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. :-)
Thursday, September 1, 2011
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
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Memorial Day weekend + Northern California trip report
I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. At least my family did, considering that we went to far Northern California. It was a crazy trip with road closures, food poisoning and whatnot. Despite the mishaps, the trip was a great way to start summer.
Day 1
The first stop was Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown. The park is known for its steam trains and not unlike Roaring Camp in Felton. The train rides looked fun, but we weren't eager to find out the ticket prices. Nevertheless, Railtown 1897 is an attraction I'd like to visit again.
Not too far away was Columbia State Historic Park - located about 15 minutes to the north. Unlike our last visit six years ago, the weather wasn't too hot this time. This made our visit much more enjoyable. Dad also took us to Sonora afterwards. Browsing the stores there was the best part of the trip.
The plan was to stay two nights in Mammoth Lakes. But there was some bad news: Route 108 was closed due to the weather when we were just 20 miles from town. To make matters worse, the deadline for canceling the reservation had passed. Although my father chose to take the 250-mile detour rather than let the money go to waste, the distance proved to be too much. Just when it seemed we were out of options, he managed to get the credit transferred to a partner hotel in Auburn. It was decided to cut the trip short as we were all tired.
Day 2
I felt refreshed after a good night's sleep. Thinking it was a shame to go home so soon, especially after having spent so much time planning the trip, my parents extended it back to three days. Dad booked a hotel in Redding as we were packing up. Hell yeah!
Auburn was a quiet city with a rustic feel. The restaurants in the Old Town looked nice, but we just had breakfast and were pretty full. I'd love to try the local food on a future visit to Auburn.
The plan was to go hiking in Clear Lake State Park in the afternoon. But when we got there, Mom noticed the trails were dry and had no shade. That made us change our minds - paying $7 for a sunburn wasn't exactly a good deal. The rest of the day was uneventful aside from a stop at Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay after dinner. The bridge was a cool sight and made for great pictures.
Day 3
Mom wanted to return to Sundial Bridge in the morning for more pictures. It was equally impressive in the daytime. She then suggested going to McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park after lunch. Because we really enjoyed Burney Falls on our trip to far Northern California five years ago, that was our next stop.
We were told there was a "medical emergency" in the park as we arrived. Lots of police, firefighters and paramedics soon showed up. Some rangers watched the river while a CAL FIRE helicopter circled above. It quickly became apparent that someone had fallen into the water. The rangers then began clearing the area, at which point we decided it was best to leave.
I later learned that a 16-year-old boy had drowned near the waterfall. This is a sad situation and not what we wanted to hear. Our thoughts and prayers are with the young man's family during their difficult time. Upon leaving Burney Falls, I realized how precious life really is.
The three of us headed to Lassen Volcanic National Park after digesting what just happened. Aside from a quick stop at Lake Manzanita, our stay was short as much of the park was inaccessible due to the recent storm. However, this wasn't a big deal as we had been to Lassen before.
The other thing is that my father got food poisoning from bad quiches. He was very tired and didn't eat much when we went to Denny's for dinner. Despite not feeling well, Dad was OK with stopping at WinCo Foods for groceries. The drive home was otherwise uneventful.
Conclusions
I'm not going to lie - this was a crazy trip. Due to the road closures and long drives, all of us were exhausted when we got home. I can hardly believe we were only away for three days!
The tragedy at Burney Falls was a sobering experience and certainly put a damper on the mood. That said, the rest of the trip wasn't too bad. Sonora was my favorite stop, although Old Town Auburn was also pretty nice. All things considered, I really enjoyed this trip. Feel free to check out the pictures on Flickr.
Currently listening to: "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins
Day 1
The first stop was Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown. The park is known for its steam trains and not unlike Roaring Camp in Felton. The train rides looked fun, but we weren't eager to find out the ticket prices. Nevertheless, Railtown 1897 is an attraction I'd like to visit again.
Not too far away was Columbia State Historic Park - located about 15 minutes to the north. Unlike our last visit six years ago, the weather wasn't too hot this time. This made our visit much more enjoyable. Dad also took us to Sonora afterwards. Browsing the stores there was the best part of the trip.
The plan was to stay two nights in Mammoth Lakes. But there was some bad news: Route 108 was closed due to the weather when we were just 20 miles from town. To make matters worse, the deadline for canceling the reservation had passed. Although my father chose to take the 250-mile detour rather than let the money go to waste, the distance proved to be too much. Just when it seemed we were out of options, he managed to get the credit transferred to a partner hotel in Auburn. It was decided to cut the trip short as we were all tired.
Day 2
I felt refreshed after a good night's sleep. Thinking it was a shame to go home so soon, especially after having spent so much time planning the trip, my parents extended it back to three days. Dad booked a hotel in Redding as we were packing up. Hell yeah!
Auburn was a quiet city with a rustic feel. The restaurants in the Old Town looked nice, but we just had breakfast and were pretty full. I'd love to try the local food on a future visit to Auburn.
The plan was to go hiking in Clear Lake State Park in the afternoon. But when we got there, Mom noticed the trails were dry and had no shade. That made us change our minds - paying $7 for a sunburn wasn't exactly a good deal. The rest of the day was uneventful aside from a stop at Sundial Bridge at Turtle Bay after dinner. The bridge was a cool sight and made for great pictures.
Day 3
Mom wanted to return to Sundial Bridge in the morning for more pictures. It was equally impressive in the daytime. She then suggested going to McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park after lunch. Because we really enjoyed Burney Falls on our trip to far Northern California five years ago, that was our next stop.
We were told there was a "medical emergency" in the park as we arrived. Lots of police, firefighters and paramedics soon showed up. Some rangers watched the river while a CAL FIRE helicopter circled above. It quickly became apparent that someone had fallen into the water. The rangers then began clearing the area, at which point we decided it was best to leave.
I later learned that a 16-year-old boy had drowned near the waterfall. This is a sad situation and not what we wanted to hear. Our thoughts and prayers are with the young man's family during their difficult time. Upon leaving Burney Falls, I realized how precious life really is.
The three of us headed to Lassen Volcanic National Park after digesting what just happened. Aside from a quick stop at Lake Manzanita, our stay was short as much of the park was inaccessible due to the recent storm. However, this wasn't a big deal as we had been to Lassen before.
The other thing is that my father got food poisoning from bad quiches. He was very tired and didn't eat much when we went to Denny's for dinner. Despite not feeling well, Dad was OK with stopping at WinCo Foods for groceries. The drive home was otherwise uneventful.
Conclusions
I'm not going to lie - this was a crazy trip. Due to the road closures and long drives, all of us were exhausted when we got home. I can hardly believe we were only away for three days!
The tragedy at Burney Falls was a sobering experience and certainly put a damper on the mood. That said, the rest of the trip wasn't too bad. Sonora was my favorite stop, although Old Town Auburn was also pretty nice. All things considered, I really enjoyed this trip. Feel free to check out the pictures on Flickr.
Currently listening to: "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins
Monday, May 9, 2011
Mother's Day weekend report
I took my parents out to lunch for the first time ever this weekend. It was quite a special experience!
Saturday was a busy day as I mostly helped out in the garden. Dad is putting up nets as my mother wants to protect the vegetables from birds. The first step was to install the supports. This took up the morning and afternoon, but we got most of it done.
The highlight of the Mother's Day weekend was treating my parents to lunch. I took them to Sino, an Asian fusion restaurant at Santana Row in San Jose. Because I had a $100 gift card to that place, Mom figured this was the perfect time to use it up. I owe my gratitude to my boss Bing at Cisco as she gave me the gift card a few weeks ago.
Service was relatively fast despite the crowd. The entrées were slightly overcooked, but the dim sum and dessert were really good. One thing that caught my eye were the hot hostesses. I couldn't resistflirting chatting with them while waiting for the food. Of course, that's as far as I went because they probably get hit on all the time. ^_^
You can see pictures from the lunch on Flickr. This is definitely something I want to do again. This reminds me - Father's Day is next month. I'm looking forward to it for sure.
After we got home, I helped Dad with yard work for the rest of the afternoon. The good news is that we got the poles and wires in place. All we need now are the nets!
Saturday was a busy day as I mostly helped out in the garden. Dad is putting up nets as my mother wants to protect the vegetables from birds. The first step was to install the supports. This took up the morning and afternoon, but we got most of it done.
The highlight of the Mother's Day weekend was treating my parents to lunch. I took them to Sino, an Asian fusion restaurant at Santana Row in San Jose. Because I had a $100 gift card to that place, Mom figured this was the perfect time to use it up. I owe my gratitude to my boss Bing at Cisco as she gave me the gift card a few weeks ago.
Service was relatively fast despite the crowd. The entrées were slightly overcooked, but the dim sum and dessert were really good. One thing that caught my eye were the hot hostesses. I couldn't resist
You can see pictures from the lunch on Flickr. This is definitely something I want to do again. This reminds me - Father's Day is next month. I'm looking forward to it for sure.
After we got home, I helped Dad with yard work for the rest of the afternoon. The good news is that we got the poles and wires in place. All we need now are the nets!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Good riddance, Osama.
In case you haven't seen the news, Osama bin Laden has been confirmed dead. Some sources say he was shot while others report he was killed in an airstrike. But that's not important - the matter of fact is that the mastermind behind 9/11 is now where he belongs.
Although I'm not one to gloat over someone's death, I'd say Osama has gotten his comeuppance. Justice has been served.
Currently listening to: "God Bless America" by Irving Berlin
Although I'm not one to gloat over someone's death, I'd say Osama has gotten his comeuppance. Justice has been served.
Currently listening to: "God Bless America" by Irving Berlin
Sunday, April 10, 2011
my first corporate party!
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
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
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