new laptop!

...and it glows!  :D 

after weeks of research (seriously, this was the 4th weekend in a row i'd visited best buy and the apple store specifically to look at laptops) i finally made a purchase--and i love it!  as you can see, it's not the new macbook which i was lusting after.  instead, i "settled" for the "old" 15.4" macbook pro.  experts aka sales promised me that as long as i wasn't a gamer (i'm not) or did serious design imaging (i don't), i wouldn't notice a difference.  

this is such a dramatic upgrade from my just 4 year old fujitsu, it's amaaaazing!  right now i have safari, iphoto, itunes and ical all running as i transfer all of my music and photos files over while update my calendars with alerts and it's not lagging at all.  i never could've done this with my old comp!  

i think i made a smart move, too, by getting my new laptop financed through best buy instead of buying it from an apple store.  best buy has a no interest for 18 months, same as cash card that i put the total on.  that means instead of just paying it off in like, 2 payments + interest, i can leave money in my savings account to earn interest (and not have to starve myself in order to pay for it--ha!) while making monthly payments of about $100 interest free.  quite reasonable!  

i also got a good 3-year warranty that includes any accidents and parts (i guess batteries for this baby run $250!?) so the warranty practically pays for itself when i--and i will--go in to pick up a second battery in a year.  

thank you, shrek, for being so patient and understanding today as i play with my new toy.  :)

bartending 101

had an impromptu get-together with some girlfriends in "support" of jetsetter's graduation from bartending classes. in preparation for her first gig that friday, she wanted to perfect her drinks--on us--that wednesday. may have made for a long thursday, but, hey, the length you go to for friends! ;) p.s. she's making watermelon mojitos!

where the wild things are

shrek and i went to a costume party last night and got to unveil our costumes. see below for party pics (thanks, maykazine, shrek, and others who contributed to documenting the evening.)  :) haha, check out my friends' "cockblock" and "max from where the wild things are" costumes!

2 thumbs down

doesn't this burger look promising? i'd heard such good things about this new burger place, the counter, on santana row that i urged shrek to try it out with me. (it didn't take too much urging.) unfortunately it was really disappointing and there are too many genuinely good restaurants around here to go back there.

above all, their service stinks. you'd think with the economy as shitty as it is and people not eating out as much, you'd have your best servers on point. not so here. not only are they slow as molasses, but shrek and i watched as our appetizer was served to a couple at a nearby table right after they were seated and still had their menus open. the couple was annoyingly passive and didn't say anything like, "we didn't order this," so we watched them examine our appetizer and let it sit and get cold as we tried to flag someone down. when the mistake was finally acknowledged, our server simply picked the appetizer up and brought it over to our table. i, i think rightfully, didn't want something that was cold and had been possibly picked at, so i sent it back. our burgers also went to that same couple. this time they looked at the plates a little more closely (they'd just ordered) and motioned that it wasn't theirs. once shrek and i finally got our food, i found it really bland, especially for all of the good ingredients on it. shrek and red robin make waaay better burgers for a fraction of the price. which brings me to my second gripe:

this place is way overpriced. 2 burgers ($10 each) + 1 fry trio ($6) + 1 beer = $32. they also brought us someone else's bill. and if had been less than what we ordered, i would've just paid it. but it wasn't, so i, once again, flagged our server down and alerted her to the mix-up. not once did she apologize--just said she'd get our bill. come to think of it, she also never brought the condiments that she offered to serve with our plates, which is annoying. finally, i also overheard another server say to ours that his table left a note on his receipt complaining about his service and mixing their food up, too. man, get it together!!

2 THUMBS DOWN for THE COUNTER on santana row.

this is nuts!

did mother nature forget it's almost NOVEMBER?!

so genius!

how many times have you been at a bar and not had a place to set your purse?

at first i resist placing it on the sticky counter and try to balance it on my lap. but after a few swirls it either ends up, much to my dismay the next morning, on the sticky bar counter top and sometimes, even, on the floor :X BUT NO MORE! oh, and i definitely don't go out with purses this huge. i was just testing it's strength and stability :D

recent finds: mail goggles

yeah, yeah, yeah i know: i'm a little behind on this one seeing as google posted this way back on the 6th and it's already got like 100 links to it!

i haven't had the opportunity to test it out and i really don't actually recall ever wanting to email whilst drunk--just call and text and drink more--but i do find the concept amusing. apparently during the wee hours of the weekend, google's mail goggles will kick in by displaying a similar screen like the one above if you try to send an email. i guess if you're sober enough to solve those problems in 43 seconds or under, you're sober enough to send that email!

my lust list

really only features one item:

the new macbook.





















*drool*

"is there anything he doesn't do?"

last week i overheard shrek getting some major props from our ceo, r, for a job well done running our warehouse. (okay, i didn't just overhear. i may have been filing some paperwork in r's and c's office and they were actually talking to each other over my head.) r specifically praised shrek's attention to detail, planning, and keeping the warehouse clean and organized.

c's response? was directed towards me (and to kinda tease r): "shrek cooks, shrek cleans...is there anything he doesn't do?!" :D

i gleefully told her about the mask shrek was making for me this weekend. check it out!

tips for snoozing with a snorer

i'll begin with a funny story:

shrek's got some super cute nieces, ages 4 and 7. the little one in particular is of an age where it's good and necessary to continually remind her of her pleases and thank yous.

one night after spending the afternoon with his nieces, i poked shrek in the back and asked him to roll over because his snoring was keeping me awake. (it isn't quite so ferocious when he sleeps on his side.)

"PLEASE!" he loudly reminded me, before rolling over.

haha, he didn't even remember saying that the next morning!

anyways, aside from having your snoring partner roll on his or her side, invest in these:

you know what they say about those who assume...

warning: a bit of a rant.

yesterday i found myself explaining, once again, why i am here to a virtual stranger.

while i am proud of my background and how i came to be who, what, and where i am today, i want to share it on my own terms. i don't appreciate nosy questions about it when i know it's prompted solely by my looks. in other words, i feel that in many cases it wouldn't even be asked if i was white--and it's not a good feeling. (but on the flip side, i don't mind when someone asian asks me...does this make me racist and/or prejudice? :( )

yesterday i was hosting two visitors to our office. my ethnicity had absolutely nothing to do with why they were there and i highly doubt the woman (yup, she was white) would've asked shrek, or any other hires for that matter, where their parents "settled from." yet, after asking if i grew up here and commenting on my not having "an accent," she asked me where my parents "settled from." and when she didn't like my answer which was only the honest truth (chicago and iowa), she asked where their parents "settled from."


uhh, well, france, switzerland and ireland.

while a part of me took glee in her obvious confusion and flusteration (like that one?), an even greater part was just annoyed and uncomfortable and i finally caved, handing her the missing piece of the puzzle on a silver platter: "i'm adopted."

it's sticky, dealing with ignorance, because some people are just outright assholes (like ricardo, the drunk who kept asking me who my first president was even after i kept answering, "george washington"). however, many are like this woman: simply curious and trying to make polite conversation (but agitating me). it also doesn't help that i'm a genuinely nice person, so i don't push back as hard as i usually wish i had looking back on the situation.

it's also sticky because i wasn't born in the u.s., so when people ask me point blank where i was born (mostly just wanting to figure out if i'm chinese, japanese, korean, etc.), i actually claim one of those countries as my birthplace. but that's it. shrek and i joke that he's more asian than i am after having grown up down here. (he loves sticky rice, can properly use chopsticks, and just introduced me to pho -- a favorite dish of his -- a month ago). i, on the other hand, am apparently more italian than shrek after my upbringing (lots o' spaghetti!) and studying abroad twice in italy -- and shrek's mom is a santorelli! (i also don't like rice but love spaghetti, have come up with my own "unique" way of using chopsticks and had culture shock when i moved here after being raised in rural washington state for 18 years.)

still, people should not automatically assume i wasn't born here just because of the way i look. i have plenty of friends who look like me (i.e. asian) and were born here. and i have plenty of friends who are white who weren't born here and aren't even u.s. citizens!

i want to go

shrek skyped me mid-day with this terrific find, a masquerade ball halloween party in the city!


Alist Halloween
Masquerade Ball 2008

Co-Hosted by Tony Presents, Sebastien Ent, CrawlSF, and more

San Francisco's Halloween
Mega Event!
LARGEST IN THE CITY

This hallow's eve, beginning at sundown - the mysterious realm of the unknown will come out for a night filled with many treats. Where ghosts and goblins from centuries past party it up with the many superheroes of today- you'll see the fearless dark nights kickin' it with the ominous jokers of the world, the ever-so-attentive nurses and not-so-innocent schoolgirls drinkin’ it up with the steadfast sailors and the 'kool-aid' cowboys, and you may even see a loud lion or a testy tiger gettin’ busy on the dance floor with those hot little kittens…

all in all, whether you dream of genies, french maids, or mini-me’s, just make sure that you make it on out for our “funnest and craziest” party of the year - the Alist & friends Halloween Masquerade Ball!

Costume contest taking place at midnight - prizes for best girl, guy, and group costumes

When:
Friday October 31st
9pm til 2am

Where:
The Westin St. Francis Hotel
335 Powell Street - Union Square - SF

Features:

2 Levels

9 Different Areas

6 Rooms of entertainment and music

Premium Hosted Bar all night long

30 Bars to choose from

Drinks included in ticket price

VIP Section and Bottle Service

Visuals, Props and Decor

Dancers and Performers

Costume Competition

Costumes are Recommended

DJ's and Music Types

David Carvalho and dj ZAQ (hip hop & Mashups)

Vahid, Dirtyhertz, Pheeko Dubfunk, G-Stav (House)

Andrew B, Just Right (Hip Hop & Mashup)

Big Bad Bruce (70's, 80's, 90's)

Blutex, Dr T, DJ Tasse (International)

Eddy Santana, Jeff Morena, Nick G, D:Russo aka Echo (House)

And Many More...

TICKETS

General Admission

Access to all 9 general areas/rooms on both the main and 2nd levels

Access to all entertainment/djs on both floors

All your beverages for the evening

Tickets are only $70

Click Here for Tickets

VIP Admission

Access to all 9 general areas/rooms on both the main and 2nd levels

Access to all entertainment/djs on both floors

All your beverages for the evening

Express Entry

Complimentary coat check at VIP will call

Access to VIP Area

Tickets are only $120

Click Here for Tickets

No tickets will be mailed. You may pick up your tix at the will call booth on the night of the event

21+ w/ID, 25+ preferred

Costumes HIGHLY recommended

Sorry, NO REFUNDS. Please plan accordingly prior to purchasing.

twins?

way back in 2007 i caught the majority of this 20/20 special (intriguing story and worth checking out the link) reporting on the belief that somewhere, right now, there is someone who looks just like you.

interestingly enough, even before the air date, a friend forwarded me a link to another girl's blog citing that when she came across it she did a double-take because the blog's profile photo looked like, well, me!

check out my "twin" here and just try telling me you don't see a resemblance. i actually find it kinda creepy... but i joke with shrek that if things don't work out with us, he can always pursue her. we checked out her profile and it said something about her being a child prodigy in the startup world whilst in h.s. and liking ping pong and dogs -- and shrek's really nerdy like that :P

my costume arrived today!

...and it is FABULOUS! :D the push up bra really works wonders--ha!

can't wait to see the mask shrek makes me. it should be good -- the supplies alone (basic mask, feathers, glitter glue, jewels, lace, big ol' flower) cost upwards of $60!! :X ouch.

i guess i just made up for all those past halloweens i skipped out on from '03-'07.

is it daylight savings yet?

shrek and i have switched our workouts to the a.m. to counter our lack of motivation after work. we were doing so well the past two weeks, last week even waking before our 53o alarm! we were seeing results, too. shrek lost 5 lbs like that (snaps) and i think i toned up a bit. i don't weigh myself but various body parts feel tighter which i attribute to my new approach to working out. before i had a full-time job i use to have the "luxury" of working out for 1.5 hours at a time. (about 50 of cardio + 40 mins of weights and stretching.) now, especially with the new morning routine, i try to get in and get out of the gym in 45 mins tops. this means maximizing those minutes by doing everything at higher levels of intensity--like running faster and on a higher incline--and on an empty stomach. in the past, functioning without at least a little something in my system was out of the question. i remember i'd get so hungry i wouldn't be able to focus and i'd poop out. but i think that had something to do with a faster metabolism and eating sugar at night which breaks down faster than complex carbs and proteins. i've since switched my sweets to after lunch and shrek and i ate at 8 tonight (shrimp scampi sauteed in beer and wine, yum!). so now i'm good with a bowl of cereal + a multivitamin when i get home and before work. (and yes, i've read those articles, too, about not eating after 7 pm :X )

oooh, i majorly digressed.

when 530 rolled around today? (we took monday off since we made it sat and sun!) i kid you not, it was actually painful. even after almost 9 hours of sleep! (yes, do the math and make fun of me.) well, it was painful for me, at least. shrek hopped right out of bed but i rolled around and let my snooze go off a few times before i finally dragged my sorry butt out of it. in short, i'm really looking forward to daylight savings.

cas

my inner nerd really wants me to visit the newly opened california academy of sciences. it houses a fully sustainable 4-story rain forest with a roof that captures 90% rainfall! now, if only they'd create some zip lines through there... :D

could it really be?!

...an arrested development movie in the works?



it's on imdb, too!

seriously?! a double-date story

i came across an article which reported that i currently reside in the nation's second wealthiest city. on average, the median household income is $74,000 with san francisco not far behind in the ranking. i had to give myself a little pat on the back after reading that because that translates into bloated prices for everything (it shows in gas and real estate) and, well, i'm still here! ...in my apartment, with food in my belly and gasoline to get me to and from work. i even have extra cash to take jetsetter's date out for drinks. yeah, about that...

i got a call from jetsetter around 8 pm last saturday. she was on her way to santana row for drinks, dinner and a movie with her most recent suitor, freeloader, and could shrek and i meet them? actually, it was more of a demand. she insisted that we witness the ridiculous freeloading for ourselves which she'd described in dissecting her latest dating dilemma. (or her date's dilemma?)

i guess on their first date in downtown sj back in july or august (a date which he actively pursued!), jetsetter politely offered to split the bill to which freeloader immediately accepted with an, "okay!" and it hasn't stopped to this day. yeah, and i'm pretty sure he's hoping to get laid with those moves! :X

jumping right to it, when the check arrived after dinner and drinks it was placed in front of freeloader. when he finally picked it up to have a look, i caught jetsetter giving shrek, who was seated across from her, a little knowing wink and nod towards her date.

i dutifully handed over my card, signaling to shrek that i had this one. shrek, being a smart ass and aware of the situation, responded rather loudly, "oh thanks, babe, you got this one?" freeloader definitely didn't take the hint and definitely didn't offer to pay for jetsetter. in fact, he suggested, "graciously," that only $30 go on my card since shrek and i only ordered 3 drinks and 1 soup between the two of us (we'd already eaten) and the rest be split between himself and jetsetter. did i mention he ordered one of the more expensive items on the menu + 2 drinks whereas jetsetter had just 2 drinks + an appetizer? and that's how we ended up handing 3 cards to our server (so tacky!) for a tab which i later discovered totaled about $100. that means that with freeloader's stodgy math, jetsetter ended up footing his drinks. and, surprise, surprise, he continued to drink the rest of the night (i think we didn't call it until 3 a.m.) without dropping a dime-- or a thank you!

the movie was forgone in favor of the outdoor tequila bar/lounge where just 4 drinks were ordered. this time the check was set down on a low table separating freeloader and shrek. it was a bit of a stand-off, although more entertaining than uncomfortable since jetsetter and i had a nice buzz going and were chatting away but definitely aware of the white elephant. according to shrek, freeloader had his wallet out resting on his knee with the appearance of paying. assuming we were going to reenact how we paid for dinner (i.e. shrek and i pay for ourselves whilst freeloader and jetsetter settle their share of the tab), shrek placed his card down first. it sat there for a bit until our server came by and picked up the tab. jetsetter immediately realized that shrek's was the only card being whisked away and insisted on paying some of it whilst freeloader sat there and said NOTHING. shrek expressed that he doesn't mind paying for me and my girlfriends to which jetsetter thanked him and said she had lunch next time. and that was that. freeloader neither thanked nor even acknowledged that shrek paid.

...seriously!?

unfortunately my buzz made me insistent that we go to a club. shrek, not feeling it but not wanting to be a party pooper, instead suggested drinking at our place. long story short, freeloader and jetsetter came over and we continued to drink seven and sevens and tequila squirts until 3 a.m. before they left, freeloader managed to complain that we were out of ice but could not manage a thank you!

seriously?!

addendum:
all complaints aside, this story is really more entertaining than anything because i am aware that i can't fully fault the guy for several reasons.

1. we are, but jetsetter especially is, passive-aggressive about thinking freeloader should treat her. if she really feels that strongly about it she just shouldn't offer to pay. or the optimal choice would be for her to find a cool, socially-savvy guy for me and shrek to hang with :D

2. shrek and i were the instigators in inviting jetsetter and freeloader over, so of course he'd be drinking on us! i also know you're not suppose to do things and expect a thank you.

..but, if you're trying to make a good impression on your date's friends all the while trying to win her affections*, seriously?!

*does not imply that my friend can be bought. just that it's nice to be treated once in awhile!

spiraling out of control...

oops. my $23.99 "courtier marie" costume has quickly spiraled out of control into a "masquerade ball ghost" complete with

-$24 dress
-$14 masquerade wig
-$14 petticoat (lends a little more coverage)
-$18 ruffle boycut panties (again, coverage!)
-$29 lacy pushup bra
-$6 lace gloves
-$_?_ venetian masque

fortunately i've already got the stockings and shoes or i'd be in biiiig trouble :X

on the bright side, i've been looking halfheartedly for a pair of skinny jeans to tuck into my boots and damn, did i find a steal today! forever 21 had the perfect fit/wash marked for $29.50, but only rang up as $12.50! i'll have to get them hemmed, of course, but $12.50 for jeans?! makes me feel quite silly for my last 4 or 5 pairs of citizens (of humanity) that retail for $170. ...that's $170 each. :X

Two-Tone Halloween

i fell in love with this "courtier marie" costume after trying it on at a local seasonal store. only problem? it's marked $65! i'm totally cheap and when it comes to chintzy purchases and wasn't willing to pay that amount for something i'd only wear once, maybe once a year. plus, if you want it to be a kick ass costume (which i do), it requires the wig, stockings, shoes, and ruffled petticoat - none of which is included for that price. fortunately i had enough sense to check online and found the exact costume for $24!! also found a -10% checkout coupon and i rationalized that with all my "savings" i could afford the $14 petticoat and $13 wig (already have stockings and shoes). and, yes, now i'm back to $65 with s+h. well, at least i've got the entire costume for that price and not just the half-dress :P by the way, i make a lousy blond, so i got a gray renaissance wig with a spider tangled in it! i'm so stoked to put it all together!


i realize i mentioned a princess leia costume in the last post. my original thought was to complement shrek's han solo costume, but the one my friend lent me is totally nunnish (see immediate left) and perfect for the office but not so for my friend's halloween party later that night. shrek's reaction to me ditching leia for marie? "good thing it's sexy!" ;) although he later skyped me this alternative, seen below. my response? such a cliche!

attachments

way back in may, my dad gave my mom quite the fancy digital camera for her birthday. yes, they were still purchasing FILM up until may! whilst in washington for labor day weekend, my mom begged me to teach her how to get the photos "off of the camera and onto her computer." she had about 500 photos captive on her memory card. thinking this was the perfect opportunity for shrek to earn some brownie points with my mom (plus he's a ton more patient than i am!) i delegated the task to him. i guess he took it one step further and taught her how to email photos as attachments. the result? my inbox was flooded yesterday with a single email containing 80 photos --80!!-- from my parents' recent roadtrip to CO and back. imagine opening an email on your cell phone and having to scroll through the following, plus all the photos were open for me to view... yeah, many thanks, shrek!

Whoa!! I think I finally figured this out and have given you far too many picts. Many Thanks to Shrek for helping me...............L/k Mom

Your message is ready to be sent with the following file or link attachments:
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