Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Routine Car Maintenance At The Gas Station

A few car maintenance checks can lower the chances of car problems and road breakdowns when filling your car with gas. The first maintenance is washing the front windows. It's important to see clearly when driving on the road. A clean window is especially important when the sun is shining directly at you because a dirty window significantly reduces visibility. Sometimes the rear window and the side mirrors need washing.

Next, wash the headlights. Headlights are neglected when cleaning windows. Check if the headlights need headlight restoration; in other words, a frost like residue due to oxidation is removed when performing headlight restoration.

Open the hood to check the oil from the oil dipstick. The oil color should be clear or brown. A dark brown, almost black color means the oil needs to be changed. Make sure the oil level is between the level markers. The oil level below the markers means the engine is low on oil or there is an oil leak.

Use your senses when the hood is open. Visually inspect for any leaks anywhere and holes from the hoses. Look at other fluids' levels. Do you smell something funny? Do you hear something wrong? Any signs of trouble or warnings must be looked at.

Finally, check your tires. Look for nails and damage. If you see a nail, then take action such as going home or drive alternate routes to avoid accidents. You can take your car to a nearby auto shop. I turn my front wheels to the left or the right to see more of my front tires when I drive up to a gas pump.

Washing windows and headlights, checking the oil, using your senses around the engine, and checking your tires can be completed while you fill up. I'm not a car expert. I know some basic car maintenance. These quick and simple checks can save money from avoidable car problems and can avoid accidents.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Stomach Flu Food Kit 101

I experienced the stomach flu from Thur Dec 26, 2013 to Mon Dec 30, 2013. I want to share my diet which consists of the following: Jell-O, ginger ale, plain wheat toast, and Cheerios. I may eat peanuts. I drink very little water. Nothing else.

The reason I added 101 was because one of my cousin's from Southern California called my diet "Stomach Flu 101".

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Get Some Extra Sleep

I felt grumpy and not being myself in April. I felt tired. I admit I didn't get extra sleep. I pressed my daily activities such as going to work, going to the gym, cooking, blogging, and reading. There was dissatisfaction. There was something wrong with me. I realized I needed extra sleep.

I started getting extra sleep on Tue Apr 22. I came home from work, ate dinner, checked email, showered, and brushed my teeth. Finally, I went to sleep. I didn't work out at the gym, read books, and write blogs. The extra hours sleeping has been paying off. I feel better. I'm not grumpy. I have the feeling of being a good guy. I'm loose. I'm sociable. No more unnecessary stress. I'm focused.

Last week's experience getting extra sleep, or even an afternoon nap, is a zero cost way to cheer up. It's the best medicine without a prescription. Sleeping and resting treat depression, fatigue, and lower stress. Feel refresh. Reset the daily life. Recover strong. Find yourself. Get the feeling again living life to the fullest.

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Live In A World With People

"Ah, look at all the lonely people." -Eleanor Rigby, The Beatles

The song "Eleanor Rigby" was written as a lament for lonely people. We live in a lonely world. It sucks. However, you can find your world with people who make you happy.

We are all different. We have different physical, intellectual, financial, emotional, and spiritual attributes. The world is filled with many personalities, behaviors, interests, likes and dislikes, beliefs, and attitudes. Get up and find people who enjoy your presence and your company. Find people you get along with. Find people with your similarities. Find people who make you happy and you make them happy.

The world is filled with people. Don't settle being lonely. Don't accept loneliness. Keep looking. Meet new people. Make friends. Be kind, be good, and be sincere. There are lots of lonely people in the world. You can change some people's lives being their friend, and they can change your life.

Continue meeting new people and making new friends. Enlarge your circle of friends. Create multiple circles of friends. Never stop meeting new people. People come and go in our lives. Surround your life with people. Family, friends, neighbors, co-workers . . . the list goes on. We're humans. We're meant to interact with each other.

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Work Sun Apr 20, 2014

The first of many days the stores were short-handed started on Tue Mar 25. I worked the front-end from 2pm to the end of my shift. I took my first two phone orders. I learned the hard way any product with an inventory number 12 or less must be physically verified before processing the phone order. Also, workers should create another order instead of adding to processed order when customers add more wines after their order was processed. I also learned the hard way anyone who wants to talk with the owners without an appointment should email the sales department. Ask the caller who he or she was and the reason for the call. Finally, I learned there is no such thing as 100% customer satisfaction.

I worked my first Wed at the second store on Wed Mar 26. The manager and a co-worker arrived late because of their doctor appointments. There was a short time period it was the co-owner and myself in the store. I had trouble using the cash register to check out a customer who ordered $450.00 worth of Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Another co-worker told me what I did wrong. I delivered her wines to her house on my lunch break. I received 5 minutes of formal training. I have been learning the rest of the cash register system the hard way.

I worked my first Thur at the second store on Thur Mar 27. I entered too much new. Fortunately, there was plenty of staff to work the front-end.

The store's environment was dry on Mon Mar 31. I drank lots of water to stay hydrated. I worked the front-end during the morning because the owner's father, mother, and brother returned from a vacation. The father worked on my desk. I asked the brother, who is a manager, the last time the store checked inventory. He laughed at my question. The answer was "a long time ago".

There was no April Fool's Day on Tue Apr 1. Another manager and I had a long discussion on solving a problem with receiving inventory from the second store. I stood up for what I believe the best way to correct the problem despite my limited accounting experience. Neither of us questioned who committed the error. Neither of us assigned fault. I felt the long discussion was a waste of time. The manager should have told me how to correct the error even though I believe it was the wrong way.

Wed Apr 2 was the ribbon cutting ceremony with the local city government at the second store. The store featured ten stations of wines and spirits. The station next to me was the spirits. I met our store's representative from a vendor. I see his name on the invoices. The manager said we made $2,000 in cash sales alone. There were at least 200 attendees.

Everyone went home early at the second store on Thur Apr 3. One of the first store employees worked at the second store today. It was very rare. The employee told me he applied to become a journeyman electrician yesterday. There were at least 300 people who applied. Almost all of the employees in the second store shares their shifts between the first store and second store. I share my shifts between the first store and the second store.

I had a phone conversation with a co-worker at the first store. She was mad for changing an invoice order. She said we should never change the orders on an invoice. I disagreed. I believed orders in an invoice are not 100% accurate. Sometimes the products are out of stock. Sometimes the vendor substitutes a product with a comparable product. My solution was I cancelled the original invoice and created a new invoice whether it's true accounting practice or not despite my limited accounting experience. All of the deliveries arrived late. Fortunately, they arrived before the co-owner closed the store early.

I created an Excel spreadsheet tracking the wines in the email specials. I hope tracking the wines helps me learn wines and helps me assist customers when they call asking about email specials. I also created an Excel spreadsheet tracking the wines to be delivered soon.

I realized I'm lucky I have a job at the end of the day. I continue to hear stories the long-term unemployed are having difficulty finding a job. Every job opening receives hundreds of resumes. I reminded myself never complain. I reminded myself to be professional. I reminded myself good things are coming soon. I do my time and pay my dues. Be patient.

Finally, the co-owner unofficially told me part of the store is set up for a wine bar environment. To repeat, this is off the record.

Fri Apr 4's morning weather was showers. I waited outside the back. The water delivery truck arrived early. He gave us a 5 gallon jug. He picks up the empties next Fri. There was a Washington State pick-up truck with a trailer advertising dirt motorcycles parked at the back for the Yoga studio. I texted the co-owner the managers didn't open the second store. He arrived ten minutes later. He told me one of the managers was at an eye doctor and the other manager was out due to a physical injury.

We were short-handed for most of the day. I learned how to void a product in case I make a mistake. There was no way I figured it out on my own. The co-owner contacted one of the managers at the first store for an emergency pricing for today's wine tasting.

Some of the employees from the second store came to the first store on Tue Apr 8 for wine training. The in-store training took place in the tasting room. We had a combination of first store and second store employees. I drank my first Pinot Gris and Riesling wines for the first time. The back-end was occupied with the other full-time and the part-time data entry/bookkeepers. I worked in the tasting room and front end.

It was another day of being short-handed at the second store on Wed Apr 9. The manager and I talked about retail sales slumping during the following periods: after Christmas, after Valentines, and after tax season. Consumers become conservative by scaling back their purchases. The store was dead the entire day. The only activity was a private birthday party in the tasting room. The co-owner released all the employees early.

The second store was informed the second manager is out for 14 days because of a wrist injury. The short-handed shifts continued. My entire work on Thur Apr 10 was copying products from the first store to the second store. I copied at least 40 wines and beers.

I small talked with the beer expert. He said the beer market is dynamic. One week a beer is a top seller. The top seller beer is most likely not a top seller the next week.

Fri Apr 11 was hell during the mornings. Being short-handed made it worse. I answered phones from the back-end. The second store received wines for Sat Apr 12th's tasting. The two co-workers and I compared notes with the featured wines and the delivered wines. The notes were different. We requested a transfer of wines on the tasting list from the first store. The co-owner went ballistic. She was angry. She said we didn't need a transfer request. She knew what she ordered. She believed the wines the second store received were the wines for Sat Apr 12th's tasting. She was wrong. The co-owners had a conference call with the vendor for at least 20 minutes. All the co-workers and I speculated they were finger pointing each other and nobody accepted fault. The resolution was using the wines received for the tasting. The tasting sheet was re-created again from scratch. The co-workers and I were collateral damage. What hurt me was the fingering pointing and immediate blame. It wasn't the mistake itself. Everyone makes mistakes. The co-owners never apologized for the confusion and errors.

It seemed the fallout affected the female co-owner. She has experienced a lack of confidence such that everything must now be double checked. Her communications has a lack of confidence. The entire week was full of mistakes. Mistakes happen when a store is short-handed. There is extra strain on the workers. Let's hope the bad streak of errors stop today. Let's hope next week is better.

The shipping and receiving clerk told me he applied to become a commercial pipefitter.

The second store provided the staff for the first store on Mon Apr 14. The assistant manager and warehouse clerk were from the first store. The second store's employees assisted the customers.

My shift was changed to the second store on Tue Apr 15 because of the continued short-handed schedule and the second manager out due to a wrist injury. We were short-handed the entire day because there was an offsite tasting the co-owner and a staff worked.

On Wed Apr 16, I saw the true colors of the company in a negative way. I have a better understanding why people have been quitting in the company. The tasting schedules were changed due to a cancellation. The rest of week went crazy.

One of the regular delivery truck drivers is going to work at Tesla. He found a better job with better hours and better pay. Congrats. The real reason he visited the second store was because he delivered wines to the wrong store. He picked up the wrong delivery to deliver to the correct store.

The end of my shift I realized I should work at a satisfactory level. Don't overstress. Don't work at an outstanding level when I worked at my jobs after San Jose State. Don't be taken advantage by management and ownership. Promise less and deliver more.

I played the workplace tactical card on Thur Apr 17. Be more discrete. I thought before I communicate. For instance, I minimized the emails I sent and replied. I wanted to be quiet and invisible. I also delayed pricing new products. The owner was too busy. It could wait. My priorities were finishing anything I could finish in the same day and anything clear and present I could complete today.

The toilets were plugged up. The shipping and receiving employee went to the hardware store to purchase a $20 plunger.

We were fully staffed for most of the day. Ironically, the store was dead. Very few people shopped and very few people came for the tasting. There were more customers on Tue and Wed when we were short-handed. One of the co-workers hurt his back and requested to leave work early. The second manager with the wrist injury visited for an hour.

It was a partial Good Friday on Fri Apr 18. There was more customer activity today compared to yesterday. Everyone was tired including me. The day started with in-store beer training for all second store employees. It was the first time I drank beer. The first beer I drank was Coors. Disgusting. The rest of the beers were craft beers.

There was a minor incident involving today's tasting. It was significantly tame compared to Fri Apr 11's tasting fiasco. One of the wines on the initial list was removed and another wine was substituted. Nothing big.

Nobody stayed for an after close wine social. We all wanted to go home. Let's hope everyone rests on Easter Sunday for another work week.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Highlighted 2013 Tweets

Here are my highlighted Tweets in 2013. I tweeted 749 times. The most tweets were 88 in May because of Fanime Con 2013 and 79 in Sep. The least tweets were 51 in Jun and 52 in Oct. My Twitter Account is @inin61 Enjoy!

Jan 13: RT: @darrenrovell Ticket broker on possible Super Bowl match-ups: "Falcons-Patriots is toilet paper. 49ers-Ravens is gold."

Jan 17: "Dear Abby" columnist Pauline Phillips past away at the age of 94 from Alzheimer’s disease. Phillips' daughter, Jeanne, continues the advice

Jan 20: The San Francisco #49ers are going to the Super Bowl. #nfl #playoffs #sf49ers

Feb 3: Thanks for a great season San Francisco #49ers !!! #sf49ers #niners

Feb 13: Six degrees of separation: anyone can be connected to another through a chain of acquaintances from 1-5 intermediaries #mytriviaoftheday

Feb 17: Space Brothers eps 43: The veteran Brian Jay came all the way to see you. I'll give you some help, Hibito.

Mar 7: Continuing my music tweets today, #mysongoftheday Dream On by Aerosmith http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZfZ8uWaOFI … #Argo

Mar 10: A conversation with @mduo13 @tsubasaaki @PixelatedIndex introduced me to Kickstarter website kickstarter.comw

Mar 24: RT: @ESPN_Numbers With La Salle and Florida Gulf Coast winning, there are two teams seeded 13 or worse in the Sweet 16 for the FIRST TIME EVER.

Mar 31: I purchased a Brita. Looking forward to stop buying the one gallon Crystal Geysers at the supermarkets.

Apr 1: I watched Gone With The Wind, my longest movie I ever watched, including Opening, Intermission, Ending. Fantastic!!! Everyone must watch it.

Apr 3: Moai are monolithic human figures carved by the Rapa Nui people from rock http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moai #mytriviaoftheday

Apr 7: 'Evoland' is a playable history of gaming, from 8-bit to HD http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/5/4183062/evoland-is-a-playable-history-of-gaming-from-8-bit-to-hd …

Apr 15: Teach your children subtraction playing Chutes And Ladders from 100 to 1. It's a good variant. #chutesandladders

Apr 15: Teach your children opposite playing Chutes And Ladders. Ladders go down and slides go up. It's a good variant #chutesandladders

Apr 16: RT: @LATimesfarmer Just talked to John Madden who said, in all those years, he and Pat Summerall never had one argument or disagreement.

Apr 17: idiosyncrasy: a characteristic, habit, mannerism, or the like, that is peculiar to an individual #mynewwordoftheday

Apr 24: A mail room clerk position requires 3 years of experience, 5 years preferred. #areyoukiddingme http://hire.jobvite.com/CompanyJobs/Careers.aspx?k=Job&c=quY9Vfwg&j=ofuoXfwO&s=Indeed …

Apr 27: OMG, I'm hype on Quell Memento. I predict long sleepless lights addicted to puzzle game I enjoy very much! Love the traile

Apr 27: Excelsior: a Latin word meaning "ever upward" #mynewwordoftheday

Apr 27: Sleep is broken into 90 minute cycles. Sleepyti.me tells you when to fall asleep, counting backward in 90 min increments.

Apr 29: Space Brothers Eps 46. *Kei: How are you supposed to decide your future? *Ena: Are you having trouble?

*Kei: Well, I don't know what I want to become.

*Ena: I see. In that case, is there anything that you wish you could do? For instance, would you like to play the piano?

*Kei : Oh. Sure, I would. *Ena: Do you wish you could hold conversations in English?

*Kei: Yup, I sure do. *Ena: You just need to find the one thing interesting enough to make you lose track of time.

May 6: Screw you semicolon.

May 9: The new 49ers stadium name in Santa Clara is Levi Strauss. Commonly called Levi's Stadium. Pants co. pays $220.3M over 20 years.

May 19: Nikola Tesla, known for alternating current (AC) electricity and the Tesla Coil en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_Te… … #mytrivaoftheday

Jun 6: Took my car to an auto shop for service. Received new break pads and resurfaced break rotors. No more steering wheel vibrating when [breaking]

Jun 7: Today is National Donut Day.

Jun 20: I was on the stationary bike when the gym lost power. Going to sleep early tonight.

Jul 1: I remember playing video games from the Commodore 64 with my brother and cousin. I share my favorite games.

The baseball game Hardball for the #commodore64 youtube.com/watch?v=jejblU…

Track and Field for the #commodore64 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANgcSWmTaeU …

Spy Hunter for the #commodore64 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqz881sy8YQ …

Spy vs. Spy for the #commodore64 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu2e866bEcM …

Beach Head 2 for the #commodore64 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efXtNbUONig …

Ghostbusters for the #commodore64 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlqTmD_T9ws …

Transformers for the #commodore64 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9vVSixDfCU …

Bruce Lee for the #commodore64 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX8jdKNO4t8 …

Jul 2: A gentleman says "miss" to women under 50 and "ma'am" to women 50 and over. #NowIKnow

Jul 4: When you build something, you must be ready to spend time and money on failure. #spacebrothers eps 56 #lifelesson

If you build something by improving on failure, you'll end up with good results. #spacebrothers eps 56 #lifelesson

Jul 13: Tim Lincecum throws a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres #sfgiants #mlb #awesome

Jul 18: In financial news, the Dow Jones and S&P 500 are at record highs. Dow Jones 15,500+ and S&P 1,690+.

Jul 20: GQ's 100 Most Powerful Bald Men http://www.gq.com/entertainment/celebrities/201307/the-100-most-powerful-bald-men-in-world?printable=true&mbid=nl_weekly4 …

Jul 22: The next time you finish taking a shower, exit with your opposite dominant leg first. You experience a different feeling.

Aug 5: NOVA's The Miracle Of Life (1983) on PBS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wou1Udu_vr8 … I remember watching the video for #highschoolbiology #humanreproduction

Aug 13: Here's a Buster (Posey) Hug. You did a good job! #busterhugs pic.twitter.com/kBisQenze9

Aug 30: My first tweet on my new HTC One smartphone.

Sep 1: Today's Click And Clack is about car turn signalling when absolutely necessary. They answered by risk and reward. pic.twitter.com/x02oopTQ3p

Part 1 article last tweet. Here's part 2. Reward prolong bulb not worth it. Always signal lower chances of accident. pic.twitter.com/QkFdXntNQA

Sep 4: You're not quitting. You're going to fake it. Do it, do it, and do it to the moment you're doing this. Fake it 'til you make it.

There is a better way of faking it. Fake it 'til you BELIEVE it.

I personally like to say as the following: Genuinely fake it 'til you believe it.

Sep 9: My high school US History teacher didn't assign homework when the #49ers play on Monday Night Football. #RaymondsHistoryBook

Sep 11: My ortho treatment is complete. No more appointments. I contact only when I have problems.

Sep 12: RT: @arstechnica It’s official: Twitter takes first steps toward initial public offering http://ars.to/13SVh68 by @cfarivar

Sep 16: Peroxyl mouth sore rinse is a cheap over-the-counter remedy to treat some common oral health problems. pic.twitter.com/psVJssDxHo

Sep 16: I finally watched the famous Abbott & Costello's Who's On First http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTcRRaXV-fg …

Sep 22: My Twitter reminder: always check your #Costco pizza to make sure you have the correct order. #humansmakemistakes

Oct 1: ABBA was composed from the first letters of their first names Agnetha (vocals), Benny (keyboards), Bjorn (guitar), and Anni-Frid (vocals).

Oct 13: RT: @ChuckGarfien Here's Torii Hunter going over the wall. His legs, the cop's arms. I love sports. pic.twitter.com/ywQRqynP8G

Oct 17: I have seen more freckles around my entire body. I wonder if these indicate I'm earning life points.

These life points earned means I'm getting to be a better, stronger, wiser, smarter person.

Nov 11: I met a person who quit his job because he and his family didn't want to be separated. His permanent job was outside the USA.

He started job searching for one month on LinkedIn only. He asked why nobody replied back to his job applications.

He was the first person I met who paid for LinkedIn premium membership. He considered hiring a consultant who improves LinkedIn profiles.

We told him the job market reality. Tears started coming out of his eyes. The job market is tough.

Nov 15: 'The Simpsons' is heading into cable syndication after estimated $750 million deal with FXX http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/15/5108102/the-simpsons-is-heading-into-cable-syndication …

Nov 15: Dear Abby's Nov 13 talks about thank you notes. In particular, very young children draw a picture, and the parent mention they express thank

Here's the complete article Dear Abby's Nov 13 thank you notes advice uexpress.com/dearabby/?uc_f…

Nov 15: RT: @SFWish Cutest and sweetest superhero Gotham has ever seen! We love you #SFBatkid! pic.twitter.com/KtLt8Azoxq

Nov 18: I got a job. I'm a data entry/bookkeeper for a retail start up. Wednesday is my first day.

Nov 19: RT: @BillGates Toilets save lives. That’s a fact worth celebrating: http://b-gat.es/1hVvVgA #WorldToiletDay

Nov 25: Earlier today was my first day of work on a Monday. Waking up was a little difficult. I had a little trouble falling asleep.

Some workers hate waking up Mon morning to go to work. I believe millions of unemployed people want to experience that awful feeling.

Listen to me from a person who was unemployed too long. I welcome awful Mon mornings to work.

Dec 1: On another subject, my brother and his wife introduced two reality series from TLC. They were Extreme Cheapskates and Hoarding: Buried Alive

Dec 1: RT: @ReillyRick Here's what Alabama lost in 1 tick Saturday: a game, an SEC title, a national title, a threepeat, and a Heisman. Never been a game like it.

Just RT: Auburn defeated Alabama in the 2013 Iron Bowl's final 0:01. Chris Davis returned a missed field goal for the game clinching TD.

Here's the video broadcasted from CBS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqIBNX0CXDc …

Dec 2: RT: @EmilyAndTony Giving a massage can burn up to 80 calories per half hour?! Here's what you need (30% off!): http://emilyandtony.com/shop/aromatherapy-massage-candle-fougere-6-35oz … pic.twitter.com/1EX0cilQ1X

Dec 14: Earned seven hours of overtime today. Inventory audits. I skipped my lunch hour.

Dec 15: Charles Osgood's The Osgood File reported on learning music can help identify and correct a person's own mistakes on Fri Dec 13.

Dec 16: If you're living a bull shit life or BS moment, then do something about it . . . fix the problem. #wisdom

Dec 16: #familyguy brought back Brian on last night's episode. Very good.

Seth MacFarlane tweeted the following: And thus endeth our warm, fuzzy holiday lesson: Never take those you love for

granted, for they can be gone in a flash.

Dec 18: We are so short handed today. I'm answering calls[.]

Dec 21: I'm one day late. Yesterday was my one month anniversary at my job.

Dec 21: Pay it forward: an expression to return a favor to another party instead of the original benefactor #mytriviaoftheday

Dec 24: Customer arrived late. He said I called hour ago. Someone said we're opened extended hours. Good #lie. Everyone said we close early on phone

Dec 24: I shopped for bare necessities. The cost of living is more expensive. E.g. body wash is $4.69. I used to pay $3.99.

Shaving cream is $1.49. I used to pay $1.09. There is no more $.99 sales.

Dec 23: RT: @AndroidPolice Amazon Offering $5 Appstore Credits To Anyone Who Downloads An App Or Game December 24-28th http://andp.lc/K04qU6

Just RT: you must have the latest Amazon App update to receive the $5 credit.

Dec 26: For everyone working on Dec 26, let's do our best. Get the job done. Be professional. Professional.

Dec 27: I downloaded Quell Memento, today's Amazon Free App of the Day. I have no life now.

Dec 30: RT: @Hoganmag Today in Comics History: The final daily "FoxTrot" strip by @billamend ran on Dec 30, 2006. @gocomics pic.twitter.com/MfeaLklKyM

Tuesday, April 08, 2014

My Foundation

I'm following up a blog I wrote on Fri Jan 31, 2014 titled Clean The House With Deconstruction And Reconstruction . I wrote destruction was necessary to improve, to change, to innovate one self. It's like deconstructing an unsafe and outdated building to reconstruct a new safe and modern building. I also mentioned my new foundation I established reconstructing my new life.

I want to list specifics in my foundation today. My foundation establishes who I am. I mention the specifics which started from Oct 2008 to present.

*Gym (Oct 2008). A friend recommended Bodybuilding.com. I downloaded workout plans and purchased new gym clothing. Physical activity is important for good health and well-being. We have elbows and knees. Use them or lose them.

*Core Friends (Oct 2008). The last months of 2008 my core friends and I became closer. These core friends continue to be an important part of my life. I hope we continue to stay together as long as we can. It's unfortunate as time moves forward, our lives move forward, and some of us move somewhere else.

*Fiction Books (Oct 2008). I'm happy reading books is a favorite hobby. I can't explain why I avoided fiction books. I believe people learn more about life and themselves reading fiction books. I read 75% fiction and 25% nonfiction. Most of the books I buy are used at used bookstores and library fundraising.

*Gaming PC (Dec 2008). I built my own PC simply named "Gaming PC". I wanted to use the latest and greatest hardware I could afford. A solid and reliable computer is important in today's information society. My computer was vital when I went back to school.

*Social Networking (Apr 2009 and Nov 2009). I registered for a Facebook account on Apr 2009 and a Twitter account on Nov 2009. Social networking helps me keep in touch with my friends and family. Social networking also helps me communicate my latest and greatest to my friends and family.

*Professional Skills (2009-Present). I relearned SQL, Business Objects (Crystal Reports), and Office 2007. I learned QuickBooksPro and Peachtree.

*Why QuickBooks and Peachtree? (Sep 2009-Mar 2011). I went back to school to earn an AA degree in Accounting at De Anza College. Going back to De Anza was a second chance of experiencing college life I missed as an undergraduate attending San Jose State University. My experiences at De Anza were satisfactory.

*Back To Work (Nov 2013). I found a job two years and four months after I completed De Anza. I'm a data entry/bookkeeper at a retail start up. The high priority is getting job experience to fill a gap in my resume.

*The Small Stuff (Various Dates). My smart phone, taking public transit from Daly City to San Francisco to avoid the downtown traffic and parking hassles, drinking water in the morning, trying new restaurants, hiking, filling up my car with brand name gasoline, wet shaving, forgiving, being free, and be a good person. My daily life motto is get up and do something, anything.

*Settling Down (?). I want more in my life. I'm not ready to settle down. Steve Jobs ended his commencement address at Stanford University in 2005 saying, "Stay hungry, stay foolish." I'm hungry for more out of life. I'm foolish enough to make mistakes and learn from them.

Sunday, April 06, 2014

Instant Bullets Blog Apr 6, 2014

*International Tabletop Day. My brother emailed me Sat at 9am Amazon selling selected tabletop board games up to 45% off retail price to celebrate the event. I read his email at 11pm. Most of the games were no longer on sale. I purchased Ticket To Ride and Dixit at 40% off retail price. Other games that were on sale included Puerto Rico, Dominion, Munchkin, Forbidden Island, 7 Wonders, and Zombieland according to Slickdeals.

International Tabletop Day has a website. It's www.tabletopday.com.

*A Reminder Being Employed. I reminded myself on Wed Apr 2 I'm lucky I have a job in today's weak job market. I shouldn't complain about the commute, being overworked and underpaid, some terrible co-workers, and the hard-to-use cash register. I must be professional. I must not complain. I must get better to gain more experience and knowledge. Never take my job for granted.

*Dry Air. I experienced a moderate case of dermatitis on my hands since Feb 20. The dry air has prolonged my treatment. I apply Desoximetasone ointment on my hands.

*Drought. The State Of California is experiencing a drought. Everyone is asked to conserve water. My household is conserving. The people who use the water the most are manufacturing and agriculture industries. Restaurants and food industries should be included, too. Residential use is nothing compared to the industries. No car wash for me.

*Speaking of water, it seems the water taste from my local water company is getting worse. My Britia water filter stopped improving the water taste recently. It's hard for me to explain the taste. I no longer taste the Britia filter taste months ago.

*New Desktop Wallpapers. Visit interfacelift to download new wallpapers. I recommend you create an account to track your downloads. It's free to join.

*Blue. I read two facts online about the blue color. First, blue can help people recover from depression. Twitter and Facebook have blue in their logos and user interfaces. How ironic we commonly say "that person has the blues" to people feeling down. Second, people focus stronger working in a blue colored environment. Perhaps, I should purchase a blue colored light bulb.

Saturday, April 05, 2014

Gas Analysis 2013


I analyzed how much I spent for gas in 2013. The chart above shows the average price per gallon of gas I paid per month. The average price per gallon of gas throughout 2013 was $3.89. The highest average was Mar at $4.11 and the lowest average was Dec at $3.60. The highest price per gallon was $4.24 on Feb 23. The lowest price per gallon was $3.56 on Nov 20. Both highest and lowest prices were at the gas station closest to my house. I filled up my car 31 times. The total cost I spent on gas was $1,201.

In 2011 and 2012, I spent $1,415 and $1,305, a 15% decrease and an 8% decrease over 2013, respectively. The average price per gallon in 2011 was $3.83, a 2% decrease over 2013. In 2012, the average price per gallon was $4.03, a 3% decrease. The 2011-2012 year-over-year average price per gallon increased 5%.

I filled up 309.71 gallons in 2013, 324.28 gallons in 2012, and 367.72 gallons in 2011. My continued long-term unemployment was the number one factor 2013 was the lowest gallons filled. It took me longer to change my oil at the 5,000 mile checkpoint. The reasons my 2011 gallons was higher than 2013 and 2012 were I attended another junior college for one day a week, a road trip to Los Angeles during Fourth Of July, and I visited lots of new places including multiple trips to San Francisco and shopping at malls throughout the Bay Area. I anticipate a higher amount of gallons filled in 2014 because I have a full-time job which requires commuting.