Harrisburg

   10 Days my familial trip lasted. It was also the checkpoint of where I would move to a different work environment. But we'll talk about that later. We have to, because this entry is titled Harrisburg.

hang on this Gatorade is warm.

----

24 hours later:  I fell asleep yesterday. Whoops!

My father's 60th birthday was being celebrated on July 28th. He looks nothing at all like 60! It's a little difficult for me to accept that my parents are aging, because they've always been the ones I looked up to, and have always been there supporting me with whatever I decided throughout my life. I'm extremely glad that he doesn't look 60, because I would cry if he did. It softens the blow considerately, for me at least.



One of the things I most looked forward to being back home was my mama's delicious cooking. As most of my dear readers know I am Peruvian. Not first generation or whatever, nope. I was came to this country with my parents very young. Though I was raised here, I was also around a lot of influence from my country, and there are a lot of things that to this very day I still don't understand or know of too well that many Americans know like the back of their hand.

Things that I never grew accustomed to:

• Steak... names. Or how they're cooked? No clue. I didn't eat a slab of steak with sides growing up. So those terms always confuse me.
• Same with eggs. All I know is that the one that leaks still is over easy. I know what scrambled eggs are, and sunny side up, but anything more than that I'm not familiar with. 
• Sandwiches for lunch? Na-uh. gtfo.
• Dinner at 5? What?
• Sides as a main course with? LOL?!?!
• WHERE THE RICE AT

Weird huh?

Anywho, my mama would make a a different entree every day, enough for both lunch and dinner. I could never replicate the flavors she created, but I try every now and again. Rot and Josh get excited when I do. It makes me happy. She was thrilled to cook for me again, and I totally get it now why she would be. I LOVE her cooking!!

For my dad's birthday she made a fucking buffet of different entrees. My mama is not only the strongest woman I know in my life, the most amazing multitasker, my greatest friend, and the hardest worker I've ever known. She is incredible. She never ceases to surprise me, and never disappoints. She goes over and beyond, and even though it annoys me personally sometimes, because I can be so meh about a lot of things, she's just.. increíble.

Mama, quiero que sepas que tu eres la mujer mas fuerte en mi vida, que nunca me has dado menos do lo que tu sabias que podrias dar, y que sin tu amor tan fuerte que me has dado creciendo, no tendria la fuerza que tengo hoy, para soportar estos tarados de mierda que viven aqui en Hollywood. pucha oye, que joden la paciencia. Pero gracias a todo el trabajo que tu y mi Papi an hecho para mi, voy a seguir adelante, y los voy hacer orgullosos de mi. Los quiero muchisimo, con todo mi alma. 

Google translate did okay, but not really. I lol'd. Try it.

 This one is called Seco. She taught me to make it. 

Rotny and Josh love it.

 This is Papa Rellena. 

I attempted it. Tasted good but I still fucked it up.

She showed me how not to suck as much at it.

The purple drink is called chicha morada. 

It's a sweet drink made from maize. 

Maize is super popular in Peru. It takes the place of grape flavored everything.

Maize candy, puddings, drinks, gum, you name it.

It's fucking delicious.

This is Carapulcra, or Papa Seca.

The dessert next to it is Crema Volteada. It's kind of like a Peruvian version of flan.

It's so much better than flan, omg. And now I know how to make it! ;)

These 3 are my favorite dishes! Yum yum yum!

She also made Arroz con Pollo. Literally translates to Rice with Chicken, but... with a Peruvian spin. 

The yellow stuff is Papa a la Huancaina.

I suggested that once my dad retires and they sell the house, to open her own Peruvian restaurant.
She loves cooking! And it's all delicious. She'd be an instant success, especially since, at least where they live now, Peruvian restaurants just don't exist.

BIRTHDAY DAY:  

 She made alllllllll of that.

She's amazing. I love her so much.

 They have a huge house. With a big open driveway. So we went a little nuts with decorations.

She wanted it to be special. 

It was ^_^

 She also makes these alcoholic creamy drinks. They're almost like smoothies, but not totally. 

One was strawberry, the other was... something. I dunno, but they were awesome.

My nieces. Alisha is the younger one. Ingrid the older.

I absolutely love them.

I love them because not only are they my blood, but they're attractive.

They're attractive, and my blood. 

And Ingrid likes comic books, and reading.

And Alisha takes absolutely no shit from anyone.

So, they're attractive, my blood, and smart.

And Ingrid took up the violin.

I went a little nuts with taking their pictures.

GOD I'm SO happy I don't have ugly nieces. 

Does that make me a horrible person? Perhaps.

Do I give a shit? No, not really. Because my nieces are fucking CUTE.

So.

Pamela... if you're reading this... SELECTIVE BREEDING PLEASE.

THAAANKS.

I also made them watch Madoka Magica. But that's another story.

 Birthday boy!! 

WRINKLES? WHAT ARE THOSE?

AMIRITE!?

My dad looks fucking amazing. Dem genetics yo.

 They bicker like an old married couple. 

They deal with each others shit every single day.

But... they've had each other for a lifetime. It's a lot more than many of us can say.

And the fact that that rhymed was stupid and unintended.

 My cute little Mama and my Papa

 He too is a lover of hyperbole.

 boobs.

 yummmmmmms!

That other portion is ............. fuck I forgot.

But it's made with a meat that my mom has to have a friend from Jersey get every time she visits.

It's another favorite. She prepared it special for this occasion. :)

And of course, carapulcra!

 Our family

 Haha... they're dancing.

There's this Peruvian dance called Festejo. 

Literal translation; Festival.

It's danced mostly to a song called El Alcatraz, where some of the lyrics say "burn burn burn"

The female dancers have a strip of cloth, or paper, hanging from their skirts, and dance ahead of the males, that carry lit torches, going after them in dance, all attempting to light the cloth on fire. Once they achieve this, she puts it out. With dance.

They were doing it mockingly, but ... it's a thing. And it's cute to watch.

It's of Afro Peruvian origin, but no one gives a shit about race in Peru. It's all celebrated just the same. So everyone knows it and dances to it.

Ain't that funny?

Feminists, get over yourselves. :)

It was a really fun day. 

I gave my nieces their gifts, and we all also got to set up the Poppin' Cookin' candy kits I brought them!

They loved it! 

I was so glad. 

I'm also going to be sending Ingrid the Madoka manga volumes. 

She really enjoyed it. I had 8 episodes on my netbook that we all watched together, and they learned all their names and understood it so much quicker than I did! I had to re-watch a few episodes to get it. Ingrid loves Kyubey. Alisha likes Sayaka. I'm so glad they liked it! 

My cousin Pamela and I also did the cinnamon challenge. 

Yes. that stupid thing where you try to swallow a spoonful of cinnamon.

I regret to inform you all that... you'll be disappointed.

1. because the clip that was recorded is bad. and only 30 seconds.

2. Those 30 seconds were very anti-climactic because we didn't cringe, or spit it out, or go PLEUGH and massive cinnamon clouds erupted from our faces, no. 

It just wasn't that big of a deal. We both got it down. It was unpleasant, and it does absorb all the moisture in your mouth, but... it can be done, easily. And when I see people on youtube doing the PLEUGH thing, it's probably just to get a reaction out of people who are watching them. It was a disappointing experience. We didn't even really react much. Just looked at each other distastefully and then down at the ground as we downed it. 

Yeah. =\

Sorry. Ruined it for me, too.

Maybe if you make a drunk person do it, it might be more entertaining? I don't know. 

Our Rottweiler, Baby! She's a sweetieface. The police have propositioned my mama in the past to buy her from them. XD No way! She's da Baby ^_^

Random. 

In Harrisburg, there are bagging stations at the grocery stores. 

I don't know who that man is.

But... yeah. You bag your own damn groceries and gtfo the store. tyvm.

I miss that.

My favorite burrito place in the world! So yummy! 

It's very similar to Chipotle, but with more choices. They have different tortillas, different rices, different meats, and different 'pastes'.... like guacamole? but they also have this jalapeno feta thing that's fucking AWESOME. And spanish rice. with buffalo meat. and they steam the cheese, and then grill it. So much better than Chipotle omg. mmfp. 

They were also the owners of the piercing shop I worked at before I moved to LA, but sadly they closed in 2012. I'm glad that Neato is expanding though. I hope to see them in CA one day!

Miss Panda: 

Aside from the Birthday thing, I didn't really do much else besides sitting in my room and watching Netflix. My sleep schedule was all kinds of whack because east coast is 3 hours ahead of us here, so .... aaaaaaaaggghhh. 

but I DID get to see some old friends from High School. Amanda, who I have always called Miss Panda, was the first I got to see out of everyone. She's always been the most mature out of our group, I always thought. And was always very ... motherly. Even when she wasn't a momma :P

The evening there was really nice. I EVEN GOT TO PLAY WITH GIANNA'S LITTLEST PET SHOP TOYS OMG.

 

They're so cute :(

I want all of them.

STFU.

She whipped up a nice BBQ dinner for us all! 

Shannon also came by to visit with her lady. 

Shannon was my best friend in High School. We spent many hours at her house, indulging on butterfly shrimp and doing stupid shit. 

I still have the CD she made me. It was the first time I heard "Never let me down again", but the Smashing Pumpkins cover. Every time I hear that song, I think of Shannon.

Shannon always did this face to make me laugh. It still works. 

I think I was the only one in our group of friends in HS that didn't date a chick.

I was the minority, twice over.

The hetero hispanic.

In a circle of lesbos. 

Way to be, Cynthia. Way to be. sigh.

Shannon asked us later if we wanted to go to a bon fire at Tim's house. Tim also was a student at our high school. He was a senior when we were freshmen I think. He also has a brother that at the time was very, very fond of me. My father didn't like it, and it landed him a nasty fine. All is forgiven. My friends tell me he somehow has one of my yearbooks? I'll never know how he achieved that. If you're reading this.... that's impressive. If it's true, I don't want to know how you got it, and I hope you enjoyed it?

It was a fun night.

Miss Pandaaaaaa 

 Shannon got plastered.

She likes to wrastle.

 So weird seeing people from high school all.... grown up. 

Ugh, Phil. Phil.

Oh, Phil... 

SO. TIM HAD THIS SKINK FERMENTING IN BEER FOR 4 WEEKS.

AND WE DISSECTED IT.

 Don't worry. He said it was dead when he found it. Most of its tail was gone when he found it.

We gave Billy a proper send off, and thanked him for his contribution to scientific research.

I learned that... skinks either have a huge black heart, or one lung, and no heart?

Or ... their heart is in their throat? 

And... their brains are... not there?

And they have tiny, black, bladders?

Also for the record, I didn't just stab it and tear it open. I was carefully trying to make a cut down the center to view all the organs in their natural places. And removed them one by one.

So.

yeah.

We also tried to replicate a photo from  years ago at Shannon's house around Christmas time. 

god I look like a toolbag.

How people managed to think I was a slut is almost flattering. ugh. Rocked the platform boots though. And no eyebrows.

BUT YEAH.

There were tons more on my phone, but all terribad. This was the only one that turned out okay, and I still managed to look like a wet rat.

It's all good. 

Hard to believe it's been about 12 years. WTF

Was nice though :)

YEAH, IT WASN'T A PHASE FOR ME. AIGHT? 

That was the last night I was in Harrisburg. The send off was silly, and I'll remember it forever.

It was like... the ending in Grease as they drove off with everyone running behind them, waving goodbye as the car impossibly reared up into flight.

All before Tim lept out in front of the car, followed by Phil, and the rest of them on at the side waving.

It was really nice. I'll remember it.

Oh, but Amanda's car can't fly. Just... fyi.

The next morning I got to spend a couple hours with Sean, also an old friend.

I met him through EB Games, back before Gamestop Hitler'd all over every game store ever.

My ex and I would go in often, and eventually Sean and I were tight bros. I also worked there for a while. Good times.

He's good people. Has a heart of gold. I'm glad he's doing well. 

We smashed his ex-wife's porcelain Galinda doll in a parking lot and took pictures of it.

Final Fantasy XI was serious business...

He also brought me these two cute little magnets his girlfriend makes! It was so thoughtful! I wish I had brought some charms with me, but didn't even think twice about it. It's a little Harley Quinn and the Ocarina of Time from LOZ. :)

That morning Sean accompanied us to the airport. My mama came in with me to say one more goodbye. After 5 hugs I went up the stairs to head to the security check point, and was already missing her. She looked so sad as I left. 

I LOVE YOU MAMA.

TE QUIERO, PAPA. 

It was a nice trip, and a nice little vacation from work, and LA in general. I'll probably be back in January, for the renewing of my parents' vows. Wouldn't miss that for anything. 

Now I want a burrito.

Research

   Before I left for Pennsylvania last Thursday, Lauren and I spent a few days together doing stuffs.

It's as though she forces me to become a normal, social, active person that would otherwise be... me. Despite her efforts, I worry that sometimes she finds my hermit side come out- in public- retreating into my silent, calculating mind, and feels like she's dragging a stubborn dog.

Yeah. It's nice to be taken out for a walk every now and then though. I view how different we are and it fascinates me, this attraction, how she tolerates me and reaches out for me. She pokes at my shell, like a curious child eager to feed his pet... mollusk.

I don't know what she sees in me. Or what a lot of people that end up charmed see in me. I mean I'm awesome, but I am also quite reserved and boring.

I am her mollusk.

One of the things that we did was to go get me hole punched in the face. It was a spur of the moment decision, sort of. It had been on my mind, but not anything I absolutely was sure of. Though because I'd be away from work for a little over a week I thought it'd be convenient for the healing process. So... onward! To Studio City!

This shop was really cute. I think the only other time I've been here was when Rot and I had stopped in looking for jewelry, years ago. The people there were really nice. 

I was dead set on what to get pierced. 

My job doesn't allow any (visible) piercings, aside from ones ears.

Their logic is that it's a health violation, because it could fall out and contaminate whatever.

That makes no sense to me, because the amount of times and velocity that we turn our heads, shaking already danging jewelry off our ears, it would seem way more likely to lose ear piercing jewelry than a stationary barbell implanted beneath layers of skin, adjusted and secured to specifically NOT come out, or risk exposing an open wound subject to infection and pathogen contaminations. 

If anything, taking a raw or not-completely-healed piercing out is way more dangerous and hazardous than a piece of steel ending up somewhere foreign.

so like... wtf.

Anywho...

I decided to have my septum done.

My biggest fear going in was placement. When I apprenticed as a piercing back in PA, I also learned about blind piercings. Septums are one of them. You're going by feel, and that's pretty much about it. You can't see the tissue, you can't see where the needle enters, or where it will exit, and you just have to go with your best geometry skills. Forceps (clamps) can help. There are some designed specifically for this piercing, however... you're still going on geometry.

The clamps were the worst part.

 

Veronnica, my piercer, was a sweet heart. She had a few clients before I was up. Immediately I liked her. Sometimes it's good to remember that if you find yourself questioning anything about the piercer, ask yourself why, get that situated, and if you still feel weird, just split. I take that stuff pretty seriously. Probably because I was trained to examine everything they do, but also because... what they do is kind of a big deal. If you're at a swap meet and see a kiosk that offers 10 dollar piercings, and you went there... never tell me that ever unless it's a joke.                           

Telling you right now. Don't do it.

So.

Guess what.

gross.

It wasn't as painful as I anticipated, and I thought it an adorable addition to my face bling, however...

It was crooked!!!! I noticed it sitting off perfect axis immediately, but in denial told myself it was the swelling. I got home, examine it more, and came to the conclusion that it was indeed crooked. It bugged the shit out of me. And I was really, really bummed. 

Aside from cosmetics, my facial piercings make me feel more attractive. So it's kinda like a house wife getting off the slab and seeing her boob job is ugly. 

This was exactly what I was afraid of. And it was doubly worse because going in I knew... I KNEW... it was a higher possibility. I even expressed this as she was prepping everything. Lo and behold. 

I called the studio and told them what was up. Veronnica said to come back so she could check it out, and she looked up my nose and it was funny, and gave me a few options. 

1. Massage the jewelry daily into place during the healing process so the channel heals at a different angle.
2. Let the swelling go down, see how it looks after two weeks- go from there.
3. Take it out now, let it heal and re-pierce it.

It was difficult to choose. My ego told me to keep the jewelry in, and tug on it while it healed, hoping it would heal at the angle I wanted. It was off by like... a milometer.  How frustrating!!! We left on that note.

Once I got home, I became even more bummed, and Lauren gave me some advice, mostly rooting to just take it out and get it re-pierced. Rot got home, and I showed him. He was less forgiving about the whole thing, which I understand. I wasn't angry, but I was incredibly let down. It made me feel better that he had the same experience though, which doesn't surprise me. Shortly after our exchange of ugghs, I went into the bathroom and removed the staple. Thankfully I still have the crazy strong stuff my boss sold at my old shop, and used that to clean myself off with. It sucked. Lauren could tell I was pretty upset. She's good at consoling. Even though I hate that stuff.

:3 thanks.

The next day at work I felt so sad, lol. I felt like I had lost something I treasured dearly. lol I was quiet, and sulky, and unmotivated to do anything. What a baby I was. But.. It's been over a week, and I haven't had any problems with it. The only downside is that the anti-microbial formula I was using the clean with leaves my skin very dry. Dry like... sunburn peeling dry. During my time here in PA I have had to keep my eye on the skin around my nostrils because it was peeling like crazy. That stuff is no joke. We used it to sanitize and prep everything! But it did it's job, and my septum is back to normal. As if it never happened.
I am excited to return and go at it again. Hopefully we can get much closer to an exact 90 degree angle. And I will do my best to hold my head just as straight. The only downside is... moving the jewelry up and down while in and out of work. It's lucky that I know what to expect, I guess.

Thank you Veronnica! I don't blame you, and I understand how it goes. You are a great chick, and have become my official piercer. I will see you in a few days for round 2. And thank you for the little collector's gift :D


 Wednesday -- Day of Departure

Lauren's dear friend Michael Tatum had flown into town, and she was anxious for us to meet! As per usual, I was a mollusk. I was cranky because of the piercing, and then a few days later I had gotten yet another parking ticket at my work. So come Wednesday we all finally got together.
HE'S SO FUNNY :D

He's also another VA and was in town for work. We went to Denny's to chat, which is where I learned that he voiced Doumeki in Holic! You know that manga I'm always trying to find volumes of in Little Tokyo? xxxHolic? There's also an anime of it, currently also on Netflix, and he dubbed Doumeki. I fan girled. And Lauren made me feel like a tool when she asked me if I wanted him to sign the volumes I had with me. lol THANKS. But I said yes, and he kindly did so. But how cool is that??

Lauren is picky about pictures.

Compromise?

We were later joined by Geoff, Samantha, and Rachel.

It was good times.

Sillies. Idk wtf they're doing there but I captured it. 

Later on they dropped me off back home, where I gathered the last of my things for the airport, said my last final goodbyes to my precious beloved, my computer, and waited for their return. We made it to LAX on good time. It was so nice to meet Michael. He's hilarious, and I look forward to seeing him again at... whatever con we'll find each other at. haha

I'm writing from my Netbook currently. If only it had the power my PC puts out, I'd be more motivated to write about my trip here, but that must simply wait until I get home.

Oh.

I bought this super exciting thing. Rotny loves it.

It's a little baby frying pan for eggs! ^_^ I found it in Little Tokyo for tree dorrar. So cute!

Oh and this;

BEFORE YOU JUDGE ME

let me to explaining you:

I can't go to Blizzcon with bias in my heart. I can't. So. I have to do some research. Research being at least a month's playtime of Mists so I can resent it legitimately, and not bias--ly. Duh.

So. It's for a good cause. And it was cheap. And I'll feel better knowing that at least I tried it past beta stages, and gave it a chance, and THEN resented it. 

Rot and I talked last night and he was telling me about a video he saw on youtube of this guy who used LFG and LFR to level all the way to 90. He then asked in chat what he should do moving forward, and they suggested he continue doing that to advance more in end game. So he did.

He did a social experiment. I LOOOOOVE social experiments!! 

He joined a bunch of random raids in LFR and contributed absolutely nothing to the synergy of the group or game mechanics. Nothing. He'd go in and purposely do bad. Like auto-attack targets, stand in the fire, and just... do bad lol. He was playing his rogue, and he mentioned that even while he auto-attacked, he still did more DPS than other players. But in the end, he still managed to achieve reaching end game content and got gear. 

The point of all this is to show how much World of Warcraft has changed, to where one doesn't even need to try at the game anymore, because people have such a whatever attitude that they don't care who they're playing with. And if this guy, who purposely did bad, was able to reach end game content imagine all the other bads out there that we have to face every time we log in? Maybe not if you're in a respectable guild, but if you're on your own, you're screwed. And this is the demographic that this game caters to these days. 

but... I've yet to experience it first hand. My bias is getting the best of me. We'll see. 

K I'm done. Omg my back hurts ya'll. My back hurts. UGH