2007, a Year in Review

As you probably know, today is the last day of 2007. It has been an eventful year for me.

Highlights of 2007 include in no particular order:

My two week trip to LA
-Deal Or No Deal taping
-good food, and lots of it
-Dodgers game
-Disneyland

Becoming a member of the Blogger society

Turning 18
-Finally getting my drivers license

Christmas 2007
-at home and in Portland
-my Christmas present to myself, upgrading to an HD TV

Fishing Trip with my Uncle and Cousins
-riding on a train for the first time
-catching a "$30" fish

Going to a few Mariners games
-sister's first game, and autograph
-finally sitting in the lower level
-the homerun ball my father didn't catch

These are just a few of my many highlights of 2007. Last years New Years Resolution? To run a 1/2 marathon, not accomplished in 2007. Maybe 2008?

Running Out

Time is running out. Not only my break time, but also my high school life. I need to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life, well, more like the next couple of years which in turn affects the rest of my life. This is much easier said than done.

The reason I started thinking about this is all the deadlines coming up. Registration for colleges ends soon, and scholarships end sooner. How can I fill out my scholarships if I don't know where I am going to school? How can I know what school I am going to go to until I know what I want to major in? How can I decide what I want to major in until I know what I want to do for the rest of my life? These are all very good questions, ones I am running out of time to answer.

The Last Saturday

Today, I came to a sad realization, my break is almost over. And therefore, so is the glorious holiday season. We took the tree down, are back from our trip down to Oregon, and have to start thinking about returning to school. It's not that school is so bad, it is just that break is so great, and it is almost over.

Fuel or Finish?

Today, I realized I have finally overcome my addiction to the Toy Shoppe. While I may still play time to time, it is no longer an impulse I can't stop. Now, I can easily walk by the Toy Shoppe and have no desire to play. But, I almost always check out the arrangement of stuffed animals, how they are stacked in, and which ones look ripe for the picking, this I can't stop. I just no longer feel the need to play and try to win the ones I notice are easier to get. There is quite a science to the Toy Shoppe.

But now, I have stumbled into something completely different. Having recently turned 18, I can now buy scratch tickets. It may have been a bad idea when I first inserted money into one of those machines. I now feel like I could get addicted to this new phenomenon. Which seems strange to me, it isn't like me. I am a very mathematical person, maybe that is why I liked the Toy Shoppe. The angles, distances, and size of the stuffed animals. Scratch tickets are the complete opposite. It involves random chance, and being a mathematical person, I should realize things such as probability are against me. Yet I have purchased a few tickets.

And let me tell you, this addiction could add up much quicker than the Toy Shoppe. The Toy Shoppe was 50 cents a pop, scratch tickets are $2, $3, $5, $10, or $20 a hit. I really enjoy the excitement of the scratch, it almost negates the negative feeling of the money I have wasted.

I just am a little worried what this habit may lead to, I don't think it is a very good one. I don't want to become a compulsive gambler and waste all my money. I must admit however, today for a Christmas present to ourselves, my brother and I purchased 8 scratch tickets. We won $13 dollars, not bad, but it was $20 worth of tickets. I am not sure if this event will fuel or finish my habit. Maybe I need find a better/cheaper hobby, and one that doesn't go against mathematics.

The Runs Continue

Today, my Uncle took me on a challenging run. Well, it was challenging for me, not sure how challenging it was for him. Basically, I haven't been jogging lately, as in several months lately. Today was day two of my jogging streak.

Today's run was a trail run, up a steep "cliff". It was also near freezing when we started. I jogged for as long as I could up this steep incline, but after a fairly short while my body shut down. My lungs hurt, my legs burned all over (not in a good way), I had a stomach ache, and felt nauseated. I was able to walk, barely though. It was a semi-brisk walk, I think if I would have stopped completely, I would have to had been carried or rolled down the trail.

Eventually, I felt better. I was able to jog the last bit, and get to the top of the two mile trail. At the top, we had reached snow level. There was an inch or two of snow on the ground, and it was snowing. I spotted a drinking fountain, but it didn't work. Going back was much easier. I was feeling better, and had finally warmed up. That, and it was all down hill. After the run, I felt good. I think it shall become a habitual activity of mine. Thanks Uncle Jim.

For your viewing pleasure, or displeasure, there is a video of me jogging my Uncle made. Now, if you watch it, take into consideration at the time I was short on oxygen, energy, and water, and the dialogue was improvised. You can visit his blog, and watch the short clip right here.

And if you enjoyed that, you can watch the previous episode right here.

Maxed Out

Today was the annual day after Christmas jog. Every year, my father and I jog with our uncle. Today, the tradition lived on. We went two miles braving the near freezing temperatures and scary squirrels. It becomes scary when little tiny rodents are not afraid of you, and actually act semi-aggressive towards you. I lost count after 15 of these scary squirrels. I hope to continue this new one-day habit of jogging. You can watch a movie clip here.

I also went with my family and cousins family to downtown Portland. There I met the MAX. I when I say meet the MAX, I mean meet the MAX. The MAX actually almost hit me. You see, the crosswalk was a blinking hand, the sign to hurry out of the crosswalk. We ran across, but as we were about halfway across, the hand stopped blinking, a do not walk sign. We hurried across, and literally seconds after we had crossed, the MAX went racing by. It was close, especially since I had not clue a train was fast approaching, it was too close. The MAX is a silent killer, you don't even hear it coming.

Yes, it was an eventful day. A life altering, and life flashing before my eyes sort of day. Tomorrow, it is supposed to snow. I am also planning to go on a long run with my Uncle, we shall see how this goes.

Christmas Blast

Today was a white Christmas of sorts. It was snowing when we left our house, and snowed on our way to Oregon. Once at our destination, only an occasional flurry, with no accumulation. I can't remember the last time I saw it snow on Christmas. The Lofthus family annual Christmas gathering was fun. Highlights include a gift exchange, games, pool, and a rival Sonics vs. Blazers basketball game. Overall, Christmas was a blast, both literally and figuratively.

Eventful Christmas Eve

Today was an eventful Christmas Eve. Last night/early this morning I was up late/early watching a show with my siblings, so I slept in this morning/early afternoon. Once I got up though, things really got busy.

I stopped by the bank to get some money, this is usually something that comes in handy during the holiday season. Next, I'll admit, I went to Wal-Mart again. Needless to say, it was extremely crowded. As in cars circling the parking lot looking for a space to park crowded. I had wisely parked in another parking lot, and hiked in. Actually, it wasn't that wise because I almost got ran over, seriously.

After purchasing some last minute gifts, I drove my sister to drop off a gift at a friend's house. After finally getting back home, it was time to wrap gifts and peel potatoes. You see, we were having a "Thanksgiving" meal for Christmas.

The meal was amazing. I hate to say it, but it was better than the Thanksgiving meal. I mean, the Thanksgiving meal was fabulous, and I am not trying to take anything away from it, but it just shows how great today's meal was. After stuffing myself, we stopped by a relatives house, and said "hello".

Now, it is time to open presents. I believe most people do this Christmas morning, but we don't. Every Christmas morning we drive down to Oregon to be with our relatives, so we open our presents Christmas Eve. After opening the presents, cleaning up from opening the presents, and packing for the trip tomorrow, I think today will have finally come to an end, a very eventful end.

Great Gift

The past few days, I have been Christmas shopping. Today was no different. Although, I found something out today. Not all gifts have to be wrapped and placed under a tree to be meaningful. One of the best gifts you can give someone is doing random acts of kindness that show them you care about them. This gift means more than anything you can wrap or put a bow on.

Mauled or Malled

Today, I went to the mall. Probably not the best time to go to the mall. It was the Saturday night before Christmas, three days before. Needless to say, it was packed. It was the fullest I have ever seen it. People everywhere, trying to find that last minute gift for someone. I looked around, but just couldn't find the right gift. Or better put, couldn't find the right gift at the right price. There is always tomorrow to find the perfect gift, yet this won't work much longer. I am running out of tomorrows before Christmas.

Break-Fast Asleep

Today, I slept in. This has basically been the norm every day of break so far. Yes, there have been a few exceptions where I have gotten up at a set time this break, but not many. It feels nice to not wake up to an alarm, and sleep in as late as I feel.

Yet, a balance must be achieved. If I sleep in too late, the day is wasted. Well, it isn't wasted, but nothing productive is accomplished. I find it much better to wake up at a decent time, actually get up, and do something productive with my free time. While it is better, it is oh so much harder.

Family Free

Today, was the last day of school before break for my father and sister. This meant it was very hectic. Presents for the students to wrap, last minute details to finish. The school had their annual Christmas program, it was nice. Now, all the family is finally on break. It didn't' quite feel right to be free while some of my family wasn't. Let the fun begin.

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays

It seems to me, just a few years back, saying Merry Christmas wasn't a big deal. Now, to be "politically correct" one must say Happy Holidays. It seems every company uses this slogan to not be culturally unacceptable.

I don't have anything against Happy Holidays. It acknowledges a bunch of different holidays, and can be us all the way from Thanksgiving to New Years. It focuses more on a season of Holidays, not just one.

But, it seems it has evolved to where it is no longer appropriate to say Merry Christmas. Almost no company says Merry Christmas, I don't remember this being the case when I was younger. Maybe I was deceived or naive, but I remember places and people saying Merry Christmas. I don't even think Happy Holidays had even been "invented" a couple years ago.

I think a balance should be found between the two. I am not a militant pro Merry Christmas anti Happy Holidays supporter. I just think it is a little ridiculous in trying not to "offend" a very small percentage of the population, you bother a larger percentage of people. I mean, I even see Santas saying Happy Holidays. This is more offensive than Santa just saying Merry Christmas. I mean, if you were going to be offended by Merry Christmas, wouldn't you also be offended by Santa Claus? I just think this issue has blown out of proportion. It should still be okay to say Merry Christmas if one wants or Happy Holidays. People should have the right to chose, not have it chosen for them by society.

Party Partaker

Today, I joined my father and his second grade class in their Christmas party. It was fun for them, and fun for me watching them have fun. As with most other class related events, I was the designated photographer. I got a few good shots.

The students and their parents decorated cookies, same some songs, and played a game together. The students presented a readers theater for their parents. The above mentioned game consisted of a present wrapped in many different layers. Music was played and the present passed around, if the music stopped and you were holding the present, you unwrapped a layer. The person to unwrap the last layer and uncover the present, won the present. It was quite entertaining to watch, partake and capture the party.

I Was Legend

First off, I think I should clarify about yesterday's post. When I said I wasn't wearing any pants when I was hunting for a Christmas tree, I meant long pants. I was however, wearing shorts. I just thought I should clarify in case anybody thought I was tree hunting without any form of "pants" on.

Today, I led my father's class in a game of silent ball. The game consists of students sitting on the top of their desks, they then toss a ball to each other. If they don't catch it, or they make a bad throw, they are out. The last person standing, or sitting in this game, is the winner. And the name of the game is silent ball, you are supposed to be quiet, I mean it is a game played in school.

I love this game. Back in my glory days, I was the king of silent ball. I was almost unbeatable. In the 6th grade, I had a 6 game win streak, unheard of back in those days. Unfortunately, 6th grade was the last year my classes ever played this game. Leading my father's class in the game, passing it down to the younger generation, is an honor and duty I gladly accept.

Christmas Tree Crusade

Today, our family finally got a Christmas tree. Every year, it seems like such an adventure to find the right one. Sometimes, it seems like the right one finds you. Maybe it is the one you run into, or can't see at first, yet it somehow draws you to it. It was fun looking through all the trees, trying to find one with the right shape and size. Next year though, I will wear pants. My legs are scraped up, its not major, but is definitely avoidable.

Breaking it Out

It is nice to be on break. No worries, or deadlines, no waking up early, or homework. The list goes on. But, it is even nicer to share the break with my family. To do stuff together, or do nothing together, whatever we want. Just being together as a family is nice. So is sleeping in and staying up late. I love breaks.

Last Leg

Today, I drove further than I have ever driven in my life. 180 miles to be semi-exact. I also drove faster than I have ever driven in my life, I finally hit the stretch of highway that is 70. I was driving this long way to meet my brother, and give him and his friend a ride home from college. One of their friends had driven them part way, and I was the "last leg" on the journey home. Everything went fine, and it is nice to have my brother home.

Mall Musings

Today, I went to the mall. Well, more like I went in the mall. I didn't even go in a single store, I sat on a bench while I waited for my sister to finish her shopping. Now, I must admit, I am not a big mall fan. It is just too hectic. And, a lot of times it is rather depressing to think of so much money being wasted on pointless things.

As I sat on the bench, I saw person after person walk by weighed down with bags full of stuff. Now, I like the Christmas season, and gift giving, but I feel like it has taken over, and evolved into a monster. I wonder if the people have enough money to afford the things they buy. Sitting on the bench contemplating all these things must have been the reason the old man stopped to mumble some incoherent nonsense to me about needing to be happier, maybe I had a bewildered look upon my face, or maybe I just wasn't doing a good job of waiting patiently for my sister.

My sister did make a nice purchase, I just thought I should throw that in.

Penny Pursuit

Today, I learned the value of a penny. Many people will not even take the time to pick up a penny if they see an abandoned one on the street. I usually will, but I will admit, I don't always. There are even some groups of people who say the penny has become obsolete, and should stop being produced. Yet today, when we were buying dinner, we needed 30 cents. 20, 25, 29 almost there, but we were one penny short. One penny. So for all the times I pass a penny by without even giving it a second glance, hear the stories about how the penny is obsolete, I will remember the time I was one penny short for dinner. Long live the penny.

Author's side note: If you ever see a 1943 penny, you may be rich. That year, for war conservations efforts, they minted the pennies in steel. When people see these "silver" pennies, they think these would be the ones worth money. No, the original 1943 copper penny is the one worth money, over $100,000 dollars to be exact. Even though there were only a handful of these ever made, quite literally, the next time you see a penny on the ground, just think, it may be worth 100 grand.

Pickleballing

Today, it was time to dust off the old pickleball paddle and don my pickleball uniform. Yes, I could finally return to those hallowed courts. You see, Tuesday and Thursday are pickleball days, yet my schools haven't seemed to realize this. But now I am finally on break, so I can play to my hearts content.

I must admit, it showed that I hadn't played for a couple months. My game was a little rusty. Although, I think it helps that I am the youngest one there by 50 years. Youth is on my side, but don't get me wrong, those "old" guys can ball. In the first game, being a little over zealous, I pulled a muscle in my leg overextending on a dink shot. This was nothing major, and yes I did return the ball over the net, but it eventually hindered my game. So did being low on water, oxygen, and energy. After 2 hours straight of battling, it was time to call it a day. And what a glorious day.

I was glad to finally be able to play the sport I love so much again. Rustiness aside, I made quite a few good shots. The best news of all, the next pickleball battle is just a few days away.

Glorious Day

Today, was a glorious day. At first, I was really nervous before my Spanish Final. After I took it, I was a little anxious about how I had done. Then, reality sunk in. The quarter was over. I am now completely free, what a glorious feeling, and an even more glorious day.

What You Don't Know...

Sometimes, it is almost better not to know certain things. But that being said, I don't believe the saying "what you don't know can't kill you", I couldn't disagree agree more with that statement. What you don't know can/will kill you. Germs, bacteria, viruses, amoebas, toxic gases in the air, carbon monoxide/dioxide, the list goes on. Yet, I think there are times a version of this statement is true. Such as when you have a Spanish final you need to take tomorrow. You heard it was really easy, so you have had trouble convincing yourself to study for it. This is one of those cases where it would have been better not to know. As for the killing part, maybe my grade could get "killed", but I don't think my life is in danger.

Lesson Learned

Today, I learned an extremely valuable life lesson. Over the past few days, I have had some issues with someone I was letting fester inside. Once I final actually told the person how I was feeling, I felt a lot better. It took a lot of courage to do so.

Actually, the things I was troubled over, I myself had blown out of proportion. Both parties actually wanted the same solutions, and were feeling the same problems. I learned that it is good to be a good communicator, if you don't tell someone your problems, they won't be fixed. It is hard to get up the courage to talk to someone and apologize, but it is worth it. In the end, you may find you were mad because you misunderstood someone, or they misunderstood you. You will also feel a lot better when you do so, that is a guarantee.

Paper Problems

With today being my last day of classes for the quarter, I had a major essay due for my Writing 102 class. The topic, why/how the Seattle Sonics should stay in Washington, but that is not relevant to this "story". What is relevant, the essay was due today. This means last night/early this morning I had to put on the "finishing" touches.

Now, while maybe I procrastinated a little bit on the time I started finishing my essay yesterday, I had been diligently working on it for the past couple of weeks. I was finally done with the essay, it was all polished up. I thought it was almost time to go to sleep, much needed sleep. But I was only deceiving myself.

I had problems formatting the Works Cited page, I finally allowed the machine to win. Now, time to print. Oh wait, no paper. Well, there was legal paper, a bunch of it. I really have no clue why we only had legal paper in such large quantities. So, I had to hand cut my own paper to size. Okay printing. Wait, one little error in the formatting I have to fix, time to cut more paper. Now time to staple, where is the stapler? After all that, I needed a paper clip, one measly paper clip. After searching high and low, I was finally able to find one paper clip. I could finally go to bed. Not only had I finished my essay, I had learned a valuable lesson in patience and paper procrastination.

"Free" Meal

Today, I got a free meal. Literally, I mean a free meal at a fancyish restaurant. To be more precise, an all you can eat Chinese Buffet. Why was the meal free? Well, if I went to a "presentation" of fire safety, I would be able to stuff myself at the all you can eat buffet while the speech is going on.

Basically, they want to sell you something. In this case, a "high-tech, submersible in water, cleanable, super sleek" drum role... fire alarm system. So, in a way the meal wasn't free, I had to sit there and listen to his speech for an hour and a half. Now, I will admit, the man was good. Although, his scare tactics, movie clips, and lighting of things on fire didn't impress me too much. It was actually slightly humorous to be sitting through a meal watching a slide show of houses burning down, while loud, I assume fire related, noises were going on in the background.

Unlike my father, I don't think the annoying answerer-blurter-outer lady was planted in the audience. I just think she was annoying. Speaking of which, not the annoying part - but the audience part, I would say the average age was 65. I am serious. Overall, I think it was worth it for the food. I have to wait though to see if I am able to finish my homework for tonight to decided how "free" this meal really was. It was also disappointing I didn't win any door prizes. I was all ready to yell out the answer 55.8%, the supposed failure rate of "average" fire alarms, but I was sad I didn't win.

Break not Brake

Today, I came to the realization that it is almost winter break. Okay, I didn't just now realize that, but it kind of struck me how close it is. I have one more major event for each class. A writing essay, a history test, and a spanish final. That is it. Yet, now is not the time to coast into the break. No, now is the most important couple of days, more of a last sprint to the "finish line". But oh how nice that finish line will be.

4 Squared Stop

Today everything practically returned to its normal state. Thankfully, my English teacher allowed me to give my speech I missed yesterday today, and reschedule my meeting. My Spanish teacher also let me retake my test. Yes, it was a very good day. What wasn't normal though, was a 20-way stop. Yes, I am not exaggerating. In Olympia, one of the major intersections didn't have power, it was a basically a huge "4-way stop". It was really backed up. Other than that, everything returned to normalcy today.

Un-Perfect Storm

Today, I couldn't make it to school. Was I sick, was school cancelled, no and no. A huge storm struck where I live. Of course, the school I go to was one of the only ones still running on schedule. It just wasn't safe for me to try to go to school. Normally, I would be glad to miss a day of school, even a bit overjoyed, but not when I had a speech to give, a important test, and a meeting with one of my professors. Not a good day to miss.

Turns out, I probably couldn't have made it to school if I tried. A mudslide covered the highway on the way to school, and there was a ginormous backup, as in a several hour backup. Basically, all the snow from the weekend melted, high winds (50+ MPH gusts) and unheard of rainfall (over 6 inches in 24 hours) all struck at once. Roads were flooded, mudslides abundant, trees falling down, not your average storm. Then, our power went out. Not only was I missing school, stuck at home, now the power was out. After 7 hours, the power came back on, but not before my entire day was wasted.

Homework Hopelessness

It continued to snow at my house today. It was very pleasant. What wasn't though, was having to do homework all day. Literally, I have been doing homework since I woke up, and will continue to do so until I go to bed. The sad and ironic part, I probably won't get everything done I need/want to. I guess that is what happens when you have one week of school left until winter break. Oh yeah, and finals week after that, but that is the last thing I want to think about at this moment.

Confined Condesation Convergence Conundrum

Today, it snowed. It was amazing, it even stuck to the ground and started to accumulate. Where I live was a convergence zone of sorts, places just a couple miles away didn't have any accumulation.

I actually was able to use the snow shovel I got for Christmas a few years back for the second time ever, although I am not sure it was necessary to shovel off the driveway. I also made a small, rather pathetic snowman of sorts. It may snow some more tonight, at least that is what the "man" is saying. I was just happy to be able to watch the snow, getting to play in it was an added bonus.

No Deal

A couple months ago, I went to a taping of Deal or no Deal. (read all about it here) It was an interesting experience, and it finally aired tonight. It was much more exciting watching it on TV. In person, it wasn't as excited when it took several hours to tape, you couldn't always hear what people were saying, see everything clearly, and were basically forced to clap when they told you to. It was completely different watching it on TV.

I kept waiting to see myself wildly cheering in the stands on national TV, but it never really happened. Several times, I saw what I thought may have been half my body, or where I was seated. I probably was on TV, but just such a small speck in the audience I couldn't clearly notice myself. Isn't this how life goes though? One small speck in the sea of other spectators. A little bit disappointing, but not completely unexpected.

Debatable Debate

Today, I went to a debate at the college for extra credit. Now, I must admit I wasn't excited or interested in the topic at all. It was about private vs. public funding for election campaigns. I almost didn't get to go at all. I mistakenly went to the wrong room, and was watching the wrong presentation. I figured it out soon enough to make it to the debate one door over.

Speaking of the debate. I found the topic very interesting, and actually really enjoyed the debate. I am not sure exactly what I believe about the topic. I was swayed to one side more, but I think that was because I liked the speaker better. This got me to thinking, What influences one more, content or charisma?

One speaker was rude, arrogant, and abrasive. The other, kinder and humbler. Did this sway my thinking? Should it have? My answer to these questions, debatable.

The Weather Man

I have learned from prior experience not to get my hopes up too high. It seems every time the weatherman says it is going to snow a bunch, it doesn't. Most the time, it doesn't even snow at all. The "man" just makes a big deal out of nothing to get innocent victims sucked in to what he says will happen.

I remember last year the man talked about how much it was going to snow. Schools announced a late start a night early. There was no snow on the ground whatsoever. So, when I heard the man saying it was going to snow tonight, I proceeded with caution. I have learned when you put your trust in the weatherman, you get burned.

Driving me Crazy

Today, I wonder what that clan of people thought of me. They were socializing in the front of my neighborhood, not unheard of. But, what is unheard of, is one man passing them 5 times in a short amount of time, especially unheard of when said man is in a car. Yes, it was me. I was running people around, in my car so not really "running" technically, all over the place. I was driving for around two hours, but I was happy to help people out. Not so happy to be stared at funnily by a horde of hooligans, well I don't really know if they were hooligans, or a horde for that matter, maybe they weren't even staring at me. Maybe I had driven myself to insanity.

Snowy Bliss

Today was rather uneventful for the majority of the day, at least until it happened. It was amazing. It started snowing, not only that, the snow started sticking to the ground. After snowing for an hour or two, it stopped. Sad, but not as sad as when it started raining. Hopefully, this snow is a sign of things to come, such as in a few weeks when winter break starts.

Back to School

Today, my brother had to return to college. Devastated emotionally? Yes, a little bit. He is fun to have around. It was nice to have him home for the short Thanksgiving break. While waiting for his ride to pick him up in Olympia, we had fun hanging out. He will be home soon for winter break though.

On a side note: I can't wait for winter break. Literally, I can't wait. If I had a time machine I would transport myself forward 3 weeks to the break. Actually, this would cause a big problem, there would then by two of me running around. I guess I would have to destroy one version of myself, but at least I, or at least my future self, would be on winter break.

Boggle War

Today, our family had a game night. It was a Boggle war. Even my little sister played, she even got a few words. I didn't even know she knew how to spell silver. My mom was the winner, I think she reads the dictionary in her spare time. It was fun having the whole family together, battling over a game of Boggle.

Cinder

Today was a rather sad day. Our family dog, Cinder, past away sometime last night. It wasn't unexpected though, she had been extremely sick the past few days. I am glad she is no longer suffering so much. She was a great pet for 13+ years. I can't even remember life before Cinder. Even though she may have been small in stature, she was big when it came to heart. She was a very loving dog, always happy to see you. I miss her. She is gone, but not forgotten.

Thankful for Thanksgiving and its Food

Today was Thanksgiving. A day to remember what you are thankful for, and share it with your family while devouring good food. Oh man was the food good. I still am full from the "lunch" I ate 8 hours ago. It was also nice to host Thanksgiving at our house this year. Some of my dad's siblings and their children (my cousins) made the trek up to Washington from Oregon. It seems almost every year we end up going down there. I felt more free to fully stuff myself, if I got sick, at least my own bed was near by. But no, I didn't get sick. Overall, Thanksgiving was a great time spent with family. Now I just can't wait for it to be Christmas.

Home At Last

Today, my older brother returned home from college for Thanksgiving break. I finally got my room clean to welcome him back home. I don't remember how much I miss him, until he comes home and reminds me. It is so fun when he is here, when he leaves again he will be missed. Thankfully he won't be gone too long this time, he will be back for Christmas break.

Almost There

One more day. That is all I need to get through until Thanksgiving break. Actually, it is more like half a day, just 3 hours of classes. The only bad news, a Spanish vocab quiz. Other than that, freedom is so near, I can almost taste it. I need a break and turkey quickly.

Sad Salmon Cycle

Today, I went with my father and his class on a field trip. They went to see the salmon spawning before they die in a creek. Rather interesting experience, lots of fish. Some were alive, most weren't.

Rather pathetic lives those fish live. Out of the three thousand eggs that are fertilized, only two will make it back to the stream they were born to continue the process. The rest are eaten by birds as eggs or as small fish, or eaten by other fish on the way to the sea, or even bigger fish once they get in the sea. After three years, on the way back, many of them don't make it. They die on the way, they get stuck in shallow water, or caught by a predator. And those that do make it, they die eventually anyway. Today I learned a good lesson, be glad you aren't a fish.

Number 11 Fan

Today, a special faithful blog reader (or bleader as I like to call them) of mine is having a birthday. Yes, my cousin Nate is turning 11. What a glorious age. I remember when I was 11, back in the 5th grade. Pokemon was still cool, Y2K had just happened (more like not happened) and I wanted to be a major league baseball player when I grew up. Good times. Happy Birthday Nate.

MudBowled Over

Today, I partook in the first annual MudBowl. It was also my first football game ever played. Well, I guess it depends on which futbal you are talking about. Did I play as well as I expected? I don't know, literally. I had no expectations, nothing to judge or know how well I did, nothing to compare to.

It was a fun game of flag football, adults vs. students. My personal highlight was the one time I was passed the ball, and I caught it. Not only did I catch it, I ran with the ball quite a ways down the field, and stiff armed two opponents in the process. I was also the quarterback for one pass. Well actually, more like quarterback for one sack. I didn't exactly know the play we were running, and the next thing I knew, someone had ripped off my flag.

Unfortunately, my team didn't win. The "old men" team won. Disappointed? A little bit. Our team got crushed as did my face. I mean I probably took at least a dozen shots to the cranium, none hurt too bad, but compounded they did a little. Thankfully, nobody out there died or got hurt badly, which is a little bit surprising. Although it was flag football, it kind of broke down into tackle after a while. I mean, after you tackled them, it was much easier to remove their flag. Thankfully, the weather stayed decent. After the game ended, it started raining fairly hard. Symbolic, I think so.

I would deem MudBowl a smashing hit: by the adults to the students ego, the final score 32:24 or 32:16 depending on who you ask, by the time I got elbowed in the face, but most of all by how much fun it was.

Now You/I/They Know

I learned/reaffirmed a good life lesson today. I was in Spanish class, it was my last class of the week, end I desperately wanted it to be the weekend. At the college, they were protesting the war. Our teacher said you could skip class if you wanted to protest the war, and she wouldn't take away points. I was tempted to join the others leaving, but what would the point of really been. I wasn't going to go protest, and had nothing better to do if I wasn't in class. Turns out, I was glad I stayed. While the teacher didn't "take away" points for skipping, the people who did aren't going to get the extra credit the people who stayed got. So in a way, they did get points taken away. Lesson attended, and lesson learned.

Big Bad Bus

Today, I had to ride the bus home again. This usually isn't terrible, but today came pretty close. Let me explain. I get done with my classes at 10:52am. I then ride a bus done to the Olympia transit station, this takes around 10 minutes. Then I wait until 11:30ish to catch a bus from Olympia to Shelton. The bus is supposed to drop me off downtown at 12:20pm. Today was different.

Everything was going according to schedule. In 10 minutes I would finally be free of the bus, and "home" in Shelton. Not today. There was a major accident. We got stuck in traffic for a long time. Lots of cars were turning around to go an alternate route, but not our bus. Nope, we sat there forever. Let me put it this way, people got off the bus to walk the near mile to the next stop. Other people got off the bus for a smoke break. The whole time I was hungry for my lunch, and on top of that, had to go to the bathroom. Eventually, I got home though. I had spent two hours on a bus I had waited 30 minutes to catch to get 7 minutes away from my home, and a grand total of 30 minutes away (if you drive straight to the college from my house).

It could have been worse though, way worse. I could have been in that accident, or had a friend or family member who was. I hope nobody was seriously injured in the accident. So what is a few hours on the bus compared to my life? Well, the answer is obvious, but still, spending two hours on a bus is no cup of tea (especially when you have to go pee).

Plebeian Problems

Some days, you just seem to have that task you just don't want to do. Today, it was my writing homework. Other times it is tasks such as cleaning my room, doing the dishes, and/or going jogging. Even though it may not take that long, or be too hard, it can be really hard to muster up the energy to do these simple tasks.

Thankfully, I am done with my homework, my room is fairly clean, and I am contemplating going jogging. Now, if only the same could be said for the kitchen being all the way clean. I guess there is always tomorrow.

But jobs seem to be perpetuating into infinity, there is always tomorrow as far as the kitchen job is concerned, same with my room. It never can stay perfectly clean for more than a instant. Maybe these jobs can never truly be done, only continued. Maybe I can never escape from the evilness that is the never-ending, mundane, annoying, daunting, monotonous, plebeian jobs that consume me.

Homework, Holidays, and Hope

Right now, I am tired. I just want to go to bed. Alas, I still need to continue studying for my Spanish test tomorrow. Yo tengo que estudiar mi Espanol la prueba manana. Well, I am actually almost done studying as you may or may not be able to tell from the above sentence. Thankfully, for this test we get to use notes for the first time. Yes. Also, thankfully today is not truly Monday as it feels. I love having Mondays off.

Disposing my Schedule

Today, my day was fairly productive. I followed a schedule, and felt I got a lot done. I did everything on my "list". This time, I decided to schedule stuff in my mind, rather than on paper. I felt this would allow me to be a little bit more flexible. Another thing I learned, don't break glass into the garbage disposal. Another lesson, don't turn garbage disposal on while the broken glass is still in it.

Veterans Day Off Tomorrow

Tomorrow, I don't have school. With today being Veterans Day, there is no school tomorrow because the holiday was/is on a Sunday. Speaking of Veterans Day, I would like to thank the past and present people protecting our country. With the extra day off, I would like to get a lot accomplished. I think I shall try using a schedule again, only this time, not plan it down to the exact minute. We shall see how it works.

Not Sick Saturday

Today should have been a lot different than last Saturday. You see, last Saturday I was ill. You would think not being sick, my Saturday would be different this week. No, it was basically the same. I slept in really late, watched TV, and basically didn't do much of anything. This is basically how my Saturday went when I was sick. The only differences were I wasn't feeling terrible today, and actually ate food. I guess the moral of the story is that I don't do much of anything at all most Saturdays.

Real Skates

Today, I accompanied my father's class, well more like entire school, to Skateland. As the name implies, it is a place you skate. For the first time ever, I tried "real" skates. Not the fake rollerblades. No, the things with four wheels that look like miniature car for you feet. I must admit, they were harder to use than I thought they would be. Worsening the matter, was the fact the brake system didn't seem to work. Basically, it was me and a bunch of little kids flying all over the place, ground included, and me trying to dodge them on a new form of transportation that didn't have working brakes. Needless to say, I had to be careful.

Back to the Bus

Today, I was reacquainted with an arch enemy. I had to ride the bus home from school. I had almost forgotten how much I like having my drivers licence. I noticed some of the same people on the bus, some new. What hadn't changed though, the smell. The overpowering stench of bus people that gives you an instant headache. Somethings will never change. What has changed, I no longer am enslaved to the bus and its stinkyness both literally and physically, maybe even mentally.

Rogerian Beast

Today, I had an essay due in my writing class. So far, I am really enjoying this class. In this class, Writing 102, we have been focusing on different styles of argumentative writing. The newest style, Rogerian. In this style, you really try to sympathise with your audience. It is best to use with really hostile readers. My essay was on the hazards of iPods. Maybe I shall post on this topic sometime. For now, I am glad my essay is done, and was pretty happy with how it turned out. I shall have to wait to see what grade I got though to tell you just how happy I am with it.

Got to Vote

Today I partook in one of my most basic, yet advanced rights as a citizen of the United States of America. That is right, I voted. Being 18, I can finally do so. How did I feel doing so? My feelings are mixed I felt old, well maybe mature is a better word, and slightly confused. Should I vote for or against this measure, approve or deny that measure. Overall, it left me feeling rather patriotic and impatient for the vote results.

Fall Back: Evil or Excellent?

Fall Back was yesterday, I think. I guess it officially started at 12:00am Sunday morning East Coast time. This would mean it happened at my house at 3:00 am. I have always wanted to stay up to see my atomic clock "travel through time". No way that was happening when I was sick.

My thoughts toward Fall Back are conflicted. On the one hand, I love having it feel like it is an hour later when I wake up in the morning for school. I tried to explain to my youngest sister, that no, we don't get an "extra" hour of sleep. But I think the whole concept is rather confusing for her. This "extra hour" of sleep is only a temporary feeling though. What isn't temporary, is it getting dark before 5:00pm. Not cool.

Lasting Letter

Today, I got a letter that was written to me 18 years ago. It said, " To Daniel, not to be opened until you can understand it." Why did I have to wait until I was 18, would I have not understood it before. Well, basically it got lost, so it was just found today. Still stapled shut after 18 years. Wow, that is not your everyday occurrence, nor will it probably ever happen to me again.

Sickening Saturday

Today, my family was supposed to go to Oregon to visit my brother. Notice the keywords, supposed to. We didn't end up going. Both my father and I got sick. Yes, it was not a very fun day. Being sick is never fun, especially when it makes you miss a trip to see your brother. Not fun at all. Thankfully, I am starting to feel better.

Change My Ways

Today, I went to buy dinner for our family. Not majorly bizarre, but not your/my ever day experience. Dinner was $21.37 + $1.29, totally unheard of? No. Yet it is when I only had 39 cents afterwards. That is cutting it close. I would like to think that I planned it this way, but that would be stretching it a little too far. Next time, I need to not cut it quite so close.

Strange Thursday

Today was a bit of a strange day. Yesterday, I didn't have school. It made today feel like a Monday, but is was really a Thursday. It just felt weird. I also had a guest lecturer in my Spanish class who played the banjo and rapped in Spanish, not at the same time mind you. All in all, just a rather strange day.

New Trick I'm Treating Myself

Today was Halloween, but you probably/hopefully already knew that. I was reminded it was Halloween when I went to the bank. The sign on the door read, "please remove your masks before you enter the bank". I thought this was silly, until I remembered it was Halloween.

As a young boy, I never had the privilege of celebrating Halloween. I never dressed up, or went trick or treating door to door. I was finally able to have this experience disguised as helping out my sister. While taking her door to door, I was able to wear a costume. It was fun. One of my highlights of the day was getting insider tips from fellow TOTers, which houses were "good" and where lots of houses were. I felt so alive. I almost think Halloween is more for the adults than the kids.

Oh, and one more thing. Do not start trick or treating at 4:17pm. It is too early. Kids are barely home from school, it is nearly dinner time, and so on. Do not knock on my door. I don't care if you are trying to set a new world record or something, not cool. No candy for you.

Go Golfing Go

Today was my father and my semi tri-annual day out at the golf course. Why is it tri-annual? I'm not exactly sure, that is just how it works out. It was glorious. Nearly perfect weather, the smell of rotting fish in the air, birds flocking above, the green waterer guy on the tractorish apparatus waiting for us to finish, yes, it was perfect.

Nobody was in front of us to slow us down. Actually, more like there was nobody behind us to pressure us. Who cared if we took a mulligan or two, or every once in a while, three. Yes, it was splendid. I even got par on a hole for the first time in my life I think. Well, perhaps technically it wasn't par, but it my mind, it was.

It was a par three. You tee off from a little bluff above a stream. My firs shot cleared the stream, but sliced vicsiously to the right. I took another shot, a mulligan some might say. Oh no, it wasn't even going to clear the stream! But wait. Somehow, almost miraculously, it hit an unseen object down the "cliff" and bounced almost onto the green. I tapped the ball within 5 feet for my unofficial second shot, and tapped it in for par. Glorious.

I also finally got to try out my "new" golf club on a course I got about 1/2 a year ago as a gift from my dad. It worked really well, or maybe it only worked well because of its master. I prefer to think the latter of the two. I only lost 5 balls today, I am not sure if it is a new record on the high or low end. Actually, I found one ball, so it is more like I lost 4. And they weren't truly "lost", I could have probably maybe found them if I felt like it. Basically, it was my best golfing day ever. I can't wait until I go again. Well, actually I have to, it will probably be many a month before I ever hit the links again.

Enslaved While Free

Today, I had a big test in Spanish. It took up a lot of my weekend studying for it. It actually took up all of my weekend just thinking about the test. All the time I wasn't studying, I felt like I should be. It made everything not nearly as enjoyable as it should have been. But wait, the test was today. I don't have to worry anymore. Well, that is true about Spanish class. Now, I have a History test tomorrow to worry about. Oh the irony. I am enslaved in my free time.

Wrath of Grapes

Tonight, I made a mistake. I ate too many grapes in a short amount of time. Note to future self, and past one if ever applicable, don't eat so many grapes. They create intense discomfort, which is not fun. Not fun at all, and not worth it. It definitely negates all the fun you/I have eating them.

Super or Sleepy Saturday?

Today, I actually got up before 1:00pm. It was amazing. Well, actually the only reason I got up so early, was because my little sister wouldn't let me sleep in. She woke me up for a nice breakfast cooked by my mom. I am glad I didn't sleep in too late, and was actually able to get quite a bit accomplished on a Saturday. Yes, a Saturday!

Sleepy Saturday

Hopefully, I don't beat my record. Or maybe, to put it better, hopefully I do. The past two Saturdays, I have slept in. Really slept in, as in past 1 pm. I hope tomorrow I wake up before that, but I probably won't.

Seventy-Seven is Sweet

Today, something amazing happened in Spanish class. We were studying for our big chapter test tomorrow by playing a game of concentration. We would select two of the cards in Spanish numbers. Then we would have to use one of the words we chose in a sentence. At the very end of class, my sister choice 77. Now, this isn't that special of a number, but it ended up being magical.

The word was Por Que, or why in English. Her sentence in Spanish, Por que hay el examen manana? Clever, very clever. It basically says, why is there a test tomorrow? A very clever question, but sincere. After thinking about it, and discussing it with the class, our teacher moved the test to Monday. Sweet! I now have the entire weekend to study. Moral of the story, don't be afraid to ask questions, especially in Spanish. Also, number 77 is the best number in the world.

Birthday Buffet

Today, I felt a little bit sick. I had a stomach ache, sore throat, and stuffy nose. And that was before I went to the all you can eat Chinese Buffet. The food was really good. We were there with both sets of my grandparents celebrating my father birthday. Happy Birthday Dad! I am feeling a little better now, probably because I didn't go crazy at the buffet. Note to anyone reading, when feeling sick, an all you can eat Chinese Buffet is not the best idea for dinner.

Anonymously Attacked

Today, I was walking under a covered bridge when I got attacked. Who was/were my silent assassins? I will probably never know. I was walking under a covered bridge at the college. I heard a loud thud on the metal roof and saw a pine cone bounce off. Wow, that was loud. Seconds later, boom. Only this time, it was much louder. My attackers were no longer using pine cones. Then another one. I quickly walked to another area. I like to think it was a tribe of angry squirrel council men attacking me, but I will never know. Next time, I'll be ready for them though.

Perfect Pumpkin Pursuit

Today, I went with my dad's class to the pumpkin patch. It was a really nice field trip. It didn't even rain. I wore these huge boots, in case it was really muddy, they mainly just made me look ridiculous. The patch had a quite a few pumpkins. It is my philosophy that you don't find the perfect pumpkin, it finds you. Maybe the one you trip over, the one that gets thrown at you, or even just one you didn't see at first. After searching the entire patch, I just couldn't quite find the perfect pumpkin. It either wasn't round enough, the right color, or had some bizarre growth on it. I tried my best though. Maybe next time, or maybe I should just buy one at the local grocery store.

Baby Steps

Tonight, I took the first step. Quite literally, I went on a walk. For quite a while, I don't really feel like saying how long, I have been telling myself I am going to start exercising, and eating better. Finally, I would say tonight was the first step, even if it was just a baby one. Hopefully, it is the dawn of a new age.

Cookie Creation

Today, my youngest sister tried to bake some cookies. This might have worked, but she made them with her own recipe. After a little prying, her "secret" recipe was brown flour (I think that mean whole wheat flour), sugar, and water. She actually baked them in the oven. They even kind of looked semi eatable when they were done. They tasted disgusting though. I just wish she would have used some nonstick spray when cooking them. I have kitchen duty, and let me tell you, it was hard to clean the junk caked onto the pan. Maybe one of these days I can help her make some "real" cookies.

Figure Eating Too Much

Today was a great day. First off, I drove to school. Always exciting, well, not too exciting. Then, in Spanish, we had a fun day. It reminded me of elementary school all over again. We listened to music, and played along with different Spanish instruments. At the end of class, our teacher had an enormous amount and variety of candy she was giving away. I'm not sure why she was, but oh well, it was very nice of her.

Wow, what an exciting day, and it only gets better. My friend had a birthday a while back, and to celebrate it, he invited us on an adventure. Why was it an adventure? Well anytime you take someone ice skating who had never gone before, it is is an adventure. But first, we went out for dinner. This was not your ordinary dinner either. It was a semi-fancy Mexican restaurant. You know, the kind of place where they bring you a plate of chips, and beans and salsa before you even order. I was happy with that. I thought we should just leave and not even order anything.

I did order something though, a double burrito meal. Now, ordinarily I would have no problem consuming two burritos. But tonight was different. First off, I was so impressed with the chips, and especially the beans, that I was stuffing myself on them. Literally, and when I found out if you emptied the plate before the meal they would refill it, I kicked it into overdrive. Lets just say by the time my meal finally arrived, I wasn't very hungry. But the meal, oh the meal! It was amazing. It was two of the biggest burritos I had ever seen, surrounded by rice and beans, covered in gooey cheese. Glorious. I tried my best to eat all of it, but I just couldn't. Well, I probably could of, but my sister reminded me that our next stop was the ice rink. I stopped just before the point of no return, thankfully. I think everyone involved is thankful that I did.

We got to the ice rink. Now, I was the only one who had never gone skating before. How was I supposed to know you shouldn't wear shorts? I mean, come on. The managerish guy offered me a helmet, but I didn't think I would need one, maybe I looked like I needed one. Actually, I thought I might, but wanted to try at first without one. What was I thinking? I didn't need a helmet. I was half Wayne Gretzky half Michelle Kwan out there. I was amazing. I could do figure-0's, jump in the air, skate backwards, the list goes on. One of my favorite "tricks" as I like to call my moves, was the power slide. Basically, it is a nice way of saying falling down on purpose at incredibly high speeds. I would get up as much speed as I could, and slide as far as I could. It was fun. According to my sister, one time I fell on accident. I don't remember this, and don't think it happened. Point of this story, I was pretty decent at ice skating, especially considering it was my first time.

Today was a really fun day. I even learned a few lesson along the way. One, that Mexican restaurant was good, too good. Another lesson, do not stuff yourself before you are going to go ice skating. And lastly, unless you want to look like an oaf, don't wear shorts and a tee shirt to the skating rink.

Monopolizing My Life

It pains me to admit it, yet it is true. I did get sucked in to the McDonald's Monopoly Game, but it was only for a day and a half. I know, it is sad. I rarely go to McDonalds, but I did the other day. I got some of the game pieces, and was amazed I only needed one more piece to get a million dollars, or 10,000 dollars. Just saying it now, I hear how foolish I was. Anyways, the next day, my sister went to collect the free McFlurry she had won. Then, I thought of something genius. I would buy a few things, get a few more pieces, and win a lot of dough. I was going to beat them at their own game. Sadly, I didn't get any of the pieces I needed. This is when it very slowly started to dawn on me, how hard is it to get these pieces?

I wasn't ready to give up yet. I had a great idea, I would look on craigslist. Turns out, everyone was also looking for the same pieces. How could this be? I know, I'll look on eBay. On eBay, I could buy a word document that would tell me the secret to getting lots of free game pieces. No, I didn't want to buy this. This lead me to look at just what the odds were for getting these hard to find pieces. I found a site that says only 3 winning tickets for the hard to find million dollar pieces are printed. Three in the entire world! How am I going to get that piece when millions of people stuff themselves at McDonalds everyday? Odds are the person who finds that piece isn't going to know its value and throw it away, or not even peel the piece of the package. The moral of this pathetic story, I hate McDonalds. But, if you have any extra monopoly game pieces, I need them for the online game. I'm serious. Please.

HOMEnotWORKingout

I am so tired right now. I've been trying to finish up some Spanish homework, it has been taxing my energy and patience. I fear I will start to have nightmares in Spanish, and not be able to understand them.

the Blog of the Century

Today is my 100th post. Wow. I had no idea when I first started this blog that it would reach 100 posts. At first, I wasn't sure if it would make it to day two. Yet, here I am. I am really enjoying this blogging phenomenon.

A few interesting things about the number 100...

It is the:

-sum of the first 9 prime numbers
-sum of the first 4 numbers cubed
-number in degrees Celsius of boiling water at sea level
-largest denomination of bill in the US, with Benjamin Franklin on it
-police number in Greece, Italy, and Israel
-record number of points scored in a basketball game by one person, Wilt Chamberlain
-minimum number of yards required for a par three on a golf course

Stacking Up

Today, I worked for my grandpa. We filled the back of our truck with branches to take to the wood recycling place. Now, I thought I was pretty clever. I put branches sticking up on the sides so we could stack more in. I thought we fit quite a few branches in, and I was proud of our work. That is, until I saw the other truck. Later that day, I saw another truck also carrying branches. Only this truck's branches were stacked above the cab roof. It was an amazing work of art. I have never seen branches stacked so nicely and high in one load. It must have reached at least 6 feet up in the air. It put our stacking job to shame, yet I am still proud of the work we accomplished.

Toying with the Shoppe

Today, I restrained from one of my greatest passion and worst enemy. The Toy Shoppe. You know, those machines with the claws that grab the stuffed animals. I love them, yet at the same time, despise them.

For years, I have been addicted to the Toy Shoppe. I won a lot, yet tried a lot too. It was costing me, and/or my parents, a lot of money. Yet, I couldn't stop. I needed to win those cheap little stuffed animals. I would never pass the Toy Shoppe without feeding my desire a dollar or two, never more than that. Well, usually not more than two dollars.

Slowly, I began to despise the thing I had so dearly loved. I won in less frequent intervals, my strategy and planning no longer worked. It was as if the machine had beat me into submission, yet try as I might, I couldn't stop fueling my addiction. Until one day, I stopped, I no longer felt the need to use the machine.

Yes, I still dream and remember the glory days when I walk past the machines. But I no longer let them rule my life. Today, I walked to the Toy Shoppe, my intent was to try it just one more time. The claw was calling me, beckoning me back. My eyes fell on the perfectly placed turtle stuffed animal, an easy target. I was about to put 2 quarters in the machine when I stopped. Was it really worth it? No, take back those quarters! Resist the evil that is the Toy Shoppe. Today marked the end of a long bout with the machine and my own inner monsters, this time, I really won.

Scheduled to Imperfection

Today, I decided to try something new. Most weekends, especially Saturdays, I don't accomplish anything. So today, I decided to live by a schedule. It was a strict one. How well did it work? Did I actually follow the schedule? Well, I did my best. I did a lot of the stuff I had planned. I really liked having a schedule, and I will probably start to live by them more often. Just next time, I won't try to plan out my day to the exact minute, it is really hard to follow.

Silly Syllabi

I reaffirmed a good life lesson today. Here I was sitting in Spanish, our class was studying for our first test on Monday. The teacher didn't say anything about notes, so that basically means you can't use them.

I was confused, well more confused than usual for spanish anyway. In the class syllabi, I had read about using notes on one test. So, after class, I went up to the professor, professora more correctly, and asked her. She seemed confused. What was I saying about notes? I showed her my copy of her classes syllabus. Turns out, she didn't mean to put that in there. She had no clue it was in the syllabus, she had been copying and pasting from another syllabus. So the moral of this story, read the syllabus, especially if you are the teacher.

Green Pizza?

Today, I took my friend and my sister to Bagel Brothers after school. It was to celebrate my friend's birthday. The best thing in the world, well from Bagel Brothers, is a pesto bagel pizza. Oh man are they good. It took a little convincing for my friend though. Yes, green pizza looks unnatural, but it taste unnaturally good. Mmmmm... pesto pizza. Makes me hungry just thinking about it. And happy birthday Eric.

Free at Last

I didn't really know what I'd been missing. Now that I finally have my license, it is all different. I was able to drive to school, and therefore, get home from school sooner. Sister needs a ride to soccer practice, no problem, hop in. It is a new phase in life I am really enjoying.

The very first time I drove by myself, it felt weird. Where was everybody? For two years people would have to be in the car with me. Who was I supposed to talk to? Well, that wasn't a big deal, I could talk to myself.

Passed at Last

I passed! Yeah, I finally have my drivers license. It has been a long time in the making. I don't really want to go into the details right now, but let's just say that passing the test wasn't as easy as I first thought. More on this later, maybe. But, I passed!

Test Squared, not Scared

Today was a day of preparation. Tomorrow, I have two important tests. A history test over the civil war, and my drive test. Which one am I more worried about? Which one have I studied harder for? I don't really want to answer those questions right now. Let's just say one is two years in the making, while the other is two weeks. You make the call.

Costco Food Court Etiquette Revisited

Today, there was a rather bizarre occurrence at Costco. Now, most of my readers, whomever you are, will probably not remember a previous post. It was my second post of all time, and maybe one of the most profound. It also is one of the more controversial. Click here to read it. Basically, I said I didn't agree with reserving tables at the Costco food court.

Now, maybe I should elaborate. I don't agree with saving tables when it is crowded, and you perpetuate the problem. Today, my grandma was reserving a table for our group. It was not crowded, and was no big deal. Or so I thought.

Apparently, someone had tried to save the table she was sitting at by parking their cart next to it. Okay, that is bogus. Have you ever been to the food court? Everyone parks their carts next to the row of outside tables. I guess the lady got mad my grandma "stole" her table even though there were plenty of other tables. I guess I need to add one thing to my Costco food court rant, no saving tables with carts left in the general vicinity. That is crazy. And absolutely no smack talking at my g-ma.

Responsible For Lost or Stolen Things and People

Today, some very strange things happened. So strange, you may find them hard to believe. But let me tell you, they did happen, but yes, they were strange.

After feeding some friends cats while they are on vacation, we decided to find a spot I could practice parallel parking. That is the decision that sparked the inevitable event. Instead of turning left toward home, we went right. On any other day, this would have been no big deal. Besides, they live on a large loop, both ways lead towards our house. But this was no ordinary day.

Anyways, I was driving when I saw him. It was a man curled in the fetal position, by a power pole, in the rain. A very strange sight indeed. We decided to go back by, and see if he was okay. It looked like he was dead, no joke. We pulled over, and my dad went out to check on the limp figure.

The following, is what I saw from the car. My dad approached the man, yet he still didn't move. I thought for sure he was dead. All the sudden, the man bolts to life. My father and him have a discussion for what seems 5 minutes. During this discussion, the man gets up. Well, he tried. My dad had to brace him from falling over, and set him back down on the ground. I then see the man offering what looks like some money to my dad. Finally, as he is heading back to the car, the man hands my dad an object.

By now, I had no clue what was going on. My dad gets back to the car, and explains what happened. Apparently, the guy was passed out, and surprised by my father. He has been lying there for an unknown amount of time. He had tried to go to a lady friends house, but she had wanted nothing to do with him. All he knew is he lived on the Indian Reservation. And his name was Louis. He was able to tell this to my dad in a rather "out of it" way. He didn't know exactly where he lived, but all he wanted was a ride home. He had offered money to my dad for some reason. My dad said he would give him a ride, but first wanted to know if he had any weapons. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a switch blade, said "I don't want to hurt anybody", and slowly handed it to my dad.

My dad told him to wait where he was. He was going to drop my youngest sister off at home, and return in a few minutes to pick him up. Neither of us had our cellphones with us, and even then, did it warrant a 911 call? We stopped by the house and dropped my sister off. When my dad was trying to explain the situation, my mom worriedly said, "is he here?". It was funny.

Now, is when it really got strange. We returned to the spot. The man was gone. It had only been 10 minutes. The mans black case was still lying where it had been when we left him. We looked inside for maybe some ID, all it had was some music cds and deodorant. We were very confused. Where had the man gone? And how could he have gone anywhere in his drunken stupor? And why did he leave his belongings?

We drove all around. We saw a van stop by where the man had been. Were they looking for him? We followed the car. I felt like a private investigator. The car stopped at a house and the lady left, she apparently had nothing to do with our missing man case. We continued to drive around. Suddenly, a police car with lights went by. I thought for a second they were pulling us over, I guess I felt like I was doing something illegal, following cars around, picking up other peoples cases, looking for a drunken man, and so on. So, we followed the police car. Sure enough, it led us to our friend Louis. There he was with an ambulance, a medic SUV, and two sheriff cars. He had somehow managed to make it about a 1/2 mile away. He was literally across from the house where I was feeding the cats where we decided to make that fateful right turn. We handed the switchblade to a medic person, and told them our story. He said, "okay". I was disappointed, I thought he would at least take down our names, and our story.

In the end, we had just been trying to be good citizens. It felt weird/illegal to be driving around looking for a drunken man, guarding his switchblade. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. I think our reviving him is the catalyst that sparked him to flee the scene. Why he left I'll never know. He probably didn't even know what he was doing or where he was going, he'll probaly never know/remeber. All I do know, is that he must have really been booking it to make it as far as he did. Thinking back, the smartest thing would have been to call the police. He could have needed medical attention. It was all just quite bizarre. When we got home, we tricked my mom again. We opened the door and asked if she had any plans for dinner, "Louis is hungry." We were just joking, although, I don't think she thought it was very funny.

This could have been the end to a rather strange day, but it wasn't. Early that day, my mom had found a twin mattress at local thrift store at the 1/2 price Saturday sale. Usually, I would have to say gross to such a find. But it was a nice, clean, comfortable mattress for a really good price. Besides, it is for my sister. My mom had been looking high and low for weeks for a twin mattress for my sister's new bunk bed.

My dad and I went to pick it up. We looked all around for it at the store, but it was gone. Apparently, it had been stolen. It said sold all over it, so nearest as we can tell someone acted as if they were the person picking it up, or took off the sold sticker and purchased it for themselves. As I said earlier, it was that nice of a mattress. I was dumbfounded. How does someone basically shoplift a twin mattress, with box springs I might add? With all that time taken up by the whole Louis situation, someone had time to jack our bed. To quote my dad, "I hope they get a good nights sleep tonight". We were refunded our money if that is any consolation.

Today has just been a bizarre day. It has hard to put into words just how strange it was. I think I am going to go to bed right now before anything else strange can happen.

Lisents?

Today my youngest sister wrote me a note. It is really special. I remember when I would leave notes for her to wake up to before she had school. Tonight, she spent a long time and made me a very cute note. To quote part of it... "You are the best brother evera! Wen are you geting your lisents?" As for the best brother ever part, I think my older brother and I tie for that. The lisents part, hopefully, this Tuesday, better be this Tuesday. Thanks for the note sis.

Quiz Quandary

Today I had my first Spanish quiz. It went better than I thought it would, I did spend a lot of time studying though. I felt pretty good about it. I had been feeling rather over me head, but today made me feel a little bit better. Maybe, if I study enough, this Spanish thing just might work.

Danny El Tiredo of El Spanisho

Today, I've spent way to long working on my Spanish homework. I am tired, and want to go to bed. Actually, it hasn't just been today, I've been working on Spanish the last few days. I am getting better at it, but it is still a rather foreign subject. It doesn't help that my sister and I are probably some of the only people in the class who have never had a Spanish class before. I fear I shall start to have nightmares in Spanish, and not be able to understand them. Well, time to go back to studying for our first Spanish quiz tomorrow. Hasta manana.

Ferocious Fan

Tonight, I went to my sister's soccer game. A parent from the other team was yelling at a player on my sister's team. This bothered me. First of all, no matter what, you shouldn't yell rude things towards anybody. Second, if you are, at least yell things that actually make sense. If you don't know anything about soccer, don't yell and try to act like you do. It was despicable, and made me mad. By the way, Sarah played quite well.

Bus a Must

Today, I had to ride the bus at 6:20am this morning. That is early, too early. But, it is a way to get to school, and only cost a dollar. Back to this morning, I almost didn't make the bus. I was woken up at 5:25, that is plenty of time to get ready for school. I thought it was more than plenty. I almost fell back asleep, and had to hurry and get ready in 15 minutes. Next time, I need to get up when I wake up.

Mariner Mania

Yesterday, I went to the Mariners game. For a birthday present to myself, I had purchased tickets to the game a couple weeks ago. Well, I never reimbursed my dad, so I guess he bought them. At the time I purchased these tickets, the idea was if I couldn't go for some reason I would be able to sell the tickets for more than I payed for them because the Mariners would be in the playoff race. Let's just say, it didn't quite work out that way.

The tickets I bought were in centerfield on the lower level, pretty cool right. It gets better, they were in the second row! Let me explain, basically it was me, a row of people, and then Ichiro. He was less than 20 feet away the whole game, and sometime closer. It was a Saturday night game, 7:05 start, against the Texas Rangers.

Oh yeah, I wasn't the only person who went. I had only purchased two tickets, because that was the only way to get them so close to the field, so incredibly close. My dad and I were going to go, but we also wanted my sister to be able to come with us. So, my dad purchased a ticket at the stadium for himself so my sister and I could sit next to each other. His seat was even better than mine. It was in right field lower level, row 3.

I really wanted to get to the game early for batting practice, I was trying to make up for my last experience at Dodgers stadium (click here). I got to the game, and they were still having batting practice. I was so excited. I joined the hundreds of people out in the outfield hoping to get a ball. I even had my mitt. After waiting for a while, it happened. The ball was flying right to me. I got it, I got it. I reached my glove out in the row in front of me. I was finally going to have a baseball from a game after years of trying. Just as quickly as the ball had flown right to me, it was gone. It went a couple inches under my outreached glove, and was snatched by a man in front of me. I had lost my one chance to get a ball, I was devastated. Anyways, the guy who ended up with the ball gave it to a little kid, which was nice. So I guess it worked out. If I got the ball, I am sorry, but there is no way I was going to give it to that little kid.

Soon after, batting practice was over. Now, it was time to find some food. After circling around the entire stadium, and looking at all the shops, we finally decided where we were going to get food, Papa John's. In honor of my day at Dodgers stadium, my sister and I ordered a helmet souvenir ice cream. It came in a little helmet, and was piled high with ice cream. My sister and I also each ordered a personal pepperoni pizza.

We headed to our seats, and started eating the ice cream. This took around 15 minutes straight of eating to finish all of it. Oh, and did I mention it was really cold that night. Even the guy sitting by us, a very nice by the way, commented about eating ice cream on such a cold night. By the end, we were shivering, more like shaking uncontrollably, while shoveling the ice cream in our mouths as fast as we could. We just wanted the souvenir hat! Finally, it was time for the pizza. You know, Papa John's "better ingredients, better pizza". Let me tell you, it was the nastiest pizza I have ever eaten. It wasn't even hot, or warm for that matter, it didn't warm us up after all the ice cream we had just finished consuming. The "pizza sauce" was cheap tasting ketchup in color and taste, the cheese was in half melted chunks, and the whole thing seemed undercooked. It was nasty. My sister took one bite, and was done with it. That would have been the smart thing, but there was no way I was going to throw away a pizza that cost me 6 bucks. I choked it all down, and got a stomach ache later.

Anyways, it was time for the game to start. Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention the lady sitting next to me. How could I ever forget? I wish I could. It was more like sitting on top of me. She was very large, and the seats very small. Let me put it this way, I had my cellphone on vibrate, and my sister sitting next to me would tell me when it was ringing. Okay, that is my sister. Now imaging a 300+ pound lady on the other side. Our legs/thighs were pushing into each other. We were like siamese twins, every time her leg moved, my leg moved. It was rather awkward, but as wrong as it may sound, I eventually got used to it.

It was a really good game, the Mariners were pitching, hitting, and fielding well. Unfortunately, Ichiro didn't make any plays up near the wall, which would have quite literally been five feet away from us. Back to Ichiro, man did the fans love him. Especially the Japanese fans. The entire game I could hear them, both male and female, yelling/screaming trying to get his attention. The couple in front of us probably took 100 pictures of him in roughly the same pose every time, stretching. After a while, we decided to leave our seats. We met up with our dad, and were walking around the stadium for a while. Then it happened. When I saw it, I almost didn't believe it.

Raul Ibanez was up to bat. He launched a ball into deep right field. It was a home run. Those happen all the time, well not all the time, but this was different. It appeared it was right at my dads unoccupied seat. I couldn't believe it. It had been chance number two that night of getting a ball. My dad found out later a person a few rows back had ended up with the ball. Would it have been different if my old man was there? We will never know. What I do know, is even if he didn't catch it, he would have been on TV.

After that, my sister and I decided to hurry back to our seats. We would have practically died if a ball went to our seats while we were gone like our father. Then, it happened. Ichiro had a ball, and was going to throw it into the stands. It all seemed so familiar (click here). He throw a high lob, would I finally get a ball? Is the third time really the charm? It landed in our row, eight seat away in an empty seat after it bounced off a person's hand. What was stopping me from getting it? Well, the before mentioned very large lady and her slightly less large friend. That was it. Two people. If only I could have rolled over their seated bodies somehow. I mean, Ichiro had actually held that ball, in his hand! Alas, that would be our last chance at getting a ball.

Another hit at the game was the wave. It took a group of students I saw by third base four tries to get it started. They would try starting the wave to the right, then the left, then it started both ways and somehow worked. It circled the stadium on all levels seven times. In the leftfield upperlevel bleachers, there were only a handful of people to keep the wave alive. It was quite funny to watch around 10 people keep the wave alive. The wave eventually ended, and so did the game. The Mariners had won. The game had been exciting, view spectacular, ice cream cold, pizza disgusting, and playoff implication a joke. I had a ball, even though I didn't get one. Maybe next time, please next time. I don't know if I could handle biffing three chances again.

Doggone It

Have you ever heard the saying, let a sleeping dog lie? Well, I think it should be changed to don't let a sleeping dog lie next to you. Last night, I was really tired and trying to fall asleep. Most nights, the family dog, Red, sleeps in my room. When I let him in my room at night, he goes straight to my bed and lies down right in the middle. One night, this happened so I just slept with my feet on top of him. Last night, was such a night. I tried to get him to move, but he wouldn't. Then, Red started snoring. This was no ordinary snoring either, it was unnaturally loud. It sounded like a cows mooing for some strange reason. I kept pushing him, hoping he would move or stop snoring, but I had no such luck. The snoring got louder and the noises more bizarre. Eventually, the noises stopped. Oh wait, that is because I fell asleep. The moral of this rather strange story, don't let a snoring dog lie by you, and take up all your bed.

TGIF!

I'm so glad today is Friday. It has been a very long week, well I guess it has been the same amount of days as any other week. The days have just felt so long and the mornings so early. It will be nice to finally get to sleep in tomorrow. Yes, sleeping in. It almost makes me want to go to bed early, just so I can sleep in more. I guess that doesn't make a bunch of sense, but when you are tired, cold, and hungry, it makes a lot of sense.

18

Today is my birthday. I'm 18. Yah, wahooo.

Do You Know Eachother?

I bet the other guy in my Spanish class was so confused. My sister, who is in that class, and this guy and I were doing a skit. My sister and I were having casual arguments, mainly playful. "Can we share a book", "Get your own book", "How about you say this line", "I don't want that line, you say it, my idea was better", and so on and so on. He saw us outside class, and asked if we knew each other. We said, yeah kind of, we're are brother and sister. He thought we didn't even know each other until the class. At least now he knows and probably understands why we have the interactions we do.

Sarah's a Super Soccer Star

Tonight, I went to my sister's soccer game. Man, it was fun. She is so good. She was dribbling around people left and right. I am serious, she made the defenders look like they were stuck in quicksand. She also made good passes. One play, she dribbled past 2 defenders and was sprinting towards the goal. She got "taken out", and a foul was called on the other team. My mom, felt like jumping up out of her seat, what she planned on doing after she jumped out of her seat, I still don't know. Watching my sister's team win made me miss playing soccer, and look forward to my next season.

Start of Running Start

Today, it was finally time to go back to the classroom. The day had finally arrived. What were my feelings towards this inevitable event? Well, they were mixed, but leaning more toward being semi-glad to start school again.

The new school year didn't start off very well. On the way to school, I remembered that I had forgotten my schedule. Thankfully, my mom was able to tell me the schedule over the phone. I didn't arrive to the campus early enough to find exactly where all my classes were, but I had a pretty good general idea.

So far, all my classes seem okay. There is one I am not too excited about. It is still a little early to tell though. In my Spanish class my name is Zorro. Why, did I choose this name, I don't know. It was a case of peer pressure mixed with not really knowing many Spanish man names off the top of my head in a pressure situation.

The bus ride home, however, was not so enjoyable. Besides the fact it took over an hour to get to Shelton, it was just the beginning of a long trip home. My poor sister, the whole ride home, she had her shirt pulled up over her nose to block the smell. That amateur, I am such a seasoned bus riding veteran that the smell didn't even bother me that much. My sister and I had to walk home from the bus, it took over an hour. It was hot, our backpacks weighed around 50 pounds, it was up hill, and our house was over 3 miles away. Oh, and did I mention that it was well past lunch time. When we finally did get home, I was glad. Overall, the first day was okay. Getting home however, was a different story.

Schooled

Today was the official "last day of summer". It was sad to see the summer come to an end, but at the same time, it is time to get back to the whole school routine thingy. In better news, the Seahawks won, and my sister just baked some really good chocolate chip cookies. Now, I must try to get to sleep earlier than normal. Sad, but true.

Debunked

Today, we finally set up my sisters new bunk bed. Actually, we set up half the bed. My little sister was going to sleep on it tonight, she was really excited. She fell asleep quickly. Later, she came out to the living room half awake. My dad took her back to her new bed, and laid down on it with her to help her fall back asleep. The next thing you know, we all heard a loud crashing sound. We rush into the bedroom to find that the boards on the bottom of the bed had shifted, causing my dad to fall off. It was rather funny, especially because he didn't get hurt. I guess we now know the maximum weight capacity for the bed. Actually, we just have to tighten some of the boards. But, a good lesson was learned, what it was, I'm not sure.

Friday, No Fun Day

Today was a rather depressing day. It was my last Friday of summer break. I know, most people started school a long time ago, but still, it was depressing for me. I slept in until 1:00 pm. Now, it is time to start thinking about school, no more summer. As much as I hate to admit it, it is true.

Yes, No, Maybe So

Today, I went to Olympia and hung out with some friends. We had fun. We went to an ice cream place. I ordered a chocolate milkshake. The worker guy asked if I wanted whip cream on it. I said yes. He thought I said no. He said "no?", and I said yes. He said "yes-no" or "no-yes". It was rather confusing, and in the end, I didn't end up with any whip cream. The shake was still good though.

Merging Madness

Today, I was driving around, a lot. I drove to Olympia, not just to Olympia, but all around it. No big deal. I will soon be taking my drivers test, and am not too worried about it. Something interesting did happen though when I was merging on the freeway. First of all, the speed limit was 70 on this stretch, so cars were moving fast. Secondly, the cars didn't seem to want to let me in. I sped up, and squeezed in between two cars. It was fine. Then, I saw flashing lights behind me. The car behind me looked like an ambulance, and was flashing it's headlights at me. Can an ambulance pull you over? I was worried for a little bit. When they eventually passed me, I saw it was a construction company in an old ambulance. I guess they were mad at me. And no, ambulances can't pull you over, especially construction companies using one.

Prize Pizza

Today, I went to my sister's soccer game. She played good, she even scored a goal. Her team won 6 to 0. We decided to stay for part of the varsity game. I thought you had to pay 5 bucks each to get into the game, but they never collected the money. Whether I was lucky, beat the system, or they weren't collecting money, I don't know.

A lady for the home team handed out a booklet. I glanced through it, and felt like throwing it away. All it had was stuff about the other team. The lady said to hang on to it, so I thought something might be up. At halftime, she announced the person with a sticker on Dirty Dave's Pizza won a free pizza. Not only that, it was a giant pizza. Yeah, the winner was me. Just goes to show you never know when you might win a free dinner. I hope I win the Deal or No Deal million dollar case game.

Remembering LA, and Missing it Too

Here is a list of my top 14 memories from my trip to Los Angeles, one for each day, but not necessarily one from each day. Oh, and they are in no particular order, not even chronological order.

1. Disneyland. My second trip, my cousin's first. Highlights included FastPass, Space and Splash Mountain. Worst part, my sunglasses getting broken on Indiana Jones.

2. Two Trips to the Beach. Boogie boarding, big waves, and dolphins.

3. Dodgers Game. Learning the "secret code word" to the lower level. Thinking about ordering a bat.

4. Heat Wave. First days there, temperature above 100. Man, it was unnaturally hot.

5. Griffith Park Observatory. A place everyone should go at least once, especially at night.

6. Lunch at the Park. Until, the observatory, this place had the best view of LA.

7. The Ride Down. 19 hours in car.

8. The Plane Ride Home. 2 hours at 40,000 feet.

9. Ed's cooking. Onion pancakes, the best food ever. And good dinners.

10. The Zoo. Watching crazy monkeys, fat pigs, snoring goats, and bobble head elephants.

11. Deal or No Deal Taping. 3 hours of nonstop clapping.

12. Drinking Boba. Tapioca balls in milkshakes, brilliant.

13. Tour of LA. House from Father of the Bride, wall from Italian job blocking view of house, Gamble mansion, elevator ride, and China town.

14. In N' Out. Yes, they are that good.

There are lots of other memories, those were just a few that stuck out to me.

Utter-ance Perfection

Today, I was able to use my new favorite saying. It isn't really that much of a saying, it is more an utterance or emotional outburst. I love to say aiyah. Why, I don't know. It is a Chinese exclamation, and I love it.

I was in the store with my sister. She was picking out some food to take to a potluck she was already 10 minutes late to. I was trying to say she should just get a container of cookies, but she wanted to continue to look around. I belted out an aiyah, a little bit louder than I wanted. The lady shopper by us really got a kick out of it for some reason. I don't know if she was laughing at the situation, the way I look, or the aiyah. I like to think it was the perfectly executed aiyah. AIYAH!

Trip OverCast Back to Reality

I am back in Shelton. I arrived tonight. While I am happy to be back home, I already miss LA. I really had a great time there, and can't wait to go back. Hopefully next time, my family can also go.

The trip to the plane didn't start out very good. Out of the blue, I suddenly realized I left my cell phone charger plugged in the wall at their house. Thankfully, my uncle was gracious enough to run back to the house to pick it up for me. Other than that though, everything went smoothly. After passing the shoe test, I waved goodbye to my cousins and finished going through security. I got a little bit worried because the plane was supposed to start loading at 3:01, and it was 3:25, and I was still waiting. But finally, I did get on the plane.

I sat in 22A, a window seat. In the isle, an empty seat away from me was a very old lady. The only words we exchanged were when I was sitting down, and when she wanted me to help her open her complementary bag of pretzels. Even then, not many words were exchanged. I had fun looking out the window. Going over California, it was interesting to look at all the small cars, roads, houses, and countless swimming pools.

I knew we had arrived in Washington, because all the sudden there were clouds everywhere. It looked spectacular. We were way above the clouds, and the cloud layer was so thick, I couldn't even see the ground. All I saw was miles of puffy white clouds of varying sizes and elevations. It was amazing. It looked like something from another planet. Going through the cloud layer looked cool out the window, but was rather turbulent. The only part of the plane ride that wasn't so great was my stomach. I had a a little bit of cramping and gas. Is that normal at 40,000 feet? I don't know. Maybe it was my last meal of In N' Out working its way out. I am not sure. I feel sorry for the old lady sitting by me, well, I don't really think she noticed anything.

On the plane ride, the people in front of me liked the trees in Seattle. They were amazed at the amount, and said they wanted to move here. They also talked about the "big lake" with all the boats on it. It was actually Puget Sound. When I arrived in Seattle, I was happy to finally be "home". It was 65 degrees, overcast, and felt like it could start raining. That's about when I knew I was no longer in California. I had almost forgotten what clouds were.

Now, I had to get my checked in bag. I followed the signs to the baggage area. When I got there, it was crazy. There were people everywhere, and these large metal spinning things with luggage on it. The problem, there were multiple large metal spinning things, and I didn't know which one my luggage was at. After about 20-30 minutes, I finally found my bag. Thanks grandpa and Sarah for coming to pick me up. As I approached Shelton, there were these large lights in the sky. I thought maybe I was seeing things. I wasn't though. They were those spinning search light things events use. It was almost symbolic of my trip home, why, I don't know. When I got home, a cake was waiting for me. Oh wait, that was for my sister's birthday. Today is my sister and brother's birthday. Happy Birthday Harrison and Gabby.

Special Ed's, I Mean Ed's Special

Today, was my last full day down in LA. I am having conflicting thoughts. I will be glad to be home with my family, but will also miss having a good time with my cousins down here. Right now, I am about to enjoy my uncle's famous specialty onion pancakes with bacon. I can't wait. They are so good. In fact, I am done blogging for now, I am going to go stuff myself.

Eating Good Things at Chung Kings

Today, I went to a really good Chinese restaurant for lunch, Chung King. It had really good, non-Americanized food. I even tried a sea weed salad, and anchovies. The sea weed was quite good, but I didn't really like the anchovies. Thankfully, it wasn't offered to me, because I would not have enjoyed the pig intestines, roasted duck head, or chicken legs. The food we did get was excellent. The waitresses were nice too. On the way out, a Chinese woman was talking to me. I don't know if she worked there, but she said I had a nice beard, in a non-flirtatious manner. I didn't understand everything she said, but I understood that part.

After picking up my cousin from school, I went to another restaurant. This time, it was a Taiwanese one. My cousin was hungry for an after school snack, I was still stuffed from lunch. He ordered some chicken nuggets. I tried a few, and let me tell you, there were very good. I will never look at McDonald's chicken nuggets the same. For dinner, my uncle cooked some very good Chinese food. I am stuffed from all the food I ate today, all of which, was quite good. Thanks Ed for cooking the dinner and buying the lunch.

This afternoon, I played the role of photographer. They wanted me to get a good family picture of them. It took around 25 pictures, but I think we got a few good ones. Let me tell you, getting a good family picture is no easy thing. Someone always wrecks the picture, whether on purpose or not. But luckily for them, they had a very good photographer.

Dodger Day

Today, I went to a baseball game. Don't worry, it was the real LA team, not the Angels. We went to a Dodgers game. It was a 7:10 pm game against the Padres. It was my first time ever not rooting for the Mariners. I felt like I could freely root for the Dodgers because they are in the other league, and are actually still in the playoff race.

We didn't buy tickets in advance, because it is cheaper to buy them the day of the game at the stadium. It was even cheaper to buy them from scalpers outside the stadium, eight dollars cheaper.

We tried to get to the game in time for batting practice. We went to our seats, in the nosebleed upper deck section, and then me and my cousin went to try to get to left field to get a ball during batting practice. We didn't make it very far. Let me explain. The stadium has lots of levels, ours was the highest. When you try to go to a lower section, they ask to see your ticket. They will only let you go to a lower level if you have the expensive tickets to that level. We were only able to go down one level before they sent us back up, I even tried to explain we just wanted to get a ball from batting practice, but it didn't work. Disappointed, we returned to our seats.

After telling the story to my uncle, he went to ask someone if there was any way to get to batting practice. He was told to tell them you are interested in ordering a bat. I am serious, it was the magic word. At every level, when they asked to see our tickets, we would just say we were interested in ordering a bat. Using this password, we finally made it to the lower section where we could get a ball from batting practice, we were just in time to see them put everything away. Oh well, it was still neat to get to the lower level, and see the $100 and up view. Our seats weren't that bad though.

I liked the stadium, it had a huge TV screen and TV screens on the outfield wall. It seemed high tech. The game itself was good too. The Dodgers won 6 to 1. We left after the 7th inning stretch, because after all, it was a school night for my cousins. In the middle of the game, I used the password again to get to the lower level, but this time I meant it. I really was interested in getting a custom major league bat, until I saw the price tag of 75 dollars. One of the highlights of the game for me was the wave. It circled the stadium four times, and everyone was in to it. It was fun to watch it on the four different levels, usually at all different speeds. Overall, it was a nice game and a even nicer experience.