Goodbye 2010

It goes without saying that 2010 was a big year for me. 

I graduated from my dream college, which admittedly felt like a mild nightmare towards the end.

I reconnected with some family.

I began a love affair with makeup.

I've gained boatloads of self-confidence, though if you tell me I look pretty I will still blush and think you're lying.

I made some mistakes too, ones that have perfectly good excuses but still don't alleviate some of the guilt. I can only hope to learn from them and apply it to the future.

But the greatest part of 2010 was that I finally started down the path to figure out who I am and who I want to be.

All of that being said, I can now bid 2010 a fond farewell.

Day 30

Day 30- Who are you?

Again with the loaded topics.

I am...

...that quiet girl in the corner who has finally begun coming into who she really is.

...that loyal friend that will stand by you, just like you will me.

...the world's worst blogging procrastinator.

...pretty darn uninteresting when I'm spelled out on paper.

But most importantly, I am whoever I want to be


Side Note: It's over, it's finally over. It was fun while it lasted, but I really do need to work on following schedules. It took much longer than 30 days, but I've finally made my way to the end of this challenge. Yay me!

Day 29

Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned

I've learned that I tend to put off things that I find too difficult or unpleasant (as seen in the gaps between some of these posts). Also, there is one post in particular that has helped my move past some things and let go of a lot of resentment I had. I've also found that I really do enjoy blogging, even if there is no guarantee that anyone will read what I write. Nice lessons learned, nothing too life changing, but I can safely say that I have no regrets.

Day 28

Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?

You mean other than my haircut?

2009

2010

I think, in general, I'm a more confident person than I was a year ago. I'm better at standing up for myself and I find that I shy away into the corner less and less as time goes on. It seems as if I'm finally coming out of my shell little by little.

Day 27

Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge

I think the reason I had in the beginning was just to drum up some content without having to come up with any ideas. As I went on though, I found myself liking the thought of giving my friends just a little more insight (be it funny or serious) into what goes on in my mind. That's it really, no desire for self discovery or the need to reveal secrets. I thought it would be fun, which it is/was, and it was nice to post things on a more regular basis (though I clearly need to work on the procrastination side of things).

Day 26

Day 26- What you think about your friends

Oh, now this is a loaded question. I've found that I have a couple of different types of friends. 


There are temporary ones that I talk to daily. These are the people I share classes with, who disappear into the sunset once finals are over.


The ones that are best in small doses. Sounds pretty bad, but I think we all have them.


The ones that I rarely speak with but would trust with my life. Just because we don't talk regularly doesn't mean that our friendship is on the rocks.


The ones that are practically siblings, we've spent so much time together. They know me the best and know just when to push or pull back.


Looking back, I've made a few mistakes here and there when it comes to picking out friends or trying to maintain them. I can only hope that I learn from these mistakes in the future.

Day 25

Day 25- What I would find in your bag?


Backpack or Purse? Eh, it doesn't matter as it's pretty much the same anyway...


The Usual-
Wallet
Ipod
Phone
Keys
Gum (usually something fruit flavored)
Pens
A travel pack of Kleenex
Waaaay to many receipts and coupons


The Girly-
Lip balm (currently Mint Chapstick and Minted Rose Salve)
Lipstick/ gloss of the day
Mirror
Lotion (some Nivea tin)


The School Specific-
A notebook or folder with loose paper
At least one flashdrive

Day 24

Day 24- A letter to your parents


Dear Mom and Dad,


I don't think anything I could come up with here would do any justice in describing how remarkable the two of you are as parents. Frankly, there are not enough words, spoken or typed, that would ever help me to express every ounce of how I feel about having you as parents. I can only hope that I can show you with my actions how much I love the both of you and how I think I couldn't be blessed with a better set of parents.


Love,
Love

At the end...

I'm at the end of yet another milestone chapter of life, here are some things I'll miss...

...The readily available Cali burritos and Carne Asada fries
...Z Pizza
...The singing I got done on the long drives to and from school
...That little bit of independence
...The morning fog
...The people

Oh SD, you've been good to me for the last few years. This is a bittersweet goodbye, but I'm ready to go home.

Baking Machine

So I'm a bit ahead in my studying schedule so I thought a bit of stress relief in the form of baking was in order. It rained quite heavily the other day and that made me want a cookie, which made me think about all the different cookies that I have yet to make in the world. My mind finally settled on Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip...indulgent, I know. So I Googled a recipe, popped over to the store and got myself to work. I ended up using this recipe. It looked the the simplest recipe with the best looking results. Man, oh man. If you like the richness of a peanut butter cookie, the texture of an oatmeal one and the surprise of finding a chocolate chip, then you need to make these ASAP.

I ended up hitting a baking stride and noticed that I still had a bit of leftover zucchini from when I made a few loaves of zucchini bread to bring to a family potluck on Friday. Since I didn't keep any for my house and my mom loves the stuff, I went ahead and made a few more. I used a recipe that I picked up from a friend in highschool, with a few tweaks here and there:

Zucchini Bread-
3c Flour
1 1/2 c Granulated Sugar
1/2 c Light Brown Sugar
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Salt
3 Eggs
3/4 Oil
1/4 Milk
2 c Shredded Zucchini

Combine all ingredients, sans zucchini, in a bowl to form a thick batter. Stir in zucchini and pour into 2 loaf pans (or 2 8x8 pans). Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. Let cool, slice and enjoy!!

After all of that, I noticed that there was still about a cup of chocolate chips left in the bag, so I decided to do something else with them to keep myself or the little bro from eating them straight up (which I would have). So I took to Google once more and went in search for another recipe. I was going to go with good old chocolate chip cookies, but the o-pb-cc ones already stocked my house with two dozen. I toyed with the idea of scones, but then realized that I was milkless so had to scrap that as well. Finally, I decided to try my hand at biscotti via Good Housekeeping's online recipe.

Now this is the first time I've taken on biscotti (though I do recall a disastrous attempt at the all too similar shortbread cookie that I experienced in high school), so I'm a little bit lost on what the dough was supposed to look like. After following the directions to the 't', I noticed that the dough I had was far too wet to even pass as a standard cookie dough. I searched the magic that is Youtube and noticed that I was right about the texture. So, I took a chance and added an extra 1/2 c flour to the recipe. Everything else proceeded as usual. The end result was a pretty darn good product for a first timer. I will definitely consider experimenting a bit more with this biscotti business.

Alrighty, that's about all I have to share right now...I hope things are well wherever you find yourself at the moment.

Day 23

Day 23- Something you crave for a lot

The Beatles were definitely on to something...

Day 22

Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else

I don't think there's much that makes me different from anyone else, more like things that make me who I am. For example- I love oldies, I love classic movies, I have a casual style, etc. No one person has a unique trait, rather its the unique combination of things like likes, dislikes, personality that make a person who they are. It's hard to step back and judge yourself against other people, it seems like more of a task for friends and family to do for you.

That's my answer and I'm sticking to it.

Day 21

Last one for today

Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy

Ahhh, memories. I love being Filipino

Day 20

Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future

I have only ever been significant other-less, much to my little brother's joy. So this is all I can give you in terms of answers...

Can I keep him?

Funny Stories-

When I was 12 I loved Mary Kate and Ashley direct-to-video movies. There is one, called Passport to Paris, that is my all time favorite. Why? Because the dark haired Parisian boy was cute, in fact he was my first movie crush. Fast forward a decade, I'm checking out the imdb of my current Hollywood crush (see the epitome of hotness above) and guess what I find...he played the cute boy in Passport to Paris!!!!!!! If that isn't a sign it was meant to be, I don't know what is.

Day 19

It's turning into a multi post day (I'm thinking at least one more after this)

Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them

Most people just call me Alyssa, it's just easier that way.

Cassy calls me Lyssa, because that extra syllable is too much for her lazy self.

Nes will, on occasion, call me Ly-It started in 8th grade, but it actually managed to stick.

The little bros and younger cousins call me Ate, Ate Alyssa or Ate Lyssa-It's a Filipino thing.

Note: If I've repeatedly told you how to say my name but you get it wrong anyway, I will correct you. It's just an automatic reaction

Day 18

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have

I'll try and keep this to the point...

I want...

...to be fulfilled in whatever job I find myself in

...to remain at least as close to my family as I am now

...to find that one person who will change my life for the better

...to achieve genuine happiness in life

That's not asking too much is it? Yeah, it probably is

Day 17

Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

Kat Dennings maybe? She was the chick from Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist. I always think about how cool it would be to be an actor for a day, a nice one, not one of the stuck up ones. Kat definitely fits the bill with that criteria. Also, the projects she chooses are always really cool indies or ones with a small pre-established fan base (with the exception of The House Bunny, blech!), so I think it would be fun to switch places for the day.

Runners-up (for the same reasons)-Ellen Page, Anna Paquin, Lindsay Shaw

Day 16

Day 16- Another picture of yourself

More Macbook fun

Day 15

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play

Can I just say, I've been waiting for this one like a kid at Christmas? I've included links to anything you might not be familiar with, just in case you were curious. Here goes...

1. McFly-Home is Where the Heart is

2. Boyz II Men- End of the Road ft. Brian McKnight

3. John Mayer- Waiting on the World to Change (Live)

4. Paramore- All I Wanted...This is the first time I've heard this, the little bro just shoved it on my iPod and I never took the time to have a listen. Not gonna lie, it was depressing so after 45sec I moved right along.

5. McFly-Everybody Knows...It's anthemic for the early 20-somethings

6. Weezer-Perfect Situation

7. Backstreet Boys-Shape of My Heart...this was the source of a "What the hell is the name of that song?" headache inducing convo with the little bro on the way up from SD

8. The Lonely Island-I can't bring myself to write it, so I'll link it instead

9. The Lonely Island ft. Justin Timberlake- Again, just follow the link

10. 2AM-I Love You...my new fascination with KPop can be blamed on little bro and cousin

Is it just me or was this the most random shuffle list in the history of blogs

Day 14

I'm behind, again, so here's another double up.

Day 14- A picture of you and your family

Thanksgiving with the fam bam...gotta love it.

Day 13

Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently

I've been mulling over this since I read that it was on the list. It's not recent at all, as I don't have tons of people clamoring to stab me in the back (I don't think), but here it goes:

(You know who you are),

I could blast you for everything you have done to me.

I could advertise all the ways you hurt me.

I could tell everyone the things you did to make me doubt myself.

But I won't, because I'm better than that. I would never take to the internet to exact my revenge. That's not my style, I don't even do revenge. Instead, I'm just going to sit back, until you realize that you owe me a few things. And if you don't? You'll be down an amazing friend, I know because I've got true friends that helped me realize that I am an amazing person..but me? I'll probably be better off in the end.

Day 12

Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one

I've known about Blogger for ages, I think someone in high school had one and I was intrigued. I bounced between different blog sites before settling securely on this one. It's just easier to use and meddle with than any of the other sites I tried.

As for why? Why not? I find that having one of these is a quick way of sharing what's going on in my life through a site that isn't played out (like Myspace) or doesn't have a blog format (Facebook). I think it's fun, and I love to check out everyone else's blogs as well.

Day 11

Day 11- Another picture of you and your friend

What happens when you have a MAC, friends around and no homework to do?

Day 10

I'm behind again, mainly because it took forever for me to figure out a Day 9 post, so I'm doubling up today (and maybe tomorrow)

Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad

Happy

The Beatles-I Wanna Hold Your Hand

It makes me smile, that's all I need.

Sad

The Beatles-All You Need is Love

It picks me up whenever I'm down

Bored

Bon Jovi-Bad Medicine

Makes me wanna dance and sing every time.

Hyped

Queen-We Will Rock You

My favorite way to get pumped for a test.

Mad

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts-Bad Reputation

The perfect level of angry girl rock.

Day 9

Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days

Procrastination is at an all time low!

I'm almost through jumping all the hoops required to close out my time at UCSD and begin life as a Matador (CSUN...pathetic mascot, huh?)

Also, I'm kicking Instrumental Analysis lab report a**. I'm on a roll!

Day 8

I'm a little behind, so its a Challenge double post today...

Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why

1. Finish Lab Reports 1 Week before due date

I'm trying to combat the whole procrastination thing, from now until the end of the month, I'll have completed two more lab rotations, but the reports are not due until 2 weeks after the last lab of each rotation. I have two other group members, so if I get the work done efficiently, there is no reason that it would take that long to finish the reports

2. No excessive spending until Black Friday

The only things I'm allowed are gas, food and unbelievably good (like more than 50%) sales. I need to save up to pick up a GPS, FlipCam HD and some other technological gadgets when Black Friday comes around so here is my attempt at saving.

3. At least 3 runs or yoga sessions a week

Right now I'm at two, but I'm feeling so good that I want to try to up it to three. I'm liking the feeling healthy side effects that exercise is giving me and I don't want to give them up.

4. Study, Study, Study

I want my GPA for this quarter to be one of my highest, which looks like it will be possible so long as I can continue to fight back the urge to procrastinate.

Day 7

Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you

Does it really need explanation?

Food Adventures-Banh Mi

Soooo, Nikko introduced me to this show called "The Great Food Truck Race" where one of the teams was a group of Vietnamese 20-somethings that had started a food truck (NomNoms) centered around Banh Mi, an amazing Vietnamese sandwich. I had no idea what a Banh Mi was before this, so I did some research and the more I read, the more I wanted to try one. Thankfully, about 2miles from where I live is a high traffic area that is ripe with Pho restaurants and Vietnamese sandwich spots. I had no idea about the sandwich places until I did a Yelp search for Banh Mi in the area. After some reading, I chose Sandwich Express as our very first sandwich shop, as the reviews all praised the homemade french bread. Here's what we got...

Clockwise from Top Left: Pork&Ham, Shredded Chicken, BBQ Pork

It was amazing, no lie. The baguette was perfect, crunchy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. The veggies gave the perfect amount of crunch and heat to compliment the filling.

I will definitely be going here to continue my Banh Mi education.

Day 6

Day 06-Favorite Superhero and why

So it's not really a single super hero, more like a collection...

Growing up, I wanted to be a Sailor Scout. I'm asian, so I have every right to hold that in my past. I think the draw was their teamwork and the fact that they were girls and kicked major a**. Plus, I loved all the backstories (and I wanted/still want my very own r/l Tuxedo Mask)

These people come in at a close second...

Day 5

Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to

You know those commercials for that magical $5 Pizza Buffet? Well, let me tell you, it exists!

Behold the epicness that is Mac&Cheese Pizza

Day 4

Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have

I have two I want to talk about, one that's obvious and the other that I hate.

Procrastination

I think it's a common thing among college students. Mine got pretty bad from 2nd-3rd in college, but it's getting better now. I make an effort to finish things at least two days in advance...and just in case you're wondering, yes not procrastinating DOES help your grades. Shocking, no?

I'm a flake

Yes, it is true, I am the friend that says yes with enthusiasm to get you off my back about going this place or that place, but will call you a day or two before and cancel. It was pretty bad for about two years, up until about three months ago when I realized I didn't like who it made me: an unreliable friend.

Now, I make an effort to just say that whatever the plan is 'really isn't my thing' or just to get over the embarrassment and just admitting that I have no money/source of income so going out is not an option for me. It may irritate some people, but better that than making plans and being that not so good kind of friend.

Day 3

Day 03- Picture of me and my friends

Me and the Meteor Girls

I did have to hijack this from Facebook

...and let's not forget two of my favorite people

Day 2

Day 02- Meaning behind my blog name

Back in 7th grade-ish my friends decided to dub our group the 'Filipino Mafia' (FM for short) and proceeded to hold history notes for ransoms paid in lumpia...weird I know. Anyway, we picked nicknames and the only one I could come up with was Lyzzie. Eventually it evolved to LyLy and then my bestie Ness dubbed me Ly. So, if anyone called me by a name that wasn't Alyssa or Lyssa (Cassy says she was too lazy for the extra syllable) it would be Ly.

Up until high school my aim s/n was NinjaStar26 (2 points to whoever knows where the number came from)...very asian and stereotypical. I decided that would no longer do and came up with lyislooney, the only remotely witty thing I could come up with back then. Since I'm not too creative, I've continued using it a my username here (and Twitter).

As for the blog name, let me walk you through it, it's easy. I am Lyislooney, the web address is lyslooneybin, so the title 'one blog, all my insanity' makes complete sense...right?

That is all for now, see ya next post :)