After Christmas Ketchup

Another Ketchup...

Day after Christmas

My bro dropped me off at LAX around 8:15AM. I was nervous b/c it was my second flight alone. Ever. First one was to visit Doctor Cousin in Michigan and that was an ordeal b/c when I landed, I had no way of contacting her (this was pre-cell phone days) and the airport was 3 hours away from where she lived. It was a nervewracking time for me.

This time, I couldn't check in at the kiosk (which is what I know how to do). I walked around in circles and finally got in line to check in at the counter. All the while, my bro waited in his car outside! Poor bro must have thought about how helpless I can be. I boarded with no problems, had a turbulent flight, but safely arrived in Vegas. Thankfully, I remember what BF and I did last time when we landed so I wasn't as lost. I even wandered into little gift shops before I hopped into a taxi. I got to Mandalay Bay early so I wandered some more...all the way to Shark Reef's gift shop. Eventually, I met them at Raffles Cafe and had a delicious brunch. Thereafter, we gambled until...7 PM! I have never gambled so long before! We kept hitting on Gettin' Lucky, and eventually walked away about $80-100 up. We had dinner at Red Rock's Food Court (delicious pizza) and that was about it.

December 27

Shopping day at Primm Outlets! Christmas gifts from BF included two Benetton suits, brown Ann Taylor slacks, and a BR shirt -- all work-oriented (boo! No fun!) but I could always use more of that since I'm a grown-up and all. ;) I also got my bro's birthday gift. :) We shopped for a few hours and then headed to Red Rock again. I played Bingo w/ FMIL, but didn't win for the first time. I still had tons of fun, though. Bingo's all high-tech and fancy in Vegas!

The first time I ever played Bingo, I was 10 y/o on a Carribean cruise w/ my Dad, Bro, Step-Mom, God-Father, and Ama. My bro and I played Bingo while the adults were elsewhere. To win, you had to get four corners. I had three corners and just needed 73. They called 72, which I also had, right above my 73. I leaned over to my bro and said, "Oh man, Guh, look, I needed 73, but they called 72." Then the caller called out, "73!" I whispered, "Guh, I got Bingo." Bro said, "Are you sure?" "Yes, I'm sure." Twelve year-old Bro yelled out as loud as he could from the back of the large auditorium, "Bingo!!!" The adults around us had to chime in so the announcer could hear. I remember when they came to pay us, they didn't know what to do. Were they allowed to pay us? Well, they paid us $150 in cash. Sweet.

The second time I played Bingo was when we were at Big Bear Lake for my bro's b-day. It was hilarious b/c we were playing at like the Elk's Lodge or something. I think I won like $75. Not too shabby.

December 28

BF and I went bowling with FILs. Since they've retired, they've really gotten into bowling. I had no idea how serious BF was about finding a hobby that we could both partake in and enjoy, but bowling it is! We had so much fun and got some serious tips from FILs and FFIL's League Buddy. That night, I got my buffet fix at Red Rock. I had no idea FSIL was into buffets, too!

December 29

We got our own bowling balls and bowling shoes! FFIL picked out my shoes. "Hey Cheryl. Look, they made a shoe after you. Dexter Cheryls." I couldn't pass 'em up. I mean, they made a shoe after me! BF and I picked out bowling balls. Mine is black and red and smells like black cherry. I almost got a Hello Kitty ball, but the store didn't have any. FSIL drove us back to L.A. and dropped us off at FBM, where we went bowling and got our first free lesson. Later, he dropped us off at home.

Everyone should have a turtle and everyone should go bowling. :)

Christmas Ketchup

This last week of the year whizzed by so fast! Unfortunately, I neglected to blog so here goes my infamous Ketchup Summary.

Christmas Eve Eve

Ama was sick this year (supposedly my fault) so Bro and I picked her up from Dentist Aunty's and we went straight home, meaning we missed a mini family gathering at Lake Arrowhead. :( Bro and I decorated some more, worked out, bought more decorations, and decorated some more. :) It was our first time decorating outside and man, it was hard!

Christmas Eve

Bro and I stopped by our neighbors before our family arrived. It was my first time stepping inside their house and I was blown away, not just by their regular decor, but also their Christmas decorations. I have NEVER seen a department store Christmas tree inside a home. Their tree touched their roof and was garnished with ornaments the size of "PeeWee Handballs" (well, that's what we called them in elementary school). They even had the huge, fat ribbons. We went back to Ama's and admired our dinky tree that I decorated this year (Bro decorated the rest of the house). By then, everyone had arrived: Genius Family, Medical Family, Army Family, and my family. This year, Pastor Aunty and Attorney Cousin flew over to Doctor Cousin's. We had a fabulously huge Chinese-American meal...from "Chinese burritos" to chili. Afterwards, gifts were opened and the family eventually took off.

This year, Bro and I gave our cousins, aunts, and uncles pairs of movie tickets. The Army Family received a Black Angus GC. Bro and I gave Ama a purse and Pastor Aunty's Family flowers. I gave Dad a microwave (he really needs one) and Guh a Coffee Bean GC and his watch *in thought*. FBIL got a Dutch oven. BF and I gave his dad golf balls, his mom parfum, and an Xbox 360 game to his sis. I received many wonderful gifts: my favorite parfum and some clothes from Dad, a nice purse from Guh, an ice-cream maker(!) from FBIL, much needed clothes from BF, a fun knitted scarf from Bro's neighbor, iTunes and Sbux GC from Army Cousin Family, a new cell phone from BF's family, and a C-note from Ama. I think I'm forgetting a few gifts given and received. Hm.

Christmas Day

We left Ama's and dropped her off at Dentist Aunty's and then went to FBIL's Christmas Dinner. That was a lot of fun and just as delicious. I didn't get to see FBIL's nieces, but I did get to hear the story of how the younger one discovered how Santa and the Easter Bunny weren't real. We got home kind of late and I quickly caught up with my Lil Sis (who is an occasional secret blog reader) before packing for Vegas.

I miss my Lil Sis. I sometimes get to catch up with her on the holidays, but not this time. At least we spoke, though. :) She was laughing about my Mortified entries; she probably knows who each person is, except that I encrypted it with initials and code names. Ha!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of my loved ones!

Christmas Eve Eve

FBIL asked me today if I was excited. He did this last time and I remember I was all stumped. Excited about what?
The holidays.
This year, I am very excited about the holidays because it is my first time getting to spend it both with my family and BF's family. Not together, of course. Actually, I said to FBIL that I am excited b/c my bro and I both get to spend it with our family and then our FILs family. I get to spend it with all three families. This must be what it is like to have a large family. Holiday festivities galore like it's goin' outta style.

In other sappy news, I miss the BF. I am getting a new phone for Christmas so he called me this afternoon to tell me that my cell service is about to end abruptly since the service already switched to my new phone. Since then, I have been pretty disconnected from everyone. (Thank God for the internet!) It is weird to not have the convenience of talking to him with the touch of a few buttons.

I know this will sound nutty, but I also miss my turtle! I hope she doesn't get mad at us for "abandoning" her. Well, she was forgiving last time. As a holiday treat, I gave her 3 rosy red minnows. The Aquarium Lady at Petco likes to spoil Lil F, too. She always gives Lil F more rosy red minnows than Mommy asks for, on the house.

Merry Christmas to my loved ones!

Last minute relaxation and shopping

After I dropped BF off at his sister's, I came back home, found out I'm placed in IngleWOooOod!, blasted Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong with BF's new home theatre system (mu-hahaha! I got it for him for Christmas), cleaned Lil F's tank, and then headed off to my spa pedicure.

My spa pedicure at Peponi was absolutely fabulous! The place is so chic, cozy, and lovely. I arrived early to my appointment so Kaamilyah started me 10 mins before 2. My appointment went way over (which I totally appreciated). I asked for a 40 min Rejuvinator tx, but I walked out 2 hours later! I had such a wonderful time w/ the girl, and she did a great job. Not only that, but she is also a Dexter and America's Next Top Model fan!

Afterwards, I went last-minute shopping with my bro at the Westside Pavillion and the Century City Mall. I rather enjoy shopping with my bro b/c we get really silly and have a grand ol' time. I love the Century City Mall, except I always get lost either going there or leaving. Now, I even get lost in the Mall b/c the maps just aren't correctly oriented (IMO). My bro and I walked in so many circles. The best site was walking into the Swarovski store. I was actually looking for a turtle brooch (that shouldn't be a surprise!) and I saw something far more marvelous.
First I saw in the case some sea shells. I thought they were adorable. They were scattered along the bottom of the first display case you encounter when you walk into the store.


My eyes moved along the display and I could not believe my eyes! There to the left of the sea shells was a huge sea turtle crystal figurine. On the other side of the case were 2 hatchling sea turtles! Beautiful.

Ever since I started reading my sea turtle book, I've been spewing off random sea turtle facts to BF and Bro. I even brought my book to Peponi so Kaamilyah asked me what I was reading about. Of course I had to start off talking about Lil F. I am on a quest to convert people into turtle lovers. :)

Quick Ketchup

Break has been soOooOOoo nice. I've somehow managed to let a few days fly by me! A recap of this week's events...

Tuesday

I spent the day with Ama and Daddy. The day started off w/ Daddy and I having Taiwanese breakfast. I requested it b/c I haven't had it in at least 2 years, even though it is my favorite breakfasts! We had Yung Ho (soybean milk) and I felt like such a kid again...pouring about 1/4 a cup of sugar into my soybean milk. I felt so guilty I slipped a Splenda in at the end. Bro and FBIL tease that I always carry an "emergency supply of Splenda" wherever I go. I just happened to have a packet in my purse. Don't know how that got there. For reals.

Afterwards, we went to get my bro's gift and then we picked Ama up from Dentist Aunty's and went to the mall. Dad keeps telling me to buy my own Christmas gift and he will reimburse me for it. I keep telling him that he doesn't have to get me anything and that I don't like shopping! He keeps insisting so I finally said I would like a bottle of my fave parfum. Dad has already gotten it, but he is acting as if it is not a Christmas gift; he still wants me to get a gift. LOL We had dim sum afterwards and then dropped Ama off. All in all, I had a very fun and entertaining time with Dad and Ama.

Wednesday

I Christmas shopped a teeny bit. I can shop for others when I already know what I am getting them, but left to come up with gift ideas? I am pretty bad at it. On Monday, BSILF asked me for a gift idea, and I got quiet and had a pensive look and then said, I honestly do not know. What I was thinking during my pensive look was, "Why am I pretending to think of gift ideas? I am clearly a failure at this." How terrible. I wasn't even trying to think of gift ideas. I was thinking of what I was thinking! Sorry, BSILF, now you know the truth!

So Wednesday was not difficult. I got my dad a microwave (prompted by Tuesday's events and stories), and I got BF's dad a nice set of golf balls. Normally, I like to linger around stores, but when I walked into that sporting store, I got seriously claustrophobic, especially where the golf balls were. I had to hurry down the stairs (and envisioned myself tripping and eating it big-time). Made it out with no panic attacks. Cool beans.

Thursday

Today was spent with the BF. He finished yet another website after a total of 9 hours of sleep within 3 days. I dropped him off at a new client meeting and then Christmas shopped a little more. I picked up a gift for BF's sister and then dilly-dallied until it was time to pick him up. Later, I went on one of bro and FBIL's infamous fast beach walks. Fast as in it is extremely fast-paced. Every so often, I had to jog a few steps ahead to keep up with them! We walked from Venice to Santa Monica in 1 hr and 20 minutes. I figure that had to be at least 4 miles b/c I normally don't walk that fast on the treadmill and I walk 4.2 mph at the gym. That was fun as usual. Lots of interesting sites and good talks. Unfortunately, no celebrity sitings this time.

Now, I am waiting to drop BF off at his sister's so they can head to Vegas! :) I'm going to miss the BF. At least I have the turtle to keep my company.

Monday funzies

Today, BSILF came over to the westside and joined me for a MG lunch at the Cheesecake Factory in Marina Del Rey! I had a lovely date with her out on the patio, overlooking the marina and boats. :) I, of course, enjoyed both the company and the food. It was especially nice to just chat, instead of exchanging Q&A about school topics.

After our lunch, we tried to walk along what I thought was the Jetty, but I forgot that we were not at Charthouse. I thought I could get away with one "wrong direction" move, but then we went to the Westside Pavilion... We strolled the whole mall -- and didn't get suckered in by any kiosk salespeople. Yay us! My biggest discovery was walking into the Build-A-Bear Workshop and seeing that I could build my own Hello Kitty! =O I couldn't get over that fact! If I have a girl, that is the first animal she is building! When we left, we couldn't find her car (as if we were in Disneyland) and then I gave her the wrong directions to exit the building. I still don't know how I lost my sense of direction. It was right when I moved back to L.A. There's gotta be something in the water.

Afterwards, we came back to my place and BSILF finally met BF! I think they hit it off nicely (phew!). I gave her the dime tour of our little cozy place and told her many stories from how we moved into this place (giant ants on steroids with wings in old apartment) to why my computer armoire is not really a computer armoire. Ha! Unfortunately, I chatted her ears off until it was prime traffic time. :( So what happened?

She stayed later! :) Haha! (Sorry, BSILF, but for selfish reasons, I was quite happy.). BF coerced her into watching 1.5 episodes of "Dexter" (IMO, very interesting show with a morbid sense of humor), and then BBILF came by and BF & I got to meet him finally! The 2 boys talked shop while we talked our own shop talk...like the VitaMix! Dude, I think I may need one. It makes soup, ice-cream, and smoothies. Enough said.

We missed going to dinner with them since BF is extremely busy and I am sick (Ama called me last night to tell me that I need to stay home and rest). It just donned on me that perhaps I do only have a cold and not bronchitis!! Yeah! I just hope I don't get anybody sick. BF started Lysoling everything and says I need to Lysol everything I touch b/c he cannot afford to get sick.

Lastly, Lil F met her God Parents, Aunty K & Uncle M. She was pretty well-behaved for the most part. Unfortunately, she splooshed a drop or 2 on Uncle M when he met her.

BILsF left with a small gift and a candied caramel apple. I didn't mean to make it sound like the apple is a reject b/c it really isn't! This year, I only made two apples with Snickers: one for FBIL and one for BF. Little did I know that BF doesn't really like them (I thought he did since I've shared one with him in the past). I was quite disappointed when he didn't want it, but he said, "You should give it to [BSILF]." "Hm, that is a great idea!" Good thing she can eat Snickers. :) I would have made one for myself, but we ran out of snickers. However, both of the Snickers apples were the hugest of the batch -- a layer of caramel, a layer of milk chocolate, white chocolate drizzles, and then the Snickers! The other apples only got milk chocolate drizzle (rather than a full layer). That's what's so fun about making your own apples -- you can make them as huge and decadent as you want! :) Pity D. Fewl gave me an idea for the next time around -- Cheesecake caramel apple! MmMmMm!

This is one of the best school breaks I've had, mostly b/c I've gotten to hang out with my wonerful classmates and especially with BSILF!

Lil F's Second Birthday

Scott remarks, "It'll be so exciting to see where she goes. I've seen them do the most amazing navigational things. One came off the Flemish Cap and beelined for the Canary Islands. Now, that's what, three thousand kilometers [1864 miles] across open ocean? If you laid a straight edge over her track on the map, you couldn't have done better yourself using GPS and satellites. You look at those tracks, and their capabilities blow you away. Then you realize -- fishing off Iceland and Africa can affect the turtles on this beach."

That remark makes the world seem both oddly small and strangely large at the same time, because Iceland seems a world removed from this warm beach, with its palm shadows and tropic breeze. And it is. But to be a Leatherback is to be perpetually on the move from one world to the next.

~Voyage of the Turtle by Carl Safina~

I am slowly making waves in my book, and I am really enjoying how the author portrays sea turtles as such mysterious but magnificent sea creatures. I hope that one day, I can witness the miracle of a sea turtle nesting on the beach shore.

.·:*¨¨*:·. .·:*¨¨*:·..·:*¨¨*:·. .·:*¨¨*:·. .·:*¨¨*:·. .·:*¨¨*:·. .·:*¨¨*:·.

Sea turtles are amazing, but so is Lil Fawker! Today is her second birthday! Lil F received a wonderful e-card from her newly-deemed God-Parents, BILsF, that read:

Happy birthday, Lil F! We wish you a happy day and a happy year! We hope you get a yummy treat today! Enjoy your special day, M... and K...

Lil F actually got 6 yummy treats, which is more than enough. She will get a whole leaf of lettuce after the Lakers game (we have been very curious to see how much of a whole leaf of romaine lettuce she can eat. We may, however, intervene the lettuce binge). Last year, Uncles B&B, gave Lil F a dozen+ fish, which was waaaay too much. That's what she gets for being the first turtle in this family. :)

This is Lil F when she was two months old and 1.25 inches in Daddy's hand. This is also when we thought that she was a he.






Here she is two months ago at 5.25 inches in Mommy's hand. Today, she is 5.5 inches!

In the past year, she has been deemed runner-up for a RES photo contest and winner of the RES photo contest.


Happy, happy birthday Lil F!

It's up!

BF has gotten about 2 to 3 hours of sleep since Sunday night, except for last night...when he didn't get any sleep until 2 PM today.

Why? Because it's up! :)

BF completed DJ Ron Rockswell's website! BF's feeling blase about it, like all the websites that he creates, but I like it. Maybe b/c I'm always into all the cool Flash FX and designs that he does.
In other free promo BF news, I have worn my baby tank top several times this week (i.e., Yoga, working out with Pity D. Fewl*, working out solo today). It's a double promo: 1) BF designed it (I like the font on the back) and 2) Roscoe is the hype! (That was a double-double free promo for Roscoe b/c 1) I wore the tank top and 2) I am mentioning that he is "the hype").

That paragraph just signifies that I am officially delirious.

P.S. If I take out Pity D. Fewl's "middle initial," it sounds like Pitiful. Ha! No, she is not pitiful. She is wonderful!

Good Friday

Today was a very nice Friday. :)

This AM, Rat B picked me up to meet Bruce Lee's Cousin (a.k.a. Dim Sum) and BSILF at the Santa Monica Pier for a romantic walk along the beach. Along the way, the 3 girls saw John Travolta shooting a movie scene! Unfortunately, I walked past it all and didn't see John. Figures; my brother always teases that I NEVER see anything. Whenever he tells me to look, I look too late! I guess it doesn't just happen when I'm around him. It happens when I'm with everyone. Phooey.

We walked all the way down to Venice (or close to) and then U-turned and "dropped off" BSILF around Ocean and Main, so she could head to her school placement for a visit. We 3 continued back to the SM Pier and got a nice cup of java from Coffee Bean. Strange that the Coffee Bean at the Pier only serves drinks in one size. We hung outside for about an hour just chatting and people-watching. I broke it up b/c I had to get a move on my commute to Ama's.

Before I left for Ama's, I stopped by home. Turns out tmrw is BF's second cousins once removed birthday party so he asked me to run out to get gifts for the two girls. I was on the road by 2:30, just in time for the beginning of traffic. Since traffic had already begun, I figured any stops I made wouldn't matter. So, my first stop was the book mart for my hospital placement manual. Nope, it wasn't printed yet. I took a detour to get onto campus (main entrance was closed) and stopped by the Health Center for TB clearance. Nope, closed at 12:15 (odd time). Went over to the bookstore to pick up next quarter's textbook. Closed at noon. What a waste of time! Adding insult to injury, I couldn't get off campus b/c of that detour...so I ended up going the back way and getting back onto the freeway at Hellman.

After another half hour of traffic, I called Ama to let her know that I would stop by the gym by Dad's to work out. I was literally falling asleep at the wheel from 1.5 hours of traffic. I worked out for about an hour and would have stopped by Dad's but he was napping. As I left the gym, I had to U-turn to get back onto the freeway. It was as if a light was shining down from Heaven onto the corner facility.

So instead of U-turning, I made a pit stop at Discount Tires and finally got Elsa's tires rotated! To top it off, the manager was so nice and honest. He has convinced me to become a regular patron. :D

I finally got to gramma's about 4.5 hours later. Now, I'm just relaxing and trying to not feel miserable with bronchitis or allergies. I think it's both b/c I am sneezing and my eyes are irritated. I have bronchitis symptoms. It's about time, though. I typically get bronchitis around Winter every year. :( At least I am not yet breathing like Darth Vader.

Hump Day

Vacation is still coming along nicely, except I think I am getting sick! :( I am currently drinking Airborne. I hope it works.

I am proud to say I was a teeny bit more productive today. I finally recycled (third attempt in 3 days), then I did a little Christmas shopping for others, as in I went to the Century City Mall and got a Coach GC for my bro for his assistant and got a bottle of Chanel No. 5 for BF's Mom from us. Dad asked me to shop for my first cousin once removed, but I couldn't find anything. I tried to shop for myself, too (gift from Dad), but I couldn't find anything either. I am just terrible at shopping when I am given no direction.

Afterwards, I went to my bro's to finish up the apples. This year, we used Nestle milk chocolate and caramel swirl morsels for the extra layer just for kicks. When we finally finished the layer, drizzles, and toppings, Masta Knitta Pity D. Fewl picked me up to go to the gym. Yeah! It was a pretty weak start for me, but at least I got there and at least my nano didn't die on me. I can't stand working out without music. I have literally left the gym when the battery ran out. My "First Day" back is usually really pathetic, so I doubt I'll be sore or anything. I'll probably "practice" working out over the weekend when I go to gramma's, so that the next time PDF and I work-out, I can better match her endurance.

I finished up wrapping all the apples all by myself. :) I felt like such a big girl b/c I always need my bro around to help me! However, he attended a Toys for Tots event tonight so I didn't see him for the rest of the day. I think that's neat that every year, he goes to this event regardless of what company he is with.

I just got back from dropping off two apples at my baking neighbor's. She invited me in and I was in awe of her place. We always peek through her windows b/c it is beyond model-home-esque. Everything is perfect. She gave me a tour and we chatted for a while about what flowers to plant (i.e., azaleas, geraniums, and snapdragons). I've wanted to ask her for some time since her flowers live all year long when she is barely home, whereas I am home all the time and my flowers just don't live. Dude, she had an azalea plant that has lived for 20 years and a Thai lemon tree for 14 years! Crazy!

She was so sweet. She said my apples looked better than Neiman Marcus and Williams-Sonoma's. LOL She knows her candied apples, though (I won't go into details).

Well, I'm off to bed. Gmail has taken a dump on me for the first time and I think I'm getting sick so I might as well call it a night. I've got a big day of cleaning ahead!

Candied Caramel Apples

"Poet laureate Billy Collins says poetry should displace silence, so that before the poem there is silence, and afterward, silence again. A sea turtle, suddenly appearing at the surface for a sip of air, displaces water. And afterward, water still. This is the turtle's poetry, a wordless eloquence stated in silence and, in a moment, gone."

~Voyage of the Turtle by Carl Safina

I started reading my book from BSILF and I found that quote so profound and beautiful. Isn't it?

ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø

Today, I attempted to do some more things on my Winter Break To-Do List, but didn't get around to too much. I ran some more errands and then finally wrote evaluations for both my Dx and Tx supervisors. Afterwards, I headed over to my bro's to start on our candied caramel apples. After we coated the caramel on, we ran out to Target and stopped by Honey's (?) for delicious fried chicken. We got back and globbed on a layer of semi-sweet chocolate and put on nuts and called it a night.

Every time we make these apples, we tell ourselves to take notes b/c something always goes wrong, and we forget how we managed the previous times! This year, our apples got stuck to the wax paper. My bro ended up having to blow dry underneath the wax paper to get it heated up enough to pull off. Hopefully, we'll remember to Pam everything well enough the next time.

I really enjoy making these apples with my bro. A part of it is because I LOVE eating them! I love giving them away, too. :) I am not great at baking nor cooking so when the recipient thinks it is store-bought, it is a great compliment for me! Above all, I feel like it is me and my bro's thing (and sometimes FBIL, except that he has finals this week). I have secretly been trying to make it a tradition between us. This will be our 3rd time in 4 years. I also really enjoy making them because I can make mine however I want. One year, I made a mother huge one for myself. It had like 5 layers of chocolates and caramel and then some more candies. It was ridiculous. I think my stomach did somersaults every time I ate just one slice. I may be inspired to make a mother huge one tmrw. :D

The case of the Mondays

How nice was it to hang out with classmates and have nothing school-related (except gossip) looming? So mofo'n nice!!

Yesterday, I ran a few errands and arrived late at Momma Normita's just down the street. Everyone was already there: BSILF, Rat B, Yoymega, NB, Pity D. Fewl, & Kangaroo. I finally learned how to knit! :) BSILF and PDF (hm, what a nerdy acronym for my cool friend!) taught me how and I did about ten stitches and two rows. That was very sweet of them to be patient with retarded me. BSILF also taught me a poem to help me remember:

In through the front door,
Once around the back,
Peek through the window
Off jumps Jack.

Of course I cheated just now to recall the poem; I had to look it up. Dude, I could barely remember yesterday! Anywho, the ADD kicked in and I just vegged out, played with CJ, and chatted until it was time for me to meet my bro.

I met up with my bro and his friend V for Yoga. It was my second experience and I am pretty convinced Yoga is not for me. First off, it was 90 minutes. I can barely work-out for 90 minutes! Second, it was hard! I am pretty flexible, but I do not balance well on one foot with my chest parallel to the ground w/ one leg and the opposite arm stretched out as far as possible. The thing that cracked me up this time (as opposed to my first experience) was how the instructor made me think of my neuro teacher. She said things like, "breathe in and let your heart touch your scapula...exhale until your intercostals are relaxed." I'm like, dude, who talks like that unless you are a doctor or have a background in neuroanatomy? I had flashbacks of my neuro classes. I can't remember what other neuro terms she used. Too bad she didn't give me a review session on aphasia and brain injuries to prep me for my hospital interview.

After that, we stopped by Pinkberry for some trendy fro-yo. I got a "fun" one -- plain yogurt with Cocoa Pebbles, yogurt chips, and granola. :)

In recap, I feel like I was such a stereotypical Los Angelean woman -- didn't work, met up with gal-pals, went to Yoga, and had frozen yogurt to end the day. What a great day!

God Son's (by association) 3rd Birthday Party

Today was BF's God Son's birthday party (a.k.a. FBM's son, "Keenan," and BBN). It was tons of fun! When we got there, I looked for the birthday boy but he was supposedly at his Grandma's next door. As I went to the Lady's Room, I glanced into his room, where he was sitting alone on the floor eating Skittles. I just about melted after I cracked up. That kid is so much fun and he is super adorable. BF said I had to be "nice" to him today (he thinks that I crack a lot of jokes about/to Keenan -- which I totally don't!) so I made sure I was super-nice to him. I asked if he wanted to say hello to Nino (a.k.a. BF), and he said yes, so I stretched my hand out to lead him. Instead, he gestured that he wanted me to pick him up. LOL I've never picked him up, not even when he was a baby! So up he went, and I carried him out to greet his Godfather. :)

We hung around for a bit and BF taught me how to play "ghetto Dice." Something about rolling a 7 or 11 means you lose and/or snake eyes and 12 means they lose. After, him and the boys played Dominos, and I realized how pathetic my arithmetic skills are. As the scorer, I was pretty slow on adding up the numbers. We ate a lot of good Filipino food and barbeque. After the birthday singing, most of the group left shortly after. The only people left were us and FBM's other FBM and his wifey. That was really nice and cozy.

I had a great time hanging out. FBM made popcorn and Cadillacs -- his coffee creation, which was actually pretty good! My guess is that he mixed Hershey's syrup with coffee and added a marshmallow for good measure. I also got to hold LBN for a little bit. The biggest compliment I got was, "You're a natural!" I tend to secretly get really nervous holding babies because I don't have much experience. I get paranoid that parents will see right through me and bum-rush to grab their babies from me. That has not happened yet, and I hope to keep it that way.

They could have also been saying that b/c they started teasing that BF and I should pop a baby out soon. Um, not until I get this carrying/holding-a-baby-confidently down packed, amongst other important mommy responsibilities. At least LBN didn't cry with me, today. :) He just pulled my hair a few times.

Before we left, BBN opened his gifts which consisted of a bunch of Superman toys and two outfits. BF and I got him a 10-inch action figure and a smaller action figure where Clark Kent doubled as Superman (or vice-versa). He seemed pretty interested in Clark Kent so at least he liked one of his two toys. Woohoo!

We all got a nice little hug and beso from BBN before we left. Happy big 3rd birthday, BBN!

Last Day

Today was my last:

• day of work (until further notice)
• day of on-campus clinic
• day with 2T
• day of the quarter!
• Whining re: 2T for the quarter!

Today, I arrived on time for my meeting w/ 2T…just to sit there for an hour and 15 before she was ready for me. Imagine Rat B’s surprise when she saw me sitting in the next room over, waiting for my meeting. We both sat there lacing our miming with “real” convo b/c we knew she was eavesdropping.

A written dramatization of our “conversation”:

Rat A: Hi [Rat B]!
Rat A & Rat B mime: WTH! You haven’t met w/ her yet? What time is it!! I know! It’s been an hour!
Rat B: Hi [Rat A]! How are you?
Rat A: Cool, cool. I’m just burning a holiday CD for myself.
Rat A mime: as I wait for her! I’ve been waiting over an hour!
Rat B mime: Dang! That sucks!
Rat B: Hey, maybe u can help me w/ my hospital placement application.
Rat B mime: R U for reals?? Wasn’t your meeting set for 4:30?
Rat A mime: Yeah! And it’s 5:30 right now and I still haven’t met w/ her!
Rat A: Sure, I’ll help you. That sucks you have to fill out an application.

Finally, 1.25 hours later, she was ready for me. I got my grade – disappointing, but not surprising. I didn’t bother to defend myself b/c if I did, it would have started off with, “Well, YOU told me to…” which would not have been very nice and mature. However, she did give me very nice verbal and written comments. She was "initially" "impressed" at how observant and analytical I am. The numerical eval is where it went downhill. Dude, I regressed from my midterm evaluation on some components, according to the numerical grading scale. How sad is that? I didn't even know that was possible.

Anywho, I waited for Rat B to finish her meeting and then we quickly walked out. I had a fun date set to meet Younger Genius Cousin for the Damien Rice concert at the Orpheum. Dude, it was totally rad!

First of all, I was really happy to spend time w/ YGC. The last time we had a “date,” I was babysitting him for the weekend. Now, he’s like a foot taller than me and chaperoning me. LOL I had a great time w/ YGC. He's really down to earth, and it's easy to talk with him because he is open, verbal, and honest. It's funny b/c he is such a genius, but sometimes, he asks naive questions. It's adorable. ;) I.e., when we got in line for a cocktail, he was like, "You mean, you can just tell them what you want and they'll make it?" Well, it is a GOOD thing that he doesn't know, actually. :) Damien Rice also hit a switch and did some cool vocal effects and YGC looked at me and asked, "Hey, how is he doing that with his voice?"

We both thoroughly enjoyed the concert (and we both want to play the cello). The opening band was so good that we got the CD during intermission. I tried to get a shirt for my cousin, but he wasn't as impressed with them. After the intermission, Damien and his band began. It was 2.5 hours of awesome music. I love his music b/c it’s soulful and mellow (i.e., coffee-shop music). So I was surprised when he totally rocked out (b/c the day before was his b-day and two friends bought him an electric guitar) – but even that was great b/c it was so full of emotion. I loved that with some of the songs, they totally rocked on with the endings. I'm into songs that kinda switch tempo and build up or rock out (sorta) at some point. Plus, I love watching musicians who get so into their music. It’s like nothing else in the world matters – not the thousands of people watching them – they and their music are one and that’s all that they need to know and feel at that moment in time. You gotta love what you do for yourself. Kudos when others appreciate what you do.

They played many songs from “O” and his recently released album“9,” as well as unreleased ones. Even his celloist played and sang a solo (sorta) that was great! I just love music and I love loving music (that was not a typo)! Watching the celloist reminded me that I once said I’d like to learn to play the cello. I still want to. J I hope I don't become one of those crazy moms that vicariously live through their kids (i.e., my daughter will play the cello). I'll just pick up lessons with her. ;) J/K

As former musicians and avid music-lovers, YGC and I kept exchanging expressions of shock and admiration for Damien and his band. My appreciation for music is increased tenfold when I see live performances. I can’t wait to go to another concert. I hope Sarah McLachlan starts touring soon.

It’s been a long week, but Winter Break has officially begun in an awesome way!

Late Night Thoughts

I don't know what's sadder:

• That I consider 1 AM "early"?
  
• It is 2:30 A.M. and I have finally finished revising all of the objectives for my first goal of three.
  
• I have been sleeping around 4 or 5 A.M. and getting on average 3.5 hrs of sleep.
• I will be happy/settle for a B in clinic.

Happy thoughts:

• Only a few more days of 2T!
• I've been listening to Christmas music and was very nerdily excited to see that Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong was the #1 Album on iTunes. I love her new CD and I love her music! Other favorites are from my old "Holidaze" CD that includes Christina Aguilera's "Silent Night" and "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas" and a piano rendition of "Silver Bells" (artist unknown).
• I had lots of fun at BSILF's fake knitting party today (it was really a study session with frequent comedic breaks and home-made-from-scrach chicken noodle soup!).
• I sent FMIL a nice birthday card today with movie tickets. That made me smile thinking of how she will be very happy to receive a card (and tickets).
• I received a nice e-mail from my brother who is currently in AZ for work.
  
• I received a nice card and gift from my Fave Clinic Partner and a Christmas card for me, BF, & our green baby from BSILF and hubby. Christmas card is on our fireplace mantle and new gift of a Hello Kitty notepad is on our refrigerator. :)
  
• I ordered a 1GB Kingston Flash Drive for $10!
  
• Our organization really pulled together and bought amazing gifts and gift cards for the family we adopted for the holiday! It was soOOOooOOoOoo exciting to gather around the gifts and just imagine how happy our "family" will be. I am surrounded by amazing classmates. We are rapping and wrapping on Thursday.
• For a little comfort, I am having my favorite herbal tea -- Tazo Tea's Passion with a little honey. I usually add a lemon wedge/juice, but we don't have any at home. This stuff is so good. It is delicious when you order it from Starbucks iced with a pump or two of Valencia syrup. A trick of the trade. :)
  

It is 4:12 A.M. and this one needs her beauty rest. In fact, this one needs lots of beauty rests!

Last day of on-campus clinic

I just e-mailed my last two session evaluations. Yeah!
This has been an extremely interesting, fun, and agonizing quarter of clinic. Although it is not completely over yet (FCS due Monday), sessions are officially over. It couldn't've gone any better. :)

First off, I truly feel like it was a blessing from above how my classmate just happened to "be there at the right place at the right time." She was gracious enough interpret for my final meeting with Miracle's Mom. Even though I had met with Miracle's Mom a few times this quarter, she continues to amaze me with how wise she is and how invested she is in her daughter. I say this every quarter, but I always mean it -- it touches my heart to see how involved all of my clients' parents are in their child. Mom wrote me a wonderful card and enclosed a small amber pendant. Miracle cut out a heart and wrote, "I love my teacher" in it. The part that surprised me is when she wrote on the board, "-d" and "-ing." It was somewhat random, but significant since we had been working on those verb forms for half of the quarter. As a parting gift, I gave Miracle a 4-pack of sparkly Play-Doh (to get her to express herself more and in the present progressive form) and an advent calendar from Trader Joe's. :)

Random: I LOVE using parentheses when I write. I think it is b/c I like to make sassy comments in a passive-aggressive way. I.e., when I'm at school, I'm the passive-aggressive one adding in my two-cents under my breath, with my head hunched over as if I am bisy taking notes, and/or hiding behind another classmate so that the prof doesn't know who made the crazy comment. In writing, parentheses are like those verbal comments. However, ever since my last ISR Revision Massacre meeting with 2T, I am almost too traumatized to compulsively use parentheses. She said in a not so pleasant tone/way that certain things I put in ( ) should not be in ( ) b/c they are a core part of the objective. I put them in ( ) as clarification examples. I see her point, but I am still a tiny bit traumatized.

The Riddler's last session also went well. He was quite animated today and still as goofy as ever. When there was 15 minutes left, I presented him his parting gifts. I opened the book up and the first page had his Speech Rules. His expression was priceless. Those rules will prolly haunt him forever. Ha! Past the T.O.C. were the Queen lyrics. When we got to "We are the Champions," he just had to sing the chorus...so I sang with him. :) I showed him the rest of the book (biographies of famous musical artists) and he seemed genuinely thrilled. I also gave him two gel pens, and he snagged a third pen from me (he was using it today and asked, "can I keep this?" I figure, what the hey, why not.). Lastly, I gave him an advent calendar. He asked where it was from him so when I told him, he dutifully reported that Trader Joe's has really good frozen bananas in the Cold Section. I dutifully responded that I will have to try them next time I go. Before he left, we had the following conversation:

C: Do you want to come back next quarter?
R: Yeah.
C: Why is that?
R: I duno. It's fun.
C: Really?
R: I'm going to miss.
C: Miss what?
[Silence]
R: Well, [R], I'm going to miss you!

I know, I know, I am pretty presumtuous to think that he is going to miss me but was just too embarrassed to admit it. =P I am going to miss both of my kiddos.

This quarter, I realized how important it is to keep encouraging these kiddos. I can imagine how much slack they catch from other people in their lives. A little verbal praise and encouragement can go a long way. In addition to both families reporting that both kiddos have improved in their language, they also reported that they saw a change in the child's confidence, too. Talk about the best 2fer "deal"! :) I am so proud of my kiddos.

I left the clinic at 5:55 P.M. Totally a record! BF and I went to Ikea to pick up a shelf for his early Christmas gift that arrived today, along with Lil Fawker's new huge net. We also stopped by Home Depot to pick up a Christmas tree and wreath. When I got home, I called my bro to tell him that I won't borrow Dad's car from him tonight for the tree. He said, "Good thing I didn't surprise you with a Christmas tree then!" Just the thought of him thinking about surprising BF & I with a Christmas tree in Dad's trunk when I was supposed to borrow the car made me overwhelmingly warm and fuzzy.

24 more days until Christmas, 16 days until Lil F's b-day, and 7 more days until this quarter is officially over!