fix you

I realize that quite often when someone informs me (or I overhear...) of a problem, I start offering solutions. Solutions that make sense to me. And if I never had to deal with the problem or overcame that problem, I would become quite self righteous and basically look down on that person. I think I might need a personality overhaul. Sympathetic (can't make sympathetic without pathetic) aid, not prideful aid.

Oh went to swimming practice today to shoot for yearbook. I really wanted a Michael Phelps shot of someone doing the fly (for the non swim-term savvy, the butterfly stroke), and I got it kind of like half an hour into practice. I kind of made a side comment to the coach that swimming is really difficult to shoot yaddah yaddah and she replied "I can make them do the fly next, if that makes it easier for you." and I was like YEAHH.





















Heavily photoshopped, increased exposure and contrast like crazy to get that coloring.

Michael Phelps sans bong for reference:

new shoes

Well, they came a day early. Thank you FedEx! Doing this post makes me feel like a shoehead, but I really like these shoes.

Arrival. It was like 4:02. I was sitting there doing my English essay when my dad alerts me to the arrival of the package.














Let the unpacking begin. When I finally got the stupid plastic off (without the help of scissors) I found a ton of ads. Be tou gh anyone?














Total shoehead status.














Ta...














Da!














Now 10 minutes of hydration and stretching before I go for a test run. Hopefully the weather will stay beautiful and above 60 degrees, fahrenheit.

run run run run

I went running today after about a week of non-running. Normally when I run all I think about it how tired I am, how sore some parts are, and what I'll do when I get back. Today was sort of different. I kind of let my imagination station run free. I ran to penitencia and back, which according to maps.google.com is about 1.6 miles. Once I hit white/piedmont road I just started daydreaming. A lot of things I don't remember ran through my head, a lot of farfetched wishes I would suppose. It was incredibly enjoyable. Maybe again tomorrow.

In other news, I found out that the Nike Zoom Victory running shoes I wanted were on sale. I ordered them online wednesdayish during break and they finally shipped over the weekend. FedEx says they'll be here by thursday. $99.99 on sale for $79.99 with $15 off for President's day minus $40 from a giftcard with $6.99 shipping and CA tax brings it out to about $34.62. Awesome deal.

Here are the kicks I've been running in since sophomore year. $10 at big 5 courtesy of my asian dad. Incredible that it lasted this long.

RAW format is too big for blogger, so:
Nikon D100 with Sigma EX DG 24mm-70mm lenses
1/60 at F/3.2 with flash (Nikon Speedlight SB-800)

behind

Monday, the first day back at school after exactly 9 days of blissful schoolessness. 5 weeks until spring break. 5 weeks until college apps.

H2O

The forecast is rain for the next few days. I really dislike rain, but it is so needed. California is way below rainfall.

Resolution: 5 minute showers until summer.

Sometimes when I shower for really long I start to think about all the water I'm wasting just to be comfortable for those 15 to 20 minutes. I start remembering all the National Geographic specials on how people in Africa have to walk 5 miles a day just to get water to drink.

Now I wonder, how is cutting my shower by 10 minutes gonna help people in Africa when the water I save is just sent down a canal to socal so some hollywood millionaire can take hour long baths?

10 days

10 days away from blogging. 10 days spent away from internet society. Time well spent. Tahoe was awesome. Pictures? Hit up google. Every single picture of Tahoe has been taken. Pictures can not convey experiences, only that 1/60 f/5.6 that it represents. Maybe I'll realize better in the future and share.

While we were there, it snowed like crazy. I heard back in the bay it was raining away. Tahoe was like all the christmas specials. Beautiful carpet of snow. You could see the actual snow flakes falling. Weatherman said 21 degrees, fahrenheit. I didn't bring any snow clothes however. Shoes: authentics and rainbows. Jackets: AA and some fox jacket. Pants? Jeans and a pair of bball shorts. No gloves either, but I still managed to have fun.

12 hour ride back was ridiculously ridiculous. 12 hour ride. 12 hours talking. 12 hours of snow. 12 hours of random games. 12 hours of sleep. Weeks passed in that bus.

Don't let oppurtunities be wasted.

sue she

Life from the eyes of a sushi going around and around the sushi conveyor belt. Sad sushi.

The music is very saddening. But sushi is awesome. They should've stuck it in a piece of sushi and let people eat it to see how the life of sushi really is.

deny

Well the family went to denny's today to celebrate the padre's bday. It was kind of a formality thing since we normally go to a real sit down restaurant, but this year was different. My mom took a bunch of pictures, but I'm too lazy to get at them. We went at six, and everyone except my mom was starving. My dad got a philly cheese steak with seasoned fries. I got breakfast, a heartland scramble, and my sister got shrimp skewer. My mom got a zesty nachos appetizer for all to share. That thing was oily as hell. The pancakes were awesome. The eggs and bacon weren't so great. The hash browns however, tasted awesome. They looked just like the pictures too.

Well, Radiohead (or only Thom and Johnny) and the USC marching band did 15 step at the grammy awards. It was pretty damn good.

CLICKETYCLICKCLICK

Sucks that the rest of the band didn't want to or couldn't make it over. Would've rocked even more. Coldplay won like twenty grammy awards for viva la vida (album and song). They did it live, then the song was played every single time they were nominated. It got really really annoying. It's like if you watched the trippy apple commercial with them in it over and over and over again. Kanye was pretty cool. He did American Boy with Estelle, wasn't that great, and there was a crazy TI/Kanye/Lil Wayne/Jay-Z rap that went a long with MIA and that pineapple express song.

Anyways, youtube recommended this for me and I clicked it, and now I feel sick when I think and probably when I see chipotle. Damn you youtube.

So, I heard Radiohead is playing at the grammies with the USC marching band. 15 step. I am so watching. Maybe I'll find it on youtube and link it here later after the show. BTW, Lakers kicked the Cavs in the nuts. 6-0 streak anyone?

Today was an off day. School was off due to the normal schedule. The whole week had been like 3 hours of school, then comes Friday with like 7 hours of school. I was really tired from lack of sleep. Right after crappy school I headed over to Cupertino to pick up some friends and go watch them do battle of the bands at MV. Everyone had like a full band, and everyone SUCKED except like 3 of the bands. The only bands that did good were (coincidentally) the bands that did NOT do that crazy death metal shit. The band that won number 1, Stifled, had like 3 electric guitarists, a bassists, a keyboardist, a drummist, and a singist. They were oddly the most coordinated band, even though the vocals sucked. Second was some band I missed cuz I went to the bball game vs. Santa Teresa or something. Third was pals Silas and Jacob, who did the only session with only two acoustic guitars and vocals. Vocals were bomb. They covered Filled With Your Glory by Starfield and Oppurtunities by Pete Murray. I took a video, but it was with someone else's camera and I think it'll be up on the tube of you soon, so maybe I'll link it. During the voting session a band that didn't play before came up and did a French love song, some radio song, and Lucky by Jason M-razz. The chick (Kat I think) had the most amazing voice ever. Too bad they messed up her mike at the beginning and the dude vocals just couldn't match it. She needs to American Idol it.

In other news, I headed to tartini's (froyo) afterwards and ate some good ass froyo. Mango tart anyone? I finally got a stamp card full, with the help of like 6 people on like 3 trips. Next time my yogurt will be free.

I bought tickets with some friends to see Wicked at the Orpheum theater in SF in June, right after grad. Too bad Idena Menzel and the other chick stopped touring. They are crazy good singers. Looking forward to it.

lookslikesomethingshotoutofatvscreenbang

RENEGADE of FNUK (9:33:28 PM): dear phil

RENEGADE of FNUK (9:33:29 PM): blog more

RENEGADE of FNUK (9:33:31 PM): nothing to read

RENEGADE of FNUK (9:33:32 PM): signed

philp philp (9:33:33 PM): ....

RENEGADE of FNUK (9:33:33 PM): auzz

Only for you, Audrey. Color accents are fun.

Well, I'm in a selfish mood right now, so I'm gonna list the things I've been thinking about getting but will probably not get until summer. I wish I were more thankful for the things I already have. Maybe some other blog post.

iPod shuffle (or the like)
Ever since I put my first gen nano in the wash 3 years ago, I haven't had a portable music player. I miss running with music. Now all I hear are my raspy, wet breaths, my heart complaining, and my mind wandering aimlessly. Since I'll probably end up smashing it, I'm thinking of picking up a refurbed one from the Apple store for like $40. Then I need running headphones, which are like $30.

Oakley Gascans (or maybe something cheaper but just as good looking)
Ever since I started driving I wanted/needed sunglasses. The sun, ever so warming and wonderful, is annoying/dangerous as hell when I'm driving. Anyone got $90 to spare?

Macbook (or something cheaper so the parents won't take such a big hit)
After going all over the place to study for comp sci without a laptop I felt that I needed one. But I don't really, so I'm perfectly fine waiting for one later in summer before I ship off to college (hope that I get in...). $1800 anyone?

Over and out.
Philp

****

Fight club was a genius movie. I still love it. Never gets old. It seems scary as fuck to be schizophrenic.

supabowl

Steelers won today. Santonio Holmes with the winning touchdown catch with like 39 seconds left on the clock. Beast of a game. Superbowl party was fun. Ate way too much New York steak and WAY too many oreos. Yummmm plus I drank soda, which I haven't since like summer. Bummer. Good part was I unknowingly drank diet for like half the time. No wonder it tasted so funky.

This year, there weren't many good superbowl commercials. Last year was awesome. The only good one was the LMAO(zedong) one.