Browse Author: beakatude

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!!

I didn’t get to say goodbye.

At my school, we have VERY limited parking. The only way that I don’t have to fight for parking is to actually get to work on time. If I’m just a little late, I end up circling the tiny parking lot for the one miraculous spot to open up. This presents quite a problem considering that all the kids that attend my school are under the age of 5 and all need to be walked to their classroom. So, we have staggerered drop-off and pick-up times but it’s still a nightmare everyday for the parents to park and get their kids to school on time. So, over the summer, the School Board approved the expansion of the parking lot to the back field. It should really help! If there’s ample parking, I can easily leave for lunch and get back in time without having to worry about finding a parking spot.

Well, I arrived at work on Monday morning and noticed that the campus felt eerily “open”. I looked again and realized that they chopped down FOUR huge pine trees to make room for the road that would lead to the back lot!!! All that was left were little mounds of wood chips. I didn’t really think I was such a tree hugger but I was genuinely sad for the trees. I couldn’t believe that within the span of a weekend, these innocent trees, who I’m sure are older than me, were put to death so suddenly. There was plenty of room for a road! I don’t think it was really necessary for these trees to be sacrificed for the sake or more parking. *sniff* I didn’t even get to take one last look at them to appreciate the shade and extra oxygen they offered. If I knew they were sentenced to death row, I would have tied a ribbon around them or something. I know I would have at least taken a photo of them. Bye bye, trees, I hope that they at least recycled you guys for something useful.

just like old times

redrock

Last night before we flew home from Vegas, Kev took us to Red Rock Canyon for the scenic 13-mile drive. The sun was setting and it was really cold (about 31 degrees). I managed to capture a couple photos while we were there. Surprisingly, the sky had just enough light to make the trip worth while. Unfortunately, I haven’t outgrown one of my worst physical weaknesses. After taking a couple shots of the sunset and horizon, I turned back towards the car, slipped, tripped, and fell on the asphalt. Luckily, I had the camera well protected like a football and it didn’t even touch the ground. Alas, my knee didn’t fare as well. I landed on my left knee and also caught myself with my right hand. Back in the car, not only was my ego a little bruised but so was my knee. I noticed a couple black spots on my jeans and thought it was just dirt. Turns out it was blood. Yep, it was just like when I was in grade school…falling on asphalt, skinning my left knee, and scratching up my right palm. The only thing I didn’t get was the wind knocked out of me. Ever had that happen from falling flat on the floor? Well, it sucks. I guess there are somethings you just can’t outgrow no matter how hard you try.

Oh yeah, here are the photos from our weekend.