Maui...here we come

Tomorrow we leave for Maui...can't wait.

Elf Myself!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I love my...

Jura espresso machine...I look very forward to getting up in the mornings because of it!

Green X-mas party

Last night I attended the Alice Green X-mas party in SF at a place called Mezzanine. Some great live music in an intimate setting.

My favorite acts were Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles, and Lenka. Alanis Morissette made an appearance as the headliner too, but we cut out a bit early to beat the crowd. Girl looks skinny - like, on the verge of too skinny.

Here are the least blurry pics from my phone. Note to self: the camera on this phone sucks.


Alice radio station propoganda


Ingrid Michaelson (on the right)

San Francisco has such a friendly crowd. People let you pass willingly through the crowd to get your drink and come back to your spot. Those in front of you are concerned if you can see ok. Gay people can be open...ok I won't get on that rant.

Fun times and I will keep this venue in mind for the future. Not too shabby if you don't mind standing room only.

Tis the Season & Baby Business

This past Friday Leon & I attended his company holiday party at Allegro Romano in San Francisco. Had a great time, but should take note to wear stretch pants because they are not playing around when it comes to feeding you! Or keeping your wine glass full for that matter...woke up with a wee bit of a headache on Saturday morning.



On Saturday while Leon was shooting clays with his Stanford crew (Happy B-day Brad!) I headed out to San Ramon to attend Lily & Elton's baby shower. It was a great to see Lily's growing bump. Andrew (Francie & Jimmy's baby) was hamming it up for the camera as well, he seems to know what to do when the little red light comes on. I also got to see a blast from the past, my good friend Carson along with some other peeps from back in the day.

This week is finals and I have been studying and writing. Can't wait until it's over!

Spoke too soon

http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/hutchinson__eric/bio.jhtml

Damn!

It's Ok..it's alright with me...

High-five Eric Hutchinson, I know I will see you on VH1's Saturday countdown.

New Heavy Rotator

Currently listening to: Food Chain - Eric Hutchinson

You know when you find a music artist you really like and no one really knows about them just yet? And you feel giddy because somewhere in the space of satellite radio you heard this great tune, came home, found it on iTunes...but then you found an entire great album! That is Eric Hutchinson.

Not alot of artists get their own entire playlist on my nano (Sorry Sasha Fierce...aka Beyonce), but my Vampire Weekend has been replaced. Now let me re-phrase that Vampire Weekend can never be replaced - they're just not at the top of the spin list. It is time for a new album from those guys.

What makes me excited about Hutchinson's album (Sounds Like This) is that it is remnant of Billy Joel with a more bluesy feel. Now I know what you are thinking. I'm not talking about the "We Didn't Start the Fire" Billy Joel or the doo-wop "Longest Time" or "Uptown Girl" Billy Joel. I am talking about the "My Life" and maybe even "Don't Ask Me Why" Billy Joel...but like I mentioned, with a lil' more Blues.

Am I just rambling? Do you even know who Billy Joel is? Has anyone ever endorsed an artist this intently? Should I be asking Eric Hutchinson for a kick-back if so?

Well, I don't want to see Eric Hutchinson on VH1 anytime soon because for a moment I wanna' keep this album to myself...but if he does make it to the big times, maybe I will ask for a wee kick-back :)

The Long & Short of It...

Currently listening to: Ok, It's Alright with Me - Eric Hutchinson

I've been a bad bad blogger...how did December get here already? So here is a long catching up post:

October 31st...

Tank dressed up for Halloween

and so did we (Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, & Suri)

fun times at the Paulson's Spoooooooktacular

November 1st

A great B-day dinner at Red Lantern

Mmmmmm.... Sprinkles cupcakes for dessert

Then a little bowling (Peter & Garrett celebrate)

Angie, Ann, Jeff, & Sam wait their turn

November 25th

Leave to LA for the Thanksgiving holiday

November 26th

Lovely day in San Clemente with some of the Stanford crew or AKA "Married Mafia". As Leon golfed with Brett, Brett's dad, & Brad , Annika kept me company showing me around her hood. Her folk's home was beautiful and I have decided to move in...they just don't know it yet. We had manis, pedis, and did a little shopping then met up with Heather for lunch. Unbelieveable weather and quite a beautiful day.

November 27th

Turkey Day....time with Leon's grandparents and a lovely prime rib dinner...no Turkey's sacrificed at the Chen household.

November 28th

Yay...time with my childhood friend Joma out in Santa Monica. Got to check out his new digs (now old) and the high school he teaches at...just like old times.

We are back up north now in the real world... next week is finals week. Can't wait for it to be done!

Yes We Did...

Words can't even explain what I feel right now...such emotions. I cried when they announced Obama.

I am so glad Americans were able to reach across the color lines for change.

Just trying to soak it all in - this historic moment.

Vote...Vote...Vote...

I did...

Racism & Discrimination '08

I am not one to usually go all political on my blog, but....the racism & ignorance in this presidential campaign has gotten to me. It runs rampant - just Youtube Ohio and Obama, you'll see what I'm sayin'.

Besides that, there is Prop 8 - ridiculous. California was the one of first states to allow interracial marriages. Let's be one of the first to keep gay marriages legal and quit with the discrimination. I am allowed to have privileges that my gay friends do not...it ain't right.

When you vote on the 4th...I hope it doesn't entail color of skin or homophobia.

'Nuff said.

A pumpkin rendition of...

Leon and Brett! Can you tell who is who?



It could have been the drinking, but our friends Brad and Peter decided to make pumpkin carving fun and recreate both Leon and Brett in pumpkin form. When we went over to Brad's house last night, they were there to greet us on the porch.

Unfortunately for Brett, his pumpkin made an appearance on his porch today. His dog Ellie freaked out - guess she did not recognize her Dad's face. Maybe it wasn't a good rendition after all.

Tank is not happy

Poor Tank...

We found some sort of cyst on his paw the other day. Since the vet was going to put him under to remove it, we'd thought we'd have them clean his teeth too.

Upside: Squeaky-clean teeth and that oh-so-fashionable Elizabethan collar!

Downside: That ef'fin Elizabethan collar!


"Why the hell are you taking pictures of me, woman?!?!"


"Seriously...take this sh*t off me..."

Why I love Tina Fey

A little catching up

Busy week last week....here's an update:

Wednesday night, went to the Maroon 5 concert at the Shoreline. I am not really much of a fan of Maroon 5, but with free VIP tickets, who can say No? It ended up being fun and they sounded good live.


Obstructed view


Finale

Then on Saturday it was time to do our civil duty and participate in the California Coastal Cleanup Day. We picked Poplar Beach in Half Moon Bay. We managed to collect about 60 lbs. of debris including lighter fluid canisters, beer cans & bottles, cigarette butts, plastic bags, and socks (yes...socks). The biggest find however, was an old rusted shopping cart that Leon helped to haul back to the sign-in site with two other guys.


A lot of beach to clean


Enjoy the view


Leon scouring for garbage

Saturday night called for a celebration. We attended Leon's good friend Adam M.'s b-day party in SF. They rented a party trolley that stopped off at Medjool and Element. The Russian trolley driver was too funny (even if he wasn't meaning to be funny). He told us that if we must go pee or use drugs, then he has to pull over. So long as we did those things on the sidewalk, he had no problem pulling over. Great pep talk to get the night started. We had a lot of fun...almost too much - as I woke up with a wee bit of a hangover!

Spring Awakening

Great show...go see it while it's in town.

I especially liked the first few opening numbers.

Hot day, Fuwa, and Opa!

Wow - guess Summer decided to start in September. We do not usually see these temps on the Peninsula, so it is damn hot I tell ya'.


This past weekend Leon got back from China and he came bearing gifts. I was very excited to receive my collection of Fuwa!


Leon was suffering from jet lag still, but we managed to catch Tropic Thunder (hilarious BTW), and take a peek at the Greek Festival which happens to be just around the corner from where we live. Lots of good food, and we had to take some dessert to go.

Although this was a short week, given the Labor Day holiday, it seems like forever for Friday to get here...

Hello Summer

So jealous...

About a year ago, Leon and I started making plans to go to Beijing for the Olympics. His bro Wes lives there, and we would get to stay at his new condo in the heart of the city. I had a very limited timeframe to work with (because of school), and made all my class schedule plans around it. No second term Summer for me...Olympics here I come!

Unfortunately, the gods were not in my favor. Wesley is an American citizen and his visa was to expire in the month of August '08. In order to purchase Olympic tickets, you must have a Visa showing active at the time the Olympics were happening. However, in order to renew his Visa, Wesley had to return to the U.S. In order for us to get a Visa to visit Wesley, his had to be renewed. Long story short - we missed the boat. I decided to stay since there was no guarantee of seeing an event. Tickets would be available via scalpers or who knows what kind of lines. Given the $$ saved, I skipped the trip and encouraged Leon to still go with the fams. They left last week on Wednesday. They were able to catch one event - the U.S. vs. Japan in baseball.

Now for the past few days, I have thought about Leon being in Beijing with all my favorite things...

To eat: spicy fish, noodles, bao, and random crazy street food...yum! Is it coincidence that I have had Chinese food three times already since he has left? Szechuan food, Shanghai, Dim Sum...

On top of that: Wesley is a hip-hop DJ with many hook-ups in Beijing. They've been out on the town every night.

Yeah I'm jealous...here's my list of things I WISH I'd been a part of with Leon as he stays in Beijing:

1. Food
2.The craziness of the Olympic crowds
3. Shopping
4. Nightlife

But the biggest kicker of all? Here are the people Leon and Wes got to meet/mingle with these past few days:

- LeBron James
- Dwayne Wade
- Kobe Bryant
- Jason Kidd
- Carmelo Anthony
- Deron Willliams
- Hussein Bolt
- David Beckham (ladies...this one hurts)

I know! Seriously....

SO jealous....

WARNING: Olympics may cause drowsiness

Though we have a DVR and I vow to record the Olympic events every night, I can't wait for it. So I end up staying up really late to watch everything anyhow.

You have to admit that it has been pretty exciting. The opening ceremony alone was enough to make you want to see more. I feel really sorry for London in that aspect...it's going to take them all of the next four years to come up with something to top China.

So even though I suffer from lack of sleep during my workdays, it has been worth it. I know none of the morning headlines will surprise me because I've seen it already :)

Yay!...Boo!...and that's a ballgame

Went to the Giants/Dodgers game at PacBell (Now AT&T) park in SF. We had some very sunny seats and I got major arm tan. A "Yay!" from me for the Giants and and a "Boo!" from Leon as he is a super Dodgers fan. He's probably more of a Dodgers fan than I am a Giants fan though... I'll give him that. Alot of Dodger fans came out to see Manny R. - so excited to have him on their team I tell ya'.

I forgot my camera...so here are some pics from my cell.


Giants take the field


AT&T Billboard


Free hat to commemorate 50 years in SF, and the Dodgers rivalry

What a Wii-kend!

Currently listening to: Pretty Please - Estelle


What a fun Sunday we had. Invited friends over for our "Wii-Eat crab Wii-kend" and it was a blast. After stuffing ourselves with a crab boil:


The feast pour-out


Yummy piles



Ann waving "Hi" with the crab




A break after gorging before the Wii



We tried to work off some of those calories on the Wii. However, we'll keep those videos between friends :)

Wiik-ness

Rock Band....it has taken over my evenings as I am on summer break. I have become obsessed with trying to hit 100% on a song. The drums are just... well they are quite fun.

I will say this - it is one game I can play together with Leon. Not like God of War and whatever other war-type games he has going on the PS3. In Rock Band we can "save" each other if one is not quite getting the notes right. We cheer each other on. He rocks on guitar - I rock on drums. Occasionally with a friend, I take over the mic. This is truly a team effort here people.

In addition I've been "workin on my fitness"...on the Wii-fit that is. Another fun addition!

My living room has become crowded with Wii accessories, but it makes for fun times during drunken nights and when friends visit (sometimes those are one in the same). As a matter of fact, we are hosting a "Wii-eat-crab Wiikend" next Saturday. Gonna' eat some fresh crab from Half Moon Bay, drink beer, and test our skills on the Wii.

The John Mayer of Classical Music

This past weekend for my Music Fundamentals course, I had to attend a classical music performance. Instead of shelling out $70 to see the SF Symphony, I opted for the Violin/Piano duet at a church for a mere $12.

Needless to say, classical music wasn't my thing (nor Leon's). While Leon took a nap during most of the performances, I tried to listen intently for things that would fill up a 3-page report. Like how the music made me feel, tone, pace....and um...feelings.

To keep up the entertainment factor, however, the pianist made some very...uh.... UNUSUAL faces and hand gestures during the performances. Being we were in church and all, I couldn't laugh outright - but certainly she helped to keep me awake. By the middle, we deemed her the "John Mayer of Classical Music".

If you are not familiar with John Mayer (or you may be as he has had some time in the tabloids of late) - he makes some funny facial expressions while performing as well. This is also an entertainment factor when watching him live.

Here is a good sample of facial expressions from John Mayer:


photo courtesy of usmagazine.com

Now think of those same expressions from a very serious pianist along with dramatic arm flings... makes the $12 worth it now that I think about it.

BBQ'd Bay

I like my BBQ smokey...but not my Bay Area! These fires have really had an effect on the air quality out here. I am not used to it looking like downtown LA....hope it will clear up soon. We saw a glimmer of sky this past weekend, but that smoke crept back in.

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July...yes it is July already. How did that happen?

We survived!

Leon and I completed the Muddy Buddy race yesterday....without dying. slowly but surely, we made it to the finish line and through the mud - ya' know, the fun part of the race!

Who knew I could run, bike, run, bike, run (in that order with obstacles) for 6 miles?

Estelle

Listen to this: Shine

Brings back some classic R&B with fresher flavor that makes you smile and wanna' shake the booty. A lil' bit of Lauren (but not crazy Lauren). I can hear the John Legend influence (shhhh....I think it's better than his latest album) and Kanye adds his flair. Many a guest on this as well...worth the entire download.

Did you know....

...that you can get fresh crab right off the boats in Half Moon Bay? And it's yummy? And it's cheap?

I can't believe I have been living this close and have only discovered this recently. I feel like I have landed on a goldmine!

Sleepy tired

That is a term I also use often....when you are really tired, you are "sleepy tired".

(yawn)

Just kidding, omg, shut-up!...

I was having a conversation with one of my clients today about phrases I use too often. We found out that we had two in common. So it got me thinking about a list of the words and phrases that have become part of my conversational norm:

Just kidding
No kidding
Shut-up
Crap
Ahh...sh*thole!
Exactly
That's what I'm sayin'
Oh my god
Know what I mean?
Computer school!

Okay - some of you may not get the last phrase...unless you have watched the Kings of Comedy.

Still listening...

Currently listening to: Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend

...to Vampire Weekend. I haven't gotten' tired of it yet. I haven't forwarded through a song to get to another. It has it's own special playlist on the nano.

I am already anticipating their next album.

Play outside

Currently listening to: I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

It's warm again...

because the temperature gauge on my car says so.



4:49pm today near home.....nice view



view from my office window...makes it hard to work sometimes because ya' just wanna' be out there.

Since this lovely warm weather is coming upon us again, you feel you must...get...outside!

Last week was not as warm (sunshine can be deceiving). We got outside anyhow and did some biking near the bay, about a 12 mile leisurely ride. Though it was on flatter ground then last time, the wind made it feel like we were climbing uphill. However, the wind was nice on the way back.



Leon striking a pose on the trail.


Powerlines on the long way back



Kite surfer

Viva Las Vegas Wedding!

Currently listening to: Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop - Landon Pigg

My lazy ass finally got around to downloading pics from Q & D's wedding in Las Vegas. Here's some pics from the lovely occasion:

Didi's mom giving a good luck kiss

Rose petal aisle

The nuptials

Cutest baby!- Riley with dad Ben

The happy couple - Didi & Quentin

We had a blast at the wedding and hope that Q & D plan to have their 1 year anniversary there and re-invite friends...I kid I kid.

Also, given the wedding was in the midst of March Madness - a shout-out to UCLA and UNC...thanks for ruining my bracket.

My new obsession...

Currently listening to: Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend...Different...catchy....feels like summer beach days...like it a-LOT. Heavy rotation on the nano.

Spring is here

My body must have known that Spring is here...because I woke up sneezing this morning. Not just a couple sneezes either-I am talking the 30-in-a-row kind of sneezes. You know, you try to ignore it and tell yourself "this is the last one". But no....brushing your teeth you are sneezing (this can get messy). All through your morning shower you are sneezing. Blow-drying your hair you are sneezing. Putting on your make-up you are sneezing (this makes for funny sneezing faces, not that a sneezing face isn't already kinda' funny). Folks - spring is officially here.

This coming weekend we are headed to Vegas for our good friend Q & D's wedding. I am excited - not only for these two to start thier new married life together, but because we just happen to be going to Vegas first week of March Madness...yeah that's right! Get our gamble on.

An "A" for effort....whoo hoo

...in Psychological Assessment.

Guess sacrificing two Saturdays in the last couple months paid off :)

When you under-estimate...

Currently listening to: The dryer....it's laundry-day Sunday

I entered Leon and I in the Muddy Buddy contest a couple weeks back. This has now turn into a full-on competition between friends. What that means is... I need to get my out-of-shape ass in gear!

So, got our mountain bikes, installed the accessories, and yesterday - we were ready for our first ride.

We live in an area where there are lots of hiking and mountain-biking trails. Ideal for such training you may say....

But it is also a bit "hilly"....and when you haven't so much as run a mile in the past year...getting up two very steep hills is brutal. I got halfway down the dirt trail and had to turn back. My legs were burning.

Better work my way up in baby steps...

I love my....

Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker! It's da' bomb...

Spring Fever

Currently listening to: Usher - Love in this Club

Week before last headed out to Pismo Beach...and ever since I have had spring fever. This week is no exception with warm weather upon us again.

Some pics from President's Day weekend...

Tank checking out the tidepools at Shell Beach

Shell Beach

Spot the starfish

A walk along Pismo Beach

Lone rock

The pier from here...

ATV ridin' at Oceano dunes

View from our hotel room