Journal 7/2/08

I went to work in the morning, and since I got off during the worst traffic, I went to my parents house for a bit. I hung out with Brad until he had softball then I went home. Cyndi and I tried to book our vacation. There was a problem with one of the websites though, so the company is going to call us later. If all goes well, we'll be taking a cruise to Alaska leaving from Seattle on Cyndi's birthday. We've both wanted to go there for a long time, so it should be fun.

We're also hoping to make it up to Santa Cruz tomorrow night for 4th of July (it's my dad's birthday too). I haven't been there during family camp since the summer before I started at Biola. We went up there when we were first married and for our first anniversary, but not since.

Work has been more work the past couple of weeks. About half of my boys were caught smoking pot on several different occasions so we had to shut things down. They all lost their jobs and the many other extras they get in the ILP program. A lot of time has been spent with them stuck in their rooms while we are posted outside like prison guards.

Where have you bean?

May 30th - Amy and I had a girls afternoon and went to see Sex and the City

May 31st - Thanks to a security guard at work we were given free tickets to the Avengers Game. It was my first arena football game and quite a spectacle

June 1st - Jeri and I went to see a free screening of Alien Trespass

June 6th - Paul and I decided to go see a double feature tonight and took in Vegas and Zohan

June 7th - I woke up to the smell and sound of Paul cooking breakfast we had a lazy day of playing mario kart and reading

June 14th - Paul took an extra shift and went fishing with his boys. Then we met up at Spaghetti Factory for family dinner night to celebrate birthdays and Fathers Day

June 16th - I headed down to SD yesterday for church, shopping and a movie because I had a dentist and ortho appointment today

June 18th - I got to see three of my 8th graders Graduation this evening

June 19th - The 8th graders who graduated were able to go to Knotts today and I volunteered to be a chaperon I should have looked at the weather report first it was so dang hot but we still managed to have a great time

June 20th - Thankfully Paul had today off and was able to come help me clean out the classroom after which we decided to grab some lunch and go see a movie

June 22nd - It is still very hot in our apartment so I ran off to the movies for a triple feature of Panda, Guru and Hulk

Woo! 5 posts in one day!

I've been told our blog is boring lately. I don't know if that's any better than laziness, but it puts less of the blame on me so I'll take it.

I'm really irritated with the World Poker Tour right now. Someone thought it would be a good idea to do their big tournament as usual this year (going on now actually) with one twist. The main event, the one event anyone cares about, is going to take 4 months to finish. Once they get down to the 9 players for the final table, everything is going to shut down and be finished in mid November. I'm guessing it's so they can edit the footage of the rest of the tournament and show it later with the final table being live. However, it's not like we won't know who makes the final table. They might as well just do the live event when it happens, and show the rest of the action later. Part of the excitement of the tournament is that these guys are playing from early morning to well past midnight every day and have to battle fatigue to keep a sharp mind and play smart poker.

What's stuck in Paul's head this week?

It's not normally a type of music I'd listen to, but I like it. Thanks Indie 103!

Oops...

Yesterday while my mom was at work, she tripped on a box and fell. At first she was going to drive herself home, but then discovered she couldn't even make it out of her department. So my dad was called to take her to the doctor where they found she broke two bones in her right foot.

She's obviously not thrilled. She doesn't have to have a cast, but she will be wearing one of those big boots for a while. I think the fact it's on her driving foot is the worst part for her. Workers comp should cover her for this one, so that will help out.

Because her mobility is somewhat limited, my brother decided to promote my sister to "mom". The dog was then promoted to "sister", the cat to "dog", and the toaster to "cat". My mom has been demoted to the role of "toaster", but is eligible to recover her position once she is feeling better. Everyone seems to be adjusting to their new roles quite nicely.

Hot!

Today was too hot for me to be outside working school security today. Luckily my boss found other things that needed to be done in the office once it started to get bad and saved me from burning up. There was only one semi-big incident today, but that was right after lunch when I happened to be around. A little excitement, with no damage done to keep me on my toes.

What a difference a week makes...

A really bad situation for us is looking like it will turn out really good. We'll hopefully find out by the end of the week, so pray for us!

So, what did you do at work this week?

1. Found a bag of tobacco saved up from cigarette butts off the street that a kid was saving and smoking in his room.

2. Caught a kid smoking marijuana in his class at school.

3. Nearly had to restrain a kid so he wouldn't attack a teacher, his roommate, and school security.

4. Interupted a plot by two kids to assault, kidnap, and carjack one of the female staff.

...and I still have two days to go this week!

Quiz time: Name That Tune 2: Electric Boogaloo

I've got a few more of these song charts. One point each for title and artist...no half points. And since no one got #1 from the first batch, it was "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode.

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Quiz time: Name That Tune!

I need the title AND artist to get a point. Click for full size if they're hard to read.

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a la photos

The concept:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.


The Questions:
1. What is your first name? Cynthia
2. What is your favorite food? Steak
3. What high school did you go to? Junipero Serra
4. What is your favorite color? Blue and Purple
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Will Smith
6. Favorite drink? Diet Pepsi
7. Dream vacation? Australia
8. Favorite dessert? Golden Spoon
9. What you want to be when you grow up? Me
10. What do you love most in life? Adventures
11. One Word to describe you. Ordinary
12. Your flickr name. busoftball16 (softball)

Blarg!!!!

So we just got mail from our insurance company saying they need more time to figure out my claim because the jerk still wont call back to explain his side of the accident. I tried calling the number he gave us which is his parents. They have also tried to contact their son but he is dodging their calls. Meanwhile we are out over $1100 because we had to pay the deductible and for the rental car. My blood is boiling. Blarg!

What's in Paul's head this week:

C - Update

Health- I was sick all weekend. So much for all my plans for getting work done, hanging with friends and cleaning the apartment. Instead I was only conscious for about 6-8 hours each day. The rest of my day was spent sleeping or semi-conscious watching TV on the couch. I almost made it an entire school year without getting sick.

Work- PRAY!! I have been given notice (just like last year) that my contract will end. The difference is they did not tell me I would be re-hired for next year. There is a new woman in charge this year and she is doing things in a very slow fashion. The lady I dealt with in the past wanted to make sure all loose ends were taken care of before school was out. The new woman doesn't seem concerned with this. I talked with the principal and she said she would love to keep me around if they are going to have my position next year. She is supposed to talk to the new woman this week to find out for me when they will make the decisions on who to re-hire for next year. The principal is also going to try to push if I do get to come back to have me be on a probationary contract instead of a temporary contract which would put me on track to get tenure. So... I need to have a signed contract ASAP.

Life- I finally did get my car back this past week. Hooray! Now we wait to get reimbursed for all the $ I had to shell out for the rental and such. I am currently down 30 pounds on the year. Summer vacation starts soon... My mom is going to have knee surgery in June. Charlie, Morgan and I have set up to go on a mini vacation in July. Paul and I are trying to figure out what to do with our vacation in August. My 10 year HS reunion is coming up in November, which means TK will be out for a visit! And hopefully I can get a trip to Vegas squeezed in somewhere so that I can see Melissa again, 8 yrs is such a long time!

So that is what is up currently and in the foreseeable future...

Walking for Keith

On April 26th Morgan, Amy, Mom and I took to the streets of San Diego in our 2nd annual MS Walk. This year we were called Team CanDo! With the support of many friends and family we were able to raise $1, 150! It was a beautiful day down in Pt. Loma and we had a great time showing our support of those suffering with MS.

Angela putting up the names on the Wall of Hope. The start line and photos during the walk.
Me, Mom and Amy coming down the home stretch

For everyone we’ve lost,for all who remain

My family, friends&loved ones of friends my prayers are with you.




(thanks for sharing this TK)

Last night in Borders bookstore....

Tiny Transvestite #1: "This is buggin' me! I'm trying to look stuff up [in the computer] but I can't even spell 'dummy' right now!"

Large Transvestite #2: "D-U-M-M-E-Y"

Weenie Roast 2008!

Once again this year, I got to go to the KROQ Weenie Roast y Fiesta. The tickets went on sale on Wednesday, with the show being on Saturday. I decided if I was able to get actual seats I'd do something with the tickets. If I could only get general admission on the lawn then I wouldn't buy the tickets. Well, I ended up getting some Loge seats about halfway to the stage. Through a lot of hassle and some wheeling and dealing, I managed to sell those tickets and end up with a 12th row seat plus enough money to pay for that ticket, the 2 original tickets I bought, food, and some extra money to add to our bank account. Score! So anywho, here's a recap of the bands. I linked to performaces from the show for most of the bands. A couple of them weren't posted so I used other live performances.

*update*: CBS (which owns KROQ) has apparently been busy removing all the live performances from youtube the past few days. Good job taking down free publicity for your bands and events. Let me know how that works out for you. I'll still post links to videos in case there's someone you haven't heard.

1. Ludo
The side stage opened up with Ludo. They were fun to watch. A little goofy. They shouldn't quit their day jobs, because I don't see them doing much beyond one or two minor hits, but I enjoyed my time watching them. The ended with a spot on cover of Faith No More's "Epic" which was great. The singer matched the voice perfectly.

2. The Flobots
While everyone was watching Ludo, I moved to the stage next to them to be up close for the Flobots. I'd heard a few songs besides "Handlebars" and love their style. I don't agree with all of their politics, but they mix rock, rap, reggae, funk together well. Plus, how many bands have a lead viola? Hopefully people will accept them for more than just "Handlebars".

3. MGMT
Kevin and Bean always bring up how awful Frente was at Weenie Roast 2 back in the day. I was there for that performance. MGMT couldn't even open for Frente based on what I saw. I'm not sure which was the highlight of this half hour: The singer trying to walk across the stage high-fiving people and falling over from being drunk/high or the woman who passed out from the heat in front of her 10 year old and lost control of her bowels as security tried to carry her to the EMT tent. Bad times.

4. The Bravery
During that time I stayed where I was for the Flobots so I had a front row spot for The Bravery. They changed my mind about them when they played on the main stage last year, so it was nice to get to see them again, up close this time. Another solid performance.

5. Atreyu
There was a half hour break before Atreyu went on. This is when I got some lunch. Sadly, I just couldn't seem to make it back for Ateyu's set. Instead, I sat in the shade and got to meet the head Flobot and the singer for Seether who were both hanging out unnoticed in a shady part of the festival area.

6. Flogging Molly
I'd been wanting to see Flogging Molly for a few years. I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if it wasn't 100+ degrees at that point. They really got things going with a high energy set.

7. Seether
Not much to say here. They were better than I expected, but nothing to get excited over.

8. Scars on Broadway
This was my second break. The sun was way too hot. I would have stayed if they were playing as their regular band System of a Down instead of this weaker side project.

9. Pennywise
Pennywise is a band I've listened to off and on since high school, but have never seen live. They seemed really excited to be there and took requests from the crowd. They even mixed in a cover of the Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop". Good fun.

10. Bad Religion
Bad Religion played last year, and was better that time. They ran through their catalog of hits, but didn't seem to have the energy or urgency they brought to the songs last time around. It was a good time for a sing-a-long, but those in the pits seem disappointed.

11. Rise Against
Rise Against was the third returning band, but unlike Bad Religion, they seemed more comfortable this time around. The highlight of their set was probably the acoustic version of "Swing Life Away".

12. The Raconteurs
When Jack White is taking charge, the Raconteurs are good. When he steps back and lets the rest of the band take over, they're average. We got both sides of it in this set. They have the potential to be bigger and better than the White Stripes were/are.

13. The Offspring
No, Jeri, the Offspring didn't repeat the horror from when they played before the Cure. However, while they were playing, several large fires broke out on the lawn with flames shooting up about 10 feet at one point. They have so many hits at this point, there were several I really missed. They did play a few new songs which fit nicely.

14. Metallica
Most of the crowd seemed to be there solely because of Metallica. They got their money's worth. They played the hour and 20 minutes they were scheduled for, then came out for a one song encore. When that didn't satisfy the crowd, they came back again for seven more songs. I was exhausted by the end of it. They didn't play any of their new songs, but also wisely stayed away from the St. Anger CD. I don't know how they rock so hard for so long night after night. I'm glad I finally got to see them, and may have to go back when they tour in the fall.

Applied

I have sent in an application to The Biggest Loser. It is a long shot that for me to be picked but I wanted to let all of you on the short list the heads up that someone from the show may be calling. These had to be people in the area: Jeric, Erin Collins, Beth Zab, Henning, Bradley and TK. Thank you all for volunteering in advance ;) I am quite proud that I created an actual DVD on my computer including a cool opening, a photo montage with music and me speaking on the track along with video of me around town. For my first time taking, creating and editing a video I think I did a pretty good job.

Now we all pray that if it is to be, it will be. No matter what I will forge ahead with my miles and weight lifting at the BU gym. I heart my track buddies.

My Weekend = DRAMA

Morgan and I headed down to SD on Friday night. We were on our way to Amy's apartment when while on College a truck that was two lanes over decided to move into our lane (left turn) but his right blinker remained on. I joked to Morgan that we had better stay away from that guy and stayed back an extra half car length so we could see what he was going to do when he turned. We made our way on to Montezuma and he was driving fine but a little slow so I decided to go around him. About a block and a half later while he was in the left lane and we were in the right he decided to make a RIGHT turn and plowed into the side of my car. I was not impressed.

I had barely gotten the car turned off and opened the door when he came running over apologizing. He reeked of alcohol and he just kept saying my buddy told me to turn right so I did (no one was in the car with him), I just wasn't thinking. My tire was hissing, rim is bent, and possibly the axle. Part of the plastic around the wheel was bent up inside the back door. The door seems a bit bent and just a couple of scratches.

This damage was caused by his front bumper hitting the side of my car. My back hurts and I have been to the doctor. I have been given muscle relaxers and have to go back at the end of this week if it is not feeling better. I am just thankful that I was able to steady the car and that it wasn't any worse than it is. We could have easily been spun around and gone into another car parked on the side of the road, or a house or wall that were also right near where this happened.

My car has just been picked up from my moms house and towed to a repair shop that our insurance company deals with. Now I wait to hear from the adjuster and the collision repair shop to see just how bad the damage is...

Read this in the voice of Comic Book Guy. It helps get the point across.

No, no, Mr. Underage Drunk Guy...take our car. We don't want it. It's more important for you to get your party on than for us to drive to work or anything like that. So go ahead...turn down imaginary streets from whatever lane you want. We don't mind. As long as your car can still drive, everything is a-ok.

Stuff from this week...

-- Tomorrow (Friday) I'm supposed to have my second wisdom tooth out. It was supposed to be today, but due to my blood thinners, I can't really have last minute surgeries. I've been running around for the past couple of days trying to get everything cleared with the dentist, oral surgeon, coumadin clinic, and my regular doctor. If everything works out perfectly, I'll be knocked out by 11am.

-- Saturday is Cyndi's annual MS Walk down in Sandy Eggo. I couldn't go last year, but depending on how the tooth thing goes, I'm penciled in to walk this year. As of right now, her team is at $955 raised, close to the goal of $1000. Thank you to all who have donated so far.

-- I found out I'm down to my last two projects for my photo class. This next one is working with Photoshop (hence my first attempt to put Torii Hunter on the Dodgers as seen below). The guy in all the intro videos made it look easy, but it's really frustrating for the perfectionist in me. We'll see what I can come up with for my next due date in two weeks.

-- Today was my annual CPR training at work. The video they show is new, but still annoying. By the end of the year, the Red Cross is getting rid of the breathing part of CPR, so it will be even shorter than it was this time around.

-- The NFL draft this weekend should be good. The 49ers made a wise choice and gave their top pick to the Patriots for some magic beans, so I'm sure it will all work out for the best. I'm sure this is our year! ....sigh.