It must be a high school fantasy, cuz it's damn exciting! Everything about it screams "home" and nothing else compares.

Wow, this week was such a blur... after Tuesday's midterm, I have no idea what else happened, but I DO believe it was fairly good. Gabbo, I'm sticking to our pact and making good use of it!

An Addendum

This was stolen from Elaine's blog... I thought it captured my Saturday quite well, post-work, of course.

saturday... i headed out... and the afternoon was spent catching up and getting ready for dinner at pyramid brewery. dinner was fabulous... and all went pretty smoothly... except for the losing of miguel for a little bit... some random acts of affection in the parking lot and it was back to the apt.

off to sf.... ALL of sf. we pretty much drove around SF for like an hour and a half... we had no idea where we were going since mapquest is just so messed up.... and even though our two cars got separated... we somehow managed to find each other...just to lose each other again. we had given up... stupid sf defeated us... and it was off to the apt again. like the saying... if you can't bring mohammad to the mountain... bring the mountain to mohammad. SO... since we couldn't find the party... we brought the party to us... and boy, did we bring the party. (i apologize to the neighbors downstairs...eek) nothing like drunken haiku writing... seeing old shs people... yellling "gabby is so hot" and breaking wine glasses... dancing in the dark (with all like 9 of us)... bouncing quarters into an ice tray... all in the privacy and comfort of Russell B... temporarily known as "hook up central" for now.. all in all... it was a good time.

other things will be left unmentioned... but, left for the memory to keep.

happy 21st birthday jamie! love ya lots girlie! (and you totally worked that tiara and feather boa... you should wear it everyday!!!)

oh... and is it just me... or are we looking older? since when did we not get carded anywhere??

:: lainey 7:59 PM

Haha. What a CRAZY f.cking birthday weekend! I only turn 21 once, but that doesn't mean the celebration only lasts for a night... try 3 days! It was great! Thanks to everybody that made it special: Caroline, Gabbo, Elaine, Natalia, Teresa, Pabs, Alex, Marky Mark, Caleb, Alfredo, Miguel, Eiji, and Taka. I promise not to forget a single moment of it all.





And now for pure enjoyment... drunken haikus... remember everybody, 5, 7, 5!

Pablo
I wanna go backdoor
So that fudge gots new meaning
Not so innocent

Taka
Everyone sittin'
Chillin' out to the Merlot
My panties are red

Eiji
Miguel is spaced out
The potential is present
He needs to believe

Gabby/Becky/Jude
I am so not drunk
I want more hot wings right now
Who mistook the booze

I like Eiji Fuj
He is super cool always
Eastmont Intermediate!

Caroline/Hillary
The Great Charles Shaw
Poor college students' best friend
Two buck Chuck is gold

Teresa Loves Jamie
Why do guys wear plaid?
Does Old Navy rule the world?
I just live in sweats

Sha Sha Sha Shayna
Miguel is buzzin'
His mohawk is pretty cool
Beer is def' his fave

Happy birthday, J!
You are outside now with Al
Hope you're having fun!

Gooby (The boy cannot spell his own name!)
Gabby cooks chicken
They were robust and spicy
Much like the ladies

And my personal favorite... also a "Gooby" classic.

White walls in this house
Much like me, the WASPy WASP
My name is Gooby

It's okay, Mark, you can be whomever you want to be... Goob, Goobie (Gooby), Goober, Marky Mark, WASPy WASP, or Gruber. Thanks, guys! These were hilare! I'll treasure them forever! You all are VERY talented!!!!

But the most talented of all... Miguel. Thank you for being the first person to ever write something for me! This was the best present ever!

Crazy Fuckin Jamie
To we're gettin' old, product of the 80's
Though I didn't know you 'til we were conversation trading
Schurr High parking lot on the people we were dating
Half how much we loved them and half was player hating
That's where you went from associate to friend
From person who I knew to person I respect
Who had an effect knowledge to contribute and dissect
You are a smart motherfucker, you'll be president-elect
That's when I'll vote and stop being this renegade
And you've always been good to me, refreshing like spiked lemonade
Everyday you demonstrate with this I wish to reciprocate
How much I appreciate your company
With the problems you alleviate
So with much love, that's all I got 'cause I'm too poor
Happy 21st and may you get 60 more.

For anybody that's ever tried to get me drunk, I was there last night. Many many thanks to Natalia, Sarah, and my lovely roommates, Caroline and Gabby, for watching over me and buying me rounds and rounds of drinks. Happy birthday to me!

Surprise phone calls are great! Surprise visits are even better!

PLAYING HOOKY IS FUN... AND EDUCATIONAL!

I'm a pretty responsible girl. I think that would probably be the best way to sum me up in one word. But sometimes, being bad can feel so good! What classes? What work? Just give me more Senator John Edwards!!! I loved him in DC, and I love him even more now. He is exactly what we need to beat Bush in this upcoming election. Which is why these five Berkeley students took the day off to go campaign for Edwards all over San Francisco! And I do believe we did a VERY good job!





I shook the future U.S. President's hand!!! For an almost 21 year-old girl, I think I've done damn good for myself. I've already schmoozed with two U.S. Presidents and one former California Governor... and I have their autographs to prove it!!!!

Lakers/Kings games has new meaning to me. *smiles*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME AND CAROLINE!

Here's to our weekend getaway... thanks, Elaine!!!



Off to Club Rio
Remind me NEVER to go clubbing two nights in a row. Good for the mind, bad for the body!




The new Laker Girls!
As witnessed by Caroline and Elaine, I too, can shake my hair like the Sun Dancers.




My new Laker buddy!
Isn't he a cutie?! Little Tomas, age 2, is a die-hard Shaq and Kobe fan. Here he sits big pimpin' surrounded by beautiful women... after flirting with us during the first half of the game. What a stud!




The ultimate cutie... Kobe for MVP!
Sadness, we couldn't make the big signs that I wanted... but Kobe came up big anyway, dropping 40 points in the game. Kobe, you're my #1, I'll never stray again.




Our hosts
Thanks, Det and Todd! There are some guys that can still manage to surprise me. You guys are great!

It was a great weekend. What can I say? I LOVE my Lakers! Kobe played beautifully, the Lakers dominated, and I had wonderful friends to share the whole experience with. There couldn't have been a better game.

To my airplane buddy, James... here's wishing you the best in Spokane, Washington. Things will be okay, because they just gotta be... hang in there, cuz you're a good kid. You're my inspiration.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO...

The pictures, as I promised.











Check out Elaine's Scrapbook for all the pictures. There are a lot more fun ones! And for the full story, consult my counterparts; Gabby, Caroline, and Elaine.

FOUR YEARS LATER...

Four years later, I still find myself sharing the same conversations with Pablo as I did in high school involving: hope, instant gratification, and delayed gratification

The latter two can be explained in much simpler terms. It involves wanting something NOW versus LATER. Yet, taking it one step further, the two can also be differentiated through categorizing between the two genders. Instant gratfication is something that is more inherent among males, perhaps because of the testosterone factor... and maybe dating back to cave-men activities. When men see something they want, they go after it, hence the club-n-drag technique of our homo sapien cousin.

This leaves females with the characterizing factor known as delayed gratification. Why women torture themselves is still quite the mystery. From high-heel stilettos to fab diets, it's quite a known fact, women do strange things. My only conclusion (embracing my woman-ness) is that we partake in delayed gratification with the notion that the longer we wait, the better it'll be (whatever "it" may be).

Which leads me to HOPE, and the question, what if waiting won't make things better in the end? Hope is a dangerous thing, and false hope is the worst of all. Life would be so much simpler if when things come to a dead-end, a sign would pop up (like in real driving) and tell you, "GIVE UP NOW, THIS IS THE END." (In red would be nice, thank you.)

And so the point to my ramblings... if this is the stuff I was thinking and talking about 4 years ago, and I'm still thinking and talking about it now, where am I going to be 4 years from now? Perhaps still thinking and talking about the same things...

It's exactly 15 days 'til I turn the big 2-1. My parents have already started the annual, "What do you want?" For the past 20 years of my life, I've never been able to give an answer to this question. I don't NEED anything... I think I'm one of the luckiest girls in the world, and I have everything that I could possibly dream of...

But this year seems different. I DO want something. But it can't be bought, or wrapped, or even served in a shot glass. This year... what I want is STRENGTH. I need the strength to endure and overcome the few weeks to follow...

Since this semester has started, I've witnessed human nature at its worst. There's already too much fighting in this world for us to be adding to the problem. If this is life, it ain't pretty. I commend Gabbo for doing what she does every Tuesday and Thursday. Next to her, this stuff should all be a breeze... yet, it's still hard.

But in the end, roommates (both Russell B and extension) are the lifesavers. Thanks to all for a wonderful All-Star Weekend and our "Single and Fabulous" soiree. (Pictures to come.)

"I Wish I Wasn't."... but I am.

What may seem true at night doesn't always reflect what happens during the day.

PEOPLE ARE SHADY AS F.CK.

I've always been real trusting. I've always been real optimistic. Somewhere along the way... I think I lost all that. Not in a I'm-so-desensitized-that-I've-stopped-caring kind of way... it's more like having to re-evaluate and process everything that people say or do to me. It's like what Tony always says, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Words of advice: if you're gonna do shady sh.t, don't let me catch you! I take solace in knowing at least one thing... that in the end, I'll know who my real friends are.

I guess my former "sex-pert" roommate hits it right on the dot... I'm positive you never stop caring about the things that are important to you... unless they were never important in the first place...

There will always be hard times, but how we deal with those moments is what makes us stronger in time.

And the problems get bigger... is there no sanity???

Why are when things bad, they're REALLY bad? I think all I need to end this day is to be run over by a garbage truck... that would be a fitting end. Is there no goodness left in mankind?

It's been a strange and crazy and tiring day... hahah, much like every other day of my life. But seeing this picture brought a bit of joy to my day. Just wanted to share...

ONLY IN 'BERZERKELY'

After a long day of walking around in SF, nothing beats the joy of being able to take off your shoes, prop your feet up and relax. But you don't always get what you wish for...

Ben and I had BARTed over to meet Mike in SF for some dim sum. We walked off all the food by window-shopping around. Chinatown never ceases to amaze me. I guess I'm easily amused by all the random junk that they sell in the "Bazaars." And the boys and I had a good time laughing at all the expensive crap that Louis Vuitton sells... "Only $425 for a change purse!" Being in Chinatown reminds me a lot of Bill Murray's character in "Lost in Translation." I'm about a good head taller than everybody. One lady even accused me of pushing her cuz her head came up to my purse and thought I had shoved her intentionally.

Trying to get back to Berkeley was the hard part... apparently the BART police noticed some "suspicious activity" going on at the Berkeley BART station. They commanded all the BART lines to bypass the Berkeley station, leaving Ben and me riding back and forth, jumping from BART to BART, going from Ashby to North Berkeley, and then back. After trying to figure out which station would bring us closest to home, we finally decided upon Ashby, where Pabs picked us up at the corner. We never found out what the "suspicious activity" was... we only saw lots and lots of people at the Berkeley station, each watching the trains whizz by. *shrug* Maybe somebody wanted to bomb the Berkeley station? Watch for it on the 10 o'clock news.

MY CRAZY FRIEND MO

So after a long escapade in Pakistan, Mo (AKA Chicken-Suit Guy) is finally back in the States... this time, maybe, as an engaged man. See, while running amuck in Pakistan, he met a girl, and now he's got about 2 months to decide if he really wants to marry her, or else cut her loose and let her marry somebody else. He tells me nonchalantly, "I'm 25, it's about time I settle down anyway." Funny that he never mentions the word "love" when referring to this maybe bride-to-be. Crazy Mo... he's always up to something. This whole marriage thing is a bit more complicated, but his intentions are good. All I can say is that it's a cultural thing... I guess you gotta be Pakistani to understand...

Aside from the early wedding bells, Mo's always been a smart guy. When Mo speaks, people listen. And yesterday, he spoke to me. After a very loOOoong dinner conversation, I'm left going on a quest to do some soul-searching. I don't know why I'm a workaholic. I don't even know who I really am. All I know is that I've got a lot of growing up to do...

A PCITURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS



Ain't it the truth?

No better way to ring in the new semester with a bit of partying on our first night back in Berkeley. Though it's been fun, I can't help but miss the boyfriend in LA.

I've been pretty anti-social lately. Sorry Roomies, especially Caroline. I promise I'll be more in the mood to go out sometime next week. *wink* This downtime is much appreciated after a crazy semester. Been doing the whole family thing... staying at home and hanging out with the sibs. New Years' wasn't a night of drunken debauchery for me. But, let me add, to all the people that have tried to get me to drink... I only drink with my brother. Yes, I drank with a 15-year old. We had a bit of champagne and red wine (but mostly sparkling apple cider). Then we played poker games. I forgotten how much fun he was. It was a night of laughs as we counted down with Clay Aiken on MTV. (No Dick Clark for us, thanks to Gabbo and Bowling for Columbine.

The sister and I have been getting along just peachy, too. We still get into the occasional scream-fests, (And yes, she still always beats me.), but for the most part, we've been cool. Tomorrow, we go shopping for shoes!!!

ROADTRIP!!!

Like the good little Bears that we are, the roomies (plus an Aggie/Bear) and I hopped into "Big" (Caroline's Pilot), and drove out to Phoenix for a bit of football and George Lopez. The weekend was a good one, to say the least. It was exceptionally wonderful that Cal won the Insight Bowl!!!! On a field goal!!!! With 2 seconds left!!!! George Lopez was funny, as always. And Club Rio was "bumpin.'" But I'll let the pictures do the talking.


Show your Cal Pride!



Watching football in a baseball field! Hahah!



That's just the cowgirl in me...


photos curtesy of Elaine

Can't get enough? Click here for the complete Phoenix Extravaganza.

3, 2, 1...

I'm finally done with this semester, which means... that's right... 3 more semesters left for me. Unfortunately, these past couple of months have been a complete bust for me, in terms of my academics. I've basically studied my eyes out for the past 8 days for just TWO DAMN CLASSES!!! Oddly, my finals went really well. Unfortunately, I think my grades are still gonna be in the pits and I haven't exactly played the part of the exemplar student. Contrary to popular belief, I WASN'T always this stupid. There was a time when my report card read like a bunch of shooting arrows... none of these curvy-letter nonsense that I now call grades. Everybody always asks what I'm up to these days. (Apparently people have noticed me missing as a "Sproul Celebrity." Hahaha.) My response? I've been doing the same thing that I've been doing... taking care of the ASUC. Though I don't learn very much inside the classroom, my learning growth outside of the classroom has been exponential. And as much as I complain about the stress, I really do love my work. For the first time, I'm really happy making all these social changes, one person at a time. As big or as little of an impact that I've had, it's a great feeling for me to have empowered 40 other people to think differently. Think globally, act locally. It's a powerful tool, and I have my work to thank for it.

Speaking of work... why is it that people only consider it "work" if you hate what you do? If I love what I do, is it no longer considered "work"? Is it only "work" if you do it for the money? It seems like a sad existence if I have to wake up each morning and, instead of being happy about starting off my day, DREAD the idea of going into work. If that's the case, I must be the luckiest girl in the world, cuz I actually loved each job that I've held... even if they didn't seem very "work-like."

TRICK SHOT MAGIC

Lately, I've been so addicted to Trick Shot Magic. For those of you that don't know what it is, it's creative billiards playing, filled with crazy shots involving jumps and combinations. My favorite player is still Tom Rossman. He kinda reminds me of Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World. He's so energetic about his pool-playing all the time and commentates while he's taking shots. The best match I ever watched was Rossman against Mike Massey. Massey is usually the favored one in any Trick Shot Magic competition, but Rossman beat him in a tie-breaker. I saw that match on the plane on the way back to LA from Washington DC. Every since then, I was hooked.

Today's match was the qualifier for the championships. The person that won, Andy something or other... a 35-year old Trick Shot Magic pro beat out this other boring, old guy and will be playing Massey in the finals. Crazy thing is, Massey was Andy's mentor. Hmm... I wonder who will win, the teacher or the student. Since Rossman got knocked out early in the competition, I'm going for the underdog. Go Andy! Plus, he has a really cute baby girl. After he won today, he ran out to the audience and kissed her. What a great dad!

So lost. So alone.

SCAREDY-CAT STEVE

For everybody unfortunate enough to know the infamous Republican Steve (no last names, in case he ever decides to google himself), with the red hair... (Poor Eric had to live with him the ENTIRE summer!!!)

I had the unlucky chance of walking all the way down Telegraph with him this morning. (Yeah, I know... what a GREAT way to start off the day.) It was that really uncomfortable scenario where both Person A and Person B happened to be walking at about the same pace, but because Person B was trying to hurry on over to class, Person B trailed ever so slightly too close to Person A, making Person B look like a complete stalker. I was Person B.

Anyway, we both got to the corner of Telegraph and Bancroft, right in front of Subway. The man that always sits by the newspaper stand asked him if he could spare some change. Get this... Steve says, "F.ck you. Get a job." Says man, "Thanks, have a good day." Steve bolts off running.

Steve. What a f.cker.

JONNY MOSELEY!

Two months ago, I was chilling with the President of the United States... tonight I was chilling with Olympic Gold Medalist Jonny Moseley. This guy was the same dude that sold himself to MTV so that I was able to watch him every Tuesday night on Battle of the Sexes.

Tonight, both Kris and Jonny were in the Battle of the Brains competition, a low-budget Jeopardy-type game held in Wheeler Auditorium. And amazingly, the students actually won!!! Jonny and I had a brief but meaningful conversation... and I even managed to NOT sound like a stupid fanatic! Hahah, and yes, he is just as good-looking in person as he is on TV!

WELCOME TERESA

So I suckered the old roommate into being a new blog member. Teresa's one of the best writers I know... and one of the funniest around. (Though, Aaron's not too bad either. You two can duke it out.) As a former Sex on Tuesday columnist, Tuesdays just haven't been the same without her this year. So for my selfish purposes, Teresa... please write often.

"BYE BYE BERDIE"

True do my DC-esque days from this past summer, I have mastered the art of smoozing at receptions. Last night, Kris and I attended a beautiful outdoor ceremony for all the "Builders of Berkeley."

Builders of Berkeley – rich, old, white men that donate millions of dollars to the campus

I have learned to carry around a glass goblet and pretend to sip a fancy drink. I have learned how to eat oysters in style. And I have learned how to make rich, old, white men laugh – at me, with me – they laugh just the same. Apparently, Kris and I were the life of the party last night. EVERYBODY wanted to talk to us. Kris and I tag-teamed and managed to wow them with our witty remarks.

It seemed all too convenient that the Chancellor just so happened to announce his "surprise" resignation as Chancellor just hours before his big soiree with a bunch of rich alum. However, what's more ironic is that at every school that I've attended, the top administator always quits long before I graduate. It started with Mr. Jepsen at Potrero Heights Elementary. Then Mr. Monsour left Macy Intermediate School. Then in high school, Mr. Devney left the school, letting us senior basically run amuck at school. And now, Chancellor Berdahl's leaving, too. Coincidence... maybe? Or maybe it's because I run them out of town...

REPORTED MISSING APPLE PIE

The day would've ended so beautifully with a nice warm slice of apple pie, left to me by my favorite guy. Unfortunately, no trace of it found... not even an empty box. It sounds like a case for Unsolved Mysteries. I shall write to Robert Stack. Meanwhile, I keep looking in the fridge, hoping that it'll somehow turn up.

I AM A VISIONARY

For every wrong turn, something always goes right. How easily I lose focus on the wonderful things in life. Thanks to my cheesy 80s music, my Amy Grant songs, and my "Dreams need hope to run free" poster, I'm back to my optimistic ways. Things are going to be good... cuz they already are. "As long as I can dream..."

RIO HONDO... HERE I COME

Whoo-hoo... "I am so smart, S-M-A-R-T." And my cumulative grade as a community college student continues to stand at a beautiful 4.0. Wish I could say the same for Berkeley... Much thanks to Gabbo for my A, who wrote numerous "constructive criticism" replies to my fellow classmates. I may have been banned from any future on-line English courses and will from hereon be known as the Rio Hondo b*tch.

Whoa... so exhausted. Here I stand, my 3rd year of college... 2 classes away from a Political Science major, 5 classes away from a Rhetoric major. I think I've made good time considering my joke of a schedule each spring semester for the past two years.

What have I learned?

Am I a more skilled writer? Not really.
Am I smarter? Not by much.
Am I a better person? Perhaps...
Have I changed? Definitely.

I've been back in Berkeley for only a matter of 2 weeks and already, I've been challenged like no other. I've been forced to have to think on my own, more specifically, think about things I never had to deal with. It's strange... I often feel out of place with my friends from back home. I think I've probably become more left of center than they last remember me and more caught up in politics than ever.

All throughout high school, we were forced to think a certain way – forced to take the fast track of APs and Honors to get to where we are. But it's only now that we're truly allowed to develop a sense of individualism and find who we really are. All I know is that my thoughts and ideas are different from "high school Jamie", yet my values and my morals haven't changed. The latter two run too deep and are perhaps permanently ingrained through my parental/cultural upbringing. But have I changed for the better or worse? That's yet to be decided. At least I'm not doing anything bad, like robbing liquor stores. But then again, being couped up in an office from 8am to 8pm isn't good, either. I guess this is one question even a Magic 8 Ball can't foretell... only time will tell.

My internship in D.C. has quickly come to an end. When I first arrived, I couldn't wait to leave. And now that they're kicking me out, I kinda don't want to leave. *shrug* (Yes, I'll be the first to admit that I tend to be a walking oxymoron at times.)

D.C. has been fun, lots of chasing after big name politicians. On today's list was Senator John Edwards and Reverend Al Sharpton. I didn't really understand why the Congresswoman supported Sharpton at first. He's basically like a shot in the dark. However, in hearing him speak today, I think I'm starting to understand. So what if he's not the favored Democratic presidential candidate? It's about getting the ideas and values represented, and for that, I respect Sharpton. Edwards was great, too. I'm torn between my choices now. The North Carolina accent really did it for me. Hahah.

A NATIONAL PASTTIME

Ahh... the joys of playing baseball in pouring rain for 2 hours! I was soaked from head to toe, starving, and cold. It's definitely not a good combo. And usually this makes for a very grumpy Jamie. (Just ask Gabbo, she knows all too well.) Yet, for some reason, I couldn't find any reason to complain about the whole experience. Despite being on a Congressional softball team ranked 151st (out of 151 teams, I think), this Far Left Fielder found some sort of tranquility to the whole experience. There's something very patriotic about being able to play baseball between two of the most revered monuments (Washington and Lincoln) and right next to the Reflecting Pool. So what if I got rained on... it's just water.

CHILLIN' WITH THE PRESIDENT

Nobody will ever believe me... but Gabbo, Arezo and I watched a baseball game with the one and only G Dub this afternoon. Apparently the President hosts 4 tee-ball games a year out on the South lawn of the White House for disabled children. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time and managed to get us in for some up close and personal attention with the President. We literally sat less than 10 feet away from him the entire time and even got to shake his hand and get his autograph. *shrug* We all felt a tad traitorous to our political views, but then again, how often do you get to watch a baseball game with the President??? If there's one thing I learned today, being within the gates of the White House is a marvelous place to be. I'll be back... I know it... this time, on my own accord...

YELLOW FEVER, ANYONE?

Leave it to me to get hit on by every badge-flashing colored folk in this small district... and they get older and older by the day.

I just HAD to steal this off Elaine's blog. It's too funny...

:: Monday, July 21, 2003 ::
what is the common factor...?

abercrombie model + ucla pre-med student + up and coming entertainer/artist + cal swimmer/olympic hopeful + secret service agent..?

*smug smile* yeah, we're bad... we know it. =)

:: lainey 11:58 PM ::

"The Postman Always Rings Twice"... what a strange movie. I can't even begin to describe it, it was just weird. All in all, my night ended on a high note.

Despite what Caleb says, I am LOVING this picture.

As told to me by a wise friend to pass along to all the other smart and independent ladies out there:

"Why bring sand to the beach?"

It's worth thinking about...

And the work starts again... I'm feeling nervous and queasy. Somebody please give me the strength to get through this upcoming year alive. I'm too young to get wrinkles and gray hair.

Happy birthday to the Congresswoman. Price Club in DC is so cool. They have models of the Capitol made out of Belgian chocolate!!!! Getting sick off of vanilla cheesecake and brownies while at work is great.

The Girls of 708



(from left to right: Gabbo, Natalia, me and Adrian)

"Money and all that stuff doesn't equal a ring, because you'll always be in the books as winning a championship and being on one of the best teams ever to play the game," Payton said. "And I've been in the league 13 years. I've already gotten the big paychecks. I'll be fine."

For some reason, Payton's comment made me feel all warm and tingly inside. What a concept: less money for a championship? The Dynamic Duo is slowly evolving into the Fantastic Four. I can hardly contain myself... the Lakers are gonna DOMINATE! It hardly seems fair anymore... we've got such a staked team. Oh well, the guilty feeling has passed. GO LAKERS!

After months of going without any steak, I finally got my fair share of it tonight. The Cheesecake Factory had excellent food as always, though the service sucked. Caleb's refills kept changing, but he finally got his Diet Coke in the end.

Work was surprisingly great today. Since I was the only intern around for most of the day, I had a lot of work, which kept me really busy the whole day. They also made me collect quite a few signatures from Cannon. After the story that Gabbo told me the other day, walking up one flight of stairs was enough to send chills up my spine. Apparently a man fell and died on the stairs of Cannon two weeks ago. Granted, Cannon is a pretty big building with several staircases. I had no idea which staircase the man tripped and fell on, but man, I was scared. Gabbo told me that you can still see the blood stains on the staircase. I only walked up from the basement to the 1st floor, but the whole time, I was trying not to look down for fear of seeing blood stains. Yet, wearing heels, you kinda gotta look down to keep from tripping. I certainly didn't want to be the 2nd victim on those stairs. *shudders* Next week will be good though. I'm scheduled to tag along with the Congresswoman's Press Secretary and go to several press conferences. Plus, on Monday, I'll be sitting at the front desk all day, greeting all the smiling faces that walk into the office.

Mark the date: July 9th, the day I realized that the White House and I are one. My Congressional Intern White House tour lasted 3 hours!!! (For the average intern, the tour ranges anywhere from 10 minutes to half an hour.) I swear they must have had tracking devices on Natalia and me. "They're in the Red Room.... now they're on the move... going into the Blue Room. Copy? Over." All I know is that if I ever wanted a private tour of the White House, there are several Secret Service Agents that I could hit up.

Very random... so I was walking back to the office after a wonderful lunch when I happened to run into Congressman Mike Honda. I politely said, "Good afternoon, Congressman." I think he was shocked that I recognized him and so he proceeded to ask me what school I went to and where I worked. Stupid me, I always act like the biggest spaz when I meet politicians I really admire. I rambled on and on about how I knew Patrick... without ever giving my name. Hmm, sounds oddly like my encounter with Governor Gray Davis. Regardless, Congressman Honda was such a sweet man. I wanted to say, "Hey, I know EVERYTHING about you. I read Patrick's paper." Thank goodness I didn't. I think he would've called security on me. My conversation with Congressman Honda was longer than all my combined conversations with Barbara Lee. Tomorrow, the interns and I have a photo shoot with her and then we're supposed to do tea. Funny how I don't hear about these things 'til the very last minute...

I've lost my friend... I'm a really bad person.

... and life makes sense again...

Can things be great and not so great at the same time? Maybe I'm greedy, but life has been leaving me wanting more as of late. Wanting what, I'm not so sure. Perhaps eating 1.5 meals each day could be the reason... I'm still trying to decide if coming to DC this summer was the best move for me. Kristopher seems to think I've matured much more within the short 4 weeks that I've been here than the 2 years that he's known me. What does that mean? Mature in a good way? I'm definitely not the same Jamie that people remember from high school. For once, my weekends aren't packed with tournaments, conventions, projects, or meetings... which leaves me with a lot of options on how to fill my free time. I've never spent the 4th of July waking up to champagne. I've never had to sneak in vodka anywhere. I've never gone dancing more than 3 times a year. Now I go dancing 3 times a week! Huh... which brings me back to this whole idea of growing up and "maturing." Maybe this IS what college students do and I'm just finally figuring it out. I'm having fun, BELIEVE ME, it's been a blast. Yet, part of me thinks that maybe I should've stayed home this summer. Jerry's finally going into high school and Terri's going to be a Senior. That's important stuff to me. Maybe I feel guilty for having so much fun. I usually have fun working. Right now, I hate work... I have fun NOT working. I am in dire need of some Amy Grant advice...

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

What better place to celebrate the birth of our nation than at the Capitol? Hmm... it sounds great, but for some reason, I'm still longing to be in Mammoth with Kris. Last year was such a blast... fishing, swimming, tanning, eating (a lot!!!!), hot-tubbing, and even a really crappy laser show. Plus, I just miss Kris... I think we've spent the 4th of July together every year since high school. *sigh* Just commiserated with a drunken Ted about how the West Coast is still nicer than the East. But drunken Ted also insulted my Gray and is a staunch Arnold Schwarzenegger supporter. *yech*

Marry me, Gray. I'm better than the one you've got.

Guess what I learned to do...

I feel drunk, but I know I'm not...

Tonight, I played, and got played...

I have stalkers and they steal my friends...

THE END.

4 guys, 4 girls + one pillar = impromptu pole dances!!! Whoa. And today we prance around in pajamas, out for lunch and then shopping at Burberry. The life of a working girl is great! I just wish they'd double my monthly pay of $0 to $0. *shrug*

**UPDATE***
Darn it... my hopes and dreams of meeting Kobe Bryant dashed... the Lakers picked up Luke Walton. Who the heck is that?! He better be good... no Joe Shipp... *sadness*

It's almost time... just three more teams before the Lakers decide who their second draft pick will be. Their first pick was Brian Cook. There have been rumors that Joe Shipp might be picked up by either the Warriors, Clippers, or LAKERS!!!! I seriously hope the Lakers get him. I think he would be an asset to the team, considering that the team is lacking in defense, as well as a good forward. Laker ball will be THAT much more interesting... though I'll still always be loyal to my Kobe. But having Shipp on the Lakers should give me some sort of bragging rights. I DID call him all the time my Freshman year at Berkeley AND I stood behind him in a Safeway line one time... think that'll score me some free Laker tickets??? Here's a proposition... I'll marry any guy that can supply me with a lifetime's worth of front row tickets to every Laker game. Anybody? Anybody?

Double score!!!

Yes... score!!!

I just got charged 9 bucks for a 4-block drive! I would've walked, except the sky opened up and big drops of rain poured down (Summer Solstice my @$$.) Damn cab drivers in DC, always trying to rip people off!!!!!

Random outing tonight: I ended up going to some internet/sushi bar that also sells hookahs. One of the girls with us decides to smoke an apple-flavored hookah. Honestly, it smelled pretty darn good... but I'm a stickler about not defiling the ol' temple (my body). It's been an interesting night, to say the least...

If Thursdays with Natalia aren't super enough, I am just LOVING my Fridays! I had such a GREAT day!!!! Walking to work with Amit and Gray was fabulous. I got to work 5 minutes early (always a plus!). Cassidy greeted me with a smile. I opened mail and then Gabbo called me around 10am, asking me to go help out her office with constituent tours. I'm always down for meeting people from my district, so I was very excited.

Solis' office had 31 people come in from some middle school that I've never heard of. Talk about strange and crazy encounters. For all you sappy folks out there, check out this story. So I'm checking out the crowd, seeing who these people are. I spy this lady amongst the crowd and was immediately attracted to her animated way of speaking that I just HAD to talk to her. I asked if she was a teacher. She replied with, "Yes, but not with this school." Said me, "You remind me so much of my old kindergarten teacher." Said she, "I never taught kindergarten, except a long time ago at Potrero..." Together in unison, "HEIGHTS!" I then burst out with, "Mrs. Hernandez!!!!" Three thousand miles away from home, and out of some random turn of Fate, I am reunited with one of my FAVORITE teachers... from kindergarten!!!! I used to never believe that people could cry tears of joy, but today was one of those days. I lost contact with her sometime after my 4th grade year, and I'm one of those students that periodically go back to visit old teachers. Apparently, she had taken some time off from teaching to take care of her two little boys and so nobody really knew how she was or how to get in touch with her.

It was great telling her about how I've been in the past decade and how she influenced my life. All the other teachers were very touched that we found each other, too. It's like one of those stories on Oprah... and I know how cheesy this entry is gonna read to everybody else, but for me, it was stupendous.

Fridays are also great because it's the only day that Natalia, Gabbo and I all work. We were able to catch lunch together and exchange stories about what we did last night. I live with Dumb (Gabbo) and Dumberer (Natalia). (I'm Dumber.) It's cool to give sandwiches soulmates and walk down 17th Street singing the theme song to "Pinky and the Brain" in a round, while marching in unison.

When I got home, I found not one, but TWO care packages waiting for me. Star Buddy and I have been reunited!!!! Thanks to Caroline and my momma, the care packages were like the cherry on top of the sundae.

All in all, a wonderfully great day... reunited with Mrs. Hernandez, good day at work, silly but wonderful roommates, and a lovely reminder that I am loved at home (both in Berkeley and LA).

This entry, taken from Gabbo's blog, has been one of THE funniest thing I've ever read. (I literally laughed out loud for 5 minutes in the computer lab.) For record keeping purposes, I have decided to include this into my blog so that I may reflect on the silly memories that we have shared.

Sunday, June 15, 2003
WEEK 2: ADJUSTING

Ohhhhhh.... I understand what Caroline said about blogger having a new format. I "likey" too. This past week has been a lot about self-discovery, and achieving a social balance in this political ambiance. Week 2 in DC Summarized (others): Jamie has developed a "questionable reputation" thanks to former speech boy Amit, and is juggling an MC (Most Compatible), MD (Most Desperate), and a MW (Most Wanted.) Natalia managed to remove her Heinneken wristband while at her congressional office and has found her soulmate, Maximo. She styles his hair. Together they are a combined age of 6, says Natalia. Adrian is dating "Reagan," Caleb's flannel pillow. She also formed ties to Lou Pearlman (creator of BSB and NSYNC to edify the non-pop-inclined) and was liberated by France. Caleb discovered Dupont Circle fashions for men: mesh muscle tees and Lebow shorts. Week 2 in DC Summarized (me): I have become a bit of an observer this past week. Long days shape me/the working girl routine is definining my daylight social life as my role as DC Intern Extraordinaire is on display at the Longworth HOB nine hours a day. Hard nights break me/ I have slept through my nights knowing work starts early each morning, missing out on Jamie dancing on blocks, Natalia fending off overeager 18-year-old clubgoers and Adrian making up names for people in CITC after $70 Long Island Iced Teas, like "Bah-HAHA," "Tsunami," and "Subaru." Next week I won't need to stay home while they party. Granted they all have days off during the week, but like I said in high school "sleep is for sissies!" I'm adapting. In all shapes and forms. The freak weather: no problem. I bought a $10 umbrella off a shady looking character off of Farragut West. The self-doubts: I have learned this past week to dismiss snide comments from jealous people. While I never wish anything bad upon anyone it was something else to witness someone fall down some slippery stairs after making some comments to me that made me feel, honestly, inferior. While I usually do not have a self-esteem problem, being in this city of high-caliber backgrounds and high-powered agendas for only one week it was all too easy to fall victim to such mindgames. Memo to self: If this were an episode of "DISMISSED" those 15-minutes of drama are now over, you are happy and in love and that corroded third-wheel has been kicked off the show. Furthermore, the California longings: I ate at CPK with Caleb. One BBQ Chicken pizza later I felt tons better. And finally, on Father's Day to complement Mother's Day and something that made my mom happy is that I attended a Catholic Mass with Caleb today at the first black Catholic church of DC--in Latin. Unfortunately, I took only one quarter of Latin my first semester at Berkeley (Latin school dropout, yup that's me)-- so, hodie latinae gaudium non est--meaning (I think) Latin is not (no longer) fun today. It was 10 AM. I felt just a bit lost. Caleb's singing in Latin was a highlight though. Go neumes. There is no music in this lab so the whole "what I am listening to" thing is defunct for the summer unless I figure out how to integrate sound into this machine. Until then have a quote:

Troy Dyer: There's no point to any of this. It's all just a... a random lottery of meaningless tragedy and a series of near escapes. So I take pleasure in the details. You know... a quarter-pounder with cheese, those are good, the sky about ten minutes before it starts to rain, the moment where your laughter becomes a cackle... and I, I sit back and I smoke my Camel Straights and I ride my own melt.

posted by Gabby | 7:27 PM

I gave my first tour of the Capitol! Oddly enough, I still have not received any training... I didn't even know where to take the people on the tours. I had to stop and ask other interns where to go... quite embarassing. My only experience with sightseeing is when I ran amuck with Natalia on our day off (Thursday.) Just think "Dyck" or "Legally Blond 2," that's how we were. I seriously think our pictures are up somewhere, blacklisting us from ever working for the government again. Yep... that's me, "Jamie: Troublemaker." But as of late, I seem to have taken on the reputation as "Jamie: Drunken Whore." Funny this is, I didn't even drink! Nor am I a whore... at least I don't think I am...

We went to go visit Dr. McGinnis' house today, OG Cal in the Capitol director. He actually founded the program... very nice guy. Is now filthy rich and lives in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife, beautiful kids and a beautiful Golden Retriever. Kinda makes me want to up and move to DC to partake in the "American Dream." Though it's not LA, there are things about DC that I really love... and I've only been here for a week!!! I've still got lots of sightseeing to do...

Not the first time I went to a bar, but definitely the first time I had a friend so drunk, she blew kisses to every guy that she passed as she stumbled home. When asked where her ID was to get into our UC Center, she said, "Will my fake ID work? If not, we'll leave." I regretfully had to inform her that we weren't going to another bar, but going home to sleep. Interestingly enough, we all had a good time. We even had a guy try to walk us home. *shrug* Boy, do interns know how to party...

My first day day interning, here in Washington, DC... Gabby and I keep getting lost! Ironically, we always manage to stumble home. Instead of walking towards the UC Center from the Metro station after work today, we somehow walked in one big circle and ended up right where we started from at the station. We have yet to make it to the Safeway... we're told that it's about 4 blocks away. (The sad part is that we've tried to find the darn place twice already!)

I just found out tonight that Mr. Hayami will be in town in July... and he wants to meet up with me! Amazing, the man is driving cross country in a RV with his family. I'm supposed to be trained in giving tours around the capital on Wednesday, so when Mr. Hayami actually comes to visit, I should be a pro. Emphasis on SHOULD. We'll see how far I actually progress.

I met with Congresswoman Barbara Lee today. The Members were in session, so it was difficult to talk to them for very long. I'll update more as I attempt to take over the government. (Just kidding.) Crappers... ever seen "Enemy of the State"? (I know Caroline has... hahah.) I'm probably going to end up on some blacklist for that comment.

Contrary to all the other Capitol Hill interns, work hasn't been too boring... nothing that I haven't done for Wally: cutting newspaper articles, editting speeches, faxing, xeroxing and tons and tons of filing. Oooh... I even get to open Barbara's mail. But that's the one thing that worries me... Republicans totally hate her. I think she's even known as a "traitor to America," according to one website She's received tons of threatening mail and phone calls... with even a couple of suspected anthrax incidents. I think I am in the most high-profile, targeted office in Longworth... hmm... make that of all the Congressional delegates. Oh well, if anything happens to me, Gabbo will be right there with me in the office next door. Muhahahhaha.

FYI: People who search for "Jamie Raves" often end up at my site. I did a search today and discovered that Jamie Raves is actually a very famous male gay escort. *shocked* We are NOT to be confused.

Moving sucks... if anybody questions why, please read this.

Am loving LA life. Where else can you catch a movie and then get a breakfast burrito 24 hours of the day? The Italian Job was excellent. Great action... very much a thinking movie, like Spy Game. But for some reason, nobody else seems to like Spy Game as much as me. So if you didn't like Spy Game, the Italian Job was better than that. And if you DID like Spy Game, the Italian Job was just as great.

Never in my 20 years of existence have I ever felt as sh.tty or as beat down as the past couple of days. I've been attributing my negativity to the multitude of things that have gone wrong; from housing drama to internship problems to ASUC staffing to more housing drama (and now sore limbs). But alas, my partner in crime knows me best... I'm stronger than all that. Those weren't the reasons why I was in a slump... just the scapegoat. My one weakness is in dealing with emotions, and that was the root of it. I tried to fool myself into thinking that I'm independent enough to not let these things get me down. But when it comes right down to it, I'm just like every other person. I'm no Raskolnikov – the rules of the heart pertain to me, too. The one person that I wanted and needed the most didn't want to be there for me... and that's what really hurts. Mrs. Wellenstein was right. You make time for the things that are important to you... and apparently, I wasn't important enough...

Damn the Reddys. Not only did they take an AXE to Gabbo and Caroline's dresser (Story here), their wretched upkeep of their properties force me to inhale paint chips. Yes, when normal people eat FOOD, we eat paint chips. Mind you, we don't do it by choice. Their shoddy paint job chips at a mere graze. I can't believe we have to clean this place up or face not getting our deposit back. This place is already the dumps. They're gonna think that we trashed the place when in actuality, this is how it was.

UPDATE

We have sold all our furniture. No more. Craigslist DOES work!

SELLING ME OR THE COUCH?

So the funniest story I've heard in awhile... my friend Eric Chen, who goes to Occidental informed me about the couch that my roommates are selling. Apparently his friend, Karen, who goes to Berkeley, saw our posting on Craigslist and told him, whom then told me. Hmm... I wonder how they knew it was me??? Anybody need a couch?

Only $70!!!! Now only $65!!!!

Finals are long gone and done with, but I'm still learning...

It's funny how things change – one minute you think you're on top of the world, and the next, you're swimming in a dark abyss of nothingness. I learned a lot about myself today. For the first time, I don't know what I'm doing with my life. But I guess it's part of growing up, and I've got a lot of that to do. I learned that it's okay that I don't always have all the answers. The pain's still there, but it's making me stronger...

I'm done with school, but yet the pressure is far from over. We're still homeless. My future is uncertain. And I want to go home. I wish I could take on a more "screw everything" mentality. But this is me and that's just not possible. I'm being selfish and I can't think about anything else but going home. But I can't go home until I have a "home" here. And even if I do go to my real home in LA, I won't be able to be there long because of some stupid @$$ internship that I honestly am not excited about. It's not Barbara Lee that disinterests me, cuz I think she's one cool lady, it's just the thought of DC. Everybody always says, "You'll be having the time of your life," or "You're moving on to bigger and better things." Big whoop. I'm a homely girl. I need to go home. I haven't seen my family in WAY too long! After the stupid DC internship, I gotta immediately come back to some hell hole here at Berkeley and prepare for next year.

No Vegas vacation for me. No trip to Mammoth with Kris and her family. No basketball with my brother for hours on end. No all night Super Smash Bros. marathons with my siblings. No midnight run to J&S for breakfast burritos. No movies with 4 hot boys (Jerry, Jeff, Jared and Randall). No secret rendezvous to get Albertson's chicken or Subways for lunch when my mother tells us to make P&J sandwiches. No cheering for my brother at all his basketball/baseball/volleyball games. And no invigorating young minds to prepare them for college.

Yeah yeah... summer in DC. Personally, I think this summer might suck...

F*CK. For a girl that was once Miss Optimism, I'm really hating on a lot of things right now.

I'm hating the fact that...

...I have to write this paper that I know nothing about
...my paper is worth 40% of my grade
...I have until 3 pm tomorrow to turn it in
...I'm staring at a blank word doc
...I ever took this class
...Brady gave us this assignment
...people are out having fun right now without me
...all the other UC people aren't dealing with finals right now
...that I'm still homeless for next year
...my UCLA friends are barely dealing with housing issues, damn sheltered people living in the middle of Westwood
...I spread myself so thin that there's never any time for anything else
...my family and friends have been secondary to my work
...issues from the past still aren't resolved
...the ASUC elections have taken such a toll on my life
...my grades have gone from crap to crappier
...I'm hating so much when what I really hate is myself

FINALS WILL BE THE DEATH OF ME

Disclaimer: This entry is not intended to sound R-rated. I was simply trying to document a very low point to my day.

I really shouldn't be complaining, considering that I have just one paper left, and then I'm done. Maybe my stress isn't with finals, but with everything else that is going on in my life. Either way, I finally take my much-needed shower today. Don't ask how long I've gone without showering... I think my stench was beginning to permeate all the way to Caroline's desk in the bedroom.

Anyway, so the shower... I take a fairly long one, cuz, hey, I needed it. I was practically done and drying off when all of a sudden, I felt all light-headed. My first reaction was "Oh shoot... I'm gonna black out here in the bathroom, hit my head on the faucet, splice open my head and be sent to the emergency room... all while I'm still naked."

I somehow managed to garner up enough strength to make it to the bedroom, and that is where I ended up passing out... yes, still naked. I think I was passed out for over 10 minutes before I finally came to. I still feel very queasy right now and as weak as ever. And with that said, now wiill somebody please write my paper???

Aaron's right... I SHOULD have a little bit more faith...

In a strange turn of events, Gabbo and I will be working RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER this summer!!!! How great is that?! Apparently Hilda and Barbara must be best friends, or the worst enemies, because their offices are right next to each other. And their respective interns, Gabbo and me, will whistle all the way to work each morning, hand in hand. Haha, maybe not... but you get the picture. 1724 and 1725 Longsworth House Office... that's the place to be.

Inspired by a conversation at 2:27am:

Hurdler4life04: i need to help you???
Hurdler4life04: you've never needed anyone's help

Huh... is that how people see me? An ice queen? That's exactly the image I don't want to portray. I guess being independent has its drawbacks. I don't mean to dominate in every arena, but I guess my perception of confidence is often mistaken for dominance. Though I don't plan on compromising my values anytime soon, I know I need to find some kind of balance so as to not scare or push people away. It seems like the more I know, the more imperfect I become... thanks for royally screwing with my head.

Sometimes it's great being stupid...

It turns out I have an extra day to finish my 25-page paper. Technically, it's not an extra day granted to me. The extra day was there all along, I'm just too stupid to realize when my deadline is. For some reason, I kept thinking that my final was Thursday instead of Friday. And since my paper is due on the day of the final, I seriously thought my paper was due in 9 hours. *sigh* It's great knowing that I have until Friday, considering that I'm only at 10 pages. I guess this gives me another 24 hours to goof off before I start freaking out again. Wow... what a vicious cycle.

My sister on being a news editor:

"It's not boring... it's informative and conservative."

She's such a Republican!

Update: I have an internship. *yay* But still no housing... though place across Dog and Cat Hospital is looking pretty darn good. Now to add to the problems: my position in office is threatened because I might not be progressive enough? There is no pleasing ANYBODY! If I'm on the edge, this is why.

There have been quite a few things weighing heavily on my heart. In order to not worry my parents, I haven't told them all my troubles, the biggest one being housing. It's much easier to be brave for someone else than for yourself. But I think I'm close to breaking... actually, on several occasions, I've actually been there. On top of everything, my grades aren't looking too great this year. Life's a bunch of trade-offs. The ASUC presidency or grades? No internship or no money? Lakers or the Kings? Hahha, just kidding. That's an easy one... LAKERS! Now if they'd only give me a win to cheer me up...

Wow. Just realizing how often I sweat the little things. It's one of my greatest attributes, as well as my greatest fault. I guess I just aspire to live in this perfect little bubble, and when things don't always go my way, it's as if the bubble pops and I'm left tasting the bitterness of reality. Reminder: Jamie, face the world... as scary as it might seem.

I have faith that things always work out in the end. I WILL find an internship. I WILL find an apartment. I WILL be okay.

Rarely do we have Girls' Night Out. Rarely do we get attacked in a feeding frenzy of overly perverted and horny males. Rarely do I come back feeling so dirty. Take your pick and read more: Gabby, Elaine, Caroline

Partisan politics suck. I'm finally back from the Marathon Senate meeting, which went for over 24 hours.... STRAIGHT! As tired and beat-up as I feel right now, I'm sure the senators feel 10 times worse. On top of being tired and hungry, the last senate meeting of the year always leaves people feeling so dejected and run-down, with tensions running high and emotions running wild. With a deficit of over $100,000, it was exceptionally difficult to balance a budget. As always, the Recruitment and Retention groups got jacked of their money. Sadly, the more I learn, the more racism I see. Maybe I've been blind for the past 20 years. Or perhaps I just refused to take off my blind-fold. But now I see.

I now also know for sure that I put the right person in office. Kris announced that he would take a cut in his office in order for other student organizations to get more funding, despite the serious financial crisis that the Association is in. The Office of the President has exactly $9.000 to play with for the whole year... not much money, but I think we can still make a lot of good changes by making the campus a more politically-minded and academically challenging environment.

Overall, much props to all the senators that stuck it through. And a even bigger round of applause to all the student groups that stayed the whole night to fight on behalf of their organization. It never ceases to amaze me to see the level of passion that Cal students have in fighting for a cause. And tonight... I sleep.

Last night, my two-year journey came to a halt. And today, I embark on a new adventure. Two years in the making, and I have finally put the rightful man in office. In a LANDSLIDE, Kris defeated Daniel by close to 1300 votes. But this entry isn't about Kris. This entry is about all the people that I've neglected throughout this process. And at the risk of sounding like a acceptance speech at the Grammys, I NEED to thank quite a few people.

First off, my roomies. Gabbo... you're the reason why I followed my heart in the first place. And yes, Kris does owe you BIG. Women of Haste... thank you for putting up with me this year and allowing me to turn our apartment into a freakin' campaign headquarters. Sorry for bringing random people over to our place at all hours of the day. Thanks for all the support and guidance and frustration that I put you all through. Thanks for slapping some sense into me when I'm dead on the bed and can no longer move. Thanks for putting up with my dirtiness, even when I smell like a mixture of sweat and sunblock after a long day of campaigning. (And yes, Zairel, next time I do laundry, you CAN jump on the clean pile.)

To my other Kris: Kristen. I'm sorry for neglecting you for the past couple of months. You're still my best friend, and I still miss flipping your hair. Thanks for giving up everything and coming out to visit me that one weekend. I really needed you.

To Teresa: my popular and famous former roommate... I never got to thank you for being so understanding of my ways last year. You were supportive and motherly and you fed me!!! You're wonderful, and I miss you like crazy!!!!

Thank you, Aaron, for always reminding me just how close the race was gonna be. And though it used to drive me crazy, I now thank you. You pushed me to work even harder. And through all the tears and frustrations, I thank you for standing by me.

Ben: I'm sorry for giving you the cold shoulder this whole year. I'm sorry that every time I call you, it's cuz I need a favor. You mean a lot to me and I'm just glad that time isn't my enemy anymore and that I'll be able to visit you more often. (If you want me to... just make sure you don't doggy-pile on me. I'm weak now.)

To Brett, Caleb, Patrick, Hector, Gustavo, Mike, Paolo and Camille: My inspirations throughout campaigning. Just when I thought that I couldn't take it anymore, you guys were there cheering me on. Thanks for always stopping by at the CalSERVE base to see how I was doing. And for the times that you were out campaigning, your dedication drove me to work even harder.

And lastly, the CalSERVE family... though there were times when the "collective-decision making" would drive me crazy, I DID believe. It's gonna be a wild year. But I'm ready...

How Kris SLAUGHTERED Daniel

CRASH

Here I am, sitting at the apartment. The Reddy people are running around on the 2nd floor, just banging away and making a ruckus. They apparently seem to be fixing something somewhere near the bathroom (judging by the number of bangs). Every so often, I'll hear a really loud thud and I always turn, expecting to see a Reddy man come crashing into our apartment. (Hopefully nobody lands *on* me!) However, if somebody does comes crashing through, I shall be expecting to get a hefty compensation check in the mail, in addition to the Penthouse. Though I like Herman, Nermeet and Duc... I think I love the Penthouse more...

JUST LOUNGIN'

It's a great feeling to wake up and not have to do anything. Over 24 hours of fun with Aaron today, complete with good eating. Here were the highlights:

YAY #1: Lakers won! Awesome game, but I basically predicted the outcome even before the game started. I JUST knew that my Kobe would pull through for the Lakers.

YAY #2: I know that I could easily have tagged it on right after YAY #1, but this one is too good to not have it's own category.... THE KINGS LOST!!!!

YAY #3: Reminiscing about the days of the past. Lots of good exchanges of stories. It's really nice to have finally found somebody that I can connect with at all levels.

YAY #4: I.B. Hoagies AND Thai Basil... man, I ate like a king today (like a queen?) Thanks to my special guy for bearing the elements and making food runs... and getting my order right!

YAY #5: No class til noon tomorrow!!!!

Life is good... at least for the time being. (Never mind the two 20-page papers I must write by next week!!!!)

Darn PS 118AC paper... I dislike Judy Chu more than before! She hasn't done jack sh.t for Rosemead. Why are we the bastard child of SGV? Friggin' Gabrielino essentially gets a brand new school... and I'm still fighting to make sure my trash gets picked up every Monday along with the rest of the city of San Gabriel. Hmmm... politics sure ain't fair. I should've voted for that Fred Balderrama guy... at least he taught me how to play pool.

I know I haven't blogged in a long time. All I can say is that I'm so tired that every part of my body aches... all the way down to the ends of my hair. However, on the flip side... I saw Kobe play live tonight for the very first time! LAKERS ROCK! Kobe had 44 points and basically flew!!!! Move over Michael Jordan, there's a new legend in town. Caroline and I waited around after the game and watched all the players board the bus. Man... soooo much fun! To top it off, our "friend" Carlos got arrested for being a die-hard fan. Hahah, hilarious.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GABBO

My days are starting to all blend in together. I don't even know night from day... I don't even know where I'm living anymore. I'm neither here nor there. All I know is that I'm exhausted and it is time for bed.

It is doomed before it even begins...

Sheisty people get what they deserve. I have just witnessed a crime and yet I have no idea what the heck happened! I was walking back to the apartment after getting a huge tri-board and I was rounding the corner to our humble street when all of a sudden, I was roughly shoved into the shady computer store. All I remember were 3 big guys. The one that shoved me was a big black guy with corn-rows and huge studs on his ears. I had NO idea what was going on until after the owners (Asian couple) came running out after the 3, also roughly pushing me aside. The lady shouted, "Ah, they got away. Call 911!" Guess where the three big scary guys went? Er, down our street! So now, I'm a bit scared about everything. The worst part of it all is 1) I don't know what happened, and 2) I don't know where they went! *shrug*

Aside from my scary encounter... Walking down Sproul is great. I LOVE hearing, "You're Kris' campaign manager? I'm gonna vote for him." I still stress out, but at least it's a good stress today. *smiles*

Definitely a good day... lunch break and all. Floating on cloud 9, well deserved after a very crummy day yesterday.

I now know what it feels like to be high on life. It's such an amazing feeling. Caleb... you should probably stop reading now because the rest of this entry will be very cheesy, but I can't help BUT feel the way that I do. I have just experienced THE MOST amazing and moving night of my life. Never in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine that such an event would be possible. However, tonight, Kris proved that the ASUC IS capable of bringing a diverse community together and work to achieve one united cause.

Kris approached me with the idea of Relay for Life last semester and I have been the one opposing voice throughout the process. Honestly, how many college students would give up their Friday night AND Saturday morning to walk on some stupid track?! Well, try over 2,000 students! And how about adding $30,000 (and counting) to that number? It was nothing BUT successful! The Luminaria ceremony was so touching... over 300 candles lit in a row, each one representing a person that either battled cancer and survived or a loved one that passed away due to the disease. Words cannot express what I felt tonight... and for a girl that has something to say about EVERYTHING, it's quite a change for me. Complete with good friends and good people with hearts of gold, all of a sudden, nothing seemed to matter. I didn't care that I was completely drenched from head to toe, or the fact that I was as cold as ice, or that I was so hungry I could eat a horse... I was lost in the moment. I can't even begin to describe the warmth felt in my heart... all I can say is that it is a good feeling.

Tonight, a community REALLY came together. People from all walks of life came together and made something beautiful happen. I have renewed faith in mankind... this is the reason why I joined the ASUC: to help people, to do good. I'm still in awe of what Kris did tonight and as his campaign manager, I have never been as proud of him as I was tonight. Through all the arguments, the laughter and the tears, THIS is the reason why I do what I do... all the sleepless nights, the loss of weight, the physical and emotional frustrations... I witnessed a miracle tonight and it has given me hope.

Hmmm... very confused. Drunken confessions only lead to trouble.

Hook, line, sinker... YES!

SUCH A LOSER...

Who you ask? Answer: me! Finally met a really mean bus-driver today. He didn't close the door in my face, nor behind me, but ON me! Who the hell gets crushed by a bus door?! Ooh, me, me... pick me! Grrr...

THE BIRDS AND THE BEES

Much to your disappointment, this entry isn't about sex... I usually leave that up to my former roomie, Teresa. (Shameless plugging for y'all to read Sex on Tuesday columns!) If there's one thing I realized tonight, it's that guys and girls are built competely different. As in my conversation with Elaine tonight, which sparked this blog entry... besides the obvious physical differences (duh!), males and females handle things in different manners. Maybe it's because of the testosterone or maybe I'm just completely WAY off base, but guys tend to internalize all pain and frustration. Like a soldier, they keep taking it and for that, men truly amaze me. It's kinda like a "Show No Mercy" tactic.

For girls, it's a different story. Of the two genders, girls tend to be more emotional and sensitive about things. Now, I'm no typical girl, but I think I'm starting to fall right into that category. I'm usually pretty rock solid when it comes to being professional. I don't normally let my emotions get in the way. I'm a trooper, I keep fighting until I get what I want. But lately, each day is a battle for me and at the end of the day, I'm battling myself to try and keep the tears in. I don't think guys really understand that... at least, not about me. I'll say a thousand times that I'm okay, but I'm really not. I don't want to show any weakness, but it's definitely been an uphill battle. Thank goodness for girlfriends... they know the true me, whatever that is...

It feels good to be called "princess" every so often... feels even better to be treated like one.

RANDOM INTERNET SURFING

It's ridiculous how much sh.t talk goes around... I decided to do some random internet surfing today and came across the strangest things! Apparently due to my close ties with Kris, a certain political party is said to “already be looking for dirt on the campaign manager, trying to discredit her because she’s a Republican (!) (Or so I’ve been told.).”

Ladies and Gentlemen, that is THE MOST absurd thing I have ever heard!!!! First of all, I DARE you to find dirt on me! Secondly, I like Gray Davis… sorry, NOT a Republican! And thirdly, if you need to “discredit” me for any reason, obviously your candidate is a loser to begin with. Win based on your own damn qualifications, please! If you can’t do that, you don’t deserve to be president.

Sorry, for those of you interested in reading the site from where this entry stemmed from, I’m sorry, I cannot link it on this site. I don’t want said political party to come snooping around here.