31 Days Left to Go - Birthday's Coming Soon.

My birthday is almost here and to think I started this blog 119 days ago. Thinking about the things I have accomplished and the other things I did not fully complete, I'm quite proud of how far I came and where I will be going when I turn 25.

I'm okay with going exploring new adventures alone. I'm okay with being by myself. I have amazing friends, new friends, and reconnected with old ones too. I see my parents at least once every two weeks, and more recently once a week the past month. Work has had it's ups and downs, but I got a raise and most of the time come into work early because I love my job.

So I planned my 25th Birthday Dinner at Vietopia. I have plans to make chocolate covered fortune cookies as party favors, place cards with assigned seating with some of my baby photos, and a Vietnamese French Cake. I wanted that particular cake because it reminds me of my birthday cake when I was age 1 -10.

Lastly, I did not meet one big part of my goal which was to lose weight, but surprisingly, I'm not as repulsed by myself like I was before, however I have started to regain some of my health problems again, so I must lose the weight. That was the reason why I did it the first time.

58 Days Left to Go - Positive and Negative

Let's start with the positive.

I got to see my friends (Nick and Anna) that moved to West Virginia the past weekend. I have not seen them in two years! It was nice seeing their little ones again too, even if they don't remember me. Not only did I see my friends, but the old group of friends that I used to hang out with years ago. It was quite refreshing and fun to hang out all together again.

I went to Karaoke with the friends mentioned above and had a great night. I haven't went out to Karaoke with my dear Jeana in forever, not to mention having Anna go to a muscle stripper guy and put a dollar in his underwear. (I know she liked it too)

I started talking to a guy on OkCupid, although flags went up kind of quickly and I don't think it's gonna work out. In the first conversation we had on the phone, he mentioned that he has already named our five future kids after biblical names and that on rainy days we are gonna watch tv... so what's the positive in all of this? It's literally the guy. He's so POSITIVE, that it's unreal. It really seems fake, or perhaps he's really naive. I am just look at it realistically.. (or pessimistically)..

So what's the negative?

I got my HIV test results back and it came back NEGATIVE!

Next on my short term to do list:

-Make a cupcake costume for Halloween
-Visit my parents.
-Get my donut tattoo this coming Friday.

65 Days Left to Go - What is the meaning of Life?

Life..

You work most of your life, unless you want to die sooner..

You sleep more than you are awake during your lifetime.

You make a lot of decisions that can alter your life.

What's the point of life?

Why bother continuing on a journey that has an ending you already know will happen?

What difference does it make to have life on a planet that will forget you?

Eventually you will you pass and no one will remember you or even know who you were..

So... why not leave your mark.

Set a goal that will last more than a lifetime.

You don't have to be smart, you just need to have a goal and a plan to reach it.

..and perhaps a little help wouldn't hurt.

Life.. it's worth living, by making positive changes, and life altering decisions to eventually leave your mark in the work, no matter how small or big that may be. Take chances, go on adventures, and never let anything get in your way.

-Donut Land Retreat 2013

67 Days Left to Go - Dreams, Memories, and Secrets.

I learned a lot of things today.. some of which seem like the monster hiding under my bed.

I was curious one day when I read on my birth certificate that I had one sibling that was born and still alive and another sibling that was born and had passed away. Well, it turns out I had another older brother.. No one seems to really talk about it, and I'm not even sure my Dad even knows. It's probably a really tough subject to talk about. I have so many questions in my head, wondering what could have been, and if my life would have been drastically changed.

So not many people really know this, but I have not been able to breath through my nose since I was born.. I'm not sure why, perhaps a deviated septum, but today, when I used the Nasal Spray, I was able to fully breath! It was an amazing experience and I wish it could have last longer, because it shortly went away.

On Wednesday, I'm going to see my general physician to get my CMV checked up again and also my Sleep Apnea. I am hoping he has some sort of cure for all of this.. because quite frankly I don't want to die in my sleep..

I hope I get better soon, because I have things to do and places to go!

-Dennis

68 Days Left to Go - Bed Rest

I woke up feeling horrible yesterday, and had to go home early from work. My symptoms:

Nasal Congestion
Coughing
Sneezing
Sore Throat
Upset Stomach
Fever

I can't figure out if it's reoccurring symptoms from my CMV, or if I have the flu or severe allergies.

Having Harvey with me is great, but I really do need to figure out what I can do about my cat allergies. I haven't been able to have clear sinuses ever since I got him. It reminds me of when I lived at home with my parents and we had our two dogs Buddy and BJ.

Not much has happened since my last post.. and it's only a few more months until my deadline on my goals that I made. One of the goals that I can really tell I have accomplished more and more is seeing my parents more often. I'm very happy with that result. I have also made a few new friends which checks another goal off my list and my recent vacation to Napa Valley and San Francisco should complete another goal I set for myself. So over all I am doing very well, however, it's that one thing that I can't seem to get right is my Diet and Exercise.. Although I joined 24 Hour Fitness and have been working out with Katie, so I guess it's a step toward the right path. I would also like to mention I got a raise at work. woo!

So yes, currently right now I am very ill. Not sure what it is, but tomorrow I will be going to a clinic and finding out what I can do to get better faster.

Some short term goals I have:

Clean my apartment
Ren Fest w/ Jenn
Make/Send my Birthday Invitations

Have a good week everyone!

80 Days Left to Go - Worse Now Then When I Started

I went to California this past weekend for one of my friends' birthday. I had a good time, it was great to spend time with my friend and her parents. Although I wish I didn't spend so much money while I was over there, however, considering it's California, it was bound to happen. I also learned that my sleep apnea never went away. The description my friend stated was "moments throughout the night where you stop breathing, then you would gasp for air like you were going to die."

great..

I started to really think about my health.. and quite frankly, and to be really honest, it's not going to well.

I have Sleep Apnea.

I have Periodontitis.

I have Acid Reflux.

I have Fatty Liver Disease.

I have Cytomegalovirus.

once again.. great.. So what am I doing to help battle these horrible ailments, diseases, and problems?

Sleep Apnea - Scheduled an appointment with a pulmonary doctor.

Periodontitis - Nothing.. I need to find a specialist to help me figure out what to do.

Acid Reflux - Taking Prilosec OTC. (although I ran out a while ago and stopped taking them)

Fatty Liver Disease - Joined 24 Hour Fitness, working out with Katie.

Cytomegalovirus - Incurable...

bleh......

I'm over it..

90 Days Left to Go - A Blessing in Disguise

My dear friend Katie has joined 24 Hour Fitness with me, and since then we've been working out together since. She has helped keep me in check, is a motivator in the gym, and it's really nice having a friend to work out with on daily basis. I have so far lost 8 lbs since I started last week. I know most of which is water weight, but it's still a step in the right direction.

This week I will be heading to Napa Valley, CA with Aurora and her parents. I am not really a big fan of wine, but I hope to appreciate it more when I'm over there. Which reminds me, I need to figure out what to get her for her birthday... I guess I will have to go shopping tomorrow, yay. fun. woo.

On a more somber note, my good friend from college, Kristin Idlebird, lost her fight with cancer on September 19, 2013. I miss her dearly... I know that she's in a better place, but I can't help but feel like I let her down. As I try to remember the many different times we were together, I'm starting to forget..

I don't want to forget the times we shot pool and played arcade games at the UC.

I don't want to forget the time we went bowling together with a group of people from her floor when we lived at the dorms.

I don't want to forget the first time she and I went to our very first gay club, South Beach.

I don't want to forget the time she introduced me to her family and her grandparents.

I don't want to forget the times we worked on video projects, scripts, and short stories.

I don't want to forget about a scene she wanted to do on top of the Welcome Center at UH, where Jamie Woody and myself were spies or secret agent ninjas. She loved the view from the roof..

Then there was a time when she drank alcohol for the first time, and I gave her so much grief about it. She said that it's not like she's an alcoholic, and she was right.. back then I didn't understand alcohol that much..

I remember the first time I met her. My forever next door neighbor, Linda Fox, showed me around campus, and we stumbled upon the Library. When we were inside, the library was gated off and closed. That was when we met Kristin. She wanted to check out the library too, but it was closed. Linda had to go, and Kristin and I went on an adventure... and the rest was history...

Then there was the times we worked out together at the Rec Center..

She introduced me to Frenchy's Fried Chicken.

One time, I left two lighters in her messenger bag, and when she was over at her grandparents' place, she dropped her bag and the lighters fell out.. oops.. sorry Kristin...

I remember studying with her.. getting the new radio head album with her..

... I remember when she got her refund check. She bought a desktop computer, an Xbox 360, Bioshock, and for some reason I remember her blanket or comforter..

Oh, and then there was the time I brought her to GLOBAL to meet other gays. She was very supportive of me... and then I remember quitting GLOBAL, and she was still supportive of me and my decisions.

I also remember losing touch with her.. which I hate the most...

I started to hang out more with people on my floor at my dorm and she hung out with Mercy, Jamie, and Brandon. It's like with most of my really good friends though, we hang out from time to time, but we have our own lives and our own different groups of friends. So I just didn't think much of it.. then I didn't hear from her in such a long time. I think I heard she couldn't afford school, she was looking for a job, and then I find out what had happened on Facebook.... really?

I had no idea what even happened! It was like seven months later from when it first happened..!

I called Jamie and she told me everything..

I then find out she was admitted to Memorial Hermann TIRR, which was right next door to where I was working at the time. I brought my violin and went to TIRR to come see her, but she was no longer there...

Jamie ended up taking met to go see her at home.. it was so sad...

I ended up playing my violin for her, hoping it would help her... praying that she could remember....

Rest in peace Kristin.. you will always be in my heart. You will always be in my mind.

(and you will always be with me whenever I watch the Houston Texans play..!)

96 Days Left to Go - I Gained 10 Pounds

A quick update.

Nothing has changed since my last post except the fact I gained ten pounds. Katie and I are going to join 24 Hour Fitness and work out after I get off work. I hope this all works out, and I hope I can follow through.

-D

102 Days Left to Change My Life - Veering Off Course, Adventure Time!

--- Start Rant ---

So what do you do when you veer off course?

You go on an adventure!

I'm starting to change without really doing anything...

I've obtained cleaner and healthier habits.

I'm making poor decisions in regards to my intake.

My boss called me at 6:30AM and let me know I'm late for work.. got there an HOUR LATE!

But being late and letting my manager down has pushed me to do even better at work.

I figured out a way to see Sonja more this year.

Simply hopping in her car and going to school with her on my days off. Ha-zaaah!

New Friends? If you count Jason and Phillip, then yes, yes I have made some new friends.

..and Phillip won when we went to Bingo.

Finally figured out my Birthday Theme: Dennis - 25 Years

Now to figure out where to have my birthday dinner.

Also, this would be the first time my friends would meet my family,

and my family would meet my friends... scary

foooooo  (that was Harvey Duke on my laptop)

so I'm off today, and I have been randomly selected to go to JURY DUTY!

Congratulations...

and what are the chances that I would have Jury Duty with my boss' husband?!

I'm not looking forward to Thanksgiving..

It was when Chuy took me on our very first date..

The Houston Thanksgiving Parade.. and it was so much fun

sigh..

mmm, speaking of the holidays, Halloween stuff are in stores already!

I decided I will be dressing up as................a Matador!

okay, I'm done.

--- End Rant ---

106 Days Left to Go - I Know What I Want To Be When I Grow Up

I remember when I was in High School, I contemplated several different career paths. I remember wanting to be a teacher, police officer, and a chef. I went to UH Hilton because I thought I wanted to own my own restaurant one day, except after I graduated, it started to look nearly impossible. I applied to a hundred different companies, and I got rejected even by Burger King, Pappas, and Starbucks.

It started to look bleak until someone gave me a chance, and that someone was someone I interned before back in high school at the Marriott. He was the Food and Beverage Director at the Marriott, but now he was the Food and Nutrition Manager at Memorial Hermann Hospital. I guess it's true that it's the people you know that help you get that foot in the door. After working three years at Memorial Hermann Hospital, which later turned into Sodexo (formerlly Sodexho) I learned that I have more opportunities in my hands now because it's a very large international company. One thing that I have learned after two promotions within the company is that I love what I do. I absolutely love all aspects of my job.

I know what I want to be when I get older and gain more experience.

I want to be a Food and Nutrition Director.

113 Days Left to Go - Disappointment and Motivation

One thing crossed my mind as I was drifting to sleep.. "What would Seth (my personal trainer when I originally lost a lot of my weight) think of me if he saw me now?"

There was one thing back in the day that kept me motivated, and that was the thought of never wanting to disappoint him. To this day, I feel like I let him down, my family, my friends, but especially myself.

Change does not happen instantly. It takes time and a lot of effort. One thing I want to try and do is to lose the weight without having a gym membership..

I will update again when I start exercising..

115 Days Left to Go - A Second Opinion on My Mid Twenties

My friend, that I am going to name Levi, has enlightened me about a more realistic view on my goals and blog. I guess I need to be a little bit more clear on what these goals really are and what I am hoping to accomplish. What I ultimately want to change are my bad habits. There are some things that I do that are having a negative impact on my health, life, and well being.

One thing that Levi mentioned was that if I go cold turkey on some of the things I used to do, I would eventually break and over indulge when I do it again. Levi suggests things in moderation. An example of that would be "No Unhealthy Food!", but one day I tell myself that I have been good and healthy and have been craving Chinese Food. I then go to a buffet and literally eat my heart out...

Another thing that Levi also told me was accountability. I need some support in finding the few that will hold me accountable to these goals. I honestly have not been doing a good job visiting home, and have yet to start to work out since making this blog. My diet was pretty good at one point, but has fallen since. It would be great to have some help from people holding me accountable for my goals.

So what now?

Well, short term to-do list/goals:

• Clean Apartment
• Visit Mom
• Save Money

118 Days Left to Go - CDM, CFPP

I finally found what I can start working towards. My new director sent me and email and beside his name were these two acronyms. CDM and CFPP. I was curious and googled those acronyms and discovered there were some certifications that he had, which must've helped him become where he is today.

CDM stands for Certified Dietary Manager

CFPP stands for Certified Food Protection Professional

It looks like I qualify to take the certification exam and have an option to join the ANFP - Assocication of Nutrition and Food Service Professionals.

I'm going to go to the book store and check online to see if there is some study material that I could use and then get my certification.

Sincerely,

Dennis Ha, CDM, CFPP

123 Days Left to Go - Good-bye Lukas Chase Harris!

Nyko is picking up his cat today. I am very excited.. but that also means I better get all of Harvey's cat toys before someone comes and takes them all.. oh and hide the cat food too. Knowing this information ahead of time will give me ample amount of time to prepare for anything that could happen. Gosh I wish I could've change the locks when I had the chance.

On a good note, I clean my entire apartment, except for the dishes. Still need to get those done. Let's just say that I have discovered... hundreds..and hundreds of gnats/fruit flies living in my kitchen... sigh.. I know I need to do better, but I still blame someone for the mess to begin with.

Jason's coming over today to meet Harvey and to go out for brunch like we always do. This Thursday, Jeana, Phillip, Jason and I will be going to play Bingo! I haven't played Bingo in forever!

Work has been great, I have had a few forgetful times, but I am still striving to do better. I need to remember to do more test trays..!

Lastly, I finished the time capsule with my best friends Ezzy and Sonja. We put a buncha stuff in there, and we are going to open that sucker up when we're all 30. (Winter 2019)

I hope everyone has a good day and we shall see what happens when Nyko picks up his cat.

128 Days Left to Go - & I Feel Like I'm Back to Square One

-Start Rant-

What the hell am I doing with my life right now?

Let's begin with work: I feel like I'm doing a half-ass job at the thing I love to do. I need to realize that I am so fortunate to have a job, but I also need to realize that I can do better. The employees there are lovely, but what I know is that things are not getting done, and I need to hold them accountable, because if I do not hold them accountable, it will be my behind on the line, and my ass is too big to be placed on a skinny ass line.

Finances: I have no savings anymore. I would like to blame Nyko, but I know that's not the case. I have been carelessly spending and I need to make a budget and stick to it. I need to also make sure I set aside some money into my savings account and into my debt.

My home is not my oasis right now: Filth. I live in utter filth. I have gnats everywhere. I have such a long cleaning list to do that is not getting done. I declare Wednesday after work my cleaning day because I would like to have friends over and not be embarrassed. I had someone over the other day and I was so ashamed of my living conditions. It looked like someone vomit all over the place and didn't bother cleaning it up. I used to live in such a nice place until Nyko arrived.. sigh, which reminds me I need to place all of his stuff in the storage unit when I get a chance. Wednesday, right, Wednesday.

Karaokilling: I need to stop going to Karaoke again. I am spending way too much time there and it's very unhealthy. I know that I have made some great people there, but the truth of the matter is, they really don't know me.. Some don't even know my real name. 

Friends & Family: I'm doing a lot better at keeping up with my family now. I have seen them more in the past two weeks than in the past two months. I got to catch up with Sonja and Scott last night, and they are doing well. Sonja just finished summer school, but she's about to go back to school which means that she will once again be unavailable like everyday. That and her curfew is at 9PM doesn't help, but I mean she has to eat sometime during the day, might as well try and meet me for lunch. Ezzy is also going back to school in Tyler this Monday, which means I won't be able to see her much either. The rest of my friends I usually see once a month or two, which I perfectly fine with.

Relationships & Dating: So I really liked this one guy, but we ended up turning into friends, which I am perfectly fine with because I always have known that good friends are hard to come by. Tonight I also started missing someone.. I keep remembering "the good ol' times" and it makes me sad. Then later this evening I added someone I haven't seen in over a year on Facebook, we shall see how this will play out. Lastly, as you can see, I am just not ready for a relationship. I have some work to be done on myself, although it would be a lot better if I had some support along the way.

I would also like to mention, my friend Kristin Idlebird is currently in Hospice Care right now and they have said that she is not going to make it. I miss her dearly.. the way she used to be. She taught me so much about being yourself, loving yourself, being free, knowing what is right and wrong, but also doing what is right and wrong. She is a kind hearted soul that is going to be missed immensely. Please have her in your prayers..

Good night.

-End Rant- 

133 Days Left to Go - Progress and Mentality

Last Monday, I got to catch up with one of my best friends Raymond. We talked about what has been happening with our lives and what we are currently doing. He's been doing well, got promoted/transferred to the cheese department at Central Market, starting school in a few weeks, and is planning to move out. I'm so proud of him and excited to see where life will take him. I worry though if he will be happy, but I'm sure he will make it so.

He gave me some great advice on my blog and goals. He feels that I say a lot of things, but in doing so, I can easily go back on my own word, because who would hold me accountable. Take for example, my goal in seeing my parents more. What I say is I want to see them once a week, however that might not be very plausible. Realistically, I can see them once every two weeks for sure. I should also let them know about my intentions that way I have someone who can hold me accountable for my goals. I also mentioned to him that I want to make it so that I don't have to think about. I want to be able to go see my parents almost automatically instead of making myself do so.

So I will be taking a nice small vacation to Napa Valley, California in September for my other best friend, Aurora's Birthday. Four night and five days, how exciting. I haven't seen her in quite some time and I absolutely miss her. I realize how much she has helped me grow when she was in Houston.

Tonight some friends and I went to dine at 17, a restaurant in the Sam Houston Hotel, formerly the Alden. The food was good, small portions, and a bit overly priced, but it was the conversations with my friends that I enjoyed about this evening. I'm glad my friends from different points in my life could meet and get along so well.

Next on my agenda for my short term goals for this week:

• Take Harvey to the Vet
• Re-sign up for 24 Hour Fitness
• Visit my parents sometime this week.
• Go watch Percy Jackson - Sea of Monsters w/ Katie.

To everyone, I wish you a good week full of laughter, love, and spontaneous events.

139 Days Left to Go - My Apartment Complex vs. Harvey/Lukas

So I return home to find the apartment complex that I live in is doing an inspection this Thursday. I have no idea what they will be look at or why they have the need to do so, but one thing that has changed since I signed the lease is my kitty cat and my newly adopted cat. I did not let them know I have a pet, nor do I plan on telling them because of their high cost pet deposit. This is where I need to find someone or someplace where I can go hide my cats.

Let's look at my options:

• Parents' House: Most likely so, but I don't want the cats to tear anything up, although I can stuff them in one room with food and a litter box just until after the inspection and voila!
• Animal Kennel: This will cost money. This will also do the trick.
• Friends' Place: I could somehow find someone to house my pets for a short amount of time. Problem is, I don't know anyone that can do that.

It looks like I figured it out. I need to hide all the cat toys and anything pet related and clean my kitchen. I am going to have to drop off the cats at my parents' place early Thursday morning and make sure to clean up the place on Wednesday.

I'm sure I'll let you all know what happens next week, just make sure you cross your fingers for me.

(speaking of cats, one of them is clawing my work shoes, while the other one has a phobia of shoes....)

140 Days Left to Go - Meet and Greet.

Last night I met a fellow at a gay pool tournament. I don't recall his name, but something interesting happened. We sat down with each other at a random table after I finished losing and we started talking. What we did for a career, school, education, life, family, hobbies, and I have learned (and have I really learned) not to get ahead of myself. Perhaps I met a new friend, but I'm not going to lie.. There was a little spark in our eyes. (& if you're wondering, no I was not drunk. I only had one beer.)

I got to sing four new songs at karaoke today.

• Red Solo Cup - Keith Urban
• Feeling Good - Michael Buble
• Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons
• If I Ain't Got You - Alicia Keys

Tonight, I am returning to my Thursday Gay Coffee Meet Up Group, and hoping to meet new people and see my old friends again that I have not seen in quite some time. (I ended up passing out at 4pm and waking up at 7am the next morning... the Meet Up was at 7pm!)

I would like to also add that yesterday evening I surprised my parents by coming to visit them and had dinner with them. My mom has seen the change in my appearance, which makes me happy. I caught up with my dad and he gave me some great advice. I am hoping to see them more and more each week.

141 Days Left to Go - Houston, The Friend Has Left The City

My friend who I have been generously helping by letting him stay in my apartment, sleep on my couch rent free, paying for his storage locker, and above all dealing with his uncleanliness and drunken mornings has moved out and is now living with his grandmother in Corpus Christi.

In honor of this momentous occasion:

142 Days Left to Go - Grandmothers Always Know Best.

I had a great conversation with my Grandmother today after work. We caught up on things that I have been doing and I told her something that has been bothering for quite some time. I told her that I was lonely and right away, the first thing she told me was:

"Be patient and let that person find you. You are a great person that anyone would be lucky to have. You both will find each other one day, and when you do it will be like magic."

Patience is key.. The time will come when the time is right.

143 Days Left to Go - Responsibilities Are Part of the Journey to Change

It feels great to live in a clean area. That's the only thing I have left here now that my roommate and his feline have tormented Harvey Duke and I. As long as I clean and simply follow my responsibilities in this home, I should be okay.

When I got home, all I wanted was to cook a simple dinner and when I walked into my kitchen, garbage galore, gnats, the microwave was filthy with something exploded in it, and the stove had the same thing on it. I was livid. I ended up going to Chili's to eat dinner.

I was not having a good evening, but I decided to take things into my hands.

When I got home, I cleaned the kitchen, told my friend to take out the trash, and feel a lot better.


Good night.

144 Days Left to Go - Awake.

I'm wide awake.

My roommate came home drunk again.. at 5AM, and left his keys in his car and someone took him home. Now he's watching TV very loudly and laughing louder than the TV show itself.. bleh..

Good news: With permission from his recruiter, he will be moving to Corpus with his Grandmother and taking his cat with him!

*crosses fingers*

Celebration Party at my place if it all goes through!

Today, I have a brunch date with Jason, someone I met online. This will be the third time that we've met up for brunch. We are also going to be clipping coupons and searching for deals around the area. I'm very fascinated in the extreme couponing craze.

Afterwards, I'll go visit my parents and see how they're doing.

...A change is gonna come

147 Days Left to Go - Who are my friends?

I have always said my friends shape me into the person I am today and in no particular order:

Sonja - My friend who I have known the longest. In a lot of ways we are very alike, for example, we are both kind, at times too nice, creative, active and young at heart. We tend to view the world in a different lens. She is currently applying for pharmacy schools across the U.S.

Ezzy - The friend I call at 3AM when I am balling my eyes out. She usually, well, always puts me in place. She's probably one of the only friends, along with Sonja, that I can talk to her about anything. I also come to her with medical questions too, since she is currently in nursing school at UT Tyler.

Raymond - My one of a few gay friends that I have. We met when we were both working at Freebirds. I then got a job at Memorial Hermann, and a little while later I helped him get a job there too. He currently works at Central Market. We see each other perhaps once a month or so, and he always helps me whenever I have "gay" related questions.

Wells - My old college roommate my senior year at the University of Houston. During college we would always have breakfast almost everyday and then go our separate ways, until we met back up at night. After I graduated, we kept in contact, and I would see him once every few months for brunch. He is so chill, that it makes me remember to relax sometimes and let things go with the flow. His cat had a litter of kittens and that is where I adopted Harvey Duke! Photo on the right side bar of the blog.

Katie - One of two friends I met at the Hilton College. She is quite different than many of my friends that I have. We are complete opposites of each other, but it somehow works. We eventually went through a lot of different experiences together and have lots of adventure stories between us. When she worked in Disney, we would both write letters to each other and send photos back and forth through the USPS.

Aurora - The other friend that I made at the Hilton College. We would always meet up on Monday for Margarita Mondays. She always tells me how it is, black and white, plain and simple, whether I want to hear it or not. I wish she was here in Houston. She's currently working for Hyatt in Chicago. (side note: her mom is pretty awesome too)

Jeana - I have always considered Jeana to be my fun friend. She's so much fun to hang out with and be around, and she can easily spark a conversation with a random person. We met through mutual friends and when our mutual friends moved, we met up through Twitter, had dinner at Yia Yia Marys, and the rest was history.

Siobhan - One of the most awesome people I know. She's so interesting. Fascinating. I want to pick her mind sometimes. We met at a very awful situation. I was dating this one guy and she was best friends with this other guy who was friends with the guy I was dating. We took a casino bus to lake charles, turns out the bus broke down, and it was a long trip, I lost money, her friend was a racist, and the guy I was dating was a douche. We had more things in common than the other guys. We have had a lot of good moments together, my favorite was probably crazy death taxi rides and all of her panda stuff.

Then there's also Endymion Quinn, Jenn/Greg, Jemel, Alyssa, Brittany, Jorge, Brenard, Jason, and Marcelene. Who I will explain more about tomorrow, since it's getting late tonight.

Good night.

148 Days Left to Go - Not Going According to Plan

I had a great day at work, got a lot accomplished, and actually loving what I'm doing at work, which is difficult for many people to say. There are many great people who work there and there are a select few that make me smile each time I see them. I am truly blessed to be where I am at in my professional career. Eventually, I would like to move up within the company. I spoke with one of the corporate executives of the company, and he suggests that I continue doing what I have been doing, but also making sure that I am the "go-to" guy. Reason being, the more things I can handle and be responsible for, the more appealing I will look in the company.

So my friend, now roommate, just told me that his basic training isn't until February. We talked about it late tonight about what bothers each other about the other person. It looks like he's gonna be here, with no intention of moving out. He also mentions that his cat, Lukas, will be living with me for six years while he is away. At least Harvey won't be so lonely when I'm at work. He's looking for a job in the meantime, I expect him to pay rent in the coming month.. I'm not sure how long this living arrangement will work, but I can just hope for the best.

As far as how I am going to change my life, let's take a look again of my goals:

• Lose weight - Workout & Eat Right

• Gain self-esteem - Lose Weight

• Figure out what I enjoy doing in my free time. - Test new hobbies until the right one comes.

• Join a new organization/social group - Would like to Join Kaminari Taiko Houston.

• See my family more often. - Visit my parents once a week, maybe Tuesday or Sunday.

• Meet new people - No idea how I am going to do this, but perhaps through my good friends.

• Be a success at work. - With all the changes that are occurring at work, I need to make sure I am on top of my game. I have to make sure to get all of my assignments done and do everything according to the books. I must make sure to get all my paperwork done too.

• Find new adventures. - I should look into different events in Houston and the surrounding areas.

149 Days Left to Go - It's Not What I Had Planned

Spontaneous events can be a lot of fun, however planning in my opinion can lead you to the right direction toward the success of your goals. So let me give a brief description of what occurred last night.

My friend upset me, which made me go out last night to karaoke. I played a slot machine and won $30. I ate Burger King. A handsome Mexican guy who did not know any English bought me all my drinks last night. Exchanged numbers with thus guy, and today we texted each other in Spanish while I translated the conversation on my Windows Phone.

I ended up making plans last night to go out on Wednesday as well.. The only reason why I decided to go out again tomorrow is because I owe my friend dearly, who helped me greatly when I was dead broke and only had a few dollars in my pocket.

I would like to end with a thought my co-worker asked me about this blog:

"You mention what you are going through and where you want to be, but you don't mention at all how you are going to make the changes.."

I must admit, she is actually right. I will figure this out in the coming week. Until then, I know to make sure I follow the plans, and if spontaneous events occur, to make sure I am aware of my end goals.

150 Days Left to Go - The Beginning of Change

Change can go a long way for someones life. Change can be both good and bad. Change occurs every second of our lives and can alter the future depending on what we decide to do.

I feel like I'm stuck in a constant. I pretty much do the same thing day in and day out, without any intention, motivation or drive to change it. Some might ask why? Because change can be scary, intimidating, and unnerving.

Let me explain my life right now:

• I constantly work, including most weekends and holidays, with a hope to move up in the company.
• I have gained 20 lbs since starting my new job at a new location back in April.
• I have not worked out since the start of the new year.
• I am helping a friend by having him crash my couch until he can get back on his feet.
• I adopted an awesome kitten named Harvey Duke.
• I don't see my family enough.
• I have some of the best friends a guy could ever ask, but only see them once in a while.
• I am a frequent regular at a drag bar.
• Karaoke is part of my life.
• I am single.

Now that I have laid all of that out on the virtual table, there are some things that I want to change in my life that I hope to be most beneficial:

• Lose weight
• Gain self-esteem
• Figure out what I enjoy doing in my free time.
• Join a new organization/social group
• See my family more often
• Meet new people
• Be a success at work.
• Find new adventures.

This is the beginning of my journey toward change. I am unsure how to go about this, but I do know that I need to take one step at a time, find my support system, and maintain my motivation. Right now, it's seeing myself around a group of people that love me on my birthday, but not only them but myself.

-Dennis