Greetings from Palm Springs!

My company has sent me to Palm Springs for a transportation conference. Normally, this is my FAVORITE part of the job - traveling, learning about Transportation Demand Management and its relation to the environment, and networking/socializing with people outside of my company. This time around is off to a rocky start :\

First off, location. Last year's conference was in Washington, D.C. The year before that, my company sent me to Austin, Texas, for a conference on facility management. This year, it's Palm Springs. The weather is in triple digits and we have to walk past a scintillating pool to get to our workshops - that's a little tortuous. Add that it is tough to get around because of easily the area lacks accessible public transit and, if we could get around, there would be nowhere to go besides Moronogo and Cabazon outlets. Palms Springs just pales in comparison to the other places.

Second, and more important, my boss is here with me. Last year she didn't join me in DC, so I had a BLAST. Not that she isn't cool, because she is, but it's added pressure to perform and be "on point" when the boss is around. There's no down time to relax and really enjoy the conference because you always have to check-in with the boss, at least that's how I feel. There were so many times today where I wanted to go up to my room and chill out, but I felt obligated to stay and chat with our clients because she was.

Finally, I TOTALLY screwed up this morning by not turning on my work cell phone. I am adamant about not doing work on the weekends. I'm okay with checking emails on Sunday night just to get an idea of what to expect on Monday morning, but that's it. My laptop stays in its bag all weekend and I only use it on Sunday night before I got to bed, if at all. My work cell phone is turned off the minute I walk out of the office on Friday afternoon and not turned on until I get to the office on Monday morning. Well, after today's opening session, I go into the Exhibit Hall to check-in with the boss only to find out she had left me 6 messages about bringing more brochures from the office because the original shipment was lost in transit. Needless to say, when I showed up without the brochures and table display, I was questioned about why I hadn't been checking my messages and why I didn't have my phone on me at all times. There's a legitimate argument for both sides, but when it comes down to it I absolutely dropped the ball today. I felt horrible. I still feel horrible.

Hopefully, the rest of the conference goes smoothly and I have a chance to redeem myself. Lately, I've been feeling less and less enthusiastic about my job and it's made me very lazy at work. After today though, I've been given a swift kick in the ass because I really hate to let people down, especially if it's an authority figure like my boss. The real question is, once I redeem myself for fucking up this morning, will I still be motivated to do the best I can or will I go back to just do enough to cruise by?

In Desperate Need of a Stylist

One of the cool things about graduating from college and earning your own money is that you get to splurge on what you want. I read a looooong time ago that every woman needs a good hair stylist and should be willing to pay the money for it. I totally agree with this and ever since I chopped my hair (back in 2005), I've realized just how important it is to have a good stylist, but I'm also learning just how difficult finding a new stylist can be.

Just to give you some background on my hair and finding a stylist....I have very fine hair and a round face. This means the only cuts that really look good on me is a bob (or any variation of that style) at chin-length or shorter. I found my dream stylist, Shannon back in 2005 at Salon 5150 in Brea. Shannon had short hair herself and always gave me the cut I wanted. I would bring in pictures of what I was looking for and she would get it at about 90% accuracy - which is pretty damn good considering they always tell you not to expect your cut to look exactly like the picture. At some point, I stopped bringing in pictures for her and just asked for the usual cut. Unfortunately, she started cutting my hair differently. Instead of giving me the asymmetrical bob I requested, I would get a blunt bob that was the same length all around (I usually like my front way longer than my back). I would have to ask her to redo my hair and it still wasn't right. It was as if she had lost her touch or my hair just stopped liking her. The last stellar cut I got from Shannon was back in August 2006. I went to her a couple times after that, but was never as satisfied with the result as I was before.

Fast forward to this past Friday. I've become quite the Yelp enthusiast lately. I read the reviews on there so I have an idea of what to expect and will occasionally write a review if I think it's worth mentioning (positive or negative). I found a "salon" near my place in Diamond Bar that received pretty good reviews and was at the price range I was looking for, so I made an appointment for Friday at 5pm. I was SO excited to get my haircut and printed out pictures of the cut I was looking for. I arrived at the salon at 4:40pm and no one really greeted me (minus points right there). I went up to the counter and the Hair Washer Girl asked if I was here for a haircut. I said that I was and that I had an appointment at 5pm. She said to have a seat and while the stylist finished up. I noticed that the stylist was working on 2 other women at the same time, but I wasn't too worried since I made an appointment so I got comfortable with a magazine. At about 5pm, they washed my hair and I was told to have a seat again because the stylist still wasn't finished with the other 2 ladies. At this point, a third lady was now waiting for her because her dye job was done and now she needed her cut. I started shifting around, shuffling magazines, sneezing and coughing loudly to get her attention. I asked the Assistant how much longer she would be and she said another 10 minutes. Finally, at 5:30pm, I got up, took the towel off my head, left it on the counter and left - wet hair and all :\

I was so frustrated and disappointed, almost to the point of tears. You don't understand - I was REALLY REALLY looking forward to getting a haircut. Completely, in panicked mode, I dashed for the closest Fantastic Sam's-ish place to just get an asymmetrical bob and gave up on finding a dream stylist for the day. I found a place called The Haircutters and just went in. The first lady who took me passed me off to someone else once she saw the cut I wanted. The lady she wanted to pass me to couldn't take me because she was in the middle of another cut. Finally, I got some lady named Luz. My heart never beat so hard over a hair cut - that's how nervous I was once she greeted me (she reminded me of a Latina version of Gimli from Lord of the Rings minus the beard). I sat in the chair and prayed she wouldn't butcher my hair. I showed her the cut I wanted and the first thing she says is that she can't give me the asymmetrical cut because I'm not a celebrity and it wouldn't look good on me. If I could have smacked her without getting in trouble, I would have. I knew I should have just given up on getting a haircut at that point, but I was in the ugly phase of growing it out and just wanted the back of my hair off my neck.

Double FAIL: 1) Luz hairsprays my baby hairs and leaves a crooked hairline. 2) I let her.

I was so happy to be out of Luz's chair. She kept trying to talk to me about my life and I was just so nervous about my hair. I wanted her to shut the fuck up and focus on the cut. She told me that the reason salons charge $50+ for a haircut is because they use a blow dryer on me. Is that true? Or was she just saying that so that I would tip her more for drying my hair for free? She asked me if I wanted to put some volumizer on the crown of my head to add volume and I said, "Yes, please." She proceeds to spay half that shit on my arm and rub it into my hair like it was lotion. Then, she puts down the baby hairs I have in front with hair spray and pats my head (much like you would do to a pet, but worse). I take a look at her work in the mirror. I'm satisfied with how she cut the back, but there was no volume and, even after patting down the baby hairs, my hairline part was severely crooked. I sat there looking at myself for a minute and started re-styling it myself . It took all I had not to break out in tears or scream. But, I took a deep breath, considered myself lucky for not getting a super fucked up 'do, but decided never to come back to Luz again - ever. I only paid $28 for the cut, but the lack of style, hair product knowledge, and customer service dwarfed the financial benefit. I went home and washed out my hair in defeat.

So I'm still at square one - in search of a hair stylist I can call my own - 4 years and counting. If you know of anyone who gives amazing short haircuts and is located within 25-30 miles of Diamond Bar or Orange, please help a girl out.

Summer Reading

I LOVE reading books. I'm a total bookworm and summer is when I like to kick back with a good book rather than watch T.V. I've read a couple books this summer, but none worth mentioning until now. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, by Seth Grahame-Smith (SGS), is definitely something worth passing on. The novel is considered part of the "literary mash-up" genre, where two unlikely genres are mixed into one interesting story. In this story, U.S. History is mashed together with vampire folklore to make for a creative take on Abe Lincoln.

I love vampires and I liked studying history back in high school, so I was curious about this book early on. After finishing the book last night, I have to admit it's one of the better vampire novels out there. It's very well-written and just the right mix of history and fantasy to keep you engaged. I like European History over U.S. History, but this novel earned some points for the subject. I mean, it was able to connect vampire uprisings to slavery...it is that creative and convincing. I had to keep reminding myself that this didn't actually happen, although I think a part of me will always see Abe Lincoln as a vampire hunter from now on. What can I say, I really get into my books.

If you're looking for something different and creative, give this one a read. I read SGS's first literary mash-up, Pride Prejudice and Zombies and thought Vampire Hunter was MUCH, MUCH better. Also, I'm on the hunt for a new book to read, any suggestions are much appreciated :)

Vegas Vacation Part 2 of 2

This past weekend in Vegas reminded me of the family vacations we used to take before I turned 21. Those were vacations where I had enough freedom to roam on my own and my mom was so concerned about me being bored that she would give me money to go out...hahah! We drove up on Thursday night and headed back home on Saturday afternoon. It felt like a really short trip, but I am thankful for the time we got to spend with my family. I feel like I don't do that enough. They're a rowdy bunch that likes to have a good time and they remind me of why I miss being a kid.

There was a lot to celebrate over the weekend: my brother (T.J.) turned 22, it was my uncle Vic's birthday earlier in the week, and my cousin (D.J.) proposed to his girlfriend of 8 years (Christina)! It was also the second trip in a row that Albert and I experienced a different kind of Vegas (a.k.a. no strip club and no nightclub). First major difference: we stayed with my family in their timeshare at The Grandview Resort. It's a great place, but the major downside was it was WAY OFF THE STRIP. We had to wait till the sun cooled off a bit to go anywhere and, even then, I got lazy to drive around because it was still triple digit heat. Albert and I were also able to save some money on food because my family would cook breakfast AND lunch...can't beat "home-cooked" Filipino food! We also went bowling (of all things!) until 2am. It may sound boring to you, but Albert and I are people-watchers and there were A LOT of locals there so it was fun to just watch them. I always wondered what Vegas locals do. Apparently, some of them bowl. LOL. 

We had a chance to check out Downtown Las Vegas, well, just the Golden Nugget because Downtown looks too shady to just stroll along at night. My mom and my aunt treated the family to a buffet dinner and comedy show at The Golden Nugget on Friday night for T.J.'s birthday. Buffets are kind of a waste on me and Albert because we can't really stuff ourselves anymore - we're all about frequency of meals rather than volume - but we tried our best. The food was pretty good and my family definitely took advantage of the endless crab legs. My favorite part: dessert, specifically the macaroons and pecan pie bites. You can bet I packed some up in my purse for later :) The comedy show featured Gordie Brown, who made me laugh a couple times but a lot of the humor went over my head since it was based on stuff before I was born. Luckily, I had a drink in hand, so it was a good time for me to sit and chill. Something new I learned came from D.J. and Christina. They were telling us about how Golden Nugget's Pool was featured on the Travel Channel because there is a water slide that goes through a shark tank. I have to admit, I'm curious about the pool because there's nothing like it on The Strip. However, the chances of us staying in Downtown in the future are slim. Check out the link though...it's a really nicely decorated pool (you can tell they put some effort into the rennovation), it's just too bad it's in Downtown.

Finally, I got to introduce Albert to Bachi Burger! He loved it and I loved it, so it's officially on our list of foodie destinations in Las Vegas. If you're into fusion food and are looking for a tasty burger, you got to check out Bachi Burger...mmm, so delicious!

July was all about the travel: Simi Valley for April & Victor's Wedding (hahaha, it's practically NorCal for me), Cruise to Ensenada, Vegas, and Vegas. I think the rest of the year will be about weddings - we have 3 to go to in the next two months and then one more in November. At least they're all in SoCal, so we can fit in other things in between the weddings. I've been wanting to ride some roller coasters, so hopefully a trip to Magic Mountain or Disneyland, or Knott's or all 3, is in store.

Vegas Vacation: Part 1 of 2

This past weekend, I found out that there's more to Vegas than looking like a hooker and going to strip clubs! Albert's family invited me to come along on their family trip to Las Vegas. We stayed at MGM (a first for me) Saturday through Monday. This was the first time (post turning 21) that I've been to Vegas without going to a club, going to a strip club, and/or gambling. Still plenty of drinking, but not to the point of throwing up or blacking out.

On the first night in town, Albert and I watched Team USA's Exhibition game. Jello made the drive up that evening to join us at the game too. A lot of the players I was looking forward to watching (actually, just Kobe), ended up not playing, but it was still fun to watch. It was definitely different from watching a Lakers game because I was a lot more easily distracted. Khloe Kardashian was there (our seats were closer to the court than hers was!) but left during halftime because she got mobbed for pictures. I think the white team won, but I honestly wasn't paying attention. There was a tequila station there and I was busy yelling "Hi!" to the players in an attempt to get them to wave or nod.

I got to introduce Aloha Kitchen to Jenny, Kristen, Albert, and Jello...2 Local plates, one kalua & katsu plate, one kalbi plate, and one adobo fried rice omelet later, I think I convinced them to make this restaurant a must-do whenever we come to Vegas. The food is pretty delicious, but I'd argue that it's even better the morning after a night of drinking :) After dinner, the girls turned in for the night and we hung out with Albert's cousin from Wisconsin (Bernard) for a little bit. It was Bernard's first trip to Vegas so he was ready to party hearty...unfortunately, it was our first night after driving in, so we were ready to call it a night at 2am.

Jello had to drive back to LA on Sunday, but we had a full day ahead of us. The itinerary: eat, pool, eat, drink, midway, movie, eat, and sleep...hahah! The pool was packed for a Sunday, but that didn't stop us from getting in and walking the lazy river. The pool is so refreshing in the middle of the desert and great for people-watching, one of mine and Albert's favorite things to do together. That evening, Albert introduced us to a new restaurant: Metro Pizza. OMG...I LOVED it! Best pizza place in Vegas hands down. Between the 4 of us (Jenny, Kristen, Albert, and me) we shared Fried Calamari, Garlic Romano Fries, and a small stuffed pizza called The Stockyard. Do you think we finished all of it? NOPE. I wanted to, but there was no more room in my stomach. The Stockyard pizza was so delicious. The pizza packed with pepperoni, sausage, and ground beef, then covered with another layer of dough, baked, and topped off with tomato sauce. If you're looking for a solid place for pizza, on or off The Strip, it's Metro Pizza. You gotta give it a try.

Yesterday, we took a Greyhound bus home. Albert thought his parents were coming back to LA on Monday, but they moved their departure date to Tuesday so we were scrambling for a way to get home in time for work on Tuesday (today). I remembered that my mom and dad used to take the bus to Vegas all the time when they first started dating, so I suggested that as our way home. It was definitely cheaper than flying home ($50 for a bus ticket vs. $161 for a plane ticket). Turns out, Albert and his mom used to use the bus to get to Vegas too when his Dad lived out there. The bus ride is about 5 hours long with a stop for food in Barstow. It's a nice ride and great for taking naps while someone else worries about the traffic. This year seems to be the year I'm traveling to Vegas in all modes of transportation!

Albert and I are headed out to Vegas again...this time with my family. It's also T.J.'s 22nd birthday on Friday, so we're hoping we can take him out on a couple of the roller coasters out there. He loves his roller coasters :) T.J.'s been there since Sunday and won't be leaving until this coming Sunday...lucky guy is definitely enjoying his summer break! Definitely going to try to hit up Metro Pizza again and fit in Bachi Burger! Stay tuned for Part 2!