Merry Christmas everyone! We celebrated Christmas with our families. Christmas Eve we drove up to Sacramento to Auntie Doris's house for dinner with Greg's extended family. It was good to see everyone and to meet Seth, Steph and Scott's baby boy. Santa took time out of his busy evening to stop by and hand out a few gifts. I (Cheryl) got to sit on Santa's lap as did Jeanette, Tina, Greg's mom, Auntie Bridget and the kids. I guess Greg and his brothers have already "paid their dues" with sitting on Santa's lap as they grew up.
After filling up on yummy food and homemade blueberry pie (yum!), we headed to Auntie Bridget's house to open gifts. We got lots of Home Depot gift cards, which will come in handy to buy paint for the house! We also got a new dog bed for Tachi, a blender, and a dutch oven. Tachi gave me a lovely fleece-lined, fisherman's knit beanie. Apparently he got a job, as a guard dog, to earn money to buy me the beanie. =) Speaking of Tachi, he got tons of new toys.
My family came over for dinner on Christmas Day. We had hot pot (aka shabu shabu), which is really pretty easy to pull together. Greg had picked up most of the stuff, but I wasn't sure we had enough food. So, I went out to pick up a couple extra packs of sliced meat, veggies, fish balls and tofu. It turns out we would've been fine with what Greg got. Guess we'll have to have hot pot again sometime soon. Anyone want to come over?
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Home Remodeling
Since we closed on the new house, we've been really busy. We had the house tented for termites last week. It looked like a giant fruit roll up ate our house.
The tent came off on Wed and on Friday, we started remodeling the place. Our plan is to remodel the kitchen and bathrooms, put in a new roof, add a skylight, put in new floors, remove wallpaper and paint the interior, add insulation to the attic, hang sheet rock and epoxy the garage.
There's a lot of stuff going on at the house. By Saturday, the old kitchen and bathrooms were completely demolished. On Sunday, we went to house to remove wallpaper, the 12x12 mirror tiles lining the wall in the entryway and remove old cabinets and drywall in the garage. Here's a couple of before and after pics.
Kitchen Before
Kitchen Now
The tent came off on Wed and on Friday, we started remodeling the place. Our plan is to remodel the kitchen and bathrooms, put in a new roof, add a skylight, put in new floors, remove wallpaper and paint the interior, add insulation to the attic, hang sheet rock and epoxy the garage.
There's a lot of stuff going on at the house. By Saturday, the old kitchen and bathrooms were completely demolished. On Sunday, we went to house to remove wallpaper, the 12x12 mirror tiles lining the wall in the entryway and remove old cabinets and drywall in the garage. Here's a couple of before and after pics.
Kitchen Before
Kitchen Now
Friday, November 21, 2008
We're officially home owners!
We closed on our house today! Yay! We'll get the keys from our Realtor tomorrow morning. But we probably won't be moving in to the house until after the holidays.
We're having a lot of work done to the house before we move in. On Monday the termite tents go up. They'll be done fumigating the house on Wednesday. On Friday we start demo of of the kitchen. There's also a new roof, skylight, new bathrooms, floors and paint to come. Hopefully, we can post before, during and after pics as we make progress.
We're having a lot of work done to the house before we move in. On Monday the termite tents go up. They'll be done fumigating the house on Wednesday. On Friday we start demo of of the kitchen. There's also a new roof, skylight, new bathrooms, floors and paint to come. Hopefully, we can post before, during and after pics as we make progress.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Love Shack
We're (okay, I'm) behind on posts. We've been really busy, and I haven't had time to post. So, this is a catch-up post on what we've been up to.
Ritchie and Margaret's Wedding
We attended Ritchie and Margaret's wedding on Oct 25. They had a traditional Filipino Catholic wedding at the Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park. The church is just up the street from where Eugene and Ritchie's old apartment. I have fond memories of that apartment. We (the Tribe) used to hang out there before and after walking to the British Bankers Club (BBC), a local pub.
As we drove into the parking lot, there was a stretch Hummer limo parked next to the church. I'm pretty sure the wedding party rode in that nifty ride. Nice touch, Ritchie & Margaret. The ceremony was the longest one that Greg's ever attended and his first Catholic mass. I was really surprised that he'd never attended a Filipino Catholic wedding before since most of his high school friends were Filipino. I guess he didn't really keep in touch his high school friends. Most people probably don't, which is why it's unusual that the most of my best friends, I've known since high school.
During the ceremony, Greg kept asking me what or why they did certain things. For example, he wanted to know how everyone knew what to respond or when to say the Our Father or why they genuflect before walking into the pew. The two most memorable moments of the ceremony:
Trick or Treat
Our friend Ed's favorite holiday is Halloween. He and his wife, Char, go all out. They turn their front yard to a spooky graveyard. This year Ed built a mausoleum on their porch and out to part of the walkway up to house. He even added a coffin to the graveyard. It looks really great and definitely spooky. If I were a kid, I'd be afraid to go to his house.
To get ready for Halloween, we carved pumpkins at Char and Ed's house. Unfortunately, they didn't last long enough to make it to Halloween. Luckily Ed took pictures. Can you guess which pumpkin is mine and which is Greg's?
On Halloween night, Ed, Greg and some other friends got dressed in costumes to scare the kids (and parents) that came by the house. I think the neighborhood kids were onto them because they just hung around taunting the boys and taking turns getting into the coffin. I think they expect Ed and Char to pull out all the stops. Plus, they saw Ed building the mausoleum and coffin. At first, it was kinda funny, but then it got annoying. Highlights of the evening:
Love Shack
We're in escrow for a single-family home! Yay! It's very exciting. We close in 2 weeks. It's a 3bdrm/2bath, ranch style home in Sunnyvale. We really like the neighborhood: wide, tree-lined streets, well-kept yards/homes and near a park. It's also not on a main road, so there's not a lot of traffic. The house is 59 years old and everything still looks original too. We'll have a lot of work to do on the house after we close.
Ritchie and Margaret's Wedding
We attended Ritchie and Margaret's wedding on Oct 25. They had a traditional Filipino Catholic wedding at the Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park. The church is just up the street from where Eugene and Ritchie's old apartment. I have fond memories of that apartment. We (the Tribe) used to hang out there before and after walking to the British Bankers Club (BBC), a local pub.
As we drove into the parking lot, there was a stretch Hummer limo parked next to the church. I'm pretty sure the wedding party rode in that nifty ride. Nice touch, Ritchie & Margaret. The ceremony was the longest one that Greg's ever attended and his first Catholic mass. I was really surprised that he'd never attended a Filipino Catholic wedding before since most of his high school friends were Filipino. I guess he didn't really keep in touch his high school friends. Most people probably don't, which is why it's unusual that the most of my best friends, I've known since high school.
During the ceremony, Greg kept asking me what or why they did certain things. For example, he wanted to know how everyone knew what to respond or when to say the Our Father or why they genuflect before walking into the pew. The two most memorable moments of the ceremony:
- When Margaret and Ritchie were saying their vows, we could barely hear what they were saying. Most of the time, the officiant doesn't really say anything. But the priest said, "God cannot hear your responses."
- As they were lighting the unity candle, Margaret accidentally blew it out as she was blowing her candle out. The expression on her face looked like she was thinking, "Oh shit...I didn't just do that." They both quickly re-lit their candles and the unity candle.
Trick or Treat
Our friend Ed's favorite holiday is Halloween. He and his wife, Char, go all out. They turn their front yard to a spooky graveyard. This year Ed built a mausoleum on their porch and out to part of the walkway up to house. He even added a coffin to the graveyard. It looks really great and definitely spooky. If I were a kid, I'd be afraid to go to his house.
To get ready for Halloween, we carved pumpkins at Char and Ed's house. Unfortunately, they didn't last long enough to make it to Halloween. Luckily Ed took pictures. Can you guess which pumpkin is mine and which is Greg's?
On Halloween night, Ed, Greg and some other friends got dressed in costumes to scare the kids (and parents) that came by the house. I think the neighborhood kids were onto them because they just hung around taunting the boys and taking turns getting into the coffin. I think they expect Ed and Char to pull out all the stops. Plus, they saw Ed building the mausoleum and coffin. At first, it was kinda funny, but then it got annoying. Highlights of the evening:
- Apparently the boys were so scary, they made a little girl throw up. None of us actually saw her throw up, but her older brother (we think he was 6 or 7), came up Char and said, "You guys have to be not so scary because my sister walked by earlier and threw up."
- A little boy was dressed in the same zombie costume as Greg. When they stood next to each other, it was like me and mini-me.
Love Shack
We're in escrow for a single-family home! Yay! It's very exciting. We close in 2 weeks. It's a 3bdrm/2bath, ranch style home in Sunnyvale. We really like the neighborhood: wide, tree-lined streets, well-kept yards/homes and near a park. It's also not on a main road, so there's not a lot of traffic. The house is 59 years old and everything still looks original too. We'll have a lot of work to do on the house after we close.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
AVP San Francisco
Greg and I went to the AVP San Francisco this past weekend. It's not suprising that we ran into quite a few of our volleyball friends: Mark, Mee, Emi (Mark & Mee's 9 month old daughter), Henry, Marvin, Susanna, Ang, and Ryan. Mark was actually volunteering for the tournament, which is a great way to get in to the tournament for free and get some cool free schwag!
It was a little strange to be watching beach volleyball with the city skyline and Bay Bridge in the background, especially since there's normally no beach! They must truck a bunch of sand in for the tournament. I wonder what they do with the sand when the tournament is done. Do they dump it into the Bay? It's also a bit odd watching beach volleyball bundled up because it's overcast and windy outside. While it was overcast in the morning, the sun broke through and it turned out to be a pretty nice day...until the wind picked up.
We watched a lot of matches, including all 4 US Olympic teams. Kerry Walsh and Misty May-Treanor, Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs, Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser, and Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal. I hate to say it, but the Walsh and May-Trenor match was a bit disappointing to watch compared to the other matches that day.
I know Phil Dalhausser is tall, but when you see him in person it's ridiculous how tall he is. At 6'9" tall, he's almost a foot and a half taller than me. His height makes him a monster at the net. I managed to get this shot of him blocking a ball. His freakin' arm pits are above the net! When I jump, my finger tips barely get above net...and that's on a women's net! I'm glad that I don't have to play against someone like him in any of my volleyball leagues. =)
If you want to see more photos, click here.
It was a little strange to be watching beach volleyball with the city skyline and Bay Bridge in the background, especially since there's normally no beach! They must truck a bunch of sand in for the tournament. I wonder what they do with the sand when the tournament is done. Do they dump it into the Bay? It's also a bit odd watching beach volleyball bundled up because it's overcast and windy outside. While it was overcast in the morning, the sun broke through and it turned out to be a pretty nice day...until the wind picked up.
We watched a lot of matches, including all 4 US Olympic teams. Kerry Walsh and Misty May-Treanor, Nicole Branagh and Elaine Youngs, Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser, and Jake Gibb and Sean Rosenthal. I hate to say it, but the Walsh and May-Trenor match was a bit disappointing to watch compared to the other matches that day.I know Phil Dalhausser is tall, but when you see him in person it's ridiculous how tall he is. At 6'9" tall, he's almost a foot and a half taller than me. His height makes him a monster at the net. I managed to get this shot of him blocking a ball. His freakin' arm pits are above the net! When I jump, my finger tips barely get above net...and that's on a women's net! I'm glad that I don't have to play against someone like him in any of my volleyball leagues. =)
If you want to see more photos, click here.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Brandon & Tina's Wedding
We attended Brandon and Tina's wedding today. Brandon is Greg's cousin. They got married at Grand Island Mansion & Spa in Walnut Grove. We had to board two ferries to cross rivers in the Sacramento delta to get there. That was unexpected and when the GPS said, "board the ferry" we all paused and made Jeff replay it to make sure we heard it correctly. I mean, for all knew it could've been "toward the ferry." But sure enough, the GPS said, "board the ferry." Jeanette was freaking out. But I digress.
Brandon and Tina had an intimate garden ceremony complete with a harpist, a runner decorated with tossed flowers and a rustic, wrought-iron gazebo. Luckily the ceremony was in the morning, so it wasn't too hot for the briday party and their guests. Brandon and Tina's ceremony definitely showcased their personalities. I thought it was really cute when Tina did the "happy dance" after the officiant pronounced them husband and wife and just before she and Brandon kissed.
After group photos, we celebrated the happy occasion with a Sunday brunch reception in a private room inside the mansion. We think Uncle Bruce's speech stole the show. Nice job, Uncle Bruce! If you'd like to view photos, click here.
Brandon and Tina had an intimate garden ceremony complete with a harpist, a runner decorated with tossed flowers and a rustic, wrought-iron gazebo. Luckily the ceremony was in the morning, so it wasn't too hot for the briday party and their guests. Brandon and Tina's ceremony definitely showcased their personalities. I thought it was really cute when Tina did the "happy dance" after the officiant pronounced them husband and wife and just before she and Brandon kissed.
After group photos, we celebrated the happy occasion with a Sunday brunch reception in a private room inside the mansion. We think Uncle Bruce's speech stole the show. Nice job, Uncle Bruce! If you'd like to view photos, click here.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Greg's Pudgy
So I came home today and after the typical putzing around, I was in the kitchen making a grilled cheese sandwich. Cheryl came up behind me and hugged me. While hugging me, she felt my chest and stomach and said, "I think you should start going to the gym again."
Now I'm crying.
Now I'm crying.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Chihuly @ the De Young Museum
We checked out the Chihuly at the De Young Museum exhibit over the weekend. Chihuly is an artist works with glass. His work is on display in the lobby ceiling of the Bellagio on Las Vegas. I saw his Chihuly in the Park: A Garden of Glass exhibit at the the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago several years back.
This current exhibit was really cool. It was pretty crowded, and the exhibit was smaller than we expected. It had many similar pieces to the one i saw in Chicago, but they were displayed differently. In Chicago, the pieces were displayed within a natural setting, which provided a unique contrast to the pieces. The one at the de Young wasn't set against a natural setting, which made the pieces more dramatic. There were also some new pieces that I haven't seen before, like the baskets. If you'd like to see our photos of the exhibit, click here.
After the visiting the exhibit, we walked around the park and grabbed a late lunch at Park Chow before heading back home. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.
This current exhibit was really cool. It was pretty crowded, and the exhibit was smaller than we expected. It had many similar pieces to the one i saw in Chicago, but they were displayed differently. In Chicago, the pieces were displayed within a natural setting, which provided a unique contrast to the pieces. The one at the de Young wasn't set against a natural setting, which made the pieces more dramatic. There were also some new pieces that I haven't seen before, like the baskets. If you'd like to see our photos of the exhibit, click here.
After the visiting the exhibit, we walked around the park and grabbed a late lunch at Park Chow before heading back home. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Audrey and Alan's Wedding
Yesterday we attended Audrey and Alan's wedding. Audrey played on our Monday co-ed volleyball team, Crazy Monkeys. The ceremony was a traditional church ceremony with singing, a reading and a homily. Audrey looked amazing! Alan didn't look to bad either. =) Quite a few of our volleyball friends were there as well. It's strange seeing our volleyball friends dressed up. I almost didn't recognize a few of them because I'm so used to seeing them in t-shirts and shorts.
Audrey is a huge Mickey Mouse fan. In fact, there was a Mickey Mouse theme to her wedding. She had the Mickey Mouse head silhouette on their invitations, programs, favor boxes and menus. The favors were Mickey Mouse shaped soap. Their toasting glasses had small. frosted Mickey Mouse head silhouettes. Even the cake was decorated with Mickey Mouse!
I'm not sure if you can see it in the photo. In addition to the beads shaped like Mickey Mouse, there are Mickey Mouse sillhouettes embossed on the cake.
Here's a close-up of the top tier of the cake:
I loved all the Mickey Mouse touches because it wasn't overdone and was very much Audrey. I don't think Alan is as much of a Mickey fan, but I'm sure he's okay with Audrey's love for all things Mickey Mouse. If you want to see more photos, click here.
Audrey is a huge Mickey Mouse fan. In fact, there was a Mickey Mouse theme to her wedding. She had the Mickey Mouse head silhouette on their invitations, programs, favor boxes and menus. The favors were Mickey Mouse shaped soap. Their toasting glasses had small. frosted Mickey Mouse head silhouettes. Even the cake was decorated with Mickey Mouse!
I'm not sure if you can see it in the photo. In addition to the beads shaped like Mickey Mouse, there are Mickey Mouse sillhouettes embossed on the cake.Here's a close-up of the top tier of the cake:
I loved all the Mickey Mouse touches because it wasn't overdone and was very much Audrey. I don't think Alan is as much of a Mickey fan, but I'm sure he's okay with Audrey's love for all things Mickey Mouse. If you want to see more photos, click here.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Our First Anniversary
It's our one year anniversary! Neither one of us can believe that it's already been a year. It seems like it was just yesterday that we were busy planning the wedding and our New Zealand honeymoon.
So, what did we do to celebrate this milestone? We played volleyball! =) The league we play in together had playoffs tonight. And since I'm the captain of the team, we couldn't really skip out of playoffs. But we did celebrate on Saturday by going to dinner at Manresa. That was definitely a dining experience. Unless you're filthy rich, I'd say Manresa is a special occasion place.
We ordered the 8 course tasting menu with wine pairings. The food was excellent, unlike anything either of us has tasted. My co-worker, Sid, asked me what type of food they served. And I really couldn't describe it. The chef creates dishes with unique flavors, combining things I would never have thought to put together. The food really can't be categorized into one type of cuisine like Italian, Greek or French. The service was also excellent and completely met our expectations for a restaurant of Manresa's caliber.
So, what did we do to celebrate this milestone? We played volleyball! =) The league we play in together had playoffs tonight. And since I'm the captain of the team, we couldn't really skip out of playoffs. But we did celebrate on Saturday by going to dinner at Manresa. That was definitely a dining experience. Unless you're filthy rich, I'd say Manresa is a special occasion place.
We ordered the 8 course tasting menu with wine pairings. The food was excellent, unlike anything either of us has tasted. My co-worker, Sid, asked me what type of food they served. And I really couldn't describe it. The chef creates dishes with unique flavors, combining things I would never have thought to put together. The food really can't be categorized into one type of cuisine like Italian, Greek or French. The service was also excellent and completely met our expectations for a restaurant of Manresa's caliber.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Mocktails/Cocktails and Appetizers
Every few months or so, a group of our foodie friends get together for a meal. It used to be dinner, but 2 of them had kids, so they've become lunches. These meals usually have a theme and everyone makes something to bring. When we first started doing these events, my cooking skills were pretty basic. Boil water? Check. Operate microwave? Check. Use an oven? Check. Despite my novice cooking skills, my foodie friends were very welcoming and usually let me bring simple things like wine, beer, soda and dessert (that I'd usually buy from a bakery...heehee).
Our most recent gathering was at Rob and Linda's place in San Francisco, and the theme: Mocktails/Cocktails and Appetizers. Rob and Linda made homemade salsa and guacamole plus a summer salad from The French Laundry. Rob also made greyhounds and a special peach/mint cocktail. Sylvia and Ken made seared ahi tuna and guacamole ahi poke salad. Ken gets special
props for beautifully plating the seared ahi tuna. Viv and Eric made skirt steak sandwiches with a chimichurri sauce and two flavors of homemade sorbet, grapefruit and apricot/muscat. And we brought...(drum roll)....pigs in a blanket with mustard. Yeah, our contribution wasn't quite on the same level as everyone elses. That's why we're hosting the next gathering. The theme is Trailer Trash, but after my marketing spin it's now Comfort Food.
If you want to see more photos click here.
Our most recent gathering was at Rob and Linda's place in San Francisco, and the theme: Mocktails/Cocktails and Appetizers. Rob and Linda made homemade salsa and guacamole plus a summer salad from The French Laundry. Rob also made greyhounds and a special peach/mint cocktail. Sylvia and Ken made seared ahi tuna and guacamole ahi poke salad. Ken gets special
props for beautifully plating the seared ahi tuna. Viv and Eric made skirt steak sandwiches with a chimichurri sauce and two flavors of homemade sorbet, grapefruit and apricot/muscat. And we brought...(drum roll)....pigs in a blanket with mustard. Yeah, our contribution wasn't quite on the same level as everyone elses. That's why we're hosting the next gathering. The theme is Trailer Trash, but after my marketing spin it's now Comfort Food.If you want to see more photos click here.
Greg's Fourth Annual Tahoe Camping Trip
This past weekend, we went camping at Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe. Greg planned the first camping trip when we first started dating. It's become an annual event that we hope will continue for a long time...even when all of us have kids.
We arrived at our campsite on Friday afternoon and promptly set up our tent, Tachi's tent, camping chairs and coolers of food/drinks. Once the campsite was set up, we enjoyed the beautiful afternoon by hangin' out with Char, Ed and Tachi. We even took a short hike to a nearby vista point before getting dinner ready. Dinner on Friday: chicken and beef fajitas. Yummy! The rest of our friends started arriving just in time to chow down. Of course, no camping trip would be complete without a camp fire and s'mores!
On Saturday, Nelson took a group of folks and doggies on a hike. We had 6 dogs at our campsite: Tachi, Buddy, Buttercup, Muffin, Spike and Maddy. Tachi went hiking with Nelson. We heard that Tachi found all the shady spots on the hike and stopped to rest at each one.
Another group went fishing. We gave them instructions to bring what they catch back to camp so we could make it for dinner. Between the three of them, the caught one fish and decided to let it go. What's up with that?! Good thing we weren't counting on them to catch dinner for us. We'd have starved to death. =P
Greg and I went mountain biking with Ed and Christi. Ed planned the mountain biking trip, and I don't think we should allow him to plan any more mountain biking trips! It was advertised as an easy to moderate trail,
but that is totally false advertising. It was all single track and VERY technical. I had to get off my bike every 20 ft because I don't know how to ride my bike UP a 2 ft rock. It felt like I was hiking with my bike and not really riding. Christi and I sent the boys ahead and said we'd catch up with them when they turned around. =) We eventually met up with the boys and headed back to the car. This whole experience was a nice reminder of why I mountain biking is not fun and gives me anxiety because it brings back memories of that time I fell and had to get 14 stitches in my knee.
When we got back to camp, a bunch of us took the dogs down to the beach for a swim. I dragged Tachi into the water. He didn't like it very much, especially when the water got above mid-leg on him. But that didn't stop me. I took him out a little deeper and encouraged him by pointing out that Buddy, who hates water, was out further than he was. Tachi wasn't buying it. He tried to climb up onto a large rock to escape the water, but wasn't successful. Any chance he could, he'd desperately try to swim back to shore. We eventually swam back to shore and dried off in the sun.
For dinner, Greg prepared salmon with fresh dill, tri-tip and steamed veggie packets. Ed started the campfire and made baked potatoes in the fire. Everything was really tasty. I was stuffed. After dinner, we all sat around the campfire, drinking beer, making s'mores and chit-chatting. It was the perfect way to end the day!
We arrived at our campsite on Friday afternoon and promptly set up our tent, Tachi's tent, camping chairs and coolers of food/drinks. Once the campsite was set up, we enjoyed the beautiful afternoon by hangin' out with Char, Ed and Tachi. We even took a short hike to a nearby vista point before getting dinner ready. Dinner on Friday: chicken and beef fajitas. Yummy! The rest of our friends started arriving just in time to chow down. Of course, no camping trip would be complete without a camp fire and s'mores!On Saturday, Nelson took a group of folks and doggies on a hike. We had 6 dogs at our campsite: Tachi, Buddy, Buttercup, Muffin, Spike and Maddy. Tachi went hiking with Nelson. We heard that Tachi found all the shady spots on the hike and stopped to rest at each one.
Another group went fishing. We gave them instructions to bring what they catch back to camp so we could make it for dinner. Between the three of them, the caught one fish and decided to let it go. What's up with that?! Good thing we weren't counting on them to catch dinner for us. We'd have starved to death. =P
Greg and I went mountain biking with Ed and Christi. Ed planned the mountain biking trip, and I don't think we should allow him to plan any more mountain biking trips! It was advertised as an easy to moderate trail,
but that is totally false advertising. It was all single track and VERY technical. I had to get off my bike every 20 ft because I don't know how to ride my bike UP a 2 ft rock. It felt like I was hiking with my bike and not really riding. Christi and I sent the boys ahead and said we'd catch up with them when they turned around. =) We eventually met up with the boys and headed back to the car. This whole experience was a nice reminder of why I mountain biking is not fun and gives me anxiety because it brings back memories of that time I fell and had to get 14 stitches in my knee.When we got back to camp, a bunch of us took the dogs down to the beach for a swim. I dragged Tachi into the water. He didn't like it very much, especially when the water got above mid-leg on him. But that didn't stop me. I took him out a little deeper and encouraged him by pointing out that Buddy, who hates water, was out further than he was. Tachi wasn't buying it. He tried to climb up onto a large rock to escape the water, but wasn't successful. Any chance he could, he'd desperately try to swim back to shore. We eventually swam back to shore and dried off in the sun.
For dinner, Greg prepared salmon with fresh dill, tri-tip and steamed veggie packets. Ed started the campfire and made baked potatoes in the fire. Everything was really tasty. I was stuffed. After dinner, we all sat around the campfire, drinking beer, making s'mores and chit-chatting. It was the perfect way to end the day!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Volleyball, volleyball, and more volleyball
The other day I was talking to a friend and realized that we play 5 nights of volleyball. I play on Sunday and Thursday evenings. Greg plays on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. And we play together on Monday nights. If you count playing outdoors on Saturdays with friends, that makes 6 days out of 7 days that we play. That's a lot of volleyball.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy playing volleyball. But maybe 5 nights is too much? It prevents us from doing anything else. When I shared my thoughts with Greg, he replied, "There's no such thing as too much volleyball. What's wrong with playing 5 nights a week?" I guess he doesn't think we play too much volleyball. =P
This past weekend, we played in Christi's annual Queen's Volleyball Tourney. It's a fun, very social volleyball tournament where guys can play as girls *if* they wear a bikini top. The first year Greg played in the tourney, he played as a girl and wore my bikini top. He even got a tan line because he didn't wear a T-shirt underneath the bikini! He hasn't been a girl ever since then. But I wonder if he missed playing as girl this year because he put a bikini top on, supposedly to show Eddie the proper way to wear one. See, here he is modeling in a bikini top:
Sexy, huh? And here is his playing in the finals:
Unfortunately, he and his partner didn't win. But we both had a lot of fun hanging out in the park, eating, socializing and playing volleyball.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy playing volleyball. But maybe 5 nights is too much? It prevents us from doing anything else. When I shared my thoughts with Greg, he replied, "There's no such thing as too much volleyball. What's wrong with playing 5 nights a week?" I guess he doesn't think we play too much volleyball. =P
This past weekend, we played in Christi's annual Queen's Volleyball Tourney. It's a fun, very social volleyball tournament where guys can play as girls *if* they wear a bikini top. The first year Greg played in the tourney, he played as a girl and wore my bikini top. He even got a tan line because he didn't wear a T-shirt underneath the bikini! He hasn't been a girl ever since then. But I wonder if he missed playing as girl this year because he put a bikini top on, supposedly to show Eddie the proper way to wear one. See, here he is modeling in a bikini top:
Sexy, huh? And here is his playing in the finals:
Unfortunately, he and his partner didn't win. But we both had a lot of fun hanging out in the park, eating, socializing and playing volleyball.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Liberty
For the past week, we've been doggie-sitting Liberty while Jeff and Jeanette were vacationing in Maui. It's been fun having another dog in the house. I'm not sure Tachi would agree with us, as he's gotten quite used to being the king of our little castle. But it's good for him to learn to share his toys, water bowl and our attention. Having Liberty live with us for a week has given us a chance to get to know her better. Some observations (in no particular order):
- She doesn't simply walk; she sashays. Liberty shakes her boo-tay when she walks.
- She has no concept of personal space and likes to climb up on your legs when you're sitting on the couch. She'll walk right up to you and start panting in your face.
- She's an attention whore. Whenever we play with or pet Tachi, she'll come over and push Tachi out of the way or climb on top of him to try to get to you. When you push her off, she just tries again. She probably thinks it's a game. She'll also climb up on the bed in the morning to see if you're awake. If you try to push off the bed, she'll just climb back up. But if you roll over and ignore her, she'll go away...eventually
- She leaves pools of water on the floor when she drinks from the water bowl. I'm not talking about dribbling water here and there. I'm talking about leaving a trail of puddles around the water bowl, down the hallway and finally dripping some onto your foot in the living room.
- She got used to being crated when we weren't home. I'm sure it helped that we threw her favorite treats into the back of the crate to lure her in and that we'd feed her in her crate too. She barked and whined a few times as we'd leave the house, but by the time we got home it was quiet...no barking or whining.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Doggie Update
Just a quick update on momma dog, Mikasa and her pup, Molten. Molten was adopted to a family in Alameda who had an 80 lb black lab. He has been renamed Quincy. Our friends at Pound Puppy Rescue, think he might be a Lab and Newfoundland mix. Good think his adopted family has experience with big, energetic dogs!
Mikasa has been adopted by Greg's brother and sister-in-law. I guess they didn't realize how much they wanted her until she was gone! =) They've renamed her Liberty. Jeff and Jeanette came down last week to pick her up. She met Tachi, her doggie cousin, and they got along fine. Well, if you consider Tachi ignoring her every time she tried to get him to play with her getting along, then it was fine. Liberty's going to be staying with us next week, so they'll have plenty of time to get to know each other.
Thanks to Grace for helping find homes for both Quincy and Liberty!
Mikasa has been adopted by Greg's brother and sister-in-law. I guess they didn't realize how much they wanted her until she was gone! =) They've renamed her Liberty. Jeff and Jeanette came down last week to pick her up. She met Tachi, her doggie cousin, and they got along fine. Well, if you consider Tachi ignoring her every time she tried to get him to play with her getting along, then it was fine. Liberty's going to be staying with us next week, so they'll have plenty of time to get to know each other.
Thanks to Grace for helping find homes for both Quincy and Liberty!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
A Very Active Weekend
We had a really active weekend. It's been a long time since we've been this active. And boy, could I tell. My butt still hurts from this weekend!
On Saturday, we paddled in Paddle for Life, a charity dragon boat race at Jack London Square. Most of the teams seemed to be corporate sponsored teams. Our team, Doggie Paddlers, was a rag-tag team of friends and friends of friends. We had a few folks who had paddled before, but most were newbies. As part of the race, the organizers arrange three practices so people can learn proper form, timing, race starts and commands. While our team did get three practices, I don't think our entire team was at a single practice. You can blame it on volleyball. =P
We won our first race (the American Bridal Community Cup), came in dead last in our second race and took second in our last race (we missed first place by half a second!). But we got lots of compliments on our team t-shirt, which Edric designed. It was a good fun for a good cause. Thanks for organizing the team, Judy! Can't wait to do it again next year. Woof! Woof!
BTW, Greg and I met at a dragon boat race. It wasn't this exact race, but a different race that's held in the early fall/late summer at Lake Merced in San Francisco. Greg was paddling on Christi's corporate team, and I was paddling on my friend Doug's team, Dragon Warriors. Christi needed some extra people for their championship race because a lot of people on her team had to leave early. So, I volunteered to paddle in their boat. I must've wooed Greg with my impressive paddling abilities! =)
On Sunday, we woke up early again to ride in the Tour de Cure, a charity bike ride benefiting the American Diabetes Association. I rode with Team Cisco/WebEx. Greg just rode along with me (e.g. he didn't register for the race). Why didn't he want to ride with Team Cisco? He "couldn't justify paying money to ride a route that he's ridden for free many times." But it's for a good cause? Blink...blink.
Anyhoo, we rode 75K or ~45miles. The ride started at the HP campus in Palo Alto, around Woodside and Portola Valley, out to Canada Road and back to the HP campus. Now, even though we've ridden this route several times before, I haven't been on my bike in about 4-5 months. So, my butt, legs and lungs were not ready for this ride. It didn't help that my left leg and butt cheek were sore from paddling the day before. Greg, on the other hand, was fine. Sigh...it's just not fair.
It's definitely been one of the more active weekends we've had in quite a while. We'd both like to have more weekends like this...without the getting up early part. =)
On Saturday, we paddled in Paddle for Life, a charity dragon boat race at Jack London Square. Most of the teams seemed to be corporate sponsored teams. Our team, Doggie Paddlers, was a rag-tag team of friends and friends of friends. We had a few folks who had paddled before, but most were newbies. As part of the race, the organizers arrange three practices so people can learn proper form, timing, race starts and commands. While our team did get three practices, I don't think our entire team was at a single practice. You can blame it on volleyball. =PWe won our first race (the American Bridal Community Cup), came in dead last in our second race and took second in our last race (we missed first place by half a second!). But we got lots of compliments on our team t-shirt, which Edric designed. It was a good fun for a good cause. Thanks for organizing the team, Judy! Can't wait to do it again next year. Woof! Woof!
BTW, Greg and I met at a dragon boat race. It wasn't this exact race, but a different race that's held in the early fall/late summer at Lake Merced in San Francisco. Greg was paddling on Christi's corporate team, and I was paddling on my friend Doug's team, Dragon Warriors. Christi needed some extra people for their championship race because a lot of people on her team had to leave early. So, I volunteered to paddle in their boat. I must've wooed Greg with my impressive paddling abilities! =)
On Sunday, we woke up early again to ride in the Tour de Cure, a charity bike ride benefiting the American Diabetes Association. I rode with Team Cisco/WebEx. Greg just rode along with me (e.g. he didn't register for the race). Why didn't he want to ride with Team Cisco? He "couldn't justify paying money to ride a route that he's ridden for free many times." But it's for a good cause? Blink...blink.
Anyhoo, we rode 75K or ~45miles. The ride started at the HP campus in Palo Alto, around Woodside and Portola Valley, out to Canada Road and back to the HP campus. Now, even though we've ridden this route several times before, I haven't been on my bike in about 4-5 months. So, my butt, legs and lungs were not ready for this ride. It didn't help that my left leg and butt cheek were sore from paddling the day before. Greg, on the other hand, was fine. Sigh...it's just not fair.
It's definitely been one of the more active weekends we've had in quite a while. We'd both like to have more weekends like this...without the getting up early part. =)
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
How Much is That Puppy in the Window?
A few weeks a ago, Greg's parents found a black lab and her pup wandering the streets. They didn't have collars and weren't chipped. So, Mom Tai called Greg because we have a couple of friends who rescue and foster puppies.
This past weekend, we drove up to Greg's parents house to pick up momma and her pup. Momma is a really sweet dog. She rolled over right away when Greg greeted her. She likes to jump up when she's excited, but was a quick to learn that's not okay to jump on people. She wasn't food motivated, but loves attention and seems eager to please. Momma walked well on leash and did really well on the car ride back to Grace's place.
The pup is huge and really cute! He's got the biggest paws and if those are any indication, he's gonna be a big dog. I know he's part lab, but his poppa was probably a BIG dog. Looking at his paws made me realize how dainty Tachi's paws are. (Sorry, Greg.) He's got tons of puppy energy and is a bit mouthy. When I was playing with him, he bit me (accidentally). Of course, I screamed, "Ouch!" when he bit me. After I corrected him, I checked my thigh and the little bugger broke skin! He didn't bite me that hard, but his puppy teeth are pretty sharp.
The pup had never met a leash before we took him for a walk around the block. It was hilarious watching/listening to him walk on a leash. He started out trying to eat the leash, which is bad. And then he did the "I'm just gonna park my bottom right here and make you drag me." After that he did the "Fine. I'm gonna run ahead of you and then yelp at the top of my lungs when I reach the end of the leash and get tugged backwards."
Both momma and pup are being fostered now - in separate foster homes. I hope they find good homes and a families that will love them. Check out their adoption pages: Momma (Mikasa) and Pup (Molten).
This past weekend, we drove up to Greg's parents house to pick up momma and her pup. Momma is a really sweet dog. She rolled over right away when Greg greeted her. She likes to jump up when she's excited, but was a quick to learn that's not okay to jump on people. She wasn't food motivated, but loves attention and seems eager to please. Momma walked well on leash and did really well on the car ride back to Grace's place.
The pup is huge and really cute! He's got the biggest paws and if those are any indication, he's gonna be a big dog. I know he's part lab, but his poppa was probably a BIG dog. Looking at his paws made me realize how dainty Tachi's paws are. (Sorry, Greg.) He's got tons of puppy energy and is a bit mouthy. When I was playing with him, he bit me (accidentally). Of course, I screamed, "Ouch!" when he bit me. After I corrected him, I checked my thigh and the little bugger broke skin! He didn't bite me that hard, but his puppy teeth are pretty sharp.
The pup had never met a leash before we took him for a walk around the block. It was hilarious watching/listening to him walk on a leash. He started out trying to eat the leash, which is bad. And then he did the "I'm just gonna park my bottom right here and make you drag me." After that he did the "Fine. I'm gonna run ahead of you and then yelp at the top of my lungs when I reach the end of the leash and get tugged backwards."
Both momma and pup are being fostered now - in separate foster homes. I hope they find good homes and a families that will love them. Check out their adoption pages: Momma (Mikasa) and Pup (Molten).
Sunday, May 18, 2008
An Unexpected Guest
As we were standing in the dining nook drinking water, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Something long and flat just scurried across the kitchen counter, underneath the knife block. Hmm...that's not right. I take another look. And sure enough, I see a lizard head sticking out of from underneath one side of the knife block and it's tail sticking out the other. How did that get into our kitchen?!
"Um, Greg, I think there's a lizard on the counter."
"Huh? Where?"
"Over there. Underneath the knife block. See, there's the head."
"Oh. I see."
As Greg tried to move the knife block, it scurried under the toaster oven.
Greg calmly says, "Wow, that's a big one."
It had to be *at least* 8 inches from head to tail. Riiiight...I'm trying to stay calm and am wondering how the heck it got into our kitchen.
Greg starts looking for a container to trap it in, so we can let if go outside. As he's searching he says, "Hmm...we need a bigger container. It's pretty big."
Uh...okay. I'm going to get my camera, stay calm and let him trap this thing so we can let it go in the front yard and hope that it doesn't come back. Here's a not-so-good picture:
"Um, Greg, I think there's a lizard on the counter."
"Huh? Where?"
"Over there. Underneath the knife block. See, there's the head."
"Oh. I see."
As Greg tried to move the knife block, it scurried under the toaster oven.
Greg calmly says, "Wow, that's a big one."
It had to be *at least* 8 inches from head to tail. Riiiight...I'm trying to stay calm and am wondering how the heck it got into our kitchen.
Greg starts looking for a container to trap it in, so we can let if go outside. As he's searching he says, "Hmm...we need a bigger container. It's pretty big."
Uh...okay. I'm going to get my camera, stay calm and let him trap this thing so we can let it go in the front yard and hope that it doesn't come back. Here's a not-so-good picture:
New Floors
We spent most of the weekend laying Pergo in the dining nook, hallway and entry way. Actually installing Pergo is pretty easy. It's kinda like a game of Tetris. The hard part is getting rid of the existing floor and prepping/leveling the floor. Luckily Greg did the hard part. =)
I actually wanted to help get rid of the ceramic tile in the entryway. But I left to run an errand and when I came back, it was gone! Boy, that was fast. Apparently, Greg covered the tile with an old bed sheet (to prevent the ceramic shards from flying everywhere) and then went to town on the floor with a sledgehammer. Then he just shoveled up all the broken pieces into a trash can.
During all this remodeling, Tachi has been wandering around downstairs trying to figure out what the heck we're doing to his home. He's got less space to roam because the family room and dining room have been invaded by Pergo planks, a dining table, chair and bookcases. Plus there's all sorts of strange noises (loud banging and sawing) coming from the dining nook, hallway, entryway and outside. I'm not sure how much he's going to like the new floor. It's definitely not as comfy or cushy as carpet, but it is cooler.
I actually wanted to help get rid of the ceramic tile in the entryway. But I left to run an errand and when I came back, it was gone! Boy, that was fast. Apparently, Greg covered the tile with an old bed sheet (to prevent the ceramic shards from flying everywhere) and then went to town on the floor with a sledgehammer. Then he just shoveled up all the broken pieces into a trash can.
During all this remodeling, Tachi has been wandering around downstairs trying to figure out what the heck we're doing to his home. He's got less space to roam because the family room and dining room have been invaded by Pergo planks, a dining table, chair and bookcases. Plus there's all sorts of strange noises (loud banging and sawing) coming from the dining nook, hallway, entryway and outside. I'm not sure how much he's going to like the new floor. It's definitely not as comfy or cushy as carpet, but it is cooler.Friday, May 16, 2008
Gombei
Gombei is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area. Until recently, there were 2 locations: Menlo Park and San Jose Japantown. Everytime we've gone to the one in Japantown, it's been packed. The menu is different than most other Japanese places. Of course, they have the typical teriyaki chicken/beef, katsu and udon. What makes Gombei unique is the daily specials that resemble home-style cooking. Oh, they also don't server sushi or sashimi, unless it's part of one of the daily specials.
About a month or two ago, we noticed a Gombei sign in one of the shopping centers near our home. Could it be they were going to open up another location walking distance from us?! When we went to Gombei in Japantown, we asked if they were opening another location in Santa Clara. The response, "Maybe." Hmmm...sounded promising. Occasionally, we'd stop by and peer into the window and look for a sign that said when the place would be open. Well, it finally opened last week, and we went to check it our for dinner tonight!
You could tell that they were still working out some of the kinks, but the food was good! It's different than the other Gombei locations. The Santa Clara location actually serves sushi. They kept the sushi boat conveyor belt from the previous restaurant. The sushi boat counter takes up the majority of the restaurant. There were only a few tables in the front even though there was definitely room for more tables. Not sure if they plan to add tables in the future or keep it focused on the sushi bar. They also didn't have a daily specials board, which was somewhat disappointing. Maybe they'll add the daily specials after they work out some of the opening kinks. Or maybe this Gombei will be focused on sushi, which I wouldn't mind either.
About a month or two ago, we noticed a Gombei sign in one of the shopping centers near our home. Could it be they were going to open up another location walking distance from us?! When we went to Gombei in Japantown, we asked if they were opening another location in Santa Clara. The response, "Maybe." Hmmm...sounded promising. Occasionally, we'd stop by and peer into the window and look for a sign that said when the place would be open. Well, it finally opened last week, and we went to check it our for dinner tonight!
You could tell that they were still working out some of the kinks, but the food was good! It's different than the other Gombei locations. The Santa Clara location actually serves sushi. They kept the sushi boat conveyor belt from the previous restaurant. The sushi boat counter takes up the majority of the restaurant. There were only a few tables in the front even though there was definitely room for more tables. Not sure if they plan to add tables in the future or keep it focused on the sushi bar. They also didn't have a daily specials board, which was somewhat disappointing. Maybe they'll add the daily specials after they work out some of the opening kinks. Or maybe this Gombei will be focused on sushi, which I wouldn't mind either.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Our Kitchen Remodel - Part 3
So, it's been a week since my last post. I'd say our kitchen is 95% complete. On Tuesday evening, Greg finished pulling out the linoleum floor. We discovered that there were 3 layers of linoleum! He cut the Pergo on Wednesday and installed it in our kitchen on Thursday. Just in time for the delivery of our new appliances! On Thursday evening our kitchen looked like this:
You can see the empty spots where the appliances would be installed. And yes, I have an amazingly handy husband! =)
On Friday, Sears delivered our new range and dishwasher. I was expecting an experience similar to the phone or cable company where they tell you the service window is a 4 or 5 hour block of time, but the service guy doesn't show up until after the alloted window of time. I was pleasantly surprised at how efficient the Sears delivery process was. At 7:15 am, I received a phone call informing me that our delivery window was between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm. The delivery guys showed up about 45 minutes early, were very professional, quick and thorough. Our contractor came back in the evening to seal the counter tops and check that the garbage disposal was working properly. So, on Friday evening our kitchen was basically done and it looked like this:
We spent part of Friday night and Saturday putting stuff back into the cabinets and arranging our new kitchen. We made our first meal on our new stove on Sunday morning: bacon and french toast for Greg and scrambled egg whites and toast for me. =)
Our kitchen looks pretty done, doesn't it? So, how come it's only 95% done and not 100% done? Because Greg has to finish trimming the Pergo and install base boards. Even after that's done, we won't be done. Our kitchen remodel crept into the dining nook, hallway and entry way. Greg painted the dining nook the same color as the kitchen on Sunday and started to replace the carpet in the dining nook and hallway with Pergo. He ripped out most of the carpet in the nook this evening, so it looks like this:
We haven't decided what to do about the tile in our entry way. We definitely have enough Pergo to replace the tile, but we're not sure about the durability of Pergo vs. tile. If you have any experience with Pergo v. tile, let us know!
You can see the empty spots where the appliances would be installed. And yes, I have an amazingly handy husband! =)On Friday, Sears delivered our new range and dishwasher. I was expecting an experience similar to the phone or cable company where they tell you the service window is a 4 or 5 hour block of time, but the service guy doesn't show up until after the alloted window of time. I was pleasantly surprised at how efficient the Sears delivery process was. At 7:15 am, I received a phone call informing me that our delivery window was between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm. The delivery guys showed up about 45 minutes early, were very professional, quick and thorough. Our contractor came back in the evening to seal the counter tops and check that the garbage disposal was working properly. So, on Friday evening our kitchen was basically done and it looked like this:
We spent part of Friday night and Saturday putting stuff back into the cabinets and arranging our new kitchen. We made our first meal on our new stove on Sunday morning: bacon and french toast for Greg and scrambled egg whites and toast for me. =)Our kitchen looks pretty done, doesn't it? So, how come it's only 95% done and not 100% done? Because Greg has to finish trimming the Pergo and install base boards. Even after that's done, we won't be done. Our kitchen remodel crept into the dining nook, hallway and entry way. Greg painted the dining nook the same color as the kitchen on Sunday and started to replace the carpet in the dining nook and hallway with Pergo. He ripped out most of the carpet in the nook this evening, so it looks like this:
We haven't decided what to do about the tile in our entry way. We definitely have enough Pergo to replace the tile, but we're not sure about the durability of Pergo vs. tile. If you have any experience with Pergo v. tile, let us know!Monday, May 5, 2008
Our Kitchen Remodel - Part 2
On Friday, our contractors continued to install cabinets. By the time Greg and I got home all the cabinets were installed, except for a few doors and the handles.
They came back Saturday afternoon to install the granite counter tops. I think they spent the day cutting the granite, and then showed up to install it. When they left, they told us not to touch anything. Sadly, I didn't take any photos of this stage, but it basically looked the same as Friday, but with the sink installed and granite glued to the cabinets and being held in place with clamps.
The funny thing is that when I walked into the kitchen to look at the granite, it looked different than I remembered it. The granite we picked was a swirly tan, beige and what we thought was green. But the green looked more grey than green. It's not like the granite clashed with the cabinets or was awful looking. I just wasn't what we thought we ordered.
So, on Sunday we went back to the granite and cabinet store to look at it again. We even brought our camera with us. And we discovered that the granite clamped to our cabinets was the one we ordered. It just looked different (more green-ish) in the showroom lighting. We also realized that some of the granite slabs have more grey than beige/tan while others have more beige/tan than grey. The piece of granite we have has more grey than the one hanging in the showroom. We left the store feeling better about the counter top.
Today, our contractor came back to finish up the kitchen. The clamps were removed from the granite. The backsplash and faucet were installed. The microwave and garbage disposal were re-installed. The ceiling and walls were re-textured and painted. Greg has started to remove the linoleum floor so we can install the Pergo in the kitchen before our appliances are delivered. This evening our kitchen looks like this:
They came back Saturday afternoon to install the granite counter tops. I think they spent the day cutting the granite, and then showed up to install it. When they left, they told us not to touch anything. Sadly, I didn't take any photos of this stage, but it basically looked the same as Friday, but with the sink installed and granite glued to the cabinets and being held in place with clamps.
The funny thing is that when I walked into the kitchen to look at the granite, it looked different than I remembered it. The granite we picked was a swirly tan, beige and what we thought was green. But the green looked more grey than green. It's not like the granite clashed with the cabinets or was awful looking. I just wasn't what we thought we ordered.
So, on Sunday we went back to the granite and cabinet store to look at it again. We even brought our camera with us. And we discovered that the granite clamped to our cabinets was the one we ordered. It just looked different (more green-ish) in the showroom lighting. We also realized that some of the granite slabs have more grey than beige/tan while others have more beige/tan than grey. The piece of granite we have has more grey than the one hanging in the showroom. We left the store feeling better about the counter top.
Today, our contractor came back to finish up the kitchen. The clamps were removed from the granite. The backsplash and faucet were installed. The microwave and garbage disposal were re-installed. The ceiling and walls were re-textured and painted. Greg has started to remove the linoleum floor so we can install the Pergo in the kitchen before our appliances are delivered. This evening our kitchen looks like this:
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Our Kitchen Remodel has Begun!
I'm so excited! This morning we started our kitchen remodel project! Originally we were scheduled to start the remodel in mid-April, but our contractor had to push our date out a couple of weeks. And today, the long awaited date has arrived!
So, what exactly are we doing? Well...we're installing new cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel sink with one giant bowl, recessed lighting, a new stainless range and dishwasher. Oh, I almost forget the paint too. Phew, that's a lot! I'm really looking forward to seeing how it all comes together. I figure it's good practice for the next re-modeling project we might need to do.
Last night we finished emptying our cabinets and moving the contents of our kitchen into the family room. We also ate our last meal "prepared" in the old kitchen. We microwaved leftovers and frozen Lean Cuisine dinners. And we'll probably be eating out for until we're the remodeling is complete. It's kinda hard to make dinner when you don't have a stove or a sink.
Our contractors are working quickly and have made good progress. Yesterday evening our kitchen looked like this:
They arrived this morning at 9:00am and started to prep the work area. They laid down plastic and heavy brown packaging paper on the floor, covered shelves with plastic, and started removing appliances and demolishing our kitchen. By noon, they had completed demolition and there was nothing left in our kitchen except for our refrigerator and the floor.
We're going to replace the linoleum floor with Pergo after the remodeling is complete...hopefully, with the help of some of our friends. If you'd like to volunteer, let us know! =) By the 6pm this evening, they had installed the recessed lights and about half of the new cabinets. You can't really see the recessed lights in this picture, but you get the idea.
We're surprised at how quickly it's progressing. Can't wait to see the progress they make tomorrow!
So, what exactly are we doing? Well...we're installing new cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel sink with one giant bowl, recessed lighting, a new stainless range and dishwasher. Oh, I almost forget the paint too. Phew, that's a lot! I'm really looking forward to seeing how it all comes together. I figure it's good practice for the next re-modeling project we might need to do.
Last night we finished emptying our cabinets and moving the contents of our kitchen into the family room. We also ate our last meal "prepared" in the old kitchen. We microwaved leftovers and frozen Lean Cuisine dinners. And we'll probably be eating out for until we're the remodeling is complete. It's kinda hard to make dinner when you don't have a stove or a sink.
Our contractors are working quickly and have made good progress. Yesterday evening our kitchen looked like this:
They arrived this morning at 9:00am and started to prep the work area. They laid down plastic and heavy brown packaging paper on the floor, covered shelves with plastic, and started removing appliances and demolishing our kitchen. By noon, they had completed demolition and there was nothing left in our kitchen except for our refrigerator and the floor.
We're going to replace the linoleum floor with Pergo after the remodeling is complete...hopefully, with the help of some of our friends. If you'd like to volunteer, let us know! =) By the 6pm this evening, they had installed the recessed lights and about half of the new cabinets. You can't really see the recessed lights in this picture, but you get the idea.
We're surprised at how quickly it's progressing. Can't wait to see the progress they make tomorrow!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Is It Time for a New Car?
I'm amazed at the price of gas these days. It's crazy. The last time I filled up my Explorer, it cost $70! And that was at Costco, when gas prices were still under $4.00/gallon! Ugh. $70 is a pair of shoes. $70 is 41 cups of Peets coffee (plus change). $70 is a new pair of jeans (as long as you're not buying designer jeans). $70 is a weeks worth of groceries (sometimes). $70 is about 15 frozen yogurts. $70 is a whole lot of doggie treats and toys.
It seriously made me pause and wonder if it was time to get a more fuel efficient car. Who knows how long gas prices will stay at this inflated level. If it costs me $70 each week to fill up my tank, that's $3,640/year or $303/month. That's a car payment!
Granted my daily commute is something like 10 miles, round trip. But we do drive the Explorer to other places. After I told Greg how much it cost to fill up my tank, he replied, "We're not driving your car anywhere." The funny thing is that we've actually started to not drive my car. And it's not only when we're going someplace together. I've taken the Scion (aka Milk Truck) instead of the Explorer when I'm going someplace, like JACL volleyball or the store, by myself.
I wonder if the benefits of getting a new, more fuel efficient car would be worth it. I probably wouldn't need to fill up as much as I do now. When I did fill up, it wouldn't be as expensive as it is now. I wouldn't be so reluctant to drive my car more than 10 miles each day. Of course the extra driving might off-set the lower frequency of filling up. And it's probably better for the environment too.
It seriously made me pause and wonder if it was time to get a more fuel efficient car. Who knows how long gas prices will stay at this inflated level. If it costs me $70 each week to fill up my tank, that's $3,640/year or $303/month. That's a car payment!
Granted my daily commute is something like 10 miles, round trip. But we do drive the Explorer to other places. After I told Greg how much it cost to fill up my tank, he replied, "We're not driving your car anywhere." The funny thing is that we've actually started to not drive my car. And it's not only when we're going someplace together. I've taken the Scion (aka Milk Truck) instead of the Explorer when I'm going someplace, like JACL volleyball or the store, by myself.
I wonder if the benefits of getting a new, more fuel efficient car would be worth it. I probably wouldn't need to fill up as much as I do now. When I did fill up, it wouldn't be as expensive as it is now. I wouldn't be so reluctant to drive my car more than 10 miles each day. Of course the extra driving might off-set the lower frequency of filling up. And it's probably better for the environment too.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
We're Going to Disneyland!
Actually, we went to Disneyland last week. We were attending a Greg's cousin Brian's wedding in Pasadena this past weekend and drove down a few days early to spend a day and half at Disneyland and California Adventure with Greg's brother, Jeff, and sister-in-law, Jeanette.
The last time Greg and I were at Disneyland were our respective high school Grad Nights. That was a looooong time ago...slightly longer for me than him, but who's counting. Jeff and Jeanette, on the other hand, are Disneyland regulars. They go *at least* once a year. And they don't have kids! Of all the people we could experience Disneyland with, Jeff and Jeanette are by far the best people. They have Disneyland down to a science...fast passes, what to ride and when, hidden Mickey's, where to eat, parades, where to shop, firework shows and more. It was like having our own personal Disneyland tour guides.
We both agree that Disneyland has changed since Grad Night. A lot of things are the same (Main Street, Mad Hatter Tea Party, Dumbo, Haunted Mansion, Matterhorn). They've incorporated a lot of the movies, Disney and non-Disney, into the park. The submarine ride has become the Nemo Submarine ride. There's a Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster ride, a Roger Rabbit ride and an Indiana Jones ride. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow has been incorporated into the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. And what happened to the Sleeping Beauty castle (I found out that it's not the Cinderella castle like I always thought it was)!? I remember it being grey (v. pink) and much bigger than it was on this trip. Space Mountain was also completely re-done. Greg says it's better than before. It's faster, smoother and darker so you can't anticipate where the roller coaster is going to go next. I think this was the first time I rode Space Mountain, so I'll take Greg's word for it.
Of course, California Adventures and Downtown Disney were completely new for us. California Adventures is a much smaller park than I thought it would be. Apparently they built it where the parking lot used to be. There were some cool rides at that park and several parts of the park do look like places in California. My favorite part of California Adventures was Disney Animation, an interactive experience that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the art and magic of animation. They had a special Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs animation exhibit when we went. Downtown Disney has a lively vibe with lots of shops and restaurants. It reminded me of Universal City Walk.
By the way, Brian and Christie's wedding was classically beautiful and quite grand. They had an outdoor ceremony at the posh Langham Hotel (formerly a Ritz Carlton), rose petals covered the center aisle, trellis decorated with flowers, string quartet playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Pachelbel's Canon in D, cocktail reception on the patio overlooking the pool, ornate ballroom with fancy chandeliers, and beautiful dramatic center pieces. Christie was a beautiful bride. She and her dad did a charming father-daughter dance to Moon River. Her dad is a good dancer! Brian's brother and cousins, including Greg, succeeded in getting him drunk. It was a lovely affair.
The last time Greg and I were at Disneyland were our respective high school Grad Nights. That was a looooong time ago...slightly longer for me than him, but who's counting. Jeff and Jeanette, on the other hand, are Disneyland regulars. They go *at least* once a year. And they don't have kids! Of all the people we could experience Disneyland with, Jeff and Jeanette are by far the best people. They have Disneyland down to a science...fast passes, what to ride and when, hidden Mickey's, where to eat, parades, where to shop, firework shows and more. It was like having our own personal Disneyland tour guides.
We both agree that Disneyland has changed since Grad Night. A lot of things are the same (Main Street, Mad Hatter Tea Party, Dumbo, Haunted Mansion, Matterhorn). They've incorporated a lot of the movies, Disney and non-Disney, into the park. The submarine ride has become the Nemo Submarine ride. There's a Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster ride, a Roger Rabbit ride and an Indiana Jones ride. Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow has been incorporated into the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. And what happened to the Sleeping Beauty castle (I found out that it's not the Cinderella castle like I always thought it was)!? I remember it being grey (v. pink) and much bigger than it was on this trip. Space Mountain was also completely re-done. Greg says it's better than before. It's faster, smoother and darker so you can't anticipate where the roller coaster is going to go next. I think this was the first time I rode Space Mountain, so I'll take Greg's word for it.
Of course, California Adventures and Downtown Disney were completely new for us. California Adventures is a much smaller park than I thought it would be. Apparently they built it where the parking lot used to be. There were some cool rides at that park and several parts of the park do look like places in California. My favorite part of California Adventures was Disney Animation, an interactive experience that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the art and magic of animation. They had a special Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs animation exhibit when we went. Downtown Disney has a lively vibe with lots of shops and restaurants. It reminded me of Universal City Walk.
By the way, Brian and Christie's wedding was classically beautiful and quite grand. They had an outdoor ceremony at the posh Langham Hotel (formerly a Ritz Carlton), rose petals covered the center aisle, trellis decorated with flowers, string quartet playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Pachelbel's Canon in D, cocktail reception on the patio overlooking the pool, ornate ballroom with fancy chandeliers, and beautiful dramatic center pieces. Christie was a beautiful bride. She and her dad did a charming father-daughter dance to Moon River. Her dad is a good dancer! Brian's brother and cousins, including Greg, succeeded in getting him drunk. It was a lovely affair.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
The Scavengers Have Arrived
Every year the city of Santa Clara has a city-wide clean up campaign. What does that entail? Basically, it means that residents can throw away anything they don't want by taking it to the curb. It literally is anything: couches, bookshelves, mattresses, vacuum cleaners, books, appliances, patio furniture, clothes, old calendars even toilets. Not only does the neighborhood look like a dump for a few weeks, but the scavengers come out as well.
I'm not talking about people who poke around because they're curious about what other people are throwing out. The scavengers I'm talking about are the ones who really go to town on the things people throw out. They drive around in vans or trucks, pick through boxes, and even bring tools in case they need to disassemble things. It's a little unnerving when strange people are rummaging through piles of junk outside your home at all hours of the day. Some of these people were pretty creepy looking. Personally, I wouldn't take any of the stuff that's been thrown out, mostly because I don't know where it's been and it just seems gross. But I suppose for some folks, that really doesn't matter. The clean-up campaign definitely confirms the saying, "One person's trash is another person's treasure."
I'm not talking about people who poke around because they're curious about what other people are throwing out. The scavengers I'm talking about are the ones who really go to town on the things people throw out. They drive around in vans or trucks, pick through boxes, and even bring tools in case they need to disassemble things. It's a little unnerving when strange people are rummaging through piles of junk outside your home at all hours of the day. Some of these people were pretty creepy looking. Personally, I wouldn't take any of the stuff that's been thrown out, mostly because I don't know where it's been and it just seems gross. But I suppose for some folks, that really doesn't matter. The clean-up campaign definitely confirms the saying, "One person's trash is another person's treasure."
Friday, April 4, 2008
Sign 'O' the Times
This past week in Vegas has confirmed that I'm *definitely* in a different phase of life. There was a time in my life when business trips were something I looked forward to: staying in swanky hotels, eating fabulous meals at fancy restaurants and of course, the non-stop partying. And what better city to do those things than Vegas, right? But it was a struggle this time.
The hotel is definitely swanky and I'm glad I had the opportunity to stay at the Wynn, but I missed my bed and for some reason found it difficult to get a good night sleep. And no, it's not because I was out partying till all hours of the night. I mean it's not like the room or bed was uncomfortable, because it was fine. They even had turn down service every night where they literally fold the bed sheets down, lay down a towel/rug next to the bed, close the curtains, turn down the lights so the room has a soft glow, turn the TV to pretty floral images and classical music, and leave Belgian chocolates on the night stand. Maybe I missed snuggling with Greg as I fall asleep or tucking Tachi into bed before getting into bed.
What about the fabulous meals at fancy restaurants? There are tons of high-end restaurants in Vegas from Nobu to Mesa Grill to Lawry's. But we didn't go to any of them. My company provided breakfast and dinner for all attendees from my company. And we were *highly encouraged* to partake in those dinners. Um, yeah. Since my co-workers and I chose to eat elsewhere, we opted for less extravagant restaurants at the hotel. The food was good, but we refrained from splurging. That's fine with me since I'm still trying to lose the 15 lbs I gained on our honeymoon.
And the partying? We went to a party at Rain one night. It seemed like a cool club, but it was just strange being there with everyone dressed in business casual attire, checking email on their mobile devices and talking shop. It felt a bit like "Man Jose" because the male to female ratio was 4 to 1. But then what do you expect when you're at a party that's sponsored by a bunch of telecommunications companies on a Tuesday night? The party ended by 10 pm, and my co-workers suggested checking out the Ghostbar or Playboy Club, but changed their minds when they saw most of the folks from the Rain party were making their way same places.
I really had to dig deep to rally and grab a drink with my co-workers. They wasted no time getting the bar tab started and giving me grief when I'd order a diet coke. "There's Jack in that coke, right?" "Oh, come on...you're falling behind." "You're going to have to catch up." I think I ordered a diet coke as my first drink because I honestly couldn't think of a drink to order. It's been a long time since I've ordered a mixed drink. I would've ordered a glass of wine, but if I drink too much wine I get sleepy and a headache. I did learn about (and try) two vodkas that I had not heard of before: Hanger One and Effen. Pretty good stuff. I think I consumed more alcohol this past week than I have all year. And I managed to be in bed before midnight every night! Ah, how times have changed.
The hotel is definitely swanky and I'm glad I had the opportunity to stay at the Wynn, but I missed my bed and for some reason found it difficult to get a good night sleep. And no, it's not because I was out partying till all hours of the night. I mean it's not like the room or bed was uncomfortable, because it was fine. They even had turn down service every night where they literally fold the bed sheets down, lay down a towel/rug next to the bed, close the curtains, turn down the lights so the room has a soft glow, turn the TV to pretty floral images and classical music, and leave Belgian chocolates on the night stand. Maybe I missed snuggling with Greg as I fall asleep or tucking Tachi into bed before getting into bed.
What about the fabulous meals at fancy restaurants? There are tons of high-end restaurants in Vegas from Nobu to Mesa Grill to Lawry's. But we didn't go to any of them. My company provided breakfast and dinner for all attendees from my company. And we were *highly encouraged* to partake in those dinners. Um, yeah. Since my co-workers and I chose to eat elsewhere, we opted for less extravagant restaurants at the hotel. The food was good, but we refrained from splurging. That's fine with me since I'm still trying to lose the 15 lbs I gained on our honeymoon.
And the partying? We went to a party at Rain one night. It seemed like a cool club, but it was just strange being there with everyone dressed in business casual attire, checking email on their mobile devices and talking shop. It felt a bit like "Man Jose" because the male to female ratio was 4 to 1. But then what do you expect when you're at a party that's sponsored by a bunch of telecommunications companies on a Tuesday night? The party ended by 10 pm, and my co-workers suggested checking out the Ghostbar or Playboy Club, but changed their minds when they saw most of the folks from the Rain party were making their way same places.
I really had to dig deep to rally and grab a drink with my co-workers. They wasted no time getting the bar tab started and giving me grief when I'd order a diet coke. "There's Jack in that coke, right?" "Oh, come on...you're falling behind." "You're going to have to catch up." I think I ordered a diet coke as my first drink because I honestly couldn't think of a drink to order. It's been a long time since I've ordered a mixed drink. I would've ordered a glass of wine, but if I drink too much wine I get sleepy and a headache. I did learn about (and try) two vodkas that I had not heard of before: Hanger One and Effen. Pretty good stuff. I think I consumed more alcohol this past week than I have all year. And I managed to be in bed before midnight every night! Ah, how times have changed.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Greetings from Vegas
I'm in Vegas for most of this week for CTIA Wireless, an industry tradeshow. This is a view from my room at the Wynn hotel. My room overlooks the Wynn golf course (the waterfall) and the pool, which isn't in this picture.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
The Napa Valley Trail Half Marathon
So, today was the half marathon that I signed up to run with Grace and Ann. I've supposedly been training for this run. I say supposedly because I wasn't nearly as disciplined as when I was training for the San Diego Rock-n-Roll marathon. I've been really behind on my training plan, and the longest distance I managed to run before this race was 6 miles. Let me tell you that running any race with little to no training is a bad idea. So, I decided that I should probably run/walk this one. Grace and Ann really didn't seem to mind either. =)
Unlike some of the other runs I've done before, this one was really low key. No corrals, timing chips or fancy finish line. It was also a well organized and supported event. We finished in about 3 hours and 30 minutes, which isn't bad considering we walked a good percentage of the course. The course was very scenic and peaceful with a few stream crossings. It was a bit tough in parts where there was pretty steep downhill and the ground was muddy. You could see where a few folks has slipped from the imprint on left on the ground. There were also some pretty steep uphill sections as well. I don't think I would've been able to run up those hills even if I had trained for this race. Even though it was a chilly start and slightly damp and muddy out, it was a fun event.
Before the race Grace asked me if I preferred trail races to regular races (e.g. pavement). I told her I'd have to let her know after this race because I've never really run a trail event before. While I thought trail running would be easier on my joints, the downhill sections really weren't that forgiving for my knees. Plus with the rocks and tree roots, it's pretty easy to turn an ankle or slip and fall. From a better-for-your-joints perspective, I think it's probably a wash. I think I prefer regular races because there's a different energy. There's always random people along the race route cheering you on. And that's pretty cool! I know there've been many times when I thought I couldn't do it, but then you'd hear someone in the randomly shout, "Good job! Keep it up!" And all of sudden, you get a burst of energy.
Aside from the run, the weekend was great! Not only did the boys meet us at the end of the race, they also prepared a delicious lunch for us girls back at our rental house! =) After relaxing for a bit, we went shopping at the Napa Outlets and then had dinner in downtown Napa. On Sunday, the boys slept in and the girls made breakfast for everyone. Kinda cute, huh? After packing up and locking up the house, we went wine tasting for a few hours before heading off to Oracle Arena. Greg, John and I met up with Dardy to catch the Warriors v. Mavericks game. All-in-all, it was a relaxing and fun-filled weekend!
Unlike some of the other runs I've done before, this one was really low key. No corrals, timing chips or fancy finish line. It was also a well organized and supported event. We finished in about 3 hours and 30 minutes, which isn't bad considering we walked a good percentage of the course. The course was very scenic and peaceful with a few stream crossings. It was a bit tough in parts where there was pretty steep downhill and the ground was muddy. You could see where a few folks has slipped from the imprint on left on the ground. There were also some pretty steep uphill sections as well. I don't think I would've been able to run up those hills even if I had trained for this race. Even though it was a chilly start and slightly damp and muddy out, it was a fun event.
Before the race Grace asked me if I preferred trail races to regular races (e.g. pavement). I told her I'd have to let her know after this race because I've never really run a trail event before. While I thought trail running would be easier on my joints, the downhill sections really weren't that forgiving for my knees. Plus with the rocks and tree roots, it's pretty easy to turn an ankle or slip and fall. From a better-for-your-joints perspective, I think it's probably a wash. I think I prefer regular races because there's a different energy. There's always random people along the race route cheering you on. And that's pretty cool! I know there've been many times when I thought I couldn't do it, but then you'd hear someone in the randomly shout, "Good job! Keep it up!" And all of sudden, you get a burst of energy.
Aside from the run, the weekend was great! Not only did the boys meet us at the end of the race, they also prepared a delicious lunch for us girls back at our rental house! =) After relaxing for a bit, we went shopping at the Napa Outlets and then had dinner in downtown Napa. On Sunday, the boys slept in and the girls made breakfast for everyone. Kinda cute, huh? After packing up and locking up the house, we went wine tasting for a few hours before heading off to Oracle Arena. Greg, John and I met up with Dardy to catch the Warriors v. Mavericks game. All-in-all, it was a relaxing and fun-filled weekend!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Spring Fever
This past weekend was probably the most active weekend we've had in a long time. The weather was fantastic, and we took full advantage of it. It felt really good to be outside, moving rather than being sedentary on the couch.
On Saturday, we went for a road ride from our house in Santa Clara to the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto. We had lunch at Max's Cafe and met up with our friends volunteering a doggie adoption event at a posh doggie boutique, Bowlicious. We rode ~30 miles, round trip. It may sound far, but that's a typical distance and route I used to ride on a regular basis (when I was more active). I honestly can't remember the last time I was on my bike. And I could *definitely* tell it had been a long time. When we started the ride, my seat felt too high. I know it hadn't been adjusted and my legs haven't gotten any shorter. My legs felt like lead on our return ride, and my bottom was sore from sitting on my bike saddle. After the ride, my legs, arms, shoulders and abs were sore. It's really sad if you think about how hard it is to get into shape, but how easy it is to get out of shape.
On Sunday, we met up with some of our friends at the park to play grass volleyball. It's the first time this year that we've gone out to play grass volleyball. Quite a few people came out to enjoy the warm afternoon and hang out. It was a lot of fun! We're looking forward to more active weekends, especially since Spring is here and the weather is getting better.
On Saturday, we went for a road ride from our house in Santa Clara to the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto. We had lunch at Max's Cafe and met up with our friends volunteering a doggie adoption event at a posh doggie boutique, Bowlicious. We rode ~30 miles, round trip. It may sound far, but that's a typical distance and route I used to ride on a regular basis (when I was more active). I honestly can't remember the last time I was on my bike. And I could *definitely* tell it had been a long time. When we started the ride, my seat felt too high. I know it hadn't been adjusted and my legs haven't gotten any shorter. My legs felt like lead on our return ride, and my bottom was sore from sitting on my bike saddle. After the ride, my legs, arms, shoulders and abs were sore. It's really sad if you think about how hard it is to get into shape, but how easy it is to get out of shape.
On Sunday, we met up with some of our friends at the park to play grass volleyball. It's the first time this year that we've gone out to play grass volleyball. Quite a few people came out to enjoy the warm afternoon and hang out. It was a lot of fun! We're looking forward to more active weekends, especially since Spring is here and the weather is getting better.
Friday, March 21, 2008
WooHoo, We're Homeless!
Okay, technically, we're not homeless. We just sold our Sunnyvale townhouse! For those of you who don't know, the Sunnyvale townhouse was my (Cheryl's) old place. We were pleasantly surprised at how quickly it sold, especially given the current state of the credit and real estate markets. It was on the market for less than a week *and* we got our asking price plus a bit more. It was all very exciting!
Our realtor, Royce Cablayan, was phenomenal! He was great to work with, very patient with all our questions and provided helpful suggestions on the improvements we should and shouldn't make to the place. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a place.
A couple of people have asked me if I'm sad about selling my place. Honestly, I'm not. I don't have any emotional attachments to it. It's probably because I haven't been living there for a while now. If I was still living in the place when we sold it, then I'd probably feel a bit sad. But I said my goodbyes about 5 months ago when I moved into Greg's townhouse in Santa Clara. I still have to correct myself when I talk about our home. Even though Greg's done so much to make sure that it feels like my home too and I consider our current residence my home, I often refer to it as Greg's place instead of our place or my place. It probably bothers me more than Greg that I do that. Hopefully, now that we've sold the Sunnyvale place, it'll be easier.
Other people have asked what we're going to do with the proceeds from the sale. Well, I've spent some of it on a new laptop (no, it's not a MacBook) that will hopefully arrive sometime next week. And we're going to use another chunk of it to upgrade our kitchen with new cabinets, counter, sink, lighting and appliances. (Which reminds me, has anyone recently purchased a dishwasher or range? If so, I'd appreciate any recommendations or thoughts you have on these appliances.) The rest of it has to go into a VERY safe short-term financial intsrument because it's our down payment for a single family home. We want to give Tachi a backyard to run around in. We haven't started looking and will probably wait until the government raises the conforming loan limit before we start to look. In the meantime, we can look forward to our remodeled kitchen.
Our realtor, Royce Cablayan, was phenomenal! He was great to work with, very patient with all our questions and provided helpful suggestions on the improvements we should and shouldn't make to the place. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a place.
A couple of people have asked me if I'm sad about selling my place. Honestly, I'm not. I don't have any emotional attachments to it. It's probably because I haven't been living there for a while now. If I was still living in the place when we sold it, then I'd probably feel a bit sad. But I said my goodbyes about 5 months ago when I moved into Greg's townhouse in Santa Clara. I still have to correct myself when I talk about our home. Even though Greg's done so much to make sure that it feels like my home too and I consider our current residence my home, I often refer to it as Greg's place instead of our place or my place. It probably bothers me more than Greg that I do that. Hopefully, now that we've sold the Sunnyvale place, it'll be easier.
Other people have asked what we're going to do with the proceeds from the sale. Well, I've spent some of it on a new laptop (no, it's not a MacBook) that will hopefully arrive sometime next week. And we're going to use another chunk of it to upgrade our kitchen with new cabinets, counter, sink, lighting and appliances. (Which reminds me, has anyone recently purchased a dishwasher or range? If so, I'd appreciate any recommendations or thoughts you have on these appliances.) The rest of it has to go into a VERY safe short-term financial intsrument because it's our down payment for a single family home. We want to give Tachi a backyard to run around in. We haven't started looking and will probably wait until the government raises the conforming loan limit before we start to look. In the meantime, we can look forward to our remodeled kitchen.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Red Egg and Ginger Party
This past weekend, I (Greg was at a bachelor party) went to red egg and ginger party for my friend's new baby girl. I had a great time seeing my friend, her husband and their adorable baby girl. It was really nice to catch up with her extended family and our mutual friends too. Her daughter slept through most of the event, which is amazing considering the noise and all the little kids peeking into her stroller or poking at her to get her to wake up.
Speaking of little kids, I was amazed at how many kids were there. It seemed like everywhere I turned there was a either an infant, toddler or kid who was about 7 or younger. Where did all these kids come from?! I guess we're getting to that stage of life...
Speaking of little kids, I was amazed at how many kids were there. It seemed like everywhere I turned there was a either an infant, toddler or kid who was about 7 or younger. Where did all these kids come from?! I guess we're getting to that stage of life...
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Library
Yesterday afternoon, I took a field trip to the Santa Clara library. Why? Well, several weeks ago my co-workers and I were talking about Barak Obama's book, The Audacity of Hope. Both of them had read the book and were supporting Obama in the Democratic primary. In fact, one of them said that the book reminded him of all the reasons why he loved living in this country and being American. He is an immigrant from India. I was intrigued and made some offhand comment about having to stop at the book store to pick it up. To which, my other co-worker remarked, "Buy it? Why don't you just borrow it from the library."
The library? I couldn't remember the last time I had stepped foot in a library. It was probably college. That got me thinking about why I hadn't visited a library in such a long time. When I was kid, I used to go to the library every Saturday morning. It was one of the many things I looked forward to. And my brother and I participated in the summer reading programs sponsored by our local library. Of course, it helped that there were prizes and Choose Your Own Adventure books counted as part of the program.
In junior high and high school, the library represented a sort of social freedom. Studying at the library was a way to hang out with friends and boys outside the ever watchful eyes of our parents. In fact, I know some of my friends would tell their parent's they were going to the library, but really they were at some boy's house. Really in between all the goofing off and white lies, we did manage to do some homework and research for papers/projects.
In college, the library was part socializing, part research for papers, and part actually studying (generally around mid-terms and finals). Sometimes studying at the library was even a pseudo-date. But now that I'm not in school, I didn't need to study or write papers anymore. And my friends and I socialize at different venues now: Starbucks, apartments/houses, volleyball.
So, how was the library? The Santa Clara library is a rather new, contemporary building with many modern amenities. There's lots of great natural light and spaces to read / work. They have computers with internet access available for use, free of charge. The tables have power plugs hidden underneath the table tops so you can plug your laptop in. There's even a cafe in the library! Although I think you have to consume your food/beverages at the tables around the cafe and not in other parts of the library. I'll have to double check that the next time I go. In addition to books, you can borrow DVDs, CDs, videos, and audio books.
I got a library card and started to look for a book to borrow. Borrowing a book instead of buying it actually makes a lot of sense (unless it's Harry Potter). I rarely read a book more than once. And when I'm finished with it, it just sits on my self collecting dust. But as I was looking up books that I had wanted to read, I realized what I disliked about the library. They didn't have any of them available. They were all checked out! Hmpf.
The library? I couldn't remember the last time I had stepped foot in a library. It was probably college. That got me thinking about why I hadn't visited a library in such a long time. When I was kid, I used to go to the library every Saturday morning. It was one of the many things I looked forward to. And my brother and I participated in the summer reading programs sponsored by our local library. Of course, it helped that there were prizes and Choose Your Own Adventure books counted as part of the program.
In junior high and high school, the library represented a sort of social freedom. Studying at the library was a way to hang out with friends and boys outside the ever watchful eyes of our parents. In fact, I know some of my friends would tell their parent's they were going to the library, but really they were at some boy's house. Really in between all the goofing off and white lies, we did manage to do some homework and research for papers/projects.
In college, the library was part socializing, part research for papers, and part actually studying (generally around mid-terms and finals). Sometimes studying at the library was even a pseudo-date. But now that I'm not in school, I didn't need to study or write papers anymore. And my friends and I socialize at different venues now: Starbucks, apartments/houses, volleyball.
So, how was the library? The Santa Clara library is a rather new, contemporary building with many modern amenities. There's lots of great natural light and spaces to read / work. They have computers with internet access available for use, free of charge. The tables have power plugs hidden underneath the table tops so you can plug your laptop in. There's even a cafe in the library! Although I think you have to consume your food/beverages at the tables around the cafe and not in other parts of the library. I'll have to double check that the next time I go. In addition to books, you can borrow DVDs, CDs, videos, and audio books.
I got a library card and started to look for a book to borrow. Borrowing a book instead of buying it actually makes a lot of sense (unless it's Harry Potter). I rarely read a book more than once. And when I'm finished with it, it just sits on my self collecting dust. But as I was looking up books that I had wanted to read, I realized what I disliked about the library. They didn't have any of them available. They were all checked out! Hmpf.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Driving in Cricles
This weekend we went to Tahoe with some friends. When I was younger, I used to go to Tahoe frequently (read: every weekend) with friends. I'm not sure what happened, but I haven't been to Tahoe much in the past couple of seasons. Maybe it's because the snow hasn't been that great. Maybe it's because I'm getting old and lazy. Maybe it's because many of my friends have moved away and the ones who are here don't go up much either. Maybe it's because boarding just isn't the same as it used to be for me. Maybe it's a little bit of all of those things. Either way, I was looking forward to a relaxing, get away weekend.
We left Friday morning and had an uneventful drive into Tahoe. After settling in, we built a fort and snow people to greet the rest of our group. Saturday, we boarded at Sierra-at-Tahoe, even though we were closer to Heavenly. I think most folks in our group prefer Sierra because it's less expensive and is more boarder-friendly. The conditions were good in the morning: fresh powder, no lines, decent weather (not blue skies, but also not snowing or too windy). As the day progressed, we could tell that the storm was moving in. By lunch time, it was snowing and pretty gusty at the top of the mountain. But we went out for more boarding because the snow was so good. After a yummy dinner prepared by Grace, we just hung out and played Rock Band. Thanks for bringing it up, Ed and Char!
Sunday morning was a lazy morning. Slept in, made breakfast and had a snowball fight. That was good fun! Then it was time to pack it up and head home. This is when our weekend turned into a miserable, never-ending comedy of errors.
First a map of Lake Tahoe to help orient you.
We were staying in S. Lake Tahoe (bottom of the map), just off the road that takes you from S. Lake Tahoe Blvd to Heavenly (Ski Run for those of you familiar with the Tahoe Area).
1:00 PM - We departed the cabin. We inched our way forward on Pioneer Trail and noted all the cars turning around. Hmm...this is not a good sign. Thanks to the magic of GPS, we were able to take back roads to Meyers, near the junction of Hwy 50 and 89. (We're still at the bottom of the map). Cal Trans has closed Hwy 50 and 89 for avalanche work at the summit. Hwy 88 was closed due to avalanche danger. So, we couldn't take the 89 to 88 past Kirkwood. We just sat and wait...and wait...and wait. If any of you have taken a road trip with my husband, you *know* that this is cruel and unusual punishment for him (and anyone else in the car with him). He *cannot* sit still and gets incredibly antsy. Thankfully, we had a deck of cards and started playing card games.
3:30 PM - We've been sitting for 2.5 hours. Some of us have to potty. We made an executive decision to turn around and drive around the lake to the North Shore/Truckee to take Hwy 80 home. Of course, we checked road conditions before we made this decision. Hwy 80 as open. Why is this a big deal? Because in the winter, you have to go the long way around the lake. Hwy 89 is closed at Emerald Bay due to avalanche danger. For those of you not familiar with the long way, look at the map. We drove back towards our cabin on Hwy 50, crossed the Nevada/California State line, up Hwy 50 to Hwy 28 to Hwy 267 to Hwy 80.
6:00 PM - We're now at the top left of the map, near Truckee. The road conditions are not stellar. It's snowing, borderline blizzarding. The visibilty is poor. But traffic is moving! As we approach 80 westbound, there aren't many cars on the highway. Maybe everyone's already headed home? It looks like we made a good decision...until we see brake lights and then 80 becomes a parking lot at Donner Pass Road. Hwy 80 is *closed* at Donner Summit due to blizzard-like conditions and zero visibility. We also find out that Hwy 50 is now open. OMG! Are you have to be kidding me?! It's kinda comical...in a sick twisted way. What should we do? We decided to get dinner and see if the road opens up after we're done.
7:00 PM - We manage to maneuver around all the parked cars and flip a u-turn on the highway. Yes, we flipped a u-turn. After driving around for 20 minutes, we found an Italian place in Truckee. We had a nice meal, watched some TV (the Oscars and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader), hung out for a bit and then decided to give it another shot.
9:00 PM - Hwy 80 is *still* closed. In fact, they blocked all the westbound on-ramps. What to do? Let's get gas at the gas station. There are heaps of cars, trucks and SUVs parked on the side of the road, just waiting. Should we drive back to S. Lake Tahoe and take Hwy 50 home? There's no guarantee that 50 will remain open and still be open by the time we get there. Not to mention the fact that our trek to Hwy 80 would've been a futile effort. Or do we wait it out for them to open 80? The last time we didn't wait, 50 opened up. Of course, there is no estimated time of re-opening. It's a catch-22. We're damned if we do. We're damned if we don't. We decide to wait it out, since the last time we didn't we got screwed.
Greg is now convinced that Cal Trans is in cahoots with the Truckee businesses. It's all just a ploy to keep people in the area...force us to spend money on food, gas and lodging. "Cal Trans sucks @$$," says Greg.
It's amazing how cold a car can get when it's cold outside. Luckily, Ed and Char had blankets to keep us warm. Note to self: pack blankets whenever we roadtrip. We talk for a little bit, and then everyone in the car dozes off.
12:00 AM - We wake up and decide to give it yet another shot. The storm seems to have passed. It's not snowing outside anymore, and the wind seems to have died down. It's *still* closed! The guy in the truck says 80 probably won't be open until the morning. Hmm...we could just stay overnight, call in sick and board in fresh powder. Except we both have doggies we need to get back to. We've got nothing to lose now. So, (this is just classic) we drive *back* to S. Lake Tahoe to take Hwy 50 home. On the plus side, there's no traffic on the roads.
2:00 AM - Life is cruel. 13 hours after we left, we're back where we started. We basically drove to Truckee for dinner and a nap and then back to S. Lake Tahoe. Hahaha! On a positive note, everyone in the car is taking this in stride. No one's blaming anyone. Tempers are *not* flaring. Greg was probably the most frustrated person in the car because he's not good at feeling helpless. But he was still laughing at the situation and making jokes.
2:30 AM - Hwy 50 is...open! Hooray! We pass chain control and are on our way home. According to Char and Greg, driving 50 that late at night was surreal. You're literally staring into the blackness and you see nothing. Every now and then they'd see an animal along the side of the road. They saw a coyote, a mountain lion (they think) and Sasquatch (not). Ed and I were passed out in the back seat. So we'll take their word for it.
7:30 AM - After being on the road for 19.5 hours, we are *finally* home! I think the entire drive home is a lesson in patience. If we had just had the patience to wait it out on Hwy 50, we probably would've been home much sooner. Needless to say, we "worked" from home today and managed to take a nice long nap in the afternoon.
Call us crazy, but we're plotting another trip back to Tahoe to erase the sour memory of our insane drive home. =)
We left Friday morning and had an uneventful drive into Tahoe. After settling in, we built a fort and snow people to greet the rest of our group. Saturday, we boarded at Sierra-at-Tahoe, even though we were closer to Heavenly. I think most folks in our group prefer Sierra because it's less expensive and is more boarder-friendly. The conditions were good in the morning: fresh powder, no lines, decent weather (not blue skies, but also not snowing or too windy). As the day progressed, we could tell that the storm was moving in. By lunch time, it was snowing and pretty gusty at the top of the mountain. But we went out for more boarding because the snow was so good. After a yummy dinner prepared by Grace, we just hung out and played Rock Band. Thanks for bringing it up, Ed and Char!
Sunday morning was a lazy morning. Slept in, made breakfast and had a snowball fight. That was good fun! Then it was time to pack it up and head home. This is when our weekend turned into a miserable, never-ending comedy of errors.
First a map of Lake Tahoe to help orient you.
We were staying in S. Lake Tahoe (bottom of the map), just off the road that takes you from S. Lake Tahoe Blvd to Heavenly (Ski Run for those of you familiar with the Tahoe Area). 1:00 PM - We departed the cabin. We inched our way forward on Pioneer Trail and noted all the cars turning around. Hmm...this is not a good sign. Thanks to the magic of GPS, we were able to take back roads to Meyers, near the junction of Hwy 50 and 89. (We're still at the bottom of the map). Cal Trans has closed Hwy 50 and 89 for avalanche work at the summit. Hwy 88 was closed due to avalanche danger. So, we couldn't take the 89 to 88 past Kirkwood. We just sat and wait...and wait...and wait. If any of you have taken a road trip with my husband, you *know* that this is cruel and unusual punishment for him (and anyone else in the car with him). He *cannot* sit still and gets incredibly antsy. Thankfully, we had a deck of cards and started playing card games.
3:30 PM - We've been sitting for 2.5 hours. Some of us have to potty. We made an executive decision to turn around and drive around the lake to the North Shore/Truckee to take Hwy 80 home. Of course, we checked road conditions before we made this decision. Hwy 80 as open. Why is this a big deal? Because in the winter, you have to go the long way around the lake. Hwy 89 is closed at Emerald Bay due to avalanche danger. For those of you not familiar with the long way, look at the map. We drove back towards our cabin on Hwy 50, crossed the Nevada/California State line, up Hwy 50 to Hwy 28 to Hwy 267 to Hwy 80.
6:00 PM - We're now at the top left of the map, near Truckee. The road conditions are not stellar. It's snowing, borderline blizzarding. The visibilty is poor. But traffic is moving! As we approach 80 westbound, there aren't many cars on the highway. Maybe everyone's already headed home? It looks like we made a good decision...until we see brake lights and then 80 becomes a parking lot at Donner Pass Road. Hwy 80 is *closed* at Donner Summit due to blizzard-like conditions and zero visibility. We also find out that Hwy 50 is now open. OMG! Are you have to be kidding me?! It's kinda comical...in a sick twisted way. What should we do? We decided to get dinner and see if the road opens up after we're done.
7:00 PM - We manage to maneuver around all the parked cars and flip a u-turn on the highway. Yes, we flipped a u-turn. After driving around for 20 minutes, we found an Italian place in Truckee. We had a nice meal, watched some TV (the Oscars and Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader), hung out for a bit and then decided to give it another shot.
9:00 PM - Hwy 80 is *still* closed. In fact, they blocked all the westbound on-ramps. What to do? Let's get gas at the gas station. There are heaps of cars, trucks and SUVs parked on the side of the road, just waiting. Should we drive back to S. Lake Tahoe and take Hwy 50 home? There's no guarantee that 50 will remain open and still be open by the time we get there. Not to mention the fact that our trek to Hwy 80 would've been a futile effort. Or do we wait it out for them to open 80? The last time we didn't wait, 50 opened up. Of course, there is no estimated time of re-opening. It's a catch-22. We're damned if we do. We're damned if we don't. We decide to wait it out, since the last time we didn't we got screwed.
Greg is now convinced that Cal Trans is in cahoots with the Truckee businesses. It's all just a ploy to keep people in the area...force us to spend money on food, gas and lodging. "Cal Trans sucks @$$," says Greg.
It's amazing how cold a car can get when it's cold outside. Luckily, Ed and Char had blankets to keep us warm. Note to self: pack blankets whenever we roadtrip. We talk for a little bit, and then everyone in the car dozes off.
12:00 AM - We wake up and decide to give it yet another shot. The storm seems to have passed. It's not snowing outside anymore, and the wind seems to have died down. It's *still* closed! The guy in the truck says 80 probably won't be open until the morning. Hmm...we could just stay overnight, call in sick and board in fresh powder. Except we both have doggies we need to get back to. We've got nothing to lose now. So, (this is just classic) we drive *back* to S. Lake Tahoe to take Hwy 50 home. On the plus side, there's no traffic on the roads.
2:00 AM - Life is cruel. 13 hours after we left, we're back where we started. We basically drove to Truckee for dinner and a nap and then back to S. Lake Tahoe. Hahaha! On a positive note, everyone in the car is taking this in stride. No one's blaming anyone. Tempers are *not* flaring. Greg was probably the most frustrated person in the car because he's not good at feeling helpless. But he was still laughing at the situation and making jokes.
2:30 AM - Hwy 50 is...open! Hooray! We pass chain control and are on our way home. According to Char and Greg, driving 50 that late at night was surreal. You're literally staring into the blackness and you see nothing. Every now and then they'd see an animal along the side of the road. They saw a coyote, a mountain lion (they think) and Sasquatch (not). Ed and I were passed out in the back seat. So we'll take their word for it.
7:30 AM - After being on the road for 19.5 hours, we are *finally* home! I think the entire drive home is a lesson in patience. If we had just had the patience to wait it out on Hwy 50, we probably would've been home much sooner. Needless to say, we "worked" from home today and managed to take a nice long nap in the afternoon.
Call us crazy, but we're plotting another trip back to Tahoe to erase the sour memory of our insane drive home. =)
Monday, February 18, 2008
Chinese New Year Run
Yesterday we ran the Chinese New Year 5k/10K Run in San Francisco. Our friend, Juliana, organized a group of folks to run or walk the 5K. We got up really early to get up to the city by 7:00 AM. The upside of getting there early: no traffic and *FREE* street parking. I've never found free street parking in San Francisco, especially around SF Chinatown.
The run was pretty low-key. There were actually a lot more people than we expected. Apparently, this is the 30th annual run. The funniest thing about the run were the handful of Chinese grandmas who would cross the streets that the runners were on. They just shuffled right in front of everyone with no fear of being run over or bumped into. I wonder if something happens to Asian women who get past a certain age that gives them this fearlessness (or stupidity according to Greg).
We had heard that they gave each runner warm pork buns (the baked kind) after the finish line. So, that was pretty good motivation to run faster and get to the finish line. You can imagine how disappointed Greg was when we crossed the finish line and made our way up to Portsmouth Square to find that there were no pork buns. Only water, bananas, oranges and yogurt in tubes. Good thing we were planning to grab breakfast after everyone finished! Our yummy breakfast at Squat & Gobble more than made up for the lack of pork buns.
The run was pretty low-key. There were actually a lot more people than we expected. Apparently, this is the 30th annual run. The funniest thing about the run were the handful of Chinese grandmas who would cross the streets that the runners were on. They just shuffled right in front of everyone with no fear of being run over or bumped into. I wonder if something happens to Asian women who get past a certain age that gives them this fearlessness (or stupidity according to Greg).
We had heard that they gave each runner warm pork buns (the baked kind) after the finish line. So, that was pretty good motivation to run faster and get to the finish line. You can imagine how disappointed Greg was when we crossed the finish line and made our way up to Portsmouth Square to find that there were no pork buns. Only water, bananas, oranges and yogurt in tubes. Good thing we were planning to grab breakfast after everyone finished! Our yummy breakfast at Squat & Gobble more than made up for the lack of pork buns.
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