Rune 23, Up: Standstill, That Which Impedes, Ice.

The winter of your spiritual life is upon you and you may find yourself entangled in a situation to whose implications you are, in effect, blind. You simply have to be patient and ride it out. This does not come from something that you caused or your habits, this is from conditions that are COMPLETELY out of your control. And there is another face to this Rune ... just as Winter is a time for going within, drawing this Rune can introduce a period of restoration and renewal, possibly all the way down to the deepest level. It will get better.

This is the latest Rune reading that Aaron did for me. Scarily true, dontcha think?

Well, my attorney finally answered this week, stating that she has received my permission to respond to my employer. Seriously, WTF!?! I gave her permission weeks ago. And now its so friggin' close to the deadline! UGH!!! Regardless, there is much back and forth between me, her and HR. Since we obviously can't get a signature from my previous employer to transfer the H1B, our only other recourse is to apply for a new H1B. But there's more shit to hit the fan. Oh yes.

Apparently, there was a mistake in my application that requires me to pay $1500 instead of the quoted $750. Apparently, both my attorney and HR failed to notice that there are more than 25 full-time employees at my job. Great. Just great. HR has also been advised by their attorney to put forth an additional $1000 for Premium processing. This will basically move my application to the front of the line, to be completed in two weeks. Of course, my attorney is advising against it. Her previous experiences suggest that the Premium Processing procedures forces the cases to be reviewed under a microscope, and that that there's a big chance that they'll come back asking for more job-based evidence, thus delaying the process back to the non-premium processing time of 60 days. Actually, my lawyer is confident that despite it being the holiday season, the non-premium H1B applications are still processes under 30 days, and less complicated. Of course, HR insists on the Premium Processing. At this point, it is out of my hands. It really is.

And you know what? I DON"T CARE ANYMORE. As much as it seems reckless, I AM OVER IT. I really am. My employer is putting a lot of time, energy, money and effort into helping me get back into the office legally. I have to side with them, as I want to get back to work as soon as possible as well. MAKE IT WORK. HR did ask me how committed I am, because they don't want to lose me 12 months down the road. I volunteered to sign a commitment contract, which Kim said MIGHT happen a little later. Fine by me, as long as the terms are not ridiculous, like this case.

So it looks like I will be traveling home to collect my visa, which is fine with me. It will be good to see my family and to see home again, even if it is just for a week. Actually, that is kind of ideal, because the short trips are the most memorable ones. There's less chances of getting into arguments, and every moment we have is valued. Of course, I have to keep in mind that international travel eats up a ton of time. I also cannot book a ticket until I receive an approval from the INS here. Then I have to make an appointment for my interview at the US Consular Office in Kuala Lumpur. Insane, isn't it? Two days for the interview, one day to process it. At least that's reasonably fast.

Regardless, I am glad this is going somewhere. It's finally moving and I am feeling better everyday. My celphone bill and power bill will probably kill me, but ... eh!

I am looking forward to Stephanie visiting me next weekend for Christmas. It'll be nice to have some company besides Sable.

Cable on the weekend, and a last ditch effort

Last Thursday, I actually managed to hang out with Christine. It was so good to see her again in Las Vegas. She hasn't changed any, except for the fact that she was (temporarily) driving her mum's car. Because mum needed her car that evening, we went to her house, where I met her mum. After a little bit, Carlos came to pick us up in his new Hyundai. Apparently he remembers me thru Sandra, although I had no recollection of such a meeting. Regardless, he was a very nice guy, and all of us eventually had dinner at Soiree's. We sat at the bar, and our server/bartender was flirting with Christine the whole time we were there. After that, we went to the nearby Starbucks and relaxed a little. After about 30 minutes, we decided to call it a night. Carlos dropped Christine off, then dropped me at my nearby Walgreens. Overall, it was a good evening spent with two great people, and a much needed break from my apartment. I also received my latest issue of Domino, so that was a bonus.

After getting in from the evening out, I noticed that I got a email from Kim at HR saying that she was going to talk to her attorney the next day regarding the progress of my case. She said she would get in touch with me after that. As a friendly reminder, I sent her and Lan an email thanking them and reminding them of the 12/20 deadline.

On Saturday morning, I managed to catch Joe from NJ online, and we chatted for a bit. It was really good to see him again, as he's been away for a few weeks now. Come nightfall, Scott and I went to Tea Planet as usual. It wasn't too packed, and there was a new server there. We stayed about 2 hours until a big group of youngsters came in, making alot of noise, chatter and laughter. That was our que to call it an early evening.

On Sunday afternoon, I went over to Scott's place to spend some time with him and catch up on some shows. I watched the latest episode of Project Runway, followed by the first episode of Tin Man. I'm really liking it so far, although I remain convinced that Sci-Fi messed up the audio. I could barely hear the vocals, but the background tunes and sound effects were blaringly loud. Scott served up homemade lasagna with garlic bread and salad. It was really good, but really filling. After that, Scott and I stayed on to watch some HGTV. We decided to head to It's A Grind, but it was a full house and it was windy and cold outside. So instead we opted for a 24-Hours Starbucks. The evening was cut short when Stanley needed help from Scott. We stayed a little longer and called it a night. One thing is for sure. I shouldn't have ordered my usual drink. It was so good, but I was so wired that I didn't sleep until 8am on Monday.

I finally get a call from Kim that afternoon. There has been no response from my attorney to her or her attorney. I wasn't pleased, but I wasn't surprised either. Following Kim's instructions, I drafted an email to my attorney. In it, I (me being a paying client, and her being my legal representative) insist that she respond. It was a firm but professional email. Kim approved it and I sent it to off. I will try and call her again tomorrow, though I am wondering if she is screening her calls and refusing to answer.

If my attorney does not respond by Thursday, then we will transfer over the case to Kim's attorney. As long as the INS receive a response by 12/20, I will be fine. However, Kim did forewarn me that there might be a chance that i will have to go home to Malaysia to my H1B visa. She couldn't tell me a timeframe, because she doesn't have an answer to that. But she did ask me to not be hasty and make bookings or cancel stuff yet. Kim did make sure that she invited me to the Pre-Soiree Office Christmas Party, and made sure I was going to be there for the actual Christmas Soiree itself. I thought that it was very sweet of her to make sure I didn't feel left out or isolated, and to still be a part of the office family. I'm sure the party is going to be quite festive.

Tuesday comes soon enough. Sleep is going to be difficult. The body is tired, the mind can't slow down.

Gamedesign.jp = Addiction!

Fun, silly and ridiculously addictive. Enter Chat Noir and trap the cute evil kitty. Yes! it can be done. Granted, it took me about 15 times to win, and this is the second game I won. I forgot to take a grab of the first game I won. Oh well. Still, it's great for a much needed segway from your daily grind at the office. Go insane. Don't forget to check out the Sliding Block Puzzle too and get that red tile out!

Wachovia Goes West

I have banked with Wachovia for quite a while when I was back in Atlanta. They didn't exist in Missouri. When I moved to Vegas back in January, I had to set up a Bank of America account, because Wachovia did not exist here either. In fact, many people here didn't even know what Wachovia is. The furthest they went out to was Texas. Well, not any longer. Wachovia is now on the West Coast. That means that I can now bank with them again (besides just swiping my debit card). They've also got a few atms here and there, one being not too far from me (if I drove, that is). But still, at least for me, Wachovia expanding onto the West Coast is a good thing.

Optimism for the Pessimist

So I've been trying to keep my optimism afloat. And I think I am starting to come around. I've been talking to Scott, Michael and Aaron alot. ALOT. Yesterday was the first time in a long while that I didn't dwell on my problems while going out with Scott. We went on as usual, enjoying ourselves (albeit on a dead tight budget). I'm not in the clear yet, but at least its getting somewhere. My time is limited, and pessimism isn't doing me (or anyone else) any good.

Chills, a familiar face, and hindsighting

So it's been about a week since I last blogged. Well, the weather has gotten slightly colder. Being winter, that's a given. But today, we got rain too. And the accidents to go with it. Today, I also had lunch with quite a number of my colleagues at Rib Crib. It was the last day for a fellow designer, and it was good to see so many familiar faces.

In other news, Christine is back on the Vegas scene. Or will be by Sunday, at least. SanFran has been treating her roughly. She's been freelancing most of this time, which isn't good. Also, she misses her friends and work here. It was unusual that Sam was the one that suggested they move back to Vegas. And in part of that, I was offered the possibility of living with them as a roommate, to help out costs and such. I have no clue on the location, the animals (and mine), and potential couple drama that it may bring. Regardless, I am very excited to see her again. I know Steve definitely will be glad that she is back.

As for an update on my situation...well, all I can say is that its progressing. I was unable to elicit any (helpful) responses from my attorney, and this week a letter has been drafted to be sent to her by my company's attorney. In the meantime, all I can do is remain patient, stay warm, eat and entertain myself. It's time to rewatch my dvds, Witch Hunter Robin being the first series.

As for my mind...I don't know what's happening to me. Why am I still upset when I know that I have done nothing wrong, and put forth all I can give? Why am I hindsighting when it does nothing but make me regret? Why am I unable to cast my problems aside and just live the day to the best that I can? Why am I making this big deal even bigger?

I am still in the black (aura). I have been weirdly tense, bitchy and moody. Why exactly, I don't know. Yes, I know that I have done all I can do, yet I can't relax and just go along for the ride. Probably because the ride is so incredibly tight, restrained, uncomfortable, cold, and for an indefinite period of time. It could certainly be worse, yet I fail to see that. I do feel bad. Scott, in dealing with his own job situation, has decided to cut back on our time together. We see each other maybe twice a week, and then only rather briefly. I know he is only trying the best to conserve what little resources we both have, but it hurts. It really does. And yet...I can't fight him on that. He is right in that I am much better off because I still have a job to go back to, and that my benefits are still active. He is starting over, and has bigger bills that need to be paid on time. I'm just lost at the whole situation, and have started to do the 'If I only knew then what I know now' game, and it's quite counterproductive. It's just making me regret my decisions and happy times in months past. Of course, I had no way of predicting the future. And yet, I still do it.

I really am lost. i don't want to cry. I'm a mess. Plain and simple. A wreck of a mess. How do I get off this trainwreck?

I want my heat (and life) back

Ok, so the weather is going insane again. Lookit! It's gonna be a chilly Thanksgiving in Vegas y'all! I dragged out my little Honeywell heater, and have set it at 65° in eSaver mode. I might even drag out an extra blanket, for extra warmth. Sable definitely appreciates it. Beyond that, I am just trying to stay sane. Not easy to do on a budget. PS. An Update on Thanksgiving morning! Looks like snow on Black Friday!

And the gears start cranking...

Yesterday, Scott & Co. decided to do another reading on me. A more precise reading.

The 'Success' card came out several times. 4-6 weeks (actual H1B acquisition or restarting work, I am not sure which one). No travels. The 'Obstacle' card also came into play. More specifically, that card read 'Uncaring woman.'Geez, doesn't that somehow sound familiar? Either way, something needs to happen and I realized that I needed to set the wheels in motion. So just what did I do? Well...for one, I made my sister aware that I might need financial assistance. I don't want to borrow from my family, but if push comes to shove, I rather them have the most advanced heads-up possible. I sent an email to my attorney, asking her to contact me as well.

The next morning, I managed to get in touch with her assistant. Long story short, they're standing their ground: either my previous employer provides a signature, or I have to fly home. She also stated the reason that she doesn't want to contact my employer (or their attorney) directly is because they don't want to land me in more trouble. But guess what? I'm already in this deep, what does it matter?

I had lunch with Scott, then went to the office to talk with HR and see a few colleagues of mine to with them a Happy Thanksgiving (I skipped the Potluck, though). Kim, realizing that this is a highly time-sensitive matter, has already emailed her attorney stating asking about the next steps. The attorney was out early for Thanksgiving (understandably), so I will hear from them early next week. Lan was also very helpful in listening to me and bouncing my thoughts with a fresh but professional perspective.

And that's where it all stands right now. I am glad that things are finally starting to move forward.

SiLENCE the Killer

So it's been one week. And...nothing. Nothing from my attorney. Apparently, attempts by my company's immigration attorneys to contact her are not soliciting any responses. I suppose I have to try and get in touch with her. Lets hope I can get through, because this is a time-sensitive matter. Ugh...get some balls and pick up the damn phone.

On my iPod...

I'm usually not one for this kind of music, but for some reason, this song has been on my playlist, and getting played ALOT. I just find the vocals from Deborah Harry to be fantastic and the melody to be hauntingly beautiful. It has a calming effect on me. Which in and of itself is scary. Anywho, check it out. Just wait for the sponsor ad to go to the actual video. Oh, and the remixes to Two Times Blue are not too bad at all. And yes, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. But it is mine for now, so deal.

An Apology? AN APOLOGY!?!

So it's been one week since I started my unpaid holiday. I have not heard anything yet (from anyone), and am keeping afloat. For now. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe it's in a transitional spot, and Kim has nothing to report to me beyond that they are in talkings with each other. Maybe Kim was just out that day.

Lots of questions have surfaced, the most common being if my attorney has apologised for this mess. I'm sorry to say that the answer is NO. Why not? In her mind, she hasn't done anything wrong. In fact, she probably considers herself generous in trying to resolve the situation by gathering (in whatever ways) the necessary evidence and not charging me for the additional time, effort and services. She also believes that she has a right to insist on her services being paid upfront, and she does indeed have that right. What happened is that she failed to communicate to me (or my agency) the urgency of the matter, should there be a delay in processing my file. While I did receive an invoice from her in February, there was no disclosure that she will not begin processing my papers until she received full payment and that the INS may require additional materials that can be difficult (if not impossible) to produce. I don't want to get any party in trouble. I thought I had it all together. Little did I know this sticky mess would show up. Blegh.

Another question is whether she has done this to other people. I don't know the answer to that. I stuck with her because she was already my existing attorney, had all my paperwork, and a stellar success rate. I do not know about her methods in getting the job done. All I know is that she is resorting to some shady ways to get evidence, and she's not budging from her position.

Hopefully this will all get resolved soon. I'm going insane. I've been trying to keep myself busy, but it's quite a challenge. A vacation is no fun if you can't do a thing. If I stay at home, I spend money. If I go out, I still spend money. I'm not a social butterfly that has a rolodex of readily available contacts that I can just call up and ask them to hang out. Not having a car helps reduce the spendings, but not the isolation.

And yes, I know I am whining at this point. I hate that, it is not doing anyone any good nor is it resolving anything, and I do apologise if you have been on the receiving end of my incessant negative ramblings. Hopefully this will clear up soon. If not for me, then for you.

I heart my kitty

Today has been trying. And like always, she's there for me. This is the most she's ever been by my side. Purring away. A cat she may simply be, but to me she is so much more. She been my one and only faithful companion in Springfield and St. Louis. Her spunkiness and playful antics makes me feel alive. Her needs make me feel needed. She's a very comforting presence that only pet owners can understand. Especially since I feel very lonely and isolated. Her purring calms me down and take me to a happier place. I love this cat more than I ever thought I would. And yes, she's the best alarm clock ever. No batteries required. Unbelievably effective.

And so it starts...

So today is the first day I am officially on "Temporary Leave of Absence." Which also happens to be Veterans Day. Well, I am still here. I'm alive. I'm eating. I've played more Final Fantasy VI Advance and watched the second dvd of Red Garden. Princess Tutu is next. I've also tried some really good green tea from Taiwan that Scott gave me. Light and flavorful. According to Aaron, a Capricorns' lucky days for November 2007 are the 13th and 14th. The unlucky days are the 26th and 27th. Let's hope the lucky days are correct. Also, a big thank you to everyone who is supportive of me and helping me see the silver lining in these trying times. You know who you are.

Thou Must Fulfill

So you've read the last post, and you'll notice that I state "I am not fired" several times. Why? Two words: Positive reinforcement. Besides, it's the truth. A very good one that that.

Another two things to note around this past week.

Scott's roommate did a reading for me on Monday. Actually, roommate and a friend of theirs did a reading for me. Simultaneously. Without me there or my birth date. And they got very similar results. Good outcome in 2 weeks. No travels. That was their result. That Friday was the first week. The second one is still coming along. In the meantime, I am going to feed as much positive energy into that reading as I can. And this reading was done on the day I had the worst energy/aura possible.

I was listening to the Diana Cage Show on Sirius OutQ. She had a psychic as a guest one evening, and she mentioned Saturn's Return. Basically, it a period between 27-33 when you grow up. All your paths will get sorted and weeded. Career, love, finances, investments... it all gets sorted out. Well, in a way, this is cleaning up a big part of my junk drawer: my immigration messes. It's far from over, but all the cards have been laid out.

And Mercury Retrograde even just passed. WTF? Honestly. WTF?!

Now you're asking if Scott can help me. He has, but not financially. Scott himself has been having job problems, and is currently unemployed himself. He lost his job due to the fact that the Frontier closed down. He (stupidly) turned down a job at Circus Circus in hopes that a job at Imperial Palace would pan out. It didn't. He quit his last job at Arizone Charlies' because he was sick of it and his bosses were threatened by his skills. He's got a strong potential for a job in another advertising agency, and had a first interview with MGM Grand. In the meantime, he's making ends do my helping his roommates with their chores and the occasional odd-n-ends jobs. But that can only go so far...

Scott hasn't faltered yet. All that Strip customer service experiences, plus his past relationships and retail experiences has toughened him. I have yet to learn that.

OMFG! AGAIN?!?

Wow. I can't believe it.

I was released from my agency in Springfield, MO on 10/31/06, during the middle of a Mercury Retrograde phase. That sucked royally, but was a blessing in disguise. I would never have discovered Las Vegas otherwise. And this year...a repeat, per se?

I found a job within a month, and started within 2 months, on 1/8/07, to be precise. We did all the paperwork, and filed my H1-B case with my attorney. That made the most logical sense, since she handled my last two H1-Bs and has all my paperwork. Repeat business. My agency paid for half of the INS Filing Fees, and I took a small paycheck deduction for the other half until it was paid for.

I also received an invoice from my attorney stating the filing fees, as well as her processing fees (just under $2500). Well, naturally, I don't have such funds, nor did I want to bug my parents for an advance. They've done so much for me already, and I didn't want to tax them more. Plus it showed them that I am not an ungrateful leech. So what did I do? I paid $500 each month from my own paycheck, until it was paid off in June. In the past, my attorney went ahead and processed the application, and waited for my installments.

Well...not this time. She waited until June to file it, after she received the last of her payments. She never told me or my company this. This is where the problem starts.

Fast forward to early November 2007. I get a letter from her stating that the INS is requesting 2 items: a reinstituted $750 fee, and proof of my legal status for the 8 months prior to June 2007.

Now, let's backtrack a bit. I stopped working in 10/06 and started again on 1/07. Since there is no technically defined period for me to find a job, typically one to three months is the the standard. However, this doesn't fly. The INS is now requiring proof that I was employed in Springfield until June 2007. Employment can include "personal leave of absence, etc." and is technically acceptable. Also, if my previous agency did not consciously report to the INS and CIS that I have been terminated, then my H1-B with them remains valid.

Of course, this isn't the case. I forwarded the letter that my attorney sent me to Springfield in hopes that perhaps they'd sign it. Of course they didn't. In addition to being skittish, that is not what actually happened. As far as they're concerned, October 2006 was the cutoff date. They also don't want to get in trouble by faking dates. I don't want to get them in trouble either. That's bad karma right there.

Back to Las Vegas. I alerted my agency, and Kim, our HR director, lost it. Literally. She went through my entire file. She was under the impression that everything was going great. I was too. Neither one of us received any disclosure that the process will not be started until my attorney received full payment. That is what caused this whole ordeal. If we had known that, Kim and I would have worked out something to get the ball rolling. So now...it looks like I have been illegally employed...at least before June. And of course, this wasn't the case. In addition to potentially losing a valuable employee, my company is now liable for illegal hiring, if they get audited.

We called my attorney, but we were not able to get in contact with her. Instead, my attorney contacted me, explaining my options. A) Try a non-dated letter to my previous employer, or B) be prepared to fly home to Malaysia to collect my H1-B. She feared that if I told Kim, I would get terminated. Another thing she mentioned is that I could get an entire new H1-B, which I will still have to collect from Malaysia before March 2009, and I will not be out of legal status that way. However, my employer will be considered to have hired an illegal worker until the new visa is collected. All in all, its not much of an alternative.

Now here's a bit of a silver lining. Because I have been a stellar, productive employee, my supervisors are all for me coming back. In short, I still have my job, regardless.

Kim contacted her immigrations attorney (ironically, also in Atlanta), and he requested all my paperwork. He then called back saying that I need to stop getting paid immediately. What my attorney is doing is borderline malpractice. In short, a clusterfuck of a mess. Since it was a Friday afternoon, he's going to call my attorney on Monday and try and solve this mess. If that doesn't work, then my company's actual attorney in Las Vegas will step in to continue the case. I will be kept notified of the whole process.

So on Friday, I finished all my assignments, and notified all the people I needed to notify. My news spread like wildfire through my department. Everyone was saddened to see this happen to me, especially since I myself didn't do anything wrong. I retain my keyfob, my desk is still there, with my computer and all my personal files and belongings. My employee benefits are still effective for me. I will receive one last paycheck, plus all my unused vacation hours.

As of Monday, 11/12/07, I go on unpaid personal leave of absence. For how long, I do not know. For at least 2 weeks, I assume. I will resume my job the moment this case is cleared. If I have to leave for a few months, they will terminate me, and reissue a job offer to me. I just have to redo all the paperwork.

In the meantime, all I can do us stay optimistic and be on the down low. And that is not easy. Rent, bills, much less anything else that may come out of this. I think i will suddenly be able to catch up on Final Fantasy and my anime dvds. Maybe even lose weight.

I want to say one thing. My employer rocks. Not many will go this far. And they have. And I still have my job. I am eternally grateful. In the meantime...help!

A burger break...

A couple weeks ago, Scott and I wanted to go eat dinner together. He was thinking of an old faithful. I wanted something new. A coworker of mine recommended Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay.

Created by Chef Hubert Keller, it was actually quite decent. Good prices, good atmosphere (though I could have done without the sports telecasts), and good food. You choose your meat, then you add on the toppings. There was definitely some gourmet toppings on the menu, such as $30 truffles and $20 lobster. All in all, it was a good experience, and we'd go back.

While we were there, we checked out Eyecandy Sound Lounge & Bar, Mandalay Bay's new entertainment venue. It was very cool, albeit a bit too untramodern for the rest of the venues. Nevertheless, it seems to be doing well.

And we've been going to Tea Planet way too much. LOL.

I feel ya, San Diego...

I really do...in my lungs! Gawds, the smoke has finally arrived. And I am not liking it! That first day...the sky looked like it was covered by a smooth layer of dryer lint! It was that thick! While its slowly getting better...it's not getting better fast enough. I'm using my inhaler way too much, way too fast! I think I might have to make a doctor's appointment...this can't be good. Get better San Diego, so I can get better. Why? Because breathing is good.

Summer is over

7am Monday. 20°F (-7°C). High of 51°F (11°C). Sunny but with some winds. And I have to be out in this weather for an hour. Yup, I think summer is coming to a close. I am SO looking forward to winter wardrobe shopping. NOT.

The weekend score!

So I went to West Elm yesterday with Scott. He wanted to shop. He bought $230 worth of home accessories. And what did I end up with? Two Garvy Dining Chairs for $215. They were floor samples that were being sold for 50% the MRSP. The upholstery were slightly dirty, but nothing horribly noticeable and can be cleaned. The one small scuff on one of the legs can be hidden as well. Now...I do wish they both had arms, but for the price I paid I am happy. They can always be used separately. But hey...one small step at a time, and my living room now has 2 chairs for me to sit on.

Of course, the trip back to my place was nasty. Las Vegas has been experiencing some nasty Santa Ana winds this whole weekend. We basically drove through a sand storm, with Scotts' trunk partially open (because of the chairs). What a mess. Thankfully, everything was fine.

Yay Chairs!

Tea is for White, Green and Black

I'm not a coffee drinker. I avoid soda and fruit juices, which means my liquids are mostly water. Filtered or bottled water. And the occasional sports energy drink. But lately, I have been going back into tea mode. Hardcore.

Of course, I am addicted to Tea Planet. Gotta love Boba Teas. I usually get the cold Boba Green Tea. It's got a slight bitter taste to it, which is how I usually like my teas anyways. The hot Milk Green Tea is also good. Mike loved the Rose Tea.

I've had some green tea I bought at the office from Smiths aka Kroger. It's not too bad. Since I like my tea a little thin and not like syrup, I can get about 3 cups from a single bag. Although...it tastes more like black tea than it does green tea. I've recently started getting Tazo China Green Tips. They're a little disappointing for Tazo. It toes take 3 minutes to steep the tea bag for the tea to brew. And then it's relatively tasteless. You can maybe get 1.5 cups from it, if you're lucky. I doubt the loose leaf variant will be much better. So I'll have to find some other tea.

At home, I bought a Bodum electric kettle from target. It's great. No need to use the stove,and it is super quick. Also, I got myself a box of Yamamotoyama green tea (teabags). And I have to say that it's actually quite good. When I steep it, I only need to steep it for 30 seconds, and the tea is actually green. I get 2-3 cups per teabag. And it tastes great...slighty bitter, woodsy, light and airy. I'm a happy boy.

Still, I am searching for something good for the office. Maybe I should just order some Yamamotoyama green tea in bulk. Some black and white tea would also be good.

Oh yes, and here is a link all about tea. It's history, processes, varieties...all that good stuff. And this is a sweet little site that shows you how to make tea at work. Neat gadgets!

LV adopts modernism...off the Strip. Sorta.

The weekend before, Scott and I decided to do some real-estate snooping. WE checked out two properties: Blue Heron and X-it.

Well, both were awesome. Out of my league, but awesome nonetheless.

Blue Heron was interesting: very industrial, modern, and excellent view of the entire valley. Awesome pool and cabana-esque party spots. But...WAY TOO BIG! I would not know what to do with that much space. The first community is sold out, but they're planning to build another community.

X-it was way more reasonable, space-wise. Three different models to choose from. Three levels. Community gym and pool. It was really nice, and for me, much more convenient a location, as it's just off the 215.

Both Scott and I preferred X-it. More reasonably priced, good location, and way more workable space. I'm glad Las Vegas is finally embracing modern architecture and styles (off the LV Strip). Pricy as fuck, but I am glad it is here. Yuck to ranch houses.

The VSP payoff.

Well, today was the day. Scott and I went to get my new glasses, and then we ate lunch.

Well, I'm starting to like them. When it came time to select a frame (way back before I actually did do it), I decided that I wanted a change. And I went ... black plastic frames. I never thought I would go back to black plastic frames...not since my horrible childhood days when I had to wear glasses, with the cheap frames. Of course I didn't have much say in what frames I got, since I wasn't paying for them. Plastic to metal-wires, and back to plastic again. Also, since glasses are an expensive necessity, I decided not to cut corners. Besides, Wal-Mart and Lenscrafters wouldn't accept VSP.

So what did I get? Well..my prescription went up a teensy bit. One step closer to being legally blind. Yay. But for the specs...Hi-Index (to keep them thin) transition lenses. In a Joseph Abboud JA142 frame that actually fits my face and doesn't try to squeeze it to death. The frames also have a spring skeletal support system, which offers some flexibility so that the frames are not so rigid. That way, they don't get damaged as easily. The transition lenses are awesome. In about 10 seconds, they've completely switched over to sunglasses mode.

Now we'll see how long they last. Haha. In the meantime, AoD is still down...*sigh~*

Another Anime Interruption. GAH!

First Geneon's sudden demise, now AOD is down. That means their forums are down too. Haha. Weird. My daily stomping grounds for all things anime was grounded for the whole day. They are working on reviving the site, but it seems their servers are down. Wow. Like...is Mercury in Retrograde again?

An R1 Anime Industry Tragedy

Geneon USA has just suddenly announced that they will be ceasing operations soon. No one outside of Geneon and Dentsu knows. Many things led up to it, for quite a while now. Not-so-stellar niche titles. Downsizing. The failed ADV distribution meeting. The result? One less licensing studio. Less niche titles. Series' being abandoned midway. Licenses unreleased. Animenation's Ask John section has this and this on the matter. What does that mean?

It means that my Rozen Maiden collection will be incomplete, as the last 2 discs were supposed to be released after the closure date. Guess I can skip the hopes of seeing Ouvertüre on dvd. I missed Cardcaptor Sakura due to the lack of funds when it was available. I've just finished Ergo Proxy, thankfully. My Rozen Maiden Träumend preorders are still ongoing. Oh well...I will keep my preorders in hopes that it might be finished and to show that I support Geneon until the very end. If funds permit it, I'll preorder the Gankutsuou Complete DVD Box Set.

Thank you Geneon for being a distributor in the R1 anime industry. May your employees find success in their future endeavors. Now let's hope that the other R1 anime distributors will rescue these affected titles and deliver them to us. Please?

I Heart VSP

My glasses have definitely seen better days. Better years, actually. I've had to coat the arms with a clear nail acrylic coat because it's corroded so much that it is cutting into my face. The opticians at the Wal-Mart Vision Centers always let me know they will not be responsible if they accidentally break the frame while it is being rebalanced/realigned. The lenses themselves are still holding up, if you dismiss the scratches. I've had to glue one of the screws back in, as it loves popping out.

It wants to retire. Bad. And I decided to do just that. I'm getting a new pair glasses.

Mike and I went to Eyes on Las Vegas. Apparently, lots of my fellow coworkers gets their eyewear needs here too. Let's just say I am thankful they are close to work and accepted VSP, because that saved me $425. It's definitely a small boutique, sporting top-notch brands. I did the eye exams, tried on a few frames, picked one, and then we discussed the lenses and its many options, and of course, pricing and savings.

So yes, I'll be getting a new pair of glasses soon. I'd put a picture of the frames up, but what's the point? I'll let you keep on guessing. In the meantime, I'm off to put more nail polish on my existing oldies. They need to last for another 2 weeks or so.

PS. I discovered that my eyes are perfectly symmetrical. Freaky!

The Las Vegas Virgin Cometh

Two weeks can fly by SO fast! Work has kept me busy, and before I knew it, Michael was here. It was definitely great to see him again, and definitely a great escape from his retail hell-hole of a job.

He arrived on Tuesday night aka Wednesday morning. We got his luggage, and then proceeded to get the rental car. Well...apparently, in an effort to expand the McCarran Baggage Claim area, all rental car companies have moved to a separate building a few blocks away. We took the shuttle there, got the car: A Ford Fusion ($590 ... ouch!) and off we went to get food for Mike. Scott met up with us at the Orleans for a bit.

I worked Wednesday and Thursday. I ate lunch with Michael on both days: Red Robin and Arbys. Even then, work wouldn't let me go. I finally managed to get away at 8pm on Thursday evening.

And from there until Michael left, we did the whole tourist thing. I drove the whole week, and we visited many spots: The Orleans, Mandalay Bay, THEhotel, Four Seasons, Luxor, Excalibur, MGM Grand, New York New York, Planet Hollywood, Miracle Mile Shops, Paris, The Venetian, Caeser's Palace, The Forum Shops, The Bellagio, Fashion Show Mall, Wynn, The Palms, Mirage, Treasure Island, and Red Rock Casino. We also saw the Singing Fountains outside the Bellagio, the Volcanoes of Mirage, and the Sirens of TI. We also took an outdoor excursion to Red Rock Canyon. Food was mostly off The LV Strip: Pho Kim Long, Red Robin, Kung Fu, Food Express, Tea Planet, Claim Jumpers, Pin Kaow, Egg Works, Sumo Sushi and Sunville Bakery. We only ate once on tourist property, and that was probably the most unsatisfying meal for Mike's whole trip. The desserts and gelato were good though. Scott was kind enough to tag along with us a couple times.

Mystère was great. I managed to score PRIME seats. Section 103, Row G, Seats 9 and 10. In other words, smack dab center. Good show. Lots more male skin than I thought it would have. Wow. Also, we saw Resident Evil: Extinction. Mike just HAD to see it since he was in Las Vegas. The movie did redeem itself though, and made up for the horrible second movie.

In total, Michael took 661 photos. Imagine going through all that. Michael did quite a bit of shopping too. Surprise. Necklace, shoes, and watch. He also shopped souvenirs. He had a few drinks, but did not gamble. Our attempts at nightlife did not turn out as planned. Oh well. Next trip perhaps. Ditto for the spots we did not get to visit.

He was definitely sad to leave. I don't blame him. But reality is reality. Regardless, he's now back in Atlanta, and apparently Spirit Air isn't that bad an airline. Just buy your needs before you take off, but after the check-in security points. And it was good to see him again, and to see him have an actual vacation. He really deserved it, as he has not had a REAL vacation in almost 6 years.

Oh. The car ended being $510. Still expensive! I swear...the liability coverage is more expensive than the car rental itself.

I was just a wreck at work. And now I am cleaning and doing laundry. Blah.

I'm too lazy to post more links. Google away.

Dragon•Con: Before, During, After.

So the week before Dragon•Con was simply ridiculous. Busy. Busy. Busy. In addition to staying past 5:30pm TWICE last week, I had to do some work during the weekend. Went in early on Monday. Stayed late the whole week, even 10pm on Wednesday. Ridiculous. Oh well. I still love my job, and I personally think I did some awesome projects during that crunch week. Man, I was exhausted. And poor Scott had to deal with me that week.

I bought some luggage from Target and (somehow) managed to pack on Wednesday night after coming home from work. I was leaving on Thursday evening for Atlanta. I wanted to leave Wednesday, but Delta charged too much to reissue the ticket. Plus, they really needed me at work that Thursday. Delta did call me to inform me that my flight was delayed for an hour. Well, I didn't mind, as it meant I a little extra time to get stuff done.

Of course, once I got to McCarran, I find out that the flight is delayed for an additional 30 minutes. Wonderful. But the flight finally did leave. And of course, it was completely filled, and I got stuck behind a toddler. I used the word toddler to mean, too old to drug with Benadryl in the milk, but too young to communicate or cooperate beyond screaming and crying. So I had a very unrestful flight, with the little tike crying the whole way for 4.5 hours, and the in-flight movie in my face. I have no clue why the decided to play the movie, as it was an overnight flight. I think they should have handed us earmuffs and eye masks, in addition to the blanket. I think I barely got 15 minutes of sleep that whole flight. Michael got me when I got to Hartsfield-Jackson, and were off to Dragon•Con.

I managed to check us in early at the Hilton, although none of us got to the room until after the dealers' room was closed that day. I was helped at the check-in desk by a Malaysian guy. Interesting. The rest of the convention was crazy. I managed to get to the dealers' room to help with last minute setups and then the crowds flooded in. My feet and back hurt for the rest of the con. Our booth was also right at the a/c vents, so we froze to death, while other parts of the dealers' room resembled a furnace. Oh yes, the dealers' room, as well as the exhibitors' rooms, were at the Hilton this year, because the Marriott-Marquis was undergoing some construction to their function rooms. I saw some familiar faces, including some I never thought I would see. The past just comes back. As for the con itself, this year was a letdown. We did excellent in sales, including on Monday (which was unheard of). The costumes were just lacking this year. But there were some gems. Marvel Zombies. 300. Slutty Strawberry Shortcakes. Pirates. LOTS of pirates. I retired early every night, as I simply wasn't impressed or entertained. The parties were a bust. We broke down our booth on Monday in record time and had a nice dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse on North Druid Hills Road.

One segway for me was that I lost my con badge on Saturday night. We went out to eat at Benihana. Horrible service. Got back to the hotel room, and that is when I discover that my lanyard was holding...nothing. We tried retracing our steps, to no avail. And of course, it was late so registration closed. Mighty annoying. But someone found it and turned it in the next morning. It saved me $50, but man, it took forever to retrieve it. The guy that had the badge was an older dude that had to have breakfast because he was diabetic. So we wasted an hour hanging around while we waited. I'm sure PJ and Kerri wasn't pleased, but they dealt with it.

I am also pleased to say that I only spent $45 on myself. I bought a Suigintou figure and a black Mokona plushie. Plus $20 to get a signed copy of The Devils' Panties (by Jennie Breeden) for Andrew. Food was a silly ordeal, as always. Higher prices and long lines, plus bad service.

At the con, I saw many familiar faces. Mary. Michael. Kevin. Sean. John. Matthew. Dave. Sarah. Jennie. Outside the con, I saw more faces. Aaron. David. I had hardly anytime to myself, but I did manage to get some stuff done. I got a haircut at Helmet, went to Ikea and Outwrite, and paid a visit to Lenox Square. Ate at The Silver Skillet, Doc Chey's, Joe's on Juniper, Hashiguchi Jr., and R.Thomas. Plus, I had an impromptu birthday dinner to attend, so it was off to Whole Foods to get a nice bottle of organic Cabernet before dinner at Dave & Busters. I also packed up everything of mine that I left in Atlanta and brought it back with me to Vegas. The rest was shipped. Of course, in the rush of it all, I left my travel/immigration documents Mike's desk and he had to overnight them to me. Thankfully, they arrived at my office safely and intact.

As for Michael, Randy and Leland...all I can say is wow. That place has changed SO much since I left. For the worse. It changed when I left and Jonathan came it. It further changed when John and Jonathan left and Randy came in. And now Leland and her cat Tiggs just stirs up the mess pot even more. That's all I am gonna way. Wow. Btw, Scampi has not gotten much bigger, but he is MUCH heavier.

The flight back was MUCH better. It was a 767, which I have never been in. Full flight, with some disabled passengers and 3 babies. We left on time. No noisy toddler during the flight. And somehow I managed to get some sleep. We even arrived 5 minutes early. Of course, our gate was occupied, and we had to wait for our gate to clear up. That was the only time the toddler cried. That was tolerable, as it only lasted 5 minutes. Scott came to get me at the baggage claim (my bags made it without being inspected), and we went to It's A Grind for a smoothie. I passed out when I got home. I just got out what I needed, everything else went everywhere else. So my living room is a mess right now. Sable was very glad that I was home again.

Thursday was kinda insane at work. I should have taken off to recuperate, but no, I was desperate to get back to work for 2 days this week. I was seriously jet-lagging at work. And work was there. No doubt about that. Someone else was let go that day, made known to us all by that very neutral departure e-mail from HR. Thursday evening was also the time I started to get an exhaustion cold. Still have it. I managed to get all my laundry done, including my sheets.

It was good to escape to Atlanta for the weekend. As tiring as it was, I had fun. It was great to see so many freaks indulging themselves at Dragon•Con. It was good to see Midtown Atlanta, and all my friends there. But I am really glad to be back in Vegas. Now I am glad it's the weekend, so I can recover from my vacation. Michael gets here in 2 weeks, so I'll be running around again soon enough.

And yes, I've got a few anime DVDs that I need to preorder.

An insane week!

Well, now that it's Friday night, I finally have some time to blog my happenings.

Tuesday night Scott and I had dinner at Sumo in Henderson. It was so good. A tad bit pricy, but with sushi, you usually get what you pay for. After that, we walked it off at Mandalay Bay. We also took a gander into Four Seasons and THEhotel. Three completely different properties, interconnected by small corridors. Each one is completely different in decor, atmosphere and luxury levels.

Supposedly, while we were at THEhotel, I got cruised by a very attractive daddy in a white suit. Ya know ... hot athletic body, handsome face, and very svelte. Not that I noticed it, as I am oblivious as always. Still, it was funny. I do wonder what kind of looks Scott and Daddy exchanged.

My Group Creative Director (GCD) was release rather abruptly last week on Thursday. An e-mail out of nowhere from HR, not stating a reason. We all knew what that meant. Sure enough, his office was empty. Oh well, he wasn't liked too much. He had a New Yorker attitude–the bad kind. He didn't like strong willed people, and avoided working with them if possible. He was also quite vocal in his complaints, yet didn't do much when he was approached with problems. He was constantly late on his deliveries, and the client did say that he cared more about his personal portfolio and ego than them. Not good. Not good at all. Karma can be nasty.

But on Tuesday, it was made known that my team would be intergrated into another team, with another GCD. This got me real excited. This director is awesome, and has produced some fantastic projects for his clients. So we're all excited. Today, we moved to be closer to the team. So yeah, there's some team restructuring with all the silos. Fun times.

On the other hand, my workload has been insane! I stayed until 7:00pm on Wednesday. While I was there, I got my quarterly review from the Executive Creative Director. 3.65/5. Not too bad. He also graciously gave me a ride home so I wouldn't have to walk and bus my way home. Thursday was worse. I had to stay until 9:00pm. Las minute job changes, beyond-extended dropdead publication deadlines, and unresponsive and irresponsible clients drove us nuts! We were waiting for an approval response to release the ad, but they couldn't release it because the head honcho that gave us the changes is at a dinner meeting, and they had no knowledge of his changes. So we twiddled out thumbs while going insane. It was a good thing I was there, as we decided to prep the files anyways, and encountered some font problems (that wasn't my fault). At 8:15pm we get a cal from Head Honcho himself ... that he will be back in the office at 8:45pm to review the ad. That drove us beyond insane! Thankfully, he approved them at 8:50pm and we were out at 9:05pm. And you can bet your bottom dollars that all that time was recorded and billed! Scott came to get me and we went to Dennys for some fast food. Friday ... in addition to the already busy workload, we get thrown another recurrering project. And now everything is pretty much due on Monday.

I can't wait for Dragon•Con. One week. One week. One week. And I will be in Atlanta amongst the geeks, freaks and all things scifi-fantasy. YES!!!

The weekend

Well ... a weekend is a weekend.

I sneaked out of work 30 minutes early to have dinner with a friend on Friday evening. Scott and I decided on Red Robin, where we both ended up getting the Royal Red Robin Burger. Basically, it's a burger with a fried egg; sounds weird, but it's awesome! And with our coupon, dinner for two came in at less than $15. From there, we decided to walk it off at the Bellagio, taking in all the sights. The Parasol Lounge is quite a spectacle, as are the insanely crowded designer boutiques. I have never seen a bustling Rolex store before. I will have to bring Michael there when he visits me in a few weeks. We went all the way back west to It's A Grind for a quick drink. Then slightly north to Red Rock Casino to walk again. Yes, dinner was THAT filling. After that, we called it a night.

Saturday was spent indoors. Went out just to get some groceries and dinner, and check the mail. Got my new issue of Domino, so I got some material to read.

Sunday...I saw Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix at the Orleans. I haven't been there in a while; no changes. Also one of the few places left that's showing it. Still have to catch the Simpsons Movie and Stardust. Saw some previews that piqued my interest: The Golden Compass, and Beowulf. Beyond that, it is again a quiet day.

But that's ok. I saved money instead of going crazy by shopping at the stores. It was also good to spend time with Sable at home. I did not see Scott for the rest of the weekend past Friday evening. He has an out-of-town guest that I've heard is here because he needed support. From what I was briefly told...yeah, he needed support. Alot of it. Poor Scott. What a way to spend the weekend.

I've been reading a lot about New York City. Mostly facts. I wonder if I am projecting something. Haha. Forbes recently posted America's Worst Commutes. Not surprised that Atlanta scored #4. Not at all.

Voldemort. Say it.

I started listening to the Harry Potter audiobooks. Scarily addictive.

Lethargic is the word for the week. I've been tired ever since I stared these meds. I'm kinda sluggish at work. I eat dinner, then pass out. Not good. Oy.

Week, the Middle.

So it's Wednesday.

Today, at work, we had an awesome one-hour presentation with they guys from Gettyone. It was awesome!!! We got to preview their new website that's on the way very soon. We got a demo on their new search engines, discussed rights-ready images, and previewed a new service called Catalyst. These are not officially launched yet, but they'll be very useful once they are. Plus, we got free lunch on them. Barbeque.

Beyond that, the office was a madhouse today. Last minute changes after last minute changes. Spec squabbles. All the fun. And I still got out on time, though, so that was good. Came home and ate leftovers I cooked on Monday.

I've been listening to that CD I bought yesterday. Quietdrive. It's so awesome, and it's growing on me with each listen. DnR are also keeping me entertained at work. I LOVE THAT SHOW!!!

Speaking of furniture ...

I also scored a pair of awesome red pendant lamps online. Dirt cheap. What I didn't realize ... wow ... they're big. 20" shade. I was planning on using them for bedside lamps ... but ... wow. Talk about making a statement!

A new bed!

First and foremost ... OMFG, I have a bed! YUP! No longer on an old leaky airmattress. I scored a good deal on a full mattress (Serta, no less) at the RC Willey in Summerlin. Gots me a mattress pad and some sheets too. Trouble is ... now I have to readapt to sleeping on a bed again. LOL.

On a side note, I have started seeing someone recently. Quite unusual, as I approached first. Online. Something I never do. But he's a sweetheart going through some changes as well: surviving after his job was yanked from under his feet (business got sold), moving, and of course, job hunting. We've gone to eat at many a good restaurant here in town, and we always have a greatr time talking. I have no idea where this is heading, but hey ... a friend is a friend is a friend, if nothing else. And you can never have enough friends. No, we did not have sex.

I bought a CD today as part of my bounceback strategy. I've had some sad news hit me, but it's not appropriate to discuss that here. Buying a CD is something I haven't done in years. It felt good, and Quietdrive's debut album rocks!!!

And work is good so far. I got the receipt from the BCIS that my H1B application has been received. And the waiting game continues. Blah.

A long time ago ...

I blogged. Why I am creating this ... I am not sure. Either way, time to get back into the habit of blogging. BUT FIRST! I have to restart my computer. BBL.