Jason's Daily Notes

Stopped by Walgreens after work to get my passport photo taken (for my UK visa). I had to wait 15 minutes, so I walked 2 blocks to the nearby liquor store to buy lottery tickets. I then came back to the apartment and watched Mad Men season 1.


I can sort of get why people like this show, looking back at a time 50 years ago, it's easy to see just how sexist and confidently ignorant everyone was. Makes you think about what we're so confidently wrong about nowadays.

Read some more of David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day. I'm finally almost done with this book.

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Today is not going well.
Problems:

• Traffic this morning. It took me 4 cycles of the traffic light just to get past the intersection at Beverly Glen. Usually it's only 1-2 cycles.
• A truck blocked the entrance to our parking garage at work. I had to back out and drive around the first floor just to get down to my usual parking space.
• I scheduled my court date online. It's in July.
• Should I take traffic school?
• Work is busy as ever. Calculating shareholder losses for several cases.
• My passport/visa application. Another headache: I left it at the apartment. (After I went through all the trouble of getting my photo taken yesterday!)
• I have to rush home to my mom's tonight - to sell the elliptical.

Lunch: Went back to the apartment (to get my visa documents). Made 2 quick veggie burgers.
... at least my parking space wasn't taken while I was gone.
So much need to be organized at work before I leave. Mostly shareholder stuff.

• I still need to wash my car. Ugh!

3:30pm. FINALLY mailed in my visa application. Hope it gets processed and returned in time for my travels. I only have 4 pages left in my passport! :)

At work late - until 7:00pm. Entering hours for this pay period.

Stephanie's last night LA last night. We (+ Steffen and Gavin) went to Road to Seoul Korean bbq. Morgan joined us there. The food was good; I enjoyed the kalbi more than the bulgogi. We also had octopus and squid, since Gavin's not eating meat for lent. Then we drove to Harvard and Stone. Mine and (her NY friend) Laura were there. Felix, Marie, Ruchi, William (Steph's friend from Pasadena), and Sana (Ruchi's friend) were there too. Sana is from Hungary and soon moving to London. The bar was nice, but Steph's bouncer-crush wasn't there.
Driving back to WLA, the freeway connector roads were closed, at both junctions (10/110, and 10/405)! Frustrating.

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Steph and Gavin slept over. So did Marie.
Steph's now gone, on to SF. (Gavin drove her to the airport) Then Seattle, Chicago, New York.
I feel nasty. I smeel like bbq; I feel like I smoked a pack of ciagarettes. I have a meat hangover.
Changed my CouchSurfing profile back to "yes" - now I'm getting more requests.
Lunch: Andrew N. came to visit me at work! Got Fuddrucker's.
The weather is very pleasant. Springtime in LA. The sun is strong, but the air is cool. The ocean air drifts inland and makes everything feel so comfortable but refreshed.
I'm planning to drive all of Sunset Blvd. Maybe this Saturday. Kevin's karaoke this Saturday too.
I DID IT. I just bought a new digital camera online. Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7.



Selling the elliptical machine - someone's interested, will check it out Friday.
Only in LA: Saw a beach blonde Asian mom with her 4 quadruplet boys, all dressed in the same outfit.
Coincidence: I saw Marie pulling out of the mall parking lot in her BMW convertible. (Later talked to Felix and confirmed that it actually was Marie, she was with her friend from France who had just arrived in LA).
It's hard for me to decline my acceptance to NHH, other universities.

Steph and Tyson slept over.

A lot to think about. Need to get my passport photo taken. Need to get my car washed. Need to decline my offers at the other universities that accepted me.

Lunch: Mrs. Winston's + plantain chips

Tyson's now gone back to SD.
KBBQ tonight - Steph's last night.

(why traffic always sucks)

Friday Night: Camping cancelled. I stayed in Glassell Park. I got myself a veggie burger and a milkshake from Habit. Steph and friends were out in Westwood. I didn't want to drag myself over there. Tyson was back so I texted him to stay at the apartment.

Saturday: Drunk brunch? No, MR couldn't devote the day.
Lunch at Cabrera's in Pasadena instead. Mediocre mexican food.
Then, a fun 5-minute drive with people waving on the sidewalk and the dancing statue of liberty.
Rite Aid ice cream, then strolled through part of Pasadena.
Brian and I drove our cars back to West LA. We hung out for the afternoon; Tyson was there. Steph and Julie soon arrived to make dinner (I threw my key at Julie because I was driving out as they were driving in!). I got ice cream and Marie Callender's apple pie. The guests: Gavin, Juana, Felix, Ruchi, Jan, Christoph, Andrew N.
We played Apples to Apples, then Mao; while some chose to chatroulette.

Sunday: Woke up 10am and cleaned up.
Steph and Julie came over and made crepes. I sucked at making them.
Drove to Malibu - El Matador beach. I went barefoot on the gravely rocks, which really hurt.
Then to Calabasas, met Julie's host family. Back to West LA, then to Steph's host family's dinner. It wasn't very much, just stale pizza. I could really tell that they're miserable to live with. Arguing all the time!

Went to Orange County last night after work with Jenn to visit Cassy. I was exhausted from work, but I energized on my way over there. We (including Ray and Juan) at our favorite Thai restaurant right by Cassy's. My tattoo was laughed at :(

--
Slept midnight - 8:15am.

Appointment today to get my biometrics taken at the "Applicaton Support Center" on Pico. It wasn't too crowded but still took an hour out of my day.

Lunch: Leftover Thai food. Filling - yum!

Looks like camping this weekend is cancelled.
No, wait! Camping is back on! Gotta get ready.
No... it's cancelled. ARRRRGHT! So agrivating! I'm kind of pissed off now.

What a night last night. Napped, picked up Stephanie, stopped b Fatburger; Ty and Dean finally came, around 10pm. Ruche came over around midnight. Lots of drinking (Tecate) and usual conversation. Ruchi and I.
Slept 3:30 - woke up 8:30. I drove Ruchi and Steph back.

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New case: American Superconductor. Phones are ringing off the hook.
Lunch with Peter today. Houston's seared tuna burger. Nice. (He's going to Colombia, Buenos Aires, and Brazil.
My coworkers were in the office all night preparing a filing due today.
Music: B.o.B - Magic; Lupe Fiasco - The Show Goes On; 30 Seconds to Mars - From Yesterday; The Bigger Lights
The phone is ringing nonstop today. I'm constantly just answering the phone. This is ridiculous.

People's upbringings have such a big impact on who they become. It's good to have friends who keep you balanced.

Was gonna hang with Steph tonight but Tyson didn't contact me. Watched Seven Pounds. A heavy but good film.
I couldn't get iMovie to work. My vids - mpg files - won't load. Argh. :(

I feel particularly undeserving today. Not exactly sure why, just feeling randomly humble. As if I'm not as nice as people might think I am.

Music: Carolina Liar
"bleib geschmeidig" - a new German phrase for me to use.
Ty and Dean are going to Santa Monica tonight. Finally gonna see 'em.
Lunch: Mrs. Winston's salad bar. $6.06
Peter offered to take me to lunch tomorrow.
My brain is too exhausted from dealing with all the clutter on/around my desk.
I LEAVE MY JOB IN 2 WEEKS!

Am I just delaying my life (with all these travel plans and grad school plans)? Am I running away from my problems, as they say many travelers are?

I need to think of better conversation topics.


Lunch: The Stand veggie burger. Meh, not that good.
Music: Florence and the Machine - Dog Days Are Over; Phoenix - Lizstomania; Cold War Kids - Royal Blue; Bloc Party - Banquet

Clutter. Need to get rid of all these distractions!