Turning Around the Days

I am going bananas! How do I turn my day around? I slept when I got home today (at 8:30am) up until 4pm and I have been feeling so tired! I need to make a schedule. When to eat, when to jog, when to sleep. My body feels so weird and out of it. Luckily Athena was here to care for the kiddies otherwise I'd be a complete mess.

Hmmmm, I guess the cool thing about this schedule is that I am off on Friday and Saturday nights which is when staying awake would be appropriate, especially with my track record. I go home when I'm tired. So in SB, if I was out, aka at Wildcat, and I got tired, I'd just go home. There were so many nights when we'd get to our destination...Wildcat...around 11pm and by midnight I was ready to go home. And I did. The alternative was that I'd nod off in clubs, bars...ok Wildcat... and they'd ask (kick me out) to leave. Hm, we shall see what becomes of all this...

Gotta go, work in an hour!

My New Temp Job

That job, I can't say it is in the bag, but I am IN! So, I began training on Friday, did some more on Saturday, and I had my first shift by myself last night (well this morning). I am ecstatic! 

The organization that I work (this is a temporary position because the person I am covering for is on leave...after she comes back I am going to be a floater) provides services for women that are in need of housing, counseling, child care, legal services, visitation services, job placement, and so much more (I literally spent two hours online yesterday trying to memorize all the different programs they have). They also provide some services for men, youth, and veterans, but the majority of our population are women.

The shift was 12 (midnight) to 8am this morning and it was very slllooowww up until 7am. So I sit in this office that faces the front door and the lobby. I am supposed to pick up phones, buzz people in (I have to buzz people in through two different doors. Also housing is located on site), transfer calls to the appropriate staff members, and I am supposed to keep an eyeball out on what is going on (we have video cameras in 16 different locations around the premises). There is a lot of security for the women that this organization serves however we do not have an actual security guard. BUT, I kid not, if the cameras, locked doors, and a couple of other security measures fail...we have a baseball bat within arm's reach. BOOM! (and whack!).

We have a tv, radio, and computer in the room that I can use to keep myself awake...but honestly...I want to do anything that will allow me to contribute anything to the org (I don't just want to sit there!). So tonight I am going to compile a list of the things I may hopefully be able to help with... In fact I must go soon, my shift begins in 51 minutes!

In the meantime, it was Athena's birthday (yay 26!) on the 22nd so here are some pictures of our diy event:

Jeffrey baked AND decorated this delicious cake for his lovely wife (I helped transfer it, that's about it)

Athena was quite pleased with her birthday iphone! We also ordered Olive Garden and it was a merry time

We put balloons up to decorate this festivity.

Well, I will write more tomorrow. Gotta run, g'night to you!

Pugs and Jobs

So I did interview with that non-profit organization... and I am waiting for their response...but I kind of received a response?!?! I interviewed with them on Thursday and on Friday I received a message from the HR department that asked if I would be interested in the position but at a different shift (a way different shift...full time from midnight to 8am as opposed to part time from 8am to 4pm).

I thought about it a bit before I called back. I had interviewed Friday morning with a bank and I felt pretty confident about that, even though that job was not offered...but in the end I really really want to work with the non-profit...so I called them back and said I was interested and I WANT TO WORK WITH THEM. I am young, I can handle my day being turned around, I think.

Well it is Monday and they have not called me back. But I emailed them so maybe tomorrow they'll call? My fingers are super duper crossed and I am worried but excited about this... That bank also did not call back... but it is ok. It will all be ok.

In the meantime, I am posting pictures of pugs from the internet because they make me happy and they're adorable and sweet.

So cute!!!!

I ♥ pugs. 

I recently found an organization that places unwanted pugs in homes! It's called the Midwest Pug Rescue and when I am ready, they will be receiving a call from me.

I have male and female pug names picked out. I know, I know. Weird. But I do.

Well that is all for now. Good night and happy thoughts all around! 

Traveling Petting Zoo (Boo)

I do not like going to circuses that include animals. I think it is mean and I do no believe it is humane. So when Jeffrey told me he was going to take the kids to the circus and if I would like to go... I just had to say no. Then, I found out it was a traveling petting zoo. In my head I pictured us going to some enclosed outdoor field where there would be rabbits, goats, maybe some ponies. I pictured a May Day celebration with sheep. I was actually curious and I went.

It was just... bad. 

There were several animals featured that I consider exotic and this was not the right place for them. To name a few there were camels, a kangaroo, a zebra, some yaks, and even an elephant. The event took place inside a warehouse. The animals were enclosed in small spaces. There were those little vending machine things were you can buy candy next to each enclosed animal but instead of candy you could put in 25 cents and get pebble feed for the animals. It was just so sad. I don't know. I think that there are better ways for people to be exposed to the animal kingdom and this does not garner any respect for them, or us.

I tried to think about it from the standpoint of a parent. I would want my child to get to see and experience the world (places, people, animals, etc.) but this form of exposure promotes little understanding and appreciation. At one point, Jeffrey pointed out that there were animals from all over the world, and they were being fed the SAME pebbles... for our fun.

So what do we do? What do I do? There are so many causes and I feel hopeless that I can't support each one. Is my only option to donate money to an organization that promotes saving these animals' homes? I don't know. I just do not know.

King of Prussia!

Hello, ok, so after much consideration, I am going to keep that last post up as a reminder to take it easy next time and uh, not post anything so intense...instead you may be one of my "lucky" friends receiving the letter that contains such angst.

I also realized that I really need a real camera. The camera on my phone is nice when I do not have a real camera, but a real camera would be very very nice.

Anyway, King of Prussia mall. What a name right?! King of Prussia is a city, or a place?, located north of Philly that contains this huge beast of a mall (biggest one on East coast). I mean there were some stores represented more than once (they have 3 AT&T's!) and tons of coffee places and we decided to check it out the day before we went out to Baltimore. And it was interesting, not really my thing, but I am super glad I went because afterwards Jeffrey got this huge urge to get a lobster (yep, he just decided it was time to order a lobster) so we went to Red Lobster. And had a blast.

This was the lobster that Jeffrey picked out and since this guy posed with it, what the heck, the more the merrier, I took a picture of him too!

 We posed with the remains... I'm not sure why but this pose seemed appropriate...

Actually, I do know why we thought the pose to be appropriate. This is why. Hee hee.

Then we went to Baltimore the next day. And that was King of Prussia. Next on what I wanna talk about to catch up:

-that place I applied to

-poor petting zoo animals (so sad)

-NYC

And then we are caught up! Yay!

Homesick.

I woke up sick. Physically. Stomach flu or something gross like that. And I usually never get sick. Being sick has always made me feel nostalgia. Nostalgic. And nostalgia has now turned into a deep longing for home. I miss home. I want to go home. But I haven't a clue where this may be anymore. And then I am saddened.

I do not have another home. Where is this place I miss? Because I can't picture it physically. So I picture theDinglehopper's bed, with him, telling me it will be ok and I tell him it will be ok and him making me laugh as we share the ridiculousness that is us. Being in his car and turning to look at him as we curse and cruise and Santa Barbara glows in the pink hue that showers our view. My Ma's living room, with her, while Josue and I make inappropriate jokes to make her laugh and Earl smiles too. Or my Ma running her fingers through my hair. Guy Ky, but just him, because the place we used to call ours makes me sad and his new place does not include me, so just him. I miss thinking about how lucky I was when once upon a time I was in love with him and he was in love with me and damn weren't we lucky, just so damn lucky, and it is all right there in that gaze that we share. Being with my dad as we get ready to visit our family and he talks to me about his doings and I want to hear and comment and show that I care and  that in itself seals that it is fact that we do love one another and the past passed. Laughing with My Thanh on the phone and planning our next drive to see one another. Then laughing uncontrollably when we are together because we are drinking and talking and writing each other's names with hearts in the mist on the glass that represents and is the moment that we are in.

I miss them. I want them to be near. But they are not. I am not. And so I just am left with this feeling that makes me an absurd melodramatic girl. And right now, I want to run back but I wouldn't have a particular location to go to. And sirens of sadness run through me. And I miss and I long.

So here I am, missing people and moments and times. And then feeling sad that home is not over there anymore. But right here and I am lonely and sick.

Interview?

Just finished watching the Clippers lose to Boston. Such talent on this team these Clipps have...where are you guys? Come on and glue together and sparkle! Griffin did have some sweet yammies and CP3 did have a broken nose, but c'mon!

Well in other/better news:

Today I finally got a call back from one of the places I applied to! This is the only place that has actually called me back to set up an interview. I don't really want to show how excited I am for an interview, well honestly for THIS interview, but I am. It is for a weekend receptionist position at an establishment whose aim it is to empower women. I really really really hope this goes through. It would be such a cool job because I would have a job that I feel is actually contributing something to the world. And there is so much that an organization like this one could accomplish and so many different ways to do so and I just really aspire to be a part of it but I gotta be cool. Composed. A cool composed cucumber. Calm. Efficient looking. AAHHHHHH!!!! So yes, I am going to hopefully be able to receive an interview this Thursday or Friday. I missed the call today so I left a blubbering message (yikes) back on the director's answering machine AND I emailed her too... Maybe a little too nutty? Maybe a little too crazy? Perhaps. Cool composed cucumber! Breath. I haven't told my Ma or anyone else... because I am scared I won't get it. Well, Athena and Mtm know about it but that's about it. Aggghhhhh. AAAAHHHHH!!!

Ok, ok... cucumber. I was going to talk about King of Prussia today but really it is kinda late and I am going to talk about it later and I seem to be building up to it for some reason. And right now all I really have on my mind is this interview which I am super excited/nervous about... Cucumber!!!!!!!

Baltimore, Well Really, Fell's Point

Wow, every time I get on this blog...I am merely catching up...but anyway here we go: Baltimore, Maryland. Honestly, I had never been too interested in Baltimore. It never really grabbed my attention and I know absolutely nada about this city. But one Saturday we got up and except for Athena, we have never been so we decided to check it out since it is only 1.5 hours away. So here are some tidbits that I thought were important to look up on our way: Baseball team is Orioles and their football team is the Ravens and their soccer team is the Baltimore Blasts. Yep, that is all I looked up. Which later bit us...more on this later.

Baltimore is big on crabs.

(Crabs have a special place in my heart due to theDinglehopper's obsession with them)

So when we arrived, we headed right into downtown and parked by the docks. We thought that the best way to get around was on the water taxi so we purchased an all day pass. Not true, in retrospect, had we moved around in the car, we would have ended up seeing more and paying less for parking and stuff but that's ok. Angel likes boats anyway and it made him happy:

Angel was so excited each time we got on the boat. Lucky for him, several boat trips were made.

Baltimore on February 26, 2012.

We were freezing but we made the effort!

On Sundays, there is only ONE water taxi in service and there are 17 stops it can potentially make so choosing this as our main source of transportation killed us on time. Especially because we literally did not have an idea or clue about what to do or where to go. Athena suggested we find the Lexington Market because it is food bliss...but they are closed on Sundays....boo! So per the suggestion of the boat attendant we went to Fell's Point (after checking out Harbor Place which is a common tourist destination).

Fell's Point is actually a neat historic neighborhood in Baltimore that is home to a slew of restaurants and stores. It is also known to host a TON of bars. I think that if the weather were nice (it was freezing) it actually would have been fun for all of us to hang out here at a park. But our main concern was going indoors and novelty shops and bars/pubs do not heart kids so back to the water taxi we went.

Fell's Point in the A.M.

I thought this was really cute.

I have decided that Athena and I will pay this establishment a visit next time since the name kinda fits anyway (because we grew up in San Diego!).

Since, the trip to King of Prussia (agh, I forgot to write about this...will cover later), Jeffrey has been obsessed with lobster feasting. Problem: Baltimore seems to be a crab city not a lobster city. We figured that since it is a city by the ocean AND they specialize in crabs, how hard could it be to find a decent lobster? We decided to try to make this happen and ended up taking the water taxi a couple more times and making a couple more phone calls to restaurants but each time there was always some sort of issue with the lobsters...so by the end of the day we realized we had spent most of the day on the water taxi. We were cold, hungry, and the lobster mission was eventually discarded so we went to Thames Street Oyster House located in....drummers....Fell's Point! 

It was actually a really cute restaurant and it was fun picking out different oysters for Jeffrey to eat. We did decide that the next time we make a trip we will put more research into it because at the end of the day it felt like we could have explored more or seen more if we had some plan. 

I will definitely like to come back and further explore Mr. Boh (the one eyed Baltimore beer icon; why does he have only one eye?!?! Is it really because he wears a monocle (as some say) or does Gunther (former mascot competitor) really have it?), Lexington market, museums, a couple of neat bookstores that came up on my phone, and I just think it would be cool to walk around some of the neighborhoods. Definitely am making a list before I come out next time. All in all, it was a fun trip and it was in great company!

These are the oysters Jeffrey picked out from a huge list! There are like 4 different types of gooey on this platter 

My seafood salad. It looks like I am about to eat alien but sea creatures don't look like cows so yeaaaa. Included: Jonah crab meat, baby shrimp, calamari, and scallops. I definitely bit down on sand at some points though. Boo.

Fell's Point in the P.M. Love, love, heart the stone road.

So Baltimore will definitely be visited by yours truly again. Also want to attend a baseball game there. And yep, just need to go back again with a little more preparation.

Harrisburg, Philly, Jobs, Dalai Lama, Snoop Dog as a Zebra

So I arrived in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on January 10, 2012 at 10pm. I live with Athena and Jeffrey and their two beautiful kids Angel and The Marla. While Athena goes to school, I take care of the kiddies. I have never really interacted with kids this young for this amount of time... and I love it (but I think that is because I love THESE kids). The Marla is 9 months, actually 10 months now and she is learning to walk and talk. She recently started saying "Mama". She likes to climb up stairs, play with the water in the toilet, and eat. I have yet to meet anyone who enjoys eating as much as she does!

The Hughes Family (my family) on January 10, 2012

Angel is 6 years old and quite energetic. He has autism so I was initially worried that I would be a stressor for him. I was really worried about affecting him negatively. The first time we met in 2010, he pretty much ignored me (he was shell shocked with CA and the people at the time). But honestly, he is my boy. He likes to tease me and bring up his old babysitter Chio because I get "mad". Sometimes, it is hard for us to communicate but we do what we can. Everything comes down to trying to keep the same patterns and rhythms. He does test my patience at times but I think, mostly, it has to do with my general frustration with all kids...they do not think nor act like adults. And so, I am learning to be a better listener and a bit more patient. I am also learning to control my pirate mouth because Angel repeats words..."Shit Fuck" is actually not THAT cute when a 6 year old says it. Still don't know if in the future I want to have kids of my own but I will say that these kiddies have definitely set a high bar.

We took Angel to the Annual Pennsylvania Farm Show on January 13, 2012.  He loved the cows and was very gentle and respectful of them.

The Marla, aka The Insurgent, on 1/19/2012 and 2/12/2012

Since I arrived, I have also been in search of a job. At first, I was picky. But it has been dreadful. I have not gotten one single call back. So now, no pickiness. At this point, I have been applying at retail positions, but it looks like most of the hiring does not even occur until Spring. It looks like everything sort of goes into slow motion during the winter. Plus my resume isn't that great. Plus, blah blah blah. This has been freaking me out. Basically, I am a full on-shameless couch surfer. I do not contribute a dime. I am THAT friend. Mortifying. I was so inflated with my own skills I even took a trip out to Philadelphia at the beginning of February because I was so sure I would land something... but nope. Nothhingggg! Today I found an advertisement for an event decor business and one requirement is that I should have "excellent finger dexterity (for tying balloons)" AND BY GAWD, I WILL APPLY, AND THESE FINGERS SHALL BE DEXTEROUS DIGITS! P.S, It reassures me that they made sure to note what the finger dexterity will be used for.


Well since I brought up Philly... I found out that the Clippers were playing the 76ers on February 10th and I am only 2 hours away and so I brought it up to Justine, whom attends grad school in NYC, and whom I hadn't seen since 2008. The tickets were sold out but she found us some online and it was a done deal. Off to Philly we went! 


I had never visited before, but I took the bus there...found my way onto the correct subway and made it to the stadium on time. I loved Philly, I love Philly. I think I like it so much because I found that the subway reminded me of NYC and the actual city had so much character. We had seats right next to the stars! The ones in the sky, not on the floor, but it was all good! Ahem, I must say that the reason why I wanted to go to a Clipper game was because of Blake Griffin. Frankly, he looked damn good but CP3 stole the show, which was awesome. I would be very sad to see the two split up if they ever switch teams because CP3 is a lot of fun to watch... I would probably just switch to whatever team Griffy is on, not gonna lie. 

We cheered for the Clippers, ate nachos, had some beer and caught up on years of our wanderings

During half time, a band composed of ~high school kids came and jammed out. The conductor went bananas! He tore off his jacket and swung it over his head several times before throwing it into the crowd. Pretty damn awesome. You can't see it but I hope you feel the energy!

Poor Justine was sitting next to two douchebags...they were all talk...Clippers won!

We did not get carded. Hm. 

After the game, Justine and I went to a bar in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. We made it home around 3AM but not before we found that the 7-11 in Philly does not carry hot cheetos. Heinous. We spent our Saturday trying to find a decent place to eat breakfast, trying to find a used copy of 'Invisible Man', going to the Liberty Bell, being tricked into "seeing" the new Philly History Museum (two rooms and some questionnaires later...), trying to find Edgar Allan Poe's home, talking about the apocalyptic Philly skyline, mistaking a sex shop for a bookstore (I finally settled for buying "Invisible Man" at BN), and general sight seeing shenanigans. 

I love this picture of the Dalai Lama. I love any pictures of him, really...but this one especially.

Can't help it:

"There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness"

"We can reject everything else: religion, ideology, all received

wisdom. But we cannot escape the necessity of love and compassion....
This, then, is my true religion, my simple faith"

Zebras that remind us of Snoop Dog deserve our undivided attention. He was wearing a baseball cap. Haha, such depth after the Dalai Lama quotes!

That statue being placed up so high was alarming...in fact, there was a curse placed on Philly's sports teams because no one was supposed to build anything higher than Billy (William Penn) and they did. Curse has since been lifted after mini Billy was placed upon the current highest building.

When it was time to go, we went to our respective Megabuses...Just want to say that I think the Megabus is brilliant. It is inexpensive, 2 storied, there are outlets everywhere, and it was really clean. I highly recommend it! Before we left, we agreed that there are places that we still need to explore. I have a traveling buddy! Detroit, Chicago, Canada, Florida here we come (after I am employed of course!).

Hm, tomorrow, I will come and describe my trip to Baltimore (with the Hughes clan), King of Prussia, and the book club I joined... Good night!