Book Review: The Dorm Room Diet by Daphne Oz

The Dorm Room Diet by Daphne Oz

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The intended audience for this book is a few years younger than myself, but I am a college student and have fallen into the trap of eating pre-packaged foods because it's convenient. This book is an easy read and often repeats the same tips over and over again in different chapters. While this may be good to some, it was quite annoying to me. While the information is not the best, it is easy to understand and Daphne breaks it down as simple as she can.



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Book Buying Ban - Revisited

So remember my last entry that said I was going to embark on a book-buying ban? Yeah, well I haven't purchased any books since then...especially since I don't have any money. To fill you in on the progress of the books I am 'slated' to have finished this summer, I have not completed 1 single book. O M GEEZ! Why is it that I have not completed a single book, you ask? Because it's summer! I remember years ago when I would do absolutely nothing during the summer and at least 2 times a week I am out doing things with friends. However, in my free time I am usually reading because I don't really watch tv. I save all of my tv watching for when school starts. Half of the time, my laptop does not even come on. This is the first it's been on in 4 days! I usually watch youtube and that's all I really do. I also keep up with blogs as much as I can (though not my own).

As usual, I am stressing about money yet again as I have to pay rent September 1 for my apartment back at school. I have a summer job, but they don't pay me nearly as much as my store in Riverside. I am basically poor and can't buy clothes or shoes or anything! What kind of life do I lead, really? A life of boredom. Hahaa, it's not boring at all. I love my life. If only others could love their own and quit being so negative. But that's a whole 'nother entry. I'll save that for a night when I am not falling asleep at the keys.

*yawn* *stretch*

Alright. That's my cue from my bed.
Goodnight. I'll hit you up soon (hopefully). At least I'm not promising anything...

Book Buying Ban

I know that I haven't been on here in months. I was in school and am now enjoying the summer. There has been a lot of drama and I'm still in the midst of that too. When it all blows over and when I feel like I am ready to divulge details (if I even feel like divulging) I will most definitely be back to let you know what it is that I have been experiencing and how it all turns out.

Just so all of you know, I like to spend the entire summer reading. Can you believe that I have not started yet? I am so far behind! I happened to be on youtube (which is literally an addiction) and saw that one of my subscribers embarked on a 'Book Buying Ban' for the summer. One thing that I've found is that avid readers buy books any chance they can, regardless of what they already have on their shelves. These avid purchasers of books go through their books and pick 10 books to read before they can buy more. They also pick a couple of alternative books to counter some of the choices they have that they may not be able to finish for whatever reason. And they also have a couple choices that don't count all the way because they were books that were started but never completed.

I have decided to take on this challenge, but I don't think that I even have 10 books to read. Because I am up at school, I usually have other books to read for classes and such. Now that I am home, I can read whatever I want.

I am working at my old store here at home in Irvine and I am working with a girl who happens to be an English major (and African American Studies major)! This is good news to me because we bonded over a new writer that a professor of mine, Stephanie Hammer, introduced me to. Haruki Murakami. THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLE was one of my favorite books as well as THE DEW BREAKER by Edwidge Danticat. Back to the task at hand...here are the books that I have slated to conquer this summer:

I started reading this book a long time ago and never finished. My goal is to finish it!

That's it for all of the books right now. It's a lot to conquer.

San-ity Fran-kly

I had been planning for a few months to take a mini vacation to San Francisco with my best friend, Erica. And this weekend was that trip.

So here's the whole run-down:
This quarter has just been a barrel full of mess! For the past few weeks, I have just about had enough of people and their drama. This all started with my cousin who basically said a lot of messed up things about my family and me and lied in order to make herself look better in the eyes of the Pastor of my church (that's all to make a long story short). People at school have just been putting their two-cents into my business when it doesn't belong. I finally came to the realization about 2 weeks ago, that people have been taking my niceness for granted and stomping all over me. Well no more.

Basically, this San Francisco trip couldn't have come at a better time. While in the car, I was just playing my ipod in order to pass the time and keep me and Erica awake for the 7 hour drive. There was lots of singing and dancing (in the seat, of course).

Friday night, we took a dinner cruise in the Bay and had a really good time. It was awesome. We sailed under the Bay Bridge, around Alcatraz Island and under the Golden Gate Bridge and came back. It was lovely. The downside of this fabulous evening, was the fact that we got back to the parking garage and the grate was pulled down. Apparently, the garage closed promptly at 10p and we didn't get back to it until 1045-ish. The sign said that we needed to call the number on the door and pay $50 for someone to come back and open the door. I didn't really care because I didn't want to 1)wait for a taxi or 2)pay for the taxi that night and then in the morning to come back and get the car. It wasn't that kind of serious to me. Before I could even dial the number, a man happened to be inside the garage and asked if we wanted to pay the $50 to get the car out and without hesitation, Erica and I said "yes". We walked to the car, drove to the exit and the man said he would only charge us $20. I had no problem with that. I can definitely tell you that it was God's grace.

We went back to the hotel and went to sleep since we had a reservation to go on the Alcatraz tour at 1030a Saturday.
Saturday started out okay until I decided to text roommate about noise issue. This went back and forth for awhile until I finally said that I couldn't take it anymore and that if the situation wasn't rectified, there would be grave consequences. I didn't let that issue damper my day. Went to Alcatraz and had a most surreal experience and then went to China Town for lunch at Four Seas Restaurant for Dim Sum. After we ate, we HAD to go shopping in China Town. We walked around for awhile and I purchased many things and of course had to carry them all the say back to the hotel.

Our hotel was on Lombard Street and if you know San Francisco at all, you know that this is the hilly-survy street. I wanted to walk the length of the curve but psyched myself out because I didn't see a sidewalk. Instead, we walked around it and ended up taking Chestnut (which runs parallel to Lombard). While walking up the steep hill, I was getting out of breath (toll of the stress on my body and the lack of energy in keeping up my health) and carrying that heavy bag wasn't helping. I stopped halfway up the hill and wanted to throw the bag in the air and just watch it fall all over the place. But I didn't do it.

In retrospect, this bag represented the weight of people's problems that I carry around with me all the time. It's the emotional baggage I've been carrying around for months. Everyone's disappointment in me (for whatever reason), my niceness. After getting back to the hotel, I realized that I didn't want to do this nice thing anymore. I'm tired of people stepping all over me and then wonder why I am responding the way that I am. Now you know. If I'm not talking to you, it's because I just need to remove myself from your drama and not help you anymore. I help because I want to, not because someone is paying me to. So don't take advantage of my niceness anymore. I am officially taking matters into my own hands and am not going to be nice about situations anymore. You may hate me for it, but this is for my sanity, frankly.

Breaking Up

Breaks up are hard.
Especially if you've been with someone since you were 17.

To my dearest roommate, I am here for you if you need me. Lay it all on me and I will help you carry the load.

Resolutions

You're probably thinking this is a blog about New Year's Resolutions.

It's not.

This is an entry about mending relationships. I've made mistakes in the past in the way that I've handled issues within relationships. This time around, I've learned. Years ago, I used to have a best friend and he and I had a huge arguement. To make a long story short, it was all miscommunication and we handled the situation by not talking to each other for 1 week. I tried, but gave up on trying when I was met with hostility from him. Our friend, L, kept telling us that we needed to mend the relationship. We didn't because he didn't want to. When we actually tried to mend it, we ended up yelling and crying and he ended it. I was devastated and moped around for weeks after that. I felt like my heart was pulled out from my body through my chest. It was almost the most painful thing I had ever experienced.

Like the previous entry stated to an extent, I had a huge fight with my best friend C. Since I didn't want to leave this conversation like I had the previous time, I made sure that we confronted this issue head on. And we did. Sitting in a car, putting forth every buried feeling and shedding every tear. We expressed suppressed issues and true feelings. This was a very cleansing moment for me.

Friendships that are meant to last, last. And those that aren't meant to last, end. This one is definitely one that is lasting. Moments like these make us stronger and more proud to have solid people who will never give up on you and promise to stand by your side, even when you have lost your mind. This is what true friendships are made of. When something is worth fighting for, you know. I was fighting tooth and nail to keep this friendship above water (literally...it's been raining for 3 days now) because she means that much to me. No one (outside of my mother, aunt, brothers, 'immediate' cousins) has ever cared for me so much and I have never put everything on the line to save what I cherish.

PSA: Fix relationships. Once you're out of the moment of fixing what's broken, only then will you realize whether this person is truly in the relationship for themselves, you or them. I'm in this relationship for us.

To C, like we've said "I'm never giving up on you." And these words are true.

Drama Free

This is supposed to be the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year".

It was until last night.

Let me start by saying this: I have been in school for the intense time called Fall Quarter. When it got out, I was so excited because that meant I could go home and relax on my couch for 3 weeks before Winter Quarter started and chaos continued again. Since I've been home (last Monday) I have spent 1 day actually sitting on my couch doing nothing. Each day, people want to hang out with me, I have to go run errands, take my lil brother places.

Last night, I was confronted with drama.

I'm popular and lots of people want to hang out with me. So I'm doing the best I can to have face time with everyone in my phone book who really matters (not to say that other people in my phone don't matter, because they do...just go with me). I went to a Christmas party last night at my best friend's house and there was a bunch of people there who I haven't seen in months. It was nice to catch up with them and relish in the holiday spirit. After the party I went home and that's when it all started.

My other best friend wanted to hang out today (C) and go shopping and then go see BLACK SWAN. I made those plans with her. The person's house I was at (L), said that he wanted to see BLACK SWAN today with our other best friend (C, not the one from above) and I thought "Cool. We all can see it together. My cousin wants to see it too". Not happening apparently.

So C (not the last one mentioned) got pissed because I wasn't hanging out with her alone and that I would rather hang out with everyone else except her.

Pause.

WTF????? I'm so confused. How did I get reprimanded for making everyone happy? Seriously? Honestly, I don't need this drama. So you know what I said? Don't come. Stay home. Do whatever the heck you want to do, but I'm not catering to you. People who are closer to me than you (E) is not getting upset because I haven't seen her since October! We've been friends since I was a freshman in high school! She's not tripping out because I haven't seen her. Get a grip.

I could make this entry much longer, but it's gonna make me upset again and I'm not down with that. Instead, I'm gonna relish in my family-Chipotle time and then look forward to seeing BLACK SWAN with people who aren't Jasmine-obsessed.