Browse Category: outings

Saturday morning fun

IMG_3361.jpgThis morning we got up at 6:45 am, left the house by 7:10 am, and arrived at the Oakley Headquarters for our 7:30 am shopping extravaganza. Once again, Wendy hooked us up with VIP passes to the Oakley parking lot sale. We were there so early that cutting in line wasn’t as big of a deal this time around. I managed to score some $15 running/cycling gear and Jes got another pair of sunglasses and a $30 jacket that usually retails for $265. I also got my very own pair of snowboarding goggles to match the Oakley ski jacket and pants that I bought last November at this same sale. What fun!

By the way, Jes has a stomach of steel. No complications to report from his ice cream experiment.

A Day at the Park

Marie and Cole came over on Sunday morning for a day at the park. Marie has been looking for a park with sand and I found one right by my house. It has sand and squishy foam floors underneath the climbing equipment and swings. After a quick trip to Target to purchase Cole’s first set of sand toys, we walked to the park. It was a warm sunny Sunday afternoon and there were kids already enjoying themselves when we arrived. We luckily found a nice shady area to plop Takuchan down on the sand and wth his new toys ready to go, he had such a good time. Of course there was a little sand to be tasted, a little sand in the eye, and a little more effort to walk in the sand. But overall, it was a good time for everyone.

An Afternoon with The Brother

Last night we went to Agora Churrascaria for dinner with Dayantha, Thilan, and Ti. The sirloin and skirt steak were good. I didn’t care for any of the chicken. The meal was about $35 per person and I’m not sure I really ate my share. Afterwards we met up with Derek and Elise who were in town for the weekend. We ended up at Dave and Buster’s at the Spectrum. We had some drinks, played some games, and I came home with a million little erasers and a little stuffed penguin for Koa. Mmm…penguin.
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This morning Patti came over to help assemble Holly’s invitations. We had to get them printed at Staples and I was happy with how they turned out. I’m so relieved that it’s all done. I suppose I could have done it all myself but it was a good excuse for the two of us to chat and catch up on things. It was great hanging out with you again, Patti!! And thanks for all your help!
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Later the brother came over to do some shopping for his apartment. We first went to Costco and I got myself a knitting book/kit. I’ve had my eye on it for some time and decided to snag it this time. Jes and I almost got ourselves a Dyson but smartened up and left it for another day. When we got home, Jes went straight to bed for a nap while the brother and I continued shopping. The next stop was Target and then the grocery store. We also sat down for a couple episodes of Tom & Jerry, which were hilarious. We were laughing so loudly that Jes could hear us from upstairs while he was trying to finish his nap. We also prepared a yummy pork carnitas dinner with all the fixings. Jes was so confused when I told him to go downstairs for some carnitas because it usually takes 4 hours to prepare. Well, this was Chiembanchong-style cooking where it involves taking the pork out of the package, warming it in the oven for 15 mins, and then shredding the meat. Jes was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Haha…the brother and sister team strike again!!The evening was topped off by a couple games of poker. The cousins came over for a second time this week and brought friends. Ken had some crazy cards in the first game and took everyone out one by one. I lost with a King-high straight! What kind of luck is that?!

through a child’s eyes

DSC_3102.jpgToday I took Marie and Cole to the Long Beach Aquarium. I wasn’t sure how it would go considering Cole’s age and unpredictable mood but it went rather well! Cole sat in the stroller most of the day and appeared so engaged in each exhibit. He will look at anything you point to and watches the fish so intently. He’s also walking now so he had some time to wander the halls freely and lean up against the glass to see the fish. Overall, I think he had a good time and Marie seemed to enjoy it herself. Afterwards we had lunch at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., which was across the street. It was such a nice and sunny day that eating out on the patio was very pleasant. The service was not as cheesy as I had remembered it to be and Cole contently sat in his stroller eating his turkey, bread, fish, and avocado. Boy, can he eat! By the end of the meal, all three of us were stuffed and the birds had a feast with all the food that Cole had dropped on the floor.
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Later in the afternoon, I had to babysit Cole while Marie had to take care of some business. So, I baracaded my livingroom and hung out with him for about an hour or so. The dog and I even took him for a walk to the park and had some snack together. I’m so happy that Cole was in a good mood today. It made that hour so much less stressful than the last time I babysat. Phew!

Can you blame them?

Have you ever stood back to watch a bunch of white people dance? It’s very interesting. All the girls have the same bouncy-swaying-hairflipping move while the boys sway along, hold their arms in a flexor pattern, and try to grab some ass when the girls are not paying attention. I’m not saying that Asians are any better but it’s just really entertaining to watch. With some further observation and analysis, I realized that it may not be their fault. I’ve concluded that it’s greatly influenced by their Whitey music. It really doesn’t allow for any other kind of dancing with perhaps the exception of the classic hard-rock-jumping-up-and-down?. How can you really look cool dancing to Green Day’s “American Idiot”? I suppose the only song that I can find a decent beat to is “Play That Funky Music (White Boy)” but even that’s pushing it. I thought it was very appropriate for the band to end the night with “Sweet Home Alabama”. This seems to be the song that all the white girls jump out of their drunken stupor long enough to shake it one last time. You go girl! Shake that overexposed Buddha belly so we can all appreciate the beauty that is “The Whitey Dance”!

Double Ditech

On Thursday night, Jes and I went to The Harp to watch his co-worker play in his band. The group is called “Velicious” and we’ve seen them a couple times now. They play covers all night and some of the songs are good but most of them are just so-so. Jes’ co-worker plays bass guitar and is actually pretty good. Too bad the lead guitarist has a huge ego and plays 10-minute solos and the lead singer has to read the lyrics off of song sheets all night. We still had a good time with a few drinks and some bar food.

On Friday night, Jes took me to his company Christmas party at the House of Blues. We got all gussied up, drove through I-5 traffic, and met up with his co-workers out front. The top floor and stage area were rented out for this shindig and started out rather slow but then it picked up after the Blues Brothers went away and the DJ kicked it up. The party wasn’t bad but it wasn’t very eventful either. It was just nice to get dressed up for a special event.