Vegas Was Fun But ...

I have to talk about my Dodgers today!

Last night my man Andre Ethier came up with another walk-off hit! I honestly have to say ... I knew it was going to happen. Once the pitcher threw that wild pitch and the runners advanced I knew Andre was going to get the hit! Very cool.

Sexy Andre Ethier - taken by my brother against the D-backs last season

The Dodgers haven't been playing particularly fantastic lately so it was a cool win. I know Andre had a chance the night before but he can't get a walk-off every single time, it's amazing that he gets them as often as he does!

Yes, I love Andre Ethier. He's a sexy, awesome baseball player with a beautiful swing.

Anyways I haven't posted much about Vegas other than the fact that Muse was ridiculously amazing in concert, but I don't think I really will put too much up there. I mean, it was Vegas - good times.

There is this bar that every time Kristin and I go to we make international friends. It's in the New York New York right outside the Coyote Ugly. When we went there at 4:30 am during Kristin's birthday we made some friends with these Australian dudes who sang Happy Birthday to Kristin followed by some Australian cheer and bought us drinks and when we went there again Friday night we made friends with a couple British dudes and some desperate but sweet and funny Canadian ladies. The ladies were really into Gary (one of the Brits) and he was happy Kristin and I got between them to get our drinks. Kristin chatted with Stu while the Canadian chicks talked to me. Then I talked to Gary then we both ended up talking to Stu about Muse. It was pretty awesome. I love that bar.

Ben and Kristin - I love this pic

The other cool thing other than the concert was that I actually won on the slots! I lost my ass Friday but got it all back and about $10 extra Saturday so it was nice. I'm not a big gambler but it is fun ... especially when there is winning involved.

That's all for now, really. I want to go to the Dodger game tomorrow and watch Tim Lincecum pitch (hopefully he can pitch and the Dodgers can still win). I know it's bad to want to see a Giant pitch but Lincecum is just that good. Plus I can cheer for the Dodgers and I always enjoy time at Dodger Stadium. I guess I'll see what happens, I do need to go to a game soon.

'Nuff Said,
Crysania

An Uprising

I FINALLY saw Muse this weekend!! Wow. Wow. WOW! They were incredible! I lost what was left of my voice Saturday night and it has yet to fully return.

Seriously, one of the absolute best live bands I have ever heard! People told me I was going to love it, but I didn't want to build things up too much in my head and be disappointed. I definitely was not. They were fantastic. The awesome towers, the lights and their (especially Matt's) stage command was amazing. I do love Matt Bellamy; his voice and talent are just ridiculous.

I do wish my section would have been better. We were back kinda far I guess but it seemed like every section but ours was on their feet the entire time. I don't see at all how anyone could sit through Muse's live show (with the exception of my best friend Kristin who got beer dumped all over her feet, shoes and pants) ... but whatever, I enjoyed them thoroughly. And it was a long time coming.

I first heard Muse in late 2004/ early 2005. I was watching TV and an add about this British band came on MTV 2 (yes, it was back in the days when I occasionally still tried to watch MTV). I heard a part of Time is Running Out and needed more. A couple months later I was talking to my cousin about how I'd heard this awesome band but didn't know where to physically get their CD. She had just gotten it and we were stoked to actually have found someone else who liked the band. I burned the CD and the rest is history.

I wasn't a rabid fangirl (adore their music but have avoided scary status, thankfully) but I loved and appreciated their music and always recommended them to friends. I turned some family and friends on to them too. I even made a friend in college mainly because she was a huge fan and she recommended I listen to Origin of Symmetry. I did but by then Black Holes and Revelations was coming out so I focused on trying to get that. I went back later and listened to it and some of Showbiz too. The more I heard, the more I liked the band. I was so excited when other people started liking them and began working on seeing them in concert but the timing was always wrong. Either I was broke, out of town, both or the shows were sold out. That part did suck.

Now that I've seen Muse live ... I need to see them again! Really, I do. They rocked but there are so many songs I have not yet watched them play!

I was pleasantly surprised to hear Plug in Baby (I really didn't think they'd play that one at all) and stoked to hear Feeling Good and Stockholm Syndrome but those were the only three they played I wasn't sure about.

I didn't get to hear songs I love like Bliss, Exo-Politics, Butterflies and Hurricanes, Invincible, Unintended, Sing for Absolution or Hyper Music ... to name a few (Honestly Sing for Absolution and Hyper Music are doubtful but the others they did play on their live album HAARP). So I've got to see them again for any chance of hearing those songs.

I was also surprised that they didn't do MK Ultra or I Belong to You (Mon Coeur S'Ouvre a te Vioux) off The Resistance but was stoked to hear Unnatural Selection and Undisclosed Desires. 

Anyways, I picked up a shirt (it's my thing, I always get a shirt with the tour dates on it when I go to a show) and a kick-ass poster (can't remember the last time I bought one of those) so all in all it was a fantastic night. I was definitely in outer space the rest of the trip. They really are my new favorite live band! They are up there with U2, Coldplay and The Hives in terms of fantastic live shows.

Vegas was pretty fun too. I'll post about it later.

'Nuff Said,
Crysania

C'est la Vie

I hate being sick. Truly, hate it.

I'm sure no one enjoys being sick but I despise it. I feel gross and useless and hate doing anything at all. Unfortunately, I am sick a lot. I have a crappy immune system or something and I'm sick at least 4 - 5 times a year.

Of course, I am sick right now.

Yet another reason I hate getting sick so often is the timing. This weekend is my long awaited, highly anticipated Muse concert in Vegas ... and I'm sick ... not funny, life.

I skipped work yesterday to do my best to fight this off and I do feel better, but I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be. I still have a sore, scratchy throat and am stuffed up ... ugh!

I am determined not to let this bring down my weekend. The result will likely be me getting more sick after it is over ... but it's Muse and they are worth it..

So adios vocal chords and sinuses be prepared for a DayQuil onslaught because I will be having as much fun as possible either way. I need this weekend, I need the break, I need some good times.

Pray that I survive it.

'Nuff Said,
Crysania

"In the Name of the Moon, I Shall Punish You"

I've let it be known that I'm a slight video game nerd, so I might as well say I'm a little bit of an anime nerd too.

I'm not hardcore but there are a handful of anime/manga that I will proudly nerd-out for. Sailor Moon and Cowboy Bebop have to be my top 2 ... and recently I have been indulging my inner Sailor Moon.

In 2004 they released a live-action Sailor Moon series in Japan and it is EPIC! Don't get me wrong, it's bad - really bad - but it is oh so good at the same time. And who doesn't love Power Ranger-esque fight scenes like this:



Yeah, I know. Awesome.

Seriously though, I actually kind of like it. So far (I'm only 17 episodes in) it's stayed pretty close to the manga - closer than the anime had been at this point anyways. It expands on the girls being in school and not solving their problems in one episode. I like that they use wigs when they transform too. The girls always looking exactly the same when they transformed yet never being discovered was one thing you learned to live with in the anime/manga, but this way makes sense.

It's hilariously bad, but fantastic and I'm addicted. I even kinda wanna learn the hand motions - they're that cool.

And just because I know you all want to see more than just Sailor Moon's transformation here is a little present (the Sailor Luna part is only for the live action show for a few episodes):



Life on the moon is pretty epic.

'Nuff Said,
Crysania

*Note - I have since continued farther into the show and it goes way off both the anime and manga for a while ... still epic though.

Ch-ch-changes

I've always thought one of the constants in life is that things will change. Lately, I've been going through one of those periods of constant change, and so has my niece.

We've been sharing a room now for nearly six months - it's been quite an experience. When she first moved in I think she thought things were going to be similar to where she was before, but that didn't happen. It's not a good or a bad thing, we're just different.

First, everyone in my house, aside from my nearly 2-year-old nephew, is an adult. It had to be difficult going from a house where you're the older one to being the youngest. We had "privileges" she didn't simply because we are older. We'd already been through all the "restrictions" she now had.

Second, she had to go to school - a tiny private school. My niece was being home-schooled but she was behind on credits. Before that she was at the biggest high school in Victorville. My parents wanted her to  go to public school but because she was behind they wouldn't take her. They put her in the school I went to in order to catch up. It was small (even smaller than when I attended) and she was one of the only people there who didn't profess to being a Christian. It started out as extremely difficult. She felt suffocated and that her efforts were never enough. I saw her get down knew she wasn't liking school, but all I could do was my best to encourage her. In my experience everything is what you make it and that was all I could tell her.

Third, she had to go to church. Whenever my parents go, she goes. From conversations we'd had it seemed like she was more against Christians than Christianity and, sadly, I could see where she would get that from. As Christians, we're sometimes the biggest reason people don't want to look at Christ - especially when we damn them for being different or, heaven-forbid, having a different opinion than we do.

Those were probably the three main challenges she faced, but as I was dealing with my own problems and as we shared a room, things began to shift. She became more open. I could tell she really wanted somewhere to belong. Her school is small and she needed more socialization. I started attending a college group at a big church and told her we were going through the book Unchristian and would be discussing homosexuality one week. She asked to go and hear what they though so I took her. That's when I first noticed her change.

I'm not sure her reasons for wanting to go, but I know the message and the people there touched her. She won a copy of the book and read it all the way through. She went again and asked to go to the high school group at that church.

Please don't think I forced her into anything. On Sundays when she didn't want to go to church I never made her. She asked so I took her. I never had any agenda other than hoping she'd meet interesting people. It was her open mind I saw at work. I was impressed.


I am not entirely sure how she feels about church or God right now. I know she attended church when she was young but things in her life changed her mind, and that's fine. It's her journey. But I see a girl who has more people to talk to in a new environment. And isn't that a job of the church? To allow people to come in and not worry about converting them, but show them love and get to know them. After that, they can decide if they like what they see and want to learn more.


I know I'm changing because of her. I look more carefully at what I do and try to be open to things she has to say. I make an effort not to force conversion or ask what she thinks about faith but just let her be herself. When you're taught to evangelize, it's difficult to remember showing God's love and looking for His patience and kindness in others is important too.


Now she has another challenge to face. Another thing I can't do for her. She has people who see this change and don't like it. People who dislike Christians who have been close-minded and put them down, but don't have an open-mind when it comes to Christianity. Yes, lots of Christians are close-minded and hypocritical and try to make you feel guilty, but that is not every Christian. Not being open-minded towards Christians is the pot calling the kettle black. I don't know how this will turn out, but I'm sure it'll change us both once again.


'Nuff said,
Crysania


p.s. How do you like my pretty new template? I played with the new editor for a while, but I don't know any HTML or anything so this is probably as good as it' gonna get.

"I'm hungry for some unrest ..."

Life on the moon has been pretty crazy lately. I am exhausted.

I haven't been this wiped out in a while, but I'm kind of digging it. I missed being busy. I just wish I had some more cash to show for it. Apparently,  I'm not in the system at my job in Orange so I haven't been paid yet, even though I'm just finishing my third week here.

Last weekend I got a bit more drunk than I'd planned because of it. I'm a fun drunk so it's okay, but I just needed to let go a little. If I didn't, I was afraid I'd actually go crazy. The result was a headache in church (never a good way to attend), but after I got hydrated and rested I was fine.

Our college group's first meeting went really well! We had twice as many people as we were expecting and every one seemed to enjoy it. I had to present the first lesson/discussion so that's another reason I was stressed, but it went over well. That's definitely only through God's help because I was crazy nervous.

Right after the success we had minor drama though, it was frustrating but it worked out. We're lucky too, because it had the potential to be really bad.

Still, all the work and stress is just making me more excited to go to Vegas and see Muse! The Title is a line from "Unnatural Selection". Good song.

Two of my friends saw them in Houston and told me how great the show was so the excitement keeps building! I can't wait for this trip!

That's all really. I was just trying to kill some time before work wrapped up. I finished all I could today and needed to stay longer.

'Nuff Said,
Crysania

Tardiness is a No-no

I do not like to be late. Considering the fact that I am half Mexican and come from a Mexican family who typically runs on "Mexican time" it seems odd but it's true.

I'll admit I can be flexible about tardiness but only when it comes to two things: family events and church events. When we have a family event I do not stress about being late because I know no one will be there on time anyways. Church is pretty much the same thing - though not as big of a stretch. Family events I give 30 min. to an hour from the starting and don't make plans after because it goes until we decide to leave. For church I give10 - 15 minutes from start time and 30 minutes ending time. I realize this is just how it goes.

In everything else I get a little anal about being on time. I freak out when I'm running late.

I drive faster and more aggressively, I get irritable and I start to believe that the world hates me and is trying to keep me from getting to me destination on time.

The last part is a direct result of the first two ... but I swear it's true.

This morning Kristin picked me up 15 minutes late (we carpool Fridays and it was her turn to drive) but there was no traffic on the 57 so we were making really good time ... until we decided we wanted coffee. All of the sudden near the off-ramp we hit a bunch of traffic - for no reason. We got off an exit early, but it literally took at least 5 minutes at the first light. Then we hit every red light. I was getting seriously annoyed because Starbucks isn't exactly fast and I did not want to be late for work.

Lucky for me, Kristin gets less annoyed about punctuality and suggested we stop at McDonald's because it is typically faster. There was a long line at the drive-through so we went inside. It worked. We were in and out in about 5 minutes and made it to work on time.

Maybe I should work on being more like Kristin. I mean I keep my calm just fine the rest of the time and because of how much I freak out when I'm running late I usually end up there within 5 minutes of the time (sometimes early) but it would definitely be less stressful to look at things differently ... then again, it isn't that easy for me.

I think it is because of my family always running late that I get annoyed. I don't like waiting around and I really dislike making any one wait for me. I'll admit, however, it does get a bit ridiculous. It always ends up not being a big deal.

So I will work on that because I have enough stress in my life to be worrying so much about 5 minutes.

'Nuff said,
Crysania