Amazon Wish List, Updated for 2010

Since Ards mentioned it, I updated my Amazon wish list.

This is no way a solicitation of gifts, but here's my preference list:

1. Flip camcorder or digital camera, so we can take videos of Popo (not on Wish List)
Psst, they're cheap at Costco.
Psst2, for digi-cam, I'm OK w/ anything w/ rechargeable batteries & takes SD cards.

2. Salt grinder
3. Travel bag
4. Wet bag
5. Jar opener
6. Robot plates

Oh, I should have looked for cilantro seeds for my AeroGrow planter.
I'll drag it out after the event season is over.

Dim Sum w/ Baby Roo

Today, we went to eat dim sum at 888.
Although we woke up late (9:15am), so we got there 30 mins late (supposed to be there at 10am).

It was our first time meeting Nay & Jay's baby Roo.
Oh, and Sat, Ards & Panda were there too.

Panda offered us the correct "Chinese broccoli."
Not "Panda's Chinese broccoli."
Good.

Since we got there late, we didn't get to eat much... but it was enough.

Ards said baby Roo was getting bigger, but she was still lighter than Popo. Baby Roo's thighs were still thin, but she'll bulk up and have thick chubby thighs like Popo in the next 6 weeks.

Oh, but baby Roo's hands were bigger than Popo's (!!)

I'll have to get my butt down to South Bay, so we can have a let's-watch-them-sleep play date.

Obon Fest 2010, Part 1

We went to the Senshin Temple obon festival today.

I didn't even know there was a Japanese Buddhist temple near USC, but maybe it's for the Japanese-American folks who live in the Arlington Heights area? Altho the ones in Little Tokyo are just as close.

Near the entrance.

I forgot to wear the G*mers hapi coat before we took the picture. Fail!

This obon fest is different from all the other ones I've been to... since it only has three food booths. One for spam onigiri & oden, one for snow cones & baking sale, and one for hotdogs & chili rice.

No kalbi or other Hawaiian BBQ-ish stuff, no okinawa dango, no kuri manjuu.
Le sigh.

Oh, there are no gaming booths, yard sale (bazaar) booth, nursery (plant) booth either.

Just a bon odori circle and those three food booths. Plus the usual raffle.

They did have a bunch of candles lined up on a table in a different courtyard, but we didn't stay for the lighting ceremony. But they look beautiful in the photos I saw. We just couldn't stay that late w/ Popo around.

We watched a bit of the bon odori.
I only recognized one song/dance out of five.

We left before it got dark b/c Sat got cold.
And we went to Little Tokyo to eat ramen at Koraku. Too bad it was too late to go to Hanaichi. Maybe next time.

Three Month Mark

So it's been three months in my semi-home confinement *laugh*

Physically, I'm doing pretty good.
Walking daily w/ Sat & Ards is probably helping a lot. I'm still out of shape, but been so for over 10 years, so I'm not too worried about it.

I'm down to my original weight... which is good, but not so good, cuz I could lose more poundage. I'll work on that in the next three months.

Now I'm going to do a test run of working in the real world.
I'll be working two days next week, acting as tour guide of the LA geekdom. Hopefully I'll have the energy to be out all day (and driving all day too!)

And somewhere along the day, I have to find time to make Popo's breakfast/lunch/dinner. I will have an ice chest in the rental car.

And we'll see how Popo handles the day w/o me.
But じゅるる will be home, so she should be fine.

Dinner @ Versailles

Today, during the middle of our walk, Sat & Ards decided they want to go eat at Versailles.

Hm... I had dinner plans involving leftovers.

Sat texted じゅるる, and I called Ichigo to see if she was okay watching Popo... and off to Versailles we went.

One thing... they renewed their menus.
And two... they renewed their menus & raised the prices.

Well, it was awfully cheap before.

As for the food, it seems like their garlic sauce got more sour (lemon-y) than before. And the shredded pork portions got smaller? The chicken got bigger, tho (but also is $3 more than before).

I was sad that the toast wasn't covered in the garlic sauce either. We probably got a bad batch, but the frequency of the bad batches is getting higher.

But the food is still good.
And moderately priced.
And the service is good.
So we'll go back... just not as frequent.

Smart Phone Debut?

Since Sat & Ards had a Karate Kid date tonight, I went on our daily walk alone w/ Popo.

I walked to Best Buy, since it's only a little bit further than Ralphs... and I wanted to check out one of the no-contract phones from Virgin Mobile.

They offer unlimited text & web (+300 talk minutes) for $25 a month, so it's better to get a phone w/ a querty keyboard, no?

The cheapest querty keyboard phone is $70, but I didn't want to blindly spend $70 on a phone and not like it. So off to Best Buy to check it out.

It's the size of a Blackberry, so it's not bad.

But I had half my heart set on the pink Sanyo phone from Credo, so I'm waiver-ing about which plan to go with. If Credo had a no-contract plan, I'd go w/ them... since they support progressive causes (and not D*ck Ch*ney, as their ads say).

Or I'd deco the black phone.
I should have bought deco stickers while I was in Japan.

Nope, no iPhone for me.
At least not until the plans get cheaper.

New Crocs

We went to the newly renovated Fox Hills mall today.
It's the first time I've been there since it's been renewed.

The food court area is really nice.
There's little nook areas that would be good for unofficial industry get togethers... Not that I'd host get togethers anytime soon.

Since there was a Crocs kiosk, I decided to buy a new pair.
I think I've had my khaki colored ones for a year and a half now. And the sole was getting really worn out. I never thought plastic shoes would wear out, but of course it does. Duh.

I was going to buy something less bulky than the original model... but I couldn't find anything in my size. Plus they cost more.

So I went back to the original model.
But this time, in a chocolate brown color.

The new Crocs feel much better... It's stiffer, so it's more stable feeling.

I should have bought new ones earlier!

Pink Eye

Ack!

My eye was hurting today, so I felt it forming...
And when I looked at the mirror this evening before dinner, the lower lid of my right eye is pink & puffy!

I guess I'll try to stay indoors for the next few days while it heals.

Koge Pees on Bed

It appears that Koge is upset about something.

Sat noticed that it smelled like Koge pee, and discovered that Koge had peed on my bed.

She hasn't done this in couple of years... but maybe it's b/c Sat was out of town for couple of days? Or b/c her litter box isn't fresh anymore?

Anyway, Ichigo took all the blankets off to get them washed.
And covered the bed w/ plastic tarp.

And today... there were three small puddles of yellow on the white tarp.

I took a photo of it before I cleaned it up.
It's on Sat's SD card, so I'll upload tomorrow.

Gah!

Dee's Last Critter-Sitting Day

Dee came by Koge Haus today to Popo-sit (altho both Sat & I were home the whole time).

It's his last time to Popo-sit during the week, since he'll start working full time starting tomorrow. So from now on, he'll just have to visit us on a weekend (maybe lunch date?).

Things are starting to settle down w/ Popo... like she's easier to predict, can go longer periods w/o feeding or diaper change... so I'll be okay on my own now. But it was really nice to have an extra body to watch Popo for the first two months.

Plus she's rarely fussy around Dee.
Or most other visitors (like Ards).

The less time she's fussy, the better it is for the peace of my mind.

Thanks Dee for all your help!

After-Work Walks w/ the Girls

Sat & Ards made a pact(?) to start walking every day after Ards gets off work.

And Sat decided I should join the walk, since I need to gain my strength back.

So starting today, we're walking 15 mins.
Each week we'll increase the time. And speed.

Right now we walk really slow... mostly b/c I can't walk very fast. Esp w/ Popo strapped on my chest. That's 10 extra pounds I'm carrying around!

Popo likes walks too.
She spends the first 5 mins looking around, then falls asleep for the rest of the walk.

Too bad there aren't parks nearby that we could walk to.
Maybe we can meet up at a park once we increase our time to 30 mins.