Goodbye 2006

ch9512301.gif It’s New Year’s Eve! I don’t think I made any real resolutions this year and I don’t think I have any for ’07. Work was really stressful earlier this year but it got better by September. Home life was good but also filled with WoW and TiVo.

This was a big year for weddings… Congrats to Holly, Roy, Patty, Johnny, Derek, Elise, Bang, and Vyl. This was also a big baby year. Debbie and Johann were blessed with a baby boy, Jack, this fall and Debbie and Pish are expecting their first child (a girl!). Patti and Howard are also expecting their second child. Yay!

We spent the New Year in Thailand. We camped in Yellowstone this summer and took a week-long vacation in Hawaii with a bunch of friends too. I spent my 31st birthday in New York with Brother and had Thanksgiving at home with the family.

Now it’s the last day of the year and I’m still in my PJs. I’m not sure what we’re doing tonight but I’ll be sure to make the most of it. Happy New Year, Everyone!! See you in 2007!

Messy and Meaty

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Yesterday I had lunch with Brother at The Counter in Santa Monica. They feature tasty make-your-own gourmet burgers and they really were. I had a cheeseburger with sprouts, bacon, barbeque sauce, and grilled onions. Brother had a burger with gruyere, grilled onions, steak sauce, and mixed greens. They were really messy but so yummy. The meat was cooked perfectly and the toppings didn’t get in the way of the meaty taste. The fifty-fifty fries and onion rings are worth sharing too. By the way, if you go and there’s a long line out the door, try to find a seat the counter. It’s full-service (order and eat with no line).

The Other Black Friday

IMG_5064.jpgI hardly ever go to the mall and on the one day that I decided to go was the second busiest shopping day of the year. It was on the day after Christmas. I know this sounds very yuppy of me but we went to the Crate and Barrel sale and it was actually kinda fun. They were extremely busy but extremely organized. They had lots of employees working and cleaning up after the shoppers, employees standing at the end of each line with a sign that says “end of line here”, and handed out doughnut holes and water as we waited. Marie and I took turns standing in line while the other shopped. Cole sat in his stroller and had a pretty fun time eating his snacks and enjoying the chaos. I only spent about 50 bucks but went home with a lot of stuff that was half-off.

IMG_5065.jpgThe rest of the day was spent on the other side of the mall and it was crazy. I’d usually get really over-stimulated and be ready to go home in a second but somehow it was just plain fun and exciting. Cole was a pretty good sport and even got to play at the Pottery Barn Kids that has a bunch of stuff out for kids to play with. By the end of the shopping trip, we left with several shopping bags and were all so tired.  I had a great time. I’m glad I only do this once a year.

Christmas Recap

DSC_2482.jpgIt’s the day after Christmas and my Winter Break is only beginning. I don’t have much planned for the next two weeks and it’s a great feeling. I’m hoping to get one trip to the mountains once this break but it’s not looking good with Jes’ broken wheel. I’m just happy to have our flights to Vail booked. We’re going in February for a long weekend and meeting up with Brother and his friends. It should be sweet.

So far, the break has been nice. I got to see all my friends on Saturday at the party. I also tried out a couple lenses that I rented from Samy’s (50mm/f1.4 and 60mm Macro). I’m trying to decide on which lens to buy (my Christmas present from Jesse) but I’m leaning towards buying both. Muhahaha….

Last night we had Christmas Dinner with Jes’ family in South Pasadena. We ate steak and tamales and decorated gingerbread cookies. Afterwards we stopped at the Magical House to see my mom since she had just returned from her month-long trip to Thailand. We also dropped off my dad’s present and my mom gave me the Thai spices and curry that she brought back for me.

Here are some photos of this year’s Christmas.

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!!

Hellooo Winter!

Today is the first day of winter and it’s also the first day of my Winter Break!!  Woo hoo!!  I think Christmas sorta snuck up on me too.  With work being so hectic and being out of town last weekend, I’m only getting my Christmas shopping done now!  We’re also getting the house ready for tomorrow night’s party.  Some of the food is ordered, the booze is purchased, and we moved the furniture to make more room.

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to hear rain pattering on the window.  Does that mean we’ll have more snow soon?!  Apparently there’s a storm brewing up in Mammoth.  Perhaps it will be nice and powdery by the first week of January.  Can’t wait!!