Looking back and ahead

Blessings in 2008:

• Becoming an aunt to Aiden


• Meeting and being loved by Jeremy


• Joining Microsoft full-time and achieving in my role


• Being afforded the opportunity live in California, five blocks from the beach
  
• Being healthy, content and never going without


• Sharing in my friends' happiness and new milestones

Hopes for 2009:

• See my family at least 4 times this year


• Continued growth and happiness in my relationship


• Move forward professionally


• Maintain, if not increase, my fitness level


• Remember not to take life too seriously, because "no one gets out alive"


• Live with honesty, accountability, style and moxie

25 Random Facts to Round out 2008

1. Born in/adopted from Andong, South Korea
2. I don't like bread or rice
3. My career goal is to be the CEO of a successful company
4. I believe in the power of self-fulfilling prophecies and optimism
5. In college, I was the student body president of my community college, student body president of my university, and Miss Kent 2006. I pursued all three to pay for my college tuition.
6. "No" is my favorite word
7. Reality TV (Real Housewives of OC, The Hills, Whose Wedding Is It Anyway, Real World) is an addiction that I proudly own.
8. My mentor lives in Corvallis
9. I have a hard time buying shoes because I wear a size five.
10. Smiling and asking, "Why do you want to know?" is my great way to avoid a question.
11. Beary is my stuffed animal from childhood.
12. I was almost expelled from high school
13. Big fan of the Mariners, Chargers and OSU Beavers
14. My first job out of college involved a supervisor who nearly pefectly replicated the mannerisms of Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada.
15. Finding true love is one of the most important things in the world to me
16. I am afraid of pigeons, walking over potholes/sidewalk grates/storm sewer covers and running out of gas
17. I love to cook and I love to eat even more
18. Family comes first, then friends, then happiness, then work.
19. My lucky numbers are 9 and 29
20. I cannot swim, tread water, snap my fingers, whistle or play any instrument
21. Cumulative GPA in all four years of college: 3.81.
22. Dream vacations are to Greece, South Korea, Maui, Japan, France, London and Spain
23. I've never smoked weed
24. Love wearing hoodies (non-zip, pullover kind)
25. Orange is my favorite color.

Cali Christmas

Christmas Eve:
We went to Jeremy's aunt's house. I met his cousins, aunts and uncles. There was plenty of holiday cheer, including outside Xmas lights that synchronized with holiday music! We hung out and ate lots of course. Ham, turkey, stuffing, creamed corn, cranberry bread, deviled eggs, banana pudding, chocolate bundt cake. Oh, don't forget the full bar too ;).

It is always fun hanging out with Jack & Grace (Jeremy's parents) because they are laid back, humorous and plain fun! I really felt included and part of their fam. We were there till a decent time that night but had to hit the hay early, since we were meeting at Disneyland at 8 a.m. the next morning!

Before we went to bed I got to play Santa and fill Jeremy's stocking. I got too much candy and it wouldn't all fit in! So I arranged it around it and called it a night.

Christmas Day:
Woke Jeremy up at 5:45a.m. I have to admit I was sleepy as heck. But lots of presents were waiting to be unwrapped! We opened presents. Highlights were the Hello Kitty Xmas ornament and diamond necklace Jeremy got me...and the "Bean" Tiffany necklace my parents got me. They've called me Bean since they adopted me from Korea. When I came off the plane in the blanket my dad said, "She looks just like a little bean." It was a sentimental and loving reminder that my family back home in WA was thinking of me. After we cleaned up the mountain of boxes and wrapping paper, we high-tailed it to Anaheim.

We were there for 10 hours! Along with Jeremy's parents, his sister and her boyfriend and his brother and his girlfriend came with too. The first ride of the day was Space Mountain (of course)...me and Jack were the most excited to ride. After we had churros for breakfast we went to the Matterhorn. It was fun... the first 30 seconds! We braked to a halt at the top b/c the ride broke! Disney people came and walked us down the ride, so we got to see the back set-up of the Matterhorn. They gave us a jump-the-line pass for any other ride, so we went to the Nemo Submarine ride. Then we went to Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. There was a holiday parade and we saw all the characters and Santa too! After dinner we went home totally tired out.

The Christmas 50

Below, fifty foods and drinks from around the world.

Instructions:
1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve tasted.
3) Place an *asterisk* after all the items you’ve cooked/prepared.
4) Optional: Cross out anything you never want to try, or add an exclamation mark after anything your really want to try.


1. Crystallised or candied fruits
2. Egg nog
3. Buche de Noel or Yule log
4. Rum balls
5. Bebinca
6. Roasted chestnuts
7. Cavallucci
8. Tourtière
9. Uszka
10. Port & Stilton
11. Hallaca
12. Roast goose
13. Lefse
14. Sugar plums
15. Romeritos
16. Pinnekjøtt
17. Hot toddy
18. Christmas cake*
19. Tamales*
20. Sorpotel
21. Panettone
22. Candy canes
23. Pasteles
24. Speculaas
25. Makowiec
26. Christmas pudding
27. Stollen
28. Figgy pudding
29. Lebkuchen
30. Turrón
31. Mince pies
32. Wassail bowls
33. Buñuelos
34. Pio Quinto
35. Marzipan fruits
36. Mulled wine
37. King cake
38. Christmas beach barbecue
39. Cola de mono
40. Lutefisk
41. Kutia
42. Pizzelle
43. Dominostein
44. Cranberry sauce*
45. Pfeffernüsse
46. Satsumas or clementines
47. Pumpkin pie*
48. Smalahove
49. Nut roast
50. Brandy butter

Gone Since November

I love me some Kanye. Especially when he makes a song that resonates in part of my past.

Awhile back I stayed when it was clearly time to leave. I felt adrift and dissed. When I moved on, he said he'd call when he wanted to be friends, but asked me to not call him till then. I went from a best friend to a stranger:

"In the night, I hear 'em talk,
the coldest story ever told
Somewhere far along this road,
She lost her soul to a young boy so heartless..
How could you be so heartless?
Ohhh.. How could you be so heartless?"

The optimistic part of me waited for a call. For a year. Life kept moving and I moved away, moved on with Jeremy and kept maturing and learning. I toughened up, took accountability for the time I spent in the situation, and took back power for myself:

"How could you be so,
cold as the winter wind when it breeze, yo
Just remember that you talkin' to me though
You know need to watch the way you talkin' to me, yo "

I have a more detached view of what really went down now. The hardest part of a bad relationship is that it can effect the way you love: your next partner, your friends, yourself. A blessing from a relationship like that is the accomplishment you feel after letting go of what happened and feeling powerless. People walk in and out, and maybe he will too. I'm done waiting though b/c I can't divert any more time to something I that isn't reciproacted in the least. Don't let people like that steal your shine!:

"Talkin', talkin', talkin', talk
Baby let's just knock it off
So I got something new to see
And you just gon' keep hatin' me
And we just gon' be enemies
I know you can't believe
I could just leave it wrong
And you can't make it right
I'm gon' take off tonight
Into the night... "

Our Anniversary Dinner @ Nobu L.A.

We picked Nobu for our 1-year anniversary dinner Friday night. The omakase is my go-to. Never fails to disappoint. We started with the cold dishes, transitioned to warm dishes, had soup and then dessert. Innovative, fresh, near-perfection portioning.

Three fresh oysters with maui salsa, mango salsa, and avocado puree w/ caviar. Mountain 'momo' (peach) finishes out the first course as a palate cleanser.

King mackarel sashimi with ponzu, cilantro, radish and jalapeno

Sashimi salad with white fish, toro, radish and sprouts

Lobster with brussel sprouts, mushrooms and ponzu butter reduction

Tazmanian salmon with hijiki seaweed and slivered apple

Miso soup with mushroom and clams

Kamameshi: Vanilla risotto w/ mochi pearls, soba popcorn and Okinawa yam ice cream

Remember, Remember, the Fourth of November

We're on the precipice of a huge change people! After work tonight I'll be at home watching the results come.

At 7:15 a.m. I drove past my local polling location and there were about 40 people standing in line on the sidewalk. A swell of excitement and pride hit me that not only is today possibly the start of dramatic change in the United States, but also that my community is out in force to cast their votes!

For me, Barack Obama offers hope and strategic plans for delivering change to our economy, global affairs involvement, and healthcare and education policy. Like so many others I talk to, I am ready to reach up and grab hold of the change offered to us by our future President.

The change we create today is profound. It leaves me wondering what we will say and what state our country will be in in another four years.