can't we all just get along?

i had hoped that by electing our first black president we were finally moving forward and past race dividing and defining us in some eyes.  what should've been a victory and celebration of equality is soured by the whiners described in this article. 

it frustrates me to hear that is even being made an issue.  why should michelle obama have to wear a black designer's dress just because she herself is black?  i truly appreciate that she chose AMERICAN designers NOT based on race, but on their talent and what she felt would best flatter her body and match her confidence on that momentous occasion just last week.  it shows she's not hung up on race and didn't feel obligated to represent what some might consider her people. i'd like to think she was celebrating americana at its finest that night and that it gave her husband the right to be elected president and that we as a nation embraced that.  i'd like to think they were celebrating that more than the fact that her husband is our nation's first non-white president.  

as a naturalized citizen in this melting pot of a country, all i ever hope is to be accepted and treated like any other american -- no better, no worse -- for what i look like.  when i applied to colleges and jobs in the past, i debated whether to use my true full name which includes a second middle name (a throwback to my south korean heritage) or check my ethnicity (asian american/pacific islander) just because i didn't want my race to be a factor in whether or not i got into a school or got called in for a job interview.  i'm sure barack (yes, we're on first name basis now) wouldn't have wanted people to vote for him just because he's black and they want to make a statement nominating him.  i'm hopeful he won because we believe he'll do a better job than mccain.    

she made top 10!!

first and foremost, nicole did such an amazing job last night!  loved loved loved the dress, loved that her earrings matched her suit, and damn, that was quite a dance!  (see youtube below if you missed it.)

i was watching the pageant about 30 minutes delayed when i thought to pick up the phone to call my mom to see if she was watching.  (nicole's met my parents on a few occasions both down here in california and up in washington.)  i noticed i'd already missed 2 calls from her and she'd left 2 messages.  without thinking, i listened to them and heard my mom raving about "nicole's bird dance!" doh.  so from the get-go i knew nicole made at least top 10.  i had to turn my phone off after that knowing that nicole had an excellent shot at winning and didn't want my mom or another friend tuning in live to call to revel in her victory and spoil the surprise.  (selfish, i know, but, hey!  i had 3 other viewers with me to consider!)  

...but, .alas, twas not to be. :(  

what a run it was, though!  congratulations, nicole!  

still not sure how she didn't make it to the final round with this routine.  the other girls were sooo boring and ho-hum with their off-pitch singing!  (we all took bathroom breaks during the singing bits.  even shrek's little niece who was watching with us tuned out during the singing.  ha!)  

"hello, lover"

i'm right there with you, carrie (as in carrie bradshaw of sex and the city).  only i'm not cooing about some ridiculous pair of shoes in the window.  oh no, i'm gushing about the ridiculously perfect wallet shrek got me for christmas. 

i must've been an exceptionally good girl(friend) this year!  

dear santa

i'm

 usually so practical when it comes to my christmas wish list.  however, i'm completely infatuated with this wallet.  (the purple and ivory, in particular!)

i know it sounds silly, but i've

 been in search of the perfect wallet for the past 2 years.  i'm at a point in my life where i view my purchases as investments and am willing to be patient until i find exactly what i'm looking for.  also, quality over quantity!  at present i use a man's leather wallet. shrek purchased it for me at nordstrom last year to go 

with/in my little louis vuitton clutch. (seen below.  don't use the long shoulder strap, tho.)

 

 'though it matches the bag perfectly and fits in all of my other bags

 (some are particularly small), it isn't particularly practical for me to carry around to use on its own. it also doesn't have a coin pocket, which i find annoying. the only thing i really like about it is that the leather is excellent  and it keeps me organized with 12 cc slots.  

...too bad i already submitted my christmas list and shopping is complete!  will just have to be extra good until my birthday, now :)

you know you're getting old when...

instead of counting down the days until christmas, you count down the days until vacation.

just today to go and then i'm off for a week!  yippieeee!

just wish i had some snow to frolic in...

wii amatuer

yup, that would be moi.

whilst jetsetter is away, err, jetsetting for christmas, she loaned me and shrek her wii + wii fit.  

1.  i didn't realize i had the wii balance board backwards until, like, after 10 sessions of falling off the tightrope and missing every single soccer ball. 

2.  my arm is super sore even two days after playing wii tennis!

wow, really?

shrek and i were in costco last night when we walked by the book section and overheard a man telling his two kids who looked about 5 and 7: "quit reading those books and go pick out some toys.  i'm not paying good money for books!"

!!!

i caved.

remember how i was saying weight loss is easier this season since no one has money to send gifts/sweets?  

well, we got some today and i totally devoured 2 giant sugar cookies.  i've been bouncing off the walls for the past half-hour!  

tis the season for pho

i'm fairly certain the people at my favorite pho place think i only own one outfit.

despite the economy and my recent commentary on how much i try to cut back on eating out, i still manage to eat pho at least once a week.  i attribute this craving to the weather which is particularly cool and pho really heats me up.  some time between my steaming hot bowl being placed in front of me and going to pay i lose at least one layer (in addition to like a pound of snot -- it totally clears me up!  ...sorry for that tidbit but it's just one more benefit of pho -- i like to think it's why i haven't been sick yet!)  

coincidentally, when it's this cold i like to bundle up in this particularly cozy sweatshirt/jacket i ordered from victoriassecret.com forever ago.  i always pair it with a pair of jeans and my uggs.  yes, the same furry boots i used to make fun of back before i realized how insanely cozy they keep my feet despite their ugg-ly (heh) appearance.  i've really put them to use this winter because of the temp and lack of rainfall.  

so to the point... it's like 54 degrees today, i've got my outfit on (it's casual friday) and i'm craving pho for dinner!  

$4 dinner for two

i think another reason for my weight loss is the economy.  i'm a lot more conscious of how often or not i go out to eat now and what/how much is purchased at the grocery store.  also, instead of eating until i'm full i eat until i'm comfortable and tell myself that i can eat any leftovers for lunch the next day.  finally, we don't keep as much wine/alcohol in stock, because -- though some would beg to differ -- it's not a necessity!

i actually went out to dinner last tuesday with some girlfriends who are a bit older (36-40) and judging by their designer handbags (gucci, louis vuitton), jewels and clothing and jet-setting lives are just a little (har har) more financially secure than i am at this point in my life, just 2.5 years out of college.  anyways, we met at roux on santana row at 7 pm for drinks (i think i mentioned on a tuesday night) and then progressed to dinner around 830.  i'd been to roux before with them so knew to expect some pricey drinks and entrees.  therefore, i made the conscious decision to eat a little something before meeting up with them and to splurge on a $12 drink.  i also don't like going to bed on a full stomach and dinner didn't end until the last bite was taken after 10 p.m, so even though i was teased a bit for not ordering an entree (actually, some of them praised my will-power), i was happy with my decision when i could roll straight into bed that night sans the feeling of a lead ball in my stomach.

oh, which brings me to the title of my blog: shrek and i usually find we eat out for about $22 total, but last night i picked up a thin crust frozen pizza and the two of us ate for $4.  niiiiice.