5.6 California Earthquake

If you want to see what an earthquake "feels" like, watch this video. The earthquake last night was based in San Jose and the video is footage of a Cisco executive being interviewed in San Jose when the eq happens. It replays three times. It looks like what I felt last night in Oakland.

My roommate and I were watching "Friday Night Lights" while I was decorating 18 cupcakes and 81 mini-cupcakes (yes, I know!) for my church's Halloween party tonight. We looked at each other as it shook, waited, then laughed at our nonchalance and went back to watching tv. There are enough "minor" eq's that it's hard to know when to run to hide in the doorway.

Anyway, non-Californians might enjoy the video...

Like and Don't Like

Things I like:

1. The show "Friday Night Lights"
2. Oil of Olay soap
3. Baking and decorating cupcakes
4. Trident Strawberry Splash gum with Lime

Thing I do not like:

1. Car accidents on 101S
2. Accidents on the Bay Bridge
3. Traffic on the 880
4. Driving 15mph on the freeway

Living simple

Ok, one change I can talk about. I decided to move into a back unit of a house owned by a family in my church. I'm moving Dec. 1. I had previously looked at the unit and decided it's too small for me and my two furry cats. It's still small - no change there - but a friend in the church Carl talked to me on Sunday about reconsidering taking it. I appreciated his talking to me, thought about it, saw the place again after church with Marjie, thought about it, talked it over with God, then thought about it some more, and decided to take it. It was one of those decisions where I knew it would happen, it felt right, and I just needed to think through the details. Or think it out so my mind could catch up to my gut/instinct.

I rely on my instinct a lot. Things just feel right or they don't. It doesn't mean everything that "feels right" will end in my favor or will even be a happy experience. But it's what I want to do or need to do or what is best for me. It doesn't mean I get everything I want but it means at least I know what I want and can deal with the disappointment if I don't get it.

It may be hard to explain to people who process and think differently. I think my disposition in this area can be a blessing from God because when something doesn't feel right (like a job for instance) and I don't get it, I can actually be pretty ok. Not hiding being sad but just "yeah, I think that's a good thing it didn't go my way. I didn't get a good feeling and it would probably have been a bad experience." I can make some decisions very quickly bc it's super clear to me what I want. And when my choices don't make sense to others, at least I know through and through that it's the right choice for me.

But the weakness in it can be overreliance on my instinct and not taking the time to do due diligence and think things through. "I feel it," I say and move forward when sometimes examining the feeling might be good too. And I can get gut feelings for others but I can't make decisions for others.

All to say, moving into the unit "feels right." Parts of it don't entirely make sense but I feel like God is leading me to choose it and make other things fall into place to make it work. And I'm beginning to hear how it all could work. The place is too small to host people which I completely love to do? Then perhaps for this season, let others host me and lean on what others can provide, not always what I can offer. Too small to store all my things, including maybe my couch? Then live simply and really think about what do I need daily to live and thrive. Meditate on our culture's reliance on abundant materialism and how I live in that too. Live simply. Think of it as an experiment and I'm always up for experiments. I'm considering not putting my TV in, party bc it's big as it's not flat-screen. I might in the end have it but I like that I'm even thinking about not having TV for eight months or so (committed until the summer). I love TV but I want more of God and pursuing my life passions and often TV feels like a hindrance to that. Not sure, just open.

I feel very open in this time. Actively waiting. Stay or go? Go where, to the left or to the right? I wait on You.

But Halloween's tomorrow...?

I'm baffled. There are only candy remnants and a few Halloween items in stores. But Halloween's tomorrow? It's not like it was last week or something and I missed it. Right?? After this morning driving to a lot of stores trying to find Halloween baking stuff, I feel a bit like it's the Twilight Zone.

Now Christmas stuff was out in all its glory but the H'ween stuff was gone. I do think partly ransacked but also just gone - from shelves, displays, prime corner spots. Wha...??

Tomorrow night is my church's Halloween party for youth and kids. I'm baking cupcakes and wanted to get cute holiday cupcake wrappers and sprinkles to make them special. I remember seeing all this baking stuff a few weeks ago at Target so I went over this morning after a business mtg (I also went to my neighborhood Safeway last night just to check but there was nothing at all. That was the beginning of my confusion.)

But Target had been invaded by the Thanksgiving and Christmas elves. So I went to Michael's, a craft store that also is a great spot to buy baking supplies and usually goes ape-crazy over holiday decorations/crap. But nada. I asked an employee who said it's all gone and that the sale was last week. I know that Michael's does sales early but I didn't think they basically threw out ther merchandise before the holiday even happened. He said anything left would be in the middle aisle. I wandered over and found other confused people like myself poking around in the pathetic two boxes of random Halloween stuff. A woman said, "This is weird" and I said, "I know, isn't it tomorrow?" and she said, "I'll head over to Target" and I said, "There's nothing there either, just candy."

I walked over to Kmart and found random, nonsale (??) items. I picked up a sprinkle variety mix and some mini-cupcake wrappers but there weren't any normal size ones. I went to Safeway to pick up white icing (no orange icing to be found) and still, no Halloween stuff besides candy.

I mean, I don't think of myself as a procrastinator but as a "just-on-time" kind of person. But did I miss the memo that said Oct. 1 is the new "on-time" prep date for Halloween and Oct. 30 is the new "too late, so sorry" date? I feel like I remember going to buy Easter stuff the day before Easter - on sale (yey) but there. Stores understood that parents sometimes buy right before the holiday. Is Halloween different? Are we supposed to decorate a month or more in advance? Or has something else changed?

Still confused...

I want a nappie

I feel really tired this morning. And sore from Ben's birthday Ultimate Frisbee game yesterday by Lake Merritt. I'm totally weak sauce because I didn't even play the full two hours! But yes, I am sore. It was really fun - a lot of people came out to play/watch and then we went to Leaning Tower of Pizza for dinner after. A nice big group. Happy Belated Birthday, Ben!!

I think I'm mostly tired from the good but long wkend. A lot of change that I don't want to write about yet but change is in the air. We had a day-long JJaM cell retreat on Saturday and I really appreciated the thought and care the core team put into leading the day. It was very caring and organic - talking through how the group started, walking through a timeline with key moments/events/Scripture, and now talking about splitting into three groups bc we're so big. I've been very grateful how everyone is ok with the change. That feels so rare - to have people that really like and enjoy each other, be ok with breaking up. But I feel like we all want more growth - in terms of smaller groups will give more time for deeper sharing but also more "room" to invite new people. I'm excited and I like the peeps in my group :) I like sharing my life with these people.

I want to pull out my Pilates mat and take a nap in my office. I now work alone again after the last two employees were gone on Friday (one resigned, one "let go"). Nappy time. Maybe not though, always things to do, and especially after I'm mopping up after two left employees.

Perhaps more writing and news will come this week...

Taxing the rich (that means you, Hedge Fund Mgr!)

An article from Salon.com titled:

Why Democrats are afraid to raise taxes on the rich

subtitled

Could it have something to do with the recent affection of hedge-fund managers for the Democratic Party?

Having worked for a hedge fund (though only as an EA/Office Coordinator), I became exposed to this whole new world. Lots and lots of money. The article says some hedge fund managers bring home a billion dollars annually (ok that's rare but it is up there) and quote:

The 25 highest-paid hedge-fund managers are earning more than the CEOs of the largest 500 companies in the Standard and Poor's 500 combined.

Think about that for a minute. 25 > 500...

Working first for a top investment banking firm then the hedge fund, I started to learn about the very rich. How much money they make, how much money they have control over, what happens when one man (yes, almost all are men) makes one decision and how much that changes things for a LOT of other people.

The wealthiest 1 percent of Americans earn more than 21 percent of all income. That's a postwar record. The bottom 50 percent of all Americans, when all their wages are combined, earn just 12.8 percent of the nation's income.

Wow. Half of America makes only 12.8 percent of our national income. All those $18K and $35K jobs amount to a little over 10% of our nation's income. Income that is taxed to provide for our scho0ls, freeways, Social Security system, government.

That means that the wealthiest Americans, who are now taxed at a marginal rate of 35 percent, would go back to paying the 38 percent marginal rate they paid under Bill Clinton. So far, however, no Democrat has suggested that the nation should raise the marginal tax rate on the richest Americans above that 38 percent, as will probably be necessary if America is to avoid an economic meltdown in the years ahead.

This surprised me as I actually thought rich people were taxed higher than 35% or even 38% in Clinton's day. But then I remembered that bonuses are taxed higher, which is where a lot of hedge fund and i. bankers roll in the dough. I did not know that "i. banker" was a common term until I entered the GS world. I grew up with my dad starting his own small chemical and science supply company (with a peak of about 10 employees in two locations), having some hard times, then recovering and still working too hard at 59. My dad works ALL the time -on weekends, does dangerous all-nighters with chemicals which scare me - and I wish he had it easier. My mom works part-time as accountant and office coordinator. All to say, the corporate world and all the positions it contained seemed unknown and foreign to me for years. I didn't grow up with a parent who had a 9-5 job which in ways was good, no complaining. But along with my love for nonprofits, it took me longer to get over my wariness and a little fear of the big bad corporate monster. I'm really glad for my last three years in that world. I feel stronger for it.

Back to the program! And the author's solution:

What's fair? I'd say a 50 percent marginal tax rate on the very rich, meaning those earning over $500,000 per year. I'd also suggest an annual wealth tax of one-half of 1 percent on the net worth of people holding more than $5 million in total assets. Can't be done, you say? Well, the highest marginal tax rate under Republican Dwight Eisenhower was 91 percent. It dropped under John Kennedy to the 70 percent range. You say the rich will leave the country rather than face a marginal tax of 50 percent? Let them, and take away their citizenship.

I agree, tax the rich more. Kinda simple to me. But then I'm not trying to get elected and paying for my campaign with those very same rich people who are also probably my friends.

What rights do we have over our organs and bodies?

A lot of organ-related articles keep coming up on websites I read lately, which makes me more interested and I start researching it further.

This article in the SF Chronicle titled "Woman sues San Mateo County coroner for keeping son's heart" brings the topic up today. Her son died of an undetected heart ailment and the coroner took the heart "for testing to verify the cause of death after an autopsy" and then "the autopsy found there was probable cause to conclude he had died of a heart ailment, but the heart needed to be shipped to Stanford to be sure" (quotes from article). The coroner is quoted as saying this is not an uncommon practice.

Sounds reasonable... except the mother wasn't told. So when do coroners have to notify the family and when don't they?

Jenkins-Toney [mother's attorney] maintains that coroners can legally remove and keep tissue, but not entire body parts, unless they get family consent or make a reasonable effort to do so.
At the center of the legal dispute are two sections of state law, one dealing with body tissue, the other body parts.
The first section gives coroners the right to retain body tissue removed at autopsy. The other gives coroners the power to keep body parts removed at autopsy if they believe it is "necessary or advisable for scientific investigation and training," including enlisting help from outside labs or hospitals.
But that section also says body parts can be given to hospitals for research or similar purposes only with a relative's consent or if the dead person previously made such arrangements. Coroners may proceed without a relative's consent if they make a reasonable effort to obtain it.

These laws are news to me but good to know. What bothers me is the mom buried her son, thinking his whole body was there, and it wasn't. She says she was devastated to learn his heart was missing, that she hadn't been told and when she called the coroner, he said she'd have to pay to dig her son up and rebury him. That seems unfair.

This article on Slate.com talks about the ethical price of organ donorship. Similar to the blog post I wrote awhile back on another Slate.com article regarding global desperately poor people selling their organs for food (here), the author addresses the sticky issue of when should the government regulate who can give organs when. Is it patronizing to citizens to tell them they can't sell their kidney or eyeball? Another Slate organ article "Who owns a donated kidney?" here. I think they have the monopoly on this subject, or at least the monopoly on easily linking article by topics.

Current US Laws:

1) Selling your organs (any of them) is illegal.
2) A dead body cannot own property and cannot be property. Thus heirs have no rights over the dead body of a deceased family member*.
3) You can't sue an organ donor network for giving away a kidney, even if the donor's family wanted you to have it (at least in NY).
4) You don't have rights to tissue removed from your body, or any proceeds/research done with that tissue (not sure if I'm stating that correctly, more below**).
5) Coroners can legally remove and keep tissue, but not entire body parts, unless they get family consent or make a reasonable effort to do so (it doesn't appear that doctors can remove tissue without your consent/knowledge and keep it, according to #4).


*From article - "They can be "lawfully in possession" of a body, which only means they have the right to bury or cremate it, order or refuse an autopsy, and authorize the donation of organs. This right of lawful possession allows the next of kin to steward the body from the deathbed to the grave—but not to sell it or give it away to a friend."

** From article - 'In one seminal 1990 case, the California Supreme Court ruled against John Moore, a businessman who sued the University of California after doctors created—and patented—a cell line derived from tissue in his cancerous spleen, which the doctors had removed. His tissue produced an extremely profitable antibacterial and cancer-fighting cell line, and Moore sought a share of the profits, claiming a property right to the byproducts of his own tissue. Though the court allowed that doctors might have deceived Moore by not explaining their intentions for his spleen, it forcefully reiterated that Moore had no property right to his tissue. Several other cases have addressed the legal status of embryos in situations in which divorced couples have fought for "custody" rights; one Tennessee case established that while embryos—like corpses—were neither persons nor property, they nevertheless "occupy an interim category that entitles them to special respect because of their potential for human life."'

Spoiler for The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie

Again, ha ha, because I'm sure no one cares that I'm spoiling the ending. But fair warning anyway!

Wow, I was right again. I am surprised. Yes, someone wanted the third guy dead so he very creatively came up with an elaborate to say the least scheme to kill two other people and make it look like a serial murderer did them all. I do feel like I was tipped off because this book was written differently than her other novels (perhaps bc it was one of her earlier ones?). In the beginning, there are a list of characters that will be appearing and the third guy was mentioned with two other friends/family characters. The other two victims only had one family/friend mentioned. That felt like a big clue. And though there was a "D" murder, the fact that in general the plot seemed to end with the "C" murder, seemed like the latter was a key point.

And after what I wrote yesterday about her post-WWII books being more interesting bc she weaves in the war's aftermath into the characters' lives, I stand corrected. In The A.B.C. Murders, published in 1935, there is a character with pretty severe PTSD and mental/physical injuries from WWI. I was reflecting on how close the two wars were for Europe especially where a lot of the actual fighting took place. Only a little over twenty years. That's like something that ended in 1986 or so in America starting over again. 1986 doesn't feel that long ago.

"Ben Affleck's Boston"

An article from Slate.com by Patrick Radden Keefe about Ben Affleck's portrayal of Boston in Gone Baby Gone. Had to stop reading the first page because I was laughing too much at work.

I stand corrected, Affleck is not from Boston but from Cambridge. I would have thought those are on the same but I am schooled that they're not. It's probably like saying San Francisco is the same city as Oakland. Right, Bostonians?

Eh, just slipped a Henry James reference in there!

"I'm not trying to watch TV!"

Last night my roommate was watching TV while I was baking cupcakes, talked to someone on the phone about a position, and did random things. I wasn't trying to watch TV but it was on in the background. So I was half listening. My goal this week is to not intentionally sit down and watch TV, not avoid hearing any sounds from the box. As characters would say lines and the audience would laugh, I would be distracted in my task but turn to Ting and go, "What'd he say that was so funny?" It doesn't help that I think I have a hard time hearing people. Ting would repeat it and I would laugh a little. Sometimes TV lines are a lot funnier if you just repeat them. Esp as Ting does it in this calm voice, not trying to be funny.

So I'm brushing my teeth and she has the tivo'd Oprah show on. I really really don't like her show but sometimes they're interesting. Yesterday's was sad and affirming (wait, isn't that all her shows?) about this professor dying and a few months left to live, giving this lecture that's called My Last Lecture. Not just for him, Carnegie Mellon (? I'm too lazy to check) where he teaches has this series where professors pretend to give their last lecture. But it's real for him. It was really touching and he was hard-core "live life."

I'm all the way in the bathroom but I can kinda hear it. I miss a line and I shout, "Hey, rewind it, what'd he say?" Ting says, "You're not supposed to be watching TV!" "I'm not trying to, it's just happening! Rewind it please" "No, you're not supposed to be watching." "Ting, c'mon, what'd he say?" Back and forth! Finally she said the line I missed and I said, ah that's touching.

HA HA

The A.B.C. Murders

I've started a new novel by my fave mystery scribe Ms. A. Christie. I actually started it last week ago but I was slow to warm up to the plot. She wrote it in 1935 and I find myself liking her later 40's and 50's plots better. Maybe she matured as a writer or maybe I like her post-WWII thoughts woven casually into the characters' lives. 4:50 from Paddington featured a side character who was a English WWII bomber pilot that now ten years after the war, wasn't suited for everyday humdrum life and found himself a bit at a loss. I like how she incorporates not only the times but the consequences of the times into her characters' lives.

But ooh, this one is getting better. As the book jacket describes, "Alice Ascher, a shopkeeper in Adover, is bludgeoned to death in her shop. Next to die is Betty Bernard in Bexhill - strangled with her own belt. Then, Sir Carmichael Clarke's skull is crushed in Churston. Clearly a serial killer with an alphabetical bent is on the loose..."

Oooh, I have no idea who it could be. Ok, my one idea is that actually the killer really only wants the third guy Sir Clarke dead but kills the first two to set it up as looking like a serial murderer. We'll have to wait and see...

And really, hats off again to Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers for coming out with fresh colorful affordable hardbacks of her books. They're a delight to read and I do think half the fun of reading a novel is how good it looks. Sigh, yes, I do judge a book by its cover after all :)

*Picture from Amazon.com

SoCal fires

I've been obsessed with SoCal fire news and updates these last two days. My parents' house is near the main Witch Fire in San Diego but most likely safe from harm. It's scary especially as there was the huge Cedar Fire four years ago and the news has been reporting that this fire is worse. Scripps Ranch, the suburb next to ours Mira Mesa, received mandatory evacuations early yesterday afternoon which scared me (I've been calling my parents 4-5 times a day to give them updates as they are not internet-savvy and were in Garden Grove OC) but it's hard to tell because Scripps is so large and borders a canyon which is where fires love to live. Lots of houses in Scripps burned down in the Cedar Fire. So Scripps being evaucated is scary but also not completely telling for Mira Mesa.

The majority of SD is not really in danger and is only dealing with the ash and a few freeways being closed down temporarily. Friends and coworkers are still working and doing birthday parties. But it's odd bc all schools, colleges, and libraries are closed and most parks are also. Animals are being moved from the Wild Animal Park in north SD. My high school is a key evac center which is eery to me but also makes people on forums think Mira Mesa is safe. In a way the city has shut down yet it's still going. The evac numbers on the news are scary but I think they're just erring on the side of caution and the 500,000 people will mostly have houses to go home to. They learned from the Cedar Fire that ppl take time to leave their houses.

One frustrating thing is the firefighters' lack of manpower and resources. The news has been saying that some manpower has been wasted on making people leave in mandatory evac situations. People, c'mon. If your area has a mandatory (not voluntary) evac notice, please leave. It's for your benefit. Perhaps there is a high chance nothing will happen to your house but do you want to risk it? The winds could change.

Praying for the winds to die down and for people's safety...

For more news on SD see their newspaper's website.

Gone Baby Gone

I watched Gone Baby Gone with my roommate and her friend on Sunday night. I don't usually watch so many movies but they've just come up.

I really liked this too. Not a blockbuster - it's been said in reviews that it's like Mystic River which I kinda agree especially as they're by the same author Dennis Lehane. Casey Affleck is really good in it as are most of the actors (including Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris) though I thought his work/life partner Michele Monaghan was ehh and was "acting" and reminded me it was movie every time she said a line. Amy Ryan, from my fave TV show "The Wire," does an amazing job playing a distressed mother who's 3 yr old daughter's been kidnapped. I won't say anything more but the movie makes you think. In bed that night, I was still thinking about the themes. Revealing them would be saying too much but it's provoking.

It's set in Boston and as it's Ben Affleck's first directing project, who grew up in Boston, it feels very "this city." I feel drawn to projects that are a close-up glimpse of one life or one moment or one city or one family. Like Once Were Warriors - an awesome intense New Zealand movie about an inner-city struggling family (go Netflix it right now!). I think the best stories and movies and poems are that focused. And in telling that one everyday story, almost nonchalantly, a bigger story is told. About life and love and heroism and wanting more. Like The Fountain actually. I was thinking last night as I was watching it that all the famous love stories in time were about one person loving one other person and doing incredible/sacrifical/romantic things to show that love/win the person/defeat social pressure. In the moment, I bet it doesn't feel like that one story, so personal and individual, will come to be known by generations and repeated and honored, and will represent the bigger issues of mankind. It probably just feels like, "I love you and will do anything to be with you."

The Fountain

I watched The Fountain last night, a movie with Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. I entered into a "this will be a weird movie" vibe and wanted to appreciate it for what it was. I had heard it was really good but not commercially successful and that it was beautifully shot.

I really liked it and was very touched. I recommend it for people who are dealing with grief over the loss of a loved one. I do not recommend it for people who have sick loved ones! The basic plot is the two characters are married, the wife is sick, and the husband who also happens to be a scientist is desperately trying to find a cure for her. It goes into life and death, wanting eternal life. Very creative and looking for a different way to tell a story. I loved the light and dark theme - really beautiful. No linear plot here.

I think Hugh Jackman should be nominated for a Best Actor Oscar bc his performance was off the hook. But because the movie wasn't a blockbuster or watched by many, he probably won't get a nomination.

Ah, money

I like this article about Daniel Handler, a novelist, and his recent essays on money. Daniel also writes under the pen name Lemony Snicket.

Here's the online NY Times article linked to in the article.

He talks openly about having money because of his success and why is he supposed to hide the fact that he has money. Estimating he'd get paid $1200 to write an essay to contribute to the anthology "Money Changes Everything," he buys an $1200 bottle of wine then discusses it with friends and invites his "brokest" friends over to drink it. He asks the good questions about what is expensive, what is giving a lot of money away, how should you react when everyone knows you're rich?

Good to ask...

Fasting from TV

I'm taking a break from all TV this week, starting yesterday. And that includes football. I haven't decided if that also means Kron4 in the morning for the traffic report but today I didn't watch it.

I want to be closer to God and hear Him more yet I find myself distracting myself with other things that I think will chill me out or bring my peace. TV being the main distraction. So I'm going to do a TV cleanse and leave it off all week. I've done this before sometimes for two weeks and it can be really helpful. I also start to notice different ways I'm viewing time or relaxation and it's a good correction to my sometimes wacked perspective. I've been reading more, all spiritual-angled books and the Bible, though I'm open to reading novels.

I feel like I need to sit in a God bath, surrounded and emerged in His words and truth, sinking down into the presence of the Holy Spirit as I breathe slowly through my nose. And sit still for awhile. Just sitting.

I'm already feeling better. This morning I woke up again in the early morning, at 4:45am. I think it's because Nora aka "The Heater" has started to sleep near my face so I wake up to this warm furball's face snuggled near my shoulder or face breathing warm air on me. As I lay awake, I pulled out my Bible buried under the covers next to me and started reading my life verse Psalm 62 esp verses 1-2. And started praying. God, come near.

My soul finds rest in God alone
My salvation comes from Him
He alone is my strength and my salvation
He is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (NIV)

It's been a week

It's been a week. Yesterday was the peak. I'm quietly done with tumult for awhile. Is tumult a word? Should be, it works well.

Little Nora went to the vet yesterday. It's hard to take her even for a somewhat routine thing. She doesn't like it, have to chase her around the house while Mitch watches with HUGE eyes also trying to hide unsuccessfully and seemingly grateful he is spared, she meows on the way to the vet, hides in her carrier in the vet's office then scurries low around. While I wait for the vet in the small room, I always realize I'm emotionally spent and sit slouched on the bench. I feel like I'm taking my child to the doctor and she doesn't want to go is an understatement. And it's hard to take her.

Luckily a new vet came in and gave a different remedy so to say. Not going into too much detail, it's somewhat related to Nora having kitty constipation. Now she's on a prescripion food with more fiber, given in a small amount in the day also for her to lose some weight which will make cleaning herself easier. She's got a bit of a tummy.

I used to leave food bowls out but now am putting their separate food down twice a day and watching to make sure Mitch eats his designated food and Nora hers. Technically Mitch could eat Nora's too but the prescription food is twice as expensive so Mitch gets the normal high-quality food. Did you know that most cheap cat food is mostly grains and preservatives but cats don't need carbs at all? I buy the higher quality at a discount pet store to give them some more meat in their diet. And they eat less of it too.

So yeah, that's one story from the week. One shareable story :)

Onion posts v2

New Mobile-Device Purchase makes A--Hole more versatile

HA HA so true..

Sears Gold Card Holder Pushing Weight Around Area Sears

Gatorade Pledges $240 Million In Thirst Aid To Underquenched Nations

Wal-Mart Announces Massive Rollback On Employee Wages

Girlfriend Stops Reading David Foster Wallace Breakup Letter At Page 20

Area Father Praised For Helping Raise Family

"Jim is a wonderful husband and father," wife Hannah Gustafson, 31, said. "Sometimes, if I put in a long day at work and come home late, he'll have the dinner table set for me. That means all I have to do is make dinner, clear off the dishes when the meal's done, and put them in the dishwasher."
"He just does a lot of things you don't expect a dad to do," Hannah continued. "Like, when it's time for my weekly housecleaning, he'll happily keep an eye on the kids while I'm vacuuming if I ask. I'm a lucky woman."

HA HA! Sigh, but so true...

Oh Kron4

Oh Kron 4, why won't you report on traffic more in the morning? I think we would all love 50% of your newscast to be a traffic report. And not just GG Bridge which for some reason you LOVE to report on. Every time you do a traffic report, you show video of GG and report on the Marin drive and talk for a bit. Yet you don't talk about the Bay Bridge in every traffic report. ??? Which do you think is a major commute point? Not to diss the north drivers because I know their commute into SF is horrendous too but c'mon, BB is the hotspot. Could just increase traffic reports in general? Not less GG but more Bay Bridge and everything. I really don't want constant weather reports or the 7-day forecast every ten minutes. Yes, it's raining and it will be raining off and on. That's all the weather news I need at 8am in the morning when I am LEAVING for work on the FREEWAY. Detailed weather news belong at 5pm and at 11pm. Less national news - I just want traffic news. I have three different options for my morning commute and I desperately need an up-to-date report so I can know which way to go. Like your helpful constant update on the dead body on 880S last wk was great - that's why I started to turn you on every morning. Please, more traffic reports!! I'm sure it gets boring and monotonous for you to give updates every five minutes but I know I would love it. I don't have 20 minutes to watch. I know turn it on and go about my morning then come back and tivo fast forward through all the unimportant morning stuff to find the traffic.

Please more traffic reports, and for goodness sake, include the Bay Bridge in every traffic report!

in Your presence

A friend visiting this weekend uploaded the new Jason Upton cd and another artist to my iTunes. She's a great source for the latest good worship music and whenever she visits, I give her control of my computer to add stuff she thinks I'd like. She has great taste and I love what she puts on.

I listened to the Jason Upton cd this morning on the way to work (btw a really really beautiful sky again on 880S plus a lovely 43 minute drive) and cried some at a few of the songs. Perhaps I'm feeling emotional and a bit overwhelmed with decisions right now but also I just love the free spirit eight minute wandering worship tracks. I miss worship/prayer meetings that went on forever, praying and dwelling in His presence, being there, being still, being loud, napping (the best naps ever, in prayer mtgs, I highly recommend them). And JU's music reminds me of all that. His calling out for intimacy with God draws me in.

This one song "In Your presence" was about, well, being in God's presence and the freedom from all fear. As I listened and manuevered around slow cars and merged and paid toll on the San Mateo bridge, I thought about the latest episode of a TV show "Mad Men" that I just watched last night. It was tivo'd from last Thu but I lagged on watching on it. I was bummed to accidentally find out key details of what happened from websites. One reason I didn't rush to watch it was while it's a good show and they've been giving hints about a background mystery all season, each episode is not usually a huge revelation. But this one was and I wish I had watched it fresh.

MAJOR SPOILER for the AMC show "Mad Men:"

"Mad Men" is about people who work at an advertising firm in NY in 1960. There's a lot I could comment about the show but I'm just going to focus on one. The lead character Don Draper is white, tall, handsome, a successful executive, married with two kids, the one we love but also the very flawed broken man. All season, mostly through talking to his mistresses, we learn bits and pieces of Don's messed-up childhood: the son of a prostitute, he's adopted by his poor biological father and his wife in the country but enough to say, he is never treated as a real member of the family. He feels very rejected and goes into the Army during the Korean War. We see him receiving a Purple Heart for being a Lt. in the war. We see his brother tracking him down, calling him by a different name, and saying the family thought he was dead. Don painfully rejects him, giving him money to go away, but the brother kills himself over it. To almost everyone, Don is silent on his past and no one at the company or even his wife knows anything about his family or childhood.

Until this episode when a sneaky, power-hungry junior executive Pete Campbell discovers the truth when he steals a goodbye package the suicidal brother sent Don with photos and memorabilia. I don't like Pete at all and I don't think you're supposed to. He's only out for himself, treats his sometime mistress and new wife badly, and envies Don's success and even ease with people.

Pete has been asking for a promotion which Don refused to give him. Now using the info from the package, Pete has tracked down Don's secret or the bare facts of it and confronts him. "Don" was in the Korean War and when his army buddy died, Don traded dogtags and identities. He took on a new name, a new title of Lt. instead of Private, began a new life and most importantly was not linked to his horrible childhood even more. He started over.

Pete attempts to blackmail Don into giving him the promotion in exchange for the secret to remain hidden from the company. Don is careful and stands up to Pete without admitting anything or agreeing. Pete leaves without a decision to be made. Don really panics, goes straight to this mistress, and begs her to leave with him and start completely over in LA. She's excited but confused and after discussing the reality of it including leaving his children fatherless, she becomes angry and says the great line, "You don't want to run away with me. You just want to run away."

The suspense builds. I don't want Don to give Pete what he wants especially as he shows such underhanded methods but it feels like for Don to be revealed would be world-ending for him. He would be fired, family gone, and his old past would come up. The ugly past he tried so hard to escape from and deny. That he can't get away from, no matter how much he runs away.

In a great scene, Don comes into Pete's office and says, "I'm not going to run away. I won't let you hold this over my head. But you haven't thought this through." Pete says nervously, "Is this like in the movies when I have a gun but you don't think I'll use it? I'll shoot the gun, Don." All paraphrased quotes. Don starts walking intently and Pete rushes to catch up. The camera shows them heading for the president/partner Cooper's office. As Pete realizes where this is heading, he says, "Now?!" Good quotes continue until they're standing side-by-side in Cooper's office. Don now seems ready but afraid. He's ready for whatever comes. Pete seems shocked Don is taking it this far and not believing he is. Don says the first thing, an update about a new hire, to Cooper. Not what is expected. Cooper says ok then looks at Pete. Don looks at Pete. Pete's hesitant but decided to plunge forward because he believes he will triumph. "Don Draper, this man, is not who you think he is." He goes on to detail the identity switching. Don stands tall but is sweating. He just looks at his accuser, at his past all coming out despite his desperate efforts to hide it. He stands there as he is revealed, as he cannot hide behind his new name anymore. He waits for the worst.

Cooper stands up and slowly comes forward.

Cooper: Mr. [Pete] Campbell, who cares?
Campbell: Mr. Cooper, he's a fraud and a liar, a criminal even!
Cooper: Even if this were true, who cares? This country was built and run by men with worse stories than whatever you've imagined here.
Campbell: I'm not imagining anything!
Cooper: The Japanese have a saying, "A man is whatever room he is in," and right now Donald Draper is in this room. I assure you. There's no profit in forgetting this. I'd put your energy into bringing in accounts.

Then, after Campbell leaves, Cooper says, "Don, fire him if you want. But I'd keep an eye on him. One never knows how loyalty is born."

As I listened to the song "In Your Presence," I thought about this episode. About the climatic scene in Cooper's office where Don could not stop this schemey accuser so he decided to get it over with. Bring the truth out, to the boss, once and for all. No blackmail or hiding anymore. At least Cooper would know, the consequences would come, and Don would not be trapped by someone trying to bring him down. Most tv shows would enhance and lengthen the drama by letting Don agree to the blackmail but in this show, that's just not Don. And despite all his flaws, that's why we respect him.

And that's what it's like with God. I believe the enemy wants to tear us down, make us afraid to approach God, constantly whispering in our ear our shortcomings and inadequacies so that we are afraid of who we are, who we truly are, and want to avoid God. And we are blackmailed into not telling the truth, into shame, into avoiding others because we don't want our secrets out. The enemy taunts us about our past, about who we used to be, and holds it over our head.

But in His presence, as Cooper in the scene only barely represented a small glimpse of, is forgiveness and mercy. No harsh words or judgement but God's love and acceptance. What we hid, what we were so afraid to show, all our hurt places, in His presence we can give to Him. To finally let out in the light. No more darkness and hiding. But surrounded by God and accepted.

Weird!

Three times today after I went to the bathroom, my right earring fell out. Twice as I was walking back to my office and opening the office door, and once when I was drying my hands. Only my right earring, not the left one.

Weird!

Feeling hopeful

I feel more hopeful about life. What was dim and grey now feels like an early sunset, the light about to roll over the hills. It's not here yet but I feel confident that it will come soon.

Not sure exactly what's going to happen but I feel very zen and peaceful.

God, bring the good things You have coming for my life. I am waiting, in action.


* But bum on Cal's lost on Sat :( Ah, Riley, you played so well but just those last ten seconds were not that great. At least the Chargers won and LT got four rushing TD's.

Guards/nurse acquitted for juvenile's death

This makes me sad. You may have heard of this story. In Jan 2006, a 14yr boy Martin Lee Anderson was sent to a boot camp for juvenile offenders in Florida after stealing his grandmother's car and trespassing at school (not major offenses). On his first day at the camp, he collapsed while running laps and the guards thought he was "faking illness to avoid exercising on his first day in the camp." In a videotaped altercation, the drill instructors hit and kicked him and "the guards dragged him around the military-style camp's exercise yard and forced him to inhale ammonia capsules in what they said was an attempt to revive him."

[Quotes are not meant to be sarcastic, just pulling straight from the article on CNN instead of rewriting them.]

Martin "had undiagnosed sickle cell trait, a usually harmless blood disorder that can hinder blood cells' ability to carry oxygen during physical stress" and died the next day when he was taken off life support.

From the article:

Defense attorneys argued that the guards properly handled what they thought was a juvenile offender faking illness to avoid exercising on his first day in the camp.

Anderson's family had long sought a trial, claiming the state tried to cover up the case, and repeatedly sat through the painful video as it played during trial.

The all-white jury took about 90 minutes to decide whether the guards were responsible for the death of Anderson, who was black. The guards, who are white, black and Asian, stood quietly as the judge read the verdicts.

An initial autopsy by the medical examiner for Bay County found Anderson died of natural causes from sickle cell trait. A second autopsy was ordered and another doctor concluded that the guards suffocated Anderson through their repeated use of ammonia capsules and by covering his mouth.

The Legislature agreed to pay Anderson's family $5 million earlier this year to settle civil claims.

Then-Gov. Jeb Bush appointed Mark Ober, state attorney for Hillsborough County, as special prosecutor in the case. Bush also scolded Tunnell for exchanging e-mails with current Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen, in which he criticized those who questioned the effectiveness of the boot camp concept. He also made light of the protesters in the state capital.

And:

The defendants would have faced up to 30 years in prison had they been convicted of aggravated manslaughter of child. The jury could have convicted them of lesser charges, including child neglect and culpable negligence, but did not.

Not being a lawyer but here's my two cents. What were they intending when they kicked and hit him even as he had collapsed? This is the standard procedure for kids they think are faking sick? I don't think physical abuse should be condoned for any of the juvy kids. I know the reality is it happens but it means when it comes to the forefront and it's VIDEOTAPED and someone DIED, people should be held responsible.

An all-white jury -really? C'mon. They should at least have been convicted on the lesser charges like child neglect and culpable negligence. Who were the defense lawyers? How expensive were they and who paid for them? I doubt the drill instructors, in not a high-paying profession.

The article also says:

The death led to the resignation of Florida Department of Law Enforcement chief Guy Tunnell, who established the camp when he was Bay County sheriff.

The video of a limp Martin Lee Anderson being hit and kicked by the guards after he collapsed while exercising drew protests in the state capital and spelled the end of Florida's system of boot camps for juvenile offenders.

That's good and over-needed that the camp be rexamined/shut down. But for Martin's mother, that doesn't bring her son back.

Gratitude

I'm grateful for being able to work from home sometimes especially when I can avoid nasty snarly traffic jams for a few hours.

I am thankful for my womens group and being able to share and hear.

I am still grateful for the beautiful sky that has God written all over it.

I am thankful for choices and opportunities.

I am grateful for being able to stay longer in my current apt.

I am glad for food that other people make and they feed me with. The best.

Da move is off

Some hiccups came up in the "new apt" process and I'm not moving into the neighborhood in a few weeks as planned. Hmmm... not what I expected. Thankfully my current apt company is letting us stay longer so the current plan is for Ting and me to be here a couple more months and rethink things.

Hmmm... "widen my margin of error"... ok...

Amazing Sky

The sky has been unbelievably beautiful these last two days with the storm clouds hovering. I've seen so many completely gorgeous or "take a pause" scenes yesterday and today. When I wake up, the clouds are resting gently on the Oakland hills with the sunrise coming up, creating the illusion of a warm orange fire. Last night driving home across the Bay Bridge, the sky appeared to be a painting with the softest barely blue sky a backdrop for the ominous twirly gray-white-beige clouds to lie perfectly still against. This morning driving across the bridge, it was really amazing - the clouds blocked downtown SF but the sky behind was true blue so the high-rise buildings were shadowed dark dark brown-grey against a seemingly clear sky. It looked like all the buildings had turned two shades darker while the sky was serene summer blue. It was God in the sky, in the clouds, it was breathtaking.

It was so beautiful, thank you God for your creation.

Tuesday

I am grateful for forgetting my gym pass and talking to You about it.

I am grateful for my many pregnant friends lately - yey for new life and babies.

I am grateful for football.

Grateful

I want to pursue being more grateful in my life so I'm going to write simple gratitude posts daily for the next 10 days. I also read a research study recently that said people that wrote about what they're grateful for everyday in a journal showed an improvement in their health. I know it'll be better for my emotional and spiritual health.

I am grateful for friends who use their lunch hour to go see an apt with me. (Gracias Jill!)

I am grateful for a good job.

I am grateful for my sense of adventure and being able to adapt to change a lot.

I am grateful for Jesus' presence and how I feel re-centered and peaceful after I talk to Him.

Jealousy/Envy and being creative

Wow, loved the letter to Cary Tennis today, and his response. The title is

"My sister is a famous designer - and I'm not!" subtitled
"I do good work but I fear I'm mediocre and my heart is poisoned with jealousy."

A short summary from the letter:

The problem is the constant sense that I'm just not good enough, not the artist I wanted to be, and not the artist my sister is.

From Cary:

The minute you hear that voice in your head that says you've wasted your life doing mediocre design, stop it. Don't do it. When you start to do it, stop as soon as you realize what you're doing. Say out loud, I am a designer. I am an artist. I make honest work. I make a living at my work! I'm a good designer. I do good work!

Just like you, I fucking beat myself up night and day until I'm black and blue because I'm not the guy who wrote "The Corrections" even though I couldn't even read "The Corrections," and I couldn't even read "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" even though I'd like to be Dave Eggers, and why the fuck would I want to be Dave Eggers? Because I'm a sick fucker, that's why, because I hate myself. And I have to stop doing that. I have to love myself.
I have to love myself because loving myself is the only thing that stands between me and suicide.

I love myself because I have to. I love myself because suicide is not an option. I love myself because other people love me and I've got no right. So I love myself immoderately and without delay. I love myself without recompense, without reason, without state sponsorship or licensing, without writing a proposal first or getting a grant, without getting dressed up first and taking a shower, without calling ahead to find out what time I should love myself, without buying a bottle of wine and some flowers first, without shining my shoes and clipping my nails. I love myself because of you. I love myself because there are people like you and me all over the world beating ourselves up because our sisters made more money, because our sisters are more perfect, because everybody loves our sister better. Jesus, woman! Love yourself! Take the afternoon off. Pick up something you've made that you love and admire it. Spend all day admiring it. Don't criticize it. Don't pick it apart. You made it. You are a creative person. You don't control the market. You don't even control your creativity. It's a gift. Take care of it.

From commenters to the letter:

#1
Welcome to adulthood. As children, we are told we are beautiful, talented, so smart. we are told we can be astronauts, great artists, President! But as life goes on, we find that we can't. Maybe we don't have perfect vision. Maybe we're not schoozing machines and no one would ever give us money, not even our parents. And then, we find out that we can't draw--or worse, we can recognize great art, but though we pursue it like the will-o-the-wisp it is, it slips through our fingers. And that's life.
My brother and I both program. He's a genius at it. I'm merely good enough to make a living. He's worked for prestigious employers and makes lots of money. I could envy his brilliance, hate that his paycheck has another zero more than mine. I could be terribly jealous because he is the programmer I will never be. I'll never have what he has.
I refuse to compare myself to him because it would eat me up inside. He has his strengths and I have mine. If you go through life comparing yourself to other people, you will always find those greater and lesser than yourself. There will always be someone smarter, richer, thinner, better. Good for them! But you can't let it diminish you and your own accomplishments and talents.
So what if you're not the next Vera Wang. So what! Cut yourself a little slack. So what if you are merely functionally talented instead of sublimely talented, look where your hard work and drive have gotten you! How many people would KILL to be YOU and do the work you do every day? Lots of people probably envy you.
You know what my brother envies? My life. My kids, my loving spouse. He envies my writing talent, how handy I am around the house, how I'm a better athlete than he ever could have hoped to be. I'll bet you, if you talked to your sister, you'd find she has the same fears about not being the artist she wishes she was. Despite all the money, all the success, all her talent... she might just be jealous of you. Because like my brother, I bet your sibling sees you in a very different light than you see yourself.

#2
I am reminded of a story about two people at a party discussing a very competitive hedge fund manager on the other side of the room, and one of them mentioned that he made $100 million this year. The other person, a mere financial mortal said, "I have something that he will never have." After a pause, he added, "enough."

#3
According to a biography I read, Humphrey Bogart used to cry (drunkenly) on his birthday because he felt like he wasn't good enough. Someone finally asked him why he felt like such a loser when he had a huge house, a great career, money, kids, and Lauren Bacall. And his reply was, "I expected better from me."

One key moment I got an ah-ha moment with envy was a few years in San Francisco. I was going through a really difficult season and at church that Sunday morning, I had been crying to God and praying in the top balcony "loner" part of my church. I cried a lot during that season, probably everyday. After church I hung out at my two good friends' apt who also happened to be married to each other. They are the easiest married couple to hang out with ever, so chill, and so perfectly matched. We had lunch and sat around talking. As I drove home, I felt such strong envy of them, of their finding each other, being happy. I distinctly remember driving through GG Park and being sad (my general sadness at that time was not related to being single).

After I arrived home, my roommate came home. She shared how she had seen me crying during worship and service, and confessed her envy of my being able to cry so easily. She said she wished she could do that, and pray so freely with tears like that. To meet God in my pain. She was more of a stoic, less-emotion-expressing person. I was touched by her sharing and was struck of how everyone is envious of each other about something. I hadn't seen my tears as such a positive but to her, it was. I took it for granted though crying everyday can be hard to feel is a positive :) But to her, it was. Just like my friends' marriage made me envious but they probably took it for granted, or maybe even only saw the problems.

God, I am grateful for my relationship with You, for hearing and talking with You, for emotions, all my emotions even the ones I wish I didn't have, for fun sunny vacations, for tan lines, for my safe and reliable car that has yet to break down on the Bay Bridge (you heard me, former Jetta!), for adorable cats, warm furry bodies, for Mitch "kissing" me by repeatedly nudging his nose into my chin, for my community, for so many friends and people to share life with, for healing and forgiveness and reconciling and hope, for our freedom, for being a woman, for my ethnicity, for being healthy, for bringing me to the college I hadn't wanted at all but am so glad I went to, for everything You've given, even the hard things I've been through. For everything.

So here's to loving ourselves, having more grace on our mistakes, and being able to see our gifts and talents without criticism. I'll toast to that!

$220,000 fine for illegal downloading

A jury gave a $220,000 fine to a woman for downloading 24 songs.

How was she chosen? How did they come up with $9250 a song? I don't think she'll pay it but I wonder.

Facebook

I go on Facebook only when someone adds me as a friend or sends me a message. A new friend joined so I went on today. I now feeling nostalgic and sending msgs or pokes to like almost everyone in my contact list. A bit overboard.... but hey, I won't be on for another month!

If you're not on Facebook, join and have fun with me :)

Car Shootings on 101

Have you guys seen this article? Three shootings from cars to other cars on 101 since Sunday. One man died near Burlingame, one wounded in SF, and one wounded in San Jose.

From the SF Chronicle article:

No suspects have been named in any of the three shootings, and witness descriptions of the possible shooters vary.
Burlingame police described the occupants of the three cars near Wilson's Honda at the time of the crash as African American, Tongan or Samoan men in their 20s. The BMW driver described the man who shot him as an African American man in his 30s, the CHP said. San Jose police have not released a description of the shooter in their case.

I wonder if they are related shootings.

Luv me some books

I love books. I love bookstores and looking at my Amazon online wishlist bc it's full of booksbooksbooks. I may never buy all of them but I like looking at the covers and imagining the stories within.

Sidenote: I don't like Amazon's new website. Too cutesy and bubbly and whoa too many individual "boxes" of info on the homepage.

Here's the book I'm currently reading at work, during breaks and such. About the working poor in the inner city, the ones who are striving to make ends meet on our country's miserable minimum wage, working the jobs most of us see as teenage positions not careers. Good book but sad because it was written in the mid-90's and not much has changed for the better.

Police negligence

The fact that the police did not search for two bodies after a car flipped over fifteen times is much more important than the fact that the club owner disputes the time the guys said they left the club. Why is that emphasized? Who hasn't left a restaurant or party and hung out in the parking lot, talking with friends, for awhile? Who cares if they left thirty or sixty minutes earlier? And they weren't drinking but so what if they had? The accident happened because the car blew a tire but if he had crashed because he was drunk, would that have been a good enough reason not to search for the two missing people involved in the crash?

Completely ridiculous. One of the deceased guys dad heard about the accident from the survivors' families and went back to the scene the next morning to FIND HIS SONS BODY. Draped over a tree and nearby was the other guys dead body.

It was four young black guys in the car, two did not survive. Don't even tell me race didn't have anything to do with this, when the police saw who it was.

Bush's quiet veto

It's a sad day for children's health coverage.

Male managers, female workers

Cary Tennis at Salon.com had some good letters he responded to while I was gone. I find this one very interesting. It's written by a man who supervises 15 middle-aged women and he's having a difficult time dealing with their petty arguing, crying, and not liking each other. I like Cary's response which is long but deals with the heart of the matter in an unique manner.

So much to comment on. Men and women just think really differently, in every aspect, and it comes out in work. There are certain things people want out of work (money, power, respect, socialness, team atmosphere, etc) and in general women want certain things more and men want other things more (of course not all women or all men fit this). I've had some pretty bad male managers and looking back, it's because they didn't realize what I really needed out of the job or from them. Sure, I got the work done and came in on time, so to speak, but we were speaking different lanuages. What I said I needed or wanted, they didn't get because to them, those things were not a priority. In general, things that ruin a workplace for a woman can barely come up on the mental scanner of a man. I guess what I'm saying is interpersonal dynamics and people and relationships are huge for women. Respect and titles and seniority are usually huge for men. Not that there aren't awesome women all career gung-ho and only interested in rising to the top (you go!) or caring men that are interested in interpersonal development. But from what I've seen and experienced, those are not the norm.

And to be honest, a lot of women working together can be difficult. Sorry to say but true. Women can be catty and mean and they do subtle but cruel things in the social group to isolate or bully each other. Esp if there's a lead woman who's doing it and letting/nonverbally encouraging others to also. And women see it all happening but men don't have a clue. I bet that is happening for this guy manager. And it wears on you and makes you hate work and want to leave as soon as possible.

To ponder on...

Cruise moments

10 Cruise moments/ah-ha's (not in a top 10 order or anything):

1) Ask me about a few characters from the cruise nicknamed Justin Timberlake/Silk Shirt, My Type, Jaeger, Yellow Bikini/Bartender, Purple Dress, Pink Outfit, and Gross Old Man. Ha ha.

2) I'm still thrown off by the boat's rocking. As I sit in my office, I'm slightly nauseous from my office "swaying." Why doesn't it stay still? And no I have not drunk anything today. I guess I'm just really sensitive to being on a cruise ship. It's all odd to me bc I grew up doing week-long vacations on a houseboat but I don't remember being that affected. I've been told that it takes a day or two to adjust back. Eh. I heard that pirates wore eye patches because you don't get (as) seasick with only one eye open as it involved depth perception. I have been closing an eye here and there today but I think I might actually like a real eye patch.

3) The food was off the hook, better than expected. It was fun to get dressed up and eat fancy meals for free. We ordered half the menu each, almost every time. Lobster and shrimp rock!

4) I took about 5 pics with my ancient digital camera before letting Pin and Esther take the rest. I am very convinced now that I would like a new camera soon.

5) I don't like getting my bed made in hotels/cruises. They made our beds about 4 times a day. Too many times!! Stop touching my bed and clothes!

6) Cabo in 97 degree weather is way too hot for me. But snorkeling was fun.

7) I don't think I'm a cruise person but it was a fun short experiment. I think carved food is gross especially if it's a meat or cheese.

8) Watching drunk people sing karoake is more fun than I thought. Even better if they're good and it's a fun song.

9) Food that is yummy and free is awesome. Esp if there is a 24 hour frozen ice cream machine. There might have been a day where I got 3 or 4 ice cream cones. I love not having to cook or clean up. And live music sung while you're eating a scrumptious cheeseburger you didn't cook or pay for is a good day. A pina colada doesn't hurt either.

10) Esther and Pin are fun travel buddies and it was fun doing silly stuff and adventuring with them. Next time, everyone come :)

Cabo cruise = super fun