Valentine's Day Weekend + Single's Awareness Day (02.16.16)

I wanted to write sooner about this weekend, but something felt strange about it because Monday was a holiday and so, that technically meant that the weekend wasn’t over, right? Well, I had to work Monday, so, for me, the weekend was over. But for those of you who had it off, good job. I’m happy for you! You lucky duckies!

Friday found me working hard on a manuscript and putting together materials for my voice actor. I’m working hard on ‘Motivational Marley’ because… well, once you see it, you’ll see why. I mean, HE’S ADORABLE!! I’ve never felt so much motivation when it came to editing before I edited his materials together! He’s wonderful, amazing, and very comforting. I can’t wait to share him with the world, with ALL OF YOU!! (^v^)

Anyhoo, a new friend from Japan via Montana arrived Friday night to hang out with her friend of near 15 years… Lots of drama ensued, which made me re-evaluate my friendship with said person because… I’m the type of person who can be mistreated by friends for years and never say anything about it for fear of troubling the friend. Having friends, at all, to me, is a blessing. Partially because most of the friends I grew up with are no longer in contact with me, and also because I’ve NEVER had a boyfriend, so all I’ve ever had were friends. So, in the past years, I’ve worked hard to leave a BIG community of friends for the smaller more intimate group of besties that I always see. The friend who kinda messed up this weekend was on her way to being one for me, but because of her own selfishness, she removed herself from that position, minimizing our relationship to a more professional and distant one. So, all I can do is accept it, you know? … So much drama. Glad it’s over.

I WATCHED “DEADPOOL” SATURDAY MORNING!! I love watching movies in movie theaters!! In those soft chairs filled with body odors and farts, drinking water or a fattening beverage, eating butter-drenched popcorn because I couldn’t tell how much I was squeezing in… NOTHING beats such an intimate act!! And I LOVE watching previews!! They give me something to look forward to. Something to yearn for. Something to pre-laugh at, so that my during-movie sounds are appropriate. The main friends I watch movies with are in my group of besties. To date, I’ve watched the most movies with Moon. She’s the reason I have a Stubs card at all! Second comes Ed, of course! Third is Chris, and Sarah is between first and second. Hehe! If that makes any sense… JJ and I haven’t seem movies together, but we talk about them a lot! We’ve also collaborated on ideas for some… soon to have more info on that!

Personally, it was more blood than I cared for. The character Wade Wilson was funny and some of the shots on him were truly extravagant. Like when they found out he had terminal cancer, the way he watched Vanessa handle as he zoned out was a BEAUTIFUL shot Chris and I loved. The sense of humor wasn’t EXACTLY what I enjoyed most, but I did enjoy it, nonetheless. There was a lot more killing than I expected, a bit more graphic than I thought it would be, but I liked the action, enjoyed the shots, LOVED the opening credits, and found the film quite downright clean for a Rated R feature. I can’t wait to see if the next film stays true to who Vanessa is from the comics! A definite B+ rating from me! Yum! I didn’t need popcorn or a drink during it! And though I watched it in the morning, my friends and I were surprised that the theater was more than half full! The entire upper area was filled. Our group of seven (Moon +2, Ed, Chris +1, and me) sat together in the front section back row. Still quite enjoyable! And I’d see it again. Yes!

After the movie came KBBQ at Moon #3! They actually serve milk teas and boba now, which was strange but yummy! And they have just started serving sushi!! I know!! They’re really branching out. For reals!! After the late lunch, everyone split, and Moon took her two friends away. Ed, Chris, and I also split up and let the evening pass rather uneventfully. Wait, no, that’s not true. Sarah joined us for lunch but she had things to do. Ed also went home and later hung with another friend. Chris and I bought 5 boxes of baking mix and headed over to visit the friend from Montana. We baked 1 batch of large chocolate chip cookies, 1 batch of lemon cookies, 1 loaf of blueberry bread, 1 loaf of mixed confetti bread, and 1 loaf of devil’s sinful chocolate cake. YUMMM!! We chatted, baked, and chatted a LOT. For those of you who don’t know, Chris is featured on Umbrella Thoughts! We always talk about more intellectual topics and can’t really help ranting and raving about our opinions and their relevancy in the society we live in. Close to midnight, we headed out and to bed! Yay!

Valentine’s Day came and I woke up late. In the morning, the friend from Montana was hurt and sad so she came to spend the day with me. Yay! And then she took a nap until close to 3 pm, so I simply contacted my lonely birds and we planned an early dinner at Black Angus! It was Sarah, Ed, Chris, my Montana friend and me. The talked, laughed, and ate together. And at the end of the meal, there were long lines, so we were all thankful we’d gone early! We had dessert at Menchies in Burbank. Moon +2 were busy, but se la vi! We hung at my place after but Sarah had to leave! And then my roommate returned, hailing the end of our hang out. But I had to wait for Marley’s mom to pick up the Montana friend. And when everyone was gone… it got quiet.

Quite the weekend if you ask me. I watched and then re-watched Sophina Dejesus’s floor routine a few times, skimmed through youtube videos, and, aside from the drama, it was fun and not as lonely. I could only imagine what Chris Pine did. I did unfold him a few times this weekend, the human life-sized cardboard cutout of him, that is. LOL. It’s getting closer to MARCH!! I love that month because I will be heading to Taiwan to do all this… blog and record videos… and, hopefully, blog!! So… LOOK FOR ME!

Final Comments… I really hope “Dragon Lady” gets picked up even if the networks end up changing the title. I’m pretty okay with it!! It’s the story I want to tell. When the title comes, it’ll stick! Yay! WE NEED DIVERSITY!!

Hope your weekends were greater than mine!! 

From the Fat Girl Inside (02.08.16)

This weekend was simply TOO FATTY for me!! Oh my gosh, all those years of dieting and exercising and I find myself staring at a number I thought was long past behind me, in my rearview mirror and out of sight! Holy cow, I had the weekend of all weekends!!

This Saturday was my niece’s first birthday, so, of course, she got the celebration no one in my family had gotten for at least two decades already! My family decked out the house, there was candy and cakes everywhere, lemonade and sprite as beverages. As for the cakes, MAN!!, my young sister’s maid of honor studied pastry making in Paris, where she met her baker husband. He, now, makes cakes professionally and she raises their baby and bakes cakes. She baked 5 layered cake for the adults of the party and then an organic carrot cake that the kids could eat! This thing was B-E-A-U-tiful and bountiful!! After that, came another birthday ice-cream cake for another member of the family, just after beef noodle stew at Bull Demon King in Diamond Bar. I’m telling you, feast of feasts!!

Sunday found us at two very heavy eating and emotional events! I had lunch at Hot Spot for our special little family gathering for the Lunar New Year! We had soup, meat, vegetables, and more! It was wonderful, hot, and soothing for our soul. There were red envelopes, red meat, and happy red cheeks of full stomachs! And then, it was SUPER BOWL SUNDAY time!! As I rooted for my Panthers and witnessed fumbles and brilliant high-jumping plays, it was only natural to snack all the while, right? Oh my gosh, the first party I went to had meatballs, meat, guac and chips, salsa, other dips, other foods, burgers and hot dogs, and beverages galore!! The second had less, but we got there late, so most of it was already eaten, thankfully! I had a Coke Zero and went home for hot tea to cleanse my system! As for what I thought about the halftime show… Well, Coldplay was okay, Bruno Mars should have performed something newer, and Beyonce was, as usual, the Queen, despite her slight misbalance that she recovered beautifully from. No one does it like her. No one.

And in two days, I woke up this morning 5 lbs heavier than usual. That’s BAD!! Luckily, I think today I’ll be able to detox and fast enough to get my weight back down. Well, that’s what I thought, until the Girl Scout Cookies I’d ordered last week came in today! They sit on my desk, two boxes of samoas and 2 boxes of thin mints! MY GOODNESS, my sugar levels must be soaring as of now!! I just need to stop eating them, close the boxes, put them out of sight, and I’ll be fine. … Right?

For the rest of today, it’s all about tea and water for me. Nothing but light foods that are high in fiber and low in carbs. Yes, that’s what I’m up to. How was your weekend and did your team win?

*Note to Panthers and Broncos out there:  I don’t do sports anymore. I can and I understand the game, the problem is that I get aggressive and emotional when I watch the game. I tend to lash out, shout things, or feel some sort of unhealthy attachment that can get me in trouble during the game, which is why I don’t follow it anymore. But on big game days, like the Super Bowl, as long as it’s once a year, I will watch it and be a part of this American cultural event!

Now, ahead comes the Single Awareness Day… yup… Valentine’s Day (Check out EventBrite’s listings!!). I think I’ll grab a single friend and head to the Aquarium of the Pacific… or maybe somewhere else to have dinner. Who knows? I just know I don’t want to feel it. *Sigh… Chris Pine, come and find me!! Save me from this lonely day!!

NEW PODCAST COMING SOON!! LOOK FORWARD TO ME TALKING SPORTS WITH ED ON COTANGENT!!! 

An Emo Weekend ... of sorts!

For CoTangent's 35th Episode, Ed and I thought of doing something a bit more fun, so I think?

This weekend, on SATURDAY was Halloween, so Ed, Moon, Sarah, J.J., and I met up for some good old-fashioned Music Video reacting, a great meal, and then two parties and then chatting at home with the friends! It was awesome, fun, and lots of good times with friends! And got a BEAUTIFUL sight of LA from a new friend's rooftop!

After that, on SUNDAY, Sarah, a friend, and I went to Comikaze! There were so many great costumes, people, passionate enthusiasts, and... I am all set for some Christmas presents this year!! WOOHOO!!

And now, I'm back to Monday. Oh, and I quit OkCupid (not booty-call material) and joined Plenty-Of-Fish!! Here's hoping for the best, eh? Since Coffee Meets Bagel, Happn, eHarmony, ChristianMingle, and Match.com failed for me... this is my last shot at online dating! ... Will I nab the one?!

Here is the most recent recording!! Enjoy and COMMENT!!! Thanks!!

Eating And Talking All Weekend Long

I like to talk to strangers, observe and people watch wherever I go, and sometimes... JUST SOMETIMES... I explode with excitement and can really scare people. It's those times I have to step back and regroup before I lose any friends and such. HAHA!

Fruit Waffle
@Iota Brew Cafe (LA)

Friday night found me at Iota Brew Cafe and... the servers were nice but the service wasn't so great. When we asked for the bill, they only billed us for our dessert. I know you're wondering why we didn't just pay and dash... but I have a conscience, people!! So, we recounted our order and were billed accordingly. When we left, it was a bit disappointing, but they seemed to be training all new people, so I guess we have to wait to see how they do when they have more experience under their belts! This trip, however, was disappointing and... only 2 of 5 Stars if I really had to rate it!

Ice Cream Brownie
@AKA Bistro (Pasadena)

Strawberry Shortcake
@AKA Bistro (Pasadena)

Hanger Steak
@AKA Bistro (Pasadena)

Saturday had me at A.K.A. Bistro in Pasadena. As usual, the ambience was sweet and intimate. Not sure if it was simply because we sat in the back or not, but there was a strange smell... almost sewer-like. At the risk of not sounding rude and assuming it was the people I saw with, I guess someone might have spilled something and no one really mopped it up? The food was only so-so... I much preferred the Cheesecake Factory!! But, alas, my dining party had decided beforehand, so we ate and left after sharing two only mediocre desserts. This time, strange as it was, only scored 2 of 5 Stars with me. 

Steamed A-Veggies
@BDK (Temple City)

Mixed Veggies
@BDK (Temple City)

You'd think I'd give up and crawl into my blankets to hide and wait for Sunday to be over, but NOPE!! Sunday found me, once again, in Pasadena, picking up my wayward wandering bird. He insisted on Bull Demon King in Temple City and... THERE IS NO GREATER PLEASURE than eating there. So, after waiting for them to open at 5 pm and then picking up more cash because they only took cash, we headed over and were seated instantly. We ordered our own bowls of medicinal beef noodle soup with thick noodles and I quickly transferred the beef to his bowl because he likes them. And then, we ordered the usual Taiwanese sausages with sliced garlic that we did not finish, along with A-veggies and the mixed veggies platter. This man KNOWS how to eat!! The food was delicious, the sides were wonderful, and I enjoyed this meal so much, I felt as if I were experiencing it again for the first time. It had only been a few months since I last had it, but I still felt it in my soul. What a wonderful way to end the horrible strike I'd been having while dining out. Easily, 5 of 5 Stars, hands down, no competition.

Afterwards, because we had time to burn before I needed to drop him off to be loaded onto the great metal bird that would return him to the other coastline, I brought him to my guilty pleasure spot, The Yellow House Cafe. -- The boy didn't even know what hit him or how great an honor it was for me to bring him there. But, he soon found out as soon as we were seated and he looked at the menu. Oh, how his eyes widened with pure delight and glee. We ordered drinks first, him a rose tea and myself a Moroccan mint tea. Neither were excessively strong, but their light flavor helped our stomaches digest and then we ordered a slice of Tiramisu with three scoops of ice cream; chocolate, vanilla, and green tea. Oh, the splendors and with the ambience, it felt good to be there. There were no awkward servers, but quiet ones who hurried to help when they heard the bell. All in all, as usual, this experience was easily 5 of 5 Stars for me. Oh yes!!

Ice Cream & Tiramisu Cake
@YellowHouse Cafe (LA)  

After which, we left for LAX, but not before we stopped by In-N-Out and sat through the drive-thru massively long line for 2 protein styled double-doubles! He took them on the plane, and we he left, he was thoroughly happy with the day, despite being flown for six hours back to Maryland for the presentation that awaited him on Monday and the final test that leered at him on Tuesday. I was thankful for his company, for he pulled me from a rather event-less weekend, and his excitement at my favored places only showed me that I am a darn good hostess and a true American, at that! Hah!

Please check out my most recent CoTangent podcast with Ed!!