Hi, Family!

No trips to the mountains this past weekend so we got to hang out with family. On Saturday night, Jes and I had dinner at the Suminos. Marie and Kenji prepared teppan with beef, chicken, and LOTS of yummy vegetables. Cole was a little grumpy with a runny nose but he perked up by the end of the evening.
…
On Sunday, Jes and I had got an unexpected phone call from my mom to have dinner with her, my dad, Pish, and my uncle from San Jose. We went to a Thai place in Mission Viejo and had lots to eat. We also got to catch up a bit but not as much as I would have if I didn’t have this blog. My initial intention for this blog was to keep my family updated and it’s working! It’s neat that my parents and relatives are actually reading my blogs regularly to stay informed of my whereabouts. It’s good to see that this isn’t a complete waste of time. 🙂
…
In other news, my running shoes are back in action. I’ve been casually running in the afternoons 1-2 times per week for the past couple months but this past week I ran four times for at least 30-45 minutes each time. Koa’s getting quite a workout too considering he’s been on every run with me. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a half marathon to train for. They’re either too soon, too far away, or scheduled on the same day as one of the four weddings I will be attending this year. This may be the year of 5Ks and 10Ks. It would be nice to set personal bests in both.

old friends

I went out to dinner with my UCLA girls sans Linda last night. We met up in La Palma (sorta half-way) and had dinner at Panda Inn and then went across the street for pie at Marie Callender’s. It was nice to catch up with some old friends again. It’s been almost 8 years since we all graduated and it’s funny how our lives look so different yet we are all the same people with the same quirks and habits. Sandy’s going back to grad school and so is Mary. Mich just went to Spain last December and Linda’s moving the family to Long Island for her ER residency. Alas, I am here in Irvine with a dog and retarded job. Good times…

Powder everywhere!

We just got back from our 3rd trip to Mammoth and the conditions were unbelievable. They are getting some crazy snow storms that are bringing in light, fluffy snow that is similar to Rocky Mountain snow. Well, I had to see for myself and it was certainly powdery out there!

We went up with Jes’ Ditech buddies including a guy who practically grew up on a snowboard at Jacksonhole (in Wyoming). Even HE was impressed by the conditions and really pushed us to take the more difficult runs. Jes and I recently bought helmets and tested them out on Saturday. We went up to the top and took the single and double black diamonds with much more ease and success this time. The snow was so soft that when you fell it didn’t hurt. It felt more like falling on a giant pillow…it was great. I must have also had a case of “helmet courage” too because I didn’t hesitate as much at the top and made it down with more speed and confidence. The conditions were perfect for challenging yourself. Overall, it was a great trip with very little traffic, stayed walking distance to the lift, shorter lines than usual, and powder everywhere. As Jes would say, “it was the best trip EVER!” For me, it was the best trip…so far.
Photos are not ready yet. Stay tuned.

Let there be light!

I got my Speedlight SB-600 in the mail today and what fun it is! Now I just have to figure out all the ins and outs of this little ditty. I took it to the aquarium last night to test it out but it’s a little annoying to the public when you’re playing paparazzi with the fishies. So, I cut that out after the first 10 minutes. I later took it home and shot some photos of my dog, of course, and nearly blinded him after the 10th shot in a row. I used to be a flash hater but I’ve converted and flash CAN be your friend…sometimes. Check out this photo of my sneakers. I can’t wait to test it out on Cole this afternoon when he and Marie come over. Muhahaha…

3 generations

On Saturday, Cole turned 1 year old. Yay! To celebrate, we had a little party at my parents’ house. It was also the first time I got to see the house with the new floors, paint, and furniture…what a difference!

Anyway, back to the bday party…Cole seemed to enjoy all the attention he was getting that evening. There were plenty of people to entertain him, carry him, and feed him. At dinner, we were reflecting on how we had 3 generations sitting at the table. Boy, we’re all getting so old. My mom and auntie were reminiscing about the old days when both of our families lived in the same apartment building and how my mom would babysit me and Marie each day when we were his age. We were in pretty modest living conditions back then and Marie and I would take turns napping either on the floor or the crib. My mom also said that I’d sometimes find cockroaches on the floor and eat them when she wasn’t looking…mmm…cucarrachas. After dinner, Cole got to sit on the dining table with his birthday cake while everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to him for the first time. He seem pretty interested in the cake and almost got his grubby little hands on it. He attempted to open the present I wrapped for him but seemed more enamored with the glittery paper than the gift itself. It’s too bad he probably won’t remember this little party. He’ll just have to watch the video. Here are some photos of the little shindig.