Browse Author: beakatude

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!

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).