Dick and I don't have any specific date that we celebrate as our "anniversary". Would it be the first day we met (which was a blind date), or our first "date" (which was 1 1/2 weeks later)?
The date I remember most easily is the day we met. We met on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, 1998.
How did we meet?
My friend Alice had sent this email to me earlier that month:
From: Alice
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1998 23:14:20 -0800 (PST)
To: trina@sirius.com
Subject: dick wants...
to meet you :-) you want me to give him your number? you want his?
Alice had met Dick through their mutual friend, Mitch. They had met on a few occasions, and he struck Alice as a fun, smart, & all-around-good-guy. After attending one of Dick & Pete's Halloween parties, she asked Dick if he was interested in meeting a friend of hers. She told him a little bit about me (I was 28 at the time, web-designer, working at an art gallery) and he said "sure!". (or something like that anyway - I can only assume, since I wasn't actually there)
That brings us back to the email Alice sent me, asking if it was okay if she gave him my number. My initial reaction was, "oh no, I couldn't do that" (go on a blind date, with some guy I didn't know). After Alice assured me that I had nothing to lose, I also remembered that I had recently made a promise to myself to be "more open to meeting new people". Really - i had just moved in to my new condo, and had a newfound gung-ho attitude towards improving my social life.
So Alice gave Dick my phone number, and he called me the morning of the Sunday before Thanksgiving. (which looks like November 22, 1998, now that I'm taking the time to look it up)
Dick and I arranged to meet each other at 4:00pm at Tulley's on Castro Street. He said, "I'll be the only straight guy in the Castro". Seemed like a good sign to me....
We hit it off pretty well, and went across the street to "The Patio" to grab a bite. I think we hung out for a couple of hours before walking home. I distinctly remember Dick saying that he wanted to get home before "The Simpsons" and "The X-Files". :) (ah, yes. the days before TIVO)
So there you go, and here we are 5 years later...wow.
I'm still amazed at how happy we are together, and how lucky I am. :)
Best-Boyfriend-Ever
Sunday, November 23, 2003
Friday, November 14, 2003
Klutzy day
Oy - I should probably just stay inside all day, and not go anywhere else.
I just got back from my pilates session with Blane. I was in the middle of doing a new excercise (hands behind my head/sitting/leaning flatback at a 45 degree angle)when I suddenly "lost it". Yep, almost tumbled into the reformer...
As I was leaving his house, I tripped on his stairs.
While I was driving away in my car, I scratched myself on my nose while waving goodbye to him.
I think I should sit here, in front of my computer, for the rest of the day.
I just got back from my pilates session with Blane. I was in the middle of doing a new excercise (hands behind my head/sitting/leaning flatback at a 45 degree angle)when I suddenly "lost it". Yep, almost tumbled into the reformer...
As I was leaving his house, I tripped on his stairs.
While I was driving away in my car, I scratched myself on my nose while waving goodbye to him.
I think I should sit here, in front of my computer, for the rest of the day.
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
Still catching up from the weekend
Busy, busy, busy lately.
We had a fun-filled, jam-packed weekend. I'm still trying to catch up from it.
The weekend started on Friday afternoon. Dick worked from home that day, and he needed some help to prepare for Shan's James Bond party that evening. Shan is the drummer in their band, Gafas de Soul. He has also worked with Dick for a few years. Anyway, the band was playing at Shan's party, so they needed some help getting all of the equipment over there and set up.
The party started at 8:00 that night. Shan's evite stated: "Come as you are, or dressed as a character from any James Bond or Austin Powers film". I rummaged through my closest, and decided to wear a dark blue Chinese dress that I bought in Chinatown earlier in the year. It's kind of perfect for the occassion: long dress, fairly form-fitting, with a fairly long slit up the leg. I also pulled my hair back in a tight, low ponytail. Even though I haven't seen many of the bond films, I figured that there's a good chance that in at least one of them, there's the token Asian girl. So, that's who I came as....
The party was a lot of fun. I mostly sat at the table, eating potato chips, and talking with Omar and Lora. The band played for about 2 1/2 hours. The were great! I haven't had a chance to just sit, and watch them perform in a while. Check them out!
Saturday, I tried to catch up with some work from the previous week. Dick spent the day playing his new Xbox game, "Crimson Skies". I tried it for a bit - it seems pretty great. Kind of like the Halo of flying games. Saturday night, we went out to dinner to celebrate Lora's birthday. I made a neat connection with one of our friends that night. Paula, the wife of one of the guys who used to work in the same group as Dick, found out that I used to be in color guard. (long story) Long story short, she told me that she was in color guard in High School in Colorado in the early 90s. She also mentioned that her instructor was an Asian girl who had been in the Santa Clara Vanguard. I put 2 and 2 together, and figured out that her former instructor was an acquaintance of mine, Stacey, who I had met through our mutual friend, Jolie. Stacey had stayed at my parents house several times during her time in Santa Clara. Wild. Small world.
Sunday was another band performance day for Dick. Several of our friends are in Company Chaddick dance company. Company Chaddick had it's annual benefit on Sunday at The Marsh. After hearing the band at our Halloween party, they asked Gafas de Soul to play during the benefit. It was a great afternoon, although it meant another trip of transporting the equipment. Tom, the guitar player, informed me that I had gone from being the "band groupie" to the "band roadie". Funny.
Sunday night I went to the Warfield with my sister, Tiffini. We went to see a performance of "A Mighty Wind"! Yep, it was a concert given by all of the actors of the movie, performing in character. Make sense? Okay, here's the really lame part: I had the movie (thanks to Netflix) at our house for the past 1 1/2 weeks, but I had not made the time to actually watch it before attending the concert. (I still haven't watched it) Regardless, I really enjoyed the concert. It was really amazing, especially when you consider what these people are doing. They are all incredible actors, and it was really a treat to have the opportunity to see them all perform live.
Here's a little description of the concert that I just found. Probably explains the whole thing better than I can:
'A Mighty Wind' cast takes its show out West
by Rob Evans
liveDaily Editor
October 28, 2003 02:38 PM - With a short fall tour of East Coast venues now in the books, the cast of the Christopher Guest mockumentary film "A Mighty Wind" is scheduled to tackle the West Coast.
The film followed three imaginary folk acts through the planning and performance of a memorial concert for a great (also fictional) folk-music promoter. Each of the upcoming concerts will feature The Folksmen (Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, who also portrayed the mock-metal band Spinal Tap), Mitch & Mickey (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara) and The New Main Street Singers (John Michael Higgins, Jane Lynch and Parker Posey).
The four-city November tour visits Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver and Seattle; dates and venues are listed in the itinerary below.
Does that make more sense now? It was really cool.
My weekend was extended through yesterday. I went to Milpitas to spend the day with my grandparents. My grandparents live in Stockton (all four of them, actually), but my mom's parents came to Milpitas for a few days to house-sit, and cat-sit while my parents are out of town. We had a lot of fun - had a nice dim sum lunch, then drove around Milpitas, window shopping.
Guess that's it. I'm still catching up on sleep, and getting some work done. Thought I'd take a quick break from work and jot down my activities from the weekend, before I forget!
We had a fun-filled, jam-packed weekend. I'm still trying to catch up from it.
The weekend started on Friday afternoon. Dick worked from home that day, and he needed some help to prepare for Shan's James Bond party that evening. Shan is the drummer in their band, Gafas de Soul. He has also worked with Dick for a few years. Anyway, the band was playing at Shan's party, so they needed some help getting all of the equipment over there and set up.
The party started at 8:00 that night. Shan's evite stated: "Come as you are, or dressed as a character from any James Bond or Austin Powers film". I rummaged through my closest, and decided to wear a dark blue Chinese dress that I bought in Chinatown earlier in the year. It's kind of perfect for the occassion: long dress, fairly form-fitting, with a fairly long slit up the leg. I also pulled my hair back in a tight, low ponytail. Even though I haven't seen many of the bond films, I figured that there's a good chance that in at least one of them, there's the token Asian girl. So, that's who I came as....
The party was a lot of fun. I mostly sat at the table, eating potato chips, and talking with Omar and Lora. The band played for about 2 1/2 hours. The were great! I haven't had a chance to just sit, and watch them perform in a while. Check them out!
Saturday, I tried to catch up with some work from the previous week. Dick spent the day playing his new Xbox game, "Crimson Skies". I tried it for a bit - it seems pretty great. Kind of like the Halo of flying games. Saturday night, we went out to dinner to celebrate Lora's birthday. I made a neat connection with one of our friends that night. Paula, the wife of one of the guys who used to work in the same group as Dick, found out that I used to be in color guard. (long story) Long story short, she told me that she was in color guard in High School in Colorado in the early 90s. She also mentioned that her instructor was an Asian girl who had been in the Santa Clara Vanguard. I put 2 and 2 together, and figured out that her former instructor was an acquaintance of mine, Stacey, who I had met through our mutual friend, Jolie. Stacey had stayed at my parents house several times during her time in Santa Clara. Wild. Small world.
Sunday was another band performance day for Dick. Several of our friends are in Company Chaddick dance company. Company Chaddick had it's annual benefit on Sunday at The Marsh. After hearing the band at our Halloween party, they asked Gafas de Soul to play during the benefit. It was a great afternoon, although it meant another trip of transporting the equipment. Tom, the guitar player, informed me that I had gone from being the "band groupie" to the "band roadie". Funny.
Sunday night I went to the Warfield with my sister, Tiffini. We went to see a performance of "A Mighty Wind"! Yep, it was a concert given by all of the actors of the movie, performing in character. Make sense? Okay, here's the really lame part: I had the movie (thanks to Netflix) at our house for the past 1 1/2 weeks, but I had not made the time to actually watch it before attending the concert. (I still haven't watched it) Regardless, I really enjoyed the concert. It was really amazing, especially when you consider what these people are doing. They are all incredible actors, and it was really a treat to have the opportunity to see them all perform live.
Here's a little description of the concert that I just found. Probably explains the whole thing better than I can:
'A Mighty Wind' cast takes its show out West
by Rob Evans
liveDaily Editor
October 28, 2003 02:38 PM - With a short fall tour of East Coast venues now in the books, the cast of the Christopher Guest mockumentary film "A Mighty Wind" is scheduled to tackle the West Coast.
The film followed three imaginary folk acts through the planning and performance of a memorial concert for a great (also fictional) folk-music promoter. Each of the upcoming concerts will feature The Folksmen (Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, who also portrayed the mock-metal band Spinal Tap), Mitch & Mickey (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara) and The New Main Street Singers (John Michael Higgins, Jane Lynch and Parker Posey).
The four-city November tour visits Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver and Seattle; dates and venues are listed in the itinerary below.
Does that make more sense now? It was really cool.
My weekend was extended through yesterday. I went to Milpitas to spend the day with my grandparents. My grandparents live in Stockton (all four of them, actually), but my mom's parents came to Milpitas for a few days to house-sit, and cat-sit while my parents are out of town. We had a lot of fun - had a nice dim sum lunch, then drove around Milpitas, window shopping.
Guess that's it. I'm still catching up on sleep, and getting some work done. Thought I'd take a quick break from work and jot down my activities from the weekend, before I forget!
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
New Software Day
I just finished installing 2 new pieces of software: OS X (10.3) and Flash MX 2004.
I have to say, the installation process went really well. OS X took a really long time (Dick says, "welcome to the world of UNIX"). There were 3 installation CDs! I haven't seen multiple installation CDs/disks since I had to install programs using little 3.5" floppy disks! Aside from that (and a roughly 45 minute process) all went well.
So far, I'm enjoying Panther. That's Apple-ese for this newest version of OS X. I'm calling it OS X code name: Claude. That's because I always joke that my kitty, Claude, is part Russian Blue, and part Panther. (he's very tall, and has very long legs)
Anyway, back to the new software. Dick's friends in the Mac Group have been telling me for months that the new upgrade is really great - they're working on new software, so they've been testing it on Panther for the past several months. So far, it definitely seems faster (very nice!). I also like the configuration of the Finder more so far. A little more intuitive. There are several new features that I know I won't use: I don't use Apple's Calendar or Mail program - I use Microsoft's Entourage instead for all of that. What kind of Microsoft girlfriend would I be if I didn't use all of these things? Anyway, it seems like there are several other changes/additions in here to play with. Guess I'll have to use it for a few more days to figure out how much a difference it will all make. So far, I've figured out how to use a little Raggedy Ann picture as my profile picture on AIM - that's exciting.
FYI:
MSN Messenger: trina_chow@hotmail.com
AIM: trinachow1
I'm on MSN at all times. I only log onto AIM every once in a while. It seems to be more popular with people in my family, and people in Dick's family.
Flash MX 2004. No news for you yet. I'll check it out within the next few days. The last version of Flash I have is about 3 years old - Flash 4. Unfortunately, it was too old of a version to get the full upgrade. Instead, I (luckily) was able to find someone who was able to get the educational version for me at a very reasonable price.
Anyway, I haven't used Flash too often yet - I used it for the opening screen on the Always Dream Foundation site, and for some small, personal projects. My new plan is to learn Flash MX by doing a bunch of personal projects (those I had previously done, or wanted to do with Director years ago) then utilizing my new skills to offer it to clients if they want.
Hopefully, I'll get something started within the next few days. I'll check out the tutorial first. My friend, Willo, is a bonafied "Flash Goddess" (really). She and I may exchange some lessons on Flash for Photoshop and Quickbook lessons. good deal, eh?
I have to say, the installation process went really well. OS X took a really long time (Dick says, "welcome to the world of UNIX"). There were 3 installation CDs! I haven't seen multiple installation CDs/disks since I had to install programs using little 3.5" floppy disks! Aside from that (and a roughly 45 minute process) all went well.
So far, I'm enjoying Panther. That's Apple-ese for this newest version of OS X. I'm calling it OS X code name: Claude. That's because I always joke that my kitty, Claude, is part Russian Blue, and part Panther. (he's very tall, and has very long legs)
Anyway, back to the new software. Dick's friends in the Mac Group have been telling me for months that the new upgrade is really great - they're working on new software, so they've been testing it on Panther for the past several months. So far, it definitely seems faster (very nice!). I also like the configuration of the Finder more so far. A little more intuitive. There are several new features that I know I won't use: I don't use Apple's Calendar or Mail program - I use Microsoft's Entourage instead for all of that. What kind of Microsoft girlfriend would I be if I didn't use all of these things? Anyway, it seems like there are several other changes/additions in here to play with. Guess I'll have to use it for a few more days to figure out how much a difference it will all make. So far, I've figured out how to use a little Raggedy Ann picture as my profile picture on AIM - that's exciting.
FYI:
MSN Messenger: trina_chow@hotmail.com
AIM: trinachow1
I'm on MSN at all times. I only log onto AIM every once in a while. It seems to be more popular with people in my family, and people in Dick's family.
Flash MX 2004. No news for you yet. I'll check it out within the next few days. The last version of Flash I have is about 3 years old - Flash 4. Unfortunately, it was too old of a version to get the full upgrade. Instead, I (luckily) was able to find someone who was able to get the educational version for me at a very reasonable price.
Anyway, I haven't used Flash too often yet - I used it for the opening screen on the Always Dream Foundation site, and for some small, personal projects. My new plan is to learn Flash MX by doing a bunch of personal projects (those I had previously done, or wanted to do with Director years ago) then utilizing my new skills to offer it to clients if they want.
Hopefully, I'll get something started within the next few days. I'll check out the tutorial first. My friend, Willo, is a bonafied "Flash Goddess" (really). She and I may exchange some lessons on Flash for Photoshop and Quickbook lessons. good deal, eh?
Sunday, November 02, 2003
Halloween Party
The Halloween Party last night was great fun! There were some really terrific costumes! To name a few, we had Charlie Brown, Where's Waldo, a flasher, and a Chick Magnet! I've posted some pictures.
We had a lot of fun dressed as Superman & Wonder Woman. I'd like to thank Mykail for doing my hair :) We had a party music mix playing throughout the night - Dick arranged it so that every few songs played was the theme some from Superman or Wonder Woman. Very funny.
We probably had about 50 people in and out during the evening. The last guests left around 2:30am!
Dick's band, Gafas de Soul, played for a couple of hours. Most people had not had an opportunity to hear them before, so it was a real "treat"!
Thanks to all who came! We had a great time!
Friday, October 31, 2003
Happy Halloween (part 2)
Dick, Mykail and I carved our pumpkins tonight.
Can you guess who carved which pumpkin?
Here's a great site where we found the stencils for our pumplin carving.
Happy Halloween!!!
We'll be having our Halloween Party tomorrow night. I'll post pictures after the event.
Here's Noe in her Halloween costume from a few years ago when she was still a kitten.
Thursday, October 30, 2003
The BEST Surprise EVER!!!
I just got the best surprise!!! Really!!!
Mykail called me this morning as I was ready to go out to run some errands. He asked me when I was going to return so we could talk later. I told him between 5 & 6:00......
The next thing I know, he calls my sister on her cell phone (she's here running errands with me) asking her what time we'd be back so his friend could talk with her.
Anyway, long story short: We come come, I'm emptying the car (lots of stuff for the Halloween party) and I hear someone say "You need some help with that?" It was Mykail & Jessica!!!
They drove up last night with Vicky - completely spontaneous. They all came up for various reasons - one of them being to surprise me, and come to our Halloween Party on Saturday!!!! :)!!!!
It's even more great because Dick is away for a business trip for a couple of days. this was the case the last time Mykail came to visit over the summer, too. Each time this happens, I say, "Now filling in for the roll of Trina's Boyfriend...."
Yay!! Best Surprise Ever!!!
Mykail called me this morning as I was ready to go out to run some errands. He asked me when I was going to return so we could talk later. I told him between 5 & 6:00......
The next thing I know, he calls my sister on her cell phone (she's here running errands with me) asking her what time we'd be back so his friend could talk with her.
Anyway, long story short: We come come, I'm emptying the car (lots of stuff for the Halloween party) and I hear someone say "You need some help with that?" It was Mykail & Jessica!!!
They drove up last night with Vicky - completely spontaneous. They all came up for various reasons - one of them being to surprise me, and come to our Halloween Party on Saturday!!!! :)!!!!
It's even more great because Dick is away for a business trip for a couple of days. this was the case the last time Mykail came to visit over the summer, too. Each time this happens, I say, "Now filling in for the roll of Trina's Boyfriend...."
Yay!! Best Surprise Ever!!!
Fired for Blogging?
Yikes. This employee was fired for blogging.
Better watch what I say. My boss could fire me.... ;)
Seriously though, if you think I've blogged about anything I shouldn't have, or have written anything inappropriate, let me know. Would hate to offend anyone, or write anything that I shouldn't.
Now I'm all paranoid.
Better watch what I say. My boss could fire me.... ;)
Seriously though, if you think I've blogged about anything I shouldn't have, or have written anything inappropriate, let me know. Would hate to offend anyone, or write anything that I shouldn't.
Now I'm all paranoid.
Opus' Dad
Tuesday, September 28th was a very exciting day for my Mom! My mom, sister and I met up at the Border's Book Store in Palo Alto for a book signing by Berkeley Breathed.
Who's Berke Breathed? Well, he's Opus' Dad, of course. He is perhaps more widely known for being the creator and artist of "Bloom County" and "Outland". However, in our family, we call him "Opus' Dad".
My Mom started to have a small collection of penguins in the early 80s. What really launched her love for penguins had to have been when Bloom County came out - she immediately fell in love with Opus.
Just to make things clear: (pretend you're taking a SAT test again)
Trina: Raggedy Ann
Barbara: Opus the penguin
get it?
Berke Breathed is known to be a very private man. I can't imagine he does many talks or book signings. I can't imagine he needs to - he has quite a following from Bloom County already. He just came out with his latest children's book titled "Flawed Dogs: The Year-End Leftovers at the Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound". That was the book he was promoting.
It was the quickest book signing I've ever attended (although I've actually only attended two). He spoke for about 3 minutes, then started to sign books. I think this is because it was Noon on Tuesday afternoon, and he figured most people were there on their lunch break.
Here's a picture of my Mom meeting Mr. Breathed. She had him sign his new book, and an Opus Poster that I found on ebay for her a few years back. She was really excited. Kind of like when I had the opportunity to meet the family of the creator of Raggedy Ann for the first time! :)
Oh - keep your eyes open! his new Opus comic strip will start appearing in Sunday Papers at the end of November! they're going to be 1/2 page strips! Woo-Hoo!!!
Monday, October 27, 2003
Southern Cal fires
yikes.
Really bad fires down in Southern Cal. I'm hoping that all of my friends who are down there are okay.
I talked with Mykail yesterday. He lives in San Diego. he said the fires were about 10 minutes from him, and he didn't think that he'd have to evacuate. He packed a bag, and was ready to leave, just in case.
The description he gave was really surreal: he said it looks like the first fall of snow outside - only it's ash. The sky was black - this was at 3:00 in the afternoon. He described how all of the TV stations were only covering the fires... until the local FOX station had to go off the air because they had the evacuate the TV station.
It's really awful. If you're one of my Southern Cal friends, and just happen to be reading this, please check in.
Really bad fires down in Southern Cal. I'm hoping that all of my friends who are down there are okay.
I talked with Mykail yesterday. He lives in San Diego. he said the fires were about 10 minutes from him, and he didn't think that he'd have to evacuate. He packed a bag, and was ready to leave, just in case.
The description he gave was really surreal: he said it looks like the first fall of snow outside - only it's ash. The sky was black - this was at 3:00 in the afternoon. He described how all of the TV stations were only covering the fires... until the local FOX station had to go off the air because they had the evacuate the TV station.
It's really awful. If you're one of my Southern Cal friends, and just happen to be reading this, please check in.
Saturday, October 25, 2003
Gay Boyfriend
Check out this video:"Gay Boyfriend".
It's really funny, and kind of reminds me of my first boyfriend (who yes, was indeed, ultimately... gay). The people who made it used software from Re:Vision Effects (Pete's Company).
It's really funny, and kind of reminds me of my first boyfriend (who yes, was indeed, ultimately... gay). The people who made it used software from Re:Vision Effects (Pete's Company).
Friday, October 24, 2003
My talented friend, Jason
My friend Jason just left after a quick 3 day visit. He was in town for the SF Travel Expo. He lived here for several years, so he has plenty of friends, and favorite places to visit.
Jason is a man of many talents. First of all, kudos to Jason - he just signed his first book deal!!! I'm just thrilled for him. I'm not sure how much of this is for public knowledge, so I'll write more later when I know.
Another one of Jason's talents? I think I may have mentioned it in an earlier post. Jason shares my love for the original Star Wars trilogy. Last night, we found that we are worthy opponents for "Star Wars Trivia". We had a great time playing. Here's the part I love: Jason is the only person I know who can speak "Greedo". For those of you who don't know, Greedo was the green alien with the pointy snout who had a discussion, and was then shot by Han Solo.
Jason is a man of many talents. First of all, kudos to Jason - he just signed his first book deal!!! I'm just thrilled for him. I'm not sure how much of this is for public knowledge, so I'll write more later when I know.
Another one of Jason's talents? I think I may have mentioned it in an earlier post. Jason shares my love for the original Star Wars trilogy. Last night, we found that we are worthy opponents for "Star Wars Trivia". We had a great time playing. Here's the part I love: Jason is the only person I know who can speak "Greedo". For those of you who don't know, Greedo was the green alien with the pointy snout who had a discussion, and was then shot by Han Solo.
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
Random thoughts from the middle of the night
Here are some things I've learned by waking up and working from 2:00am-6:00am:
It's really dark outside
The cats are still asleep
the garbage man comes *really* early.
No one is logged-on to Instant Messenger
junk mail never sleeps
I get some pretty good work done.
sfgate.com doesn't put new stories up in the middle of the night
it's too bad I don't drink coffee
i come up with more reasons to blog
It's really dark outside
The cats are still asleep
the garbage man comes *really* early.
No one is logged-on to Instant Messenger
junk mail never sleeps
I get some pretty good work done.
sfgate.com doesn't put new stories up in the middle of the night
it's too bad I don't drink coffee
i come up with more reasons to blog
Crazy Artist hours
Here's one of the great perks about having your own business: you can establish your own hours.
For some reason, I woke up at 2:00am today. I got out of bed, and walked down the hallway to the office. (I call this my "commute"). I received an email from a new client giving me the go-ahead to start a new design. Suddenly, I was creatively inspired. That's what happens at 2:00am.
So it's 5:45 now. The creative juices were flowing: I managed to create a really great design. (i think - we'll see what she thinks)
Oh, BTW, the new client is "the other" Trina Chow's cousin! Yep, it all worked out, and she hired me to design her new site. I'm giving her the "Friends and Family" rate. :)
I'm trying to decide whether or not to go back to bed now. It's almost 6:00, and I have to get up at 7:00. Yeesh. I'm driving Dick to work today, then going to Milpitas to spend the day with my Mom. (once again, another perk of working for yourself) Dick needs to be to work by 9:00, so we need to leave the house by 8:00.
Oy. I'm thinking I'm not going to be such a happy camper in the middle of the afternoon today....
For some reason, I woke up at 2:00am today. I got out of bed, and walked down the hallway to the office. (I call this my "commute"). I received an email from a new client giving me the go-ahead to start a new design. Suddenly, I was creatively inspired. That's what happens at 2:00am.
So it's 5:45 now. The creative juices were flowing: I managed to create a really great design. (i think - we'll see what she thinks)
Oh, BTW, the new client is "the other" Trina Chow's cousin! Yep, it all worked out, and she hired me to design her new site. I'm giving her the "Friends and Family" rate. :)
I'm trying to decide whether or not to go back to bed now. It's almost 6:00, and I have to get up at 7:00. Yeesh. I'm driving Dick to work today, then going to Milpitas to spend the day with my Mom. (once again, another perk of working for yourself) Dick needs to be to work by 9:00, so we need to leave the house by 8:00.
Oy. I'm thinking I'm not going to be such a happy camper in the middle of the afternoon today....
Thursday, October 16, 2003
2 for 1 sales - friend or foe?
I think I have a love/hate relationships with 2 for 1 sales.
I went to Safeway yesterday. I was very excited, because Oscar Meyer Bacon was on sale, 2 for 1! Those of you who know Dick know that he LOVES bacon. Not that he over-does it, but he does have a few slices on weekends. He's also very picky about bacon - it must be Oscar Meyer regular cut. None of that thick slice stuff....
Anyhow, I always get excited when I see that it's on sale. I have to stock up, and put a whole bunch in the freezer. I figure, I know we'll eat it, so I might as well buy as much as I can on sale. And so I did - I bought 8 packs yesterday.
That's a good 2 for 1 sale story.
Here's a Bad 2 for 1 story: while perusing around the store, I came across the 2 for 1 Lay's potato chips. No, I don't need potato chips. If I don't have them around the house, I certainly don't miss them. But, there they were: 2 for 1! what a deal. Plus, we're having a Halloween Party at the end of the month, so I thought I'd buy them now, and keep them for the party.
Silly me. What was I thinking?
Yep, I'm snacking on them right now.
evil, evil, evil.
I went to Safeway yesterday. I was very excited, because Oscar Meyer Bacon was on sale, 2 for 1! Those of you who know Dick know that he LOVES bacon. Not that he over-does it, but he does have a few slices on weekends. He's also very picky about bacon - it must be Oscar Meyer regular cut. None of that thick slice stuff....
Anyhow, I always get excited when I see that it's on sale. I have to stock up, and put a whole bunch in the freezer. I figure, I know we'll eat it, so I might as well buy as much as I can on sale. And so I did - I bought 8 packs yesterday.
That's a good 2 for 1 sale story.
Here's a Bad 2 for 1 story: while perusing around the store, I came across the 2 for 1 Lay's potato chips. No, I don't need potato chips. If I don't have them around the house, I certainly don't miss them. But, there they were: 2 for 1! what a deal. Plus, we're having a Halloween Party at the end of the month, so I thought I'd buy them now, and keep them for the party.
Silly me. What was I thinking?
Yep, I'm snacking on them right now.
evil, evil, evil.
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
My best friend from First Grade
This is such a great story. My family moved around a lot when I was a kid. We moved from Stockton, to Modesto, Visalia, Fresno (had two houses there) then to Milpitas by the time I was 8. My sister and I were pretty accustomed to going to new schools and making new friends.
In January 1976, we moved to our first house in Fresno, on Prospect Ave. We went to school at Fig Garden Elementary. Believe it or not, we actually walked through the fig orchards to get to school! (that sounds so "Little House on the Prairie" to me now) I was in first grade at the time. It was then that I met my first "best friend".
Terri was in my class, and lived down the street with me. I can remember being in school with Terri just a little bit: I remember writing and reciting a report about "The Bald Eagle" and how Terri told me how proud of me she was. :) I also remember her singing me Happy Birthday when I turned 6.
Here's a picture that I took during a field trip to the Fresno Zoo when we were in first grade. There's Terri in the background - she's the cute little blond girl waving at the camera. There's my Mom - who chaperoned that day - she's on the left side.
Terri and I became fast best friends. I have so many fond memories of playing with her during our summer break. Terri was (and still is) a movie fanatic! she used to write scripts for us to act out. (yes, we were only 6 years old!) I also remember that she was a huge fan of "The Six Million Dollar Man" - she wrote a script where she insisted that I play Oscar (was Gorman his last name? Random Trivia). Wasn't he the boss, or something like that?
Terri was my very first business partner! We opened my first and only lemonade stand that summer - Actually, we sold Kool-Aid. We made signs, and posted them all throughout the block. I think we made some $$, but honestly, I don't remember that part.
Terri has wonderful parents - I remember that they were always so kind to me. She also had an older brother, Christopher who has downs syndrome. It's interesting looking back at this. Now I know what an amazing gift and lesson Terri's family taught me at such an early age. Chris was the first person I can remember meeting with any kind of physical or mental disabilities. I don't remember thinking anything of his disabilities at the time - which I think says so much for Terri and her family. I just thought of him as Terri's older brother, who had some special needs.
Sadly, Terri and her family moved at the end of the summer. They moved a few hours away to Fair Oaks, near Sacramento. (which, to a kid, seems a world away) I remember being very sad that my best friend was moving away.
Here's the amazing part: Terri and I managed to stay in touch by becoming pen pals. Think about that: 2 6-year olds writing letters to stay in touch. Think about it: snail mail. That's right... no email, no instant messenger, we didn't' even call each other because long-distance phone calls were too expensive back then.
So, we wrote, and wrote and wrote... all throughout our childhood, and into adulthood. We both had strange fascination with SciFi (Battlestar Gallactica and Star Wars). Sometimes, we sent cassette tapes to each other of the other talking, or playing the latest piano song we just learned.
Terri and her family came back to visit Fresno once that I can remember. I think we were in second or third grade. Here's a pictures of us in my family's backyard with my sister, Tiffini.
The next time Terri and I saw each other again was in 1985 - we were both sophomores in High School. My parents have a time-share condo up in Tahoe, and we invited Terri to come up with us for the week. Mind you, I'm sure Terri and I were both a little nervous, since we hadn't seen each other for such a long time. Luckily, we got along really well, and rediscovered our friendship! I think we both made trips to visit each other that summer. Come to think of it, that was the summer that we filmed "Star Wars" using Terri's High-8 camera, and all of my Star Wars action figures, ships, playsets, and "The Story of Star Wars Soundtrack". Really. it's a hoot. Someday, I'll have to get a copy of this from Terri.
In 1987, we both graduated from high school. Eventually, Terri moved to San Francisco to go to State, and I moved to the mid-west for color guard.
The next time we saw each other was in 1994 at Terri's Wedding!!!! Can you believe it? My best friend from first grade was getting married!! She was so sweet to invite my entire family, too. Here's a great picture that she sent me from her wedding! Note: I had just finished teaching 2 weeks of band camp (outdoors). That would explain why I'm unusually dark.
Terri is married to a great guy named Derek. They met while in film school at San Francisco State. My favorite part of their wedding was the "Star Wars Theme". They sent out Star Wars-style trading cards with their wedding invitations - collect them all! it was so clever. each one had a different picture of them standing in front of an important landmark in their relationship - the hospital where they were born, where they had their first date (which I believe was Mel's Drive-In), etc. Really cute.
Terri and Derek live down in Burbank now. They have a beautiful little boy named Deacon. I've managed to make it down a few times over the last few years to visit with them, although I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Deacon yet.
anyway, I'm writing all of this because Terri and I just exchanged emails yesterday. Whenever we see each other, we always marvel at how we managed to stay in touch over all of these years - especially since we were so young.
What a wonderful and special friendship we have. Thanks, Terri!!!
In January 1976, we moved to our first house in Fresno, on Prospect Ave. We went to school at Fig Garden Elementary. Believe it or not, we actually walked through the fig orchards to get to school! (that sounds so "Little House on the Prairie" to me now) I was in first grade at the time. It was then that I met my first "best friend".
Terri was in my class, and lived down the street with me. I can remember being in school with Terri just a little bit: I remember writing and reciting a report about "The Bald Eagle" and how Terri told me how proud of me she was. :) I also remember her singing me Happy Birthday when I turned 6.
Here's a picture that I took during a field trip to the Fresno Zoo when we were in first grade. There's Terri in the background - she's the cute little blond girl waving at the camera. There's my Mom - who chaperoned that day - she's on the left side. Terri and I became fast best friends. I have so many fond memories of playing with her during our summer break. Terri was (and still is) a movie fanatic! she used to write scripts for us to act out. (yes, we were only 6 years old!) I also remember that she was a huge fan of "The Six Million Dollar Man" - she wrote a script where she insisted that I play Oscar (was Gorman his last name? Random Trivia). Wasn't he the boss, or something like that?
Terri was my very first business partner! We opened my first and only lemonade stand that summer - Actually, we sold Kool-Aid. We made signs, and posted them all throughout the block. I think we made some $$, but honestly, I don't remember that part.
Terri has wonderful parents - I remember that they were always so kind to me. She also had an older brother, Christopher who has downs syndrome. It's interesting looking back at this. Now I know what an amazing gift and lesson Terri's family taught me at such an early age. Chris was the first person I can remember meeting with any kind of physical or mental disabilities. I don't remember thinking anything of his disabilities at the time - which I think says so much for Terri and her family. I just thought of him as Terri's older brother, who had some special needs.
Sadly, Terri and her family moved at the end of the summer. They moved a few hours away to Fair Oaks, near Sacramento. (which, to a kid, seems a world away) I remember being very sad that my best friend was moving away.
Here's the amazing part: Terri and I managed to stay in touch by becoming pen pals. Think about that: 2 6-year olds writing letters to stay in touch. Think about it: snail mail. That's right... no email, no instant messenger, we didn't' even call each other because long-distance phone calls were too expensive back then.
So, we wrote, and wrote and wrote... all throughout our childhood, and into adulthood. We both had strange fascination with SciFi (Battlestar Gallactica and Star Wars). Sometimes, we sent cassette tapes to each other of the other talking, or playing the latest piano song we just learned.
Terri and her family came back to visit Fresno once that I can remember. I think we were in second or third grade. Here's a pictures of us in my family's backyard with my sister, Tiffini. The next time Terri and I saw each other again was in 1985 - we were both sophomores in High School. My parents have a time-share condo up in Tahoe, and we invited Terri to come up with us for the week. Mind you, I'm sure Terri and I were both a little nervous, since we hadn't seen each other for such a long time. Luckily, we got along really well, and rediscovered our friendship! I think we both made trips to visit each other that summer. Come to think of it, that was the summer that we filmed "Star Wars" using Terri's High-8 camera, and all of my Star Wars action figures, ships, playsets, and "The Story of Star Wars Soundtrack". Really. it's a hoot. Someday, I'll have to get a copy of this from Terri.
In 1987, we both graduated from high school. Eventually, Terri moved to San Francisco to go to State, and I moved to the mid-west for color guard.
The next time we saw each other was in 1994 at Terri's Wedding!!!! Can you believe it? My best friend from first grade was getting married!! She was so sweet to invite my entire family, too. Here's a great picture that she sent me from her wedding! Note: I had just finished teaching 2 weeks of band camp (outdoors). That would explain why I'm unusually dark. Terri is married to a great guy named Derek. They met while in film school at San Francisco State. My favorite part of their wedding was the "Star Wars Theme". They sent out Star Wars-style trading cards with their wedding invitations - collect them all! it was so clever. each one had a different picture of them standing in front of an important landmark in their relationship - the hospital where they were born, where they had their first date (which I believe was Mel's Drive-In), etc. Really cute.
Terri and Derek live down in Burbank now. They have a beautiful little boy named Deacon. I've managed to make it down a few times over the last few years to visit with them, although I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Deacon yet.
anyway, I'm writing all of this because Terri and I just exchanged emails yesterday. Whenever we see each other, we always marvel at how we managed to stay in touch over all of these years - especially since we were so young.
What a wonderful and special friendship we have. Thanks, Terri!!!
Sunday, October 12, 2003
Gafas de Soul
Check out the sounds of Gafas de Soul. Dick just uploaded some sample tunes! They sound terrific.
Have an event that you need a jazz band for? Send them an email.
Have an event that you need a jazz band for? Send them an email.
Jesus Christ - The Musical
We just got back from seeing "Jesus Christ, Superstar" with my family.
here's a little background: Until 2 weeks ago, I had never heard the soundtrack. To be honest, I didn't even know the story - apart from the (very) obvious that is. You may say, "isn't the whole story very obvious?" No, not to me. I'm probably one of the very few people you know who has not read The Bible. For the record, (because religion is such a touchy situation) I have nothing against the bible, or religion for that matter. I was brought up without any religion, and was given the opportunity to make my own spiritual/religious choices as an adult.
So, back to the story at-hand. A couple of weeks ago, Dick and I drove up to Napa Valley for the day. He had grown up listening to the soundtrack of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and LOVED it. I'm pretty sure he can sing the entire album. (or CD, or whatever it's called these days) We had just been to Amoeba Records on Haight Street, where he bought a copy of the soundtrack. Yep, we listened to the entire CD on our way to and from Napa. Dick was kind enough to explain the story along the way to me.
My synopsis of "Jesus Christ Superstar"?
....it's like "Schoolhouse Rock" for the Bible.
editor's note I hope I did not offend, or shock anyone with this post. I try to make it a point never to talk about religion or politics among friends. I figured that since this was a Broadway musical, I could slip it in. :)
here's a little background: Until 2 weeks ago, I had never heard the soundtrack. To be honest, I didn't even know the story - apart from the (very) obvious that is. You may say, "isn't the whole story very obvious?" No, not to me. I'm probably one of the very few people you know who has not read The Bible. For the record, (because religion is such a touchy situation) I have nothing against the bible, or religion for that matter. I was brought up without any religion, and was given the opportunity to make my own spiritual/religious choices as an adult.
So, back to the story at-hand. A couple of weeks ago, Dick and I drove up to Napa Valley for the day. He had grown up listening to the soundtrack of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and LOVED it. I'm pretty sure he can sing the entire album. (or CD, or whatever it's called these days) We had just been to Amoeba Records on Haight Street, where he bought a copy of the soundtrack. Yep, we listened to the entire CD on our way to and from Napa. Dick was kind enough to explain the story along the way to me.
My synopsis of "Jesus Christ Superstar"?
....it's like "Schoolhouse Rock" for the Bible.
editor's note I hope I did not offend, or shock anyone with this post. I try to make it a point never to talk about religion or politics among friends. I figured that since this was a Broadway musical, I could slip it in. :)
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