It's been a little over a year since some major events in my life happened and allowed me to change directions. It's been somewhat of an adventure for me since I've had to deal with things that I haven't before. Here's my quick and dirty recap of what has happened to me in the past year:

Moved back in with my parents
Got laid off from my job
Went back to school
Got a year pass to Disneyland
My dog got cancer and passed
Got a new job at Starbucks
Got a new dog

That's the quick rundown of the big events. I must say that the one thing that I can truly say through all of it is that I am so much happier than I was a year ago and maybe even for a few years now. Things are still a little tough. But I feel like I have more meaning in my life now. I'm learning new things at school that I am so excited to start using in the real world. For once I've been studying something that I think I really use for the rest of my life. I love learning so that will only facilitate my move into this industry.
Also, things are going better at my current job. I've really started to settle into it and it's not nerve racking anymore. I like the people that I work with and that only makes everything easier.
And to thank my family and friends for being so supportive for all that I am doing. I don't think I would be where I am without that support. (I know it's cliche but it's true.)
So I gotta keep going and pursue the future. As of next week I'll be done with my third term of school. I'll technically have my Associates Degree in Graphic Design but I'm going a step further. I'll be in my last three months of school and diversifying even further to learn animation, video production, and more web design.
I'm really happy with where I am now and can't wait to see where I'm going to go.

This past weekend was something that I've wanted to do for a while. I went to Disneyland with my sister and brother-in-law. I know I got to Disneyland pretty often since I have a pass but I've only been once since my birthday and it was all rainy and we didn't do much. But this last weekend the weather was nice and hot. It gave us the opportunity to go and the water rides and not really worry about how wet were going to get. So here's how the weekend went (I'll try to keep it short).

We left San Diego really early and arrived just as the park was opening. It was nice that way because it wasn't too hot and the park was nowhere near being crowded yet. And because we beat the crowds, we pretty much did all of the big rides by 11:30. It only took us two and a half hours because lines were pretty short. And this next part was fun. We just got in line for Buzz Lightyear when I heard my sister say: "Jerry! Hurry! Go!" At first was like "What??" but then I saw what she was talking about. Over by the Little Mermaid Grotto they were handing out Dream Passes. These passes are special and allow you to use one fast pass at each of the rides offering fast passes in both parks! We were so stoked. From that point on we really didn't need to rush at all which is very nice on a hot day. Because of the passes we did pretty much all the rides except for a couple (even if we already went on them). That was cool. I've wanted to win something for a while now and it hasn't happened.

At about 3pm we left the parks to check into our hotel and freshen up. The main reason why we went was at 6pm: Medieval Times in celebration of Jeremy's birthday. And I must say, if you haven't been to Medieval Times you really should go! It was my first time and I had so much fun! I highly recommend it. They give you a lot of food and the show is pretty interactive. It also helped that we had some cocktails before the show and it just made it really awesome. Even if you don't drink though I think you would like it.

So that was my good weekend. The rest is just the basic stuff that goes with coming home so I won't get into it. But that was a great weekend. Sigh... now to wait for the next one. In the mean time I'll try to keep cool.

Well, that's my car's "Service Engine Soon" light anyways. Man having a car is getting really really expensive, especially when the car gets older. I had to have my catalytic converter replaced because my car was due for a smog check. As that sounds, it was pretty expensive to fix. I had to get help from my parents to do so. I'm not proud of it but having a car is necessary to get to work and school. And gas prices are already raping us all so it doesn't make it any cheaper or easier.

But I do have my car back and it's nice not having to rely on others for transportation. Getting to where you need to go when you need to go is something that I'm sure everyone appreciates.

On a lighter note, since I got paid I went down and bought Mario Kart for the Wii! I'm so excited. It's one of those games that makes you a proud owner of a Nintendo System. Most people that I know will be excited to play and I can't wait to play it with them. So if anyone is game, BRING IT ON!

Have a good weekend!

Well, I had a pretty good weekend. It was kind of a balls-to-the wall weekend. There was so much to do for the first time in a long time. It was good that the weather was nice. It was like it all came together for the weekend.

Saturday, was the biggest day and probably a good reason why I got sick (I'll explain some more later). So I started Saturday with work. I had to be there at the wee hours of the morning but it wasn't too bad. The good news is the day went by quick. Saturday mornings are pretty busy. We had people coming in all morning so you pretty much blinked and you were off. I pulled a full 8 hours so it was a marathon day but it was good. Next it was off to the Padres game. Our seats were in the sun the whole time so my sister and I got some nice color on our skin (even with the sunblock). It was a pretty good game and they were going into extra innings but we left at the end of the 11th because we were really hot. Thank God they won with a nice homer in the 13th. (Good job Tadahito!) Then I went to dinner with my sister, her husband, and his sister. Had a nice casual dinner at Filippi's. I like that place. Then I stopped at home real quick before heading to Maria's for some Wii action. She was also showing off her new "skinny" tv (as her abuelo likes to call it). And man, I was up for about 22 hours so when I got home I just straight collapsed on my bed for a good night's sleep.

Sunday was a little more slower but also a little hotter. We had a little fan system going on in the house so it was pretty tolerable. The humidity was really low so it wasn't too bad. Sunday was also my sister Joy's birthday. We took her out to dinner at Via Lago down in Eastlake and it was pretty good. It wasn't that impressive but still nice. And we took her home for some cake and ice cream which she really liked.

And that was my weekend. I think because of the weird work schedule and the extreme weather that I've developed a little bit of a cold. I'm all about the Airbourne today and been taking it a little religiously. I don't want to be sick that long so I'm doing what I can to prevent it.

This week doesn't seem too bad. The next two times I work it's at night and then I work mornings all weekend. I need to get a smog check and oil change for my car but I'll do that one of these mornings.

Well, have a good week!

Things are getting better at work. I actually am starting to feel like a functioning member of the team. For the past two days I've been planted at the register. It's a lot tricker than any other register than I've used because there are so many ways to ring up coffee. Imagine all the complicated way to order. Well, it has to be rung up somehow. While I still make a few mistakes, it's a bit easier to get a hold of than running the espresso bar. That I don't have a hold of and is going to take a while to happen. For the mean time I'm content with running the register. I'm not completely comfortable there but I know it's something I can get a better hold on.

And while the anxiousness of work is starting to wear off, the tiring hours are still taking a toll. I've had to be at work really early these past two days and I felt really brain dead in class. I've had to design some thumbnails for class and I think my creative abilities have been hindered by my lack of sleep. I hope to catch up on my sleep early next week. I get to sleep in tomorrow but up before the butt-crack of dawn on Saturday. I'll get by. After all, I get all the coffee I can drink while I'm at work. You have no idea how much it helps. Or maybe you do... heh heh... ;)

What IS the deal?? To be completely honest I am not the cleanest person when it comes to my bedroom. Anyone that's been over to my house has been a witness to it. But I really don't know what has come over me. The past two days I have been on a cleaning rampage!!

It started a little slow on Monday with just cleaning off some of the boxes that I had piled in a corner. But then on Tuesday, I got off school a little early so I took the advantage and went CRAZY! But good crazy but I never do stuff like that. I cleared so much shit out of my room it's crazy. The weird part is that a lot of the stuff I had to clear out was papers (I'm especially bad at throwing away old receipts and bill statements). I spent probably about 20 minutes at the shredder going through statements from back in 2006!

I know... you're probably thinking "Damn, that's bad." And it is. I'll be the first to admit it. But I feel really liberated right now. Having all that room and getting rid of stuff that pulls you down emotionally and mentally just sucks. I just have a few more things to take care of and I'll be really happy with the state of my room. I still have a lot of crap to get rid of but I'm ready to take it on! Wish me luck!

Well the weekend is over and I'm kinda tired. I worked pretty late last night and it was a doozy. It was kind of my first big test of working the espresso bar and it can get pretty intense. I hung in there okay but it's kind of one of those things that you just have to keep doing it until you get it right. You have to make your mistakes and I made a bunch of them. Saturday was pretty fun but Sunday was a lot busier than I expected. Well, that's over now and I have to prepare for being there at 4am on Wednesday. And I think that's going to be a little overwhelming, too. Everyone says it's going to take a while and I realize that all too well.

So in the time being I hope to be more productive again. I want to get my room to a point where it's more livable. It's just too cluttered and unorganized for me to be happy about it. I need to change that.

So here's to my weekly check in and a hope for a better week.

At least for me. So here's what's really bugging me: I'm feeling a bit lonely and stressed out. I miss hanging out and doing things with friends and family. Doing that keeps me sane. It seems whenever I need that diversion it's not available so I'm left with nothing to do but deal with my life in my head. Now I don't blame everyone else for making me feel this way. Please don't think I'm blaming anyone. There is nothing I would want more than for the people I care about to be able to deal with their lives and live them. You would think that I would be able to do that myself. Everyone seems to be living their life and then I look at myself and I can't compare (not that I should but I do). And I find my life a little unfulfilling. The only part I enjoy lasts for 4 hours a day, Monday through Friday. That's the reason why I went back to school, right? But the time before I get there and the time after I leave feels really empty. Work just makes me more anxious and adds stress in my life that I really didn't want. So what am to do? I'll just deal with it for now because I have no other choice. Call me a whiny little bitch or whatever but I can't really fight how I feel. I just gotta deal, I guess...

Well it's Friday and I'm not looking forward to the weekend. The weather is supposed to be a bit dreary. I have to work on Saturday and Sunday night. And I have no plans. I'm feeling just bit blah. Work isn't really as exciting or fun as I thought it would be. It actually produces some type of anxiety for me. I feel nervous going to work. There's just too much too know and it just seems like there is so much on the line if you don't know it. I always feel like I'm going to mess up and I do most of the time. The butterflies in my stomach don't go away until I clock out and I drive away. I keep telling myself that it'll get better but I guess it'll be a while until that happens. I've talked to people and it does take a while to adjust but it doesn't make it any easier. The only good news I have is bittersweet: I just my first paycheck this weekend but it's not going to be anything to get too excited about. It'll barely help me pay for anything I need but at least I'll get more hours soon. sigh... now to start my not so exciting weekend...