Friday, December 28, 2007

calling out sick

growing up, getting sick was almost an enjoyable event. when she could, momma V would stay home and take care of me and make chao ga topped with you tiao and ginger tea. on days that she had to work, i would go to ba mua's house just a block down the street from saddler house.

ba mua was a diminutive woman with frizzy, short hair and a kind smile. she was uncle joe's mom. uncle joe was not really my uncle but rather my dad's cousin and by far one of my more americanized relatives. he spoke english with ease and was a huge debbie gibson and redskins fan. uncle joe worked so my sick days at ba mua's house consisted of me amusing myself and watching nickelodean all day. ba mua would feed me buttery corn on the cob but always cut off all the kernals to make it easier for me to eat.

as an adult, getting sick is hardly fun. i feel bad for missing work and lazying around so i'm catching up on laundry and trying to will myself to either (1) make clam chowder or (2) go to the grocery store. theng thinks my body is protesting from being overworked and stressed and signalling that i need to slow down. and maybe she's right. so for now, i'm resting up, curled under my heavy blankets, and about to pop in a DVD and hopefully fall asleep.

Monday, December 24, 2007

bad car-ma

i thought i would do a GOOD and parked on the street, thus freeing up my parking garage spot for the boy. unfortunately, it was on the side that needed to be moved for street cleaning. for those of you that are unfamiliar with street parking in the city, each side of the streets are cleaned twice a week which means you have to "move your car" at a minimum of twice a week. however, because the demand for parking spaces far exceeds the supply, car owners resort to crazy measures to find and keep their space. street cleaning days are an opportunity to (1) grab a spot as someone with inevitably leave to avoid getting a ticket or (2) hold on to your spot by sitting in your car and waiting for the hour and a half window for cleaning goes by. it's a wonder that the streets ever get clean since most of the car owners just sit in their car and hold the spot so that the street cleaning vehicle must go around unmoved cars.

in any case, this morning at 8:30 i diligently went to the car, turned on the engine, and caught up on phone calls and reading magazines. the two hours passed relatively quickly and with no major incident. at 10:30, i left my car, locked the doors, set the alarm, and went to dagastino's to pick up some groceries. then i had a luxuriously lazy christmas eve day with the boy. we napped, met up with jpan and little fat, looked at the window displays at barneys and bergdoff goodman, and grabbed a delicious dinner of pa jun and jae yook kim chi bokkum at kung san gung.

as i walked with the boy to the parking garage, i noticed several notes taped to my car.

"Move your car! Your cheap alarm is Broken!"

"Your alarm went of ALL NIGHT dirtubring the entire neighborhood. Get it fixed or leave it off! Whose going to steal your car??? You're lucky no-one trashed it because of the annoyance!!!"

"Your car alarm sucks"

to top it off, there was a $125 ticket for noise disturbance and my car battery was dead from the alarm going off.

while i understand the annoyance of hearing a car alarm going off (much like i feel about hearing kids screaming in the park near my apartment, stupid concerts in the morning when i'm actually trying to sleep in, or my neighbor nailing things at random hours), it was (1) no way intentional, (2) part of living in the city and NOT A SUBURB, and (3) not necessary to call the cops.

i could continue to rant about it, but i will leave the future of these unsympathetic jerks (#2 needs to learn to use proper english- who is not whose) to fate because what goes around comes around.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

season of giving

post college and among my circle of friends, the practice of exchanging gifts during the holidays had all but vanished. gift giving was reserved for birthdays and accompanied by treating the guest of honor to a fancy dinner. even within my family, the focus for gift giving has shifted to the little ones, and rightly so. in my opinion, christmas is all about the kids.

not that i don't enjoy gift giving, i just hate feeling obligated to do so. . and no place is the burden heaviest as it is at work. of course, for my superiors and associates there is no question or reluctance to give a token gift. instead, it becomes this stressful, expensive, and massive ordeal.

will i offend X if i don't get them a gift?

s**t, now i have to get Y a gift because Y got me a gift!

f**k, i forgot to get Z a gift!!


bah humbug.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

the carpool thing

marv and i have been talking about carpooling for the past year and recently had joked about how by the time we got around to doing it, i will have already switched jobs. . . fate intervened and poor marv's car was stolen and left stripped last week. . . consequently, we have indeed starting carpooling.

the perks:
1. staying awake is a LOT easier with company
2. saving money on gas
3. i don't get in trouble for being late b/c it's marv's fault
4. i only hit the snooze once b/c i'm paranoid of making us both late

the drawbacks:
1. the likelihood of getting out on time is significantly lower
2. i can't use the commute to catch up on phonecalls
3. i miss my alone time to plan out my day, get lost in my thoughts, or decompress

overall, i'm enjoying the experience of carpooling. . . but not as much as i will enjoy the experience of not driving at all. 40 days left (and only 26 spent at work)!!!

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

The Man Rules

I got a laugh out of these- maybe you will too. . .

***Please note.. these are all numbered "1 " on purpose

1. Men are NOT mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become Null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one

1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials.


1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine... Really.

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball or motor sports

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

Monday, December 17, 2007

spa hells

had a lovely friday off. normally i spend one of my two days off running random errands. on this particular friday, celestial actually had the day off so we kept each other company. met up at grand central at noon and headed down to chelsea. we stopped at t-mobile where they miraculously fixed my phone, shopped at shoegasm (yes, that is really the name of the store), then grabbed lunch.

after warming up over a bowl of soup, we braved the cold again and headed to bloomie nails on w 23rd and 7th ave. . . i had been looking forward to this for a couple weeks as it had been years since my last manicure and/or pedicure. mostly b/c i am too cheap to pay for something i can do a decent job of myself. however, my very generous and thoughtful friend theng got me a gift certificate for my birthday.

i asked for a mani/pedi and celestial requested a mani + 10 minute massage. we picked our colors and sat down. eugene, a quiet and young woman straight from korea helped me. before she put on my polish, she gave me the bill and i handed over my gift card.

eugene shot me a look of confusion. i explained that i had received a gift certificate within the past month and showed her the business card including the location we were at. this started what became a frenzy of chattering and debate in korean, chinese, and english. an authoritative associate came up to me and insisted that the gift certificate was not valid at their store. she explained that the owners had changed over and bloomie nail and spa belles are no longer affiliated. my argument that the business card i had been given the certificate with included the bloomie nail locations fell on deaf ears. i reluctantly pulled out the cash and asked to speak to the manager.

this lead to yet another frustrating conversation where it came up that this problem had occured before but out of respect for the spa belles owners being "korean too" they had not wanted to make waves and complain formally! instead they allow spa belles to continue to falsely advertise by continuing to use bloomie nail's name and consequently confuse their customers. i somehow felt cheated out of my relaxing afternoon and ended up canceling the pedicure.

my blood was boiling and it wasn't until later in the afternoon, after some more window shopping with celestial and grabbing a drink at markt that i had cooled down. i guess i learned my lesson to always confirm everything. . at the very least, eugene did a fabulous job and i have a new favorite nail color- russian navy!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

forecasting

it all started wednesday morning.


lauren: did you hear? there's supposed to be a huge snow storm tomorrow. you should call out. the roads are going to be terrible.


v: well, we'll see what tomorrow's weather really brings. besides, i would never do that.


lauren: no, i know you wouldn't.


v: the only time i've ever called out was when i had pink eye. . . and only b/c i knew it was contagious.


of course, i went and checked the weather forecast online. wintry mix. that didn't sound so terrible, right? that didn't stop every other customer speaking ominously about the weather, associates fretting over the road conditions, and callouts to start rolling in during the afternoon. i was starting to worry that this was THE snowstorm of the season. . . you can imagine my surprise when i left work at 8pm to find only a light dusting of snow and a minimum of ice on the windshields. luckily, the snowplows had already made their way through the parking lots and the rain had melted away the remnants of snow on the roads. lucky for me- it was smooth sailing home.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

getting drenched in the spirit

normally, the very day after thanksgiving, i set the christmas music station on my car stereo and blast it like it's no one's business. maybe it's working in retail and dealing with one too many angry customers and struggling with understaffing, but i have been feeling everything but festive.

this morning was somehow different. . .and somehow i felt the holiday spirit. i woke up early, made some coffee, decorated my mini-fake christmas tree, played some christmas music, and wrapped presents.

for lunch, i met up with celestial for dim sum in c-town. since it was just the two of us, we were seated with a bunch of strangers and got the sucky seats. . . the ones on the inside with the worst access to the cart ladies. i guess the restaurant had been recently rennovated and the new layout was not conducive for easing cart navigation. for the first time ever, i actually saw one lady run into the heels of the cart pusher in front of her. the lady in front turned around with an annoyed look on her face and shouted expletives in cantonese. kinda funny. . .you never expect to see a collision. the downside of our location is that we ended up only ordering three dishes which didn't completely satiate my dim sum craving, but did lead to the cheapest dim sum i've had yet!

after dim sum, we headed to soho to do a little shopping. we checked out the new muji store and cb2. i loaded up on cosmetics gifts and celestial and i went to forever 21 where we both went a little crazy. i picked up some cute, cheap jewelry and celestial got some fun going out clothes.

by 5, i was starving ($5.50 worth of dim sum is really not filling) so we headed to kura sushi for an early dinner. . . totally hit the spot and i feeling quite happy after two glasses of otokoyama. hopped on the 6 back home to find it was pouring. my paper bags completely disintegrated and i was left trying to carry my goodies home while shielding them as much as possible with my body. i'm sure it looked quite comedic, bags falling apart, merchandise spilling onto the ground, me trying to juggle it all. . . i was a mess but somehow managed to make it home in one piece and with everything in fairly good shape!

Thursday, December 06, 2007

the countdown begins

Q2 recommended that i start counting down the days before i start my new job . . . that makes it sound like i hate my current job which simply isn't the case. what i do hate and will not miss for a second is:

1. the commute
2. the irregular hours
3. the commute
4. the expense and annoyance of having a car in nyc
5. and, oh yes, the commute

i am excited for the new year, beginnings, and better quality of life. . and most significantly, finally finding and moving towards a career that is more befitting of my skills and interests. not that i expect it to be a piece of cake, i know i have a lot to learn and will have to prove myself in a new environment, establish a solid reputation, and develop new relationships.

but i cannot wait to begin. . . not that i'm counting. . urm, just 60 days. . .

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

promising beginnings

it's been my personal goal for quite some time to establish a partnership with HRC and co-sponsor an event. unfortunately, my crazy work schedule has made it quite difficult to meet up and i've had to cancel on more than one occasion. so after months of playing phone & email tag, and with much relief, i was finally able to meet up with the LI coordinator for Human Rights Campaign (HRC) on my day off today.

we met up at her office in midtown west and chatted for nearly an hour, discussing different ways of partnering with HRC and participating in their upcoming events. there is an upcoming holiday party on tuesday, some events in long island in january, and the big annual gala in february. while i'm 110% behind this and believe in the cause, i have a limited amount of time to figure out how to make this happen (1) during the busiest season for my company, (2) amidst major changes in the leadership, and (3) being overstreched as it is in my current role.

it's a little daunting, but i've made a personal commitment and plan to see it through.

Monday, December 03, 2007

overhaul

since it looks like i'll be settling into my apartment more permanently, i've decided to invest more time and money into fixing up the place and making it more "V".

on my wish/to-do list. . .

1. new paint job
2. get rid of the futon and get a real bed with real matress (biggest mistake was getting rid of my mattress during the move here)
3. paint the hallway table red
4. replace the current light fixture with a chandelier
5. install a magnetic strip to hold knives
6. grow plants! (lucky bamboo, herbs)
7. get an old style phone so i can buzz people in
8. replace the old t.v. and table with a sofa bench
9. fix the spot lights in the kitchen

hmm. . .somehow, i suspect that by the time i finish my expanding to-do list, it'll be time to move. . .

nights in

work has been hellish of late- the holidays season and event on top of event is bringing all the crazies, scam artists, and assholes out of the woodwork. unfortunately, my fatigue (which i'm starting to attribute to irregular work schedule and hence sleep cycle, a noisy radiator, and crap blinds) wears away my patience and i'm finding myself growing increasingly irritable.

inability to sleep thursday night completely wiped me out and i had to cut ladies night short. while i enjoyed a delicious dinner prepared by celestial, i was unable to satisfy my dancing fix. luckily, i got a solid night's rest friday night and was able to celebrate theng & kev's b-days saturday night.

the b-day couple hosted a cranium/wii party hosted by the b-day couple. theng ordered chips, salsa, and guacomole from el paso taqueria and made spareribs and chicken. q2 played bartender. some interesting discoveries, (1) the boy and i both dislike and hence suck at "star performing"and (2) i can't name a tune to save my life. . . it was the perfect way to unwind- relaxing night in with good food, friends, drinks, and games.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

spicy eyes

i feel like work beat me with a stick.

over the weekend, one of my departments lost an employee who failed to show up for her shifts. there was a call out in another department. i spent the majority of the day trying to keep every department covered which means cajoling associates to work extended shifts, begging associates to cover different departments, and nagging them to take their breaks and leave their departments at the appropriate times. to top it off, i also had two mandatory managers meetings and was scheduled to conduct interviews.

by one, i was a mess. . . what started as irritated eyes which i assumed was lack of sleep turned to a burning sensation, or mat cay, a vietnamese term which literally translates to "eye spicy". at lunch, i found it hard to keep my eyes open as they were tearing up. i removed all my eye makeup in hopes that it was an allergic reaction to a new eyeshadow. when that didn't resolve the irritation and the symptoms continued throughout the afternoon, i decided that maybe i'm allergic to work???

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

a night in provence

after spending the previous day as a bundle of nerves, i was glad to have tuesday as a real day off. despite having every intention of sleeping in, i started to stir around 7 AM and was completely restless by 7:30. i decided to get up and start my to-do list:

clean & organize apartment
laundry
dishes
catch up on emails
hit the gym

after showering and getting dressed, i hit a lazy lull and spent the remainder of the afternoon goofing off online and watching shrek 3 (great movie with lots of laughs). around 4PM i headed downtown for an appointment and then stopped by bloomies in soho. i did a little window shopping to kill time before meeting up for theng's b-day dinner at provence.

since none of my friends were free to grab a happy hour drink, i decided to pick up a magazine and head to the bar at the restaurant. i ended up chatting with the amicable bartender, shorty, for quite some time. . . turns out he's from australia who majored in math/comp sci in college who came to NYC for a long weekend vacation but ended working in the restaurant/bar industry here for 3.5 years. . . it's always fascinating to discover how people wind up in nyc. in any case, by the time Q2 and theng came, shorty was letting me test cocktails he was working on for a big event this weekend.

dinner was fabulous! the mixed reviews had me a bit worried, but the food was excellent, the service attentive, and the ambience warm and unpretentious. we shared the octopus appetizer served on a tasty bed of israeli couscous and lightly topped with greens. i ordered the flank steak which was incredibly flavorful and succulent (shorty's rec). Q2 ordered the venison which was also wonderful- the meat was not at all gamey and surprisingly sublte in it's flavor. theng ordered the seared scallops, perfectly prepared. over glasses of red wine, we sampled one another's entrees, gossiped, and indulged in girl talk. it was a lovely evening and a perfect end to my day off.

Friday, November 23, 2007

thanksgiving in PA

work was a bit crazy on the wednesday before thanksgving but i was worried about traffic going home. sher and i decided to grab a drink to kill time and let the traffic ease up a bit (hey, one drink is still under the legal limit, right?). we went to legal seafood and had a glass of wine and chatted for a bit.


luckily the drive was smooth sailing and i was able to pick up the boy around 7:45PM. despite stopping for fried chicken at popeye's, we managed to get to PA by 10PM. my parents arrived soon after and stayed up until midnight chatting. after they retired, we all sat around the living room, consumed a couple bottles of wine, and talked until 3 or 4 AM.

around 8AM, i started hearing commotion in the kitchen and decided to join the family for breakfast. my brother made a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, and home potatoes. i was quite impressed. after breakfast, we started preparing thanksgiving dinner- deep fried turkey, oyster casserole, green bean casserole, candied yams, mashed potatoes, sausauge/cornbread stuffing, and ham.

despite missing a couple steps and tools (you try mashing potatoes with a fork and making gravy without real turkey drippings) everything turned out beautifully *and most importantly TASTY* and as with any major meal, the preparation time exceeded the eating time by far.

despite the obvious hazards, i am also a convert and propoent for the fried turkey!! considerably tastire and juicier than the baked counterpart. after stuffing ourselves silling and cleaning up, we watched a bootlegged copy of american gangster and spent the remainder of the night in slothlike, food-coma induced state. . .ahhh, the way thanksgiving should be.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

what a difference a year makes

every year, my company has a thanksgiving potluck luncheon for all the managers. last year i made a french cheese bread that was a hit. this year, i was the last to sign up and ended up with veggies. initially i was excited and planned to make collard greens but was (1) too lazy and (2) still sans stock pot. i decided instead to make an italian mixed vegetable salad comprised of roma tomatoes, chick peas, sliced white potatoes, and green beans tossed in a balsamic vinagrette. simple, fresh, and easy.

at one o'clock, the managers slowly trickled into the training room to feast on a smorgasboard of turkey, vegetable casserole, green bean casserole, yams, rice, stuffing, and various desserts. with the choice of carb-rich, fatty and delicious comfort food, my dish was sadly overlooked.

nonetheless we had a grand ol time. old faithful and TV started discussing which managers were missing from this year's luncheon. lazy L, lori, bangles, chester, and rika to name a few. then the conversation turned to who would be the next ones to leave. old faithful and TV started creating a list with probabilities and even pinpointed time lines for every manager's departure.

retail is a high-turnover business so none of this was shocking. however, the foresight demonstrated in the predictions struck me.

swazye
D
al
tormei
harried
cackle

i guess time will tell. . .

Monday, November 19, 2007

a V moment

it was just one of those mornings that started off. . . off. despite sleeping away the better part of sunday, i still managed to oversleep this morning. the alarm went off at 6:30 AM and i rolled out of bed around 7:15. i was in my car by 7:35 and on the road by 7:45.

as i put the car in drive, i turned on the radio, lights, and started to buckle my seat belt. for some reason, the seatbelt wouldn't go into the buckle. i continued to ram the seat belt in while i pulled out halfway onto the street waiting for an opening so i could cross over to the northbound side of traffic.

after edging my way into traffic, i looked down to see what was wrong with the seatbelt.

wtf!! my lucky cell phone charm was wedged into the seat belt buckle!! this is something only V can accomplish.

i tried tugging on the cell phone charm to no avail. damnit! it was wedged in there pretty good. what a crappy morning, running late and the rain was a guarantee for bad traffic, and now my cell phone is being held hostage by my seat buckle.

i tried to give the charm a few more hard tugs but nothing. so i used the buckle in the passenger seat which was an uncomfortable but quick fix. this is no ordinary cell phone charm. . it holds great sentimental value as it was a gift from da ge, a stone blessed in a Buddhist temple in hong kong. luckily, one of the guys from work was able to free the charm sans three beads.

does that mean i'll be three beads less lucky?

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

thanksgiving preparation

according to big bro, "we can all help out with the foold". no mention of who is cooking what, what cookware/ingredients he already has, etc, instead a faith that thanksgiving dinner will miraculously come together. . . i dunno if i'm not giving him credit but his laissez faire approach to preparing thanksgiving dinner for 8+ people makes me nervous.

and so i find myself spending part of my day off sitting in my room researching recipes and putting together a shopping list and menu for next thursday. the meats are easy- fried turkey (c'mon, i'm from the south) and ham. i've found a couple of good recipes. . .but what about the "traditional" sides, e.g. mashed potatoes, greenbean casserole, candid yams??

i call my sis to get her take on it.

sis: what are you up to?

v: trying to look up recipes for thanksgiving dinner?

sis: you're cooking?

v: well, what do you think is gonna happen if i leave it up to carter to cook.

sis laughs.

v: yea, i want to keep it simple. i wanna make a sausage and cornbread stuffing and oyster casserole but am not sure about greens. what do you think?

sis: that sounds good. what about an oyster stew. hmmm. or greenbean casserole. that's a standard. and creamed corn. you have to have creamed corn.

v: ugh. this is not helping me narrow down.

sis: well keep in mind that you are going to have a lot of people in the kitchen and it's not very big.

v: oh really?

sis: yea, don't you think alabaster will be in there cooking.

silence.

sis: yea maybe not.

v: ok, lemme think about this some more.

sounds of kids in the background.

sis: wes stop strangling your sister. do not jump on top of her. be gentle. you are hurting her!!!
(to me) sorry, i should go. i can't multitask. talk to wes.

v: wes, are you being a bad boy?

wes: huh?

v: wes, were you hurting your sister?

wes: she bit me!

v: well, that's not nice of her. but you shouldn't hurt your sister. apologize to t.

wes: i'm sorry ma ni. i'm sorry t.

v: ok, be nice to t. i love you.

wes: love you. talk to t?

v: sure.

t: hi ma ni.

v: did wes apologize to you?

t: no

v: yes he did, i heard him apologize.

t: yes he did.

v: did you bite wes?

t: yes.

v: why did you bite your brother?

t: he jumped on me!

v: was he trying to hurt you or play with you?

t: he was playing with me.

v: well then, it's not nice to bite people. he was not trying to hurt you. you are brother and sister and have to take care of eachother even if you are annoyed. ok?

t: yes, ma ni.

v: ok, i love you.

t: i love you too.

Monday, November 12, 2007

only a mother would boast

i've been running around like a madwoman these days with the holiday season. i go back into my office to grab some papers and notice there is a VM on my phone. . .

missed call. vern.

hmm, that's odd. my family almost never calls me when they know i'm at work. i call the VM to see what's going on.

vern: i just wanted to call and tell you that your nephew finally pooped on the potty today. twice! he'd been holding it in for days and he finally did it!!!

the pride in her voice was noticeable. ha ha. . i think this is something i will only understand if & when i have children. (yes taz, if and when)

of course, i was proud of the little tyke and felt bad when vern was so upset it was taking him so long. . so i called him up and praised him for being such a big boy.

v: wes, i'm so proud of you!! i heard you pooped on the potty. what a big boy you are!

wes: i did it! i pooped on the potty. only babies poop in diapers. i pooped on the potty!!!

Sunday, November 11, 2007

talkers

i stopped by eulalie's parents' house on the way home from work. while i always love seeing eulalie, i was sad for the reason of her visit back east. her grandfather had passed away last weekend and she had flown back to NY to spend his last days with him.

as the way with eulalie's family, they welcomed me into their home with warm embraces, interesting conversation, and a home cooked indian meal. fish curry, dosas, peanut chutney!! twas a beautiful way to unwind after what felt like a long day of dealing with difficult customers.

after dinner, eulalie's parents, eulalie, and i sat around in the living room and talked about relationships for our generation- marriage, the prevalence of divorce, commitment, etc. it was an interesting and candid discussion that i could never imagine having with my own parents. before i knew it, three hours had passed and i had to drag myself home.

the evening was a reminder of how much i miss my conversations and enjoy my friendship with eulalie. here's hoping she'll find her way back to the northeast. . .

Thursday, November 08, 2007

rolling with the punches

last week, one of my bosses announced that she was leaving the company for a better position at another company. . . a major shock and just one more change during an already tumultuous time at my branch. i was happy for her. a strong, brilliant, and personable leader.

she has contributed a lot to the company and deserves to move on to bigger and better things, nevertheless, i am sad though to lose a mentor and role model. . .for all my complaints about work, the one thing i have never lacked is encouragement from my superiors, faith in my ability, and confidence in my future.

needless to say, attending her going-away happy hour at metro 53 was bittersweet. all i can do is hope for the best and see what the future unfolds.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

regaining order in the household

all in all, my family's visit was great and it was wonderful seeing my niece and nephew. however, it took me a solid evening/morning of cleaning/organizing to get my apartment back in some semblance of order. i came home on sunday night to find a box full of food (mostly non-perishables), a bag of random things (hats, chicklets, shoes, etc), three pillows that aren't mine, bedding, etc.

argg. . . my parents accidentally took two of my pillows which offered the perfect amount of flatness (unlike most girly girls, i am not "into" pillows, like them flat, and need one. . though i have two for symmetry) and left theirs. . . so not only am i missing my two pillows, i no longer have a matching set of white cotton sheets. this is highly disturbing. .. sigh. . . but what can i do?

the OCD girl in me enjoyed the process of organizing. working in retail, i've managed to accumulate a large number of cosmetics sample products, vendor gifts, etc. i carefully arranged these in labelled ziplock bags (com'on, i admitted i'm OCD) and cleared a great deal of shelf space.

i still have a fair amount of stuff that i'll have to return to my parents over thanksgiving and donate to salvation army, but otherwise to have successfully decluttered!

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

matt pond pa

i'm one of those people that has always enjoyed music but can never remember a band's name, a song name, and am downright lazy (and too cheap) to explore new music. over the years, my taste has evolved thanks to friends recs, etc.

of late, this has been especially true via the boy who has been my music guru from the get go. my new favorite band is matt pond PA who i had the pleasure of listening to at the williamsburg hall of music on monday night. the venue was set up exactly like bowery ballroom which makes sense since it's the same owner. the sound quality was excellent and the band sounded just as good live as recorded which was great.

after the show, which ended much too quickly, we headed to anytime where i picked up a burger to go. then we went to zablowski's for drinks. we made friends with the bartender and whiled away the night sampling beer, music, and enjoying good conversation. . . before we knew it, we had closed down the place.

Friday, November 02, 2007

survival of the fittest. . .or is it wittiest or loudest?

my sis, bro-in-law, niece, and nephew arrived around 1 pm today with enough time to unload bags and bags of luggage (seriously, are they staying for two weeks?) into my apartment before dropping of their rental car at hertz.

from the minute i squeezed between t and wes in the backseat of the car, the two were battling for attention from their current subject of interest- that means, whoever is "new".

in terms of cuteness, they are both evenly matched. however, their strategies were completely different and interestingly enough, reflected gender roles.

my niece used her intellect, reminding me of the places we had visited the last time she was in new york.

is Q2 coming? we ate at that chinese restaurant with the dumpling soup with her.

she was also great at engaging and keeping your attention as long as possible.

ma ni, let's talk! we can talk about our favorite things. my favorite number is 100. listen to me count to 100.

1. 2. 3. . . .50. 51. 52. 53. .. .99. 100!!!


my nephew on the otherhand was all about being physical and loud. after cuddling with my arm in the car, he proceeded to hit me in the stomach (a love tap?) and make honking noises. as we walked to the subway stop he showed off his jumping skills.

look ma ni. aren't i a good jumper? watch me jump!

it was an action packed afternoon. we lunched at lombardi's where my niece showed off three different ways of eating her pizza. the traditional way, folding it in half ny style, then by taking off all the toppings and eating them separately before biting into the crust- end first- t style. we split a large pie but my brother-in-law was still hungry so we decided to get dessert. we walked by ruby's and after i raved about their burgers he decided to stop for one. next stop was coffee for me and cookies for the kids before we made our way down broadway.

we stopped at various random stores before heading into pearl river mart where i found some great notebooks, two new varieties of trainer chopsticks, and bacon mints!!! luckily, wes was able to nap for a couple hours in his stroller, resembling a mini-hobo, while we took our time checking out various shops. around 6 we headed to the west village via train and decided to walk around a bit there before grabbing dinner at pardo's chicken. we stopped in a cute little boutique which had little unusual and random trinkets- interesting salt & pepper shakers, pie/cake cutters, egg whisk, pens, etc. now fully awake and hyped up, my nephew touched everything he could get his hands on and made a mess of the displays in the back of the store thereby invoking the ire of the storekeeper.

at that point, we decided to head to dinner where we met up with theng and Q2. food was delicious and the loud, family style atmosphere was perfect for the kids. now overly full, ready for bed, i await the arrival of my parents who i'm sure have gotten lost. . .

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Wednesday, October 31, 2007

no one's home

momma v has always had a lot of ideas. . . like most moms she is a worrywort and was paranoid about everything.

don't get in cars with strangers b/c they will kidnap, rape you, or kill you and stuff your body with drugs

don't sleep over your friend's house

if you see someone get hurt, don't touch them! they might sue you!

the best though, was during halloween.

don't go trick-or-treating b/c they might give you candy that's really drugs but looks like candy

don't open the door for trick-or-treaters b/c they might actually be a serial killer, rapist, etc

so of course i've been trick-or-treating maybe twice in my life and the protocol was to turn off all the lights in the front of the house and hide when the bell rang!!!

that's a little "treat" for you all to enjoy!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

not quite southern or hospitable

VK and i decided to meet up for an early dinner tonight. since i didn't have any particular cravings and was meeting up with one of the most laid back and accomodating people i know, it took awhile to figure out where to go. however, by the time i managed to get through midtown traffic, i was tired of dealing with idiot pedestirans and incompetent drivers that i has an overwhelming desire to head back uptown.


i suggested southern hospitality, a restaurant i've been meaning to check out for awhile despite the mixed reviews. how could i resist a supposedly good southern restaurant so close to my abode, especially when it's backed by favorite ex-boy bander justin timberlake? (naony, that bit is for you)

we ordered the nachos, buffalo wings, a side of cornbread, and a side of collard greens.

bad. bad. bad. not bad.

the nachos were drenched in velveeta cheese and the corn chips were not fresh let alone homemade. the buffalo wings were not spicy although the waitress claimed they were hot. they also had a strange mushy texture that i couldn't figure out. were they pre-fried then reheated or kept warm under a heat lamp ala micky d's? the cornbread came out in little mini-muffin form and were a bit hard- indicating overbaking or staleness. the tasted okay but were more like corn muffins than traditional cornbread. the collard greens were not too bad and had sizeable chunks of bacon though i'm used to a more spicy, vinegary bite.

overall, the food was not particularly authentic or good. moreover the wait staff had a tendency to rush their customers. i will concede the fact that our sampling of the menu may not be representative of the traditional southern bbq (ribs, brisket, pulled pork). that being said, the sign of a quality restaurant is being able to get the basics right and making every dish good if not great.

while the food left much to be desired and i feel like i wasted calories on a subpar meal, my curiosity has been quenched. and so, while JT may continue to bring sexy back, that will never be enough to bring me back to southern hospitality.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

coming to terms with coming of age



as theng predicted, tonight ended up being quite rainy. q2 was busy with work and neither theng or i were motivated to hang out. it ended up being the perfect night to stay in and put some semblance of order back into my tiny abode. before heading home, i decided to stop by a couple of stores in a last ditch attempt to find shoes to go with my party dress for saturday night. the dress is gorgeous, silvery gray that is remiscent of a flapper dress with the intricate beading and tiered layers at the bottom. i had almost bought a pair of mustard pumps in gainesville but they only had the floor sample which wasn't in the best shape. . .so lo and behold, i was very pleased to find these beauts at aldo!!!!


with treasure in hand, i made my way back home and made some tuna melt pitas for a quick dinner. after chatting with the boy online, sweeping, mopping, and tidying up the apartment, i headed to the gym for some cardio action. i got on my currently preferred cardio machine and plugged in my headphones. fabulous! gossip girl was playing. i started to program in my settings.

workout profile: 5
workout goal: time
workout time: 60 minutes
age: 2-7

and it dawned on me. . . starting tomorrow, i could never (honestly) put in 27 as my age. . . i have definately reached the late 20's early 30's bracket and there's no going back! all that being said. . . the late-mid 20s have been amazing and i would never want to be 18, 21, or even 25 again. . .26 and 27 have been all about growing into my own skin and as cheesy as it sounds, finding myself and the journey has been good. so cheers to 28 and let the adventures continue!
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Sunday, October 21, 2007

making chili out of catfish?

due to corporate visits, atypically long work hours, and attempts to maintain a social life, i've been getting out of my normal gym routine and eating way too much. . .both which are starting to affect my waistline and bother me a great deal.

i planned to jumpstart my health kick by working out after work today. . somehow, working out on sundays makes me feel as though i'm getting a head start on the week. it looked a little close, i didn't leave work until 7:45, traffic was miserably slow, and the gym closes at 10pm on sunday nights. luckily, i got home by 9:05, was dressed in workout clothes by 9:10, and at the gym by 9:15. i got a solid 40 minute cardio workout in and rushed home.

i had bought come ground beef last week and decided to make some chili for my lunch at work. i chopped garlic, onions, red and green peppers, and chili pepper, and started heating them up in a sauce pan. i pulled out the ground beef. . .ack!!! it was no longer red but brown. crap. . now what am i supposed to do?

i still had two fillets of catfish left from the dinner i cooked on friday night. working quickly, i remembered i had a chicken chili seasoning mix. i threw that in with the beans and diced tomatoes. i added some paprika, tomato paste, and ended up with a fairly decent fish stew.

Friday, October 19, 2007

crappy giant

last night celestial and i took q2 to little giant for her b-day dinner. . i had been there long ago with q2 and debs but that was a lifetime ago. . . a cozy, tiny little restaurant low-lit that makes new american, hearty, comfort food.

around 6:50PM both q2 and celestial contacted me to let me know that celestial would be late to dinner. . . i swing by q2's place to pick her up and we walk to the restaurant from her pad. arrive just a few minutes after our reservation at 7:30pm. we tell the hostess that our 3rd party member may or may not be coming. . .


ho-stess: so did you want to wait for your friend before you order?


v: no, we're not sure if she'll make it in time for dinner. we'll go ahead and sit and eat.


ho-stess: well, i can't hold a big table for you. you can sit here or here (motioning to two tables in non-ideal locations). i'll have to break the tables up but if no one else sits here when your friend comes then she can sit here.


there was a two top at my left and our table that was squeezed in next to a plant. it was a four top- two tables pushed together. the hostess wanted us to sit further away from the occupied two top. q2 didn't look happen and muttered something about feeling smushed.


v: uh, is it possible to sit on the left table?

ho-stess: (huffily) fine

we sit and puruse the menu and decide to share the chicken liver pate, fig & prosciutto salad, braised short ribs, and brussel sprouts. after the appetizers arrive, celestial calls and tells us she's on her way. i notify the hostess.

waiter 1: is your friend coming?

v: yes she's on her way.

waiter 1: well can you order for her?

v: we asked her, she wants to order when she gets here.

waiter 1: (huffily) fine. it would help to get her order in sooner.

v: well, she wants to order when she ges here.

we chat, enjoy our appetizers, which are delicious but i'm starting to really get annoyed with how much they are rushing us. . don't get me wrong, i totally understand they are just trying to run a business and a restaurant needs to flip more tables so they can make more money. . but not at the mistreatment of their current guests!

celestial arrives and looks over the menu. she places her order and soon after our entrees start coming out. everything is well prepared, flavors carefully balanced. short rib is wonderful, tender, succulent, but the portion is somewhat small. the brussel sprouts were a tad sweet for my tastes but contrasted well with the pork. celestial ordered the beet and arugula salad and scallop entree which were both solid. while we were munching on the food the waiter stopped by as if to clear our plates which we were still working on.

i told him we were still working on it then he left us alone til everything was pretty much gone. after clearing out plates he brought us dessert menus. before we even had a chance to glance it over, he stopped by and asked us if we knew what we wanted.

celestial: we haven't had a chance to look it over.

granted we continued to carry on our juicy conversation. . 30 seconds into it, the waiter stopped by again.

waiter 1: what would you like?

celestial: actually, could we have another minute?

waiter 1: it would be great if you could place your dessert order so we can get the table ready for our next guests. there's a long line and we have to get to our next reservation.

we had only been there for an hour and a half!! that was the last straw. we asked for the check. the angry little asian girl in me was ready to ask to speak to the manager but my girlfriends asked me not to make a fuss. so i let it go. . but i will never ever go back to little giant and i will never recommend it to anyone.

while i might not expect good service at a dive or certain restaurants (vietnamese, chinese, etc), if i'm gonna pay over $25 for an entree i expect an all around quality dining experience including decent customer service!

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

like a kid in a candy store

it's always rough going back to work after an enjoyable weekend. . . especially bordering on visit/event days where i'm pulling 2 stretches (working open to close) in a row.

on saturday, the boy and i went to his friend and former co-worker's wedding in norwalk, ct. the ceremony was quite picturesque. we lucked out with a gorgeous fall day for an outdoor wedding in the garden of an inn facing a lake and encompassed by trees with leaves in shades of rust, gold, and brick. the ceremony itself was short, sincere, and sweet- marred by the sound of cars whizzing by, a lawn mower/weed wacker, and bees (the pitfalls of outdoor weddings). guests dispersed to the patio of the inn while the bridal party took photos.

the wedding seemed to go off without any hitches- first dance, father/bride dance, mother/groom dance, toasts, and the typical greeting from table to table. it was a blur of new faces but by the end of the reception, i had befriended most of the people at our table. afterwards, a large group of us decided to head somewhere else for drinks and we ended up at gingerman in so-no, yep, that's south norwalk for you non-ct'ers.

the boy and i decided to head back to the city around 9, which seemed quite late but i suppose i had been up since 6AM and we'd been drinking since noon? we dropped off glue-guy and then after deliberation decided to meet up with meandering moses for drinks in willie-b. it was a good time but i was beat by midnight.

sunday was all about recuperation. the boy is coming down with a cold so i made chicken soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for us. afterwards, we went to go see "darjeeling limited". on the way back we stopped by dylan's candy store and we each picked out an unusual taffy, literally like two little kids in a candy store. in keeping with what is quickly become our sunday night routine, we stopped by death & co for a couple drinks before heading to yokocho for a late night snack.

a beautiful weekend and a delightful time with the boy.

Friday, October 12, 2007

loose ends

text-mex is moving to miami this fall. after several weeks of exchanging texts in attempts to coordinate a when i could pick up a couple things i had left at his apartment back in january, we finally managed to agree on dinner along with theng and kev at max's.

i'd been wanting to check out max's for some time now, won over by in vino's meatballs, excellent wine selection, and personable staff. upon entering max's, one immediately noticed the warmth (both in atmosphere and temperature) and coziness of the darkly lit, homestyle italian restaurant. long and narrow, the restaurant stretched back with a front and back dining space separated by the kitchen then small bar.

i arrived first and waited at the bar and nursed a glass of prosecco until text-mex arrived. shortly after theng and kev arrived. we were seated and purused the menu. i ordered the beet & avocado salad. kev ordered the gnocchi. theng the osso bucco. text-mex had the zucchini soup and meatloaf which essentially was one ginormous meatball. the salad was a surprisingly delicious contrast of flavors with the sweetness of the beets was offset by the creaminess of the avocado and goat cheese. theng's osso bucco was a tad salty and reminded me that while i always think i will like it, i never do. somehow the fattiness of lamb is not enjoyable the way well prepared pork belly can be. kev's gnocchi was tasty and extremely rich. the meatloaf was wonderful and an enormous amount of meat.

dinner was filled with light conversation and before i knew it two hours had past and i knew it was time to get home. i dropped everyone off.

at the end of the night, i was struck by how one's emotions, attachments, and life can change so much in a year's time. . . i've moved apartments, switched jobs, and started a new relationship.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

no two jugglers are alike

today, along with 4 other managers from my workplace, i went to white plains for a training on "coaching". the woman giving the class is actually a gifted teacher/public speaker and kept us all engaged for a 7 hour long class.

what i learned about myself. . .

1. i may be a natural born juggler- during our first exercise, each group had a designated coach, performer, and observer. by default, i became the performer and the task at hand was to learn how to juggle. i was intially frozen with fear (those of you that know me, know that i can be uncoordinated) but decided to just go with it. started off just catching one ball with one hand. then two balls with two hands at a time. i was so surprised by that simple task that i have vowed to learn how to juggle with three balls.

2. i can be long winded and need to work on being more concise to more effectively communicate my message.

3. i don't miss the suburbs

Friday, October 05, 2007

yes, but i'm an accountant

some days, keeping my patience at work is extremely challenging. . . i had an annoying exchange with a customer that if i weren't involved, i would laugh. . .

c: excuse me, can you help me?

v: sure, how can i assist you?

c: i want to exchange this item i purchased on my registry. some of the crystals fell off.

v: ok, let me see if we have that item in stock.

i check the register and go back to the stockroom, lo and behold, we actually do have the merchandise and i happily bring it to the customer. after i start processing the exchange she stops me.

c: actually, i think i want to get these two items instead. . .

v: ok, let me check to see if we have them.

i bring out the boxes and first return the item c brought in and rang her up for the two new items.

c: wait, i didn't get my tax back?

v: i'm sorry, what's that?

c: you didn't give me my tax back. c brings out her cell phone and does some fuzzy math on her calculator.

c's mom: (in a smug tone) she is an ccountant. she will know.

wtf? all of this is automatically calculated.

v: i don't understand what you mean. everything is calculated pre-tax and that tax is added at the end so it all cancels out.

getting tired of the accountant's unconvincing explanation of how she was cheated out of tax, i pull out my calculator and re-calculate everything for her.

v: now, whether we tax before taking the difference or after doesn't matter.

let's say:
A= pre-tax amount you are due from the return
B= pre-tax amount you owe the store for the two items you are purchasing
so, C= A-B is the pre-tax amount you owe the store then C'=C * NY tax is the amount you owe the store including tax

now, let's say:

A'=A* NY tax is the amount you are due from the return including tax
B'=B* NY tax is what you owe for the two items including tax
then C'=(A* NY tax) - (B*NY tax)= (A-B) * NY tax= C * NY tax

so C' the net amount you owe including tax remains the same whether you tax the return and purchase amounts before you take the difference or after you take the difference.

c: ahhhh, i see. you're right.

damn right i'm right. after all. . i do have a masters in economics. but i would never say that out loud because that's obnoxious.

Saturday, September 29, 2007

rough start

met up with the boy and some of his friends last night at union hall. stayed out a little too late and ended up closing the place down. got home around 5:30 AM and decided to not sleep and take the chance of oversleeping and missing my flight to gainesville. instead, i goofed off online for an hour then took a shower and got ready to go.

got to the airport and was at my gate with plenty of time to spare. fell asleep while waiting to board and luckily stirred to wake and noticed a line forming and asked the guy sitting next to me which flight was boarding. jacksonville. oops, almost missed that one. slept through th entirety of the flight and landed in florida ten till noon.

the kids were just as excited as i was to see them. we all went to lunch at the cheesecake factory then walked around the large outdoor mall for a couple hours. by 5, we were all beat and made our way back to gainesville. got to check out my sister's new home, a cute one story house. very comfy with a large family room, perfect for a small family.

the kids have grown so much and my nephew is turning out to be a rascal (but so freakin cute you can't stay angry at him when he's being bad). the two remind me of my brother and myself when we were little . . . either playing and making eachother laugh by saying "poop", " fart", "pee", or "booty" or fighting. spending time with them makes me realize how children- their laughter, noise, and chaos- can make a home warmer and complete.


Friday, September 28, 2007

the straw

i haven't been blogging as regularly as of late. . .while i was warned that a lot of changes would be happening as long ago as the spring, some have certainly been a surprise and some have not. regardless, it's going to be a rough holiday season and i'm starting to get a bit nervous.

at the same time, i know that even when things seem unbearable, we all find a way of getting through it and life goes on. though i expect it will get worse before it gets better. now how bad. . .only time will tell.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Saturday, September 22, 2007

survival instinct

as a child i was quite sensitive and self-conscious about speaking vietanemese. probably b/c there was a number of times when my mom or relatives would laugh at my attempts to put together a sentence or pronounce something. my mom would always try to explain that no one was laughing at me. however, being a child, i could not comprehend it.

as an adult, listening to my niece and nephew speak vietnamese (or any child speak a foreign language), i often find myself moved to laugh from the sheer joy it brings me. i guess my sister feels the same way. . .

this came up while talking to my sister on the phone this morning. she told me how my nephew was driving her crazy the other day b/c he peed on the sofa (note: he is turning 3 in october and is still potty training). sis lost it and was screaming up a storm. she cleaned my nephew up and sent him to his room.

she stopped by his room later to see him sprawled on the bed, reciting hail mary in broken vietnamese. i guess my nephew is much smarter than i was at that age, he knows how to use his cuteness to his advantage!! in any case, it worked b/c my sister had to do everything to keep from laughing and couldn't stay mad at the rug rat.

could you?

Thursday, September 20, 2007

a perfect day

woke up around 7:30 AM with a full night's rest. hit the gym and caught up on the news. went to sunrise mart in the east village to pick up some japanese goodies and then trader joes where i got tilapia (price finally went back down), greek yogurt, chicken, walnuts, and crumbled blue cheese. . . hmm, i'm already thinking of the salad i can make with the last three ingredients!

got home and took care of some odds and ends and started working on my wall of food photos- an idea which i've been visualizing since january!! around 4 i headed down to midtown to my company's headquarters for an event. had a promising conversation with my director about my future at the company and where i wanted to be.

headed home and tried to make "mom's catfish in claypot" or ca kho for a second time. the recipe is from a vietnamese/thai cookbook and a linke is available on the epicurious website (though the omit the instructions for making the caramel sauce).

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/232438

funny thing about cooking. . there are so many dishes my mom makes that i would love to emulate (she really is an excellent cook) but she never taught me growing up. . every time i tried to learn, it would be, V, go study, don't worry about cooking! so now, i'm strugglin to learn how to make all her dishes while i can. it's difficult b/c she doesn't follow recipes and does everything to taste.

ca kho is a staple dish, we eat it a lot with kanh chu, sour soup. in any case, i tried this recipe out a couple weeks ago but was annoyed by the inconvenience of making the caramel. . i don't think i simmered the sugar and water long enough to get it to the "caramel" stage, more just a supersaturated sugar/water liquid. the dish came out ok, a little too sweet. this time i modified it, added sugar directly to taste and used tilapia instead of catfish. it came out well. reminscent of my mom's cooking.

it seems that vietnamese "flavour" boils down to fish sauce and sugar!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

mustering up the will power

dunno if it's the change in seasons but i've been feeling pretty beat the past few days. . no major sleep deficiencies of late and plenty of caffeine.

i'm one of those odd ducks that rarely has difficulty motivating oneself to go to the gym. i enjoy my workouts. a time to zone out. get the endorphins going.

it was a struggle getting myself to go last night. every ounce of willpower to hit the stairclimber. once there i was annoyed because i arrived during the evening rush. argg. . .my favorite machines were in use. i went to the 3rd floor and they were also occupied. back downstairs i opted for the stairclimber (the one that actually has rotating stairs). got through half an hour on that and then switched to the gliding machine.

now it's 8:30 PM and i'm pumping myself up mentally to go. . maybe i need a change in routine? i would go for a nice run but it's dark out and i don't like to run at night by myself. . . hope i get out of this slump soon. good thing i have tomorrow off!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

some of my pet peeves

besides peope that wear sunglasses indoors (no, you don't look cool, you look like an asshole), ranking on top of my list of pet peeves is (1) ordering the wrong dish or (2) overpaying for so-so food.

both happened last night when i met up with celestial for dinner at momofuku ssam. being a fan of the original momofuku and having read many good reviews about momofuku ssam i was pretty excited to finally try it out. the buzz was that it was an affordable restaurant with great meat (i.e. swine) dishes and i was excited to try the momofuku ssam.

celestial was running a bit late, so i was escorted to the back of the restaurant and told to stand around a square, metal island until the whole party was there. . .why i couldn't sit at the bar which had plenty of seats i dunno. five times i was asked if i wanted to order a drink which just seemed awkward standing in the back of the restaurant, drinking by myself, standing next to a short metal island. nevertheless, i was tired of being asked so ordered a glass of the sparkling shiraz (which turned out to be quite delicious and refreshing).

i half browsed through the menu and watched the cook staff prepare food (i do like that feature of the restaurant). . i did a double take when i read through the menu. the average entree was $25, the most expensive was over $100 (tho you get a whole pork butt). . so much for cheap eats. according to celestial, the menu had changed significantly from the restaurant's early days- prices had gone up and a lot of the cheaper items had been replaced.

celestial and i shared the eggplant tatine (essentially roasted vegetable bruschetta) and the short ribs. the eggplant tatine was good but not great. the short ribs were pretty tasty- slightly tangy marinade and the meat fell off the bones, and there was definately enough to fill us both. don't get me wrong, i don't think momofuku ssam is a bad restaurant, in fact, i think they turn out solid, tasty food in a casual, trendy atmosphere. yet somehow, i left feeling a bit let down and unsatisfied.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

beware of what you wear

i was sporting one of my new favorite t-shirts, a gem i picked up in philly while visiting my bro, just yesterday. it reads "nerds have bigger hard drives". i took a leisurely walk through the union square farmer's market while killing time before meeting up with nels for coffee.

through the blasting of my headphones, i heard a random guy (RG) call out to me and felt a tap on my shoulder.

rg: excuse me, do you know where the granola stand is?

v: um, no sorry. . i don't really come here very much.

rg: well that's ok. i really didn't want to ask about the granola. it was just an excuse to talk to you. i like your shirt. you know i'm a nerd.

v: hmm ok. alright then. (while trying to edge away)

rg:my name is jonathan. and i'm a nerd. nerds have bigger hard drives. i have a big. .

v: alright jonathan. it's nice to meet you but i have a boyfriend already. . so . . umm.

rg: well that's not surprising. is he a nerd?

v: ok jonathan, have a nice day. bye!

i left in a hurry. i found the whole incident pretty amusing and give the poor boy credit for having the nerve to come up to a complete stranger. hmm, who knew a t-shirt would have such an effect?

Monday, September 10, 2007

whole again

sleep. is. good.

i was seriously run down yesterday- full fledged zombie mode which has not happened for awhile. though i probably have no right to complain since it's mostly from going into the weekend tired from work, having too much fun, and not enough sleep over the weekend.

went with the boy to against the grain on friday night. since the boy is a beer connosieur i am always on the look out for places with extensive or interesting beer lists (as long as there is a small selection of wine or i can get a gin and tonic i'll be happy). against the grain was a smallish place connected to grape and grain a small wine bar/restaurant that was opened by the owners who happen to love beer in addition to wine. i don't have a strong impression of the place. a little too dark which was highlighted by the fact that a t.v. provided the majority of the light in the place. actually don't like t.v.'s in bars unless it's a sports bar. it was very empty for the first hour, in fact we were the only customers for awhile. on our second round, the place filled up quite a bit. the server was actually pretty nice though i didn't love his wine suggestion.

two of the boy's friends, dapper and filmster, met up with us and after they finished a round we all headed to death & co. i guess the boy's love for the sazerac rivals my own as he had already raved about it to his friends. so we all partook. somehow the time had slipped away and we managed to close the place down somewhere between 3 and 4 AM.

by 11 AM the next morning i could not sleep anymore though i knew i was still tired. instead, i left the boy to sleep and went to the gym and grocery store. did some laundry and made some orzo salad to take to work during the week. around 4 PM we headed out for supper and went to mara's homemade in the east village. i had scouted out the place upon the boy's request to have good cajun cooking. we shared an order of gator bites. yes, pieces of alligator coated in cornmeal and then deep fried. delicious! he ordered jambalaya which turned out to be a dry version (mostly rice with pieces of chicken and sausage). it was good but not great. a little bland says me. my dish was a knock out though. catfish with creaole seasoning and topped with crawfish etoufee served with a side of broccoli and rice pilaf. the catfish was slightly crispy and the crawfish etoufee was extremely flavorful and rich, almost a gravy type sauce.

after dinner, we checked out our creative garden, a little community run garden on the corner of east 6th and ave b. lots of hippies and random passerbys. the place was overgrown with a hodgepodge of plans and random garden decor. the most striking element was a tall wooden "sculpture" with random stuffed animals, flags, and toys hanging on it. the garden seemed a little sad to me.

we had a couple hours to kill before the bowery ballroom's doors for cloud cult would open so we went to good world to have a drink in the garden. the concert was amazing, i was happy that they sound as good live (perhaps better) as they do on album and they are fascinating in concert. they are a multi-media performing group with a video projector in back and two artists (the lead singer's wife and the trumpet player) painting throughout the concert. at the end of the show, the paintings are auctioned off to the highest bidder. unfortunately, the two opening acts played for an hour each and the first group was pretty tired and the second was better but just tiring to listen to (too mellow).

after the concert was over i took the boy to auction house and then went to a diner. i had a horrible croque monsieur and he had a so-so omelette. it was 2:30 AM and i was beat. got home around 3 something and up by 7 the next morning for work. my boss was kind enough to let me leave at 6pm and i was home by 8. had a quick dinner of leftovers then went to bed at 9:30. 10 hours of sleep later, i woke up and feel like a whole new woman.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

pennies are so tacky!?

theng is coming over for dinner tonight. i love cooking for friends and ever since going to spitzer's corner a couple weekends ago, i've been wanting to try cooking mussels with chorizo. since i had the whole day off, i decided to venture out to chinatown for groceries. food shopping turned into a 4 hour ordeal (probably didn't help that i took the bus all the way back uptown)!! chinatown, trader joes, whole foods, agata & valentina, and wine store!

mott has a ton of little seafood and produce stalls. i picked up mussels and greens at one food vendor. tomatoes, red bell pepper, and red onion from another. more greens from another. frozen minced lemongrass and clam juice from a vietnamese grocery store. was still missing zuchini, fennel, baby clams, bread, and e.v.o.o. (yes, i'm obnoxious like rachel ray and like to abbreviate that!).

walking down grand i saw the duck and bbq pork hanging from the restaurant window. it looked delicious and i couldn't resist but stop in to buy a pound. i asked for a pound and went to pay. the little old woman (l.o.w.) muttered something in cantonese.

v: duo shao qian? (how much in mandarin)

l.o.w.: si kuai liu mao. (four dollars and sixty cents)

i pulled out a five and started counting change. i gave her the five and she gave me a one as i continued to dole out change. when i put a quarter, three dimes, and five pennies in her hand she balked and started ranting in chinese.

v: what? why can't you take the change?

l.o.w.: no tax. i can't take pennies.

v: why can't you take pennies??

l.o.w.: pennies are so tacky.

v: i gave you five sixty. what's wrong with that?

another employee stood nearby and i spoke to her.

v: why can't she take pennies?

a.e.: no tax for you.

v: ok, that's fine. but why can't she take pennies?

l.o.w.: give me that dollar back.

v: i don't understand why you won't take the pennies? it's the right change!

l.o.w. grabs the dollar back and gives me forty cents back.

a.e.: no tax for you.

i left being pissed off and thoroughly confused. . did i miss something? when did pennies become bad? and what does that have to do with not being taxed?

Friday, August 31, 2007

a (couple of) funny thing (s) happened at the met

met up with DDT and her lil sis at the met this afternoon. i haven't seen her sis in 10 years, amazing how time flies and how people grow up.

i was excited, i've been meaning to check out the rooftop bar/cafe for over a year and for some reason or another it just hadn't happened. we made our way there after visiting the egyptian exhibit and the european scultpure and decorative art section. getting out of the packed elevator, we stepped out onto the rooftop to see several large metal sculptures.

#1 funny thing. . .

as i circled around the black piece, i noticed an older asian couple standing right next to the sculpture. the man was speaking animatedly to his wife and started banging his fist against the sculpture. to my astonishment, this continued for a good minute.

i'm guessing he was trying to figure out what it was made of?

finally, a couple of the museum's employees approached the man and the banging ceased. i had to walk away because i couldn't help but burst out laughing at the audacity of it. . .i guess a reminder that social etiquette varies by country!

after having a cocktail with the girls, we decided to check out the chinese/japanese art exhibit. btw, the drinks are terrible!! stick to wine or beer!

#2 funny thing

i had forgotten how big and complicated the met's layout was and the three of us had had to ask for directions repeatedly. once we got down the stairs, i asked one of the employees (rabbit) where the chinese art was. he explained how to get there and the three of us went on our way.

once we got back to the lobby, we looked at the map again and reconfirmed the directions with the attendants there. . .much to our surprise, rabbit reappeared. he motioned to us to follow him up the escalators.

rabbit: here, i'll personally escort you there!

V: wow, that's great customer service! thanks!

rabbit: so you from out of town?

V: no, two of us live in new york and my friend's little sister is visiting for the weekend.

rabbit: oh. where do you live?

V: i live in manhattan my friend lives in queens.

rabbit: oh, that's nice. rabbit proceeded to guide us to the exhibit for chinese and japanese art and gave us a mini tour. i don't usually do this.

V: we appreciate it! thanks!

rabbit: at the end of the tour. so what's your name?

V: V.

rabbit: ok V, it was really nice to meet you. my name is rabbit. y'know, i also work on saturdays and i hope to see you again.

V: oh ok, thanks.

wtf was that? was that a pick up? that's the first time a museum employee has ever tried to pick me up!!!

now. . that's GOOD customer service

i decided to go for a run this morning to clear my head and get pumped up with endorphins. running along to pencilgrass, pjpj, and modest mouse did much to lift my spirits. i decided to cool down by walking around the nabe and remembered i had run out of eggs.

i stopped by dags and picked up a dozen eggs- quickly checkin for any damage before making a selection. while i was waiting in line, the manager came up to me and asked me if i found everything ok.

v: yep.

m: you probably have shopped here before. i just wanted to take the time to introduce myself. would you like some coffee?

v: would i like a coffee? um, would i like a million bucks? YES!! yea, that would be great.

m: follow me. here, help yourself to whatever you want. this coffee is from me to you.

v: wow, that's really nice. that's excellent customer service, thank you!

the manager told the cashier to comp the coffee. excellent customer service doesn't happen often. as a manager working in retail, i have discovered just how rare it is and just what a difference it makes on customer loyalty. . now, i will probably continue to buy my seafood, meat, and produce from agata & valentina but i will definately continue to buy my staples there and i will definately share this experience with others.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

lonely alina

my friend alina was a sad little girl growing up. her greatest desire was to belong, to have her own family to love and to be loved by. alina grew up to be a beautiful young woman and unfortunately completely naive and completely romantic. she met a dashing, charismatic man from a good household. soon after the two were married and started their own family.

alas, alina soon discovered her prince was nothing of the sort. the love, happiness, and fulfillment she hoped to find in marriage would remain a fantasy. it would be her children, not a career, not hobbies, not friendships, that would sustain her.

her loneliness haunts me. saddens me. so i do what i do best. i make myself busy. i rush around from the gym, to work, to hang out with friends. i do everything but stop and think. i laugh with friends. i enjoy good food and wine. i listen to upbeat music. i do everything but stop and think. because if i stop all i will think about is alina. and her loneliness. and how much it saddens me. but tonight, i cannot help but stop. and think. of alina.

Friday, August 24, 2007

pure incompetence

got to the parking garage at 7:20 AM to pick up my car. . .as usual, it was not ready for me. i sighed and rang the bell for the attendant. 10 mintues pass by.

the garage door opens and two men are standing there, one man i recognize as another customer who drives out in his SUV.

hmm. . that's strange. i don't recognize the other guy though he's dressed in uniform.

the service at the parking garage has gone downhill in the past month. the management/ownership changed with a brand new staff. the cars were never read when you requested it. the attendees took their time and had a bad attitude.

the man in uniform explains that there is no attendant. he disappeared who knows how long ago. i ask him to help me find my car but he says that's not his job. i have no idea what level my car is parked on.

it's 7:35. i normally leave at 7:30 to get to work on time. shit. i call my boss and leave a VM on her cell explaining i may be late. i decide to wait another 10 minutes. then another ten.

finally, another attendee (who i think is the supervisor) rolls up in his car. i have no idea if he's the missing attendee or not. the other man in uniform explains that the attendee has been missing. finally, i get my car and am on my way to work. by some miracle, traffic is light and i manage to make it to work in an hour.

i am infuriated. terrible service. the guy didn't even apologize. i don't understand how someone can just walk out on the job that way. . .

Thursday, August 23, 2007

too good

have had a maddening craving for sushi for the past few days and so i asked the boy to go with me to kura sushi. unfortunately, it was such a late dinner that my appetite had waned to some degree and i also didn't want to look like a pig eating in front of the boy. (yes, i am always like this in the beginning of a relationship and yes i hope it goes away soon!)

so tempted to go to death & co., the cold weather is perfect for a sazerac. . but we both wanted to try something new so we headed to von which i had read good reviews about. supposedly a nice divey bar with a good beer and wine selection, and few douchebags. not a great selection, but definately a great wooden bar for leaning with hooks for coats & bags and nice foot stool, plus a fun bartender and generally speaking a nice & low key clientele.

over the course of the night, i learned a lot of interesting new things about the boy:


1. he has traveled to thailand, china, japan, and uganda
2. he is in a lot better shape than he was when he was in high school
3. i can talk to him for hours without getting bored and i totally lose track of time around him

(3) explains why we managed to close down the bar on a weeknight and i'm in bad shape today. .

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

high school reunion

my 10 year high school reunion was smack in the middle of my last holiday.

as senior class president (and just because i love planning things) i had taken it upon myself to take the lead with planning the reunion. three fun but simple events- happy hour friday night, saturday picnic at the park across from my high school geared towards families, and the finale was a dinner/cocktail party at a nice japanese restaurant. everything went smoothly and i was quite happy with the actual turnout for most of the events. we also didn't go over budget which was a major stress for me.

it was surreal seeing old friends & classmates after so long. . . a handful still looked the same and have held up great over the years. . a handful i had to do a doubletake because i didn't recognize them. many are married with children. many are still living in the hampton roads area though a good number are in NOVA/DC, and some are abroad serving in the military.

it's funny how these milestones make you stop and reflect on your life. over the past few years, my priorities have shifted and my sense of self has developed tremendously. in a way, i think i've changed more in my mid/late twenties than ever before. . . i guess it's called growing up, and hopefully older and wiser. . .

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

allmooost over

i am so not looking forward to returning to work. my vacation has been wonderful and it will be another long stretch before i have any time off. . . how depressing.

Monday, August 20, 2007

neurosis

i love throwing dinner parties- whether it's just for one friend, or ten, or twenty, i truly enjoy it. however, i also have the tendency to drive myself crazy with the preparation and stress myself out.

today for instance, i was having the boy, Q2, and char over for dinner. initially it was just going to be the boy and i, so the original menu was quite simple- moules steamed in a white wine sauce and frites with a mixed green salad. ever since i invited Q2 and char, i was obsessed with revamping the menu. i spent some of my free time in NN reading through a variety of mussel recipes and settled on a saffron cream recipe. this morning i caught an 8 o'clock flight from NN to NYC and during the entire trip (albeit a short 50 minute jaunt) i debated about what sides to accompany the mussels. . .

got home by 9:40 and ate breakfast, scanned through a couple of my recipe books, and took a nap. when i woke up, i looked through the books again. too many decisions:

1. saffron mussel and leek soup OR mussels in a saffron cream sauce
2. wild mushroom risotto OR seafood risotto (where i would omit the mussels and just use calamari and scallops) OR shrimp risotto OR fries
3. mixed green salad with balsamic vinagrette OR tomato and zucchini casserole

i called my sister, reesy, Q2, VK, and theng for a second opinion all to no avail- no one picked up, maybe the sensed the ridiculousness of the call. by a fluke, i was able to get in touch with reesy.

V: blah blah blah (going through 1-3)

reesy: are you sure everyone likes mussels?

V: yep, everyone does and likes seafood.

reesy: have you made any of these dishes before?

V: yea, i've made a different version of the risotto and the mussels before. i think they are fairly simple recipes, just hope they are good.

reesy: well do the risotto. that's always good and is impressive.

V: you don't think i should do the saffron soup? it's a little more complicated but sounds really good.

reesy: are you nuts? you just got back from traveling. just do whatever is easier!

V: you're right you're right. . i just have a tendency to choose the more complicated things. ok, i'll stick with the mussels and shrimp risotto. thanks!

somehow i managed to get off schedule, probably because i had to go to three different grocery stores to get all the ingredients. firstly, the guy in front of me at agatha and valentina bought one too many pounds of mussels so i had to go to citarella to get another pound. secondly, i realized i forgot to buy grated parmesan. then, i got the bright idea to decorate the apartment with flowers (always cheers me up when i'm down and nice when there's company). so rather than starting food prep at 4 i didn't start until 4:45PM.

i called Q2 to tell her to come half and hour, 45 minutes later. . . the boy arrived around 6 and helped me with odds and ends and managed to pull most of it together by the time Q2 and char arrived. i forgot to take pics (see how flustered i musta been?) but it turned out beautifully and quite tasty. . trusty old epicurious!!!

and y'know what? i want to do it all again!

Friday, August 17, 2007

feeling "bleh"

you know when you have a list of things to do? but you don't want to do any of them?

yup. that's how i'm feeling.

or maybe this is what is called relaxing.

hmmm. not sure if i like it.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

there's something about home. . .

i find myself staying up watching old episodes of the cosby show. subsequently sleeping in way past my normal time. feeling lazy.

and yet, this trip feels weird somehow. perhaps it's because my sister, nephew, and niece are no longer here.

my parents' home has always carried a sense of melancholy and calm. . . it was masked temporarily by dogs, the stream of friends that my brother and i would bring home, then later with my sister's little tykes. . .but now, the house seems a little forelorn.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

some things never change

enjoying a nice dinner with my folks at a local steakhouse in port warwick. we catch up on family gossip, work, news about my friends, and my immediate plans when my mom can no longer hold her thoughts back.

momma V: you know what would really make me happy?

V: (rolling my eyes, bracing myself for the onslaught, and silently to myself) um, nothing???

momma V: for you to have someone that loves you and takes care of you. your sister and your brother are settled. i won't be happy until you have someone.

V: i think my main priority right now is to get my career settled.

poppa V: you really are my daughter (with a hint of pride)

momma V: it would just make me so happy if you told me you had a boyfriend. i'm just waiting for that day.

V: mom, that's my last worry. besides, by american standards, especially in a big city, i'm not considered old yet!

poppa V: yea, you don't have to worry yet. maybe once you hit 40.

momma V: no, she needs to have kids before then.

V: well, it would be safer to have kids by 35. . . BUT, if i don't meet the right guy by then, i can always adopt.

momma V: young kids these days put their careers first.

V: mom, i am just asking you one thing. i understand where you are coming from and your concerns. but please don't ever mention this to me again. you can complain and express your thoughts about me not getting or being married to dad or my brother or sister but don't tell me. it'll either make me sad or piss me off.

momma V: chuckling. ok ok.

for now that is. . . just temporary respite.



Tuesday, August 14, 2007

chocolate rain

too good not to share. . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwTZ2xpQwpA

perfectly lazy summer days

had a beautiful weekend and indulged in merry making and various leisurely activites.

friday night, the boy and i went to the nuyorican cafe to check out some slam poetry. it had been on my to-do list for awhile and i'm definately glad we checked it out. highly entertaining and two of the guests were quite talented. afterwards, we headed to tried and true death & co to meet up with theng, hosmillo, and his co-worker. several rounds of sazerac's later and way past theng's bedtime, we headed back uptown.

the next day i ran a few errands and took care of a couple of work things. then it was time to get ready for celestial's b-day party. lack of sleep from the previous night meant neither the boy or i were in condition for another late night. we left around 1am and grabbed a snack at schiller's before heading home.

sunday was all about catching up on sleep and taking it easy. have had quite a hankering for asian food of late, so upon ricktitintin's recommendation, we headed to yummy noodle in ctown for spare-rib casserole. it was delicious, hearty, and definately hit the spot. something nice about sharing a meal with a non-asian who is completely comfortable with eating meat on the bone and slightly exotic (read: weird) food.

we checked out the dvd store for fallen angel and simpson's movie with no success. the boy insisted on getting boba tea so we checked out a few teahouses before settling on ten ren. turned out to be an excellent choice as my first boba tea in years was perfectly mde.

before i knew it, it was time to queue for the upright citizen's brigade 9:30 PM free improv show. we anticipated a long line because of the beautiful weather but were overly cautious and were on the early side. we passed the time people watching, blowing tapioca pearls as far as we could, and etc. once we got our tickets, we headed to trailer park diner to grab a snack and drink. it's a great, kitschy place with funny signs, random and slightly freaky mannequins, and elvis paraphenalia. the boy ordered a fat dog and tater tots but by the time it was done we had to get i to go. upright citizen's brigade was very funny- the best was amy poehler and horatio sanz.

monday was sunday 2. completely lazy. hung out doing not much of anything until my hunger got the better of me and i insisted we head out for food. craving a good burger, we decided to go to dumont burger in williamsburg. after a very satisfying meal, we went to the levee for a couple drinks before calling an end to a delightful weekend.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

just semantics

celestial's b-day dinner/party was last night- our group of ten feasted on upgraded comfort food at alias. during dinner, Q2 mentioned that char, her current romantic interest, was coming to the party at fatbaby.


Q2: we aren't dating though.


V: yes you are!


Q2: but we aren't. we have only been seeing each other for two weeks.


V: length of time doesn't matter, you've been spending lots of time with eachother. . .


Q2: but we don't really go out places.


V: yea you should work on that.


then the question of what do the phrases "dating", "seeing someone", "hanging out", "talking to someone" all mean became the topic of conversation at our end of the table.


the unofficial conclusion?


talking to: you have not really had a chance to spend much time with someone so you are still figuring out how much you like them


hanging out: on the casual end of the spectrum of dating, not necessarily going to end up being romantic though i suppose it could be sexual


seeing someone: you are spending time with someone with the potential to become serious but more casual than dating someone

dating: you are spending time with someone and checking out their seriousness potential but have made no commitments as of yet

ai-ya. . . dating, hell even defining anything, is no simple task!

Friday, August 03, 2007

day trip to the city of brotherly love

woke up quarter til 10 and debated if i could get down to chinatown in time to catch the 11 o'clock ride to philly. hopped outta bed, quickly showered, grabbed my things and was out the door.

got to the bus station around 11:05. there was a white bus and an attendant yelling at me, "ride to philly?"

v: yes!

attendant: ok, get in.

v: ok! wait, what time do you leave?

attendant: noon

v: damn! aww. . ok.

i walk around the shops to buy some iced tea and a snack. walk back to the bus and climb on. make some calls to kill time then put my headphones on and sit back and try to nap. it's twenty til. the attendant comes back and starts barking at everyone.

attendant: where are you going?

v: philly.

attendant: the bus for philadelphia is in front of us.

i scramble off and run to the philly bus. the door is shut and the driver starts pulling away. i bang on the door and he lets me in. phew! that woulda been bad. i am surprised that we are already leaving as it's still 11:40.

i text my brother and let him know i'm on my way. the bus starts driving around. i close my eyes and try to nap. when i open them, we're back to the same stop! wtf? what's going on? we wait around a man climbs on the bus. then we pull away again and start driving.

i close my eyes again to nap. i open them again and see that we are back at the same stop again!!! i feel like i'm in a b-movie version of ground hog day.

finally, it's after noon and we leave for real.

the trip to philly was short. at least it seemed short as i slept through it. fun day with my big bro and his wifey. did the cheesesteak thing at jim's steakhouse. window shopped in the blistering heat. checked out his apartment. then grabbed dinner at el vez. back on the bus at 8pm and home by 10:30pm. nice day off.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

no mean to disrespect

minding my own business. standing in front of washington diner in the west village waiting for mr.ct to pick me up. cleaning out my text message inbox, when. . .



random guy (rg): yo yo yo.



i look up.



rg: can you show me how to do that?



v: huh?



rg: can you show me how to put that stuff in my cell phone.



v: with no attempt to disquise the annoyance in my voice. i think you know how to use your cell phone. i can't help you.



rg: c'mon. i really don't know how to use this phone.



v: wtf. asiatic? i have a different phone. i don't know how to use your phone. i can't show you.



rg: now now, miss asiatic. you are disrespecting me. just because i'm a black man. you assume that i know more than i do. i just got this phone. i don't know how to use it. see. what do i do after i get to the menu. gestures to his phone.



v: ok, that's nonsense. how is that disrespectful to assume someone knows more than they actually do. i'm really sorry. i don't know how to use your phone. i have a different one.



rg: ok. . i'll leave you alone. i'm going now. but i really just wanted you to show me how to do that on my phone.



v: yea sure, whatever.



and saved by the text. mr. ct textes me, "i'm here". i spot his car and hop in.

Friday, July 27, 2007

three times a charm

the workweek should really be four days because one day is inevitably filled with running errands. yesterday was such a day.

1. bank
2. get duplicate keys made
curse my fancy apartment locks that costs $12 to copy one key. get annoyed when the locksmith quotes $60 + tax to replace the cylinder
3.hardware store to buy new cylinder
$13 for the cylinder
4. gym
5. back to locksmith b/c the duplicate gate key didn't work
curse that i had to waste my time going back and forth
6.buy groceries
7. track down maintenance guy to replace cylinder
happy that i only had to slip the guy a $20 for the job and saved myself $30
8. clean my apartment
9. back to locksmith AGAIN b/c the second duplicate gate key didn't work
now i'm really annoyed and this time the owner makes the dup himself. but it finally works!!
10. catch up on blogging, emails, etc
11. cook dinner
12. laundry
13. knock myself out with nyquil.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

coming home

flying back home was easier than the flight to peru. shorter layover. only complaint was dry throat due to dehydration and not being able to sleep well on the second flight.

in any case, my plane touched down ten til 6 AM. was in a cab and on my doorstep by 6:45.

home sweet home.

let myself in, took off my shoes, and dropped off my bag while scanning the apartment. oops. . forgot to throw out those old flowers and i could smell the decay. eww. i grabbed the bag and my keys and went to the trash chute just outside my door. i threw away the trash and walked the few shorts steps back to my door and realized. . .

i. had. the. wrong. keys.

shit.

i jiggled the doorknob uselessly. arggg. . i hadn't even had a chance to have a glass of water. i had no shoes on. no cell phone. no nothing. . . darnit- i've been thinking about making dups of my keys and giving them to VK or Q2 for months but had been too lazy. stupid stupid.

i spyed a neighbor taking out her trash and greeted her. i explained my situation and she let me in and looked for the super's number. . unfortunately he was away for the weekend but i left a message. my kind neighbor lended me some slippers and her key for the front gate so i could come and go and check out the locksmith nearby. still closed. it's only 7AM on sunday morning afterall.

i go back to my apartment and look at the bathroom windowsill and debate whether or not i can climb in that way. no chance. it's a few story drop down on stone. too risky.

there's a number for an emergency locksmith near the call box at my apartment entrance. i grab the business card and the yellowpages that are stacked near the mailboxes. i go back to my neighbors and call for price quotes. i get them down to $70 and they are on their way.

i'm pissed i'm wasting $70. but it'll be worth it to be back home. neighbor's husband warns me that the locksmith will try to rip me off b/c i'm a girl. he tells me not to pay any additional fees and that i can buy the cylinder myself and get one of the maintenance guys to install it.

i go wait outside for the locksmith. he arrives twenty minutes late. the lovely neighbors head out to the beach with their daughter and wish me luck. i lead the locksmith back to my apartment and he inspects the lock.

ls: i will have to drill and break the lock. so the lock has to be replaced. that will be additional.

v: i only want you to open it.

ls: but you will eventually have to replace the cylinder. regardless, it'll cost $65 just to open the lock. another $175 fee. . .

v: no no no. that's not what i was quoted on the phone this morning.

ls: i'm sorry, it must be a misunderstanding. there is an additional fee.

v: that's bad business practice. you can't change the price of a quote. i called twice and got the quote of $65 (yes, i lied, i got $75 the first time and $70 the second time).

ls: who did you talk to?

v: i don't know the names. i spoke with a woman the first time and a man the second time. you really can't change the price like that. very bad business practice.

ls: ok, maybe it's just a misunderstanding. let me make a call. ls makes a call and speaks foreign language. he sighs. ok. b/c it's a misunderstanding, i'll honor the $65.

v: ok. just open it. don't replace the cylinder.

ls: ok. (in a skeptical tone) if that's what you want to do.

minutes later the cylinder is drilled and the door is open. i grab my keys and debit card and put on my shoes. i rush to the ATM to get cash to pay the guy.

finally back at home. i have a glass of water. take off my shoes. eat some cereal. then crawl into bed. turns out the dry, itchy throat is a cold.