Browse Category: friends

Birthday Bon Voyage

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On Sunday night we had dinner with Huy, Holly, and Roy. We went to Al Noor, a hole-in-the-wall Indian place in Lawndale, that my brother has been raving about. Not only is the food really good but the dishes are super cheap.

We went out to celebrate Huy’s 32nd birthday and to hang out before he shipped out to Iraq. He’s leaving in about a month and will be gone for about seven months. It’s scary to think that he’ll be in a war zone but I’m glad that he’ll be on a base and relatively protected. We all suggested that he start a blog while he’s out there. Perhaps it will lead to a published book or a career in journalism for him! As soon as Huy figures out a good pen name for his blog, I’ll get him set-up. All suggestions are welcome. Happy Birthday, Huy!!

Fancy Dinner with Friends

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On Saturday night, I had dinner with Holly, Patti, and Patty. We went to Turner New Zealand in Costa Mesa. They specialize in all-natural, hormone-free, antibiotic-free meat and seafood. That was perfect for our two expectant mothers (Patti AND Patty – yay!). We started with mussels and calamari appetizers, which were very tasty – especially the lemongrass/cononut soup that came in one of the mussels dishes. I then had the lobster bisque that was sweeter than I expected but still very good. Later, Patty and I shared a 12 oz ribeye with a side of mashed potatoes. The meat was very tender and seasoned perfectly. For dessert, we had the chocolate souffle and trio of ice cream.

The food was great but the company was even better. I always enjoy having a night out with my girls. In fact, our reservation was at 6:30 and we stayed until the lights were turned off in the rest of the restaurant and the remaining staff were hanging out at the bar waiting for us to leave. We had no idea since we were in the back room chatting-it-up until 11. The staff were kind enough to leave us alone and didn’t even give us a hint of shoo-ing us out. That was very nice of them.

Overall, it was a very pleasant dining experience. The restaurant delivered good food, good service, and the decor was pretty fancy but it felt cozy at the same time. Just be prepared to spend a grip of cash on this fine meal. Without ordering any wine, we still ended up paying $75 per person.

surprise visit

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On Tuesday, I had plans to have lunch with Sandy (old friend from UCLA) and possibly Mary. Sandy called on Monday night and said that Mary couldn’t make it but that Linda would be coming. What?! That was totally unexpected! She lives and works in Long Island as a first-year ER Resident and I thought she wasn’t coming home for the holidays. Another funny thing happened as I was waiting for them in the Sam Woo parking lot. I parked next to a minivan that looked really familiar. I looked closer and it was my dad’s! So, when I walked in, I said “Hi” to him and he was totally surprised to see me in his neck of the woods.

So, lunch was great. We had some yummy Chinese food and did a lot of catching up. At the end of the meal, my dad walked by to say “Goodbye” and also told us that his friend paid for our meal. What?! That was totally unnecessary but greatly appreciated. Afterwards, we walked across the street to Guppy Teahouse for some boba drinks and the super mound of shaved ice, fresh strawberries, fresh mango, and condensed milk. It sounds gross but it’s so good. It was so nice to hang out with old friends. I had them on my mind for a while and it was a nice surprise to see them both. It’s hard not having your friends close-by.

It’s a Crappy Non-Crappy Gift Exchange

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Last night we had our 7th Annual Christmas Party and Gift Exchange. It was so fun to see everyone again. With the exception of weddings, it’s rare to see this many people together all at once. This year, we catered the food, which saved a lot of time and energy. A special thanks to Holly and Roy for helping with the set-up and prep. The booze was flowing and the bottle of Jim Beam was killed off in the first two hours by Dr. Thilan himself. The night was not without a shotgun round in the patio as well. Unfortunately, all the alcohol that was consumed did not numb the pain of crotch punches or a sprained ankle.

Of course, the “highlight” of the party is the gift exchange. In an attempt at having people go home with a gift that we actually wanted, the theme of this year’s gift exchange was “Non-Crappy Gifts”. Well, some still brought a crappy gift, one brought a gift that doesn’t suck but blows, and some brought a gift they thought was not crappy but was still crappy. We also added a new rule of having the person who brought the most-stolen gift getting one last steal. Unlike other years, we didn’t have any baaaaaar seeeeeets or Starbucks paraphenelia. Instead, there were boardgames, a really big candle holder, an Atari Flashback, iPod+Nike device, a wine dispenser that wizzes, Airzookas, and a “Beaver Cuts”. *sigh* Some said that they needed a little more direction in the selection of their gift and some said that we should just exchange gift cards or cash next year. Maybe it’s time to have a re-gift exchange. Feel free to submit requests.

Enjoy the photos! Merry Christmas and Happy 2007!!

dinner and dessert

IMG_4934.jpgWe had dinner at Palms Thai Restaurant last night in Hollywood with Holly, Jimmy, and Huy. The food was yummy but apparently not spicy enough for Jesse. The Thai Elvis also sang for us and Jimmy was pretty pumped about it.  You can’t really beat chowing down on Tom Yum Koong while listening to “Rub Me Tender”.

Afterwards, we went to a bakery for some dessert and got to have a more civilized conversation without shouting across the table or saying “huh?” so many times. It’s always nice to catch up with old friends. Huy’s not in town very often so it’s always good to hear what he’s up to and the status of his deployment. I can’t believe he actually has to go to Iraq next year. Luckily, it will only be for 6 months.

Sweet 100s

DSC_9662.jpgJimmy and Eleen made us breakfast on Sunday morning. Eleen made scrambled eggs with bacon, onions, and tomatoes…home-grown tomatoes. Well, in case you didn’t know, my friend Jimmy is a farmer. He has a garden in his backyard and he grows some pretty good tomatoes. I went outside to watch him in action. He selected only the very best of the crop and he hand-picked each one so delicately (see left). I was inspired. Eleen said they’re called Sweet 100s. I’m gonna have to go out to my local nursery to get my very own plant. Oh yeah, breakfast was yummy. Thanks for the breakfast!! I posted a couple more photos on my photoblog.