Sorry I'm late - random thoughts

It is what happens when you procrastinate. But not really, I did NOT procrastinate at all, and still somehow someway thing still end up piling up together. You know the semester is coming to an end when you seem to have so much stuff to do yet you don't even realize you have that much (?). Such was the timeline between this past saturday and yesterday, in which literally I had thing after thing to do, and all of them were due this week (sure I fit in cleaning my far and going to a Giants game, but otherwise I would go INSANE). 

So it was to my relive that last night I slept really well because all the stuff I had to do for school (and otherwise) was over with and now i can enjoy some time for myself (like sleeping without feeling like you still have hella stuff to do - it is a great feeling). Anyways you know how I said last week that perhaps this weekend might be a bad time to go to LA? It is actually a great time to go to LA this weekend, as I literally have nothing to do that is school related (thank you god). Sure there are big things still due, but heck I can do them later (that would be procrastination).

Anyways, I finally gave in to the hype and purchase an iPhone! I originally had said that as soon as Verizon get the iPhone, I will for sure get one (no way I am ditching to AT&T for its unreliable network, and no more mobile to mobile with my Verizon network friends). Now I originally plan to wait for the iPhone 5, which usually, would come out in June according to Apple's normal refresh cycle. But it is widely believe that the fifth generation device will not bow until September, and I realize I just cannot wait that long (not to mention my contract was up). Nonetheless, here I am with my iPhone 4, and OMG it is so cool!!!!

But really, curse Apple for making products that are beautiful and make sense (and curse them for being so darn expensive). You get over the sticker shock really quick after using any Apple device (I honestly should work at an Apple store). Anyways, now that I am a slave to the $30 dollar a month ("unlimited", right...) cellular data, you bet your ass I am going to use it as much as possible to get my money back (hello Pandora!). Going to use 3G as much as I can, even if wifi is available, and it drains the battery more. 

Speaking of battery, why are people so afraid to abuse it? It is ONLY a battery, a thing that powers your device. Stop treating it like its a baby (oh, I'm trying to save the battery, wait, I better turn off stuff I don't need). It is one of those things where it deteriorates by itself even if you don't use it. Besides, if you are worried about wasting your own energy bill, charge it at a public place (thank you Starbucks, campus, public library) and pilfer other people's electricity (not that I am condoning such theft, maybe...). You freaking paid for the device, use it comfortably and not worry so much about something as minor as battery life (please environmental groups, don't sue me. my friend is not a lawyer.. yet).

So did I mention I washed my car? Yes indeed, after 7 months in the elements (I wish I had a garage), I finally gave it the bath it probably did not deserve. I did not know the car and my wheels was this color! Is it something manly that if your car is absolutely filthy on the outside (not the inside, my car's inside is always clean... can't stand a dirty interior) that shows you actually use your car and not care about how it looks (probably ties in to the low maintenance factor). But you have to clean it sometime right? (once every half a year seems like a pretty nice schedule to me). Of course when the car was new I care more about how it looks, but nowadays as long as it runs fine I am okay with it looking like pulp. It is a tool after all, to get me from point A to point B. When you are as busy as I am (wait... doing what?), keeping the car clean (on the outside) is not that much of a priority.

Which is why in the future I will lease my automobiles. First of all my liability decrease dramatically, and I get a new car every two years, which is not so bad at all (ah, that toxic plastic bonding agent that normal people refer to as new car smell). Besides, you know every year some new car will always come out and you're like WOW, too bad I can't upgrade because I am still trying to pay off the car I have and I will take a lost if I trade it in (gap insurance, people, buy it). 

But of course it rains the day after I washed the car (I love you San Francisco!). Thankfully I had waxed it too (ouch, my arm), so the water just sort of sheeted off. But still... gir. 

Hey guys, who here does NOT stare at a monitor for house on end at night (crickets...). Well I recently found an app (for both Windows and Mac) that helps preserve your eyes in these situations. It is called f.lux (http://stereopsis.com/flux/). Basically it matches the color temperature of your monitor to your interior lighting at night, and by doing so it is much easier on your eyes. It takes awhile to get use to at first, but once you do, and you stare at a monitor that does not have f.lux installed, it is as if you are staring right into the sun (my retinas). Best of all, the app is FREE. So my friends who like to burn the midnight oil by perusing their computers in bed, use the program to save your eyes (because otherwise how else will you ogle at the opposite sex?)

Three more weeks of undergrad left. Expect reflection/nostalgia blogs in the coming weeks (yay...)

Black Day - random thoughts

Uh let see um don't know where to begin with this one. No Giants game tonight so kind of don't know what to do with myself really. (but don't you have studies?) No not really. I don't think it is senioritis at all (really, it is not haha), but I feel like I have not really done much at all this semester academic wise, and yet it is for certain now that I will graduate in mere five weeks from now (it is mid April already!?)

Just when I think it will be the week I finally give my car a bath, it freaking rains during the days before! It is as if the sky itself does not want me to do it. It has indeed been awhile. The mothership questions why I don't wash my car often, as back a couple of years ago I use to wash it religiously every 2 weeks, the weather be damned. But it is not because I have grown out of my automobile interest, it is just have been things to do with my time? I mean at least my interior is pretty clean! Honestly when it comes down to it cars are just appliances that gets you somewhere and through your productive day. Would I like to a drive a washed car? sure! But it is worth the effort? Eh not when I have more productive things to do - as long as the car is not falling apart of rusting haha.

Went to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Japantown this past weekend - first time in a long time. While there was not really much to see to be honest, but everybody goes for the food anyways (how could you not when there is a whole block just dedicated to food?) It reminds me of the street foods back home in Asia, where at the night blocks will be line up with just foods of all kinds, usually just small finger foods. Nostalgia and bad parking aside, it was just a good opportunity to pig out I guess on some Japanese food that is not made by that Mexican chef in the back of the restaurant.

Well I guess now is as good a time as any to gripe about gas prices again. I finally passed the four dollar threshold during my last fill up (at Costco no less!). Small efficient car not withstanding, it still hurts to have your gas bill go over $40 (those of you that drives SUV, I don't really have much pity haha). It does indeed makes you think twice about making an extra trip doing something that can be combined with another. It also makes you think of ridiculous stuff like taking out all passenger and back seats in order to save some weight (because honestly, 95% of the time its only me?). Then again it was during another blog post couple of weeks back where I said I welcome the high gas prices (in terms of the big picture for America), so I should not be complaining. You know I love San Francisco, but having the highest average pas price in the nation is just one of the side affects (like parking, street cleaning, and oh did I mention parking?)

I did not think it was possible, but I guess one can get sick of costco food. I mean you eat that pizza or hot dog often enough and it just does not taste good anymore. And costco is a such a big foods company, you would think they would have came up with more variety by now (remember when Churros went away and now came back? there used to be Pretzels?). But you know just as you are getting sick of it, you are then reminded the fact of just how cheap the food is. By that time you have no choice but resolve yourself to still patronize. Because $1.50 for a whole meal is nothing to sneeze at, even if your breathe will smell like hotdog for a few hours afterwards. You know what, new business idea - Costco food stands all over the place, and not just exclusive to Costco locations. Imagine what $1.50 hot dogs and soda will make in a place like downtown SF (that hotdog stand by Macy will probably not be happy).

I fully support restaurants posting calorie counts right on the menu. It tells me that just about 80% of the item of the menu, I cannot eat! I mean, you really going to have to at least think about it right? Seeing that meal you are about to order is 1500 calories have to people some thoughts (unless they are really hungry). But I will be honest, sometimes it is hard to put into mind that so little stuff can amount to large amount of calorie. Puts into your mind like "how the heck can this little thing be xxxx calories?". It is the eyes playing tricks on us? Perhaps we are so adapted to the visual volume of food that if it does not look like it is a lot, then even if it IS a lot calorie wise, we still won't be satisfied (it is why when I eat protein bars, even if the label say its 350 cal, I still feel like I barely ate anything). 

Case in point: this past weekend I ate at a diner for some American style breakfast and the portions where huge! I mean who the heck needs three eggs, three sausage, three strips of bacon, three pancakes, and a gang load of potatoes JUST for breakfast? (Don't get me wrong the food was fabulous). I ate like half of it and it was already more than I had wanted to eat. Had the restaurant showed the calorie count on the menu I would have passed on it and just ordered some eggs and cheese (like I would make at home, or just a bowl of oatmeal). As Chinese I was taught to eat everything that is given on the plate/bowl, so I feel extremely bad leaving half uneaten to be thrown away (because you really don't want American style breakfast for two meals in a roll, not me anyways).

Whoa times up, going to get off work soon. Until Monday.