Summer is quickly coming to a close, and just when things are starting to get good. For almost every day of the past week, I've spent the evening at Martin's house hangin out with various combinations of my high school friends. While Martin's knee surgery has kept us from going anywhere, we've had a great time just hangin out....like 'old' times. It's felt really good to be able to spend my evenings with such good company, making new memories instead of thinking about old ones.

I'm really glad summer is ending this way. If it had ended two weeks ago, it would have probably left me bitter and disappointed. But I feel like the cup of summer funness has quickly filled up the past week or so. I'm really happy and relieved that the ties to my oldest friends have been strengthened before another college year of being away from each other.

Today was also my last day working at the Stanford Theatre, as the pic above signifies. It seems like only yesterday that I was being trained to work there. What a big change for me this job has been. I did things I NEVER wanted or thought I would do, like cashier...but I did them anyway and overcame my fears. The job had its down sides, but they were FAR outweighed by the upsides. (I know my family certainly enjoyed the free passes & food) It was a good summer job and I met some nice people through the process.

Sadly, except for my arch buddy Phyllis, none of my friends made it to the theatre. But because I'm so nice, here's a picture I took tonight to give you an idea on what you missed (for free!) But hey, you might have another opportunity come next summer of maybe winter break...or I'll take anyone that wants to go (hint hint).

This is the theatre auditorium from the top of the second floor balcony:


This is the lobby from the balcony lounge, the snack counter I worked at is on the left


...and this is the auditorium from the stage!


....I'll miss workin in such a cool old place. But anyways....here's to the last week of summer!

A good mini-vacation to San Francisco over the past two days. Visited familiar and new places with both friends and family on two beautiful (fogless!) summer days in the city. And what a city it is. At times, it feels worlds away from the rest of the Bay Area.

There's just so much to do and see there...and a lot of it is free. First stop was Mission Dolores/San Francisco. Right there in the appropriately named Mission District. I've been to many missions with my family, San Juan Buatista, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Juan Capistrano, San Luis Obispo, San Carlos/Carmel, Santa Clara, San Jose, San Miguel....and so on....but we have never gone to Mission Dolores. It's really neat, apparently the oldest intact mission c. 1791, (the older one's have been rebuilt) with a beautiful old cemetery next door.

After the mission we decided to drive through the Haight-Ashbury, which was bustling with neo-yuppie-hippies and tourists. Cooler than I thought it would be. Then we headed to Golden Gate Park, and wandered into a 1:00 concert by the Golden Gate Park Band in the parks' big promenade. We just relaxed for about an hour in the sun, eating popcorn, and listening to some good live music. Then we strolled over to the Botanical Gardens, which were a pretty fantastic site to see. Hard to believe we were in the middle of the city.

Then I met up with my high school friends for lunch at the Rain Forest Cafe, and spent the early evening in Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, and Ghiradelli Square with them. Family met up with me right after, and before we went back to our hotel, we stopped at Crissy Field where I took some twilight shots of the Golden Gate. That night we played a mean game of Scrabble....I won. Ha.

After a good brunch at the hotel, I explored the Financial District by foot with my dad. Walked to the c. 1909 Palace Hotel and saw it's pretty amazing interior courtyard atrium. Then we headed down Market to the newly restored and reopened Ferry Building at the Bay. I gotta say, it's now one of my favorite buildings in the Bay Area. Before the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate, it was our Grand Central Station, and it looks like its well on its way to once again being a must-see for visitors and locals alike.

Before leaving the city, we took a drive up to Twin Peaks to take in the fog-free view of the entire city. We then headed down the Peninsula and spent the rest of the day at the San Mateo County Fair. A nice throwback after witnessing the Santa Clara County Fair earlier this month, which has been reduced to a shell of its former hokey-yet-loveable-in a homey & nostalgic way-self. Sheep, pigs, cows, petting zoos, (and the smell that goes along with all those things).....weird gizmos to buy, bad food that tastes great, crazy collections of locals, displays of local goods, ranging from pies, to photos, to bonsai plants, and a performance by a hypnotist and an actress/singer from the Disney Channel.

Lot's of stuff for such a little trip huh? Felt like a week instead of two days. That's what summer's about.

Okay, so make it 10 days spent with my high school friends this summer. I would not allow myself to be stuck at home on one of my few friday nights off from the theatre. So I called Martin and ended up going to his house to see his new 2-month old puppie from the pound. Super cute lil dog she is. And Martin invited some of our other friends over. We were there till 12:30, just chillin, listening to music, watching TV, talking about stuff, and playing with the puppy.

So, my wish from last night's blog entry was filled! At least for tonight. I want to squeeze as much quality hang-out- time as I can out of what's left of the summer. Tomorrow I'll have another chance; I'll be in SF with my fam for the day, and hopefully with my friends at night. So, this weekend is shaping up to be pretty good.

Hi there. How are you? I'm okay. Doodeedoo. No I'm not drunk. I don't do that....not yet at least. I'm just in a funny post-work-wind-down mood.

So I had plans made with a friend and then canceled tonight. That's okay though, it was for a good reason. And...I think I'm getting used to it. I've had plans with friends canceled this summer as much the number of times I've hung out with friends. Well maybe not...but close, since I've only spent time with my high school friends 9 days out of the whole summer.

Why? Mostly my job I think. I work during prime hang-out-time. But also because my high school friends seem to be not doing much, and if they are doing something, they're too tired to still hang out by the time I get off work. Once upon a time, we'd hang out into the early hours of the morning...1am...2am...even 3am. I thought I'd be doing more of that as I entered my college years, not less. I guess I should just get used to it and stop complaining. But it's hard to give up on something that I miss so much.

But anyways, my co-workers invited me to dinner after work, which was cool. It felt good to be just hangin and talkin with people late on a warm summer night in a busy Downtown Palo Alto in a restaurant filled with lots of other people my age doing the same. Only wish I had more time to do that with my friends.

Well, it was the chloramine that killed the fish. Chlorine evaporates by letting the water sit. Chloramine does not. How much smarter do you feel now? Quite the learning expirience.

Three new fish are now swimming in the tank. They seem happy now, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they survive the "cycling" of the tank over the next month.

Anyways...I've ticked off three of the five things I wrote I wanted to do this year in the East Bay. I briefly visited 4th Street in Berkeley. Cool downtownish district you would never know was there. Hopefully I'll get a chance to explore it later this year. I saw a Seabiscuit at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland with my parents. Good movie, and a really cool theatre with an ornate main auditorium. Much bigger than the Stanford, but it's a first-run movie house, so it isn't the museum-like time warp that the Stanford is....but almost. I'll be going back. After that we drove by Fenton's Creamery in Oakland, but have yet to try it. Looks like a fun place. Any place that's been open since 1894 is a must do on my book!

So the list still stands, even though I've done three things (including the slide at Cordonices). Once was not enough.

Reject #1, Reject #2, and Reject #3 have died.

A week of research has proved unsuccessfull. Those three Zebra fish died so quick, I never had time to name them properly.

I don't know what happened. I'm hoping the culprit was something simple, like cholorine in the water. I didn't treat the water, I read somewhere that letting it sit for 24 hours would do the trick. Guess not. It also could have been that the temperature was set way too high when I brought the fish home, so they had to wait longer then they should have in their bag for it to cool. Other culprits, like Ph, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, etc....were all fine....I think.

But whatever it was, the depressing evidence of my failure is there, floating belly up in my new aquarium as I write this. I was going to stay overnight at the house for the first time, to moniter the fishs' health, but since all three have gone to fishy heaven, there was no need to stay. Besides, I didn't want to wake up in the middle of the night to find ghost fish nipping at my feet. Not only have I killed three fish, their ghosts might haunt my house. Ugh.

Six dollars down the toilet.

By tomorrow that will be a literal statement.

Regardless, a fun night in Berkeley with Leo and Lauren. A great pizza from Zachary's enjoyed in the living room before it became a fish morgue. Then, while waiting for the temperature of the aquarium to go down, we walked around the corner and explored Cordonices Park at twilight. The slide there built into the hill is awesome. We all went down it twice. The swings and teeter-totter are also fun. They seriously should build playgrounds for college students. You don't need to be under 13 to enjoy sliding down a hill on a piece of cardboard. The poor-man's rolllercoaster!

Other highlights? Seeing a doe and a fawn in the house's backyard. A quick visit from Jen to see my house. Seeing the fog roll in from the bay and into the hills. Cookies for dessert. My first Evans Hall rant of the year (to Ryan's subleaser Madri...it was a good one). And a midnight trip to Wurster to see the courtyard construction site. (To the dismay of the concrete-loving-Wurster-Worshipers, Leo and Lauren, the courtyard will have bricks, lawn, and oak trees. Ha! )

As for the fish....back to Berkeley tomorrow to have the water tested and flush the Rejects, may the rest in peace.

Before I forget, these are some things I want to do this year in the East Bay:

-See a movie at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland
-Explore Berkeley's 4th Street District
-Go down the slide at Cordonices Park
-Take a tour of the Paramount Theatre in Oakland
-Get Ice Cream at the famous Fenton's Creamery in Oakland
http://www.fentonscreamery.com/

Stupid Goldfish.

I have a goldfish problem. My aunt made me play a game at the Obon festival where you win a goldfish as a prize. She said we were going to give it to her grandkids, but then decided to let me keep it.

And that's how I got Obon, the goldfish.

I thought..all right, no problem. I'll just put him in Senor Cadburry el Pescado de Alviso's (may he rest in peace) bowl instead of getting another fighting fish.

So I plopped Obon in there, only to immediately find him/her gasping at the water surface.

Why was Obon doing this? Goldfish go in bowls right? Right?!

Apparently not. When all else fails turn to Google for answers. I've been browsing dozens of goldfish keeping pages. Apparently these seemingly easy to care for pets are quite a handful. First thing I learned, Goldfish will not survive in Goldfish bowls, not enough surface area to get the right amount of Oxygen...hence gasping Obon (and the untimely passing of Lauren's fish...Norbert).

So, I decided...I'll get a tank! A 10 gallon tank like we had when I was a kid! It will be so cool, I'll put it up at the Berkeley house, plop Obon in there, and get some cool tropical fish too!

Wrong again. After buying the tank I learn that, it's a big NO-NO to put Goldfish in a Tropical Fish aquarium. Goldfish are coldwater fish and can pretty much only live with goldfish. They eat different food, need different water temperatures, and produce a slimy coating which can damage the tropical fish.

So...maybe I'll just get goldfish I think. Four or five different looking goldfish would still be...kinda...cool.

Wrong again. You see....goldfish get big. An adult "common" goldfish (which is the breed I discovered Obon is) usually grow to about 10 inches. And the general rule is 1 inch of fish to 1 gallon of water. Plus, goldfish were bred to have no stomachs. Food goes in and out....making them one of the dirtiest types of fish to keep. One fish alone will take all the resources of a normal filtration system (another reason the bowl is a no-no)

Which means.....if I keep this damn fish, it'll be the only fish. One stinkin' goldfish in a 10 gallon tank....instead of, say, an angel fish, a catfish, and a three or four neon tetras.

Now if I was a less sensitive person, I could just let this goldfish languish in the bowl until it dies or flush it. But I can't.

Anyone want a goldfish? They're easy to care for pets....

I find myself looking forward to starting school. Not that summer is going bad, not at all. I'm having a great time and I still enjoy my job. But I miss seeing my friends, I miss...learning stuff, I even miss Wurster Hall. Really.

Jen's witty observation tonight at BJ's restaurant:

"Mini Sucker is dating Freedom Swallows!"

Who would have thought that Matt's streetball name and Kim's porno name would go so...ah...'well'...together.

(See Jen, there you are. Immortalized in my blog. Congrats!)

So..back to Jamie's Mountain of Suckiness. Have you noticed that popular music is starting to reflect the current going ons in the world? I like it, cause it makes me feel like I'm not alone with the feelings I have about current events. Plus, I like music that is unique to an era, that represents the times we are living in. So, I humbly submit to you a portion of the lyrics from the Black Eyed Peas' (and...ahh..Justin Timberlake's..shhhh) current hit, "Where is the Love."

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I’m gettin’ older, y’all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin’
Selfishness got us followin’ our own direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids act like what they see in the cinema
Yo’, whatever happened to the values of humanity?
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality?
Instead in spreading love we spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ under
That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ down
There’s no wonder why sometimes I’m feelin’ under
Gotta keep my faith alive til love is found

People killin’, people dyin’
Children hurt and you hear them cryin’
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek

Father, Father, Father help us
Send us some guidance from above
‘Cause people got me, got me questionin’
Where is the love

First my cell phone broke. Went into the pool with it in my pocket

Then my car broke down from overheating..it's in the shop till friday and will cost $500 to fix.

And now my laptop's battery is dead. Cost to replace it? $149

Bad things come in three's right? Cause this is enough.

TheKatsMeoW137: I wish I had a car over the summer, I would've just driven down by now,
TheKatsMeoW137: even if you weren't free, I'd just frolic in the lovely land that is MV by myself.
Nap98: who wouldn't?
Nap98: no one can resist when MV beckons
TheKatsMeoW137: I know! I'm sure that the only thing keeping the entire earth's population from doing that right now is the immense feeling that true perfection may just be too much for them.
Nap98: yes...yes. that must be it.
TheKatsMeoW137: I'm glad we've figured this out, Nick. hehe
Nap98: it's always perplexed me

Taken out of context, but wise words from Jamie:

"If you think all the bad stuff going on in the world sucks, why not do something simple that will put even a little tiny dent in the Mountain of Suckiness!"

Conquer the Mountain of Suckiness! This could be our generation's motto.

At my uncle's wedding the photographer had my grandparents, and all my aunts, uncles, and cousins on my mom's side come together for our first ever family portrait. In that picture, there are:

14 Mexican-Americans
1 Filipino/Chinese-American
1 Filipino-American
1 Japanese-American
1 Portuguese-American
1 Anglo-American
2 Filipino/Mexican-Americans
2 Portuguese/Mexican-Americans
and 4 Filipino/Chinese/Mexican-Americans

Lots of hyphens and slashes huh? But when you put us all together, in one big family photo, it’s clear that we are all Americans. We are a mix of cultures and backgrounds that you would be hard pressed to find any where else in this world.

There’s lots of turmoil in this country and in the world right now. Divisions seem to have deepened over race, culture, religion, and class. And over the past few years it has become increasingly clear that this country is far from perfect. When someone says, "This is the greatest country in the World!," I can't help but think of the others that have been stepped on to get to that position. I will not allow myself to be ignorant and filled with blind patriotism.

But when I look at that family photo, I can’t help but be hopeful and proud to call this place my home. We are a testament to the ability of people to put aside their differences and come together.

And that's what I’d like to think being an ‘American’ is all about.

Happy Fourth of July.

After two years of going to Berkeley, today was the first day I drove there. Woohoo! Go me.

Took my cousin Tiffany up there to show her around the new house and neighborhood. Really nice weather today. We explored the park around the corner and discovered this awesome slide built into the hill slope that is pretty big. Can't wait to try it out one day. Also....we found a tunnel that goes under Euclid Avenue connecting the Rose Garden/Tennis Courts to the Park. Pretty sweet. My neighborhood up there is pretty darn cool. (Let's see if I'll still think that after walking to and from campus come the end of August)

Work was kinda hectic tonight, but cool. My co-workers make it fun. Work again tomorrow night, but hopefully I can fit in some quality time with my Tio and Tia who are visiting from New Mexico. It's always great when they are here.

So yeah....this blog entry isn't very witty, deep, funny or a good story....just some thoughts I want to remember. So that's all. Move along.

When you have 10 hungry cousins waiting for their table to be called to get food at a wedding...

Fighting desperately over tortilla chip crumbs,

And two of them abandon the rest to cut in line and get food,

It's then you know that Salsa is thicker than Blood.

So a nice day off today. Lunch with Jen at San Jose city hall, lunch meeting with some MVPA people at the county building next door, dinner with Martin and Matt and a quick trip to Downtown Palo Alto after (I can't stay away from that place).

On the way to University Avenue from the parking garage, we encountered a homeless lady pushing a shopping cart, as she walked by us she looked at Matt and suddenly yelled "Fat Chance!!" as we passed her.

It took a while to figure out why she yelled that, but then we looked at Matt's shirt and it said "ROLE MODEL" across the chest.

Ah, crazy homeless people yelling things at you, it was almost like being in Berkeley.

Summer does not officially begin until I spend an evening with my friends hangin at Martin's house. Tonight summer began.

And for another night at work, I was paid $9.50 to watch a movie....I mean..."monitor the theater." Ahhh, the perks of working at a movie theater!

Driving through Downtown Palo Alto after work, and then Downtown Mountain View on the way home from Martin's, you could tell it was summer. Lots of people out late, enjoying the not-so-warm night air, walking around, talking, having fun. The moon was so full and bright tonight, you could see the Santa Cruz Mountains at midnight. Kinda cool for Friday the 13th. I feel like I should be tromping around some supposedly haunted house or the former graveyard behind City Hall with Matt and Martin asking ghosts if they feel like chatting. I need a few more ghost stories to tell the folks up at Berkeley in case of another blackout.

Oh well, maybe some other night, summer has only just started.

To those in the know:

Tonight on my way home from work I was surfing the radio waves and came across a surprise on the Bay Area's alternative rock station, 105.3.

It's a catchy little Danish pop song that goes something like this:

"Everybody, move your feet and get united....woah, wah, ohhh"

And we never thought it'd be on American radio. Maybe my cuz Mikey made a special request.

"Can't stop...can't stop the beat....won't stop...won't stop my feet"

Oh boy.