Oops!

It is impossible to not get personal with this post so I won't even try.

Today is my first day back to school and it has been CRAZY. Been up since 6am, and it's been 11 hours since and I can tell you I'm not even close to the middle of this day.

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I said I'd try to post daily. . . Maybe I will eventually but at this point I'm just going crazy.

I'll have more free time tomorrow and I promise I'll deliver a more decent entry, and even make up for the ones I missed. So please check back tomorrow for more!

Dear Thief

Dear Thief:

I woke up this morning very tired. I spent most of my day yesterday in class and volunteering- and most of my night studying for a test. I still have to get up thanks to the fact that I have to go work; you see, if I don't work, I don't make money and therefore I don't eat.

I opened the front door and it seemed like a nice day. So nice it made me forget a little bit about my back pain or how much I desired to still be in bed. I walked up to my car and saw the broken glass next to my right passenger door. I looked around for a second looking for you, but you didn't have the decency to wait. You were in a rush, I understand.

My right passenger window was no longer there. I know because I tried to touch it but my hand went past the frame. My heart was beating too fast so I didn't want to sleep anymore- I wanted to wake up from the nightmare. I looked inside the car and the only thing you took was a few Cd's I left laying around. You even left my graduation pictures intact. You saw my face and didn't feel sorry for the damage you were doing. Oh, you were in a hurry, that's right.

A few months back someone broke into my car. It made me sick. I couldn't understand how someone could deliberately do that to someone else. And for some Cd's. I said it over and over again- I wish this person would have knocked at my door, I would have given him the Cd's without a doubt. I would have.

I'm going on a road trip this Tuesday to visit my friend T. To Northern California. For a better idea, like an hour or so from San Francisco. So I figured it was time to organize my music so I'd have a good mix for the seven (or eight) hour drive. I went through my Cd's and there were seven missing. It reminded me that someone bothered to break my window for them.

While going through the Cd's, I realized that they were all in the wrong cases- and I actually found the ones I though the Thief had taken. He took other ones. The ones I won't miss. Among the ones I thought he had taken, there was a CD I put together myself. It was the first mix I ever made.

When I saw this CD again, it made me really happy. I made that CD when I was 14, I couldn't stand the thought that someone else could have have that, so it was a relief to have it in my hands again.

It makes no sense to me. I work hard to have what I have, you work hard to steal what I have.

Their Celebration

Originally posted on Sat. Aug 29, 2009.

It seems like my first day at my new job will be this coming Tuesday so in the meantime, let me tell you about "free work."

Today was the welcome day for the new students at my school. As a member of Alpha Gamma Sigma, I get to volunteer in all sorts of events, and this one was one of them. I had to be there at 7.15am, 'til 2pm. Not an easy thing to do if you're not getting paid for it- unless you truly do it because you care. I got to meet some of these kids. Some I liked and some not so much (don't get me wrong but those three girls that would say "oh my freaking god" every two minutes weren't fun).

I spent the whole day under the sun and my red face is not too happy with me right now- it burns a little. But I didn't feel too sick to do the work. We set up tables, chairs, breakfast items, gift items. Guided freshmen around the campus and talked to the ones who needed some conversation. It's funny, they all had that this-is-the-beginning-of-the-rest-of-my-life look in their faces.

That was the reason why I didn't complain about the heat. Or standing up. Or running around trying to gather people. Even though I was a little part of it, I was still part of their celebration- the one that marked the beginning of the rest of their lives.

P.S. Thank you all for your concern, I'm indeed feeling better!

It's Not Rocket Science

Against any recommendations, I'm on my feet, battling a fever and a sore throat. I've always said that we can cheat our bodies; pretend we're fine and maybe our brains will buy it. Obviously this doesn't always work but you can't blame a gal for trying.

I was able to enroll in that Italian class I want to take so badly. And I'm hoping I don't change my mind later because the classes I have for next semester can't be dropped. I either take them or I take them. And college applications to transfer are coming up soon.

Tomorrow I'll volunteer from very early 'til a little after noon. And then get the textbooks I didn't buy online. Everything seems to be sailing fine.

This morning, I was watching on HBO the movie Rocket Science (2007). This film brings us the story about a boy who stutters but decides to join his high school debate team (yes, Lizzi, it made me think about you- have you seen it?). He really joins because of this girl that he's attracted to who is a great debater in the team.

As I have a no-spoilers policy, I'll only discuss something from the movie that can't be missed. The boy at some point says to one of his friends, "one day you'll find love and everything will be different." And this line certainly struck one of the weakest nerves inside of me.

I've been there (in love), but I've also been a non-believer. It's pure logic, when we share with someone we love, we enjoy it more. When we do something we love, we wish we didn't have to stop. When we. . . well, you get the idea.

This is one of those things that it's so damn obvious, that we choose to ignore it at times. When one of my friends asked me why I work for free (volunteer) when I could be hanging out with friends, I told him that even though I loved my friends, I get a nice hint of happiness in me when I'm helping others (and either way I always make time for my friends).

It's not rocket science, when we do something we love, we just simply do it better. Are you doing what you love?

Sick, Sick, Sick

It feels like forever since the last time I was here in front of this screen. Yesterday was a very long day, but here I am in L.A. safe and sound. The flight was good, watched football games for most of it. The movie (G.I. Joe) could have been better- although I may have been too exhausted to completely enjoy it.

I can now say so long wanted job because I couldn't make my interview today. I am sick. As a matter of fact, I'm very sick (so feel special that I still made the effort to post something. . .Or I should feel special that you're reading. Never mind!) but that wasn't the reason why I couldn't go. When on my way to the interview, I received a call from school saying that they needed me to take care of some stuff immediately if I wanted to complete the process to work at the Outreach center. So I figured it was better to make sure I'd be hired there okay than risk it and maybe not get hired as a Supplemental Instructor or at the Outreach center. Yes, it sucks but I'll get over it. I hope.

So it's Wednesday and it's my time to talk about writing. And I'm gonna tell you how much writing I've done, ZERO. None whatsoever! But bear with me, I got home around 11pm and I've been running errands since I woke up- and I'm sick. However, now that I'm home I can do more writing than before. And I also have five days before school starts. So I'm setting up a 3-page daily goal.

Hopefully I'll feel better later so I can accomplish this goal.

Give Me A Ride, I'll Give You A Date

There's an inside joke that I only make friends to have rides to the airport. I fly a lot throughout the year and thanks to being a student (= being broke), I don't really wanna pay for a cab so therefore I rely on friends to take me to the airport.

This time, my ride home from LAX is just about to become a night out for me. I'm not sure why we live in a society where people (not everyone, I know) don't want to do a favor just for the pleasure of helping out someone you care about. I'd even do a favor for a stranger if I'm not extremely busy!

So I'm always cool with offering gas money, but this time that just won't suffice. JC is a guy I used to work with. For whatever reason, he likes me. So he'll pick me up from the airport and in return he'd get an awesome dinner and movie night with me.

Before you go on with the judgement that I'm using him in some sort of way, I've told him before that we're good as friends and the last thing I want right now is a relationship- specially since I could be moving away in less than a year (if Berkeley takes me, cross your fingers!).

So this will be part of my (social) life tonight. Mexican food and G.I. Joe. Sounds like a pretty decent night, right? I just hope I'm not too tired from the flight.

Alright, time go. Now road trip to Atlanta and then flying to Los Angeles. Madness, here I come!

I Put The A In Math- Wait, That Sounds Lame

Today will be a day I think I'll spend shopping and packing as I get ready to leave Alabama.

If you happened to read my previous entry, "I Quit," you read words written by a person not happy with the job she used to do- that person being me. As I get ready for the beginning of another semester in college (August 31st), I'm also trying to figure out what I'm gonna do work wise for such semester. Funny enough I'm no longer a Freshman, and this Fall will welcome me as a Sophomore.

I've already managed to get a job with the school at the Outreach Center doing the very prestigious task of clerical work (ha!), which I'll work from Tuesday to Friday. The thing is that I'm also a few days away from getting another job. This other job won't offer me much hours or lots of money, but it will be a fun job to do. Basically, I will have to go to a math class twice a week, and after the class, I will spend an hour or two with students that need extra help with math.

It may be a little stretch for me if I get this job, but I really want to do it. From my own experience, a LOT of people have trouble with math and sometimes that is the reason why they're behind in their education- so if I can help them get through it, then I'll take the stretch, even if it means less hours of sleep for me (and I will be getting paid for it too so it's not like it's such a stretch. . .).

The interview will happen on Wednesday, a day after I arrive to L.A. And right after the interview, I'll be tested on my math skills. If hired, I'll have my training on Thursday. So here I am, brushing up on my math skills.

I've always been good at math. I used to want to be an Aerospace Engineer when I graduated from High School but thanks to the three-year break I had to take to work, I ended up switching my career path. I like math because it's so mechanical. It either works or it doesn't. There isn't a gray area, you have it right or you don't. But most of my classmates (and other students) don't see the beauty in that. They just think math is a bunch of complex numbers- and it may be sometimes, but for the most part, it isn't. I am looking forward to this interview and I really want this job because I'll be able to make a difference (hopefully) in a student's education. So I'm preparing as best as I can to get this job.

How does a writer end up liking math so much, I don't know.

Wish me luck!