Importance of Family

I had a pretty interesting weekend. We were only in Arizona for about a day. All of my moms siblings except for one were able to come visit my grandma (meaning 5 all together). Emily and I were the only grandkids there. I think the youngest one besides me is like at least 30, so that can make it difficult to all get together I guess.
So we visited my grandma in her nursing home somewhere in Arizona. The reason she is there is because she has Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's is an interesting disease. It affects the muscles and makes it so one can't sit still. They are shaky and have constant involuntary moving of the body. It's almost like a squirmy 3 year old who just can't sit still. At the same time, Parkinson's does nothing to the person mentally. Although my grandma was having a lot of difficulty functioning she was completely aware of what was going on around her. I think alot of people don't realize that one. In fact most of my mom's brothers and sisters weren't treating her like the adult she was which was kind of sad.
Anyway...
All I could keep thinking about this weekend was the idea of "family". My "family", or lack there of, makes me really think about how I want my own kids to grow up knowing their grandparents and cousins and aunts and uncles.
I met my uncle and his wife for basically the first time. Well I guess technically the last time we saw him I was 2 or 3, so that doesn't really count. I have cousins whom I've never met and don't know anything about. And of course there's the constant issue of my mom, the youngest and one who was actually raised by her grandma because of it, constantly being left out of family things.
Anyway. I'm not trying to complain, it was just making me realize a few things. Family is important, and you don't get to choose yours so you're kind of stuck with what you've got! But when I am older with a family of my own I want it to be a close knit one. i've seen plenty of other families to see how they can work and how they truly love and care for each other. At one point I was standing with one aunt and my mom and sister with my grandma after a period of silence she noted emotionally "It's really sad when you don't even know your own family to the point that you can't even carry on a conversation with them." I agree. I don't want to grow old and realize that I wish I could have lived my life differently. Treated my family differently. Keep your family close guys, no matter how strange they are. It's so important!

Off to visit the grandma in Arizona.

Be back in a couple days!

Some things I really want to do (Like within the next couple of years)

In no particular order:

- Learn to play the guitar
- Learn sign language
- Study abroad
- Get a tan
- Lose 15-20 pounds
- Figure out a major

What is something you guys want to do?

2 Years Later

It's been 2 years since we lost our friend Joel. Even now he continues to have an impact on so many lives. We miss you Joel.

Boy

I really can't seem to get this sleep thing down. Oh well. Time for more eyedrops and caffeine...
Sorry, promise I'll post slightly more interesting stuff once I get a chance to sit down at the computer for more than 5 minutes.

Halloween pics and costume...

Is Shaky Normal?

I am literally functioning on 2 and a half hours of sleep and large doses of caffeine. I miss summer.

Car Trouble

While driving to get dinner tonight my car stalled on me 3 times. Yuck! I've had problems with it before and over the summer I took it in because it kept doing this thing where it was almost stalling. At that time they couldn't find anything wrong with it. Let me back up. At the time I didn't NEED my car they couldn't find anything wrong with it.
I'm nervous about driving to school tomorrow in stop and go traffic... so it looks like I'll be hitching rides and paying for the trolley over the next couple of days while my car is HOPEFULLY being fixed! Man, I really hope it's not a huge problem. I still have to drive home on Friday so I can go visit my grandma for her birthday!

Weekend?

Is it really the weekend right now? I had to get up this morning to take an online test before noon. That's always a fun way to start out a Saturday morning! And I have 2 tests Monday and 1 test and 1 quiz on Tuesday. And of course the usual reading on top of that.
Needless to say... my weekend so far isn't feeling like one!
Well, I still am doing fun stuff even if I don't really have time :) Last night the room mates and I went to a birthday party at the Yard House for one of Cerise and my coworkers. Yummy food! And then watched Lords of Dogtown. Today Jen and I have to finish up our halloween costumes so we can go do halloween stuff tonight. (I know, it's a week early). Oh yeah, so we decided to be bugs. Cerise is a bee, Jen is a ladybug, and I am going to be a butterfly! The costumes are turning out really cute too.
Busy weekend ahead!

It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Ok, so this has to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life. Apparently this has been around for a long time but I haven't seen it until now! So watch this video, cause it's hilarious!
It's Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Kind of Scary

There has been a lot of random crime incidents on campus lately. One rape about 2 weeks ago. Since then a few assaults. Someone holding a student at gunpoint to rob her. Today a car hijacking. Oh yes and one of the apartment right off of campus was broken into and robbed while the people were there.
This isn't normal for SDSU. I was watching the news today and there were reporters interviewing students and the campus police. The officer said in the over 15 years he's worked at SDSU he has never seen so many campus crimes in such a short amount of time. Plus just the fact that the crimes made the news means it is a decently big deal.
There are crime alert bulletins posted around campus. And the other day all students got an email telling them of extra precautions they should be taking.
Normally I'm the kind of person who is like "la dee da" and probably isn't always the safest. I walk to my car alone in the dark at least once a week after work through somewhat deserted areas. But I'll admit right now I'm a little bit nervous to do things like that, so I walked with a coworker instead.
There's a lot of things that could explain the increase in crime. One main one being the trolley that's right on campus. There is a lot more "access" to school.
College age girls especially seem to be an easy target which is a little nerve wrecking when things hit so close to home. Anyway, for now being a little extra cautious. Pray for the safety of the students on campus and that some of these suspects are caught to ease the fears of the students.

A Little Daunting

Up to this point in my Social Ethics class I've felt a little like I didn't belong there. Much of what is said seems to go over my head. And the reading is definitely not easy. Of course it's not supposed to be, but still.
It's also my first upper division class, which could explain it.
Anyway, I had a midterm today for it. Writing 2 essays. I studied forever for it and last night I finally had that "aha" moment. Where I was understanding what in the heck Socrates, Aristotle, and the modern philosopher Agnes Heller were trying to say. And at the same time it finally got interesting. Good thing, since I am minoring in Philosophy!
I actually had fun writing the essays today. Maybe "fun" isn't quite the word, but it was enjoyable. Ok, that sounds really nerdy. But seriously. Once I was able to grapple with ideas like existentialism, universalism, and contingency, things finally got interesting. Well interesting to me at least, since I think moral philosophy is interesting :)
Ok, I'll stop sounding like a nerd now. I'll let you know if I change my mind about the entertainment of these essays when I get my midterm grade back!

Just Stalling

I need a halloween costume! Any ideas??

Longest Day Ever!

I am on campus for WAY too long today:

Class 8-10
Study and take online quiz 10-12
Work 12-4
Study again 4-6
Meet with study group in library 6-? (the question mark indicating some probably decently late time since it is for a philosophy midterm that is tomorrow!)

All I can say is stink.

Feeling Spoiled

This morning I got to eat a big homemade breakfast that Cerise's mom made. And then Jen's mom is visiting her this weekend and made us enchiladas for dinner!
Oh yeah! I almost forgot. I ate casserole at the Butcher's from Corrie's mom on Saturday night!
Feeling very spoiled :)

Just Some Fun With Friends

Been having a good weekend so far. Last night I went to Knott's scary farm. I was supposed to work yesterday too, but someone covered my shift for me. So instead of driving down Saturday straight to Knott's, I went to visit Corrie on Friday night and Saturday day.
We went to see Flight Plan and ate at Lucille's. Good ol' country cooking!
Knott's Scary Farm was also fun. Definitely crowded, but it always is! I went with Corrie, Cerise, and her boyfriend Jeremy. There were supposed to be a few more people from our work, but for some reason that didn't happen. At least I wasn't the one freaking out the most though! That was Cerise :) I did jump and scream here and there, but not TOO much. Cerise was definitely a target because once the monsters know you're scared, they just keep following you! I think I might have hurt Corrie's arm by squeezing it so tight! She did scream a few times too though :)
Then last night I drove to Cerise's house in Mission Viejo to spend the night. Her mom is so cute. She made us a feast for breakfast. Which for us was noon (that's what happens when you don't go to bed until 4am!). And I am still stuffed.
So now I'm back home and ready to start the tons of studying for the day! I realized next week I have a philosophy midterm, biology test, biology online test, and math quiz, on top of some other random homework. It's going to be a busy one...

Fishy Has a Name

Sampson!
Hehe.
Dinner at Buca di Beppo's was so yummy! It was fun getting the chance to hang out with Danielle and all of her friends too. :) Good times! Gotta make a point of hanging out with that girl more often...
It's funny how much work it takes keeping in touch with people!

A Lot On My Mind

I think there's just alot of random things going on in my life right now. Nothing special. Going to classes. Studying lots for random tests. Doing ok for the most part on these tests. My RA from last year brought over a cookie cake from Mrs. Fields tonight for my birthday so we all got to hang out for awhile. That was fun. Tomorrow I'm going out to Buca di Beppo with my friend Danielle (whose birthday was today) and some of her friends. I'm excited. I've never been there before :) And according to Cerise the food is delicious.
Still struggling with figuring out major stuff. I need to make sure I am doing what I want to do. I really appreciate and want to hear others inputs... but at the same time I need to make sure that whatever I am doing is what is good for me. What I will enjoy.
Feeling kind of blah lately. I can't put my finger on why, but I don't like feeling blah. I think it has alot to do with my spiritual life right now, or lack thereof. Which brings up another thing...
I'm also looking into finding a new church in San Diego. I love the Flood, but sometimes it is just too big. Hard to meet and get to know people, to fellowship. So looking into that. I have a lot of things I am looking for in a church, so I just need to do the looking. Of course church isn't the reason for the lack of spiritual life. My priorities are just kind of backwards at the moment.
So ANYWAY.
Saturday night I'm going to Knott's Scary Farm with a few people from work. That should be fun.

Blood Worms

I've heard before that betta fish are picky eaters. Mine is really picky. After trying 2 different food that he didn't eat I tried blood worms as a last resort. They're all dried up and look really gross. Of course, he loves them. The little snot!

Umm

I really hate getting screwed over from partners on school projects. Anyone have any ideas for an experiment I can do for my biology lab?? I'm pretty sure it can be anything, as long as it can be tested and has something to do with science. Any help would be very greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.

Shopping, Shopping... and oh yes, more Shopping!!

Yesterday my mom came down for my birthday. We did a lot of shopping downtown at Horton Plaza. It was fun just to hang out with her. We ate lunch at the Yardhouse. And for dinner I introduced her to the yummy Chipotle. She baked me a yummy cake and sang happy birthday to me. Haha. We also went to see In Her Shoes. Fun stuff.
It was a reather quiet, but good birthday :)
Oh yeah! I also got DDR, an iTrip for my iPod, and a betta fish. The fish is actually my favorite. He's from my sister. She got one that looks a lot like the one I got her for my birthday, with the same bowl and marbles and food. She wanted us to have twin fish. How sweet :)
Of course... now I need a name for fishy! Any ideas? Emily's fish is Frank... maybe something that goes with Frank since apparently they are twins.

I'm excited about tomorrow!

Not necessarily because it's my birthday... but because my mommy's coming to visit me! My dad and sister are on some field trip this weekend so she decided to come visit me since it's my birthday and all. All I know is we are going shopping downtown at Horton Plaza, and who knows what else. But that should be exciting! We definitely get along well when we're shopping too, so that's always a plus.
So, looking forward to it :)
Oh yes, and she's baking me a cake! So now we're going to have tons of leftover cake and cupcakes! Yum!

Aww... I Feel So Special!

I came home today after working out for about an hour to find a big old sign up that says "Happy Birthday Lor!" and cupcakes and pizza and a really cute present that matches my room! Aww. I love my room mates! I was wondering where they had been yesterday for a while and part of today... but I guess I'm not smart enough to put 2 and 2 together! But so much for working out after cupcakes and pizza! Haha.

Oh yeah... so in case you didn't know, my 20th birthday is on Saturday! Man, 20... how old! ;)

Oh my goodness.

Is it really 1:07am?? See, I told you! Ugh. Time for bed.

Maybe I was more tired than I thought?

I got home today around 10:45 after doing some much needed Target shopping. I didn't work until 2:30 so I decided that I would mess around on the computer for a little bit and then go work out and then take a shower before work.
Well... around 11:30 I laid down on the couch to rest my eyes for what I was thinking was going to be like 10 minutes. Instead I woke up at 1:50 after hearing my phone ring!! (Good thing Emma decided to call right then!)
Boy, I guess I'm more sleep deprived than I thought. Luckily I only made it to work about 5 minutes late. Maybe driving 85 on the freeway helped.
I don't think I'm ever taking 8:00 classes again if I can help it! It's not just because I'm not a morning person, it's just that in order for me to get enough sleep I'd have to go to bed by 10:15. Normally I struggle to get to bed before 1:00AM! So definitely never enough sleep. Oh the complaining woes of a college student...

I'm just too cool for the "4 Year Plan" I guess!

Ok guys. So most of us know that I want to change my major. Why? Because the Liberal Studies major just doesn't interest me enough. Not sure I want to be a teacher. I want to go deeper into something rather than touch the surface of a lot of things... and there's a few more...

SO instead of doing homework for the past couple of hours like I should have I've been looking into random majors.
I think it might be all this talk with Corrie about college that made me remember I have a lot to figure out myself!
Well what did I figure out?? Right now I'm looking at Management. This may seem kind of random because I haven't mentioned this thought to too many people. I had kind of been thinking about doing something in business lately. There's a couple other random things lurking in the back of my mind. For right now though I'm going to let this idea of majoring in Management float around in my brain for awhile.
Here's what the major says (in my paraphrase) that kind of drew me in:
- organizational skills
- set objectives, plan, make decisions
- solve problems (This is a big one, I think this is something I'm pretty good at)
- oh yes and it doesn't say this but there is the implication of working with people. And I already know that I enjoy working with people.
Anyway there's alot more too but I won't bore you.
There really is TONS that you can do with this major. There are soo many business positions out there and soo many jobs that have management positions.
I figured out how many units I'd have to take and how far it would set me behind. It's really not that bad. It would set me back one semester. 3 more years starting this coming up semester. And that only happens because I still have the Philosophy minor. Of course I still want to study abroad first semester next year too. Which could put me back another semester. Which puts me at the 5 year plan. Assuming no other complications of course, which who knows. Another thing I've been looking over and stressing about! But I'll save that for another day!

Basically by the time next semester starts I plan on having a different major. This may be the last random post about what majors look good to me, or it could just be the beginning. I guess we'll just find out later!
I could definitely use some prayer in my decision making. It's definitely adding a fair amount of extra stress to my life.

USA That Way

Katie wasn't so sure she wanted to go back to USA after our fun trip to Mexico.


Corrie visited me and Katie this weekend for our fun single girls weekend! It was so much fun! We ate lots and lots of food. Mainly Mexican food, it was so yummy! I'm addicted. Friday night we ate fajitas at Chili's. Then went downtown to see Just Like Heaven and then eat Sundaes at Ghirardelli's. Saturday we went to Mexico for lunch. It was a fun adventure. Definitely an experience! Then we shopped a bit. Ate at a restaurant that was really yummy, but took too long to get our food. Oh yes, and Corrie got her ear pierced. :) I got to see The Newsies for the first time. Then we did some more shopping on Sunday after eating more Mexican food and sleeping in forever. Sunday night we went to The Flood. It was awesome as always.
Very busy weekend now that I look back on it. Oh yes, and somewhere in there we went in the Jacuuzi! That was nice. It was so much fun!
Haha I almost forgot. On Saturday Corrie, Katie, and I all matched. Jeans and turqoise and purple tops. It was hilarious. Especially since it was definitely not planned! Corrie thought it was cool. I thought we just looked like dorky junior highers who call their friends on the phone to see what each other is wearing so they can be "cool" and match.


Shuttle to inside of Border


Marcella


Fish


Zapata