Happy Holidaze 2015

This holiday season has truly been a daze!

I spent Thanksgiving in Seoul, after exploring Hong Kong for a week, and am so thankful to have the financial stability to travel as well as the great company to travel with. Our Asia group was mostly awesome, especially because we got to piggy back on Nan's food research/plans in HK. The most intense night of eating of my life was probably our dinner food tour with Nan's cousin. GEEZ! They sure do know how to eat! And catching up with Greta was fantastic, as she took us to some of our favorite Chinese meals. In Hong Kong we stayed on Park Island, and I really loved the area. Life on the BEACH but near the city - a dream for me. We rode the MTR a lot, and even though I don't like public transportation... I have to admit that it was very clean and convenient. One of my fave destinations in HK was the Wong Tai Sin temple where I got my fortune read!  I mean, we even went to Macau and karoke'ed in HK... it was really my ideal trip. 

Korea was much colder, but we ALWAYS had grapefruit soju to warm us up. The food in Seoul was also really delicious, and the shopping was overwhelming at times. Most of our meals were KBBQ, but all of the KBBQ was really tasty so I didn't mind at all. The street food was such a treat, especially because we stayed at a hotel in Myeong-Dong within walking distance to the vendor strip. We also had ginseng chicken and black sesame honey tea (both of which I've never had before) with Charles' cousins, and they were so nice! Can't wait to see them again in Spring for the wedding. I brought back a few Korean beauty products that I really like, and wish I had purchased more! 

Since coming back from Asia, we hosted an Ugly Christmas Sweater/White Elephant party, as well as a Holiday Turn-up at Tia Lou. We also saw Beauty and the Beast at the Paramount with Vic and Christina! 

On Christmas Eve, I attended mass with Matt's family, and then enjoyed a delightful family dinner at Matt's sister house. I made frosted donut holes for dessert, with the cake pop maker secret santa gift from Alom. They took forever but were pretty good, if I may say so myself. =) We even brought Forrest, and he had so much fun with the nephews! 

When we got home, we opened our gifts and I got a MAGIC MIC FOR CHRISTMAS!!! I stayed up until 4 AM singing, and now I am having a very, very lazy Christmas Day. WHEW! 

Visitors, Ursher, Thanksgiving in Portland, and MORE WEDDING!

Jon and Kathie were in town a couple of weeks ago! And Melissa's friends were also here for the weekend. We went to Aston Manor, and had SO MUCH FUNS.

We also saw USHER at Key Area!! Dude. DUDE. That body, those dance moves, and that voice. I'm so glad we went!!! As good as Beyonce? Almost. But I didn't cry like a baby, like I did at the Bey & Jay concert earlier this year, so probably not on the same level.

For Thanksgiving, Matt and I drove down to Portland, where Gary, Chad, Tiana, David, and Kevin were! John just moved back, and Charles came down too. I was so exhausted from PMSing.. unfortunately. But I still had a really good time. Thanksgiving dinner was gluttony, as per usual. We played games, watched movies, and even went to Punchbowl the second night! *YESSS!!!!* Totally bowled, and I haven't bowled in maybe ten years? We failed at Black Friday shopping. The only thing I bought... wasn't on sale. Ugh. Why do I keep trying?

We brought Forrest with us to Portland, and he was all shaking and anxious from being in a new place with so many new people. He wouldn't eat any dog food, but we managed to get him to eat some turkey. He wouldn't even eat his bully stick or his treats, which he normally will do ANYTHING for. Oh well, he lost some weight. And he got to sleep in the bed with us for both nights! He was ridiculously happy to be home, I guess he's just a homebody like me. First for everything though... first road trip! :)

And then we drove back Saturday morning, THROUGH SNOW, for the wedding! Lisa and Quanh got married in the ID, and it was pretty cool catching up with Matt's old coworkers.

And then this week at work we are sandboxing. OMG. I was so stressed out last week when we started delving into the use cases, and I'm so tired. This week I have things more under control, so I'm not feeling like smashing my head through my monitor, but I'll definitely be glad when it's all over. The experience is VERY VALUABLE to me. I've never been so involved with a project of this magnitude, and even though it is a lot to handle I am enjoying every bit of the learning experience!!

I have so many things to be grateful for this year. A great job, a loving boyfriend, a supportive family back home (and two amazing cities to call home), a wonderful puppy, and my health. Everything is awesome!

Thanksgiving & Apple Cup

For Thanksgiving this year, I was invited to Matt's sister's house to share a wonderful meal! =) There was SO much food. And I had a wonderful time just being around people on the holidays - sure beat the last two years I spent in the PNW doing nothing for Thanksgiving dinner! Matt's family is so nice and welcoming, they really make me feel at home. Our lunch+dinner was actually a late lunch that extended into dinner, and ended with a couch full of lethargic people.

On Friday morning, we went tailgating at the Apple Cup in freezing-cold weather (literally). Time flew by, as it always does for tailgating! Tambi and I were falling asleep in our seats by the time we got to the game. Waking up that early and drinking is exhausting!! And the game wasn't as exciting as the Seahawks games we'd tailgated for in the past. My favorite part was probably the marching bands - I'd never before seen a marching band LIVE! My second favorite part was sitting behind a Cougars fan who spent ten minutes recording a panoramic photo wrong. She then handed it to the UW fan next to her, who recorded it properly for her. She took the phone back and tried for ten minutes more to record the panoramic photo and never got it right. LIKE SERIOUSLY!?!?! There's an arrow on the screen for a reason, dingus! Now I see why people make fun of WSU people, LOL. I also got to wear my fuzzy husky hat. The Huskies won and we went home happy.





The past 12 months have been fantastic, and I have more now to be thankful for than ever. I found the job of my dreams, which by the way is still going really well, and I've got a lease for a new apartment DT. Matt treats me SO well, and his family is awesome. <3 I am financially stable, with great benefits, and my family is healthy. I have my beautiful Al Pals and I've met so many sweet people in Seattle. Oh yeah, and I'm in the playoffs in my fantasy football league, BITCHES!!!! *gush*

Thanking good graces in cold and rainy places

So every year, my Thanksgiving reflections are a little bit different - this year I'm thankful for the people in my life and the good luck I've been blessed with these past few months.

The transition from the city that I've always known and loved, to the new and exciting city that I'm quickly discovering, has been nothing short of flawless.  I'm most thankful for Victor, who has introduced me to almost everyone I know here in Seattle and has been key in the foundation of this new chapter of my life. I'm also thankful for my room mate Matt, who is another form or variation of myself, and probably better qualifies than anyone else I could have found to live with. His consideration, respect, and welcoming nature are far more than I could have asked for.  I'm very thankful for my new friends in Seattle, who have accepted me and shown me nothing but kindness.

Secondly, but more importantly, I'm thankful for my friends and family in SF. When I first moved I was prepared to fade into the backs of everyones minds, and I thought I'd need to return shortly to vacate my room at my moms place. I'm very grateful that she hasn't asked me to clear out yet and continues to let me stay at home when I visit! Her support and love is invaluable, and I truly cherish the random emails she sends me with updates of thoughts about her everyday life.  My friends, another extension of what I consider my family, have not forgotten me! And I'm SO glad to know it. I love being included in happenings and drama even though I'm not physically there. I appreciate so much that they made the trip to visit recently and I always look forward to spending time with them when I get back, especially my beloved Al pals.  I miss them so!

Lastly I'm thankful for not one, but two sources of income during such a financially risky time in my life. First, for the awesome boss who took a chance on a girl out of California and pays me double what she was expecting to when she originally posted to the listing. She's really the nicest boss ever and its a whole different experience from the jobs I've had in the bay.  Second, for my last employer who liked me so much they gave me a laptop and invited me to work remotely around my own schedule. This is probably the best situation possible for someone moving two states away and is still undecided on a permanent career.  I truly am lucky in all regards.

There are so many things for me to be thankful for, and words couldn't describe how lucky I feel. Considering that everything could have fallen apart when I moved, or worse yet I could have stayed in SF and continued to live with the same demons that were consuming my happiness, life has been excellent recently.  I've grown emotionally in this experience in so many ways, and in this different environment I'm learning more about myself every day. I even made yams for Thanksgiving dinner this year! :)

Happy as a clam, no complaints here - I wish everyone I know this very same feeling. Happy Thanksgiving y'all.

Portland Adventures & Thanksgivings

Let me begin by saying that I am oh-so thankful for everyday of my life, and this trip to Portland was awesome on so many levels. While I realize that this sounds totally cliche, since the accident I really feel like everyday is a blessing and I hope I never lose the mindset of giving thanks and always being appreciative.

And now, the Oregon Trail! We left Thursday morning and the car ride went smoothly. Like literally, Alex did a superb job of driving stickshift -- especially for someone who only learned a few weeks ago, it was most excellent. Gary was all over the place in the car, screaming nonsensical things. It was beyond entertaining though, and we definitely had interesting conversation. By the time we got to Portland it was dark and we were all antsy pantsy. We had dinner with Chadwick's family and then afterward, THE DRINKING BEGAN. We did Century Club but I only made it to 23. Oh well, I beat Henry. ;] Oh man, and Chad's uncles and dad sure know how to party. By the end of the night, there was a house full of drunk travellers... who did NOT make it to Black Friday!!!!!!! Sad. I wanted to go. But it's okay, I didn't wake up either LOL.

The next morning was very interesting. One of the boys, woke up pants and underwearless next to another boy, who was shirtless. Of these boys, who shall remain nameless, neither of the two seems to know how that happened. HAHAHAAHHAAH. That's awesome, awkward, and hilarious all rolled into one. We started the day with Waffle Window (which was yummers by the way) and we shopped the stores on Hawthorne (?), their Haight-ish neighborhood. We saw some cool stuff at the thrift stores before making our way to Downtown for the FOOD CARTS! The KBBQ tacos/burrito were pretty good, and the cheesasaurus rex was coooooooool. We shopped downtown a bit and ended up at Pioneer Mall. I got the coolest f'ing moose hat ever. I love it.

We had Thanksgiving dinner on Friday night, and I kid you not that was the tastiest turkey I've ever had in my life. I don't know WHAT they did, but it was sooo juicy and flavorful!!! Chad's dad also did the lamb and it was SO DELICIOUS!! After dinner we played Scattegories, I'm so glad Alex brought it!! I think Priscilla and I liked it the most because by the end everyone else wanted to play Taboo :( Later at night, we went to Ground Kontrol so the boys could play barcade. Afterward, we went to Blitz sports bar and I got sooo many compliments on my moose hat!!! :) :) :) I'm just going to end the recap of that night there... because I don't know exactly what happened in what order.. all I know is I had lots of fun!

Saturday we went to The Kennedy School for lunch. The food was not bad just not too memorable -- the raspberry ale I liked a whole lot. The place was kind of creepy, but kind of cool at the same time. Maybe it's just weird when you almost have to squat to wash your hands because the sink is so low? Whatever the case, I liked that place for the most part. After lunch we went to the flea market. MY FIRST TIME AT A FLEA MARKET!! I didn't buy anything but it was cool to walk around and look. I also tried an elephant ear for the first time :) As we were leaving the flea market it started to hail major. We went back and the other car went to pick up Voodoo donuts. I tried the blood filled Voodoo and it was good. Not the best thing since sliced bread though. They should really use more jelly in the filling!

I tried playing beer pong against Brian (totally thought I had a fair chance) but I lost pretty miserably. THANKFULLY David was my sponsor so I didn't have to drink! I thought I was bad at losing, but I think Alex might be worse. After games, we headed out to Duke's and WE WERE IN FOR A BLAST!!!! I really love Duke's, totally one of the best parts of the trip. In the beginning, a bunch of us went out onto the dancefloor and started line dancing, but I was really hestitant because I had no idea what to do. Later in the night though, I went out on the dancefloor and had the MOST EXCELLENT TIME!!! I also rode the mechanical bull, which I was EXTREMELY hesitant to do at first but afterwards I was definitely glad I tried it :)

They even played the Taylor song I requested for Alex and myself! Too bad he left early and didn't hear it, and also too bad no one else there seemed to know the song. OH WELL, I LOVED IT!

The rest of us eventually headed back to the house and sat around talking. Some wanted to drink more, some wanted to sleep, and I was just happy to be there :). I had soooooooooooo much fun on the trip, and that was the moment that I realized how badly I didn't want it to end. It did though, only a few of us were left for late night Rockband. Eventually that ended also, and it was time to turn in for the night. Chad's family was so welcoming and generous, they were the perfect company for a warm and relaxing holiday. And even though spending the weekend with nine guys was kind of gross at times, it was WELL-worth the fun times we had. The ride home the next day was a tad bit gruesome. In the car after I took my meds, I kept dreaming that we were crashing over and over again. Jeepers creepers...

I'm so glad that the weather permitted us to take this trip. And even though I don't think Portland is a very pretty city, and I'm not sure if I'd ever want to live there, I had a super fantastic time visiting Chad with my awesome friends for the Thanksgiving weekend -- and I'm so thankful for each and every moment.

Girls Who Stare At Shrimps

T-day dinner was great! Turkey thighs (sweet sweet dark meat), marshmallow sweet potatoes, chicken-heart stuffing, and thick gravy - faves. My mom did a fantastic job! Her Sifu and a Taichi master from Beijing joined us, so I couldn't partake in the Mandarin table talk. But it wasn't so bad, I was busy gorging..

I'm staying at Bryant's while he's in NY, and I'm shrimp-sitting! Well, technically, I'm tending to both aquariums, but the shrimpies are far more interesting than the fish. I never realized how much maintenance saltwater tanks require in order to maintain a proper environment - meticulous to say the least.

I like to stare for half-hours at a time. These are "sexy" shrimps because they gyrate their booties all hypnotic and such. The shrimpies fight each other (and the hermit crabs) over food pellets, and when they eat, their antenna-like appendages vibrate frantically! With cute little legs to grab pellets from me like BABIES, I just can't get enough of these curious creatures.

Poppin' Buttons & Being Thankful

I hit the gym last night, and ran extra hard. Why? On Tuesday when I put my jeans on, the button popped off - I was befuddled. 'Twas the first time, and the last. I will end this madness!

Also, as I'm not a person who lives beyond her means, this month will be a test. Going halfsies on a 50" tv with my bro and dirt bike class has blown one of my paychecks out the window. Another paycheck will go to bills and gifts. Needless to say, there will be no BF shopping, and no excessive spending on alcohol! I love my job, but if I can't pick up full-time hours soon I'll be looking elsewhere. Perfect time to get back into shape and study hard..

And Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for my friends, family, health, and awesome life. Though I still have wants (money/fame/boys), I have no complaints! Happy T-day to you all, you fat bastards.