Small World Traveler

Countdown

2009-08-31T19:34:00.003-07:00

Countdown

2009-08-31T19:34:00.001-07:00

Trip Planning

2009-07-24T15:21:00.000-07:00

I've been busy with work and just looked at the calendar the other when it hit me. Ireland is six weeks away!!! True I'm working with a company that gives us a self drive tour, where we (the four girls on this trip) can go off the beaten track and meander on our own sightseeing places without the touristy guide. The nice thing about a self-drive tour is that you don't have to worry about your lodging, it's part of the package along with your rental car agreement and a tentative map. Still having a good trip means pre-planning and organizing. You need to know where you're going and since this is a trip that you've waited for all year you sure don't want to miss a thing. People say I'm anal because I make so many to-do list but you read any travel books and they will all tell you the same thing, a good trip takes good planning. Because once you arrive at your destination you don't want to worry about how to get from point A to point B, where to get food, money, bathrooms, etc. You want to enjoy yourself! So I spent this past weekend mapping out how to get from one lodging to another and highlighting it on my Michelen map. Now that I know where to get from our lodging I can see what sights are nearby and then figure out to how veer from the main roadways to get there. The way it looks like right now it appears as though plenty of driving is going to happen and I just hope my travelmates all get along cause we have no choice we will be cooped up in the car 1/2 the time getting out to take pictures, eat (I'm thinking picnic lunches is in order and maybe some picnic dinners!) and walk around to enjoy the scenery. After all isn't Ireland all about the land and it's people??

I'll keep you all posted on how planning goes.

Bleak times ahead

2009-06-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

The economy hasn't gotten any better with the new presidency and frankly time is running short. How it affects me is that my work place is laying off 100 more people than they originally projected which means the rollback to my division is going to affect a few good people on my shift. From what I hear due to the budget crisis and the fact that the local Law Enforcement didn't get the necessary amount of money it needs to keep functioning at the current level it is in protecting the citizen, chaos is soon predicted to ensue. I fear for my deputies and family who live in this county, if they don't know how to protect themselves then they are at loss because there isn't enough resources available to them due to budget cuts. I can picture total anarchy going to happen or perhaps we will go back to the days of the "wild west" and that is one ugly picture but it is so going to happen if some money doesn't come in quick! The federal business stimulus money that the President keeps promising just means more taxes in my eyes and frankly I don't put much hope in men lately. What politicians promise and what they actually do is two very different things! But one thing is re-assuring that God is still in control and has a reason for placing people in high power that we don't understand at the moment. Frankly I think He's punishing us for turning away from Him and even though 9/11 happened the country still has yet to turn back to seeing Him. Sad really when you realized that what we need right now is a revival of the D.L Moody, Charles Spurgeon & Jonathan Edwards magnitude. So where are the Godly leaders who will take the stand? Speak the truth? Yes my friends, it is definitely bleak times ahead not just for my department but for the entire country itself.

Bone tired

2009-06-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

I've just worked 13 days straight including 2 court appearances. Considering that some of my coworkers who have been at my work place longer than I have and have yet to see a subpoena, I apparently hold some kind of record for taking the stand. My nerves were raw and taunt at the first appearance but yesterday's second was not so bad considering I've already gotten over my first time in court. It was odd and fascinating at the same time to be part of the judiciary system. Needless to say the butterflies were flying in full and that added to the tenseness of my muscles, nerves!

But that isn't the only thing adding to what at times I feel like the weight of the world on my shoulders. Due to California's financial crisis there has been the L word (lay-offs) hanging over the work place and since the shift I work on is mostly composed of new people it is that shift which will be the most affected. When you take away funds to your local Law Enforcement Agency, you are limiting their capabilities of protecting the very citizens that is paying for protection but it feels like everyone has to take a cut. There hasn't been an official word on how many people will be laid-off but it is a significant amount. So now you know why after working 13 days straight I sure could use that Catalunyan Cava right now. =) I can feel the stress and tenseness seeping through the muscles into the bones and it's not a very good feeling. Let's just hope sleep comes soundly because otherwise the bags under my eyes will be larger than the carryons people are allowed to have on planes!

Puppy Love

2009-06-04T00:22:00.000-07:00

It is rather amusing to watch my brother these days. He is definitely in "puppy love" which is defined in the dictionary as 'the temporary infatuation of a boy or girl for another person'. Watching this first hand brings back memories of high school and my friends when they began their interest in the opposite sex. The long talks at night where you say absolutely nothing and everything, the notes at school (or these days it's text messages), the smiles between you and that significant other, inside jokes that only you two understand because it happened during one of those late night talks and of course the sappiness in those letters/e-mail/text messages and notes. It's very cute to watch this since he's never been in "love" before. The innocence of it all is endearing and reminds you that not everyone is as jaded as you are!

Do you remember your first crush? Have you seen what they look like now? Do you go back and look at it with a little laughter thinking how naive you were back then or do you still pine for that person? Time is supposed to heal all wounds but sometimes we like to pick at the scab so it won't heal right and it still stings. =) What time of memories do you have?

Oh to be young again...

2009-05-22T02:21:00.001-07:00

I’m sorry I haven’t been keeping up on this blog. But this past month has been such a busy month for me emotionally and there are just some things you can’t share. I must say that there have been plenty of times where I wished I was still a kid again. The responsibilities of being an adult can at times be so overwhelming. I mean why did I ever want to hurry and grow up? As a grown up you have bills to pay, a job to go to where at times you may not get along with the people you work with, parents who need you to take care of them, mortgages to pay, your health to worry about. So can anyone remind me again of why it’s so fun being a grown up? Oh and did I mention that being a single person your choices on a mate deteriorate with the years passing you by. Yeah right now I’m wishing I was still 10 years old! Running around the playground with friends, my biggest worry is how to solve fractions and long divisions, and still living at home (okay so the latter part is still true in my life! But hey with the economy the way it is, living at home is cheaper than on your own these days =])

Goodbyes

2009-04-18T06:50:00.000-07:00

There is a quote from Shakespear's Romeo & Juliet "parting is such sweet sorrow" that is often cited in different occasions. Tonight I had to say goodbye to one of the best supervisor's I've had the honor to work with and it was just like the quote sweet but at the same time sorrowful. This man was such a great person to work with, he managed to find that balance between authority and comraderie in the work place. For the most part I like my shift but before Mel came to our shift there wasn't that bond between the new peopel and the veterans. Mel brought our shift together by his sense of humor. He would try to scare us by hiding around corners and got me good a few times including once while I was on the radio talknig. But he also managed to maintain his authority and there was never any doubt as to who was in charge. Good leaders like him are hard to find these days! The kind that can motivate their people to work without raising their voice, create an environment where people still feel free to express themselves and yet be productive, and yet maintain a sense of decorum and order. He was wonderful and we're going to miss him.

But like most good people he had to move on and leave us quicker than the rest. So being the good team that we were, we gave him a good farewell to show our appreciation to him being a great supervisor. Hopefully he will stop by to visit once in a while since he's still with the department. He just moved to a different division, so it's not a complete and finite parting!

Letting go of Friends

2009-04-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

These past two weeks have been rather trying for me in my relationships with friends. I've had to say good-bye to two friends who I've known for a combined total of 25 years. That's a long time! One of the friendship that I've had to let go I was tried of being the only one inputting time and effort to keep it alive. It was like trying to give oxgen to something that was brain dead, yeah not a pretty picture I know but that it seemed like to me. So I had to cut that relationship and let it go. The other one came out of nowhere! I was not expecting a "Dear John" e-mail from this person even though I haven't heard from her in a month or two when I do call her. But she sent me the e-mail and asked me to not contact her. I was rather sad on reading the e-mail but respected her for letting me know. I wish I could say that I cried but my tears ducts have decided to quit working for me right when I need them too! So now there is just this dull feeling inside. But I know as in life there are many twist and turns in our journey and friends may come and go.

Weekend in VA

2009-03-30T20:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend I drove 7 hours to VA so I can visit my old roommate and friend KB. I haven't seen KB since she was a newlywed and kids free. These days she has two adorable kids and I'm so thankful she blogs so I can keep up with her. The drive was long and Friday it was raining from Greenville, SC to VA. All through North Carolina I didn't see much since it was such a torrential down pour that I can barely see the cars ahead of me. Then just as I crossed over the VA state line there was a "traffic jam" which made me laugh because it was a two lane highway and all traffic was at a standstill. A trip that mapquest said would take me 7hours 21 minutes ended up being about 8 hours. But it was lovely seeing KB and her family, the kids were still up when I pulled in and I got attend their bedtime routine which included prayer and a Bible story. It was so refreshing to see godly parenting!

Saturday Laura came up and we all (with the exception of Jon, KB's hubby who had to work) went to the Marine Corp musuem. Michael was fascinated with what he saw and I must say I was very inspired. It made me want a Marine! LOL But seriously the museum is worth visiting if you're near Quantico. First off it is FREE admission and then you learn about the history of the Marine Corps. They had lectures too, which was interesting but you needed more time to sit in and actually listening. I thought it was rather concidential that the lecture of the afternoon was the Irish in the Marine! But I didn't last long since there was more to see and of course a gift shopt to visit! =)

Life size images of Marines getting out of a helicopter.

This man is a statue!

After the museum we went to the mall where Michael got his own Build-A-Bear. He chose a stuffed doggy with a police uniform. The naming part was a bit tough since Michael had all sorts of ideas on what to call his new toy from Boney to Bob Jones, KB finally settled for Sebastian. =)

We stopped off at the Home show where Jon was working and walked around for a bit. It was cool how some of the booths were elaborately set up with a full fountain or patio sets. Michael was fascinated by the fake fireplaces. Then it was back home for dinner, put the kids to bed and a few hours of Dutch Blitz. I must say I got caught up with my lack of Dutch Blitz in years just this weekend! Boy did that bring back some memories of mid-terms and finals at college. =)

Jon and his business

Michael copying the frog pose

Sunday was church then lunch at Olive Garden. Laura had to go home so we took afternoon naps, myself included =) which was nice in KB's couch in the great room. Got an evening service in and then I was taken to a Fredricksberg landmark, Carl's Ice Cream. That was some delicious ice cream and the place has been there since the 1950's apparently. They were still using the same ice cream maker so it definitely had the old fashion feel, too bad I left my camera in the car. But it was so quaint and very All-American to go get ice cream after church =) gave me that warm fuzzy feeling I thought I'd lost due to the harshness of my job. It's nice knowing you can still feel that way around good wholesome people!

Needless to say I had a great weekend! It was fun seeing KB again and getting to know her adorable kids. They were such a joy to be around. KB and Jon are doing some wonderful parenting where they're not afraid to discipline and correct their children. I've never known someone so young who could just start to talk say the "magic word" of please and thank you at that age. That is such a rare thing to find in this day and age.

A challenge

2009-03-25T04:56:00.000-07:00

Last night's speaker at BC was Pastor Ollila and he covered Nehemiah 8. He had three points:
1.The Preacher
2. The Preaching
3. The People

I'm not going to go over every note I took just because I took some really lousy notes =) But what I got out of the night was this challenge during the second point. A subpoint under the Preaching was that the Preaching of Nehemiah brought Conviction to the people. It was actually an illustration that he used. Bet I got you curious now right? =) Well the challenge was list 50 "I am" about yourself. Can you do that? I'm still working on my list!

Back at the bubble

2009-03-24T03:25:00.000-07:00

Yes I have returned back to my Alma matter, Bob Jones University aka "the bubble". The flight back east was uneventful it was what happened once I got into town that stressed me out. Let's just say that there are times when I wished I wasn't so impulsive to take up a challenge without really thinking it through!

The campus has changed a lot since I graduated and even though I was here a little over a year ago to drop of my brother for his Freshman year; change has occurred since then. The Rodeheaver Auditorium got a much needed face lift and it looks very sleek and modern now to really complete the front entry look of the campus. Lots of new modern looking buildings, lighting around the campus and the general landscaping has changed since my freshman year 10 years ago. Yeah I felt old when I realized that too! =)

One of the first things that made me sigh in contentment and gave that coming home feel was entering the FMA. The ushers were still there handsome, standing tall and directing traffic, the fact that from almost anywhere you sit you get a good view of the whole place and can spot familar faces of teachers in the crowd. Then the singing began and oh my that is when I finally calmed down from the earlier drama at the airport. I missed the beautiful sound of people singing in perfect harmony, at times I used to think this is what being in heaven and singing with the angels must sound like. The music and just the general aura of people glad to be there, smiling wholesome faces of law abiding citizens. It was so refreshing! Of course I had to peek at the first page of the University Hymnal and there it was...the University Creed. For those reading this and who have gone to BJU, can you still remember the creed? =) I only got as far as the first statment! LOL

The speaker of the evening was Dr. Hartog III and he covered Numbers 14 with Murmurring as the topic. It was such a good sermon and reminder of how you miss blessings because of griping. His three points that I got were:
1-Murmurring shows lack of gratitude to God
2-Murmurring shows lack of submission to the Devine leadership
3-Murmurring gives evidence in the lack of fatih.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the week and my visit!

Lasik

2009-03-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

Okay so one of my closest friend and I have been talking about getting Lasik done these past few months. She did the research, being a nurse and all, while I just followed. A nice change of pace since on the trips we take, I do the research and she just follows along. But she found this doctor who's had a great reputation for successful surgeries and he's done a few people in the Department. So three weeks ago we both went in together to get our eyes evaluated and see if we are a candidate for surgery. The process wasn't too bad, it was just like going to vist your optometrist.

My friend did her surgery last week and I met up with her on Monday. She could see clearly and was able to drive herself to the post-op visit the day after surger. It was amazing and she loved it! So today it was my turn to go. Let me just say that reading the consent form will scare you a lot and then your imagination starts goin off in that "worst case scenario" way. Not a good thing! They offer you some Valium before surgery, which I was told I should take. That totally helped mellow me out and by the time I was going in the surgery room I was really feeling relaxed. The nurse kinda smiled as she said "so you took the Valium? your eyes are glazed over". But hey that made the post op nap really nice and long. The actual surgery was really quick about two minutes long!

When I woke up I could see the TV from where I was sleeping on the couch, the clock on the wall and then looking out the window I can see the trees clearly. It was such an odd feeling to see things without glasses. But I must say the dryness is starting to bother me and I've been using the artificial tears like crazy to sooth my eyes.

Was it worth it? YES! Absolutley! The amout of money you save through the year from not buying contacts, solutions, new glasses and increase in eye prescripting is a big plus.

Slow Dance

2009-03-11T00:29:00.001-07:00

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down, don't dance so fast.
Time is short, the music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask "How are you?" do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,
With the next hundred chores running through your head?

You'd better slow down, don't dance so fast.
Time is short, the music won't last.

Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die?
Cause you never had time to call and say "Hi!"?
                              
You'd better slow down, don't dance so fast.
Time is short, the music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
It's like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life is not a race, do take it slower.
Hear the music, before the song is over.

A busy month

2009-02-25T21:52:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I haven't updated this blog in awhile but February was a busy month unexpectedly. It started off with a visit to the dentist after I thought I chipped a tooth. What it turned out to be was part of my root canal, the tip, falling off due to poor workmanship. So I had to go back for a root canal and crown. Not a fun two weeks I tell you!

Single Awareness Day (aka Valentine's Day) was uneventful as it was the week after that I looked forward to the most. That was the week I would meet the Sharks and go behind the scenes. My favorite hockey team and me getting to meet some of them! I was so excited!!

Marcel Goc Doug Wilson & Ricci JR's uniform

I also finally finished my Spain scrapbook, one of the thickest one's I have now. But taht is due to so many pictures I took! Oh well, maybe March will be a little bit less frantic. We shall see!

Dinner with a friend

2009-01-27T20:21:00.000-08:00

I love having one of my dearest friends in town who doesn't work for the department! Tonight Allison and I went out for dinner since we've not been able to catch up all week. She was working the whole weekend and normally I see her at church on Sundays to catch up but not this week. Anyways I took her to this Thai place not too far from her house called Tuk-tuk. The food was really good and not too spicy.

And no we didn't plan to wear pink sweaters tonight, that was totally accidental!

Heaven help me from well meaning people

2009-01-14T23:40:00.000-08:00

So this Sunday a lady at church pulled me over to the side and said "I want to introduce you to someone". I thought she meant a visitor to the church, but that is not the case! This lady wants to set me up with someone.

What I don't get is why do people think something is wrong with me just because I am single? I am content and happy being single. IF God wants to bring a man in my life then He will do it in His time. So thank you for your offers but please....let God do His work.

You never know who's watching

2009-01-05T11:58:00.000-08:00

Last night I took some friends out to San Francisco since they've never been out West before. It was pretty fun! I took them up to the Twin Peaks which has this great view of the whole city and part of the other town. Then we rode the cable car up and around the hills of San Francisco. I found out where the ZARA store is located but they didn't have the perfume I liked there. So we rode the cable car back to the 'crookedest road' and then hopped off to take a walk down that road. My brother took some crazy pictures of him trying to do this break dance move on the crooked road. Then I took them to Ghiradelli square so that they could purchase chocolates for their family back hom. I found out that Bill & Jess have never eaten at a Bubba Gumps before and since there was one at Pier 39 we went there for dinner. Being belivers praying before a meal is pretty typical and nothing out of the ordinary for us. Dinner was great with good food and great conversations. My brother told stories of his Society's jokes and pranks, while Bill & Jess shared their stories from the 'good old days' at BJU. What was interesting was what happened near the end of our dinner. This lady comes up to our table and says "I just wanted to tell you that I noticed you guys saying Grace earlier and it just made an impression on me. You guys are Christians right? Well you saying a prayer before your meal just made an impression on me and I just wanted to let you know." We were a bit stunned and didn't know what to say other than Thank you and God Bless you.

What amazes me is how a simple act that is so common to us can make such a impact on someone unknowingly watching us! So you never know who is watching you and your testimony even though you do such mundane, common things. Guess we really are a Light in this world whether we think so or not.

Weddings

2009-01-03T23:01:00.000-08:00

My friend, Anne, got married today. I was one of the bridesmaid and it was a nice, typical American wedding. I say typical because it was less than 30 minutes long and so far the American weddings I've been to are like that short, sweet to the point. You march down the aisle, light the unity candle, say the vows, the minister says a few words (or a sermon) in the midst of all these are special number(s) and then boom it's done. The minister pronounces you as husband and wife, walk back down the aisle and out the door. What I did notice today was that the pictures took longer than I thought it would. Anne hired a professional photographer and I can't wait to see how her pictures turned out. The bridesmaids were all in the same shade of red but different styles and the groomsmen were rather dapper in their suits. But as usual the show stealer were the ring bearer and flower girl. =) The ring bearer was Anne's nephew and he just skipped down the aisle while the flower girl meticulously dropped a flower carefuly as she walked slowly down the aisle. It was a nice and lovely ceremony and the bride and groom were very much in love. Then it was over and the reception was held at our church. I sat at the kids table, (mind you not on purpose!) where basically the flower girl and one of the guest daughter sat down to where I was and the ring bearer occasionally came over. He had too much energy to sit still. When they did the boquet toss, the bride purposefully threw it to me but I deflected it and sent to a younger child whose brother caught the garter. Yeah I wasn't ready to be the next one to get married and as one of the bride's friends whom I also know pointed out...I travel around too much to stand still long enough for a man to catch me. =) Now that was a nice thought (even though I don't belive it myself that that is the reason why I'm still single) for her to try to ease the extremely annoying thought of "WHY AM I STILL SINGLE?" that has been trying to get me to go down into the depression spiral. But the wedding was lovely, the reception was casual and fun with plenty of leftovers and Anne is now Mrs. Christopher Dorband.

Of course if this was an Asian wedding it would've been much longer! An Asian wedding is usually about an hour to two hours long (depending if you are Catholic and have a Mass) due to all the ceremonial things and the march of the sponsors alone takes at least 20 minutes. The principal sponsors could be godparents, counselors, a favorite uncle and aunt, even a parent. Secondary sponsors handle special parts of the ceremony, such as the candle, cord and veil ceremonies. Candle sponsors light two candles, which the bride and groom use to light a single candle to symbolize the joining of the two families and to invoke the light of Christ in their married life. Veil sponsors place a white veil over the bride’s head and the groom’s shoulders, a symbol of two people clothed as one. Cord sponsors drape the yugal (a decorative silk cord) in a figure-eight shape–to symbolize everlasting fidelity–over the shoulders of the bride and groom. Then there is the sermon or speech given by the officiating person, saying the vows, exchanging rings and in between all these are a few songs and "special numbers". So needless to say it is a large and long ordeal, but the reception after is worth the wait! Because there is a ton of food at the reception, you can have everything from roasted pig, lumpias to this elaborate wedding cake. And then there is the dancing to do, part of the ceremonial dance at the reception, some couples incorporate a ‘money dance’ where guests pin peso (or dollar!) bills on either the bride or groom in return for a chance to dance with them. Also at the end newlyweds release a pair of white doves during the reception to signify a peaceful and harmonious marital relationship.

New Year's Tradition

2009-01-01T02:06:00.000-08:00

Every year my family and now our church sets goals for the upcoming year instead of resolutions. It is a five part goals and then we do a Verse to claim for the new year. Here is the format with some examples.

I. My relationship to God-COMMITMENT
1. Make a list of blessings
2. Memorize verses
3. Have devotional time everyday

II. My relationship to my family-CONFIDENCE
1.Take kids out to the library
2. Invite teenage daughter for a special breakfast
3. Do family game night once a month

III. My relationship to my self-COURAGE
1. Develop a daily exercise plan
2. Try a new hair style
3. Treat myself to a manicure

IV. My relationship in homemaking-CONCERNS
1. Make floral arrangement or centerpiece table
2. Clean out linen closet and rearrange according to size
3. Paint the dining room

V. My relationship to others-COMPASSION
1. Write notes of appreciation to two people
2. Take food for needy friend
3. Send the missionary a care package

Verse to claim for the year.

The great thing about this is when you look over your list on Dec. 31st and see if you've accomplished your goals there is that feeling of accomplishment. What I also find amazing is the verse that you claim at the beginning of the year is woven throughout the whole year in such unexpected and unique ways that allows you to truly see God's hand at work.

I hope this list will inspire you to set goals for the upcoming year!

Spain

2008-12-23T16:35:00.000-08:00

How was Spain you may ask? Well if you read my other blog (www.offexploring.com/travelingchameon) you would know I had a great time! Even though I didn't speak Spanish well only a sprinkling of words with the use of my phrasebook, I found that one can communicate without using much words. The people there were friendly (except for the creepy guy that followed me once on Montjuic [I escaped him by entering a restaurant with an awesome view!] and the weenie-wacker guy in Valencia) and thought I was one of them. So most of the time they would rattle off in Spanish as I nod my head and try to grasp a few words to understand what they are saying. But I discovered that one didn't need many words to communicate and that a smile goes a long way in communication.

Frankly I wished I had set aside more time for Valencia instead of just four days. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain yet it somehow retains the traditional small town feel. They still have their siesta at 2pm and everything but food places are closed until 4pm. You can hardly find English signs at their museums only Spanish and the local dialect and you'd be lucky if you get an English guidebook. The city isn't very touristy unless it is with other Spaniards from different regions and I didn't really see too many large tourist buses like in Barcelona. Valencia weather reminded me of home and frankly if I were to pick a place in Spain to live I would want to live here. You have the center of town which retains the classic style architecture, then there is the riverbed turned park which connects the center of town to the modernist City of Arts and Science. Plus there is the beach, where one can swim in the Mediterranean. The airport isn't very large but it can get you to the two big cities, Madrid and Barcelona, or you can take the train to travel around town.

Barcelona was a nice city to wander in and absorb. A city full of energy, people hustling and bustling everywhere, tourist abound in droves and yet one can still get lose them by getting lost in the Barri Gotic. There is so much to see and taking the Bus Turistic is a great way to do that. The bus hits all the "must see" things on two different routes (3 in the summer) and you can hop on and off at any point to take your time to see each place. If you're in Barcelona for more than 2 days it is worth your while to get the Barcelona Card. You can get it for 2, 3,4 or 5 days and use it on both the Metro and buses it is a good way to get around the city, though you still want to bring comfortable shoes since you'll be walking a lot. Art museums abound, there is the Picasso musuem, Miro musuem, Gaudi musuem and National Art Musuem. I got my fill of culture and fell in love with Gaudi's work. I spent 8 days in Barcelona and was quite satisfied with it, by the end of my time there I felt that I knew the city well enough that when I go back I can manuever around much like Paris. The only difference is that when I left Barcelona there were no tears, in Paris I had tears as the plane took off.

How am I feeling?

2008-12-06T12:29:00.000-08:00

Well after almost tripping and falling while walking back to my hotel this song comes to mind.

Packed and ready to go

2008-11-27T22:52:00.001-08:00

I'm off on my Spain vacation in the morning. The bags are packed, weighed and repacked again. Those pre-trip butterflies are back in my stomach and I'm trying to get them to fly in formation at least. This trip is my second solo trip so the first timer butterflies are gone at least. But I'm still very, very nervous since I really don't speak Spanish at all. Basic traveler's/tourist Spanish is all I know how to speak and I have a feeling that it will be like my Asia trip. =)

I'm probably going to update my other blog: www.offexploring.com/travelingchamelon

So if you could keep me in your prayers as I travel I'd greatly appreciate it. And check out the
other blog if you want to make sure I'm still alive. =)

Colorado Pictures

2008-11-25T13:20:00.001-08:00

Packing for Colorado

2008-11-19T17:30:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow I leave for a short visit to see my good friend from college, "Bob" (aka Stephanie Solich), in Denver. What to pack? I called Bob and my other friend, Tiffany, to see what the weather conditions were and how to pack. Basically they both told me to pack in layers, since it has been from 60 degrees to 40 degrees out there. So out goes my sweaters and I had to go and buy a winter coat, both for this trip and the one next week. Also gloves, we don't really need gloves out here in California since our winters are mostly wet and not chilly so that was another purchase to be made. But I think I'm ready for the cold now. I looked at the weather forecaset and it showed mid 50's for the most part of the weekend but I herd the wind makes it colder than it really is too. So we shall see if this California girl will not be turned into a popscile while in Colorado. =)

It has been over two years since I've seen Bob and about seven years since I've seen Tiffany. So this will be a nice quick visit to see them and give me an amuse bouche for my big trip to Spaing next week. I can't wait!

Haircut

2008-11-14T16:59:00.000-08:00

In preparation for my trip, I went to see my hair dresser and had my hair cut. Last time I was there she mentioned giving me bangs. Now I haven't had bangs since middle school so I was a bit wary enough so that I stayed away a good six months. But since I am off to Colorado next week and then Spain the following week, it was time to get my hair cut. And this is what she did, I got the bangs but it is more like a side bangs. Frankly I think I look like my cousin =)

Notice the side sweep? =)

So what do you think?

I bought this hat in San Francisco since it reminded me of "Carmen Sandiego" that fictitious criminal mastermind cartoon show I used to watch.

Counting down

2008-11-13T15:09:00.000-08:00

Okay so I have two weeks left before I leave for my Spain trip. This will be my second solo trip and so the butterflies of anxiety about going alone are not as bad as the first trip, but they are still there. Normally I plan and plan my trips about a year in advance but there were some unexpected circumstances that came along this summer which caused me to deviate from my "game plan". Originally I was going to try to learn the language and get just a basic understanding of commonly used words in the local language three months prior to my trip. What I didn't plan on was getting a promotion at work in May and spending most of my summer and part of the fall training for my new position, or as soon as I got trained in that new position that I would end up training someone else who may replace my old spot. So much time and effort went into work and the situations arising from the changes this summer that the only thing I could plan for my trip besides the plane ticket was booking my hotels in Barcelona and Valencia. Fortunately I have worked with a fantastic travel agent for a few years and she was able to assist me. At least I have a place to stay and the main two transportation's taken care of (I will be flying from Barcelona to Valencia and back, so this means another plane ticket besides just the cross country/Atlantic one).

So what do I have planned so far you may ask? Well I have my plane tickets going to Barcelona from San Francisco, my hotel in Barcelona and Valencia reserved and my plane tickets going to and from Barcelona to Valencia. I know where to go to get my Barcelona Card (this wonderful card that will help me maneuver the transportation system which includes bus and metro fare) and how to best utilize my two days in Barcelona so that I can get an overview of the city (using the Bus Turistic) before leaving for Valencia and the most important thing (for me as a foodie anyways=) where I will eat dinner my first night there and where the nearest chocolate cafe is. I found out that this one restaurant I went to in Paris, Le Relaise Entrecote, has a branch in Barcelona not too far from my hotel (not too far being about 3 miles away which is about 45-60 min. walk for me, typical when I travel to Europe I find) and about two blocks away is a popluar Chocolate cafe. As for the languange thing, well I bougth the Rick Steve's Spanish Phrase book which fits nicely into a small purse or a jacket pocket and a small journal to draw pictures in if necessary.

I found this video on youtube which gives a picture highlight of Barcelona along with some Spanish music.

A day at the Bay

2008-11-04T23:08:00.000-08:00

Today Alli T and I went to San Francisco for the day. It was a nice clear day though windy and cold but that is typical 'Frisco weather. A friend had suggested we go up to Twin Peaks which has an awesome 180+ degree view of the city. It was beautiful and peaceful up there. Then we headed down to Pier 39 to get on a trolley tour of the city. It was fun and our driver drove down really fast on this one steep hill. I felt like a roller-coaster ride! The day ended with dinner at Bubba Gump's at the Pier 39. I did make one purchase that I liked very much, a red hat that reminded me of the one Carmen Sandiego wore.

Costumes on Holloween

2008-11-04T22:05:00.000-08:00

I know it is a little bit late but we had some trick or treaters show up at work on Holloween. Tell me who you think has the best costume.

Little Cowboy

Poodles as a toilet (Those are candy inside that bowl!)

Tinkerbell

Avaitor, Raggedy Anne, Good/Bad girl

Busy Day

2008-10-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I had signed up for 10 hours of voluntary overtime at work, not bad since that is like a regular shift but it was on Swings so I got to go home by 1:30am. Well Graveyards ended up short two people and since I'm back on graveyards the Sergeant looks to me and says "hey do you want to work 5 more hours?" Looking at the big picture (my Spain trip is coming up quickly!) I said "yes" but I wasn't prepared for 15 hours and only brought enough food for a 10 hour shift. Thank goodness for co-workers and cell phones, I was able to catch one of my co-worker who was at Panda Express getting her dinner and she ended up bringing me some food too. The nice thing was that they were down dispatchers and I was able to be the breaker to get my "feet" wet again. But this is my last week with my trainee on phones and then I'm back in the radio room. Yay! I missed being on the radio talking to units instead of citizens who yell, cuss and get mad at you even though they called you for help in the first place. Go figure!

But today my mom's Day Care had a field trip to Chuck E. Cheese planned and I couldn't let the kids down. So I came home took a two hour nap, woke up and drove the kids to the train station. They were going to take a quick train trip downtown, where I picked them up and then we drove to Chuck E Cheese. Let's just say that for pre-schoolers that is one of the best places to go to. They have games for you at your eye level, nothing too hard and when you collect enough tickets you can get a prize. The kids had fun and on the drive home it was quieter, one of the kids fell asleep but the rest followed soon after when we got back to the house. Needless to say I joined in on nap time today. =) I still had to hit the gym though so tonight I will be sleeping like a baby! My one free night from work before starting my work week tomorrow.

Long weekend

2008-10-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

Columbus Day weekend and I spent most of it at work. On Saturday we had a BBQ and they all requested I make lumpias. Well the thing with lumpias is that it is good fresh, because then it is crispy. So I had to bring my deep fryer to work along with some meat, cooking utensils and the necessary condiments. My Saturday morning started with a fright! I was putting some things in my car when this strange 4-door sedan pulled up at the end of the driveway with four people in it. They paused stared at me and the proceeded to pull into the parking lot next to our house, turn off it's headlights and remain idle with the engine running! Well that scared me so I walked quickly back into the house and dialed up one of my friend, hoping he was on duty (which thankfully he was!), and asked him to drive by my house in his patrol vehicle. As soon as I hung up with him though, the car left the parking lot and drove away, still frightened I walked back out to my car making sure my friend was on the phone with me until I got into my vehicle. I quickly drove off since I had to get to work on time and had to make two trips from the parking lot to our break room with all the stuff I was briging for the BBQ. Now work starts at 0600 hours for me that day, but around 0900 hours I started getting messages on my computer telling me to go cook the lumpias. =) I made them wait an hour then got my trainee to assist me in making the lumpias and setting up the rest of the potluck things. My Sgt was manning the grill out back and it was funny to watch him put 2 radios in his apron instead of the usual beverage. But since he was still on duty he had to listen to the radio traffic incase something came up, still he looked good grilling. =) There was plenty of food, mostly meat from the grill, lost of veggies and I was stuffed like a turkey on Thanksgiving day. So when they needed someone from dayshift to stay over an extra 5 hours, I volunteered and didn't mind it one bit as there was plenty of food left! Not a bad way to spend your weekend. Sunday I was back on graveyards and couldn't keep the smile off my face. It was like coming "home" and to top it off the Sharks won both their back to back games against the LA Kings. A very nice weekend indeed!!

My trainee learning how to cook lumpias.

Bringing my deep fryer to work.

Worrying in circles

2008-09-29T21:14:00.001-07:00

With all that is going on in this world for a worrywart like me that is enough to drive one crazy! I mean you have the whole election next president of the USA pending, the economy is down and everyone is in a tizzy about that then to top it all off I get a text message from a good friend at work who is moving out of state. Mind you she's not giving us much of a heads up warning here because she is leaving next Tuesday! So how can I not help it but to worry in circles? All these changes pending that may affect my life and those around me. Siiiggghh. Which is why I'm so grateful to have a God that controls the universe. I mean after all when my world seems to spin out of whack having a loving Heavenly Father who is in sole control of the universe is very reassuring.

Philippians 4:6 comes to mind and is a great comfort, I found the parallel translations of that verse to be all comforting and very applicable in helping me stop worrying in circles.
International Standard Version (©2008)
Never worry about anything. Instead, in every situation let your petitions be made known to God through prayers and requests, with thanksgiving.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks.

King James Bible
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

American King James Version
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

American Standard Version
In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Bible in Basic English
Have no cares; but in everything with prayer and praise put your requests before God.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Be nothing solicitous; but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God.

Darby Bible Translation
Be careful about nothing; but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

English Revised Version
In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Be anxious for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Weymouth New Testament
Do not be over-anxious about anything, but by prayer and earnest pleading, together with thanksgiving, let your request be unreservedly made known in the presence of God.

World English Bible
In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Young's Literal Translation
for nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer, and by supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God;

So now when my mind starts thinking about life and all that is going on in the world this present age, I just keep saying this verse over and over again to remind me that no matter what happens I just have to bring it all to God. After all a God who created us and loves us more than anything is in complete control of the World and not me. =)

Personalizing Luggage

2008-09-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

When traveling you need to have a way to find your luggage and since most luggage look alike they recommend you do something that would cause your luggage to stand out. The most common suggestion is to add a brightly colored ribbon or yarn to your luggage besides some tags with your mailing information. For me that is still hard because when that baggage carousel goes around sometimes the handle where your yarn or ribbon is located gets hidden due to another suitcase on top of it. I find that by really personalizing my luggage I can see it. So since my black luggage of 5 years has done its duty and plus the edges were tearing apart, I had to get new luggage. Mind you your options for luggage are now so vast and wide with a price tag scale to follow from luggage with polk-a-dots to brand name luggage that you can engrave your initials to. But my budget won't allow for those high expensive suitcases so I needed to find my own way to personalize my luggage. That is where stencils, some fabric paint and paint brushes came in. Now I don't just put a picture on the front of the luggage, I also add it on the sides and tops so that when my suitcases goes around I can identify it quickly.

Cliffhangers

2008-09-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got hooked on the ABC Family mini-series "Samurai Girl". I was channel surfing Saturday night and caught the middle part of the story, but that was okay since they did a few flashbacks. Now knowing that there was a third part Sunday I was expecting the cliffhanger Saturday night. Boy was it a good one too and it took the word 'cliffhanger' literally! So here I was tonight expecting all the loose ends to be tied up. The show was great full of exciting martial arts action and the plot was pretty decent. But the thing I was so not happy with is that the heroine still didn't end up with the hero. The hero being this total "bad boy" but with a good heart guy who thinks he doesn't deserve the heroine but you know that the heroin love him with all her heart anyways. I just wanted them to end up together! But what do they do instead? They give you a cliffhanger at what you thought was the end but may not be.

So being the type "A" person that I am, I did some research online. I found out that this movie was based off a book series which has 6 published so far. This movie is based off the 1st book and I'm curious to know if they will make more or if this is how they plan to end it, with all the loose ends still not all tied up. I want Heaven and Jake to hook up, Otto realize that his other half is Cheryl and yes I understand this is all fiction. But isn't that the beauty of TV to take you out of the harsh "real world" for a little bit and bring you to a whole new environment? Still I want my happy ending, there is enough unhappy ones in the world we live in why can't they give us that nice fluffy feeling at the end? Why?

Greek Lunch

2008-09-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

There is this great Greek restaurant in Sacramento that I enjoy going to, during "girls day" we usually end up here for lunch and the food is fabulous. The place is called Opa!Opa! and they have website you can check out http://www.eatatopa.com/ Plus next door they have a dessert store called "Sweeties" and it has a counter full of yummy sweet goodness. Today we had our girls day out and two of the girls brought their kids. One of them J is such a cutie and was totally hamming it up for the camera.

A great overtime

2008-09-04T01:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight I had a great time working overtime at work. Normally I just go in, do my job and leave thinking of the extra cash I just earned for an up coming trip or something. Tonight however turned out to be a great night! First off I got to work the Officer Request station which I haven't had a chance to sit in since I started training this summer after my promotion. Then one of the guys in radio was not feeling well and so I offered to switch with him. He took me up on the offer and I got to be in radio dispatching for his end of the shift. When graveyards came in the gal who was supposed to take my radio channel decided to stay out on phones and let me keep it. Man was I happy! Moving to day-shift was a change in how thing worked and the two days I worked on Days were rather boring with not much radio traffic. But my overtime was on swingshift and those guys keep you going at a steady pace, if it starts to lag they run vehicles and do vehicle stops. However the best part of my night was yet to come. Near the end of my shift one of the units got into a pursuit for a few minutes and it was my first pursuit since I finalized. I was a tad nervous and had a quick brain freeze in the midst of it, fortunately my colleague who was monitoring the channel next to me helped out. So it was a pretty good pursuit and mhy sergeant said I did a good job. (She had her radio up in the other room so the call takers could hear it all, including my last trainer and he said I did a good job on it too). But I was just excited that I totally didn't mess up on my first pursuit and walked out at the end of shift with a BIG smile on my face. =) What a great night!

Displaced

2008-08-30T22:38:00.000-07:00

Definition:to move or put out of the usual or proper place.

Right now I should be sleeping since I have to get up at about 4:30am for work. They placed me on dayshift after finalizing at work. For someone who has worked graveyards over 4 years this is a BIG change for me. I'm feeling so out of place and lost right now. Sleep will probably be the biggest challenge for me and getting my noggin in the right proper order. Dayshift is so different from graveyards, the types of people you deal with and the whole attitude of the place. For someone to enjoys the change in travelling I'm completely dreading this change in my schedule. But as an old history professor of mine used to say "this too shall pass".

Gnome Day

2008-08-28T02:15:00.000-07:00

I had given my trainer a Gnome in a box last week. Today when we arrived at work we noticed the gnome was missing from its usual stop on top of the TV. So my trainer created this poster:

One of the other guys from work even got really creative:

We think we know who took the Gnome and are not awaiting for the "ransom" note. I'll keep you posted on the happenings. But it was a good way to keep our spirits in cheerful mode as I especially needed the cheering up after finding out I was assigned to Day-shift.To top the night off when I got home and watched 'Will&Grace' it was the episode where Will brought home his garden gnome. LOL

Fun at the Fair

2008-08-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

I know this is a week late. But so much has occurred and life gets busy. Last week when Allison came over to visit we went to the California State Fair in Sacramento. Actually Allison went ahead with Haney and his daughter, while I waited for Anne and her crew to come along. Then my friend "Poodles" joined us there. It was a pretty large group but we all had fun. I wanted to hit the fair due to a craving for funnel cakes, a craving I've had for about two years now since the last time I ate them in Santa Monica (coincidentally with Allison too!). The food at the fair was so worth the extra hard workout my trainer had me do at the gym! Besides funnel cake, I had a bearsoaked polish sausage with ketchup and relish, gelato (pistachio and dulce leche flavor), bar-b-qued corn, pink lemonade and some chocolate samples. We visited the livestock area where I got to touch a cow who then tried to lick me, some goats wearing these funky coats that reminded me of the 80's exercise video, pigs, horses and sheep. There was a horse show that we arrived to late due to the lines at the gelato place (but that gelato was so worth it!), lots of exhibit including one for Merced County that had a singing Elvis doll which totally cracked me up, a large chicken for Solano County, and Weird Al Yankovich was singing at the fair that night so while I ate my funnel cake I listend to something he call music. Frankly he is not my cup of tea, but it was nice to sit down on the grassy area and relax with high sugar content food. =)

Mama Mia! movie review

2008-08-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to the movies with my friend and watched Mama Mia. A total chick flick for sure. Now I grew up in the late 80's so I was not familiar with ABBA like those before me but I must say their songs are rather catchy. Though there was that band "A*Teens" during the 90's that I listened too and had an album with some ABBA songs. The scenery in the movie was also worth watching it from my point of view, but then that is no surprise to those who know me. =) Overall the movie was pretty decent, lots of catchy song, plot was okay loved the surprise ending and the singing at the end cracked us up. Amanda Seyfried is a good actress and who knew that Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan could sing. That was a pleasant surprise! I knew Colin Firth had some musical ability and he does sing in this movie also, though I didn't like what they did to his character. But oh well Hollywood must have their twist I suppose.

Here's a clip from youtube:

Rough night

2008-07-26T02:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight was pretty rough at work. My trainer had me doing some scenarios and I felt like such an incompetent person because I was not copying what he was saying and left out information, which is not a good thing when one of your job description is to be a scribe. Then we had several high priority, high stress type call on what was supposed to be a nice quiet channel. Go figure, the one time you want a nice easy channel so you can train and you get all the calls you don't really want! But overall it was a good night for training since we had to go tactical on one of the calls, which was a first for me and rather exciting. Now I'm so tired that all I want to do is have a good cry and some chocolate. I withheld on the chocolate but we shall see about the tears.

Graveyard

2008-07-20T17:04:00.000-07:00

There have been different studies on the affect of working the graveyard shift and people's health. Because people who work on this shift go against the natural order of things and their circadian clock is tossed out of whack it may seem at times that they get the short end of the stick. People who work graveyard are more likely to get some form of cancer, they are under more stress both mentally and emotionally, they have a higher tendency to get dependent on some form of stimulant pill, etc. as plenty of studies show. But in some fields it is necessary to have the graveyard shift and there is no way to go round about it, especially in the law enforcement field.

I have spent the past 4 1/2 years on graveyards and let me tell you I love it. Yeah the hours are not that great if you want to have some form of social life, especially if you work the weekends (which I did!). Originally the main reason why I went to graveyards was because it was the first permanent spot that opened and I wanted a more "stable" schedule. Also the people at my job who worked graveyards were more laid back and younger. So that made it very appealing! I found that the people on graveyards at work tend to be more of a family than the other three shifts. We fight and fuss with each other but when the other shifts start "attacking" us, all of us would defend one another and protect our shift. Working in the Law Enforcement community you find yourself already part of a big family as soon as you sign those papers, but there are different sectors in that community. Being a Dispatcher and that field is quiet narrow and small, it takes a special person to be a Dispatcher and not just anyone can do the job, it is a tough job and the training is hard but this is another topic to be covered another day. So to be a Dispatcher and work the graveyard shift, you are in a different league from the others. Quirky people work graveyards and at times those quirks can get to you. But once you understand each other and learn how to tolerate one another, it does not bother you as much.

I know I'm rambling but the bottom line is this : I miss graveyards already! Last night was my last night on graveyards until I finalized training. I knew that getting this promotion meant that changes would be happening in my life but still it is hard to say goodbye to something you have been used to for 4.5 years. Most of my friends from the Field are on graveyards, I know their little quirks and their voices. Now I'm going to be on swing-shift for a month and though this is good for my training (it is the busier shift) it means I have to get used to a new set of people, habits, etc. Still I must remind myself that this is all for the greater good and I'm hoping and praying that as soon as I finalized I can return back to graveyards. =)

A poem by Robert Frost

2008-07-17T02:25:00.001-07:00

A Time to Talk

When a friend calls to me from the road
And slows his horse to a meaning walk,
I don't stand still and look around
On all the hills I haven't hoed,
And shout from where I am, 'What is it?'
No, not as there is a time talk.
I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground,
Blade-end up and five feet tall,
And plod: I go up to the stone wall
For a friendly visit.

Drama

2008-07-13T16:52:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you work in an environment composed 80% of women. Last night at work it was not the citizens causing the drama but co-workers. Now I'm in training and frankly I just keep my mouth shut and observe. So let me tell you there was a lot of things to see last night! Yelling, throwing pens at the windows and plenty of gesturing just to say a few words that can depict the scene. I must say it provided the entertainment for the evening though not in a way I expected. The stress was there but just in different form than what I had been hoping for! Oh well, everything in training is a learning experience and last night was no exception. =)

A new "favorite" song by a Filipina Artist-Lea Salonga

2008-07-07T07:22:00.001-07:00

Training

2008-07-04T00:48:00.000-07:00

The reason why I'm so busy right now is because I'm in training. I got a promotion at work last month but they waited until I got back from vacation to start my training. Man I totally forgot how exhausting training can be. My trainer was out of town the first two days and then he got sick so he went home early. I've had to sit with three different people so far in radio and my head is dizzy. Different people have a different way of doing the same job and as a trainee it is my duty to obey them, no matter what I think or what my opinions are. So I am just trying to learn all the good stuff they all have and get that from them, while discarding the bad/pointless stuff.

So far it is going well. They have been really nice to me and saying all these wonderful things about me. I am just trying my best to do apply the principles of Ecclesiates 9:10 " 10Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;" For now I'm still on graveyards with the same days off, but that schedule will change in 3 weeks when I get a new trainer.

My second week starts this Friday and with the holiday it should be an interesting night. Hopefully all will go well and I get a hot call or two that I can handle and learn from. We shall see.

Church camp

2008-07-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I'm late in posting these pictures but it has been a hectic few weeks. After our vacation up North the following weekend, Father's Day weekend, we had our church camp up at Pilot Lake. Here are pictures of the camp:

Sign to camp

Outside the cabins

Look what's that over there?

Skipping rocks

Boating in the lake Playing camp games like paper race
Tug of War
Lunch time

Going on a hike

Crossing the river

Taking a break at the mouth of the crystal caves

Campfire night

Family Vacation

2008-06-26T15:57:00.001-07:00

I learned that even though you may live in the same house with your family, you still don't know them well enough until you've spent several hours with them in a small confined space like a moving vehicle. See if you live in a house together you can still get away from them whenever they annoy you, but in a moving vehicle there is no other place to go. That was the first lesson I re-learned during our family vacation.

We left California early Friday morning to ensure that we arrived in Portland, OR with plenty of time to visit friends. Since I work graveyard that meant I spent most of that drive laying in the back seat of the van sleeping while my father drove. My brother is more of a swing-shift guy and so he still sleeps in the morning. The drive was nice and scenic though you knew you weren't in California anymore as soon as you saw the lush green hills of Oregon. My parents had an old friend who was ill in Vancouver, WA which is just across the river from Portland so we visited her first. Her kids knew me and my brother and saw us growing up so the families are pretty close in that sense. We spent Friday night at another of my parent's friends house. Now I had forgotten how wet, gray and dreary the North-West was and so on this trip I brought some shorts and only one pair of jeans. What a mistake! I soon learned that even though it is summer the sun only peaks through in the great North-West and doesn't stay very long. It was wet and drizzly in Oregon when we left Saturday morning to head to Washington.

That was lesson number two: always bring more than one pair of pants on a trip.

Butchart Gardens

2008-06-26T03:51:00.000-07:00

On the way to Vancouver Island & the Butterfly Garden

2008-06-26T03:23:00.000-07:00

Oregon & Sequim, WA

2008-06-26T03:09:00.001-07:00

Family Vacation

2008-06-06T02:35:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving later on this morning for our family vacation. We're heading to Portland, Oregon tonight and then on to Seattle, Washington for the weekend. My dad is preaching at a church there. Then come Monday we're going to take a ferry to Victoria Island, British Columbia for three days and two nights. I've always wanted to see the Garden there and mom would love it too. We head back home Wednesday and I'm hoping to stop off at the World Famous Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle to buy some fish. Yum! Come Friday of next week, we are going to be up in the mountains for church camp before I head back to work.

If that sounds exhausting and not much of a vacation. I agree! But that is usually the way our family vacations go. We go from place to place meeting up with old friends and seeing as many sights as possible. My parents would rather go to a different city, see old friends and visit with them an really go sight seeing. It's one of the reasons why I take another vacation during the year where I can go and see the sights either alone or with a friend. Hence the Spain vacation to look forward too. But this isn't to say that I don't enjoy my family vacations. I do! My family is great and I love spending time with them. We laugh at each other and tell old stories while making new memories on the current trip to tell later on. =)

Prayer for a Friend

2008-06-05T02:51:00.000-07:00

One of my good friends passed this on to me and it was so uplifting that I had to share it. There is a friend whom I've been burdened about lately and this song was so encouraging. It reminded me that I am not in control but God is. So in prayer I shall continue for my friend(s).

Angels in Strangers

2008-05-29T02:07:00.000-07:00

I almost lost my phone tonight. Mom and I were out shopping getting some groceries when we got back in the car I noticed my phone was gone. Now I knew I had brought my phone with me because I was trying to send a picture message to a friend with one of the photos I took during my trip to Asia. Mom and I looked all around the car and couldn't find it. So now I was in a panic, my cell phone isn't just any ordinary cell phone but a PDA which held pretty much my schedule, contacts from work and abroad, etc. When we got home the first thing I did was call my cell and this guy answers. Now my occupation has trained me to handle situations like what I went through tonight and I knew that it would be a slim chance I would ever get my phone back much less without paying something. But the guy on the phone seemed sincere and we agreed to meet at the gas station near the store where I lost my phone. As soon I arrived at the gas station (my dad in tow since mom didn't want me to go alone and meet some stranger!) I called my phone back and this guy drives up and just hands it back. NO money asked, no getting out of his car (I was outside my vehicle but pops was right behind me) and just hands it over, we exchange words of gratitude and he was gone. How nice was that! And here I was thinking the worst case scenario about what could happen, how evil people are etc and this guy just hands my phone back without asking for anything in return. He certainly taught this cynical gal a lesson tonight and I got reminded of what the Bible says about being aware of 'angels who may be strangers unaware'.

Wii Fun

2008-05-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

My brother got himself a Wii gaming system for his birthday and last week we had mom play bowling on it. I could hear my brother's groan from my room as mom beat him twice on her first try! So the other night I challenged mom to a game and boy did I get a beating. She beat me good twice! My brother who was watching us decided to play too. So the next round all three of us were playing. My brother was just sitting on the couch using his hand to play while me and mom were up and moving around. It was so much fun! And this time around I beat them both, so that was double fun for me. LOL but overall a great way to spend the evening. My dad was just watching us on the sidelines and laughing. And I must say that the Wii gaming system is so totally worth it, they have all kids of attachment including a Wii Fit that helps you with some exercise move. I'm still thinking about getting that Wii Fit though, they are a bit pricey!

In other news. . .

2008-05-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

I got a haircut on Friday and now my hair is back to being short. My hairdresser also cut is so that the back is shorter and the front is longer sort of like a "v'" but angled at a 45 degree. It is different but then that is the look my hairdresser was going for. She said that since I lost so much weight (which is true I've lost 19lbs since hitting the gym with my trainer in September) that a new look would be good for me to try. She also mentioned putting in highlights to my hair but I won't let her do that. From what I've seen and herd once you start coloring your hair, you can't really stop and frankly I like my black hair. Then last night I washed my hair and it went back to being all wavy and curly again! My co-worker was calling me "curly Sue" since I had such a fluffy head of curls. =) Guess that means I will put my hair straighter to work again.

Blessings

2008-05-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

I got some good news Friday night. I've been promoted! Earlier this year I had taken a test to apply for a new job position and then there was the talk of a hiring freeze going around the Department, so I figured even if I did well on the test I still wouldn't get the new job position because of the freeze. Shows you how much I know! God is so good and I got the official word on Friday that I've been promoted. I knew it was happening sometime this summer because our Lt. talked to me about it when he got the word that our Division could hire some more people but it wasn't official and I decided not to say anything until it was official. This new position will be another challenge for me since I get to work with the deputies directly. I have to go back into training come end of June and I also lose the 5 years of seniority but I get a pay raise. So it will all work out in the end, that is if I can complete training successfully. Please keep me in your prayers as I start this new position and go back to training.

My cousin's comedy routine

2008-05-13T12:31:00.000-07:00

How I spent my weekend

2008-05-12T01:15:00.000-07:00

We went down to Los Angeles to attend my cousin's graduation. So that was a 12 hour drive, 6 hours going to LA and 6 hours coming back. We had to be home in time for Mother's Day at the church. Then we took my mom to this awesome but pricey restaurant in Vallejo called The Dead Fish. Their food there is so delicious, fresh seafood and meat. But it was an hour's drive from home and since we were so near San Francisco. We headed over to the Vista view side of the bridge where you could see a great city view. So for the most part we spent the weekend driving! But it was nice to spend so much time with family and with my job I don't get that a lot.

Scrapbooking Party

2008-05-08T02:06:00.000-07:00

A friend from work had a Scrapbooking party tonight. I've never been to one before and it was kinda fun. Usually I work on my scrapbooks at home or bring it to work and just do it in between phone calls. So having a few solid hours of the evening to work on scrapbooks with friends and all was very enjoyable! I got about 6 pages done on our Hawaii Vacation Scrapbook that I was working on. My mom thought I was nuts to think about bringing in my suitcase full of scrapbook stuff but when I got there with just my beach bag full of items and saw the other's things. I realized that what I had was too little. You basically have all the stuff put around the center of the table and just share tools, stickers, etc. It was fun though there was only four of us and we were pretty quiet since we were all concentrating on our various scrapbooks. But I got to see the different styles and new gizmos that the others had with it. Scrapbooking is definitely a hobby I plan on doing for a long time, what with all these cool gadgets and stuff they keep coming out with. Plus you get to use all these cool stickers, which I've always loved playing with stickers! So it was a great way to spend a night, hanging out with friends, getting stuff done while looking back on some wonderful memories.

Lavender

2008-05-07T00:47:00.000-07:00

"lavender, sweet lavender;
come and buy my lavender,
hide it in your trousseau, lady fair.
Let its flovely fragrance flow
Over your from head to toe,
Lightening on your eyes, your cheek, your hair."

~Cumberkand Clark Flower Song Book 1929

"Lavender's blue, dilly dilly,
Lavender's green.
When you are King, dilly dilly,
I shall be Queen." ~The Ordinary Princess, M.M. Kaye

I had my mom plant some lavender this spring and last year too. There is just something so soothing about the scent of lavender and in out of my favorite books, The Ordinary Princess, there is that quote above. So this afternoon I went into our garden to gather up some Lavender that I plan on using as scents in the house and potpourri. A little research online showed me what I needed to do. After cutting the flowers with a good length of stem so that it would be easier to tie them together with a rubber band, the bunches were hung in a cool dark spot that has good air circulation. The instructions says to wait 30 days for the lavender plant to dry completely and the put it in a satchel or glass jar. I can hardly wait!

The plant from last year's which didn't get harvested, so it looks frailer.

The plant in full bloom in the garden.

Hung in the coat closet where it is cool, dark and yet has some air circulation.

Trader Joe's

2008-05-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

There is this store down the street from my house called "Trader Joe's" and let me just tell you how much I love this store. If I could buy everything on their list in the 'Flyer Express' (Their newsletter that they send out every month) I so would. This store is totally awesome! They have all these wonderful organic, so good for your health food. I never feel guilty for purchasing anything from this store!

Here is what they tell you about themselves from their website www.traderjoes.com

Just what is this thing we call Trader Joe’s? Well, we’re a grocery store, sure, but really so much more. Our shelves are stocked full of delicious foods and beverages from the basics like milk, bread and butter to more exotic fare like imported cheeses, organic produce and hand-tossed pizza from Italy. We taste every product before we decide to sell it, and we guarantee you’ll like it.

You might expect indulgences like these to come with unbecoming prices. But at Trader Joe’s, we’re as much about value as we are about great food. In other words, we keep our costs low, cut out the middleman whenever possible and pass our savings on to you in the form of terrific everyday prices. So you can afford to be adventurous without breaking the bank.

Aussie TV Shows

2008-05-02T02:36:00.000-07:00

Okay I'm going to admit it, I'm addicted to Aussie TV mini-dramas. I don't know why but I just am! It all started when I was just surfing around youtube looking up shows this one Australian actress was in and that was when I discovered McLeod's Daughter. Which is a television drama set on an Australian rural property with two half-sisters running the property inherited from their father with an all-female workforce. This show was filmed in Southern Australia and set in a fictional farm called 'Drovers'. Just seeing the scenery of the rolling hills where the farm is set was enough to capture my attention, the plot was also pretty good about strong capable women dealing in a mostly men's world of farming. So that was my first glimpse of Aussie TV. =)

Then Nickelodean had introduced a new show this Spring called H2O Just Add Water and when I did a little more research in found that it was set in the Gold Coast. I mean just looking at the background made me want to jump on a plane and fly down to Australia to swim! But the plot is this: Emma, Cleo and Rikki are sixteen year old girls growing up on the sun-drenched beaches of the Gold Coast. Emma is confident and athletic, Cleo is slightly insecure and awkward while Rikki is the aloof and rebellious new girl. Because of Rikki, the girls find themselves stranded at sea one day, floating towards the mysterious Mako Island. The three girls find themselves exploring the eerie jungle-covered island before becoming trapped in an ancient cavern under a volcano. Discovering an underwater channel, they decide to swim to safety. As they enter the pool, the light from a full moon illuminates the water, creating a mysterious glow. Emma, Cleo and Rikki get off the island as fast as they can and back to "normal" life. However, the girls discover life is never going to be normal again; ten seconds after they touch water, they turn into mermaids. After further experimentation, they find they have supernatural powers; Emma can freeze water, Rikki can boil water and Cleo can turn a drop of water into a bucketful and mould it into any shape. The girls enlist the help of their friend Lewis, who considers himself a scientist, and he attempts to discover the secret behind their transformations. Everyday situations turn tricky as the girls struggle to cope with their new-found powers, which have numerous advantages and disadvantages, while also trying to keep them a secret from everyone else.

So now I was hooked to two Aussie TV shows but that isn't the end. While looking around youtube for more glimpse of those two shows I found a third Aussie TV Show called Blue Water High. Blue Water High is an Australian television drama series. Each season follows the lives of a young group of students at Solar Blue, a high-performance surf academy where several lucky 16-year-olds are selected for a 12-month-long surfing program on Sydney's northern beaches. Now I came in on season 3 of this show but so far from what I've read and seen, it looks really good. Made me wish I could swim so then I'd be able to learn how to surf!

I've found these Aussie TV shows to be wholesome, fresh and yet maintain a decent plot compared to some of the TV shows they are currently showing in the US. But of course watching all these shows has already gotten my travel bug desiring to really see and experience the world 'Down Under'. So perhaps my plans of not hitting Australia for a few more years may have to change. Anyways, next year I was planning to head West since this year I'm headed East to Spain! Who knows? I'll just keep you all updated. =) But for now I'm open to learning more about shows set around the world to keep my travel appetite going!

The Banquet

2008-04-30T01:49:00.000-07:00

It took me a while before I finally had time to upload the pictures. See for yourself how the Banquet went. I think it was wonderful, but then again I am biased since I'm on the Committee. =)

Banquet premonitions

2008-04-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

A co-worker created this video before the Banquet on his take of what it would be like.

OPST

OPST Banquet

2008-04-20T01:33:00.001-07:00

We had our 12th Annual OPST Banquet tonight. There was some media coverage for one of our honorees and here is the website for the news station. See if you can catch that 3 seconds of fame I had while on the screen. LOL

http://fox40.trb.com/?track-topnav

9-1-1 facts

2008-04-16T00:16:00.000-07:00

911

911 was first implemented in Haleyville, Alabama on February 16, 1968--but read our complete history of 911 and the first call.
240 million calls to 911 each year, with one-third of them wireless (2008, FCC)
99% of the population is covered by at least B911, and 96% of counties have at least B911 service (2008, NENA)
In Britain, over 43 million calls to the 999 emergency number are made annually, and over 50% of those are from wireless phones (British Office of Communications, 2004).
99% of the population is covered by some type of 911 system, and 97% geographically (NENA, Sept. 2007)
225 counties still have no 911 service (NENA, Sept. 2007)
1,296 PSAPs are staffed by a single, on-duty dispatcher (NENA, 2003)
Washington (DC) receives 1.8 million 911 calls per year, Los Angeles 5 million, Baltimore (MD) 1.7 million.
At some agencies--usually the very large, urban cities--up to 80% of 911 calls on non-emergencies.
During Oct. 2001 testimony to Congress, CTIA president Thomas Wheeler said that his association had identified 6,800 PSAPs, while NENA has identified 5,000 primary and 2,300 secondary PSAPs in the U.S. This figure only includes those comm centers receiving 911 calls, which could leave out thousands of public safety comm centers.
Check statistics on wireless 911 calls, both real and accidental.
NENA has wireless E911 deployement statistics posted on-line, and FastFacts about 911 in general.

From: www.911dispatch.com

National Dispatcher Week

2008-04-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

This week is National Dispatcher Week. A time to recognize a profession that is often unheard of, under appreciated and underpaid. Those men and women who work behind the scenes supporting Emergency Personnel like firefighters, paramedics and police officers. So for all those hard working people who rarely get thanked (and believe me I know cause I'm one of them!) I say "Thank you. Thank you for being a phone call away, for working hours that no one may one, for putting up with the yelling, shouting, cussing, bad mouthing of your department and the craziness people toss at you. Thank you for keeping calm and helping out even when the caller is unappreciative of your answer. THANK YOU!"

Shopping without a list

2008-04-11T01:29:00.000-07:00

Have you ever gone out shopping without a list in hand? You may have some kind of idea in your head what you plan to buy but it really isn't written down or a spending limit is set. So you go out and start looking, next thing you know you're buying stuff you never intend to buy and spending more than you should. That is exactly what happened to me today! I only meant to go out and buy a dress for our upcoming Dispatcher banquet, nothing else. And I ended up buying some summer clothes and a new outfit for Sebastien instead. The lady at the Macy's perfume counter almost talked me into buying some perfume too. Fortunately she took too long trying to get a cashier that worked that particular counter and we (Anne who was up for some girl day shopping) left. So I'm still out of a dress and am seriously thinking about wearing the black dress with flower embroidery that my aunt created for me during my college year. It is in one sense it is my "little black dress". You know the kind that you can wear at functions, look good and feel good while wearing it. After all isn't that the whole point of having a little black dress?

But I still have a week before the banquet to find something. So we shall have to see! But next time I got out, I plan on having at least a set budget on how much money I can spend that day. Then I won't feel too guilty for spending an afternoon shopping. =)

Trip planning resources

2008-04-09T01:45:00.000-07:00

I've been looking around for hotels to stay in Barcelona and Valencia. The resource I most often go to on the web is www.tripadvisor.com I love the fact that real people write the reviews, give advice in their forum, make lists of things to do, etc. I myself have made contributions to that site. But I'm still undecided on where to stay. I definitely want a place that has wi-fi capabilities since I will be bringing my laptop along and it should be near available transportation. So many wonderful places to choose but my budget will decide.

Then I looked at the map and saw how close Barcelona was to the border of France. I have a friend who lives in Perpignan and I just found out it is about 2 1/2 hours away from Barcelona. Now another choice must be added to the list. Should I dare risk driving the roadway of Spain and head up to Perpignan. I would love to visit and see her again. Plus a chance to visit the South of France. However I am a bit apprehensive of driving in a foreign country. The good news is that in Spain they drive on the same side as we do here in the States. But to drive alone by myself with a GPS system is a scary task and yet I do thrive on the challenge it presents to me.

Another choice on my plate is how to get to Valencia from Barcelona. Should I go via train, bus or fly. Then I saw that you can take a ferry from Barcelona to Majorca and then from Majorca to Valencia. Oh the many choices that travel affords you!

Next trip

2008-04-01T23:17:00.000-07:00

I booked my ticket for my next Big trip. . .SPAIN! I still work with my travel agent, Linda and she is wonderful. My ticket cost about the same as the one in Paris two years ago, which is under $1000. So I was pleased to get that one big thing off my list. Even though the trip won't be until November, knowing that I have a plane ticket will be the carrot driving me to go forward. There is so much going on in my life right now!

A good friend I fear is heading down a path that would lead to heartbreak or at the very least some emotional wounds. And being the friend that I am, I want to prevent the hurt and yet still do what is right. Then there is the whole house hunting thing. As the big 3-0 looms closer I have to step up and be an adult. It's just that I never thought I would be getting a house before getting married. You know that status quo time line which is unwritten but out there. First comes love and marriage then come the mortgage and baby carriage! In my case the mortgage appears closer to reality than marriage and baby carriage. For those who've gone through the whole process of being a first time home buyer/owner you know the stress that goes with the process. Fortunately I have a wonderful support network composed of my parents, brother and more than one close friend! The Lord has been so good in providing people along the way that help explain things to me.

Which goes to show you just how important that plane ticket is to me. It is my life line to a promise of travel ahead. Now I have to find a hotel in Barcelona and Valencia. Barcelona because I've always wanted to go there. The city seems so vibrant and alive, there is so much to do there from following Gaudi's footsteps to hitting the tapas scene. Valencia is where Europe's largest aquarium is and ever since I saw the documentary on the Travel Channel, I've wanted to go there. The best part is that I learned Valencia is where the famous Spanish dish, paella, was created based on the tourist website for the city anyways. :-)

Enchanted

2008-03-26T02:27:00.000-07:00

I bought this movie and just loved it! It combines parts from at least four Disney Princess movies that I could figure out. And this is one of my favorite songs from the movie, it just makes me want to sigh and day dream. =)

Still single but sassy

2008-03-21T01:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I got two birth announcement from friends out of state. I am very happy for them! Both friends have new baby boys in their household and are very excited. But at the same time of my joy for my friends a hint of melancholy hits me. It is another stark reminder of how very much I am still a single person. My married friends who are around my age are starting their families and yet I am still without that milestone marker. A few single friends have tossed around the idea of adoption and being a single parent if our "Mr. Right" does not come alone for us in the next few years. I've even gone as far as toss out the idea of in vitro fertilization, but that was quickly dispelled by all my counselors. Adoption isn't bad but then you are missing the whole principle of Ecclesiastes 4:8-12. So what's a girl to do?

Now those of you who know me, know that I have already made peace about the whole "gift of singleness". But this doesn't mean that I won't need the Dove bars and rocky road ice cream when I get a wedding invitation or a new baby announcement in the mail or e-mail. =) Feelings of longing for a husband and children cannot just be shut off like a light switch. (There are times when I wished they were!) There are things I can do. Just because I am not married doesn't mean that I will spend the rest of my life waiting to buy a house, a new car or travel around the world until someone comes along that I can share all those experiences with. I'm not a full fledged romantic here, frankly I prefer to say that I am a realist (Dictionary definition: a person who accepts the world as it literally is and deals with it accordingly). So if my "Mr. Right" doesn't ever come and I am left traveling this life alone, that doesn't deter me from enjoying this life. I already am enjoying life! My passport is a testament to the places I have been. You won't catch this gal staying down and moping for long periods of time! I'm going to move on and live life to the fullest. But there will always be room in the fridge for chocolate and ice cream! ;-)

Mental-pause

2008-03-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

Having co-workers who are much older than me and some of them undergoing a certain process of womanhood . . . menopause. Here is a list of the psychological side effects of menopause from Wikipedia.com

Psychological

mood disturbance
irritability
fatigue
memory loss and problems with concentration
depression and/or anxiety

Well for me the second to the last symptom seems to be occurring more often. Take tonight for example, I was supposed to work overtime at work. But I forgot about ever signing up for it, so much so that it wasn't on my PDA/phone or wall calendar. My supervisor called me up and had to do a wellness check on me. How embarrassing!

There is a little bit of comfort though. As a search on Wikipedia.com about memory loss said that stress-related activities are another factor which can result in memory loss. That is a little comfort since I'm in the midst of a very stressful and life changing decision right now. So many things are up in the air and out of my control, the things that I do have control of are at times mundane. I just have to remind myself that no matter what the outcome is of the next few weeks and months, the Lord is in control.

Strangers may be angels unaware

2008-03-14T19:09:00.001-07:00

The other day I had a little adventure. I was on my way back from a meeting up north and driving on the freeway when I heard an odd noise coming from the back of my car. It sounded like "thuwp-thuwp-thuwp" and so thinking it may be a flat tire I quickly pulled off the nearest exit from the freeway. Sure enough I had a flat tire on my rear left side of the car. Now there is a reason why I have triple A insurance because of incidents just like this. I was a little panicked since I had to meet with my trainer in less than an hour and it would take exactly one hour before the tow could get to me. So the first thing I did was call home and beg my dad to come fix my flat tire. (I know, I know by now I should have learned how to change a tire and I do. But here's the thing, little me on the side of a road in a not so great neighborhood. I'm calling someone else to fix it!) Of course my dad told me to call the 1-800 line for triple A but just as I was going to get off the phone this lady knocks on my passenger side window. She was one of those backpacker/disheveled looking people you see holding a sign on the side of the roadway. I was very wary but she seemed nice and offered to change my tires for me. Of course she wasn't much taller than me but she definitely was built on the more muscular sense. Her husband came over and helped her, I told her I only had $20 cash to pay her. Which was true I only brought that much with me to go to lunch but my friend paid for lunch so I didn't have to use my money. I opened the trunk and showed her where the spare tire and jack were. Her husband checked to make sure there was enough air in the spare, which was a good thing since there wasn't and he had to go across the street to the gas station to fill it up with air. The lady then showed me how to change a flat tire all the while my right had was hovering above my cell phone ready to call 9-1-1 at a moments notice. (Yes, I was still wary and a little scared about this whole thing. Praying my heart out while the lady was chatting.) In ten minutes she had changed my tire, put the ruined one back in the trunk and her husband said a prayer after I gave them $21 (I found an extra $1 bill in my jeans pocket). They thanked me and told me I was an angel, when I was just thinking how they were the ones who were heaven sent!

So that was my adventure for the week! I still made it to my gym session on time and my dad was like 2 miles away by the time I was back on the road. So I followed my dad home, since I caught up with him two stops away from where I was stuck on the side of the road.

Book review: The Commoner

2008-03-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

My co-worker lent me a great book. She was reading it at work and couldn't put it down. It is called The Commoner:A Novel by Jonh Burnham Schwartz. The book is about the royal family of Japan or to be more specific the women of the family. The author tells it from the point of view of the first commoner who became an Empress. It isn't a romance but a wonderfully written book about how the daily life and toils of an outsider coming into such an intimidating institution. Japan's royal family is looked upon like god's and it is because of this status that makes them so intimidating. This book gives us an insight on the struggles of the young lady and how she can relate to her son's chosen bride, another commoner. It seems a bit like an autobiography but it is purely fiction that was well researched. I highly recommend this book!

Be Careful what you wish for

2008-03-05T02:47:00.000-08:00

You know that old saying "be careful what you wish for it may just come through?". Well the other week I was just thinking about how my workouts at the gym needed to change in the intensity level. Now in my mind I was thinking more along the lines of increasing my time at the gym to 1 hour and 30 minutes instead of just an hour. That way I can do both cardio and some resistance training. But God on the other hand has a different plan. My trainer got a chance to "do his own thing" and left the gym so now I have a new guy. Which means getting used to a new way of doing things and getting used to a new trainer's style of helping me get in shape. So after one session where it was mostly a "get to know you" type and introduction, my back is sore and I return today back for another session. Isn't it amazing how God can answer something that you didn't even know you wish for much less pray about in such an unexpected way?

Third Wheel

2008-02-28T22:33:00.000-08:00

"third wheel"

The "third wheel" refers to the person who is the outsider when there is a group of three. Example: "You two go on ahead without me. I don't want to be the third wheel." An analogy can be made to a two-wheeled bicycle or cart; adding a third wheel would not be helpful and would limit mobility. To be the "third wheel" is to be the extra, unnecessary person in a group of three people. Example: "Missy and I were going to go to the dance with another couple, but when I got sick she decided to stay home also. She didn't want to be the third wheel."

(From http://www.goenglish.com/ThirdWheel.asp)

And this is what I had experienced tonight. My friend and her new boyfriend came over and we went to go eat at The Cheesecake Factory, watch "27 Dresses" and shop at Barnes and Nobel. This is a new experience for me, being a third wheel. Normally when I go out it is in a big mixed group or a group of girls, I've never just tagged along. But my friend wanted me to meet her new man and I was curious myself. He turned out to be a nice guy. Being a third wheel is interesting. You don't want to be obtrusive when the couple is doing their "couple thing" (i.e. holding hands, smooching, making cow eyes at each other, etc.) and yet you don't want to seem like some stalker following the couple, so you have to maintain proper distance. It was an odd experience but I tried not to dwell on the fact that I was the third wheel.

The movie "27 Dresses" was excellent! James Marsden is a cutie and Katherine Heigl was funny as the main characters. I enjoyed the movie so much this was the second time I went to go see it. The ending is predictable but still there are surprises. I can't wait until it is out on DVD!

Haircut

2008-02-26T15:08:00.000-08:00

The only new thing with me is I got a haircut. On Friday I went to see my hairstylist and told her that I had been shedding more than usual. She told me it was either due to my diet, stress or thyroid and that I needed to go see a doctor. Since stress is unavoidable with my job (which I've gotten used to!) and I am eating healthier due to working out with a trainer, I didn't think those two were the cause of my hair loss. So I set up a doctors appointment for later on this week and she cut my hair back to shoulder length. I was sad seeing all my hair cut since it had gotten so long, as long as it was my sophomore year which to me is the longest it gets. My hair of course went back to its wavy, curly state as soon as it got short. So tell me what do you think?

Houseguest

2008-02-18T15:48:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 25:17 is a good verse to keep in mind when staying over at someone's house. My family has welcomed various visitors over the years and I've seen plenty of guests that I wish would leave us within a month of their stay. We've had visitors stay for over a year at our house and there are times when I have just wanted to quote that particular verse in Proverbs. So I went looking online to see what others have said about how to be a good house guests.

Here's what I've found:

Arrive when you say you will arrive. Don't turn up earlier. This is the worst thing you can do as your host may not be ready for you and it could inconvenience them considerably. If, for some unforeseen reason, you caught an earlier connection or you had an extra day's vacation and you'd like to arrive earlier, call them first. If they sound hesitant, tell them that you'd rather leave the plans as originally decided and find something else to do with your extra time. This will also depend on who you're staying with; mom and dad probably won't mind at all but a friend or colleague might be in the middle of work or social arrangements that could be very difficult to change.

Equally, don't saunter in the day after you said you'd arrive. This can really upset some hosts, who worry about what might have happened to you or are put out because they may have rearranged their schedules to accommodate you. This fills the air with bad vibes. Again, if you are delayed for any reason, call them and explain. They'll understand, but only if you've given good reasons why.

Don't overstay your visit. Your hosts are not on vacation like you are, and even though have graciously welcomed you into their home, have probably spent an excess of their time and money with extra food and drink, utilities, rearranging their normal routine, etc.
Bring a gift to say thank you at the outset. Arriving with something as a way of thanking your hosts in advance is a thoughtful and caring gesture. It demonstrates your appreciation of their caring contribution in making your stay a good one. Considerate, inexpensive gifts include: a bottle of wine, a box of chocolates, a basket of fruit or flowers. If you don't want to carry anything extra, have it delivered just in advance of your arrival.
Keep your guest area neat. Do not roll your suitcase inside the home. Take care not to soil the carpet or bedspread with oil, salt, or grime from the bottom of your suitcase. If provided, use a suitcase stand. Make your bed before appearing for breakfast. Keep your suitcase and belongings as unobtrusive as possible - especially if the room is visible to your hosts in passing by. Just shutting the door to a messy room is not an option. If you are given a sofa bed in a living area, it is especially important to arise when your hosts do, and accept that others have to live in the house, too. Make up your bed and tuck your suitcase out of the way to keep the common space neat. If you need closet space, always ask permission first.
Be reasonable about sharing a household bathroom. If the house only has one bathroom, ask when it is convenient for you to use it. If the family is working, going to school, etc., the last thing you want to be doing is getting underfoot. Come to an arrangement as soon as you arrive and be flexible about the use. Consideration is also expected if you are sleeping in a living area near the only bathroom; remember, others may need to use it after you go to bed. If there are more bathrooms, make sure that you use the one allocated to you and treat the other bathrooms as private.

If towels are not placed out for you in the guest room, don't presume that the fancy towels in a shared bathroom are for you. Politely inquire, "What towels would you like me to use?" If you are provided a guest bathroom, still keep it neat and always hang the towels up in an orderly manner.

Don't keep the hosts up late. It doesn't matter how long it has been since you last saw them, or how many exciting stories you have to tell them. Let your hosts get to bed for a decent night's rest. You may be feeling so excited at seeing them that you don't even notice your own exhaustion from traveling, so it will benefit you to go to bed at a reasonable hour, too. Likewise, don't sleep in and make your host family tiptoe around you. The yachting rule is: When the Captain is up, everybody is up.
Always offer to help at mealtimes. There is nothing more debilitating than having guests who sit around waiting expectantly for all meals. This is when a stay crosses over from being homey to like being in a hotel. It doesn't mean crowding the host out of the kitchen, but it does mean collecting plates, carrying out dishes, offering to wash up or stack the dishwasher, cleaning off the counters, and taking the garbage out. You could even offer to cook a meal or two yourself. If you're not sure what to do, ASK! Even if the host may say "nothing", insist that you do at least one thing. Very few hosts can say no to this offer!
Offer to make contributions. Even if you're not eating at your host's home, offer to purchase the groceries (after all, you still need their toilet paper!). This is usually the most burdensome additional cost for your hosts. Remember that they have probably already been shopping for extra groceries and spent a considerable amount of time and money to get ready for your visit. You could either bankroll their next supermarket trip (and it's nice if you accompany them, too) or you could offer to go out and buy things for both yourself and for them (ask them for a list). For longer stays, assisting with the grocery bill is crucial! Remember, you're getting free accommodations! Even for shorter visits such as a weekend, at least offer to take your hosts out for dinner. It should be the restaurant of their choice, although if you suggest it the right way, they'll also be deciding on a restaurant featuring local cuisine that they think will impress you as a visitor.
Do your own laundry. Don't be embarrassed about asking whether it is okay to do your laundry at your host's place. They understand that after a few days you'll have dirty underwear. Don't make the request sound like you're hoping they might add your laundry to their laundry chores. And never presume that the washing machine or dryer is available; always ask your host when the most convenient time is for you to do your laundry, emphasizing that you don't want to cut into the household's normal routine. If this means spending a weekday morning at the house doing laundry instead of visiting a museum, well, so be it.
Entertain yourself. Your hosts are offering you their home but not necessarily their time. Let your hosts make it clear whether or not they have the time to take you to places or to spend entire evenings with you. They may have work to finish at home, they may have work during the daytime, or other commitments. Don't presume that you can rely on their generosity to drive you to places or to show you around. Be prepared to catch public transportation and taxis. They'll probably be able to help you find a timetable or the nearest bus depot or subway line. Alternately, rent a car for yourself, especially if you plan on seeing many of the local sights, or if you are more active than your hosts. Your hosts may have already visited the sights many times before, especially if they live in a tourist-destination town.
Be home on time. Unless you have made a clear arrangement with your hosts that you'll be coming and going as and when you please, give your hosts an idea of when you'll return. If your hosts are providing you with an evening meal, be there at least half an hour before meal time. This gives you time to assist with the meal, help set the table or carry out other household chores. If you're late for a meal, call first and explain. Better yet, if you've been out sightseeing all day, and know that you'll be home late, don't come home hungry, assuming that your host is waiting to feed you. Have dinner while you're out, or bring dinner home with you, (pizza will do!) and bring enough for your hosts. Be extra quiet on arriving back late and if given a key, use it. Then, turn out the lights.
Be careful about internet and phone usage. If you need to use the internet or phone at your host's home, ask them first if this is okay with them. Ask them if they have dial-up or broadband and if your usage for a certain amount of time will cost anything. If there are costs involved (especially with long-distance calls), offer to leave payment. Better yet, use your cell phone. Regardless of the financial implications, sitting on the internet all night is just plain rude. Be thoughtful and just check your e-mails, your favorite updates and then shut down and return to the conversation. If using your host's computer, don't access any questionable websites that may invite viruses, undesirable email spam or worse (you know what I mean!)
Leave a thank you gift on your departure. Again, nothing expensive, just a small token of appreciation to show that you appreciated their hospitality. Flowers, a bottle of wine, fresh berries or a hand-written card are nice tokens. Do your homework, and try to choose something that you know they will like.
Strip your bedclothes on leaving. You're not staying in a hotel and your host has to wash the sheets (and towels) when you leave. Make it easier by removing sheets, pillow cases and any other linens. Place them in a neat pile on the foot of the bed. Better yet, start washing them for your host. After all, they'll have to do it after you leave anyway. You've probably been washing your own clothes during your stay, so you'll be familiar with using the washer and dryer. If you're staying long enough that your sheets require washing during your stay, do them yourself and remake your own bed. Does your host use a housecleaning service? You may even offer to contribute to the cost of cleaning after you leave.
Leave quietly and thoughtfully. If you have to leave really early in the morning, say your farewells the night before. If you're departing late at night or early in the morning, book your own transportation. Do not expect the host to run you to the airport/bus station unless the host suggests it. If you leave when the hosts are at work or out, make sure you have made prior arrangements to leave the keys somewhere safe and that you're sure how to lock the place up properly. If your host offers to provide your transportation, at least pay for their gas! With gas at around $3.00 (U.S.) a gallon, a good rule of thumb is to give at least $20.00 (U.S.) Offer more if it's a long drive. Remember, it's a round trip drive for your host. It's still no doubt cheaper for you than a shuttle or a taxi, and should not be at your host's expense.
The Golden Rule: Don't outstay your welcome. A short stay is a pleasant stay and leaves everyone feeling good about each other. As Ben Franklin once said, "Guests, like fish, begin to stink after three days."
Send a thank you note. Send a small card or an e-card to say thanks when you return home. Yes, it's a lot of thank-you's but it's polite to acknowledge the fact that your hosts opened their home to you, and it keeps the potential open for a repeat stay when the stay is remembered amicably by all.

What is Love?

2008-02-15T01:38:00.001-08:00

1 Corinthians 13

The Excellence of Love

1If I speak with the ^(A)tongues of men and of ^(B)angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a ^(C)clanging cymbal.

2If I have the gift of ^(D)prophecy, and know all ^(E)mysteries and all ^(F)knowledge; and if I have ^(G)all faith, so as to ^(H)remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

3And if I ^(I)give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I ^(J)surrender my body ^[a]to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

4Love ^(K)is patient, love is kind and ^(L)is not jealous; love does not brag and is not ^(M)arrogant,

5does not act unbecomingly; it ^(N)does not seek its own, is not provoked, ^(O)does not take into account a wrong suffered,

6^(P)does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but ^(Q)rejoices with the truth;

7^(R)bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8Love never fails; but if there are gifts of ^(S)prophecy, they will be done away; if there are ^(T)tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

9For we ^(U)know in part and we prophesy in part;

10but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

11When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.

12For now we ^(V)see in a mirror dimly, but then ^(W)face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also ^(X)have been fully known.

13But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is ^(Y)love.

~New American Standard Bible

2008-02-08T16:40:00.000-08:00

REMEMBER
November 20th, 1996 Claire
Melbourne, Australia

As I sit alone
With the warm sun on my back
I realize somethings missing
A part of me which lacks.

Could it be the trees,
Reaching for the sky?
Or could it be the children,
Walking home, who pass me by?

Perhaps, I miss the birds,
Chirping sweetly above my head?
All I feel is restlessness
A part of me is dead.

I know now what it is.
Now I realize what is wrong.
It's the feeling, they call solitude,
All my friends are gone.

Of course I know,
That as we grow,
We have to make our way,
We all must plot a different course,
To go by everyday.

I always thought my friendships,
Would be round,
Just like the moon
But you see,
I am not ready,
For it all to end so soon.

I miss their happy laughter,
Floating on the wind.
I miss the many secrets,
That circulate within.

The only way to keep,
Our friendships woven tight,
Is to keep in contact always,
And then we'll be alright!

Bad joke

2008-02-04T17:18:00.000-08:00

With it being an election year in the USA, politics is a topic discussed around many water coolers in the work place including where I work. The great thing about living in this country is our freedom of speech and as one of my coworkers pointed out the candidates sound like part of a bad joke. It would start something like this "a woman, black man, senior and Mormon walk into a bar..." (well the Mormon wouldn't be in the bar) but you get the drift. I'm sure by now someone has made a political joke about is somewhere, in this country that isn't surprising.

Fortunately there is about nine months left before we vote in the Presidential elections. So there is time to gather information, draw up lists of pros and cons, verify facts from gossip and try to make the best possible choice for President. For now I'm just watching the news and reading the politically inclined comics and editorial pages of the newspapers with amusement. Isn't it great to have such freedom that you can joke about your leaders??

Scrapbooking

2008-01-24T20:15:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I haven't written in here for a while but work and my trainee was keeping me busy. I had never finalized anyone before and wanted to make sure that all my "i's" were dotted and "t's" crossed off. When you teach someone and train them to do a job then have to finalize them and let them go. Well I felt like a mom sending off their kid to be "on their own" and was so nervous. My trainee wasn't even going to be on the same shift as me but on a different shift. But the job is done and she has been on her own for a week now.

This weekend was the first time in over two months where I had all three nights off. Being the way I am I had to find a way to occupy my time. So I printed all of my trip pictures and started on my scrapbook. I finished the Bangkok portion of my trip in one scrapbook last night. Here are some images from that book.

New Officers

2008-01-11T02:33:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended the Sacramento County Sheriff's Academy graduation. One of my former co-worker was part of the graduating class, so a few of us from work went. I like going because there is this "game" we play when the guys get pinned for their badges, but that is besides the point and I will not digress. Once the guys are pinned and right at the end they get sworn in and take the Law Enforcement Oath.

Law Enforcement Oath of Honor

On my honor,
I will never betray my badge,
my integrity, my character,
or the public trust.

I will always have the courage
to hold myself and others
accountable for our actions.
I will always uphold the
Constitution,
the community and
the agency I serve,
so help me God.

Developed by the
International Association of Chiefs of Police
Committee on Police Ethics

Here are some pictures:

Aisha and me waiting for the event to start.

Ivan, the guy in front, used to work with us.

Sheriff John McGinness gives the badge that Ivan's significant other will pin on his uniform.

Swearing in the new Peace Officers

Sheriff's class 07-SRBA 3

Ivan the graduate with me, Heather and Aisha (his former co-workers)

New year, new plans

2008-01-10T13:14:00.000-08:00

I love the thought of a whole new year. The days stretched out before you with possibilities and pages in the book of your life still unwritten. Each year in our family it is a tradition to pick a verse to claim for the new year. We also write up goals that we want to accomplish in the upcoming year instead of New Year's resolutions. So this year one of my goals was to get another stamp on my passport from a country I have never visited before. OF course that began the craziness of picking where I want to go. Isn't it wonderful that the world is so small all you need is to jump on a plane and you'll soon be in another country? It isn't like back in the days of yore when you would have to take practically everything you own on a journey just across the States. Now all it takes is 5 hours on a plane and you can go from the West Coast to the East Coast.

So which country have I chosen for my next adventure you make ask? I actually chose two countries this time. I plan to go to Lisbon, Portugal and then head off to Barcelona and Valencia, Spain sometime this Fall/Winter. Who will go with me you may ask next? Well it will be me, myself and I. Oh! And Sebastien, my ever faithful traveling companion that can easily squish into a suitcase or backpack. =) IF any of my other friends would like to join me they can. Why there? Perhaps that is your next question. After seeing "Passport to Europe with Samantha Brown" and her eating this wonderful custard pastry dish. I knew Portugal was one of the places I must visit! Then on another travel channel show they were showing Europe's Largest Aquarium and how the aquarium go the fishes from all over the world. They had these two white beluga whales that they transported across the Atlantic Ocean and I knew that I wanted to visit this place. Europe's Largest Aquarium is located in Valencia, Spain. I did a little bit more research and found out that the Spanish dish "paella" originated in the same region. So how could I resist the lure of food and fish all in the same place? I could not! And as for Barcelona...well what is there not to want to go there? The city is lively, full of art, architecture, food and history. Between the Gaudi work's of art and a great tapas scene, there is so much to be discovered in this Spanish Metropolis.

So now that I have chosen the next destination for my world travels, it is time to get down to work. Going on a trip for me means plenty of paper footwork, research and learning. Not only do I have to study the history and culture of the place, but I want to learn the language. At least enough of the language to get by on my own and manage to keep safe, so I must get some books and CD's on how to speak Portuguese and Spanish.

Bonding with my brother

2008-01-04T01:34:00.000-08:00

My brother will be going back to college next week. So for his Christmas gift I got him front row seats to the Sharks vs Flames. We were right there on ice level, so close that you could see and smell the sweat of the players right thee. It was awesome! Here are pictures of the game.

Update

2008-01-03T06:51:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry for not writing on this for a while. The holidays were crazy for me! I ended up working 11 days straight thanks to the events that preceded Christmas. So instead of spending time with my immediate family, I ended up spending this Holiday season with my second family-my coworkers. For as much time as we spend together it is like your second family. We fuss, argue and protect each other and we definitely spend plenty of time together. I ended up frying lumpia's twice both for the potluck on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Christmas Eve and Christmas day was pretty quiet. After working I went home and the family opened up gifts. Being an adult isn't as much fun as being a kid on Christmas morning, it does make a difference if there is a small child in the house. But my family is composed of adults and no small children in the house, so Christmas morning was a quiet affair.

The holidays just seem different when you're an adult. It is like the "magic awe" of the season gets lost with the realities you deal with. At least for me it does, but I think part of it is due to my job. I get to deal with "real life" every time I go to work and during the holidays it is worse. This is the time when the suicide rates and family fightings increase. So trying to find the "Christmas spirit" is rather difficult at times. But that is not to say that I did not have a good Christmas or New Year's, because I did. It was just very quiet, I didn't get to hear from some of my non-work friends. But then everyone just seems so busy these days, that lack of time is often the excuse (and a very valid one at that!) that is given for the oversight of contacting far away friends. That is one of the reasons why I still keep up the tradition of writing Christmas cards and sending them through the US Postal services. To me it brings back a bit of the nostalgia of days gone by when people wrote letters to each other. Though the ease of writing off a quick text message or e-mail is nice, but it lacks that personal touch. Okay, now I'm just going off on a tangent so I shall stop.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Tears For A Cop - God's Version

2007-12-20T19:04:00.001-08:00

Submitted by Ruth Benallie. Author Unknown.
(Featured in the Bridge Newsletter -- National Police Suicide Foundation.)

When God Made Peace Officers

When the Lord was creating peace officers, he was into His sixth day of overtime. An angel appeared and said, "You're doing a lot of idling around on this one."

And the Lord said, "Have you read the specs on this order? A peace officer has to be able to run five miles through alleys in the dark, scale walls, enter homes the health inspector wouldn't touch, and not wrinkle his uniform. He has to be able to sit in an undercover car all day at a stakeout, cover a homicide scene that night, canvas the neighborhood for witnesses and testify in court the next day. He has to be in top physical condition at all times, running on black coffee and half-eaten meals. And he has to have six pairs of hands."

The angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands....no way!"

"It's not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord. "It's the three pairs of eyes the officer has to have."

"That's on the standard model?" asked the angel.

The Lord nodded. "One pair that sees through a bulge in a pocket before he asks, "May I see what's in there, Sir?" (When he already knows and wishes he'd taken that accounting job) Another pair here in the side of his head for his partner's safety. And another pair of eyes here in front that can look reassuringly at a bleeding victim and say, "You'll be alright, Ma'am....when he knows it isn't so."

"Lord, " said the angel, touching his sleeve. Rest and work on this tomorrow."

"I can't", said the Lord, "I already have a model that can talk a 250 pound drunk into a patrol car without incident and feed a family of five on a civil service paycheck."

The angel circled the model of the peace officer very slowly. "Can it think?" she asked.

"You bet", said the Lord. "It can tell you the elements of a hundred crimes, recite Miranda warnings in its sleep, detain, investigate, search, and arrest a gang member on the street in less time than it takes five learned judges to debate the legality of the stop...and it still keeps its sense of humor. This officer also has phenomenal personal control. He can deal with crime scenes painted in hell, coax a confession from a child abuser, comfort a murder victim's family, and then read in the daily newspaper how law enforcement isn't sensitive to the rights of criminal suspects."

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the peace officer. "There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model."

"That's not a leak," said the Lord. "It's a tear."

"What's a tear for?" asked the angel.

"It's for bottled up emotions, for fallen comrades, for commitment to that funny piece of cloth called the American flag for justice."

"You're a genius," said the angel.

The Lord looked somber, "I didn't put it there," He said, "It comes with the job."

Sad day

2007-12-20T18:53:00.000-08:00

One of our guys at work died yesterday. He was doing a routine thing, something that is common for his job. Then he jumped a fence and he was gone. It brought back to the front of all our mind (in the department) just how short life can be and how quickly a person can be gone. Psalms 144:4 "Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow." So that is why I'm posting these two articles. May we take time during this joyous holiday season to remember those who serve us and keep us safe even at the cost of their own life.

Tears of a Cop - Under Pressure

2007-12-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

I have been where you fear to go...
I have seen what you fear to see...
I have done what you fear to do...
All these things I've done for you.

I am the one you lean upon...
The one you cast your scorn upon...
The one you bring your troubles to...
All these people I've been for you.

The one you ask to stand apart...
The one you feel should have no heart...
The one you call the man in blue...
But I am human just like you.

And through the years I've come to see...
That I'm not what you ask of me...
So take this badge and take this gun...
Will you take it? Will anyone?

And when you watch a person die...
And hear a battered baby cry...
Then so you think that you can be
All those things you ask of me...?

"Tears Of A Cop" - author unknown

Which Jane Austen Character am I most like?

2007-12-10T17:52:00.001-08:00

Going back to the grind

2007-12-05T22:48:00.000-08:00

I just finished my first week of going back to work since my nice long vacation. Man is it hard getting back into the grind of daily life again! Even my muscles don't remember exercise again, which explains why I am so sore right now. But my trainer enlightened me to "muscle memory" and how after a period of not doing the exercise routine then you get back to the gym again. Your muscles apparently have a memory of when you were fit and can return back to the size you were then given time. That's the tough part is time, you could be in serious pain for a few weeks depending on how long ago it was you were in shape and want to get back to that shape.

And speaking of getting back into the grind at work. I get back and they toss me right into the hurricane again. They give me a trainee and committee meetings begin again for our big banquet in April. Also to top it off, I applied for being a radio dispatcher so I can go in the radio room and just deal with the units directly. I get the test date in the mail and it just happens to fall on the busiest day of the week for me...Monday. So come December 17th, I will only have about 4 hours of sleep that day what with taking the dispatcher test, working out with my trainer and still doing a full shift that night at work. But I hope you will pray for me, I really need to pass the test and be in the top three. This new position will be a new challenge and help out in the finances department too. Also if I know how to use the radio then I can go to any law enforcement and ambulance department and work for them. What I do isn't "just a job" it is a profession. Not many people can be a 911 Dispatcher and handle the job with all its stresses, so if you have the skill you are marketable. But I digress =)

Hockey Tradition

2007-11-29T19:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Anne and I went to a hockey game. San Jose Sharks versus the LA Kings. It was a good game but the Sharks lost in overtime during the shoot-out. They don't have the best record of winning during a shoot-out but that is okay because the Sharks still got one point out of the game. Going to a hockey game after Thanksgiving is becoming a tradition with us.

We had to leave Modesto early so that we could take our time on the road. First we stopped at the Barnes & Noble in Livermoore and peruse the shelves. Then we ate an early dinner at Boda (this great Chinese food place that my family used to eat all the time when we lived in San Jose). Dinner was deep fried oysters, salt and pepper squid, house special fried rice and prawns with snow peas. Delicious! Then we stopped by the mall near the HP Pavilion since Anne wanted to do some Christmas shopping. The last thing we had to do before going to the game is Christmas in the Park. It is a San Jose tradition right in the middle of downtown at Ceasar Chavez Park. Various schools and organization have Christmas trees they decorate on display at Christmas in the Park alongside some Christmas dioramas and displays. It is pretty cool to walk around and look at the various displays.

I'm Alive

2007-11-17T23:06:00.001-08:00

Sorry if I caused anyone to worry. I was unable to get internet access from my laptop during my last 3 days in Thiland and the whole week in Cambodia. But I updated my www.offexploring.com/travelingchamelon blog now that I am in Hong Kong and have internet access again.

Waiting

2007-11-06T13:41:00.001-08:00

Seems like when you travel you tend to do plenty of waiting. You wait in line to check in the bags, you wait to go through security, you wait to get on the plane, then you wait to get off the plane, you wait in the immigration line and you wait in the baggage claim. I spend about 3 hours just inside Bangkok International’s Baggage claim waiting for my cousin. Do you know what three hours of doing absolutely nothing to someone like me does? It drives me bonkers! By the time my cousin showed up I was jumping up and down trying to not look like a crazy person. Of course when you start talking to a stuffed bear, people do give you the LOOK. LOL

Once my cousin collected her bag we went out to find our ride. Pastor Acosta was nice and very patiently waiting near the information desk. Stepping outside in the warm weather of Thailand was a surprise, of course wearing a dark black jacket didn’t help reduce the heat. But I found it was surprisingly not humid like in the Philippines. The traffic can be compared though the fact that over here they drive on the ‘wrong’ side of the street was enough to make me grab the seat and hold on tight. I found that the cars tended to obey the lanes and was nothing like the traffic in Manila. The place where we are staying is the Bangkok Christian Guest House, which is located near one of the main roads in the business section of Bangkok.

There are plenty of shops around and we found several malls connected together via overhead walk ways. Plenty of street vendors provided many opportunities to see things you don’t normally see i.e. uncooked meat out in the open, sticks of fish balls and little noodle shops on the side walk. Speaking of which there much of a side walk isn’t to begin with so walking is very much a people touching sport.

We ate dinner at a nice restaurant that the guy at the front desk recommended. Looking at the pictures you can only imagine the delicious taste of the food. Yummy!! It wasn’t too spicy since it is our first night here and we do want to enjoy being able to tastes the food for the next few days. Overall after a day spent waiting it was nice to finally settle in our new home away from home.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2007-11-04T14:54:00.001-08:00

Off Exploring

2007-11-03T23:14:00.001-07:00

I'm going to have to put this blog on hold while I travel. My brother is unable to read this blog and so I am going with a different website. You can check up on what I'm doing during my vacation by going to http://www.offexploring.com/travelingchamelon/

Please feel free to leave messages or comments! It would be wonderful to hear from y'all. So I will post updates when I get back at the end of this month!

Earthquake

2007-10-30T22:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight there was an earthquake here in the Bay area. Fortunately growing up in Earthquake land AKA California, I'm used to it that I really didn't notice it. After a day of classes and doing "group activities", my co-workers decided not to join me for a small field trip across the Bay. I wanted to check out Fremont Police Department's Comm. Center and one of the guys in my group at class was a Sergeant for that department. His wife was a Supervisor at the Comm. Center and I got to visit. Their facility is very nice, looked like a mall inside. But the Comm. Center was much nicer than ours, my co-workers were right in warning me that I would be jealous. And I was! They have new equipment, a really nice room but I also realized and appreciated the things we have in our Comm. Center. I decided to go back to my hotel by 8pm and talked one of my coworker to joining me for dinner. He decided to just drink and I needed food so we went to the Japanese Restaurant on sight. Just as he ordered the SAKE it was when the quake hit. I thought it was just the movement of the water affecting your senses but the waiter told us it was an earthquake. Boy I didn't even think twice about it! I was so hungry and focusing on the food. LOL But I am okay and Lord willing it will not happen again tonight.

Business Trip

2007-10-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

I'm on a short business trip for the next three days. Our Captain invited two co-workers and myself to attend a training class in San Mateo. So today we left Sacramento and checked into our hotel at Foster City. The class is held at San Mateo Community College which is like 10-15 min. away from the hotel. So far I am liking this way of travel, using the company money. =) The hotel is very nice and I'll take more pictures tomorrow. We got into San Mateo around dinner time and after unpacking, we went to look for where our class is going to be held tomorrow. Here are some pictures of our first day.