nj sucks!

It's official. I hate New Jersey, especially NJ Transit. NJ bus drivers are mean and crochety. NJ bus riders are rude, potty mouths, and look like they either want to beat you up or mug you. And NJ, or at least Newark, is very run down and just not that great of a city. OK, so this isn't completely true of NJ, but my experience this weekend was definitely discouraging. The only funny story was when a 20something Latino sitting next to me on the bus struck up conversation, while drinking his Corona (!) and trying to light a cigarette (but no matches - shucks!). He asked, in his Mike Tyson voice, what my nationality was. When I said Vietnamese, he asked what that was... and when I explained how Vietnamese is Asian, he asked if we Asians were all the same. When I explained about how we are all apart of the Asian continent but very much our own cultures, he told me that I really taught him something new. And that he hoped to continue to learn new things and that I really helped him. Yes, people, I just taught a man how not all Asians are the same. Needless to say, NJ sucks.

Seeing my sister was pretty cool. She looked great! My niece Alexis is quite a pill. :-) I've only seen her once since she became of age to remember me, and I was in a hospital bed, looking like death. I love her for her forwardness. When talking about my sister's boyfriend, my 7 year old niece's opinion of him was, "Matt's lame!" And she spent most of dinner kicking me, poking me, and trying to get my attention. She also then gathered up rain in her hands and smeared in on my jacket. I hope that means in a kid way that she loves me too. You know, punch and kick someone because you like them. Right?

Way to go Steelers! I was psyched to see Hines Ward get the MVP. When you're a WR and play for a team like Pittsburgh, you don't get as much love. They are a running team, and as Ian said, they make WRs block. Crazy, huh? How about that gadget play? Just great. :-) I am pretty sure Mitch and all those crazy Pittsburgh fans are never going to stop smiling. Or at least not until the buzz wears off.

My cousin Linda (who is 2 months younger than me) is getting married in April. The wedding is in Austin. I haven't decided if I am going yet. It depends on who in the family is attending. Anyways, that isn't the part that is important. :-P Using Tom's description, I've got a slightly serendipitous chance to see Daniel for the first time in 5 years (actually an anniversary, since we met almost 5 years ago to that exact same week in Alaska). Should lead to interesting results. I think? :-)

I'm rewatching SNL and it's actually pretty good. Steve Martin isn't half bad. And, surprisingly, I am incredibly impressed with Prince. Enough to maybe go and get more of his stuff. Music, music, music. It's all I got lately. I am seeing James Blunt and Jamie Cullum in March. Awesome. :-)

Huge pet peeve: when people walk way in front of me. Yes, I have always walked slow. But now, I actually have an excuse. My walking is pretty decent these days, but I still gimp occasionally, especially where there is any sort of precipitation. Also, I am still short. I do not walk fast nor take long strides. When you are walking with me, please walk WITH me, not in front of me. Walking alone, 5-10 feet behind someone(s) is not what I call a good time. The most I will tolerate is a "Tom Muller cripple walk": you walk fast and then realize you are starting to leave me behind and stop to wait for me and then struggle to walk slow. At least I know you are trying to walk painfully slow because you actually want to walk WITH me and care. OK that's my last vent for this entry. Promise.

It's been an incredibly long weekend. Ups and downs, but for the most part, more ups than downs and that is what counts. And I won Scrabble again. The word that saved me: ninja. Can we say triple word score? Oh yeah! :-)

If you're bored, you should check out PostSecret. Maybe you'll see your secret.