Browse Category: friends

swirl, sniff, and sip

On Saturday, I woke up early to go for run with Vyl. It was a little chilly and it even sprinkled a bit but it was pretty nice being outside and enjoying the scenery. We ran past the Palace of Fine Arts, up through Presidio, and back. Vyl seriously kicked my ass on that run. We did hill after hill including the famous Lyon Street Steps. My lungs and heart were not happy while my legs kept wanting to go. I think we ended up finishing 4 miles with my lungs weezing and my legs not feeling the burn at all. Weird. The reward in the end was a stop at Starbucks and Noah’s Bagels…mmm.
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For the day, I went to Napa with Jes, Bang, and Vyl. We were late to our 11 am cave tasting at Del Dotto but it actually turned out well considering the wine wasn’t very good and the winery seemed a little shady to me. Later we drove to St. Helena for lunch at Giugnis Deli. I tried to replicate the awesome prociutto/fresh mozerella sandwich from my favorite deli in Berkeley but it came up a little short. The prociutto, however, was noteworthy. After lunch, we went to Sequoia Grove and bought a chardonnay that had the neat buttery finish that we like. Then we stopped at Hall, which was recommended by the guys at Sequoia Grove. We were looking for a good Sauvignon Blanc for the oysters on Sunday and came up short. The wine tasting ended at Mumm. We FINALLY got to do a tasting there. Everytime we go we try to go there at the end for some champagne and end up skipping it because we’re so hammered. Well, this time we were still rather sober at 3:00 in the afternoon and in the mood for something refreshing. We each liked the Blanc de Blanc that we bought for the oysters and then the Cuvee M to take home…that one was especially yummy.
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On our way back, we stopped at the outlets, where I got a pair of $29 strappy sandals to wear to dinner. Dinner was at Fringale. It was a special request made by Jes since we hadn’t been back there for several years and he was missing their special frisee salad. Usually when he obsesses over something like this, it often comes up short. This time it actually lived up the hype. We all ended up getting one and it sure was eggy, fatty, and delicious. I also had the corn soup (A+) and lobster ravioli (A-) that had real lobster it them.

Holly and Roy tied the knot

Holly and Roy threw a big party last night to cap off their marriage. My day started at 10 am when I got to the Hyatt where the girls got ready. We had our hair and make-up done by noon and helped Holly get ready. She looked so beautiful and Roy was glowing.

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At the Bowers Museum, we took some group photos and unfotunately it was the hottest day of the year with 95 degree temps and some crazy humidity on top of that. We all tried to stay cool and hydrated but the satin dresses we wore didn’t allow for much air circulation.

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The ceremony was very touching and the couple looked so happy. The guests tried their best to endure the heat as Holly and Roy said, “I do.” The dinner reception was in the same courtyard area with twinkle lights all around and plenty of booze flowin’. There was a slideshow, some cake, and of course dancing. By the end of the night, my feet were sore, my skin was sticky, and I was buzzin’.

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Here are some highlights:

  • Holly’s mom and dad cried and made Holly cry.
  • Roy was sweatin’ buckets from the heat.
  • I didn’t fall down.
  • There was ball play and double dutch.
  • Victor made friends with the bartender and tried to serve drinks.
  • Susie had a tree in her teeth.
  • Jes was the LD.
  • The alma mater was sung.
  • We got kicked out of the Presidential Suite for being too loud.

Good times….congratulations, you two!! Here are the photos.

So many Islanders

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On Friday, we grubbed on Korean BBQ with Yong, Helen, Eric, and Annie. There was so much meat that we all rolled out of there stuffed and happy. We later met up with the Tranandos who were celebrating Thilan’s birthday at Mai Tai Bar. Victor, Susie, and Dayantha pretty much came by as soon as they got off their planes and Huy arrived on Thursday night. The best part of weddings is having your friends back in town. The bar/restaurant was surprisingly crowded and bumpin’. I’ve only gone on a Tuesday evening before going to the aquarium and I’m used to having the whole place to myself. Well, on this evening it was packed with lots of large islanders…Samoans, Hawaiians, Filipinos, you name it. It was as if the restaurant really wanted to stick with the theme and imported a bunch of “locals” to give it an authentic feel.  Here are photos from that evening.

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Holly and Roy’s wedding rehearsal and dinner was last night. Bowers Museum is pretty nice. It’s one of those places you pass by on the freeway and say, “I should visit that some day” and never do. Anyway, the rehearsal went smoothly and it was a nice preview of tomorrow evening. Holly and Roy looked so happy and excited for their big day. I had to practice walking on brick and grass in my heels and I’m a little nervous about doing it for real. Wouldn’t it be great to see me fall on my face in front of everyone?! I can just hear the courtesy golf clap coming from Jes in the audience.

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Well, the rehearsal dinner was a yummy 10-course Chinese dinner complete with orange wedges at the end. They all exchanged gifts including a really fancy box that Holly received from Roy’s mom containing family jewels and a piece of paper with Roy’s birthday on it. You just gotta love tradition.

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Tonight, friends from all over the place will be arriving. We’re going out for Korean BBQ after picking up Yong and Helen from the airport and then meeting people for drinks at Mai Tai Bar in Long Beach. Let the party begin!

Get gored!

buffalo.jpgSunday (07.02.06)
When we arrived at the park the day before, we were warned not to approach the wildlife for risk of getting gored by a buffalo or mauled by a bear. We joked all day about the dumb tourists who would approach a huge buffalo only 50 feet away. Why would you want to be THAT guy if you were to be charged by one of those humungous beasts. Well, we stopped at the mud volcano area where I tried to set up for a picture of the stinky springs. Little did I know that there was a buffalo walking along the sidewalk just about 10 feet away from me. All I heard was someone say, “Lady, move out of the way.” At first, I thought, “How rude. Am I in the way of your precious photo?” Well, I looked to my left and saw a big brown beast walking towards me. I quickly snapped a photo and walked the other way. Jes was up the boardwalk, desperately waving me over. I picked up the pace thinking that he was just being paranoid. Well, I turned around and there was Vyl behind me and then Mr. Buffalo RIGHT BEHIND HER charging in our direction! We ran in all directions and then eventually back to the minivan. I can’t believe Vyl almost got gored in the arse after we were just making fun of the FOBs down the street. Later that day, we spoke with a Park Ranger who said that the buffalo was playin’ with us and just wanted us to get out of his way. Uh…ok. So, here are some lessons we learned today: if a buffalo charges, run. If a bear is in your area, make a lot of noise and don’t run.
abysspool.jpgThis was basically our “see all you can day”. We started by visiting the Upper and Lower Falls along with the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Next stops were the mud pots and then the mud volcano area (that we ended up not seeing). After lunch, we visited the West Thumb Basin and Old Faithful. It was a very throrough day and it seemed like all the geysers and steaming holes in the ground were starting to look the same. We were pooped by the time we got back to the campsite and oh yeah, it also poured that night. It’s a good thing we put up the refugee tarp!

Road Trip

polarbear1.jpgFriday and Saturday (06.30.06-07.01.06)
I always wondered what it would be like to do a road trip across America. Well, I got just a hint of it and it’s pretty rough when you’re riding in a Toyota Sienna mini-van. We flew to Sacramento on Friday evening and the gang (Ryan, Michelle, Bang, and Vyl) picked us up at about around 10:30 pm. Once we repacked the van, we headed east on I-80. We drove and drove and drove. Unfortunately, Ryan got a speeding ticket just 8 miles from the CA/NV border where the speed limit changes to 75mph. Booo…
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I got to see Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and then finally Wyoming. We stopped to see the World’s Tallest Polar Bear in Elko, NV. We had pancakes and steak at Smitty’s in Idaho Falls (by the way there are no falls to be seen there). We also shopped at two WalMarts on the way.
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By Saturday afternoon, we arrived at the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park. On our way to Canyon Village, where we were going to set-up camp, we saw lots of burnt trees from the 1990 out-of-control fire, bison, deer, and Gibbon River. We shared a box of Runts while Jes was in pure agony because of his dire need to urinate. That’s what happens when you chug two cans of COORS LIGHT.
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Once we arrived at the campsite, we pitched our tents, set-up the canopy, hung tarps, and started dinner. Ryan and Michelle’s tent was under the deluxe canopy while we shared our refugee camp with The Bangs. With the threat of rain, you can never be too prepared. Fortunately, we got them up and finished dinner in time for the first sprinkle. It just comes out of nowhere. You get one warning rumble of thunder and then woosh! We were all so pooped from the 18-hour drive that we went to sleep pretty much after dinner. No s’mores tonight.