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It was a happy Friday.

Happy Chevy's

At work, our Happy Hours are usually on the East Bay but this time it was going to be across the bridge in my neck of the woods.  It’s been a while since we’ve had a Happy Hour so we were happy all day long in anticipation of $3 margaritas. With a quick drive through the carpool lane, we were extra happy at Chevy’s by 5:30.  They’re special margarita was pineapple coconut this time around and it was tasty.

Here are the photos.

Taylor's

Afterward, I met up with Jes down the street and we had dinner at Taylor’s Automatic Refresher.  I snacked on the chili cheese fries while Jes inhaled his bacon cheeseburger.  Doesn’t it look tasty?

Oxtail for the Year of the Ox

vyl_cny09

It’s the Year of the Ox, which brings us a hard-working year and will require diligence and patience.  I guess it’s appropriate considering the crappy economy and that Vyl spent these past two days preparing a Chinese New Year feast for us.  Ryan counted nine dishes today: braised oxtail, roasted duck, turnip cake, lotus root salad, Chinese broccoli, steamed fish, Chinese sticky rice, pork-stuffed bittermelon, and chive boxes.  They were all so yummy and Vyl really outdid herself this year.  Michelle also made a mochi cake with red bean so we all went home totally stuffed.

jack2

jack

Jack is walking around independently now and had a great time at the dinner table too.  I think he ate about 4 or 5 lotus root slices! So, Happy New Year and I hope all the hard work this year pays off!!  :)  And thanks for cooking, Vyl!!

Here are photos from our dinner.

Making the Reverse Move

Kel&Rob

A year and a half ago, we moved from Irvine to SF.  In a couple weeks, Rob and Kel will be moving from the Bay Area to Irvine.  Go figure.  After 8 years, they’ve decided to say goodbye to a life of fog, bridges, and BART and hello to life of sun, look-alike houses, and plenty of driving…and they’re looking forward to it!!!  I’m very excited for them and there’s a part of me that’s envious of their new life.  There are lots of things I miss about living in Irvine and Southern CA in general.

lotsadogs

So, on Sunday afternoon, we had a BBQ for them at Jimmy and Eleen’s, which was filled with Hawaiian food and doggies.  Jesse almost burnt down the grill but all the food was pretty yummy.  Thanks to Susie for all the marinated meat!!  J&E’s house was also recently renovated so we finally got to check it all out.  It was fun to hang out with friends and I think Koa had just as much fun socializing with Boudin, Mika, Diesel, Brando, and of course Smush.

Have a great time in Irvine, Little Masayas!  We’ll miss you!!  I’ve updated my OC List on Yelp just for you guys!!  Here are photos from the BBQ.

A Real Swamp Band

swamp band

A few years back on a camping trip, we were taking a hike up a really steep trail in Big Sur.  There was a small group of us that fell behind and was about to give up until Ryan decided to start a pretend Swamp Band.  We all chose instruments as we hiked up the trail and repeated the mantra “Swamp Band plays in the swamp”.  It got us up the mountain and we had a good chuckle.

Well, last night, I went to a special work dinner held by our managers and they had a real swamp band playing for us!!!  I’m sure that’s not what they call themselves but my manager’s daughter plays the violin and she’s part of a band that plays in various clubs.

swamp band 2

They were complete with a girl on spoons and a guy playing a tub bass guitar made of a wash tub, broomstick, and rope.  It was awesome.  They played rather well and I couldn’t help smiling the whole time.

Here are photos from the evening.

It’s a Masaya Birthday!

Paragon

The Masayas’ birthdays are only 2 days apart so there was a little dinner on Monday and a big Happy Hour on Friday.

Americano

They had a pretty good showing and I even bumped into an old friend from UCLA there! By the end of the night, we were all a little tipsy since the drinks were flowin’ and there was a lack of food.  Afterwards, we met up with the Bangs at Hi-Dive for a tasty burger and fries.  Surprisingly, I’m feeling pretty good this morning but I think I might give the birthday girl a call today to check on her.

Here are photos from last night.

Lotsa Pie

The Sokol-Juns hosted another Pie Party this afternoon and there were some pretty tasty ones this year.  I made an apple pie again this year and got to experiment with my new decorative pie crust cutters (photos coming soon).  The winners for me this year were Vyl’s Chicken Pot Pie and Michelle’s Lemon Chess.  Vyl ended up winning the contest and was well-deserved.  Even Jes was surprisingly impressed. 😉

Here are the photos.