I need to be tucked in.

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Haha. Classic me. (Click on the image above.)

This week has been pretty busy. I guess going back to work really means just that – going back to work. It’s been pretty hard getting up so early every morning and it’s a crapshoot whether I get a good night’s sleep. I also haven’t been going to bed at the same time every night and I’m still falling asleep in random rooms at random times.

Sunday: on the couch downstairs at ~10:00 pm.
Monday: almost in front of the computer and then on the futon in the computer room at ?.
Tuesday: in bed lying on top of the comforter and parallel to the headboard at 9:15 pm.
Wednesday: actually went to bed, took off glasses, and turned off lights at 12:15 am.
Tonight? Who knows…maybe on the floor next to the dog.

We’ll see. The night is still young…zzzzzzz….

That’s SO yesterday.

Did you know that there are people out there in modern-day suburbs who still blatantly litter? When I was a kid, there were a bunch of TV ads that would remind us not to litter the streets and to put our trash in the trashcan. Remember Woodsy Owl and his saying, “Give a Hoot. Don’t Pollute.”? Apparently, we still need bring those ads back. Just the other day, I was driving out of my neighborhood when someone in the passenger seat of the car in front of me decided it would be a good idea to toss their half-full can of Diet Pepsi out the window and into the street. It was in the middle of the day and right in my neighborhood!! *Grr.* That was so aggravating! I wanted so badly to chase after them and make them go back and pick it up. There was another time when I was walking the dog and a couple came out from a neighbor’s house and got into their car. As I passed them, the girl in the passenger seat got in and paused before closing the door. She waited for me to pass, put her empty Starbucks cup on the curb, closed the door, and they sped off. Sheesh! Did she think I wouldn’t notice or something? Does the cup just suddenly get absorbed into the concrete in which she placed her magical cup? Is there a way to report these backwards people? I could have sworn there was a fine for littering.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Litterbug,
Is it too much trouble for you to hold onto your empty cup until you’ve reached a place where there are garbage cans? And didn’t you just come from someone’s house? I think they have garbage cans in there too. *Grr.*

fancy lotion

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Last night we celebrated Jesse and Jason’s Mom’s 60th birthday. We invited a couple of her friends and Auntie Jeanie came too. We all met up at Duke’s in Huntington Beach and Mom got a nice surprise. She was actually on her way to the gym when Dad called her and said, “Come home. We’re going out for dinner.” She had no idea what we had planned and was genuinely surprised to see everyone even though it was totally unintentional.

As a gift, Jason bought a gift box filled with Kiehl’s products. Instead of having her open the gift first, he handed the wrapped gift and said, “here Mom, we got you some fancy lotion”. I thought, “Uh, why don’t you let her open it first?” Haha. That’s our Jason! He also had to show her the finer points of how to properly moisturize (night, day, etc.). I think she liked it but was a little overwhelmed by the number of bottles in the box. Happy Birthday, Mom!

buttery

For this Winter Break, I decided to pamper myself. I actually went to get the massage that I always wanted but didn’t have the time or motivation for. I went to this place called Body Centre Day Spa that is just a couple exits from my house. My friend recommended it to me because of their reasonable prices and no-nonsenseness (is that a word?) of the facility. She was right. I went in for a 60-minute neck, back, and shoulders massage for 70 bucks, which would normally cost about $125 at some fancy hotel spa or Burke Williams. They were really nice and really concentrated on the trigger spots in my neck and shoulders. I brought Jason there for a relaxation massage and he came out feeling “buttery”. What an indulgence.

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.

Hello 2007!

I spent this New Year’s Eve at home for the first time in many many years.  Back when I was a kid, my brother and I would try to stay up until midnight while our parents slept.  The tradition was to watch TV and bake some brownies.  Unfortunately by 11:30, Johnny would fall asleep on the couch and I’d have to wake him up while the ball dropped.

This year, Jes and I went to dinner at Houston’s before going out on the town.  After a couple glasses of wine, I was feeling the buzz and Jes was barely sober enough to get us back home.  We, however, were in no condition to drive 50 miles up to the Downtown LA loft party that Holly’s friend was throwing.  So, we stayed home, watched TV, and opened a bottle of champagne.  If my brother was here, we’d bake some brownies but no brother so no brownies.

The next morning, we went to Polly’s in Cerritos to have breakfast with Dayantha, Huy, Brother, Ti, and Thilan.  It sounded like everyone had a pretty low-key NYE this year, which is a nice change.  With the risk of being in the way of a drunk driver or the massive headache the next morning, I may be better off either out of town or at home sometimes.

So, it’s Week Two of my Winter Break and I’m hoping to have a little more productivity this week.  Time to tidy up the house, clean out the fridge, and take down the Christmas lights.  Have a great year, everyone!