"Time is precious, waste it wisely" - Jan Jansen

There is no better way to start a New Year than by showing gratitude for the past year. Fortunately for me, it was filled with family, friends, travel, and good food.

And in no particular order...

Disneyland

I rang in the Year of the Snake with my brother and cousin at the "Happiest Place on Earth!"

Living in SoCal for most of my life, I was definitely not a stranger to Disneyland. After this trip, I foresee cousin reunions draped in Mickey Mouse ears and standing in long lines waiting for rides reminiscing about the days of old, when we would be standing in long lines waiting for rides.

At least I'm hoping for it!

Portland, OR

Another cousin moved up to OR about 4 years ago. Finally, after all this time I was able to get up there and visit her in Portland. 

(Side note, when she told her mom she was moving, her mom thought she was moving to Poland! Another side note, my dad actually moved to Poland for a while... go figure.)

Goonies House, Astoria, OR

While we were in the beautiful state of Oregon, we also took a road trip to get in touch with our inner Goonie.

Seriously, they don't make movies like that anymore. (sniff, sniff) Heck, hardly anyone lets their kids play outside unsupervised and who can blame them? I digress...

Seattle, WA

On to the Seattle area, where we met up with some of my grad school friends for some great grub.  Some people may consider me a "foodie" because I LOVE food and even started a food blog. Some might poke fun and call me a "fattie" if it weren't un-PC. Let me put it like this, my goal is to be healthy because life it just too darn short NOT to eat. So skinny jeans be damned! I'm going to EAT and just exercise to balance it out.

Speaking of exercise... we ended up snow shoeing in Snoqualmie.

If you have never done this before, it sounds easy. Strap on a contraption with spikes on your own shoes and away you go... In theory that's exactly what happened. I even got to test these suckers on a mini hill before we went up a bigger one. (I lacked faith...)

Snoqualmie, WA

It was definitely a bit more challenging that I thought it was. Part of that was probably because the only "waterproof" shoes I had were some Puma sneakers. Appropriate footwear is key! (And I didn't have it... fail!)

We had fun none-the-less, although, truth be told, we were shown up by several 6 year olds that went down a pretty darn steep cliff. My inexperience made me very wary of climbing down a mountain backwards, especially when there was a tree waiting there to "catch my fall"... I wasn't alone in not wanting to go that way, which helped my ego a bit. :)

Now if I were on a snowboard... I still wouldn't have gone down that hill. Just sayin...

Washington D.C., Cherry Blossoms

In April, we visited the nation's capitol. I have never been in a city where duck fat was so prevalent. Not that I'm necessarily complaining because I definitely had some! Duck fat fries, duck fat mussels, oh my! I seriously believe the "DC" stands for DuckFat City...

We were SO lucky. The last day we were there, all the Cherry Blossoms bloomed around the Basin. It is truly a site and I'm glad we were fortunate enough to see it in person.

Catalina Island

One of my good friends owns a boat and in May, she decided that she wanted to move said boat back down to San Diego from Marina Del Rey. Our "crew" consisted of Amy, me and her Mini Pin, Capt'n Louie.

We were going to take our time and take about 5 days to get down, stopping by Catalina, Dana Point and wherever else we felt like on our way to San Diego.

Capt'n Louie

I used to sail with her quite a bit back in the day. Before this trip, I could happily brag that I had never gotten sea sick. Let me just say, we can deeply sympathize with the Gilligan's Island theme song... What should have been a relatively easy trip from Marina Del Rey to Catalina was filled with 30 knot winds and "cresting mother-fing waves" to quote the Captain!

It was a relaxing trip, mostly away from all things tech related (although I got a little cell signal) but it put me off sailing for a bit. (I'm ready to go now if the opportunity presents itself, don't get me wrong!) Once I was back on land again, it took me a little time to get my land legs again.

San Diego

I didn't get down to San Diego as much as I would have liked, but every time I was there, it still felt like home. And how could it not? I am lucky enough to still have a lot of great friends that have made a life there and welcome me every time I am back.

There never seems to be enough time in a weekend to see everyone, so maybe this year I'll resume my once a month excursion down the coast. Most of these wonderful people I've known for over 13 years now, so there are many new additions to the family. (You should see all the family Christmas cards that are on my fridge!) :)

Mini Reunion, Boston, MA

Another place that will always be near and dear to my heart is Beantown.

Where, if you walk into Cornwall's, the bartender may not know your name, but he'll definitely know your drink!

Where clam chowda is freakin amazing even in some work cafeterias!

Where I've just been so incredibly lucky to have met some amazing people.

Cornwall's, Boston, MA

I'm looking forward to what 2014 has to offer.

Quotes of this TGI Friday!

I'll be honest... this past year has been full of good times and bad, crazy busy-ness and extreme boredom...

But for some reason today was full of all the above. Well, except the boredom, but I don't remember the last time I had so many good laughs in a day!

The price of a donut...

Quotes of the day: (all from different people)

• "don't you hate it when you cut yourself on a donut box?"
• "i hate it when i burn myself making toast!"
• "What's a DD?!" 

Let me give some context to the last one:

I'm snagging some afternoon chocolate in my friend's (Lil' A) cube.
My coworker (SB) was trying to coax me to go out because his girlfriend has plans tonight.
Another guy chimed in "it should be a boy's night out!"
I replied, "well, then you can't invite ME!"
SB says, " you can be the DD"
Lil' A looks at me and says, "What's a DD?!"
(Let's just say... she knows how to knock back a few...)
Me to Lil' A, " and THIS is why you are never asked to be a DD!"

Oh and here is the view of the sky from my parking lot as I ran to Friday freedom:

who doesn't like surprises?!

Lately, life has been full of tiny surprises.

I know some of these are silly, but I have to share my appreciation for some of the little things in life that have made me give big smiles!

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First off, who doesn't like getting legit snail mail that isn't a bill? I know I do! (It's truly a lost art... in my humble opinion.)

Anyway, one of my best friends got married last month. I got her letter in the mail the other day and it was a bigger envelope that was on the thicker side. I had to put groceries away and momentarily forgot that I received it. Mid-way through putting the contents away, I stopped because it dawned on me that she included PICTURES with the letter! It was like a lotto ticket! In this digital age, having an actual letter is like getting struck by lightning in a good way, and getting pictures too?! Double lucky!!! It was a beautiful wedding and I'm thrilled to be apart of it.

Beautiful bride and bridesmaids

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Another great surprise was a visit from one of my friends who lives in San Diego. She's a crazy one, and let me tell you why... even though she was welcome to stay for the night (weekend, too!), she decided to come up for the day. (Folks, that be 420 miles RT, and since there is ALWAYS traffic in LA, a 9 hour drive!!! In ONE day!) 

Who feels special? THIS gal!

And to top it off, where did we go for dinner?! American Ale! If you want to know what I think about this place, I've yelped about it and on a Happy Hour invitation too, at the amusement of my coworkers... The American Burger is a delicious mix of chuck beef and pork. Double patties, with grilled onions, cheese and if you ask nicely, mushrooms! (they also offer it with bacon and/ or a fried egg)... gee... here I go again! I seriously can't help it. It opened in May. By mid-July, I had already been there 6 times. After not being there for 6 weeks, I was starting to get withdrawals... Withdrawals!!! But, I got to go this weekend and it was just as I remember! De-freakin-licious!

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I've been playing on my company softball team for the past year. If you know me, it's obvious I never played in high school or college. I have terrible form and honestly, I used to be afraid of the ball. I'd be the one thinking (and if I'm in right field saying aloud), "please don't hit it over here, please don't hit it over here!"

I don't know what has changed, actually, I guess I do. I'm not longer afraid of the ball. Maybe it's because I usually play catcher and my senses have become more aware so that I'm not in danger of having "balls fly at my nose" (or bats fly at me in general, if you play catcher in co-ed slow pitch softball, you know what I'm talking 'bout!) 

In any case, this season has been a great one for me! My batting average has improved (it is still pretty darn awful though!), and whenever I hit the ball, I sprint my little heart out. I've even been called "fast!" (Again, if you know me... that has NEVER happened.) Sometimes I even get on 1st! (Thank you kiddie cleats!)  I've caught some fowl balls at home plate. Heck, I've even hurled the ball at third base, to help get an out that ended the game with my team winning our third straight game. (That was unexpected from all and people were talking about it at work for over 3 days!)  Don't get me wrong. I'm not good by any means, but I'm definitely improving. :) And I even got on the Top 10 Fielders Stats list to prove it! Woot!

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Isn't this just the cutest?! I had to take a picture because every time I look at it, I smile.

I saw it in the window display of a local bookstore, Granada Books. This is a lovely one, too. (Yes, the still DO EXIST!) Ok, so I admit it, I loved Despicable Me and the minions. My favorite short right now is "Banana". Gotta love that "hehehehehehe" laugh! I mean seriously?! It's so freaking cute! And every time I hear it, I have to smirk. Personally, I think they made the movie, but this isn't supposed to be a review, so... moving right along!

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 I took a walk to the beach today. It was an overcast day (YES, CA does have some mediocre weather, sometimes...) but I like to use that time to clear my head. Sometimes I reflect on the day, sometimes I'm developing story ideas. Sometimes it's about people and dog watching.

On this walk, I went down this industrial street that sometimes has a few odd characters on it. Today seemed to have a few more than usual. Right before I reached the boardwalk, I was walking towards a guy with a bike (who could have been homeless) and his two companions, a couple.

They were holding hands and bickering a little, but in a somewhat playful way. They looked a little dingy, him in a dirty blue sweatshirt, and her in a dirty leopard print coat that one might find on an old Hollywood set, hiding a red dress.

When I saw them, my gut told me that I should put up my guard a bit. They seemed a bit sketchy. As I walked by the boyfriend looked right at me and said, "Can I ask you a personal question?"

A bit surprised, I said, "Um, sure..." with a hint of uncertainty. I mean, that's a weird question to ask a random stranger, no?

"What nationality are you?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm Vietnamese." I replied with relief. Is that what he wanted to know? That's not so bad! :)

This is where I was caught off guard. He then said, "You're BEAUTIFUL!" With his girlfriend nodding in agreement saying, "Yeah!"

"THANKS!" I blushed. (The fact that I had to document this should tell you how often this happens in my life; um, like NEVER!)

As I continued my walk. I heard him say, "I love that $hi+!" which made me chuckle.

Diversity in Santa Barbara is a little on the low side, with "my" people making up 0.2% of the population (as of 2010, anyway), with Asians as a whole making up a whopping 3.5%! Regardless of the statistics, it's nice to see that snap judgments are not always needed and that people can surprise you in some really sweet ways. That right there, pretty much made my week!

"there is nothing to writing. all you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed" - Ernest Hemmingway

Alrighty, then...

And as much as I want to believe in that quote, I know it's not true for me. Not because typewriters are practically an endangered species (and let me tell you, I have many nostalgic memories from sitting at a typewriter, but I digress...), but because I'm logical to almost a fault.

Personally, I find creativity to be challenging. I am decent at taking other people's ideas and running with them, and at times, making them very much my own, but other times, I sit and think and come up with nothing inspiring enough to get me to sit in front of a computer and have verbal diarrhea that is worth sharing.

Nothing has really changed, except the willingness to share. On that note, I created another blog: Adventures in Kreativitee to do just that.

I have challenged myself to write a short story or narrative at least every 2 weeks for a year. They may not be long, and it's very unlikely that all of them will be good, but the goal is to force myself to wake up and rattle the creative side of me, since the left side of my brain is used so heavily at work.

So, here's an unofficial official invitation to join me on this adventure. Prompts and feedback are welcome. But just remember, my major was Animal Physiology and Neuroscience, not Communications or Literature. Ahem... 

Because of the routines we follow, we often forget that life is an ongoing adventure - Maya Angelou

I rejoined the "real world" almost 2 years ago. After adjusting to work and a new city, I finally found a comfortable "routine". Last year that consisted of reading for fun, rather than for school, and boy did I read! A lot! 

Mud Run 2013

This year started off with a workout frenzy. First the FireCracker 5K in February, then starting boot camp the day after (at 6am, no less, egads!) for 6 weeks, then the MudRun in June, all the while playing on my company softball team. (Go Silicone Sluggers! previously known as the Lap-Bandits!)

While I'm still (trying) to keep up with getting and staying in shape, lately, something has been nagging at me. Gnawing at my brain and leaking into my consciousness.

Scar from The Lion King

My creative side is no longer the dormant creature it once was. No longer suppressed by the need to get through grad school or figure out my life (well, the last part still lingers, but that's a whole other story...), it screams at me to DO SOMETHING.


I've been telling a few people (and mentioned it not that long ago), that I wanted to write. Not anything as ambitious as a novel, but more along the line of short stories. Maybe a children's book if possible, complete with illustrations. Nothing Earth shattering or revolutionary, but something fun. I'm not looking to get published; these stories are for me, and maybe if they are entertaining enough, I may share with a few friends. 

 Exhibit A: Crescent Bay Beach

I started sketching a little (more like looking at a picture and recreating it, hello Scar!), brainstorming story ideas, and even started dabbling in "photography".  I put that in quotations because I've only been taking scenic shots, which are pretty easy and with apps like instagram, lots of things look good even with a camera phone. (See exhibit A!) 

I also have an art easel in my closet, with paints that have yet to be open and a few canvases ready to be splashed. Right now, possibilities are endless. We'll see what where this summer's adventure will take me... We'll see! 

You say Couch Po-tay-toe and I say Couch Po-ta-toe...

In my temporary housing, I had a tv. I haven't had one since I lived in San Diego, back in 2009.

It's funny when you tell people that you don't have a tv. Sometimes it's a real conversation stopper. I have found that not having one really made it difficult to keep up with pop culture. I never knew what movies were playing and who graced tabloid magazines, but it's not like I didn't watch shows. I went to the library and borrowed DVDs and then I discovered hulu.

Anyway, when I had a tv, I found myself watching it quite a bit and keeping it on in the background when I did other things. The thing that amuses me the most are the commercials. I hardly ever saw any commercials in Boston (a I was sans tv) and the ones that stuck in my head from So Cal are the "Cal Worthington and his dog Spot!" commercials. ("Go see Cal, go see Cal, go see Cal!" Even though I used to think that they said "PuXXy Cow..." ahem...)

Breast implants

So, here I am, living in Santa Barbara, the US capital of breast implants (literally, all 3 companies that make them are here!) and what commercials do I see?

A TON of them about liposuction, Botox, and one that made me chuckle while still surprising me:  trojanvibrations.com (since this is a family friendly-ish blog, please feel free to look it up on youtube...). And this was during prime time!

Maybe I'm just REALLY  behind the times, but when did cosmetic and plastic surgery commercials become so prevalent? Or is this just a regional thing?

I still don't have access to local tv, so I suppose I'll have to wait until I decide to do it and find out!

Book worm nerd alert!

I've neglected this blog for a good part of half a year now. I have a few "drafts" that probably won't get published, but I've been a little "busy", I guess.

Being a part of the real world (post grad school) has given me a chance to start reading for leisure again. I've always been a reader, and honestly, wished something like "goodreads" was available when I was younger, so I could have kept track of all the books I've devoured over the years.

I'll have to settle on hoping that I kept track this year and didn't miss one. So... what's the tally for 2012? A whopping 24 books! (Thank you Santa Barbara Public Library...)

Just in case inquiring minds want to know what the list contains (in no particular order):
1. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
2. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
3. Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
4. Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay
5. Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay
6. Dexter is Delicious by Jeff Lindsay
7. Double Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
8. City of Thieves by David Benioff
9. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
10. What the Other Dog Saw and Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell
11. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
12. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
13. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
14. Gap Creek by Robert Morgan
15. Heartbreaking work of Staggering Genius by David Eggers
16. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
17. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
18. Rant by Chuck Palaniuk
19. Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julia Powell
20. Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James (and let the judging begin!) - almost didn't include this one, but what the heck!
21. Savages by Don Winslow
22. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
23. In the Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami (no relation to Haruki as far as I know...)
24.  Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

And there you have it. Aside from the Dexter series, I'd say it's a nice mix. Most of these books were recommendations from my virtual book club in Boston and some were me piggybacking off of Jase's books, others were recommendations of other friends, and some were flat out my picks.

The library is a great place to get ideas of what to read, but I definitely miss the brick and mortar stores like Borders and Barnes and Noble (the closest one to me is about 30 miles south... big surprise!) There will never be anything like browsing through displays of books and finding those eye catching covers. Hopefully BN won't also disappear!!

For 2013, I've already finished 4 books, (no, 2 of the books aren't the rest of the Fifty Shades series... although 1 is... haha), but that list won't be revealed for a while.