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BruinJuice
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Name: RJ
Birthday: 10/28/1978
Gender: Male
Interests: Music, Cooking, Jogging, Karaoke, Reading, Watching Movies, Theater, College Football, College Hoops
Expertise: Squeezing every little ounce outta life
Occupation: Engineering
Industry: Engineering
Message: message me
Website: visit my website
Member Since:
4/24/2003
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| So, 2008 was quite the year (for better or worse). Here are some of the highlights/lowlights:
10. Presidential Politics Part I - I committed to being a Precinct Captain for the CA Primary but bit off more than I could chew given my other commitments at the time. Needless to say, I felt that there was more I could have done but didn't do. Sure, I made a ton of calls but probably knocked on 20 doors.
9. 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' - Probably one of the most talented casts I've worked and played with. Also, the impromptu fill-ins as accompanist made me realize how rusty I am on piano. And who can forget the infamous "Goat Tackle!"
8. Room To Improv - "Directed" my first show...but I really liked doing that and hopefully my castmates enjoyed it as well (I think I made them work really hard). Oh, and by "directed" I mean "ran rehearsals." By the way, if you want to know how anal-retentive I am, you should ask to see my rehearsal schedules and notes some time...
7. Another year, another car accident - Seriously, since the 4-runner was totaled back in '05, I've been in so many accidents (none of which were my fault) This past one was the scariest and sort of knocked a lot of sense into my head and made me realize how fragile life was. I think a ton of my decisions since the '06 Scion was totaled back in May on the 405 were influenced by that realization.
6. Mike Victoria Graduates! - I guess this is really my brother's highlight but it was a definite milestone for the year. I know that he probably gets it from my parents a lot about finding work and getting into law school. I think part of this fed into the next thing...
5. CHANGE - Ok, as much as this was a message for the Presidential Campaign, it really defines the process I began in August and am still in. Given the state of the economy, it's going to be hard but I decided it was time to look for some new opportunities.
4. Presidential Politics Part II: Camp Obama - Back in August I attended one of these "training" sessions for California volunteers. I learned quite a bit about how I wanted to contribute to the campaign. So, I took on the responsibility of Volunteer Coordinator for CD 36. My time as a member of the leadership team for CD 36 was short-lived and they went on to do some amazing things for the campaign. I'm very proud to say I was just a little part of that organization.
3. Europe - Learn more here http://www.xanga.com/BruinJuice/667736423/an-american-in-parisand-london-amsterdam-munich-etc/
2. Dating - Some very interesting developments at the end of 2008. Don't want to go into details in the name of discretion. Let's just say I'm pretty darned happy.
1. Presidential Politics Part III: Nevada Campaign for Change - This was the trial by fire. I met and befriended such driven and passionate people; people whose passion helped me stay focused when I thought I was ready to give up. The economic woes that country faces were amplified in so many of the neighborhoods I canvassed, in so many of the families I got to know. Then there was the hope: hope of the high school seniors who became engaged for the first time and volunteered, hope of the volunteers from California who wanted to help in anyway they could, hope of my brothers and sisters that worked out of the Sunset Office into the long hours of the night, and the hope of parents and grandparents that wanted to make the country a better place for their children. As I told my brother on Election Night, "This is the best thing I've ever done in my life!"
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| Well, I'm back in L.A. for a couple of days so I figured I'd update my readers--the both of you--with what's been going on. First, let me say that Field Organizing has been some of the most challenging and rewarding work I've done in quite some time. The people I work with are driven, passionate, enthusiastic, and hard-working. I am constantly amazed at how they keep going--I suppose I can say "we" after having been a member of the team for nine days.
For those of you that are curious, I spend my days (9am - whenever) in Southeast Vegas and Henderson doing some combination of the following: voter registration, voter contact (mainly phone calls and canvassing), recruiting volunteers, and organizing events. Wednesday was a particularly special day with me doing an informal Q&A at UNLV then rushing off to Cashman Baseball Field to help with Senator Obama's event in Vegas that night before heading back to L.A. It's been a crazy, incredibly awesome experience thus far.
I've found that I've become more comfortable with expressing my political views and being more and more unashamed to share them. This is important. This is a huge thing for me. Seriously, because if I can do it, then so can you--my two faithful readers. You can engage with your fellow Americans in reasonable debate without devolving into some form of name-calling. You can talk about healthcare, economy, energy, and foreign policy and listen to your neighbors about how the feel about the same subject. If I can get over my shyness when it comes to such matters, so can you. We may disagree with each other, but the least we can do is listen to each other and ask questions to have an open dialogue and participate in the democratic process. | | |
| So, I just submitted my paper work to take two months personal leave from work to go campaign for Barack Obama.
What?!
Seriously, if I was able to go back in time ten years and say to myself, "You're going to drop your life for two months and work on a Presidential Campaign for some unknown Illinois State Senator," my younger self would have laughed in my slightly older but nevertheless still handsome face. Ten years ago--hell, just five years ago--I was politically apathetic. I used to think that politicians were all the same no matter what party they were in. More importantly, I didn't think anything that happened in Washington would ever affect me. Insulated much? Hell yeah, I was! I was only concerned about school, my family, and my friends. That was my world.
Fast-forward to now...what's changed? To be honest, I could dedicate one post each for the many ways my world...OUR world has changed. I won't get into details now but I came to the conclusion that this election was way too important to sit-out, that I couldn't simply sit on the sidelines and let this one slip away, that--delusional or not--I could actually make a difference.
Maybe that's the one thing that hasn't changed about me: My desire to make a difference. | | |
| Ok, apparently nobody knew I was in Europe from July 3rd to the 15th. Why? For vacation (or holiday if you wanna get all Euro-centric) and to celebrate my brother's recent (or soon-to-be-recent, once summer session is over) graduation from UCI. I was on one of those marvelous little Contiki tours--and by "marvelous" I mean crazy, never-ending party, liver-punishing.
Anyway, here's a quick Top 10: 10. As we arrived at Heathrow on July 4th my brother and I were asked if we had anything to declare. How about our independence, ya limey bastard? 9. I AMsterdam...and so can you!
8. "Get me some fuckin' pistachio, you bastard!" is so much funnier coming from a drunken Aussie
7. Nutella + "P" theme Party = Poo-1 and Poo-2 (Best...costumes...ever!)
6. While Playing the "Sesame Street" Improv Game on the bus/coach...
Mike: Fuck
Kev: Sheep
Everybody: Fuck-Sheep! Do-do-do!
R.J.: What?!
[Hilarity ensues]
And that's how you break the ice, bitches!
5. So, you think Mike enjoyed celebrating his 24th birthday in Venice and Switzerland? That's two you owe me!
4. Cultural faux pas: R.J. leading an "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie" in a German Beer Hall.
Cultural Save: R.J. immediately going into an "Eins, zwei, drei! G'suffa!"
Evidence of Save: Polka band playing "Waltzing Mathilda"
Who says Americans aren't good diplomats?
3. I got lost in Venice...and it was all Elton John's fault!
2. Nothing says serenity like sipping a beer near a quiet creek in Switzerland with your tour-mates while teaching them the "Do Re Mi Beer" song.
1. My last night in Paris was so awesome that I barely remember any of it. Thank goodness for digital cameras...or not...
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| I'm in a very interesting time in my life, right now. A time when there are so many possibilities, so many opportunities, so many paths I could take. The funny thing is I haven't felt this way since fall quarter of my fifth year at UCLA. Scratch that! In all acutality, it seems that there are so many more possibilities now then there were then. Anyway, I'm going to be making a lot decisions about this next part of my life; decisions that will likely include: looking for a new job, possibly moving away from L.A., either ending or focusing on my acting "thing" (I'd hardly call it a career), volunteering more hours to the Obama campaign in anticipation of the general election, etc.
Right now, though, I better decide what I'm gonna have for lunch. | | |
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