Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Humane Society of Silicon Valley's 5th Annual Fur Ball
I've been wanting to go to the Fur Ball for the last few years and finally got my chance this year! Besides the $250 price tag for the event keeping me from attending before, I never had friends who wanted to go. Go figure.. the one who works at a non-profit is the one spending her weekends volunteering and donating money she has a hard enough time earning. :P While her engineering friends are buying houses and jet setting away to exotic destinations (okay.. mostly Tahoe and the like but still). Luckily this year I had a whole group of friends to go with! Even better.. Woz let our group take over his table at the Fur Ball.
So I went out got a dress for $43 (yeah, go Jessica McClintok outlet!), got Morgan a tux for $23 (which was almost as much as my dress), a necklace for $26 (I later realized I had something similar.. oops), dolled myself up, even curled my hair and put on full make-up! I felt like I was going to prom, so once I was all dressed up - off I went!
Morgan was a fantastic date, he only tried to pick fights with 2 other dogs (they were sniffing him the wrong way) and he sat so still for his caricature and watercolor. The caricature was done by Jodi Carr of ArtyParty. I think she did a great job in making me look glamorous, don't you?
It took a lot of treats to have him sit for 20 minutes straight, which might have given him the tummy ache the pet psychic said he had later (either the treats or the random stuff he hoovered off the floor). In the middle of the event, he ended up napping on my lap. Of course he started to feel better when I brought my dinner plate back - steak, chicken, ravioli, and salad! Yum! The steak was great. There were also lots of wineries there too. LaFondue even had a booth and were handing out cups of strawberries, marshmallows, and snickers bars covered in chocolate. Volunteers were also cruising the floor with trays of chocolate cake and macaroons - the lemon meringue macaroons were to die for! Outside of appetizers.. they were also walking around with plates of kibble. :D
The best part of the night were my dinner companions - pure entertainment! Many thanks to Loretta for baby sitting while I went to grab our plates of food. To John and Keith for their random acts of dance and making faces across the table (okay the latter was more John than Keith).
My favorite part is the look on Kitai's face as John is dancing...
It's fantastic!! Also at our table were Russell and Nick, Russell works at Dogster.com, which I have to thank, because without Dogster, I would have never met Stacie! Which is actually how I got introduced to the MND crew and at the Fur Ball at Steve Wozniak's table.
All in all it was a fantastic, comical evening. Can't go wrong with pairing a formal, black tie event and animals. :D Morgan and I were both exhausted at 10:00, so we left the event shortly thereafter and headed home. Both of us took a quick nap before ended the evening with a donut. This truly was prom, dance is over, head home, girls change into sweats, go out for junk food and the men stay in their tuxes because heck.. they spent a pretty penny on them and better get FULL USE out of them!
The End.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Chicago - Gen Art Shop Chicago Event
So I love food, shopping, and pampering myself - be it spa, make-up or getting my hair done. What's better than that? All three in the same room!! Everytime I go to Chicago I never plan anything. I always stay at my friend Tracy's and we figure stuff out when I get there. With so much to do in Chicago, it's never hard to find something!
Well after much web searching, we decided to see if we could get into the Shop Chicago Gen Art event. It was a piece of cake, we show up after her work seminar and the doors opened and in we went! For Free! We got to look at all sorts of cute stuff, try on clothes and shoes from local designers and boutiques.
We signed up to have our make-up done and picture taken in the new Acura RDX - which I think is so hot! I love Acura's, they're great cars in terms of looks, longevity, and function. It might be time to look into getting something new.. maybe.. if I can figure out a budget for it. :D It reminds me of a cross between the Acura MDX and the TL, less power than the MDX, more room than the TL.
After the make-up session and photo shoot, we went to have our hair styled. Paul was my stylist, he asked what I wanted to do and I said, 'not sure, I've been wearing this head band to keep my ridiculous bangs out of the way as they grow out.' He takes a look, combs at it, and says to me, 'we haven't been cutting hair today, but can I style your bangs, they're very isolated right now and should be part of your hair, not sitting on it's own.' Free band styling? Sure, why not! Snip, snip, snip, snip and then styling, curling, styling and WOW! My hair looked so good! I was very pleased.. all for the price of FREE.. even better! If I end up moving to Chicago, I'm totally going to him to have my hair cut all the time!
Apparently I don't take very good care of my hair (in terms of getting it cut and keeping it maintained). He asked me who cuts my hair right now and I told him I was from California. He asked his co-worker if she knew where an ex-coworker of theirs worked. I think he was going to refer me to her for the sake of my hair. I know.. I know.. I should get it cut more often, but I only go about every 6 months.
All in all, it was a great day! Make up and hair all done, it was time for dinner!
So I love food, shopping, and pampering myself - be it spa, make-up or getting my hair done. What's better than that? All three in the same room!! Everytime I go to Chicago I never plan anything. I always stay at my friend Tracy's and we figure stuff out when I get there. With so much to do in Chicago, it's never hard to find something!
Well after much web searching, we decided to see if we could get into the Shop Chicago Gen Art event. It was a piece of cake, we show up after her work seminar and the doors opened and in we went! For Free! We got to look at all sorts of cute stuff, try on clothes and shoes from local designers and boutiques.
We signed up to have our make-up done and picture taken in the new Acura RDX - which I think is so hot! I love Acura's, they're great cars in terms of looks, longevity, and function. It might be time to look into getting something new.. maybe.. if I can figure out a budget for it. :D It reminds me of a cross between the Acura MDX and the TL, less power than the MDX, more room than the TL.
After the make-up session and photo shoot, we went to have our hair styled. Paul was my stylist, he asked what I wanted to do and I said, 'not sure, I've been wearing this head band to keep my ridiculous bangs out of the way as they grow out.' He takes a look, combs at it, and says to me, 'we haven't been cutting hair today, but can I style your bangs, they're very isolated right now and should be part of your hair, not sitting on it's own.' Free band styling? Sure, why not! Snip, snip, snip, snip and then styling, curling, styling and WOW! My hair looked so good! I was very pleased.. all for the price of FREE.. even better! If I end up moving to Chicago, I'm totally going to him to have my hair cut all the time!
Apparently I don't take very good care of my hair (in terms of getting it cut and keeping it maintained). He asked me who cuts my hair right now and I told him I was from California. He asked his co-worker if she knew where an ex-coworker of theirs worked. I think he was going to refer me to her for the sake of my hair. I know.. I know.. I should get it cut more often, but I only go about every 6 months.
All in all, it was a great day! Make up and hair all done, it was time for dinner!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
i'm the geek..
or the dork.. since geekiness usually means you're super good at something nerd and i'm just a dabbler. although at work i might qualify as head geek.
anyway, if any of you read the geeks are chic article i posted awhile back, i decided i'm the geek! i hardly ever notice if/when guys are interested in me. i'm so oblivious to it. if a guy offers me his jacket, i usually say no, i don't want them to freeze and if i'm cold, it's my own fault for not having worn more. when a guy is talking to me for a particularly long time i assume it's just information they want.
i rarely flirt, unless i'm totally comfortable with the person and then it's already too late, we're friends and the flirting is really just friends goofing around. if there's an empty chair next to a cute guy i'll usually sit away from him because i'm so nervous. i'll give a couple of glances and usually spend the rest of the evening ignoring him... why? scared and nervous.
but there's the flip side, if i like a guy i'll remember almost everything he tells me. in particular, i'll remember what he likes, what he doesn't like, what he's been up to. i'll do little things for him, most of which he'll probably never notice, also because i do things for friends in general. but that's just the way i am. i like doing little things to make people happy, to make them smile. :) it shows that someone was listening when they were talking and that someone cares.
this isn't to say i'm not confident in myself, i am. i'm totally adaptable in social situations. you can put me almost anywhere and i'm totally fine. yet when it comes to someone i'm interested in or think is cute.. it suddenly becomes 10 times harder. *sigh*
it's not supposed to be this hard! or is it?
or the dork.. since geekiness usually means you're super good at something nerd and i'm just a dabbler. although at work i might qualify as head geek.
anyway, if any of you read the geeks are chic article i posted awhile back, i decided i'm the geek! i hardly ever notice if/when guys are interested in me. i'm so oblivious to it. if a guy offers me his jacket, i usually say no, i don't want them to freeze and if i'm cold, it's my own fault for not having worn more. when a guy is talking to me for a particularly long time i assume it's just information they want.
i rarely flirt, unless i'm totally comfortable with the person and then it's already too late, we're friends and the flirting is really just friends goofing around. if there's an empty chair next to a cute guy i'll usually sit away from him because i'm so nervous. i'll give a couple of glances and usually spend the rest of the evening ignoring him... why? scared and nervous.
but there's the flip side, if i like a guy i'll remember almost everything he tells me. in particular, i'll remember what he likes, what he doesn't like, what he's been up to. i'll do little things for him, most of which he'll probably never notice, also because i do things for friends in general. but that's just the way i am. i like doing little things to make people happy, to make them smile. :) it shows that someone was listening when they were talking and that someone cares.
this isn't to say i'm not confident in myself, i am. i'm totally adaptable in social situations. you can put me almost anywhere and i'm totally fine. yet when it comes to someone i'm interested in or think is cute.. it suddenly becomes 10 times harder. *sigh*
it's not supposed to be this hard! or is it?
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
what's in a name?
victoria - Means "victory" in Latin. Conqueror, victorious.
I was given this name because I was born prematurely and was on the smaller side. My parents wanted me to have a strong name, to carry me through the years. I think I live up to my name in the sense that I have strong beliefs and I strive to uphold them. I don't force them upon anyone, but I carry them to be true to myself. Many of my own personal victories were a result of quiet perseverance and support of family and friends. I'm not an extrovert nor am I outwardly vocal about a lot of things, but in my own way, I am steadfast.
quan yin - My mother also believed I was somehow linked to this bodhisattva of compassion due to the dot on my forhead. (I never though much of it, only once ever wished it wasn't there, and now I cherish it). In Chinese culture, the Quan Yin is usually referred to as the goddess of mercy. Whenever we visited temples in China/Taiwan and there was an alter to her, I would light a stick of incense. She was known for her mercy and compassion for everyone, she would help whoever needed it, even if they had done her wrong somehow. I try to live my life like that. I'm not sure if I live it because I know who she is, or if that's just me. I think it's mostly just me. My mother believed that she protects me and for awhile I wore a necklace of her image around my neck and then later went to carrying a picture of her in my wallet.
Wei Shuan - my Chinese name refers to a not so easy to find piece of jade. My parents never really told me much about why they named me this. I think it was mostly due to it being something slightly different from the norm, not a regular piece of jade, but a special piece. Also, because it's supposed to be pretty.
kapu'uwaimaluhia - the peaceful heart - my first kumu hula gave me this name. He said it was because I have a tendency to give a lot and never ask for anything in return.
Today I was thinking about all the names I've been given (outside of silly nicknames). How I've lived with those names in the past few years and how I've become those names and how they reflect who I am.
I hope in 2008, I drawn on all the strengths of those names and really stay true to who I am and hope that it takes me some place amazing. :) Here's to a new year!
victoria - Means "victory" in Latin. Conqueror, victorious.
I was given this name because I was born prematurely and was on the smaller side. My parents wanted me to have a strong name, to carry me through the years. I think I live up to my name in the sense that I have strong beliefs and I strive to uphold them. I don't force them upon anyone, but I carry them to be true to myself. Many of my own personal victories were a result of quiet perseverance and support of family and friends. I'm not an extrovert nor am I outwardly vocal about a lot of things, but in my own way, I am steadfast.
quan yin - My mother also believed I was somehow linked to this bodhisattva of compassion due to the dot on my forhead. (I never though much of it, only once ever wished it wasn't there, and now I cherish it). In Chinese culture, the Quan Yin is usually referred to as the goddess of mercy. Whenever we visited temples in China/Taiwan and there was an alter to her, I would light a stick of incense. She was known for her mercy and compassion for everyone, she would help whoever needed it, even if they had done her wrong somehow. I try to live my life like that. I'm not sure if I live it because I know who she is, or if that's just me. I think it's mostly just me. My mother believed that she protects me and for awhile I wore a necklace of her image around my neck and then later went to carrying a picture of her in my wallet.
Wei Shuan - my Chinese name refers to a not so easy to find piece of jade. My parents never really told me much about why they named me this. I think it was mostly due to it being something slightly different from the norm, not a regular piece of jade, but a special piece. Also, because it's supposed to be pretty.
kapu'uwaimaluhia - the peaceful heart - my first kumu hula gave me this name. He said it was because I have a tendency to give a lot and never ask for anything in return.
Today I was thinking about all the names I've been given (outside of silly nicknames). How I've lived with those names in the past few years and how I've become those names and how they reflect who I am.
I hope in 2008, I drawn on all the strengths of those names and really stay true to who I am and hope that it takes me some place amazing. :) Here's to a new year!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
I didn't see that wall there.. did you?
I went to take the GMAT.. all I can say is I fucked it up. Someone or something is telling me to slow the hell down (at least that's my excuse). Talked to my teacher and based on my diagnostics, there was a 3-4% chance I could score that low.. 3-4!!! What the heck?
As much as I hate to blame the fact that it was cooler in the room (I study in 70 degree heat :D) and that the entry/exit door was right behind me. People were constantly going in and out and I could hear everything through the ear plugs, plus I could hear what was going on outside the door. How awful is that?!
So I'm going to miss almost every round 2 deadline. What do I do now?
I feel like I got slammed into a wall, I cried, I'm sad, but more so I'm disappointed in myself and pissed off beyond belief! I worked my butt off!!
so I guess we'll see, there's no giving up. I want to get into one of these schools, I know I can.. there's no ifs, ands, or buts about this. I just need to find a sledgehammer for this damn wall!
I went to take the GMAT.. all I can say is I fucked it up. Someone or something is telling me to slow the hell down (at least that's my excuse). Talked to my teacher and based on my diagnostics, there was a 3-4% chance I could score that low.. 3-4!!! What the heck?
As much as I hate to blame the fact that it was cooler in the room (I study in 70 degree heat :D) and that the entry/exit door was right behind me. People were constantly going in and out and I could hear everything through the ear plugs, plus I could hear what was going on outside the door. How awful is that?!
So I'm going to miss almost every round 2 deadline. What do I do now?
I feel like I got slammed into a wall, I cried, I'm sad, but more so I'm disappointed in myself and pissed off beyond belief! I worked my butt off!!
so I guess we'll see, there's no giving up. I want to get into one of these schools, I know I can.. there's no ifs, ands, or buts about this. I just need to find a sledgehammer for this damn wall!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
the marrying type
I went to visit some close friends this past weekend, to get away and get some advice. One of them shared a story with me, he jokingly said, 'my brother's in love with you.' I thought, what the.. really? I had only met his brother at his wedding this past summer and we talked, at most, just the two of us, for 15 minutes. My friend said, his brother, who isn't known for being monogamous, said that I wasn't just someone to date, I was someone he could see himself with for a very long time.
This brought a flashback to a conversation I once had with someone, about how I seem to be the "marrying type". Doing a quick google search, I came across this article:
http://www.grumblemagazine.com/articles/crack/marrying/index.html.
For the most part, that's so me.
One part of the article that particularly caught my attention was a conversation the author had with a guy friend:
"Guys are afraid of you."
"Afraid of me?" I was hurt (and in denial). "Why?"
"They know you're not the sort of girl to mess around with. You are to be taken seriously. You aren't going to put up with a lot of crap so if they aren't at the point to commit, then they don't even bother."
I had a similar conversation with someone years ago. Only with the added, "guys don't want to hurt you, you're too good and they know it." I'm not saying I want to be married right now, but I'd definitely like to be in the future. And I have tried the dating for dating's sake. I ended up in a year and a half relationship that wasn't what I really wanted. It also led to a lot of 1st and sometimes 2nd dates with no chemistry. I saw myself making a lot of friends...
A lot of guys friends mostly. I have loads of guy friends, some of whom I had started liking, but somehow I usually end up being their girl Friday. I can't even count how many conversations started with, "Hey Vix, I need some advice, I really like this girl... *quietly my heart falls, just a little bit - I quickly recover in time to offer advice*." I think my wish for my friends to be happy often makes me put what I want on the back burner. That and according to another friend I never give off enough signals. I have trouble flirting, it's not that I flirt awkwardly, I just don't, I forget, I'm too used to becoming the friend.
Yay.. lucky me. Same friend with the brother was told me, he knows lots of guys that I would be great with, only thing is, they're not good enough for me. :) Got to love that my friend is looking out for me, sucks that there's still no one.
Maybe my friends just tell me this stuff because I'm still single. If that's the case, guys, help a girl out!! Otherwise I might end up with unrealistic expectations.. is it already too late? :) .. only half joking.
I went to visit some close friends this past weekend, to get away and get some advice. One of them shared a story with me, he jokingly said, 'my brother's in love with you.' I thought, what the.. really? I had only met his brother at his wedding this past summer and we talked, at most, just the two of us, for 15 minutes. My friend said, his brother, who isn't known for being monogamous, said that I wasn't just someone to date, I was someone he could see himself with for a very long time.
This brought a flashback to a conversation I once had with someone, about how I seem to be the "marrying type". Doing a quick google search, I came across this article:
http://www.grumblemagazine.com/articles/crack/marrying/index.html.
For the most part, that's so me.
One part of the article that particularly caught my attention was a conversation the author had with a guy friend:
"Guys are afraid of you."
"Afraid of me?" I was hurt (and in denial). "Why?"
"They know you're not the sort of girl to mess around with. You are to be taken seriously. You aren't going to put up with a lot of crap so if they aren't at the point to commit, then they don't even bother."
I had a similar conversation with someone years ago. Only with the added, "guys don't want to hurt you, you're too good and they know it." I'm not saying I want to be married right now, but I'd definitely like to be in the future. And I have tried the dating for dating's sake. I ended up in a year and a half relationship that wasn't what I really wanted. It also led to a lot of 1st and sometimes 2nd dates with no chemistry. I saw myself making a lot of friends...
A lot of guys friends mostly. I have loads of guy friends, some of whom I had started liking, but somehow I usually end up being their girl Friday. I can't even count how many conversations started with, "Hey Vix, I need some advice, I really like this girl... *quietly my heart falls, just a little bit - I quickly recover in time to offer advice*." I think my wish for my friends to be happy often makes me put what I want on the back burner. That and according to another friend I never give off enough signals. I have trouble flirting, it's not that I flirt awkwardly, I just don't, I forget, I'm too used to becoming the friend.
Yay.. lucky me. Same friend with the brother was told me, he knows lots of guys that I would be great with, only thing is, they're not good enough for me. :) Got to love that my friend is looking out for me, sucks that there's still no one.
Maybe my friends just tell me this stuff because I'm still single. If that's the case, guys, help a girl out!! Otherwise I might end up with unrealistic expectations.. is it already too late? :) .. only half joking.
Friday, December 21, 2007
at 13 or 27.. it's still the same fear
I was watching a re-run of Private Practice last night during my "study" break. In the show Cooper (a pediatrician) is talking to this young 13/14 year old boy. The boy was brought in by the mom because she thought he was sick.. he said he wasn't sick, he was in love.
Cooper asks, "isn't that supposed to be great?" The boy responds, "Not if the person you love doesn't love you back." Coop reveals that he has a crush too, he's in love with a co-worker and hasn't told her. He's loved for her a very, very long time. So the two make a pact, the boy will tell his love how he feels and Coop will tell his. Turns out, the boy gets beat up because he's in love with his best friend, who is a guy. Coop chickens out, because Violet is still in love with her ex (who is married).
Violet spent the episode trying to find out if the new wife (Cammi) was married and eventually the two have a confrontation. Turns out Cammi was there to check Violet out. Violet tells her there's no competition, Cammi is young and beautiful. Cammi tells Violet she isn't so sure about that... which thus gives Violet hope (bad bad bad!! - that's a whole different blog there altogether).
So Coop chickens out and reassures Violet, "Of course he's still thinking about you, you're hard to forget..." (they pause and look at each other) "you know big fuzzy red hair, loud voice.." (laughter breaks the moment). That's as close as Coop gets to telling her how he feels.
No matter how old you are, that fear is still the same. I remember feeling that scared and anxious when I was young and it still feels the same when you're older. It's this feeling that makes you feel like you're standing in the middle of a tornado. You're safe if you stay in the middle, but if you dare to tell the person, it's like waiting to see if the tornado will dissipate and the sun will appear or hits you and pulls you into it.
You'd think it would feel different as you get older, I suppose if anything it should get more scary right? Unless you feel as though you have nothing to lose. But if you think about it, it's all relative to your experience. So as a child, that's all you know, this is LOVE, real love and it's extremely scary. You've never felt this "intense" before! Then as you get older, you realize more and more the complexity of such feelings.. so that fear is still the same, no matter how old you get.
So if you were in the middle of the tornado, do you think you'd stick to the middle or go for it?
I was watching a re-run of Private Practice last night during my "study" break. In the show Cooper (a pediatrician) is talking to this young 13/14 year old boy. The boy was brought in by the mom because she thought he was sick.. he said he wasn't sick, he was in love.
Cooper asks, "isn't that supposed to be great?" The boy responds, "Not if the person you love doesn't love you back." Coop reveals that he has a crush too, he's in love with a co-worker and hasn't told her. He's loved for her a very, very long time. So the two make a pact, the boy will tell his love how he feels and Coop will tell his. Turns out, the boy gets beat up because he's in love with his best friend, who is a guy. Coop chickens out, because Violet is still in love with her ex (who is married).
Violet spent the episode trying to find out if the new wife (Cammi) was married and eventually the two have a confrontation. Turns out Cammi was there to check Violet out. Violet tells her there's no competition, Cammi is young and beautiful. Cammi tells Violet she isn't so sure about that... which thus gives Violet hope (bad bad bad!! - that's a whole different blog there altogether).
So Coop chickens out and reassures Violet, "Of course he's still thinking about you, you're hard to forget..." (they pause and look at each other) "you know big fuzzy red hair, loud voice.." (laughter breaks the moment). That's as close as Coop gets to telling her how he feels.
No matter how old you are, that fear is still the same. I remember feeling that scared and anxious when I was young and it still feels the same when you're older. It's this feeling that makes you feel like you're standing in the middle of a tornado. You're safe if you stay in the middle, but if you dare to tell the person, it's like waiting to see if the tornado will dissipate and the sun will appear or hits you and pulls you into it.
You'd think it would feel different as you get older, I suppose if anything it should get more scary right? Unless you feel as though you have nothing to lose. But if you think about it, it's all relative to your experience. So as a child, that's all you know, this is LOVE, real love and it's extremely scary. You've never felt this "intense" before! Then as you get older, you realize more and more the complexity of such feelings.. so that fear is still the same, no matter how old you get.
So if you were in the middle of the tornado, do you think you'd stick to the middle or go for it?
Saturday, December 15, 2007
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