Bug Bites, Soccer, and The Fight

Well, I think it has only been a week since I posted last so I am getting better. Actually, the only reason I am writing this is because I had a semi-exciting weekend. Well, it kinda all started on Thursday. Thursday I went to school as usual, but instead of going home and youth group, I had to stay down in Northridge to watch a dance recital for my dance class. I had never been to a dance recital before (let alone a recital at CSUN). It was surprisingly amazing! I had no idea there was so much talent at CSUN and I didn't know our dance program was so good. It was really cool and it almost made me want to get up and dance (but not really cause that would be sad). Friday night was nothing incredibly special. I went to dinner with my family which was nice. We haven't been out together in awhile (let alone sitting down and all eating at the same time) so it was very refreshing to sit with my family and find out all of the stuff that they thought they told me, but never really did.

Saturday I had big plans of charging out one of my two papers that are due next Tuesday, but I got caught up cleaning the kitchen and making ceviche for a BBQ we were going to that night. So later that night we went to my Dad's friend Brett's house to watch The Fight (De La Hoya vs. Mayweather). The fight was pretty lame (I guess after watching a lot of UFC, I just want there to be a big Knock out, but oh well), but I got to visit with some kid from West Virginia. He actually plays football for Marshall University (you know the movie We Are Marshall; yeah, that school). He was kinda cool and it was nice to have someone my age there who is not busy flirting with my sister. The only bad thing (other then the crappy fight and the really really drunk people) was I got bit by a crap load of bugs. Brett lives down by a creek so all the bugs came up as the sun went down. Normally I don't have that big of a reaction to bug bites, but these must have been super bugs because I had three bumps the size of golf-balls all day Sunday and they got even bigger by Monday. They are going away now (Benadryl works miracles but I really want to go to sleep right now), but they were gnarly!!!

Sunday I went to Community which went really well. Later I got to go to the first home game for the Ventura County Fusion. It is a new semi-professional soccer team centered out of Ventura. My dad is friends with the head coach and his club team is also the Fusion, so the boys (my Dad's soccer team boys) got to be ball boys and hang out with the older players after the game. The boys loved it. The game was really good. Fusion won 2-0 against the San Fernando Valley Quakes. I can't wait for more games. Sunday night I got to rush to a leaders meeting. The meeting was very productive making for a wonderful end to an already great weekend.

3 To Go

Wow, I don't know what it is, but I can't seem to keep up on this blog like I used to. I guess nothing really exciting is going on. So, here's the update on the last 10 days. Last Friday I had the day off (Mason had his 9 month check up; even though he is 10 months). Saturday was like any other Saturday. I am however coaching a boys 5-a-side team. Basically my Mom has a 5-a-side soccer club at school and we put together two teams for the Rec league. So basically the last few weeks I have been coaching some Asian boys with boundless amounts of energy. It is absolutely hilarious and has been loads of fun. Monday was work. Mason has been pretty fussy all week. He doesn't have any teeth yet, so whenever he is teething (which we are pretty sure he is right now) he is really teething. I feel so bad cause there is not a whole lot that I can do for him other then give him Tylenol and his binky. He won't put anything in his mouth other then his binky and his blanket (including teething rings).

School was alright this week. I did really well on a Physiology test which made the week a whole lot better. Friday was a pretty long day. I had to work until 6 (8am-6pm) then I had to coach a soccer game. After that I stayed at OVS to watch Upper's drama performance. They did a review of broadway which was super cute (some of those Asian kids can really sing!). After that I had to stay up until 11:30 to drive with Sarah to drop off a friend (basically I didn't get home until 1:30). I had to work again yesterday, but it wasn't too bad. Samantha threw a birthday party for her step-daughter McKenna out at a coworker's beach house so I got to go hang out for the day and take care of Mason. Later that night I went to a play down at school with Sarah. It was a much better play then the Very Old Man with Enormous Wings. This one was a series of One-Act plays written by women playwrights over the last century. Church today was really cool (great job Amber and Darren) but what made it especially awesome to see Dalton for the first time in about 4 months. He has grown so much and it was really neat to see him again.

So now it's Sunday evening and I am sitting here preparing for another week. But only 3 more weeks in the semester and then it's time for OVS. I can hardly wait!

10 Days Later

Wow, I can't believe it's been another 10 days since I last posted. I don't even know what I have been doing since I last posted, but let me try and remember. Well, last time I posted I was just coming off spring break. Monday I had to go into work early (Sam had to take the kids to school in SB and it is just easier for me to go in early then for her to wake the baby up, put him in the car, drive around for 2 or 3 hours and then come home). Tuesday was school which was long, but fine. Wednesday I went into work later (10am) and ended up working late (Sam and Helmuth had a dinner meeting to go to). They ended up getting home really late (10pm) which made it a really long day. School the next day was just business as usual. Friday at work was nice because grandma was there. Whenever grandma is there I do about half of the work I normally do, which some people would think is sort of invasive, but she lets me do my thing so it's all good.

The weekend was sort of busy. Saturday I did a ton of housework all morning (which I will be repeating this weekend) and then went to my dad's boy's soccer game. The boys didn't play as well as they have been, but the game wasn't that bad. After the game, my dad and I drove down to Northridge for a play that I had to go to. The play was an original adaptation of the short story The Very Old Man With Enormous Wings. Basically the story is about a fallen angel that a couple finds and uses as a sideshow act. The short story is really good, but kinda dark. The play was absolutely horrible! I could not stand sitting there and watching it. They added characters and made it into a circus. I thought I was on an acid trip the whole time. Thank goodness it was only one act that was only an hour long, but still it was the longest hour I have sat through in a ling time. Sunday was a normal Sunday. Community and then homework. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I was taking a lifeguard certification class. All I can say about that is I am glad it's over. I am so exhausted I could probably sleep the rest of the day and still be tired. Well, that was the last 10 days. I'll try and post a little more often again.

Back At It

It is now Monday night and I am back at it. Spring Break is over and I am back to work. Spring Break was really cool. Monday was really relaxing. I got to take my dog for a walk and relax most of the morning. In the afternoon I went to my friend Chad's house and he cut my hair again which is always fun (I love changing my hair). Tuesday I went over to Amber and Ryan's house for dinner and a movie which was super fun. Cory was there when I arrived and it reminded me of the good ol' days when we used to have home group. But dinner was great (it really was Amber, thanks a lot) and The Prestige was a good movie. Wednesday I went to Ventura with Amber and the girls. Thursday I helped Ryan with some stuff at church to get ready for Easter Sunday (aka: spray paint the COMMUNItY logo on our E-Z up, cut Handouts for the Chocolate Campaign, photocopy comics of Chaga and the Chocolate Factory... you know, just normal stuff). Friday I had to go back to work (they had gone up to Tahoe for the week). Saturday my cousin got married. The wedding was very nice (a little disorganized, but they are happy and that is all that matters). It was cool because I got to see a bunch of family members that I haven't seen in a while (particularly one that I haven't seen in almost 10 years who now has a little boy named Ash who is super cute). I had to rush out of the wedding (not really rush) to get Janae to the lake to practice with Freddy (who was late). After a brief rehearsal, I went over to the Ranch (my Dad's friends manage the ranch that is owned by the producers of CSI or something like that) to watch the fights (UFC is awesome!!!). Sunday of course was Easter where I had to wake up at 5:30 to go to sunrise service. Both services went really well and it was so cool to talk to a ton of people about fair trade chocolate. That afternoon we all went to my uncle's house for another family gathering. When I got home I passed out for almost two hours, woke up to take a shower and then went to bed for the night. It was a great week off and now I'm back at it again.

Hippy Dippy

Today I brought lunch to my sister while she was at work and she said she wanted to hang out tomorrow night. She threw around a few ideas and one of them was going shopping. With a little hesitation I shot that idea down for two reasons; One, I am poor and can't afford to go shopping and Two, I just went to a Human Trafficking conference and have been feeling a little convicted about the clothing I buy.

Let me explain a little. Almost two weeks ago (March 25th to be exact) was the 200th anniversary of Britain's abolishment of the slave trade. However, there are more slaves today then there were when slavery was legal (27,000,000 people). In honor of that day and of the millions of people trapped in modern day slavery, Vanguard University hosted a Freedom Day Rally called One Voice to End Slavery. I attended this conference with Ryan and Amber Smith, Jeff and Danielle Sloneker, and Daniel Barnett (the art teacher and NHS). Freedom Day consisted of two sessions in which we could choose a lecture/discussion/movie that all talked about modern day slavery. The first session I went to a lecture/discussion about slavery and the war in Iraq. It was super interesting and I could write a whole other blog on what we talked about. One thing that really stuck with me was the breakdown of modern day slavery. Around 50% of today's slavery is in sexual exploitation which gets the majority of people's concerns (and rightfully so; it should get a great deal of attention). However, the other 50% is rarely ever talked about (agriculture and clothing industry). I have been feeling really convicted in this area of modern day slavery; from the coffee and chocolate I eat and drink to the shoes and clothes I buy, I decided it was time for a change. It's time to buy fair.

So back to my story. After my hesitation to go shopping, my sister said I was becoming Hippy Dippy. While I know many other people who are much more Hippy Dippy then I am, I am ok with being called Hippy Dippy. If Hippy Dippy means caring about God's creation and the people in it enough to be conscious about what I buy, then so be it. I am Hippy Dippy.

PS: for more information about Human Trafficking visit StoptheTraffik.org or FreetheSlaves.net or just email me and I can refer you to many other organizations.

Four Day Week

I am very excited about this week for a few reasons:

1. I have NO midterms this week.
2. This is the last week before spring break
3. I only have a four day week

Let me elaborate on the last reason a little since this is probably going to be a short post. I have work today and Wednesday and school tomorrow and Thursday. I actually have Friday off because Sam and Dr. Billy are taking the kids to Tahoe for their spring break. So Thursday is going to be the last day I have to do anything for the next week. Anyway, it sounded like my kind of week.

Half Way There; Going Nowhere

This last Tuesday marked the halfway mark for this semester. Actually I think technically, it is a little before half, but I finished off my midterms on Tuesday which makes me think that I am halfway done. I had three midterms on Tuesday!!! It was WILD! My first was in Human Physiology (actually her test is more of just an exam cause she gives four, but Big tests are basically midterms anyway). I felt that I did well on that test which left me confident for the rest of the day. My next midterm was right after the first; History of Latin America. For this midterm I was supposed to read two novels/historically based books on Latin America and the first half of our text book. Seeing how I only really read on of these books and just skimmed the other two, I have to say I was a little worried. It's always nice knowing the essay questions before hand though so you know what you should or shouldn't be preparing for. I felt alright after that test and got to relax a little in Dance (hehe, yeah relax... you should see me in that class... it's hilareous; actually I am getting quite good). My last final wasn't until 4:30 so I got to spend my boring break studying. Again this was an essay exam in which I was given the questions before hand (she gave us 8 questions, said only four would be on the exam, we had to write on two of them; then she told us that two specific ones would definitely be on the exam... meaning those were the two I was going to study). I actually planned out both of my answers before hand while sitting inside Starbucks which left me feeling super confident for the actual exam. I got to class and my professor told us that she wasn't going to lecture after the final after all (she was originally planning on lecturing after the final). After going over our new syllabus, we were able to take our midterm which I charged through with the utmost confidence. I finished early feeling that I had sufficiently answered my two questions and then I went home. I was so fried from my three midterms I couldn't handle my last class of the day so I ditched. I actually called my sister to motivate me to go to class, but she was too busy to talk to me so I just went home. Oh well... I know I didn't miss much. But all in all it was a good week.

WICKED!!!!!

Last night I had the wonderful pleasure of seeing the award winning musical WICKED! I saw it once before when the touring cast came through LA, but now that it is in LA on a semi-permanent stay, and I was required to see it for school (well... I was required to see a "professional production"... she wanted us to see Wicked but it didn't really matter what "professional production" we saw). I got to go down and see it with my sister Janae (Sarah was supposed to go with me, but she got sick and very selflessly gave her ticket to Janae - Sarah saw it with me before and Janae had never seen it).

I have to say that this was a superb production (I know you're jealous cause I just got to use the word "superb" - how many times do you get to use that word?). Eden Espinosa (she played Elphaba - the Wicked Witch of the West) was absolutely amazing. I definitely liked her performance a lot better then Stephanie J. Block's (she played Elphaba when I saw it last time). Megan Hilty was also amazing in her role of Glinda ("the Ga is silent" - sorry, you have to see the show to understand what that means) the Good Witch of the North. Among the other cast members are Carol Kane as Madame Morrible, John Rubinstein as the Wizard, Jenna Leigh Green as Nessarose (the Wicked Witch of the East), and Adam Wylie as Boq (for full cast bios just click on the link). I can't really say what my favorite part of the play was because there were so many! All the little Glinda-isms are always a knee slapper (a Glinda-ism is a normal word that Glinda will throw some random suffix on to make it a word that doesn't even exist). I also love all of Elphaba's little smartalick remarks ("Well not everyone can travel by Bubble!" and "Well... There's no place like Home right?").

I could talk about this show for hours and hours, but I have midterms coming up (three on Tuesday!!!!) and I need to spend this time studying. But it was definitely a great night that I will remember for a long time!

Lazy Day

Well, today I had a little bit of a lazy day. Instead of going to church today like a good Christian (sorry Ryan) I decided to stay home and relax for a little while. Well, I got to relax until I had to drive to Fry's with Sarah to get her phone fixed. They couldn't fix it there so we had to go to the Cingular in the Mall where we found out they couldn't fix it, but now it's working again (go figure!). My cousin came into town for a couple of hours which was nice. She is 6 years old and lives in Texas. It's my Mom's brother's daughter. It's actually a really sad story. He was engaged to her (my cousin Ambriel) mom, but her mom got really sick awhile back and passed away before they got married. Ambi's grandma has custody of her (they live in Texas), and my uncle lives in Palmdale, so whenever we can see them it's great. So after our huge phone run around we went and hung out at the beach for a little while.

Tonight was sort of interesting. Actually it went pretty well. Sarah's boyfriend (yes Sarah has a boyfriend and if you would like to hear more give me a call) came over and made sushi (my dad bought some fresh fish from the Harbor). It was nice to sit down and relax a little for the day, but tomorrow it's back to craziness of my life.

Bye Bye Burby!

Well, after a good long service of over 10 years, we finally put the good old Burb to rest. Well, we didn't kill it if that's what you think. We traded it in for a new car. I am now driving a 2004 Dodge Neon which we got a great deal on from my Dad's friend. I am so glad I don't have to spend $80-$100 dollars a week on gas (ok, so it was more like a week and a half, but it was a lot of money). Although I was excited about my new car, I was still kinda sad to see the Burb go. It's been part of this family for over ten years. I will always remember driving back from snowboarding and missing my exit because there were three butts hanging out of my windows. Priceless!

On another note, my Mom got her results back from her CAT scan and it came back clean. The cancer is gone! She will probably still do some light chemo to prevent anything further, but it was great news. My Dad tried to scare us about the whole thing. We got home from somewhere and he said in a very serious tone, "girls [just me and janae] I need to talk to you. Come and sit down at the table." He started saying how the doctor called and told us about the results from the CAT scan... yadda yadda (he drew it out so long I was going to strangle it out of him). Finally my Mom walked in and heard what my Dad was talking about and she screamed "there's no more cancer!!!!!" It was an exciting family moment!

Other then these two moments of joy, I have been kinda down lately. Not really worried about anything, just kinda bummed out about some stuff. So please pray that I can again find joy in the little things of life. Don't get me wrong, a new car and a cancer-free Mom are two things that should make me very joyful and they do. I couldn't be happier about those. It's just in the quiet of my day when I feel like I am doing the same thing over and over again that I begin to lose excitement. Please pray that I can find that excitement again. But for now it's Bye Bye Burby!