Long Distance relationships

Discuss life by sharing your thoughts, love stories, poems, and whatever else with others here.

Moderator: Forum Mods

User avatar
Mikey_
Life is good. Be inspired.
Life is good. Be inspired.
Posts: 1320
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2003 5:41 am
Location: Fountain Valley, California (USA)
Contact:

Post by Mikey_ »

Hey... I've got to go to work, but I wanted to give you a quick reply on your cold/sore throat. I have a cold sore that's almost gone.

In any case, gargle with salt water to relieve your sore throat. It'll also help it heal faster. Tip from my grandma that I never believed in until I tried it out myself. Ask MB. She had a sore throat all last week and the salt water sort of helped -- MB: it would have helped more if you did it more often :)

Thinking of closing my Verizon account and use work-provided AT&T cell phone instead, although it'd be a shame to lose the 25% monthly Verizon discount. We'll see.

Ciao.

Michael
mb_rockstar
Special Guest
Special Guest
Posts: 530
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 2:30 am
Location: Southern California
Contact:

quick reply.

Post by mb_rockstar »

i hear a, "i told you so" coming up. yes, mike...if i would have done what you said and gargled salt water from the beginning, it probably wouldn't have lasted this long. fortunately, it is going away. ^_^

i'll reply more later. gotta rest up for my work audition at 11am.

nite nite*
"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."
User avatar
Lexi
Lunatic
Lunatic
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2004 7:49 am

Post by Lexi »

Hey! Thanks for the sore throat remedy. I tried it last night. Feel a little better... I'll probably feel better by the weekend. :)

Ciao~

Lex
User avatar
Mikey_
Life is good. Be inspired.
Life is good. Be inspired.
Posts: 1320
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2003 5:41 am
Location: Fountain Valley, California (USA)
Contact:

Post by Mikey_ »

Hello,

Every time I hear "Luck Be A Lady", I think of a Vegas Casino. Those TV commercials sure work! :) You should listen to the following singers someday: Kelly Chan, eVonne Hsu, Elva Hsiao, Joey Yung, ... I used to like Kit Chan a lot.

Kindness and intelligence -- you seem to have limited yourself. There's more to look forward to in a person because if he/she only has those two qualities, he/she seems rather... boring. To me at least.

Lack of self-confidence... Did he have bad relationships in the past? Perhaps as a kid he was always teased? I used to have a lot of low self-esteem too, particularly after having gone through so much during my childhood (eg. racism.) And partially as a result, I was very much introverted up to the college years. I always wondered, "Why would someone as gorgeous as Kim want me?" She had her reasons. Anyway, that lack in self-confidence also brought out jealousy, inconfidence in my work-related skills, poor oral communication (this has gotten much better, thankfully!), neediness, and other issues. Today, I have become a much more complete person -- a more complete man.

Lexi, we were all "damn immature", as you said it. We still have a lot to learn. I still do and look forward to it. Bring it on! You can't believe how many challenges can be overcome in a very short amount of time. One of the ways I tackle obstacles nowadays is to look at it and say, "Screw it." And then just do it. If you fail, then at least you know that you tried it, and the best part of it all: you've failed. THAT's when the learning process kicks in. It has worked so far :) MB's been doing that a lot too lately.

I'm glad that the latter years of your relationship became better. I wish that I had the mentorship you received or recent experiences I have gained prior to meeting Kim -- Imagine how life would be now. It's too bad. I may not have been able to offer the experience, charm, respect, intelligence, and laughter she was after and deserved, nor know how to give and express love (or even what love was), but I did have something else to offer: a genuine, faithful heart. An inexperienced heart that unfortunately was sidetracked to the darker side of life -- for whatever reason(s). I have seen the dark side and do not ever wish to allow myself to get there again. Ever. I hope that the changes that were made confirm that committment.

No biggie about the heartache. I've learned to cherish whatever life throws at me. In fact, I've found myself laughing at and challenging whatever obstacles have come along -- if you ever get to meet my mom, ask her. She'll tell you how much stronger I have become, and that I have finally stepped out of my dad's weaker shadow over the year. My goal now is to help dad do the same and instill confidence in the rest of the family, especially my youngest brother.

Sounds like I may have to tap into your expertise sometime. My calculations have shown that I should only look at $400,000 - $600,000 homes for now without getting into trouble. I told mom to wait for 2 more years to accumulate a safe enough buffer financially and career-wise to go for something better. By then the market should be lower anyway :) I do not -- I DO NOT -- wish for my parents to help with home buying either. In fact, I still am firmly set in buying a vacation package for my parents for next year. And they'll have to go no matter what as I'll tell them that the tickets are non-refundable. They won't take a vacation otherwise.

My first home will very likely be rented out too. So, probably won't be looking for anything too fancy. We'll see :) But boy, that house in Tustin... *drool* Wow! What a dream to shoot for! Like you, Lexi, I always imagined to go home shopping with my dear "hunny" too. Looks like that won't be the case. That sucks. But... I look forward to decorating! The first home purchase is more of a learning experience/business opportunity for me too.

Sorry to hear about your sister. It'll take time... the job market's been picking up a LOT. A LOT! I haven't had the chance to help MB finish her resume yet and help her look for a job.

You hate Riverside? No kidding! Central/South Orange County, lady! Tustin... Tustin... :) *drool*

Kim and I promised each other to be friends forever too -- in fact, Best Friends. But I know it's hard for her, and for me. It's no surprise that many people state that it's nearly impossible to still be friends after a break-up, unless it was mutual. I'm sure she misses the good times we had as much as I do, but I am also not surprised if she is refusing to communicate with me because of the feelings for her. Who would want to jeopardize whatever happiness you have now with something or someone uncertain? Who would want to be reminded of that past hurt? I don't blame her. She has every right to feel that way, and I would feel that way too.

We haven't been on the same page ever since the break-up. It'll take time for things to heal and for both to find themselves again. I am very grateful for what life has taught me the past year. I really needed that wake-up call. I really did. I don't even know who to thank for this experience. Just am... grateful. She would be proud if she knew what has become of me as a person. Yeah... I think she would.

Kim probably knows about my job through a former friend of mine when I went to visit one of the clients I contracted for. I did not give away too many details of my new career, and I'd like to keep it that way. Parents tend to be proud of their children. I'd like to give my mom every reason to be so, but I also don't want her to gloat either. There's no need for that.

I will one day say "Hi" to Kim's parents and grandma sometime. They may not welcome me any more, but that doesn't mean I don't care about them. I very much want their family to succeed and be healthy and happy. I still wish her grandma much longevity and good, good health. I still am available for any help they may need. I still want Kim's brother to grow up to be a strong, respectable person. I had even vowed to learn Vietnamese if Kim and I were to ever get back together. That statement alone reminds me of how much I have changed. Again, life's been good. Nature is a good teacher -- after you've made the mistakes.

Time to go home :) Got lots of things to take care of :)

Ciao!

Michael

EDIT: Kim's birthday is coming up. I have already decided what I'm getting her, but probably won't be able to find them on time. Don't even know what shops would sell them. Hmph. I hope she won't take the present as a hint to come back. Not at all! It's a present genuinely straight from the heart with nothing expected in return. And no, I won't tell you guys yet what they are! :)
mb_rockstar
Special Guest
Special Guest
Posts: 530
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 2:30 am
Location: Southern California
Contact:

Post by mb_rockstar »

"screw it" is definitely something i've been using a lot lately. it doesn't hurt to try...and mike's right, it's a learning process.

i'm off sunday and i'm planning to finish my resume before the day ends (i hope). lol* if i do finish, i'll e-mail it to you mike, so you can see what i've done.

sigh* it's late...i gotta go to bed.

nite nite!
"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."
User avatar
Lexi
Lunatic
Lunatic
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2004 7:49 am

Post by Lexi »

I suppose that you are correct in your assumption that it is not good to limit myself to those two qualities when looking for a partner. I didn?t mean to say that those were the only two qualities that I look for in a partner but they do rank right up there for me. I simply meant that those are the two of the most attractive qualities that I find in a person, any person actually, man or woman. :-D


Let me think about this for a minutet... hmmm, what do I really look for in a partner?

I kind of like the type of man who would just as cheerfully display a frame of me in my "Arby's Employee of the Month" photo as he would of me in my ?Gala with the Governor? photo. Know what I mean? No snobs. :) He would have to be able to equally enjoy romantic dinners for two at fancy shamancy restaurants nestled in the Hollywood Hills AND at Taco Bell. :-D

I?d hate to date or marry someone who couldn?t handle the normal conflicts that come up in relationships or who couldn?t communicate with me honestly. It?s important to me to be able to talk things over. We don?t have to agree on things all the time but we do have to respect each other?s opinions. Know what I mean? I don?t want someone who when we argue or disagree on something will tell me ?o.k., for now on we sleep in separate beds, in separate rooms, in separate houses, in separate states.? That would totally stress me out. :(

Let?s see, what else? Who knows, Michael? I am pretty easy going. I mean, I could care less if my guy enjoys downloading obscene photos of, I don't know, ? Lassie! :-D Just as long as he?s clear that I won?t be content being mistress #12.

Oh! I almost forgot. I hate egg nog. He can?t be into egg nog or any other disgusting egg-based beverage. :-D

Michael, you crack me up! :-D I suppose that when faced with all the other things that a potential partner could be, kindness and intelligence might be considered small matters to some. While those two qualities are definitely not the end all traits that I look for in a person, (humorous, good-looking, ambitious, adventurous, fun-loving, energetic, loyal, caring, honest, lovable, honorable, are all also very important qualities in a person) kindness and intelligence tend to be the qualities that initially draw me in and make me want to get to know a person better. Does that make sense? Not sure if it does... :-D

I like your and MB?s ?Screw it? attitude. Apart from the Tim?s death, I?ve always kind of been governed by that type of ?screw it? attitude. Tim?s death was a unique experience for me. I know that I kind of botched this and I didn?t know how to handle this from day one. Live and learn, right? Prior to his death, I?d been really kind of sheltered from any kind of ?real? pain by my family. Up until that moment, I?d never really felt personal emotional pain. My parents did not spoil me financially. In fact, they made me get a job and pay for my own stuff just as soon as it was legal for me to do so. But for the most part, my parents made sure that I felt loved and that I was a happy and carefree kid. Even though I have always taken care of my own problems, I always knew that if things got too tough and I got myself into something that was over my head, all I had to do was holler and my parents would take care of it. With Tim?s death, it wasn?t something my family or anybody else could take care of for me and I found myself very much on my own for the very first time in my life. It was a huge wake up call and a great learning experience. But it?s cool. It more ways than you can imagine, it really helped me to grow up. :-D

When I was a kid, my dad used to have me travel to far away places with him. It?s really kind of hard to take yourself or anything else too seriously when you?ve done some traveling and seen that things have a funny way of working out no matter what your best laid plans may be. I enjoy going through life meeting new people and places and just kind of trying to have as much fun as possible. I am still learning a great deal about myslef and what I want out of life. It's been a long couple of years but I am slowly starting to relearn to enjoy life and just chill. :-D

Did Tim have a bad relationship prior to me? Only with his family. They were a cold, unloving bunch. There is much I could say on the situation with his family but I won?t. It?s over. I was glad to be able to help Tim repair his family ties as much as he could. :-D

Sorry that you might have experienced racism. I think I might have, too, but never as a child or while growing up. I think I felt it more as an adult in the workforce and to some extent while completing my undergrad degree in college. :?

That?s really nice of you to remember Kim?s b-day. I actually kind of think that when the dust settles and things have kind of mellowed out, you and Kim will one day be good friends again. I don?t know, you seem pretty easy going and sweet; I wouldn?t be at all surprised if Ms. Kim didn?t look your way again some day to seek you out as either a friend or boyfriend. You are right, it will take time for things to heal but I can see you two being at the very minimum good friends some day. I?m keeping my fingers crossed for you. Yeah, I am sure that Kim would be proud of you, too. I don?t even really know you and I think you are adorable and a catch. I am certain that Kim would be proud of you, Mikey. I am looking forward to hearing what you got her for her birthday and I would love to chat with your mom one of these days. :-D

I talked about this with Tim once. Tim didn?t like to talk about the possibility of us one day splitting up and so the conversation did not go well. I remember telling him that no matter what happened between us, I adored him and I always wanted to be a part of his life even if I didn?t play the part of girlfriend/wife. He was really upset with me for even bringing this up and told me that he didn?t want anything to do with me if I broke up with him. That hurt to hear. I was sorry that I even brought this topic up because it kind of put him in a panic mode and we ended up arguing that evening. We never discussed it again. I spent the next couple of days being extra nice and loving towards him to dispel the notion that I was trying to break up with him. This conversation happened early on in our relationship when we were going through different issues. I never felt a need for these types of conversations later in our relationship. In later years, we were so in love and in tune with each other that I had no doubt that I ever wanted to be anything but Tim?s wife. :-D

I know what you mean about cherishing whatever life throws at you. I find myself doing that more often these days, too. None of us knows what will happen 5 minutes from now let alone 5 years from now and so I guess it?s best to just sit back, relax, and enjoy life. Laugh and take things as they come. :-D

Right now, my biggest concern in life is that I am craving a melon SOBE. :-D Have you tried those yet? It?s so delicious! You have to try one. I totally want one right now and I might just make my friend go get one with me. It?s probably not the best thing for me to drink. Guess what? It turns out that I have strep throat. It?s a mild case of strep throat and I am taking antibiotics. I feel better. I know that I am getting better because I am totally hungry. I wasn?t hungry at all while my throat was so sore all of last week. I am so hungry today though. If I don?t get some food soon I just may start eating people. J/K! :-D

I?ve listened to Kelly Chan before. Good music! :-D Right now I have two CD?s that I really like. I was in Los Angeles a few months ago for a meeting and I stopped by an Armenian restaurant for lunch in Little Armenia. They were playing Armenian music in the background. I really liked it. I asked the host what they were playing and she gave me a burned copy of the album. It?s great. It?s a compilation of a bunch of Armenian artists. I love it!

I also love the new Jack Johnson album. It?s called ?In Between Dreams?. It?s awesome! :-D I think you would like this album. It?s a little more mainstream than the Armenian album. I totally love track #1. Track #6 and track #7 are pretty good, too. :-D

I picked the lender that I want to work with. I?ll tell you more later but yes, I would be thrilled to help you explore which loan package would best suit your needs when you are ready to do this. Just let me know when you are ready to discuss your options. :-D

I am so hungry! I didn?t eat breakfast and it?s way past lunch time. I gotta go. :-D

Have a great weekend!

Lexi
User avatar
Mikey_
Life is good. Be inspired.
Life is good. Be inspired.
Posts: 1320
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2003 5:41 am
Location: Fountain Valley, California (USA)
Contact:

Post by Mikey_ »

G'morning.
User avatar
Lexi
Lunatic
Lunatic
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2004 7:49 am

Post by Lexi »

Good morning!
User avatar
Mikey_
Life is good. Be inspired.
Life is good. Be inspired.
Posts: 1320
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2003 5:41 am
Location: Fountain Valley, California (USA)
Contact:

Post by Mikey_ »

G'evening!
User avatar
Lexi
Lunatic
Lunatic
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2004 7:49 am

Post by Lexi »

I responded to your last email and then practically konked out at my computer. I was super sleepy for some reason...

Anyway, have a great day! :-D
User avatar
Mikey_
Life is good. Be inspired.
Life is good. Be inspired.
Posts: 1320
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2003 5:41 am
Location: Fountain Valley, California (USA)
Contact:

Post by Mikey_ »

G'evening again! :)
mb_rockstar
Special Guest
Special Guest
Posts: 530
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 2:30 am
Location: Southern California
Contact:

Post by mb_rockstar »

you're such a dork mike... :P
"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do."
User avatar
Mikey_
Life is good. Be inspired.
Life is good. Be inspired.
Posts: 1320
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2003 5:41 am
Location: Fountain Valley, California (USA)
Contact:

Post by Mikey_ »

Hehe... "Arby's Employee of the Month". Cool!

A couple people have asked me what I'm looking for in a person, and although I know exactly what I want, I'd rather them find out the qualities I value instead of me telling them. This would allow me to also see what the other person is truly like, rather than seeing a person who's trying to be who they think I want them to be. Did that make sense? Come to think of it, I have mentioned some of the qualities in previous posts. Hmph.

Hehehe... Downloading photos of... Lassie. How funny! :)

What's a SOBE? Is that a bottled drink? I think mom sells those.

I've been doing some chatting with a co-worker about housing and all. He's a realtor on the side and, like many others, adviced to hold off on home buying for now. He does not do real estate commercially and only does it to help out friends and family. He's got a funny attitude, "Helping out a bro." (Referring to both of us being Chinese.) He always roots for Asians to be successful. Nice guy and funny.

I've just thrown away over 400 movies in my collection and realized that I had lost over 80 continuous hours cataloging those suckers in the past. That translates to a tremendous amount of cash, and over 9 months' worth of research, organization, and other work lost, and not using the time for where it should have been spent. What a waste. I plan on downsizing even further just like I have with computers -- my desktop computer has been collecting dust for nearly half a year and the only people who have used it was a friend of mine and my occasional turning it on to print over the network -- and even THAT is going to change soon as I'll be hooking up the printer over the network, thus not requiring a computer at all. Blah blah blah. Geek stuff.

I like how things have become more simple in my apartment, but life's gotten a bit more complicated than before. And I like it! :) A LOT of things to do and not enough time -- things won't be boring for a while!

My fish tank has gotten a little upgrade and hmm... it looks better than before :) Plants are continuing to grow well. I'll soon have new pictures available for framing :) Pictures that will add a personal touch to the place (well, until I find the exact shots I want to take when going on vacations, etc. Haven't found the "perfect" place to take pictures of yet. Italy looks like it could be it in the not-so-distant future.)

I have found that the type of pictures I enjoy taking of the most aren't of nature like I previously thought, but of people. No, not "booth babes" at trade shows although that was my first step in photographing people willing to pose. People. Real people. Older couples who have spent much of their life together with looks on their faces that whisper a long history of tenderness, pain, and happiness. Babies lighting up from amazing things they see. Children playing around without care. People trying their best to improve and not letting failure get in their way. People breathing out a sigh of relief after a hard day's work.

I don't have much to show that convey what I described above since it's hard to photograph people who are willing to let you take shots of them. However, I plan on someday taking pictures and then asking them if it's okay for me to keep their picture(s), and to send them a copy if they agree to it. If they don't, then I'd simply delete the shots. Some may ask why you don't ask them first before snapping away. "If I did that, would the shots have come out the way they have?" Did you know that it's legal for people to take pictures of others in public places, even when it's without their permission?

Photography is definitely something I enjoy doing. I still am not discounting the possibility of retiring as a freelance photographer.

I've looked up some school catalogs on what classes I could take, but none fall within the time I could take them at :( Dancing and guitar will have to wait, I guess. I haven't practiced much with the guitar lately. There's just too much other stuff to do, but I'm taking it all one step at a time without allowing things to prevent you from enjoying the little things :)

I'm on-call next week. That's going to be interesting.

Already got the Washington, DC and New York trips mostly planned out, but like stated in previous posts: I do not intend to rush and see all those places all at once. The focus is to just relax and have fun -- that's what vacations are for. I can't wait to stop by Philly to try something out :) My little brother won't be coming along as he's starting a vocational training soon. Shucks.

Work's become more routine, but our IT Director's fortunately been throwing a few brain-twisting projects for me to work on. That breaks the daily routine :) Was in a phone conference with NDS Israel and NDS UK (our headquarter) the other day. Haven't woken up that early for a while. There'll be a company picnic on July 10, rumored to be held at Mile Square Park.

This week's weather has been a bit gloomy, but relaxing and enjoyable nonetheless.

Remember how I said that I have had dreams of Kim? Until last Friday, those dreams never occurred daily for a long period of time. Now they have (except for this morning.) All of them were nice, warm ones. Don't remember what they were about though.

MB and I have been working out at the gym with a couple friends and for a few days I tried to find that "1735" sign I stumbled upon a few weeks ago when those bad dreams occurred. MB and I finally found it. There it was near Brookhurst and Katella. It is bigger than I remembered.

MB's gotten a new job at Southcoast Plaza. It's only temporary until we finish up her resume. Mb, still waiting for you to wrap it up :)

I'll be in El Segundo for training all week in a couple weeks. The Red Hat testing fees and certifications are pretty expensive, but thankfully I won't have to worry about that. The department's still got a super-fat training budget left, and there will be more after FY05 ends this month.

I've gotten to know more of the employees at the company, especially those labeled as "trouble" by the IT department. I've always made it a point to get to know everyone no matter how "difficult" they may be, and made it a fun challenge to see if they could be "turned around" like those at Sybron Dental. I'm glad to report that it's been a success with two of them already: the top purchasing person and the president's executive assistant. They are now following procedures most of the time and best of all: I've got new friends :) So, what was done? It's the same as in any relationship: Respect. Lack that and things will fall apart. I have come to embrace "respect" more since the break-up with Kim. No matter how "dumb" or "difficult" a person may seem to be, you will be amazed to find how much a "dumb" person may actually know. It's easy to lose track of the good things in a person when you, intentionally or unintentionally, focus so much on the bad ones. I am first to admit that I indeed focused too much on the bad ones.

Laguna Beach was nice even though I arrived there when it was pretty dark. Will have to go during the day sometime. Driving down the PCH along that part of the coast sparked some good memories.

Ever heard of Ashleigh Pitchen? Stumbled across her version of "A Wonderful World." Wow! Her interpretation of the song just BLEW me away! Just ask MB!

Anyway, may the rays of happiness shine upon you. I'm going back to working on things.

Ciao!

Michael
User avatar
Mikey_
Life is good. Be inspired.
Life is good. Be inspired.
Posts: 1320
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2003 5:41 am
Location: Fountain Valley, California (USA)
Contact:

Post by Mikey_ »

Finally had the time to work on the pictures I promised you all a while ago.

Image

Corona Del Mar - Full Moon
Newport Bay - LOTS of new pictures
Corona Del Mar - Sunset
Random Shots - No particular theme

Enjoy!

Michael
User avatar
Lexi
Lunatic
Lunatic
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2004 7:49 am

Post by Lexi »

Wow! Thanks for sharing your photos, Mike. :) The dual sky one is creepy but kinda cool.

These are all really neat. I like the one of the dog stretched out just kind of hanging out, too. Very cute!

Have a wonderful week! :-D
User avatar
Mikey_
Life is good. Be inspired.
Life is good. Be inspired.
Posts: 1320
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2003 5:41 am
Location: Fountain Valley, California (USA)
Contact:

Post by Mikey_ »

Good morning!
User avatar
Lexi
Lunatic
Lunatic
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2004 7:49 am

Post by Lexi »

Hey there! You are up early... Buenos dias, Senor Yuen! :-D
User avatar
Lexi
Lunatic
Lunatic
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2004 7:49 am

Post by Lexi »

Hello,

Yup, I worked at Arby's at one point in my career. It was totally a fun job, too. I worked there when I was around 16 years old or so. I clearly remember going on the interview for this job. I was soooo nervous! :-D The interviewer called in a bunch of us for a group interview. About 6 other people and I sat in a circle answering questions. I remember being such a ditzy, little teenager at the time. My interview skills were pretty much nonexistent. I showed up in a black t-shirt, jeans, and Dr. Martens that had seen better days. My friend had done my nails just two days prior and she had painted little dice on my fingernails... Ha! I was a mess! I got the job so I guess I did well enough. An interview at Arby's definitely does not take much preparation but thinking back at what I looked like that day, I am not sure that even I would have hired me. :)


I still remember some of the questions they asked me and how bad some of my responses were. They asked me where I wanted to be in 3 years. In my 16 year old naivety, I blurted out exactly what was in my heart ?I am going to be in China or the Philippines in 3 years?, I said. :)

I now know that this was the wrong answer to that question but back then I was having a ball telling my soon-to-be-manager about how much I loved the Asian culture. In general, an interviewer?s purpose in asking an applicant where they see themselves in 3 years is to gauge whether or not the person is worth training. Nobody wants to invest time and money training an employee only to learn that they will be leaving the company in a few months. I remember regaling the poor interviewer with my wistful dreams of moving to China or the Philippines to study after high school. I completely shut out the other applicants with my boisterous chatter. My enthusiasm for my job at Arby's was really kind of cute and kind of pathetic. A job's a job and it gave me my first real taste of financial freedom. I had a good time that summer. :-D

You are a wise man, Mikey. Your statements concerning what you value in a person are very well though out and I have to say that I tend to agree. It?s kind of hard to put a label on these kind of things. :-D

Mom sells Sobe? Really? Yummm!!! :-D I love the melon flavored one. Where does your mom sell her Sobe? Maybe I'll buy one from her. :) I could never sell Sobe...I?d hoard them for myself and quickly find myself going out of business.

So you found someone willing to help out a ?bro?? Too funny! :-D That?s great though. I always root for minorities realizing success, too. My colleagues and I dedicate our lives to evening the playing field through social, political and economic advocacy for minorities and other underrepresented groups. Here?s what I think about housing. Most realtors will tell you that we are not experiencing a housing bubble. It?s in the best interest for the real estate community (realtors, builders, brokers, lenders, etc.) to deny that we are experiencing a bubble. Much research has been done on this topic. What constitutes an economic bubble? When most people think of a bubble they think of the economic bubble that devastated many parts of Asia in the 80?s.

Everything points towards the fact that U.S. housing may be experiencing a bubble but Greenspan and other political and economic experts have yet to state that the U.S. is experiencing a housing bubble. A housing boom, yes, but a boom in housing is significantly different than the sharp supply and demand curves that result from economic bubbles.

Anderson, UCLA and Southern California. The famed UCLA?s Anderson School of Business released a report about 9 months ago stating that Orange County, LA County, and even San Diego County were in what could be considered an economic bubble. UCLA was a reputed but lone voice stating that local economist should reassess their estimation of Southern California?s housing market. It was a pretty interesting report. I enjoy follow some of these reports. :-D

I have friends who have been in the real estate business in the past and I have friends who are in the real estate business now. It?s hard to say what is going to happen with the real estate industry. Based on what I know of this industry, I believe that the housing market will eventually cool down in Southern California (LA, OC, and SD counties). It is my opinion that property in Orange will cool down but this area will simply slow down. This is still a highly desirable place to live and prices will level out eventually. Based on my research, don?t believe that prices will go down that much. This area is not as affected by raising interest rates as in other parts of the country. People here are definitely conscious of the potential for higher interest rates but we have such limited housing resources that our limited housing resources counter acts the affect of higher interest and bond rates.


My belief is that prices will level. This is different than prices necessarily going down. I do think that prices will go down but not enough to make a significant economic impact. Who knows? I follow this stuff on the news and in scholarly journals but these things are really kind of hard to predict. I particularly enjoy reading what some of the financial powerhouses and Washington D.C. has to say about our housing situation. The collapse of our Savings& Loan institutions in the 70?s as well as our heavy borrowing have contributed towards creating a sharp divide between those that can afford to live in their own homes and those who can not. :(

I wouldn't wait too long to buy if I were you. When you are ready to buy, I would be happy to look over your loan doc?s to make sure that you are getting the best loan for your situation and financial goals. Loans come in so many different flavors these days. I would be happy to help you verify that you are not being offered a subprime loan. Take your time. I plan to cool it, myself for the time being. :-D

It's a starnge place that we call home these days. We live in a country where just a year or two ago the economy was tanking and our idiot President decided to take a month off. It?s kind of weird how Washington Republicans tend to ignore facts, push aside America's real problems, promote partisan sniping and division, and flat out refuse to turn their attention to finding ways we can work together to make America stronger for everyone. Agh, Michael?Bush and friends irritate me to no end!!! They ignore the increasing number of Americans struggling without health insurance. They wrap themselves a little tighter in their golden fleece retirement funds as people like you and me kiss our pensions (something we count on dearly take care of ourselves and our families) good-bye. They prey on the poor and the powerless. Empty promises from the Bush Republicans are piling up and it really has got to stop. Do you know that this clown has CDBG funds on the chopping block? CDBG have helped countless families build parks, recreation centers, affordable housing units, created jobs, and even secured havens for homeless people, low income seniors, HIV patients, victims of domestic violence and children. What is he thinking?!? He and his spoiled little twins are safe in their ivory tower but what about the rest of us? Karl Marx taught us that socialism does not work but this is ridicules. Even though the current administration is increasingly intolerant of dissenting voices I believe that it is my obligation, as a taxpayer and a concerned citizen, to refuse to stand by while Washington ignores the problems facing families every day. Seriously, I just want to ensure that my hard-earned cash is going towards helping families and not lining the pocket of some fat Texan who is more concerned with the pork barrel subsidies than what is happening to real people in working class families. Grrrr? they make me mad. :mad:

Sorry to get off topic. Back to housing? I?ve been really busy. I did get my loan. Escrow closes at the end of this month. Whoo hooo! :-D I am so excited!!! :) My first property. I decided to do something different than what I had earlier mentioned. I did not accept cash aid at all from my parents but they did help me with some ?creative? financing. I?ll tell you more later. I am happy with my loan though. I am ready to move on to something more fun? like planning a vacation. Italy, you say? Hmmm? that sounds wonderful. I have not been out of the U.S. in such a long time. Always wanted to go to Italy and Greece. :-D

It?s been a busy couple of weeks since school let out. I think I told you that I was in job search mode. I have been offered a new job. It?s a temporary promotion within the same government agency that I currently work for only it?s at our headquarters in Sacramento. If I decide to accept the offer, I get to keep the job for 3 months. I have been offered the position of Section Chief. Their current Section Chief has moved on and they are looking for someone to help manage day to day activities as they do a full blown recruitment to fill this position permanently. My boss encouraged me to apply for the position. Didn?t think I would get it as I don?t have any experience as a supervisor, never mind as a Section Chief but I guess I did o.k. because they offered me the job.

I don?t know if I want to take this promotion. The pay is a lot better than what I am currently earning. They would pay me for 4 months with the potential for an extension if they don?t get a good crop of candidates during the first recruitment. I doubt that my contract will be extended. I think they already kind of have a permanent person in mind but by law they have to do the formal state-wide recruitment. They would pay me as a consultant with no benefits. I would still get to keep my current benefits and my current job would be waiting for me when I get back. It?s just a temporary promotion. They have given me the choice of whether I went to rent a furnished condo near the offices or stay at a hotel for the 4 months. If I do take this job, I think I will opt for the hotel. I think it will make things easier for when I have to come back. Not sure exactly how all that will work but I would just as soon make things as easy for me to pick ?up and come home at a moment?s notice. I think I could do that easier in a hotel. :)

Anyway, I am feeling a bit, I don?t know anxious, about this decision. I will only be supervising a team of 3 people (2 researchers and 1 analyst). This job will give me the supervising experience that might help me break into a management position here at home. I?ve been on a couple of upper management position interviews lately and I feel that I am batting zero due to my lack of supervisory experience. That is the first thing that people seem to want to know more about during the interview. How many people did I supervise? My current boss says that though he would love to promote me here, he can?t, he has no money available in the budget this fiscal year. He did say that depending on how we are affected by the budget being passed, he would see what he could do about getting me a more substantial raise. Who knows, though? He?s the nicest guy in the world but he?s a total flake?

Anyways, I have a lot to think about. If I take the temporary promotion in Sacramento I would need to begin at the start of the next pay period, not this Friday but next Friday the 24th. Don?t know yet what I want to do. I know that I want the supervisor experience and the chance to put the title Section Chief (actually my offical title will be "Executive Director". The government is strange that way. We all have our working title and our public title.) on my resume is a chance that I should not pass up. I am a little, I don?t know, scared I guess, of going off into the unknown for 4 months. I don?t know anyone in Sacramento. No one. Not a soul. I know that I could do the job. I am just not sure that I want to do the job. Being so far from my family kind of scares me. My mom can be the biggest pain in the butt but I love her and I like having her close. I know that I should stop being such a baby and embrace this experience but I have never really lived far from home and I have to admit I am a bit scared of leaving. I am leaning towards taking the job, though. Maybe I just need to go, soak in all the leadership skills that I can and than come home in October and continue my job search here with some supervisory skills under my belt.

Like I said, I am not sure what I want to do yet but the pros do seem to outweigh the cons. I could always come home on the weekends if I get too lonely over there. Sacramento is not that far (What is it? Like 8 hours away?) and my contract would be over soon anyway, on October 13th. Decisions? Decisions?

Wow! That is a huge movie collection to get rid of. I hope that you feel good about it. I always laugh at how similar you and I operate. When I want to feel better about, I don?t know, everything, I guess, I start throwing things away, too. I turn into a neat freak and start tidying all kinds of things up. :-D

Happy to hear that your fish tank is doing well. It?s hot in my room this evening. I wouldn?t mind being a fish and gliding through water? fish are so relaxing to watch. :-D

I am still jealous of your dreams of Kim. Must be a sweet feeling to dream of her. I don?t dream at night. I wouldn?t mind falling asleep and dreaming of Timothy. It just never has happened. Too bad. The last dream I had was of you. I went to bed thinking of you and MB going to DC without me then suddenly there you guys were; in my dreams. It was such a trip!! :-D

I have much more to say, so much more to ask you but I have to get to work. MB?s 3 jobs?!? The girl is crazy. :-D Good luck, chick!! I?ll come back in here soon to hopefully hear more about that. Hey, I go to South Coast all the time. Congratulations on your new job, MB! :-D My friend lives within walking distance and we meet at South Coast for lunch and shopping often. She?s going to wedding and I might have to go help her find a dress soon.

Michael? thanks. May the rays of happiness always shine upon you, too.:-D

Ciao!
User avatar
Mikey_
Life is good. Be inspired.
Life is good. Be inspired.
Posts: 1320
Joined: Sat Oct 04, 2003 5:41 am
Location: Fountain Valley, California (USA)
Contact:

Post by Mikey_ »

Ha, your first interview... Mine was pretty bad too. Lots of stuttering and all. How much I have changed since. How much I have grown in interviews, job hunting, and resume-building since January! It's always fun to look back and laugh at how ridiculous you used to be.

As stated, I'm on call this week at work and funny thing is: yesterday was my first day and I broke the phone's LCD during work-out hehehehe... Didn't know if I missed a call or not. Got a new one today. Whew.

Then this weird dream I had recently: I dreamt that I was in a hospital with a bad stomach ache. The doctors stated that they needed to examine me to see what was wrong and get this... I'm soooo freaking ashamed and embarassed about it, but at the same time crack up like crazy just thinking about it! They examined me by sticking two chopsticks up my butt! HUH???! :shock: And during the entire dream, I kept telling myself not to move because it felt uncomfortable. I later realized that it was just a dream, woke up, and found myself on the bed. hehehehehe... Umm.. weird. Chopsticks will never look the same to me any more!

A friend of mine who's majoring in Econ and is currently interning in Washington DC also told me that the housing bubble indeed does exist and that the Bush administration has been manipulating the facts to look otherwise. Apparently, the economists over there are unhappy with that. But you know, I don't get into political discussions much. There's always a trade-off somewhere for any action that you choose to take. For one, if Bush didn't concentrate on warding off terrorists, what might have happened? If he focused on Economics, then what? I'm sure he has his own good reasons. I'm just happy we're still alive. And yes, I tend to lean more towards the Democratic side, but do not partake in political discussions.

Congratulations on the home buying! You're making me jealous, young lady!

It's always a scary thing to go into the unknown. It's usually easier to just stay with something you are already familiar with -- may it be career, family, love, whatever. You don't know anyone in Sacramento and your family will be far away from you -- but it's only 4 months. This would be a good chance for you to grow stronger, more independent, even more experienced in many ways. You'll also gain valuable experience that could definitely help you with your career and the resume. It's scary to be in the unknown -- but if you don't take your chances, then you may always wonder, "What if?" I have come to learn that you learn MOST after experiencing failure. You have the skills necessary to do the job. If it doesn't work out, then you'll know what you'll need to work on. If you do succeed, imagine the fields of opportunities that will bloom right in front of your eyes.

Sometimes, taking a chance is a good thing. Just be smart about it and don't forget those who supported you along the way. True, genuine friends are hard to find.

I think that cleaning up is a normal thing for people to do when they want to feel better: it creates structure in the chaos that is life. It creates control. Nobody likes to be in the uncertain, and it is during that time when it's quite important to step back, sort things out, and look at what you have. Sometimes you don't need something new. It's exciting, yes, and certainly pleasurable. But how long would that last? Sometimes everything that you need is already there, somewhere, overlooked and forgotten. You just need to step back and look around. You'll be amazed by what you can find that you already have. Even things that you thought you never liked may have a different meaning, now that your views in life have matured more. Never count out what you had in the past.

So, what were MB and I doing in your dream?

Went to IKEA area today to take photos of our company's new buildings (yes, we're not too far away from Southcoast.) I was actually sent to take pictures! What a trip! The UK headquarter has a website up documenting their move into a new, nice, nice building. They have always looked down on the US HQ (we're 1300 employees smaller) and I have been tasked to create a website documenting OUR move and show them what we've got. This is going to be fun!

Hey, seriously do consider that promotion in Sacramento. You don't always get chances like this. Or would you rather go on with what you already have and always wonder "What if?"

I am taking a chance as well. A chance fueled by what my heart yearns from within. To take on a new life and to prove that a genuine heart that has grown and become so sure of itself does exist. A chance to share the dreams and the wonders of the World so dearly missed. Kim.

I can only wait and allow her to find what she wants and to take the chances she wants to take. Only then will one feel fulfilled, accomplished, and more complete.

Take a chance. It's been my guiding principle when faced with challenges and obstacles.

Michael
User avatar
Lexi
Lunatic
Lunatic
Posts: 185
Joined: Sun Jul 25, 2004 7:49 am

Post by Lexi »

Good morning!

Your dream was pretty funny! :-D

I'll reply more later. Have a great day!
Post Reply