Power in Numbers

Hello BlogSpot. My bad I channelled my inner Tiger and went into e-hiding for a minute. I would attribute it to self-reflection and pondering, but really it was just laziness. I wish I could churn these blogs out with the consistency of Lil Wayne's mixtapes, but I prefer to have quality posts. I can't dilute the product. Anyway while at work, I stare at numbers and think about girls pretty much all day. And when I'm not at work, I think about numbers and girls too. Suffice to say, I like numbers, and here is how I like them applied to women:

3 - most number of pierced spots, word to paul. left ear, right ear, belly button or tongue [taking it back to circa 2000]. any other spots I'd have to question.

4 - minimum number of Sacraments you should have received, which would be Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation and Communion, which is basically how I would quantify a Catholic girl

5 - ideal finger size, because chunky fingers means chunky toes, and I want your feet to look cute in sandals.

6 - most number of siblings you should have, since I'm already dominating that category and I don't want to be going to a kid's party every weekend, provided they have them and such.

7 - ideal shoe size, because with anything smaller I think of bound feet from my Asian-American studies courses, and only the guy should have a double-digit shoe size

9 - most number of partners she should have, as I would be number 10 and I wouldn't want them to start counting on their well-shaped toes. I'd rather be the index finger than the big left toe.

20 - most number of miles you should live away from me, one way. Anything more I would have to categorize gas as a relationship expense.

25 - the youngest age I'd probably go for, as this number would remain constant even as I get older mwhahaaha

32 - number of teeth she should have. her smile should look like this "=D" and not like this "=@", where @ denotes a missing tooth.

34 - ideal bust and/or hips size

50 - most number of shoes you should have, since if we eventually co-habitate, then I want to ensure there's space for my kicks. and you definitely can't have more than me.

69 - yes

72 - if you see this number, the first thing you should think of is the Rule of 72, which essentially tells how long an investment would take to double.

120 - ideal weight in pounds, give or take 5-10 ounces. Nothing personal, but I just like you porportional to me.

700 - minimum FICO score. really, it's not that difficult to maintain good credit. just pay your bills on time and pay above the minimum. you could be thousands of dollars in debt but still maintain a decent score. its really not that hard

800 - maximum amount of Facebook friends you should have. I don't want you to be e-sloring yourself out.

1200 - mimimum SAT score. as a HS freshman I scored this on a preliminary one, so this isn't asking for too much. and if you're with me I want you to connect with me on a mental level, so I want to make sure your aptitude is up to par. oh yeah this only always to the old school scoring system - would need to readjust appropriately for the current version.

2005 - latest year of College Graduation, because 1. see above, 2. that's within 4 years of me, which sounds about right

See I'm not asking for too much, just a couple requirements here and there. Oh yeah this post is dedicated to Flappy Lives, who thinks I'm too picky. Please.
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That Moded Feeling

Sucks huh? I think I get one of these moments pretty often. Anyway if you've had any of the following, then you once felt moded:

- open up your mailbox, only to find it empty.
- wash all your dishes and wipe everything down, only to see that you missed up a couple.
- dropping a deuce and commence wiping, only to feel something brewing.
- folding your laundry, only to discover your missing a sock.
- setting your alarm earlier than usual, only to wake up later than usual.
- talking to and cheesing at a girl, only to discover you had something in your grill.
- wearing your nice kicks to the club/bar, only to get them jacked up.
- calling your credit card company to get your late fee reversed, only to find out they don't do courtesy reversals anymore [grrrr!].
- bringing your return back to the store, only to not have your receipt.
- farting in an empty elevator, only to have a group of people there when it opens.
- making a grocery list, only to forget something off the list.
- spending mad time on a spreadsheet, only to have Excel crash.
- DVRing a show, only to have it cut off early. Week after week after week.
- sprinting for a train or bus, only to miss it and be out of breath. And hae your backpack open and the contents spill [that was back in HS though lol].

Okay those were the first to come to mind, but I'm sure there's countless more.  The lesson here kids is don't take yourself too seriously.  We might have all these mini-FMLs, but they're not really FMLs. *hops off soapbox!*
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You Got to Read Between the Lines

If you're successful at reading between the lines, then you have an exponentially better chance to read between the sheets.  I know dudes over-analyze any type of communication with a female, and I'm no exception. it's hard enough to read when the words are there, but what do they really mean? Here is a brief sypnosis of what a girl's response to your text really means:

generic text sent by generic guy: "hey you - what's good?"

A chick can respond to this in a number of ways:

1. No response - This is probably the most chilling. You double-check your sent items to see if it was actually sent. You kinda wish there was a text receipt as there are email receipts [even though those are mad annoying to the recipient]. You check your watch…and see that only 5 minutes elapsed. Relax...and if she doesn't hit you back within an hour, make alternate plans. If she doesn't respond ever, then On To The Next One.

2. "Hey! I'm busy…I'll ttyl" - Obviously you're gonna talk later, since a text convo isn't actually a live convo. Dumb broad. And she's not really feeling you but she's just trying to be nice. Most girls are cognizant of another person's feelings, because it's likely they've been in that situation before. I'd chalk this up as an L.

3. "Nothing. What's good with u?" - ahhh…a question to a question. She wants to engage in conversation, so you naturally play along. Just make sure you're on an unlimited plan yourself, and it's helpful to know the girl's text plan, since overages for text messages b[y]te [haha I make myself laugh]. If you're way over on your texts and way under for your minutes, you need to talk more! Unfortunately in the electronic age, that's usually the case.

4. "Hey! I'm doing well!! Wanna kick it? ;)" - That flirty wink!  Sometimes I think "did she just mean to send a :) instead of a ;) because she kept her finger on the shift key too long?"  See what I mean by over-analyzing?  Anyway, I wish there was a formula to determine how interested a chick is in you based on their response. It would contain the # of "!" used, a multiplier for which smiley [":)" would be like x5, ";)" would be like x8, and "=|" would be minus 10 haha], and the time variable of response time less sent time. Maybe something like this:

[# of !s] * [smiley multiplier + (# of "lol" or "haha"s)]/ time elasped [in hrs] = your score

If your score is above a 100, then maybe she is digging you. If its closer to zero, then probably not so much.

Let me analyze a recent text *scrolls down ReegPhone*: [5] * [8 + 1]/(1/60) = 2,694!!!! OMG I think she's in love!!! Or my formula is inherently flawed, which is more likely.  Darnit!

5. "This is good" *image attached* - If you get the sext reponse, you're basically in the money.  You've must've done something right to obtain that privilege. Kudos to you and I should be reading your blog instead!

So the above just proves that we read into not just texts, but any type of communication overall. Or maybe it's just me? Whatever the case, it's just a stupid game that boys and girls play.

I'll Get the Nine Cuz I Don't Know About the Internet

E-40 didn't know about the Internet back then, but I did. Let's take a trip:

circa 1990 - My fam installed Prodigy on the home computer, and my moms was chatting with her coworker over a modem. I was flabbergasted.

circa 1992 - The start of the message board era. People discussing hip-hop and sports online? It was awesome. It was pretty early when I knew not to catch feelings from total strangers. Someone badmouthed the Fab 5 and my brother got all pissed. He wrote a expletive-laden response and our account was banned.  This also birthed the hip-hop nerd.

circa 1995 - Got my first email address! I forgot the name, but I know the end was @ix.netcom.com hahaha. Silverylining was my first email buddy!

circa 1996 - One name for yall: Patricia Ford. My [and I'm sure a host of others] first cyber-crush. Naked. Pictures took like 10 minutes to load and I took less to unload.

circa 1997 - My first mp3 downloaded - Hit Em Up by 2Pac. [Still don't know why this wasn't on the double-disc]

circa 1997 - The birth of my AOL SN - reegsta. And I'm still online!

circa 1998 - The birth of my eBay username - reegsta. Buy ish from me.

[Okay it the cyber-age just blew up expontientally in this era, so lets fast-forward.]

circa 2002 - Wrote my first blog. [Scroll down to when it says 'the reegsta's random ramblings'].

circa 2003 - Signed up for Friendster, and I wonder if its still in beta-mode.

circa 2007 - Late pass on Facebook, but I put my first status update up. "Regan is thinking about stuff to blog about."

circa 2008 - Got my first article published on Ploomy.

circa 2010 - I fought the urge to limit my cyber footprint, but now I'm on twitter. So just ignore this post here. Holler @reegstarr if you're on!

So yes, the whole point of this entry is to tell you to follow me like Uncle Kracker.  Don't fret my comment section is about to get overhauled, since the provider is going under.

Have a good weekend!

The Blogger's Soundtrack

The title alludes to Skyzoo's "The Shooter's Soundtrack" which was one of the top hip-hop releases of the year.  Straight up gully beats and lyrics - no guest spots and nothing radio friendly about it.  However rather than making a traditional 2009 Music Year in Review, I just want to recap my personal playlist of 2009:

Keri Hilson/Kanye/Ne-Yo - Knock You Down - Fell in love with the track after the first leak. "Til I met this pretty lil missile that shot me out of the sky"

Kid Cudi - The Sky Might Fall/Soundtrack 2 My Life - The Emo Hip-Hopper's Anthem. "I got 99 problems, and they're all b!tches"

Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart - hahah don't look too much into this, but this is a jam, as Al, Ar and Rol can attest to. I think we listened to it like 15x straight. Too bad the video is freaking weird.

Flo-Rida/Ne-Yo - Be On You - last year's camping song was Weezer's Heart Songs, and this was the dilly this year

Angels & Airwaves - Everything's Magic - because we rock out to this on Rock Band. Evokes memories of Sugarcult's 'Memory'. It's a hard-hitting Alt-Rock joint

Beyonce/Kanye - Ego Remix - I fault Mr. West for increasing the size of my ego, as well as every urban kid under 30, errr 35, for thinking that they posses mad swagger.  For real though, I need to have humble pie for dessert once in awhile.

Jay Sean/Lil Wayne - Down - Only because my lil godson Isaiah goes bonkers when this song comes on haha. He made Fel replay it like 10x in a row once.

Drake - Best I Ever Had - Las Vegas July 2009 - where a group of men became legendary.

Jay Electronica - Exhibit C - Helped me believe in hip-hop once again and cemented Just Blaze's legacy in the pantheon of beatmakers.

Jay-Z/J-Cole - A Star is Born - To continue with the Jay theme, this song probably got the most play from me on BP3. I like nostalgic verses.

Trey Songz/Ma$e - I Need a Girl Remix - I never really was a fan of Mase in his heyday, but he came through on his few guest spots this year.

Mayer Hawthorne - Just Ain't Gonna Work it Out/Maybe So, Maybe No - these pretty much personifies my 1st half of 2K9, and they're back to back tracks on the album!

Ne-Yo - Easy/Move Along - you didn't think I would leave out him yeah? But these were 2 unreleased joints retrieved from 2DopeBoyz weekly R&B post. I *heart* them.

So here is what's been dominating my earwaves in 2K9.  Maybe I'll come back with the traditional categories later on.
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Giving 'em Eargasms With My Mellow Accent

Ever since my Bose earbuds died on me [note to readers: Bose doesn't make good earbuds], I've been half-heartedly looking for a new set of either earphones or on-ear headphones.  While there's way too much information on the web, I scoured head-fi.org and decided I was either going to cop the Klipsche or Sennheiser earbuds.  They tested the best, had the most bang for the buck and most importantly, were available at the Apple Store since I had credit there.  If you've seen the Beats By Dre buds, they're obviously an upgrade, but we all know how overpriced Monster products are and you could get equal if not better quality for a fraction of the price.  Being a financially shrewd person, these were definitely not an option.  Besides, I only had $40 store credit, while the buds I wanted ran around $80 for a total OOP cost of around $40 for the math impaired.

So I perused to the Union Square location and I mess around with the various headphones on display.  I checked out the Sennheisers, and yeah they sounded clean.  The overpriced Beats By Dre Solos were right next to them, and almost had a certain glow to them, so I just peeped them too - I had to ensure my due diligence was complete.  It should be noted when Norm visited last week, I tried on his BBD Studio editions, but those were too heavy and fragile for my sake.  Plus they were $300! Anyway the Solos had recently came out at a much more modest $180 [it sounds a lot by itself, hence the comparison to the studio editions lol] and once I put them on, I felt like this dude here:


They sounded clean. I primarily listen to Hip-Hop, R&B and Glee V1 and V2 so these are optimal for those genres. However I told myself I wouldn't fall for the hype. Cons included sound leakage [but for real, I would be the ones wearing them, so that's almost moot.  I remember when I got Sen-Dog, and a con was rear seating. I'm not gonna be sitting back there ya heard.]  My OOP budget was like $50, and these would run an additional $150, so the Klipsches are looking more promising.  I probably spent more time at peeping how I looked in them rather than the actual acoustics, but it only took me one song [Cudi/Ye/Common's 'Make Em Say' - the selections were limited] to know that I wanted them. If I were to cop the Sennheisers, I would've settled. And Reeg doesn't settle. And Reeg gets what he wants. And these were what I wanted, so I got them.  It seems like I need to justify my purchases, but the bottom line is that I dig it. Once a hypebeast, always a hypebeast.

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My Christmas Wish List 2K9

I should've came with this list prior to the 25th, then I probably would've received something! Seriously though, even if I had this up for awhile I still wouldn't have got anything related. Anyway I wanted to do daily updates, and I just realized it's been over 3 weeks since my last entry. My bad. Please note everything not obtained from my prior year's [see my 2007 and 2008 ones here] still are to be desired, but they won't be represented coming up.   So here it is - my retroactive wish list:

Motion Sensor Garbage Can - My garbage can sometimes smells since it's not covered, but at the same time, I'm not sure I want to have it exposed.  When your garbage requires batteries, you're on some next level ish.

Sony Playstation 3 - I think it's time for a new console, but not for gaming purposes.  Although my screen has 720p limits, Blu-Ray still would look fresher on it.  I kinda dig the sleeker refresh of it too.

 

D Collection Toggle Coat - I need a heather coat, preferable a short form-fitting one with toggle connectors and a detachable hood.  And I think I found it!  I did try this one, but it fit a bit snug.  I guess I should just go up another size?

SkyGolf SkyCaddie - My depth perception seems to go away when I play courses that have heavy topography.  I would be a more disciplined golfer.  Only drawback is that it wouldn't help me around the greens.

Jay-Z Tickets March 24, 2K10 - I've never seen Hova show, as the Fade to Black DVDs don't count.  In fact, I don't even think I've seen a show with any of my brothers.  Maybe we could make it happen!

Nike Air Stab Foot Patrol - Yes these done came out 4 years ago but wasn't feeling them too much.  But now I'm on a hunt for them.  I mean pairs are available, just haven't really been on my grind.  One day.

Wustof Classic Black Knife - I bought a block of 1 man Henckels, and while they've done their job commendably these past few years, I feel its time to upgrade.  "All I need is one knife* /Nas voice.








I have a precedent for obtaining about half of my wish lists, so by the time the 2K10 holiday season rolls around, don't be surprised if I get these!  My bad this blogging session was uninspired - I have a tee-time in a few hours and wanted to knock this out.  Merry Christmas everyone!
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Graze Anatomy

What's one of the first things I notice in a chick? It's probably not what you think. It's weird, when I was younger I zoomed in on the chesticles and the cheeks. But now, if she has a pretty face I go straight for the hand - then the T&A stuff. I dunno, I guess subconsciously I want to see if the girl is taken or not, since you don't want to get caught playing catch in another man's backyard. Don't get me wrong, I'ma still be staring, albeit discreetly, if it's warranted even if she has one on, as I can get in beastmode sometimes.

So yep, here are the body parts in order of my noticing: face, left hand, hair, grill, rack/buns [interchangeble, as I'm neither an assman or breastman, but rather a hybrid of both], hips, drumsticks [if she has chicken or turkey legs], toes, stomach, feets [would be higher, but not always noticeable], clavicle [if it's exposed], arms, and then ankles, but that's not to say the latter parts aren't important. Since I'm a great observer, I could process all of those after a few seconds. It might seem like a lot, but it's not really - think of the domino effect, as that's what the f__ I call a chain reaction.

Oh man, what a clever title name too.
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What Time is It?

So I've been looking at timepieces lately, well, because theuglystick has and I follow him. 4runner? check. Mizunos? check. Taylor Mades? check. Ping putter? check. iPhone? check. Whatever SLR I'll cop [whenever that may be], I'll probably ask him what he got too! However he's more Asus than Apple when it comes to computing needs, and I'm more Samsung than Sony when it comes to televisions.

Anyway while window shopping on TimeZone [yet another zone to be in!], I noticed the following pic in the trading forum:



FYI this isn't the piece that I want, but I do what a chronograph automatic on a bracelet. But for real, look at that Owner's Manual. It's bigger than my whips! I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into. I don't know how the manual could almost resemble a phone book. I thought you could just set it and forget it. When its time for DST, you would just pull the knob and crank it forward or backward. If you want it to illuminate, then just depress a button. Maybe if you're paying that much, there's some crazy secret ish it could do. If I already have issues with my digital Nike sports watch, then I might have migraines if I get a grown-up piece.
Maybe there's different languages? It must contain every one, possibly even Hieroglyphics. Sigh...so much to consider.
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Resolutions volume 2K9

Okay I'm trying to get a head start on these new year's resolutions. Previously I tried to delay my actual new years to coincide with the Chinese folk, but that never really worked out. I could easily blame Holiday hangover and year end work stuff, but really those are just convenient excuses. So let's switch it up and be proactive rather than reactive. Plus I'm ready for the year to end so I figure why not? If companies can have fiscal year-ends in the butt crack of summer, then my new year's could be a month ahead. Man it's past 1am and you might think I'm having problems sleeping. Hardly. I'm just waiting for Olivia Munn to appear on Fallon. She's so fly. And she just referenced Kid Cudi. I *heart* her.

Anyway I was brain-storming some resolutions, and aside from repetitive ones from prior years, it was more like a brain-sprinkle. I was stumped like a cut-off tree. "Resolutions" has a root word "resolute," which is derived from the word "resolve," which has Latin origin meaning "to loosen." And you just thought I was good with numbers. But yep, I need to loosen up - break the monotony I've created. In sports terms, being "in the zone" is a good thing. And having comfort sounds well, comforting. However, this comfort zone I presently find myself in is more like the twilight zone, and hell no I'm not referring to the movies. I'd guess I would be on Team Jacob though, or whomever the beast is. Ironically, my comfort zone is actually uncomfortable. "You gotta git up, git out and get something...don't let the days of your life pass you by" - first heard as a 15 year old listening to OutKast's first album, and it still rings true today.

Seriously though...I'm open to suggestions. Maybe I need to do something I've never done before, like work-out, or rock some Reeboks, or something crazy like that. I don't feel confined, yet I need a sense of liberation. I guess for anything new, I'd be Down like Amel Larrieux, Blink-182, Chris Brown & Jay Sean [the artists with said title currently in my iTunes. I probably should've just said Down, Down Down like DJ Quik - he's the only artist with that song name.] Anyway, I guess it's not good if your annual resolutions are recurring - what the heazy was done in the prior 365 days? You [me] need a way to hold yourself accountable, or at least see yourself make progress. Here is where you play a part - check up on me periodically please. I dunno, it seems the most successful sites are user-driven, so maybe i'll take a [foot patrol] stab at it. But for real, I have serious resolutions that I have that I probably won't share here. I know - I'm such a tease. But you probably could figure some out if you know me well enough!

The gym bag is packed. See you in my next installment.
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Who's the Mac?

I don't like it when people say they can't cook. If you can read and follow instructions, then it's pretty simple. It's like if you could talk you could sing and if you could walk you could dance [word to Kweli via an ancient African saying]. Anyway since our Thanksgivings are generally potluck, I wanted to contribute the Mac-n-Cheese. After skimming through countless recipes and recommendations [sorry Tiff I opted for something else!], I decided on this one courtesy of Ina:

Grown Up Mac-n-Cheese

After seeing the title you might think it's a little too foo-foo [not sure of that spelling, but just say it phonetically], but it's not after making a couple adjustments. I didn’t follow the recipe to a T, as I didn't add bleu cheese [too stinky] and just used gruyere and extra sharp cheddar. And I substituted Panko instead of white bread crumbs. After incorporating my renditions, I've renamed it Grown Folk Crac-n-Cheese, and when combined with my Super Smashed Potatoes, makes for a lethal 1-2 punch. I can't lie, it was probably the best mac-n-cheese I've made, and I've made a few. And despite it's name, the kids loved it as well. Just a warning - gruyere is like $16/lb and the sharper the cheddar, the most pricey it is too! And when you got to feed an army, this was one costly dish! I spent more on this than the deep fried turkey I got last year haha. It was definitely worth it, as it complemented the other great dishes we had.

As a segue, I want to introduce my sister-in-law's and her friend's food blog:

It's So Yummi

Pay them a visit!
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Lay[-off] Away and Away

So yesterday we had even another round of lay-offs, making this about 5-6 within the past 24 months. Yep I already lost track. While I'm grateful that I wasn't chosen [again and again], it makes you ponder what if. I already got let go once and it was a sucky feeling. If I wasn't in the wonderful world of accounting in the financial services sector, what would reeg do? First of all, I need to identify my passions. I kinda believe that cliché if you find out what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. Here are my choices off the dome:

Warriors Statistician: I could inflate my own fantasy teams' numbers, and at the same time discredit my opponents. My fear though is I would have to sign a disclaimer stating I wouldn't have any fantasy teams, since that would be a conflict of interest. So that got me thinking of being a Super Stat Geek, similar to what Daryl Morey does, and use those metrics of new age numbers to help the W's out.

Hip-Hop Historian: I was watching one of those VH1 behind the music shows, and there was a dude there. Underneath his name, it said "Hip-Hop Historian." Ever since I was like, how do you get that gig?? If I had a focus, it would be east coast, circa 1990's. I would do my thesis on that geographical area's era. This decade though I probably listened to half hip-hop, half other, but I was like 99% rapped up in the 90's.

Shoe Analyst: I could survey your kicks, tell you what to unload, what to keep, and what you should get. Critically analyze what you have and try to fill in the gaps. I figure a shoehead's girlfriend would be my target customer. She would say, "hey - I totally want to surprise my BF but I don't know what to get him! He currently has such and such." Then I come in, provide my fairness opinion, and the boyfriend would be totally stoked on Christmas day. I would also get a finder's fee if can provide the kicks.

I-Tunes Organizer: How many people have jacked up I-tunes catalogs? Naming conventions are all off and what not…the ish is irritating to look at. I could charge like $4.99 per 100 songs to clean up the titles, and I would add the artwork for free! I'll service both PC's and Macs even.

Golf Instructor: It may not seem like it lately, but I really do understand the mechanics of a textbook golf swing…I just can't translate it into my own performance. However I can easily see swing flaws of anyone, and can provide my 2 pesos of how they can improve. My approach would be more Phil Jackson and less Hank Haney, since golf is a very mental sport. Sometimes habits are really grained in, so I would try to fix certain hitches rather than reinventing your whole swing. Not everyone's jumper looks like Ray Allen's.

If you see my as anything else, I'm open to ideas!
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Confessions of a Sneakerhead, 2009 version

Yes I'm still a shoehead, even though this is the first new pair I copped in fiscal year 2009. So Kram and I met up during lunch, strolled over to NTSF and bought our 10.5s. It felt like I was in HS getting the same pair as a friend haha. But I don't care, I wanted these ever since the final sample pics were released. Plus I didn't want to relive the fiasco of the original Bacons, where I strolled into Hazard Shoes on Burlingame Ave sometime in 2003 and had the shoes on my feets. At last second I didn't want to pay the $90 for some pink based kicks. Then if I listened to myself in 2005 when I wanted some pink kicks, I would've paid around $150-$200. If you click on the link, you'll see X's - but they were the bacons, the linens and the Dunkles. Now sellers are charging up to $600 for a pair. Don't they know we're in a recession??!

Anyway fast forward to 2009, and I'm not a fan of hybrid kicks or secondary collaborations, of which these both are. But these resonated with Reeg, and despite the inflated price tag of $120, I got them. As I was lacing them up moments ago, it woke up the [hype]beast in me. So welcome Air Max 90 Current Huarache PR to the fam. One day I'll have them OG bacons to join you though.

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4 Months

Wow it feels wierd to be in this area. Once my comments section started to spam out, I figured I should revive this spot. Plus I've been talking to my blog crew and little by little they're unknowingly providing me with the energy necessary to update this lil page. Plus the boss is out, it's a short week, so here I am - trying to shake off the blog rust.

Where have I been these past 120 days? Probably in Emeryville. Oh you meant virtually? I've been around, occasionally updating my FB status whilst fighting the urge to sign up for a Twitter account haha. But I've been here, feeling an array of adjectives - comtemplative, retrospective, joyful, regretful, despairful, hopeful - I guess a lot more but these were the first to mind. But you know how some people have a woe-is-me attitude? I'm trying not to be like that, although I can't front - I'm guilty at times. Play the cards you were dealt yeah? Nope! Here goes my obligatory Kanye reference:

I ain't play the hand I was dealt, I changed my cards
I prayed to the skies and I changed my stars

So yep, my cards were changed, my prayers were voiced and I'm waiting for my stars to align. Of course it's never fast enough, but as long at it happens right? Instant karma's gonna get you, word to Mr. Yoko Ono. "A lot of your outlook depends on your attitude" - I got that off someone's page, and it's pretty apropos. When I look into my own crystal ball, I know I won't fall. After 30 years I'm built to be the dopest person I could be, in whatever capacity. I'm destined to shine!

Apologies on the jibberish that I call this entry, but at least I know what I'm talking about. I think I wrote a couple sentences...worked for a bit...added a few more lines...then finalized it. So my bad for the staccato flow.

Hope to see more of you soon, with the regularly scheduled updates.
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Rafting & Camping by the River

Alas, I long overdue blog of my unfiltered thoughts. Remember the 3rd week of the month is the lull period where I can go home at the usual time, hence the blogging spree. So here is another E-Go Tripping installment [egotrip was an old hip-hop mag; these entries are online entries about my trips, so that's how you get e-go tripping].

Destination: Lotus , CA - homebase for Gold Rush Rafting.
Dates: July 18th-19th

- props to everyone showing up at Al's at 7:30a, since I told Jefe that time. And I ended up being the latest one there.
- Michelle - pre-camping MVP as she must've been a really good Tetris player
- Car 1: me, g, al, ar, rol; Car 2: jefe, jeff, mich, tiff b; Car 3: nick, dan, louise, tiff l, alex
- FYI the spots in my car were filled as soon as it was established I was a driver
- we literally drove a mile before we had our first stop - Tennessee Grill!
- had to play "Heart Songs" to start off the trip, as it bridged last year's camping weekend
- I think the Ajoste's fell asleep even before we hit the freeway
- potential song of the trip: Flo-Rida feat. Ne-Yo "Be on You" - not to be confused with Pee on You, which is can sound like if not listening to closely
- the thermometer on Black Starr rises expotentially as we continue on 80
- 2.5 hours later, we arrive at the site without getting lost!
- initial observations - no campfires?! uhhh we'll pass on the s'mores, since they weren't worth the $25K fine
- whoa…we got the whole campgrounds to ourselves
- who decided to build a canopy 2 feet away from the BBQ pit? luckily we easily moved it.
- rol and al pitched tents really fast. hehehe
- dan might outspeak the 2008 version - or not.
- note to self and future campers: make sure you have cooking tools! thanks to tiff l's resourcefulness, we had some tongs
- next time we're gonna have committees, and if they fail they'll suffer from something
- it was mad hot, but the river was mad cold initially. it was like a katy perry weekend.
- kingsbury brought out the whiskey again! but for real, that was pretty tasty. too bad we ran out =/
- dammit alan, you broke another chair. at least it wasn't mine this year
- what - no stories of dwendes?
- it's the return of Rappin' and Dancin' "I'm so horny and I need a hug" Jeff!
- why is everyone sleeping like before midnight, and not just tiff "how am I supposed to sleep?! l"
- I think we had enough space in the man-tent, yet nick stayed in the canopy all night. he was our watchdog.
- I hope Michelle's keys eventually be like the music group and surface
- day 2 was the rafting part!
- the safety tutorial was pretty funny…basically just lay flat on the water since you don't want your knees undercut
- we should've known our guide was a crackhead when his name was Steel
- we got flipped off the raft thrice. and I thought I was gonna die each time.
- once I was riding with the current and this boulder was approaching. due to my sharp survival skills, I eluded it.
- I'll just let the pics do the rest of the talking

Pics from Day 1 of Camping

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