"my dog ate my power adapter"

There's a reason why we call him Brindo T. Preston: The "T" is for TROUBLE.

I was sitting at my desk, working on my apps stuff, when the screen suddenly dimmed and I heard a strange beeping noise. I looked down, and there was Brindo, looking at me with that face when he knows he's done something wrong. Next to him was the power adapter and a pool of doggie spit.

"BRINDO!" I yelled, and he scurried away. He knew he was due for a spanking.

I nearly had a panic attack. I won't be going back into the office until Jan 3rd, and I've got four apps to finish before then. Without a power supply, I was screwed - my parents don't have a computer.

Frantically, I called Dell. An obnoxious customer service rep informed me that no retailer sells Dell batteries or adapters, and that it would take about a week for them to ship it to me. I was even willing to pay a rush fee, but no dice. "Well, I'M never buying a Dell, that's for sure," I snapped. I hung up on him as he started to lecture me - AGAIN - about how Dell is superior to other laptops.

A call to the Helpdesk didn't net anything either. "No, I'm not joking," I said, when the guy started laughing. "My dog really ate my power supply."

Unfortunately, no one who would have an adapter was in the office. At this point, I started contemplating buying a new computer, just so I could finish my apps.

I went downstairs, ready to give Brindo a spanking. But one look at that face, and I couldn't do it. Luckily, Dad walked in while I as debating with myself, and did something magical that fixed the wires. I'm back on again, but I'm leaving my cord high up where the dog can't reach it.

mom, technology can be your friend

serena: my mother does not know how to open a zip file
serena: *groan*
karen: well
karen: i don't think mine would either
serena: but its ANNOYING
serena: now i have to send my files to her one by one
serena: and on a modem its taking forever
karen: omg
karen: i bet
karen: i hate modems
serena: i'm trying to walk my mother through the miracle of attachments
serena: she's confused by the fact that i could include more than one per email
karen: huh
karen: hahha
karen: funny
karen: doesn't she work?
serena: yes
serena: but this is the woman who exits then reopens outlook to send/recieve her emails
serena: (i am currently banging my head on the desk)
serena: she said that she only got 6 of the 8 files
serena: i told her to scroll, and she didn't realize she could
serena: (!!!!!)
karen: omg
serena: HOW am i possibl related to her?

Posted 10 minutes later...

serena: omg
serena: the saga continues
serena: i asked my mom to print 2 copies of each essay
karen: zip file drama
serena: yes
serena: its no longer in a zip file though
serena: anyhow
serena: she calls me and says "i can only print one copy of each"
karen: where is she?
karen: at work?
serena: because she doesn't know how to change the paper in the photocopy machine
serena: and is afraid it will run out of paper
serena: !!!!
serena: yes
serena: i thought about telling her that she can print more than one copy at a time, but i figured it would only confuse her
serena: so i let it go

The understatement of the year: "Serena, I'm not very technical." ~ Mom

underwire for men?

I talked to A tonight and told him that I finally picked out his gift. This reminded me of Karen's suggestion that I dress up in some sexy lingerie and show up at his door as his present.

"Hehe," he leered. "I wouldn't mind that."

Roll eyes. "Hon, when YOU decide to wear whale bone underneath your scrotum to prop up your balls, I'll wear a corset for you."

He thought about it for a second (wincing, I'm sure) and concurred that "cotton panties are fine."

Why do we women torture ourselves? Isn't it time that guys spent the effort to impress US?

memoirs of a geisha... and a naughty puppy

Last night, the parents and I went out to the movies. This is a favorite tradition in our household. We all love movies; yet, Mom and Dad never have time to go except during the holidays, and most of my friends have this thing against watching movies in the theatres. ("Its so expensive," they complain of the $10 ticket price, and then proceed to spend $70 on dinner.)

As expected, Mommy wanted to see Memoirs of a Geisha. And, as expected, Daddy didn't. So we went off into separate theatres - me and Mommy for Geisha, and Dad for Narnia.

Despite what my friends have said about it ("hated the Americanized ending", "book was so much better") and what the critics have complained about ("why use Chinese actresses for a Japanese movie in English?"), I actually liked it. Once I learned that they were making a movie, I purposesly didn't read the book - because the movie NEVER lives up to the book. So I had no idea what was going to happen. I do agree that Sayuri's big dance was like she was having an epileptic fit, but it was beautifully shot, and I love most of the actors involved. There just aren't that many famous Asian actors around, and even though I can see why people complained, I still think we've come so far from the days when Ben Kingsley had to put on dark makeup to play Gandhi.

Next on the list: The Producers!

*~*~*~*

Geisha memoirs were not the only highlight of yesterday. Brindo once again proved to be naughty, irrascible, and a total handful. I used to think Bennie was hyper, but Brindo redefines the word.

Each morning, both puppies whine at my door until I let them into bed with me. Bennie just wants some peace and quiet, and Brindo wants to go wherever she goes. Bennie gets annoyed, and hides at the edge of my feet; Brindo decides to walk all over my head. I have so many scratches from him that I look like I've walked through a forest of bramble.

Yesterday, Brindo was so excited by his new dog bowl that he ate everything in it in one sitting. Then he proceeded to chase me and Bennie and his toys around... so much that he ended up puking dog food all over me. I guess I can be thankful that it was dry dog food. Diet dog food at that... our Bennie is still fat, and on a diet. (Only in America!)

This morning, Mom and Dad were painting various rooms in the house. We've bought a new house in PA, and are planning to sell this one soon. Brindo of course picked up a small paint roller, and got it all over the carpet, his bed, and himself. Dad was not pleased. Baby was locked up in the kitchen for a couple of hours, and got a good scrubbing as punishment.

And in the end, I still like my baby better. He's got spirit. I love Bennie, but I've always said - she's too spoiled, and to much of a weenie. (No pun intended.) Brindo's a real puppy. But I can really do without him biting my nose.

on the hunt...

THE GOAL

In the last month, I've realized that I no longer want to lose weight to look "good" or "thin", but that I need to start losing weight for health purposes. I'm hardly grossly overweight - my BMI is at 24, and I'm a happy size 6 - but I'm hitting 30 this year, and want to start establishing a healthy lifestyle that I'll maintain through stress or famine or happy times. I can't keep using the excuse of "no time" to go to the gym, "too much stress" to not eat healthy, or "too much to do" to relax.

Basically, I've come to grips with the fact that I'm an overachieving stressball, and that my life will never be in perfect balance.

An article in Fitness magazine also really woke me up. Apparently, if you have gained more than 11 lbs since high school, you're at risk for diabetes. In addition, people with waistlines over 32 inches are also at risk for health problems. And most importantly, studies have shown that people who weigh less earn more :-)

So this year, I'm getting serious about making a healthy lifestyle a priority. And I don't mean, I'm going on a diet or I need to lose 10 lbs for a this-that event or I'm going to obsessively exercise like I did back in Seattle. I'm aiming to reduce my body fat % by at least 5% and my weight by about 10lbs over the course of the year.

THE HUNT BEGINS

Thus, I'm on the hunt for the perfect diet tracking software/program. What I'm looking for:

• Recommended caloric intake
• Meal and exercise tracker
• Exercise planner: Input my schedule of planned activities over the week to see if I meet them
• Calorie database that includes ethnic foods. The test: Korean food
• Blogging option. If not a blogging option, at least a journaling one.
• Goals/Rewards. Through my discovery, I've realized how important it is to input short- and long-term goals, and associated rewards.
• Associated mood
• Picture upload
• Ease of use and good UI

So far, the most critical test has been the calorie database. Come on, I live in SF and I'm Chinese. There's no way that I'm going to be eating pasta and sauce everyday, and tracking calories from chain restaurants aren't going to cut it! If it takes me 10 minutes to google a recipe or food and then cut and paste the nutritional information, you know its going to fail.

THE RESULTS

In the last 2 days at home, I've searched for and signed up for free trials over probably about 10 programs. (You cannot imagine how hard this is when you're on a modem.) Here are the results to date:

• iShape.com. Sounded really promising. I'm a big fan of Shape magazine, and I like that you are emailed your meal plan and exercise schedule, either the day of or the day before. In addition, there are nice features that I would expect from Shape - i.e., recommended weight training exercises and the right way to do them.
  
  Unfortunately, while I've gotten a the email for today and tomorrow's meal plan, I haven't been able to actually log on to the site. Everytime I log in, I'm prompted to go through my entire preferences profile again, and then at the end it gives me a cookie error. Now I'm not technical queen, but I've tried this on two browsers, with multiple internet security and privacy settings and its not working. I'm contacting Customer Service tomorrow, but in the meanwhile, it gets a big thumbs down for its most important feature: functionality.
  
  
• PersonalFitnessPlanner. I'm also a fan of Fitness magazine - even more than Shape - so I decided to be fair and give it a whirl. Great UI, asked for much more info regarding my measurements than iShape, and it allowed me to specify how much weight I wanted to lose. (Strangely enough, iShape does that for you.)
  
  Hrmph. Then came the kicker: I could not log what I actually ate today. I had something relatively simple and common to American cuisine - poached eggs and chicken apple sausage - but you can only eat what they recommend to you or find a substitute meal. Even substitute foods individually would have been better. I was disappointed and canceled my subscription immediately.
  
  
• myfooddiary.com. Also recommended by Fitness, I checked it out and really like the UI. It seemed to be more of a pure calorie tracker, which seemed more flexible to me after my experience with iShape and PersonalFitnessPlanner, and I was fine with not having a plan or inputting my schedule ahead of time. I liked the fact that they have a "refridgerator", which allows you to save your favorite foods, and that you could customize the activities you commonly do.
  
  The test came when I came home from dinner with the parents and tried to log in my Korean meal. What a pain! It took forever, the recipe builder didn't work as I expected. Plus there's a lot of confusion over how you actually enter in food and whether or not you're finished for the day. I already paid the $9 for the month, no cancelations or free trials. Stay away unless you truly do eat mac n cheese everyday.
  
  
• Others. I also looked at some others, mostly to see what their calorie database was like, with disappointing results. I briefly tried fitwatch.com (the free version), but was disappointed by its UI. StartMyDiet.com had the blogging features, but the site was so misleading - it says that you can use the free version, but it didn't allow you to track foods! - so I decided against that one as well. It seemed sketchy to me. I searched on both About.com and Download.com found a couple of actual software packages that you can download for 30 days, but that will have to wait until I'm back in high speed land again.

THE VERDICT

I guess what I'm looking for is flexibility to customize, and most importantly, a database of ethnic foods. Yes, I understand that Americans are really fat, and that is the audience we're catering to, but no one living in a decent sized city can really succeed without being able to track ethnic food calories. Note to product makers: Look for your sophisticated audience, those are the ones who will pay a price for this kind of service. Or have add on features.

Ironically enough, so far the best site has been Weight Watchers, which I have been using on and off since last year. I didn't really appreciate how easy it was, or how impressive its food database was. Yes, I still need to input my recipes for some foods, and no, it doesn't have the journaling, mood or goal tracking features that I'd like to find. And I'm not sure how I like their exercise tracker. But from a food perspective, its surprisingly the best one. I guess it should be - it costs at least twice as much as comparative programs.

The hunt continues...

a very doggie christmas

My baby Brindo welcomed me home last night by peeing all over me.

It must be love if I think that's cute :-)

I am so happy to be home with the puppies. Brindo's grown so much - he's a champion eater - and Bennie has really mellowed out. Observing the two of them is actually quite educational... I'm not altogether sure that I want to have more than one child now, considering the amount of energy we all spend to make sure they both feel equally loved.

Today, the doggie bowls that I painted for them arrived. So cute! Yeah, they look like they were made by a retarded kindergartener, but as A said, "They're dogs. They're not going to know the difference."

(Pics coming... no hookup for camera here.)

And yet, despite A's contention that dogs are color blind and can't read, they both recognize their bowls.

Being home has been pretty nice so far. I gave my mom my credit card so that I wouldn't be tempted to go out shopping while I was here. It helps that for the time being, I have no clean underwear or bras, so I can't leave the house anyway. I told all of my friends that I wasn't leaving the house. This week is for bschool apps ONLY. I even skipped out on the family Christmas dinner at Uncle Charlie's so I could have some quiet time.

The heater also broke, so we're around the space heater that dad bought. The guy's supposed to come tomorrow and fix it, but I'm starting to wonder if my parents are trying to tell me something. A couple of years ago, when I came home in for 4th of July, the a/c broke. This is not even remotely as miserable... it was 102 degrees all weekend, with 10 people in the house. We had to go to the mall and sit in the car just so we could cool down for a spell!

OK, back to apps. I swear.

out with the old...

So cliche. And yet, never more appropriate than this year. I found a whole new meaning to "decluttering" this year... one that included old friendships that had long ago died, old habits that needed to be broken, new people that made me unhappy, and lots of emotional baggage that I finally tossed - along with 9 bags of size 0 clothes.

One of my friends once commented to me: "You're the only person I know that breaks up with friends." Maybe. Or maybe I'm just more clear cut about it. In any case, I've finally ended relationships with people that probably should have been severed long ago. It makes an amazing difference, when your friends are people that you actually enjoy being around, not ones that you feel obligated to or are friends with out of habit or loneliness.

More importantly, I learned to let go of new relationships that weren't making me happy - both friends and boys. Some people might say I'm mean, insensitive, or a bitch. None of which I deny. But what the hell is the point of sticking around with people that you just complain about? Is there really a reason to be friends with someone just because you once dated? Stay friends with someone because, once, long ago, they did something nice?

Maybe I should say "Out with the Catholic guilt" instead. As kinorvelle pointed out - "It ain't worth hanging out with the guy working the hot dog stand." Especially when you find someone else that makes you happy.

home is where the tivo is

For the past 5 days, I've felt like I've been in corporate housing. Neither Eric nor Philippe are here, and I've just moved into a new place. The first couple of days I spent unpacking my room - and even though I still have to assemble my bed, its relatively ok. However, I've completely neglected the living room, so it was a disaster area with boxes, and bags, and half-assembled furniture everywhere.

I couldn't take hiding in my room anymore, so on Tuesday, I went through the whole place and put it (relatively) together. I can't really assemble the entertainment center by myself - A is in Michigan, and both the boys are gone - but I did everything else, including moving the couches around and putting stuff back where it belongs.

Tonight, I put the final touches - I hooked up the Tivo! Man, how I've missed TV. The other good thing about television (besides the fact that it relaxes me like nothing else can) is that you don't feel quite so alone at home. I finally spent time in the living room, just catching up on Alias, Nip/Tuck, and Bones.

I also finally organized the mess of wires from the cable modem in my room and set up my new laptop. OK, its not "new" per se, buy my manager let me have my ex-co worker's after she left. Its SO MUCH BETTER - I had the old Dell Latitude, and it literally strained a muscle in my back. Not only is it at least 5 lbs lighter, but oddly enough, the resolution isn't quite as high. Which means that I don't even need a monitor in order to see! Yay! I hooked up all of my peripherals, including a keyboard that is making all the difference, and suddenly, I am inspired to work on my applications again. I think I might even bring the keyboard with me, it helps so much.

Yeah, its totally silly, but anything that will get my ass moving for the last week of apps is a GOOD thing.

Can I just say how nice it is that my whole house doesn't reek of pot? I'm hardly opposed to it on a moral level, but seriously - Lauri smokes up in the morning before work! That's a little too extreme for me. I still kind of expect the scent to blow through the house when the heater comes on, but I can appreciate breathing again.

painting dog bowls

Last night, I went over to Terra Mia to paint dog bowls. My mother was telling me how Bennie and Brindo were fighting over the food, and I was wondering why they were sharing a bowl. So I decided to get them custom dog bowls for Christmas.

Yes, its sad that I spent more time and effort on Christmas presents for my puppies than for my family or my boyfriend.

Despite the torrential downpour and the rush (I only had 45 mins, as I was meeting Karen for dinner), painting was a blast. I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown yesterday because of delays in product releases at work. Painting was amazingly relaxing, and I'm definitely planning on going back when I have more time... I might even make it a regular relaxation exercise!

Of course, I have absolutely no talent, so the dog bowls look like they've been painted by 5 year olds :-)

Afterwards, I rushed over to Chez Papa to meet Karen for dinner. I wanted foie gras, but they had already sold out the last one! Wah! We more than overcompensated by killing a bottle of wine between us and spending $99 on dinner per person. "I have to see you less often," Karen remarked as she tucked away her credit card. "Its expensive going out with you." Thankfully, the dinner, the company and the painting made me feel SO much better.

its just like 1999!

Let's see...

• I love my job
• I'm working downtown
• I've just moved into a new place and it feels a bit like corporate housing (mostly b/c both roomies are gone)
• My boyfriend is in Japan for New Years
• Its raining cats and dogs
• I'm looking forward to more changes in the upcoming year

Actually, its a bit like 2002 as well - except I was looking forward to the New Year because I'd just broken up with my boyfriend and was happy to be myself again :-) And, well, I was in Seattle at the time, which gives a whole new meaning to RAIN. (Think Noah's Ark.)

But there's one big difference between 1999, and even 2002 - I'm happy. In 1999, I was miserable because I'd just moved to SF, didn't know anyone, thought NY was the only place to live, and had to work out next to nasty, Diet Coke-guzzling dot-com developers at 24 Hour Fitness. Now, I have great friends, a boyfriend that actually makes me happy, not angsty, a robust social life (yes, Robusteam - I said that for you!), a beautiful new apartment, and a job that I love.

Plus, I'm just happier with myself in general.

In the past 3 days, I've realized what a terrific year its been. Finally, I think I'm shedding some of the old baggage and clutter that I've held onto - and we're talking emotional, friend-wise, and material-wise. Of course, its had its ups and downs - and being stressed out for FOUR STRAIGHT MONTHS due to bschool apps and GMATs was not the most fun I've ever had. But that's stress I can handle. Besides, it'll be worth it when I get into Harvard.

I guess I should finish my app first ;-)

P.S. Its so nice to actually live in a place where the shower doors both open, the bath mat doesn't get stuck under the door, the heater actually warms you up, the house doesn't smell like pot at 8 am, and there are no homeless people camped on your doorstep. Did I tell you that I love my new place?

"you know, today's a crappy day to move."

Thanks to the 19 people who made that comment today. Me included.

After almost 4.5 years at 20th and Lincoln, I've finally moved out and into the original ESL household in Potrero Hill. I don't know what took me so long... I LOVE my new place.

Of course, I had to choose the day that it literally poured rain nonstop to move my buttload of stuff. It wasn't just my bedroom furniture (which is far more vast than it sounds, considering the size of my former room), but also two couches, an entertainment center, pots and pans and dishes galore, artwork, a dining room table set and I don't know what else. When you live somewhere, you tend to accumulate a lot of crap. And even though I got rid of A LOT of crap, it was still a chore.

And before you ask, yes, I'm leaving this summer. I'm moving because it was an exercise in downsizing. Yes, I know how much it sucks to move.

As expected, the day was an adventure. The movers I had originally engaged via Craigslist never confirmed, and when I called, did not have me on the schedule. I hung up in a huff and canceled the order, getting a last minute moving company and A's consternation. The girl who was living in my new room emailed me last night about using my movers. "Only if you want to front $150 depending on how long it takes," I replied not-so-sweetly. She declined, decided I'm a bitch (which I am), and got her shit out of the way in time.

We ordered pizza, and it arrived 1.5 hours later. Already in a mood, I called them up and complained, resulting in a 1/2 off discount. A was again skeptical of my attitude - oh ye of little faith. He will soon learn that I am the queen of getting things comped. Just ask Karen. She's taking lessons from me.

And of course, the movers didn't speak English. At all. Luckily, this is SF so they all spoke Chinese. "Are you from China?" they asked me. "No, I was born in Taiwan," I replied. They looked at me with a little bit of pity, then very nicely said, "Its ok, we're all Chinese people."

Moving went relatively smoothly until we actually got to Potrero. I live on a one-way street on a hill, and we couldn't park the van outside of the house. So we ended up having to move in the rain uphill 1/2 a block. The couch didn't fit, and I forgot my dresser.

But all in all, I'd have to say that it was probably one of the smoother moves I've done. For once, I wasn't packing up until the movers came, as I've been packing all week. I even had time to kill! I got rid of my punching bag and my elliptical for cashish. And even though the place is a mess, I'm so glad I'm here. My room is 1/2 the size of my old one, and I like it!

OK, rambling from tiredness. Sleepy now...

sitting down for a moment

Sigh. This is one of the first times I've had to sit down in the last few weeks. Crazy! Between work, Project training, bschool apps, and moving, I've been a stressball. I CANNOT wait until Jan 15th, when the last of my bschool apps are due, and I'll be all settled into the new house in Potrero. Even better, work should be calmer after the 20th when HiPer and Process both are done launching.

Of course, this is sort of a lie, since I've got losing weight, GREs , and the SIPA and Wagner School apps still due in early Feb, not to mention the PMP certification in April. But really, it can't be worse. As I explained to A when he asked me if I was always this stressed out, I do get stressed out like this a couple of times a year, but all of it has just been compressed into one extended period.

On a separate tangent, I am in the midst of some *major* PMS. I honestly have never had it this bad before... I'm randomly bursting into tears, even though there's nothing to be upset about, and have probably consumed about 10,000 calories in the last 3 days. Let's see... burger/fries/orings on Friday, pizza/wings/biscuit/ranch sauce yesterday, and then a big-ass burrito today. Yuck.

I usually craving a spot of chocolate and am bloated around this time, but a couple of weeks ago I got food poisoning and started puking up my bc. Of course, that meant that I have to wait for my next cycle to start taking the pill again, so I think the on/off thing is making my system funny. Poor A. He gets to see stressball Serena and PMS Serena all at the same time.

*Burp.* Back to bschool apps. At least I'm ahead of schedule with packing...

*gnash teeth*

I hate moving. So much! But this is a good exercise in downsizing... I've thrown away more of my life than I thought was possible. This is a good thing. I don't know if I would have been able to handle it if I was actually moving across the country right now.

In other news, I have completely neglected my bschool apps, and have dropped Sloan from the list. Grrr. I'll be working on them tonight, post dish-packing.

tweak tweak - let's go!

just call me robust-a-gut

Call me a traitor to my culture, but I'm NEVER eating Chinese food again.

I just suffered possibly the worst 24 hours of my life... second only to my bout of food poisoning in Thailand. That was expected... I ate raw oysters off a street stand in Bangkok. This was not - I ate at a restaurant that I've been to hundreds of times. Not only did I get food poisoning, I got it in the most painful way ever.

Nausea. Puking. Stomach cramps. Chills. Dizziness. I really thought I was going to die, and at many points, really was hoping that I would.

Now I'm sort of back to normal, minus 5 lbs. Best diet ever. I was never the same after Thailand. I'm fairly certain that I left my large intestine there.

Blech.

puppies!

I have a bunch of stuff to post, but I currently either have food poisoning or appendicitis and am too busy throwing up.

However, I did want to share pics of the puppies... We got another one on Friday! His name is Brindo, and he's only 8 weeks old. Look at that face! Not that my Bennie isn't still the cutest things ever, but, well...


The Benner


So cute!


One looks like Mom, one looks like me...


Bennie is so fat now I can barely hold her


Look at that face! Brindo!


My favorite picture...


Brindo thinks I'm his mommy





I already miss them. I can't wait to get one of my own!

POPday (1 week late)

Last Sat, ePop celebrated his three... oh! bday with a humungous dinner at the Thirsty Bear, and then a gathering at POP! - a party at a non-club, where we didn't/weren't allowed to dance, and had no pop music whatsoever.

But dinner was good :-)

There were about 18? 20? 40? peeps at Thirsty Bear. And we didn't have reservations! All I can say is thank gawd Thirsty Bear is no longer as popular as it used to be. Megan and I got there and basically started snagging tables to string together. We felt like tools for a bit while we waited for everyone to show - it was just 4 of us and 7 tables - but then it was all good.

As always, it was great to have our Robusteam reunion... with one conspicuous absense (*ahem, horse*). We inducted 2 new members - Fernando, a.k.a. Robustahousewife, and Karen, aka Robustafina. Actually, I think I'd like to change Fern's name to Robustanando. He doesn't always look like Carlos from DH or a dirty old man :-)


Isidro, Greg and Laura


Greg, Heather and two people who's name I can't remember


Being molested by Robustahousewife


Megan, ePop and her tubey top


Um, can you tell me when you're actually going to take a picture?!


Me, Caro and Clydo


Dirty old man gets some right back at him!


"Yuck! This is an orange peel!"




Eric: "Everyone over 30 get in the picture!"
Clyde reacts.


Isidro and Laura looking sexy.


Isidro looking not quite so sexy.

There were also some random cleavage shots later in the night, but I'm not going to post those :-D

After lots of food and not enough sangria, we headed over to some weird club for POP. I knew that it was slightly suspicious when we saw the "No Patron Dancing" sign on the door. And the trance didn't sound even slightly pop-like. But there were $5 steins of beer. Which was good enough to get us going, and get me, Clydo and Fern out the door and to Wastelands, where we danced with gay boys kand scarfed on pizza.

yeah, yeah...

... I know. I have a million things that need to be posted. Sorry, its been a couple of weeks from hell. One that included a futile 3 hour trip to the DMV, a lost wallet, and the realization that I need to take the f***ing GREs.

Bleh.

who wants to be my cousin?

kevin: by the way, do you know anyone named grant or scott kwan?
serena: no
kevin: ok
serena: i don't fraternize with asian ppl
kevin: because my friend eric got a picture from his friend of australia
kevin: that i recognized
serena: ...?
kevin: it is the picture that was on your door
serena: which picture
kevin: the one with you punching your roommate
serena: huh
serena: how weird
serena: are you sure its me?
kevin: it's the exact same picture
serena: nuts
kevin: and eric's friend says you're his cousin
serena: you're my cousin
kevin: is there any family we have that you're not telling me about? :]
kevin: YES
serena: as far as i know, you're the only cousin i have
kevin: ok
serena: any other cousing i hve are in taiwan and/or are also your cousins
kevin: so that is quite bizarre
serena: maybe he means that one of the guys is his cousin
kevin: eric wants you to know that scott kwan is a dick
kevin: that's what i thought

halloween hiding

I noticed something about myself today. This past year, I tend to duck in and hide whenever there's a big SF hoo-ha going on. During Bay to Breakers, I holed up at home to study for the GMATs. (Unsuccessfully, as it turns out... 'twas the day of the infamous Fernando-Beeramid fiasco.) This weekend, I'm avoiding Halloween festivities in favor of finishing my Berkeley essays.

Gawd, I'm getting old.

But seriously, I've done the drunken reveling in the Castro. I've done the drunken reveling in the clubs. I've done the drunken reveling at the house parties. And I just don't feel like being drunk anymore. Beyond the fact that I'm still completely hungover from way too many Sweet Georgias last night at Fly Bar.

So here I am, on a Saturday night, the weekend of Halloween, with my phone off, buying music from the iTunes Store. Which, btw, is a frickin' amazing thing... $9.99 for a whole album, and it just downloads! Beats shopping on Amazon. I'm (legally) loading up on some music that I've been meaning to get for ages, and rediscovering my appreciation for Fiona Apple.

\m/

On a completely different note, my cousin just got back from volunteering in Nola - which I never knew stood for New Orleans. Somehow, we've become a family of do-gooders. Or at least our generation has. I'm so proud of him! *Hug*

"It's no use reminding yourself daily that you are mortal:
it will be brought home to you soon enough."
~ Albert Camus

There are times when you realize that all the things you worry about on a day-to-day basis, all the anger or frustration you feel in relationships and insecurities, and all the stresses that seem so huge, really mean very little.

In the past few weeks, I've experienced 3 crises of mortality that illustrates just how little these things matter when it comes to your loved ones. First, my yearly thyroid checkup came out as negative. For those of you who don't know, I have an enlarged thyroid, and had a serious cancer scare about 4 years ago. I had to go in for an x-ray, a cat scan (or MRI? I always get those two confused), and then finally a biopsy. In those three days, the tests kept telling me that it might be a malignant tumor. In the end, it turned out to be benign, and something to watch. And every year since then, I've gone in, gotten my scan, and been sent on my way.

A couple of weeks ago, I went in, and they called me that afternoon. "You need to come back the next morning to do some more tests," they said. "Your results were irregular." I was flooded with the fear that I experienced years before. It turned out ok, but I had to wait a weekend before I was cleared.

More recently, my mother became the target of a life-threatening attack. I won't go into details because its very, very personal, but suffice to say that her and my stepdad's lives were deliberately threatened by someone very close to me. I think this scared me more than the prospect of having cancer. My mother is close to 60, and despite my very large stepfamily, really the only person I have left in this world. Its always been me, her and grandma, and since grandma passed in 1999, we've been each other's best friends. I had to choose between that someone that threatened her, and her - and there was no question. I cried over the threat, I cried over the potential loss of my mother, and I cried because I had to take steps to make sure that it would never happen again. I hurt that someone important to me very much, but what could I do? I already feel all alone in this world sometimes - shunning intimate relationships as I do - I can't bear to lose the one person that I love more than anyone else in the world.

Then, today, I heard that someone that I've been on not-so-good terms with recently was in an accident. It didn't seem to be serious, but we still haven't heard from him. And worry has been gnawing away at my insides. Suddenly, it seems that all the reasons that I hated him for hurting me seemed so inconsequential. Yes, I still feel deeply hurt and betrayed. But what's more important is that he's ok. How I will react when we hear from him, whether I will express my relief, I don't know. If he never knows that I care, it doesn't matter. But if I had a choice, if I could make the choice to erase the last few weeks of anger and frustration between us, I would.

Every day, we live in little boxes built from fears and insecurities. Those emotions overwhelm us and obsess us, but in the end, what do they really matter? As Camus said, when we are faced with ours and our loved ones' mortality, it is brought scathingly, searingly home. And now that it has been, I am abandoning those little boxes as best I can, and choosing to appreciate the love and life that God has given me.

myth's fabulousness no myth

Karen and I, the ultimate foodie-gluttons, have come up with a new standard for restaurants. If we *crave* going back there, with all the hundreds of amazing restaurants in the Bay Area, then it is beyond fabulous.

Myth just made the top of that list, toppling A16 by stretches.

Friday was a frantic day at work. Issues, emergencies, 2 new projects, and trying to squeeze all the meetings from the past week into one day. I'm pretty sure that I didn't even go to the bathroom until around 5 - which is saying something, considering that I have the world's smallest bladder. So I was brain dead and ready to relax when we headed to our 6:00 reservation at Myth, which was recently named the Best New Restaurant by Zagats.

After eating there, there is NO doubt as to why.

One thing about Myth is they do a terrific job with portions. Some might consider the portions to be too small, but as Karen and I love trying different things, the sizes are just right. We were able to try several dishes without becoming overly full.

We started out with a Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Poached Pears and Duck Confit. The duck was absolutely divine, and the soup just sweet enough. We were then brought the star of the night - a 1/2 portion of Garganelli Pasta with Foie Gras Cream, Maitake Mushrooms and Marsala. OHHHHHHH. To die for. Simply the most amazing thing I'd ever had. It was like the foie gras from Piperade in flavor, but not as greasy or heavy. The mousse was light, and complimented the pasta perfectly, and the mushrooms added just the right touch.

I wasn't sure that anything could top the pasta, but we were very impressed with the pizza. We got a split pie of Grilled Prawn Cocktail Pizza and the Prosciutto di Parma, because Karen and I couldn't agree. Thank God we did both! The Prawn Cocktail sounded very odd to me, but was surprisingly succulent. However, it could not compare with the Prosciutto, which was accented with figs and carmelized onions. Superb!

We also ordered the Butterfish with Salsa Verde. It was tender and flavorful, but the best thing about it was the pea shoots. Still hungry, and not ready to stop tasting, we ordered a 1/2 portion of the Risotto with White Truffle Oil. Again, portion was perfect, taste was exquisite, and it ended the evening just right.

Of course, we still ordered dessert - but it was lighter than our usual chocolate-laden fare. It was a Chilled Poached Pear with Mexican Chocolate Soup and Creme Fraiche. Yummy and refreshing all at the same time!

And I haven't even started talking about the wine. After trying a couple of things, we settled on a McManis Petite Sirah that was juicy and very, very nice. Suprising, especially since it was really young - only a 2004.

There's no question that I'm going back to Myth. And it helps that its only 3 blocks from work :-)

chopping down the (plum) tree

Its official - my company, Plumtree Software, has been officially acquired by BEA Systems. The deal closed yesterday. We're now BEAns instead of Plumtreevians.

This week has been chock full of activity to say farewell to our dear old independence. On Monday, the PMO and PM teams had its offsite in Larkspur, when everyone got into canoes and paddled along for the races. I, of course, didn't got - seasick and non-swimmer that I am - but I did join the group for drinks and really fried foods at Marin Brewing Company. On the way back, Kim, Shaari, and Matias piled into my Mini, where they gobbled down Mini Milanos, quizzed Matias on GMAT questions, and broke my passenger seat.

On Tuesday, we pretended to do work for a little while, and then had an all PDO meeting where some sad farewells were announced. As it turns out, Eric Zocher *did* leave, so I guess I owe an apology to my anonymous rumor-spreading friend, even though he still spread a rumor :-)

Wednesday was our Farewell Picnic. At 9:30, we gathered in Cafe Plum to get instructions on our Scavenger Hunt. I was on a team of the most Type A personalities you can imagine - myself included - which included 3 Program Managers, 2 VPs, our corporate counsel and 2 Product Managers. We all thought we were doing so well, until we got to the finish line and realized we came in 7th! Well, it was my fault with the final clue in any case, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

(Pictures courtesy of Andrei and his Flickr.com page, as my camera crapped out on me.)


A scavenger hunt team looks for clues


Adrian justifies our spectacular 7th place finish


Sadia just laughs at us

Afterwards, we took a shuttle bus over to Fort Mason for our picnic. Jay Simon broke the bus door with his anxiety to get on first, and we almost locked the bus driver in! To make matters worse, Matias grabbed the mike and started, er, something. He got the dirtiest look I'd ever seen, and the mike taken away from him.


Volleyball in the back yard of the Officer's Club

The Picnic was suprisingly fun, helped greatly by the abundant beer and good food from Asquew Grill. I joined the "We're No. WAN" trivia team, which was comprised of all Asian ppl and Mark H, and we actually won the trivia! Whoo! Unfortunately, we got jipped... all we got for our hard work were golf balls. Three of my co-workers won Plasma large-screen TV's, and the winning scavenger hunt team ("Cheaters!") at least got a bottle of champagne.


Kim and Shaari laughing over beer


ChexMix won - CHEATERS


Traunza hedges her bets with 200 raffle tickets - and wins 4 prizes!


Christine won a 6 mega-pixel camera from Nikon. We heard her screaming from miles away.


The laboriously built mini golf course


Don tests his putting skills


Dean points accusatory axes at Ross

Afterwards, a much smaller group of us headed to Bus Stop, some random bar in the Marina, and proceeded to drink way too much PBR and Bud Lite. I think I learned how to play pool, but I'm pretty sure that I was just being humored because I was drunk and short.

Thursday was harsh. Made even harsher by our "BEA Welcome Party" that consisted of being herded into BEA's cafeteria and meeting no one.

Today, we finally had to get back to business. It was not easy, considering that all of my projects are in a critical time, and we essentially wasted an entire week. Ah well. It was a well-deserved celebration. Even though I barely knew Plumtree, I'm sad that its gone. *Sniffle* But most of the great people are staying... and that's what matters.

At least my ex doesn't still work for BEA...

ANNOYED!

It took me so damn long today to (a) book my plane ticket for Thanksgiving, (b) make a PTO request and (c) figure out next week's schedule - both personal and work - due to all the BEA activity that's going on. Grrr. I *hate* wasting time on things that should have taken a grand total of an hour. Grrr. Especially since I have only 2 weeks to finish my Berkeley app! Grrr.

I did manage to find a fabulous dress for the wedding in mid-November. I had to order it online because none of the SF stores seem to carry this particular color, but I did try on the black version in the store. The small is just a smidge too tight for me... BUT I ordered it in both small and medium. I'm being optimistic that I'll look hot in the small in 4 weeks.

That is, if I can sneak a workout next week with all those offsites, farewell parties, welcome parties, and the like.

Grrrr.

training diary, week 9: baby, i'm back

I'm not only back on track, but on a f****ing roll! Since everyone's been gone at Odyssey this week, I've managed to work out every day at lunch, except for Wednesday. Plus I'm pretty sure my metabolism is going up, because I've become this non-stop eating machine.

*~*~*~*

Training Diary, Week 8
Weight: 127.5 lb
Body Fat: 30% - Yeah, haven't been measured
Fitness Level: "I'm the king of the world!"


Me and Caro at Koh Samui, 10/13

Workout Record:

• Sunday, Elliptical @ Home, 30 mins
• Monday, Elliptical @ Home, 30 mins; Weight Training, 60 mins
• Tuesday, Elliptical @ Gym, 30 mins
• Thursday, Elliptical @ Gym, 24 mins; Weight Training on BOSU, 45 mins
• Friday, Personal Training with Mark, 60 mins
• Saturday, Elliptical @ Home, 30 mins

*~*~*~*

I feel good. I'm once again back to my endorphin junkie addiction state - on Friday, I was meeting Mark at 4:00, but by noon, I desperately wanted to work out, because I was so used to going at lunch!

The one thing I definitely noticed is that it takes a few weeks for the affects to show on your body. For example, my McDonalds-junk food rampage a few weeks ago showed up last week (yuck!) and inspired me to start pushing the limits. So I'm not terribly worried that I don't see immediate results.

The best part of my renewed (real) love for fitness is that I feel like myself again. I remember that for years, I was the active one who loved moving, who was in great shape, who was stronger than you would expect a 5'2 chick to be, and who was a total endorphin junkie. These past couple of years with the nasty fatness and lethargy have just been horrid... Its like the sensation you feel when you take cold medicine and your head is in a bubble. You know its temporary, but you don't feel quite yourself. Except that my body was in a bubble (of fat!). I don't care what anyone says - I can accept that I'm not going to be a size 0 again, but I refuse to accept that I will be out of shape just because of my age.

In other fitness-related news, I talked to my mommy yesterday, and she weighs less than me! She still claims to be a size 12 - which I think is bullsh!t because I'm sure she hasn't gone and tried on new clothes - but she weights 125 now. I'm so proud of her! She lost 20 lbs. PLUS, her doctor gave her adjusted medicine for her cholestrol and diabetes because she made so much improvement.

Mommy and me are the dynamic duo this week :-) Ok, I'm going to work out now...

gratuitous puppet sex (a.k.a. caro's bday)

Last night, we celebrated darling Carolyn's 28th bday (such a young pup!) by dining at Koh Samui and the Monkey, and then heading out for some 80's fun at the Cat Club.

Dinner started at 8, but of course, most of us were late. It was Carolyn, myself, Caro's friends Jessica, Vicky, and Sarah, and the two Erics. Clydo was at rehersal with SoulForce for the upcoming SF Hip Hop Dance Fest, and was missed! We finally got around to ordering food and wine after the waitress came back three times... *stress!*

For dinner, we had some lovely traditional Thai dishes - yellow curry chicken, prawns with asparagus, corn fritters, and pad thai - as well as some of Koh Samui's specialties, including an amazing soft shell crap accompanied by cucumber vinagrette. Our wine - a Cote du Rhone - was not quite so amazing, but then again, it only cost $22 for the bottle, so we weren't expecting that much.


Caro plays Emo


... but can't help but crack up.


"Hide me from these freaks!" laments Eric H (aka "Horse")


"I serve you corn fritters, my lady."


Hey, its the girl's birthday


We caught Vicky with a pic, despite her hiding all night

However, the desserts were wonderful; I especially liked the mango with sticky rice, but the fried banana with ice cream was great as well. Jessica also brought Caro a mini-cake - a white chocolate mousse that was very mild, yet still delicious.


"I'm turning one!"


I'm Chinese, I eat everything with chopsticks


"May I have some moose?"



Afterwards, we had to get our lollipops and take group pictures, of course. (OK, I instigated that, since I'm the camera whore.)





At that point I was ready to head home since I'm a weenie and obsessed with my bschool applications right now. But ePop (now also known as "Robopop") threatened to carry me to the Cat Club ("You grab one butt cheek, I'll grab the other"), so I ended up tagging along for about an hour.


"Leave my buttcheeks alone!"


"Eh?"

Some of Caro's co-workers were waiting for us there, and we ran into ePop's ex-gf from four years ago. Ironically enough, she used to live at 20th & Irving as well - on the other side of Irving. We toasted to Eric having had sex on both sides of the street and busted a move.


Eric makes a new friend


Jessica busts out the 80s hair


Jessica, Sarah and Eric Pop


The reunited Robusteam - minus Clyde, but with our newest member


Serena and the Two Erics - a girl band, only missing dog collars


Serena: "Why do you always look away from the camera?"
Eric: "So I don't get red eyes."

Camera + the Robusteam and alcohol = some weird-ass picture taking. It all started with Caro touching Eric Pop's boob...


"Yuck, your boob makes me want to puke!"


"Oh my..."

... and ended in a contest about which Eric could get the most women molesting him.


Um.


Eric H gets jealous and ups the ante with three girls!

All in all, another fantastic night with my favorite people. Happy bday, luv!

Quotes of the Night:

I dislike gratuitous puppet sex. ~ Carolyn

Excuse me sir, do you have nuts? ~ Eric Pop