White Dancing with the Love Monkeys White Dancing with the Love Monkeys White Dancing with the Love Monkeys Well, my friend Lara was in town from Milwaukee to see her favorite band, the Love Monkey perform at the Cubby Bear in Lincolnshire. Dan came along, too. The band was really good, and the crowd was pretty into it. But I realized one thing. Well, actually, I had suspected it, but Dan pointed it out to me. The band mostly played rock music covers, and I was kinda having a hard time dancing to it. I'm not a rock dancer. I'm a hiphop dancer. That's what was going through my head. I looked at the people around me, trying to imitate their moves, but my hips just don't move that way! I'm not used to jumping up and down when I dance! But Dan then put it into better perspective for me, since he was just chilling and watching the band. When I sat down to take a break, he said, 'Christine, you'll never be able to do the white person dance'. Ah! That's what it was. So he tried giving me some pointers. But it just didn't work. But I still had a great time!!! It was really nice to see Lara again. Today was Rice Bowl, and I didn't play this year. Rice Bowl is a yearly football tournament between the Asian clubs of the colleges in Chicago - Loyola, University of Illinois - Chicago, DePaul, Northern and my school, the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Normally I play as an alum, but I just didn't feel like it this year. Though I did go. And I admit to feeling a pang of regret for not playing. I love football, but I'm really out of shape this year. Maybe next year. My little cousin Nina also had her 2nd birthday party today. She's so adorable. I'm thinking of maybe having her as my flowergirl, but she's got to go through the interview process first! But isn't she the cutest? I've got about a year to train her to walk down the aisle. It will be pretty intensive training, but she's a tough lil lady, I think she can handle it! - Yano, 7:33 PM |

Friday, November 15 Friday, November 15

And Can I Have a Skoal Mint, Please? And Can I Have a Skoal Mint, Please? And Can I Have a Skoal Mint, Please? So we all take turns going to the Walgreens downstairs to get snacks and whatnot. I don't usually go, because I usually don't need anything, or the guys volunteer to go before I can think of going. Today, I was a tad bit hungry, so I decided to make a Walgreens run. So I ask if anyone needs anything, and Sam give me this sheepish look. And I'm like, 'Uh uh. No way...' and he says 'Please?' The thing about Sammy is that he likes himself a big fat dip of tobacco every now and then. Well, just now. There is no then. I've given him the whole gum cancer speech and what not, and he had given it up, but he's back in the habit again. And now he's got me off to buy his dip. Ack! The last time I bought dip for him, the little Filipino lady at Walgreens had looked at me in disappointment (a whole bunch of sweet lil' Filipino women work at my Walgreens). So I get in line to get my stuff rung up, and it's a little olf Filipino lady ringing my stuff up. I've got some Pringles that are on sale, only if you have a coupon, and she pulls out an add from behind the counter so I can get the good sale. She smiles at me with that 'I know you're Filipino too' look. Then the shocker... Me: Um, can I have some Skoal Mint, please? Tita Flor: What? Me: Skoal Mint? Tita Flor: Oh. (eyebrows narrow) I need to see ID (starts searching behind the counter for the Skoal, looks up) What color is it? Me: Uh, green? Tita Flor: (still looking...pulls out a blue pack) It's blue. (slams it on the counter....a line is forming behind me. I can feel their eyes burning into my back, 'this little girl dips?') Me: Oh....uh, so it IS blue. Sorry about that. Tita Flor: (leaning in towards me and whispering, but loud enough for everyone to hear) Is it yours? Me: Oh! No...it's not mine! (Tita Flor looks at me disbelievingly.) Really! See? (I pull out my lower lip and show her my gums and lower lip) Tita Flor: (shaking her head) And they make you buy it for them? Me: (looking tortured) Yeah....they do! Tita Flor: You should tell them to stop. Me: OK...I will Tita Flor: You'll save their lives! Wise advice, from a wise woman. Gave the advice to Sam. He said thanks as he started packing his dip. Tsk tsk, some people will never learn... - Yano, 3:54 PM |

Thursday, November 14 Thursday, November 14

Stick Foot in Mouth Stick Foot in Mouth Stick Foot in Mouth Back to work today. Since I've been out since the beginning of the week, today felt like a Monday. So in a way, it's like having a two day work week! Whoo hoo! The morning flew by. I went to lunch with Bryan and Sam at 2, but it felt like it was 12. But once we got back from lunch, it seemed that every time I looked at my watch only a minute had gone by. Well, fortunately today I wasn't sleepy. There's just too much for me to do. I was talking to a client of mine today. We've been talking for the past couple weeks, but I've been away, and never got to finish some issues we were working on. So I'm talking to her on the phone, and she wants to schedule a conference call for Tuesday, because she'll be out of the office until then. So I'm like 'Oh, are you going on vacation?', and she's like 'Uh...well...' and I think to myself, 'What did I just say! What if there was a death in the family or something!' So I'm like, 'I'm sorry...you don't have to tell me'. And then she's like, 'Oh, no, that's ok. Well, see, I'm in a relationship, and uh, a baby came into the picture a couple months ago. And so we had a civil ceremony. So this weekend, well, uh, this weekend is when the actual wedding was scheduled to take place, so we're still going to go through with all that.' She sounded really stressed out, I mean, it was just kinda like she was just going through the motions of it. I didn't know what to say but, 'Uh, well, congratulations and good luck then.' 'Uh, thanks'. God, I really messed that one up. I'm getting used to this new look and feel for my site. There are still a lot of changes I want to make, but I just need to remember that I can't change everything at once. Thanks to everyone for giving their input. Nothing much else happened today. But I did find an interesting site. It looks like supermodel drag queen RuPaul has his own weblog. It's pretty nice. It's sounds so normal compared to what I thought it would be. And that was the one thing that I don't remember RuPaul being - normal. - Yano, 9:36 PM |

What I Did for My Jersey Vacation What I Did for My Jersey Vacation What I Did for My Jersey Vacation Ok, so it wasn't a vacation, but as you can see, I was a busy little girl. I'm playing around with different formats, and I kinda liked the name 'The Funk Phenomenon', cuz I love dancing to that song. I also liked 'yanowhatimean' so maybe during my next trip I'll make up another format. We'll see how much I like this. Being a Gemini, I get bored really easily, so this page is probably going to be changing a lot. Anyway, enjoy the new look. I also changed around the 'links' page, because the other one was a piece of crap. This one is still crappy, but doesn't smell as bad. And since I haven't posted a picture in a while, I'm giving ya a picture I like to call 'Invasion of Stitch!'. Click on it to get the bigger version. I took it when I was in The Disney Store. I took a couple pictures in the back, and I wanted to take a couple more of the Christmas display in the front, and I asked the lady if it was ok to take a picture and she was like 'Uh, sorry, no.' Lucky for me she didn't catch me in the back, snapping away! - Yano, 1:21 AM |

Tuesday, November 12 Tuesday, November 12

Rainy Day in Joisey Rainy Day in Joisey Rainy Day in Joisey Number of Times I Got Lost Today - 8 This is starting to be a habit. But let me explain myself. The way to the client involved going by the mall (now renamed The Bermuda/Jersey Triangle) and the directions I got just weren't clear to me. For some reason, I just kept on ending up going around and around the mall. And U-Turns aren't easy around here. And then there was an accident on the street, so there was some extra traffic. I finally ended up pulling out the map and figuring it out on my own. And then I got lost on my way home because it was dark and raining pretty bad. Not too many streetlights around these parts. Number of Times I Tried Unlocking the Wrong Car - 4 Well, that should actually read 'since I've been here'. It's not just today. And I swear, it seems like every other car here is silver! I think I tried getting into the same car twice (on different occasions) in the hotel parking lot. But that one was the exact make and model of my rental. But I'm sure you've done that before, putting your key in, turning it, trying the handle then thinking 'Hey!' looking in the car, and seeing stuff in the car that isn't yours, then sheepishly looking around to see if anyone saw you and quietly slinking off to where you suddenly remember where you parked your car. Oh, the joys of traveling. I think I'm in withdrawal. I need to play a game. I saw a commercial for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 on TV and it was really cute. I actually laughed out loud. And felt a little pang in my heart - I miss my playstation! I miss my SIMS! I miss my Medal of Honor! I need help! Maybe after this I'll play some solitare or minesweeper or something. I'm starting to have the shakes after not playing some sort of game for so long. Watched Smallville tonight. That show is so great. I love the little inside jokes that they throw in, like Clark being afraid of flying, and little Ryan (was that his name?) mentioning how his favorite comic hero has a flying fortress - 'Hey, that sounds like a good idea, exept for the floating part' says Clark. Cute. Really cute. And I LOVE the casting of the X-Files ex-Cigarette Smoking man as the corrupt mayor of Metropolis. Is it me, or does he always have the same kind of role? Coincidence? I think not! - Yano, 10:16 PM |

Monday, November 11 Monday, November 11

Adventures at the Mall Adventures at the Mall Adventures at the Mall Number of Times On the Way to the Mall I Took a Wrong Turn and Got Lost - 2 Blocks away the Mall is from the Hotel - 3 Damn the twisty curvy streets here! Haven't they heard of 'This way to Mall' signs? How am I supposed to know that the big buildings and bright lights was the mall? Number of Times On the Way Back I Got Lost - 1 East, West, the sun has set! I don't know! Pick a direction and hope it's right. Bah! Wrong again! I'm so glad I'm not a bird. I'd be flying towards Greenland right now. The mall was pretty huge. I'd have to give it a 8.5 out of 10. It seems to have every mall-type store I can think of, and a good mix of high end stores and cheapie stores. It would have gotten a 9 if it had a better food court. Speaking of food, I went to grab some dinner there, and I stopped by this place called 'The Parthenon' or something. Anyway, I ask for the gyro plate, and the girl is like 'A What Plate?' Ok, so I'm from Chicago. I've eaten at Greektown. I call 'em YEE-ROSE. 'Can I have a 'YEE-ROE'?' That's what I've been brought up to say. So this little teenybopper at the register is like 'A YEE ROE? Oh, you want a JIE ROE.' yells to the back 'One JIE ROE plate!' And I ask for a receipt. She gives me a blank stare. She asks the other Britney wannabe - 'She wants a receipt.' They both look a little worried, but the other girl calls out to the back, and someone tells her. So she asks me what I got. I say THE WORD. 'I got a YEE ROE plate.' Blank stare. I give in. 'JIE ROE. I got a JIE ROE plate.' Ahh...I see the lightbulb turn on. Ack. Next time I'll just write it down. I saw the cutest thing in the toy store. I was checking out the latest Barbies they have out (some of them are amazingly tacky) and there was this mother and daughter in the same aisle. The mom is picking different Barbies, showing them to the little girl (she's about 4), and asking which one she wants. So the little girl is saying 'No' to most of them, but then the mom pulls out this Ballerina Princess Barbie or something, and the little girl goes, 'Yeah, that's the one I want, mommy! She's almost as pretty as you!' Can I get a collective maternal sigh? *sigh* I've discovered that malls are dangerous places for me. If I want to save money, that is. Especially malls that rate an 8.5 out of 10. I had to get out of there because the temptation was too great. So many cute tops. So many pants on sale. So many cool necklaces. *wipes drool* Oh, and the Disney store! Go in there and check out all the adorable stuff they have. The only thing that stopped me from buying stuff was that I can't carry it on the plane. In my head, I also had to chant 'Save money for the wedding. Save money for the wedding.' You know it's getting bad when you're thinking of people you're taking off your invite list, just so you can buy a new pair of pants. But I didn't! Ok. ONE pair of pants. But I need new pants. And I could have bought so much more! Ack. I need help! Can you tell I'm bored now? - Yano, 9:55 PM |

Number of Times I Took a Wrong Turn and Got Lost - 3 Number of Times I Got Lost and Feared for My Life - 1 - Trailer Park Lots of twists and turns in this part of New Jersey! Anyway, today was just blah. Working at a client site. They're mighty friendly people, but the work is slow because anything that's done needs to go through the help desk, so there's a lot of waiting time. But that's ok, because I had to clean their data, anyway. Gonna head out to the local mall now. I should get a little map of malls around the US and mark them off as I go to them. I seriously have gone to 50 different malls since I started traveling. I'm a mall slut! On a more serious note, keep the families of the ones lost in yesterday's string of tornadoes in the midwest in your prayers. If anyone of you saw pictures of the theater that those 60 children were in (they were warned, so they went to the cellar) and how the roof was blown off, you'll know how horrifying this all was. - Yano, 4:43 PM |

The Temporary 'Jersey Girl' The Temporary 'Jersey Girl' The Temporary 'Jersey Girl' Where is Yano Today? Fairfield, NJ Well, I'm in Jersey right now. My flight was delayed for an hour, so I ended up getting here at around 11:30pm. I was looking for my ride (my client had arranged for a driver to pick me up) but he was no where to be found. I felt like a kid whose parent forgot to pick her up after school. So I had to wait FOREVER in line to get a cab. Argh! So I'm here for a couple days, so I don't know how much I'll be updating this thing. Anyway, I'm sure nothing exciting is going to happen, anyway! But while I'm here I think I'll work on cleaning up the rest of this site. It could use some cleaning up! And the Bears did it once again. And I REALLY thought they'd win again. But they blew it. All the had to do was play a little defense - and they had AWESOME defense for the first half...they just had to hold 'em. Oh well. There's always next week. - Yano, 1:06 AM |