Summer with singing school kids, drinking "hurricanes," and Shamu

Yup, I once again apologize for my long-term absence, but to make it up to you, I made a summer video juuust fooor yooou!!! :D

Post a comment about your summer, or email me at
oliviasarockstar@gmail.com :)

THANKS FOR WATCHING!!!

Don't forget to subscribe!!!

Illegal Aspirations

OK, so I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. Since the moment I watched the movie "Ocean's Eleven," I've had the secret desire to be intelligent enough to be able to rob, not one, but three Las Vegas casinos in one and virtually get away with it.

But here's the thing, I'm not one who gives a damn about how much money I have in my bank account. I like living comfortably, but not lavishly... it's just not my thing. So, what's a girl, who doesn't give a damn about how much money she has in her bank, to do with briefcases filled with millions of dollars in cash?

Give it to someone else, of course. Someone more deserving...

Being the modern-day Robin Hood, I suppose...

But seeing as that stealing is

#1: morally incorrect,
#2: impossible for the person who is a horrible liar to do,
#3: extremely difficult for my wee little brain to handle,
#4: the gateway to spending a good part of my life behind prison bars,

I think I'm gonna trash that dream, and, rather, live vicariously through these folks right here:

Oh my dearests Eliot, Sophie, Nate, Parker, and Hardison, how you have enlightened me with your badass skills at screwing rich people over and giving all your profits to those who deserve it... you are my heroes...

"Leverage" is my new favorite show... I LOVE IT!... WATCH IT NOW!!!
http://www.tnt.tv/series/leverage/

Endnotes
1. This whole addiction with "Leverage" is courtesy of Austin Lee... that bastard got me hooked
2. Parker is my favorite (blonde). She's crazy, but she can come up with amazing exit strategies by jumping off buildings and crawling inside air ducts... mahahaha! SO COOL!
3. I want to be as smart as Nate (middle guy). He's the leader. He's awesome.
4. Despite Eliot's great physique, I find Hardison much more awesome.

Family Photoshoot - Part Two

One of my sisters couldn't make it yesterday, so we went to Elk Grove Park today and went on another round of family pictorials...

The kids


Looking out onto the lake


Peaceful and serene


Ducks!


We love our momma


The Buhat Family

Family Photoshoot - Part One

My family was really bored yesterday, so we decided to go to William Land Park to take some summer pictures.

Mommy and baby Owie :)

Three Asuncions modeling



...just having fun...

Nica and Uncle Allan riding the slide

Mother and Daughter

Father and Daughter

Trend Alert: Coach Man Purse - Fall 2010

Boys will be boys

No paparazzis please

Mother Nature is a playground on its own...

I Can't Sleep!

Nine months of school and all I ever wanted was sleep... a necessity-turned-luxury, sleep was something I extremely lacked during my time at Cheney 113 last school year.

Due to a combination of academic, social, and at some points, physical reasons (I mean broken ribs, sicko!), sleep for me only averaged to about 3 hours a night.

So when it was finally summertime, I did what any sleep-deprived architecture student would do...I embraced the simultaneous softness and firmness of my pillows, wrapped myself in my fleece blanket and slept for two and a half weeks. The only breaks I had were during eating, mission: impossible (my mission to clean my room, which succeeded), occasional facebook chatting, and shower. And boy, my dates with my bed were oh-so-sweet....... until now....

I guess when you sleep for that long, your sleeping pattern gets all screwed up and whatnot. Now, it's one o'clock in the morning and I am WIDE AWAKE. I drank my chamomile tea, I listened to my lullabies, I turned off all my lights, and still, I tossed and turned in my bed for an hour and a half.

Oh sleep, why must you do this to me when I actually have something to do early tomorrow???

Feel Good Playlist

Photo courtesy of: Photo Dictionary

Summer is here.

School is OVER.

All there is left to do is enjoy the sun.

What better way to do it than with music that make you feel GREAT.

Olivia's Summer-Feel-Good Playlist Highlights:
(in no particular order)

1. Beautiful Day - U2

2. Build Me Up, Buttercup - The Foundations

3. Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny) - The Pussycat Dolls

4. Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye

5. I'll Be - Edwin McCain [my most favorite love song ever <3]

6. Rock 'N Roll All Nite - KISS

7. Kiss Me - Sixpence None The Richer

8. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

9. Under the Sea - Sebastian [The Little Mermaid Soundtrack]

10. We Got the Beat - The Go-go's

Ahh yes, 94 songs, 5.6 hours of pure heaven... It's gonna be a fun summer :)

(It sure beats the hour long Barney music medley I have to listen to on a day-to-day basis O_O)

A Rumpus in the Rainforest

There's a rumpus in the rainforest today...

First full day back from a long year of school (also first day with my mother away as she parties away in Chicago, IL), I was given the pleasure of watching a play called "A Rumpus in the Rainforest." Andre, my seven-year-old nephew was given the honor to play an adorable monkey and sing, "Up in the Canopy," with two other classmates (also monkeys).


What is "A Rumpus in the Rainforest" all about you say?

Frog in the rain forest desperately wants to get off the jungle floor and see the sky---but who will help him climb above the canopy? The Jaguar loves the jungle floor, the Sloth family keeps falling asleep, and the Howler Monkeys have gone nuts. The Boas offer to slither up a tree, but can you really ever trust a boa? Meanwhile, two bungling Explorers stumble by in search of the Lost Ancient City of Choco- late. No wonder the jungle is going crazy. And have you ever seen so many ants? Rumpus in the Rain Forest gives students a musical tour of the various levels of the jungle and reinforces in fun fashion the importance of the rain forests.

My sister said that they were given the opportunity to pick which part they wanted to be. Frog, of course, was the protagonist of the play... but who wants to be the lead anyway?

Sister: Why didn't you pick to be the Toucan or the Frog? You would've been able to memorize the lines easily!

Andre: Well... I like monkeys because they can swing from tree to tree... and the Toucan and the Frog aren't very important parts anyway.

Well played, little man, well played. As the monkeys say:

We can sing and play
Go bananas all day
Up in the canopy

Failed...

Put your seatbelt on, Nica. We have to get outta here.

So I went to a cafe with a friend to grab some drinks to keep us awake for the night. While he waits for his order to arrive, I realized that another friend told me earlier today she would be studying in the same cafe, so I decided to plunge into the sea of chairs and scour the cafe grounds for her.

But instead of finding her, I see a different familiar face, a face belonging to someone who, God bless him, needs to calm the fudgecicles down. For all intents and purposes, we will call this person "John Doe." I knew that if I start speaking to John Doe, I'm gonna have an overly-enthusiastic, and overwhelming existentialist conversation with him; something I definitely cannot afford at a time of academic crisis. I'm already going crazy enough as it is.

As big as the Grand Canyon, my eyes grew WIDE and on sheer impulse, my hand pushed the joystick to its leftmost position, turning my chair a full 180 degrees, and started zooming in the opposite direction as John Doe.

Not even a millisecond has passed when all of a sudden, a loud "OLIVIA!" filled the room. I frustratingly facepalmed and aggressively stomped my foot on my footrest three times, after which I attempted to clear my face of any sign of annoyance and turned around to approach him.

As expected, I wasted about 16.73 minutes of my time listening to him talk about philosophical matters. I could tell you what he talked about but that's gonna give away who he is... Actually, to be honest, every word kinda just went in one ear and out the other, so I wouldn't even be able to tell you had I wanted to. But in any event, that was surely an FML right there...

RACE FOR THE CURE 2009

Cal Expo
Sacramento, CA

May 9, 2009

NEW HAIRCUTS!!!

Because we're awesome like that...

I MISS HOME! I WANNA GO HOME AND EAT MY MOMMA'S COOKING!!!

Bittersweet Adventure

A day is so much more interesting when you experience it to its fullest extent; as in being conscious (or at least in theory) every single minute of its 24 hours.

Yup, that was my day today. Having close to no sleep at all for the full 24 hours of Wednesday, April 8, 2009, a day filled with the good and the bad, I can only describe it in one word: bittersweet.

As mentioned, my day started out...well...very, very, VERY early... more like Tuesday and Wednesday kinda just meshed together, separated only by an unnoticable one second.

12:00 AM with way too much work to do, I struggled to juggle Rhino-ing, and PhotoShop-ing, and chubbing. Losing track of time, I look at the clock and was astonished at the fact that I've spent 4 hours making very little progress on the work that I actually HAVE to do. After panicking wildly, a large sea mammal (B-Gon) knocks on my door to speak of absolute nonsense for hours, while I simultaneously design a community center.

Both awake at 7:00 AM, large sea mammal and I strut ourselves to Crossroads to replenish via consumption of heart attack foods (scrambled eggs, tater tots, and BACON)... only to find that lack of sleep weakens the digestive system, leaving us a little too woozy to further function normally...BLEH.

After an unexpected praise from my studio instructor, a short 20 minute nap, going absolutely insane, and getting disappointed at my architectural history midterm grade, B-Gon and I were kidnapped by E-Bay, and taken on a quite lengthy bus ride to a heavenly place known as Bittersweet Cafe.

This is where it gets sweet... very sweet. *sigh*

THE CLASSIC - The classic, sweet and creamy chocolate delight. In other words, delicious.

In addition to that, CHOCOLATE THAI ICED TEA - Sweet, floral, cool and refreshing. Surprisingly interesting and very very good.




THE BITTERSWEET - A deeply chocolate experience. Non-dairy, rich, and wonderful. Yuuuummmmmm... delightful.

Along with an order of Almond Croissant that is to die for.








Also, can't deny the fact that the charming cashier makes me wanna giggle inside despite his lack of intellect, but hey, that's OK.

E-Bay: Is this a habit?
Choco Boy: A what?
E-Bay: A habit
Choco Boy: *raises eyebrows*
E-Bay: Do you make this often?!
Choco Boy: Ohhhh! Yeah, everyday.

*facepalm* Oy!

The day proceeds with a walk down College Avenue, stopping at many wonderful shops, scheming pranks of odd-couple pregnancies, playing with children's playthings, listing possible themes for dinner date nights, criticizing the various types of architectures along the street, and once again, epicly ending it with another round of cramming ourselves onto my bed for a catnap (nip*).

The day had its downs, but heavily compensated by its ups (more sweet than bitter, really). From my previous blog, I talk about wanting another DNP, and hey, whattayaknow, it was just around the corner (or very very far down College).

Another day spent with two friends who have a knack for snacks, finds joy in toys, a passion for (good) fashion, and just an overall Bryan-ness and Steph-ness that makes me oh-so-happy. Can't complain.

AHHHHHHH!

GAH!!! I'm excited... I wanna watch...

It's OK, judge me if you must, but Zac Efron, *whew!*

WATCH THIS!

Dead

Lights at the Strikes Bowling Alley

I think other than the fact that I'm physically functioning for the most part, I'm pretty much dead. This semester has been a biznotch to me in so many different ways that my used-to-be-plenty stock of motivation is slowly diminishing into sheer nothingness. Though reassurance is abundantly handed out to me by friends and family, it still doesn't seem to be sufficient enough to get me back on track. It's like there's a voice that constantly whispers "failure" into my ears.

And when there's a voice that calls to you like this, you feel the need to just give up and stop trying. You feel good for a while, thinking about how much you don't care; how it's just you and the world right now; how you're finally free. Then a midterm, or a paper, or a project creeps up behind you and then BAM, you pull an intense all-nighter, and stress once again prevails and the whole process starts all over again.

Shame.
--------------------------------------------------------
Things I want to do instead of work...

1. Dance around. Possibly naked. Even if Ashola does this on a regular basis, I've never tried it. Who knows, maybe this will make me happy.

2. Go to the zoo. Sometimes, I like the idea of reverting back to childhood where all you cared about was whether Mommy was gonna keep her promise and take you to the zoo to see the lions, and tigers, and bears (oh my!)

3. Sit on the sand near the water on a beach. Mmmm, just oh so relaxing.

4. Stay in bed the whole day. Have breakfast, lunch, and dinner there. With a good book.

5. DNP-day. Not that I don't see CHB abundantly already, buut, I'd like for one time to be absolutely worry-free, without any laptops or books or notes around. No need to spend tons of moolahs...

6. Paint. Boy, haven't done that in a while.

7. Go home without any homework. It cuts too much into my family time.

Distractions

GAH! I'm so easily distracted!

One second, I'm intently studying for my Arch 130 midterm, and the next thing I know, I'm on damn blogger, writing this damn blog. I'm such an epic fail!

The only thing I'm actually good at... sleeping and eating... at the same time...

Flower Power!

I just wanted to show off my new tie. My sister dropped it off my house, once belonging to my bro-in-law. She thought I would appreciate the very flower-ful array of fall colors adorning the dark blue base background.

Part of me suspects a vindictive nature in her surge of generosity; picking out the worst tie in his spring cleaning throw-away pile and driving 8 miles to give it to me... after which she would drive back to her place while viciously snickering.

I bet she was waiting for me to make a face as she hands me this astericks-ornamented tie that seems to once belong to Bozo the Clown but HA! You thought wrong sissy!!! My face lit up with joy as this precious piece of garment is laid upon my hands... a true sign of LIKING IT!

Though my puzzled mind still screams "Where in the world did this tie come from, and why in the world would he have it?!?!" the unique character of this tie entices me and sparks a strong adoration towards it. Weird.

Pink, Green, and Blue

Pink. Color of universal love. Provides feelings of caring, tenderness, self-worth and love, acceptance. Favored by lovers of beauty.

Green. Color of nature, fertility, life. Most restful color. Symbolizes self-respect and well-being. Also means learning, growth, and harmony.
Blue. Color of inspiration, sincerity, and spirituality. Calming color. Opens the flow of communication. Symbolizes solitude and peace.

Heartbreak

I thought we loved each other. I guess NOT. We spend all this time making videos with bunnies and ponies, and eating oreo-encrusted brownies, and Thursday TV nights...and now you tell me you don't love me anymore?!?!

I'm absolutely HURT!

But regardless of your unbelievable inconsideration of my feelings, I still feel compelled to tell you that MY LOVE for YOU will never disappear!

*sniff*

What I learned from bowling...

Last Saturday, my whole family and I went bowling...

Though seemingly mediocre compared to the vast variety of activities one can do, I found it very pleasing and more than satisfied my need to take a break from my intense life and have a little fun.

After "damn near perfect" day, I was very much certain that karma wasn't gonna allow me to have any more fun any time soon. That became very clear to me when the days post-DNPday turned into a nightmare full of emotional distress and unnecessary stinkeyes. And in addition to that, after personal day-offs, grey's-anatomying, brazil-cafeing, and guitaring on the grass, I KNEW it was all over for me... karma was never gonna forgive me...

So much for a relaxing spring break!!!

But then bowling came along...

And after a week of mixed emotions swimming around in me, bowling was the one thing I needed most. It wasn't just a wonderful stress-reliever, but it also taught me VALUABLE LIFE LESSONS.

1. A 60-something-pound girl with OI can bowl... she would probably suck... but she can bowl.

2. Don't be embarrassed to request for rails... They really help you, especially when you suck (like the 60-something-pound girl with OI!)

3. Don't bite off more than you can chew... don't try to bowl a 15 pound ball when you can barely lift it off the table. (Also, biting a gigantic piece of the breakfast sandwich might cause near-Heimlich-maneuver choking that would scare the family bowling next to you... YOU'RE SUCH A PIG OLIVIA!!!)

4. Arcade games at bowling alleys are WAY too damn expensive

5. Dance Dance Revolution sucks when you don't know how to play well...or play at all

6. Spending time with your loved ones and seeing them genuinely smile is one of the most rewarding gifts you can ever be given.

7. No matter how much someone gets on your nerves, setting your differences aside, even for just 2 hours of throwing a 10 lb. ball around, could be beneficial for said loved ones.

8. Bowling is a wonderful way to let out all the anger festering inside of you... maybe anger towards the person mentioned in above lesson.

9. A little shot of endorphins can make you forget about pain, whether its physical or emotional.

As you step back and watch the ones you love have the time of their lives, you realize how lucky you are to have them. That despite the little feuds that occur within that circle, you realize that there is still so much love that exists. That even though anger infiltrates to your brain, you realize that it's more important to get rid of all that anger because now you know that not having it feels so much better.

Though the aftermath of this whole shebang consists of 6 rounds of Tylenol for the immense muscle pain, and being a whole lot poorer from the combined costs of games, shoes, and arcade for a total of about 25 people, all in all, I had a really great time.

STRIKE!

It's not always how it seems...

Have you ever met a person that seems to have the perfect life?

They have the smarts, the great looks, the overall amazing personality.

Well, I'll let you in on a little secret: Nothing's always what it seems. There will be times when the person you think has it better than you actually has it worse. You can't judge someone because of what they choose to show you.

Oh, no. There is a reason why they CHOOSE to show the good part of their lives and hide the bad parts. It's all about flaunting what you got, and tucking away the things you wish you never had. There's no need for anyone else to know what's wrong with your life...whiners are annoying. Plus, you have that pressure...everyone thinks you're perfect, so you hide the imperfections so that they won't think any less of you. You want to reassure them that there's nothing wrong, in hopes of convincing yourself that there's nothing wrong.
But at the same time, hiding your problems could lead to irreparable internal damages. You choose to hide all the bad stuff so much that you store it all inside, then you EXPLODE. You care about how others think about you so much, that you're causing yourself to emotionally die...and you're not showing yourself anymore, but this other person you created to portray a perfect life. You can't cry yourself to bed every night thinking that somehow, everything's gonna be OK.

Know that no one's perfect...there is no such thing as a perfect life. Don't refrain from showing your emotions because you're afraid that they're gonna think you're psychotic, or weird, or crazy.

For goodness' sake, you're probably making yourself even crazier...

Share yourself...write a blog...write in a diary...cry on a friend's shoulder...cry on a stranger's shoulder...