Thanksgiving Roundup

Back in Seattle now, so I can manage a coupla photos here on my computer. Hang on, lemme just put on Atlantic Starr's Masterpiece...aww yeah. Now is time to write a little something. In retrospect, being home was much better than I made it sound a few days ago. A week is, of course, too little time to see everyone so it feels like you're bouncing around from place to place trying to make appearances. Making appearances is for Paris Hilton and, to tell you the truth, I've never really been a fan.

On the bright side, though, all family and friends are doing pretty well, enjoyed success with the holiday cooking and I had one of the greatest shower experiences of my life just last night. A woman's apartment is so different from a man's. In my shower there is a bar of Dial, a Mach 3 razor and a 90% empty bottle of brand-X dandruff shampoo turned upside-down to make sure every last drop can be squeezed out. Contrast this to Brian's girlfriend's roommate's shower which she graciously let us guys use after playing basketball (yes, one at a time). This was my first shower with clear walls instead of frosted which meant I could observe myself in the bathroom mirror. Ooh, but what about steam fogging up the glass? Guess what? There was a SQUEEGEE HANGING ON THE WALL!! That's right, baby. Wipe down the wall and check out that body in all its glory! And I haven't even gotten to the bath products. Do all women have 30 different shampoos, conditioners and bath gels in their shower? Am I displaying my naivete by asking that question? Well, point is, I tried all that stuff and came out smelling like a lime/hibiscus/vanilla/rose-something or other. Whatever, it was great. When I get paid, the first thing I'm gonna do is femme up my shower. Okay, here are some photos:


It's Stouffer's macaroni, but I made the rest, really!


Rosita and Uncle Hector like it


Mom and Dad like it


This is how you know it was good.

Thanksgiving in Tha Haaaaaaaouse!!

Okay, this is pretty unbelieveable. On the news they just said that the average American eats 3000 calories at their Thanksgiving dinner alone. First, that's a suspiciously round number for an average, and second, that would be truly amazing. Americans eat a lot of shit there's no doubt, but 3K in one meal as an average?? That means some people are putting away four thousand, forty-five hundred and maybe even five thousand calories? Crazy. Also, realize that WhatUpThen isn't a big calorie counter but he's probably no longer 182 pounds.

So I had the Thanksgiving cooking duties this year. Move over, Rachael Ray! Actually, don't go too far. Here, why don't you sit in my lap while I show you the wonderful feast I created. I did forget the cranberry sauce, the parmesan cheese and the artichoke hearts, and it's not like I made the meal from scratch or anything, but I was rather proud with the finished product. Turkey, candied yams, stuffing, baked spinach, greens, salad, macaroni, rolls, apple pie...and, of course, each of those dishes is far more complex than their one or two-word titles. The greens,for example...gotta wash the collard greens, then fry the bacon and save the bacon grease and mix in the thyme and add the liquid to the greens then cook them for hours, all while preparing the other foods. It's a process. I appreciate those people who really can cook...like my Food Network girl. I'm so buying her books.

State of Being Adrift

Back at home again for Thanksgiving holiday. It wasn't so long ago that I was here so why have I forgotten how it works? Bored when I'm at home yet feeling guilty to be away. I guess that's what happens when you visit home at age 24...you feel like you're on a leash. Plus, I'm generally depressed for the usual reasons.

It's been a decent week, at least, though. Uncle Hector is still bouncing off the walls (getting his photo in the archive is a high priority), grandfather is coherent enough to talk about why I shouldn't waste money seeing Alexander, and I've gotten to see lots of friends that I wish I could see every day (sigh). Hmm...maybe downgrade "every day" to "more often." Much more often...yeah, that's about right. Had three drinks without throwing up (it's coming back, baby!) and generally, well...decent, not spectacular. Blah. Next paragraph.

Have I mentioned Mr. Brian on Ice Climber before? If not, then congratulations, I'm gonna talk about you now!! I am excited about Brian's new girlfriend because, quite frankly, the 18-year old, smoking, swim instructor wasn't cutting it. So, B, bask in your newfound compatibility and ride the coaster 'til the ride stops.

Wednesday Roundup

From the TMI department: Just before sitting down to write this, while taking off my pants, I accidentally crushed my testicles between my legs. I don't know if this happens often to guys out there; it doesn't happen often to me, but it hurts like a bitch. Fuck! Just thought I'd share.

So, there's good news for me. Can you guess what it is? It involves $7.80/hour, large videocameras mounted on tripods and a 24-hour keycard to the Health Sciences Building!! Yes, I finally have a job! It's a lot like the job I had videotaping CS courses as an undergraduate except it's more work and it pays less. Richard Simmons told me to not even sweat it, though. It's not much but at least in the near future I'll be able to eat meat for dinner instead of Honey Bunches of Oats.

Tonight was Cara's 21st birthday Sale-A-Bration. Happy Birthday, Cara. Still can't believe your ass is only 21. Photos will be posted once I get a paycheck so I can develop them. A few notes:

Went to Earl's, Bleu Bistro, The Baltic Room and Chapel. Plus, the Last Supper Club last weekend...holy shit, I haven't even posted yet about going out with Master P and his coworkers! Okay, I'll get that up before the weekend arrives. Anyway...yeah, man, I love going out. Needed more $$ for drinks, though.

Also very enjoyable to meet women. Chatted a great deal with one of Cara's friends who reminded me very much of Samantha (Jones?) from Sex & the City. There were a few things. The voice was totally Samantha...like a lilting and very deliberate song very pleasant to listen to. You can imagine her starting a sentence with: "As a matter of fact..." Then there was the subject matter. It wasn't raunch and explicit like on the TV show, but it was...hmm, one of a kind. Pet rats, anybody? Ordering macaroni & cheese at a restaurant? Okay, maybe you had to be there. The last Samantha trait is the age, 28 (or as Chris Rock would say: "She damn near 40!). Hey, when you're like me in a freshman Spanish class, 28 is getting up there. So yeah...good day, good day.

Last thing, visit this site to see what I've been doing the past few days instead of updating Ice Climber. www.20q.net Until next time!!

A Link to the Past

You may have noticed I recently added a couple of links on Ice Climber. Of course, there are plenty of pages I visit regularly but I'm following some rules for the links I choose. One, I want the links to be somewhat unique. No one reading this needs a link to Google, IGN or the Apple Store. Second, they've got to be important to myself and you, the reader, down the line. I don't want to have a bunch of links to obscure sites that I know I'll never visit; that's what my Bookmarks folder is for. And last, I haven't linked to any porn sites because I haven't yet reached an agreement with them about how much money I'll be paid for referrals. So do click my links if you find the time. There's the Hyperwest portal which connects to several other blogs that are interesting and that have also given me ideas for my own page. Also there's the New Jack Swing 4Ever site, which I was so happy to find because it's like going back in time to when Bobby Brown was a heartthrob, Paula Abdul wasn't the clueless judge and After 7 were radio staples.

I'm always impressed when people can remember things that happened way back in their childhoods. That's always been very difficult for me, but one thing I do remember clearly was during elementary school at recess...I would get together with Eddie Gardner and we would sing Roni together. I don't remember if we had an audience or not, but either way it's scary. There's probably a good "Lord, help me, my son is gay"-style skit to be made out of that. That's not the case (Woman, call me) but kinda interesting to consider.


This guy used to be Bobby Brown's #1 fan!

I mean, really, the fact that an elementary school kid that looked a lot like this guy was singing Bobby Brown slow jams is a testament to how huge Bobby Brown was back in those days. How long does it take for Ice Climber to load? All this talk is tempting me to make another audio post!

Elements of a Rough Day

- Start with 5 hours of sleep and an 8:30am class.

- Morning chat with ex-girlfriend reveals the current guy is paying her another visit (At least Detective WhatUpThen figured out how he's able to travel while school is in session).

- 65 cents deducted from bank account from copies made 4 days ago (No problem!)

- Only had 52 cents in account (Uh oh.)

- Wells Fargo slaps on $33 overdraft fee (Goddammit.)

- University housing staff hand-delivers eviction notice to room (1 week to pay!)

A short interruption...I visited the Central Branch of the Seattle Public Library this morning. It just opened during the springtime and it is the nicest library I've ever been in. Hell, it's among the nicest buildings I've been in, period. You will find me there plenty in the future. Plus, I finally got to borrow a copy of Nickel and Dimed!!

- Call about job posted yesterday. Director says there has been "overwhelming response."

- Need 16 cents to print out 2-page homework assignment. Have 10 cents.

Another quick interruption...yes, that was me staring at the ground while walking to class this afternoon looking for a dime so I could turn in my homework. Yes, that was me looking both ways before checking for change in the vending machine. And yes, it was clutch to find a quarter in the Education Lounge Coke machine 10 minutes before class began.

- No more English muffins. No more eggs. No more food. Lots of pineapple tea.

- Graham crackers stolen from housemate are stale.

Case in point, fuck me. I need money, NOW. On the bright side, I can't wait to get on the scale at the gym!

Zero Credit Soup

I've been listening to Zero 7 quite a lot lately. I like that Massive Attack, Air-style music and this band is rapidly ascending the ranks of my favorites. Destiny does sound curiously like Air's La Femme D'Argent, but the latter is one of my favorite songs ever and I certainly don't mind having two versions. I've GOT to go to London, dude. All of those groups...Jamiroquai, Portishead, Air...it would be so great to see them in concert. Are these bands even still together? I don't know because they don't get any press in the States. Dude, even Fatboy Slim! I love this stuff! Fuck it...I'm making this an audio post!!


As depicted here, when you listen to Zero 7 your head will glow like the sun and your neurons will be visible through your skull.

Ooh, I thought of a metaphor to share! Schoolwork is kinda like paying off a credit card. For example, today I did a decent amount of reading and my Spanish homework for tomorrow. That's like making the easy monthly payment. However, I did no research for my thesis, no contacting teachers, no revision of the outline, nothing. That is the full balance that really needs to be paid off by the middle of Spring Quarter. It's hard to put a dent into it, though. My topic is still so murky and the idea of submitting this thing is still so abstract. But like credit cards (except for American Express), you've gotta hack away at that balance or else it'll hang over you for a loooong time. And I plan on graduating next year.

Shit. Got 52 cents in the bank account. Down to 3 English muffins and one can of Diet Mountain Dew. Oh, and an egg. I might have to fire up that 4th rice cooker and steal some of my roommates' rice. Ooh, hey I can make Egg Drop soup! It'll be thin as hell since I have no vegetables or spices, but it's something! A big thank you to all the Asian people who took me to all the Chinese restaurants while I was in college...you've given me an extra day of not having to ask my Mom for money.

How Well Do You Know WhatUpThen?

As I've perused other people's blogs for ideas, I've found a lot of this and it's pretty cool. Take my quiz! This one's for all the marbles.

Click Here and Take My Quiz!!

Martyrizing - Kinda Like the Cleaners

Lately, I've been martyr-izing myself in a big way. Ooh, dictionary.com says "martyrize" is a real word; no dash needed. So, anyway, I've been making a martyr of myself. It's a offshoot of my breakup, where on the surface it appears as if all the responsibility for it lies with people other than myself. I would never fall into the trap of blaming everyone but myself for bad things that happen, but it seems that a very strong case could be made to let me off the hook. By the way, I'm talking about something that happened nearly three months ago...think someone is having trouble letting go??

The problem with this martyrization is that I've begun to apply it in other areas, too. Normally I'm very understanding of different people's philosophies and styles and paces, but now whenever someone seems to drop the ball I just get so angry at them! Every little thing! When a prospective employer fails to respond to my job application, I martyrize. When my roommate tracks his shower-water all over the bathroom, I martyrize. When my friends don't return my emails or never make themselves available, I martyrize. I feel like Kobe Bryant on the new-look Lakers when they're down 15 in the early 4th-quarter and he gets pissed at his teammates and feels like he's the only person capable of doing anything right. I know I'm not Kobe (thank goodness) and I know that my friends can sink the figurative jumpshot and that some amazing people surrounding me can even sink the figurative left-handed 3-pointer.

So, I pledge that I'll stop becoming irate over little things people sometimes overlook. God, why have I been so angry lately at all! It's not good for the blood pressure (although my svelte 186-pound frame probably regulates that better than before!). How about this for a truce? Everyone sweat the little details a bit more and I'll sweat the little details a bit less. Sounds good to me.

That Was Out Of Control, Man

I'm happy to report that my oral presentation in Spanish class went very well. It didn't seem that way to me while I was doing it, of course, because I had to keep glancing at my notes to remember what to say. Right afterwards, though, my teacher said to the class: "Cristóbal habla muy bueno, ¿no?" or something to that effect. And while mingling about the class afterward, 4 different people approached me to say "Great job on your presentation," or "Did you speak Spanish before?" and I'm thinking "Are these people nuts?" I guess it didn't hurt that I went right after the guy who gave half his presentation in English. Wait, how many people was it? Let me think: it was the guy with the tattoo who said I was out of control (in a good way), the 30-year old freshman, Amber who sits behind me, the red-headed girl, the rich girl (and you gone too far 'cause you know it don't matter anyway)...yeah, that's it. How many is that? 5, baby. Five people plus the teacher gave me special notice for my presentation. That's very nice. Too bad these 100-level classes don't count toward my graduate GPA, I would take a ton of them.

Click Below to Understand the 49%

Middle of the day. Reading about science. Eating pot pie. I just wanted to kick down this Joan Ryan article that I think really sums up the viewpoint of the people who are upset and disappointed that George W. Bush was reelected. "Upset" and "disappointed" aren't even the half of it, really...it's just that sometimes it's incredible that we can ignore logic when it stares us right in the face.

Ugh, Nothing Happening Here

I'm not even gonna write much about the election here. Bush won. He doesn't seem to have the greatness of an eight-year president to me. And he certainly hasn't left a positive legacy for the first four years, but now he gets his shot to leave another mark in history. Let's just hope it isn't a further widening of the gap between the haves and have-nots, and let's hope it doesn't result in the deaths of 100,000 Iraqis/Iranians/Afghanis/North Koreans and/or U.S. citizens.

I don't have very many pictures on file, but I do have this one I shot while I was in Ballard a coupla weeks ago. And since the Scott Peterson trial has moved to the jury deliberation stage, here ya go!

Scott bought so much life insurance they gave him his own office

Damn, I've been in a rut the past four or five days. I've had so much time to work on my thesis but I just can't motivate myself. My foot is killing me even though I haven't played ball since Friday. Haven't shaved in awhile. Haven't talked to anyone at length. Have less than $20 in the bank. Fuck, I need to get my ass in gear. No, I really need Thanksgiving vacation...how many days until then? Damn, someone come visit! Ahora me siento deprimido. Necesito hacer algo divertido este sábado, pero no hay una cosa en mente. Arrgh! At least I'm learning some Spanish.

Truth & Reconciliation

Before I say anything else, I'll tell you to be sure to go out and vote tomorrow. I'm not gonna be one of those "it doesn't matter who you vote for as long as you get out and do it" people. Fuck that. Vote John Kerry and let's have an end to the complete bullshit. It's the U.S....there's still gonna be injustice and inequity and partial bullshit, but seriously we should move up not down. I sent in my absentee ballot today and I'm gonna be watching the news tomorrow waiting for the verdict.

Also, thank you Eminem for preaching to the choir and, hopefully, getting lots of your fans to participate in the election. Hopefully everyone realizes they are a participant whether they like it or not.

Damn, this Education as a Moral Endeavor class is truly amazing. Every time I leave it makes me reflect on moral issues. Every time I'm in class I can relate the topics to some event in my life. Today we were talking about what is necessary for forgiveness (not completely certain what this has to do with education). We're using the idea of forgiveness for South African apartheid as an example, so imagine if someone victimized you in some way; imagine that someone did you wrong. In order to forgive there needs to be:

1) A face-to-face meeting - It's important to confront that person who dealt that pain.

2) truth & honesty - all of the information needs to be revealed. There must be total resolution. The Truth & Reconciliation Commission in South Africa sought to provide amnesty to criminals of apartheid in exchange for full, truthful disclosure. Knowing what happened is very important.

3) apology - the person seeking forgiveness has to accept responsibility for what occurred

And after all of that, the victim still must be capable of forgiving. It's not an easy thing, and from the stories we've read it seems like not everyone is able to do it. The forgiveness discussion was very timely for me because it is a huge issue in my life right now. Thankfully, it looks (and feels) like nearly all of the criteria for my forgiveness have been achieved, and I'm really close to that point of calm and resolution.

Right now some of you are like: "What the fuck kinda blog is this?!"