Browse Category: holidays

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!!

Sorry Dog, no door for you.

We got our Christmas tree today!  It’s a 6-foot Noble Fir that we picked up from a lot across from Orange Coast College.  Our neighbor told us about it last year and it really is a bargain.  Basically, they say that you can have your pick of the lot for $33.99.  So, basically a little 3-footer and a big 10-footer cost the same.

As our tree guy tied the tree to the top of the X3, he told us that Noble Firs are much more popular lately.  He said that they go through a container and a half each day!  When I was a kid, we couldn’t afford them because they were sooo expensive.  I think they still are at most tree lots (even at Home Depot) – going for at least $70 for my 6-footer.  I used to call them “the soft ones” and thought they were so much prettier than the pokey bushy Douglas Fir that we always brought home.  Now that I’m a “grown-up” and found a place that sells them dirt cheap, I can live like a baller and take home my very own Noble Fir.  Unfortunately, the bird house is a bit small so we actually had to block the door that leads to our patio.  Sorry Dog, you’re going to have to go through the garage for a couple weeks.

the birdhouse has lights

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Today we put up Christmas lights on the birdhouse. The shopping centers and malls all have their decorations up so I might as well do the same.

An hour after putting the lights up, I returned the ladder to the neighbor and packed up the boxes. I also went out to the store to buy some kibble. When I got back, I went upstairs to get the dog but he wasn’t there. I looked in every room and he was nowhere to be found! My thoughts raced. I must have left the door open when I was returning the ladder! I grabbed the leash and ran outside to look for him. As I walked around the neighborhood calling his name, I couldn’t help thinking of all the bad things that could have happened to him…”What if a coyote got him?” “What if he got hit by a car?” “What if someone found him and they’re not going to give him back?” It was also the one day that he wasn’t wearing his tags too. I had just put on a brand new red collar on him and hadn’t moved the tags over yet. DOH!! I was on the verge of tears. I had no luck so I came home and took the car around. Luckily I found him just up the street wandering around. I called his name and he came running. Phew! That was close. I gave him a big hug and drove him home with a big sigh of relief. As soon as we got home, I put his old collar back on and fed him. Man, that sucked.

Let the holidays begin!

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Shopping List:

  • carrots (4)
  • onions (2)
  • sweet potatoes (7)
  • elixir of the mongoose (24)
  • lemon

Got ’em! It’s Thanksgiving and what fun it is to cook a feast!

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We had Thanksgiving dinner at our house last night and it was yum yums! We made the usual recipes including my awesome fresh cranberry sauce. Jes worked very hard and prepared the dinner with limited WoWing and some elixir to keep him going. The house was full and Koa had to stay out in the patio all night. We also got to meet Jeanie’s fiance, Rick, and Jes’ dad had us sing a funny little song after we said grace. Turkey Day has come and gone and left us with a fridge full of leftovers.

Here are the photos…compliments of Uncle Dennis.