Quote time. This one comes from, who else but, Fabio Viviani. I was just reading his blog and he was recapping last night's episode of Top Chef.
"Life is hard my friend but if you don't think it's even harder.... There are 2 things infinite.... Universe and Stupidity, Richie your move didn't look like Universe."
Genius, Fabio, pure genius. Like I said, you should read his blog. It's pretty funny.
_andyjoe
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Food
So I thought I'd focus on some food and tell you about some of the things I've been cooking and eating. First off, last night I baked some classic chocolate chip cookies and I must say don't underestimate the power of simple chocolate chip cookies and milk. After I took them out of the oven, I sat down with a glass of milk and few warm chewy cookies and enjoyed the hell out of them. I wish I took a picture of them so I could share with you but unfortunately they are all gone now. =) There was something very comforting about the experience. So if you ever have a moment to yourself and just want to enjoy it, try baking some cookies and then devouring them while their still warm and with a glass of milk. It just may bring you back to your childhood.
Moving on... earlier this week I decided to clean my fridge of excess random foods. So what better way than to mix random ingredients with some pasta. So I started with some rotini pasta that I boiled to al dente. Then in a saute pan, I rendered some bacon 'til they were almost done. Using the bacon fat in the pan I cooked some chopped up bratwurst, jalapeno, shallots, and garlic. I seasoned with salt and pepper, liberally as I like my foods to be well seasoned. Once the bratwurst was heated well through, I poured in some white wine and buttermilk. I like it all simmer as the alcohol burned off and then turned the heat off. I folded in the pasta to help absorb the remaining liquid and also absorb all the flavor. I seasoned with salt and pepper again and added in some basil that I tore apart. It probably would've been faster to chiffon the basil with a knife but I like the uneven sizes that's created when you just use your hands. That was it. Simple, easy, and quick pasta dish. Nice that I think about it, I probably could have added in some sun dried tomatoes as well but all in all it was still a good pasta dish.
I made baked mac n cheese two nights ago. (I really should start taking pictures of the things I cook before consuming them so that I can share with you all.) I didn't use the typical macaroni pasta, instead I used cavatappi pasta because they're larger and hold up better. I started by melting butter in a saute pan and added flour and mustard powder until there were no more clumps. To this, I tempered in an egg and once that was incorporated I added onions, milk, a bay leaf, and a liberal amount of paprika. I also seasoned with salt and pepper and some chipotle chili powder. After about ten minutes I added some cheese and then folded in the pasta. I transferred everything to a baking dish and then in another pan I melted some more butter and toasted some panko bread crumbs. I topped the pasta with the bread crumbs and then stuck the whole thing in the oven at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. This is the second time I've made this dish and this one came out cheesier than the last but I felt like it still needed some more salt and pepper. So if you try making this make sure you season enough to your liking. Overall, it was still good though. I brought it in to work for a little "pot luck" with my employees and they seemed to like it. I also baked an Apple Yogurt cake with cinnamon sugar swirls for the "pot luck". This came out well too. There's still some left in the fridge that I'll probably take home today and I'll be snacking on throughout the weekend. =)
Last week, I made some chicken "burgers". Basically all I did was cook some chicken steaks that I seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cajun seasoning. Then I put them on some sourdough bread that I toasted with butter and garlic powder. I added some strips of bacon, slice of tomato, swiss cheese, red onions, and a few basil leaves. They turned out pretty good tasting. Just make sure you don't overcook the chicken so that it's still juicy. I also did this with leftover burger patties I had. I made the patties out of ground beef and ground turkey that I mixed together with some chopped jalapenos, onions, garlic, and shallots. I also seasoned with salt and pepper, of course. With the burgers, I also topped them with some mushrooms and onions that cooked down in a saute pan with some olive oil. This version came out well too.
Oh, by the way (I noticed I use this phrase a lot) the Ducks WON last night!! Thrilling comeback at the end with Teemu Selanne notching the tying score with 6 seconds left in the game. Then a game winning score by Cam Fowler less than 2 minutes into overtime. That's 3 games in a row for the Ducks that have gone into overtime and won by the Ducks. They are 8-2-0 in the last 10 games and are in 8th place in the Western Conference, which means playoff spot! But there's still 9 games left so we shall see what happens. If you don't follow hockey, I'm sure none of this made sense to you but just know that Selanne is AWESOME and he's 40 years old. INCREDIBLE! The Ducks play again tonight in Nashville at 5pm so tune in on FSPT and make sure to wear your Ducks jersey - I will.
_andyjoe
Moving on... earlier this week I decided to clean my fridge of excess random foods. So what better way than to mix random ingredients with some pasta. So I started with some rotini pasta that I boiled to al dente. Then in a saute pan, I rendered some bacon 'til they were almost done. Using the bacon fat in the pan I cooked some chopped up bratwurst, jalapeno, shallots, and garlic. I seasoned with salt and pepper, liberally as I like my foods to be well seasoned. Once the bratwurst was heated well through, I poured in some white wine and buttermilk. I like it all simmer as the alcohol burned off and then turned the heat off. I folded in the pasta to help absorb the remaining liquid and also absorb all the flavor. I seasoned with salt and pepper again and added in some basil that I tore apart. It probably would've been faster to chiffon the basil with a knife but I like the uneven sizes that's created when you just use your hands. That was it. Simple, easy, and quick pasta dish. Nice that I think about it, I probably could have added in some sun dried tomatoes as well but all in all it was still a good pasta dish.
I made baked mac n cheese two nights ago. (I really should start taking pictures of the things I cook before consuming them so that I can share with you all.) I didn't use the typical macaroni pasta, instead I used cavatappi pasta because they're larger and hold up better. I started by melting butter in a saute pan and added flour and mustard powder until there were no more clumps. To this, I tempered in an egg and once that was incorporated I added onions, milk, a bay leaf, and a liberal amount of paprika. I also seasoned with salt and pepper and some chipotle chili powder. After about ten minutes I added some cheese and then folded in the pasta. I transferred everything to a baking dish and then in another pan I melted some more butter and toasted some panko bread crumbs. I topped the pasta with the bread crumbs and then stuck the whole thing in the oven at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. This is the second time I've made this dish and this one came out cheesier than the last but I felt like it still needed some more salt and pepper. So if you try making this make sure you season enough to your liking. Overall, it was still good though. I brought it in to work for a little "pot luck" with my employees and they seemed to like it. I also baked an Apple Yogurt cake with cinnamon sugar swirls for the "pot luck". This came out well too. There's still some left in the fridge that I'll probably take home today and I'll be snacking on throughout the weekend. =)
Last week, I made some chicken "burgers". Basically all I did was cook some chicken steaks that I seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cajun seasoning. Then I put them on some sourdough bread that I toasted with butter and garlic powder. I added some strips of bacon, slice of tomato, swiss cheese, red onions, and a few basil leaves. They turned out pretty good tasting. Just make sure you don't overcook the chicken so that it's still juicy. I also did this with leftover burger patties I had. I made the patties out of ground beef and ground turkey that I mixed together with some chopped jalapenos, onions, garlic, and shallots. I also seasoned with salt and pepper, of course. With the burgers, I also topped them with some mushrooms and onions that cooked down in a saute pan with some olive oil. This version came out well too.
Oh, by the way (I noticed I use this phrase a lot) the Ducks WON last night!! Thrilling comeback at the end with Teemu Selanne notching the tying score with 6 seconds left in the game. Then a game winning score by Cam Fowler less than 2 minutes into overtime. That's 3 games in a row for the Ducks that have gone into overtime and won by the Ducks. They are 8-2-0 in the last 10 games and are in 8th place in the Western Conference, which means playoff spot! But there's still 9 games left so we shall see what happens. If you don't follow hockey, I'm sure none of this made sense to you but just know that Selanne is AWESOME and he's 40 years old. INCREDIBLE! The Ducks play again tonight in Nashville at 5pm so tune in on FSPT and make sure to wear your Ducks jersey - I will.
_andyjoe
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Fabio Viviani
So yesterday I spent a good deal of time at work on the internet and one website I was looking at was fabioviviani.com. On his site, there's information about his restaurants, a biography, some pictures and videos, and his blog. His blog is absolutely funny and entertaining. I'm personally not much of a blog reading person and really only started reading blogs a couple months ago. Fabio's blog, though, is highly entertaining because he writes the same way he talks which is usually in broken English. It's amusing not because he doesn't know how to speak English very well but because he's just being himself. Within his videos section, there's one where he is in Miami for some food and wine festival and Top Chef: All Stars is on TV. He missed the TV showing but is able to watch the episode on some website so he records himself watching the episode while also tweeting and also eating dinner in his hotel room. Since he's recording himself he's talking to the camera but also talking to his buddies in the episode. It's thoroughly entertaining. Also, there's a couple videos of a dog that he recorded playing with a ball in a water fountain and he keeps inferring that the dog is drunk. I like these videos just because the dog is very cute. I'm a dog lover and previous owner, by the way. Anyways check out his website if you have a chance. Here's some quotes that come from his website too...
"You don't know how much you love food until you have to walk through hell barefoot to make the exact dish that you have in mind."
"Cooking is a marathon, not a sprint. You can get to the end and be happy even if you limp a little bit."
"Life is hard already, but if you're stupid could be even harder..."
Also here's a link to watch that video of Fabio watching Top Chef, eating a salad, and tweeting. Enjoy.
Fabio Viviani
_andyjoe
"You don't know how much you love food until you have to walk through hell barefoot to make the exact dish that you have in mind."
"Cooking is a marathon, not a sprint. You can get to the end and be happy even if you limp a little bit."
"Life is hard already, but if you're stupid could be even harder..."
Also here's a link to watch that video of Fabio watching Top Chef, eating a salad, and tweeting. Enjoy.
Fabio Viviani
_andyjoe
Ducks vs. Stars
Quick Post... the Anaheim Ducks are playing the Dallas Stars tonight at 5:30pm on FSW.
_andyjoe
_andyjoe
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Talk
Let's talk about something other than myself for a change. This whole blog has so far been about me (and rightly so) but I want to try to talk about something else. Disclaimer: the subject will probably get back to me. I don't have a specific topic in mind yet as I write this but let's see what pops into my head.
"Mistakes and failure are humanity."
I heard this quote on TV, of all places. I was watching Palladia channel and the band Phoenix was on Unplugged. During an interview section, one member (Christian Mazzalai, I think) said this about performing live in front of people. I thought it was an excellent response, especially given the question because it doesn't just apply to performers but regular, everyday people. I know this is stupid to say but humanity is what makes us humans. Humans are not perfect, not even close. So to try and hide imperfections is to hide yourself. If someone is "perfect" in the sense that everything they do and are is correct and their "image" should be sought after and copied, trust me when I say that they are not perfect and that you should never try to copy anyone else. Just be yourself and stay true to who you are and want to be. Want to be yourself.
"The road is there guys. You should just go for it. You are the only shadow standing in your own sunshine."
This quote comes courtesy of Fabio Viviani from Top Chef. He said this while saying goodbye to the cameras when he was eliminated from Top Chef: All Stars and it's a great quote. I was rooting for Fabio and was sad to see him go for making a "boor-ger". Nevertheless, this quote is great and should be shared with everyone. I think it's self explanatory and doesn't need any elaboration.
"You have to know the difference between you, your, and you're; and there, their, and they're."
This really isn't a quote so much as a philosophy. Everyone should know the differences between you, your, and you're as well as the differences between there, their, and they're. If you don't then I'm sorry but you need to go back to school. Improper grammar is a huge pet peeve of mine and it absolutely bugs me when I find them in co-workers' emails or documents. It's sad but I slightly judge them because of their grammar (correct usage of their, btw). I think grammar is hugely proportional to a person's education. So if you use poor grammar I may judge you and think less of your intellectual knowledge. I may not think less of you a person but I will question your knowledge from time to time. Harsh but true and I'm sure I'm not the only one to do this. For those of you who may not know, here are my simple explanations (I hope they're right, haha):
You = noun referring to you (crazy, huh)
Your = pronoun referring to something belonging to you in some sense (It's on your arm.)
You're = contraction of "you are" (blowing your mind yet?)
There = noun, adverb, or adjective referring to person, place, or thing (He is over there, There is water, etc.)
Their = pronoun referring to possession (Their bag, their drink, their food, etc...)
They're = contraction of "they are" (mind blown!)
_andyjoe
"Mistakes and failure are humanity."
I heard this quote on TV, of all places. I was watching Palladia channel and the band Phoenix was on Unplugged. During an interview section, one member (Christian Mazzalai, I think) said this about performing live in front of people. I thought it was an excellent response, especially given the question because it doesn't just apply to performers but regular, everyday people. I know this is stupid to say but humanity is what makes us humans. Humans are not perfect, not even close. So to try and hide imperfections is to hide yourself. If someone is "perfect" in the sense that everything they do and are is correct and their "image" should be sought after and copied, trust me when I say that they are not perfect and that you should never try to copy anyone else. Just be yourself and stay true to who you are and want to be. Want to be yourself.
"The road is there guys. You should just go for it. You are the only shadow standing in your own sunshine."
This quote comes courtesy of Fabio Viviani from Top Chef. He said this while saying goodbye to the cameras when he was eliminated from Top Chef: All Stars and it's a great quote. I was rooting for Fabio and was sad to see him go for making a "boor-ger". Nevertheless, this quote is great and should be shared with everyone. I think it's self explanatory and doesn't need any elaboration.
"You have to know the difference between you, your, and you're; and there, their, and they're."
This really isn't a quote so much as a philosophy. Everyone should know the differences between you, your, and you're as well as the differences between there, their, and they're. If you don't then I'm sorry but you need to go back to school. Improper grammar is a huge pet peeve of mine and it absolutely bugs me when I find them in co-workers' emails or documents. It's sad but I slightly judge them because of their grammar (correct usage of their, btw). I think grammar is hugely proportional to a person's education. So if you use poor grammar I may judge you and think less of your intellectual knowledge. I may not think less of you a person but I will question your knowledge from time to time. Harsh but true and I'm sure I'm not the only one to do this. For those of you who may not know, here are my simple explanations (I hope they're right, haha):
You = noun referring to you (crazy, huh)
Your = pronoun referring to something belonging to you in some sense (It's on your arm.)
You're = contraction of "you are" (blowing your mind yet?)
There = noun, adverb, or adjective referring to person, place, or thing (He is over there, There is water, etc.)
Their = pronoun referring to possession (Their bag, their drink, their food, etc...)
They're = contraction of "they are" (mind blown!)
_andyjoe
Jeep
My car is in the shop and I'm driving my parents' car, which I conveniently had at my place thanks to the fact that I took them to the airport last week. I spoke to the shop this morning and they recommend that I get the thermostat and another part (I forgot now) replaced. I swear I just got the thermostat replaced within the last year or two and at the same shop. When I go pick up my car, I'm going to bring along my past receipts and see what I can do as far as not being charged again for the same parts. So, having to get my car fixed again (don't get me started on how many times I've had to take it in for maintenance) has got me seriously thinking about getting a new car. Unfortunately, there are only two cars that I want - a Range Rover or another Jeep Grand Cherokee. Since the latter is basically half the price of the other I think I will work towards getting another Jeep. I'm happy with this decision. Ever since I was a little kid, I've loved Jeeps which is why I have one right now. Although they may not give the best mpg they are reliable cars (except mine apparently) that stick around for a long time given regular maintenance. I make mine the exception because I bought it used and it's the first car I've even bought. Now I need to come up with $40-50K to spend on car... this will be fun.
I've been on the Jeep website all day just looking at my future car and it's pretty nice. Expensive, but nice. My goal is to get the car within a year's time. Of course this means that I won't be able to the buy the car straight out with cash and I will have to finance most if not all of the car but that's okay. I should be able to get a good rate and put in a decent down payment. The thing that I'm really looking forward to with a new car is an audio port so I don't have to stick with the radio and CD's all the time and 4WD so I don't need snow chains when I want to go snowboarding. Not having a car that needs costly maintenance quite as much will be a plus as well.
_andyjoe
I've been on the Jeep website all day just looking at my future car and it's pretty nice. Expensive, but nice. My goal is to get the car within a year's time. Of course this means that I won't be able to the buy the car straight out with cash and I will have to finance most if not all of the car but that's okay. I should be able to get a good rate and put in a decent down payment. The thing that I'm really looking forward to with a new car is an audio port so I don't have to stick with the radio and CD's all the time and 4WD so I don't need snow chains when I want to go snowboarding. Not having a car that needs costly maintenance quite as much will be a plus as well.
_andyjoe
Monday, March 21, 2011
Commitment
I've decided to make a commitment to myself This is actually something that I decided on a while ago but I just feel like putting it down on "paper" now. I need to save money. Everyone needs to save money, but me especially. If I want to achieve my goals and do what I want to do in life, I need money. Unfortunately that is the fact that every person has to face. In order to do what you want to do you need some type or form of money. One of my goals is to attend culinary school and that is going to cost money. So I need to start saving money so I can pay off some debt and work on going to school. This will not be easy. I will need self-discipline, tons of it actually. But I think I can do this. I just need to be true to myself and then things will just unfold.
So, this means no more shopping for clothes. I have enough and I don't need any more no matter how much I may want them. This means no more excessive spending on groceries; and eating food when I have food to be eaten. No more unnecessary spending on luxury items - TV, watches, toys, etc. No more excessive alcohol purchases. No more random spending on random crap.
I can do this. (Additionally, I would like to get a new car soon. I can't keep fixing my current Jeep. It's not worth it.)
_andyjoe
So, this means no more shopping for clothes. I have enough and I don't need any more no matter how much I may want them. This means no more excessive spending on groceries; and eating food when I have food to be eaten. No more unnecessary spending on luxury items - TV, watches, toys, etc. No more excessive alcohol purchases. No more random spending on random crap.
I can do this. (Additionally, I would like to get a new car soon. I can't keep fixing my current Jeep. It's not worth it.)
_andyjoe
Monday...
Sunday was bad and good. Started like this...
Woke up a little later than I planned but still earlier enough. I was going to meet my brother and his girlfriend for snowboarding. It had rained the night before and my car was nice and clean. Packed up my stuff and headed out. On my way to the freeway I stopped and got gas - $70!!! My stupid Jeep is making me broke (I shall elaborate more on this in a bit). Got on the freeway and was flying. Then hit traffic... at 7am. Cars were at a complete stop - RIDICULOUS. Was stopped for about 20 minutes and then started moving. I saw no sign of any accident by the way. Started flying again and I was making good time. Started going up the hill and it was raining pretty hard. I was getting excited because this meant that it would be snowing on the mountain. I started to make my way up the mountain and then had to turn around to buy some snow chains. Unfortunately my Jeep is only 2WD. So I turned around, drove about 10 minutes and bought some chains. Side note - I actually already own a pair of snow chains, heavy duty ones too, but they were left at my old apartment with my ex-girlfriend. Whomp whomp.
So I bought the chains and made my way back up to the checkpoint. I pulled over and put the chains on my tires. Wasn't too hard and only took about 25 minutes. Felt like longer though because it was COLD and WINDY. I started to drive off and then I hear a thumping sound. I thought it was just the chains getting used to the car but it was really unnatural sounding. I pulled over and took a look at my tires and the chains on my left tire had torn. Apparently I bought some defective chains. So with only one side of snow chains on my car, I made my way back down and went to the same store and bought another set. They wouldn't refund me or exchange. Apparently it's a manufacturers thing and I have to take it up with them. It was a like a convenience store with only this Asian lady there. So I just bought another set. I put the left side on my car right there just in case it broke again but luckily it didn't. I made my way up and finally got to the resort. By the way, luckily I didn't just risk driving up with only one side of snow chains on because as it got snowy and the entire road was cold and covered, I could feel my front tires sliding.
So, I finally got to the resort, parked, saw a family with their kids and dog running in the snow (really cute), and started getting ready to snowboard. Let me just say that I haven't been boarding since last February 2010 when I was in Vancouver for the Olympics. Great place to snowboard by the way. So I have had this incredible itch to go snowboarding for the longest time now which made this trip exciting for me. So, all changed and my snowboard ready, I walked up to the lodge and met up with my brother and his girlfriend. We went to the ticket booth and got lift tickets. However, it was extremely WINDY. It was snowing which was absolutely great but it was so windy that while we were standing around the lift waiting, almost everybody was knocked down due to a huge gust of wind. At this point the resort decided to close the mountain. It was not safe to be on the lifts with this kind of wind. I appreciated the safety concerns that the resort expressed and the fact that they gave everyone vouchers for another day in the season but I was still BUMMED. This was my chance to get back on the mountain and snowboard and it was swiftly gusted away. At least I got 10 seconds of snowboarding in as I glided from the lift back to the lodge. =(
So, we regrouped and decided that we'd just go grab something to eat. We decided on Boiling Crab in Alhambra. So driving down the mountain was fun, tedious, and SLOW. Still, I appreciate everyone's safety concern. I eventually made it to the checkpoint and got out to take off my snow chains. Once I walked around to the back on my Jeep, I noticed my right taillight was just hanging there. Apparently, the fantastic crew at Pepboys remembered to put the screws holding my light back in. If I haven't said so before, I just LOVE Pepboys. (Sarcasm, major sarcasm) I pushed it back in and hoped for the best that it would knock itself back out since the chains were off now. I started driving again and was cruising but then I noticed that stupid OBD indicator light was on. The car was acting fine and I don't know how long that light had been on but it wasn't there when I left the mountain. So I exited the freeway and pulled into a gas station. I consulted my car's manual and it said the car was still drivable but I should take it in to get it diagnosed and serviced as soon as possible. So I figured there's nothing I can do here at this moment so I got back on the freeway and continued to the head to Alhambra, while constantly looking at that stupid indicator light.
I got to Alhambra with no more incidents and made my way to Boiling Crab. It was about 12:45 and they had just opened at 12pm but nevertheless they had a line with about a hour wait. After waiting for 10 minutes we decided that we would just take it to-go and eat at my place. So we ordered 4 pounds of seafood and some side dishes and took off. The freeway was moving but then we hit traffic again. Pretty much stopped but moving ever so slowly. I could see flashing lights ahead in the far distance and it was raining pretty hard so I cursed my luck that people just do not seem to know how to drive in the rain, especially in LA. Eventually got past it and saw that a car was upside down on the right side of the freeway. I do hope that the driver and any passengers in the car and anybody in any other car involved in the accident are okay. So I finally made my way past the accident and got home. Cleaned up a bit and got ready for the feast.
After all the chaos that went on during that morning and afternoon, it was nice having lunch with my brother and his girlfriend while watching college basketball and Chopped on Food Network channel. I say "college basketball" because I partly don't care about the tournament anymore now that UCLA is out. Stupid Florida... it's always Florida. Once our stomachs were full which had been growling like monsters after our "long" snowboarding session, we commenced in a game of Super Mario Bros on the Wii. We accomplished a lot and overall, it was full. They eventually took off and I was left with peace and quiet again. But then my phone notified me of the score of the Ducks vs. Flames game. I'm a hockey fan by the way, specifically an Anaheim Ducks hockey fan. The score was 5-4 Final in overtime in favor of the Ducks. This got me excited and also sad because I forgot about the game and didn't get to see it but fortunately there was a replay of the game at 1am. So it's recorded and waiting for me on my DVR. Go Ducks!
So to recap the day: woke up late, got stuck in traffic, bought 2 sets of snow chains, didn't get to snowboard, need to get my car fixed, didn't want to wait in line, got stuck in traffic again, ate seafood, played Wii, missed the Ducks games, watched TV. Not the best Sunday, but still an adventure.
_andyjoe
Woke up a little later than I planned but still earlier enough. I was going to meet my brother and his girlfriend for snowboarding. It had rained the night before and my car was nice and clean. Packed up my stuff and headed out. On my way to the freeway I stopped and got gas - $70!!! My stupid Jeep is making me broke (I shall elaborate more on this in a bit). Got on the freeway and was flying. Then hit traffic... at 7am. Cars were at a complete stop - RIDICULOUS. Was stopped for about 20 minutes and then started moving. I saw no sign of any accident by the way. Started flying again and I was making good time. Started going up the hill and it was raining pretty hard. I was getting excited because this meant that it would be snowing on the mountain. I started to make my way up the mountain and then had to turn around to buy some snow chains. Unfortunately my Jeep is only 2WD. So I turned around, drove about 10 minutes and bought some chains. Side note - I actually already own a pair of snow chains, heavy duty ones too, but they were left at my old apartment with my ex-girlfriend. Whomp whomp.
So I bought the chains and made my way back up to the checkpoint. I pulled over and put the chains on my tires. Wasn't too hard and only took about 25 minutes. Felt like longer though because it was COLD and WINDY. I started to drive off and then I hear a thumping sound. I thought it was just the chains getting used to the car but it was really unnatural sounding. I pulled over and took a look at my tires and the chains on my left tire had torn. Apparently I bought some defective chains. So with only one side of snow chains on my car, I made my way back down and went to the same store and bought another set. They wouldn't refund me or exchange. Apparently it's a manufacturers thing and I have to take it up with them. It was a like a convenience store with only this Asian lady there. So I just bought another set. I put the left side on my car right there just in case it broke again but luckily it didn't. I made my way up and finally got to the resort. By the way, luckily I didn't just risk driving up with only one side of snow chains on because as it got snowy and the entire road was cold and covered, I could feel my front tires sliding.
So, I finally got to the resort, parked, saw a family with their kids and dog running in the snow (really cute), and started getting ready to snowboard. Let me just say that I haven't been boarding since last February 2010 when I was in Vancouver for the Olympics. Great place to snowboard by the way. So I have had this incredible itch to go snowboarding for the longest time now which made this trip exciting for me. So, all changed and my snowboard ready, I walked up to the lodge and met up with my brother and his girlfriend. We went to the ticket booth and got lift tickets. However, it was extremely WINDY. It was snowing which was absolutely great but it was so windy that while we were standing around the lift waiting, almost everybody was knocked down due to a huge gust of wind. At this point the resort decided to close the mountain. It was not safe to be on the lifts with this kind of wind. I appreciated the safety concerns that the resort expressed and the fact that they gave everyone vouchers for another day in the season but I was still BUMMED. This was my chance to get back on the mountain and snowboard and it was swiftly gusted away. At least I got 10 seconds of snowboarding in as I glided from the lift back to the lodge. =(
So, we regrouped and decided that we'd just go grab something to eat. We decided on Boiling Crab in Alhambra. So driving down the mountain was fun, tedious, and SLOW. Still, I appreciate everyone's safety concern. I eventually made it to the checkpoint and got out to take off my snow chains. Once I walked around to the back on my Jeep, I noticed my right taillight was just hanging there. Apparently, the fantastic crew at Pepboys remembered to put the screws holding my light back in. If I haven't said so before, I just LOVE Pepboys. (Sarcasm, major sarcasm) I pushed it back in and hoped for the best that it would knock itself back out since the chains were off now. I started driving again and was cruising but then I noticed that stupid OBD indicator light was on. The car was acting fine and I don't know how long that light had been on but it wasn't there when I left the mountain. So I exited the freeway and pulled into a gas station. I consulted my car's manual and it said the car was still drivable but I should take it in to get it diagnosed and serviced as soon as possible. So I figured there's nothing I can do here at this moment so I got back on the freeway and continued to the head to Alhambra, while constantly looking at that stupid indicator light.
I got to Alhambra with no more incidents and made my way to Boiling Crab. It was about 12:45 and they had just opened at 12pm but nevertheless they had a line with about a hour wait. After waiting for 10 minutes we decided that we would just take it to-go and eat at my place. So we ordered 4 pounds of seafood and some side dishes and took off. The freeway was moving but then we hit traffic again. Pretty much stopped but moving ever so slowly. I could see flashing lights ahead in the far distance and it was raining pretty hard so I cursed my luck that people just do not seem to know how to drive in the rain, especially in LA. Eventually got past it and saw that a car was upside down on the right side of the freeway. I do hope that the driver and any passengers in the car and anybody in any other car involved in the accident are okay. So I finally made my way past the accident and got home. Cleaned up a bit and got ready for the feast.
After all the chaos that went on during that morning and afternoon, it was nice having lunch with my brother and his girlfriend while watching college basketball and Chopped on Food Network channel. I say "college basketball" because I partly don't care about the tournament anymore now that UCLA is out. Stupid Florida... it's always Florida. Once our stomachs were full which had been growling like monsters after our "long" snowboarding session, we commenced in a game of Super Mario Bros on the Wii. We accomplished a lot and overall, it was full. They eventually took off and I was left with peace and quiet again. But then my phone notified me of the score of the Ducks vs. Flames game. I'm a hockey fan by the way, specifically an Anaheim Ducks hockey fan. The score was 5-4 Final in overtime in favor of the Ducks. This got me excited and also sad because I forgot about the game and didn't get to see it but fortunately there was a replay of the game at 1am. So it's recorded and waiting for me on my DVR. Go Ducks!
So to recap the day: woke up late, got stuck in traffic, bought 2 sets of snow chains, didn't get to snowboard, need to get my car fixed, didn't want to wait in line, got stuck in traffic again, ate seafood, played Wii, missed the Ducks games, watched TV. Not the best Sunday, but still an adventure.
_andyjoe
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Going Crazy...
There's a movie that I watched recently that had something very specific about it that I liked. By "watched recently" I mean I probably watched it within the last two months, however I cannot remember the name of the movie. On top of that, I cannot remember the name of the actor nor the plot of the movie. I have been racking my brain this whole day trying to figure out what movie I am thinking about but the only result is that I am driving myself crazy. When I tried to explain to people what movie I was thinking about, the best description I could come up with was "it's a movie with fast moving sequences where the main character narrates what's going on in the sequences; for example, 'I met a girl, we talked, we smoked, we ate, we talked'". Unfortunately not remembering the plot, the actor, or what the movie looks like is not helping me. I was hoping writing about it would help get my brain juices flowing so that I would just get that epiphany and remember it all of a sudden. But that doesn't seem like it's happening. Hopefully, when I go to sleep my sub-conscience will help me out.
I hope this is even an actual movie.
If you go on YouTube and watch that video about the guy who found a roll of film in New York during the blizzard and then developed the pictures and is trying to find the owners (apparently he found the owner not too long ago), he narrates it with a somewhat monotone voice. This is similar to the movie that I'm thinking about. Though, the scenes in the movie move quicker. It's similar unless my mind just wants to find something similar and just picked this YouTube video. I don't know... I think I'm going crazy.
_andyjoe
I hope this is even an actual movie.
If you go on YouTube and watch that video about the guy who found a roll of film in New York during the blizzard and then developed the pictures and is trying to find the owners (apparently he found the owner not too long ago), he narrates it with a somewhat monotone voice. This is similar to the movie that I'm thinking about. Though, the scenes in the movie move quicker. It's similar unless my mind just wants to find something similar and just picked this YouTube video. I don't know... I think I'm going crazy.
_andyjoe
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Let's get real
Today is Monday. I had work today and I went in around 9:30am. I stopped by Starbucks as usual and although my neighbor was working there this morning, another barista remembered me and knew my order. If I haven't mentioned this yet, the Starbucks on National Boulevard in Los Angeles, CA is AMAZING! My favorite Starbucks ever. Not just because they remember, but they remember me because I go in everyday because they are so quick. They take your order and your order is ready within a couple minutes, except for the one day they were training a new barista. So I went to work and worked. Another fantastic eight hours spent doing something I love to do. (that was sarcasm, if you didn't realize it)
Throughout the day, my mind wandered quite a bit. On Saturday, I invited my friends to come over, including "the girl" that I been thinking about quite a lot lately. She was out with someone else earlier in the day and he came over too for a little bit. Of course, I was absolutely happy to see her but I was also jealous to see him. I have nothing against the guy but you know how jealousy works. No rhyme or reason, it just rears its ugly head. So as the night went on, the guy left and I started to get dinner ready and the night progressed. Unfortunately, it didn't progress the way I would have liked. I don't think I was very approachable, if that's the correct word for this situation, throughout the night. I stuck and contented myself with cooking and making sure everybody was fed, drinking, and happy. I wanted to talk to this girl but things didn't pan out the way I was hoping they would. I probably didn't make a good enough effort, if any at all. I waited too much. I always wait too much.
As the night continued, we barely talked and this did not sit with me well. I got the feeling that whatever we may have had, if there was anything at all, she was over it and moved on. Unfortunately, I haven't. I have a tendency to be able to move past someone, I think, fairly easily however this girl is something special. So special that I can't seem to get her out of my mind throughout the day. The last time I felt this way was with my last girlfriend. So...
pause
This is a side note that I want to mention quickly before I forget. I just made a little realization about why I am the way I am, at least why I'm as shy, quiet, calm, etc as I am. I just took my parents to the airport and as I was driving, my mom and I were chatting about something and my dad just sat quietly in the passenger seat. That is so me. A few years ago, when my grandmother on my dad's side passed away, during the service my aunts and uncles each stood up and said something. My dad got up and said that he was always the quiet one in the family who was never much of a talker but always a better listener. Again, that is so me. I have always said that I am a great listener. I always listen to people with great interest and I have always felt that I have been blessed with this ability to comprehend both sides of an argument. I think this is why I have always been able to stay calm and understand people when others cannot. I have my father to thank for this.
unpause
... going back to what I was saying. So, I like this girl. I refuse to stop trying because I don't want to look back and see "what could have been" if I had just tried a little harder. Even though, I still do look back and I already see things that I should or shouldn't have done. I may have already messed things up but, hopefully, that doesn't mean that I can't save or make up for things and still work on any potential that may be there. I don't know if anything will ever happen more than friendship with this girl but if something does... =)
_andyjoe
Throughout the day, my mind wandered quite a bit. On Saturday, I invited my friends to come over, including "the girl" that I been thinking about quite a lot lately. She was out with someone else earlier in the day and he came over too for a little bit. Of course, I was absolutely happy to see her but I was also jealous to see him. I have nothing against the guy but you know how jealousy works. No rhyme or reason, it just rears its ugly head. So as the night went on, the guy left and I started to get dinner ready and the night progressed. Unfortunately, it didn't progress the way I would have liked. I don't think I was very approachable, if that's the correct word for this situation, throughout the night. I stuck and contented myself with cooking and making sure everybody was fed, drinking, and happy. I wanted to talk to this girl but things didn't pan out the way I was hoping they would. I probably didn't make a good enough effort, if any at all. I waited too much. I always wait too much.
As the night continued, we barely talked and this did not sit with me well. I got the feeling that whatever we may have had, if there was anything at all, she was over it and moved on. Unfortunately, I haven't. I have a tendency to be able to move past someone, I think, fairly easily however this girl is something special. So special that I can't seem to get her out of my mind throughout the day. The last time I felt this way was with my last girlfriend. So...
pause
This is a side note that I want to mention quickly before I forget. I just made a little realization about why I am the way I am, at least why I'm as shy, quiet, calm, etc as I am. I just took my parents to the airport and as I was driving, my mom and I were chatting about something and my dad just sat quietly in the passenger seat. That is so me. A few years ago, when my grandmother on my dad's side passed away, during the service my aunts and uncles each stood up and said something. My dad got up and said that he was always the quiet one in the family who was never much of a talker but always a better listener. Again, that is so me. I have always said that I am a great listener. I always listen to people with great interest and I have always felt that I have been blessed with this ability to comprehend both sides of an argument. I think this is why I have always been able to stay calm and understand people when others cannot. I have my father to thank for this.
unpause
... going back to what I was saying. So, I like this girl. I refuse to stop trying because I don't want to look back and see "what could have been" if I had just tried a little harder. Even though, I still do look back and I already see things that I should or shouldn't have done. I may have already messed things up but, hopefully, that doesn't mean that I can't save or make up for things and still work on any potential that may be there. I don't know if anything will ever happen more than friendship with this girl but if something does... =)
_andyjoe
Monday, March 14, 2011
Text
Throughout each day, there are moments when I reflect and I think about what has happened so far that day or I wonder about what the rest of the day may bring, or I wonder what could have been and what could be. My life is full of these "what could have been" moments. These moments range from things that involve my education, family, social life, friends, relationships, jobs, food, self, etc. I read a quote today that said "I'd rather look back at my life and say, 'I can't believe I did that!' instead of saying, 'I wish I did that...'". This quote hits home for me, in all aspects of my life. It's because of this reasoning that there are thoughts in my head - but that's another story for another time.
With my education, I wish I finished college and got my degree. Actually even before college, I wish I did better in high school, especially my senior year. Actually during my senior year, I wish I did a better job in ASB. I was vice-president and then president and I will be the first to admit that I did a shitty job. I put my responsibilities second to my girlfriend. Bad move. I know I still have time to go back to school and finish and get my degree but there are many logistical problems that need solutions first for this to happen. I won't go into details but these can get solved, hopefully, fairly quickly if I am serious about going back to school. And there's also the option of culinary school. I know I've mentioned this many times already but it seriously is a legitimate option that I need to seriously consider.
With my job, I have a good steady job. I am making enough to pay rent and put some food on the table. However, I am not happy. The constant thoughts of quitting and doing something else also comes back to my mind time and time again. I am a person that likes to be hands on. I do not enjoy sitting a desk working on a computer throughout the day. I need to be active. This is why I work so many event shifts. During these shifts I am "in the field", if you will. I think this is another reason why I enjoy cooking. With cooking, I am working with my hands, I am in charge, I am physically in control of the outcome of my work. Every day will not be the same. The work will not be same everyday. It will be something new - something that will keep my mind working and processing. Another reason I enjoy cooking is because I enjoy entertaining - being the host. I enjoy making sure that other people are happy and are having a good time and I believe food helps people to have a good time. When people enjoy my food and are a little bit happier because of it, it brightens my day and my mood. To be able to bring some amount of joy to somebody's life is an indescribable feeling.
With my family, I wish I was closer to every single one. This can be changed. I can be closer to each one. I need to make the effort. I will make the effort. With my parents, I will visit them more often and chat a little more on the phone with them. With my brother, I will call him every once in a while and try to go visit and do something with him. With my cousins, I will try to contact them, see how they are doing, and continue to keep in touch so I know what's going on with them. With my aunts and uncles, I will take them up on their offers to go visit and stay with them for a weekend. I do love my family and I would honestly do anything for them. We all have our own lives and staying in touch is always hard but it's always easier when a little effort is put in on both sides.
With my social life and friends, I will try to reconnect with friends I haven't spoken to in a long time and I will make more of an effort to stay in touch. My friends that I am still close with, I still lose connections at times and that pisses me off. I shouldn't do that with my friends. I shouldn't do that with anyone. My friends deserve better. Everybody deserves better. I guess this includes myself.
With my relationships, I will be myself. I will continue to go after what I want to go after. I will not be afraid of rejection and if rejections happens, which I am sure it will happen more often than I will like, I will accept it and take it as a life lesson. It will not deter me from trying to build friendships but it will teach me a little about myself. Earlier I posted "Put yourself out there. What's the worst that can happen?" Rejection is the worst that can happen and that isn't bad. It doesn't mean you are not good enough, it just means that you were not the right person for that person. It doesn't mean a friendship can't develop but probably nothing more and that's still worth it.
With myself, I will be true to myself. I will follow whatever I want to do and I will respect that. I am me.
Moving on...
_andyjoe
With my education, I wish I finished college and got my degree. Actually even before college, I wish I did better in high school, especially my senior year. Actually during my senior year, I wish I did a better job in ASB. I was vice-president and then president and I will be the first to admit that I did a shitty job. I put my responsibilities second to my girlfriend. Bad move. I know I still have time to go back to school and finish and get my degree but there are many logistical problems that need solutions first for this to happen. I won't go into details but these can get solved, hopefully, fairly quickly if I am serious about going back to school. And there's also the option of culinary school. I know I've mentioned this many times already but it seriously is a legitimate option that I need to seriously consider.
With my job, I have a good steady job. I am making enough to pay rent and put some food on the table. However, I am not happy. The constant thoughts of quitting and doing something else also comes back to my mind time and time again. I am a person that likes to be hands on. I do not enjoy sitting a desk working on a computer throughout the day. I need to be active. This is why I work so many event shifts. During these shifts I am "in the field", if you will. I think this is another reason why I enjoy cooking. With cooking, I am working with my hands, I am in charge, I am physically in control of the outcome of my work. Every day will not be the same. The work will not be same everyday. It will be something new - something that will keep my mind working and processing. Another reason I enjoy cooking is because I enjoy entertaining - being the host. I enjoy making sure that other people are happy and are having a good time and I believe food helps people to have a good time. When people enjoy my food and are a little bit happier because of it, it brightens my day and my mood. To be able to bring some amount of joy to somebody's life is an indescribable feeling.
With my family, I wish I was closer to every single one. This can be changed. I can be closer to each one. I need to make the effort. I will make the effort. With my parents, I will visit them more often and chat a little more on the phone with them. With my brother, I will call him every once in a while and try to go visit and do something with him. With my cousins, I will try to contact them, see how they are doing, and continue to keep in touch so I know what's going on with them. With my aunts and uncles, I will take them up on their offers to go visit and stay with them for a weekend. I do love my family and I would honestly do anything for them. We all have our own lives and staying in touch is always hard but it's always easier when a little effort is put in on both sides.
With my social life and friends, I will try to reconnect with friends I haven't spoken to in a long time and I will make more of an effort to stay in touch. My friends that I am still close with, I still lose connections at times and that pisses me off. I shouldn't do that with my friends. I shouldn't do that with anyone. My friends deserve better. Everybody deserves better. I guess this includes myself.
With my relationships, I will be myself. I will continue to go after what I want to go after. I will not be afraid of rejection and if rejections happens, which I am sure it will happen more often than I will like, I will accept it and take it as a life lesson. It will not deter me from trying to build friendships but it will teach me a little about myself. Earlier I posted "Put yourself out there. What's the worst that can happen?" Rejection is the worst that can happen and that isn't bad. It doesn't mean you are not good enough, it just means that you were not the right person for that person. It doesn't mean a friendship can't develop but probably nothing more and that's still worth it.
With myself, I will be true to myself. I will follow whatever I want to do and I will respect that. I am me.
Moving on...
_andyjoe
Monday, March 7, 2011
Friday, March 4, 2011
Ok
So I have failed you all again. I think my goal to write in this blog every day was another one of my dreams that I gave up on. I have a chronic problem where I plan to do this or that and I will start this or that but then fail to complete whatever it is. This is something that I hope to fix in the upcoming months and years. This blog may serve as a medium for me to help fix that problem. If I can keep my promise to this blog, maybe I can finally succeed in something. Moving on...
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