Mr. Pink Eyes

A couple of weeks ago, Bernard had one of the "gnarliest" cases of pink eye anyone I know has ever seen. He seriously looked like one of the infected from 28 Days Later. It started in one eye, and soon traveled to the other one. It was pretty gross. I mean, I've had conjunctivitis in the past, but it always went away overnight. Who knew that pink eye could fester in the retinas for an average of 7-10 days?! Plus, the eye usually displays a somewhat rosy hue, hence the name. B's eyes were a demonic, glowing shade of crimson.

Hollywood movie magic eyes

Over the weekend, he was supposed to go out with his friends, but nixed the idea. I thought he was overreacting--but then again, I chose to stay in because my skin was super pimply, so who was I to criticize? Then I saw the damage myself, heard his stories of public reaction, and acknowledged his legitimacy for isolation. I mean, his coworkers were recoiling in horror all week, while his roommates made some really funny mean comments. In another instance, he went to the store to buy stuff, and the cashier refused to bag his items! Poor baby! I couldn't help laughing at him even as I shuddered and demanded he look away every time he flashed his pulsating peepers in my direction. We ended up staying in all weekend and watching three movies (Gone Baby Gone, Michael Clayton, and Eastern Promises--all amazing and I highly recommend them).

infected in real life eyes

See, I told you. Gross. But he's fully recovered now. For a moment there, I kept insisting that it couldn't possibly be pink eye, because it was so intense. He said he'd wake up and his lids would be stuck together from all the shit his eyes would ooze throughout the night. Sexy! Whatever, don't feel too bad for him; the jerk has been clowning on my face ever since I started breaking out all hardcore (for a couple of months now). It could be karma for dumping him, haha. But seriously, what is going on!? I hit puberty over a decade ago! I would try a new skin care routine, but the last time I did that, Murad's Acne Complex fucked up my skin so badly that I swore to never cheat on Proactiv Solution again. I think it's calming down a bit, so I'll stick to it for another few months (especially since I just bought a new kit, haha). I suppose having a nice complexion just isn't in the cards for me.

Soak Up the Sun

Now, three weeks later, I'm going to write about Part II of my birthday, which was when I went kayaking. I know, I'm so freaking behind when it comes to blogging. Anyway, on the Sunday of my birthday weekend, I started with brunch at Bake 'n Broil with Isaac and Kristin (who had to cut her month of backpacking through Europe short because she fractured her ankle in Rome). We had a nice meal and caught up on some chit chat. Kristin couldn't come along because she was still dependent on crutches and her dad raised a ruckus about her being out on the water, so we bid her goodbye and dashed over to the beach at 2nd St.

Isaac the Jellyfish Slayer

Of course, we were the last to arrive, although I do admit everyone tried to be a good sport about it since it was my birthday, haha. I was hoping that since Isaac is a bodybuilder in the making, he would do most--if not all--of the work. I imagined sprawling out with my hands stretched behind my head, idly pointing out the picturesque properties of Naples Island, laughing carelessly with friends, while the muscular Jewish laborer behind me did all the propelling and sweating. Nope! That jackass turned all personal trainer mode on me, and pushed me to move my paddle faster than a Jedi knight wielding his lightsaber during the Battle of Yavin. To top it off, he killed a jellyfish! We went to the jellyfish cove, and he proceeded to lift one out of the water and place it on his knee. By the time he dropped it back into the water, it was the saddest blob ever.


But the weather was gorgeous, the area was beautiful, and the company was great. Phil, Matt, Jade and Sabrina drove up from San Diego to join us! And Trang, Sekina and Chris were really nice about being the only prompt ones and having to wait again for everyone else to arrive. By the time we started rowing back towards shore, the sun was beginning to set and it started getting a bit cold. We spent a little under two hours out in the water, and it cost each couple $25. It was a damn fine way to spend an afternoon, and the hiking/kayaking combo was a damn great way to turn 25 years old!

Your Letter

I know I'm a total geek, because I am super excited about this nifty little promo offered by HBO and the US Postal Service. To market the John Adams miniseries starring Paul Giamatti (love him!), they're allowing everyone to mail out one greeting card for free. Ok, I know, even without having to pay for postage, most of you still wouldn't bother sitting down, writing out a letter and sending it by snail mail. But, as you can see from the pics I've provided, the cards are so adorable!


Here's how it works, for those of you who still need convincing. Click on the link and go to "customize and send a free John Adams greeting card." You can choose your design, pick a quote, and even add your own pictures to the inside if you want! Then they send it to you for free, so you can write out a message. Then, you get to mail it out to whomever you want for free! Come on!

I read somewhere that over the course of John Adams and his wife Abigail's correspondence, they wrote over 1000 letters to one another, most of which became indispensable to the director as he was making the miniseries. An email can't possibly compare to a tangible, handwritten note. Honestly, when was the last time you sent one? HBO and USPS are hooking you up, so get on it!

Dirty Little Secret

If you want to read the book to find out what 'the secret' is, then skip this post. If you want to be privy to this fiercely guarded tenet of new-age belief, then look no further. And if you've already read it or seen the movie (or...ran a simple Google search), then allow me to commemorate on it. The secret is the Law of Attraction, which states that "like attracts like, and when you think and feel what you want to attract on the inside, the law will use people, circumstances and events to magnetize what you want." So if you're bogged down by negative thoughts, your life will be filled with negative occurrences. However, if you go around thinking happy thoughts, the world is your smorgasbord, and you can pig out to your heart's content. Want that sprawling mansion with the Ferrari Enzo? Envision it in your head for a while, and--poof!--it's yours. Want to restore your failing eyesight? Spend several months focusing--don't forget to truly believe!--and ye shall receive. Those are their examples, not mine!

My own thoughts vacillated between mostly thinking, "What is this bullshit?! This is a joke, right?" to "Heh. That sounds doable. I could try that." I mean, the book is trying to improve your life. Nothing wrong with that. Start thinking happy thoughts, better your inner self, and the rest will follow. Wake up in the morning and think of all the blessings in your life, and you'll have a great day. But at the same time, some of the other stuff is just ludicrous. And what annoys me is that the book's doctrine totally has a safety net. If you're sending out positive vibes for the universe to throw its riches back at you, and nothing happens, and you start to doubt if 'the secret' works, well, it's your fault for not truly believing!

Whatever. It was an interesting, fast read (the book is quite small), and I suggest you take a look if you haven't already. And if you are one of those who fall susceptible to the message and use it to try to turn your life around, I promise not to snicker. And hey, if it works, I might give it a shot myself. But until I personally know someone who touts the message, I'm going to continue glumly eating Cheetos in bed and wondering why my life isn't going anywhere. Take that, universe!

Walk It Out

Last last weekend, I turned twenty five. I celebrated by being athletic. Athleticism is something that's as elusive to me as underwear is to Britney Spears, as evidenced by my lack of breath and leg cramps each time I stomp up the two floors to my apartment. But, I wanted to do something different, and it turned out to be really fun!

On Saturday, we went hiking in Malibu, to see one of the hidden waterfalls within in the city. I actually woke up at 9:30am and dragged my groggy ass over to Isaac's. The meeting time was 11am, and although I am notorious for running late, it was nothing compared to Dre, Tim, and Jason, who arrived there at around 12:30pm. But Dre brought yummy sandwiches, and I wasn't expecting Jason since he'd been MIA for the past week, so I forgave him for being the one who pushed everything off schedule. I just felt bad for the others, since they had actually arrived promptly and were left defenseless against an old Jewish man who told them his entire life story.

The weather was perfect for a sweaty hike (cloudy and chilly), and the trail wasn't too arduous or lengthy. We started off walking by some jaw-droppingly opulent homes, and saw a hawk swoop down and catch prey. Then we ventured into nature, nimbly maneuvering over several streams. During the hike, Isaac managed to find a several edible mushrooms, tree mold, a little froggy, and a dead mole. We kept running into the cutest dogs, and it made me so bummed out that I didn't bring Pumpkin along (I thought she wouldn't be able to handle it, but I was wrong.) Considering it had rained the week prior, the waterfall was pretty loud and lush. However, it seriously smelled like shit around the base. What was up with that?!

We sat around and ate, despite the stench, and then posed for pictures. When Dre whipped out her digital SLR, everyone stepped back in awe. The quality of the pics from that thing are amazing, especially when you compare it side by side with the pics from Trang and Sekina's point-and-shoot cameras. But then again, Dre has this crazy talent for photography, so that helps. Just a bit. Then we headed back, and I'm pretty sure we were all feeling flushed and accomplished.

Oh yeah, and the old Jewish man who stopped to talk to us while we waited for everyone to show up? His stories were pretty fascinating. He was held in the concentration camps in Indonesia for several years. He claimed to have worked for the CIA. After he found out Isaac was Jewish too, he gave me a few pointers. "Just learn a few Hebrew phrases, and read a little bit of the Bible, and they'll accept you." And if that doesn't work? "Slip a rabbi $500, and he'll dip you right away in water and make you a Jew!" Good to know there's a shortcut to Gan Eden!

Anyway, this particular hike wasn't all that strenuous, but that was just part one of my birthday weekend. I'll discuss Sunday's activities in another post. I just wanted to say that a birthday without alcohol and forced singing is pretty damn awesome. And now Dre and I (and even Trang!) are all motivated to go on more hikes, especially since we discovered so many others as we were researching for this one. I hope really do try a few more, because this was a really enjoyable excursion. I'm serious, Dre! Let's DO this!

Now You're Gone

As the years push forth in increasingly alarming speed, I've come to realize that my love affair with writing has waned to a lackluster relationship in which I send most of the calls to voicemail. I went from pursuing an English degree to now forcing myself to blog, grimacing the entire time.

Ok, time for a book post. I read this one in January, and I've finished a few more since then, so I've gotta get this down. This book wasn't what I expected. It garnered overwhelmingly rave reviews, so I was looking forward to reading it, despite Dre's negative assessment. Joan Didion writes of the year after the death of her husband of almost 40 years, John Gregory Dunne, and how she mourned and dealt with the ordeal. So I imagined a tear-jerking account, soaked in sorrow and pummeled with pain. Instead, I found her writing very dry and almost dispassionate, which was disconcerting considering the subject matter. I understand this was her way of coping, and the constant repetition to the moment he collapsed clearly displays her struggle to move past that horrifying moment. However, she approached it more as an intellectual, often discussing the scientific aspects of his heart attack, and the mechanical study of grief. "In time of trouble, I had been trained since childhood, read, learn, work it up, go to the literature. Information was control. Given that grief remained the most general of afflictions its literature seemed remarkably spare."

I had to read the book twice to truly appreciate it. Perhaps if I had read some of Didion's writings before, I could have absorbed her style better. I really enjoyed reading about how literary the pair were (Dunne was a writer as well), such as the poems they shared and how they would critique one another's work. She references her prior novels, as well as Dunne's, several times throughout the text, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was a marketing ploy. I know, I'm a cynical bitch, but I'm also susceptible, because I'm interested in reading some of their other stuff now.