my life

cycle.

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 23:00:16 GMT

having been in san diego for over four months now, i've made some new friends, and reconnected with old ones! life's been great!

still making that commute to the OC for work though. which really isn't that bad. observe:

time from pomona to OC, always traffic = 1 hour 15 minutes
time from san diego to OC, rarely traffic = 1 hour 15 minutes

justified. there.

it's been wonderful. many of my close friends have already moved here as well: rk, charmane, rommel, anthony, dianna, elise, alex, cynthia and just this past month, cicero!

and many new friends down here too! one of which i strongly admire for his determination and heart -- he will be doing the AIDS LifeCycle next June. a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to make a difference to those living with HIV and AIDS. follow his blog to keep up with this very daring but admirable adventure: http://rickysalcadventure.blogspot.com/

The direct link to his donation page is: http://www.tofighthiv.org/goto/rickysalcadventure - if you have anything to spare, please do!

Friends! From June 3-9, 2012, I'm bicycling in AIDS/LifeCycle. It's a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles to make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS.

I turn 30 in 2011. I thought to myself, what big thing will I do. Jump out of an airplane, conquer my fear of water, throw a crazy wild 30th party to celebrate?? Or jump on a bike and ride across California. I opted for the plane and the bike. The biggest thing I can do for myself is to do something bigger than myself.

I ride for my friends who are now my family whom have been impacted by HIV/AIDS. I ride for Ricardo Peralta, friend and mentor whose memory lives in my heart and in each dance move I do. I ride for those I don't know but whom will receive so much from this ride. I also ride for the training of my body and the benefits that my soul will feel from this ride.

Help me support AIDS/LifeCycle by giving what you can. We'll keep riding until AIDS and HIV are a thing of the past.

Please follow my progress, cheers, tears and my first falling off the bike! by going to this blog http://rickysalcadventure.blogspot.com/

And, a preemptive thank you. Your support, both financially and mentally, means so much to me.

~Ricky

wow.

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 20:25:32 GMT

over 6 months since my last update?!?

wow. anyway, i'm the happiest i've ever been in my life. that's all.

life.

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 03:51:51 GMT

life has been crazy as of late.

it's only the second month of 2011 and this year is already one i'm going to remember for the rest of my life. i've stepped out of my box -- my comfort zone, and was rewarded with a pleasant surprise and one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

that's all. back into hiding i go.

hopefully not, haha. i need to update this thing a lot more.

hello.

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:12:53 GMT

hello readers.

i'm still alive, just so you know.

been busy. a real update soon!

wall.

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 09:03:25 GMT

so, i'm on a nerd-high at the moment... obviously:

laptop wallpaper

iphone lock screen and wallpaper

/nerd.

server.

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 07:52:01 GMT

back up and running yet again!

after ditching the host i was under for the past few weeks due to many errors and downtime, i decided to look for another.

i found one that was extremely fast in provisioning my account, but the server configuration didn't allow for the fopen() php function to work, which means while my website would work, the blog that you're reading (if reading this on byronface.com) wouldn't be displayed. considering this blog is the main reason i have a domain, i had to search for another. and that i did: found one at freehostingcloud. but i couldn't test the php code until after my domain had updated its nameservers to the new host. while it's taken me as fast as 2 minutes before, it could take up to 24 hours.

checked recently and it seems that everything finally got updated, threw my website into the new host. and wala! everything's working again!

ok bye.

and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

daytwentyseven.

Sat, 25 Dec 2010 22:09:30 GMT

Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge

ha! it gives me an excuse to blog. but really, i needed to start blogging more. i've been neglecting this thing for the past year.

other than an excuse to blog, i feel like this 'challenge' really got me to post things i normally wouldn't just post. and if someone were to just read my challenge entries, it would give them a pretty good idea of my personality.

but i really didn't do this challenge justice at all. i put off a lot of entries and didn't make it a daily 30-day thing. i think it's already been spanned out to over two months!! but things were happening that really distracted me from this: the webserver hosting my website completing shutting down. getting a new job. etc.

but whether or not i really did this in 30 days i really dont think will matter in the end.

daytwentysix.

Sat, 25 Dec 2010 21:59:49 GMT

Day 26- What you think about your friends

my friends are the best of the best. and i'm pretty picky with who i get close to. for the past decade or so, i've been extremely cautious and selective. many have come and gone. many have hurt me and betrayed me. many are two-faced.

but after all that is said and done, the ones that have still been able to stick it through with me are worth the world. these are the ones who have seen me at my best and my worst, but still continue to be there for me and have my back. and i can say i trust my friends with my life.

i do have to say, though, that i feel like i've recently been alienating a few. not reaching out as much as i should. others i had to keep putting off hanging out with because i simply could not afford to keep up financially. an extremely depressing thing to admit. but now that i'm working (even though it takes a LOT of time away from me), hopefully my steady income will allow me to start doing so again.

daytwentyfive.

Sat, 25 Dec 2010 21:47:10 GMT

Day 25- What I would find in your bag

you really wouldn't find too much. i'm more of a pocket person. but if i'm carrying around my laptop bag, the ogio hip hop, you would usually find:

an assortment of chargers for: iphone, blackberry, laptop, etc.
a laptop - lenovo y550
an external 500gb hard drive
my work badge
a pad (ask me for the story)
work documents

yep, just your average laptop bag!

daytwentyfour.

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 23:10:03 GMT

Day 24- A letter to your parents

anybody who knows me knows why i've put this entry off for so long.

and while i've been one to not hide too many things on my public blog, i think those who know me can understand why i'd have to keep this entry out of the public eye.

band.

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 23:07:13 GMT

totally random: i think zac brown band has taken the spot of my favorite country band over rascal flatts. gasp!

and for the haters. contemplate how dumb you look listening to your less-than-insightful music before making a judgement call on something you've never had the pleasure of ~~listening to~~ experiencing.

collab.

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:23:53 GMT

i want this TokiDoki and Marvel Comics collaboration hoodie!!!

click to enlarge

relive.

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:12:07 GMT

i want to relive a day like THIS.

daytwentythree.

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:02:34 GMT

Day 23- Something you crave for a lot

this one's easy. french fries. those golden fried potatoes. i can't get enough of them. at many places where i feel fries complement the food well, i'll get them on the side even if i know i wont finish them. i just need a few to have with my meal. sometimes they're my dessert. sometimes they're my entire meal. they are simply incredibly good and easy to eat. i'd say my favorite fries are in-n-out's but only if cooked well done.

yummy goodness.
on a less material note, i really do find myself needing to be around people. i dont have a problem with bumming it out all day at home, especially on the weekends (i've noticed i've taken downtime/nothingness for granted ever since i started working). but even if bumming it out at home seems to be relaxing, i can't do it for too long. i need to be surrounded by friends and family. it's when i'm truly happy, and truly myself.

country.

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 20:21:28 GMT

i've become a pretty big fan of country artists Zac Brown Band.. they've been accompanying me on my speakers during my commutes to work for the past few weeks. some of their lyrics are pretty crazy:

fell to my knees, with a knife in my back
never thought you'd be the kind, to do something like that
but you did..... coldhearted

you talk so sweet, and your smell it made me weak
and i felt so fast, that i never thought to ask
if you were..... coldhearted

eye for an eye
tooth for a tooth
i want someone to hurt you
make you die the way i do
i dont think, that i could be so...
coldhearted

-zac brown band, coldhearted

and one of their more feel good songs (i changed some lyrics to winter related, since i dont like the beach.. haha!)

gonna put the world away for a minute
pretend i dont live in it
sunshine's gonna wash my blues away

had sweet love but i lost it
she got to close so i fought her
now im lost in the world tryna find me a better way
wishin i was

knee deep in the [snow] somewhere
got the blue sky breeze and it dont seem fair
only worry in the world - is the [snow] gonna reach my chair
sunrise there's a fire in the sky
never been so happy, never felt so high
and i think i mightve found me my own kind of paradise

-zac brown band, knee deep

well if they don't look like a bunch of hicks,
i dont know what does, haha.

work.

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 20:11:33 GMT

yesterday was hilarious at work:

-during a conference meeting, one of the execs calls me in because they're all complaining about a high pitched buzzing noise. i go in, look around, unplug the tv.. nothing. turn off the printer.. nothing. turn off the lights, nothing. the sound is still there. we bring up the possibility that it might be one of the exec's

-going upstairs to take care of another call, my manager is coming down stairs. as I pass him, I totally catch a stair with my foot, trip, and fall. FAIL.

-[ unfortunately because of the confidentiality clause, i can't go into the next one.. but it was pretty hilarious ]

-at the end of the day, i was taking a quick break in the graphic design/web room, which is kindof in a hidden corner of the building. but during those few minutes i was in there, the rest of the office leaves, locks up, turns off all the lights, and arms the alarm. we had no idea. around the time we were to clock out, we head into the main part of the building in pitch darkness. our movements trip the alarm system and the sirens start blaring. we start to freak out because the cops may have to come and that's at the expense of the company. luckily, those who just locked up the building saw us trapped inside, and was able to come back in and disarm/cancel the alarm before the authorities were alerted.

daytwentytwo.

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 19:48:11 GMT

Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else

this entry is going to sound a little conceited. my sense of humor is dark. incredibly dark. so much that if you don't know me well you might get offended. it comes off as really mean. but those who are friends with me realize that i'm one of the best, loyal, and most trustworthy friends to have. im extremely honest, blatantly so. and while it may make me look like a jerk sometimes, people know they can come to me when they finally realize that they have to hear what they need to hear rather than hear what they want to. i'm a nerd and a geek, but not socially awkward. like my about page says, i'm the good friend you wish you met a long time ago. i'm awesome.

daytwentyone.

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 19:34:07 GMT

Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy

:)

daytwenty.

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 19:30:48 GMT

Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/ being with in the future

what an odd question. i really can't say.. i'll let you know when i see her.

daynineteen.

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 04:37:53 GMT

Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them

i've had quite a few nicknames.. most of them don't apply anymore, but:

brick: i used to (and really still am) the quiet one. and one who doesn't show too much emotion. almost self-explanatory
byronface: people started calling me this at times after i made an AIM screenname of the same name
snugglepuss: my uncanny name. 'nuff said.
byiron: given to me by coleen.. because i was lame and mispelled my name like that once -__-
professional: gigz gave this one to me; because he got a very professional vibe from me when he first made bMod.
hector: haha. my white aka failed white broski name.

dayeighteen.

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 04:32:58 GMT

Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have

i'm just going to lump all three into one realistic and reachable thing: to be happy.

we're you expecting a long and detailed answer? i actually think my answer is more profound than a detailed one.

yell.

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:58:48 GMT

so after having koren bbq at cham sut gol in garden grove, i noticed my lilbro alex was tweeting that he was at disneyland. considering how close neil and i were to the park, we decided to give him and britt a surprise visit.. even though it was really late (11pm) and the park was closing in an hour. disneyland, especially during the winter/christmas time is a favorite of mine. and just being there even just to relax makes me happy. the decorations, the cold weather, etc.. it literally has a different environment and atmosphere during these times.

after alex and brittany had their dinner, we headed off to ride indiana jones. it'd be our one and only ride for the night considering the time. and i got yelled at by TWO people on this ride -__-

person #1: the cast member at loading.. once i got into the Indy car, i sat down.. i looked for my loose seatbelt and it was nowhere to be found. turns out it was already fastened as there was no one riding in my seat on the previous ride. so i had to scoot up and turn to unfasten it, but it had already locked as the car started moving. then the CM starts yelling at me to "SIT DOWN!" "SIT DOWN AND FACE FORWARD!!" i figure.. might as well just follow his directions so i can be thrown from the car and sue his sorry butt. but i forgot about the secondary seatbelt check and the much nicer CM was able to unlock the belts so i can be securely fastened. i love getting yelled at for something i had no control over -__-

person #2: as i exited the Indy car at the end of the ride, i pull out my two phones from the little compartment: my BlackBerry and my iPhone4 (i have two, the BB is for work and i have to have it with me in case i need to reply to any important emails on the spot). as i'm walking out of the loading area some girl runs up to me yelling at me accusing i stole her phone. i'm incredibly confused, so i show her my two phones, both of which aren't hers, so she breathes out a long sigh and turns around with no apology. i can understand the frustration of losing your phone, but the way she talked down at me was just disrespectful.

anyway, that is my story of getting yelled at twice on the same ride. yay!

here are some pics from the night:

dayseventeen.

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 22:47:57 GMT

Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why

people who are overly cynical and pessimistic on their twitter and facebook profiles. i'd like to live my life as them for one day.. so that i can appreciate being normal even more when i switch back.

seriously though. lighten up. and it's obvious you're going out of your own way to keep up with that cynical personality that you try to shove in everyone's faces just so you dont look weak when you yourself cant take it anymore.

daysixteen.

Sun, 05 Dec 2010 22:21:28 GMT

Day 16- Another picture of yourself

haha. from a japanese restaurant. i like to take pictures of myself from that angle so it doesn't look i wear size FAT jeans :x

dayfifteen.

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 05:55:53 GMT

Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play

1. N.E.R.D. - Lapdance
awesome first random song! i've been a huge fan of N.E.R.D. since their beginning. and Lapdance was one of the first, if not, the first song i heard by them. especially showcased in their album where this song is from, i've always liked their mix of hip-hop and rock. such a unique sound. and so them.

2. Andrea Bocelli - Il Mistero Dell'Amore
i love andrea bocelli, i never know what the heck he's singing about since i dont understand italian, but his voice with the melodies he creates is just audio-euphoric.

3. JoJo - Leave (Get Out)
one of the songs by her that i'm not the biggest fan of.. but JoJo as an artist has amazed me since she was i think 14 when she first got on the radio? her vocal talent is simply superb and the notes she chooses when adlibbing are something that only a more seasoned artist would do.. yet she does it effortlessly.

4. Britney Spears - I'm A Slave 4 U
explanation: as you know, i love The Neptunes.. and they produced this song. hum.. that's all.

5. Anika Noni Rose - Almost There
i have a bunch of disney movie music. makes for some happy-random times on road trips!

6. Linkin Park - Given Up
been a fan of LP since Hybrid Theory.. each album they've released was very different from one another.. this was the album they released before their most recent.. i enjoyed it even though they drastically changed their sound. not liking their current sound much from their latest album though.

7. Filippa Giordano - Casta Diva
another italian artist i'm a fan of. i like the modern twist she puts in a lot of her songs.

8. Mike Posner - Synthesizer
i like this artist. it's a really different sound. a very electronic backing and a very awkward and unique voice on top. but together makes for some interestingly upbeat music.

9. Zac Brown Band - Different Kind of Fine
of course country would pop up. i gave Zac Brown Band a first listen after seeing them win a bunch of awards at the CMA's and since those first listens, i became a big fan. they're up top there with my favorite country artists Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood.

10. Harry Gregson-Williams - Debriefing
and of course again, a film/game score would pop up. this is actually one of my favorite cues by HGW. it's such a somber yet powerful rendition of the Metal Gear Solid theme. i like how he took the theme and really made it in an epic and calming soundscape.

i promise that nothing in this list was altered. and i'm pretty happy with it.. i feel that it really shows my vast musical preference.