Absinthe
Congratulations to Miss Riann for finishing her boards! YAHOO!!! The hamster is out of her cage!!! Now she's free to do nothing....man, that must be nice.... Sorry I couldn't make it out to BJ's last night. But I'll buy you a drink the next time I see you.

Lots of family time this past weekend. It really made me happy. From my brother and Ana coming down, my Tita's in Palos Verdes, my Dad in Tulare and my Aunties and Uncles in Visalia, it was just a great weekend spending time and reconnecting with family. I guess that's what the holidays are all about.

But it also makes me wonder? "absence makes a heart grow fonder" At first I've always thought that only applied to the first person. Meaning, that since I haven't seen some family in a while that I really start to miss them. But it's actually two sided. Since I haven't seen some family in a while, not only have I started to miss them, but THEY missed ME as much as I missed THEM. I do love it when I see family I haven't seen in a while and they're just happy to see me and it makes me happy. I do admit it also pumps up my ego too...it just makes me feel good.

See...that's where it gets you though. You appreciate something after it's gone, after you don't see it for a while. Absence makes a heart grow fonder. So would that mean 'presence makes a heart accustomed'? If you see someone all the time you just start to take them for granted...it doesn't mean you love them less, you just get used to them being there. So maybe it's better that I don't see some of my family for periods at a time? Maybe I'm making my heart grow fonder! Or maybe I'm trying to justify not visiting family as often as I do.

Oh yeah, if any of you are free on Friday I'll be hanging out at D&B's at the Irvine Spectrum on Friday December 2nd. No special reason, just come out if you have nothing else to do. Ok, that's it..Such is the life of Joe...

Thanks!
Happy belated birthdays too Ai and Caren!!! Hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving and a great birthday weekend!!!

What a great Thanksgiving weekend. Wednesday night, James and Ana came over and we went to eat at Javier's at the Spectrum with Nicole. That place is pretty good, I loves me some chimichanga!!! HA HA HA. Funny how my brother knew what I wanted without me telling him. After they left, I was left alone at the apartment alone and bored...so I decided to watch "Harry Potter: The Prisoner Of Azkaban" since I haven't watched it since I've bought it 9 months ago. Pretty good...

Thanksgiving was spent at Tita Trixie's with family and lots and lots of food. Man, all I did was eat and eat and eat and eat. I did get to watch "Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire" so it was a good thing that I watched the third movie last night. I really liked it. Time with the family is always good. I got to spend time with Lola Tina who kept telling me that I looked like Mom and I take that as one of the greatest complements someone can give me. Everyone thinks their Mom is the most beautiful woman in the world...and you know what? Everyone is right, because to us our Mom's ARE our whole world. Don't forget that...

I went to Tulare on Friday but had to make a quit pit stop at Jevon's place in LA because I had to take a massive piss. Thanks Jevon!!! When we got to Tulare we went to our friend of the family's party. I haven't seen Tita Terry, Tito Eric and them in maybe 2 years. It was sooooooo good to see all of them and just hang out and chill with Eric and Missy and their new baby girl Chloe. It was good seeing everyone actually because they all seemed to really happy to see us. We actually took off to meet up Craig who was kicking it at Tokyo Garden after hours. Craig knows the owner's daughter and so we were just chilling in the bar and her husband was mixing us drinks. Good times. We even checked out Craig's new house which he bought in Visalia for under $300,000 for a 3 bed, 2 bath house with this HUGE yard. Must be nice, huh?

Saturday was spent shopping at the Outlet Mall in Tulare which had nothing at all, but at least they're moving up because they opened up a Calvin Klein and will soon be opening up a Banana Republic. WOW! James and Ana actually took off back to Alameda to beat the Sunday rush and I fell asleep because I was tired from shopping. When I woke up Dad was gone! He had left for a party without me! WHAT THE HECK!? I really didn't care, but I was starving and bored the rest of the night.

I think that Dad doesn't like hanging out with us. HA HA HA! No but seriously, every time we go out to a friend of the family's house in Tulare/Visalia, he wants us to drive separately so we can leave after we finish eating. Also every time my Tita's tell me that we need to come over more often, or how come we don't go on the annual camping trip, or how come we didn't come over the last time we were there....well, it's because Dad doesn't tell us! I think he doesn't like us cramping his style...and I'm serious.

Driving home on Sunday wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be. I left Tulare at 1 and got to Tita's house in Palos Verdes by 4. Not bad at all. Just had to stop by there to take a massive piss again (has my bladder gotten smaller?) and to drop off like 10 bags of persimmons that Dad picked from our trees in the backyard. I took 3 back to Irvine to give to my coworkers.

Lemme tell ya, my coworkers LOVE persimmons. I thought that the 3 bags would be more than enough but they were gone by the end of the day! Keep in mind there were only like 7 people that took persimmons but it was 3 grocery bags full! WOW! They sure love them persimmons. If I would've known that, I should've sold them for like $0.25 each!!!

Going back to work after a 4 day weekend sucks. Sucks especially since I don't really have anything to do at work and I'm sitting on my ass struggling to find something to do. Sucks especially after such a great weekend. Well, such is the life of Joe...

DEEP THROAT!!!
Great weekend with a lot of friends. Started the day off on Saturday with Lunch at BJ's then headed to Medievel Times to celebrate Belle and Cicely's birthdays. Medievel Times is always fun and we were just screaming our heads off. My voice was so hoarse afterwards and scratchy...so what do we do afterwards? We go and play broomball. MAN! I thought I was gonna be sick the next morning. Broomballing was SOOOOOOOOO much fun, but soooooooo freaking tiring. And we played with 2 balls so there really was no time ot rest because there would always be a ball around the goal to either defend against or try to score. SOOOOOO tiring. I think we all lost 10 pounds from broomballing because we were running around and sweating our asses off. it was GREAT!!!! Hope you guys had a great birthday Belle and Cicely!

Sunday was the annual Thanksgiving celebration at Belle and Cicely's and dude, there was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much food. It was crazy. Those 10 pounds I lost from broomballing was immediately added on again after I ate dinner. It was a great time just hanging out, eating, and spending time together like a huge family. It was great. Plus Catch Phrase is a great game....Deep Throat...HA HA HA! Hilarious!!!

So a lot of people have asked me what I'm planning on doing on my birthday. Here's what I tell them. I dunno. Or...Nothing. So I leave it up to you guys, what do YOU all want to do for my birthday? Suggestions welcome...

Ok, that is all for today... I love short work weeks. But it's kind of a waste, because no one really doesn't any real work this week anyways. Well, have a great "hump day"...talk to you all later. Such is the life of Joe...

Goo-Chee
So, LOST, pretty good, huh? Yeah, I thought so too. Now the front and rear sections of the plane are reunited. Jack and Analucia can do it, so can Jin and Sun, and Sawyer and Kate, and Bernard and his wife. No LOST analysis, because I didn't catch anything. Actually, Cat told me something that was pretty obvious. The sign of the tail section bunker was an arrow, looks like a number 1, so it's Bunker 1. Remember, the sign of Jack's bunker? It was a swan, looked like a number 2, that's bunker 2 (which we already knew). Pretty cool, huh? Oh yeah, and we say that on the inside of the door was "Quarantine" once again. Ummmm...yeah, that's it.

So Today and tomorrow has been and will be pretty chill at work. I'm alone in the lab and I'm basically free to do whatever I want. So I'm doing the easy work right now and just chilling which means I actually get to sit in front of a computer instead of actually standing on my feet and processing samples. And you know what sitting in front of a computer alone in the lab means! NO Not porn sillies, it means I can go on AIM and chat. YAHOO!!!

Today I also get to renew my stupid drivers license. New picture and I have to take an eye exam, which I'll hopefully pass. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! I don't think it'll be as bad as I think. I'm really only worried when I have to cover my right eye, because the vision in my left eye is CRAP.

So I'm sore, I'm back to my 3 times a week working out. Gotta lost like 15 pounds because I've put on some weight dammit. I'm sore all over, especially my legs because I actually ran a couple of times at the gym!!! WOW!!! But I hope it'll pay off and I won't be so tired/winded at Broomball on Saturday. I'm gonna kick some ass!!!

Dude, the one thing I wanted when I went to Cabazon was not there. All I wanted was a money clip. I go online and see a couple that I actually want.
Money Clip 1 <---- SO FREAKING NICE! I NEEDS IT!
Money Clip 2 ehhh, s'alright, but nothing compared to the first one.

Ok, you guys can stop laughing. yeah yeah yeah, I know, I know...label whore this label whore that. At least it's undercover and not flashy flashy. Yes, I'll step into the Gucci, Coach, Off 5th, Barney's, Neiman Marcus Last Call Outlets...I'll take a look at those "girly" stores....but at least I don't shop like a girl. I can be in and out of a store in 5 minutes. If I don't see something I want, I'll leave, I'm picky like that.

So busy weekend, busy weekends mean good weekends. Saturday is Medievel Times and then Broomballing for Belle and Cici's birthday. THEN on Sunday is the Crew's Thanksgiving celebration at Belle and Cici's new place. Mmmmmmmm....I can't wait. You can't beat hanging out with friends, wish I could do that every day. Such is the life of Joe...

So I've been really liking the new Jack's Mannequin album. It's pretty good, and I've been listening to it for the past couple days. Pretty funny since I really don't like Something Corporate. (Jack's Mannequin is a side project for the lead singer of Something Corporate).

Season Finale of Laguna Beach sucked. I don't understand why they were crying, they're moving 50 miles away, to LA. They're freaking roommates!!! Kristin was crying her ass off, but she's roommates with Alex! What the heck!? And how knew that LC had a little sister who's gonna be the star of the next season! Crazy!!! AND LC has his own show! I LOVE LC! So hotness...

I started to work out again, looks like I'm gonna hit my usual 3 days a week workout this week. I havne't done that in 2 months. PLUS, I actually ran today!!! How crazy is that!!! So many random thoughts go through my head when I'm running, even though I have music on. I mostly stared at this one girl's ass for most of my run which is probably why I felt like the 20 minutes was nothing. Pretty funny how one day you feel like you can run forever, and the very next day you only last like 5 minutes.

Ok, Ryan, 2 more days until the plan goes down. No, not "plan A" that's a different story. I'm gonna rock my bets this weekend! I KNOW it! Let's Do This!!! Such is the life of Joe...

Valentine's Babies

So Happy Birthday to all my Valentine's Babies. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAT! CICI! BERTO! IYA! and CYN!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!. Why "Valentine's Babies?" when it's no where near February? I'm sure all of you have heard that...everyone except for Iya. Think about it...what is 9 months after Valentine's Day? The 2nd week of November, that's what. So yeah, we all know what your parents did on Valentines Day the year you were born. HEE HEE!
Remember "Roswell"? This teen drama show on the WB that was replaced by Smallville. It was about these 3 aliens who were living in Roswell, but they looked exactly like humans? Remember? And then one season they added a fourth alien, who was the main character's "wife" in their old lives? Remember? Well, I just caught an episode on Sci-Fi Channel and realized that the wife alien is Claire from LOST! COOL!

So speaking of LOST, it seems that people want my analysis from the last episode, so here it is:

So Shannon is shot, and apparently dead. Apparently Ana-Lucia shot her, but some people think that it wasn't Ana-Lucia. They argue that Shannon was yelling out Walt's name and just making too much noise for someone to think that she's on of the others and to shoot them. Me, on the other hand, believes that Ana-Lucia did in fact shoot her. You can see that Ana-Lucia shot the gun (the gun is cocked or whatever revealing that there's no more bullets, remmeber, they only had 1 bullet). Sayid looks pissed and is about to do some freaking damage to Ana-Lucia, and I mean Iraqui Torture damage.
So Walt, did Sayid really see him? Or was he just saying that to comfort his love, Shannon? I think he saw him, it looked like he was the first person to see him and his eye contact and staring is what made Shannon turn around and see him too. But the question is, is it the real Walt? I mean, why wouldn't Walt run away and go with Shannon, or Sayid. And who the hell talks backwards? It can't be the real Walt, right? Who the hell talks backwards? So is he just an apparition?
So I was wrong about them being on separate islands, OPS. Well, we do know that there's one more station on that island somewhere. Probably where Danielle and Desmond ran off too, right? Or maybe its in the interior of the island and that's where "The Others" live? I dunno.
So EVERYONE saw Jack in Shannon's flashback, right? And EVERYONE knows that it was Shannon's Dad that hit Jack's future wife, right? And that it was Jack who had to decide on whether to save the old man or the girl, and he saved the girl...and they eventually got married, right? Yeah, a lot of people didn't see Jack...dude, it was so obvious.

Good weekend. My Friday was boring, but that was not really my fault. Well, I guess it kinda is, but not really. Sorry Cyn, that I didn't make it out to Broomball. I had a massive headache on Friday and I was trying to sleep it off. They were painting the walls at work and so the paint fumes got to me, so I just had the longest nap in the world 7pm-10pm. It was great.

Saturday went to Cabazon w/ Ryan, Joesan, and Jevon. Very disappointed there. Didn't buy anything at all. Oh well, we all bought our winning tickets to the Mega Millions drawing on Tuesday. Yes, winning tickets. Then I headed out to Pasadena to celebrate Iya's 21st birthday. Yes, 21st, right? HA! Good times, good times.

Thanks Pat and Gwen for letting me sleep over once again. You're welcome to Kay for all the music I gave you (still got more to give). And mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....I wants me some friend chicken and those awesome biscuits from Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken in Culver City. Sooooooooooooo good. Mmmmmmm...my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it.

Thanks for a great weekend. Now time for a new work week. Hmmmmm.....80 degrees tomorrow...that's beach weather. Hmmmmmmm........let me see what I have to do tomorrow, but call me up at lunch if you wanna do something, I'm down if it's not busy! Such is the life of Joe...

It not foe, it FUH!
So last night I got a random IM from one of my old coworkers that I haven't talked to in a long time. I immediately knew that it wasn't just to chat, but that they needed a favor. So after the requisite "how ya doing, what're you doing now?" chit chat she asks "can I ask you a favor?". HA HA HA. I KNEW IT! She just needed me to be a reference for her, no problem at all. But it was good to hear that she was doing really good. She's at UCSD Pharmacy School right now and she told me that she owes that to me.

When she was working for us, she only worked during the summers because she was still in school. I knew that she wanted to go to Pharmacy school and so I told her to go get a job at a pharmacy. She was timid to do so because she thought it would conflict with her school, she didn't have a car and didn't know if she could make the walk/bike ride all that way, she assumed that all the positions at the pharmacy had been filled up, and other excuses, but I told her that she better do it. She did and apparently got the job and is now in Pharmacy school.

My coworker right now just told me that he has a few Medical School Interviews and wanted time off from work. Of course I'll give you time off for work not only do you gotta deal with the Interviews, you gotta deal with PREPARING. I even told him what things he needs to improve during his interview because when I interviewed him for the job, his interview was REALLY weak.

So why am I 'mentor' to all these people and I don't even listen to my own advice? I tell people to get off their asses and go get that internship or go practice their interviews or improve this or that in their interview skills. But do I even listen to what I'm saying? Nope. Maybe I should be telling myself this instead of others...maybe one day it'll sink in.

Funny how just the mention of your name on a friends' blog can make your day. Thanks Jon! I feel special now!!! Feels good to be appreciated, to get thanks, to be acknowledged as the person who got them into the career they dreamed (whether it's true or not), and to be acknowledged as a friend and someone people can depend on. Made my day...now I just gotta take some of my own advice and everything would be perfect. Such is the life of Joe...

Jeet?
Funny how I was talking about going home this past weekend, yet when it came and I knew I was gonna do absolutely nothing, I didn't go home. Why? I dunno, I'd be doing the exact same thing in Tulare that I'd be doing in Irvine. Dad would probably be out and about at all the dinner dances, mah jong games, kareoke sining, etc. going on. I guess I could've entertained myself by picking all the Persimmons from the 5 trees we have (I'm sure they're all overripe now and the birds and having a feast day). Yeah, instead I just sat at home doing nothing. If Tulare was only 2 hours away and you didn't have to go through the Grapevine then I'd have gone home.

I still can't find my stupid Flash Drive and Sunglasses....so they're lost forever. I give up. At least now I can move on and won't obsess over them now. I just gotta do some research and buy a new pair of sunglasses and another flash drive.

So when I woke up on Saturday, my back was sore and started to hurt. I hvae no idea why, because I did absolutely nothing at all the previous week. I mean, I did help Cici move into her apartment LAST Saturday and my back was sore on that Saturday and SUnday, but by Monday it was all better and I had no problems with it at all...until I woke up on Saturday. It's really alright...I just can't turn my body or bend my back, then it won't hurt. BLAH! Lower back pain too, a sign of getting older. I think it's from my mattress...or at least that's what I'm telling myself to give me an excuse to buy a new mattress. But mattresses are a lot of freakng money. Yeah yeah yeah...I know I've been talking about getting a new one for a while, so I'll think about it. In the mean time, I think I might try sleeping on the ground tonight.

Finally, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAT!!! Welcome to the quarter century club...ahhhh to only be so young :::sigh:::. Hope you have a great birthday today. Hope you had a great day at work today too since you're the only one in your department working today! YIPPIE!!!

Ok, that's all...I know I know...Joe, you need to blog more. Too lazy now, but I'll try. Such is the life of Joe...

Old age?
DAMMIT! I'm freaking forgetful right now. I've lost 2 things lately!!! WHY AM I SO FREAKING FORGETFUL!!! DAMMIT!!!

First, sometime last week, I lost my Brown Arnette sunglasses. I don't remember where I put it, I think I might have left it at Red Robin when I was eating lunch with Serena...but she doesn't remember me having my glasses (which could mean that's where I lost them OR that I never brought them there) and it was cloudy that day (but I've been known to wear glasses on cloudy days).

The second thing that I lost is my freaking USB Flash Drive!!! DAMMIT!!! I mean, for the most part everything on there was backed up on my computer, but my latest Word journal w/ about 3 months of stuff on there. Ops. Oh well, I think I might've left it at work, but I thought I had it in my pocket during church today because I thought I felt it in my pocket when I was getting money for the offering. Well, hopefully it's at work, but I'm freaking pissed off and frustrated because I've lost a couple things this past week and it's not like me at all to lose things.

Ok, the end...nothing really to talk about. Such is the life of Joe...