Mahjong and HSX Results

Well, The Brothers Grimm made enough money so that my account was up today. I'm doing the standard HSX procedure of selling all of it, and shorting the stock. I'm hoping to be able to catch up to LiverLvr, but he has some money in the Christmas season movies already, and I don't, so no matter how close I am too him, I expect him to pull away come December. At least for now I've pulled to within 50% of his portfolio's value.

As far as Mahjong went last night, it was fun. In addition, we managed to teach my 12 year-old nephew how to play and he really liked it. Of course, my aunt kept winning every game. I'm glad we got my nephew to play, though, because that meant that we weren't playing for money. Just like videogames, I think it would be fun if I could gather a group together once a month to play mahjong. It's difficult to plan though, because it really does take the whole night. Maybe I'll send an email out to my friends and gauge their interest again.

Family in the Bay

One of my Aunt's from Los Angles came up to visit this weekend. They went the Winchester Mystery House yesterday and then we went to dinner. Today they went on their own to Alcatraz, but tonight we're meeting up at my sister's house to play Mahjong. I hope I don't lose too much money.

Wild South Bay Nights

Well, my friends and I checked out this club called Studio8 last Friday. The venue was pretty cool, but we heard the crowd is better on Thursday nights, so we gathered together a larger group of people and we are going to hit the town tonight. I was never one that was big on clubbing and dancing, but being single guy in a land of male engineers makes you see evening activities in a whole different light. Most of my friends don't have to work tomorrow like I do so I'm probably going to drive separately so I can leave a little earlier. I just hope I'm not too tired in the office tomorrow.

Baseball, Anyone?

So last night my friends and I went to a SF Giants game. It was a good thing we got the tickets free from our company, cause the Giants got whipped by the Phillies 9-2. It's even better that I didn't care who won cause I know there were a lot of sad Giants fans last night. We all had a good time cause there was tailgating before the game with lots of beer. The highlight of my night was getting to eat those yummy garlic fries and then after the game, racing my friends down the kiddy slide behind the left field wall. Nothing really excited, but it was probably one of the better Tuesday nights I have had in a while (read: since I started working).

The Brothers Grimm

Well, in the next couple of months, I only have two movies that I have put H$ money into. (For those of you new to my site, this is all on the fictional Hollywood Stock Exchange). This weekend I have some money in The Brothers Grimm. It looks to be an okay movie, and I'm hoping people will be up for this magical-thriller-type movie. It's funny cause from the poster, I can't help but think this is Good Will Hunting 2, but then I realize that the actor with Matt Damon is not Bennifer, but Heath Ledger.


Of particular interest to me is the role of the actress Monica Bellucci. Back in 1999 I saw a [not particularly good] picture of her in a British Maxim magazine with a blurb describing her as one of the most beautiful women in Europe. From the picture the magazine provided, I chose to disagree until I saw her press shots for Matrix Reloaded. From that point on I could not get enough of her. Well, that should be all of my HSX action for this week. I will try to remember to write of the outcome Sunday morning.

Videogaming equipment

Target has been having a sale for "back-to-school" season, my roommate and I picked up some new furniture for the apartment. He and I each got a video rocker chair. One of my friends from work has one and it's a really nice piece of living room furniture. I highly recommend it.

Lot's of Laughs

Ha Ha, check this out:
AT&T Text to Speech

Type anything and it'll say it. Got it to call my roommate a dumbass (thank you, That 70's Show).

40-Year-Old Virgin

Well, I don't have anything going on HSX this weekend, but my roommate is expecting a big jump due to the 40-Year-Old Virgin. Everything I've seen for the movie looks funny, and Steve Carell was pretty funny on Bruce Almighty and The Office, but like I said before the summer season is over and movies just won't make as money as a couple months ago. I didn't get into the movie's stock because I'm being cautious, but I'll watch how the movie does just to see if my roommate has a good week or not.

Slow Season

Well, the summer movie season is officially over, or at least it is in my eyes. From May till the end of July, my HSX account grew from H$4 million to H$12 million. Now that schools are starting again, I don't expect my account to grow past H$14 million before the Christmas movie season.

On that note, I am still excited about Fall because that means it's time for NCAA football and the return of my National Champion USC Trojans. After the way last season ended, and with the return of many starters, I should be brimming with confidence for an unprecedented 3rd consecutive championship. However, I will continue to keep a cautious attitude because we lost many strong members of our defense and a lot of the coaching staff. I continue to stay optimistic, but I just won't go bragging to everyone that my team is going to win it all until after the season is over. I am crossing my fingers.... Now.

Back to the daily grind

Well, second day back at work, and I'm already waiting for my next vacation. I can't even cook anything at home yet cause my fridge is still empty. On top of that I need to do laundry pretty soon. This may see obvious, but coming back from a vacation is a lot of work. I'm going to be more exhausted in the next couple of days than before I started my trip to Hawaii.

To all my readers out there (anyone? hello?), what is the worst chore/activity you have to do when coming back from a vacation?

Hi Ho, Hi Ho...

First day back at work. Luckily I'm working the late shift because I am still jet lagged. I could not fall asleep to save my life last night. Got to get back into my routine: defrosting food, going to work, working out, cooking, and sleeping. At least I don't have to worry about classes yet.

Going, Going, Back, Back to Cali, Cali

Well, today is the last day of my vacation. I definitely wish I could stay longer, but then I probably wouldn't be able to pay my bills. I know I have not been keeping up with my journal, but what can you expect, I'm on vacation. Everyday I would wake up and say, "I should write about what happened yesterday," but then I would look at the sunny weather and think, I'll do it after I go to the beach with my cousins. Then after the beach there would always be some huge feast for dinner, and I would go into a food coma and just sleep for the rest of the night. So much for getting back in shape. So here is what has happened since my last entry:

1) water balloon slingshot was a success, although I only made one
2) ate some shaved ice
3) Took my niece and cousins surfing -- good times
4) ate some more shaved ice
5) celebrated my uncle's 60th birthday
6) celebrated my Dad's retirement
7) bought a skimboard and went skimboarding with my cousins
8) more shaved ice
9) saw my sister graduate and get her MBA from UH

Pictures are coming I promise.

Bombs Away

Welcome back to my journal. My cousins and I have been getting along well and this is turning out to be one of the more fun family reunions that I can remember. The only thing is we are getting along by playing video games and I know my mom and the other aunties aren't necessarily happy about that. So to get us doing something that doesn't involve a TV, I've decided that we should have a water balloon fight. We are even trying to build a slingshot for the water balloons. I'll hopefully complete a pair of then and put a picture up soon.

More Family Stuff

Well, another day with the family. Last night the cousins had a Mario Party. Pretty fun for family get-together standards. Today we went to a water park in Hawaii pretty fun too. I'm going to meet up with some high school buddies tonight, and sometime later this week I think everyone wants to head up to the North Shore. Looks like more Matsumoto's Shaved Ice. I can't wait.

I weird note, I have a 14 year-old niece, and she's obviously going through her adolescent period of emotional volatility and angst. I know I'm her uncle and I'm family so I'm automatically not cool, but she's using all this sarcasm and attitude to keep me distant from her, and now it's starting to get to me. I really just do not want to talk to her anymore. I don't know whether I should say something to her or just let what little relationship I have with her just whither away into nothingness. I only see her once every couple of years, and to have her just throw away any change of being close to her family just seems like such a waste. No one needed to buy her plane ticket; if she wanted to ignore us she would have had an easier time doing it in St. Louis, and then she wouldn't be bringing me down. What should I do?