Last night was The Armada Group's staff appreciation party at The Tech Museum in San Jose. This was my first time attending an office party as an employee. It was so much fun!
The museum had changed a lot since my last visit 12 years ago. Though we only had the second floor, that was more than enough space for everyone. The exhibits were fascinating and brought back memories of going to the Exploratorium as a kid.
I got to meet the other contractors and the team at Armada. It was great to see the Jaus again as Kitty had recently left Cisco. However, the best part was connecting with other young people. Among them were three interns and two of their girlfriends - all UC Santa Cruz students. I was only at UCSC for a quarter, but we still found common ground.
Of course, no party is complete without lots of delicious food. There was also a DJ and a dance floor, although everyone seemed more interested in socializing rather than busting a move. On the whole, the event was quite enjoyable. I definitely can't wait for the family picnic in October. In the meantime, feel free to check out my pictures from the party on Flickr.
Currently listening to: "Red Red Wine" by UB40
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
RuneScape account hacked again :-(
I had trouble logging into RuneScape today and went to reset my password. It turned out my main account somehow got hacked. The person must have guessed the answers to my security questions because a virus scan came up negative.
The good news is that the bank PIN did its job. This was a close call because the PIN was just seven hours from being deleted. On the downside, the hacker wiped my friends list as well. It'll be a pain in the ass to re-add everyone. >:(
I searched some RuneScape hacking forums but didn't find any mention of my name. Back when I got hacked eight years ago, being the 36th person to get 99 Cooking made me somewhat famous. Though 99's are very common these days, I'm also one of the first 2,000 players to sign up as well as a former player moderator. From what I've heard, these accounts are often targeted.
Of note is that my AIM account was also recently hacked, although I have no idea if that was related. At any rate, I should probably be more careful.
In other news...
1. There is an upcoming five-day furlough at Cisco, but my supervisor said it doesn't apply to me because I'm on the core team. So that means no spring break for me. On the other hand, being exempt from a furlough is usually a good sign. :-)
2. I recently mentioned that we were removing our swimming pool. The demolition has been completed and took about a month. You can see a few pictures on Flickr. I'll have to admit that I'm a little sad as the pool was a part of my childhood. Oh well, that's life.
Currently playing: RuneScape
The good news is that the bank PIN did its job. This was a close call because the PIN was just seven hours from being deleted. On the downside, the hacker wiped my friends list as well. It'll be a pain in the ass to re-add everyone. >:(
I searched some RuneScape hacking forums but didn't find any mention of my name. Back when I got hacked eight years ago, being the 36th person to get 99 Cooking made me somewhat famous. Though 99's are very common these days, I'm also one of the first 2,000 players to sign up as well as a former player moderator. From what I've heard, these accounts are often targeted.
Of note is that my AIM account was also recently hacked, although I have no idea if that was related. At any rate, I should probably be more careful.
In other news...
1. There is an upcoming five-day furlough at Cisco, but my supervisor said it doesn't apply to me because I'm on the core team. So that means no spring break for me. On the other hand, being exempt from a furlough is usually a good sign. :-)
2. I recently mentioned that we were removing our swimming pool. The demolition has been completed and took about a month. You can see a few pictures on Flickr. I'll have to admit that I'm a little sad as the pool was a part of my childhood. Oh well, that's life.
Currently playing: RuneScape
Sunday, April 3, 2011
back from Yosemite
I just got back from Yosemite National Park with my parents. Dad realized we hadn't been there in over five years and decided to take us there over the weekend. It was a refreshing trip!
Day 1
The traffic was light and allowed us to arrive earlier than expected. Our only stop along the way was Merced Fruit Barn. The place had a homely feel, especially the café. I wouldn't mind having lunch here in the future.
Dad had originally booked the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. The lodge is located inside the park and supposed to be quite beautiful. But because it was closed for repairs, management gave us a room at the Tenaya Lodge in Fish Camp instead. This was actually a better deal because the latter was more expensive. I'm not complaining about the free breakfast either. :-)
Though it was raining when we arrived in Fish Camp, the weather cleared up shortly afterwards. The timing couldn't have been better. From our experience, the alpine air is always fresh after a shower. This made for a great hike.
The afternoon ended with a visit to Yosemite Village, one of my favorite stops. Seeing that it would take an hour to get back to the lodge, my parents bought dinner at the Yosemite Village store. The chicken drumstick was slightly overcooked, but the carnitas was delicious.
Day 2
The breakfast at Tenaya was wholesome. We decided to explore the park some more as the weather was even better. Hiking on the Yosemite Falls Trail was the best part of the trip. Of course, all good things must end: my parents didn't want to stay too late because tomorrow is Monday and they didn't want me to go to work tired. The drive home was mostly uneventful, although we had dinner at Applebee's in Tracy before heading to the nearby WinCo Foods for groceries.
On the whole, this was an awesome trip. Feel free to check out the pictures on Flickr.
Currently listening to: "Oh My Darling, Clementine"
Day 1
The traffic was light and allowed us to arrive earlier than expected. Our only stop along the way was Merced Fruit Barn. The place had a homely feel, especially the café. I wouldn't mind having lunch here in the future.
Dad had originally booked the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. The lodge is located inside the park and supposed to be quite beautiful. But because it was closed for repairs, management gave us a room at the Tenaya Lodge in Fish Camp instead. This was actually a better deal because the latter was more expensive. I'm not complaining about the free breakfast either. :-)
Though it was raining when we arrived in Fish Camp, the weather cleared up shortly afterwards. The timing couldn't have been better. From our experience, the alpine air is always fresh after a shower. This made for a great hike.
The afternoon ended with a visit to Yosemite Village, one of my favorite stops. Seeing that it would take an hour to get back to the lodge, my parents bought dinner at the Yosemite Village store. The chicken drumstick was slightly overcooked, but the carnitas was delicious.
Day 2
The breakfast at Tenaya was wholesome. We decided to explore the park some more as the weather was even better. Hiking on the Yosemite Falls Trail was the best part of the trip. Of course, all good things must end: my parents didn't want to stay too late because tomorrow is Monday and they didn't want me to go to work tired. The drive home was mostly uneventful, although we had dinner at Applebee's in Tracy before heading to the nearby WinCo Foods for groceries.
On the whole, this was an awesome trip. Feel free to check out the pictures on Flickr.
Currently listening to: "Oh My Darling, Clementine"
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
getting rid of the pool today
After weighing options for some time, we've decided to take the plunge and have our swimming pool removed. If everything goes to plan, the contractors will start draining it this afternoon.
You see, the pool started leaking last month. Figuring the cost of fixing it would be much higher in the long run, my parents opted to remove the pool. This wasn't an easy decision: even though it was rarely used in recent years, the pool has great sentimental value because we've had it since moving here 17 years ago. I'm definitely a little sad to see it go.
On the bright side, demolishing the pool will help save at least $2,000 a year in maintenance costs. It also means we'll be getting a more spacious backyard. Although we haven't yet decided what to do with the extra space, Mom's thinking about expanding her organic vegetable garden.
Funnily enough, I was afraid of water as a kid and begged to have the pool drained when we moved to our current home. You could say I finally got my wish after all those years. The other thing is that I constantly feared someone would accidentally fall in and drown. Perhaps I'm paranoid, but at least that's one less thing to worry about. Haha.
You see, the pool started leaking last month. Figuring the cost of fixing it would be much higher in the long run, my parents opted to remove the pool. This wasn't an easy decision: even though it was rarely used in recent years, the pool has great sentimental value because we've had it since moving here 17 years ago. I'm definitely a little sad to see it go.
On the bright side, demolishing the pool will help save at least $2,000 a year in maintenance costs. It also means we'll be getting a more spacious backyard. Although we haven't yet decided what to do with the extra space, Mom's thinking about expanding her organic vegetable garden.
Funnily enough, I was afraid of water as a kid and begged to have the pool drained when we moved to our current home. You could say I finally got my wish after all those years. The other thing is that I constantly feared someone would accidentally fall in and drown. Perhaps I'm paranoid, but at least that's one less thing to worry about. Haha.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Chinese New Year report
Lunar New Year might be one of my new favorite holidays.
For starters, the TelePresence team at Cisco went out for dim sum on Chinese New Year's Eve. Our group had around 40 people and took up several tables. It was a no-host lunch, but the $15 was well spent as all of the food was quite good. Click here for pictures from the meal.
The Armada Group brought us lunch the next day as it was Lunar New Year. The butter chicken was one of the best things I've ever tasted. I didn't know Indian food could be so damn delicious. This is one reason I love my job.
Continuing on, the Shiehs had us over for dinner on the 5th. It was great to see my cousin Cathy again. Her friend Christina was going to stop by but came down with food poisoning and had to cancel. I definitely hope there will be other opportunities to get to know her better.
The weekend concluded with the Liu family - our new neighbors two houses down - inviting us and another couple over. The kids and I watched Super Bowl XLV while the others helped make dumplings. There was so much food that I was quickly full. The not-so-fun part is that I had an awful bad headache, but that fortunately went away after a good night's sleep.
On the whole, this was one of our best weekends ever. You can go here for the pictures.
Currently listening to: "I Do (Cherish You)" by 98 Degrees
For starters, the TelePresence team at Cisco went out for dim sum on Chinese New Year's Eve. Our group had around 40 people and took up several tables. It was a no-host lunch, but the $15 was well spent as all of the food was quite good. Click here for pictures from the meal.
The Armada Group brought us lunch the next day as it was Lunar New Year. The butter chicken was one of the best things I've ever tasted. I didn't know Indian food could be so damn delicious. This is one reason I love my job.
Continuing on, the Shiehs had us over for dinner on the 5th. It was great to see my cousin Cathy again. Her friend Christina was going to stop by but came down with food poisoning and had to cancel. I definitely hope there will be other opportunities to get to know her better.
The weekend concluded with the Liu family - our new neighbors two houses down - inviting us and another couple over. The kids and I watched Super Bowl XLV while the others helped make dumplings. There was so much food that I was quickly full. The not-so-fun part is that I had an awful bad headache, but that fortunately went away after a good night's sleep.
On the whole, this was one of our best weekends ever. You can go here for the pictures.
Currently listening to: "I Do (Cherish You)" by 98 Degrees
Monday, January 3, 2011
a short but exciting Christmas break
I'm now back in the office as the holidays are over. One thing about having a regular job is that vacation days are scarce. That said, the break was nice.
For starters, the Shiehs invited us over for lunch on Christmas. Aunt Cynthia and my cousin Connie both made lots of delicious food. Everyone had such a good time that we stayed for dinner. You can go here for the pictures.
This was followed by a day trip to Monterey on the 27th. I enjoyed checking out the restaurants on Fisherman's Wharf and trying the clam chowder samples. The food on display looked appetizing - the only reason we didn't eat here is that we had leftovers at home. Monterey is definitely a place I'd like to revisit in the future. I've posted pictures from the day trip on Flickr.
Continuing on, Dad took us to Tahoe three days later. The trip was short but really fun. After getting home, the three of us went to Cynthia's house again to celebrate New Year's Eve with the Shiehs. So yeah, the break was awesome.
Currently listening to: "Auld Lang Syne"
For starters, the Shiehs invited us over for lunch on Christmas. Aunt Cynthia and my cousin Connie both made lots of delicious food. Everyone had such a good time that we stayed for dinner. You can go here for the pictures.
This was followed by a day trip to Monterey on the 27th. I enjoyed checking out the restaurants on Fisherman's Wharf and trying the clam chowder samples. The food on display looked appetizing - the only reason we didn't eat here is that we had leftovers at home. Monterey is definitely a place I'd like to revisit in the future. I've posted pictures from the day trip on Flickr.
Continuing on, Dad took us to Tahoe three days later. The trip was short but really fun. After getting home, the three of us went to Cynthia's house again to celebrate New Year's Eve with the Shiehs. So yeah, the break was awesome.
Currently listening to: "Auld Lang Syne"
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy 2011, y'all
It feels like 2010 has just started. Can you believe 2011 is already here?
I'll start by saying that we didn't have anyone over for New Year's Eve as neither of the families we invited could come. On the other hand, my family had dinner with the Shiehs at my aunt Cynthia's house. I definitely can't complain!
Connie had recently left for San Diego, but Cathy was home. It was nice to watch the Times Square ball drop with my cousin after dinner. Cathy's friend Christina later came over and seemed like a cool person. Though I wanted to stay and get to know her better, Dad was tired and wished to go home. I felt it would be selfish to keep my parents waiting just to talk to a girl. Oh well, there are probably other chances to get acquainted.
Considering that our own New Year's Eve party was canceled, I'm thankful that we got to spend time with the Shiehs.
2010 in review
Last year was pretty tough. The worst part was when my father lost his job. It didn't help that our car was burglarized six days later. Another unpleasant memory was when an "FBI agent" accused me of aiming my laser at aircraft during the Moonlight Train Dinner Party at Roaring Camp. Though we figured he was an impostor, our evening was ruined. I had looked forward to the event for years and was pretty pissed off. Dad had paid $135 for the tickets and understandably wasn't too happy either.
On a more positive note, the best part of 2010 was finishing graduate school. It took a huge financial burden off our shoulders, not to mention we had an awesome party on the last day of class. Thanksgiving break was also lots of fun. The dinner with the Panns and the day trip to Willits were both enjoyable.
All that having been said, it's best not to dwell on the past. Speaking of which, my New Year's resolutions for 2011 are to make more "offline" friends, improve my job performance and be nicer to my parents. Haha.
Currently playing: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
I'll start by saying that we didn't have anyone over for New Year's Eve as neither of the families we invited could come. On the other hand, my family had dinner with the Shiehs at my aunt Cynthia's house. I definitely can't complain!
Connie had recently left for San Diego, but Cathy was home. It was nice to watch the Times Square ball drop with my cousin after dinner. Cathy's friend Christina later came over and seemed like a cool person. Though I wanted to stay and get to know her better, Dad was tired and wished to go home. I felt it would be selfish to keep my parents waiting just to talk to a girl. Oh well, there are probably other chances to get acquainted.
Considering that our own New Year's Eve party was canceled, I'm thankful that we got to spend time with the Shiehs.
2010 in review
Last year was pretty tough. The worst part was when my father lost his job. It didn't help that our car was burglarized six days later. Another unpleasant memory was when an "FBI agent" accused me of aiming my laser at aircraft during the Moonlight Train Dinner Party at Roaring Camp. Though we figured he was an impostor, our evening was ruined. I had looked forward to the event for years and was pretty pissed off. Dad had paid $135 for the tickets and understandably wasn't too happy either.
On a more positive note, the best part of 2010 was finishing graduate school. It took a huge financial burden off our shoulders, not to mention we had an awesome party on the last day of class. Thanksgiving break was also lots of fun. The dinner with the Panns and the day trip to Willits were both enjoyable.
All that having been said, it's best not to dwell on the past. Speaking of which, my New Year's resolutions for 2011 are to make more "offline" friends, improve my job performance and be nicer to my parents. Haha.
Currently playing: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
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