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Oct 12, 2004
The loser got even more losery. So here's my new addiction. Fish! Yes, fish. Not the kind you eat, although I do love seafood. No no no. Aquarium fish! I bought myself a small tank to start with just a few weeks ago along with four fish. Since then, I couldn't stop thinking of what other fish I should get. Eventually, I bought a big 30 gallon tank and more fishies. I think I've got over 30 now. Call me nuts, but damn! They're so fuckin' cute and interesting to watch. And I've learned so much about how to take care of fish as well as tell what different types of fish there are. God, I'm a loser.
Well, I figure since I can't have a dog or a cat right now, I might as well have something. I think I've spent over 500 bucks on this hobby so far. It's expensive! And in the beginning, here I thought that all I needed was a bowl and some rocks and a plant.
Anyhow, I'm all about excited. Not only because I've got fishies, but 'cause I'm taking a trip over to Naples, Italy tomorrow evening. Well, more like Thursday morning. I have to take a red-eye flight tomorrow to London. Then My flight to Naples leaves London on Thursday morning. It sucks, but it was my cheapest option. I'm planning on getting enough sleep tonight for the lack of sleep I'll probably get at the London airport tomorrow night. I just hope nobody fucks with me while I'm kickin' it there overnight. I'd hate to bust out with my "eagle's claw" shaolin kung-fu-jistics!!! BAMMM!! Or not.
Let's see. What else? I had some peeps over this Saturday for a belated housewarming / birthday party. Pretty fun. I rolled over 300 lumpia and made some beef kelaguin. Watched movies, played video games and karaoke'd. He he. I think my neighbors think my friends and I have turrets syndrome now.
Posted at 02:15 pm by anythinggoes
Oct 1, 2004
And now it's time for another entry to the old forgotten. It's been a while since I last wrote in here. Blame it on being tired & lazy. Soon as I got back from my two week temporary duty at the Air Force Hospital radiology department in London, I had to get caught up with so much stuff at my main clinic. I hardly had enough time to catch my breath. I'd come home just mentally exhausted and resort to my Nintendo Game Cube to get away from reality for a few hours.
While I was up at the radiology department at Royal Air Force Base Lakenheath, I had the chance to work the CT (catscan). I had them take one of my abdomen. Seems that I've got pretty big kidneys. Otherwise, everything's in the right place which is a good thing. I got to do ct scans on brains, sinuses, extremities, abdomen, and backbones to check for bone density.
Working around Air Force folks was an interesting experience too. They're so layed back and efficient, whereas Navy personnel are a little more uptight.
On one of my weekends there I drove to a nearby college/shopping area called Cambridge. I was pleased to find a couple of Starbucks coffee shops and actual malls to window-shop through. One event kinda put a damper in my visit. I accidentally drove through a road for buses and trucks only and there was a large metal pillar that automatically pops out of the ground. Well, it decided to pop up right under my front bumper as I proceeded through. My bumper was slightly bent, but the car is still drivable. Now the engine warning light comes on, so I think it may have screwed one of my vents up or something. I wish they'd put signs on these frick'n roads for us dumb Americans here!
Now that most of that stress has been taken care of, I've found some time to feed my new addiction: my new aquarium. I actually bough myself a small aquarium before I left for London, and had it set up so that when I got back, I could buy my fish and put them in right away.
I bought four different types of goldfish to start off with. I didn't realize how expensive it really is to maintain an aquarium. You gotta buy the filter, and a pump to aerate the water, and make sure you change the water often during the first few weeks to make sure the nitrate levels aren't too high for the fish, and then pick out food for the fish. They say that a fish can get constipated so you can feed it spirulina which will help it stay regular. Ha! There's so much interestingly nerdy stuff I've learned while reading up online about aquarium fish.
God, and I've actually had trouble going to sleep the past couple of night 'cause I couldn't stop thinking about algae. Apparently, I've been feeding my fish too much, so they crap all the time and now my tank is just full of fish crap and algae. I started looking at online fish retailers here in the UK that sell algae eating fish and critters. It's amazing to find that people actually mail order fish online. I'd like to add a blue lickin starfish, some cleaner shrimp, and a red legged hermit crab to my tank but I'm not sure yet if this'd be a good combination for goldfish. Plus, it's kinda cramped in there right now as it is, so I might end up buying a bigger tank. Tomorrow, I'm planning on driving over to a town called Bodmin to check out the goods at one of their local aquatic pet stores.
And I'm pretty much all settled into my new home. Gonna have a belated housewarming / birthday party on the 9th of October. It just kinda sucks that the weather is turning wet and cold now. I wanted to have a bbq in my yard. Ah well.
(sigh) Guess it's time for bed. Gotta dream about algae.
Posted at 03:19 pm by anythinggoes
Sep 4, 2004
You know what? I hate moving. I can't believe how much crap I've accumulated since I've been here in the UK. I'm currently relocating to another house nearby and the big stuff doesn't actually go till Monday. My coworkers and I are renting a truck and they're helpin' me with the move then. Right now I'm just getting the small stuff out of the way and boy is there a lot! Jeez!
So why am I moving since I only have a year left to go in the UK? Welp, I figured I needed a change. Also my current landlord was gonna raise the rent on me. With this new house I'm moving into, I'll be paying less rent and it's got more room. It also doesn't share a wall with anther house so I won't have to worry too much about how loud my music's playing.
I'm getting lazy now though and I really don't feel like running stuff back and forth. Maybe it's the weather. The past few days, it's been warm and sunny, but today, it's dreary. Ugh! Maybe a cup of java will give me the second wind I need to get off my ass.
And lastnight I finally booked my flights for my trip to Naples, Italy to visit my friend, Rich in October. I ended up spending under $190 on the tickets, however I'm gonna be spending a night at London Stansted Airport before I fly out to Italy. That kinda sucks but airports are one of the safest places, right? Um, yeah. We'll see.
For some reason I just can't stop listening to country music lately. I think it's because my friend Shane who just transferred back to the States last week kept playing it while we were driving around town getting stuff ready for his move. Kinda catchy.
Argh! I don't wanna work anymore tonight. It's already 6pm. Damn it. I might as well just start loading my car with stuff and get most of it done tonight. Lord, help me.
Posted at 09:52 am by anythinggoes
Aug 13, 2004
And I'm home! 3 weeks vacation. Half in San Diego and half in Seattle. Good times. Fun times. I really needed that. It had been a year since I was home with my family and friends. Needless to say, I enjoyed every bit of it.
Talk about a shop-a-thon. Phew! I don't think I've ever spent so much cash within 3 weeks. Clothes, food, a new laptop, gifts, food, drinks, Sea World, food, a new tattoo, oh and did I mention food? I got a chance to partake of all the things I missed the most since I've been living in the United Kingdom.
So many things were still the same, yet some things were surprisingly different. The climate in SD and Seattle were great. Sun, sun and more sun! Loved it! And seeing all my nephews and the kiddo's who were barely walking and talking when I last saw 'em. Makes me realize how time flies.
Anyhow, I'm jet-lagged. The trip back from the US was crazy. Left Seattle late at night for 5 hours of screaming, crying children and arrived in Pittsburg for a half-day layover. Checked into a motel for some sleep, then flew 7 hours sittin' next to some weird lady, getting hassled about my seatbelt every five minutes while I was trying to sleep entirely covered in my blanket. Then the ride from London to Newquay just stunk... literally. The guy next to me was going for the "au natural smell". One word, four syllables. DEODERANT! Ugh! Why me?
Now, sitting here at home seems a bit weird like I've awakened from a nice, long, sweet dream. It's back to reality from here I guess. More money-saving for my upcoming trips. Italy in October, and hopefully New York some time later this year. More on that later. Time for a nappy nap. Zzzzzzz...
Posted at 03:19 pm by anythinggoes
Jul 19, 2004
Tried quitting cigarrettes today, but I fell off the wagon. Ugh! Damn it! I think I was good up until lunch time when I dropped by the store and the first thing I saw when I walked in were a couple packs of Marlboro Menthol Ultra Lights and Newports in the cigarette section. They were calling to me, whispering to me, "Chris, buy me. C'mon! Just for old time's sake." I managed to walk out of the store without buying any. Then later this afternoon, my co-worker confessed he had some menthols in his truck. Ugh! Couldn't resist.
Now I feel nauseous 'cause I've been psyching myself not to smoke all morning and thought I was doing good. The rush made my head spin. Feel like I need a nappy nap.
It's almost two o'clock. got a couple more hours till I go home. Probably gonna finish mowin' the lawn and then crash for the evening. Just feeling tired today for some reason. (Sigh)
Posted at 05:47 am by anythinggoes
Jul 13, 2004
Ow! I burnt my tongue scarfin' down a microwave pizza, but it tasted so good, mmm. I'm at work right now and lunch just ended. Dropped by the Public Works shop on base and borrowed myself a lawn mower figuring it's about that time again. Last time, I let my grass go for five months and I got lost in my back yard. Took me a couple days to find my way back, surviving on dew drops and a few bugs I caught with my makeshift fly-swatter. :0| Okay, I'm exaggerating a little, but you get the picture.
(Sigh)... so! I'm trying to figure out what to do when I get off work today. Lately, it's been the routine of coming home, playin' the game boy, watchin' Wonder Woman, and skippin' dinner. Been too lazy to cook anything except for lastnight when I got inspired to cook beef kelaguin. But even then, I didn't have much of an appetite. What the hell's wrong with me? Normally you'd find me making frequent trips to the fridge through the day. Hmm, oh well.
Maybe I'll start on the grass this afternoon if it doesn't rain. Then, eat dinner and run myself a bubble bath and listen to some music. Calgon, take me away! :0P Ha!
Only one week and a wake up till I start leave. Woo hoo! Getting anxious about the trip home, and making it to LAX early enough to pick up my rental car and then drive down to San Diego. I'll be stayin' with Beth at her new place in Point Loma. She's always been so wonderful and supportive and caring and downright awesome. I'm thinkin' I should get her something nice as a housewarming present. Just a matter of finding what to get. I'll have to wait and see what she's got when I get there. He he. Then, impulse shopping, here I come!
Ugh! When is this day gonna end? I'm running out of ideas for websites to surf. Oh, actually, that reminds me of this one site where you can find your prison bitch name as well as other ones like Hobbitt names or pirate names. Ha ha. Okay, I have way too much time on my hands. But I finished all my work early today, and since I don't exactly get paid more for workin' harder, I might as well save some work for the rest of the week and relax today. Sounds fair, right?
Oh, did I tell you I can fly roundtrip from here to Naples, Italy under $150.00? I'm plannin' a trip over to visit a friend stationed there in October. Fun times, good times! I wanna see the leaning tower of Pisa and um, whatever else is over there. Italians. Spaghetti. Bolognese. All of that!
Anyhow, I think I should make a round through the building and make like I'm working very busy-like. He he. Peace out, yo!
Posted at 05:00 am by anythinggoes
Jul 12, 2004
I spend way too much time online. Ugh!
Posted at 01:31 pm by anythinggoes
Well, I've been takin' this drug called Celexa because I was going through a little bit of anxiety and depression. When I first sat down with my doctor and spoke to him about how I felt, I never thought I'd ever find myself in this position where I'd be seeking help for being depressed. I guess it happens to the best of us.
Anyhow, after hurting for so long I suppose it all adds up. I got the chance to speak to a psychiatrist about everything that's been on my mind. About both my biological and adopted father's deaths; my current work environment; significant broken relationships; and my anxiety of things to come. Speaking to him opened my eyes.
My reactive depression flares up when I remember particularly traumatic events in my life, and there are choices I have to make when confronted with anxiety. I can either idealize the event and make it bigger than what it really was, or I can view it in its realistic simplicity.
For example, in my past big relationship I was screwed over in a big way when everything I had done was to make this person happy. Over three years of my life seemed like it was wasted being with this person and I couldn't tell whether anything we experienced together in those years were genuine or just a long drawn-out game that I didn't know I was playing. After the break up, I always felt it was my fault and that if I had been a better person, then things wouldn't have turned out the way they did.
But now after looking at the facts, the events, and how this person has manipulated me I've realized that it wasn't my fault. I was the one who was loyal, honest, loving, caring, and did everything a soul would do for its soul mate. I'm the "right" guy. This person just simply wasn't the right person for me.
God knows how much I hate coming to people for help especially with things I thought I could handle well enough on my own 'cause I hate feeling like I'm a burden, but I'm really glad I got someone's expert advice.
It's not easy for me to be taken seriously by most of my friends 'cause I'm normally the one making other's laugh. I guess sometimes you just need a stranger to listen.
Anyhow, I'm going on vacation at the end of this month (July 2004). Gonna drop by San Diego for a week or so, and then hop up to Seattle and spend some time with my second familia, The Apuyas. I haven't been home in a year! You can bet that I'll be doin' my impulse shoppin' and Starbucks drinkin' then. It's amazing how living OUTCONUS has shown me how much I've taken for granted when I was in the U.S. Every day I find a reason to say "God bless America" and actually mean it.
What else is new? I bought a Game Boy Advance SP. Ha ha! I don't know why I'm such a nerd. I just never had really nice stuff when I was a kid and I guess I feel that this is my chance to re-live my youth. Or maybe I just haven't fully grown out of my childhood. Who knows? Oh! And I bought the first season DVD series of Wonder Woman. :0P Say what you will, but Wonder Woman is the bomb-snaggity-snap, yo! Word!
Okay, so I'm crazy and impulsive and weird, but damn it! People like me!!
Posted at 01:24 pm by anythinggoes
It's Shake n Bake and I helped!
Am I too young to have a mid-life crisis? I've never been so self-conscious about my life and recurrently analytical of the decisions I've made thus far until I turned 28 last year. Sometimes I feel like I've been in a race and somewhere in the middle I decided to take a break. Now I'm trying to catch up and make up for lost time; scrambling to find my place.
I remember one of my teachers in high school asked me, "Chris, where do you see yourself in ten years". I thought I would've already finished college, found a good job that I was happy with, found someone and started a family. So far, I've only accomplished one of those things and more than half of the time I'm definitely not happy.
Posted at 12:47 pm by anythinggoes
May 30, 2004
Orange you glad...
After, what? 5 years of not writing I thought, "Why not write?" Been too busy, lazy and just plain out of it and not exactly in that sequence.
Let's see. A recap. Same shit, different day really. Still workin' hard for the money, but I've started getting what the doctor's call "reactive depression". Possibly due to all the fucked up things that have happened in my life. I finally went in and made an appointment to talk to my doctor about it after months of sleeping problems and anxiety. I'm too young to die! I started taking 15mg of melatonin every night before bed to try to help me sleep, and doc says I should speak with a psychiatrist to talk about my issues. I'm thinkin' "Great. I gotta get analyzed by some guy that sounds like Austin Powers" (I'm in Great Britain by the way for you just joining us now for the show).
FYI: Melatonin is this hormone that's naturally made by your body which helps your body know when it's time for some shut eye. Seems to work. Since I started taking it, I've only been late to work once and have had a couple of weird dreams. The insomnia was a real problem beforehand. I'd show up late to work at least three times a week on the average. Not very good for my eval, but I'm lucky my co-workers are pretty linient about it so far. Linient. Did I spell that correctly?
Anyhow, what else? I've been looking up flight prices for this trip to San Diego I've been thinking about this July, but I dunno. Everything seems so damn expensive, and there are other places I'd like to visit like Seattle and Australia and Amsterdam (again).
Oh, and did I tell you about my trip to Amsterdam this Easter weekend? Well, let me tell ya, it was pretty cool. 7 guys from my base and I took Easy Jet from Bristol Airport to Schiphol Airport. Was only about an hour flight. Once we got there, we hopped in a cab and headed for our 5 star hotel called Hotel Okura. Yes, Japanese and really nice too. This was my first time. Staying at a 5 star hotel, that is. It had a swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, free tanning booths, three restaurants, shops, bar, and everyone was really friendly and helpful. We were just a 5 minute walk to "central".
Once we got checked in and ridiculed a couple of our buddies who hadn't made their reservations until last minute and ended up in a room with one queen-sized bed, we walked around and checked out the sights a bit. It's true. On almost every corner you can smell a bit of the, how do you say? Hashish. It was funny. Night life was abundant, and we happened to stumble on the "Red Light District". Yeah, right. That was the main mission for most of the guys on our first night in.
There were a bunch of streets neatly lined up with two to three story apartments and their windows lit with red lights and girls of all sorts sitting or standing or jiggling their goods for all passerbyers as an invite to purchase some goods. Prices were from 50 Euro and up. Not bad for those who have to pay for it.
It was just an experience to see what it was like, but I was tired from working half the day before the flight, and from walking around Amsterdam that evening. Got back to the hotel around 3 in the morning and crashed.
Next few days were spent walking around some more. It was cold, but not too different from weather in Cornwall. They say it gets real nice during the summer, which is when I'd like to go back to visit again. We checked out Hard Rock, The Heineken Factory, took a couple trains out of town to see some wind mills and cheese, and some other cool stuff.
Yeah. Good shit. Anyhow, I'm trying to think of what else I can fill in. Oh. I don't know how it started by I became really attracted to Vespas recently. You know those Italian made scooters you might've seen people buzzing around town on? There's this one called the Granturismo 200 that's going for about 5 grand. I definitely want a Vespa, but I'm debating on a few things. Whether I should get one now or wait till I get back to the States where it'll be cheaper and I know whar I'll be driving around in. Also, I haven't paid off my VW Golf yet. Still got about 12 grand to go. I'm figuring that it's best that I do my research while I'm stuck in Great Britain, and wait till I get back to the States to reevaluate my opinion of Vespas.
So, that is about it. Still living the good life in Cornwall and not getting laid like I should be. What did I say in previous entries? "Sex is over-rated". I'm waiting for Mr. Right. Not Mr. Right Now. Yeah. Whatever.
Posted at 06:56 pm by anythinggoes
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