"Never betray the way you've always known it is..."

I bought The Shins cd I had been looking for over the weekend, and I can't stop listening to them. (Hence the subject line quote...)

It has been far too long since I have updated and so much has happened. I am going to try to back-track as best I can, all the while remaining thorough and cojent.

I am going to take it back to Saturday, Feb.12th (Valentine's Date #1 - a surprise):

Luis picked me up and we went to Curtain Call in Tustin - which is a dinner theatre. We feasted and watched the musical Brigadoon, which is a really interesting story of a Scotish village that only is seen once every hundred years. It is a cute love story full of bursting songs in true musical fashion. All in all, it was a very memorable evening and I had a blast.

Sunday, Feb.13th:

Drove to Diamond Bar and went with Luis and his family to have sancocho with his aunt and cousins. They cooked amazing Colombian cuisine and I tried my best to keep up with the spanish. It really made me more than ever to want to start practicing...again...

Monday, Feb.14th (Valentine's Date #2 - also a surprise):

Luis took me to the Improv to see Pablo Francisco. I am not sure if I have ever laughed as hard as I did that night. We had a prix fix menu and all the ladies that walked into the club got a long stemmed red rose. We were seated right up near the stage and shared a table with this fun couple that was around our age. We had a great time chatting and laughing and drinking. After the show, I felt so spoiled that I was treated to not one, but two special nights out.

Tuesday thru Friday was the usual: work, working out, the OC...

Friday, Feb.18:

Luis and I went to dinner and bought some movies at Blockbuster. Went back to my place to watch Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle . Hilarious.

Saturday, Feb.19:

Luis had traffic school and I broke my lent promise and ate Taco Bell. The worst headache of my life crept up on me...Hung out at my place. Luis met up and we grubbed on leftovers. The him and I met up with Dustin, Mike, Yagi, Dana, Meera, Julie & Brian at the Bren to watch the mens' bball game. After, we all made our eventual way to Patricks, where we played pool and hung out and drank - it was good times. My headache eventually became out of control and I needed to sleep.

Sunday, Feb.20th:

I went to run errands in Laguna Hills and bough music...proceded to get sick on a milk thing from the coffee bean, went to Wing Nuts with Dustin, Andy, Travis & Lari and absolutely stuffed myself. Went home after to take a nap and watch Anchorman. Then, went to the Spectrum to meet for dinner with Julie and a couple of her co-workers at the Yard House. After eating, we met up with Luis and went to see DAMON WAYANS! at the Spectrum. He does such a great stand-up!! :)

Monday, Feb.21st:

Had the day off...What did I do? Got sucked into a Crossing Jordan marathon on A&E. Napped...a lot...and then eventually met up with Dustin & Yagi @ Red Robin to eat and chat. Good times. Played phone tag with Luis. Had an incident at the dry cleaners. Called it an early night.

Tuesday, Feb. 22nd:

Worked, went to the gym with Silvia and Luis. Made pasta. Hung out on the couch with Julie and watched TV...called it another early night...only to wake up every hour because the rain was loud or heard weird sounds or was having odd dreams...On a side note, while at work, the building manager announced that we were "on alert" for a tornado warning - very strange...

So here we are at today...What are my plans? Probably just to go to the gym after work...and that's it...Tomorrow's OC looks intense - I may need to rest up tonight so I can be at max capacity tomorrow night :)

The rain has been out of control. Not that I mind it, but I have noticed it will go from patchy clouds, to sprinkling, to torrential rain, to thunder and lightening, to patchy clouds again. I just want it to make up it's mind...Either rain or don't - i am not bothered either way - just pick ONE...

This has been long and dry...

"I'm not an alcoholic, just a social drinker...It just so happens that I am a very social person"

So I am listening to "Last Call" by Elliott Smith right now and I am really wanting to buy the Roman Candle CD. I think his genre of music is a combination of great things: it is haunting, relaxing, pensive, mellow and passionate all in one. ( I realize the phrase "mellow and passionate" is something of an oxymoron, but if you think about it, most of us are truly mellow with a ribbon of passion...)

I busted my ass at work yesterday. Had some crazy errands, sans a lunch break, single-handedly coordinated and catered/sponsored/put-on a mini-conference yesterday, opened some new accounts, and booked an ass-load of travel. By the time I got home, I was exhausted and just wanted to do nothing...Which really isn't helping my fitness cause...

This past weekend was busy and fun:

Friday: Surprise party for Paul at Dave & Busters at the Spectrum. Lots of fun!! Luis and I played pool and shuffle board - two games that I lost at, but managed to improve tons with each play...One day I will be that pool shark! Just you watch! :) We drank gymangous beers and laughed and ate grub nachos - such fun!

Saturday: I got my hair cut, did some shopping, Julie and I CLEANED the apartment, which felt good (not that our place has ever really been nasty or anything). Luis called and I drove to Diamond Bar, intending to play tennis, but the courts were all taken. So, we ate some fantabulous enchiladas and waited for Erika to come home. The three of us then went to the Puente Hills mall, bought some books in Borders, ate some yummy Baskin Robins, walked the mall, then saw Finding Neverland. Awesome movie - super sad, but I really liked it.

Sunday was the Superbowl Party at our place. It was small and fun. Lots of food and drinks! It was a good afternoon of chatting and indulging ourselves.

Tonight I am going out to dinner with Silvia, which will be fun to catch up. I need to give her the birthday gift that is heinously overdue...

I got an email today from Stacey telling me that her and Lee had picked a date for the wedding...It makes it all so real...She is my second close college friend to get married...I think it is cool...if it is the right person...

**Side note: LAUNCH has been playing some awwwwesome songs today!! Making me feel better about the fact that I have a ton to do today. I love how music has such a physical and visceral effect on me...It really makes me feel.

(I have been trying too hard in the entry to be deep or insightful or meaningful in my prose...And what is the end result? CRAP! My apologies to anyone who took the time to read this...)

"In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer" -Albert Camus

I think that quotation is important for all of us to remember...especially when we struggle to get out of bed to make it on time to a thankless job only to be further away from what we invisioned for ourselves...

Things have been turbulent, but going well to say the least. People at work have been REALLY stressed and I have just been going with the flow. The benzito has given me an ulcer this week - and has cleaned out my bank account...so until Feb. 15th, the funds runneth short for me. But all is going well with everything else - I really have nothing to complain about...

I will give a more thorough soon...I just wanted to get that quote in there before I forgot...