Work has been so slow. I thought I was going out of my mind with boredom, but I'm really liking how slow it is right now. I'm now dead sure it's the calm before the storm.
Even though this last half of the week has been winding down, I still haven't gotten much sleep. Typical me. When will I ever learn? Never of course, because my stubbornness wins over my ... well... everything else haha.

So The Karate Kid was a pretty good movie. I enjoyed it. Now we've got stereotypes and new stereotypes. "It's China, everybody knows kung fu." That line had me chuckling. Be warned, world. Mean streets of the world - Brooklyn, Detroit, Compton, and now...Beijing. The bits and pieces of humor injected into what looks like a physically painful time for Jaden Smith (or his stunt doubles) really lightens the mood and makes it a relaxing movie to watch. Some parts of it just needed more of an explanation. So they move to China because the mom got relocated, a little bit farfetched and unrealistic. In fact, the maternal character could have lifted right out of the story. The storyline practically made her out to be a prop.
In the end, the antagonist turns over a new leaf and hands over the trophy to Dre. Too much of a cut-t0-the-finish happy ending. Other things I was disappointed with are...
I totally thought that Mr. Han and the crazy karate master guy had some sort of complicated past, but turns out there's no relation. Ergo, I'm a little confused about why Mr. Han seemed fearful of the other dude, and him simply being afraid due to how the karate instructor treats his kids is too simplistic of a reason.
so yeah just a few of what seem like holes in the plot bothered me a bit, but only if I overthink things as I usually do. Overall, it was a very good feel-good type of movie. In fact, I'd say this remake is better than some of the other Karate Kid remakes.

On a separate note, I feel like I'm starting to slip into work, come home, do nothing, fall asleep routine. I'm not forcing myself to make time for other things that are important to me. So I need to force myself to sleep earlier so I'll have more energy and force myself to be less lazy. Yep...pretty lame

So I recently caught an episode of Secret Life of a Pregnant Teenager or whatever it's called. I've heard reviews of it in a good light. Stuff about how it portrays real teenage problems, so that young viewers know how to make good decisions. I've got to say I feel like that's a huge load of crap. The teen mom, um what's her name? and the teen dad need a mediator to decide weekend custody of the kid. It's purely simple in my mind. If they can't be together with the kid, it ought to be 50/50, easy as that. I don't understand how she came to be such a drama queen over the issue. The parents are a little too involved in their kids' sex lives. Kind of creeps me out. Maybe I'm old-fashioned about that, but some things aren't meant to be shared. It's also very creepy the parents are so supportive of sex in their kids' lives. Well, not supportive, but more... laissez-faire about the whole thing. Whatever, it's weird... Plus, it seems like there's way too much partner exchanging in this show, whether it be casual dating, casual sex, serious relationships. Every member of the cast has dated or been with another member of the cast who is of the opposite sex. I guess all sitcoms are like that, but this one in particular seems a bit ridiculous and lame. That's just my opinion. This one red-head and the blonde jock-looking guy seem like a nice young couple. Somehow the show makes it seem like it's a norm for a gift to be presented after the words "I love you" are exchanged. That doesn't sound right to me. In fact, it's a little wrong, like a bargaining chip or something. So yeah, I'm just rambling about how I don't really like the messages this show sends out.

As for teen pregnancy in itself, I don't support it. Teenagers are usually not mature enough to be able to care for someone else and probably not mature enough to handle sex or intimacy altogether. However, to say that a teenager shouldn't have kids so young, because they need to focus on school and they have their whole lives ahead of them. That's kind of a wash. When is there a time in someone's life when one is conveniently ready, capable, and has plenty of time to devote to a new child? Nowadays, everybody is always busy with something going on in their lives. There's always the traditional stay-at-home wife/mother who devotes her life to her family and children. But on the other hand, most grown-ups now are trying to juggle a career and a personal life and everything in between and all over the place. To decide when is the right time to have kids is when someone has the desire to make the sacrifices to rearrange and make lifestyle changes and looks forward to inconveniences and stress and challenges of parenthood.

Hrm....what else has been on my mind lately?

Oh yeah, plans I had set out for myself a few months ago...

So ... took the test last week, I'm a little afraid to utter the name of it, because I'm so scared I failed. I really really think so. I can go on making excuses for myself about how hard it is to work all the time and study when I'm not working and the rough hours, waking up long before the sun is up. In the end, if I fail, it's on me, I just didn't make it to the other side. I keep telling myself it's okay. I should just keep on studying. So what if I have to shell out more money? Money comes and goes. If it's a good investment, the cost is well worth it. I'll just have to try again in December.

Aside from that, I'm not so sure what my next step is. I mean I just started this job and I am committed to it, but I don't know where to go from there. I don't want to be a Research Assistant forever. It is quite a lot of babysitting. I do like it. Some of the people have been very welcoming and supportive. I say 'some,' because others are just...completely (fill in the blank). Anyways, I just am not sure what else I can do. I wanted a masters' degree, but I feel completely underqualified for an MFE and not passionate enough about an MBA. Well I'll mull it over for the time being and hopefully I'll figure it out. People say I'm young and I'll figure it out. I'm more afraid that I'm not getting any younger and time is fleeting. Once it's gone, it's gone. So ... there's that.

This past week, it's just been work and after work, I go home and take it easy. Feels good after the past couple of weekends of high stress and running around lost and confused. Last Saturday was a bit rough. 8 hours at Fort Mason, then going to the office, but that's okay. Other people have it way worse and the comfort of having a steady stream of income. There is no way I'm taking that for granted. I do joke about writing memoirs of a corporate slave. That's just the dry humor in me. Oh yeah, I need to figure out exactly what is up with the mid-year review process...thing. Oh it's nice and sunny today, puts a smile on my face, but it's pretty windy right now. Slept with the window open to get a nice breeze going, but I can feel the wind really going at it now. It's not bad. Checked weather.com and it's about 14 mph. A little bummed, because the past couple of weekends were nice and sunny and now they're gone.

As for living at home, oh my gosh, it just does not seem fair to me to put away 30% of my paycheck to the parentals. I mean, come on, their mortgage is only about $900/month, less than a studio in the city. Plus, the little garage apartment only goes for around $700/month and they have pretty much a full set-up, even though it's a rather small set-up. I don't know. I'm not trying to be a selfish mooch living at home. I'm willing to contribute, but I just was hoping to put away a little nest egg before then. I'll figure it out. Yes I know they're not asking for much. It's more expensive to live on my own. It's not just rent to consider. There's PGE, water, utilities, internet, food, heat....the list goes on and on...

AND I am now debt-free. YAY! Ok I only took out one small student-loan and my lovely mama and baba helped me out with the remainder of that. I recently paid them all back. So one less thing to worry about. Makes me a happy girl.

Interesting story at the bank. For some reason, I decided to pay them back all in cash. I could have written them a check, but I don't know. In case my parents get audited for unreported income or something haha. But also a big wad of cash just gives for nice effect. So the two of them took that to B of A. Since I opened my B of A account in 2005 I think, I have never had any problems with them. So my parents took that cash to the bank to deposit and then the teller found a counterfeit $10. No biggie, it's just ten bucks. I personally thought it was a cool novelty item, but the bank had to render it as a piece of whatever that they need to hold on to and report to and send to whoever deals with counterfeit bills. I really wonder how that bill landed in my hands, but whatever, I'm over it. Second thing is the teller miscalculated the deposit amount by about $1000 credit. My parents walked away like ok we did nothing wrong, works in our favor. Then guilt took over, they went back to the bank to tell the bank manager that they think it might be a miscalculation on their part, yadda yadda yadda, got that sorted out.
Conversation went something like this:

Dad: uhh are you guys short in balances today?

Mgr: yeah actually we are

Dad: by how much?

Mgr: seems like about 1000

Dad explains that it might be an incorrect record of deposit to their account and he tried to phrase his wording to make himself sound like the innocent party. And he was innocent in all of that. So yeah they corrected that the following business day.

I thought that was hilarious. Really ridiculous and incompetent factor actually. First of all, the teller could have been more careful, but it was an honest mistake. The bank manager, I honestly believe was an idiot for dispensing that kind of information to the public. I mean, what if it got into the hands of an investor or someone? You just don't say these kinds of things to the public, even if you're one penny short. It's nobody else's business and it's just not a diplomatic thing to do.

Let's see...things I need to do. I'll run through my head and make a little to-do list.

1. Get ATT corporate discount set up. Hrm...Do I want a new phone? I don't want to put away money for a data plan. It'd be useful, but..I'd rather not spend that.

2. Choose a primary care dentist.

3. Set up my 401k.

4. Grocery shopping - need some snackety things for the office and sandwich or salad fixings.

5. Upgrade my checking account...get United miles? I need to speak to banker and figure out if employees get anything different than any other account holder.

6. I'm pretty sure there was more, but I'll let it come to me.

Oh I sort of want to get a sewing machine. No I've never used one, but how hard could it be? I will definitely eat my words later, but I think I might enjoy it or let it drive me crazy. Either way, I foresee a new hobby in the future.

Hrm, I had other things on my mind, but I guess it wasn't that important if it slipped my mind.

Lastly, the shopaholic side of me has taken over. I acquired a bout of inexpensive items, because that's just what I do. Buy inexpensive things in pretty big quantities, so the costs do add up, unfortunately. I think I did quite a few online orders, because I was able to get free shipping. Guilty pleasure of mine. I'm really happy with most of my purchases, but I might return a pair of shoes, because they're too big. So yeah, did a little bit of splurging. I am a girl after all...couldn't help myself =\. Hrm, maybe I need to put down a record of what I buy, so I can track my spending, or just so I can see pictures of what I own.

Now I'll go get something to eat and clean up the sty I live in. I really need to be neater. I really need to be more on top of things in general, actually. I'm constantly reminded of how I'm not a kid anymore, but I still feel like a kid and forever I shall stay that way.

I used to use this as an outlet to whine or complain or both, because I felt overwhelmed. Gosh so much has changed since then. It's not like now I'm blissfully content and I don't need to spill my guts out in print anymore. Sometimes I think something and I feel like I should write it down, but not before I get caught up in how fast life moves by and how quickly I knock out when I need to stay awake and how much it sucks that I can't fall asleep when I desperately need to sleep.