In early July and late September, I took two exams. I finally received the Advisory Scores for both, and they are passing! So happy about that. I’ve not been motivated to study much these days. Going out too much, I guess, and work is also bombarding me from all sides. But at least I’ve passed two. Two to go! I have 18 months from passing that first one to finish the other two, or I lose credit. Yikes!

From Freewill Astrology:
Welcome to Part Two of your outlook for the second half of 2008, Libra. We’re checking up on how you’re progressing with the challenges you were given near the end of last year. I trust that by now you have begun to make major renovations in the foundations of your world. I hope you have been carrying out brave changes that will anchor and stabilize your efforts for years to come. By January 1, 2009, I expect that you will be standing in your place of power and fighting for your dreams with more suppleness and stamina than you’ve ever summoned.

I really hope so.

My biggest challenge this year has been the CPA exams. It has been a challenge for the last few years, but the pressure is really on now. Promotions and so forth. It seems like once I get myself over this particular hump, everything else will fall into place.

Priorities.

Priorities.

Happiness.

• is glad the “older” button works now. #
• jazz and studying. #
• frozen – why did i not wear gloves? #

• Dinner with Jeshii – yay. Catching up on this trip – success. Studying – not so much. :/ #
• awww. vegan vietnamese closed at 7. next time! #
• where’s jeshii? weird creepy dude outside! #
• full of dim sum. #

Wow. Just wow. In one day, I find out that two people [+ their spouses] from school [one high school, one college] are becoming parents! It’s pretty crazy, and at times, I feel left behind in the dust. At the same time, I know that I’m where I need to be. There isn’t room in my life for anything like that, at least not for the time being. I’m happy for them, but wow.

Spent the morning and afternoon studying. Alex and Jen were out with Alex’s parents again. For dinner, I drove up to the Valley to catch up with Jeshii. We wanted to try this vegan Vietnamese place, but it was closed by the time I got there. Oops. Instead, we ended up getting Mexican food. I, of course, am totally messing up my “no dairy” diet. Frustrating, but I am definitely more conscious of it now. I DO eat a lot of cheese when I eat out because it makes everything taste better. Now I realize that. After catching up over dinner, we headed over to a friend’s “girlfriend’s” graduation party. Nothing too eventful, and so I headed back to Hollywood after a couple hours.

The funny part was that when I learned of the high school friend’s pregnancy, I totally thought in the back of my mind about the college friend. He’s the only one of my immediate circle back in college that got married, so when he asked me if I wanted to hear the news, I was not surprised one bit. It’s weird how that works out.

Yes, that’s a photo of meat on clothes pins.

• awake! #
• Son of Rambow looks HILARIOUS. Who wants to watch it when I get back from LA? :) #
• study study study. :) wish i was even more productive than this. #

As planned, I have been studying for the exam while staying with Jen and Alex in Los Angeles. Their apartment is actually VERY suitable for studying – quiet [when the people upstairs aren't jumping up and down, screaming at the top of their lungs], well-lit, spacious [I can spread my books all over]. There’s no need to fight for a table at the Borders downstairs or endure the loud music at the cafe downstairs. Meanwhile, I am also catching up with people on the side.

Aein picked me up from the airport on Thursday and basically drove me all over the place. We had breakfast along the way, and we hung out/studied at the apartment for a few hours. A few hours after she left, Jen came back to the apartment, and since she was lending me her car during my stay [she takes the Metro to work], I dropped her off at dinner with Alex’s parents. They’re in town while I’m here, so Jen and Alex are hanging out with them. It’s actually perfect because then I can just study, study, study! PLUS, they won’t get sick as quickly over seeing me for six days straight. Hah! Had dinner with L after dropping Jen off and returned to the apartment around the same time that Jen and Alex did. We played with the Wii Fit for the rest of the night. That Wii Fit is quite the workout.

Ann just left her job at the House of Blues. Yesterday [Friday] was her last day, so I attended her going away party. Met her crazy former co-workers, and wished that I was actually close to any of mine. I mean, seriously. I spend so many hours at work… After her little happy hour, I met her boyfriend, Nader, and we all had dinner at Dar Maghreb [Moroccan food]. It was definitely more of a place that you pay for the ambiance and experience rather than the food.

When Jen and Alex came back to the apartment, we watched WristCutters: A Love Story. I loved it. I suppose I have that odd sort of humor.

Even though I brought my camera down here, I haven’t taken any photos yet. Sad. Plus, the weather’s been all sorts of crappy.

• heading to Macy’s in a few. #
• landed in LAX, waiting for @aein! ;) #
• just ate at nick’s – YUM! #
• getting study on! #
• doing a poor job of avoiding dairy, but how can i say no to mac n cheese made from scratch? #
• Thunder! #

There seems to be a lot going on, but at the same time, I feel like nothing is that important to write about. I’m near the end of my first set of review courses. These past few weeks, I’ve managed to get some studying done, but not enough. My plan for the next two weeks [while I'm in LA] is to study during the day. If I can study daily for 8 hours or more, that would be perfect. Being in San Francisco is much too distracting. Unfortunately, before I can just take off, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done. Too many things to be done and not enough of me to go around. I have a deadline coming up on Thursday for a project that time has not even been set aside for me to work on. I may just have to forgo studying this week, finish up the project, and get to the grind next week.

Bay to Breakers is this coming weekend. It should be a lot of fun. I skipped out last year, but this year, I’m planning on joining a group of 150, wearing similar outfits and just hanging out together. It’ll be the perfect way to kick off my time off from work. That is, if everything mentioned above gets done. I would hate to have work lingering on the back of my mind while I try to cram as much material into my head as possible.

This past weekend, [aside from the review course] I was out and about – Orson for a Yelp event and Yerba Buena Gardens for the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival. They have free events all summer long, and this past weekend’s performance that I caught was Los Vasallos del Sol from Venezuela.

• checking 511 transit and nextbus for info on N-Judah to LIME TREEEEEE. #
• n-judah doesn’t come often enough. taking L, then 43 or 44. #
• score! back table at tart 2 tart. wonder if soy milk in the hot choco here will be gross or just as good. #
• study session – success! bus eta – 3 minutes. sunset blocks are too long! #
• almost home! another 10 minutes max. #
• nighttime bus rides are fast! #
• looking for tall pants. #
• time to change and hop on the bus down to Orson. #
• bus home. cheaper than gas. #