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
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
an incredibly busy two weeks...
I've been extremely busy the past two weeks, both at work and at home. Because our project is at a critical stage, many of us have been working longer hours than usual. Don't get me wrong - I love my job and am not complaining one bit - but sometimes I wish we had spring breaks. It's one of the reasons I miss being a student.
I've been fairly occupied outside of work as well: Dad wanted to retrieve some files from a couple of Sun Ultra workstations and has asked me and his old colleague Andrew to help. Given that these computers are almost 15 years old and don't have any USB ports, the only way to get the files is via FTP.
The workstations also require a server connection. Therefore, Dad went to Costco and bought a Lenovo H520s desktop to use as a server. The good news is that installing Linux over Windows 8 was easier than expected. Thank heaven for small favors.
Another problem is the machines are so old that most monitors are incompatible. Even multiple trips to Fry's Electronics proved to be fruitless. The fact that the original monitors each weigh more than 40 pounds didn't help the issue. They were dinosaurs in every sense of the word. Dad only found some working monitors at home after hours of searching.
On the subject of computers, the hard drive of my ThinkPad T42 finally crashed after seven and a half years. This wasn't too shocking, considering that hard drives are often the first component to fail. I'm actually surprised it lasted this long.
While I was able to recover the data, reinstalling Windows took up lots of time. I only managed to get my laptop working again last week after replacing the hard drive. Seeing that my other computers had never been backed up, I spent several hours organizing the files to make the process easier. Sometimes I think technology makes life more complicated.
The last two weeks weren't all that bad as our family friend Karen came over for dinner on the 12th. Like always, Mom made lots of delicious food. All of us had such a great time that Karen didn't leave until well past midnight!
The day after that, my parents and I had lunch with two other families at a Chinese restaurant. You can go here for food pictures. Another highlight of the weekend was our hike on the Stevens Creek Trail yesterday afternoon. As you can see, this has been a busy month!
Currently listening to: "1000 Miles" by Blake Lewis
I've been fairly occupied outside of work as well: Dad wanted to retrieve some files from a couple of Sun Ultra workstations and has asked me and his old colleague Andrew to help. Given that these computers are almost 15 years old and don't have any USB ports, the only way to get the files is via FTP.
The workstations also require a server connection. Therefore, Dad went to Costco and bought a Lenovo H520s desktop to use as a server. The good news is that installing Linux over Windows 8 was easier than expected. Thank heaven for small favors.
Another problem is the machines are so old that most monitors are incompatible. Even multiple trips to Fry's Electronics proved to be fruitless. The fact that the original monitors each weigh more than 40 pounds didn't help the issue. They were dinosaurs in every sense of the word. Dad only found some working monitors at home after hours of searching.
On the subject of computers, the hard drive of my ThinkPad T42 finally crashed after seven and a half years. This wasn't too shocking, considering that hard drives are often the first component to fail. I'm actually surprised it lasted this long.
While I was able to recover the data, reinstalling Windows took up lots of time. I only managed to get my laptop working again last week after replacing the hard drive. Seeing that my other computers had never been backed up, I spent several hours organizing the files to make the process easier. Sometimes I think technology makes life more complicated.
The last two weeks weren't all that bad as our family friend Karen came over for dinner on the 12th. Like always, Mom made lots of delicious food. All of us had such a great time that Karen didn't leave until well past midnight!
The day after that, my parents and I had lunch with two other families at a Chinese restaurant. You can go here for food pictures. Another highlight of the weekend was our hike on the Stevens Creek Trail yesterday afternoon. As you can see, this has been a busy month!
Currently listening to: "1000 Miles" by Blake Lewis
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Fresno day trip report
Dad took us to Fresno today to see the Forestiere Underground Gardens. He had been wanting to go there for a while, and this was the perfect opportunity to do so.
The 150-mile drive to Fresno was uneventful aside from a stop at Casa de Fruta in Hollister. Because our last time here was several years ago, my parents wanted to see how much had changed. It was mostly the same with the exception of two new stores. On the downside, they no longer offer free samples. Blah.
The three of us arrived at Forestiere Underground Gardens around noon and signed up for the tour. To be honest, I'm not sure if it was worth the price. The tour was $15 per person and much shorter than expected. While the place was fascinating, I don't think it warrants another visit.
Our other stop in Fresno was WinCo Foods for groceries and snacks. As with other locations, everything was super cheap. I certainly wish the company would open more stores.
The day trip concluded with dinner at the Black Bear Diner in Los Banos. Having enjoyed their food during our trip to Tahoe last year, my parents and I decided to eat at the chain again. This experience wasn't as great because the food was overpriced and slightly overcooked. That said, the meal was still a nice way to end the evening. I've posted pictures from our day trip here.
Currently listening to: "Yellow Submarine" by the Beatles
The 150-mile drive to Fresno was uneventful aside from a stop at Casa de Fruta in Hollister. Because our last time here was several years ago, my parents wanted to see how much had changed. It was mostly the same with the exception of two new stores. On the downside, they no longer offer free samples. Blah.
The three of us arrived at Forestiere Underground Gardens around noon and signed up for the tour. To be honest, I'm not sure if it was worth the price. The tour was $15 per person and much shorter than expected. While the place was fascinating, I don't think it warrants another visit.
Our other stop in Fresno was WinCo Foods for groceries and snacks. As with other locations, everything was super cheap. I certainly wish the company would open more stores.
The day trip concluded with dinner at the Black Bear Diner in Los Banos. Having enjoyed their food during our trip to Tahoe last year, my parents and I decided to eat at the chain again. This experience wasn't as great because the food was overpriced and slightly overcooked. That said, the meal was still a nice way to end the evening. I've posted pictures from our day trip here.
Currently listening to: "Yellow Submarine" by the Beatles
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Chinese New Year day trip and party report
"You should start charging people for admission!" -- me to Yuan, on her house
Saturday was uneventful as I was working on an assignment for my data mining class at UCSC Extension. However, today was exciting as we went to Carmel for a college reunion. The event doubled as a Lunar New Year celebration. Sweet!
I'll start with some background: my mother went to the National Kaohsiung Normal University in Taiwan. Her classmate Joseph organized a reunion that was hosted at Chiuyen's house in Carmel. Though it was a long drive, my parents and I managed to get there on time. The Tao family's home looks like a barn from the outside, and going up to the second floor was like visiting a lighthouse. That was really cool.
It wasn't just NKNU alumni as the Taos took the opportunity to invite their neighbors and colleagues. Their children Yuan and Fang had friends over as well. The food was plentiful as this was a potluck lunch. Everything was delicious, especially the sushi and deviled eggs. If only I had a bigger stomach. ^_^
The kids gathered in the living room to play Super Smash Bros. Brawl on the Wii afterwards. I only watched as I'd probably get my ass kicked, but this brought back memories of my college days. Good times.
The party started winding down in the early afternoon. The fun wasn't over yet as we joined a few other people for a walk around the area. Our stops included the historic Carmel Mission, the downtown and even an open house. The hike was nice, although we didn't stay out too long as most of us have to work tomorrow.
Of note is that we ran into a guy who kept hitting on the ladies in our group. Some of the women were a little creeped out, but I thought it was hilarious. One thing for sure is that it made for a memorable moment.
All of us returned to the "barn" for fruit and snacks before going separate ways. On the whole, the day trip was nothing short of amazing. Feel free to check out my pictures from the party and the hike. If you ask me, this needs to happen more often. :-)
Currently watching: Prometheus (2012)
Monday, February 4, 2013
Super Bowl weekend report
I had a pretty good weekend. Case in point, my family went to a party and watched the Super Bowl at a restaurant. :-)
Party report
So my mother's friend Winnie had a get-together on Saturday evening. Winnie's house was being remodeled, but Carol offered to host the gathering. This was nice for a change as we hadn't seen the Liangs in ages. I've posted pictures of the food at Flickr.
There was lots of people as Carol took the opportunity to invite several other friends as well. The party got boring after dinner as there was nobody my age. The fact that I didn't bring my laptop didn't help the issue. To be fair, I probably just suck at making friends because my parents had so much fun that we stayed until midnight. ^_^
Super Bowl
We went to Tied House yesterday afternoon to watch Super Bowl XLVII. This is something we had never done before. Though the restaurant was almost completely full, the waiter managed to find a table for us. The quesadillas we ordered were delicious. The San Francisco 49ers lost against the Baltimore Ravens, but both teams played well. It was overall a great game.
In other news...
1. One of Mom's classmates from the National Kaohsiung Normal University is organizing a reunion for the 10th and has invited our families. I'm definitely looking forward to that.
2. Congratulations to my cousin Connie on her engagement!
Currently listening to: "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion
Party report
So my mother's friend Winnie had a get-together on Saturday evening. Winnie's house was being remodeled, but Carol offered to host the gathering. This was nice for a change as we hadn't seen the Liangs in ages. I've posted pictures of the food at Flickr.
There was lots of people as Carol took the opportunity to invite several other friends as well. The party got boring after dinner as there was nobody my age. The fact that I didn't bring my laptop didn't help the issue. To be fair, I probably just suck at making friends because my parents had so much fun that we stayed until midnight. ^_^
Super Bowl
We went to Tied House yesterday afternoon to watch Super Bowl XLVII. This is something we had never done before. Though the restaurant was almost completely full, the waiter managed to find a table for us. The quesadillas we ordered were delicious. The San Francisco 49ers lost against the Baltimore Ravens, but both teams played well. It was overall a great game.
In other news...
1. One of Mom's classmates from the National Kaohsiung Normal University is organizing a reunion for the 10th and has invited our families. I'm definitely looking forward to that.
2. Congratulations to my cousin Connie on her engagement!
Currently listening to: "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion
Sunday, January 20, 2013
went to my first dance since college...
Last night was the Lab126 post-holiday celebration at the Tech Museum of Innovation. Back when I worked at Cisco, my staffing company had a similar event there. However, ours was bigger and better: not only did we have the entire museum to ourselves, every floor had lots of food. The whole thing was just awesome.
There was a DJ on the second floor, and many people got up to dance. However, one thing I noticed is that millennials don't really slow dance anymore. Case in point, the dance floor quickly cleared whenever the DJ played a slow song. Funnily enough, some people still complained about the lack of slow songs as the evening concluded. Hypocrisy much?
It's a shame that there aren't many opportunities to dance once you're out of school. While there are weddings and other formal events, they are few and far between. I actually wanted to become a DJ before I got my first job. ^_^
At any rate, you can go here for the Lab216 party pictures. I have to work tomorrow as we don't get Martin Luther King Jr. Day off. That said, I'm not going to complain as last night rocked.
Currently listening to: "Diamonds" by Rihanna
There was a DJ on the second floor, and many people got up to dance. However, one thing I noticed is that millennials don't really slow dance anymore. Case in point, the dance floor quickly cleared whenever the DJ played a slow song. Funnily enough, some people still complained about the lack of slow songs as the evening concluded. Hypocrisy much?
It's a shame that there aren't many opportunities to dance once you're out of school. While there are weddings and other formal events, they are few and far between. I actually wanted to become a DJ before I got my first job. ^_^
At any rate, you can go here for the Lab216 party pictures. I have to work tomorrow as we don't get Martin Luther King Jr. Day off. That said, I'm not going to complain as last night rocked.
Currently listening to: "Diamonds" by Rihanna
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy MMXIII!
It feels like 2012 has just started, and now 2013 is here. I can hardly believe how fast time goes. So without further ado: happy New Year!
Holiday party report
A nice thing is that we had a party the day after Christmas. Like always, Mom made lots of delicious food. The best part is that our family friend Winnie gave me a gift tower from Harry & David. That was so sweet of her. Thanks, Winnie!
I saw The Avengers on DVD after dinner. Though it was one of the best movies ever, nobody else wanted to watch it with me. One of the women actually thought it was a children's film. Damn generation gap - no wonder we whippersnappers can't stand old people sometimes. :-)
New Year's Eve report
To be honest, New Year's Eve kind of sucked. Because we didn't have anyone over or vice versa, my family went to look for local events instead. I found a mixer for entrepreneurs that was advertised on Meetup. We figured this would be a good opportunity for Dad to find connections as he has been active with startup companies for years. However, the event had low attendance and the host was a bit rude. It wasn't long before we decided to leave.
Some places in Mountain View were also supposed to have special events. Yet there was barely anyone on Castro Street when we arrived. The restaurants were virtually empty - even during the Times Square ball drop. The three of us went home shortly afterwards.
Though I put on some music from WiLD 94.4 and watched the West Coast countdown online after getting home, the rest of the evening was uneventful. I hope New Year's Eve will be more exciting next time.
2012 in review
All that having been said, 2012 wasn't too bad. The best part was our trip to Las Vegas with Jim. Valley of Fire State Park was one of the most amazing places we've ever visited. Another highlight was getting my current job last summer. I've only been at Lab126 for six months but am loving it so far.
Speaking of careers, the worst thing that happened was that Dad lost his job again. His contract was terminated out of the blue for no given reason. I hate office politics. :-(
Last but not least, my New Year's resolutions for 2013 are to improve my social skills, be more generous to myself, not stay up too late and learn CUDA programming. Wish me luck!
January 2 update: I'm now back in the office as my break has ended. It's so hard to return to work just after the new year. On the other hand, I'm thrilled to see my colleagues again. :-)
Currently listening to: "Va Va Voom" by Nicki Minaj
Holiday party report
A nice thing is that we had a party the day after Christmas. Like always, Mom made lots of delicious food. The best part is that our family friend Winnie gave me a gift tower from Harry & David. That was so sweet of her. Thanks, Winnie!
I saw The Avengers on DVD after dinner. Though it was one of the best movies ever, nobody else wanted to watch it with me. One of the women actually thought it was a children's film. Damn generation gap - no wonder we whippersnappers can't stand old people sometimes. :-)
New Year's Eve report
To be honest, New Year's Eve kind of sucked. Because we didn't have anyone over or vice versa, my family went to look for local events instead. I found a mixer for entrepreneurs that was advertised on Meetup. We figured this would be a good opportunity for Dad to find connections as he has been active with startup companies for years. However, the event had low attendance and the host was a bit rude. It wasn't long before we decided to leave.
Some places in Mountain View were also supposed to have special events. Yet there was barely anyone on Castro Street when we arrived. The restaurants were virtually empty - even during the Times Square ball drop. The three of us went home shortly afterwards.
Though I put on some music from WiLD 94.4 and watched the West Coast countdown online after getting home, the rest of the evening was uneventful. I hope New Year's Eve will be more exciting next time.
2012 in review
All that having been said, 2012 wasn't too bad. The best part was our trip to Las Vegas with Jim. Valley of Fire State Park was one of the most amazing places we've ever visited. Another highlight was getting my current job last summer. I've only been at Lab126 for six months but am loving it so far.
Speaking of careers, the worst thing that happened was that Dad lost his job again. His contract was terminated out of the blue for no given reason. I hate office politics. :-(
Last but not least, my New Year's resolutions for 2013 are to improve my social skills, be more generous to myself, not stay up too late and learn CUDA programming. Wish me luck!
January 2 update: I'm now back in the office as my break has ended. It's so hard to return to work just after the new year. On the other hand, I'm thrilled to see my colleagues again. :-)
Currently listening to: "Va Va Voom" by Nicki Minaj
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