xic’s blog

in addition to the haircut, i already started post-graduate school life even though i just got an email from my prof today and most likely i won't graduate this spring (which i'm totally fine with b'c i burnt out last month and gave up doing work for one class. ). but that won't stop me from going on with the plan. so up next it an industrial piercing and a tattoo. anyone wanna go with me?

but on that note, its gonna be a while from now so i can save up money [although the haircut only cost me 30 bucks ] because i just went on a spending splurge. i bought these two awesome things:

41A8D8FT6QL._SS500_

   $700 bucks. all around great lens which will replace the
one my sister broke and the cheapy crappy one i bought
to replace said broken one.
 i doubt it'll rival my 50mm though.
but i can use it at my friend's graduation on friday.

149

a mid-range gaming machine from dell w/ 4gb ram, 256 8600m. yum.
this is to replace my old one which im giving to my sister to work on her
wedding stuff since she's doing  a lot of the stuff herself along
with the stuff we're working on together and its easier than
sending each other files. we're just gonna pass around the lappy.

dropped another 1400.

..oh yeah i also signed up for the honolulu marathon. anyone wanna join me in training??

i just sent off my final paper and codeset to my advisor.. the code is sorta complete, slightly untested but theoretically sound. so we'll see how i do and how all this ends up. i don't feel relief at all, i think because of the lack of affirmative completion and i have no confirmation on anything, but grad division said they'd contact me to ensure i have everything in order. i can't wait to put all this behind me..if i can this semester. i tried to finish it all last night but i just couldn't stay awake...sigh.

after every semester i do a ritual cleaning - whether it be my room or my computer. and so i end up cleaning up my web hosting directories and its not long before i get to just sitting around looking at pictures that were hidden in directories i forgot about. since reading mika's blog makes me feel like taking pics, i guess ill share some here that i like for one reason or another in hopes to regain that urge to go out and take pics again. 

oh man, after not playing for a couple of weeks i put in rock band and guitar hero 3 today.i never have to pop rock band in ever again!  for each game i only had the last song to beat [ green grass and high tides and the devil went down to georgia. respectively ]. and i finallllyyyy beat them both! in the same half hour! so i finally got the beat solo guitar on expert for rock band and beat expert difficulty achievements.

i want to take that shit to my grave. :)

sigh. hot off of paying for my mexico trip and the pressure of working on my final project [graduating semester wooo]. I find myself sorely distracted by the idea of buying a new guitar. couple years back sean and i went to dans and spent  hours just playing as many guitars as we could and of them all i remember falling in love with the PRS custom 22. now thats all i can think about ahhh.... [ http://www.prsguitars.com/custom/img/custom_grayblack.jpg ]. the next chance i get, i'm gonna head down during lunch and check it out again.

i'm also currently obsessed with the show 'i shouldn't be a live' which i just bought the series on dvd. its [yet] another discovery channel dvd i bought. this ones about people who have survived extreme circumstances such as being lost in the amazon or stranded at sea. it documentary/dramatization style with the real people narrating/commenting on their experiences. its sad and encouraging at the same time. i cant stop watching.

siighh.. i ran the great aloha run this morning, 8.15 miles, from aloha tower to aloha stadium. road race. my target was 75 minutes, but it ended up being a 92 minute one... i started off pretty strong, finishing the first 4 miles in about 35 minutes but then i know where i went wrong, at mile 5 my chest started to feel tight so i ended up walking most of it (along with about half a mile on the hill on mile 7). sigh. although i feel good about it considering it was my first road race and i just got back from mexico where i only ran once.

so my final stats were:

434 / 780 for my age division
2890 / 6680 for my gender
4455 / 13742 overall.

whats funny is that my coworker, who i talk about running with, got almost the exact same time as i did, with a few seconds difference. kinda neat. we'll both have fun with it tomorrow.

i can't wait till next year to beat my own time.

1. I've come to realize that my butt: is fat. just fat.

2. I've come to realize that when I talk: i talk faster than my mouth can move so it comes out as verbal diarrhea

3. I've come to realize that, if I love someone (romantically; not family): its about them being happy, not me

4. I've come to realize that I need: to think more

5. I've come to realize that I've lost: the kind of creativity i once had as a kid

6. I've come to realize that I hate it when: i can't express how i feel

7. I've come to realize that if I'm drunk: i dunno

8. I've come to realize that money: is more important in life than it should be <-- i agree

9. I've come to realize that: the greatest injustice to yourself is to refrain from doing something because youre afraid

10. I've come to realize that I'll always be: craving creme brulee

11. I've come to realize that I have a crush on: flan from el pollo loco

12. I've come to realize that the last time I cried was: this morning on the drive to the airport

13. I've come to realize that my cell phone: has been dropped too many times

14. I've come to realize that when I wake up in the morning: i'm almost always wide awake and ready to get the day started

16. I've come to realize that right now I am thinking about: ruben, mexico and arizona and how everything that was so different is knocked back into the peripheral of my mind

18. I've come to realize that when I get on Vox: i check to see who updated last and how long ago krisite posted something (other than this one)

19. I've come to realize that today I will: take a shower

20. I've come to realize that tonight I will: be doing homework

21. I've come to realize that tomorrow I will: have to go back to real life and work...

22. I've come to realize that I really want to:  own a restaurant/cafe that helps feed both paying and nonpaying customers and to teach

23. I've come to realize that the person who is most likely to repost this is: me?

24. I've come to realize relationships: make the loneliness go away

25. I've come to realize love: comes in many different forms but all lead to something good

26. I've come to realize my best guy friend(s): is going to change the world with his naturopathic awesomeness

27. I've come to realize my best girl friend(s): make me happy, especially when (1) does the sprinkler, and except when (2) wears jesus slippers ;)

28. I've come to realize food: tastes better with a side of bacon <-- honey cured bacon!

31. I've come to realize over the summer: i want to go on another trip

32. I've come to realize heartbreak: destroys and heals.

i'm back from mexico, land of the thousand tacos! and i must say this has been the best trip i've ever been on. i've learned so much about people, about different cultures, and seen so many things: sickness, hope, humility, strength, and friendship.  theres so much i still have to digest (not only the massive amounts of food!) but it'll all come out in the following weeks along with a slew of photos!

i think i may move to phoenix.

--jared

i leave for mexico next week, and i finally put together a collection of books to bring with me for the myriad of flights and layovers. i couldn't find any classics that i haven't already read (although i'm reading H.G. Well's the first men on the moon right now) and i'm taking a break from vonnegut. my original list consisted of books from the ALA banned list, then it went to top scifi (which i had read some of already, and the rest seemed uninteresting) books, then i finally decided on whatever i could find thats interesting, see below.

The Difference Engine - Gibson and Sterling.
Cell - Stephen King
Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli
Moist - Mark Smith
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - Mary Roach.

--

i also bought a portable water filter / bottle thingy from sports authority yesterday. cost me 50 bucks! but that 50 bucks went to feed my paranoia about getting sick in mexico. so far i have everything packed except for bug spray.

one of pet peeves when i was younger was that i hated people who spit in public. those guys who would make that god-awful sound then spew it slowly into the grass. or the people who spit it out for distance. disgusting. i used to carry with me a napkin or some sort of hanky so in the case of that...

..but now that i wear pocketless shorts when i go running, i really have no choice but to spit it out in public (as opposed to making it go the other direction).  it bothers me and i try to find a tree to hide behind or something or look to make sure no one is watching but i end up doing it... sigh. but only when i run. by mile 4-5 i need to just because of the stuff i end up inhaling.

sad.