Monday, May 31, 2010

Tempted to buy a bunch of concert tix

So many concerts I want to see this summer...

Tim McGraw with Lady Antebellum
This Saturday in Devore at the San Manuel Pavilion
$69 for reserved mid level seat
$41.60 for lawn ticket
*** This concert is likely to happen with at least 1 of my cousins


Sugarland w/ Michelle Branch
July 8 @ The Greek in LA
$73.10 for mid level seating



Martina McBride
Jully 22 @ Pacific Ampitheater at OC Fair
$62.20 for mid level seating


Faith Hill
July 24 @ Pacific Ampitheater at the OC Fair
$56.55 for mid level seating

* And after seeing her at the Hollywood Bowl I'm sort of smitten.

REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar
July 31 @ The Greek in LA
$66.55 for mid level seating

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Clean up

The Guy and I had talked several times this week via phone and text. He called me Wed, Thurs, and I called him Friday a couple times. We agreed to met up at 6 after he got out of the doctor.

I get to The Guy's at 5:50 as he is in the shower. I made great timing considering it was get away Friday, and holiday traffic. I hang out in the office on the couch while he showers. When he gets out he showed me why he went to the doctor. He has a form of psoriasis he was trying to get cleared up. He told me this was like a maintenance visit to the doctor since he was getting all of his problems cleaned up and taken care of. All evening The Guy was incessantly putting cream on his spots and telling me how much they had gone down already- it was funny. We talked about how great his house looked since he had his house cleaned yesterday.

We hang out in the kitchen and living room walking back and forth just admiring how beautiful his house was. He also went in the bathroom a few times to look at his mirror that takes up an entire wall that was just installed. He looks like he does have a designer bathroom now. We talked about what to eat, and I was really craving something with chicken and cheese. The Guy said sushi because it had none of those. Sushi actually sounded REALLY good, so he said we would phone an order for some in at 7 when the place starts delivering. During the time we wait for the sushi we admire his house, talk about his health, tell him about my mom's surprise party being amazing. He chats on facebook with Jeff and Jeff has a mission for us.

The food arrives and The Guy puts it in the fridge. We go to complete Jeff's mission- we have to pick up a package he accidentally left for a realtor in the city The Guy lives in- Jeff forgot to put address labels in it. I drive since I pulled in behind The Guy's car since Robert's car was there since The Guy took him to the airport. All 3 of The Guy's exes are in Chicago this weekend- what a coincidence- none know each other, though, and all are into older guys. We have a hard time finding the realtor's office- Jeff doesn't know the name, and Jeff is directionally challenged. The Guy proclaimed to Jeff I'm like the king of u-turns. I must have did a half dozen while on our adventure. The Guy makes a really nice comment about how he enjoys hanging out with me for being so easy going. Whether we go out or stay in I'm ok with whatever, and I can get excited about whatever. That was cool.

We also debate whether or not this song sounded country- The Guy said it did- I disagree and provided him with a plethora of information. I said Daughtry was on American Idol, known for singing rock, this is his 3rd rock album, he toured with BonJovi who is a ROCKER, so Daughtry is ROCK. His influences include Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, Elton John, so he is ROCK.


We get home and stand in the kitchen eating the sushi. It was the healthy kind, but it was really good. It was all pretty spicy. I'm not sure what we ordered- some hibachi I know for sure.

The Guy talks about wanting to install his speakers in his kitchen, so we head to Best Buy to get speaker wire, an Airport Express, and a few other odds and ends. We spend some time looking for cords they didn't have. I drove, and The Guy said how he liked being chaufferred (sp?) around for a change. We also talk about how Robert is different than all of his prior relationships. It really sounds like Robert is different... lol... I hope.

We get home and The Guy chats with Zach and a few other people online. We make random comments to each other about what is on our mind. Fun times.

The Guy and I hang out until about 10p.m. until he decides he is about to head to bed.

I got a text from my cousins earlier in the day about meeting them for some country line dancin', and I was so down. I made my way out to Brandin' Iron in San Bernardino, and it was not crowded at all for a Friday night. My cousins were standing around drinking, so I got a drink, and was soon loose enough to head out to the dance floor. They were mainly doing couples dances, and my cousins didn't want to do that, although I would have been ok. Once the band was done, which could not have been soon enough, since they were not that good, we hit the floor. I am getting better at line dancing. Here's what we danced to last night, and I did an ok job. Oh, and all my cousins sang Two Pina Coladas by Garth Brooks... soooo funny! Only my cousin, Brit, knew it, and my other cousin just bobbed her head.







While I have the electric slide down I still need to work on these 3 dances...
the Bocephus line dance

the Watermelon Crawl, which we did 3-4 times last night


the tush push


I really would like to become good at line dancing. We have a line dancing club literally a half mile from my house, and I could get in for free most any night. My grandma was a member there for over 20 years, and she had a lifetime transferrable membership. She used to get all dressed up to go square dancing and line dancing down there.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

60th Birthday

We had such a great time surprising my mom!!!

We weren't sure what we would do. My mom made plans as of yesterday after work to go to a tea with all of the female teachers from her new school about 11a.m. today. We weren't aware of this, but we changed our plans many times, and I texted Linda to tell her how to play along with everything. She tried calling my mom a couple times today to make her think everything was normal, but the phone went to voice mail each time. My mom had called Linda about 9:30 telling her that she wanted to go to dinner at TGI Fridays at 4. We told my mom when she called about 3:30 Linda was stuck at school, couldn't leave immediately, and wanted to do Famous Dave's Barbecue at 6.

When my mom got home at 4:30 we had her change clothes, and she was planning to anyways. We left the house at 5. We planned to have enough time to run to Sears to exchange the dress I got her that was the wrong size. We were getting to Sears at 5:40 and told my mom we had 10 minutes to get the dress in the right size so we could meet Linda at 6. At 6 we were still at Sears, and Linda texted me saying everyone was there, where were we? We planned to be walking in at 6. I texted her we hadn't left Sears. I said we were 7 minutes away- we got there at 6:15. We went to Famous Daves Barbecue- HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE RESTAURANT.

I texted Linda as I parked the car, and we walked up to the restaurant. I walked ahead of my mom, dad, and sister in the hopes I could prepare everyone since Linda didn't text me back. I opened the door and the office manager saw me, and she got everyone ready. Linda was surprised and didn't get my message, and I saw her scrambling for a camera. Though all of my mom's friends were seated in front of her- there were 18 of them- she didn't see them- and it didn't occur to her. She was trying to ask if there were reservations under the name Linda since I said Linda kept texting me she was at the restaurant. My dad saw everyone, and pushed my mom their way. The history teacher waved, and my mom waved back. It didn't register, she thought it was coincidence. As we approached the table they sang happy birthday. It hit my mom about the time they finished singing Happy Birthday, and she began crying.

My mom was so shocked. She went around hugging everyone. Then she thanked everyone as we made our way to our seats in the center of the table. Linda went around making pictures, as did my sister. My mom sat at the table and began crying again. We all talked. The restaurant brought out onion straws for us to snack on. My mom began asking if we knew about this, and how long we'd known. We didn't divulge all the details. My mom continued talking, visiting, with everyone. The restaurant brought out the feast on big tin trash can lids- there were beef briskets, corn on the cob, muffins, chicken, and pork ribs. As the servers brought it out they yelled "FEAST, FEAST, FEAST." The food was delicious- none of us had been there before- and we all commented on how good it was. My mom and the teachers talked about all that's going on at their schools. My mom kept saying how she couldn't believe she was gone a year, yet everyone came, and hadn't forgotten about her. One teacher, the science teacher made the comment that of course my mom hadn't been forgotten, she was one of the backbones of the school that everyone loved. All of the best staff was there.

My mom opened up her presents and read the cards. The waiter said since we had a cake for my mom his gift was some of their barbecue sauce, which we really liked, and thought that was neat. Linda ordered a cake from Costco. Then all the teachers stood up, talked, and visited. It was fun to make my rounds to the different groups and mingle. We hung around for 4 hours or so. The restaurant was not even crowded, and they told us to stay as long as we pleased.

Everyone started leaving about 9:30-10. My mom finally got a chance to talk to Linda, her husband, and the family. We told her we'd been talking about this since March, and everyone was so excited to come. Everyone really was. My mom said how surprised she was, how she hadn't had a birthday party since 3rd grade, and hadn't had a party since she got married. She said how this was definitely something she will remember.

It's all we've talked about since we got in the car to come home. I am all smiles that we pulled this off. My dad is too. My dad is one of those men who is hard to read and may not express his emotion, but he had several smiles tonight, and that was special.

I have to admit I was about to cry, and had to restrain myself as we walked up to the table and seeing all the teachers there as they began to sing Happy Birthday. That to me was so moving. To see so many of my mom's friends. So much love and support. To see my mom so shocked. To see everyone so happy was what made this evening so special, and so touching.

Each one of the cards that my mom received had such heartfelt comments and wishes, not just the generic Happy Birthday.

This was too cool!!!!

There were 18 of us...
- Librarian
- Office manager, we call her the School Mom
- Attendance clerk
- Science teacher who is basically a big kid, so loving, and so caring
- Mel, whom I sub for often
- Linda
- Linda's husband
- School Nurse
- Top history teacher
- Science teacher that was transferred last year, and his wife
- Mal, the one I go to concerts with
- Newcomers English teacher that was transferred last year
- Music teacher
- My mom's good friend, the art teacher that retired 7 years ago
- My mom, dad, sister, myself

Walmart and iPhones

My dad and I have spent the morning calling every Wal-Mart in the Inland Empire (we called as far west as Pomona, as far east as Beaumont, as far north as Highland/San Bernardino, and as far south as Temecula) and most in Orange County. Persistence did not pay off. There are no $97 16GB iPhones left. We were thinking of getting my mom one for her birthday.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Great night

School was so fun. Got rave reviews from the teacher about the lesson I presented.
Love my classmates.
Banquet for the kids I tutored was so awesome.
Driving a bit to fast to get to the banquet.
I am going to miss a few really special kids- one of the kids nearly made me cry tonight- he's one of those I'll aways remember
He talked about how various tutors, as well as teachers had a positive impact on him
His name is Alex, and he gave me a hug after, like he always does when he sees all of us tutors, and it was kind of sad it was for the last time
This kid had such a tough home life, and really considered those who tutored him/kids in the class family
Highlight of my night.
I did see a former student I tutored who is at UC Berkeley and rocking.
Second highlight of night.
Yay for students remembering me.
Afterparty at Eddy's house.
I did 6 large shots.
I was chipper and chatty.
Buzzed now.
That was my night.

Schools out

Lots going on lately, as always...

First off, school is out for the summer. No more subbing this schoolyear for me. Not sure what the fall holds in store with the possibility of a job or student teaching.

Online class finishes Saturday. I have a 3000 word paper due for that that I've yet to start, mainly because it has skipped my mind. Must write soon. Tomorrow or Friday morning- no excusas!

Final night of my on campus class, but I'll be back in 2 weeks for summer session.

Today is laundry day. I have about 6-7 loads to do.

Banquet tonight for the program I tutor for. I asked the professor to leave class at 6:15, and she said sure. Yay!

Trying to buy tickets to the Monday, March 28, 2011 Lady Gaga concert at Staples Center. Tickets go on sale at 10a.m., 26 minutes. Hopefully the internet doesn't cut out. ... And I tried... and they seemed to be sold out for the $51.25 or $88.25 tickets. I wasn't going to pay anything more than that.

The Guy and his new boy Robert seem to be official- facebook status changed, the works. Glad to hear.

My mom's surprise birthday party is tomorrow night. We've had a slight change in plans and are stumped how to present this to my mom. Originally my dad had school, but he has furlough Thursdays and Fridays for the rest of the schoolyear, so he has the day off. It was going to be easy to get my mom there. Now, with my dad off, we are going to take my mom to the OC for the day, then I guess what will happen is we'll have Linda call me about 3 or 4p.m. and say her husband wants to take my family out to dinner, and we'll meet at 6. No sé... still talking this over with my dad.

Oh, and here's a cool blog I like to read at the OC Register Newspaper's website called Fast Food Maven. The author blogs about fast food happenings, including this: In-N-Out is set to open in Dallas Texas.

And this is what you will find new on Mike's iPod this week:
"Life After You" - Daughtry

Sunday, May 23, 2010

News changes in LA

KCBS

KCBS
Whitney Drolen replaces Vera Jimenez as morning traffic reporter.

A couple new reporters whose names I don't remember seem to have trailed in.

KNBC


Doesn't Andie Adler look out of place?


KNBC seems to be in trouble...

KTLA

Glen Walker moves from KCBS to KTLA as a weekend anchor/reporter- good move I think- despite not being a Walker fan.

Brandon Rudat has left KTLA for CBS in Atlanta to anchor mornings.

KABC
Bob Banfield will be retiring after 43 years with the station on May 26. I will miss seeing him all over the IE. I've run into him 4-5 times over the years. I've seen him driving, in the news van, on a story.

My dad still complains each time he sees Indra that she is still lacking personality, and still shopping at Ross Dress for Less. My dad keeps saying Macys is having a sale. She is wearing dresses since I complained last- unflattery, at that!



KABC is still the leader in almost all newscasts as far as ratings.



David is still wearing his zoot suit as my dad calls it. Phillip Palmer has one, as does Dallas. Have you seen some of Dallas' suits lately? He has a bright yellow, a few zoot suits, and more. Keep forgetting to get a pic of Dallas. Personally I like the suits and the zoot suit look.


KTTV


KTTV now starts their news at 4:30a.m. along with KNBC, KTLA, and KABC.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Dog sitting

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Thursday, May 20, 2010

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Awesome day!!!

Had a great day today. I went to the amusement park to chaperone with Mal. Sooooooo much fun!!! We chit chatted and gossiped about so much!!! She told me her daughter is going back and forth from proclaiming she is bi or a lesbian, and she actually hooked her daughter up with her current girlfriend. First hint... I'm like wow... um... so she'd be alright if I were gay. We were mini golfing and she told me I should go see Sex and the City with her and her best friend who is gay. Wow. That was another hint... hahaha... Then she asked me if I'm seeing anyone and I was so tempted to come out to her mainly because I'm pretty sure she can keep a secret- I like her a lot- I just don't know her well enough- so I resisted telling her anything. I did tell her about this, now infamous date. That is kind of my test. I used a gender neutral name, and it was the guy's actual name, so this is my test to see... but seriously... I was hesitant especially with just the drama that could happen if I came out to anyone at work. She's pretty trustworthy I'm sure, and has the biggest heart. She has 3-4 foster kids simply because they were former students going through rough times, and feels she has to be there for them. Lots of rides and photos on the rides. OMG. Had soooooo much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After I had to rush back to near where we work to go to the retirement at work. 9 teachers are retiring. There will only be 1 teacher on staff over 40 next year at the school. Half of the veteran teachers- my mom included- were transferred last year. The last group left this year. The teachers were so upset and fed up with everything they just decided to leave. It was crazy, everyone said they have never seen a larger retirement. Everyone who retired was so loved. There were many tears, and I had to stop myself. All of the 9 teachers have known me since I was 3-4 years old. It was so sad since the population of the school is going to change since these teachers were basically the backbone of the school. It was really a great time, and I am so glad I made it. It was really sad, yet happy, bittersweet. It sort of tied up lose ends for me.

There was a Powerpoint presentation that had every teacher's photo on it, and they were waving goodbye to the staff retiring. It was cute- it started off with the principal and him waving hello, saying he was happy to be there since he is a new principal. Then the office staff was shown waving goodbye, and it had a cute title "you come to us when you have a problem." The next slide was "Mr. Jones will miss the cafeteria staff that kept him fed with their delicious cuisine." Mr. Jones jokes that he eats 2 meals a day at the school, and so the cafeteria workers were waving goodbye. Then there was a slide, "you will even miss the substitutes that cover your classes," and the 4 main subs were pictured with the exception of me. The 4 main subs are myself, Mr. Jones' wife, another teacher's wife, and a man who covers for all the PE teachers when they are out, and myself. I wasn't included in the photo however because it so happened that these 3 subs were covering for PE one day last week when they were all in a meeting, so they didn't get me. I think the lady who put the presentation together realized that, and knew I was at the party. So then there were pictures of all the staff members waving goodbye. At the end the lady who put the presentation together got up and said that one of the subs who wasn't included was Mike. She said something along the lines of "Mike is a treasure, he is always willing to take on anything that is thrown at him, and he is always on campus just as long as some of the teachers." I got a round of applause, and cheers. It was soooooo touching. I just felt so loved. One of the teachers that was retiring came up to me afterward that I subbed for when he had heart surgery earlier this year, and he told me what a great job I did. It was cool to get praise from this man who always just keeps to himself and does his own thing. I was not expecting this at the retirement. I had no clue us subs were going to be honored, but the 2 wives married to the teachers, and I were there since we at the school are a family.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

A few more updates

I get to chaperone the amusement park field trip tomorrow for our school. I'm so excited. There was not enough interests from teachers and aides to go, so I got asked. The principal had no qualms about sending me. Mal is in charge, and she is soooo fun to be around. Must bring my camera.
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I met a guy off of grindr tonight named José. We have been chatting for well over a month. He is 22, bi, recently moved back to the area after studying at UCSB. None of his friends know that he is bi, and there is an added stigmatism being Mexican, and coming from a very traditional Mexican family. He is living at home. At the moment he is jobless and deferring student loans by going to school. Our conversation mainly was about school and work. He had the cutest smile as we talked about random things. He wants to go into medicine or education. We talked about teaching abroad, getting into a credential program, nursing/physician assistant programs in the area. I thought he was so cute. He's 5'10'', 170lbs, dark skinned latino, sort of spiked hair. Hope to meet up again :).
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And for Dan I am mentioning The Guy. I talked to him via phone for the first time since his birthday. We did text a bit this weekend after the iPhone disaster. We plan to hang out Thursday.
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There are some strange people on craigslist. Read the text from this ad:

does anyone have the hookup for a job? - 22 (inland empire)
Does anyone know where they're hiring? I really need a job/ does'nt matter what job, but prefer not to do fast food. Can anyone help me find a job out there?

And the picture included is 3/4 of his body with his large uncut member, and his face blocked out.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Some excerpts from life recently

The surprise party I'm organizing with Linda for my mom is going well so far. Invitations out, cake ordered, restaurant booked, most can attend. I'm just hoping no one spills the beans. Good thing almost everyone is at my mom's old school.
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A new location of the gym I am a member at opened. The new gym is smaller, but so far I like it better. Of course right now all the equipment is new, the facility looks nice, and there aren't tons of people. The clientele doesn't seem to have the attitude the other gym does.
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My sister had been walking funny for the past 2 weeks. My mom asked her more than once what happened. She said nothing, and shrugged it off many times. Last Friday I got a call during lunch at work asking me if I could come pick up my sister from Kaiser. I asked what was going on. Turns out she had been walking across her campus at school, her foot hurt so badly, it gave out and she fainted. I am a sub- not a teacher- teachers can't just walk out of class. They have to work with the front office, try to get a sub, and it is often not an easy process. Since I have an in at the school I asked around and got a teacher to cover my class after lunch, but not my final class. I called my dad in the meantime, and since his last period was prep he was able to get out to pick her up. Sister was in the hospital for a few hours. She admitted that she had sprained her foot a few weeks ago and didn't want to go to the hospital. Can you say stupid?
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Linda is going to help me with all the documentation and papers I need to write up, case studies I need to explain and submit to the state as a part of my student teaching. While it is putting off getting it done for the time-being, which bothers me since I want to get it done and over with there is benefit. The benefit will be that she can help me understand developing a unit better and explain how she teaches writing, which I want to know more about.
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These commercials bug.

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Jack off buddy and I have become friends. He invited me to his birthday party a few weeks back. He had an XBOX 360 Halo tournament at his house with his best friend and boyfriend. Jack off buddy, his boyfriend, and myself all work at the same gym; we worked out together last Monday night. We all have Knotts, Disneyland, and Universal Studios passes- we plan to go to one of those soon.
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Queef is the new word the students at school are using. I heard it 4-5 times this past week, and each time have told the students I WILL NOT HEAR IT AGAIN. One kid managed to use it in a sentence today: "I fucking queefed my pants." He was sent out.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

iPhone lives on

After a few hours of uncertainty where I had to decide whether to pull the plug on my old iPhone or invest in a new one I did some calling around. It was $299 for an 8gig 3GS at the AT&T store. It was $399 for a 16GB. I decided that was a bit much considering the new phone was coming out. A quick text to Gonzo about my dilemma helped. She said to rush Mr. Phone to the ER. The ER came in the form of a shop that specializes in cell phone repair. $100 for a new screen, nearly an hour of uncertainty, and much worry on my part Mr. iPhone was able to be saved.

My iPhone lives again- he is fully recuperated and good as new!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Tears began to flow

I know, I know, I have such an expensive phone I really shouldn't, but I do. Well, when I sit in the car I like something in between my legs- if my phone vibrates I can feel it. I don't have to go fumbling through my pocket causing a greater distraction. And today I paid the price- I had the phone in between my legs, scooted out to get out of the car, and the phone went with me. I hear a thud on the dirt (we have a dirt driveway), and I look down to see my iPhone's beautiful phone screen shattered in a million pieces. My heart sank and the tears started flowing instantly. I am so hurt!!! I can't afford a new phone at this time. I texted The Guy to see if by chance he had a spare. Not the best idea when you ended up with some crystal chips in your finger. He did have a spare at one time. Nope. I scoured ebay and found that most iPhones are $199+++ USED. I have 4-5 that are up for auction on ebay in mind to replace mine- all have slight defects, but for a couple months I can handle it. Spending that sort of money would be a stretch, especially because I'm saving up quite a bit for when I'm not working next year and am student teaching. I have money set aside for the new phone, but I really don't want to put it out for a replacement for this broken one right now. Oh well, that's life, and that's what I get for this. I do know I'm going to buy a much heavier super duty case than I had before. And can you say sad that I cried over a piece of technology? LOL!

Friday, May 14, 2010

The acquaintance passed on

I blogged a few posts back about the acquaintance that started the whole outing thing to my mom. Let me give some backstory now. This man was in good health until January. He was diagnosed with cancer of the lymph nodes mid-January. He continued tormenting and hurting people, including myself. The issue started long before my mom knew at the beginning of February when he first made his comments to my mom's good friend. The friend of my mom's kept it a secret for a month or so until they were able to talk. Once I found out I was doing damage control seeing what I could do, and was very successful at making sure this guy was put in his place for outing me.

This guy began undergoing chemo at the end of February. Every update that I got from friends and other people said that he was doing well. Last weekend, last Saturday, he was put into a medically induced coma. I found out Wednesday evening after I made my post that he was experiencing a traumatic coma as it was described to me where he basically was not in a resting state like he should have been. My friend described it to me that he "looked like he was being punished by God," and that was somewhat the words I needed to hear at the moment. News came about 11:40, 20 minutes after the man died this morning.

I was surprised since it was so sudden, and all of this has happened so quickly. I can't help but say it I don't feel too bad about it. While death is not a good thing, and I certainly didn't wish it on him. I'm neutral. This man hurt so many friends, as well as family members. I feel relieved that he can no longer hurt other people.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Doin' My Thing

Just got home from the Luke Bryan concert with Mal. What an awesome night!!! We met at a shopping mall about halfway between her house and my house, and a direct shot to Pechanga Casino.

We were running a little later than planned, but still hit up the buffet. Thursday they have a special where it is only $7. We were worried everyone would be taking advantage, but they weren't. We got right in and seated. There was all types of cuisine. There was ziti, prime rib, mac and cheese, enchiladas, empanadas, and tons and tons of desserts.

After eating we made our way to the theater for the show. The theater was really nice- much nicer than the venue at Casino Morongo. We had fun sitting in our seat and chatting about family, work, and taking facebook photos. We had perfect seats in row p.

Jewel performed first. She had a cute, almost ditzy, yet still intelligent side to her. Her voice was amaaazing. She opened with somewhere Over the Rainbow. I tend to think Jewel and that whiney folk singer. She was much better. Some of her stuff I wasn't in to, but she was pretty good, and not as whiney as on her CDs.



Next came Mr. Luke Bryan. We were both standing and singing (only because 5 really tall girls stood in front of us). We were singing along to "All My Friends Say," "Do I," "Doin' My Thing," "Fishin in the Dark," "Play Something Country," and "We Rode in Trucks." We were bumping, grinding, and all sorts of stuff on each other. Fun times! She isn't as big of a Luke fan as I am, but she was along for the Jewel portion of the show, and stayed around for that... haha.





Such a good show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, and then after, usually everyone is in such a hurry to leave the show. Lots of people started crowding the stage and Luke seemed in no hurry to leave. He started from the far left and worked his way over to the far right signing autographs. Yep, yours truly got his autograph on his ticket. Too bad my ticket was a big crumpled 8x11'' paper, but that's ok. Oh, and I got close up pics.



We both agreed $5 was our gambling limit- that was all I had in my wallet. I put $5 in a penny slot. I won $.60 on a penny machine, then played 2 more tries and was down to $4.80. Then I spun again and got some genie or something who 18x'd what you won, or some really odd high number like that. Next thing I know I have $35.40. I played 1 more spin and cashed out since I lost. $35.40 was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!! Mal got $9.90, so we were both winners.

And the winnings more than paid for my night:
Concert ticket: $20.00
Buffet ticket: $7.00
Tip: $2.00
=$29.00

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The acquaintance

The acquaintance that I mention in this post that sort of got the ball rolling by outing me to my mother is in a medically induced coma, and the prognosis does not look good. While it is never a good thing to wish bad things on people, I, like many people am not too sorry. So many have been hurt by him. I just feel, as many do that I've talked to that he seems to be in a better place where he can't hurt people.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Fail

Soooo funny, yet true!!!

10 ways Christians fail at being Christians

Speaking as someone who, well, had the conversion experience 14 years ago that I recounted in "I, a Rabid Anti-Christian, Very Suddenly Convert," we Christians too often fail in these ten ways:

1) Too much money. "Wealthy Christian" should be an oxymoron. In Luke 12:33, Jesus says, "Sell your possessions and give to the poor." In Matthew 19:21, he says, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor." In Matthew 6:24, he says, "You cannot serve God and Money." Christians are generally pretty huge on cleaving to the word of God. I just don't see how those particular words could be clearer. (For more on this, see my post "Christians: No Fair Heeding Paul on Gays, But Not Jesus on Wealth.")

2) Too confident God thinks we're all that and a leather-bound gift Bible. I'd like to humbly suggest that we spend a little more time wondering how we displease God and a little less time being confident that we do. (See my post "Certainty in Christ: A Blessing and a Curse.")

3) Too quick to believe that we know what God really means by what he says in the Bible. The Bible is an extremely complex, multi-leveled work. We're sometimes too quick to assume that we grasp its every meaning. Take this passage, for instance, from Luke 8: 9-10: "His disciples asked him [Jesus] what this parable [of the sower] meant. He said, 'The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, "though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand."'" Huh? And that's Jesus "explaining" what is generally regarded as one of his most readily understood parables! Are we really all that confident that we always know exactly what Jesus meant by everything he said? Wouldn't we do well to sometimes admit that the words attributed to God manifested on earth are just a tad, well, Greek to us? (See my post "The Bible's Two Big Problems.")

4) Too action-oriented. We Christians could stand to spend less time acting in the name of God, and more time reflecting on the (ever subtle) majesty of God. We need more passivity, and less activity. More meditation, less machination. More reflection, less correction. More contemplation, less administration. More prayers, less airs. More mysticism, less ... um ... cretinism. (See my post "Doing Christianity vs. Being Christian.")

5) Too invasive of others generally. It is my personal, humble opinion that anyone seeking to mix church and state has failed to understand the nature and role of either. Being founded upon the principle that all men are created equal and deserving of equal protection under the law is what makes the American system of democracy such a gift to mankind. Attempting to mix the inherently exclusionary imperatives of a particular religion into the resolutely inclusive system of the American constitutional form of government is to work against everything that America stands for. Religion is a personal, subjective affair for the individual; politics and public policy is an impersonal, objective affair for everyone. (See my post "Does the Holy Spirit Vote Republican?")

6) Too invasive of others personally. We Christians are too often too eager to get up into the faces of others about their personal religious beliefs. If you believe in the reality of hell, then wanting to save non-Christians from going there is a worthy sentiment, of course. But the bottom line is it's absolutely impossible to talk someone who isn't a Christian into becoming one; in fact, more than anything else it's likely to push the non-Christian further from God. I believe we Christians would do very well indeed to spend our time "just" living as Christians, and let God worry about the non-Christians. (See my post "What Non-Christians Want Christians to Hear.")

7) Too quick to abandon logic. When talking to others about our faith, we Christians too often resort to a language and line of reasoning that leaves good ol' fashion logic sitting on the ground behind us, waving a sad good-bye. "It's true because the Bible says it's true" is, for instance, an assertion that can't help but leave the non-Christian unimpressed, since it's so manifestly illogical. "It's true because the Bible says it's true" is no more proof of truth than is, "Apples are the best of the fruits, because I think that's true." Christians need to more readily admit that the religious experience -- no matter how riveting and real it is to the person experiencing it -- remains a subjective phenomenon, and talk about it that way. (See my "Let's Be Real: No One 'Walks' and 'Talks' with Jesus.")

8) Too fixated on homosexuality. Can we Christians stop already with the gay and lesbian fixation? I know many of us understand our stance on the matter to be unassailably Biblical. I know a great many of us are deeply concerned about the "homosexual agenda." I know. We all know. Maybe Christians could just give that issue a rest for a while. It's not like gay and lesbian people are going anywhere. They'll all be there when we get back. Maybe -- for just a week, a day, a month -- we could concern ourselves with something else, and let them be. (See my post "Christians: When It Comes to Homosexuality, Man Up.")

9) Too insular. When I became a Christian, one of the things that most amazed me about Christians is the degree to which they tend to hang out only with other Christians. We should stop doing that. How are we supposed to share Christ's love with non-Christians (which we're forever saying we want to do) when we barely know any non-Christians? Time to widen that social base, I say. (Plus, Christian or not, we still want to throw good, fun parties, don't we? Well, let's face it: The heathen class has all the good music. We might as well invite a few of them to our next party. Maybe they'll bring their CD's!) (See my post, "My Answer to Christians Denouncing R. Crumb's "Genesis Illustrated.")

10) Too uneducated about Christianity. Generally speaking (which of course is the most offensive way to speak about any group of people), Christians tend to embarrass themselves by knowing so little about either the Bible or the history of Christianity. Believing that the Bible is the word of God, for instance, is one thing; knowing nothing about the long process by which men decided which texts would and wouldn't make it into the Bible is another. It's not that all Christians should be full-on theologians or historians. But if you're a Christian who doesn't know the Great Schism from The Great Santini, or the Diet of Worms from ... well, the diet of worms, then you've got some homework to do.

(If you liked The Restoration of Stephen Baldwin, you'll love The Restoration of John Shore.)

Time for a new ringtone, and here's what I'm thinking

Monday, May 10, 2010

Finally got an answer

I ran into my aunt and uncle on my dad's side twice this past week at the mall in my city. They don't even live in this city. They like our mall better than theirs. The topic of my grandma came up, and what was going on with her. We had been told by the lawyer my grandma's body was at a morgue. We had been told by my aunt in Oklahoma my grandma's body was at the morgue or mortuary. There was also some time we didn't know where the body was and my aunt was lying. My uncle mentioned again these past 2 times we saw him how he would be more than willing to pay for a funeral and would talk to our lawyer/my aunt in Nor Cal. My uncle did some investigating this weekend since his son has connections when it comes to this sort of stuff. My uncle's son found out my grandma was not at the morgue. My uncle and his son did a little more investigating. The conversation my uncle relayed is very annoying as to what happened when he called the morgue/funeral home this morning. Basically they said the body was not there, and there was no cemetery involved. My uncle asked what that meant, and my grandma was cremated several weeks ago and nobody knew. She also didn't want to be cremated. I don't know how I feel about that- it certainly wasn't my grandma's wishes, and we were left out in the dark as to what was happening. My aunt had the power- she could do what she wanted. Now I get to relay the message to my aunt in Oklahoma and my family :-(

The Guy's Birthday

We went to one of the most expensive restaurants in his city. I'd only been there once with The Guy and Jeff, and it was just to get a to go order. It was good as I recalled.

I got to the dinner about 6:55, 5 minutes early. I walk in and look for The Guy. I don't see him, then he calls my name. He was seated in the waiting area with Jeff. I hear briefly about San Diego. A moment later Mike, The Guy's ex, Chris' best friend walks in with his boyfriend who is in his mid 40s-50s probably. Mike was really cute, and his boyfriend was cute also. We shake hands. I think there was some awkward tension between Mike and I because he knew who I was not just from The Guy, but also from Chris. A few more friends of The Guy walk in- some that I'd met, and others that I hadn't. Zac showed up a little later, as did The Guy's brother.

We sit down, and I'm seated next to Jeff and Robert- a guy that The Guy likes and is sort of seeing currently. He was very shy. I was across from Mike and his boyfriend. Mike was cute and mature for his age. He's only like 25. The dinner went well. Lots of talking about San Diego, drinking, getting high, and random stuff like that. The Real Housewives also came up in a couple conversations.

The food was good. I had lemon chicken, and usually there is a hint of lemon, but this didn't have that. It was absorbed in the chicken and was really tender. The Guy insisted on paying for everyone's food. It was a fun time.

We wrap up around 9 and everyone hugs and says goodbye outside of the restaurant.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Birthday #1 of the weekend

After work on Friday I headed to dinner to meet my mom, as well as 4-5 teachers from her old school for dinner. We talked for a good 2-3 hours.

I jetted, and headed back to my city to meet Darla and friends for dinner. I didn't have time to run home to get the taco restaurant gift certificate and card I had for her, so promised to bring it next time I saw her. We went to a spaghetti restaurant, which was alright. The best part is the ice cream at the end of your meal. I talked to Gonzo and her fiance mainly. We had a good time talking about electronics, money, the role of a woman in a home, and random stuff like that. I tended to take the fiance's side just for arguments sake. He went as far as suggesting the high heels and French maid outfit. Fun times.

After, we were going to go to Yardhouse for drinks. Yardhouse was packed and only accepting reservations. We went next door to Elephant Bar, which had a lot fewer people. It was a nice night, so we sat out on the patio. Gonzo had a blended Adios. Who blends those? It wasn't that great blended. Her boyfriend stuck to Captain and coke. I varied my selection. I had the best mojito ever. It was an acai black cherry mojito. I drank one, then Gonzo, Darla, and a few others were wanting one. I had part of a long island iced tea and margarita. Our coworker Eddy showed up about this time already drunk. He was ordering everyone at the table drinks. He was horny and drunk. He was checking out Darla and kept whispering in my ear how he wanted to titty fuck her.

I had a weird thing happen when I went into the bathroom at one point. There was sort of a stocky latino guy in an Angels jersey and tattoos of women all over him in the bathroom standing next to me at the sink trying to dry his hands. He kept waving his hands back and forth past the automatic towel dispenser. It didn't work. He finally turned to me and held out his really large jersey and asked if I wanted to dry my hands on him. I said that was ok, and composed myself until I could get back to the table to laugh about that. Awkward encounter.

Tomorrow night is The Guy's birthday bash at an expensive restaurant in his city. Looking forward to it.

Update:
Mothers Day is also tomorrow, and that should be cool. Probably do an early lunch with my mom and family because I'm going out to eat late in the evening. My dad, sister, and I bought my mom some shoes she has been wanting. She won't buy them because she considers them too expensive. My mom usually spends $25 or so at most for shoes. She's been talking about them for the past 6 months or so since a teacher at her school got a pair because they are the most comfortable shoes ever. My mom I guess tried some and decided she needed them. I know she'll be surprised. I got her a sun dress my dad said she'd like.

Oh, and while on the subjects of moms, Phunk Factor asked me how things are with my mom. Things have more or less drifted back to normal. A few weeks ago my mom was unsure how to tell Linda, and this was her biggest worry. Since then things have more or less returned to normal. More developments with that as they happen.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

The interview

The interview was 75 minutes of interrogation. It really was. I was drilled about my first lesson, why I chose it, what some of the things were, and why I chose thinking maps(think Venn Diagrams from back in the day with a way cooler name... note the sarcasm) to help explain a concept. I defended all of my answers, and had appropriate answers that were very convincing I thought. I wasn't disrespectful. I was honest. I could have omitted that from my lesson- it may or may not have been more successful, but I included it to help the students organize their thoughts. I may not necessarily use thinking maps, but so many English language learners need supports and ways to group information to help them recall- that's what I provided. The program I was working for targets English language learners. I just realized they have their own agenda, and I don't necessarily fit into it. That's ok. I gave it my best, did my best based on what I knew.

I was given the opportunity to present my 2nd lesson plan, a vocabulary lesson with a fun activity to help the kids remember the words. I chose a list of the top 50 SAT words, had the interviewers write down the word and definition on a white sheet of paper, and memorize the word. Then they had to present the word to the class. After to help reinforce memorization I had the kids pass their vocabulary word to another student, and they had to take notes on it. They had a minute to write down every member in the classes word, then pass it to the left, and I sang "to the left, to the left" when they had to pass, and they would pass the vocabulary word in their possession to the left. I think it went very well also, and the 3 people interviewing broke out into laughter many times during it. Maybe I redeemed myself? It definitely had the fun element I think the interviewers were looking for.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Dinner with friends

The Guy and I texted back and forth today while I was at work. He and I pushed our hang out time from 4ish to 5ish. I arrived at 5:17 because I had a feeling he was on the lookout for me since he said "he would see me first." i wanted to make my appearance unknown- usually I'm punctual- today I wasn't. He was on the hunt for me and spotted me as I pulled up. He was cleaning out the filter on his a/c out in the carport. He was also on the phone with Zac. i wanted to tell him how displeased I was he saw me first. haha

We hug a couple times while he is on the phone with Zac. He motions we need to go get the dogs, we get in the car, and he is still talking to Zac. About halfway to the dog kennel THe Guy is finally able to get off the phone and he gives me an update on his life. He tells me things are over with Olly. He tells me Olly even gave back the computer The Guy gave him. He asked me what my computer specs were because he would give it to me if they weren't better- they weren't. We talk about what is new with each other. I tell him about the job and the 2nd interview tomorrow. He told me he thinks that is a good thing. He tells me he is now seeing a therapist again, and back on his meds. He told me about his month in bed crying all day long, and would compose himself long enough for a date, then was back in bed crying. He also told me Joe was on his way over, and we were going to dinner with Zane, a friend of Olly's, who was also screwed by Olly. Drama. Hahaha. We got the dogs, then leaving the kennel The Guy told me something that meant a lot "thanks for not giving up on me. I know you call all the time and you don't get me, but you haven't given up on me." It meant a lot to hear those words. I told him I couldn't after him putting up with me with everything I've been through.

We get back to The Guy's place, and Joe is there ready to go. We get in The Guy's car and drive to Temple City (below Pasadena). We pick Zane up, then he tells us to go to Westfield West Covina for dinner. We went to Wood Ranch. We have one in my area, and I had been wanting to try. We picked the restaurant because it had a cowboy on the logo, and cowboys are hot. There were no cowboys in there much to our disappointment. We spent dinner sharing date/guy stories- my hanging out with the media buddy, by the way, we've been texting off and on. The Guy said I should ask him on a date. They heard my crazy date story that I'll never be able to forget. We chatted about the bad food, maggots in ketchup (Joe said there are 3 maggots per gram allowed by the FDA). We talked about the people Zane knew from high school who worked there. The food was not that great, and I was disappointed for the price they charged. We all agreed this was so nice to get out and just eat- 4 guys- THe Guy rarely does this, and it was soooooo nice to see him out... in a restaurant... haha

Afterward we walked through the mall and played "mine or yours." Zane decided this. The Guy and Zane picked out hot guys for each other. Joe and I just chatted about my mom finding out about me being gay, and things like that.

On the way to dinner we had 2-3 instances with bad Asian drivers/walkers. One Asian guy decided to cross the street without looking, and we were doing 25-30, so we had to stop quickly to miss him. Another Asian lady tried to back her Mercedes S class into a super small parallel parking spot and block half the street while doing it. I made a comment about an Asian guy walking through the parking lot saying that if he ran over this guy he would be getting rid of one of the Asian drivers, and making everything much safer. Everyone got a good laugh. ((I know I have a few Asian blog readers, and I like you guys- I mean no offense)).

Zane gave The Guy directions how to get back to his house, but The Guy goes in the opposite direction. We go back to THe Guy's and watch Glee since that came up many times during dinner. We watched the Physical Episode with Olivia Newton John. That episode seriously had to be targeted straight to gay guys... so much ass in it! Joe took off, so it was Zane, THe Guy and I laying watching it.


We hung until 10:45, then The Guy had to take Zane home, and Jeff was coming over to sleep because he was upset about a potential breakup of a guy he's been seeing for a month...

I'm home, it is 12:18, and I'm wired. Ugh. 5:45 comes early.

Let's get physical!

What's going on this week

- I have a reinterview on Thursday for that summer job. I have to teach another lesson. I'm ready. Bring it on. Kind of wondering why they're having interviews round 2.

- Supposed to hang out with The Guy today- we'll see...

- Talked to my best friend, and he will be out here about the 10th of June for 2 weeks. He flies into LAX, his parents are then venturing to San Diego for 3 days, then to their condo in Coronado. I'm sure I'll be hanging out a couple days at the condo like last time. Friend also mentioned he'll be able to leave anytime and will have a couple days to do whatever he wants after the condo, so we are thinking about spending a couple days together like a roadtrip. Trying to come up with ideas since he told me to. Maybe LA and Hollywood? Maybe up the coast? I'm trying to think of what to do and where to go. Open to suggestions.
Possible ideas:
LA (Dodger game, The Abbey (yes, I said it, but friend has expressed interest), Griffith Observatory, tour Hollywood)
The Coast: Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Madonna Inn (friend wants to go, and that'd be fun)

- Subbing everyday this week- don't have to be at work until 10:15 today.

- Need to do my midterm for my EDU class. It should take about 2 hours... it's just busy work...

- Need to start on my teacher portfolio- explanations of how I'd handle different classroom scenarios. It's required for me to get my credential and do student teaching. It is about 15-20 pages I have to write about how I'd handle different things. No real application to an actual classroom. Busy work.

- My carne asada didn't turn out as I had hoped. It was just not as flavorful, and this recipe seemed to have a lot of spices. A lot of the recipes were very similar. Anyone have a good recipe for carne asada? I thought this one would be pretty good...

- My allergies are killing me. I itch constantly. Hyrdocortizone and Gold Bond are what is keeping me sane. Lots of allergy headaches. I see the allergist tomorrow, so I am going to get more headache medicine. I also have lots of congestion. Acupuncture next Tuesday cannot come soon enough.

Monday, May 3, 2010

I've always wondered how many country stars are...

Country singer, Chely Wright, is going to come out of the closet this week in a People Magazine interview.

Heard this on Valentine on 1043 MYFM this morning. Valentine didn't know much about Chely Wright, but Nate, the producer, talked about her singing traditional country songs that conservative country lovers would like, such as her song "From the Bumper of My SUV."

"From the Bumper of My SUV" - Chely Wright


Props to her. I've always wondered how many country stars are gay or lesbian and if any more will come out in the near future. I have a couple in mind...

"Single White Female" - Chely Wright

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Month of Birthdays and other parties

So many birthdays this month!

I was at Mal's birthday party on Friday night. She had a little get together at her house. It was mainly her family, myself, my mom, and another teacher from school.

Friday night is Darla's birthday. We are going to Yardhouse.

Sunday night is The Guy's. We're going to one of the most expensive restaurants in his city with I guess about 20 of his friends.

I'm busy with Linda planning a surprise birthday party for my mom. My mom has never had a surprise party before, but Linda thinks it would be a good idea after the attendance clerk had one this past year, and how shocked she was. It really brought everyone together who was transferred after the whole transfer veteran teachers incident last year at school. I went out Tuesday morning and visited BJs, Olive Garden, Marie Callendars, and a few other restaurants. Settled on a barbecue restaurant since we could get the best pricing. Linda is insistent on getting the invitations. She'll deliver them to the teachers at the school we work at, and I'll deliver them to the teachers and her friends at her new school, and emphasize to them it is a secret. There will be 16 of us- my mom, dad, sister, Linda's hubby, Linda, and 10 teachers. I am going to Costco to order a cake, and Linda will pick it up. The party will be on a Thursday night, and Linda and my mom go out already on a Thursday night to eat, so this shouldn't be too hard to fool my mom. I'm excited.

I have a big retirement from work that my mom and I will go to. 8 teachers/staff members are retiring. I love these people to death. I have grown up with them, and all of them are near and dear to my heart. I will miss all of them.
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Went and saw "Kick Ass" with coworker Eddy last night. It was pretty kick ass... I guess... it was predictable...
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I am booked to sub nearly everyday this month. There's all sorts of end of the year planning, a possible 3 week assignment for a teacher who is having surgery, the usual IEP meetings, and Linda has federal jury duty- that works different than regular jury duty where she can be called in for 3 weeks, and has to report the first 3-4 days I guess.
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Este guero is going to attempt to make some homemade carne asada por Cinco de Mayo. The recipe I'm going to use needs to marinade 24-48 hours, so I'm going to do it tonight, then I'll have it ready to take to work on Wednesday por Cinco de Mayo.
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I have a break at the very end of this month for school. I want to go to Disney World. I asked all of my friends (Gonzo, Darla, Dennis, etc.) and nobody wants to go. I am tempted to go on my own, especially when Disney is offering up to 30% off on their hotels. It would be cheaper to split the hotel room, though. We shall see. I do have a couple blogger friends in the FL area that it would be fun to see and hang out with. Must book ticket soon.