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. ;)