I have tried all different kinds of allergy medications. I used to do regular Claritin daily; then, I tried Zrytec. When I found out about the more powerful Claritin-D and Zrytec-D, I instantly gave those a try. My good friend Jason recently informed me that Allegra-D has been put out to the general public in the form of an over-the-counter medicine. Off to the supermarket I went.

My allergies have now progressed to the stage of total upper body congestion, and I find breathing to be a difficult activity. I have been doing the nasal decongestant sprays lately at night to help me clear out my nose/sinuses, so that even for just a bit, I can breathe and swallow food/water easily. Today, my sinuses have worsened to the state where walking proves to be difficult, and my ears are filled with so much pressure that blowing my nose makes me want to basically kill myself. A quick Google search showed that Mucinex-D may be the solution to my congestion issues, and when work ended early today due to the Easter weekend holiday, again, off to the supermarket I went.

However, I did not consider the fact, while downing the pill in my car right after buying the medicine, that I had already taken an Allegra-D pill in the morning. Both Allegra-D and the Mucinex run on 12-hour schedule, and I’m fairly certain that 9am was not 12 hours ago. I believe that I am currently running off a double dosage of pseudoephedrine, thus causing my heart rate and blood pressure to be very high. I had wanted to take a nap earlier; I believe the alarming rate at which this entry was typed out is an indication that I may be awake for some time.

As Leonard Hofstadter from The Big Bang Theory so puts it, he is an “enthusiast” when it comes to allergy medications. I feel like I am stepping into his level of expertise, and if anyone is in the market for some pills that can keep you up, try out my combination. Oh yeah, they also help with your sinuses too. Kind of.

A lot of us haven’t seen each other in some time, and despite the distance, it still felt like the good old times. During one of our gatherings, I looked at the big group of old friends in front of me and felt sad knowing that such opportunities do not often very happen. After all, a lot of us have graduated and moved to different locations, some even overseas, and such makes reuniting rather difficult. Yet, even for such a short period of time, a good number of us were able to reconvene and bring back some of those good times we used to have. For a short weekend, we were back in college. No worries, just fun to be had.

During my four years in Pittsburgh, I didn’t really explore the city as much as I would have liked. This trip, Jenny and I visited a number of stores that I have never stepped foot in before, and I could honestly kick myself for not visiting Avalon Exchange earlier. I suppose my approach on fashion and other things have changed drastically nowadays, but despite the second-hand nature of the products, Avalon has a plethora of wonderful things to offer. I do plan to return back to Pittsburgh some time in the near future to take the time to visit all the fun places that I never got the chance to before. I used to ‘hate’ being in Pittsburgh back in college; now, I miss the city and would love the opportunity to stay there for a period of time to enjoy everything.

Then again, I suppose being in college itself was a huge factor. Being in college equals doing homework, going to classes, and taking exams. Those factors alone are enough to deter someone, especially me, from thinking too highly of the surrounding environment. That being said, now that I am out of the academic world (for the time being), I can truly enjoy Pittsburgh and what it has to offer. After all, Pittsburgh does have the number two most scenic view in America.

View from Mt. Washington - 2nd most scenic view. This isnt quite the right angle.

I had a lot of fun last weekend, and as Stacy so puts it, a lot of us are going through “withdrawal.” Deep inside, I know that my group of friends from college will always be close to me, and I will never forget all the things we went through together. Some things never change after all, and I am glad my friends are still my friends. I definitely changed as a person for the better as college progressed, and I can only thank all of you guys for helping me become who I am now.

Pittsburgh, I definitely missed you.

Lately, a huge OCD tendency of mine revolves around my iPhone. All of my apps have to be sorted by category in their respective folders, and they must not be on the first home screen. I usually only have two home screens: the first one is all of the stock Apple apps that I use frequently (such as calendar, calculator, maps, clock, etc). The second home screen would consist of all the folders of my extra apps. The folders must always be in the same location; I tried moving some icons around before, and only minutes later, I would revert back to the original layout. I just don’t feel right seeing them in different spots. Occasionally, I would move all my games to the third home screen. Strangely, this doesn’t bother me in the least.

Also, all of the music on my iPhone are labeled to the dot and contain their respective album art. This way, I can use Cover Flow to decide what I want to listen to. I typically only allow myself to have 1 or 2 singles; currently, they are Dr. Dre’s I Need a Doctor and Rebecca Black’s Friday (yes, I know. I will remove it very soon). The rest of the songs are all albums. This attention to detail started back in high school when I received my first mp3 player as a gift. I wanted all my songs nicely labeled and organized, and I would spend hours renaming and sorting everything. As I keep saying to myself, I suppose some things just never change.

I love seeing the album art.

I went out on a whim and bought Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12. The game is mind-blowing. The best feature: it has Augusta National. Having this course alone makes paying retail worth it. I knew that the game would have the Masters, but I sure didn’t know how accurate the course is and, most importantly, how fun it is. This game marks the first time that Augusta and the Masters Tournament has been featured in a video game. I remember that in 10, instead of the Masters being the first major tournament of the game, it would be the EA Sports Major. Something like that. The game makers apparently spent three full years analyzing and capturing every inch and essence of Augusta, and their attention to detail is astonishing. I grew up watching the Masters on TV; I am now playing it in a video game! Next goal, to play it in real life…

As an avid golfer and video gamer, it is breathtaking to finally be able to play this course, especially since with the real life Masters coming up this very week. I suppose it is pretty fitting that I am playing the game now; it’s like a warm-up for the real deal. I hope to be watching the Masters this week back in NJ with my dad; I’ll never forget when he flew out of his chair when Phil won back in 2004.

Second best feature: virtual Wayne!

Let us flash forward to the year 2009. Wayne, now a working young professional fresh out of college, is able to not only fulfill his dream of owning a pair of the coveted shoes from the movie, but to even surpass his expectations and become a shoe collector. Granted, it is pretty tough to collect shoes and be a so-called “sneakerhead.” Money does not come by easily, and obtaining some of the rarer shoes involves not only spending money, but hours of research, shopping, and camping out at midnight. It is indeed a blessing to be able to afford what I can and still live quite comfortably, and most importantly, it is a blessing to finally be able to satisfy my inner child. The Wayne of young could only stare and dream; now, he is able to wear his Space Jams with pride and happiness.

After many, many years, I now own a pair!

My tastes now have progressed beyond Air Jordans. While they make up the bulk of my collection, I do have many pairs of Converses, Adidas, Reeboks, Nike Skateboarding, and other brands. Regardless, my love for Jordans and tasteful shoes remains strong, and I have only young Wayne to thank for that. Again, there are some things that never change, and my love for kicks will forever be a part of who I am.

This is definitely not to say that I haven’t grown and matured as a human being because honestly, I didn’t. I kid. Regardless, a lot of things about me haven’t changed, and I suppose that’s what makes the title significant to me. One key thing that’s been the same since I can remember: my using of titleistforged for every social network I have.

I bet a lot of people wonder what titleistforged is. I bet even random people would innocently type in their favorite golf brand and a particular model in their search engine of choice, and somehow stumble upon stuff I own.  Stuff that does not quite look like www.titleist.com. I say somehow because I just tried to find myself, and actually, it’s not that easy. Still, I bet these people would be rather disappointed if and when they find some random guy’s social networks and not a whole lot of golf-related material.

The big question is, how come titleistforged has never changed? For those who know young Wayne, I used to change screen names every week. titleistforged has been a part of me since the 9th grade. I first started to play golf in elementary school, but never got deep into it. Then, in the 8th grade, I began to take it up again with the encouragement of my dad and a close family friend. In the 9th grade, I tried out for the golf team. I didn’t make it. Since then, golf has quite arguably been one of the biggest elements in my life. It has shaped my personality, it has calmed me down, and it, most importantly, helped me mature. By growing up, I was able to perform better on the golf course, I was able to hit more consistent shots, and I was able to improve my overall demeanor and attitude. This is how you shoot low scores. This is how you make the high school varsity golf team. This is how you (can) succeed in life, with a cool calmness and better anger management.

The name titleistforged helps me to remember to not be someone I used to be, a young and arrogant kid who thought he had what it took to get around the golf course. The kid who used to drool over expensive equipment that he did not possess the ability to use. The kid who used to talk golf more than he practiced. The kid who used to throw clubs at trees and curse. My dad used to yell at me publicly on the golf course to try to get me to shape up and not make a huge embarrassment out of myself, since golf is a sport of politeness and etiquette. I first made the screen name titleistforged because I wanted a set of Titleist Forged clubs, and even to this day, I still do not have a set. But really, it’s not about the clubs. Today, It helps me remember to aim for the ultimate goal of being a better golfer, and in being a better golfer, I can hopefully be a better person.

So yes, titleistforged can never change. I can never get rid of it. It is a part of me, and someday, I will own a set of Titleist Forged clubs. Someday. I will still continue to try to be a better person, to calm my nerves during times of stress and worry, to remember to be more peaceful and patient. In all these years, golf has driven me and helped me through my troubled high school years. It has helped me forget academic and job woes, and allowed me to just be myself. To me, there is no greater calm than walking amongst the grass and trees for five quiet hours. Golf is most definitely my greatest stress reliever in this fast-paced, hectic world.

This is a small example of why in Wayne’s world, some things never change. I love golf. I love Titleist clubs. Most importantly, I love what golf has helped me become.