Gas Analysis 2010

I did a chart how much I spent for gas for 2010. 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 $3.13. The highest average was Dec at $3.36 and the lowest was Feb at $2.96. The highest price per gallon was $3.35 on Dec 14 and 24. The lowest price per gallon was $2.95 on Jan 8 and Feb 6. I filled up my car 32 times. The total cost I spent on gas was $1,040.

In 2009, I spent $1,053, a 1.23% decrease. The average price per gallon in 2009 was $2.77, a 13% increase. I continue to drive less. I filled up 321.50 gallons in 2010 and 377.62 gallons in 2009, a 14.86% decrease. The Fourth of July weekend I was in Los Angeles. I filled up gas three times. Attending classes four days a week in Fall ’10 quarter had no effect to the total gallons purchased in 2010. The highest gas prices of the year were in Dec. The increase in gas prices continues today.

The Personal Side Of Me Finding Raymond Mar

Parents, Get Out And Do Something

Parents, don’t raise your children to be boring people. Set the example and do something, anything fun, exciting, something that involves action, communication, physical moment, mental challenge. Don’t give your children the false idea life is good boring. It’s not.

My parents lived the simple life when I was young. I realized last year my parents lived a boring life and my childhood was boring. I stopped living a boring life. I’m catching up what I missed years ago by meeting new people and making new friends, finding new adventures, learning anything new, and experiencing new experiences.

My parents could have not been boring. They met somehow. One had to initiate attraction toward the other and the other responded positively. They got married. Were they actually boring people who met with good luck and timing?

If somebody says you’re boring, chances are they’re correct. Take your head out of your ass, look at the mirror, top being stubborn, and do something, anything.

The Personal Side Of Me Finding Raymond Mar

Life One At A Time

I remember a day in my intermediate accounting class in Fall ’10 quarter. There was too much in my mind. I thought about my mid-terms, group project, next day’s homework, what to cook for dinner, my gym workout, thinking do I need to buy milk, what anime to watch, etc. My professor had lots in his mind too including his classes for the quarter, department meetings, mid-terms to write, and his sick daughter he sometimes cancels classes to care for her.

One day, the professor had an emergency call. He cancelled the rest of the class. He continued the lecture on the next class meeting. That moment reminded me to take life one a time. Take everything one at a time. Focus on the present moment and fulfill it. Concentrate on one activity, one commitment, one task. Don’t go crazy. Don’t stress out. There is always tomorrow to continue working on your responsibilities.

I’m a do it, complete it person. I like accomplishing what needs to be completed. Sometimes I forget to take everything one at a time because I rush myself to finish everything I want to do. I get everything what I need to done in time by slowing down and pacing myself.

The Personal Side Of Me Finding Raymond Mar

Smile

Smile, everyone. It’s common sense to smile. Smiling people says we’re open. It’s like we have a welcome sign. Please come to meet us and let’s talk. Smiling people attracts people to come to them. Smiling people are beautiful. Think of people who look mean start smiling. Mean people don’t look mean anymore.

Think about the successful people on the news from sports, politics, business, and entertainment. Almost all of them smile. What if President Barack Obama never smiled? Former Presidents Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy always smiled. The actors and actresses who walk on the red carpet better smile to the cameras.

More people need to smile. The world doesn’t care about angry people, people in a pissed off mood. I don’t want to be near them. Smiling people can cheer up other people. Greet and smile you friends, family, acquaintances, co-workers, and meeting new people.

If you have teeth problems preventing you from giving your best smile, then visit an orthodontist. I believe investing in braces to correct your teeth is one of the best investments. I wore braces for 2.5 years. My smile is better and attractive.

We all have bad days. We all have crabby days. Smile. Cheer yourself up. Life is really not that bad.

The Personal Side Of Me Finding Raymond Mar

De Anza Week Mar 21, 2011

Mon Mar 21

Today was the last day of instruction. Finals started tomorrow. My Intermediate Acct professor was on-call for jury duty. The probability was rare to be called in on the first day and the probability was rare to serve. My professor was called in and he served.

The professor arrived late. He showed his juror badge. The students received the practice final from a student at the beginning of class. We received extra credit by completing the practice final by Friday, the day of our final. The professor lectured and reviewed a few of the questions. The final was Chapters 16, 18, and 19.

Intro to Business was my first final. There were conflicts with some students if we took the final on Wed. Everyone choose to have the final today. The final was 100 questions consisted of 40% new material after the third mid-term and 60% old material. I didn’t study. My feeling was I passed the class. I answered all the accounting, stocks, and investment questions correctly. I better answered them correctly because I’m an accounting major and I followed the stock market during the dot-com era. I submitted more extra credit when I submitted my final. The extra credit was 20 points for selling a stock with at least $1,000 profit and 2 points for buying and selling an exchanged traded fund involving currency.

I went home one hour earlier. It took me one hour to complete the Intro to Business final.

Tue Mar 22

My sinus infection got worse Monday night. I scheduled an appointment in the afternoon with my primary care physician. He extended my antibiotics for five more days and said I continue to take Mucinix D. He also gave me a prescription for codeine and Nasonex.

Quickbooks class was short. We took our mid-term. The mid-term was 25 true and false and 15 multiple choice. 50% of the questions were from the textbook. I didn’t study. I answered the accounting concepts questions correctly. I better answered them correctly because I’m an accounting major. There was no lecture afterwards. I start working on the take home mid-term during spring break.

Wed Mar 23

I took two teaspoons of codeine and sprayed Nasonex inside my nose. It took me a long time to sleep. The codeine didn’t work.

I went to De Anza at 12:30pm because there was a study group for Intermediate Acct. Two students including myself showed up. I studied the textbook and my classmate worked on the practice mid-term. He looked at my practice mid-term I completed Tue afternoon as a guide. I spent Monday night and Tuesday afternoon on the practice mid-term.

I went back home to eat a late lunch and read Chapter 16. I drove back to De Anza at 7:10pm for the dance class final. The turnout was small. I recognized a few students who didn’t attend. They might not know we had a final. We reviewed the Cha Cha Cha, Waltz, Salsa, Nite Club Two-Step, and our dance demo West Coast Swing. The instructor ended the class as if tonight was a regular class meeting since finals we danced longer than a regular class meeting.

Fri Mar 25

This was it. I studied Chapters 16, 18, and 19 and reviewed the practice final twice for Intermediate Acct. I did my best. My goal was to pass the class. An A, B, or C grade doesn’t matter. I just wanted to pass. My sinus infection improved such that I cough less. I thought to myself I keep warm, I cough less. I drank lots of hot water. I stopped taking codeine on Wed night and continued spraying Nasonex. I continued the antibiotics and Mucinix D. My sleep was better Wed and Thur.

The Intermediate Acct final match the practice final mostly. The professor tweaked some of the questions such that students must know their basic Accounting 1B. I forgot most of my Accounting 1B. There were no CPA questions from Chapter 16. There were three questions exactly from the practice final. The final wasn’t hard in my opinion. I thought the final was written such that to earn an A on the final you must know basic 1B.

I returned my Intro to Business rented textbook to the bookstore. If students failed to return the textbook, the bookstore charged the full price on the textbook and the student owned it. Damn!

Highlights

There were few highlights in Winter ’11 quarter. Fall ’10 was the worse quarter. Winter ’11 is my worse quarter, and no other quarter comes as worse as this quarter. I choose to review the Winter ’11 highlights using a Q&A format.

What went wrong?

Laziness, boring classes, lost interest, lack of focus, no connection between the instructor and the students. There was no challenge. There was a fatigue bug throughout the quarter. It seemed everyone at De Anza including the teachers and staff were tired—lacked energy. There was also a sickness bug. My classmate in Intermediate Acct had the flu and missed one week. I had a sinus infection and I missed one week. My counselor said there was a sickness bug in her building.

The late lunch and study break between Intro to Business failed. I believed the break between the classes contributed to my quarter long fatigue. My late lunch didn’t give me enough energy to focus in dance class. I stopped attending Mon night dance class in March.

I should have taken more naps when I felt fatigue instead of fighting the fatigue. My fatigue contributed a significant part to my sinus infection.

Winter ’11 worse than San Jose State’s Fall Semester 1993?

Definitely no. I was naive, took my professors for granted such that they gave me a good grade anyways since I get along with them well, and making little efforts in my homework. I was immature back in 1993.

There were lots of incidents, events, and moments beyond your control.

There were too many. They were all in a negative way. Add them up and I felt frustrated, angry, and stressed. The small incidents included lots of red lights at intersections and long delays in the supermarket lines. The large incidents included my home almost robbed.

What was the Winter ’11 lesson learned?

I learned a life lesson in past quarters. There was no lesson learned.

What are your changes for Spring ‘11?

One, consistency in my life. My daily schedule was inconsistent throughout the quarter. Sometimes I sleep early, sometimes I sleep late. Sometimes I have a good week working out three days a week, sometimes I have a bad week not working out at all.

Two, I want to control more of my life. If something bad happens, I want to take control to turn the bad to good.

Three, I have a break between my classes in Spring ’11. I’m going home instead of staying on campus.

Fourth, if I feel tired, I take a nap. Don’t fight it, sleep it.

January started great for everyone.

Yeah, January started great. I remember the first day of classes in Winter ’10. Nobody wanted to show up. The students, instructors, and staff wanted to go home and stay on vacation.

Everyone looked forward to Winter ’11 because many people had a bad 2010 year. They hoped for a good start to 2011. It seemed, at least in my classes and the staff I talked to, Winter ’11 was not a good start.

What saved Winter ’11 from a disaster?

First, seeing a doctor for my sinus infection. Initially I thought my sickness was something I recover myself like in 2009 and 2010. I needed a doctor to examine me and to prescribe antibiotics.

Second, changing my studying in Intermediate Acct. I was able to complete the pre-lecture homework without reading the chapter. The material and concepts became harder. I read the chapter first and then completed the pre-lecture homework. The change saved time, eased my frustration, and I understood the material faster.

Third, took it slow and did a little each time. For example, most of the quarter I completed my Intermediate Acct homework all in one day. The last month I completed the homework a little each day up to the due date.

Fourth, stopped attending Monday night dance class. I got more free time eating and studying at home on Mondays instead of staying on campus.

How fast was Winter ’11?

It was the fastest quarter and the fastest three months ever in my life. One advantage to the quarter system was if the class stinks, it ends faster than semester.

You received information in Fall ’10 there was a highly recommended Intro to Business instructor. He taught Tuesday and Thursday. You didn’t want to attend classes four days a week. You registered for a Monday and Wednesday Intro to Business class after Intermediate Acct. It turned out the Monday and Wednesday instructor was boring. Should you have taken the guarantee Tuesday and Thursday class?

Hindsight is 20/20. I thought nobody can screw up an introduction class. I was wrong. My Monday and Wednesday instructor was boring, unchallenging, and the homework assignments were either too easy or too confusing. If somebody can screw up a cooking a hamburger, somebody can screw up anything.

What was something you’re not going to miss?

The Intro to Business lesson videos.

What were the highlights?

I watched classic movies I checked out at the library, I submitted graduation forms, and I ate out less often.

The Personal Side Of Me Finding Raymond Mar

De Anza Week Mar 14, 2011

Mon Mar 14

I went to an urgent care clinic last Saturday. The doctor said I have a sinus infection. He prescribed an antibiotic and told me to take Mucinix D and saline solution for my nasal passageways. I went back to school today feeling much better because I actually went to sleep. My coughing and post nasal drip were under control.

My classmates in Intermediate Acct said I missed little. The professor didn’t pass out the student attendance checklist last week. Lucky! The professor takes into account attendance when he determines final grades. He lectured chapter 19 which is the last chapter. He didn’t have time to talk about chapter 17. I noticed there were lots of empty seats today. I wonder if students were sick or they dropped out.

I was curious what was behind the second exit door in the small lecture room for Intro to Business. I open the door on Wed. The instructor said the final is on Mon, the last day of class. I liked it. My priority is Intermediate Acct. I don’t care what grade I get in Intro to Business. The class is a lost cause to get an A. I prepare for the final just enough to pass. Missing last Wed’s class didn’t hurt me because I satisfied two mid-term grades. The instructor drops the lowest of the three mid-terms. My homework grades are in the mid 80% range. I missed two classes which affects my attendance grade. The extra credit I earned is not enough to raise my grade to an A.

I skipped Mon’s dance class that I have been skipping for weeks. I was sleepy I immediately went to bed when I arrived home.

Tue Mar 15

The Quickbooks mid-term is next week. The instructor told us what to study. And the instructor assigned the take home mid-term. I start working on the take home during spring vacation. Everything is going well in class. My numbers match the textbook.

Wed Mar 16

I wanted more sleep. I was half awake throughout the day. I had a quick breakfast and I shaved quickly. I rushed out of the house making sure I brought my dance shoes and a dress shirt for tonight’s Dance Demo and my De Anza and San Jose State transcripts to be reviewed with my counselor.

Intermediate Acct was a half day. The professor finished Chapter 19. Then he discussed the final. The final is Chapters 16, 18, and 19 only. It’s not cumulative. What a relief. The professor gives us a sample final on Mon. I talked to two of my classmates after class. We talked about accounting and jobs. We may get together during finals week for a study group. Intermediate Acct is my priority class for finals.

I opened the second exit door in the lecture room where I take Intro to Business. It looks like a service entrance like a shopping mall. I almost went to sleep during today’s lecture. I’m happy today is the last day he lectures. He’s boring! We reviewed the final which is cumulative. 40% new material and 60% old material. I think I can manage a C grade. I know most of the new material since they’re investments and accounting. Tomorrow I complete the last homework assignment and check my extra credit. I email the instructor for missing extra credit.

I scheduled an appointment with my counselor after my classes. I met her in a past dance class. She reviewed my transcripts and helped me complete the forms for my AA degree. I must go back to school tomorrow to drop off a sealed San Jose State transcript for Admissions & Records to review. My counselor said even some of the staff have been sick this quarter when we small talk how many people around campus seemed fatigue.

I ate a burger, fries, and soda in the cafeteria for my late lunch. I continued to stay awake. I was happy there was a soccer game on the flat screen.

Finally, the Dance Demo. I switched shirts from my purple shirt to a dress green shirt. My class did our West Coast Swing. Most of the students were afraid because only three couples including myself were the front row. I was brave. To be honest, I didn’t want to dance tonight. I just couldn’t concentrate. I did it, and I was at the first row. The instructor did a West Coast Swing dance with her partner after our class danced.

I took it easy tonight. I watch A Streetcar Named Desire Thursday morning and then I drive to De Anza to drop off the movie in the library and the transcripts in the counseling center.

The Personal Side Of Me Finding Raymond Mar

De Anza Week Mar 7, 2011

Mon Mar 7

I skipped classes because I got the flu yesterday. Today’s blog I share my treatments and my past experiences being sick and attending college.

The fatigue got the best of me resulting in flu sickness. The last time I got the flu was in April 1999. Most of my adult life sickness started with a sore throat and then a cough with mucus or phlegm running down my throat. I took different medications including Sudafed, Tylenol Cold & Allergy, and Actifed. I took NyQuil for the first time Saturday night and all day Sunday. I realized my recovery is faster after I stop taking medications. It was better to “tough it out” by taking Vitamin C, drinking green tea, eat chocolate, drink orange juice, and eat fruits. The last time I got a sore throat and cough with mucus in January 2009, I took Tylenol for a few days. I stopped taking Tylenol and continued Vitamin C, green tea, chocolate, orange juice, and fruits. My recovery went faster.

Moreover, mucus or phlegm is good. The mucus is the body’s way to move the bad stuff away from your body. I considered taking Mucinex. I did research that mucus helps a body recover from sickness. I didn’t take Mucinex and I tough it out.

The last time I skipped classes due to illness was Fall Semester 1996 at San Jose State. I went home after attending Macroeconomic Analysis. Today was the first time I skipped classes at De Anza due to illness. Technically, it was the second time. The first time happened in Spring ’09 taking Beginning Weight Lifting. It was a PE class and I don’t count it.

The fatigue bug, fatigue sickness, stress, crabby and down days, resulted in the flu. My feeling was I could have gotten sick anytime since the beginning of February. I was able to delay getting the flu. Perhaps, the timing was perfect this is the time to get the flu. Finals are three weeks away. I have an Intro to Bus mid-term on Wed I don’t need to pass because I already earned my two good scores out of three. I can’t wait to fully recover.

Tue Mar 8

I had trouble sleeping last night, yet I felt much better than Sunday. I felt more focused today since the beginning of February. No sickness, no stress, no crabby, not feeling down. I felt some fatigue obviously because I didn’t sleep well last night. The timing was in my favor getting the flu now instead of during finals.

Getting sick was inevitable. The weeks of survival delayed getting the flu, and the rest of the quarter is survival. All I care is passing my classes.

My classmate emailed me earlier today telling me I missed nothing in Intermediate Acct. I don’t care about Intro to Bus class. I just want to pass my classes and start fresh for Spring ’11. A, B, or C doesn’t matter.

It was another relaxing day in Quickbooks. We finished most of Chap 4 and the homework assignment was easy.

Wed Mar 9

From worse to getting better now, today was a real experience of turning 180 degrees. I woke up in the worse condition possible. I felt this week’s sickness was the worse sickness in my life. My eyes were red and watery, my mucus or phlegm had some blood, and my throat felt rough like sandpaper when I swallow. Unrelated to my sickness, I’m having minor gum problems. I rinse my mouth with hydrogen peroxide. I couldn’t sleep because my coughing kept me awake.

Then I realized I forgot the most important fluid one drinks when a person is sick. It was water. I forgot to drink water yesterday. I started drinking water in the morning. Hours later, my eyes and throat improved. I coughed less. I was able to take short periods of sleeps. There was no more blood in my mucus.

I thought about making an appointment to see my doctor at 10am. The last time I saw my doctor was March 2008. I emailed my classmate in Intermediate Acct and the instructor in Intro To Business I’m staying home. The rest of the day I drank water and stayed in bed. I also took 1,000mg of vitamin C and I drink a cup of green tea. I stopped eating chocolate, drinking coke, and orange juice.

The Personal Side Of Me Finding Raymond Mar

De Anza Week Feb 28, 2011

Mon Feb 28

I experienced fatigue for the past four weeks. Perhaps the fatigue is not stress related and not being overwhelmed. Stress may be health related. I know people who had the flu, been sick, or felt tired. It’s better to be fatigued than being sick and bedridden.

I could blame my classes. My Intermediate Acct and Intro to Business reached the most boring peak in the quarter. Boringness equals tiredness, not fatigue. The professor in Intermediate Acct confirmed he removed Chap 17 for the final. The instructor skipped some slides because he felt the class was bored. We were. The class was dismissed 15 minutes early.

I arrived in Intermediate Acct five minutes late. I missed nothing. I rushed getting to school. Rushing a wet shave was not worth it. I cut myself twice. I planned to skip Mon night’s dance class. I parked at Sterling parking garage instead of Flint. The drive inside campus took more time than I thought. One car blocked me making a left turn to Sterling garage. It could have been longer because there was one way traffic due to paramedics blocking one lane.

Tue Mar 1

It is March already. This quarter is faster than Fall ’10. In a blink of an eye it’s finals which is the third full week of March.

I ate an early dinner at the Mission College cafeteria. The price was reasonable $6 for a burger, fries, and Pepsi. The burger tasted plain. I saw three students talking about accounting. I looked at their textbook. It was intermediate accounting.

Tonight’s Quickbooks lecture was easygoing. I listened and followed the lecture. I completed next week’s homework assignment. The instructor posted solutions to Chap 1-3 to help us prepare for the in-class mid term.

Wed Mar 2

I got the fatigued sickness. I felt weak and fatigue throughout the day. Today was the day for the lectures to go by fast. It went by fast or at least faster than my past boring lecture. In Intermediate Accounting, we reviewed the Chap 16 CPA questions and started learning Chap 18. My instructor for Computer Acct. Systems walked in the classroom to get calculators from the storage. The students who knew her gave her cheers.

I submitted the extra credit time value of money exercises for Intro To Business. The instructor emails me a code to complete the extra credit. I can use the extra points because it looks like I’m not going to be ready for the third mid-term if my fatigue sickness gets worse. I found out Grubb & Ellis, a commercial real estate company I worked for, issued a REIT mutual fund. Interesting.

I went home to eat lunch instead of staying on campus. There were no leftovers. I cooked lunch and took a nap. Then I went to dance class. We reviewed the West Coast Swing. I need to practice at home. Then we learned the Salsa. The Salsa substitute teacher appeared. The instructor actually ran the class. I had trouble concentrating because I was really tired. I needed to get strength and energy fast because the Intermediate Acct Chap 16 homework was due tonight a midnight.

The weekend movie is Singin’ In The Rain.

The Personal Side Of Me Finding Raymond Mar

Streaks Of Imperfection

2011 started off good. My feeling was many people looked forward to 2011 because their 2010 was a bad year. People were upbeat. 2011 started upbeat and positive. Today, it seems the feeling died down. I see and experienced people with an attitude problem such that they’re taking out their problems on others or they live life without care. That’s just me.

My 2011 remains upbeat and positive; however, I have experienced streaks of bad luck, bad timing, bad circumstances . . . being at the wrong place at the wrong time. One example of bad timing is the many green lights that turn red before I pass the intersection and I have to stop. One example of bad timing is I’m next in line to pay at the cashier and the customer in front of me has a conflict with something. That happened multiple times. The bad circumstance is my house was almost robbed. And I’m experiencing fatigue sickness. I feel sick tired, yet I’m not sick and bedridden. The fatigue sickness is an accumulation of the streaks of imperfection.

I feel great when life is good, life is perfect, life flows with me. Everyone feels great when life is good. Life is perfect. Nothing holds you back. Life is never perfect. Life continues on whether a person has good times and bad times. My current streak of imperfection is just a streak. There is a moment in time the streak ends and a consistent good times come back to me. Moreover, the streak of imperfection reminds me everyone in life goes through slumps, off days, and frustrations. If we use strength, patience, persistence, and an open mind seeking ways to get out of the streak of imperfection, then life is really not that bad. The next time we experience a streak, we have the wisdom and knowledge to deal with the streak and hope the streak is shorter than that last.

The Personal Side Of Me Finding Raymond Mar