Cold French Fries.

Until this past summer my dad had commuted 80 miles a day, round trip, every weekday between work and home. It was a dependable routine. Wake up, make coffee, shower, take lunch, start driving, eat breakfast, work for 8 hours (with lunch break), drive home, get home in time for dinner, or dinner and the Lakers (during bball season), pack leftovers for next day's lunch, a little more tv, sleep.

When I was younger, he would sometimes buy his lunch at an eatery near work. It was always the same: fried chicken and french fries. Maybe with vanilla tootsie rolls for a sweet snack. I knew what he ate because he would bring some home of his leftover meal for me and my brothers and I to eat. The french fries were cold but I loved them. Growing up we occasionally went out for fast food, but the majority of the time my mom cooked. And fries were GOOD. (Not actually delicious, but if you are a fry lover who doesn't eat them daily, leftover fries are yum... and please be reminded, memories are constructs.) If Dad came home with a styrofoam to-go box in his hand I knew that I could have a pre-dinner snack of sometimes reheated, often not, french fries. I'm not sure whether he couldn't finish it or whether he knew we'd eat them, but there was always leftovers from his bought lunches.

I ate a couple of cold fries yesterday at work, leftover from the meal I had hours before. It brought be back my memory of those times, when life was simpler and we were all less wasteful. Oh, my nostalgia fries. Granted we were poor, but it didn't matter. Or we didn't notice because my parents worked hard and did an awesome job. I want that. I want sweet (not the flavor, the feeling).

I want simple.

Day 1: My Facebook Hiatus

Yesterday I changed my FB status to read something like "Kim Ta is conducting a test. Going on a FB hiatus for the month of November. Will I become more or less distant from people? If you need to reach me, please call or email."

I realized I had been spending entirely too much time on the social networking site, updating my status, clicking here and there on peoples' links and pictures. It was at least an hour at a time, no less. I had an idea of what my FB friends were up to even though I didn't hear their voices. I'm glad I can find out about things like the passing of an old friend (not a FB friend) via the site. There are awesome events people tell me about. And I get excited to see what clever and fun things people are sharing. But I started feeling like I forgot how to really be in touch with people. What if I started speaking like I was updating my status? What if I lose the meaning of a friendship with the friends I have FB friended? Or with the friends that are NOT my friends on Facebook? That would suck.

Who knows... maybe I'll be more productive and proactive with my time.

So I'll post updates about how this experiment is going from time to time. I wonder what I will me missing. Or gladly not missing from not signing on. OR maybe the point is to stop wondering and pick up the phone.

Possibility Girl

by Andre Jordan

¡Con ganas!

I had an exuberant Spanish 2 professor who, on the first day, wrote CON GANAS on the board. She told us that it was her expectation that we live, learn and participate "Con ganas," which she shouted with as much eagerness as she wanted us to have, fist in the air and all. Life is too short to passively sit back a watch it happen. If you feel like doing something with half of your passion, a portion of your desire, and a fraction of your energy, then WHY DO IT? It was infectious to watch a woman, a few years shy of retirement, bounce around the classroom, encouraging everyone to take life by the horns and ride it. Corny, but I'm all about corny.

Confession: I have not been living well. I have not been writing, creating, reflecting, or really thinking all that hard...and it sucks! I think that's why I'm in a funk. I have been missing the discipline to succeed, the passion to participate, hunger to be the best and the compassion to help.

All right. Enough with the lamentation. Time to get out there and live this wonderful life. Back to the list. Back to my goals. Back on track!

¡CON GANAS!

Cellar door

Speaking of random things to get excited about. This is my latest. Just started poking around, but I really want to know who said it first? Why/how/when did "cellar door" become the most phonaesthetically pleasing word in the English language. And is it more fun to form then, say, the word "hemlock?" Is it the combination of L's and R's that makes it so magical? More on this.

If I was a high school chemistry teacher...

These are some of the jokes I would tell:

On the first day-
Q. Chemistry is about matter and energy. Everything is made of matter. So... What's the matter?

A. EVERYTHING IS THE MATTER.


When learning about nomenclature and naming molecules
Q. Which is the Ugliest Molecule? (some knowledge of another language is required)

A: Iron (II) Oxide. (FeO)


If it wasn't slightly inappropriate, I would wear this when we learn about measuring volume.



I would be the teacher that everyone rolled their eyes at... or something.

Triathlon shopping

HERE WE GO! Going to commit to one or two of these.

Encinitas Triathlon - Encinitas, May 2011 $85
What I like: It is open water, but since it's in the spring, it will give me time to get better at swimming and get a bike.

Pasadena Triathlon - Pasadena, March 2011
What I like: Pool swimming, reverse tri, limited to 600 participants
What I don't like: $85

Race on the Base - Los Alamitos, Feb 2011 $65
What I like: Pool swimming, reverse tri

CSULB Triathlon = Long Beach, Feb 2011?
What I like: Pool swimming, reverse tri
What I don't like: 4 bike loops



Fun races to consider:
Scavenger Dash

Tour de Palm Springs
A training race? Feb 2011