Reentering the Twitter world!

It has been awhile since I blogged or twitted! ...in case you didn't notice. haha
Just thought that twitter maybe a good place to have my countdown!

Puppy

Dear family and friends,

We would like to update you with what we have been doing in the sunshine state. We got a puppy! Her name is Sammie! She's a little over 2 months old now and weight about 2.5lbs! She's half Poodle and half Shih Tzu. Sammie's a quick learner and we are very pleased :) She does keep us very busy but we don't mind it.

Back to the west coast. Step one...

It's time! I'm so excited that we are getting ready to put our house on the market. There will be work; there will be stress; but it's all good.

Hong Kong Trip

When was the last time I spent Chinese New Year in Hong Kong? ...... I think it was back in the early 90s. I have my bags packed! I'm heading to Hong Kong to spend some time with Mom. I will get there after a 26.5 hr trip from Florida to H.K. Last trip I took to H.K. from Florida took me TWO days. Hope I won't get stuck at any connections.

It just came to my mind that this is the first time I'll be handing out Chinese New Year Red Pockets in Hong Kong!! First Time and we have been married for almost ten years!! Work has been very stressful. This trip will really help me to take a break from all the crazy business.

Are you ready for Thanksgiving?

Turkey - No check
Gravy - No check
Spuds -No check
Cranberry Sauce - No check
Pumpkin Pie - No check

Figuring out where to go for a long weekend - Check!
Hotels - Check!
Fun Ideas - Check!

We are getting ready for our 3rd annual TG road trip! First year, we went to Atlanta, GA. Second year, we visited Ashville, NC. It has been working out pretty good, instead of feeling so far away from family and getting depressed, we take advantage of the long weekend - we travel. This year, we are going to somewhere warmer, Miami and Fort Lauderdale, FL! We figured out where to get Turkey dinner on the road on TG day since the 1st annual TG road trip. This year we have the same tradition, Turkey dinner on the road. We are looking forward to this trip! A trip that is not saying goodbye to our love ones, a trip that's actually positive, and a trip that's just the two of us!

It should be fun!

Are you ready for your Thanksgiving? May your Thanksgiving be filled with warth love from your friends and family!

H1N1 vaccine

H1N1 vaccine is available for us through work. I understand there are people / countries do not want to be vaccinated against the H1N1 virus. We had been debating for a couple of weeks. As soon as I heard California, Oregon, Washington, Florida are all in the 48 states that has widespread influenza activity, we made our decision. We had our H1N1 shot this morning. To us, it's like another flu shot. So far, we are okay.

Grandma

Our Grandma in Hong Kong had left us a couple weeks ago to a peaceful place.

Goodbye Father

Dear Father,

Thank you for all your wisdom and love all throughout the years. I won't be who I am without any of it.

It has been only five years since you retired. You have worked hard all life long for us and your parents. You have endured discomforts here and there through out the years and things that you were not too satisfied with in this world. Now you are in a pain-free and a work-free dimension. I hope you find your way around easily in this new dimension and not have to worry about the past.

Even you moved from the next continent to the next dimension, you will always be in our minds. Your favorites, your determinations, your philosophy.... they will always be with us.

Wish you well, Goodbye!
K

Doctor, pls don't say that...

We have been really worried about my parents overseas. My dad's been in a hospital for a few days and mom takes care of him all by herself. Hospital staff has been running all sort of tests to diagnose and didn't come up with anything until today. Doctor thinks it maybe Lung Infection but not 100%, await for further test/test result. During the same conversation, he suggested mom to notify dad's siblings and us, the kids.

We, my bro, sis, and I, have been in the loop with the process. Mom is very shocked to hear the doctor's suggestion. Why would the doctor say that? Oh ... we are sooo very worry.

Played too much and not blogged enough!

Sorry internet, we have been busy this summer, in a good way! We have had 3 trips since I blogged last! The longest trip was 13 days. I do have pictures to share and I should be able to upload them soon!

Happy Summer!

Turning my phone to a GPS with topographic map!

Our dear friend has written an iPhone application: TopoPointUSA. It's an awesome USGS GPS map application. I'm getting it right now! Can't wait to use it this weekend for our hikes!

Month of May

May is such a beautiful month! It seems like so every year; no matter where we are. We notice people, all people, seem to be in a very good mood. Maybe it's the weather that becomes nicer and nicer, maybe it's Cinco de Mayo that puts us into a great party mood, maybe it's Mother's day that reminds us how kind we are and how we are capable to love, maybe it's the end of a school year that signifies accomplishments and new hopes arising among us....

or, maybe ... the month of May is the month that my dearest husband and I chose to commit to each other before our family and friends from far and near - nine Mays ago. May is such a beautiful month!

Shrimp Fest is Here!

Every year, first weekend of May, Fernandina Beach has this festivity called "Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival". Time flies, this is going to be our 3rd Shrimp Fest! Have we really been here for Three Years already?

I do like the Shrimp Festival quite a lot. With the beautiful weather and a lot of people will flood over here, I can't miss out! The Festival will start off with a parade (my favorite part of the Shrimp Fest) this evening. This year I won't be in it (even better!); I'll get to hang out with Stakit..... I better get going! CHEERS!!

Severe Homesick

I have been getting very homesick this past month..... we feel like we are too far away from everyone and everything. I mean everything..... We have been here for over 2.5 years now. Things are going good for both Stakit and I. Not to mention, the weather is nice; grass turned all green all of a sudden; flowers are blooming; sky is almost always blue; the neighborhood we are in is not bad; and we are fairly happy with this house..... Somehow.... this picture is not perfect.

I was playing my iPod today and Michael Buble's "Home" came on. I don't know what it was; my tears just start rolling down my cheeks and wouldn't stop. Yes, I know it's not a first but today my tears just would not stop.... Even with my sunglasses on but still. I had to quickly rush back to my car and had a moment to myself.... a very long moment.

We really didn't anticipate this will be this hard for us. 2.5 years! Why couldn't we just "get over it"? Why? I simply don't have the answer.

Overusing my eyes?

I know I'm getting older and older everyday. I would think my "equipment" would start going / fading gradually, just gradually! For the last few weeks, it looks like that's not the case. My eyesight is getting worse and worse, especially in the evenings. The only one reason I can think of is from reading for a long time. School and work are providing plenty of material to read. Even I have exhausted my eyes and my mind, there is still more, more, and more! Are my eyes really getting super old in a short period of time? or, are they just going on strike for the moment? Aaaaah.... It's frustrating and I don't know what to do with my blurry vision.

Nothing will stop me!

My internship started a couple days ago. Yes, that's right! My first day at the office is the same day as our new President at his office. What a coincidence! I don't think my day was as significant as the President's, however. No one was following me around, the whole world was not talking about me, nor a special meter for me. I'm alright with that ;) I'll tell you what I got but the president doesn't have! Really??

I was having some sinus issues from my very bad cold that you all know about. Yes, "sick like a dog"! It has been over two weeks now. This past week I felt better in some ways but worse in others. My teeth were hurting, my headache above my (one) eye-brow-bone and my (one) eye socket were hurting so bad. I was fatigued and confused. Come to find out I have a sinus headache. I personally don't have a problem with visiting the doctor. I had been just way too tired to go! Then I was afraid of the "S" word, sinus. Crap. If it's bacterial, I may need antibiotics. I finally went to visit a doctor yesterday. Come to find out that I still have a fever (yes, I was too lazy to measure my temperature too)! The dr. thinks it's viral. Yay, don't need to take antibiotics! He also said I have been doing the right things to treat my cold at home. It's just a very bad one.

Yes, a bad cold I have.

Even though I don't feel 100%, I'm enjoying my new gig! Working with lawyers, seeing different judges, and reading/hearing different stories and cases, I find it very peculiar, divergent, and yet exciting! This very interesting world is very different. I can't wait to see what I can offer in this "new" world! Nope, my painful sinus deal is not going to stop me, the overwhelming profession is not going to stop me, the unfamiliar environment is not going to stop me!.... Nope, nothing will stop me!

Happy New Year!

Two weeks into the new year, we are finally settling down from all the new year "excitement"!

We started off with celebrating the National Hang-over Day. Best one for me! Oh, what a celebration! Then Spring semester started last week while Stakit was busy with the Year-end close. He was pretty much at his office when he's not sleeping. I hardly saw him and I felt like a single person for those days. Fortunately, I'm pretty occupied with school and didn't get into any trouble ;) Thank goodness the year-end close is over!

Spring semester is a full load, however, I'm pretty excited. Physically I can do it, finally! The classes are interesting, I love them, and I tried not to be too obsessive about the subjects :) To top that, my internship put a huge smile on my face. My first day will be a week from today!

Hope you are enjoying the new year as well.
As always, warm regards from the sunny state!

Kiss 08 Goodbye

We made it! Last day of 2008! What a challenging year! It wasn't pretty but we learnt a lot this past year.

Besides a day for reflecting (and drinking), New Year's Eve is also a memorable day for us. Stakit and I have been committed to each other for 10 years now! He proposed 10 years ago today! I vividly remember that evening. It's not like how we see it on the silver screen but that's what makes it even more special. hee hee :)

I love New Year's Eve, moving on to a new beginning! Of course we can't have New Year's Eve without The Song. I just played Auld Lang Syne on the piano about 20 times; hope you heard it and joined in!

Happy New Year! Have a Wonderful 2009!

Auld Lang Syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And auld lang syne?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

Record breaking?

There has been a lot of snow in the NW (where we're from) this Winter! Seattle and Portland are on the national shows or TVs pretty much everyday! I heard we are very close to tying or breaking the records too? Is that really happening? We've been looking at pictures; they look pretty and cold! We are missing out on all this. Honestly, I think it would be fun to get snowed in ;)

Well, we hope everyone stays safe & warm in this unusual weather!

First day of Winter

Has it been crazy or what?? We have been checking Northwest weather. Burrrr! I'm sure they don't feel like this is only the first day of winter! On this corner of the country, it's been high 70s for a good while. However, the next 2 days will drop down to only high 40s and 60s and gets pretty cold at night, in the 30s!!!!

Since this is the new mark of the "new season", let's talk about what's going on last season, Fall (+ Summer... maybe Spring!).

Things for us finally started to look better. Physically, I started feeling normal at the beginning of Fall. I was able to reactivate my gym membership and started exercising. By October, I think I was pretty much all healed; I felt great and Strong!

Fall was also the time we mentally started to feel better! As some of you know, we had a very tough year. Even without our depressive feelings from the relocation, I don't think that it would have been easy. You may notice not only that I quit updating this blog here, Stakit also was not super motivated to write a little something here either. Sorry :( There are times we felt better, like when Cindy & John, in-laws, and Andrea and Andy came to visit us. Additionally, phone calls and emails from some of our friends really helped us out a whole bunch. (Correct, we didn't want to talk much, please don't take it personally.) Boy, we just really don't need to go back there! We are glad that we have moved on.

As far as the house, Fall was also when we figured out there's no way we're willing to lose a very big load of money selling this house and move to anywhere. We know we will be in this house for a L-i-t-t-l-e-W-h-i-l-e. Oh well, it is what is it. It's funny how once someone's attitude / expectation changes, their perspective completely changes. We allowed ourselves to enjoy Florida, to do stuff with new people (w/o seriously looking for friends), and to get a Wii.

In Fall, I also become a new auntie. I was very fortunate to get to meet my new niece and took a bunch of pictures of her for later days. She's a sweet little baby girl.

Let's come back to 'now', we are enjoying our mild winter here. I am very excited that I have Christmas this year! Last year was a scam, I barely could function. In-laws were here to spend Christmas with us but I felt like they ended up taking care of me. I felt bad. This year I sure will enjoy My Christmas with my family. My in-laws are on the way here and I am so looking forward to spending some good time with them!