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May 18th, 2006

11:21 pm - At Last I am the happiest I've been in a long time. I can only hope this feeling stays. Current Mood: happy Current Music: Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland - Promiscuous

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February 27th, 2006

08:25 pm - Traveling Through I'm thinking of getting a shirt that says "In town for the night" for when I travel, and then I remember I'm me and I can't pull it off... I've come to really love traveling over the past couple years. There is nothing like visiting a new city and taking everything in to get a feel of the place, and "everything" usually includes some of the local nightlife. I'm the type of person who can go out and be perfectly content with just being out with my friends. Typically, that is the end-goal. Though, there's something about vacation that makes me feel like I should meet someone and take advantage of the fact I am a temporary commodity. From these thoughts came the idea for the shirt. When I really think about it, I don't believe I would find someone wearing said shirt more attractive because of it. Nor do I think the shirt would attract the type of person I really want to meet. But then the variable enters the equation: vacation. By being in a different city, I just might be able to be this really hot "In town for the night" Justin instead of my boring, yet likeable self. I was in San Diego for work last weekend and remained my normal self because I was traveling alone. I would need a pep talk from a friend and a lot to drink in order to become this alter ego. However, while I may be boring in Los Angeles, I think "In town for the night" is not completely out of my reach given the right circumstances. Meaning, it might be time for another trip to the East Coast... Current Mood: mischievous Current Music: Lisa Loeb - Single Me Out

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February 5th, 2006

04:35 pm - Trapped in Your Own Home I was talking on the phone with a friend of mine this week, and he was asking me about my future plans. After I shared, he said, "You're not leaving L.A. are you?" This question forced me to confront what I already knew and admit "No, I'm not." Finally saying it has had a strange effect on me; I feel sad. I still love Los Angeles, but mentally committing myself to a geographic location somehow lessens the city's allure. I can no longer say things like, "D.C. would be fun," with the same sincerity. I have a stable job here, my family's here, and I have other obligations that I couldn't fill very well by leaving Southern California. I have a life of commitments here and very little of the newness a different city would provide. Life after a certain age becomes mostly a routine for most people, and I am at or very near to that age. Los Angeles has become a part of the routine of my life. My routine's not bad; it just needs something new, especially since L.A. is the same. Current Mood: tired Current Music: Death Cab For Cutie - Crooked Teeth

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December 31st, 2005

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October 30th, 2005

10:33 pm - Trog-lo-dyte Living in the 21st Century can be a scary at times; you never know when a machine might turn on you. While I have successfully navigated computers and cell phones, I'm realizing more and more that I am resistant to technology. This fact is highly atypical for the standard yuppie and has almost become a point of pride for me. As if the more I resist new forms of technology the better person I am because...well, because...nothing actually. Allow me to provide you with some examples. For a "hip" twenty-something I am severely lacking in electronic accessories. I have no iPod to speak of, much less a nano. I've seen ones my friends have, and I can't even figure out how to use them. I pay with cash as much as possible. I don't even have a debit card, only an old fashioned ATM card. For a while I thought I wanted a digital camera, but I think I've decided against it. I like having printed photos. Yes I know it is relatively easy to print digital pictures now, but such logical argumentation doesn't work with troglodytes like me. Perhaps the best illustration of my attachment to antiquated technology is my love of cassette tapes. I held on to the bitter end for them. I started buying my music as tapes, and I refused to convert as CD's overtook the market. The superior sound quality and convenience could not persuade me to switch. It was in 2000 when I moved to Westwood I finally broke down and converted, and only because the music stores in West L.A. did not sell tapes. If I had lived through 8-tracks, you can bet I would have done the same then. What strikes me as odd, is how I am a person who deals really well with change, even thrives on it, yet I obviously do not adapt well to changes in technology. I only make the changes necessary to maintain a basic level of function in society. I'm sure I'll become even more crotchety and resistant as I get older. Just remember me when I become one of those senior citizens that swears their TV is going to take over society. Jessica, who is pretty hip with an iPod and a digital camera, at least shares my love of e-mail, which is becoming more passe everyday. Here are snippets from an e-mail interchange today that actually gives credibility to my love of old technology. Justin - Can I tell you how much I love that you still use e-mail? It just seems like such an antiquated form of technology nowadays with myspace and facebook messaging. You know me though, once I find a form of technology I like, I cling to it and refuse to adapt until forced. Jessica - Has e-mail really become antiquated? Well golly gosh! Guess I'm just as much of a troglodyte as you. But here's my take: myspace/facebook messaging is that pair of Ugg boots you bought two years ago, while e-mail is the classic v-neck sweater that never seems to go out of style. Eventually people realize that those Ugg boots were just ugg-ly. Current Mood: tired Current Music: Zero 7 - Give It Away

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October 27th, 2005

10:49 pm - Crisis Averted I don't really believe in the quarter-life crisis. I think it's what twenty-somethings have made up in order to rationalize the crisis of purpose they face. Now that I am successfully navigating my early twenties, or at least trying to, I think I've come to better understand the true nature of this supposed "quarter-life crisis." After you graduate from college, so little of your early twenties is spent actually living life. People fall into two common traps: reminiscing over the past to the point of getting stuck in it or worrying over the future. It is a crux of purpose, and there is a huge danger to ignore the present. On one hand, you have just gone through this amazing experience called college, where it is so easy to make friends and find direction, and it will never be like that again. Making friends in the real world is hard, and you will probably lose most of the ones you had in college. You've come down off this high point, and there usually isn't something as exciting in the future. This leads some to have a hard time moving on to the next phase in their lives, stuck in the mentality of college. While completely different and equally unhealthy, those that don't get stuck in the past often have a preoccupation with the future. More than anything, your early twenties are time of self-discovery. Your plans and intentions may not match up with your current reality, and there are many obstacles to those plans like finances, lack of direction, or disappointment. Life may not turn out the way you planned it, and the future can be uncertain and worrisome to many. Anything that keeps you from fully focusing on your energy on the present moment is going to make you enjoy life less. The early twenties are a time when people are prone to not fully live their life because of a tendency to overly focus on the past or future. It may seem like a crisis. However, even though things aren't the same as the used to be or uncertain over what will be, that doesn't mean you can take this moment in your life and enjoy it. Current Mood: optimistic Current Music: Ying Yang Twins - Shake

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October 14th, 2005

12:12 am - Simplicity at its finest I often hear my friends talk about their need to be busy. As much work as grad school is, it's better than having nothing to do they say. And while I understand their point of view, I just don't feel compelled to be busy in the same way. My favorite things in life are the simplest, and my favorite times are the stillest. That being said, I don't want my life to be completely devoid of structure or obligation. I'm gone from my apartment for work or errands 11 hours a day on average, and I greatly enjoy my life. However, I derive pleasure not from the fact that I have commitments and things to do, but rather the times that are left just to myself. I think I am much better than the average person at taking the "me" time I need because I have worn myself down in the past. I've learned to enjoy the simple pleasures of spending time with yourself and doing nothing. I couldn't help but think if my desire for simplicity means I am a simple person. Although I wouldn't go so far as to call my life simple, it is very much a routine. While the routine can get boring, there is an innate comfort about it. It's like an old friend that you know is going to be there for you. My life has been a constant state of change over the last 6 years or so; it's nice to be able to count on something or someone other than myself, even if it is just the knowledge of where I will be the next day. Maybe I am a simple person, I have an uncomplicated life and simple desires: to be happy, find love, and have a family. I'm not simple-minded, but I'm probably not as "deep" as I'd like to think I am. A lot of people give themselves way too much credit in terms of their depth of personality and lifestyle. We're not all onions waiting to be peeled layer by layer. I may only have a couple layers, but the challenge is getting me to reveal them. At the core, I'm a simple guy, but simplicity is not always easily grasped. Current Mood: simple Current Music: Death Cab For Cutie - The Sound Of Settling

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October 8th, 2005

02:17 pm - Hot Fuss You know you're too old to be in the general admission standing room only section of a concert when you have to push crowd surfers away to ensure they don't fall on you. The fact that it was the Killers concert in Long Beach didn't help either. Let's just say they're really popular with the high school set. Yet in spite of the pushing and the crazies, it was completely worth it. We were twenty five feet from the stage, and there is something euphoric about getting completely caught up in a song amongst thousands of people. The show was amazing, and you really can't say enough about Brandon Flowers. The man has stage presence and style like no one's business. It was the perfect last general admission concert. Angie and I have graduated to actual seats from now on, or at least until the Killers come to town again. Current Mood: reminiscent Current Music: The Killers - On Top

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September 15th, 2005

11:55 pm - The City of Angels I'm back in Los Angeles, and I don't know what to make of it. My vacation was a great experience, but I am deflating now that it's over. On vacation, Kim asked me if I could live in Los Angeles my whole life, and I honestly could. The question I really wrestled with was whether I should. When I think of Los Angeles now, I think of an empty city. There are still a great deal of friends and family that populate the city of angels, but so many of the people I love have decided to leave it. And although it's cheesy, it's an empty city to me now because pieces of my heart are gone with emptiness in their places. The thing about real friends is that you can be separated for months and thousands of miles, but when you are together it's like things haven't skipped a beat. So I know I am not losing friends, but rather that they are merely farther away than they used to be. I just associate my memories of friends with place and time, and the time and place for spending time with many friends in L.A. has come to pass. Ultimately, I will create new memories with old friends in new places and with new friends in old places, but for now I am taking a moment to mourn the end of one of the best times I've ever had. To All Talk, No Action, To being Down for Whatever, To great friends all over the country. The good times will continue, they just might involve extensive travel. "After all, things change, so do cities. People come into your life, and they go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart. And if you're very lucky, a plane ride away" - Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City - I Heart NY Current Mood: nostalgic Current Music: Mariah Carey - Shake It Off

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June 27th, 2005

06:02 pm - Better than broadcasting your home movies on UPN Intrigue. It's fairly easy to determine whether or not someone has it, yet it's surprisingly difficult to acquire. That hasn't stopped me yet though, and for my latest stunt I've become a vegetarian, for at least a month. Like all good decisions in life, this one was made on a whim at the grocery store. My decision really doesn't have anything to do with animal cruelty. Vegetarianism is just a healthy way of eating, so I thought I'd give it a try. My vegetarianism wasn't supposed to become a big thing, but for whatever reason it has become a regular topic of conversation at the office. Almost every day I get asked, "So how's vegetarianism going for you?" or "Are you still vegetarian?" What's with all the fuss? Part of it has to be that people who work in offices talk to each other about food all the time. It's a good way to make small talk without touching on any taboo small talk subjects like politics or religion, and the longest non-work related conversations usually occur over lunch. As Jessica pointed out, you think it wouldn't be such a big deal to be vegetarian at a non-profit organization in Los Angeles. With a staff of 40, we should have a couple vegans, not just a pseudo-vegetarian like me. While I find it odd that my eating habits have become a regular talking point, I'm not going to say I don't enjoy it. I'm not one to seek attention unnecessarily, so I find in funny when I acquire it unintentionally. It's like I've added a layer of mystery by simply not eating certain food groups. But all good things must come to an end, even intrigue acquired through dietary restrictions. I set a pre-determined date to try eating meat again, and on July 4th I will have been a vegetarian for a month. And while intrigue is nice, not eating meat then would simply be un-American. Current Mood: vegetarian Current Music: Gwen Stefani - The Real Thing

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