G.O.D (Gaining ones definition)

So today Danny's best friend from school came over to spend the night. I decided it might be cool to take them to Old town first, with the thought that maybe he hadnt been there. I was pretty much right. He had only gone there once with school on a day most of the buildings had been closed and since today was a holiday, I figured most of them should be open. He was talking about how last time it was lame because the buildings were all closed. I asked him at dinner (Fillipis in Little Italy) what he thought of old town this time.
" It was pretty much the same. Except I got to go in the buildings this time so it was a little cooler..."
haha so much for enlightening the lad.

The highlight for the kids was when this Japanese film crew decided to ask us- Danny, Sofia, Danny's friend, and me to be in a scene of a tour guide giving us a tour of the Casa De Estudillo. I told the director it would be up to the kids to see if they wanted to. They of course replied with an emphatic yes. So there we were following a tour guide for like 15 minutes while she spoke of what life was like in Old town San Diego. The instructions from the director were simple- act as if what she is saying is interesting and don't look at the camera. After the director yelled cut, the kids were wondering when it would be on TV. He then explained it was for Japanese TV. Danny's friend;
"Who even watches that?"
haha, I replied,
"Well Japanese people..."

While driving to little Italy I drove by the harbor to have them have a look at the Star of India, but they were actually more impressed by the Carnival Cruise Ship that had been stranded in Mexico and had been on the news- its all about being famous or infamous in the now...

At dinner, while trying to pick what to drink, the kids decided it was a special occasion and ordered cokes. It made sense to me. Danny's friend had never been to Little Italy, never eaten Fillipis, there was no school the next day, and it was a sleep over. So I was fine with it. Until Danny's friend mentioned this was like maybe the second or third time in his life he had had a coke- haha oh well...

I'll end this with why Common's G.O.D. is on here tonight. So before we headed out to little Italy, we went to the Old Town Cemetery. While Danny and His buddy were looking and reading up on Yankee Jim's demise, Sofia and me were on the other side of the cemetery, when this conversation started. Sofia;
"So where is GOD buried?"
"You mean Jesus Christ?"
"No, I mean GOD."
"Umm, GOD isn't buried anywhere."
"Where is he?"
"He's hanging out in Heaven I guess."
"Well how did he get there- you have to be buried to get there"
"Not him, he runs heaven so he didn't die to get there- you sure you don't mean Jesus Christ?"
"No, I'm talking about GOD. Well if he's not dead and he didn't get buried, then how did he get there?"
"Well, since he supposedly created everything, he just gets to be there without having to die..."
"Is God even real?"
"Well a lot of people think so-" I get cut off by her
"Because this doesn't really make sense..."
HaHa welcome to religion Fia...

After the Party

"It's like nobody wanna live they life they just wanna reenact the same scene every night..."

Gotta admit sometimes that line is me. Sometimes? Ok the majority of the time. The few times its not me are the days I have Danny and Sofia. Got to pick them up yesterday from school. A couple of hours later, got the text from their mom making sure I had picked them up and not forgotten about them. I understand, she's getting used to having to pick them up on the daily. That is one of the many things that have made me lucky about this year- she has been very understanding about my situation and that has been much appreciated. If this job comes to fruition up there, the whole reason for the second job will be to be able to give that check and hand it to her- however minuscule it might be and regardless of the fact she has a live in boyfriend to help with other expenses. In speaking with my cousin on Saturday in between his gasping for breaths, we were talking about how with a company like triple A and its offices everywhere I should just look at this move to LA as just like a 2 year business trip. Go do my thing there, work another job, get my degree, continue and get rid of this diabetes, then come back and work at the office down here...

Danny is having his best friend stay the night tonight. I plan on taking them to balboa park and old town after I get back from the gym. I have never had another person's kid in my care and have to admit am a little concerned. Now I am awesome with my kids- I know them. I already found out this kid is allergic to peanuts. Great. I have been looking at all the stuff I usually feed the kids to make sure it has no peanut or peanut derivatives in them. I have decided fuck it- they get to have pizza tonight- if thats ok with his parents. I also need to ask for a bedtime, what he can or can't drink, what he can or can't watch, what video games he can't play, does he need a night light, etc... haha maybe I'll just have his parents stay the night too, Damn. If pizza is not ok, I am screwed, haha...

My birthday is 132 days away. I'm going for 1 every 3 days which is gonna take some drastic changes but I think I am up for it. As for Christmas? well if Your name isn't Daniel Lawrence De La Cruz or Sofia Isabel De La Cruz, I'm gonna owe you an IOU... Looks Like I won't need to make a Turkey for Thanksgiving this year, which probably is gonna save the fam from another Bird Flu or Salmonella incident... I Do make some A-1 bad ass mash potatoes though. Basically if Iron Chef ever had a show dedicated to the potato I would win it. I'm the potato version of Bubba from Forest Gump, I can make or will attempt to make anything with the potato- maybe it's the Irish in me...

After the Party by Little Brother. I am practicing my paragraphing which is really the only reason for this post here today. For those of you that work for cool non socialists companies, enjoy your day off. For those that don't well go have a beer after and enjoy it for a veteran. Hell maybe buy one for one.

That Night

My desktop I believe just died. If it did, it took the majority of my music with it, which means I'm a lost soul if its true. I am hoping I have my back up disks somewhere around here...

I'm still waiting for that phone call. I am keeping cool by remembering it took them 4 days from the my second interview to call me for the last one I had on Friday. If I don't hear from them by Thursday I will call to see whats up on Friday. I know I did my part, if they decide they can't do theirs, well I can't do anything about it. Honestly though in the realm of personal lines insurance, it would be like signing Adrian Gonzalez, Lamar Odom, or Peyton Manning for the league minimum. Worry about paying me my worth later. If this is a no go, I'm off to Mexico...

I went to bed way early last night to find myself in some bizarre ass dreams. In one I'm am seriously the captain of a sinking sail boat- haha. I think that was because one of the last texts I got last night was from Brian and how the cruise ship we were on for Hugo's Bachelor party is currently stranded off the coast of Ensenada. The other dreams dealt with other texts I received too I think... Funny how that shit works sometimes. I also slept with the window open which was a tactical mistake as I woke up freezing. Freezing to us Californians is when the temperature drops to the low 50's (Fahrenheit). I know, I know you people in Europe, Canada, and on the east coast laugh, but in the end you know you're still pissed at having to shovel snow in -7 degree weather while out here it warms up to a nice 70 degrees...

I have another interview today but I'm not really all that up for it. I'm tired of these things, plus its with a finance company that deals with loan modifications so I don't see a stable future in that. I don't even know why I agreed. There was also a spot for a DE underwriter in Santa Ana yesterday I spoke to a recruiter about, but I don't know why- Personal lines and Mortgages have nothing in common. This recruiter was just desperate I guess...

I have been reading other people's blogs and how some bloggers get a little hurt that no one comments on theirs. I could care less, there are way too many people writing up these things now and too many far more talented to think people will spend time ingesting and responding to your posts. That's why ultimately you can't be writing this with writing aspirations to be discovered and land a book deal- that shit is ridiculous. Write to entertain you and your friends and if other people come along for the ride, cool...

I am the worst fantasy football GM ever. 2-7 in one league with 3 straight losses and 4-5 in another with 3 straight losses. I'm gonna retire from GM'ing and just go to color commentating next year...

The Lakers are 8-0, the Heat just lost to the Jazz last night. I'm just sayin...

Sometimes you hear shit that is so ridiculous you can't imagine it being true. You try to rationalize it, be open minded about it, want to ask about the other side of things, but in the end its just best to let it go...

Atmosphere's That Night.

House Keys

Back in LA. Danny and me just got back from SD. On the way back we actually stopped in Murrieta for him to do a photo shoot. I decided instead of sitting there to go hit the gym and try to tire myself out so I could see about this sleeping thing. While I am tired, I can't seem to get to bed...

24786 HollyLeaf LN, Murrieta CA. One day there will be a plaque at this address commemorating the fact I once owned this house. Kind of like the beach boys plaque I found the other day and kind of like the one we're working on for Puya and his accomplishment of hitting up every bar in Santa Monica. Drove by the old pad tonight on my way to the gym- Noticed they got rid of the white wooden fence in the front yard. Yep, I was once a homeowner in a previous life, complete with my own mexicans who landscaped my yard. It was a nice little 4 bedroom house with an open ans airy living area, a fire place in the dining area, and a nice little backyard. Basketball hoop in the front of the garage, nice bay window... Lil Danny had his room, Sofia had just been born and she had her own nice little room, and my mom had her own room. She would stay up there during the week to watch the kids while Danica and me went to work since my dad was staying in TJ during the week working. Danny and me had a conversation the other day about the type of people who should own houses and the types who should rent or maybe just own a condo. I have decided I should be a renter, but even though I have decided I should not be a homeowner, Can't say I don't kind of miss that house a little bit. Maybe its just that I miss those times a little bit. I mean sometimes people can get caught up in this matrix of sleeping, working to pay the mortgage, and then coming back to the house of such said mortgage. I mean it in the end to me is mind numbingly repetitive with not much room for joy other than the joy of owning a house I guess. I don't know in the end I tried it and at the time, maybe because I was with the wrong person,it just wasn't for me. I mean there are plenty of things from those times I don't miss at all. I don't miss weighing over 300 lbs, the hour and a half commute each way to work, the isolation of all my friends being in SD still (well except for the Irvings of course), the arguments(one of her most stinging statements "You're not good looking enough or rich enough to pull this shit..."), the car pooling with the ex. Don't get me wrong she is an upstanding and decent person, but imagine waking up, driving for 3 hours daily to the same job, having lunch together every day, coming home eating dinner and then going to bed with the same person, only to repeat it all the next day. Taxing- don't care how much you like the person. But still its nice to say that I at least used to own a house. Made a decent chunk of change when we sold it too. That all however seems like ions ago. I remember I think the only time everyone made it up to the house was for the superbowl between Tampa Bay and Oakland. Good times. The basketball hoop was also the site of my infamous rolled ankle that was caused by my cousin. Fat men cant just decide all the sudden to start playing basketball again. Its a slow process to get back into shape. The garage was pretty empty- I'm not a tool guy, though I did own a chainsaw, cuz well chainsaws are cool. I don't even know what I used it for, I think just to look cool and like a homeowner. Another thing about Murrieta is that really there are no bars- just all these chain restaurants. I remember when I was living there by myself I got into the habit of stopping at Tony Roma's or TGI Fridays for a drink before calling it a night. Then when I got home I would have a Caucasian (a white russian)and sit in front of my tv and watch Dave Chappelle. I also stopped sleeping in the master bedroom and moved into the spare bedroom. For a guy that isn't good at being by himself, this was definitely the loneliest time. Somehow I did ok I think. Let go of the Mexicans and the exterminator and starting mowing the lawn myself. Made myself cook on nights I didnt go to Tony Romas- I even made myself a birthday cake. I started golfing back then and would occupy my time by going to the driving range. To this day I still suck. Anyways, it was a good little jaunt down memory lane tonight. Kobe took over the couch tonight So my ass is just gonna sleep on the ground.
"This is the site where the house owned by Roy De La Cruz once stood. It was here he first thought to write a book and a screen play, the classic (I still havent titled it or completed it yet but this plaque is for the future and by that time I am sure I will have at least given it a title)..." and the plaque would continue on about my greatness.

BRAIN

"I got so much funky shit inside my brain I couldn't explain couldn't explain you wouldn't understand, I couldn't explain..."

Typical me.

I have been sitting most of this day in agonizing anxiousness waiting for a phone call that should be the formal offer for the job with triple A. My Brain seriously hurts. I couldn't even get myself to go to the gym today- that's how much this waiting has consumed me. It's almost gotten to the point where I wish the people who interviewed me hadn't said anything, then I wouldn't be dealing with this. Some bullshit huh, people always want to know how their interviews went and here I am getting instant feedback about mine and instead of enjoying it, I am dreading it. I guess that's just what happens when you know you haven't completely cleared all the hurdles prior to landing the job... I was thinking maybe writing about it might alleviate it some what but as of yet, nope. Music isn't helping, vegging out in front of the TV isn't helping, I know drinking wouldn't help so not going there, so I am right now pretty much my own worst enemy. But even when I do get the call (I better!), the anguish won't stop there- then it will be over thinking about passing the test. I honestly shouldn't have a problem passing it but still I am such a dweeb I can't stop thinking about anything and everything that might prevent me from starting my job. Beyond ridiculous I know, but still...

This thinking shit is bunk. I am in the process of trying to bring back the word "bunk" in order to replace it with any other offensive vernacular I might have. I'm not giving up on this one...

Spent a fun filled day yesterday, watching the Chargers win with a d league squad of receivers, doing the Santee mini tour of watering holes, doing a shot called a wet pussy (why? because they were free) discussing politics and the demise of the US economy, talking the usual amount of shit for fun, blah blah blah I'm a drunken asshole, I know. I guess I am gonna go witness Danny do a photo shoot in Temecula tonight before heading back up to LA- somehow I'm thinking I won't be getting much sleep tonight...

Jungle Brothers, Brain- Maybe if I switch up the music...

Guess Who's Back

"Its been a long time- I shouldn't have left you..." thats actually from another Rakim song I just realized, but fuck it, it also makes sense. Where have I been? where for those that could care less, I was in LA. Hung out there for a week due to a rash of interviews I had up there since last Thursday. Stayed for Halloween weekend, and continued to hang all the way till yesterday. The halloween party was a blast and so was the club, everyone had excellent costumes except for Mohammed the Project, who decided to be a prude and not dress up. He decided the name tag I wrote him would be costume enough. I decided to come up with name tags for everyone and mostly everyone wore them. Well except for two people- one threw his away in disgust (hey if you're gonna act like a serial killer, I'm gonna name you a serial killer) and someone else never got theirs- even though I actually wrote 2 up for them (both were really lame anyways). Anyways the night culminated in the condo being left in disarray although I can't imagine it was much more than Puya's from the Long Beach affair. It was a party trash is gonna happen, maybe not a guy who decides to take off his pants to go to bed in front of everyone, but trash? Yes- thats all I'm sayin...
While up there I hit up 6 different 24 hr fitnesses in search for a good replacement to the one off of Slauson, because well lets be honest, its on Slauson. If I had to rank them and hell since I have nothing especially special to write about I would rank them like this from best to worst;
Hermosa Beach (white folk apparently dont play basketball shot alone for over an hour)
La Mirada (Asians loved them some basketball- easy to rebound and score at will if you are over 5'8")
Los Alamitos ( best mix- still had my way)
Hawthorne (best games were here)
Slauson (got tired of all the shit talking and actually left the court with my ball during the middle of the game)
Crenshaw Blvd/PCH (no basketball and no ventilation if you enjoy ball sweat funk this is the place for you)
Redondo Beach ( No basketball completely unacceptable)
As for the talent that works out, it the same except switch Redondo beach and put it ahead of crenshaw and its the same.
I was actually gonna head back home on Monday, but while at one of these gyms I got a call for another interview in woodland hills. The next day I got a call for another interview on Thursday and since I had nothing to do on Wednesday, I went to a job fair in Ontario. I didn't know how fucking far Ontario was from LA until I decided to map my destination. By then I had already registered so I decided what the hell- I had nothing else better to do. It sucked- wasn't worth the trip. Even the stop for lunch sucked. Thursday I had an interview with another Health Insurance Company- who I've decided are a bunch of elitist because... well I don't know because, I guess its cuz I have interviewed poorly with all of them I guess. The only saving grace was that the girl who interviewed was, umm, hot. When the interview was winding down I thought about asking her out, haha j/k. I really wouldnt have but it did cross my mind. I don't know what it is with these Health insurance companies and why they think they are the pinnacle of insurance. Everyone knows its all about personal lines. Pinnacle by the way is the word for the day. Really I don't know why they think they are all so mighty, I mean they are all going to go to ruin once the healthcare reform goes into full effect right? So F them and their affiliates. I didnt want to work for them anyways.
Anyways also on Thursday I went and finally spoke to one of them for profit universities because they have been hounding me to come in and talk to them (yeah I talking to you Christine from Devry). So I met with someone from the U of Phoenix and found out that if I hauled ass, I could get a degree in Business Management within 18 months. So that's what I plan on doing once I get back to full speed.
Wednesdday I had gotten a call from Triple A setting me up for an interview for Friday, but by Thursday night, I had basically had it with LA, no offense but it just felt like I was spinning my wheels and not going anywhere or really accomplishing anything. So I guess I wasnt really fed up with LA, I was just fed up with the situation I was in. Also I hate being in one place for too long so I needed a drink. Having what I thought no one to go get a drink with, I made my plans to Wes known I would be heading to the Bigfoot. Why to see if I would be allowed again from my BS antics from the previous outing there. Wes gets offended I hadnt invited him ( I had thought he would be in for the night since he was in his jammies). After a brief stop at Baja to basically just advise Puya of our Bigfoot plans, we arrived. As soon as I walk in, the barback smile shakes my hand and asks if I would be spurting out any racial slurs on this night. I laugh, apologize, and reply no. He just laughed and said it was a memorable night. Danny had also run into the Venezuelan who, after hearing his accent, had advised him I didn't speak puerto rican. Haha that guy asked about me too. I am hoping I'm just that memorable but in reality I'm probably just that much of an asshole that people remember my assholeness. I have decided that if men were lame enough to watch a non sports male version of the view (which we are not, I'm just saying), that Puya, Danny, Wes, and Me would make for excellent hosts. Our conversations are top notch.

Anyways by Friday I had definitely had it and it didn't help that the security guard at triple A was a major A-hole- actually he was more like a 5 star general A hole. I figured I would just interview and get the fuck back to SD. An hour and half later, I was told by one of the people that were in the interview interviewing me that I gave a "helluva" interview and that it had been one of the best interviews he had ever heard. I guess all the other interviews had culminated in me not caring about what I thought they would think what I had to say and so I basically hit them with all my accomplishments as a supervisor (after a quick explanation as to why I was no longer with my former company- thanks again!) The other interviewer told me that because procedures had changed, she couldnt officially offer me the job but that I would be getting a formal offer from HR. She paused then said " 99 % positive. plus you will be working with me and from what we have discussed I will eventually have you helping me out- they should be calling you to arrange your drug test and if for some reason they don't, call me and I'll get the ball rolling..."

So unless that 1% comes to reality, I'll be moving to LA and will start the quest for a second job...

Rakim folks- come on Columbo you had to know this one...

Limeade

so im guessing theres questions that need addressing
like why i drink so much why i act that way why I write what I do
humm, which I knew
could say its a girl but thats generic
could say cuz I'm jobless but thats included
maybe I wasnt taught right
maybe I didnt learn right
maybe it was one too many arguements and fights
maybe its cus I care more about others
as in what they think of me
what they expect of me
or just if they even like me
maybe its cuz my bank account is empty
wait let me take that back cuz I owe the bank money
insufficient funds
still dont prevent me from beer and dip runs
maybe its cuz I miss my kids
miss my job miss the sex
take too much time tryin to catch wreck
spend too much on sending texts
seems everything I do is taken outta context
but I'm chino xl- too complex
life isnt fair not that you'd understand or care
so please bail if all you plan to do is stare
cuz it freaks me out
that you think you know what I'm about
you don't
I'm here trying to mount a comeback
regain my train of thought
my life didnt stop its just on pause
once I hit play again
gonna just stick to who still wanna be friends
this is the end of my statement
hope I've answered your questions...