Santa Barbara

The weather couldn't have been more favorable. We got up early for a nice drive up to SB. I've never been wine tasting in SB and I was a little skeptical because Napa is incomparable to anything, but SB wineries turned out to more beautiful and Napa-ish than I expected. To conclude the day-long trip, my sister and her boyfriend got engaged! He didn't exactly pop the Q while we were with them, but it happened in their privacy and I couldn't me happier for them. My oldest sister and I are the emotional wrecks in the family so when one cries, the other follows. And the other sister just looks at us like we're pathetic. LOL. It sucks husband and the boys missed out, but we would've probably gotten more drunk and miserable if they went with us, so it was a nice, relaxing trip without them.
Hope everyone had a mouth watering, tummy filling, blessed Thanksgiving! This year, we all have one more thing to be thankful for....the healthy arrival of Lila Chae Rin Kim~! I cannot wait to see her!!

I'm Hurting!!

It's been awhile...so much has happened in my life lately I don't even know where to begin! =) AP and I celebrated our one year anniv., we took our Christmas tree out to put up soon, I still haven't contacted Amy about my wedding album (uughh!), I embarked on my very first camping trip and survived...barely. No seriously...barely! You know how you watch those sappy korean dramas where characters faint from exhaustion or shock...and it always looks so graceful and heartbreaking. Well - hhaha that doesn't really apply to someone like me who can carry a sofa bed onto the back of a pick-up truck with my husband alone and eats 4 fish tacos in one sitting on Taco Tuesdays. We went camping this past weekend and what was supposed to be a 5 mile leisure hike ended up being an 8 mile up to a 6500 ft mountain top that felt like Mt. Everest to me. On my way down, while the rest of the group seemed to be doing relatively fine and were a mile ahead of me, I fainted and barely made it down with the help of a husband who I think feared he'd be left alone in the middle of nowhere with an unconscious wife. It was definitely not graceful because I was pale with purple lips, huffing and puffing, nor heartbreaking because everyone blamed ME for not eating breakfast! There were no "Oh Bangle - are you alright?"s but all "See! You should've eaten something! Idiot!" So much for sympathy. AP always tells a story of how I passed out a couple years ago when we went up to Tahoe and how he carried me into the car and I woke up to the smell of a Big Mac. Lessons learned are - never go up to high elevation without a full stomach, always travel near a McDonald's, take those roller shoes kids wear so i can just roll down next time I go hiking 6500 ft.

Coming Soon...we are going to have a Bowling Battle this Thursday. Our friends are disgustingly competitive...we haven't seen a challenge we didn't like. We've seen tears playing Taboo. I REFUSE to lose! I'm playing against the husband AND the dumpling - I will not allow them to bask in victory. My next post will be about how great our team is...but if we lose...I will be on a long hiatus in deep depression. Wish me luck!

Acid Reflux

I'm the biggest hypochondriac you'll meet. The fact that I'm a worrier, OCD doesn't help. So anytime my body tells me something, it's rare for me to call a doctor - I just stick through the pain hoping it'll go away thinking I'm the healthiest, strongest person ever. But since my father fell victim to cancer a few years ago, I've been very proactive about getting myself checked up along with my mother. She thinks I'm the biggest pest cuz I call to bug her about a dr's appt I make for her every 6 months, but someone's gotta do it cuz I know she won't! It's like pulling teeth getting your parents to go see a doctor!

Recently, I've had sharp side pains right under by last rib on my right. It's not painful, but just bothersome. And at least once a month for the last year or so, I would get this sharp pain that shoots up to my breast starting from that rib area. THAT is the most unbearable pain. It goes away in a few minutes but when it hits - I literally cannot move. Well lo and behold, after some tests at the doctor's, yesterday she's confirmed it's Acid Reflux. And of course, as soon as I got home, I went on my favorite website (if you have hypochondria, this is inevitably your favorite) webmd.com. After reading about AR, I'm not shocked I have it:

These are other common risk factors for acid reflux disease:
Eating large meals or lying down right after a meal
Being overweight or obese
Eating a heavy meal and lying on your back or bending over at the waist
Snacking close to bedtime
Eating certain foods, such as citrus, tomato, chocolate, mint, garlic, onions, or spicy or fatty foods
Drinking certain beverages, such as alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, or tea

ALL of these apply to me! I'm infamous for falling asleep on my couch right after a meal, eating In-N-Out at 11pm on wknds, and of course - the diet cokes, beers and the coffee... and garlic!!eeeek! I'm guilty of all of them....

And so after last night's very large bowl of curry, I tried stay sitting on my couch while watching Real Housewives of Atlanta. I thought I was gonna die! hahaha, who knew something so simple like sitting can be so difficult after a meal!

Wedding Album

So I know I'm lazy. I procrastinate. But you'd think a bride, newlywed wife would order her Wedding Album, first thing as soon as she gets married! uuumm...well....I've kinda, a tad bit, fallen behind on that one thing. I know I know...it's literally been almost a year. And I LOVED our photographer and our photos (http://www.amysquires.com/ in case you know anyone looking for a photog). Do you know if photographers have time limits on latest date you can order your album? I've been meaning to do it for the last no joke like 8 months, and every Friday I tell myself to do it "this weekend", but I've been too busy playing, hosting game nights, or just watching korean dramas. I mean, we survived until now w/out the album so it' not like THE worst possible thing in the world. I was very anal and obsessive about getting my DVD but I don't know why the album's been such a drag for me....maybe cuz it actually takes me sitting down and doing some work, like picking out the pictures. And BTW...why is it SO painful to watch yourself on TV? I criiiiinge when I watch our wedding video. People who visit always ask to turn it on but I REFUSE to. It's just weird and kinda embarrassing to watch myself parading around in a wedding dress done-up...seriously makes me gag...at myself! hahaha. Well - if anyone knows please let me know - If it's still ok to order the wedding album. I think another reason I haven't gotten around to it is I'm afraid that when I email Amy the pictures I picked for our album (12 months after the wedding!), she'll reply Oops sorry - you're too late! Sucks to be you! - not that she will reply like that but I'll FEEL like that if she said I'm too late. It's like when you don't want to check your credit report (which by the way - i actually did online last night. Did you know you get one free annual credit report from all 3 bureaus?), don't want to know blood test results...the anticipation of something bad. I hate it!

On my mind...all wrapped in one

1. $700 BILLION Bail Out "Rescue" Plan. What/Who is it really gonna rescue? It'll bail out the banks and corporations tanking right now but will it bail out the mom & pop shops, homeowners facing foreclosure, students working 3 jobs to pay for late school fees, consumers with overdue credit card bills? If this "rescue" plan is just putting a band-aid on the wound for now to deal with the major surgery later - it's freaking me out. They should get to the root of the problem, fixing it at its deepest point, instead of just covering up the part that shows for now and hoping it'll eventually heal. $700 Billion sure sounds enough to directly help all or most of the foreclosures, tired students, and suffering small biz owners across the country - so why not bail-out the ones REALLY in need, so that they CAN start borrowing from banks again.

2. Choi Jin Shil's suicide. I know this is harsh but I have no sympathy for anyone who is that selfish to take their own life without the permission from parents who sacrifice their entire life for their child and God who gave them that life. I don't pity celebrities who cry out foul because the media slashes them or so-called cyber terror. It's terrible, wrong, and hurtful of course, but that's the disgusting culture we live - and she chose that public career, made tons more than what others can only dream to make in a lifetime, and had people do her hair & make-up everyday (i SO envy that). No job is easy. All comes with the territory. The store clerk has to deal with a bitchy customer and minimum wage, doctors deal with death/trauma everyday, accountants deal with numbers that don't reconcile and nasty paper cuts - all part of the job. But not everyone takes their own life away, leaving 2 very young children, because "life is hard". I ache for her family and do resent the mean people who said terrible things about her to make her do this but I don't pity her and the life she lived and how she ended it. She's just a spec of dust like we all are in this world and there are far greater, more difficult & important matters in this world than your own life like that.

3. Voter Turn Out. Americans are notorious for not voting. Well, for one thing - waiting in line's a PITA (pain-in-the-ass), registering to vote is like applying to be an FBI Agent, jury duty sucks, and..does this mean we have to actually KNOW the candidates and their policies? I think to have higher voter turn out, they should give out cheap but very useful gifts like soap, toothpaste, mouthwash - things all Americans use and buy. Or lottery/raffle tickets and the next day, each polling place announces their winner for money! no? yay? I thought it was a great idea. So Korean of me. hahaha.

4. Stinky Coworkers. Why do people eat stinky, fishy food for lunch at work? It's rude and inconsiderate. This is a workplace people! Not your own home! I just found out some dept down the hall had a potluck. I mean, who brings FISH for potluck?? And no it's not an all Asian dept. I am kinda curious to go look and see what kind of fish it was and who was brave enough to bring it.

5. Missing Husband. We go to bed together in the same bed every night but not once do I get to wake up next to him. He sleep walks - well sorta. I find him out on the couch the next morning, and at first it really irked me. I am a bit of a control freak and likes things done a certain way. Husband and wife should wake up next to each other!! Well - now I'm just over it. He says it's because he gets hot in the middle of the night and our living room is cool and airy - what can I say to that - can't suffocate the guy by forcing him to stay put! Besides, I'm sleeping so even if I wanted to stop him in action, I can't.

6. Love Thy Neighbor. There is a hot neighbor we've been eyeing (not "we" as in ap and I but "we" as in mandu and I...she is so going to kill me) for a few months now. He's tall, nicely-built, drives a Beemer, looks like a techy kind of a guy. We've only seen him wearing sunglasses but so far it appears he has many compensating factors (in case he shocks us w/out the glasses!). After weeks of trying to figure out which apt he lives in, we've narrowed it down to 2-3 possible apts. We've thought about knocking on each door with "Can I borrow some sugar?" or the "Can I borrow some rice? You must eat rice...You're Asian...Oh, you're Korean? Oh, Chinese? Oh I see...ok, here's her number". We know which garage is his so thought about leaving a "I saw you, I see you, I want to see you" note. And then - the lightning struck....ap said he's seen him recently with a hot Asian yuhja...she's not cute (thank God!) but has a tight/toned body (biatch!). Well - she could be a sister. This is still to be continued...

Sorry about the ridiculously long entry. Have a very happy Friday and weekend! Get those umbrellas out!

My "blonde" sister

My sister is quite funny. And she doesn’t even know it. She’s definitely not dumb but she is what I call a “Korean Blonde”. She’s the one to know all the intellectual (and unnecessary in my opinion!) things like literature and calculus and probably the formula for aluminum nitrate oxide (is that even a chemical?) - basically all things that really do not matter in everyday life. But she will not be able to tell you if Dallas is in Texas or Colorado or what channels ABC or NBC or FOX are and what idioms are used when. Yes, you can say major lack of common sense. And it’s this lack of common sense that makes good entertainment and laughter sometimes. Like the other night when she called me…

Sister: Hey. What are you doing?
Me: Nothing…just watching tv
Sister: Oh~ did you watch the Emmy’s last night?
Me: Eh…like 20 minutes if that.
Sister: I’m gonna watch it right now. I heard that guy, Groban something sang and was phenomenal! (I’m telling you..she doesn’t know things like POP CULTURE!)
Me: You mean Josh Groban?
Sister: Yea yea yea
Me: Why? What did he sing? Cuz his songs are boring no? (And I can see AP’s eyes staring me down…he loves put-me-to-sleep type of music)
Sister: I think he sang his own song…you know…what’s it called?
Me: Uh…totally forgot…it’s at the tip of my tongue…
Sister: Ummm…Oh! You Lift Me Up!
Me: Oh yea! You Lift Me Up!
AP: ……omg....It’s You RAISE Me Up!
Me: (laughing hysterically) omg unnie, it’s You Raise Me Up.
Sister: (also laughing hysterically) oh yea hahaha…duh.
AP: (Starts to sing) “You Lift Me Up~~ So I can stand on mountains!”~~~

Another incident with my oldest sister...
Sister #2 the blonde: (pointing at the Black G35 in front of them) Hey, isn’t that Andy?
Sister#1: No. His is white dork!
Sister#2: Oh….Are you sure? That is him!
Sister#1: No it's not. His is white! Omg how do you get Black and White mixed up?!
Ssiter#2: Well. Whatever. I've only seen his car at night.
Sister#1: ?????

What's Your Poo Telling You?

If you're eating right now...drop it. I suggest you read this prior to any meal...you've been warned.

As disgusting and stinky as it is (I think I can smell it just writing about it! ew) the subject of poo is fascinating. I know it's gross but c'mon - who doesn't eat and poo?! The way our body processes what we eat and how it's deposited out at the end is quite amusing. So when my sister-in-law and I went to Barnes and Noble over the weekend and saw this book while in line - OMG! it was just the funniest and most embarrassingly interesting thing I've ever publicly seen http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0811857824/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link
It breaks down the different "types" of poo and what it all means. The funniest part is the synonyms they list for different poo types in each chapter (i.e. The 5 Minute Diet; Hershey Lane, Birds Flying South for the Winter - hahaha LOL). I could not stop laughing, looking like a total joo check (JC) while others in line just looked at us....and I looked back at them thinking "You KNOW this is funny and want to pick it up and read it too!". Yes, we actually bought the book. I had to show ap. Maybe I'm just ridiculously immature and disgusting but really - the book is hilarious and educational. Of course I had to point out the chapter on D.A.D.S (Day After Drinking Stool) to ap, who is notorious for his very healthy digestive system. "Look before you flush" has a whole new meaning to me now. Ok - you can eat now! :)

Weeds....so disappointed

Since "24" has been on a long (very long, too long!) hiatus I haven't really watched anything religiously lately. Some reality shows here and there...J&K+8 but Kate's starting to bug....Project Runway is blah this season...Dancing with the Stars next week right?

I've been a huge fan of Weeds since its birth 4 seasons ago. Hard to explain...you just have to watch it. Brilliant writing, great acting, just very refreshing. I DVR'd the season 4 finale and watched it last night. Obviously, I had DVR'd it instead of watching it on Monday because....well this season just sucked so wasn't as excited to schedule my plan around the finale on Monday! I had such high expectations for this season since the 3rd season had ended so dramatically with Agrestic burning down and Nancy's pot business burning with it. Conrad and his aunt seriously need to come back. Are they gone for good? I was irritated all season with the addition of the Mexicans (NOT that I have anything against Mexicans! I am practically one of them, or so ap says) and the subtraction of Conrad and his posse. I guess I like "brothas" more. :) This season was just way too dark and uninteresting, not as funny and even Nancy started to bug towards the end. If you have Netflix or Blockbuster - rent the first 3 seasons! You'll finish one season in one night - I guarantee.

I am however excited Prison Break has started and "24" will be back in November! woot woot! Oh how I miss Jack Bauer....

I'm Yours...Jason!

So did i mention i'm getting married again? Just call me Mrs. Mraz. ha! i wish! jk....I think i should give Mrs. Park at least 1 year eh? :)

He was just wonderful....I really "melted and fell right through the cracks". There was some crazy competition, pushing and shoving some drunk, rude, obnoxious girls trying to get in front of us (don't worry the dongnae gganpae side of me didn't come out) but it was all worth it as soon as he got on stage. Mandu claims he was singing to her, but WHATEVER! Not unless Jason's crossed eyed! :)

We'll see him again November 1st at the Greek. Hopefully I can scarf the garlic fries down fast enough before he gets on stage cuz I'm not wasting even one second on anything else (even eating...yes...even food) cuz I gotta focus on getting his attention! I tried uploading videos also but I lost all patience, the little that I have - why does it take so damn long! Lets save both us time - Here he is at the same concert we were at in SB but via youtube instead of losing my sanity tyring to upload my own videos :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GN9mlv93XI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1kGx71Y_Ro

Onto some more 'real' topic....

Don't mean to put a damper on my very first post with such boring topic like this but what the heck is going on with the banks lately? Is it just me or is a big bank getting bought out or bankrupt or bailed out by the Feds every other day? Today's the second day in a row with breaking news about a crumbling bank/firm. Yesterday was Lehmans & Merrill Lynch and today AIG. I don't think it's hit us or we really think about it because we have a tendency of keep these kinds of issues at arms length but it's affecting us slowly but surely....cost of milk, eggs (Korean market's still the cheapest...hahaha), gas, and not to mention company stock falling by more than half in less than a year (ah hem!). But most importantly, and what I'm really scared of is...what does this all mean 5-10 years from now when we have children to feed and put through school? Another impact this chaos on Wall St has is in the way normal people like you and I qualify for credit. I live and breathe credit issues and guideline changes everyday which is probably why I'm more freaked out than most. Not only do I feel the hurting economy at the gas pump but I feel it at work with desperate clients trying to qualify for a loan when just less than a year ago, these same clients would've gotten a loan with flying colors. If I had a dime for every meeting at work lately to discuss credit changes! At the rate all these banking/lending changes are going, we're gonna have to give up our first born to buy a house later. :) Or like I mentioned.....marry Mraz and just travel around the world with him without worrying about real issues like this. :) Sorry for the boring inaugural post but doesn't this scare anyone else? ...I'll talk about korean dramas next time hahaha.