Years ago when I was in San Francisco attending a conference, my company actually rented out the entire Asian Art Museum and held an appreciation gala for their customers. So of course I got to attend it. It was one of the most memorable part of the conference. First of, I had never seen such an extensive collection of Asian artifacts. Secondly, because San Fran is known for its Chinese food, we actually had authentic Chinese food catered -- roast pigs, roast duck, dim sum appertizers...you name it. I have to give kudos to the event planners for giving such an authentic feel to the whole event. Finally, being able to browse some of the museum exhibits while munching on such delicious food was just the coolest thing ever.
Anyway, it was so packed that night that I never really got a chance to see the museum in full but I always knew that I wanted to go back and visit it some day. So a couple weekends ago, I suggested to my husband that we tried out the Asian Art Museum. The special exhibit this month and for the next couple months is from Bhutan. Who knew that people in Bhutan were so religious - most of their art work were very influenced by Buddhism. There were actually a couple monks from Bhutan painting their special religious art work (I forgot the name) the day we were there. One thing that really impressed me was these pictures of temples on the side of the mountains in Bhutan. One of these temples is very famous and was even in a Travel magazines a couple months back. Apparently, traveling in Bhutan requires a lot of hiking up these mountains and it's very still costly to travel to there.
In addition to the special Bhutan collection, the museum also has a huge permanent collection of other Asian countries that spans 3 other floors. So it's literally the biggest collection of Asian artifacts and arts I have seen or heard of. I didn't realize how big it was and only alloted 3 and 1/2 hours for the museum. So even though we walked around pretty much non-stop for 3 and 1/2 hours, we only saw part of the China and India collection. Then we had to speed browse the rest of the countries - Japan, Korea, South East Asia, the remaining China, etc.
What I like about this museum is that it has such a variety of things from stoneware to robes to bedframes to scuptures/art work to Chinese carved jade collection, etc.
So needless to say we really do need to go back again some other time this year and spend a whole day next time. Coming up this summer is the Sumarai (sp?) special exhibit -- which should be very interesting!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Oscar-nominated movies
The Oscar this Sunday inspires this post. Below are a list of nominated movies or movies where the nominated actors came from that I either liked a lot (2 thumbs up), like a little but not crazy about (half a thumb), or didn't like too much (where my thumbs couldn't be found) :-)
Nominated movies that were 2 thumbs up for me:
1) Slumdog Millionaire: very original storyline and authentic scenery from Mumbai
2) Frost/Nixon: really good performance by the nominated actor who played Nixon. It makes me want to buy the original 70-something Frost-Nixon interviews from Amazon.
3) Vicky Cristina Barcelona: Breathtaking sceneries. Fast paced. Good acting. It's quirky but the storyline was kind of original and so it's very entertaining. It is still not my favorite movie though.
Nominated movies that were half a thumb up:
1) The Visitor: Most people would probably love this movie and so I might be an exception for not completely loving it. I liked the actor and the storyline idea (a change in the monotony of life, diversity, etc) but there were parts of the movie that were boring for me.
2) In Bruges: I love the dreamy quality of Bruges and the scenery. Liked the acting too. However, the storyline can be a little looney but this is probably because it's a comedy.
Nominated movies where my thumbs couldn't be found:
1) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: At 3 hours, it was too long and it made me wonder if the Editing team went on strike. Sure, I was impressed with the movie's central idea and the technology. But in the end, both my neighbors and I thought it dragged.
2) Frozen River: I liked how the lives (and poverty) in the movie were depicted very realistically. The ending wasn't expected which was good. Overall, it was just too much chasing around and a bit of stretched storyline.
3) The Duchess: I completely do NOT like this movie. It has well-known actors in it but it's too predictable. I have seen these types of movies a gizzillion times over and it's just not new.
4) Man on Wire: My husband loves this movie. I think it's a guy movie and there must be something in the adventurous nature of crossing a wire that appeals to guys. I didn't like it because I find the whole process a bit tedious. However, it was put together well.
Movies that were not nominated that I really liked (at least 1 or 2 thumbs up):
1) Burn After Reading: I love the Cohen brothers ever since O Brother Where Art Thou (they also make No Country for Old Men last year). It has a huge star-studded cast. It's very fast-paced and unpredictable. Brad Pitt is kind of funny in it.
2) Miss Pettigrew for the Day: Great actresses (McDormand from Fargo and Amy Adams). Fast paced. Just a lovely chick flick with a Victorian feel even though it wasn't during Victorian time.
3) Mamma Mia: Love the sceneries. Much better than the stage version...and how can you go wrong with any Abba songs?
4) Wanted: OK, I am not going to say that this is my favorite movie because it is not but it's an entertaining action-packed movie. What I liked most was that I didn't see the twist coming until it was there.
Nominated or non-nominated movies I have yet to see and I am dying to see in the next couple weeks:
1) The Wrestler
2) Milk
3) Gran Torino
Nominated movies that were 2 thumbs up for me:
1) Slumdog Millionaire: very original storyline and authentic scenery from Mumbai
2) Frost/Nixon: really good performance by the nominated actor who played Nixon. It makes me want to buy the original 70-something Frost-Nixon interviews from Amazon.
3) Vicky Cristina Barcelona: Breathtaking sceneries. Fast paced. Good acting. It's quirky but the storyline was kind of original and so it's very entertaining. It is still not my favorite movie though.
Nominated movies that were half a thumb up:
1) The Visitor: Most people would probably love this movie and so I might be an exception for not completely loving it. I liked the actor and the storyline idea (a change in the monotony of life, diversity, etc) but there were parts of the movie that were boring for me.
2) In Bruges: I love the dreamy quality of Bruges and the scenery. Liked the acting too. However, the storyline can be a little looney but this is probably because it's a comedy.
Nominated movies where my thumbs couldn't be found:
1) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button: At 3 hours, it was too long and it made me wonder if the Editing team went on strike. Sure, I was impressed with the movie's central idea and the technology. But in the end, both my neighbors and I thought it dragged.
2) Frozen River: I liked how the lives (and poverty) in the movie were depicted very realistically. The ending wasn't expected which was good. Overall, it was just too much chasing around and a bit of stretched storyline.
3) The Duchess: I completely do NOT like this movie. It has well-known actors in it but it's too predictable. I have seen these types of movies a gizzillion times over and it's just not new.
4) Man on Wire: My husband loves this movie. I think it's a guy movie and there must be something in the adventurous nature of crossing a wire that appeals to guys. I didn't like it because I find the whole process a bit tedious. However, it was put together well.
Movies that were not nominated that I really liked (at least 1 or 2 thumbs up):
1) Burn After Reading: I love the Cohen brothers ever since O Brother Where Art Thou (they also make No Country for Old Men last year). It has a huge star-studded cast. It's very fast-paced and unpredictable. Brad Pitt is kind of funny in it.
2) Miss Pettigrew for the Day: Great actresses (McDormand from Fargo and Amy Adams). Fast paced. Just a lovely chick flick with a Victorian feel even though it wasn't during Victorian time.
3) Mamma Mia: Love the sceneries. Much better than the stage version...and how can you go wrong with any Abba songs?
4) Wanted: OK, I am not going to say that this is my favorite movie because it is not but it's an entertaining action-packed movie. What I liked most was that I didn't see the twist coming until it was there.
Nominated or non-nominated movies I have yet to see and I am dying to see in the next couple weeks:
1) The Wrestler
2) Milk
3) Gran Torino
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
My Dog Oscar
I am a huge dog lover. Now that I have our dog, Oscar, every time I see a dog while I am out walking or going to places, I have to stop and fawn over the dog. There is a vitamin store in our downtown area with a beautiful white Siberian husky with pale blue eyes (Max) -- the eyes are a bit intimidating but such a sweet dog otherwise. But at the end of the day, I always think that none of the other dogs are as precious as my Oscar :-)
What I love about Oscar is that he is so quirky and interesting. Right now, Oscar is passed out sleeping next to my chair with all 4 legs pointed toward the ceiling. In fact, I don't think I realize how much dogs sleep until we had Oscar. He probably sleeps anywhere betweeen 16-20 hours per day. Must be a nice life being able to nap all the time! When Oscar dreams, he makes this hiccup sound or a low growling sound -- it makes me laugh every time -- but then I am easily amused!
I find it fascinating that dogs always know who the pack leader is and how they act differently with different people. Oscar has different cuddling habits that he does with each of us that he doesn't do it with the other person. He also knows who to listen to and who he can ignore. Apparently, I am the alpha dog and my husband is just another dog friend :-)
Another thing Oscar does that I think is so funny is that he knows how to open doors. Since some of the doors inside our home don't all stay snapped in the lock, they can be easily opened with a gentle push. So if we try to leave Oscar in the front part of the house at night so that he doesn't roam the hardwood floor and keep us up with his walking "clogs", he'll push open the hallway door and come waltzing in anyway :-)
Oscar is 5 now and I find myself sometimes realizing that the 5 years have passed by too quickly. Once in a while it makes me momentarily sad that he is getting older and that I might have only X number of years with him. I know it's silly since he still has close to 2/3 more of his life to live, but the thought does sometimes cross my mind. Watching Maley and Me at the theater recently about the life of another dog really didn't help. It got me a bit sensitive about Oscar's mortality for a couple days :-) When Oscar was a pup, he was just this cute little teddy bear. One of my fondest memories of Oscar as a pup was about me having to carry him up the stairs in our previous him when he was too young to climb...and then slowing teaching him to climb the stairs because he got too heavy for me to cary. Another fond memory captured in photos was when a friend of mine managed to get Oscar to sit still as a slightly ADHD pup and took this beautifully chorographed picture of Oscar against a red blanket background.
It is true what they say in literature about how your pets are a good way to de-stress. I always find after a long day of work that it is soothing to hang out with Oscar watching TV or playing fetch with him. As someone who doesn't really care to be home alone when my husband occasionally goes on business trips, Oscar gives me this peace that makes being home alone not so bad.
Speaking of which, I am going to go and hang out with Oscar now. Up for a movie tonight might be Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I am sure Oscar will enjoy the international sceneries :-)
What I love about Oscar is that he is so quirky and interesting. Right now, Oscar is passed out sleeping next to my chair with all 4 legs pointed toward the ceiling. In fact, I don't think I realize how much dogs sleep until we had Oscar. He probably sleeps anywhere betweeen 16-20 hours per day. Must be a nice life being able to nap all the time! When Oscar dreams, he makes this hiccup sound or a low growling sound -- it makes me laugh every time -- but then I am easily amused!
I find it fascinating that dogs always know who the pack leader is and how they act differently with different people. Oscar has different cuddling habits that he does with each of us that he doesn't do it with the other person. He also knows who to listen to and who he can ignore. Apparently, I am the alpha dog and my husband is just another dog friend :-)
Another thing Oscar does that I think is so funny is that he knows how to open doors. Since some of the doors inside our home don't all stay snapped in the lock, they can be easily opened with a gentle push. So if we try to leave Oscar in the front part of the house at night so that he doesn't roam the hardwood floor and keep us up with his walking "clogs", he'll push open the hallway door and come waltzing in anyway :-)
Oscar is 5 now and I find myself sometimes realizing that the 5 years have passed by too quickly. Once in a while it makes me momentarily sad that he is getting older and that I might have only X number of years with him. I know it's silly since he still has close to 2/3 more of his life to live, but the thought does sometimes cross my mind. Watching Maley and Me at the theater recently about the life of another dog really didn't help. It got me a bit sensitive about Oscar's mortality for a couple days :-) When Oscar was a pup, he was just this cute little teddy bear. One of my fondest memories of Oscar as a pup was about me having to carry him up the stairs in our previous him when he was too young to climb...and then slowing teaching him to climb the stairs because he got too heavy for me to cary. Another fond memory captured in photos was when a friend of mine managed to get Oscar to sit still as a slightly ADHD pup and took this beautifully chorographed picture of Oscar against a red blanket background.
It is true what they say in literature about how your pets are a good way to de-stress. I always find after a long day of work that it is soothing to hang out with Oscar watching TV or playing fetch with him. As someone who doesn't really care to be home alone when my husband occasionally goes on business trips, Oscar gives me this peace that makes being home alone not so bad.
Speaking of which, I am going to go and hang out with Oscar now. Up for a movie tonight might be Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I am sure Oscar will enjoy the international sceneries :-)
Monday, January 12, 2009
End of year vacation
So I had a great time off at the end of last year. My husband and I decided to take a road trip down the coast of California, to San Diego, and then Vegas.
On the way to San Diego, we stopped by San Simeon and toured Hearst Castle - the mansion of the media mogul, William Hurst. The Castle is grand and opulent with 100+ rooms, an on-site safari-like zoo, huge indoor and outdoor Roman bath pools, movie theaters, etc. The movie stars used to flock here and this used to be the place to be.
While in the area, we stopped by the Central Coast wine country in Paso Robles. The Central Coast area has about 100+ wineries in compared so the 400-500 wineries in Napa/Sonoma. We found this wonderful winery, the Justin Winnery, that makes exceptionally great carbs and red Bordeaux blends at the quality of a very expensive Napa Valley wine but for about half of the price. After tasting about 10 of their wines including the more high-end ones, my favorite is still their low-end $21 carb because it is really best carb I have ever had and it tastes like it should be a $50 bottle. Their top-of-the line, the Isosceles (which we didn't get to taste), has been on the list of top 100 wines in the world even beating some Chateauneuf du Papes (which are also my favorite). Justin Winery seems to put a lot of care into their wine making and I like their unique unfiltered wine technique. Anyway, we couldn't resist and had to join their wine club and have since also ordered more wine from them.
After Paso Robles, we stopped by Malibu, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Venice Beach, and Laguna Beach. We had a great dinner in downtown Santa Barbara and a great lunch in Santa Monica downtown. I have been in the Malibu/Santa Monica area before but my husband has never been. So we had to stop by and check out the Santa Monica pier - the one with the Ferris Wheel and is featured in lots of movies.
In San Diego, we stayed at Mission Beach. I got a bit sick the first day there because we wore ourselves out running down the beach without getting breakfast first. Then we went to Coronado Island and saw the famous Cornado Hotel. We also went to La Jolla Shores to check their beach and had a great lunch there. Finally, we stopped by the touristy Old Town and had a really big Mexican meal that made me wish I would never eat Mexican food again.
Vegas was of course a lot of fun. We went to see the Cirque du Soleil Love show - the one with all the Beatles songs. I was singing Beatles songs for a couple days. As usual, my favorite thing to do is to try a bunch of new restaurants, including Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill with the best cornbread and cornmeal chille rellenos and a new Hong Kong restaurant with excellent 2-way Peking duck. This time, we didn't play any poker-room poker, which is usually our winning or breaking-even game. Instead we played a bunch of table games: blackjack, roulette, paigow, world-tour poker games (not the same as the poker-room poker games because here you are playing against the house rather than other players). We also played some video poker and very little slot machines. Obviously, since the house has an edge in all of these games, we budgeted and lost what we set out as entertainment money.
After Vegas, we were supposed to stop by Joshua Tree National Park for 2 days, but my husband was then under the weather and I was still a bit tired recovering from mine. So we cancelled the Joshua Tree trip and headed home early. Maybe Death Valley and Joshua Tree next time instead.
It was very hard to come back home after such a fun filled trip. It was even harder coming back to work after 2-3 weeks off.
On the way to San Diego, we stopped by San Simeon and toured Hearst Castle - the mansion of the media mogul, William Hurst. The Castle is grand and opulent with 100+ rooms, an on-site safari-like zoo, huge indoor and outdoor Roman bath pools, movie theaters, etc. The movie stars used to flock here and this used to be the place to be.
While in the area, we stopped by the Central Coast wine country in Paso Robles. The Central Coast area has about 100+ wineries in compared so the 400-500 wineries in Napa/Sonoma. We found this wonderful winery, the Justin Winnery, that makes exceptionally great carbs and red Bordeaux blends at the quality of a very expensive Napa Valley wine but for about half of the price. After tasting about 10 of their wines including the more high-end ones, my favorite is still their low-end $21 carb because it is really best carb I have ever had and it tastes like it should be a $50 bottle. Their top-of-the line, the Isosceles (which we didn't get to taste), has been on the list of top 100 wines in the world even beating some Chateauneuf du Papes (which are also my favorite). Justin Winery seems to put a lot of care into their wine making and I like their unique unfiltered wine technique. Anyway, we couldn't resist and had to join their wine club and have since also ordered more wine from them.
After Paso Robles, we stopped by Malibu, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Venice Beach, and Laguna Beach. We had a great dinner in downtown Santa Barbara and a great lunch in Santa Monica downtown. I have been in the Malibu/Santa Monica area before but my husband has never been. So we had to stop by and check out the Santa Monica pier - the one with the Ferris Wheel and is featured in lots of movies.
In San Diego, we stayed at Mission Beach. I got a bit sick the first day there because we wore ourselves out running down the beach without getting breakfast first. Then we went to Coronado Island and saw the famous Cornado Hotel. We also went to La Jolla Shores to check their beach and had a great lunch there. Finally, we stopped by the touristy Old Town and had a really big Mexican meal that made me wish I would never eat Mexican food again.
Vegas was of course a lot of fun. We went to see the Cirque du Soleil Love show - the one with all the Beatles songs. I was singing Beatles songs for a couple days. As usual, my favorite thing to do is to try a bunch of new restaurants, including Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill with the best cornbread and cornmeal chille rellenos and a new Hong Kong restaurant with excellent 2-way Peking duck. This time, we didn't play any poker-room poker, which is usually our winning or breaking-even game. Instead we played a bunch of table games: blackjack, roulette, paigow, world-tour poker games (not the same as the poker-room poker games because here you are playing against the house rather than other players). We also played some video poker and very little slot machines. Obviously, since the house has an edge in all of these games, we budgeted and lost what we set out as entertainment money.
After Vegas, we were supposed to stop by Joshua Tree National Park for 2 days, but my husband was then under the weather and I was still a bit tired recovering from mine. So we cancelled the Joshua Tree trip and headed home early. Maybe Death Valley and Joshua Tree next time instead.
It was very hard to come back home after such a fun filled trip. It was even harder coming back to work after 2-3 weeks off.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Life's Indulgences
What is life worth if we can't indulge in things that we enjoy (whether it's good or bad) now and then? Like having popcorn at the theater even though it isn't good for one's high cholesterol :-) Like seeing memorable movies that last with you. My most recent must-see movie is Slumdog Millionaire. It was about a guy in India who won 20 million rupees and the show producers thought he was cheating. So he had to retell the story of his life and how he learned the answer to each question. It's a very tight plot and it has a lot of buzz as a best picture contender. There are a lot of great movies this Christmas that I can't wait to see such as Frost/Nixon, Revolutionary Road, Milk, Valkerie, the Reader, Confession of a Shoppaholic (OK, I like the actor and actress in it even if it might be a slightly ditzy movie), etc.
Another indulgence that I enjoy is trying out new restaurants. It's always exciting for me to try out a new restaurant, cuisine, or dish. My absolute favorite restaurant is in my own town and it serves fusion southern food that is California cuisine crossed with Lousiana southern food. Since the chef used to be obese, he uses healthier cooking methods to make his fried chicken and cornmeal catfish. So somehow the food isn't very greasy and all the greens are super fresh. So how can you beat yummy southern food with much less guilt! Although I have only managed to find time to go to their Sunday brunch once, this restaurant's whole wheat waffles and fried chicken still swim in my head every Sunday morning.
Another indulgence is finding a good bottle of wine. I have always liked bold red wines and I am a softie for any Rhone or red blends. The best bottle of wine I have tried had somehow always been from my Yosemite picnics. I don't know if I just pick better bottles for Yosemite or it's the hiking or the scenery. My most memorable bottle of merlot was a half-bottle Clos du Val, which was small enough and light enough for a hike. Another great bottle of red was a Rhone blend that I accidentally chilled. Because it was slightly warm in Yosemite in September, the accidental chilled red was really refreshing - who would have thought that of red wine :-) This last month I have really gotten to like Riesling and the occasional Chardonay even though previously I really didn't stock much white wines at home.
Going to the bookstore to buy new books and read at their cafe is another of my favorite indulgences. For some reason, I go through phases where I stop going to the bookstores and then I pick up and start going all the time for a long stretch. I am on one of those stretches right now. The same thing with reading. I go on stretches where I read a bunch and then I can't seem to want to read. I once had to wait in line at a foreign airport for at least an hour and a half and got so into Middlemarch that I didn't realize how thick the book was. After that, George Eliot became one of my favorite authors.
Speaking of foreign airports. OK, I don't love foreign airports but I do love traveling. I love seeing new sights and visiting new places. I have always wanted to visit Italy or other parts of Europe outside of France/Belgium/the Netherlands. I had some "close" opportunities to go to the UK this year with my husband's business travel but that didn't pan out. My husband and I are plotting and planning for a possible trip to Italy next year. Let's just hope that our frequently flier mileage will all work out and that this trip will be possible next year.
Finally, surprised and complimentary services are always so nice to have because it makes the indulgence guilt-free. I had a choice of a complimentary massage or facial as part of my gym membership promotion. Since facial was the one spa treatment I had never had, I picked that to try. The facial was wonderful. The steam and the different treatments done were all very relaxing. My skin felt so light and glowy for at least a couple days - may be it was all psychological but hey at least something else worked if not my skin :-) Now I know why the Hollywood stars always get facial treatments. I don't think I am hollywood enough to spend that kind of money but it was great while it lasted.
Another indulgence that I enjoy is trying out new restaurants. It's always exciting for me to try out a new restaurant, cuisine, or dish. My absolute favorite restaurant is in my own town and it serves fusion southern food that is California cuisine crossed with Lousiana southern food. Since the chef used to be obese, he uses healthier cooking methods to make his fried chicken and cornmeal catfish. So somehow the food isn't very greasy and all the greens are super fresh. So how can you beat yummy southern food with much less guilt! Although I have only managed to find time to go to their Sunday brunch once, this restaurant's whole wheat waffles and fried chicken still swim in my head every Sunday morning.
Another indulgence is finding a good bottle of wine. I have always liked bold red wines and I am a softie for any Rhone or red blends. The best bottle of wine I have tried had somehow always been from my Yosemite picnics. I don't know if I just pick better bottles for Yosemite or it's the hiking or the scenery. My most memorable bottle of merlot was a half-bottle Clos du Val, which was small enough and light enough for a hike. Another great bottle of red was a Rhone blend that I accidentally chilled. Because it was slightly warm in Yosemite in September, the accidental chilled red was really refreshing - who would have thought that of red wine :-) This last month I have really gotten to like Riesling and the occasional Chardonay even though previously I really didn't stock much white wines at home.
Going to the bookstore to buy new books and read at their cafe is another of my favorite indulgences. For some reason, I go through phases where I stop going to the bookstores and then I pick up and start going all the time for a long stretch. I am on one of those stretches right now. The same thing with reading. I go on stretches where I read a bunch and then I can't seem to want to read. I once had to wait in line at a foreign airport for at least an hour and a half and got so into Middlemarch that I didn't realize how thick the book was. After that, George Eliot became one of my favorite authors.
Speaking of foreign airports. OK, I don't love foreign airports but I do love traveling. I love seeing new sights and visiting new places. I have always wanted to visit Italy or other parts of Europe outside of France/Belgium/the Netherlands. I had some "close" opportunities to go to the UK this year with my husband's business travel but that didn't pan out. My husband and I are plotting and planning for a possible trip to Italy next year. Let's just hope that our frequently flier mileage will all work out and that this trip will be possible next year.
Finally, surprised and complimentary services are always so nice to have because it makes the indulgence guilt-free. I had a choice of a complimentary massage or facial as part of my gym membership promotion. Since facial was the one spa treatment I had never had, I picked that to try. The facial was wonderful. The steam and the different treatments done were all very relaxing. My skin felt so light and glowy for at least a couple days - may be it was all psychological but hey at least something else worked if not my skin :-) Now I know why the Hollywood stars always get facial treatments. I don't think I am hollywood enough to spend that kind of money but it was great while it lasted.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Couldn't the break just last a bit longer?
I don't understand why a week off from work would go by so fast. I had thought that it would last and feel very long -- like a month worth...but then it came and went and I felt like I only had 3 days off. How did that happen? It was slightly depressing when Friday and Saturday rolled around because the inevitable Monday was around the corner. By Sunday, I had finally come to term with it and so it wasn't as devastating :-) Now I just can't wait for Christmas to be here.
Part of the reason why my break felt so short was because I spent Monday dealing with the plumber who tried to fix our leaking faucet. It didn't get fixed by the way because apparently we now need a brand new faucet - oh, the joy of dealing with plumbers (even though this one was actually very good). Speaking of plumbers, I now have a fear of cablemen. I didn't used to but my 2-out-of-3 California experience with cablemen left me slightly scarred. When I was recently asked whether I would like a cableman to come by and install a DVR or pick it up and install it myself, I was adamant to install it myself. It's like a crapshoot with the cableman that you get. I have had 2 really scary ones. So when a nice one came recently, I found myself telling him how much I appreciated his helpfulness and knowledge. I asked how I could request him next time. Come to find out, my cable line was really messed up that day and he was a specialist and that was why he was so good. So I am only calling cablemen for "serious" and "specialty" problems from now on.
Another reason why my week off was so short was because Tuesday was spent on going to the dentist for a deep teeth cleaning and some fillings. The dentist had to give me numbing shots to do the cleaning because I was too sensitive to pain. I couldn't speak or eat for 4-5 hours afterwards. I made the mistake of dropping by the grocery store to pick up some food. Not a great idea when your mouth is all numbed because you wouldn't be able to feel the drooling or your face to wipe it off. It was kind of funny actually. I also wasn't smart enough to have a big meal before going to the dentist and couldn't have dinner until 9:30pm when the numbing wore off. Then my jaw ached, my tongue was still numb, and my teeth were too sensitive to enjoy dinner. I remembered that the dentist paperwork actually asked if one was afraid of being at the dentist. I think I will mark yes next time.
The rest of the week was much more relaxing. I am a huge believer in keeping Thanksgiving and cooking in general simple and easy. So of course I ordered a pre-cooked turkey meal. Trust me, it's still very good but with none of the stress and mess.
I also got to see tons of movies last week. Australia for starters and then 2 black-and-white Humphrey Bogart movies (the Maltese Falcon and To Have or Have Not). Australia was not great and not bad either...but definitely cheesy...and it was 3-hour long. The black-and-white movies were great and they were at this beautiful old theater that was very well ornated. There is always a man that plays the organ before the show starts. Feels very old timey and posh.
My husband and I also managed to sneak in a hike at Mount Diablo on Saturday. It was only supposed to be a 5-mile hike but more than half of it was uphill and on the side of the mountain. It really wasn't fun trying to not slip and hurt oneself. At one point we thought we were lost and couldn't find the loop that was described in our printed internet info. We kept going because turning around seemed worse. It was one of the harder hikes that I have had recently.
I also managed to try out a new class at the gym last week and I don't plan to take it again. I don't get why people like spinning classes so much. It's hellish! The seat is extremely uncomfortable and who can ride a bike for an hour with resistance being increased throughout the hour. I started to check the clock after the first 5 minutes and was out of gas by the 30-minute mark. I hanged in for the remaining 30 but barely and couldn't really increase the resistance the way the instructor wanted. It's a great workout but I don't have the endurance. I also need to practice getting used to a bike seat first because I could still feel the seat days later.
I also spent time re-reading some of my old novels. I made the mistake of tivo'ing Bridget Jones's Diary and so I have been re-reading the book and the sequel (the Edge of Reason). I kind of like the sequel better because the first novel barely talked about Bridget and Darcy's relationship and hence their romance was not very believable. Anyhow, I kind of enjoy how Bridget is very expressive and slighly neurotic --- kind of relatable somehow.
I just wish that there was more time in the day or week, especially while one is on vacation. I had had high hopes of being able to make Christmas cards this year. Well, let's hope the Christmas break will feel longer somehow.
Part of the reason why my break felt so short was because I spent Monday dealing with the plumber who tried to fix our leaking faucet. It didn't get fixed by the way because apparently we now need a brand new faucet - oh, the joy of dealing with plumbers (even though this one was actually very good). Speaking of plumbers, I now have a fear of cablemen. I didn't used to but my 2-out-of-3 California experience with cablemen left me slightly scarred. When I was recently asked whether I would like a cableman to come by and install a DVR or pick it up and install it myself, I was adamant to install it myself. It's like a crapshoot with the cableman that you get. I have had 2 really scary ones. So when a nice one came recently, I found myself telling him how much I appreciated his helpfulness and knowledge. I asked how I could request him next time. Come to find out, my cable line was really messed up that day and he was a specialist and that was why he was so good. So I am only calling cablemen for "serious" and "specialty" problems from now on.
Another reason why my week off was so short was because Tuesday was spent on going to the dentist for a deep teeth cleaning and some fillings. The dentist had to give me numbing shots to do the cleaning because I was too sensitive to pain. I couldn't speak or eat for 4-5 hours afterwards. I made the mistake of dropping by the grocery store to pick up some food. Not a great idea when your mouth is all numbed because you wouldn't be able to feel the drooling or your face to wipe it off. It was kind of funny actually. I also wasn't smart enough to have a big meal before going to the dentist and couldn't have dinner until 9:30pm when the numbing wore off. Then my jaw ached, my tongue was still numb, and my teeth were too sensitive to enjoy dinner. I remembered that the dentist paperwork actually asked if one was afraid of being at the dentist. I think I will mark yes next time.
The rest of the week was much more relaxing. I am a huge believer in keeping Thanksgiving and cooking in general simple and easy. So of course I ordered a pre-cooked turkey meal. Trust me, it's still very good but with none of the stress and mess.
I also got to see tons of movies last week. Australia for starters and then 2 black-and-white Humphrey Bogart movies (the Maltese Falcon and To Have or Have Not). Australia was not great and not bad either...but definitely cheesy...and it was 3-hour long. The black-and-white movies were great and they were at this beautiful old theater that was very well ornated. There is always a man that plays the organ before the show starts. Feels very old timey and posh.
My husband and I also managed to sneak in a hike at Mount Diablo on Saturday. It was only supposed to be a 5-mile hike but more than half of it was uphill and on the side of the mountain. It really wasn't fun trying to not slip and hurt oneself. At one point we thought we were lost and couldn't find the loop that was described in our printed internet info. We kept going because turning around seemed worse. It was one of the harder hikes that I have had recently.
I also managed to try out a new class at the gym last week and I don't plan to take it again. I don't get why people like spinning classes so much. It's hellish! The seat is extremely uncomfortable and who can ride a bike for an hour with resistance being increased throughout the hour. I started to check the clock after the first 5 minutes and was out of gas by the 30-minute mark. I hanged in for the remaining 30 but barely and couldn't really increase the resistance the way the instructor wanted. It's a great workout but I don't have the endurance. I also need to practice getting used to a bike seat first because I could still feel the seat days later.
I also spent time re-reading some of my old novels. I made the mistake of tivo'ing Bridget Jones's Diary and so I have been re-reading the book and the sequel (the Edge of Reason). I kind of like the sequel better because the first novel barely talked about Bridget and Darcy's relationship and hence their romance was not very believable. Anyhow, I kind of enjoy how Bridget is very expressive and slighly neurotic --- kind of relatable somehow.
I just wish that there was more time in the day or week, especially while one is on vacation. I had had high hopes of being able to make Christmas cards this year. Well, let's hope the Christmas break will feel longer somehow.
Monday, November 3, 2008
A Fun Week and V-Day
So I had a pretty fun week last week because I took Monday off. I got to do some shopping in San Francisco and had some good finds with jeans and exercising pants. Since I am wearing more jeans and going to the gym more these days, these 2 clothing items seem to be all that I need. My husband and I also got to try out a popular Chinese restaurant in the city and visited the Ferry building for some shopping.
For Halloween, we stayed in to watch rented scary movies and gave out candies. I missed Halloween last year and also the earthquake that came with it because I was traveling for work. So it was great hanging out at home watching TV. The kids who stopped by really love seeing our dog and getting to pet him. We had a decent turn-out with about 10 groups of trick-or-treaters, but I wished there were more because I am still left with too much candies.
This weekend, we went to see a new play in the city called Quality of Life. The cast of 4 included actors that have been in many movies, sitcoms, and TV series. One of the cast members was that the lady who played Rosanne's sister on Rosanne. It was a pretty good play about 2 different couples from the the midwest and California and their different perspectives on life, death, and religion. It was kind of depressing though since it dealt with death.
So I am looking forward to Voting Day (V-Day) tomorrow. California has about 15 Propositions to vote on this time. It seems that anyone who can collect enough signatures want to burden the rest of us with their proposition. For example, I don't need to vote on a proposition that would allow the gov't to give Californians incentive money to buy a fuel-efficient car. How about No on that proposition since California already has a huge budget deficit and this is just not a priority! People can buy their own fuel-efficient cars or just carpool! These propositions are super confusing because both sides of the issues try to be all biased and often lie about their points. I have finally managed to read up on all propositions this past Sunday and now I am all informed and ready to vote.
Prop 8, the ban on gay marriage, is a hot button issue in the Bay area. A couple weekends ago, both of our main streets were covered with people with the Yes (a ban on gay marriage) and No (in support of gay marriage) signs. The cars that drove by carried and waved their No signs at the Yes people. It was kind of funny to see how heated people are in the Bay area about this issue. The polls have been flip-flopping several times this year. Part of it is because it is very even split. Earlier in the year, it was 50-something percent in favor of Yes (i.e. a ban on gay marriage). The September poll was 44%-49% in favor of No. Today's poll has shifted in the opposite direction again in favor of Yes. So this could go either way and it's a bit scarry. With the margin of error being around 5%, I guess we won't know how this will turn out until after Tuesday.
For Halloween, we stayed in to watch rented scary movies and gave out candies. I missed Halloween last year and also the earthquake that came with it because I was traveling for work. So it was great hanging out at home watching TV. The kids who stopped by really love seeing our dog and getting to pet him. We had a decent turn-out with about 10 groups of trick-or-treaters, but I wished there were more because I am still left with too much candies.
This weekend, we went to see a new play in the city called Quality of Life. The cast of 4 included actors that have been in many movies, sitcoms, and TV series. One of the cast members was that the lady who played Rosanne's sister on Rosanne. It was a pretty good play about 2 different couples from the the midwest and California and their different perspectives on life, death, and religion. It was kind of depressing though since it dealt with death.
So I am looking forward to Voting Day (V-Day) tomorrow. California has about 15 Propositions to vote on this time. It seems that anyone who can collect enough signatures want to burden the rest of us with their proposition. For example, I don't need to vote on a proposition that would allow the gov't to give Californians incentive money to buy a fuel-efficient car. How about No on that proposition since California already has a huge budget deficit and this is just not a priority! People can buy their own fuel-efficient cars or just carpool! These propositions are super confusing because both sides of the issues try to be all biased and often lie about their points. I have finally managed to read up on all propositions this past Sunday and now I am all informed and ready to vote.
Prop 8, the ban on gay marriage, is a hot button issue in the Bay area. A couple weekends ago, both of our main streets were covered with people with the Yes (a ban on gay marriage) and No (in support of gay marriage) signs. The cars that drove by carried and waved their No signs at the Yes people. It was kind of funny to see how heated people are in the Bay area about this issue. The polls have been flip-flopping several times this year. Part of it is because it is very even split. Earlier in the year, it was 50-something percent in favor of Yes (i.e. a ban on gay marriage). The September poll was 44%-49% in favor of No. Today's poll has shifted in the opposite direction again in favor of Yes. So this could go either way and it's a bit scarry. With the margin of error being around 5%, I guess we won't know how this will turn out until after Tuesday.
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