Christ, Another Cold!

{ December 15, 2009 }
I'm sick again and don't want to talk about it. Every time I alter my sleep schedule, I somehow get sick within the next couple of days. That's a horrible immune system I have. I've got the stuffy nose and sneezing going on. I'm also getting chills off and on. I really hope it's not the flu. I didn't get a flu shot.

. . . And I'm Back

{ December 11, 2009 }
Just returned home from my Vegas jaunt this morning - 3:30 a.m. this morning to be exact. I was supposed to arrive at 12:15 p.m. yesterday, but our plane had some kind of mechanical failure light pop on. We were midway down the runway when the pilot put on the breaks. Thought it'd only take an hour to check out, but they ended up sending us back to a hotel to wait it out. Because of this, I'd say there are about 200 people tired out of their minds today.

While many people would love an extra day in Vegas, it'd be a lot better if they'd known ahead of time. Many of the people, who must've been older than God, pulled all-nighters on Wednesday since we had a 5 a.m. call time. This turned out bad since we were stuck in vegas for another 12 hours or so.

At the hotel, we were given meal vouchers so at least the food was free. But how many times can you really eat a buffet? The flight home was long and made longer when we didn't lift off till about an hour after scheduled. This time, in the new plane, a door light wouldn't come on. They had to call in the maintenance people to fix it.

Despite this, I had a nice time in Vegas. I got to go shopping and see Jersey Boys at the Palazzo. We tried to see the Platters, Coasters and Marvelettes, but the show got canceled. This is the second time I've been in Vegas and haven't gotten to see this show. It must be a sign. I ate at Olive Garden (yum!) and saw some hotels. I got in some gambling time and wouldn't have lost so much if we left on time. But since we were delayed 12 hours, I ended up putting a bunch of money back into the slots. Damn it!

The weather was a nippy 30-40 degrees the entire time we were there. I think after the first day we became immune to the cold. After a while it just felt nice and not OMG freezing. We were able to walk around in capris and a long-sleeved shirt with a light jacket. A positive thing about arriving in Honolulu at 2 a.m. is that the temperature was 74 degrees. If we'd arrived at noon as scheduled, we probably would've fainted from the 80-degree heat.

Pack It Up, Pack It In

{ December 5, 2009 }


Well, not exactly House of Pain, but I'm packed and ready for Vegas. Megabucks, here I come! I think I've definitely overpacked though. The weather in Vegas is supposed to range from the 30s to 50s so compared to Hawaii, this is freezing! I packed a gazillion sweaters and jackets, tights and pants. I'm only in Vegas for about 4 days but I have about a week or more worth of clothes. I don't know if the weather will be super cold so I also have some thinner pieces, in case layering is enough. I don't know how mainland folks can live this way. Must be nice for shoppers.

Vegas Vacation

{ December 3, 2009 }
Is it sad that all I care about is not being at work? The count down to vacation isn't about the traveling. It's simply about not having to work. With that in mind, I only have one more day before I can relax into my vacation.

I don't fly out till Sunday and still have to do some laundry and pack. It's going to be freezing up there - probably in the 50s during the day and 30s at night. Good thing I picked up a thick jacket in preparation for Japan. At least if I don't get into JET, I'll still have made use of the thing.

I've got a tentative itinerary for the trip that is packed with shows and tours. The first night my BFF and I plan on going to the Plaza Hotel & Casino, which is just around the corner from where we're staying at the Cal. Depending on how fast we can get there from the airport, we wanted to catch Rat Pack is Back. Yes, we'll be the youngest ones there but who cares? It's the faux Rat Pack! Who could pass that up?

On Monday night, my sister and nieces fly in and we're planning to do a Haunted Vegas Tour that includes a seance. The reviews I read were mostly positive. I don't know if my younger niece will be down with the seance though. It might just freak her out.

Tuesday is Jersey Boys night for me and my BFF. My sister will be at a work function and my nieces will be on their own. Afterwards, the plan is to go clubbing. Know of any good spots we should hit up? We wanted to check out Minus 5 Ice Lounge at Mandalay.

On Wednesday, my sister and nieces are going to Criss Angel. I'm skipping that and will have a free couple of hours. Wonder if I can hit the Megabucks during that time? It only takes a minute, right?

We fly out on an 8 a.m. flight on Thursday. Because of this, we'll probably pull an all-nighter and just gamble or hang out. No sense sleeping for a couple hours when we need to be up early anyway. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep on the plane ride home.

777

{ November 29, 2009 }
I cannot wait to go to Vegas for an extended Girl's Night Out. I'm going with my sister, BFF and nieces. We leave in only one week. Thank goodness.

Despite the Thanksgiving holiday, I still feel quite disgruntled about work. In the past, this has indicated that it is time for me to search for new opportunities in the job market. However, since I've applied for JET all I can do is wait. And the wait is killing me.

Other JET applicants are probably stressing about getting into JET. I'm not really feeling that stress. My anxiety is just waiting to hear back either way so I know if I should start looking for another job or not. I can't very well apply to other places at this point because it'll screw things up if I get into JET.

Thus, my eagerness for a trip to Vegas is really just a diversion of the inevitable waiting. I can only hope to win millions of dollars, which would allow me to quit my job. What a dream that would be.

The Cash Register Monster

{ November 28, 2009 }
I don't think of myself as a dumb person. In fact, I think I come in above average in the smarts department. But for some reason, I cannot, for the life of me, remember how to use the cash register at the JCCH. It's like the thing turns into a monster whenever I come face to face with it.

Honestly, there are so many buttons I feel about 80 years old and unable to cope with technology. But, even that's not true because some of the other volunteers probably are 80 and can work the thing just fine.

I blame it on the instant gratification generation from which I come. When someone shows me how to do it, I can do it just fine. But when I come back a week later, I have completely forgotten how to work it. It doesn't help that I only volunteer once a week and sometimes do not even have any customers to help. Then, when I do have to ring someone up there ends up being a line of people who want to cash out at the same time. Jesus!

This is why I never, ever worked a retail job in my life. This is ridiculous. At least the JCCH customers usually aren't demanding. They're mostly old people so they have all the time in the world. If I had to work at a mall, especially during the holidays, I might just give myself a heart attack from the stress.

I used to think my greatest fear was public speaking. Right about now, I would gladly stand up in front of 100 people and talk about global warming rather than use the darn cash register again.

Black Cloud Friday

{ November 22, 2009 }
Where was I this Black Friday? If your first guess is standing in line, holding my pee and waiting for the Best Buy people to pass out numbers to get in . . . you're wrong. If your second guess is sitting in a lawn chair sipping on a Jamba Juice outside of some handbag store . . . you're still wrong, but I truly wish you were right. So where the hell was I? Ah, but of course. I was at work. Thus begins what I will now being calling Black Cloud Friday.

Is it seriously necessary to be in the office the day after Thanksgiving unless you work a retail job? I think not. I mean, unless you're in the heart of all the madness, there's no reason you need to be at work. Instead, you should be up to your neck in deals and cursing that you only have one body with which to stand in line.

So in order to silently protest my dissatisfaction with the system, I browsed the web all day and refrained from doing too much work. I mean, seriously . . . it so was not necessary to come in today.

I can only hope to hit the effin' Megabucks when I go to Vegas in two weeks. If I do, I'm never coming back to work again. Take that puppy as a lump sum and don't look back.

Technology Makes People Stupid

{ November 21, 2009 }
The following conversation occurred at Ward Theatre last night at a showing of Planet 51. This is why technology is making people stupid.

Stars of this performance: group of about eight 7-year-old girls, a mother and a father.

Mom: "Okay, so we have two Sprites . . . one fruit punch . . ."
Girl 1: "I want a Sprite too!"
Mom: "Girl 1, I counted you already."
Girl 2: "Me too."
Mom: "Girl 2, you want a Sprite or a fruit punch?"
Girl 2: "Sprite."

- More of the same -
- Dad waiting for orders -

Mom: "So, we've got three Sprites, two fruit punches. Girl 7, you said you wanted a fruit punch?"
Girl 7: "No, I wanted water."
Mom: "Ok you can have a water."
Girl 4: "I want water too."

- More of the same -
- Dad only hears a high-pitched buzzing -

Mom: "Alright, raise your hand if you want Sprite?"

- Pause while counting -

Mom: "Who wants water?"

- Pause while counting -

Mom: "And what about fruit punch?"

- Pause while counting -

Mom: "Dad, can you get four Sprites, three waters and a fruit punch?"

- Dad shakes himself awake -

Dad: "Sure, four Sprites, three waters and a fruit punch?"

Mom: "Yes."

- Dad walks down stairs -
- Dad turns back to Mom -

Dad: "Four Sprites, three waters and a fruit punch, right?"

Mom: "Yeah, do you want me to text it?"

Dad: "Yeah, text me."

- Dad continues down stairs -

Community Service - Meals On Wheels

{ }
I just got back from our company's community service project. We volunteered to deliver healthy meals to seniors in Lanakila Pacific's Meals On Wheels program and had a great turnout of staff and their family. We covered 16 routes, which enabled all regular volunteers to take the day off. Like most events it was quite stressful especially in the morning. However, overall I think we did well and made a good showing.

One let down was that we discovered one of our routes was done incorrectly. This really rained on our parade, not to mention left seniors without vital nutrition. The seniors were not given the appropriate amounts of food and drink because this particular group did not follow the delivery guidelines established by Lanakila and reinforced by the community service project committee.

Why must there always be that one person in a group who tends to ignore all rules and do things his/her own way. It's such a shame, especially when people painstakingly plan things out to make the event run smoothly. I'm not really sure what causes these people to be this way? It's probably just the American upbringing in general that establishes independence and an almost overwhelming self-confidence. Unfortunately, this actually inhibits group work because it results in too many leaders.

To successfully orchestrate an event, it takes time and organization. When you have a loose cannon in your midst, it's difficult to keep things on a steady course. People should realize that there's a time and place to set your mark as an individual and that this trait is not always beneficial. Sometimes being a little humble and more docile generates better results.

Waiting Game

{ November 19, 2009 }
I've been so busy this week that I forgot to check whether or not my JET application made it to D.C. Finally got around to checking tonight and it arrived safely on Monday afternoon. Priority Mail was apparently enough to get it there in time. I was not going to pay a minimum of $17.50 to go Express Mail. If that were the case, I could've done FedEx or UPS. Crazy!

Anyway, I guess at this point there's nothing more to do but wait. I am hoping the time between now and the interviews will go fairly quickly. I am really getting fed up with work and am looking forward to a vacation soon. I dream of leaving for some European jaunt and never coming back. I may just need to settle for a quick trip to Vegas with my sis. I waiting to hear whether or not my BFF can go with us.

Baby Steps

{ November 16, 2009 }
Yesterday I met with my student for our first tutoring session. Apparently, she was under the impression that we were to meet at 4 p.m. We were really supposed to meet between 5:30 and 6:00 p.m. It was a bit awkward but not too bad.

My student was accompanied by her friend and her friend's son. I think that was completely distracting but will let it go for the first several sessions. I want to see how she reacts to studying and learning first before I start implementing rules and regulations.

During the session, my student was easily distracted by her surroundings. However, it seemed like she was determined to learn so that's definitely a good sign. She seems to know and be capable of reading more than she lets on. I think this is because her friend is with her. She is too dependent on this friend to really take charge of her life. I guess this is something we'll need to work on.

For the first session, I think it went quite well. I am still not sure what kinds of disabilities my student possesses. It's hard to tell at this point . . . not that I'm qualified to diagnose any. One thing that is obvious is her ADHD. I think she might have some other disabilities as well that will probably become more obvious the more I get to know her. For now we're taking baby steps, and that's all that I can ask of her.

End of Scene Unseen Podcast

{ November 14, 2009 }
My favorite movie podcast just announced that they'll be wrapping up their show and will only be doing the blog. I don't even read their blog! It's not the same as hearing them on the podcast. The podcast I'm referring to is called Scene Unseen with Chris and Jimmy. WTF?!?! I'm at a loss for words.

These guys are hilarious and totally on it when it comes to the film world. I've watched a ton of great movies because of the DVD pick part of their show. I'm so sad to hear that they're quitting. Damn it! Every time I get into a tv show or whatever it ends up getting canceled. This really sucks.

Thanks, But No Thanks

{ November 13, 2009 }
I finally got a reply to my manuscript submission. Unfortunately, it was a TNT letter - thanks but no thanks. Well, I guess that should really be TBNT, but we called it a TNT letter at my old job. It looks like a form letter but at least the editor signed it herself and didn't just say from "the editor." It says that the manuscript was well written. However, due to the economy the publisher is being extremely selective with what they print. I guess you can pretty much use the economy as a reason for anything these days.

Oh well. I guess it was worth a try. I didn't feel confident in this plot anyway. It's not as smooth as my last one. Speaking of my last manuscript, I haven't heard anything about when it'll get published or what the status is on this. I wonder if they're just holding on it because of "the economy too?" I mean, I already signed the contract for that one . . . twice. It's kind of irritating actually. But what can you do? I have other things to deal with at the moment so it'll just sit there till it gets the green light.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

{ November 12, 2009 }
I did it. I dropped my JET application in the mail today. It should make it to DC next week. That's plenty of time to make the Nov. 24 deadline.

I'm not sure if they'll consider me. I think my essay came out okay, especially after I got some help with it. I wonder how many applicants there'll be from Hawaii? I guess that's hard to predict. I'd anticipate there'd be more this year because of the way things are going in the economy.

I don't have my hopes up. I can pretty much take it or leave it. I guess that's not a good thing to say but it's true. I have a stable job so even if I don't get in I'll still have something to fall back on. It's different for recent college grads without jobs. Still, I'd love the opportunity to go to Japan. It would be a killer experience.

I plan to still do some research on the country and get more acquainted with it just in case I do get selected. I'm definitely not looking forward to the interview, but I'm sure no one is. We'll see how it goes I guess.

You Learn Something New Every Day

{ November 8, 2009 }
After speaking with the volunteer coordinator at Hawaii Literacy, I decided to request for another student. Since I would really like to begin tutoring and do not really appreciate being stood up for the past two sessions, I decided to give up on my first student. He apparently doesn't want to devote the time to learn to read. This is fine with me.

I was given a new student and met her today for the first time. This should be interesting. She seems very enthusiastic about learning but has a short attention span. She's easily distracted and zones out a lot. I suppose this will be good training for JET as kids are probably very similiar.

We arranged to meet up once a week since we don't live near each other. I hope we're able to have a longer meeting since it's only once a week. However, we'll have to test out her ADHD thing. Maybe she won't be able to focus that long. I'm not sure exactly what's going on with her as far as any learning disabilities. She has a difficult time pronouncing words and even forming thoughts sometimes. I don't know if she was in any kind of accident previously or if this is just biological. We'll see how it goes.