This blog is the remnant of a great Xanga layout empire. Just kidding, but it's hard to imagine I used to make those things. With the crazy new private page, all these features (what are Mini's?), Xanga has moved on. Only thing that really hasn't changed is the "Look And Feel" page, but there isn't an obvious link to it from the private page. Maybe I'll come back one day and provide great sarcastic humor.
It's safe to say I definitely half-assed my way through high school. In this intense GPA game at Bellaire, I was definitely nowhere near the top. I liked to have a good time. I preferred to mess with Photoshop and Counter-Strike than study. Actually, I hardly ever studied. I think I discovered how to study about junior year when I enrolled in physics. But in retrospect, I've met a ton of fun people, in many fun ways. What an experience. Would I change it if I re-lived it? Probably not, I don't think I'd be able to meet all these people if I were studying all the time. So I don't feel too bad. I'm not ashamed about my rank, top 31%, rank 233 of 706, 3.73 GPA on a 5 scale.
As for college, I'm going to the University of Texas - Austin as a summer freshmen. That means I was almost rejected (or barely accepted, however you look at it). I'm not good enough for the fall semester, but I'm not bad enough to be capped. I look at all the other people who got into UT, and I know that they worked hard for those A's in class while I settled with the B. So ha. I'm in the same school as you, except I did half the work. Granted, I'm an undeclared major at the College of Natural Sciences, but at least I have a chance. This is my chance.
Currently Listening Crush By Bon Jovi 1.) It's My Life see related
So I haven't gotten on this blog in quite some time.
I'm not really in a bloggy mood, I haven't been in for a long time. I guess it was for when I was younger, and thought I had bigger problems that I had to let everyone on the interwebs know.
I've been eBaying a lot lately, and if you know me at all, I blow about 75% of my paycheck on random shit from eBay. I've gotten Creative 2.1 speakers, an Aliph Jawbone (with charger), an Xmods RC car (and lots of mods), a ton of phone charms, posters, two gaming mice, a wide array of clothes, and even a battery cover replacement for my phone. All new, all at super low prices. The one thing I'm most proud of though, came today. The SimpleTech 160 Gb portable HDD. Designed by Pininfarina. Not that you would know, but that company designs the most recognizable Ferrari cars, the former 360 and 550. Anyway, it looks sleek as hell, and it's super light. I was expecting a lead weight, but this thing is as light as it looks. Doesn't get hot either. Must be that futuristic plastic. Most of all, it's small. The main thing I was looking for was size. This can easily fit in a jacket pocket. But it's so light it feels like you might break it just by holding it. You're probably wondering how much it cost. It retails for $140, but Amazon can save you and bump it down to $101. I got it for $75. I love eBay. Best part was that it came in the original packaging whatever, never opened. How do you sell it for almost half the price? I don't ask these questions, I just use it.
I'm thinking about putting Rollercoaster Tycoon 2 (the greatest RTS game ever) on it. I've already put all my Zune videos on it, so it can sync from there instead of my desktop hard disk (which is almost full at 80 Gb). Oh and I've got my whole music library on there. So if anyone wants the hookup on my entire collection of handpicked songs... It's on this beast.
I watched Sweeney Todd with some friends I haven't seen in a long time. It sucked. Well, the picture was really good. The acting (and singing) was really good. Just the plot. Really needed to get a move on. I think the only thing keeping me from leaving that theater and going to watch I Am Legend was my incessant outbursts of Harry Potter references. Watch it if you're into musicals. Watch it if you're into Johnny Depp, there's no shortage of him in this movie. Watch it if you're into Professor Snape (and Wormtail). Watch it if you're into bosoms being squeezed in a corset. Otherwise, don't watch it. The traditional Chili's dinner with my friends was great. It's been such a long time since I hung out with them. Makes me wonder what college is gonna be like.
Speaking of which, I've only sent out my Duke, U Calif, U Texas applications. I don't even want to go to Duke that much. My dad lived up there when he was younger (much younger) and he has such a good impression that he wants his son to go there. Even though he has no idea which city it's in. Or what majors they offer. Hell, even their mascot, but he's Chinese, and I doubt anyone's Chinese parents know who the Blue Devils are. He said one day that he'd get me a new car if I got in. A $30,000 car. Sounds like a good idea, but Duke is more hopeful than actually applying. Also, if I did get in, that $30,000 would be super nice to pay for that tuition. That's college shit for now. I've still got to finish up that last Rice essay, and I'll be done with my hopeful schools.
In conclusion, for this "not blogging" mood, I bought my first article of clothing at Forever XXI. Well, my friend paid for a third of it, but that's because she insisted after I had gotten her clothes at Hollister. The wild things I do with my paycheck.
Merry Christmas! Fuck political correctness, it's Christmas season.
So okay I'm driving my Avalon home from work. I work across the street from the Galleria, so I just take Westheimer straight down. I'm driving and I notice that there is a bit of smoke coming from my A/C vents... Hm... how very curious. I turn off the A/C and drive with the windows down. Blasting techno music, of course. Couple miles down the road, I get to a red light and stop. Now I notice that there is smoke coming from the edge of my hood... Aw shit, this can't be good. I look down at the engine temp gauge, and it's maxed out. Uh oh. I didn't have time to react because the light turned green, but I wasn't even close to the front. So I let off the brake a little, and the car doesn't move. So I try to give some gas, but no luck. Now I calmly turn my music off and put on the hazards. Now cars behind me are moving out of the lane. People are flipping me off and honking their horns (much like me when I'm in that situation, guess it's karma). My mind races, and my first instinct is just turn off the engine. I immediately try to crank it again, but engine is too hot, and it won't start. All the lights come on the dash, and I turn the engine back off. I open the cell and call my dad. So now, let me elaborate on this story a bit, just imagine me sitting there embarassed with my hazards, in the left lane of Westheimer about 1000 feet from the stop light.
The Avalon was a car we bought at an auction for $8000 around 2004. At the time, it had probably 90,000 miles on it already. But it was a nice car, leather seats, sunroof, JBL subwoofer, flawless paint, somewhat tinted windows, a V6 engine which could really move the car. Besides, it sat 5 people comfortably (backseat legroom is good, even for a big guy like me), and I've fit way more people than 5 in it before. The thing I liked the most was the subwoofer. For a stock factory Toyota JBL woofer, it was pretty damn good. It could get the trunk shaking and really get the lows out. Especially good for those "un-ts un-ts un-ts" trance songs, or just the bouncy club rap songs. With the sunroof and windows down, you could really blast it. Even if "it" was *Nsync or Jay Chou. My only complaint was that the tires were wayyy too worn down so I couldn't really drive it that quickly. So this car now has 140,000 miles on it. It was the car I practiced driving in back in November of last year. I don't complain that it's old as hell. When it became my car to drive this summer, I didn't complain at all. I was just afraid that it might break down or some crap happen when I'm driving it. My mom says, "Oh no, it's okay, you're going to be in the city anyway, if anything ever happens, just call your dad and he can pick you up and whatnot." Okay so great, no problem if the car is messed up. I have an escape route. Don't get me wrong, it sounded pretty damn bulletproof. I didn't even think my car would overheat because of leaky coolant because I drive it pretty viciously, and this whole time my "Check Engine" light is on. It's been on for a couple months now, and I just ignore it.
Now back to me in the middle of the street. After sitting there for about two or three minutes, I decide to start the engine again and try to get into a parking lot so I don't block traffic. It's 6:30 pm, middle of rush hour in Houston. Thank God it wasn't hot. So I crank it again, and now the engine turns over. Temp gauge is still on "H." I crawl towards the left turn lane with my hazards still on. Hopefully I can still go when it turns green. Unluckily for me, a firetruck was coming from Wilcrest, and we missed the left. So I had to wait... Wait... And it turns green. I crawl along and turn into the Blockbuster parking lot. I turn off the engine and pop the hood. At first I didn't want to open it because it could be full of smoke, and I paid attention that day in Driver's Ed. But fuck it, I open it anyway, and the pipe above the radiator is hissing white smoke. Smells like burning plastic. I let it sit for a while and I get back in the driver seat. I'm still in my work clothes and it's getting uncomfortable. My dad is on his way with some water to replace the coolant. So I'm sitting here in the parking lot with the hood up and driver side door open chilling. It's a pretty busy parking lot, but few people even pay attention. One black lady with her son in the backseat drove by and asked "Do you need a jump?" "No, thanks, I'm out of coolant, but someone is on the way for me" "Oh okay," just like that. One person. But I mean, I'm not bitching about how people are insensitive, because if I needed a jump, I would be holding up jumper cables. It was really nice of her to ask me though. Besides, with modern technology (cell phones) no one is actually in motor trouble. So I'm just waiting for my dad to get back, and I'm looking at what the hell is going on with my car. Apparently the pipe running over the radiator was smoking. It melted off some of the plastic on the pipe which is why it smelled bad. But the part that got to me was that there was no connection at that point on the pipe. All there was was a bolt that kept the fan in place. My dad gets there after about 10 minutes and pours water into the empty coolant tank. GG maybe I should have noticed the low coolant level last time I opened the hood... So maybe it is my fault? Anyway we sit around and I'm telling him what happened. Then he decides I should just go home in the van and he'll go grocery shopping at the Randall's across the street (that's my dad) to wait for the engine to cool. So I take the van home. When I get home, my mom is like wtf happened. I tell her what happened and she flips out on me, accusing me of giving her more burdens and crap to deal with. I really didn't say anything because I knew I was right, and I was pretty tired. She goes on and on about how I should have checked the fluid levels, etc etc. Typical mom. And I left my Zune in the car. She is a bit more worried about my $300 MP3 player than the car. Hmmm... I didn't want to mention to her that it was her bulletproof plan that if my car breaks down I can just get Dad to pick me up. Now it's all going according to plan, and she's not happy? Oh boo hoo.
My mom calls my dad to see what is up. He is at the Marshall's, which is about a third of the way home. He is driving for about two blocks and stopping the car to cool it. It took him half an hour to move down the street which would normally take 5 minutes. So my mom says eff it, she goes and picks him up, we leave the Avalon in a parking somewhere. My dad is going to go back tomorrow and try to inch it home.
If you can see where the plastic spikes up, that's where it was melting and spewing smoke.
So what do I get out of all this? The 2007 Honda Accord. Drive it tomorrow. Excited? Not really because the Mom is mad at me for... driving normally?
Actually I get one more thing out of this. I'm gonna tell Ms Quaite tomorrow that I couldn't do my project because my car broke down and I got home at 10pm. Sweet.
