It's hard to believe Thanksgiving is over. These breaks are never long enough if you ask me. That said, the long weekend was enjoyable.
Thursday
Thanksgiving was a little rough. The plan was to have dinner with the Shieh family before they moved to Southern California. However, they were so busy preparing for the move that they completely forgot about us. Oh dear!
Mom wanted to confirm with the Shiehs but couldn't reach them. The call didn't get through until past dinner time. Because it was too late to do anything else, our plans were effectively ruined. I suggested looking for restaurants with Thanksgiving specials, but my mother was no longer in the mood to go anywhere. :-(
Dad still took me to visit the Shiehs afterwards, albeit for a different reason: he had a laptop with a dead hard drive that my uncle Dong had offered to help replace. Though we didn't lose anything important as the last backup was from two weeks ago, having to install everything again was a pain in the ass. It was nice to hang out with my cousins and meet Connie's friend Luc in the meantime, but things were a little awkward given what happened.
Mom wanted to make Thanksgiving more exciting and proposed checking out some early Black Friday sales. The three of us went to Macy's and Kohl's but ultimately didn't buy anything due to the insanely long lines. It was almost 2 a.m. when we got home!
This year, I'm thankful for the gift cards to Sino and Straits that my boss Bing gave me. They were worth $100 each and definitely very useful. I wouldn't have been able to treat my parents to lunch at Santana Row multiple times otherwise. There are no words to express my gratitude.
Friday
Our family friend Fennah recently got my parents to join her book club. This month's meeting was held at her home in Saratoga. Fennah's place was quite nice and reminded me of an Italian villa. I had planned to finish some assignments for an online class during this time but ended up playing games instead because my laptop couldn't connect to the Wi-Fi.
The discussion was followed by a potluck dinner. Everyone brought so much food that we were absolutely full when it was time to leave. The gathering was the best part of the long weekend even though I was the only young person there. You can see the pictures on Flickr.
Right after getting home, my father ordered an iPad 2 for $100 off using the Black Friday discount on the Apple website. I can't wait until it arrives!
Saturday
All of us wanted to relax after a busy two days. Saturday was mostly uneventful aside from a hike in Rancho San Antonio County Park in the afternoon. Because we started out later than usual - and the sun sets early at this time of the year - the sky was completely dark when we got back to the car. This was a surreal experience.
Sunday
Dad wanted to set up an external hard drive for backing up all of our computers. This took up the entire morning and meant we couldn't do much else besides going for a stroll in the neighborhood after dinner. On the bright side, our new backup system is now much more reliable.
The break was overall amazing despite the misunderstanding with the Shiehs. I'm looking forward to Christmas for sure.
Currently playing: Kirby Super Star
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
not a bad Halloween...
Halloween was pretty nice.
The festivities started on Friday with "Diwaloween" at Cisco. Because Diwali and Halloween are so close together this year, the TelePresence team had a joint celebration. There was food and music, and some people even got up to dance. I've posted pictures and videos from the event online.
Cisco hosted a costume contest this afternoon as today is Halloween. From what I've heard, the company has never done anything like this before. It was definitely nice for change. I didn't dress up but enjoyed seeing other people's costumes.
Dad later had two business associates over for dinner. Mom made good food as usual - click here to see what we ate. This wasn't a Halloween party per se as the timing was purely coincidental, but everyone still had a great time. I later passed out candy to the kids, something I hadn't done in 11 years. Here are the stats for those curious:
Total trick-or-treaters: 45
First arrival: 6:45 p.m.
Last arrival: 8:57 p.m.
Candy given out: 46 pieces
So yeah, Halloween was pretty fun. It just might become one of my favorite holidays again. :-)
In other news...
Dad took us to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery and Nevada City two Saturdays ago. The fall foliage in Nevada City was beautiful. The best part was having coffee and dessert at a café before hiking some local trails. It was an amazing day trip. You can go here for the pictures.
The festivities started on Friday with "Diwaloween" at Cisco. Because Diwali and Halloween are so close together this year, the TelePresence team had a joint celebration. There was food and music, and some people even got up to dance. I've posted pictures and videos from the event online.
Cisco hosted a costume contest this afternoon as today is Halloween. From what I've heard, the company has never done anything like this before. It was definitely nice for change. I didn't dress up but enjoyed seeing other people's costumes.
Dad later had two business associates over for dinner. Mom made good food as usual - click here to see what we ate. This wasn't a Halloween party per se as the timing was purely coincidental, but everyone still had a great time. I later passed out candy to the kids, something I hadn't done in 11 years. Here are the stats for those curious:
Total trick-or-treaters: 45
First arrival: 6:45 p.m.
Last arrival: 8:57 p.m.
Candy given out: 46 pieces
So yeah, Halloween was pretty fun. It just might become one of my favorite holidays again. :-)
In other news...
Dad took us to the Nimbus Fish Hatchery and Nevada City two Saturdays ago. The fall foliage in Nevada City was beautiful. The best part was having coffee and dessert at a café before hiking some local trails. It was an amazing day trip. You can go here for the pictures.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
first company picnic in 11 years!
Today was exciting as my staffing agency had its annual family picnic. The Armada Group always puts on awesome events, this one being no exception. I hadn't been to a company picnic in over 11 years and was quite looking forward to this.
The event was held at John D. Morgan Park in Campbell. It scheduled to start an hour before noon, but we figured few people would show up at 11 a.m. sharp. Although the crowd was smaller than we expected, most of the people from the spring party came. I enjoyed reconnecting with them and meeting their families.
All of the food was delicious. There was a balloon artist and an inflatable castle as the event was geared towards families with children. This brought back many childhood memories. Though my parents felt out of place due to everyone else bringing their kids instead, the three of us overall had fun.
The weather was pretty hot for this time of the year. However, relief came in the form of an ice cream man who saw the business potential. I couldn't resist the temptation and bought an ice cream cup - another thing I hadn't done in ages.
Also worth mentioning is that our recruiting manager Crystal later invited me to join her in the bouncy house. I initially balked at the idea due to my age but acquiesced after Crystal revealed she was a year older than me. Oh, to be young again!
On the whole, the picnic rocked. It was like a throwback to my childhood. I can't wait to see what other things the Armada Group has planned. In the meantime, feel free to check out my pictures on Flickr. Another guest named Douglass has made a slide show of the event - you can view that on YouTube.
Currently listening to: William Tell Overture
The event was held at John D. Morgan Park in Campbell. It scheduled to start an hour before noon, but we figured few people would show up at 11 a.m. sharp. Although the crowd was smaller than we expected, most of the people from the spring party came. I enjoyed reconnecting with them and meeting their families.
All of the food was delicious. There was a balloon artist and an inflatable castle as the event was geared towards families with children. This brought back many childhood memories. Though my parents felt out of place due to everyone else bringing their kids instead, the three of us overall had fun.
The weather was pretty hot for this time of the year. However, relief came in the form of an ice cream man who saw the business potential. I couldn't resist the temptation and bought an ice cream cup - another thing I hadn't done in ages.
Also worth mentioning is that our recruiting manager Crystal later invited me to join her in the bouncy house. I initially balked at the idea due to my age but acquiesced after Crystal revealed she was a year older than me. Oh, to be young again!
On the whole, the picnic rocked. It was like a throwback to my childhood. I can't wait to see what other things the Armada Group has planned. In the meantime, feel free to check out my pictures on Flickr. Another guest named Douglass has made a slide show of the event - you can view that on YouTube.
Currently listening to: William Tell Overture
Monday, October 10, 2011
happy 26th birthday to me!
I'm now 26 years old. Gosh, time flies.
So my mother made a green tea cake to share with my co-workers at Cisco. It's no surprise that everyone loved the cake because everything Mom makes is absolutely delicious. I didn't actually tell anyone it was my birthday in order to keep a low profile, but some people figured it out anyway - which I didn't deny.
The best part was when my parents took me to Fiesta Del Mar in Mountain View for dinner. The food was pretty good when we went there for my 17th birthday and didn't disappoint this time either. The cool thing is that we even sat at the same table!
Considering that we don't go out on Mondays too often, I can't help but feel like it's the weekend. One thing for sure is that it's going to be a long four days. :\
So my mother made a green tea cake to share with my co-workers at Cisco. It's no surprise that everyone loved the cake because everything Mom makes is absolutely delicious. I didn't actually tell anyone it was my birthday in order to keep a low profile, but some people figured it out anyway - which I didn't deny.
The best part was when my parents took me to Fiesta Del Mar in Mountain View for dinner. The food was pretty good when we went there for my 17th birthday and didn't disappoint this time either. The cool thing is that we even sat at the same table!
Considering that we don't go out on Mondays too often, I can't help but feel like it's the weekend. One thing for sure is that it's going to be a long four days. :\
Thursday, September 1, 2011
an exhausting summer
One thing about having a regular job is that I don't get summers off. Sometimes it feels like I barely have time to catch my breath. They say you go from 130 days of vacation time to 14 when you're out of college. So true.
That being the case, summer wasn't too bad. For starters, Dad took us to far Northern California during the Memorial Day weekend. That was quite fun despite a few mishaps. Yet we don't travel as much as we used to. This is actually the first time in eight years that we had only one summer trip.
On the other hand, my family went to several restaurants. Our favorite was a roadside diner in Scotts Valley called Heavenly Café. I wanted to eat there after passing it many times. The atmosphere was amazing while the food didn't disappoint either. I also treated my parents to lunch during the Mother's Day and Father's Day weekends. The 4th of July lunch with the Shiehs was pretty nice too.
There was also the GlobalFoundries Global Technology Conference two days ago. Dad took us along after hearing there would be free food. All three meals were delicious, especially the desserts. This was another highlight of the summer. I've posted pictures from the event online.
I'm not going to lie - it sucks that I get so little time off now that I'm out of school. As much as I love my job, I can't wait until I retire. At least the Labor Day weekend is coming up. :-)
That being the case, summer wasn't too bad. For starters, Dad took us to far Northern California during the Memorial Day weekend. That was quite fun despite a few mishaps. Yet we don't travel as much as we used to. This is actually the first time in eight years that we had only one summer trip.
On the other hand, my family went to several restaurants. Our favorite was a roadside diner in Scotts Valley called Heavenly Café. I wanted to eat there after passing it many times. The atmosphere was amazing while the food didn't disappoint either. I also treated my parents to lunch during the Mother's Day and Father's Day weekends. The 4th of July lunch with the Shiehs was pretty nice too.
There was also the GlobalFoundries Global Technology Conference two days ago. Dad took us along after hearing there would be free food. All three meals were delicious, especially the desserts. This was another highlight of the summer. I've posted pictures from the event online.
I'm not going to lie - it sucks that I get so little time off now that I'm out of school. As much as I love my job, I can't wait until I retire. At least the Labor Day weekend is coming up. :-)
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
4th of July weekend report
I had a great long weekend. The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays for a reason. :-)
Friday
It was a busy day as we mostly shopped for gardening supplies. Because Dad needed materials for his projects, my family spent several hours at Home Depot and Orchard Supply Hardware. This was exhausting but beats sitting in the office.
Saturday
The day began with a drive to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park - one of our favorite weekend destinations. Dad wanted to leave right after breakfast so that it wouldn't be too hot outside when we arrived. I'm glad I didn't get up too late because the weather was already quite warm. At any rate, the trails were nice and made for an enjoyable hike.
I then treated my parents and the Shiehs to lunch at a restaurant at Santana Row called Straits. This was possible because my boss had generously given me a $100 gift card. Everything we ordered was delicious. In my opinion, this place is even better than Sino.
Cathy returned the favor by buying us dessert at the nearby Cocola Bakery after the meal. The blackberry mousse was really tasty and had a beautiful presentation. The lunch was easily the best part of the long weekend. The only downside is that my uncle Dong couldn't join us.
Sunday
Dad wanted to check out the Summer Festival & Chili Cook-off at Mitchell Park in Palo Alto. The venue was extremely crowded - it's like half the city was there. The plan was to buy a tasting kit and try the chili, but the long lines and the heat changed our minds. I took the opportunity to chat with a few hot chicks and some members of the Palo Alto Fire Department before we decided to leave.
The other stop of the day was Fry's Electronics as Dad needed some VGA cables. Given the high temperatures, none of us wanted to go anywhere else. Heat aside, the long weekend couldn't have been better. I've posted pictures from Saturday's lunch and the chili cook-off on Flickr.
Friday
It was a busy day as we mostly shopped for gardening supplies. Because Dad needed materials for his projects, my family spent several hours at Home Depot and Orchard Supply Hardware. This was exhausting but beats sitting in the office.
Saturday
The day began with a drive to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park - one of our favorite weekend destinations. Dad wanted to leave right after breakfast so that it wouldn't be too hot outside when we arrived. I'm glad I didn't get up too late because the weather was already quite warm. At any rate, the trails were nice and made for an enjoyable hike.
I then treated my parents and the Shiehs to lunch at a restaurant at Santana Row called Straits. This was possible because my boss had generously given me a $100 gift card. Everything we ordered was delicious. In my opinion, this place is even better than Sino.
Cathy returned the favor by buying us dessert at the nearby Cocola Bakery after the meal. The blackberry mousse was really tasty and had a beautiful presentation. The lunch was easily the best part of the long weekend. The only downside is that my uncle Dong couldn't join us.
Sunday
Dad wanted to check out the Summer Festival & Chili Cook-off at Mitchell Park in Palo Alto. The venue was extremely crowded - it's like half the city was there. The plan was to buy a tasting kit and try the chili, but the long lines and the heat changed our minds. I took the opportunity to chat with a few hot chicks and some members of the Palo Alto Fire Department before we decided to leave.
The other stop of the day was Fry's Electronics as Dad needed some VGA cables. Given the high temperatures, none of us wanted to go anywhere else. Heat aside, the long weekend couldn't have been better. I've posted pictures from Saturday's lunch and the chili cook-off on Flickr.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Father's Day weekend report
I hope all you dads out there had a great Father's Day weekend. At least mine did, considering that I treated my parents to lunch again. :-)
Saturday
The day began with a trip to Muir Woods National Monument as we hadn't been there in a while. The trails were beautiful and made for a great hike. Our next stops were Muir Beach Overlook and Stinson Beach, followed by the Point Reyes Lighthouse in the afternoon. Although we had been to the lighthouse before, this was our first time going inside. It was a busy day as we were out for 10 hours!
Sunday
The best part of the weekend was taking my parents out to lunch. They chose Sino again because I still had about $43 left on my gift card. Mom suggested ordering everything from the dim sum menu this time as some of the entrées were overcooked when we came here last month. It wasn't a bad decision because the dim sum was delicious, especially the shrimp dumplings and pork buns.
All in all, this was an amazing weekend. I've uploaded pictures from our day trip and yesterday's lunch.
Currently listening to: "Nemo" by Nightwish
Saturday
The day began with a trip to Muir Woods National Monument as we hadn't been there in a while. The trails were beautiful and made for a great hike. Our next stops were Muir Beach Overlook and Stinson Beach, followed by the Point Reyes Lighthouse in the afternoon. Although we had been to the lighthouse before, this was our first time going inside. It was a busy day as we were out for 10 hours!
Sunday
The best part of the weekend was taking my parents out to lunch. They chose Sino again because I still had about $43 left on my gift card. Mom suggested ordering everything from the dim sum menu this time as some of the entrées were overcooked when we came here last month. It wasn't a bad decision because the dim sum was delicious, especially the shrimp dumplings and pork buns.
All in all, this was an amazing weekend. I've uploaded pictures from our day trip and yesterday's lunch.
Currently listening to: "Nemo" by Nightwish
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