Shazam.

I WILL BE IN HAWAII FROM JUN. 16 TO JUN 22. I SPOKE, GOD LISTENED.

Jetsetter Jerry

Wow I slept well last night. Considering that for the last 48 hours I was either attempting to sleep on a couch, airplane, or not at all... I am refreshed.

I went down to SoCal for the third and final time (for a while) to attend my stepmom's nephew's wedding. I don't know the man very well, but my stepmom wanted the whole family to go, so my dad flew me down the morning of the wedding.

GAH, I wish that I had a camera, because this weekend was so visual that pictures would really do the best justice... I'll try to give a comparable account through words.

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From zero sleep the night before/during the flight, I was very much a zombie when I arrived in Orange County. Sidebar: what has the world come to when I don't even get peanuts anymore on a Southwest flight? When I got off the plane, I'd been awake for 22 hours and was beginning to lose some of my higher cognitive functions. The two hour drive to Temecula (where the ceremony took place) provided an impromptu nap.

Once we arrived at the house where the ceremony was being held, I was quickly ushered into a long line and given a silver platter of mangoes. Part of the ceremony is for every guest to follow the bride and groom in a long line, pairing off with matching platters of fruit, so that in the beginning of the line there are two people with apple platters, two bananas, two papayas, etc. Imagine Noah's Ark, but with fruit. At the end of the walk, the bride and groom are presented with literally a mountain of food, not to mention a fully-grown, roast pig on a spit. Blessings were given by the monks, and I think that was the end of that segment...

A two hour drive back to Long Beach is what came next, followed by a blissful afternoon nap. Then came the banquet...

Held in a large Cambodian restaurant, it featured a 9-course meal (including, and you can't make this stuff up, a shrimp that was nine inches long... one shrimp), traditional Cambodian dancing (which I partook in), a bottle of Hennessey cognac at each table, and drinking games all around me, involving the groom on occasion.

The highlight of the night came when I got to meet a Cambodian tranny, which was nice since all of the other times that I've met trannies have been in clubs or bars. It was good to finally meet one in a different setting.

Twelve hours later, I was back in the air.

I need a vacation. A real one.

Hold please

You know you start to reach the brink of insanity when you actually begin to enjoy the hold muzak.

My life right now consists of me calling lots of people, leaving voicemails (which are never returned), or holding for obscene amounts of time (the record just now was 21 minutes).

I kinda liked the music though... they had some crazy swing and big band... if it didn't sound like it was broadcast over a 28.8 modem, I might've asked to stay on hold.

So regarding my job.. I'm now currently spending about 20% of my time investigating the past, and the remaining 80% looking toward the future and prepping for that. It's a good combo, I think.

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I woke up this morning with the word FRENCH tattooed all over my pillow case. I have no idea why bar stamps have to contain ink that behaves as if it was from the planet Krypton. One of my sciency friends needs to address this. Cory, I nominate you.

Random pic

In the spirit of randomness, here's a picture of me from the weekend. Amazingly I don't look like a gargoyle. Anton snapped it in his hallway.

That's all I really had to say.

More Random Questions...

Damn you, Casey...


..

What's the first thing you do when waking up in the morning?	usually I put on clothes
Do you prefer a shower or bath?	shower
How many times a day do you brush your teeth?	twice
What kind of cell phone do you have?	LG... from the paleolithic era
What would you do with a 10 bill you found on the ground?	probably get coffee
Have you said "I love you" today?	not yet
What's one thing you actually remember about kindergarten?	trying to learn how to tie my shoes, it was difficult at the time.
Did you cry at your graduation or smile because you were glad it was over?	smile, but not because it's over
Are you closer with your mom or dad?	I'm close to both in different ways
Do you prefer the tanning bed or the sun?	the sun
Is chocolate really better than sex?	hardly :)
What's 2 of your favorite movies?	Waking Life, Contact
What's the last thing you think about before going to sleep at night?	generally something happy
How many rumors have you heard about yourself?	not many
Does your life seem to revolve around drama?	I would hope not
What's a nickname you go by?	Jer, Jerry
How do you calm down when you're extremely angry?	I listen to music
What are 3 places you want to see in the world?	The Amazon, Africa, Italy
A movie or a long walk in the park on the first date?	a movie, then a long walk!
What are 3 of the first things you notice about the opposite sex?	whoa.. it's a girl, then hair, then ethnicity
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?	probably in school, again
Do long distance relationships actually work out?	from my observations, they usually don't
What are 2 of your favorite places to eat?	in Davis: Thai Bistro, Fuzio (for the salads)
Do you currently have a job?	it's currently 3:30 p.m., you tell me.
Which would you prefer...be rich and miserable, or poor and extremely happy?	poor and extremely happy, any day.
What's one of your favorite TV shows?	Seinfeld
What did you want to be when you "grow up"?	way back when... an astronaut!
Would you ever date someone covered in tats and piercings?	I wouldn't not date them because of it
Do you believe the first kiss tells you everything you need to know about the relationship?	not necessarily, but it is very telling
Where do your hands go when kissing someone?	their back/neck
Do you know who lives in a pineapple under the sea?	SpongeBob SquarePants!
Would you want a house at the beach or in the mountains?	decisions, decisions! probably the beach
Which would you rather have...a huge walk in shower or a jacuzzi bath tub big enough for 2?	gots to go with the jacuzzi
Do you look up or at your feet when you walk?	up
What do you think about people that are extremely skinny and actually likes the way they look?	um, i'm one of them.
What's your favorite ice cream?	chocolate chip cookie dough
Do you like Starbucks...or are they just overpriced?	I like them solely because they're very convenient
Are you a prep or a jeans-and-t-shirt type of person?	kind of neither
What color are your eyes?	brown
Do you have glasses or contacts?	glasses
Is it love at first sight or lust?	lust
Which do you want...a big extravagant wedding or a quiet intimate ceremony?	I'm not much of a prima donna
What's the most expensive thing you own?	my car
What's the most you've ever spent on a pair of jeans?	$80, and they were hottt
What color are your bedroom walls?	three white, one blue
Do you ever actually make your bed?	rarely
How many pillows do you have to sleep with?	two
Do you prefer to sleep alone or with someone?	if I actually want sleep, then alone :)
What is one of your pet peeves?	ego-trips
What could you tolerate... someone who snores or a sleep walker?	the sleep walker
What's the craziest thing you've ever done?	flew to Japan, stayed for 36 hrs, got lost in Yokohama, and eventually found my way back to Taiwan.
Would you rather sky dive or bungee jump?	sky dive
Ever been outside of the US?	many times
Ever think Texas should just be part of Mexico?	not really
Do you have to have some kind of noise to fall asleep?	silence is golden
What's your zodiac sign?	capricorn
Who is your celebrity heart-throb?	Ian Somerhalder
Would you have survived 100 years ago?	decadently
What do you think the world will be like in 30 years?	more media, all the time
Do you have to be the center of attention?	nope
Do you save your money or spend it when you get your hands on it?	both in moderation
Are you a party animal or someone who prefers to stay in?	depends on the night!
Did you get a new year's kiss?	I have yet to get that...
Are you a happy person?	yes
If money was no option...what type car would you own?	prob an Aston Martin, haha
Do you think you could actually survive the cost of living in California or New York?	I've been doing it...
How many concerts have you been to?	not many, like 4?
What are 3 set radio stations in your vehicle right now?	NPR, and that's pretty much it
Have you ever flat ironed your hair?	no, but I won't rule it out
What's the most you've ever payed for shampoo and conditioner?	$7
Was it actually worth it?	damn straight
Ever been told your a flirt?	no
What have you done that you are proud of?	finished my degree
Do you go to church every Sunday?	no
Do you have a hidden talent?	I'm fairly good at painting/drawing, most people don't expect that.
What do you normally eat for breakfast?	bagel, cream cheese, OJ
Ever been called a tease?	no
Do you like to cuddle?	LOVE IT.
Do you like the heat or cold weather?	cold weather
What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?	Batman, the animated series
Have you ever seen a ghost?	nope
What's the best movie you've seen recently?	Pan's Labyrinth was unexpectedly good
Do you prefer scary movies or comedies?	comedies
Ever had a huge crush on someone and never tell them?	hasn't everyone?
Do you have a favorite shirt or pair of jeans you wear over and over?	I wear most of my shirts pretty evenly... but I have one pair of jeans that I wear a lot
Will you move away from your hometown any time soon?	already did
How many texts do you send on average a month?	probably around 100
What's your favorite name for a girl and boy?	not sure for a girl, but for a boy, I've always been fond of Charlie... outdated but so cute!
Have you ever actually snuck out of your house?	yes
How many things have you done that your parents don't know about?	plenty
Ever been taken to jail?	no
Have you ever had a pen pal?	yes
What are you about to do now that this survey is over?	I have a strange craving for popcorn...

Laguna Beach

I'm in the LB, yo!

And by LB, I don't mean Long Beach.. my other home. Right now, I'm in Laguna Beach - the pennacle of Southern California iconography. Sort of.

I'm still adjusting to this place... my mom's condo is basically in Geriatric City. I'll give you a breakdown of the Laguna Beach demographic:

91% - Golden eagles over the age of 60
9% - 17-year-old emo boys

Here's a breakdown of the street names in our area:

Aliso Creek Valley Road
Brookline Creek Boulevard
Pacific Coast Valley Road
Lake Forest Drive
Laguna Hills Drive
Los Alisos Blvd.
Crest Ridge Parkway
Jasmine Creek Lane

Well, 5 of those are actual streets :)

The streets are long and windy, mini-malls are everywhere, the gas tank in whatever car I'm driving is always near "E"... ahhhh, SoCal.

I'll be back in Davis tomorrow by 5 or so... for another week, until I fly back here for the Cambodian wedding. Sheesh...

<3