Sunday, June 29, 2008
SF Gay Pride Parade, and a great big shout out to Andrew & Barry!
It's that day/weekend again! The weekend when gays, lesbians, trans genders, and folks of all kind come flocking from across the globe to San Francisco to celebrate Gay Pride.
This year, it's even bigger than usual (and the largest turn out ever) because it coincides with the recent legalization of same-sex marriages in California.
Dick and I didn't go to the parade or festivities this year - we usually go, but for one-reason-or-another didn't go today. Instead, we strolled around the neighborhood last night and this afternoon, which was still quite hustley-bustley.
Anyhow, we just came home from our walk, and I hopped on my computer to see what's going on in the world today.
One of the sites that I routinely check is msnbc.com.
Here's what I saw on the front page:
Hey, I know those guys!
Here's the fun part:
I recognized those two guys in the photo immediately! That's Andrew and Barry! They are two of my dear friends who just got married (again) at SF City Hall on Friday!
What a great photo! I was so tickled when I saw it! I immediately took a screen shot of my browser window and sent it to them, in case it's not still up when they get home.
Barry had just sent me this photo of he and Andrew in front of SF City Hall after they got married on Friday.
Congratulations to Andrew and Barry (again!) and to all of the other happy couples who recently got married, or will be getting married soon.
Happy Pride Weekend, Everyone!
This year, it's even bigger than usual (and the largest turn out ever) because it coincides with the recent legalization of same-sex marriages in California.
Dick and I didn't go to the parade or festivities this year - we usually go, but for one-reason-or-another didn't go today. Instead, we strolled around the neighborhood last night and this afternoon, which was still quite hustley-bustley.
Anyhow, we just came home from our walk, and I hopped on my computer to see what's going on in the world today.
One of the sites that I routinely check is msnbc.com.
Here's what I saw on the front page:
Hey, I know those guys!
Here's the fun part:
I recognized those two guys in the photo immediately! That's Andrew and Barry! They are two of my dear friends who just got married (again) at SF City Hall on Friday!
What a great photo! I was so tickled when I saw it! I immediately took a screen shot of my browser window and sent it to them, in case it's not still up when they get home.
Barry had just sent me this photo of he and Andrew in front of SF City Hall after they got married on Friday.
Congratulations to Andrew and Barry (again!) and to all of the other happy couples who recently got married, or will be getting married soon.
Happy Pride Weekend, Everyone!
Labels: ...and the woman who loves them, friends, life in the castro, san francisco
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Perfect Wedding
Hey, wait a minute.... That's Graham, but.... that's NOT my sister!
We're in Palo Alto tonight to watch Graham (in the lead role!) in "Perfect Wedding".
(Love the poster!)
Here's a nice review of of the show!
Labels: friends
Friday, June 20, 2008
Another Trip to City Hall
Four years ago, on February 13, 2004, I was working at home, Dick was in jury duty, and Pete called me called to see what I was doing. He told me that he and Richard were on their way to City Hall to be married, and wanted to know if we were able to come along to act as their witnesses.
I dropped everything I was doing, and was able to meet them there quickly. Dick, who was just released from Jury Duty from the building across the street from SF City Hall, was able to meet us there, and actually saved our place in line.
It was a momentous and amazing day. It was truly one of the most memorable experiences of my life. The four of us waited in line for over 4 hours with hundreds of other gay couples - it's so hard to put into words what the atmosphere was like.
Sadly, those marriages were annulled 6 months later.
On May 15th of this year, The California Supreme Court rejected the Gay Marriage Ban, and started on Tuesday of this week, June 17, same sex couples were able to marry again.
Late this morning, I was working at home, Dick was in jury duty, and Pete called me called to see what I was doing. He told me that he and Richard were at City Hall to be married, and wanted to know if we were able to come along to act as their witnesses.
I dropped everything I was doing, and was able to meet them there quickly. Dick, sadly, was still serving jury duty, and was unable to join us this time.
The atmosphere was very different this time around. First of all, we didn't come on the first day, and secondly, gay couples don't have the same need to rush as they did last time. This time around, couples know that this window will extend at least through Nov. 4 when CA voters vote on an initiative that would write a ban on same-sex marriage into the state Constitution.
What really surprised me today was the amount of couples, gay and straight, waiting to get married in City Hall today. Apparently, June is the most popular month to get married, and City Hall only has so many spaces per day. However, with all of the gay marriages, several dozen people are volunteering their time to allow many more marriages per day. This means that gay couples, as well as straight couples who weren't able to snag a time slot before were able to get married immediately.
The temperature in SF is easily in the high 80s today. That's sweltering for us. :) Pete and Richard weren't sure if they would be able to get married today, and didn't want to dress up (too hot) in case they were turned away. Likewise, I was called at the last minute when they realized they could get married today, so I ran over there in shorts and a t-shirt. :)
Congratulations (again) Pete & Richard!!
One of my favorite things that I saw in City Hall today were these boards that were displayed around the tables where the volunteers issued the marriage licenses. There were several of these boards which read:
We wish to recognize and honor the courageous couples and their families who came before us in their pursuit of equality. Below are some of the historic marriage certificates from February of 2004.
I loved this. It was a reminder of what so many couples went through four years ago, and what was taken away from them. We looked through the boards to see, if by chance, Pete & Richard's marriage license from 2004 was included, but alas, we didn't see it.
It was so interesting to go through this experience with my friends; Having been with them 4 years ago, and being there with them again today. I was so grateful for the opportunity to share this special day with them.... again.
I dropped everything I was doing, and was able to meet them there quickly. Dick, who was just released from Jury Duty from the building across the street from SF City Hall, was able to meet us there, and actually saved our place in line.
It was a momentous and amazing day. It was truly one of the most memorable experiences of my life. The four of us waited in line for over 4 hours with hundreds of other gay couples - it's so hard to put into words what the atmosphere was like.
Sadly, those marriages were annulled 6 months later.
On May 15th of this year, The California Supreme Court rejected the Gay Marriage Ban, and started on Tuesday of this week, June 17, same sex couples were able to marry again.
Late this morning, I was working at home, Dick was in jury duty, and Pete called me called to see what I was doing. He told me that he and Richard were at City Hall to be married, and wanted to know if we were able to come along to act as their witnesses.
I dropped everything I was doing, and was able to meet them there quickly. Dick, sadly, was still serving jury duty, and was unable to join us this time.
The atmosphere was very different this time around. First of all, we didn't come on the first day, and secondly, gay couples don't have the same need to rush as they did last time. This time around, couples know that this window will extend at least through Nov. 4 when CA voters vote on an initiative that would write a ban on same-sex marriage into the state Constitution.
What really surprised me today was the amount of couples, gay and straight, waiting to get married in City Hall today. Apparently, June is the most popular month to get married, and City Hall only has so many spaces per day. However, with all of the gay marriages, several dozen people are volunteering their time to allow many more marriages per day. This means that gay couples, as well as straight couples who weren't able to snag a time slot before were able to get married immediately.
The temperature in SF is easily in the high 80s today. That's sweltering for us. :) Pete and Richard weren't sure if they would be able to get married today, and didn't want to dress up (too hot) in case they were turned away. Likewise, I was called at the last minute when they realized they could get married today, so I ran over there in shorts and a t-shirt. :)
Congratulations (again) Pete & Richard!!
One of my favorite things that I saw in City Hall today were these boards that were displayed around the tables where the volunteers issued the marriage licenses. There were several of these boards which read:
We wish to recognize and honor the courageous couples and their families who came before us in their pursuit of equality. Below are some of the historic marriage certificates from February of 2004.
I loved this. It was a reminder of what so many couples went through four years ago, and what was taken away from them. We looked through the boards to see, if by chance, Pete & Richard's marriage license from 2004 was included, but alas, we didn't see it.
It was so interesting to go through this experience with my friends; Having been with them 4 years ago, and being there with them again today. I was so grateful for the opportunity to share this special day with them.... again.
Labels: friends, san francisco
Monday, June 16, 2008
Live Jazz in Da House
There's something so awesome about having live music in the house.
Labels: friends
Friday, June 13, 2008
"Hello, Monster"
Great band!
Suddenly, Dick and I feel like such hip urbanites - this was our second outing in just over a week to listen to some live music! We'll be going out for more tomorrow, too!
Labels: friends, san francisco
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Dancing Queen
Saturday, May 03, 2008
The 8's
Ayumi and Paul
Ayumi's birthday was on April 24th, and mine was on April 28th. This was a belated birthday celebration of sorts. I realize that I have several friends who are Tauruses (born between April 20th and May 20th). We must all be drawn to each other.
I turned 38 this year, and Ayumi turned 30. At some point in the evening, Dick mentioned that he was born in the Tiger (in Chinese Astrology). Paul said that he was, too.
That's when Dick started to put all the pieces together: People who are born under the same Chinese Astrological sign are separated by increments of 12 years. (there are 12 signs/animals in total.) We had made the assumption that Paul was not yet in his mid-30s yet, so that meant that he must be..... 24 years younger than Dick! (gulp!)
Ayumi and Paul acknowledged that Dick was correct, with Ayumi stating that she was dating "a younger man". He is 8 years younger than her.
Dick said, "Oh, well, Trina is 8 years younger than me!"
...and then we remembered that Ayumi is 8 years younger than me...
So, that means that each of us were born 8 years apart.
The coincidence boggles the mind.
BTW: both Ayumi and Paul are musicians and singer/song writers. We intended for them to come over afterwards to sing some jazz with Dick. However, we got sidetracked with Rock Band! OMG - so much fun. And, by the way, as someone who is not a musician, and who does not sing at all, it was SO cool to play with 3 other people who could all sing really well!
Labels: friends, funny ha-ha
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Sticky Twisty Bob
Sticky Twisty Bob Goes Golfing
When we sat down, the kids got little packages of Wikki Stix to play with while they waited for their dinners.
Andre sat across the table from me. We had tons of fun. He spent a good part of the evening creating "Sticky Twisty Bob", and we spent the rest of the time posing Sticky Twisty Bob and taking pictures of him.
At one point, Andre gave Sticky Twisty Bob a golf club, and we decided to take multiple pictures of him in slightly different poses so that we could make a stop-motion-animation of him. (That's my job when I get home.)
When we left the restaurant, Andre gave Sticky Twisty Bob to me so he could live with me in San Francisco. I promised him that Sticky Twisty Bob will live in my office with me, and that I'd take lots of pictures of him in different poses to send back to Andre.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Five States Five 5 Days
five-by-five
Greetings from Madison, WI!
As we were driving today, I realized that my sister and I have driven through five states in the last five days:
Kentucky
Ohio
Indiana
Illinois
Wisconsin
Wow. I haven't driven around this much in years. It's been great, as we've had plenty of stops along the way, plenty of activities, and have had a chance to see many friends.
We've been really lucky with the weather. For the most part, it's been clear and sunny.
As we were driving up to Madison from Chicago, I was reminded how much I enjoy this drive. I used to do it semi-frequently when I lived in Madison years ago. It's a nice drive - very scenic, and easy. It was actually kind of relaxing.
We went to Sal and LuAnn's this afternoon, and had a chance to see their new (to us) home and meet their two boys for the first time. We all went to Chuck E Cheese's for dinner (the boys are 9 and 4). It's funny - this is the same place that Sal and LuAnn took me when they arranged a surprise birthday party for me when I turned 22 oh-so-many years ago.
Hey - I just realized that I had a picture from that birthday. That's kind of funny. I haven't been to a Chuck E. Cheese's since then! I think Mr. Cheese and I have both aged a bit since then. :)
Trina and the Big Cheese, 1992
Greetings from Madison, WI!
As we were driving today, I realized that my sister and I have driven through five states in the last five days:
Kentucky
Ohio
Indiana
Illinois
Wisconsin
Wow. I haven't driven around this much in years. It's been great, as we've had plenty of stops along the way, plenty of activities, and have had a chance to see many friends.
We've been really lucky with the weather. For the most part, it's been clear and sunny.
As we were driving up to Madison from Chicago, I was reminded how much I enjoy this drive. I used to do it semi-frequently when I lived in Madison years ago. It's a nice drive - very scenic, and easy. It was actually kind of relaxing.
We went to Sal and LuAnn's this afternoon, and had a chance to see their new (to us) home and meet their two boys for the first time. We all went to Chuck E Cheese's for dinner (the boys are 9 and 4). It's funny - this is the same place that Sal and LuAnn took me when they arranged a surprise birthday party for me when I turned 22 oh-so-many years ago.
Hey - I just realized that I had a picture from that birthday. That's kind of funny. I haven't been to a Chuck E. Cheese's since then! I think Mr. Cheese and I have both aged a bit since then. :)
Trina and the Big Cheese, 1992
Monday, April 14, 2008
Chicago-Style Pizza with Jason
My favorite quote of the night:
(Jason to Trina)
"If you ever started a cult, I would totally drink the Cool Aid."
Now, that's a friend! ;)
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Watching WGI Finals
Friday, April 11, 2008
We're Here!!!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Kristi's Blog
For those of you who are interested, I just put up a new Blog section on Kristi's site:
http://kristiyamaguchi.com/blog
Kristi has already posted her first entry. She’s going to try to write at least a couple of entries a week while she’s on Dancing with the Stars. It should be a fun way for her to share her latest adventures with everyone.
http://kristiyamaguchi.com/blog
Kristi has already posted her first entry. She’s going to try to write at least a couple of entries a week while she’s on Dancing with the Stars. It should be a fun way for her to share her latest adventures with everyone.
Labels: friends, web design
Saturday, March 08, 2008
My best friend from fourth grade!
with my best friend from fourth grade! We hadn't seen each other in
over 25 years, and just reconnected a few months ago after she found
my blog!
Labels: friends
Friday, February 08, 2008
Andrew & Rafa visit from Spain
Rafa had never been to the U.S. before, and was very open and excited to try out some traditional "American" foods. We met in the Castro first - I told them that we'd meet by the big rainbow flat on the corner of Castro and Market. You know, THE Flag. The one that's always flying. Except for yesterday.... I assume it was down for the filming of the movie, "Milk". But still, that struck me as very funny.
So, lucky Rafa. I tried to explain that we don't usually have Hollywood movies being filmed in our neighborhood, but that they had very good timing! We walked around the Castro, stopped at Spikes for a coffee, then down to Dolores Park and back. It was such a nice, sunny day yesterday. For lunch, I drove them down to the Cliff House, where we had a wonderful view of the Pacific Ocean. Rafa decided that he really wanted to try a Hamburger and fries. Most of you probably know that I don't eat Hamburgers very often - I usually opt for a garden/veggie burger, or a turkey burger. But I realized that the Cliff House would probably make a really nice burger, so I figured, "Why not?" and ordered one as well.
As we were eating, we discussed other foods that were typically American. Andrew had suggested to Rafa that he try adding Bacon to his Hamburger, and explained how different Bacon in the U.S. was, compared to bacon in Spain or England. Once we were on the topic of Bacon, we quickly started to discuss typical American breakfasts, and how Rafa had never had pancakes. That's when we decided that I would take them out to breakfast at It's Tops this morning, before they left to drive to Monterey.
What a nice visit we had. I hope that they enjoy the rest of their trip just as much as I enjoyed spending time with them.
Labels: friends
Friday, January 04, 2008
Another reason why I love Pete
not that I needed another...
Today I received an email from iTunes saying that I'd received a gift from a friend. Turns out that Pete had bought me a copy of the "Star Wars Theme / Cantina Band (12" Disco Mix) off of "The Best of Meco" Album.
OMG! I remember when this song first came out (obviously soon after the movie) and I LOVED it! It's got it all: the main theme, R2D2 beeps, the cantina music (all disco-ed up) and jawas, all rolled up into 3 minutes, 48 seconds of disco goodness.
I'm a happy geek. :)
Today I received an email from iTunes saying that I'd received a gift from a friend. Turns out that Pete had bought me a copy of the "Star Wars Theme / Cantina Band (12" Disco Mix) off of "The Best of Meco" Album.
OMG! I remember when this song first came out (obviously soon after the movie) and I LOVED it! It's got it all: the main theme, R2D2 beeps, the cantina music (all disco-ed up) and jawas, all rolled up into 3 minutes, 48 seconds of disco goodness.
I'm a happy geek. :)
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Trina Chow: Soccer Mom?
Our friends, Abbe and Eve, have recently moved into the neighborhood! :) Their new (gorgeous) home is only about 3 blocks from us.
Abbe started a new job yesterday in Palo Alto. When we had dinner together last week, she asked Dick about his experience with CalTrain. Dick has been taking Caltrain to work for several years now, and highly recommends it, so she decided to give it a try.
We told her that Dick usually rides his scooter to the station, unless it's very cold or raining out. If that's the case, then I drive him back and forth.
Abbe and Eve decided to start out by having Eve drive Abbe to the station since they don't quite know the parking situation yet.
Yesterday, Dick and Abbe saw each other while they were on the same train home. Dick rode his scooter home, and Eve picked up Abbe. After Dick told me about their encounter last night, I suggested that he call Abbe to offer her a ride today, since we were expecting rain for the next few days.
Abbe went in earlier than Dick today, so Eve dropped her off again, but I'm all set to pick them both up from the station this afternoon.
Eve called me about an hour ago, confirming my plans to pick both Dick and Abbe up. She also offered to drive Dick tomorrow morning, if he wanted to go on the same train as Abbe.
I started laughing because we sounded like a couple of mothers trying to arrange a car pool for our kids. I told her that this must be what it feels like to be a soccer mom. :)
Abbe started a new job yesterday in Palo Alto. When we had dinner together last week, she asked Dick about his experience with CalTrain. Dick has been taking Caltrain to work for several years now, and highly recommends it, so she decided to give it a try.
We told her that Dick usually rides his scooter to the station, unless it's very cold or raining out. If that's the case, then I drive him back and forth.
Abbe and Eve decided to start out by having Eve drive Abbe to the station since they don't quite know the parking situation yet.
Yesterday, Dick and Abbe saw each other while they were on the same train home. Dick rode his scooter home, and Eve picked up Abbe. After Dick told me about their encounter last night, I suggested that he call Abbe to offer her a ride today, since we were expecting rain for the next few days.
Abbe went in earlier than Dick today, so Eve dropped her off again, but I'm all set to pick them both up from the station this afternoon.
Eve called me about an hour ago, confirming my plans to pick both Dick and Abbe up. She also offered to drive Dick tomorrow morning, if he wanted to go on the same train as Abbe.
I started laughing because we sounded like a couple of mothers trying to arrange a car pool for our kids. I told her that this must be what it feels like to be a soccer mom. :)
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Thanks, I needed that!
With Dick up in Seattle for the night, and Richard down in Milpitas for his new job, Pete and I decided to get together tonight to hang out and relax.
The plan: Pizza (Chicago-style, even!) and "Elf".
First things first: the pizza was outstanding! One of the best I've had. It was indeed Chicago-style, but without as much cheese as I've had before. The sauce was really well seasoned, and it was chalk-full of goodies!
Secondly: "Elf". Pete has been telling me about this movie for years now - well, at least 4 years, since it only came out in 2004. I just never got around to seeing it.
I really enjoyed the movie - I think it was exactly what I needed. It was hilarious - I laughed so often! Plus, I didn't know it was directed b Jon Favreau. I love that guy.
If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend it. It's a very charming and funny holiday movie. Plus, Pete found it at Best Buy for only $10! You can't beat that!
Thanks, Pete! It was a great evening.
The plan: Pizza (Chicago-style, even!) and "Elf".
First things first: the pizza was outstanding! One of the best I've had. It was indeed Chicago-style, but without as much cheese as I've had before. The sauce was really well seasoned, and it was chalk-full of goodies!
Secondly: "Elf". Pete has been telling me about this movie for years now - well, at least 4 years, since it only came out in 2004. I just never got around to seeing it.
I really enjoyed the movie - I think it was exactly what I needed. It was hilarious - I laughed so often! Plus, I didn't know it was directed b Jon Favreau. I love that guy.
If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend it. It's a very charming and funny holiday movie. Plus, Pete found it at Best Buy for only $10! You can't beat that!
Thanks, Pete! It was a great evening.
Labels: A day in the life, friends
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Everyone looks great in this jacket!
I just got an email from my friend Barry, who had just finished reading my blog post from yesterday.
It turns out that Barry has a Chinese jacket very similar to the one that Dick wore to the Holiday Party Saturday night. Barry's was custom made for him in Beijing! (just a little further away than San Francisco Chinatown, where Dick bought his jacket.)
Here's a photo of Barry looking dashing in his jacket. Note that Barry is holding a doll - that's Hitty. Hitty belongs to Andrew, Barry's partner. Hitty travels all around the world with Barry & Andew. In this photo, she's wearing a custom made Chinese Silk Dress! (Hitty's wardrobe would make Barbie jealous.) You can view all of Hitty's Travel Photos Here.
It turns out that Barry has a Chinese jacket very similar to the one that Dick wore to the Holiday Party Saturday night. Barry's was custom made for him in Beijing! (just a little further away than San Francisco Chinatown, where Dick bought his jacket.)
Here's a photo of Barry looking dashing in his jacket. Note that Barry is holding a doll - that's Hitty. Hitty belongs to Andrew, Barry's partner. Hitty travels all around the world with Barry & Andew. In this photo, she's wearing a custom made Chinese Silk Dress! (Hitty's wardrobe would make Barbie jealous.) You can view all of Hitty's Travel Photos Here.
Labels: friends
Friday, November 30, 2007
Graham playing @ The Red Devil Lounge, SF
The band sounded great! We both really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my regular camera, which would have enabled me to take a quick little video to post. But luckily, I at least had my iPhone with me, which always comes in handy for a quick shot.
Congrats on the great performance, Graham! We're looking forward to seeing the next show!
Labels: A day in the life, friends, san francisco
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Happy. Birthday Martin!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Look who I ran into!
(not literally, of course!)
It's Andrew & Lola!
Miss Lola has grown so much since the last time I saw her. She (and
Andrew) were excited to demonstate all of new tricks she's learned.
What a good (and cute!) doggie!!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Welcome, baby Ella!
Congratulations to Rob, Sharon, and big brother Skyler! Congratulations on the beautiful addition to your family!
Labels: friends
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Pizza & Poker with da Boys
Labels: friends
Friday, October 12, 2007
"hi" Eileen!!!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
28 People
Dick and I just came home from watching my friend, Ayumi, perform with her band, 28 People. They had their first gig at Brainwash, here in SF.
Brainwash is a pretty cool place. I've only been there once before, on some random field trip nearly 12 years ago with one of my new genres classes at SFAI. Is it a laundromat? Is it a cafe? Is it a venue for live bands? The answer: YES.
The show started at 8:00, but we knew that 28 People wouldn't be performing until 9:30, so we planned to get there around 9:00 to get a good seat. The venue was pretty packed with fans/friends. It was a really great atmosphere, and reminded me again of why I love living in a City. How often do you have a chance to go to a cafe/laundromat and listen to your friend sing in a band?
We both really enjoyed 28 People's performance this evening. I absolutely loved Ayumi's voice. It's really beautiful. My first impression was that her voice, and some of the music reminded me of the Cranberries from the mid-90s. (Dick had no idea who I was referring to, so I don't have any one who can agree/disagree with me.) Dick (who knows a lot more about music and bands than I do) thought that the band was quite good, too. We bought their CD tonight, and plan on seeing them again!
Congratulations to Ayumi, and to her band, 28 People!
28 People perform at Brainwash
Brainwash is a pretty cool place. I've only been there once before, on some random field trip nearly 12 years ago with one of my new genres classes at SFAI. Is it a laundromat? Is it a cafe? Is it a venue for live bands? The answer: YES.
The show started at 8:00, but we knew that 28 People wouldn't be performing until 9:30, so we planned to get there around 9:00 to get a good seat. The venue was pretty packed with fans/friends. It was a really great atmosphere, and reminded me again of why I love living in a City. How often do you have a chance to go to a cafe/laundromat and listen to your friend sing in a band?
We both really enjoyed 28 People's performance this evening. I absolutely loved Ayumi's voice. It's really beautiful. My first impression was that her voice, and some of the music reminded me of the Cranberries from the mid-90s. (Dick had no idea who I was referring to, so I don't have any one who can agree/disagree with me.) Dick (who knows a lot more about music and bands than I do) thought that the band was quite good, too. We bought their CD tonight, and plan on seeing them again!
Congratulations to Ayumi, and to her band, 28 People!
28 People perform at Brainwash
Labels: friends, san francisco
Sunday, August 05, 2007
The High School Reunion Update
Well, that was a lot of fun.
I didn't get home 'til 4:00am!
My day started with a 3 hour lunch with my old friend, Meronea. We me at Max's Cafe in Palo Alto, ordered lunch, then talked, and talked, and talked. It was great - just like old times. It's wonderful to see an old friend after nearly 20 years, and have an instant connection with them again.
Meronea and I were best friends from 6th grade through 8th grade. We did everything together. Even in 8th grade, Meronea was beautiful and statuesque at 6'2". I of course, was considerably shorter at around 5'0. My algebra teacher, who was also the jr. high basketball coach used to call us Mutt and Jeff.
Meronea & Trina (I was standing on my toes in this photo!
After having lunch with Meronea, I drove back home to SF and had a little more than an hour to dress and get ready for the MHS Class of '87 20th Year reunion. I drove to Kimi's house first, to visit with her family and to pick her up.
Just as we always did when we were in high school, we took a picture of the two of us all dressed up before leaving.
all dressed up, and ready to go!
We made our way to the reunion around 6:45. (check-in and cocktails had started around 6:00.) We checked in and received our little badges with had our name, year that we graduated (there were two classes represented at the reunion) and our senior year picture. This was very smart on the reunion committee's part: it made it a heck of a lot easier to recognize people!
There was a lot of saying "hello" to people, then looking at their badges to read their name and their photo, then looking back at their faces. Usually, that was followed by, "Oh, yes! I remember you! How are you?". But I have to admit, occasionally, I had to say, "I'm sorry, I don't know if we've ever met..." We had a class of around 350 students, I think, so this isn't surprising. But, the best story out of all of this was when I met a guy named Mike who was (apparently) quite popular in school because he was a jock (he played football and basketball). For the life of me, I couldn't remember him, which was fine, because he couldn't remember me, either. We hung out a lot during the evening (with Kimi, too) which was pretty entertaining. He kept asking me what all kinds of questions that made me realize that I was pretty dorky in high school: What groups were you in? Who did you hang out with? What did you do on Friday and Saturday nights? Did you ever go to any parties? The answers: I was in band, I hung out with Kimi, I went to color guard practice on weekends, or played Trivial Pursuit at my parent's house, and I never went to any of the cool parties. Geez, what a square.
Some highlights of the evening included reconnecting with a few old friends who I've known since 5th grade: Jon Jon (who now, of course, goes by "Jon") and Steve (who was my square dance partner in 5th grade). I also had wonderful reconnections with Rolondo and Byron.
The evening was a lot of fun, but it was also very surreal and a little overwhelming. I realized that people's physical appearance change a lot more between the 10th and 20th reunion, than they did between graduation and the 10 year reunion. As Kimi said, it was actually fun to see everyone, though forced and awkward, but since everyone felt that way it didn't matter.
I also realized that everyone feels insecure in high school, and thinks that everyone else is much more cool and together than you ever felt yourself.
Rolo's wife, Rolondo (Rolo), Mike (my new high school friend) & Kimi
Trina & Jon Jon
The party ended at midnight, but a group of 30 or so hung out until they kicked us out of the ballroom at 1:00. A few people had rooms in the hotel, so we went up to hang out up there afterwards. Kimi and I left at 2:30am. That's probably the most "partying" we ever did with anyone in high school!
I didn't get home 'til 4:00am!
My day started with a 3 hour lunch with my old friend, Meronea. We me at Max's Cafe in Palo Alto, ordered lunch, then talked, and talked, and talked. It was great - just like old times. It's wonderful to see an old friend after nearly 20 years, and have an instant connection with them again.
Meronea and I were best friends from 6th grade through 8th grade. We did everything together. Even in 8th grade, Meronea was beautiful and statuesque at 6'2". I of course, was considerably shorter at around 5'0. My algebra teacher, who was also the jr. high basketball coach used to call us Mutt and Jeff.
Meronea & Trina (I was standing on my toes in this photo!
After having lunch with Meronea, I drove back home to SF and had a little more than an hour to dress and get ready for the MHS Class of '87 20th Year reunion. I drove to Kimi's house first, to visit with her family and to pick her up.
Just as we always did when we were in high school, we took a picture of the two of us all dressed up before leaving.
all dressed up, and ready to go!
We made our way to the reunion around 6:45. (check-in and cocktails had started around 6:00.) We checked in and received our little badges with had our name, year that we graduated (there were two classes represented at the reunion) and our senior year picture. This was very smart on the reunion committee's part: it made it a heck of a lot easier to recognize people!
There was a lot of saying "hello" to people, then looking at their badges to read their name and their photo, then looking back at their faces. Usually, that was followed by, "Oh, yes! I remember you! How are you?". But I have to admit, occasionally, I had to say, "I'm sorry, I don't know if we've ever met..." We had a class of around 350 students, I think, so this isn't surprising. But, the best story out of all of this was when I met a guy named Mike who was (apparently) quite popular in school because he was a jock (he played football and basketball). For the life of me, I couldn't remember him, which was fine, because he couldn't remember me, either. We hung out a lot during the evening (with Kimi, too) which was pretty entertaining. He kept asking me what all kinds of questions that made me realize that I was pretty dorky in high school: What groups were you in? Who did you hang out with? What did you do on Friday and Saturday nights? Did you ever go to any parties? The answers: I was in band, I hung out with Kimi, I went to color guard practice on weekends, or played Trivial Pursuit at my parent's house, and I never went to any of the cool parties. Geez, what a square.
Some highlights of the evening included reconnecting with a few old friends who I've known since 5th grade: Jon Jon (who now, of course, goes by "Jon") and Steve (who was my square dance partner in 5th grade). I also had wonderful reconnections with Rolondo and Byron.
The evening was a lot of fun, but it was also very surreal and a little overwhelming. I realized that people's physical appearance change a lot more between the 10th and 20th reunion, than they did between graduation and the 10 year reunion. As Kimi said, it was actually fun to see everyone, though forced and awkward, but since everyone felt that way it didn't matter.
I also realized that everyone feels insecure in high school, and thinks that everyone else is much more cool and together than you ever felt yourself.
Rolo's wife, Rolondo (Rolo), Mike (my new high school friend) & Kimi
Trina & Jon Jon
The party ended at midnight, but a group of 30 or so hung out until they kicked us out of the ballroom at 1:00. A few people had rooms in the hotel, so we went up to hang out up there afterwards. Kimi and I left at 2:30am. That's probably the most "partying" we ever did with anyone in high school!
Labels: A day in the life, friends
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Reunions
Today is a big day!
I'm having brunch in Palo Alto with my best friend from 6th-8th grade. I managed to find her on the web a few months ago, and we've been planning to get together ever since. We haven't seen each other since we were in high school. I'm very excited to catch up with her!
Tonight is my 20th High School Reunion! Oh, my! Really can't believe it's been so long. Kimi and I are going to go together - it'll be very Romy & Michelle. I went to the 10 year reunion, and actually had a lot more fun than I was expecting. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone tonight. Should be a good time!
Milpitas High School Class of '87
I'm having brunch in Palo Alto with my best friend from 6th-8th grade. I managed to find her on the web a few months ago, and we've been planning to get together ever since. We haven't seen each other since we were in high school. I'm very excited to catch up with her!
Tonight is my 20th High School Reunion! Oh, my! Really can't believe it's been so long. Kimi and I are going to go together - it'll be very Romy & Michelle. I went to the 10 year reunion, and actually had a lot more fun than I was expecting. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone tonight. Should be a good time!
Milpitas High School Class of '87
Labels: friends, just trina
Friday, July 13, 2007
Week-plus wrap-up
It's been a busy week-plus. I keep meaning to blog about certain events, but hadn't had a chance to get to it. In an attempt to get caught up, I present to you the recent events of the past week (or so...)
Fourth of July
Baseball, luxury box seats, hamburgers, hot dogs, and Texas Hold-em
the view from our box
We spent the Fourth of July with the Chow clan. We all met at 10:30 for dim sum in Chinatown, Oakland. After lunch we all made our way to the Oakland A's game. My Dad and my Uncle Bill had purchased the 18 tickets in a luxery box for our entire family. They had "won" an auction at my niece's school's annual fund raiser. The game turned out to the a bit of a bust, with the A's losing by 8 run. We had a great time watching from our box, though!
After the game, we went to Uncle Bill & Junie's home for a Fourth of July BBQ - hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, corn on the cob... what more could you want?
...how 'bout a few games of Texas hold 'em?
Bond, James Bond
3-007's on 07/07/07
Saturday night was Shan's semi-annual Bond Party. It's always great fun - dress as your favorite character from any Bond or Austin Powers film. Martinis, great food, and a lot of men dressed in tuxes - it's all good!
Craddock. Dick Craddock. (and some random 60s go-go dancer chic)
Noe's really bad week
Poor little kitten...
sad Noe
Our poor little kitten. Poor Noe had (and continues to have) a really bad week.
We noticed that she had a wound on her tush on Sunday afternoon, and planned to watch it over the next couple of days. By Monday night, it wasn't any better, so we made an appointment with my vet down in Milpitas.
Poor Noe had an abscess on her rump. She had to go in for surgery to drain it, cut out the bad tissue, had a tube inserted (for additional drainage) and 2 sets of stitches. To make matters worse, she has to wear the dreaded cone around her head for the next two weeks. Poor little thing. She's just miserable.
The good news is that her wound is healing quite nicely. She has to go back in on Monday morning to have the tube removed. I think she'll have to keep the stitches (and the cone) for at least another week.
a slightly less sad Noe
We've been able to take the cone off so that she can eat, drink, use her litter box, clean herself (but not around the wound) and rest with us while we supervise her. That makes her very happy.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
best. theater. experience. ever.
My Sister, Mom and I have a tradition of seeing each of the new Harry Potter films on opening day at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland.
Unfortunately, we had to break tradition a bit this year: my sister is in Florida for the week, so she wasn't able to join us. My Mom had to work on Wednesday (opening day) but took Thursday off so we could go together.
It was really the best movie experience ever. I love the Grand Lake Theater. It's an old-school theater - huge and gorgeous inside. Plus, they installed new seats a couple of years ago. They show all the first-run films, but when we go on weekday matinée showings ($6.50 movie!) they never have lines.
We got there at 10:45am yesterday for a 12:00 noon showing. The doors opened at 10:45 (literally, as soon as we got there) and we were the first, and only people in the theater for the first 30 minutes of waiting. (yep - got the best seats in the house!) The size of the screen and the sound system are both wonderful - a great theater experience! Bonus: 4-hours free parking nearby, and FREE Popcorn!
I really liked the movie. It could be one of my favorites in the series. I actually really loved it on the whole, but was a bit disturbed that they made so many changes/alterations to the story - especially at the end. Overall: big thumbs up!
Here's a cool article on MSNBC to catch you up on all the Harry Potter characters!
That pretty much catches me up to today.
I still need to write my review of the iPhone (still love it!) but that will have to wait...
Fourth of July
Baseball, luxury box seats, hamburgers, hot dogs, and Texas Hold-em
the view from our box
We spent the Fourth of July with the Chow clan. We all met at 10:30 for dim sum in Chinatown, Oakland. After lunch we all made our way to the Oakland A's game. My Dad and my Uncle Bill had purchased the 18 tickets in a luxery box for our entire family. They had "won" an auction at my niece's school's annual fund raiser. The game turned out to the a bit of a bust, with the A's losing by 8 run. We had a great time watching from our box, though!
After the game, we went to Uncle Bill & Junie's home for a Fourth of July BBQ - hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, corn on the cob... what more could you want?
...how 'bout a few games of Texas hold 'em?
Bond, James Bond
3-007's on 07/07/07
Saturday night was Shan's semi-annual Bond Party. It's always great fun - dress as your favorite character from any Bond or Austin Powers film. Martinis, great food, and a lot of men dressed in tuxes - it's all good!
Craddock. Dick Craddock. (and some random 60s go-go dancer chic)
Noe's really bad week
Poor little kitten...
sad Noe
Our poor little kitten. Poor Noe had (and continues to have) a really bad week.
We noticed that she had a wound on her tush on Sunday afternoon, and planned to watch it over the next couple of days. By Monday night, it wasn't any better, so we made an appointment with my vet down in Milpitas.
Poor Noe had an abscess on her rump. She had to go in for surgery to drain it, cut out the bad tissue, had a tube inserted (for additional drainage) and 2 sets of stitches. To make matters worse, she has to wear the dreaded cone around her head for the next two weeks. Poor little thing. She's just miserable.
The good news is that her wound is healing quite nicely. She has to go back in on Monday morning to have the tube removed. I think she'll have to keep the stitches (and the cone) for at least another week.
a slightly less sad Noe
We've been able to take the cone off so that she can eat, drink, use her litter box, clean herself (but not around the wound) and rest with us while we supervise her. That makes her very happy.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
best. theater. experience. ever.
My Sister, Mom and I have a tradition of seeing each of the new Harry Potter films on opening day at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland.
Unfortunately, we had to break tradition a bit this year: my sister is in Florida for the week, so she wasn't able to join us. My Mom had to work on Wednesday (opening day) but took Thursday off so we could go together.
It was really the best movie experience ever. I love the Grand Lake Theater. It's an old-school theater - huge and gorgeous inside. Plus, they installed new seats a couple of years ago. They show all the first-run films, but when we go on weekday matinée showings ($6.50 movie!) they never have lines.
We got there at 10:45am yesterday for a 12:00 noon showing. The doors opened at 10:45 (literally, as soon as we got there) and we were the first, and only people in the theater for the first 30 minutes of waiting. (yep - got the best seats in the house!) The size of the screen and the sound system are both wonderful - a great theater experience! Bonus: 4-hours free parking nearby, and FREE Popcorn!
I really liked the movie. It could be one of my favorites in the series. I actually really loved it on the whole, but was a bit disturbed that they made so many changes/alterations to the story - especially at the end. Overall: big thumbs up!
Here's a cool article on MSNBC to catch you up on all the Harry Potter characters!
That pretty much catches me up to today.
I still need to write my review of the iPhone (still love it!) but that will have to wait...
Labels: A day in the life, family, friends, just trina
Monday, June 25, 2007
Some old school Color Guard
I just rented and watched "Dreamgirls" last weekend. I actually really enjoyed it.
I never saw it live on stage, and I never even listened to the full soundtrack. But, I did know quite a lot of the songs. "How?" you ask?
Why, through my old days in color guard, of course!
(no surprise there)
The reason why I'm most familiar with the songs was by one color guard show way back in 1983. That's right: 1983 - 24 years ago. I was watching it, even then! Back then (from 1983-1985) WGI was broadcast on PBS stations. They had these horrible TV commentators. We taped them on VHS, and I watched those shows over, and over, and over again. I went to my first WGI in 1986 - it was the first time in 3 years that they didn't air it on PBS.
Bug, I digress....
In 1983, The State Street Review from Madison, WI did a show to parts of the soundtrack of Dreamgirls. I didn't know anything about the broadway show at the time. But, oh, did I love this color guard show! It's still one of my "old school" favorites.
State Street Review, 1983: Dreamgirls
In my mind, this show still holds up. Check out the rifle line. This was back when equipment work and precision went hand-and-hand. I secretly wanted to be in the short flag line - look how cute their uniforms were!
The State Street Review went on to win WGI for 5 consecutive years, from 1985-1989. They decided to "fold" (not have a guard) after that season.
That could be the end of my story, but lucky for me, it's not. In 1990, I moved to Dayton, OH to join another color guard, called the Miller's Blackhawks. The Blackhawks had always been a WGI favorite - usually ranking between 2nd and 5th or so, but never capturing the gold. 1990 was supposed to be that year. The staff hired on Sal Salas, who, with his wife LuAnn, was the director of State Street Review. Sal had quite the reputation, of course.
Lucky for us, Sal took an immediate liking to both me and my sister. It could have had something to do with the fact that we were both born in the city where he grew up: Stockton, CA. The 1990 season didn't end terribly successfully for the Blackhawks (a surprise 4th place at WGI) but on a personal level, I learned a great deal in life lessons, and life-time friendships.
Sal would become a mentor, and one of my closest friends - His Soul Sister that's what he calls me.
Sal talked me into moving down to Southern California to join another guard that he was designing for: The Anaheim Kingsmen. This was the year that Mykail and I first marched together (we had become friends, and competed against each other in Ohio in 1990.) We had a great season. It's too bad there aren't any videos on youtube from that show.
Trina & Mykail: Kingsmen, 1991
check out that BIG hair!
After we finished that season with The Kingsmen, Sal and LuAnn decided to bring back State Street Review. After a brief, and misguided stop in Boston, Mykail and I moved ourselves to Madison - for the first of our two years as members of The State Street Review. We were such enormous guard geeks back then, that this all seemed like a surreal dream!
Trina in the State Street Review, WGI 1993
Thank you for all of the memories, Sal & LuAnn. You changed my life, and helped make this guard geek's dreams come true.
Sal and Trina - at my wedding, 2005
Here's another one of my favorite vintage State Street Review shows. It's called The Four Seasons. When I watched this show, I dreamt of being in the sabre line in State Street (again with the cute uniforms!) - a goal I managed to achieve in 1992 (what?! no cute costumes for the sabre line?) Enjoy!
State Street Review, 1986 - The Seasons
I never saw it live on stage, and I never even listened to the full soundtrack. But, I did know quite a lot of the songs. "How?" you ask?
Why, through my old days in color guard, of course!
(no surprise there)
The reason why I'm most familiar with the songs was by one color guard show way back in 1983. That's right: 1983 - 24 years ago. I was watching it, even then! Back then (from 1983-1985) WGI was broadcast on PBS stations. They had these horrible TV commentators. We taped them on VHS, and I watched those shows over, and over, and over again. I went to my first WGI in 1986 - it was the first time in 3 years that they didn't air it on PBS.
Bug, I digress....
In 1983, The State Street Review from Madison, WI did a show to parts of the soundtrack of Dreamgirls. I didn't know anything about the broadway show at the time. But, oh, did I love this color guard show! It's still one of my "old school" favorites.
State Street Review, 1983: Dreamgirls
In my mind, this show still holds up. Check out the rifle line. This was back when equipment work and precision went hand-and-hand. I secretly wanted to be in the short flag line - look how cute their uniforms were!
The State Street Review went on to win WGI for 5 consecutive years, from 1985-1989. They decided to "fold" (not have a guard) after that season.
That could be the end of my story, but lucky for me, it's not. In 1990, I moved to Dayton, OH to join another color guard, called the Miller's Blackhawks. The Blackhawks had always been a WGI favorite - usually ranking between 2nd and 5th or so, but never capturing the gold. 1990 was supposed to be that year. The staff hired on Sal Salas, who, with his wife LuAnn, was the director of State Street Review. Sal had quite the reputation, of course.
Lucky for us, Sal took an immediate liking to both me and my sister. It could have had something to do with the fact that we were both born in the city where he grew up: Stockton, CA. The 1990 season didn't end terribly successfully for the Blackhawks (a surprise 4th place at WGI) but on a personal level, I learned a great deal in life lessons, and life-time friendships.
Sal would become a mentor, and one of my closest friends - His Soul Sister that's what he calls me.
Sal talked me into moving down to Southern California to join another guard that he was designing for: The Anaheim Kingsmen. This was the year that Mykail and I first marched together (we had become friends, and competed against each other in Ohio in 1990.) We had a great season. It's too bad there aren't any videos on youtube from that show.
Trina & Mykail: Kingsmen, 1991
check out that BIG hair!
After we finished that season with The Kingsmen, Sal and LuAnn decided to bring back State Street Review. After a brief, and misguided stop in Boston, Mykail and I moved ourselves to Madison - for the first of our two years as members of The State Street Review. We were such enormous guard geeks back then, that this all seemed like a surreal dream!
Trina in the State Street Review, WGI 1993
Thank you for all of the memories, Sal & LuAnn. You changed my life, and helped make this guard geek's dreams come true.
Sal and Trina - at my wedding, 2005
Here's another one of my favorite vintage State Street Review shows. It's called The Four Seasons. When I watched this show, I dreamt of being in the sabre line in State Street (again with the cute uniforms!) - a goal I managed to achieve in 1992 (what?! no cute costumes for the sabre line?) Enjoy!
State Street Review, 1986 - The Seasons
Labels: color guard, friends, wgi
Monday, May 21, 2007
Popular
I just heard from Mykail. His entry for the art school scholarship competition has had enough votes that he's made the "popular" page for the first time!
Thanks to all of you who have voted for his entry!
Voting doesn't end until June 1st, so there's still plenty of time. I'll keep you posted.
Thanks to all of you who have voted for his entry!
Voting doesn't end until June 1st, so there's still plenty of time. I'll keep you posted.
Labels: friends
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Help send Mykail to art school!
My very good friend, Mykail, is trying to win a $10,000.00 scholarship to the Art Institute online. He has submitted an image of a painting that he created last year. Of the roughly 1,000 entries, artists who have the top 10% of the votes online will be judged by the faculty. One person will be awarded the scholarship.
Mykail is one of the most uber-talented people that I've ever known. He paints, dances, choreographs, sings, and does graphic design.
If you are so inclined, please click on this link to place your vote. You can place one vote per email address.
Thank you!
Labels: friends
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Homeward Bound...
My how time flies.
It's already time for me to pack my backs and head back home.
Our time in Chicagoland has been really wonderful. We spent the majority of our time visiting with our many friends here: breakfast with Eileen, dinner with Bill, and a raucous night in downtown Chicago with Jason.
It's been a great trip - as always. I feel so lucky to have so many wonderful friends here.
Time to go home. I miss my kitties. I miss my hubby. :)
Breakfast with Eileen ("Hi Eileen!")
Bill & Tammy
A visit to Chicago is never complete without a visit with The Amazing Jason!
It's already time for me to pack my backs and head back home.
Our time in Chicagoland has been really wonderful. We spent the majority of our time visiting with our many friends here: breakfast with Eileen, dinner with Bill, and a raucous night in downtown Chicago with Jason.
It's been a great trip - as always. I feel so lucky to have so many wonderful friends here.
Time to go home. I miss my kitties. I miss my hubby. :)
Breakfast with Eileen ("Hi Eileen!")
Bill & Tammy
A visit to Chicago is never complete without a visit with The Amazing Jason!
Friday, April 13, 2007
Good Times in Dayton, Ohio!
The drive from Chicago to Dayton went really well. We were lucky that it turned out to be a bright, sunny day - perfect for a road trip! We made it in to Dayton right on time today at 6:00.
We met our friends, Rich & Benji at 7:00 for dinner. That was a wonderful treat, as we never feel like we're able to spend enough time with them each year at headquarters.
After dinner, I talked everyone into having an ice cream with me at Graeters in Centerville. (yum)
Benji, Tammy & Rich outside of Graeter's
We decided to hit headquarters tonight to see what the scene was like. It was a bit slow when we arrived around 10:30, which was nice, because it was easy to see people. By the time that we left at 12:30, it was pretty packed, and we managed to see lots of people - several who don't necessarily come on a yearly basis, so we had some really nice surprises.
Philip, Trina & Jeff Worth! (first time back at WGI in 12 years! So happy to see you again!)
I took some fun photos,and will post them soon.
PS: to our amazement, we found out tonight that Dayton (or maybe State of Ohio) has now outlawed smoking in bars! :)
tomorrow, we'll be waking up in time to enjoy our free breakfast at our fabulous hotel. Afterwards, we're off to Kentucky to go shopping at the Gap/Banana Republic Clearance Center! :)
PSS:
funny story
Here's my WGI Geek moment of the night:
I was at headquarters, and Mike Gaines introduced me to Tommy Keenum of Final Analysis and other memorable WGI shows.
When I was introduced to Tommy, I shook his hand and said, "I love your work. I've been a big fan for a long time..." (oh, what a dork I am!) I also told him that one of my favorite WGI shows ever was The Color Purple (Final Analysis, 1988)
Anyhow, I don't suppose many people compliment him on shows from nearly 20 years ago, so he was probably a little taken back, but appreciative.
Mike continued the introduction by telling Tommy, "Trina marched in Blackhawks, Kingsmen, and State Street..."
Tommy said, "You couldn't have possibly marched in those shows. You don't look like you're any older than 24!"
That's when I said, "Oh, Thank you! Now I'm an even bigger fan!"
Oy. I think I may be the world's biggest dork.
Tommy, Mike & Craig
Prelims Scores.
We met our friends, Rich & Benji at 7:00 for dinner. That was a wonderful treat, as we never feel like we're able to spend enough time with them each year at headquarters.
After dinner, I talked everyone into having an ice cream with me at Graeters in Centerville. (yum)
Benji, Tammy & Rich outside of Graeter's
We decided to hit headquarters tonight to see what the scene was like. It was a bit slow when we arrived around 10:30, which was nice, because it was easy to see people. By the time that we left at 12:30, it was pretty packed, and we managed to see lots of people - several who don't necessarily come on a yearly basis, so we had some really nice surprises.
Philip, Trina & Jeff Worth! (first time back at WGI in 12 years! So happy to see you again!)
I took some fun photos,
PS: to our amazement, we found out tonight that Dayton (or maybe State of Ohio) has now outlawed smoking in bars! :)
tomorrow, we'll be waking up in time to enjoy our free breakfast at our fabulous hotel. Afterwards, we're off to Kentucky to go shopping at the Gap/Banana Republic Clearance Center! :)
PSS:
funny story
Here's my WGI Geek moment of the night:
I was at headquarters, and Mike Gaines introduced me to Tommy Keenum of Final Analysis and other memorable WGI shows.
When I was introduced to Tommy, I shook his hand and said, "I love your work. I've been a big fan for a long time..." (oh, what a dork I am!) I also told him that one of my favorite WGI shows ever was The Color Purple (Final Analysis, 1988)
Anyhow, I don't suppose many people compliment him on shows from nearly 20 years ago, so he was probably a little taken back, but appreciative.
Mike continued the introduction by telling Tommy, "Trina marched in Blackhawks, Kingsmen, and State Street..."
Tommy said, "You couldn't have possibly marched in those shows. You don't look like you're any older than 24!"
That's when I said, "Oh, Thank you! Now I'm an even bigger fan!"
Oy. I think I may be the world's biggest dork.
Tommy, Mike & Craig
Prelims Scores.
Greetings from Chicago!
Okay, technically, I'm in Bloomingdale...
Good morning!
It's a sunny day out, albeit cold and there's still a lot of snow on the ground!
Tammy and I are up and getting ready to head out to make our trek across Illinois, and Indiana to Ohio!
Once again, I'm proudly sporting the Ohio t-shirt.
The trip (not including any frozen custard spots along the way) should take about 6 hours.
See you in Ohio!
Good morning!
It's a sunny day out, albeit cold and there's still a lot of snow on the ground!
Tammy and I are up and getting ready to head out to make our trek across Illinois, and Indiana to Ohio!
Once again, I'm proudly sporting the Ohio t-shirt.
The trip (not including any frozen custard spots along the way) should take about 6 hours.
See you in Ohio!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Mid-West Bound!
It's that time of the year again!
Time for my annual trek to the Mid-West!
I'm flying out this morning to chilly Chicago. I'll be staying at Tammy's place tonight, then tomorrow we'll be taking a road trip to Dayton, OH! It'll be pretty much the same itinerary as every year: Good food, a little color guard, some discount shopping, and great friends. We're both really looking forward to it!
Last year, I started to dub this vacation as my "girls weekend". Tammy and I have such a blast, and it's always such great fun to do a road trip together. While I'm away, Martin will be visiting Dick in San Francisco. They'll be having their own "boys weekend" while I'm away. While my weekend will consist of eating at Bob Evans (yum!) and Chicago Style Pizza, their weekend will consist of dining out at some of San Francisco's finest restaurants! This is the second year in a row that we all planned the "girls weekend"/"boys weekend" thing. It's a lot of fun for all, and no one feels like they're missing out on the fun.
I plan to bring my computer and my camera along this time around. Will try to post during the trip!
...and, oh, yes. I do plan on wearing my road trip t-shirt again this year! :)
Time for my annual trek to the Mid-West!
I'm flying out this morning to chilly Chicago. I'll be staying at Tammy's place tonight, then tomorrow we'll be taking a road trip to Dayton, OH! It'll be pretty much the same itinerary as every year: Good food, a little color guard, some discount shopping, and great friends. We're both really looking forward to it!
Last year, I started to dub this vacation as my "girls weekend". Tammy and I have such a blast, and it's always such great fun to do a road trip together. While I'm away, Martin will be visiting Dick in San Francisco. They'll be having their own "boys weekend" while I'm away. While my weekend will consist of eating at Bob Evans (yum!) and Chicago Style Pizza, their weekend will consist of dining out at some of San Francisco's finest restaurants! This is the second year in a row that we all planned the "girls weekend"/"boys weekend" thing. It's a lot of fun for all, and no one feels like they're missing out on the fun.
I plan to bring my computer and my camera along this time around. Will try to post during the trip!
...and, oh, yes. I do plan on wearing my road trip t-shirt again this year! :)
Labels: color guard, friends, wgi
Monday, April 09, 2007
Fun with ZOOB!
One of new clients is a toy company called Infinitoy. (I love that name.) They have an existing site that they need to have updated.
When I met with them, they sent me home with several samples of their products. (I love my job!) That's right: they gave me toys!
Blane came over for a quick visit this afternoon. He had a short break in between his pilates clients, so I invited him over for a break.
We sat in the sunroom while we had a snack, and he noticed the stack of ZOOB boxes on the table. I told him what they were, and I could see that his interest was peaked. That's when we busted out the ZOOB and started to play!
Here are some fun pictures of us with our ZOOB creations!
When I met with them, they sent me home with several samples of their products. (I love my job!) That's right: they gave me toys!
Blane came over for a quick visit this afternoon. He had a short break in between his pilates clients, so I invited him over for a break.
We sat in the sunroom while we had a snack, and he noticed the stack of ZOOB boxes on the table. I told him what they were, and I could see that his interest was peaked. That's when we busted out the ZOOB and started to play!
Here are some fun pictures of us with our ZOOB creations!
Labels: friends, just trina
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Mad Tea Party
Today I will be attending a Mad Tea Party, hosted by my friend, Alan Greenspan. (No, that that Alan Greenspan, this Alan Greenspan.)
My friend, Alan Greenspan, is the genius behind all of the amazing hats in San Francisco's famous Beach Blanket Babylon. If you've never seen it, you really should. It's a San Francisco institution.
Alan has been designing and creating the hats since 1978. It comes as no surprise, then, he was nicknamed "The Mad Hatter". He eventually embraced this nickname, and started to collect Mad Hatter paraphernalia from the Alice in Wonderland Stories.
I met Alan a few years ago through our mutual friend, Andrew Tabbat. When Alan started his collection, Andrew taught him some of the ins and outs of building a collection.
Every year, on or near April Fools Day, Alan hosts a Mad Tea Party. I've been to one before, but it's been a few years. It's a real treat, full of wackiness and fun.
Each year that I receive an invitation, I'm always amazed at the creativity that goes into them.
This year's invitation came in the form of puzzle pieces. Once that puzzle was put together, it showed a scene from the Mad Tea Party, with a clever rhyme inviting the recipient to the party.
My sister will be attending the Mad Tea Party this year with me. We're really looking forward to it.
Happy April Fool's Day!
My invitation to the Mad Tea Party!
My friend, Alan Greenspan, is the genius behind all of the amazing hats in San Francisco's famous Beach Blanket Babylon. If you've never seen it, you really should. It's a San Francisco institution.
Alan has been designing and creating the hats since 1978. It comes as no surprise, then, he was nicknamed "The Mad Hatter". He eventually embraced this nickname, and started to collect Mad Hatter paraphernalia from the Alice in Wonderland Stories.
I met Alan a few years ago through our mutual friend, Andrew Tabbat. When Alan started his collection, Andrew taught him some of the ins and outs of building a collection.
Every year, on or near April Fools Day, Alan hosts a Mad Tea Party. I've been to one before, but it's been a few years. It's a real treat, full of wackiness and fun.
Each year that I receive an invitation, I'm always amazed at the creativity that goes into them.
This year's invitation came in the form of puzzle pieces. Once that puzzle was put together, it showed a scene from the Mad Tea Party, with a clever rhyme inviting the recipient to the party.
My sister will be attending the Mad Tea Party this year with me. We're really looking forward to it.
Happy April Fool's Day!
My invitation to the Mad Tea Party!
Labels: A day in the life, friends, my life is a sitcom
Friday, March 02, 2007
Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets...
...and with a face like that, who could resist?
Congratulations to proud new Papas, Andrew & Barry!
Andrew & Barry adopted a 10 week old Tibetan Terrier Pup last weekend!
I went to meet little Lola for the first time today, and what a cutie she is! It'll be fun to watch her grow!
I have no doubt that Lola will be a happy, and loved little girl. I look forward to visiting her (and her Dads) again soon.
Congratulations, Barry & Andrew!
Congratulations to proud new Papas, Andrew & Barry!
Andrew & Barry adopted a 10 week old Tibetan Terrier Pup last weekend!
I went to meet little Lola for the first time today, and what a cutie she is! It'll be fun to watch her grow!
I have no doubt that Lola will be a happy, and loved little girl. I look forward to visiting her (and her Dads) again soon.
Congratulations, Barry & Andrew!
Thursday, March 01, 2007
We ARE those old hags!
Mmmmmm....Chicago-Style Pizza. Just like being back in the Mid-West!
I had a great evening last night with two of my longtime color guard friends, Philip, and Mike Gaines (Mr. WGI Hall of Famer, himself!).
While in the planning stages, the evening was dubbed "Mid West Color Guard Night Out", and later "The Gathering of the Old Color Guard Dinosaurs". Way back in the mid-late 80s, we all used to march in the mid-west, and thought it would be fun to get back to our "roots".
I went all out, and proudly sported my "Friends Don't Let Friends Live in Ohio"t-shirt, underneath my dapper State Street Review member jacket. Philip and Mike both got a kick out of this.
We started out the evening with fruity drinks at the Orbit Room on Market. It's been a good long while since I've had a chance to hang out with Mike (he's' on the road so much nationally and internationally teaching guards still), but we all quickly found our way to talking about "the old days" and catching up on related gossip.
In true mid-western form, we went to a new Chicago Style Pizza restaurant in Hayes Valley. It didn't disappoint - Chicago Style Pizza the way it was meant to be: so chock-full of cheese, you're stomach (and no-doubt your arteries) are full after your first slice!
After dinner, we made our way to Philip's new pad for a few hours of complete and utter geekiness: we watched old WGI videos/DVDs dating back from 1982-1993. Oh, what a guilty pleasure that was: watching some good old fashioned color guards with two of my old color guard friends. Now, I admit that I've watched these shows a few times within the last year or so, but Mike and Philip claimed that they hadn't watched these in over 10 years.
The thing is, once we started watching them, it was if we'd gone back to the days when we used to do this as teenagers: We knew every movement, every toss, every break, every single minute detail instantly! All those years of watching those videos for hour after hour were still there in the back of our minds.
And the funny thing is, all the old emotions and memories came back too:
- Mike was still bitter about
losing tobeing boo'ed during retreat for beating Sac in '89. (corrected on 3/5/07 WOW! How did I get that wrong!) - I still had a personal grudge against the Raiders, and a certain amount of bitterness towards Alliance '91
- Philip was still (understandably) bitter about never having made finals, and thus, never making "the video". (yeah, that sucks)
Sure, we know we're old. We know we're "those old color guard hags" that still go to WGI each year. But, the thing is, those were our most formative years when we developed into the people that we became. That's the time when I developed my most close friendships. It's the ties that bind.
I love my color guard friends! I'm so glad that I still have so many in my life. We may be geeks, but at least we admit it! Say it loud, and say it proud!
Thanks for a great evening, guys.
Let's do it again soon!
Labels: color guard, friends, wgi
Friday, February 23, 2007
Happy Birthday, Uncle Christopher!
Happy Birthday to our favorite Gay Boyfriend!
It's Christopher's Birthday today! And it's a milestone one, at that!
I'd really like to post my most favorite photo of my bro here, but I think I might get in trouble if I don't ask him for permission first :)
Hint: Halloween 2001
This one will have to do for now :)
Happy Birthday, Bro!
PS: I just realized that I just used 3 nicknames for him in one single post!
PSS: Why "Uncle Christopher"? That's how we refer to him in our house. In our mind, that's what Noe and Marcel would call him. :)
It's Christopher's Birthday today! And it's a milestone one, at that!
I'd really like to post my most favorite photo of my bro here, but I think I might get in trouble if I don't ask him for permission first :)
Hint: Halloween 2001
This one will have to do for now :)
Happy Birthday, Bro!
PS: I just realized that I just used 3 nicknames for him in one single post!
PSS: Why "Uncle Christopher"? That's how we refer to him in our house. In our mind, that's what Noe and Marcel would call him. :)
Labels: friends, gay boyfriend
Friday, February 16, 2007
Cheap Date
Last night I had dinner with my great friend of 22 years, Diana.
Diana lives in San Jose, and works in Palo Alto. We try to get together for dinner/catching up at least 2 or 3 times a year. I usually drive down to Palo Alto to meet her after work, and we almost always eat at Chili's. (We used to each at Fresh Choice at the Stanford Mall, but it's been closed.) We go to Chili's because it's cheap, convenient, and more importantly, because they won't mind if we hang out for a few hours. (We warn our server early on that we plan to be there for a while, and we tip big when we leave.)
Neither of us goes to Chili's on a regular basis, and I'm pretty sure we only go with each other. It's like our "thing". It's probably also because that's the type of place that we would go to together when we were teenagers, and old habits are hard to break.
When we first arrived, I told Diana that "Dinner is on me!" because I had a gift card for Chili's (or Macaroni Grill) that I had received as a Christmas present from one of my Uncles.
When our bill came, we were amazed when we saw that it was only around $13.50. (My gift card was for $30) I had ordered Chicken Tacos (with fries and steamed veggies, instead of beans and rice) and a Sprite. Diana had ordered a Chicken Fajita Pita with water. So, yeah, that makes sense, but really.... when's the last time you went out for dinner for two for less than $15.00? What a deal!
Afterwards, we walked around downtown Menlo Park for a while. We stopped for dessert at Baskin Robbins, where I had my favorite sundae: Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream with marshmallow topping! Mmmmmmm.......
I think we got out of the whole evening for around $25 - including a hefty tip!
Who says you have to spend a lot of money to have a fun evening out with a friend?
Diana lives in San Jose, and works in Palo Alto. We try to get together for dinner/catching up at least 2 or 3 times a year. I usually drive down to Palo Alto to meet her after work, and we almost always eat at Chili's. (We used to each at Fresh Choice at the Stanford Mall, but it's been closed.) We go to Chili's because it's cheap, convenient, and more importantly, because they won't mind if we hang out for a few hours. (We warn our server early on that we plan to be there for a while, and we tip big when we leave.)
Neither of us goes to Chili's on a regular basis, and I'm pretty sure we only go with each other. It's like our "thing". It's probably also because that's the type of place that we would go to together when we were teenagers, and old habits are hard to break.
When we first arrived, I told Diana that "Dinner is on me!" because I had a gift card for Chili's (or Macaroni Grill) that I had received as a Christmas present from one of my Uncles.
When our bill came, we were amazed when we saw that it was only around $13.50. (My gift card was for $30) I had ordered Chicken Tacos (with fries and steamed veggies, instead of beans and rice) and a Sprite. Diana had ordered a Chicken Fajita Pita with water. So, yeah, that makes sense, but really.... when's the last time you went out for dinner for two for less than $15.00? What a deal!
Afterwards, we walked around downtown Menlo Park for a while. We stopped for dessert at Baskin Robbins, where I had my favorite sundae: Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream with marshmallow topping! Mmmmmmm.......
I think we got out of the whole evening for around $25 - including a hefty tip!
Who says you have to spend a lot of money to have a fun evening out with a friend?
Labels: friends, trina-isms
Sunday, February 04, 2007
The Queen Mary 2
While most people in the country were watching the Super Bowl, we joined several thousands of people who watched the Queen Mary 2 sail under the Golden Gate Bridge and into the San Francisco Bay.
It was a really neat event to witness. It was supposed to cross under the bridge at 3:00, but was about an hour late. We drove to the Presidio with Pete and Richard, and enjoyed the weather and company as we waited for the big ship to come into view.
The weather couldn't have been more perfect - especially considering that it's February. Clear skies all around.
We thought that it must be a pretty amazing site for the passengers of the ship - to pass underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, then sail into the Bay with Alcatraz on one side, and the San Francisco cityscape on the other.
According to reports the ship only had a 30 foot clearance between the ships tallest point, and the bottom of the bridge. Obviously, they had to time everything just right. The Queen Mary 2 is the largest ship to ever sail into the bay.
It was a really great way to spend the day.
Labels: friends, san francisco
Thursday, January 04, 2007
My friend, Pete - The 2-Time Academy Award Winner!
Pete and his business partner, Pierre, have won an Academy Award for software that they have designed and developed for their company, Re: Vision FX!
Pete & Pierre won an Academy Awards for Scientific and Technical achievements for 2006.
Here's the blurb from the press release:
To Peter Litwinowicz and Pierre Jasmin for the design and development of the RE: Vision Effects family of software tools for optical flow-based image manipulation.
A unique user interface and relatively low cost have made these tools ubiquitous in the visual effects community.
You can read the full press release here.
And yes, you did read the title right: this is Pete & Pierre's second Academy Award. The first was for their work on the movie What Dreams May Come. Pete & Pierre wrote the software that created the effects in "the painted world". They did not receive an actual award that time because they were a part of the team that created the movie. The movie won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. You can read that press release here.
Congratulations to Pete and Pierre on this impressive achievement!
Pete & Pierre won an Academy Awards for Scientific and Technical achievements for 2006.
Here's the blurb from the press release:
To Peter Litwinowicz and Pierre Jasmin for the design and development of the RE: Vision Effects family of software tools for optical flow-based image manipulation.
A unique user interface and relatively low cost have made these tools ubiquitous in the visual effects community.
You can read the full press release here.
And yes, you did read the title right: this is Pete & Pierre's second Academy Award. The first was for their work on the movie What Dreams May Come. Pete & Pierre wrote the software that created the effects in "the painted world". They did not receive an actual award that time because they were a part of the team that created the movie. The movie won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. You can read that press release here.
Congratulations to Pete and Pierre on this impressive achievement!
Labels: friends
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Tammy's Visit
Tammy and the Golden Gate Bridge
My dear friend, Tammy, came out last week on vacation to spend New Year's Eve with us.
We had a pretty amazing time: High Tea at Love Joys, an urban walk around Noe Valley and Eureka Valley, dinner with my parents at the House of Prime Rib, a day trip to Napa Valley, our New Year's Eve gathering which included a wine and cheese tasting, and a sunset visit to The Cliff House for Bloody Marys.
Bloody Mary Girls
It was pretty spectacular.
Tammy and I realized on the evening of New Year's Eve that we had met at a New Year's Eve party in Dayton, OH way back in 1988. That's when we figured out that we were together to celebrate the 18-year anniversary of our friendship! Pretty amazing! On a side note, I realized that that means that I've known Tammy for half my life now! Wow! How time flies!
I was so grateful and happy to have Tammy out here visiting. We had a wonderful time hanging out, catching up and enjoying San Francisco together! I'm looking forward to visiting her out in Chicagoland in the Springtime.
Labels: friends, san francisco
Friday, December 15, 2006
You never know what you'll find at Costco!
Today, I found an old friend!
...and I didn't have to buy a dozen of 'em
Today, my friend Alice and I did our every-three-or-four-month ritual of spending the afternoon together in Costco. We've been doing this for more than 10 years now - we make a full afternoon out of it. We start by meeting in the food court, order pizza and a coke, and chat for a while. Then we stroll aisle by aisle throughout the entire warehouse - this can take anywhere from to 2-3 hours :)
Today, as I was in the frozen meat section, I looked down the aisle and recognized my friend David Dinh!
David!
Now, here's the neat thing:
David and I went to school together from 6th through 12th grade! We had many of the same classes, and the same circle of friends. I always adored him - he's one of the sweetest guys I've ever known.
David, Trina, Lee & Kimi: Winter Ball, December, 1986
It occurred to me as we were talking that it's been 20 years (!) since we went to the Winter Ball together during our Senior year of High School! I promised David that I'd dig out my old photos from that evening and send them to him. I remember it was a fun night: we went with Kimi and Lee Burrill (we were all pretty close friends). We started out at Round Table Pizza, then went to the dance - I think it was at the Milpitas Community Center. We quickly became bored with the dance, and instead amused ourselves by going out to the lobby to take wacky pictures. (Kimi posted one of them here!) We concluded our evening with a field trip to lovely Alviso. I honestly don't know why we went to Alviso, but we did, and I think we had a good time.
David and I lost track of each other until only a few years ago when Kimi and I managed to reconnect with David and a group of friends. We see these friends once a year or so. This year, they all came to our annual Halloween Party!
Kimi, David & Trina: Halloween 2006
Oh, another thing: David and I live about 4 blocks from each other. It's pretty amazing to think that after all this time, we'd end up in the same neighborhood. The sad part is that we don't see each other very often - again, only once a year or so. We really need to make more of an effort - and we both swear that we will!
When I introduced David to my friend Alice today, I told her that we've known each other since 6th grade, and that we only live a few blocks from each other. When we admitted that we hardly see each other, especially given our close proximity, David quickly insisted, "...and we really like each other!"
I do hope that we manage to see more of David and his partner, Mike. We always have such a nice time with each other. Plus, he was such a great date at the Winter Ball! :)
...and I didn't have to buy a dozen of 'em
Today, my friend Alice and I did our every-three-or-four-month ritual of spending the afternoon together in Costco. We've been doing this for more than 10 years now - we make a full afternoon out of it. We start by meeting in the food court, order pizza and a coke, and chat for a while. Then we stroll aisle by aisle throughout the entire warehouse - this can take anywhere from to 2-3 hours :)
Today, as I was in the frozen meat section, I looked down the aisle and recognized my friend David Dinh!
David!
Now, here's the neat thing:
David and I went to school together from 6th through 12th grade! We had many of the same classes, and the same circle of friends. I always adored him - he's one of the sweetest guys I've ever known.
David, Trina, Lee & Kimi: Winter Ball, December, 1986
It occurred to me as we were talking that it's been 20 years (!) since we went to the Winter Ball together during our Senior year of High School! I promised David that I'd dig out my old photos from that evening and send them to him. I remember it was a fun night: we went with Kimi and Lee Burrill (we were all pretty close friends). We started out at Round Table Pizza, then went to the dance - I think it was at the Milpitas Community Center. We quickly became bored with the dance, and instead amused ourselves by going out to the lobby to take wacky pictures. (Kimi posted one of them here!) We concluded our evening with a field trip to lovely Alviso. I honestly don't know why we went to Alviso, but we did, and I think we had a good time.
David and I lost track of each other until only a few years ago when Kimi and I managed to reconnect with David and a group of friends. We see these friends once a year or so. This year, they all came to our annual Halloween Party!
Kimi, David & Trina: Halloween 2006
Oh, another thing: David and I live about 4 blocks from each other. It's pretty amazing to think that after all this time, we'd end up in the same neighborhood. The sad part is that we don't see each other very often - again, only once a year or so. We really need to make more of an effort - and we both swear that we will!
When I introduced David to my friend Alice today, I told her that we've known each other since 6th grade, and that we only live a few blocks from each other. When we admitted that we hardly see each other, especially given our close proximity, David quickly insisted, "...and we really like each other!"
I do hope that we manage to see more of David and his partner, Mike. We always have such a nice time with each other. Plus, he was such a great date at the Winter Ball! :)
Labels: A day in the life, friends
Friday, November 17, 2006
Welcome Sarah Shahine!
Congratulations to Omar & Lora! Their baby girl, Sarah, arrived yesterday morning, November 16th.
Dick and I went to the hospital to visit the newest member of "Family Lomar" (or is that now Lomarsha?) this evening. Sarah is just beautiful!
We can't wait to watch this little one grow!
Labels: friends
&
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in anyway --- oh right, I *am* my own employer!
;)
© Copyright 2003-2007, Trina Chow
