Knuckle head.

I called in to the academy today. Did I have a good reason not to go? Of course not. But let's just leave it at that.. =/

As I was half awake - half asleep early this morning, I apathetically picked up my cell phone and dialed the phone number to the Director of the academy.

Director: White.
Me: Good morning, sir. This is Cadet Pak, P. from BPOC (this stands for basic police officer certification) class #248 calling to inform you I will be absent today. My brother, Cadet Pak, E. will be absent as well.
Director: Okay, Pak, P and Pak, E. I'll mark you both down.
Me: Thank you, have a good day, sir.
Director: *Click*

As soon as I hung up the phone, I called for my brother (Pak, E). I knocked on his door and there was no answer. The door was locked. I figured he was asleep since he just got off his grave yard shift.

I remembered speaking with Eric earlier, while he was brushing his teeth but it was briefly. I told him that I was going to call in to the academy today and he replied, 'Okay, that's cool'.

I don't know why, but my brain translated his message, 'okay, that's cool' as 'okay, I'm not going in, too so call in for me as well'

I took a nap for about an hour then I received a call from my brother. I pick up the phone as I was thinking to myself, 'Why would my brother call me on the cell phone when I'm in the bedroom right next to his'.

Me: Um, what's up?
Eric: Hey, did you call in to the academy for me?
Me: Uh, yeah.. Where are you?
Eric: *laughs* I'm here at the academy.
Me: Whaaat? I thought you were in your room this whole time!
Eric: No, I've been here.. Mr. White took roll call and he asked, "Is there anyone present, who's name I didn't call?" So I stood up and told him I was present. Then he goes, "No shit. The other knuckle head who called in mentioned your name as well." Practically the whole class started laughing.
Me: *laughing* Wow, that's funny.

Sometimes I wonder where my mind is and if it's going to drift off into space for good and never find its way back, lol.

Old fart.

I think I might be having an age crisis. I dunno why, I just feel really old.. I am no longer who I think I am or the kid trying to figure things out. I'm an adult either succeeding or failing..

Here's a short list of what makes me feel old at the moment:

1. I know what nostalgia is.
2. I ache bad after exercises.
3. I get irritated by loud music.
4. I squinch my eyes to focus.
5. Today is my 26th birthday.

After reading my list I've decided to not get sad over it, but go exercise, watch some movies, read a book, eat a lot of ice cream, then feel sad.. =/

Lovin' is what I got.

This is Me, Eric, and Wymond at a party. Eric didn't know the lyrics too well, lol. We rehearsed the song only once before we played it for all the people there.. Props to Wymond for playing the solo part on the second try.

Recap #2.

So its been an eventful 3 weeks into the Police academy..

We got dismissed from class early today, so I thought I'd use this leisure time to catch up on what's been going on with me this past week.

Monday - I took my third exam that covered criminal procedures and arrest, searches, and seizures. I scored a 96 on my test! Studying is really paying off. The academy instructors honored me with an academic and physical commendation award. I also got appointed as one of the class leaders (a rank of a Corporal), so I'm proud of myself for all that. In case you're wondering what the duties of a class leader is.. They basically are in charge of a particular squad, my squad being "Squad #3", and you are representing about 15 cadets' interest, leading them in physical training, and enforcing academy rules.

Tuesday thru Friday - We spent a lot of time learning the Texas Penal Code. As an instructor talked about officer professional development, he quoted, "We are evaluated and classified by four things: By what we do, by how we look, by what we say, and how we say it." To me, this quote is the epitome of being a police officer and I wish people in my class would take the objectives more seriously because there are cadets who seem to just be in the academy for the uniform and lack discipline.. It's whatever though. There are going to be dirt bags in every profession, no matter how much professionalism the job requires.

Today - If you love four seasons, Houston is not for you. Summer lasts from like late February to December here. I looked at the car thermometer and it read..



Sometimes living here is like being trapped inside a zip locked bag..

Airplanes.

Philippians 4:13

"I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me"

Without God, I'm nothing and no matter how hard I try to do good, I can't do it on my own strength. I feel defeated when I try to do things on my own.

It's in my weakness that God's strength is made perfect. I'm not a perfectionist, trying to do all things on my own, but someone who knows I can do all things only through Christ who strengthens me.

Recap.

Last Monday thru Friday - I started the police academy. I attend from 8am to 5pm. There's a lot of material we've been covering, like U.S. Constitution, Stress Management, and Criminal Justice Systems.. I have been taking lots of notes and studying every night. Also, going on very few hours of sleep. I use the weekends to re-charge my brain batteries, so it works out..

On Sunday - My brother's and I took Mom to Cheddar's for Mother's day. I've never ate Cheddar's before, but I can say this.. It wasn't like most upscale restaurants we take her to. At least I can spend less than $40.00 and leave Mr. Wallet and myself pretty happy. The meals that we ordered were all fairly large to where you can share with another person. The customer service was good, considering that everyone and their mother were there and the place was packed at 3pm in the afternoon.

Today - We took our first written exam at the Academy and I Aced it. We also took a little physical fitness test. The instructor had us do as many push ups as we can in no given time frame and as many sit ups as you can in two minutes. I cranked out 80 proper push ups and 82 sit ups in 2 minutes. Most of the cadets averaged about 30 push ups and 35 sit ups. Although I'm more physically prepared than the other cadets, I feel like I could have done better.. Tomorrow we're probably gonna do a run test, so I'm looking forward to that.

Salsa Verde fanatic.

If you ever been to a Mexican restaurant, you've surely stumbled upon a kind of salsa called "Salsa Verde".

It's tangy, sweet, and spicy and it taste good with just about anything.. My bro's and I can't get enough of this stuff. It's so addictive..

Time for change.

There's a time when everyone feels like they need something new in their lives..

I can't help feeling that I might drown into a pool of repetition.

Day after day I wake up feeling the same way and thinking the same thoughts. I see the same family and friends every time I leave my house. I feel like I'm not strong enough to make any sort of change, although God knows I want to.

I'm a character in a lame book and each day and night I live through is one page closer to the end of the story.

I don't want to wait until I'm too old to get out of my present rut and make the changes I need to make myself happy. I'd hate to look back in my life twenty years from now and regret I never had the courage to get out there and make the change.

MKE visit.

I went on vacation this past weekend, so I haven't had a chance to blog..

I went to Milwaukee, Wisconsin..

I know, quite strange for a Texan to go to the mid west for vacation.

I have to admit, Milwaukee was one of the most boring cities I have ever visited. All I did there was eat and drive around in a rental, wonderlessly (if that's even a word).. But I also have to consider that I picked the worst weekend to go up there. It was raining the entire time. Not to mention it was also cold. =/

The Sheraton hotel I stayed in was pretty nice. It was located near a highway, the mall, and plenty good restaurants.. I remember driving to downtown Milwaukee at night and seeing few people walking around. I can tell this place was not really a night-time strolling culture. I'm kind of worried it's the sort of city where everyone is in bed by 9pm..

I noticed some pretty suburb areas, as well. Nice architecture and lake front. The people there were mostly friendly.. It was a pretty unique city, but like I said, I picked a very bad weekend to go there. Stupid April showers..

Yeah, yeah..

This video makes me wanna start a food fight. It must be nice to have fun and make music at the same time.. =]

Blink 182 - "I miss you"

"Hello there, the angel from my nightmare
The shadow in the background of the morgue
The unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley
We can live like Jack and Sally if we want
Where you can always find me
We'll have Halloween on Christmas
And in the night we'll wish this never ends
We'll wish this never ends.."


Ever miss someone dearly? And it wouldn't matter if they waste time on you because their voice is all ready in your head 24/7..

Pumping gas and iron.

I hate it when you're pumping gas and when you're trying to round up to the next even amount, the gas meter clicks one cent over.

For example, today I was planning on only spending $10.00 even, using my debit card.

As I was pumping, I kept an eye on the meter and as the numbers came close to 9.90, I start tapping the trigger of the nozzle, hoping I can land an even number on $10.00, but nope, it lands on $10.01!

So, as I'm grinning, I hold the gas trigger and shoot for $11.00 even. As the gas meter gets close to $10.90, I start tapping the trigger again, as I'm watching the numbers jump up slowly.. and damnit, it hits 11.02!!

I ended up spending $2.00 more than I wanted to by the time I got the meter to reach an even number of $12.00.. =/

Other than my experience with pumping gas, I've been spending a lot of time in the gym this week. Just getting ready for the Police academy coming up May 3rd!

Calm down...

My birthday is around the corner and I thought a new guitar would be the perfect gift for myself. Actually, a new Camaro would be the perfect gift, but my funds can't cover that at the moment. My friend, Wymond (pronounced why-man) wanted a new guitar as well, so we both took a trip to Guitar Center.

We looked around for 10 minutes until this one guitar stuck out like a diamond in the sky.. The guitar is called "Taylor Big Baby"..



I picked the guitar up and my first thought was.. "Damn, this guitar is feather light".. Then I thought, "This guitar can't sound good.." But once I sat down and played it, I was amazed..

I've played expensive guitars before and the tone of this guitar reminded me of $2,000 guitars. The low notes had a nice deep harmony and the higher notes had a bright, yet warm chime.

My friend liked the tone of the guitar as well, and once he tried playing it, he agreed that it was a nice sounding guitar. Especially for the price, being $449.00. I know $449.00 seems expensive for people who don't own guitars, but you have to understand most nice guitars average $1,000 and more.

We both decided to buy the guitar. One of the sales reps came out from the back of the store carrying two brand new big baby taylor's and my eyes lit up. I was really excited like a kid in a candy store..

But the feeling went away once I picked up my phone when my brother, Eric called.

Eric: Phillip, why did you take my f*cking car?!
Me: *looks at the time and suddenly realized Eric has to work at 10pm* Crap! I forgot!
Eric: Damnit! I'm gonna be late for work! What the F*ck were you thinking!? You know I had to work tonight and you still take my car!
Me: My bad man, I'll head home right now.. I forgot, sorry..
Eric: What the f*ck man! Where the f*ck are you!?
Me: Guitar Center.. I'll go home right now..
Eric: Damn, I'm gonna be late 'cause you're 30 minutes away and I have to be at work in 30 minutes!!
Me: Calm down... I'll try to hurry home, ok?...
Eric: Man, don't ever use my car again!
Me: ...Okay, that's fine...But I think you're overreacting and need to calm down...
Eric: It's my second day at my new job and I'm gonna look like a piece of s*it because of you!
Me: *sigh* Whatever man.. ::I hung up the phone::

I asked the Sales Reps to hold onto the guitars until tomorrow and they said they would. Then we pretty much ran out of the store and rushed home to drop off the car, but Eric had all ready called my mother to bring her car over to our place so he can use hers.

I understand that you don't want to be late to work because it shows poor work ethics, but come on, you don't raise hell about it. I told him I messed up and I forgot, but to still go off about it like he did is plain immature...

Awkward..

My friend and I were talking about awkward moments during the ride to the gym.

David: Have you ever coughed and farted at the same time?
Me: Whaaat?
David: Yeah, when the pressure from coughing pushes out a fart. Have you ever done that? I've done it before, it's embarrassing man..
Me: No.. I think it's awkward when you walk into class late and everyone stares at you.
David: Yeah, but I'll tell you what's awkward.. When you're in class and when you stand up, you realize you have a woody.. That ever happen to you?
Me: Um.. No. *awkward silence*

Fear versus life.

Fear stops us from doing what we really want to do in life and it kills us. Fear protects, but also kills. I admit, I'm afraid of public humiliation and what other people think. Afraid of telling people what I think to their face, without skirting around the issues.

Ever thought of what would happen if for just one day, you were straight to the point, in everyone's face, blurt out everything you really think about that person. What would happen?

Life could turn beautiful. You could feel free from all bullshit. I try to be myself, with no fears, nothing..

Have you ever..

Thought of something funny and started laughing out loud in the presence of others?

I do, all the time.

They normally ask me what I'm laughing about..

But most of the time they would just repeat what this guy says..



=]

Smoke and Mirrors.

I bought the new album by Lifehouse... and I love it! =]

My favorite songs off the CD so far are "From where you are", "Had enough", "All in", and "Falling in".. I'll rate the album a 4/5, overall.

When I first heard the track, "Hanging by a moment" by Lifehouse in 2001, I knew this band was gonna make it big. Their music is so introspective, which is also what inspired me to write my own songs. A lot of their songs are about love and pain, but they have so much meaning and feeling behind them.

For example their song, "Whatever it takes".. The lyrics go:

"There's a million reasons for you to go
But if you can find a reason to stay
I'll do whatever it takes
To turn this around
I know what's at stake
I know that I've let you down
And if you give me a chance
Believe that I can change
I'll keep us together
Whatever it takes"

You can't sit there and read that, then say those lyrics don't appeal to you in any way.. I wish I had a girlfriend I can play that song for because it has so much meaning to me and I feel like that is the approach you should take in any relationship. Recognize the differences and do whatever it takes to make the relationship work..

Imagine yourself in a band, where you play music in front of 25,000 fans and everyone knew the songs you sang before you even started to sing. Plus, the fans sing along so loud that you can't even hear yourself singing. What a crazy lifestyle it would be.. I respect Lifehouse, no matter how under-rated they are..

Twilight Zone. Not the Saga.

I slept late last night.. again.. and when I woke up, I thought I entered the twilight zone.

For those old enough to remember "The Twilight Zone" episodes..

If I heard Rod Serling's voice announcing in my bedroom, the creepy intro, "You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension, a dimension of sound, dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas... You've just crossed over into the Twilight Zone..."

I would've pissed all over my bed, seriously.

What caught me so off guard was when I looked at the clock in my bedroom. No, the arms of the clock weren't spinning counter clock-wise or anything bizarre of that matter, but the time was different from my alarm time.



As you see, it reads about 12:09.. And my alarm time reads..



2:15.. So, this was tripping me out. I know for sure that I don't do any hallucinogenic drugs or any drugs, period. My assumption was that maybe the battery off the room clock is dying..

So I walk to the bathroom and look at the clock in there.



It read 1:15, what the hell.. Did I just wake up today and turned into a nut case over night? I ran into my room and grabbed my cell phone off the charger. I frantically picked up my phone and looked for the time on it, but the phone starts rebooting. Son of a..

Before I start getting too carried away, I sat on my bed and took a deep breath. I patiently waited for my phone to finish booting up and saw the time matched the clock in the bathroom, 1:15.. I felt relieved to find out I wasn't going crazy, after all.. I just needed to readjust my clocks..

Oh, how crazy would it have been if my cell phone read something different from the other times.. Imagine how crazy the world would be in general to lose track of time.. =/

Exhibit Magic.

Lindsay invited me and my brother's to the Houston Museum of natural science. I am sad to say that the museum hasn't changed much since I was a little kid. I'm not a museum nut, but learning is definitely the best thing a person can do for themselves..

We decided to check out the 'magic' exhibit. They had a lot of videos on display, showing past magicians performing their creative tricks. A popular magician I learned about was Harry Houdini, an escape artist. This guy could get out of strait jacket's hanging from an upside down position and escape from being handcuffed, and trapped inside a box that would quickly sink into a lake and emerge free of the box and handcuffs within a few minutes..

I also recall seeing a video where a known magician, Richard Hatch performs a magic trick involving cups and balls. I heard this trick is the world's earliest recorded forms of magic. There were also live performers at different stops in the exhibit, which was kind of fun watching. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to record anything with my camera. Overall, we spent about 2 hours there before we got tired of walking around. I think magic is one of those things that can inspire people of all ages to learn about the science behind it..



This is David, Me, Stephen, and Eric..



By the way, it was Lindsay's 24th birthday, so I bought her a chocolate ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins. This thing is a chocolate lover's dream..



Dangit, I accidentally poured grape juice on my t-shirt.. but anyways, happy birthday, Lindsay!

I love you, Mary Beth..

If anyone read my past post about my new hand gun I bought, you'd know what I'm talking about in my title.. I'm a dork, I know..

I went to the gun range today and I have to say I'm in love with my new hand gun (Sig P226 Elite). The trigger action is smooth and the gun balances well in my hand after every shot. I couldn't be anymore satisfied with my gun.

This is what I first shot at about 15 yards..



The scattered shots near the bottom were my first couple shots. I quickly adjusted after, but I noticed I had slight trigger pull to the right..

Here is another target at 15 yards..



I think the gun was pretty accurate. I'm not the world's greatest shot, so my targets are not example's of the best the gun can do. The gun is heavy, but absorbs the .40 cal rounds easily. Also, it's easy to get the gun back on target after each shot..

I miss those blue eyes.

I heard this mellow song on the radio today by Colbie Caillat and thought I'd cover it while it's on my mind..

Not so April Fools.

I wonder who was the smart aleck that started this tradition of playing jokes on people every April 1st..

I'm not so big into playing jokes on people, even if I hate them. I remember watching this TV show, where a group of guys put a so called 'joke' on one of their friend. Basically the 'friend' was approached by police officers and then arrested. The guy getting arrested didn't find out that it was an April Fools joke until after wards..

I can't imagine the stress and suffering they caused their friend. This wasn't funny at all yet, the guy getting arrested acted like it was funny in the end just because someone yelled out, "April Fools!"..

Earlier today I got a call from my friend, Lindsay, saying that David was involved in a car accident. She briefly mentioned that his car got hit by an 18-wheeler at the intersection of Clay and Kempwood. I calmly asked if he was all right, and she replied nervously, I don't know, but can you please drive up there and check it out..

So here I am driving down the road with my brother, Stephen. While I'm driving, I realized that there is no such intersection of the streets, Clay and Kempwood.. My first impression was, is this a joke? I immediately called her back..

Me: Hey Lindsay, did you say he was at Clay and Kempwood? As far as I remember, there is no intersection of those streets.
Lindsay: Oh, is that what I told you.. I'm sorry, I honestly don't recall if it was Clay and Kempwood or something else.. David called me using a random person's cell phone and after he told me, he hung up right away..
Me: Okay, try calling him back from whatever number he dialed from, but for now, I'll try to drive down both streets and see if I can spot him.

I continued driving down Gessner, which intersects with both Clay and Kempwood, and as we past both streets, there is no sign of ambulances, tow truck drivers, or 18-wheeler. Lindsay calls me back 10 minutes later.

Lindsay: Did you find him yet?
Me: No, I haven't..
Lindsay: Hmm, do you think David is the type that would play an April Fool's joke on us?
Me: I honestly don't think so, but if he is, this isn't funny at all..
Lindsay: Okay, lemme try calling that number he called me from one more time because they're not answering..

I slowly convinced myself that this might be a joke. Plus, if it were as serious as it sounds, David would've called her back shortly, at least to check up on the status of where we were. As I start heading back home, Lindsay calls again..

Lindsay: Phil, I am so sorry. I just got a hold of him and he told me he's at the intersection of Clay and Campbell..
Phil: Ohh, okay, I know where that is..
Lindsay: I'll meet you up there.

As we approached the accident, it surely wasn't a joke. David's car sustained minor scratches and his car battery had died. Other than that, no one was hurt, which is always good. I just hate to have the mind set that there was a possibility of a joke being played into this when situations like this should always be taken to a serious matter.. =/

New work out routine.

Stretch for 3 minutes.

Jog 2 laps around the neighborhood at a moderate speed.

Third lap, do 10 push ups every 30 yards. (Total of 100 push ups)

Go to the gym and do a 6 minute ab work out.

Then jump on the weights for 20 minutes.

Run on the treadmill for 3 minutes at a 7 mile per hour speed.

Go back to the weights for 15 more minutes.

Run on the treadmill for 2 minutes at a 8 mile per hour speed.

Do another 6 minute ab work out to finish my whole work out routine.

I'm trying a new total body work out I made up. Reason for this is because I want to avoid muscle adaptation, where you exercise only one muscle group per day and it is usually same amount of weights and same routine. I believe you will get more results if you hit a little of each muscle group from a different angle or intensity in each workout. Plus, it's more fun when you change up the routines..

Good morning, or try to make it at least..

Every morning, I notice my hair is kinda all over the place..

Waking up is almost like a joke. From the dogs barking loud from downstairs, the construction workers hammering and making loud noises outside my window, and my allergies get more agitating by the day.. Is this what life is all about?

So here I am standing in front of my bathroom mirror staring at myself, while I'm brushing my teeth. I try to convince myself to put on a smile even though I'm not deep down inside. Maybe to protect myself from the realization I'm making a mistake if I do smile.

I do my typical routine: shave, wash my face, insert my contacts into my eyes, pat down my nappy hair with my hands and jam a ball cap over it. Yeah, I wasn't blessed as the lucky duck that wakes up looking fabulous every morning and apparently, I am not hugely concerned about personal appearance.

I prefer to be worried about more important things like, uh.. ending world hunger and if I'm gonna get married before the age of 30.. =/

This is when I met Mary Beth...

I went to the gun show today with my brother, Eric.. Of course the guns there weren't as big as.. *flexes biceps*.. my guns. =P

Surprisingly, there were no lines to purchase tickets. When we got inside the convention center, it was a mad house. A lot of people standing shoulder to shoulder, looking at guns that were on tables for display. I noticed a lot of the prices went up since last year. I also noticed the usual red necks hanging out at the hunting booths, very few black people, and the weird looking guys from the deep part of the woods, that walk stiff and have a non relaxed look.. but anyways.. it's cool to see people from all walks of life take part in their 2nd amendment rights..

The gun show is like the only place that I can shop for more than an hour.. My job in the military was equivalent to a civilian gunsmith. However, I do not claim to be anywhere near an expert on gun knowledge. I like to walk past all the different gun booths and get a feel for the dealers, who has the new stuff, who has the best selection of semi-autos, rifles, etc..

We walked by this one gun booth and it had a selection of Sig Sauer pistols. There were several hand guns there that caught our attention. You know how when you see something and you just know it's "the one" for you. Well, that's how I felt when I saw Mary Beth.. She had nice brown skin and had this healthy glow about her. It was a beautiful sight.. Yes, the Sig Sauer P226 Elite .40 Caliber pistol.. lol.



You gotta admit, it's sexy and its got class!



Now here's my new Sig by my FN pistol, 9mm, that I bought couple years back..

I don't know too much about Sig's, but I know they aren't bad guns at all. I used to shoot the Sig P226, 9mm, in the military when I used to qualify Navy pilots and I remember they were really accurate.. I read in an article that Sig's are one of the best police weapons, built to the highest requirements. Also used by military and federal agents. They have good ballistic performance and are known for their accuracy.

So, I'm pretty satisfied on buying the Sig as my first duty pistol for when I join the force. If my gun doesn't drop a crook with 12, .40 caliber hollow point rounds, I better invest in a cross, wooden stake, or solid silver bullets.. =/

Finding Nemo and Galveston.

I went to Galveston yesterday! I was tired the whole time I was out there, but oh well. What can you expect when you stay up till 3am, then all of a sudden plan a random trip to the beach. I've never met anyone so into fishing as my friend, David. I was hesitant about calling him at 3am because it's not really courteous to call people in the middle of their happy dreams, but I did anyway to see what he'd say..

Me: *Listening to recall dial tone*
David: *Half awake, Half asleep* Hello?
Me: Hey man.. wanna go fishing?
David: ..Really?
Me: Yeah, come over if you wanna go!
David: All right! I'll be right there! *hangs up the phone*

*15 Minutes later David shows up to my house with his wader suit and beach towel*

Me: *As I'm loading the truck with fishing poles, I look over to see him park his car and get out* Damn, you came fast!..
David: Well, I love fishing, what can I say..
Me: Whatever you say man, just help me get the rest of the gear on the truck..

First, we drove out west of Galveston to San Louis Pass. Instead of catching fish, we caught a lot of cold tides and choppy water. Then we tried East Beach and no fish were biting there, either. Our final spot we tried was Surf side off the jeddis. Still nothing. After the 368th casting attempt, one pound of bait shrimp and minnow; and facial sun burns, I looked over to David and told him today is just not the day for fishing. He agreed wholeheartedly. This was the first time for both of us that we had gone a whole day without catching a single fish in Galveston. We didn't even feel a nibble on our baits!



Here is David, The hardcore fisher man.. All suited up in his waders, ready to fish 5am in the chilly morning..



Everyone meet Nemo, the dirt minnow. Nemo was nominated for the Heroic Fish of the Day Award. He was recognized for his courageous acts of involuntarily being hooked through his mouth and being casted into the scary ocean by a pole over 10 times, without being eaten alive by other bigger fish.. We had to throw him back into the bait bucket because we figured it just wasn't meant for him to die that day..



David thought it was funny that I was changing in public, so he snapped a picture of me. I didn't really care exposing my underwear at the beach because most of everyone is half naked there anyway..



Anyways, I'll probably go back to Galveston in the summer and have better luck with fishing then..

It's 3am and I'm going fishing!

Random, I know.. But I am really going fishing..

I'm officially a country music fan.

I can't believe I just announced that.. =/

Yesterday I was riding around with my friend, David. As we were talking about different music genres, he hesitantly reached for the radio and turned up the volume. As I tuned into what was playing and heard a familiar country riff, I thought to myself, "Oh no, not another redneck tune about getting drunk and dirty". Next second, I found myself nodding my head to the melody of the song. When the song got to the chorus part, I was hooked. The melody and lyrics weren't bad and it sounded catchy, lol..

I know I live in Texas and most people get the perception.. Wait, lemme rephrase, 'close-minded people' get the perception that everyone in Texas favors country music, rides horses, and wears cowboy hats. Okay, maybe I make an exception for wearing the cowboy hat because I'm a whole different kind of breed.. But anyways.. I grew up in a large city where country is about as cool as the high school math club. Most people I know express a sigh of irritation whenever they hear country music.

As fate would have it, "Gimme that girl" by Joe Nichols turned me towards country music and I've been listening to it on repeat since..

Here's some more country songs I enjoyed from the radio:

"Don’t" by Billy Currington
"All I Want To Do" by Sugarland
"Home" by Blake Shelton

They were all Yellow.

I can't fall asleep. =/

Well, here's my cover of "Yellow" by Coldplay...

I caught you, gingerbread man..

Every time Scott comes over to visit, he brings these snacks that are in the shape of the gingerbread man. The first time he came over with them, he looked at us cheerfully and goes, "Man, you gotta try these. They are good!!" My mother asked us at the dinner table, "Who is wasting their money on those cookies? Nobody even eats them" My brother, Stephen replied, "You don't see Scott sneak those in here every time he comes over? He buys a whole bunch of them and stashes them in his car." My mother just responds with, "What a pig.."

I remember in Elementary school, my second grade teacher had our class go on a gingerbread man hunt. We would all venture out of the classroom, in a single file line. I think the purpose of the assignment was for us to get a tour of the school. I remember walking to the cafeteria and seeing the cooks greet us. The teacher asked them, "We're looking for the gingerbread man, have you seen him?" and all of us would await their response, as we looked curious to know. The cooks would respond, "Yes, but he ran off somewhere else! He also said, Run, run, as fast as you can, you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man!" Then all the kids would look at each other and say, "Aww, man!" As we'd continue our route throughout the school, the staff would tell us the same message about the ever running gingerbread man. Eventually, the teacher would lead us back to our classroom, where we'd find the gingerbread man laid out across a large table, baked and ready for us to eat him, lol.

It must suck being the gingerbread man, always on the run. Then gets eaten cause he can't run forever..

No hard feelings, man.. but..

The broken clock ain't a comfort, I can't sleep tonight..

I fell asleep at 3am last night then found myself rolling side to side, unable to go back to sleep at 7am..

This rarely happens to me, but I can't fall right back to sleep. I read in an Insomniac article that when you wake up in the middle of your sleep and start worrying, it causes the release of stimulant stress hormones, which makes your mind start racing. I guess being on here blogging and stimulating my brain isn't going to help much, either. =/

A part of me used to like the feeling of being awake and active while the world was asleep. It felt like I was exclusive and cool just because I was awake throughout the night. The closest I've ever come to insomnia was probably in high school when I had to pull all-nighters in order to finish whatever paper or project I procrastinated on.

I hate not getting enough rest now. Even if it's just one night. Now I have to go through a bizarre pattern of a tired late morning, then walk around like a zombie by noon, then a desperate need of a nap by late afternoon, and start to wake up by late evening.. I know there are people out there who have it far worse than me, but I'm one of those types who get annoyed when my sleep pattern goes off.

I like the feeling of getting atleast a good 8 hours of rest and feeling alert, sharp, and energized as soon as I open my eyes. Feeling of invincibility - like you can take on the whole world if you wanted to. Just walking up to your neighbor as you catch them walking towards their car for work and you scream, "bring it on, man!".. Okay, maybe that may seem a little weird, but you get the idea..

I know I should be laying down, listening to soft music to calm my mind right now, but screw it, I'm gonna go for a jog..

Song of the day: Lifehouse - Broken =]

Nap time.

Here is Cookie sleeping with his walk harness still on him, lol. He seems pretty content with his lifestyle. Nothing to worry about. Just eat, sleep, and play..

Another run in the sun.

The temperature was in the mid 70's in Houston today. The sun was also out, so it was one of those days for me to enjoy it while it lasts..

I didn't follow my routine work out today, but routine's get boring so it's nice to switch it up every so often. I started to warm up with a slow paced jog around the neighborhood, which is like 1/5 of a mile. Then the laps after, I'd stop temporarily every 40-50 yards and do 20 push ups. After 2 laps and nearly 300 push ups, you start to feel exhausted.. No, exhausted is more like an understatement. You feel like you wished you never had arms because the pain hurts so bad..



Every time I find myself getting tired, I tell myself to finish what I started. I like to push myself near the point of breaking because that's when we can go beyond our limits. You can take this approach not only in work outs, but in all areas of our lives. I'm glad I completed another workout and walked away with the sense of satisfaction - had I not pushed myself, I would have felt I let myself down. My goal is to get into the best shape of my life, and to not cut corners or give up - just like you don't succeed with other goals by cutting corners and giving up.



I like the feeling after work outs when my heart pounds away, all my connective tissue throbs, sweating profusely as you still feel hot, and knowing my body is waking up from inadequate activity.. Tomorrow is another opportunity to push myself harder..

Happy Birthday, Amy!

My brother, Stephen has a girlfriend named Amy. She's good people. She is also considered a close family friend. Anyhow, it's her birthday tomorrow! Congratulations, you are one year closer to dieing. But, seriously, happy birthday to you on behalf of me and my family...and Cookie?







Wow, Cookie never stops surprising me.. He is more creative than I am. He managed to put his paw prints on a clever birthday card. Attaboy, Cookie! =]

Do re mi poop...

Every Tuesday nights I have voice lessons. I started voice lessons 3 weeks ago and I go to one session a week for 30 minutes. Last week was my final session of learning warm-ups. The reason it took me a while to learn warm-ups was because my voice coach uses a weird technique where you sing a bunch of scales, consisting of vowels like "Oo's", "Ah's", "E's" and much more..

This week was my first time bringing in my guitar and playing a song in front of my voice teacher. He normally likes people to bring in CDG's, but let me bring in my guitar because I can play my own songs. The song I chose to sing was 'Collide' by Howie Day. As I started playing and got past the first chorus of the song, he cut me off and told me that I need a better song choice because when people tend to play guitar, they sing softer and don't use their full range of their voice. So, I asked if I can try a different song that I thought would allow me to project my voice more.

Before I started playing my second song choice 'First Time' by Lifehouse, I made sure I had good posture, my soft palate is up, my tongue is down, and I breathe using my diaphragm. After I played past the first chorus, he cut me off again and pointed out that I was breathing too late, resetting my resonating space and breath support between each phrase, and still holding back my full sound.. =/

I think I'm gonna go ahead and buy a CDG player/karaoke machine like my teacher recommended.. I also wanna make a Myspace karaoke account cause it seems fun.

Screw Karma.

Tonight I watched a movie called Law Abiding Citizen. It was about an average guy who conforms to society's rules. One day these crooks invade his home and pretty much rapes and kills his wife before his eyes, then kills his daughter. Basically, years after his loss, he seeks revenge upon the murderer's and revenge against the messed up Criminal Justice System for letting one of the murderer's back onto the streets. I don't wanna go into detail because I don't want to spoil it for anyone planning on watching it..

If you're into revenge movies and taking justice into your own hand type of films, then you'd probably like this one. I personally don't favor movies about turning the other cheek. I'm more about stabbing someone through the cheek if the bastard inflicted suffering on me. Eye for an eye, let's be real. Plus, movies are more interesting when the victims show up to the sorry bastard's house unexpectedly with a chainsaw and goes, "Hey A-hole. Remember when you killed my entire family.. Well, you're gonna regret it in hell after I saw you in half!" That's what I call a glorious justification. =]

I don't want to walk this earth, solo..

I heard a song called "Solo" by an artist called Iyaz. If you listen to mainstream music, you'd know what I'm talking about.. Anyways, it sounded kinda catchy so I thought I'd cover it on guitar.. I only played the first half of the song because I didn't wanna learn the rest of the song..

I popped my sushi.

I went on a date today. We decided to go to a restaurant called Ra Sushi. Julie loves sushi, but I was never a fan of the thought of putting anything raw in my mouth.

I thought since I am going on a date, I might have to shove some sushi down my throat because it wouldn't be right to sit there and watch. Julie went ahead and ordered different types of sushi. Some with salmon, others with crab or shrimp.

We had seats on the second floor balcony, on the outside perimeter of the restaurant. The weather was cool and the atmosphere was really upbeat. Lots of people talking and music blaring. Julie and I had a pretty good conversation about practically anything and everything. It was about a good 30 minutes before the waitress came out with our orders. About 6 plates of food, lol. I guess Julie took it serious that I wanted to try a little of everything since it was my first experience with sushi.

So basically, I grabbed a sushi with salmon and popped it in my mouth. As I tried to chew and swallow it without gagging, I imagined the mortician examining my body and declaring the cause of my death is from eating raw fish.. but it didn't taste bad, just kinda funny.. I imagined why a lot of people like this stuff. I see sushi as an acquired taste and food that is healthy considering all the vegetables they use to prepare it..but we'll see how my stomach responds to it by tomorrow morning..

Besides the sushi, I enjoyed the company of Julie. We got along just fine and we're gonna go on another date.. so yeah, I'm tired so I'm gonna go to bed now..

"Hit it and quit it"

Today I had breakfast with my Mother, Scott (her soon to be husband), and Eric (my youngest brother). We talked about fishing at first then we started talking about girl's and relationships..

Scott: So Phil, are you seeing any females?
Eric: Tell Scott about the girl you met at the mall the other night.

Well, I met this cute girl named Julie at the Express store last week. She offered to give me a discount on a few shirts I bought and saved me 20 dollars. My brother, Eric was with me at the time and played Wingman and told her to give me her number, while she handed me her receipt. She ended up writing her number down for me and I called her once she got off work. We clicked and we've been talking on the phone every day since. So far, she seems like a really good person and she feels the same way about me. We're actually going on our first date tomorrow night, so I'm gonna see how that goes.

Scott: Oh, look at you! So what's your intentions with her?
Me: Um.. what do you mean intentions?
Scott: Do you think she's the type you will commit a long term relationship with or someone you want to hang out with and just befriend?
Eric: He's trying to ask if she's gonna be a hit it and quit it or someone you will settle down with.
Scott: *laughs* Sure, what he said.. Are you gonna.. hit it and quit it or.. look for something more. (Looks over to my mother in fear)
Mom: *blank stare*
Eric: Don't worry, she doesn't know what we are talking about..
Scott: (holding his chest while looking nervous) *laughs* This is so wrong, man!..
Me: *laugh* We'll see how it goes tomorrow, but I'm hoping to get to know her more for now..
Eric: Well, you see Scott, my brother is one of those good guy types..
Scott: Yeah, I know he is..

My mother can't understand much English...But in situations like this, I am glad she doesn't. Our breakfast would've turned into a blood fest and Scott would've caught the wrath of it..

Whew.

I.. am.. exhausted..



Lately, I've been working out like an olympian. I have dedicated so much of my time into training it's ridiculous. My work out routine has been as follows:

9AM: 50 pulls ups in my house and 100 sit ups following a light breakfast.
1PM: 3 mile run in the sun. During the middle of the run, I do calisthenics at a nearby field which includes about 100 push ups, many sets of ab work outs and squats.
4PM: Go to 24 hour fitness to lift weights for about 45 minutes following a light lunch.
8PM: Go back to the gym (with a pool). Do 20 minutes cardio - run on treadmill or cross trainer. Then swim 10 laps and sit in the steam room for about 20 minutes.

My purpose for working out the way I am is because I am trying to shed 10 pounds before the end of this month and also to be prepared for the police academy in May. I know the academy won't be anywhere as intense as my work outs, but I'm just hardcore sometimes when it comes to working out. When I have a goal I set, I will do whatever it takes to achieve it.

Well, time to catch some rest and do it all over again tomorrow..

bang bang bang...

Today I woke up to constant hammering, sawing, and workers running up and down stairways, yelling obnoxiously in Spanish. =/

I look out the bedroom window and see this..



I know this is one of the downfalls of owning a house in a new subdivision, but it's soooo annoying! Sometimes they block off the street next to my house with a crap load of pipes and cinder blocks. Most of the time they are sitting around taking a break and not working. Talk about sorry...

Socks 101.

I took off my shoes and as I looked down at my feet, I realized I went the whole day wearing my socks on the wrong feet.. =/

I need to be more fashion conscious.. or I may be missing some vital information that my parents forgot to impart on me as a child..

Mustache kitty.

I could have sworn this cat is wearing a mustache, lol.

I was walking through my friend's apartment complex and looked over to see a cat sitting by a window and thought I'd take a picture of it. I can just imagine what is going on in the cat's mind...

"I'm so tired of begging for food. My litter box is cleaned out half the time. Cuddling is overrated. I have a week long mustache I don't plan to shave. Hmm, let's see what would be the best escape route to take next time the jerk opens that front door..."

Yee to the freakin' Haw!

Oh, what a day it was.. =]

First off, I got up early this morning and remembered some of my brother's church people invited me to the rodeo..

I just wanna let you know I've lived in Texas for most of my life (20 years?) excluding the time I was in the military and stationed everywhere else and I've NEVER been to a rodeo. I knew of the rodeo events from TV and heard the advertisements on the radio, but I guess I was never really interested in it? Well, I made a pact with myself in the beginning of this year, for various reasons, that I will try new things and venture out more, so I rode along with my bros and few friends to the rodeo..And wow, what a cultural experience it was..

Upon arrival, it was pretty frantic. Crowded parking lots and traffic. There was a group of about 9 of us huddled around the admissions booth trying to figure out how much you pay for whatever deals you get. It was about a good 5 minutes of discussion about prices before we looked over and saw 3 receptionists peeking their heads out the windows laughing at us because there was a sign posted in bold letters, "Information booth" right behind us..

We decided to get $15 dollar tickets, which included access to carnival rides, prized games, petting zoo, live stock show, and concert. As soon as we walked through the entrance, I had my mind set on what I wanted to do first, so I told the guys I'm so buying a cowboy hat! (Just something to set the mood and I wanted a hat because half the people there were wearing one).

Plus, how many Asians can sport a cowboy hat and look as good as me, lol. Ladies and gents, introducing you the very first.. Korean cowboy! =D



We walked through the rodeo shopping center for the first hour we were there. Its been months I've drank, but I thought it was an appropriate time to buy a beer, so I got myself a nice cold Miller Lite.. which eventually turned into 6 of them by the end of the night.. I enjoyed buying the smoked turkey leg. Mmm. Oh, and wondering aimlessly around the carnival fairgrounds looking at different events and getting on random rides. I tried the mechanical bull ride too, but I failed big time after 6 beers.

By the way, I saw bambi at the petting zoo. Well, it was a baby deer that approached me for food and I decided to call it, bambi. After I fed bambi, I looked up to see this huge Llama standing in front of me. I couldn't recognize it at first glance, lol.



All in all, it was fun. Didn't quite make it to the Jonas Bros concert, but most of us weren't fans, anyhow. I'm proud to say I'm a veteran rodeo-goer now (if there's even any prestige in that, haha.)

Cookie thinks he's cool...

The weather in Houston is so nice right now. Nice as in 68 degrees and lots of sunshine! Love it! At the mean time, I was looking for my sun shades and found my dog, Cookie, wearing them. Haha.



Too bad he can't look as cool as me, though.



=P Anyways, I'm gonna go out and enjoy the rest of the day before I get too preoccupied with stuff in the house.

Intro.

Hello world.. or rather 'blogging world'.

I guess the first post would be best to introduce myself, so here is me in a nutshell...

I was born in '84. June to be precise. I was raised in Houston, Texas (the fourth most populous city in the nation).

Music has always been in my blood. At age 16 I picked up the acoustic guitar and from that point on I was hooked. I recently started taking voice lessons. I love music of all genres by the way, including country...

I am a veteran. Served 4 years in the U.S. Navy. I am patriotic and I am the eldest of 2 younger brothers, who are also veterans (Marine Corps).

I recently resigned from the Sheriff's Department as a Mental Health Specialist, so that I can pursue my goal of being a certified peace officer (most civilians would just say 'cop'). I plan on attending the police academy in May, so I am pretty excited about that.

My parents are Korean, so I guess this makes me Korean/American being born in Houston.

I have few, but close friends. I work out a lot and try to eat healthy. I get along with almost everyone. I am passionate about most of the things I do and say. I am very mature for my age. I also believe in God. My short term goal is to finish my communications degree in college and my long term goal is to work for the federal government one day.

I wanted to start blogging because I think it would be a great way to help me put down, into words, things that go on in my mind. Another reason is to show people what I'm going through in life. Anyone who takes the time to read my blogs, I hope to consider my friend. I hope to share ideas with people who have the same interests as me, and get answers from other like-minded people.

I'm glad to start this finally and hopefully this turns into something others enjoy as well. =)