fight on!!!

31 years old and still a daddy's girl

presidents and gentlemen

the blogger gods heard my rant from last night! i was at the very same starbucks at approximately the same time as yesterday. i was looking for a place to work before my last session. my hands were full with my students' binders, my laptop bag was falling off my shoulder, and i was holding a cup of coffee while trying to sit down at a table. a man at the table in front of me got up, took my coffee to place it on the table, then did the same with the binders. we had a lovely conversation about what i do for a living and how his cousin has autism as well. then we both went back to working. well-mannered men are still out there, and i am thankful for that.

congratulations, president obama. congratulations, america.

"courtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage."
-theodore roosevelt

angry

i know that this blog was meant to focus on the positive moments that occur during my day. i have an exception today, and it's worth mentioning because it bothered me so much. i was sitting in starbucks on a drizzly, gloomy afternoon. the coffeehouse was packed with people trying to warm up with a cup of joe. this lady ordered over 6 hot beverages, carrying a double stack of drink carriers. she was obviously struggling while approaching the door, and what does the man in front of her do? he steps to the side. doesn't even think about opening the door for her...ass!

then later that evening, i took out a large bag of trash, and a full grocery bag of cans and bottles to be recycled. a few bottles fall on the ground as i walk out. there's a man talking on the phone in the parking lot, with a clear view and earshot of my clumsiness. i walk closer to the lot, with my hands full, needing to pull the door open to get to the lot where the trash chute is located, and what does this man do? he steps even further away from the door, and as i walk towards the trash chute, he exits from the very door i entered...ass!

my happy thought is to appreciate the true gentlemen out there. the small handful that there are!

beer, beer, beer...oh yeah, and boarding!

ry got us tickets to the sf ski and snowboard expo. it also happened to be a beer tasting event as well. we thought we'd be able to find some good deals, but the prices and the crowded lines weren't really worth it. we did get to sample quite a few beers and got two free lift tickets!

working like a dog

little miss sunshine

1) the first week of october, 16 days into fall, and the sun was shining today! that has to be one of the top reasons people move out to california!
2) james sent this picture of pey today. she's about 8 months now...i spent most of the weekend with her, and she still occupies a lot of my thoughts! this picture is hilarious though. it captures a lot of this girl's character.
3) world smile day celebrates the ever popular yellow smiley. it also offers us an opportunity to do an act of kindness. the intent of world smile day is to do an act of kindness, or help one person to smile. harvey ball, a commercial artist from worcester, massachusetts is said to have created the smiley face in 1963.
4) the second presidential debate aired today at 6pm. it's embarrassing to admit that i have never voted, nor participated in a presidential election. being 30 now, and somewhat responsible, it is crucial that i partake in the election process come november. in so doing, i would like to make the most educated decision as possible which is why i chose to pay close attention to this evening's debate. i will definitely tune in for the third debate come october 15th.
5) this may not be the perfect segue from the presidential candidates, but new kids on the block are going to be in san jose on friday!
6) noralie sent me a link to a song that she recorded on myspace today. she had written a song influenced by her love and passion for the hawaiian culture. she sang it at steve's party on sunday. her voice is still as amazing as it was when she would sing in high school. it was the first time i have seen and heard her sound purely happy in a while.
7) james got me hooked on a game on espn.com, cameraman football . there are two pictures of a football play side by side and you're supposed to find five differences in the pictures within a certain time frame. the leading scores are ridiculous - scores that i will never achieve! but all in all, it's quite entertaining and addicting.
8) this month is breast cancer awareness month. the disease itself is not a happy one at all, but as i was shopping in safeway today, the employees rallied to raise a certain goal within the hour. they were quite enthusiastic and appreciative of any donation. it was inspirational to say the least.
9) jessica sent a family photo album labeled "fall" today. her family keeps growing, and the pictures keep looking more and more like they should be in some magazine.
10) i certainly don't appreciate all the freedoms that come with being an american. it's something that i feel like i take for granted. my rights are undoubtedly what i have to be happy for everyday.

life is sweet

1) vodka collins, or ketel collins to be exact. i have jill to thank for introducing this delightful beverage into my life.
2) pewter necklace with "love" engraved
3) san diego zoo has a panda cam widget. i can see these cuties 24/7 from my macbook.
4) a great scene from sex and the city is when miranda and carrie are sitting on a bench outside of new york's magnolia bakery, licking pink frosting off cupcakes they devour.
5) i came across this site on stumbleupon: 50 ways to chill. i have to figure out a time to read through some of the suggestions one day.
6) green apple gummies sprinkled with li hing mui, one of my favorite candies courtesy of marianne.
7) love this sign. i'm the exact opposite of ryan. i haven't worn a watch since the 4th grade, as if i even needed to be wearing one at that age seeing that i didn't have a ton of places i needed to be! be it the principle of style or punctuality, i do not feel the need to sport one.
8) love you forever, written by robert munsch, is a short story about the evolving relationship between a boy and his mother. so sweet and tender and always leaves me choked up a bit when i read it.
9) in the spirit of halloween, these adorable ghosts are created by smothering melted marshmallows over pears. mini chocolate chips for the eyes finish off this spooky treat.
10) it's so cliché to say "life is too short" but it's so true as well. might as well live life as sweet as you can.

there's no place like home...

there's no place like home...

there's no place like home...

1) more lego building with yz
2) yz and i having fun with photobooth on my macbook equals non-stop laughter for both of us
3) i love trader joe's!
4) commercials for habitat for humanity with the catchy phrase "that's what makes a house a home"
5) back in my "fear of commitment" days, this song from cake would have been my theme song..."let me go and i will want you more"
6) mongo guisado - mung beans with vegetables and pork. yes, i'm a fob. but this dish is the epitome of comfort food and is the best meal to eat whenever i return back home.
7) i printed this picture of mom and dad by the golden gate bridge and had it framed for them.
8) it pains me to spend more than $100 on myself, especially for things that aren't essential. but my ugg cardy boots are an indulgence that i just couldn't resist!
9) if i am feeling very homesick, there is no way i can listen to michael buble's home without tearing up. may be surrounded by a million people i still feel all alone i just wanna go home.
10) a man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it. - george moore

fee, fi, pho, fum!

1) the defending super bowl champion new york giants kick off the 2008 nfl season for thursday night football.
2) apple gave ry a few recyclable grocery totes which i have found a multitude of functions for them.
3) barbie's dream house - was on my christmas wishlist for a few consecutive years, proving that i actually grew up as a girl.
4) a magnificent ring!
5) i am quite serious about writing a song about my feelings for pho. i miss authentically divine mexican food living in the bay area, but when i visit san diego, i have cravings for this vietnamese beef noodle soup that no restaurant can quench.
6) before i met ry, this picture would just resonate andre the giant, wwf champion who wrestled greats like hulk hogan, bret "the hitman" hart, big john studd, and jake "the snake" roberts. turns out his picture is linked to shepard fairey's obey propoganda.
7) heroes - currently one of my favorite tv shows.
8) james and the giant peach - one of my favorite books as a child, and a cute film back in '96.
9) sam the cooking guy's original recipe of goat cheese, sauteed spinach and porcini mushroom pizza replicated by my favorite chef, ryan.
10) standing at barely 5 foot tall, i am no giant by any means. i used to hate being so short during my childhood days but as i am accepting of the cards that were dealt to me, i must admit that i've embraced my petiteness.

getting high

1) maui skies - although this is a spectacular view, clear blue skies with a slight breeze through palm leaves, i should have taken a picture of maui's sky at night. the stars were endless and gave you the illusion that they were twinkling a mere ten feet above your head. nature, man...it's underrated.
2) freckles - growing up, i've always been a bit self-conscious about the lightly brown sprinkle of freckles on my face. i've grown to not only accept them, but love them, as they seem to be a well-known characteristic of my appearance.
3) swingers - so many memorable quotes from this movie. my favorite conversation would have to be between mikey and rob, that goes a little something like this:
rob: you don't look at the things that you have, you only look at the stuff that you don't have. those guys are right about you - you're money.
mike: then why won't she call?
rob: she won't call because you left. she's got her own life to deal with, man, and that's in new york... alright? and she's a sweet girl, and i love her to pieces, but fuck her, man. you gotta get on with your life. you gotta let go of the past. and mikey, when you do, i'm telling you: the future is beautiful, alright? look out the window. it's sunny every day here. it's like manifest destiny. don't tell me we didn't make it. we made it! we are here. and everything that is past is prologued to this. all of the shit that didn't kill us is only - you know, all that shit. you're gonna get over it.
mike: how did you get over it? i mean, how long did it take?
rob: sometimes it still hurts. you know how it is, man. it's like, you wake up every day and it hurts a little bit less, and then you wake up one day and it doesn't hurt at all. and the funny thing is, is that, this is kinda weird, but it's like, it's like you almost miss that pain.
mike: you miss the pain?
rob: yeah, for the same reason that you missed her... because you lived with it for so long.
money.
4) john legend - he's definitely on my list to see in concert. blessed with a voice full of soul and skilled at playing beautifully melodic tunes on the piano, john legend won me over with his song so high.
5) fashion alices - i've got a bit of a fascination with the whole alice in wonderland theme. as previously mentioned, the disney film and lewis carroll's book make up a big portion of my childhood. now in my thirties, this same theme has taken a more sophisticated approach in that it has evolved into fashion! this is an evening gown by designer, robert cary-williams, that is covered with illustrations from the classic.
6) reef flip-flops - i bought a brown pair three years ago in oahu. out of the 30+ pairs of shoes that i have, my reefs get the most use.
7) riesling - thanks to noralie, my love for the riesling wine was developed. between our maui trip and dinners involved for ryan's birthday, we've ordered a few bottles of dr.loosen's reisling. although i've never met a riesling wine that i didn't like, his seems the crispest and sweetest.
8) chicago - skyscraper day, celebrated on september 3rd, is a day to appreciate and admire the world's tallest skyscrapers. the sears tower ranks fourth in the world's tallest buildings, built in 1974 and hovering 1,451 feet in the air. i would probably consider chicago my mid-west home away from home.
9) shade - again, another form of mother nature's nurturing features.
10) “a girl without freckles is like a night without stars”...such a lovely quote.

baby

1) johnson's baby powder
2) 1000 piece disney mosaic puzzles
3) extra virgin olive oil
4) seattle's crumpet shop
5) braces
6) wheat paste art
7) dreamworks' kung fu panda
8) kimora lee simmons' life in the fab lane
9) love actually
10) babies are born with very poor vision but can recognize their mothers almost right away.

dancing in september

1) september by earth, wind and fire - this song gets me excited for so many reasons. i love that it's a song about my birthmonth. i love that if this song plays during a wedding, the dance floor fills up. i love that at the age of 4, cj requested this song in everyone's car.
2) spa week - a list of deals from local spas are sent to your e-mail all week.
3) ichat - the ability to "meet" with people from the comfort of your own home.
4) asparagus risotto - a creamy dose of carbohydrates.
5) macanudo cigars - americas best selling and most popular cigar brand known for its mild flavor and body.
6) oprah - she's coming to san francisco's metreon!
7) philips sonicare toothbrush - helps remove plaque, whiten teeth and improve gum health, giving you a clean you can feel.
8) ukulele - as the strings of a guitar is plucked, so are my heartstrings for my sentiments of hawaii.
9) bike - a playful way to spend my afternoon session with justin.
10) mayo clinic researchers report that dancing helps to reduce stress, increase energy, improve strength and increase muscle tone and coordination. additionally, the national heart, lung and blood institute (NHLBI) says that dancing can lower your risk of coronary heart disease, decrease blood pressure, help you manage your weight, and strengthen the bones of your legs and hips. why not spend a night or two this month dancing in september?!