Quotes

Forewarning, I'm going to write about some pent up thoughts. There's not really a purpose otherwise, so don't expect it.

I've been thinking a lot about quotes lately and their uses. I'll write down inspirational quotes to myself in hopes that I'll stumble upon them later in my life when I need them again (and thanks to a recent class, I even write down my thoughts next to them). I don't take notes at church because I feel that if I ever have to stand up for the gospel, I won't have my church journal there to back me up. I keep a journal, but lately I've felt it's not enough to just list my daily activities. I want to write about how those activities make me feel! What questions I have, what decisions I have made. And when I write them down I want them to be comprehensible so that I'm not just writing them down to become shut up in some journal collecting dust in the drawer under my bed. I want to be quotable, not out of vanity, but out of a hope that what I say and feel can help another person.

But anything I say has been said before. But that doesn't matter! So what if the ideas I have are written down in some other person's musings or other great works. The people I associate with may never find those thoughts! I love opinions! I collect them (which is not the same as agreeing with them, of course).

What do I agree with then? With the array of opinions out there and with so many confronting me...it's hard to decide sometimes. I don't like to fall back on the excuse, "Oh, I have an open mind to anything." No. I have opinions. I allow those opinions to change based on new ideas that are presented to me and I feel that they are worth changing my ideals for. But to allow your opinions to fluctuate whimsically in order to appease other's opinions is not for me. I'll usually respond "I can see where you are coming from." But then I have to think about it more. It's like...my own opinion is at the core and then I allow for branches of unique circumstances to attach themselves to it. I quite relish the challenge of knowing your own opinion and what you want to stand for.

So when people do like my opinions, it's weird. I don't take compliments well. I've had people compliment me on my thoughts or testimony and I try to recieve them graciously. But I never feel like I do. I'm so suspicious of them...So I suppose there's the paradox. I'm trying to get over my suspicions now and I'm trying to share my thoughts more.

Wish me luck I suppose.

Teh-has part 4

So when I check internet down here in Texas, it's usually for about 10 minutes a day. I'm normally used to being on the computer for at least an hour a day. I've decided this is a good change for me.

I get to play the organ this Sunday in church. It's hard to find time to practice because ever since I've come back to California I've been compensating for my 'vacation' by working my off days. It requires me to be creative with my practice times. I must say I've never labeled myself as someone who would practice the organ until 11:00 at night...it's probably the latest I've ever practiced any instrument. It makes me feel like Quasimodo. One day I'll actually play the carolin (thing that controls the bells in most churches) at Notre Dame and my transformation to the hunchback will become a reality I suppose. Until then, I'll play for Sacrament services as a sub for the organist.

I don't have much else to say than I'm on break right now and really want to get back to reading my book. I've reverted back to my 8th grade days. Any chance I get, I read a book. No movie, video game, or craft project can tempt me. I just read. Even when I'm eating! But not when I'm hanging out with people, that's rude. It's times like these I remember that my math teacher would throw white board markers at me because I'd ignore her in class and read instead. I don't read while I'm selling things at work though...there's a huge sticker ball that we've made that, if thrown, I'm pretty sure is lethal...and I wouldn't want that thrown at me as I read.

Just Saying...part two...

My escapades have been vast and jam-packed these past 5 days. I had this time all planned out and the majority of them are meeting their fruition. So like I do in my actual journal, I will now list them for the heck of it. Went to see Despicable Me (meh), went to the beach with my sister and did volleyball drills in the sand/swam in the ocean, ate at The Kettle (favorite restaurant by the beach), found out my stomach is still sensitive to grilled onions but I'm ok, went to my Aunt'n Uncles house, made a video (soon to be on YouTube), FINISHED LES MISERABLéS!!!!!, ate at Hank's Pizza (favorite Ma and Pa place), went to the pageant of the masters, and today I'm going to Arrowbear (old music camp I used to go to by Big Bear)

All in all I say it's been jam packed. A lot of the time when I come home I usually sit around and play video games a lot...but I've only done it once when I got thoroughly humbled in Super Smash Brothers.

Pageant of the Masters was AMAZING! They don't allow pictures though, or I'd have enough to satisfy anyone's want for pictures of people pretending to be pictures/paintings/sculptures. But going has changed my life! If I ever end up living in CA again, I plan on volunteering for the pageant.

Les Mis was AMAZING! Never have I read a book as such. It was infuriating, thought-provoking, boring, and gripping all in its entirety! It took me a month and a half to read it; a serious mark on my pride. Not to say I haven't taken a long time to read books (still working on Don Quixote two years later), but when I sit down and actually try to finish them, I usually get done within two weeks! But each time I sat down with it, it would invoke such thought within me. That or it put me to sleep with his random tangents. But the greatest thing was that ALL of his random tangents come into play in the story! Man. It is now my second most favorite book, unabridged and all.

So, those are my logged adventures thus far. Off to have some more fun in the great state of CA for me!

Just Saying...

I'm home in CA for a week, so of course, I'm comparing the two. Now I won't reach any conclusions of course. But here are some of my thoughts.

The air makes me want to cry (with joy).

I can smell the beach constantly.

I got to eat King's Hawaiin.

Food Places here don't stay open if they aren't good.

I paid $11 for a movie ticket D:

I can wear jackets again!

Well...that's all I've got from less than one day of comparing California and Texas. More to come to be sure!

Musings

So I don't have anything particularly funny today, haven't written for awhile, so I thought I'd just write random thoughts that came to me in order to satisfy my thirst for blogging.

Went to see Toy Story 3 last night for the second time. AMAZING!!! I REALLY wanted sour patch kids but decided against it. Oprah says you're not to eat after 7 o'clock!

My mother, when I was younger, was always waiting for checks in the mail. I've never known how nerve wracking that is until now. It's an odd sense of emphathy that I thought I'd never have to feel. Go figure.

I got a letter in the mail! :D It made my day and I carried it around with me to work and everywhere! It was from my Uncle if you're wondering.

Got a pet rabbit. Well, I didn't, my room mates did. He is very cute. Also very hard to name. But I think I'm going to stick with Gandalf. It appeases the inner geek in me.

Everyday until next Tuesday I keep thinking, "What will I be doing a week from now in California?" I'm going back for a week to do a little vacation because I haven't seen them since Christmas. For Friday, it's the day my Dad returns from his escapades in the Philippines! :D I bet he will be oober tan!

I'm tanning! Well, as much as I CAN tan. And just my arms are tanning too, no matter how many times I wear shorts, my calves are still palsy at best! Oh well. Like I always tell myself, I'm beautiful in China.

Something that is driving me insane right now: Les Misérables. I'm attempting to read the unabridged version and it's taken me longer than a month and I'm not even done yet. It hurts my pride! I eat books like this in two week periods! At least when I was in middle school I did. Alas, when you read about 30 pages an hour, I know for a fact it will take me at least 12 more hours to finish that book. Maybe I'll just pull an all nighter...but I've yet to meet a book that could keep me that engrossed without wanting to go to sleep. 5th Harry Potter almost did (4 in the morning).

How California is better

I think as I go about in my life that this question will, but shouldn't, plague me. Which state is better? Inherently I say California because I'm from there AND my family is there. But every day I spend in Texas increases it in my eyes! The food, the clouds, the sights, etc. As such, I must simply keep my best defense as to how California is better foremost in my mind. I've used this tactic against many a people to say California is the best state and so far it's been inrefutable...until I came to Texas.

All the Texans I meet don't believe this fact of mine! I have tried over and over in the last month to get them to see it for the truth that it is! They point to the copious amounts of country songs as their source for victory! However, now I've found proof. Let the facts speak for themselves...

Songs about Texas vs. Songs about California

Teh-hes part 3

So no pictures today, but instead I'm going to write about the 'cool' people I meet everyday!

So I work in a store where tons of tourists come in every day. However, in order to get people into the store I get to stand outside of it and shout at random people. The coolest thing I get to see when I do this is all the various groups or protesters that are visiting the street I work on. My personal favorite so far has been the group that brought a statue of the Saint of San Antonio (St. Anthony?) and put it on a bar in which they proceeded to turn the statue upside down, making it do continuous flips for about 4 hours. Yep, nothing says immigration legislation unrest like the flips of a statue.

Another thing about my job is that you see the same bums everyday. I do my best to avoid them, however they are very well dressed and a lot of the time I mistake them as not-bums. One even gave me a fist bump the other day! :D I've also managed to get a few in the store in which they then inform me they have no money. Well, don't I feel sheepish!

Other people you meet on the street are those that laugh at you. I was in a particularly good mood when a guy said flippantly, "That's a store for young people!". I then stuck my foot in my mouth and said "Well for older customers..." I felt most guilty until he did some British version of flipping me off. Then I felt justified. Heaven forbid I call it as I see it I suppose.

Then there's the people that you see multiple times on the street that you've already talked to! My personal favorite so far was the man from Alaska! He asked me if I'd ever been there as he was walking past and, thanks to my Father and his fishing escapades there, I was able to get the guy in the store to buy things! Twice! We talked about fishing in Alaska. Silly man thinking I didn't know about cool things in Alaska.

One of my favorite sales gimmicks is to have a story associated with where they're from. The Alaska trivia aside, my favorite one to use is that I'm from California and know everything there is to know about fashion and what's cool! Cause what's cool in California hasn't made it here quite yet! I got a woman to buy three pairs of sunglasses off of that :D Whoot!

Then there's all the 'cool' people that come in the store. So far I've had people from Canada, New Zealand, France, and Britain come in! :D Also, one customer informed me their last names were 'Cool'. Really? I think you're dad got his named changed just so that he could be Mr. Cool and he could have a Cool jr.! But that's just me.

So yeah. I love this! So many random people get to come in! It's great!