A Squiggle’s Logic

Sometimes, life just beat the crap out of you, and no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to get up. The days drag on like eternity. You seem to live just for the sake of living, without any meaning, without any purpose. Your body is tired, your heart heavy. The moment you lie down, you’re frightened by the realism of your nightmares. And when you get up, you’re terrified of the inescapable reality that awaits you. So that at the end of the day, you’re afraid even to live.

That makes 3 for the year. Hudson was 7 lbs 3 oz and 19 inches.

One thing that bugs me when taking indoor pictures is the incandescent lighting that renders everything yellow, as if everybody suddenly turns into Asians. What’s worst is the built-in flash that white-washes out all my subjects. I discovered this weekend that there’s a neat little setting on my camera that adjusts for the incandescent lighting. It’s still not perfect WB, but it beats white-washed Asians (I don’t mean the people, although I hate those too, I mean the lighting and flash effects).

Using camera’s Tungsten Light setting. Somewhat normal WB.

Letting camera select WB automatically. Too yellow.

This is why I hate built-in flash.

For the past 6 years, the first thing I did when relocating to a new residence was cracking open my laptop and scanning for a wireless signal. Don’t lie, you’d do the same. Somehow, I always seemed to find a wi-fi virgin too dumb to secure her connection. It’s “her” because a typical guy can do it with his eyes closed. Go ahead, call me a chauvinist pig. Boy when the “connected” message popped up, I leeched that signal like crazy. Sure I felt bad, but I was too broke to appease my unemployed-student conscience.

But now that I’m starting a job, it’s pay back time. For every megabyte I stole in the past, I’m leaving my network open for a day. That means I’ll WEP Key my connection in the year 2050.

Sometimes a Saturday night is best spent at home, in front of the TV. So I decided to buy some Crown, mix with some Coke, and enjoy the second round of the NBA playoffs at home.

Unfortunately, Wal-mart has put an anti-theft cap on the Crown bottle, and the cashier was too busy yapping to her coworker to notice it. Stupid woman!

After bringing the bottle back and missing the first quarter, I can finally mix my Crown and Coke.

A shot of Crown Royal.

Add the Coke.

Cheers. Go Hornets!

The good thing about being off is that I get to hang out with my 2-month-old nephew. Everyday, we would play cards, drink (I beer, he milk), talk sports and girls, discuss politics. I would tell him how I can’t decide on where to build a house, and he would share his inability to decide whether to poop a minute after his diaper has been changed or wait 2 minutes.

The only thing is that he’s kinda quiet, actually he never really talks, and he sleeps half of the day. I tried to tell him that’s not how you want to live your life. But he contends that it’s his way of dealing with problems. Who am I to tell a 2-month-old what to do.

There’s a time in a man’s life when he identifies himself with his car. The car reflects his character, manifests his lifestyle, and constitutes his socio-economical status. In essence, the man becomes his car.

Well, this is not that time, and I am not that man. I am no spoiled brat who indulges himself with a new ride at the end of every school year. I am fully content with my 12-year-old, 140,000-mile Altima.

So instead of sporting a spanking new Lexus or BMW like half of the graduates in my class, I decided to take my Altima in for a complete tune up. I got my “new” car back yesterday along with a bill for $600. My baby rides as smooth as ever. I should be able to squeeze another 5 years out of the old chugger.

With the money I will save from not purchasing a new car, I will invest on a house and starting a family. Beats the heck out of a Lexus on my book!

Lots have happened in a week’s time. But been too lazy to put the events into something meaningful or thoughtful. So here’s an unedited, unscripted, 100% raw recollection of the past week.

Bachelor’s party was off the hook. Ran 5 hours of 5-on-5 basketball WiT mA bOiZ. Three days after and I still can’t put on my underwear standing up. Oh my aching body!

My greatest fear has been realized. While driving home, the brake on my car failed. Saw the red light, hit the brake pedal, nothing happened. Car kept on moving. I saw my life flashed before my eyes. In a desperate attempt to stop the car, I steer into the curb. Car cleared curb, merged onto incoming traffic. I’m just thankful it was me and not my sister-in-law, or worse my nephew, inside the car. Had to wake shortie up to drive me home. Interesting was that the mechanic found nothing wrong. Just an isolated incident. Maybe God was trying to warn me to not skip mass. Guess who’s gonna drag his lazy ass up on Sundays even at 8 am to attend mass from now on?

Never thought I’d be building my first house, but I may have to. Been looking at houses in the metro area. None is to my liking. If not the outside, then it’s the inside. If not the backyard, then it’s the front yard. I’m not too picky about my women, but when it comes to putting a roof over the mother of my 4 baby squiggles, that roof better be damn perfect. I’m hoping to secure a permanent residence by early next year, just in time for wedding bells. Can’t wait for my very own “túp lều lý tưởng.”

Think love lasts forever? Think again. Luck brought news that an old, old friend is currently employed at a nearby pharmacy. Back in our college days, we had a mutual respect for each other’s intellect, emulation, and down-right nerdiness. We were the elites, the top 2 students of our class. Somehow, we never went beyond friendship. I soon found my love, and she found hers. Saw her not too long ago with the same boy, thought their 8-year-and-counting stint would last. A friend told me this weekend that they had just broken up. That’s 8 years down the drain. Eight years of intimacies will soon molder into an awkward “hello” on the streets. Now that’s just sad.

March 28, 2008 marked the birth of Alex Tran. The cutie pie joined baby Francis as the new addition to our fast-growing family!

Alex and Francis

Hallelujah! I am free at last! No more schools! Two months of vacationing, of not working, of sleeping in ’til 12 ahead of me! Woohoo!