the hardships of being a fan of LA sports

As the Dodgers sadly let a win slip by to tie the NLCS at 2 games a piece, I remembered my one pet peeve of being a fan of LA sports. For some reason in 1982 a 76ers fan (ha, funny) thought it would be a good idea to start this chant at a 76ers game against the celtics? It was the final seconds of the series against the celtics and fans knew the 76ers would be taking on the lakers next for the championship and the worst chant ever was born.

Let's recap though, with the exception of basketball, and even that has been recent, LA sports haven't been very good. Before the arrival of Phil Jackson, the Lakers hadn't won for 10 years or so, as far as I can recall the LA Kings havn't made it to the Stanley Cup like ever, the Clippers have almost never been good, the Galaxy have only existed since 1996 and won twice, we have a constant battle for a football team, the Sparks have done well, thank God, but the team in question at this point, the Dodgers, haven't seen a championship since the time I was born, 1988. So really, no need to chant Beat LA, it's not like we've been winning everything.

Let's chant Beat New York (stupid yankees, don't get me started)
or Beat Montreal (they've won the Stanley Cup 10 times more than anyone else)
or Beat DC (4/13 MLS cup winners)
or Beat Houston (4/13 WNBA winners)

I think it's plausible to say we don't deserve this nonsense, chant your hatred at other people, please, cause the Beat LA chant is so unoriginal and sooooooo annoying.

California, the Golden state, and apparently in need of tourism

So I was watching TV today as I ate my lunch and though I usually change the channel during the commercials I must have been in the middle of taking a bite or something, cause I stumbled upon the newest visit california commercial. Here's one of the older ones.



Apparently these commercials have been out for some time now and I just never notcied, partially cause up until 3 years ago I was living in California and of course they wouldn't show these commercials in CA, and cause up until like 2 months ago I basically never watched cable. Still, it was rather amusing.

Oh CA.

being vegetarian/vegan

sometimes i think a lot about my food choices, and other options as well. sometimes i wonder if i could do more.

i chose to become a vegetarian for environmental, ethical, and health reasons. and i'm very comfortable with that fact. i feel like a much healthier person and i'm not constantly wondering what i'm eating, if it's bad for me, where it came from, and how it was raised. Sometimes though, with the presence of a bunch of vegans around me, i wonder about the rest of my diet.

ok, so granted, i'm not going to give up cheese, i just can't, it's kind of essential for drinking wine. but last summer i was pretty darn close to being vegan while i lived with my sibling and it wasn't difficult. i like soy milk and when you aren't doing any cooking with eggs it's easy to not eat them. the problem here is in baking. and yogurt, well, i like it, but i don't really eat it on a regular basis. so really the issue here is cheese, which i couldn't give up last summer either as i ended up buying expensive farmers market cheese (which was the best gouda i've ever had).

i think about it though, giving up all other animal products. I'm already a pretty strict vegetarian, no fish, i try to avoid butter, i try to not buy leather and i'm just more conscious of what i'm eating. all these people around me are doing it, and for very similar reasons, so what is keeping me from taking that next step. i wonder.

unmotivated?

to do anything. a week away from Fall break, midterms week and I can't motivate myself to do anything but watch tv, read things online, and work mad hours at Admissions.

Not that I don't care about school, it's that I don't care about the work that I'm supposed to be spending the majority of my time doing, which I am clearly not right now. I don't mind doing chemistry, or reading for other classes, I'm just so tired of focusing my energy on one thing for the past 9 months.

Fall break is approaching and I can't even be excited cause I have to be here to work on my capstone and work in Admissions. I haven't been home for more than 4 days since last summer and I haven't started building my bike at all and yet my break will be full of other, non fun things.

I just want to enjoy my senior year. And go running. and play lacrosse.

Fall

I spent a good portion of the afternoon, 3-5, sitting on a bridge, enjoying the sound of water under me, the leaves blow in the wind, and the clouds move above me. It was a beautiful fall day, and yes it was a little chilly, but with my jacket on, it was quite enjoyable.

Lissette and I talked about our lives for 2 hours, telling stories, enjoying the afternoon, not doing our work. It was the best thing ever. I dangled my feet off the edge of the bridge, made cloud shapes, and watched a bug drift along in the water, not to mention talking and soaking up all the sun I can get before it's too cold and snowy to do so. Perfect afternoon, I'm glad I didn't do research or have work.

Lissette, you made me day so much better.

homesick?

I've recently gotten a serious case of being homesick, for possibly the first time in my life and definitely the first time in my college career. I think it's a combination of factors, but nonetheless depressing.

Let's do a brief recap.

The weather is shitty here, and beautiful in CA
Two of my best friends from high school are pregnant and I want to be with them now.
I really don't want to do work right now, especially for my capstone.
I'm an attached sort of person and right now I'm building friendships to replace ones that have been forced to be in the background because of location and things and I just want some serious hugs, that's what I need, serious hugs from Jennifer or anyone and to put my head on someone's lap and have them play with my hair.

I want time back, I want to be better at keeping up with people so when it got to this point I wouldn't feel like this.

Spanish music strangely makes me feel better.

birthdays

Birthdays are special events in everyone's life, the day you emerged from the womb and said hello world. Personally, I came out via c-section because I didn't want to come out head first and so there was nothing real magical about my birthday, it was planned, I was due on the 22nd, but my doctor couldn't fit us in, so the 21st it was. And boy am I glad, cause I couldn't have asked for a better birthday.

I realize I'm like 2 weeks late, but I really just wanted to say thanks to everyone who helped make my birthday special, from cards and trips to the feve and mandarin to cake and having one of my life goals fulfilled (thanks Angelica and Lissette, that meant so much to me).

An uneventful day really, I went to class, out to eat, class again, picked up a cake, went to North Olmsted, then the feve. Being 21 is really not that much different, except now when I go to dinner I can get wine too, and I don't have to bother other people to buy my alcohol for me anymore, thank goodness. The best part is being able to really celebrate with other people when they turn 21.

And so, it's not just about me, it's about all birthdays. To all my September birthdays, I love you guys, and Eric, you're close enough. And to everyone, I'm a birthday person, I think they are really important in a person's life, so let me know when yours is and I'll say at least happy birthday, if not more.

Birthdays, they rock.