Hi I'm Carol!!!
Ok, I've been wanting to blog but I just haven't had the time. What have I been up to? Mostly posting crap on eBay to sell. It's great how you can sell crap on eBay that you don't want. I mean, I was just gonna throw away all these Maxim and Stuff magazines I had, but instead, I'm making like $0.50 per magazine on eBay (after fees). I know that's nothing, but at least it's something....plus it's kinda fun...

Ok, so back when UCLA was playing Gonzaga (wow, that was a week ago) went to eat dinner at this brewery restaurant to watch the game. There was this guy there with his girlfriend and he was just talking to her totally about the game. He was soooo into the game and just going on and on and on to her about statistics, bad calls, the different players and everything...the girlfriend couldn't care less. When he was talking to her you could totally tell that she wasn't paying attention at all. Then he starts to talk to these other guys at the table next to us just completely ignoring his girlfriend. HA HA HA! It was pretty damn funny and entertaining. The thing is that he was so loud and wanted UCLA to lose (he was a USC grad)...too bad that we left and went home before the game was over so we could rub it in his face. HA HA HA!

LOST....such a great show. This past episode was AWESOME! We were screaming at the TV! It was great! That's all I have to say about that.

So I finally got my taxes finallized. HOORAY! I don't have to pay $2000!!! I have to ONLY pay $1550 federal tax and $651 State tax! HOORAY??? Yeah, stupid me and my claiming "2" on my W-2. I've learned my lesson. But think about this...isn't it all the same? I mean, if I claimed "0" I would get more deducted from my paycheck but get a refund in the end...it would be the same, right? But getting money right now is better because I can earn interest on it and get more money back, right? Yeah, I know...I'm just trying to make myself feel better.

You know what? My Lenten promise is harder than I thought. I mean, there's all these little things that I buy that totally slips my mind. Like I bought this one travel book, I didn't need it at all, so it went against my Lenten promise. And just today I had to buy some coals for my Hookah (yes, I HAD to) but in the process I also bought a cigar which I didn't need because I still have like 40 cigars in my humidor. Man, at least they're small slips and nothing big like a Gucci Money Clip or clothes or something like that. Actually clothes might be better since they're more practical...who really needs a cigar. Man, I can't wait until Easter!

That's my update. Going up to Mammoth this weekend. My family is actually up there (cousins, Tita's, Tito's, and neices). So I'm gonna try to meet up with them Saturday. Wish me a safe drive up to Mammoth and a safe time up there. I'll talk to you all later. I promise I'll try to blog more often....Such is the life of Joe...

Scoe's #2 Gravy on the side
What a great weekend. Love the weekends to just chill and be lazy and/or get stuff finished and just to hang out with friends and chill. But now it's back to the work week...blah!!! At least at the end of the week I'm going to Mammoth, so that's something to look forward to.

Have you ever eaten at the Melting Pot? Basically, it's a fondue place where you dip your food into various dips. Tried the cheese fondue and really wasn't impressed too much, but then we went onto desert and the chocolate fondues there. Soooooo good, cakes, fruit, cheesecake, marshmallows all to dip in this chocolate fondue. It was soooooo good and I was so freaking full afterwards. It was great! So note to self, just go to Melting Pot for desert and order a large next time. Oh yeah...plus a glass of Johnny Blue there was only $18! Awesome! Our waitress said that when she went to the bar to place my Johnny Blue order, everyone was all excited about it. Wow...sgreat!

When I went to UCI, I really never frequented Newport Beach too much. The only time I really went out there was Sophomore year to visit my friend Sam who lived out there, but I never went barhopping or just hanging out there. I think I missed out...it's pretty fun out there. Sharkeez, Beach Ball, Rudy's, and Malarky's all out there and all within walking distance. Saw Regi out there at Malarky's which was a surprise...I think the Jager Bomb that I took for him put me over the edge. "Hey Joe take this for me, I'm driving" then I take it, then I think...wait a minute, I'M driving too!!! DAMMIT!

Mmmmmmmm...Roscoe's is great..especially after not having it in a long time. We waited over an hour for a table, which only made my appetite grow bigger. Yeah, but it's pretty funny how we bitch at the big group just chilling there for 1/2 hour after they eat wishing they would hurry up and get out of there so we could get their table, but then we do the exact same thing after we finish eating. HA HA HA! Yeah, good times and good food.

Funny how Tommy refrained from eating any of Jay's sweet potato pie, until we told him that Sundays are free days and you can do what you gave up for Lent, then he just grabbed a fork and immediately took a piece of Jay's pie, no hesitation at all. HA HA HA!

Ok, that's it for now. Such is the life of Joe...

You think you know...
First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENN!!!! I hope you have a great birthday today, and a great birthday week. I'm sure you'll celebrate it well! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN!!!

Thank for tagging me Mr. Nathan. At least it gives me something to blog about since I've been running low on topics.

How well do you know me? Probably not as well as you think you do! For Instance, did you know:

Four Jobs I have had in my life:
1. Stason Pharmaceuticals/IMT (only job I've had in my life)

Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Zoolander
2. Garden State
3. Chasing Amy
4. Swingers

Four places I've lived
1. Baltimore, MD
2. Visalia, CA
3. Tulare, CA
4. Irvine, CA

Four TV shows I love to watch:
1. LOST
2. Battlestar Galactica
3. The Office
4. Project Runway

Four Bands/Singers I'd love to meet:
1. Kurt Cobain
2. Bob Marley
3. A Tribe Called Quest
4. Dashboard Confessional

Places I have been on vacation:
1. Hawaii
2. Costa Rica
3. Chicago
4. Washington DC/New York (as a kid)
5. Virgin Islands (in July)
6. Japan (in November)

Four web sites I visit daily:
1. www.gmail.com
2. jcarlos.three10.com
3. www.bensbargains.net
4. www.sportsbook.com

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Seabass!!!
2. Oysters are good too
3. Island style fried chicken (for some reason it just popped into my head even though I've only had it a handful of times)
4. PRIME RIB

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. Virgin Islands!
2. Japan!
3. Mammoth!
4. On a beach on a nice hot day.

Four individuals who I have tagged that I think will respond:
1. Not gonna call anyone out, but if you haven't done this and want to...then I'm calling you out. Ok, have fun reading. Such is the life of Joe...

Magic Mic
CONGRATULATIONS CICI, JAY, and JOVAN on finishing the LA Marathon!!! I still can't imagine running 26+ miles...it's so imcomprehensible to me. You guys are crazy...but awesome. Hope you have a great day today recoving

Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day!!! Yeah, so St. Patrick's Day came and went and this was really the first year I went out and celebrated it. I was decked out in my green shirt and went to work...dissappointed that NO ONE ELSE was wearing green at all. BOOOOOOO!!! My work has no spirit like that at all...it's just boo. So I decided to leave work early (since I've been staying late all week) to start my St. Patrick's Day celebration. We headed out to Hennessey's in Laguna Beach, when we got there it really wasn't packed but we just started to get our drink on and I was feeling the alcohol kick in. Dinner, more drinks at Royal Hawaiian, and finishing the night up at Ocean's. My funnest St. Patrcik's Day ever. Thanks for the great times...

Saturday went to my Tita's for my cousin's 14th birthday celebration. Good times with family and rocking the Magic Mic, and I was the only one singing on that thing. All my Tita's were telling me to sing and even my cousin, Pia was picking out songs to sing. I guess they know I'll ham it up on the magic mic for them.Yeah, when I'm around my family I can be as silly as I want to be...but when it's in public, that's a different story.

After my Tita's house, went out to Boardwalk 11, this karaoke bar...but it's not like K-town karaoke, there's a stage and it's all public...no private rooms. Yeah, I had no courage to go up there...and not nearly enough alcohol either. Some people were really good, some people were ehhhh, and some people were boo....but it didn't matter, everyone was having fun. So some tips when singing karaoke in a public place: pick a fast tempo, upbeat song...slow songs might showcase how awesome you sing, but they're boring; dance around and look like you're having fun; get the crowd into it by singing popular songs not songs that NO ONE knows.

Well, the start of another work week. BLAH! At least there's a new LOST this week. Such is the life of Joe...

MADNESS!!!
So I went to H&R Block to do my taxes and HOORAY!!! I don't have to pay $2000 in taxes...I have to pay between $1500 and $2300 in taxes!!!! BLAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! It all depends on some more information that I have to give them. I hope it's closer to $1500 in taxes. It's funny because the accountant guy said he's never seen someone with so many different forms from so many different places. What I thought would take like 15-30 minutes...actually took close to an hour!!! Oh well...whatever...taxes shmaxes.

March Madness is here!!! YES! Did you all see a couple days ago that UCI made the #1 Highlight in ESPN. Why? Because Long Beach St. made a game winning shot against UCI in the Big West Tourney. Good job Anteaters...I swear they always mess up at the tournament. BLAH! But yeah, I love me some March Madness. First year I'm actually betting on it since I gave up gambling last Lent. I already have my brackets printed with the betting lines next to each team. Probably gonna bet on the 12-5 matchups of course, then on some of the 1-16 matchups (I don't think some of them will cover), 8-9 matchups are just a toss up too. Gotta love me some March Madness!!! Gotta remember to deposit some money into my account on Thursday...

Ok, that is all...another work week that I have to get through until the weekend. Such is the life of Joe...

three10
So it's officially been half my life that I've lived without Mom. No, let me rephrase that...it's been fourteen years since she left this world to go to a better place to keep watch over me. She's still with me and I haven't spent a day without Mom...but I do miss her.

It's pretty funny how I think about her more during this time. It was only yesterday that I was watching 50 First Dates and at the end they played Iz's version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" which always brings a tear to my eye because it always makes me think about Mom. Now don't get me wrong...it's not a bad thing...I actually like the song and I'll play it and listen to it when I'm by myself...but with other people around it's a little embarrassing.

This morning I also had a dream and I remembered it kinda...which is really unusual for me. Was Mom there in my dream? I'm not too sure...although I know all my friends and family where there. But the fact that I kinda remember it and that I have a feeling that she was in the dream makes me think that she was in it. I mean, I usually don't remember my dreams at all...but this one I woke up and just thought to myself "that was weird".

I kinda felt a little guilty actually...I almost forgot. It wasn't until I heard the date said on the radio that it clicked and I realized what today is. Yeah, I remembered early in the morning but I usually remember like the day before or something. After work gotta stop by the church and pray for a little bit.

Yeah, so I guess Easter time and Lent is a little emotional for me since it was during this time that Mom passed. But I guess it's kinda symbolic that she passed during this time. Lent is a time of rebirth and that's exactly what happened...she left this world to be reborn in a better place. It's also her birthday in a month or so. I need to go back to Tulare and visit her. I haven't done that since I was last there...which was a while ago...at least 6 months.

I love you, I miss you, yet I know you're always there for me. Such is the life of Joe...

Hi, Again...
Yeah...nothing really to write about. Taxes still suck. Job still sucks. No new episodes of LOST so I can't talk about that either. Yeah...so....yeah. The end.

Well, here's something you might want to check out. If any of you know Pat, you know how great of an artist he is. If you haven't seen his sketchbook then you've been deprived...but now you're in luck. He's started a "sketchblog" posting some of his daily work/sketches on there. You have to check it out...you'll be amazed at his talent: From the Cave (Pat's Sketch Blog)

So you all know that I've given up shopping for myself. Well, there's always a loophole. When I gave up eating red meat I found the loophole of just chewing and sucking on the meat (yeah yeah yeah...shut up Jevon) and then spitting it out (ok...I admit it's kinda funny). This year's loophole is I can buy presents for other people...i.e. if so and so wants this fency thingamabobber, I can just buy them that for them...in exchange for them buying me something that I want! SEE! It all works out right?!?!? I'm not shopping if I do that...I'm receiving gifts! YES!

Yeah, but why do I go online and "window shop" b/c now I have all these freaking things that I have bookmarked that I want to buy. Come on April 16th....you're so far away!

Oh yeah...and did you know that it isn't 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter? It's actually 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday! So it's 47 Days from Ash Wednesday to Easter!!! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! 7 more days than I had planned to not be buying things for me!!! WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

Well, I guess it's a good thing since I'm probably gonna need to save my money to pay my taxes. BLAH! Which reminds me....note to self: go to H&R Block to schedule an appointment to do my taxes. The end....Such is the life of Joe...

Hi
Hi...the end.
Such is the life of Joe...

This Can't Be Right
Ok, I give up...so far I'm owing $2000+ in taxes....I HAVE to be doing something wrong. I'm throwing in the towel. Who wants to do my taxes for me? I'll pay you a pretty penny for it (hee hee...really, it's a nice shiny penny!!!) No for reals, I'll pay you good if you do my taxes for me AND get me a refund (or at least lower the cost of how much I owe to under $500). Anyone....anyone....Bueller???? Such is the life of Joe...

TAXES SUCK!!!
Ok, so I'm in the middle of doing my taxes right now on Turbo Tax and after entering my salary I OWED like $300 in taxes!!! THEN I started to enter all my investments and interest accrued and it just kept on going up!!! I owe like $500+ right now and I'm not even close to entering all my interest. DAMMIT!!! What the hell is wrong!!! Maybe I'm doing it wrong? Oh wait...I still haven't got to the "deductions" tab, but I don't think I have any deductions....stupid taxes!!! I think I might go to a CPA if I still owe money after I finish my taxes.

So LOST last night. How AWESOME was it? Soooooooooo freaking good! I was not disappointed at all. It just brings up more and more questions. I mean, how crazy is this show!!! You think it's going in one direction and you know who the Others are and then it throws you for a loop. Sooooooo freaking good though. I love that show!!!

Thanks Danielle for lunch yesterday. It was great. It was great hanging out and talking too...even though you did scare the hell out of me at one point. Thanks for everything.

Well, happy Thursday...Such is the life of Joe..