Labor Day weekend report + the rest of summer

I had an amazing Labor Day weekend despite working overtime. Because our project is at a critical stage, I went in on Saturday at the request of my boss. Though the job can be demanding, that's hardly anything to complain about, especially considering that the company ordered lunch and dinner for our troubles. :-)

Later in the evening, my family hosted a welcome dinner for our new neighbors, the Wilsons. Their wife Jenny and daughter Julia also enjoy cooking and brought food to share. I've posted a few pictures of their dishes. Looks like Mom has competition!

One of Dad's friends invited my parents to a corporate function on Sunday evening. I stayed home as the event wasn't really suitable for me. On the other hand, this was the perfect opportunity to watch Star Trek Into Darkness on Amazon Instant Video. One thing I don't understand is why everyone says it's the worst Star Trek movie ever. At least I thought it was all right. Speaking of which, I also saw several episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series online. The show has a certain charm despite its age.

Having had a busy weekend, I didn't do much today other than listen to online lectures and watch Star Wars: Clone Wars on YouTube. These breaks are never long enough. ^_^

Summer in review

On the whole, my summer was great. First was a celebration dinner for Casey for getting into Yale. Several weeks later, Mom hosted a farewell lunch for the Lius before they moved back to China. There was also the annual Lab126 family picnic last month. Last but not least, our family friend Joseph organized a class reunion at Roger's house in Fremont. That was definitely a major highlight. I've posted some pictures from the gathering.

Another thing I really enjoyed was boating on Shoreline Lake. This was something we hadn't done in years. Other than that, my family visited Half Moon Bay and went out to eat a few times. Feel free to check out my other summer pictures.

The not-so-fun part is that I started getting abdominal pains about two months ago. The good news is that the doctor said it's nothing serious. On the downside, I'm not looking forward to the bills. They're probably going to be expensive. :\

Currently playing: Duke Xtreme

company picnic + more!

It was a busy day as we went to the Lab126 family picnic and did lots of other things. To start off, the nearby Los Altos Methodist Church was having its annual rummage sale. Like usual, everything was dirt cheap. Despite our early arrival, the place was already filled with people. I enjoyed looking around even though we didn't buy much.

The three of us went to Coyote Ranch for the company picnic after a short rest. It was much like the one last year and just as fun. Yet there were few familiar faces this time. I'm not sure why most people on my team didn't come, but they certainly missed out. In any case, feel free to check out my pictures from the picnic.

This was followed by a stop at Costco for groceries. One thing I love about Costco is the samples, especially on the weekends. Let's just say we didn't eat much for dinner. The rest of the evening was uneventful, although I watched Superman: Doomsday on Amazon Instant Video before going to bed.

Currently watching: Superman: Doomsday

an extremely warm 4th of July

The 4th of July was nice as we had some neighbors over. Because the Liu family is moving back to China in two weeks, my parents decided to host a farewell lunch for them. Mom made lots of good food, all of which was delicious as usual. I'm going to miss the Lius for sure; they're definitely nice people.

Other than that, the rest of the day was uneventful. Though Dad was considering a trip to Tahoe, I didn't recommend it due to a feeling that the weather would be hot. This was a good call because it was indeed hot outside. Thank goodness for ice cream. :-)

Currently listening to: "Hello, Goodbye" by the Beatles

my family just keeps getting bigger and bigger...

I'm thrilled to announce that my cousin Anne just delivered her first child. For those curious, the little girl's name is Valerie. :-)

There is nothing more joyous than bringing a new life into the world. Though I couldn't congratulate Anne in person, I'm still extremely happy for her. I really hope to catch up with her soon as our last time seeing each other was almost 16 years ago. It's been way too long already!

Father's Day weekend report

Given the high temperatures, I didn't do much on Saturday other than help Dad with yard work and go shopping at Costco with my parents. On the other hand, my family went hiking near Woodside today as the weather had cooled down. This was quite refreshing as we hadn't been there in at least two years.

The plan was to eat at the nearby Alice's Restaurant afterwards. However, the place was so crowded that finding a seat was almost impossible. We decided it wasn't worth the wait and went to Half Moon Bay instead. I took the opportunity to treat my parents to lunch at a Japanese restaurant. :-)

The three of us then checked out the stores in the downtown. Dad had also planned to take us to Pillar Point Harbor for a stroll, but we headed home as Mom was getting tired. On the whole, the day trip was lots of fun.

Currently playing: Ultimate Doom

level 2,500 in Mafia Wars

I just passed level 2,500 in Mafia Wars after playing for around three years.

Although I'm not that much into Facebook games, I figured this was worth posting. A nice thing about Mafia Wars and most other social games is that you don't need to grind all day to reach a high level. Compared to RuneScape and similar MMORPGs, Mafia Wars is definitely less time-consuming.

At any rate, feel free to add me on Facebook if you're looking for mafia members or just want to chat. xD

Currently playing: Mafia Wars

Memorial Day weekend report

I'm not going to lie - the Memorial Day weekend ended way too soon. These breaks are never long enough. ^_^

To start off, my parents invited the Lees over for dinner on the 24th. Because their son Casey is graduating high school as a valedictorian and going Yale University in the fall, Mom wanted to congratulate him. It was nice to see Casey again after so many years. You can go here for food pictures.

Our family friend Karen came as well. Casey and I watched Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and The Amazing Spider-Man after dinner. Eddie is working in San Diego and couldn't join us, but I'm sure we'll touch base soon. On the whole, our guests had such a great time that they stayed past midnight!

The rest of the weekend was uneventful as my father had to go to meetings. Believe it or not, being the CEO of a startup isn't all fun and games. Given that Mom doesn't like traveling when Dad isn't home, the two of us didn't go anywhere. On the other hand, I got to watch V for Vendetta on DVD on Sunday evening. :-)

Currently watching: V for Vendetta