One month and A Day
   Quick recap of the weekend. Friday, sat on my ass doing nothing and sleeping for a little bit to recover from last weekend. Saturday, got my car smogged, went to Ed's housewarming/blessing and ate lots of food and watched as some guys played "Halo" on X-Box for wayyy too long, then went to ESPNzone in Downtown Disney for Nic's birthday. Sunday: went to church (i'm a good boy), then went to Andrew/Lori/May's pool-potluck-going away-moving out-thingie ma jig. Yay for the weekend.
   So I worked out for the first time in 2 weeks this past Thursday, and I was hella tired. But I did weigh myself and I'm down to 153 lbs!!! Wow! I guess that splurging of carbs over the weekend at Vegas really didn't hurt me...or did it? I wonder if I weighed even less than that before I went to Vegas...like 148 lbs or so? I guess I'll never know...but damn, that's like 8 lbs that I've dropped since I started this diet 24 days ago I guess that's pretty good...but then I also think that a lot of it is just water weight because I seriously can't tell a difference. Actually, my pants are fitting a little looser now...oh no! I'm losing my great ass!!! HA! whatever.
   So I actually ran when I worked out! Wow! But it was only for 15 minutes! And I barely did like 5 laps! That's soooo wussy!!! But I think I had to up my poundage when lifting. At Ed's housewarming yesterday I put up 215 lbs twice. That's the most I've ever put up...when I work out I usually stop at 185 lbs. Yeah, I know...I'm bragging...but whatever.
   Yeah, and on a final note...I can't stop listening to A Static Lullaby and Funeral For A Friend. Yeah, I know that it might not be for everyone...actually it might not be for most of you guys, but right now I love it.
   Well, Berto and 6-Pac and them are enjoying the sun/beach/girls/water in Hawaii. I wish you guys the best trip in the world and come home safely (yeah, I know that they won't read this until they get back a week later...oh well, its the thought that counts). Well, that just got me to thinking that in One month and 1 day I'll be in Hawaii too! Ahhhh yeah...and the countdown has begun. Such is the life of Joe...

Weekdays Suck
   It's always a let down when you have to go back to work after a weekend. Its even more of a let down when that weekend was a great one. I've tried to catch up on my sleep by going straight home instead of working out...but that isn't working because being the geek that I am, I go online and chat, blog, read peoples blogs, download songs, surf the web, check my Friendsters, check my eBay auctions, look at pictures, and then by the time I know it...its's already 1 in the morning!!! So today instead of going straight home, I'm actually gonna go work out...for the first time in 2 weeks. Damn, I'm gonna be week. Plus I wanna weigh myself since I went off Atkins..I can't hang on Atkins when I'm in Vegas.
   Is it Friday yet? I can't wait until this weekend. Why? Because hopefully it's gonna be a chill weekend. No long drives, nothing I HAVE to go to....just time for me to sleep in and chill. Next weekend is Independence Day anything going on???? I'm most likely going back to Tulare since I have a wedding to go to on Saturday. I just hate going back to Tulare especially in the summer because its so freaking hot there....I'm talking about triple digit hot. BLAH! And this wedding is outdoors...but I think its in the evening...so it should be cool. Well, June gloom is over and now its freaking hot...time for the beach? Time for swimming? Sounds good to me.
   Oh yeah, and congratulations to the newly employed friends. Welcome to the real world....time to make your money! When's the celebration? Well, congratulations nonetheless. Such is the life of Joe...

Look Joe...Chippendale's
   Vegas weekend....best Vegas trip ever. I dont' really wanna recap exactly what we did just because I'd probably repeat what everyone else is gonna say and also because it would take forever to do. Also....I'm kinda hazy on the goings on on Saturday night....either I have a bad memory or it was the alcohol...I think it was a little of both.

Randomness:

• "You guys want any of my chicken strips?" (said by Jevon at Denny's even though he ordered miniburgers)
• "Ai has it" (not funny when you read it...but when you say it, it sounds like "I has it"...and that sounds like you're a fob)
• "Hey Joe, were you awake when I woke up and asked you if you wanted some, cuz I was gonna give you some" (said by Cici and my personal favorite quote of the trip)

   The first casino we hit was O'Shea's...I've never gambled there and was really down to go to a REAL casino...but I had soooooo much fun at O'Shea's. That's my new favorite place in Vegas. The first thing we did was each take a Kamikaze shot. And that pretty much set the pace for the night. We sat down at a single deck Blackjack Table and ran that table. Chris was so money, he won so much freaking money at that table, actually...pretty much all of us won money there. A couple more drinks there and a couple more hundred in our pocket and then I stood up to get off the table...and I freaking almost fell over! WOAH I didn't know how much that Kamikaze shot freaking hit me! Dinner/Breakfast at Barbary Coast and home and to bed at 6 in the morning for a 3 hour nap.
   Saturday was the best day because today the JAC Crew is complete. We met Cici at the airport and then headed to Rio's Seafood Buffet all on Chris. Thanks CHRIS!!!. Back at the time share we created a new drinking game with Jon's travel Scrabble with Patron and Jack. I think I took probably 5 shots or so of Patron...that stuff is so good. And seriously I love tequila because I've never ever thrown up while drinking tequila and that held true tonight. Clubbing at Risque, saw my girls there (Rita, Ana, Nicole, Serena, & Charlene), wasn't feeling the 40 year old crowd, gambled a bit, saw Thaomy and Paolo, back to O'Shea's, and finally time for "special treats", home at 8 in the morning? then 2 hour sleep.
   The drive back was just as fun as Vegas was. Too many inside jokes to list. Laughing all the way from Vegas to Victorville (we got tired after that). You know you're with good company when you actually stay awake for most of the trip back home from Vegas after only sleeping 2 hours the night before. We all brought a little something to the conversation and I swear it felt like we were in a chat room chatting away (I swear I'm not a geek)...but it was better, it was in person. You can't beat that.
   Check out Jon's, Cici's, Jay's, Ai's, and Jevon's blogs for their point of view and for what I left out because I didn't want to repeat what was already said.
   The best Vegas trip ever. Why was it the best? Because great company, I won $240 and paid for all my expenses (basically it was a free Vegas trip for me), I got to see Serena for the first time in maybe 1 year plus the other girls (Happy birthday Nicole), ran into new Friendsters, and was feeling very good from the tequila and other alcohol w/ no yacking at all. What was my previous best Vegas trip? It was the last trip with these guys. How can you improve on this trip? I don't know, but it's guaranteed to happen on our next trip. The only thing that we failed on was getting at least one girl's number this weekend. That's damn hard when you go to a club full of 40 year olds. Oh well....when's the next trip? August 10th? Should we book our flights now? HA! Thanks guys for the best trip ever. Oh yeah, I almost forgot...here are the pictures I took (sorry it wasn't so many). Jon took his own, as did Jevon and Cici...can't wait to see those. Such is the life of Joe...

Sim Girl
   This sight is a dope site eBaum's world.
   Sim Girl is a pretty weird and addicting game also...its more like a freaking role playing game, but you have to try to get a girl to fall in love with you or something. I just started playing right now. Pretty addicting...I know I said I was gonna go home and sleep...but my co-worker told me about this site and I had to check it out. Such is the life of Joe...

Help me.
   Is it 6:00 yet? Is the day over yet? I'm sooooooooo freaking tired right now...but it's worth it. Vegas was soooo much fun. Best Vegas trip EVER. But I'm paying for the only 5 hours of sleep I got in Vegas. Plus...is it possible to have a hangover 2 days later??? Even when you didn't really have a hangover the day after??? Good times and updates will be posted soon...(most likely tomorrow since I'm gonna probably be asleep right after work). Such is the life of Joe...

Today was a good day
   Just waking up in the morning, gotta thank God. I don't know but today seems kinda odd....ummmm....wait a minute. I actually woke up late today like I usually do and today DID seem odd because it was all misty and hazy and raining? in the morning. The parking lot at work looked soaked with water and so did the cars....damn...weird weather. But you know what? This weekend in Vegas it's gonna be like 95 degrees (why in the world would I bring up Vegas????)
   Today I got my CD writer/DVD drive! YAHOO!!! I love it...even though I really haven't used it. I didn't think I was gonna get it today because Dell sent me an email saying it won't ship out until the 27th. Surprise surprise! Today at lunch I went to the Spectrum to Urban Outfitters and bought these shoes that I've been wanting for so long. I was gonna buy them for $78 but then when they rang it up on the register...it was only $50!!! They had just marked it down today! HELL YEAH! Also I walked by the new work in progress...Fox Sports Grill. That place looks awesome. I guess it's supposed to be like an ESPNzone but it looks so much more classier. And the grand opening is on June 26th....and there are supposed to be all these sports/movie/tv/music stars that are supposed to show up there. Hmmm...maybe I'll swing by there on the 26th. Check that place out if you're at the Spectrum...it opens to the public on the 27th.
   Well, that's it for now. I guess I'll talk to you guys later. Such is the life of Joe...

2 Days Until The Weekend!!!
   So people are saying that because of Friendster they are getting into contact and find old elementary/junior high/high school friends. NOT ME! I think that it might have to do with the fact that my elementary and junior high years at St. Aloysius Catholic School was spent with basically the same 24 people. Another reason is that I haven't kept in contact with any of my high school friends. And probably the best reason is that all my current friends have no ties to Tulare and so there is no way I can somehow browse my way to my old high school friends profiles. *Sigh*
   Randomness: Do you wanna know what's hot??? Girls holding hands. That's awesome. Especially when they're hot girls.
   More Randomness: The way Friendster arranges your friends is by their ID number. What's your ID number? Basically its the random number they give you when you sign up. My ID is 338380 meaning I'm the 338,380th person to sign up to Friendster. Oh yeah...so the newest members of friendster (the people w/ the highest ID numbers) are put at the front of your friends list. So now my mission is to find out who the very first Friendster was...that would be cool. Such is the life of Joe...

Tulare....'nuff said.
   I went home to Tulare Friday night so I could see my Dad for Father's Day since I haven't seen him since January or so. Yeah, but it was actually really nice driving back home. I swear, once I entered the Valley (the REAL valley...the San Joaquin Valley that spans from freaking Bakersfield to freaking like Sacramento) I felt all calm and serene. I guess that I needed some alone time (but then again, I always have alone time) but I love alone time when I'm driving...especially at night when there is no traffic. It was just so awesome because it was a full moon and when driving through the Grapevine you could kinda see the mountians bathed in a soft light...it was pretty awesome. That, combined with it being a warm summer night, driving with my windows down, and blasting some Rocking Horse Winner just made me at peace. And then I entered the Valley and knew I was getting closer to home when I smelled those smells...and welcomed them.
   Yeah, so the drive to Tulare was peaceful...but now I remember why I only go home 3 or 4 times a year. Tulare is the most boring place in the world. Actually, lemme rephrase that home home is the most boring place in the world (replace home home w/ your respective home). Everyone I talk to says that they don't really like going home because it is so boring...but your hometown can't be as boring as mine. It was freaking hot in Tulare, like 93 degrees or so the whole weekend. Damn, and I didn't even bring any shorts. Tulare is coming up and expanding though. We got our first Starbucks Coffee Shop in town!!!! (Yes, that's right...the first one, I told you Tulare sucked). And they're finally building movie theaters in Tulare! (Tulare hasn't had a movie theater in over 10 years). Visalis, the next town over (10 minutes away) is actually really coming up. I was so freaking surprised to see "American Eagle Outfitters" at the mall there....this is the mall who's flagship store is Gottshalks. Plus they are building a Lowe's, a big ass Target Greatland, and the best store ever, Best Buy! WOW! But in Tulare, they are building a hella lot of homes there. Pretty big ass homes that could easily be bought for $200,000 or so...and a new decent home probaby can be bought and built for only $150,000 or so. Pretty damn cheap....
   I really wouldn't mind moving back to Tulare at all....if my friends were closer than 3 hours to me. If I lived there I probably would have my own house now and be living pretty good. But I'd be bored off my ass sitting at home doing nothing at all (wait a minute....that sounds exactly like what I do here in Irvine). But at least here in Irvine, the opportunity is there for someone to call something out, or someone having a party, or someone's birthday, or just a random trip to the beach. The only real reason I will go back to Tulare is for my Dad and relatives there and for my old roommate Craig and his extended family there. As much as I don't like Tulare...I'll be back there in 3 weeks for the 5th of July. One of Craig's cousin's is getting married.
   I need to go and exercise this week...so I can exercise my abdominals, and my abs, and my cloits. HA HA HA! They'll be all up ons! HA! Such is the life of Joe...

Congratulations Grads! and Happy Father's Day!
   Hell Yeah! Its freaking Friday finally!!! You know how much I love the weekends. This weekend is gonna be different than my usual weekend...because I actually have something planned. Well, not really. All I have planned is that I'm going back home home to Tulare for Father's Day. To tell you the truth...I'll probably be doing in Tulare exactly what I would be doing in Irvine...which is absolutely nothing. But at least I get to see Dad for the first time since January. So here's a early HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all you Dad's out there...even to those guys who don't know they're Dad's yet. HA!
   I guess I'll be missing out on graduation ceremonies at UCI this year. Well, I wouldn't really say I'd be MISSING them. HA! Yeah, graduations are always boring and you have to stand out there in Aldrich Park in the middle of the hot sun with thousands of people around and if you're lucky, you get to see maybe one friend there out of the handful of friends you wanted to see. Plus your cell phones don't work since the systems are overrun w/ calls (except if you're on Sprint! that's why I like Sprint). Well, congratualtions to all you graduates out there. Have fun and celebrate and live it up...because on Sunday you'll officially be in the "real world". HA HA HA! Welcome! Such is the life of Joe....
   

Free TRIAL Membership
   So I went on MyFamily and this page shows up saying

"All free websites must be upgraded to paid websites before June 23"

What in the world??!!! Yeah, the site really hasn't been updated with anything in maybe 2 weeks or so but it has been one of my daily stops on my internet journey. Oh well, I guess we'll have to resort to Friendster instead...but for how long? If you look at their info page at the bottom there's a question that asks:

What does it cost to use Friendster?
During the beta trial, Friendster is free. After the beta trial, basic membership will continue to be free, and some features will require a subscription. Friendster will never make money by selling information on our users.

So after the beta trial...whenever that comes, we'll have to pay to use some features on Friendster. Damn them! This is like a drug! They give you a free sample to get you hooked and then they start jacking up the prices! Damn you!
   So I watched Boyz In The Hood for the first time today. Yeah, the First time! It's a pretty damn good movie. Now I just have to watch Menace II Society because I haven't watched that one either.
   So I realized that the scale at the gym wasn't broken. Today I weighed 157.4 pounds....I actually gained weight. But I don't think that's fair because I had a really late lunch (like at 3 o'clock) so maybe the food wasn't all the way digested/burned off AND I had a big lunch. I had 2 Double Doubles at In and Out....MMMMMMMMM!!!! Yeah, before you say anything I had them "Protein Style" so there was no bread and it was wrapped in lettuce instead. Too much food though.
   Speaking of In and Out, Jon once told me that you could order your french fries "animal style". I didn't believe him at first until last week when I saw people at In and Out eating these fries covered in cheese and the special sauce....mmmmm, looks good and fattening!! At this one place at the Irvine Spectrum Food Court they sell these awesome Ranch and Bacon Fries....mmmmmmm, so good, and so bad for you. Well, once I'm back from Hawaii in August I think I'll allow myself to indulge every now and then. Such is the life of Joe....

Broken Scale
- Wednesday 6/4/03, Joe weighed 161.4 lbs.
- Monday, 6/9/03 (5 days later, 3 days after starting "Atkins"), Joe weighed 156.7 pounds.
That means I lost a total of 4.7 pounds....I think the scale's broken. I CAN'T have lost that much weight? Could I???

Mmmm...meat.
   So my goal is to lose like 5 pounds by Hawaii which is like in 2 months! So I'm trying this Atkins thing. Meaning only 20grams of carbs per day and yes, its freaking hard. Yesterday, went to a barbeque and ate so much! I honestly had 2 and a half steaks, probably 5 pieces of chicken, and I was constantly eating and munching on chicarones with cottage cheese. But the thing is, I was still freaking hungry. Damn, I'll probably freaking gain more weight on this stupid diet because I'm constantly eating because I'm not satiated. Carbs are very filling to me, but without them...I'm gonna be hungry all the time!
   Yeah, so after the bbq we went to Zanzibar in Santa Monica. Yeah, I know what you guys are saying, "Joe go out on a Saturday night...and to a CLUB?! What in the world?!?!". Yeah, but I realize that I always freaking complain about not doing anything at all and always being freaking bored even though I have all these chances to go out. And this is one of those chances...I thought of just going home, but I knew that when I got home I would be complaining that "there's nothing to do". So Zanzibar it is, finally I got off my ass to do something.
   So at the bbq, Jon had this free sample of "Axe" spray. You know...that body spray with the funny ass commercials? Yeah, so before going into Zanzibar, I sprayed some on. Let me tell you one thing, that stuff doesn't work. No girls came up to me. No girls came up to me and played with my nipples like in the commercial, or took my hand and slapped their asses like the commercial, or accidentally backed into me like in the commercial. HA! Oh well, Such is the life of Joe...

Camp On-uh-wah-nuh! We hold you in our hearts!
   Had lunch with Rozanno, Theda, and Danielle at the Spectrum today. Good times just talking and for some reason (I have no idea why) Rozanno started to hum the theme song for Clarissa Explains It All. Naa Naa Na-Na-Na, Naa Na-Na-Na Naa. That show was awesome! I loved it! Remember that show? It was this show on Nickelodeon and had Melissa Joan Hart before she was "Sabrina". We then started to talk about other old school "teen" shows like Hey Dude (which I never really liked), Salute Your Shorts! EVERYBODY watched that show!!! Small Wonder (I just downloaded the theme song!) and even Out Of This World. Man, those shows just bring back memories.
   SEE! My fascination with Lizzie McGuire and Even Stevens isn't a recent thing. I've loved those corny, teen aimed shows since I was actually a teen!!!
   Well, to add to that list of old (and some not so old) TV shows I used to watch as a kid/teenager/adolescent/young adult/college student/now. There's the obligate Saved By The Bell, California Dreams, and Boy Meets World. But those are classics, I'm talking about less remembered ones. Remember The Secret World of Alex Mack on Nickelodeon? Or Flash Forward on Disney? Or even The Adventures of Pete and Pete. Those were awesome shows. Man, I wish they still showed those shows on TV. Yeah, well...you can officially call me a loser and a geek. I'm freaking gonna go online now and try to find episodes and/or theme songs to download. Such is the life of Joe....