I just realized that tomorrow is Halloween!!! Hmmmm...what am I doing tomorrow??? Probably doing exactly what I've been doing for the past 2 years or so. I'm moving into my new apartment. Blah!!! So what is everyone else doing for Halloween??? And what are you dressing up as? Either way....HAPPY HALLOWEEN

  Why is it that Irvine Police doesn't stop white people??? Or at least people in nice cars??? And on the rare occasion that they stop a caucasian person there is only one of them, but when they stop like an Asian guy or Mexican guy or Black guy then they have 3 police cars with their lights on and freaking spotlight on the car and have you get out so they can search your car??? Just wondering because I just saw 2 cop cars pull over some Mexicans and they had them sitting on the curb while they were looking through their car while a couple miles later I see 1 police car pull over a caucasian person and is probably just giving him a warning.

  Another random thought. They say that UCI is a very diverse campus. I have to totally disagree. UCI is not diverse at all!!! It is composed of something like 40% Caucasian, 40% Asian, and 20% everything else...how diverse is that? How diverse is it when you walk around campus and mostly see white guys and girls and asian guys and girls??? Yeah...random thoughts in my head.

  You know you had a good time, when the next day you look back on it and laugh about things. You know you had the best time when you can reminice about the weekend, days later. Ahhh...the memories.

  How much alcohol was there at Vegas? At least this much alcohol:

I'm freaking sick...my nose won't stop running and there's so much pressure in my head.

Vegas, Baby! Vegas!!!

  First of all HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY RYAN LAPID and HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOESAN DICHE

  What a weekend!!! I'm freaking tired as hell, I think I'm getting sick, and I'm $200 poorer....but it was all worth it. This weekend was Las Vegas to celebrate both Ryan and Joesan's birthdays. Vegas is always a good time. Vegas with 20 friends packed in the same room is a grand time. Vegas with 20 friends packed in the same room and lots of alcohol is the best time in the world. Too much to describe in too little time. "Where's my flower blanket!!!???", "Chilli Willi likes...but hates...", How much alcohol did we drink? How many pictures did you take, Jeff? How much did you win, Ed? The room at the Aladdin was awesome...except for the fact that there was a glass shower door and so if you wanted to use the toilet or the sink you had to wait until the person was out of the shower. I have realized that in order to win big at blackjack you have to gamble big in blackjack....that means no small ass $10 bets. So when's the next Vegas trip? and who's down to try some craps???? It was the best this weekend...and to top it all off...the Angel's kicked the Giant's ass and won the World Series!!!! HELL YEAH!!!

  You know what are some good shows that I've been getting into lately? You should watch "Alias" on ABC on Sunday nights at 9:00 PM. That is a great show!!! I love all the spy stuff, the action, and Jennifer Garner being hella hot doesn't hurt either. The other show that I've been getting into is "Scrubs" on NBC on Thursday nights at 8:30 PM. That show is freaking hillarious. Its just about these doctors, residents just out of medical school and how they handle being residents. Its just hillarious. Maybe, its just me because that's where I want to be sometime in the future.

  I was watching "The Man Show" this past weekend and they had the funniest thing in the world. They had this hidden camera segment where this one hot girl was trying on bikini's in this one beach store. She then asks unsuspecting guys if the bikini she's wearing looks good or not. Of course they're gonna say she looks good. She then asks them to help her out to pick out the perfect bikini and pulls them into the dressing room with her. She did this to 3 guys and it was just so freaking funny. She convinced the 1st guy to buy 2 bikini's for her which totalled somewhere like $200.00. Then during the 2nd guy she left the dressing room to look for more bikinis and he just started jacking off!!! HA HA HA!!! It was caught on camera!!! HA HA HA!!! Then the 3rd one started to smell the bikini bottoms that she had tried on after she left to get more bikinis. HA HA HA!!! That's freaking nasty!!! So which guy was worse? The guy who started jacking off or the guy who started sniffing the bikini bottoms? Hmmmmmmm...I'll let you guys decide.

  This past weekend, I also watched 2 of my mostest favoritest movies, Dazed And Confused and Swingers. You just gotta love those movies. First, Dazed And Confused just for some reason reminds me of Tulare, even though the movie was set in the 70's. In the movie, they announce a party at the "Moon Tower" which is basically this field of trees with a big ass tower there. That reminds me of Tulare because instead of partying at a person's house or something.....they partied out in the fields. I admit that I wasn't much of a party person in high school, but in Tulare they used to get together and drink at the dump. And the dump isn't some kinda nickname...it was the actual dump. HA!!! But we also used to go out into the groves of trees back in the middle of nowhere, where you wouldn't get caught or anything and just chill and drink there. People would bring a keg, someone would start a bonfire and it was just chill. Just like the movie! HA! Swingers on the other hand is a great movie because its has VEGAS BABY VEGAS!!! And guess where I'm going this weekend???? VEGAS BABY!!!

  So this weekend we also move into the new apartment. I seriously can't wait because I'm kinda getting sick and tired of Windwood Glen ever since 161 Windwood moved out (John John, Jon, Jevon, Jovan, Kenny, Gee, Sherwin, and Alfred). At the new place in Northwood Place, I get my own room and bathroom and I think It'll be more homely than this old apartment. Too bad, I can't be there to help move in this weekend since I'll be in Vegas. But we have plenty of time to move out. Ok, that is it. I'll talk to you guys soon. Vegas this weekend...I sure needed a break from work and everything...I can't wait!!! Such is the life of joe....

Happy Birthday Girlfriend!!!!

If any of you know Elaine Grepo, wish her a Happy Birthday. Happy birthday girlfriend, I hope your having a great birthday. I know you've probably been partying the whole weekend. I'm sorry I can't be there to celebrate with you, but we'll kick it as soon as I'm not so busy with everything. Miss you and I'll talk to you soon.

Ok, here is my personal statement that I've been procrastinating about for the longest time. Please read it and tell me what you think of it. Make any corrections that you find and please make suggestions on what I should change or what I should add. E-mail me, IM me, or leave comments in the shoutbox. Thanks again!!! And so here it is:

   Any child of a doctor can tell you that there is an assumption that they will pursue a career in medicine. My mother was a Pediatrician so I was subject to this assumption. She was responsible for my early exposure and interest in the field of medicine, but she wasn’t the definitive reason why I want to become a doctor. It is the personal experiences throughout my life that have confirmed my choice to become a doctor.

   My mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and fought the disease for 2 years before dying in 1992. As a 13 year old, I could only do simple things to help her like carrying things, supporting her when she needed someone to lean on, and comforting her when she would get sick from the medication and chemotherapy. But no matter what I did, I couldn’t cure her from the cancer and especially from the pain. Seeing my mom in so much pain made me want to do something to help her. I know it was wishful thinking, but I wanted to become a doctor to take care of my mom.

   The one thing that hasn’t left my mind was the impact that my mother had on her patients. I remember at her funeral, many of her patients attended the services to pay their respects. I don’t know of any other profession that provides someone constant opportunities to make a difference in a persons’ life. I have never forgotten that moment and have tried to emulate my mom and make a difference in people’s lives. College gave me more opportunities to help people. I joined SHOUT, a student club to help the homeless, where I would help prepare sandwiches to be handed out. I painted kids faces at the annual Buddy Games for mentally challenged kids. It was so rewarding to see their smiles after seeing their face painted. I also participated in High School Outreach, in which high school students tour UCI and get a taste of college life. Answering their questions and giving them personal accounts of college hopefully made a difference in their life to pursue higher education. These are some examples where I’ve felt like I made a difference in people’s lives. I know that by becoming a doctor I will have more opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives.

   I took my decision to pursue medicine to college, but my interest in science wasn’t contained in the classroom. Med Bound was a gross anatomy class where I received experience dissecting a cadaver with the help of a doctor. The persistent questions asked by the doctor kept me on my toes and gave me a glimpse of medical school. I became EMT certified that same year where I learned such skills as recording basic vital signs to dealing with various ailments. A ride along with an EMT company exposed me to the quick thinking required in this field. I was asked to take vital signs like blood pressure in the back of the ambulance which is a totally different experience than in the quiet of a classroom. Both Med-Bound and the EMT class gave me more real life opportunities where I could apply knowledge learned in a classroom.

   Observing doctors while they go on their daily rounds was an exciting experience for me as well. Observing Dr. Eric Dahms at Scripp’s Mercy Hospital in San Diego and Dr. Kathleen Flores at Tri-City Hospital in Carlsbad has showed me the differences in doctor’s specialties. Dr. Dahms is in internal medicine and has more direct contact with his patients while Dr. Flores is a radiologist indirectly dealing with patients through x-rays, CAT scans, and MRI’s. Following these doctors has also allowed me to see the interaction with fellow doctors, nurses, and patients and was an invaluable experience. My experience in a hospital setting didn’t end there. I am currently interning as a phlebotomist at Irvine Regional Hospital. Not only does this give me great experience with patients by drawing their blood, but I am also gaining the knowledge of working in a hospital setting. With my internship and with a full time job, I sometimes work 14 to 18 hours a day. Working these long hours requires me to manage my time and also gives me a small taste of the long hours I can expect during medical school.

   I am working towards accomplishing my goal of becoming a doctor. I have been working at Interactive Medical Technologies, for the past 2 years. IMT has given me the research aspect of being a physician. IMT assists doctors in their research by supplying them with fluorescent microspheres to determine regional blood flow. The work I did as a research assistant in Dr. Michael R. Rose’s lab studying the evolution of aging and late life fecundity in Drosophila melangoster also helped me develop such skills as participating in assays, interpreting and recording data and also working with a team. Becoming a doctor will allow me to expand on the skills and knowledge that I already have, while also giving me constant learning opportunities which I look forward to.

   My mother is a major reason of why I want to become a doctor. If she wasn’t a doctor, I would not have developed the early interest in medicine. And most importantly, I would never have seen the impact that a doctor can have on their patients. Her influence pointed me in the direction of medicine where, along the way, my own experiences confirmed that the life of a physician is the life for me.

Happy Birthday Theda!!!

If any of you know Theda Tumbocon, wish her a Happy 22nd Birthday. Happy birthday lil sis, have a good one. Just don't do a repeat of last year....actually, that was funny! Repeat! Repeat!!

  Hooray!!! The Anaheim Angels and San Francisco Giants are in the World Series making proving that the best teams come from California. If I had my way, it would be the Oakland A's vs. the Giants since they are my team but you can't have everything. Now that my A's aren't in the series I have to root for the Angels since I live here in O.C. and since I've never liked the Giants. Yeah, I guess I'm on the bandwagon and I don't pretend to be a longtime Angel's fan even though I can name some old school players like Wally Joyner, Chilli Davis, Dick Schofield, Devon White, Dante Bichette, and Chuck Finley but any old school baseball card collector can do that. All I'm saying is don't hate on the bandwagoners...without them Edison Field would be empty.
  So who's up for watching the World Series somewhere like at Gameworks, or Champs, or something since ESPNzone will probably be hella busy and crowded. Just remind me to pace myself because on Saturday, Cile, Tommy, Armando, and I went to BJ's to eat and also watch the Angel's game. We had to wait an hour for a table but it was all good since we just chilled at the bar watching the game. I refrained from drinking becuase I was freaking hungry but eventually pounded a beer before eating and almost finished my second before the food arrived. Needless to say, I was pretty buzzed to faded. You know what's fun to do when you're drunk???? Its to annoy people and be obnoxious becuase you can always blame it on the alcohol. I love being loud and acting stupid....especiallly around Tommy because I think it bothers him.
  Anyways, I get back home and just try to go to sleep because I dont' really feel that great after downing 2 beers, some spinich dip, 2 or 3 slices of Great White pizza, and probably close to a third of a pizookie. I then wake up and knew what I was going to do.
  You know what the worst feeling in the world is???? Its being nauseous and knowing that you're going to throw up but trying not to. You know what the greatest feeling in the world is????? Throwing up and feeling 200% better. AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Needless to say I went to the bathroom and threw up everything! HA HA HA!!! I know some of you will call me weak sauce since some of you were there when I threw up after 1/2 a shot of root beer shnapps (SHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Its a secret!!!). But it felt so freaking good afterwards. And this was a good throw up. Nice and smooth...nothing through the nose, just everything through the mouth. AHHHHHH.
  Why is it that throw up always smells like cheese??? At least all my throw up smells like cheese. You know....it smells like warm cheese, or alfredo sauce. Everytime I throw up it smells like cheese. Is it cheese or dairy products that make me throw up? Ok, I take it back, throwing up because of drinking it doesn't smell like cheese but throwing up because of eating or when you have food in your stomach, yeah...it smells like cheeseI know, I know...that's a little too much information. Sorry guys, but you're my friends right? Ok, you were my friends...HA HA HA. Until next time...such is the life of joe.

  So I was listening to the radio at work and the mentioned something about the House Of Blues and I remembered that my favorite band, Saves The Day was playing at the House of Blues Anaheim sometime in November. I go online to see when the tickets go on sale guess what? They are freaking SOLD OUT!!!! This is the one band that I've been wanting to watch for the longest time and they are sold out!!! DAMMIT!!! That's what I get because I'm a procrastinator.
  I seriously hav a problem being a procrastinator. I always wait for to the last minute to do things that are important. This doesn't mean that I run on Filipino time...I'm not late, its just that I wait until the last minute. I basically waited for the last minute to apply to college, I am still working on my applications for medical school even though I've been "working" on them for 4 months and they are due in like less than a week, and I miss out on watching my favorite band. Such is the life of Joe...
  As for the whole medical school thing. I've been meaning to apply for a while but I keep on putting it off. I basically need to just write the personal statement and I'm finished. But I keep on putting it off because I keep on thinking that I don't have the qualifications to get accepted. My MCAT scores freaking suck and my grades suck and I have basically no clinical experience...what college would want me? Do you know how I know my MCAT scores suck? Remember back in the day when you took your SAT's and after you got your scores all these colleges sent you applications or brochures for their school? If you did bad you would get brochures and applications from colleges like freaking "Cal State the middle of nowhere", (no offense to people that went to Cal States), or freaking unknown schools like University of Southern Middle West Virginia Tech or some sort. You know you did good when colleges like USC, the UC's, Notre Dame, and other big schools sent you applications. I know I did good on my SAT's because I got an application from freaking Harvard. Harvard!!!!
  I know I'm getting off track, but this is basically the same for the MCAT as it was for the SAT. If you do good on the MCAT you get brochures from all the good medical schools, if you do decent you get brochures from the alright US medical schools, if you do bad...you get brochures for medical schools outside of the US or brochures for schools other than medical school. Guess what kind of brochures I'm getting? Yup...brochures from podiatry schools, allied health schools, schools in Mexico or the Carribean or in Israel. Yeah....I did bad. But I guess I'm going to apply this year anyways even though I don't think I have a chance of getting in. $2000 for applications just to say "at least I tried". There is my half empty glass again....actually its always been half empty...such is the life of joe.
  

  So we finally found a new apartment. We have decided on Northwood Place. They have a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath for $1630. That's pretty good....if you had 4 people living there, but alas there are only 3 people living w/ us next year. It is just gonna be James, Tommy, and me. Armando decided to move back home to Oxnard or something. So that means the lucky person that gets the master bedroom at the new place gets to pay $630 for the master bedroom with its own bathroom. HA HA HA. Oh wait...that lucky person is me! hmmmmmm....its gonna be a increase of rent for me from freaking $385 to $630....that's like freaking $250 more a month!!! That's like $3000 more a year!!! What the hell am I thinking.....oh well, whatever...its only money. RIIIIIIIIIGGGHHHHT! Imma try and freaking skimp on everything like not having a phone and just using my cell phone and just eating like one meal a day to even things out. HA! Okay...so I have no idea when we're moving. I just know that it's sometime before November 1st. Also I know we'll probably need some help....especially help from people w/ SUV's or trucks....(hint hint Cecile, John John, Lou, Jon) I'm just kidding!!!! We'll figure something out! Okay...the end for now. GO ANGELS!!!! (just because my A's lost, DAMMIT!).

I hate the Minnesota Twins!!!!!....nuff said

You know what sucks....????

  When one of your roommates can't decide if they are going to stay in Irvine or move back home. That freaking sucks big time. Our lease was ending and everyone was sure about staying in Irvine except one of our roommates. And when we kept on asking if he was going to stay or go he just said, "I don't know". What the hell kinda answer is that!!! If the answer was "no" then we'd immediately look for another apartment since $1725 would be a little too much for 3 people to pay. If the answer was "yes" then we'd probably renew the lease since the rent was going to be the same and since moving sucks. And when does he decide to tell us? He tells us 2 days after the day we should've turned in our 30 notice if we didn't want to pay "month to month". BLAH!!!!
  Finding a place to live sucks. How come everything is so freaking expensive here in Irvine??? What the hell is up with Irvine Apartment Communities also known as IAC owning all the apartments in the freaking city? Isn't there a law against that? Isn't that a monopoly? They can just set the rent however high they want to because they own all the apartments. That freaking sucks!!!! I hate IAC!!! So looking for an apartment or townhouse w/ 3 bedrooms for around $1600? Yeah, yeah yeah...i know...it sounds crazy and good luck if we find it. But does anyone know of any good deals on apartments? HELP!!! PLEASE!!!
  Ed, Lou, and Ryan want us to move in to their Rattan house. Tommy and I were seriously thinking about moving in there...but that was when I thought James was moving up north to get a job up there and when Armando was moving back to Oxnard. Their spare room that they have is freaking huge and could easily fit Tommy and me. But I dont' know about Tommy, James, and me. Thanks for the offer and I seriously would move in there if it were just 2 of us...or just me. Hmmmmmmmm.....just me....hmmmmmmmmm.....