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.