It's in Lincoln. 4 Bedrooms. 2.5 Bathrooms. (A half bathroom, for those of you who don't know, means that the bathroom has only hot water, not cold, and a urinal, not a toilet). We are franticly packing up our house here in Fremont, and planning on moving Friday. Saturday at the latest. Nicki and I both start our new jobs on Monday the 7th, so we have to be in Lincoln by Sunday, unless we both feel like leaving the girls here alone all day while we commute over 100 miles each way.
Nicki and I both feel like God lined up quite a few things to get us out there, and that we've both finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel. It's been a long, tough journey for the both of us since we met in 1999, but finally, FINALLY we feel like we're about embark on some pretty wonderful times in our lives. The neighborhood is wonderful, the house is beautiful, and we know that we are going to spend the rest of our lives in the area.
It's bittersweet leaving Fremont. Our church and my Grandmother are the only things in Fremont that Nicki and I are still attached to, but we both grew up here and have a lot of memories here. Especially in this house for Nicki, because it was her Grandfathers. She practically grew up here. But neither one of us feel like Fremont is like it once was, and we both feel like Lincoln is a place we can envision our kids growing up safe and happy.
Stay tuned. I'm hoping to have even better news Wednesday night.
I was sitting on my couch with Nicki watching "The Invasion", which by the way is not even NEAR as bad as everyone made it out to be. Is it going to win an oscar? No. But it's not that bad either. Anyway, at 10:51 I got a text message from a number I didn't recognize. My cell phone number (510-938-7878) is very easy to remember, but it's so sequential that I get a LOT of people calling the wrong number on accident. When I got a text message from someone I didn't know, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to have a little fun. Here is the transcript (including their horrible spelling and grammar, unedited):
510-721-XXXX: Hey um just wondering juan got edgar an external hard drive, you didn't get him the same thing did u?
Me: No. I got him a new dog and some toilet water.
510-721-XXXX: u were aiming for unique hu?
Me: Edgar and I have some big news. We're telling everyone at Christmas.
510-721-XXXX: o_o omg ur getting married? haha jk. are u with him right now?
Me: We're not getting married. Yet. But we are deeply in love with each other. Please don't tell anyone. We're scared.
510-721-XXXX: Y should u be scared?
Me: It's complicated. I think Edgar is my second cousin. We just realized it today after we watched Die Hard 4.
510-721-XXXX: Haha wtf? dude is this really yvone? how can u guys be related if we dont even have the same fam?
Me: Like I said, it's complicated. Edgar is still crying. I'm not doing well either.
510-721-XXXX: Oh. your serious. uh i don't know what to say. :\
Me: Edgar said we should go on Jerry Springer. I told him now is not the time for jokes. Then he started crying some more.
510-721-XXXX: Yvone are u being serious? im pretty incredible. sorry. (I think this person meant to say "That's pretty incredible.)
Me: I'm just going to finish watching TV for a bit and go to bed. I'm hella upset. Edgar just threw up. It's a mess over here.
The first game I went to was about 9 years ago, and all I remember is that the Sharks played the Kings, and won. I was given free tickets at work today, so tonight I went to watch the Sharks play the Ducks. Now look. I consider myself to be an extremely knowledgeable person when it comes to sports. For not following Hockey at all, I knew most of the players playing tonight, and most of what was going on. I said most of what was going on.
There were times during the game where I felt like I was a Russian foreign exchange student in the US, sitting in an AP Honors English class. People started cheering and booing at things that I would have otherwise not cheered or booed at if I was watching the game by myself. There is a guy on the Ducks named Chris Pronger, and apparently everyone hates him. Every single time he had the puck, the crowd booed. After about the third time he got booed when he had the puck, I pulled a Brick Tamland and started saying "WHAT ARE WE YELLING ABOUT?!" and "LOUD NOISES!!!!!". The two women in front of me were kind enough to tell me that "Chris Pronger is a major asshole. Everyone hates him". So I figured I'd go with the mob mentality and boo him too.
Our section was right by the mens restroom. So after the second period I figured I'd go use the facilities because the intermission is 17 minutes. Well, me and about 461 other guys had that idea. But I had to go. So I braved the line. Now look. All of my life I've been the guy that urinates in the sit down toilet stalls. I cannot piss while I'm standing next to another guy. I need my privacy. Until tonight. When I finally got into the bathroom, there was another line a mile long to use one of the private stalls. I figured it's high time I get over my little phobia, and use the urinals. BIG MISTAKE. I unzipped my pants and waited a few seconds. Then I waited some more. After what felt like about 3 hours of nothing coming out despite having a full bladder, I almost zipped back up and quit my losses. But I stuck with it. Finally after about 8 years, a little pee started dribbling out. I was SO happy that I looked down to witness this momentous occasion and guess what happened. The pee stopped. I'm serious people, this is no joke. I had to look back up at the tile above the urinal and start thinking about cars and sports and stuff so I could start peeing again. I will NEVER use a urinal again. There are some guys that can piss while standing right next to other guys, and there's guys like me who like to piss in private.
Not only did the Sharks lose tonight, but I also lost a battle to the greatest nation on the planet. Urination.
It's officially official, we're moving to Sacramento...
I landed a job today. It's at a place called Goores. It's in Sacramento. It's like Babies R Us. I work in the back, in the offices, doing graphic design and IT stuff. I interviewed last week, and they called me today to offer me the job. I'm excited to work there, however I'm a little nervous that it might be a little too "9 to 5" if you know what I mean. I'm VERY happy to be doing something creative, with the graphic design portion. But if you've read my website in the past, you know that at a certain point in my tenure at Pump It Up, I was told I'd be moved out of IT entirely in order to be able to work more with my creativity. So I'm PRAYING that this new job will offer more chances to use my creativity and personality than Pump It Up did.
Pump It Up wasn't an entire waste of time. I grew a lot spiritually there, thanks to a few co-workers who are further along in their walk than I am. But I honestly have no idea what God wanted me to take from that job, other than that. And maybe it is just that. But man, were the 20 months I spent there arduous. I'm thankful for some of the friends I made while working there, but it was time to move on about 19 months ago.
Friday I have half a day of training at Goores. Then I don't officially start until January 7th. My last day at Pump It Up is December 31st, so that gives me exactly one week to tie up loose ends here in Fremont, finish packing the house, and then get the F outta dodge. Nicki and I are going to look at homes in Roseville (to rent) after my half day Friday.
This is probably the most well-written but at the same time most boring post I've ever done. But, that's kinda how I feel lately.
Despite this bird video being really cool, while watching this video I couldn't stop thinking about how disgusting the chair is with bird poop all over it is. How do you rationalize posting a video to youtube of your cool bird that dances to man-band songs, but also shows bird poop all over your chair? It's called a wet rag. Hell, I'm not even asking you to use soap, but COB ON.
You can probably imagine what the rest of the house looks like. Look at the closed blinds. You can almost feel the stuffiness. That living room hasn't seen natural sunlight since Reagan was in office. I bet these people are smokers too, and when you walk in their house it smells like bird and cigarettes.
P.S. It'd be a lie if I said I haven't a few man-band songs. No one can 100% deny that they've hated every song by N'Sync, Backstreet Boys or 98 Degrees. Not even you Mike Ward. Not even you. By the way, "Dirty Pop" by N'Sync is probably my favorite.
Nicki just called me and said "Hey I just wanted to let you know that today is the last day you're going to be in your 20's. Have a nice day". That is CRAZY! I honestly feel like I'm still in my teens. (Ask my CEO, he'll tell you the same) The past few days I'd been really bummed out about what I had perceived as my failure of achieving the goals I had set out for myself. I had quite a few things I wanted to accomplish professionally and personally in my 20's, and quite a few of them were never realized. I got really depressed for a couple days. Nicki tried giving me the pep talk about "You've provided for your family, helped me get through college, been a great dad, ate some steak" but it didn't make me feel any better. At 30 years old, the fact that I'm sitting behind a desk fixing computers and taking phone calls all day isn't what I had envisioned for myself. Despite being the best dad that has ever lived and providing for my family, my place in the "rat race" really had me bummed out.
Until I was reminded that this life I'm living is NOT my life. It's God's. Everything I've been blessed with and given in terms of talents, awesome hair, incredible good looks, smarts, jobs, houses, cars, kids, wives (I have an entire separate life in Peru. I can't really talk about it) has been given to me from God, and I am where I am right now because God wants me here. So far beit from me to bitch and moan about where I'm at in the totem pole of life. Then this morning my bible study really drove everything home.
"Likewise there are many who try to find excuses in life because someone has taken advantage of them, has cheated them, has said something bad against them, someone has acted with prejudice against them, has abused them and this list can go on and on and on. But God has demonstrated with innumerable examples of peoples in history, that any set of circumstances can be overcome. People have been born poor and have become wealthy. People have been born wealthy and have lost it all. People have been abused and have risen above their heartache. People have been thrown into concentration camps and have survived. In fact there is most likely no set of circumstances that have not been made an example of in all of human history. So, in short, no matter who you are, no matter what your past, you do not have anything unique about you that cannot be handled by God. To presume so simply means that you are arrogant and naive about life and God."
Besides, 30's are the new 20's ya'all. Haven't you heard?
Here's what happened. I knew there was a dinner planned for my moms house at 5:30. That much I knew. What I didn't know, was who was coming. So as people started showing up, I was really surprised as to who was showing up. Wait, let me backtrack for a second. So Nicki and my mom have been UTLRA stressed about my party, basically going crazy and acting like it was Armageddon. And when I got to Manteca on Saturday night, Nicki called me and said "Stay in the car. Do NOT come in your moms house. We're still setting up." So I obliged. When I was finally let into the house some 20 minutes later, I have to be honest, I was really disappointed. There were a couple tables setup, and a few streamers. And I thought to myself "They've been going crazy and losing sleep over this?" But I played nice and said I really liked it and thanked them for all the efforts.
Anyway, people started showing up, and we finally had dinner around 6. Around 6:45 my mom said "A lot of people drove far (because she lives in Timbuktu) and have to get going, so lets cut the cake". I cut the cake, and we all had cake. By 7:10, people started saying good bye. I was really confused AND put off a little. I was thinking to myself "It's Saturday night, why in the hell do you have to leave at 7?" But I said bye and thank you to over 25 people that were leaving. After that, I was a tad (actually really) bummed. I felt sorry for myself. So I started opening all of my cards that people brought, and then my mom freaked out. She said "NOOOOOO! You have to open those later." So then a couple people said "Why don't we go to your brothers house (who lives two doors down from my mom) and play his Wii. I was like "Alright, whatever." But then quite a few more people said "Hey lets go to Danny's and play his Wii". So at that point I was becoming a tad suspicious because of the people that were saying it to me. So I started walking to my brother Danny's and looked behind me.
Nicki and a few other people had video cameras. At this point I figured there was something cool there (I was hoping it was my 65" TV!) I opened the door, and everyone that had "left" was at Danny's, plus a few more people. They turned my brothers house into a giant Casino/Video Game haven. There were about 40 people there and 4 TV's setup (none of which were mine sadly). We all drank and played video games and "gambled" till 2am. It was awesome. Best party ever. Sadly I didn't get a TV, but I did get a Playstation 3! All the food and drinks there were my favorite. Snickers. Doritos. Crackers and garlic/herb spread, Smirnoff Ice, naked women, a pin the tail on Darth Vader game, a giant poster that said "30 years in the making" with a bunch of pictures of me growing up, and some other stuff. It was great.
