Last Minute Dates

Brian called me around 8:30 AM and said he wasn't going to work today. I thought that was all he was going to tell me (meaning I wouldn't be pet-sitting Max today), but much to my pleasant surprise, he asked if I wanted to go on a morning walk at the beach with him. I was thrilled! We didn't bring Max since, per Brian, we needed some "adult time." Ha! Besides, Max already had his morning walk and our beach date meant walking almost 2 hours at a fast pace.

We did the usual route of starting from Santa Monica Place, walked to Venice, and went to the end of the Washington Pier where we watched a fisherman reel in a fish. It was time well spent as we caught up and talked about many things under the sun. I am always up for a beach walk with Brian (and my brother).

After my date ended, the Husband came home. It wasn't long after that he was going on a "man date" with Brian. Haha. They went out to watch "District 9" while I had a date with Max. :)

My last few days of summer vacation have been soOoOOOooOo relaxing....aaaaahhhh....

Pet-Sitting Reward

Brian dropped Max off around 9 AM and mentioned that Max was really tired since they had gone for a walk. He wasn't kidding!

When he wasn't napping, he was lazily sprawled out like this for most of the time. Except for the one time he snuck into the bedroom and almost chomped on my lamb stuffed animal. I had strategically placed all of my stuffed animals in the middle of my bed but left Lamb Chops on my chair. He thought I wasn't watching him so he got on his hind legs and was about to chomp down when I caught him in the act. It must be so hard for him to resist the temptations. He LOVES stuffed animals...especially the ones that squeak. The dog goes bonkers with squeakers.

Yesterday, Max didn't take any naps, which was unusual. I think it was b/c he probably slept through most of the hot morning until I picked him up around 1:30 PM so he was all energized while he was with Hubby and me.

He must have had sympathy pains for me today. I only got about 3 hours of unrestful sleep last night thanks to some poor decision-making -- I had caffeine late in the day, had an intense and long workout late in the day, and going to bed hungry (even though I ate a late dinner). So I got up around 3 AM, tossed and turned for a while, ate a snack (which is reminiscent of my Dad! He used to do this mid-night snacking all the time!), and started reading The Verbal Behavior Approach by Mary Lynch Barbera. By 6:30 AM, I was halfway through! I was so proud of myself! I don't know what it is, but I just don't read books. I joke that I have undiagnosed ADD, but truthfully, I'd rather surf the internet than read a book. I also meant to read this book before I start work next week so high five to myself because it looks like it's going to happen!

Anywho, there were two best parts of pet-sitting Max today. First, I got to nap with Max for the first time! Hubby let me take a nap with Max on our sofa. :) He's the perfect size, not too big and not too little. He had his head resting on the pillow, too, while I held him and we napped for half an hour.

The other best part? FBIL came to pick Max up earlier than I expected, and he had a huge box of ridonkulously delicious treats from Angel Maid Bakery for us!


I felt like I was back in Rome when I was double-fisting the cookie and ice-cream cone. After dinner, I walked out of the kitchen with a cream puff in one hand and the tiramisu in the other hand. MmMMmMmMMMMm! Thanks Brian!

Love the Hello Kitty cookie! I'll probably save it for last because it's almost too cute to eat!

Brian's 32nd Birthday

Today, we celebrated FBIL's 32nd birthday by firing up the grill for some carne asada, pollo fajita, home-made Spanish rice, 7-layer dip...everything you can think of for Brian's Quinceanera x 2 + 2!


Hubby and I got there two hours earlier to prepare and decorate (a la ghetto) a little bit.

I blew up about 30 balloons while Hubby put the festive streamers up.

The party got really wild when it became a dog park. At one point, we had 4 doggies! Max, Baxter, Buddy, and Mosey.

Van brought Mosey...and this pimped out bottle of Absolut. I LOVE mirrorballs and vodka encased in mirrorball quality.


When it was cake time, we went crazy with the candles...and cakes.

And alas, the family portrait. :)

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A Penny Shy of 30 Cents

Today marks my 29th birthday! In all the relaxation and fun today, I didn't even think once about how old I've turned until about an hour ago.

Last night, I had a date with my bro and FBIL. I got to Chez Carmona around 5 P.M., where Chef Bro was cooking a sumptuous pasta dish a la FBIL's recipe. Creamy sauce consisting of chicken, peas, onion, yellow and red peppers, and spices was delicately poured over rigatoni. FBIL glossed olive oil and sprinkled salt over French bread and then grilled it downstairs. We also had Caesar salad with Japanese cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, corn, and garbanzo beans. Everything was delicious!

Around 6:15, we made our way to the opening night of Madame Butterfly at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. We stopped by Starbucks, where I tried a Vanilla Bean creme Frappuccino (that tastes like McD's fro-yo). Bro and I picked up tickets while FBIL parked...(and almost didn't make it to the first act!). It was a really neat experience going to an opera. I really didn't know what to expect, but I certainly wasn't expecting what I experienced. One must have a vivid imagination and be able to follow the story line by reading and interpreting the textual translations over the stage. If I hadn't read a synopsis, I don't think I would have gotten the full story. All in all, we agreed that it was a different experience.


Since I got home so late (11:30 p.m.), I really did not want to go to work today, so I called in sick. I was actually able to sleep in a bit and then met bro at Overland Cafe for breakfast at 9:45. We had a nice time, despite my faux pas of knocking over my coffee, which spilled all over my bag. We left around 11 A.M., and I made two pit-stops before returning home.

BF and I were going to go to Lake Shrine on Sunset or the Getty Museum, but since we were leaving our place at 1 PM and planning on going to my favorite Mexican restaurant, we didn't think the timing would work out. We went straight to lunch, where I ordered the chicken fajita for the first time. It was better than I expected! We thoroughly enjoyed our meal.

Afterward, we stopped by the Fox Studios lot in Century City to visit a friend, who hooked up a discount to Season 3 of My Name is Earl! I am soOoooOO excited and can't wait to watch it! Afterwards, we stopped by the Westside Pavilion to shop a bit, but I didn't find anything that I really wanted. Besides, BF bought me a pea coat that will arrive tomorrow and he is getting me a turtle tank for my Lil Focker that I love soOooOo much! :D

Lastly, we stopped by Baskin-Robbins for the traditional birthday cake...only BF bought me 2 cakes (and a real ice-cream milkshake)! He keeps outdoing himself every year! Now, I am just waiting for FBIL and Bro to come over so we can have some delicious cake.


All I wanted for today was to have a nice, relaxing birthday and it certainly was. Thank you to all my friends and family who have wished me a happy birthday!

XOXO

Moving Sale

Earlier this month, Bro closed escrow on a triplex! It has been a while since he started and finally, this wonderful opportunity surfaced. It is a cute fixer-upper...and I have no doubt that Bro and FBIL will work their magic and their charm. I can't wait to see them settled in. Woohoo! :) (That means that I am one-step closer to having a doggie in my immediate family!)

Since they intend to move by the beginning of way, they held a moving sale today. I got to their place around 8 and Tita Dina arrived soon after. We, along with Rose, were the moving sale keepers until about 1, when we called it quits, as the weather changed from freezing at 9 AM to blazing hot at noon. I managed to sell about $16 worth of my stuff (3 x $5 for a table, two-piece top set, foot spa, and purse for $1). I also 'donated' a bunch of stuff to be distributed through Tita Dina (she kept two knock-off scarves, will give two knock-off purses to The Girls, and two dresses to high school girls who do not have the money to purchase dresses for their school dances).

Sadly, I could have broke the $20 mark, but I totally got juked for $5! The girl that bought my table for $5 played me! She also took two of my lamps and claimed she paid Tita Dina for them. I was so mad, but what was I to do? She insisted that she did and Tita Dina insisted that she didn't. I let her go. :( I was even more irked since I had just spent half an hour with her as she got a free SLP consultation re: her supposed problem (which made me feel incompetent b/c I really didn't see her "problem" as much of a problem. Nor did her ENT.). I kept telling her that her thing is not my area of expertise, too.

Anywho, I should let bygones be bygones I suppose. Unless the girl contacts me (she asked for my contact info so I gave her my company work address...which I barely check).

After that, we headed over to the triplex to do some work. Only, I didn't do much work. I just moved 8 paint cans up 2 flights of stairs (4 trips), slothed around while the cool breeze relaxed me, talked my bro's ears off as usual, and then Tita Dina and FBIL came back with delicious Mexican food from a local joint. I had 'sope' for the first time and a few bites of una torta. All very delicious! I left when Bro and FBIL had just begun painting the downstairs unit's main room.

I was so sleepy (residual effects from yesterday, plus stayed up until 2 reading textbook) that I came home and took a 2 hour nap. The good news is that I only have 5 more pages of text to read!

Vision Update

I went for my 1 week post-op follow-up yesterday, and I am looking well! (Pun intended b/c I am sOOooOO dorky!)

Right eye is seeing at 20/20 and left eye at 20/30. Woohoo! It is still amazing and unbelievable to think that it has only been less than 2 weeks since I went under the knife. It is such a blessing to wake up and be able to see (and to sleep that extra 5 minutes since I no longer go through the contacts routine).

(I can say what I'm going to say next b/c BF doesn't read my blog, but don't tell him that I blogged this!) BF said, "Wow! Now you can really see the handsomeness!" Of course referring to himself. And he is so right. :)

After the appointment, I rushed back home to clean and help BF prepare for our dinner guests. We rarely have people over so anybody coming over is a big event. Our Special Guests Bro and FBIL came over for a yummy dinner of grilled steaks and veggies, "Dexter," and a belated ice-cream cake (tradition that Mommy started). We really had a great time as always. After they left, I thought about how Bro told BSILF that a company he interviewed for was looking for a position in Chicago or NY; BSILF said to me, "OMG, I can't imagine what you would do if your Bro moved away!" And she is so right! I don't know! He is looking into a place out south of Mid-Wilshire, and I'm already panicking about how "far" that is.

I can't imagine how much more needy I would be towards my brother if I didn't have my handsomest BF...!

Bro's 31st Birthday

Yesterday, my bro celebrated his birthday with several close friends. Funny because I recall my brother saying last year that he wanted FBIL to plan a huge event, like a mini-trip with a bunch of people. But as his day drew nearer, what he wanted most was a chill evening with his closest friends.

We started off with Korean BBQ at Cham Sut Gol (a.k.a. The Cave). It was kind of a mini-China-Trip reunion, since most of us haven't seen each other since August. (My, how time flies) BSILF and Hubby came, too, which we were all excited about! :) After several platters of meat (Mommy would be so disappointed in us!), we had delicious birthday cake from JJ's bakery. Afterwards, we promptly left for our karaoke reservation at Rosen.

We got to Rosen around 7:30 and got right down to business. BSILF asked if I was going to sing and I told her honestly, "Only if my bro makes me...which I'm sure he will." Sure enough, he did...but it was fun and nice. The first song we sang together was Mr. Big's "To Be With You." I was thrilled! I haven't heard nor thought of that song in at least a decade! We didn't score 100, but we sure sang our hearts out. ;) We were definitely not leaving until somebody scored 100...and the dynamic dual that won it all was none other than BSILF and FBIL with Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach."
The funny thing is that we were all home pretty much by 10 or 10:30, yet I know I felt like I had a full night out! Man, I just can't hang like I used to. Heck, I haven't been able to hang like when I was 21, since I was 21!

It was really a fun night and most importantly, my brother had a blast.

New Year's Eve Celebration

This year, BF and I didn't go out with a "big bang." We almost did go to Giant...but in light of us being sick for forever and a day, feeling too old for massive crowds in cold weather conditions, spending a lot for Christmas (and not wanting to spend more on Giant tickets), and CBnR staying home to watch Godson and Faux Godson, BF and I joined in Bro and FBIL's plans. :)

The day was quite relaxing. BF capitalized on his last opportunity to meet one of his 2007 resolutions of bowling 200. Six games and one ring finger blister later, he relayed with much disappointment that this would be a 2008 resolution. We came home and chilled until FBIL and Bro came over with delicious pizza and mojos! We watched an episode of Dexter (can't wait for the next season!) and then they left. For the next hour, we primped and prepped for our NYE par-tay at Lynnie's. I made a successful batch of brownies** and then they picked us up around 9PM.

**I am clearly not the brownie maker in this relationship, ever since I made a batch -- years ago -- that "tasted like feet." The culprit ingredient? I substituted... olive oil for vegetable oil. I have never been able to live this down! Thankfully, Christy felt for me...she can't live down the time when she made meatloaf...and substituted iceberg lettuce for celery!

We started getting our drink on right when we got in...and we ate some more! There was a nice spread of appetizers in addition to Bro and FBIL making delicious empanadas. Christy joined us around 10 and brought a ridiculous amount of fried chicken. We chilled, talked, and recapped about how our year went. Around 11:50PM, we started Creative Hour...everyone started drawing, coloring, or folding origami! Most of us drew the one thing or scene that we "always" drew when we were little. So of course I drew my random collage: tree, clouds, "m" birds, rabbit, bird, house, and Farmer Bob. Sadly, it really does look exactly like it did when I drew them as a 4 to 7 year-old! (Even more sad was that at that age range, I wanted to be an artist when I grew up!)

Bro had a little origami session going at one end of the table so he taught FBIL how to fold tulips and Christy how to fold a camera. I told them how when we were little, we used to draw "photos" and stick them in our "cameras" and take pictures. What happened after sent everyone over the edge -- Bro and Christy cut out pictures from magazines and took pictures of everyone. It was awesomely cheesy and hilarious. :)

Sometime in between, we counted down with KROQ for the last 10 seconds of 2007. Happy new year wishes, hugs, and kisses went around. Although only some of us had a good 2007, the general consensus was that 2008 will be better. It will be a good year.

We continued on with our Creative Hour (I think the ETOH had a big influence on Creative Hour beginning and continuing on), and I plugged away at a jigsaw puzzle for about 2 hours. I absolutely love doing puzzles and can sit for hours. I got a lot of, "how do you do it?" and really, the only thing I could think of is that I must have autistic tendencies (by proxy). I can find a piece and envision/know that it's the interlocking piece between two others. If I could, I would do puzzles all the time.

Random: BF keeps asking if I miss my kiddos and which are my favorite. I have a couple favorites, but my 320s take the cake. He constantly asks if I have a favorite 320...and I really don't. I love all five of them. Although I am not looking forward to working again, I am looking forward to seeing my kiddos, 320 or "regular special ed."

Shoot, I did tell one of my favorite regular SPED kiddos that one of my new year's resolution would be to be better prepared with therapy techniques and materials -- in his case, it means reading a book on how to remediate a lateral lisp. I better get going...

Happy new year!

2.6 Miles

This morning, BF woke me up at 6 AM again. This time, it was b/c he had woken up around 4 AM due to food poisoning. :( Poor boo-boo. We had some delicious home-brewed Sbux coffee and then we just relaxed a little bit before I called FBIL up to see what the AM haps was.

Shortly after, FBIL picked me up to go hiking in Temescal Canyon. We actually did the reverse full hike of the Full Moon Hike, which is 2.6 miles! We did it in about an hour and five minutes...but I seriously thought I wasn't going to make it. That mofo is intense! It's literally 30-35 minutes of steep incline hiking. I thought I was about to get a heat-stroke so I had to sheepishly ask FBIL to stop for a few seconds so that I could catch my (heaving) breath and quench my parched throat. So much for thinking I was relatively healthy, despite my 50-min cardio sessions (maybe b/c my frequency is too low! In addition to low endurance).

It was still a very nice hike with the cool breeze, warm sunshine, and gorgeous view of L.A. at the peak point. I thought it was especially pleasant that 99% of the hikers we passed greeted us (or responded to our greetings). It stood out to me because when I go for walks around the hood here (and it's not like the Hood), people don't make eye contact and/or ignore my greetings. It's bizarre. (Do I look like a criminal?)

After that, I came home and chillaxed with the BF. By this time, he was convinced he had E. Coli (from something I bought him yesterday -- not something I cooked!) so he made me look up treatment. I was really glad that an antibiotic we have in our cupboards can be taken. Actually, I was so relieved and anxious to give it to him that when I exclaimed, "Do you want some now?" he quipped, "No! I can't take it on an empty stomach! OMG, you're trying to kill me!"

Holy snikeys, talk about Drama King! He's much better now, though (thank God, for reals). I am seriously so nervous about his well-being as we embark halfway across the world next week. All this time, I'm IMing Younger Genius Cousin, who is like, "Wow, you must have a lot of discipline to work at home." That made me wonder, do I really have ADD or am I just too distracted? (Or is that the same thing? Shoot, I guess it could be considered the same thing.)

Thank goodness BF doesn't read my blog. =P

Welcome home, FBIL

FBIL came home on August 9th! :)

FBIL has been in Ghana for a little over a month. Amongst other things, I've missed a month of, "Hi Mei! (Here's your brother...)" phone greetings. I am glad and relieved that he is back (for his sake and my bro's sake) because I can only imagine all the things he has experienced. Every e-mail update I've been fortunate to receive from him has made me weep. He wrote about the poverty, the violence, the social outcasts (due to physical illnesses) they counseled everyday, and the love and appreciation received from the professionals and clients. I am always in awe and admiration of people like FBIL who do the things that I want to do...but lack the courage to do.

FBIL brought home a gift for me, too. He said, "I know you don't cook much...so maybe you can wear this when you are cleaning your turtle's tank or playing with her." The "history" behind this apron is that FBIL visited an area where a young, retired prostitute sold her products to make a new living. This apron was made and decorated with tie-dye turtles by her. :) Even though I am cooking more often, I don't intend to use it. It is too special.

P.S. We went out for Pinkberry afterwards and I had the shaved ice for the first time. :)

Last Week of Rehab

My last week of rehab had quite a sobering effect on me. After 11 weeks of flying by the seat of my panties and learning through trial-and-error, asking dumb questions (which I am particularly a G at), and researching (what did we used to do w/o the internet?), I realized how much I've learned this past quarter...and how much more I need to learn.

It was really scary yet exhilarating for doctors and patients' family members to speak to me as if I was the professional (did they know that when I introduced myself as Graduate Student, it meant I did not have my degree nor license yet?). But my MC was right -- the more I speak, the more confidence I gain, and the more I realize that I actually do know what I'm talking about. Well, for the most part.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

On Tuesday, many of us went to Grand Lux for a good-bye lunch for me and the PT Student. It was a little hectic for me (as are many of my days) b/c I had crammed all of my rounds in the AM and was unexpectedly expected at a family conference right after lunch. After that, I zoomed over to school for my Oral Defense...which I thankfully passed with a bit of head-nodding in agreement to my own statements.

On Wednesday, I couldn't believe I only had one more day and I couldn't wait until Thursday. On Thursday, I couldn't believe it was my last day. It was like any other one of my "bad" days...where I made one mistake after another. i.e., I misunderstood one not-the-brightest-crayon-in-the-box doc for saying he'd take out my patient's G-tube instead of trach. i.e., I explained aspiration precautions to my patient, which sent him almost into an anxiety attack (suddenly, he could "feel" himself silently aspirating). A few other mishaps took place, but fortunately, I walked out at 4 P.M. with an "A" in this chapter/quarter of my life and felt proud of myself for doing the best that I could have.

In celebration, I stopped by Carl's Jr. to buy BF a 6 dollar burger (after all, it was Burger Day and as BF swears, "all good things happen on Burger Day") and myself some fried zucchinis (I've decided that those are one of my favorite foods). Soon after, FBIL, Guh, and I went to the Walt Disney Concert Hall to listen to the Los Angeles Master Chorale in Sounds of the City. It was very interesting, relaxing, and wonderful. I think I once told my bro that someday, I want to get season tickets to the concert hall. Wouldn't that be nice?

That night, I got home and completely crashed. I fell asleep with the thought of graduating the next day...!

723

723 has been the repeated number in discussions for the very much anticipated date of 4/28/07.

I have officially finished reading 723 pages of the Bohemoth Blue Book! (Sans a few chapter-end quizzes which I will go over tomorrow.)

Post-exam, the new magic number will be...600. We need a 600 (60%) to pass. I have never longed for 60% as much as I do now.

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To dispell any myths that the future of America lays in the hands of underachievers~

On Friday evening, BSILF, CHK, NB, and I attended an Honors and Scholarship Awards Ceremony. That was definitely one of my prouder moments in life, and I was extremely happy to share it with Guh, FBIL, and BSILF who received a very special, well-deserved award. Congratulations to us under-achievers who are aiming for (at least) 60%!

Memories of Food and Family

Today, I went to Souplantation with bro, FBIL, and LLP for lunch. I like to think that Souplantation is one of me and my bro's favorite restaurants partially for nostalgic reasons. When vegetarian Mom still lived in So Cal, we used to go to Souplantation all the time. I never got tired of it. What could be better than a frozen yogurt buffet? (One of my unrealistic dreams is to open up a frozen yogurt/ice-cream buffet.)

At Souplantation, we reminisced about Dad's pizzeria. When I was in Kindgergarten, Dad opened up a pizzeria for a year. We used to go there after school all the time. FBIL asked if we ever got chunky from eating so much pizza. Not really because the typical routine was that we'd get there, grab a cup, and fill up from the soda fountain. I'd drink myself silly with root beer until one day, my bro said, "Root beer's gross; it's made of beer." Then I stopped drinking it. What a curiosity; I don't like root beer now (1) but don't mind an occasional Stella. I remember my bro and I used to make little figures out of pizza dough, bake it, and eat it. In retrospect, I wonder why we never got to make and eat pizza! We just ate plain baked dough! WTH was that about? I love pizza!

Anywho, I came back home and started studying again. Shortly after, BF came home with a dozen YumYum donuts. I thought I had never had YumYum donuts until just a few minutes ago, bro called and said they were going to get donuts and asked what 6 we wanted. What a coincidence! (Seriously, we don't have donuts all the time.) I said BF bought YumYum donuts this afternoon, which I don't think I've ever had. He said, "Don't you remember? We used to have YumYum donuts every morning.(2) At the hotel. Until we got the Otis Spunkmeyer cookie machine."

I totally forgot. Back in the 80s, my family owned a hotel. Many of our childhood days/years were spent there. You could say my first job was filling up Coke machines, rolling up the coins, and folding fresh linen. Many meals came from Del Taco, Carls Jr., pizza delivery (not from Dad's pizzeria), and YumYum donuts. Dang, I wish we still had that Otis Spunkmeyer machine.

*****

(1) As much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE ice-cream, I will not have it in a root-beer or soda float. A part of it is b/c the soda melts the ice-cream, which totally bums me out. I want to eat ice-cream, not drink it.

(2) When my bro said "donuts every morning," I thought he meant the donuts we had every morning when we lived in Glendora. We'd wake up before God did to drive in traffic for 1.5 hours to get to school (that's another story). I always missed first period and went to second period late. I remember this brat used to announce to the class as I tried to sneak in, "Cheryl's late again!" (Junior high was rough man.) Regardless, I looked forward to the morning breakfasts. Almost every morning, my dad stopped along the way to buy us donuts and chocolate milk from a little hole-in-the-wall. That was probably the best part of my day.

ADD: When I say my dad stopped for donuts, I mean, he had us wait in the silver Volvo while he jumped out really quick. So, we never knew exactly what we'd get. On the really special days, my dad would surprise us with donut holes! :D

*****

I feel like this is a "Joy Luck Club" post -- writing about family memories that are centered around food.

*****

It skurrs me to realize how easy my mind wanders onto Memory Lane, when I desperately need to study. Back to the Bohemoth Blue Book. Less than two more weeks until the exam...

Wo Men Yao Chi China!

It's final! We're going to China in August!

A little background:
My bro and FBIL have done some extensive traveling in the past. He often encourages me to travel (abroad), but the old-skool Asian in me always felt like I should stay "home," work, and save up. Last year, my bro started planning a big trip to China. He has tried his best to schedule a trip that would accommodate everyone's schedule. Talk about hectic. Finally, he found the winning dates a few days ago.

Then there's my dad. He LOVES China and has talked about bringing me for years now. Probably since my college days. I've missed out on a number of opportunities to go with him b/c of school. I have to admit, I wasn't too hip to the idea of going with Dad b/c I want to do all the touristy stuff; he's not really the touristy type. I'd love to go with him in the future, though.

Come to think of it, my trip has been long overdue. When I was in college, my granduncle gave me an early graduation gift -- flight money to China. The old-skool Asian in me did two things when I finished school: 1) went straight into work and 2) took that money and paid off some of my school loans.

Finally, I'm doing what I was supposed to do 7 years ago!

Sometimes I feel like this whole grad school experience is me reliving my college days, but with a heckuvalot more direction. I'm studying what I am truly passionate about. I am actually participating in my own graduation ceremony (I totally regret not walking in undergrad). Lastly, I am going on a big "graduation" trip with my best friends!!

As if I wasn't excited enough about going with best friends BF, Bro, and FBIL, BSILF and hubby RSVP'd this AM, too!! I can't believe that this is actually happening!

BFF BSILF put it best when she left me a VM that went something along the lines of, "I'm so excited! I feel like we're in HS and we're going on the big senior class trip." For reals, that's how I feel, too. :) (Senior class trip to Yosemite ruled, man.)

This is gonna be an awesome "extended family" trip! LOL :D

Pampering

Yesterday and today, I've been forced to pamper myself (how often does that happen)? Back in October, bro and FBIL gave me a spa package to Peponi. My invitation/package is expiring in a week so I had to hurry and use them. I definitely did not want to let them go to waste!

On Friday, I received a mini-enzymatic facial. That was so nice, and I know my face needed it. The aestheticican, Rene, was wonderful as expected. Today, I went back for a Peponi Manicure (in between the Basics and Pleasure). I didn't catch the manicurist's name, but she was quite interesting and fun. A whole door was opened when she asked me, "Why is your mom in Texas?"

I'm excited because I get one more treatment this coming Friday. :) One more mini-enzymatic facial, coming right up!

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There's this one kid at Site 2. He is the most adorable kid. He's everyone's "favorite" including the 3 librarians (the speech room is in b/t the computer lab and library; it's almost like a little "foyer" in between the two huge rooms). Anywho, he is somewhat on the PDD spectrum and totally hyperlexic, but has not been dx'd yet (long story). Anywho, when I work with him and go over Buddy Bear Association books, he'll respond correctly and sometimes add in, "One popcorn [or other appropriate food object], coming right up!" It totally cracks me up! He is so cute. I'm excited b/c just within the past few weeks, I've seen some progress. I'm mainly attributing it to development, though.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today was a nice, casual V-day for the BF and I. We had dinner at Paco's Taco's (my fave Mexican restaurant!), stopped by Hotcake Bakes for dessert, and then went bowling. :)

I also received a bag of "Classroom Mix" Valentine's candies from bro and FBIL last night. What a clever idea and a delicious mix of Snickers, M&Ms, and Twix! I also received a Valentine from my MC2 - a See's Candies chocolate heart! Yummers. :) I didn't see my regular kids for tx today so I didn't get to throw a real "Valentime" day party for the small potatoes, but last Friday, we had mini-V-day parties w/ the kids and tmrw, we'll wrap up the celebration. Yay!

XOXO to all of you!

P.S. Hotcakes Bakes: "Katrina Moore and Elfie Weiss have opened little ten-seater Hotcakes Bakes, combining their American and Parisian baking techniques. Everything’s made on premises, from scratch, without benefit of mixers. Signature baked goods include opera cake; banana cream pie with milk chocolate ganache; and croissants. Sandwiches served on fresh baguettes pair ingredients like caprese with prosciutto and turkey with avocado."

Excuses, Excuses -- Another Ketchup

Much to my dismay, I haven't had much time to blog lately. Unfortunately, I'll have to do another ketchup:

January 12

I had my hospital placement interview and to my great relief, it was painless and I left with my pride still in tact. I have to admit that since we began taking dysphagia this quarter, I've been hesitant about working with adults/in the hospital. However, I am placed in the acute rehab unit...hence, many of my concerns and hesitations were allayed. After all, I'm just not that great at simultaneously "thinking on my feet" and "out of the box." In the acute rehab unit, I will still have to use my brain, but there won't be the burden of life-and-death decisions won't be as heavy. Okay, not exactlylife-and-death, but pretty serious decisions. Good thing, b/c I am such an indecisive person. The last thing a patient needs is for me to stand before them, thinking aloud, "Should I give you a VFSS or FEES?"

January 14

Bro had his big Tres-0 b-day gig at the Daily Grill. That was tons of fun, I got to see a few of his friends that I haven't seen in a long time. I also ate about half of the items on the appetizer menu. OoOOOoO, FBIL bought a delicious cake from Angel Maid Bakery. It was definitely heavenly. (I'll post pixs when I get them.) Most importantly, my bro had a great time catching up with friends who came from all over to celebrate his birthday. :)

January 15

MLK Day! (No school day!) I have to admit that I have not given MLK much thought since elementary school, but being placed where I'm at has given me the opportunity to revisit other cultures (and respective holidays) and also think about my own. The Thursday before MLK, I heard the following conversation between one of the kiddos and MC2:

K: Are you going to give us something tomorrow?
MC2: For what?
K: Monday's a holiday. It's MLK Day.

It was kind of funny, but beyond that, I thought about the importance of us respecting each other's ethicities, cultures, and traditions. After the Kiddo left, MC2 scrambled around to prepare something "special" for MLK Day. On Friday, they went over a book on MLK. :) My kids are soOOooOo curious that it's adorable. I am such a novelty b/c they rarely see Asians. Some of them are almost afraid to talk to me. Others keep asking me questions. I like that they are curious and openly ask questions.

Since I had the day off, BF and I visited FBM and BBN. We went bowling in their hood. As usual, we had a blast with BBN. That kid is such a character! Unfortunately, BF and I both caught whatever they had so we've both been under the weather.

I never thought I'd be doing this at home, but yesterday was the first time I used anti-bacterial gel at home! BF's been Lysoling everything, and I've been rubbing my hands with that gel all the live long day b/c we don't have the same symptoms -- and I can't afford to get what he has!

The end.

Ice Adventures

First ice adventure ~ ice-cream!

Two nights ago I made ice-cream for the first time! I busted out our new ice-cream maker and made cookies 'n cream with real Oreos. Man, it was delicious! BF and I haven't finished it yet b/c it is really rich. I could definitely get used to making ice-cream as soon as we have more room in the freezer. Making slushies may be my next move. :)

Second ice adventure ~ snowboarding!

On a whim, I decided to go snowboarding w/ Bro, FBIL, and their buddy and his BF. Actually, I had a dream early Wednesday morning where I went snowboarding. When I told Bro and FBIL during our night hike, FBIL mentioned going boarding today. I was hesitant since school already began and time for fun adventures is a rarity. Yesterday, Bro asked me again, and with a little hemming and hawing, I decided that it was now or never.

So I woke up at 5 AM and was at my bro's 10 minutes before 6. Former We Ho cheerleader and his BF picked us up at 6, and we headed to Big Bear. Starbucks stop, equipment rental, and three and a half hours later, we were hittin' the slopes. The powder was perfect and fresh since it had just rained and they had just added more man-made real snow. It was also great b/c it wasn't too crowded. After two runs, we ate an early lunch. Dude, seriously, the nachos and chili fries were so good. Bro & I had Peanut M&Ms for dessert. :) We did 3 more runs and then called it a day b/c by then, it was jam packed with people and taking forever to get on the lifts.

I had so much fun! Fortunately, I didn't crash into anybody. A dude rammed his board into my back b/c he didn't see me (I was at the top, strapping myself in), but at least I didn't get a board rammed up my crack, requiring stitches (like Bro's anonymous friend).

I fell a lot more times than I thought I would, and I was a lot slower than the last times I've been. In fact, I was the slowest of the bunch. I wanted to attribute it to old age, but FBIL and Bro are older than me and I used to be faster than them. So that wasn't it. Maybe I've just become less coordinated and weaker. Dude, I was eatin' their dust all day.

In terms of injuries, I didn't pull any muscles, like how I pulled my groin muscle big-time in 2002. =X That was a horrible experience (and I didn't even know I had a groin muscle to pull). Bro, FBIL, and I also attempted to learn to carve, but after I totally ate it a few times, I gave up. It was hard b/c 1) we were learning on the intermediate/advanced slopes so it was way steep for an amateur to learn on and 2) when we tried to learn on the bunny slopes, it was way too crowded and you pick up speed so fast. The last thing I wanted to do was stop my board by running into the many people obstacles along the way.

We left around 2 and made another Starbucks run. I didn't realize how tired I was; after I had my latte, I totally fell asleep for about half an hour. BTW, Sbux has some adorable Valentine's Day stuff! When I got home, I cleaned Lil F's tank, too. By the time I was showering, I could barely lift my arms to wash my hair! How weak is that!

It was so worth it, though! This past week has been adventurous, special thanks to FBIL and Bro. I am trying to be more spontaneous and adventurous, despite the daily stresses of being a grown-up and being a student. :) Not too shabby a track record for the first week of the year, huh?

Fake Last Day of Vacation

Although I began school yesterday, I am psyching myself out to believe that today is my last day of vacation. Of course by the first day of class, we were supposed to have already read Chapter 1 so I was already behind in my assignments when I got to school.

This morning, I began my "last" day of vacation by accompanying BF to the local bowling alley for his first "real" bowling lesson. I cheesed out of taking bowling lessons and read Chapter 1 of our dysphagia text while he learned how to approach the line. One and a half hours, Chapter 1 and a few pages of Chapter 3, and 3 bowling games later, BF and I bowled two games. BF thinks I was subconsciously "itching" to bowl b/c in my first game, I bowled 3 strikes and picked up a spare, totalling 136! My second game was a bummy 80 something but I still had fun. Unfortunately, BF noticed that his ball was chipped so he was incredibly bummed out! Fortunately, his new coach is doctoring his ball over the next few days.

Afterwards, BF and I went to Costco. One of his New Year's Resolutions that I made for him is to eat out no more than once a week (and to eat healthier). That means we need to stock up on food that he will eat at home so we went all out at Costco (my favorite "market"). The rest of the day inclued more errands such as stopping by one of my doctors, who gave me a calendar of "Beautiful Korea" and bid me a very enthusiastic "Happy New Year!" in her accented English. That made me really smile. I also went to Food-4-Less and picked up a few more stuff...including peppermint and vanilla extract to make ice-cream! Yeah!

I decided at the last minute to join Bro and FBIL for a night hike at Temescal Canyon in Pacific Palisades. I thought we were joining a large group of their friends since they said we were hiking with a "large group." Turns out we were hiking with a large group of people. Strangers to be precise. I have to admit I was a little leary, especially since it was a full moon (all the crazies are out) and we did not know to bring flashlights. Still, we ventured on.

Our hiking leader, a 6 foot 8 inch naturistic dude, led about 25+ of us on a really dark hike that takes place every full moon. The theme of tonight's hike was "Feast of the Senses." The guy made us narrow down which sense we would not want to live without. Most of us chose vision. Quite appropriate since we were going on a night hike where those of us without flashlights would have to rely on our other senses (well, not taste) rather than our vision, which I am certainly most used to. For a few yards, we hiked silently and listened to all the sounds. We walked farther away from the highways and traffic died down and all we heard were crickets, trampling of leaves, whispers, and Coco the dog sniffing around. Our next trek honed in on our sense of smell. Lots of sage and other herbs. For the rest of the hike, we just went uphill and didn't really zero in on any of our senses b/c we were too busy huffing up and up and up. I was so not ready for such a wild hike.

Nevertheless, we made it to an opening at what seemed like the top of a mountain. The view was magnificent. We could see Santa Monica Bay, LAX (sort of), and Downtown LA. I was more enthralled by the moon and the stars above. The full moon often reminds me of my mom. I could be wrong, but I think every full moon, my mom and her temple put on a big celebration of sorts. What really surprised me tonight was the thought of how I haven't seen Orion, his Belt, and the Big Dipper in probably years. That thought made me happy and sad. As corny as it may be, I thought about the "light pollution" that our cities have (and made me think of stuff I'm reading in Voyage of the Turtle). The only times I really look up at the stars are when I'm at Ama's. She lives at the base of the Foothills, so we can actually see the stars.

Rewind: I was actually star-gazing New Year's Eve with BBN. I asked him if he could see the moon. He said yes and pointed to the moon. I asked if he saw the stars. He said no. I tried to point them out to him. Then he finally said, "Those are spaceship!" LOL

Anywho, the view was wonderful and the dude made us do a pirate's trick of staring at the moon with one eye so that our rods and cones would adjust to the dark. It was a neat trick that I am not explaining very well b/c my mind and body is mush from the hike. Bro, FBIL, and I ended up leaving the crowd and treking downhill IN THE DARK all the way back down.

Our downhill trek was interesting for me. When we were going uphill, I was so anxious about tripping in the dark so I kept running after the stranger ahead of me w/ a flashlight. I didn't really enjoy my surroundings. Going back down in the dark with no light except the full moon was such a different, calming (occasionally scary when I tripped over rocks or missed a step) experience.

I'm glad I went on a night hike. It was my first night hike and my third hike, said the sheltered girl.

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!