Driving: My Anti-Drug Part 2

So LA once again was fun.

Connie was sick the days before the trip, so it was questionable whether she was still going. But it all worked out and I picked her up then we left. The drive down was pretty nice, 85-100 almost all the way. 31MPG too, not bad. Going over Grapevine, didn't even have to downshift, that amazed me. There was some snow/ice at Flying J near the summit but it wasn't too bad, none of it was on the 5. We ended up stopping in LA Chinatown to eat at Sam Woo and look around. It wasn't very busy, which was interesting. After dropping Connie off in Irvine, I went to The Block at Orange, then over to CSU Long Beach for Cha and dinner since Cha at Irvine was CLOSED. Cha is pretty good, I think they're going to become a chain. Then I drove along the coast and went to the Queen Mary, The Pike, all the beautiful bridges, the port, and just drove down the 1 and then went west to Robert's house. His parents are really nice, and turns out they used to live in SF too. Then went to sleep.

Second day, planned to go down the coast. Went through Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Fashion Island, Three Arch Bay, Badlands Park, over to San Juan Capistrano. It was kind of weird that everywhere you go, you have to pay for parking...$10 for the beach, the parks, etc. And that there are offshore drilling rigs and chemical plants right across the street from the beach. It was just so weird. But Mission San Juan Capistrano was amazingly beautiful. Spent a few hours there, had lunch, then went over to Lake Elsinore. The road was beautiful but the Lake was a joke...there's nothing there, it's not even pretty. So I just decided to go back to Long Beach to go look around The Pike. Then Rob called me just as I got to Long Beach and said let's have dinner and go to watch Children of Men with his friend Cameron, so I had to go back. The movie was great, made me think a lot about the future, you guys should go watch it. After, we went to Guppy's to get some tap - they actually use Red Tea, never seen anyone use that before. Very very good tea and tap though, and it was really busy. I'll be back next time. Then went home and went to sleep.

The next day I left Westminster for UCLA. I left early to pick up Connie at UCI, then we went to LAX to pick up Amanda. We went to UCLA to move in and hung out, went to Westwood for lunch at Gushi's with Hugh, then went to the Getty. That place isn't all that it's hyped up to be. We had the most fun in the kids room haha. Went back to UCLA, checked out the parking situation and then went to Tomodachi for dinner with a big group. They a nice group of folks, real nice...Leslie and Sharon and Franklin and Cliff and Michelle. For dessert, Diddy Riese and Pink Berry - Diddy Riese was better, by far. Then we went to watch Over the Hedge, great movie for the second time :)

Next day had to wake up early to pay for parking before 7, then went back to sleep. Slept til 10, got up, hung around and talked, then went to lunch with Leslie. UCLA food is soooo great, their pizza taste like Domino's. We left for Lucerne Valley around 2:30. The drive up was pretty nice, we got there kind of early and we had to drive around for an hour or two before Pei Hua got out of the dentist. We even got to see the Mitsubishi Cement Plant that Connie got all excited over. Overall not too bad. Pei Hua's family is amazingly nice. I wish that all family's could be like that. Her cousins are really cool. Their restaurant was pretty cool and busy and after we ate, we went back to Apple Valley. Wagon (their dog) barked at me, for the first time ever. On the way, we stopped by Christina's house to pick up games and DVD's, then Christina came with us afterwards to sleep over.

Then we woke up early and went to Big Bear. We went to Snow Play and had fun on the hills with inner tubes all day. We had a blast, probably the best $22 I ever spent. Took a lot of videos and pictures too. Then we left and went to eat at IHOP, then we went to visit Pei Hua's principle Mr. Hunter. They're a nice couple, real nice. Took us in and all, had a nice big red shiny Silverado. Then we went to Barstow outlets, where Connie had lots of fun and I just had nose bleeds haha. All in all a good day...then we found out Wagon passed away :(

We had to leave the day after. Packed up, went to visit Pei Hua's high school, then ate at the restaurant and left. The drive back up was nice, took 58 and 46, then 152. Pretty smooth drive for the most part, them two slept a lot of the way. Pei Hua cried a lot, made me sad. It felt like a long time but we made good time. Then after I dropped Connie off, we went to Treasure Island, then Berkeley Hills. Pei Hua took a lot of pics, but overall I think she had fun so it was worth the extra time to bring her around.

Had a good time but I didn't get to do a lot of things I wanted to. I would have liked to go to Magic Mountain, Santa Monica Pier, Carey and Dave's house, Santa Barbara, Rim of the World Byway, Lake Arrowhead, Route 66, Rainbow Basin, Calico Early Man, Kelso-Baker, Needles, Lake Havasu, Phoenix, so many other places. Maybe the next time I'm there...if there is a next time.

First night got to Baltimore airport around 10, rental car by 11, drive to Philly arrive around 1AM EST. Next day look around Philly, UPenn, Drexel, etc...take pictures like those morons we always laugh at around Cal. Then just go around, have some Philly Cheesesteak, then uh forget most of the details. Not a terribly exciting city but at least not horribly bad. Rental car sucked though...but we traded it later for a niceeee car...06 Highlander V6 FWD mmm wheelspin all over the place in NY with me at the wheel cutting off those taxis...haha

After a couple nights there, drove back down to DC...I know what stupid planning, just cuz my brother said there was a bball game at DC Verizon Center so we had to plan around that. Big waste of gas. But anyway we had a lot of walking around there, looking at all the random stuff. Not terribly exciting either. Lots of getting up early to wait in lines, being checked by overpaid security guards, and taking tons of pics. I think there's probably 20 pics of the Washington Monument on my camera...that's after I deleted about 20 or 30 of them already. We got to watch the basketball game, ran into a guy who got us VIP courtside seats (first row) and all, and got to the players buses and everything...was alright. Thanks everyone who called me to wish a happy birthday, I feel so loved haha. So then after this we left DC

And then we drove to NY. I hated NY. The only real good stuff was WTC Memorial (didn't even get any good pics cuz it was night) and Coney Island/Nathan's (good hot dog). Times Square wasn't like I thought, the awesome Malaysian food we had last time kinda no good anymore, didn't get to see David Letterman show, everything is MAD expensive, THERE'S NO GOOD BOBA, etc etc. If I lived there I would probably be very inclined to shoot myself. We were so unimpressed by this city that we checked out a day early to come here to Boston.

I gotta say the drive to Boston has probably been the best part of the trip so far. Up to this point, all the freeways have been low speed, 45-60MPH pieces of police loaded craproads that were probably built by someone with a double digit IQ and only half a good eye. AND you have to pay toll to get anywhere. But hmm driving thru CT, RI and MA were NICEEEE. Very wide open highways, didn't see many police (they probably use undercover photo radar vans and overpass mounted radar by now), and everybody knew how to drive. Never though I'd go 20 over and be in the slow lane being passed by damn near everyone haha. Passed by Yale and Brown on the way...didn't get to go in and see but I'd say I would go crazy if I would have went there...not that I have to worry about going.

So the next part of the trip is to stay in Boston probably for 2 or 3 days, one of those days we have to drive up to Maine, and if we're only staying here 2 days then we'll go back down to DC to see more stuff or possibly drive down to Durham, NC and see Duke Univ. Also going by to see MIT and Harvard.

Hasn't been terribly hot, but I miss my tea. Lots of walking but lots of eating too. It's getting really bad. I lost 15lbs in summer, I think I already put it all back on :( We'll see how it goes from here.

Never forget the people at cc. Never forget how awesome this summer was. Never forget the way you studied with Jeff and Veronica and Ken and Tiff that one day at Skyline. When we had food, when we just BSed. Never forget how lucky you are to have experienced this, "to see what happiness is like" - Diana

Don't forget how Jeff studies with a big heart, never giving up, always attacking it head on like it's fun. Never forget that he leaves his house by 8, goes to Skyline at 2, Tiff's house and study until 10PM or 2AM. THAT is motivation. That is your role model. Don't let anybody tell you different. CC students are just as good, if not better, than the lame fucks at Cal. Never forget that you are one of them. You come from where they come from, you are the same blood. Everybody worked hard; some, like you, just got luckier than the others.

Don't forget the two Jon's, the smart white guy with a 1460 SAT and the guy from UCSC with a JDM 240SX SR20DET. Don't forget how JDM guy can go through anything and get mad, but be fine the next moment. Don't forget the kindness that he showed you, only having known you for a couple weeks but yet opening up his whole toolbox to you. Don't forget how white guy stayed after to help you, how in turn you felt that you had to stay after to help others. Don't forget how smart he is, how you should be humbled, but you aren't and yet they're okay with that. Don't forget you don't deserve that.

Don't forget Ken and Veronica, and Jeff too, who work so hard. Don't forget today, when Ken has to do inventory at Costco, so he has to stay til midnight or later. Don't forget Veronica works from 2-6 M-F, but she still has school, she still works out time to be with her friends on the weekends, between the homework and the hardships at school. Don't forget how hard they work when all you have to do is take BART in the morning. Don't forget that you're no better than they are.

Don't forget Diana, how she's been struggling with Physics this summer. Never fail to realize how lucky you are, and try at the same time not to rub it in. Always remember that you are fortunate to be surrounded by the people that you are, and that it could be a lot worse, no matter what's going on at the moment. Don't forget that your professor, your friends, your talents, your skills, your knowledge, you don't deserve those and those are a GIFT, not a right. Don't forget that some people have it harder than you, so when you complain, just sit down, shut up and work harder, so that you can help the others get through it.

好心分手

我們已經分手了...

我們在餐館的時候﹐ 我們有覺得開心。。。可是我們兩個人自己在車上以後﹐我們會好像不太舒服這樣。 她有跟我說她很喜歡我的朋友﹐也說她玩到很開心。。。可是她覺得我們不能在一起﹐ 我們是應該做朋友。 我跟她講﹐ 請你給我一個機會。。。她都沒有說好不好。 然後﹐ 我有跟她走到門口﹐我有抱她﹐ 可是我沒有吻她 - 如果我有吻她﹐ 我就做錯了。

我駕車回來的時候﹐ 我都已經會覺得我們不配了。 她說的對。。。我們可以做好朋友可是做男朋友/女朋友就不能。 我們講多一點話﹐ 最後她受。。。我們還是做朋友好﹐ 我就說okay啊

就是這樣。。。。。

我會不會有一點難過﹖ 當然會啊。。。可是我不會後悔。 昨天晚上我學到很多東西﹐ 所以我覺得值得。

Family

You really don't realize what family means to you until you see the effect of lack of family on others. You don't realize it until you see all your friends in dorms wanting to go home, sick of dorm food, sick of living with other people. You don't realize it until your preschool cousin goes to his room and cries his eyes out. You don't realize it until one day, you catch yourself sitting at your desk, idle, just thinking about the great times you had and will have with your family. They're the only people around which you can screw up and not be embarassed. You can laugh at your own mistakes and others without having fear of them getting the wrong message. And for that, I'm thankful.

Praise be to God.

Driving: My Anti-Drug

LA was fun.

First day was all I-5, went straight down to San Diego and checked out the campus. Pretty nice, I probably would have hated it though, way too big. Then went to Westwood and CPK afterwards.

Second day, we went to UCLA first. Didn't get to see much but it wasn't that great. Dorms were okay though. Then went to Universal Studios area to eat at Todai. Then went to Little Tokyo, then Chinatown. After that, went to Irvine. Took wayyyy too long and ended up there when it was already dark. So then afterwards went to Downtown Disney and called it a night after eating at Mimi's Cafe.

Then on the final day, went to visit Irvine a little while. It wasn't that nice. Then ate at In-N-Out, then left. It was jammed all the way through Grapevine. So we had to make up time on I5. Followed a great pack, 85-95 all the way. Stopped for gas, then hit rain later. Rest of the drive was fine.

I love that Odyssey. Drives so smooth. Very powerful, but very picky with the gas. You can tell sometimes it has less power. Handles great, stable. Can't track straight though. Tranny shifts great, can really tell your driving style. It will pull from 2000RPM like nobody's business. And when you need to, it will give you revs to make the car move. 80 -> 95MPH acceleration uphill effortless. I like this one better than the new one, feels very agile. Grade Logic Control worked well. It downshifts based on how hard you braked, seems nice. Going uphills it would keep gears nicely. Went over Grapevine like nothing, didn't even miss a beat. Didn't even have to hit 4000RPM.

Seat is uncomfortable though, gives you backpains. And it doesn't have enough legroom!!! And it's very LOUD. Tranny was starting to give. Took long to shift into Drive, and downshifts to first were BAD. Throttle sticks initially too. And power steering pump is going bad. It hesitates and binds up when you need it to work. Got the tires to squeal too, that was fun lol. Rattle from the driver side sliding door. Tranny blocks the radio when you're in drive, blocks your knees in First. Defroster turns on AC automatically.

Prayer

My aunt is pregnant again. I hope this one makes it...the last two died at birth and at 1 month :(
Let's pray.