Saturday, September 08, 2007
the theme of my 28th birthday is salsa
which sorta seems to be the theme of every birthday recently, but that’s cool =)
so this is my birthday weekend, and some of my friends weren’t able to make it to my birthday dinner tonight, so they threw me a bday barbecue last night, with 3 homemade salsas competing (with my ceviche, of course), pimm’s lemonade, playstation guitar hero and a karaoke game, and perry even sang! it was sure alotta fun hanging out at jason’s with a bunch of friends and playing all sortsa games. thanks j for opening up your house =)
then tonight, those of us that can make it are headed to alhambra to eat and dance at the granada. yeah, i know… last year i was in granada, visiting the alhambra, the cool mosque building in spain. here in alhambra, ca, there’s a restaurant/club with live salsa music that calls itself the granada. they serve up some good spanish tapas and of course, how can you beat live music and a dance floor to go with your dinner?
i think i’m hispanic. my last few birthdays have been at sevilla’s (my 27th), catered by maria’s (my 26th), and at pancho villa’s(would that be my 25th?). and now, the granada (for my 28th). plus the carne asada barbecue. oh, and maria’s for my bday lunch =) wow…
happy birthday to me!!!
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addendum: i forgot to also say that irving brought me to a mariachi show in LA for my 22nd or 23rd, and for my 24th i went salsa dancing (without really knowing how) with ange, his weird friend, kat, and my brother, and a girl was hitting on kat. hahahahah… but yeah, that would be 6 years in a row? coolio =)
Sunday, September 02, 2007
because i'm bored
i found this survey on myspace and just filled in my own answers…
1. Where is the last place you held hands?
at a restaurant?? i don’t know
2. If you were drafted into a war, would you survive?
as a chaplain, yes.
3. Do you sleep with the TV on?
i fall asleep all the time when i’m watching tv. but if i’m trying to fall asleep, turning the tv on doesn’t work. whatever.
4. Have you ever drank milk straight out of the carton?
when i’m finishing it off, so i don’t have to wash a cup.
5. Have you ever won a spelling bee?
nope, i came in fourth place in 8th grade though! yeah… if i came in at least 3rd, i woulda gone on to the nationals!
6. What is your longest fight with one of your friends?
i have no idea
7. Are you a fast typer?
more than 80 wpm, so yeah
8. Are you afraid of the dark?
only if i’ve seen a scary movie, which is why i don’t let myself watch ‘em!
9. Do you like someone right now?
yes.
10. What ended your last relationship?
different goals
12. Do you knock on wood?
nope
13. Are you drinking anything right now?
water, and eating a vanilla shake
14. Do you think you’re smart?
i like to think so
15. Have you ever eaten a bug?
i’m sure i have accidentally, but my brother ate a worm when we were little!
16. Do you miss someone right now?
yes…
17. What do you want for Christmas?
a wii =) oh wait… no, that’s what i want for my birthday!!! =D =D =D
18. Do you know the muffin man?
???? apparently not
19. Do you talk in your sleep?
i dunno, but i snore! =)
20. Do you remember your 1st crush?
yup
21. Have you ever flown a kite?
yeah, my family used to go to long beach all the time just to fly kites
22. When was the last time that you went swimming and where?
yesterday, at huntington beach
23. Do you consider yourself successful?
pretty much
24. How many people are on your contact list of your cell phone?
like, 300. i ran outta space on my sim card a while back…
25. Have you ever asked for a horse?
yes! and my dad actually got one, but he wouldn’t let me near it. weird, huh?
26. Plans for 2MORROW?
sorta
27. What did you do this past weekend?
newport beach and huntington
28. Miss being at school right now?
nope
29. When’s the last time you told someone you loved them?
i dunno
30. Do you want to be single?
nope
32. Who’s your hero?
i dunno
33. Have you ever been suspended or expelled from school?
never =) i even got a teacher to excuse me the few times i ditched =)
34. What are you looking forward to?
hanging out w my friends
35. If you could be stranded with one person for 24 hours, who would it be?
perry
37. Have you ever eaten dog food?
no way!
38. Can you handle the truth?
most of the time, but regardless of how i handle it, that’s all i wanna hear
39. Do you like green eggs and ham?
yes, i like them, sam i am!
40. What 3 things do you always bring with you to places?.
cell phone, keys, and wallet
41. Any cool scars?
i have one on my neck where i had surgery, and one on my forehead from when i was little
42. Are you missing in action?
nope
44. What’s your deepest secret?
45. How often do you talk on the phone?
every day
46. Do you believe in love?
yup
47. Is there something you want that you can’t have?
yes....
48. Four things about the preferred #### that you first notice?
smile, arms, makes me laugh, and that he notices me
49. When was your last time you cried?
i think that was the last time i pms’ed… hahahha
50. Who did you last hug?
kat
51. Do you get along with your family?
most of the time. we just spent the whole day together!
52. Where is your phone?
right next to my laptop, which i’m currently typing on
53. What was the last thing you ate?
the shake, but i have some ramen waiting for me!
54. Favorite color?
red and brown combo
55. Last movie you saw?
i think that would be “the simpsons movie”. oh wait! no… it would be “hairspray”
56. What song are you listening to?
not listening to any song, but friends is playing on my tv
57. What do you want?
cooler weather =)
58. Favorite car?
a limo with a chaffeur! i -hate- driving
59. What T.V. show are you watchin?
refer to #56
60. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
kat
Monday, August 27, 2007
one day down, 179 to go!
hahahah…
no, i’m not counting down.
however, it is nice to have the first day over with. it causes so much anxiety because it really sets the tone for the whole year… good news is, the day went great, and all i have to do is keep it up. if i do, then this year will be (relatively) easy. if i don’t set the right precedent..... well, it could be an uphill battle the whole way.
anyways, -that’s- why i’m glad the first day is done. i think i did a fairly decent job today, and i’m looking forward to a great school year!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
a new bachelorette pad
and the new roomie took a tour at 2 and told me she had other places to look at before she could give me a decision tomorrow morning, and then she called me 5 hours later to tell me she wants to live here!
this helps ALOT with my financial situation, especially in this last month before i get my first paycheck in october. teachers only get paid once a month, and it’s been a rather difficult summer.
and she seems really nice, so it seems like it’ll work out fine…
things are falling back into place =)
and now i’ll get started on my syllabus! yeah… sorta took a small nap earlier, so i’m just getting started. -sigh-
last day of summer
on this, my last “official” day of summer (i’ve actually been working for a while now but school starts tomorrow), i’m just sitting at home trying to prep for tomorrow and the week’s activities. meaning mostly, i’m sitting at my computer saying that i’m getting my syllabus done, when in actuality i am watching tv and playing games.
it sure is hard to break the summer habits and get in to ‘work mode’... perhaps it’d be easier if i set aside an office area in my house where i would go to get work done, which would be not in my bedroom and not on the couch in front of the tv =)
on another note, i think i found a potential roommate. she is checking out another apartment tomorrow morning and then she should call me after that to let me know her decision. and if she doesn’t want it i’ve had two other inquiries… hopefully that works out.
i have plans to watch superbad tonight… now… on to making my syllabus - i WILL be done before i do anything else tonight!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
making volleyball shirts
so my volleyball girls came and helped me get my room ready for school… they are too cool - they cleaned, organized, and decorated in 3 hours and now my classroom is ready for the first day! we had a small pizza party in my room and then went over to a student’s house to make volleyball shirts as our pre-school bonding activity. we also went to watch a cal state san bernardino volleyball game (they won 3 straight!) after we were done with our shirts… yup, it was a full day bonding with the girls!
i think the shirts came out pretty cool!
each of the girls made about 3 shirts each, in a variety of styles, but everyone has the t-shirt with the volleyball on the right side, “varsity” spray painted on the front of the shirt, and their name on the back, along with their number.
and mine says “coach kimisha” cuz that’s what they call me!
team bonding sho’ is fun!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
i only have to teach 3 classes this year
only three classes. and they’re all algebra 1. so i only have one class to prepare for…
but how could i only have 3 classes? when a typical day has 6 periods in it? well… you see, those poor kids have me for 2 periods at a time!
yup.
periods 1 & 2 have the same kids, then period 3 meets me only once right before early lunch at 10:20 am, aka kimi’s breakfast time. then i have periods 4 & 5 with the same kids. technically, then i have period 6 “free” in order to prepare for the next day, and do my grading and recording, etc, but that’s when i will be spending my time with the volleyball team.
i don’t know what or how i will be teaching to those poor students who have me twice in a row, but i will have to figure out 2 hours worth of math to do every day! wow… but that also means i will have only 3 classes of students to grades, so i won’t have 150 students to keep track of… weird. but it also means that i will have students who will need the extra help, so basically i will have a classroom full of students who don’t like math taking math 2 times in a row… quite the challenge to live up to, but i’m hoping i can make it interesting enough for them to learn so that they can finish their requirements to graduate. eeek!
anyways, it’s good to finally know my schedule =) that means i can start planning for the year now!
it is WAYYYYYY too early in the morning!
it is seven oh five in the morning and i am up, dressed for work, and eating breakfast (cereal and oj). i almost packed a lunch, too, but i remembered my co-workers wanted to eat a lunch together, and even though i don’t have a lotta money it seems like getting to know them would be the wise thing to do.
i’m headed to a seminar at my school that starts at 7:30, just like all the classes start in a week and a half. and technically i’m supposed to be on the road already because i have to be at work by 7:15 on a school day. but i’m not teaching today and i really wanna make sure i start a good habit with breakfast!
i’m so proud of myself being up and awake already, and even being productive! shooot.... someone congratulate me =) and wish me luck!
wishing i could go back to bed right now...
Monday, August 13, 2007
perseid meteor shower
perry, gigi, and i went up towards forest falls to see this pretty cool meteor shower
i tried to take a picture but it looked like this:
yeah… my camera isn’t good enough to take pics of stars. which only means that i will have to upgrade some time =)
next on my list of things to do - watch a colorful meteor shower! it’s after school starts but it will be on a weekend… looking forward to it!
Friday, August 10, 2007
avp tourney at manhattan beach
in lieu of practice yesterday, the team went down to manhattan beach to watch some avp volleyball
we had a lotta fun, and we played beach volleyball as some practice, but then the sand was wayyy too hot, so we just went down to the water and hung out over there (yeah, you can’t see them on purpose… i darkened the pic so you can’t...)
we had a lotta fun bonding as a team… it was all of their first times at an avp tourney, and they had a lot of fun! it was nice to be at one of those events again, since i haven’t gone since i was in high school myself. towards the end of the day, we were able to play on an avp court, and that was pretty fun to be part of the action. we had dinner at cpk on the way home, and it was just a lot of fun all day long!
go colton volleyball!!!
Monday, August 06, 2007
my one trip this summer - with rita and marlene
on the paradise boat with carnival cruise lines
like i said earlier - this summer has been mostly with me just trying to save some money, and not doing a whole lotta sutff that costs alot. but we got this cruise before and it was really discounted, and it was my one trip this summer.
it sho’ was a lotta fun.... thanks ladies!
Friday, August 03, 2007
who is gore vidal?
so i went to the hollywood bowl today with kat, and we listed to tunes by bernstein, copeland, and gershwin.
the first one, by bernstein, i sorta realized i recognized it at first, and then whispered to kat “i sorta feel like i should be watching cartoons running around on stage” because it had that running around feeling to it. it was just… soundtracky, y’know? and all the cartoons i watched growing up always had classic music tunes while you watched them chase each other around cliffs and anvils and through hallways and doors. as the medley progressed to the next song, i realized that this was actually a song i knew the words to, and then i slowly put the pieces of the puzzle together as i heard the theme song “maria.... i’ve just met a girl named maria” and realized i why it sounded so soundtracky - i was actually listening to the theme from “west side story”
the next piece on the set was by copland and it was a bunch of songs sung by some dude who was really unremarkable. but kat knew the songs he was singing. and i didn’t.
but after the intermission, the next piece was by copland again, but this time it had a narrator, not a singer. and he got this big ol’ introduction, being that he shared the same political views as copland, etc, etc, and that he had a great voice, and please welcome to the stage, gore vidal!
kat and i sorta looked at each other, didn’t wanna act like we didn’t know who he was, so we “ahhh’ed” him as we watched him being wheeled out onto the stage, and then sorta clapped but whispered to each other, “who is he?”
yeah yeah, so we’re ignorant. we didn’t really wanna acknowledge that we didn’t know who he was, but we couldn’t explain him to each other either. so we both whipped out our cell phones and texted different friends to see who could find out first. she won with the response “author”, but i think that my response 10 minutes later was a better explanation: “He’s lilke a writer dude who created controversy because he wrote about homosexuality… why?”
anyways, after hearing gershwin and also not being able to place the tune i was hearing, kat and i came home and i promptly wikipedia’d “gore vidal” and read up about him. -and- i found out susan is currently reading a book by him and that he is a fantastic author with a fascinating autobiography.
i think everyone who knows me will know that i might be able to hum along with a song, but i don’t know its title, the correct words, or anything else. i’ll sorta fudge it if i actually try to sing along. and apparently, i have to admit that i might recognize names as well, but i can’t really describe them or anything. i have a lot of surface knowledge. but i’m really lacking in contemporary culture. it’s sorta sad. no, lemme rephrase that. it’s -really- sad. but google and wikipedia are working overtime to educate me =)
i’m in my late 20’s and finally catching up…
Thursday, August 02, 2007
busy busy
i’ve been slacking off on my posts recently cuz i’ve been busy coaching…
actually… that’s all i’ve been busy doing, so that’s probably why i haven’t been posting.
i -have- been online a lot, so i can’t really use that excuse. i just don’t really wanna blog about being online tho… so… i guess this post is useless?
except i had two visitors today, and that we took some silly pics. thanks to sarah and ellie for visiting me today!
Monday, July 30, 2007
short on cash, and then someone goes and spends 300 bucks at walmart
so i’ve been monitoring my bank accounts recently cuz i haven’t been getting a paycheck, and i need enough money to pay august and september’s mortage before my first paycheck comes in on october 1. i finally figured out i have exactly the right amount of money to cover those expenses, but nothing else. so i can live in my house. yup. and that’s pretty much all i do. live in my house.
as a result, i have been extremely vigilant about not spending any money at all, so i’ve pretty much been sitting at home online, practicing the piano, watching tv, cooking myself meals by throwing together things from the pantry (that’s been interesting...), going to the library, and now, going to the gym every day to coach volleyball. every once in a while i will treat myself to dinner at in-n-out. yup, that’s right, i’ll spend a whole $2 on myself! yeah… my summer existence has been pretty sad, but that’s not the point of this story.
today, when my new BofA debit card came, i activated it and then put it into my wallet, right next to the hole where my american express card used to be. wtf?!?! where was my amex card? and so i looked all over my purse and didn’t find it. and then i just decided to log onto my account online and see if anyone had used my card recently…
wouldn’t you know, someone went on a shopping spree in walmart and spent $314! i know it definitely wasn’t me, because, remember, i haven’t been spending any money at all. then this person went and filled up their car at a gas station i have never been to, and they must have driven all over town because then the next day they gassed up again in riverside.
dude…
thankfully american express is really really good and they reversed all of those charges, so i don’t have to pay anything. even though the charges were made on july 9 and 10 and i didn’t even know my card was missing till today. and i’m actually just really glad i caught it…
-sigh-
sad thing is, that’s the activity for my day today. =/
Friday, July 13, 2007
coaching the yellowjackets
so on monday colton offered me a job teaching math at the high school. and on tuesday, they called me back and asked me to coach their varsity volleyball team. i had said i was interested, and i wanted to do jv or the freshman team, or be the assistant coach, or something like that.
but no, they offered me the head coach position! of varsity! they want me to be in charge of the program cuz i’m staff!!!
so now i’m head coach!!!
it’s amazing!! when i first thought about not going back to grove, i couldn’t imagine it.... and i was dreading going to another school… and then as i was trying to find a place that i would be happy at, i visited colton hs and told my mom that if i got hired there to teach math and one class of volleyball, it would be the ideal “upgrade” from my then-current position at grove. it would be a wayyyy bigger school, yes, but i would get the chance to know some students on a more personal level because of being more involved. i could also potentially teach less classes and have less prep-work, instead of teaching 4 different math classes, a physics, an elective, and doing counseling/mentoring during lunch, all while planning and fundraising for a winterim. and so i while on the phone with my mom, i realized that changing schools could give me the opportunity to teach the same class of math four or five times a day and the opportunity to be involved with the volleyball team. and if i could be teaching algebra 2, then it would be all students who chose to be in that class, instead of teaching one that was required for graduation. less stress, more time, and more pay all rolled into one =)
and so when i got offered the job on monday, i accepted, but that was it… just teaching math. coolio.
then when they called me back on tuesday, i was a little bit apprehensive about taking the job, since it’s a big responsibility, but it is definitely a positive. and i accepted again.
now, if they could only assign me to teach algebra 2, i will have the “ideal” job that i described to my mom.
God has definitely been blessing me!