date place in Knoxville

ok, so this early on i am worrying about this. where do you take your girlfriend on Valentine's day? what's a good date place in Knoxville?

i am absolutely clueless about this. i've been seeing her for about two months now. we go on dates, yes. but our dates are the usual things that we like doing anyway, like eating chinese or barbecues, or watching movies and taking long walks in parks. that's the usual for us. and it's been really great!

so... what to do for Valentine's? a better question: how do i one-up myself? i'm already a romantic awesome boyfriend. LOL!

but seriously, any suggestions? and don't tell me Funtime Getaways. i will take her there to meet my friends but not on Valentines.

rainy and cold in Knoxville

i am not loving the weather right now. it's been raining raining and i'm freezing to death. i am not made for this weather. please, please, please... give me some sun and some heat. according to Weather.com, it's 42 degrees Fahrenheit out. with the rains, that's just too much for me. this'll be like bed weather, wherein i'd sleep in all day. to heck with work. to heck with errands.

of course, i cannot do that. with some pending projects' deadlines approaching, i gotta get my butt out of bed. damn.

i can't wait for spring. i am so looking forward to going outdoors without needing to wear restrictive clothing. and yes, if it's in any possible, i'd like to strip naked outside again. yooohooo! Funtime Getaway friends, where are you?! how ya all doing?!

good thing my girlfriend keeps me company after work. she has been around lately. just a couple of nights back, she made me chicken soup, asian style, which was pretty good. it was perfect for the weather.

oh well. need to turn in now. hopefully, weather will be better tomorrow.

Enter the Dragon! The Water Dragon that is...

Our eastern neighbors are celebrating the Chinese New Year. My girlfriend tells me that there's usually more pomp and lavishing at this time than during January 1.... that the lunar new year brings more bearing to one's luck and fortune so people should take heed.

i really don't know much about this but i'm not brushing it aside as some voodoo. i mean, who knows, right?

i'd tiger wood, actually lol! i always get a kick in saying that. i'm a wooden tiger. i saw a seer once and she told me that my missing element is water. now, i'm not sure what this will mean this 2012 -- if i'm finally going to be complete or if water will drown me with challenges. i don't know. i am hoping for the best. AND, i am not pinning everything on what the fortunes foretell. after all, success is 99% perspiration. i need to get my ass moving!

speaking of which, i cannot wait for spring to come in. this cold weather's getting to me. it doesn't inspire me to work on my 'beach body.' i miss camping out with my friends at Funtime Getaways. i miss actual warmth.. not the kind that the heater breathes out. oh well.

Kung Hey Fat Choi, everyone!

Extreme Makeover in Knoxville

a recent episode of Extreme Makeover featured a refurbished (or is 'rebuilt' a better word?) home in Knoxville. personally, i like the goodwill aspect here, wherein a show and its volunteers build a new home for those in need. what i am iffy about is other factors that play in after the fact.

owning a home is no joke. i've rented all my life and have not considered buying. it's an investment, sure... it also comes with a large overhead, especially for a couple with three kids. me, if i buy, i'd probably get a small cube and survive in it for a while. i can make do with whatever amenities it comes with (or does not come with). for a family of five, there isn't much flexibility. kids would need their own rooms, space, ample lighting for study and "all that." "all that" costs.

so, while my heart beamed when watching the excitement in the family's eyes, and the pride in the volunteers who helped build the home in just a week, i feel a tinge of worry. in the present economic environment, can the couple maintain such a home? i hope so. i wouldn't want them to join the ranks of makeover beneficiaries who ended up not being able to afford their own homes.

more music in Knoxville

well.. since we're off to a musical start, let me blog about that more.

playing the guitar is actually one of my frustrations. i've always wanted to learn to play the guitar. i even bought a real nice acoustic guitar and recruited this guitarist friend of mine to teach me. my friend's awesome with the guitar. he's lead in a defunct punk band. we'd spend weekend nights together. i paid him ten bucks and a six pack of beer whenever i came over. he thought me just fine. problem is that i didn't practice and i had stubs for fingers. i'd get the rhythm and beat right -- just not the notes lol. big problem.

i think this is why i think musical talent = genius. i think i'm smart enough for it but you still need a little something something extra to make any of this type of smarts. plus, you need a big heart and loads of extra time to practice.

i just have to be content with my having an ear for the good stuff. at least, i'm not one of those guys who'd buy into bieber or any of the shit pop music dishes out. and yes, i can sometimes be such a music snob. *hides from bieber fans

some of the things i'm happy about with Knoxville are Disc Exchange (used CDs for sale), and Lost and Found Records (remember John Cusack's High Fidelity? it's like that.)

With Disc Exchange, i can buy cheaper CDs, which beats illegally downloading them or buying a song at a time anytime. (i just believe that some thought was put in compiling the album. a thorough appreciation of a band entails listening to whole albums at a time, not just the more popular songs in it.)

With Lost and Found Records, i get to play music snob/geek.

there. that's me -- frustrated musician -- and my take on music in Knoxville.

back to school

this weekend was a bit different. my girlfriend and i went to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. lived in Knoxville for a while now but i haven't really gone here. it took one curious girlfriend and the UT School of Music Faculty Chamber for me to go. no regrets, definitely.

i schooled in University of California, Santa Barbara and i like the open spaces that campuses usually have. UT Knoxville's is nice for a stroll. the atmosphere is very relaxing, fit for the honeymoon stage we're in.

we actually went there to see the UT School of Music Faculty Chamber Concert. i'm not big on classical music but i do like it when i hear it, especially when live. i've this awe of anyone who's good at playing a musical instrument. i think it's a kind of genius. i could be great with computers or words. i studied for this. but someone who's great with music, wow! you can study for it, yes, but it's also something inborn, i think. this stroke of genius that lets musicians evoke emotions with music. i actually have a friend who knows the key note just by listening to it. her ears (and arguably her heart) are that sensitive. again, wow! that night, we were treated to Debussy, Ewazen, and Walker. it was great!

systems overload

a new year, a new laptop. i'm going to miss my baby. we've only been together short of two years. oh well.

just after i got back, it seemed my best tech toy had had enough. i had it sleep one night. the next day, it no longer wanted to boot. i took it to the shop to have a look see at what's wrong. apparently, i've been an abusive owner. i kept it on for long periods without rest. i don't really clean it much lol. its internal fan had gathered dust and was so clogged it could no longer run. this resulted to my video chipset burning out -- hence, no visuals.

the shop -- Computer Depot over at West Knox -- said i can pay them to "burn in" a new chipset, sources unknown (to me, at least). this will take a couple of days of burning and testing. the guarantee was for only half a year... or i can but a new one. Computer Depot services and sells laptops...

so, my thinning wallet (from the holidays) is now a thousand bucks leaner. new laptop's working out fine but it's been a pain reinstalling all my software.

actually, i still can't over playing computer technician. yeah yeah, i work in IT. but i've never opened up a laptop before. i had to open my old one up to get the hard drive, just so i can retrieve my files. the real computer technician kept warning me: "be careful! don't drop that! you'll ruin your files!" i'm like, ok ok, i wish you'd just do this for me. got in my nerves lol!

New for 2012

have i told you that one of my New Year's resolutions is to cut down on my eating? i've been binge eating for about a month now and i need to stop. i'm putting on weight... and how many months more till summer? gotta build up my beach bod -- and yeah, sorry for my vanity here. if there's really one thing i take care about, it's my body. it's got to be good in and out.

anyway, having said that, i find out that Barberitos is opening up a branch in Knoxville. uh oh. one of my weaknesses when it comes to food is the combination: seasoned rice, salsa, and cheese. and i mean buckets of cheese. if something has cheese in it, i want it to be gooey cheesy. no subtle oh ah taste. i want cheese. tacos and burritos are particularly good for me. i can eat a whole bunch of them.

i tried Barberitos a couple of time when I was in Florida. they've got tacos and burritos = i love them!

anyway, i will make a trip or two at their Knoxville branch when it finally opens. i just hope i don't make a habit of it. it's normal for people to let loose some during the holidays but -- as i keep telling myself -- holidays are over. i need to shape up!

the New Year roundup

seems like the New Year fever isn't over yet. i am still on 2011 roundup mode at the office, as well as when i mull over my life (which i tend to do more during transitions like New Year's).

so where was i? several unfinished projects at work, a couple of them on-hold. i am feeling my way around, looking for some direction... or maybe a directive from the bosses on where to look. it's up in the air right now but it's alright. things do tend to feel aloft during the start of the year. i do hope i get to focus on what i need to focus on though. i'm all revved up to over-achieve this year. lol!

as for the rest, things seem to fall in place last year. i got a girl i really connect with on so many levels. we are having fun. i started this blog, which is fun too. i get to practice typing out actual words and phrases, instead of codes or meta content. it's a good outlet for me.

speaking of outlet, i also found Funtime Getaways this year and became a member. the nudist club has been a good outlet for me as i immerse myself into Knoxville life once again. i met a lot of good friends there. i will keep coming back into camp this 2012.

it was also great to reunite with my family for Christmas, and to meet my girlfriend's family before i left for San Francisco. i suppose i am getting into this deeper. i felt a strong sense of connection to family -- i already miss them. and my girlfriend has also brought me into hers and i felt most welcome. i guess as i get older, i lose this rebelliousness that i had when i was younger, when all i'd want to do is move out and go about my life on my own. i've realized that, above all else, family will always be there -- no matter how my life turned/turns out.

and so far, it has been a good life and i am grateful.

Happy 2012!

i feel good about the new year. i started it right, with my girl beside me. it was a quiet celebration. we had dinner and watched a fireworks presentation for a bit. then off to my place for some wine and love. i got a call from my parents and they are having fun, as well. everything's good.

now, i have some resolutions in mind. i know, we only make resolutions at the start of the year and most of them don't stick. but i'll make mine work. 2012 is my year and it'll be about living the life that i've always wanted.

first of all, i will definitely get out more. my IT job is desk-bound. as much as i love the job, i will need to cut down the amount of time i work. like they say: work smarter, not harder. good output does not have to take so much of my time. i will make this work.

i will probably spend a lot more time with my nudist club Funtime Getaways. i am seriously missing the folks there. to those with dirty thoughts on the goings-in in clubs like ours, stop. it is not like that. for most of my experience with the group, interactions have been respectful, engaging and fun. we go about everything in the nude, which is very liberating. and we engage in activities that we like, like outdoor baths, games, wine, and conversation. if you want a little something-something, that might be possible with others who are interested. after all, we are all mature adults. but otherwise, if it's just conversation and the outdoors -- it's a go.

i actually just let it hang and get to know the people in the club. they are some of the most diverse and interesting people i know in Knoxville. and it ceased to surprise me how nudists are from diverse backgrounds. i don't think i can think of a "cliche nudist" in the group. Funtime Getaways sifts through those who want to join first. in my case, i just had to go to several outings and prove i can be trusted. that's all.

that's why i have no qualms about bringing my girlfriend next time. i want her to explore this side of her. if she likes it, then great. if not, that's alright too. nudism's not for everyone.

anyway, here's to 2012! may it bring new joys and excitement in our lives!