http://www.flavor-online.com/pdfs/FTM2011_Robertiello.pdf

From the title, it would seem as if beer and wine in mixed drinks are equally new to the scene; what the article goes on to say is that, while beer has been making appearances in mixed drinks for a little while now, wine is “playing catch-up.”

We do tend to think of beer and wine as drinks that are meant to stand by themselves, and part of that, as the article states, is how they are advertised. Neither of them – especially not wine – are advocated as potential components of mixed drinks by their creators. Apparently, however, last summer there was a program entitled, “Rioja Pour Genius,” which encouraged bartenders to come up with mixed drinks using white, red, or rose Rioja.

One advantage suggested concerning wine in mixed drinks is the potential for attracting customers who already know a little about the wine. When they see a mixed drink which contains a wine that they are already familiar with, it opens up a very favorable opportunity for them to go a little out of their comfort zone, based on something they already like.

Sweeter wines with softer tannins seem to be a little ‘easier’ to mix, and some caution against using oaked whites save with very strong spirits such as bourbon.

Another advantage to using wine and beer in mixed drinks is the generally lower alcohol content, allowing customers to “safely” consume more.

I’m going to have to try some of these combinations at home! Vanilla ice cream with Lindemans Framboise and Double-Chocolate Stout…

And in my head starts playing Dashboard Confessional’s So Long…

And he replied: ‘Return to your science,
which has it that, in measure of a thing’s perfection,
it feels both more of pleasure and of pain.

‘Although these accursed people
will never come to true perfection,
they will be nearer it than they are now.’

From Dante’s Inferno, Canto VI, 103 – 111, the Hollanders’ note being, ‘Thoroughly in accord with the penal code of hell, this “improvement” in the condition of the damned will only result in their ability to feel more pain.’

“Do you know, Mrs.Blythe”– Bruce dropped to a “whispery” tone, edging a little nearer to Anne– “what I would like to do to the Kaiser if I could?”

“What would you like to do, laddie?”

“Norman Reese said in school today that he would like to tie the Kaiser to a tree and set cross dogs to worrying him,” said Bruce gravely. “And Emily Flagg said she would like to put him in a cage and poke sharp things into him. And they all said things like that. But Mrs. Blythe”– Bruce took a little square paw out of his pocket and put it earnestly on Anne’s knee– “I would like to turn the Kaiser into a good man – a very good man – all at once if I could. That is what I would do. Don’t you think, Mrs. Blythe, that would be the very worstest punishment of all?”

“Bless the child,” said Susan,” how do you make out that would be any kind of a punishment for that wicked fiend?”

“Don’t you see,” said Bruce, looking levelly at Susan, out of his blackly-blue eyes,” if he was turned into a good man he would understand how dreadful the things he has done are and he would feel so terrible about it that he would be more unhappy and miserable than he could ever be in any other way. He would feel just awful – and he would go on feeling like that forever. Yes”– Bruce clenched his hands and nodded his head emphatically, “yes I would make the Kaiser a good man – that is what I would do – it would serve him ‘zactly right.”

From L. M. Montgomery’s Rilla of Ingleside, such though-provoking wisdom from little Bruce’s mouth. And finally, from J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:

‘It warns in this book how unstable you make the rest of your soul by ripping it, and that’s just by making one Horcrux!’

Harry remembered what Dumbledore had said, about Voldemort moving beyond ‘usual evil’. 

‘Isn’t there any way of putting yourself back together?’ Ron asked.

‘Yes,’ said Hermione, with a hollow smile, ‘but ti would be excruciatingly painful.’

‘Why? How do you do it?’ asked Harry.

‘ Remorse,’ said Hermione. ‘You’ve got to really feel what you’ve done. There’s a footnote. Apparently the pain of it can destroy you.’

If I could locate it, this post would also contain an excerpt from a letter I received sometime last year from an exceptional young man who is very strongly attracted to the priesthood. He was speaking of sins being reduced, how they’re not regarded in the proper gravity, how the ‘smallest’ venial sin is still a separation from God and if regarded in that proper light, ought to be enough to bring tears to one’s eyes.

It has never occurred to me to think ‘perfection’ and ‘hell’ in the same sentence. Heaven being perpetual unity with God, purgatory being the cleansing and purification necessary to enter into the state which heaven is by nature; what of perfection in hell? Perfection is unattainable for the eternally damned, the eternally separated from God, but through their suffering, they are still moved towards it, and as they, in a sense, become more good, become more aware of the weight of their sins, their suffering becomes more intense.

By that logic, a measure of how much better we may be becoming is how aware we are becoming of our sins, and how much sorrow it brings us, enabling truer repentance.

From Bad Catholic’s post, Y’all Suck At Sinning:

But is this not what Satan would want? Is this not the ultimate victory of the one who hates us? Real hatred against you wouldn’t have you sinning happily. Real hatred would have you sinning awfully, bored with your very sin, addicted to shallow things, unable to taste even illicit happiness, much less real joy, sinning out of commitment, spending long nights justifying your actions, burning your bridges to wholeness, forgiveness and peace.

From In Conversation with God, not entirely sure which volume, but which I typed out in a previous post:

For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life?

Jesus’ question forces us to take a radical look at the broad horizon of our life to which only God gives ultimate meaning. [...]

The saints were men and women with a great desire to belong to God completely, despite their defects.

We could each ask ourselves: have I a true desire to be a saint?

The answer would most assuredly be in the affirmative: yes.

But our reply should not be as to a theoretical question, because for some holiness is unattainable, something to do with ascetical theology — but not a real goal for them, a living reality.

We want to make it happen with the help of God’s grace. [...]

We must start by making the desire for holiness flourish in our own soul, telling Our Lord: ‘I want to be a saint’; or at least ‘When I experience my softness and weakness, I want to want to be a saint’.

To banish doubt and make holiness more than an empty word let us turn and look at Christ:

The Lord Jesus, divine teacher and model of all perfection, preached holiness of life (of which he is author and maker) to each and every one of his disciples without distinction:

‘You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ (Matt 5:48)

He has taken the initiative.

If He had not, the possibility of being a saint would never have occurred to us.

Jesus puts it to us as a command: be perfect!, and so it is not surprising that the Church makes sure her children hear the following resounding words:

Therefore all the faithful are invited and obliged to holiness and the perfection of their own state of life.

Consider then how vehement our desire for holiness has to be!

In Holy Scripture the prophet Daniel is called vir desideriorum, a man of desires.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were all worthy of such a title! [...]

Allow your soul to be consumed by desires — desires for loving, for forgetting yourself, for sanctity, for Heaven.

Do not stop to wonder whether the time will come for seeing them accomplished, as some pseudo-adviser might suggest.

Make them more fervent each day, for the Holy Spirit says that he is pleased with men of desires. [...]

You tell me, yes, you want to. Very good: but do you want as a miser longs for gold, as a mother loves her child, as a worldling craves for honours, or as a wretched sensualist seeks his pleasure?

No?

Then, you don’t want to!

What I find so interesting about this particular meditation is the point it makes at the end. So many people desire what is evil… for different reasons; for some, it may be a conscious desire for evil, but more often than not, it’s simply that they don’t know any better. Their consciences haven’t been correctly formed… [...] … right? But how sad it is, then, when the ones who desires evil do everything they can to get at it, and yet we who aspire to desire only what is good are not ready or willing to do everything it takes to get at that good on the same level as the person who does everything they can to get at the evil?

Things to mull over…

In my last work post, I said we’d either end up hating each other or come out stronger for it. As we passed into 2012, it seemed as if it might have been the former. I’ve said I don’t live life by either birthdays or new years, but my new year’s eve was rather bitter for the last few hours before I finally made it to my bed, and I was more than slightly apprehensive walking into day 89 yesterday.

Suffice to say that yesterday was comfortable in general and bemusing here and there; overall it was enjoyable and I am satisfied that we’re all ok.

There is one brief conversation which took place and which I think worth documenting for future amusement…

Jared: Ais, were you even alive when Space Jam came out? ’94?
me: … Really, Jared? How old do you think I am?
Jared: I dunno, nineteen. Eighteen.

I didn’t respond immediately. I was trying to decide how to take it. On the one hand, to have graduated with an Associate’s and supposed to be but eighteen is incredibly amusing and the slightest bit flattering. I’m 110% sure that Jared didn’t mean it that way, of course, but I enjoy amusing myself by deliberately taking things the way I know they’re not intended. And of course, on the other hand, I could be the typical three-months-away-from-21-year-old who is offended and disturbed by apparently not looking her age. Eh. I could really care less. If I don’t look my age now, I can hope to be mistaken as my daughter’s sister one day, as Mother is often mistaken as mine =) and Mama’s been mistaken as my mother, obviously not because I look so old, but because she also looks so young.

So here is week 22, for what it’s worth. 2012 continues =)

12/13 23:05 ~ 8.something hrs

Oooooo I’m madddddd. Ok, not really. But this will become a rant in a little bit.

I was still feeling a bit shy and slightly miffed from Saturday, so I kept my head down as I came in and tried to stay small. I was greeted loudly, as Jared has taken to doing lately, and his response to my very quietly returned how-are-you was, “Say hi to Ricky Bobby.”

It turned out that Sam wasn’t coming in and I’d be working pastry and garde. I didn’t mind the actual work at all, but I was a bit sad that Sam wasn’t coming in, if for no reason other than to have someone to chit-chat with during prep. Steve was in to prep with us today, and it did sort of make up for Sam not being there. Steve’s an equally enjoyable person to be prepping with, if not more so.

I did think that things were going ok. JRod checked my prep list, advised as to the order of prep, kept my mousse base warm, watched my bean spread, didn’t care if I prepped the apple relish upstairs or downstairs, approved my amuse, obligingly satisfied my curiosity as to schedule and menu items etc. etc. Rob said he was a bully for telling me that Rob had actually done the bean spread-watching when Rob hadn’t done anything of the sort, and so the night wore on. We ate leftover sliders, went over dessert counts, knocked out a few tickets… And then all of a sudden, out of the blue, an incident occurred which I commented on, my only intention being to clear another of potentially being wrongly blamed, and Jared goes, “Great, Jared was wrong, write it down, woohoo.” It was insufferable. It’s already been established that I can neither compliment nor tease Jared safely. I should just stop talking completely. I really couldn’t leave it alone. I was miffed and I protested that I hadn’t meant it like that at all. I couldn’t tell if he believed me.

Ooooo I need Kuya-time. Specifically with Brad. I can’t talk to Stevo about it because he’ll say I’m worrying too much and over-thinking it, and I can’t go to another girl because all we’ll end up doing is commiserating over how maddening people can be sometimes. *sigh* I just need to talk the past five months over with Brad, partly because I’ve begun to see Jared more and more similarly to how I see Brad; with great respect and admiration, nearing complete trust, and more recently with sincere concern. He says I’ll drive him crazy, but he drives me nuts sometimes; I just can’t keep up. Kuya will probably tell me not to worry about it in the end, but not before he’s spent a decent amount of time hearing me out, hashing and mulling things over, and humoring me with countless psychological insights and a bunch of random stories.

Anyway, Jared left early. It couldn’t have been 7:30 yet. Not too long before he left, Rob and I were directed to work together to clean up downstairs. “We’ll break down one box at a time… It wasn’t that funny, Ais.” I was cracking up at the thought of us breaking down a single box at a time and waiting for each other to catch up before breaking down another. He left with half the stack of boxes, and I thought he wasn’t coming back. He didn’t, but he did come and open the door for me when I brought out my half of the stack, directing me to bring it down to the recycling bin. He must have gone back for whatever was left, because he came out with more boxes and opened the bin for me. He was talking, but I wasn’t paying any attention whatsoever, because Bang was creeping up behind Rob and I was just waiting for it to happen…

“HOLY S-! WHAT THE F-?” Bang had grabbed Rob’s calf in the dark. I lost it. “I DON’T LIKE YOU ANYMORE, AIS!!” echoed in the alley behind me. “Y’alright, my dude?” Bang asked Rob later, after Jared was gone and Rob and I were waiting for things to be picked up. “I should have known something was going on, Ais just stopped talking…” I lost it again.

Too much fun, too much fun.

I got to know Rob a little better today… We talked a bit more about the New Translation, which led to things about high school and college, both of us having four siblings, Rob being the middle of five boys, all two years apart, Christmas plans, parishes… and he went through a couple things on middle and saute with me. He was also telling me about what he learned – or rather, what he didn’t learn – in Cost Control today, and I thought we were generally less sarcastic with each other than usual.

12/16 00:49 ~ 10.something hrs

a) I just got home not too long ago, b) I’m hungry, c) I’m eating dinner, d) I should probably be sleeping, e) I can’t sleep, f) I’m texting with Bradley, g) I feel like watching a movie, h) I’ll blog some other time.

12/18 19:19 39.something hrs total

me: … Yes, sir. I mean, I mean! Sorry! Sorry, Jared! Yes, Jared.
Jared: *groan* It’s like a double negative.
me: Wait… what? Double negative how? I don’t get it…
Jared: ‘Cause I don’t like ‘sir’ and I don’t like ‘sorry’!

He’s been texting “ma’am,” I suppose to get back at me for my “sir”s, but the problem is that I don’t mind in the slightest. Fail on his part.

Since the end of the quarter, I’ve been feeling more and more at home at work. I’ve begun leaving my things there… my knife kit, my hat(s)… I’ve kicked myself a couple times for putting my smaller tools in dish on accident instead of putting them back in my bag, but they’ve always made it back to me somehow – Bang knows which melon ballers are mine, it would seem – and I don’t worry by any means.

Jared gave me Wednesday off, which was completely unexpected. He was mildly amused by the fact that I didn’t know what to do with myself at first. “So do nothing for a change.” “I… can’t… do that…” I ended up spending roughly six hours with Michelle, so it was a very productive unexpected day off, but I just blanked when Jared said I could take the day off. I was telling Mother last week – I haven’t really been keeping up with my laundry because all I plan on wearing all week are my chef stuffs, and then Sunday comes and I take forever to pick out something to wear because my mind just isn’t out of uniform yet.

I’d left my knife kit on Tuesday and when I came in Wednesday, I wasted a full ten minutes hunting for it before dubiously inquiring of Jared as to its whereabouts. He was grinning to himself even before I’d gotten the first half of the question out, and answered very cheerily that he’d maybe put it on the very top shelf. Of course. I looked up and there it was, with the strap hanging down which ought to have caught my eye… if I’d been just half a foot taller. I had to stand on two milk crates to get it down. I enjoyed the whole joke immensely, which did not seem to register with Jared. “Thank you, Jared!” “I don’t know why you’re thanking me.”

Thursday was a bit strange. It started out alright, Jared was all cheery and whatnot, smiling and joking and so on and so forth, and then halfway through the night, his cheer just dropped. It literally disappeared within the space of two minutes, and then he just seemed plain tired. Jared’s mood is almost always infectious. If he’s not really in a decent mood, no one else seems to be either. I’m going to leave Thursday alone.

Friday and Saturday were considerably better, and Saturday was even less harried, I think, for all of us, than Friday. Saturday went so smoothly; seriously, I thought it couldn’t get any better… and then I got goodnight hugs from Anna, Amanda, Chris, and Rob. That practically deserves exclamation points, but it’s not a jumpy happy dance sort of happy, it’s a deep and sincere sense of peace and contentment. From the first three, it was just routine – routine that I don’t take for granted by any means, but to which I’ve become entirely accustomed – but that last hug from Rob was something else. As I’ve said, I’m most sarcastic and bicker most with Rob, and I feel that it’s all in good fun, but I’ve been unsure as to whether or not the same could be said on his part. That he was gracious enough to give me a goodbye hug seemed a good enough assurance of our mutual goodwill in spite of all our bickering.

Greg said something after hours which bothered me slightly. He was telling us that he’d asked Jason where Jason likes to hang out with his friends, to which Jason had apparently replied that he hadn’t any friends to be hanging out with. It occurred to me then that Jason does have a tendency to slip out even more quietly than Jared sometimes, especially on Saturdays, and I’ve seen Rob and Steve and Chris and sometimes Zach hanging around with each other, but not Jason.

• Mass on January 1st with Mama and Papa and Ninong
• Hanging out with the Wurths and the Ridenours at Barnes & Noble after Mass
• POTLUCK with Steffy, Brett, Marv, Drew, Nate, Michelle, Chelsea, and Bradley on the 2nd which included lots of delicious food, Apples to Apples, pictures, and an impromptu youtube party with Brad and Drew which lasted until very nearly midnight
• being back in class with Tim, Seth, Megan, Svetlana, Stephen, Kayla, and Sarah early on Tuesday morning
• getting to hang out with Aaron and Josh on the first day back at school
• making and having lunch with Nate, Chelsea, and Michelle after the first day of school
• visiting Receiving and catching up with Jay early early on Wednesday morning
• hanging out in the Honors room with Cory, etc.
• running into Fran at MCI
• highly enjoying my first classes of Dante and Chorus respectively
• finally making it back to the Sidewinder for a French Kiss and a Spinach & Feta croissant

And it’s only the 5th today :D Happy 2012…

I keep coming back. I walked into Jay’s office and the first words out of my mouth were, “I don’t know what I’m doing here.” “That’s what you said last time, kiddo.” I mean, logistically speaking, the truth is that I dropped Dad off at work at 6:45 and I don’t have class until 11. Who wants to kill time at UC? Not me! And MCI’s in between and therefore a very convenient and completely valid option.

There’s even been time and occasion to be productive; I’ve emptied out my surge card [finally] by having cake pops (may I say that Bakery Hill does a perfectly excellent job with cake pops, and I think they’re so much better than the pumpkin or whatever ones at work, not to mention the flavorless one I had at Starbucks in September) and a soy Milkyway [also finally; it's been almost a year since Marybeth told me I had to have one].

Of course, now that it’s about 9:17 and I was let in ten minutes early by people who still recognize me, I’m beginning to feel a little sad that I’m not here with Josh, George, PJ, Martha, Anthony, Alyssa… but if these Christmas decorations are any indication, then I’d say it was a good choice to trust Cory with the tradition. I am exceedingly pleased. *strikes pose* Seriously, though, these decorations are better than anything I ever managed to pull off when I was here, and I’m excited for Cory, and Courtney for that matter, to make it to UC and then we can all be together =) Maybe we’ll even be in the same orientation class, since I missed the deadlines for this year…

I’ve still got about 45 minutes to kill before I head to UC. I guess I’ll walk around, visit some old favorite staircases, chit-chat a bit more with Jay… hopefully run into some people… Lol, I tagged along when Jay went to unlock the classroom for Smain, and I flicked Rob’s sleeve to get his attention and ask if we were prepping tomorrow. “What are you doing here?” “Hanging out.” “Geeze, it’s a bit early to be hanging out here, isn’t it?” I didn’t have time to explain; he was being ushered into class. I’m sure it’ll come up at work tomorrow or something.

Hey! the speakers still buzz when there’s a text incoming. And ah, and I have a picture for my 365 day picture challenge, courtesy of where else but Receiving. WIN.

• 21:56 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DizluhzFKFc
• 22:12 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRGpIaU8yEE
• 22:12 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm3JodBR-vs
• 22:16 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jdWH9N-JXI
• 22:19 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMeXGE_a8Gg
• 22:25 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cboqOeuBd_8
• 22:26 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqIZDIxJgXw
• 22:27 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b3zbnZQWsk
• 22:29 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-udnyM2oTPs
• 22:31 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruMO9SXto0Q
• 22:36 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsYWT5Q_R_w
• 22:45 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YGcVYaNxdo
• 22:49 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SGwDhKTrwU
• 22:51 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z3PT2fUiKg
• 22:52 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXO-jKksQkM
• 22:58 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XVWR-5fiG0
• 23: 05 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7oKLQbFf04
• 23:09 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K-F4eCDyUU
• 23:13 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O2aH4XLbto
• 23:16 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoFurLevE28
• 23:17 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etHOFmFF3FA
• 23: 19 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=by8oyJztzwo
• 23:20 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRWU2DysF30
• 23:22 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5WB-p-QBJc
• 23:25 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TruIq5IxuiU
• 23:28 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3diSiwLBSOE
• 23:31 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u778gSi94N4
• 23:34 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meT2eqgDjiM
• 23:38 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NzLcIBgvRE

2012 Shuffle

Opening credits: Close enough to start a war, all that I have is on the floor…

Waking up: Something always brings me back to you, it never takes too long…

How I’m feeling today: Baby, you’ve got the sort of hands to rip me apart…

First day of school: I found God at the corner of First and Amistad…

The weekend: Galileo fell in love as a Galilean boy…

Will I get far in life: I don’t know if I can yell any louder…

Will I get married: Are you listening, Javelina? Every corner of the coast is still clear…

Will I have a happy life: I am the sea on a moonless night, calling, falling, slipping tides…

How does the world see me: I never thought that you would be the one to hold my heart…

How do my friends see me: This was a triumph, I’m making a note here, “HUGE SUCCESS”…

Falling in love: Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom…

Fight song: Hand out the window, floating on air, just a flick of the wrist, and I am waving you goodbye…

Breaking up: We watched the season pull up its own stakes…

The best thing about my friends: I’m caught in a moment out in the rain…

Best friend’s theme song: I watched the morning dawn upon your skin…

High school overview: Don’t delay, something tells me I gotta go away…

Life: Keep drinking coffee, stare me down across the table while I look outside…

Mental breakdown: I wake up every evening with a big smile on my face…

How can I make myself happy: If blood will flow while flesh and steel are one, drying in the color of the evening sun…

Driving: I have been blind, unwilling to see the true love you’re giving…

Flashback: The sky looks pissed, the wind talks back, my bones are shifting in my skin, and you, my love, are gone…

How is my life going: She’s out of my life…

What I should do with my life: A beautiful and blinding morning, the world outside begins to breathe…

How can I get ahead in life: I’ll start this broken heart, I’ll fix it up so it will work again, better than before…

Getting back together: We were sitting, we were sitting in the strawberry swing…

Wedding: Ninety miles outside Chicago, can’t stop driving, I don’t know why…

Will I ever have children: Tell me his name, I want to know…

Birth of child: Met my old lover in the grocery store, the snow was falling Christmas Eve…

Final battle: Starry starry night, paint your palette blue and gray…

Death scene: No words, my tears won’t make any room for more, and it don’t hurt like anything I’ve ever felt before…

Funeral song: Right, right, turn off the lights…

Life overview: I wish I were pretty, I wish I were brave, if I owned this city, I’d make it behave…

End credits: They say that home is where the heart is…

STATUS-CHECK

January

• sharp shiny pointy AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!! this knife bag is NOT intuitive.
• perfectly wonderful afternoon with Michelle Johnson and Nate Eckman , followed by an absolutely delicious dinner with Marybeth Themann andStephen Carnes. lovely, lovely =)
• Happy Birthday to my Mommmyyyyyyy!! :D :D :D
• Yehessssss. Registered for… Banquets, Dining Room 3, Mixology, Cost Ctrl 2, Honors Public Speaking, Sommelier Prep, and one. last. credit. of co-op.
• To anyone looking for an absolutely delicious lunch or dinner on a very special occasion (or a perfectly ordinary occasion, but be prepared to spendddd), I highly HIGHLY recommend the Brown Dog Cafe on Pfeiffer. Go hungry and make sure you share a display, have an appetizer and a salad and an entree and dessert, and if you’re over 21, have fun with their insanely extensive wine/beer/martini/liqueur menu.
• officially has two new Kuyas =) *happy*
• already misses Michelle Johnson and Nate Eckman like crazy.
• Only having four more classes with my two newfound Kuyas is a very saddening thought. It has been almost like having Wednesday nights/Saturdays with the Dream Team back. =(
• http://xkcd.com/847/
• DTS FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7Uj_B0KNgU
• cost control 1 final project and aisa do not like each other. at all.
• roughly 1/4 of the way through this international paper… eh.
• hmm… homecoming… or rally… homecoming… or rally… no, seriously? dude! wherever you are today, in DC or your home parish or with me and my friends today at fountain square, stay safe and stay warm, and if at times you can’t quite achieve the latter, let’s all offer it up together! now let’s go save some sweet little bundles of potentialities!!!
• LATE FALL TERM COMPLETE!!!!!! lol. now for a whole ten-day break! pG!
• eating rum balls and thinking of Devin McIntyre…
• purple.

February

• bourne marathon. yehesssssssssss.
• making chain mail is harder than i thought. either that or my fingers have lost their skill and i have lost much patience, because the jump rings i’m using are from my byzantine weave necklace and bracelet that i made years ago which i’m now painstakingly disassembling. >.<
• ‎3.857 AHHHHHHH!!! rotflwtime. four A’s and a B :D :D *happy dance jump around bounce bounce clap clap swing a sword around ladeedaaa* ^_^
• let it be known to the world that Josh Monroe continues to be the epitome of academic success
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezVib_giTFo
• Operation Nino Overload complete.
• pecorino, asti, taralli, riesling poached pear sorbet… mmmmm.
• STEELERS FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• The world will be a better place when more people read The Shadow of the Bear, Black as Night, Waking Rose, The Midnight Dancers, and Alex O’Donnell and the Forty Cyberthieves. Seriously to the MAX*infinity+2.
• yep. definitely a pinoy thing. go figure.
• fifty-eight degrees! still too windy to sit out for more than fifteen minutes at a time, but it was nice to get some sun.
• Wine is the blood of France. <– guess what hw i’ve been on for the past three hours
• Happy St. Valentine’s Day everyone! And now, goodnight….
• WOW this second week back went even faster than the first. how is that possible??? i can only surmise that this is due to the fact that i cannot help looking forward to seeing all the super awesome people that i got stuck with in every single class i have this term =) PLUS i’m back to living in the… water closet! :D let’s see who remembers that…
• mama cooking with the radio on, papa eating, me peeling myself an orange, california gurls comes on and i look outside and smile and miss conference =) the weather here is almost worthy of santa clara. but then some ad comes on for “donkey-hoe-tay” so-and-so and i cringe >.< hahahaha.
• pink’s please don’t leave me is on and papa, seemingly completely oblivious, is singing, singing, singing whatever he pleases :D guess i get it from papa. love it love it love it ♥
• BUBBLE TEA! :D my saturday is complete.
• Have I mentioned lately that Michelle Johnson is awesome?
• is blessed to have a most supportive, forgiving, and overall very loving team. *hugz* and tons of thanks to Judith Miller, Rob Sentney, and H.h. Drew Paul =)
• ahahaha. “Drink wine, and you will sleep well. Sleep, and you will not sin. Avoid sin, and you will be saved. Ergo, drink wine and be saved.” i feel like i’ve heard this before… rotfl. awesome.

March

• Kuyas’ hugs are da best =)
• is craving chocolate + coffee beans >.< lol
• EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK Michelle Johnson‘s home in a weeeeeeeeeeekkkkk!!! xD *happy happy hyper jumpy funny lalalala deeee daaaaa*
• tons and tons of fun and adventures with Natalie and Anna Marie Ridenour :D :D :D and good times with Martha Tiffany, Francisco Flan Alfaro, Josh Monroe =)
• updated menu =) Stef OfhfsMarybeth ThemannAmber LosekampDominique CarterStephen Carneshttp://www.eatlocalcincy.com/images/rw/1394377496.2011.gci.pdf
• BEST. FAT. TUESDAY. EVER!!!!!! mGbp!!!! =) and now… byebye facebook! see you sunday!
• soooooo hyped for restaurant week =) monday with Stef Ofhfs andMarybeth Themann and Amber Losekamp and Stephen Carnes andDominique Carter, tuesday with Michelle Johnson, thursday with the fam… ladeeedaaaaa :D :D :D
• ♥ ♥ ♥ I loveses my tea tumblerses. I also loveses loveses loveses dancing crayzee, looking at five-year-old pictures and conversations, making pizza, blowing candles, recording videos, and making bouncyyy ballssessss with Michelle Johnson and Terhi Reponen and Eric Schwartzwhile listening to Kit James‘ mad guitar skillzzz ♥ ♥ ♥

April

• whaaaaaat?!?!??! 1.5 years later and i’m going to be stuck back in the kitchen for 3610 with three of the most provoking people from my 3601 EVER :D :D :D Jeff Cooke Aaron White Rob Sentney
• totally ready for some 80-90ish degree weather, oh yesssss i am =)
• Vigil Mass is AWESOME. HAPPY EASTER!!!!! time to eat dinner. or is it supper. idk…
• whaaaaaaat?! it’s my last term and NOW i lose my surge card? ay yi yi…
• spectacular performance by the children’s choir, another awesome homily by fr. geoff, 80 pieces of sushi, fried cheesecake, fried ice cream, mochi ice cream, nino’s first egg hunt (extremely bewildering for him), prosecco, and cancun shampoo bottles and sand. you know it’s been an amazing easter pag masakit na ang tiyan sa kakatawa. God is so good =)
• so it begins.
• ♥ team bada-bing ♥ lol
• http://xkcd.com/891/
• how does it work out that one has a ton of first-aid stuffs in one’s karate bag which sits in one’s closet for years, then one day one decides to empty out the bag because it’s just taking up space and subsequently cuts one’s toe on glass? and then one goes hunting for gauze and tape in the karate bag and when one realizes one emptied it a few months before one sits down and goes… really? really??blahhhhh.
• “ma, should i trim the fat?” “what? no! masarap pag may taba; there’s no point in making adobo for guests if you’re going to trim it!” “oh, well…” “that’s what you do for hospital patients, not guests!” “…” “these are mommyisms.”
• if Martha Tiffany dies on the way home, OR doesn’t get home until 2AM, i will blame Brad Bressler.
• spaghetti puttanesca –> best breakfast EVER xD lol
• oh, what would this little girl do without Michelle Johnson?
• DTS FTW!!!!!!!! –> lol i’m pretty sure that’s a repeat status right there.
• AHHHHHHHHHHH ONE LUNCH TWELVE LEFTOVERS TOMORROW!!!!! it’s that time of year again. hence Mass later rather than tomorrow.

May

• Happy Divine Mercy Sunday! Blessed John Paul II, pray for us!
• Home! an hour earlier than anticipated. I call that an accomplishment.
• back at school… whaatt? i only left eight and a half hours ago… lol.
• my love’s too big for you, my love.
• To all my FB friends:
  In honor of Mother’s Day we’re trying to see how many of you are willing to change your profile picture to a picture of your mother and keep it there till May 9. I did and so have several others. If you will and like this idea, please re-post this as your status so everyone gets the word out and we’ll see how many beautiful mothers we can get on FB. Happy Mother’s Day, Mommy! We ♥ you!!
• ahhhhh tired!!! ahhhhh can’t sleep ’cause of stress overload! ahhhh sleep isn’t productive! ahhhh!!! >.< i think i might actually need coffee tomorrow.
• HAH i finished precalc hw in accounting class. i think i’ve earned a nap…
• it really doesn’t get much better than a bunch of post-prom slap-happy teens singing Prince of Peace and Days of Elijah at 2 something in the morning. EPIC.
• HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
• LOLOLOLOLOL today’s gonna be awesomeeeeeee. i wonder if Stef Ofhfsis still actually asleep or on Paco Josemaria P‘s laptop (we kiddies forced mummums to “sleep in”) :D :D :D :D
• scullery maids ROCK. Erin HingsbergenRachel Strotman
• and so it goes this soldier knows the battle with the heart isn’t easily won… but it can be won.
• exhausted but ecstatic, for many reasons. now to crash…
• it wasn’t even 9 am and i already knew it was going to be an awesome day… :D :D :D
• Prince of Peace, Glory, Now That You’re Near, and A Sister’s Prayer. Yep, yep, all set for tomorrow =)
• rotfl. oh Catholics. we so rock. wall post from yesterday’s ToT: “Tough call on what libation to imbibe for this occasion- Blue Moon, Labatt Blue or PBR in honor of the Blessed Mother’s colors? Corona in honor of her Queenship? Stella Artois for her distinction as Star of the Sea?”
• I HATE GROUP PROJECTS where two people pull our weight and then the third person who we didn’t want in our group at all only the teacher mandated groups of three even though we two knew we would’ve got on brilliantly without doesn’t pull fair and so i’m stuck doing hw on a sunday night… !!!!!!!!! RAWR.
• sooooooooooooo addicted to City of Black and White… hehe.
• ToT tonight at the Pig and Whistle =) *happy dance*
• “Innocence without principle is not virtue.”
• I object to not being able to list “Thulcandra” as one’s current city and “Maleldil” as one’s hometown. C’mon, people, seriously?
• maybe the hardest things are the dreams that we’ve been given
• precon starts in one hour! wish i was there…
• love isn’t borrowed, we aren’t promised tomorrow. we’ll never be ready if we keep waiting for the perfect time to come, won’t be steady, we’ll never be ready… where we don’t know, though we can’t see, just walk on down this road with me, won’t be steady, never be ready…
• i gotssss my goodnight hug and kiss(es) and “i love ate” from da nino-boy =) me happy ♥
• UC registration complete… except for my one culinary lab! lol. great…
• All I have, all I have, all I have is Yours, and You watch my heart break a little bit more, my heart break a little bit more, my heart break a little bit more…
• can the child within my heart rise above / can i sail through the changing ocean tides / can i handle the seasons of my life… time makes you bolder / even children get older / and i’m getting older, too… and if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills / well, the landslide’ll bring it down
• So so so BIG thanks to Richard Rallanka, Joyce DeLeon Rallanka, Patrick Klesmith, and Amanda Klesmith as well as me fam from Team Bada-Bingfor joining us for dinner on Tuesday :D :D :D We hope you had a great time!
• *WHAT* IS ON YOUR SHIRT?!?!!? Erin HingsbergenRachel StrotmanBethany Strotman
• RED OCTOBER
• done with hw. *BIG SMILE*

June

• Leo de Vela, Doris Dizon de Vela, Gabe D., Miguel De Vela, Matthew Almario, ya’ll made my night =) Thanks and ♥ from Team Bada-Bing :D :D :D
• OH SNAP! hanging outtttt with Marybeth Themann and Amber Losekamptomorrow =) soooooo exciteddddddd :D :D :D
• anywhere you go let me go too
• ‎… i’m reaching out my hand, so take it…
• echoes of my everything, the emptiness the whole world sings at night, the laziness of afternoon, the reason why i burst and why i bloom, the leaky sink of sentiment, the failed attempts i never could forget, the metaphors i can’t create to comprehend this curse that i call…
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQStef Ofhfs if you can play this, i want to sing
• what if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near? what if the greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy? and what if the trials of this life, the rain, the storms, the hardest nights, are Your mercies in disguise?
• ♥ Imogen Heap ♥ The Walk ♥
• well, i’ve always wanted to sing at a wedding, but why did it have to be the holiday weekend? oh what to do…
• </3 This love-hate relationship with the Castaways of the Flying Dutchman just never gets old >.<
• I just… snapped a needle in half. Really?? From plastic utensils to needles… five years later and clearly I still haven’t found an appropriate outlet for my aggression…
• yayyyyyy i gets to sing at a wedding! fun fun fun fun funnnn :D :D :D :D
• “I’m going to google your facebook all over your twitter.” – Matt “… say wha?” – me
• LOLFEST http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVrIV4SkXYY
• “Yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it:
  it is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what it is your fate to
  be required to bear.”
• I am a CC. Team Bada-Bing FTW!!!
• today’s a good day. a pink dress and danskos and red electric guitar earrings kind of day. a smile at everyone and nothing could possibly bring me down day. life is good. mGbp.
• chapter twenty-seven of jane eyre is simply torturous.
• blueeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!! … don’t ask why… xD
• sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttt movie, bonfire, and jamm session with the DTS =)
• one last class; regardless, i object to waking up at 6:30 on a saturday.
• my daddy AWESOME =) Bong Ofhfs
• YAYYYYYY skyped with Michelle Johnson for an hour and a half today. me HAPPY :D :D :D
• I adjure you, O you daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and the harts of the field, that you stir not up, nor make the beloved to awake, till she please.
• listening to ryan cayabyab’s silver album. rotflwtime it’s been YEARS…
• GABERLUNZIES AND CHIMPANZEES Sam WurthJacob WurthBen WurthAnna Marie RidenourAaron Ridenour
• ‎~ gonna muster every ounce of confidence i have and cannonball into the water ~
• ‎Paco Josemaria P is FIFTEEN TODAY. He’s OLD!!!!!!!! >.<

July

• not.. impressed… by google+. hahahaha sorry!
• if only there were a geosafari-type thingy for sommelier exam prep. that would be AWESOME. anyone know of any such thing?
• ‎Tricky Chris is on his way here! that makes me HAPPY xD
• Ehhh. Die Hard was… so-so.
• The Sacrament of Reconciliation is soooooooooooo cool =)
• ‎Stef Ofhfshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nc3bF0HKJA
• ‎=( didn’t get to watch Kenny Loggins… *sob*
• HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!
• too funny and too coincidental, what with having been waiting for this new laptop all day yesterday and having watched the extended cut of LotR on the big screen just the other week. http://xkcd.com/921/
• doesn’t know what she’d do without Michelle Johnson!!!!!
• Why was I surprised when he broke into my heart? I called 911 but -I- was cardiac arrested for aiding and abetting ’cause it was me who let him in.
• Praisefest tonight, oh snap!!! hyped to be jamming with Jon San Miguel,Gabe D., and Joseph Caparros, but missing Matthew Almario like crayzeee…
• ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SEVEN EPISODES OF STAR TREK TNG ON NETFLIX INSTANT PLAY!!!!!!!! *SQUEALING*
• i strongly dislike level 56 of angry birds.
• YESSSS!!!!!! MY TWO-AND-A-HALF YEAR-OLD BROTHER SINGS THE STAR TREK THEME SONG!!!!!!!!!!!!! my life is complete…
• someday we’ll know if love can move a mountain, someday we’ll know why the sky is blue… someday we’ll know why samson loved delilah… ♥ switchfoot ♥
• CHICAGOOOOOOOO!!!!!! :D happy to report a safe arrival. now to catch up on some sleep. i need it after all that power rangers beatboxing…
• the downside to hanging out for a leeettlee tinyyy bit with Stephanie Boertlein and Brad Bressler after not seeing either for ages upon ages is missing them ten times as much afterwards, plus missing Steve Leisringby default by association. rawr >.<
• home from chicago! a little sad. but thankful to have seen her favorite chicago Bros/Sisters if only very briefly ♥
• there is nothing so perfectly wonderful on a sunday morning than one’s half-awake two-and-a-half yo brother walking into one’s room and wanting nothing more than a long good morning hug and a little back rub.
• ♥ ask me now, i’ll give you the reasons my love will not fade through the fire and rain ♥ mat kearney ♥
• there’s wi-fi at the park?! lol. excellenttt… and hey! the original Don’t Dream It’s Over (IOW NOT sixpence none the richer) is on the radio… finally! Stef OfhfsAlvin LokohTricky Chris
• irish cream latte at coffee beans and brew… still like caribou coffee better, but that’s ok. nice to be here. one assignment down… two to go… and a midterm. *sigh*
• all homework for this week, done! yay! now, for the rest of the week, i can work… and work… and work… without worrying about finding time for… anything… else…
• Day 1 at Daveed’s: fun fun fun fun, and success! I can officially quenelle butter… hahahaha xD
• Day 2: officially a new category on my blog just for this adventure. picture coming.
• today’s downer – realizing that this new job means…. no more Theology on Tap on Thursday nights for this little girl. looks like a new regular at the Scripture studies on Tuesday nights. if them high schoolers’ll have me, of course. haha.
• I is now home from Day 3. I should probably eat something… lol.
• heeereeeeee capo… heeeeeereee capo capo capo… here boy… (uh oh. i have ten minutes to find that thing…)
• How is it that I still haven’t found time for a Google+ hangout? The very existence of such a feature thrills me… and I am totally not utilizing it…
• kit is immobilized by the kitten!
• caramel soy latte at panera’s, J Gumbo with daddy and patrick, and now an orange julius at the coffee emporium =) i like today.
• haha i gots my bearcat card =)
• i can officially cross “google+ hangout” off of my summer to-do list xP
• Day 4: apparently i say sorry too much. oh geeze, it’s the first few months of receiving all over again… lolz. and wahoo! i know my way home with the gps…
• Day 5: I forgot to check out the rest of the spiral staircase!!! >.< =(
• Well, Brand You presentation took about an hour. I’m actually proud of it… but right now, I’m going back to sleep.
• what is this?! are they giving me prompts because my post was too short or something?? clearly i’m not posting enough… — with Stef Ofhfs.
• Day 6 was…!!! short….
• =( i is wishing i was at Conference… but prayers and much ♥ to everyone there, always. mGbp.
• Day 7: the fourth floor was a *tiny* bit disappointing because the door that would actually get me out onto the roof was blocked off =( otherwise, happy.
• Ben WurthAaron RidenourAnna Marie RidenourErin HingsbergenEvan HingsbergenRachel Strotman Bethany Strotman Faith Brown i just added y’all to the Theology on Tap West Chester group aaaannddd i is wondering if i will seeee any of you at the st. max college cookout next sunday?
• hey Ben Wurth, Stef Ofhfs, check out the tags on this one. “new hat” is a “non-linear style Telecine boutique,” googling “kuya” results in urban dictionary’s definition of it listed first, “none of those things” turns up music stuffs and Rev 2:10. “aprons” was the most predictable. a bunch of shopping stuff. (now, why did i get this screen again? should i expect this to be a regular happening? lol)
• Don’t remind me / I’m a chickadee in love with the sky / But that’s clearly not a lot to crow about / ‘Cause when the stars silhouette me / I’m scared they’ll forget me / And flicker out…

August

• <(♥ _ ♥)> so proud of this guy =)
• craving caribou coffee and… candy.
• french blue earl gray with honey and boba. one happy little lady signing off, yo.
• yes, i did write two pages worth in cursive today, just fyi :P :D H.h. Drew PaulBrad Bressler and the day’s only half over! .
• http://www.american-duchess.com/ had to. had to had to had to.
• Day 9: I OBJECT to being called DEA >:( *sigh*
  on the bright side, linguini punches -back- =)
• AHHHHH!!! CREDO is the weekend immediately after I start back at school!!! >.<
• good morning, world. time to take out the old green neckerchief again. just for one last week.
• WHAAAATT??! I Am The Movie is now five bucks on amazon? i should’ve just… waited… two and a half more years…
• day 2 of kids’ camp and day 1 of restaurant week… http://www.dodowntowncincinnati.com/restaurantweek.html a day of this length just might require coffee…
• coming home to adobo and rice is the best thing EVER.
• ‎’She was curious, so I went on to say that it was a program for premarital relationships and choosing a marriage partner titled “How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk.”‘It’s National Book Week. The rules: Grab the closest book to you. Go to page 56. Copy the 5th sentence as your status. Don’t mention the book. Post these rules as part of your status.
• Is misery made beautiful right before our eyes / Will mercy be revealed or blind us where we stand…
• Home from 19-hour day 13 and end of Kids’ Camp #3 at 00:06 and I must be crazy because all I want to do after I eat dinner is catch up on some Star Trek. And Linguini + Zach + Yards = endless amusement. Therefore, tomorrow is going to be awesome, just like tonight, possibly better.
• http://youtu.be/1odkjJCA10c always makes me want to dance =)
• ah. 00:21. home from day 14. to eat or not to eat, that is the question…
• Walking into Pinoy Klasik for lunch always feels like walking into another world. Mass and tocino and super spicy caldereta and stikko and mangorind and boy bawang and plenty of dancing with awesome people while trying to eat cotton candy. Later, basketball and guitar and family journal time and dinner and Star Trek. Oh yes, perfectly wonderful Sunday.
• My little children, let us not love in word nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18
• The question reads, “What is the product of fermentation? a) Ethanol, b) Methanol, c) Booze, d) Isopropyl.” It’s totally c, right? ^_^
• Happy Happy Birthday to Chef Alan Neace =)
• NEW DRINKING WARNING JUST RELEASED: Vodka and ice will ruin your kidneys. Rum and ice will ruin your liver. Whiskey and ice will ruin your heart. Gin and ice will ruin your brain. Coke and ice will ruin your teeth……Apparently ice is lethal!!! Warn all your friends: Lay off the ice ~ Just drink it straight!! Copy & paste this immediately. You could save a life!!! And don’t forget it also sunk the Titanic !!
• yesssssss pictures are up from the pig roast and i found Kelsey Johnsonand myself doing the cupid shuffle and looking very -focused-. hahahahahaha best Sunday ever =)
• Day 16: so much SARCASM. really feeling the ♥ ^_^ mhmm….
• end day 18….
• michelle is home michelle is home michelle is home michellleeeeeee is homeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ladeedaaaa *crazy happy dance* Michelle Johnson
• Mass with the fam tomorrow =) almost feels like being homeschooled again.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRGpIaU8yEEJay OlzakSteve LeisringBrad BresslerThomas BellaMatthew D. Shelton
• it’s going to be a perfectly lovely day tomorrow in every single way. i just know it.
• ‎”i knew i wanted lifesaver gummis to raise my children.” - Michelle Johnson
• FINALLY reading That Hideous Strength. It has been four years and seven months, and I am not proud of it, but I have finally gotten around to it, so.
• ‎”Has it ever struck you what an odd creation Merlin is? He’s not evil: yet he’s a magician. He is obviously a druid: yet he knows all about the Grail. I often wonder whether Merlin doesn’t represent the last trace of something that became impossible when the only people in touch with the supernatural were either white or black, either priests or sorcerers.”
• Stef Ofhfs Mother. Pg 11 of THS. “… some men have got to take charge of the rest… sterilisation of the unfit, liquidation of backward races, selective breeding. Then real education, including pre-natal education. By real education I mean one that makes the patient what it wants infallibly: whatever he or his parents try to do about it. Of course, it’ll have to be mainly psychological at first. But we’ll get on to biochemical conditioning in the end and direct manipulation of the brain…”
• ‎”What should they find incredible, since they believed no longer in a rational universe? What should they regard as too obscene, since they held that all morality was a mere subjective by-product of the physical and economic situations of men? … There was now at last a real chance for fallen Man to shake off that limitation of his powers which mercy had imposed upon him as a protection from the full results of his fall. If this succeeded, hell would at last be incarnate.”
• Go to your profile. Look to your left.
  First 8 friends are your zombie apocalypse team.
  Sidekick: Marybeth Themann
  Heavy Weapons: Tricky Chris
  the one that has really been a zombie the whole time: Miguel Francisco
  the brains: Martha Tiffany
  the one that trips you to get away: Jason Heyl
  the first to die: Joe Blocker
  the one that has their own bunker: MaryAnn Ridenour
  the one that is looking for the last twinkie: Eric Schwartz
• home now from day 19. northside’s rather pretty at night.
• home from day 20. THANK YOU!!!! to Ms. Marcha Hunley for surprise-coming out to Daveed’s tonight =)
• ‎… hanggang ang puso mo’y napagod sa paghihintay kay tagal…
• Day 21: “Hey, you haven’t said any big words lately.” *sigh*. Anyway, white chocolate mousse and pineapple sorbet-that-tastes-like-green-mango FTW =)
• ‎”Real hatred against you wouldn’t have you sinning happily. Real hatred would have you sinning awfully, bored with your very sin, addicted to shallow things, unable to taste even illicit happiness, much less real joy, sinning out of commitment, spending long nights justifying your actions, burning your bridges to wholeness, forgiveness and peace.”
• so put on your best, boys, and i’ll wear my pearls =)
• You’re in a mental hospital.
  Use the 1st six people on your friends list on your profile.

1. Person who drove you crazy: Brad Bressler
2. Person who signed you in: Michael Walsh
3. Your doctor: Prosperidad Amargo
4. Person in the corner drooling on themselves: Jon San Miguel
5. Your roommate: Joe Blocker
6. Person who helps you break out: Michelle Johnson

• The next time we watch ST TNG (which will probably be tomorrow night), I will record Nino saying, “Pace. Da finaw fwonteiw. Dese awe da voydes of da Stawsip Entewpwise….” etc. etc. for Nate Eckman, Kit James, and Eric Schwartz =) Promise.
• lil bro quotes from lunch: “I want to make sure you’re well provided for.” “Ate, if your husband is rich, can I have a sword?”
• suddenly just -spoiling- for a Pacquiao fight. not entirely sure why…
• LOLfest at Scripture Study tonight… my goodness. BITE MARKS.
• short day 22; home for dinner, rosary, and star trek :D

September

• now that i think about it, what a terribly short week! no complaints, i suppose. but the question becomes – am i or am i not chillaxxing with awesome Kuyas and Ates at The Blind Lemon after work tonight? =)
• It would be better to be cool / It’s not time to be open just yet / A lesson once learned is so hard to forget / Be still, my beating heart / Or I’ll be taken for a fool / It’s not healthy to run at this pace / The blood runs so red to my face / I’ve been to every single book I know / To soothe the thoughts that plague me so…
• GOOD MORNING WORLD!!! …. just got home… hahahaha. end day 23 =) good timezz with kuyas and ates :D
• ‎~ Wake me up when September ends. ~ Gee, I need to listen to some Green Day, it’s been wayyyy too long…
• pizza, hot dogs, videoke and merlot. great way to spend the last few hours of the day. ‘night, world =)
• LOL from 2006: ‘Heh, guess what Paco and Migi’s new favorite word is? Tsetseburetse. I threw it into one of their tagalog lessons because they wouldn’t stop being silly. And… when they found out that it means nonsense, Paco said, “No, no, ate, you know what it means? Tsetseburetse equals… hindi sen-see-bul!” and now the boys have even made up a song…
  “Tsetseburetse, tsetseburetse, tsetseburetse equals… hindi sensible!!!!”‘
• Captain America with Paco Josemaria P, Tricky Chris, Alvin Lokoh, andBong Ofhfs post-batchoy ‘n beer tonitee =) HYPED.
• GTAB.
• ‎~ These are ADDICTIVE ~You’re in kindergarten again. Use the first 7 people on your profile.1. Your best friend: H.h. Drew Paul2. The kid eating glue: MaryAnn Ridenour3. The kid who steals your crayons: Redd Velasco4. The kid picking their nose: Joe Blocker5. The teacher’s pet: Martha Tiffany6. The bully: Karmela Marie Dalisay7. The class clown: Aaron Ridenour
• pinoy humor FTW. La Vita e Bella =)
• IT’S AN A-O MOMENT. HAIL THE MINION LORD Tricky Chris. Paco Josemaria PAlvin Lokoh
• Oh my goodness!! A super awesome Kuya proposed to his lovely lady! Prayers for them both, please, and their families =) ~ mGbp ~
• home again from st. louis… wahhh…
• DRUNKEN BAR FIGHT!! First 8 friends on you list on your profile page are your team…. no cheating!!!
  Starts fight: Gabe D.
  falls off a bar stool drunk: Chris Bender
  Hits some1 w/empty bottle: Alice Swadner
  Gets hit for no reason: Josh Monroe
  Throws someone out of a window: Alyssa Roll
  Is thrown out of a window: Kit James
  Sissy who calls the cops: Matthew Almario
• i’m in the honors lounge! again… lol… wasn’t planning to be, but there we go.
• sometimes, you have to allow for a day that cannot be a “keep smiling” day, but merely a “grit your teeth and keep going” day. a little downton abbey before the grind, i think. some prayers wouldn’t hurt, either.
• Dear God, Mama Mary, and Guardian Angel, YOU GUYS ROCK. This little girl could not stop smiling and laughing and singing everything Hillsong United all the way home =) ~ so i’ll stand with arms high and heart abandoned in awe of the One Who gave it ALL ~ Off to Adoration with the fam! Day 26 was a short one.
• Home from day 27…. Whyyyyy must Theology on Tap vacillate only between days on which I’m *never* available??
• trying to remember now who those seven people were… i don’t think i’m even friends with all of them still. Lol. — with Jeff Cooke and Joe Blocker.
• I have determined that I need to hang out downtown more. I strongly object to an already forty minute drive home from work being sixteen minutes longer than usual due to weekend ramp closures and four detours which rendered me completely lost and that much more sleep deprived. Way to end week 8, yo.
• 9/11… miserere nobis. And to think Yena was still in Mommy’s tummy when all of this started. Anxious to get to Mass with the whole fam (boys just got home from their canoeing trip).
• Looooongg day of video editing in front of me… Won’t have any other time before Thursday when it’s due. Wish me luck in making Thomas Bellalook like he’s successfully schooling Patrick ;)
• You throw a Halloween costume party. Go to your profile, list the first 9 people… no cheating.
  princess: Chris Bender
  lunch lady: Roland Sajor
  power ranger: Stephanie Boertlein
  70′s disco dancer: Elvin Tolentino
  Drag queen: Jason Heyl
  giant taco: Anna Marie Ridenour
  evil clown: Carmela Nipas
  smurf: Marybeth Themann (I had to look that one up. I’m still not entirely sure I understand.)
  redneck: Joe Blocker
• completely unexpected day off tomorrow = aisa watches kill bill before going to bed. good times, good times.
• ate at Daveed’s with Mom and Dad =) Felt a little strange sitting down and not being in uniform, but surprisingly less so than when eating at the Summit. *happy*
• Stef Ofhfs: Did it feel like being five?
  me: Yeah, kinda… Except for the wine?
  Lol.
• Brunch with Anna Marie Ridenour before work =)
• RED NECKERCHIEF. ’nuff said. end somewhat bumpy day 31.
• ell, they liked it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN60YkiCIwk my fav lines are: “if we could just find some bricks and put, like, a dozen on each layer… then we have to figure out how to get it upstairs…” - Jay Olzak; “unsweetened flaked coconut; question mark?” - Thomas Bella
• home from day 32. end week 9. best week yet for laughs =) and best thing ever coming home to a chorus of “hi, ats!” from three little sibs ♥ oldest of four sibs is already asleep, hahaha.
• yiii. rather chilly afternoon to be heading to KI (took me a few seconds to remember that it’s not PKI anymore)… i object to fall showing up so suddenly.
• Sooooo cute hearing the 2-yo say, “longganisa.” Speaking of which, toast + longganisa + white cheddar. Pretty awesome breakfast to start off a day of… getting-ready-for-the-school-year-cleaning… >.<
• Advanced Asian is now available on Blackboard… Looks like my class isn’t that small after all!! There’s nine of us, and I know half my class off the top of my head =) Hahaha. Schweeeett.
• Dear Wheelock’s Latin,Welcome back into my life and back onto my shelf. It’s been a perfectly glorious near-decade without you. I hope that, both of us being much more mature this time around, we’ll have a little more success at being chums.Most Sincerely,
  ais
• Tomorrow’s going to be a good day. A making-limoncello, coffee-with-the-guys, Scripture-Study-and-hot-cider kind of day. It’s going to be excellent.
• Stepped out of my room into the hallway and 21 Guns is playing from somewhere in the house. I think I’d forgotten that song existed…
• pre-fall-quarter coffeeeeee with some pretty awesome people =) — withEmma Schrantz and 3 others.
• Resurrecting super awesome CREDO vids for Minister Marv and Philip G. Cohen - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG8xVHNFEMcP.S. Catherine Bare is the one wearing green in this one -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTuHV8v7P1g
• goodbye summer, hello junior year. first summer off in almost a decade… last summer off for the rest of my life? lol. see ya’ll at 4:45 in the morning, yo! back to being up before the sun.
• a) two words for you, Alice Swadner: Beet. Salad.
  b) Michelle Johnson if you were in town, we’d be hanging out every single thursday because on thursdays i’ve got four hours of downtime just ten minutes away from your house.
  c) it’s an incredibly good thing when one gets up at 0445 and at 1600 is totally looking forward to work being the best and most enjoyable part of one’s day, isn’t it?
  d) unless of course, one intends to have coffee and chit-chat tons and tons with Stephanie Boertlein =)
• Dear UC Asian Student Welcome organizers-who-want-to-know-what-the-Asian-Students-in-question-hope(d)-to-get-out-of-attending-said-Welcome,Knowing the size of last year’s graduating class and what percentage of it was Asian is not going to get me a 4.0 this quarter.I am not asking for an Asian posse. All I want is just -one- college Kuya who is -actually- Pinoy and wears a Scapular, is totally up for a jamm session or a Bourne marathon or Jet Li’s Fearless anytime, will teach me breakdancing and how to use a balisong, will practice arnis and chako with me, and who will speak to me in anything but English 50% of the time.Thanks for wasting two hours of my life that I’ll never get back.ais
• hay nako! TARAY!! kung pwede lang umiyak… >.< but then one becomes more conscious of the many angels who constantly and consistently go out of their way to keep one smiling. on a better note, i might have to help pacs clean the basement before the next potluck just so jason and i can throw stars =)
• Would any of you like to come with me? — with Sylvia Ulmer and 20 others.
• this is my prayer in the desert when all that’s within me feels dry, this is my prayer in my hunger and need; this is my prayer in the fire, in weakness or trial or pain; there is a faith proved of more worth than gold, so refine me, Lord, through the flame; this is my prayer in the battle; all of my life, in every season, You are still God; i have a reason to sing, i have a reason to worship… this is my prayer in the harvest when favor and providence flow, i know i’m filled to be emptied again, the seed i’ve received i will sow…
• ‎Stef OfhfsPaco Josemaria Phttp://gizmodo.com/5843884/when-you-drop-a-slinky-it-floats-in-midair-like-magic
• GOT IT. =) Enjoy. (He speaks a little fast and skips a line, but I hope you’re able to follow… lol) — with Nate Eckman and 7 others.
• Tricky Chris we’re making beef rendang in class tomorrow =)
• heading into an 18-hour day entirely devoid of any breaks of any sort on 4 hours and 52 minutes of sleep is probably not a good idea. we’ve established that i’m insane, yeah? well, here goes the sleep part. or, you know, the lying awake until 3 waiting for the adrenaline to wear off part. i think i’ve half forgotten why i do this to myself…
• end day 39… natapos rin sa wakas…

October

• home from day 40…. yay teamwork =) oh no adrenaline >.< here’s to some kill bill tonight :P
• pizza… beer… downton abbey… WIN ^_^
• three pages into this lab analysis thingy. whew :/ today was a YAY-for-super-Kuyas Steve Leisring & Josh Monroe school day =) fetal duck eggs and kusari fundo and common sense and ♥ and bear hugs are a perfectly wonderful way to precede a work week.
• WOOT.
• i have pics with steffy and brad & brad and steve. why do i not have a pic with brad -and- steffy -and- steve? this is a problem. it is extraordinarily frustrating. similarly, i have pics with nate and michelle & michelle and kit, but no picture with nate -and- michelle -and- kit. i object.
• yay! chem exam 1 completed early = half an hour of free time… to try and finish this lab analysis. lol.
• rediscovering music while completing lab analysis (i’m on the last question… yay!) Tricky Chris i found… red jumpsuit apparatus’ your guardian angel. hahaha haven’t played -that- in ages.
• mother made me pork adobo for my breakfast and lunch tomorrow. Brad BresslerJosh Monroe be jealous.
• OH SNAP. the first thing i’m going to tell ricky bobby when i get to work tomorrow is that i found a joseph shirt. http://www.totally-catholic.com/catholic-kids-apparel/157WYH-J.htm WIN
• ‎”Mom, tan buy me weapons?” (Mom, can you buy me weapons?) – the two years, nine months, and eight days old boy in this house
• ‎*sigh* i REALLY need to restring the 12-string before next sunday…
• people asking what i do in my free time = … me making a video of practicing with nunchucks while listening to taylor swift…
• Imagine you’re Walt Disney; all Disney characters have been inspired by people you know. Look at your profile and fill in the first 10 friends that show up. NO CHEATING!
  1. Tarzan: Joe Blocker (see screen shot)
  2. Scar: Redd Velasco
  3. Scuttle: Kayla Kornrumpf
  4. Dopey: Anthony Webb
  5. Tinkerbell: Gabe D.
  6. Robin Hood: Minister Marv
  7. Fairy Godmother: Jon San Miguel
  8. Prince Charming: MaryAnn Ridenour
  9. Lady: Elvin Tolentino
  10. Minnie Mouse: Ben Wurth
• five-page lab analysis… or a ridiculous amount of latin translation and parsing. one or the other -must- be completed tonight before the adrenaline wears off. i truly enjoy and adore both instructors, but the timing on this latest latin assignment is perfectly horrendous.
• ~ i’m so sorry i’ve been so down / i started doubting things could ever turn around / and i began to believe that all we are is material / it’s nonsensical ~
• bumping into an old enemy/stalker – as in, from three years back – who, within ten minutes, proves that they are just as keen on stalking as they ever were, is a perfectly valid reason to order one’s birthday weapons five months early. i HIGHLY object to this most unwelcome and completely unexpected meeting.
• Let nothing
  disturb you;
  nothing frighten you.
  All things
  are passing.
  God never changes.
  Patience
  obtains all things.
  Nothing
  is wanting
  to him
  who possesses God.
  God
  alone suffices.

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
yours are the eyes through which Christ’s compassion
is to look out to the earth,
yours are the feet by which He is to go about doing good
and yours are the hands by which He is to bless us now.

• Tricky Chris, Alvin Lokoh learning SPEAR for one of my classes, plundering Bagsakan using this and Audacity and PD for my midterm project =) weeeiiirrdd stuff. but fun. http://klingbeil.com/spear/
• it don’t hurt like anything i’ve ever felt better / this is no broken heart / no familiar scars / this territory goes uncharted
• prep sheets for this friday are easyyy. because, you know, as chef yek announced to the class, i know absolutely -nothing- about filipino cuisine, particularly adobo and turon =)
• You’re in an RPG.Sword-wielding bad@$$: Kayla Kornrumpf
  Healer: Josh Monroe
  The one with the gun: Anthony Webb
  The fighter who needs no weapon: Aaron Ridenour
  Party member who can’t keep their mouth shut: Minister Marv
  Arch-nemesis: Karmela Marie Dalisay
  Mid-Boss: Kit James
  Final Boss: Brad Bressler
  Traitor: Joe Blocker
• I realized that Let It Rock and Matthew Almario are inextricably linked in my mind when I heard it for the first time in ages and ages on my way home from work tonight, and I’m not even entirely sure that I remember -why-… ??
• Should I know better than to assume that fifty-six minutes is a sufficient length of time in which to legally make it from Liberty Township to Blue Ash at 7:04 in the morning? I seriously think that’s pushing my brain cells a little too far. On a bright note, toasted batard + fresh tomatoes + mozzarella di bufala + fresh basil = best lunch & breakfast ever. Thank you, Mommy Stef =) Currently chilling at Panera to keep out of creepy high school stalker’s way.
• Tomorrow’s going to be SUPER. Pics fo sho.
• NOOOOO why can’t i register for classes?! it’s 6:08 already!!!!!! >.<
• Stef OfhfsPaco Josemaria PBong Ofhfs what i was telling you about the other week - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSzTPGlNa5U
• yessssss I’M ALIVE. win.
• ~ You lift me up when i am weak / Your arms wrap around me / Your love catches me so i’m letting go / You lift me up when i can’t see / Your heart is all that i need / Your love carries me so i’m letting go / i can see the dawn is breaking / i am feeling overtaken with Your love / You lift me up with Your love ~
• jammin’ w/ laptops midterm project complete ^_^ kudos to kuya –> kthxbai –> static vessels, where it began, specifically with lullaby… and which was then plundered and destroyed and cast aside and brought back several times over… and where it ended after all.
• it’s the child on a wedding day / it’s the daddy that gives her away / something beautiful / when we laugh so hard we cry / all the love between you and i / something beautiful / it’s the Voice that whispers my name / it’s the kiss without any shame / something beautiful =)
• i have no energy for homework while half of my face is numb.
• Chem Exam 2 complete… 10 minute break… I need something to make me laugh…It’s your WEDDING DAY!!!You Marry: Kit James
  Maid of Honor: Brad Bressler <– awkward…
  Best Man: Aaron Ridenour
  Tries to stop you: Karmela Marie Dalisay <– oh snap! why? i want to hear this story.
  Wedding Crasher: Alyssa Marie Santos
  Priest: Matthew Almario <– LOL remember when you said they tricked you into going up at CREDO? xD
  Eats all the wedding cake: Anna Marie Ridenour
  Gets way too drunk: Martha Tiffany <– LOL
  Tells embarrassing stories: Minister Marv <– somehow that seems to fit with all the pranks you’ve been telling us about
• Home! from another eighteen-hour day… Time for dinner =) ~ i am the broken, breaking seas / even my blood finds ways to bleed / even the rivers, ways to run / even the rain, to reach the sun / even my thirsty streams / even in my dreams / i am restless, i am restless / i am restless looking for You ~
• home before 10 pm on a saturday night? himala! =) mGbp.
• ~ we were so young / we had no fear / we were so young / we had just begun / a song we knew / but had never sung / it burned like fire / inside our lungs / and life was just happening / nothing lasts / nothing lasts forever ~

November

• this is tempting… - http://redditgifts.com/?inv=Mfr
• chocolate forks and ambiguity, sorries and thank yous, british accents and butter… what a night for laughs at work ^_^
• i is *happy* =)
• ais got owned by ice today >.< at least it made *some*body laugh :/ and bother adrenaline, but i really can never sleep so soon after a decent fight ^_^ yay for sparring matches and hot salty water =D and ptL for friends ♥
• i am four days behind on the 100 day picture challenge, because day 92 stipulates “Something weird in your house.” someone *else* needs to come into my house and find something for me, because i have no idea what is ‘weird’ by other people’s standards. i think everything in my house is perfectly normal.
• i wonder what it’s like for the ‘rents to be hugging the 20-yo kid and the 2-yo kid at the same time. while watching star trek. lol.
• yay for lunch with fr. geoff and marv =)
• today’s been a motion city soundtrack ~ even if it kills me kind of day. i don’t know why, but i strongly suspect that it has something to do with november.
• a new hobby = speeding mcs up to 128 bpm. lol.
• praise God for sunshine and chai soy lattes beginning a potentially seventeen hour day ~ He’s more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens / as close as a heartbeat or a song on our lips / someday He’ll call us and we will come running / and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and we’ll pray / “I want to fall in love with You”
• NOOOOOOO!!! PACQUIAO VS. MARQUEZ THIS SATURDAY AND I’M GOING TO MISS IT?!!?!?!?!?!?
• happy veterans day =) <– UC holiday <– downtown adventure with friends :D
• 100 day picture challenge is complete. now what… lol.
• steelers win AND pacquiao wins in one weekend? *schweeeeeeettttt*
• ‎”This is my world! It has more colors in it than orange and blue!” Stef Ofhfs Paco Josemaria P xD
• ‎*sigh* i thought i was past this, but i -am- freaking out about my practice practical exam on friday. why am i freaking out about cooking asian food?!?! >.<
• if i actually finish this lab analysis tonight, i’ll have zeroooo homework to do for the rest of the week… aside from any latin hw i might be assigned tomorrow. bother. lol. *so close…*
• Which time she chanted snatches of old lauds / As one incapable of her own distress / Or like a creature native and indued / Unto that element: but long it could not be…
• “Tedious? Yes. But rewarding. I don’t have to *buy* a drum machine, I can *make* one.” Stef Ofhfs guess what we’re programming in class today xD it’s AWESOME in every way possible.
• well, that was fun. the pizza never came, but that’s ok. i just had foie.
• never take a chem exam on less than four hours of sleep. how this could have been avoided, i have no idea, but don’t do it.
• hah. hah. haha. also on less than four hours of sleep, on top of a chem exam first thing in the morning, i do not recommend a dental procedure which necessitates certain restrictions and following said procedure with class and work, thus preventing one from eating anything of true substance for eleven hours and fifteen minutes straight.
• Kuya Judd, Kuya Junix, Matthew, Gabe, i’m alive. and i’m still asian. just wanted to let you know. if any of you were home, i’d offer you green curry chicken that has one green chile in it for every ounce of chicken. it’s a -little- hot. but it’s good. and cod with shrimp sauce and talong and sitaw, wrapped and steamed in banana leaves. and if there was any left, a twist on turon with butter and more brown sugar and lots of rum.
• it’s gotta be more like falling in love than something to believe in, more like losing my heart than giving my allegiance… caught up, called out; come take a look at me now, it’s like i’m falling… it’s like i’m falling in love.
• with my eyes closed, all i see is the skyline through the window, the moon above you and the streets below…
• ehhh. 99% on my second latin midterm. is it the homeschooler or the asian in me that isn’t thrilled? Stef Ofhfs speaking of which, i’m not normally conscious of it, but walking through CCM today, there are sooo many tight little groups of asians standing around chit-chatting, and i wonder why can’t -i- have a nice little group of asian friends at college to chit-chat with in my own language, too? xP fail.
• I was standing outside and thinking what a miserable morning it was, weather-wise. Then a super awesome friend smiled and asked, “Isn’t it nice?” and indicated the rain. There was truly no better way to spend this stormy morning than at MCI, wandering around and catching up with several of my favorite people. God is so good =)
• Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience: Bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another. Even as the Lord has forgiven you, so do you also. But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body: and be thankful.
• Jet Li’s Fearless always makes me weep. Like, really weep. Hehe, poor mom, outnumbered by the entire family in choice of Thanksgiving movie xD
• what can i say? life is beautiful.
• it’ll be weird walking into work and saying “good morning” instead of “good afternoon.” if it were mci ops, i’d be dishing out and happily receiving good morning hugs, but i don’t think we’re quite there yet. or not even close. oh well. so, not that i went black friday shopping, but…1. Riding the electric horse at the door: Nick Irvin
  2. Playing with Bopit and losing: Marybeth Themann
  3. Checking the prices of every item surrounding the aisle price scanner:Anna Marie Ridenour ms. math education major
  4. Trying to get out of the Power Wheels: Redd Velasco
  5. Trying to get in the electric Barbie Convertible Mustang: Ken Byers*like*
  6. Riding the Lime Green Big Wheel down the Barbie Aisle: Stephanie Boertlein
  7. Shooting people with a Nerf Gun by accident: Minister Marv oh you would
  8. Pressing the button on All the Crying Baby Dolls: Martha Tiffany
  9. Sitting in the Fisher Price Play House: Amy Walsh
  10. Staring into space, wishing they were a Toys R Us Kid: Matthew Almario
• recycling scrap paper is great. when i print out music and such that i need for Mass every week, i discover old pre-calc worksheets, prep sheets, research papers i’d forgotten i’d written, class notes, scribbles…
• YEEEK!!! I have TWO teenage brothers!!!! LOL =) Happy Birthday, Migi :D :D :D
• Straight No Chaser in cinci on 12/14???? not fair!!!!!!!!!!!
• grit-your-teeth-and-bear-it, can-i-just-cry-now-that-it’s-all-over days make this little girl more ridiculously anxious than usual for kuya-time. in five more weeks? Brad Bressler Steve Leisring

December

• At 12:54:38 am, I turned 11 martian years old. Throwing spikes and steel cards are on their way to my house, among other things. Ftw.
• adv asian practical final….!!!! on five hours of sleep…. plus work afterwards. wish class of 2014 the best ^_^ we’re gonna need it…
• home from day 73…
• ROTFLWTIME mother came into my room, i showed her my weapons, and she tried to throw them at my abused-when-i’m-angry wall. she didn’t throw them hard enough, so they just bounced, but so much for not making any more holes xD fail.
• ~ they say that things just cannot grow / beneath the winter snow / or so i have been told / they say we’re buried far / just like a distant star / i simply cannot hold ~
• Dearest Wheelock,
  It’s been a long time since 5th grade. My older, more mature, and more appreciative self wishes to declare the deep and sincere affection that I have developed for you over the past ten weeks. While I firmly intend to never allow my love of Latin to be sullied by being made to read from you out loud and pronounce everything classically as opposed to ecclesiastically, I am going to keep you and study the rest of you on my own time at home.
  Cheers,
  Ais
• revisiting Mat Kearney’s City of Black and White…
• home from day 75 at… 23:47 >.< it was a mat kearney kind of day… and then it was a death cab for cutie kind of night. *sigh*
• me: i need to make rum balls.
  mom: you’ll need rum, we don’t have any. *lists stores* go get rum.
  me: mom… i can’t get rum for another three months…
  mom: oh. right.part of me’s grateful to be sitting down for a change at this time of day… part of me would rather be headed to work than to a chem final. pfffft. well, here goes nothing!
• considering that all my other finals this quarter were agreeable, i suppose there had to be one that made me feel like –> “i am tired and hungry and totally useless.” pG for Mass tonight, i reallyyy needed it.
• Michelle Eric Nate Kit i’m having trouble keeping it all straight in my head; who is coming home when and leaving again when, please?
• ‎Garry has backstreet boys stuck in my head. *BLAH*
• bleh. 32/36 on the adv asian practical and 90/100 on the written. i want my grade report already!
• 0045 ~ just got home. end week 21. i work with some pretty crazy amazing people. and their hugs make everything better. ^_^
• i don’t know why the chronicles of prydain suddenly popped into my head.. but there you go.
• DARK CHOCOLATE KIT KAT?!!??! oh. my. gosh. WIN.
• totally doing the reddit secret santa every year from now on. this was so much fun!!!
• can You hear when we call? / there, where we fall / standing, our backs against the wall / top of our lungs / hallelujah / where pain and love bleed into one… take these broken streets / take these broken dreams / hold my hand…
• Daddy’s bday today, and Mom and Dad’s 22nd anniversary ♥ Mass and brunch with the fam before work :D :D :D
• 0027 ~ home from day 80. my peace offering was rejected. fail. oh well. Anna Webb + Anna Moi + Adam Cronstein = too much fun. *clears throat*
• perfectly, perfectly lovely saturday, spent with perfectly wonderful people. life is so beautiful. mGbp.
• i close my eyes and go back in time / you were just a child then, and so was i / we were so young, we had no fear / we were so young, we had no idea / that nothing lasts forever / nothing lasts forever / you and me together / were always now or never / can you hear me?
• “The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between.” -Mother Teresa
• take all of your so-called problems / better put ‘em in quotations / even if your hands are shaking / and your faith is broken / even as the eyes are closing / do it with a heart wide open / say what you need to say ♥
• need a laugh? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jdWH9N-JXI
• ♥ Michelle ~ Eric ~ Kit ~ Jared ~ Bob ~ Anna ~ Adam ~ Doug~ Sami ♥
• day 83 = meh.
• it just wasn’t meant to be ~ “i am tired and hungry and totally useless”
• ~ And in fine, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, being lovers of the brotherhood, merciful, modest, humble: Not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing: for unto this you are called, that you may inherit a blessing. ~ mGbp
• http://youtu.be/W7rizCzkeNI oh, the things that amuse this household. =)
• MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D
• ♥ Happy Birthday, Mama Prosperidad ♥
• Tricky Chris Alvin Lokoh http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkOKCWDJ4iA
• just introduced my family to ice wine. win =)
• HYPED for Avengers and Retaliation. but Ghost Protocol was aiight xD
• jamm session with mommy, ninong, and unc =)
• sosososooooo anxious to see Stephanie and Brad. Stevebetter not have forgotten he promised, too.
• Nino-boy is threeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!! Mass and brunch with the fam to celebrate before work =)
• “eggnog will turn pepper into chocolate mint” – chris yards ~ day 87 lolz
• the plan *was* to get as much sleep as possible before this thirteen-, fourteen-, maybe fifteen-? hour shift, but my inner alarm clock isn’t in sync with my phone, thus depriving me of at least an hour of much-needed sleep. well, here goes nothing. HAPPY NEW YEAR! off to day 88. i’ll be home in 2012. <3 For Who You Are ~ Hillsong United ~ mGbp <3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU7D369avGI

It’s going to be a heckuva long month. And we’re all either going to hate each other at the end of it, or we’re going to come out stronger for it. I sincerely hope and pray for the latter.

I have my new cat keychain on my keys and I’m pretty sure everyone thinks I’m crazy. I mean, I know I’m crazy, but it’s interesting when other people start to discover it. The comments I get are hilarious. Zach was asking Jared if he still yelled at me, and was saying that he wouldn’t be yelling at me if he were in Jared’s position, what with all the crazy illegal sharp pointy things I possessed. (Of course, he didn’t phrase it that way, but you get the idea.) Jared replied that he just didn’t care. I started telling Zach that Jared was a very nice person. Jared made faces.

We were supposed to have a 7-top and a 12-top in at 8. The 7-top became a 5-top that required special instructions on a significant percentage of their order. I was listening to the ticket being called, and we were all pretty much waiting for a dish that was not to be altered in some way. I was also told that they spent some $500+ tonight, so ok [I guess] but it was rather comical…

Anna: Seat 3′s getting [...] and stone bass-
Jared: As is? Stone bass as is?
Anna: Yes-
Jared: Holy s-, that’s awesome. We’ll send that person out a tasting or something.

Sometimes it’s actually safe to find Jared’s sarcasm amusing. I really couldn’t help laughing.

I found plasti-dip downstairs and commented to chief that Jared dipping his finger in that might prove to be considerably more effective than the liquid bandage thingy he’d been using. Chief found that amusing, apparently, and relayed my comment to Jared. Jared came downstairs and I had my back turned, and he brought my attention to… “Ais, I brought this down for you.” “Whatsit?” “It’s a slider.” “Wait… really?” (“Aww, that’s so sweet…” – Chief) “Yeah, but I think I’m gonna take it back upstairs now that I found out you’re making fun of me.” “Wha… I wasn’t making fun!!!”

We were waiting for the 7-turned-5 top’s table to be picked up and Ricky Bobby came over to pastry and just started eating amuse. As I began to express indignation, Jared reached through the window and took a shortbread cookie. “What? I’m starving,” in response to my face.

The 12-top had left a canadian number with the reservation and we couldn’t call to confirm. They never showed up. That did not help anyone’s moods, but Jared still isn’t that grumpy, or at least I don’t think he is. He came over and piped the mimosa for half of my amuse, hand-whipped the cream for my one special order of blueberries and cream, and was rather mild about it on the whole. Right before Ricky Bobby started eating amuse, I’d been saying to Jared that I just wanted him to start smirking or smiling or something. He wouldn’t, but then when I turned to discover Rob eating the amuse, Jared poked me with the metal spatula through the window. My ‘ow’ got a laugh out of him, so I was satisfied.

Rob and Sam suddenly asked me if I remembered what the 7 deadly sins were, and I named five without looking, but I missed envy and anger. That got us talking about X and Moeller and retreats and the new translation and whatnot. Good talk =) What do they teach at Catholic schools, though?? I referred to the Church as the Bride of Christ and neither of them understood me; I had to explain, and they said they’d never heard of the Church referred to in such a way in 12 years of Catholic school. We were also chit-chatting about Cinci State and I was telling Rob his term schedule between now and August and everyone was just shaking their heads at me.

See, I still cut myself on everything that isn’t sharp and shiny and pointy. I was helping unload stuff today as soon as I walked in, and I found that the back of my right pointer finger was bleeding. What the heck?! I hadn’t even opened my knife kit yet. Or even taken my coat off and put my hair up.

Jared: What time are you coming in tomorrow?
me: What time do you want me?
Jared: … 1.
me: Are you sure?
Jared: … Noon.
me: Are you sure??
Jared: … Yes.
me: 11?
Jared: … No.
me: 11:30?
Jared: Nah.

12/08 00:21 ~ 11+ hours

Today was perfectly nice, up until the last hour, hour and a half, maybe. But I am determined to focus on what was good about the day, I admit to being more than slightly disgruntled upon arriving at home – still. We can record all the fun things and spend the rest of Thursday letting go of the rest, ready for a new shot at things on Friday.

Yeah, Jared gave me the day off. I have my chem exam in the afternoon/early evening, but I meant to come in to prep still and Jared said it wouldn’t be necessary. He was given opportunities to rescind that, but there you go. And since we’re on the subject of Jared…

He took a piece of broken shortbread, and as he was on his way upstairs, I demanded to know if he’d eaten two already, because when Ricky Bobby brought my sheet trays of shortbread down, I immediately noted that two were missing. Jared half choked – he hadn’t quite gotten the broken piece into his mouth yet at that point – and replied “no” with his mouth full, everything about his facial expression, posture, and overall manner indicating the exact opposite. I suppose I ought to have let it go at that, but I didn’t, and I managed to get him to admit later that he had, though he insists that they were broken and that was why he ate them. Hmph. I still haven’t decided whether or not to believe that one.

I suppose we must make allowances, however, because Jared was nice enough to say that the tray of tarts Sami and I made did look nice. Apparently however, by contrast, I’m not allowed to pay compliments without being under suspicion.

Wednesday started out in the freezer, hunting for stuffed dates. It was worse than Receiving because the fan was blowing right in my face, and I haven’t found a temporary off-switch. Jared must have thought I was taking way too long in that freezer or something, because he did eventually join me in my search, the result of which was that neither of us could find any already-stuffed dates, sooo I just made some more.

Zach was with us again, and he will be also on Friday and Saturday. Clearly I didn’t punch him enough today, because at the very end of the night, when everyone else in the kitchen was already gone including Bang and the FoH were cleaning up upstairs, Matt brought down a very-nearly-full container of shortbread. And I’d had Sami make more because I thought we needed it! Ridiculous.

Still, aside from that tiny spot of annoyance, having Zach around again is tons of fun. It struck me more recently that he’s a bit like Migi at times… like he pushes the joke a bit too far. It feels practically disrespectful to be amused at all the things he says that come back to Jared being old. But then again, while I was breaking open boxes of bread to store in the freezer yesterday, Jared and Chief were there talking about who would be around to work this week, and Jared did refer to all of us as, “the kids,” individually and collectively in a number of sentences. So I suppose it all evens out in some sense, despite Jared’s insistence that we not call him ‘sir.’

Anyway, I was shaking my head at Zach because he had the dip out, he offered me some again, and I punched him for it this time. That got him and Sam talking…

Zach: Ow! Geeze. You have really pointy knuckles, Ais.
me: Good.
Sam: Doesn’t she?? Her elbows are really pointy, too; they hurt.

I do not recall ever elbowing Sam, but ok. Something something about me not needing my cat keychain with knuckles and elbows as pointy as mine.

Oh! Oh! I completely forgot to mention that it has been discovered that JRod is allergic to pistachios. I do not mean this maliciously at all, mind you, but WIN. He can’t make ‘broken’ comments to me and Jason anymore. Or so I would hope. Anyway, Zach nonchalantly offered Jared pistachios as he was passing by. It was highly amusing.

Fail on introducing Zach to Sami; she whipped cream and I told her to give it to Zach, and she goes, “Who’s Zach?” He was standing on the other side of me.

Honestly, I like Sami better and better the more I get to know her, and I’m really excited about working with her. I think we scared people with all of our laughing today, though, and I wonder if we won’t be allowed to work together anymore… Haha. She’s so funny, and she had the same impression that I did when I met all of the guys; I told her how, when I first saw them all on the line, I thought they could all be in a rock band or something. They just look like those kind of guys. To be fair, Steve does play the drums and did play in bands, and Jason used to do some computer music editing, but all the other guys just look so and aren’t. She agrees. She also agrees that we work with an incredibly good-looking set of guys, though we differ slightly in opinion as to which is more good-looking than another. It’s the sort of conversation I’d have with Marybeth, perfectly platonic, and completely sincere in our admiration. Haha, and Sami catches all the little facial expressions that I’ve been catching and keeping quietly to myself, because no one in the FoH is around quite enough to watch as closely; now I have someone that I can talk to and smile over them with.

Ah, that was what I forgot to blog about last week… I wore my Space Jam shirt, and pretty much everyone had something to say about it. Sam’s was the best – “Ais, can I have that shirt?” (“Absolutely not.”) Jason’s was close in second, something about remembering having Space Jam stuffed toys and such when he was little.

Today, I wore my Josh Groban shirt, and I don’t think I’ll ever do that again, because I’m going to get very annoying comments every time I do; it has been promised to me.

Matt and Garry were being particularly annoying and wouldn’t let up with their teasing. Combined, I think they’re turning out to be worse than Yards, which I would never have thought possible.  I made the mistake of appealing to Jared; his comment was that I was a really easy target.

Jared was running through Chef LaSorella’s way of making mousse with me for the dark chocolate mousse we were to send upstairs tonight, and I really wasn’t thinking at all and made a very pointless comment. See, for some reason, our mixer can go really fast if you take the time to bring it up level-by-level, but it only goes up to about half speed if you just crank it up all the way in one go. I was watching the mixer and not thinking and said out loud, “It can go faster if you bring it up slowly.” “I know, Ais,” was the very quiet reply. I did feel absolutely terrible and apologized profusely, but nothing was said. Later, however, upstairs, Chief wanted 20 chocolate cups and was telling Jared to cut off the plastic container at 20 cups. I didn’t quite catch what Chief told him, but Jared replied, “There’s five in each row, so I’m going to cut it here, and that will give you 20.” Chief gave him a reply and a look very similar to the one Jared had given me. “Jared, that was like my mixer comment.” Jared glanced very briefly sideways. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I left and cracked up once I’d made it ’round the corner.

I’m very optimistic about Friday. I mean, c’mon? Sami and Yards and Jason and Zach in one place? It’ll be a matter of keeping my head.

12/09 23:06 ~ 9.15 hrs

Hah! I am not alone. Steve also uses his server’s apron from Dining Room class. WIN.

I was greeted today with the story of Steve’s car, which died on his way to work. His aunt had to drop him off and his mom was waiting with his car for it to be towed. What makes the whole thing even more annoying/amusing is that Steve was called on to drive stickers over to the catering halfway through service and took Ricky Bobby’s car. Ricky Bobby was let off work early, but he couldn’t leave.

Jason was wearing glasses today. Seriously, Jason reminds me soooooo much of Gabe, it’s not even funny. He and Gabe have similar features, similar mannerisms, similar phraseology… and now seeing Jason for the first time with glasses on reminded me of the first time I saw Gabe wearing them. Their glasses are even the same shape! I’m finding that it’s not really possible for me to get over how alike they are. If they were to be in the same room and I had my back turned, I might not know one’s “Ho-ho!” from the other. And the first time Jason faked a lisp, I did a double take, it was Gabe spot-on. How do these things happen???

A few weeks back, some conversation was taking place over on the other side of the wall which implied that Jared was isolated in some manner. “Nobody loves me,” he’d stated dryly. “I love you, Jared!” I’d called out. I was ignored. “Nobody important loves me,” Jared amended. Jared usually throws dessert tickets at me when he gets to them before I do, and they flutter everywhere. Tonight, he handed Sami the dessert ticket. I didn’t say anything, but I must have unintentionally looked as if I might, because Sami said, “He’s nice to me because I’m new.” “You’re nice to me,” was Jared’s comment. 

Also, Jared had told me that I would be watching Sami do all the plating tonight because she would be on pastry by herself tomorrow. “Where am I tomorrow?” I asked, and I daresay I asked cheerfully. “You’re fired,” was the crushing reply. I stopped and went ’round the corner to ascertain that it was a joke. I was received with an aggravated expression and a very provoking, “What do you want now?” I went back to amuse with my head down. “So should I just walk out now?” Sauciness is not my forte. “What?” “You said I was fired. Shall I walk out now or what?” “It was a joke, Ais.” “I couldn’t tell.” “Oh, well.”

Then again, after the you’re-fired joke, I fed the other three guys on the line bread ends, and I suppose I did exclude Jared, but not intentionally with regards to the feeding, I was just keeping my head down and trying to stay out of his way for the first half of service. I guess I’ll consider it pax that he hand-whipped cream for me again and said my dessert tasting looked good.

Sami and I were laughing again. Not nearly as much as Wednesday, but we had a decent amount of fun, enough to get me through the night very comfortably coupled with hugs from Garry and Yards. I object to Garry getting Backstreet Boys stuck in my head, though.

So Steve made some 200+ chicken roulades today. I switched places with him so that he could have the whole longer back table for that, and I ended up chopping white chocolate next to Jason. Jason always asks, “Ooo, is there some extra of that?” and grabs a piece before I can say anything whenever I’m chopping white chocolate. Sam does the exact same thing, and Ricky Bobby will, also, occasionally. Anyway, today, I actually made it through half the chocolate before Jason said anything, and when he finally did, I couldn’t help laughing; I’d just been waiting for it and he took forever.

I was all over the place tonight. I was training Sami on pastry, helping Sam occasionally on garde, and helping/being trained by Jason on middle. Ricky Bobby left first, and then Jared said that either Sami or I had to go, and whoever went tonight would stay late tomorrow. I didn’t want her to be the one staying late tomorrow – she’ll already have enough on her mind starting pastry out on her own – and so I came home early for a change and I’m all ready for a very possibly near-12-hour shift tomorrow.

Speaking of which, I think I ought to hit the sack.

12/11 00:47 ~ 13.04 hrs

It wasn’t the best end to the week. I guess that’s ok. We had a pretty decent week, so I guess we had to have one day where our nerves were sorely tried. I’ve never heard Steve curse so much in one day. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever heard Steve curse at all, which is possibly why I noticed.

Dad and Yena needed to drop me off an hour earlier than JRod had originally intended for me to be there, but it turned out to be sort of a good thing, because Sami and Jason were a couple hours late due to traffic and the Reindog parade. We were all ridiculously harried; on top of having nearly 80 on the books, we had to put out two caterings, each one with counts not much smaller than our anticipated number of covers, not to mention we were starting service at 5 and were supposed to have 50+ come in before 6:45. And I’d been given to understand that there had been three more caterings that had been canceled.

All that in mind, I suppose allowances must be made for the general grumpiness all around. And yes, I’ll admit to my thoughtlessness in having started prepping the chopped salad before the brownies and the tarts before the mousse, fine, yes, Jared was perfectly right in reprimanding me for all that, and no, I didn’t hear a single word of reproach when we had to 86 the salty caramel gelato and put a very late count up for the white chocolate raspberry and he would have been perfectly right to upbraid me for those things also, and I’m still eternally grateful and admire and respect him terribly for his endless patience with me, but… oh, it just wasn’t a good day for getting along with JRod. I’m sure he was as tired of me as I was of him by the end of the night. Still, I was pleased to observe that Sami was able to make Jared smile, since I was failing so miserably.

For a bit there, it felt as if JRod was absolutely refusing to find anything I said or did amusing. He accidentally said ‘Greg’ when he meant ‘Garry’, and I was cracking up behind the corner, but when I came ’round to inquire incredulously as to the mistake, the half-smile dropped from his face and he gave a little roll of his eyes, pursed his lips and turned away.

Ok, ok, so I was giving Jared attitude by the end of the night, starting about half an hour before he left and continuing well past his departure. “Ais, want to start doing proteins?” “I dunno, Jared; do I?” “Yes.”

Ricky Bobby brought down crab.

Rob: Here.
me: What???
Rob: Did you already do crab? It’s from Jared’s station. He forgot to send it down, so make sure you yell at him.
me: Bleh.
Rob: What?
me: I don’t… feel… like yelling at JRod.
Rob: No, you yell at him, and you yell at him good and hard.
me: Yeah right.

Strangely enough, Jared said goodbye very loudly and pointedly, which I ignored completely, though usually I’m the one to say goodbye when I actually manage to catch Jared leaving; he prefers to disappear without a word and I find out by noting that I haven’t seen him for a while and asking the servers if he’s gone. It’s whatever, I guess. I meant to put it all out of my mind, but Jared texted me at 23:48 to tell me to make sure that the space heater downstairs got turned off. I went down and unplugged it to be sure, but I was miffed. How did he know I’d still be at work nearing midnight? He knew it would take me that long to cryo-vac all the tuna and burgers on top of all the usual proteins and empty the fish tubs of old ice and ice them down with new ice? Yeah, great. I really couldn’t resist texting back, “Done, sir.”

Breakdown of me’s-to-blanks: I always get along with Steve. I always get along with Jason. I get a little annoyed at some things Sam says, but we generally get along just fine, and in fact, I think we’ve grown considerably closer just in this past week. I was pretending to be all annoyed at Sam eating things off of my board [no differently from any of the other guys, of course] and he just grinned and said, “Love you, too, Ais.” I think Sami and I will be fine, too. Jared and I are up and down and I just can’t keep up with his mood swings; I bet he thinks I’m just plain ridiculous. Ricky Bobby and I are constantly sarcastic with each other, but I enjoy it immensely even if he doesn’t. Amanda and Anna Moi and Anna Webb and Adam are just awesome all the time. Matt and Garry are merciless when they’re in the mood to tease, but they’re generally agreeable no matter how harried we all get. Doug is similarly merciless, but not similarly agreeable when he’s not in a good mood; he’s fun when he’s happy and intolerable when he’s crabby. Greg and John try my patience, the latter more than the former, but I still try to avoid unnecessary conversation, and while the latter has learned to stay somewhat out of my way, the former has yet to get a feel for when to speak to me and when to stay out of my way. My board is not for leaning on and chit-chatting, especially when I’m trying to work a cheese plate, ok?

*sigh*

Ok, ok, moving on. Let’s talk about some good stuff. Highlights of my night… let me see. Hugs from Anna, Amanda, Garry, Doug, and Jason. Silly Doug objected to my hugging everyone; something about supposing he was special, to which Garry replied that his hugs were better than Doug’s. Frankly, they are; they’re considerably more friendly and less creepy. Rotfl, I use creepy lightly. If it were really creepy, I wouldn’t be putting myself in such a position. And yes! Hugs have made it into the BoH, courtesy of Jason ^_^ He was wearing glasses again today and looking too much like Gabe. When JRod and Rob get grumpy and Sam starts saying irrationally angry things, Jason and Steve are like fresh air in an incredibly stuffy room. It’s the little things… Steve being so calm and soft-spoken most of the time, it’s contagious… Jason coming over and randomly sharing the times for perfectly seared tuna, pointing out the sinew, explaining its placement to Sam and myself… the two of them testing me on First Growths… I think it’s the way they find and make time to make work more than just work. They just have a gift for it. Even just the way Jason starts conversations. Last night, after he’d packed up and changed and was all ready to go and I was still cry-vac-ing stuff, it was, “Hey. Not to interrupt your singing, because it’s lovely, but have you checked out Regina Spektor?” That led to stories of how he got into her, etc. Ah, I have been informed that the way to make Jason really happy is to give him fried chicken. He was terribly distracted by the fried chicken I brought down for him before others could eat it all. In fact, his distraction was infectious. I started getting distracted when more fried chicken showed up. Maybe I was just really hungry for a change.

Haha, I was telling Sami to get ingredients together for the tart dough, and I know the recipe off the top of my head, so I was just listing off ingredients out loud because I didn’t feel like running to get my book from my knife kit.

Steve: Is that the brownie recipe?
me: No, it’s the peanut butter tart dough.
Steve: Oh, gotcha.
Jason: So what’s the flan recipe?
me: Nice try.
Jason: One of these days, I’ll get it. Steve, have you had her flan? It’s delicious.

=) I’m glad Jason likes the lecheflan so much. So do the servers; they’re always badgering me for scraps, broken shortbread pieces, mousse spoons at the end of the night… Unfortunately for them, aside from the piece of shortbread that Zach broke, the supposedly two broken pieces that Jared ate, and the one that cracked because Rob put one baking sheet on top of another and the corner of the top one was resting on a cookie, all my shortbread remained intact this week. Sorry to them, but that pleased me immensely. Still, I try to do my best by them in terms of bread ends and such. They know my system now, which is that I leave all bread ends out of under the napkin, exposed in the corner nearer their station so that they can get to it easily when they go back for short breaks. Yards is the only one who still doesn’t trust my system; he’s forever lifting the napkin to check even though I tell him there’s nothing under their for him to eat.

Speaking of which, Yards wasn’t with us tonight and I missed him. It was the sort of night that he would have been able to make better in many ways. Oh, but that’s suggestive of negativity. ANYway…

Jason’s promised to bring in samples of his senior project. I’m hyper.

There’s a ton of stuff I’m forgetting, as usual, but I’m ridiculously sleepy, so. If anything major comes up, it will be in a Week 21; Part II post.

GOODNIGHT.

Apparently I’m to know Ricky Bobby’s school calendar. What’s sad is that I do know it… JRod and Rob were talking and I wasn’t listening, I was over at the white fridge, and all of a sudden, Jared yells,

Jared: Ais! When does school end for Rob?
me: What..??
Jared: When does school end for Rob?
me: February…
Jared/Rob: Oh geeze. (Jared:) But when’s his break?
me: He’s off either the 23rd or the 24th… and then he goes back the 2nd…
Jared: The 24th is Christmas Eve.
me: I know, but that was literally what our break was like, like we got off the day of Christmas and had a ten-day-ish break. And then the term ends either the last week of January or the first week of February and he goes back a week later.

Later, downstairs:

me: Doesn’t Ricky Bobby know his own school schedule?
Jared: Nope.
me: So does that mean I’m going to have to be doing this for…

I stopped. I almost said for the next two years but I felt that would be presumptuous.

Still, Jared responded, “Yes.”

me: Ok, well, his terms will almost always end on Mondays and-
Jared: I’m just concerned about this month.
me: Oh. Well, ok then, he probably gets off the 24th-
Jared: He has a class on Wednesdays from 8 to 2.
me: Yeah, I know.
Jared: *pause* Ok, you know. So… what other classes does Rob have?
me: He has cost control on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Survey of Hospitality Careers…

Jared was standing there staring at me like I was nuts.

me: Never mind, Jared, go on upstairs.

He gave a curt nod and headed up. I double-checked CState’s sched yesterday and I was right (dare I say, ‘of course’?), and I texted Jared. He replied with, “Sorry.” And that was all.

I knew by the look on his face that Jared had noted that creme anglaise prep was being done a second time around on Friday, but he didn’t look like he was going to say anything right away, so I jumped the gun.

me: Yes, Jared, it happened.
Jared: What happened?
me: I was crying-
Jared: What? There’s no crying here-
me: The red onions made me cry-
Jared: And you walked away?
me: No, I did not leave the creme anglaise, but it curdled while I was crying. *pause* Jared, are you smiling?
Jared: I’m smirking, actually.

Later on Friday, nearing service time, Jason had come upstairs and opened the white fridge and was talking aloud to himself, wondering what on earth he’d come upstairs for. “Oh right, I was going to the bathroom.” I didn’t say anything, I had my head down and I was smiling to myself because I was remembering the time that Stevo had come out of the freezer and forgotten that he’d come out of the freezer with the intention of going to the restroom. I didn’t make a single sound! but Jason said, “Shut up, Ais!” in response to my face, and then, not half a second later, after I’d glanced up in [silent] indignation, “No, wait, sorry, I didn’t mean that; don’t shut up, things would be really boring if you did.” Yards found me staring in bemusement at the door.

Yards: Who’s in there?
me: Hm?
Yards: Is Jason in there?
me: Yeah.
Yards: What did he do to you?
me: What?? Nothing!
Yards: Then why are you like that?
me: Nothing, he said something weird…
Yards: What did he say??
me: It… wasn’t anything.. whatever.

I was leaning against the corner next to the ticket station, it’s become one of my preferred places to stand when we’re all waiting; the point is, there I was, minding my own business, and Matt came and bumped into me on purpose. I punched him for that, but he kept bumping into me on purpose all night long. He also came around the corner later with a rubber band. “You know what’s worse than getting hit by a rubber band? The anticipation of getting hit with one.” I was shielding my face. Didn’t happen, of course, but I’m proud to say that soon afterwards, he was standing behind me, Yards was making a face as if he was scared for me, and Matt flicked it right next to my ear and I didn’t even flinch.

Speaking of rubber bands, I couldn’t help laughing when Jared flicked a rubber band at Bang the other night to get his attention, because he had his earbuds in and the music up so loud that he didn’t hear Jared saying his name and asking for a rinse.

Garry complains that when Yards is around, I don’t pay any attention to him. That is a lie, but he just wouldn’t let up. I was standing at the aforementioned corner facing everyone on the line as well as Yards and one of the other servers, and Garry came ’round the corner with, “If you could just stop staring at Yards for five seconds, Ais, and help me out here…”

I suppose it’s because I’m the girl, and on top of that, the youngest, and on top of that, the shortest [in the kitchen]. So I get picked on and teased and whatnot. I’m just grateful that all of it makes me laugh rather than getting me worked up.

Jared had said last week that I oughtn’t get used to his seemingly being in such a good mood of late, because of how crazy things are becoming with the season and how grumpy it’s going to make him. That being said and noted, I comment on it now. “It’s nice to see you smiling, Jared.” “It’s nice to hear you tell me when I’m smiling, Ais.” I still can’t decide if that was sarcasm or not. But then maybe he couldn’t tell if I was being sarcastic myself.

Snap! I have to tell Bradley that his prediction has not come true; somewhat close enough to the opposite, in fact. Jared looked up from scrubbing down the oven and asked if I was talking to him from across the window. I clarified that I was singing. “Should I stop singing?” I’d demanded. Negative, was the reply, and the tone was mild. Suits me.

I don’t think I blogged about Chief commenting on my not singing one day, and I’d pointed out that the radio was on and that I had nothing substantial to add to Journey’s awesomeness. The next day, I came in to prep at about the same time as Jason, the trash can and the sani bucket weren’t set up and the radio hadn’t been turned on yet, and Jason came over to where I was setting up and said, “Hey. I’m not going to turn the radio on, because I know how much you want to sing.” I was a bit embarrassed, and I persuaded him to turn it on eventually. “As long as you’re sure, Ais.” More recently, Jason was upstairs on a Saturday doing tapas and we weren’t on the wire yet, so I was singing at my station, and he’d come down for spoons or something. “Hey, Ais, you want to come upstairs and sing for the guests? It would be a great topping for the tapas…” which was so terribly corny [on purpose, I'm sure] that I really couldn’t help laughing. A few days later, it was, “Somebody hand Ais a microphone or something,” in passing.

Chef LaSorella had sent us Sami for a stage, and I had such a good time with her. She was in International with Steffy and Kuya Steve – I knew she looked somewhat familiar – and we ended up chit-chatting about MCI stuffs and people all night long. At some point, I was asking her what time she had gotten up Friday morning, and Jared answered before she did.

Jared: 7:30.
me: I wasn’t talking to you, Jared, I was asking Sami.

Jared made a face. I’m sure he already knew that, but since he’d volunteered it, I thought it polite to ask later.

me: So you got up at 7:30 today?
Jared: I did.

It wasn’t a very conversational tone.

me: I thought you weren’t a morning person, JRod.
Jared: I’m not.

Still devoid of encouragement.

me: Then what were you doing up at 7:30?
Jared: I was at work at 8.
me: Oh. I’m sorry.
Jared: Why are you sorry??
me: I’m sorry that you’re not a morning person but you make yourself get up at 7:30 because you have to be at work at 8.
Jared: Eh. It’s kinda nice, actually, being here in the morning.
me: Oh yeah?
Jared: Yep. It’s quiet, no one else is here… saying sorry…

I guess I set myself up for that one.

I liked Sami. I told the guys so after she’d left. “Yeah?” “Yeah, she’s lots of fun…” All of them groaned. “Oh geeze.” “Oh no.” “We don’t have fun here, Ais.”

I occasionally call Jared ‘sir’ and he’s never objected before, but on Friday, he stopped on his way upstairs and told me not to call him that. “But… why not?” “It makes me feel old.” “Oh… I’m sorry?” “Oh geeze, Ais.” Sometime halfway through service, however, I noted that Yards had called him ‘sir’, and he hadn’t said a word. I called him on it.

me: So how come Yards can call you ‘sir’ and I can’t?”
Jared: … Did he call me sir?
me: Yes!!!
Sami: He just said it, like, three times.

Jared just stared for a while.

Jared: I’m… seriously thinking as hard as I can and I just… can’t come up with… anything.

I meant to leave it at that for a bit, but it continued as I came ’round the corner.

Jared: Steve called me sir earlier and I stopped him, too.
me: Are you offended when I call you ‘sir’? I mean it respectfully.
Jared: No, I just would prefer that you not call me that.
me: Is there something else you’d prefer in particular?
Jared: ‘Jared’ works wonders.
me: No, I mean…
Yards: Ais, you work for Jared and so does Steve, but I don’t. That’s why.
me: What… what?! That doesn’t make any sense at all. You can call him sir because you don’t work for him?
Yards: Yeah… (dubiously) Why don’t you call him cheerio or something.
me: What??
Yards: Yeah. That word of respect that you have, it’s like cheerios or something. Cheerios are a breakfast cereal. Did you watch Narnia or something and just pull words out of it?
Jared: Chronicles of Narnia.
me: It’s kuya.
Yards: It sounds like cheerios.

I left. It was all too bizzarre.

Matt was there a little later, after Sami had left, and I called Jared ‘sir’ again on purpose, and without looking around at me, Jared interjects with, “You know I’m just completely ignoring you right now.”

Yards and Ricky Bobby were talking about how Jason always puts himself down or gets sarcastic with people when they compliment him, and how he needed hugs and love and mothering. It’s interesting hearing guys talk about those sorts of things. It’s not that I’m the sort of girl who supposes that they’re completely oblivious, it’s just been a long time – at least three years – since I’ve heard guys discuss similar matters amongst themselves. It makes me miss the Brothers’ Household.

Oh, Yards used the word ‘decimate’ to describe what would happen if he punched me back. I had to give him a high five for that; ‘decimate’ is a great word.

I get hugs from almost everyone in the FoH now. Mostly hi and/or goodbye hugs, but we’re picking up again – we did somewhere around 70 covers on Saturday – and a few are-you-doing-ok and keep-it-up hugs were necessary here and there for Anna and Amanda, bless them. I take it hugs aren’t a BoH thing, though.

One of Matt’s best friends who is also named Matt has come in twice to prep with us in the past couple weeks, and he asked a rather odd question while he was there prepping on Saturday. He and Jason and Steve and Sam and I were all downstairs, Rob and Jared popping in occasionally of course, but somehow it had tapered down to Matt, Jason, and myself nearing service. Jason left temporarily and Matt asked, “So how long have you two been dating?” I stopped. “Excuse me?” “Yeah.” “… Do we… act… like we’re dating??” He laughed. “Yeah, you do; that’s why I asked.” “Uhmmm, we’re not.” “Oh, well why not?” That conversation was even more bizzarre than the ‘sir’ conversation, but then not too long ago, Garry had said something to the same effect; something about him thinking I was strange for having been working with all of them for a decent number of months and not having tried by now to get a date with one of the guys.

TANGENT. I need to make myself a shirt that says, “Thanks for the blog material,” on the front and, “I’m so gonna rip you,” on the back. Ok, maybe not the back part. Not very Christian. But it would be great to wear to work.

Speaking of shirts, Chef Myatt says he’s going to get the Team Myatt shirts reprinted, and I insisted on needing one.

What I need now is sleep… four very long weeks ahead, and I still have one last exam to stress about this Thursday. YEEK. But I’m happy to say that I find the prospect of spending that much time at work rather exciting. Let’s hope it doesn’t die down too soon. Deserts and harvests, yo.