Anyone? Bueller?

Is anyone out there? Bueller? Bueller?

I know at least you are reading P.

I need a hobby. I've determined that watching TV and being up-to-date on pop culture do not qualify as hobbies. I've racked my brain trying to think of hobbies I can take up but have come up with zilch. Suggestions are welcome. Here are some things I enjoy and that I think I am good at:

Playing Scrabble
Drinking wine
Eating food
Petting cats

Cooking - I want to be good at this, but I don't think I'm very good at it. I'm okay, but Kyle is way better than I am. And for some reason every time I cook chicken I feel ill the next day so I think I'm giving myself salmonilla.

Who am I kidding? I don't even have time to do the laundry, clean my desk, take out the recycling. I need to figure out a way to be a fully functioning adult before taking up a hobby!

Does anybody have the phone number for a maid service?

Me & Sanjaya are One

I was watching American Idol and realized that my internal voice is way too Simon Cowell and not enough Paula Abdul. There are some days when I walk around feeling like I'm Sanjaya and can't do anything right.

Simon: "Cheryl, that was horrendous! Like watching a bad, drunken karaoke bar performance."
Me: "Really? You think I could be good enough to sing at a karaoke bar? Wow, thanks!"

Hardy har. Where oh where is Paula when you need her? At least she would tell me my outfit looks nice.

A Year in the Life

Happy one year Bloggerversary to me!

Reflections on the past year:

1. Going back to school is not as easy as it sounds.
2. I'm still reminded of my New Years spill by the stubborn bruise on my knee that will not go away.
3. One year is way too long to go without a nice vacation away from it all.
4. Being an aunt is the best.
5. Never say never. Like I said I would never go back to the Brenda Walsh bangs.

I started out with wispy, sideswept bangs. Then I decided I need a change. Slowly but surely, I have digressed back to the days of 90210. Even those damn jumpers with t-shirts underneath are making a comeback. I haven't quite made that leap yet. I think I'll file that under the category of leggings for now. That stereotypical Asian model with bangs thing a la Bai Ling always bugged me, which was partly why I revolted against straight bangs for so long. I guess I'm a conformist at heart!

Randomly, I'm in Santa Barbara this weekend to represent my program at a diversity forum being held at UCSB. Believe it or not, it was actually more the fact that this event focuses on diversity rather than that it was in Santa Barbara that motivated me to want to come when I was invited at the last minute. Of course, I ain't complaining about the locale - just a minor side perk. But instead of having a grand time on State Street I'll be working on my paper/presentation for my child development class. Fun times.

I don't think this can count as my long overdue vacation.

What to Do, What to Do

TO DO:

1. Get a pedicure. Gnarly toenails are unacceptable, even in cold weather.
2. School work (what's new?)
3. Finish traffic school online. Funny when you read about how you shouldn't drive when you are emotional, which is pretty much what I was doing when that cursed photo light caught me.
4. Go on that bikini body diet I've been talking about for months (now that there are only about 2 months left until summer begins).
5. Get a massage & plan a vacation. Relaxation time is key.
6. Start writing in a journal again. Blogging is fun and all, but there are just some things not meant for public consumption.
7. Blog more.
8. Go to the gym (can't wait until I actually check this one off my list!).
9. Buy Elliot Yamin CD. I was a Taylor Hicks fan but his CD kind of disappointed. I hear Elliot's is the bomb yo! (Sorry, temporarily possessed by the spirit of Randy Jackson)
10. Buy more closed toe shoes (in case #1 is not realized).

Meme?

Apparantly I've been tagged to fill out a meme. Before today I didn't even know what a meme is so if this post actually even goes through it will be a miracle. I guess I didn't realize before getting into blogging how technically literate I would have to be.

Three things that scare me

1. PUBLIC SPEAKING
2. Being judged (goes into #1)
3. The idea of anyone other than my beloved husband who loves me unconditionally seeing me first thing in the morning when I wake up.
   

Three people who make me laugh

1. I Love Cheese
2. Dave Chapelle
3. Me (hence the blog name)

Three things I love

1. I have to go with Cherann on this one - my family

2. The Office

"Wikipedia is the best thing ever. Anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject, so you know you are getting the best possible information." - Michael Scott

3. Food

Three things I hate


1. When people think they are better than others
2. Inconsiderateness
3. Being hungry
   

Three things I don’t understand

1. How anyone could not love food

2. How on earth leggings ever made a comeback

3. Intolerance

Three things on my desk


1. A stack of papers taller than me
2. A video game case for World of Warcraft (Kyle's doing, not mine. Not that WoW isn't cool or anything, I'm just sayin'.)
3. More paper

If Kyle hadn't just cleaned it I'm sure there would be a million water bottles on my desk too (my doing, not Kyle's).

Three things I want to do before I die


1. Be serenaded by John Legend (only a song Kyle, nothing more of course!)
2. Meet Barack Obama (Obama in '08!)

3. Be a mommy.

Three things I can do


1. Cook a 30-minute meal
2. Trick my husband into getting into bad reality TV shows (The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll, The Hills, etc.)
3. Laugh a lot
   
   
Three things I can’t do

1. Pretend I know something that I don't

2. Motivate myself to work out
3. Swim

Three things I think you should listen to

1. The good things people say about you
2. John Legend's "Get Lifted"
3. Yourself

Three things you should never listen to

I try to be pretty open minded so I can't think of anything you shouldn't listen to. Of course, that doesn't mean you have to do everything that anyone says. I'll have to come back to you on that one.

Three things I’d like to learn (but won’t)


1. How to be completely non-judgmental
2. How to stop thinking about what everyone else is thinking
3. How Anna Nicole Smith could be so blind as to what a sleazoid Howard K. Stern is
   
   
   Three shows I watched as a kid

1. The Guys Next Door

2. The Monkees (yes, I was boy band crazed even at a young age)

3. Saved by the Bell

Now for the very special part….Tag, you’re it! You're turn to tell me three things. Have fun!

I Love Cheese

Thanks for the tag Cherann!

The Man, the Myth, the LEGEND

OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!

Can I just tell you how much I absolutely heart John Legend? Kyle and I went to his concert last night with a few friends and he 100% blew my mind with how awesome he was. You know somebody is good when they sound even better LIVE than they do on their CD.

It doesn't hurt that he's pretty easy on the eyes too. I don't think Kyle would mind my mini-celebrity crush since he has developed one of his own for Mr. Legend's opening act, Carin Bailey Rae.

I knew I was in trouble when Kyle first saw her perform and realized that she can play the guitar, but then she had to go and reveal the fact that she has the coolest British accent ever last night. If I could come back as somebody else in another lifetime I would want to come back as a Brit because I'm convinced that no matter what your personality is like, if you have a British accent you are golden. So:

Good looks + good personality + plays the guitar + great singer + BRITISH ACCENT

= Kyle fantasizing about being picked out of a crowd for a marriage proposal from Carin Bailey Rae

I forget how great going to concerts can be. It was held at the Embarcadero downtown, which I think I have been to at some point but can't remember why. Anyway, it was a beautiful night, with the water on one side and a great view of the city on the other. We also discovered that you can pretty much have a picnic right outside the venue and still be able to see and hear the music for free, so I'm thinking I'll have to try it when the next great act comes into town. Although I'm not sure if anything will ever live up to John Legend. Sigh.

In other music related news, did you happen to catch American Idol last night with Michael Buble? Now, Michael Buble is another artist who I've designated as one of my favorites on my myspace page, but I'm feeling like he kind of ruined his image in my eyes with his creepy comment about Antonella Barba. I wonder if he's still dating that British girl from "The Devil Wears Prada"? If he lets go a girl with a British accent then he definitely is a certified fool.

Lackadaisical

Lackadaisical: adj. idle or indolent, especially in a dreamy way

Yeah, that says it all about me these days. I'm finding I'm lacking in the motivation department lately. I think after all those years I've spent trying to please everyone around me I'm finally getting fed up with it and have started ushering my priorities to the front of the line. So selfish of me, I know. Anyway, it kind of sucks too though because I'm starting to go through this phase where I feel like I'm unlikeable. I think I relied so much on doing whatever it takes to make people happy for years as a means of being liked that now that I'm not doing it as much I am starting to wonder what there is left of me to like.

I'm feeling inconsistent too. I've always felt like I'm not the same me around everyone, so now I'm trying to figure out exactly who the "real" me is. Shooz, I definitely thought I was supposed to be more evolved in that aspect at this age. Funny thing is, I feel like I've gone through this already. I was so sure of who I was in my early 20's but now I'm trying to remember who that was. Loss of memory, another tragic side effect of aging.

Anyway, I know this post is a downer but it's 4 in the morning right now and I guess introspection is what happens when sleep escapes you. Overall things are fine. Spring Break came and went, but wasn't really much of a break if you ask me. I went to a School Counseling conference on Friday where I was part of a group presentation. If you know me at all, you know that public speaking is my greatest fear in life, so I was mentally blocking out most other things this whole week in preparation for the presentation. It went well. I actually didn't feel nervous, but for some reason could still feel my hands shaking when I was up there in front of all those eyes on me. I think my physiological response overrides my actual mental state. Any suggestions on how to control it are more than welcome!