Things to remember: My Journal

So at the beginning of the olympics I heard about China’s “Project 119.” This was basically China’s analysis of how they could try and win the total medal count, and most of the all defeat the USA.

In 2000, at the Sydney olympics China only won 1 gold medal in events such as, “Swimming, track and field, and water events such as canoe and sailboat.” In 2004, China won 4 medals in those events. The number 119 (now 122) represented medals that were available in those sports where China was doing poorly.

Here’s an Interview with Cui Dalin, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Sport

China… you guys are a bunch of nerds who are taking this olympics thing way too seriously.

So Yap’s Canadian and it’s pretty hilarious that they had no medals until I read this.

Canada’s Fencer Sherraine Schalm recently lost her opportunity of winning a Bronze and Canada’s first olympic Medal.

The following quote is from this article:

“It’s like I imagine being a man, it’s like being kicked in the nuts repeatedly, that’s how bad it feels, you feel like you want to curl up and die,” a devastated Schalm said after the bout. “I’m trying to put it all in perspective. Immediately it’s not so easy, but it’s just really tough, you train so long and I feel like I disappointed myself, my coach, my family, my country, everybody.

“I wish none of you ever have to go through this feeling of loss and feeling of disappointment, and the only thing that I can say is it’s definitely not going to kill me so it will have to make me stronger.”

… ’I wish none of you ever have to go through this feeling of loss and feeling of disappointment . . .’

I really really feel bad for this lady… that being said… Canada not having any medals is still pretty funny.

SUCK IT FRANCE!!!! SUCK IT!!!!

Ok let me start out by saying, yea, I know I’m biased, but this was an impressive ass Opening Ceremony for Olympics. The fireworks, drumming, acrobatics, lighting, formations. HOLY CRAP Zhang Yimou did a good job. Pretty much it was the bomb diggity bizzle.

In closing, Greece, you got served!

Bring on the hatemail ;-)

Give ‘em the axe!
the axe!
the axe!
Where?
in the oak!
the oak!
the oak!

Judge Barbara Miller has ruled in favor of UC Berkeley in building of the Student-Athlete High Performance Center (SAHPC). The injuction barring the university from cutting down the oak tree grove has been lifted.

The plaintiffs were also ordered to pay 80% of the UC’s legal fees. The plaintiff’s have 1 week to file an appeal.

Ok so my vacation back home in Bend, Oregon was AMAZING! Bend’s variety of food is somewhat lacking. They have a Thai, Indian, and ubiquitous Chinese restaurants but they’re all extremely mediocre. Bend does shine, however, at breakfast foods. While Michelle and I were there we went to Westside Cafe and Bakery and Jake’s Diner (formerly Jake’s Truckstop, but the Truckstop was torn down).

Jake’s claim to fame is the largest portion in Central Oregon. They were incredibly large. But Westside tasted better. Sorry forgot my camera, so these were taken with my phone.

Westside Cafe and Bakery’s Chicken Fried Steak. It also came with a biscuit that was quite good.

Michelle had the veggie scramble. Silly girl.

Here’s Jake’s take on the Chicken Fried steak. Note there was also a biscuit the size of dinner plate. Once again, didn’t fit on the picture.

And here’s Michelle’s “small omelet.”

And yes… I did eat the entire Chicken Fried steak at Jake’s with Hash Brown’s, Eggs, and a biscuit with an orange juice. The food was not as good as Westside but I had to prove that smug waitress at Jake’s wrong.

God bless American excess.

My friend Ryan had a friend who recently passed away committing suicide and was pondering why he was so bothered by it even though he hadn’t kept in contact with her throughout the years.

Visiting Bend this past week I noticed I would be recounting memories and excitedly point at their locations as I drove Michelle around my hometown.

“Oh! Look over there! I used to work for that record store!” as I excitedly pointed.

“Oh! That’s Jeff’s parent’s house, we used a police scanner to listen to his neighbor’s hillbilly phonesex.”

“Oh! that’s Heather’s house, I think her mom sold it. I spent hours swinging on her porch swing by the river.”

But it’s not there anymore is it? Tektronix packed up it’s Bend office and moved out. Jeff’s in Sacramento being a doctor. Heather’s mom sold her house, I think. Pieces of my past that I’ll never see again, and never experience again, even though 12 years later I can remember like it was yesterday.

You know, as I was writing this post, I googled the names of a few of friends I lost over the years, just hoping that there would be something left of them, some trace left behind. Kind of silly really, and of course I didn’t get any hits.

So I guess I’ll hold onto a few of their memories in my head as bittersweet as it is. Bringing me close to tears but still drawing a smile.

What’s making me smile right now? Taking Di Gilbert out to the Bend Golf and Country Club for dinner before the Junior homecoming dance. Going out to lunch with her, Bryan (Blondie) and Missy in Bryan’s old corsica.

Di, in an oversized sweatshirt with her arms pulled into the sweatshirt so the sleeves dangle and swing as she slides around in a circle in the high school hallway on flip flop sandals like some incredibly underprivileged figure skater.

Yea.. that’s making me smile.

And I don’t mean that in a good way.

I used to make fun of Swearfizz when she was trying to get me to join MySpace. I told her MySpace is for 14 year old whores and 47 year old men pretending to be 17. The constant visual bombardment by customized skins of pink/black themes. Oh.. the horror.

Facebook used to be my quiet retreat, where I could quietly cyberstalk friends instead of talking to them. Now I find myself being bombarded with new requests and more information then I can shake a stick at… all of which I really don’t care about.

I don’t care that Hendrick Lee is a stupid baby (he’s my cousin, it’s cool), I don’t want to have a sheep thrown at me, I don’t want to play another game of Oregon trail, I only kind of want to ninja-fight you, and I do.. want you to continue to poke me…

So here I am…. the crotchety old-cyberman sitting in my cyber rocking chair on my cyber-stoop waving my fist at the kids as they throw apple cores and jeer at me.

Does this mean I’m getting old?

PS. But please… feel free to send me cyber-gifts ;-)

and I guess the sheep are alright too.

Saw Wall-E today and it was pretty good. The beginning was a little slow since there was almost no speach for the first 30 minutes of the movie, but it was still really good and heavy on social commentary. Thoroughly enjoyable!

I apologize to my loyal readership of 3 people for not updating sooner… my dog ate my homework? I was in India? I’m illiterate?

Ok so I drove up to Oregon with Michelle today to visit the parents and teach her how to drive. When I was young I used to road trip from Oregon to California every other month to visit my family in the Bay.

Here are some of my most memorable moments:
1) Around 2001, Michelle, my mother, and my sister, were driving from Bend down to SF. I was driving and I got fairly bored by the time we passed Vallejo. My mother is 4′11″ so I enjoy mocking her height. Well this time I slumped down in my seat until I could barely see over the stearing wheel. Then I started saying, “Hello, I’m Yvonne. I have a hard time driving… because I can’t see over the stearing wheel. I like to drive tall cars because it makes me feel bigger..” All of a sudden I felt Michelle, Christine, and my mom all simultaneously hitting me. Then after 5 minutes of hitting my mom said, “Hold on everyone, I’m his mother, only I get to hit him.” Ahh good times

2) Counting birds. When I was younger I used to get really bored when we were driving down so one time my dad gave me a sheet of paper, and had me document every single bird we saw and count the types and species I could identify. Actually the trip flew by, I ended counting something like 200 birds. Red wing blackbirds, kites, hawks, osprey… man I used to be so much smarter when I was a kid.

3) Our family used to have an old silver Isuzu Trooper. When my parents first bought it, it didn’t have air conditioning. One summer when my sister, my mom, and I were driving down, the temperature was well over 105F. We were roasting in the car. Luckily we had a cooler which had some ice, so I spent almost the entire trip sitting in the back seat throwing ice chips over the entire cabin of the car. It was pretty much the best thing ever.

4) The giant Tapir out near Chemult, Oregon. When I was really young there used to be a huge Giant Tapir that was out in front of this gas station out in the middle of the woods. In the back of the gas station there are all these plaster dinosaurs. I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to make a childrens dinosaur park out in the middle of nowhere, but it’s probably one of the memorable things to see driving by. When I drove past it today, the Tapir is still there, but really needs a new coat of paint. But it’s called something completely different, and I think they’re just too lazy to tear down the dinosaur.

I’ll get a picture of it on the way back.