Another More Just Five Minutes

Supermarket Self Checkout


My closest Nob Hill supermarket renovated the store in Oct 2008. One new addition is the self check out registers. They rock. The self checkouts are fun. Children have fun checkout out family groceries. I talked to a cashier about the self checkouts. She said there are many people who don't know how to use them. Wow!

Taking Few Accounting Class, Many More To Take

I'm taking Accounting classes at De Anza. I'm thinking Accounting is my second bachelors degree. So far, I'm doing well. I want to take more. I have the time now.

Guess The Wiki

Want to play an online game with a group of people? All you need is a computer with internet and you and your group are ready to go.

*1. Choose randomly who's going to be the announcer.
*2. The announcer goes to Wikipedia.
*3. The announcer chooses the article for the others to guess.
*4. The others have to guess the article currently on Wikipedia. What are the rules? How many guesses the others have? How many clues the announcer gives? What kind of clues the announcer gives? What is the scoring? I don't know. Make them up.
*5. After the first article is guessed, click Random article under Navigation to continue the game. Is there going to be a new announcer? Is the new announcer the person who correctly guessed the last article? Is the new announcer rotated around the group? Can the new announcer click Random article more than once to select a better article? I don't know. The group decides either during play or before play. Prizes? Maybe.

I Don't Know Why? It Happens

I have people who were my friends, then we became enemies, and now we're friends again. I was a friend to people, then he, she, or I became enemies, and now we're friends again. I don't know why the cycle happens. Regardless, the end we're friends again, hopefully for a long time. It just happens for whatever reasons.

Good Guy Or Bad Guy

A man is either a good guy or a bad guy. Ladies, don't say to a man, "You're a nice guy." Nice guys are boring guys. Good guys hate being called "nice guy."

There Is A Slingblade In A Circle Of Friends

In the book "I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell" by Tucker Max, Max says the most important person in a circle of friends or a group of people hanging out is the square person, the rational person. Max called that person in his group, "Slingblade." Slingblade was a pain in the ass to Max many times, yet Max respected him and valued his friendship.

Slingblade people are cool. Jerks are not cool.

There Are Girls Interested In You

The timing is not in my favor. I date when I move to my own house or apartment. Dating is a low priority for me. My priority is me. However, good fortunate can happen in unexpected places when I lease suspect.

I Continue To Find Myself Finding Raymond Mar

De Anza Week Jan 25, 2010

Mon Jan 25, 2010

Go with the flow. Go with the flow. My morning commute to school I was late as usual. I have a better understanding with go with the flow. My biggest frustration in Winter '10 is most of the days never went my way. Control what I can control. Don't control what I can't control. Today is the best day since Winter '10 started. I feel more relaxed. Just go with the flow. Be flexible. Cheer up and don't be a stuck up!

I draw a parallel with the morning moment above and Fall '09. In Fall '09, the first 4 weeks of the quarter I was miserable. I was saved when I realized on Sun Nov 1 that I'm a human being just like everyone around me. Humans are not perfect, we make mistakes, and we have desires. I stopped pretending to be tough.

Perhaps, the rest of Winter '10 is going to be a good quarter.

I took my first mid-term in Acct 1B. If the students did their homework, they should get a good grade. There were a few questions that were hard to understand what's being asked. And there were three questions from the Chap 11 quiz. Overall, IMO, the mid-term was fair and if the students did the homework, they should get a good grade.

I also took my first mid-term in Payroll. The mid-term was open book. The book helped me on three problems. I think I scored a good grade. The mid-term was long. There were three or four questions that were not straightforward. There was a substitute teacher to proctor the mid-term. The instructor was on assignment.

Tonight, go home and do whatever I feel like doing. Just going with the flow. Of course, I'm not going to use going with the flow as an excuse to not do my homework if I don't feel like it. I have managed so far in the quarter.

Tue Jan 26, 2010

Singing is hard. Obviously, few singers make it to the top and make the big bucks. Today's class was split into four groups. The instructor wanted personal attention to beginning and advance students. My group was 5:30-6:20pm.

The instructor emphasized keeping the jaw loose, posture, breathing, and keeping your neck and sternum up. My group asked questions on the mid term. The mid term is singing one song. A classmate and I sing one song together.

Wed Jan 27, 2010

Correction. One of the streets around De Anza is Stelling Road, not Sterling Road. The garage I park is Stelling Garage, not Sterling Garage.

Maybe Winter '10 is not going to be a good quarter. I arrived at the computer lab to submit my Peachtree homework. Fortunately I checked the green sheet. I did the wrong chapter. Chapters 5-6 were due. I completed Chapters 4-5. I talked to the instructor. She said it was OK to email chapter 6. Also, I found out I need to complete the Analysis section and print the trial balance at the end of the chapters. Tonight, I complete the Analysis and print trial balances and email to the instructor.

Another problem in Peachtree was my PC didn't open my Peachtree files. The instructor said there were problems earlier in the day with Peachtree and the network. I wonder do I continue coming to the lab? What else is there to do since I come to school early?

I went to the library and wrote blogs. Staying in the library is better than the campus center because the library is cleaner and there are more outlets to plug my computer.

I talked to a classmate on Apple's new product called the iPad in Financial Accounting. He said I must check out CEO Steve Jobs' presentation. He preordered the iPad. I watch the video and make a choice whether I purchase an iPad. The basic model is $500.

We continued practicing the West Coast Swing. There were no new basics learned. The second half of the class we learned the Cha Cha Cha. It looks like the number of students reached the lowest and final count because the last day to drop without a Withdrawal in your records was last Fri. I think the instructor realized she made a mistake teaching us the West Coast Swing first. New students were expecting to learn the more common dances such as the Cha Cha Cha or Waltz.

I finished the Peachtree assignments and emailed to my instructor. I also corrected the missing problems from the prior homework assignments and emailed them.

I Continue To Find Myself Finding Raymond Mar

Gas Analysis 2009

I did a chart how much I spent for gas for 2009. The chart above shows the average price per gallon of gas I paid per month. The average price per gallon of gas I paid was $2.77. The highest average was Sep at $3.18 and the lowest was Jan at $2.04. The highest price per gallon was $3.25 on July 1. The lowest price per gallon was $2.00 on Jan 8. I filled up my car 38 times. The total cost I spent on gas was $1,054.

In 2008, I spent $1,568, a 33% decrease. The average price per gallon in 2008 was $3.59, a 23% decrease. There is one advantage being unemployed. You drive less. The Fourth of July weekend I was in Los Angeles. I filled up gas three times. The highest gas prices of the year fortunately were in Sep. I was lucky.

Click here to read my 2008 gas analysis.

I Continue To Find Myself Finding Raymond Mar

Life follows nobody's plan. Everything went planned as a child. My parents made it happen--they hid the hindrances. Wrong impression what life is. Be flexible.

Five Foods That Help You Sleep

Melanie Haiken of caring.com wrote an article on five foods to help fall asleep. Here are the foods:

*Cherries. The only food containing melatonin, the chemical that controls the internal clock to regulate sleep. Eat one hour before you sleep or before a trip you want to sleep.

*Bananas. Potassium and magnesium are natural muscle relaxants. And there is serotonin, a relaxing neurotransmitter, and melatonin,.

*Toast. Carbohydrate-rich foods trigger insulin production that induces sleep.

*Oatmeal. Oatmeal also triggers insulin production, raising blood sugar naturally and making you feel sleepy.

*Warm milk. Warm milk releases relaxing serotonin. It's also high in calcium that promotes sleep.

Side note: My experience is open a window for fresh air. If there is no window to open such as a hotel, then turn on the air ventilation to circulate the air. I can't sleep if the air is stagnant or warm.

Here are five foods that prohibit sleep by Melanie Haiken of caring.com.

*Preserved and smoked meats. These foods release norepinephrine, a brain stimulant that makes you alert.

*Chocolate. Contains caffeine and tyrosine, a stimulating amino acid.

*Energy drinks. It's obvious why. The drinks are supposed to keep you awake.

*Tomato sauce, chili, pizza, and spicy foods. Acidic and spicy foods can cause reflux, heartburn, and other symptoms that interrupt sleep.

*Alcohol. It dehydrates and makes you pee. Wine is high in the stimulant tyrosine.

Side note: I question bananas, toast, and oatmeal to help fall asleep because these are popular foods for breakfast or a snack.

Link for complete article: http://www.caring.com/articles/five-foods-that-help-you-sleep

I Continue To Find Myself Finding Raymond Mar

De Anza Week Jan 18, 2010

Mon Jan 18, 2010

De Anza was closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. There is no makeup day for the missed class meetings. For my Payroll class, we lost the class meeting. The Saturday class miss no classes.

Tue Jan 19, 2010

Singing class was a little more than a half class meeting. The last 50 minutes were open to students with questions. I stayed during the 50 minutes thinking my song I sing for the mid-term.

Wed Jan 20, 2010

Bad day. Almost everything went wrong. Dance was the bright event of the day. More on the dance later.

First, the drive to De Anza took 35 minutes. What happened? The entire day rained. I pass by a junior high school. There were so many cars around the school on the rainy morning parents drove their kids to school. Traffic was backed up. If I am a parent, I'm impressed parents taking time to drive their kids to school instead of walking in the rain.

Second, I had to park on the third level of Sterling garage. There were plenty of parking spaces at 9:45am.

Third, I had problems running Peachtree in the computer lab. My desktop didn't read my memory stick on the USB ports on the flat panel. I checked the memory stick on my laptop. No problem. Then I realized there were USB ports in front of the desktop machine. The desktop machine is located below the tables. Damn. I inserted the memory stick in the desktop USB port. It worked. I wasted time troubleshooting my memory stick.

Fourth, I took my second quiz in Acct 1B. I did poorly. Some of the questions were hard to understand. Some students agreed with me. The instructor announced two bonus points are earned when students complete the chapter 11 homework at the end of class. She admitted the quiz was not a fair. Chapter 10 quiz was straightforward.

Fifth, I didn't have ten minutes to practice singing.

The bright event was dancing. We continued to learn the West Coast Swing. We learned new moves and added more to the chorography. I ask next class meeting if we're learning the Hammerlock.

I Continue To Find Myself Finding Raymond Mar

Treat a burned tongue. Rinse your mouth with a solution of 1 teaspoon of salt and a cup of warm water. The salt draws infection and neutralizes the acidicy.

My Parents Are Boring

Idiot moment. It took me 35 years to realize my parents have been boring. To be fair, they're not the worse parents. They're not the most boring parents of the year. They handle emergencies and crisis well. Consider yourself lucky if you're parents are not boring.

When did I realize my parents are boring? I realized when I thought about my overall life in Dec '09. My life was boring. I had my moments—too few moments and no epic moments. I could have more moments and experiences in the past. Unfortunately, I didn't. What held me back?

For example, vacations. My parents organized a vacation at Disneyland, Knott's Berryfarm, and Universal Studios each park once. Our last vacation was in 2003. We went to Las Vegas, Grand Canyon in Arizona, and San Diego. The reason for the vacation was two weddings. If there were no weddings, then no vacation. All other vacations were organized by other family members and my family piggy back off them.

Another example is friends. My parents have almost no friends. My mom has the friends between my parents. My dad has no friends. How can people survive without friends? My answer is I don't know. Nobody visit our house. Only family. I can't invite my friends to my house.

I believed my past life was my parent's life especially when I was a child and teen; in other words, I mirrored how they lived life. Today, I live a life with excitement, adventures, and seeking new experiences. I have lots to catch up. The boring life stops now.

I Continue To Find Myself Finding Raymond Mar

De Anza Week Jan 11, 2010

Mon Jan 11, 2010

I arrived on campus at 9:50am. I drove inside the Sterling garage. No parking. Next, I drove around the open parking area. No parking. No panic. Finally, I drove inside the Flint Center garage. Damn, plenty of parking. No problem. I asked myself why were students driving around most of the campus finding parking when the Flint Center garage had plenty of parking? Are college students that stupid?

9:50am is a bad time to arrive on campus. I must wake up at 7:30am to get parking at Sterling. Flint Center is my backup garage.

I arrived on campus at 10am. I went to the library because I needed to charge my laptop. WiFi is not working. I relaxed, let my laptop charge, and wait for my Peachtree class at 10:30am.

Three feet from the entrance to the Learning Center building where my Peachtree class is, the fire alarm went off. The Cupertino fire department and De Anza police secured the building. I wasted 25 minutes. I completed Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 again at the computer lab. It looks like I'm going to complete the assignments at home and review the chapters at the computer lab. Completing the assignments on USB stick is too slow. I return to the lab on Wednesday to learn how to print and submit the homework.

In Acct 1B, the class took the first quiz. I got a 90%. I misread one question. The questions were easy. The hard part was spotting the trick questions. The lecture format includes doing the assigned homework. Every class I bring my textbook and homework.

I ate lunch at the Campus Center. Then I move my car from the Flint Center garage to the Sterling garage. The rest of the break before Payroll I browsed the web.

My Payroll instructor told the students she's is out of town on our first mid-term. A substitute instructor administer the mid-term. It's not a big deal because the mid-term is open book. We reviewed Chapter 1 and completed in class problems. After class, I helped a student photocopy Chapter 3 homework problems in the textbook. She has a 2008 textbook version. The reason she has an old version is to save money. She came from Japan three years ago and trying to find a job to attend San Jose State.

Tue Jan 12, 2010

Singing class was enjoyable on the second class meeting. The reason was I practiced singing using the drill sheet before class. Having a piano and knowing how to read the notes is a huge help. If I didn't know piano, then I drop the class this week. The class meeting I have a better idea how to use the Italian piano books to practice my singing. The instructor gave us an Italian translation guide I never knew was given last week. I take a look at the translations and apply to the recommended Italian songs to practice my singing.

Two tips I picked up in class. The first tip is to raise my voice when singing. Don't yell. The second tip is to sing from within my body. I don't know the body part. The instructor pointed to the front left and front right side of the body just above the belt.

Wed Jan 13, 2010

I arrived at 9:30am. I cut it close. There were some parking spaces. The cars were coming fast. I must arrive at campus before 9:30am.

My Peachtree instructor showed me the located of the printer. The computers at the lab are slow; however, internet connection is fast. I'm going to try working and printing the assignments at home and review and redo the assignments at the lab. I submit the work at home for grading. I'm going to be at campus in the morning. I might as well attend class.

In Acct 1B, we started Chapter 11. Some bitch took my seat I have been sitting since Acct 1A. There is a quiz on the next class meeting Wed Jan 20. Mon Jan 18 is a holiday and the campus is closed.

Dance class was better than last week. There were students who dropped out. More familiar faces from past dance classes attended. Yay! We continued to learn the West Coast Swing. The newbies and I improved from last week.

Update: Mon Jan 11 there was a suicide at the Flint Center parking garage. The garage was closed until 9am. That explains why Sterling garage was full and Flint Center was empty at 9:50am. It appears I can arrive at 10am and park on the top floor.

I Continue To Find Myself Finding Raymond Mar

Accutane Day 344

My latest Accutane appointment was Tue Dec 29. I asked the dermatologist the longest a patient took Accutane. He said 18 months. I stop taking Accutane when I'm acne free for one month.

I see some red spots on my forehead from the picture. I'm not sure any red spots become acne. I wait and see. I note any fully developed acne. I noticed my whiteheads on my nose is improving somewhat. The mornings I notice the whiteheads are harder to see; in other words, the whiteheads are not exposed or popping out. The evenings I see the whiteheads popping out. The improvement is I see fewer whiteheads. I continue to be patient.

No new side effects. I continue to lift at 25% less weights when I workout. My next appointment is February.

I Continue To Find Myself Finding Raymond Mar

Cars with daytime running lamps turn headlights on in fog conditions. Reason is turn taillights on for cars behind to see you. You don't want to be rear-ended.

De Anza Week Jan 4, 2010

Mon Jan 4, 2010

I continue to favor the quarter system instead of the semester system. The first day of classes started today. Hopefully I remembered everything I learned in Financial Acct 1A. Another reason I like the quarter system is the academic year continues without a long vacation. I'm more likely to remember what I learned in Fall quarter. I read an article on the American education system. Teachers spent at least six weeks in the beginning of the new school year reviewing material from the last school year. The semester system has a longer winter break.

I woke up early to make sure I find a parking space. I woke up too early. There were plenty of parking spaces. I took the longest way to school to avoid traffic. There was no traffic. Perhaps it's because it's the Winter Quarter and not the Fall Quarter. I get extra sleep for Wed's classes.

The Peachtree Software class is self-taught. The instructor allowed students to complete their assignments at home. The classroom is in a section in the computer lab. I got my user ID for the computer lab. I read and practice at home and complete the assignments in the computer lab. I need a memory stick to save my assignments. And the instructor is left handed.

Following Peachtree is my Financial Accounting 1B class. The instructor came from India in 1984 and has taught at De Anza since 2002. It appears she's popular because the class is full and there were a few students who took her 1A class. I sometimes watch The People's Court. You actually learn something watching the show. It helped me answer two questions during the lecture, lol. She has a break halfway in the class meeting. We shall see what happens.

I ate lunch at Panda Express across the street. I went to the bookstore after lunch. There was a line to enter. I purchased my Acct 1B class. It was cheaper buying at the bookstore. On the other hand, for my Peachtree and my Business and Payroll classes, I'm going to try Amazon tonight. The Business and Payroll cost $147 $-(

I checked my Winter '10 schedule and I could have arrived late to my Business and Payroll Tax class. I thought the class started at 6:30pm. It actually started at 6pm. I arrived on time. The instructor taught accounting classes for a long time. She is an IRS agent. I didn't get her email one week before class containing the green sheet and exam schedule. After class, we verified my email address. It seems to be good. She doesn't have a 10 minute break in the middle of class.

My Peachtree and Financial Accounting 1B class are Mon and Wed. My Business and Payroll Tax is Mon night. The Financial and Payroll classes the instructor uses the book for their lectures. I bring my books to class even thought I don't like bringing books the class.

Tue Jan 5, 2010

I purchased my Peachtree, Payroll, and singing classes textbooks at amazon.com. I saved $35.

The singing class was different than I expected. We have to memorize songs and sing for the mid-term and final. We have to buy additional books and a CD. There were students who are taking the class for the fourth time. There is practicing required outside class. I should have expected practicing singing everyday. I start with drilling. Thank goodness I know basic piano. I'm going to own a piano when I buy my house. Obviously, singing is a low priority compared to my accounting classes.

Wed Jan 6, 2010

Winter '10 is going to be fast. Really fast. Control what you can control. Don't control what you can't control. There are lots of mid-terms, homework, and quizzes. The mid-terms are about every two weeks. Take nothing for granted. And here I'm trying to keep my life from going at light speed. It's going to be hard to do. Moreover, how about the students who work to pay the bills? That's another discussion.

In addition, I feel tired and grumpy. I believe the reason is I haven't been eating good since Sun. I am what I eat, and that includes my mood, behavior, and attitude.

I arrived at De Anza at 9:15am. Plenty of parking. That's a change from San Jose State where the garages were full around this time. Traffic was light. Unfortunately, I got one green light and the rest were red lights.

I cut my Peachtree class today because I don't have the book. Amazon emailed me my textbooks are being delivered. I spent the morning at the Campus Center and in the library surfing the web.

Note on parking. The parking garage was full around 12:30pm. I went back to my car to get my Financial Accounting 1B textbook.

My last class of the week is Social Dance at night time. There were lots of newbies and few students from Fall '09. We're going to learn the West Coast Swing. WTF?!? Next week, fewer students. I talked to the student who suggested the singing class. She said not to fear. The instructor is good and helpful to beginners.

Students including me and the teachers were settling in to the new quarter. Many students and even my teachers were tired and continued to be in adjust mode after the holidays. I'm fortunate I have classes three days a week. I'm going to need two more weeks to fully adjust to the new quarter. The rest of the week I work on my homework and study for the 1B quiz.

I Continue To Find Myself Finding Raymond Mar

More Just Five Minutes

A Loaf Of Bread, A Container Of Milk, A Stick Of Butter, And Meet A New Person

I recognize online dating, matchmaking services, and speed dating as additional ways to find dates. For me, I believe the best way to find a date is when you're not actively looking. For location, I believe the best location is the supermarket. Then why am I still single and not dated in a long time? Bad luck, bad presentation myself, not attracting, and other priorities to worry about. I start dating after I find my own residence.

Misunderstandings and Miscommunications

I'm an observant person. I like observing. Observing is one of my best ways to learn. My observing is the most common misunderstanding people have towards me. People think I'm a quiet person. I'm not. I admit I'm quiet when I meet new people especially if the group is big. I open myself up after I'm familiar with everyone and my surroundings.

My Guilty Conscious

One of my weaknesses is I have a guilty conscious. If I make a mistake, my mind is thinking sorry immediately. Some mistakes are not my fault. Some mistakes are not worth sweating over. Is guilt good? Is a guilty conscious a good conscious? I agree a guilty conscious is good if you caused an accident and a loved one was seriously injured. On the other hand, someone is harassing you and you hit the person. Are you feeling guilty? I think everyone has a guilty conscious. It depends on the life situation and we make a choice whether we feel guilty or not.

I Want More . . .

Is this the life I want I'm currently living? Watch anime, play board games and a little video games, workout three days a week, hangout with my friends once or twice a week, live at home, and work at a dead end job? I want more. I want MORE! I'm going to earn it. What do I want? Honestly, I don't know. I do know I want more than what I'm living my life today. (Side note: the friends I currently have are awesome.)

. . . How About Settling Down? Get Married And Have Children?

I don't have money. 'nuff said.

Friends First Then Lovers

I believe when a couple wants to be in a serious relationship, they must be friends first. I believe it takes patience and time to develop a serious relationship. It takes years for a couple to get married. Take it slowly. Don't rush. If it was meant to be, it's meant to be.

Rain

My favorite weather condition. Rain. I dress up for the cold, for the rain, for the storm. I bring my umbrella. I enjoy listening to rain in my house. I hear the rain drops hit the windows. Drivers must slow down in rain. We can never have too little water. Rain is a good reason for a couple to walk together under one umbrella. Rain.

I Continue To Find Myself Finding Raymond Mar

SOMT: The price of milk. I remember my parents paid $2 for a gallon of milk when I was a child. I pay $4.19 now. We always complain yet we live the best we can