For the last 24 hours, it seems my priorities have been crooked and needed some straightening out. Starting at 3:00pm Thursday, I embarked back home to attend a concert featuring Garbage and No Doubt. Hai, the biggest Gwen Stefani fan I know, just couldn't wait and we left on BART to meet Linh (whose birthday was yesterday, so happy birthday) who would take us the rest of the way. After missing multiple turns, hitting traffic at all the usual places on 880 and 280, we finally hit Downtown San Jose, a dead place that wants to be lively but just can't. We're to meet even more people on campus. Campus? Yes. San Jose State University. The forgotten university in the shadows of Cal and Stanfurd.

By 5:30, it's already been a long day, but it would just be starting. Jeanine, Mint, and her sisters finally arrive after waiting forever and we head for something to eat since Hai seems to be hungry. Yes, he's always hungry but we had time to kill too. The restaurant of choice is Togo's, or as I know it, to go's. It's like down the block but we drive anyway and it takes 15 minutes to park, even getting kicked out by this guy who says this is his parking lot for his Italian restaurant. Geez. It's a quick eat and by 7:00, we're there. $13 for parking! My brothers used to work at the arena parking lot so maybe I should've pulled in a favor. Then again, it was many years ago. But hey, they were wearing the same uniforms.

So, the concert. I would be seating with my siblings so I separated from the big pack to get to my lower level seats. First on the billing tonite were The Distillers. Yawn. Sure, they were loud, so that kept me awake.

Garbage was next, one of my faves. They were entertaining but they were limited in what they could do; after all, they're not the stars of the show. Good 10 song set lasting 45 minutes. All the old favorites, Only Happy When It Rains, Stupid Girl, Push It, and the new ones, Shut Your Mouth, Cup of Coffee, and Cherry Lips, were played.

All of this led into No Doubt. Now, ever since they put a little reggae into their music on their last album, Rock Steady, I've just been turned off. But there's no denying the power Gwen has over the audience. Through good songs and bad, she seemed to keep the crowd mesmerized and lively. Among these people were the people in front of me, in particular, one guy. Ever seen Seinfeld? If you did, you'll remember the mocking of Elaine's dancing. This guy danced the same exact way, added by arm motions that mimicked my friend James (no, not Trendy James) when he was half asleep or drunk. My sister and I couldn't stop laughing. Anyway, the group managed to prominently feature the songs that made them famous, Don't Speak, Spiderwebs, Simple Kind of Life, and now Underneath It All, all to wild applause.

And a short three and a half hours later, it was all over. Hai was hungry as usual so we went to look for a place to eat. It seems nothing is open at midnight on a Thursday night, so we just headed for Denny's, sans Mint and her sisters. And at 1:30 in the morning, I was found at home.

That should've been end of story. But no. I couldn't sleep. I didn't know why. Finally, the eyes closed at 3 only to wake up at 5. You see, I didn't finish my homework due on Friday, so I couldn't turn it in early. And with an important concept being lectured on in my Stats class, I had to make it to school today. I left the house at 6:30 to get to Daly City BART at 7:15 to get to Berkeley at 8:00. I got to my apartment and for the longest time, I just stared at my bed. I couldn't stop staring. Finally, I snapped out of it and convinced myself I couldn't work in this environment. So, I made the trek to school at the obscene hour of 9:00. Yes, you people have 7 and 8 o'clock classes, but for me, this is early. I got to the library and got to working. Heck, I must've been focused because 15 minutes later and 2 hours of sleep in me, I was done. I killed time by working on even more homework, including this little extra credit assignment for Econ. Yes, Datman, I finished it except for question 8. I got to lecture at 10 and fell asleep on more than one occasion. The class wouldn't end! But there was light at the end as the professor ended class and I was free to leave.

12:00 I was at my apartment. I wanted to go to sleep and end this but no. The post below mentions something about two birthdays this weekend, my sister-in-law's and my mom's. So I was up and atom again, headed back to BART and back home. But I was just there! Yes, but it will soon be over. 4:00 I get home. I get to my room and see my bigger bed and just want to climb in and waste away my Friday night by sleeping.

And it almost happened until my dad yelled at me to mow the lawn. Anyone who's seen my lawn knows it's dead and yellow. But it keeps growing and it's helped by the fact my dad put new seed and fertilizer on all the bald spots. End result? Half the lawn is 6 inches higher than the other half and it's a different shade of green. Sigh. And here's poor me cutting it to equal length.

Now it's over and I'm writing this right now. But as I am doing so, the day will not end. My mom tells me my uncle's relatives from Australia just happened to choose today to cross the ocean and visit everyone here, which means I'll be off again in about an hour or so. So happy trails to me and my hope for more sleep today. Instead, I get Vietnamese belly-laughs and the smell of alcohol everywhere. Hopefully, there's good food.