And Another Year Passes.

Contrary to no one because no one reads this blog, I did not leave it for dead. There's just not enough time in the day for me to do everything I want, so this isn't at the top of my priorities. I do, however, feel compelled to write right now since it is the new year, and I've been reflecting on how I've developed in this way for the past couple of years.

July 8th, 2014. Second day home.

July 27, 2014.

In the beginning of the year, I was basically just glad to finally be finishing up undergrad (years later than many). I graduated in March and I got my diploma in the mail a couple months later. I turned 25 and really wanted a dog as the next addition in my life. I don't really have friends nor a social life, so I thought that a dog would be the next best thing. Originally, I was set on getting a Samoyed but the likelihood of me getting one was rather slim, due to the fact that there were only about 3 breeders I found in the area and my window to raise a dog responsibly was only open for so long. I didn't want to wait a year or more to get a Samoyed because I pictured myself already moved on with an actual career focused job in that time frame. Little did I know, a walk to the park would guilt me into getting a Labrador Retriever and raising one was not what I imagined. First off, I knew I would be getting a very active dog but I wasn't expecting a HYPERACTIVE dog. Then, I didn't know that there were two distinct types of Labrador Retrievers and that the OTHER type was EVEN MORE active because it was bred for sport opposed to show. I later found out that I have the show type, thankfully. This distinction didn't change the fact that I had a pretty wild puppy that worried me for a good month or so because I couldn't exactly walk him. All the leash training techniques didn't work all that well, so I eventually got a prong collar because the puppy playtime dog trainer recommended it to me. I didn't think my dog would be one to need it but I was getting desperate. He was getting bigger and his urge to chew is still on and off. I couldn't just wait until he was done teething to try other types of leashes like the "gentle leader" because he squirms SO much when I put harnesses on him. That prong collar was probably the best thing I ever bought for him and I can take it on and off so fast. I know there are articles that say how it just creates anxiety because the dog fears and anticipates the pain but if used properly, the dog knows how to not hurt himself and the prong collar remains fitted, but loose. It now only really reminds him not to pull and that he shouldn't be off sniffing something he shouldn't and to continue walking. Triton only really kind of gets the teeth gripped into his neck when he gets REALLY excited, like when I take him to play with other dogs or when I have strangers greet him. He would then sometimes charge or jump, which is a no-no, and then yelps. It still doesn't make him weary of strangers whatsoever. He still walks up to them to greet them, but he still thinks he's small or something and climbs on them (and me, sometimes). The collar has made walking him SO MUCH more enjoyable that even my brother has taken a liking to walking him (and he really needs it because my brother is like really overweight). My dog is pretty well leashed trained these days and will only get better from here on out. I can walk him past strangers without him randomly dashing towards them and he can ignore other dogs on our walks. He gets freaked out easily and is afraid of the dark sometimes but he's also gotten a BIT calmer, so he's in the house more than he use to. We better communicate with each other now too, so he doesn't have nightmares (there was a time where I'd get so mad at him that I'd yell and really show my disapproval in him which would lead to him randomly waking up and yelping). Now, I just need him to be a calm and mature dog that would let other puppies paw his face while he just lays on the ground, but that won't be for another half a year or so. I don't know. I read some dogs display puppy behavior until they're 2 but I met an American Labrador when Triton was only 4 months and Triton was crazy play bowing and pawing the one year old American Lab. The Lab just stood there and didn't even flinch. Not sure if it's the owner's endless dedication into training him or what, but I want that in my dog. Apparently, that dog had a crazy jumping problem too.

August 1, 2014.

September 14, 2014. He was neutered on September 11.

 Well anyway, the last entry I wrote was a day or two before I got my dog. So far, he's finished up to Intermediate Level training class at Petsmart and I kind of want him to repeat it before moving on to advanced. I just want him to work on distractions since the first time we worked on that, Triton was still on a body harness and those exercises were THE WORST. I WOULD GET SO SWEATY HOLDING HIM BACK. I want to see if he's gotten any better, especially since he destroys toys SO fast nowadays. Ideally after advanced class, would be that my dog gets canine good citizen certification but my dog can't be calm to save his life when greeting people right now, so I'm not sure if he'll pass the test. It'd be cool if he could get therapy dog certification too, but that wouldn't be for a long while. My dog is only 7 and a half months old as I type this entry. If anyone is wondering if my dog looks sort of "weird", it's because he inherited brown Lab traits which gave him a lighter coloration on the nose and lips along with a yellow color to his eyes. I was never looking for a show dog anyway, so it never bothered me. It totally makes my Tritey more unique :)

Don't get me wrong, he's a good dog BUT he was definitely a handful to raise. He could've been much worse. Supposedly, between 6 months and 1 year is the toughest part and that is when people give their dogs up to shelters due to their transition into adulthood but as of right now, I prefer how Triton behaves presently opposed to baby Triton. I do miss being able to just pick him up easily and how adorable he looked, but I also don't miss not being able to sleep for more than 5 hours straight and having to take him outside to do his business every 2-4 hours.

November 1, 2014

November 26, 2014

December 29, 2014.

December 31, 2014. TODAY!

I don't know how much bigger he'll get. I've seen this other Labrador who's just like mine and he's kind of overweight but it doesn't look any taller than mine does, so he can only grow so much more. I am scared he'll outgrow his crate, but hopefully I researched well enough that it will not happen.

As for other things that I haven't posted on YouTube, I sort of upgraded my desktop with a new hard drive and RAM because I kept getting this warning that the HD would fail and then, one day, it stopped turning on. I was dependent on my dated laptop for about a month and then dusted out my desktop in preparation to replace the HD with the 4TB one I bought. I forgot what happened exactly but I basically tried to turn on my desktop one last time and it turned on, so I was using the "dying" hard drive and backing up my music, etc. The extra RAM was just because 8 gigs seemed sort of small, so I bought another 8. The 16gigs of RAM doesn't make that big of a difference to me though. I feel like unzipping files or joining them seem faster. I have processed many videos yet, but I think that it also helps with that.

Oh! I went to Britney's Vegas show. I wrote this whole entry about how I bought tickets 8 months in advance. Performance wise on my night, Britney performed not so half assed but not hyped up on Red Bull either. When it came to the theatrics and set design, I was amazed. The use of projectors and screens just left me in awe. Most photos are from my Sony NEX.

Health and fitness wise, my stomach ain't tight. Did I ever mention I gave up dieting? I just try to eat as much nutritious food as I can, but I don't deny myself cookies or chips. There's no point in being miserable. I basically just stepped up my cardio game and then focused on body parts I wasn't yet satisfied with. Those parts being my biceps and stomach. I also want to work on my back but I don't have a gym membership, so that can wait...

I added around 1000+ more miles. This doesn't include dog walking and such, but yeah.

Compared to last time, hopefully these pictures will be more consistent when it comes to progress.
I made a small gif in hopes that I'd see a difference but I don't know. Personally, I feel like my chest is firmer, waist a bit tighter, biceps a bit bigger and leaner, and my stomach is a little flatter but the pictures are kind of saying otherwise, as if I didn't change. My changes aren't dramatic enough to be caught in photos. I guess you can see my stomach lift up and my bicep firm up a bit. If you look at my most recent YouTube video there might be a difference...I don't know. This also might be age, but I feel like my face got a little less cheeky too. Well anyway, the 2 second frame is the most recent shot 12/31/2014 and the first dates February 2013.

Looking back at my entry from the last New Year...
"But anyway, with the new year, I hope to better improve my YouTube channel and use Google+ more since they are now integrated. That way, I would be more inclined to reply to comments more. I would also love for it to become an additional form of income so I can travel more and possibly be presented with opportunities in the new media sector. Furthermore, I would like a hot male friend (or several) to be my buddy in my videos (amongst other things), but I'm far too antisocial, awkward, and screwed up to even know where to begin. I mean, I'm the opposite of cool. I don't party. I don't club. I don't drink. I don't smoke. I don't like nature. I eat slow. I take forever to get ready. I have some sweating issue. I live vicariously through my television shows and movies. I have an unhealthy obsession with clothes and dressing up, but I don't really go out all that much. Oi~ Thankfully, Lisa is still around to do adult stuff with me. Otherwise, all I got would be the kids at work... OTL

Post grad, I'm hoping some website, publication, or tech company could use me. I'm not exactly sure what I could offer, but I'll be building my YouTube channel, blog, and social networks in the meantime. I'm hoping to have a puppy by March and then just keep working at my part time job while training it until the school year is over. Seems like the only logical thing to do so I wouldn't burden my bosses in finding a replacement for me right away while I figure out the next step in my life besides getting a dog and working out even harder. Is anyone in need of a food loving fitness nut, fashion/style/tech geek, that's also a politics and comic nerd, who can speak not only English, but crappy Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and SUPPPPER limited Japanese too? You can also throw in some shit Spanish because I'm born and raised in SoCal, baby! ;P"

I got my puppy in July opposed to March (so I am like four months behind) and I still want to work in those fields. I just...haven't bothered looking yet. I have set myself to rewrite my resume by the end of February and jot a list of companies to look into shortly after. I am welcome to suggestions. The time has come for me to really make a change this year. My puppy is starting to settle down and I grow restless of my current situation. I can only move forward now.

To end, I'd like some hot guy friends. Where u at, Brah?! I need bro dates. Love me.