Favorite Moments

The middle of this week had some rocky moments (it's incredible how manipulative and mean some people can be), but the past three or so days have been amazing.

It's hard to choose, but my favorite night was probably Friday. The official event was a joint birthday celebration, and although it wasn't technically for me (my birthday isn't until next week), my friends are so sweet they included me in everything. :) We began at the Yard House. The food and drinks were super tasty. In addition to my spicy tuna "roll" (the Yard House version is more like a delicious cylinder) and two Franziskaner Dunkelwisens, I was surprised with a complimentary birthday souffle! It was wonderful. Afterwards, about half of the group headed over to Irvine Lanes to meet up with some more friends for a night of unlimited cosmic bowling, homemade birthday cake, and, of course, more beer. My lane was particularly loud/rowdy but it was hilarious so hopefully nobody minded too much because I had a pretty kick ass time. Then, I enjoyed a few hours of good conversation, laughter, and Egyptian Rat Screw (aka Turkey Slap) domination before heading home exhausted and happy.

And yet as I type this, I keep thinking of all the other, quieter moments that were so special in their own right. Like my gifted polvorone. Or seeing old friends. Or getting to know new ones. Or a night of Albatros and Y Tu Mama Tambien followed by a beautiful dawn, a whirlpool bath, and McDonald's (crack infused) oatmeal and hazelnut iced coffee. Or the Gypsy Den. Or a cozy afternoon. Or wandering the Spectrum before enjoying a delicious, warming dinner at Mizuki.

The best part is, most all of these great moments were unplanned and/or unexpected. Hmm. Maybe my favorite moment is right now, as I am able to reflect upon and feel such gratitude towards all the people who treat me so well. Words can't begin to express my appreciation. :)

Blue Skies

Days Go By

It's been a good month.

Since last I wrote, my mom returned from her trip (with bags and bags of delicious Taiwanese candy), Emilie visited for almost a week, and Regina came down for a weekend in celebration of her birthday. I've also updated my website and written some more Yelp reviews.

Other highlights include: Discovery Science Center, Thanh, Cha, bowling, Wednesday night dinners, Disneyland (including Fantastmic! and an early birthday lunch at the Blue Bayou :D), game night, riddles, bread baking, Balboa Island/Peninsula, Spaghetti Factory, Orange Sushi, soccer games/practices, coffee with Ryan, Albatros (and a DELICIOUS food coma/pain inducing burrito), Rutabegorz, downtown Fullerton/street fair, Phase 10, Thai Cafe, Mario Kart domination, TiMER (I keep re-watching this movie, haha), open mic at Paradise Perks, catching up with Jackie, running into a friend I haven't seen in a decade, Weinerschnitzel, Irvine Regional Park, bike riding, Zombie Fluxx, sunrises, karaoke, Del, Old Town Pasadena, 21 Choices, Nucleus Gallery, Sushi Momo, baking Lemon Cheese Squares, Easter Brunch, Scattegories/Catch Phrase, egg dying, a nostalgic tour of Irvine, Curry House, more Zombie Fluxx/etc, The Secret of Kells, another day at Balboa Island/Peninsula, grapefruit gummies, Ruby's, Laguna Beach, Gelato Paradiso, the Koffee Klatch, Desperate Housewives, good conversation, memorable moments, and happy days.

These past few weeks I kept making mental notes to update this blog, but I really haven't had the time to until now. Which is awesome. I love when friends come to stay with me, it's always so much fun. I'm excited to set up the media room so my guests will have a more comfortable living space. They'll basically have their own room/bathroom when they stay. In fact, the small bathroom that will essentially be theirs is nearly done. The shower and toilet are in working condition already. It looks SO nice. :)

Anyway, I'm going to try and do more specific/detailed posts in the future (versus these blanket recaps). I might put up a few picture posts later.

Sunny Days

This past week featured warm weather. Finally. Every free moment I had I tried to spend outside in the sun. It was nice. :) The following pictures were taken in Laguna, Balboa, and at the Great Park in Irvine.

Winning is Fun

Today was the second game of our Spring season and... we won! Again! We were playing one down the second half (not for lack of people showing up but because one of my girls had a really bad allergic reaction to something (?) at half time and had to go home :/) and while it was more of a challenge (our opponents weren't a bad team and they had some pretty ogre-ly tall guys playing as forwards) we were still able to keep the score 3-1. Woo!

Since it was an afternoon game and I had no plans afterwards, I also brought Fred along. Eeee I love bringing Fred to my soccer games. At any lull during the game I can glance over to Fred (and my Dad who graciously watches Fred while I play) and be delighted to see him staring at - not the movement of the ball or the people surrounding the ball, but - ME! :D He just kind of watches me with a super cute/happy expression hahahah. Except today he did more than just watch me; he somehow got unclipped from his leash and ran onto the field. Luckily his goal was to run straight TO me and not AWAY from me (as he sometimes does in an attempt to start a riveting game of chase...) so I was able to scoop him up really easily. And then I got reprimanded for holding the other team on side as I returned Fred to my Dad/tried to figure out how he got loose in the first place hahaha. Good times.

In other news, I'm accumulating too many "To Review" places on Yelp so I've been trying to set aside a little time to write. Here are some of my most recent reviews: Orange Sushi, Roman Cucina, and Max Blooms Cafe Noir. More to come soon, hopefully!

Finally, highlights include: Joe visiting, Roman Cucina, the dollar theatre, brunch at IHOP, Peet's, shopping at the Spectrum, Kim's birthday, catching up with old friends, Orange Sushi (chef Neo sent over a free dish [baked snapper of deliciousness] because he appreciated my Yelp review so much!), Postcrossing, Wordfeud, home-cooked meals, It's a Grind, and Jamba Juice. Pretty standard stuff. Oh also they started the bathroom remodel project and I finally wrapped up the last bits of a property deal! So it's been a nice mix of productiveness, fun, and relaxation. :) Still haven't had time to really work on my own life goals list, but I'll get there...

Busy Life

In general, Wednesdays are my busiest days. This past Wednesday was particularly stressful, in part because I had the sudden realization that I, without realizing it, managed to accumulate a LOT on my plate.

The big things are: handling my mom's real estate properties and transactions (showings, middle man-ings, move in prepartion-ings, etc), overseeing the remodel of our two bathrooms, trying to prep our soccer team for our third back to back season (aka trying to finalize our roster and our new jersey prior to our first game this Sunday), and dealing with Fred's ear infections (both the cost of repeated check ups/treatments and the actual administering of the medication - it's hard to do! He's wiggly!!). I'm also a little stressed about my own potential hairline fracture on my right leg, a battle scar from our last game. I'm hoping it's just a really bad (really swollen) bruise. In fact, I'm going to assume it's a really bad bruise because a) I don't want to stress about it and b) with car insurance due in a few weeks, I don't want to pay doctor's bills and what not if I don't have to. Because the big things are all in addition to the usual things (teaching, errands, etc), these past few weeks I was pretty much left with no time to check off all the things/goals that directly benefit/further my own life. Next week, I suppose.

Miraculously, I've still managed to squeeze in a bit of fun/productive fun. For example...

Last Monday I headed up to Hollywood to take some head shots before spending a lovely afternoon/evening/night in LA at Bricks and Scones and (later) Versailles.

I'm still doing Wednesday night dinners with my Dad, which is fun/relaxing. This past Wednesday featured WAFFLES!

On Saturday morning I had an audition before overseeing a supplies delivery for the bathroom remodel.

Tuesday was a delicious lunch with Kim at Bamboo Bistro in CDM before heading down to Gelato Paradiso in Laguna for some delicious gelato (Sweet Cream and Cherry) and sorbet (Mango). Afterwards we walked over to LF where I somehow left with a whole new outfit. :X After getting a bit of work done, I had a yummy dinner at Orange Sushi. Good conversation and a bit of Smash filled up the rest of the night.

And yesterday (after a wax appointment, a day at Balboa, and soccer practice), I ended up at the Dubliner for St. Patty's Day where I managed to get quite tipsy, quite fast. I blame the early/small dinner hahah. Good times.

Needless to say, I'm pretty tired. Today was another long day to cap off a long few weeks and I think I'm going to skip the festivities and stay in, snuggle with Fred, and watch Bones. See below for a few pictures from my most recent LA excursion. I might post other March pictures later. We shall see!

Three Things I Love About Where I Live

1. The fact that I'm within 5 minutes of everything I need/want. Literally. Target, B&N, the freeway, a dance studio, downtown, Steamers, a good groomer/vet, the widest variety of food possible... if you can think of it, it's probably less than 5 minutes away from me. There are three things that I'm 15 minutes away from: Zankou Chicken, delicious/authentic Dim Sum, and Disneyland. But honestly I'm just grateful there's a Zankou Chicken within my vicinity, I prefer being 15 (not 5) minutes away from Disneyland, and the Dim Sum I'm referring to is reallyyy good and is located in Rowland Heights. There's actually perfectly good second tier (aka still better than anything in South OC/LA) Dim Sum located, you guessed it, 5 minutes away from me haha.

2. People are friendlier/the service is better. Not to say that people are always unfriendly/the service always sucks elsewhere... but it's kind of true. Here it isn't. For example, I needed to get new running shoes. A few weeks ago I stopped by the local Big 5 (conveniently located 5 minutes away from me) to get some. That day I had the best sporting goods store experience I've had in... probably my whole life. It was just great. People were attentive but not annoying/pushy. Nobody judged me for trying on four pairs of shoes (later three, then two) for over an hour. And everyone was cheery! And friendly! And because it's a Big 5 (and they carry last years models/styles at like 70% off the original price), I got fantastic ASICS (I love ASICS) for $40. It was pretty great.

3. It's pretty. So is Irvine and many parts of South Orange County... and the beach cities... as well as other parts of the world (not LA), but I don't know. This was something that was pleasantly surprising to me because Fullerton is more inland and I've always associated it with being hotter, older, dirtier, and a bit less pleasant. During the summer it will be hotter, and it's definitely older... but it's actually extremely clean and somehow quite pleasant! Maybe because the people here seem a bit less plastic/pretentious/self conscious. Maybe not. In any case, I love that the area in which I live is nice to look at, featuring grassy fields, big trees, chirping birds, and beautiful blue skies. Yay for the little things in life. :)

Words Not Pictures

Where to start. There's so much that's been going on. Off the top of my head, highlights include:

Guitar shopping with Jimmy, group dinner at BJs, epic house party in Culver City, catching up with old friends, brunch at Rutt's Hawaiian Cafe, making a delicious ethnic dinner, game night, various lunches with various friends, DISNEYLAND, EMILIE, late night mini-golf, B&N, Fullerton exploration(s), Foosball, Wurstkuche, Scoops, games/etc at Jack in the Box, post-practice hang seshes, unexpected breakfasts, paddle boating, a day at the Irvine Lake, Curry House escapades, Fish Grill, Jolly Roger, Dana Point, Laguna, sunrises, flowers, drawing, dancing, Focus, Out of Bounds, Pineapple Hill Saloon and Grill, birthday celebrations, karaoke, late night Del Taco seshes, Wednesday night dinners, Mario Kart Wii, Borderlands, Lollicup/Cha nights, soccer, Peet's, hours (days?) of good conversation, Sour Patch Kids, Mickey's Fun Pops, all nighters for no smart reason, Roman Cucina, rainy weather, sunny afternoons, and Fred.

New things in my life include hours of practicing the guitar (love my Seagull!), lesson swaps, and a nonexistent sleep schedule. Weekdays have been busy and weekends have been busier. My Wednesdays are still my killer days... but I enjoy them. I've been trying to spend more time with friends and family, and it's exhausting but worth it.

In general, life has been pretty stellar. But today I'm tired. I might also be getting sick. I'm also thoughtful, confused, and tinged with the slightest regret. But dwelling is for the unproductive and weak, so I'll be taking advantage of my free day by being productive and strong. :)

In other news, birth control pills suck. Royally. The mental implosions that result from said poisons are the worst.

Coming Home

It's been a long time since I've written... apologies! I've just seriously been too busy to update. Hard to believe (and surprisingly depressing), but tonight was the first time in a month that I actually got to stay in. OMG. Anyway. Updates to come. For now, here are some pictures I took of a sunset in Dana Point in early February.

Recapitulation

It's been a busy week!

Saturday was move day. My mom and I were going to make a second trip to retrieve miscellaneous small things from the old place... but we were exhausted (and it was already pretty late) so we decided instead to eat downtown. Had some delicious spaghetti and homemade meatballs with a side of ricotta cheese, Italian wedding soup, and tasty tasty bread from Roman Cucina, a lovely little restaurant on Harbor Blvd - YUM. It was also on Saturday that we realized we can watch the Disneyland fireworks every night from our living room!

Sunday I had a soccer game, and then spent the remainder of the day packing and CLEANING. Had a tasty group dinner at Thai Cafe before again heading back to Fullerton for some quality play time with Fred. :)

Monday I relaxed with company as I waited for an electrician, cable internet installers, and appliance people to go about their business. For dinner I had very tasty sushi (and fried oreo and green tea ice cream for dessert!) at a cute little place I found less than 5 minutes away. The owner/chef was so friendly! He made us a little edible bunny out of an orange, and came by our table to chat for a bit as we were getting ready to leave. Really nice guy, and a darn good sushi chef too!

Tuesday Jimmy came up to check out the new house/wander downtown with me. We came across a lot of neat looking restaurants/bars/fun places to check out later, and yet somehow ended up at Roman Cucina again for dinner haha. This time I got the Rosa (creamy red sauce) which, while tasty, wasn't as good as my spaghetti and meatballs... but it really didn't matter because by the time my pasta was put in front of me I was already super full with soup, bread, and an endless supply of Shirley Temples!

Wednesday was an Irvine day. After preparing for my lessons, I headed down to teach until 6pm. Ran into an old friend from high school at Jamba Juice, which was awesome. Had dinner at my dad's, where he whipped up a tasty filet mignon dinner (using the grill I got him for Christmas!). After a round of Mario Kart I headed out to the Gypsy Den where I met up with friends for a long night of hilarity and deep conversation - always a fantastic combination. :)

And that's the gist of it. Now it's Thursday and I've spent most of the morning catching up with e-mails and messages and what not. I need to do some errands before I head down to Irvine for soccer practice and MILKSHAKES! Should be fun. About time I exercise away all this food I've been eating... only to be completely negated by what will undoubtedly be a delicious (and definitely worthwhile) milkshake haha.

PS
Goldfish Crackers COLORS are now colored with natural ingredients. Which is great, in theory, except the purple goldfish now taste like beets. :(

Fun with Boxes

First post from the new place! We're completely moved out of our old place, but not completely moved in here. There are boxes everywhere, and while the walls and floors look gorgeous, everything else just looks messy. Unpacking is a slow process sometimes.

We finally got internet yesterday... but no wireless yet. Our router seems to be MIA. Hopefully it'll turn up soon, because I need it to get internet to my computer (if I want to use my computer in my room, and I do). Right now I'm on my mom's laptop. It's serving it's purpose, but I can't use it that often and I don't like using it for long periods of time.

I'll do a full update later. For now, here are some pictures of Fred as I was packing up my old room. :)

Productive Fun

It's been another productive few days. My mom and I selected a new chandilier for the dining room (LOVE it), the painting is basically done (there was a last minute decision to put crown molding in some of the rooms and it really makes everything pop!), and I'm starting to work on all the remaining design details (door knobs, face plates, curtains, etc). We've got one last meeting with our bathroom designer before that project begins. And we move in on Saturday, which means most of Thursday and Friday will be dedicated to packing.

Besides a calamitous Sunday night, it's also been a fun few days. Favorite moments include Del Taco and the dollar theatre, spicy beef noodle soup (and two more yummy Chinese/Taiwanese dishes!) at A&J, driving up to see Emilie, birthday sushi (and tempura ice cream!) at Ajisai, a refreshing afternoon of zombie killing, and a filling dinner at Haveli.

And the most random moment of late was probably getting pulled over on my way back from LA because I was "having trouble staying in my lane." Highway patrol thought I was drunk hahaha. When it became pretty apparent that I wasn't (after a quick pupil test, some light conversation, and an apology from me for "adjusting my ipod" [I wasn't]), they let me go with the advisory: be more careful with your driving. Whew. Here's some more good advice: don't text on the freeway, kids!