Category Archives: eating
Christmas comes early!
Seppo got me a sewing machine! Exactly what I wanted! 😀 I am learning sewing techniques. Right now, it’s all about the straight sewing on little pieces of cloth. I want to be able to hem my pants, since they are always too long for me.
We are so bad about early presents. Hee.
Last night, we went to see the Count Basie Orchestra at the SF Symphony. Earlier in the day, we went over to Klay & Nana’s to play a little Scattegories and try out Sushi Sam’s for the first time, before rushing like crazy people because we were worried about being late. We weren’t. 😀
They were really great. The music was beautiful, and the people clearly loved playing with each other. Melba Joyce sang a couple of songs, one of which was “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?”. It was haunting and heartbreaking the way she sang it. Just beautiful.
Oh yeah, the symphony tickets were a present from Seppo’s parents! Thank you!
Speaking of Christmas coming early, I saw a commercial on TV the other day for a televised audition to cast the leads of a new production of Grease! I love Grease! I am so all over that. Tee hee.
A random smattering, like every other time
Lately, I feel like all I do are summary posts, but I’m busy as hell.
Friends.
Tonight, I went to dinner with Hoa. Which was awesome. I don’t know what it is, but it’s so easy to talk with her. She is defintely an active listener, which is something I really appreciate, but I also think we had some similar experiences growing up which gives us an easy rapport. Or so I think from my side of things, while she sits on her side of things wondering why she feels sorry enough for me to meet me occasionally. 😀
Uyen finished her half marathon at the astounding time of 2 hrs and 3 minutes! Holy crap! They both deserve to be mucho proud of themselves. Congraulations!!
Finances.
We opened a savings account at eloan.com at 5.5% APY. I had been looking into CDs with a CD ladder scheme in mind (ask me about CD ladders because I will be glad to answer), when I found that the highest non-credit union CD rate I could find for an amount we could afford topped out at 5.65% APY anyway.
Elections.
Don’t be an idiot; vote. Don’t make excuses; vote. For the love of God, this is what makes a democracy. And if you see any funny business at your polling site, report it. I have no idea where. But I’m sure you’ll figure something out.
Books.
Both Seppo and I are making great progress. They both seem like they are telling stories, like they are really a part of a greater narrative. It’s very satisfying. This year is different because I’m not plagued with thoughts/fears of whether I can do it or not. The last two years have taught me that I can do it. So this year has been about the quality of the content. Caring about the quality has made this a much more all-consuming process. I feel so nervous when Seppo reads my words. Not that he will or won’t like them, but more that they will feel meaningless or trite and leave him feeling nothing. He’s my only audience so far, so all the pressure is on him. 😀
On the reading front, Colin lent me The Time Traveler’s Wife. I am only about a quarter way through it, and I love it already. It’s clever, but not self-important, interesting, and warmly written. It’s a little awkward when it’s called for. I have an awful feeling about something I am guessing will happen in the story, but I hope it doesn’t. But if it doesn’t, I’ll think the author will have wasted a really great opportunity. Oh, the conflict.
Work.
Still busy. Going pretty well.
Berkley Bowl.
Wow, I had never been to Berkley Bowl before. And we’ve lived in this area for more than five years. It was great! The vegetable selection was astounding. Two thumbs up.
Battlestar Galactica.
Wow. Times ten. I can’t believe the stuff that’s happening in the second half of the second season. Definitely give it a try, but it’s really best to start at the beginning.
Weekended
Wow, I was so busy this past week/weekend.
Work has been really hectic, so I haven’t been making any social plans, but things kept coming up so I was able to be human and actually talk to people other than the little code monkeys in my head.
Sometime during the week (I think it was Tuesday?) we had an impromptu dinner with Holly at Mekong Garden on Piedmont Ave. Everything we ate was delicious, and I especially loved the dry fried salt and pepper squid. Yum! Mc & Holly were awesome company and we had a great time.
Wednesday, I think, we had Uyen over for shabu-shabu, but her meat was not very tender, as she’s been working out like crazy for her upcoming half-marathon. Ok, we didn’t eat her. It was a good time. Since the weather’s been getting cold, I think we’ll be having soups and stews more often.
Roopa came into town on Thursday! I didn’t see her until Friday because she was here for work, and I obviously also have been busy with work, otherwise I would have taken the day off while she was here. 🙂 We went back to Pearl Oyster Bar & Restaurant on College Ave, and this time, every dish was awesome, unlike last time when we were sort of torn on the food. I’m sure we’ll give it a write-up at some point in the near future.
After a most delicious dinner (thanks Roopa!), we headed over to Jaguar Karaoke (formerly known as Music Box Karaoke) and sang for 4.2 hours (or so the time sheet said when we paid up)! My throat was so raw Saturday morning. Holly, Leila, and Lindsi joined us for the ridiculous sing-a-rama, meaning Seppo was trapped in a dark room with only five ladeez for hours and hours. Dun dun dun! Lindsi makes a really great air guitar partner, I have to say. 😀 I think we are the only ones that knew *every part* of the Bon Jovi songs and the New Kids on the Block songs, including the random backup parts. LOL!
It was interesting to observe the varying tastes of our friends. I tried to think of how I’d order us by similar musical tastes, and the best I can do is this:
Me -> Lindsi -> Holly -> Seppo -> Leila -> Roopa -> Me
Lindsi & I overlap in everything from the Motown era to the late 80s. Lindsi & Holly overlap in the more contemporary areas, I think. Seppo & Holly also do, but in different music than Lindsi & Holly overlap. Holly is key to the group because of her very diverse musical tastes, I think. Leila & Seppo have Radiohead-like music very much in common. Leila & Roopa definitely had music in common, but I had a hard time putting my finger on the exact subgenre. Roopa & I have a varied assortment of music in common, also not easy to categorize.
It’s been a while since I’ve sung Pearl Jam and Roxette at the top of my lungs within a 15-minute time span. 😀
Saturday morning, I woke up thinking that my cough & cold had returned from the week before, but luckily, it was just that my throat was raw from all the singing. Roopa and I headed over to Piedmont Ave and had yet another delicious meal together, this time at César (this is the second location; the original is in the Berkeley Gourmet Ghetto). Man, we were on such a great food roll. It was really great to sit outside at a nice restaurant and eat great food while chatting with a dear, missed friend about life and nothing in particular.
Seppo and I got spiffed up after lunch to attend Claire & Nick’s wedding. After weeks of griping that they had nothing to wear, Uyen & Becky turned up looking like hot stuff indeed, and I looked like their matronly spinster aunt who had come to chaperone them. Hahaha. Anyway, it was a really pretty wedding with some very personal moments. Joe, of course, was the life of the party and danced up a nice older lady, who I’m sure now wants to make him her boy-toy. Watch out, Joe! 😉
Sunday was thankfully empty of engagements, since I had to catch up on some work so that I could be back on target. I managed to get some work done but it took much longer than I was hoping for.
I took a break from work so that we could go grocery shopping. I think that I’ll be experimenting with spicy chicken & potatoes for as the next item in my Korean recipe refining series. 😀
I got a call from a college friend this morning! She is in town for a few days, so I am going to try to catch dinner with her tomorrow night. 🙂 Yay! So busy…