the best little town in texas

Oh yes, San Marcos, making a place for yourself in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

I miss you.

view from the balcony

mexico blooooggggggg.

http://jessicainmexico.blogspot.com/

just breathe.

I should not even be awake at this ungodly hour on this particular day, but I’m anxious, so whatever.

 

made a set of pillows, a pair of shorts, altered my pants and made a little holder for my important “travel requirements”.  yes, actually, it was kinda fun.

 

i have lots of things before 7am on Friday (including sleep), but now everyone’s in my loop. 

 

goodnight,

jcruz

…on a jetplane

First things first: now officially shortest child in the family.  I know, I cried a little also.  I suppose I should say that God blessed me to be space efficient, but, really, I wish I were just a little taller.  Five one just isn’t doing it these days. (Thank God for high heels, oh yeah.)

But on to “real” things:

1. Packing sucks.  I know I list it as a favorite activity on effbook, but I don’t like doing it.

2.  I want to take too much stuff to Mexico with me.  This is a problem that I don’t usually have, except that I know that I have it, so I must encounter it more than I think.  Golly gee.

3.  I leave on Friday.  Scares me to no end to know that I’ll be living in someone else’s house in a different country for five months in four days.

4.  My camera takes time lapse movies.  Thank goodness I learned this because my brother would have had to sit through a half hour vid to see all the fireworks.  Conveniently shortened for quick viewing pleasure.

5.  You can’t tell because I *coughcough* edit *coughcough* my posts, but I somehow keep mistaking the K key for the L key.  Is my finger losing its space in my brain?

6.  I can make pillows!  I made two very nice pillows.  They sort of match the living room’s chairs, but they also kinda don’t, so meh.

7.  Going back to studying abroad, I’ve decided to create a separate but connected blog about my adventures elsewhere.  I will make an effort to post to this blog, of course, but I’ll end up posting in Spanish (Chinese in the spring, please?) or a mixture.  The other separate but connected will be in English and give accounts and stories and whatnot.

8.  I have too much clothes.

9.  I dominate Mario Party 8.  Just saying.

 

peace homies,

jcruz

10 good things

1. new eye prescription in two years!
2. new hilary duff frames!
3. new contacts!
4. swimming for four hours in nasty, disgusting, Luling-tainted San Marcos River water!
5. a pink pig!
6. green plums that magically turn red in the dark!
7. brother graduates tomorrow!
8. single-handedly using most of my family’s minutes talking to, coughcough, my man!
9. pokémon!
10. bedtime!

Life Recipe: Challenges

1 Pizza Hut

1 Cruz family (7 members)

2 waitresses (out of 7 employees)

3 tables

1 large-family-sized order

(6 plates and 4 napkins, in case)

 

For dinner, place Cruz family in Pizza Hut at three tables.  Give family a waitress to take drink and food orders.  Assign waitress to other duties while family waits.  Give family drinks, but be sure to never refill drinks- after all, this shouldn’t be a soda party.  This is kinda tricky, but give family a small bit of the order- not too much, but enough so that they don’t notice flatware and napkins are not part of the ingredients.  If they notice, hand over emergency supplies, and rest of order.  Now, just leave them be, they know how to fend for themselves.

Rating: – out of 5 possible stars

---

Worst table service we’ve ever received, and, you know, we’ve had terrible service.  I know- seven people at a table is a daunting task.  Being a host is a frightening thing, and if you’re not used to handling big tables, you’ve got a pretty good chance you’ll mess something up, which is understandable.  We’ve had hosts make mistakes before, we asked them to be corrected, they were, things moved on.

But to be ignored, that is a new one.  Being the largest group in the restaurant, seated in the center of the main room, tonight we were the elephant in the room. As such, our drinks were never refilled, plates and napkins were never given to us, we saw both of our waitresses in two settings- bringing us food and serving other tables- which, I’ll have you know, included refills and plates and napkins, speedy clean-up, and a “is everything alright?” every eight minutes or so. 

But for us?  Nothing.  This I cannot understand.   I’m talking, like, all of the people working stood behind the counter and watched us.  I counted at least seven people working: two I will excuse, maybe, as cooks.

Doesn’t matter though- they all saw my sister accidentally knock over Mark’s drink, but Sam had to go ask for napkins?  Mark had to ask for another cup?  They brought out our food and left without asking if it was right or if we needed anything?  Mark had to go get plates, and, since they apparently cannot count, we were still one plate short. 

Come on. 

But okay.  Father got up to pay, which is maybe the custom for the restaurant (which I will think is true, even if I know it’s not), and Mom had a word with our “primary” waitress about the poor service.  They apologized.  I will now (try to) think kind thoughts about them (but I might put that particular site on my DENY list). 

Point is, challenges have their rewards.  Their challenge was providing (at least) courtesy service to a large group, and my challenge is forgiving them for what I perceive as an utter failure on their part.

we found better stuff!

So, I’ve been applying for jobs, right?  I hate Buc-ee’s, but not for any good reason.  Probably more because it’s easy for me to pretend to have strong feelings for some convenience store that has somehow managed to accrue such a large cult following, which is absolutely ridik.  Anyway, I applied to work there because I figure it wouldn’t be such a bad place, mmmhmmmm?  Yeah, well, their application is MORE ridik than their cult following, which, fyi, has spread Buc-ee’s love all over the states.  I had to pass a 15 question math test (not too difficult, basic 8th grade math skillz) and another effing ethics test.

Last time I took an ethics test for a job, I failed.  Miserably.  Meaning I was miserable.  I’m just not ethical, except that I am.  If a person had been asking the questions, I wouldn’t have had a problem (most likely).  I mean, I’m fairly ethical (I think).  maybe I’m not and SPOILER ALERT like House END SPOILER I’ve deluded myself.  Perhaps, I have, in effect, unethically convinced myself that I am when I am actually not. 

Also, the HEB application is remarkably simple in nature. :)

...

Apparently genetics was not part of Roger Clemens’ education, ever.  Like, normally sports and rampart drug use blahblahblah isn’t my thing, but really?  I was watching the news, and the austin news people actulaly let him sound stupid, again.  If you don’t know (I know I didn’t), this morning he refuted his drug use charges, claiming it would be suicidal because his step-father had heart disease.

wtf.

BUT this is an excellent example to open up my next point.  Today I decided that the interactions of my siblings have uncanny resemblances to the interactions of internet fiends and trolls.  there are mountains and mountains of posts and articles and forum topics devoted to tearing the clemens fellow apart for his apparent ignorance of basic genetics.  my siblings do the same thing.  they find one thing, and they use, twist, mangle, beat and thoroughly enjoy taking someone out.

when I’m home, it’s me, which is fine.  not a bad job to have.  I can take it.  Still can’t dish it out, but whatevs.

:::

i just burned my mouth eating hot cheetos.  just thought I’d get that out there. :)

i won’t be going to SnW this year. :(  silly working for money thing always gets me.

but i did find a decent online spanish bible text, to get accustomed to hearing the Word of God in not-English. :)

also, very hot.

j.cruz

Baba Yetu: Sing Along

So, I really like this song.  It's, like, super fun.  And catchy.  And I swear I've repeated like twenty times.  I should go find/buy it somewhere. :)

pharmaceutical discounts

Hello!

You may or may not know this, but I am officially studying abroad next semester.   I will be traveling to the beautiful Mexican city of Guanajuato.

 

You know, in Chinese it is quite appropriate to go from largest category to smallest category.   It makes all sorts of logical sense and is kinda really intuitive.

I leave July 10, and I’ll be back December 10.  I’ll probably leave from San Antonio.  I want to come back to Houston, and while I have my reasons, most can be countered by equally strong arguments for arriving in SA.

Example:

Houston: Back on Thursday, airport is closer to someone who can pick me up than if I came to SA, less of a disruption of other people’s lives.

SA: As if my parents would care at that point, and I’d still have to find some way back home.

...

“You may have heard of this thing called the recession, which in this other thing called the toilet.”  hahahaha

I think people need to be more optimistic.  It won’t help the fact that the USA is in a hole, but please, have faith it can get better.

Besides, we can live simpler lives.  It won’t hurt most people to live more frugal lives. :)  Doesn’t mean we should stop offering help to those less fortunate.   It is not an excuse.

:::

countdown to home:

• psyc 439 take home
• ling 411 paper
• chin 102 written part
• 80s ladies party
• final time to altar serve
• changeover
• :):):)

-jcruz

ps I am totally NOT at a MOBstaff meeting.  What a strange release. :/

Five Good Things

1. Dollhouse
2. Bones
3. late night rendezvous
4. waterwaterwater
5. capshun contests

not that many this time ‘round.

because mark posts EVERYDAY

School is almost over. I keep forgetting things to do or where I left things. I could blame other people, but I think I'm losing it, so I'm not too upset. The rest of the week might be ridiculous.

Tuesday:
2:30p: 跟同学们学中文 (study time with chinese classmate)
3p: termine la examen que olvidó hacer anoche
4~5p: reune con mi compañera de mi clase de español para la presentación mañana
8-10p: Discernment.

Wednesday:
8a: WJR final
11a: 听写 (dictation)
1p: presentación (el impacto de los inmigrantes en los EEUU a la atención médica)
4p: Adoration! :)
(Meet or e-meet with prof about individual paper)

Thursday:
8a: reflection
9:25a: individual paper blitz
(FREEDOM!!!)

Friday:
solamente tengo mi clase de español, y ¡ES EL ÚLTIMO DÍA DE CLASES!

That's probably it.

...

i think i might have a lot of stuff to do for my study abroad (which, btw, i was accepted into, and boy do i have a sad story about that) by tomorrow.

:::

Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" --Jn 20:17

:)

jcruz

Highway Games, the beginning

An introduction.

If you do not know the story of how I got my driver’s license and you plan for me to drive you somewhere, do not ask.  If you know, you probably think I’m ridiculous and don’t know why I haven’t died before now.  You also probably don’t let me drive you places.

That being said, I’m not a big fan of the whole driving business.  Dad set me behind the wheel a few years back and I am still terrified of the (purely physical) power that driving gives me.  I’m fairly certain I will kill someone.*  I have this awful-but-actually-quite-hilarious story of my first time in a car. 

My dad came home one day and told me it was getting to be that time that I learned how to drive.  After some careful thought (and a few “motivating glances” from my mother), I agreed.  We hopped into his gold Hyundai Elantra and my father carefully explained to me what was in front of me.  I was taught how to turn on the car.  Luckily for me, father had thoughtfully parked on the street, so I didn’t have to back out onto Castle Gate.  I slowly drove a bit.  Very cautiously.  Like I said, not the biggest fan.  The car moved with my every whim.  Frightening.  Anyway, once past that obstacle, dad asked me to drive up towards Girard.

I did, simple enough. HOWEVER, if you’ll kindly notice, Girard is on hill.  Girard does not go straight up the hill.  Girard changes after his encounter with Craddock.  The small part of Girard that seems normal, just as he leaves Castle Gate, isn’t.  Lies.  That small blue line that represents Girard between Castle Gate and Craddock is far more inclined than the rest of Girard.  Actually, if truth be told, it’s very difficult for someone short driving a small car to see if there are people driving on Craddock, especially if that short person is on the lower part of the hill, as they would be if they were at the stop sign at Girard and Craddock. 

As it was, though, I stopped at the stop sign.  You’re probably thinking that I accidented myself with some other car.  Fortunately for my father, I did not.  Unfortunately for my ego, I did not.  I waited, patiently, for my opportunity.  There it was!  I took it.  Daddy’s little car raced across Craddock freely!  I crossed Craddock successfully!  Then BAM, a loud explosion, a sudden stop, and confusion.  Father asked me to pull over, which was kind of redundant given that the car was officially not on any road.

He got off to examine his car.  He walked clockwise around the car, stopping occasionally, then, arriving back at his door stopped entirely and laughed.  Thinking back on it, it was an ironic laugh.  Probably.  Then again, he might’ve thought that it was just flat comical.  He leaned into the car and asked me to go ahead and get off.  I walked around to the passenger side to examine my work, and it wasn’t at all subtle.

I had blown his tire.  Like, in successfully fording Craddock, I’d successfully forgotten to go around the curb of upper side Girard.  I’d speared his front right tire on a broken piece of the curb, and it had exploded.  I walked back to the house to tell mom that I’d ruined dad’s car.  My brother stayed with my father to learn how to change a tire.

Story’s probably pretty “like, what is this about?” at this point, I know.  The next day my father went to get a replacement for his tire.  The saleslady greeted him, and he explained to her why he needed a new tire.  She laughed, but paused for a moment, then asked, “But didn’t you get all of your tires replaced yesterday?”  Sad day in the life of a first-time driver, comic relief in the lives of a few tire-store people.  (They didn’t charge him to replace the tire, that’s how funny they thought it was.)

*Unintentional = manslaughter, unless the prosecution insists that I knew I was going to kill someone, which I do, which makes me irrational.  Irrational people tend to be crazy.  However, they probably won’t believe that I’m crazy because, one, I study psychology, two, I am familiar with acting, and, three, they won’t get to know me while I’m on trial.  If they did, I’d sue.  Get to know me that is.  Also, I really like this site.  Very useful in determining how long of a sentence I’d serve.  And, that’s what she said. (Don’t get it?  You’re not trying hard enough.)

16 marvelous things

1. “Top 25 Most Played” list on iTunes
2. Working enough to cause soreness
3. being sore
4. complaining.
5. soft CLEAN clothes
6. four part adventures (plus side quests)
7. knowing I get to wake up tomorrow and go running :)
8. beautiful Willy Week weather
9. wrc
10. chinese character writing so beautiful it looks printed
11. bhc3
12. txtmsgs
13. summer internships
14. children!
15. rick astley :P
16. thisiswhyyourefat.com

Bonus: probably having more tags than actual items, mostly because you thought of other things while tagging the note. :D

Twelve Good Things

1. Terry’s
2. spring break at the park
3. jumping fish
4. new cameras
5. spring time!
6. sunny weather
7. learning how to cook
8. smiles
9. discussions about nothing
10. visiting siblings for surprise lunches
11. freaking out about your former high school now being a junior high that looks nothing like the school you spent four years of your life in.
12. chinese cards

jumping jellyfish

I will probably die from extreme skin cancer.  (Is that possible?)  Very sad.  (This, of course, assumes that I live long enough to die from something that kills over a long time period.)  More to the point, I now have an ugly tan line on my right arm.  Please note I am now ASYMMETRICAL.  this is a big deal.  you know this.  I’m sort of freaking out.  I know- I supposedly recovered from my balancing ocd-like symptoms.

I lied.

...

Jeff Goldblum is fantastic.  And getting old.

Anyway.  I think I have two more running entries.  I’ll work on them.  Perfecting them.  I think one’ll be installed today.  And by today, I probably mean within the week. :D

:::

Tomorrow is my last day of spring break alone with my mother for mother-daughter bonding time.  On the agenda: first Friday Mass and FISH FROM TERRY’S.  I haven’t thought much further than that.  :/

 

later,

j.cruz

mardi gras, what what.

it’s tuesday.

yesterday was mock race (which took far too long, but OK).

spring break is less than a week away.

I.  CAN’T.  FOCUS.  IN.  MY.  CLASSES.

as is normal, a pre-break todolist.  which sort of reminds me of the time that b.wilder made her vacationmeter, which got more colorful as vacation time approached.  ...  mine is not nearly as cool.

todolistforjessica:

• wjr semester schedule
• chinese workbook, dialogue 1
• voice board
• lectura de español
• data blitz research/write up
• chinese midterm skit
• test? maybe? for neuroling? just kidding, no test.
• chinese workbook, dialogue 2
• cualquier trabajo para español que tengo

luckily, i’ll have self-defense for women on thursday, and it’s a physical class.  i’ll get to hit things. :)

bleak day.

So, almost a month since my last post, I am still not done with the project.

This makes me sad. I'm sorta frustrated with the entire thing. It's okay though. Everything is finished, I just don't have it. Tomorrow is his birthday, and I should be able to present it to him then. Apparently, the desired effect is one of "scandalized horror." I just want this to be done.

...

I've been working on my study abroad applications. I want to have them mostly done by Friday, so that I can quit worrying about them, which means I'll have to get my passport, and quick.

I also have to decide what I’m going to do with my summer.  I can’t exactly do nothing all summer.   I’ll need to work so that I can pay for the trips.

I just don’t know what I want to do.

:::

I’ve been really busy.  And I think I’m lost.

 

but the weather is nice, and the retreat was good.

 

j.cruz

tiao wu

I’m working on a super secret project, only, really, it is a half-secret from one particular person.  He knows about the project, but none of the details.  hehehe.  I’m a little more than half-way done with it, and although I’d hoped to have it done by tomorrow night, it looks like it’ll have to wait, maybe, another week. :/  Some of my contacts are still working on their parts, but I’d rather have this done carefully than sloppily, especially since secrecy is of the utmost importance.

...

Robert asked me to look for sound files on freesound.org.  I have made the executive decision that I love that website.  There are so many awesome sounds.  okay, so I’ll admit that there are also plenty of bad ones and others that make no sense, but this is aMAZing.

It’s a remix… of a light switch sound?  Sweet action.

:::

I’ve not worked all day.  Seriously.

 

laterz,

jcruz

Come to Me

So, secret: I always do the horrible song title question things, where you put iTunes on shuffle, and answer the questions?  Yeah, usually I think they work pretty well, but I must say, this one was good enough to be posted. :)

iTunes Questionnaire:

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
pretty fly (for a white guy).

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
sweet little sixteen

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
dream a little dream

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
la unica

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE
girl in the mirror

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
i can see clearly now

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
nostradamus

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
us

WHAT IS 2+2?
half way up

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
sunset ceremony

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
grace

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
ol' man river

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
I wanna be like you

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
getcha head in the game

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
still

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
what kind of fool am i?

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
beauty and the beast

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
wannabe

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
let's go fly a kite

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
twist and shout

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
promiscuous girl

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
fly on the wall

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
day-o (the banana boat song)

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
crescent

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
i've got no strings

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
over the moon

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
keep on trucking, pt 1

WHAT DOES THE PERSON WHO LIKES YOU THINK WHEN THEY SEE YOU?
superstition

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
for whom the bell tolls

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
lavender blue

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
come to me

Quincy Ama & Pudge

I don’t have much time, which is cool, I guess.  Just a few updates:

1. Rice started back ridiculously soon.
2. I’m ridiculous for taking 19 hours and two LPAPs.
3. Quincy Ama is a ridiculously good-looking and working fancy-schmancy tablet PC (yes, I love her)
4. Pudge is a ridiculously good name for a yellow iPod
5. I love all of my classes.
6. I don’t like cold weather.
7. I am addicted to movies and movie watching
8. BONES is the most aMAZing tv show.  ever?
9. I’m ready for the MLK holiday. :)
10. I get to meet with my study abroad consultant today!
11. I really enjoy going to Mass.
12. Tablet PCs rock my world.

So, there you go.  My life in 12 points.  I’m a dodecagon.