We slowly perused the electronics section at the entrance of the Costco store, and I totally picked up an uber cute children’s outfit! (Not for myself. Well.. if there were an ADULT-sized dragon outfit like the one I saw, then yes, it would have been for me. Along with the dinosaur onesies I always see at the entrance too. Fawk. I want those SO badly!!) We even killed some time looking at some Iron Man mask toy, bikes, tennis rackets, lawn chairs, and yeah, I guess Brent and I are just big kids.

Okay, okay, concentrate. We need to get food. There’s no food at home. We need food. CHICKEN! We have to get those packs of chicken breasts. Heh.. breasts… CONCENTRATE! Chicken!

The Encounter

I send Brent off to pick up a case of beers while I head over to the meat section. What the heck? EMIL!!

“Uhhh, someone’s doing some grocery shopping for their going away party this Saturday!” I scuttle over to Emil and give him a hug. Not a big embrace, just one of those not really meaningful ones. I decide to just keep holding him until one of our partners notices…. Does Brent notice yet? Where’s Maria?

“I’m just gonna keep hugging you.. I think Brent’s coming over… Oh! Here he comes!”

Brent comes over and we do a three person hug. Yes. This is how we roll. Tri-force hug. We added in a little swaying too. Very sentimental. Very emotional.

“Dude, where’s Maria?”

“Oh,” Emil whispers, “she’s back there. Let’s go scare her!” Yes we’re a bunch of kids. And we have grown-up kid friends that we hang out with too.

The three of us, in group huddled form, move beyond a few Costco meat aisles, sneak behind Maria while she’s looking at packs of salmon, and sneak behind her for a “GROUP HUG!” welcome.

“Hey!! It’s you guys!! I saw some people hugging from the corner of my eye and just thought, ‘That’s some Costco lovin!’”

The Shepherd

We go about doing our separate shopping. I grabbed a pack of chicken (cheapest pack, baby! $15!)

Then, Brent and I are in the vegetable/fruit section, gathering berries for our dwelling, and we hear this lady in the distance (in the peanut butter aisle, if that gives you an idea of how far she was). She’s yelling something indistinguishable, really loudly. Sounds like some foreign language. Ignore.

Gathering berries. Berries for our empty cottage. %(*!@#&!$!@#* <-- repeated indistinguishable phrase is yelled out again. What the hell is she saying? She's pushing a cart, and there's this kid following behind her. Okay, she's prolly missing her child and is saying some secret phrase so her kid can find her. But she just walks around and keeps repeating it. She's in the frozen food area now. Ignore.

"Brent, does that mean anything to you? Can you hear what she's saying?"

"They probably want people to leave soon." It seriously sounds 0% like English to me. Ignore. Oh wait... she's coming closer. Lemme get a good hear. Oh. I see. It's a very slurred.

"COS CONOW CLOSE! ..... COS CONOW CLOSE!"

Oh okay fine. I guess she was herding the remaining Costco shoppers. Brent and I split and gather the rest of the items that we needed. We meet at the cashiers, start placing our items on the conveyor belt thingy and Brent notices something about the pack of chicken. And then I notice it too.

"Uhh.. does that look grayish to you?" It was gross. It really did look like a hint of gray. I've had Upside-down Jook but I will not have Gray Chicken. (Clearly, I did not focus very much of my attention on selecting the pack of chicken earlier. A.D.D.)

In the distance, a woman yells, “COS CONOW CLOSE!”

I grab the pack of Gray Chicken and head back to the meat section to swap out for a better pack. Jogging down the main aisle to the back of Costco, I see her. The shepherd.

“COS CONOW CLOSE!”

She sees me heading her way. She looks at me and says, “Costco now close.”

“Oh, I just want to run back and swap this pack of chicken.”

“Costco’s now close.” While I’m confirming in my mind that she’s actually saying “close” and not “closed” she says something else. I really had no idea what she said, but she definitely wasn’t talking to me because she was looking in some other direction… but there was no one else around us? Oh well, screw it, I’m just gonna go get another pack of chicken.

When I try to walk past her and her empty cart (why was she pushing a cart??), she extends her arm across my path and says, “Costco’s now close.”

“Oh, I know,” I respond. “I’m in line to pay for my stuff right now, actually. Can I just run back there and just swap this pack of chicken?”

She shakes her head and responds (I kid you not), “Costco’s now close.”

“Ummmm…………………… okay. Well… can I give you this chicken?”

She nods. I place the Gray Chicken in the cart. Maybe that’s why she had the cart???? *unsolved mysteries*

The Surprise Guest

Brent and I pay for our stuff. No chicken. Oh well, the gods just didn’t want us to get any meat for our house today. We walk out with Emil and Maria and say our byes.

Brent and I start loading our car, all while yelling out “COS’ CONOW CLOSE!” It was pretty amusing, I have to admit. I mean, no hate on her or anything, she’s just doing her job. It was just funny how it was all executed… and that was the only thing she said to me when I asked her questions. Resilient. They hired a good shepherd.

Anyway, loading the car. We’re yelling out “COS’ CONOW CLOSE!” and laughing to ourselves. It’s pretty dark in the parking lot now, and I only saw that a group of people (family, I’m guessing) are walking past us. A young dude says to us, “Hey! Don’t I know you guys from somewhere?”

Thoughts in my mind–all within a millisecond, of course: This guy’s gonna try to rob us? Right now? With two of us? My tongue and lips are beginning to form the words, “No you d–”

“From Elephant and Castle?” he finishes.

Okay, who is this man in the dark… and how does he know our former Embark go-to bar?! Ooohhhh crap! Our favorite server from E&C, Carlo!!

~Another Costco miracle!~

Pretty eventful Costco trip! All within 30-40 minutes too!

… k, It’s getting pretty late for my bed time now. And I’m sure by now… “COS’ CONOW CLOSE!!!”

What LOST Has Done For Me

Yesterday was the end of something that meant a lot to me. On a very personal level, LOST sparked my creativity and imagination for the last six years. It’s fed my inner artist, and inspired the student in me. So many ideas, projects, parties, people I’ve met, and things I’ve learned have come about because of my love for this show and the way it makes me feel. I’ve laughed, despised (Michael!), and cried during the course of this show, falling in love with its characters and twists and turns. It’s something that only the uber loyal hard-core fans seem to all understand amongst each other.

Casual watchers just don’t understand how BIG of a show this is for us. It’s not the show… it’s the EXPERIENCE. After every episode, I rounded up my crew of hard-core LOST fans in an email thread and we would theorize, research, and joke about all the things we’ve all seen. (Janelle, remember when I didn’t wanna get caught reading Lostpedia while working at Embark, and I had you paste all the info about the latest episodes into a .txt file for me to read in Notepad++ so it’d look like I was coding? WINNER.) A COMMUNITY of forums and sites were formed out of pure fanship, as we all searched for answers, shared our thoughts about the island and its mysticism. Did you see that this book was mentioned? Did you know the book is about this and that? The show PUSHED us to a point we didn’t even know we were willing to go! I’ve bonded with new people, became even closer with some of my fellow LOST friends, and I even found love.

One of the first things I ever said to Brent was, “HEY! You watch LOST?!” I saw the Season 1 DVDs sitting on his work office’s desk. The ultimate test: “Are you catching up, or are you lending out your set?” “Heck yeah I’m all caught up!” The only two people that could keep up with my theories and ideas at that point were Batz and my brother Conrad. After a few weeks of watching LOST on tv while chatting with Brent, I knew he was someone that was inspired by LOST too, and he too could also harness that inspiration with a plethora of ideas of what was going on in the show.

Uncontrollable Crying Scene #1: If you weren't on the brink of tearing up during this scene, you have no soul. ... Just sayin. :)

Collective Consciousness and What Matters

But in the end, theories, questions, super complex and thought-out formulas of what was going on with the island’s mysteries, none of those things really mattered. And at the same time, it ALL mattered.

Jack and Desmond debated outside the heart of the island, Desmond stating that none of it mattered, that nothing they do matters because they’ll eventually be at a better place. Jack, on the other hand, was arguing that it ALL mattered.

As Christian Shepherd explained, the church and that “reality”, was a place that they all created so they could all be together again, where they could all remember everything they did together. This hit such a strong chord in me: a place, somewhere beyond space and time, where you and the ones that matter to you most can share a place brought together by… some sort of COLLECTIVE consciousness. A love SO powerful that this place is created for you, your loved ones, the only thing that’s ever really mattered, just to BE together. [Wasn't there a similar movie like that? Where someone magically made all these things come true (subconsciously) because he NEEDED those kinds of scenarios to happen (i.e. flash-sideways events) in order to stay connected and remember those he loved?]

With that in mind, Desmond and Jack were BOTH right. NONE of it mattered because in the end, they would all be together again in a better place. But all if it DID matter because the island is where they all came together and have grown to love each other with all their crazy experiences there.

Whatever Happened Happened

… and everything else is moot.

SO many people I know are asking MORE questions, thirsty due to the lack of answers, and not really grasping what the show was all about. LOST has always been about the characters. Every single episode has been centered around one character and their struggles, hardships, and how they eventually overcome that challenge. The BEAUTY of the show and the reason for its success is mostly because we can RELATE to these characters. All the characters had to deal with some sort of desperate emotion that we’ve all had to deal with at one point of our lives: loneliness, stubbornness, internal struggles of what is right and wrong, trying to figure out the “meaning of it all” is, loss and failure, separation, and love.

I suspect the people that have watched the show for the shallow mysteries, not really caring about the characters (or even just watching the show via the recaps and thus not fully experience the ART that is Jack Bender’s direction and Michael Giacchino’s musical perfection) are the folks that are left unsatisfied with this series finale.

So Let Go, Let Go… Cuz There’s Beauty In the Breakdown

So, let go, let go
Jump in, oh well, what you waiting for?
It’s all right, ’cause there’s beauty in the breakdown
So, let go, let go
Just get in, oh, it’s so amazing here
It’s all right, ’cause there’s beauty in the breakdown

This is one of the biggest messages that I realize now that’s incredibly prevalent in Season 6. I think it’s even a direct message to the shows viewers: are the answers really that important? Would you really be content if we blatantly answered it for you?

That reminds me of a very powerful lesson I learned in Sociology: we’re always searching for the next best thing. For some reason, we’re raised in a culture where we are piled on with options, and we constantly think that there’s something BETTER out there, better than what we already have. (e.g. gadget-fiends that are always the first to buy the brand new tech toy) Our professor would question us: we’re always trying to get the next best thing, but would you know it if you have it? Would you be SATISFIED with what you have? Or would you simply go out and keep looking for something that you think is better?

Have Trust in the Future

Uncontrollable Crying Scene #2: Everything will be okay in the end.

Part of embracing the present is appreciating what you already have, and not worrying about the past nor the future. I think that was LOST’s biggest message. Whatever happened happened, and there’s nothing you can do about it. And at the same time, stop worrying about HOW you’re gonna get to the end—you’ll get there, whether early or late, and the outcome will always be what it will be.

That was an amazing realization for me, and blew my spiritual-self outta this world. I interpreted LOST’s ending to mean that the end will always be the end, but the MEANS to that end can be whatever you choose. I can see that when Hurley says to Sayid, “It’s your choice [if you want to go], but if you stick with me, you’ll be happy you did.” I like that… and it’s something I really couldn’t put into words what I’ve felt too: I DO believe in fate, and I DO believe in freewill. I TRUST that things will always be good in the end. “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay right now, then it’s not the end.”

To Conclude…

One of my interpretations is that the whole show of LOST was a journey through Jack’s experience in learning to let go: of his pride, his father, his need to be a leader. Even in the end, he was so hesitant of remembering everything from the island. But when he let go, he was able to tap into that collective-consciousness place where he was finally able to reunite with the people that mattered most, even the ones he lost long ago.

In order for us to truly appreciate and embrace the present, we need to let go of the past and trust in the future. I found myself feeling extremely content and satisfied with LOST finale because it made me realized that just like in real life, we’ll never have EVERYTHING answered. And it DOESN’T matter to have all the answers.

What matters to me is that I lived the LOST experience. LOST created characters that I fell in love with. It brought together a community of creative, intellectual, and loyal fans that spent hours and YEARS working together to contribute to something awesome! The writers listened to the fans, and it gave back to us in what I think was the BEST way to end the show. LOST has redefined viral marketing, and has pushed the limits of television. It was an excuse for me to plan an all-out September 24 party. And it’s one of the many reasons why I love Brent! (Gushy moment)

Thank you, LOST team, for the six years of artistic excellence, and for inspiring our hearts!

September 22 LOST Party

On a Less Serious Note…

• Some thank yous: Thanks, Lostpedia, for being my weekly drug for the last few years! And thanks, Lost-Media, for being my go-to for any and all LOST screencaps! :D
• Awesome time pow-wowing the finale with Brent and Norvelle—so glad we all loved it and that we were able to talk about it and share our thoughts! A lot of the above ideas are your guys’ too, so thanks for helping us understand it all together!
• I think I finally fell in love with Jack in this final episode (hah)! The picture above where he sacrificed himself for the island to save everyone else, and how he’s sitting there smiling, knowing that he succeeded. He looks SO happy, proud, and satisfied that he was able to complete his task and “do what he was supposed to do.”
• Most excited moment of the night for me:
  

  I knew it!!!

• Uncontrollable Crying Scene #3:
  

  We can go dutch!

• One of my favorite lines of the night:
  

  "You were a real good Number Two." "You were a great Number One."

• I LOVE this image of Jack. He was so at PEACE, and accepted that he was just going to leave the island the same way he came to the island. And the “hello, ‘ol friend” smirk he has as he sees Vincent!! AHHH!! Vinnnceennnttt!! <3 This is about the point where Uncontrollable Crying Scene #4 hit me!
  

  Live together, dont need to die alone! Yay! :D

Bye-bye, LOST.

Thank you for the good times, and see you again soon! <3

——-

UPDATE (5/25/10):
I needed to include this for all my LOST peers!!

.... Is this really what I look like when I'm laughing? I look WHACK!! .... AH WELL! Thanks for this pic, Eugenia!

One of my favorite pastimes is going through my old pics (and I have LOTS), and checking FB profiles of some of my friends I’ve known for a long time. Whenever I do, it makes me realize how incredibly lucky I am to know the people I do. Everyone is SO incredibly unique in their own way! I’m just SO blessed to have a connection with you all! For a lot of my old jr high/high school friends, I just feel like there’s an invisible line between each of us that’ll always be there–we’ll ALWAYS be connected, whether through regular interactions or even just through our memories. I have nothing but positive memories of the good times we’ve shared!

I believe that’s how life should be. I think I know that negative stuff just isn’t worth it to try to remember and that stuff eventually fades away.

Times like this, I feel like I’m the luckiest person alive. I have FABULOUS friends that are so uniquely special that it makes me feel very special too! I have a great family, we’re all healthy and doing well! And I’m just SO lucky to have the best partner in the world–we share, talk, play, eat, live, and GROW so well together! (Did I ever tell you he’s an AWESOME cook? ESTELLA’S. DREAM. COME. TRUE.)

So, thank you for it all! <3 <3 <3 to the world!

“12 Steps to Achieve Happiness”

Need a reminder about how to be happy? I TRULY believe that diligently thinking positive thoughts = healthier and can really make a difference! (Thanks for always reminding me to focus on the positives, Brent!)

This is an article that Yama sent out that I absolutely LOVE! This is from an article on Rowdy Kittens (with my own accents):

“Don’t worry about being like other people. People can smell a poser from a mile away.” ~Gary V, Crush It!

For most of our adult lives we’re supposed to get to work on time, follow the rules set out in college, and generally be good boys and girls. We’re used to watching the clock, giving ourselves away for money and desiring gold stars in school. We’ve become so good at censoring ourselves, we don’t know who we are anymore. And we’re even less likely to ask hard questions about consumer culture, capitalism, history, law, etc.

People feel dissatisfied, depressed and unhappy because they censor their true self. I think this is the result of too much advertising, driving, television and not following our true passions. Folks have bought into messages promoted by advertisers; that you need a big house, a nice car, name brand clothes and the latest techno gadget to be happy.

I think living a simpler and more mindful lifestyle can help people reconnect with who they are. In turn, people discover freedom and happier. Happiness is hard to describe and means different things to different people. I think happiness at it’s core means questioning the status quo and continually rethinking your worldview.

Here are 12 ways to achieve happiness in your life.

1. Don’t act like other people.

Everyone is unique and beautiful. That should make us incredibly happy. Yet, I run into a lot of people who mimic the supposedly “cool kids.” You don’t need to emulate others to find happiness. We are all cool kids with our own interests.

2. Don’t buy your identity.

How many times have you run out to the store and purchased the latest “in-style” shirt? It’s easy to get sucked into consumer culture and what we think is “stylish.” To some extent we can’t avoid being influenced by culture, but we don’t have to buy into the messaging. Constantly questioning your choices will help you figure out your principles and preferences.

3. Cut people some slack.

After 10 years of working with rape and domestic violence victims, I’ve learned a lot about people. And one of the most important lessons I learned is: cut people some slack. You have no idea what kind of trauma people walk around with on a daily basis. If your co-worker is being a punk, then cut that person some slack. There is probably a deeper reason why that individual is in a bad mood or not treating you kindly.

The only person you can change is yourself. Be mindful and don’t snap, bicker or be mean to others. That type of behavior won’t bring you happiness or make the world a better place.

4. Learn how to give.

Giving might look different for everyone. But give all the time you’ve got. Pour yourself into projects and give back to your friends, family and community.

For instance, if you blog, help out your fellow bloggers. Highlight their work, give encouragement and help your blogging buddies improve. If you’re into volunteer work, take it up an extra notch and increase the number of hours you give to an organization every week.

Learning how to give and be grateful for everyday gifts is an essential component to finding yourself and happiness.

5. Spend time in nature.

I’ve seen a few credit card advertisements with people frolicking in green fields. Credit card companies seem to know what brings us happiness and that is spending time outside in nature. However, running up credit card bills won’t give you the time to enjoy green fields or hikes in nature. More than likely, you’ll be stuck in a cubicle, working to pay off your debt.

6. Find meaning and purpose in your life.

Last weekend, I spent some time in Orange County and talked with a few family members about dreams and lifestyle changes. One of my family members has no idea what to do next with her life. This made me incredibly sad. I encouraged her to do some mind-mapping and write down everything she wants to do.

Don’t become a zombie. Finding meaning, purpose and happiness isn’t easy. It’s a journey we all have to figure out, but it is possible if we prioritize happiness in our lives.

Determine the biggest and most important problem you can solve with your skills. And use that gift to find meaning, purpose and happiness in your life. We all have unique skills and gifts. Once you figure out what those gifts are apply them to a problem you care deeply about.

7. Learn to be satisfied with enough.

What is your enough point? How much do you really need to be happy. A number of researchers studying positive psychology have determined that people don’t need much to be happy after their basic needs are met. Happiness is found by expressing our values and connecting with others. Happiness is not for sale at the shopping mall.

8. Meditate and let go.

A RowdyReader left a beautiful comment on my last post about happiness and emphasized the importance of mediation and letting go.

What is interesting about this exploration of “Finding Happiness” (not just on your blog) is that many if not all aspects of the solutions point towards letting go of / removing things rather than adding anything. If this is considered deeply (eg through meditation) then it is possible to discover that happiness is actually already here in all of us. And, as your post points out, many aspects of “modern living” obscure happiness from our day-to-day experiences. We are so heavily conditioned to believe that we aren’t happy and need to look for it somewhere outside of our very self. And so heavily conditioned that happiness is something special – like intense pleasure or stimulation of various kinds – but when happiness is present and we experience it, in some ways it is actually very ordinary, and so kind of hard to describe!

9. It’s okay to ask for help.

If you’re feeling lost or confused, ask for help. Have some tea with a friend or family member you admire ask them “what makes you happy”. Its amazing what we can learn from others in our lives. The internet is full of amazing blogs and people. Connect with those folks and start asking questions about happiness, personal growth and living a simpler lifestyle.

10. Be a lifelong learner.

Rethinking your perspective is a huge part of finding happiness. If we continually latch onto the same worldview, how can we grow and improve our lives? Rethinking requires discussions, reading and communicating with others and allows us to answer new questions that arise. Life is constantly changing. Having the skills to adapt will foster resilience and happiness.

11. Take care of your mental and physical health.

Figuring out who you are and what makes you happy can’t happen if you’re not taking care of your physical and mental health. You only have one body and mind. Consider the consequences of choices that may jeopardize your health.

If you haven’t read my free ebook, Minimalist Health, check it out.

12. Who are you?

Derrick Jensen has written extensively about “the subsumption of the individual” and the “conversion of vibrant human beings into automata.” Jensen’s words and ideas are powerful. I agree with many of his points. Especially, when it comes to following our hearts to manifest who we really are.

To find and cultivate happiness you must ask yourself three questions:

• Who are you?
• What are you going to do with the short life you’ve been given?
• And how will you cultivate happiness in your life?

It’s my hope that these tips will lead you towards the path to happiness.

Like this article? Spread the love and share this article!

Love on! <3

What was the occasion?

Well, the boys just like to drink. But more importantly for ME (heh!), I officially declared a week before to Brent and Norvelle that I was intent on building my tolerance back up. Yes. That’s right. After about three years of not being to handle more than half of a “girly” mixed drink, I wanna get back in on the action! Only some of my friends knew me during the very short time period in college where I actually could hold my own. So, when I passed out on Norvelle’s couch after having 3/4 of a Blue Moon two weeks ago, I don’t blame J for not believing that I ever at any point could take more than 5 shots. I’m a-comin’ back, baby!! (Slowly. Granny pace please.) On that note, thanks for slipping in “Ol Stelly” into the bar hop event name, Brent! This is QUITE the occasion for me!

I can’t recap the bar hop night without mentioning what a whack night the UFC fight was. FIRST of all, Comcast’s server was down or some crap and we couldn’t even watch the first hour of the Pay-per-view event that we already ordered!! (We started to watch MEGA SHARK VS. GIANT SQUID to keep ourselves entertained–10 minutes well-spent, imo thx.) Then… how the eff did the Lightweight belt get passed from BJ Penn to Frankie Edgar?? “50-45!?” is what the guys kept saying. And I won’t even get into the Silva fight. It was the weirdest fight ever for the guys, and it was a great way to deal with it by… bar hopping!

Who attended?

Ben, Sam, Janelle, Eric, Eugenia, J, Greg, Norvelle, Calvin, Brent, and lil ‘Ol Stelly!

What’s the challenge?

5 bars. Have one drink at each stop. You get bonus points for each additional drink you have at one location. That is, at one location, first drink is one point; second drink is two additional points; third drink is three additional points, etc. Person with the most points at the end of the night wins (or loses, depending on how bad it gets)!

Who made it through the hop?

Haaaaaaahhhhh! You will seeeee!!

First Stop: Penelope

http://www.yelp.com/biz/penelope-oakland
Clay St., between 11th and 12th St. (base of the Ask.com building!)

Small bar, which the 11 of us kinda took over. Man and I slip up to the bar and asked our new friend (I looked up his name! It’s Tung!) what we should drink: “Hi. Look, I drink girly drinks. What should I get?” He recommended this suuupppperrr delicious mixed drink that I TOTALLY forgot the name of!

“What’s the occasion,” Tung asks.
“Oh, we’re bar hopping!”
And he said we could have $3 tequila shots for all! (I skipped.) Hurrah!

Hello, from Penelope!

What better way to track our drink/point counts than to mark it on our heads with a pen? The awesome bartender at Penelope even donated a Sharpie to us!

That’s right. Sharpie marks to the head. Were we drunk at this point? Absolutely not. That’s just how we roll.

Second Stop: The Trappist!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-trappist-oakland

Oh, our beloved local jewel that everyone knows about now! No Oakland pub night is fulfilled without going to this Oakland favorite! I have to admit, I don’t even really like beer too much anymore, but Trappists’ beers are alwwaayyss very yummy and so different.

Luckily, we got two tables in the back of the bar! Winner! I join the guys up at the front bar and I admit honestly to the bartender, “Hi! I like girly drinks. What do you recommend?” I got the Oud Beersel Framboise, a sour beer that basically tasted like grape/grapefruit juice! Winnnneerrrr! Might as well rack up the points with something good right? I had two! AND I stayed awake!

I think the fun with the sharpie started happening here.. uhohs. We definitely played, bra straps got undone, there were “boats and hoes,” and some of us even joined the PEN FIFTEEN CLUB!!! ZOMG!

Point count at the end of this venue?
Ben: 6
Norvelle: 9?!
Brent: 6
Me: 4

(No clear forehead indications from these ppl — I’m making these up to make my point-count look awesome:)
Eugenia: 2?
Janelle: 1? 2?
Eric: PEN15
J: 2?
Calvin: BOATS N HOES – 3? 4?
Greg: 2? 3?

Third Stop: Pacific Coast Brewing Company

http://www.yelp.com/biz/pacific-coast-brewing-company-oakland

Okay, first of all, why didn’t we come here earlier so we could get some effin’ FRIES before the kitchen closed?! And second, ERIC! Why did you get us all beers?!?!

Is it safe to say that these beers messed. us. up? I drank maybe a quarter and I didn’t want no mo. We sat there and cradled our beers, whining about how we wanted food (taco truck, Nation’s, Sun Hong Kong, chicken and waffles, anything that came to mind), sang our renditions of Lin Yu Chun’s I Will Always Love You. I’m not really sure what happened to the rest of my beer but I definitely didn’t want it anymore.

People that finished their beers at this point?
Greg
Calvin
J
Eugenia (Brent says Eugenia took the rest of his beer before he could finish it–did she finish Norvelle’s too?)

Monster.

Fourth Stop: Levende East

Fourth Stop: Liege

http://www.yelp.com/biz/liege-spirits-lounge-oakland

Why even try at this point? Wait, did I accidentally tell someone that I wanted a drink? Fuck. Screw it, can we just play in the photo booth in the back instead??

At this point, we were all pretty plastered with the exception of the DDs. We probably walked in there SOOO loud–I mean we’re ALREADY loud as is when we’re sober–with no reservations? Teehee! ^_^; Anyway, the guys got drinks, someone got a Sex-on-the-Beach for me that I didn’t remember asking for and had no intention of even tasting. (Sorry whoever bought that! <3)

No mas! No mas!

Did anyone even drink anything here? Greg did… well… he had like three drinks here… more of this to come. I think Calvin finished his drink here? I don’t anyone else was able to finish their stuff or even had anything here.

But yes… that photo booth! Sooo fun! Thank you to the good man that found out how to retrieve our pics from the hidden slot in the machine!

I think we were all at our wits end at this point. On to FOOD!!

Wrapping Up the Night at Sun Hong Kong (New Gold Medal)

Man, we were SO hungry when we got here. I mean… we WERE right? All I know is the waiter came over and I automatically started ordering:

- Beef chow fun
- Yeurng Jow Fried Rice
- Singaporean Vermicelli Noodles
- Fish/Chicken Jook (SUPER HUGE ORDER–my bad guys! ^_^;;)
- Wonton mein
- The crispy fried noodle dish that someone else said
- And Eric added in the Hoi-nan chicken dish

So we’re all happy la-la-la, eating all our delicious foods and then we notice that Greg’s been in the bathroom for a bit. DUN DUN DUNNNNN Greg had a drink at every venue we went to for the bar hop but *Zoolander-esque David Bowie slap down* DIS-qualified! Very close win!! So.. who actually had a drink at every place? Calvin?? I think so?!??

How did we finish all that food? I mean, when I started eating, I realized I couldn’t really eat much at all. I probably had one sip of the wonton mein soup and like a spoon of the gigantic jook (later to endearingly be named “upside-down jook”), and maybe like two noodles. Ahh well…

In conclusion, I’m very happy to say that we ALL had a SUPER GREAT time at our first Old (Stelly) Bar Hop Challenge! Annnndddd I actually had THREE drinks in one night! In less than a couple of hours! :D I willllll come back! Thanks to Janelle and Greg for all these photos!

Want to see the rest of our ridiculous photos with tallymarks (and other such things) on our heads? Lots more pics here »

Love you all! <3

My hero, Lucille 2. I feel ya... I feel ya. ;_;

Okay, so I thought it would go away when I stopped swimming… it didn’t. At least I’ve deducted it to a couple of things. Decided to keep a log, in case anyone else out there has the same issue?

Vertigo History Log

CASE 1:

First day February 10th or 11th, 2010
Happened the morning after watching Dave Chappelle’s late night stand-up show. (Had like an iddy-biddy sip of Brent’s drink. Possibly a beer.) Got home late, around 2AM. Slept until 8AM. Felt the first rush of vertigo around 7ish when I was sleeping. I turned over and felt the rush of gravity pulling me the opposite direction, head was spinning, room was spinning, head hurt a little, but tried to sleep it off. Slept for a little bit more, but it didn’t go away.

Vertigo dizziness persisted for about four more days. Triggered when I looked up, twisted my head back to look up/back, whenever I leaned down, and laying down in bed and turning over–bad on both sides.

CASE 2:

First day March 23, 2010
Night before, went to Jake Shimabukuro show in SF. (Had iddy-biddy sip of Brent’s drink. Beer maybe?) Got home around 1AM. Slept until 7:30/8ish. Felt dizziness while in bed again. This time, was worse when flipping over to the left side. Worst when leaning down, looking upwards. Went away after two days. Went to see a doctor on the 25th when it was mostly dissipated. But came back on the 26-28th.

CASE 3:

First day April 11, 2010 [CURRENT]
Night before, went out for some bar hopping. Had 1 mixed drink, 2.5 beers. Got home around 2ish. Slept until 9:30. On the 11th, didn’t feel like vertigo but just slight dizziness, probably from drinking–didn’t feel like gravity pulling like usual. Didn’t feel any symptoms when leaning down nor looking up, just a little bit when laying down.

Day 2: definitely felt like vertigo when leaning downwards or backwards about half way thru the day, and laying down too.

[More updates regarding current case in the next couple of days]

My Thoughts and Theories

Could it be from staying out late? It’s the common denominator. I haven’t swam in the last month so I’m pretty sure that is out of the equation now. Could it be my overall sleeping? Am I struggling in my sleep due to breathing, and thus magnified on the nights when I don’t sleep my usual 9 hours?

I’ll be trying Breathe-Right strips tonight to see how I feel tomorrow. Maybe my body’s not used to getting less than 9 hours of sleep? Maybe it’s not used to going out late? I totally don’t know. It just seems a little odd that it keeps happening the nights when I stay out late.

Maybe in Case 3, I didn’t feel it as much the first morning because I slept more. But the weird part is that on that night of the 11th, I slept around 9:30PM and woke up on the 12th around 8AM, about 11 hours of sleep and it still hit me in the afternoon. Not sure… maybe there’s no logic to it. =/

Resources

I’ve done some research to see what I can do to lessen some of the symptoms.

• My doctor suggests taking dramamine or other sea-sickness medicine — I haven’t tried it yet because it makes you drowsy.
• The “Brandt-Daroff Exercises” which can be found on this eHow.com article, and also on this pretty informative article on BPPV.

  Here’s a video of the exercise:

  The latter site mentions:

  These exercises are performed in three sets per day for two weeks. In each set, one performs the maneuver… five times.

  1 repetition = maneuver done to each side in turn (takes 2 minutes)

  Suggested Schedule for Brandt-Daroff exercises
  Time	Exercise	Duration
  Morning	5 repetitions	10 minutes
  Noon	5 repetitions	10 minutes
  Evening	5 repetitions	10 minutes

• I also became the only Facebook Fan of this Page (lol I don’t become a Fan of many things on FB…): Treat Vertigo Now. They seem to provide pretty informative info about vertigo. Seems to be the only FB Page dedicated to medical Vertigo… not like… a rollercoaster or some sorta music group. ;x
• Oh my doctor says they dunno the cause of vertigo, and not sure how/when it happens. Some people have it frequently, some people get it once and never again–hard to predict and say when it happens. As long as you don’t have a fever with it, it sounds like it should be benign. Also, if it happens when you’re just sitting and not moving, that’s no good either.

I’ll keep updating this post whenever I find out more info, or if there’s any updates to my own vertigo situation.

Please share any info you may have or also be experiencing if you have vertigo too! (Am I the only non-granny that has vertigo??? ;_;~~~)

I started swimming this month until my second case of vertigo, which hit this week. Basically, when I turn my head a certain angle, or if I lay down, or look up/down, I feel like I’m being pulled by gravity towards the ground or opposite direction. It’s very very trippy because my body is CONVINCED that gravity is going downward, but I KNOW in my mind that it’s not. So, I gotta fight off the spinning when it comes around.

Do people my age get vertigo? What the heezy??

I’ve been a bit bummed by my body lately and have begun to take some more measures to take better care of it. (Okayyyy I’ll start exercising daily. I can take a hint!) Or… maybe just need to find a better host body =/

Yep, I’ve been MIA for a bit from both my “rl” social world and the e-world as well. It usually takes me a couple of months to adjust to a new job. So… have you missed anything in my life? Nah, not really. I’ve just been working and sleeping for the most part. :)

I know… boring update. Okay okay, I’ll get into details about my latest interests:

Design

I’m loooovvviinnggg my job right now and how the diversity of things I get to do in my role as a designer–ranging from extremely creative work to the creation of an internal wiki. (Yes. I admit it. I very much so enjoy being a wikimaster to ensure that information stays clear and consistent to my preference. Wa ha ha ha! *throwing arms up in triumph*)

Financial Plans and Future Goals

I want a house. I won’t be buying one anytime soon but I’m saving up for one. Hopefully, people will just give me money for no reason to help me reach my goal! ^_^_^_^_^_^_^_^

In the meantime, I’ve been more money conscious–and thank GOD I have a job right now to save up my money! Watching my savings acct grow is definitely fun to watch (I sit there all day watching it jking). I’m glad I’ve been resourceful and frugal over the last years which has helped me save up. I’MMA GET A HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!! *power fist pump!!!!!!!*

Dog

In the last month, I’ve reflected back on some of my earlier life interests to see how I’ve tried to achieve my childhood dreams. Tomboy–check. Artist–check. Dog–wait, what?!

Yes. I’ve always, always, always wanted a dog, probably since the first time I laid eyes on one. I guess I’ve forgotten this because there was just no hope with my parents getting one. In fact, it became kinda routine for me to pop the question regularly, “Can we get a dog?” And with eyes rolling and people scoffing, the responses would range from an immediate “No way” to the Cantonese equivalent of “In your dreams!”

Why the doggy hate? Nah, it’s not that they hate dogs, it’s the practical reasons (go figure, right?). They go traveling a lot, my mom’s an OCD cleaner, and well… they’re just done with taking care of kids. (But… actually… IMO I think they MISS taking care of kids… I digress..)

Anyway, I live with Brent now in a condo that fully allows dogs and pets and all this wonderful happiness and joy! And when I was unemployed, it was the PEERRRFFEECCTT time for me to take care of a dog with allllll my free time! But…. my brother owns this unit. He says no dog.

SAAAADDD FAAAAACCCEEEEEEEEEEEEE GAALOOOOORRRRREEEE

I’ve decided that in order to achieve or at least start working towards one of my long-standing childhood dreams, I will be raising enough money over the years to buy my own house. When this has been accomplished and if I’m still financially sound after paying my life earnings to property tax and all that mumbo jumbo, I WILL GET A DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Call it a lil of a John Locke syndrome–”Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do!!!”

I shall prevail.
I WILL fulfill all my childhood dreams in my lifetime!!

Health and Exercise

Okay, I get it. I should exercise.

I’ve registered for a membership at the YMCA and have been going to the pool at least 3 times a week. I suck at swimming now, but.. oh well. At least I’m trying, right? It feels GREAT to get into the pool again and to regulate my breathing.

Brent and I have been eating healthier in the last few months too, especially because we have deliveries from the Farm Fresh To You program. Basically: fresh (SUPER fresh), organic, local farm from the Napaish area come out here to drop off a box of vegetables and fruit every two weeks. It’s definitely pushed us to cook new things! Plus, it really feels sooo good to eat yummy fresh produce–there’s no comparison in taste! Interested in the FFTY program? Let me know if you want a referral to get a discount!

Okay I actually have to go swimming now. Will continue more later with a follow-up post and pics too X_X

ahhhhh!! big paws!!! my greatest weakness!!!