Happy Halloween!

For only the second time in the past ten years, Dick and I decided not to throw a Halloween Party this year. We just had too much going on, plus we needed to be up in Seattle on the weekend that we would normally have the party.

So, no new Halloween pictures to show for this year. :(

Instead, I dug into the vast vault of Halloween Photos from years past, and I present to you my favorite "Dick and Trina Halloween Photo" to date: John Lennon and Yoko Ono. classic.


Dick and Trina as John and Yoko, circa 2001

Well, Shake it Up, Baby!

That was a pretty strong Earthquake!

According to this site, it was a 5.6, and centered in Alum Rock, which is only 7 miles from Milpitas, where my parents live. We're about 40 miles away, and it was still pretty strong.

My parents called us immediately after it happened. They had stuff falling off shelves, etc., It wasn't nearly as strong here in SF.

Hope everyone is okay!

update
After I spoke with my Mom on the phone, I checked out sfgate, and saw the article saying how close it was to Milpitas. I tried calling my parent's house for the next 20 minutes, but I kept getting that message that "All circuits are busy, please try again later." I was really happy that my Mom thought to call me as soon as she did, and that she was able to before the phone lines went down. (She did the same after the 1989 earthquake, when my sister and I were living in Ohio.) While I was still trying to get through to her tonight, I got a call from a mutual friend who had been trying to reach my Mom but was unsuccessful. She called me instead, so I was able to tell her that everyone was okay. That was very nice of her.

Happy. Birthday Martin!

Greetings from Seattle!

I have arrived

Just landed. They had us board another plane - and just in the nick of time! A few more minutes and the pilots would have been on overtime, and not have been able to fly. Flight left at 4:30. In baggage claim now. Going to hop iin a cab to go meet up with Dick, Martin & Celeste for sushi.

Delayed Flight

My 1:00 flight to Seattle has been delayed (at least) 2.5 hours due to
aircraft servicing. They claim to have the part, are installing in,
then need to test it before we board. At least we didn't have to board
THEN wait.

I'm patiently waiting with my iPhone charging, and a slice of carrot
cake from "Just Desserts".

We hope to board (and depart!) soon.

Stay tuned.

Tile - Day 12

Looks like we're just about done with the tile! All the tile has been
installed, grouted and cleaned. Tomorrow they will apply the sealer.

My day just got better

I just love how the universe works sometimes...

Not that I'm having a bad day, I'm just a bit frazzled.

I was working upstairs in the office, when the doorbell rang. UPS delivery!

I wasn't expecting anything, so I wasn't sure what was being delivered. As I was signing on the UPS machine, I saw that there were two packages, and I asked my UPS guy (whom I'm on friendly terms with), "What have we got today?"

He read the delivery tag from the first box, and said, "Looks like we've got some wine." NICE! Wine from our wine club. I always forget when it's coming.

The other box? I figured it out before he read the tag. It had the Karen Neuburger logo on it.

That's when I told my UPS guy, "Oh! And pajamas!"
He said, "Wine and Pajamas? Sounds like a great night to me!" I couldn't have said it better myself!

I hadn't ordered anything from Karen Neuburger, so I didn't know what was in the box. To my delight, it was another freebie gift (again!)! (I LOVE that!) Inside the box (wrapped in tissue, and tied together with a bow) was a cute little cotton polo-style t-shirt, and a pair of cute socks! (Sweet!)

The was a letter enclosed that stated:

"As one of our valued Shop KN customers, we wanted you to be one of the first to enjoy KN Karen Neuburger's new sportswear and sock collections!..."

It's the little things that make me happy!

Keeping things in perspective

It's been a heck of a day already, and it's only Noon.

I woke up at 6:30 this morning because someone called, and apparently had the wrong number. Dick woke up after that so he could go play golf. I was planning on sleeping in for another hour or so. It was not to happen: right as Dick was getting ready to leave to came up to tell me that one of the cats had pee-ed on our (good) sofa (again!) downstairs. Oy.

So, I spent the next hour trying my best to clean the sofa. This is the second time it's happened, so it's taking more of a toll on it this time. I walked the accent pillows (the target of the cat pee) to the dry cleaners.

By the time I came back, the main tile guy (not the installer) was here. He seemed anxious and upset that this job has taken longer than he anticipated. While I understand his frustration, I wasn't happy that it was taken out on me, because frankly, I didn't do anything wrong. Grrr.....

I made myself a quick breakfast, then prepared to meet with my contractor at 9:00. He had to give the final measurements for the mirror and the shower glass door. We're getting to the point with the remodel that every detail is important and noticeable, and I'm trying to make sure that everything is done right the first time. That puts me in micro-manage mode. I don't like to be in micro-manage mode, but sometimes, it has to kick in.

By the end of the morning, I had to change my plans to work at the Foundation office today because there's simply too much going on with the bathroom today, and I need to be here to make sure that it all goes right. A little frustrating, but luckily, not a problem.

So, while I'm not having the best day ever, I'm really trying to pause and gain some perspective. There's a lot of bad things going on right now in the world. If the the worst thing I have to worry about are pee-ing cats, and a delayed bathroom remodel, so be it.

We should all be so lucky.

Tile - Day 10!

Almost there!



Day 10 of tile installation, and we're nearly done! They finished the actual installation today, and will begin the grouting process tomorrow.

Apparently, the tile we chose is not meant for quick installation! :) We've had a team of two guys work full 8 hour days, 6 days a week. They've been working really hard, and have done a bang-up job. The tile is absolutely gorgeous - we're so happy with our choices!

Tomorrow, the glass guy comes to measure for the shower door, and the mirror. After those are installed, the tile guys will be back to put the tile around the mirror.


Here's a photo of what the floor looks like (taken about a week ago - it's been covered with protective paper/cardboard ever since). The floor has a heating mechanism underneath. SO cool! Um, I mean SO HOT!

The target completion date was this Friday, October 26th (which would be 8 weeks), but that's clearly not going to happen. I'm crossing my fingers that we'll be able to have it done (or most of it done) by next Friday, November 2nd. Dick's father is coming to visit us for 3 weeks in November starting on the 7th, and we'd really like to have the construction done and the house back to normal before he arrives.

Greetings from San Francisco!

The days just don't get much nicer than this. Today was sunny, clear, and around 70 degrees. We decided to take advantage of our (late) Indian Summer and took a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge! It was just gorgeous. We walked the length of the bridge, to Marin and back, which is about 3 miles total.

It was the perfect way to get outside and get a little bit of exercise again.
I love this City.

The 2007 San Francisco Mayoral Elections

While eating our pancake breakfast this morning, Dick decided to entertain me by reading passages from the bios of the Candidates for Mayor for the upcoming election.

Some highlights:

H. Brown
Occupation: Publisher, SF Bulldog
bio highlight:
"I Believe in God, judgment and the SF 49'ers"

George Davis
Occupation: Writer/Nudist Activist
(Dick first read this as Writer/Nudist Architect, which was much funnier)
bio highlights:
"This is a One Issue campaign which is to make Golden Gate Park Clothing Optional..."
"You are free to be nude!!"
"Nude is not lewd"

Harold M. Hoogasian
Occupation: Florist/Coffee Farmer
Trina's notes: I've received flowers from his store before. I can attest that they were very beautiful. That means he'll make a good mayor, right?

Grasshopper Alec Kaplan
Occupation: Vegan Taxicab Driver (I can't make this stuff up)
bio highlights:
"Restore festival, carnival atmosphere; musicians, Artists, fun, love. Remember to smile, laugh, celebrate our wonderful existence, our fabulous planet..."

Michael Powers
Occupation: Nightclub Owner of the Power Exchange

John Rinaldi
Occupation: Showman
bio highlights:
"Hi, my name is Chicken John and I'm running for Mayor because I have a vision for the future of this city..."
"What are my qualifications? ... I converted my truck to run on coffee grounds with zero emissions..."

Gavin Newsom
Occupation: Mayor of San Francisco
bio highlights: We are the first American city to launch universal health care. We are taking bold action on climate change. We helped lead the fight for civil rights such as marriage equality. We won the stem cell center because the nation knows we are the capitol of innovation..."

So..... who would you vote for?

And seriously, does any other city have candidates like these?

It's a good thing that I'm still such a fan of Gavin. I know, he's made a few mistakes over the years, but let's face it: he's still the man for the job. He's' done some great things for the city in the past four years, and believe he's still got more to do.

Plus, the man has great hair.

What more could you want from a Mayor?

Here's an article on all of the candidates from sfgate.com.

How on Earth....

....did a snail get in the house? That's SO odd! Good thing I didn't
step on it with my bare feet! ew...

Rest assured, I brought the snail back outside. It reminded me of
"Homer" - the snail I had to raise in the fourth grade!

Dumbledore is Gay?

am I completely clueless?
Did anyone else get this?
It all makes sense now, but.....

I’ve GOT to go get my Gaydar fixed.

(read the story here)

Whose Wish List is this?

I was just buying a birthday gift for a friend of mine off of her amazon.com wish list.

I really dig the idea of the Wish List.

As a gift-buyer, it's nice to know that the gift that you are giving is something that the receiver actually wants and/or can really use. All too often, it's difficult to think of something to give the "person who has everything" and you really don't want to spend money on something that they don't actually use. This is not to say that one should not give gifts that aren't on a wish list - it's just a nice alternative means for options.

As a gift receiver, I really appreciate the idea of a wish list. Truly, I'm not in need of anything. I appreciate the thought of gifts, and certainly hope that no one would ever feel obligated to buy a gift for me, either. With that being said, it's nice to have a list "out there" with some small things that would make me happy to receive.

After I bought my friend's gift off of her wish list, I added an item to my amazon.com wish list. When I looked through the contents of what I've put up there over the last few months, it made me laugh.

Looking at it, you'd like I'm a young adolescent with a thing for 80s music. Here's a sample of what I have up there: Season 1 and 2 of the Muppet Show on DVD, Sesame Street Old School on DVD, Animaniacs Vol. 3, Complete Peanuts boxed sets, and a few "Best Of" CDs from bands from the 80s and early 90s. Drop in an Xbox game, and I'm a thirteen year old boy. Funny, huh? You'd never know I'm a 37-year old married woman.

I'm also a big fan of giving gift cards as gifts for friends and family. I know it sounds impersonal, but again, this way you know that the recipient will use it on something that they will enjoy.

I noticed that Safeway sells Ebay gift cards now. Now, please understand that I am not trying to solicit gifts by any means. I'm still not in need or want of anything. However, if you are trying to figure out a good gift, I'd be really happy to receive an ebay gift card. Why? Well, that's the place where I really find the things that I want that I know no one else will know about. Yes, I'm talking about antique Raggedy things, animation stuff, etc., I feel weird telling you all what a good gift idea for me would be, but I figure someone out there might appreciate it.

Now I feel weird and kind of greedy.
Hmmmm... not the effect I was going after.

Look who I ran into!

(not literally, of course!)

It's Andrew & Lola!
Miss Lola has grown so much since the last time I saw her. She (and
Andrew) were excited to demonstate all of new tricks she's learned.
What a good (and cute!) doggie!!

Welcome, baby Ella!

Sharon, Dick (with Ella), and Rob.

Congratulations to Rob, Sharon, and big brother Skyler! Congratulations on the beautiful addition to your family!

Pizza & Poker with da Boys

Playing Texas Hold 'em & "Follow the Bitch". (um, there's a joke in there somewhere...)

Tile - day 3

Lots of progress! We're really happy with how it's all coming together
so far!

"hi" Eileen!!!

Trina & Tammy pre-event set-up

Greetings from the Always Dream Foundation Event

Tile - early stages of day 2

Tile is being installed!

(that's my camera being crooked. Not the wall or tile!)

Lots of progress being made! I'll try to post more photos soon.

Happy Anniversary!

It's Happy Anniversary Day!

Today, Dick and I celebrate our 2nd Wedding Anniversary.
Amazing, isn't it? Those two years went by so quickly.
Happy Anniversary, Dick! I love you!

Now, as happy as I am to say that Dick and I have been married for two years, that seems to pale in comparison to the fact that today is also my parent's 40th Anniversary!

That's right, we share our anniversary date with my Mom and Dad!
Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! Thanks for being such a wonderful inspiration!



disclaimer: I'm kind of cheating here. My parents were married on October 9th, but they had their Chinese Banquet a few days/weeks later. The photo is from their banquet, and not taken on their actual wedding day.

Castro Street Fair

What a gorgeous day to be outside!

Dick warming up at Harding Park

Celebrating Grandma & Grandpa's Anniversary

Happy 60th Anniversary!

May and Choo Chan, 1947

Today is my maternal Grandparent's 60th Wedding Anniversary!

60 years! That's so incredible to me.

This year also marked the 60th Wedding Anniversary of my other Grandparents, as well as my parent's 40th (next week).

It's a big year for anniversaries in my family.
(Dick and I will be celebrating our 2nd next week :) )

Happy Anniversary, Grandma & Grandpa!

"Who are YOU?"

said the Caterpillar.



I've been wondering about this for a while now: Who are YOU?.

According to my web hosting company's usage statistics report, my site gets an average of over 5,000 hits per day (sometimes higher). The average amount of daily visits (which I assume means individual users) is 800-1000.

This seems astronomically high to me.
Who are all these people?

Some of these hits are for my regular web site, which has my business portfolio, resume, art projects, etc., There's also still a fair amount of hits for my Raggedy Ann Collection page as well (800/month). But, by and large, the most hits have been for my blog.

I used to assume that the only people reading my blog were friends and family. I mean, who else would read it, right? I've since received numerous comments or emails from people who found me through my blog. These are people I don't know who either found my blog through search engines, or perhaps through other blogs that I am now linked to. I recently had a comment come from a reader in Japan!

I find this most fascinating.

I'd really like to know WHO is reading this?

So, here comes the audience participatory part of this blog post:
If you're reading this, please send me an email, or leave a comment to this post. I'd love to know who you are! Even if you've never left a message before, please do so now. Even if you've never met me, or even if you have, please let me know who you are, where you're from, and (if you'd like) how you came to read my blog.

This should be interesting!
Thanks for playing!

Grandma Chow's How Gow

Insulation Installed

The contractors came in at 8:00 this morning, quickly installed the insulation, and will be putting up the sheet rock during the rest of the day!

Another reason why I love my hubby...

because there are so many...

I was having one of those "ugly days" today.

You know the kind: every time I saw my reflection in a mirror today, all I saw was "bleh". My hair was all wonky from sleeping on it semi-wet last night, so I pulled it back in a barrette today. I spent the day with my Grandparents in the hospital today, so I was just wearing an over-sized t-shirt, jeans, and no make up. I just felt so frumpy, mousie and dowdy all day.

When Dick came home this evening, the first thing he told me was how pretty I looked!
It simply astounded me that he saw me in a completely different way from how I saw myself.

I have the best husband ever.