Woohoo three day weekend! February is an awesome month because we have two straight Mondays off. Plus my birthday is coming up, which I share with Kat and Sean Kim.

Recently I've been getting constantly reminded of flaws in my character. I guess I am pretty hypocritical sometimes. I demand a lot from others though I may not set the same standards for myself. I also look at situations from my point of view with my set of beliefs. When things don't go the way I expect, I get disappointed and the feeling can be crushing. I don't always show tons of emotion, but my first response to anything is usually an emotional one. As I've matured, I've been able to reevaluate that initial response against my cold logic before it triggers a behavior, but emotions always linger...

I don't know why but I become very attached to people I come in contact with. They may not be my friends or even people who know me very well but I always feel the need to check up on them if I don't know how they are doing. Many people I meet make very deep impressions on me, and I will never forget them regardless of how long I have known them. Then there are times when I feel a desperate need to make sure they are ok. I want them to be happy and successful. And I hope to meet them again. It's a hard feeling to describe.

Lakers managed to beat the Magics today even after giving up 44 points in the first quarter. Pau Gasol scored 30 points and he showed lots of fire throughout the game. I love Gasol's game: jump hooks with either hand, post-up footwork, face-up game, soft touch, free throw proficiency, and 17-foot jumpers. He's also rejuvenated Odom's playmaking skills by drawing double teams and luring his defender out to the perimeter.

Speaking of Gasol, I pulled a Kwame Brown-Pau Gasol trade of my own today. Stephen offered his delicious chicken bake in exchange for my chicken patty cafeteria lunch. I had always thought chicken bake was a misnomer for baked chicken but apparently it comes with a burrito countenance. Clearly I got Gasol in that tradeoff.

Vista or XP? I got a laptop with Vista but I think I'll trade it in for a XP.

Today in APUSH, Kat said that I am going to be a millionaire in the future but then changed her mind and said I would be a Chippendale dancer. I didn't even know what that was at first. Then this suddenly happened during lunch: I was leaning against the basketball pole and then I stretched my arms behind my head to grab the pole. Feeling the surprisingly soft texture of the pole, I said out loud something like, "This pole feels so good." Apparently I haven't been getting enough sleep.

Check out this addictive game and have a wonderful three-day weekend. http://gprime.net/game.php/athleteballsnwalls