Weblog Archive      

.:September 2002 to Current:.

11.28.02, Thursday

[01:25am] Happy Thanksgiving! =) Even if it is only 1:00 am (and some) in the morning! ^_^ After school today, Fred came over and chilled with us for a bit...then we picked up Cheryl and went to Best Buy, Toys R' Us, and Robinson's May for some late night roaming and shopping around Riverside. =) Three of us went back to our home and we ate, watched Fred play some Shinobi, and then watched the "My Left Eyes Sees Ghost" VCD movie, heh heh...a relaxing and fun way to kick off the four day weekend. ^_^ I suppose I will need to set some time aside to do some grading on my students' trimester project...

Thanksgiving bash at my house, tomorrow...er...tonight. All are welcome! ^_^ We're playing basketball in the afternoon, and the rest that are staying for the Thanksgiving dinner...we'll be cooking up a storm (no more rolling blackouts in the house, I hope!), playing a bunch of games, eating good food, and having a great time! =) Wanna kick it wit' us? Just give me a call and let me know! ^_^

I got flowers yesterday! They brighten up the room a great deal...! ^_^

11.25.02, Monday

[06:40am] It's been a morbid past week for many good friends around me, and I'm really at a lost for words...God is the source of goodness, love, life, strength, and wisdom...and for this, He has His plans in all things that has happened, and in all things that are to come...my prayers are for all of you...

Saturday I actually watched the USC vs. UCLA football game! I don't think I've eeeever watched football on TV before...hee hee...and now I know why! I mean, I had a fun time (I met a bunch of neat people! ^_^), but the people that make commentaries on the game...well...they lack a few brain cells...=) After, I went to SGVAC's Thanksgiving Dinner! I played some games, got some soul food, and found out that my pastor can be just as ruffian as me at times, hee hee....! ^_^ I was reunited with Big Grasshoppa' for a bit (Congrats!!! She got baptized yesterday!), and I also got to hang out with Des, Pantipa, Ole, and Paul, and got to know them more - I like them! =)

Sunday Sunday was also a super eventful day: Church, Karaoke, and Lord of the Rings! ^_^ We led worship at church, and then went for more singing afterwards! A whole group of us - Crystal, Vivi, Jason, You Jin, Kathleen, Gilbert, Fred, Annie, Josiah, Keen Yong, David, and Ed - gathered to karaoke for several hours, heh heh. My songs never came up though...and Edwin didn't get his backup (Mark) to go Britney Spears on us, heh heh...but it was still fun hanging out and playing. ^_^ Then, I had dinner with Eric at IHOP (mmm...Swedish Pancakes are deeeelightful!), and we later watched the first half of Lord of the Rings. It's much better watching it the 2nd time around...I understand it better. I think the first time, it was good, but just a really long movie, and so by the time it ended, all the loose ends weren't as tied up as I thought it would. But then again, I've only watched the first half again. I have yet to finish it! =)

An excellent week - only three days of school! ^_^

11.21.02, Thursday

[07:30pm]

Happy Birthday Michael!
So...will you be driving soon? ^_^

Last night, I had dinner with Kathleen! She is truly one that appreciates culinary delights as much as me, hee hee...! We at ate Table for Two, and tried the Fried Banana dessert. Mmm! It's not a SUPER good something, but it was a treat nonetheless! =) I had some spicy thai noodles...and yeow...it was full of those super spicy green jalapenos and crazy red chiles (Habanero? who knows! It was simply karazy-hot!). I can take hot foods, but this was insane, heh heh...

One more day till the weekend...and next week...only three days of school...a much needed respite for the weary...^_^

11.20.02, Wednesday

[06:30am] How I love Tuesday nights! ^_^ Buffy, Smallville, and hanging out with Eric...!

So now that I have the Norah Jones CD (and it's not burnt nor an original copy of anything!), does that mean I have to delete the Norah Jones mp3's? Hee hee...^_^

11.19.02,Tuesday

[06:17am] Aiya! I missed the meteor shower! Heh heh...see...I DREAMED that I saw it, TWICE. When my cell phone woke me up, I snoozed it and I think I do recollect myself looking out the window...did I? I'm not even sure...and then I went back to sleep, thinking I did see it. But I know that I did dream it because it wasn't even at my house when I "saw" the meteor shower. I was traveling somewhere, but like in some type of vehicle that was not a vehicle, and anyways, it was a dream. I've seen the meteor shower before (in real life, hee hee), but yep...oh well...at least I got some really good sleep last night! ^_^

11.18.02, Monday

[07:20pm] I'm sleeping early tonight. Not only because I didn't sleep enough last night, but because tomorrow...at around 2:30am...you can see the Leonid Meteor Shower!!! ^_^ I highly recommend that you all wake up around 2:30am to watch it, be amazed, and go back to sleep! Hee hee...it'll be neat, and it'll be quite worth it indeed!

I found a bunch of old links, heh heh...that I should just link up somewhere. I found a neat one that Eym-Soon had sent a long time ago. Actually, my dad had taught me this before too! It's pretty spiffy...about how the written Chinese language is so closely linked to the Bible. I don't exactly have too much of an opinion on what the makers of the website are saying, but I do think that there is definitely a valid link between the language and the Bible, simply because Chinese is such a pictorial language.

Mark uploaded recordings from our last practice onto the OneCross.org website (our CCF/YF Webpage). Ha ha ha...thank goodness only those with passwords can access them! *whew* =)

11.17.02, Sunday

[04:39pm] You can text message me! Heh heh...Phil showed me how to do this. Props out to ya! ^_^ Everyone, go see his webpage! (more shameless promotion) ^_^

[01:05pm] Superpowers Meter Bar: draining...and dwindling...

I came home from church super early today...I didn't even stay for lunch. I'm tired...and yet, there's still so much to do...*sigh*

11.16.02, Saturday

[08:25am] Olive, Giang, Diane and I went out to eat last night...only to find 45 minute waits at Chili's and Tony Roma's...we were soooo hungry at that point, we decided to just go down to Denny's and eat, hee hee...Mimi and Minh later joined us, and then they went off to get their game on and manhunt at USC's pre-tailgate party. Hmm, especially in vanilla city...Mimi's favorite place to go! Ha ha ha...! =) I love hanging out with my girls, but let me publicly make it known that I've never ever eeeeever participated in such things! ^_^ As Diane put it, of all of them, I'm the "ultra-conservative" one, and I really don't mind. That's me. =)

I was evaluated by my principal yesterday. It went better than I thought it would. *whew*

On Thursday, the principal had even brought Gladys Walker (Assistant Superintendent of RUSD) and then two other ladies (I think they were for EL education, from the state of California) to watch me teach a bit. I have no idea what they thought of my classroom, but I do remember seeing one of the ladies nod her head with a smile as they kids and I were discussing our Journal Entry! Too bad they missed yesterday's JE...hee hee...it was: "Don't playa' hate...Congratulate!" ^_^

11.13.02, Wednesday

[07:40pm] I took an hour long nap after school today. Niiice. Everyone is simply getting sick, and I think my body wants to get sick, but I ain't willing it to get sick!!! I was tired when I got back, and so...I slept! Before I got home though, I stopped by the hair place and got my hair cut. It's been getting too long, heh heh...it is a little shorter, but basically the same. I'm horrible when it comes to getting my hair cut, and since I was done by 3:30 today (we had a minimum day today, and the extended hours got cut out! Yay! Since I was tired, I didn't want to stay at school to do work, and decided to do it tonight at home, which I am! I'm filling out failure notices...! Yuck.), I decided to get it done right away. It was $12, heh heh, and the lady there spoke Cantonese even!

Today, we took a walking field trip to Ramona HS, to watch the play "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown". Wow! The drama team put up a good production (there were even a few of my former students on stage, though I didn't know till after), and acted very convincingly. I mean, they HAVE to be brave to stand up in front of a crowd, talk loud enough (and even sing!), and act like someone that they are not. The girl that played Lucy was perfect - loud, crabby, and bossy. I was annoyed by her. That's a sign of good acting, hee hee. The whole team did really well - Charlie Brown was always hopeful yet hopeless; Sally, Schroeder, Linus, and Snoopy played their parts with just as much accuracy, and PigPen was silent, present, and the only one not dressed in colorful attire. It was very Peanuts-like, and neat. =)

For many of these 8th graders, it was their first exposure to theater, which is neat. I mean, they learned a bit about how to be an audience for a theater show (no whistling, no screaming, etc...which, well...at least half of them followed???), and that they could say "Bravo!" and "Brava!", a newfound word that the students exercised quite frequently, whenever possible.

Walking to Ramona was not as chaotic as I feared it'd be, and none of the kids got hit by cars crossing the street (*drats!* j/k j/k!!! ^_^). We came back for lunch and 6th, and my 6th was amazingly tired out and good, heh heh. =)

11.11.02, Monday

[10:47pm] An excellent, awesome, fantastic day! Hee hee...Eric and I got to do so many things at the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific! I got to pet rays, sharks, seastars and sea anemones, feed lorikeets, see sea otters, puffins, diving birds, star fish, seadragons, octopus, jellyfish, watch a shark/fish feeding, and well...just all sorts of things! After meandering about the bay, we went to eat at Noodle House (mmm...), loiter at Ikea, and finished off with a mango/lychee icy at Tasty House. =) A most lovely day, completely carefree from any stress or worries about school and such things. ^_^

Norah Jones's "Don't Know Why"...Sooooo good...! ^_^ And completely legal to download at her website, hee hee...

[01:30am] Fun night out for Dorothy's bday! ^_^ Edwin, Dorothy, David, Fred, Neil, Kathleen, Mark and I went down to the Spectrum (after having an ice cream cake before we headed out, plus Gilbert) for dinner at Cheesecake Factory. Mmm, how I love that place! The dining experience was much more pleasing than last night's, heh heh. It was full of really good food, conversation, and fun - I love hanging out with my people! Besides acting silly, I also gained some new insight on things, like Neil's breathing meditation to "expand his stomach" so he wouldn't feel so full...that the camera seems to take some rather incriminating photos whenever we are together and have a camera...and getting the chance to ride the giant Ferris wheel while waiting to be paged to eat! The one and a half hour wait passed by rather quickly, as we were going all over the Spectrum.

The night was ended by us walking around all over the place, taking silly pictures in silly poses, such as some breaking moves (turtles, jackhammers, etc...) on things like the stone turtles, short poles, as well as some of the guys trying to hang perpendicular from the poles...and pictures of us in front of the water fountain (umm...ahem...Neil? FRED?!? What were you two doing??? hee hee...), as well as finding a cardboard cutout of some comic character that was actually my height! =) Basically, we looked like a gang of crazy tourists on the rampage after hours at Spectrum, hee hee...but it was fun. =)

The guys were able to not talk about basketball for about an hour and a half...while we were eating...and on the drive home. Other than that, it was bball, bball, bball...at least I know (or I think I know!) what a point guard and a shooting guard is now. =)

It's been an eventful weekend. And I have one more day for the weekend...tomorrow! Yay! ^_^

11.10.02, Sunday

[04:11pm] Hee hee...some enlightenment to share with you on my Melopsitticus undulatus. ^_^ (Hmm. There's a spelling error on this page! *gasp* heh heh...j/k...it has basic info, as well as a very true statement: "Everyone should be so fortunate as to own a Budgie.") =)

[02:00am] I can't believe I'm still up, hee hee. All of yesterday was good...rain, fog, and lovely water mists everywhere. I went up to LA for the SGVAC Planning Meeting this morning, and then I got to hang out with Eric for a little bit. =) Then I went to go get Melody, and we went to South Coast to hang out, shop, and eat dinner for her birthday, hee hee. Fred, Ed, and Neil joined us at the Wolfgang Puck Cafe for dinner, and we were all pretty disappointed with the food. I mean, some of it was good, but the most if it did not meet our expectations for an expensive place, though the potential certainly was there! =) Fred mixed up the three sauces on our appetizer plate and it came out pretty good, whereas, individually, two of the three weren't that good at all, heh heh.

Memorable moments from dinner: Neil had a good chunk of solid butter with a "shark fin" bread thing. Edwin talked about the time that him and his friends challenged each other to eat from the never-ending pasta bowl at Olive Garden (of which the record was 7 bowls! However, I think that the 200 Chicken McNuggets also hold a place in history for all those involved, hee hee...). Melody got lots of pictures, as well as a free chocolate soufflé cake and a candle to blow out. Fred had a giant slab of lasagna that was horrible, but a really tasty passion drink. And Fred and Ed are planning on schooling Wolfgang when cooking for Thanksgiving at our house. ^_^

After I dropped off Melody, the guys came over, and they ended up doing manger stuff...as in managing their yahoo fantasy basketball team. Hee hee...SpeedoNutsCrackHolickersOMen. Karazy guys. Then we tried to watch Lilo & Stitch...only the CD didn't work, on either of our computers, nor our DVD player, hee hee. (*Shelton, how did you get to see the movie???) So instead, we watched Untouchables, and maybe...we'll all watch Anne of Green Gables next time around. =)

I should be going to sleep now. =)

11.08.02, Friday

[06:12am] How I love this rain! ^_^ Okay, the fact that the news said that about 217 accidents had already occured since it started, and the fact that there happens to be a bus the flipped over on the 15 (where I drive to get to the 91) is not too comforting. But the rain itself? It's heavenly! =)

11.0702, Thursday

[09:45pm] Yay! I'm done for today...! Geez...and today, like I was at school from 7:30am till 6:30pm. That's an 11 hour work day. And leaving around 6:30 is about normal (unless it's till later)...! Plus I came home to do more work, till now. Hmm. You hafta say that teachers really do deserve that 2 months off in the summer (okay, it's about 2.5 months, hee hee). ^_^

Angelina, Lucia, and Elizabeth visited during 6th period today! They're not supposed to be on campus, hee hee...but it was cool. And Angelina is playing tennis at Ramona! Yay! I wonder if Linda knows her...? I also hear Hugo is like one of the fastest runners on the X-country team. He runs for Ralm. Yay Hugo!

Next Wednesday, there's a walking trip to Ramona HS. Now how am I supposed to lead my students on a walking trip (it's about 15, 20 minutes to the HS we feed into) when they can barely see me when I stand with them? Hee hee...it's difficult enough for those fire drills. =) At least I do get to see the play with them. We're watching "You're a good man, Charlie Brown". Even if Charlie Brown is a blockhead (with a good heart, hee hee), at least Snoopy is always around to make him seem pretty cool. ^_^

[06:25am] I've been slack on the computer lately, heh heh. But I've been more productive with school things! Hee hee...just sitting here and using the computer sometimes (okay, most of the time!) can take up soooo much time, and it's hardly noticeable that time actually passes! =) Anyways...simply needed to announce that yesterday was Mello's birthday! Happy Birthday!!! ^_^ And today's Catherine's...Happy Birthday!!! And just in case...Sunday is Dorothy's! Happy Birthday!!! ^_^ Hee hee...there...three in one blog. =)

11.04.02, Monday

[08:50pm] Yesterday was full of...well...everything! Heh heh...I subbed Sunday School for Cheryl, only I didn't know WHO she taught! So it took a while for me to figure out who I was teaching. There were no notes in my teachers book either, so I had to make a guess as to which lesson they were on, and fortunately, I got it right. Wow. I haven't taught elementary Sunday School in a LONG while. HOW did I do it before? I like them, but they are so fidgety! I think that I'm just so used to working with Junior High, High School, and College/Career people that I've forgotten how insanely unfocused little kids could be, hee hee. Then again...I do remember Timmy, from way back in da days. NOone, literally, could tame that crazy boy...except for me! ^_^ So I'm not shabby when it comes to dealing with elementary kids...but I think I prefer Junior High and up now. =)

I moderated Sunday service as well, and then after, changed and played ball with the big boys, hee hee. I really do feel small around them, hee hee...I mean, even my nephews Thomas and Theo are way bigger than I! It was fun though, and my team (ha ha...I made the basket and got to be captain...none of the boys made it before me, hee hee) of Eugenia, Neil, Fred, and David did well. We lost the first game...but came back for the second, with the addition of Nick. =) We had a bunch of new people...now new friends...joining our CCF. It's pretty neat. There were 15 of us out at bball, and only a few of them were youth. Our CCF is totally growing! =)

Asa, who's like only 5 or 6, can ball pretty good. He can make the basket! The one that is about regulation height! I remember how HARD it was to make a basket...when you're only 5 or 6 years old.

After I got home, I went to type out the outline for the CCF lesson, and do some lesson planning...and then...without even having the time to shower and clean up, I went to CCF, as grimy as ever. =) The lesson was much better this time, and lots of fun. Excellent guacamole, expensive chinese tea, fuzzy smiley face stickers, weird items (like a money-eater. That robot is neat!), lots of thought and sharing, balloons popping, and fortune-homework assignments are just to name a few of what we all did last night in Redlands. =)

And today? Today...was school...and honestly...I'm tired...all the lesson planning and fancy footwork we've been doing is draaaining...not to mention that district bigwigs are showing up on Wednesday, as well as a group of teachers from a school in Utah that is impressed with our results cycle and want to make rounds that day too. So it's like we're all, as Sharon says, putting on a "Dog and Pony Show" for all these visitors and evaluations that have been going on at our school this year. This week is also a Journal Check week. Oy. I'm glad there's a day off next week. If Veteran's Day didn't exist, I honestly would have just taken a sick day. I did all my work for today. I'm doing no more tonight.

Wow. This is a long blog, hee hee...need to get back to emailing now. =)

11.03.02, Sunday

[01:10am] I spent the entire Saturday with Eric. I had such an excellent time! He helped me grade the Cool Sciences, which he has quickly become an expert at. ^_^ And besides lesson planning and planning my lesson for tonight's CCF, we also got to head down to the Paseo Colorado and watch the VeggieTales movie...and eat from sushi boats for lunch. Mmm...I definitely think sushi is growing on me now. Not soooo much of the raw stuff (maaaaybe an exception to yellowtail???), but the other neat stuff, like the spicy crispy crab rolls, migura thing, country rolls, eel, and all that other stuff that doesn't involve too much of the raw fish. ^_^

After, we went to the Murder Mystery Party! First though...we made a stop for a TON of food from In-n-Out. In our silly costumes. =) The party was fun...everyone had a role, and you had to figure out whodunit and how. Kinda like Clue®, but "live", and with a more elaborate story. =)

10.30.02, Wednesday

[06:54pm] Remember how I said that the staff was pretty tired of the persuasive essays? Okay...so I won't say too much, because some of it is just not made for public domain, heh heh...but there were literal mutinies and some heated "discussions" going on at some of the department meetings today when the principal went around with the Literacy Coaches to present his deadlines and expected outcomes to each department. Ouch.

Not at the Science Department though. I mean, our department, really, is not happy about all the extensive language arts (english? ^_^) content standards that we have to cover in our classroom. We're way behind in where we should be, content-wise (for science) for this year, and we're not even touching science stuff as much. We've hardly done any labs this year - I've only done three...! For many of these kids, middle school is where they first really get introduced to science and get hands-on experience with the good stuff, because the elementary schools, though they do teach some science, tend to have a greater focus on math and language arts. Anyways...we're doing our best, but still not happy about the non-science that is going on in our classes. I guess we're also a group to not make waves, though when we don't like something, we may not say it outside of our department. We tend to continue to do things our own way...until "reminded" by a higher power to do so otherwise, hee hee. ^_^

10.29.02, Tuesday

[06:40pm] Gilbert says that MY website is his favorite! Ha ha ha ha ha...I know...you're all jealous...hee hee...j/k...=)

So I guess I wasn't exaggerating yesterday. I got 3 hours of sleep last night. Since it takes about 90 minutes for about one REM cycle to be complete, I did, at the least, get some REM sleep. And that is good. [Sleep rhythms were fun to study back in the neuroscience days, heh heh. =)] Today, after school, I decided to push the rest of the Journal Checks to next week. I'm too overwhelmed with the essay deadline (this Friday, they ALL have to be a 3 or more. I think most of them will be. But not ALL, though there has been huge gains for some students. But anyways, I won't go into it.), and with the current things that are going on right now - the test redo's, progress reports tomorrow, and the new unit on the Periodic Table, along with weekly lesson plans (heh heh...I never did them once last year...my principal was okay with it last year, but this year, as he's under a LOT of pressure for his own evaluation...see, he has his evaluations going on this year, and it's even possible that he may not be back here next year. The test scores were really low last year. And he's taking out a lot of frustration on us, and...anyways, I won't say too much because I can go on and on...^_^ He's a good principal though, and I'm happy to have him as our principal. However...anyways. End.) and who knows what else to be completely toppled by Journal Checks. So I'll do them slowly.

However, on my way home, I realized that I left my homework box that I filled with essays and test redo's to do tonight on my desk at school. I guess it was God's way to say, REST!!! ^_^ Or maybe my mind is not functionally as well for today, heh heh. I'll work on the lesson plans though. =) I'm motivated to get them done in time for my guest of honor tonight. ^_^

10.28.02, Monday

[10:05pm] AIYA! I don't think I will be getting much sleep tonight at all. In fact, maybe none whatsoever! Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, hee hee...^_^ Today has been a loooong day. I collected Journals...and that, added with some extra stuff my principal wanted me to do, as well as a parent meeting and students in my class after school...kept me at Sierra until 9pm! And when I wanted to go home, I couldn't...all the on-ramps to the freeway were blocked off by the cops for some reason. >_< I passed 4 or 5 ramps before I got onto the freeway.  Not only did I want to go home (to do more work, heh heh. I didn't finish all of it there...they shoo you off campus before 10pm), but I was also hungry. A hungry, tired, and overworked anyone would bring home a somewhat disgruntled individual.

Lucky for me, I have parents that had food ready for me, and greeted me nicely. =) I kicked my boots off. Took my contacts out. Changed to my sweats. Food is now entirely consumed, and I'm not as grumpy as when I finally got home. =)

And now...homegirl gots to take care of some school biznazz...

P.S. - So I hear someone has a crush on me, hee hee. ^_^

[06:12am] Fun weekend! ^_^ Spent all day Saturday grading...of which I got most of it all done. Hooray!

"I've made up my mind...don't confuse me with the facts!"

Heh heh...this was from the sermon yesterday. Pastor was talking about when the nation of Israel asked Samuel and God for a king, and Samuel was telling them the consequences of having a king. Even though it was many many years ago, it's still valid today. Sometimes (okay, often?), this world is full of this credo. It's too bad.

After church, I spent the rest of the day going through neato thrift stores, grading more stuff, eating Japanese food, and watching...well...Alias was a rerun (*gasp*), so I got to watch a bit of 24. According to the show, some people have really exciting lives, heh heh. Though mine's is not quite so exciting, I think that yesterday was fun enough to be close to that. ^_^

10.25.02, Friday

[10:10pm] That bottle of Orangina is a never-ending container of carbonation, heh heh...every time I open it, it's full of gas that's just ready to pop out! ^_^ I'm still working on drinking it all. ^_^

Praise Night tonight. Where was everyone??? Heh heh...a bit of rain, and everyone was scared off! Nah. Actually, most of us were there. I like that Lenny LeBlanc song, "There is None Like You". It's easy (as Edwin only knows how the first part goes, so we are only singing the first part, heh heh.). I think we are ready for Sunday now. =) The rain is nice though. I love it! I want more! ^_^ Not so much that it impedes smooth driving, but the cool weather and nice rain that comes with it is a lovely thing to have. =)

I have, literally, about a 7 or 8 inch stack of papers to grade this weekend. That includes all their final essay drafts, the matter tests, cool sciences, and matter review sheets. That's a lot. At least I got some helpful students after school to help grade a good chunk of these worksheets we did on my sub day, so I got that set done at school. I'm starting on this stack tonight. While I download music and stuff. ^_^

[06:35am] I went out to play yesterday! After school, of course. BigZoo...Father Garden...The Transporter...Hazelnut Dream Gelato...a mid-week adventure. ^_^

Happy Birthday Giang!!!

It was yesterday. Giang is one of the best out there, heh heh. =) Dolly and I are hoping you're free next week for...something...muah ha ha...^_^

10.23.02, Wednesday

[07:38pm] I got schooled by Blanka yesterday. That's okay. Chun-Li was simply being...strategically sound, testing the opponent's strengths and weaknesses...or maybe she was simply being generous and kind-hearted. Or maybe I really was schooled! We'll have to find out next time, eh? ^_^

Wow! Today, many of the students were gone, due to the Band Extravaganza competition tonight. In 2nd and 6th period, the number of students was cut down to half! So it was an easy day. Plus, we were Peer Editing our essays in class, so it would have been a quiet day anyways. It was Crazy Hair Day today at school! I totally forgot, heh heh...I was going to get some hair glue, twist my hair into little strings and stick them through straws, muah ha ha. And color up the tips of them for some added zest. =) I remember one of my students from when I was student teaching at South Lake did that, and it was soooo funny (and neat). I wouldn't mind trying it out. =) Only I forgot about it and didn't plan to wake up early enough...and woke up too late to do it. I guess it would have taken forever anyways, hee hee. If we get another Crazy Hair Day though...I'll be ready! ^_^

10.22.02, Tuesday

[07:10pm] Shameless promotion of website for Jonathan. ^_^ New Link: Eclipse's website, Take.Out.The.Lights, version 1.0. Heh heh, this is my super cool nephew's website. =) Ooo. I should scan in that picture from California Adventures and post it, muah ha ha. Proof that he rode on that roller coaster with us, and was SMILING on that ride! ^_^

10.21.02, Monday

[06:50pm] I'm drained today...! Yesterday was a full day: church...grocery shopping at 99, Tak Shing Hong, and Greenland...cooking...eating...fellowship. Binh even came out for fellowship - neato! The cooking part was funny...I guess with all the hot pots and the grill we had...there was so much electricity being used that we had a rolling blackout, but IN the house! First, the electricity in the kitchen vanished for a bit. Then it came back on, but then the family room electricity went. Then it was the loft (and poor Mello was doing chemistry on my computer!). After that though, it went back to normal. I've never heard of a rolling blackout in a house, but I guess it can happen. =)

The lesson last night was...well...content-wise, it was simpler than what I'm used to. I felt as if I suddenly didn't know HOW to teach. I've never taught a lesson like that in youth before, even if I was unprepared, heh heh. I think though, most of it is just getting used to working with another person. I like Edwin, and our styles are the same actually, but I think it's just that when I teach on my own, I do a lot, and this time, working with another, I did less and didn't familiarize myself with the content so well or as in depth or something. Woops. =)

I do get tomorrow off - it's a BTSA conference. In a way, it's nice to "get a day off" (totally in quotes, as when you have a sub...it's not reeeeally a day off!)...however, yeah...a sub day...that really is interpreted as: "more work for me." =P I hope my kids behave themselves. I gave them a whole LOT of work for tomorrow, muah ha ha. =) I'd rather get a day off when the kids get a day off from school too. I still say they need to move Veteran's Day to October, hee hee. We already have Thanksgiving in November. =)

The last of the Freezing Point Depression Labs went on today. Much cleaner, as I had most of them do their bag-flipping outside, heh heh, and eat their ice cream outside too. =) Still stuff to clean, but not as bad. =) One student brought gummy bears (woo hoo!), so I got some to munch on while kids put them, along with sprinkles and syrup, into their baggies of ice cream. I don't think that it'd taste good with ice cream: in my whole ice cream career, I never once tried gummy bears with ice cream. I don't know, I think it would just be weird. I like them by themselves...they're fine just the way they are. =) Have any of YOU tried gummy bears in YOUR ice cream? Is it a worthy combination??? ^_^

I don't necessarily have work to do for tonight, in terms of preparing for tomorrow. But knowing me, I'll make work for myself for the rest of this week. Plus, I'm meeting with Mr. Coe Wednesday, to start my evaluations and set it up. Yikes. It's always nerve wrecking to know that you'll be evaluated! >_<

I think I will need to go soak in a bubble bath tonight. Cleans and relaxes, all in one. Yay! ^_^

10.19.02, Saturday

[10:00pm} Just back from playing tennis with my cousins, Anthony and Andrew, and family friends/neighbors Josephine and Cecilia. I haven't played in a loooong while. Dang, my racket is heavy! I need to find a new one one day. Something I planned to do...oh...4 or 5 years ago...heh heh...=)

Before I forget...Let it be declared and known today that I have been measured to be a whole half an inch taller! I'm 5'2"!!!  (note: Is there liability for accuracy??? ^_^)

[06:00pm] Yay! My printer works! This is a happy moment for me...the value of having a working printer is completely priceless! ^_^

Fred and Ed came over last night. =) Ed and I had to plan out our lessons for the quarter (we're done! ha ha!)...let's just say...it's going to be very different...^_^ Then Ed, Mark, Fred and I played a good game of Pictionary! Ed brought his new one over - brand new for us to play with, and we used the Challenge Dice, muah ha ha...tons of fun! ^_^

I spent the afternoon with Eric today! ^_^ We had lunch with Cory and Julie too. I like them. =)

Ah...which Science Content Standard will I hit next in school??? I believe...Standard 5: Chemical Reactions...from a through e! First though...we have to get the periodic table into full gear! I have a giant table that I need to somehow hang up in my classroom sometime soon. Ha ha...chemistry is a whole lot of fun...! =) 

10.18.02, Friday

[05:42pm] This is soooo cool! On Wednesdays, we have no Zero Period. So I have First Period first, and since that is my conference period, I have only one student - my cadet! Yesterday, I formulated a plan where on Wednesdays, I would bring her and I breakfast from McDonald's, as not only are we both short, but we both like those Sausage McMuffins things. =) So I told her I'd bring food next Wednesday for both of us. Today happened to be the Red Ribbon Week Kick-Off Assembly day, and so based on the Assembly Schedule, we also have no Zero Period. She remembered this detail better than I, and brought Sausage and Egg McMuffins for both of us to breakfast upon! =) Now how cool is that? =)

Today was the Freezing Point Depression Lab (Ice Cream Lab) for two of the classes. I still smell of it. I liked it better when I was at Baskin Robbins and smelled of cake frosting and ice cream, heh heh. =) At least THAT was pleasant. Raw eggs and milk just aren't as appealing. =Þ The rest of the classes went outside to review for their test - it was really cool, cuz they got into small study groups, lead by student leaders, and did a good job! =)

After school, I was visited by Aaron F., Valerie, Chris B., Chris H., and Danny Z.!

Yay for Olive! She's done with the GRE! Yay for Dolly! She's done with her OAT! and Yay for Giang! She got a secondary application for UCI Med! Congrats - congrats! =) I've missed you all...we must go out to play sometime soon, hee hee...^_^

10.16.02, Wednesday

[07:55pm] Hello-ello! ^_^ Hooome...but with a lot of work to do still...*sigh* My original plans for school got pushed back a bit...and so I have to modify my lessons a bit. I have a sub next Tuesday, because I have a BTSA Professional Development conference that day, which I had totally forgotten about, hee hee...I was going to have the test on Matter Tuesday, but I can move it up to Monday - they seem like they'll be quite ready for it. =)

Another enchanting Tuesday night yesterday! ^_^ Buffy, Smallville...and...apple juice??? ^_^

Many of the teachers at school are getting tired of the persuasive essays and 4-square that we are doing schoolwide. See, the karazy thing is, despite the fact that we DO have an awesome principal, every year, we end up doing something different for the Results cycle, based on whatever book he read of the summer, according to one teacher. Thus, even though we're pushed to do all this stuff (like all the focus on writing right now), we don't know if it will last, or only be another one year fad in the curriculum. So many are upset. I'm not all too happy about STILL being on Matter. After all, we've spent so much time on the Essays, writing, and fulfilling Language Arts Standards that there hasn't been much on the Science Content Standards just yet...but then again, I think that it'll all balance out eventually. I'm determined and still plan on making science fun and hands-on, despite the essays, and it'll work out in the end.

At the same time, sometimes I hear certain teachers that continually bag on students and say negative things...and I'm like, dude, I'm thinking, why the heck are you teaching anyways then??? Of course, I don't say it, but I think it...and I can understand if there's a student who can drive one up the wall, but to really not like them is different. And hearing what some of them can say...I despise hearing it from their mouths. I can get annoyed by certain students because of their antics and behavior, but at the core, I do like them and care to make a difference to them somehow, and even if I scold them, they still know that I do care and want to help. Negative teachers (and really, there are very few at my school) are like overcast, foreboding, dark and dreary clouds filled with muggy, humid rain. Yuck. >_<

10.14.02, Monday

[06:45pm] I've been giddy all day today, hee hee... ^_^

I took a note from one of my students that was writing to her friend during class, and it said "I'm sick of Ms. Lau!". I was absolutely shocked, so I asked her about it...after all, she seems to like me a whole lot, and she loves to hang out with me after school, and comes before school occasionally to help out with the whiteboard. As it turned out, she wrote it meaning that she was sick of me being so cheerful all the time, and always, always being so smiley. Like I'd scold a student, or even the entire class, for something (like talking too much at times? =) ), and yet, I don't hold that grudge, don't let it get me down, don't take it personally, and still can go back to being cheerful when it's over. ^_^

I'm not peppy though, I don't think. =)

My mom has some friends from way back in her school days that are visiting from HK. They're staying at my aunt's, and we are eating dinner with them tonight. Then I'm back to grading some things, lesson planning, and deciding on when I can try out this newfangled thing called "Reciprocal Teaching" in my class. I like the idea, and it was funny that when Heidi, who goes to the Second Chance Literacy development meetings, heard of the idea, she just absolutely knew I'd like it! Heidi's good at seeing what I like and don't like, and how I like to do things. =) That, or I'm just really transparent. It really could be that too, hee hee...

10.13.02, Sunday

[11:26pm] Today was good. The GB Annual Planning Meeting was short, we got out one hour earlier, and I watched Alias with Eric!

It's been a [edit: particularly] lovely day! ^_^

10.12.02, Saturday

[01:46pm] After school yesterday, I went to praise practice at church. Hee hee...I think we are calling it "Praise Night", as a spinoff of PM. PM is neat, but way too far...so I don't think we'll be going anymore (sorry Jer! >_< But oh! Everyone, Jer has found a neat job! Congrats! ^_^). But "PN" sounds like "Pee-ing"...Uh..."PN wit' God"?!? Hee hee...anyways...silly amusing words. =)

There was a somewhat freaky incident at church last night. I was the first one there, as I had to open it up. The lights in the fellowship hall was already on...and surprisingly...the front gate was unlocked...the sanctuary door was unlocked, and the hall door was also unlocked!!! Everything was wide open...and if you know the area where our church is...it can be pretty dangerous. Not like there's really anything to steal at our church, hee hee. =) The last time the pastor was there was Wednesday. After finding all the doors unlocked, I just sat in my car...when the other guys got there, we checked it out, and it was safe. But still kinda freaky, with everything left open like that.

After that, Fred, Shelton, Mark and I headed down to the Spectrum. I haven't been there in a long while, hee hee...and they had all these new stores built there. =) We went to the Oakley store, for Fred, and then after meandering about, finding a scary Haunted House ($10 a person! So we didn't go), and sharing a Strawberry Crepe, we went back home to eat (well, only Shelton and I ate. Mark, and perhaps Fred too (j/k),  was on a diet of Power Bars and grapes, hee hee...j/k!) homemade chow-fun noodles and leftover tofu, and hung out till we were all tired to death. ^_^

I went to Step this morning...fun fun! And once again, my day will be consumed by grading and lesson planning. But I intend on getting this done quick enough so I can find time to do other things, like clean and what not. =)

10.10.02, Thursday

[05:59pm] Hmm, okay. No Step for me tonight. I actually have a little more to do on the Progress Reports than I thought I had! Heh heh...that's okay...I can go tomorrow night, if there's no Praise Night (IS there praise practice tomorrow night? I have noooo idea. Anyone know for sure? heh heh...we're just getting back into the swing of things, with Edwin, our fearless worship leader, back from summer break!)...and there is always Saturday morning! ^_^

[05:09pm]  I've been waking up later than usual this week - for the first few days, I couldn't get up till 6:30am! I don't like waking up when it's still dark...it feels like I hadn't gotten any sleep at all...hee hee...so that's probably the reason why I've been waking up later. I need the Sun!!! Hmm, wouldn't that be interesting if we had school during summer time, and a few months off during winter? That way, we'd sleep in, as the lack of sunshine would naturally call us to do. ^_^

However, I did get to go to Step last night, and I think I will tonight too, if I get Progress Reports all bubbled in. I've not touched them since...oh...Saturday...I can't procrastinate any longer though, cuz they're due tomorrow! =) Oh wait. Step class is at 5:45 tonight. I think I will go anyways. ^_^

Check out this really neat place a friend in Malaysia showed me, hee hee. She's entering in the contest and so she sent me an email about it. I didn't even know cool places like these existed in reality! Or, maybe the pictures are all just touched up. ^_^ Anyways, you can't really see the places until you click on what the prizes are, so click away! =)

Mark has also been going movie-crazy. Well, kinda. He's on some free two week thing for all-the-DVDs-you-can-watch. So in the past week, besides Princess Mononoke, I've also watched Amelie, The Patriot, and...uh...I forgot...was that it??? Maybe that was it. It's still a lot for me, in a week, hee hee...and besides, each one of those were really long!

This was a blog...full of randomness...and now I must go do more work and get ready to go play at Step! Latas! ^_^

10.07.02, Monday

[07:04pm] I spent all day Saturday grading journals...lab write ups and conclusions...cool sciences...and started on the mid-trimester progress reports. Oy. After that, Fred came over to hang out, and help my mom and aunt make dumplings! We had lots and LOTS of dumplings for dinner, hee hee...Gilbert came over to have Mark work on his computer later. Then I went out to Barnes and Noble to meet hang out with Edwin and Dorothy. I found nothing to buy, but it was still neat to browse around of course. Woah, the Riverside B&N was so packed with people...cuz like we have no other bookstore around here, hee hee...=Þ

On Sunday, we had CCF at Ivan and May's. Wow, Cory can do good kung-fu kicks, hee hee. ^_^ Anyways, the fellowship lesson was on Hell. It was really cool, and we had a lot of good discussions about it. For example, Hell is essentially separation from Christ, right? Well, see, with Christ, you get mercy and forgiveness for your sins, and that's all grand and hunky dory, but see, Hell, when separated from Christ, you don't get that mercy and forgiveness for your sins. You basically "get what you deserve". And we all know that, as good as you can be, there's a whole LOT of negatives that we deserve. I've only lived 24 years, but I'm sure there's a lot of horrible things I've done (besides heisting Twinkies from 7-11's during my gangsta' days, and the whole crack bit...j/k...^_^) and that I deserve a whole lot of consequences for my sins. Yet, because there is Christ, and because I have asked for forgiveness and turned my life over to Him, it makes all the difference - His mercy and love is simply that awesome. ^_^

You can't explain Christianity to someone who doesn't want to believe - you can have all the facts, history, philosophy and science to back you up, but it won't do jack because in the end, it's ultimately based on a deep faith that all of us have inside of us. This faith is as strong as faith can be - after all, how do you truly know that someone loves you, or is a true friend? Not just in actions, but truly, in faith that that person does love you or is your true friend. I think I went off to a tangent though, hee hee.

For next quarter, starting October 20th, Edwin and I will start leading CCF! Muah ha ha...so we have some evil plan to make it just like school - with everyone getting their own notebooks, with papers inside, and we're making up a calendar for the coming year, adding in things we need ,like a directory in each folder, and even assigning homework (like daily thoughts, etc...on devotions). Prizes include stickers and stamps, which I have plenty of to spare. =) After this quarter, they may never ever want us to teach again, but it'll be fun, hee hee...^_^

It's Monday already, oyyyy! I have one more class of journals to grade tonight, which shouldn't be too much work, but it's time consuming...so I should start...^_^

10.04.02, Friday

[08:05pm] I just finished watching Princess Mononoke! Oooo...It's got that fairytale essence in it that I like so much! ^_^ I wanted to see it when it first came out, but never got to. I like the little tree spirits (Kodamas. The funny alien creature whose head rattles, seen above, hee hee...kinda freaky, but peacefully cute!). Methinks I want the soundtrack too...and I wanna go see Spirited Away! ^_^

I have a huge stack of journals to grade this weekend. =Þ Guess what I'LL be doing this weekend? >_<

We made Rock Sugar Candy in class today. Lots of fun, though cleaning up sugary water all over the place is not fun at all. After school today, I was visited by more former students! Greg, Brandon E., and Andrew S.! Heh heh...like Branndon, they're also in football. On the first day of school last year, Greg had helped me fix the clock. Today, he saw it and noticed it was off (it's been fast by 3 minutes, and I'm way too short, even standing on a table with my boots and heels, to reach it!) and helped me fix it again, hee hee. =)

10.03.02, Thursday

[09:30pm] Oh dang. I don't think my boots were made for days like this - 13 hours at school?!? heh heh...I just got home...and the first and only thing on my mind was dinner. I was sooo hungry! In fact, I'm blogging and still eating right now. Mmm...curry chicken, and a tea egg too! ^_^ It's been a long, but very eventful day!

Before I forget though, last night, I was at school till about 7:30pm. Besides staying at school late, I was visited by Branndon again! He and Thomas C. visited sometime last week - Thomas actually has Ralm as his teacher at Ramona, hee hee. Romen also visited last week too. Branndon was telling me that his current science teacher is easier than me - all they do is watch videos and make up questions for it. He was like, and YOU were scaring us about how high school was going to be hard and stuff! *sigh* I'd like to go over there, find that science teacher, and tell him a few things...hee hee...but anyways...today after school, Martin, Andy T., and Thearak visited and hung out for a long time. They also tell me (well, Andy's going to a private school now though) that high school science is easier than my class. Aiya! I don't think my class is that difficult...so what is up wit' these high school science classes? Martin also mentioned that the only reason he even came to school then (do you remember him? He was the boy I put up for the scholarship? Even if he didn't get it, he was still, really, one of my favorite students. Despite his whining, hee hee...) was because of PE and Science. I'm honored in one way, but in another way, I know I shouldn't be. =) During Back-To-School Night, Sherral and Christian also visited, and they told me that I prepared them well. Sherral is in honors science (natural science) and said that she knew all the stuff that they are doing now, heh heh...verrrrrry cool to hear. =) And it's very cool to be visited by old students! ^_^

After school, Sara, Hugo, Ed, and Aaron stayed in my class, to hang out and do some work. Sara stayed till about 5:30! Though it was getting late, and I kinda wanted her to go (last year, I had the same problem of kids that just wanted to hang out and chat foreeeever, and I had to limit it because it was getting to the point that I couldn't get work done, and started getting annoyed with them!), but after a while, I realized that she just wanted someone to talk to. She has a lot going on, and I think that she really just wants someone to be her mentor. Looks like I got another mentee, heh heh...I like her though...but I still need to start limiting my time with students. I get drained after prolonged periods of such things, heh heh...

Back-To-School went well. I was nervous for some reason during zero period, but then everything after that went really smoothly. I think the parents liked me, hee hee. And it was neat to hear from them that their child said such and such about me, and how they like me, etc...Again, very cool. ^_^

10.01.02, Tuesday

[10:43pm] Today started off not so good. I had a headache, and it kept getting worse as the day wore on. I was thinking...and it's only Tuesday?!? Heh heh...Yolanda, one of our supa' fly campus supervisors (who is really a gentle soul. She's the one that guided me a lot, in terms of telling me to toughen up and stuff, heh heh), said it might be because of the low pressure that's going on. I just thought it was cuz I was hungry, hee hee...but since no improvement came after I ate, I think it could be the reason. Or, it's just a headache. They seem to come and go as they please, right? ^_^

The day became better after going home early from school and taking a nice shower. ^_^ I started grading lab write-ups, and wished I had more to grade, cuz I was on a roll, heh heh. Then Eric came over, for dinner and good TV. ^_^ Buffy and Smallville, of course! =) [Ah, I guess I can give props to Gilmore Girls too, even though I've never seen it. But I only do so cuz Lorie says it's good. ^_^]

09.30.02, Monday

[09:30pm] Hee hee...in the shower, I concocted something else to add to that oxymoron-state-of-being. =) When people are stuck in between these "oxys", that's when sometimes, people can be morons. ^_^ Isn't that true? I remember Wang Lung, from The Good Earth, how he was thinking of one thing (like either feeling guilty or sorry to O-lan when he was bringing in his floozy concubine, hee hee), but acted differently outwards (like being loud and mean to O-lan and everyone else) - he was stuck between guilt and humbling his pride. Wang Lung - aiya, I still think of him as being mean to O-lan. What a moron he was, to not see how much O-lan did! Even if they are fictitious characters. =)

I think the actual definition of "oxymoron" has been modified in my concoctions. I guess I'm not really talking about "bittersweet" or "pretty ugly", hee hee. There's probably another word for it, but I like this word, cuz it sounds complicated. Kinda like how onomatopoeia is a neat word to throw around, that really has little use. ^_^ I don't know where all this is coming from either, hee hee...maybe Sunday School's study of literary devices in Psalms is trickling in finally. We've been learning about syllogism, symantic parallelism, metonyms, synecdoche, apostrophes, and such big-worded things. It's a little tedious I guess...but I think it's all part of understanding Psalms and Proverbs better. =)

[08:23pm] So I got to thinking about my strange, oxymoronic self...

I'm bold, but really quite timid...have a lot to say, and yet, sometimes it doesn't make it out of my mouth...I counsel and listen, but rarely ask to be counseled...am a role-model to many, and yet don't really have one of my own...can make new friends easily when they're on my turf, but when I'm on their turf (neutral turf is a different matter altogether)...I want to do so much, but at the same time, I'd like to do very little, heh heh...

Actually, I'm sure we're all oxymorons. ^_^

So anyways, after church yesterday, I went to Macy's with my mom. I guess I'm not really in a shopping mood right now, hee hee...or maybe it was because I spent enough at the 99 cents store for the end-of-the-month-raffle for class today. =) Shelton helped me wash some of the cars...but I was hesitant, cuz it looked like it would rain...and luckily, it hasn't just yet. Though I do love this weather - it's absolutely delicious! =) I also watched Alias last night, with Chris, Yvonne, and Eric! Wow! It's a good one, hee hee...I guess I'll be adding one more show to my very short TV-show list. =) After a detour last night, I guess I now know where Mt. SAC is, hee hee...I've never been there before, and always did wonder where it was exactly anyways. I've heard about it many times, and Josiah goes there - and Silvia too!

The raffle today was fun - the kids loved the prizes: books, calculators, mini staplers, happy face magnets (that they went nuts for), pens, dice erasers, organizers, and stuff of that sort. ^_^ Again, the 99 cents store sells all kinds of really cool stuff for a really good price, hee hee...I tried to keep it mostly somehow educational. I used to give away candy last year, but I figured that if I give them things, it might as well be useful, practical, and not so quickly lost as candy is. Plus, I should advocate good eating habits, with this whole thing of where 55% of Americans are obese, children not exercising as much, cafeteria food being basically all junk food...and what not...^_^ And these kinds of prizes last longer, and may be more likely to be remembered. =)

I made a new discovery today! Or rather, David, one of the custodians at school, showed me something new to me. He showed me a passageway of where I can drive my car up inside the school straight up to my classroom! =) Woo hoo! It was helpful, as I stayed at school till past 7pm tonight, and it was going to be dark. Ahhh...I love this new piece of information...it makes things muuuuch easier...and it's kinda fun too, to drive on campus with my own car, heh heh. ^_^ How many of us get to do that, even if it's once in a while??? =) I've always wanted to drive my own little golf cart on campus, whether it be in high school or at UCI, but the CRV is much more fun.! ^_^

09.28.02, Saturday

[11:58pm] Heh heh heh...Lorie and I are both waiting for our hair to dry this very minute, before we go to sleep! ^_^ This has been another fun weekend. Friday, I woke up thinking it was Saturday, but then quickly realized that it was Friday, and I had to go to school. =) It was Hawaiian Shirt Spirit Day, and so I wore my one t-shirt that could pass for a Hawaiian-like shirt, and got a lei from a student to complete my un-spirited ensemble. =) Heidi and I stopped by the Friendly Greek (where I got some baklava!), picked up Selma from Heidi's place (she's just the coolest dog ever!), and then went back to school for more work. Today, I woke up and went to that ever-so-exciting class at the UCR Extension. It was no fun, and incredibly boring, but at least it's over now. Yay! =)

After class, Mello and Megan, David, Shelton, and Keen-Yong came over to hang out and play bball. Fred and Gilbert joined us later to hang out some more and have fun in general with the rest of us. ^_^ The evening consisted of my mom's delicious dinner, tossing grapes all over the place (in attempts to get them into our mouths...), a bit of video games, and a lot of chattering about. ^_^

Yesterday was Kate's Birthday!

Happy Birthday Kate! ^_^

My hair's still not dry. I guess I can lesson plan for next week. =) 

09.26.02, Thursday

[10:05pm] Ugh. I just remembered. This had TOTALLY slipped my mind. I have the last class of that silly Health Standards course at UCR Extension on Saturday. Last Saturday was insanely boring. I have no doubt it will be the same this Saturday, hee hee. I do have an assignment though (to create a lesson) that I had totally forgotten about. I guess I don't have AS much free time as I thought I had. Actually, to tell you the truth, I don't really have to plan anything. I've taught all these things before, muah ha ha...either during the Drugs/Alcohol portion, or from UCI's Nutrition course. I simply have to put it on paper. =) But first, I had to remember. I'm glad I wrote it down - cuz I had no memory whatsoever that I had to do anything at all this Saturday, up until 5 minutes ago. ^_^

[07:05pm] Aiya...toooo many September birthdays!!! Four days in a row: Jason, Lauren, Theo, and Kate! =) Thus, I missed one, and am all thrown off, hee hee...soooo...

Happy Birthday Lauren (for yesterday) and Theo (today)!!! ^_^

This week has been going slow. But I think that was just due to those essays. Cuz today, I was like, it's THURSDAY already? But at the same time, I guess I kept wanting the week to end, for I had kept thinking it was Friday today for some reason. ^_^

More sleep. I need more sleep. =)

09.25.02, Wednesday

[09:10pm] AIYA! In the hustle-bustle-sleepless-nights-due-to-essays, I forgot to post something really important...really, REALLY important...for Tuesday (yesterday, September 24th, 2002!)...

Happy Birthday Jason!!! ^_^

Now 17 and at Cal! ^_^ I DID tell you "Happy Birthday" though, but it wasn't posted. =( So that's why you get allllll these blogs to celebrate, Just For You!!! Even if you already have a million of them. ^_^

[07:13pm] Home. Finally home. And I'm done with scoring the essays...I simply need to enter their grades into my gradebook now. But I'm done! Yay! ^_^ My principal even got down and dirty - he graded some essays to help me meet the 5pm deadline! It was much needed help too, as I ended up finishing everything a few minutes after 5pm (Heh heh...Buffy and Smallville chunked out 2 hours of my time last night. But that was mandatory no-work time! ^_^).

Tonight, besides updating my gradebook and figuring out tomorrow's lesson, I intend to read some and go to sleep earlier than usual. I've not been sleeping well the past few nights (probably due to the essays, muah ha ha), and it's about time I get to fall into a blissful sleep, entirely ignorant of school-things. =) It's strange. You know how I teach? Well, when I go to "work", I say "school". I haven't really been able to call it "work" so much just yet. Sometimes I do, but most of the time, I just say "school". It's like I'm still in school, hee hee. Anyways, I'm rambling. =)

Oh, more to ramble on! With all my wordiness on describing the moonbeam that shines into my room...I should have used something along the lines of "bathed in moonlight" somewhere, hee hee. It's fun to play with descriptive language at times. ^_^

09.24.02, Tuesday

[10:45pm] What's cool is that every night, since late last week, I've been sleeping with the moonlight shining into my room through one of the little windows, onto my bed! The moon has been sending me its glowing beam of peace while it's up and full. It's quite nice, and I do feel quite special to be given a piece of its radiance to bid me goodnight. ^_^

Essays, essays, essays...that's all I've seen this week so far (okay, so it's ONLY the second day of school this week...). At least, after 5pm tomorrow, it will be done. Done done done. ^_^ Meanwhile, I am marathon-grading and so, have not really updated my blog (or "g-log", as Wen-wen calls it, hee hee). Though again, it's only been two days, and I've done worse, I'm sure. =)

09.22.02, Sunday

[03:20pm] The Moon Festival Festival Fellowship last night was karazy...but a lot of fun. ^_^ We had about 60-some people here last night, flooding out of the house into the garage, backyard, frontyard...anywhere! My class at UCR Extension ended early, so I got home in time to help set up a little before people started showing up. Hmm. The class was...interesting...though overall...booooooooooooorrrrrring...! But anyways, going back to more exciting things - basketball, playing at the park, eating to the brink of explosion, and then hanging out with the YF. =) For YF, we moon-gazed, ate mooncake, had tea, and shared about some things as a group. It was really cool. =) I shared a lot of things too, unexpectedly. Woah. What's cool is that, despite my worries about the fact that the past year had been really busy and pulled me from doing as much as I wanted to do with YF, it was cool to still see God's hand in running YF so well. I saw last night that I can't depend on me alone - and yeah, I know this, but sometimes, it's hard to let go.

Today? Tired from last night...but lots of stuff in store...I have some grades to enter, dinner and volleyball at Sarah's tonight, and then PM down in Alhambra for CCF. Oy. I need to sleep as soon as I get home tonight. ^_^

09.20.02, Friday

[04:50pm] Wednesday was a short day...but full of meetings...after, I got to go to Step class again! ^_^ It's nice to go whenever I can, heh heh...=) See-You-At-The-Pole was on Wednesday too, so when I got to school, I joined in with some of my students that were at the flagpole, from Harvest. I even met one of my students' mom, who led the event! It was a little strange to be there, but also neat to be there, ya know? Anyways, I've never done a See-You-At-The-Pole thing, so it was all new for me. =)

Yesterday, I went to a conference at King HS. Woah. King HS is truly way out in the middle of nowhere! Well...not nowhere...but it's pretty deep into Riverside, and in the new far outskirt areas of it. It's nice and all - 3 stories, indoors, fancy...but it looks like a jail! =Þ Anyways, our speaker for the "Discipline with Dignity" conference was Dr. Stephen Glenn - he's funny, and is one of the guys involved with the Chicken Soup For The Soul books (in fact, their current project is something like "Chicken Poop for the Cynical Soul", hee hee...and the first story is about how they got their books to sell in the first place, which is pretty funny). Man can he talk! He talked practically nonstop from 9am (he was late an hour, as he got lost) to noon, and then from 1:10 till about 3:10, heh heh. During our lunch break, I went with Heidi down to KFC. Yum! After, we ran (hopped? skipped? walked?) across the big, big street called Van Buren to get to Louie's Nursery, where she went looking around for trees for her yard. I learned that I like these cycads called Sago Palm Trees, hee hee. ^_^ Overall, the conference was...well...I picked up a few things I liked...but there was really no talk on discipline at all. It was more of just sitting there and listening to this supposedly great guy speak endlessly about who he was. Woop-di-doo.

I dropped by my classroom after, and woah...my classes were horrrrrrible...!!! *sigh* My 4th period was good though. So I dealt with the classes today by having them write out an essay based on a few questions about what happened, what caused it and why, what can be done in the future, and so on. I do have to admit though - my AP said that the sub WAS a little...well...anyways, I'll read the students' essays tonight. Not once did I say they were in trouble, but they understood how their behavior was yesterday.

Then Eric and I loitered around Rowland Heights (Hacienda Heights? All Heights are the same, heh heh)...a yummy dinner of Hainan Chicken, Mango Icy, and Curry Triangles at Tasty House, followed by a tea-hunt and mooncake shopping at the 99, heh heh. Speedzone offered good seats to watch people race around, and after a thorough investigation, it can clearly be stated that their miniature golf course is no fun at all, heh heh...Castle Park still has the cool courses. =)

I might go down to Irvine and play some more tonight, if Giang, Mimi, and Dolly and the rest are all free to go. =) I'm free to go, but actually, am feeling tired. It's been a long day at school. Nothing BAD really - it was a fun day! We were on an assembly schedule, because today was the ASB Elections, and thus classes were only 45 minutes long. For first period, Nikki (my cadet) and I did some work, but also just talked and relaxed, and left early to the assembly so that we can sit in the front (we are BOTH short and we found that we both have always ended up in the back, hee hee...so why not go early this time, since we can, and sit up front? So that's exactly what we did. ^_^). Today was all good till after school - some boy with his weird mood swings acted up on me, and though it didn't bug me, I was tired out and anyways...it just made me more tired out. I kept two kids after school who didn't finish their Cool Sciences and essays about yesterday simply cuz they were off task while the rest of the entire class got their work done. Those papers were their exit out of class today, and all my other kids this whole day got them done, except these two. Two out of 100-some is not bad actually, heh heh. I think I'll read these essays for now, hee hee...

09.17.02, Tuesday

[06:00pm] Helloooooo!! This is going to be an eeeeasssssy week! I am pretty much free...other than teaching time, hee hee...so if anyone wants to go play, I can go! ^_^ I'm getting my cadet tomorrow, so she will help me with the easy grading part (while that can just leave the more subjective grading to me, hee hee - though it takes longer, it's still nice to have a trusty cadet, who's like a TA, do the grading for those assignments were one gets credit simply for doing it!). My cadet is one of my students who is doing an awesome job, and she also cadet-ed last year for Heidi, so we know she's good and trusty. ^_^ I have my lessons all figured out for this week...I showed the "Poo Veggies" PowerPoint I made last night to my students today, who all got a kick out of seeing really gross things on the LCD projector (ha ha! Mr. Coe wasn't in his office, so Maria was able to swipe it for me to use, hee hee...j/k...I'm sure Mr. Coe would have let me use it anyways.). The rest of the week is set out already. The only thing I have to grade currently are the Bubble Gum Lab Conclusions. ^_^

This week is going by fast - it's already Tuesday! I thought it was Monday for some time today, heh heh...

09.15.02, Sunday

[04:24pm] What a fun weekend it has been! ^_^ On Saturday, I graded journals...(NOT the fun part, hee hee)...and then after, took off to the LACAC Back-to-School Rally in Alhambra. The van consisted of Vanessa, Megan, Mello, Nina, and Amy...now you can just imagine how karazy that car ride was. Not a single boy to calm these girls down, hee hee...well...nevermind...Jason and TNT seem to add to our karaziness usually, hee hee...^_^ At the rally, we met up with Ed, the whole Tai family, and Crystal as well! =) After all the loud music and hard-to-see lyrics and messages...we snacked and hung out with many of our buddies from our sister churches, as well as amusing ourselves with Red Vines (You know how you can chew off both ends of it? We found out that they do emit a sweet stench of licorice when you blow through them...and it is particularly entertaining to blow them in the general direction of poor, unsuspecting victims...).

Meanwhile, back home, Matthew was wreaking havoc to the rest of the Lau household. It took my dad, my mom, and Mark to handle that boy. I don't know how Sharon and Bobby (and Vanessa?? hee hee...honestly, I don't know how even someone as karazy as her can handle this particular Yang) control him. Sharon told me that he had wanted to go out to the little park in front of my house, and that she saw my dad chase him around and around (my dad had mentioned that that boy wanted him to chase him around)...suddenly stop (as if he had a heart attack or something)...and then just left, hee hee. Then my bro also played video games with him and was entirely pooped out by the time we got home. When we got home, he was still buzzing with energy. My parents and Mark were relieved to see him go home. =)

There's no Fellowship tonight! It got cancelled. Sarah didn't know/forgot it was at her place, hee hee...so we'll just combo dinner at her house, plus volleyball in her backyard before going to PM next Sunday. I'm kinda glad that there's no Fellowship - I still have one class's worth of Science Journals to grade tonight. ^_^

09.14.02, Saturday

[11:12am] Just got back from step. Arg. There was some new instructor (I sure HOPE she's subbing for Christine!)...and I'm quite sure she was high on meth or somethin', cuz she was nuts! Several of us, including me, left halfway through it. At first, I was like, I'll stick through it to see...maybe she just has a different style of doing stuff, because all instructors are different. But nope. This one was just plain crazy. So I went to play on those little running machines...which would be fun, only I was watching Blue's Clues, which is CUTE and all...but it didn't stimulate my brain enough.

Last night, I went to Borders to get me some books with my gift card! ^_^ Fred and Ed decided to come along and go book shopping too, so we spent an hour and some (okay, two hours?) meandering through the store. ^_^ I got hardcover versions of Artemis Fowl (the second one) and Anne of Green Gables (as my softcover's beat up...and this one, with my teacher's discount, was under $6...hardcover!), and a softcover of Spinelli's Stargirl. I am not allowing myself to read these new books till I'm done with the ones that I still have yet to finish. ^_^ I finished Avi's Poppy (it was just to read at school during zero period, hee hee...), and it's pretty cool - I think I will read it to my silent reading class! ^_^ But oh! I wonder if I can play on those running machines...and read at the same time...? I will try it should the occasion bring itself up! =)

09.12.02, Thursday

[09:22pm]

Happy Birthday to Olive!
(one day late...hee hee...)

I went out to dinner today after school, with Olive, Giang and Dolly! =) How I love my friends, hee hee...they're so much fun to hang out with! ^_^ Olive wanted to go to Olive Garden, for her birthday! Hee hee...and somehow, they decided it was going to be a combo bday dinner for my bday too. Heh heh...and instead of the itty-bitty bday cake slice or ice cream (or whatever it is they give for bdays), we got like a mini chocolate cake for the four of us for free!!!

I needed to go out and relax a bit today...Oy...besides all that crazy grading last night, I also got to school super early, and after some frustration at the copy machine that refused to do what I wanted it to do, set down at 6:30am and graded till school started. I have three classes done. Period 5 and 6...I returned their journals and told them to simply turn it in on Friday...so that I'd have a weekend to go through the 2 classes. Thank goodness. =) See, before, I have collected all 180 journals all at once, but they were always weekends. But this year, I'm not going to haul student work back and forth to home - I'm simply going to keep it all at school. A much wiser decision, I'm sure. =)

So today...I think I will sleep in earlier than yesterday...or at least around the same time. I'm tired out. All the energy from the chocolate covered expresso beans have finally faded out, hee hee. AIM is not working at the moment either. =Þ Email works though.

09.11.02, Wednesday

[09:00pm] You have no idea how happy I am to be home. Finally. I spent more than 12 hours at school today!!! Aiya, I stayed till 8pm...spending 5 hours on grading journals after school, and only getting through 2 class periods. Why so slow? Again, cuz Gail wanted to write each and every single student a note on a bright and colorful post-it. Aiya. AND because I was stupid enough to collect all 180 journals on the same day. I wasn't tired though - I was so wired. I don't know why. Well, I was naturally wired to begin with, and then Heidi gave me some of those Trader Joe's chocolate covered expresso beans, hee hee...I'm not into coffee and don't drink much of it, as you all know, but those ones are kinda tasty. So I had a good amount, though I didn't actually eat most of the coffee beans. I just had the chocolate. But from whatever expresso beans I did consume, it did it's work - by the time the custodians came to kick me out and drive me to my car (they're really cool - they keep us safe when we we work late! ^_^) in the cool custodian-golf-cart, I was still wanting to grade more journals and still wound up, hee hee. But I'm glad to be home, and to finally eat dinner. ^_^ I think, if I'm still uppity tomorrow morning, I'll get up super early and get to school by 6am to finish off one more class of grading. That will leave me with just two more classes. =) What was I thinking??? 180 journals in one night? Aiyyy...

This morning, we had a special remembrance ceremony at school to honor last year's events in New York. I missed it! I had a student (Lucinda!) from last year unexpectedly visit me just when I was going to head out to the quad, and we ended up chatting over all kinds of things. But don't worry...the significance of 9/11 is not quite faded from my memory...it's still pretty big to have been a part of this history. It's like those who were alive and saw other historical events, like the World Wars and other things. History is unfolding all the time, and in a way, it's almost weird to think that we are a part of it...but we are...and we live it everyday.

09.10.02, Tuesday

[10:25pm]

Happy Happy Birthday to Heidi! ^_^

Nothing too exciting today to report. But it IS Heidi's bday. That's pretty special enough, cuz she's mighty cool. =) The kids weren't crazy today, but they were all a bit more hyper than usual - it didn't matter which class period or what time of the day it was. Everyone was just a little extra uppity. So I gave a stretch break in each class when it looked like they had too much energy to hold in. That helped some, heh heh.

09.09.02, Monday

[08:35pm] Reading for pleasure is so much more enchanting than reading for school, heh heh. I mean, I remember the long hours spent on bio textbooks, which was cool and all, but physics?!? Heh heh...j/k...but reading for fun can go on endlessly. I've spent a good number of hours after school today spent in such bliss, and now must return to figuring out my lesson for tomorrow...which I've thoroughly rejected. Lucky for me, I had something planned out, though the specifics weren't figured out just yet...=) [by the way, Ella Enchanted is quite good!] [I think that this sudden Title 1 rush of books coming into my classroom for Silent Reading this year is bad for me. I've been reading entirely too much, heh heh.]

Oh, there was a bee in the house last night! It was quite terrifying...ever since the RCAC Annual Church Camp Out Giant Bee Attack of 2000 ("abbreviated" as the RCACACCOGBA2k, hee hee...say that three times fast!), I've been a little more wary of bees. How this one got in the house, I have no idea. But I knew that it was buzzing around the light right before I was going to sleep. So I ran downstairs looking for a flyswatter, only I couldn't find one. So I came back up to look for it, only it had disappeared. After much aimless, terrified and nervous running about the house looking for someone that was still awake, and after shutting my bedroom door ahead of time, I decided I could go to sleep...so I turned off my computer, and proceeded to approach the floorlamp, which unfortunately, had three separate switches to turn it completely off (two little ones and one big one on top). I turned off the two little ones carefully, as it had been buzzing about one of them earlier, and then was about to turn the last one off...I was scared cuz once I turned that last one off, it'd be completely dark...but because I was scared, I didn't turn the last switch completely off. And then I saw it. I had nearly touched it!!!! It was hanging on a woven goldfish that I have hanging on the light, and it was centimeters from the switch I had attempted to turn off! Eeek!!! So I ran to my parents room, squeaked out "Mooooommy...!!!" in hopes that she was still awake...She came out, and became an instant heroine by taking a flyswatter (which I found later on. It was not in its ordinary place.) and getting rid of the bee, and flushing it down the toilet. My mom...my hero! =)

Check this out: Powers of Ten. ^_^

Okay. I must work now, or it'll be plain out crazy in class tomorrow. =)

09.08.02, Sunday

[10:10pm] Okay...so I put up the title. So it has a white box around it. It's still an original, hee hee, and it's simply stylin'. =) Must give props and credit to the creator - standing ovation to Jer! ^_^

This has been a day where I've done no schoolwork whatsoever, other than packing things into my car to take to school tomorrow, hee hee. It's been a day where I've simply spent a lot of spare time singing praises, hee hee. Ever do that? Cuz like, it seems like it should be very unproductive, and yet, I feel quite fulfilled and free from whatever tomorrow will bring, hee hee...even if it is 180 or so eighth graders. ^_^ Singing praises, when it comes to you, is really cool. I love it. ^_^ And so is plain out talking to God. I looove talking to Him. I know. It sounds weird. I can't even call it "prayer". "Prayer" sounds so solemn...but it's not like that when I talk to Him. It's like I'm thinking to myself, but it's quite different cuz I'm actually conversing with Him, hee hee.

Anyways. Off I go to sing more...and glance through the middle school book orders, hee hee (they have Artemis Fowl: The Artic Incident for only $2.95!!! But it's paperback...and it won't match the hardcover one I already have. The hardcover is like $16! I got the first one from a nice gift certificate. I do have the option of getting the hardcover sequel, cuz I have a gift card to Border's that I got for my bday, so...yeah...hee hee...book store gift cards...good stuff!).

[08:59pm] Church today, complete with a GB meeting, hee hee...After, I got to see my long-lost homeboy from the 'hood,  Binh. I haven't seen him since...woah...I think the last time I saw him was second year at UCI, before he transferred over to Cal Poly. Hee hee, so we ate at Todai's. I guess sushi is starting to KINDA grow on me, or my tolerance level of it is going up a bit. I still don't like the seaweed and raw things, but yeah. Those little sushi squares with crab on top, or the baked scallop ones where the seaweed part is a little crispy because it's been fried or something...those aren't too bad. I won't go so far as to say that I like sushi, but there are certain ones that are tolerable, though still...not on my top ten of required delicacies to have eaten. =)

Today's sermon was about Eli, and how he simply did not discipline his sons, who truly were unruly, disrespectful, etc...and anyways, Pastor said something along the lines that Eli spoke loudly, or much, but carried a small stick. You know what I say? I say Eli should have slapped his sons silly...and beat them with a baseball bat, heh heh. Maybe it's the whole discipline thing that has gotten to me - being a teacher and all, hee hee...but really, I'm not that violent. I think I'm doing pretty good in management and discipline this year teaching - I mean, incredibly better than last year already. Really, I don't use bats. I'm really nice. ^_^

09.07.02, Saturday

[09:39pm]

Yeehah333 (4:54:50 PM): whoa, big blog
GuMMyChild (4:54:53 PM): heh heh
Yeehah333 (4:54:56 PM): take me awhile
GuMMyChild (4:54:57 PM): I know
GuMMyChild (4:55:15 PM): it was JUST for YOU!
GuMMyChild (4:55:16 PM): heh heh
GuMMyChild (4:55:19 PM): ^_^
Yeehah333 (4:55:38 PM): ((Lambert is like an amused little 2 year old))
Yeehah333 (4:55:56 PM): thank u auntie gail!
Yeehah333 (4:55:58 PM): lol
GuMMyChild (4:56:23 PM): You are welcome, little one (auntie gail waits for lamby to bend down, and then she pats his head)
GuMMyChild (4:56:33 PM): ^_^
Yeehah333 (4:56:35 PM): haha bend down?
Yeehah333 (4:56:44 PM): haha!

[03:45pm]

Upon Lambert's insistence, I guess I'll blog for now. ^_^ As you can see, there are some changes. It's rather incomplete (hence the graphic above, though it's not really under construction. I'll just change things as they go along), and plainer than before, but I think that I will go with the plain for now, till I have another long break to play around with my webpage again, heh heh. ^_^ The title on top ("Gummychild: Child of Gummies") will most likely be replaced by Jer's handiwork - a REALLY colorful (hee hee...and I do mean REALLY colorful...!) "Gummychild" that he already has done. ^_^ However, the background color for that title is being modified a bit first, so I won't put it up just yet. =) It's not at all a banner or anything like that, hee hee. I guess those are neat, but I haven't had time to sit down and make one that'd be totally gummystylin' just yet. =) Speakin' of gummystylin'...I found a Gummy decal that was made by Mark a looong time ago. This one can go on my CRV! =) Hee hee...I thought I had no more decals after the Malibu was traded off, but nope. There is still one more left, though it's a little bigger than the last one. ^_^ I found it cuz I've been cleaning out my desk today...a type of procrastination from lesson planning...something that I will inevitably have to do tonight. =Þ

Happy Birthday David!
(His bday was on the 5th!)

For lunch, our family went out with the Wong's to celebrate David's birthday. Mmm. All you can eat buffet at China Star. I'm stuffed to death!

So what else has been new, since Wednesday? Hmm. Teaching has been incredibly fun, though I think I've talked about it enough for now, and probably will keep on chattering about the joys later on, so I'll hold for now. ^_^ But oh! We got our dining table yesterday! =) The whoooole thing - the table, six chairs (2 end chairs with handles, and the rest are regular chairs), a coffee table, two drum chairs, and a side table too! The neat thing about the furniture is that they're all made of redwood, so it's quite heavy (though I think heaviness in this sense is a good thing, for solid, sturdy furniture, unlike our past tables?), the design on the back of the chairs and tables/desks are a piece of art in itself, and there's even glass for all the tabletops. The coffee table and end table have this curved design on the sides and edge, and what's neat is that the glass is tailored and cut to match the sides. Neato. =) And my parents are quite happy with it. =)

Mark has started to grow veggies in 87's aquarium, hee hee. So there are these sprouts of cabbage and tomatoes coming up, and what's funny is that 87 will travel about, see the green things, and start munching on a few of them and then move on. I wonder if the cabbages will ever get to grow full size? =) Right now though, he's quite asleep.

Another book review - I finished Red Scarf Girl. It was good - an autobiography, from this girl that was raised up in Communist China, thinking what they told her was right. It was about all the kraziness of growing up in such a place where political affiliation is so important. It's so different than here, where we are in this "land of the free" and the differences between Democrats and Republicans aren't really even understood so much, and where the line between them are often blurred and unclear. It doesn't even matter so much what political beliefs you hold, in the sense that you won't be physically, mentally and emotionally attacked or threatened, or even killed, for voicing what you believe in here. My next book at school? Ella Enchanted!

Hmm, that's about all I can think of for now Lamby. Hope you are content and entertained with the update, and you are satisfied once again! Hee hee...Which reminds me - Mark had told me a long time ago from his speech class that people communicate/talk for only three reasons: To provide information, to entertain, or to persuade. Of course, these three can be intermingled in a variety of combinations. Anyways, that's it for now! ^_^

09.04.02, Wednesday

[08:50pm] I think I have a favorite class...oh myyyy...hee hee...this is NOT recommended for teachers, right? But I can't help it! My 4th period only has 26 kids in it...and these kids are SO quick and efficient at everything they do. They can have fun, but know when to quiet down and get to work. Aiya...hee hee...that, or that my other classes are all maxed at 36 students per class! The other classes, though huge (I have more students this year than last), are great too - either I got better students this year, or it's just me. I think it's just me, hee hee... Even though there are so many of them in the other classes, I can control them so much better than last year...so it's just me. =) My 6th period is pretty awesome too, in that they can get to work quickly too. All my other classes are looking pretty good too though. I still feel bad for the first class of the day - my 2nd period is fun too, but I feel like I do so much better later on as the day progresses, heh heh.

So yeah, today, my 4th period finishes everything about 10 minutes before class is over - I mean, absolutely everything, even the optional work, cleaning the floors and putting away their materials. So I let them out early for lunch, and said I can do it ONLY if they go out quietly in a single file line and go out the back door, so that the other classes won't see them leave. And they SO did it - Gustavo led the line, and they went out in a perfect single file line, didn't say a word (hard for 8th graders!), and went out to lunch happy. WOW. ^_^

Hee hee...I'm reading Red Scarf Girl and still reading that Mark Twain book at school; meanwhile, I'm reading The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales at home (that book that cost me twice of what I thought it was at UCI, hee hee). Books books books...^_^

09.03.02, Tuesday

[08:10pm] Cable is moody again...why does it do this to me??? AIM isn't working, and 'net is super slow...Hee hee...and to think, before I started college, I hardly even used a computer, except to type out papers and reports. =) Oh! Did you all feel that earthquake last night? I was only asleep for about an hour...though I thought I was asleep for much longer...and so when it was shaking, I was just laying there, staring around my room rather sleepily...wondering drowsily, earthquake? When it hit me it WAS an earthquake, it was over, and I dozed back to sleep. Then I woke up about half an hour later realizing, OH...it was rather strong...! So then I went to check on Emily, though of course, by then, she had gone back to sleep and was upset at me for waking her up. =)

Mmmm! I had steak last night! Eric, in his slick crocodile shirt (heh heh! ^_^), picked me up and we went to eat at Outback Steakhouse, hee hee. ^_^ And not JUST steak, mind you, but this deeeeelicious dessert too...it was plain ol' yummy vanilla ice cream, covered with toasted coconut shavings and draped with chocolate syrup, complete with strawberries and whipped cream.  ^_^

What's cool is that I can see a huge difference from last year to this year, in terms of my teaching. DUDE, I'm so much more ready this year. I know I've said it before, but like it's neat now that I'm teaching it and see how everything is either so much more easier, relaxed, and how I can have fun with the students and be in control of everything that's going on...I'm still amazed. =) I'm working on the same team as Heidi this year, and so we're able to reinforce each other's class every day on way or another. Like in my silent reading class, I've been advocating books, like the book Chinese Cinderella, and she told me today that she's run out of copies cuz so many kids have been wanting to borrow it to read! I'm also working on doing more writing in my class this year, and not just cuz it's part of this  year's schoolwide results cycle to focus on persuasive writing, but because I wanted to do it last year, and didn't get to. There are more goals that I've made for myself, but I think I'll talk about them later, little by little. Or else, it will fill up many many pages, hee hee...Either way, I can already feel it: this is going to be a good year. =)

09.01.02, Sunday

[04:10pm] Yesterday was fun! Mei-Chi and Francesco visited in the afternoon. I haven't seen Mei-Chi in like....yeeeeears! ^_^ So it was neat to hang out with them and catch up on things. =) After that, off I went to OSF for the bday dinner! Woah...there was about 40 people and some...it was kinda scary...or the attention was scary. One or the other. But it was still really fun and nice that they all showed up, and again, I felt entirely blessed (and spoiled with their gifts, hee hee) to be so lucky to know all these wonderful people! =) Besides the white clam sauce, there was also a cake tht they had brought - mmm...one of those ones from Diamond Bakery, with a bunch of fruit in it. Deeelicious! =) My date for the night was the charming (more like insanely hyper...a million times that of his sister, Vanessa...) 5-year old Matthew...who kept pulling me away from my guests and insisting that I sit next to him for the evening, hee hee...^_^ The party was neat, cuz it wasn't just the college/career and youth people, but also people from all areas of our church - from the little kids (Cory's generation - the 4/5 year olds) - to the English (speaking. ABCs like us, but older, with little kids) adults like the Wong's, Lu's, Cheung's, Ralm, Thiane, and to the Chinese adults like my parents, Vincent and Selina, and even the venerable Rex! =) Even Sally visited! =)

Gilbert did an awesome job coordinating the whole event - props and thanks to the one and only Gilbert! Woo hoo! ^_^

Afterwards, David, Fred, Shelton, Gilbert, Mark and I crammed into David's car and took off to play at the Block. We spent an enormous amount of time at the game shop where Fred attempted to master all the metal chain/link puzzles, and Mark convinced me to let him get me (for my bday) these Star Trek game cards for us to play for the heck of it. We played a bunch of games at Powerhouse (it used to be Gameworks. It changed on us!): our goal was this big white stuffed tiger (900 tickets). Fred schooled skeeball, and even set the high score, winning the 300 some bonus tickets. Mark was fixated on those games where you have to smack the button when flashing lights get to a certain area, though he never got the bonus tickets. And David was cheating big time on the kiddie bball hoops...and they stopped letting the machine send out tickets to him, muah ha ha. =) By the end of the night, we about reached our target but decided to get smaller prizes, so we can all have one...we all got a little tiger or lion, heh heh...Oy, I didn't sleep till 4am...I was still energized from our fun, plus Mark and I spent some time looking at our Star Trek cards, hee hee...

Fellowship tonight is at Bobby and Sharon's. I hear Kim-Chi and Bacon will be on the menu. Heh heh...it's still one of the weirdest foods I've ever heard, but it's still mighty tasty. ^_^

I'm glad it's a three day weekend, cuz I still have a stack of papers to comment on. Not that I'm grading them - that part takes about 30 minutes for what they turned in. But commenting on each one so that every student gets a little personal note from me...well, that takes up a lot of time. =Þ

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