2017: The Year That Was

In a marked departure from the past few whirlwind years, 2017 was not filled with a slew of firsts and life milestones. Instead, it was a year of second-time-throughs and building upon past experience.

On one hand, it's reassuring to not feel like a complete rookie. On the other, it's easy to fall into bad habits and days that thoughtlessly bleed into each other.

Anyway, as this post is woefully delinquent, I'll cut to the chase. Some proverbial highlights from the past year:

1. A Place To Call Our Own. It feels good to build toward something long term, rather than making a monthly expense payment. We are very lucky and grateful to live where we live.

2. Travel Bug Stayed Strong. Oakland (house warming in Temescal); Las Vegas (Traci watching the Backstreet Boys); Anaheim (BWT Finals, where UCI lost for the third time in four trips since 2008); Phoenix (Spring Training 2017, Dodgers autograph success!); Crater Lake and Bend, OR (where our car was sideswiped overnight); Temecula (friendly wine servers winning over certain members of our party); San Francisco (Edge/softball wedding); Seattle and Whidbey Island (law school wedding); Ensenada (birthday celebration); Joshua Tree (Mom's birthday); Santa Barbara (quality wine); and Sonoma (capstone wine tasting trip).

3. A Return To Costa Rica. This trip gets its own paragraph. Long on Traci's bucket list, I was really excited to go back to one of my favorite countries. The trip itself was awesome, but the journey back, not so much. We'll always have being stranded for 23 hours at a closed down Houston Hobby Airport in the middle of Hurricane Harvey as a memento of our second year of marriage.

[January 2019 EDIT: BLOGGER FAIL]... Just noticed this never got officially published. Half-written draft just hung around in the unpublished posts section for an entire year. Oh well, on to the next...

2016: The Year That Was

Well, it finally happened. Proverbial Putts went an entire year with just one sole post.

I suppose as one gets older, less and less time is spent selfishly pontificating about your own life and emotions. Having a job that requires sitting in front of a computer all day, reading and writing, also doesn't inspire much desire to come home and do more of the same.

I actually did reboot Zotcubed in an effort to keep my "writing for fun" juices flowing, and I thought about writing on here a couple times, but it just never happened.

Old habits die hard though; I'm not quite ready to retire my annual year-end reflection post. So let's see...

2016 was the first full "join the work force and be a real adult" year of my life. It was also a year that challenged me in new ways, shaking my confidence tremendously at times. I feel somewhat accomplished for having successfully reached the other side, but I'm more excited to build off this past year with a better one in 2017.

2016 was a year of cramming travel into long-weekends. Due to losing my student-life freedoms, we substituted my international trips for short weekend getaways. Las Vegas, Denver, Austin, San Francisco, Lake Cuyamaca, Napa, Orange County and Los Angeles, all fun times in their own right. We capped it all off with our quasi-one year anniversary trip to Hawaii (Kauai and Oahu) over Thanksgiving, a vacation I was especially thankful for.

2016 was another big year of weddings. I was lucky enough to serve as a groomsman for Fooks and toast Yibs as one of his best men. We had another joyous Ambalamps reunion for Ambrose, and a Glory reunion in SF for Vince. All friendships and celebrations I cherish.

2016 also saw the addition of a new family member. Pippin the dog (after Peregrin Took) overcame her bout with a canine version of lyme's disease, not to mention whatever other hardships she experienced on the streets of Mexico, and spent many-a-night happily thumping her tail under our bed. Although she still has some peculiar behavioral issues that we're working on, she went from zero tricks to three and a half in the course of four-ish months. So there's hope yet, even if she manages to get by on her cuteness regardless.

And finally, 2016 was a year for exposing the many ways that I can improve as a husband. There seem to be so few precious hours in a day that we're not occupied with work and other obligations -- hopefully 2017 will be a year of maximizing the hours we do have to make strides onward and upward.

2015: The Year That Was

2015 was an eventful year. So eventful, in fact, that it may never be topped. There were many great things, some not so great things, and some other general milestones that will go down in the history books. This blog is getting old, and desperately needs some fresh air, so instead of rolling out one of my typical TLDR year-end recaps, I'll try to summarize things into a few main points.

1. Wedding/Married Life

It's still surreal to say "my wife" or see the name "Traci Gao" on paper, perhaps because the entire turnaround between proposal and marriage happened within the year. Regardless, the wedding was just about everything we could have hoped for, and those moments were some of the happiest of my lifetime. It's something special to have all of your closest people in the world, all in one space, and all present for your sake. It was like if someone combined all of your birthday parties throughout your life and hosted one giant party with all of those people, only on top of that you got to celebrate being with your for-real-best-friend-for-life on top of that.

Married life is a lot of fun because it means never having to say good bye for long. That being said, I'm quickly realizing that being a good husband requires additional effort and thoughtfulness, and I hope to improve in certain areas of my new role in life moving forward.

2. Wanderlust

In terms of travel, I would be astounded if 2015 was ever topped. I was lucky enough to go to China, the DRC, Burundi, the Netherlands, Fiji, and New Zealand. In each country, my worldview was broadened, and perspective on life widened. And by that, I don't mean boasting about how "worldly" I now am, but instead realizing how narrow my worldview was before, and trying to quench my thirst for learning more outside the limited scope of our daily lives. The same applies in the U.S as well, on a smaller scale. Shout out to weekend trips to SF, New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Portland!

There's not much I'd rather do in the world than travel with good friends and loved ones. Thank you to those who made my 2015 travels full of laughs, interesting conversation, and all-around good times. I can't wait to explore again when the opportunity presents itself.

3. Law Stuff

2015 marked my graduation from law school, which was cool. It also marked less savory experiences, such as studying for and taking the bar.

I suppose life is a sequence of events where you over-stress and make a bigger deal of each hurdle you have immediately ahead of you, only to look back and realize that the hurdle wasn't really such a big deal after all. Too bad you can't realize that the hurdle isn't so bad until you have the wisdom in retrospect!

4. Back Home in Sunny San Diego

After four years in Irvine, a transition year, and three more in Los Angeles, it's nice to be back in San Diego for the long haul. I do miss all of my friends now scattered up the coast and in other parts of the country, but all things considered, living in the downtown area of San Diego isn't too shabby.

Looking forward to diving into home improvement, exploring the city, and hosting more friend visits in 2016.

2014: The Year That Was

Life in law school with a job lined up isn't such a bad place to be. Okay, who am I kidding. It probably rivals undergrad for some of the best times in my lifetime.

Going to approach this rendition of my annual wrap-up post with a chronological slant.

January

• My second semester of 2L started off with my very own APILSA event -- Rich Cho, GM of the Charlotte Bobcats (now Hornets), spoke to a healthy crowd at a law school lunch event. It was really cool meeting one of my professional world API heroes, and it was satisfying to have my own brainstormed event turn out so positively.
• On a last second impulse, Jonathan and I saw the Eagles at one of their Forum re-opening concerts. 2014 was a year of crossing off numerous iconic bands from my see-live-in-concert bucket list, and the Eagles started things off in grand fashion.
• Returning to Edge Retreat as a counselor was a trip and a half. But ultimately, it was a refreshing return to some of the things that made my college fellowship experience so great, and an effort to pass that on to a younger generation.

February

• Intramural basketball made its return with an APILSA + Tim team. Although we started off slow, things turned around with the addition of a few key recruits, and a good time was had by all. In the end, we were about 30 seconds away from winning the semi-finals and most likely winning the championship as well.
• I got into dress shoes around this time, doing a lot of research in preparation for work and weddings coming up in the new year. I'm pretty happy with the selections I ended up making (Allen, Jack, and Bruno), and Traci got me my own shoe polish and brush to boot.
• I had the lucky opportunity to intern for the UCLA Athletics Department in the spring semester. Previously flirting and ultimately failing to work in collegiate athletics in some capacity, I finally found the right position within the Compliance Department.

March

• A thoroughly eventful month kicked off with Anthony's bachelor party weekend in a Lake Arrowhead cabin. Good times were had by all, and especially those who were fans of Star Wars Trivial Pursuit, Orange Wheat, and Monopoly.
• We made the early morning drive out to Glendale, Arizona to experience our first Spring Training, a longtime bucket list item of mine. Unfortunately, it was in Arizona and not Florida, and I found myself watching the Dodgers and not the Cardinals. Still, it was a cool experience and something I may repeat in the future.
• Mark's wedding and bachelor party festivities, which meant my first return to St. Louis since the summer after high school, and Traci's first ever trip to the Gateway City. I don't think I stopped smiling this entire weekend.
• Tim and I attended our first ever March Madness games. Although we were there to see our UCLA Bruins, the best game might have been the SF Austin - VCU tilt, which featured a crazy come back from the Lumberjacks. We also got to witness UCLA dismantle Tulsa in the first round, before dispatching SFA fairly easily in the round of 32. I won't forget the overwhelming camaraderie of Bruin fans doing the U ---- C ---- L ---- A chant around the arena's four sides, contagiously spreading even to non-UCLA fans.

April

• I celebrated my 25th birthday with one of the best gifts in recent memory -- a record player/turntable from Traci. Much research, used vinyl perusing, and pure and unadulterated music listening ensued.
• The 2014 baseball season saw a return of Mwen and I to the ranks of season ticket holders. This designation should come with a strong asterisk as we wound up selling most of the tickets from our 21 game package. Unlike before however, we beat the system by making profits on more desirable games, and then attending a few others with friends at ridiculously low costs. The Padres still sucked, but in kind of a lovable-loser way. If nothing else, we got some nice side thrills from Stubhub "SOLD!" notifications.
• 2014 was a year of many new hobbies. Thanks to the patient tutelage of my friend Thomas, I received the first real golf instruction of my life. I can now drive the ball straight and in the air once every three or so swings. 

May

• Jason and Nancy, Traci's future roommates/parents, had a very lovely wedding in Anaheim. Apparently my hair reached its all-time peak during the festivities. Although my hair has fallen back to its former drab ways, it's excellent to have more cool friends in San Diego!
• Billy Joel at the Hollywood Bowl -- my number one bucket list concert -- as the perfect way to celebrate the end of 2L.
• The return to the Big Apple. The Metropolitan followed by the Mets. Traci losing the ability to speak while meeting Clayton Kershaw. Catching up with old friends, eating delicious things and watching singing puppets on Avenue Q. Thanks for the hospitality, Le Chez Diane!

June

• The summer of 2014 focused entirely on my summer associate position in downtown San Diego. It was somewhat stressful trying to constantly make a good position, but it was rewarding to learn so much while being challenged on a daily basis.
• It's nigh impossible to rank the weddings I've been to, but Anthony and Emma's wedding was a fantastic time. Like all "Edge weddings," there was a lot of great catching up with old friends. There's also something extra special about standing up there with one of your best friends that cannot be duplicated.

July

• My time as a summer associate came to a conclusion with the entire firm coming together for a Padres-Cardinal baseball game with suite seats. It was strange wearing professional attire and not cheering my head off. Something I may have to get used to in future years.

August

• More wedding fun in August, as Will and Trisha celebrated with cute vows and epic introductions. I loved the parts about fulfilling dreams at Disney and tearing up about UCLA. 
• Before school started up again, my family flew up to Anchorage where we adventured on the Great Alaskan Railroad. It's nice to be able to do more adventurous activities while my parents can still manage.

September

• Visits from Vince and meeting Jeremy Lin stand out as some of the best memories of September.
• Traci and I also belatedly celebrated four years by seeing Sir Paul McCartney himself in concert at Petco Park. Quite a surreal experience to see the legendary Beatle live and in the flesh. Plus, the Live and Let Die fireworks. Rock and roll, indeed.

October

• Playoff baseball returned in spectacular fashion, with the Cardinals and Dodgers facing off again. Although it was the NLDS and not the NLCS this year, the Cardinals still took care of business and utterly annihilated the aforementioned Mr. Kershaw not once, but twice. Although Luigi and I again failed to exact revenge at Dodger Stadium, the Cards came through again with some postseason magic, at least until the Giants (again).
• Somewhere in 2014, my childhood love for baseball cards was rekindled randomly. It sounds silly, but it brought me back to some of those little kids moments of joy to look through my old collection and add a few new cards to boot. #2014hobbies

November

• Traci and I made a short trip up to San Jose and the Bay Area thanks to the graciousness of Karen and her 49er connections. Although I braced myself for the worst, my Rams actually found some miraculous way to come through and beat the niners by the skin of their teeth. First ever NFL regular season game, first ever Rams game, and first win! Not too shabby.
• Relient K mmhmm 10th anniversary tour. The return of Dave Douglas. Aw yehh.
• UCLA defeated USC in football for the third straight year. Although the Bruins would ultimately disappoint (again with Stanford), it was a sweet victory and awesome to finish my law school career undefeated against the bad guys across town.
• UCI took down LMU in the fourth-ever Pappy-Gao Superbowl. All-time record: 3-1 UCI.

December

• The ultimate sports gambling weekend in Vegas finally happened, and it was pretty awesome (for the most part). Although money was lost overall, our teams (Chargers and UCI) won the games that mattered in dramatic fashion, and we experienced the best that sports had to offer with crazy comebacks and edge-of-your-seat buzzer beaters. Just be careful any time someone suggests implementing some seemingly logical strategy that they just looked up on their phone 24 hours ago. #Martingale
• Our family returned to the ski slopes for the first time in a while by making the trip up to Yosemite and Badger Pass. This year, we also swung by Sequoia and King's Canyon, to check out the largest trees on the planet. It was cold, but it was pretty. Particularly memorable was a 7-mile snowshoe hike we did in Yosemite, climaxing with a gorgeous and majestic view of El Capitan and Half Dome. 

2013: The Year That Was

With apologies for being a bit tardy, a look back at 2013, a year that was filled with great stress but also great learning.

A few benchmark notes first:

• Proverbial Putts has crossed the five year mark! Yes, posts are down, but I am still chugging along. There's always something to be said for longevity and commitment, if I do say so myself.
• A new year brings a new layout. The postcard-photo-flip design was cool in idea, but I think it was a bit burdensome to have to click each tab just right. With this new design, I'm hoping to strike a balance of "modern interactive" with old-school functionality.

Highlights, Low lights, and some things in between

- The main thing that comes to mind about 2013 is how far I've come. At this time last year, I was wondering about my first semester grades, with not a clue on how I did. Now, I've got half of law school -- an exceedingly difficult second semester, my first real legal work experience, the stressful and tiring experience of OCI, and my first semester of upper division classes -- over and done with. It's hard not to look back and blink a few times at how quick this whole journey is coming along.

- I would be amiss not to mention how blessed I have been during that whole aforementioned process. I truly think I got lucky with some grades. Then, I really had to trust God when I went through the roller coaster of getting several callbacks but no offers for a process that spanned nearly two months. To come out of it with a situation that I am very happy with is an example of God's provision and grace.

- The summer was also a whole lot of fun in terms of the small trips I got to take. Visiting Portland, Chicago and San Francisco (twice) were made ten times more enjoyable because of my awesome friends in those cities who were kind hosts and more.

- The first part of Fall semester was an interesting thing. To have what I was comfortable with and dear to my heart stripped away forced me to lean on God only. His almost instantaneous deliverance of a great community at UCLA was an answer to my prayer, and a huge blessing.

- This increased time of introspection was also good for the soul. Sometimes you really need to do some deep thinking to reassure yourself as to what you value in life and what you're doing about that in your daily routine. God provides clarity and conviction when you put worldly things on hold and simply listen.

- Switching gears a little bit, the tail end of 2013 saw my first real immersion in the world of investments and the stock market. My dad has been telling me to become more knowledgeable about such affairs for some time, but it wasn't until now that I finally jumped in and kept up with developments on a daily basis. It's exciting to build toward a future and think about more "adult" plans.

- I got to be a part of a wedding party for the first time this year. I value my friendships a great deal, and so it was a life event that I had been looking forward to for some time. Everything involved was a fun time and the celebration that weddings ought to be. Congrats to Matt and Becca, and here's to many more joyous occasions in the near future.

- RK in concert for the 8th time (but really only 6th). It had been a good 4.5 year break since the last concer though. Also: Beach Boys and Postal Service. Superb shows, both of them.

- The year was capped quite nicely by a trip to Costa Rica with family. I really liked the country and the people, with everyone being generally chill and relaxed. I think it's pretty great that they don't have an armed forces and instead spend more money on sanitation and environmental preservation. Rafting and snorkeling were cool experiences, but nothing will top zip-lining high above the rain forest canopy in Monteverde. 

Best Music Added/Discovered

- The Lumineers (Self-titled)

- My Head is an Animal, Of Monsters and Men

- The Very Best of Peter, Paul and Mary

- Madness, Muse

- Moondance, Van Morrison

- Babel, Mumford & Sons

- Collapsible Lung, Relient K

- A Tattered Line of String, The Postal Service

- The Very Best of Daryl Hall and John Oates

- Modern Vampires of the City, Vampire Weekend

- Daft Punk, Pentatonix

The Sports Year in Review

- First season following UCLA basketball comes to a bitter conclusion, losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with Howland fired as a result.

- UCI coming within one game of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in my Anteater fandom, only to come up short at the Honda Center against Pacific.

- Cardinals going to their sixth NLCS appearance and FOURTH world series appearance in the last 10 years. Unfortunately they came up short against the stupid Red Sox again, but it was still a good run in taking out the Pirates and (especially) the Dodgers. Got to go to my first two NLCS games ever, which is not something to take lightly.

- Rams with another uneven season. Sometimes surprisingly good, sometimes all-too-familiarly bad. It seems every year we get excited for next season, but I think there's genuinely some things to get excited about.
- Two new softball teams joined. One, a dismal undermanned group that got killed by UCLA Rec's stupid softball rules. The other, a half decent vavi summer league where I realized that a big part of softball's fun comes from playing with friends.

2012: The Year That Was

Happy New Year everyone. So much has changed over the course of 2012 that it's seemed like a particularly long year, but altogether a good year of transition and personal introspection.

2012 saw...

• An 0-9 softball season that was still enjoyable due to the friends I was able to play with
• Group explorations of San Diego that revealed much more to the city than previously known
• A 3-day glimpse of working in sports and being a small speck on ESPN2
• Being fully caught up in Linsanity (and not being a bandwagoner, for the record) making a trip to Madison Square Garden only for JLin to be injured
• But still having a blast in New York with best friends, whom made commuting from the Bronx to Manhattan at ungodly hours not so bad
• My second and by far most extensive visit to China, which lent credence to all the raving about traveling while you're young
• More eye-opening in Korea, Italy, Greece and the Mediterranean region
• How to Succeed in Business (NYC), Jersey Boys (LV), and Book of Mormon (LA)
• The Cardinals coming within a game of the World Series, only to show flashbacks of '96 and '02
• Experiencing LA living... kind of.
• Witnessing and being part of the true international church, with affirmations that God is present no matter where you are in the world
• Struggling with the learning curve of law school life, while still trying to appreciate the joys of roommate life and living within the same (generally speaking) city as your girlfriend again
• First collegiate football game, first game at Pauley Pavilion, first NBA game, first game at Staples
• Successfully avoiding major injury/incident after finally manning up enough to bike through Westwood
• My first visit in conscious memory to Yosemite, and an all-male trip to Las Vegas, both relaxing and well worth the many hours spent on the road
• Everyone in my immediate family remaining in good health and spirits, which is a blessing to never take for granted.

Thanks for reading and for being a part of my 2012. Godspeed in 2013!

 

2011: The Year That Was

Twenty-eleven is the first year in a while that I can look back at and say, "Yeah, it's been a long year." Usually I'm in disbelief that it's already the next calendar year, but for a variety of reasons, 2011 felt like a complete year, in a good way.

A quick rundown of times to remember, with apologies at any momentarily forgotten moments.

- My last Edge retreat (Jeff Lee's posse)
- WWKDDMTAP (and maybe a few other things)
- BWAM Boise (the first)
- UCI vs. UCLA baseball (walk-off at Jackie Robinson)
- Graduation (four celebratory meals in two days)
- The last shining moments in 122 (probably never to be replicated)
- Mammoth (a return to the joys of fishing)
- A LV 4th of July (no photographic evidence of the men)
- LSAT studying (Blueprint, not leaving the house much)
- LSAT taking (unfortunate borderline score, fortunate no retake)
- Applications (round two)
- The birth of Zotcubed (thanks for the readership)
- Cardinals Winning the World Series (Phillies, Brewers, David Freese Game 6)
- Boston (Lechmere, Dunkin' Donuts, Scarves and hats)
- Black Friday madness (madness, i tell ya)
- UCLA (third time's a charm)
- Pujols leaving (sad days)
- Finding my first full-time job (get money, get paid)

Thanks for the good times 2011. You were a year to remember.

100: 10 for 2010

So I thought it'd be quite fitting to make my 100th post on this here blogspot the last post of 2010, and maybe have 100 things or something crazy like that. But alas, that would take too long, and I have articles to edit, and so we're only doing 10. 10x10=100 right? I digress.

Bests of 2010

Music Added/Discovered - for the memories and for the musical goodness
- Daylight, Matt & Kim (i had to)
- Faith + Hope + Love and This is Our God albums, Hillsong
- Conditions album, Temper Trap
- Tarzan Boy, Baltimora
- I Stand in Awe, Jeff Johnson
- Aim and Ignite album, Fun.
- Come What May, Moulin Rouge
- The First album, DK Daniel Kim
- The Very Best of the Eagles, Disc 2
- Leaving on a Jet Plane, Peter, Paul and Mary
- In My Dreams, Matt Cheah (adding it to my iTunes anyway)
- Go West, Pet Shop Boys
- Meet with Me, Ten Shekel Shirt
- Saviour King, Hillsong
- Crossfire, Brandon Flowers
- Invented album, Jimmy Eat World
- Starfield self-titled album
- Silhouettes, The Nylons/The Rays
- In The Light, DC Talk
- Airplanes/Brick by Boring Brick and Fireflies remix, M. Henry & J. Robinett
- Happy Ending, Mika

Sports, for the epicness and the memories
10. Being a stringer for the Casper Star-Tribune
9. Fantasy Baseball Champion for the first time since 2003 (Thanks Jaime Garcia!)
8. UCI hiring new Head Coach Russell Turner
7. UCI women's soccer Sweet 16 run
6. Getting to meet Bud Black and family for a story
5. All-star game work and Fanfest Anaheim
4. Softball Classic Champions!
3. Dominating summer softball, winning every game until an unfortunate forfeit
2. World Cup fever, and USA Soccer making it out of their regional
1. Welcome to St. Louis, Sam Bradford! (notable wins: Seahawks, 49ers, Chargers)

10 more disjointed random things/comments, in no particular order...
1. 122 days of spring, summer, fall and winter. Squids basketball, it's yo birfday, weird tastes in guys, Yi Bu's transformation... it has been great. I don't think a full-length montage would be appropriate just yet.
2. BWAM LA love. First missions trip, and learning to go in with no expectations. Giving, receiving... loving.
3. The unexpected trials and tribulations of being EIC. I appreciate the fact that this book has yet to be closed. It's been an interesting and definite growing experience. 12 down, 19 to go.
4. Speaking of the New U, I am extremely thankful of T. G. Lee for her dedication and perseverance. To have a partner that goes beyond doing her own job but also inspires me to do mine better is a great thing.
5. Note to self: do not let yourself be mired in poor internships. Never again.
6. I think 2010 will go down as a year of unexpected (and maybe undeserved) opportunities. Reminders of trusting in Him.
7. ELC time, when my mindset changed from being happy about the now, and not wanting to graduate, to being excited for the future, and whatever that may entail. Still appreciative of now, but ok with the bit of uncertainty within 2012.
8. Giving into the Gmail and Twitter movements, with the latter especially something I thought I would never do. However, I guess I have learned not to be so judgmental of certain fads and trends.
9. Banquet 2010... memories that will go down in history. We may not be the world, but we indeed do not stop, and never give up.
10. A year of Traci. From the ashes of a miserable class is born a special friendship. Incredibly blessed to have gotten to know this girl; still wake up every day not taking this fact for granted. And it's only the tip of the iceberg.

What a Decade...

I regret to say that my last few minutes of the decade were spent asleep somewhere in the middle of no where, past Barstow but not quite into civilization yet.

However. I would just like to say that the decade largely defining my childhood was largely, un-freakin-believable. I have been incredibly blessed in so many aspects, graced in so many ways, and the health of my family has been kept so in tact... thank God so, so much, for all this. His greatness really cannot be expressed in these mere putterings.

Without further ado, the bests of 2009, because the entire decade would take too long (and since it would pretty much be 85% of the best of my entire life).

Music Added/Discovered - for the memories and for the musical goodness
- Africa, Straight No Chaser
- Phil Wickham Album (Self-Titled)
- On the Wing, Owl City
- Hosanna, Hillsong
- It's So Hard to Say Goodbye, Boyz II Men
- Come on Eileen, Dexys Midnight Riders
- Sweet Caroline, Neil Diamond
- Brick, Ben Folds
- The Crane Wife Album, The Decemberists
- The Fray Album (Self-Titled)
- Sing, Sing, Sing - Chris Tomlin
- (If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You to To, Weezer
- For Good, Wicked
- Magic Perfume, Charlyne Yi
- Burndt Jamb, Weezer
- Forget and Not Slow Down Album, Relient K
- Heaven & Earth Album, Phil Wickham
- She Drives Me Crazy, Fine Young Cannibals
- Hello Hurricane Album, Switchfoot
- Amazing Grace, Sufjan Stevens

Sports, for the epicness and the memories
10. The greatness that was Pujols, Carpenter, and Wainwright
9. NLDS Game 2... The Holliday drop game
8. John Smoltz debuts with Cards by striking out 7 straight Pads
7. UCI Baseball 5, UCLA 4 (10 Innings)
6. UCI 84, LMU 78 @ LMU with EJ and Pappy
5. Mizzou Elite 8 Appearance
4. UCI Men's Volleyball National Champs
3. Hoai's Game saving catch in summer softball
2. Welcome Week Dodgeball Champs
1. Spring Softball, 0-4 reg season, 4-0 Playoff Champs

The People I have gotten to known better. And to prove that I don't like drinks more than eating.
- Ms. Black tea with milk and 12 pumps of classic & panda express
- Mr. 85 degrees milk tea & Watermelon
- Ms. Gingerbread latte & Ice chips
- Mr. Wine & Carrot Quesadillas
- Ms. Bottled thai tea & Massive pot of chili
- Mr. Ju hua cha & Bao Ze
- Ms. Candy Cane Hot Cocoa & Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Mr. Apple Juice Chugger & Buttered Chicken
- Ms. Bon Epi Tea & Crazy Homemade Cakes
- Mr. Arizona Ice Tea & Weinerschnitz chili cheese burgers
- Ms. Coffee Bean & BJ's alcoholic drinks
- Mr. Hawaiian Punch & Minato sushi