Trina's page of Blogginess

worst. product. name. ever...

iPad?

Really?

This just goes to show that sometimes all of those brilliant engineers and marketing specialists just don't see the whole picture.

I'm pretty sure you could ask any woman on the street what the first thing she would think of when hearing about a product named "iPad", and she would say: feminine hygiene product.

I can guarantee you that (at least before Apple's announcement this morning) no woman who hears of a product called "iPad" would think, "Fantastic, computer gadget! I must get one now!"

No. that's not how it works.

Just say the word "pad" and our minds go elsewhere - somewhere much less fun and exciting.

I haven't even looked into the new iPad yet. I still can't get past the name.

But I'll tell you this, seeing the headline that Steve Jobs calls the iPad “truly magical” and a “revolutionary device” has a whole new set of connotations for me now. :)

Note to Apple: make sure you include smart women into those important meetings when you name those new "must-have devices"!

It just may stop you from sounding like an imbecile.

"The New iPad! Now with wings!"

update
No surprise: the net has been buzzing with iPad jokes all day.

Here's just one article about Apple's big goof:

Apple's iPad becomes big fat ‘intimate’ joke

Labels: funny ha-ha, just trina, rant, technology

Wii Dick, Wii Trina and Wii Noe!

Dick and I just got a Wii Fit, and tried it out for the first time last night. So far, I really like it!

I know I weigh a lot for someone my height - part of the I'll contribute to muscle (hello - my calves probably weigh 10 lbs. each!) but I can certainly stand to lose a decent amount of weight that I've gained over the past few years.

I've been doing pilates and walking/elliptical machine fairly regularly still, but it's fun to mix it up with things like this.

One of the most fun things that we found on the Wii Fit last night was that you can include your pets!

Yes, little Noe has a Wii character now - a pretty good representation!
She didn't seemed to mind being weighed on the board last night, either. :) (I was carrying her)

We'll see how this goes!

Labels: just trina

For those of you not on Facebook (or, at least, not my friend on Facebook) you may not realize that I'm on Facebook (embarrassingly) regularly, and frequently update my status.

It's a bit interesting updating my status on Facebook while also keeping a blog. I've realized the my blog has been hurt a bit because I tend to put my more day-to-day-random-thoughts on Facebook now, when I used to publish them on my blog.

Anyhow, I found a neat little FB app that commpiles select status updates from your account in Facebook and puts them all together in a pretty little collage. I have far too many status updates to squeeze into this screen - I think it only made it through February, but it was fun to read through my status updates for the year.

So, again, if you're not on Facebook (and that's you, Mom & Dad), here's a taste of what you're missing. (exciting as it is.)

Labels: A day in the life, just trina

Today is the last day of the year 2009, and indeed, the last year of the Y2K decade.

A few of my friends on Facebook have posted photos from NYE 1999, showing what they were doing as they entered the new millennium.

I dug into my archives, and found a photo of me and Dick, taken on December 31, 1999.


Trina & Dick
December 31, 1999

We had a low-key evening at home with Pete & Richard, and Mitch and his brother, Bruce. We made dinner at home, then ventured out on MUNI to the Embarcadero to watch the fireworks. Funny thing is, once we were there, we decided it was all too crowded and crazy for our taste, and we took MUNI back home well before the clock struck Midnight.

Tonight, we'll be having a low-key evening at home with Pete and Richard. We'll be making dinner at home, and honestly, will probably retire before the clock strikes midnight. Some things never change. :)

It's interesting reflecting on the past decade, and how things have changed.

Dick and I had been dating for a year at that time. Since then, we've each moved a couple of times (and yes, that does mean moving in together, and eventually setting up house at "His 'n Her Condos"), we've added some furry companions to our family (We got 3 cats in 2000 - Claude now lives happily with my parents, Marcel sadly passed away just this last March, and little Noe is still as fluffy, spunky, and funny as ever), we did some wonderful travel (London, Paris, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Granada, Seville, Madrid, Shanghai, Tokyo, Alaska, Hawaii, etc.), got married, and created many, many wonderful memories with family and friends, old and new!

Overall, a pretty fantastic decade for us. It's amazing just how much can happen in 10 years when you take a moment to think about it.

Happy New Year to all of my friends and family out there.
Here's to a Happy and Healthy 2010!


April, 2009

Labels: just trina

I admit, I haven't been in much of the Christmas Spirit this year. With my Grandfather's passing, and following the period of mourning, we decided not to put up our Christmas tree, or even decorate for Christmas at all this year.

We've done a couple of things over the last few days to try to get into the Holiday Spirit: We watched "Elf" the other night, went down to Union Square yesterday to look at all of the Holiday Decorations, and had a really nice dinner at Pete & Richard's house with Blane last night.

Even so, I was still feeling the Holiday Blues this morning. To rectify the situation, we decided to take a walk around the neighborhood, and specifically, to walk to "The Christmas House" on 21st Street.



This is Tom and Jerry's House in Noe Valley. No, I don't know them personally, but they have their names on the huge stockings on their house. :)

I love walking to their house during Christmastime. It really has a magic about it, and you can just see how much love goes into putting this all together year after year.


Dick, bringing the perspective

We stopped by Dolores Park to take in one of our most favorite views of the City. It's always so beautiful, but even better on a cool, clear day.


View from Dolores Park

On our way back home, we decided to stop by Harvey's on Castro Street for a drink. :)

As if a drink at Harvey's wasn't reason enough to make me happy - they were also showing "The Empire Strikes Back"! :)


Darth Vader at Harvey's

Hello, Bloody Mary!

One last picture to wrap up our walk around the Castro on Christmas Eve:

Here's a night shot of our neighbor's house. They add a little bit to it each year. Always makes me happy to see.



Happy Christmas Eve, to all!

Labels: just trina, life in the castro, san francisco

it's always a fun time in Trina's Playhouse!



I'm still loving my cabana out in the backyard. I thought i had finished furnishing it, but i had a couple of people (including my Dad!) suggest that I should look for a small ottoman to put out there.

So, I've been on the hunt for the last few months, and hadn't found anything...

...until today.

Today, I hopped inside the new (to me) CB2 in Union Square, (fun store, but the way) and found the perfect ottoman!

Actually, it's called a "Pouf"! Gotta love that!

It's round, and comfy, and green - perfect for the Cabana. :)
Plus, it fits in with my circle motif I have going in there. Who could ask for anything more?

Bonus: I have yet another reason to keep saying "Pouf". ;)

Now, I do believe that my Cabana is fully furnished. Come on over and hang out with me. :)

Labels: just trina

I've decided that I'm going to take a cue from the "Fantastic Mr. Fox" movie (which I loved, by the way. You should see it) and I'm going to use the word "Cuss" instead of any actual 4-letter cuss words when I feel the need to use expletives.

I generally don't swear much at all (except if I'm playing Xbox), but every now and then, I do feel the need. :)

Some examples:

"Cuss Me!"
"Are you Cussing Me?"
"Don't Cuss with Me!"
"What the Cuss?!"

...and my personal fave...

"Cluster Cuss"

(seriously - go see the movie!)

Why am I feeling the need to say this now, when it's been 2 weeks since I saw the movie?

It's because I just got home after spending the last 3.5 hours of my life sitting in traffic! "Cuss ME!"

I left Stockton at 3:00 this afternoon - hoping to beat the fog and the traffic (or, at least most of it). No go. There was a really bad accident of the big-rig nature in Stockton, and it took me 1 hour to get out. It should usually take about 15 minutes.

By the time I was in the Bay Area, I also got stuck in regular Friday night traffic, and Bay Bridge craziness.

It was bad.

Under normal circumstances, even with a little bit of traffic, it should only take 1.5-1.75 hours.

Oh, and did I mention that I stopped off at Tracy to grab a hot chocolate from Starbucks? Oh, and instead of putting in my one shot of peppermint, they decided to put in one shot of espresso instead. I try to avoid caffeine in general, and the hot chocolate was already pushing it, so by the time I made the discovery that it wasn't right, I was already at the Costco getting gasoline. I drove back to Starbucks to have them fix it. Good thing. That wouldn't have been pretty...

But I digress...

With my new, cleaner, cuss-free plan, I do believe that this blog is now officially rated PG-13.

It may even be PG...

Who the Cuss knows?

:)

Labels: funny ha-ha, just trina, rant

adding another minute or so to my so-called 15-minutes of fame...

Check it out! Andrew and I are quoted and photographed in this news article about the Fantastic Mr. Fox exhibit at the Cartoon Art Museum!

Fantastic Mr. Fox Trots Through the City

Just another example of being in the right place at the right time. :)

Labels: just trina, pop culture

Thanks, I needed that!



I spent the early afternoon with my friend, Andrew, today. Andrew and I have many similar interests: Raggedy Ann, Animation Art, children's literature & illustrations, animated films, etc.,

Today we went to see the movie "Fantastic Mr. Fox" at our local theater. What a great film - if you enjoy Roald Dahl books, or enjoy and appreciate stop-motion animation, I highly recommend it.

The best word I can think of to describe it is Charming. Everything about it: the story, the style, the music.... it was all indeed, "Fantastic".

After the movie, we walked over to the Cartoon Art Museum to see the Fantastic Mr. Fox Exhibit. We did this several months ago when we saw the movie Coraline. We're so lucky to have the Cartoon Art Museum here - they always have such good exhibits, like both of these, and how wonderful to see them right after seeing the films!

The Fantastic Mr. Fox exhibit features two sets from the stop motion animated film, “Flint Mine – We Took Everything” and “Farmer Scale Yellow Door,” which include puppets and props used in the film’s production. Very cool. The detail on the characters was so amazing!


Fantastic Mr. Fox set and props

After the museum, we walked over to Jeffrey's Toys to see if they had any movie-related merchandise (they did not) or Raggedy Ann dolls (they only had two small dolls). While we were perusing through the store, we spotted a little wooden doll who, shockingly, was a cross between Raggedy Ann, and, well.... me.

Hilarious! We just *had* to get it, so Andrew offered to buy it for me. :) I figured she could live in "Trina's Playhouse" in the backyard. :)


Trina with Wooden-Trina

One of Andrew's hobbies is that he has a little wooden doll named Hitty, who he takes around the world with him, and takes pictures of. Hitty is quite the World Traveler, and the girl has a much larger wardrobe than I. :) Here's a link to her very impressive photo album.

Today, she was sporting her little Fox Hat, which she wore when taking a photo with Mr. Fox.


Andrew taking a photo of Hitty and Mr. Fox

While we were writing for a train in the MUNI station, I decided to take a photo of Hitty and her new wooden friend, Trina.


Trina and Hitty at the MUNI station

It was a fun afternoon, and a nice break for both of us. Thanks, Andrew! (and thanks to Hitty, too!)

Labels: friends, just trina

Pink Gorilla Feet!

You may remember that a couple of months ago, Dick and I each purchased Vibram Fivefingers shoes - the ones that make our feet look like gorilla feet.

It turned out that the pair I bought were one size too small, so I had to return them. The store apparently sells out quickly, and doesn't always have much inventory in stock. They were sold out of my size, and gave me store credit. I went back in today, to see which style/colors, if any, they had available today.

My choice: pink/grey or bright blue.

This style (called "sprint") is slightly different from what Dick got - there's no additional material covering the top of the feet. It made it easier for me to get in and out of them, which I like, and I *think* make them slightly less gorilla-like. :)

So, I got the pink/grey pair, figuring they were slightly more neutral than the bright blue. (Pink shoes?! Gasp!) I might have to start calling myself "Magilla Gorilla". ;)

I'm wearing them around the house now, trying to get used to them. so far, so good.
SFgate.com had this interesting article yesterday about the shoes. It was actually what reminded me to go back to the store to see if I could get another pair. :)

Labels: just trina

It's a beautiful day here in SF - mid-70s, clear and sunny. Happily, I was able to get out to enjoy the today.

My day started with a dentist appointment at 11:00. My dentist's office is on the top floor (26) in a gorgeous art deco building just off of Union Square. Here's the view I had from my exam room. You can see Alcatraz on the left, and Coit Tower on the right. Not bad. :)


View from my Dentist's Office

After my appointment, I had lunch with my friend, Philip, at Yerba Buena Gardens. The weather was just perfect. We found lunch at the Farmer's Market inside the Metreon, and ate outside.


Yerba Buena Gardens, with the SF MOMA in the background

I went to the Powell Street MUNI station to catch the MUNI Metro home. They had an interesting advertisement campaign up for the Monterey Bay Aquarium's new Seahorse exhibit. It was actually quite pretty.


The Secret Lives of Sea Horses

Once I was back in the Castro, I stopped off at our local grocery store to buy stuff for tonight's dinner. On my way home from there, I walked past the neighborhood park, and noticed a girls softball game going on. I stopped for a bit to watch, then overheard some kids in the stands cheering for "Rooftop". I realized that's the same school that my 3 nieces attend, and remembered that my eldest niece was playing softball this year! I asked some of the kids in the nearby stands if she was there, and they pointed out that she was playing in Left Field! Go Evie! That was a nice surprise! It turns out that I caught the last 3 plays of the game, and was there to witness their first victory of the season so far. Cool!


"Go Rooftop!"

That was a nice way to end the day!

Labels: A day in the life, just trina, san francisco

A couple of weeks ago, Dick were having a slice of pizza at our local "Escape from New York" on Castro street. They recently put the frame back on the wall of celebrities who have left autographed photos for them. One of the photos was of our friend, San Francisco-based author, Armistead Maupin. The headline under his photo read "Armistead Maupin is a Man I made dreamt up".

I explained to Dick that "Is a Man I Made Dreamt Up" is an anagram for Armistead's name. People have been speculating for years that this is his pen name, not the actual name he was born with. After all, one of the main characters in his "Tales of the City" series is named Anna Madrigal, whose name is an anagram for "A Man and a Girl". (her character was born male, but had a sex change as an adult.)

Well, seeing as Dick's Father was Armistead's Junior High School English Teacher, it's safe to assume that it really is the name given to him by his parents, and that it just happens to make one of the best anagrams ever.

After remembering how cool of an anagram Armistead's name makes, it made us wonder if our names would convert to any interesting anagrams.

My cousin, Bruce, just led me to this site that makes anagrams out of names:

www.deanjackson.dj/nameanagram

First I tried my full name: Trina Kristin Chow, which came up with:

WIN IRRITANT SHOCK

...not thrilled with that one, so I tried just my first and last name and got:

WRATH ICON

that's a little more fun!

Not nearly as cool as Armistead's but it'll do. :)

Labels: funny ha-ha, just trina

My iron level was finally high enough (40% - the minimum is 38%) for me to donate blood today.

The last time I successfully donated was in April. I try to donate every two months, but the last 3 times I went to donate, my iron count was below the 38% minimum.

I'm always so bummed when I'm turned away, and can't donate. It seems like such a waste.

I was very happy that I was finally able donate today. Makes me feel good. :)

Labels: just trina

Last night, I woke up around 5:00am to the sound of very loud thunder. Next came the lightening, and finally, heavy rain. This lasted for about half an hour, and started up again around 8:15am.

The thing is: we hardly ever get thunder and lightening storms in SF. On top of that, I didn't think it was even supposed to rain this weekend, so the whole thing really took me by surprise!

I'll admit, I'm not a fan. I know some people (my Mom) LOVE thunder and lightening storms. Not me.

This morning, I went to my computer and went to all of my usual pages, including Windows Live. What I saw absolutely cracked me up! I literally laughed-out-loud!



I've always loved this little girl and her black kitty, but this morning, I love her even more! She feels the same way about thunder and lightening as I do! (and the kitty doesn't seem to be bothered at all!)

Labels: funny ha-ha, just trina

Best. Free. Concert. Ever!

If I didn't love them enough already, I love them even more, now....

The concert was simply fantastic!

After seeing them at the Fox Theater in April, I was a little hesitant about going to another Green Day Concert this year. I mean, that concert was epic. How would it compare?

It was a completely different experience, and very different kind of show. That was great for me, because there was no need to compare this concert from the last.

The set list for the two shows were entirely different. When I last saw Green Day in April, it was a month before the new album was released. They played their entire new album from top to bottom, then played a bunch of old stuff afterward.

This time around, they opened with about 3 songs off the new album, but mixed it up after that with stuff from American Idiot, Dookie and other albums.

I found this set list from another show earlier this week from the Idiot Club site. It's roughly the same as what they played for our night's show.

Song of the Century
21st Century Breakdown
Know Your Enemy
East Jesus Nowhere
Holiday
The Static Age
Before the Lobotomy
Are We the Waiting/St. Jimmy
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
JAR
Hitching a Ride
Welcome to Paradise
2,000 Light Years Away
Iron Man/Crazy Train/Sweet Child O'Mine/You Really Got Me (brief medley)
Brain Stew
Jaded
Longview
Basket Case
She
King for a Day
Shout/Goin' to Kansas City/Break on Through to the Other Side/Earth Angel/Free Fallin'
21 Guns
American Eulogy

Encore
American Idiot
Minority
Jesus of Suburbia
Last Night on Earth
Time of Your Life

The biggest difference between this show and the one in April was the interaction that the band, and mainly lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, did with the audience. That was fantastic! The show started with the lights off, then Song of the Century started to play. A spotlight shined down on the floor (where the general admission/crazy crowd was) and showed the band entering the floor, making their way through the audience, up to the stage. It was awesome! How many bands would start off their show by going through the audience! Billie Joe also went into the crowd several times throughout the evening, and pulled up several audience members (including kids) up to the stage. He had a few of them sing along, and even had a young man play the guitar part of "Jesus of Suburbia". Super cool!


Billie Joe out and about in the audience

The venue was much larger than the last - it was at the Arco Arena in Sacramento. Our seats were way up high, but honestly, we were plenty happy up there - still could see everything, and the sound quality was quite good.

The thing is: these guys are amazing performers. Not only do they write great music (in my opinion, anyhow), they perform it well live, AND they can entertain a crown for 3 hours straight! Yes, 3 hours. I can't imagine how wiped-out they must be at the end of each show.

And, I must admit, I'm no-so-secretly enamored with Billie Joe. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the man's got charisma. Lots and lots of charisma. He can energize a crowd for hours, and in the end, he still hits every note perfectly. I &heart; Billie Joe. :)

Okay, I admit it, I was a bad girl, and snuck in my camera. (who didn't!)
I couldn't help myself!

I took a few photos, and a couple of short videos.

here are my favorites:


"American Idiot"


"21 Guns"


"Last Night on Earth"
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite new songs. Billie Joe played it on his acoustic guitar. He may not have realized it at the time, but I'm quite sure that he was actually singing it especially for the woman sitting in section 222, row Q, seat 17. :)

*swoon*

Labels: green day, just trina, pop culture

Fascinating, Captain.... not pretty, but fascinating!

Dick and were walking down Castro Street, on our way home, when we popped into a store, and made the most spontaneous purchase for the two of us that I can remember!

As we walked past the In•jean•ious store, Dick noticed a shoe display in their window.

The shoes are called Vibram FiveFingers. I had never heard of them before, but Dick had recently read an article about them in the New Yorker magazine.

The theory behind these shoes is that we, as humans, were "designed" to be barefoot. Shoes, however, have been designed to protect our feet by encapsulating them. These shoes are like gloves for your feet. They are very snug, but breathe well, and let you feet be as close to barefoot as possible, while still being protected.

The description from their website:
The typical human foot is an anatomical marvel of evolution with 26 bones, 33 muscles and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons and ligaments. Like the rest of the body, to keep our feet healthy, they need to be stimulated and exercised.

That’s why we recommend wearing FiveFingers for exercise, play, and for fun. Stimulating the muscles in your feet and lower legs will not only make you stronger and healthier, it improves your balance, agility and proprioception

Because I live in the City, and because I walk so often, the shoes that I wear are all about comfort (and if they're cute to boot, all the better). These shoes are meant to be comfortable, as well as healthy (because they stimulate your muscles in your feet and lower legs).

The one possible drawback of all of this: the sales guy was telling us all about the benefits of wearing these shoes, including building the muscles of your calves. Well, dear blog readers, as you know, this girl does not need to build the muscles in her calves any more than they already are!

Anyhow, as I mentioned, this was a very spontaneous purchase. Considering I hadn't even heard of these shoes 5 minutes before I tried them on, I was intrigued enough with the idea of them (and the instantaneous comfort when I tried them on) to buy them on the spot! Dick bought a pair, too.

As it turns out, In•jean•ious is the only store in San Francisco to carry this brand. They also happen to be in a store in our neighborhood, and I got the last pair of shoes that they had in my size.

It was meant to be.

I was meant to have gorilla-feet.

Labels: just trina, san francisco

Ewwwww.....ewwwww....ewwww!!!!!!



I am officially completely grossed out.

It should come to no surprise to anyone that I'm not a huge fan of "nature".

...and when I say "nature", I mean all the little bugs, spiders, and creepy crawly things that I associate with being outside amongst the pretty part of nature like trees, plants and flowers.

When Dick and I had our new backyard garden designed last year, we specifically requested that it be low maintenance. I figured, if we planned it out right, we could have a backyard that wouldn't require much more maintenance than regular weeding and simple pruning. After spending so much dough on our yard, I was determined to take care of the week-to-week needs, and only have our gardener come in for big jobs like pruning the trees, things associated with the drip irrigation system, or anything else that required actual knowledge of how things work out there. :)

So far, I've been doing a pretty good job, if I do say so myself! :)
My parents came over early on and helped disperse 20+ bags of mulch, and also helped me transplant a couple of plants.

I'm usually out there about once a week, working on the day-to-day maintenance. This mostly involves weeding, which, if I do it once a week, is pretty easy to keep under control. I've also busted out my pruning shears from time-to-time to trim away old growth, and have even taken a stab at shaping a few plants.

it was all going so well....

...except for the aphids.

I noticed the aphids a few months ago, and bought some spray that I thought would help. Well, it turns out that I wasn't spraying often enough.

Yesterday, my contractor who built the garden came over to see how everything had grown since she saw it last. She immediately noticed the aphid infestation on the plants underneath one of the maple trees. I told her I had been spraying, but she told me that wasn't enough.

She suggested that I take a bucket of soapy water, arm myself with a pair of rubber gloves, and wipe each leaf individually with the soapy water. She said it would be much more effective than spraying alone, which makes sense.

My initial reaction: Ewwwwww!!!
I hate bugs! There's no way I'll do this.
Then I sent out an email to my gardener, asking her to come over sometime soon to tackle it.

...which should be the end of the story.

But, it's not.

This afternoon, out of the blue, I decided to put on my rubber gloves, and attach those aphids myself!

I filled a bucket with soapy water, and wiped those leaves, one by one, scraping off all of the aphids, and drowning them in my bucket of water. I emptied the bucket out 4 or 5 times. That's a lot of aphids.

It probably took me about 45 minutes to complete the task. All the while, I managed to stay composed and not get too grossed out, knowing that would get me nowhere. After I rinsed out my bucket for the final time, I went back to the plants and sprayed them with the solution to try to keep them away. I now know that I should spray at least once a week - much more than I had been.

After I finished the job outside, I came in, put my clothes into the washing machine, then hopped into the shower.

This gives you an idea of just how miraculous it is that I even talked myself into doing this chore in the first place.

We'll see how it goes. I certainly hope this helped.

...and now, I'm pretty sure that I need a drink.

I hate bugs.

As Dot from the "Animaniacs" would say: Deeee-sgusting!!

Labels: just trina, out in the garden

For future reference:

Never ever have Fried Chicken, Mac and Cheese (w/Blue Cheese and Bacon) and Chicken Fried Steak on the same day.

Oy.

I feel huge.

Labels: just trina

I was just folding the laundry, and noticed that my pile had an usually large percentage of brown clothes in it.

when did that happen?

When did I start buying so many brown clothes?
Did someone tell me that Brown was the new Black, and I took them literally?

It's funny, because I used to wear mostly black clothing. I think somewhere along the line, I thought I should introduce some color into my life.

Apparently, I didn't go very far down the color spectrum!

Truly, I do own clothing with color in it, but apparently, I didn't wear much of it in the last week or so. In my defense, I started the laundry by doing a load of "darks" first, and this was the only load that I've folded so far.

Labels: funny ha-ha, just trina

I woke up this morning, turned on my computer, and was inundated with a barrage of wonderful birthday greetings! Wow! What a nice way to start my birthday.

I signed into my Windows Live Homepage, and what did I find?
My little girl and her black kitty (from the Windows Live theme choices) were in the top banner celebrating my Birthday, complete with party hats, streamers, dancing frogs, and party raccoons! Someone even brought balloons - clearly, they didn't get the balloon memo ;). Super cute!


Windows Live Birthday Party!

It gets even better:
I went to Facebook, and found a couple dozen birthday messages waiting for me. That's SO nice!


My Facebook Profile page this morning

I also had a couple of voice-mail messages on my home phone that I was able to access from my computer.

I feel loved. :)

What a wonderful way to start the day.

Labels: just trina, travel

I made a coffee cake this morning. It was probably the first time that I've made one in over 15 years.

That's kind of funny, because years ago, I used to bake coffee cakes quite often. Back in the days when I was 19, I had just moved out of my parent's house for the first time, and was living in Dayton, OH. For some reason, I baked a lot. Most kids smoke, drink, do drugs, or party hard when they're 19, and out on their own for the first time.

But, not me. No, Ma'am. For some reason, I decided to embrace my inner Betty Crocker and bake. Go figure.

The coffee cake from this morning turned out really well. I had forgotten how much I enjoy them!

Labels: cooking, just trina

As I've mentioned before, I try to donate blood every two months (which is as often as one is allowed to donate blood). Every year or so, I go through a bout where my iron level is just under the minimum to donate. (The minimum reading to donate is 38, and I come in at 37.) It's not that my iron level is low in general (no worries of me being anemic), just a hint too low to donate. When this happens, I usually try to go in 2-3 times before my iron level is high enough to donate again.

The last time I went in and successfully donated was in late November. I tried to donate again in February, then again in March. No luck.

I do what I can: I have the list of iron-rich foods on my refrigerator door, and try to beef it up (literally) a couple of days before I'm scheduled to go in. Alas, that doesn't always work.

Today was a success! My iron level was at 38 - just high enough for me to donate. :)

Labels: just trina

something is missing...

After I woke up this morning, I was doing my regular catch-up-on-the-internet-thing: looking through all my usual web sites: SFGate, MSNBC, Facebook, etc.,

I was just looking at my Facebook Home page, and noticed this silly poll on the side where the sponsored ads are.

Blonde, brunette, or redhead?

Um......

Hello?

I think you're missing an entire category!

This brought me back to an incident way back when I was in 2nd grade. My teacher was teaching us how to make graphs. She took a poll of "hair color" of all of the students.

Guess what?

In a class of 25+ students, I was the only one with black hair.

I distinctly remember this because, let's face it, when you're 7 years old, and the only Chinese kid in class, all you want to do is fit in with your peers. You're not looking to stand out.

But stand out, I did. Everyone had one column on their graph labeled "Black" and only one square on their full sheet of graph paper was colored in. The column titled "Blonde", "Brown" and maybe even "Red" were much taller than the one labeled "Black".

Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I was the only non-Caucasian kid in the class. In case you're wondering, we were living in Fresno, CA at the time. Not exactly the Great American Melting Pot in the mid-70s.

That was more that 30 years ago, and yet, here I am looking at this silly poll on Facebook asking what hair color people prefer: Blonde, Brunette or Red.

You'd think we'd all come further than that by now.

Labels: just trina, rant

Best. Concert. EVER!

Wow.

That was, without a question, the Best Concert Experience I have EVER had!!

The whole thing - just over-the-top amazing!

If you've been following my blog, you'll know that I joined Green Day's Idiot Club late last week after hearing that they had done two surprise shows in San Francisco during the week, and the only way to know about the shows, and get in, was through their "Idiot Club".

Best $20 I've spent in a long, long time.

They posted the announcement for last night's show late Saturday night, which I saw Sunday morning. The first 100 club members to send an email with their club member name and info would have 2 tickets reserved for them at Will Call. Well, I don't think I made the final cut, as they posted a list early, and I wasn't on it, but then it turns out that they opened up more tickets for the fan club, and I got in then!

The show was a the newly restored and recently reopened Fox Theater in Oakland. According to this article, the theater was originally opened in 1928, closed since 1970, and reopened on April 5th of this year, after a $75 million restoration project. The theater itself was simply gorgeous.


The Fox Theater

but i digress...

I invited my friend, Miguel, to come to the concert with me. (Unfortunately, it was too late on a school night for Dick to be able to go.) I was told that the doors for the general public would open at 7:00, but that Will Call for "Idiot Club Members" would open at 6:00, and that club members would be let into the theater immediately upon getting their tickets.

Miguel and I met after work at the Embarcadero BART station at 6:30. We took BART to Oakland, walked 2 blocks, and arrived at the theater around 6:45. There was a HUGE line formed around the building. When I went towards the will call tables that were set up in front, I was told to go to the line. When I asked about "Idiot Club Members", the guard smiled, and said, "Oh, that's different. You can go around the building the other way to your own special Will Call".

So, we walked around the corner, found the will call ticket booths, walked up to the "A-C" window (no line), gave my name, bought out tickets, and walked immediately into the auditorium. Apparently, the other club members had been waiting in here for the past 45 minutes. We were only in the auditorium for less than 2 minutes, when the doors opened!

The Fox Theater has standing-room-only floor space, closest to the stage, and arranged in three levels. We got a spot in the very front of the second level - about 40 feet from the stage, slightly raised (by about 2-3 feet) from the bottom level, and with a railing separating us from the people in front of us. I couldn't have been more perfect. (we could have gone to the lower level, closer to the stage (within 10 feet, easily) but I didn't want to get caught up in the mosh pit!) :)

We ended up standing by a couple of guys, who happened to be from Noe Valley (about a mile from my house). We talked to them and their SO's for the next two hours while we waited - talking about favorite concert experiences, and holding each other's places while the others went to get drinks. Pretty Fabulous.

We were given concert programs, which included the set list, as well as the lyrics to all the songs from the new album. We also knew that this evening's performance was being filmed for an upcoming DVD! :)


The Program, and my ticket (I am such a geek)

It was a full house. Totally sold out. I had heard that it sold out on Ticketmaster within 10 minutes. We wondered what the capacity of the Fox Theater was. I found out (on the web today) that it can hold 1,500 - 2,800 people, depending upon how the main floor area was being used. (ie: standing room only versus chairs, versus cabaret tables.)

The show started just after 9:00.

The band played for 2.5 hours straight.

AMAZING!

They said that they were going to play their entire new album (which they did). That was the first hour or so.


Opening song: "21st Century Breakdown"

After that, they played a second set which included songs off of American Idiot and Dookie. I was in Green Day Heaven.



The band was simply incredible. SO much energy, such great performers, and such great musicians. I had seen Green Day perform live at concerts 4 times since 1994. This was Miguel's first. He/we were simply blown away by this performance.

Billie Joe Armstrong is just an amazing performer. I've never seen a more charismatic front man. He totally draws you in, keeps you entertained, and his voice was just perfect all night. And really, the whole band was fantastic. You could tell that they were all really into it, and really excited to be playing to this crowd.

Here's an article I found on MSNBC.com that has a review of their show at the DNA Lounge from last Thursday. It looks like they played the same sets, so you can get an idea of the play list.

They finished the night by playing "Homecoming" off of American Idiot, which was of course so fitting since they are from Berkeley/East Bay, and they were playing to their home crowd. They made many references to that all night.



The concert finished around 11:30. They gave away posters as we left. I may have to hang one in my cabana. ;)

The new CD, 21st Century Breakdown comes out on May 15th. I can't wait!

...and yes. I know... I'm a total Green Day Groupie.:)

update:

Here's a good review on the show.

and another one from Rolling Stone

Labels: green day, just trina, pop culture

Green Day Surprises Everyone Again.

Does anyone know how to find out about these last-minute gigs when they're announced?

Maybe I should just start going club-hopping...

Update

Okay - I'm an official fanboy now. (fangirl?)

I've joined the Green Day Idiot Club! (now I really *am* an Idiot!)

Yep - for $20/year, I'll be in-the-know!
They have a new album coming out next month, and are said to be planning to playing more surprise local shows to test out the new material! I'm determined to make it to one!

Labels: green day, just trina, pop culture

I'm feeling short and sassy now!

Yes-sir-ree! After thinking about it for months, I finally took the plunge and cut off all of my long hair!

The best part? It's for a good cause. I'm going to donate it to Locks of Love. Locks of Love is a great non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

This has actually been my plan for quite a long time. My hair grows very quickly, is fairly healthy, and I knew that at some point, I'd want short hair again. So, I let it grow, and grow and grow... probably the longest it's been since I was a kid. It was halfway down my back. I've been letting it grow (with cuts to shape it now and then) for about 3 years.

But the time has come!
You know - sometimes, you're just ready for a change.
I had a lousy last couple of weeks, so I figured, it was time to do something drastic, and really shake it up.

So, I made an appointment yesterday, and went in this afternoon - fully prepared. I had a picture of the cut I wanted, a couple of ponytail holders, and a zip lock back to bring my hair home in. I had also done my research online yesterday to see what the guidelines are for donating hair to Locks of Love. I knew that my hair was longer than the minimum 10 inches necessary to donate, so I was set to go.


Before....

The process was all very exciting and therapeutic at the same time. My hair is very thick, so my stylist had to section my hair into 3 separate ponytails before she cut my hair. This makes me feel great, because I think my hair will be able to help out more than one child. In the end, we were able to use 2 of the ponytails. They each weighed in at around 14 inches. The third one, which would have had the most layers in it, was just a bit too short.

I knew what kind of hair style I wanted - it's something I had many, many years ago. It's more or less a asymmetrical bob - longer in the front, shorter in the back.


...After

My stylist did a really great job. She even allotted extra time before her next appointment because she knew that my hair is really long and thick. The whole process took an hour and a half.


View of the sides

I'm really happy and excited about all of this. It makes me so happy to know that my hair can be put to good use, and hopefully make a child (or two) very happy! What a great experience! :)

Labels: just trina

Well, the bottom line is that everything is fine.

The longer story is that I was doing a demo of our new fire bowl for our architects yesterday afternoon. The fire shows much better at night (obviously) because of the light, and it actually makes me a little nervous when I turn it on during the day because the flames are hard to see.

So, when I was lighting it yesterday, I turned on the gas (obviously higher than I should have) and lit it with a butane lighter.

WHOOSH

Yep, I was a little too close when it lit, and it actually singed part of my hair!

It wasn't much - just a little on the side, and I'm totally fine. Just a little weirded out.

Lesson learned: don't turn gas on too high, and it would probably be prudent to sit to the side when lighting...

Labels: just trina

There's this thing going around Facebook right now: write a list of 25 things about yourself, and send it along to 25 friends. It doesn't matter what it is, and is meant as a way for your friends to learn new things about you.

I wrote my list today.
Some of them have been seen here on my blog before, but some of them may be new to you.

I realize I haven't been blogging much lately. Between being sick (twice!) with the flu in January, busy with work, and being more active on Facebook, I'm afraid my blog has suffered a bit. I'll try to be better. :)

So, here's my list of 25 things...

1. I’ve been collecting Raggedy Ann dolls and related merchandise since I was two years old. I probably have over 400 dolls.

2. I have been featured (for my Raggedy Ann collection) in a Japanese Raggedy Ann & Andy Fan Magazine, and in a Target the Family magazine (for Target Stores).

3. I worked at John Deere for almost two years. (Yes, THE John Deere with the green tractors!)

4. I had more than 30 jobs between the ages of 16-25. (mostly temp jobs and and instructing guards)

5. Between the ages of 19-23, I moved around the country to audition for and perform with various color guards.

6. I’ve had 5 pet rats (separately) between the ages of 13-28.

7. I’ve never had a cup of coffee

8. I've had my own web design business for 12 years.

9. I have 8 body piercings.

10. My one and only phobia is of balloons. I hate the anticipation of the sudden, loud popping. I will literally walk out of a store if they are inflating balloons. Oprah has the same phobia!

11. I was diagnosed with Axial Myoclonus when I was 27. It rocked my world. It is mostly stable now.

12. I have a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute with an Interdisciplinary major.

13. I worked at an art gallery and sold vintage animation art. (and collect it, too!)

14. I attended the first MacWorld in January 1985, and I still go almost every year.

15. I met husband on my first and only blind date

16. I love to draw, sculpt and paint in oil and acrylic, but haven’t done any of that in years. I hope to rectify that this year.

17. I have “Xbox Mouth” - I totally curse whenever I play anything on the Xbox. It’s pretty funny, because it’s really the only time I ever curse.

18. I was the President of The French Club for two years in high school, which is ironic, because I can hardly speak any French at all.

19. I once drove from San Jose to Boston in under 5 days.

20. I have a friend who won one season of “The Amazing Race”, and another who has won one season of “Dancing with the Stars”.

21. I had an appendectomy when I was 37 years old (just over a year ago, for those of you who are counting!).

22. my most difficult year ever was 1997

23. one of my very best years was 1998

24. I believe in silver linings

25. I believe in serendipity

Labels: just trina

Yeah, we've had better...

It's been a tough last few days. Dick got sick with a cold on Saturday, and I came down with a flu on Sunday. We were both out for a few days, and are on the mend, but there's an awful lot of sniffling, coughing, and general exhaustion in our house right now.

Much worse: we had to take our big cat, Marcel, to the v-e-t today. While we were sick over the last few days, we noticed that he wasn't feeling well, either. He hardly ate anything yesterday, which was the big red flag we needed to get him an appointment early today.

We brought him to our favorite vet down in Milpitas who always takes such good care of all of our animals friends. We've been bringing birds, rats, and cats to him for over 20 years.

Sadly, after a blood test and urinalysis, Marcel was diagnosed today with failing kidneys. :(

I'm afraid the prognosis isn't very good, but we're going to do what we can to make sure that he's comfortable and as happy as possible. We don't think that he's in any pain, or is very uncomfortable - more that he's low energy and a little lethargic.

This news makes me so very sad. :(

Dick and I are home with the kitties tonight - sipping some Sleepy Time Tea, and ready to spend some quality time with our kitties. Not the most exciting way to ring in the new year, but I can certainly think of worse.

Happy New Year, everyone. Hope everyone has a fun and safe celebration.

Labels: A day in the life, just trina, kitties

Earlier this year, I developed an unfortunate case of tendinitis in both of my arms.

Apparently, there's such a thing called golf elbow, which is pretty similar to tennis elbow. It got really bad in September, so I've been laying off the golf, and trying not to lift heavy objects, etc, since then.

I saw a doctor about it a few weeks back - that's when I got the official word that I had tendinitis in both arms. He told me to take 600mg of ibuprofen 3 times a day for 7 days. He said it should feel better at the end of that time, but that I would still need to keep off of it for a while. For the record, it is feeling better, but I think I still have a ways to go.

What bothers me about this is that I hate not having full use of my arms. I'm used to being able to lift heavy things, and being self-sufficient.

Actually, what really bothers me is that I did color guard for over 10 years without (thankfully) developing tendinitis on my wrists or my elbows (like many of my friends had) but 8 months of golf, and BAM!

Of course, this is just one life's not-so-friendly reminders that I'm getting old.
Bummer.

Getting older, I don't mind. I just don't want my body to start falling apart. :(

I've been using this great Elbow Ice Wrap for the past several months. It works really well.

It's by a brand called "Cold One" and the name is written across the strap of the wrap.

This morning, as I was putting it on, the "C" fell off from the name.

Now I'm wearing a brace that says "OLD ONE".

How ironic, yet appropriate.

Labels: just trina

Ow.

I was just in the backyard, trying to make my way to the back to talk with our main contractor. I was attempting to decipher which section of a retaining wall would be best to hop over when I stepped a little too far to the left, and ended up falling (one leg only) into a post trench hole. (they are about 2-1/2 feet deep.)

I'm fine. I'm just a little scraped, and possibly bruised - my body as well as my ego. ;)

I hate it when I'm stupid.

...and my poor Birks may never recover from stepping into the few inches of water/mud at the bottom of the hole.

oy.

The Culprit Hole

Labels: just trina

This is really well done.

It asks that you send this along to at least 5 friends.
I'm pretty sure that I have at least 5 people reading my blog, so I think this will suffice.



Please be sure that you're registered to vote.

Labels: just trina

the time has come...

It was inevitable.

I've worn prescription glasses for more than 15 years, but only need to wear them for driving at night. The last I got a new prescription and frames was at about 6 years ago or so.

I had my eyes checked a couple of years ago, and they told me that the prescription had increased just a notch from my current prescription, so I decided not to invest in new frames or lenses.

But, I knew this was coming...

I finally had my eyes checked again last week, and it seems my prescription needs have increased a couple of notches: it was time to invest in some new lenses, and just to make it more fun, new frames, too.

I went to the place on Castro street where Dick and Pete have both bought their glasses from many, many years. They see the same person there, who has an uncanny ability to select frames that are perfectly suited for the individual.

Par for course, the first pair she showed me was the pair we went with. (I tried another 8-10, just for good measure.)

My new frames and lenses came in today. I just picked them up!

Labels: just trina

Last Wednesday, we went out with a bunch of friends to ROE to see Graham play in Jonathan Douglas' Band.

Jonathan does a really nice acoustic version of A-ha's Take on Me.

Our friend, Ayumi, had never seen the music video of Take on Me before. The rest of us were simply raving at it - how great and beautiful the animation was, how ground-breaking it was at the time, and how so many people think of the video when they hear the song play.

Apparently, Ayumi remembered to look the video up on youtube today, and sent us the link. I hadn't seen this video in SO many years, but I'm happy to say that it really holds up! The animation is really fantastic. Plus, come on, who doesn't love this song?

I'm probably totally dating myself when I say this, but I still think it must be one of the best music videos of all time. (not that I've watched any music videos in the last 20 years or so...)

Labels: just trina

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

I have enormous calves.

As women go, I'm pretty sure I'm in the running for "largest calves ever". My calves are practically cows. They are very muscular. I blame the one season of Soccer that I played in fourth grade. :)

This afternoon, Dick and I went shopping in Union Square. I had a fleeting fantasy that I would find a nice pair of knee-high black boots with a heel.

Now, we've been through this process before, and I remember that we weren't able to find boots that would fit around my enormo-calves.

But, today, I was hopeful! We found two contenders: one pair had an adjustable buckle towards the top of the boot, the other pair (which sounded even more promising) literally came in two calf widths: regular and "extended calf".

So, I tried on both boots.

We tried the extended calf boot first. Sadly, it only zipped half way up my enomo-calf, and stopped there. Really? This is the Extended Calf size?!

The next boot fared no better: half way up, with the adjustable buckle at it's end.

No boots for me. :(

I told Dick, "You know I'm going to blog about this."

I just came home, and did a search for "Extended Calf Boots".

First thing I found was this shoe blog with a post specifically about the problem of finding knee-high boots for someone with large calves!

I'm not the only one!!!
(rejoice!)

Here's a pull quote from the blog post about a specific pair of boots:
...the best feature is that it has the circumference around the calf of 18 inches! This should fit even the most athletic of legs.

I had no idea just how wide my calves actually are, so Dick and I pulled out the tape measurer to find out: they weighed in at a whopping 16". (yeah, I know... that's really big!)

So now I know that there are possibilities out there.
Too bad: This blog was more than two years old, and it looks like the specific boots that they recommend are no longer available.

Dang.

But, at least I know what to look for now.

I sense a quest coming on!

Labels: just trina

or, "what I'll do for free ice-cream"


Today I donated blood at my local blood bank. I've been donating every 2-3 months for about 3 years now. It's something that I feel really good about doing. I know that for one-reason-or-another, many people are unable to donate blood, and that blood bank levels are still quite low. I'm happy to be able to take an hour or so out of my day every couple of months to do my part to help.

...but every once in a while, we get extra perks! Movie tickets, a free t-shirt, etc.,

Today: free ice cream from Baskin Robbins! (whoo-hoo!)

"Pint for a Pint"

Clever slogan, isn't it?

Labels: just trina

I just realized that today marks 5 years since my very first blog post.

Wow. That's a long time. How'd that happen?

Two years ago, on my 3rd Bloggiversary, I wrote a list of my top 5 favorite blog posts up to that time. I'm re-reading that list now, and think that they still may apply as some of my favorites.

I should probably skim the last couple of years to see if I have any other posts that might make the cut.

Blogging is an interesting thing. I'm still surprised how much I enjoy it, even after all of these years. It's funny, because I rarely have those "Let's see, what should I blog about today..." moments. It's more just what comes to mind at the moment. I suppose that's what makes it so enjoyable to me: it's not work. It's more like writing down a thought. And because it's been documented here on the blog, I now remember more fleeting moments or funny stories that I probably would have otherwise forgotten.

I often joke about my blog saying, "Who knew I had so much to say, without ever really saying anything!"

My cousin, Bruce, was recently called a narcissist just because he keeps a blog. I thought that was awfully harsh criticism. Now granted, he's in public position where he'll have to endure all kinds of criticism left and right, but still.... It did make me think about my own blog, and what it is that I gain from it. What I came to realize is that I'm still blogging for the same reasons that I started it 5 years ago: I blog for myself - it's my own personal online journal, that I don't mind sharing with the world. I never put anything too personal on it, and also make sure that I don't post anything that may get me in trouble. It provides an outlet to vent, a place to document day-to-day happenings that I would otherwise forget, and funny tidbits that simply make me laugh. I feel very fortunate that over the years, I seem to have picked up a following of family, friends, and even people who I've never met who seem to be somewhat interested or amused with what I have to say. What's wrong with that? If keeping an online journal of random thoughts and happenings of my life make me narcissistic, then I guess I'm okay with that.

So, Happy 5th Bloggiversary! Thanks to all of you who have sent comments over the years, and given feedback on my blog. I really love the interaction and sense of community that it has created over time.

Now, let's see if I can keep it up for another 5 years! :)

Labels: blog, just trina

This evening, while Dick was playing "You are the Sunshine of my Life" on his piano, and I took a peek at the sheet music that he was using. Dick uses Fakebooks which have chords and very simple melody lines. He plays the chords, and somehow (because I can't figure it out) knows how to play them in a way that sounds like the full song. (that doesn't sound right, but it's the best I can explain)

The song he was playing was in the key of C - which I can read because I used to (barely) play piano, and I played flute for several years when I was growing up.

I started to take flute in school when I was in fourth grade, and played it through 9th grade. I really loved it, but would never consider myself a natural - I didn't have a real great ear, or a natural understanding of music theory, etc., But, I could read the notes, I could do the fingering, etc., and I was happy for many years. :)

Anyhow, when I was reading the very simple melody, in the key of C, I realized I was able to mentally "play" the flute notes still in my head. I've kept my flute with me in San Francisco for many years now, but hardly ever take it out at all.

Tonight, I decided to bust it out again, just to see how much I could still remember. It turns out that muscle memory is a pretty powerful thing. I'm not saying I was any good at it, but I could still manage the B Flat scale, as well as the C. I was (barely) able to remember how to read the notes, but (again with the muscle memory) remembered the finger placement, and how to play it.

It was kind of cool. I was pretty bad, but pretty proud that I could still play anything at all after over 20 years! My poor flute has certainly seen better years. Being nearly 30 years, and spending a couple of seasons outside during marching band will do that to you. I should probably bring it to a shop to be cleaned, have the pads replaced, and some of the springs fixed.

BTW: I titled this post "Flute Power" because, when I was in the marching band, all of the people in the different sections had custom t-shirts made (jersey style, actually) with whichever instrument they played. So, yes, I had a white jersey with gold/yellow sleeves with blue lettering that said, Flute Power across the front.

Yes, I was a band geek.

...and yes, I went to band camp. :)


Trina and her flute - 9th grade, Fall 1983

Labels: just trina

This has been a pretty strange week.
All the plans that I originally had have been thrown out the window.

First, there was the leak in the pipes in the kitchen. Besides the immediate and major issues this has brought about (the plumber can't come out to fix it until sometime next week, so no hot water upstairs, plus there's the gaping hole in my kitchen ceiling downstairs), I also had to cancel two appointments (one personal, one job-related) that I had for that day.

It's been nearly impossible for me to reschedule either one of them, because I don't know for certain which days I need to keep clear for the plumber to return, and for the contractor to patch up the ceiling.

I knew that today was clear, so I kept my appointment to bring my MINI into the Pleasanton dealership. I somehow managed to get a large (and growing) crack in my windshield, and my passenger side window isn't rolling down/up. I brought my car in this morning, knowing that I'd have to leave it overnight for the new windshield to cure. I got a call from my service advisor telling me that they're really backed up, and that they won't be able to have my car ready for me until Friday. (and don't get me started on how much these repairs are going to cost!) Thankfully, they arranged for a courtesy rental car for me, (a Jetta) and I won't have to pay anything for the extra day.

However, this means that I had to rearrange my schedule for the next two days as well. I was really hoping to schedule one of my missed appointments for Friday, but won't be able to do that now.

In the meantime, my parents met me in Pleasanton (about 45 minutes away) to join me for lunch (aren't they great?). We then drove separate cars to San Francisco. They had intended to pick up their VISAs for their trip to China that they dropped off last week. They both thought that they were supposed to be ready today, but as it turns out, they both somehow got the day wrong, and they won't be ready until tomorrow. That means that they have to drive back to San Francisco tomorrow (about an hour drive from their house) and that today's trek was all for not. Poor Mom and Dad.

The good news was that they joined me in picking up my 7 year-old niece from school, and bring her to hip hop class with me. That was great fun, and put us all in better spirits after the somewhat disappointing day.

When I brought my niece back home, Dick called me from Seattle telling me that his flight back home tonight was canceled, and that he'd have to spend another night up there, and catch another flight home tomorrow.

Again, none of these things are very bad (okay, the kitchen pipe thing is pretty bad) but they've all made this a really odd week of mishaps and have made it impossible for me to plan anything for at least a week.

I don't like not being able to plan.
I'm a planner.
boo.

Labels: A day in the life, just trina

A funny thing happened this morning. Within 30 minutes of each other, I had two Instant Messages sent from friends who are regular readers of my blog. Each of them informed me that I hadn't posted to my blog since Thursday, and both of them wanted to make sure that I was okay. Actually, in my sister-in-law's words: You haven't blogged in days -- sick? Dead on your kitchen floor? Busy?

No, no.... I'm fine!

I know it's been a while since I posted. It happens every once-in-a-while, usually for no particular reason. I guess I've been busy, but truthfully, no more busy than usual.

Let's see....

Monday was my Birthday.

Although I didn't do anything on my birthday, I certainly had a grand time celebrating over the weekend!

Dick and I played two (count 'em) rounds of (9-hole) golf on Saturday morning with Andy and Aditya. That was great fun. It was the most beautiful Saturday morning that I can recall in recent memory - sunny and low 70s. To top it off, I played my best game, and scored my best score - twice! (got the same score both times.)

After golf, we came home, packed a bag, and drove over the Bay Bridge to the Claremont Resort and Hotel. Dick treated us both to a massage in the spa (which was quite wonderful) and dinner (watching the sunset over the SF skyline) for my birthday. What a treat!


The Claremont

Yesterday, my sister and I had a wonderful visit with my dear friend, Kimi. Kimi and I are best friends from way back in Freshman year of high school. Our birthdays are only 15 days apart - her birthday is May 13th. We celebrated our joint birthdays by treating ourselves to an afternoon together, complete with strawberry cream puffs. Yum!


Birthday Girls - both Taurus-Dogs!

Oh - forgot to mention that Dick and I woke up yesterday at 6:00am to meet Andy at the golf course to play at 7:00am! Yes, we're a little crazy, but it was a ton of fun. We played at Flemming, which I have never played at before. (I had only played at Golden Gate.) It was beginner's luck for me, as I had my best score yet! I think I'm addicted. :)

So, that's about it. Birthday celebrations, golfing, work..... It's all good. :)

But I do appreciate the friends who checked in with me to make sure I was okay!

Labels: just trina