Weight gain during Fall

Travel season was not good to me. Working in college admissions requires that I am out on the road recruiting for the university from almost three months straight. This past fall I was away from home and staying in hotels for a total of 27 nights. Plus, all of those other days that I was not out of the area, I was doing local travel. Typical days of local travel include three to four high school visits a day, plus a college fair at night that typically gets over at 9pm.

During the fall I have long days and am unable to stay on a regular diet. It's unfortunate, but during travel season I have to eat out every day... a few times a day. Usually I am able to be good, but this past year I was bad and my waistline has seen the consequences. :-(

When I started travel season I was already a little unhappy with myself and thought that I could stand to lose 10 - 15 more pounds. But, the pounds started adding on... and now I'm thinking I have about 25 - 30 pounds I need to get rid of.

Don't get me wrong. I do love what I do. It's fun traveling for work because I get to see places I've never been. For example, since starting my job at the University of La Verne I have been to so many places I had never been: Washington, Oregon, Texas, Boston, Maine. I've had the opportunity to travel to Sacramento to do Legislative work, and am hoping to travel to DC in 2009 for Legislative work. I'll probably be visiting Maryland and Colorado next year for conferences... My job is fun and I get to travel... but I hate the fact that it's so hard to stay on a healthy diet when traveling.

With the holidays coming up, I'm not going to set myself up for failure. However, starting January 1 it's diet and exercise time for me. I have put my mind to it, and I am determined to get to my goal weight. And my wedding, that we're hoping to have in May, will get me to my goal. I have an idea of where I need to be and I am determined to be there by my wedding day! Wish me luck!

2008 in review

I can't believe I'm doing a survey on the blog, but it's the only way I can think of reviewing my 2008... without thinking too hard.

1) Where did you begin 2008?
Maverick and I was at the Rojo house in Baldwin Park.


2) What was your status by Valentine's Day?
Engaged.


3) Were you in school anytime this year?
Technically I was not at school, but I'm always at school. I was not enrolled in school, but I work at a University.

4) How did you earn your money?
Working at the University of La Verne. For the first part of the year my job was Admission Counselor. However, during the summer I got a promotion to Assistant Director of Admission.

5) Did you have to go to the hospital?
I was not at the hospital myself, but I went to visit family.


6) Did you have any encounters with the police?
Not in 2008.


7) What did you purchase that was over $1000?
Nothing this past year.

8) Worst moment in 2008?
The day that Grandma Martin died :-(


9) Did you know anybody who got married?
Joey and Esperanza, Michael and Hazel

10) Did you know anybody who passed away?
My Grandma Martin

11) Did you know anyone who had a baby?

Ben and Maria had their twins Leo and Ella and Michelle and Dustin had Gabrielle

12) Did you move anywhere?
Nope, I've lived in the same house for the past two and a half years. However, during 2008 I spent about 40 nights in hotel rooms, mostly for work.


13) What concerts/shows did you go to?
The only concerts/shows I went to were for Maverick's band called Subdivision

14) Are you registered to vote?
Yes I am - have been since I turned 18

15) Do you still have the same job as you did in 2007?
I work for the same University, but did get a promotion in 2008

17) Where do you live now?
Same place I have for the past two and a half years - San Gabriel, California.


18) Describe your birthday?
Unfortunately my Grandma's funeral was the day before. But, I did have the day off work. My Mom, Dad Grandma and Grandpa (on my Mom's side) came to my house and we went to eat at my favorite restaurant - Wood Ranch. I wasn't in much of a mood to celebrate too much.

19) What's one thing you thought you'd never do but did in 2008?
Get tired of all of the travel for work.

Lobby in Sacramento and talk with Legislators - it was so much fun and I can't wait to do it again in February 2009!

20) What has been your favorite moment?
The moments I was able to spend with the people most important to me without a care in the world.

21) What's something you learned about yourself?

I'm a lot more sensitive than I thought.

22) Any new additions to your family?
Not on my side of the family, but two new little ones on Maverick's side - his cousin and wife had twins in September


23) What was your best month?
August - It was the time that I got to take vacation from work and just relax. It was nice to be away from work not not being so busy!

24) Were you in a relationship this year?
Yes I was, and have been since 2005


25) What music will you remember 2008 by?
I don't know.

26) Who has been your best drinking buddy?
I'm not much of a drinker any more - not like I used to be in college. But, I can say I have a good time with:
Diana and Regina at Dodger games.
Matt Luna and Andrew in Portland, Maine as we watched the Celtics win the Championship at a great bar called Fore Play
Matt Rinehart and Andrew in Las Vegas for the WACAC Conference
Andrew, Gina, and Jenny in Seattle for the NACAC Conference
And always Maverick whenever we have a drink here or there.


27) New friend?
A met a few good people out on the road this year

28) Favorite Night out?
Looking at Christmas Lights with Maverick
Watching the Celtics win the Championship at Fore Play Bar in Portland, Maine
NACAC Social Events, especially the California Suite in Seattle
Dodger Baseball games with the girls

29) Would you say you've changed since the beginning of this year?
Not too much


30) Do you think 2009 will be better or worse?
It will definitely get better as we are planning on getting married in 2009 =D

Drivers that are Jerks!

Last night Maverick and I went to look at Christmas Lights in Rancho Cucamonga. I have been going to the same place in Rancho Cucamonga to look at Christmas lights for years. It's always crowded, but the lights are spectacular... so it is well worth it!

We were waiting in line (in our car) on Sapphire waiting to get on Thoroughbred where the lights are. We literally were only in line for about 15 minutes - not bad at all. There have been times in the past when we waited over an hour! There was a big truck that I knew was going to be trouble as soon as I saw him. He tried pushing his way in front of me, but I wasn't having it. He was turning from a side street, but I wouldn't let him go. So, he got behind me. He turned his high beams on just to bother me... oh well, I wasn't going to let him cut in front of me. Then after waiting in line about three minutes behind me when there was only about 10 cars in front of us, he cuts off to the side of the road, goes to the front of the line and cuts in front of the next person in line and goes onto Thoroughbred to see the lights.

This infuriated me! This guy was nothing but a jerk. I hate inconsiderate drivers. You may be thinking... "maybe the guy was impatient because he lived in the area and just wanted to get home." Nope, I saw the guy inside looking at the lights just like the rest of us! Oh... makes me so mad. It's supposed to be Christmas when people are nice to others, but this guy is almost getting into accidents just to get in front of a few people.

I just had to rant about this inconsiderate driver. It made me so mad last night - it probably brought up my blood pressure because I was so mad. Oh well... it's over now. Now it back to reading applications for admission =D

So Long Again

Why has it been so hard to write in the blog since I got back on a regular schedule at work? I just can't seem to find the time to write in my blog. It was working out so well during travel season - I was able to vent, share fun stories, etc. I miss it! So again, I'm going to try my best to post in the blog on a regular basis!

Black Friday Shopping

On Black Friday, November 28 I got up at 5am and went shopping. Why is this a big deal? Well, I've never gone shopping on Black Friday. I am not a big shopper, plus I hate crowds. But, Maverick (who, by the way, has also not gone shopping on Black Friday) and I were looking at the ads and said, we should try getting up early and trying this once. So, I didn't go to bed until 12am and Maverick didn't go to bed until 2am, but we were up at 5am to get to Target and get in line at 5:30am.

Why Target? Well, Target is our store. We can get everything there that we've ever wanted - it's just so convenient and organized. You'll probably see us at Target at least once a week... so why not spend our early Black Friday morning with them as well?

So, we got in line at 5:30am, 30 minutes before it opened, and found that there were hundreds of people in front of us. When we got there, they gave us a map of the store that highlighted the popular things that were on sale. So, Maverick and I mapped out what we were going to get. When the doors opened, the people started running in... Whenever I saw this on television in the past, I never thought it was this crazy. So, Maverick went to his area and I went to mine. And, we walked out of the store with steals...

We got a GPS, external hard drive, vacuum cleaner, crock pot, DVDs - and all of those things were for us =D But, we also walked out with many gifts! It was amazing to get so many great deals. When we checked out, our receipts said that we had saved hundreds of dollars! =D

Will we shop on Black Friday again? I think so! We felt good and so accomplished when we walked outside of the store at 7am. We still had the whole day to sleep, plus we got some great things that we've wanted and needed!

Gas Prices

I'm loving the gas prices that we've been having recently! It's so nice to see gas under $2.00! Today, we got gas at Costco for $1.84/gallon!


This is amazing - I'm loving these gas prices. It's just unfortunate that the prices weren't this low when I was traveling for work. I put over a 1,000 miles on my car this Fall going to high school visits and college fairs and I was only getting paid $0.40/mile. That was great when prices were like they are today, but during the travel season, gas was at $4.00/gallon. Oh well... I'm just thankful that the gas prices have lowered!

Can't Sleep

It's 2:30am and I just can't sleep.

Today at work I had a minor headache that continued to get worse throughout the day. Today was also the day that we celebrated my birthday. The chocolate cake they had for me was great, but for some reason after I was done eating it, I was feeling very sick (stomach and nausea). By the time it was 5pm and time for me to go home, I was not doing well at all. I was so pale and it felt as though I was drunk when I was driving home. It was pretty scary and I just prayed the entire time that I would make it home safely.

I did make it home safely but I was in horrible pain. So, I laid down on the couch and was in and out of sleep all night. Now that it was time to go to bed, I just can't sleep. At least the headache has calmed down and I'm not feeling like I'm going to vomit every few minutes. Oh wait, I spoke too soon. I'm not feeling well again, but I just can't sleep. So, I guess the internet will entertain me until I can sleep again.

Novel Writing Update

I'm behind on everything right now. It's been a crazy travel season this year....

So, I am very behind in my novel writing and I don't think that I'll be able to finish it in November. Work has been extremely crazy during this November, as it usually is during November. Then, this past week was hard with the passing of my grandmother. Although she had been sick for quite a while, it was not easier when my called to tell me that she has passed away.

I have had to put the novel on hold. Although I may not finish during the National Novel Writing Month of November, I do plan on finishing this thing eventually. I'm currently up to about 10,000 words, but I'll get it there eventually. As I mentioned when I first started this thing, being a writer was always my childhood dream for a career. I will finish it...

Prop 8

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Exactly! I'm so glad that someone finally put something out like this.

President Barack Obama

The United States has elected a new president: Barack Obama! This is very exciting and I am looking forward to all of the change he has been talking about over the past few years!

Although Hillary Clinton was my original Democratic favorite, Barack Obama is just a great a candidate as her and I'm looking forward to him being the President. I am curious to see who he will appoint to his Cabinet. Will Hillary be apart of it? Will he appoint her to the Supreme Court when there is an opening?

I'm not a soap opera watcher... politics has become my "soap opera." I can't wait to see what happens next!

Election Day

Today is the biggest and more important election of my lifetime and I am so happy that it is finally here! Maverick and I will be watching the elections results come in.

I remember when I first voted it was so exciting to wait in line. But, I was over that this year... I turned in my absentee ballot a while ago and LAVote.net confirmed that they have received it! Barack Obama received my vote! Let's hope for the same results as what I voted =D

Now, we're going to just have to wait and see! This is so exciting!

Long Time... Again

It's been awhile again since I last wrote. I was doing such a good job blogging while I was out on the road doing recruiting for work. But, once I was home again doing recruiting around here (home), I just haven't had much time.

This has been such a crazy year for me at work. I have had so much to do at work beside just the recruiting out at high schools and college fairs. I've also been doing all of our Web 2.0 stuff (email blasts, MySpace, Facebook, online chat, etc.) Plus, I held four Information Receptions in my territories, I've been trying to plan a few events for the Spring and I've also been helping others in my office with events during the Fall... It's crazy. I haven't had any free time this entire Fall semester... I need somet time off.

And things are just about to become crazier. One of my colleagues recently put in his notice and will be leaving our office. That's right... if you're looking for an Admission Counselor position, the University of La Verne will soon have an opening! Be on the lookout because I know I want to make sure that we hire someone very fast!

Other then that, I started the National Novel Writing Month today. I did a little writing today and left off at 2,332. Only about 48,000 more words to go =D

Writing a Novel

My cousin Tom had a great idea of writing a novel by joining the National Novel Writing Month. I thought, "when all of the other kids wanted to be teachers or police officers, when asked what I wanted to be when I grow up, I always said a writer." That was my dream throughout my childhood, but then I grew up and realized I needed to find a passion that would make me money so that I could pay my bills. So, I gave up that dream temporarily... but I'm going to try this whole National Novel Writing Month.

Wish me luck!

Dodgers Sweep Cubs

Sorry Cubs, it's going to be 100 years of not going to the World Series. Maybe next year. When the Dodgers aren't in it, I cheer for the Cubs because they are the underdogs. But, because my Dodgers are finally in the Playoffs since not having been here since 1988, I got to go for my boys in Blue!

Dodgers sweep Cubs! Very exciting! Let's hope that the rest of the playoffs go just as well for the Dodgers as this first series!

A few good things in Portland

It's been raining the almost the entire time I've been in Portland. And, I've hated the traffic I've experienced here. But, there are a few things that I like about Portland, Oregon:

Portland is Green:

Everywhere I went in Portland had special toilets that allowed people to save water. And, the handles are green because they are coated to protect against germs.

Plus, they recycle everywhere! There are places to drop materials for recycling everywhere.

I had a wonderful view outside of my hotel room (even though it was raining almost the entire time I've been here):

The above looks like it could be a beautiful place to have a wedding - if it's not raining.And, I was trying to be artistic.

There is no sales tax, which was nice when I did a little shopping. Whatever was on the price tag was exactly what I paid!

And the best part is that there is free Wi-Fi everywhere, including hotels, the convention center and the airport. This sure comes in handy when you're traveling alone.

Although I found a few things I like about this city, I can't wait to go home. I leave tomorrow at 10am! I'm so excited to finally go home - it's been more than a week and a half!

Portland Traffic

Today I was stuck in Portland, Oregon traffic for a few hours total. I pretty much stayed within a few miles, but to get to everything, it took forever.

For example, my hotel is very nice and has a nice view of the Columbia River. However, there really is no food around except for Subway. So, I wanted to go to a place called Janzten Beach where there is a lot of choices. It's only one exit north on Interstate 5, but unfortunately it took me about 45 minutes from my hotel to the places to eat. Why? I think the main reason is because the traffic lights have no strategic timing. I was turning right to do the 360 degree turn to get to the freeway, but there were people coming from the opposite direction. By the time that the opposite traffic was past me, the next set of opposite traffic was coming. It was ridiculous!

Why did I take the Freeway when it was only one exit away? I had to cross a body of water (the Columbia River) to get there, and the only way to get across was to go on the Freeway.

So, Southern California traffic is horrible. We all know that, but at least we know it's because there are just too many people. They are constantly doing new things in Southern California to try and relieve traffic. Here in Portland, I really think they need some City Planners to come and make some changes. Woo... I can't wait to get out of this raining town! It's been raining since I got here, and right now it's pouring outside! Two more days and then I get to go home - WooHoo!

Game 2 - Dodgers

It's exciting! Dodgers are leading the Chicago Cubs 2-0 in the National League playoffs!

Sure, many of their runs came on errors from the Cubs infield, but we'll take it! And way to go Manny for hitting another homerun! The Dodgers scared me tonight in the 9th inning, but they pulled through! Way to go Dodgers - they need two more wins to then go up against either the Phillies or the Brewers.

Let's go Dodgers!

They are not mavericks!

Thank you Joe Biden for finally standing up tonight and telling Sarah Palin that she and John McCain are not Mavericks!

Maverick is defined as a a lone dissenter, as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates. Even if McCain and Palin have made a few decisions that were different from their party, that doesn't make them mavericks. I truly believe that if either one of them were a Maverick, they wouldn't have a chance of winning this election. Why? Because people don't like much change. That is why we will probably never see a president that is not a republican or democrat. The two of them still stay very close to their party, and so I don't think they are mavericks.

I just hate hearing that word coming out of her mouth as the answer for everything. "John McCain is a maverick because he stood up for this." "I am a maverick because I said thanks, but no thanks to the bridge to no where." It's ridiculous. They have just picked up on this media label and have ran with it and I cringe every time I hear it, especially when it's coming from one of their own mouths.

Plus, I don't like anyone associating my fiancé with John McCain or Sarah Palin (his name is Maverick).

So again, thank you Joe Biden for standing up and telling them that they are not Mavericks! That was my favorite part of the debate tonight!

Spokane, Washington

I just got done with a two day visit to Spokane, Washington. This was my first time in Eastern Washington.

All I have to say is that Eastern Washington is a completely different world than Western Washington. When comparing Seattle and the surrounding areas with Spokane and the surrounding areas, I can't believe that they are even the same state. The feeling in Eastern Washington just is so different and not as modern. I can definitely say that I would not want to move to Eastern Washington.

Random observation that I found in Spokane: I think the White/Caucasian population has to be at least 90%. When I was attending the college fair, the majority of the people of color that I saw were the college representatives... and even counting them, there weren't many. I'm used to places where people have different skin colors. That's one of the things that I like about Seattle... it's so diverse.

One random observation about Seattle: I think Seattle is the Hapa capital of the world. What is hapa? Hapas are people that are half Asian, and half something else... usually white. I just find this interesting because once I have kids, they'll be hapa. Hapas are EVERYWHERE in Seattle.

All right... Spokane - Not for me. Seattle - Love it!

Now I'm off to watch the Vice Presidential debate! Exciting!

Let's Go Dodgers!

The Dodgers win the first game of their National League playoff match up against the Chicago Cubs! Three homers, including one grand slam by James Loney. Plus, my "cousin" Russell Martin and Manny Ramirez hit homers! The first win of the series, and they won it on the road! This is so exciting to have the Dodgers in the playoffs - it has been long enough!

Let's Go Dodgers! Game 2 is tomorrow in Chicago again!

Oh no - I think the vice-presidential debate is running at the same time as the game. What to do? What to do? It's too bad I'm not at home where I could watch two televisions at one time.

Don't Vote

Election 2008

The 2008 Election is huge! It's huge because we have a Black man running as a Democratic nominee and a woman running as the Republican nominee for vice-president. That means that no matter what, whoever win this election, it will be the first time ever. That's exciting. But, it's also huge because this country needs change, and it needs it fast! We're still in a war that we're not winning. The economy is going farther downhill every day! The number of people in poverty continues to grow yearly! There are problems and we need change!

In the Los Angeles area I haven't seen many people with stickers on their car. I understand because I don't want stickers on my car either. But, I also haven't seen many people wearing pins or shirts for their favorite candidate. Am I just not looking in the right place?

The reason I brought this up is because when I was in Seattle, I saw Obama and Biden pins and shirts EVERYWHERE! People behind the registers at the airport had pins. Waitresses and Waiters at restaurants at the Pike had pins for Obama as part of their "flair." Students and parents that attended the National College Fair that I was at outnumbers those that didn't have pins or shirts on! The city of Seattle is very supportive of Obama and it's great to just see so many people caring about this election!

33 days until the election! California people - if you're not registered to vote, you still have 19 days! Get on it now!

Conference = Lots of alcohol

Sitting here tonight in my hotel room, the last night in Seattle, I started thinking about how we spent our nights during the conference. Every single night we drank alcohol!

Towards the end of my college career (and a little after), I spent a lot of time enjoying smaller parties with alcoholic beverages. However, around the time I turned 25 I stopped drinking as much. Sure, I would have a drink here or there, but I really didn't drink much at all. But, when I started working in Admissions, I noticed that every time there is a conference going all, they serve LOTS of alcohol and it's like I'm in college again!

It all started last year when I attended the WACAC Conference in San Diego. We stayed out to the wee hours of the night hanging out in the gas lamp and having everything we wanted from the bar... for free. Then, I went to the Summer Institute at UC Santa Cruz and our nights were spent like new college freshman... playing drinking games. Then I went to NACAC in Austin, Texas and every night we had a party to attend that served free alcohol! That was just last year!

This year we had the WACAC Legislative Conference in Sacramento, WACAC in Las Vegas, User Group Conference in Portland, Maine and then NACAC in Seattle... it was a repeat of last year, but in new locations!

I really do attend all of these conferences for professional development. And, I believe that the majority of others do as well. But, why do they serve us unlimited amounts of alcohol for free? It's crazy! Haha... I can't wait until I find out the bill for the California Suite Party that a bunch of California universities threw here in Seattle (and every year)... I had never seen so much alcohol consumed... and by High School Counselors and Admission Counselors.

Just my thoughts - we're supposed to be learning, but a lot of alcohol is consumed during these conferences.

I Love Seattle

Who would have ever thought that I would love a city that is known for it's rain?

I had never been to Seattle without rain, and this trip has been a great introduction to sunny weather in Seattle. I know it doesn't happen very often, but it was wonderful! But, that got me thinking... even when it was pouring rain, I still loved this city!

I can't describe why I like it, but I do. It's a great city - it reminds me of San Francisco, but much cleaner! It's a nice city with new things around every corner. There are seasons here, which means that you get to see all of the colors of the leaves. And, from what I've experienced, the people here are really nice.

I don't think I would mind moving to this area. I don't know if that would ever happen, but I don't think I would mind.

I'm Exhausted!

I am exhausted!!!

I have been in Seattle, Washington for the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) Conference since Wednesday. I have only been here three days, it's been exhausting!

During the days we're getting up to go to sessions and hear speakers on many issues regarding College Admission and Counseling. Then, at night we've had parties and socials to attend to network with others in the profession. So, last night I got back to the hotel room at around 2:30am and was in my first session this morning at 8am! I'm exhausted! I have a few hours of freedom right now, but then it's on to the next party at the Experience Music Project.

Don't get me wrong... this conference is great and I have a great time every time. The sessions are great and I totally see myself taking all of these things that I've learned back to the office. And the parties are great because everything is free and I get to meet so many great people. But... I can't wait until I can go back to normal life and have my regular 8-5 job because right now I'm exhausted!

Two Weeks in One Suitcase!

Today I left for Seattle and won't be back home until Sunday, October 5! That's the longest I've been away from home. And, what makes it worse is that I am not traveling with anyone for most of this time. No Maverick :-( I'm with a few co-workers, but only for a few days while we are attending a conference. Then, they all leave Saturday/Sunday and I still have a week by myself!

Have you ever packed for 2 weeks? and tried to fit it in only one suitcase? That's right, I had to pack two weeks worth of clothing in one suitcase because the other suitcase that I still had to pay extra for was already reserved to hold my materials for college fairs (viewbooks, inquiry cards, etc.) That was one of the hardest things I ever had to do because I had to pack for professional dress and colder weather. That's right... it's currently raining in Seattle. I thought I would finally get to experience this great city with sun, but unfortunately I was wrong. But that's okay... I still love this city, even during the gloomy times.

So, back to packing for two weeks. It's hard! All of my clothing is now very wrinkled. And the thing that makes this even harder is that there are two times during this trip that I have to pack up those dirty clothes because I have to get on another plan to go to another city. On Tuesday I fly to Spokane, Washington and then on Thursday I fly to Portland, Oregon. And then finally I get to fly home on Sunday, October 5.

I'm sure I'm going to have fun during this trip, but right now I'm exhausted and I can't wait to go home!

Police and Tickets

I'm a big fan of The Adam Carolla Show that is on 97.1 Free FM here in Southern California. He is also syndicated all over the country. So, for example, last week when I was in the Central Valley, I was still able to listen to Adam Carolla, Teresa Strasser and Bald Brian.

If you have never heard the show, I will tell you that Adam rants about everything. He can find a reason to complain about everything and I find it hilarious. One of the things that he rants about is "cops giving out chicken "s" tickets." He has talked about this subject so many times, but it finally got me thinking... it's true. I know that there are great police officers out there that really try to save us from crime, but how come there are so many that spend their time trying to give out tickets?

Here's an example. I live on a street that gets a lot of people driving down it, with a speed limit of 30 mph. Just a few houses down there is a small cross street with a 4-way stop. Almost every day a cop hangs out in different locations giving out tickets to people that don't stop long enough. I've been lucky and have not been given a ticket here, mainly because I know this is a place cops like to give out tickets. My parents have been witness to this too when a cop parked behind their car while visiting and that's where he was hiding to catch people. Maverick and I were walking my parents out saying our good byes and we see the cop parked behind their car with the air conditioner on. All of a sudden he peels out, does a u-turn and starts going something like 50 mph to catch up to a car that didn't stop long enough at the stop sign! That cop was so much more dangerous than someone not stopping long enough!

I'm complaining or ranting about this because when I come home from work every day, I see at least 3 Sheriff or Highway Patrol Cars "hiding" so that they can give out stupid tickets. I see these police officers just in the short time it takes me to get off the freeway and drive home (less than 5 miles). Is it because I live in a nice neighborhood that doesn't see much crime, so this is what they have to do? Giving out tickets to the good people driving home from work or the mom's picking up their kids from school?

I've experienced this "stupid ticket" phenomenon last year and it infuriated me. I turned at a right light, and there was a small sign that said "No Turn On Red" that I never saw. The car in front of me turned on the red light first, but I got a ticket. Was it because I was nice looking and the Sheriff woman knew that I wouldn't fight her or give her a hard time? The guy that turned before me looked like a gangster... did she not pull him over because he looked "scary." That was a $391 ticket! Luckily I took it to court and won the fight and got my money back!

It just really irritates me that so many police officers have to sit around giving out tickets for stupid reasons like this. If you're going to waste your time hiding to give out tickets, why can you sit on the freeways and catch the people that are going 90+ mph weaving in and out of traffic. I see so many of these people everyday on my way to and from work and I have never seen a CHP. I just know that every day when I see these people driving dangerously, I ask, "Where is a cop when you need them?"

Okay, that's my rant of the day =D

Craziness after travel

Today was my first day back to the office after being away for just five business day. All I can say is that it is crazy coming back to work after just a few days. I had over 20 voicemails to return, new projects to take care of and still more intern training and paperwork! It's a good thing that I was checking email while I was out of town because if not, I would have had over a hundred emails to response to as well!

I love getting out of the office and visiting students... but I never look forward to going back to work. Don't get me wrong... I really like being with my co-workers, but it seems as though the make-up work never ends after I'm out of the office.

I think I'm going to do a little work tonight from home and hopefully I'll be all caught up before I go on my next trip to the Pacific Northwest next week... and this time I'm going to be gone for almost two weeks!!

Annual Clean-Up Day

It is times like this that I realize how much of an adult I am now. Today was our trash company's annual clean-up day and they took away EVERYTHING we didn't want for free! So, last night Maverick and I cleaned out our garage and got rid of a couch, a few chairs, a reclining chair and some e-waste. We've been wanting to clean out our garage for a while, but we just haven't had time... plus, how were we going to get rid of the junk? This annual clean-up day is great and I'm going to look forward to it every year. haha... I am such an adult.

But hey... the garage now has space and I can almost park my car in the garage. We got rid of the things we didn't want last night, but I didn't say we organized. Maybe today...

Glad to be home!

I am home after being gone for about four day in the Central Valley of California. I met with hundreds of students and spoke to just as many parents. I'd exhausted and so happy to be home.

As soon as I got home, I was greet by beautiful roses that Maverick got for me! He wasn't home, but he wanted to have something to welcome me back home. They're beautiful!

It's so good to be home. It's fun traveling for work, but after a few days I miss home. The Central Valley is interesting, but not a place that I ever want to spend too much time - I miss the Pasadena area where we live!

The dogs also greeted me when they go home. They were so excited to see me :)

It's just so nice to be home! I'm going to enjoy the next week and a half then I'm off again for almost two weeks to the Pacific Northwest.

Theft at the Restaurant

I have to admit... For dinner tonight, I ate at the same restaurant chain that I ate at yesterday. I had to since it was so conveniently located just down the street from my hotel and the fact that it offered "To Go" options.

I made a stupid mistake while I was at the restaurant. The server brought me my food and drink and then she walked away with my credit card that I had taken out of my wallet. I set my wallet down on the counter and adjusted everything to make it easy when I would walk out of the restaurant. She came back with my receipt and the copy that I needed to sign. I was so hungry that after I signed my copy, I didn't even put my credit card back in my wallet and picked up all of my things and then went to car.

I got back to the hotel, ate my food, and then went to put everything away and found that my wallet was not in my purse. I looked all around and could not find it. I went out to the car and could not find it. So, I called the restaurant and they had it! I immediately got in my car and drove over to the restaurant. I was so thankful that they had it, I thanked them and then walked out without even looking in the wallet.

I got on the freeway to then go to my college fair of the night. While driving, I looked in the wallet to get my money ready for the parking structure I knew I would be going in and my wallet was empty of any money! I had $40.00 in my wallet when I went to the restaurant, but now it was gone! I was so upset, both at the person that stole the money and myself for making such a stupid mistake.

As soon as I could pull over to make a call (since we need to be hands free while driving in California), I called the restaurant to talk to the manager. I explained that it was a stupid mistake on my part for leaving my wallet, but wanted to let her know that $40 was taken from my wallet. Instead of apologizing for my experience, her first response was, "It must have been a customer because I know none of my employees would have done that." I was shocked by this response and said, "well, again, I want to admit that it was a stupid mistake and I just called in case it was one of your employees so that you knew that you might have a thief in your restaurant." Again, she refused that none of her employees would steal.

I'm sad that I lost the $40, but really upset that there was no sympathy for my situation. I'm also upset that this manager would not admit that it could have been one of her employees.

It's not cool that someone stole my money! This is definitely a time that I'm hoping karma is real!

Table for One

I travel a lot for work, which means that I spend a lot of time alone on the road. This includes eating meals all by myself. For the most part it doesn't bother me to be alone because it's a great opportunity to just relax and not have to worry about anything.

But, there are some days that it really gets to me... like today. I decided to go to Chili's today for lunch after one of my college fairs. I wanted in right after another woman and the hostesses assumed that we were together. Then, the hostess says, "Would you like to get seated now, or would you like to wait for your guest?" I told her that I was by myself and only needed a table for one and she looked at me with such pity and was probably thinking, "Oh poor girl, she has no friends."

I was also looked at by other customers like I was pathetic. I know I sound paranoid, but I've been going on business travel for three years now and today the people really got to me because they were so obvious about looking at me.

Table for One. There's nothing wrong with people eating alone, or traveling alone. First, there are a lot of people that have to travel for work, so obviously they're going to be alone. But second, what's wrong with being alone? If I didn't have alone time, I think I would go crazy. Some people really need to be alone with themselves and their thoughts.

So, next time you are at a restaurant and someone asks for a table for one, don't judge them. There is nothing wrong with the majority of us.

Travel Season Does Not Mean Vacation

So many times when I'm getting ready for travel season at work, those people that don't travel always think that it's a vacation. Not even close. Yesterday I drove two hours to get to Bakersfield, three hours at a crazy college fair and I was working remotely for a few hours. Sure, I might have free time in the middle of the day, but I'm working until 9:00 or 10:00 today.

This morning I got up at 6am so that I can drive an hour and a half to Visalia for a college fair from 9am to 1pm. Again, I'll have some free time during the day in which I'll use to respond to work email and then it's on to another college fair from 6pm to 9pm. Below is the picture from the fair before the craziness of thousands of students arrived at the Rabobank Convention Center.


One day I wish I could take one of these people with me on the road for them to see just how much all of us counselors are actually doing when we're on the road doing recruiting!

Fire Season

It's September and I'm a bit scared of fire season. As I was driving up to Bakersfield today, I noticed how dry the hills surrounding the 5 and 99 Freeways were. Below are a few pictures:

Look how yellow and dry the hills are! It has been so hot in Southern California this summer and I'm afraid that the fire season will be just as bad as last year. I remember last year coming out of work to find my car covered in ash - it's scary.

The drive to Bakersfield wasn't too bad. It went pretty fast and I was able to find lots of things on the radio to keep me entertained. And finally I made it to Bakersfield:


I'm not in my hotel room and it's pretty nice. I'm a Marriott girl and I'm loving this location - huge room and a great fitness room with televisions on all of the machines! Plus, I'm getting great points that I'm saving for a great trip to Hawaii!

I'm going to relax for a little while and then it's on to the Rabobank Convention Center for the Kern County College Night.

Preparing for the Trip

I woke up this morning to my mom calling. Her first question was, "Are you okay?" Of course I was okay and wondered why she was asking. I guess she woke up this morning to the sound of my voice continually calling her in a panicked tone - it really wasn't me, so she must have been dreaming.

Luckily she only called about 15 minutes before I needed to actually wake up to get ready to pick up my rental car from Enterprise. Maverick drove me to the Enterprise and I went in to get my car and of course I got my Chevy Cobalt. The University only allows me to rent compacts, so I usually end up with Cobalts. This time I got a deep blue color and it runs really well - it should be easy to find in the sea of parking lots I will be in this week.

After that, I came back home to say bye to Maverick before he left for work. Then, I was on my way to run my errands (post office, bank and target). I love doing errands during the weekdays in the morning - I wish I could have everyday off. It's nice to sleep in and do everything that I need to do when places are less crowded. But, I'll be in the world of working for a bit longer - until we win the lottery :-)

When I was at Target, I bought a few cards for Maverick. I want to make him feel loved and missed while I'm gone because I feel so bad for leaving him. When I first got this job, he was happy for me and thought it would be fun. But, I don't think he realized how much I'm away from home during the Fall (September - December). For example, I'll be away from home for almost two weeks at the end of September through October, missing his birthday. So, I'm going to prepare him a bunch of little notes to show him how much I love him and will hide them around the house before I leave today.

It's stressful leaving on business trips. There's so much to do, but at least it will be nice to be out of the office for a few days!

Shots and Fetch

This weekend we have tried to relaxed around the house before I leave on my trip to the Central Valley. But, we did find some time to take our new puppy Maya for her first set of shots.

First, we picked up Maverick's brother and his puppy Mocha (Maya's sister) and then we all went to PetSmart to get them their shots. We made it just in time because after we got there, they shut down the line and would not accept any other walk-ins. Maya was brave and had an easy time with her shots. We then took her back to Maverick's brother's house to let the sisters hang out and play around in the backyard... she had so much fun playing with other active dogs!

After that we took her home and played fetch with her - she's just three months old and she is the best "amateur" fetcher I've ever seen. That "little" puppy that keeps growing is so cute and always wants to play - she's so smart! Below are some pictures of her:

There she is waiting for Maverick to throw her the ball.

She couldn't wait for the ball - she showed us her jumping skills!

And, finally she was tired and just wanted to lay down with her ball.

But, before we took her back to the backyard, we let out our other dogs (Chelsea and Zashi) to have a little fun as well. Chelsea and Zashi are much older and don't have as much energy as Maya, but sometimes we think she can transfer her energy to them... like yesterday. Here's some pictures of Chelsea chasing after Maya:

May wants to play, Chelsea is just going to chase after her barking "stay away from me"

And here's a picture that captures all of their personalities (Maya in the back playing, Chelsea trying
to get away from everyone and Zashi just being calm)

I'm going to miss these little dogs when I'm on my trip!

On the Road Again

Working in college admissions can be quite crazy and hectic, especially during the fall when travel season starts! I was at work until 7pm last night trying to prepare for the trip, plus getting all of my other duties done.

On Monday, I start my 3rd travel season with the University of La Verne. I'll be driving up and making my way through the California Central Valley. I hit Bakersfield first, then on to Visalia, Fresno, and so may little cities in between. During the week, i'll be attending seven college fairs and one high school visit - it's going to be crazy. It should be a much more productive trip as I have placed college fairs in place of high school visits this year. Last year I visited a lot of high schools, but representing a school that is not well known by those that don't live in the area can be hard - there were quite a few high schools I didn't meet anyone except a counselor. College fairs are much more productive for me when I'm out of the area and I anticipate that I will meet many new prospective students!

Until Monday, I'm going to try to relax and just spend my time with Maverick. I'm leaving him for 5 days when I go on my first recruitment trip of the season.