diary of a mad asian woman

find me at my new home

2009-07-01T13:07:00.002-04:00

Well my friends, it didn't take me long after my last post to find a new home for Diary of a Mad Asian Woman. The new blog will be the same as the old, but infused with my cooking and eating posts of yumlove and a lot more photography now that I have my new digital SLR.

I hope you'll come with me to the new location. Please update your links to http://heylovedc.tumblr.com.

identity crisis, part 2

2009-07-01T08:35:00.000-04:00

Not too long ago, I posted about how I was struggling to figure out who I was online. Did I want to make myself a "public" figure or just continue being semi-anonymous (not completely anon but not giving away many identifying details about myself).

Now I'm at another crossroads. I do still love to blog and I always have something I want to say, but I find that I haven't been doing it as often mostly because I feel like I don't have anything major to contribute. I still love to cook and take pictures for yumlove, but the lack of posts hardly justifies a separate blog. Also, the name Diary of a Mad Asian Woman no longer applies to me. I didn't name my blog that because I thought I was mad and angry all the time, more like mad as in crazy and nuts (in a fun way!).

So I'm going to "rebrand" myself, I suppose. I want to create an entirely new blog that combines my love of food, photography, ranting, and my random, random thoughts. I think I'll use my twitter name and call it Hey, Love. Just a combination of everything and I hope you'll continue to follow me :)

should I take the mystery bike?

2009-06-25T20:24:00.003-04:00

At least three or four months ago, this bike appeared in the back of my building. It just leaned against it, not really belonging to anyone. I don't know where it came from or why it was there. Everyone in my building has a large enough balcony that can hold a bike, unless they felt they didn't want the bike to take up space... but would risk the bike getting stolen.

Well every day the bike was still there. Sometimes it would move, as the landscaping guys needed to cut the grass around it, but overall it stayed put.

One day the condo association sent a letter to everyone in my building (there are 12 units) asking for it to be removed. If it wasn't taken away by a certain date, then the association would take it away.

It didn't budge.

I noticed after a week that one unit still had the letter hanging on the door. I was convinced it was them. When the letter went away, the bike was still there.

That was at least two months ago.

Every single day I toy with the idea of taking that bike. Obviously no one in my building owns it nor cares for it. The condo association sure didn't follow up with taking it away, so it's up for grabs right?

I've thought about giving it to my friend R. We often talk about how we should go bike riding... except she doesn't have a bike. Free bike! Or just keep it so when J comes over he has a bike to ride. Either way, it's being put to good use versus someone throwing it in the trash.

I think whenever J visits this weekend, if it's still there, we should take it.

What do you think? Okay to do?

a pole dancing rant

2009-06-24T22:55:00.002-04:00

First off, I have to say, I effin love pole dancing. Forget every idea you have about pole dancing and strippers and focus on how fun and what a great work out it is. My arms are toned, baby!

Okay now that is out of the way, I just have to rant about these 3 girls in my class.

They giggle. All. The. Freakin. Time!!

In Level 1 I could understand it because, hey, you've never taken a class like this before and it's gonna take some time for you to find your comfort zone. You're not used to gyrating your hips and feeling sexual.

But halfway through Level 1 they were STILL giggling and acting stupid. I know pole dancing isn't supposed to be serious. You're supposed to have fun. But I feel like they're wasting their time here. By the end of Level 1 they weren't any more confident and sometimes they didn't even try whatever new trick we learned that week. Sometimes they wouldn't come up with an answer for our fun little questions of the week.

Then I found out they signed up for Level 2.

W
T
F
!!!

Why continue the class if you're not even going to put your all into it? Guys, I'm not saying that when I go to class I put my serious face and I dance the hell out of my pole. I also sometimes feel dumb doing new spins but after time I get it right and I feel great. I feel effin sexy. Yet these girls continue onto Level 2, and unfortunately, still in my class, and they're just goofing off in the back.

Did you know class costs $160? Why spend that much money if you're not going to put any effort into it? Towards the beginning of Level 2 one of the girls admitted she never jumps up to hang on the pole when everyone else is working their arms. She just pretends to. Another one just rolls her eyes and half asses her spins. The third one, well, actually she's okay. She's just part of the Giggling Girls.

A friend mentioned maybe they just take the class so they can say they are taking the class. Well if that's the case that's pretty lame. Why continue on past Level 1. That's a pretty expensive way to sound cool. What are they going to do when we get to Level 6 and graduate? Will they just giggle and half-ass their way during their individual routines?

Today I found out they signed up for Level 3. I'm unsure if it's for the same class I signed up for. I should probably add that they completely skipped the beginning of class to sign up. They could have easily signed up after class - no one was going to take their spots if they waited another hour and ten minutes. But I'm sure they did it so they could use it as an excuse to skip out on warm up/cardio.

I'm just so tired of having them in my class. It's like they don't care. Like I mentioned, you don't have to be serious about pole dancing - we all do it for fun. But at least put some effort into it and act like you want to be there! No one forced them to go.

I really hope they registered for Level 3 on a different night, lol.

random notes on the dog

2009-06-21T21:49:00.003-04:00

These past 7 months with my dog Nico have been hilarious. There was no doubt in my mind that this dog would provide some entertainment.

Just tonight he has made me laugh by attempting to squash a bug (successful) and then trying to eat it (not successful). Then somehow flinging the bug towards me making me shriek like a shrill little girl.

Then later he tried to wipe his butt on my bed. Thankfully, there was nothing to wipe off.

And then just now, as we're laying in bed and he randomly decides to start barking in a high pitched cry. I had no idea what he wanted, but whatever he was doing was pretty damn hilarious. I swore he was a crazy girl.

Of course it has been hard work - I have to make sure I pick up everything off the ground before leaving him home alone and free to roam the living room and kitchen room. Who knew the couch pillow would be something I should have looked out for (I just put all the stuffing back in, shhh!). Or the time I had all the neighbor drama when he wouldn't stop barking in his crate (which is why he is free from the crate... and no longer kept in the bedroom). Or keeping him from jumping on guests (rattling a jar of pennies or a quick shot in the face from the water bottle seem to work).

But overall this dog brings me joy. I look forward to coming home from work to spend time with him and love that he is always excited to see me (and that he will sit when I tell him... except it doesn't work when people visit). I actually get jealous when he gives my guests more attention than me (HEY! I'm the one that takes care of you and defends you when people say you're a bad dog!). He also is there when I'm feeling depressed or upset. He doesn't understand why or how I got to be unhappy mommy, but he cuddles up on me when I need it. He'll also show me every single trick he's ever learned if I have anything that looks like a treat in my hand - without even asking.

He also makes sure I run REALLY FAST when I treat him to a run around the neighborhood. :)

At times I think life would be easier without Nico, but in the end I am so glad that I took the plunge to own a dog. I don't regret it. I can't believe it's almost been a year since I've had him and I look forward to the many years to come.

Who wants to bet when all his energy will start to fizzle away? Someone told me it'll just happen overnight without any transition period. That'll be scary when it happens.

hello stranger

2009-06-04T11:46:00.002-04:00

Hey there, how are you doing? I know, I have been neglecting you. I suck.

At first it was because I was tweeting so much instead with a few longer updates in between. Then life just got in the way. A lot has changed in the last few months.

Work has picked up tremendously. With a new contract and some very important meetings, I've been overwhelmed with work lately. I mean, it's good - busy is always good as is the fact that you know you are important at work, but when it all gets piled up - frustrating. Thankfully an all-day meeting was canceled today so I could update you on life.

Summer has come, which means trips. I went on an impromptu trip to NYC a couple of weeks ago when my trip to Myrtle Beach got canceled. I have to say, if you stay away from all the tourist trips when you visit the city, it'll be a much more pleasant trip. Of course at some point in your life you need to visit the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Broadway, etc, but this time my friend and I stayed off the beaten path and visited more home-y parts of the city. I am in love with Washington Square Park, Greenwich, and Union Square. I know where I am staying next time I visit.

I'm also scheduled to take a long weekend beach trip with the girls and then London. I'm so excited yet I have no idea what my friend and I will be doing there. All I know is that I've wanted to visit that place for a long time.

Lastly, over the past couple of months I met an amazing guy. I met him through some friends and football so I had the chance to get to know him a little before we started "talking." At first I was very hesitant about him but it didn't take long for me to fall. The best way for me to describe how things are between us is that it feels like home - it's comfortable, fun, goofy, warm fuzzies, etc. I've always been a happy girl but now I just can't wipe that stupid grin off of my face.

So that's what I've been up to. I promise not to neglect you so much. I have tons of things I want to post about but it's been hard to just sit down and do it. xoxo, michelle

a new bike enthusiast

2009-05-17T08:05:00.003-04:00

About a year ago, I wrote about how much I'd love to just give up my car and convert to a life of riding my bike, using public transportation, and using zip car (which for whatever reason I love but have never actually used). And in that same post I wrote down why it would be difficult.

This year I have the added reason of having a dog. Definitely can't take him on any form of public trans let alone balance him on my bicycle :p

But this week I finally rode my bike to work. I live 2 miles away from work. There's no reason not to ride my bike at least once in awhile.

And let me tell you, I loved it! Maybe I just lucked out that day in that I was able to get up really early and the weather was just so cool that morning. But it felt like such a refreshing ride to work. It felt good to feel active that early in the day and to feel the cool wind in my face. Even packing a light bag of my work clothes and some shower stuff was not difficult. Sure, I'd prefer to have more stuff there but I carried everything I needed on my back.

I suppose it helps to have extra motivation from the guy you've been seeing. He started biking from DC to Tysons (and back!) the week before. He was so excited about it and did all he could to prep for it. And this week happened to be Bike to Work Week so what better time to start up?

The downside? The ride home was a killer! I just wanted to tilt my bike to the side and fall into the grass. I don't know if I was just tired from the day, it was too hot, the reverse commute was uphill, etc but boy did I struggle. I managed to only take about 5 minutes longer to bike home but I was so glad it was over when I got home. Then I had to carry the freakin' bike up a flight of stairs!!!!!

I know I can only get better at it. If I can bike at least once a week to work then I will be happy. I also want to take advantage of this as much as I can before it starts feeling like 80 degrees at 6:30 a.m.

I also found out one of my coworkers bikes to work 2-3 times a week (4 miles each way) so it'll be good to have someone to chat about it.

Viva la bicycle!

library love

2009-05-06T09:36:00.006-04:00

If you can believe it, I haven't been to the library in years.

Okay, once, last year, for a library book sale. I can't resist books for a dollar!

But with the exception of the book sale, it has been ages since I've actually entered a library to check out a book. Maybe college.

Some of my online buddies are doing a book club so I thought I'd check out the read and see if I'd be interested. I usually buy my books (often used), as I have dreams of having a wall full of dusty books one day, but considering the fact I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this particular book, I thought it would be good to pay a visit to my local library (and it's green!).

I'm surprised I could even find my card.

I dusted it off and made my way through the rain to the library.

Just to make sure, I approached the information desk with my dusty card and checked to see if it was active. I wasn't surprised to find out that it was deactivated. Shame on me!

Once my card was renewed and good to go, the library welcomed me. It didn't care that I hadn't been back in years. It pulled me in. Check me out. Read my books. I have so much to offer you.

I was in heaven.

I don't know why I haven't been back in so long. I was in love! All these books, free, for me to consume. I was like a kid in a candy store.

I ended up with 4 books. Any more and I probably wouldn't have finished them before they were due (and renewed). Shoot, I probably won't even finish the books I did get, but maybe with my new love for the library, I'll be motivated to finish them fast so I can return.

And man, has technology changed! You can now get your library card on a key card and can do self-checkout. You can even renew your books online.

It really has been that long since I've been there.

Library, I promise not to abandon you anymore!

Photo found on Flickr.

top 5 lists

2009-04-20T15:02:00.003-04:00

If you're on Facebook you've probably gotten tons of status feeds of your friends' Top 5 blah blah blahs. While I love listing my top 5 things a la High Fidelity, I refuse to join the bandwagon by adding the Living Social application. I already hate that my friends' lists are flooding my feed, so why would I contribute to others' flooded feeds?

But since I love lists, I'll just post my faves on my blog. Much less invasive :)

Top 5 Concerts I've Seen Live

Jason Mraz - '08, '05, '03
New Kids on the Block - '08, and sometimes early '90s
'Nsync - 4-5 times
Britney Spears - a couple times, can't remember years
No Doubt

5 Cars I've Owned

'00 Mitsubishi Mirage - the crappiest car ever
'02 Honda Accord

And that's it. I don't get how other people have listed 5 cars they've owned. We're not that old! Don't count mommy and daddy's cars.

Top 5 Shows

The Office
Greek
Mad Men
My Boys
Gossip Girl

Top 5 Movies I'd Watch Over and Over Again
(mostly stuff that is always on TV)

My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Clueless
The Wedding Singer
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Mean Girls

Top 5 Celebrities You Want to Punch in the Face
(okay by far this is my favorite, just because it's different and the guy who did it, I can totally see him doing this)

Octomom
Lindsay Lohan
Beyonce
Anyone from The Hills or whatever show that spun off from
Perez Hilton

do NOT order shirts from this company!

2009-04-20T10:38:00.002-04:00

I don't know what happened this year but I had the worst luck ordering shirts. Every year I'm able to buy shirts from one company - they're great, reliable and produce high quality shirts for my Babes for a Cure group, but for whatever reason this year they did not respond to any of my emails when I was looking for football shirts.

Then I contacted several other vendors that my football league recommended - no such luck either.

One of my friends had a connection at work with someone who also works for a shirt company and they came back to us for a quote of $6 for each shirt - great! You can't pass up that deal. So I went ahead and contacted the owner of Octacorp and set up the details.

Turns out he misquoted us. He didn't realize that each shirt had different backs (for names and numbers) so originally he would have charged us $95 set-up charge for EACH shirt, but because he misquoted us he said he would only charge a one-time set-up fee, bringing the price up to $12 per shirt. Okay that is doable. It's the best deal I've seen and I was desparate since none of the other vendors had gotten back to me at that point. He also guaranteed a quick turnaround time.

So I sent him what I wanted each shirt to look like and what all the backs would say, as well as sizes. Never heard back from him. A week later (and a week before we needed our shirts) I had to call the guy up to find out that the proof was available online the entire time - he said he emailed me but I didn't receive anything. Turns out there were no more green shirts because of St. Patrick's Day so we went with white shirts, green lettering. Proof looked great. I approved and paid.

Fast forward to that weekend when R brings the shirts home. Totally wrong. They pretty much gave us iron-on shirts (he called it "heat transfer") and half of the shirts were messed up! I'm talking wrong sizes, some of the names and numbers were backwards, coloring was off, etc. If I wanted to make an iron-on shirt I could've done it myself for cheaper - I'm a pretty crafty lady. And the fact that they were completely wrong even though the proof was completely correct is beyond me.

We ended up having to use the shirts because we had a game the next day. R took the lead to complain to the guy because he felt responsible for referring me to Octacorp He felt embarrassed and ashamed. The owner was not responsive at first, and then he tried to say that he and I had an agreement that he'd make the shirts as cheap as possible. Well if I wanted cheap shirts, I wouldn't have paid 12 each!!! And even if "heat transfer" was the way to go, WHY did he give us jacked up shirts? Why were half of them incorrect? If you're gonna mess up a shirt, don't put the messed up version and the correct version in the box. Quality check your work. I can't believe that a company would be so careless about the quality of their products.

Fast forward to a few weeks later after R and Octacorp's owner have been talking back and forth. He said he wouldn't make us new shirts until we returned the old ones. (I have no idea why, it's not like he can reuse them!) Fine, we made everyone strip their shirts after one of our games so we could give them back. Then he complained that they were used. Well WTF do you expect us to do when we need shirts for our football game?

So then R went back to the Octacorp office to talk to the guy directly and the owner started calling R names and bitching him out. Then owner's girlfriend came out and started complaining! It involved R calling the police, although they really couldn't do anything. The best we could do was get our old shirts back and take it to small claims court. It wasn't worth it. After all this I just wanted to be done, and I'm sure R felt the same.

The owner even told me when we initially spoke, that even though he was losing money through this sale, he wanted our business. He wanted to give us a deal and do a good job so we'll keep coming back and tell our friends.

Well Mr. Owner, what do you think I'm going to tell my friends?

Next time I'm going to spend the extra money and go through Custom Ink. At least I can trust them to give me a quality product.

excuse me as I gloat

2009-04-13T15:52:00.002-04:00

I figured this is probably the best place for me to do this. But I have to just share my excitement about my body with someone. I've been watching my portions and eating mini meals during the work week, with about 50% of those meals being raw. (I joke with my friends that I'm on a "bunny" diet.) I've also taken up pole dancing as well as getting back into the swing of coed flag football.

And oh boy are all these changes paying off. I've lost about 4.5 pounds since I've started this a few weeks ago and I am loving it. Sure, I should probably celebrate when I hit the 5 pound mark, but I'm just so excited to see the scale numbers consistently go down and my skinny jeans fitting better (buh-bye fat jeans I bought only a few weeks ago!).

Pole class has been awesome as well. I have been slacking with my weight training but I can already feel my upper body getting stronger and more toned thanks to the class. Doing spins while supporting your entire weight and engaging your core sure does help. Not to mention the routine of doing it every week and the "diva effect" - the fact you want to continue your healthy lifestyle to match with your pole skills!

Now if only I can continue the good work and keep moving down the scale.

open thread: the home-cooked meal date

2009-04-08T11:45:00.000-04:00

Sally: You know what "I'll cook" says? It says, "Let's have sex."
Susan: No, that would be, "Come and spend the night with me."
Sally: "Come and spend the night with me" says, "Let's have sex." "I'll cook" says, "Let's have sex and I'll cater."
- Coupling, "Size Matters"

When a love interest decides they want to cook you dinner, some people usually think "Oh, how romantic! S/he wants to make me a home-cooked meal, that's so sweet." But what are most people thinking?

People like me just think it's a great way to have a casual night in - save money, not worry about the craziness of the people around you, and just let loose. But others take the "loose" part a little more, uh, loosely?

I didn't even think about how bold my dinner date idea was until I sent a tweet asking for meal ideas and someone suggested an aphrodisiac meal. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind! It's not that kind of date but maybe the guy doesn't know that...

My friend and I discussed today how hanging out at someone's home somehow implies that something physical is going to happen. Maybe it will and maybe it won't. But somehow the guy just lingers around thinking he's gonna get booty. And then it's awkward if nothing happens. Why do we have to go into this thinking if something is going to happen or not? Why not just focus on the content of the date - we're having fun, we're eating good food, everything is great. But somewhere along the line, someone is thinking about sex.

I mean, I'm not going to sit here and lie to you and say that the thought never crosses my mind, but I'm also not focused on if certain things are going to happen or not. Although a little making out is always a plus. All you need to know is that the girl always knows when she's going to get lucky. The guy just has to hope he does ;)

Thoughts?

a PINK cherry blossom adventure

2009-04-06T11:28:00.002-04:00

It has been years since I've seen the cherry blossoms in full bloom and nice and PINK. It's been so long that I can only guess that I haven't seen them in their lovely pink stage since I wasn't little. When I plan to go with friends it always seems like we went to early (cold, freezing, and only buds on the trees) or too late (they were already green and falling off of the trees).

This year I was determined.

R and I decided it was best to metro in and not attempt to battle DC traffic and parking. Thankfully we decided ahead of time to park in Clarendon and metro from there, because as we drove down 66 we saw massive lines on the bridges leading into Vienna and Falls Church metro stations. Clarendon was quiet, no lines, no crazy tourists. Getting onto the metro though was a different story. The train was jam packed. We saw there was some standing room in the middle of the train but as you got onto the metro, you couldn't move past the door. So there we were, stuck. I could barely reach the bar ahead of me but thankfully there were so many people there I could just lean on one of them and not fall over :p

Once we got off the metro, we just followed the crowd and right before me was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!

For more of my photos check out my Flickr page.

I think this is my new favorite song

2009-03-22T08:52:00.005-04:00

It just describes oh so much.

awww cesar millan is so adorable

2009-03-12T14:00:00.003-04:00

Today he officially became a US citizen. Congrats, Cesar!!

Source

my one hour as a pole diva

2009-03-10T21:54:00.003-04:00

Tonight, my friend and I became ladies of the night and took it to the pole.

Before you 1. get hot and bothered or 2. wonder what kind of skanky person would ever work it on a pole, just hear me out.

I've always been intrigued with pole dancing ever since a couple of my California friends started taking classes at S Factor. They told me stories about how much fun they have, how great of a workout it is, and all the challenging things they never thought they could do. How many people can say they can flip themselves upside down on a pole with the greatest of ease?

I knew that there were some classes in the DC area, but none that were remotely convenient to me. So as soon as my friend found out about a studio in the Herndon/Sterling area I was all over it. Even better - there was a new branch opening up in Chantilly.

You can probably guess that I signed up for the introduction class ASAP.

And that brings us to tonight.

As we drove into an industrial office park in the middle of nowhere, we kind of wondered what we were getting ourselves into. But of course a place like this would be hidden. It would kind of stand out in this office park if there were hot pink boas and sexy ladies plastered on its windows. Even as you walk into the building you go down a long hallway to get to the pole room.

And all I can really say about it all is that it did not disappoint. I'm not perfect at it, but I had enough fun to really want to challenge myself and do it again. I banged my knees up pretty bad and even my ankles have some bruises to show for my hard work. I wanted to die and I wanted to keep going. I learned to spin like a sexy firewoman. And this was only the first class.

I think I like this because it combines my love of dance (have also been trying to find a challenging hip hop studio near by), it reminds me I'm a sexy lady (for when I have my I Hate My Body days), and is a total body workout. It has not even been 2 hours yet and my whole right side (the side I worked the most) is already sore. I can barely lift my arm. It will also force me to work out consistently and I'll make new friends. Plus how many people can say they can pole dance? I know I will have achieved something when I can build enough upper body strength to pull myself up that pole and maybe flip over :p

You can probably guess that I will now be signing up for the 8 week class :)

a daylight savings time rant

2009-03-09T14:12:00.003-04:00

I write this with probably less than 4 hours of sleep so if you are just as sleep deprived, I know where I am coming from with this.

I love spring. I really do. I really get hit with the fever - breaking out the shorts and skirts, open up all my windows all day and night long, get motivated to run outdoors, etc. I'm also the person who usually thinks it's weird people can't be thrown off that much when we gain or lose an hour. It's an hour! I could sleep in or not sleep in that time.

Boy was I wrong.

I got the worst sleep in the world last night. Mentally, my body was ready for bed at 6 p.m. thanks to a 2 and a half hour football practice. But by 10:30 pm, I somehow got a second wind. I tossed and turned in bed. I got so restless I started playing on the internet on my phone. As soon as I felt myself dozing off I would wake back up. My dog kept getting out of bed to look out of my open window. I kept having to turn my iPod back on and and reset it to sleep in another 90 minutes, just to listen to that time run out again.

Did that one hour difference really throw me off that badly that I couldn't get a good night's rest? I got so fed up that as soon as daylight broke and those birds were chirping, I slammed my window shut. I usually love the birds! But this morning I just wasn't feeling it.

Just another reason to hate Monday.

movies on my netflix that I'll probably never watch

2009-03-04T13:16:00.002-05:00

Anyone else have a never-ending list of movies on their Netflix queue? I feel like I have way too many. And I'm kind of hesitant to delete any of them because I hang on to that tiny shred of hope that one day I might actually want to watch those movies.

But they'll forever just stay at the bottom of my queue.

The Smokers
Highway
Spun
Wonderland
Finding Neverland
Friday Night Lights
Akeelah and the Bee
The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe
Marie Antoinette
Man of the Year
School for Scoundrels
Stranger than Fiction
Gridiron Gang
Click
Shooter
The Prestige
Sahara
In the Land of Women
The Fountain
This Film is Not Yet Rated
Now You Know
Drowning Mona
Lonesome Jim
Zodiac
School Ties
Twisted
Along Came a Spider
The Groomsmen
Georgia Rule
Lucky You
Factory Girl
Standing Still
Pumpkin
Psycho Beach Party
Junebug
Dedication
Alpha Dog
The Lookout
American Gangster
Dreamland
Bee Movie
Sherrybaby
Cloverfield
We Are Marshall
Strangers with Candy
Ned Kelly
Candy
Lords of Dogtown
How to Lose Your Lover
Sydney White
Storytelling
Fred Claus
The Usual Suspects
Trainspotting
American Graffiti
The Other Boleyn Girl

my "home office"

2009-03-04T10:45:00.001-05:00

If only I could work every day from home.

it takes a special kind of man to marry these ladies...

2009-02-25T16:43:00.003-05:00

With all of this talk of weddings amongst my friends and familiy lately, and the fact that I am constantly hitting refresh on my email, Twitter, Facebook and message boards, I somehow found myself looking at wedding dresses. Not for me, thank goodness, although all these weddings do make me think about what I do and don't want (I'm leaning more and more towards eloping).

And while there are many beautiful and gorgeous dresses out there, I just have to show you the outrageous, shocking, gross, and fuuuugly dresses I've come across.

It really makes me wonder what kind of people would wear these kinds of dresses. I'm sure they have a sense of humor, as do I, but for a wedding? No way!

The Klassiest

Couldn't Find Enough Tafetta to Cover All That Boobage

Most Patriotic
(I'm all about Patriotism but this is a bit much).

Liar, Liar, Dress on Fi-yah!

Well Since We Don't Need Condoms Anymore...

the high school crush

2009-02-22T10:22:00.001-05:00

Last night I bumped into one of my high school crushes (because there were many) while out with my friends. I have to admit it was really nice to see him and catch up with him, as well as give his bum a little love tap as I left for the night. :-D

Looking back at it today, I'm reminded of how lame I was with him back in the day. Being your average high schooler, I got upset at the dumbest things and got fanatical reading into the littlest gestures.

I remember sharing my cereal with him in trig and goofing off in the back of the classroom. I remember getting mad because he wouldn't say hi to me every time we passed each other in the hallways (and I remember telling him about that too. Man, I was so stupid). He also looked so cool when he would wear his football jersey on game days. I remember just hanging on that tiniest string of hope that he would ask me to be his prom date and got so sad when he ended up dating this girl right before then. I remember getting all hot over his being in a band (what is it about musicians?) and I remember advertising my dad's sign business when I signed his yearbook just so I had a good excuse for him to call me. Hey, it got him to talk to me about getting stickers made for his band!

Yea... I was so stupid back then! At least I can say that my strange and awkward years were back in high school and that I'm a much better (and cooler) person now, so thanks for the flashback High School Crush.

doggone crazy

2009-02-15T12:18:00.002-05:00

So to follow up with my last post about the passive agressive note, I've found out high maintenance having a dog can be. Of course I knew it would be hard work, but the lengths I went through to make sure that my dog and I could live in peace with my neighbors has been great.

Since then I've received a second note and a letter from the leasing office. Even while trying every trick in the book to assist with my dog's separation anxiety and doing some investigating with the neighbors who live above and below me.

Who couldn't love this nutjob?

Isn't it crazy the great lengths we go through to make sure our pets are okay? In less than 3 months Nico has become a member of my small family. I will do whatever it takes to keep him from being sent back to the rescue group. It's a far fetched possibility, but it could happen. I couldn't imagine my life without him now so I will try it all - keeping a sweater that smells like me with him, varying my routine, moving the crate, letting him free in the house, dropping him off with my parents (they secretly love him).

My friend and I have even come up with "doggy day care" so that both our dogs can stop freaking out when we're gone - we crate them next to each other. It's crazy, but it works. We're just not allowed to get tired of each other :p

the passive aggressive note

2009-02-04T18:55:00.003-05:00

It started out fine. I clocked out of work and was thrilled to go home, work out, and spend time with my dog.

Until I got to my front door and found something there.

A note.

Now tell me if that didn't burst your bubble.

WTF. This note upset me in so many ways.

Why can't you just tell me to my face?
Okay, I'm pretty sure my dog doesn't bark "ALL DAY LONG".
I didn't realize you were representing the entire complex. The last I heard, the neighbor above me had no problems with my dog barking.
"It's getting old"?!?!? Seriously? Was it cool at some point?
"Do something about it"??? Oh, okay, I'm just going to tell my dog when I leave for the day not to bark. IT'S IN THEIR NATURE. Dogs bark!
Go ahead and complain to the leasing office and county. What are they going to do kick me out? I own, BITCH!
At least leave your information so we can talk about this in a civil manner instead of a threatening note. Passive aggressive much?

I'm pretty sure I know who the author of this note is through process of elimination. And if it is the person who I think it is, then who the hell does she think she is? She has a dog of her own. Maybe I should tell her how her dog barks and howls when she's not home. Then maybe she'd understand that you can't just tell your dog to shut up while you're gone.

And why can't she just tell me to my face or leave a nicer note? I have been in her shoes before. Before she moved in, there was another girl with a loud dog. Used to keep me up all night while she was gone doing who knows what. And I knocked on her door to let her know about her dog and we spoke about it. When it continued, I left a note that was a little more stern but I don't recall being a rude bitch about it.

She's moved since then, and now that I have a dog, I understand that some things just can't be controlled. Why can't my neighbor understand this?

Obviously I don't like that my dog barks but that is out of my control. No, I will not buy an anti-bark collar. If she's going to complain about my dog being loud then I can complain about her howling dog. Or the fact that her smoking stinks up my balcony.

I'm going to do a little bit of research on how to control the barking and see if I can really get in trouble for my dog's noise, but if this is the way she wants to play it, then this means war.

octuplets craziness

2009-02-03T11:57:00.000-05:00

By now I'm sure you've all heard about the lady who had octuplets while she already had six kids at home.

Crazy, right?

Yet I find myself strangely fascinated about all this. It's like the train wreck you just can't look away from. I mean, why is this lady obsessed with children? Isn't 6 enough anyways? And what doctor would allow her to have fertility treatments when she already has a litter? Who is the baby daddy? Why is the mom so open about making her daughter sound like a nutjob?

And of course the only thing I can think about is how she is going to cash in on this. When I first heard about the octuplets, all I could think about was how the mother is probably hoping Oprah would save her or that maybe she could have her own show like John and Kate. Because you know America is fascinated about lousy reality TV shows!

I just think there are so many things wrong with this situation. If she was so concerned about the leftover embryos, couldn't they have been donated to a couple who is trying to conceive? What fertility doctor would ever approve of this procedure? How did she go this long with being pregnant with 8 before anyone knowing (or caring)? What was going on in her mind when she thought it was feasable to have all these children but no money or job to pay for it? Sure you'll get a tax break but that doesn't help with the costs. We're in a freakin' recession! Or why did she hire a PR agency and asking for $2 million to share her story. Does the story of how her octuplets came to be really have a price tag on it?

And what about the children? The kids are never going to get proper attention. No one on one time from mommy. They're all going to have to hope they get full scholarships if any of them want to go to college and I foresee lots of opportunities to dress them in matching outfits for the rest of their childhood. There's no excitement about "firsts" for each of them. Once one kid does something for the first time, it won't be as important as you get to each kid. There's no such thing as quiet time at home and you can't go anywhere without a mini school bus. How the hell would you ever find a nanny or babysitter?

I'm a little disappointed that people have offered her book deals and TV appearances. I don't think this should be encouraged. This is irresponsible behavior. Even Oprah and Diane Sawyer are schedule to interview this week and I feel like it will make people think it's fascinating and wonderful. Well it's not!

And sadly, I'll probbaly watch the interviews. I just can't look away.

chuc mung nam moi!!!

2009-01-26T08:55:00.000-05:00

... or in plain English, Happy New Year! If you screwed up this past January 1, here's your redo!

Just kidding :p

Today marks Vietnamese and Chinese Lunar New Year, a celebration that is near and dear to my family. Every year we anticipate this time of year. I don't really know why, I think it's the one very traditional Vietnamese thing that my family as a whole still practices.

I know when I was younger, this time of year was always exciting for us kids. We would always receive little red envelopes full of money! It didn't get more exciting than that. It would only be a couple of bucks, but I used to love going to visit family members because that meant more money for my empty piggy bank (he was a hungry fella).

We'd eat platters and platters of my mother's eggrolls and play this silly game where you bet quarters on an Asian animal or object, roll the dice, then rake in your earnings (we gambled young, haha). The house would smell like incense and mom would attach her fake yellow flowers to her existing plants for the holiday. I also remember a new calendar going up every year at this time.

As us kids got older, we got less red envelopes from our elders, but we also realized that new year was about being together and not about the money (although it's still nice to receive!). My family would get together with our extended relatives and eat and talk about the new year and what's to come. I would always wish everyone good luck and fortune in the new year (we have lots of entrepreneurs) and they would do the same.

This year was a low key affair - I spent Sunday with just my immediate family. And that was all I needed (although it's fun to be with everyone). Have a relaxing day with the people I love and to eat Asian food.

I also learned about some superstitions for this holiday. One that I've heard before is to never have an empty wallet on new years - money in your wallet meant you'll have money through the year. I learned about this one before the universal new years, and thanks to my friends' hotel contributions, my wallet was stuffed with cash. For Vietnamese new year, I had my red envelope from mom, so I had another good indication that this year will be full of money. $$$$$!!!!

When I told mom I needed to go home to do laundry, she schooled me in another new year tradition. Don't wash anything on new year's eve or on new year's day. Washing your clothes, dishes, etc was bad luck. I believe she meant that you are cleaning yourself of the past year, especially if it was good (and boy, was it!). Yay for not having to clean, but I kind of wish I had known this before. I currently have piles of dishes and laundry, and they'll have to sit there until Tuesday. I drew the line at washing my hair though.

When reading up on Chinese new year traditions, I also learned a few more things. You want to clean your entire home before new year's eve and day (also something I wish I had known) so that you can start the new year fresh. Open every door and window at midnight on new year's day to welcome in the new year (but it's freezing out!). Having chicken or fish (uncut when presented) on new year's day represents prosperity and uncut noodles represent longevity. Bet you can't guess what I'm having for dinner ;)

Happy New Year!!!