So this whole Tinkerbell thing didn't follow through. I lost track of practicing with the team and even worse I failed raising the funds resulting with footing the rest of the bill. It was a pretty disappointing start to the year and the beginning of many disappointments this year. Trust me. It's a lot of crap I have had to deal with in the last 6 months.
This is where "take 2" comes in. I have decided to focus on myself more. I want to better myself in different aspects. I focusing on being healthier mentally and physically. The mental part is new to me and honestly I'm not quite sure if it ever really is working or just healing in time. The physical is obviously more apparent. I started working out more regularly and surprisingly have lost the weight I gained since I started my job almost 2 years ago. I'm more aware on what I eat and the exercise has really perked up my mood better. With that I recently decided to train for a half marathon -- either Nike Women's Marathon in SF or the Half Marathon in Long Beach. Why do I think I can do it this time? I have less distractions. I'm more determined to focus on myself. I need this to get over changes and problems I have been going through.
The training will take a lot of time, but I also want to make time for art. It's my outlet. I've started taking the lunchtime drawing sessions at work hoping this will work my way into doing this on my own. I also have signed up for a digital painting class. With that I'm also pondering making new techie purchases.
I really hope that my shift in focus will make the latter half of this year better. :)
07 July 2013
26 June 2012
I'm doing it!
I just registered with Team In Training (TNT) to run in the Tinkerbell Half Marathon! Race day is January 20, 2013.
I'm actually really excited about this as opposed to when I was registering for my first half marathon in Dallas a couple years ago. I remember being hesitant even as I was putting down my credit card information for the event registration. Ever since the White Rock Half Marathon I've been wanting to get another half under my belt. What I'm looking forward to this time is to train with a group of people. It definitely was still fun last time too doing short runs with Jorge or Eric. This time with a group I think it would be easier to keep up with the training and not blame Thanksgiving and finals for missing two weeks of runs. I hope I can beat my last time of 2:35. I still can't believe that Joe finished 5 minutes faster with practically no training at all. So jealous!
An interesting new change this time is that I'm training with TNT and helping to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Like I promised a short 4 weeks ago ...
... my update on the happenings in the last year and a half. I think it's best to share in chunks.
Spring time in Aggieland ~
Some time in March I got the full video interview with DreamWorks Animation for the FX Challenge, which is essentially my dream job. It was a long antsy 2 months before I heard anything back. At that point I was told that I was on the border of whether they would take on another or not and it would be about a week before I hear any confirmation. Yeah, it's not stressing at all.
Summer summer time ~
In April, I bought a ticket to go back to Taiwan in late May to see my grandfather since he's been ill and going through surgeries. Mom was already in Taiwan by then. Shortly after I had gotten my ticket I received the news my grandfather has passed. Fortunately, I was coming to Taiwan in time for the funeral. It was good to go back. I realized I had not been back for ten years before this trip. The first week was all about the funeral. There were many prayer services beforehand that the family had to attend. This was also the first time I met my grandfather's lady friend. (My grandmother had passed a few years earlier.) Not many people were fond of the lady friend making the funeral business stressful and oddly entertaining.
The next two weeks of my stay in Taiwan I spent with my family eating a lot of really good food, checking out sites and museums, and the usual shopping at the night markets. One evening, 3 am local time in Taiwan, I got my call from DreamWorks with good news! They offered me the job! I remember after I got my call I couldn't stop smiling in addition to going back to bed from all the excitement. I told a small number of people I saw online at the moment, and then told them to keep their mouths shut until I get back to Texas.
On the way back from Taiwan I made a detour to Northern California to join my pal Brad and his family for a camping trip at Big Basin Park. Since I was going to be moving up in the area I started looking for places to stay. The combination of no car and short term planning deemed my house hunt unsuccessful. Luckily, Renee's friend had an empty room in her apartment and was willing to rent it out to me for super cheap rent. And this happened on the day I was flying back to Texas.
When I got back home I had a month and a half to find a sublet on a lease I renewed before I left the country and move out of the apartment by the end of July. The rest of the summer was week after week of trips. I went to Dallas to attend Adan's wedding. The next day, Joe and I was en route to Siggraph via plane to Seattle and bus ride to Vancouver. The return trip was pretty crazy -- 6 am bus back to Seattle and a full day walking tour with an 11:30 pm flight that landed us back to Dallas at 5 am. Then starts the drive to College Station to drop Joe off. I remember crashing on Camit's couch and hanging out with him before driving back to Austin.
Less than a week later, Eric (and his cats) and I were each doing a one week cross country drive to the SF Bay area. I brought along a couple of Jon's. :) This was a great group trip. I mapped out all the places I wanted to check out on the way -- Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and of course a stop in LA to see my friends there.
A few days later I was back in Austin to travel with my mom to the east coast for my cousin's wedding. It was pretty fabulous. Newport is one of those destination wedding spots. I swear I saw at least 4 weddings going on in that area. It also turned out that one of the groomsman in my cousin's wedding was also a groomsman for another wedding at the same venue the next day. I have to admit ... after all this travelling I got grumpy while checking out Boston with my mom. I felt really bad afterwards.
A week later I started my new J-O-B.
The FX Challenge til nowish ~
The challenge ... super fast, super crazy, super awesome. I learned so much from all this and got more and more excited about what was in store afterwards. At the end of the challenge James and I learned we were getting sent down to Glendale. I definitely do miss the Bay Area and everything because I never felt like I was quite done with the city. I also do love SoCal. The weather is really nice and most of my friends are here too. I haven't quite taken the time to check out The LA, but I'm always checking out new stuff around here.
So, there you go. The last year and a half. I'm definitely enjoying what I do and life in general.
mental note: need to pull pictures off of camera so there's less text :)
Spring time in Aggieland ~
Some time in March I got the full video interview with DreamWorks Animation for the FX Challenge, which is essentially my dream job. It was a long antsy 2 months before I heard anything back. At that point I was told that I was on the border of whether they would take on another or not and it would be about a week before I hear any confirmation. Yeah, it's not stressing at all.
Summer summer time ~
In April, I bought a ticket to go back to Taiwan in late May to see my grandfather since he's been ill and going through surgeries. Mom was already in Taiwan by then. Shortly after I had gotten my ticket I received the news my grandfather has passed. Fortunately, I was coming to Taiwan in time for the funeral. It was good to go back. I realized I had not been back for ten years before this trip. The first week was all about the funeral. There were many prayer services beforehand that the family had to attend. This was also the first time I met my grandfather's lady friend. (My grandmother had passed a few years earlier.) Not many people were fond of the lady friend making the funeral business stressful and oddly entertaining.
The next two weeks of my stay in Taiwan I spent with my family eating a lot of really good food, checking out sites and museums, and the usual shopping at the night markets. One evening, 3 am local time in Taiwan, I got my call from DreamWorks with good news! They offered me the job! I remember after I got my call I couldn't stop smiling in addition to going back to bed from all the excitement. I told a small number of people I saw online at the moment, and then told them to keep their mouths shut until I get back to Texas.
On the way back from Taiwan I made a detour to Northern California to join my pal Brad and his family for a camping trip at Big Basin Park. Since I was going to be moving up in the area I started looking for places to stay. The combination of no car and short term planning deemed my house hunt unsuccessful. Luckily, Renee's friend had an empty room in her apartment and was willing to rent it out to me for super cheap rent. And this happened on the day I was flying back to Texas.
When I got back home I had a month and a half to find a sublet on a lease I renewed before I left the country and move out of the apartment by the end of July. The rest of the summer was week after week of trips. I went to Dallas to attend Adan's wedding. The next day, Joe and I was en route to Siggraph via plane to Seattle and bus ride to Vancouver. The return trip was pretty crazy -- 6 am bus back to Seattle and a full day walking tour with an 11:30 pm flight that landed us back to Dallas at 5 am. Then starts the drive to College Station to drop Joe off. I remember crashing on Camit's couch and hanging out with him before driving back to Austin.
Less than a week later, Eric (and his cats) and I were each doing a one week cross country drive to the SF Bay area. I brought along a couple of Jon's. :) This was a great group trip. I mapped out all the places I wanted to check out on the way -- Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, and of course a stop in LA to see my friends there.
A few days later I was back in Austin to travel with my mom to the east coast for my cousin's wedding. It was pretty fabulous. Newport is one of those destination wedding spots. I swear I saw at least 4 weddings going on in that area. It also turned out that one of the groomsman in my cousin's wedding was also a groomsman for another wedding at the same venue the next day. I have to admit ... after all this travelling I got grumpy while checking out Boston with my mom. I felt really bad afterwards.
A week later I started my new J-O-B.
The FX Challenge til nowish ~
The challenge ... super fast, super crazy, super awesome. I learned so much from all this and got more and more excited about what was in store afterwards. At the end of the challenge James and I learned we were getting sent down to Glendale. I definitely do miss the Bay Area and everything because I never felt like I was quite done with the city. I also do love SoCal. The weather is really nice and most of my friends are here too. I haven't quite taken the time to check out The LA, but I'm always checking out new stuff around here.
So, there you go. The last year and a half. I'm definitely enjoying what I do and life in general.
mental note: need to pull pictures off of camera so there's less text :)
02 June 2012
so much to catch up on
Since I moved to Pasadena I've been thinking about this blog ....
WHAT?!? You're where?
Exactly! There's so much to update in the last year and a half. Not now ... I have to leave soon.
WHAT?!? You're where?
Exactly! There's so much to update in the last year and a half. Not now ... I have to leave soon.
21 January 2011
dear facebook ...
... I want this to be an option for my relationship status.
http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1414
Thanks!
<3 Christine
http://www.phdcomics.com/comics.php?f=1414
Thanks!
<3 Christine
05 September 2010
Week one of school ... done!
And what did I accomplish? ... uhmm ... err ... yeah, that's it. I can say it's an exhausting first week to get adjusted to. I am a bit bummed to be under the weather to enjoy the weekend a bit more. Especially since it's the first weekend of the semester when I will probably be least busiest. Ah well, hopefully next time.
Yes, I'm still aware that I didn't post anything with regards to any recreational entertainment I had over the summer. Trust me, I'm not that boring. I *did* go out and do stuff. It's documented via photographs. (The fact that I used the word documented probably doesn't help my case. :P)
Anyhow, here's something I'd like to share ... my amusement of the day. http://vimeo.com/14592941
Yes, I'm still aware that I didn't post anything with regards to any recreational entertainment I had over the summer. Trust me, I'm not that boring. I *did* go out and do stuff. It's documented via photographs. (The fact that I used the word documented probably doesn't help my case. :P)
Anyhow, here's something I'd like to share ... my amusement of the day. http://vimeo.com/14592941
18 August 2010
Oh man...
... how has it been so long since I've posted something? I recall thinking about what to post ... spring break trip, viz happenings, summer happenings ... and now it's closing to the end of the summer. I guess I'll be posting "recaps" or "highlights" over the next week, and it must be done before school starts up again or I'm doomed.
Disclaimer: Don't expect fireworks. I'm not boring, it's the little things that make me smile.
Disclaimer: Don't expect fireworks. I'm not boring, it's the little things that make me smile.
23 February 2010
Snow day in College Station, TX!!!
So we didn't get all four inches of possible snow, but we did get enough for me to spend the day watching the snow fall from the lab and two rounds of outside play. It was so fun (and cold and wet) to be outside and watch everyone enjoy the snow.
School opens up late tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. I'm crossing my fingers for the day to be canceled. It might be a long shot but one can hope, right?
Did I mention it was 70 degrees two days ago? ... Texas, I love you but you're crazy.
School opens up late tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. I'm crossing my fingers for the day to be canceled. It might be a long shot but one can hope, right?
Did I mention it was 70 degrees two days ago? ... Texas, I love you but you're crazy.
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