Happy New Year Everyone

Have a great New Year everyone. We're all in different places. =(

*From Kressler:
happy 2009 everyone!! wherever you are...whatever you're doing...i hope you're all happy. it's sad that we're all in different places this year but cheers to the many times we'll be together in the coming year. =)

Kressler's Updated Wishlist!!

UPDATED 12.17.08 - thanks kim & lisa for an impromptu birthday dinner =)

ok, so some stuff will be over the $40 limit because of my pesky birthday a week before the holidays. feel free to spend zero on my birthday though =)

To Generalize My Presence On Earth...
Favorite colors of the moment = lavender, turqoise/teal, purple, gray
Size = large/x-large for shirts/sweaters
Favorite animals = turtle, polar bears, pandas, penguins
Desired clothing/jewelry items = wraps that double as scarves (turqoise or purple), long necklaces (gold + other colors; white), bracelets (black or other colors that are adjustable for my giant hands & wrists), cool socks, science t-shirts

To Keep My Eyes Enthralled & My Ears in Harmony...
The 11th Hour
The Bourne Ultimatum
Ocean's 13
Wall-E
Wanted
Lorenzo's Oil (on VHS..for school)
Lost (Season 4)
ER (any of the 1-6 seasons)
Seinfeld (seasons 8 or 9)
Call and Response (Maroon 5)
Dreaming Out Loud (One Republic)
Words & Music (Aqualung)

To Boost the Economy, Help Me Spend Money at...
Target
Costco (to buy myself a new TV by February)
NY&Co
DSW Shoes
Chili's
Souplantation
TGI Friday's
Applebee's
the Spa (SpaFinder Gift Certificates)
Movie Theatres (AMC or Krikorian preferred)
Amazon.com
Zappos.com

To Add to My Science Nerd Collection...
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew Plush (to match my Beaker plush)
Charles Darwin Doll
Giant Microbes (sperm, egg, gangrene)
Chromosome/DNA mousepad
Watson & Crick poster

To Bring Some Random Joy In My Life...
Laptop Cleaning Tool
Desktop Calendar (i like the panda!)
Breakfast Keychains
Giant ipod speakers (i just find them cute...not really a necessity)
Toasted notes (i just find them cute...not really a necessity)
This Doormat or That Doormat
"My Documents" Laptop cover
Black picture frames (for the wall, 4x6 preferred)

To Help Save the World... (charitable donations OR eco-friendly items)
Donors Choose [help teachers across the country get educational materials for their classroom]
Reusable bags & bottles
Wildlife Adoption either HERE or THERE
Gift cards to Globalgiving.com
SPIRAL Foundation items (support humanitarian programs in Nepal & Vietnam - an interesting place to buy from)
Ten Thousand Villages (Free Trade products made by artisans - an interesting place to buy from)

Utterly Out of Price Range But Still on the Wishlist...
Tickets to John Mayer (Nokia Theatre - 12/6)
A new television
External 1TB Hard Drive - PC & Mac Compatible

Mokroopal X-mas 2008

Update! =)

When: Friday, 12/26 @ 6:00 p.m.
Where: Lisa's place
Bring:
* $15 for dinner
* your secret santa gift
* any extra drinks or snacks you'd like to enjoy
* your holiday spirit! =)

Menu: We'll be ordering Pizza Hut delivery. If you request changes to the menu or don't plan on eating, PLEASE let me know in advance!! Food will be delivered by 6:30 if you want it hot ;).

Pizza Hut!:

1 large super supreme pizza
1 large chicken supreme pizza
1 large pepperoni lovers pizza
1 large 1/2 meat lovers and 1/2 veggie lovers
1 creamy chicken alfredo baked pasta
1 meaty marinara baked pasta
2 orders of buffalo wings

Other Sides:
caesar salad
chips & salsa - Kressler
(whatever you bring here =))

Dessert:
?? - Kress

Drinks:
Diet Coke (cans)
Pepsi (cans)
some sort of fruit juice
wine
whatever is my liquor cabinet ;)
(whatever you want to drink that is not listed here)

birthday plans for the birthday girl - CANCELLED!

*i'm just going to cancel my birthday plans since it seems like i'm the only who will go. i'll see you all at christmas.

Many thanks

Mucho thanks for a fab evening. It was great to see all your lovely faces. :)

5 year anniversary of Kim's 21st birthday

Currently, the headcount appears to be 7 for anjins. No mandated dress code for dinner, however, a photoshoot will be happening before dinner so be lovely for that if you wish to participate. Details to come when I know when ppl are off work and etc. Hope everyone had a fab Thanksgiving :)

Gah! I just don't know anymore...

I just can't think of what I would want... Here's the best I could do..


Some rolls of film
A flash for my camera
C.O. Bigelow Mentha Vitamin Body Wash
Comfy Bluetooth Headset?
The Adventures of Johnny Bunko (Book)
Your favorite wines
Pepper Grinder and Salt Shaker
Something Awesome you might get for yourself
High & Low DVD by Akira Kurosawa Criterion Collection
Sanyo Eneloop Rechargeable battery pack from costco


Gift Cards
Amazon
Target
Gap
Trader Joe's

Check my Amazon wish list for some specifics..

http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1OZMUMOQ03FT6

Yeah, like I said, I just don't know.

Secret Santa Names Drawn!!

hello friends... =)

check your email for the name - everyone's list is posted (on here or elfster) except ALBERT. =) people who are in the gift exchange this year: albert, tara, patrick, kim, lisa, matt, rodel & kressler. Please remember the $40 limit!! =)

On the 26th, it's pizza night in pajamas!! =) no fancy stuff this year...ordering pizza, chicken wings, maybe pasta, maybe salad...please comment with other suggestions or something you want to bring. other possible items to consider: snacky foods, alcohol/fun drinks, desserts, empanadas (if the place in costa mesa is any good!)

happy thanksgiving everyone!! then good luck shopping on black friday =)

1 yr anniversary of Kim's 25th Bday :)

Soooo, we're going to do something this Friday... just haven't decided what yet. Who's in?

barbra davis wedding photos@ photographers website

http://bryanchanphotography.com/blog/2008/11/barbra-davis/

or click here

HERE HERE

Rodel's "Dont' know what I want" List

Stores
Samys.com
Calumet.com
thinkgeek.com
Best Buy
H & M
Tennis Warehouse
Barnes & Noble

Custom Shirts
Customink.com
Threadless.com
Shirt Size Medium

Trucker Hat
White Socks - Any Length - Athletic Type
swiss army knife
Ipod Portable Speakers
watch
screwdrivers/philips for computers and small screws, set.
A (Comfy) Computer (gaming) headphones (headset) with a microphone, not USB. 3.5" jack (gold plated connections)

...and that's really it. I don't know what I want, really. Have fun with my list. Haha.

Help for Wildfire Victims

* Thanks for donating lisa!! =)

Hi everyone...

I'm not sure how many of you know but the wildfires in Yorba Linda/Anaheim Hills is right where my school is located. Many of the homes that were destroyed are only 5-15 minutes away from Esperanza HS. In fact, our school was an evacuation center but was shut down because of very poor air quality and the closeness of the flames.

Here's a link to a map of the fires - my school is between orangethorpe & imperial, on kellogg drive.

We are just starting to hear about the students and staff who are impacted - it's horrible. I've heard of some teachers evacuating...some had their backyard patios & gardens destroyed but houses saved; others had the homes next door or two doors down destroyed. This morning they named about 12 student names (only a small fraction of the ones affected)...I knew 5 of those whose homes are a complete loss. It breaks my heart to know that my kids have lost everything or had their homes damaged.

I normally don't ask for things like this because I usually don't directly know of people who have had to go through such a thing. If you can make a donation to the Red Cross to help the victims, that would be wonderful. My school is also accepting gift card donations for places like grocery stores, gasoline stations, walmart, target, kohl's, best buy, etc. to help specific families that belong to my school. Today, I'm going to go out & buy some to give to my school. If you want to give me gift cards to donate to the families, I'll make sure they go to the right place. If you want to spread the word, then please do so...right now, I'm just so saddened by everything that I've heard from my colleagues & my administration.

Tomorrow the kids are supposed to return but I don't know how many will actually be here. Everyone just keep thinking good thoughts - there have been no deaths from this fire so we are thankful for that.

kress-uh-ler's birthday/christmas demands...i mean, wishlist =)

UPDATED 12.01.08

ok, so some stuff will be over the $40 limit because of my pesky birthday a week before the holidays. feel free to spend zero on my birthday though =)

To Generalize My Presence On Earth...
Favorite colors of the moment = lavender, turqoise/teal, purple, gray
Size = large/x-large for shirts/sweaters
Favorite animals = turtle, polar bears, pandas, penguins
Desired clothing/jewelry items = wraps that double as scarves (turqoise or purple), long necklaces (gold + other colors; white), bracelets (black or other colors that are adjustable for my giant hands & wrists), cool socks, science t-shirts

To Keep My Eyes Enthralled & My Ears in Harmony...
The 11th Hour
The Bourne Ultimatum
Ocean's 13
Wall-E
Wanted
Lorenzo's Oil (on VHS..for school)
Lost (Season 4)
ER (any of the 1-6 seasons)
Seinfeld (seasons 8 or 9)
Call and Response (Maroon 5)
Dreaming Out Loud (One Republic)
Words & Music (Aqualung)

To Boost the Economy, Help Me Spend Money at...
Target
Costco (to buy myself a new TV by February)
NY&Co
DSW Shoes
Chili's
Souplantation
TGI Friday's
Applebee's
the Spa (SpaFinder Gift Certificates)
Movie Theatres (AMC or Krikorian preferred)
Amazon.com
Zappos.com

To Add to My Science Nerd Collection...
Dr. Bunsen Honeydew Plush (to match my Beaker plush)
Charles Darwin Doll
Giant Microbes (sperm, egg, gangrene)
Chromosome/DNA mousepad
Watson & Crick poster

To Bring Some Random Joy In My Life...
Laptop Cleaning Tool
Desktop Calendar (i like the panda!)
Breakfast Keychains
Giant ipod speakers (i just find them cute...not really a necessity)
Toasted notes (i just find them cute...not really a necessity)
This Doormat or That Doormat
"My Documents" Laptop cover
Black picture frames (for the wall, 4x6 preferred)

To Help Save the World... (charitable donations OR eco-friendly items)
Donors Choose [help teachers across the country get educational materials for their classroom]
Reusable bags & bottles
Wildlife Adoption either HERE or THERE
Gift cards to Globalgiving.com
SPIRAL Foundation items (support humanitarian programs in Nepal & Vietnam - an interesting place to buy from)
Ten Thousand Villages (Free Trade products made by artisans - an interesting place to buy from)

Utterly Out of Price Range But Still on the Wishlist...
Tickets to John Mayer (Nokia Theatre - 12/6)
A new television
External 1TB Hard Drive - PC & Mac Compatible

Kim's List -- updated 12.5.08

Not that I expect or need birthday presents, but the following list can serve as a template for both the upcoming anniversary of my 25th birthday and Christmas.

Favorite colors: Pink is numero uno, but lately I've been enjoying green, teal, dark purple, yellow and maroon. Black, brown and white are excellent standbys.

Size: XS-S, Petite whenever possible.

Brands/Stores: Urban Outfitters, Club Monaco, Bloomingdales, Sephora, CO Bigelow, H&M, Banana Republic, Target, Rock n Republic...

DVDs (Widescreen pref.):
Gossip Girl Season 1
Lois and Clark Season 4
Lost Season 4
Buffy Season 2
Bones (any season... ideally starting with #1)
The Tudors (ditto)
Robin Hood (the TV series w/ Jonas Armstrong, any season ideally #1)
The Dark Knight
Sex and The City: The Movie
What Happens in Vegas
Becoming Jane
Definitely, Maybe

Misc:
iPOD 1 GB shuffle
Piano Sheet Music Books (First albums of Jason Mraz and Gavin DeGraw)
This bag in "mod"
Flask/Card Holder


What I do not want: winter gear... I'm almost outta Boston, yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

Will update as necessary...

something i found quite awesome

so to give a break to all you hard-working friends...i present to you, justin timberlake in leotard and heels dancing with beyonce in a SNL skit. =)

Gimme Presents!!!

Wooohooo! The best time of year is upon us where everybody has to give me presents!!!! Mwa ha ha ha.......

Oh, and I guess the whole giving back to others thing is okay too.

I'm trying out a new registry service this year for my gift list:
http://www.myregistry.com/Visitors/Welcome.aspx?sid=3bd4ce56-aee4-4cbe-a41c-7366b4f2b752

See y'all soon!
-Matt

Tara's Christmas Wish List 2008

Yay! Can't wait to see everyone in December!

DVD's
Lady Vengeance (2006 version)
Iron Man
Batman: The Animated Series
Firefly
Paheli
Pan's Labyrinth
Hot Fuzz
2046 (A Wong Kar Wai film)
Looney Tunes Golden Collection Vol 1, 2, 3, or 4
Walt Disney Treasures: The Chronological Donald Vol. 1, 2, 3, or 4
The House on Haunted Hill (1959) with Vincent Price and commentary by Michael J. Nelson

Organization (i.e. I heart The Container Store)
Stainless steel shredding scissors
Staple free stapler
Collision Kit
Life Hammer

Other
Skyrest Travel Pillow
OXO Good Grips 4" Pizza Wheel
Trogdor Polo (ladies medium)
Ghirardelli peppermint bark squares
Captain Crunch cereal
Men's Pocky
The Black Lizard and the Beast in the Shadows by Rampo Edogawa
Travel hair dryer
Document case
Clean Laundry Bag
Nintendo DS Software: Personal Trainer: Cooking (available 11/24/2008)
Multi-color chopsticks and soup spoons from Cost Plus

Gift Cards
Target
iTunes
Starbucks
J. Crew
Trader Joe's
american eagle outfitters
amazon.com

Secret Santa Sign-up!!

Hello to all...

i set up the secret gift exchange online & sent it to your emails. However, if you did not get the email or if it's lost in the junk mail then you can still sign up for it by clicking on the link below:

Elfster - Secret Santa Gift Exchange

Everyone must accept the invitation before we can draw names...so accept the invite ASAP!!

Please, please, please...POST WISHLIST BY THANKSGIVING!! This allows people to shop on "black friday" and will also give us online shoppers a chance to have everything shipped in time! =) Also, if someone cannot publish onto our blog, please help to post their wishlist for them OR they can create their wishlist directly on the gift exchange website (BUT i personally like the lists on the blog so i can see what everyone would like)

Participants this year include:
lisa
matt
kim
albert
tara
patrick
martyn
rodel
kressler
(justin will be out of town for our party this year)

Lisa's x-mas list

Hi all =)

I'm the first x-mas list poster!! =) hehe...=) Bring on the Holidays! =)

**Oops....the link doesn't work...so here it is =)

Lisa's Christmas List - 2008

Some question the relevance of things on my list, thus there is narration. Feel free to ignore it!!

CD's (I know, I'm living in the stone age...I enjoy plastic cases and artwork ;)

The 88 - "Not Only...But Also"

Killers - "Day & Age"

Snow Patrol - "A Hundred Million Suns"

Five Time August - "Brighter Side"

Joshua Radin - "Simple Times"

Ingrid Michaelson - "Be OK"
One Republic - "Dreaming Out Loud"

DVD's

Wall-E

Ratatouille
Grey's Anatomy Season 3 or 4

Other randomness

Pilot G2 pens (black and blue) - These are my favorite pens...I go through soooo many!!

kitchen gadgets! - I love the OXO brand tools and cool wooden spoons are always fun =)

I'm a big fan of coffee and flavored creamers =)

chickens - Still love my chickens!

laptop mouse - I'm not picky, anything that works with a laptop!

cool cereal bowls - I eat a lot of cereal ;)

board/party games - Anything not on this list is fair game.

puzzles - oddly enough I enjoy a puzzle now and then, but not those uber difficult two sided kind ;)

scarves - I can never get enough...I enjoy all different shapes, colors and sizes! Soft ones are the best =)

flip flops - I know it's winter...but we live in California!

picture frames (4x6 or 5x7)

ornaments - My tree is so hodge podge every year, might as well add to the insanity ;)

Favorites

Snacks: Milanos and other yummy cookies, goldfish, Sunbelt chocolate chip granola bars, Strawberry Hi-Chews

Stores: Target, Borders, Starbucks

Color: Yellow, green, brown (think cute yellow flowers in the meadow)

Style of Music: mellow and acoustic

Christmas Video Ver. 2

Christmas 2008 Video

Christmas 2008

What: Mokroopals etc. X-mas Party!!
When: Friday, December 26, 2008 @ 6:00pm
Where: Lisa's place
Why: To spend the holidays with the ones we love *sigh* ;)
What are we eating?: PIZZA!! additional food to be discussed later.

I'm back as admin to torment you all.

Go out and vote.

smile time...

hi everyone... =)

i'm blogging from my new MACBOOK. =) well, it's not the newest version of the macbook but i got a good deal on this one that is 2.4ghz, 2gb ram and 160gb hard drive - $400 off its original price.

still getting used to how things work & waiting to get microsoft stuff, but it's pretty cool...and pictures are the clearest i've ever seen!!

hope you're all having a nice weekend!! next dinner outing is korean fried chicken...woo!! our last dinner outing (for those of you who were not here) included yummy crawfish/crab/shrimp/fries/strawberry lemonade @ claws and then dessert @ guppy house

awesome music

http://www.pandora.com

create new station: new kids on the block

you will not be disappointed. =)

Messin' Around...

In case anyone wonders, I've changed up the blog colors a little bit. I hope you guys don't mind =)

Next time I head back down south, I definitely want to try the awesomeness that is korean fried chicken. It certainly feels like it's been a while since I've had fried chicken. I'll also want to head back to guppy's so I can get my brick toast! You guys should try the 85 bakery in that plaza as well. I hear very good things about it. So much good food, but so little stomach and mobility!

Anyway, I hope you're all well and keeping warm!

behold the awesomeness of kfc - korean fried chicken

kfc no longer refers to the colonel's chicken...it now stands for my new favorite trend since the frozen yogurt craze of summer '08...KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN. i've tried two places..kyochon chicken (in the freshia market on beach/garden grove blvd.) & BBQ - "Best of the Best Quality" (on beach/malvern) i like both but BBQ is the winner for me...and also my destination for today.















so i was getting my car serviced at toyota & decided to drop by BBQ in buena park since it was so close. if you are not aware of the korean fried chicken trend, you should be!! it's some darn good chicken even though it's expensive. apparently it's fried in olive oil...so pricey as it is, it's not greasy and doesn't taste artery-clogging although it probably is. =)
















my favorite is the teri-q gold wings...fried wings that are drenched in garlic & soy/teriyaki sauce. the smell of garlic absolutely permeates my car when i take it home. =) i also like their standard bb wings (with the slightest bit of kick ala kentucky's hot wings), the olive oil chicken (crunchy, non-greasy & reminiscent of popeye's or kentucky's extra crispy). i also tried their spicy barbeque chicken...good & hot like ayce korean bbq. they also have rice, french fries & duk bokki (?) which is like pieces of chewy rice pieces in a sauce (i likey)















despite the deliciousness, i found some flaws in their spelling & geography skills. notice that it says "BBQ Chicken - Fulluerton"...spelling the city wrong is just silly BUT misspelling the city that they are not located in is even sillier. =) they are in buena park. maybe it's karma getting back at them because they force their employees to wear all pink outfits and aprons there.

Friday dinner

Ok...so there has been no response to dinner tomorrow night. 

Here are some of my suggestions:

- soft tofu!!  I don't know where a good place is, but yum =)

- Amazon Churrascaria

- Fuddruckers

- California shabu shabu

- revolving sushi

What do you guys think about dinner at 6:30?  Is that enough time for everyone to meet at one of these fine establishments (or one not listed here ;)?

Albert - You're The Next Contestant on The Price is Right!!

cincha had to drop out so we need another person for Sunday - can you make it?

we have a special green shirt for you...it costs $15.00 so please bring this on Sunday. Also, we have to leave early to make sure we get there on time - be at my house at 930 please!

i'm taking albert, lisa, matt, justin...we're going to csulb to meet everyone & then caravan to the studio. if any of you want to drive on your own, let us know.

Watch us on the Price is Right!!

hehe...not that we were contestants BUT you can clearly see us in the audience. if you watch the episode, there's a hispanic or native american woman who is called up...we're right behind her. i'm very excited in that moment because i realized this would put us on tv =)

Watch the Price is Right!!

your name in numerology

find out what your name means in the world of numerology =) Use your first, middle & last name...add up all the digits & keep adding til you get a single digit number.

The Number Assignments

1= A, J, S

2= B, K, T

3= C, L, U

4= D, M, V

5= E, N, W

6= F, O, X

7= G, P, Y

8= H, Q, Z

9= I, R

once you have your number, see what it says about you here (apparently 11 & 22 are special, so if you get this, keep it as is):

1 is determined, autonomous, and self-reliant

2 is loyal, tactful, and analytical

3 is passionate, positive, and fun-loving

4 is sensible, traditional, and serious

5 is bold, temperamental, and sensual

6 is responsible, cautious, and domestic

7 is spiritual, unconventional, and somewhat reclusive

8 is money-oriented, assured, and authoritative

9 is versatile, compassionate, and worldly

11 is enlightened, deep, and high-strung

22 is ambitious, a global planner, and motivated

* i'm a 9 =)

Like a Sparrow...

I'm going to be flying down south on October 10th and staying till the 13th. If you guys are free that weekend, it'd be nice to hangout =D I'll most likely be back for thanksgiving and Christmas as well but I'm not sure for how long yet. It depends on my work situation at the time =P

I've also got a new e-mail address... It's my full name, first and last, followed by the loneliest number at that google e-mail service. I'll still be clinging onto my old one though.

Did you guys happen to watch Tropic Thunder? So good (>.<)/

Round 1

From * MoKroopaL ThoughT SpoT *

Player 1 = rodel
Player 2 = kressler

ok, so today rodel and i went to disneyland and i bought myself a southern ca annual passport. some of you may be thinking...why would i spend my money on such frivolous things in uncertain economic times? (especially me of all people - kressler who is just about as frugal as it gets on buying herself "fun" stuff) i'll tell you why - a new ride called "toy story mania" @ california adventure.

if you're a buzz lightyear ride fan @ disneyland, you will LOVE this toy story ride. it's so much fun...it's two of you battling it out by playing "carnival games" with the toy story characters. it's in 3-d so you have to wear those annoying glasses but it is tons of fun!! you're shooting paint at targets, rings around objects, etc. then at the end you get your scores, just like buzz lightyear. i like both of these rides but the toy story one seems to be a little more fun cuz you can't really blame an ill-functioning gun on this one..

so yeah, rodel beat me in my first time out...but i will say that i was so confused in the beginning & did not get off to a good start. i was starting to catch up but the final round he was just better - bah! now that i have a taste for it, we'll be battling @ california adventure a lot. =)

you may have won this round boyfriend...and perhaps many more in the future, but i'm gonna do my rootin'est, tootin'est bestest to win!!

fyi: did you guys notice my ACCURACY was better?? =) haha

New Phone #

This is my new phone #: 714-916-3971

I'm with AT&T now.

Friday Night Dinner

Tsuruhashi will be the place to be, instead of Anjin's. Meet at Kressler's at 6, be at the restaurant 6:30ish. Be thar.

the taste of newport - this weekend =)

for anyone who is interested, the "taste of newport" is held at fashion island this friday, saturday and sunday (9/19 to 9/21).

for general admission, you pay $22 and then you buy an "cash card" so you can buy food & beverage...the booths don't accept cash, only the card.

restaurants include:
agora churrascaria
ala carte gourmet
austin spencer's real bbq
back bay bistro
beachcomber cafe
cpk
christopher michael chocolates
chronic tacos
dippin dots
el tarasco mexican food
el torito grill
five crowns restaurant
ho sum bistro
hornblower cruises
kitayama
maggiano's
marrakesh
mastro's ocean club
mastro's steakhouse
mccormick & schmick's seafood
mrs beasley's bakery
palm terrace rest.
panini garden bistro
pick up stix
pomodoro cucina
royal thai
ruby's diner
sabatino's lido shipyard sausage
san shi go
santa monica seafood co
sol restaurant
soprano's
tapas rest.
ten asian bistro
tutti frutti frozen yogurt

http://www.tasteofnewport.com

Let's get fat

Hey guys, my anjin craving has not abated. Let's eat sometime this week. Tues or Fri?

www.standup2cancer.org

Did you watch??

Did you donate??

Are you standing up 2 cancer??

I am =)

dinner tueday 8/26

anjin @ 6pm on tuesday...

justin, kim and kressler are in - how about you? =)

The chosen one

MacBook. :)

Incomunicado....

I'm saying bye to my old phone as I wait for my new one to come in. I think I've had it five years now, give or take a year or two. Anyway, it's being retired since the battery has been on the fritz, but I'll probably buy a new battery for it and keep it as a spare.

I won't have my hands on the new phone until either late Sunday or early Monday, so the blog will be the best way to keep in touch until then.

Movies anyone? =)

My sister has put together a tiny forum for discussing movies. If anyone is interested in watching some movies and sharing your thoughts, then come on over =).

http://moviemadness.forumer.com

Lets Discuss

apple or pc?

the price is right & fuddrucker's 8.03.08

POW... Still Alive

Sorry for the disappearing act guys. I've been taken hostage for the past 2 weeks or so =) My dad's uncle's grandson and his wife and 15 year old son came to visit. My parent's ditched a lot of the responsibility of showing them around on me as well as the cleanup of the house before their arrival =P

Anyway, I'd still like to see you guys. If you guys have time today, tomorrrow evening, or Monday let me know.

I completely forgot the taping was on the 21st last time, I thought it was on the 25th *sigh* and I won't be able to make it tomorrow because me and 6 of my friends are getting together to meet with our 5th/6th grade teacher for brunch.

For Lisa

Lisa, can you do the Price is Right TV Taping on Sunday, August 3?

Consider:
We have to be at the CBS Studio by 6 am to even get seat number.
Taping is at 4 pm, lots of talk time and waiting.
You might get picked (to play plinko, win a car, win a trip to death valley)

random photos for you!

rodel & bob's big boy - that plate is heavy!! =)


@ the taste of anaheim


rodel & peter's birthday dinner @ bj's - cerritos


@ ember in anaheim


inside ember, listening to roger get his dj skills on

Albert, where are you?

Albert is MIA and about to miss a good dose of Fuddruckers! =) When is everyone free for some 1-pounder greatness?? =) I'm thinking sometime in the next couple of weeks, preferably around 6:30-7 on a weekday?

holy dinette set...we got in!! =)

let kressler clarify some things about this whole price is right ordeal:
*we left around 630, got there at 730ish...they hand out "order of arrival" numbers to keep track of who's there & the order - we were #484!!! they only gave numbers to about 550 or so

*people camped from 9pm the previous night...i heard 400 people were there by 6am

*we had to sit in line to get our "ticket" verified in our order of arrival...that ended around 1015am...then we went to farmer's market & had to return by 1230pm

*waiting from 1230 to 4...this also including nametags, interview questions and security

*basically, we were there 730am to 7pm (taping was 4-530 but we ate in the area before driving home)...that's nearly 12 hours people!!

*paid $22 for parking at the grove!! once you get to 7 hours, you pay the maximum $22

was it all worth it???

HECK YES!! haha
*where's your nametag albert?? oh, that's right...you didn't go with us!! BOOOOOOO.....

other tidbits of knowledge:
1. the studio is super tiny...there were 325 of us but man, that studio was like the size of a 1st floor home.

2. rich the announcer & drew are hilarious!! they warm up the crowd & tell jokes in between taping segments

3. the waiting wasn't that bad...we had puzzle books to keep us entertained. eating/shopping at the grove & farmer's market was awesome...tons of food selection at farmer's market - where else can you get brazilian bbq, korean bbq, pizza, gumbo, mediterranean food, bbq & all american goodness in one place... =)

4. if you have the chance to go to a future taping - DO ET!! despite the 8+ hours of waiting around, it's so much fun inside...the time absolutely flies by and when else are you REALLY going to be excited about someone winning a dinette set, a camping tent or a telephone in the shape of a car? =)

The Price is RIght

Did you make it? How was it?

Happy really really belated birthday!

RODEL!!!!! =)

Happy really really really belated birthday!!! =) Hope BJ's was ooooooober greatness =)

what a great day...

for rodel's birthday!! =)

The official Patrick "let him hold something" thread

http://support.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=pbgt&action=display&thread=253453

it's just too funny...

Peter and Rodel's Birthday

Saturday July 12th.
7:00 pm
Cerritos BJ's.

Albert
Kress
Tara
Patrick
Martyn
Justin

Barbra and Davis Wedding Website

you may find it interesting

barbraanddavis.weddingannouncer.com

for wow addicts...loved ones of addicts...past & present =)

havana mania

cuban restaurant you might want to try in brea...reading good reviews of it. =)

havana mania

Thanks =)

Thanks to everyone who was able to make it on Saturday. Thanks for the grub, the gifts, the laughs and the luv =). Ok Rodel...you're next! =)

lisa it's your birthday...

happy birthday lisa!

Photos from DX's Party

You know....

With a name like Buddha's favorite, you'd expect it to be vegetarian huh? =)

Carpooling sounds good for Saturday.

So how about for Thursday too? Who's going and what time are we going to be getting together?

Kim: It was nice of you to cover the shift. There's always next time. Here's a consolation prize...



It's shy.


Impressions of Garlic Jo's:

Food is pretty good, although the value for what you pay is so so.

The highlights were definitely the scallop carpaccio, the seared ahi with the butter garlic sauce, and the shrimp and avocado millefeuille (I'm not sure if that's spelled right especially since I can't even pronounce it, but I'm sure it means delicious.)

The pizza was alright although it got a tad sweet towards the end. The salad and the garlic fried rice were also pretty decent.

They seriously need a new bartender though. It's hard to imagine anyone messing up a mojito, let alone 3.

The Stinking Rose still reigns as my favorite garlic restaurant.

Dinner on Saturday, June 28 @ 6:30 pm.

Sorry for the confusion everyone!
Neither Cafe Tu Tu Tango or Habana could accommodate 7 people on Saturday. Apparently I needed to call a couple weeks ago...sorry!!

No worries though, hope you all enjoy a good piece of sushi...what Patrick, no sushi?!? Ok...they have other items on the menu ;).

Saturday, June 28
6:30 pm.
Buddha's Favorite

If you guys want to carpool, we can meet here at 5:45 (that'll give us time to park...parking is somewhat troublesome) and then head over =).
**Ooooh...we have an outside table, so bring a sweater just in case the breeze kicks up. The restaurant is near the water. =)

As far as Kress's comment about the liquor, she's right...my variety is probably quite outdated. If anyone has any particular drink requests, let me know and I'll stock up =). I have most of the base liquors still, wine, and Pepsi.

Wednesday

Hey guys, I know I talked about going to Universal on Weds, but my coworker asked me to cover her shift (ironically, so that she may take her kids to Knott's). Sooooooo, raincheck 'till August (if I come back...)?

Yay! Done for Now

Let's play tennis!

Actually, I think I left my racket up north. Doh.

Let's hang out this weekend. I'll probably drop by later today, Pat.

Wow, weird, I think every year right around this time I post a message like this.

Mokroopals minus Albert plus Matt

Comment dammit!

Save the date...June 28 =)

For all those in town on Saturday, June 28, I've decided on Habana for my birthday dinner. If you've never been, it's delicious Cuban food at The Lab in Costa Mesa. They don't have a website, so I've linked the Yelp page. We can hang at my place after for those interested in some games and drinks =). So...save the date!!

** it's kressler...intruding on lisa's post. i found a link to habana's menu if you want to take a look. Click HERE & if drinking occurs at lisa's, we might want to update some of the liquors since it's been so long =)

want to meet michael chiarello?

michael chiarello is on the food network and is opening one of his stores called "Napa Style" at South Coast - Macy's Home Wing (level 2) on Friday 6/13 from 10am to 9pm...

11-12 is a cooking demo
2-4 is book signing
free tasting is all day long

i still have school that day so i can't go...but it sounds like it could be fun =)

June 26

Are you in or out?

Taste of Anaheim

Flemming's

Made reservations for 5:45pm on Saturday for 6 peeps. See you there! :)

i just couldn't resist...

hi everyone...

so normally i only put pictures of my baby nephew on my own blog, but this one in particular was hilarious to me...it's after his 1st birthday party where he was tired, cranky and wouldn't let other people hold him besides his mommy. afterwards, he kicked off his pants and let us know that his party was over. =)



AND..i'd also like to announce here that i am going to be an auntie again...my sister is due in late december. so, fyi - absolutely no vegas for me this year (that is if you guys were planning on going again). maybe you guys will have more fun w/o me playing "mom" and nagging about vomit...knock yourselves out while i'm not there! =)

dinner saturday? @ flemings!!

UPDATE 6/2/08 - we've decided to go to fleming's in newport beach for dinner...i don't know if that will change anyone's mind about going though =)

hey everyone...

some of us are going to dx's birthday cocktail party saturday night@ patrick's - kim & i were thinking about going to dinner since we'll be all dressed up anyway.

we haven't decided exactly where to go, but if anyone wants to join please do! =)

Pretty Girls

San Fran

Can anyone recommend a good hotel to stay at in San Francisco? I plan to head up there soon with Craig (who is now in town until next month). He wants to see the bridge and I figure Fisherman's Wharf is a good place to go as well.

Also, Albert, can you make it into San Fran for a night out on the town?

Thanks for any help :)

David Cook is the American Idol winner. Archie was robbed, haha. but he's a crybaby after every song. We want a man.

David Cook wins “American Idol” by 12 million votes after David Archuleta's “knockout” last night.
story

Moobile

Crablicious lives up to it's name

OMG, so stuffed right now. Our venture out to Crablicious tonight was very satisfying! First off, it was nice that we didn't have to wait on a list for 3 hours. The restaurant was huge, much bigger than Boiling Crab, but pretty empty. However, I suppose because of that, the servers were very attentive to us. The best thing about this place is probably the menu. Besides the crawfish and crab that we love so much, they also have items such as clams, fried rice, noodles, curry, lamb (OMG, must have to try next time), flounder and so on.

I ordered clams and a crab, and Kressler ordered the crablicious fried rice as well as a crab of her own. They have a few different sauces than Boiling Crab: original (cajun), garlic and butter, basil and lime, and mix. I got cajun for my clams and server warned us that it would be really spicy. It definitely was NOT. In fact, nothing we got was spicy at all. Very tame, but still good flavors. Half-way through our crabs, Kressler ordered a pound of crawfish. The restaurant in turn gave us the pound, as well as another pound for free! Somehow we managed to plow through it. It doesn't end there though. At the end of our meal, when we were stuffed to our necks, the restaurant then gave us complimentary shaved ice desserts! We each got our own small bowl, which came with strawberries, watermelon, pineapple and vanilla ice cream.

I give the restaurant a thumbs up just for being so attentive and generous! I think they are more expensive than Boiling Crab though. It said our two crabs came out to 5 pounds, but I really don't think our crabs were that big. And the pound of clams and 2 pounds of crawfish didn't look as big as Boiling Crab's... but Kressler hypothesized that they may weigh their seafood differently. Also, I think I prefer the spice that comes with Boiling Crab. Overall though, it was a delicious and filling meal. We shall have to start hitting up all the crawfish joints in order to rank them. :D

Next: Garlic Jo's!

a little tax info...

Q: I received my rebate, but it's for less than I thought I would get. Why?

A: There are several factors that could shrink your rebate:

•Your rebate can't exceed your 2007 net tax liability. If your net tax liability was less than $600 — or $1,200 if you're married and filed jointly — your rebate will be reduced.

Taxpayers who used Form 1040 can calculate their net tax liability by adding Line 52 and Line 57. If you used 1040A, add Lines 35 and 32. On 1040EZ, your net tax liability is the amount shown on Line 10.

crablicious wednesday!

going to try "crablicious" - restaurant in artesia w/ crab, crawfish, etc. but also has teriyaki, soups, rice too...anyone want to join (besides kim) =)

any volunteers?

i have another decathlon competition for 9th & 10th graders on Saturday 5/17 and i guess they are really low on volunteers for the event...

so....

if anyone wants to volunteer their saturday to help test proctor or judge, it would be very nice of you. =) the longest you would be there is from 8-2 & i'd treat you afterwards to a decent lunch. =)

Tolcher on Monday?

Tolcher's back! He's playing the Hotel Cafe next Monday, 4/28 at 10pm...who's with me??? =)

yogurtland =)

so rodel & i went to yogurtland in long beach yesterday...

new summer flavors included pineapple tart (which i am loving) and coconut (which i was not crazy about) and at this yogurtland, they had red bean as a topping (hooray!)

when everyone's here for summer, we should take a field trip. =)

ooh, and jack & cincha's wedding in santa maria is coming up...of course it is very exciting to attend their wedding, but i am also feeling equal excitement for pismo beach - splash cafe clam chowder in a bread bowl. =) it feels wrong to look forward to a bowl of soup as much as two of your friends declaring their love...oh well.

Let's celebrate:

No more labs forever!

Coming up for air...

I finished my Biochem subject GRE yesterday. What a relief. I rewarded myself with sleep, yay!


Way to go champ! Congratulations on the win Rodel.

woot!!

rodel won his match tonight!! woo woo!!

he was down 3-5 but came back...4-6(?), 7-6, 6-1

i'm so proud of you hunny!! =)

a love/hate relationship with the john mayer fan club

so yeah...i heart john mayer (we all know)...but sometimes this fan club thing REALLY gets me frustrated. they announced his summer tour today...and the presales are two days from now...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Not only are they two days from now BUT they are making things difficult for me to actually buy tickets.

for example, they are on sale at 10am - i'll be in the middle of teaching the pathway of blood through the heart/lungs/body. also, if i want a chance at a meet and greet, i need to be in the chat room trivia thing...then they send an email once you are confirmed to have bought tickets through the club...

being in fan club gives me a better chance of getting tickets, but it's always a crap shoot! it's like saying to me, "we torture you first and you might get some sort of seating." whenever i try through ticketmaster, the tickets always sell out or they're so far away that it's better for me to listen to a live album on cd rather than go to the concert. *sigh*

someone could be utterly awesome and try to buy tickets online for me since i don't know if i'll be able to...but it's almost a guarantee that everyone will be busy. again, frustration engulfs me.

fyi: maroon 5 gives more notice for ticket sales...and tickets are distributed by club seniority. take notes john mayer fan club!! reward your most devoted fans instead of trying to screw them over!

NKOTB!! =)

Check it out =)

Hehe...remember when! Man, can you imagine sitting in the stands singing along to the oldies...Hangin' Tough and I'll Be Loving You...funny, I never saw this one coming.

Test Drive thru the neighborhood

new backyard almost done

hows the new car, pat. Hope the drive was fun.

Roger Federer Day from k1mb3rly on Vimeo.

Hello there Southern California!

Yay! I'm back. Although now that I'm back, a good chunk of you are leaving!

Anyways, Lucille's sounds fine for tomorrow if you didn't get my text Kress. I can't say I'm too keen based on the last time I went there but maybe it'll be better at the one in El Toro?

I hope you guys (Kressler and Roadman) had fun today watching good tennis in Palm springs. Although you two might be more barbecued then our food tomorrow. It certainly was a scorcher today.

Don't lose too much money in Vegas Lisa... that's what they mean when they say "what happens in vegas, stays in vegas"... your money stays when you leave... I wish those buffet pounds would stay though.. they follow me right home =)

Pat, I'm visiting you today so I don't even know why I'm writing you a message. Maybe it's just in case you read the blog every now and then.

Kim, although you're turning emo, I'm glad you're a very concise and eloquent emo. No long crazy rant about suffering and how the world sucks and nobody can possibly understand you. Just a "ditto" Anyway, I've made this doodle to cheer you up....

emo blog day 2

ditto.

emo blog

i'm sad.

Soon...

Hey, I'm not back yet but I'll be back on Saturday most likely. I think my finals went alright, and I'm so glad the quarter is over.

Anyway, we should make some plans =) Tennis? Food?

Albert back in Lake Forest?

is albert back?

Kura Sushi - Costa Mesa

Kura's Website

Sorry Rodel =(

I missed the ball smashing thrill and excitement! Sorry! Hope you completely knocked out your opponent =). Kress, hope the picnic time was goooooood =). I'll try to come to a game after Easter...keep me posted! =)

The "Fine Dining Club" List of Future Meetings

Starting a list of places the "Fine Dining Club" may want to meet - whomever is in our "exclusive" club may give their two cents...

The Golden Truffle (Newport/Costa Mesa)

Ikko Steakhouse & Sushi (Costa Mesa)

Cut (Beverly Hills)

Stonehill Tavern (Dana Point)

Bluefin (Newport Beach)

21 Oceanfront (Newport Beach)

French 75 (Irvine)

Garlic Jo's (Newport Beach) - not quite "fine dining" but I want to try a garlic restaurant!


to be continued... =)

also, you may veto my choices because they are quite expensive - but we are the fine dining club after all! =)

who wants to join the "fine dining club"?

so...kim and i are big fans of the "finer things club" but seeing as how i don't drink fine wines and we don't really have time for art museums, leisure book reading, etc. at this point of our lives, this is difficult to achieve.

we want to institute a "fine dining club" in which we will experience excellent restaurants - so who wants in?? =)

and if you're wondering where this all came from, perhaps this will enlighten you...

deleted posts

what happened to crosswords youtube?

Places I Love: SoCal, Santa Cruz, and NY

So what has been up with me lately? Well, I attended a friend's wedding in January. I was hoping I would have time to visit the Mokroopals and enjoy some Yogurt Land. But, alas! I did not have time to go. =( The wedding was lovely however! If you like, you can view the pictures I took here.

Around mid-February, I got to spend a lot of time with Albert. I've been somewhat more interested in spending time in Santa Cruz because they have a good variety of Mexican and Spanish food there. (Not to mention Greek, Japanese fusion, and cookies!) I think I racked up 300 miles on my car in one weeks just from driving back and forth from Berkeley and Santa Cruz. And it was worth it. =)

More recently, some friends and I went to New York to visit a friend and paint the town red. I arrived in NY at 6:30pm on Friday and left at 9am on Sunday. Yes, it was a very short trip for me so I had to make the most of my Saturday. On that day, my friends and I went to Serendipity, Dylan's Candy Bar, the Met, Central Park, Lombardi's Pizza, and Magnolia's. For the evening, we hung out at a lounge in K-Town and drank. I introduced my friends to a game of "I Have Never" and kept it clean. Since my flight was the next morning, I stayed up all night and didn't get to sleep until I was on the plane. Upon arriving in Berkeley, I slept for 15 hours until I had to wake up at 8am to go to work. It's kind of nice to know I still have it in me to pull all nighters.

concerts i want to go to...but will probably end up not going to.

howie day - hotel cafe on friday 2/29 (it's sold out already!)

matt nathanson - house of blues, san diego on saturday 3/8

gavin degraw - coach house on sunday 3/16

teitur - the roxy on friday 5/23

boo on technology!!

ok, so i bought a new sd card for my camera since lisa and i are going to ny in march - my current one is so old...only 512 mb so i decided to upgrade to 4 gb

that was my mistake!! the new card is an sdhc card...and is only compatible with cameras that can read sdhc. so that means my current camera cannot use it & i am now forced to buy a new camera if i want to use it. although i was thinking about a new camera before, now i am forced to buy one.

i am only slightly mad at myself for not reading the package more carefully...but i'm really more angry with freaking technology. why can't everything just be compatible??

rawr.

** i just bought the canon powershot 870IS online...five minutes after i posted this. =)

I'm the coach of a 1st place team!!

i was at a very long awards ceremony for academic decathlon tonight...but it was well worth it. two teams winning...
* 40 individual subject medals
* 5 overall individual medals
* 2nd place & 5th place super quiz social science team award
* 4th place & 1st place overall team award!! =)

and i am one lucky coach =)

Kim!!

Make the mailman your friend this week. =)

i can't breathe.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year to all

happy birthday albert!! =)

Guek's new baby

Guek just sent me a link to her new baby girl, Kaelyn.

Check out photos here:
http://iamkae.com/

Vista Sucks!!!

I just picked up a new notebook... and all I have to say is... Windows Vista SUCKS!!!

That is all.

sushi pillow video!

YOGURTLAND

Let's go to Yougurt Land!

The New Year!

Hey everyone. I hope the new year is going well for all of you. I just had my first week back at school and... well... it's school. At least I'm getting more attention on my figure.

Link

Ok... just wanted to say Hi! Does anyone use facebook? I just got sucked in. I was trying to avoid it, but couldn't. Alright... back to sculpting.

Pinehill Monday

I get off work at 7. Who's with me???

moooooooooooooooooooooooo

I Find This Funny

I purchased two versions of the song "Sh-boom" on iTunes some time ago and today when I checked what songs they picked "just for me" they chose that song. Oh well, at least it was a version I don't already own.

So, I'm back in the Bay Area and sick! I was supposed to return to work on Thursday, but my mitochondria (as The Taco reminded me) are making me crazy with hot and cold flashes. So, I've been staying home for the past two days trying to recover. Things should be back to normal by Monday.

I miss everyone already, but do not despair since the next time I will be back is on January 18-20th for a wedding. Mayhaps we can visit Yogurtland again?

DDR John at Gameworks, Las Vegas