My interview went well today for the ultimate summer job in my opinion. It is a teaching position at the college I graduated from. It would be teaching middle school/high school kids during their summer program. I can tell you that I was the most qualified- classroom and tutoring experience, experience working with low income kids, etc. etc. The other 2 candidates don't have the experience. One graduated last year and works as a vet assistant. She worked in student dining services during her undergrad. Then there is a guy who will be graduating in June and works at Bakers, a fast food joint. I know that I have the most qualifications it seems in my mind with several years of tutoring low income students and a few years subbing under my belt. I think my sample lesson plan I had to teach went very well. Either they'll go with most qualified or least perceived threat like the vet girl I'm thinking.
I went to school all dressed up tonight and everyone thought I looked nice. Lots of complements. Everyone is anxious to know if I got the job, so we're all adding each other on facebook because they want a status update if I did. I'm really getting to know these people well, and we're a fun group. We are constantly talking to each other while our teacher is talking off in her own little world. Tonight we were making fun of each other. They were teasing me for not procrastinating and being ahead on all the reading. Then the teacher singled me out for having the best paper and so there were collective groans, jokes, and "aaaaaaaaw how cute, Mike, Mike is the teacher's pet, Mike always goes above and beyond." Remember my partner, Mr. OCD from last quarter? The teacher was talking about students who are so hard headed, and always think they're right. I shouted his name out and the class laughed. We were talking about the different types of assessments and he joked about me being a hard grader in an assessment activity we did. I joked that he was the one who was setting the kid up for failure by boosting his ego by giving unfair grades simply because they are an English language learner or special ed. The class then told my partner what a bad guy he was for boosting the little kid's ego and setting him up for failure in the future when he realizes he is not as good at everything as people say. Fun times.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Serves her right
My sister kept bragging last week that her professor didn't read her work, she could turn in anything, and get an A. She decided she would write a 30 page report when the professor wanted no more than 13 pages. What she could find to talk about for 30 pages was beyond me. Apparently she couldn't find anything either, but did manager 30 pages.
Today my mom called about 2:15 after she got out of school asking why my sister was crying in a voicemail she left my mom. I had no clue. I didn't know. I told her I didn't know because she hadn't called me, and I probably wouldn't have been that sympathetic ear my sister wanted. Sister was so devastated she couldn't go home and wanted my mom to drive to her college to pick her up. Mom said she better get on the train or she would be stuck at school all night.
Turns out sister got her 30 page paper back. The professor did read it. The paper was out of 75 points. He took off 10 for being over the page limit. He took off another 15 for content because my sister's paper didn't flow and didn't make sense. She had a long 1/4 page comment going across her paper in blue ink saying that her paper was good, but then didn't flow and was hard to understand. There were also a few points taken off for some other problem. Sister received a 46/75 on her midterm paper.
It turns out sister finally admitted during dinner she pasted an essay from another class into her paper because she was convinced the professor didn't read, and she was convinced the more content you had, the better the grade. She was playing the victim during this whole thing- the professor didn't like her, she's the youngest student in the class, she is the only sophomore in a junior/senior class. She cried and cried all during dinner. My mom read her paper and clearly saw the transition from talking about the importance of contemporary rhetoric (musical lyrics, modern speeches, pop culture) to talking about the importance of interpersonal communication. Busted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
46/75!!!!
61%!!!!
Today my mom called about 2:15 after she got out of school asking why my sister was crying in a voicemail she left my mom. I had no clue. I didn't know. I told her I didn't know because she hadn't called me, and I probably wouldn't have been that sympathetic ear my sister wanted. Sister was so devastated she couldn't go home and wanted my mom to drive to her college to pick her up. Mom said she better get on the train or she would be stuck at school all night.
Turns out sister got her 30 page paper back. The professor did read it. The paper was out of 75 points. He took off 10 for being over the page limit. He took off another 15 for content because my sister's paper didn't flow and didn't make sense. She had a long 1/4 page comment going across her paper in blue ink saying that her paper was good, but then didn't flow and was hard to understand. There were also a few points taken off for some other problem. Sister received a 46/75 on her midterm paper.
It turns out sister finally admitted during dinner she pasted an essay from another class into her paper because she was convinced the professor didn't read, and she was convinced the more content you had, the better the grade. She was playing the victim during this whole thing- the professor didn't like her, she's the youngest student in the class, she is the only sophomore in a junior/senior class. She cried and cried all during dinner. My mom read her paper and clearly saw the transition from talking about the importance of contemporary rhetoric (musical lyrics, modern speeches, pop culture) to talking about the importance of interpersonal communication. Busted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
46/75!!!!
61%!!!!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Nonstop weekend
This weekend has been one of those nonstop weekends that I love.
Friday at work during lunch I was playing around on facebook on my phone and I posted a status message on facebook about wanting to go to a concert at Casino Morongo out in Cabazon. It was the free KKGO, GoCountry 105, Stagecoach preconcert. I got a message from Mal, the teacher I'm going to see Luke Bryan and Jewel with next month. She said if she could get a sitter she would go with me. I didn't get out of work until nearly 3. I get a call at 3:30 as I'm about 4 minutes from home and she said she'd meet me there at 5. I play around on the computer about 30 minutes, then head out to the desert. We met at the Serrano Buffet where we ate and chatted about all sorts of stuff- mainly work and school. Such a fun time!!! We decided we had to try our luck at slots. Mal was very conservative and spent $2. She lost it all. My limit was $10. I didn't know Morongo got rid of most of the penny machines. I lost $6 on 2 or 3 different penny machines I did find. I was sad, so went and found a 2 cent machine where my money could go twice as fast. In the first few spins I was up $16. I broke even. I gave up once I recouped my losses.
We got in line for the concert about 7:15 and the doors opened at 7:30. It was in the Vibe room. We made our way in and stood because it was mostly a standing room concert. We stood around and joked about needing a drink in our hand to be like everyone else. We never did get a drink. The concert started at 8. It was really 8:15 or so.
Mal was all over the first act, Emily West, she was all into her depressing songs and was "relatable," and totally cute. Seriously, I disagreed, and told Mal. I said Emily needed to comb her hair, use a tanning bed, and put on some clothes because that spaghetti strap showed a little too much. The second act was Steel Magnolias. The duo was cute and since it was a small venue were able to interact with the audience and tell us about themselves. Their song, "Keep on Loving You" is all over country radio, and was not my favorite, but they had a few others that weren't bad like "Ooh La La."
Now Easton Corbin was last, and they saved the best for last. He has a George Strait sounding voice, which totally melted me. He was young, cute, and totally do-able. I think with his voice and sound he'll be around for a while. My favorites of his were: "A Lot to Learn About Livin,'" "Don't Ask Me About a Woman," and "Roll With It." I went wild when he sang "A Little More Country Than That." He was sooooooo fine and his voice. He seemed a little overwhelmed by the whole thing, almost nervous, soooo cute.
Mal and I danced together, shook our hips, and other stuff all night long.
I kept telling Mal that one of the security people looked like my old barber when I was little. She laughed. I told her I was serious. He was a latino guy with a very distinctive haircut, and was very tall. I had seen this guy earlier and saw his name was Rudy, like my old barber. I was curious, went up and asked him, and sure enough it was. He remembered me. Was a little shocked I had grown so much (it had been 10 years or so), and remembered my dad. What are the chances- I was 35 miles or so from home- just goes to show I see people I know everywhere.
I guess this outing kind of sort of made up for not getting to go to Stagecoach to see Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, and all the others I was wanting to see.
We hugged and took off about 11:30. I got home at 12:10 or so and got to bed about 1.
I was up at 8 to do homework Saturday morning to finish it before going to Disneyland.
I met my cousins at Disneyland about 11:45. They had been there since 9. I hadn't been to Disneyland in nearly 2 years- probably June 2008 or longer ago. It was my 26 year old cousin, 12 year old cousin, 23 year old lesbian cousin and her girlfriend, her girlfriend's mom, her girlfriend's brother who was 13, and his friend. My 26yo cousin's boyfriend stayed home.
It is now $97 for a 1 day ticket to Disneyland. A basic annual pass was $169. I decided at that ridiculous price I'd go ahead and just get a basic pass that would allow me to go 170 preselected days to Disneyland. I added parking, so it was $230 or so, which was ridiculous. So um if anyone wants to go to Disneyland now, hit me up since I have an annual pass... haha
Lots of renovations under way at Disney- street cars being added to Cali Adventure, the water has been drained from River of the Americas, and a few buildings in New Orleans square being redone. Oh, and Captain EO was back. I remember Captain EO now after seeing it. I remember the captain scaring me as a child and screaming as she reached out with her claws. Scary stuff, but it brought back memories. Fun times.
Here's the Captain EO video- it is soooooooooooo much cooler in 3D, though. It's sooooo 80s... I love it!
Disney was very crowded as most lines were at least an hour. We got on Space Mountain first, and my date and riding buddy as she termed it for the day was the girlfriend's mom. We hugged and then got on Space Mountain. This lady was all about taking cute photos together. It was pretty amusing. She was like 50, very white trash, and no attraction. This lady was showing us her tattoos while we were in line for Matterhorn and telling us how her son didn't like them since his mom is supposed to be Christian. We got on 6 or 7 rides in a total of 12 hours. We ate at the Plaza Inn, and it'll be a long time before I eat there again. I despise Disney food. Anyways, the mom was an interesting character belching loud during dinner, eating green beans with her hands. Lots of stopping to take photos practically EVERYWHERE. My cousins are the photo type people who take pictures of anything and everything. We did, believe me. My cousins in total took about 500 photos they calculated. The 2 boys were constantly poking me and we played the poking game in most of the lines. I sensed they were looking at me kind of like they liked me. It was weird. They were cool, though.
It was crazy how many gay guys were at Disneyland on Grindr. For chat I assume (haha... yeah... right), cause unless you have a hotel, what are you going to do at Disneyland? I had chats going on with several guys during the day- one guy who worked there and was 26. He wanted to meet up since I drove alone after I left, and he messaged me on Grindr about 12:30a.m. as I was leaving, and said if he had a place we'd get together. I had 2-3 guys staying in a hotel room and invited me up. I had other random guys message me and ask me what ride I was on. Driving home I just kept Grindr open for the hell of it as I was cruising down the 91 and I had about 12 messages by the time I got home. One guy sent me 4-5 pics of him and his nice uncut dick, his location, and asked what I wanted to do.
We stayed until 12. I didn't get to my car until 12:30. It was 1:05 or so before I got home, and 1:30 before bed. I got up about 9.
Friday at work during lunch I was playing around on facebook on my phone and I posted a status message on facebook about wanting to go to a concert at Casino Morongo out in Cabazon. It was the free KKGO, GoCountry 105, Stagecoach preconcert. I got a message from Mal, the teacher I'm going to see Luke Bryan and Jewel with next month. She said if she could get a sitter she would go with me. I didn't get out of work until nearly 3. I get a call at 3:30 as I'm about 4 minutes from home and she said she'd meet me there at 5. I play around on the computer about 30 minutes, then head out to the desert. We met at the Serrano Buffet where we ate and chatted about all sorts of stuff- mainly work and school. Such a fun time!!! We decided we had to try our luck at slots. Mal was very conservative and spent $2. She lost it all. My limit was $10. I didn't know Morongo got rid of most of the penny machines. I lost $6 on 2 or 3 different penny machines I did find. I was sad, so went and found a 2 cent machine where my money could go twice as fast. In the first few spins I was up $16. I broke even. I gave up once I recouped my losses.
We got in line for the concert about 7:15 and the doors opened at 7:30. It was in the Vibe room. We made our way in and stood because it was mostly a standing room concert. We stood around and joked about needing a drink in our hand to be like everyone else. We never did get a drink. The concert started at 8. It was really 8:15 or so.
Mal was all over the first act, Emily West, she was all into her depressing songs and was "relatable," and totally cute. Seriously, I disagreed, and told Mal. I said Emily needed to comb her hair, use a tanning bed, and put on some clothes because that spaghetti strap showed a little too much. The second act was Steel Magnolias. The duo was cute and since it was a small venue were able to interact with the audience and tell us about themselves. Their song, "Keep on Loving You" is all over country radio, and was not my favorite, but they had a few others that weren't bad like "Ooh La La."
Now Easton Corbin was last, and they saved the best for last. He has a George Strait sounding voice, which totally melted me. He was young, cute, and totally do-able. I think with his voice and sound he'll be around for a while. My favorites of his were: "A Lot to Learn About Livin,'" "Don't Ask Me About a Woman," and "Roll With It." I went wild when he sang "A Little More Country Than That." He was sooooooo fine and his voice. He seemed a little overwhelmed by the whole thing, almost nervous, soooo cute.
Mal and I danced together, shook our hips, and other stuff all night long.
I kept telling Mal that one of the security people looked like my old barber when I was little. She laughed. I told her I was serious. He was a latino guy with a very distinctive haircut, and was very tall. I had seen this guy earlier and saw his name was Rudy, like my old barber. I was curious, went up and asked him, and sure enough it was. He remembered me. Was a little shocked I had grown so much (it had been 10 years or so), and remembered my dad. What are the chances- I was 35 miles or so from home- just goes to show I see people I know everywhere.
I guess this outing kind of sort of made up for not getting to go to Stagecoach to see Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Sugarland, and all the others I was wanting to see.
We hugged and took off about 11:30. I got home at 12:10 or so and got to bed about 1.
I was up at 8 to do homework Saturday morning to finish it before going to Disneyland.
I met my cousins at Disneyland about 11:45. They had been there since 9. I hadn't been to Disneyland in nearly 2 years- probably June 2008 or longer ago. It was my 26 year old cousin, 12 year old cousin, 23 year old lesbian cousin and her girlfriend, her girlfriend's mom, her girlfriend's brother who was 13, and his friend. My 26yo cousin's boyfriend stayed home.
It is now $97 for a 1 day ticket to Disneyland. A basic annual pass was $169. I decided at that ridiculous price I'd go ahead and just get a basic pass that would allow me to go 170 preselected days to Disneyland. I added parking, so it was $230 or so, which was ridiculous. So um if anyone wants to go to Disneyland now, hit me up since I have an annual pass... haha
Lots of renovations under way at Disney- street cars being added to Cali Adventure, the water has been drained from River of the Americas, and a few buildings in New Orleans square being redone. Oh, and Captain EO was back. I remember Captain EO now after seeing it. I remember the captain scaring me as a child and screaming as she reached out with her claws. Scary stuff, but it brought back memories. Fun times.
Here's the Captain EO video- it is soooooooooooo much cooler in 3D, though. It's sooooo 80s... I love it!
Disney was very crowded as most lines were at least an hour. We got on Space Mountain first, and my date and riding buddy as she termed it for the day was the girlfriend's mom. We hugged and then got on Space Mountain. This lady was all about taking cute photos together. It was pretty amusing. She was like 50, very white trash, and no attraction. This lady was showing us her tattoos while we were in line for Matterhorn and telling us how her son didn't like them since his mom is supposed to be Christian. We got on 6 or 7 rides in a total of 12 hours. We ate at the Plaza Inn, and it'll be a long time before I eat there again. I despise Disney food. Anyways, the mom was an interesting character belching loud during dinner, eating green beans with her hands. Lots of stopping to take photos practically EVERYWHERE. My cousins are the photo type people who take pictures of anything and everything. We did, believe me. My cousins in total took about 500 photos they calculated. The 2 boys were constantly poking me and we played the poking game in most of the lines. I sensed they were looking at me kind of like they liked me. It was weird. They were cool, though.
It was crazy how many gay guys were at Disneyland on Grindr. For chat I assume (haha... yeah... right), cause unless you have a hotel, what are you going to do at Disneyland? I had chats going on with several guys during the day- one guy who worked there and was 26. He wanted to meet up since I drove alone after I left, and he messaged me on Grindr about 12:30a.m. as I was leaving, and said if he had a place we'd get together. I had 2-3 guys staying in a hotel room and invited me up. I had other random guys message me and ask me what ride I was on. Driving home I just kept Grindr open for the hell of it as I was cruising down the 91 and I had about 12 messages by the time I got home. One guy sent me 4-5 pics of him and his nice uncut dick, his location, and asked what I wanted to do.
We stayed until 12. I didn't get to my car until 12:30. It was 1:05 or so before I got home, and 1:30 before bed. I got up about 9.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Kind of a bunch of random on my mind
Let's see... where to start
This song would be a hot song to make love to. It just sounds sexy to me. Not a John Mayer fan I confess. Mostly annoyed by him.
I survived the dentist yesterday. No cavities. The dentist is my least favorite place to be. I always put off, reschedule, and generally try to avoid going.
Been working on my abs at the gym. Seems to be going well.
Stagecoach is this weekend, and I'm not going. Boo.
Disneyland this weekend maybe? May buy an annual pass since it is just a little more than a regular ticket.
I decided I need a Nissan Juke.
Subbed quite a bit this week, and while the students each day have been pretty good, I've been pretty drained by the end of each day. I attribute that to my sleep schedule. My sleep schedule has been so wacko this week. I need to work on that.
Was not at my regular school today and dealt with the biggest beeotch of an office manager who preceded to yell at me in front of everyone in the front office for a reason that was beyond my control. I was not bothered because I could not control the circumstances. It is not my fault a phone system malfunctions. Oh, and this was even before school started. Some people! Oh well, I did my job, I did what I was supposed to do, no fault on my end.
Job interview next week for what would pretty much be the ultimate summer job. It would be in the Spanish field. Estoy muy emocionado! I'm preparing, gathering materials, copies of my resumé, and ready to go in and rock the interview.
DISTURBING DREAM- You may want to skip...
I had a crazy ass dream this morning. I was at what seemed to be a park with my grandma who loved birds, a few other people who were not familiar, but I seemed to be acquaintances with. There was a bonfire going on and 3 macaws were probably 10-15 feet from it. I was moving back in the group of these people to try to get away from the birds. I dislike flying poultry. Birds do scare me. One bird, that was red, white, and blue started flying, which scared me, and I run backward. The bonfire flared up, and the bird started burning, and I saw the bird fall to the ground.
So here's what I read on the dream analysis website...
* I notice I only remember my dreams in the early morning, usually I've waken up, and fall back into REM sleep.
* Since Monday, the thought of this job has been on my mind.
* I also tend to worry about friends etc. when I don't hear back (The Guy, Gonzo, Viv)
Update: Here's my friend Gilbert's analysis. He has studied dream inspired literature extensively.
Certainly less morbid. More optimistic.
This song would be a hot song to make love to. It just sounds sexy to me. Not a John Mayer fan I confess. Mostly annoyed by him.
I survived the dentist yesterday. No cavities. The dentist is my least favorite place to be. I always put off, reschedule, and generally try to avoid going.
Been working on my abs at the gym. Seems to be going well.
Stagecoach is this weekend, and I'm not going. Boo.
Disneyland this weekend maybe? May buy an annual pass since it is just a little more than a regular ticket.
I decided I need a Nissan Juke.
Subbed quite a bit this week, and while the students each day have been pretty good, I've been pretty drained by the end of each day. I attribute that to my sleep schedule. My sleep schedule has been so wacko this week. I need to work on that.
Was not at my regular school today and dealt with the biggest beeotch of an office manager who preceded to yell at me in front of everyone in the front office for a reason that was beyond my control. I was not bothered because I could not control the circumstances. It is not my fault a phone system malfunctions. Oh, and this was even before school started. Some people! Oh well, I did my job, I did what I was supposed to do, no fault on my end.
Job interview next week for what would pretty much be the ultimate summer job. It would be in the Spanish field. Estoy muy emocionado! I'm preparing, gathering materials, copies of my resumé, and ready to go in and rock the interview.
DISTURBING DREAM- You may want to skip...
I had a crazy ass dream this morning. I was at what seemed to be a park with my grandma who loved birds, a few other people who were not familiar, but I seemed to be acquaintances with. There was a bonfire going on and 3 macaws were probably 10-15 feet from it. I was moving back in the group of these people to try to get away from the birds. I dislike flying poultry. Birds do scare me. One bird, that was red, white, and blue started flying, which scared me, and I run backward. The bonfire flared up, and the bird started burning, and I saw the bird fall to the ground.
So here's what I read on the dream analysis website...
To dream of dead or dying birds, foretells a period of coming disappointments. You will find yourself worrying over problems that are constantly on your mind.
To see your grandmother in your dream, represents nurturance, protection, and unconditional love. Consider the qualities and characteristics that exist in your own grandmother.
Depending on the context of your dream, to see fire in your dream can symbolize destruction, passion, desire, illumination, transformation, enlightenment, or anger. It may suggest that something old is passing and something new is entering into your life. Your thoughts and views are changing. In particular, if the fire is under control or contained in one area, then it is a metaphor of your own internal fire and inner transformation. It also represents your drive, motivation, and creative energy. Alternatively, the dream may be warning you of your dangerous or risky activities. You are literally "playing with fire".
* I notice I only remember my dreams in the early morning, usually I've waken up, and fall back into REM sleep.
* Since Monday, the thought of this job has been on my mind.
* I also tend to worry about friends etc. when I don't hear back (The Guy, Gonzo, Viv)
Update: Here's my friend Gilbert's analysis. He has studied dream inspired literature extensively.
"okay....here goes: Your grandmother thinks of you as a bird. She is free now, and wants you to be free. Your fear of being free from judgment by your mom and her friends makes you scared, like the macaw...and you 're fretting that you will fall into the figurative flames and get "burned". Message: your grandmother wants you to be free and fly high. SOAR"
Certainly less morbid. More optimistic.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
1:39 of laughter
I saw this on my friend's facebook and laughed out loud long after the video ended.
This is what I missed last weekend not being at Coachella.
This is what I missed last weekend not being at Coachella.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Laying in bed last night I couldn't sleep
I was tossing and turning all night. I was worried about work, school, friends, and everything else under the sun. I remembered a few years back after some major drama with my aunt I almost was forced to come out to my mom. I wrote a coming out letter almost 2 years ago. I modified it a bit, and decided to send it to her via email. Why, when things are calming down, I don't know, but I did
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mom,
It has been so hard the past few weeks for me to be around you after telling you I was gay. I have been been feeling, hurt, anger, and rejection. I am sorry I could not be more honest. It is something that I have known for years and have never told you out of fear of rejection. I have often felt that it would be easier if this were something I could just sweep under the rug and an issue that really doesn't matter. It does matter. Over the past few weeks it has become especially bad and is tearing me up inside because I am hiding this part of my life from you, and I feel it is distancing myself from you because I cannot be honest.
I know this came as a shock a few weeks ago. I'm sure you were unprepared to hear that. I understand. It is not easy for me to tell out of fear: fear of your reaction, fear that you would be hurt, fear that our relationship would change, and fear that you would be ashamed. Fear of hurting you has been the underlying reason I have not come out and told you this beforehand. The reason I am telling you this is that I love you and want to be honest with you.
You are probably feeling a great deal of hurt by now wondering what you did wrong and why I turned out the way I did. Mom, you have done nothing wrong always giving me your love and support, which is invaluable and who has shaped me into the person I am today. I am a son, a grandson, a brother, a friend, and a successful college student. I care so much for others and look at other people's interest before mine. I go out of my way to help others. I am tenacious and tackle tasks before someone says that they need to be done.
Mom, there is nothing wrong with being gay. In fact, I would argue that being gay has made me a better person. It has made me seek out true friends who will accept me for who I really am. It has taught me tolerance, to not judge, and respect for others for their differences. It has taught me to be more caring and have more compassion for others.
You don't have to worry that I have changed because I am gay. I am still the same loving, caring, compassionate person I was yesterday, and have always been. Being gay does not change that.
My own acceptance of the fact that I am gay has been a long process and a difficult process. I expect you will feel the same in coming to terms with this. I have been laughed at, made fun of, and have been hurt by people, and a society that has not accepted this. It is difficult when I hear people judge others about being gay when it is a mere fact, and something I cannot change.
I have attached a lot of (Christian) resources for you, and there is the book "Now That You Know" on the coffee table.
Mom, I know this is going to take some time for you to accept. I know it will be difficult. I love you and I don't want to continue hiding a part of my life from you.
Love,
Mikey
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Mom,
It has been so hard the past few weeks for me to be around you after telling you I was gay. I have been been feeling, hurt, anger, and rejection. I am sorry I could not be more honest. It is something that I have known for years and have never told you out of fear of rejection. I have often felt that it would be easier if this were something I could just sweep under the rug and an issue that really doesn't matter. It does matter. Over the past few weeks it has become especially bad and is tearing me up inside because I am hiding this part of my life from you, and I feel it is distancing myself from you because I cannot be honest.
I know this came as a shock a few weeks ago. I'm sure you were unprepared to hear that. I understand. It is not easy for me to tell out of fear: fear of your reaction, fear that you would be hurt, fear that our relationship would change, and fear that you would be ashamed. Fear of hurting you has been the underlying reason I have not come out and told you this beforehand. The reason I am telling you this is that I love you and want to be honest with you.
You are probably feeling a great deal of hurt by now wondering what you did wrong and why I turned out the way I did. Mom, you have done nothing wrong always giving me your love and support, which is invaluable and who has shaped me into the person I am today. I am a son, a grandson, a brother, a friend, and a successful college student. I care so much for others and look at other people's interest before mine. I go out of my way to help others. I am tenacious and tackle tasks before someone says that they need to be done.
Mom, there is nothing wrong with being gay. In fact, I would argue that being gay has made me a better person. It has made me seek out true friends who will accept me for who I really am. It has taught me tolerance, to not judge, and respect for others for their differences. It has taught me to be more caring and have more compassion for others.
You don't have to worry that I have changed because I am gay. I am still the same loving, caring, compassionate person I was yesterday, and have always been. Being gay does not change that.
My own acceptance of the fact that I am gay has been a long process and a difficult process. I expect you will feel the same in coming to terms with this. I have been laughed at, made fun of, and have been hurt by people, and a society that has not accepted this. It is difficult when I hear people judge others about being gay when it is a mere fact, and something I cannot change.
I have attached a lot of (Christian) resources for you, and there is the book "Now That You Know" on the coffee table.
Mom, I know this is going to take some time for you to accept. I know it will be difficult. I love you and I don't want to continue hiding a part of my life from you.
Love,
Mikey
Sunday, April 18, 2010
La Misión: Parte 2
LA MISSION
I saw La Mission con Dennis este afternoon. We both really enjoyed it. I think for me with the negative reactions and isolation I've felt from my mom in coming out recently made this movie all the more touching in my eyes. I also watched this looking at people I know in the latino community, and this reaction was not unnatural. It was very authentic. Jesse was pretty cute, and my heart just hurt to see him shunned by his dad in the movie. I did cry in the theater.
I saw La Mission con Dennis este afternoon. We both really enjoyed it. I think for me with the negative reactions and isolation I've felt from my mom in coming out recently made this movie all the more touching in my eyes. I also watched this looking at people I know in the latino community, and this reaction was not unnatural. It was very authentic. Jesse was pretty cute, and my heart just hurt to see him shunned by his dad in the movie. I did cry in the theater.
Weeeeeeeeeekend!
Got to enjoy a surprise visit from my friend and blogger, James, who was in town randomly Friday night. We visited a local steakhouse where we enjoyed lots of good food and conversation.
A 3 hour lunch with Linda Saturday afternoon because she hadn't seen my family all week.
Saturday afternoon I found myself chatting with a guy on connexion. He was probably 5'10'', 180lbs, brown hair with blond highlights styled like Patrick Swayze in this photo. Cute smile. I made a comment about, halfway flirty about how I could guess his job based on his photo. I even took a stab at based on his first name I knew who he was because I've heard him before- not in a stalkerish way, of course. And I was right. That pretty much lead into the conversation that we had over the next few hours about work, school, family, and things like that. He was at work and invited me to come hang with him. I felt a little weird going to his work and said that maybe another time. He insisted saying at most it was another kid who was just a few years younger than him, and they have friends who visit all the time. After a lot of talking and convincing on his end, I relented. I drove down to his place of business, which was in the journalism/broadcasting field. Sure enough the other guy who was there had a friend hanging out. It turns out it was a place I actually applied for a job twice- once during college in my last few months, and then once I graduated. This kid, and I guess I shouldn't call him kid when he is 5-6 years older than me, has been working there 3 years. We had a great time chatting, and he showed me around. The conversation was constant about the field, the place he worked, and our interests. He invited me to come back another time, told me they would be hiring soon, and we found out we had a few mutual friends. It was a fun time. I only stayed about an hour, but I enjoyed it, and enjoyed him. He isn't exactly my type 100%, but I found the conversation and personality definitely made up for it. We shall see what becomes...
Today I'm going to go see La Misión con Dennis.
Work this Tuesday subbing for the worst kids in the school. AY!!!
Have to create another lesson plan for school this week. I have to create a writing unit- not just a lesson, original ideas, original assessments, original handouts, original supplementary materials meaning I have to create everything on my own. Ugh. Also have to finish reviewing and posting all of my homework from this past week. Boo.
A 3 hour lunch with Linda Saturday afternoon because she hadn't seen my family all week.
Saturday afternoon I found myself chatting with a guy on connexion. He was probably 5'10'', 180lbs, brown hair with blond highlights styled like Patrick Swayze in this photo. Cute smile. I made a comment about, halfway flirty about how I could guess his job based on his photo. I even took a stab at based on his first name I knew who he was because I've heard him before- not in a stalkerish way, of course. And I was right. That pretty much lead into the conversation that we had over the next few hours about work, school, family, and things like that. He was at work and invited me to come hang with him. I felt a little weird going to his work and said that maybe another time. He insisted saying at most it was another kid who was just a few years younger than him, and they have friends who visit all the time. After a lot of talking and convincing on his end, I relented. I drove down to his place of business, which was in the journalism/broadcasting field. Sure enough the other guy who was there had a friend hanging out. It turns out it was a place I actually applied for a job twice- once during college in my last few months, and then once I graduated. This kid, and I guess I shouldn't call him kid when he is 5-6 years older than me, has been working there 3 years. We had a great time chatting, and he showed me around. The conversation was constant about the field, the place he worked, and our interests. He invited me to come back another time, told me they would be hiring soon, and we found out we had a few mutual friends. It was a fun time. I only stayed about an hour, but I enjoyed it, and enjoyed him. He isn't exactly my type 100%, but I found the conversation and personality definitely made up for it. We shall see what becomes...
Today I'm going to go see La Misión con Dennis.
Work this Tuesday subbing for the worst kids in the school. AY!!!
Have to create another lesson plan for school this week. I have to create a writing unit- not just a lesson, original ideas, original assessments, original handouts, original supplementary materials meaning I have to create everything on my own. Ugh. Also have to finish reviewing and posting all of my homework from this past week. Boo.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Got to see The Guy
I had to run over to near The Guy's house today for work related stuff, although I didn't work. I took care of my business and sent him a text that I was in the area. I pretty much demanded to see him. He said he'd be home at 3.
I got to his place right at 3. I knocked on the door and he looked near tears. We hugged. He told me he has been better. I walk through his house to the office and everything is nearly done- he is just waiting on the door frames to be done and the doors to be put back on. The new TV was mounted in the living room, the kitchen was functional, and in the office he had put his old couch in, move the desk, and hung the mirror. It looked very homey and cozy. It'll be a month until the couch arrives. I observed while he sat at the desk writing guys on adam4adam.
I tell him how I was excited to see how everything looked. He thought I'd been over more recently, and I told him I hadn't been. He showed me each room, as well as the bathroom. The bathroom was done differently than he'd told me, but it looked sooooooo good!!! The tile was done very well and has a modern look to it. We go into his bedroom after a few minutes and he tells me he just wants to sleep. He told me about being off of his meds for a month, the depression, his relationship with Olly, and how that just crumbled last Friday. He told me about how he was so depressed; the constant crying, which is unusual for him to cry so continuously. We talked about all of his dates. We laid on the bed talking about random guys on grindr. He showed me several who had chatted with him, as well as me- keep in mind we live 30 miles apart. That was fun to talk about random guys and we dished the dirt we had on all of them to each other. HAHAHA
We decide shortly after to go get the dogs. In the car I tell him about work and stuff like that. At the dog kennel The Guy asks if one of the guys who brings his dog is gay and how he thinks the guy is cute. The girl at the kennel is totally cool, and said this guy was gay, and stuff like that.
Back in the car we talk about our dogs and I told him about my dog's recent misfortune of getting a huge cut that got infected with dirt because she is always into something, and she had to have half of her back shaved. Poor thing.
We get back to The Guy's house and play with the dogs. I demand to see his iPad, and it is HOT HOT HOT. The screen is beautiful. The maps are beautiful on it. It has a sexy feel to it. The keyboard was kind of fun to play around with, although didn't seem as responsive as I'd have hoped, but I guess it can be tailored in the settings. The Guy does some laundry and then is ready to get ready to go workout since he's been avoiding that.
We thank each other the company and I head off about 5:15. It was really nice to see him- even for just a few hours.
I got to his place right at 3. I knocked on the door and he looked near tears. We hugged. He told me he has been better. I walk through his house to the office and everything is nearly done- he is just waiting on the door frames to be done and the doors to be put back on. The new TV was mounted in the living room, the kitchen was functional, and in the office he had put his old couch in, move the desk, and hung the mirror. It looked very homey and cozy. It'll be a month until the couch arrives. I observed while he sat at the desk writing guys on adam4adam.
I tell him how I was excited to see how everything looked. He thought I'd been over more recently, and I told him I hadn't been. He showed me each room, as well as the bathroom. The bathroom was done differently than he'd told me, but it looked sooooooo good!!! The tile was done very well and has a modern look to it. We go into his bedroom after a few minutes and he tells me he just wants to sleep. He told me about being off of his meds for a month, the depression, his relationship with Olly, and how that just crumbled last Friday. He told me about how he was so depressed; the constant crying, which is unusual for him to cry so continuously. We talked about all of his dates. We laid on the bed talking about random guys on grindr. He showed me several who had chatted with him, as well as me- keep in mind we live 30 miles apart. That was fun to talk about random guys and we dished the dirt we had on all of them to each other. HAHAHA
We decide shortly after to go get the dogs. In the car I tell him about work and stuff like that. At the dog kennel The Guy asks if one of the guys who brings his dog is gay and how he thinks the guy is cute. The girl at the kennel is totally cool, and said this guy was gay, and stuff like that.
Back in the car we talk about our dogs and I told him about my dog's recent misfortune of getting a huge cut that got infected with dirt because she is always into something, and she had to have half of her back shaved. Poor thing.
We get back to The Guy's house and play with the dogs. I demand to see his iPad, and it is HOT HOT HOT. The screen is beautiful. The maps are beautiful on it. It has a sexy feel to it. The keyboard was kind of fun to play around with, although didn't seem as responsive as I'd have hoped, but I guess it can be tailored in the settings. The Guy does some laundry and then is ready to get ready to go workout since he's been avoiding that.
We thank each other the company and I head off about 5:15. It was really nice to see him- even for just a few hours.
Barking dogs
Poison has been barking all night since about 8p.m. We ignored him at the beginning. He barked for almost 45 minutes at nothing. Things got worse as the evening rolled on.
10:30 when it was bedtime he started barking. My dad went outside with a flashlight only to discover he was on the other side of the neighbor's house.
11:00 I go outside and can't see him.
11:30 I go out again because he is still barking. I catch the clearness of a new dog's eyes- the neighbors got a new dog to keep Poison company and I shine the light on him. I see at this time the neighbor sees my flashlight, so I shine the flashlight on the neighbor in the house. It is the young son, and he just looks around nonchalantly.
11:55 I am livid and decide to call the county's after hours animal control office. I leave a message on the answering machine that there is a dog at, and I give the neighbors address, who has barked for the better part of 2 hours and the neighbors did nothing.
12:05 Posion barks again
1:52-2:02 Barking again- I try to ignore it- wait 10 minutes, then call over to the neighbor's house. They don't pick up.
2:15 Barking again- I go outside, turn the hose on, carry it around the house with me, and just let it spray. He was too far away to spray.
3:06 More barking
3:23 My dad goes out and tries to find Poison
4:48-5:19 BARK!!! This time new dog was involved in barking. My dad calls the neighbors, but they hang up on him after he said "hello."
5:43 Barking again- my dad walked next door and threw something at the dog to get him to stop barking.
I am not a happy person. Upset that we have such inconsiderate neighbors. Annoyed that the dog can bark for hours at nothing. If that dog lets out as anything as slight as a yelp this morning I will be calling animal control.
10:30 when it was bedtime he started barking. My dad went outside with a flashlight only to discover he was on the other side of the neighbor's house.
11:00 I go outside and can't see him.
11:30 I go out again because he is still barking. I catch the clearness of a new dog's eyes- the neighbors got a new dog to keep Poison company and I shine the light on him. I see at this time the neighbor sees my flashlight, so I shine the flashlight on the neighbor in the house. It is the young son, and he just looks around nonchalantly.
11:55 I am livid and decide to call the county's after hours animal control office. I leave a message on the answering machine that there is a dog at, and I give the neighbors address, who has barked for the better part of 2 hours and the neighbors did nothing.
12:05 Posion barks again
1:52-2:02 Barking again- I try to ignore it- wait 10 minutes, then call over to the neighbor's house. They don't pick up.
2:15 Barking again- I go outside, turn the hose on, carry it around the house with me, and just let it spray. He was too far away to spray.
3:06 More barking
3:23 My dad goes out and tries to find Poison
4:48-5:19 BARK!!! This time new dog was involved in barking. My dad calls the neighbors, but they hang up on him after he said "hello."
5:43 Barking again- my dad walked next door and threw something at the dog to get him to stop barking.
I am not a happy person. Upset that we have such inconsiderate neighbors. Annoyed that the dog can bark for hours at nothing. If that dog lets out as anything as slight as a yelp this morning I will be calling animal control.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
ATT UVERSE vs. SBC GLOBAL (AT&T)
Hey guys,
I've been doing some research online because our internet is so bad. I've blogged about my problems time and time again with SBC/ATT. I think I have the problem diagnosed as the DSL link retrain is retraining/connecting with the satellite signal 50+ times a day causing for outages. I have been monitoring our network and today it has cut out and retrained 371 times since 1a.m. I sure haven't gone anywhere- so much for doing my homework for my internet class... haha.
We don't have Time Warner, Cox, or any other cable company access where I live where we could get cable internet. Cablevision moved out long ago, and we were forced to go with satellite or nothing for TV. We got Direct TV then. As far as DSL goes we can't do Verizon since they aren't in my area. Verizon Fios looks nice, but will never happen. We have heard to only to satellite We pretty much have a couple choices when it comes to internet- SBC/ATT (SBC was bought out by AT&T I believe- the bill in the mail says AT&T).
I was talking with Eddy from work the other day and he says that he has had SBC Global/AT&T, and now has AT&T Uverse. He says Uverse is much better. He had a lot of problems with SBC/AT&T, but Uverse is fast in comparison, and has had no issues. Is this true? Would our internet really be better with AT&T Uverse? I could easily persuade my parents to switch to AT&T Uverse solely for internet.
Any info would be greatly appreciated!
I've been doing some research online because our internet is so bad. I've blogged about my problems time and time again with SBC/ATT. I think I have the problem diagnosed as the DSL link retrain is retraining/connecting with the satellite signal 50+ times a day causing for outages. I have been monitoring our network and today it has cut out and retrained 371 times since 1a.m. I sure haven't gone anywhere- so much for doing my homework for my internet class... haha.
We don't have Time Warner, Cox, or any other cable company access where I live where we could get cable internet. Cablevision moved out long ago, and we were forced to go with satellite or nothing for TV. We got Direct TV then. As far as DSL goes we can't do Verizon since they aren't in my area. Verizon Fios looks nice, but will never happen. We have heard to only to satellite We pretty much have a couple choices when it comes to internet- SBC/ATT (SBC was bought out by AT&T I believe- the bill in the mail says AT&T).
I was talking with Eddy from work the other day and he says that he has had SBC Global/AT&T, and now has AT&T Uverse. He says Uverse is much better. He had a lot of problems with SBC/AT&T, but Uverse is fast in comparison, and has had no issues. Is this true? Would our internet really be better with AT&T Uverse? I could easily persuade my parents to switch to AT&T Uverse solely for internet.
Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
La Misión
I want to see this show that just came out called La Misión starring Benjamin Pratt. It is a small independent film that deals with growing up in a latino neighborhood, homosexuality, machismo guys, and more. I'm really interested in seeing this since homosexuality is so taboo in the latino community, and this is what I have studied in college.
Growing up in the Mission district of San Francisco, Che Rivera has always had to be tough to survive. He's a powerful man respected throughout the Mission barrio for his masculinity and his strength, as well as for his hobby building beautiful lowrider cars. A reformed inmate and recovering alcoholic, Che has worked hard to redeem his life and do right by his pride and joy: his only son, Jes, whom he has raised on his own after the death of his wife. Che's path to redemption is tested, however, when he discovers Jes is gay. To survive his neighborhood, Che has always lived with his fists. To survive as a complete man, he'll have to embrace a side of himself he's never shown
Growing up in the Mission district of San Francisco, Che Rivera has always had to be tough to survive. He's a powerful man respected throughout the Mission barrio for his masculinity and his strength, as well as for his hobby building beautiful lowrider cars. A reformed inmate and recovering alcoholic, Che has worked hard to redeem his life and do right by his pride and joy: his only son, Jes, whom he has raised on his own after the death of his wife. Che's path to redemption is tested, however, when he discovers Jes is gay. To survive his neighborhood, Che has always lived with his fists. To survive as a complete man, he'll have to embrace a side of himself he's never shown
Monday, April 12, 2010
Some guy news, but no date or anything spectacular
Things are going ok here. I have just been busy with school. I have some stuff to report, so will do that.
- Hung out with my cousin and her friends Friday night to celebrate her birthday. Went to a Mexican food place for dinner, margaritas, then the amusement park nearby for laser tag. Fun times!!!
- Saturday afternoon was a big birthday party for everyone in my family who had a birthday between January and April. Olive Garden + vanilla cake with raspberry filling + time with family = FUN
- I did meet up with Matthew the other day- he is a teacher at a school in the area. We met up and ended up making out and jacking off a few years ago (probably 2 years ago). We reconnected on grindr recently and asked me if I wanted to come over on Sunday. We chatted, made out, jacked off, and sucked each other off. It was much more enjoyable this time around. Hopeful he may be a regular thing/something more will develop.
- I haven't had any dates or met any other guys. I feel at times like there are none, except the same 10 who are all on craigslist/grindr/connexion, and I'm not interested.
- Trying to get together for lunch or dinner with The Guy this week.
- Applied for a summer teaching job and will be notified if I made the cut this week
- Initially I was worried about school being a bit much to handle this quarter, but the classes have actually complemented each other and there is a lot of overlapping.
- Have to create a lesson plan roughly every week regarding a topic in English. Boring, tedious, but it is helping me by giving me sample lessons I could show when interviewing etc. for a teaching job.
- Still having awful allergy headaches. I had an acupuncture appointment today, but the doctor called in sick, so I got a call at 10:30 to reschedule. Have an appointment 3 weeks from now. My sinuses feel full. I am constantly itching, sneezing, taking my allergy meds, applying lotion.
- I have a serious dislike for Taylor Swift. WTF, does she have 4 or 5 singles out right now? KIIS 102.7, 1043 MYFM, KOST 103.5, GO COUNTRY 105, and KFROG 95.1 all insist on playing them. I can't be in the car and not hear a Taylor Swift song. She is not all that. Everytime I hear a song of hers I want to scream.
But I do like this song by Pearl Jam called "Just Breathe"
- I am going to go see Luke Bryan and Jewel with another teacher from school in May.
- I want to go see Pat Benatar Thursday night. $45 or so for a ticket.
- I have decided in my bedroom I need an orange duvet cover. I searched Bed Bath and Beyond, Sears, Kohls, Macys, overstock.com, and even Amazon for one. Have yet to find one that I like. I don't want a suede looking one. Orange will pretty much set my room off I think. The orange in this print is the closest I found to my liking, but don't want funky flowers.
And here's another good song by David Guetta and Kelly Rowland
- Hung out with my cousin and her friends Friday night to celebrate her birthday. Went to a Mexican food place for dinner, margaritas, then the amusement park nearby for laser tag. Fun times!!!
- Saturday afternoon was a big birthday party for everyone in my family who had a birthday between January and April. Olive Garden + vanilla cake with raspberry filling + time with family = FUN
- I did meet up with Matthew the other day- he is a teacher at a school in the area. We met up and ended up making out and jacking off a few years ago (probably 2 years ago). We reconnected on grindr recently and asked me if I wanted to come over on Sunday. We chatted, made out, jacked off, and sucked each other off. It was much more enjoyable this time around. Hopeful he may be a regular thing/something more will develop.
- I haven't had any dates or met any other guys. I feel at times like there are none, except the same 10 who are all on craigslist/grindr/connexion, and I'm not interested.
- Trying to get together for lunch or dinner with The Guy this week.
- Applied for a summer teaching job and will be notified if I made the cut this week
- Initially I was worried about school being a bit much to handle this quarter, but the classes have actually complemented each other and there is a lot of overlapping.
- Have to create a lesson plan roughly every week regarding a topic in English. Boring, tedious, but it is helping me by giving me sample lessons I could show when interviewing etc. for a teaching job.
- Still having awful allergy headaches. I had an acupuncture appointment today, but the doctor called in sick, so I got a call at 10:30 to reschedule. Have an appointment 3 weeks from now. My sinuses feel full. I am constantly itching, sneezing, taking my allergy meds, applying lotion.
- I have a serious dislike for Taylor Swift. WTF, does she have 4 or 5 singles out right now? KIIS 102.7, 1043 MYFM, KOST 103.5, GO COUNTRY 105, and KFROG 95.1 all insist on playing them. I can't be in the car and not hear a Taylor Swift song. She is not all that. Everytime I hear a song of hers I want to scream.
But I do like this song by Pearl Jam called "Just Breathe"
- I am going to go see Luke Bryan and Jewel with another teacher from school in May.
- I want to go see Pat Benatar Thursday night. $45 or so for a ticket.
- I have decided in my bedroom I need an orange duvet cover. I searched Bed Bath and Beyond, Sears, Kohls, Macys, overstock.com, and even Amazon for one. Have yet to find one that I like. I don't want a suede looking one. Orange will pretty much set my room off I think. The orange in this print is the closest I found to my liking, but don't want funky flowers.
And here's another good song by David Guetta and Kelly Rowland
Friday, April 9, 2010
Coddling phase?
My mom seems to be in a coddling/controlling phase with my whole coming out. Lately, she has been more or less normal, and things seem to be normal between us. Talk about work, school, all normal. All of this comes with an added element. She seems to feel the need to be controlling like she was a few years back when she'd pick up on how Linda was so controlling with her son. My mom grew out of that phase after I put her back into her place and began being very nondescript about where I was going, what I was doing, etc.
Now let me go into my mom and my relationship real quick- I'm pretty open with her. I might not say I'm going to a gay club, but I'll say I'm going to a restaurant near one. I do keep her in the dark somewhat, but I think it is pretty understandable. If I'm going to BJs with friends, I'll say that. I do it because it gives her peace of mind and covers my bases if I were in an accident or something so I'd have less explaining/lying to do.
Well, in the past 2 weeks or so, my mom has found the need to be more prying. Wednesday night when I got home from school I told her and my dad about my class- I usually do. I whined about how pointless SDAIE, CELDT, Woodcock Johnson, and other terms are. Google them if you care to know. After I was done telling her about that, she started in, "did you go anywhere before class with anyone?" Um. No. But thanks for asking?
This past week I have been getting home from work pretty early if I've had a job, and my mom has found the need to play 20 questions and ask, "where did you go after school?" "What time did you get up?" "Did you see anyone special today?" "Did you go anywhere else today?" My responses are full of snide remarks. I did say something along the line of "why was today any different than usual- you weren't concerned 2 weeks ago." I don't know if that's the best response, but I am annoyed. Usually I just tell her about my day- went to work, kids were good, kids were bad, yadda yadda yadda.
Last night my mom went to dinner with Linda, which they do every Thursday. When my mom got home she updated us on Linda's life. After catching all of the story from my mom I headed in my room and was doing something on the computer. She came in to hug me, tell me how much she missed me, how I never spend anytime with her anymore, how I'm hiding so much from her. I was more annoyed than anything- this was just weird. She may say she missed us (my dad, sister, and I) because we weren't with her when she was with Linda, but not the whole hug and diatribe about how she misses me was out of the ordinary.
I went to my cousin's birthday party tonight with her close friends. It was at a Mexican restaurant about 30 minutes from our house that we had never been to. I get in about 11:05 and go straight to my room since the lights in the kitchen and living room were off. My mom comes into my room, tells me how she missed me so much since she hadn't seen me in 24 hours. My mom asked me how the food was, what I ate, what everyone else ate, and would I go back. Normal questions for when I go to a new place, no big deal. It did become a big deal when my mom began playing a game of 20 questions it seemed. So here are the questions and my response in parenthesis. Did you just go to eat and play laser tag? (Yes). Does your cousin have any cute pet names for her boyfriend? (Dan). Did you talk with everyone at the party? (Obviously). What time did you leave the party? (When everyone else did.)
Right now I'm just playing it off being very vague, snide, and distant. I hate to do it because I know it hurts her, but I don't like how she has become more controlling.
Now let me go into my mom and my relationship real quick- I'm pretty open with her. I might not say I'm going to a gay club, but I'll say I'm going to a restaurant near one. I do keep her in the dark somewhat, but I think it is pretty understandable. If I'm going to BJs with friends, I'll say that. I do it because it gives her peace of mind and covers my bases if I were in an accident or something so I'd have less explaining/lying to do.
Well, in the past 2 weeks or so, my mom has found the need to be more prying. Wednesday night when I got home from school I told her and my dad about my class- I usually do. I whined about how pointless SDAIE, CELDT, Woodcock Johnson, and other terms are. Google them if you care to know. After I was done telling her about that, she started in, "did you go anywhere before class with anyone?" Um. No. But thanks for asking?
This past week I have been getting home from work pretty early if I've had a job, and my mom has found the need to play 20 questions and ask, "where did you go after school?" "What time did you get up?" "Did you see anyone special today?" "Did you go anywhere else today?" My responses are full of snide remarks. I did say something along the line of "why was today any different than usual- you weren't concerned 2 weeks ago." I don't know if that's the best response, but I am annoyed. Usually I just tell her about my day- went to work, kids were good, kids were bad, yadda yadda yadda.
Last night my mom went to dinner with Linda, which they do every Thursday. When my mom got home she updated us on Linda's life. After catching all of the story from my mom I headed in my room and was doing something on the computer. She came in to hug me, tell me how much she missed me, how I never spend anytime with her anymore, how I'm hiding so much from her. I was more annoyed than anything- this was just weird. She may say she missed us (my dad, sister, and I) because we weren't with her when she was with Linda, but not the whole hug and diatribe about how she misses me was out of the ordinary.
I went to my cousin's birthday party tonight with her close friends. It was at a Mexican restaurant about 30 minutes from our house that we had never been to. I get in about 11:05 and go straight to my room since the lights in the kitchen and living room were off. My mom comes into my room, tells me how she missed me so much since she hadn't seen me in 24 hours. My mom asked me how the food was, what I ate, what everyone else ate, and would I go back. Normal questions for when I go to a new place, no big deal. It did become a big deal when my mom began playing a game of 20 questions it seemed. So here are the questions and my response in parenthesis. Did you just go to eat and play laser tag? (Yes). Does your cousin have any cute pet names for her boyfriend? (Dan). Did you talk with everyone at the party? (Obviously). What time did you leave the party? (When everyone else did.)
Right now I'm just playing it off being very vague, snide, and distant. I hate to do it because I know it hurts her, but I don't like how she has become more controlling.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
5 Addictions
Ian over at Mind of Mine tagged me to do this meme, so here it is. If you're a fellow blogger, feel free to do this too.
5. iPhone
What can't you do with this thing? Guitar Hero; Beejive instant messenger that allows you to use all instant message platforms; Grindr to search for guys; the ability to view Word/Excel/Powerpoint documents, and apps to let you edit them. What more do you need? I use my phone for everything- play games, call, text, a calendar, maps, translate text, email, browse the web. It effectively combines so many parts of my life.
Oh, and having an iPhone is bragging rights/a status symbol.
4. Music
Pop, country, rock, oldies, old school, it is all good. Beach Boys, Beatles, Sugarland, LeAnn Wommack, Lady Gaga, Maná, The Police, Sting, The Ronettes, Dolly Parton, Brooks & Dunn, The Ramones, No Doubt, The Dixie Chicks, Duran Duran, Faith Hill, Elvis, Billy Joel, Prince, Garth, George Strait, The Killers, Toto, U2, and so many more. So many different genres.
So many songs about just about anything you can imagine. Do you ever have those moments where you say, "gee, I can't believe someone wrote a song about that?"
So many sounds, instruments, great voices, guitar, and harmonies. Sting and his use of the sitar? The Beatles also used the sitar in songs like "Norwegian Wood." Both are examples of Ravi Shankar, and his influence on western recordings. Oh, and if you didn't notice I'm a musical trivia buff.
Speaking of music I am going to go see Jewel and Luke Bryan with a teacher from school next month.
Trying to convince this teacher to go see Pat Benatar with me next week, but she says the tickets are too expensive.
2 songs that have been stuck in my head all day...
Gonzo says I'm definitely Mexican when I like the old school like the song below.
3. Internet
A tool so effective at onnecting me with friends, family, great shopping, how-to guides, and something that can answer just about any question I seem to have, what more is there to say? I learn so much just surfing the web.
2. Traveling
I love going places, traveling, seeing new things, and trying new foods. I want so badly to visit Egypt and México. I love exploring even in the United States. I'm hoping to visit Florida this summer to get to experience Disney World. Always keeping my eye on travel specials at southwest.com.
There is so much to explore even in the area around me that I haven't. I don't get to the mountains nearly enough. There's museums, plays, outdoor hiking and biking trails, and places to go. I still need to cross the Griffith Observatory off my list. There is tons to do in LA, San Diego, and more that I've yet to see. I have been to Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and East LA, but have yet to explore Little Armenia. I really want to try this one Saturday or Sunday. Gonzo and Darla want to go with me- we are just trying to pick a day.
1. Food
I enjoy cooking and trying new foods. I love making quick, delicious food. I like to cook with chicken because it is so versatile. There are so many spices that can add to cooking. My philosophy is the more onions, cheese and garlic the better. There are so many different cuisines to try. Eating out or dining in is fun.
Mexican food is among my favorite cuisine, pero no la cocino bien (it's among my favorites, but I don't cook it well.) My explanation for that is I haven't really tried. I tend to go the easy route when it comes to Mexican- cook up some carnitas from Trader Joes, etc. It is one of my goals in the near future to tackle Mexican food, explore even the basics like tacos. My mom has her trusty recipe, and I like it a lot, but part of the pleasure I get from food is experimenting and trying my own creations.
5. iPhone
What can't you do with this thing? Guitar Hero; Beejive instant messenger that allows you to use all instant message platforms; Grindr to search for guys; the ability to view Word/Excel/Powerpoint documents, and apps to let you edit them. What more do you need? I use my phone for everything- play games, call, text, a calendar, maps, translate text, email, browse the web. It effectively combines so many parts of my life.
Oh, and having an iPhone is bragging rights/a status symbol.
4. Music
Pop, country, rock, oldies, old school, it is all good. Beach Boys, Beatles, Sugarland, LeAnn Wommack, Lady Gaga, Maná, The Police, Sting, The Ronettes, Dolly Parton, Brooks & Dunn, The Ramones, No Doubt, The Dixie Chicks, Duran Duran, Faith Hill, Elvis, Billy Joel, Prince, Garth, George Strait, The Killers, Toto, U2, and so many more. So many different genres.
So many songs about just about anything you can imagine. Do you ever have those moments where you say, "gee, I can't believe someone wrote a song about that?"
So many sounds, instruments, great voices, guitar, and harmonies. Sting and his use of the sitar? The Beatles also used the sitar in songs like "Norwegian Wood." Both are examples of Ravi Shankar, and his influence on western recordings. Oh, and if you didn't notice I'm a musical trivia buff.
Speaking of music I am going to go see Jewel and Luke Bryan with a teacher from school next month.
Trying to convince this teacher to go see Pat Benatar with me next week, but she says the tickets are too expensive.
2 songs that have been stuck in my head all day...
Gonzo says I'm definitely Mexican when I like the old school like the song below.
3. Internet
A tool so effective at onnecting me with friends, family, great shopping, how-to guides, and something that can answer just about any question I seem to have, what more is there to say? I learn so much just surfing the web.
2. Traveling
I love going places, traveling, seeing new things, and trying new foods. I want so badly to visit Egypt and México. I love exploring even in the United States. I'm hoping to visit Florida this summer to get to experience Disney World. Always keeping my eye on travel specials at southwest.com.
There is so much to explore even in the area around me that I haven't. I don't get to the mountains nearly enough. There's museums, plays, outdoor hiking and biking trails, and places to go. I still need to cross the Griffith Observatory off my list. There is tons to do in LA, San Diego, and more that I've yet to see. I have been to Chinatown, Little Tokyo, and East LA, but have yet to explore Little Armenia. I really want to try this one Saturday or Sunday. Gonzo and Darla want to go with me- we are just trying to pick a day.
1. Food
I enjoy cooking and trying new foods. I love making quick, delicious food. I like to cook with chicken because it is so versatile. There are so many spices that can add to cooking. My philosophy is the more onions, cheese and garlic the better. There are so many different cuisines to try. Eating out or dining in is fun.
Mexican food is among my favorite cuisine, pero no la cocino bien (it's among my favorites, but I don't cook it well.) My explanation for that is I haven't really tried. I tend to go the easy route when it comes to Mexican- cook up some carnitas from Trader Joes, etc. It is one of my goals in the near future to tackle Mexican food, explore even the basics like tacos. My mom has her trusty recipe, and I like it a lot, but part of the pleasure I get from food is experimenting and trying my own creations.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
LA News Changes
I've been slow at posting this- not that I haven't noticed the changes taking place, but I've been busy.
KCBS 2/KCAL 9
- New management team at the station
- Weatherman Johnny Mountain retired
- Morning news anchor Suzanne Rico left on her own terms. Lisa Sigell is now filling in.
- Larry Welk- their helicopter reporter since the early 90s I want to say has been let go
- Inland Empire reporter Greg Mills seems to be missing, and his biography is no longer on the website
- Morning reporter Kirk Hawkins biography is no longer on the website, but I saw him on the other morning, so not sure what is going on there.
- Pat Harvey is on CBS2 now as their main anchor. Pat Harvey and Paul Magers are the new CBS 2 top anchor team.
- Sharon Tay is the new face of KCAL 9 replacing Harvey. (Why? Tay seems to be the best they have on staff for that, unless Laura Diaz were to go in her place, but they could choose someone from outside or more seasoned)
-Everyone seems to be confused as to what is going on...
- After I typed this up I found this- take a look if you're interested. The new anchor lineups. Jackie Johnson is Mountain's successor. In my opinion I find her downright annoying, and think she should maybe be in a weekend role. Rubenstein may not be the greatest as far as looks, but he knows his stuff, and always has tons of explanations that if CBS was looking for content should have chosen him. So now KCAL is looking for Johnson's successor.
KNBC 4
- There is also new bosses at KNBC
- Kathy Vara is back on mornings
- Rumors speculate morning reporter Robert Kovacik will be leaving to go to a news network or another local station.
- Andy Rosa Adler is replacing Alycia Lane on weekend anchor duties. Kim Baldonado who was weekend/weekday 11a.m. anchor is still just a reporter.
KTLA 5
- There is a new blond reporter in the evenings I've noticed. I think her last name was Hall. I caught her last night, and was bothered how much she moved her head in her live shot. She seemed okay otherwise.
KTTV 11
- Morning reporter bimbo Suzanne Marques has been let go, and I've heard she may appear on KNBC.
KCBS 2/KCAL 9
- New management team at the station
- Weatherman Johnny Mountain retired
- Morning news anchor Suzanne Rico left on her own terms. Lisa Sigell is now filling in.
- Larry Welk- their helicopter reporter since the early 90s I want to say has been let go
- Inland Empire reporter Greg Mills seems to be missing, and his biography is no longer on the website
- Morning reporter Kirk Hawkins biography is no longer on the website, but I saw him on the other morning, so not sure what is going on there.
- Pat Harvey is on CBS2 now as their main anchor. Pat Harvey and Paul Magers are the new CBS 2 top anchor team.
- Sharon Tay is the new face of KCAL 9 replacing Harvey. (Why? Tay seems to be the best they have on staff for that, unless Laura Diaz were to go in her place, but they could choose someone from outside or more seasoned)
-Everyone seems to be confused as to what is going on...
- After I typed this up I found this- take a look if you're interested. The new anchor lineups. Jackie Johnson is Mountain's successor. In my opinion I find her downright annoying, and think she should maybe be in a weekend role. Rubenstein may not be the greatest as far as looks, but he knows his stuff, and always has tons of explanations that if CBS was looking for content should have chosen him. So now KCAL is looking for Johnson's successor.
KNBC 4
- There is also new bosses at KNBC
- Kathy Vara is back on mornings
- Rumors speculate morning reporter Robert Kovacik will be leaving to go to a news network or another local station.
- Andy Rosa Adler is replacing Alycia Lane on weekend anchor duties. Kim Baldonado who was weekend/weekday 11a.m. anchor is still just a reporter.
KTLA 5
- There is a new blond reporter in the evenings I've noticed. I think her last name was Hall. I caught her last night, and was bothered how much she moved her head in her live shot. She seemed okay otherwise.
KTTV 11
- Morning reporter bimbo Suzanne Marques has been let go, and I've heard she may appear on KNBC.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Come here, puppy
Settle in for some of my random thoughts and stories as of late...
I was really horny the other day, decided to cruise around the internet, and found a guy looking for jack off and oral in the OC. He wasn't too far away, so I decided why not reply? I got a reply from him, everything sounded good. He was 5'7'', 130lbs, Costa Rican, 5'' uncut, HIV-/drug and disease free, very tan, and hairy body. What more did I need? Everything sounded like what I was looking for. We decided to meet tonight. It was perfect because his apartment was down the street from a location where Kogi was. Remember that I've been wanting to go to Kogi? Well, I planned my visit to be able to play around with him, and visit Kogi.
So how was Kogi? I ordered the spare rib tacos, and they were good. It took 45 minutes to get through a line with about 20 people. I wasn't so into the cilantro, lettuce, and onion topping, but the sauce made the tacos. If it were just the meat and sauce I'd be in heaven. The tacos were $2 a piece. I bought 2 spare rib and chicken tacos. I am glad I did it. It is one of those things you do for the novelty in my opinion.
So I met this guy at his apartment at 8. I called Carlos when I arrived at his complex, and it took about 5 minutes for him to come out. I notice how short he was- no complaints. We shake hands, then he tells me about how it was so nice out, he'd just washed his car, and was sad it rained yesterday. He told me he only had an hour for me because he had a conference call with China and Taiwan for work.
We go in and he shows me around. The apartment is quite nice- all granite surfaces and probably 2-3 years old at most. We go in his room and he asks if I am comfortable. He says he is not, and takes off his shirt. He asks me if I'm comfortable after I remove my shirt, and I said no since I figured this was a game or something. Maybe it was just his limited English ability? haha. Well, I did bring up that I spoke Spanish, but he didn't go there. We laid on the bed hugging each other, then I rolled onto his chest and we began grinding on each other. We took our underwear off. I almost hated to see his go. He looked so hot in a pair of white Papi briefs and a tan body. We started jacking each other off as we laid next to each other. I had the hardest time taking him seriously when he kept saying, "come on puppy, come on." Was he talking about me, or my penis? I don't know, but I wanted to burst out laughing in these tender moments. I bit my tongue. He asked me "how are you doing puppy?" Again, you called me puppy. He kept asking me "if I was enjoying myself, puppy," and I couldn't take it anymore, and said "I'm not, I'm not doing well." I think I caught him off guard by saying that, but seriously, I couldn't take it any longer. A 40 year old guy calling me puppy? It wasn't cute. Baby would be cute. Babe, ok. For a hot latino guy like himself even calling me papi would have been hot, but puppy just didn't cut it. Perro, dog in Spanish would have been cuter. So we roll onto each other and sit on each other, jacking each other off. He asks if he can shoot on me and jack me off. I let him do both. He asks if I want to head to the shower to clean up, and I do. He stands there in the bathroom watching me shower and taking a piss, and he told me about work.
Carlos asked me at the end if this is going to be a regular thing, and I couldn't tell him straight out, but I said that I'm not so sure with all of my prior commitments with work. Wish I could have been more truthful, but it was one of those awkward moments. Oh well, if he calls again, I'll tell him on the phone. Too bad it didn't work out, he was hot!!! I love me latino guys.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speaking of latino guys, there is a guy at my local Juice it Up who I've suspicioned as gay. Everytime I go in he always asks me how I'm doing, if I'd like an extra boost, what I've been up to, and all around very friendly. I always like dealing with him as opposed to the other guy there who is very straight, and very serious. The other day I was standing outside talking to someone on my phone before I went in to order, and he came out and smoked a cigarette, and was making eye contact with me. I suspicioned for a while he was gay, and the whole eye contact, checking me out reaffirmed. When I went in he told me how he "missed me because he hadn't seen me in a while." I explained how I don't always get the chance to come, and he said he was sorry to hear that.
So tonight when I got home I log onto grindr to see if Matt was on. I know I blogged about Matt before. He is a fellow teacher who teaches at a school in the area. We met and jacked off probably 2 years ago. We want to hang out again soon, so I was seeing if he was on. He wasn't, but this Juice it Up guy was. I saw his face picture, and he was 2.9 miles away, which is almost exactly how far Juice it Up was. He had a blurb about how he is 21, latino, 6'2'', likes guys with tattoos and piercings, has a few tattoos himself, including a tattoo that says "latino" on his elbow.
I was/am so tempted to write him and say "hey." From there I'm sure it'll go the way standard grindr convos do... "hey," "hey," "what's up?," "not much," "pic?" and then my identity will be revealed to him, and he'll see that I'm the guy that always goes into his Juice it Up. Hmmmmm.... I dunno... he's cute... definitely my type.
Now what do I do about him? hahaha.
I was really horny the other day, decided to cruise around the internet, and found a guy looking for jack off and oral in the OC. He wasn't too far away, so I decided why not reply? I got a reply from him, everything sounded good. He was 5'7'', 130lbs, Costa Rican, 5'' uncut, HIV-/drug and disease free, very tan, and hairy body. What more did I need? Everything sounded like what I was looking for. We decided to meet tonight. It was perfect because his apartment was down the street from a location where Kogi was. Remember that I've been wanting to go to Kogi? Well, I planned my visit to be able to play around with him, and visit Kogi.
So how was Kogi? I ordered the spare rib tacos, and they were good. It took 45 minutes to get through a line with about 20 people. I wasn't so into the cilantro, lettuce, and onion topping, but the sauce made the tacos. If it were just the meat and sauce I'd be in heaven. The tacos were $2 a piece. I bought 2 spare rib and chicken tacos. I am glad I did it. It is one of those things you do for the novelty in my opinion.
So I met this guy at his apartment at 8. I called Carlos when I arrived at his complex, and it took about 5 minutes for him to come out. I notice how short he was- no complaints. We shake hands, then he tells me about how it was so nice out, he'd just washed his car, and was sad it rained yesterday. He told me he only had an hour for me because he had a conference call with China and Taiwan for work.
We go in and he shows me around. The apartment is quite nice- all granite surfaces and probably 2-3 years old at most. We go in his room and he asks if I am comfortable. He says he is not, and takes off his shirt. He asks me if I'm comfortable after I remove my shirt, and I said no since I figured this was a game or something. Maybe it was just his limited English ability? haha. Well, I did bring up that I spoke Spanish, but he didn't go there. We laid on the bed hugging each other, then I rolled onto his chest and we began grinding on each other. We took our underwear off. I almost hated to see his go. He looked so hot in a pair of white Papi briefs and a tan body. We started jacking each other off as we laid next to each other. I had the hardest time taking him seriously when he kept saying, "come on puppy, come on." Was he talking about me, or my penis? I don't know, but I wanted to burst out laughing in these tender moments. I bit my tongue. He asked me "how are you doing puppy?" Again, you called me puppy. He kept asking me "if I was enjoying myself, puppy," and I couldn't take it anymore, and said "I'm not, I'm not doing well." I think I caught him off guard by saying that, but seriously, I couldn't take it any longer. A 40 year old guy calling me puppy? It wasn't cute. Baby would be cute. Babe, ok. For a hot latino guy like himself even calling me papi would have been hot, but puppy just didn't cut it. Perro, dog in Spanish would have been cuter. So we roll onto each other and sit on each other, jacking each other off. He asks if he can shoot on me and jack me off. I let him do both. He asks if I want to head to the shower to clean up, and I do. He stands there in the bathroom watching me shower and taking a piss, and he told me about work.
Carlos asked me at the end if this is going to be a regular thing, and I couldn't tell him straight out, but I said that I'm not so sure with all of my prior commitments with work. Wish I could have been more truthful, but it was one of those awkward moments. Oh well, if he calls again, I'll tell him on the phone. Too bad it didn't work out, he was hot!!! I love me latino guys.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Speaking of latino guys, there is a guy at my local Juice it Up who I've suspicioned as gay. Everytime I go in he always asks me how I'm doing, if I'd like an extra boost, what I've been up to, and all around very friendly. I always like dealing with him as opposed to the other guy there who is very straight, and very serious. The other day I was standing outside talking to someone on my phone before I went in to order, and he came out and smoked a cigarette, and was making eye contact with me. I suspicioned for a while he was gay, and the whole eye contact, checking me out reaffirmed. When I went in he told me how he "missed me because he hadn't seen me in a while." I explained how I don't always get the chance to come, and he said he was sorry to hear that.
So tonight when I got home I log onto grindr to see if Matt was on. I know I blogged about Matt before. He is a fellow teacher who teaches at a school in the area. We met and jacked off probably 2 years ago. We want to hang out again soon, so I was seeing if he was on. He wasn't, but this Juice it Up guy was. I saw his face picture, and he was 2.9 miles away, which is almost exactly how far Juice it Up was. He had a blurb about how he is 21, latino, 6'2'', likes guys with tattoos and piercings, has a few tattoos himself, including a tattoo that says "latino" on his elbow.
I was/am so tempted to write him and say "hey." From there I'm sure it'll go the way standard grindr convos do... "hey," "hey," "what's up?," "not much," "pic?" and then my identity will be revealed to him, and he'll see that I'm the guy that always goes into his Juice it Up. Hmmmmm.... I dunno... he's cute... definitely my type.
Now what do I do about him? hahaha.
Monday, April 5, 2010
With 5 minutes to spare- my 5 of the month
With a Spring theme...
Our ice plant is blooming
The sky doesn't look like a spring day- it poured!
Our lemon tree is in full bloom and has huge lemons. It took years before it gave us anything!
A drive down a street that is considered one of the most scenic drives in my area. The flowers and trees are blooming.
I always enjoy going to Stater Brothers and seeing the displays they create. Few supermarkets actually "decorate" for anything, so this is always fun. And, yes, there is a spring theme- Cali palm Dr. Pepper tree and a coke man.
Following Stephen's post
Our ice plant is blooming
The sky doesn't look like a spring day- it poured!
Our lemon tree is in full bloom and has huge lemons. It took years before it gave us anything!
A drive down a street that is considered one of the most scenic drives in my area. The flowers and trees are blooming.
I always enjoy going to Stater Brothers and seeing the displays they create. Few supermarkets actually "decorate" for anything, so this is always fun. And, yes, there is a spring theme- Cali palm Dr. Pepper tree and a coke man.
Following Stephen's post
Sunday, April 4, 2010
7.2 Earthquake
First off, Happy Easter!!!
Yes, I felt the quake.
I guess I'm about 150 miles north of where the quake was centered- based on estimates from what I've guessed after reading online. I've yet to watch the news reports, but read it was 50 miles southeast of Tijuana.
So here's my account of the quake at 3:40 today.
It was the trippiest thing. Was at my aunt's extended family in San Bernardino county, and their house is right on the San Andreas fault.
I was outside sitting at the table with my cousins, leaning forward to pet the dog. All of a sudden the ground has a swaying up and down motion like we are on a ship. I honestly felt kind of high, like I was hallucinating, and there felt like a pressure above me drawing me to the ground. I sit back in the chair and the ground is still swaying and I just felt it vibrate below my feet. It lasted probably a good 40-50 seconds. I am serious. I had time to sit back in the chair, my cousin said "good it isn't me. I thought maybe I was going into shock because I haven't eaten anything in 8 days" (she is on some 10 day body cleanse where you drink some concoction made of lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper.) My aunt comes running outside, "did anyone feel the earthquake? This is an earthquake!" My dad is standing, leaning on my chair, and says it is pretty strong to still be going on. We guessed it was about a magnitude 4 or 5, but didn't know exactly since it went on for so long. My aunt who was freaking out checked online, and I looked on my phone and saw it was a 6.9 (later 7.2), and we were amazed, yet scared that we felt it. That was pretty much the talk for the next 15 minutes about how crazy it was.
I have yet to feel any of those magnitude 5 or so aftershocks.
Yes, I felt the quake.
I guess I'm about 150 miles north of where the quake was centered- based on estimates from what I've guessed after reading online. I've yet to watch the news reports, but read it was 50 miles southeast of Tijuana.
So here's my account of the quake at 3:40 today.
It was the trippiest thing. Was at my aunt's extended family in San Bernardino county, and their house is right on the San Andreas fault.
I was outside sitting at the table with my cousins, leaning forward to pet the dog. All of a sudden the ground has a swaying up and down motion like we are on a ship. I honestly felt kind of high, like I was hallucinating, and there felt like a pressure above me drawing me to the ground. I sit back in the chair and the ground is still swaying and I just felt it vibrate below my feet. It lasted probably a good 40-50 seconds. I am serious. I had time to sit back in the chair, my cousin said "good it isn't me. I thought maybe I was going into shock because I haven't eaten anything in 8 days" (she is on some 10 day body cleanse where you drink some concoction made of lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper.) My aunt comes running outside, "did anyone feel the earthquake? This is an earthquake!" My dad is standing, leaning on my chair, and says it is pretty strong to still be going on. We guessed it was about a magnitude 4 or 5, but didn't know exactly since it went on for so long. My aunt who was freaking out checked online, and I looked on my phone and saw it was a 6.9 (later 7.2), and we were amazed, yet scared that we felt it. That was pretty much the talk for the next 15 minutes about how crazy it was.
I have yet to feel any of those magnitude 5 or so aftershocks.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Drove through WEHO with my mom
My sister wanted to go to a UCLA baseball game today, and my mom felt it would be a good idea to accompany her. My dad, mom, and I went along. My dad went to the game, and I didn't- although it would have been fun. My mom wanted to go sightseeing, so I said I'd go with her.
We listened to KEARTH 101's old/new remix weekend, and it is actually pretty good as they are breaking out the oldies, but also I heard the English version of Sukyaki.
The UCLA baseball stadium is right off the 405 at Wilshire- we started there- dropped them off, then went across the street to the LA National Cemetery. We never knew this was where my mom's dad was buried. It used to be called Sawtelle back in the 70s when he died. My mom hadn't been since her dad was buried- mainly because it is so far away. My mom always called it Sawtelle, and my grandma always said she wanted to be buried at Sawtelle- only recently did we learn it was LA National Cemetery. I guess that Sawtelle is the informal name. My mom miraculously remembered the name of the street he was buried on within the cemetery, and it was right near the front. It was interesting to see the people were literally buried by the date they died. We found the street, I used my iPhone to punch in his name on the cemetery's grave finder website, then we parked, and found his grave within 2-3 minutes. It was really special for my mom. Unfortunately my grandma still hasn't been buried, which I know was hard on my mom. We came back later with flowers.
After this we were off to the LA Farmer's Market, so we wound our way through Beverly Hills, passing Rodeo Dr. down to Fairfax. We hadn't been to the Farmer's Market since a few months before The Grove opened- so we're talking about 2002ish. We were shocked to see that the Farmers Market is mainly food places. I remember coming down there with my parents probably 6-7 times as a kid and having napoleons at the market. We did that for old time's sake. I would have loved to have eaten- the food smelled so good.
After the Farmer's Market we hit The Grove for some shopping. I think it was a good thing- there were lots of gay guys there. My mom didn't seem to notice- she was more into observing- the amount of people, the architecture, how it looks so much bigger when shown on the news on TV, how she thought it would be bigger, but there is not a lot of room in the area, the stores (it seemed like there were a lot, but we have more out in the IE at Victoria Gardens, and many of the same ones). In Lucky I found 2 buttondown shirts on sale for $19.00. At the register there was a gay guy working. He was totally flirting with me. He told me how HOT those 2 shirts would look on me, how it was such a great deal, and asked if we were from around there. Now how many straight guys would tell another how hot a shirt would look on them? Anyways, he asked what city we were from, and we said. He said he came out to the gay club I go to in my city. He used the words GAY. Thank goodness. He said how nice our city was and how he enjoyed it. It seemed to buy points with my mom and they had a conversation about things to do in our city. My mom made a comment about how nice everyone was we met in the stores.
After The Grove we had some time to kill. I seriously wonder how I get by without my iPhone as we used it to look up a flower shop. We found a flower shop on Beverly Blvd. to the west of The Grove where my mom bought Easter lillies to put on her dad's grave. This was also time for me to "get lost." I had a pretty good idea the Farmers Market/Grove were south of WEHO. Not knowing what to do for the next hour or so, I decided we'd go through WEHO. I was gutsy. We headed up Fairfax to Santa Monica Blvd, then drove down it until we hit Wilshire again. My mom made a comment, "there's lots of guys out together," and she got an eyeful I'm sure. We passed a store she joked I should go into called "Into Male" or something like that with male underwear in the window on the manikins. Bruce- when I told you I went to WEHO I walked down as far as Interior Illusions I discovered- I know I didn't remember the name when I told you. My mom saw a few shirtless guys, and made a comment about how tan they seemed, or in most places you wouldn't do that. I don't know if she knew where we were. As we got closer to the bars- the skankier part- my mom did see some rainbow flags on buildings, and commented "we seem to be in a friendly alternative lifestyle area." Ok, and so we were. That was all that was said- it was said in a disapproving tone, however.
Overall things weren't too awkward today between us- more or less normal- maybe why I felt so bold driving through WEHO.
So we got back to the cemetery, my sister and dad called as we were leaving, so we crossed the street to pick them up, and headed home. We did stop at Sizzler for dinner because sister wasn't wanting to be adventurous and try anything different. Gah. We were thinking of going to somewhere around The Grove or back to the Farmers Market.
We listened to KEARTH 101's old/new remix weekend, and it is actually pretty good as they are breaking out the oldies, but also I heard the English version of Sukyaki.
The UCLA baseball stadium is right off the 405 at Wilshire- we started there- dropped them off, then went across the street to the LA National Cemetery. We never knew this was where my mom's dad was buried. It used to be called Sawtelle back in the 70s when he died. My mom hadn't been since her dad was buried- mainly because it is so far away. My mom always called it Sawtelle, and my grandma always said she wanted to be buried at Sawtelle- only recently did we learn it was LA National Cemetery. I guess that Sawtelle is the informal name. My mom miraculously remembered the name of the street he was buried on within the cemetery, and it was right near the front. It was interesting to see the people were literally buried by the date they died. We found the street, I used my iPhone to punch in his name on the cemetery's grave finder website, then we parked, and found his grave within 2-3 minutes. It was really special for my mom. Unfortunately my grandma still hasn't been buried, which I know was hard on my mom. We came back later with flowers.
After this we were off to the LA Farmer's Market, so we wound our way through Beverly Hills, passing Rodeo Dr. down to Fairfax. We hadn't been to the Farmer's Market since a few months before The Grove opened- so we're talking about 2002ish. We were shocked to see that the Farmers Market is mainly food places. I remember coming down there with my parents probably 6-7 times as a kid and having napoleons at the market. We did that for old time's sake. I would have loved to have eaten- the food smelled so good.
After the Farmer's Market we hit The Grove for some shopping. I think it was a good thing- there were lots of gay guys there. My mom didn't seem to notice- she was more into observing- the amount of people, the architecture, how it looks so much bigger when shown on the news on TV, how she thought it would be bigger, but there is not a lot of room in the area, the stores (it seemed like there were a lot, but we have more out in the IE at Victoria Gardens, and many of the same ones). In Lucky I found 2 buttondown shirts on sale for $19.00. At the register there was a gay guy working. He was totally flirting with me. He told me how HOT those 2 shirts would look on me, how it was such a great deal, and asked if we were from around there. Now how many straight guys would tell another how hot a shirt would look on them? Anyways, he asked what city we were from, and we said. He said he came out to the gay club I go to in my city. He used the words GAY. Thank goodness. He said how nice our city was and how he enjoyed it. It seemed to buy points with my mom and they had a conversation about things to do in our city. My mom made a comment about how nice everyone was we met in the stores.
After The Grove we had some time to kill. I seriously wonder how I get by without my iPhone as we used it to look up a flower shop. We found a flower shop on Beverly Blvd. to the west of The Grove where my mom bought Easter lillies to put on her dad's grave. This was also time for me to "get lost." I had a pretty good idea the Farmers Market/Grove were south of WEHO. Not knowing what to do for the next hour or so, I decided we'd go through WEHO. I was gutsy. We headed up Fairfax to Santa Monica Blvd, then drove down it until we hit Wilshire again. My mom made a comment, "there's lots of guys out together," and she got an eyeful I'm sure. We passed a store she joked I should go into called "Into Male" or something like that with male underwear in the window on the manikins. Bruce- when I told you I went to WEHO I walked down as far as Interior Illusions I discovered- I know I didn't remember the name when I told you. My mom saw a few shirtless guys, and made a comment about how tan they seemed, or in most places you wouldn't do that. I don't know if she knew where we were. As we got closer to the bars- the skankier part- my mom did see some rainbow flags on buildings, and commented "we seem to be in a friendly alternative lifestyle area." Ok, and so we were. That was all that was said- it was said in a disapproving tone, however.
Overall things weren't too awkward today between us- more or less normal- maybe why I felt so bold driving through WEHO.
So we got back to the cemetery, my sister and dad called as we were leaving, so we crossed the street to pick them up, and headed home. We did stop at Sizzler for dinner because sister wasn't wanting to be adventurous and try anything different. Gah. We were thinking of going to somewhere around The Grove or back to the Farmers Market.
Friday, April 2, 2010
I'm here!
Busy, busy week!!!
I've been subbing everyday this week. Everyone seems to have that horrible cough that is going around that seems to drain you, and lasts several days, so teachers were out all week.
Monday-Wednesday: Subbed for band. The kids were watching a video on the Beach Boys influence. I enjoyed the video, and so did the kids. Would you believe the 2 songs I heard them sing over and over were "Little Honda," and "Barbara Ann?" Barbara Ann doesn't surprise me, but Little Honda, out of everything the Beach Boys sang that song was the kids favorites? No California Girls?
Little Honda
Barbara Ann
Oh, and I heard multiple times how sexy the Beach Boys are. One gal, Sandra, sort of a problem kid, but deep down is a good kid came up to me after 6th period and said, "Mr. Teacher, did you notice how sexy the Beach Boys were, they had short hair?" I failed to realize that... heh heh heh
Wednesday Night: School... lots of observations and tutoring in the coming weeks
Thursday: Roving sub because teachers were being pulled out for special ed IEPs. I was busy nonstop. I found out at the end of 1st period Linda was in a car accident and still not at school, so when I wasn't there was filling in in her classroom. Saw Linda at lunch after she finally got to school, and she was shook up. Principal sent her home. Was asked to sub for her last 2 classes. Linda asked me if I could coach the basketball game after school. Um. Ok? So um, the school bell rang for the end of the day, I opened up the locker room, and then we were on the bus going to the other school for the basketball game. It was our first game, and we lost badly. This ends Linda's 27 game win streak over the past 4 years. Oops. I felt kind of bad, but the players were at such a disadvantage height-wise, plus the other team could shoot. I was able to give some pointers and tell what kids to block what players- that helped- the kids did much better in the 3rd and 4th quarters. I still never want to coach.
Friday: Sub for Linda because she had a doctor's appointment and dentist appointment Her kids were ok.
School: My online class seems like lots of work, but I can manage- just first week stressing.
Allergies: Allergy headaches nonstop all week. Fell asleep most every night with a headache.
I did spend $80 on shirts that were 40% off, plus an additional 15% at Banana Republic Wednesday night. Yay! But it was almost all winter clothes. Ooops. But it was on sale. Also bought a new pair of brown Vans at Nordstrom Rack for $25.
And because I'm on a Beach Boys/summer kick, although it is 60 degrees here in Cali...
I've been subbing everyday this week. Everyone seems to have that horrible cough that is going around that seems to drain you, and lasts several days, so teachers were out all week.
Monday-Wednesday: Subbed for band. The kids were watching a video on the Beach Boys influence. I enjoyed the video, and so did the kids. Would you believe the 2 songs I heard them sing over and over were "Little Honda," and "Barbara Ann?" Barbara Ann doesn't surprise me, but Little Honda, out of everything the Beach Boys sang that song was the kids favorites? No California Girls?
Little Honda
Barbara Ann
Oh, and I heard multiple times how sexy the Beach Boys are. One gal, Sandra, sort of a problem kid, but deep down is a good kid came up to me after 6th period and said, "Mr. Teacher, did you notice how sexy the Beach Boys were, they had short hair?" I failed to realize that... heh heh heh
Wednesday Night: School... lots of observations and tutoring in the coming weeks
Thursday: Roving sub because teachers were being pulled out for special ed IEPs. I was busy nonstop. I found out at the end of 1st period Linda was in a car accident and still not at school, so when I wasn't there was filling in in her classroom. Saw Linda at lunch after she finally got to school, and she was shook up. Principal sent her home. Was asked to sub for her last 2 classes. Linda asked me if I could coach the basketball game after school. Um. Ok? So um, the school bell rang for the end of the day, I opened up the locker room, and then we were on the bus going to the other school for the basketball game. It was our first game, and we lost badly. This ends Linda's 27 game win streak over the past 4 years. Oops. I felt kind of bad, but the players were at such a disadvantage height-wise, plus the other team could shoot. I was able to give some pointers and tell what kids to block what players- that helped- the kids did much better in the 3rd and 4th quarters. I still never want to coach.
Friday: Sub for Linda because she had a doctor's appointment and dentist appointment Her kids were ok.
School: My online class seems like lots of work, but I can manage- just first week stressing.
Allergies: Allergy headaches nonstop all week. Fell asleep most every night with a headache.
I did spend $80 on shirts that were 40% off, plus an additional 15% at Banana Republic Wednesday night. Yay! But it was almost all winter clothes. Ooops. But it was on sale. Also bought a new pair of brown Vans at Nordstrom Rack for $25.
And because I'm on a Beach Boys/summer kick, although it is 60 degrees here in Cali...
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