Faith In Action!

Okay, it’s been about a week. Dang, it has been a week! There have been so many things I’ve wanted to blog about but finding the time to actually do it has been my challenge. I haven’t even turned on my computer at home all week.

Alright, where do I begin? The weekend was fabulous because I didn’t have any commitments. Well, I did on Sunday but we’re not there yet. Friday and Saturday were spent running, sleeping and relaxing. It was a slight release from the “captivity of activity” I’ve felt like.

Sunday was an organized “Faith in Action Day.” Churches around San Diego either canceled or postponed (for the dedicated or legalistic) their services on Sunday morning and instead did projects around the community. My church doesn’t believe in service so they didn’t participate (just kidding, they did theirs on a Saturday and I wasn’t in town). So I went with David and Marisela to their service project, an elementary school a few minutes away. As we were driving to the store to pick up ice (it was VERY hot and I believe the Lord wanted to see if we served with joyful hearts), this boy and his mom were on the side of the street picking up trash. David yelled, “Faith in Action!” I claimed it was either punishment, an attempt to get another badge on his Boy Scout vest, or he was simply trying to help his mom find some recycling so they could afford a drop of gas to get him to Boomers. None the less, it was funny. Everything became “Faith in Action!” Maya and Peter joined us and we cleared trees and trash for about four hours in the nice sun and it actually was pretty fun. We headed home and had lunch ready (thank God for slow cookers) and decided to watch The Last Samurai. I had never seen all of it and since I now love everything Japanese, I was game. I knew Marisela wouldn’t care because she can never stay awake for a movie and Peter was already passed out on the couch. Soon into the movie I realized David and I were the only ones awake. Once the movie was over we decided we would watch another. I was glad because unlike my gamer friends, I have to been in a certain mood for games. We couldn’t decide if we would go with an Asian themed film festival or keep the Tom Cruise theme going. I was up for Top Gun but I also endorsed Kung Fu Hustle. Kung Fu Hustle won but I don’t think they thought it was as funny as I did.

Anyway, I’ve been reading a lot and learning a lot. I’ve been convicted a lot and had a lot of encouragement too. Maybe I can get some of those thoughts down later, but for now I have the friendship calendar: “Friendship is never established as an understood relation. It is a miracle which requires constant proofs. It is an exercise of the purest imagination and of the rarest faith!” - Henry David Thoreau

As Maya said, “Leave it to a philosopher.” But to my friends, thank you for the phone calls, the lunch dates and even the attempt to spend time with me. AND thanks for letting me in on some secret and not so secret blogs :)

Birthday Shout Out

Happy Birthday J.D. Monster! I hope your 14th year of life is awesome and you had fun motorcycle riding today.


I love my brothers!

Happy Earth Day!

Disney is launching a new nature film label.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080422/film_nm/disney_dc_3

A Great Weekend for Laughs

Friday night I headed out towards Fillmore. I made a detour in Irvine to meet up with a friend. I'll call him DHK (Trent, if it was DRH I would have invited you) in order to protect his identity :) Here are a couple hints for the Fillmore folks: he's from Fillmore, went to FHS and Faith Community, and his mom's name is Sharon. I didn't ask if I could blog about him so I'll keep it at that. It was great though and we hadn't seen one another in about 4 years so there is still a lot of catching up to do.

I made it home around midnight and found JD and Christian watching Jackass and talking to girls on the phone. Who are these kids? They let me hang out with them for a second but then I was ready for bed.

I woke up on Saturday and immediately made my way to my mom's bed. I love climbing into her bed on Saturday morning and talking to her while she reads the paper. If that sounds weird to you...get over it, she's my mom. We talked about a lot of things but time flew and I had to go get my hair cut. When I was done there I had an AWESOME run through Fillmore. I seriously kicked butt on that run and was so proud of myself. While I was running past this house near my brother's these four little kids were in the front yard playing. You know it's either Fillmore or Ethiopia when there are 4 year olds watching the smaller kids. They started asking me what I was doing and what my name was and where I was going. It was cute. Oh, and I stopped in at Coffee Boy and talked to Simon for a bit.

Once I got home I took a shower and went to watch JD's baseball game. Robbie and Brianna came too and that made it so much more entertaining. This was probably my favorite conversation:

Alyssa: Look at JD [standing at first base]. What the heck is he doing?
Mom: Who knows? I wonder why he is the way he is.
Robbie: Well, you and that man [points to step-dad] had a kid together and that’s why that kid [points to JD] is the way he is.
Mom: Ugh! That was mean [pretending to have hurt feelings]
Robbie: Mom when genetic lines are that close its best if you don’t cross them.
Alyssa: [laughing so hard there’s no sound]

There were other conversations that made me laugh, like when Robbie told us about the commercial for the portable defibrillator now for sale. He said he would buy one just to shock Brianna while she was sleeping. Maybe you had to be there, but trust me, it was funny.

We had a "pool party" for JD except it was the coldest day of the month so far. That didn't stop the boys from jumping in. I stayed inside and watched Kansas City Swat with my Aunt Kaykay. It was a marathon, lucky me. JD turns 14 this week. I can't believe it. What I really couldn't believe was that he's now 6'0" and 180 lbs. That's a man, not a boy. Gees. My mom really likes pinatas (she isn't Mexican but did grow up in Fillmore) so JD had a pinata but no string to hang it on. Robbie took it outside and we all stood at one end of the street while Robbie punted it like a football to us. The little girl next door was a bit horrified by the sight she saw and when we invited her to come get candy she ran away. It was so cold the tootsie rolls broke in half when they hit the street. Bummer dude.

I wish I could have had more time with my family. I miss them a lot. I left early Sunday for a wedding and that was a blast. I got to see some really great friends and catch up a bit. Plus it was hilarious watching Kelli take charge at her own wedding. That was one bride you should be scared of. Kelly (the boy DJ) was providing the entertainment and I was only slightly annoyed when he would call me out by name. Like when I wasn't dancing or when I slowly made my way to the floor when they called for "ALL single girls" and it felt like it was only Dana and me. It was good though and I'm happy for Kelli and Izzy. By the way, you should have Izzy write any speech you might need to make. WOW...that guy's toast made me drink the champagne like it was a shot of tequila. I'll drink to the words he said for sure.

I headed to Sgt. Palmer's and we kicked it before heading to Hollywood for some Comedy Sportz (with a z). Side Note: We went to Coffee Bean before the show and this CRAZY girl was in line in front of us. She really was crazy, picking up her cell phone and yelling the F-word into it. She kept telling whomever was on the line not to ever call her again if he was going to leave her. There were lots of f-words in there too, but I'll keep it clean. The guy working the register was like, "dang, I was just gonna ask her for her number too." I laughed and thought, you might want to wipe the chocolate off your face first, plus, SHE'S CRAZY! The guys working with her continued to flirt and reassure her they would never treat her that way. Katie and I were standing in amazement. I told her I should ask those guys why they likes the crazy. Katie was like, "Yeah, and she wasn't even pretty!" And she wasn't. I could understand them flirtting if she was pretty and pretty crazy...she was just pretty crazy. Back to CS...Oh gosh, the show was okay but I laughed so hard watching the players react to the situations they found themselves in and the use of the brown bag foul. Plus, Katie just thinks I'm really funny with my side commentary so that makes me feel good. I could never be on that stage but knowing I can make others laugh just gives me warm fuzzies. When Dana won for suggestion of the evening we laughed as we remembered the time Danny won suggestion of the evening and instead of getting the usual free ticket to the next show, he got a sticker. Ah, Comedy Sportz's funny joke. We went to Mel's Diner (better food than Canter's but paying for parking, minus points) and saw this jerk hole rip off the parking attendant and then slap him. Ruckus in the parking lot.

I hauled butt home and then talked to Trent on the phone for another 90 minutes or so. It was great talking but that only left me 4 hours of sleep. I'm totally screwed today and I have to go train. Andrew is going to HATE me. I'm going to HATE everyone :) Was that Bridget Jones' Diary enough for you?

Baseball news today

In case you didn’t know, I LOVE baseball. When we were in Japan I had the chance to visit the Tokyo Dome City. Unfortunately we didn’t catch a game but just looking at the outside of the park was cool. Today was definitely a day for baseball news…in Japan and the U.S. The Padres went 22 innings with the Rockies last night!

Japanese school team hit for 66 runs in two innings
Apr 17, 10:17 am EDT
TOKYO, April 17 (Reuters) - A Japanese high school pleaded for a regional game to be abandoned after surrendering 66 runs in less than two innings, local media reported on Thursday.
The coach of Kawamoto technical high school threw in the towel to spare his pitcher’s arm with his team losing 66-0 with just one batter out in the bottom of the second.
The hapless hurler had already sent down over 250 pitches, allowing 26 runs in the first inning and 40 in the second before Kawamoto asked for mercy.
“At that pace the pitcher would have thrown around 500 pitches in four innings,” Kawamoto’s coach was quoted as saying. “There was a danger he could get injured.”
Opponents Shunshukan were officially credited with a 9-0 victory, giving the scoreline a tinge of respectability for the luckless Kawamoto school. (Writing by Alastair Himmer; Editing by Justin Palmer)
From: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=reu-japanscore&prov=reuters&type=lgns

I did have a Japan flashback yesterday when I was sitting on the bus to campus and students continued to pile in. It was only awkward because the girl standing in front of me (I was sitting) had low rise jeans that were a little too small. Oh, and the girl sitting next to me would lean into me so hard when we made turns. I almost said, I’m not your sister, this isn’t mom’s car and we are not on a road trip so get control of your body and stop trying to annoy me.

In other news, I am reading an excellent book. I am very tired. I am going to Fillmore this weekend. I was able to reconnect with Peter Strong (don’t be jealous JT). I don’t want to be an alternate. Just when I think I'm learning how to overcome strongholds, I believe Satan's lies.

Boomers!

Maya and I headed to Boomers! after a LONG day of work. We had the batting cage all to ourselves for 30 minutes. While I was hitting this older man came over to our cage and started stretching. I heard him talking to Maya but I was focused and just thought Maya had made a new friend like she often does. Then this guy starts telling me what to do in the batters box. "Back up." "Wait for it. You're swinging a bit too early. That's why you're pulling them left." "Picture yourself cutting the ball in half. That's it! Like that!" He got really excited when I ripped one hard into what would have been left-center. It was funny though and it didn't really bother me. I guess that's because I had a dad who did that to me at the batting cages from the time I was 8 years old until I gave it up my senior year of high school. It felt good to hit but now my hand is blistered and it kinda hurts. Maybe I'll call in sick tomorrow. Kidding. I need to get a batting glove...this could be my new hobby.

Headlines

I have a routine in the mornings and I love my routine. The alarm goes off at 4:51 am so I can hit snooze once and get up at 5. I make my way to the gym, shower and head to work by 7:12 am. Too early and I don't find a parking spot on the street, too late and I get stuck in dumb traffic. By dumb I mean people forget to use the gas when going uphill so it slows near Carmel Valley Road. I take the bus to campus, usually with 10 minutes to spare and either read or take a little walk (depending on the shoes for the day). I get to the office, get coffee, toast my bagel and open email. When I'm done with that I like to go to myyahoo! and read headlines. Today in the headlines: "Too many cooks in the kitchen," a recap of American Idol, the Yankees scored 15 against the Red Sox last night and A-Rod is now tied for 15th on the home run record list. That was a treat since I haven't been able to catch a game yet. Then there was some stuff on Toyota taking a hit in profits, that Texas polygamy case and of course, the debate between Obama and Clinton.

After Trent blogged about voting I was a bit inspired. I mean, I'm registered and vote in every election but at times I know I'm not very well educated on the issues on the ballot. So I'm doing more reading and trying to follow a bit closer. This was from an article I read this morning that I just smiled at because well, I think it's true.

"Obama was asked by a voter via video why he did not wear the American flag in his lapel.
'I have never said that I don't wear flag pins or refuse to wear flag pins. This is the kind of manufactured issue that our politics has become obsessed with and, once again, distracts us,' he said. "

Alright, back to checking blogs...I mean, work.

Alyssa is convinced...

that the Sophia Loren wanna be at the gym has guts to wear an all lime green suit. She's a cougar, I know it.

Work = Busy
Life = Awesome, even with the crappy parts
School = Waiting to hear

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARISELA DRAKE! You are absolutely the most wonderful friend in the world. We're lucky to have you.

Friendship Calendar Says:

"'Stay' is a charming word in a friend's vocabulary." -Louisa May Alcott

This just made my day:

The New Amsterdams, Live, UCSD Pub, April 15th at 7 pm.

Beth Moore is pretty funny

I went to a Living Proof conference tonight. Traffic on the 8 sucked and it took about an hour to go a mile. Not even joking. But it was worth it. She asked us to only process the things we're learning right now with God and I think there was value in her lesson, so I'm not gonna talk about what I'm learning. But she did talk about Psalm 139 and her first point was that we are known. The second was we want to be known. I'm interested to hear what the next few points will be. She's from Texas and has a drawl...and is pretty darn funny.

What the heezey?

Did you watch American Idol tonight? Right, I usually don't either but David and I decided to wait for Marisela to watch Survivor. So, he turned it on and they basically recapped the 5 hour episode from the night before. I was thankful, saved me a lot of time. Not that giving to HIV/AIDS and especially Africa is a waste of time. I've spent a lot of time there and definitely have a heart for the people and the struggles. When Ryan Seacrest announced they had raised nearly 60 million dollars I was floored. That's a lot of money. But then I started thinking about all the super stars they had on the Idol Gives Back show and I thought...$60 mil is nothing to these people, why don't they give a couple mil? That's like chump change to them, plus if they combined their riches with what they're asking everyone else to give, how much more could be done to fight the poverty and problems in Africa? Okay, that wasn't my original intent for posing the question, "did you watch American Idol tonight?" but I had to get on my soapbox for a sec. The opening song was "Shout to the Lord." When did American Idol get saved? I still don't know what to think. I mean, in one way millions of people heard Jesus being praised...but was it really praise? I don't know. Was it mocking it? I don't really think so, but I can't figure it out. Now you may think I'm a heathen for asking this question, but why did they pick that song? Hmmm...odd.

My grad school interview was today. I had great plans for my morning. I called in sick and felt completely guilty but I really wasn't feeling great. I was so nervous I almost did throw up. I was gonna work out, clean, figure out what I would make for dinner since everyone else went to work and I stayed home. But instead I stayed in bed a little longer, finally stumbled downstairs and hopped online. I sat there for a good hour trying to figure out how to respond to emails. Some of them went unanswered, others got a distracted response to what appears to be my emo-ness. I also needed to seriously catch up on America's Next Top Model since I was out of the country for a few episodes. So that was on in the background which probably didn't help me to focus either. I had my usual bagel with peanut butter and banana, only since I was home I added some honey to the mix. I realized it was getting later and if I wanted to run it was going to have to be a short one. I also thought it might be good to work some nerves out and clear my mind a little. So I hit a hard, short run and was sweating like crazy...I love runs like that. I got home, defrosted some chicken, jumped in the shower, then out, went back to the chicken and got the slow cooker ready. I decided to try a new recipe...fiesta chicken...yum-o! I ran back upstairs to do the hair and make-up, put on the power suit and hit the road to SDSU. I wasn't sure where this center I was going to was so I wanted to get there early. I looked g'd up from the feet up, felt fly and confident...the nerves were pretty much gone and I told myself, just be yourself because you're awesome. No really, I really felt good about this. The interview was a group interview and because I signed some waiver I'm not really at liberty to discuss a whole lot but it was interesting and I enjoyed every minute of the 2 1/2 hour process. No joke. I did some one on one counseling while someone on the other side of the mirror observed. I thought that stuff only went on in interrogation rooms but apparently grad students get interrogated too. We did some group discussion on how we were raised, things we were taught about race, class, gender, sex and so on. We had to sit in this circle with our shoes off and my first thought was, I hate my feet! Then came, I should have gotten that pedicure. We had to walk up to another person in the circle and say, "Hi. My name is..." In my case, "Hi. My name is Alyssa." Then the professor started a sentence and I had to finish it. So, "Hi. My name is Alyssa. Something I never want to tell is..." Wow...if I never wanted to tell it, why would I tell a room full of strangers? Disclosing...counseling...this is what the next year could look like if I get into CBB. We then had the chance to do a writing assignment where we could talk about our experience in the interview and what we wanted to come across but might have not been able to. It was good though and I think I did well. I contributed to the group but didn't dominate the conversation and I was honest with my answers. Another one of my finish the sentences was, "when I'm alone I..." I said I laugh at myself, the things I think and things I see. I don't know if that was deep enough but dang it, it sure is true. So now you know, I laugh a lot...even when I'm alone.

By the way, Fiesta Chicken was so good in burritos. Maybe one day I'll make it for you. Maybe not, you might live too far away for Fiesta Chicken. But I'll share the recipe if you want. Now I'm off to bed because I can't call in sick again. Well, I could but I shouldn't. Plus I'm going to a conference with Mars this weekend. We're going with women from her church and Beth Moore is the keynote. It should be good, I'm ready for what the Lord is going to do. Maybe that's why I've had such a hard 2 weeks, so the soil of my heart will be ready for the planting. See you.

P.S. Why do they put Weight Watchers Centers next to Wenchell's? Is it like training to resist the temptation? I've never given in, but that's probably because I'm afraid of what the other attendees would think if they saw me in there.

Tomorrow is a big day

I might have a staph infection on my knee. I really hope it isn't staph, that doesn't seem pleasant. Robbie had a staph infection on his knee in January and had to go to the urgent care followed by the doctor's multiple times. I called him since he's the expert on this. He had a staph infection on his elbow once too. Maybe he rolls around in staph, I don't know. I think mine came from the torture Andrew put me through at the gym. It could just be a mat burn, but I don't think it should be hot. Well see how it is tomorrow. Hopefully it isn't bad because tomorrow is a VERY important day. I'm interviewing at SDSU for grad school at 1 pm. If you think about it, please pray. This could be the beginning of some good things and hard decisions.

My Papa was a Bracero

My Papa was born in Chiapas, Mexico. He made his way from the southern part of Mexico to the United States through the Bracero program, to work the fields of the U.S. He worked hard and his tough Mayan-Mexican skin was proof of the long hours spent picking. When I was a kid, growing up in Piru, there were pickers everywhere and we would make fun of the men living in the campitos. As I think about it, that's where my family came from. We celebrate Cesar Chavez Month at UCSD and I think some people laugh at it. I've probably made light of it too, but truth is he was a great man whose contributions to human rights has made it possible for my family to survive. So, I'm thankful for Chavez, those who work(ed) the fields, and my grandparents for everything they didn't have and worked so hard to give us.

The calendar says...

Maya gave me this friendship calendar for Christmas. One of the highlights of my day is ripping the little day off and reading what comes next. Sometimes I cheat and read ahead because the anticipation is so great. I know, you think I’m lame. Well, here is today’s and I think it’s worth sharing. Especially in light of all of the amazing friends I have and how scattered they are. I REALLY miss my family…

How can I find the shining word, the glowing phrase that tells all that your love has meant to me, all that your friendship spells? There is no word, no phrase for you on whom I so depend. All I can say to you is this, God bless you precious friend
-Grace Noll Crowell

Miss You

I've been trying to post ALL of my Japan pictures to shutterfly...my computer just sucks. It might be time for a Mac.

Finally, Friday...

This week has been...well, not so great. Sara and I were talking about how it's just been one of those weeks. Maybe it's because I came back from Tokyo on Sunday and headed right into work on Monday morning. She came back from Atlanta on Monday and was in the office on Tuesday. Yup, one of those weeks...

Today has already been horribly wrong. I woke up at 4:45 am to get to the gym and realized as I tried to get out of bed just how sore I was from working out with Andrew. It usually takes a day before I really feel it. Since we worked out on Wednesday, it's about time to feel it. David and Marisela are sick and I'm sure at least 10% of the passengers on the plane were sick too, so I'm fighting something. I've been dropping the zicam tablets and downing the water but I thought the extra 1 1/2 hours of sleep I could get this morning might help. So that means I didn't get to the gym and that was the beginning of my day being thrown off. I got to my usual parking area and found a prime spot. Only then did I realize I didn't have my ID so I couldn't get on the bus. I thought I would look for a spot close enough to walk since I had 15 minutes to spare. Then I realized how much stuff I had to carry to campus because it's our birthday potluck in the office and I was bringing gifts from Japan so I broke down and paid the $6 to park on campus. What a rip off.

The one thing that has managed to make me smile is the sumo figurine I brought back from my trip for my desk. He is so freakin' awesome! Just looking at him makes me laugh.

Disneyland!

So worth the price of admission. I only wish we could have gone to Disney Sea too!



Disneyland with great friends. It was way better once all the kids went home.
Highlights from this day:
1. I had a birthday sticker with my name written in Japanese.
2. We had pretty good noodles for lunch.
3. While we were in line for Big Thunder Mountain, the ride malfunctioned and we got front of the line passes for Buzz Light Year.
4. We had every kind of popcorn sold in the park.
5. The castle is so dang cool looking.
6. During the electrical parade the little girl next to me kept putting her hand on my knee to lift herself up so she could see the lights...so precious.
7. I stayed warm and it didn't rain.
8. Danny and I went so fast in the tea cups we almost threw up.
9. After all the kids left the park we waited maybe 15 minutes for Peter Pan.
10. The train ride home wasn't even packed...by Tokyo standards that is.

More D-Land pics to come...time for bed :)

More pictures to come...

I'm really trying to stay awake right now because my brother just called and it's way past my bedtime. I wanted to post pictures but I don't have time to sort through them all. So here are some of my favorites that I uploaded to my computer tonight.


This was my arrival and as you can see, Danny was really excited to see me.
This was in Odaiba and I just love this picture!

I think this might have been my favorite meal while in Japan. I really liked the noodles...but the katsu was tasty too.

Quotes...

I like quotes. I have a whole notebook full of them. This is one that I have taped to my notebook that I write random things in. I have a lot of notebooks...full of random things. Maybe that's why my mom calls me a pack rat.

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality...I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Day 2: Odaiba Island and my Japanese birthday!

So, here is our day in pictures. I would write longer stories to go along with the pictures but I'm way too tired. I think I'm finally hitting that wall and starting to get sick. The girl next to Maya on the plane was totally sick. I'm taking the Zicam and trying to fight it...I need some sleep.

He can't take a serious picture...on our way to the island. The ride was really cool with lots to see.

Dude, this sweet ride only cost 100 yen. My dino was faster and way better looking than the others. Maya and Danny, sorry yours weren't as cool.

This is the part where we take a lot of pictures in the flowers...

This could totally be a band photo. Well, except that Danny is emo and I would never be in an emo band.

This was seriously one of the best things I've ever seen. The Tokyo skyline at night was amazing. Like I said earlier, I didn't want to leave this view. I could have stood there for another hour.

Oh wait, I think this is a semi-serious photo. Look at how cool everything is!

Danny asked some random guy to light my candle with his cigarette...classic. This made it feel like my birthday.