Reality Bites

MIA

2009-08-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

MIA or missing in action.

That's where I've been the past year (or so?!). :(

LJ has been keeping me busy. He is now 1 year and a half (crazy!). He is fully mobile -- walking, running and becoming a little monkey -- climbing onto furniture and things.

I've missed blogging -- writing down my thoughts, reading other people's blogs (that are non parenting related).

Maybe it's the "me" time I crave as well. Because to be honest, the me time only happens when I'm at work or when LJ is in bed. It's the only time I can "turn off" as a Mom and not have to worry where LJ is or if he's safe and not getting into mischief.

Just writing this short entry felt --- nice, even productive! :)

Question of the day: What is your favorite "me time" past time? :)

The New Face of BabyGap...

2008-09-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

LJ is a born model!

There's a casting call for the new face of BabyGap. On a lark, I entered LJ (now 7 mos!) and submitted this picture, one of our faves.

He's super cute in this picture. I entered him just for fun and see what happens.... What if he gets picked??!! :) It would be nice to get some free clothes from Gap and some $$ for LJ's education fund.

Question of the day: What is the strangest baby name you've heard? Would you rather have a typical name or a unique name??

Anxious!

2008-06-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

Sigh. Only 5 days left of my maternity leave.

Where did the time go???

I maxed out my maternity leave at work which is 20 weeks. I was lucky that LJ came out on my first day of maternity leave so that I was able to spend all 20 weeks with him.

Still, it is not enough time with my baby. He is growing up so fast, he just turned 4 months , drooling all over himself and just learned to roll over from his back to his tummy.

Anyway, I'm starting work this Monday. I'm not really looking forward to it. I'm feeling anxious because I've been gone for awhile. I've been dreading the day since last month and now it's fast approaching.

We placed LJ in daycare part time since the month started to help us both transition. I was very sad/nervous on his 1st day at daycare. LJ, however, did fine and was all smiles when I picked him up later in the day. I think it was definitely harder for Mommy than for him.

One of the few things I can look forward to on Monday is I have new outfit and new haircut/higlights .... hee heee. It feels like the 1st day of school for me back from a long summer break where I need a new look.

The adult interaction will be good and I'm looking forward to seeing some of my work friends but not really looking forward to the actual work. SIGH. I emailed my boss reminding him to reactivate my IDs and he emailed back saying he's looking forward to my return.

I told one of my gf's that she'll need to cheer me up at lunch on my 1st day back.

SIGH. I will miss spending the day with LJ. Those 20 weeks only felt like 2 weeks. :(

Question of the day: What has made you anxious lately?

Hello!

2008-04-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hello! My name is LJ and I am 2 months old. I now weigh about 10 lbs.

I have been keeping my Mom very busy these past couple of months. She nurses me every 3-4 hours around the clock. I pretty much keep her busy as if she is not feeding me, she is constantly changing my diaper or playing with me. She and my Dad read, sing and talk to me as well.

This month, I've learned to smile and laugh. Mom and Dad are tickled by this as they always make funny faces and sounds at me. They think they can fool me into smiling for them, but I will only smile/laugh only when I want to.

Compared to other labor stories, my Mom had a relatively "easy" time with me. She was only in labor for 4 hours before I made my debut. She was sooo happy when I came out, I saw her and Dad cry.

Mom has been staying home with me and will be for the next 2.5 months. Dad had to go back to work unfortunately 2 weeks after I was born. I think I am tiring my Mom as I see her yawning all the time. Probably because I keep her up at night. She hasn't slept much since I was born, only catching naps.

The past 2 months has been an exciting time for me and my Mom and Dad. I am cherishing every moment with them as these fly right by. I try to tell them how much I love them by coo-ing, I think they understand as they either coo back at me or make more funny sounds.

Most people say that I look like my Dad and I think my Mom feels left out. She does say that I have her ears, fair skin and possibly my lips. I must have good genes because I've been told that I am handsome and a cute baby. (Even cuter than J Lo's twins to be perfectly honest!)

I am writing this on behalf of my Mom who doesn't have much time to blog. She misses it alot and will be back when she has more time to write.

Question of the day: Who is the cutest celebrity baby?

Introducing....

2008-02-13T20:50:00.000-08:00

On Monday, Feb 4, 2008 at 5.58pm, Pacific time, our life forever changed.

Our son, LJ, entered our world.

The joy and love I have for this little boy is indescribable and immeasurable.

LJ was 2 weeks early and weighed in at 5 lbs, 9 oz and 17.5 inches. He is in perfect health.

We've been busy learning how to be parents (instinct does kick in!) and trying to sleep/rest when we can. 3 hour sleep/nite has been our average.

The adventure of parenthood begins.....

36 weeks

2008-01-21T14:34:00.001-08:00

My home page greeted me this morning with:

"You are in your 36th week, 27 more days to go"

OMG. 4 more weeks and we meet our darling Peanut. Or really anytime before then, whenever he decides he is ready to come out. :)

All these months of excitement, anticipation, learning, reading everything about parenting/babies, classes, chat boards.... still does not prepare you for caring for a new fragile life.

I'm afraid.... very afraid.... I hope maternal instinct kicks in as they say it should.

***Deep breaths***

Question of the day: Guess when the baby will arrive! :) Our estimated due date is Feb 17. Will peanut be early, on time or late....

Mohawk

2008-01-04T09:40:00.000-08:00

Our baby has a mohawk!

Too cute!! It's about .5 inch in length and on the back of his head.

We are soo proud. :)

We found out the sex of our baby a few months ago. See if you guessed correctly, click here. :)

The baby is due middle of next month.

In and Out

2008-01-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Thank you to all of you for the birthday wishes last week! :)

DH & I spent NYE at home. I would’ve loved to have watched the fireworks in the city when it struck midnite. But in my current state, I need to be near a bathroom at all times. Getting to the park early for a good seat and waiting for a long period for the fireworks to begin just would not do. We started the evening having dinner with a friend and then settled in at home for the evening. We were watching a movie on our new HD TV (very happy with the purchase!) and I fell asleep around 10ish. I woke up wondering what time it was and it just happened to be midnite. :)

DH & I spent most of the 1^st day of 2008 organizing/cleaning out stuff for when the little peanut arrives.

I had to clear out the closet I’m using now in the nursery and move all my clothes to the bedroom. I’m almost there, about 80% completed. In the process, I am donating a bag full of clothes and some old shoes to Goodwill. This is in addition to the 2 bag full of clothes I also donated a couple of months ago. You just don’t realize how much clothes you accumulate over the years.

My rule was if I haven’t worn it in 2+ years, it’s going to Goodwill. It was a good exercise as it allowed me to get more closet space and clean out items I am no longer using.

Our house has been in disarray from baby things, Christmas things so everything is displaced to the living room and our bedroom. We made good progress yesterday so at the very least, the nursery is almost ready.

Out with the old and in with the new.

Hope you had a safe and happy new year’s! :)

Question of the day: What is one resolution you really want to stick to this year?

35 and counting

2007-12-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

Today is my birthday. I am *gasp* 35! WHEN did this happen?

Age is just a number I am convincing myself. After all, what matters is how you feel, how you life your life and your accomplishments.

I am healthy, feel and look young.
I am happy and content where life is taking me.
I have a wonderful, loving and supportive husband.
A healthy baby is on the way.
I have a great family and circle of friends.
I have a job which I like.

I am in a good place in my life and I am very thankful for the blessings given to me.

DH threw me a surprise 30^th birthday with my girlfriends and now bam suddenly hello 35! Soon…. hello 40?

So why does it still seem like turning 35 is a big deal?

I guess what I am having a hard time accepting is I am getting older and I am midway to my “40s” and all that entails. Sounds vain, I know, but the decades are just going by so fast.

I didn’t want too much fanfare for my day today. I am working half a day at work. Then I’m meeting my girlfriends for lunch, then off to catch the movie “P.S. I love you”. After the movie maybe do some window shopping.

For dinner, DH & I may go to a Korean BBQ, Hibachi style. For my birthday gift, DH gave me the Kate Spade purse I wanted. :)

I feel like I am rambling today....

Question of the day: Do you dread turning a particular "milestone" age? (30, 35, 40, etc)

Ignorance is not bliss

2007-12-19T12:37:00.001-08:00

Does seeing a pregnant woman bring out the ignorance in people?

I don’t know why, but people think they are free to make comments about you, your body, your weight, your baby, your diet, the way you look, etc, when you are pregnant. I think most people think saying insensitive or unwelcome comments is a no-no at anytime?

Strangers, co-irkers (aka co-workers) suddenly become your doctor, pediatrician, and nutritionist. People just don’t think when they speak.

Fortunately for us, the pregnancy has been going well through 31 weeks. The baby is healthy and growing. I’ve had a few “helpful comments” by co-irkers who thought they were being helpful but in reality they were rude and annoying.

I was thin pre-pregnancy, so throughout this whole pregnancy, my weight has increased marginally but at a healthy pace. I am showing a baby bump but not as big as most women at this stage.

So while most pregnant women get the usual rude “You’re big/ are you carrying twins” comments about their pregnancy body and weight, I get the opposite. And that is not necessarily better. I’ve received the following comments:

“You’re so small”
“Your baby is small/ will be small”
“You need to gain more weight”
“You need to eat more”

I’m not sure if the co-irkers that have said that to me meant it as a compliment, but it sure did not sound one in my ears.

To me, it’s rude, similar to calling a person big/overweight is rude. Those comments make me feel that I am not taking care or feeding my baby. The baby is normal, healthy and growing and yet I feel like I have to defend myself and explain why my belly is not as pronounced as others and I still look thin at this stage. And I shouldn’t have to.

I was so infuriated when a female co-irker told me "You're small. You need to gain more weight." WTF!

Who the heck are you to give me this advice??! Are you my doctor? Are you a nutritionist? Do you have any insight on my pregnancy? WTF! When she made the comment, I told her “My doc is fine with my weight and is not concerned about it. So, neither should you.” and then I walked away. Ugh, she really annoyed me.

The nastiness in me surfaced, what I really wanted to say to her was “just because you were ugly during your pregnancy doesn’t mean the rest of us are during ours”. Of course I didn’t say that but I thought it when she provoked me with her insensitive comment.

Most people have been very complimentary to me during my pregnancy saying I look well/ great/ glowing. Those comments are very much appreciated because let me tell you, the way your body changes during the pregnancy, glowing or feeling great is the farthest from our minds. So when someone compliments that we look great, it's just music to our ears and sometimes what gets us through the discomfort of the day.

So, when you see a pregnant woman, think twice before saying what you perceive is a compliment. If you want to say something nice, just say “You look great/wonderful/radiant/beautiful!” PERIOD. I guarantee that you will make her day. :)

Question of the day: What is the most ignorant/rude/insensitive comment someone has said to you?

Sin City

2007-10-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

WARNING: Picture of a hot half naked man and lots of gushing over a hot chippendale. For guys, you may want to skip this post....

My girlfriends and I went on a getaway to sin city: Las Vegas recently.

There would be 5 of us going but at the last minute, Jonesy, cancelled as her 2 youngest kids were sick with a fever and cold.

She cancelled her flight the night before our trip as she did not feel right leaving both sick kids. We were disappointed she couldn’t join us but of course understood Mom duty calls.

Jonesy was even more disappointed as she was really excited and looking forward to taking a break and having some fun.

The girls and I had a blast… we shopped, gambled, hung out and watched the Chippendale’s show. That was the highlight of our trip! All of us girls were swooning (ok screaming, loudly) over the hottest Chippendale, Steve Kim, who is of Korean/Italian descent. He is gorgeous... he looks like a buffer, hotter, more handsome Keanu Reeves. (HOT!!)

We had great seats – 2nd row center. We paid for floor seating and were pleased we got the 2nd row. Everytime Steve was on stage, my friends and I were screaming loudly at him. He was sooo darn hot!

We were so gaga over him. He was very nice and friendly when we met him afterwards to take pictures. Even though he was surrounded by a group of girls, he would only talk or entertain one at a time and give her his full attention.

On his way out, he was on a call when 2 girls stopped him (not us!). He quickly ended his call and talked/took pictures with the girls. Then he politely went on his way.

I am sure we made a fool out of ourselves and acted like groupies when we took pictures with him. ;)

After I thanked him for the solo picture with him (with his arms around me), he asked me “Can I get a hug?” I was more than happy to oblige and was sooo tickled when he kissed me on the cheek. Sigh.

The girls and I have talked about him non stop since the show, days later.

Yeah, you could say we have a "little crush" on him. We found out later that he's a college graduate and has his own new business. Hmmm... smarts and looks. He is 34 y/o, our age, so we didn't feel like robbing the cradle lusting after him. hahaha...

Sigh...... DH just rolls his eyes at me everytime he hears the story and sees our pictures with him… LMAO

Question of the day: Have you ever acted like a groupie?

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2007-09-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

My girlfriends and I are planning a weekend trip to Las Vegas later this month.

We are so excited as last year's trip was a blast.

There will be 5 of us. Jonesy and KD are leaving their 6 kids at home (3 each) and they are the ones who are most looking forward to the much needed getaway.

We've already booked a show and are planning on relaxing, gambling, shopping, eating all weekend. AA said no sleep for us all weekend, which we have done on some trips before especially when we are winning at the crap table. Pre pregnancy I would've been up all night with them. But nowadays, my bedtime has been more like 9:00pm. I feel like a fuddy duddy.

I'm excited, I love girl bonding trips! :)

Have a greak weekend!

Question of the day: What is the longest you've ever gone without sleeping? (My longest was 30 hours)

Spice of Life

2007-09-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all your baby name suggestions! :) There were quite a lot of good ones!

We think we have decided on a boy/girl name. :) It shall remain under wraps for the time being.

Spent the weekend watching DH play softball on Saturday. He made an awesome tumbling catch in the 6th inning. It turned out to be the game saving catch as it prevented runs from scoring and allowed the team to tie the game in the next inning and then win it in the last inning. I wish I had a videotape of his catch as it was the best catch I've seen him do. Worthy of the highlight/gem of the day video footage on ESPN.... :)

On Sunday, my girlfriends and I met for breakfast at Jones' house. We ended up hanging out at their house for the whole day. We ate, gossiped, her and Kim's kids played while the girls and I played pool. DH stopped by in the late morning. I had invited him to come along but he had initially declined. So I was surprised he stopeed by and hung out at Jones' house. He was content after we fed him and he was able to watch football the whole afternoon. (His fantasy football league started that week). While he hung out with Jones' hubby, the girls and I gossiped and planned our LV trip coming up in a few weeks.

On Friday, we had our monthly check up with the doctor. We heard the heart beat and it was a strong heart beat around 150 beats/min. Per old wives tale.... that range means it will be a boy. If the beats were higher around 155-160, it would indicate a girl. At our last appt, the heartbeats were close to 160. Hmmmm....

Question of the day: If you had to describe your as a spice, what would you be and why?

What's in a Name?

2007-08-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

So DH and I have been brainstorming baby names. It's not that easy as the name we choose may/will define him/her for the rest of their life. We don't want our child to get beat up in the playground because of the name we choose.

I have to write down the names we like so far otherwise we're going to forget it.

GIRL:

Sara/Sarah
Audrey
Addison
Leia
Olivia
Lauren
Isabella
Katrina
Michaela
Sierra
Caryn/Karin/Karyn
Casey/Cassandra

BOY:

Lucas

Our boy name list is coming up short at the moment. Mostly I've been coming up with the girl names because I'm convinced we are having a girl. DH of course thinks it's a boy. We will be happy of course with either as long as the baby is healthy.

We would love some suggestions for boy/girl names. If you have any, post them. :)

Question of the day: If you could re-name yourself, what name would you choose?

PDA

2007-08-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

As in public displays of affection.

When is too much? Holding hands, smooches, hugs, embraces, a discreet squeeze. Those are fine. I was on the bus the other day and I saw a couple, in their mid-20s, on a make out session. On the bus. It looked like a make out session that would lead to groping at any second.

Ick. I'm not a prude by any means and I myself enjoy PDA but not in a crowded arena and to the point where people would scream to get a room.

Question of the day: When is PDA too much?

Sex

2007-08-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

Last Fri at our 12 week appointment, we heard the baby's heartbeat for the very first time!!! It was the most magical sound I've ever heard.

The doc squirted the gel on my tummy and moved the instrument around to find the baby's heartbeat. It took her awhile to find it, and that of course almost gave me a heart attack. Cuz when you're pregnant, everything freaks you out, what you feel and what you don't feel. At least for me as it's our first time, I worry about everything. I'm glad that DH is always with me at the doc appts.

After what seemed like forever (really 10 seconds in real time) we heard the whooshing whooshing sound on the doppler machine speaker. It was strong, fast and music to our ears. I'll never forget DH's face as I was watching him. He had a concentrated focused look as the doc searched for the heartbeat. As soon as the heartbeat filled the room, DH's expression softened and big smile slowly broke across his face. A very proud look, like hey, that's my son/daughter. It was a proud and happy moment for both of us. :)

The baby is progressing normally and everything looks good. We've completed the 1st trimester so we've been sharing our news with friends.

We don't know the sex yet. The picture from my last post shows his/her foot sticking out, not his penis. Altho if that were his penis, DH would be proud at the size.. hahaha....

We won't know the sex until the next ultrasound, 2 mos away. I'm still debating. I do not want to know the sex right now. DH does.

I just feel waiting to find out until birth makes it more special. Finding out early is like knowing or opening your Christmas gift on July 4th.

I know most people would like to know ahead of time to start planning (colors, nursery, names, etc)....

I agree that it's good to know for planning but I feel there's only a few good great surprises in life. Why rush this one.

At least not knowing yet will give me more of an incentive to push harder once delivery time comes. :)

As for sex as in s-e-x, I'm afraid there's not much of that lately. :( I've just been always tired and not in the mood. I may not have gotten morning sickness but as a tradeoff the libido is non existent. Well, there's light at the end of the tunnel as I can feel it slowly coming back as I enter my 2nd trimester.

DH should be happy to hear that!! ;)

Question of the day: Would you want to know the sex ahead of time or surprised at birth?

A Picture is Worth a Thousand+++ Words

2007-08-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

This image renders me speechless and emotional each time I look at it.

This was taken yesterday at 12 weeks. The baby looks like he/she is sucking it's thumb.

That's our baby. Our baby. Growing. Inside me. Our baby.

Question of the day: Describe your most cherished/ or favorite photo.

12 Weeks

2007-08-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

The miracle of life...

I'm happy to announce that DH & I are expecting a baby on Feb 17, 2008!! :)

We found out on Father's Day weekend.

I'm in my 12th week or around the end of the critical 1st trimester.

DH & I are thrilled beyond words!!! We are ecstatic, nervous, excited and in awe at this tiny life growing inside me. The baby is currently 2" and the size of a lime.

We first saw the baby via ultrasound at 8 weeks and we were amazed at the little peanut with its tiny heart already beating.

We had another ultrasound a couple of weeks ago at 10 weeks and was amazed at how the baby has grown - almost double. We saw its heart beating (incredible!) and even saw him/her moving and dancing around!!! It was a very powerful image and again amazement and wonder filled us as we watched this tiny life fluttering and dancing in my uterus. Our baby.

Fortunately, I've experienced no nausea nor morning sickness, mostly just fatigue and wanting to nap all the time.

We told our families a few weeks ago and they are so excited. When I told my parents, my mom jumped up, gave me a hug and started crying. I started crying as well, tears of joy.

Everytime I tell someone the happy news, I get teary eyed and emotional.

We have a couple of appointments this week including genetic counseling/ testing today as a precautionary measure since I will be 35 at birth.

Please send us your positive thoughts that all will turn out normal.

The last time you guys sent me positive thoughts.... I got pregnant. :)

Question of the day: Will we have a boy or a girl?

Cruising Back to Reality...

2007-08-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

It's Monday morning and I am psyching myself up for a day at work.

I am physically at work but not mentally yet.

DH & I just came back from a fun filled vacation.

We went on a 7 day Alaskan cruise and enjoyed a couple of days in Vancouver.

It is our 1st cruise and I have to say, it was one of the best vacations I've ever had. The trip itself to Alaska was amazing (saw Glaciers, whales, brown bears to name a few highlights). Being on a cruise is like being fed, pampered and entertained for 24 hours everyday. I could certainly get used to that!

I gained 2 pounds on the cruise. I don't think it's pregnancy weight but it was all the food we consumed.

DH & I really enjoyed Vancouver as well. What a wonderful city! We'd like to go back and spend more time there and explore the neighboring cities. What we saw in a couple of days, we liked!

We arrived home last night at 11p and back at work this morning. I am exhausted and trying to figure out why I didn't take an extra day off.

I know I've been MIA lately and I appreciate the emails wondering if I'm still alive. :) Yes I am and very much kicking!

Question of the day: Have you ever been on a cruise? (To where? What did you like about it?)

Superfriends

2007-07-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

We had a laid back holiday yesterday. We were invited to a bbq but we declined so we could relax.

We ended up watching “transformers” at the theater. DH & I are not particularly die hard fans or anything but thought it would something fun to watch.

I hung out with all boy cousins while I was growing up and I watched the Transformers cartoons with them. So I was pretty familiar with the characters and concept. DH’s nephew is enthralled with Transformers and has a lot of the robots. He’s been telling his parents he’d like to see the movie and they said they are taking him. After seeing it yesterday, I think the movie is not really geared to kids his age (he’s 7). Oh well, that’s for his parents to decide.

I found the movie to be entertaining enough and it is pretty well made. The CGI was incredible. DH liked the movie more than I did … maybe I’m just really not that into robots.

After the movie, we had an early dinner at a Japanese restaurant. We didn’t head out to catch fireworks as we were tired.

There were some people who were shooting fireworks near our neighborhood. So we watched fireworks through our bedroom window in bed. Not bad. :)

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

Question of the day: What are some of the cartoons you watched growing up? (My favorite was Superfriends”!)

Name that Tune

2007-07-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

Do you ever listen to a song and it instantly transports you back in time or recall a special memory?

I was on the bus this morning heading to work and listening to my ipod. I was feeling blah until a favorite song of mine played. Instantly my mood changed. I like this particular song because it was the song that was playing when DH & I were on our early dates, when we took a drive down the coast to be exact.

It was a lovely sunny day and we decided to drive down the coast. I didn’t particularly care where we were driving to as long as we were together. I remember feeling excited, anxiousness, nervousness and butterflies in my stomach. I remember my thoughts were consumeed wondering if and when DH was going to hold my hand or kiss me. Hearing this song brought me back to that exact time and the emotions I was feeling that day.

When I hear Michelle Branch’s song “Breathe”, it brings me back to our wedding day. For some retro moments: When I hear Spandau Ballet’s song “Gold”, it transports me back to 6th grade when my friend Karen & I sang to it countless of times.

It’s funny how a song can instantly evoke a memory or emotion from your past.

Question of the day: What is a particular song that invokes a memory or time for you?

Secret

2007-06-29T07:24:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had a secret that you are dying to tell?

Well, I have a secret and I am bursting to share.

But, it's a secret, so I can't divulge it.

I'm very good at keeping secrets. When friends confide in me, they know it's in the vault.

Question of the day: Can you keep a secret?

Chili Dog and Garlic Fries

2007-06-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

DH & I were both recipients of free tickets on Tuesday.

Conversation with my boss:

Boss: T, do you like classical music?
T: Sometimes.....
Boss: Would you like to go to the Symphony, you can use my tickets next month?
T: Ummm.... OK! (Trying to be non chalant...but secretly yelling: YES!!!)

Boss is a season ticket holder at the symphony. I thanked Boss for his generous offer. He knows that I like watching performance/ cultural events so I'm glad he offered the tickets to me. :)

Later that afternoon, DH scored free tickets to last Tues' SF Giants game from his boss. They were great seats too... a few rows behind the Giants dugout on the 3rd base side. We were so close to the field, I could practically touch Barry Bonds on the on deck circle.

That night at the baseball game, there was a cute guy who was sitting next to me. He looked like this actor, but had a goatee, very hot.

I was eating my chili dog which was piled high with chili, onions and cheese. He turned to me and said, that looks good, how's the chili dog? I was in mid chew so I couldn't answer him right away. He leaned in again and asked, that looks really good, where did you get the chili dog? With a mouthful of chili dog and garlic fries, I told him... hahaha. Yeah, very attractive and lady like, I know.

DH saw the whole thing and I turned to him and he was laughing at me as I recounted what cute guy said. I told DH that he was cute and he rolled his eyes at me.

Later, cute guy and his friends brought beer in cans which is prohibited in the ball park. The usher saw it and confiscated it. The usher looked like the actor, Wilford Brimley, who does the Quaker Oats commercials. When the usher left, cute guy turned and leaned to me and said, "I never buy his oatmeal." It was a funny remark .... DH & I both laughed.

DH nicknamed cute guy, "Mr Close Talker", from the Seinfeld episode. Close talker or not, he was hot. ;)

Question of the day: Do you have a nickname coined by your friends or family?

Surprise

2007-06-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

My mom and I went to check out Nordstrom’s half yearly sale last night.

I was at the jewelry counter browsing, when I noticed a Swiss Army watch. DH mentioned in passing a few weeks back that he liked their watches. This particular one I was looking at had a classic style. Steel, chrono style and black face.

I impulsively bought it for DH and I got a very good deal since it was on sale too!

I think he’ll like the style as it’s classic and conservative.

I’m going to surprise DH with the watch tonight. I can't wait to see his expression. :)

I hung out with Jonesy and my 2 godchildren last week while I was off. They are just so adorable! N who is 3 and K who is 18 months are both a handful. I honestly don’t know how Jonesy manages to watch them both at home everyday while she works at home. She was glad of my visit as it gives her some much needed adult company.

N loves the movie “Music & Lyrics” (very cute movie!). He keeps singing the theme song “Way Back into Love” over and over, non stop. He has memorized the song and uses a hairbrush as his microphone.

K in the meantime has discovered her female parts and was stuffing her diaper with play coins. I’m sure she was wondering what the fuss was all about when her Mom reprimanded her.

I used to go camping with Jonesy, her hubby and their daughter M at least 3-4x during the summer. We haven’t gone on a camping trip together in the last 3+ years as she has been busy with her 2 youngest kids. They invited us camping over Memorial Day weekend but we were out of town.

Her hubby, the outdoor enthusiast, is planning another camping trip this summer. So I hope we can join them then.

Question of the day: What is the best surprise you have ever received?

La-La-La

2007-06-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

I’m back.

We went on a mini vacation to Los Angeles last week. It was FUN but too short.

Trip highlights:

1st day: Left SF at 5.30am as we had tickets to the Dodgers game at 1.00p. Our seats very high up, but right smack in the middle of home plate. We ate Dodger dogs and nachos. Yum.
Dodger game highlights: Doing the wave and waiting for the beach ball to come my way so I can hit it.
We met Gigi and hubby for dinner in Pasadena. They treated us for our anniv dinner. It was very thoughtful of them to do that.
We walked around Old Town Pasadena after dinner and had drinks.
2nd Day: Spent the day at Santa Monica.
People watched at Muscle beach. DH noticed a lot of guys doing the girl pull ups vs the guy pull ups. These were muscular men doing the scaled down pull up version. DH noticed that since they had the big guns, why weren't they doing the guy pull ups? Funny.
Walked down 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica
Celebrated our anniversary by having dinner at Gladstone’s in Malibu. We feasted on fish cerviche, clam chowder, seafood platter and lobster roll. It was delicious and the ocean view was lovely. We went back to pasadena and walked to downtown from our hotel and grabbed some gelato.
3rd day: Spent the day in Disneyland. Favorite ride: Mad Hatter’s Tea Cup! DH & I kept spinning the disk so that we spun faster. We were spinning so fast, we were double over in laughter. Man, we were dizzy but it was fun.
Other Disney faves: Space Mtn, Indy Jones, Big Thunder Railroad, Splash Mtn
Checked out California Adventures (next to Disney). We only had time for 1 ride so we chose the best – their California Screaming roller coaster. Boy, did I scream. The roller takes you from 0 to 55mph in 5 seconds. Trust me, that’s fast!! It felt like being shot off a cannon. We were in the 1st car and I was screaming the whole time with my eyes closed. DH kept yelling open your eyes… hahah… no thanks, I’d rather not see how far we are plummeting down the earth.
Watched an Anaheim Angels game after Disneyland. Got a freebie: Jersey clock day.

I love LA weather. It was high 70s while we were there. Nice and warm. A nice reprieve from cold, foggy SF.

We like watching baseball games in LA as it’s warm and we can wear shorts and shirt only.

It was a FUN trip; we were exhausted when we arrived home. We definitely need to incorporate more relaxing and down time during our vacations. :p

Next up, I’m planning a camping trip in July!

Question of the day: What are your summer plans?

Gone Fishing

2007-05-28T01:29:00.000-07:00

I'm on vacation and will be back soon. :)

Question of the day: Besides necessities and clothes, what is something you always bring with you on vacations?

Open Water

2007-05-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is why I am scared of the open water: Woman attacked by shark in Maui.

DH and I went on a kayak tour when were in Maui last year. I went on a kayak tour previously in Kauai and Maui and had a fabulous time so I wanted to do it again and this time share the experience with DH.

During the kayak tour, they take you to where the turtles play so it’s also a perfect snorkeling opportunity. The tour provides snorkeling gear to those who wish to go explore further under water.

I give DH kudos, he was daring. Even though, he does not swim, he tried snorkeling. Not an easy feat for a non swimmer to try in the middle of an open ocean! Even I was scared, but mostly because I was afraid that a shark would be lurking near us.

DH & I jumped in the water with our snorkel gear. I tried to give DH some tips but if he was nervous, he did not show it. We stayed near the kayak and swam a few feet around the boat. We had on life vests and the tour guide was nearby so we were in good hands.

We saw a turtle swim right by us. Those turtles are huge! They are also protected and you cannot go closer than 25 feet of one. Otherwise, you are fined by the state of Hawaii. How? Not sure, but they don’t need to convince me twice not to touch them. We also saw a school of yellow fish swim underneath us too.

I think I have open water phobia. I think it stemmed from the movie “Jaws” and its subsequent sequels.

All I could think of while snorkeling was (all paranoia, I must admit)

-Damn, we’re in a DEEP, BOTTOMLESS waterpit
-Damn, the ocean is really VAST
-The fishes are pretty but I hope a fish does not swim up my suit
-OMG, what is that dark shadow in the water?! Shark???

I love the ocean and swimming on the beach but I must say, swimming in the vast open ocean is daunting to me. I felt that any minute something would grab my feet under water.

I commend DH for trying snorkeling when he was not in his element. I am glad he tried it and we did it together because it was such a FUN experience!!

We really enjoyed the kayaking in Maui, it was a unique way to explore the island. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our Hawaii trip.

I highly recommend Kelli’s Kayak tour company if you are in Maui. I have gone on 2 kayak trips with them and had a wonderful, fun, safe experience both times.

Question of the day: Do you have any “phobias”?

Encouraged

2007-05-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone for your encouragement, kind words, support, positive thoughts and prayers. They are greatly appreciated. :)

I've been in a negative funk this week and now I'm breaking out of it and feel much more positive and optimistic. Life must go on.

DH & I are planning our road trip at the end of the month. It looks like we will be going to 2 baseball games as well while in LA (Dodgers AND Angels). We're pretty excited and we're looking forward to our anniversary/ mini getaway. :)

Have a great weekend!

Question of the day (returns): What are you most thankful for?

28 Days

2007-05-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

28 days is the cycle.

28 days, I am optimistic
28 days, I am hopeful
28 days, I wait
28 days, I am anxious, yet at the same time try not to think about it
28 days, It's all about timing
28 days, I think positive thoughts
28 days, I pray this is the month
28 days, I will my body to conceive
28 days, I think of ways to tell DH IF I’m late and imagine his reaction
28 days, I imagine of what it feel like to have a life growing inside me

I find myself getting more disappointed with each month’s passing. It is getting so much harder to keep optimistic. The last couple of months have been harder than most. I feel disheartened especially when the 28th day arrives and it arrives. A deep fear of never having a child returns to fill my thoughts.

DH has been wonderful and reassures me that he loves me and it will happen.

I am comforted by love and refueled with hope. I am appeased, and optimism returns...

Lunch Date

2007-05-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

DH and I had a lunch date today. :)

He is in the city for a training class. We met for lunch and went to his old Chinese restaurant hangout.

It was by no means a fancy restaurant but it was romantic none the less. Hee hee. It was nice to spend the lunch hour with DH.

After lunch, we walked around the area before he dropped me off the train station so I could head back to work, 2 stops away.

It was the highlight of my day. :)

Question of the day: Do you take a leisurely lunch at work or do you power through lunch and eat at your desk?

Mr. Sandman

2007-05-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

The fog is back in SF. We got a little respite last night from the heat wave. The evening was cooler and I was able to sleep comfortably, after 2 nights of tossing and turning. That song "Mr Sandman" come to mind. I was starting to feel grouchy because I felt so blah and tired. It's going to be another nice day today but just a tad cooler.

Usually, it’s DH who can’t stand the heat. I don’t think he can stand just basking under the sun on the beach all day. He would get bored too. My family spent our summers on the beach. We spent hours and hours playing and swimming on the beach. I could just spend the idle day laying out on the beach and swimming. This is one of the activities DH & I do not have in common. He doesn’t swim, I love swimming. He hates sand; I love the warm sand on my skin.

You’d think it would cause any conflict for us on vacations, but not really. We were in Hawaii last year and we had a blast. We spent a couple of days laying out on one of the white beaches of Maui. We stayed for 3-4 hours on the beach because DH knew I wanted/needed to do that.

After a few hours of beach bliss for me, we’d go on our way to sightsee or do another activity this time something DH would enjoy. We enjoy similar recreational activities so finding something we both enjoy is never a problem. Throughout the vacation we both made sure that we each have done what the other had wanted to see or do.

Compromise is the key.

Question of the day: If you were on your way to an island for the show “Survivor” and were only allowed to bring ONE luxury item, what would you bring?

Smoking Hot

2007-05-08T09:59:00.000-07:00

It’s another beautiful California day! Yesterday, the temperature reached 89 degrees in SF!

Today will be equally warm. It’s too nice of a day to be cooped up at work. I guess I’ll just enjoy the sunshine when I meet AS for lunch and when I get home from work.

I didn’t sleep well for the 2nd day in the row as it was hot. I feel so tired today.

I wish I was out playing with DH, enjoying the sunshine or laying out by the beach, tropical drink in hand, reading a book I just picked up: “Love in the Time of Cholera” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Has anyone read it?

Question of the day: What would do if you could play hooky today?

Busy Bees

2007-05-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, where ever you were!

DH & I had fun weekend coupled with gorgeous warm sunny California weather (high 70s).

Fri – I went to DH’s game. Initially, I was hesitant in coming as I would most likely have to babysit 2 of DH’s team mate’s young boys (he could only play if someone could watch his kids while he played). As someone reminded me, babysitting should not preclude me from going to the game if I wanted to. True, true. I just did not want to get stuck babysitting 2 young boys, what if they were brats? I didn’t know the team mate well enough nor his kids to feel comfortable with the responsibility.

Ironically, I did end up watching RJ’s 4 y/o daughter, K, for most of the game. I did not mind watching K as she is a sweetheart and RJ is a pretty close friend of DHs. K sat on my lap as we watched the boys play. I taught her how to yell “Go Daddy!” when her Dad was up at bat. I taught her to say “Good job, Daddy!” when RJ scored. She also said “Good Job, Uncle DH” and gave DH a high five. She is soo adorable. She was well behaved during the game and even offered me some of her raisins.

DH’s team unfortunately lost the game.

Sat – I had a date with my Mom. Mom came to the city and we spent the day at SF’s shopping district, Union Square. I love shopping with Mom. She’s one of the few people I love to window shop with. She knows what clothes I like and would look good on me. We spent the day walking around and just spending time with each other. I treated her for lunch when we took a breather around noon. I bought 3 work tops from Banana Republic, while Mom bought a couple of sweaters from Nordstrom’s.

DH in the meantime was left to his own devices so he decided to spend the day with his nephew. They went to the park to hit some wiffle balls. DH was trying to teach him hitting/catching. Afterwards, they spent afternoon at the SF Zoo. DH didn’t take the nephew to Target as he didn’t want a repeat of the previous tantrum.

DH & I met up back at home late afternoon where we headed to my in-laws house for dinner and take the nephew home. DH’s favorite moment was when his nephew gave him a hug and said, “You’re my favorite Uncle”. Awwwww…..

Sun – I went to Sunday mass and returned home with brunch prepared by DH. So sweet! Since it was a warm sunny day, DH felt like going on a hike at Muir Woods.

We took the Coastal Trail to the Pantoll Ranger Station for the 1st leg. 5 minutes into the hike the terrain immediately inclined. We climbed around 1200 feet in the first hour. Normally, a hard climb in itself but yesterday was miserable as it was very hot.

We kept ourselves hydrated and pushed along and after almost 90 minutes of climbing, we emerged to a clearing. We were rewarded with the most magnificent view of the coast and of Stinson Beach!

This was what we were working so hard for for the last hour. We took a break and took in the amazing view and continued on our hike. Once we reached the end of our 1st leg at the ranger station, we took a lunch break and ate our sandwiches. Half an hour later, we were back on our feet for the hike back to the car. We took a different route and it was much easier this time as most of the trail was downhill.

In total, we hiked 6 miles round trip. We started at 1.50p and ended at 5.40p with some stops and a lunch break in between.

We felt pretty miserable after the hike but enthusiastic at completing a great hike. We rewarded ourselves by going to SF Chinatown for dinner. It felt like we expended 5000 calories from the hike, we were starving! After a dinner of noodles, shrimp dumplings and beef porridge, I felt like I ate the 5000 calories I just lost. :p

Question of the day: What was the highlight of your weekend?

Ex-Communicado

2007-05-03T08:45:00.001-07:00

Interesting comments from yesterday's post. Everyone had their own personal way of handling news of an ex's new love/marriage.

After the given healing and angry hating period has blown over, a friendship can be salvaged if both parties have healed, still respect each other, and have moved on from the breakup. If you are still bitter about the breakup then of course it is hard to see the ex as a friend (nor why would you want to?)

Trying to remain friends after the breakup is sort of therapeutic in a way... a sign that I've moved on, grown and matured from the experience. Like going full circle or closing a chapter of a book.

(I cannot forgive Jock though for posting his patronizing comment on our wedding website so a friendship will not arise from the ashes here. I'm just spiteful that way.)

If you are in good terms with your ex, I think you would be happy for them on some level of their new found love. If your relationship ended bad then I don't think you would care less for the new bf/gf. You would probably feel sorry for the new bf/gf.

Question of the day: What is the most valuable lesson you've learned from your past relationship(s)?

X Marks the Spot

2007-05-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

How does one feel when an ex is getting married?

If it were my exes, I can honestly say that I would be happy for them. None of my exes are married. At least not that I know of. The news would hit me with bittersweet feelings for ex bf1 and bf2 due to our past history. I would be genuinely happy that they have found someone to spend their life with. With ex-fiance, Jock, I would be happy for him on some level but mostly I would feel indifferent. Why? Read more below.

My BFF, AS, found out an ex flame is getting married next month. The girls and I had drinks Fri night. Jonesy mentioned that her brother’s good friend, Donovan, is getting married next month. There was a sharp intake of breath from AS. AS had a brief fling with Donovan years ago. AS said there was a powerful chemistry between them but the timing was wrong. In her eyes, he was her perfect guy.

She took the news with mixed feelings. She had a wistful look wondering “what if…” We prompted her to sip her drink. After a few sips AS started reminiscing about her encounter with Donovan. Every single, vivid, detail. The girls and I were just amused as we’ve heard the story countless times.

The next day AS said that she threw up when she got home. I was surprised as the drink we had didn’t have much alcohol in it for her to get drunk on. I had the same drink as her and it was mostly fruit juice, I could hardly taste the vodka. I even wondered if they had put vodka in the drink at all.

I told AS that she threw up not because of the vodka but because of the news Donovan was getting married. The news must have hit you harder that you thought. She wouldn’t admit it but Gigi, Jonesy and I believe that’s why she threw up. The girl barely drank her drink the night before.

My ex, Jock, handled news of my marriage well in the beginning. I had told him about the engagement myself before he heard it from his friends. We were friendly at first after we broke up but got into an arguement and the friendship dissolved. 3 months prior our wedding he posted a rude comment on our wedding website. The post was signed anonymously but I know it was Jock. The comment had very specific references that only Jock could have known. I was shocked that he stooped so low as to “sabotage” our wedding website.

How did he find our website? A close girlfriend at that time who was in Jock’s circle of friends forwarded it to him. I could not believe she did that and I was so mad at her for sharing our website with him, without my knowledge nor permission, when she knew Jock & I were not on friendly terms.

I confronted my now ex friend about it and she explained herself by saying, “Oh, I didn’t think you’d mind”. No shit, Sherlock. Yes, I mind! If I wanted Jock to access my wedding website, I would’ve forwarded it to him myself! Needless to say, that was the beginning of the end of my friendship with her.

I saw Jock, last year at DH’s softball game. He didn’t come to the bleachers but watched the game from behind the gated fence. I’m not sure if he saw me there or not. DH saw him and said hello. Jock never went inside the park to greet his friends who were playing with DH, he and the girl just watched from afar. I didn’t see the current gf up close. Good thing as I did not want to see/talk to him ever because of the stunt he pulled.

I heard the current gf has the same name as me. How weird is that?!? I don’t think I could be with anyone that has the same name as my ex.

That’s just me ...

Question of the day: How have you handled news than an old flame is about to get married or is currently with someone else?

Walkie Talkie

2007-04-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

I am participating in a health event at work called “Healthy You”. It’s a walking challenge our company is coordinating.

A team consisting of 5 people will record their daily steps on a pedometer for 8 weeks. It’s a nationwide campaign and I think there are 2000+ participants. Pedometers are provided to each person. The top 5 teams are awarded with $500/team.

At our office location we have 30 people or 6 teams signed up. It’s about 50% participation. We have more staff participating in the walking challenge than those who attended our office party last March. I think the cash prize is a huge incentive for joining the walking challenge.

The challenge started last Monday. I’ve logged the following steps so far:

~Mon: 7500
~Tues: 6500
~Wed: 6300

Not bad so far and I can do better. My team captain has logged in 18000 each day. He walks his dog twice a day so he has an advantage.

Our team name is called, "Walkie Talkie".

DH is going to work out with me after work today. I’ve cut down my sweets intake dramatically for the past 2 weeks. That means no ice cream or chocolates … my weaknesses.

Maintaining good health is the best thing I’ve done for myself this month.

Question of the day: What’s the best thing you’ve done for yourself this week?

Week in Review

2007-04-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

We watched a Giants game last Wed. It was a pretty close game. We saw A Pujols hit one out of the park. In the 8th inning, Bonds hit a HR to tie the game at 2-2. Giants won in 12 innings.

This past week, I’ve been working out with DH when he lifts weights. We’ve been doing shoulder, chest, back presses and also squats. My goal is to tone and tighten. He’s been challenging me which is what I need. It’s brutal but I am having fun…. so far. I need to push myself more.

Our office moved over the weekend. I’m not to thrilled with my new cubicle. My previous cube was secluded which is what I prefer. My new cube is in the center and very visible. It wouldn’t be so bad if our partitions were higher. Sigh. My manager sits right behind me and our location is near the kitchen area so there’s a high volume of traffic. Very distracting.

I’ve spent the last 1.5 days trying to configure my workspace so that’s my monitor is less visible to passer bys. Oh well. I guess I shouldn’t complain, there are worse locations like those poor folks right by the microwave/fridge. Noisy and lots of people milling about.

Gigi and hubby are in town so we spent Sunday with them. They came over our house. Since it was such a gorgeous day, we decided to take a walk to the beach and back. It turned out to be a good 4 mile round trip hike. After we’ve worked up our appetites, we had an early dinner at a Thai restaurant. It was so yummy. We ordered chicken basil, bbq beef, pad thai and seafood curry. Our favorite is the chicken basil dish. Spicy... just the way I like my food.

Question of the day: What's the nicest thing you've done for someone lately?

5 Questions

2007-04-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

Brandy interviewed me with 5 questions and here are my responses.

1. If you could recover one thing you've lost in your lifetime what would it be and why?

It will be time lost with loved ones who had passed away. My grandparents, my paternal grandfather who I never knew as he died when I was baby.

Most especially, my Uncle. He lived with us until I was 14 before we immigrated to the US. He spent a lot of time with my brother and I. We were his favorites and he treated us like we were his own kids. He was in his 60s and never married. He gave me the passion to read. He read a lot and his interests were varied from politics, mystery, science to art. I would see him in our study, reading a big thick novel. I would sit next to him and watch him read until he noticed me. I’d ask, “What page are you on?” It was our routine. His passion in books piqued my interest in reading and of course, I wanted to emulate him.

I started reading my brother’s Hardy Boys Mystery book series. When my uncles read, I would grab my book and sit next to him and we would read together. It was nice. Gradually, I moved up from Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew to Trixie Belden/Bobbsey Twins to mystery books and more adult novels. I love to read to this day and I always think of my uncle fondly, hoping he knew that my love for reading came from him.

He passed away back in the early 90s from a brain aneurysm. When they looked in his wallet after he passed away, the only thing in there besides money was an old picture of me. To this day, that makes me cry. My brother and I loved him dearly and we miss him terribly.

2. Which of Archie's girls are you more like: Betty or Veronica?

Betty! I’m just a regular down to earth girl. I'm definitely not rich like Veronica.

3. If you had to live alone for a year in a paid for apartment in a city you knew no one in, where would you go and why?

I would choose Prague because it is a city I’ve never been to and hope to visit sometime in my life. To immerse yourself in a new environment, learn a different culture, tradition and language would be an exciting experience.

4. What quality do you most like about yourself?

Tough one -- I’m a very caring person.

5. What has been the most terrifying moment of your life? I’ll mention 2:

2+ yrs ago –
I had to report DH as a missing person. DH & I went on a ski trip with some friends a couple of years ago. On the last ski run, DH went 1 more time while we hung out at the lodge. We were going to meet back at the lodge after his last ski run and head back together to the room. The ski runs closed at 4:00p and still no sign of DH. I thought he probably is coming down the mountain soon. We waited and waited, I kept looking at the tiny figures coming down the mountain willing it to be DH. 45 minutes passed and still no sign of him. This was not like DH. He has skied alone before but he wasn’t stupid as to go off to a beaten track or to go on any daredevil runs. He is very responsible and level headed guy.

After the mountain closed and still no sign of him, I thought the only reason why he hasn’t come down is something happened or he was injured. The thought of either didn’t sit well with me and I could feel a knot in my stomach grow and panic rise within me. My friends tried not to panic me so they asked me what I wanted to do. It was already an hour or so past the mountain close time and everyone was off the mountain. I decided that it was time to report him as missing to the ski lodge.

We went to the appropriate counter. The lady asked me to describe DH and what he was wearing. I started to cry as it is really hitting me that he is missing! The lady asked if we called the hotel room. I had called his cell phone prior but he did not pick up. I did not think to call the hotel room as our agreement was to meet at the lodge. He wouldn’t go back to the room without me or telling me. The lady calls the room and lo and behold he picks up! He has been in the room all this time. I spoke to him angry and relieved at the same time and asked him what he was doing there as we’ve been worried sick about him.

Apparently we had a miscommunication. He thought since we weren’t going to ski, we would return back to the room after we finished our drinks. I said, no we were supposed to meet at the lodge after your last run and go back. I did not want to argue who was right/wrong as I was just thankful and relieved he was safe and unharmed.

10+ yrs ago –

I had to call 911 when my dad was having a hard time breathing. He was home sick from the flu. He was resting when suddenly he called my mom and said he couldn’t breathe. My dad instructed me to call 911. I thought he was having a heart attack. I was so terrified that I was in tears when I spoke to the 911 operator.

The ambulance arrived in 3 minutes and gave my dad a respirator. His breathing stabilized but they took him to the hospital to be looked at. Turned out he had pneumonia. He was hospitalized for a week.

It was a blessing in disguise as this incident forced him to quit smoking cold turkey. He hasn't smoked since.

If you are interested in participating, here are the rules:

Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me!”
I will respond by e-mailing you five questions.
I get to pick them, and you have to answer them all.
You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Check, please!

2007-04-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

DH and team won their Friday night softball game. :)

We had a lowkey weekend, pretty much just relaxed and lounged at home. We only went out to eat and visit Costco.

On Sat nite, we had dinner at a Japanese restaurant which we frequent. We had an early dinner at 5p as we were starving and the last meal we had was brunch at 10-ish.

We were seated at a corner table. It's a small restaurant and nearly empty except for a couple of tables. One of the occupied tables was next to us. The 2 women sitting next to us were talking loudly. They were not screaming but their voices were loud. DH & I could not even concentrate on reading the menu. We found it disruptive and not to mention very annoying. We've been in noisy restaurants but this was just annoying as the restaurant was very quiet and all you could hear was these 2 patrons yacking loudly.

When we ordered our dinner, we requested the waitperson if she could move us a little farther away as we told her, it was very loud sitting to the 2 women. The waitress seemed a bit put off at our request as that would mean we would occupy a 4 person table, instead of a 2 person table. Hey, it's 5p, the place is empty. You're not going to get a rush hour crowd at this time. Wth? If the place was packed and busy then I can understand the reluctance.

She relunctantly moved us to a farther table. We sat down and even though we could still hear them talk, it wasn't as loud and annoying as if were sitting right next to them. DH & I enjoyed our sushis peacefully.

We wondered at some point if DH & I should have said something to them but then that would also infringe on their right to eat/talk, etc... it wasn't worth it, it was easier to move to another table.

Question of the day: At what point do you find next table chatter annoying?

~o~

On a side note, I stumbled upon this inn: Cottage Inn at Pismo Beach. It looks very quaint and cozy with ocean views. Another idea for our road trip. :)

Friday the 13th

2007-04-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

I just remembered today is Friday the 13th.

Not that it matters because I don't do anything differently on this superstitious day.

DH has a game tonight. He did not play last week as we went to our first baseball game of the season: SF Giants vs LA Dodgers.

It's a huge rivalry here in this neck of the woods. Whenever LA Dodger Jeff Kent comes up to the plate, he gets booed, very loudly, every single time. Jeff Kent was a former SF Giant before he left for LA. The fans don't like their boys leaving for the rival team, and the fans remind Jeff K. each time he is at the plate.

The game was cold (mid 50s), foggy and misty. This is typical SF at night games. We wear our ski clothes when we watch a night game (ski jacket, hat, scarf, gloves). Despite the frigid temp and the Giants loss, we had a blast! We brought sandwiches and some munchies. I bought cotton candy at the game.

I always have to buy cotton candy at sports events/theme parks. I think it's an emotional thing from childhood. I remember when I was younger - 9 or 10 yrs old, my Mom would take my cousin and I out on weekends. She would often buy a cotton candy to share with each other while we sit and talk. The sight, smell and taste of the cotton candy always brings me back to my childhood. I think that's why I'm drawn to it - it fondly reminds me of those special childhood moments.

When I'm in my senior years, cotton candy will bring me to these memories of watching baseball with DH.

Question of the day: What particular food(s) brings you back to your childhood days or remind you of a special memory?

Vote for Our Road Trip

2007-04-11T09:21:00.000-07:00

Our anniversary is coming up soon. We are trying to plan a weekend getaway to celebrate it. :)

We went to Yosemite National Park on our 1st year. For our 2nd, we went to Las Vegas. We've visited the Monterey, Carmel, Napa/Sonoma areas as well so we are trying to come up with something new/fun/adventurous. We both like to hike so an outdoorsy venue is high on our list.

On the list is Big Sur -- a very pretty rugged scenic coastal area. Boasting an abundance of outdoor and recreational activities such as hiking, camping, horseback riding and hot springs. There are also nearby spas and wineries for those looking for a little pampering and luxury.

Also on the list is a trip to LA. Maybe stay overnight in Santa Barbara as we've never been. We would also visit Magic Mountain (the best/scariest roller coasters) and also visit either Disneyland or Universal Studios. Maybe it's the kid in us, but we still like to visit the theme parks. Of course, an LA trip would not be complete without a visit to The Grove's shops and farmer's market, our favorite outdoor mall in LA.

I also stumbled upon this historic little lodge called Lake Quinault which is exactly what we are looking for in terms of setting and activities. Only caveat is it's in Washington state and we were looking for something local. This will need to be for a longer vacation.

Possible Weekend Getway Ideas:

Notable mentions (Outrageously pricey - $$$$$$$)

Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur
Ventana Inn and Spa, Big Sur

Right this second, we like Bay Back Inn as it's looks relaxing and local. We can either kayak or horseback within the area. Both are activities I want to do. I've never rode on a horse so that's sound fun. I like Big Sur too but I have not been successful in finding accomodations.

Decisions, decisions!

Question of the day: Vote for our getaway!

Close to You

2007-04-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

I just received my netflix dvds. One of them is a foreign chick flick, called "Close to You":

"Mick and Marian have always been best friends. They are so close that they know each other's secrets...well, almost. After all these years, Mick never had the courage to tell Marian how much he loves her.

When Marian's first love, Lance, returns home, she is intent on seeing him again. She brings along Mick on a chase that brings them abroad. Mick now has to decide - will he let his best friend be happy with her "Mr Right", or will he fight for the love that has kept him alive all these years?"

I've had crushes on guy friends and have asked them out on dates in hopes of elevating the friendship. However, I've never fallen for best friend of the opposite sex. Have you ever been in this situation?

Question of the day: Are you willing to lose the love for the friendship? Or are you willing to lose the friendship for love??

Workout

2007-04-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

… is my current favorite reality TV show on Bravo.

I was watching a marathon of the show last Thursday while home sick from work. Nothing else was on except for Dawson’s Creek and I could not stomach another hour of Joey Potter aka Katie Holmes commiserating about her life and Dawson.

I like the Bravo TV reality shows most notably Project Runway and Top Chef. Workout will have to tide me over until those 2 shows resume in the next season.

Workout is a reality show following the professional and personal life of a personal trainer, who owns Sky Sport & Spa in Beverly Hills. If I had the bucks, I’d want to hire her or one of her trainers at her very nice sport club. She has a very nice lean body, not too muscular but very toned and lean.

Watching the show motivated me to start doing push ups again, I’ve slacked off as of late and haven’t ran since I’ve been sick since Thurs of last week and took 2 days off work to recuperate.

Anyway, the show itself shouldn’t motivate me to work out but wanting to be healthy should be my motivation. Yeah, that’s it.

Jonesy and I met up a couple of weeks ago. We both want to try out cardio kick boxing. I want to try it for fun and toning while Jonesy is doing it to lose her pregnancy weight. I love Jonesy as she is always open and gung ho on trying new things/outdoor activities, even with 3 kids; where as some friends of mine will start whining.

Case in point, AS forwards me an upcoming United Way charity walk. It’s a 3-4 mile walk in the city/Golden Gate Bridge. I immediately say hey, let’s all sign up and do it. It’ll be fun, healthy and for a good cause. Since Gigi is in town that weekend, it’ll be a fun girl bonding activity. The walk will be on a Sunday and start at 8am. AS tells me oh I’d do it but it’s too early. I told her, but you can sleep after the walk, it’s only for a few hours besides you were just diagnosed with high blood and didn’t you say you want to work out more?

She said she will see…. rolling my eyes. Honestly, if waking up early is your excuse, it’s pretty lame. This will only take up a few hours of her morning and it’s close to where we both live.

When Jonesy and Gigi come back from their trips, I am going to ask to see if they want to join. I think it will be fun. The event includes the walk, goodie bags and free entertainment and live music after the walk.

Question of the day: What does your regular workout routine consist of?

Friday Night Lights

2007-04-02T16:33:00.000-07:00

Friday night lights became ... Friday night fights.

Last Friday night was DH's first softball game of the Spring season!

The game was going extremely well with DH's team up 8-1 in the 2nd inning. A few wives and kids were watching the game from both teams during this warm Friday evening. b

AC, one of the wives, and I were enjoying the game when we noticed the secondbaseman (2B) from the other team and another guy talking animatedly to each other and almost bumping face to face. It looked liked a heated exchange with the 2B trying to calm the visiting guy down. Suddenly, arms were raised and punches were thrown!

I stood up from where I was sitting ready to move ... or run. 2B raced to the bleacher and picked up his bat. I don't know what his intention was but it did not look good at that point. I motioned to AC, who was still sitting, and told her it may be a good idea to move away and further down from the commotion.

Both men were screaming and still arguing. There were wives and kids on the other side of the bleachers near where the fight was. One of the wives told the visiting guy and his "gang" to calm down and leave 2B alone. There were kids around.

The game at this point has halted and everyone's attention was on the fight. The park is usually very family oriented and I've never seen any trouble at the park. 2B's enemy didn't look like a player... he and his gang of friends looked like they came to the park looking for him. They looked they were part of a gang as they all wore the same white shirt/black pants.

In any case, someone intervened and stopped the fight. The visiting troublemakers left the field without any further incident. It was quite a sight and pretty scary. This is the first time I've seen a fight in front of me where punches were thrown. I was getting alarmed as the visiting men looked liked a gang and you never know what will happen... I feared gunshots.

2B returned to the game and a few policemen arrived a few minutes later. The visiting gang had already left so the policemen hung around for awhile to make their presence known.

I mainted alertness throughout the game and watched for any suspicious activity. I was pretty scared that a drive by shooting or something worse would happen during the game. Thankfully, no further incident transpired.

Despite the distraction, DH's team did very well and they won the 1st game of the season 18-9!

I had fun at the game, despite the fight, as it's always exciting to watch DH play, who is clearly the best player on the team. Of course, I'm NOT biased about that. :)

Question of the day: Have you been in a situation where you feared for your or other's safety?

Make Up

2007-03-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

DH and I made up and consequently also had the make up sex, which by the way was amazing!!! ;)

My takeaway from our disagreement the other day is I need to work on my communication. Which is true and I know it.

It is a constant struggle for me to verbalize how I feel. I'm much better with the written word or expressing my feelings on paper.

When I'm upset, my thoughts are jumbled up in my head and emotions run high that when you try to talk to me, I end up crying... which I hate. I do not like for anyone to see me cry, even DH. That's why when I'm upset, it's better to let me cool off first rather than talking to me at that heated moment.

I need to be better in relating my feelings. Why is that so hard, even if it's to DH? Why am I so scared of feeling vulnerable and stripped down??? What am I afraid of???

Question of the day: Why is "make up sex" so goood?

Sorry

2007-03-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

All is well today.

DH and I made up. He apologized and I apologized.

Just a quickie... will blog more soon.

Question of the day: What do you think is your best personality trait?

Hot and Cold

2007-03-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

I feel like crap this morning. I went to bed last night angry at DH.

I made a boo boo yesterday and DH called me on it. That’s fine. If I make a mistake, I’d like to know it so I can correct it and not do it again. It was the way he said it to me, which ticked me off. He didn’t call me any names, nothing like that. The way he said it (to me) felt belittling and condescending.

I shut down after that.

When I’m mad, I’m quiet. I’m distant. I'll give you the cold shoulder. I’m usually pretty laid back and happy go lucky. It takes a lot to get me mad and when I’m mad, I stew. I keep it inside.

It’s my passive aggressiveness rearing its ugly head. You need to leave me alone until I cool off because when I’m mad, I don’t want to talk to you or look at you.

When the incident happened last night, I didn’t talk to him for the rest of the evening, even when he tried to snuggle. I just watched my portable DVD in bed. I didn’t talk much this morning, just kissed him goodbye, when I went off to work.

I realize I’m like a switch. off/on or hot/cold. When you piss me off, I can turn off just like that and be cold and distant. I’m not proud of it. It's very immature and not a good way to handle conflict.

I wish I could be more vocal when something is bothering me, voice it out and get it over with right away. Instead my passive aggressiveness takes over.

It’s not something I like about myself and need to work on.

Sigh, even though I'm still ticked off at DH, I feel horrible for giving him the cold shoulder last night.

Question of the day: Do you have a trait that you are not proud of?

"The One".... that wasn't

2007-03-21T00:09:00.000-07:00

DCVita and Ella recently both blogged about the intriguing concept of recognizing "the one".

I wish life gave us the cheat sheet to this question to make our lives/dating a whole lot easier. Where as I do not have the answer to this age old question, I have created list from my past relationships and experiences why I thought he was "the one.... that wasn't".

When my ex-fiance, Jock, and I were engaged, it was a shock to me. A euphoric shock. We have been dating for 7 months exclusively before he popped the question on my birthday. I wanted to be with him long term, possibly for life, but we have not talked about marriage or the possibility of marriage or mapping our future together. Yet, when he popped the question, I said yes. Of course, I was in love. We were both 28, it felt right... and felt we were ready.

In reality, Jock and I should have discussed earlier in our relationship what we both wanted and how we saw our future together. We talked about us being serious with each other. We talked about marriage in passing ... more like, yes I want to get married in the future. We haven't seriously talked about getting married, to each other, if we want kids, how many kids, where we would live, when we planned on getting married... you know the important life questions that help you gauge if and your partner are on the same page.

So during the first month of our engagement, Jock and I quickly discovered that our answers to those questions were not similar, nor were our timelines on the same page. It went quickly downhill and we both realized our irreconcilable differences. We broke up 3 months after the engagement. I was heartbroken and it was a very low point in my life back then. However, it was also the best thing that ever happened to me. I am now almost 3 yrs happily married to a wonderful man.

It's a mistake I did not want to make again. Before DH and I were engaged we had discussed most of the topics above so when he proposed, we were both ready for marriage- emotionally, mentally and financially.

Looking back, I should have seen the signs why MY exes or past dates were not "the one" for me:

Ex BF2: avoids committment
Ex-F: relied too much on mom for most decisions (mine was a mama's boy in a very dependent way)
Ex F: has a hard time coping with any change in life (good and/or bad)
Ex F: unrealistic view of life or your future together
Ex F: different expectations on marriage
Ex F: different views on having or raising children
Ex F: has a "perfect" image of me (how can this be bad? if you have tbe slightest flaw in your perfect image in anyway, he will see you as tainted and will have a hard time coping).
Ex BF1: co-dependent
Ex BF1: told me "why didn't you coddle me after we broke up?" (WTF -- we broke up!)
Ex BF1: emotionally fragile (see previous item)

Luckily, none of the men I've ever gone out with cheated on me or were alcoholics, addicts or abusive.

There were many more signs or deal breakers which I am not listing as it will be too long. I'm not saying people who exhibit the above traits would not make a good spouse ... they just were not what I was looking for in mine.

Question of the day: What is a dealbreaker in a relationship for you?

Adventures in Babysitting

2007-03-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

DH & I spent our St. Patrick's evening babysitting his 7 yr old nephew, Scott.

My sister & brother in law, Jan and Grant went out for dinner and watch a musical. We reported for duty at their house at 6p as requested. After filling us in on some intructions, the pair left for their evening out.

DH & I have both baby sat Scott previously so this was nothing new to us.

When the parents left, we fed Scott his usual dinner: white rice, chicken nuggets and corn. That's all he eats. Everyday for dinner. White rice, chicken nuggets and corn. Everyday. Scott doesn't eat anything else for dinner. In the past 4.5 years I've known him, I've have not seen him eat anything else for a dinner meal. We spend time with the family alot so we know what the pattern is. DH & I think it's strange that it is what he eats only and no new foods are introduced to him or encouraged to try. We know kids go through phases in foods, but after almost 5 years, is that still a phase?

Scott seems pretty healthy for a 7yr old so maybe his food pattern is not something to be concerned about. He does eat a lot of fruits but aside from waffles for breakfast, PB&J for lunch and the rice/nuggets/corn for dinner and milk, that is his daily food intake for the last 3 years. He is not allergic to any foods.

DH & I prepare Scott his dinner and asked him to eat at the dinner table without watching his cartoons as what he is accustomed to daily during dinner. We let him eat his dinner by himself without spoon feeding him. Dinner went along smoothly and after some prompting and encouragement, he finished his dinner with not much trouble.

With dinner finished, he was free to play.

It was too cold to go out for ice cream so DH & I took Scott out for a drive as Scott voted to go out for a drive. After getting a smoothie, we ended up at Target, probably our mistake to take him there.

We walked around and he was behaving well. Even as we passed by the toy dept. He was just looking at toys. As we called him to leave, he was stalling. He said he wanted a toy. (Scott has TONS of toys at home, we see him with a new toy almost every week). We playfully kidded with Scott and asked him if his parents gave him any money to buy a toy tonight. He said no. OK, we're sorry we can't buy a toy. He didn't like what he heard.

He insisted that he wanted a toy. We explained to Scott that we're not here to buy a toy tonite sweetie. Since his birthday is coming up in a month, why don't you write down what you liked and put it on your birthday list. We tried to explain in the way a 7yr old would understand it. Scott is pretty much used to getting his way with his parents all the time so he was testing his limits with us.

Unfortunately for him, DH & I don't fall for his tricks. We held our ground and explained to him that we're not here to buy a toy. "But I want that toy". We calmly told him: Honey, I'm sorry, we know you want it right now but we can't always get what we want. This went on for about 5 minutes.

Scott was pouting but luckily for us was not screaming or throwing a loud tantrum at the store. We managed to finally leave Target but not before Scott announced to DH: You're not my favorite uncle anymore! It was hard to hear that, especially for DH. His parents may give in to him, but DH & I are not quick to give in to his demands. His parents can buy him that toy for him tomorrow if they want to. We said we wanted to buy things at target too but didn't. Of course try to reason with a 7 yr old who gets his way all the time. We can't undo what has been done.

DH & I are very generous with Scott, so it's not like we were being grinches to him. We both felt that asking for a toy (which he has an abundance of) and expecting to get it right away was not the lesson we wanted him to learn, at least not on our watch. It was honestly very hard to say no to Scott and it was hard to hear he didn't love us and wanted us to go home. However, DH & I both felt that caving in to his tantrum was a lesson we did not want him to learn from us. He may hate us but at least he will respect us.

Scott pouted and shed a tear in the car. At home, he watched his dvd, still kinda mad. He calmed down after an hour and by bedtime, he was somewhat friendly again. He went to bed around 9.45p, after DH & I tucked him in and read him his favorite bedtime story. When he went to sleep, DH & I watched some dvds until the parents came home at 11.30.

When they came home, we told him of the evening's activities including his mini trantrum at the store. They didn't seem surprised as I'm sure all parents go through the same scenario frequently. They said we handled him well.

Admittedly, DH & I are judgemental sometimes of Scott's upbringing. Is it fair of us to judge their parental skills? No, it isn't, parenting is a difficult job. I love my inlaws, they are good, kind, generous people and mean well. Scott is an overall good kid. But it is concerning at times to see Scott be in so much control of his parents. I know it's especially hard for DH to see it. Yes, we know we don't have kids and "we'll see when we have kids of our own", as we often hear. Scott is not our child so of course we can't tell the parents how to raise him. That is their business.

Seeing how Scott acts up reinforces how DH & I want to raise our own kids someday, among them:

Our kids will learn to eat what we prepare and what's on the table, not just what he likes. He will not like or eat everything, that's OK, at least he would be encouraged to try different foods.
He will learn to be eat by himself at an early age
No playing with toys or watching TV while eating
They will be brought up to be well balanced and NOT spoiled
Discipline, bounderies and respect will be enforced at an early age, not starting at 5 yrs old

It's easier said than done and I'm sure parents everywhere have the same credo. DH & I plan to practice what we preach someday and hopefully succeed in raising an unspoilt child.

As much as we love the little rugrat, he is spoiled. Sat's instance was just one example, there are many more.

After the adventure in babysitting, I was surprised the inlaws accepted our invitation to have dinner at our house last night. I would expect they didn't want to see us until next week... :)

Question of the day: How do you raise a child that is NOT spoiled, in today's society?

I did it too

2007-03-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

OK so I finally did it since it is taking the blogosphere by storm. I stole this blog from everyone. :)

I found it interesting that what it said about me was fairly accurate.

Question of the day: Is your Visual DNA an accurate picture of your personality?

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

I just want to be friends, DH

2007-03-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

4 years ago, this week, DH proposed to me in a winery at Napa Valley, Ca.

It's funny how life takes you to unexpected places. If you told me back in 2001 that I would be married to DH, I wouldn't believe it:

1. He's not "my type"
2. He was an acquaintance of my ex-fiance as they sometimes played softball together
3. I said "not so nice" things about him to his friends
4. I gave him the "I just want to be friends" speech. Which to guys, according to DH is "the kiss of death".

DH & I went out on a few dates in 2001, about 5 months after my dis-engagement with Jock. I think it was 3.5 dates (the .5 date was dessert), and a weekend camping trip with friends. The first 3 dates were good, he was very funny and easy to be with. We had the same sarcastic sense of humor so we got along really well and had things in common. It was after the weekend camping trip where it went downhill (that's another long post).

A week after the camping trip, I told DH "I just want to be friends".

It wasn't until our paths cross again, 6 months later, at a weekend ski trip in Lake Tahoe with friends. Leading up to the ski trip, we started to chat to break the ice. It turned out to be a fun weekend trip despite a snow storm which delayed our trip home.

After that trip, DH and I started to IM and chat more. I got to know him in a different light and on a deeper level. When we dated the first time around the previous year, I was interested and pining over a guy, Mr Executive. I was not open to any other relationships at that time as I was infatuated with Mr Exec. I think I was also too quick to judge him and put him in the friends box. This time, the timing was right and I (my heart) was more open to getting to know him.

We talked everyday via IM and the phone. The more we talked, the more I was growing to like him .... I was developing a full blown crush on him but was having a hard time acknowledging it.

One night on the phone with AS, she said, you keep talking about DH... do you LIKE him? Her question caught me by surprise. I paused and was speechless for a bit. She said, you do.. you do like him. I was thinking, how can I admit to AS I liked DH when I could not even admit it to MYSELF?? Her question forced me to confront what I was starting to feel for him.

DH invited me to go skiing one weekend, a day trip, just the two of us. I was excited in spending a day with him. The trip was fun and we had a great time. We got along great and enjoyed each other's company, it was a good sign we just spent 18 hours straight together, and I liked him more.

After that day ski trip alone with DH was when I knew I was falling for him. We talked daily and went out together. He was more cautious than I, being that I had "dumped" him previously. Later I told him that when he invited me on that day ski trip alone with him, I had thought of it as a date whereas he didn't, it was just 2 friends hanging out. I confided that I wanted to kiss him when he dropped me off that night. He said he didn't think of kissing me as we were "just friends". He gave me a hug instead that night and I was too chicken to kiss him, much to my own dissapointment.

We spent more time with each other and our relationship blossomed from there. I found him to be an introspective, kind, generous, caring, loving and funny man. A man that I admired, loved, respected and cared for. He made me laugh. He taught me to love again and to open my heart to new feelings. He was someone whom I wanted to be with and grow old with.

We dated exclusively for the next 10 months before he proposed to me one beautiful Saturday afternoon. On the anniversary when our paths intersected and life led us to an unexpected road and wonderful journey called love.

Happy (Engagement) Anniversary, DH. :)

Question of the day: How do you feel about the one knee proposal? Romantic, unimaginative, traditional or boring, etc?

Free Starbucks

2007-03-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

The work day just started and I already need coffee. I'm not a big coffee drinker, drinking it only occassionally or when the urge hits me.

This week, I've been needing it.

I woke up late (again) today. It has been like that all week. its darker now when i wake up so I keep thinking its only 5a but it's really 7a! Way past my wake up time at 6.30a.

I will shamelessly plug Starbucks on today's post as they are giving away a free 12oz cup, Thurs, March 15th, 10a-12p. I got it straight from their website. Check your local Starbucks to see if they are offering it in your area.

Question of the day: Do you have a daily drink vice?

Springing Forward

2007-03-13T09:16:00.001-07:00

Our office party last Saturday was a lot of fun!

The weather was so nice to begin with all day so the evening was very mild. I wore a long black sleeveless dress with a little sparkle, DH wore a dark suit. He looked handsome.

We arrived at the party a little past 7p. There were about 15 people at the party. DH & I ventured to the bar and each got a glass of red cab. We had about 6 wines to chosse from as this is a wine tasting themed party.

We did our rounds and mingled. I said hello to my colleages and introduced DH. I met the spouses and dates of my coworkers. It is something to see your coworkers in a social setting. They are very likable... hahaha.... I guess that's what these parties are for... to get to know your peers better.

The food was absolutely delicious. We had a buffet of small plated food and hors d'oervres... prime rib and turkey carving station, tuna tartar, crostinis, crab cakes, anti pasto, cornucopia, grilled veggies. The food was catered by one of SF's most popular restaurant: Scott's Seafood. They did an amazing job as everyone liked the food.

Our party also offered 3 Wine 101 sessions where a wine expert gave us the basics on wine tasting. Everyone enjoyed that part. DH didn't drink a lot as he was the designated driver.

We mingled some more and said hello to the CEO and CFO. They had nice and complimentary words about me to DH, which I was very flattered.

We also had a DJ towards the latter part of the evening but our group did not dance much. About 60 people were at the party.

All in all it was a fun evening. We ended up leaving at 11p as we were enjoying conversation with our table and time just flew.

I don't why I was so worried that we weren't going to have a good time at the party. :)

I've just been feeling tired the past 2 days... must be from the 1 hour loss of sleep from DST. On a good note, I do like the extended daylight hours.

Question of the day: If you could take back the one hour from Daylight Savings, what would you do during that hour?

Prom Night

2007-03-10T16:31:00.000-08:00

I was telling DH that's what tonight (my Office Party) feels like... prom night!

Our office is very casual. Most of us wear jeans at work on a daily basis. Tonight's affair is "semi formal", so I'm going to see my coworkers all dolled up for the first time. I've only been with this company for almost 2 years and this is will be my first office party with them.

Last year's party was a dinner cruise - I didn't go because at the last cruise we went on, I got seasick and felt nauseous all day long, even on land. It was not a nice feeling.

I'm looking forward to tonight's food and wine. Since I was on the planning committe, I have the advantage of knowing what will be served. The food will be delicious. The wine bar will be flowing all night too so it should be a fun night amid the rubbing elbows with the higher ups.

At least year's party, there was a VP who was making out high school style with his date. I'm not kidding. He is 45-ish, she was 25-ish. They were seen heavily making out openly, in front of everyone. What a scene that must have been! 1 month later, management announced that he left the company... a coincidence... hmmm? I wonder if there will be a similar spectacle at this year's party....

Hope you're all having a nice weekend!

Question of the day: At what time do you think we will leave the party? The party will run from 7-11p.

Holiday Party

2007-03-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

This may turn out to be a rant so please bear with me....

So this Saturday, our office will hold its "Holiday Party".

Holiday party in March you say? My thoughts exactly. Our company was planning to hold it in late January but due to venue and timing constraints it was pushed back to this month.

The VP of Human Resources had "volunteered" me to be in the holiday committee last October. Note that I did not volunteer to be in the committe, I was thrown into it. I love planning events, but for my own friends/ personal life, I do not enjoy planning an office party for 200 people. I occassionally plan lunches, showers, farewell celebrations during the course of the year already for the office so planning an office party is just something I'd rather someone else take on.

The VP had sent out an email to the company asking for volunteers for the party planning (after naming me) in Oct and Nov of last year. No response. So come December, I had sent out an email to the staff on my own recruiting some volunteers, I was not going to plan this on my own. Luckily, I was able to recruit 4 people and my coworker took on the role as chairman of the committee.

The planning process went well, we chose a venue in downtown SF. It's a gallery associated with a local winery. It's an event space that looks like an art gallery but is used for corporate eventsand such. Our party will be an evening of wine tasting event with music and small plates food.

The party will be held on a Saturday evening. I already see them 40 hrs/week. Do I really want to spend 4 hours of my Saturday night with them too? I guess I would have to since I'm part of the committee. I like my coworkers, but the ones I usually talk or hang out with, will not be in attendance.

The party headcount currently stands at 75 people, including guests (out of possible 180 total). My boss just received an email from the BIG Boss:

"I wanted you guys to see the list of attendees to the party. I am a little disappointed. There are only 41 employees attending, including 6 VPs. This is a lot of work and expense for less than half of our employees in the Bay Area. Anything you can do to encourage greater attendance amongst the troops."

Our group is very diversified from Indians, Russians, Europeans to Asians. As we were planning the party, we put into consideration the location, theme and food (we have a lot of vegetarians). The big boss seemed to like the wine tasting idea so we went with that.

My boss says he's not surprised at the low turnout. Not all will be wine drinkers, it's a Saturday night, a lot of them have small kids, some live about 50 miles away.

DH will be attending with me, of course. It will be a semi formal type affair. We plan to go to the party and spend about 2 hours and then make an exit.

The party is well planned. I know the party will be a success and we'll all have a good time. DH & I just don't want to stay around until 11p or it ends.

Question of the Day: How do we exit the party gracefully? What should we say when we say our farewells?

Mega Millionaire

2007-03-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

DH had a dream over the weekend that he won a million or so dollars at a jackpot.

Feeling lucky, he gambled a little bit in Lake Tahoe when we were at a casino over the weekend. He did not win the jackpot but won $30.

When we heard last Tuesday's MegaMillions jackpot was $370M, DH & I bought 25 tickets hoping to possess those 6 lucky numbers.

We looked at the results yesterday morning and was very dissapointed we were not going to be millionaires, despite DH's dream. Oh well. He hit 3 numbers out of the 90 numbers he bought. I got 7 numbers out of the 60 numbers I had overall.

It was fun to dream .... we were playing around and listing the things we'd like to do with the cool cash:

(Not in any particular order)

Remodel kitchen
Paint the house
Remodel the bathroom
Add a few bedrooms to the house
Buy Plasma TV
Reinvest
Save
Invest in another home
Quit (work part time)
Travel everywhere
Buy a Hybrid car
Take care of my family
Donate to Cancer charities/research (DH's parents both succumbed to cancer)

If we ever hit the jackpot, I don't think we would be one of those millionaires and spend it all or go bankrupt. We would probably invest most of it and live off the interest.

UPDATE: The other half of the $370M pot remains unclaimed. If you bought your ticket in New Jersey... check your ticket... you could be the missing millionaire.

Question of the day: What would you do if you won the lottery/jackpot?

Snow Bound

2007-03-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

DH and I had a wonderful time up in Lake Tahoe, a four hour drive from San Francisco. The weather was warm, in the low 50s with partly cloudy skies. It rained last week so the mountains were sprinkled with much needed snow.

We stayed at the Montbleu Resort Casino & Spa. We had a nice room with a King bed and a round Roman Tub, which we of course took advantage of. We ate buffet for dinner, just because that's what you're supposed to do when you're up in Lake Tahoe -- all the casino hotels offer buffet and you're on vacation right, so you're supposed to indulge. So, indulge we did!

The dinner was $15/person, a really good price for a dinner buffet. We feasted on prime ribs, ham, crab legs, pastas, italian food, chinese food, salad, fruits and of course the best part was dessert. Numerous pastries, pies and cakes -- choose one or choose all! I was beyond stuffed at this point so I only opted for an ice cream sundae and a cream puff, which by the way, are my weaknesses!

We loitered in the casino after dinner. I ventured to the crap tables and tried a few rounds. I wasn't very lucky and lost $40. I quit as I was not feeling the vibe and did not want to lose more. DH was luckier as he won $30 at the slots. We were both pretty tired from the drive so we went back to our room to relax and make use of the Roman Tub. ;)

The next morning, Monday, we got up at 8am. We packed and checked out of the hotel at 9a. We went to McD to fill ourselves up with breakfast fuel. We arrived at the Sierra at Tahoe Resort at 9.30a.

We were on the lifts at 10am. We started in the easy green runs as I have not skied since last winter -- very rusty. I am always worried that I would forget how to ski during that first run of the season.

After the warm up run, we ventured to a more advanced blue run. It was great! The snow was soft and the trails were nicely groomed. The best part was that there was no crowd since it is a Monday. We went down effortlessly down the mountain enjoying the crisp air and scenery.

The next run was a little harder -- we ended up in the mogul part of the trail. I really do not like the moguls (see picture) -- I tend to forget everything about skiing and get stuck. The trail on this side was narrow too and as I skied down, I fell hard on my side, as I did not make the hard turn. I had such difficulty on this run.

DH says it was because I was scared. Yes, it was steep and the moguls really throw me off when I'm supposed to turn. DH was great though as even though I fell hard a couple of times, he gave me encouragement and good tips. He told me to follow his trail down. Ski a few feet, and turn then slide. Then do it over a few feet at the time. Break down the mountain and you will get down. It was really hard and I was scared but eventually I made it down after a few falls.

That was the least favorite trail of mine. I was proud of myself though for making it down the mountain. I don't think I had proper form skiing dwon that trail but all I wanted to do was to make it down.

DH & I enjoyed the rest of the day skiing in the advanced runs. I did better in each run, feeling more confident and assured. We skied until 3p and drove back home to San Francisco where we stopped again at the outlets. DH bought me running shoes at the Addidas store and I bought myself a wallet at the Coach store. A little retail therapy to salve my bruised body. :)

I love skiing with DH as he's very encouraging. He also pushes and challenges me. If it were up to me, I would stay in my comfort zone, the easy green runs, all day long.

With him, he pushes me to a more difficult run in order for me to learn and improve. I trust him and I know that he wouldn't take me to a trail where it would be unsafe and we cannot handle.

I've improved a lot since skiing with him the past few seasons. I've managed to ski down steep trails, trails I wouldn't have thought I could do. I am glad that DH & I share and enjoy this sport together.

All in all, we had a great time... and I have 2 big bruises on both knees to prove it!

Question of the day: What is something that has challenged you, where you had to go outside your comfort zone?

Checklist

2007-03-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

DH & I are headed up to the mountains this morning for a mini ski trip. We are going to Lake Tahoe and stay the night and ski tomorrow, Monday. We both took the day off.

On the way there, we're gonna pass by the outlet stores first to browse. :)

I think I'm all packed, got my checklist:

Skis - check
Ski poles - check
Ski pants - check
Jacket - check
Fleece - check
Ski Boots - check
Ski leash - check (a lifesaver! ties your skies together so you can carry with ease from car to lift)
Clothes - check
Toiletries - check
ipod - check

We can't wait... it's our first snow trip of the winter season... Mother Nature just was very nice last week and dumped inches and inches of fresh powder. :)

Question of the day: What is your winter sport/ activity?

Earthquake!

2007-03-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

OMG!! We just felt an earthquake here in the bay area... 4.2!! It struck at 8.40pm PST.

That's the strongest we've felt in awhile and I can tell you IT IS UNNERVING!!

No matter how many times I feel an earthquake, weak or strong it doesn't matter... it freaks me out as I do not know if this is the BIG ONE or if it will stop.

DH & I were in the living room eating dinner and watching "Survivor" when the house creaked, and we felt a slow rolling motion, sort of like a ripple, then as it started to get stronger DH said "is that an earthquake?".

I immediatley jumped off the couch and ran under the doorway, pizza in hand, my heart beating a hundred miles a minute. I was sooo scared thinking "what if this won't stop and this IS it?".

Thankfully, after about 5-7 loooong seconds, the rolling ceased and the house (and my heart) stood still and quiet.

We checked on the internet and learned the earthquake measured 4.2 and was centered in Lafayette, about 25 miles NE from San Francisco. My parents live near Lafayette so they felt it more. My mom said it was very strong and the house was shaking. They are ok and no damage was done.

Last Friday, an earthquake struck near Berkeley (about 10 miles East of SF), measured 3.2. I was at work and felt a sharp jolt, you could hear the building creak. We are located on the 6th floor of an 8 story building. When the earthquake struck, everyone stood up and you could see heads popping up from the cubicles. We all wondered the same thing, "Did you feel it? Was that an earthquake?".

It really is unnerving to feel the ground shake from underneath you and there's not a damn thing you can do but to take cover and hope it will stop.

Question of the day: Which is worse: earthquake or tornado?

Adrenaline Junkie

2007-03-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

I ran after work today. Gosh, it was tough. I've been trying to get more cardio in to get in shape. I'm not trying to lose weight but I'd like to have increased stamina and a toned body.

About 2-3x a week after work, I jog/run for about 20 minutes around the neighborhood. It's painful for me as jogging is so high impact but the effects and high I feel afterwards make up for the said pain during running. My body seems somewhat detoxified and "clean". The natural high I feel from the adrenaline is addicting.

DH is starting to jog more regularly too but he claims he does not feel the "high" afterwards. I said "are you kidding me? How can you NOT feel it?". DH: "I just don't... maybe I'm missing that gene???". I feel more energized after running, he feels more wiped out during the day.

He has asked me 2x this week if I wanted to run with him. I said sweetly that I'd rather run by myself for a few reasons:

I'd feel that I am holding him back - I run slow
He'd talk to me during the run - I can't jog, talk and breathe at the same time! I can multi task in other areas but not running.
I rather enjoy the solidarity when I run by myself and listen to my ipod playlists

DH seemed to take it in stride and didn't feel too bad when I "rejected" his offer to run with him. Whew....

Question of the day: Do you feel a natural high when you exercise?

The 4-1-1

2007-02-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-26T08:06:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-02-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

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"

2007-02-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

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?

2007-02-08T17:20:00.000-08:00

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...

2007-02-06T08:51:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-05T22:12:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

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

Fridge Shopping... Day 1

2007-01-31T08:01:00.000-08:00

Day 1: We visited several stores last night trying to determine what our new fridge will be.

We went to Sears, Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe's and a local appliance store.

It's a tough choice, we are torn between the classic white or the stainless look. We both are not into the stainless look for a fridge, I just think it's too industrial looking.

The fridge we buy now will dictate the look of the stove and dishwasher we will get in the near future so it has to all blend in.

Also, the color/finish of fridge we'll get now will determine what color our kitchen cabinets and counters need to be when we remodel in a few years.

Currently we are leaning towards getting a french door bottom freezer in stainless steel (see picture).

Why stainless steel when I just mentioned we are not into it? Well, the stove and dishwasher we prefer looks better in steel than in white.

Decisions, decisions.

Question of the day: Do the fridge, stove and dishwasher all have to match in finish? Does it look good mixed (all steel, all white, white fridge, steel stove/dishwasher)?

Where is the Maytag Man?

2007-01-30T08:02:00.000-08:00

Came home last night to discover our refrigerator is on the blink... well, actually, more than that... more like kaput.... dead.

The freezer was semi-cold. Ben & Jerry's pistachio ice cream was reduced to milk. Everything else was semi-frozen. They were still salvagable so DH & I packed the meat and perishables in a cooler and transported it to our in-laws house to store in their fridge. It wasn't a lot as we did not want to impose on them.

DH said his fridge is about 20 yrs old so it had its run. We were looking online for different types and might settle for a bottom freezer drawer type. It's hard to select a new one as our kitchen is old/dated and we are thinking of remodeling it within the next few years and get new appliances in the process. So we have to pick a fridge that will fit in with our future kitchen design.

The new fridge is going to cost us around $900-$1400. :( Ouch!!

Question of the day: Do you like the stainless steel look or the classic white design on a fridge?

Recap

2007-01-29T08:49:00.001-08:00

DH & I had a relaxing weekend. We needed it as we both felt so drained emotionally (attended 2 wakes in 1 week) and mentally (work).

Friday night, we went to North Beach, the little Italy of San Francisco, and ate at one of our favorite restaurants: Calzone's. It's a fun bistro to hang out in on a weekend evening. They make a mean mojito and a delicious calzone.

Saturday: DH volunteered, I did errands at Costco and tidied around the house. In the evening, we went out for Japanese food. We feasted on sushis: tuna, salmon, california, yellowtail and tempura. Ahhh.... gluttony.

Sunday: We watched "The Illusionist" with Edward Norton, Jessica Biel and Paul Giammatti. This is my fave movie of the year so far! I thoroughly enjoyed this slick and stylish romantic thriller set in 1900's, Vienna. It's about a masterful Illusionist who devised a very clever plot to win the heart of his childhood love. It's not all romance -- for the guys, it has mystery, intruige, great magic illusions and scandal... you won't be dissapointed. Throughout the movie, you will ask yourself: what is real and what isn't?

The first 10 minutes of the movie may seem slow, keep watching and you will be lured into a magical tale...

Hope you all had a fun weekend!

Question of the day: What is your favorite weekend hangout?

Should spanking be banned?

2007-01-24T07:38:00.000-08:00

This proposed law could turn out to be a heated debate from parents and psychologists alike:

California lawmaker proposes no-spanking law.

Both sides can argue the pros and cons of spanking all day long. Who is right? Who is wrong? Are parents wrong? Are child psychologists right?

To me spanking means bum swatting. I've received a few as a child, my husband too. In our family, it was a bum swat and a lecture. It wasn't our parent's first form of discipline, nor was it frequent. I was lightly spanked when I did not listen to reason and was the last resort to instill that what I did was not acceptable in our household.

I turned out ok (in my opinion).... I was not a bratty kid, I knew my bounderies my parents set and respected them, I was not spoiled. I have a loving close relationship with my parents then as a kid and now as an adult.

DH and I see so many kids today (some are our own friend's/relative's) whom are just running rampant in their own homes. They do not listen to their parents, they do not understand the concept of "No", they are spoiled and they rule the house. Are the parents instilling enough discipline in their kids? Should the parents be doing more to discipline them?

Maybe or maybe not. That's for the parents to decide for themselves not anyone else. That's not for the government to decide either except, if the child is endangered, abused or battered then by all means they have every right to step in. However, each parent should have that right or choice to decide how to discipline their children in their own home.

DH and I have talked about this and when we do have kids, we would like to have that right to decide as parents if spanking is the way to discipline our child, not Uncle Sam.

Question of the day: Should spanking be banned from private homes?

T-I-V-O

2007-01-22T20:34:00.000-08:00

DH & I are soo excited!!!

We have finally joined the 21st century and connected TiVo!!

My boss bought himself the new HD Tivo and his old Tivo was just lying around waiting for a new home. He asked me if I wanted it including the 10 month paid subscription -- all for FREE, yes FREE. I jumped at the offer thanking him profusely at the generous offer. :)

He brought it to work last week and only tonight did we have a chance to learn to hook it up for 2 opposing shows tonite. (24 vs Heroes on tv). I must say, this is slick... to be able to record live shows, pause, rewind, record your show for the whole season among other things. Very very cool! Up until now, we were recording our fave TV shows via the VCR... I know, it sounds archaic and technologically challenged.

Boy, I guess what they say is true... once you go Tivo, you don't go back!!!

Love it love it... thank you Boss, for giving us Tivo! :)

Question of the day: What do you record on your Tivo? (24, Grey's Anatomy, Survivor, Top Chef to name a few of our shows)

Sunday Bloody Sunday

2007-01-21T22:19:00.000-08:00

We've been busy since yesterday....

On Saturday, DH & I attended a funeral service for our friend's Dad who had passed away earlier. We just had time to grab a quick lunch before meeting up with my friend AS.

AS dad is being released from the hospital this week. His mobility is a little impaired since his stroke so his place needed to be rearranged so that he will be able to access things easier. AS asked for our help earlier in the week... she needed DH for his labor (move a couch).

Her dad's place had a lot of big furniture, so we just had to rearrange things more against the wall and move the bulky ones upstairs. Her other friends also stopped by to help out... that was nice to see... the kind hearted ness of friends giving up a weekend afternoon to help a friend out.

After we helped out AS, we went home and quickly cleaned up to go to dinner at Fisherman's Wharf. See earlier post.

Today, DH has softball playoffs in his weekend recreational leauge. His team lost 1 game last week and it is double elimination. They are slated to play at least 1 game ... up to 4! Basically, they have to keep playing until they lose. DH & I had breakfast at home and headed to the field at 9.30a, prepared for a full day on the field. I usually go watch DH play on his weekend games. I love watching him play ... seeing his intensity and passion for the game.

DH has been working towards this game, going to the park and working on his swing with a soft ball toss machine. I go with him and I record his swing for later playback and analysis. I've even hit a few rounds with him while he videotaped me. Mind you, I don't play even recreationally. I just did it for fun. I did 40 swings and missed probably only 5 balls much to my surprise. DH said later while analyzing my swing on video, that I have a very compact and efficient swing... he said that some of my team mates could learn from my compact swing. :)

Unfortunately, their team lost by a number of runs (Sunday, Bloody, Sunday comes to mind). There were a few key plays in the beginning of the game that could have resulted in a more positive outcome. DH was dissapointed at the loss but the team gave it their all. He's trying not to dwell and is looking forward to the Spring season coming up in 2 months. He's already making plans to play pick up softball during the weekends in between seasons to keep himself sharp and conditioned.

From now until the spring season starts, his/ our Sundays are free again. :)

Question of the Day: Would you rather watch the World Series or Super Bowl?

Dine about town

2007-01-20T23:58:00.000-08:00

One of the cool things about living in San Francisco is a event they have every year during the full month of January.

It's an event called Dine About Town. For foodies it is an event to look forward to. Many participating restaurants in San Francisco offer a prix fixed menu, 3 courses for $31.95 dinner ($21.95 lunch). The restaurants that participate are highly rated restaurants and from different cuisines.

DH & I love seafood and took this opportunity to dine at a landmark restaurant at Fisherman's Wharf called, Scoma's Restaurant. Scoma's has been in business since 1965.

Scoma's is a first come first served basis restaurant, so DH & I headed over there around 6p, hoping to beat the weekend rush. No such luck... when we arrived, the line was out the door. We checked in with the hostess to put our name on the list, she said the wait would be 40-45 mins. DH & I walked around Fisherman's Wharf area to kill a little time.

DH & I returned to the restaurant 30 mins later and another short 15 min wait later, we were seated. The restaurant is very cozy. Cool factor: the walls were decorated with autographed pictures of celebrities, actors, politicians, local heroes. No such celebrety sighting while we were there.

The regular menu itself is very extensive and offers many delicious entrees. We ordered the prixe fixed menu.

Starter: Caesar salad with bay shrimp (and a sprinkling of anchovies)
Main Course: Crab Risotto for DH; Mahi Mahi, vegetables and mashed potatoes for me
Dessert: Chocolate Truffle Cake with Berry Puree

It was delicious!! Everything cooked to perfection, the crab risotto most especially.... very flavorful, the rice cooked right and lots of crabmeat and mushroom in the risotto. My fish was moist, tender and seasoned right. I wish I could cook fish this pefectly! ;)

If you're ever in San Francisco/ Fisherman's Wharf area, this is one restaurant I highly recommend.

Question of the Day: What is your favorite seafood dish/ recipe?

Live Life

2007-01-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

Sad news.

DH & I learned yesterday one of our good friend's parent passed away the other evening. :(

The parent had a stroke over the weekend and had been in a coma since. The doctors informed the family that he would not make it through the week, so they were prepared for the worst. Well, as "prepared" as one can be.

We had dinner with him earlier in the week and he shared the prognosis. Still, learning his passing, still hit me like a punch in the chest.

It's times like these that send me reeling and think of my own mortality and those close to my heart. I'm fortunate that both of my parents are alive and well. I see and visit them weekly. To think that one day, they too will pass, just takes my breath away and .... whew, wow, it's too painful to even think about or comprehend....

Services will be held this Saturday. DH & I cancelled all plans and will be attending the services.

*Live live to the fullest each day.*

Too many cooks spoil the broth

2007-01-18T08:53:00.000-08:00

Setting: At home, Kitchen
Time: Last night at 7:00pm

(Me cooking spaghetti with ground turkey meat, mushrooms with a tomato sauce reduction) - ok I added the last part as it sounds better and that's how the Top Chefs would say it. :)

Me: Hi honey (Kisses DH while mixing sauce)
Me: Dinner should be ready soon
DH: It smells different (wrinkling nose).
DH: Did you do something different this time?
Me: No, same as I've always made it
DH: It smells different
Me: It doesn't. Try it, it tastes the same.

After this short exchange, I was slightly annoyed at DH. I spent the last hour preparing our dinner, chopping and slaving over the stove and that's what he says to me?

DH is usually very complimentary of my cooking and appreciative of my efforts. There are times though that his comments slight me, like this instance. Sometimes he'll comment -- the garlic's cut too big or the rice is mushy. I think I'm really sensitive about my cooking. I spend time preparing food and any non positive comment about it feels unappreciative of the time and effort I spent cooking. If you do not have any positive comments, keep it to yourself unless you are having an allergic reaction or if I ask for your opinion.

When he cooks, he likes neutral tasting food so his dishes come out blander than I would like. I don't tell him "Your food is tasteless or bland". Instead, I just add more flavor to my plate.

Am I over reacting? Possibly? ... Absolutely!

I guess it's like art. If you're an artist and spent your time and effort on a painting, and someone comments, you didn't use the right color, as an artist, you would feel it was an attack against your work.

I welcome constructive criticism.... but it's all in the delivery and timing of it.

I don't know how the contestants on Top Chef or Project Runway take it. I would probably tear up once the judges assess my "creation". But hey, for a chance to win $1M I would suck it up and take the criticisms! :)

Later after dinner, DH loved the spaghetti. He said thank you for making dinner, it was delicious. Needless to say, I got over my earlier annoyance at DH and enjoyed the rest of the evening.

Question of the day: Is there something in particular you are sensitive about?

Left to my own devices

2007-01-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

Yay! Got today off.

Poor DH has to work today so I'm left to my own devices. Our office decided last minute (Fri at 4p!!) to declare today a holiday. So DH & I didn't have time to plan properly for today. If we'd known ahead of time, DH could have taken today off and we could've headed to the mountains for a day ski trip.

Luckily, I checked my work email at home, my manager sent an email after I left Fri that today would be a holiday. If I didn't check my email, my bum would be at work today.

Anyhoo, I'm glad for the day off. It's only mid-afternoon and I've already been so productive and haven't sat on my bum (yet)... hehehe..

7.30ish am- woke up to see DH off to work
7.45: put a load of laundry
8.00-8.30: went for a run
8.30: shower
9:00: went to the bookstore to return 2 books. got $50 in credit for future use. :)
10.00: got caught up browsing at the bookstore; went to the grocery to buy food
11.00: went to the market to buy vegetables
11:30-1:00: organized my closet (long overdue!)
now: LUNCH :)

I think after my lunch, I'll relax for a bit and curl up with a good book and hot choc. It's COLD, or shall I say crisp or blustery cold, again today (low 40s). That's cold for San Francisco. :)

Question of the day: What do you like to do on a cold, winter day?

Belated Birthday(s)

2007-01-14T16:42:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the time when you looked forward to each birthday? The party, the friends, the gifts, the cake. You did not focus on the number of candles on your cake or your age. You were young and birthdays represented gifts and cake for you.

Recently, I have been feeling non-chalant on my birthday, or to be specific, acknowledging that I will have to add another year to my name. Don't get me wrong, I still want to be greeted happy birthday and celebrate but I'm not so keen on the +1 year.

I have been feeling this way since turning 30. I am still in my early 30s but now that I'm in my 30s, I can't help but think the 40s are looming and just around the corner! yikes.

I have been fortunate and blessed with my 30+ years. I have a wonderful loving husband, I have great parents/siblings who don't drive me insane,I am surrounded by great supportive friends, I have a stable, good paying job. So why do I use my birthday as a way of measuring what I've accomplished in life so far?

Honestly, ever since hitting 30, the bio-clock has been ticking louder... and louder... I feel the pressure, not from my husband, parents, friends but mostly by me on me. I definitely want to have our first child by 35. I approach that age, I feel more pressure to have a baby, a race against time. Even though I'm young, 35 seems to be the cut off date before the medical community labels you as "high risk pregnancy".

DH and I have been trying to start a family in the past year. The time is both right for us. We both want to have a baby. I just wonder if the pressure I put on myself to have a baby is due to the age or the fact that we really do want to conceive and start that family.

Don't worry, a part of me still knows how to enjoy and celebrate the birthday and I do take advantage of "my day". Usually, I like birthdays spent low key... with my husband/family and/or with friends.

This year, my group of girlfriends & I planned a get together last night. It's a celebration of all 4 of our birthdays (2 in late 2006 and 2 in early 2007) ... one of my friends live in SCal so we thought it would be a good idea to celebrate all of our birthdays in 1 one evening while everyone was present.

We went out for dinner with spouses/sig others at a contemporary Thai resto: Osha's on 2nd Street. The place is decorated very trendily/Zen like. When my friend & I pass by during lunch, the line is always out the door. Lunch dishes are reasonable at $10, expect more during dinner: $15. At night, the place glows with a nice ambience, low lighting and candles. I like the food... very tasty and presented cleanly and with pizzaz on white plates. My favorite is the green peppercorn pork with basil... if you like spicy food, this is a great dish. The fried banana with coconut ice cream, ginger creme brulee and sticky rice with mango were excellent choices for dessert.

It was a fun evening, and I got to spend time with my husband, close friends. It was the perfect way to celebrate our birthdays. :)

Question of the day: When or have you lied about your age? (Exclude trying to get into a 21+ bar) :)

Baby, it's cold outside

2007-01-13T08:37:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning to a gorgeous day in San Francisco... sunny, crisp day. There's a cold front this weekend bringing down the temparatures down to high 20s and low 30s. That's pretty cold for SF. Normally, our weather is around 50s at this time. It's currently 40 deg with a wind chill of 35 deg.

I'm excited as my group of friends are getting together tonight for dinner and to celebrate our birthdays.

More later.

Have a good one!

Could you live a year without shopping?

2007-01-10T23:30:00.000-08:00

The wheels are in motion!

Progress is being made on resolution 3 - save more/spend less.

My husband (DH) and I were studying our savings. (ok - it was a Tuesday and there was nothing on TV). As we analyzed DH's forecast matrix in Excel (sounds complicated but it really is just a spreadsheet), we learned that we did not save as much as we could have. We saved an acceptable amount in 2006 but we would have liked to seen more in the bank account. We both work and have above average incomes and live fairly modestly in this expensive city. We don't have extravagant tastes nor live or spend like there's no tomorrow. Yet, where did the money go??

As we racked our brains on what we've spent during the year, we came up with the following items: big trip to Hawaii last year, DH went to the east coast to visit relatives, we went to Vegas and I also went on a weekend trip with my girlfriends. Those are they only really big ticket items we spent on. Then there are your general stuff: clothes, shoes, books (mostly mine), sports equipment for him. Sigh... it all adds up.

So DH and I agreed to try and conciously save more this year, at least 20% more each month. I think it's a goal we can achieve and still be able to maintain our current habits, lifestyle and play.

I came across this interesting article on how this couple curbed shopping for 1 year.... yes 1 year! They only bought the necessities and went cold turkey on splurges. Motivated by the premise, I sent the article to 2 of my girlfriends, SCal and AS, and we decided to give it a try.... for 2 months. Hey, we have to start slow.... We girls can't stop shopping cold turkey altogether. :)

Each of us listed items that we would give up buying for the next 2 months. Mine are: clothes, shoes, make up, books. I chose those as they are my weaknesses.

We will see.... I've been good and have stuck to my pact and so have my girlfriends. It's only been 1 week so we have a looong way to go. :)

It will be an interesting study for us and hopefully we will learn more about our spending habits by doing this.

Question of the day: What can you give up buying/splurging and for how long?

Resolutions

2007-01-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

It never fails. During this time of the year, people make a list of resolutions they would like to achieve for the coming year.

I'm no exception. When the new year ushers in, i think about what i'd like to improve on for this year.

Making that list is not hard. Sticking to it and accomplishing it is the challenge. For the past few years, my resolution list have been half accomplished. It dissapoints me that i lost sight of my goals and i didn't put in the effort for most of the items on my list. Maybe this year, #1 should be to stick to my resolutions.

On that note, here are my 2007 resolutions. You'll have to check back this time next year and find out if i did stick to them (or any of them!). :)

1. Stick to my resolutions
2. Work on my fitness level (work out more regularly and increase stamina, cardio)
3. Save more money (i.e. Shop less)
4. Eat healthier/ improve diet (more greens/fruits)
5. Career: work towards path of proj mgmt

Question of the day: what are your resolutions/goals for 2007?

Why do you blog?

2007-01-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

I just can't believe its 2007.... 2006 came and went, fast.

Since this is a new year, i decided to journal my thoughts more regularly, that is in a sense what blogging is, isn't it? It would be interesting to see a year from now, where i was today and see what changes or experiences i've gone through in the past year.

For those of you that kept diaries, have you found any of your old ones from jr high or high school? I found a few of mine a couple years ago from 9th grade. One word: embarrasing! Hahaha.

I was 13-14 yrs old, my entries were mostly boys, my crushes, where i ran into them at school, what they said to me, friends, classes, typical teen age stuff. Boy, when you read your teen age diary as an adult, you're just thankful you're out of that awkard phase.

I'd be horrified if anyone ever read any of my teenage diaries.

Blogging seems to be different. More empowering. To me, i think it's because you have the power to reach so many audiences and share your experiences, thoughts and adventures.

Question of the day: Why do you blog?

A New Beginning

2007-01-02T16:41:00.000-08:00

How did you spend your new year's? Out on the town? Friend's party? Stayed in?

My hubby, or dh, and i stayed in this year. Very low key. Last year we went to a friend's house for potluck and boardgames. Is this how 30 somethings in sf spend their new year's?? Afraid so! Hahaha.... For some of us anyway.

This year, DH and i went to his sibling's place for dinner. Stayed for a bit and played with their son, tt, who is 7 yrs old. He is so into transformers. This franchise is doing well. I remember playing with transformers when i was 13 or 14 with my all guy cousins. It was popular then and it still is to this day. They did something right.

When we got home around 10.30p, dh and i had planned to watch the fireworks somewhere in the city but i think we were both pooped from the past weeks holiday activities/parties that we decided to stay in and ring in the new year at home. :)

The past few new year's has been low key too. We've been leaning towards intimate low key gatherings at a friend's house or just by ourselves. The holidays are already too busy with all the flurry of christmas activities and parties.

So for the new year's eve, dh & i tend to lay low and enjoy the festivities away from the crowds.

Question of the day: Do you prefer to stay in or go out for New Year's Eve?