try. So I got a $5 pizza from Little Caesar's instead. Turns out I'm too cheap to be strict about my diet.

Met up with Patricia, Sandra, and Matthias (on the sidewalk, without even calling each other) outside the 4100. It was closed, so we ended up at the Good Luck bar. We tried to go to Spaceland to catch The Vaccines (apparently a really great band), but there were no more tickets available. So we went to the Echo. There was no entry fee, and we ended up seeing a cool band nevertheless - Olin and the Moon. [So tonight, I was denied three times in one night, but I found alternatives.] We also got some Mexican food across the street. It was mediocre, especially for Echo Park.

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Ugh - it's only Wednesday?

Music: Black Eyed Peas - The Time (Dirty Bit)
Lunch: leftover chicken parmigiana from this past weekend's Olive Garden visit
I have to finish my application essay!
I'm still worried that I didn't pay my rent this month.
...cleaning up my last.fm profile....