pre-holiday thoughts

1. going to be in the bay area for christmas! 12/23-12/29

2. sketchbook at 35/80. hoping to get a lot done during my ~20hrs of travel (bus to chicago, time in airport, and flight time)

3. my newly acquired tribble amuses me

4. i seem to nag on people when they exhibit traits that i hate about myself

5. my love for mint may stem from the fact that i'm a December baby. tis the season for peppermint and other minty treats. mmmm

6. speaking of, i had a wonderful birthday celebration of hot pot and fruit tart. mmm mmm good.

7. yes, i am obsessed over good food

8. i do miss austin's trail of lights. madison's paled in comparison

9. been quite the bum lately, and crashing/falling asleep very quickly

10. tried a couple pushups during a gym class, and wow my chest hurts now. so sadly out of shape

small collection of intrigues

british humor and blackberries

if you don't want to bore your audience make this presentation

9 hours in a hotel sums up this 9h hotel

this ad pokes fun at wikileaks

some ideas on how to forgive

ducked and covered - 80s guide to survive nuclear apocalypse

12-11-10 times the fun

1. current sketchbook progress: 31/80. kinda been slacking, i do a lot more when i have time to kill

2. i need to change my showering habits to nighttime, because the morning cold water is NOT a happy time

3. the holidays make me splurge on gifts for others and myself. good for the season, bad for the wallet

4. i don't react well to other's extreme excitement. brain currently trying to figure out why

5. wheat thins are a glorious munchie

6. i ruined my good poofy jacket by not putting in a front load washer. and the stains didn't even come out! sadness

7. lost at sea by bryan lee o'malley really speaks to my high school self

8. epic mickey (wii) is very interesting. i am sad though the camera angles are not the greatest and gives me headaches after extended play

9. goals before the end of the year: get 70/80 pages done in sketchbook, update my resume, try rock climbing, and hem my pants that have been there over a year...

10. the list of 10 gets harder and harder to write out each time... hmm

around the interwebs

silent monks singing hallelujah

and a mall flash mob (i especially like the older guys taking part - flash mobs not only for the youngins!)

the workaround culture is all too familiar

watch the year 2010 in review

linky videos

latest intrigues:

google maps did good for their readability. nice one!

i fail 8th grade, now and in 1895.

it's the ducks versus wind... felt bad for the loser

how to scare a scarecrow in style

an interesting list of 34 life tips

vacation complete

1. thanksgiving trip to ny was filled with awesome company and good food. pictures here

2. one thing i miss about home is waking up to the sounds of chirping cockatiels and my parents' voices

3. one thing i DON'T miss about home is the arguments

4. my desire to spend money has not stopped... rut rohs

5. current sketchbook progress: 27/80 pages

6. since going on vacation, I have gained 4 lbs. weee foooood

7. the right wrist is acting up again... my body needs some good paying attention to in the coming weeks

8. life is full of surprises and what ifs and intriguing interactions

9. decemeber is practically here already. feels so quick

10. somewhere in there i got a sore throat and am now officially sick. boohoo

it's time for linkies and videos!

keep couch surfing and lookit some of the amusing things i found.

recent tsa policy from the other perspective

anime openings showing off the generic imagery. intrigued me at least

new yellow shoes not so classy

the crying frog has now replaced the human seal (see #10 from 9/13 post)

tools for the kitchen. engage!

gobble gobble.

threadless hoodie

my threadless hoodie has received many comments while wandering nyc, from "i like your shirt" to "signs of the bad economy, huh?" to "i love it! she looks sweet and innocent but her shirt says she's a gangster!"

(link to the design)

latest 10 thoughts

1. current sketchbook progress: 17/80 pages. admittedly some spreads are kind of lame though

2. this is the first time going to NYC that i'm more excited about the people i'm hanging out with than exploring the city itself

3. going home is always mixed blessing because i enjoy seeing the 'rents, but their age is catching up to them

4. my general knowledge seems to be diminishing rapidly. why does the brain fail to retain useful information?

5. getting interviewed by the local news for a DCHS fundraiser was a bit odd and nerve racking. no i can't find the video online

6. temperatures changed outside, and yes i am already cold

7. trying to live out life instead of worrying about the details has changed my perspective a lot

8. madison drivers need to learn to drive. ramps to a highway mean you accelerate to match traffic, not slow down and hope to catch a gap

9. madison construction workers also need to choose their cone placement better. a 1min stretch turned into 40min one night because they blocked off all but one lane... and for nothing that i could see

10. apparently, i lack enthusiasm

small spattering of links

game design evolution visualization sounds about right

enjoy your chocolate now

the cliche family from commercials of the early years

nice MS paint drawing

today's average is 10

11-09-10. average is 10. ten? 10 thoughts.

1. i am participating in the sketchbook project as funyun. see it on tour! my theme is 'lines and grids' since it would be the easiest for me to draw...

2. i need to spend some time to reevaluate my current lifestyle, future career plans, and why i suck at starcraft 2 so much

3. lately i've been craving all food ever that's out there. it's like i want the world to be my buffet and an infinite stomach to hold it all

4. posted some recent photos finally. of note, my halloween costume (nerd herd from chuck)

5. my desktop is so finnicky. ram broke down and forced the computer into a looping blue screen of death. at least the new ram has finally shipped

6. so i finally finished warioware on wii... uhh, good for me

7. started kirby epic yarn and am quite amused

8. sleeping hours have not been so great. 1am bedtimes need to go down to 12am.

9. anytime i use my down throw, i seem to fall asleep on my bed. there must be some magic sleeping powder laced in it... or just the beauty of warmth

10. speaking of warm... it's still 60 degrees in november! i like it :)

the latest links

new set of odds and ends

snow white remix for fun

post-it note of to do's per day to simplify your life

doggie wear for the fancy dog

cupcake on a cupcake - i'll just even take the mini one, thanks =)

for those who need downtime, read on.

and posted on my twitter, break dancing i can't stop laughing at...

stuffs and around

i have been incredibly lazy lately. and staying up late needlessly.

random links:

bookman's book dominos ad

a map of europe... in legos!

unpopular science - introducing physics to the real world

and to celebrate halloween - house lights to 'thriller'

onwards to less laziness!... we hope

--one late addition - an exploration of burnout and how to deal

newish links

conglomerated some favorites over the past week.

no no mario - a web comic

not the biggest eva fan, but these chopsticks are pretty sweet

tiger curry - awww

one page per day - an interesting concept

dino necklace - pretty neat

improvised darth vader theme in beethoven style

doo di doo di doo

1. my computers are all dying! what is going on??? =(

2. holiday travel is officially set: new york 11/20-11/27, and san francisco 12/23-12/29

3. need to stretch more and strengthen muscles. yoga today was more painful than usual

4. someday while working this contract, i will pocket some savings. someday... not this month though, not after two plane tickets, tuition, multiple insurance payments, and living costs...

5. i got 2nd place at poker night! and i thoroughly suck at head-to-head play

6. currently into beats antique and kalafina music

7. somewhere my head got wired to automatically refute anything nice said about me. hooray low self-esteem!... sigh

8. rewatching code geass as a group... aaah the anime that combines mech fights, god-complexes, high school drama, and clamp styles, all into one. good stuff

9. i feel the sleepiness at 2am, but i don't push myself to go to bed. hah, self discipline, hah

10. must... pick out... halloween... costume... somewhere...

costumes

halloween quickly approaches, and i should pick a costume. either something simple or some cosplay, which is something i do want to do at some point in my life.

cosplays would be cooler but harder... potential candidates:

- rhyme (twewy) - for the giant warm orange sweater

- neku (twewy) - i like the headphones

- xion (kh 358/2) - cuz cloaks are cool, and it would generally be reusable

- roxas (kh 2) - just cuz i like the outfit

any inputs? now i just want to replay these games...

10 10 10 10 thoughts

today is 10/10/10. what better day to write down 10 thoughts?

1. it's amazing to me still how a single hug can melt away all my worries

2. spicy cheese bread from stella's is quite addicting and filling

3. i am such a sucker for dogs and puppies

4. the shower keeps losing hot water the instant i glob hair condition into my hand. it must know that it is the hardest type of soap to wash out and rebels against me =P

5. finished reading game of thrones, finally. it only took all of 3 months

6. summer(ish) weather has returned! which means winter will probably pound even harder =\

7. i'm spending more than i'm earning and that makes me sad. especially since there are a lot of big purchases coming up for holiday season. augh, must readjust my spending habits...

8. driving down neighborhoods with colored trees and falling leaves is one of the coolest things about autumn. scenic drives to work everyday!

9. i am looking forward to playing kirby's epic yarn, epic mickey, and okamiden. apparently 'epic' is the new tagline for nifty games... huh, how ironic

10. the body clock has now cursed me with waking up at 6:45am on the weekends. boooooo

the cool and the cute

cool: anti-theft lunch bags, to deter those lunch stealers

cute: piggie buns, likely filled with deliciousness

cool: pi necklace to help you memorize the digits

cute: pacman moleskines - i want one of these!

cool: futurama cake that is totally awesome

cute: yoshi's island, could be an epic movie

oh, and because it's random - this comic is sadly true

10 is the magic number

1. colder weather means i am susceptible to sickness. i've met my quota for the year now, thanks.

2. i am again bored with the toys, games, and other stimulus around me. which means, i need another hobby, distraction, or something to fill my time

3. working in a new environment opens your eyes to the various work styles and skill levels out there

4. trivial things are annoying me again. this is my reminder to keep a check on my emotions

5. eating smaller portions means you tend to pay more for food or in a group. argh cheap bulk prices

6. mint filled oreo cookies are deeeeelicious. why am i such a sucker for minty flavors?

7. watching others attempt to organize people together seems as tiresome as i remember it being

8. i thought i would be ok with a monotonous job, but... apparently not.

9. new tires are annoyingly expensive. general car maintenance is expensive. cars are expensive. poopies.

10. gir in cake form - it's so cute!

couple of links

these maps are kinda cool and rather revealing

europe stereotypes - haha to the swimming pool

neato dark mario webcomic

random quote: "If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try going to sleep with a mosquito in the room."

more linkies

if i had just waited a day i would have consolidated the link posts.

polymer porn (view the picture) - aaah chemistry... how sometimes i do miss you. especially the puns thread

relationships cost you friends. now there's a study to prove it

laundry day - not quite what it seems.

video games lead to faster decisions - yet we still can never decide on food

stolen links and latest hits

i have been a rather boring person as of late, so here are a couple stolen links

each culture has its own expression of emotion - from the two cultures they studied, i am definitely more voice driven than face

having a sick system is how they keep people from leaving jobs. it's sad that i feel like i could check off everything for my previous employer...

and my body can't quite decide whether to be sick or not. i figured i had no chance when both roommates came down with a nasty cold, but my throat keeps giving me confusing signals. bah.

it's a new week

1. fall is nice, but that means winter is coming. sigh.

2. this job really fell right into my lap as an exact fit for my goals. getting some experience, learning new languages, and getting paid for it all. sweet!

3. despite the good news, i am hitting another identity crisis. i just can't seem to figure out what i really like and/or want out of life

4. and along that note... emotions always get in the way of logical thinking. it's quite annoying.

5. started reading again, though it will be slow since i am working now

6. exercising has slowed down as well, though the nice fall weather is good incentive to go outside

7. societies should teach religious tolerance

8. i seem to have escaped both roommate's sicknesses for now... let's hope it stays that way.

9. godiva should definitely bring back their ice cream parlor truffles next year. the mint chocolate chip truffles are deeeeelicious

10. not exactly a thought, but this seal will forever make me laugh

linky jots

social traps - particularly amused by #3

i am a fetus starfish based on my sleeping positions. tough on the outside but sensitive at heart, and ready to listen to others.

history can be fun as facebook statuses (p1 p2)

picturing everything you own - i should try this next time i move...

oooo pretty sushi, looks tasty

and here's an NES coffee table. has amusing comments too

90210

only one day in life appropriate enough to celebrate beverly hills 90210 and high school dramas. so i will make a shout out to all my HS friends - go warriors!

and to keep it interesting, here are some amusements:

recent 1000 awesome thing that made me lol

old link, but still good to see the effects of small rejection

another old link, but this is the concept art to epic mickey, which attracted me and a friend to the game

one more - differences between men and women brain functions

thoughts on job stress

further proof that my previous job was not working for me - the one strand of gray hair i've kept around has a distinct 2 inches of black starting at the root, and white the rest of the way down.

so apparently my hair grows 1 inch every two months.

ten thoughts more

1. my summer break is officially over. i start training for a contract job tomorrow!

2. taking a class at the local technical college makes me realize how much professional experience changes the way you think about what they teach

3. my endurance has increased! i am now able to swim 800m mostly freestyle, and minimal tiring out

4. i am overly critical of myself

5. the hinges of my laptop are NOT happy right now. that new laptop might have to come sooner than i'd like...

6. recently made a trip to the MN state fair. hooray for fair food and fried everything. sorta wish I went to the TX state fair too... maybe someday

7. it's amazing how understanding certain people's thought process changes how you interact with them

8. finally put up some summer photos, including a photoshoot featuring electronics and alice and wonderland themes with the roommates. fun times =)

9. reasons why watching shows can be bad for me - i just spent almost 10hrs reskimming an anime that had almost 100 episodes. it's hard to turn away from that moment of joy when watching an awesome scene

10. piano is definitely a great relaxant for me, unless i cannot play the piece at the speed i want

it was a good day

today was a good day.
the weather was absolutely gorgeous. crisp skies and awesome temperatures.
the interview went well apparently. training starts on monday!
the class is at the right level for me. i will definitely learn from it.
the walk outdoors was a great time to soak in the gorgeous weather.
the brief nap in the park was very relaxing and reflective.
the raspberries were sweet and delicious, as was the pom lychee tea.

yes, today was a good day.

materialism love

epic mickey opening - all i can say is, serves him right, and i want to play this

ninja bread men cookie cutters - hiya i make shape

shower curtain - quite amusing actually

helium - ok not really materialistic, but no more balloon gifts

ya'll fail - Howdy to you too!

10 shenanigans

1. i need to seriously plan out my travel details for nyc (thanksgiving, maybe), san francisco (christmas), and europe (for fun). wee

2. yep, still afraid of commitment

3. kingdom hearts piano collections books are now on the top of my wish list. i also wish i could level up my piano playing skills so learning new pieces wasn't so time consuming, ex. the xion piece is really pretty but will take me many months to learn =\

4. currently into the kingdom hearts franchise (if my piano obsession wasn't enough of a cue). i finally finished 358/2 and watched through the japanese cutscenes of 'birth by sleep'. this means i really should finish chain of memories, even though i'm a bit bored of its gameplay...

5. weather is finally sticking with my ideal temperature, meaning more outdoor walks and bike rides for me. yay!

6. a semester-long $360 class makes me hold on to my money tighter than going out to $20 meals 2-3 times a week, even though the little outings adds up to more than the class. oh mental tricks..

7. pugs are seriously funny dogs. there was a pair of them at the shelter that were quite crazy, and one almost peed on the other...

8. i recently passed a lion king phase - cds looped in my car, dvd is shipping to my house, and next trip to nyc i plan to see lion king on broadway. busa simba iyo!

9. slowing down on selling things, but still made $120 this month

10. one day, i will make computer and internet usage completely off limits. just to see where it goes. should be fun.

couple more links

some blog posts that interested me...

- the goal is to have no goals.

- venting may not be the best answer after all - catharsis

even with all the time in the world, i still feel like i don't have enough time to do all i want. right now, that means:
-play starcraft 2
-practice kingdom hearts piano collections
-finish kh 358/2 on DS
-read and finish a game of thrones
-take walks and bike rides in this awesome weather
-find and apply for jobs
-take technical class(es)
-watch toaru kagaku no railgun
-organize some stacks of paper

and then some.

i think it's more of, i want to do ALL of that in one day. one super exciting timeless never-ending day. wee.

fillerings

something in my inbox from a while ago but still cool - 自主制作アニメーション『the TV show』

sweet prank. i'll take that cube!

as for life... i stumbled upon scans of both kingdom hearts piano collections sheet music. commence tons of piano playing!

other miscellaney... you know how sometimes people say something deep that really sticks in your mind? yet they don't remember it because it was just casual conversation... yea, that's really applying to me right now.

8-9-10 intrigues

book art - very neat

tipping tips - if ever you were confused

watching despicable me made me want an army of minions to play with... and crack like a glow stick

biking around the neighborhood is quite refreshing. hills are still killer.

starcraft 2 owns my life like zerg owned kerrigan's. cept my hair doesn't turn into tentacles

10 things that came to mind

1. holy crap it's august of 2010. summer always flies by.

2. starcraft II owns my free time right now. my current favorite units are immortals

3. if things are out of reach, it becomes much easier to resist them. this applies to snacks and food, video games, relationships...

4. instead of being appreciative of other people's actions and kind gestures, i get bitter and untrusting because i wanted to do it myself. then i get frustrated by little trivial things. apparently my first instinct in life is to go the pessimistic control-freak route, and that needs to change.

5. bedroom is now livable, aside from the random pieces of stuff here and there. Somehow managed to fit everything in my closet and the storage spaces, though there is definitely room for more uncluttering.

6. living next door to a grocery store that has a salad bar makes me want to eat there a lot. and buy lots of fruits. unfortunately the trucks are quite noisy... but i'll get over that.

7. random revelation - the direction you turn your key for a lock is the direction the bolt goes. so to lock it, turn it towards the wall that holds the bolt. to unlock, turn it away from the bolt holder. duuuuuuh.

8. i have lots of random scratches and bruises nowadays.

9. now that i'm settled down again, i need to restart on job search and reading books. but wait, sc2... sigh.

10. recently i spoke to 3 separate people from work... speaking with them made me feel much more justified in my decision. i may not be making money right now, but i am definitely happier than i was 3 months ago.

cool links

finally went through my google reader from pre-move.

nifty space invader couch

i sorta want this morbid book

stubborn amazon box - "uhh sir, we have a problem. the package is rolling... no, no, it's not a wheel, it's a box... yes i know you can't roll with a square wheel......"

html5 color cycling - some of these look pretty cool

nuclear bomb testing - cool representation, disconcerting what it's representing...

which came first? made me lol

all done moving

finally all moved in to new place. i downsized to a smaller bedroom (something like 15x14 with giant closet and vaulted ceilings to a simple 11x11 room and minimal closet space), and while things fit in my room, the boxes currently take up my desk space, preventing me from sc2 action. sad.

also, the past 2 nights have been 4am bedtimes, 8am body clock wake up times. this does not bode well for my health.

body is sore and exhausted. ow...

next few weeks my focus will be cleaning and downsizing, with these goals in mind:

- eventual removal of current dresser (replaced with either closet storage system or smaller/lighter dresser)

- limiting amount of clothes

- donating more pretty / souvenir items and limiting toys

- selling stuff on ebay

i have so much stuff... it runs in the family =P

starcraft II day

as the title states, today is starcraft II day! yay! planning to play in between packing and moving this week.

other items:

- amusing secrets to being a mega-chef

- random quote from Charles Kingsley: "We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about."

- 岡村隆史,早く元気になってね! (get well soon, okamura takashi)

(he is a japanese comedian who amuses me a lot on the show mechaike)

on a bright wednesday morning...

ten thoughts came to mind

1. we are moving to a smaller apt in a week. which means lots of packing and lots of donations. overall i'm doing well in cleansing a lot of my useless items.

2. along with donations, i have sold many things at local stores and on ebay. so far earned $145 this month (mostly on ebay). w00t!

3. one of my boxes stored all my college chemistry lab reports and exams, on the assumption i would pick it back up some point. i scanned some notes... it's so sad that i barely remember any of it, aside from drawing benzenes and dreading quantum chem's particle in a box

4. my tuesday mornings now go to the dogs - i volunteer at the local shelter to walk them. they are all so adorable... makes me want to quote the girl in despicable me, "it's so fluffy!!!"

5. i need help reviving my motivation to find work... it does not help when i get yelled at by parents that i should never have quit in the first place.

6. blog about being an adult is amusing and sadly true

7. people's actions can be greatly influenced by how they grew up, ex. their good and bad habits, social interactions, etc.

8. tennis is a keeper. next trial activity is dancing.

9. as for leisure activities, reading and jewelry making has slowed down as i am catching up on various movies and tv. arrested development s1, chuck s3, road rovers... heh.

10. i've had several dreams about flying, superman style. not all recent, but it's just intriguing to me. and fun. but sad when i wake up.

the 14th of july in 2010

some amusements:

star wars opening - improv style on the nyc subway

batman - awesome exposure

street fighter cosplay - chibi chun-li

engagement ring box - shaped like the house from 'up'. I want one!

do do do doot doo do do doot - thank you oldspice video responses (youtube)

sunday ramblings

1. found a place to live. it's not perfect but should still be nice. hoping to sign lease soon, then i can focus on packing and downsizing

2. to those who have considered leaving the job: 29. no wonder i got so many "congratulations!" from coworkers when i announced my own departure...

3. 32 - unfortunately true. will this empower me to actually get stuff done?

4. ice cream sandwiches are my summer comfort food

5. somewhere i read an interesting way of thinking about procrastination - the tomorrow version of you is no less of a procrastinator than today. tomorrow you are just as likely to put off whatever it is you are about to put off. so why not just do that task now and get it over with? therefore, i will try to procrastinate less, because they make a good point.

6. chuck got quite interesting this season. you think they run out of things, but they actually keep it fairly interesting and fresh without overdoing it (for the most part)

7. i purchased some jay long prints at art fair on the square this weekend. my taste for art has broadened the past few years, which is good. there were lots of cool things on the square that i would have liked to own

8. my body has not been reacting to the heat well lately... overheating easily when outside for a long time, feeling warm in my own house. it probably means i need more exercise or better nutrition

9. sonic drive-ins still own my loyalty. mmmm tater tots

10. bad habits are seeping in again. ex., late nights and general procrastination. my goal this week is to change that

another 10 thoughts

1. star wars in concert was quite enjoyable and fun to hear live. my only gripe is you'd forget it was live since they timed it strictly to the video montages. i took some pictures though, roughly depicting each track they played. and here's a death star cookie to complete the geekiness

2. i like this stuff no one told me blog. posts 05 and 08 particularly appeal to me

3. book readings: just finished the graveyard book by neil gaiman and really enjoyed it. i will also never name my kid 'jack'. next are the song of ice and fire series books

4. tv series: finished farscape for good. overall enjoyable series, had its ups and downs, really trippy at times, but fun. going to finish fma brotherhood once it's subbed, then next up... ?

5. fitness: i am taking tennis classes - it's quite fun actually. as long as i ignore be careful of tennis elbow and wrist pain...

6. jobs: i'll admit i am somewhat discouraged right now, and i haven't really been submitting resumes. in my defense, i am somewhat reevaluating my resume and search methods.

7. that said, i am officially staying in madison for the next year unless i get a job in another city

8. i have never really had to live on a budget before, so my spending habits are under intense scrutiny. it's been a real eye opener at times

9. fresh raspberries are really addicting, but oh so delicious

10. i'm curious as to how many people actively reading this blog. oh well.

seven-to-ten

a few amusements:
limbo - so that's how you do it...
chibiterasu - awww i want one =)
4ft paper gundam - neat, and rather obsessive

one thing i've noticed since leaving my previous job - i have not found any new gray hairs except for the one this morning

another thing - now that i'm consciously budgeting, i am amazed at how much i used to spend on random items and spontaneous events

youtube intrigues

dog vs. vuvuzela - dog win

dog vs. car - dog also wins

pokemon a cappella - someone with too much time on their hands

tis the end of june

wedding in michigan this past weekend - photos

the trip made me reflect deeply on my current life, where it is heading, and my social skills and relationships. overall i am not where i want to be, mainly because what i truly want i have to build towards, and i am unwilling/unmotivated to do so.

so my new goal is to not only find a job, but to figure out what i truly want out of my life.

current amusements

1. re: farscape. almost done, just have the movie left to watch. what the frell is with the ending in season 4? oh right, crazy cliffhangers was something they did to all seasons. sigh to series cancellations...

2. laptop is officially falling apart, meaning i should look into a new one soon. sad cuz i was hoping to wait on a new one...

3. i really dislike articles that gives its information as slideshows. do you REALLY have to make me click through each of those?

4. today i ate at the only schlotzsky's in madison (it's on the east side and kinda far-i'm amazed it's actually even here). man, i miss that place.

5. the library is my current best friend for books, dvds, internet (if my laptop connects...), and quiet working solitude

6. so i'm thinking europe, possibly in the sept/oct range. places high on the list: madrid, athens, prague, rome, budapest. yes, i know, i am going to need more planning than that, and to spend lots of money...

7. uh oh... the 4am nights are coming back... and i'm not even playing starcraft to instigate it.

8. per request, a picture of the paper cranes (both folded and unfolded). current count at 200, eventually hitting 1000... someday.

9. latest hobby - knotting hemp jewelry. i've been working on them these past couple weeks while watching various dvds. slightly mindless knotting with mindless videos, all in a day's work...

10. one more piece of art - i started playing with my tamagoyaki (sweetened egg omelette). and it was delicious.

the classic mario theme

mario music... in beatbox and violin style

i wonder if the younger generation even recognizes the theme. it makes me sad to think i am actually old enough that people i talk to may not know.

that's life

well, maybe next interview. onwards with self enrichment.

added a bunch of random pictures to my 2010 collection: enjoy

Andaluca

Food blog posts... Let's try one.

Lately I've really enjoyed tapas-style restaurants. You order several small plates of food for smaller portions and get to try out more flavors in one sitting.

On my recent trip to Seattle, WA I had the pleasure of dining at Andaluca. I had a prix fixe three course dinner menu to choose from. The ambiance was great, the service was friendly and timely.

First, bread with a really tasty hummus. I forget what was special about the hummus though.

Next was the starter. I got the tuscan tomato bread soup with a basil creme fraiche (that's the white part). This had to be one of THE most delicious tomato soups I've ever had. The consistency was smooth, the flavors were put together well, the tiny croutons gave crunchy and fluffy interest to the soup.

Then, the pintxos (small plates). They all came out on one plate, and each had a unique flavor.

The orange-ish rice was their mini andaluca paella, with a lot of different types of meat and cooked in a saffron broth. This was my favorite of the small plates. Nicely flavored, light, filled with goodies.

The two fried balls were potato croquettes. I actually found this place by searching for croquettes so I had high hopes. It was a little bland but fried well. Not my favorite, but it filled my craving.

The white dish was a risotto with garlic scapes and oyster mushroom. I've never had garlic scapes before. It was a subtle flavor, just as the waiter said, cooked tender to match with the rice in the risotto. Filling and interesting.

Then the sweet stuff - strawberry parfait with lemon sorbetto and candied lemon zest. By this time I was super full and really only wanted the fruit. The sorbetto was quite tangy and delicious with the strawberries. The lemon zest was fun to crunch on too.

Overall, I give it 8/10. Definitely recommended, they have some really good dishes.

(The score sorta includes the fact that for some reason I stayed awake that night battling indigestion and discomfort. Not sure what made my stomach unhappy, but Andaluca was my only meal at night... so... yea...)

the mind, it wanders a lot

1. this month's income: $141 from selling stuff in a garage sale and on craigslist. hooray for money!

2. goodbye SC2, for a few weeks...

3. sitting behind 2 kids on an airplane made raising them very unappealing. both of them were tired and antsy, and one of them could not stop crying throughout the ~4hr flight. the poor parents said they had another 4hr flight and 1.5hr drive ahead of them...

4. i'm having second thoughts about the whole move-to-a-new-town thing. there are definitely nice parts about madison and good friendships, all of which i would have to rebuild, substitute, or find again in a new town.

5. that said, i just came back from my first onsite interview! it went ok, could have gone better. they will contact me next week. but now i have motivation to take technical classes too...

6. i am still not a fan of poppyseed in my breads

7. my communication skills are getting dull - i can imagine and hear the phrase i want to use, but i have trouble saying it eloquently

8. i have read more books in the past month than i have in the past... 5 years? and i think the reading streak will continue. hooray! currently reading the gods themselves (asimov) and ender in exile (card)

9. filtering your speech and actions is something that should be done regardless of how well you know the person. any action can be damaging to a relationship, even if they know that is the "real you"

10. when i volunteered to clean some critters' cages today, the little rat drew blood and the guinea pig kept running away from me. it made me a little sad. sorta like keanu sad.

six four one oh

these knives look really cool

is it just me, or does gmail load messages very slowly now?

i'm starting to purge things from my closet and room. yay. much needed since... a long time ago. i found my clunky old iriver, plus a bunch of stuffed animals i will be giving away. bye bye nostalgia.

latest intrigues

we made takoyaki today. now i smell of fried and burnt oil. the balls are harder to shape than i thought.

i was also surprised by a sink hole in guatamala... seeing something like that is not very comforting.

SC2 beta was extended until 6/7. i'm getting slightly better at it. once beta's gone i'll be sad until 7/27.

i'm almost done reading all books from the ender series (ender, bean, and the newer ones). now to find another series to catch up on...

lots of time to think nowadays

i'm hitting another mood swing where i don't know what i want to do with my life. my mind is going all over the place, which means another time to unclutter.

1. i have been quite impatient with everything nowadays, mainly my life direction. this is not good, as it takes time to build social relationships, and ultimately that seems to be what makes me happier with life.

2. sc2 beta is quite fun, though i pretty much suck at it. i'm also sad that beta goes away 5/31... not much time left to play =(

3. i'm reading again. yay!

4. i'm spending again. noooo...

5. i am now at 150 of 1000 paper cranes. this total includes ~100 i made in childhood, plus 50 that i made the past couple of days. this won't be an active hobby... but 5% progress is pretty significant.

6. my job search is sorta going, but sorta not. it's kind of discouraging.

7. warmer weather has finally arrived! however, my tolerance to heat has gone significantly down. i'm not sure i could survive texas heat anymore!

8. someone wrote that modern romance is looking for one person to spare the need for other people. my emotional side seems to agree, but my logical side says this is unhealthy and has to change.

9. still haven't planned out an international trip. too focused on little things in front of me, too timid to take the bold step forward.

10. unemployment fosters lots of bumming around. i need to start having weekly goals and fulfilling them, else i will spiral into complete uselessness.

starcraft 2 beta

i got a sc2 beta test invite this morning. wuhoo!!! so far... it's very pretty. i have a lot to learn though. so many new units and buildings and strategies... i actually wish i could play single-player version first to learn them. still fun though =D

i'm sad though that i only have until 5/31 until blizzard closes beta... then another 2 months before the actual release.

oh well. more sc2 then.

ah, the great outdoors

went camping at devil's lake with a fun group. i always forget that i really do like nature walks. photos here.

now i need to figure out what to do with myself. the excitement of the weekend makes my week look so boring.

as of today...

these are my current interests:

star trek (2009 movie)

wall-e

ender books

downtown batsu games

sakamoto maaya music (recently bought shounen alice album)

prince of persia flash game

castle age on facebook (sad i know)

farscape. sorta

home sweet home

here ends my NY trip to meet with a friend, explore the city a bit, visit niagara falls, and do some shopping. photos here.

it was good to see my parents. they seem to be doing better physically and mentally. i also ate way too much food, but it was all so delicious... *burp*

small inspiration to update

first substantial post to this blog. rejoice, my nonexistent readers!

in attempts to unclutter what my friend calls "mind chatter", i am going to use this blog to list out my goals, desires, emotional swings, current interests, etc.

so... a list of 10 current thoughts to unclutter:

1. i need to find a job. my previous job made me realize that the paycheck is not everything, that i need to actually enjoy what i'm working on so as to maintain a good life/work balance.

2. i need to get more active. i've never been very athletic, but my body is not very happy with me right now. my first goal is to swim 800m, all freestyle and/or with fewer breaks in between (right now i rest every 100-150m, and swim breaststroke half the time)

3. i need to decide where to go in july once my lease is up. right now the choices are stay in madison, upstate NY, or bay area CA. each has their pros and cons.

4. i need to be less critical of myself and others.

5. i am debating on preordering starcraft 2 for a beta key. however, depending on the answer to #3, i might not have a computer to play it on at the end of july.

6. i need to save money since i am not making any. this means less spontaneous spending on material things that i really don't need, less eating out. trips are still exempt.

7. i should read more novels. i just got a library card, but so far all i've done is checkout dvds and a book of idioms.

8. stop being so socially awkward and shy. also quit being so stubborn. let go of what's lost, hold on to your friendships.

9. i should finish watching farscape. the dvds have been sitting here since christmas...

10. i should start planning out my international trip. start by picking between asia or europe, then pick out the individual countries.

oh one last note. using blogger means an official farewell to my xanga and livejournal sites (they have been stale anyhow). i will continue to use twitter for the short 'n sweet thoughts.