Best of 2010

Highlights/Best of 2010:
- promoted to a better job
- completed 3 half marathons (2 of which were within 2 weeks of each other), earning the Cali Dreamin' medal, and setting a new personal record
- engaged to the love of my life
- first time taking a vacation from work
- engagement photos (in Hawai'i!!)
- FUN times at Paul Mitchell Estates!
- various mini-trips - Philly/Brooklyn, Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco
- my xmas present for Emmanuell - date at a resort
- finding my wedding dress
- spending xmas with Emmanuell's extended family
- setting a date (assuming the venue works)!!!

I'm excited to see what 2011 will bring.  Happy New Year everyone!! =)

Thanksgiving weekend

Thanksgiving was at my sister's house again.  We decided to sleep over Wednesday night so we could help out.  On the plus side, we got to spend more time w/ the kids.  The down side was that it went down to 21 degrees that night!  Anyway, overall, it was alright.  I did miss my sister and her family a lot, so it is always nice to go up there to spend time w/ them.  I don't know... things just seem different w/ everyone else.  I guess I've been sensing that for a while... since being engaged actually.  I guess things don't feel the same as they used to, at least compared to last year.  I don't know what it is.  Maybe I notice how my sister is the only one asking about wedding plans and such.  No one else has mentioned anything about our engagement in person.  Come to think of it, my oldest brother still never acknowledged my engagement when I told him.  Oh well, I suppose.  I don't know if these reactions should be expected.  It just makes me think at times since my friends still bring it up.  I think that was one thing that irritated me on Thanksgiving being w/ my family.  I'm just glad Emmanuell stood by me so I didn't feel alone (which wasn't the first time feeling that way).

I had a doctor's appointment Friday morning to get tested for thyroid disease.  It was 2.5 yrs overdue, but I finally did it.  After that, we decided to kill some time by going to get crepes in BH and then did some shopping at VS.  They had the stuff I wanted!  I guess that was my "Black Friday" shopping altho there weren't really any great deals.  However, I did take home a huge VS tote w/ some goodies.  After that, we headed to Downtown to celebrate my friend Steven's birthday at Bottega Louie.  The food was good.  There were some issues in terms of being short on the bill.  I ended up covering an additional $10.  That was annoying, but whatever.  We headed back home to just hang out, watched the Lakers game, and had dinner.  Then came Saturday.  We got up to make pancakes before carpooling w/ Steven down to Rancho Cucamonga for shopping.  We met up w/ a couple friends before heading to Ontario for more shopping.  We had a late lunch/dinner at Rainforest Cafe before heading back home.  It was fun.  We each left w/ at least an item.  I bought some tops for work (I've been waiting for them to go on sale!) and found a couple of frames.  It was a fun day hanging out.  Even tho the SD plan fell through, I'm glad he had fun for his bday wknd.  After we dropped off Steven at his car, we swapped cars and headed out to West LA to hang out w/ some friends for a kbbq night.  We ended up getting home fairly late.  What a LONG day! 

I'm sure we're planning to stay in today (Sunday) just to relax and enjoy the end of the 4-day weekend.  I believe it's a good way to end the Thanksgiving break.  I am thankful for the love and support from family and friends.  I am thankful for having a job and a roof over my head.  Last but not least, I am thankful for having an amazingly wonderful fiance who cares for me, appreciates me, respects me, supports me, cherishes me, and loves me for who I am.  Thank you babe.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

another month...

today marks 65 months...

Proud sister

I am extremely PROUD of my lil bro for placing 1st place at Maxt Out's Major Choreography Division!  He's grown a lot, and considering he's only been dancing for just less than 5 years, that is quite remarkable!  He just keeps making me proud.  What an awesome performance!  

Upgrades!

I finally upgraded my phone yesterday (after 6 months)!  Emmanuell did, too.  =)

Thursday Off

Today is my day off... a much needed day off.  I didn't really get to sleep in though.  I woke up at 6:15am and got ready to take my car in for service.  So Emmanuell and I are at a Starbucks near the auto shop waiting until my car is ready.  It's a nice day to just enjoy the day, especially since I was at work til 6 last night.  I met up w/ Ang to treat her out for her belated birthday.  Good times.  Hopefully we'll get to do that again soon.  I almost forgot how crazy traffic is going south on Veteran!

Anyway, I can't believe it's already approaching the end of the year.  We have plans to spend Thanksgiving with my family again.  I was actually assigned to plan one of my best friend's 25th birthday, so I chose SD.  I'm planning a group trip down to stay over and hang out.  We'll see how it goes.  We are also going to one of my bridesmaid's housewarming/1 yr wedding anniversary.  We love hanging out w/ them.  They're so laid back with things, that it's just nice to see a couple so perfect for each other with minimal stress.

Before we know it, December will come.  December = Christmas break!  I already gave Emmanuell two of his presents.  We'll be celebrating an early Christmas together before work gets crazy for me and family time.  Wow, time sure flies!

Pet peeves

• typos 
• drivers who don't use their turn signals
• cars that do not have updated registration stickers
• people who flirt with those already taken (yes, it annoys me when girls flirt w/ MY man)
• having to wait for a while at a doctor's appointment even though you scheduled an appointment
• literally last minute plans from family (they think you're always available without even asking first)
• inconsiderate, rude and disrespectful people
• people who don't say a simple "thank you" or "I'm sorry" when it should be said
• drivers who weave and cut you off so abruptly (and of course, no turn signals are used)
• people who only call you because they want something (then they go MIA otherwise)
• people who use you
• people who does anything to just get attention

Ba

Ba, thank you for watching over us and protecting us from harm.  I love you very much.

Some photos from our Hawai'i trip!

 

Pic after dinner...

Beautiful blue ocean 

 Plumeria, plumeria, plumeria!

 Anniversary dinner (after engagement photo session)!

A block away from our hotel

@ the Paul Mitchell Estates - good times =)

It rained at Sandy Beach

Spending our last day at Magic Island, where our photo session was held.

View of Diamond Head and Waikiki (on the right)

First day back at work from vacation...

Today was my first day back to work from vacation, and I made it a long work day.  Left home at 5:40am, got to work before 6:30am, left work at 6:30pm, and got home at about 7:30pm.  Didn't even have to wear my sunglasses at all since it was dark during those times I was driving.  Fun stuff... 

Beautiful wedding!

We attended such a beautiful wedding in Hawai'i!  It was at the Paul Mitchell Estates.  The cool part?  They had to kick Kobe Bryant out for the wedding.  I will write more about the trip soon (hopefully this weekend)!

tear

i miss hawai'i... and plumerias... and paul mitchell estates... =(

Odie and food-filled fun!

Fun times w/ my girl Odessa this wknd.  We've been planning for her visit for the last few months.  Yay for having an office/guest bedroom!  I made two reservations the day before for Friday night and Saturday night.  On Friday evening, she took the train up from SD and arrived at the Union Station at about 9:15pm.  After picking her up, we headed off to mid-Wilshire for dinner at a yummy pasta restaurant.  Then came Saturday.  The three of us headed to Hollywood for crepes for brunch/lunch (where Emmanuell finally met Angel!) followed by going back to Glendale.  Odessa and I hung out at the Americana while Emmanuell was at Mens Wearhouse to get fitted for a tux.  We took advantage of the a/c while exploring.  We encountered Crumbs Cupcakes and decided to try it out.  Once it hit 5, we headed to Gyu-Kaku in Pasadena.  Today was Odessa's last day.  We took a walk to Porto's for breakfast.  After heading back to the apt, Emmanuell stayed in to work on his conference paper while Odessa and I went to meet up w/ Angel and her bf for lunch at Boiling Crab.  As we waited for O's ride back to SD, we ended our last food extravaganza with Cha for Tea.  What a wknd full of food and good company!  Thank you Odessa for coming and staying w/ us!!  =)

Happy 29th to my love!

Happy 29th birthday to the love of my life!

FINALLY!

I have my ring back! =D

blah

it's not a happy day today.

Baby Girl

Can't believe it's been 9 yrs since Aaliyah's plane crash...

boo...

starting to feel discouraged... blah.

My minion!

SF!

Last weekend, Eman and I drove up to SF for my half marathon. We left at about 6pm Friday evening, got up there after 1am (we were stuck on the 5N due to a brush fire). We stayed with one of my friends from grade school and her bf. We went to the expo to pick up my goodies (bib, chip, tech shirt, etc) Saturday morning followed by a long wait for brunch at Mama's. We were introduced to olallieberry. Very tasty food! Afterwards, we hung out at Fisherman's Wharf for a few hours before heading back home to carbo-load. Carbo-loading was very delicious! It was a nice ambiance, and our waiter was wonderful! He was super sweet to us, and he even gave us a free dessert! Very yummy.

The next morning, I woke up at 6:30am. The SF race began at 8:15. Good thing that Linda & Casey lives so close to the park! I got my gear on, packed up my ipod shuffle and jelly belly energy beans, and was ready to go. Upside - it was in the morning. Downside - it was TOO cold that morning! I must say, this was the most difficult race I've ever done. The hills strained my knees (my knees never ached from these races before), and some streets did not have decent pavement to run on. My legs were killing me. This was the first time where I went nonstop for the first 6 miles. However, by the 9th/10th mile, I wanted to cry and let it be over already. When I finally saw the finish line from a distance, I ran as fast as I could towards the goal. My knees were in extreme pain to a point where I wanted to stop running, but I knew that slowing down would feel much worse than what I was already doing. I looked as if I wanted to cry so bad from being in all that pain. Emmanuell, Linda, and Casey were all at the finish line cheering for me. Once they saw my face, they thought "oh sh!t, that's not good". I knew my finisher photo would be horrible. At the finish line, I got my SF medal, picked up snacks (including Jamba Juice), and waited in line for the Cali Dreamin' medal as I waited for my cheering squad to find me.

After the race, I was waiting for one thing - House of Prime Rib. Linda made a dinner reservation. It was a delicious protein-loading treat! It made me happy!

We left SF at 7:45am Monday morning to head back to LA. On the way, we made a pit stop at Gilroy for garlic and strawberries and then to Casa de Fruta for lunch and treats, including an olallieberry pie (which took over a wk to finish). They had one of the best cafe mochas I've ever had. We got home, rested for a couple hours before Emmanuell had to go to his softball game (I was too crippled to move).

I FINALLY got my medal! Thanks to Linda and Casey for being such great hosts! =D

Fiance + Boba + Sushi + Despicable Me > Dead battery

This past Friday (7/16), I was stuck at work after learning that my car would not start.  My day was already a not-so-great one to begin with.  I had my eval that morning, which I felt blah about, and I had other things going on.  Anyway, I had to call AAA to come out and jump start my car, and I ended up leaving at 5 that afternoon.  Of course, Friday rush hour.  I was not a happy camper.  During the drive, my babe stayed on the phone with me.  We were supposed to attend a surprise bday dinner for a friend, but with everything going on, I was not in the mood and we ended up canceling.  Once I got home, he gave me a big hug for a while before he took me out.  We went to Old Town to get boba and sushi.  After dinner, we went back to Glendale to watch Despicable Me.  I loved it, what a cute movie!  It was a sweet impromptu date night.  I felt much better after that.  I LOVE my fiance.  =)

"IT'S SOO FLUFFY!!!!!"  hehehe.

Really?!

Someone brought up a topic earlier I thought was interesting.  A friend of mine told me how her sig. other likes to browse pics of random female friends of his friends and her friends (basically friends of friends who are females).  Why?  No clue.  It bothers her, and, to be honest, I wouldn't like it either.  It's one thing if he's met that person, but it's another thing if he never did/has.  It makes one wonder - why are you checking out pics of that girl?  And it's not like the pics include the mutual friend in there.  Actually, the more I think about it, the more I'm annoyed.  Seriously, I wouldn't like my sig. other looking through photos of my girl friends, especially if I'm not in those pics.  It would make me think that they're curious about other women or checking out other women, and I would therefore think the guy is not completely happy in the relationship.  Really, what is the point to be looking at those photos anyway?  I'm one of those who are self-conscious, so something like this definitely bothers me.  It's like asking for trouble.  I found out my ex did that while we were together (one of the few things that really got to me), and obviously that relationship didn't go well.  Heck no, I ain't putting up w/ that sh!t.

Pouring

I cried last night... I cried a lot.  Too much...

YESSSSSSSSSSSS

Yayyyyyyyyy, my UPS stalker is gone!  Confirmed by J!  Soo glad J is back!  Happy!

4th of July wknd

this was our first 4th of july together, and it was an enjoyable one.  on friday night, one of my friends was in town, and so several of us got together for our usual - ayce kbbq and yogurtland.  always good times.  on saturday morning, emmanuell and i picked moty up and headed to the la convention center for the anime expo.  it was quite interesting.  we saw some really good costumes to some disturbing ones.  but all in all, it was an interesting experience.  we were there for 7ish hours.  afterwards, we dropped moty off and headed to my friends' (anna & john) bbq.  same group as friday night, but w/ some of their relatives, too.  they bought soo much food, we were all stuffed, and there were still more trays of meat left!  it was very chill.  on sunday, we made pancakes and headed to banana republic for some shopping.  we had some really good deals and made some good purchases.  we hung out at home til the evening and then headed out to play board games w/ moty & mary.  we were out late... til 2am.  yesterday morning, i ended up waking up early and couldn't go back to sleep.  we lounged til noon and met up w/ them at porto's.  afterwards, we all headed back to the apt, gave them the tour, and hung out til we had to head to west la to meet up w/ more friends for dinner at curry house.  i haven't been there in a long time, too bad the food didn't taste the same as before.  but yea, that was the entire fun-filled weekend.  good times.  =)

if only today could be my day off.  i wish i could be at home resting, esp since my nose has been stuffy since last night.  anyway, today marks one month since emmanuell got down on one knee and popped the question.  thinking about that day still gives me butterflies!  <3  i've started to lightly browse on wedding stuff.  we just have one thing set (in three months).  nothing else official.  we'll see what happens. 

Engagement celebrations!!!

I am looking forward to this weekend's dinner plans.  I hope that everyone enjoys it tho.  I was stressed about finding a place for my friends - affordable, local, and with at least decent food.  As long as ppl dress up, I'm happy.  There's a dinner w/ my friends tomorrow, then a dinner w/ Emmanuell's friends on Sunday.  Excited.   

It's been almost three weeks since we've been engaged.  I still reminisce the day my babe proposed to me... the morning of Sunday, June 6th, at Manhattan Beach.  I thought he was joking til he took out the ring and proposed.  Heh, the change of shirt, tie, and roses didn't convince me.  

Here is my fiance's story:

On 6/6/2010, at approximately 10:40 AM, I asked Susan Ly if she would marry me.  Foolishly, she has accepted.  I am most likely as shocked as many of you are, but I'm deciding to go with it. :)  It's been in the making for a little while now (we've been talking about it for the last couple of months).  This week, I'd been telling Susan how I wanted to go to back to Manhattan Beach since we haven't been there since last year.  I picked up the ring during the week and called my friend Sean to help me with the picture taking (driving an hour and a half to do it!).  Once we got to the beach and got settled with our towels, I told Susan that I'd left the camera in the car and needed to go back and get it.  I met Sean at the car where I stashed the ring, roses, and a nice shirt and tie in the trunk.  We walked back down to the beach, almost getting spotted by Susan as we approached.  Once I brought out the ring and convinced her that I was actually not kidding (I may have given her the impression that I might do a fake proposal at the beach), she said yes!

Just reminiscing that morning just brings smiles to my face and butterflies in my stomach.  If only I wasn't cussing while being recorded.  

I should really start doing some research.  All I've accomplished so far was ordering engagement photocards to send out to some ppl, mostly Emmanuell's relatives.  I really need to look into the photographers for Hawai'i.  Ahhh, time to work!

Week of June 13th Highlight!

Back in April, I bought tix to PowerHouse 2010.  June 19th finally came.  It was an amazing performance!  Here's the lineup: 

Cali Swag District (opener)
Jason Derulo
B.o.B. & Bruno Mars
Baby Bash
Trey Songz
Drake
Ne-Yo
Snoop Dogg 

Here's the list of surprise performances/guests:
New Boyz
Oscar de la Hoya
Ron Artest
Derek Fisher
Diddy
Tyrese
Kobe Bryant
Warren G


It was an amazing concert!!!  There were some great highlights, too.  Diddy's surprise performances actually got me up from my seat.  Of course, Ne-Yo was another favorite.  It was exciting to see some of the Lakers.  I was surprised that the concert lasted a little over 5 hours.  There was a jumbotron that displayed texts/pics sent by the audience.  I sent one for my babe.  =)  Best concert yet.   

Father's Day

It's Father's Day... I love you and miss you so much, Ba.

5 Years

I can't believe it's been 5 years.  I can still remember what happened 5 yrs ago - the phone call, the shock, the tears pouring out of me, Mike, Robert, and I flying out.  I can still picture everything.  It's hard to believe that all those years have gone by.  It really is.  

Ba, I know that you're still watching us and taking care of us.  Things aren't the same, but we're trying to make the best of it.  I hope I still make you proud.  A lot has happened these past few months.  I have a much better job, I feel more stable, and I'm engaged.  I hope you can see how happy I am.  It helps to keep me going.  

I love you and miss you so much, Ba.  I will do my best to keep you proud.

I... AM...

ENGAGED!!!

Flashback Friday

As I was driving in to work this morning and once I got closer to the 101, I switched stations to Q 104.7 (my fave radio station when I lived in Simi).  It was time for their "Flashback Friday".  A bunch of old school music from the 90s, like Da Brat, Next, Tyrese, JD, 112, Blackstreet, Brandy, ODB, etc.  It was a good mix of old school songs; it's been a while since I've heard a good 90s mix.

I need caffeine.  Yay for traffic being good on a Friday... it was the best traffic all week.

distraction

When I have weird feelings in my gut, I try to find ways to distract myself.  There are times where I try to convince myself things are okay when I deep down inside feel they aren't.  I guess it's why I feel like I can relate to the phrase "So I go outside and I fake a smile".  I'm not sure why this happens.  Maybe because I've gone through phases where I get used to so much crap and shit happening to me to a point where I don't expect anything good.  Growing up, I've gotten used to that mentality.  I dunno... it's difficult.  Things that upset me run through my mind and it bothers me.  A lot.  It gets frustrating.  They just sit and linger inside me, it builds up.  My trust is difficult to earn.  Situations that had hurt me before stay in, leaving the pain and anger inside.  As time goes on, my mind doesn't change its mind.  I'm fed up w/ ppl interfering w/ my happiness.  I stand up for myself; I've learned that bitchiness is needed when setting your foot down, especially when things bother the shit out of you.  I will not waste my time w/ them, I don't care.  I've gotten screwed over so many times, and I ain't letting that happen again, even if some may think differently.  I've dealt w/ enough bullshit, I ain't putting up w/ any more.  Period.  Ish.

blahhhhhhhhhhhh

bneo;srgnaeo;rhawrfnh; owihwro;ihoigAWro;gsldfhweigh'gn/lgknkl

25

I turned 25 over the weekend.  It was a good weekend, mainly cuz I felt relaxed on my day.  Saturday morning we packed up, and just as we're about to leave, my babe hands me a package from Amazon.  He got me the movie UP!  Aww, looking forward to watching it again!  Then we headed out.  We made a pitstop in the OC then drove to SD.  It turned out to be a good thing since it made the overall drive feel short.  We got to La Jolla and walked around the village.  Surprisingly, we went to a store that sold Olukai sandals.  I've been wanting a pair but never got around to actually finding out where they were sold.  There was one pair I liked.  Fortunately, out of the three different sizes they had left, one of them fitted me!  Emmanuell ended up preventing me from reaching for my wallet and paid for the sandals himself.  I finally have a pair of sandals that fits and is comfy!
Afterwards, we drove to downtown SD for dinner.  We made reservations for The Oceanaire Room at 5:30pm.  Early, I know... but I wanted to make sure we had room for dessert!  Anyhoo, the food was DELICIOUS!  Everything was well prepared, and we loved every single bite of our dishes.  Hopefully we'll get to go back there again!  We then met up w/ Mike, Emmanuell's best friend since they were 6 yrs old.  As we drove to Mike's place, we passed by the civic center where my lil brother was performing.  Too bad I couldn't see him.  
After the three of us rested a bit and watched some of the NBA playoff game, we took our walk to Extraordinary Desserts... yay!!!!!!!  It took a while to get seated since it's always packed, but we were looking at all the delicious desserts to decide what we wanted by the time we got seated.  This location actually had my fave - Tortamisu.  Since Emmanuell promised me a while ago that he would get that for me on my bday, I had no choice but to pick that one.  It's actually been at least a year since I last had a Tortamisu.  (Hehe, searching for that particular dessert and driving all the way to deliver it to me was how my babe got some brownie points!)  Anyway, that place is always good.  Can't complain.  We walked back to hang out before going to bed.  I talked to my lil bro for a bit and went to sleep after he wished me a happy bday.
Then came Sunday morning.  I woke up before 6:30am, woke up Emmanuell to tell him I was hungry, lol.  I managed to fall back asleep for 30 mins before actually getting up.  We waited til Mike woke up then headed to breakfast.  Afterwards, we made a stop at the Fashion Valley mall to go to the Apple store.  We ended up heading out at about noon to come back to LA.  We got home and lounged til dinner w/ my old school friends (well, mostly old school).  Dinner was good.  Very thoughtful gifts.  Haha, they know what I like!  Half the gang went bowling after dinner, planned out by John (since we have bowling shoes we bought back in college).  It was a good wknd, a fun and relaxing way to celebrate my 25th bday.  (I'd post a pic here but haven't uploaded anything, and also waiting to get a dinner one from one of my friends.)  =)  

"I wanna go back"

LV was fun.  Very relaxing.  Even though I've been there several times now, it's only the second time where I would be back home and wish I were back there.  We stayed at the Wynn this time.  Shopped at stores I never thought I'd shop at - Chanel & Cache.  I didn't plan on going in the pool but did.  Being self-conscious does that to me, blah.  Anyway, overall, it was fun.  We had delicious meals and fun times lounging w/ Jeannie & Jerry.  I'll be keeping my eyes open on any deals for next time. 

Tomorrow I turn a quarter of a century years old.  Nothing "epic" or anything.  Just heading down to SD to go to dinner, then we're meeting up w/ an old friend of Emmanuell's to go to my favorite dessert place.  Looking forward to it!  Did I mention that I love my babe?  He took my car in for service yesterday cuz I want to take my car down to SD.  I couldn't really take off from work so he took my car in and waited the 3 hours at Starbucks til it was done.  Yay!  <3

Okay, I'll write more later...


 

Counting Down...

Hurry up Thursday afternoon, come here already!

sigh...

i can handle it... right?

BOOKED!

Yesterday was exciting.  Why?  Because my first REAL vacation has been booked!  Yup!  And we are excited!  It won’t be for a few months but still… lots of planning!  I started to do some research (lips are sealed) on what to do during the vacation.  Lots of things to do in the next few months.  I am very excited!  Very much looking forward to our anniversary!  =D

I’ve been slacking.  Lack of motivation, no energy, it sucks.  Well, I’m hoping for that to change.  I’m thinking of getting us to cut back on things that cause laziness.  Gotta start pushing to feel better.  I’ve got a lot more reason to push now! Yessir!

I have a lot of things in my mind at the moment.  I guess I’ll write again next time when I have time.

is it dinner yet?

Currently waiting for dinner.  Going to Gyenari tonight.  Our first time going was for our 6 month anniversary.  We thought about going back exactly one year after our first time, but we had other plans already.  We'll finally be able to go tonight.  =)

Work's been busy, mainly because I'm waiting on late cases.  Even though I've been getting my stuff done, my mind's been distracted w/ other things.  Good things though.  =)    

east coast trip to moving to ER to farewell

These last few weeks have been super busy - too many things going on.  On 3/19, I got my braces OFF!  It took a while, but it was worth it!  It was a busy day that day cuz it was also one of my best friend's going away dinner and my babe's friend, terri, was visiting.  The dinner was great.  Afterwards, we headed out to West LA to meet up w/ the boy's gang.  We just hung out and chatted til around midnight before heading home. 

A few days after that, we headed off to the east coast to visit his dad.  We took a day's trip to Brooklyn to visit his aunt.  Her cooking was AMAZING!  She was right about how great her cooking is.  I remember that she mentioned how delicious her cooking was during a "bonding" moment when we first met last summer.  I concur.  We flew back on Sunday morning and started packing when we got home.  Why?  Three days later, we moved.  It was a long day particularly because I was stressed w/ work and stayed at work til about 7pm the previous night having only eaten one meal the entire day.  Same goes for the move-in day.  Aside from eating a few Chips Ahoy! Peanut Butter Chunk cookies, we had only eaten one meal as well - dinner at Saladang.  Very tiring, I must say.  For the next couple days, we moved the small stuff from my storage and from the old apt.  Robert and Florence helped (our first guests!).  On Saturday, we moved my big stuff from storage.  It only took two trips.  Robert and Florence were available to help on that day, too.  There were only two trips, yet it took hours!  It was pretty busy since Odessa came up from SD for a final get together w/ Kel (plus 'Diva').  After the move and after Robert and Florence left (I'm soo glad they offered to help!), the five of us headed to Scoops to try some interesting-flavored ice cream.  I picked lavender honey and red bean.  I wish the move didn't take that long since we had guests, but I guess we're not like the pros who pack and move ten times faster than us.  Even though we briefly hung out, it was really nice getting together in the short amount of time we had.  

On Sunday, we went to get groceries for Qing Ming.  After all the shopping, we picked David and Chanelle up and headed to the AV.  The weather was windy and gloomy, and Sue hinted why that may be.  We had TONS of food, including two roasted pigs - 40 lbs and 17 lbs.  That meant lots and lots of leftovers.  I think we took home less than 2 lbs out of the 57lbs.  We just finished nearly half of it for a few meals in the last couple days.  Gulp, still more to go.  

Fast forward to Tuesday.  So my stomach (since before Qing Ming) was feeling weird but I thought I was either hungry/stuffed.  After getting home Tuesday night, I started to get sharp pains in my stomach.  I thought it was just gas cuz someone told me that that causes sharp pains.  Emmanuell ran to Ralphs to get me some medicine.  I took a couple.  Result - more sharp pains.  I hardly slept that night due to the intensity of the pains jolting me left and right.  At about 2am, I wounded up on the couch hoping that sitting up would help.  Nope, nada!  My babe woke up at around 6 to find me huddled on the couch w/ my arms wrapped around my stomach.  He took me to ER over at Kaiser.  Luckily there were just a couple ppl there besides us.  After checking in and the routine blood pressure and health questionnaire (if I smoke, when was my last menstrual period, etc.), the nurse grabbed a wheelchair and wheeled me to the emergency room.  I entered the room thinking "this is the same room as the time when Ang and Odessa dragged me to the hospital after I got hit by a car walking home!"  (Yes, that really happened.)  First, the urine test came back negative.  The doctor decided to hook up the whole IV thing and inject me w/ some morphine.  Emmanuell held my right hand as we watched the nurse poke the needle into my left arm.  She took some blood for some lab tests then watched her set up the IV bag and inject the meds through the IV line.  As we waited for the blood test results, I observed the room I was in - the IV bag dripping and traveling through the line and into me, the monitors, the buttons on the wall.  It felt like a long wait for the results.  The doctor returned and announced that the blood test results were negative and that I would then go for an ultrasound.  I drank my pitcher of water then they rolled me to the ultrasound room as my babe looked manly w/ my BR purse, hehe.  The ultrasound took a while.  My bladder wanted to burst.  They couldn't locate my ovaries.  After some further searching for ovaries, still no luck.  Eventually he let me get up to go pee, hoping that I would be able to hold some of it for more ultrasound pictures.  Nope, I couldn't hold any of it any longer.  I returned w/ an empty bladder.  Shoot, then they FOUND my ovaries!  So after that was over, they rolled me back to my room to wait for the results.  By then we were nearly falling asleep.  The doctor came back to tell us that they found a cyst on my left ovary.  The cyst leaked, causing the sharp pains.  Time at home w/ some meds will be needed for my recovery.  WHEW!  No surgery needed for this one!  After waiting for an hour to get a prescription and doctor's note to be excused from work, I got discharged!  We left the hospital at about 1pm, went to Porto's to get some food, then headed home to rest.  My sweetheart did some stuff (I assume he watched anime) as I napped.  During the time I was in ER, I texted most of my siblings and a couple close friends informing them of what was going on.  Every time I felt worse or when I got scared, I turned and my honey was there by my side.  THANK YOU BABY FOR BEING THERE THROUGH IT ALL.  I LOVE YOU!!!  <3

Even though I was drained and weak from the 5+ hrs in ER, it did NOT stop me from seeing one of my best friends one last time before she headed off to the peace corps.  We headed to Culver City to meet up w/ Kelly and some of her other friends @ Father's Office to enjoy one final dinner and take one last photo together.  ("Our last pic together til your wedding" - Kelly)  I'm gonna really miss Kelly... well, I already do.  I'm glad she accepted to be part of my big day... til we meet again.

no more braces!

as of friday, 3/19 - no more braces!

shop shop shop

I looked at my expenses and thought about things I’ve bought.  So, I decided to write about the “big” purchases I’ve made.

Gifts – In 2006, I decided to do a dvd of memories for my fam, mainly as a tribute to my dad.  The entire 21-minute project cost me over $1,050.  I ordered 10 copies of the dvd and gave one each to my family members.  Overall, I was satisfied with the xmas gift I made for my fam.  When I get sad from thinking about my dad, I watch the dvd to cheer myself up.  It helps me cope with it.

Dinner – My friend, Odessa, and I have not forgotten about our dinner-for-two that cost us 1.5 bills in Morels French Steakhouse at the Grove.  BUT it was worth it!  The steak dishes we ordered were DELICIOUS.  I would love to go back.  The last time I had delicious steak (well, almost to that level) was at Ruth Chris’s.  YUMM for steak!

Purse – I bought my first Coach bag in 2004.  It was a gift I bought myself for working in stats for a year.  I wish my older sis didn’t introduce me to that brand.  Good thing I don’t shop there anymore.  I’m currently using the BR bag I bought a few months ago.  Aside from the occasional cleaning since it’s a light colored bag, I still love it (the color I got is an off-white color, not the grey below).  It’ll be THE bag for a WHILE.

Jacket – I didn’t think I’d spend soo much on a jacket, particularly a down jacket.  I needed a winter jacket/coat of some sort for the east coast xmas trip.  One night we went to The North Face in Beverly Hills.  After some browsing online on that site prior to going to the store, I had my mind set on one particular jacket.  I came out w/ a down jacket twice the cost.  I wore it to work once, and my coworkers said that I look like I’m from NYC.  I guess it helps since I’m severely anemic.  I’m so glad that I have a thermostat in my office so I can turn up the heat! 

Hair product – I was never into purchasing crazy expensive hair products.  I don’t have the money for that anyway.  One day, I started browsing for products to help strengthen my hair.  I hated my split ends and the tangles and knots I got around the back of my neck  (mainly due to my necklace).  After some research, I purchased a bottle of some Paul Mitchell strong strengthening spray.  It’s AMAZING!  It works wonders on my hair, and I can comb my fingers through my hair any time of the day and not get stuck.  Tangle-free!  I’m definitely satisfied w/ the purchase.

Shoes – Ahh, shoes.  I think that I started to increase my shoe collection after my 2nd bro’s gf would tell me all the shoes she’d buy.  I don’t have that many shoes to begin with.  I recently did buy more shoes in the past few months.   In November, I bought a pair of Naturalizer MBTs.  Normally those cost $250, but I found a pair on sale for $142 (after tax) in the Mary Jane style.  It’s comfy, and I like it.  Then last month, I bought a pair of heels that I got attached to.  We took a walk to Old Town and bought it!  Luckily the saleswoman was nice enough to tell us there was a coupon so I saved about $60 (although they ended up costing a bit more than the MBTs).  THEN yesterday, I decided to browse for boots cuz the one that my oldest bro bought me for xmas 2006 had a tear which allowed water to get in on a rainy day.  After browsing over 3,000 styles, I found one I really liked.  When I clicked on it, they only had a size 10!  Ughh, I started looking everywhere online.  After some time, I finally find one my size, or at least I think it’s my size.  Soo, this morning before making breakfast, I purchased it!  I’m hoping that it is the right size because this is the ONLY pair I found in size 8.  All the other sizes are at least 9.5.  I’m crossing my fingers! 

Alrighty, that’s all for now.  I can’t think of anything else to add.  Overall, even though these things cost more than I wanted to pay, these were all good purchases.  Oh, and Happy PI day!

today is...

gloomy.

bye bye february aka BUSY month! moving onto march...

february was quite a busy month for me, here is why:
- back to back doctor appts
- job offer
- housewarming
- surf city half
- chinese new year
- pasadena half
- starting my new job (the day after the pasadena half)
- sd w/ my best friend
- praying w/ fam

the last time i was that busy every wknd was in december.  overall, february was a good month.  i just felt accomplished, and that just puts a smile on my face.  the exciting news about march is moving.  i'm very excited.  we'll have plenty of space, and now my stuff will be stored!  looking forward to it!  okay, that's all for now... time to shower!

long multi-holiday weekend

i can't tell whether or not i'm in work mode.  yes, i am productive (as usual), but i'm taking my time between finishing up some stuff and cleaning up.  this is my last week, and i'm excited, even tho today just feels like an ordinary day.  three days left.

a lot went on this past weekend - chinese new year, valentine's day, and president's day.  i went home early on friday, too, so that made it feel even longer.  my babe and i took a stroll around old town, did a bit of shopping, and ran into my lil bro (what a surprise!).  saturday was all about chinese new year.  from spending a couple hours grocery shopping (my first time spending $300 at the asian market) to prepping dinner and family time, it was good.  since chinese new year was all about family time (altho a couple ppl didn't show up), i stayed up in the av til 11pm.  i didn't make it to join my babe at his friend's wedding reception (since it ended at 11 as well).  overall, it was great.  mike drove down from norcal to join, which made it feel more altogether, the way this holiday should be celebrated.  everyone had a great time (even tho the mother and younger sis didn't show up).  lots of laughs and reminiscing.  on sunday, even tho it was vday, i was drained from the previous day.  we ended up just staying in lounging and watching the all-star game.  crazy crazy crazy stadium!  vday was just an ordinary day for us, which we were fine with.  but yay for the vday purchases.  =)  sleeping in yesterday felt really good.  we made our waffles (a norm for the weekends when there are no plans) and watched some tv.  we were supposed to go to the huntington library but ended up not going.  that will be saved for another day.  instead, we walked to old town.  why go back when we had already went a few days back?  all monday morning, i started browsing for shoes.  i got ATTACHED to a pair of heels i saw on the kenneth cole website.  since i wanted comfy heels to wear (for outings and occasionally to work), i wanted to buy them.  fortunately, there's a kenneth cole store in old town.  ahh, what a coincidence!  heh.  so yes, we went straight there and made that purchase!  we then went to the paseo and browsed some more.  we went home w/ a pair of gorgeous heels for me and a shirt for my babe.  now i want to go back to macy's to purchase a cardigan.  once i have that, i'm all set for my new job!  work pants - check!  work-appropriate tops - check! heels - check! cardigan - almost check!  =)

a few things to wait to happen - pasadena half, job transition, cleaning, celebration... this has been a busy month.  busy yet exciting.  =)

i love my babe.

go away, it's not my day

not in a good mood today, so leave me alone.

not even in the mood to eat

not even in the mood to drink

not even in the mood to smile

not even in the mood to chit chat

not even in the mood to listen to ne-yo

yes, it's one of those days.

i'm unhappy

i'm ugly

i'm super fat

i'm upset

i'm pissed

it's not my day

i've made my choice, and that ain't changing.

not my thing, and it never will be.  i can keep trying, but it won't do anything, i'm sure of it. f*ck no.

childish ways

ppl could be so immature and childish in handling situations.  i just can't wait til next friday.  this is just lame.

bye bye january, busy busy february!

january went by pretty fast.  i have been focusing my attention elsewhere, away from training.  i really need to get that in order.  i will.  soon.  after i hear the good news.  i know that i've been unhappy at the workplace, and it just doesn't help when i get home.  that mood, lack of motivation, is from the blah day at work. 

my babe and i had an early vday celebration, mainly because we wanted to make use of dinela week.  oh boy, we were stuffed!  aside from the ugly traffic we dealt w/, dinner was great.  

so now comes february.  it started out w/ such wonderful news!  on thursday, it became official!  i received a phone call from julie to offer me the senior analyst position over in the dean's office.  of course, i said I ACCEPT!  i'm soo glad that this great opportunity came my way.  it really helps to have good support, for ppl to see and appreciate all the hard work one's done.  i will start my new job in 2 weeks.  i'm super super super excited!  thanks babe for helping me and pushing me to believe this could happen for me!

this morning was the surf city half.  all i could say is that i survived!  i walked a lot of it cuz my legs were in extreme pain.  i'm just glad i finished.  i didn't care about the time.  sigh, two weeks will be the pasadena one.  i can't wait for that one to be over, too.  yes, i will train for the one in july.  now that i might have a bit of extra time when i start my new job (work hrs will be different).  i can't wait!

counting down...

is it friday yet???

memories of the 2000s

something i thought about this morning - significant moments that happened in the 2000s:

2000 - best year in high school/friends found out i was moving =(

2001 - moved to simi/transferred high school

2002 - robert saved me

2003 - entered college (UCLA baby!)/fam got evacuated from our house due to over 100k acres burned

2004 - my fam (except for mike, robert, and me) moved to texas

2005 - my dad passed away

2006 - reunited w/ my fam (they moved back to cali)/ucla beats usc (football... i actually cried that night)
2007 - graduated from UCLA

2008 - met the love of my life

2009 - moved in w/ my significant other

2009 gone, welcome 2010

2009 has ended, and boy was it a long year.  here's a recap of 2009:

emmanuell met my mom (last person to meet in my family)

v-day wknd in sd

sd wild animal park

drenched in champagne on my bday

lil bro and 2nd bro's graduations

sequoia national park camping trip

ne-yo w/ keri hilson concert

met emmanuell's parents and extended family/first east coast trip

channel islands

moved in w/ emmanuell

one year anniversary

lbc half marathon (w/out training!)

first time going to karaoke

death valley camping trip

promise ring =)
first thanksgiving together

geminid meteor shower

winter xmas holidays in the east coast/first xmas together

i stole this survey from jeannie (hehe, thanks!):

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
went to the east coast & met my significant other's family.

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions from last year and will you make any for 2010?
i don't think i made any resolutions for 2009.  for 2010, try to be cc debt free.  oh, i guess to make sure i work out (since i have a few half-marathons i've registered for)?

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
close to me? nope.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
no one i could think of.

5. What countries did you visit?
none, never been out of the country =( 

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
a better job

7. What date from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory...and why?
10/6 - our 1 year anniversary <3

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
finishing a half-marathon w/out training.  i guess some would think of it as stupidity instead of an achievement. =/

9. What was your biggest failure?
not working out as much as i wanted to - commuting is draining. =(

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
i am severely anemic (and have been for a while). 

11. Did you take any risks this year?
does job hunting count? 

12. What was something that you celebrated in 2009?
sandy and triet's wedding (finally!)

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
no comment.

14. Where did most of your money go?
my debt

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
receiving a promise ring from my love 

16. What were some of the best things you ate in 2009?
rei do gado brazilian steak house in sd, fresh delicious berries from arroyo chophouse, home-made sweet potato pie from one of emmanuell's aunts

17. What fears did you conquer in 2009?
meeting emmanuell's family and getting their approval.  it surprisingly went very well, both he and i were surprised!

18. In what way were you pleasantly surprised this year?
we went to watch the geminid meteor shower.  since the city lights and the storm clouds made it difficult to see the shooting stars, we drove around for over an hour to find a spot.  we ended up somewhere off the 14 freeway (still la county), and i saw a dozen shooting stars!  even though the clouds were still in the way, i was surprised to see that many.

19. What were your favorite new TV programs of 2009?
flash forward

20. What was the best book you read?
i only read one book in 2009 (which i started on nye) - dear john by nicholas sparks

21. What did you want AND get?
a warm jacket & mbt shoes 

22. What did you want and NOT get?
a new battery for my laptop (gonna wait til i pay off my cc bills)

23. What was your favorite film of the year?
i have two fave films of the year - up & avatar

24. What was the best thing you bought?

the drawer chest for emmanuell's bday.  my clothes are stored in there (while his clothes are in the big dresser).  it was the last drawer chest available in stores (which was the same model as our bedroom set), and we got it! =)

25. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
just get back up when it knocks you down, knocks you down

i'm hoping 2010 will be a better year w/ happiness & more smiles.