Let's Yes!

I just couldn't take it anymore!

I've changed the new blog from yesdefinitely.blogspot.com to letsyes.blogspot.com.

"YesDefinitely" just wasn't doing it for me, whereas every single time I thought of my Japanese kids Sakura and Churasan singing, "Let's yes!" to all my hare-brained ideas.

And I could spend the rest of my life regretting the name but not changing because it would be too much trouble and jostle the readers too much, or I could say Yes.

Forgiveness please for the trouble this may have caused for you, but if you're looking for me, you can check under the sea 'cause that is where you'll find me, over at 2009: Let's Yes!

Please say yes and change all your readers and etc. accordingly. And I promise you, this will never happen again.

Let's yes in 2009!

Beard, No Hair

The barber (the same one from last week, though he didn't recognize me) shaved off about 75% of my hair, and cut the front with scissors. I wondered if he thought, "Geez, this guy just got a haircut." And I thought how funny it'd be if he was like, "And, God, whoever did it was terrible."

He was more conservative with the front, and though I thought it looked pretty good, it wasn't short enough. And really, the purpose of this haircut was to have something different, not something that looks good. Also, my hair grows like a weed so I figured it'd hit this stage of looking good in a week or three.

I had him keep going, then thought, "Eep, that's a little too short," but the mission was accomplished.

And how does it look? I think I look like a weird GI Joe with a skinny head and a beard. And my gray hairs are a lot more noticeable. And the sides are so short it's like baby bear fuzz instead of human hair.

But I like it!

If I get into a fight, no one's gonna be able to grab me by my luscious locks and slam me into the concrete, that's for sure.

Beard or No Beard, Hair or No Hair

(The first half of this entry's title... it's from something, right? I didn't make it up, but can't quite place where it's from.)

Winter = beard. Especially when I'm funemployed. I haven't shaved since... right around Thanksgiving, in fact, when my 90-year-old grandfather would sarcastically ask me about my horrible, unshaven face every few minutes.

I always go two ways about the beard (much as I'll go two ways about its dreaded relative, the moustache). Sometimes I don't mind it, since I don't have to look at myself 24 hours a day. But then when I see photos like this one from New Year's Eve, I cringe.


Ugh, I look like Sinbad (the Sailor, not the Comedian). Or Bluto. Or some cartoon hobo man. You see what you white devils do to us vaguely ethnic types? We end up feeling bad about ourselves because we aren't all pink and hairless. But remember this, you European a-holes: We Filipinos killed Magellan. He didn't make it around the world, he died at the hands of Lapu-Lapu!

Anyway, then I thought, "Maybe the beard just doesn't match the hairstyle," since I've basically had the same hair since I was nine years old, except for that brief attempt last year. The picture above, in which I'm wearing a hat, would seem to refute this beard/hair theory, but come on, it's Another Year of Yes!

And I can't stop thinking about just shaving my head. I haven't done it since right before getting my passport picture taken (over a decade ago), and I'm curious how it would look. Not entirely shaved, mind you, just super short, the same length as my bristles.

Then I'll see how much will grow back by the end of June, when I can make myself look all fancy-like for my brother's wedding.

Last week, I went to the barber for a pre-New Year's Eve haircut, but he totally didn't do what I had asked (I wanted a teeny-tiny trim, since I was "growing out" my hair, but he gave me a normal haircut, undoing months of effort). And so I can either stick with more of the same, or I can elect change.

So unless I take a nap today and end up doing something else, I might revisit the barber and Yes Definitely it up.

New Year, New Blog

And here we are in 2009! I sure hope it's mighty fine. Did you know about Divine? She was supposedly the inspiration for Ursula in Disney's The Little Mermaid.


But anyway, to the new readers, welcome!

The story so far is this: Last year I decided to start saying yes to things, mostly to avoid future regrets of the things I failed to do. And I blogged about these escapades. That was my Year of Yes. Now in 2009, I continue the mission.

And today I said yes to one of those things that I normally wouldn't because I'm lazy and I hate learning... I figured out how to import my old blog (yes2008.blogspot.com) into this one, so that all the glories of 2008 could be relived again and again under this new URL.

It wasn't that hard, but the idea of figuring it out, finding the help page and then actually DOING it was kind of daunting, especially on this hangover-y day when I just want to lazily play Smash Bros. and then take a nap.

But I did it! Even when the help pages weren't that helpful ("Upload your file," they said, but what file? How do I turn my blog into a file? What do you mean I have to find and then click on another help page to get that information? And they call this the future?), I struggled through the reading and then actually did the damn thing and here we are.

This wasn't a big deal, but don't expect fireworks on the first day. I mean, come on.

And here's the link...

http://yesdefinitely.blogspot.com/

Yes2009 was taken. YesForever? Ruined by some dizzy schoolgirl who clearly doesn't take the word "forever" to heart. And while I liked the Japanese style "Let's Yes," the URL's lack of an apostrophe made me squeamish.

So I went with the best answer from my Magic Eight Ball. Somewhere I have (had?) a Magic Eight Ball that actually works. It's got a huge crack in it that I tried to repair with this white plaster (?). The water has faded to a dull yellow and a lot of it has evaporated, but damned if it doesn't/didn't answer every question accurately.

When I think of real-life magic items (magic items being the best part of Dungeons and Dragons), it's fitting and accurate and kind of cool that the only one I've ever come across is that old Eight Ball.

That story has nothing to do with anything Yes-related, though.

Anyway, if you would like to continue reading the blog (and I certainly hope you do), please update your RSS feeds or Google Reader or whatever it is that you do, and I'll see you over there.

As for now, I'm gonna start the New Year off right by getting a cheezburger.

A Look Back...

First I just wanna say someone already claimed yes2009.blogspot.com, but it's been removed by the site and the URL is unavailable. THANKS A LOT, BUDDY! When I come up with a good alternative URL, I'll post the link. And if anyone has some suggestions, please send 'em my way.

But for now, let's travel back in time through the year that was 2008, and how all that Yes fun turned out.

January
Bought an acoustic guitar. Remember that? Well, I don't. I did not keep up with playing, sadly, and gave up about February. But I have a lot of good excuses! Namely, that I can only practice when no one is home, and that's a rarity in this day and age. Also: busy. Also: lazy.

BUT... now that I'm unemployed, I might take it up again. Maybe switch off every other day between guitar and Wii Fit. I actually did play for a bit two days ago, but that might just have been in preparation of this blog post.

Hey, and this was when I first started watching LOST, one of the best decisions I made all year. What a great show! I can't wait till it comes back, Wednesdays at 9 on ABC! (Note: I don't actually know if that's the right time.)

February
Whoa, a sleep regimen where I would go to sleep by midnight? What was I thinking?

That didn't pan out.

However, my current goal right now is to not go back to sleep when Sarah leaves for work (at 8:50 a.m.). This is Day Two of that plan, we'll see how that turns out.

I will say, though, that lately my sleep patterns have been pretty good, but, again, having no day job and the opportunity for naps makes that a lot easier. I should note that the above goal does not allow naps. I didn't take one yesterday!

March
Ah, March, the month of St. Patrick's Day and The Song of the Irish Peddler. I'm very glad I did that show, though it was a pain in the butt lugging around a 3,000-lb. accordion to the rehearsals and shows.

But, hey, how many other Asian-Italians can say they were part of an Irish folk band?

(Photo by Keith Huang)
Smarch
Lousy Smarch weather.

April and May
Ah, the months where I tried to be healthy in my eating and by signing up for Yoga classes but then not going to them. Yoga was a definite fail.

In an ideal world, 2009 would include some new physical classes, but since I'm now on a budget instead of Rich Uncle Pennybags, who knows if that will happen?

June
June spoon, to the moon! From where I'm from (Canada), that little rhyme is usually reserved for contemptuous feelings for something, but June was actually a fun month. It was my first trip to Maine, which is quite pretty during that time of year.

Also, I briefly changed my hairstyle. That didn't last long, either.


July
July held what was probably the best Yes decision I made all year, which was to go to Dragon*Con even after learning that I'd be losing my job soon. To be fair, I had already purchased the plane tickets, so it wasn't a real Year of Yes moment, but I stuck with the trip, and the world is a better place for it.

August
Dragon*Con! Oh, what a lovely time. I think about it when times are difficult, much like Bilbo Baggins would think of cakes and bacon when he was miserable and dreary. You guys remember that part, right?

August was an awesome month, since it also included a second trip to Maine and Terry Jinn's Enormous Television.


(Photo by Ari Scott)
All months should be like this: two vacations and a concert. And I usually hate August! It's the hottest month, and the summer heat turns me into a monster, but I also bought a portable air conditioner this year (this must have been one of those situations that were too personal to blog about), so it was pretty good.

September
Got my wisdom teeth removed. That sucked massive, but it could've sucked worse. At least, as my doctor pointed out, I didn't die. Sometimes the Year of Yes means you gotta do what you gotta do, and at least I got those bastards out of me before my insurance ended, unlike some other, more horrible things.

October
This got downplayed a little in the blog, but whoa, I moved into an awesome, huge apartment! October was easy, since it just involved watching movers move my crap, but September sucked, because adding on to my medical pain and penicillin allergies was the hassle of looking for an apartment, and I gotta tell you, I earned this one.

Almost every other NYC apartment I've found through good fortune - a friend of a friend knew about it, and voila - but, like in finding a job or landing a big score, you don't get the lucky break until you put in the work for it. And this year, damn, I worked for it. Usually while on Vicodin or something.

I must've looked at 3,000 apartments (all in Astoria), and then suddenly found two nice places. One was really nice, right down the street from my old place, but was more expensive and a hassle to apply for. This one, the guy was like, "Just give me the deposit, it's a done deal," since his dad runs/owns the building, and kaboom, the search was over.

But October, yeah, a good time. I braved ZombieCon by myself, and I got to play a comatose psychic during that live-action gaming event on Halloween, which was a good Yes. It was a very unique way to spend the holiday, and I'm grateful for the opportunity. I was drooling uncontrollably while strapped to a wheelchair!


November
Sure, this was the month where I started my novel and we threw that housewarming party, but really, all that matters is this:


December
Directed Lynn and Betsy's show... Wrestled at (but did not blog about) Hanukkaos: The Festival of Fights... Hated (or didn't hate?) Christmas... Spent the month writing... Grew a beard... Got new glasses that look a lot like my old ones but are slightly different and a lot more fancy-ass...


Not a bad way to end the year, I guess.

And Beyond!
Some previews for what's to come in 2009: Finally wear my gnome costume. Go back to Dragon*Con (those two aren't necessarily inclusive). Get into some new TV show. Finish this scarf I've been knitting for three years. Finish and post up my novel. Run a few more scenarios of Disney Zombies as an RPG. Keep playing the guitar. Outer space, maybe?! And fight a shark.

Happy New Year, everyone! See you in the new blog... and the future.

End of the Year... End of the Blog?

So 2008 is coming to a close. Will this be the end of the Year of Yes?

I'm still undecided.

On the one hand, did this blog actually accomplish anything? It forced me to write more, which is a good thing, though it was a time-eater, and I could've used that time on more creative endeavors or wasted it on nonsense. And I need a serious amount of nonsense in my life or I fade away.

But did I inspire other people to get psyched and say Yes (one of my original goals of the blog)? And more importantly, my point of view about life change for the better? I don't think so. I continue to be like this dog...


...in the sense that I'm wearing my wonderful pink bunny rabbit suit and no one appreciates it properly, and I'm like, "What the heck is wrong with the world? I hate everything... and I'm thirsty."

Also, for every event I wrote about, there were probably two or three that I didn't mention, for whatever reason. Sometimes I'd forget. Sometimes I'd think, "Well, I don't wanna blog about something until it happens," but then once it did happen, I'd think, "It's old news by now, who cares?"

That's a pretty weak reason, though. Over the past 12 months, I'd learned that the best way to blog is to write before the event (to get psyched), and to recap afterward. Even if it sucked, it's enough to say, "It was sort of sucky."

But the main reason I omitted certain events are because I'm an incredibly private person, and I have no desire to talk about my medical misadventures or personal tragedies with my friends and family, let alone the Faceless Internet. Even blogging about my wisdom teeth was a struggle. For a long time, I didn't include my real name and picture until I realized it's pretty easy to find me, so why bother hiding?

Other Reasons to Stop: Laziness. Saying "No" to things is easier. That Yes Man movie kind of killed it for me.

And, to be honest, I don't take great joy in blogging. I've never felt like "WHOA MAMA I CAN'T WAIT TO WRITE ABOUT THIS!" with the exception of Disney World.

Finally, the year is written in the URL. Isn't that passe? Wouldn't I have to change it and deal with all the crap that such an effort would entail? 2008 is the past, man, I gotta quit living in the past! But I don't wanna start over on a brand-new blog, want to keep all these posts and stuff. Maybe I can just change the title or something. Is that legal?

Reasons to Keep on Bloggin': On the other hand, being responsible for the Year of Yes ensured that stuff would get done. I wouldn't waste all my time on nonsense, I'd go out and do things that aren't usual for me. Or I'd do easy Yes things (Friend: Want to eat this cheezburger with me? Kirk: OK.) and get an easy sense of accomplishment.

And (is this one lame?) I like having a record of my year. Even though I don't like blogging, I like having a blog. I can look back on past months and be like, "Oh, yeah, I did that!" instead of forgetting the mundane pleasantries of, say, eating a cheezburger with a friend.

In the past, I'd categorize each year by a month-spanning project: My Wife, the Ghost one year, Cakey! The Cake From Outer Space the next, then a Halloween karaoke musical. This year, I didn't do anything creative other than this blog. And that's OK, 'cause it was also a little personal project, too.

So will I continue it? I guess it'd be the ultimate No to be like, "And that's 365 days, I'm out, suckers!" However, it would be kind of funny.

Thoughts?