Goodbye, 2007!

I guess after making it a habit of posting every day in November, I promptly fell out of the habit in December. Alas, I will try to post more often in 2008. ;)

Before the year comes to a close, I wanted to make one last post. It's been an eventful year...starting to write musicals, saying goodbye to fleeing departing co-workers, continuing my quest to visit all 50 states. I'm grateful for all my experiences, both good and bad...and I look forward to what 2008 has in store.

I'm hoping to finish formatting my long-awaited 101 in 1001 list in the near future...as well as start my Project 365 (technically it's 366...since it's going to be a leap year). You can find my daily photo blog at: http://www.photoblog.com/scmusicals/ , which I plan to start tomorrow.

I already got one friend to join me...I'd love to see more of you take on this project as well. =)

Thanks to all my faithful and occasional blog readers...thanks for being interested in the things I think about and in the things I do.

Happy New Year!

Mission Accomplished

Yay...I actually made it through 30 days of blogging. I guess I have no excuse not to blog on a regular basis if I can manage this feat.

However, since it is the day before the big game and I have guests over at my house this weekend (and as I blog this right now), I shall do my NaBloPoMo post-mortem at the end of the weekend.

For now I shall keep this short and sweet by saying...

FIGHT ON TROJANS! BEAT THE BRUINS!

One Down, One To Go

Two strikes...one on the West coast, one on the East coast. 'Tis the season to have contract disputes, I suppose.

While Hollywood will have to wait until December 4th for more negotiations, the Great White Way is now aglow with footlights once again.

Late on November 28th, the League of American Theatres and Producers and the stagehands' Local One, IATSE union, came to a tentative agreement. The Broadway shows which had been shuttered since November 10 were finally able to go on for the first time, this evening.

Anyone who's lucky enough to be in Times Square tomorrow, should head over to the Marriott Marquis for a noon concert, to celebrate the end of the strike.

And...for those of you who won't be in Times Square...go see a show anyway. ;)

Odds Are...

I don't like traffic...I abhor it. But, what I dislike more than the traffic itself is discourteous drivers.

I was close to work this morning (yes...it was actually still morning this time ;) ), when a car came from the on ramp and tried to speed past me to cut me off. I wouldn't have any of that and made the driver wait his turn. I was annoyed, but put it out of my mind as I neared my exit at the next off ramp.

Unfortunately, the car behind me followed. While we were waiting on the off ramp, the other car swerved onto the shoulder. Not wanting him to pass illegally, I inched into the shoulder to block his path. He moved back into his lane and order was restored.

What made him think he had any right to jump in front of the rest of us? How rude.

A few minutes later I arrived at my destination, just in time for my meeting. Shortly thereafter, a couple folks (from another company) that we were waiting to meet with entered the room. One of them...you guessed it...was that same driver from the freeway.

Whoops...

Where Has The Year Gone?

Every year around this time I'm amazed at how quickly the months have come and gone. I inevitably purchase Christmas cards and run out of time to write in them, let alone mail them. Who knows...maybe I'll send some out this year...but don't hold your breath. ;)

Maybe I'll spend the end of December blogging about what's happened over the past year...for now, I'll just think about what I need to do before the year is up...and perhaps think about getting some Christmas cards. =P

Committed

Okay...this is the second time I'm trying to post...but my computer isn't cooperating very much.

I'm sitting in a parking lot behind a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, using their wireless network, because I don't think I'm going to make it home by midnight. I suppose I should have posted at work...probably the smarter plan. ;)

Since I don't want it to look all sketchy, since in a darkened parking lot...I should go. Just wanted to say "hey" and I'll post more tomorrow. =P

Biding Time

I saw a link to this flowchart on a sorority sister's blog. I thought it was pretty funny, albeit ironic, since it originally came from someone who is trying to make $1,000,000 in a year through projects and donations on the internet.

Of course...posting this flowchart doesn't mean I condone procrastination. After all, I would never procrastinate on anything. ;) But, I thought some readers would get a kick out of seeing it. So...enjoy! Oh, and if you're reading this in the office or instead of doing homework...get back to work! =P

Yay Christmas!

Well...I forgot about blogging again. I only have about 5 minutes, so this may just be a flurry of words.

I got into my car and turned on the radio to find Christmas music playing...and seeing that it was after Thanksgiving, I was perfectly happy. For some reason, I don't like listening to Christmas music until turkey day arrives...maybe because I live in Southern California and that's the one way to gauge the Christmas season. We don't have that white stuff that some of you refer to as snow. =P

I don't know how to round out my top 5 Christmas songs, but I think I'm set on my top 3. They would be:

- Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
- O Holy Night
- Grown Up Christmas List

Now all I need to do is find my Christmas CDs...or just listen to Yahoo! Music Jukebox. =)

Thanks To The Holiday Planners

I guess I could look online and find out about the history and reasoning behind having Thanksgiving on a Thursday. But...I'm too lazy to do that right now. ;) All I can say to whoever decided to do it is...thanks!

Fortunately, I've never been in a job where I've had to work the Friday after Thanksgiving...so having a four-day weekend is much needed and much appreciated. I got to sleep in and it was wonderful!

Now I just need to figure out how to "relax" and finish the first draft of my musical's outline by the end of the weekend. =P

Cluck Cluck...Oh What A Night

I guess it's been a few years since I had a traditional Thanksgiving Day. This time last year I was on my way back from the Philippines via Tokyo and had eel for my "Thanksgiving" dinner. Yum!

Today, I started out at a chicken and end up being transported back to the sixties. Woo!

I woke up at the crack of dawn...aka...6 AM and headed to the Long Beach Turkey Trot to pass out water with people from church. We passed out over 2,000 water bottles, so it was pretty eventful. I also helped out with the "Chicken Chuck" event and transformed into poultry.

This evening I headed to the Orange County Performing Arts Center and watched the National Tour of Jersey Boys. It's a great musical that's a lot of fun...and what better way to spend the holiday (or any day) than watching a show! ;)

Okie doke...it's about time I eat my spaghetti now. See you tomorrow!

Give Thanks

Tonight I went to my church's Thanksgiving Eve service and it was amazing. =)

I'm all for the smaller church setting than being caught in a service with masses of people. So, when I got to church today and saw such a huge turnout (our 4 campuses got together for a single service), I reminisced about when our church was only about 200-300 people total and missed the intimate environment.

But, 2 minutes into the service, my uneasiness subsided. It's a testament to God's provision when being in a large group service could still feel like an intimate moment between you and the Lord. I love my church and tonight was once again proof of why it's so special.

So...before the stroke of midnight, I wanted to pass on one of the pieces of scripture shared this evening:

8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,

9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

-- Psalm 107:8-9 (NIV)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! =)

The Antennae Lament

For the most part, I don't really care that I don't have cable. Yes...you read that right...I don't have cable...or a satellite dish...or TiVo.

But, there are certain times when I really miss it. No...I'm not talking about the excessive amount of reality shows or having more choices in movies. When I really miss cable is it during football season. =P

Case in point...Thanksgiving Day will be the much awaited USC vs. Arizona State game. Depending on whether Oregon loses one more time (which is quite possible since their quarterback is now injured. =( ), this may be the deciding game for the Pac-10 victors.

Alas...it is on ESPN...and I don't have time to go anywhere to watch it, since I have plans at 7:30 PM and the game starts at 5:00 PM.

Ah well...I guess I'll have to be content with the highlights on the 11:00 PM news. =P

The Pinkberry Craze

So, I'm a little bit behind the curve on this, but a couple weeks ago I finally got to try Pinkberry...which is a reimagined/reinvention of yogurt. It's a little tarter than what we are used to frozen yogurt being, which is cool...since there are a truckload of toppings that you're suppose to put on the yogurt.

I wasn't sure why this became a craze, but it started out in west Hollywood and kinda exploded all over Southern California. I tried out the green tea flavored yogurt with white chocolate chips, kiwi, and granola. It was great, but I didn't see what the fuss was all about. Until I wanted it again...and again.

I found out that there was one in Huntington Beach and I've been there twice now. So much for not getting on that bandwagon. ;)

Another friend, my fellow Pinkberry "addict", has gone one step further in trying other frozen yogurt places of the same vein...sort of like faux-Pinkberrys. I guess I'll have to join her in a couple of these excursions. Any pointers from you Pinkberry fans out there?

And...for those of you who haven't tried it yet...give me a call and I'll be sure to go with you. ;)

Midpoint Check In

Okay...so maybe the actual midpoint would have been the 15th of November, but this is close enough. ;)

It looks like I've been fairly successful with NaBloPoMo and have managed to blog every day this month. NaNoWriMo...that's a different story. Since I'm also in the process of writing an outline for a musical...the novel has been put on the back burner...again. Perhaps one of these years I'll really get serious about writing 1600+ words a day.

Now that I'm blogging everyday, I wondered how long it took before this became a habit. I did some searching and found an article on "8 Rules to Develop the Habit of Blogging". For the most part, it seems to make sense, but I think that step #6 about charting your process is a bit excessive. Then again, I don't expect a huge readership beyond my friends and maybe some people I know from church, work and a couple organizations I belong to.

Step #8 says not to form any other habits when you're focusing on the habit of blogging. So, I guess that could be my excuse for not following through with NaNoWriMo. What do you think? =P

100!

I officially started this blog back in September 2004. I didn't know what I would write about, so I named it "Random Ramblings..." Considering the number of times I've gone M.I.A. from the blogosphere, I think it's pretty reflective.

So, now I'm here...3 years later...posting entry number 100. I'm still not entirely sure of the purpose of this blog, but I hope it's at least somewhat entertaining and informative to those who drop by. =)

Thanks for reading...I look forward to writing the next 100 posts and beyond!

Will Learn For Food

I wasn't too keen on studying the vocab section of the S.A.T.s way back in the day. But, perhaps this would have given me better incentive.

A sister site to Poverty.com, FreeRice challenges users to choose the correct definition for given words. If they are correct, 10 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations World Food Program. Technically, one of the many sponsors listed on the page donates a given amount for each correct answer. But it's more fun to think of it in terms of grains.

'Tis the season to start giving...so why not fill a bowl of rice and gain a better vocabulary at the same time!

Running Late...

So I'm suppose to be in North Hollywood in about a half-hour, but I'm running just a little late. ;) Since I probably won't be back until 11:30 PM - Midnight...I need to do a rush job on this blog entry. Woo!

What I've found out in the past few days (perhaps I already knew) is that I get distracted (quite a bit) from writing when I'm at home. I need to find a nice, quiet place to work...that's open late at night. Any ideas? =P

Swing Your Razor High

In a little over a month, Johnny Depp brings Stephen Sondheim's musical, Sweeney Todd, to life on the big screen. The preview looks intriguing, but I am more than a little disturbed that there is a lack of singing in it:


I'm hoping that my concerns turn out to be unfounded and that Tim Burton has created a proper homage to Sondheim's dark, yet comedic musical gem. I'll be sure to let you know what I think after I watch it. ;)

But...apparently, this isn't the first time Sondheim's thriller has made an appearance on the big screen. One of my friends told me that the original Bennifer's Jersey Girl incorporated it in the storyline somehow. But, I'm guessing not a lot of people ran out to see that one. =P

Pretty....

Some may think that I'm behind on the news, since this was announced back in March. Others may think that I'm just plain crazy, since the Beijing Olympics aren't taking place until next summer. But, this weekend, I happened upon some pictures of the Beijing Olympic medals:

For the first time in the history of the Olympics, a mineral (jade), is being added to the medals. The darker green is for the bronze medal, while the whiter jade goes with the gold. I'd love to be able to see these things in person, but alas, I think this may be the closest I get to seeing them. =P

Ack!

I almost forgot to blog today...that's what happens when you wait 'til the last minute. Which is really odd, since I'm not a procrastinator. ;)

So, with a couple minutes to spare, I'll just leave you with the generic statement when setting up a web page or test file:

HELLO WORLD!

=)

On The Move Again

I started attending my current church in September 2003, which met in a multi-purpose room behind a parent church. In February 2005, we became a portable church that set up each Sunday at a high school - a mile up the street. In September 2006...we began to have a 6PM service...which was great, since I finally got to sleep in on Sundays!

Tonight we got word of another change...the 6PM service was going to move...to a pub in Long Beach! The pub is closed on Sundays, so they were more than happy to rent it out to us.

So...starting in January 2008...if you want to hang out in a pub by Cal State Long Beach on Sunday nights, let me know. No beer, but I know it's going to be a lot of fun. =)

In The Rain, Snow and Fog

No...I'm not talking about postmen...but they work during crazy weather as well. In this case, I'm referring to football players.

I watched the USC vs. Cal game on TV today...luckily, in the comfort of my own. It was pouring down rain for all four quarters...which proved both entertaining (when the ball slipped out of Cal's hands) and frustrating (when USC players fell victim to the rain).

Baseball games get rained out...basketball games are played in nice, dry arenas. But, football...I've seen these poor players (both in the NCAA and NFL) play in all types of weather. In general, it's hard enough to play football well, but when you add wet equipment or visibility issues, then it's just insane.

So...bravo to USC for holding on to the ball (for the most part) and coming out victorious today.

Fight On Trojans! Beat The Sun Devils!

Some Favorite Broadway Songs...

Chizi just posted her "top 12" musical theatre songs at the present moment, fully acknowledging that songs were constantly being added and removed from the list...and most of the list was courtesy of Stephen Sondheim.

I figured a better bet would be to list my favorite song (that has actually been sung on a Broadway stage) from 12 different songwriters or songwriting teams (which are not necessarily my top 12 songwriters of all time either). =P I had a hard time with some songs on the list...but for the most part...this is pretty accurate:

Rodgers and Hammerstein
"Soliloquy" from Carousel

Boublil and Schönberg
"On My Own" from Les Miserables

Stephen Sondheim
"I Wish I Could Forget You" from Passion

Flaherty and Ahrens
"He Wanted to Say" from Ragtime

Frank Wildhorn
"Take Me As I Am" from Jekyll & Hyde

Lerner and Loewe
"If Ever I Would Leave You" from Camelot

Stephen Schwartz
"For Good" from Wicked

Jerry Herman
"I Am What I Am" from La Cage aux Folles

Kander and Ebb
"Dear One" from Kiss of the Spider Woman

Adam Guettel
"The Light in the Piazza" from The Light in the Piazza

Cy Coleman
"You're Nothing Without Me" from City of Angels
(lyrics by David Zippel)

Bock and Harnick
"I Don't Know His Name" from She Loves Me

It was too hard to choose a song from West Side Story...so I'll have to leave out Leonard Bernstein for now. Sorry, Lenny!

Netflix <3's SCMusicals

At least...I'm pretty sure Netflix likes customer's like me. For the first time since September...I finally dropped of the DVDs I rented from them in the mail. Oh...did I mention...it was September...of 2006?

I hope they enjoying getting the free money out to me, to make up for the crazy renters who grab as much as they can and rip it to their computers. I guess it's just my inadvertent way of balancing things out. ;)

Actually, I'm just not good at mailing things out in general. I don't know how much money I've lost over the years in missed rebates...or missing the deadline in returning something I ordered online.

Ah well...perhaps I'll do better with the next set of Netflix DVDs...at least I'm on the lowest plan possible. =P

The crazy part is I'm now thinking of going with GameFly as well. What do you think? Should I quit while I'm "ahead"? ;)

How Do You Do This Again?

I don't know how most engineers are, but for me...if I don't touch code that I've worked on for a while...maybe even from a month or two ago...I may not remember even writing it. So...imagine the horror when I found out I needed to make changes on some applications that I hadn't work on...for at least 2 1/2 - 3 years! The former owner of these applications left the company a few months ago and assured me that I shouldn't need to make any changes to the code. Right... ;)

Luckily, after one botched attempt to compile something...needing to reinstall a windows component onto my computer...and breaking the staging server for about 20 minutes, I remembered enough to complete my task. Suddenly, I feel somewhat more accomplished...but starving. I'm finally going to go grab some dinner.

See you again tomorrow!

Ramblings On Blogging Daily...

I guess the hardest thing (thus far) about blogging for NaBloPoMo is figuring out what to write about.

Some days two or three things happen and you need to decide what to write about...or figure out a way to talk about all three, if they seem to be related. Other days...life seems rather boring...or maybe you think that nothing out of the ordinary has taken place. I guess that's a version of writer's block, blog-style.

Perhaps, you think you're focusing too much on one subject, so why beat a dead horse? Or maybe your blog readers may not find your topic too terribly interesting.

For now, my faithful blog readers, you'll have to suffer through my "interesting" days as well as my "boring" days. I shall try my best to make this blog as readable as possible. =P

Is This What "Normal" Is Like?

So most people know by now that I'm semi-nocturnal. Luckily, I'm at a job that's pretty flexible regarding hours and I don't head into the office until late morning/early afternoon. Except for today...

Today I needed to go to the San Diego office for work...so I was picked up in a carpool at 8:30 AM, actually had lunch at noon, and got home at 5:30 PM, fully exhausted. By the time 7:00 PM hit, I thought it was really late...but it was nowhere near midnight. ;)

But, I think I may have caught a second wind...so there's hope for me in staying up a little longer. =P

10 Years...

November 4, 1997...I got the phone call no one really wants to get. "Come home...they took your dad to the hospital." I probably shouldn't have driven myself there...I was kind of a mess. By the time I got there, they were keeping him alive with a breathing tube, but he was already gone. My mom and I let him pass quietly and life was different from that point forward.

I can't believe it's been 10 years. Time really does fly, whether you want it to or not. I still miss my dad, but I'm so grateful for the 20 years I had with him. I've spent a third of my life without him, but what he taught me in the first two thirds is enough to last me the rest of my life.


So, thanks dad. Thanks for driving me all over the place, for teaching me long division a good two years before I learned it in school, for our daily outings to get a snack after class, and for putting up with me in general when most guys your age were settling into retirement. I would never want any other dad but you. =)

Speed Blogging...

I don't know about blogging on schedule...I suppose it's good practice!

I just stepped into the office to pick up my laptop after going to the USC vs. Oregon State game at the Coliseum. Unfortunately, my Homecoming experience was not what it was cracked up to be. Because of some work I was doing last night, I only caught about 2 1/2 hours of sleep and missed the pre-game festivities on campus. Ah well...there's always next year.

After finally making it to campus at around 3:45 PM, it took me about an hour and a half to find street parking...since I only had about $9 in cash. I managed to make it to the game with 7:30 left in the first quarter.

Despite being late, I managed to catch more of the game than two of my other friends. Let's just say they did partake in pre-game festivities (a lot) and spent half the game either sleeping it off or visiting the facilities.

So that the day isn't a total wash, I'm off to Bob's Big Boy to have dinner with my roommate from college. Woo! See ya later...and I'll check back in tomorrow! =)

Nifty November

The day after I went to see Corteo, I managed to get some sort of bug, resulting in 3 weeks worth of coughing fits. I think it may almost be gone...but that's what I thought last week, before it came back in a second wave. So much for keeping all my appointments in October.

I'm hoping things will look up in November. So far, it's started out pretty well. After months of waiting...my collaborators and I finally got word on a book we want to adapt into a musical. We got the go-ahead to develop and workshop it...yay! Now I just need to start working on the outline - even more writing for me! =P

NaNoWriMo Word Count: 253

NaNoWriMo...NaBloPoMo...Wah?

For those of you who have been following my blog, you have seen my less than stellar attempts at writing 50,000 words during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).

Apparently November is the month where you find any excuse to write anything...anywhere. While I was perusing some of my friends' blogs, I came across Jo's post for NaBloPoMo. Yes, you guessed it...November is also National Blog Posting Month.

Since I found out about this endeavor about 5 minutes ago, I'm going to count this as my November 1st post...call me a cheater if you must.

Once again...I have entered myself into NaNoWriMo with the hopes of exceeding my word count from previous years (one of these years I'll actually get to 50k). With NaBloPoMo, I'm hoping I stick it out and post all 30 days. We shall all see if I'm successful soon enough.

Oh...and I'll try to make my other November posts more coherent...and try to write them at a decent hour. ;)

Ignoring Trepidation

If you've ever heard me talk about Cirque Du Soleil, you already know...they freak me out. I equate Cirque to contortionists and clowns - both groups seem rather unnatural to me. In the same vein...I'm quite freaked out about Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance as well as The Rockettes. I would say that it has something to do with people dressing the same and flailing their legs about in a line...but ironically, I was in the marching band in high school. Maybe I just have a problem with people dressing the same and flailing their legs about on stage. =P

Throwing prejudice aside (I've never actually seen Cirque, Lord of the Dance or The Rockettes), I decided to go see Cirque Du Soleil's Corteo last Sunday afternoon. The fact that I got tickets at 50% off was a major factor as well. ;)

I was surprised that the show was pretty much devoid of contortionists...which apparently varies from different Cirque shows. They did have a couple freaky looking clowns though. According to my friend, this show went back to Cirque Du Soleil's roots, and was more like circus acts on steroids. Steroids...and an artistic flair...and kind of a semblance of a story line. But another thing did freak me out though...I was afraid that these incredibly talented gymnasts and acrobats would fall. I'm glad they take safety seriously in this show.

So...suffice to say...Corteo didn't scare me away from other Cirque shows. But, it might be a while before I go see Lord of the Dance or The Rockettes. =P

A Note To The Bandwagon Fans...

Bottom line...for those of you who boo-ed our team last night...

Don't come back.

We don't want you.

Unfortunately, USC lost last night...at home...for the first time since September 29, 2001. Of course, I was disappointed too...but I cheer on my team, win or lose.

I don't boo my team, no matter how badly they're playing. They're not perfect...no team ever is...no person ever is. Whether you believe me or not...you boo-ers had an effect on our team. You basically threw homefield advantage to the wind and added humiliation to a team that already felt horrible for letting you down. Shame on all of you. Don't come back unless you're ready to really be a FAN. If you just want to be on the bandwagon - time to get off.

Oh...and before I complete my rant...another thing. Don't leave when there's still 2 minutes left to the game, the opponent has the ball, and the USC players still need us there to believe in them and support them. If you're not going to stick it out when your team needs you the most...why even bother coming?

Okay...I'm done. With that said. Fight On Trojans! Beat The Wildcats!

Back To Blogging...

Okay...so I took an inadvertent break again...not only writing in my blog, but in reading everyone elses too. So sad...

I'm in the middle of catching up, so I promise to post something a little more substantial in the next day or two. For now...you'll just have to deal with the result to a quiz I took on blogthings. I found it when reading another friend's post. ;)

You Are a Carnation

You are down to earth and grounded. You tend to be more traditional than trendy. Your confidence gets you through anything. People trust you and are very loyal to you.

What Flower Are You?

No Ratatouille For Me

I love Pixar. I wasn't to thrilled that they made a rodent into a chef, but giving it the benefit of the doubt...I was looking forward to seeing Ratatouille.

I left on vacation June 29...the day Ratatouille came out. However, my friend asked me to wait for her before I saw it. Aww...okay. I got back on July 10, but since she's only in town Sundays, we had to wait until tonight to see it.

Thinking we had plenty of time to eat dinner before catching one of the last two shows, we headed off to Wood Ranch for their yummy chopped salad. Mmmm...tri tip. Unfortunately, the service was slow and we didn't get out of there until 10:10 PM...the latest showing in that complex was at 10 PM. But...never fear...there was a 10:30 PM showing in the next city over.

We whipped out my Thomas Guide (for the first time since I bought it in 2005) and figured out directions to the movie theatre. We got into the theatre with about 3 minutes to spare and proceeded to watch a slew of horrible previews.

During the last preview, a random guy walked into the theatre, kind of cased the joint, and then headed back to the hallway. I watched the last preview in annoyance as I heard his muffled voice echoing into the theatre.

Just as the movie was about to start, he walked back in and stood at the end of one of the rows. A couple other guys entered from the other side, and then a total of four of them met up in the front row...right under the screen...and started pounding on one another.

I heard one guy in a row above me order his daughter to get out of the theatre. My friend and I quickly followed suit...for fear something worse may happen. We immediately went to guest services to report what happened and ask for a refund.

So...now I'm here at home...still without seeing the latest Pixar feature. Upset and annoyed, my friend told me I could now see it without her...since it may be another 3 weeks before we get a chance to hang out again on a Sunday night. Big bummer.

Thanks guys...thanks for choosing our movie theatre (for a G-rated movie nonetheless) to start your brawl.

M.I.A.?

I guess I didn't tell as many people as I thought that I was going on vacation. I received a call from a friend, concerned that she had not seen me online for quite some time...and another friend asked me what I was doing in Salt Lake City, in reference to my last post.

Well...for anyone else who has been wondering what may have happened to me...I was out of town...I left on June 29th and came back yesterday...6 hours later than I had anticipated. I flew in and out of the Salt Lake City airport and drove in a somewhat haphazard loop around Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and the eastern fringe of Washington. And for those of you keeping count...that means I am now up to 48 states. Just Louisiana and Alabama left!

Since I'm on this topic...in no particular order, here's a few highlights of the trip. Enjoy!

• The temperatures in the areas I visited were higher than normal. There was hay frying in the sun and at one point we even had to detour around a fire, since 10 miles of an interstate highway was closed.


• The aforementioned ding to my rental car.


• Wyoming, Idaho and Montana are called Rocky Mountain states for very good reason...I drove over and around more mountain ranges in a short period of time than I was used to.


• South Dakota rocks...the black hills were beautiful, I couldn't get enough of Mount Rushmore, and it reminded me of one of my favorite movies...Calamity Jane.


• Yellowstone was much bigger than I expected, but it's amazing that there are so many different types of landscapes and natural phenomenons concentrated in one slice of the country. No wonder Teddy Roosevelt Ulysses S. Grant named it the first national park.

Vacation Fun

Well...I was suppose to be landing back in a SoCal airport right about now. Instead, this morning I woke up to find that someone had backed into my rental car. By the time I had spoken to the front desk and filed a report with the rental car company...I had missed the cut off to check into my flight...by 3 minutes.

So...I decided to pay the extra $10 at the Salt Lake City airport to get wifi internet access. I have about another 3 1/2 hours to kill before my rescheduled flight takes off. Yay!

Getting Ready For More Madness

I guess writing a mini-musical in a short period of time wasn't enough stress for my life. So, I have decided to give Script Frenzy a shot this year as well.

Script Frenzy is brought to us by those wacky folks at NaNoWriMo...which I tried to complete in 2004 and in 2005. I spent November 2006 in the Philippines, so I didn't even attempt it for a third year in a row. Maybe November is just a bad month for me. We'll see how I fare in November 2007.

NaNoWriMo requires participants to write a 50k-word novel in a month...Script Frenzy requires a 20k-word screenplay or stage play to be completed. Since I'm in musical mode...this year I'll give a stage play a try.

Perhaps June will be a better month for me...

Perhaps 20,000 words of dialogue will write itself more quickly...

Perhaps my head will just implode after all this writing...

Only time will tell...so check back and see how I'm doing!

Freedom!

Alright...so I'm one of those people living in a cave...and haven't actually seen Braveheart. But, when I envisioned yelling out "freedom!"...Mel Gibson in heavy makeup came to mind.

On Friday...after much scrambling (and two printings) to make sure that my book matched up with my composer's score...12 copies of our mini-musical were collated and delivered to our stage manager.

After nearly two months spent outlining, writing a rough draft and three revisions...I actually have a free Memorial Day weekend. I'm kind of beside myself. I haven't had free time in so long...I don't know what to do with it!

AAAAAARRRGH!

Well...the good news was...I got out of my latest mini-musical check-in meeting early. So...I rushed home in time to watch the Lost season finale. But all I can say is...aaaaaaaack!

The episode did what it was suppose to do. It kept me at the edge of my seat for two hours. It kept me wanting more. And...in grand Lost style it kept me asking more questions than I wanted to. I'll leave out the main spoilers...but stop reading if you want even minor things to be a surprise...

All I can say (without blowing anything for anyone) is...

• Hey Walt...you're still hanging around?


• Hurley - you rock!


• Who was in the casket?


• When is the next episode? I wanna see it now...

Alright...I need to keep my head from spinning somehow...

Hmmm...

It's official...I'm spreading myself a little thin nowadays. Especially when I pour some juice and think it's smiling back at me...

The good (or bad) news is...the final draft of my mini-musical is due on Friday. So whether or not I'm 100% satisfied with it...I'll at least be done with writing it.

Once the mini-musical performance is over in June...I'll just have to worry about writing a full musical. ;)

Maxine Turner Memorial Scholarship Fund

Eleven days have passed and the shock of what happened at Virginia Tech has sunk in and subsided for most of the country...and life goes on. However, for 33 families, life will never be the same.

I try to keep my blog as anonymous as possible, with USC mentioned as my only affiliation. But, there are times when anonymity must be put aside.

As mentioned in my previous post, one of my sorority sisters, Maxine Turner, was lost to us while sitting in German class - a class she was taking just for fun, during her last semester at Virginia Tech. Instead of getting her cap and gown ready for graduation, her parents and younger brother will hold funeral services for her just a few hours from now.

However, as bittersweet as it may be, beautiful things happen in the midst of tragic circumstances. In the past week and a half there has been an outpouring of love and support from Maxine's sorority sisters around the country...holding vigils, praying, and making plans to see that her memory lives on.

Maxine was one of the founding members of the Virginia Tech chapter of Alpha Omega Epsilon.

We formed this sorority as a place for females who had never had female friends, as a chance for them to meet great girls with similar interests. Also for anyone looking for a support group, since Engineering is challenging. Lastly, as a chance to build professional skills to help girls after graduation.

-- Maxine Turner

In her honor, a scholarship has been formed, to support other women in engineering and technical sciences. If you feel compelled to give, a check payable to "Alpha Omega Epsilon National Foundation, Inc." can be sent to:

A.O.E. National Foundation
P.O. Box 3150
Brunswick, GA 31521

Online donations can also be made at: http://www.justgive.org/nonprofits/donate.jsp?ein=36-4111818

Please make sure the check's memo line or "Designate my donation" field for online donations reads: "VA Tech Fund" or "Maxine Turner Fund".

Above all else, continue to pray for Maxine's mother (Susan), father (Paul), brother (Anthony)...as well as her other family and friends, including her chapter of Alpha Omega Epsilon at Virginia Tech. May they all know that God's loving arms surround each one of them now and always.

Perspective

I may be busy and more stressed out than usual these days, but something like the shootings at Virginia Tech on Monday puts things into perspective. It also hit closer to home when I found out one of my sorority sisters was among the casualties. I did not know her personally, so I cannot fathom the loss that her family and friends are feeling during this dark time in their lives. I just pray that they are able to support one another and lean on God as they continue to sort things out.

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

My prayers especially go out my other sorority sisters at Virginia Tech. I pray that you're all able to persevere and finish the semester, as bittersweet as those days may be. Keep her in your thoughts and remember her fondly.

Frazzled

For the next couple months I suggest you don't take too much stock in promises I attempt to make through my blog. Aside from the full-time job and volunteering for my sorority...I have now undertaken collaborating in a 15-minute musical that's suppose to make some sort of logical sense and be produced by June. I'll try to make updates as much as I can (I actually do have my 101 list lying around somewhere), but if I go M.I.A...be forewarned...

Blog Stalkers

This evening I dicovered that I had a couple more people who read my blog. Since they admitted to being blogger stalkers, I'll keep their identities hidden - but you know who you are! ;)

Now that I know I have more than a half-dozen people reading this thing regularly...I should probably post more. Hopefully I am up to the task...and I will try my best to keep up some people's stalking habits.

101 Update

Okay...around the time I was suppose to post my 101 in 1001 list...I got sick...again. I managed to stay healthy the past 5 years, only to get the flu twice this winter. Hopefully it's cyclical and I don't get the flu again for another 5 years. ;)

So...new plan. My list has grown to about 60-65 tasks. I'm going to rack my brain in the next few days to get to 91 tasks, leaving the final 10 blank to be filled in at some point during the 1001 days. This way I can put something in that had slipped my mind from the onset...or if something new comes along, I can add it to my list as well.

My official day 1 is now April 6...and day 1001 will be December 31, 2009. I promise...I'll actually post my list by April 5.

101 Help

Wow...it's been a lot harder coming up with 101 tasks than I thought. I'm about a third of the way there, but in theory...I need to finish my list by the end of the month. So now I'm soliciting help. As I posted in January, I am going to try to complete 101 tasks in 1001 days. I need ideas for things to do, places to go, people to see...whatever. =P I currently have 28 things committed to paper and about a half dozen things floating around in my head. Let me know what you think I should be doing...and we'll see if it makes the list on February 28!

Wheel of Food

I admit it...I usually have issues trying to decide where to go for lunch. Luckily, one of my friends showed me a nifty tool that could help out in the future. It's called the Wheel of Lunch. It's a flash component, created by Krazydad. Provide this magical wonder with a zip code and a search term, and it'll create a wheel to make the decisions for you. Who knows...you may even discover a new restaurant or two!

Hey Luke...Forgive Me, Por Favor

Last Thursday, I went with some co-workers to a restaurant called "Tacos Por Favor". While we were eating, a couple guys at my table started whispering about a famous movie star. I looked to the table to my right. Indeed...there was a movie star there...Mr. Luke Wilson...enjoying his cerveza.

Another co-worker was at a nearby table. Instead of shouting to her and pointing to Mr. Luke Wilson, I thought it best to give her a call. So...I whipped out my cell phone and dialed her number. From my peripheral vision, I also saw Mr. Luke Wilson recoil.

Two seconds later...I realized what had happened. Here's a tip for you all. If making a phone call in the vicinity of a movie star, you should probably not aim it in their direction while dialing a number. It may appear to them as though you are taking a picture with your cell phone. It also didn't help that my co-worker failed to answer her phone and i hung up a few seconds later.

So...Sorry, Luke! I really didn't take a picture of you with my cell phone. But, with the reaction I had already caused...I may as well have.

Dreamgirls Will Never Leave You

Thanks to DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures, another stage musical has made it to the big screen in dramatic fashion. Dreamgirls opened on Christmas day to critical acclaim & has been collecting a slew of nominations & awards ever since.

This evening, Dreamgirls won 3 Golden Globes - Jennifer Hudson for Best Supporting Actress, Eddie Murphy for Best Supporting Actor and Best Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy.

Although, in my mind, Dreamgirls still does not hold a candle to another recent stage-to-film transfer, Chicago, it does make a solid showing that warrents it's nominations. After Chicago, it's successors in the movie musical genre have been less than stellar...The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, The Producers. Filmmakers were not successful in capturing some fantastic stage magic into the cinema. But finally, another movie musical got it right! Watching Dreamgirls was a refreshing reminder of how a good stage production can become a great motion picture.

Congrats, Dreamgirls team...let's hope you're showered with some Oscar nominations as well!

101 in 1001

A couple days ago, I ran across one of my sorority sister's list of goals. It was called 101 in 1001. The premise behind it is to create 101 measurable goals to complete in 1001 days.

Instead of creating a handful of new year's resolutions that I will probably break within a month or two, I thought this was the better way to go. According to one website, 1001 days is a more realistic time period to finish all these goals "because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks". Works for me!

So...I did some calculating. I will need to come up with my list of 101 things by the end of February. Day 1 will be March 1, 2007 and day 1001 will be the day before Thanksgiving - November 25, 2009. If all goes well, I'll have a lot to be thankful for on that turkey day.

To start it off, here's a list of 5 things...some of which I have blogged about in the past...

1. Visit all 50 of the United States
2. Complete a novel for NaNoWriMo
3. Be a spectator at the 2008 Olympics
4. Go to a USC away game each football season
5. Read through the entire Bible

This should be interesting... Anyone care to join me and create a list of their own?

So Far, So Good

Well...yesterday went quite beautifully! My friend, Shannon, is striving to becoming a tailgating queen. I guess it was worth it to get up before dawn to enjoy some amaretto french toast, bacon...and later hamburgers and bacon-wrapped hot dogs. Mmmm... She promises to add a generator and flat screen TV come Fall.
The Rose Bowl was even better. By the end of four quarters, we had blocked, passed and sacked our way to our 4th BCS win in 5 years. Our quarterback's throws were sure and steady and our receivers made some phenomenal catches. When it was all said and done...I wondered...why couldn't we be that consistent all year long? But, it did make me quite hopeful for next football season.

Only 242 days until our next game. Can't wait...

Fight On Trojans! Beat The Vandals!

2007!

Before I stumble off to bed for the first time in 2007, I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope Thanksgiving stuffed you with turkey, Christmas was spent with those you love, and that you rang in the new year with fun, food and friends.

May God bless you and your household this next year. I hope that more resolutions are kept and that you start everything off on the right foot.

As for me, I'm headed out to the Rose Bowl in the morning. So...let's hope the Trojans start off on the right foot as well. Fight On! Let's look forward to the new year!