vegas, baby! vegas!!!

1) staying at melanie's timeshare just a shuttlebus away from the strip.
2) the first time marianne, myself, melanie and theresa have been together in months.
3) lunch at espn zone in new york, new york.
4) lounging outside in front of the pool with a lazy river.
5) melanie's brilliant idea to stop and pose by the infamous las vegas sign - a first for all of us!
6) giant slot machine in the paris casino.
7) who wants to be a millionaire?
8) sipping peach bellinis in the bellagio hotel.
9) walking the strip and showing off some leg.
10) thankful for melanie for organizing the entire trip. fortunate to have good friends to chip in a few bucks to have mare fly back to sd earlier to spend some time with her family. bewildered that we spent five hours in the car, not turning on the radio once, and even more shocking, not even noticing it until we arrived in vegas. grateful for best friends.

top chefs

1) the first annual food and wine event at pebble beach march 27-30, 2008.
2) charles phan of the slanted door.
3) hubert keller of fleur de lys.
4) yoichi saito chef de cuisine at roy's at pebble beach.
5) elizabeth falkner from citizen cake.
6) tre wilcox, contestant from top chef.
7) ted allen, television personality on food network and occasional guest judge on top chef.
8) ming tsai from blue ginger and several cooking shows.
9) tom colicchio from gramercy tavern and new york and several others.
10) a weekend of volunteering turned into celebrity glitz with sampling of tasty snacks.

at your service

1) the polar bear is classified as a marine mammal. its feet are partially webbed for swimming, and its fur is water-repellent. even though a polar bears fur looks white it is actually colorless and is made with hollow tubes that scatter light and give a white appearance. the hollow tubes help the bear to stay warm by channeling the sun's energy directly to the bear's skin.
2) ry and i went down to pebble beach for our first volunteer shift at the first annual food and wine event. given the fact that it was an inaugural event, there was serious chaos from the get go! when we arrived at the spanish inn, the volunteer coordinator did not have our assignments ready. after an hour or so of lingering, the staff at roy's assigned us our duties for the day. we got to sit in during a staff meeting before the lunch service and listened to some great chefs share the details of their amazing culinary masterpieces. elizabeth faulkner, charles phan and roy yamaguchi were among the distinguished gourmets.
3) we passed on the boxed lunches that were provided for the event volunteers and headed down to pacific grove for a bite. we went to the red house cafe for lunch. we both ordered the corn chowder soup. as usual, ry had a chicken breast sandwich and i had the warm tomato mozzarella sandwich.
4) ahh...oscar de la hoya. he is such a charismatic, alluring figure. back in college, i noticed that his fights were usually scheduled the saturday near my birthday. in fact, for my 21st birthday, we just so happened to be in vegas at the same time. definitely one of my most embarrassing moments involves this iconic boxer. james had told me that de la hoya was on the cover of a playgirl magazine. so we headed to the bookstore in the mall so i could purchase it. the salesperson didn't have any more copies, so she had to retrieve the issue they had on display on the wall. to add insult to injury, i was then asked to show some i.d. to prove i was over 18 years old in order to purchase it!
5) i ordered an apple juice with my lunch this afternoon. the juice that was served was a cloudier version. it tasted great but what i didn't realize was that the appearance of the juice was the result of a more natural form of the beverage, therefore not undergoing the additional processing that its "clearer" counterpart experiences. the final product generates a juice with more antioxidants.
6) three good rules to keep in mind to provide exceptional customer service are 1) listen to your customers, 2) deal with complaints, and 3) be helpful, even if there's no immediate profit in it. with the abundant amount of chaos at the food and wine lunch event, the staff at roy's definitely complied to these rules.
7) 1 in 4 children has a vision problem that can interfere with learning. there's this commercial that makes me laugh. check yearly see clearly is a campaign which promotes eye exams and vision care for children. there's this boy who has poor vision and exhibits this problem by throwing a basketball eight feet to the left of the basketball hoop. or mistakes a squirrel for a dog. reminds me of some of the crazy things i experience without my contacts or glasses!
8) i wish i had the desire to wear a fedora when i had long hair. it doesn't quite look right with my bob haircut. but the sight of one of these hats always seems to catch my eye!
9) ry and i had steak for dinner tonight - filipino style. soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon is the way i like to eat my steak.
10) march 28 celebrates something on a stick day...i experience a mix of happiness and childlike memories when i'm snacking on something on a stick - corndogs, popsicles, chicken skewers, shrimp kebabs.

raw

1) edible arrangements specializes in creating delicious fruit designs filled with fresh strawberries, pineapple, grapes, oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew, bananas and pears. the first time i saw one of these exquisite creations was at a event on maiden lane in san francisco to kick off fashion week. the arrangement was quite eye-catching and impressive, and the fruit was heavenly.
2) as corny and tasteless as the writing is, i cannot resist an austin powers flick! i love the overwhelmingly crude innuendos and comedic one-liners. i guess its raunchiness is what makes it what it is – a movie that obviously shouldn’t be taken seriously but one that is filled with refreshing comedy that will have you laughing the entire time.
3) poke is hawaiian for "section" or "to slice or cut". the modern form of poke consists of roughly one-inch cubes of raw fish garnished with a selection of seaweed, chopped scallions, chopped onion, soy sauce and a variety of other components. although you can use mussels, crabs or octopus for your poke, i prefer ahi. no contest, the best poke i’ve ever had was in hawaii.
4) cindy introduced these series of books to me. kokology is the study of kokoro which in japanese means "mind" or "spirit". the series of kokology books were created by isamu saito, a professor at rissho and waseda universities in japan and an author of a number of bestselling books regarding psychology and relationships. the books present a series of psychological games and hypotheticals that are designed to reveal one's hidden attitudes about sex, family, love, work, and other elements of one's life. it is essentially a game of self-discovery that can provide interesting, and often hilarious insight by answering questions to seemingly innocent topics. these tests are fun on road trips or breaking the ice (i.e. the first few e-mails that ryan and i exchanged when we first started dating!).
5) when i went to vancouver, i had the best lox cream cheese bagel at granville island. topped with capers and cucumbers, it was the perfect piece of cured salmon.
6) so i guess i must like grape juice a lot since it was a happy thought about a week ago. besides the antioxidant factor, what else can i say…? research, while still in the early stages, suggests that the antioxidants in grape juice may also protect brain cells directly. for example, experiments at tufts university suggest that grape juice may improve the strength, memory, and coordination of laboratory rats.
7) i found this specialty school on yelp.com. the national holistic institute is a massage school that offers 50-minute massages for the price of $35, or $25 when they have specials. my back is in desperate need for some serious rubbing!
8) tetris is a video puzzle game originally designed and programmed by alexey pajitnov in june 1985, while working for the dorodnicyn computing centre of the academy of science of the ussr in moscow. he derived its name from the greek numerical prefix "tetra-", as all of the pieces contain four segments, and tennis, pajitnov's favorite sport. loved this game back in the day, and currently prefer to play the original version of this game.
9) i’ve been wanting to go to sugar, butter, flour for a while now. i finally did today and took home an individual dessert – a chocolate truffle cake. so rich but so yummy!
10) today is national joe day, a chance to change your name if only for today. i have ambivalent feelings towards my name…there are times when i wish it was more feminine, had more than one syllable or didn’t rhyme with too many words. i love the meaning of my name…God is gracious. back in 1926, my name was ranked 12th for popularity.

young at heart

1) mr. men is a series of 52 (only 43 published in english) children's books by roger hargreaves started in 1971. little miss was an accompanying series of 39 (only 30 published in english) books by the same author with female characters that started in 1981. each book in the original mr. men and little miss series introduced a different title character and their single dominant trait in order to convey a double simple moral lesson. i remember veronna introducing us to these characters while she was in college. she had a coloring book if i can recall. these tiny books make for great personal gifts.
2) i had a session with y this afternoon. i’m so glad that i’m working in the home with him now because, after almost a year, i finally feel like i’ve gained some value. he loves silly things – saying the opposite of what you mean, hiding things in silly spots, turning things upside-down. we used my cell phone to take a picture of us.
3) the first balloon was invented by brazilian-born portuguese priest, bartolomeu de gusmão. the rubber balloon was invented by michael faraday in 1824; it was inflated with hydrogen and used in his experiments with that element. the more familiar latex balloons of today were first manufactured in london, 1847, by j.g. ingram, but mass production did not occur until the 1930s. as blithe as balloons that float through the air, these magical spheres spark up carefree memories of my youth. to this day, if someone is passing out balloons, i will take one just to feel those lighthearted days of childhood through the touch of a thread.
4) if someone told me that i would be getting paid for drawing cars with sidewalk chalk, i would’ve told them they were crazy! that’s what y and i did this afternoon. it striked up some great language samples with him…it’s amazing how people perform when the proper motivation is present.
5) here’s another humorous gadget i found on the ‘net. it’s a calculator disguised as a chocolate bar. very cute!
6) i think i found this plush set on redenvelope.com there are six different emotions on each character – grateful, scared, shy, hurt, jealous and loved. designed to develop a child’s emotional vocabulary, these characters can be used teach expression through the use of puppetry and play.
7) i like the vibrant color and mellifluous movement in this picture of jellyfish. a fascinating fact about jellyfish is that they do not have a brain, heart, bones or eyes.
8) ryan cooked katsu curry for dinner tonight. it was nice to come home to a kitchen filled with wonderful aromas of pork cutlet, carrots, potatoes and a killer curry sauce!
9) ok, i don’t think i would ever consider buying these, but these bear gloves are pretty entertaining to look at!
10) “the heart that loves is always young.” forget anti-wrinkle cream or the acai berry. all you need is love!

springtime

1) rebel yell reflects the nostalgia of a childhood spent in the glory days of the late 70’s and early 80’s. andi ballard, designer of rebel yell clothing, set out to create a line of clothing reminiscent of the styles she grew up with: playful, comfortable and all things vintage. i love her line because of the “ry” logo. :)
2) operation is a battery-operated game of physical skill that tests players’ hand-eye co-ordination. i loved this game growing up! i was always able to fish out “water on the knee” because the tweezers fit perfectly around the handle of the pail. another simple “surgery” was the rubber band stretched between two pegs at the left ankle and knee that has to be unhooked. i always feared having to remove the pencil for “writer’s cramp”!
3) i found this hostess cupcake coin purse on fredflare.com. a delectable little coin purse shaped like one of my favorite snacks! and the icing on the cake… “i love cupcakes” stitched on the other side of the purse!
4) again, another breathtaking picture of the cherry blossom tree.
5) it’s been a while since i’ve taken my doctor-recommended yoga class. for a beginner’s class, i must admit that the expectations are quite challenging. ry is really good at the tree pose while i master the rocking bow pose. i should take another class soon…i’m always in a much happier disposition and have a clearer and calmer mind afterwards.
6) it is estimated that one third of the human food supply depends on insect pollination, most of which is accomplished by bees, especially the domesticated western honey bee. honeybees are the only insect that produce food for humans. honeybees are a great scientific mystery because they have remained unchanged for 20 million years even though the world has changed around them.
7) with most of our kids on spring break this week, we decided to have our coordinators’ meeting at a park in cupertino today. it was nice to have the sun shining above us and the sound of birds chirping while we conducted our business.
8) one last picture of my board until the next snow season…ry took the racks off his car so officially the season is over. it was definitely a good one, even better with my new board!
9) bell & ross watches have taken the luxury world by storm, with their dynamic combination of bold style and uncompromising capabilities. coveted by divers, pilots, and professionals in many demanding fields, bell & ross timepieces have become equally sought after by collectors and enthusiasts around the world. i have ryan to thank for attracting me to this particular face.
10) “spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world.” and wow, what He can do!

back in the day

1) ryan started up a league on yahoo fantasy sports for the ncaa men’s division one basketball championship, aka the beginning of march madness. aside from my senior year of high school, i never really got into this event. however, the competitive nature of my personality now that i have my brackets set up, will have me glued to espn’s scoreboard.
2) when we were kids, we all shared the atari. we had all the classics – dig dug, centipede, pacman. my favorite had to be frogger. i was so trusting of james when i was little…he told me once your score reached 100,000, a dragon appeared out of the water. determined as i was, i stayed up until 2 in the morning just to be disappointed by my gullibility.
3) being the fourth child, it was inevitable that i would reuse a lot of the things my older siblings broke in. for instance, in kindergarten, all the girls in my classroom had pastel colored lunchboxes decorated with their favorite princess or pony. i had an aluminum lunchbox with all the nfl helmets on the cover. i don’t really remember it embarrassing me at the time. in fact, looking at my current interests, it’s actually quite fitting.
4) i came across this necklace on elsewares.com, a website that i “window shop” often. each pendant is printed on white and set in a closed-back sterling silver bezel. some of the different words available are “lovely”, “spirit”, and my personal favorite, “sauce”.
5) during christmas, i had bought an itunes gift card for niko. while packing for my trip to san diego, i misplaced it and had to buy another one. i found it today.
6) i found this alarm clock on another website that i like to browse. “clocky” is a clock for people who have trouble getting out of bed. when the snooze bar is pressed, clocky rolls off the table and finds a hiding spot, a new one every day.
7) tonight i sat in the twelfth row at the oracle arena cheering on my boys. i made this sign before we left, quoting baron davis’ statement on the dan patrick show of kobe being his number choice for mvp. after a controversial no-call on derek fisher, the lakers pulled off the win in double overtime!
8) there’s something so comfortable and simple about a grilled cheese sandwich. whether it’s prepared in an upscale fashion with four different types of cheeses on artisan bread or just plain ol’ cheddar on a good slice of rye, this is one of my favorite sandwiches.
9) it never fails…when i go to starbucks, i figuratively change genders. 99% of the time the baristas write out “gene” on my cups. today that 1% change made my day!
10) “if you carry your childhood with you, you never become older”. a lot of my happy thoughts are composed of childhood memories. i’ve been 30 for about half a year now, yet hardly feel old at all!

easter chicks

1) today is easter. i never really understood the meaning of eggs during this holiday. i figured with the resurrection of jesus, the eggs symbolized new life. the custom of decorating and exchanging eggs was originated by the egyptians and persians who believed earth hatched from an egg. i like england’s tradition of writing messages and dates on eggs and exchanging them with their loved ones.
2) i can’t remember which website i found this ring on. it’s a silver lever. the first tool that my dad taught me to use was a lever. he spent a lot of my childhood building things – birdhouses, patios, decks, a skateboard. while growing up, i would spend a lot of time hanging out in the garage with him. he explained how to use a lever to make sure the wood was a balanced surface.
3) cindy posted this picture of zoe on our family’s blog. she must have set up an easter egg hunt for the kids. when we were kids, veronna was good about celebrating easter with us, from dying easter eggs the night before to buying our easter baskets. it’s nice that cindy’s carried on the tradition.
4) emperor penguins are the largest species of penguins, standing at about 4 feet tall. they can dive up to 1700 feet and hold their breath for up to 22 minutes. emperors are also unique because only the male incubates the egg. upon laying the egg, the female passes it to the male and heads to the sea to travel to distant feeding grounds. the male is left to face the antarctic winter, carrying the egg on his feet for 15 weeks or more and losing half his body weight in the process. that’s crazy considering after human females deliver their babies, it’s common that they struggle with losing their pregnancy pounds.
5) so with the arrival of easter comes the completion of lent…well probably not exactly according to the liturgical calendar. but i know it means that i can eat chocolate!
6) here’s another picture that cindy posted on our blog. i love this picture of peyton! she makes me smile every time i think of her, and my smile gets bigger when i see a new picture of her. i’m always eagerly waiting for the next time i see her.
7) the lakers play the warriors tonight. i always get excited when i can my l.a. boys on tv! they match up pretty well with the warriors so it makes for a thrilling game!
8) i think these wind-up toys are hilarious! i’m tempted to purchase a few for j because he loves noodles, shrimp and eggs!
9) veronna left me a nice comment about this blog today. she inspires me to live a happy life.
10) i spoke with my parents today. sounds like dad’s planning quite a feast for dinner! it’s too bad that i’m not able to celebrate with them, but i like knowing what’s going on – i even appreciate what’s on tonight’s menu even though i won’t be sampling any of it!

cold and hot

1) we left friday afternoon to snowboard at sugarbowl resort. ryan nagata was able to get a comped room at the peppermill casino and tekeshi hooked us up with $25 lift tickets. perfect weather to board! after lunch, we stripped down some layers and i just need a t-shirt under my jacket. it was a good day on my board.
2) we stopped at ikeda’s to pick up some snacks on our trip up. since i’m still fasting from chocolate, gummy bears had to fill the void.
3) kimchi is a traditional korean fermented dish made of vegetables. when we were in hawaii, marianne took us to this place to take some plates back to the beach. we found a good place in j-town that has good noodle and kalbi rib dishes. it’s their kimchi that definitely stands out.
4) i stuck to video poker while we were at the casino. i did win over $50 on a 75 cent hand of deuces wild poker by hitting five aces.
5) the hotel room that we stayed at had a magnifying mirror. i am obsessed with every stray hair and freckle on my face. every time i go down to san diego, i spend many a nights in front of cindy’s mirror, decorated with soft lighting, scrutinizing my visage.
6) my mouth gets so dry when i’m on the slopes. when we ate lunch, i went through a bottle of powerade like water, and again at the end of our day.
7) i brought a few cliff bars for us on the mountain. handy way to build up your energy.
8) we kept the bottles of bud light going while we were gambling. ry figured if he kept ordering, we would always end “up” with our earnings.
9) this picture is taken at the carlsbad flower fields. you can see this beautiful landscape off the 5 freeway.
10) a weekend of snowboarding, gambling and beer drinking…some weekends can’t get any better.

i think i'm turning japanese

1) it seems like every time we go to sushi maru, i develop a new craving for a different type of sushi! this month is the hamachi roll. it’s not too fishy of a flavor and the chives in it provides a freshness and crunchy bite.
2) even before i met ryan, i loved sunomono. i may not have known the name for the pickled cucumber salad until we started dating, i’ll admit to that.
3) it is said that 317 orchid species are indigenous to japan. i’m not too crazy about the fragrance of these flowers but they appeal to me visually.
4) when i travel (and this is just 500 miles south to san diego for the most part), i always need to bring my camera.
5) i’ve been looking for a cheap, simple but elegant pearl ring. even the ring in this picture might be a bit too elaborate for me. and it needs to be inexpensive because a) my preference for things shift quite frequently, b) i shouldn’t be trusted with costly items and c) i don’t accessorize much so this could easily be a phase.
6) $3.99 for a box of six, these delicate, fluffy bites of mochi ice cream are a perfect way to end a meal.
7) genmaicha is the japanese name for green tea combined with roasted brown rice. there are plenty of potential health benefits from consuming green tea. prevention of cancer, raising metabolism, and halting alzhimer’s and parkinson’s disease have been linked to green tea.
8) there are certain dishes that i can’t eat without soy sauce. a study in Singapore suggested that darker forms of soy sauce contain 10 times more antioxidants than red wine and can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
9) ry has turned me into a lover of hamachi kama. hamachi is also known as yellowtail and kama refers to the collar of the fish. the meat found in this area is so tender it melts in your mouth.
10) i love how close ry lives to japantown. whenever my stomach needs to be settled, or i feel like eating light and healthy, it’s nice to know that we can get a good meal around the corner.

run its course

1) “a show about nothing”. such a classic theme. seinfeld is one of those series that just becomes a form of pop culture which formulates social mores (“close talker”, “master of your domain”, “sentence finisher”, “face painter”). i don’t think i’ll ever understand why ry never got into this show. although, it was sweet that he attempted to netflix season one in order to comprehend my world.
2) maeve and i rallied some people up for happy hour this afternoon at el burro. through the art of text messaging, we were able to get at least 15 people to show up on just a three hour notice! margaritas, bottomless chips and salsa, and plenty of laughs!
3) i heard once that everyday in your life, you see a cow. not necessarily a live one grazing in the field per se, but perhaps cow print or its face on an ad. i take a mental note of this phenomenon when it strikes me, but it’d be interesting to test out this theory.
4) so our happy hour had one sad moment. rebecca announced that she and her boyfriend, ghislain, were moving to colorado. they are definitely a couple who would make the most of all the boulders that state has to offer! she is an absolutely amazing coordinator! i’ve sat in team meetings and ieps with her just thinking in my head “i wanna be that good!”
5) how many times in our lives have we crossed a fork in the road? i haven’t watched the movie sliding doors, but often think what my life would have been if i chose different options…stayed in san diego, flown out to Kauai for that therapist interview, and maybe a few other private thoughts. i’ve never really looked at any of those “forks” with regret though. after all, the decisions i have made have shaped the person who i am today. and i can say, for the most part, i am pretty darn proud of that!
6) his show may not be entirely accurate, but i still like to watch bear vs. wild. it’s mainly bear grylls’ british accent that entices me to watch this show. i usually close my eyes when he’s eating his way through a dead carcass or shoving living insects in his mouth.
7) i observed my middle school student today. t is a bright 6th grader who loves to draw, plays the clarinet and memorizes a lot of things. his biggest struggle is “turning the tv off.” he constantly views television shows and movies in his head, often impeding his learning in the classroom. it used to be as easy as showing t a picture of an outlet to "unplug." he’s been telling his aide that he needs help turning it off and doesn’t know how to make it go away. it was heartbreaking to hear, but it’s good to know that his awareness is high enough to know that it’s a problem and that he can communicate it.
8) correction tape – my most prized possession in my laptop bag! this tool is sheer genius.
9) there’s something about bubbles that captivates me. blowing them is a relaxing activity in itself. i joke with ryan that next time we’re on a golf course, i’m going to bring a bottle of bubbles with me and start blowing them. i know if it was unexpected, these soapy spheres soaring through the sky would bring me joy.
10) so many things in our lives run its course…relationships, careers, preferences. i can look back a few years and know that things that once interested me do not anymore. that’s not necessarily a bad thing. could it be that i’m growing?

fairytales

1) i found this picture on one of favorite websites that i like to browse on a weekly basis (www.picturesofwalls.com). it’s definitely a good reminder when things aren't working the way you wish them to.
2) y constructed this project for his kindergarten class. it seems like such a magical place, filled with flashing lights and glittery decorations.
3) i came across these cupcake wrappers on cupcakestakethecake.com. they sell them on fancyflour.com for $14 for a package of 10. they have seasonal wrappers as well as wrappers designed with train, dinosaur, beach and star themes.
4) i forget how much i love the taste of grape juice sometimes. i especially like a cold glass of it on a warm day. it contains antioxidants such as flavonoids which are linked to a reduction in coronary heart disease and cancer.
5) apple sent ryan to new york city in may of 2006 for a conference. he had offered to fly me out there to spend some time with him but i wasn’t comfortable with that, nor was i sure of my schedule. a few days before he was scheduled to leave, i decided to surprise him and fly out to the big apple. it was by far the most impulsive thing i’ve done in my life! i took this picture while i was out there. his hotel was located right across the street from madison square garden. i literally flew out there for less than 48 hours of dining and shopping, and didn’t really get to spend too much of the day with ryan, but it was the best thing i could’ve done for my own personal growth.
6) i wish i watched the original iron chef series, as i hear they are far better than the current shows. nevertheless, i still look forward to sunday evenings to watch this intense cookoff.
7) perhaps i was more of a girly girl than i’d like to admit growing up. sleeping beauty was one of my favorite disney movies. i loved how the princess’ name was aurora, my grandmother’s name on my father’s side. i love the gifts from the three good fairies – song, beauty and a slumber that shall only be awaken with true love’s kiss.
8) jacky sent me this snl link to a skit the cast created for project runway. i can’t count how many times “christian” said “fierce”, “tranny,” and “hot mess”. hilarious stuff!
9) a simple particle of snow floating in the air seems like such a magical sight. i have yet to spot a snowflake on the slopes.
10) “life itself is the most wonderful fairytale.” i guess this is true. the world is full of different variations of princes, villains, and fairies. it is our choices that create the happily ever after part.

detox

1) in hopes for a more healthier lifestyle, ry started planning our meals around the special k diet. this diet claims a six pound loss in a matter of two weeks. i don’t necessarily want to lose weight. i definitely need to get things tight and right though! so i stocked up on some special k cereal, cereal bars, and fresh fruits and veggies.
2) no need to argue by the cranberries is one of the few cds where i can listen to all the songs on the album. the lyrics are lovely and dolores o’riordan’s voice is heavenly. my favorite track is probably “dreaming my dreams” but i often fondly remember niko at five years old, screaming out the words for “zombie” in the car.
3) ah…george clooney…regardless of your sexual persuasion, who can not find beauty in this man? classically handsome with irresistible charm, he absolutely falls under the category of a happy thought.
4) my roommate has a chi hair straightener. it’s a pretty handy tool that flattens your hair and adds shine.
5) bobbi brown’s tinted moisturizer is one of my favorite beauty quick fixes! it’s just a daily moisturizer with an spf, but contains traces of a foundation. i am clueless on how to apply anything other than lip balm and, most recently eyeliner, to my face so this product is quite user friendly to the cosmetically challenged.
6) sugar snap peas were a vegetable that i picked up for our “diet.” snap peas are nutritious and filling, yet not as high in total carbohydrates and fats as normal peas. the pods themselves contain mostly water and vitamins.
7) asian pears, or as mom would call them, apple pears. this is a crisp, refreshing fruit with just a hint of sweetness to it. growing up, i remember mom saying how expensive these apple pears were so eating them was a rare treat. turns out they grow in great quantities in korea but are imported to the u.s. for this reason, the price tends to be higher and this fruit is often reserved as a gift or eaten together in a family context.
8) one of zoe’s favorite television shows is wonderpets. one of her favorite lines is “this is serious.” it’s amazing how she can pick up on language and use it in the appropriate context. she had repeated this phrase when she misplaced amy coe…definitely “sewius” stuff!
9) this is one of my favorite magazines. i think i’ve renewed my subscription with real simple at least two years now. i love all the articles…it’s a great combination of health, beauty, recipes and organization tips.
10) “happiness is never stopping to think if you are.” this was a daily thought my real simple magazine. simply said!

me lucky charms

1) today is st. patrick’s day. in illinois, the chicago river is dyed green on this day. while the four-leaf clover is a symbol of good luck, the three-leafed shamrock is mainly an irish christian symbol of the holy trinity.
2) i always make a mental note when i spot 9:19 on clocks. i played these two numbers, along with others, while playing roulette a few years back and i couldn’t lose!
3) this pic was taken the very first time i set foot on a golf course as an actual golfer rather than a designated cart driver. i went out to national city golf course with dennis, niko and ry and had such a great time! i was a bit worried because every time i’ve hit balls off grass as opposed to mats my contact and swing are horrendous! ironically, i hit the ball pretty well my first time out.
4) my parents bought me a cabbage patch kid one christmas. it was one my most memorable gifts as a child. her name was gerta nadia and i used to write noralie letters about her when she was living in the philippines. i remember taking good care of her. on my birthday the following year, my parents bought me another one but she was a preemie. her name was Gabriella. i remember the scent of both dolls were very distinct and baby fresh.
5) although it’s not looking too much like spring in the bay area, it’s just around the corner. for me, and plenty of others, that means allergy season! usually if i take a dose of benadryl the night before, i can make it through the day. fortunately, my allergies have been controllable the last two years. when i first moved up here, they were horrible! but i hear that’s common when one experiences a change of environment.
6) back in high school i dreamt about owning a british racing green mazda miata with tan leather interior and an optional hard top. i have quite a collection of photos of myself in a few of them. i should rent one for the weekend just to experience what it’s like to drive a convertible.
7) i don’t pamper myself as much as i used to when i was younger…although i get the occasional compliment of my skin being so soft, i took much better care of my skin years ago. i loved using loofah gloves in the shower! it was a great way to exfoliate daily. i guess i can always just pick up a pair the next time i’m at target.
8) my initials…i like how the look i this picture. a few years back, marianne and i went to vegas on a whim. since that trip, she has nicknamed me "jb".
9) i’m in a few ncaa tournaments on yahoo fantasy sports. i must admit that up until this year, i hadn’t seen a single college basketball game since senior year of high school. i’m not really sure why, but i followed that tournament closely. even now, and my memory is dreadful, i can name at least eight players who played in 95 (toby bailey, tyus edney, george zedek, ed and charles o’bannon, corliss williamson, harold deane). random, right?
10) not quite sure if i believe in luck. perhaps in keeping in accordance to “the secret”, that is probably the reason i haven’t witnessed too many chance opportunities. i do, however, remember some circumstances of luck. hitting that flush on the river comes to mind. but could it be that easy that just changing one’s expectations could determine an outcome? we shall see…

in good hands

1) so we went out drinking at a neighborhood bar last night…i had a few bottles of beer which i can handle with no problem. what got me were the shots! this morning i woke up not feeling too well. ryan, as usual, took good care of me – buying me advil, gatorade and stroking my hair as i recovered on his couch.
2) i don’t know why i waited 10 years to start wearing eyeliner! i love this cosmetic! i alternate from brown to black depending on my outfit. but just a pencil thin line on my eyelid goes a long way!
3) mine and my family’s open and comfortable sense of humor most likely stems from several episodes of three’s company. i’m not too sure what i found so hilarious in this comedy during my elementary years…it’s amazing how so many peers of mine enjoyed it just as much without understanding all of its innuendoes!
4) i painted my nails. i never really paint my fingernails because an occupational hazard is chipped nails, thus chipped nail polish. the paint lasted the weekend.
5) one more week to go before sinking my teeth into a hunk of chocolate! this is a cute bar wrapper. on bloomsberry.com, you can find several novelty wrappers from climate change to a wonder bar, decorated with wonder woman’s costume.
6) we went to ryan’s sister’s certificate of merit piano recital. other instruments that accompanied her were the cello and violin. a piece that i found moving was johann sebastian bach’s cello suite #1, or what i previously called “a lexus commercial song”. after researching a bit more about this particular piece, i’ve learned that the prelude is probably the most recognizable set of the suites because of its regular play on television and films. that explains it! the cello is an intriguing instrument to me…although my focus in this blog is to highlight moments of happiness, i find that emotions of somber and melancholy are somewhat cathartic in achieving the state of joy. listening to musical notes of the cello fulfills that need.
7) again, my obsession for these trees continue to grow. within the last few weeks i am appreciating nature more than i ever have. i look at the changing colors of trees for the first time in my life with a deep admiration for mother earth’s works.
8) my splitting headache was quickly relieved with just two tablets of advil.
9) yet another addiction that veronna introduced me to! i used to eat a box of red vines each week in highschool! i’ve even finished at least 5 tubs of licorice in my lifetime!
10) i am very fortunate to have been so nurtured and sheltered by people in my life. being surrounded by my family – parents and siblings – i have never felt unloved for a minute! same goes for my relationship with ryan. i always feel loved.