Updates

I just received this really weird comment on my last blog, and I'm not even sure anyone even checks this anymore, because we're all on myspace or facebook now (except for Jen, who only wants to read blogs on blogspot -- sorry Jen). I actually forgot about my last post, and just reading it again and seeing what I had to say last year kind of makes me disgusted. I'm tempted to delete it, but I'm not, because it's a part of who I am and what I experienced, so that makes it valid.

For anyone who still reads this (and is not a member of the aforesaid online communities where I now post), or if you're just a random user who thinks I'm depressed and suicidal, rest assured, I'm not. HAHA. Although my last post was negative, I've barely had time to write every good thing that has happened since. If we're friends, check my other sites. If we're not, which sometimes happens, please, no calling social services, because the crisis is over.

I thought that it was going to take me a long time to get over my last relationship, but surprisingly and unexpectedly, it didn't! Well, that's a hard statement to qualify, as I'm sure I'll have my little moments of remembrance and annoyance here and there for a little while longer (since it was such a dominant aspect of my life for so long). However, life has been good.

Work has been fun. I love my kids, and I'm getting a good line next year (in theory). All's well at college, and I'm even presenting a conference paper later on in the semester, which is exciting. I've lost 20 pounds and consider myself relatively healthy (for once) -- HAHA! I'm actually heavily involved in muay thai, and am being innundated with interest from my trainers, and even the center's owner, in potentially fighting or teaching in the future. Who knew I would be so good at fighting?? Well, verbal sparring maybe, but hand-to-hand combat?! It's very exciting, and I love it more than almost anything I've ever done!

What else? I'm going to study abroad in Ireland over the summer, potentially visiting Spain, visiting friends in Boston, and probably going up to SF (finally!). I spent the day at Disneyland yesterday, which was fun too!

And?? Drumroll please? I'm hanging out with SUPER hot, educated, funny, interesting, and ambitious men. I didn't think they were out there, especially after my last experience, but they are, so ladies, don't despair. It is possible. AND, since becoming single, I've apparently become funnier, sexier, smarter, and all around just more fabulous than ever (although who knew that was even possible?). :]

Well, I guess that's it for now, seeing as I have a bunch of stuff to do, but I'll end on a quote that a friend of mine had written on her board, and which is highly highly relevant to my life: "We must be willing to get rid of the life we planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." -- Joseph Campbell. And believe me, nothing I could have planned, and nothing I had, is better than what I have right now and what is proving to come in the future. :]

Working it on my own...

Wow. I haven't written anything in over a year. I guess it's about time to start again. However, instead of detailing my life and my relationship, I'll ramble on and on about my breakup and how the heck I'm managing (or not).

Okay, so today was one of the first nights I've been out without Diego. I went to one of our/my favorite spots: Cinespace. The Bourne Ultimatum was playing, and I really wanted to see that, but never got around to it. Part of the reason was that Diego was always "working." The movie was good, but the food wasn't too hot tonight. At least the service was on, except for the fact that our waitress forgot to put in the order for my souffle. But then again, I didn't really need the extra calories.

We stayed for the club, which was fun, but awkward. I haven't been clubbing without Diego for a really long time, and I'm almost freaked out about dancing by myself. With him, I always had a partner. Tonight, I felt really alone and kind of like a loser. Isn't that sad? I shouldn't need a man to dance with so that I can have fun. Unfortunately, that was the case this evening. I just felt weird and out of place.

Earlier this evening, on the way to picking up Alex, we drove by school, and I saw Diego outside his car. That was interesting. I haven't seen him in about three weeks. That's the longest I've gone without seeing him in four years, except for the three weeks I spent in the UK last summer, and I think that might actually have only been two and a half. So yes, this is the longest period of time that we've been apart. Wow. I'm really going to have to get used to being independent and without him. I feel a bit lost.

I know this sounds lame and naive, but I really don't know how I'm going to get through this or how I'm going to do this in general. I think about him everywhere I go, even if I don't go anywhere. It's ridiculous. I was thinking about him in the car, during dinner, throughout the movie, while waiting for the club, while dancing, on the way home, and now at home. I feel like a crazy person.

Signing

I got up this morning to go to Sunday School, but Diego was still sleeping. He worked last night and didn't get home (well, here, to be exact) until 2am.

I was going to go back to bed, but I thought I'd turn the tv on for a little bit, just to see what was on. Nothing was on, but on PBS there was a show called "Signing Time." This was like the best show ever.

I actually LEARNED (for now anyways) how to "say" or sign: rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, strawberry, pear, grapes, watermelon, peach, vegetables, potato, lettuce, carrot, corn, beans, walk, run, sit, swing, dance, jump, sing, and swim.

TA DAAAAAAAAAAA~!! I am amazing. I learned all of these from a 20 minutes show. I'm so happy. I want to show people what I learned. My pastor's wife knows sign language, and our church has a deaf ministry. I want to go show her right now. I may have missed Sunday School, but at least I learned something valuable and interesting. I just hope I can remember these things tomorrow and so on.

I actually feel like teaching these to my students. It's something they can learn easily and share with others right away. There are so many things that they learn that they can't really show. Like how to write a paragraph. They never get that. Or uninteresting facts from class. Who wants to talk about these things with your friends?

I am surprisingly excited about the signs I learned. And I want to share it with others. I wonder if my students would like to learn these as well. They could go out and share with their friends, because it's kind of interesting and fun. It makes me want to learn more, which is a rare feeling with the kids at my school. I want them to feel that more often.

Rear Ended!!

Yesterday I was driving to work when someone rear ended me. He hit my car really hard, and the whole bumper (minimum) has to be replaced. I was naive and didn't look at his information. We just wrote our own for each other. Now, he won't answer the number he gave me, and his policy number is apparently bogus. I need to be smarter when it comes to things like this. He was so nice, and I thought I could trust him. Now I don't know what to do about my insurance.

I didn't go to work today either, because my head hurts and I'm not feeling well. I also banged up my right hand/wrist and knee. :[ I'm sad.

Instead, I decided to finally update my blog. For the last five hours, I've put in blogs (mostly pictures) all the way back to September until the present. I hope someone still reads my blog, especially since I haven't touched it in ages.



Punctured bumper



Impaled bumper


Poor, poor car


My poor bumper

Diego's 26th Birthday!

Today was Diego's birthday. I got him some ipod nano skins, a comic book, and some money (which is always good). In the evening, we met up with our parents and family and went to this restaurant called Gloria's for dinner.



"Hecho in Mexico"
Hola! Como estas?! Hoy esta mi cumpleanos! Feliz cumpleanos a mi....

Things got a little bit out of hand, because his birthday landed on a weekday, so we got him a strawberry cheesecake from Costco. I had always wanted to try it, but I warn you: don't. It wasn't very good. :[ It tasted very salty and cheesy, and they ended up throwing the rest of it away the next day. I love Costco, but they screwed up on this one.



Watch out!! All those candles make it really hot!!



Diego with his cheesecake birthday cake

Both Diego and my mom had molcajetes. I had my first one last year on his parents' anniversary. It's a combination of meats (my mom's had shrimp in it) along with cactus, cheese and onions all served in a really hot stone bowl of spicy tomato sauce. Diego's bowl was bubbling until we left the restaurant! Wow! :]



Diego and his molcajete



My mom with her first molcajete



Me and Diego yet again.

Easy Rider's Bike Show

Today we went to the Easy Rider's bike show at the Pomona Fairplex. We went with Diego's sister Cristina and their friend Allen.

It was a long drive out there, and tickets were expensive!! They were $16! And that doesn't include parking. I thought the show would have been bigger than it was, but it was still okay. I'm not a huge bike fan myself, but I saw some that I would buy if I had the extra money. :]

Diego loved it. They even had some sort of machine out back that allowed bikes to race. The one that clocked the highest speed would win. That was really loud. I think I lost about 2% of my hearing and inhaled a few pounds worth of pollution.

Diego and I got into another fight, unfortunately, so the whole day wasn't as good as it could have been. Regardless, we ate kettle corn on the way out and stopped by Pick Up Stix on the way back. I had never been there before, and I thought it was pretty good.



Old bike



Interesting bike



Skull bike



Skull



Another bike



Diego and some bike guy



Allen's favorite



Big bike



Flaming bike



Green bike



Ugly bike



One that I would ride...



Grey bike



One of my favorites



Blue bike



Bike bike bike