two holiday gatherings!

Today was pretty exciting as we invited my cousin Cathy and her husband Andrew over for lunch. I had hoped to have them over for Thanksgiving as they were also in the Bay Area at the time, but we already had something else lined up. At any rate, this mini family reunion was something we had all looked forward to.

Mom made lots of great food as she always does. At first we were worried that Andrew wouldn't like the food due to cultural differences, but that turned out not to be the case. Our original plan was to play Spikeball afterwards as it was really fun when we did it at Cathy's wedding this summer. However, that wasn't an option because it was raining outside. On the other hand, the three of us had a great time playing the card game Sushi Go! instead. I had never played it before, but it was quite easy to learn.

Of note is that the couple gave us a gift basket from Harry & David. This was quite nice, especially considering that we don't often get gift baskets. On the whole, this get-together was quite enjoyable. I definitely can't wait to see them again when they visit the Bay Area next summer.

The fun didn't end here as we also had our family friend Lily over for dinner. She wanted someone to cook for her as her husband was out on business, and we were more than happy to oblige. Although we probably won't be celebrating New Year's Eve as my father has had back pain for a while, I certainly can't complain about two holiday gatherings!

another great book club party

Today was my book club's annual holiday party and book exchange. It's hard to believe I've been with them for over two years. Time certainly flies.

The event took place at Dane's house again as Elizabeth was in Hawaii. Because it was a potluck dinner, everyone brought something to share. I really liked the quiches and meatballs. There was no shortage of snacks and candies.

It was then time for the white elephant book exchange. Although things weren't as heated this time, the party still had a lively atmosphere. I gave away Good People by Marcus Sakey and received Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. I've always liked her books and look forward to reading it soon.

Like last year, all of us then played Left Center Right afterwards. I had the most cash at first but soon lost it all after a few rounds. Although I later ended up being one of the last remaining players, the pot eventually went to someone else. Which is a shame because I was so close being $60 richer.

The party ended earlier than expected as most people decided to leave after the game was over. I took the time to chat with Dane and Che's friends while waiting for my parents to pick me up. On the whole, everyone definitely had a great time. A huge thank-you to Dane and Che for making this event possible.

In other news...

I got level 99 Herblore in RuneScape on Tuesday and 99 Dungeoneering two days later. Hopefully it won't be long until I get my max cape. :-)

Currently watching: American Sniper

Thanksgiving weekend report

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving break because I certainly did!

So we invited the Hsueh family over to our house for dinner. Mom baked a turkey as well as many other tasty dishes. The nice thing is that Aaron and Lily's sons Albert and Alan also came. Although it seems most young people don't want anything to do with their parents these days, Alan loves glutinous rice and had heard that Mom had made some.

Of note is that Albert is a criminal defense attorney working as a public defender. It was quite interesting to hear his stories. Albert and Alan left early because they had other plans, but we definitely enjoyed having them over.

The rest of the break was less eventful, although I did watch a few movies with my parents. There is also an event in RuneScape where you can get up to double XP until the end of the week - for up to a total of 36 hours. So yeah, the break was pretty nice.

Currently watching: The Kid (2019)