Apparently all the curry stain needed was some butt rubbing and some high heat courtesy of the sun. Hmmmmm....interesting.
Leah and I volunteered to help out out a breakfast and carwash thing. It was kinda fun especially since I got my car washed too. Hehehehehe. I've never participated in a carwash before. I think the band would do it back in high school.
Here's what happens when you don't have a spare KVM and you're trying to setup multiple computers without ghosting. Yeah...hehehe. It was a cool setup though. I felt like I was in the cockpit of some aircraft or something.
Currently in the middle of massive moves in the office. It's been pretty crazy with all the movers/painters/carpet people....it's why I couldnt' go down to OC for my Grandma's birthday and also why I didn't make it to PAX. My office got turned into conference room and I got moved into another office which is another corner office but different layout. I'm most excited about getting nice furniture for a change.
Anyways, the symphony is getting along quite nicely. The music is really coming together which makes it all very exciting.
On Monday, I had my symphony audition/rehearsal. Ran through the Dvorak and Berlioz. The Berlioz is crazy stuff.
Here's the current concert schedule...
Sunday October 10th, 2004 - 3:00 pm Hector Berlioz - Overture to Benvenuto Cellini Igor Stravinsky - Pulcinella Suite Antonin Dvorak - Symphony No. 8 in G
Sunday November 21st, 2004 - 3:00 pm Richard Strauss - Serenade for Wind Instruments, Op. 7 Johannes Brahms - Symphony No. 3 in F
Sunday February 6th, 2005 - 3:00 pm Karl Hindemith - Mathis der Maler
Sunday April 3th, 2005 - 3:00 pm Vasili Kalinnikov - Symphony No. 1 in g minor This concert will also feature the Felix Khuner Concerto Competition Winner
Sunday June 5th, 2005 - 3:00 pm Mendelssohn - Suite from A Midsummer Night's Dream
I got curry stains on my leather seats!!! Here's what I was able to find online about getting it off...
"Curry stains are easy to remove. Rub the stains with ordinary soap and place it in the sun to dry. Soon the stain will take on a pink shade. Later wash it the usual way. Wipe leather goods with a piece of cloth soaked in warm milk to remove stains on them."
"Use toothpaste to remove curry stain."
I guess I'll try both.
Read this story...makes me think that there is a reason for everything...
Ohio Woman Grateful for Hang-Up Call
Sorry for the lack of posts. I usually end up not posting during the weekends but this time I ended up being more lazy than usual. Gomen!
Last Friday was the company summer outing. We went to Sausalito and had food catered by Il Fornaio. It was pretty good! Lotta fun going outdoors when the weather was so nice. I loved the hotel we went to cause the manager took us around to look at all the rooms. Plus, he told us that we would get really great deals since we're a housing company. Score!
On Saturday, we went to Tomales Bay. Didn't make it in time to go kayaking with Margaret and Dave but we recouped our loss by going to the Hog Island Oyster Co. which was closed the last time I went. Business was pretty good for them since there were a lot of people there. We got in for 10 bucks total instead of 10 bucks for each person cause we looked as the manager dude said..."low-impact". I guess it's cause we didn't bring food/wine/radios/blankets/chairs or anything like that.
After getting a quick tutorial (I'd done it before, but it's good to have a pro show you EXACTLY how it's done), we shucked oysters and had a blast. Squeezing lemon juice on the oyster causes them to retract and curl up a bit which grossed out Leah. After the live lobster with the flailing antennae in Taiwan though, this was nothing. In the end, Leah still ate the oyster although leaving the half that would move to me. Hahahaha. Next time, I should go to the other oyster shack and see what they have to offer. It's also a good idea to come prepared with something so you're not eating just oysters. By the end, I had had enough of oysters.
Oh yeah, the Concord Todai has really improved! I hadn't been for such a long time so I was a little worried. Thankfully, they had Uni as well as the really good jumbo shrimp that I like so much. These 4 guys came in about 15 min before closing and was basically just piling tons of food on their plates before Todai started taking in the food. It was like a total mountain of food. I wouldn't be surprised if that pile of food just magically appeared in some village in Africa, that there wouldn't be some rioting going on.
The old Mafia group from AP Physics. From Left to Right are:
Jeff Cox, Ryan Ghan, Myriam Migriditchian, Balazs Csaki, Annie Chiu, Eric Chu, Chrissie Lee, Marc Goodman, Reggie Coquia, Scott Duncan, Algernon Lam, Chris Kan, Ms. Mathews, Annie Fan, Julia Lin, me, Nancy Shen
I think Fred may be the one taking the picture. Too bad Imagestation doesn't allow hotlinking of the original which means I can just share the compressed thumbnail that they give me. Oh well. I first learned this game during one of the orchestra trips up north. I wonder if it was Gee-Won who taught us. All I can remember is the 3-person Mafia game that Gee-Won, Eric, and I played. That was brutal. I ended up being mafia and killed Eric by duping Gee-Won. Poor guy, we had spent probably an hour debating. Hahaha. I think after that Gee-Won never trusted me the same way again. snicker
In any case, my favorite game is still Egyptian Ratscrew. Learned that game from Gee-Won during Orchestra. I haven't played this in years though. Wonder if Gee-Won's still good. Learn about it here and here. It's much more exciting than the other game that people usually play...slap-em or slap-down or heartattack, whatever they call it. My reflexes were totally built on this game by playing with ultra-quick Gee-Won. Last time I played Heartattack, I didn't take any of the piles (loser takes in Heartattack).
I finished watching this anime called "Haibane Renmei" a few days ago. I loved the imagery because it reminded me of Studio Ghibli styles. This series was a lot darker than Ghibli stuff though and the ending was disappointing. There were so many holes that I ended up just making stuff up to fill in the gaps so I could feel ok about it.
I'm now into watching "Attic Cat" which is this funny Korean drama. One of the male characters in it wears these really outrageous shirts...flower prints...lotta weird stuff. It's like pink shirts. Leah says that I should get one like this one. I think I'm not that metro-sexual yet. hahahaha. I also happen to have lots of anime series to watch like GTO, Hajime no Ippo, Wolf's Rain, Witchhunter Robin, it's never ending it seems.
Leah made an earth-shattering statement yesterday. Apparently Andrew (not HS Andrew, another one) told her that IKEA has 20% STUDENT DISCOUNTS. That's right! I was totally shocked since I had never heard of such a thing. Apparently they keep it under wraps. I don't believe it but after googling "ikea student discount", I found site which confirms that at least last year in September and this year in January, they had this deal but I don't know if it's still going on. Well, they took that information from the Palo Alto Weekly, the article can be found here.
Hey hey hey!!! My friend from high school, my old Mafia/13 Cards buddy, Julia/Hoolia/Hoo has just gotten her blog started. I've also made a permanent link on the right side.
Keep updating Hoo!
I wrote the entry below earlier but didn't get a chance to post it...here it is.
So I've taken 3 Taiko classes and I'm almost ready to perform this piece called "Mokuyobi" (it means Thursday...apparently it was written for the Thursday class). There's only 4 patterns and 1 basic rhythm but it's still difficult cause we alternate and do rounds. It's tough to maintain rhythm and speed when someone next to you is pounding out another one. Still, after class one of the assistant sensai came over and told me that I was doing really well for only having taken 3 classes. I'm going to try to make it to the Saturday rehearsals so I don't make a fool out of myself at the Solano Stroll (it's a popular street festival thats held on Solano Ave near Berkeley). One of my key problems is knowing when to come in...one way is to count off the measures, the other way is to listen to the opposing rhythm. Not sure which I'll concentrate on more. I also need to get my own bachi (drumming sticks) so I can practice with. Getting my own practice drum is out of the question though, those things are FREAKIN expensive (upwards of 500 dollars). I'm probably going to end up just getting a round trash can and cover it with lots of duct tape. Hehehe. Another thing interesting about Taiko is how the newest students have to help clean up. Hopefully I won't be one of the newest much longer cause I hate vacuuming. It's even worse cause the older students (the senior citizens) tend to take some perverse pleasure in reminding me of my duties. AARGH...
also, there's this old woman who is newer than my group and she doesn't do any cleanup. At the end of class, she just leaves. She also is the only one in the group who keeps their shoes on during practice and doesn't kneel when we listening to announcements. Maybe she has feet and back problems. I don't even think she says "Oyasumi nasai" (Good Night) when leaving. Actually, I just end up saying "Oyasumi" in response to everyone's farewells cause adding the honorific over and over again is so tiring.
Orchestra rehearsal is next Monday!!! Kinda excited. Wish I had my old cello with me instead of my cheapo one. 
This Friday is the company summer outing. We're going to take the ferry to Sausalito and have lunch at Il Fornaio. I like Il Fornaio. At least the Sacramento one.
Hmm...it's another nostalgia picture time. Most are pics from awhile back...For all my high-school friends reading, I'm gathering all my HS pics too so eventually I'll have them up as well. For example, that one of the AP Physics Mafia game that I was telling Hoo or Chee about. 
Think you're good at distinguishing CG from Real-Life? Try this site put up by Alias...no not the TV show, Alias as in the makers of Maya, one of the best CG suites out there. You can get a free learning version of Maya, here.
Yes, Costco is trying to sell caskets now. Will Costco soon start selling 1000 pack condoms too? Sheesh. They happen to be marketing them in Chicago where I guess their target market is. I'd hate to live in an area where a major retailer decided that selling caskets might be a hot commodity there. That's like saying,"Yes, we think that caskets are a growth industry in Chicago."
Had lunch with Margaret and Co. down at the plaza. It was such a nice sunny day. Both Margaret and Holly had beach blankets to put over the grass! Very well prepared. I suggested a beach umbrella next time and a couple inflatable beach balls. Hahahaha
Last week, Andrew and Sarah came up because Sarah is looking for apartments to stay at for grad school. Ended up not taking any of the options. She's going to hold out for a place at EmeryBay. Anyways, after talking for a bit on Thursday, we went to Koryo where I got the weirdest Soon Doo Bu ever. It was like Chinese-style. Weird. Maybe the Korean chef was out and they called in a Chinese guy to make it. The soup was all wrong and the tofu seemed different. Oh well.
Chris and Lori came over to the apartment to talk about their camping/diving trip and to drop off my tent which they borrowed. Apparently Chris got others to pitch the tent for him which is a technique that I need to learn sometime. Hehehe. It was crazy abalone diving apparently cause one of the people there had 2 friends who drowned while abalone diving. Apparently, the seaweed at low tide can get pretty nasty and good at tangling people up. Chris and another person got caught in a dangerous position while in a kayak which they almost had to abandon. Chris lost a couple hundred dollars of gear I think. Crazy stuff. I don't think I'd risk that much just to try to get some abalone.
I've watched quite a few movies at home but Zatoichi really stuck out in my mind. It's got Beat Takeshi in it which is pretty cool. Some people really panned the movie for its cg/violence but I liked it. There were a few weird scenes (the ending especially) but in all, it was pretty cool to watch him slash away at his enemies.
Ahhhhh....the Naruto epic unsupervised battle between Naruto and Sasuke is so crazy. Rasengan technique vs Chidori technique. Which is more powerful?
Ever wanted to hear a story? Wish you were a kid again? Try Dial-A-Story. A lot of public libraries offer this service for kids with lazy parents with no imagination. Oakland offers a free three minute story if you call 510-597-5054. San Francisco gets fancy with an additional Cantonese version [English - (415) 437-4880, Spanish - (415) 437-4882, Cantonese - (415) 437-4883]. I was looking for the Emeryville public library and was distressed to find out that Emeryville doesn't have one (well unless you count Borders and Barnes and Noble). Apparently, Emeryville residents just use the Oakland public library system.
Since a bunch of LA people (Andrew, Sarah, Julia, Chrissie) came up, we had a dinner thing at Pyramid AleHouse Brewery & Restaurant. I had the Bacon Cheeseburger but Eric and Colin's Sausage Sampler thing looked pretty good too. Afterwards, we went to Jupiter in Berkeley where I had a pear cider. It was pretty darn good.
I read blogs cause life is just sometimes too boring. This story just reminded me of Adam's story about his friend in a bunkbed situation. Poor guy.
Does anyone know if Asian people (esp me, since I do get the Asian Flush) get a higher BAC (blood alcohol concentration) much easier than other people? My mom was warning me about how she heard about some asian dude who had one beer or something but it was enough to put his BAC to the limit. He got caught with the elevated BAC and went to jail and lost his job. Sucks. As such, it does make sense because people with Asian Flush can't remove/breakdown alcohol-related toxins as readily from the bloodstream. This should mean that it's easier to get a higher BAC than if you didn't have the flush. Darn ADH deficiency.
The day afterwards Eric and I went into the city, we had lunch at Koryo since I thought he might want some more Soft Tofu Stew. The great thing about that place is the small dishes BUT I'm getting the feeling that Lee's BBQ might take it due to the free Pa-Jun and a good amount of dishes plus excellent Soon Doo Bu. Lee's is a dollar more expensive though.
This guy was sleeping on 3 seats on the bus the other day. Just lying down across them...people getting on the bus where like,"Where does this guy get off sleeping on 3 seats?" He got up later but by then most of the people had already gotten on the bus. I saw him open his eyes while laying down everyonce in a while so must have known that people were looking for seats. What a jerk. What a sharter.
When I was getting my oil change, the mechanic told me that I needed to clean out the transmission and the coolant. Sucks. Put that with replacing the hoses and belts. It'd be like $500. Also that it seems that either my power steering pump or the hose has a leak in it. It's not THAT big of a deal but it's something that I do need to get looked at. Also that I had a nail in my driver-side rear tire! Aargh...
And so I spent 2 and a half hours at Costco getting my tire replaced. They don't take reservations which sucks. To add to the pain, the nail had gone into the sidewall so it couldn't be repaired. That tire had only been bought early last year though so I got a big credit for it. Still the tire turned out to cost 5 dollars more than it was last year. I don't know if all tires suddenly got more expensive or if its just that one tire but that sucked too. On 6/23/2001, those tires were 75.99 each. On 1/29/2003, they were 76.99 each. And now (8/12/2004), they're 81.99. I need to check those numbers I could have sworn the difference was much higher. Saw some big screen tvs which I used to measure the size that I'll need at distance at which I'd be watching tv. 50" should be just fine. 60" would give me 3 or more feet of distance but it'd cost much much more.
I saw the case being sold as a set with a cello on Craigslist so I wanted to see if I could just get the cello case. The guy gave me a GREAT deal cause someone had gotten the cello without the case. So he sold it to me at the price that he paid the manufacturer. I was shocked at how cheap he got it. Apparently, the prices you find online are marked up 100%+ from cost. Crazy profits. And usually web prices are cheaper than in-store prices. The guy offers great deals anyways so if you're looking for an instrument, it can't hurt to take a look here.
Just finalizing my plans for when I'm in San Antonio in October. Apparently these are the recommended places around where I'll be staying in San Antonio. I wanna take my scooter along to be able to get around quicker. I'm REALLY looking forward to Texas and Land Cattle Steak House better known as TxLC. When I last went to Texas, I don't think I had a steak.
These are the distance to attractions from the hotel. Hopefully I'll be able to do some sightseeing there.
Alamo, 0.1 mi. W
Imax Theatre, 0.1 mi. S
River Walk, 0.1 mi. S
Rivercenter Mall, 0.1 mi. S
Riverwalk (Paseo Del Rio), 0.1 mi. S
Missions of San Antonio, 0.2 mi. E
Alamodome/St.Paul's Square, 0.5 mi. SE
San Antonio Convention Center, 0.5 mi. S
Hemisphere Park, 0.5 mi. S
Tower Of The Americas, 0.5 mi. S
Institute of Texan Cultures, 1 mi. S
La Villita, 1 mi. SE
Municiple Auditorium, 1 mi. NE
King William Historic Dist, 2 mi. SE
Spanish Governor's Palace, 2 mi. W
El Mercado, 2 mi. W
San Antonio Zoo, 3 mi. N
Coliseum (freeman), 6 mi. NE
Retama Park, 16 mi. NE
Six Flags Fiesta Texas, 17 mi. NW
Sea World Of Texas, 18 mi. NW
I made the ones I want to go to in bold.
Interesting people in the Bay Area...I am constantly surprised by the variety around me even after living here for 6 years. It's so different from Orange County (the O.C.)
I see people spitting on the ground every once in a while.
I saw a guy peeing between cars on the way to bus. If he hadn't said anything, I probably wouldn't have even seen it. I turned, saw the stream, said "No....problem" and shook my head. But I think all he heard was "No...." while shaking my head. Different meaning entirely but oh well. He as the one peeing not me.
I saw this guy in a pickup truck with one of those really long mustaches, energetically conducting one of the Bach Cello Suites. That was really amusing since the Cello Suites don't require a conductor.
I saw a woman rubbing lotion on her bald husband's head. THAT was amusing yet heart-warming at the same time.
Last Friday, I went to eat lunch at the newly re-opened Vaillancourt Fountain down at the Ferry Building. The water has been turned off for such a long time but recently Mayor Newsom decided that it was better to turn it on then spend money taking it apart. Good choice!
On the way, I stopped past the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. It's got such a cool exterior. The corridor is shaped kinda like a coin roll. Or something like that.
Nancy's surprise birthday party was on Saturday. It was a potluck so I brought my "Ginger Chicken Clam Soup with Daikon". It was a pretty good hit but then again only a few people made food instead of just getting something togo. Homemade food SHOULD always taste better than store bought.
Afterwards, me and Eric headed back with Lih-Chern/Jeff to the apartment where we played some Halo. NEED TO PRACTICE. Afterwards, me and Chu went to the City where we went to Brothers, the famous Korean restaurant on Geary where we had a Kal Bi and a Soon Do Bu. Eric treated. THANKS!!! Went to North Beach, where we walked around for what seemed like a REALLY LONG TIME, where we ended up at the Bubble Lounge. I got pulled on the dance floor by this girl who had an interesting lifestory. Good luck to her on her working/going to school wherever she is. After me and Chu got back, we did play some 2-player Advance Wars where he beat me. Aargh.
. 2 component video inputs and 1 output . 3 Audio & 6 A/V input terminals . 8 digital inputs (3 coaxial, 5 optical; 3 assignable) and 1 output (Optical) . 6 S-Video inputs and 3 outputs
I'm not going to get a reciever until after I get the TV to handle a speaker setup. Still it can't hurt to take a look at what's out there. Look at it!!! Sheesh. Can you imagine the cabling on this thing? Crazy! Then again, it's like that $90 Pelican System Selector Pro (below).
That's right it's a system selector. All it does is switch between different systems that are attached. Most just have A/V inputs. Maybe 1 S-video one. This one has it all INCLUDING ethernet ports and component inputs. Crazy. Buy it here or here
I couldn't find new pics of the TV I'm itching for...the Sony KF-50WE655. Supposedly coming out next month, I've been talking about it for months now. It's basically a tuned up 610 with HDMI and SmartCARD inputs. HDMI for the computer (hopefully...not sure about the compatibility between the video card and the tv), SmartCARD for the HDTV cable.
This is why you don't let your kids play with your electronics. I'd do stuff like this to my dad's stuff. Man oh man...These are pics of the old version of the TV. I can't wait to see the updated one.
There's this scary security guard lady that works for the building I work in. She looks like a shorter and fatter version of Cruella De Vil (from Disney's 101 Dalmations). She even has black hair with a white streak down the middle. The real kicker though is the lipstick she puts on. It's dark red but what she does is underline the lips with black. It's really bad cause it makes her lips look HUGE. I wonder if any of the other security guards have the courage to say something. Probably not.
I was walking around SF during lunch time and I noticed that there are as many weird people in SF as there are in Berkeley. No kidding.
We got a new color laser printer at work and I just love it. The 4 color toners go in just so one above the other. Then when you close the door, the toner protectors all go up at the same time. Kinda goofy I know, but all I could think was....Sweeeeeet.
I got my Annual Review last week. I did pretty darn well and got my 10% raise. Supposedly, I was one of a few people who got the overall "Exceeds Expectations" grade which is the best you can do. So I just gotta keep workin it and earning another 10% next year right? :-D I celebrated by going to Sushi House and getting a Moriawase (it was quite large this time, even for Sushi House standards, must have been like 30 pieces of sushi) AND a spicy salmon avocado handroll (specially made, the waitress had to go to the bar to see if they could make it...weird). When the Moriawase came, this couple near the door started talking about it and how good it looks and how much it probably cost. Kinda embarassing but I tried to pretend not to hear. On that note, here's some stuff about food cause I've been kinda lacking in that department lately....hahaha
This guy went to a place that has an Uni Moriawase!!! That's so awesome I want to go just to try that. I know I've had maybe 2-3 kinds but that plate has 8. I don't see the super expensive white uni though. Maybe it's there but white uni is still orange on the inside. Here are the Tokyo-Tsukiji Market Prices for Uni for today...that's another place I want to visit.
When my dad goes to Japan, he always takes pictures of his meals. All of them tend to look something like the meal above and the stuff on this page. When I look at it, I think...mmmm....good food....and then....I don't want to be the one washing the dishes...hahahaha
Leah made this awesome Irish Lamb Stew. It was her first time but man was it good. Like G.O.O.D. Of course, it might have been because I waited for an ultra long time to eat but the smells and everything were so awesome. The reason I didn't get to eat until like 10PM was because we did Taiko that night from 6:30 to 9. Taiko is loads of fun but there's a lot of finesse involved. You have to be able to control your arms/hands for loud and soft beats. It's pretty neat to bang those drums and really get a rhythm going though. I'm going to go back either next week or this Saturday. This means that I may have 3 concurrent activities a week. Orchestra, Taiko, Golf. If I actually get the time to get those running shoes, then I'll exercise more often too.
I've been weighing my options for my computer for my China trip. I could do 1 of 3 things...continue to bring my sony laptop as I've been doing on all my trips since I got it...buy a new laptop kinda like the one my sister has now...just use my dad's laptop to transfer stuff. I'm not sure if I want to lug around stuff but also I'm not sure if I want to not have my own computer as well. Aargh. Well at the very least, an external hard drive will be coming along with me for sure. Wish I had an extra $2000 just lying around. But no, I WANT MY LCD PROJECTION TV!!!
Went to Palo Alto on Sunday to see Leah's friend Jesse play in a band before he heads off for NYU for law. They were recording using Garageband so I didn't use flash for any of the shots. Didn't want to freak them out. :-P Wendy was there too. The fat cat was pretty fat kinda like Nancy's ol cat Mimi. The band is called La Look (name change eminent apparently) and it was really cool to see a fellow cellist in the band. One of the guys looked like Rock Lee from Naruto. Swear to god. He had the sweatsuit and everything. Well, he also had glasses and the suit was red but dangit, it was pretty close. And oh yeah, Wendy is going to be in China at around the same time I am and is also going to be going to Jiuzhaigou.
For people, who don't watch Naruto. The guy in red in the middle looked just like this dude, one of the coolest characters in Naruto.
I'm thinking about joining the Emeryville Taiko for fun. I'm also going to see about joining the Prometheus Symphony as well so I should have tons to do.
This site has tons of free ebooks. It's pretty good. http://www.schoolresources.com/
That's right! The North and South DVD Set is coming out! Really good stuff. Like Gone with the Wind but better!
What the HECK?!!! They might raise the bridge toll AGAIN?!!! $3 isn't enough?!!! GEEZ...I'm gonna hate it. Read the article here. I hade this whole discussion about Chinese steel and now it's come up in the Bay Area. And in a big way too. Sucks.
Lih-Chern's Birthday BBQ was last Saturday. Went to Costco and bought 70 pieces of drumsticks to marinate. There was sushi, burgers, and chips to be had. Leah bought shrimp and marinaded it herself. It was kickass. Just like how Jeff kicked our asses in Halo. Oh no!!! I played a little Puzzle Fighter against Sarah, a girl who was at Idtech last summer, who happens to be Jeff/Lih-Chern/Nick's ex-boss's daughter. Played some Heartattack. I never came in last in the slapdowns. I credit my high school buddy Gee-Won Kim for teaching me that Egyptian Heartattack game (you know...J is one card try...Q is two card try...K is 3 card try. Jacks are awesome. Up and down slap. Equal slap too). Learned a new game from Ben, one of Lih-Chern's ex co-workers. Here's my notes on how to play.
3 down, 3 up usu best, 3 in hand. keep replenishing from middle must beat 2 card beats everything special card 10 card clears pile, put down another card can only pick one card at random when hand is empty first to get rid of all cards wins can put down groups suit doesnt matter
Did a little mafia where me and Ben were mafia. In the last round, Ben was out, but I was in, and I convinced Leah to kill Jeff and thus won the game for the mafia. I remember when on the orchestra trip to Seattle, me, Eric, and Gee-Won played 3-person mafia. That 1 game took like a hour. I think I was mafia and I convinced Gee-Won to kill Eric.
On Sunday, it started out with a trip to IKEA. Since I live so close by, I get there before the crowds start. My aim was to get the Loen Bed Frame in a queen size. After a lot of confusion and an hour later, I leave Ikea having bought and returned a full size Loen frame without the headboards. Aargh. Anyways, back home, I checked my email and Craigslist for any updates on the ones I had been looking at online. I had two queen Loens (one $100, the other $140) in SF but I really didn't want to drive out that far to drive it back. Plus, I did some measuring and the headboards don't exactly fit in my car. So I'd have to get a truck. Ahhhh!!! Upon checking Craigslist though, I found that an hour ago, someone had posted another bedframe, the Sundnes for only $100 plus it included a mattress. I had just told the $100 Loen person that I was going to come by though!!! Ach nien. In the end, I made up a story about my wife having found a bed frame already and set off to get the $100 Sundnes. The Loen frame is a $199 (in queen size) and the Sundness is a $299 frame. Do the math.
So I rented a truck from the Oakland U-Haul. One of the walls at the U-Haul had all these pithy remarks on it like...
- I'd quit my profession and draw unemployment but that would put me in a higher tax bracket.
- You gain education by reading the fine print and experience by not reading it.
- Retirement is your reward for never having strangled any of your bosses
Ate some food at Lee's BBQ which served like 13 dishes this time. It was great!
Anyways, I bought the frame/mattress from the guy. Brought it back to the apartment, set it up, and just yesterday I moved the TV to where the new TV will be. Much better layout although watching tv in bed will be hard with my small tv.
I got my Chinese visa picture taken at Walgreens for $7. The white background was this screen that rolled down in front of the Frito-Lay stand. Hahaha. I'll do a detailed trip itinerary when I'm bored.
Had lunch with Margaret and Co at Taylor's Refresher last week. Had the Fish and Chips which were appropriately beer battered. Heard a funny story about a live goat that was served at a family get-together and another funny story about old people at the Corps esp one who would go "Omiiiiigoddddd" when people talked around him and would slide up against the wall when passing people in the hallway. Dave's impression of "Omiiiiiigoddddd" was so hilarious.
I gotta go to sleep so here are some pictures without much introduction. Some are from golfing at Tilden, quite a few are from Lih-Chern's Birthday BBQ, some are from the past that I dredged up. I'll get more updates tomorrow. I wonder how the speed downloading the site is with all the images I'm throwing up. Maybe I should have the +/- deal to hide and unhide the images. I don't know.
