car day

after changing my haldex filter and oil, i got new panels installed! no more ugly superglue, i'm so stoked!

my passport

i'm now a proud owner of a 320gb wd passport.

brunch at zazie's

geek joke

banana shortage?

pajama obama party

friends with the ex

i know this is a very debatable subject but here goes my opinion. of course there are some very rare exceptions but overall, i don't agree with being friends with your ex. not that i totally disagree with the occasional keeping in touch per say, but i just don't think it's really possible to be frequent hanging out friends. the platonic-ness of the "friendship" after dating can never be reached again. it's like opening a milk carton. once opened, you could tape it back but will never be sealed to what it once was.

when you date someone or become physical with a person, your view of that person is completed different. you interact with that person differently than you would just a friend. when you guys break up, that history doesn't get deleted. you can't just clear your cache and act like nothing has happened. you always take away something from a relationship, inevitably you have learned from that person about yourself so in that sense, that history becomes a part of you forever. years pass and still that person holds a special, or a different part of your heart, never like a regular friend would.

i know how it is, i'm speaking from experience here. i've had my fair share of ex's that i have tried to remain somewhat close friends with and every time i hung out or partied with them, alone or even with a group, there's that flirtiness that comes out. crossing the black/white line to the gray and being touchy seems easy and natural. the comfortable feelings that i had once felt when we were dating is very apparent. it's a warm feeling, no doubt, but it has lead to unnecessary hookups or bad decisions. after all, there's only that piece of tape holding the open milk carton closed. sure, you can be "friends" with your ex but to say that you're strictly platonic friends would be a lie, potentially a dangerous one.

i'm sure there are many articles about this all over the internet that might shed a different light on this matter but, i doubt it. maybe i'm different than the norm. i know myself well enough and am aware that i need to keep myself from situations that might cause regret or hurt feelings. don't be in denial, good judgement is key.

old school

got MY mac and cheese fix, with totts!

pet peeve

it bugs when toilet paper rolls out from the bottom instead of the top.

"guido's pot belly gobble"

the picture doesn't do it justice. specially made with fresh cheese
bread from shaats bakery from bishop, ca.

sigg murderer

be careful taking your sigg to the cold mountains!

a happy swimming pup

last week i went swimming for the first time in years. and this time, it was lap swimming, not splashing around in a pool playing colors or marco polo.

i walked to the pool area like jesminder in bend it like beckham. no head cap, no goggles. there were four lanes - fast, medium, slow and super slow. since i knew how to swim, i figured that i'd start in the slow lane to warm up and then move to a faster lane soon after. but then, less than 10 minutes into my swim, people started passing me up. i felt the pressure and as hard as i tried, i couldn't swim any faster. i think it had a lot to do with my swimming style of choice. instead of swimming freestyle like everyone else was, i was just cruising with my breath-stroke, never letting my head under the water (i was told that i looked like a happy swimming dog). i quickly moved to the super slow lane. hmph, it was less crowded anyway.

when i was a kid, my mom had to drag me out of the pool but this time, it was my choice. my body couldn't take another lap because my legs were cramping up. i swam for about 30 minutes and was instantly sore all over. but not the same soreness that an elliptical or jazzercise class gives me. my body just felt really tired. the post swimming feeling felt even greater than any regular workout has for me. muscles that i never knew i had were exhausted. swimming is truly the best overall body workout. i look forward to fitting it into my weekly schedule. if i'm not home, you can find me at the pool!

monk's kettle

some deep shit