• Happier or sadder? Sadder. Bunch of things have shaken up my confidence this year...
• Thinner or fatter? 20 lbs thinner!
• Richer or poorer? Poorer.

New York (twice), San Francisco (7 times?), Vegas, Virginia, Chicago.

It was actually a personal goal to fly 6 times this year. When I was working, I only had 14 paid vacation days, and I realized how much better it was to take several 4-5 day trips instead of just 1-2 long ones.

Also went to the Philippines. I was supposed to be there for at least two months, but my doctor (the same doctor of the husband of Philippine President) was so awesome, I was able to come back home in just one month!

Inception. The Social Network. TRON.

Walking Dead, 24, American Idol, Fringe, LOST, The Office, Outsourced.

No books this year, just Tumblr! hahahah. And that's totally fine with me because Tumblr fam consistently brought smiles to my face with random pics/vids and inspirational quotes.

Soooo many of Ne-Yo's songs connected with my heart this year. He just had a song for everything I went through.

• Jay Sean - Down, Down, Down (Candlelight Version)
• New Boyz - Tie Me Down ft. Ray J
• Ne-Yo - In The Way
• AJ Rafael - Juicebox
• Jesse Barrera - Love on a Lifeline ft. Ken Alminar
• V Factory - These Are The Days

Same as last year for the most part. Bought a few more basketball jerseys cuz they're so good to just lounge in. My BTVfam bracelet is slowly fading from baby blue to brown...so I only wear it when I'm out with btvfam to make it last longer. I got this new ring on my second trip to NYC when I was with Nicole, Jessie, Kaydee and more. I plan on engraving "btvfam" on the inside sometime soon.

• "SMH" (shakes my head). -- I blame @le_tam.
• "I see what you did there." -- First read it on a messageboard but then @ron_palustre and @mrfujikicker got me onto it.
• "AMAZEBALLS." -- I blame @RaelynneRosales.
• "mmmmhmmmm." -- Damn you, @CrystalMy.

Last year I wrote:

Next year's resolution? Get that new business up and lose at least 15 lbs.

Lost 20 pounds since my peak weight last year. =]

That business officially died last week when my partner informed me he won't be able to work anymore. I take the blame for this one...my procrastination killed this thing before it actually began. Lesson learned. I gotta focus on my career again; I'm not getting any younger and same with my parents. So my New Year Resolution is to get a new job and have release an iPhone app on the side.

When I was working...8:20 out of bed. 8:35am out the door. In the office by 9:30ish. Lunch by 2:00pm. Out of office by 5:30pm. BTVfam til 4-5 in the morning, hahahah.

In the Philippines...9:30am out of bed. Help around my dad's office. Lunch by 1:30ish at a mall usually. Help around dad's office. Watch lots of Basketball TV. Dinner by 7ish. Watch some pirated DVDs til 3am.

Back in SoCal...wake up 10:00-1:00ish. Random combination of skype/tokbox/blogtv and being productive. Been working a lot on my iPhone app.

The night before, Phil and Theresa were in town. We got some KogiBBQ with Creeper Steve, Jessica H and her boyfriend. Went over to get a Pizooki Platter at BJ's in Long Beach afterwards.

When I got home, Phil did a birthday broadcast and got everyone to bodyroll for me, hahahah!

In the morning, Phil and I went to get breakfast burritos at Dukes, where Jenny treated me! We went to Huntington Beach to just relax.

Later at night, went to the Temple City HS show with Andy Kim, Jenny Suk, Joseph, Cathy, Megan Poosang, Randolph, Scott, Theresa, Meliss, 9na, BK, Krystal and others.

Afterwards, went to Phil's Auntie's place and caught up with everyone that went to Magic Mountain that day: Andon, Ariel, John, Dany, Mei Lin, Ron, Jess, Van, Mesha and others.

Didn't get home until 5am. =]

Got my first tattoo! First-time (long distance) hugs from Gina, Nicole, Kaydee, Jessie, Julianne, Steph.

Hugs from Marichris, Micah, Janelle. Freakin' unicorns, I swear...but someday I'll find you.

I should've kept going with my stretch of losing weight. I lost 24 lbs easily, just by counting calories. I should've worked out more and kept that going.

Buying shoes. I was a big shoe head back in high school and it took me a few years to get it under control...but with the release of all these retros, I've bought a few more pairs of shoes than I should have.

There was a bump on the back of my head that was changing size over the course of the year. Since my job wasn't giving me Health Insurance and CAT Scans costed $5,000, my dad flew me to the Philippines to get it checked out. Thankfully, it was wasn't cancerous; it was just fat, hahah.

Oh, and heartache.

As much as I love my iPad cuz of all the traveling I've been doing...I'd honestly have to say that isn't the single best thing I bought this year. That'd have to be my Basketball Hoop (and getting my backyard cemented for my own little court).

Refer to my response for #30.

Brenda Song, Katy Perry.

Not gonna lie but I really wanted Prop 19 (legalized marijuana) to pass. I think it'd save police departments and the state SO MUCH MONEY.

Oh, and without getting all preacher or defensive...I support Gay Marriage.

Nobody close to me (I think...please don't haunt me if I forgot...)

• April & Pat gave birth to Keoni.
• Eddie & Melissa gave birth to Kaleb.
• Ira & Joel gave birth to Nico.
• Julie & Will gave birth to Evolee.

Shit, I know there are a lot more I'm missing...I've totally lost track cuz there are so many now!

• Andrew making it to Top 10 of American Idol.
• Legaci getting personally recruited by Justin Bieber.
• Lyss breaking her way into mainstream.
• AJ putting together another -- even more epic -- Music Speaks concert.

This person just refused to take responsibility for his actions. This person consistently chose to lie, manipulate and backstab the very people that loved him; anything to make himself look like the victim and win others' sympathy, even if that meant turning his friends into the villains.

Meliss. The most, by far.

Long nights on Skype with BTVfam. Back-to-back-to-back trips to NorCal. Texting (even when I was in the Philippines). Music. Inspirational posts on Tumblr.

• got a tattoo!
• went to my 10 Year High School Reunion.
• took the subway by myself. (I'm not used to public transportation at all!)
• used a hi-tech toilet!
• took back-to-back-to-back weekend roadtrips to NorCal.
• experienced snowfall!
• quit my job of four years.

• January 16, 2010 -- felt something special
• April 25, 2010 -- "Juiceboxed"
• August 7, 2010 -- Featured Acoustic Playlist 2.0

Mixing business, friends, and large amounts of money without paperwork.

I really wish the Lakers woulda beat the Celtics in Game 7 for the Championship.

Oh wait, that did happen. smiling middle finger

Bringing together BTVfam at FAP2.0.

Hate is such a strong word. In reference to #14 above, I'm just monumentally disappointed. If he would stop demonizing his friends and take responsibility for the shit you put on himself, maybe we could salvage something that was once a good friendship.

It's complicated...and hurt like a bitch.

Nicole K. Hom.

V Factory - These Are The Days

Gotta let you go
'Cause I let you in
I cried enough about you
Gotta walk away
Gotta hear my heart
All this pain feels so endless

I'm facing life, my sun will rise
The darkness makes the stars shine
And I can't look back
Now I'm on my path
Alone

These are the days I will stand up
And these are the days I won't give up
how many times can my heart break
These are the days
These are the days I will treasure
And these are the days I will remember
No matter the pain that I've been through
These are the days

And this quote:

This is exactly where I'm meant to be at this very moment.

• Sometimes you just have to ask yourself, "is this beautiful or useful?" If it's neither, let it go.
• Business and friendship gets exponentially harder when more money is involved. Never LOAN out large amounts of money to friends...either give it to them straight up or deny them straight up.
• Don't take text-flirting so seriously. First of all, you can't tell the tone of the person saying it. Secondly, just because a girl texts you a lot, doesn't necessarily mean she's into you; people just text like CRAZY these days, in general, haha.
• I have this habit of being filled with great ideas and theories...and usually having nothing tangible to show for it. This WILL change.
• Confidence and happiness needs to come from within; it can't be something that's dependent on the people around me.
• You can't make anyone love your and you can't make anyone forgive you. You can in the meantime, strive to be genuine, lovable and honorable. Because at the end of the day, another person's heart will decide how it feels on its own terms, on its own time.

Prepare yourself for a year of high highs and low lows. You will have days when someone will make you feel SO ALIVE. You will discover you've been lied to and manipulated. You will see certain close friends in a different light. You will defend someone only to realize everyone else was right. Morals that you firmly believe in will start to conflict. Your loyalties will be greatly tested. Your heart will be pulled & stretched in so many different directions, exposing yourself to insecurities you never knew you had. You'll be spending much of the year doing some serious soul searching... But everything will be okay. You'll make it through 2010...and the only way left to go in 2011 is up.

A new career path.

Dear Future Mel,

How's your career going now? Did you put out your first iPhone app? How much did you travel this year? Did you recover from 2010's loss? Was there a FAP3? Whatever has happened, I hope you've taken bolder steps in the right direction. You're not getting any younger and same with your parents; you can't depend forever on your parents being your crutch when you can't take care of your own shit.From this point on, it's not just about living in the now, it's also about planning for your future family.

—Mel

• 2003
• 2004
• 2005,
• 2006
• 2007
• 2008
• 2009