It’s that Time of my life…

06 Saturday Feb 2010

Posted by in life, opinion, thoughts

≈ 1 Comment

I have always wondered when it would happen. Although my mom and my aunts are satisfied with their jobs, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t what they dreamed of doing or being. I’m sure when they were younger, they had dreams and aspirations of what they wanted to achieve with their lives. Personally, I think they’ve all achieved amazing milestones, each of them raising children through varies adversities in life, buying homes, maintaining relationships, etc. My focus here is more on career/professional dreams rather than personal or familial.

When I was in second grade, I remember an assignment (which I’m sure we all had at some point) where you had to draw yourself as what you wanted to be someday. I drew myself in a camouflage uniform (my uncle was a marine). I can still picture that drawing. Needless to say, that dream only lasted as long as it took me to realize that I would never be able to run a block without losing my breath.

Then I moved on to becoming a teacher. I think this one lasted all the way through highschool. I was fascinated by chemistry and biology, but I never thought I would be able to effectively explain these concepts to a classroom full of children. So I left that one aside. I’m glad I did this because once I reached college and met people that were actually pursing science degrees, I knew I would have never made it!

From high school on, I was fascinated with diplomacy and international relations, and international non profit organizations (focused on human rights and democracy). That one has stuck around for some time now.

My question when I see folks who are older than me is: what was it like when they each realized they weren’t going to get exactly where they wanted to go? I’m assuming we each have a time in our lives where we start realizing that the realities of life get in the way of the ideals you wanted to pursue, and you start to adjust to those new realities.

"I’ll take 20 ketchup packets, please" (and fine print)

31 Sunday Jan 2010

Posted by in opinion

≈ 3 Comments

It was probably around 7:30 or 8pm last night when Jeff and I were finally making our drive to In n Out for dinner. We were both STARVING. After deciding we were both on the same page as far as wanting to avoid the uber brightness of the place, we decided to eat in our car.


So there we are, STARVING, finally digging in to our burgers. But unless you’re one of the few people who only eats their fries until they’re done with their burger or vice versa (I’ve actually met someone like that), you like to enjoy your burger and fries at the same time. Which leads to…..ketchup packets. I mean, seriously, who uses just one? So why not make them bigger?! If you ask for a side of special sauce, they give you a HUGE packet of special sauce…why can’t ketchup come in THAT size instead of torture size packets? Instead…I have to put my hunger aside to open 4 or 5 tiny packets…and then proceed with my meal. Gah.

FINE PRINT: my apologies to [Courtney] for using her name without permission in one of my earlier blogs. It will never happen again. Except for this one. Sorry. Public apology: check.

News Updates

30 Saturday Jan 2010

Posted by in Guatemala, news, opinion, politics

≈ Leave a comment

Ok, I was going to write separate entries for these, but thought that might be a little over the top, so I’m just going to mix them all in one blog; I leave it up to each of you if you want to follow the links for more information. The first link is my original blog post, the second is the updated link :)

1) Honduras. The ousted president is finally leaving his hiding in the Brazilian Embassy and says he is leaving the country. I think after four months he finally got the message that he’s not going to be reinstated.
2) The suspects in the murder of Attorney Rosenberg are being put on trial. We’ll see if they ever get a conviction.
3) This one’s completely new. Since the CICIG began, one of the issues it was tackling was charging ex-president Alfonso Portillo for money laundering. Like probably most Guatemalan presidents, Portillo had prepared his post-presidency life by stashing away at least $6.5 million through American banks. There were claims that some of this money came from funds that were supposed to provide snacks to children in the public school system, as well as from the defense budget and who knows where else. Anyhow, the CICG tried as much as it could, but Portillo’s legal team kept objecting and interfering with the CICIG’s attempts to move the legal process forward. Portillo’s extradition to Guatemala from Mexico was first requested in 2005, and the CICIG joined the proceedings in 2009.
Now things got a little more complicated. The US issued an arrest warrant for Portillo this month, since the money laundering was done through US banks, and he was actually arrested before trying to flee the country. The issue now is where Portillo will stand for trial. Although Portillo initially argued he fled Guatemala to Mexico because he could not get a fair trial there, his legal team is now claiming that he cannot be extradited to the US to stand trial because he is currently facing prosecution in Guatemala. Huh. Furthermore, there are allegations by Portillo that the arrest warrant was not property issued because Mexico did not provide the necessary consent, since they were the ones that originally granted his extradition to Guatemala.
Phew. Quite a mess, huh? We’ll see what-if anything-happens with this one.

Things I Dislike, Yet Love

30 Saturday Jan 2010

Posted by in thoughts

≈ 1 Comment

Okay, Expat Mom took this idea from another blogger, so I thought I’d try to spread it around some more too.

1) My first is a complete replica of Expat Mom’s. I hate it when Jeff is doing a guys night, but at the same time, I really enjoy being home alone sometimes.
2) Going out out. I know this is just a sign of me getting old…but I’ve always hated having to get ready to go out. I’m not much for makeup or shopping (shocking, I know), so having to pick through the clothes I have and try to look half decent is not my idea of fun. But once I’m out, I love being with Jeff and friends and enjoying social time outside of someone’s house :)
3) Being busy all the time. I can already tell you what Jeff’s thoughts are on this: you do it to yourself! Yes, I do…because I love being busy. I get frustrated sometimes because I overbook myself and don’t really have freetime or time to myself, but I would hate it more to NOT be busy.
4) Having a full time job. I really enjoyed my unemployed time–aside from the stress of not having a job or money-because I got to spend so much time at home and with Jeff. Now that I have a full time job (which includes the occasional overtime and Saturday shift), I feel like I barely get to see Jeff. I’m so exhausted when I get home that we’ve barely eaten dinner when I’m already falling asleep. On the other hand, I’m really enjoying my job right now, I’m learning new things every day, and getting to know the people I work with.
5) Working for other people. Another concept I’ve adopted from Expat Mom. I would love to work for myself because I could make my own hours and do my own thing, but I’m honestly not ready for that kind of responsibility. I like that I just have to do what I’m told right now.
I’ll add more later if I think of them. Leave any “dislike/love” of your own in the comment section :)

Texting Etiquette

28 Thursday Jan 2010

Posted by in advice, life

≈ Leave a comment

“Good.”

“Ok”
“No”
“See you then.”
This is NOT good texting etiquette, people! (Unless you’re Jeff’s dad and you text “Ribs,” in which case we will drop what we’re doing and come over for dinner). I have confirmed with several sources (ahem, Jeff, Travis, Courtney…), and you can’t just leave a text hanging like that, or even worse, end it on a period. That’s just wrong. I know that in your mind it sounds perfectly normal, but in text tone it’s just not. My theory: all texts must include at least one exclamation point and/or happy face (note: the happy face can be a wink, :P, or any denomination of a smiley face: :) :-) etc.).
Furthermore, if your text is more than one sentence long, you have to mix up the exclamation points and the smiley faces, and use them repeatedly. For example:
“Hey! I’m doing great, how are you? Can’t wait to see you on Sunday!”
“We missed you last night :( When do you come home?!”
Live and learn folks.

INTRODUCING: Jeff’s Corner!!

26 Tuesday Jan 2010

Posted by in beer, Jeff's Corner

≈ 4 Comments

Hello all. As most of you know I am Alex’s husband Jeff. After weeks of seeing Alex writing her blog it made me want to start my own. But knowing me, I would probably only write on it once a month. So Alex had the idea that I just do a kind of, ‘Jeff’s corner’ in her blog. Perfect! So here we go. Hopefully the network picks me up and this show doesn’t get cancelled after one episode ;)


Beer. The world’s oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage

(thanks wikipedia). Some hate it, some love it, and some weep at the realization that a local seven eleven is supplying a night of unexpected quality (thank you seven eleven for steering away from your affordable yet flavorless beers of past). I am obviously the latter. A self proclaimed “beer snob.” Of course I realize that tastes differ so I try not to be too hard on the average American beer drinker. But the days of Coors, Miller, and Budweiser ruling as the mainstays of beer are drawing to a close. Now I see beer drinking going the way of fine wine. With thousands of breweries across the nation, people will start shopping for types of beer instead of brands, giving large bottles of hard-to-get and well renowned beer as gifts. A walk down a well stocked beer aisle can be just as culturally stimulating and wallet draining as most

wine aisles (almost). We don’t have a four story beer tower holding almost 10,000 bottles. Yet. But there are options. Hundreds of options. Even local grocery stores are branching into micro brew territory. It pains me to watch

people debate a beer decision while only looking at the far end of the aisle. Branch out! At first it might seem too bitter, or too strong. But with the amount of choices, you’re sure to find at least one NEW beer to drink. And that usually leads to another, and then in no time you’re in a whole new world of flavors and choices.


So here’s a short(ish) list of beers that I can personally recommend. Some light, some dark, some just plain mean. And a hint for sampling beer. Drink more than one sip. A lot of times I try a beer with one sip and its always different after two or three. Especially if you’re in the middle of drinking something else.

For branching out from fizzy yellow beers-

  • Sierra pale ale. It’s my go-to light beer. Not too expensive, not too strong. But a great amount of hoppy flavor

  • Fat Tire Amber Ale. A great amber beer. Again, its not gonna knock you out with taste but it’s really good. This was my kick start into the world of good beer.

  • Blue moon. Not one of my personal favorites but it seems a lot of light beer drinkers go to this for a change. Its a Belgian white so don’t be alarmed by the cloudy appearance. And try a slice of orange in it.
  • Pyramid Hefeweizen. I may get bashed by fellow snobs. But I think this is one of the better Hefeweizens out. Inexpensive and available at local grocery stores. A slice of lemon and its a great fresh beer. Good with fish, like grilled salmon.
  • Newcastle. I know I know. I think 90% of the US population hates this beer but I like it. Especially after a few days. Personally I like to buy it and let it skunk up a bit in the fridge before drinking. It’s just TOO smooth when it’s fresh. But that’s just me.


And on to the slightly stronger beers (aka The STONE section).

And I don’t mean stronger in any real way except light beer drinkers tend to not like them right away.

  • STONE PALE ALE (my absolute favorite) Its a pale, light beer, with an amazing amount of hoppy flavor. HOPS is a flower used in beer as a bittering agent. And the bitterness in beer is measured in IBU scale. International Bittering Units. So a normal bud light kind of beer is maybe 8-12 IBUs. Stone Pale is 41 IBUs.
  • Mirror Pond from Deschutes Brewery. 40 IBUs. So tasty.
  • Black Butte Porter, another deschutes beer. This one is dark and smokey and delicious.
  • STONE Levitation. This one is a bit friendlier on the alcohol level. 4.4% so more drinkable than the rest Stone has to offer.
  • STONE IPA. Well color me delicious. It’s got more hops than needed and its just scratching the surface. FYI Drink this AFTER drinking pale. Or a pale just won’t have enough kick.
  • Guinness. MMMmmmm. I seem to go through a Guinness phase about once a year. Try a black and tan. Pour a little more than half a pale beer like Harp into a glass. Average speed don’t worry about head. It will help separate the two. Then over an upside down spoon SLOWLY pour Guinness on top.
  • Ale Smith IPA– My favorite IPA that I don’t drink nearly enough of. Time for a trip to BEVMO!


And lastly, Mean beers. Well, it depends on your standards.


  • STONE Ruination. This is the mother of Hoppy beers while retaining a really drinkable quality. It is 7.7% so quite strong. And 100+ IBUs. I think anything beyond 100 IBUs is not really important because at that point its just freakin HOPPY. Your wife will not appreciate this beer. Or your bowels. Just FYI. Ask Alex.
  • Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. This is Naked and crying in the shower beer. There’s a reason it only comes in four packs. At 9% Its black like Pat Robertson’s soul. And thicker than Snookies layer of spray tan. But at the same time very good.
  • STONE “OAKED”Arrogant Bastard. Its strong and really really good. 7.2% so not an all nighter. Well unless you’re a fan of Adventures en el cuarto de bano.
  • The Abyss, Its just a mean imperial stout. Comin in at 11%. Its smokey as hell but a fine beer to sip on and share with friends.


Well there are WAAAAY more beers that I could list but these are just a few to get you started. Hopefully you’ll wonder down to the unknown area in the beer aisle next time.

Help us find a home for Tana!

24 Sunday Jan 2010

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment


Tell me she’s not adorable?! Julian’s parents are unfortunately having to move out of their place, and they can’t find an apartment that will allow them to take Tana with them. She’s been in the family forever, and they would like to find her a loving home rather than having to put her in a shelter. Please help spread the word! Send to friends, relatives, co-workers, etc., let’s find her a good home!

A little bit about Tana: she’s ten years old, no major health issues (she can’t see too well from her left eye, but c’mon, that only makes her more lovable!), and she’s great with kids. She’s been around Julian’s nephew since he was born (I think he’s about 4 or 5 now), so she’s definitely kid friendly.
Tana’s also had some obedience training, so you wouldn’t have to worry about that either :)
Julian’s parents need to be out by February 6th, so please spread the word as quickly as you can.

As an added bonus, Julian is willing to provide food and vet for any loving household who is willing to take her.
If you are interested, please leave a comment below or email me, and I will put you in contact with Julian.
I can’t stress enough how much Julian and I would appreciate your efforts in spreading the word and finding someone who is willing to take Tana in. Thank you in advance for your help!

My Week in Review

23 Saturday Jan 2010

Posted by in life, work

≈ 1 Comment

I have it on good authority that this week was pretty crazy (Pat–I’m writing this on a Saturday morning, so it doesn’t count-not a drinking night). I got to spend quality time with a few amazing people, and I also felt like Jeff and I both suffered the wrath of the Storm of the Century that hit the Southland this week.

Monday:
Daniel (very good friend of mine) and I had been trying to schedule a lunch date last week, and due to my work schedule I had to put it off for today. Neither one of us remembered that the weather forecasts for the day were less than amenable to driving in the rain. After talking Dan through some directions and getting him to my parking lot, I had to physically make it down to his car so we could go grab lunch. Well…it just so happens that around 1pm on Monday, it was raining harder than it had been raining all day. Just to give you an idea of how bad it was: some of the guys from work were standing outside in the covered walkway looking at the rain and taking pictures of how ridiculous it was. And here I am, in my heels and work pants, thinking of the endless journey from our walkway to Dan’s car. Everyone thought I was crazy for going out in the rain, but what could I do, Dan was waiting downstairs, and if he had faced the rain to get to my office, I was gonna make it downstairs! Thankfully, one of the guys from the office manned up and walked me to Dan’s car with his umbrella, so damage was minimal. We made it to Tokyo Cafe, and wouldn’t you know that minutes into our meal…the sun was shining. I mean, really? Talk about timing.
Wednesday
I was at work trying to figure out what of the 10 things on my to-do list were most important, and therefore I should focus on those for my last hour of work. I looked at my phone and saw I had a missed call from Jeff which was interesting–Jeff’s not a phone person, he’s a texter. He eventually called again, only to tell me that his car had gotten flooded and he was stranded. I left my to-do list untouched, said a quick goodbye to everyone, and headed toward the scene of the crime. By the time I got to Jeff and his car, there was no sign of a flood, no rain, no water pouring down the street…just a cop car, Jeff’s stranded car, and another stranded car on the other side of the street. Not much of a crime scene, eh? See, what happened was that Jeff got off work just in time to drive down Barranca during the 10 minutes the street was flooded, therefore getting his car stuck and left to the mercy of a good samaritan who pulled him out, preventing more damage to his car than there already was (a good 3 inches of water INSIDE his car). Good timing yet again!
Thursday (almost done..promise)
We had to drive to the Riverside Courthouse, and it was just constant rain all the way there. We did what we had to do inside the courthouse (literally 10 minutes), and when we came out, the sun was shining! So I’m thinking it’s gonna be a smooth drive back to the office. Uh, right. I swear we drove through a hurricane. The water, rain, and the river that everyone was driving through was insane! Of course, when we made it back into Orange County and our office, it was barely sprinkling. Amazing.
Friday
I actually have no complaints about Friday! Naomi came and met me for lunch, which was so sweet of her. I met Naomi while I was working for a temp agency after I took the bar, and I’m so happy we actually kept in touch! It took having Naomi around for me to finally go into this little shop down the street from my school that I had always wanted to go into but never did. Mind you, I’ve worked and studied in this area for the past four years, and I just never made the time. So, thank you Naomi :)
In a long, roundabout way, that’s my week in review!

Deja Vu

23 Saturday Jan 2010

Posted by in life, work

≈ Leave a comment

So about two and a half weeks ago, my boss had me go to the Santa Ana Federal Courthouse and the Riverside Bankruptcy court so I could scope out the area and know where I was going and what I needed to do when I finally went on my own. Although the Santa Ana court is closer, it was a little more difficult because the bankruptcy court is only one of the many things in the federal building (in Riverside, the whole building is dedicated to bankruptcy law).

I get to the Federal Courthouse in Santa Ana, and I’m trying to walk and act like I know what I’m doing…you know, look like an attorney! (The idea that I’m actually an attorney is still shocking to me.) Anyhow, I think I walked around looking like an idiot for a good 10 minutes before I finally realized where I should be. And all was well.
My next field trip was to the Riverside Courthouse. Other than being late and basically missing all the confirmation hearings, I found my way rather quickly.
As I was walking down the steps of the courthouse to the parking lot, I had this strange feeling that I had lived through something like this before.
Ahhhhhhh, college!
My memories flew back to the first week in my Santa Rosa dorm at UCSB, with all the madness and excitement of orientation, cramming all my belongings into a tiny room, and meeting the people that would become some of my best friends. The Sunday before classes started, several of us scouted out the location of our classes. That’s right…a bunch of 18 year olds, excited about starting the college life, looking at their schedules and looking helplessly for Kennedy Hall or Buchanon or whatever it may be. See, we didn’t want to look like we did in high school our freshman year on the first day of class…so we took preventative steps and did it on a Sunday when no one could see us walking around with a print out of our schedule and puzzled looks on our faces!
And now I’m doing it all over again. I’m entering this new career where I pretty much don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m trying to be proactive so I don’t look like a lost freshman!
Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started