where in the world is aly san diego?

Many apologies for the very much delayed update (& the novel of the blog I'm about to post).  I've been somewhat busy.  Ok, so not really.  I've been really lazy & a bit out of it lately.  Nothing new has been going on with me, except I did paper mache for the first time & got a haircut.  I'm also currently borrowing a sewing machine to bring the crafty side out of me.  Anywho...

Maude keeps falling off the tower of my desktop Mac Pro at work.  I wish whoever designed this Kidrobot toy didn't make her feet so damn small so she can actually balance when free-standing.  Her little machete broke, so now it looks like she's just holding a sushi roll (which I suppose is acceptable since her head is shaped like a fish, or so my co-worker says).

I heard the latest Bloc Party album Intimacy, & I must say I'm disappointed.  Although, I like Silent Alarm the best, I enjoyed Weekend In the City & saw it as a fresh change from their debut album.  After hearing their recent album, however, I felt it was just put together without any thought or concept.  They tried adding more synths & experimental sounds, but it just ended sounding like they overdid it.  Well, at least the sound does go with the album title.  Or well, it reminded me of love (feel-good, spontaneous, careless).  Maybe that's what they were going for.  If so, then wow!  That's an interesting concept, however I don't think I'll appreciate Intimacy as much as their previous albums.  Overall, it's catchy.

**Disclaimer:  I'm not an official music critic, so don't take my word for word.  This is purely my own personal opinion.**

I went to Ulta for the first time last Saturday.  It was great!  Since it was still their grand opening week/weekend, I got some free stuff.  I love free things!  Looks like I, too, am a fan of this beauty store.

a great find

One of my coworkers told me about this website (smashingmagazine.com) the other day, & I'm glad she did.  It's a great website & I absolutely love this section of the site:  10 Beautiful Things For A Beautiful Life.

Ah, it's the cute, awesome things in the littlest of life that get me going.

an interesting analogy

"If Digitalism and Portishead had a baby, and she grew up with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs as friends, she would sound like this:  Navel4Eve.com"

Thanks for the analogy, Alex.

poor scarlet

I just had to post this video that my buddy, Francis, showed me.  It's so ridiculously hilarious (skip to 2:45):

Scarlet Takes A Tumble

...she sure did.

day 2

I didn't get to run today, but my day started off to a bad start that I deserved to have a day to chill out.  Since I couldn't sleep at all last night, I had to force myself to sleep around 3A.M.  Because of my late somber I ended up sleeping through my alarm (or maybe it didn't go off at all because usually I'd hear it if it did) & woke up at 8:30ish in the morning.  I ended up being 20 minutes late, but I stayed late to make up for it.

Speaking of work, I got to color in shoes today.  Not physically coloring in shoes, but doing colorways for the Fall line on my computer.  I always find it fun doing this at work when I get the opportunity.  I don't know why, but I feel I actually contributed something when I do.

So, after work I went to Lynnhaven Mall with my Cyber (Cherry B.) to check out the new Forever 21 store.  I barely or never shop at this store, but I've been looking for a black vest (like foreverrrrr!) & I figured I'd find a decent, affordable one there.  Fortunately, they had some pretty cute clothes & would recommend shopping at this location as oppose to MacArthur's store (it's cleaner, more organized, & huge in comparison to MacArthur's Forever 21). 

Random Thought:

Everyday I dread of living another day in suburbia.  I want to get out & move to New York City.  It's time for a change of scenery with a new beginning.  This is my goal.

Nostalgic Photo #3:

Circa June/July 2003 at my house.  We were known as the "Senior Bunch (after graduation the "ex" bunch since we weren't seniors anymore)" & we were close like a family.  Now we're all apart & living separate lives.  I'm still good friends with a few of them, though.

Forgive, but never forget.  Live & never look back.

tag, i'm it

Oh geez! I read Sheeryl's blog & it so happens she got tagged into writing seven random facts about herself & now I will do the same:

7.  I was in chorus in the first grade & had to dress up as a clown for one of our performances alongside with Ms. Jian Zapata.

6.  I was burned when I was 2, or maybe it was 3, & that is why I hate feet.

5.  I was in the Academic Challenge club at Salem Middle School in the 8th grade.  I never got to play on a team until maybe the second to last challenge of the year against Landstown Middle School.  My most glorious & only moment was when they asked what seven squared was.  As both teams pondered for a few minutes that seemed like an eternity (I knew immediately what the answer was, but was too scared to answer right away), Landstown finally buzzed in, but with the wrong answer.  After a few seconds passed, I buzzed in, everyone slowly turned & looked straight at me.  I swear it was something from a movie, but I finally said 49 & everyone turned to look at the judge & that's when she said, correct!  And then we won the game.

4.  My mom loved the show "Who's the Boss" back in the 80's.  Her favorite character was Alyssa Milano's character, & that's how I got my name.  However it's pronounced, ah-LIE-sah & not ah-LIS-sah.

3.  I became treasurer of my high school class not to bring a change to our own class or school, but to become popular & hope everyone wouldn't see me as the shy, little Filipino girl they thought I was.

2.  My first kiss was when I was 17.

1.  I was borderline anorexic.  Ever since the 8th grade I'd eat only one small meal after working out because I was called "fat" from 5th to 7th grade.  Kids are mean.  Because of their meanness I ended up fainting/blacking out during 6th period Earth Science due to a low blood sugar count & anemia.  Thanks to those kids, I've been self-conscious about my looks & weight to this day.  Sometimes I still find myself only eating one meal a day.

I'm tagging Jessica, Katrina, Mylam, Karen, & Will!

Another nostalgic picture:

Polaroid picture circa late 2001/early 2002.  Celebrating the holidays with the family at a relative's house.  I was into fly-a-ways because apparently the whole 1970's Farrah Fawcett Charlie's Angels hair was in.

day 1

So, I'm trying this new thing of adding pictures to my blogs (not that I haven't before) because I think they make blogs more interesting, & it'll give me the chance to use my camera for something other than collecting dust (even though it's in its camera bag, but you guys know what I mean).

Anyways, as most of you have read in my previous blogs (or if you haven't), I'm running the Susan G. Komen 5k marathon this Saturday, Oct. 18th.  It's been a little over a week since I last ran, so all of this week until the day of the Marathon I'll be running/training to build my endurance up once again.  I actually ran either 2.5 or 3 miles at Mount Trashmore not too long ago & I didn't feel too out of shape.  I ran almost nonstop until my iPod started acting up on me (probably because it kept bouncing up & down in my fanny pack).  I think I'll do fine come Saturday.

Yesterday I attended the Look Alive Project event at the Granby Theater.  I actually submitted 300 copies of my postcard to be put into giveaway totes, which I didn't get.  I was a little disappointed because it wasn't thoroughly planned out as I thought it'd be (shoot, the website didn't explain too well what it was about either), but seeing the different art & photography there was interesting.

This is totally random, but I've been listening to MGMT's Electric Feel (one of my favorite MGMT songs) on repeat for almost an hour now & for the first 30 minutes I didn't mind it, but the last 30 minutes I blocked it out from my hearing because I was concentrating on writing this blog out.  Now that I'm listening to it again I never thought I'd get sick of this song, but now I'm getting annoyed of it... next!

To keep myself busy, I've come up with little projects for myself to keep up with my creative flow.  My mare, Ronalyn, wanted me to create a logo for her.  This is what I've come up with so far (to your left).  We both agreed on the second & forth one (going from left to right).  Now all I'll need to do is figure out the color scheme & tada!  The next project I'm working on is a drawing/design for a friend.  I can't post too much about it right now, though, because it's supposed to be a surprise.  Once it's finished & I've given it to my friend I'll post it up.  I'm not sure how I'll execute it, though, because my scanner doesn't work on my printer, so if I wanna draw something up & upload it unto my laptop I might have to be ghetto & take a picture of it instead.  Sigh, I need a new processor, possibly another battery, & now a new printer/scanner/copier all in one for my laptop.  Rawr, I wish I was a gazillionaire already!

I've been feeling nostalgic lately & came across some pictures of the past (ah, the days when I was skinny-er, flawless, & happier).  I'll be posting some of these pictures throughout the next couple of weeks, months, or however long it'll take until my nostalgic journey ends.  We'll now begin with this:

Circa December 2002 at the tennis court parking lot of Salem High School. A bunch of friends & I were meeting up for a gathering & came across this dead bird with a fish in its mouth. Maybe the fish was poisonous, or maybe the bird choked on the fish. Oh well, whatever the cause of death was it'll always remain a mystery to this day.

why?

Ever since I moved back to Virginia Beach from Richmond, my face has broken out in pimples.  Gross, right?  Well, I think this is the worst my face has ever been.  Everyday I find a new pimple & I don't know what to do.  I mean I usually clean my face twice a day & I barely touch my face since hands carry germs.  Ugh, I feel like I might have to do ProActiv or use that Clean & Clear acne stuff.  My face has never been like this.  It was so smooth & flawless & I didn't have to keep up with it that much.  It's like everyday I look in the mirror, boom!  A new pimple =(  Maybe it's my hormones... maybe it's stress.  Whatever it is, I wish it'd go away because I feel like I'm getting uglier & uglier by the minute.

another lonely night

So, I'm sitting at Barnes & Nobles right now as I type this sentence out.  Out of nowhere this lady with two hyperactive, yet cute children (both asking for cookies) asks if I have Internet on my laptop & I tell her that I do.  She then asks if she could use it to show something to her husband in exchange for free coffee.  Being a good samaritan & getting something good out of it?  Why heck yes!  Of course my computer was lagging a bit, and right before she gets to showing her husband whatever it was she was showing him my laptop shuts off due to my battery being totally drained.  I told her that I was sorry about my battery & that all I would have to do is just plug it in, & she asked what coffee I wanted.  After having to reboot my computer & almost having my web browser started up again, she comes back to me and says that once they had my drink ready to just pick it up.  I told her that she would have to log in again, but she just insisted it was ok & that she just wanted to prove a point to her husband.  This story was probably pointless, but I'm just glad I got free coffee out of it, since it's freezing cold in here & I'm already look like I'm dressed warm.

Anyways, my two hours of Internet for 3.99 is about to end in 30 minutes.  Until then...