thinking out loud

Selective memory: does this exist? Can people pick and choose what they want to remember? There are so many things I wish to remember and maybe even more things I wish I didn't. I started thinking about this, and I wonder how people remember things better than others. And it's interesting how sometimes people remember things differently. Very strange.

This past weekend, the topic of wisdom teeth amongst my friends was brought up. Patty Cakes had just gotten his taken out, and this fueled the subject of the importance of these sets of teeth. SweetNSour said she read somewhere that when we were cavemen (this assumption supports the evolution theory, of course), we needed our wisdom teeth more at that time because our molars weren't enough to break down the type of food we needed to eat. They didn't have tenderizers or knives to help cut anything. As technology advances, the breakdown of food became easier, and centuries later, these wisdom teeth became nonfunctional. Since we don't need them as much (if at all), our body adapted to this change.

In fact, this concept applies to other parts of the body as well, like your muscles. It seems that as we use less of something, that part of the body becomes dispensable. If this is true, then I'm a little worried. Here's why.

Technological advances are exceeding at a rapid rate. Every month, there's a new gadget or invention that supersedes its predecessor in order to make our lives much easier. What does this mean? It means we can get more out of less work. There are jokes all the time about people wasting their lives away in front of a computer. And not just the computer! That iPhone is really changing people's lives, I hear. Between Outlook and PDAs and mini computer phones, we have no excuse to slack off, and yet, it seems like we do. These gadgets are meant to enhance our knowledge and work productivity, and somehow, it seems like they're doing the exact opposite. Obesity is increasing, and social skills are becoming less prevalent (online social networking via facebook and/or myspace, on the other hand, is skyrocketing). So I wonder, all this storage space we use to help remind us about certain events, keep our photos, manage our time, is all this helping or hurting us? As we depend more and more on electronics, we use less and less of our minds, our memory in particular.

So I wonder, as we rely our memory more on technology, is it possible for a particular part of our brain to become obsolete? Will the term "fading memory" take a literal turn? And finally, in regards to evolution, what will happen if we begin to utilize our brains significantly less than we already do? If it can happen to wisdom teeth, can't it happen to brain cells?

Time to crank up my mind exercises even more so than usual.

star-studded weekend

I started off the weekend in Dallas for Momma Mia's birthday. As expected, it was a ridiculous amount of fun. What Noslen pointed out to me, which is totally true, is that every time BHF (Big Happy Family.. the name we've given our group of friends) gets together, there's usually a theme. This is nice because it's an easy way to remember each weekend. This past weekend's theme was "studs." Someone bought a deck of provocative male playing cards, and throughout the entire night, people were getting "studded" everywhere. To be "studded" is to have a card placed onto your body and/or clothing without you noticing. It's a pretty sly maneuver and has to be handled with great care and skill.

Overall, it was a good weekend. I ended it back home watching the Oscar's with good friends and making tacos. It was fun. I love watching the red carpet.

Not the greatest entry, but that's all I have to say at the moment. I just found out that Mr. Perfect just got engaged. I have no reason to be sad because I really am happy for him. But, what is this feeling?

if you could hear me

Can you believe we're 25? Happy birthday. I still love you.

will i ever be cool?

There's a Gwen Stefani music video that really hits close to home for me. I've seen it a long time ago even when I was with him, but now that I'm not, I can relate to it much more. Every time I watch it, it still makes my heart beat a little stronger. I wonder if I'm ever going to get to this point. Will I ever be able to see him with someone else? How would he feel if I was with someone else? Who will get into another relationship first? Can I even imagine myself married without him? I don't know. I don't know if I can ever feel this way towards him. I keep saying I wish we were still close friends, but this video gives me doubts. I don't know if I could do it.

"And I'll be happy for you
If you can be happy for me
Circles and triangles
And now we're hanging out with your new girlfriend
So far from where we've been
I know we're cool"

craig, you never cease to amaze me

I thought I knew everything about Craigslist, but apparently I don't. I've discovered a new section, and I must say, I'm obsessively addicted.

http://austin.craigslist.org/mis/

In this section, people post up instances where they meet a guy/girl in the most random places, and either as a shot in the dark or a shout into the dark, they confess their attraction, interest, or even the "L" word. It's so funny! My friend, Pete Dawgg, who's an officer in Austin, arrested someone the other day, and the girl posted an ad for him saying that she wished they had met under different circumstances because he's hot. Haha! Imagine that! His coworker found the ad, and his wife (my coworker) forwarded it to me. I was hooked. I went through and read almost all of today's. It's really entertaining.

I wonder if anyone's ever written one for me. If they did, I wonder where I was. Or who it was. Or what I was doing. I could name a couple of people I would write about. What are the odds of that someone reading it?

i think i lost it

These are my confessions *cue Usher song*:

1.) I was talking to my dad, and I was this close to asking him to send me flowers to my office on Valentine's Day because one of my favorite things in the world is to receive flowers at work regardless of what time of year it is. It makes me feel special! Then, I realized Valentine's Day is on a Saturday, so it would have been pointless.

2.) When I run, I like to quietly chant, "Skinny... skinny... I'm gonna be skinny..."

3.) I kept two text messages from him since last year as proof to myself. One said, "Lol I do love you." The other said, "Please don't be sad over me. I'll always love you." They were dated last year in February 2008. And now, I can't find either of them since I switched phones. I am really, really sad.

is it "mangos" or "mangoes"?

Just a random question that's been bothering me.

I heard the clip of Captain Sullenberger right before his plan landed in the Hudson River. Chills ran like electricity through my arms when I heard his last statement, "We're gonna be in the Hudson." I can't imagine staying calm in a situation like that. And the air traffic controller?? Forget about it! I would've been freaking out yelling, "WHAT? ARE YOU CRAZY?!?!? You're going to land in the WATER???!?" Throughout the course of my life (and this just goes to prove my fickle nature), I've wanted to go into a number of different professions. One day teacher, the next day astronaut. It was really troublesome in college. However, I can safely say that I have never wanted to be an air traffic controller or pilot. Thank you, Captain Sullenberger, for reaffirming that decision.

I've become really close (and I'm afraid nearly attached) to someone over the phone. It scares me. From past experiences, whenever this happens, the guy eventually disappears, and the relationship, that closeness, we built is lost. It always saddens me, and I always wonder, "What's the point?" What's the point of sharing your secrets and dreams with someone who you feel will become a huge part of your life when eventually they will leave you too? And, I mean this all in a platonic level. It makes me wonder if guys and girls can really be friends. Like, is it possible for me to ever find a guy who would be really close to me on a friendly/brotherly level even after he gets a gf or even after I get a bf? So far, I'm starting to think it's not.

I really like talking to him. He's a breath of fresh air from the all the seriousness around me. It's possibly because he's a little younger, but it already seems like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. We have fun. He's lively and loud and totally unlike other guys I've talked with on the phone. It's entertaining to me. He's different and unreserved and I like it. I'm really enjoying where we're at in our friendship. I hope it lasts, and I hope he genuinely likes talking to me rather than just using me to pass time until he finds someone else. I'm terrified of this.

Anyway, I'm rambling now. It looks to be a beautiful weekend in Austin. No plans. Just taking it day by day.

when life gives you lemons, just say 'pluck the lemons,' and bail

Sooo... I don't think I got the job at Plucker's. I'm a little sad about it. I suppose it's okay. I know I already have a job, but still, I can't help but feel disappointed. I guess it's not meant to be. This means I may be able to go to Dallas to celebrate my cousin's birthday after all! I suppose you can't have the cake and eat it too. By the way, is everyone familiar with that expression? Because I could've sworn it makes no sense. ;)

Anyway, I'm a little discouraged to apply to more places. It will be hard to work additionally with my schedule, but we'll see what happens. I just need to budget, right?

On another note, Danimal sent me this comic strip and said me it reminded him of me.



I thought it was cute. I think I can name myself a few "statistically significant others."

Valentine's Day is coming up, and I think my plans are more exciting than even some couples' plans! I know everyone gets all grumpy when it comes to this holiday saying, "It's not even a real holiday. It's made up by Hallmark.." blah blah blah... but I LOVE it! I know, I know. I'm too much of a romantic, but I've just had really great Valentine's Days in the past. I have fond memories of it. It does make me sad that I won't get to spend it with a certain someone anymore, but I'm totally and crazy happy that I'll get to spend it with soulmate. She's coming down, and I already have the entire weekend and more planned for us. I can't wait!!!

international klutz

I was thinking this morning, and I realized something I feel is a little strange. I've never made an international call in my life. I already get nervous when punching in long numbers over the phone to cable or credit card companies. Something about messing up in the middle of the number without the ability to back track and having to start all over freaks me out. It's like fishing for your wallet in your gigantic purse at the checkout counter with 5 people waiting behind you staring and wondering why you didn't get your money out in the first place. It's nerve-wracking!

At work, we have to dial "9" first, and we received an email earlier this year about people misdialing "9-1-1" to call internationally. Apparently, this happens frequently. It's been a fear of mine since I was young to accidentally dial 911. The serious tone on the other side of the emergency line totally scares the bejeezus out of me.

Just another work fear. My number one fear is accidentally hitting "Reply All" and sending out an excruciatingly embarrassing email to the entire company. I've already slammed into a glass door. What could I possibly do next?