Thursday, January 31, 2008

Interview, Classmates, Sleep Over

1. I completed my first interview for my thesis today! Whoohoo! I'm so excited! I also managed to set up 4 more interviews for the weekend!

2. Red and RC came by my dorm tonight and had a beer. We got caught up on our seminar project and gave each other shit. I love my classmates!

3. Jersey and her new roomy stayed the night last night because their room was being fixed. The took the ceiling tiles out which caused a lot of dust so Jersey couldn't breathe well. It was so comforting having her back for a night.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Reading, Thesis, Phone Call

1. I got my reading done for my class today. Getting all the reading done made me feel like I accomplished something!

2. I finally met with my adviser and got his feedback for my thesis. I think I can now get back into things and hopefully complete my thesis on time.

3. I got a phone call from an old friend of mine who I met in Japan. He's back home in Canada and doing very well. Hearing his voice and catching up took me back to our days living in Japan. It was like hearing from an old friend from home :)

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

100 Posts, Thesis, Meeting

1. I was looking at my home page and saw that I have written 100 posts since I started this blog in July 2006. I write 3 positives on each post which translates to 300 positive things that have happened in my life since then. I'm so proud of myself! The next time I feel down, I'll remember to look back on the good things that have happened in my life.

2. I met with one of my professors today and got some good feedback on how to improve one the sections in my thesis. Also, I'm getting more people contacting me for interviews. I finally am starting to feel like I'm on track with my research!

3. I had a floor meeting tonight so I got a chance to meet all the new international students. I had 25 people show up! I provided snacks and hot chocolate so everyone could eat and socialize afterwards. I couldn't believe how many people came! Most floors have maybe 6 people who will attend. It was a great turn out and meeting everyone was fun!

Monday, January 28, 2008

Thesis, Work, Friends

1. I finally worked on my thesis. I haven't even looked at it since last semester which my adviser isn't going to be too happy about. But today I reviewed my materials and even got 3 people to participate in my interview related to my research.

2. Work went by pretty quickly as there was a lot to do to keep me busy. I like being busy :)

3. My best friend has always been there for me. Whenever I need a shoulder to cry on, he's always been there for me without even thinking about it. I'm glad I was able to be there for him for a change.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Lunch, Errands, Relax

1. I had a lunch with a good friend of mine who I met in Japan. We went to this little French place that serves food cafeteria style but much better. The place was small and decorated very cute, not at all like a cafeteria. My sandwich was so good! Better than the school cafeteria any day!

2. My car got some exercise again and I was able to run a few errands since I was in the area. My fridge is nice and stocked :)

3. I didn't have to work tonight which was nice. I love relaxing!

Friday, January 25, 2008

Bad Day Turned Good

A bad day turned good is:

1. Thinking no one cares but then realizing you still have a friend who will be there for you

2. Being down on yourself then finding there are people who think you're great

3. Thinking you lost someone you cared about then finding out they still want to be your friend

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

DST, Laughter, Hair

1. I'm so lucky to be have the classmates and faculty I do in Deaf Studies. They can really bring me up when I'm feeling down. They have become my family here and I don't know what I would do without them.

2. Red & RC...I love you two! I don't think anyone can make me laugh as hard as these two do.

3. I got a lot of compliments on my hair. I wore one of those plastic headbands that pushes the hair out the face. Everyone said I looked like I was glowing!

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Productive, Car Wash, Suitemate

1. I got a lot of stuff done today. Cleaned the bathroom, laundry, cleaned my room, and put away all the stuff I have laying around. My room is starting to look more organized for school which I hope will get me into the school frame of mind.

2. I washed my car again but this time I did it myself. The car wash place I took it to wasn't able to get off all stuck on bugs. I took a bucket of hot water with soap and scrubbed off the baked on bugs and some rust that dripped onto my car from the water pipes in the school garage. Luckily it didn't damage the car. It looks so clean now!

3. My suitemate in the next room from Denmark moved out. Yippee! I'm very happy about this as she was very loud and dirty to live with. She decided to move back in with her best friend which is fine with me. I'm just glad she's out!

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Sleep, Shopping, Car

1. I got a chance to sleep in for the first time in a week. It was so nice! I loooove sleeping in!

2. I drove to Virginia so I could go to Target and grocery shopping. I found a grocery store that had so much more variety than the store near the school. I was able to stock up on all my favorite low fat and weight watcher foods that I've been craving!

3. My car ran great today! I was so relieved to go out to my car and have it start for a change. I took it to a small car wash and got it cleaned. My car is once again happy :)

Friday, January 18, 2008

Car, Driving, Chinese

1. I fixed my car! Yay!! The battery died again because I haven't driven my car in a month. Fortunately, campus security gave me a jump and the car runs just fine now. I heart my car! :)

2. I took my car out for a drive as it needed some exercise. Poor thing has ben stuck in the school parking garage! The drive did me some good and I felt refreshed when I got back to campus.

3. I ordered Chinese food tonight for dinner since I'm working and don't have much time to go to the Market Place on campus to eat. I ordered these crabmeat cheese wontons for the first time. They were soooo good! My tummy was pretty happy afterwards. I have to remember to order those again! :)

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Counseling, Busy, Bowling

1. I saw my counselor today. I've really missed her and it felt good to see her again. She's very proud of the progress I've made which made me feel good.

2. Today was a busy day overall even though training ended at 11:30am. Had appointments, errands on campus to run, and work to do with other RA's. Busy is a good thing.

3. Tonight, I volunteered to go out bowling with some of the new students at school. There was about 25 of us who headed to the bowling alley. I had a good time meeting other students and bowling. I suck at bowling but I still love it! Bowling is fun no matter how terrible you are. Funny thing was I ended up getting the highest score! I became popular tonight :)

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Activity, Professors, Time

1. Training went by pretty quickly today. There were many activities that kept time moving along. We played dodge ball as our team building exercise which was a lot of fun. It got the heart pumping and blood flowing. It was definitely good exercise!

2. I saw two of my professors today. Unlike most other universities, students here tend to become close with their instructors/professors. We know each other on a personal basis so they become more like friends. It was good seeing them.

3. Training ended an hour early today. That was really nice. I love getting out of meetings and such early. It always makes me feel like I have more time to do things.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Ice-Skating, Games, Cold!

1. Today as part of our team building exercise for training, we went to an ice skating rink. It was the first time I've ever ice skated! I'm very good on rollerskates and rollerblades so this was a little bit different for me. It took me about 15 minutes and then from then on, it was no big deal. I felt like I was on rollerskates which blew everyone away. They couldn't believe it was my first time on ice! ;)

2. We played various different games competing against each dorm. One was to create a 20 second figure skating routine with a partner from your dorm. My partner and I won! We couldn't believe it!

3. The weather was so cold with an icy breeze. It gave me the chance to try out my new coat I got for Xmas along with my new gloves. It was perfect in the weather and kept me so warm!

Monday, January 14, 2008

Japan, Mail, Training

1. I got a New Year's post card from a friend of mine in Japan. The letter also contained pictures of when he attended school here. It was so nice to get something from Japan again. I miss that country.

2. I received a bunch of other Xmas and New Year's pictures from my friends in my school mailbox. I love receiving something in the mail that isn't a bill!

3. Training actually went really well today. It was much more organized and not so overwhelming as the one in the Fall. I especially liked the gym activity where we had to carry each of our team members across the gym in a blanket. Too funny!

Friday, January 11, 2008

Friend, Movie, Music

1. I got to see a good friend of mine who I used to work with in St. Louis. It's been a couple of months but we still picked up where we left off.

2. I saw the movie Juno. One of my friends told me that parts of it would make me sad but I wasn't sad at all. I found the movie to funny and very cute.

3. My friend and I drove all around St. Louis listening to hip-hop music as loud as it would go. He has some really cool songs that I haven't heard in a while so it was great listening to them again. Overall, we had a great day together!

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Mitsuwa, Laundry, Japanese Food

1. I went to my favorite Japanese grocery store, Mitsuwa, to pick up stuff for dinner. I love this store because I feel like I'm back in Japan whenever I go there. Most asian stores carry a mix of various asian foods. But this one only carries strictly Japanese food. I found myself reminiscing about my days when I lived in Japan. Good memories!

2. I got my laundry done and ready to go. It's nice to use my parents' washer and dryer and not have to pay for it!

3. I cooked a very nice Japanese dinner for my parents tonight. I pulled out my Nabe pot and some of my other Japanese things. I don't get a chance to cook Japanese food or use my things from Japan often. My parents loved dinner and it was a nice way to end the day on my last day here.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Dad, T, The Gang

1. I had lunch with my dad today which is always nice! We went out for sushi. I haven't had sushi in a very long time and had been craving it. My dad was very excited and was so funny as he watched the sushi boats go around passing him by. My dad accidentally ate one that was made with a jalapeno sauce and nearly choked! It didn't stop him from eating more though! It was a nice relaxing lunch with just the two of us. I love my dad :)

2. My dad dropped me off at T's place afterward. We hung out and chatted as this will be the last time we'll see each other for a while. We ran errands and then she dropped me off at home. It was good seeing her one last time.

3. I hung out with the College Gang after dinner. Went to Carrow's since there was nothing else opened. They're all really young and full of energy. I had a lot to unload and I'm glad they were there to listen. They really made me laugh and I felt so much better afterwards.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Juice, Mall, Dinner

1. I got my Jamba Juice again. I'm trying to get in my Jamba Juice as much as I can before I head back east since they don't have them in DC.

2. I hung out at the mall with a friend of mine just for something to do. It was a nice break away from the house and also kept my mind off of other things that have been bugging me. I felt better afterwards.

3. I met up with E and her husband tonight for dinner. It was so good seeing her! She looked great! I got to chat with her husband more as I've only met him briefly a couple of times. He's a really nice guy and they seem to be doing well together. After dinner, we hung out at a coffee shop and chatted until they closed. It was so good to chat and catch up on what's been going on in the last year. I'm gonna miss her when I go back to school.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Santa Rosa

1. I drove up to Santa Rosa to visit my close friend J-9 and her husband. I don't get to see them very often as they live about 2hrs from where I am right now. They're both doing great! I love going up there and staying at their place because it's so relaxing. No stress or pressure to be someone I'm not. I can be myself knowing full well that we are like family. I always sleep so well there too which is why I always come back home feeling replenished.

2. We drove through the wine country and stopped at a few places to go wine tasting. The first place was this little tiny vineyard...I wasn't impressed. The second place was great and the people working were so much fun! We tried about 5 different wines. I decided to get my parents a bottle of wine as a thank you for helping me out so much since I've been here. The third place we went to to served excellent wine! The place was packed full of people from SJ! It was like a small party going on! We chatted with them as we drank and tried different wines. The people were so friendly and one woman even gave me support and her spiritual advice to help me through this next year. Her kind words will stay with me. I left that winery slightly tipsy as we headed off back home for dinner.

3. Dinner couldn't have been better...Fondue! How can you go wrong with hot melted cheese and bread with a glass of white wine? It was the best dinner ever! Fondue with friends is always comforting :)

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Waxing, Mall, Friends

1. I got my bikini wax today! And yes it did hurt. Actually, the left side was fine but when my girl went to do the right side, that's when I felt pain! I just keep telling myself...pain is a good thing!

2. Hung out with Breeze at the mall and bought myself two rings. It's time to get rid of the old and bring in the new. Also got to have my Jamba Juice...Yum! :D

3. Got to hang out with friends tonight. It's nice to listen to other people's problems for a change instead of my own. Plus we played a really fun game which made the evening!

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

M-Girl!, Mall, Pub

1. Got to hang out with M-girl today! She's now married and loving it which makes me happy for her. I haven't seen her in a very long time and it was so good to hang out and do girly stuff together.

2. M-girl and I tend to always go shopping so we hung out at the mall. I didn't really buy anything but just walking around, talking, and catching up felt great!

3. We hung out at this Irish pub and got something to eat. I learned some things about her that I never knew before which made me feel closer to her. As always, her positiveness rubbed off onto me and I felt happy after we left. I don't know when I'll see her again but at least I know I can still call her when I need a friend to talk to.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Happy New Year 2008

I'm so glad 2008 is here!

1. The Tyger an I headed to Santa Cruz where we went to our favorite coffee house. We both had our hot Chai Latte with vegan cookies. Yummy! It was the perfect treat this afternoon. We sat outside where it was quiet and peaceful. We had the most relaxing day here that we didn't want to leave.

2. The weather was absolutely GORGEOUS! It was sunny, warm, and very clear. We could see across the bay all the way to Monterey. The ocean was very pretty with the sun reflecting off the water.

3. We hung out in the shops in the downtown area. I bought a beautiful purse made from red taffeta fabric. It was on clearance for $10 at this asian store. I couldn't resist for a price like that! It's the first thing I bought for 2008 and I intend to use it!

A beautiful day in Santa Cruz with one of your closest friends...what can anyone ask for?