I had jury duty today, which I was not supposed to have.
1. I am \”not\” a resident of California. I am registered to vote in Pennsylvania.
2. The hearing wouldn\’t end before I had to leave.

But fortunately, they said I didn\’t have to go in. Instead of going to help my parents\’ insurance agent with data entry, I went with my mom to shop. Then I FINALLY went to Citizen Cake with Jeff. And pho. And an \”adventure\” to a sign in Oakland. I also got lost in Oakland again. Note to self: maybe I should really carry maps in the car.

Thanks to a google search for \”Ashlee Simpson booing Orange Bowl\”, I have been getting many hits in the last few days. Even though I didn\’t watch the game and thankfully not even the halftime show.

I went to Berkeley today to pick up my diploma. Groundskeepers were trimming the trees in the recently renovated Sproul Plaza. People milled about on Bancroft. And two punk kids had their Why lie? It\’s for pot. cardboard signs near Dwight and Telegraph. Nothing really changed. The city stays almost the same, but it endures a change of people every year. Bright-eyed kids who are afraid of stepping out on the street because they hear a rumor that you do get mugged at gunpoint. (Despite all my late night walks through the campus, I have never had any incidents. Not even close calls.)

Steve\’s Korean BBQ. I had intended to go there the other day, but it was closed for the night. It was a place of…mixed memories. Like the time I went there for a friend\’s birthday, but I was struggling with my own demons and bawled almost openly there. I met someone there that night…that was the start of an unpredictable up-and-down rollercoaster ride that summer. And then that same year, Alex and I ate there…and that\’s where he asked me as he ate his bbq pork plate whether I wanted to break up with him. I smiled and sheepishly said that I wasn\’t sure if things worked out. And a few minutes later, our awkwardness disappeared and we talked like friends again. Then I had my 21st birthday there after my last final with Japanese cheesecakes with several friends (Karen, of course). And with someone who influenced my entire upcoming summer. Steve\’s.

And then there were the things at Kip\’s and Blake\’s. Then the times at Fat Slice and Blondie\’s. Of course, Cafe Durant. And Sweetheart Cafe. And Top Dog and Bongo Burger. And La Burrita. Northside La Val\’s. Nann \’N Curry. Gypsy\’s. Thai Basil. Japanese Snacks. Cafe Milano. Sufficient Grounds. All still there but with other people.

24 and other dvds (along with all my mindless watching tv) has made my mind a little slow. Hey, what happened to my more witty posts? It\’s no wonder that they say tv is bad for your health. Then again, did I ever have witty comebacks or was that just my imagination when I was watching a well-scripted, contrived plot of a man talking on the small screen?

I admit it. I am a braggart and a show off. A few months ago, I added someone who I hadn\’t spoken to for awhile on facebook. Not to just increase my popularity, but to shamelessly promote that I was now in Carnegie Mellon. Four years ago, CMU was the idea of a technologically advanced school. Wireless internet dripping at your fingertips. Ok, enough of the self-centered ego trip.

I went on a donut hunt yesterday night with Jeff. We drove like rabid psychotic teenagers on a country road in the hills. Ok, we didn\’t due to my safety-first nature. And also because I couldn\’t figure out how to turn off the headlights in my 2004 Corolla.

Yesterday I finished 24. And so after gulping over 24 hours of episodes in a 4 day period, it is interesting how so many of us are so self-absorbed in our lives. Our only next destination is tomorrow. Getting to an appointment on time. Paying bills. Buying groceries. Little things like that seem so miniscule to the bigger picture. But ultimately, for some, it\’s a method of self-perservation. We don\’t want to be overwhelmed by grief, the endless anxiety, and our reasons for being in the universe.

More than four years ago, having a .nu domain was so cool. It was your sign of being in the in-crowd. Then hey what happened? Fortunately, I deliberated over what domain to get for more than 2+ years. And I didn\’t end up with a .nu domain. Although I am still wondering if I would have liked my initial idea of youthinkyou.nu

Right now, my sister just fed me a truffle through the phone.

One of the hardest things to do with people is coordinate. And follow through.

In the past four years, I have learned what flaking really means. Why does that happen so often? Is it because people don\’t want to do something? And why don\’t they just say so upfront?

happy new year! :D

This year, I went to a friend\’s house (thanks jeff for hosting!) after driving through 40 minutes of rain and taking the wrong turn onto Mission. Apparently, this isn\’t the first time I have gotten lost in Fremont/Union City by taking the wrong turn on Mission. I seem to recall a frusturating hour driving around Fremont almost three years ago trying to figure out whether we were on the 680 side or the 880 side. Fortunately this isn\’t the east coast.

My sister and I forgot the Hershey\’s kisses this year. But it was ok. It was ok.

My memories of 2004 ranged from the bizarre to the expected. I got into grad school. I graduated. I met a random stranger in Pittsburgh late at night. I let a \”friend\” (I met online) from Minnesota visit me. I let my emotions get ahead of me in one big decision. I lost touch with one of my best friends. And I also made some new ones while mending some broken ones. And I still have yet to drink.

I went to Vegas and I got was…a stomach flu. :( But I am back!

So things that went down:

Warriors won. And you never thought that would happen!

I leave for vegas in just a little over 4 hours…

What is Christmas? Why do we celebrate it when its roots are Christian? At heart, it\’s a way of spreading joy to the world. But the major question is why do we need a holiday for this very purpose?

And to send text msgs to all cellphones. To spit ims to people you rarely talk to (but you\’re on good terms with). A short msg of xmas joy. These are quick exchanges of greetings, but no more than that.

Yesterday I toyed with the idea of amending my \”burned bridges\”. A way to spread \”Christmas\” spirit. Easy enough to plan, right? But as I thought about it, as I thought of actually doing it…I don\’t know if it\’s quite a gift. To rescind words that I always hold to be true. Or perhaps to offer an apology is the best gift that anybody can receive.

Still watching too many dvds. :) Have been seeing a lot of people that I haven\’t seen for months and years. Today I saw someone I will see too often in Pittsburgh. *cough*