The 4-1-1

Gigi sent me one of those "get to know your friends" email with questions.

I thought I'd post some of the questions on here about me so you can get to know me. Also, I would like to get to know some of you! Come on... don't be shy. :)

• What time did you get up this morning?? 6:50am
• How do you like your steak? medium rare with horseradish on the side
• What was the last film you saw at the cinema?? "Blood Diamond"
• What is your favorite tv show? "24"
• What did you have for breakfast?? OJ and cheerios
• What is your favorite cuisine?? Japanese
• What foods do you dislike?? Bittermelon, liver or any gizzards
• What are your favorite chips?? Chile and Lime Tortilla Chips
• What is your favorite CD at the moment?? iio's "Is it Love"
• What kind of car do you drive? Subaru Outback
• What is your favorite sandwich?? Turkey Club
• What characteristics do you despise? Dishonesty, flakiness/ tardiness, undependable and selfishness
• What are your favorite clothes?? blue denim
• If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation where would you go?? Greece
• Favorite brand of clothing?? Banana Republic
• Where would you want to retire?? San Francisco as it's where my family is located; or wherever DH & I can run a B&B when we retire
• Favorite time of day?? Friday after work
• Where were you born?? Manila, Philippines
• What is your favorite sport to watch?? My husband's softball team; Baseball
• Pepsi or Coke? Coke
• Are you a morning person or a night owl?? morning person
• Pedicure or manicure? Manicure
• What did you want to be when you were little?? painter/artist
• What is your best childhood memory? beach resort vacations with my family
• Favorite day of the week?? Saturday
• Favorite restaurant?? Anything Japanese or Thai
• Favorite Flower? Star Gazer Lillies, Tulips
• Favorite ice cream?? Mango; Lychee; Pistachio
• Favorite fast food restaurant?? Jack in the Box
• Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?? Nordstrom/ Sephora, easily!
  
• Bedtime? 11pm
• What is your favorite color?? Pink
• How many tattoos do you have? None
• Favorite magazine(s)? Cooking Light

Question of the day: Feel free to answer any of the questions above.

Babel = Babble

DH & I had a nice weekend.

Friday, I made dinner at home: Catfish with puttanesca sauce and just had a relaxing evening.

Saturday, we visited DH's relatives for the Chinese New Year celebration. Afterwards, we ran some errands and went to Costco to stock up the fridge. Also went to a local outdoor store to browse. In the evening, another low key evening at home. We were invited to a suprise 40th birthday party for my friend's husband. Since the time coincided with visiting DH's relatives, we had to decline. I was bummed as my 2 BFFs: Gigi and Jonesy will be in attendance and I wouldn't be able to hang out with them and play with Jonesy's kids.

Sunday, Dh & I went to SF Chinatown to visit his aunt and cousins for Chinese New Year. I love DH's aunt. She is in her 70s but very lively and active. She is a Treasurer for a local club so this keeps her busy. She speaks very limited English, me: no Cantonese at all. but when she talks to me and uses 2-3 English words, we manage to understand each other. She is great and wish I could communicate more with her.

After Chinatown, DH & I went to the park to hit some softballs. I hit a few rounds with him as he taught me the proper stance and form for swinging (the power comes from the hips, not the arms!). I think I did OK, made a lot of contact. I need to work on exploding my hips so that I can get more distance on the ball. DH was very good teacher... very supportive and encouraging. Giving pointers where needed. I had fun, even though I wasn't that good. :)

In the evening, I made pasta with clams for dinner and we settled in to watch the Oscar nominated movie "Babel" with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. It's 3 stories that are intertwined with each other, how a gunshot in Morocco sets of a series of events worldwide. Seemed like an interesting premise, much to the style of "Crash" which we really enjoyed. DH & I were very dissapointed in the movie... it was slow, did not grab our attention and just thought it was boring. We hoped that this movie did not beat out "Departed" for any Oscar awards. We saw "Departed" in the theaters and I thought it was one of the best movies I've seen all year. Very intense and the story line was solid. It will keep you focused from start to finish. Everyone in the movie was superb especially Leo dicaprio.

DH summed the movie "Babel" best: Babel was just a lot of babble. I thought that was just freaking hilarious!

Question of the Day: Who were you rooting to win for Best Picture at the Oscars?

Happy Chinese New Year ~ Year of the Boar!

Gong Hay Fat Choi!

Sun Leen Fai Lok!

Happy Year of the Boar!

(1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007)

"People born in the Year of the Pig are chivalrous and gallant. Whatever they do, they do with all their strength. For Boar Year people, there is no left or right and there is no retreat. They have tremendous fortitude and great honesty. They don’t make many friends but they make them for life, and anyone having a Boar Year friend is fortunate for they are extremely loyal. They don’t talk much but have a great thirst for knowledge. They study a great deal and are generally well informed. Boar people are quick tempered, yet they hate arguments and quarreling. They are kind to their loved ones. No matter how bad problems seem to be, Boar people try to work them out, honestly if sometimes impulsively. They are most compatible with Rabbits and Sheep."


None of the above applies to me as I am Year of the Rat. This one's mine:

"People born in the Year of the Rat are noted for their charm and attraction for the opposite sex. They work hard to achieve their goals, acquire possessions, and are likely to be perfectionists. They are basically thrifty with money. Rat people are easily angered and love to gossip. Their ambitions are big, and they are usually very successful. They are most compatible with people born in the years of the Dragon, Monkey, and Ox."

I don't fit in any of the description except of course the charm part (hee hee), I work hard to achieve goals (and posessions!). I am not thrifty (as evidenced by my love of shopping). I am not easily angered. Some people swear by this stuff. I guess I don't fit the profile to a T.

I read my horoscope sometimes. I check it for fun but I don't plan my life on it. I guess when it has a good forecast, then I tend to pay more attention to what it says. :)

Check out your Chinese Zodiac here.

Question of the day: Do you believe in horoscopes?

"I Want to Download You"

In celebration of this thing called LOVE, please enjoy:

Real quotes on love, dating and relationships overheard in San Francisco.

My favorite is:

"I don't remember anything I said in the cab last night, but I'm sure it was all pretty stupid.'' "You said that you loved me.'' That's classic.

Question of the day: Which is your favorite quote on the list?

Personalities

DH & I had Sunday brunch with our friends, the Ryans, and their 2 kids: Kay who is 3 and Rem who is 10 months.

While spending the time with them and the kids, I began observing some the kids' personalities and traits. Kay seems to show some interest in baseball, catching and throwing, just like her dad, it shows even at her young age. She already has her baseball swing down pat. Rem is too young but he is very observant, he has a studious look about him, his favorite hobby right now is eating... anything. Yesterday, he was eyeing the Tabasco sauce. :)

DH are close friends with the Ryans, so we will most likely see the kids grow up. It will be interesting to watch how their kids personalities develop over the years and see if the traits we see now remain years later.

I began thinking how I was as a child. I know I was a very shy girl. That still is true to this day although to a lesser extent. I am still shy around people I do not know and it will take me a while to open up to people I just met.

I always loved the water. When my brother and I were growing up, our family vacations were always to the beach or a resort. I'd spend the whole day in the water, usually only surfacing for air when my Mom dragged me out of the water to eat lunch. That has not changed. I still love the water, the pool or beach -- my ideal vacation is always a tropical location -- anywhere where I can be near the water.

I was not too athletic back in my younger days. I played during gym in school but I was not too interested in it. I was too girly or actually uncoordinated for sports. I've been working on my athleticism over the years. I am involving myself in more active, athletic or outdoor activities such as skiing, volleyball, hiking and jogging.

I definitely wish I was more athletic during childhood, it would've helped me be more coordinated now. I probably would've picked up skiing a lot faster and made it easier to learn without the fear of being injured. :)

DH is a great instructor though, he skis and snowboards. I started on the beginner slopes with him. Over the past 3 winter seasons, he has pushed and challenged me to be better so now I'm skiing and keeping up with him on the blue diamond/advanced slopes! :)

Question of the day: What are some traits you've retained from childhood?

Picture Perfect

On a rainy day like today, this is where I wish I were right now.... on the sunny, beach shores of Hawaii.

DH & I took this picture last year during our trip to Maui.

It was tropical paradise.... balmy weather, blue skies, beach, sipping tropical drinks, stunning sunsets and DH by my side.


Question of the Day: What is your favorite tropical paradise?

What to do on a rainy day?

It's gloomy and rainy here in SF today.

All week rain was predicted from Thurs all the way through the weekend. This is our first storm since the beginning of Dec!

I'm welcoming the rain... more rain = snow up in the mountains. DH & I have not been able to ski/board yet this season.

bgUsually by this time, we've gone up twice already. The snow at the mountains is low, a lot of man made snow.

So hopefully this storm will bring us snow coverage. :)

DH asked me what I wanted to do this weekend in the event it rains and too wet to ski.

Question of the day: What is a fun thing to do on a rainy day?

The B train leaves in 6 minutes...

I received an email today from my friend LC that she gave birth to a baby girl a few days ago!! I could not be more thrilled for her and her hubby!!

LC and I met through a wedding planning chatboard. We were both looking for vendor recommendations and referred some of the vendors we've interviewed. We hit it off really well and became fast friends. We exchanged emails frequently commisserating about wedding planning. We met only 1 time in person prior to our weddings but that did not stop us from inviting each other to our weddings. She and her hubby came to ours but unfortunately we could not attend their wedding as we were out of town for DH's birthday.

LC and I were in the same boat last year, she and her hubby were also trying to conceive and have been trying for awhile. DH & I just started trying for a baby. We talked about our dissapointments and challenges of trying to conceive. I did not feel so alone as she was going through what we were.

Then came the news last summer they were expecting a baby. I was excited for them both as I know they've been trying for awhile. But at the same time, I could not help but feel jealous at their joy and excitement.

I felt left behind. I felt the "B" train went by and I wasn't on it. I was on the platform looking as the train sped away. I felt the air go out of me like the way the air goes out of a tire. I felt very ashamed and selfish I felt this way at their happy news. I vented to one of my close friends, Gigi. Gigi and I are the same age and have been married almost the same time so she understands how I feel. She got me out of my funk, telling me that our time will come for a baby as well. DH & I are still young so we have plenty of time to keep trying. For the meantime, just have fun trying. DH said the same thing. They're both right, but it took me a day to process my feelings of I guess, inadequacy and "What's wrong with me?".

We have several friends who have announced their pregnancies last year. But LC's was hardest to hear as it seemed she promoted to the next grade and I was held back.

Fortunately for LC she had a relatively easy pregnancy. No morning sickness at all. She looked so radiant and beautiful as a mother to be would.

So fast forward to the present. I've been wondering if LC gave birth yet as I know her due date was coming up. I was dreading the news a little bit as I was scared what my reaction would be and I did not want to feel jealous.

When I heard the news today of the birth of the baby girl, I was ecstatic for LC and her husband!! Their baby is sooo perfect and adorable!!!! I am just thrilled for them both and cannot wait to meet their baby girl and visit them.

I don't want to be like one of those baby obsessed people. You know the ones who talk about babies 24/7 and talk to anyone who'll listen. I'm not like that. It's there in the back of my mind and I am beginning to worry a bit but I don't talk to everyone about it. It's a very private thing and I only talk to DH and my close girlfriends about it and a little on this blog.

When the time is right, it will happen for us. Like Gigi said we should have fun trying. That, indeed, we are. :)

Question of the day: Do you have any milestone(s) that you feel you should've accomplished at this stage of your life?

LG: Life is Good

Yay... our fridge finally arrived yesterday! We ended up with the LG brand, french door bottom drawer style freezer in Titanium.

We did not think we would end up with LG but just as we were set on getting Kenmore, we spoke to a few more people and were convinced LG is a reliable brand for appliance. They are new to the appliance market in the US but have been established for a long time in Europe. LG is actually one of the top 3 appliance makers in the world.

DH and I are happy with our choice and the fridge is gorgeous and of course had the neat features we were looking for (energy efficient, shelfs, pantry drawer)! It's so clean...hahaha... We haven't filled it up with food yet as we are waiting for it to cool for 24 hours.

This weekend we're going to our fave place, Costco, to stock up!

Had a great weekend: celebrated my Mom's birthday so we took her out for dinner on Saturday along with my Dad. On Sunday, our fridge arrived and we went out to Ikea in search of a shelf unit for the kitchen. We didn't know the Queen Mary was in town so we missed the chance to watch it dock in SF. Oh well, we saw it in the news so that's as far as we got.

Fridge Shopping... Day 2

Day 2:

Some progress, we've narrowed it down to 3 brands: Amana, Kenmore and LG. We decided earlier to get the Kenmore.

Somehow we got trigger shy and decided to hold off until we could research more on the LG brand. It has the same features but $600 less... that's a lot to consider.

We're doing more research on LG as it's fairly new in the appliance market in the US and we just don't know much about it's performance or reliability. Then LG has titanium and steel. What's the difference? Ack!

Luckily, DH and I are pretty agreeable and shopping has not resulted in any disagreements.

We're getting more confused though the more we read the reviews and read more on the internet.

One thing we know is that it will be a steel fridge. we think. :)

~ o ~

IM with DH this morning

DH: do we have a plan yet?

Me: amana and kenmore still top choices. LG is a black horse

DH: ok...maybe we can eat early and then go to sears.

DH: since it is down to those two, what factor will make us select the amana over the kenmore?

Me: i think the ice/water and the handle's durability factor

DH: i believe the amana stainless' handle is Metal

DH: at the very least, its color is stainless...per the website

Me: the LG is great in price but we just dont know enough abt it so its a risk

Me: amana is proven

Me: so is kenmore

Me: altho i like the LG price the most

Me: ok when we get home

Me: today, we'll compare notes on LG and see where it stands then.

Me: if its still amana vs kenmore, then go to sears...

Me: in the sears website, there was review for amana and got stars, says it runs quiet... of course that is just rating

DH: i just dont know anymore...

DH: at lunch, i will go up there and play around..maybe have them plug it in

DH: i bet they will say... at first, it will be loud but will quiet down as the unit warms up...

Me: or it could b opp... its quiet then when its ramped up its starts humming

DH: damn...didnt think about it that way

Me: most likely the fridges will be quiet since its not working hard yet and we'll only hear it for a few mins at the store