i was a bit ashamed, exasperated, and then discouraged. later i felt flattered, amused and practically elated. now i don't know whether i'm angry, sad, or just plain deflated.

thanks to ha and jen, my face is now radiant, dewy, and positively glowing! well, i pretend it is anyway. (= the two lovelies took me to get a facial at in-symmetry today, and as a first-time facial-er, i definitely enjoyed myself - it was so relaxing that i practically fell asleep. good stuff.

after the three-plus hours at in-symmetry (which had some very sweet resident felines, btw), we headed off to chez maman for some yummy french delights. the 14 or so seats in the tiny diner (bistro? i dunno) made it so we had to wait for a bit in the cold, but the food was well worth it. my savoyarde crepe with proscuitto, tomatoes, brie and bechamel sauce? très délicieux!

you bitch.

i actually had a pretty good weekend, catching up with people i haven't seen in way too long. on friday, i saw chris chen (who owes me a REAL meal) and mr benjamin mellblom. every time i see him i am reminded of why we used to be such good friends and it's nice to know we can still insult each other without hurting anyone's feelings. (=

mother's day involved lots of cooking, as all my mom wanted was for my brother and i to each cook a meal. my japanese-style burgers were awesome, and she got a hearty laugh out of the color-me-mine bowls i made her. they looked, let's just say, a bit like a child made them. but it's the thought that counts!

and i had a lovely time with jacquelyn...thanks for the grimace-inspiring singing and the very long lunch conversation. i enjoyed it immensely. (=

i'm anticipating trouble on friday when i have to bring both the cat and dog to the vet, possibly by myself. the last time i took them, the cat peed all over the carrier and the dog decided to poop right next to the car. whoopee.

*my confidence has been boosted just a wee bit*

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it's a bummer when you're having an absolutely gorgeous hair day, and the only people who get to see it are a bunch of kids and your boyfriend. not that the boyfriend doesn't appreciate it, mind you, but, well, it's not the same as showing off to a bunch of girls. (= i kid, i kid, but seriously, the hair? *points* blow drying at its best.

in other news, i had a pleasant elaine-on-snl-with-homeless-guy-skit moment when a guy in a passing yellow mustang honked and whistled at me. my first reaction was to call him a jackass, but then i thought, i should be so lucky that he's not: a) fobby asian, b) a mexican drive thru guy, or c) old as hell. hey, a compliment's a compliment.

all in all, it made for a fairly good day.

greetings from china! it's late and i need to go to bed, but there's free internet (and a free computer!) in the room and i just couldn't resist. (= i'm having a great time and we've been going a mile a minute - the only bad point of the trip has been the weather - it's been raining continuously since yesterday and apparently it's gonna be 6 degrees celsius tomorrow...whee! okay that's all. see y'all soon!

i am in a wonderful mood today. maybe it's because my hair and makeup are done juuust right, or maybe because the weather outside is beautiful and i've gotten plenty of fresh air. or perhaps it's because i've had a lot of quality 'me' time today, or perhaps it's the cat sitting on the desk watching me as i type. it could possibly be from the satisfaction of cleaning up [part of] my closet, which has been incredibly messy for months and months. whatever the reason, i'm thoroughly enjoying the moment and feeling good about, well, just about everything.

things that make me smile:

what floats your boat?

happy birthday to meee! here's to a wonderful 25th year. ^_^

thanks to all my wonderful friends who have already sent me their love and warm wishes. y'all make me feel very special.

it's an odd feeling to hear the birds chirping outside my window like it's the first day of summer, and to be stuck inside the house, sick and in bed. you know when i'm sick cause i haven't had a square meal since lunch on sunday, and let's face it, boys and girls, i love to eat. but i'm crossing my fingers that i'll be well enough to celebrate accordingly this weekend.

in regards to this beautiful weather we're having, i absolutely love it. aside from the winter sports i thoroughly enjoy (and am sadly missing out on this season) i'm all for summer and the spring leading into it. just the other day as i was driving down pine, the sight of lavender bushes, cherry blossoms, cotton candy clouds and our beautiful hills put me in a wonderful mood and made me feel very thankful that i could really appreciate the simple pleasures in life.

now if only my back would stop aching and let me sleep comfortably...

there have been requests for me to put up my wishlist, so here it is...happy birthday to me! ;D

1. eyelash perm (preferably someone will take me so we can enjoy the spa-ness together)
2. comfort/cruiser bike - don't have a specific one in mind but something like the ones here or here
3. pda - i know i said i'd stick to my kate spade but i'm honestly just sick of people changing their lesson times, forcing me to use the dreaded white-out that's brighter than the paper (i know, not very original, but i do like the one both cher and ha have, the palm z22)
4. gift cards for urban outfitters and sephora
5. subscriptions for martha stewart living and martha stewart weddings
6. new snow gear (but really, i'm rather picky, i'd probably have to be there for this...not high on the priority list)
7. random accessories (laptop bag and new battery, north face 7 summit jackets, snowbunny tees, cookware and cookbooks...just ask, i'll let you know, but they're not as important)

really, a gift from the heart is all that counts. ^_^

big thanks to joe and anne for the late xmas/early bday gift! and i'm really looking forward to this weekend so we can relax and celebrate.

i don't appreciate people who are hypocritical. nothing irks me more than someone who says he or she doesn't like a certain sort of behavior or action, but exhibits the same habits. example of said annoyance:

person tells me he/she doesn't like it the first time i am late, but makes me wait almost every single other time. fair? of course not. but alas, life is not fair.

on a brighter note, it was a beautiful day today and nothing makes me feel better than [what feels like] a warm, spring day.

can you believe david and i just celebrated our sixth valentine's together? holy bejeezus, i feel old...

i don't think she reads this but...thanks, mar. you made my day. (=

i have a tendency to only want to blog when something really funny has happened or when i'm really angry. and although i've encountered both, i usually write something nondescript or cryptic anyway...so i guess i'll just leave those alone.

but let me just say that there's something very soothing about the rain. it makes me feel like i want to be alone, but in a good way. it washes my frustrations away and leaves me in hope that tomorrow i'll find my rainbow. and that optimism keeps me going, even when surrounded in a sea of pessimism...oops, there goes cryptic for ya. there, i'm done. done with the whole lot of you...

edit: i don't agree with you and i think you don't like to admit you're wrong. i'd tell you why, but i don't think you'd even care to understand...

i haven't really a fan of the blogging as of late, but there's a special occasion that warrants such an action - joanna's 24th birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JO!!!

i feel incredibly lucky to have had such a wonderful friend who i've known since i was 13, and i recognize how rare it is to have a friendship like ours. i love you, dear. ^_^

so i'm gonna go get ready so we can celebrate the birthday of my most fabulous friend in style, and i can't wait. hugs and kisses and enjoy your special day!!! *MUAHMUAHMUAH*

i've been in a rather foul mood all evening, thanks to a combination of unfortunate events. earlier, when i was looking through my camera, i somehow, and stupidly, managed to delete all the pictures from my memory card...all the pictures from vegas. i know mike has most of the same group pictures, but there were lots of little ones with small but special moments that only i had. and what's even more frustrating is that this isn't the first time i've lost pictures, but it's just as devastating. sometimes i hate technology...

and the job search hasn't been going particularly well. one of the jobs that i applied to (and absolutely loved the thought of) emailed me today to say the position was already filled. i could feel my spirits deflate - quite literally. but...no good in moping about it. still looking, still trying.

and in regards to vegas, i did have a lot of fun. i'm definitely glad that i was able to fly in on wednesday and enjoy the shopping, the sightseeing, the eating and the gambling before everyone came on friday and it was rush rush rush everywhere. but, as i always feel with vegas, there's more to see and more to do. there's always next time. (=

and that's all i care to talk about today. til next time - adios.

thank you, steve irwin.

i've never been a huge fan of the gregarious australian, but something about his death really touched me. maybe i relate to his extreme love for animals and have always wished to do all the things he's done or travel to all the places he's been. or maybe i recognize the impact he's made on conservation efforts and appreciate all that he's done for animals and inquisitive kids alike. whatever the reason, i'm very sad that he's gone, and am glad that, at least, he died doing something he loved.

i know that animal planet (one of my favorites) will seem much emptier now that he's gone.

once upon a time...

there lived a little princess. she liked to prance around the forest and all the furry animals loved her. she would pick fresh flowers and splash around in the bewitchingly beautiful waterfall. she was sassy, strong, and determined.

one day she met a handsome prince who proposed to take her off to his mighty castle in the clouds. would she acquiesce? "no!" she declared. "but you're welcome to stay here with me if you'd like." he shrugged his rugged shoulder and said, "sure, why not." and they lived happily ever after.

she chose to be true to herself. she wanted to live life her way.