Where is Everyone?!

04 Monday Jan 2010

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So the commute to work the last two weeks has been amazing. I’ve been making it to work in 15 minutes, rather than 30. I figured it was because of the holidays, and was expecting the normal traffic today. I had planned on leaving early in anticipation of this, but I ended up running late and left the house with coffee in hand at my usual 8:30 am (I could have left early if I had not waited for my coffee to finish brewing, but that’s basically suicide as far as I’m concerned).

I was expecting the normal pre-holiday clutter right before Jamboree, but to my surprise, I breezed onto the 55, and into the parking lot at work without really having to stop or slow down at all.

Huh.

So…where is everyone? Are people taking extended vacations? Or is this a result of the 10% unemployment rate? Not that I’m complaining…I’ll test the waters again tomorrow before deciding to sleep in a few minutes…

Thoughts on Avatar

03 Sunday Jan 2010

Posted by in opinion

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SPOILER ALERT! Do not read if you have not seen the movie and intend to watch it, as I may or may not give some stuff away.
I will confess that I originally had not desire to watch this movie. I’m not much of a sci-fi fan, so I wasn’t really intrigued when I saw the preview in theaters. But after it came out, everyone, I mean E-VERY-ONE, was talking about it! I don’t think I’ve ever heard so much positive talk by so many people before. Everyone kept talking about how amazing it looked yadda yadda yadda. Some people did mention that there wasn’t much in the way of the actual script, which confused me. The whole reason I usually go to watch a movie is because of the actual story, but here are a handful of people saying that the movie was amazing, even though the story was so-so. Curious.
Anyhow, Jeff really wanted to see it, so we had a couple discussions on whether we were going to go together or if he should just go with the guys. I was torn. I really didn’t want to spend $12 on a movie I didn’t REALLY want to see, but everyone was talking so much about it, it had to be good–and what if I was missing out on watching the best movie ever made?? So I gave in and we ended up going yesterday with Jeff’s parents (thanks again!).
A couple things: 1) we didn’t see it in 3-D, and as soon as the movie started we realized this was a mistake; and 2) we went to Foothill ranch, and the theater was tiny, so I feel like we got jipped on that one too.
Overall, I thought the movie was great. Jeff and I are actually really torn on whether we should go watch it again in 3-D (thoughts?). Thankfully Jeff’s parents paid for the first round, so we wouldn’t really be paying twice to see the same movie…or that’s what I tell myself ;)
Here are the only issues I had with the movie:
1) As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized (with the help of Jeff), that I hate when characters are over-scripted. I’m not sure that’s the right term to convey my feelings: the good guys are too good, and the bad guys are too bad, it’s just not realistic (I know, I know, its a movie and it’s not supposed to be real, but still…). So every time the general came into play, I was really annoyed. He actually reminded me of the GI-Joe cartoon, but in real life. I mean, what guy would really go through all the trouble this guy went to try and destroy something he really had no vested interest in? Just to blow things up, I guess.
2) As Jeff put it: it’s kind of a combination of Dances with Wolves and Fern Gully: the last rainforest. As people who saw it before me warned (aaaaaand as most movies), it had a very predictable plot.
With those two issues aside, I’m glad I went to see it. It’s crazy to think that pretty much everything you saw on screen was fake! They did a great job at creating an entire planet out of someone’s imagination, complete with their own language and everything. All in all, I’m glad I saw it, and I’m still debating on whether Jeff and I should go see it again in 3-D to get the full experience.

My Office Space!

03 Sunday Jan 2010

Posted by in work

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As promised. So, as I mentioned, I’m currently working out of a cubicle. Not very glamorous for an attorney, but it’s a job! I am trying to make the most of it, and as the only girl working among a bunch of boys, I must say it IS the best decorated!
Yes, I do have the mandated picture of Jeff and I, along with my much-needed cup of coffee. It’s also a bit hard to make out in between the computer screen and the green mug, but it IS one of my prized possessions: my Initech mug that I got from Dana Lu (based on the movie, Office Space).
So, they promised me that this was only temporary workspace and that I would be getting an office soon. It’ll either be one of the offices that’s currently occupied by someone, or they’ll be converting this space into offices:
We’ll see what happens!

Nice BMW Drivers Wanted

03 Sunday Jan 2010

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I think it started with my first car: a 1980-something 3-series BMW with faulty electrical wiring, a faulty odometer, and a non-existent gas gauge, to mention a few. Being as faulty as it was, I continuously looked forward to what my next car would be, and set my eyes on the prize: an upgrade to a more-modern-looking 5 series! My desire for this car was so well known that my college roommate even snuck out a fold out magazine poster of a 3 series (thanks Belv!) from her job, and yes, I hung it up in our room (I was young, ok?).

A few years down the road, my friend Brooke told me she didn’t want me driving a BMW because people who drove BMW’s were jerks. I thought she was kidding–but after our conversation I started paying attention and realized she was kind of right! With a few exceptions (Franky and Courtney being two of them), I’ve realized that BMW drivers are pretty crappy, and they are slowly breaking my resolve to own one myself someday.
It’s a good thing I’ve also set my eyes on a Maserati! (one can dream…)

Welcome 2010

01 Friday Jan 2010

Posted by in Uncategorized

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It’s that time of year when everyone looks back at the year that has passed, and makes resolutions for the year that has come. I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions, mostly because I know myself and I know I’ll never follow through with them. I don’t have the discipline or determination to follow through with things like going to the gym, or eating better. It’s just not in me! But alas, this year, like every other, I will still try to lie to myself and say that I will try to go to the gym on a regular basis…we’ll see.

As far as saying goodbye to 2009, I have mixed feelings about the fateful year that has ended. There were so many epic moments of my life that happened last year, like graduating law school, getting MARRIED, passing the bar, and starting my first “real” job. But 2009 was also one of my most challenging and difficult years. It’s been one of my most stressful years, since I was freaking out about finding a job basically all year long (let me tell you, that’s a long time to stress about the same subject), not to mention studying for the bar. I hated the uncertainty of 2009, not knowing what was going to happen with bar results, or where I would end up working. And there are also the financial difficulties that Jeff and I had the last few months of the year; they were like nothing I have ever had to experience before.
All in all, I have a lot to be thankful for in 2009, but I’m definitely looking forward to more stability in the coming year. I’m also hoping to have a better grasp on where I’m going with my career by the end of this year. I think that’s one resolution I WILL be able to keep.
Happy New Year’s everyone!

Work Update: Printer

29 Tuesday Dec 2009

Posted by in work

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I got my own printer! For most of you, this may not mean much. But for those who remember my Office Space entry, the shared printer was getting uber frustrating. Alex (the other Alex, I’m not referring to myself in the third person…yet) really pulled through and mentioned to the attorney that calling the office manager to ask her if we could print, then walking around the corner to pick up every document we print, was really getting in the way of our productivity. Said and done–within an hour or so, there was a printer installed in my cubicle (no office yet, I’ll post on that later).


Hooowwwever, I’m a little anal on organization and layout. I had gotten comfortable with how I had set up my desk, and the extension cord didn’t reach to where I ideally would have wanted the printer. So I had to apologize for being a high maintenance attorney, and I [very nicely] asked for an extension cord so I could move it to the complete opposite side of my desk. With a little hustle and bustle, the printer was where I wanted it, and now I’m off to prove that I deserve a raise!

*sorry for boring you on my printer status, and the many
more similar office posts that are to come*

From Hi5 to Peru!

29 Tuesday Dec 2009

Posted by in friends, tips, travel

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So back in 2006, Erika, Brooke, Sarah and I had the opportunity to take the trip of a lifetime. A couple of our spots included Lima, Peru, and Machu Picchu. In Lima, we were fortunate enough to stay with Will’s family, who were sooo amazing. I should tell you that we all took a chance on Will. Friends were shocked and extremely concerned when they asked where we were staying in Peru, and their answer: “We’re staying with some guy’s and his family that Alex met online…that she’s never met before.” Yeah….that didn’t go over very well with people, and I honestly don’t blame them. But I’m glad we went on faith alone and proceeded to stay with Will and his family. Will and his friend, Alan, picked us up from the airport, and accompanied us on our following trips to the airport when we flew out to Cuzco. And his mom made some amazing food. I may be using the word “amazing” too much in this blog, but I mean it every time I use it!

Here we are with Will on a tour of Lima. His sister, Mawi, actually majored in some sort of historical architecture of Lima, so she gave us an amazing tour of the city ;)










Jump to 2009: I still keep in touch with Will. Granted, I’m kind of a terrible friend and I don’t actually talk to him often, but we chat online every now and then, I update him on my life, he tells me about his promotions and employee of the month awards (felicidades willy!), and he also tells me about all of his amazing trips. I seriously want to be like Will and explore every inch of this country, just like he’s explored so much of Peru. This brings me to the original purpose of this post, which was to share some pictures from Will’s recent travels. Without further ado:
Here is Will in Playa Azul

And this one is amazing, of the Peruvian jungle:
I’m gonna work on convincing Will to give me some travel tips, hot spots, etc., so I can share with you guys :)

Holiday Special!

24 Thursday Dec 2009

Posted by in family

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In the spirit of Christmas, I’m sharing with you a movie that everyone should watch at least once during the Holiday Season. I’m sure most of you have already seen this movie before, but I’ll be honest and tell you that if it wasn’t for marrying into the Armstrong Family, I probably wouldn’t even have known about it, or caught all the jokes in movies, TV shows, etc., about the leg lamp.

Here’s a little trailer for A Christmas Story:

I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Christmas, sharing it with those you love.

Merry Christmas everyone!

More on Adult Life

22 Tuesday Dec 2009

Posted by in life

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I’m pretty sure it started after law school began, when I was too busy to watch the news at home or read a newspaper, and still wanting to know what was going on with the world. At some point, while driving, I got fed up with having to continually scan the radio stations to find something good (even though Jeff might say my music standards are still pretty subpar). And so, to get my fill of current events, and prevent the continual station scan, I landed with news radio. I think a few years ago I would have felt lame about listening to NPR and KNX 1070 more frequently than any radio station. I guess self-confidence is one of the few good things about growing older!

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