4 MORE GAMES JUST LIKE THAT PLEASE!

NBA FINALS - HERE WE COME BABY!!!

Freakin' Hilarious!

I think this is my favorite one...

boycott [boi-kot]

To abstain from or act together in abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with as an expression of protest or disfavor or as a means of coercion

Synonyms include: avoid, embargo, blacklist

I have a relatively even temper (except during Laker games), and I think it takes a lot to get me worked up. Like all human beings, however, I have trigger points too. 

Our company picnic is in 2 weeks, and for 2 out of the 3 years, I've taken Ate Tin with me (cuz she makes me). It's always a great time, with every year hosting a fun new theme, and there's always lots of food, games and raffles galore. I sent in my RSVP last week and, of course, I placed Ate's name and it asks for relationship so I wrote in, "friend." I found out later on that day, though, that Ate couldn't make it, so I was planning to take my sister (or Iya, Chris and Jay. hahaha!). 

Yesterday I got an email from someone in HR saying that the event planner was questioning my guest because the picnic is only supposed to be for "employee families and significant others." I replied and asked that they change the name to my sister's instead. Then after 5 minutes I thought to myself, "What the hell was that all about?" I'm not allowed to take anyone unless they are related or committed to me? That's crap.

And the single soul in me became infuriated. So I was to accept that because I'm not married, engaged, have a "significant other" or have children, I'm not allowed to bring a guest to a freakin' picnic? I know I could just as easily take my parents or my sister, etc, but that's not the point. I've taken Ate to two picnics already. Did they just assume that she was my "significant other" because the RSVP never asked us to identify our relationship to our guests before? 

I emailed HR this morning and revoked my RSVP. Hell no am I going to participate in something that marginalizes single people this way. I don't care that it probably isn't intentional on my company's part and maybe I'm overreacting. I don't care that it's a sports theme and the Laker girls are performing (yes, THE Laker girls). Being there would just tick me off. I'm better off not going, and maybe attending other things...alone. Apparently, that's what single people do. So annoyed...

...now I'm over it. 

Happy Friday, everyone!

"The little reed, bending to the force of the wind,

soon stood upright again when the storm had passed over."

~ Aesop

A great quote these days, for more reasons than one...

organize [awr-guh-nahyz]

to form as or into a whole consisting of interdependent or coordinated parts; to systematize

Synonyms include: arrange, methodize, coordinate

I have been waiting for (and I'm not even exaggerating) YEARS to clean up my room. I'd like to say that I'm a neatfreak; that any area I inhabit in any way is always an organized, welcoming space with every corner servicing or reserved for a specific purpose; a place that didn't have any secret trapdoors or drawers that upon discovery would uncover the phoniness of its owner. I am a relatively organized person, and I won't even lie - I love right angles as much as the next victim of OCD. But plans always have a way of staying that way when you're too busy to commit to actually doing them. With this event-free long Memorial Day weekend coming up, I swore to myself that, really and truly, it was now or never.

I share a room with my 18 year old sister and honestly, I don't mind it. Tin and I are really close and being constantly aware of our huge age gap, I'm reminded each day that our relationship could be so much worse. With this, I knew that the success of my big Mission: ORGANIZATION was incumbent on her assistance and wow did she come through for us both. 

On Saturday morning, Mom and I took a trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond to buy a few items that I was sure would help us with this seemingly impossible task. When I got back home, Tin, my parents and I spent the entire afternoon and evening purging our bedroom's closets, cabinets and drawers. It's so amazing how much clutter can accumulate in spaces you didn't even know were there! We collected about 3 medium-sized trash bags of clothing to donate, a boatload of papers to recycle, and our sanity. Seriously, our room was filling up with  so much crap that I felt like I could barely function in it.

After all the flushing out of stuff, we began the real organizing on Sunday into Monday - putting things in places where they belong and making room for an art desk that Patrick gave my sister months ago! Now Tin has an actual workspace (she used to draw on the floor, the dining table or the kitchen counter. haha!), we have walls of space to hang photos and artwork, and I just feel like if i were looking for something like notecards, Scotch tape, or the video camera, I'd know exactly where to find it. =) I told Tin that the next time she's about to put something where it doesn't belong, she better remember long and hard about what we did this weekend because of mindless moments before. Hell no do I want to do this again anytime soon. If I wasn't so satisfied with the outcome, I would moan and groan about what a lost weekend I had. However, I'm reminded of my mission.

Mission accomplished indeed...

I LOVE...

...to watch someone so young fall, rehab, fall again, rehab, be criticized and then just play like he knows how to...

...to watch someone who is so underappreciated finally get the spotlight placed on him for doing what he always does anyway... (and I'd love to be the photographer controlling THIS camera).

...to watch two adversaries show respect for one another. I swear Kobe and Ron-Ron probably plan out their nonsense ahead of time...

Round 3 has a different beast waiting for us. PARTY ON, Lakeshow!!!

ANOTHER ONE! HAHAHA!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

CHERYL!!!

Random...

I just remembered this morning that I used to have velcro, Smurf sneakers =)

Dear Lakers,

You guys played defense, you shared the ball, you shot well and dude, you not only kept a lead - you increased it and spanked the hell out of your opponent. Isn't it a great feeling? Wouldn't it be awesome if you did that EVERY night?

You can do it!
...and you'll look like Andrew does here with another beatdown on Thursday.
Buona fortuna!!
KICK SOME ASS!!

My gosh, Lakers, how can you play with so much energy on Friday and then look like you did on Sunday? WHY DO YOU GUYS HATE YOUR FANS?!!

Had to watch this video 50 times to smile yesterday. It's freakin' frackin' hilarious! Makes me think it's what Kobe and LeBron would've been like if they were college roommates. haha!

Hands down - most exciting Laker game I've ever attended!

Thank you for being scrappy...

Thank you for your patience and for filling in...

Thank you for shooting the sh*t out of that ball...

Thank you for showing us you ain't backing down...

And lastly...well, no thanks here. I just thought this was a hilarious image. Can you imagine the conversation that might've ensued:

Sasha: I have better hair.

Scola: No, I have better hair. And my headband's cooler.

Sasha: Hell no. My headband's cooler.

HAHAHA!!!

Thanks so much for the tickets, Chris! You are my Laker brother for life! =)
Oh man, I have no voice...

I'm usually the first to panic and get agitated, and last night was just not a pleasant evening. But dude, what road to glory didn't have any obstacles? As Tin would say, TRUST.

Belated Happy Birthday, Kelsoe!

Check out our little monster on the basketball court. Kelsoe's the tiny one in the blue shirt who's spazzing out. hahahaha! Made my day!

I miss you, kiddo!! Love you!