OakMonster’s Den

I don’t watch NFL. Could never get into it. But now I have 3 reasons why I will start following NFL this upcoming years.

1. My Dreamboat dweller Matt Leinart will play for AZ Cardinals.

2. Lendale White, the Thunder, will play for Tennessee Titans with USC’s mortal enemy, Vince Young.

3. Reggie Bush will be whistling dixie with New Orleans Saints.

So, okay. I don’t know much about the NFL and the whole drafting process. From what I’ve read, Matty was supposed to go to the Titans or NY Jets and Reggie to Texas. The theory on Matty accordingly to ESPN believes that the Titans dropped him because, well, the owner is a Texan.

In that case, good for you going to New Orleans, Reggie. Damn them Texans!

So yeah. I’ll be rooting for the Cardinals and watch the Saints and follow Lendale’s career.

Only if LA has a team, can you imagine the line up of Matt, Reggie, and Lendale for the LA Rioteers?

I had dinner with my friends Melissa and Jen last night at Jen’s house.

Melissa is a good friend from high school who has moved away to Boonytown, IL after getting married a few years ago. She’s out in the sunny and tornado-free CA for a week to visit her family and friends. So it was good to see her.

It was also wonderful to Jen after all these years.

You see, Jen was my best friend from high school through college. We were tight. I went with her family on a road trip to visit her relatives in Texas for Christmas. I spent the summer living in their house while taking GE classes at Saddleback College. They were my family.

I say “was” because we “broke up” about 5 years ago. Over something entirely stupid. Jen also had a fall out with Melissa shortly before that, and pretty much disappeared from our lives.

Each year, I would write her a letter to try to get the feelings out. I did want to patch things up but I didn’t have the guts to pick up the phone. Besides, as y’all have seen here I do better in written words. My letters had said that now that we are grown women, perhaps we could put everything behind and start over, and get to know each other all over again.

Well, her family moved, and apparently the letters were lost. Until last year when my high school alumni association patched my letter through to her that Jen received my letter. She popped by my website and we started emailing all over again.

This was the second meeting for Jen and Mel since last year I bailed out on having brunch with them. Although we didn’t quite get back to where we were years ago, things did fall into place last night. I mean, we went right back to chat about life and what everyone’s been doing. We hopped and skipped down memory lane, and talked about what we’re all doing now.

It wasn’t like we bare our souls to each other already, but it wasn’t 100% awkward either. Yes, it’s still a bit awkward, like hanging out with a new friend. In a way, it was like hanging out with a new friend.

Jen has grown. And so have I. Most things are still the same but we have 5 years of not knowing each other. It’ll take time before we all go back to the place where we were before. We may get there, or may come very close to getting there. But nonetheless, I can proudly say that of all the relationships I may have destroyed in my life, I manage to revive one.

And that, my friend, is a good thing.

I truly am solar powered.

I did wake up and leave the house feeling pretty good. Alert and awake. The sun was peaking through the clouds as it made its way up the sky. The weather was crisp. Damn near dancing down the streets to the music on my new favorite MP3 player, Sandisk Sansa.

As the bus headed up toward LA, the clouds got thicker and the lights dimmed. The bus was suddenly warm and comfy. And I nodded off. All over the place. As in my head was bobbing back, forward, left and right.

And I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Even when we reached downtown. If I nap all the way to town, I usually wake up about 15 minutes before my stop. Today, no such luck.

No sun. No energy.

Will I last the day? We shall see if the decaf caramel latte will keep me afloat.

(Note for new readers: Yes, decaf. That’s enough caffeine for me. I cannot do a full cup of regular coffee without going hyper.)

I had strawberries and chocolate milk for dinner last night.

Because I wanted it. And because I can.

3 weeks in a row now that I went down to Downtown farmers market and NOT wanting my absolutely most favorite bacon-wrapped hotdog. I mean, it smells great. I was right there, but I just didn’t want it.

And here I am. It’s 12:13. I’m hungry. But nothing sounds good to eat. Nothing.

What the hell????

Look what Amy got me!!

Amy and her family had a huge garage sale over the weekend, and the boys were getting rid of some of their toys. These Monsters Inc. figurines showed up. Amy, who had contributed a few Star Wars toys to my desk in the past, didn’t know what these were for but figured I’d like them. So she saved them for me.

And who knew, we end up with THE OakMonster. ;-D

Taking up yoga. Cleaning the house more often. Trying to do more with my life.

I think I’m trying to find me.

When I went home in February, I felt lost. I usually go home to relax, to enjoy my break, to recharge and reconnect. This time, most of the trip was hugely emotional. The last few days of it I finally ran away for a break. Although I did have a good time, deep inside I felt guilty for running off from my mom and actually enjoying not being the dutiful daughter I should’ve been.

When I got back to the States, we moved. Brandon and I hit a rough patch because of the stress about the move and my physical and emotional states. And I did have a major break down one night. Completely senseless.

And then, I started my “new life” with all the promises I make with myself and trying to keep them.

Keeping them is a hard part.

Like this weekend, I started to feel guilty after lounging on the couch watching Food Network for most of the morning that I attacked the rest of my chores so seriously, I even got mad at Brandon for not helping out. I felt like since I slacked this morning I must get everything done as planned and why isn’t he helping me?

I know that I should cut myself some slack. But it’s been many years of cutting myself some slacks and it seems I have just wasted away my “free time” and therefore I could never get around to anything or “have time” to do this and that.

It’s a delicate balance one have to maintain. And I guess that comes with being a grown up. I’m turning 30 this year, and I felt like I haven’t done anything worthwhile.

Although the 10 years old in me will never ever die, I will have to grow up some.

God. 30. I can’t fucking believe it…

Why oh why did I have to drink all 2 full glasses of wine last night? That’s pretty much half a glass too much for my limit. Oh no, I didn’t throw up or anything but I was dizzy and babbling. LOL.

Thank god, I booze up like that only at home. But I deserve it.

This week has been a roller coaster ride at work. I survived the once-a-month Tuesday from Hell, the day we prep for our monthly board meeting. It was usually painless, but with Celeste moved up the corporate ladder, I had to fill the void. And mind you, I had a full plate of my own stuff that day that I, in true Oakley style, still managed to get done amidst the madness somehow. But it wasn’t pretty.

Tuesday from Hell is followed by Early Wednesday. Our team has to be at the meeting site at 6:30 a.m. to set up, which means getting out of bed at 5 to get ready and head to town. The board meeting day usually goes smoothly. But this one, there were a few glitches that required me to run back to the office and fix all sorts of stuff, run another 3 blocks across to get something else, and run back. The good thing was that we get to go home early as well.

But wait, there’s more!

Friday was our company potluck. Therefore Thursday, I got home after running more errands and spent another 3 hours in the kitchen. Nonetheless, the effort is paid off and my Bollito Misto–Italian braised brisket–was tender and the sauces kicked major ass.

Headed up the Potluck, I ran all over the office along with my Potluck Committee members on Friday. It was a fantastic event. So much food! So much fun!

Hence…I deserve my 2 glasses of wine last night.

And I’m paying the price now. I feel like someone hit me with a truck and left me out in the desert. Hangover is kicking in. So I bid you adieu for today….ack….

In the news recently, it was reported that potential employers are now starting to google the names of their candidates to see what all pops up. Then they can use the information found, may it be the person’s site, blog, or comments posted elsewhere, to help with their hiring decisions.

Well, am I screwed because I’m out and about in the Webosphere?

Google me and you’ll find this blog among other things. You’ll find my post on Omidyar during Katrina as I was trying to help out. You’ll find comments I have sent to Thailand’s newspapers. You’ll find my day job and other work related stuff. You’ll even find a person who shares my name.

As for the biggest offender, this blog, well hell if I was afraid someone is going to find this, why did I ever start one up with my own name on it?

Duh!

I post my personal thoughts and opinions on my blog. I display my strangeness and quirks proudly. I do have a pretty good sense of self censorship on topics and information I post, but fuck yeah I use profanity on my blog. I talk about my work life on my blog (Hi, Demi-Boss!) and sometimes I even do that during work hours.

(As you can see today though, I’m posting 10 minutes before I officially clock in. Heh.)

So yeah. If I have something to hide, I wouldn’t be here. And things that I want to hide wouldn’t be posted.

And hopefully the future employers can actually learn more about ME from my web presence and appreciate my personality and whatever else I have to offer.

Don’t have time to get into all the details now but here’s one funny nugget.

It’s Farmers Market day in Downtown LA. So Celeste asked me to read off the ingredients from a recipe so she could create a grocery list.

Me: One pound button mushrooms.

Celeste: Button mushrooms? Which ones are those?

Me: The round, white kind. You know, the regular ones.

Celeste: Oh. Okay.

Me: One head garlic. An onion.

Celeste: What kind of onion.

Me: Chopped.

Heh.

Now I have to compile my list. Company potluck is Friday so we’re getting our ingredients today.

A quote from this morning’s “Weird News” story about a cat who stowed away on a fertilizer truck through US-Canada border:

“She’s the sweetest illegal immigrant we’ve ever met.”

That reminds me of my high school year book where Don Culkins wrote:

“You’re the best import ever.”

Yes. Some dude really did write that. LOL.

Don and I hung out during the musical production of “Carousel” where I was working as crew and he was one of the non-theater guys that got dragged into the show as chorus by other friends. We weren’t close but, as high school theater participants know, we bonded somehow through all the bonding exercise they did during the show…crew included. So, we had our moments. Don gave the most bone crushing hugs. Ever. And gave the best back rubs. Ever. Dude’s alright.

After a few months in college, I started my trek down the geek path and I started up a web page. Mind you, this was 1995, before the internet was popular. One day, I opened my mailbox to find an email from Don. An army solider, he was stationed somewhere, was bored, and somehow found my web page so he dropped in to say hi.

Don is still in army and last I heard was on duty in Iraq. His family go to the same church as my best friend Nora, and that is how we heard about him. I tried to establish contact with him again but my email went unanswered.

Anyhoo. Don. If you’re out there. Here’s a hello from your “best import ever”, praying that you are safe on the Dunes, and that you come home to your family soon.