I am back in California after a long long long flight (yes the airline had problems AGAIN). ALAS. SIGH. Back to the mundane every day life of me. I start working fulltime for two weeks tomorrow @ $12.23/hour which is quite nice. This summer by far has been one of the most unique, one of the most fun…and one of the summers that has allowed to \”grow\”.

Many thanks to CHEEZ and TAN TAN for the REALLY REALLY REALLY INTERESTING trip in Minny Soda. And all those that tolerated me for the 6 days.

EDIT: and i also met justine! CAT\’S LUVRGIRL. awwww!! yes, cat she is as WOWY as she is online.

THINGS I LEARNED THIS SUMMER
1. You can go to the airport an hour before departure and have no problems.
2. Southwest is my favorite airline.
3. America West is not.
4. People want to hear what you want to say although they don\’t believe it.
5. To save gas is to save my wallet.
6. I enjoy talking with people more (in person) than doing stuff with them.
7. I also really like to eat.
8. Driving 100 miles a day sucks (gas).
9. HOLY BUCKETS!
10. Flash is not that useful.
11. If you can\’t win, then take advantage of them (for your own purposes, of course).
12. I am sooo uncoordinated.
13. But I can still try new things.
14. And fail miserably even with a smile on my face.
15. Watch where you\’re going down the stairs.
16. People can\’t tell when you\’re crying from pain or crying because you\’re laughing too hard.
17. you did really good
18. California will fall into the ocean…soon.
19. Call people exactly at midnight on their birthday.
20. Don\’t walk through San Francisco alone at night.
21. If there is bound to be traffic on the freeway back home, always find something to do…to wait out the traffic.
22. I know too many people in the San Jose area.
23. Third time isn\’t always the charm.
24. I predict that it will take me 10 years to learn how to water ski just like how long it took me to learn how to ski on snow.
25. I like queen-sized beds.
26. POP not SODA.
27. Mall of America…is large.
28. Matt (Tanner\’s roommate) looks like Brad Pitt. Only better.
29. Little people do fit inside dryers. Naked.
30. I want a new digital camera.
31. I like sleeping on people.
32. Somehow $140 in cash can disappear in less than week.
33. Bugs really like me.
34. So does one particular dog. Slobber slobber!
35. The toilet in someone\’s house always has yellow water…
36. Staying home from my internship means it\’s a boring day.
37. Tanner thinks a Toyota Celica is girly. But Shinelun thinks a Mitsubishi Eclipse is more girlier.
38. I like Cheez\’ \”lazy\” style of speaking.
39. And Tanner\’s Os!
40. I am really popular on AIM. I am…sniff sniff sniff!
41. In Minny Soda, there are more churches than starbucks. And there are probably more guns than churches.
42. I have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar places. Or mostly just sleeping when I don\’t want to be asleep.
43. If I stand in a room long enough while someone is sleeping, that someone will wake up.
44. I get so attached easily…
45. My parents will always think that girls are not supposed to meet guys.
46. My parents won\’t stop me when I really want to do something.
47. I should learn to take more risks.
48. Some people like to be punching bags. NOT TO NAME ANY NAIMS (copyright tanner 2003). *cough*
49. Beer does really make people drunk.
50. I like to hit people.
51. Cheezman is the COOLEST GUY EVER!! Not to mention he gets ALL the ladies and makes me swoon! *blush*

I am in MINNY SODA. My flight is this Saturday at 9 pm and I don\’t wanna leave! (Although I think I may running toward California once winter arrives…) SOBBY.

I spent the last two days…doing \”nothing\”! Actually though, it has been more fun just spending time with the guys…then having to do stuff. Surprisingly, they are as amusing (AND INTERESTING) as they are online. I\’ll probably really miss it when I finally leave. :(

One of the most interesting things of today was when Cheez and Tanner were shocked at my frugalness. We went to the post office to mail off our cd for the the-protagonist cd exchange (sorry so late Nadine!) But once I got there, I realized that I didn\’t have an envelope. That I would have to buy the envelope from the post office. NINETY NINE CENTS. I decided that I had to go next door to the grocery store and dragged Cheez along with me. I found a similar looking envelope for SIXTY NINE CENTS. Happy girl am I. Yes, I spent time just to save 30 precious cents. When Tanner discovered my scheme, he gave me 75 cents to reward me for being so cheap. Awwww…

I called my parents in the morning to tell them that I was okay. The first thing that my dad asks is…ARE YOU COMING HOME EARLY? UGH HOW PARANOID. I told them about my bug bites and they recommended that I go find antihistamine. I did…and about an hour later, I was walking around drowsily. We were walking on the boardwalk and suddenly I couldn\’t take it anymore. And I went to the nearby grass and laid down…just right at the moment that rain started pouring down. I refused to move for several moments. Cheez ran for cover to save his precious hair while Tanner the good boy he is…waited for me in the rain. YEAH!

I got to see Cheez scarf down a huge plate of nachos. I bought his meal despite the fact that he didn\’t lick the plate clean. OH THAT CHEEZ.

I decided to stay at Tanner\’s place tonight rather than Cheez\’ place (cuz you know, share the wealth!) The first thing I noticed was how the toilet was had yellow water. Someone forgot to flush!

THINGS ABOUT MINNY SODA THAT I CANNOT STAND
1. they say POP rather than SODA
2. nobody recycles. paper, plastic, soda cans, glass…get all tossed
3. people leave doors unlocked. cars are left unlocked longer than necessary. people leave their windows down even when they have it parked. people also leave the house doors unlocked.
4. people are all taller than my 5\’4\” frame. In berkeley, it seems like I am the tallest one there is.
5. Conservation isn\’t a big issue here. People leave lights on as if they don\’t care that power is wasted. Water is…too taken for granted.
6. Probably the winter. I am glad that I came during the summer.
7. The lack of asians. Although this isn\’t a big thing, the entire town of Duluth reminds me of Lafayette. No Asians around. I wonder if the first time that a non-white family moved into town…whether it made front page. It did in the Lafayette area.
8. People don\’t eat particularly healthy. I tried to look for a smoothie place (JAMBA JUICE, WHERE ARE YOU), but to no avail. I had to get a smoothie from an ice cream store…where it turned out too sweet. It was good and refreshing nonetheless.
9. People are not into AIM. I wonder how they survive.
10. Why is property out here so inexpensive?! Sobby. My one-bedroom apartment in Berkeley costs $1375 to rent. My parents own a two bedroom one story house and rent it for the lowest price…$1200. HMMPH.

BUT I really <3 the people. Perhaps it\’s because it\’s all the people I met through Cheez and Tanner. Ah those two. THEY BETTER COME TO CALI OR ELSE!

And why is AHHH-NOLD running for governor for the state of California. Go back to the future where you came from!

@ lake today!

My hands are so tired that I can\’t really type. I tried jetskiing, tubing (had a really bad wipeout and as Tanner describes it JENN THE SUPERWOMAN), waterskiing (I never could stand), motorboat, canoing, platoon boat(?), and OMG FRISBEE (yes, tanner tried to teach me that).

But the best ride of all was when I got a pickyback ride on Tanner and later on CHEEZ.

The ceiling of Cheez\’ car dripped water all over my pants, so that it looked like I had an \”accident\”.

I fell down the stairs at Tanner\’s house. Somehow I was laughing so hard that I started crying. Everybody else thought I was in deep pain.

I saw the old high school yearbook. OMG DO THEY LOOK DIFFERENT?!

But to say the least, my first day in Duluth (besides the hours I waited until Cheez woke up…YEAH I WAS HAVING A SOCIAL ANXIETY OMG IT\’S IMPOLITE TO JUMP ON HIM AND SHAKE SHAKE) was great. Very interesting. And more than I had expected. Fortunately, people are usually what they say they are.

HOLY BUCKETS!!! I AM IN MINNY SODA NOW. COVERED WITH DOG SLOBBER.

I have only slept 30 minutes in the last 24 hours.

I also got to drove an Eclipse. YES, DRIVE. Somehow I couldn\’t help but go at 100 mph up the four lane highway. So many trees. So…naturey.

Seth says the whole entire experience is cute. Well, the concept of Cheez and Tanner. But when I mentioned that I saw a copy of Playboy in the bathroom, he said, \”i will no longer pass judgements of cuteness on your den of playboy!\”

And now I present the 26 things for this project. I finished it July 31, 2003 and had all the photos uploaded. But it was only today that I finished the layout, scripting, and captioning. I decided to do without commenting. IS IT REALLY THAT NECESSARY.

highlights from other people\’s 26 things (some you have to copy and paste in address bar):
– water
– time
– light
– home
– authority
– numbers
– signage
– scape
– empty
– color

and some projects:
conn75

My last day of my internship. Surprisingly, I am not as relieved as I am surprisingly remorseful. I miss the fast-paced, pushy environment. And the free lunches. And the long drive each day to the internship at Santa Clara (100 miles+ roundtrip, usually 2.5 hours each day driving down 680 and 880). The hard-to-understand English of the coordinators. The computer with two monitors. The fast internet. And most of all, my fellow interns. As I would sit at my computer, I would rant idly about stuff…and there they would be with a witty comeback. Sniff.

Today I decided that I would get something from the vending machine downstairs. I put in 50 cents (cheap!). I punched in the appropriate code. Then watched the metal thing swirl…then stop. It did not drop. I stood there surprised. and then annoyed. then embarassed as some people walked by me. I kicked the machine, but it wouldn\’t budge. Failure…I left. In other circumstances, I would have found someone to get my money back.

Then they dragged me to a building in Milipitas to begin a cabling project. I can\’t believe that this is what I would do for my last day. Two interns, one coordinator and me spent a good 6 hours measuring ethernet cable. Threading it through the ceilings and down the walls. It was like…dusty. We got Chinese food and boba for lunch. MMMMMM.

Then I had to say goodbye. :(

BUT! In less than 25 hours, I will be on my way to Minny Soda (for a week) to visit Cheez and Tanner! SNIFF!

Funny how one small misunderstanding can lead to dramaah. :p I am sorry.