On routine vs "rut"ine

Please note that I'm kinda stealing the foundation for this blog post from How I Met Your Mother's Barney Stinson. I acknowledge that credit should be given when it's due. Also note that this post is similar to one I wrote in January titled, On what could have been and taking the leap. That said, I don't mean to be redundant- the implications of the two posts are in fact different.

Everyone's got their own way of doing things, and it's so easy for us to develop some kind of routine as we go about our daily lives. Our routines provide us with a certain level of comfort and can keep us safe from the unknown. However, as the weeks go by and the calendar pages turn, our routines can become "rut"ines. We get stuck doing the same tired old thing day after day after day, and fall into this never-ending cycle. That's no way to live.

It is so important for us to change our routine from time to time, and step outside of our comfort zones. As I'm sure almost all of you have previously heard, that of which is unknown to us can enrich our lives in ways we can't even fathom. How do we know if we like something unless we experience it? We have to make a preemptive strike against monotony and take advantage of new opportunities when they present themselves.

Now it's important to understand that some level of consistency is healthy. We don't want to go too overboard with this. It's just that, from my personal experiences, a whole different world can be opened up to you if you allow it. Don't get stuck in a "rut"ine- change things up and see what happens.

On watching too much TV

I've recently had a few conversations with various people about the TV shows we watch. I watch way too much TV, and it's been that way ever since I can remember, although I wouldn't say it's really a problem lol. I truly can't think of many people who watch more than I do. I don't know how I managed to make it out of college haha.

Here's a list of shows I watch/watched on a fairly consistent basis (updated 7/15/11): How I Met Your Mother, The Office, Family Guy, Mad Love, CSI, CSI: NY, CSI: Miami, NCIS, NCIS: LA, Two and a Half Men, Hawaii Five-O, Castle, Shark Tank, ESPN (baseball, basketball, football, poker, etc), Top Chef (Original, All-Stars, and Masters), Top Shot, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, The Best Thing I Ever Ate, Chopped, The Good Wife, Modern Family, The Mentalist, The Middle, America's Got Talent, Criminal Minds, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, Friends, Glee, Pawn Stars, Dancing With The Stars, Master Chef, The Big Bang Theory, Rules of Engagement, Flashpoint, Rookie Blue, Blue Bloods, Body of Proof, Boy Meets World, Saved by the Bell, Crossing Jordan, Jeopardy!, Franklin & Bash, Suits, Necessary Roughness, Hell's Kitchen, MasterChef, Big Brother, as well as various re-runs including My Wife and Kids, George Lopez, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Yes Dear, House of Payne, Las Vegas, Numb3rs, and I'm sure I've missed some...if it's possible...

For me, it's a stress reliever- I'm the kind of person who likes to constantly be doing something. Because of this, it can sometimes get to be overwhelming, and planting myself in front of the TV (or watching online) gives me the opportunity to relax and let the actors be the ones always on the go. Also, watching television was one of the ways my family spent time together, and it worked for us. Yea, it's a lot of TV. However, I can assure you that I do pick up a book every once in a while :)

On opportunity and miracles

"Great moments... are born from great opportunity. And that's what you have here, tonight, boys. That's what you've earned here tonight. One game. If we played 'em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game. Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them. And we shut them down because we can! Tonight, we are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players. Every one of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time. Their time is done. It's over. I'm sick and tired of hearing about what a great hockey team the Soviets have. Screw 'em. This is your time. Now go out there and take it."- Herb Brooks (1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York)

On spiders

Earlier today when I was driving to work, I felt something crawling up my arm. Trying to keep my eyes on the road, I took a quick glance and saw a decently sized spider making its way past my shoulder up to my neck. It was super creepy. And now it's super dead.

On the past

"Don't bring the past with you, unless you can build on it"- Unknown

On dancing

A lot of people like to dance, and many are quite talented at it. I was in neither of those two groups, until very recently.

Dancing is the thing I'm the most self conscious about- I don't know why. I consider myself to be a pretty self confident person in general, just not about my dancing abilities. With music being such a huge part of my life, you would think I was at least somewhat decent, but unfortunately, you would be wrong. And thanks to the major skills of Mike Chang from Glee, being asian isn't an acceptable excuse for me anymore.

This past weekend, I went to UC Santa Cruz to visit my high school friend Anita. I had an awesome time: ate at some great places in downtown and mission (the English Burger at 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall was ridiculously good), roamed around their beautiful campus (including the Squiggle and the Arboretum), and saw Water for Elephants (which was a fantastic movie!).

Last night, Anita and I, along with tons of her friends, went to El Centro's Quince- a huge dance party, not too far from downtown SC. To be perfectly honest, when I first heard it was a dance party, I was a little hesitant because I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of anyone. However, I'd like to think that I'm up for almost anything, so I was happy to go.

Best. Dance. Party. Ever. It was so much fun, and I danced probably more than ever before, and didn't really care how it looked haha. Everyone was so warm and inviting; I couldn't help but enjoy myself (and a little liquid courage never hurts lol). I was a little intimidated because there were so many great dancers there, but it was an amazing night nonetheless, and I'm so glad I was able to have that experience. Thanks Anita!

I once heard that the best dancers are the ones having the most fun. I guess I danced pretty well last night.

On May 1, 2011

Let it be remembered that May 1, 2011 was an extremely significant day in our country's history.

Death is never something to be cause for celebration, but in this particular case, it feels right.

God Bless America.