happy halloween?

Well I have to first admit that I am not really a big fan of October. Most of the month involves everything dark...

And Halloween just seems to be the climax of it all.

But for some reason today, Halloween seemed to be very relaxing. I have gotten the chance to do quite a bit of relaxing. I also got the chance to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" my favorite thing to watch during this time.

But my favorite part about Halloween is the fact that tomorrow begins the true holiday season. Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite times of the year and I can't wait.

I think for now, I will either continue reading my book or watch Charlie Brown again :)

the green mile

Well for the past few days, I've been attempting to read "Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy. I have to say...its a very difficult book to read.

His writing style consists of not using quotation marks to display dialogue...to name a few things. It is an interesting story, but I found myself having to read parts again to understand what was going on. This is a book that would be better in audio.

But I am now reading "The Green Mile" by Stephen King. Now I am very excited about this book. It is a serial novel with 6 separate sections, but I have already read the first one. I am really enjoying this story already.

This one I should be able to get through pretty quickly

sin city hockey

Since everyone knows that I am a big fan of hockey, I am always looking for other areas that may get more NHL teams. One possible location is Seattle, a major city that has yet to host an NHL franchise.

But the other interesting one is Las Vegas...

This year, the NHL awards are going to be hosted in Las Vegas and this may open the possible expansion of the NHL into Las Vegas, especially with the future plans to build a super arena to host not only an NHL team, but an NBA team as well

So this got my imagination working...in terms of what type of name could you give a team in Las Vegas.

I'm not going to share it right now, but I do have some cool ideas in mind :)

other than california...

I have lived in California my whole life, for the last 20 years. However, its a little more difficult to live here easily because it is so expensive and everything.

So I always consider my future as to my job and having a family and being able to have a nice life.

So I think about other places in the USA that would be more suitable for having a better life.

I think high on my list is somewhere is Washington state, like Spokane. I am liking a place like this because it is a colder climate and a much easier lifestyle.

But I also looked at Buffalo, NY. Rated 10th best city on FORBES to raise a family.

That's a good idea :)

Hockey Game

So tonight, one of my dreams has been realized. I finally go to see my favorite hockey team, along with my favorite player, play a game. It was so exciting...even though they didn't win.

But what is important is that I got to go and I enjoyed myself quite a lot! :)

Here is the video from tonight:

oh sweet satisfaction...

Today, I got back my two midterms for my art history classes.

I was nervous...

Very Nervous..........

Advanced Survey of World Art - A (Percentage Unknown)!!!!

Modern Art - B (86%)

I was so happy! Seriously one of the best moments I have had since I got here at school.

Life is good. Plus with no class tomorrow and the hockey game tomorrow night...it has been a pretty good week.

:D

the treadmill...

So today i started doing some cardio, probably 2 times a week. And I decided to try my hands, or rather feet, at a treadmill.

And it actually wasn't as bad as I thought. All in all, I ran about 1.5 miles today, at 8mph and at a 3% incline.

And it was really tough, but I got through it!

Hooray for me :)

cardio...

So I have been doing some working out stuff for about 2 weeks now

and it has been giving me some cool results. Not like "HOLY CRAP" results, but enough to be noticed by me.

But there is also the question of body fat percentage. I keep hearing that muscles become even more defined when you have less body fat percentage. I did my calculation and figured out that I have about 14% percent body fat. Not too bad, but I could have less. And doing cardio is the way to lower it.

Cardio is probably one of my least favorite exercises because i am not a big fan of running or anything. But I figured that I should at least give a steady jog at least twice week on the treadmill to see what happens.

Who knows...

Devils baby!!

I am a huge hockey fan. Without a doubt...my favorite sport in the whole world. I just love everything about it. I did play when I was younger and it does bum me out a little that I didn't keep playing afterward.

But in my whole life, I have only been to about two NHL games. And I was too young to really enjoy them. But this Wednesday, I am finally going to an NHL game...to see my favorite team.

The New Jersey Devils!!!!

Along with my favorite player and perhaps the best goalie to ever play the game.

#30 Martin Brodeur

They are playing the San Jose Sharks and they are the away team...so I will be wearing my opposing jersey proudly.

what grinds my gears...week 2

...what happened to good television?

I am a child of the 90s and I personally believe that the 90s had the best television. I was a huge fan of all the kids shows like Power Rangers, any Nickelodeon cartoon, or even a sitcom like "Home Improvement" or "Boy Meets World." These shows, especially the two sitcoms, relied of having actual humor, good stories, and some type of moral value. I love the fact that TV on DVD came out a few years ago and that allowed me to own the entire series of Home Improvement on DVD. I am still waiting for seasons 4-7 of Boy Meets World...although I heard that season 4 will be coming out sometime near the end of this year or early next year.

But...after the 90s...everything changed

Now I am not going to personally attack any specific shows. I'm not going to be completely harsh. All I am saying is that some of these shows now use really awful dialogue and an overuse of a laugh track that happens during lines that aren't funny. It's almost like the audience only finds loud and obnoxious yelling and screaming funny. It just bugs me.

Thankfully, I have found a new love for a show that really lives up to and grabs my attention like a 90s sitcom. "Modern Family" on ABC is one of the FUNNIEST shows to come out on TV in a long time. And what is good is that it really isn't in any danger of being canceled anytime soon. I love the filming style of the show...Mockumentary. This type of filming is also used in a show like "The Office" where it has a documentary style feel with somewhat hand held camera work and interviews with each family member. And there is no laugh track so you have to pay attention to the funny lines...but they are definitely in there. To me, it seems to get better and better each week

the pen is mightier than the sword...

For a while now, I have been on the task of writing a novel. But since the last month of so that I have been preparing for going to college, I have had to put it off.

But what is nice is that I finally have some time to get back into it and keep typing. I didn't want to let this idea go because it was one of my best ideas, in my opinion. My last idea for a novel go into about 80 pages or so before I took part of it in to get it critiqued during a class. That was not the best idea because it got shot down and it really drained my confidence. So I decided not to finish it. But ever since that day, I developed a new story that has proven to be much more exciting than my last one. I am deciding not to have it be critiqued by a teacher or someone with literary knowledge until it is completely done...or at least the first draft.

So far, I just finished chapter 3 and ended at a page count of 56 pages. When I finish the first draft, I am going to go through at make my necessary pages for the second draft. I am not all into finding a publisher in hopes of being a famous author. I would just love to finish it.

And then I discovered self-publishing...

If I can get it printed off certain websites and have it sold online, that would be great. Who knows...

:)

relaxation...

I just love when big tests are over with.

Enough said! :) now time for me to relax this weekend

how to study art...

This week has brought my two midterms...both for Art History...both with the same teacher. My first test was about World Art (particularly architecture) which involved an endless amount of writing. Tomorrow's test is Modern Art, involving analyzing several pieces of famous art and who each fits into a particular movement.

Sounds boring right?

Not totally actually. While it is kind of a pain to remember who did which and what a correct interpretation of a piece is (not going to go into that) it's interesting to find out why some of these famous pieces were created in the first place. Because I have to remember the names of the paintings, painters, dates, and movements, I created a memory game with Post-It Notes. One of my roommates mixed up all the names of famous artists and I had to put them in the correct place. Then last night, I also added the paintings that they did, the ones that are going to be on the test tomorrow. And it has been very effective so far. I am not one for just sitting in front of a computer and staring at my notes. I have to make it more exciting. I have found that trying to recite everything while doing any other activity: cleaning your room, doing dishes, taking a shower, walking to class, anything really works.

My test is at noon tomorrow so I have the rest of the day to study and get everything crammed into my mind.

Then I can be at peace...

Especially when I know that one week from today, I am finally fulfilling my dream of seeing an NHL game with my favorite team: The NEW JERSEY DEVILS!!!! More on that next week.

the biggest loser

So the first of my two midterms was early this morning and it went a lot better than I thought. Although, I can't say I wasn't too happy as to how much writing I had to do. I had a bad case of writer's cramp...but at least that one is over with. Now it's on to studying for Thursday test!


But other than that, I have to say that I have taken an interest in the NBC show "The Biggest Loser". This is a reality competition in which contestants, struggling with obesity, are given a second chance to lose weight for a grand prize. I wasn't too sure about this show when I first caught it a few years ago, but this year, I have chosen to watch an entire season and it is quite amazing. Just the fact that some people don't necessarily come here for the money, but rather the purpose of being more healthy and in shape. I have to say this it is so great to see that people are really fighting to make their lives last!

A big salute, not only to those on the Biggest Loser, but anyone who has decided to turn their life around and make a change :)

to infinity and beyond...

While I take a quick break from studying, I thought I should tell you a story...a story about my obsession rather with Toy Story.

Toy Story was released in 1995, about when I was 5 years old, and it was one of the first movies that i actually remember in my mind. I was so excited to watch it and I would try and watch it as much as I could. Then came Toy Story 2 in 1999 and it got even better. I was still in love with Toy Story as a whole...but I thought the second one would be the end. Although I was older when the 2nd one came out, I still find the first one as my favorite.

Then came Toy Story 3...

After waiting 11 years, I NEVER thought in my life that one movie could really put me back to a place that I missed. And I feel like it happened with everyone. Toys reflect childhood and just by watching this movie, it made me miss my childhood. When I was younger, I play with toys of all kinds and I could just be free and have fun. But eventually we grow up and times change. But this movie really made me feel like a kid again.


The reason why I put this movie far above anything else is the fact that I grew up with Toy Story and it is a large part of my past. I have always wanted to be Buzz Lightyear and am not ashamed to say it. Heck, I am in college and I walk around with a Buzz Lightyear backpack!


I also never thought I could cry in a movie anymore than Pixar's 2009 movie, UP. That movie made me cry very much, strictly the beginning scenes. But Toy Story 3 had me completely bawling through several parts in the movie, especially the ending. I will not give it away, but it is just...ugh so perfect the way that it ended.

I finally have the first Toy Story on DVD and still call it my favorite movie of all time, but Toy Story 3 is right behind. Just a different feeling, being older and understanding all of the emotions from the first translate well into the last.

The DVD release is Tuesday, November 2nd. SO EXCITED!!!!

short story exercises

This quarter, I am taking a Creative Writing class that deals with the short story. Every weekend, we have a new story, or exercise, that demonstrates how we have learned something from the previous chapter in our book. This week, we learned about escalating plot and storyline. I think this is my favorite story so far. I don't mind posting it because I'm not getting it published or anything. It's just for fun.

"The Fatal Plunge" by Travis LaRiviere

The stone was as elegant as can be. Light had reflected off its face and glowed a brilliant white flicker. The gold band encased the diamond and wrapped to make a perfect circle. Aaron held up the engagement ring to the ceiling light, examining it closer before he made the final purchase.

“Brother, I think this is the one,” Aaron said.

Matt, Aaron’s brother, took the ring and examined it himself. “It’s pretty sweet dude. I’m sure she is going to love it.”

Aaron took back the ring and finalized his purchase with the woman at the counter. “Congratulations, young man. I hope you and your girlfriend are will have a wonderful life,” she said, handing the boxed ring in a small bag.

They stepped out of the store into the busy mall and proceeded to walk back towards Aaron’s black Camry. A few ignorant seagulls had left some droppings on his windshield. “God, I just cleaned this thing earlier. Sometimes I wish I could just shoot them all down,” Aaron said.

“I know dude. Stupid birds.”

The traffic leading back home was fairly decent. A few slow areas lined the freeway along the opposite side. Their direction had a much steadier flow. Aaron had to concentrate on driving, but wanted to look at the engagement ring he just bought for his unsuspecting girlfriend. Matt took it out for him and examined it once more, reveling in its grandeur.

“I’m excited for you man. When are planning on proposing to her?” Matt asked.

“Well not tonight. I still need to plan out my idea. I need to make reservations at the restaurant so it definitely will not be tonight. We are just going on a casual date. What about you? What are you doing?” Aaron asked.

“Tonight?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, Kim is just coming over and we’re watching a movie. Something I haven’t seen yet so she is excited to have me watch it,” Matt replied.
The Camry pulled up into the driveway and both men grabbed the other bags from the back seat. Groceries, clothes, and a bank receipt filled the bags.

“Do you know what movie it is?” Aaron asked, closing his door.

“I think it’s the one with the boy wizard or something like that,” Matt replied, several bags in hand.

“Yeah have fun with that.”

---

Later that night, Kim, Matt’s girlfriend, approached the door as Aaron opened it and began to walk out.

“Oh hey Kim! How are you?” he asked, giving her a friendly hug.

“Hi Aaron! I’m doing just great. Just going to be spending some time with your brother tonight.”
Aaron noticed the DVD case in her right hand when they finished their hug. “Is it true that you are making him watch Harry Potter?” he asked.

“Well yeah…I think he’ll enjoy it,” she answered.

“You two have fun now okay? I’m going out with my special person tonight so I wont be back til late.”
Aaron headed back out towards his Camry and drove off down the street. Kim closed the door behind her and strolled up to Matt, where she gave him a kiss. “Hi baby! How are you doing? You excited to watch our movie?”

“Of course I am,” he replied. He had a subtle hint of sarcasm, but not too much that Kim was annoyed by it. “I had a pretty good day today. Aaron and I did some running around, but it has been pretty relaxing today.”

“I’m so glad baby.”
Matt leaned in and gave her another kiss on her right cheek, her skin soft and colored in a light blush.

“I just want you to know how much I love you,” he told her.

“I love you very much, Matt.”

“Oh I have something to show you! I think you will like it.”
Matt turned away for a brief moment and went to the kitchen table where the bags from earlier were placed. He scrambled around inside one of them and grabbed the engagement ring that Aaron purchased. He brought the ring over to Kim and opened it to show her. “What do you think?”

“Oh…my…God! Yes baby! I will marry you!” she screamed in excitement.
Matt was stunned as to her reply. This was not the exact reaction he had looked for. This was worse. Much worse.

“What did you say?”

“I said yes, baby! I will marry you! Oh you are the sweetest guy in the world!” She leaned forward and threw her arms around him and planted a juicy kiss right on his lips.
Matt hesitated, but kept on hugging her and kissing her long enough to think of a plan to pull himself out of this. He couldn’t let this good moment go away.

“Uh…yes Kim. I want you to be my wife. Now and forever.” He took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger; a perfect fit.

Now the floodgates had opened. He saw a twinkle in her eye as she observed the stunning ring on her finger.

“Baby, would you give me a minute to go to the restroom? I’ll be right back,” he asked.

“Of course my love. I’ll be waiting right here for you.” Her smile lit up the night sky through the window.
Matt trudged around the corner hall into the bathroom. He splashed his face with a handful of water and stared at himself through the mirror. His reflection gazed back at him, the inner conscience letting him know the mess he was in. His grip on the porcelain of the sink turned his knuckles bright white.

“Sweetheart? Are you okay?” Kim called from the living room.

“Yeah I’m fine. Just give me a minute. Got a sick feeling in my stomach.”

earning your wings...

I love surprises...and an effective surprise is something you would want to experience again & again. This past Christmas, my mom surprised me with a special present. Along with my brother and my dad, she took us to a place that I would have never expected.


We went to the Flightdeck Air Combat Center in Anaheim, CA.

While I am not a pilot, I have to say that this is about as real as it gets to actually flying a real plane. Flightdeck is a fully functional combat jet simulator, where guests become pilots and live out there "Top Gun" dreams by taking to the sky and engaging in a dogfight with the other pilots around you.

The experience includes fitting yourself into a flightsuit and a quick briefing as to how to control the plane, maneuvering, weapon operations, and so much more. When I stepped into the main building, I was surrounded by full size cockpits sitting in front of large screens. Every pilot is completely closed into their cockpit, with the glass closed over year. Now all you do is pay attention to your commander, and enjoy the flight.

This was by far one of the coolest things I have ever experienced in my life. Our commander was quite surprised that me and my brother were able to shoot down several planes during the small amount of flight time. Normally, most people during a 30 minute mission would only shoot about 3 or 4 planes. The both of us shot about 12 each. It was quite a fierce competition.

This is a great place for a birthday, bachelor party, or just a place to live out your flying fantasy! Worth the money.

october...the darkest month of the year...

Literally and figuratively...



When October usually comes around each year, we all think of Halloween, candy, costumes, death, blood, zombies, and anything else in between. True, I do think of things like that, but for many others, it always seems to be the month that doesn't go as well as the others. For a lot of people, lives are changing, bad news comes, or just things seem much more dark and dreary.

In my past years, October has brought some bad times, tough work nights, and other tough life choices. But what is always nice about October is that once it is over...the mood shifts.

...into holiday mode! Happiness fills the air, the smell of fresh Thanksgiving turkey, and the sight of colorful Christmas lights. It is a very exciting time of year for me. Even though it does bring some stress as to getting gifts and figuring out your holiday schedule, it is not as tough as we really make it out to be.

This year I am actually excited about Halloween because I get to spend it with friends and hang out. Normally, I would have to work during that night and it can be very chaotic. But this year...candy, costumes, and lots of fun.

:) maybe more will come later tonight. I enjoy posting my thoughts about life and my daily happenings.

what grinds my gears...week 1

Sidenote...if anyone is familiar with Family Guy, there is an episode where Peter (THE Family Guy) hosts his own news segment called "What Grinds My Gears" in which he rants and complains...this is what I'm going to do, to a certain limit :)

...why do the good bands have to break up?

Being a musician, I believe I have good taste in music, and can recognize it easily. While I do listen to a lot of mainstream music from time to time, my real love comes from the lesser known, independent bands. I don't need bands that get 30 million video hits on YouTube or sell out there records before they are ever even sold in stores. To me, mainstream is about the money, and not the passion of the music. And when bands lose their passion for the music, the music itself begins to fall apart into very cookie-cutter songs and ideas.

Now, I am all for independent bands getting more attention through mainstream that shows that you don't have to be backed by a big label or millions of dollars to produce great music. Two record labels that I frequent are Solid State Records and Tooth & Nail Records. Technically, both of these labels are apart of the same group together. Each label has its own distinct sound: Solid State is metal and hardcore, Tooth & Nail is rock and pop. Several bands have gone onto become world renown and still remain on the same label. I love that.

However, I hate when many of these good bands break up as well. For some reason, it always seems that way. As they say...all good things must come to an end. To name a few bands that were amazing, but are no longer in existence, we have such bands as As Cities Burn, Copeland, and Chasing Victory.

Please take a listen to what REAL MUSICIANSHIP is

As Cities Burn-"Empire" (Was Not Able To Get The Music Video)


Copeland-"Chin Up (Acoustic)"


Chasing Victory-"Wolves"



Update (Oct. 17, 2010)
Confide-"I Never Saw This Coming" :( this saddens me. Probably a band with the best blend of heavy and melodic


This weekly post is not connected with my normal daily postings. Just an extra thing that I can post on the weekend :)

the wonders of nature

Being here at California State University East Bay, I am situated high above the town of Hayward. It is a bit of a climb in the car to get up to the top of the hill to the school, but the seclusion of the campus is the best part. While you are close by to the neighboring city down the hill, you get more satisfaction by being just far enough that you feel in an state of solitude.

Every so often, I take a small hike up one of the hills next to the housing (named Greek Hill) and just stand on top and look out over the city and the rest of the Bay Area. On a nice day, you can see all the way across the San Mateo Bridge, San Jose to the south, and even San Francisco to the North, along with the Bay Bridge. It is a great place to be even you want an amazing view.

But it is even better if you need a quiet place to reflect, ponder the questions in your life, or even pray. Many times, I have walked up that hill and just prayed to God and thanked him for everything that is in my life. It really puts me at peace with myself and everything else around me. And it definitely puts a smile on my face when I am all done. It's too bad that I have never thought about lugging my beach chair and a book up to the top and just sat up there reading.

Maybe soon...

Here is a panorama that I made at the beginning of the quarter to give you and idea of the view at the top. If you click, it will enlarge it so you get the full detail.

i want to pump me up...

Back during this past summer, I attempted to complete P90X, the infamous workout routine that has you gripping for life when its over (not really). But after I got into the groove of things with it, it actually began to produce results. Granted, I am not one for sticking with the diet of chugging down protein to make myself bigger and such. I'm just used to doing the workout.



However, I got to about day 60 until I got so stacked with having to prepare to move on to my university. So I could not complete it.

But now that I am prepared to get back into a workout habit, I developed my own routine that involves an Ab exercise on 3 days of the week and upper body exercises the other 3 days. It is only about 20 minutes each day so it is very easy to get it done.

I am already starting to feel a change, even after 4 days :)

And by the way...who says I can't post more than once a day on a daily blog?

thrills & spills

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I have been a obsessed fan of roller coasters. And with my hometown area being Southern California, I certainly get my fix of adrenaline throughout the year. One of my favorite parks is Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. It just has an entire spectrum of roller coasters...18 to be exact. 18 is going to be the count during 2011. I just read an announcement that SFMM will be opening 3 new roller coasters next year (technically, 2 brand new and 1 renovated). Superman: Escape from Krypton is actually a new version of Superman: The Escape in which the cars will actually be turned around backwards and still go 100 mph up the large tower, freshly repainted.

Another new coaster is for the young kiddies. Six Flags does need those because they want the whole family.

But the exciting one is called the Green Lantern. It's just a crazy look contraption, that takes up a tiny amount of space. Yes it is technically a roller coaster...I can't really describe. Just check out the video below to see all the new things coming next year.



Now speaking of spills, I feel like I have been deprived of sleep lately. Just for the past few nights, I have slept terribly. But last night was absolutely the worst. I started to fall asleep at 11:30 PM, then woke up at 12:30AM with a bad stomach pain, almost to the point of vomiting. I took some Ibuprofen to ease the pain, then went back to sleep at 1:30AM and woke up again at 4:00AM. Finally fell back asleep until 6:45AM when I woke up with my alarm, but didn't get out of bed and didn't wake up until 8AM; the start of my class today. But luckily I was able to make it over there without really missing anything.



It sucked. But I feel better now. I enjoy posting on my blog so please keep up.

What is your favorite roller coaster?

anticipointment

Anticipointment (portmanteau)-The feeling of greatest anticipation for a certain event or happening in one's life, only to be countered by the greatest potential for disappointment. This is a word that was created by a favorite podcast of mine, CoasterRadio.com, and they talked a lot about how things such as roller coasters (a favorite hobby of mine) are built up so much in peoples minds about how great it is going to be. But the higher than anticipation, the greater chance it has to disappoint because it is not what you expected it to be. Throughout my life, I have been subject to this feeling and in one way or another, I decide to drop my anticipation and it allows me to be completely surprised by what unfolds. So here are a few things that apply to anticipointment for me.


1. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows-I have enjoyed every Harry Potter movie with the specific mindset that no book (HP or not) will ever be made into the perfect movie. They are almost separate entities in themselves. So I will go in completely oblivious to what happens, seeing that I haven't read the book in over a year so it might make it better.

2. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy-speaking of perfect books, this book was highly recommended to me by English teachers and others around me. I got it as a birthday present and still have not gotten the chance to start it. But the story intrigues me...ruthless cowboys, a crazy runaway, and Indian scalps...

3. NHL-for the first time in many years, I will finally go back to see an NHL game. Even better, I will be seeing my favorite team (New Jersey Devils) along with my favorite player (Martin Brodeur). They aren't doing so great right now, but its only been one week into the season. It's a long season so I am cheering them on to win in 2 weeks...along with wearing my jersey as the opposing team.

4. College Tests-I haven't had to take much yet, but studying will help immensely. And maybe working out my wrist muscles to prevent writers cramp.

5. Artwork-I don't want to create such a highly-profound image that I could possibly never create. Whether it is painting, drawing, or graphic design...just plug in and let your mind do the rest. The right side of your mind, not the left.

What anticipointment do you have in your life?

technology is superior...

So this is my first daily blog post. I can't decide whether I can post it for the day before, or technically today. It's much too late, but not sleeping much has started to become a trend in college.

Writing in a standard journal has turned into an old art form, but I am one to keep up with the times and do my own blog. No more bad ink, broken pencils, or ripped pages...just infinite text of a web page.

Most of the time, I can include a rant, or vent, or anything I just want to share and such. Today...just the fact that the real work for some classes has started to really take their toll. Study time begins.



Tomorrow is a new day...hopefully everything will be better. I just got to have faith.

Another post will come later, technically today. But for now, it's time for sleep.


posted by Travis