I'm sure you have noticed (and in a state of emotional despair because of this...) that I have not posted in a few days. What can I say? I have been in a bit of a dry spell of late. Mainly because I have not had the motivation to sit at the computer and type because I am too busy lazing about on the couch and bemoaning my self-pitious asthma/cough-laden self. But I've decided that this needs to change!! Yes!!! Listen to me as I attempt to force myself into self-motivation through bold CAPITAL LETTERS AND MULTIPLE EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!
Hahaha. That was fun.
Anyway, seriously, I need to get back in the groove of things, so I have prepared, for your viewing pleasure and my emotional stability, a list of good things about my day today:
1. I vacuumed the apartment today. My old place had wood floors, so I experienced today the sheer joy and satisfaction of those lines left on your carpet after you vacuum. You know what I'm talking about. They're fabulous!
2. This is the second to last day of the month, which means that tomorrow is PAYDAY!! Wheee!
3. I had lunch with my friend Susan and we dropped by J. Crew in the mall, where I found a black suit jacket (in my size!) on sale for way cheaper than the original price. Huzzah! And I have been searching high and low for several years now for a good fitted black suit! Sadly, it's still a bit on the expensive side for my rather thin budget, but I had it put on hold for me so I can sleep on it tonight and decide if I should make the purchase. ...Oh, who am I kidding? Tomorrow is payday. It's all but in my closet already. Oy, I have no self control.
4. We had a quartet rehearsal tonight, which means I played the clarinet today. Go me.
5. Today, Scott flew from Sacramento to Texas, so he is officially on the last of three legs of his 5-week long conducting symposium extravaganza, so he is almost home. Wheee! ...Well, he still has a little over 2 weeks to go, but I'm trying to stay positive here.
I guess that's it for now.
Still no word from Jonathan of the KSO...
6.29.2005
6.24.2005
Interview done. Anxiety level on the up and up...
Countdown to Tokyo: 25 days
Greetings, faithful readers!
So I had my interview yesterday... I feel pretty good about it. I wore one of my trusty power outfits (black strapless dress and green button-up sweater), which hopefully made me look older than, you know, 12 years old or something. It lasted about an hour long and mostly consisted of Jonathan (Exec. Director of the KSO ... and no, I'm not so presumptious as to think we are on a first name basis. I'm just too lazy to type out the whole name) presenting me with a few scenarios (1. The rehearsal space is too hot or too cold and the orchestra is getting ornery, but the stage technician doesn't know how to fix it; 2. There is a guest artist flying in that night. There was no stipulation on their contract about food, and there is no money in the budget to handle the extra expense; 3. One of the orchestra musicians is upset about something and is arguing about it with you in a very inappropriate and unprofessional manner...) and seeing how I would handle each said situation. The good thing is that I feel like I presented myself in a very open and forthright manner, but still agreeable and pleasant. The bad news is that I don't know how much my inexperience and lack of qualifications will factor into the whole situation. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Jonathan said that he has about 4 or 5 other interviews after me, and then he will choose maybe 2 to come in for a second interview. I should find out sometime later next week. Keep your fingers crossed! If this doesn't work out, then I guess it's on to plan B,which is, namely, to win the lottery and live happily ever after... Hahaha. Just kidding.
I talked to one of my former teachers, the director of the orchestra at UT. He told me today that his fiance is actually one of the other candidates for the position and that she had her interview today. The funny thing (or maybe "tragically devastating for Ysabel" is more accurate) is that I had asked him to write me a letter of recommendation several weeks ago, which he did. He even had lunch with Jonathan during which they discussed me (and, obviously, my current archenemy - just kidding - the fiance, Jenny). Anyway, he just wanted to make sure that I knew that despite the seeming conflict of interests, he was very fair and complimentary in his letter. Blah blah blah. Whatever. Anyway, I told him to wish his fiance good luck from me and that may the best person win (especially if that person is me... hahaha).
Oh God, I just Googled the fiance's name and found her professional bio. She has quite a few years of arts administrative experience... Dash it all!!!
***
That sound you just heard is the sound of my hopes and dreams going down the proverbial drain. But I've still got a shot, right? Right??!! .... Well, one thing's for sure: I will not be drowning my sorrows in hotdogs. I learned my lesson the other night... But I'm fairly sure that a visit to Target is in order for tomorrow! Ha.
Greetings, faithful readers!
So I had my interview yesterday... I feel pretty good about it. I wore one of my trusty power outfits (black strapless dress and green button-up sweater), which hopefully made me look older than, you know, 12 years old or something. It lasted about an hour long and mostly consisted of Jonathan (Exec. Director of the KSO ... and no, I'm not so presumptious as to think we are on a first name basis. I'm just too lazy to type out the whole name) presenting me with a few scenarios (1. The rehearsal space is too hot or too cold and the orchestra is getting ornery, but the stage technician doesn't know how to fix it; 2. There is a guest artist flying in that night. There was no stipulation on their contract about food, and there is no money in the budget to handle the extra expense; 3. One of the orchestra musicians is upset about something and is arguing about it with you in a very inappropriate and unprofessional manner...) and seeing how I would handle each said situation. The good thing is that I feel like I presented myself in a very open and forthright manner, but still agreeable and pleasant. The bad news is that I don't know how much my inexperience and lack of qualifications will factor into the whole situation. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Jonathan said that he has about 4 or 5 other interviews after me, and then he will choose maybe 2 to come in for a second interview. I should find out sometime later next week. Keep your fingers crossed! If this doesn't work out, then I guess it's on to plan B,which is, namely, to win the lottery and live happily ever after... Hahaha. Just kidding.
I talked to one of my former teachers, the director of the orchestra at UT. He told me today that his fiance is actually one of the other candidates for the position and that she had her interview today. The funny thing (or maybe "tragically devastating for Ysabel" is more accurate) is that I had asked him to write me a letter of recommendation several weeks ago, which he did. He even had lunch with Jonathan during which they discussed me (and, obviously, my current archenemy - just kidding - the fiance, Jenny). Anyway, he just wanted to make sure that I knew that despite the seeming conflict of interests, he was very fair and complimentary in his letter. Blah blah blah. Whatever. Anyway, I told him to wish his fiance good luck from me and that may the best person win (especially if that person is me... hahaha).
Oh God, I just Googled the fiance's name and found her professional bio. She has quite a few years of arts administrative experience... Dash it all!!!
***
That sound you just heard is the sound of my hopes and dreams going down the proverbial drain. But I've still got a shot, right? Right??!! .... Well, one thing's for sure: I will not be drowning my sorrows in hotdogs. I learned my lesson the other night... But I'm fairly sure that a visit to Target is in order for tomorrow! Ha.
6.22.2005
What have I done???
Countdown to Tokyo: 27 days
I just finished eating four hotdogs for dinner.
What has become of me?! Is this what happens when I deprive myself of Target? I need to go sit on the couch and wallow in my shame. Peace out.
I just finished eating four hotdogs for dinner.
What has become of me?! Is this what happens when I deprive myself of Target? I need to go sit on the couch and wallow in my shame. Peace out.
6.21.2005
Holy Moses!
Countdown to Tokyo: T minus 28 days
Get ready for this, people: I got a call from the executive director of the Knoxville Symphony today... I have an interview for the Director of Operations position this Thursday morning!! Hurray! Now I can stop stressing out about whether I will even get a phone call, and start stressing out about the actual interview. Baby steps, baby steps... Apparently, I am going up against several other applicants who have actual experience with the job (whereas I have absolutely none), but I was granted an interview because of all the recommendations I got from various orchestra members. So, I may be the long shot, but I will do the best I can to charm the pants off the guy at my interview :) Wish me luck! First order of business: find my interview outfit! Ha ha. Just kidding... or am I? Second order of business: get rid of this damned cough so I am not a disgusting, phlegmy mess during the interview.
Today, I also got my new contact lenses. This is very exciting for me. Mainly because I have been wearing the same pair for way too long and my eyeballs have been screaming for mercy. Now I can wear a fresh pair and no longer live with the fear of my precious eyeballs falling out, which is never a good thing.
And finally, I would like to announce that it has been 8 days now since my last visit to Target. This is devastating to me - as you all know, I have developed a rather unhealthy dependency on that particular establishment - but I am forcing myself to avoid that place because I: a) need to start saving up my money for Tokyo (...and bills. Ugh.), b) am on a very strict budget until the next payday (which, in my opinion, cannot come soon enough), and c) know myself well enough to accept the fact that if I step one foot inside Target, all my money will instantly vanish into thin air and I will have nothing left to buy gas and groceries for the remainder of the month. To appease my Target withdrawal, however, I would like you all to join me in revisiting, once again, my piece of dream luggage from the Eddie Bauer Tahoe collection. Isn't it fabulous? Can you not see me pulling that beautiful piece of luggage fabulousness through the airport on my upcoming adventure to Japan? Ha! Me too!
Get ready for this, people: I got a call from the executive director of the Knoxville Symphony today... I have an interview for the Director of Operations position this Thursday morning!! Hurray! Now I can stop stressing out about whether I will even get a phone call, and start stressing out about the actual interview. Baby steps, baby steps... Apparently, I am going up against several other applicants who have actual experience with the job (whereas I have absolutely none), but I was granted an interview because of all the recommendations I got from various orchestra members. So, I may be the long shot, but I will do the best I can to charm the pants off the guy at my interview :) Wish me luck! First order of business: find my interview outfit! Ha ha. Just kidding... or am I? Second order of business: get rid of this damned cough so I am not a disgusting, phlegmy mess during the interview.
Today, I also got my new contact lenses. This is very exciting for me. Mainly because I have been wearing the same pair for way too long and my eyeballs have been screaming for mercy. Now I can wear a fresh pair and no longer live with the fear of my precious eyeballs falling out, which is never a good thing.
And finally, I would like to announce that it has been 8 days now since my last visit to Target. This is devastating to me - as you all know, I have developed a rather unhealthy dependency on that particular establishment - but I am forcing myself to avoid that place because I: a) need to start saving up my money for Tokyo (...and bills. Ugh.), b) am on a very strict budget until the next payday (which, in my opinion, cannot come soon enough), and c) know myself well enough to accept the fact that if I step one foot inside Target, all my money will instantly vanish into thin air and I will have nothing left to buy gas and groceries for the remainder of the month. To appease my Target withdrawal, however, I would like you all to join me in revisiting, once again, my piece of dream luggage from the Eddie Bauer Tahoe collection. Isn't it fabulous? Can you not see me pulling that beautiful piece of luggage fabulousness through the airport on my upcoming adventure to Japan? Ha! Me too!
6.19.2005
Happy Father's Day!
Happy Father's Day to my dad and all the other wonderful fathers out there! Yayy! I'm sure my father is enjoying this day, spending it in peace and quiet, and maybe doing some gardening out in the backyard. I'm sad that I don't get to celebrate with my parents and siblings at home in beautiful northern California, but hopefully I will be able to visit at some point within the next couple of months.
Also, yesterday was Tiffany and Daniel's wedding. It was beautiful! I had a good time celebrating with Ben, Josh, Jim, April, Jeremiah, Elizabeth and Aaron. Here are some pictures. My indestructible cough is in full-force today so I have no energy to write any more (I am way sick of this cough. It is not fun. I do not think it is fair that I should suffer from consumption, as I am neither: a) living in the 19th century, b) the heroine in a tragic Bronte novel, nor c) appearing in a Merchant-Ivory film starring Helena Bonham Carter). Anyway, maybe I will be in the mood to write more later... Once I get this damned phlegm and mucus out of my system I will be in a much more pleasant mood! Oh, and by the way, due to my lack of computer skills, it took me forever to figure out how to post these pictures in the proper fashion. I am so glad it's done. Enjoy!
Newlyweds! Tiffany & Daniel
While T & D were making their way down the aisle, my companions and I spent an embarassingly long time trying to figure out the name of the piece of music that was playing. Some of our guesses were "The Messiah" and something by Vivaldi. And then I finally figured out that it was from Handel's "Water Music." I got it right because I have my Master's degree and now know everything. Obviously. But the fact that it took me longer than 2 seconds to figure out the answer is unacceptable. I am ashamed for myself and offer my apologies to my old musicology teacher, George Nemeth.
6.17.2005
Today I am in the midst of a Nyquil haze, so I'm afraid this morning's blog will be very short due to my current inability to form too many fully-formed sentences. I have given up on this cough being allergy-related and am now treating it as though it was (were?) a cold. (ps. Perhaps I should roll myself over to Target and pick up some Dayquil...)
In the meantime, you should read Dan's entry for today. It pertains to more worthwhile and relelvant subject matter than has ever or will ever appear in my blog.
Also:
My most recent self-portrait. Notice the waywardness of my eyeballs due to the influence of Nyquil. Also, my hair is actually less kempt at the moment than appears in this picture.
6.15.2005
Tomorrow, the healthy eating begins...
It is nearly midnight and I just came home after joining April for an IHOP run...hrrrllgh. That was the sound of me almost vomiting after eating the following, in its entirety: pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream, sausage and bacon, hashbrowns, eggs and grits, with orange juice and coffee to wash it all down. Can I just say that April only had toast, eggs, grits and juice? Damn you, April! To appease my overwhelming sense of guilt and remorse, as well as to soothe my aching arteries, I have vowed to begin eating healthy starting tomorrow!!! In fact, I stopped by a produce stand this afternoon (perhaps my heightened senses somehow knew that I would be abusing my health later this evening...) and bought a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Tomorrow I should have a day of cleansing and just drink a lot of water and eat lots of good produce... The only problem with that is that I know there is a tupperware of bacon and a carton of eggs waiting, lurking for me in the fridge, as well as a few things of Ramen on the countertop. I think probably after 45 minutes of eating apples, nectarines and carrots, I will hear the evil voices calling from the kitchen: Ysabel!!! Eat us! We are savory and delicious!! And then I will succumb to their evil bidding. Agh. But I will resist as long as I can.
My younger brother, Jaime, sent the fam another email update on his wild adventures in South America. Today's was not such a happy story, as the room he and his friend, Jeff, were staying in was broken into while they were out and a bunch of their belongings were stolen. This blows hard! Jaime: if I were you, I would blame Jeff for the incident since he is the less pigmentally-advanced of the two and was the obvious target - unlike you, who, like myself, carries a fabulous natural tan and can easily blend in with the Latin folk. Ha ha ha. Just kidding. I guess I should be nice to Jeff since a dog tried to eat his leg the other day or something. Anyway, luckily, he said most of the stolen items were replacable, so hopefully the rest of their vacation will not be too dampered. Anyway, what's a South American adventure without a good old fashioned tourist-pillaging story to go along with it, eh?
It is now time for me to succumb to my food coma and lay on the couch and watch bad tv. Hurray!
ps. I plan on practicing tomorrow.
pps. Ugh, are you familiar with those ridiculous online quizzes that are completely meaningless, but totally addictive if you have no self control?... Hey, I'm not perfect, but my results are not as bad as anticipated...
Also:
My younger brother, Jaime, sent the fam another email update on his wild adventures in South America. Today's was not such a happy story, as the room he and his friend, Jeff, were staying in was broken into while they were out and a bunch of their belongings were stolen. This blows hard! Jaime: if I were you, I would blame Jeff for the incident since he is the less pigmentally-advanced of the two and was the obvious target - unlike you, who, like myself, carries a fabulous natural tan and can easily blend in with the Latin folk. Ha ha ha. Just kidding. I guess I should be nice to Jeff since a dog tried to eat his leg the other day or something. Anyway, luckily, he said most of the stolen items were replacable, so hopefully the rest of their vacation will not be too dampered. Anyway, what's a South American adventure without a good old fashioned tourist-pillaging story to go along with it, eh?
It is now time for me to succumb to my food coma and lay on the couch and watch bad tv. Hurray!
ps. I plan on practicing tomorrow.
pps. Ugh, are you familiar with those ridiculous online quizzes that are completely meaningless, but totally addictive if you have no self control?... Hey, I'm not perfect, but my results are not as bad as anticipated...
Your Deadly Sins |
Envy: 40% |
Sloth: 40% |
Greed: 20% |
Gluttony: 0% |
Lust: 0% |
Pride: 0% |
Wrath: 0% |
Chance You'll Go to Hell: 14% |
You will die a boring death. While dying, you will be jealous of those who die dramatic deaths. |
Also:
| You Were Actually Born Under: |
 You bring fun, activity, and stimulation to any event. Self-control is not one of your strong points; you have been known to over indulge. Cheerful and energetic, you can turn the most boring thing into something fun. You are most compatible with a Rat or Dragon. |
| You Should Have Been Born Under: |
 Your most comfortable inside your head - and often daydream the day away. You have an artistic temperament that makes you seem creative to some, eccentric to others. You avoid conflict at all costs, and you have a difficult time with relationships. Attractive and with good manners, you tend to shine in social situations. You are most compatible with a Pig or Rabbit. |
6.14.2005
Behold my masterpiece
In lieu of posting an actual photograph of myself, which I am too paranoid to do, I have decided to post my masterful self-portrait which I created courtesy of the Microsoft Paint program. Please do not be creeped out by my seemingly levitating head. ...It is nearly 2 o'clock in the morning. I am way bored and I think I have drank too much caffeine. I am getting quite good at this blogging thing, I think!
My self portrait. Notice that I recently gave myself bangs. I have mixed feelings about them.
What is going on?
Not to alarm anyone, but I would just like to announce that today I: 1) did not go to Target and 2) also practiced my clarinet!!! I have no idea what happened to me today. At the risk of downplaying my personal achievements, however, I have to clarify that I did write out a list of things that I do need to purchase at Target and will probably buy said things tomorrow.
1. light bulbs
2. St. Ives apricot scrub
3. shower curtain liner
4. grill lighter
5. no more Kleenex since I now have an abundance of tissues... yay!
6. cat toy or (if I'm feeling extra generous) laser pointer with which to entertain Scott's cat, Bela. Bela and I hang out all day and have a contest over who is more lazy and bored/boring. I feel like he should have more physical activity in his day to day routine ... and then I can live vicariously through him. ...Do they sell laser pointers at Target? Hmm...
Also, as an added clarification, my clarinet and I were forced into having a reunion today because my Tokyo-bound (whee!) clarinet quartet had a rehearsal tonight. And thank God we did, because it actually was a relief to be playing that damned devil stick again. I must say, I did not sound half as bad as I anticipated, what with my little...hiatus. I am going back to Zonda reeds for a while, I think. But I'm upgrading to a #4 strength rather than #3.5. My Vandorens just don't work as well with my recent ligature change. I broke my metal Vandoren Optimum ligature and am now playing on the leather Optimum. The leather is a bit darker and feels not quite as responsive, but a better choice for somebody like me who tends to drop their ligature several times during the course of a week. (And let me apologize now for that brief moment of "shop talk." I hate myself.) Anyway, I think the different choice of reeds helped in my lessened degree of suckiness. I did, however, only last about 15 minutes before my chops were dead... Agh.
I have this cough that won't go away. What if I have consumption? Is that possible? Am I in Victorian-era England? That would not be cool. I've been popping allergy pills like a crazy person, but since I ran out of my beloved Allegra, I have been taking the Wal-mart brand allergy pills, which I am convinced are just tiny sugar pills because this cough is indestructible. I am way annoyed. I have also tried taking some cold medication, but that doesn't seem to be helping things either. I feel like if I can just get this disgusting phlegm out of my body, my recovery will come about very quickly. I, however, am a very proper and lady-like young woman - a delicate flower, you might say - and do not know how to hock a lugie. I sometimes (when there are no other humans around me, of course) attempt to, and I just end up looking and sounding like Bela when he's vomiting up his hairballs. It is not attractive. And on that delightful note...
ps. I apologize to my mother, who is probably way disgusted that I brought up the subject of my mucus in today's post. Sorry! :)
1. light bulbs
2. St. Ives apricot scrub
3. shower curtain liner
4. grill lighter
5. no more Kleenex since I now have an abundance of tissues... yay!
6. cat toy or (if I'm feeling extra generous) laser pointer with which to entertain Scott's cat, Bela. Bela and I hang out all day and have a contest over who is more lazy and bored/boring. I feel like he should have more physical activity in his day to day routine ... and then I can live vicariously through him. ...Do they sell laser pointers at Target? Hmm...
Also, as an added clarification, my clarinet and I were forced into having a reunion today because my Tokyo-bound (whee!) clarinet quartet had a rehearsal tonight. And thank God we did, because it actually was a relief to be playing that damned devil stick again. I must say, I did not sound half as bad as I anticipated, what with my little...hiatus. I am going back to Zonda reeds for a while, I think. But I'm upgrading to a #4 strength rather than #3.5. My Vandorens just don't work as well with my recent ligature change. I broke my metal Vandoren Optimum ligature and am now playing on the leather Optimum. The leather is a bit darker and feels not quite as responsive, but a better choice for somebody like me who tends to drop their ligature several times during the course of a week. (And let me apologize now for that brief moment of "shop talk." I hate myself.) Anyway, I think the different choice of reeds helped in my lessened degree of suckiness. I did, however, only last about 15 minutes before my chops were dead... Agh.
I have this cough that won't go away. What if I have consumption? Is that possible? Am I in Victorian-era England? That would not be cool. I've been popping allergy pills like a crazy person, but since I ran out of my beloved Allegra, I have been taking the Wal-mart brand allergy pills, which I am convinced are just tiny sugar pills because this cough is indestructible. I am way annoyed. I have also tried taking some cold medication, but that doesn't seem to be helping things either. I feel like if I can just get this disgusting phlegm out of my body, my recovery will come about very quickly. I, however, am a very proper and lady-like young woman - a delicate flower, you might say - and do not know how to hock a lugie. I sometimes (when there are no other humans around me, of course) attempt to, and I just end up looking and sounding like Bela when he's vomiting up his hairballs. It is not attractive. And on that delightful note...
ps. I apologize to my mother, who is probably way disgusted that I brought up the subject of my mucus in today's post. Sorry! :)
6.13.2005
Hello, my name is Ysabel and I am a Target-holic.
Seriously. This is getting ridiculous. I swear I don't do it intentionally, but today I went to Target for like the 5th time in the last two weeks. I need help. This blog should just be about my daily excursions to Target... except that that would be exciting for nobody but me. Anyway, today I bought some windshield wiper fluid, two more boxes of Kleenex (still on sale for 71 cents!! what a deal!), razor blade cartridges (with which to keep my gams smooth and fabulous) and two girly magazines. It's the magazine rack that kills me everytime. If I can just go to the store without buying any brainless girly mags, (I feel ok whenever I buy, like, Discover or Scientific American or something, because those publications actually have worthwhile content...) I would save a lot of money. I also swung by the luggage aisle and looked longingly at my beautiful Eddie Bauer luggage. It was just as wonderful as I remember it. To quote one of my favorite movies: "It will be mine. Oh yes... it will be mine."
Anyway, I also had lunch with Ben at Senor Taco today. My chile relleno was muy bueno! Ben says that everytime we go to a Mexican restaurant together (and we do often, it seems...), all the Mexican waiters stare and give me longing looks (perhaps much like the way I gaze adoringly at my future luggage). I don't see it myself. If I start scoring some free flan or fajitas, however -- now we're talking! Oop, they're announcing the Michael Jackson verdict ... more later!
Anyway, I also had lunch with Ben at Senor Taco today. My chile relleno was muy bueno! Ben says that everytime we go to a Mexican restaurant together (and we do often, it seems...), all the Mexican waiters stare and give me longing looks (perhaps much like the way I gaze adoringly at my future luggage). I don't see it myself. If I start scoring some free flan or fajitas, however -- now we're talking! Oop, they're announcing the Michael Jackson verdict ... more later!
6.12.2005
One is the loneliest number...
Utter devastation! Heart ripped to pieces! Oh, woe is me!! ...Scott left early this morning (well, more on that in a second...) for his one-month whirl-wind tour of conducting symposiums. I was up until about 3am then woke up at about 5:30 to take him to the airport. His original flight to Denver was supposed to leave at 7am, but his flight was cancelled and the next flight he was able to take wasn't until 5pm this afternoon... Ah, airline travel. Always an endless source of joy. Anyway, hopefully the next several weeks will go by quickly and that he has a fun and successful trip.
On a less depressing note: the much-anticipated Tokyo trip with my clarinet quartet is coming up very soon! Wheeeeee!! I can't wait. I am even more excited now since, during my last excursion to Target, I happened upon a piece of Eddie Bauer luggage that I am now determined to have for the trip. It's a green and gray rolling duffel and it is beautiful. We wants it! My precioussss...
And on an even happier note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my younger brother, Jaime!! He is 24 today and is living it up in Costa Rica this month (quite a way to spend your birthday, I'd say...) as his graduation present. When he gets back, I will see to it that he puts his computer engineering skillz to work right away and land a job in the Silicon Valley or something so that I can set up an account at the Bank of Younger Brother (my account at the Bank of Mom and Dad is nearing cancellation, I fear...). Ha! That's all for now, I think. Time to go back to my state of self-pity and complete and total devastation... Time for some Food Network therapy! Huzzah!
On a less depressing note: the much-anticipated Tokyo trip with my clarinet quartet is coming up very soon! Wheeeeee!! I can't wait. I am even more excited now since, during my last excursion to Target, I happened upon a piece of Eddie Bauer luggage that I am now determined to have for the trip. It's a green and gray rolling duffel and it is beautiful. We wants it! My precioussss...
And on an even happier note: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my younger brother, Jaime!! He is 24 today and is living it up in Costa Rica this month (quite a way to spend your birthday, I'd say...) as his graduation present. When he gets back, I will see to it that he puts his computer engineering skillz to work right away and land a job in the Silicon Valley or something so that I can set up an account at the Bank of Younger Brother (my account at the Bank of Mom and Dad is nearing cancellation, I fear...). Ha! That's all for now, I think. Time to go back to my state of self-pity and complete and total devastation... Time for some Food Network therapy! Huzzah!
6.11.2005
Stuff about me. Enjoy!
10 YEARS AGO I
1. was about to go into my first year at Santa Rosa High School.
2. wore more makeup than I do now.
3. still lived at home with my parents and three siblings.
4. met my future brother-in-law (is that right, Greg?). He came by the Santa Rosa High parking lot in his rollerblades and my sister said he could have a ride home with us. I was annoyed and gave him an evil look.
5. was not aware I would grow up to be a musician.
FIVE YEARS AGO I
1. was halfway through the undergrad program at the University of the Pacific Music Conservatory.
2. had never had an alcoholic drink.
3. had changed my major twice ... so far. (From clarinet performance, to music history, back to clarinet performance...)
4. had just moved out of the dorms at UOP (Hallelujah!!!) and was about to move into my very first own apartment.
5. hung out everyday with Erin, Sarah and Dev.
TWO YEARS AGO I
1. had been living in Knoxville, TN for 6 months.
2. was beginning to adjust to life at UT.
3. was practicing clarinet like a madwoman because I did NOT want to sit last chair in Wind Ensemble again.
4. played at Carnegie Hall with the UT Wind Ensemble.
5. said goodbye to Buddy.
ONE YEAR AGO I
1. bought Lucky.
2. lost my taste for drinking a lot of alcohol -- too many consecutive days/nights of drinking then going to orchestra rehearsals in Missouri.
3. had one year left as a college student.
4. was in complete denial about life after graduation.
5. was ready to go back home to California.
YESTERDAY I
1. went to Target and Borders with Ben and Colby.
2. spent less than $3 at Target: Kleenex (on sale!) and gum.
3. had dinner/drinks with Ben, Cindy and Russell Thomas! HA!
4. finally joined the International Clarinet Association. I am officially a Clarinerd.
5. had a dream that I got in a fight with Pam Anderson and stole a $10 bill from her, then felt guilty so I gave her her money back in the form of 2 $5 bills and we became friends again.
TODAY I
1. will not go to Target!
2. am sad because Scott is leaving tomorrow morning.
3. should practice my clarinet because I have two rehearsals tomorrow.
4. probably will not practice my clarinet because I am still too lazy.
5. have a headache and want to go back to bed.
TOMORROW I WILL
1. quite possibly go to Target for some shopping therapy.
2. have two rehearsals and will be completely ashamed at the state of my playing as a result of my complete and total neglect of my clarinet this entire summer.
3. start freaking out about reeds.
4. email my younger brother, Jaime, because it is his birthday. He is having the best time ever vacationing in Costa Rica with his buddy Jeff. I am tres jealous.
5. watch the Simpsons. Yay!
FIVE ITEMS I HAVE BRAND LOYALTY TO
1. Coke
2. Kleenex
3. Irish Spring
4. Almay
5. Neutrogena
FIVE SNACKS I ENJOY
1. chips
2. donuts
3. already-cut fruits and veggies
4. chocolate
5. Ritz crackers
FIVE THINGS I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
1. my friends and family
2. music
3. sleep
4. the Food Network
5. indoor plumbing
I WOULD BUY WITH $1,000
1. a plane ticket and a trip
2. clothes!
3. dinners out with friends
4. books and magazines
5. Eddie Bauer luggage
FIVE BAD HABITS I HAVE
1. procrastinating...about everything
2. eating out too much and ordering too much food
3. over-analyzing people and their behaviors
4. buying things I don't need (usually at Target)
5. sleeping in
FIVE THINGS I WOULD NEVER WEAR
1. a fanny pack
2. those hoochie ruffle mini mini skirts
3. acid washed jeans
4. tapered pants
5. real fur
FIVE SHOWS I LIKE
1. The Simpsons
2. Family Guy
3. Scrubs
4. Good Eats
5. a couple reality shows on Bravo
FIVE PLACES I'VE LIVED
1. Manila, Philippines
2. Santa Rosa, CA
3. Stockton, CA
4. Sacramento, CA
5. Knoxville, TN
Current Mood: melancholy
Current Music: Sibelius Symphony no. 1
1. was about to go into my first year at Santa Rosa High School.
2. wore more makeup than I do now.
3. still lived at home with my parents and three siblings.
4. met my future brother-in-law (is that right, Greg?). He came by the Santa Rosa High parking lot in his rollerblades and my sister said he could have a ride home with us. I was annoyed and gave him an evil look.
5. was not aware I would grow up to be a musician.
FIVE YEARS AGO I
1. was halfway through the undergrad program at the University of the Pacific Music Conservatory.
2. had never had an alcoholic drink.
3. had changed my major twice ... so far. (From clarinet performance, to music history, back to clarinet performance...)
4. had just moved out of the dorms at UOP (Hallelujah!!!) and was about to move into my very first own apartment.
5. hung out everyday with Erin, Sarah and Dev.
TWO YEARS AGO I
1. had been living in Knoxville, TN for 6 months.
2. was beginning to adjust to life at UT.
3. was practicing clarinet like a madwoman because I did NOT want to sit last chair in Wind Ensemble again.
4. played at Carnegie Hall with the UT Wind Ensemble.
5. said goodbye to Buddy.
ONE YEAR AGO I
1. bought Lucky.
2. lost my taste for drinking a lot of alcohol -- too many consecutive days/nights of drinking then going to orchestra rehearsals in Missouri.
3. had one year left as a college student.
4. was in complete denial about life after graduation.
5. was ready to go back home to California.
YESTERDAY I
1. went to Target and Borders with Ben and Colby.
2. spent less than $3 at Target: Kleenex (on sale!) and gum.
3. had dinner/drinks with Ben, Cindy and Russell Thomas! HA!
4. finally joined the International Clarinet Association. I am officially a Clarinerd.
5. had a dream that I got in a fight with Pam Anderson and stole a $10 bill from her, then felt guilty so I gave her her money back in the form of 2 $5 bills and we became friends again.
TODAY I
1. will not go to Target!
2. am sad because Scott is leaving tomorrow morning.
3. should practice my clarinet because I have two rehearsals tomorrow.
4. probably will not practice my clarinet because I am still too lazy.
5. have a headache and want to go back to bed.
TOMORROW I WILL
1. quite possibly go to Target for some shopping therapy.
2. have two rehearsals and will be completely ashamed at the state of my playing as a result of my complete and total neglect of my clarinet this entire summer.
3. start freaking out about reeds.
4. email my younger brother, Jaime, because it is his birthday. He is having the best time ever vacationing in Costa Rica with his buddy Jeff. I am tres jealous.
5. watch the Simpsons. Yay!
FIVE ITEMS I HAVE BRAND LOYALTY TO
1. Coke
2. Kleenex
3. Irish Spring
4. Almay
5. Neutrogena
FIVE SNACKS I ENJOY
1. chips
2. donuts
3. already-cut fruits and veggies
4. chocolate
5. Ritz crackers
FIVE THINGS I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
1. my friends and family
2. music
3. sleep
4. the Food Network
5. indoor plumbing
I WOULD BUY WITH $1,000
1. a plane ticket and a trip
2. clothes!
3. dinners out with friends
4. books and magazines
5. Eddie Bauer luggage
FIVE BAD HABITS I HAVE
1. procrastinating...about everything
2. eating out too much and ordering too much food
3. over-analyzing people and their behaviors
4. buying things I don't need (usually at Target)
5. sleeping in
FIVE THINGS I WOULD NEVER WEAR
1. a fanny pack
2. those hoochie ruffle mini mini skirts
3. acid washed jeans
4. tapered pants
5. real fur
FIVE SHOWS I LIKE
1. The Simpsons
2. Family Guy
3. Scrubs
4. Good Eats
5. a couple reality shows on Bravo
FIVE PLACES I'VE LIVED
1. Manila, Philippines
2. Santa Rosa, CA
3. Stockton, CA
4. Sacramento, CA
5. Knoxville, TN
Current Mood: melancholy
Current Music: Sibelius Symphony no. 1
6.07.2005
I did it!!!
AAH! I finally got my links to show up! Yayyyyy! I am a genius!
Turns out the HTML code was correct, just in the wrong place. Oops. I fixed it.
Turns out the HTML code was correct, just in the wrong place. Oops. I fixed it.
A reprimand for all of you >:(
Ok, first of all let me just clarify that I -- immediately after beginning this site -- changed the settings to accept comments from both registered and unregistered visitors. This being said, I expect to find waaay more comments (i.e. more than zero) appearing on my posts henceforth. This is assuming, of course, that this was the only reason my millions of loyal readers were not leaving their comments and not because my blog is not receiving any visitors. Because the latter would be completely unacceptable. (ps. That penultimate sentence contained 3 instances of the word "not" which I apologize for.)
* Deep breath *
Ok, now that that ugly business has been taken care of, I can get on with my actual entry du jour. Today, I had a lunch date with Ben at the Mandarin House over by West Town. We like to go there because it is relatively cheap and offers a mighty array of overly fatty, battered and deep fried Chinese food that leaves me wanting to take a shower immediately after eating. Plus, their fortune cookie fortunes are alarmingly bad. Also, every time I go in there there's this one Chinese lady -- the hostess, I suppose -- who always says hi to me and gives me that "I'm Asian and so are you! What are you doing in Tennessee?" smile. You know what I'm talking about. If you're Asian. Today, she finally came up to me and asked me where I was from. Unfortunately, she asked me that question right at the same instant that our waiter came over to ask what we wanted to drink and right when I answered a call from Scott on my phone. So I had to be unintentionally rude to Scott and leave him hanging on the line as I spoke to my two fellow Asians for a few seconds. I guess the lesson of this little encounter was that, when under pressure, the Asian card trumps the boyfriend card. Sorry, Scott!
Anyway, after lunch I went and did a massive amount of laundry and went to Target... again. Pretty exciting day for me.
Good things about Ysabel's day:
1. Midol. Wonder of wonders! Miracle of miracles!
2. The laundry that has been sitting in the trunk of my car for weeks has finally been done. Hurray for me! I can look cute again.
3. The A/C at Scott's has been fixed! It is no longer hell-on-Earth. Huzzah!
Bad things about Ysabel's day:
1. I need Midol today. Ugh.
2. The laundromat on Gleason Drive: $1.50 per wash and $.25 for every 6 minutes on the dryer??!! What, I have money coming out of my ears? Unacceptable! I went there only because it was convenient to Mandarin House and Target.
3. Forgetting to mail off my thank-you card to my Uncle Gil for sending me a graduation card and some grad $$. The thank-you card been sitting in my purse for several days now. I feel especially bad since I have already cashed the check and spent the money (at Target, of course). Tomorrow! I swear!
4. I thought I had figured out the whole HTML thing, but I still don't have the appropriate links on my sidebar. Gah!
5. The A/C at Scott's place has been fixed. It is now a very pleasant and agreeable temperature. I no longer have an excuse for not practicing.
* Deep breath *
Ok, now that that ugly business has been taken care of, I can get on with my actual entry du jour. Today, I had a lunch date with Ben at the Mandarin House over by West Town. We like to go there because it is relatively cheap and offers a mighty array of overly fatty, battered and deep fried Chinese food that leaves me wanting to take a shower immediately after eating. Plus, their fortune cookie fortunes are alarmingly bad. Also, every time I go in there there's this one Chinese lady -- the hostess, I suppose -- who always says hi to me and gives me that "I'm Asian and so are you! What are you doing in Tennessee?" smile. You know what I'm talking about. If you're Asian. Today, she finally came up to me and asked me where I was from. Unfortunately, she asked me that question right at the same instant that our waiter came over to ask what we wanted to drink and right when I answered a call from Scott on my phone. So I had to be unintentionally rude to Scott and leave him hanging on the line as I spoke to my two fellow Asians for a few seconds. I guess the lesson of this little encounter was that, when under pressure, the Asian card trumps the boyfriend card. Sorry, Scott!
Anyway, after lunch I went and did a massive amount of laundry and went to Target... again. Pretty exciting day for me.
Good things about Ysabel's day:
1. Midol. Wonder of wonders! Miracle of miracles!
2. The laundry that has been sitting in the trunk of my car for weeks has finally been done. Hurray for me! I can look cute again.
3. The A/C at Scott's has been fixed! It is no longer hell-on-Earth. Huzzah!
Bad things about Ysabel's day:
1. I need Midol today. Ugh.
2. The laundromat on Gleason Drive: $1.50 per wash and $.25 for every 6 minutes on the dryer??!! What, I have money coming out of my ears? Unacceptable! I went there only because it was convenient to Mandarin House and Target.
3. Forgetting to mail off my thank-you card to my Uncle Gil for sending me a graduation card and some grad $$. The thank-you card been sitting in my purse for several days now. I feel especially bad since I have already cashed the check and spent the money (at Target, of course). Tomorrow! I swear!
4. I thought I had figured out the whole HTML thing, but I still don't have the appropriate links on my sidebar. Gah!
5. The A/C at Scott's place has been fixed. It is now a very pleasant and agreeable temperature. I no longer have an excuse for not practicing.
6.04.2005
Es muy caliente!
OH. MY. GOD. It is hot as balls. I don't even have the energy to write very much in this post. I think my brain is melting. If I haven't spontaneously combusted, I may try to write more later.
6.03.2005
Things to do this summer
Just got back from lunch with Scott and Jim. Before we left, Jim tried to help me with my whole adding-links-to-my-sidebar-without-being-scared-away-by-HTML issue. We'll see if it works. It better work, Snyder. Anyway, we went to Rooster's on Northshore. My chicken tenders were tasty. Then I went to Target to buy some Drano and toilet paper (so glamorous...) and walked out with, well, ...more than two items. Damn you, Target, for having so many wonderful things I don't need but end up buying anyway!! Well, I guess ice cream, shredded cheese, a bath pouf-y thing, and lip gloss isn't TOO bad. I mean, I could have walked out with, like, 10 DVDs and a new bike, or something. Plus, the lip gloss was totally on clearance. Oh yeah, and I also purchased the latest Discover and Rolling Stone magazines. Darth Vader's on the cover or RS! I couldn't resist.
So, I don't know about anyone else, but I personally have a list about 2 miles long of things I have been telling myself to do over the years but have either 1) not done, or 2) started but never finished. If there's one good thing about graduating from college and being unemployed, it's that I now have the time to tackle some of those tasks... In light of this, here is my TO DO list for this summer:
1. Read at least one good book every month. This can be either a new read, or something I have started to read and never finished. My current list of never-finished books include:
* The Silmarillion (JRR Tolkien)
* The Elegant Universe (Brian Greene)
* Les Miserables (Victor Hugo) - I first started this one in Junior High, by the way, and have never gotten past page 80 or so.
* The Wings of the Dove (Henry James)
* Cosmos (Carl Sagan)
Right now I'm reading I am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe. It's about this down-home girl from the mountains of North Carolina who ends up going to a very prestigious Ivy League university. Haven't read much of it yet since I just got it two days ago, but it's interesting so far.
2. Learn German (again). I took 4 semesters of Deutsch as an undergrad and actually really like the language. All those damn grammar rules were such a turn-off, though. Plus, my last semester of German was full of a) students who had already taken, like, 10 years of German, or b) members of our tennis team who were from Germany and who were in the class only because it would be an easy A. Ugh. I was sehr intimidated. Anyway, I still have my old German texts and CD-Roms, so I should try to pick it up again. Then I can be worldly and stuff. And I can sit and have coffee with all the exotic, cool International Study students at the big rectangle table at The Golden Roast.
3. Practice my clarinet more. Much much MUCH more.
4. Catch up on emails. Seriously. I am so bad at emailing/calling people back. If I were trying to get in contact with me, I would hate me. There are people out there who emailed me literally months ago and I still haven't written them back. I am a HORRIBLE friend. This goes out to Robin K., Linda, Jason R., Emily, Patti and probably a dozen others. I haven't forgotten about you, I swear!!! I am just incredibly lazy and easily distracted.
That's all I can think of for the time being. I'm sure there's a dozen other projects out there that I need to do...
So, I don't know about anyone else, but I personally have a list about 2 miles long of things I have been telling myself to do over the years but have either 1) not done, or 2) started but never finished. If there's one good thing about graduating from college and being unemployed, it's that I now have the time to tackle some of those tasks... In light of this, here is my TO DO list for this summer:
1. Read at least one good book every month. This can be either a new read, or something I have started to read and never finished. My current list of never-finished books include:
* The Silmarillion (JRR Tolkien)
* The Elegant Universe (Brian Greene)
* Les Miserables (Victor Hugo) - I first started this one in Junior High, by the way, and have never gotten past page 80 or so.
* The Wings of the Dove (Henry James)
* Cosmos (Carl Sagan)
Right now I'm reading I am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe. It's about this down-home girl from the mountains of North Carolina who ends up going to a very prestigious Ivy League university. Haven't read much of it yet since I just got it two days ago, but it's interesting so far.
2. Learn German (again). I took 4 semesters of Deutsch as an undergrad and actually really like the language. All those damn grammar rules were such a turn-off, though. Plus, my last semester of German was full of a) students who had already taken, like, 10 years of German, or b) members of our tennis team who were from Germany and who were in the class only because it would be an easy A. Ugh. I was sehr intimidated. Anyway, I still have my old German texts and CD-Roms, so I should try to pick it up again. Then I can be worldly and stuff. And I can sit and have coffee with all the exotic, cool International Study students at the big rectangle table at The Golden Roast.
3. Practice my clarinet more. Much much MUCH more.
4. Catch up on emails. Seriously. I am so bad at emailing/calling people back. If I were trying to get in contact with me, I would hate me. There are people out there who emailed me literally months ago and I still haven't written them back. I am a HORRIBLE friend. This goes out to Robin K., Linda, Jason R., Emily, Patti and probably a dozen others. I haven't forgotten about you, I swear!!! I am just incredibly lazy and easily distracted.
That's all I can think of for the time being. I'm sure there's a dozen other projects out there that I need to do...
6.02.2005
Mission accomplished!!!
Well, I FINALLY got my lazy self to the post office and applied for a US passport. As some of you already know, my ultra-wonderful clarinet quartet is going to Tokyo to play at the International Clarinet Conference (aka: Nerd fest) and I couldn't be more excited! Anyway, I should recieve the passport within six weeks. Incidentally, we leave for Tokyo in six weeks and 3 days! Note to Gary (Sperl): Please don't freak out!! The lady at the passport counter told me not to bother with the expedited process because I didn't need it.
I woke up today with a weird ache in the right side of my throat and behind my right ear. It hurts everytime I swallow. WHERE IS MY MOMMY AND WHY IS SHE NOT HERE MAKING ME CHICKEN SOUP?!! I DEMAND SATISFACTION!! ...Oh yeah, it's because I'm 25 (i.e. a BILLION) years old and live 3,000 miles away from my parents. Blah. I better not be coming down with the flu or something. That would not be cool.
So here is my confession: I have no idea how to add links to other websites/blogs on my site. I check out other people's sites and they all have a fancy link section on their sidebars where they can post all their friends' websites and I can't figure out how to get one of those. I feel retarded. I've tried looking it up on the "Help" section, but it just talks about cutting and pasting and editing a bunch of stuff in HTML and it scares me so I run away and never finish reading about it. Ugh. You would think it would be much simpler than that. I think we learned how to work in HTML in my Comp 25 class at UOP, but -- as I am only slightly ashamed to admit -- I spent the vast majority of those class hours either: A) not in class sleeping B) not in class eating C) in class sleeping or D) not in class practicing (this last one was only in my fantasy make-believe world, but I put it in anyway). I remember vaguely learning about Power Point and Excel. But that's it. Oh, and I also built a personal website that kicked ass. But seriously, someone needs to teach me how to do it so I can add some blogs, such as Sarah's (previously mentioned), Elizabeth's and Robyn's. If I'm feeling extra generous I may even list Jim's, even though I just noticed today that the title for the link to my blog from his site is entitled "What the world looks like at 4 feet tall." Ha ha ha. We are not amused, Jim Bob. For your information, I am a gigantic 5 feet to 5 feet, 2 inches tall (depending on which of my forms of ID you choose to inquire). Just because I'm dating your boyfriend, doesn't mean you have to make it personal, Jim. Especially when I have no game hump (don't ask) with which to defend myself...
I woke up today with a weird ache in the right side of my throat and behind my right ear. It hurts everytime I swallow. WHERE IS MY MOMMY AND WHY IS SHE NOT HERE MAKING ME CHICKEN SOUP?!! I DEMAND SATISFACTION!! ...Oh yeah, it's because I'm 25 (i.e. a BILLION) years old and live 3,000 miles away from my parents. Blah. I better not be coming down with the flu or something. That would not be cool.
So here is my confession: I have no idea how to add links to other websites/blogs on my site. I check out other people's sites and they all have a fancy link section on their sidebars where they can post all their friends' websites and I can't figure out how to get one of those. I feel retarded. I've tried looking it up on the "Help" section, but it just talks about cutting and pasting and editing a bunch of stuff in HTML and it scares me so I run away and never finish reading about it. Ugh. You would think it would be much simpler than that. I think we learned how to work in HTML in my Comp 25 class at UOP, but -- as I am only slightly ashamed to admit -- I spent the vast majority of those class hours either: A) not in class sleeping B) not in class eating C) in class sleeping or D) not in class practicing (this last one was only in my fantasy make-believe world, but I put it in anyway). I remember vaguely learning about Power Point and Excel. But that's it. Oh, and I also built a personal website that kicked ass. But seriously, someone needs to teach me how to do it so I can add some blogs, such as Sarah's (previously mentioned), Elizabeth's and Robyn's. If I'm feeling extra generous I may even list Jim's, even though I just noticed today that the title for the link to my blog from his site is entitled "What the world looks like at 4 feet tall." Ha ha ha. We are not amused, Jim Bob. For your information, I am a gigantic 5 feet to 5 feet, 2 inches tall (depending on which of my forms of ID you choose to inquire). Just because I'm dating your boyfriend, doesn't mean you have to make it personal, Jim. Especially when I have no game hump (don't ask) with which to defend myself...
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