ilubmoney

This is likely my last public update on LiveJournal. I don't intend to delete this journal at all, and I may make private posts on occasion for myself. But the truth is that when I write publicly, I look for feedback, and feedback is something I've just asked for directly from people nowadays, or maybe occasionally on Facebook.

Eight years is a long period of time to chronicle, however. So just to serve as sort of a bookend for this journal, here are some quick updates on where I am today.

1. I'm thrilled to say that my best girlfriend, S, is engaged, and I'm her maid of honor. I know little to nothing about planning an Indian wedding (or hell, a wedding at all), but my duties are regulated to the non-Indian aspects, e.g. bridal shower/bachelorette party, flowers, etc. I'm excited and am gonna do my best to make this process a positive experience for her.

2. Things are progressing well with Albert. We're preparing for our first trip to LA together at the end of this month. It is a big step, but I've been lucky to get acquainted with the most important people in his life, and now he will be meeting and getting to know the most important people in mine.

3. I'm starting a new job tomorrow. I'm excited about it, but I'm a little nervous about juggling between 3 jobs again with one of them being full-time. This will bring my workweek hours to 50+ hours a week. I'm going to see how this week goes and see if I can handle it.

4. I'm still crocheting and knitting. Knitting is great for making wearable things, but crocheting projects are a lot quicker and maybe more fun since I've been knitting stuffed toys. I just finished my latest project which is a Futurama brain slug for Halloween (see photo of the one I finished here). I'm technically not completely finished as I have to attach it to a headband still, but that shouldn't take too long. :) Next project is back to knitting and finishing Dad's watchcap.

All in all, I've been spending a lot of time thinking about the future while really enjoying the present. I've been going out, cherishing my time with Albert, making new friends, experiencing and learning new things.

Here's to officially closing out the old chapters of my life to make room for incoming happiness.

- Phuong

I was reading this article on MSNBC this morning, and I came across this paragraph:


What?  How do they know it's from the antioxidants and not because these women's partners are thoughtful enough to give them yummy chocolate?  I mean, Albert giving me brownies makes me happy and excited, and that gets my heart beating even before I touch the brownies.

For our lunch today, I was determined to make pho ga (Vietnamese chicken noodle soup). Since I had never made it before, I decided to go to my mom first to ask for advice and maybe a recipe.

When I got to LA last weekend and asked her about it, she raved about these seasoning packets that just needed water, chicken, and maybe some onions and ginger. "It tastes really good and is convenient!" she exclaimed. I wasn't impressed, and I missed it when she made everything from scratch instead of from seasoning packets. I get that time is money and that she's got a large family to feed, but I missed the love in her food.

So instead of using her pho seasoning packets, I used this recipe. It was pretty straightforward, just time-consuming... it took me about 2 hours altogether to make. But it was so worth it.  Towards the end, I kept tasting the broth and noticed that something was missing.  I worried that I had put too much ginger and/or fish sauce and that I completely missed an ingredient.  I added some cinnamon.  Nope, that wasn't it.  It needed  a sweeter flavor.  I added a small piece of rock sugar to see if that would help.  Nope, that wasn't it, either.

Albert came over to help me taste test.  It was then that I realized I forgot to add the whole cloves.  So we added that, let it simmer for 10-15 minutes... the taste was closer, but still wasn't quite right and lacked the sweetness that wasn't from sugar.

"Did you add garlic?"

LIGHTBULB.

Garlic wasn't even in the recipe, but it desperately needed to be.  I added whole cloves of garlic to the broth while Albert chopped up some garlic, sauteed them in a little sesame oil (OMG SO FRAGRANT), and added that to the broth.  It was JUST what the soup needed!

Anyway, the whole point of the story is this: don't use seasoning packets when you've got the time and resources to do better.  Seasoning packets don't give you control over how you want to flavor your dishes, and they don't give you insight on the complexity and art of cooking.  I came away with 3 days' worth of delicious pho and a greater appreciation for well-made pho.

When you cooked for loved ones, it's worth the extra time and effort anyway. :)

Maybe I stopped posting entries because I'm just too happy and just not emo enough to write anything.  :)

However, I will mention that I learned how to knit and started knitting scarves recently.  I completed my first one just last Friday, a guacamole-colored scarf:


I'm making them for Christmas gifts to close friends and family this year, so I figured I better start early since it's a lot of scarves.  The green one took me 5 days to knit, but that was while I was able to put in several hours a day, something I won't be able to do so much after Labor Day.  I'm now working on a fancier pattern with a more expensive wool and a handsome, charcoal color for Albert's scarf:

More photos on Facebook, but nothing you really need to see unless it's a completed project. :)

Edit: Nevermind, I'll be posting any completed/in-progress knitting projects on Ravelry for interested parties. :)

Is anyone reading this LJ anymore?  Can I go back to writing like no one's reading it?

Love,
Phuong

Reposted from FB.

Just for fun and just because I've been thinking about it, here are ten of my favorite places to dine in the Bay Area in no particular order. (If there's a place you think is missing from my list, chances are good that I haven't eaten there yet, so make a recommendation!) All of these places have great service, food, and ambiance unless otherwise noted.

This list was hard to narrow down, btw. I don't eat at most of these places regularly with the exception of #4 and maybe #9, mostly because the other places are too far or too pricey to eat at regularly.

1. Assab
The honey wine is good and goes with the food perfectly. My favorite thing to get is the vegetable sambusa, which is kind of like really tasty Hot Pocket infused with great spices. Haven't been back since I moved out of the city, but I'd love to go back.

2. Alexander's Steakhouse
More for sentimental reasons than anything else. Very upscale-casual. My favorite thing from Alexander's at the time I went was their cotton candy, surprisingly enough.

3. House of Prime Rib
I was never much of a steak person until Albert took me to House of Prime Rib for the first time. OH MY GOODNESS. And they give you so much good food! The English cut is good, but I like the thicker bite and loved the City cut the last time I went. (Also, while I have not had a meal at Harris's Steakhouse, it's down the street from HoPR, and they have a fantastic baked alaska.)

4. Grand Century Mall
Okay, a caveat: I haven't tried a whole lot of dishes at the food court here, but there's a place, Banh Khot, that makes the best chicken pho I've ever had. The service is minimal since it's a food court, and the old guy at Banh Khot has "pho nazi" tendencies. And ambiance... it's a food court in a Vietnamese mall. But the chicken pho is fantastic! And there's plenty of people-watching to be had.

5. Crawdaddy
Crawfish remind me of childhood summer trips to Louisiana. The spices and seasonings in these crawdads are delicious if you like spice. The place is decorated like a cool, New Orleans-style hub, and the TVs make it a good place for watching sports. The fries with cajun spices are addictingly good. Fun, greasy place. :)

6. Lovejoy's
This was my first experience at an English-style tea house, and I loved it. Lisa's Tea Treasures in Santana Row is not a bad South Bay substitute, but I love how Lovejoy's tea room is quirky and fun with mismatched tea sets. Plus they had this really nice pumpkin tea during the winter. Great place to bring girls (but not guys).

7. Jimisan
This one's on the list partly for sentimental reasons, but I love this place for the stuffed tomato and my first experience with uni (a very positive experience! I've had bad uni after that, so it made me love Jimisan a little more).

8. House of Siam
The thai food here is good, but the real reason why it's on the list is because of the ambiance, and I'm a sucker for live music/performance during meals.

9. California Sourdough
I don't really care for sandwiches in general, so this place is pretty exceptional for making it on my list. My favorite is the spicy turkey sandwich. Sourdough is super fresh! The dining area and service are pretty minimal, but that's how good their sandwiches are.

10. Flames and Stacks
This one is a tie for breakfast places. I'm a sucker for a good eggs benedict, but while I think they make it better at Flames, I love the potatoes at Stacks. Decisions, decisions!


What are your top 10 places to eat in your area?

I'm not even sure if any of these are repeat questions, but if they are, let me know.

Poll #1436806 "Which of these is better?" Poll #28
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 8

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Phuong, what have you been up to?

Glad you asked!  I know I just did a general update not too long ago, but my posting rate has been significantly low, so I figure maybe I have more to update about.  It's just easier to update Facebook statuses than post.  Let's see!

Been checking out a lot of fun, random events this summer!  I'll add any relevant photos that I have.

July 2nd - Went to check out California Academy of Science's Nightlife.  It's pretty much how you would expect things to go if you were to combine a museum + a club.  It's just kind of cool to see how the museum atmosphere transforms when you add a DJ and booze and still be able to check out the planetarium show, the albino alligator, and the mini rainforest.  $10 per person.

July 3rd - Went to Hakone Gardens with Albert.  It was a perfect day to go, and there were a lot of sweet moments together in the garden.  Photo album on Facebook if you're on there.  If you're in the Saratoga area, it's only $5 to go in.



July 4th - Went to the Palo Alto Chili Cookoff with Brent.  $5 for 5 tastings, but we only got through 4 tastings because the lines were so long.  The best thing about the cookoff was the gourmet chocolate brownie funnel cake!  Later, I went to a Skyline Vista with friends to watch about 6 different firework shows; the fireworks looked tiny from where we stood, but it's a good way to scout for fireworks sites for next year. :)  I did miss being in San Diego with my family, though. :(



July 5th - It was Albert's birthday, so for his birthday, I made him Korean tofu soup and we watched a Korean drama (Stairway to Heaven) together.  Bought him a new basketball for his birthday. :)

July 9th - Met my new therapist.  She seems pretty nice, similar to my last therapist. :)

July 11th to 13th - My sister Teresa visited me.  Photos and details in that post.  Summary: Death Cab for Cutie concert, King Tut exhibit, House of Prime Rib, Santana Row and Lisa's Tea Treasures (way cute tea shop!).

July 15th - Visited an old friend (Thai!) from Beijing in Berkeley and got caught up on the latest Worldlink alumni gossip.

July 17th - Attended Kelly's birthday party.  Fun evening with new friends and possibilities.  I really hope we eventually get that poker night happening.

July 18th - Went to the free chocolate tasting and demo at Williams-Sonoma in SF with Albert.  Spent the day window-shopping before we had dinner.  Fulfilled years-long mission of trying a DELICIOUS baked alaska from Harris's Steakhouse.  Went to the excellent Final Fantasy concert in Davies Symphony Hall.







Other activities that have been ongoing throughout the month:

• Gym time has been sporadic at best.  It's been hard to get back into the 3-4x a week routine I had going in June, so I'm resetting my goal back to 2-3x a week.  
• Cooking activities are also slowing down significantly.  On my to-make list are Vietnamese truffles, chili dogs with homemade chili, and pork & cabbage dumplings.
• Both gym and cooking time have been impacted by my erratic work schedule at Kaplan this month.  It's finally settling down now, so now that I've got that taken care of, I'm hoping to make gym and cooking more of a priority.
• There's some drama lately that's going on with my housemates.  I'm largely uninvolved in it, but the tension around the house last week was palpable.
• I play a lot of Scrabble now on Facebook with my uncle and with Albert.  Albert and I make bets with ours.  He lost our last game by only 1 point, so he's to make me a homecooked meal now, hehehe.  Looking forward to his beef noodle soup!
• I'm now reading Reviving Ophelia.  I'm just a chapter into it now, but a lot of the introduction speaks to me, and I think often about my sister Cathy who is now well into puberty.  It makes me wonder if I ought to worry about her more than I do now.

Upcoming activities?  Hiking and wine-tasting Wednesday morning, and possibly going to the FREE Offspring concert in SF this Friday. 

Thank you, FunCheapSF!  Outside of the Bay Area, how do people find out about fun events?  I don't know what I'd do without Craigslist and FunCheapSF.  The latter was how I found out about the chili cookoff, the free chocolate demo, and the free Offspring concert.  Other cool things on there that I couldn't/can't make it to: Berkeley Kite Festival, NBC's filming of a car crash scene at a farmer's market for "Trauma," and tons of free movie nights and music nights at different parks/venues throughout the bay.

My sister Teresa visited me over the weekend, and it was fun-filled enough to where I think I need to chronicle it (both as just a pleasant memory and also as a reference for ideas on where to take out-of-town guests while they're here).

Warning: image-heavy post ahead.

( Saturday and the Death Cab Concert... )

( Sunday and San Francisco... )

( Monday and the English tea shop... )

It was such a great weekend. I'm glad to have this time now to catch up on things I need to do this week, including making this update. :) More photos on Facebook if you happen to have me friended there.

What are some good "meet the parents" types of outfits? I don't actually know how soon that's gonna happen, but I've just been in kind of a "new outfits" kind of mood and might want to do some thrift/vintage shopping soon.

I'm feeling the casual knee-length skirt/dress thing, and the mister says that looking "nerdy/geeky" would help my case (in other words, educated and non-threatening, hehehe).

I'm not worried about what to bring them like in the past--yesterday, I brought some white peaches for them and left a note because they weren't home when we stopped by.

Also, what did you wear when you met your significant other's/others' parents?

Images and links are welcome and encouraged in comments.

I gotta say, joining SparkPeople has been really helpful for me. The whole tracking business has been really helpful with getting me into the habit of going to the gym consistently for the past three weeks (and they say it takes at least 21 days to make/break a habit).

A couple of notes about my experience over the last few weeks:

• I gained about 5 lbs. since I measured myself about a month ago. I now officially weigh the most I have ever weighed thus far. When I saw the new number on the gym scale this past Monday, I freaked out a little and went home to grab my measuring tape. Funnily enough, my bust-waist-hip measurements are identical to what they were a month ago. Maybe I've gained more muscle mass, but I'm inclined to wonder if it's just more water weight due to my just drinking more water in general. I don't think the increased water intake has happened long enough for me to rule it out for my recent weight gain.
• I don't know if I necessarily feel more energy after working out, but I definitely feel more accomplished. Generally, I've been in a great mood, but I can't attribute that entirely to exercise and nutrition alone. :)
• I've concentrated the past 2 weeks or so on nutrition. Part of it was to cut down on dining out and save expenses that way, and part of it was just because I missed cooking meals and have time for it now. I definitely feel more aware about not just my general calorie intake but my general nutritional breakdown in general. I still have trouble getting enough protein, carbs, and calcium in my diet. I'd like to think I've been better about replacing sweets with fruits, though sweets haven't been cut completely (FBers know, but Albert brought me some ice cream cupcakes earlier this week <3).
• I'm still waiting to notice differences in my physical appearance. I notice small differences in strength and endurance when I'm consistent with my workouts, like my body is getting better at tolerating the discomfort of cardio and weights. I can lift slightly more than I used to a month ago, and my legs are generally making much more improvement than my upper body.
• I'm definitely learning a lot more about exercise and nutrition through reading their articles daily. Some of my favorite interesting/useful articles so far: "Workout ideas for couples," "20 Healthiest Foods for Under $1," "Optimism and the Power of Positive Thinking."
• My main goal is to get accustomed to the habit of getting to the gym and/or exercising, so I make my regimen as simple as possible.  I aim to do 20 minutes of cardio a day for 4 days a week, 2 days of strength training (in which I go through 10 of the exercise stations/machines, 2 sets of 15-20 reps at each station, more if I do crunches). 
• A good workout mix really helps me stay on track with cardio, especially if there's a song or two I love to dance to, but I lost my earphones recently and have had trouble on the treadmill this week.  Today I skipped out on the gym but did my cardio at home using two SparkPeople workout videos and a jump rope.  Pretty awesome workout, too.

Also, due to my renewed interest in food, I've rediscovered a love for making food.  Things I have cooked over the past two weeks:

• Japanese-style curry with rice
• Lasagna (with mushrooms, zuchinni, and chicken)
• Japanese-style rice omlettes ("omurice")
• Baked chicken drumsticks using Panko breadcrumbs for the first time
• Restyled "mac and cheese" using rotini, leftover fancy cheeses from a potluck (apple smoked gruyere, havarti, and shredded mozzarella), homemade breadcrumbs (also leftover from said potluck), and leftover chicken breasts
• Chicken pot pie (I bought a Betty Crocker mix for the crust and tossed in some leftovers for the filling; burnt the crust a bit, but because it was flaky, I was able to peel off some of the burnt layers)

Over the next few days, I plan on making Korean tofu soup/stew (partly for Albert's birthday), possibly chili dogs with homemade chili, and chocolate covered cherry cookies.  Recipe for the cookies will make about 3 dozen, so if you're in the area and would like some next week, let me know! :)

I recently joined SparkPeople to build better awareness of good health (exercise and nutrition). If you're on there, add me! My username is "ilubmoney."  My main goals on there are to tone up for summer beachwear and also to develop a general awareness of what I'm eating on a daily/weekly basis.  I've been on it for a little over a week now, and I think it's been working for me because I'm a sucker for point systems.  It seems to work for other people due its community-oriented nature; active users on the site seem very supportive of each other in general.  Also, I love how SP's got a lot of great educational articles on nutrition, fitness, and general overall health (I'm happy with the way they've integrated mental health, too; I'm a believer of the mind-body connection and its impact on general motivation).  They have tons of recipes, a great calorie and exercise tracker, and trivia/polls. 

Mostly, I like how setting up my account there put me through the process of creating concrete goals for myself that are doable and make me feel good about achieving something.  

Anyway, just passing the link along in case those of you who are trying to get back into shape want a little extra support.  SparkPeople seems like a great way to do it.

I forgot where I read this yesterday--have been trying to find the source this morning--but someone posited the following idea:

Women tend to get married when they meet the "right person." They wait until they meet someone who's compatible with them on a social and emotional level, someone who meets their intimacy needs.

Men tend to get married when the timing is right. When they are at a stable place in their careers, when they're in a good financial place, when they've completed their educational goals (grad/med/law school, etc.), they'll feel ready for marriage and will marry whomever they're with at the time.

I think both men and women need some combination of the two--chemistry and timing--for thoughts of marriage to happen, but each group as a whole puts different priorities on different parts.

Agree or disagree? Is this a trend you've noticed in your social circles? Discuss.

I think it's about time for a general updates post. Don't think I've done a public one in awhile.

Also, I'm guessing that the appeal of Twitter is that it's not as labor-intensive as blogging. I don't "tweet," but I do regular Facebook status updates.

Work
Some of you know that my school-based internship suffered from the recent round of budget cuts, and as a result, the counseling intern program in my district was cut. However, due to an unbelievable stroke of luck, I was able to secure a new internship in another school district close by. I'm still looking for other part-time work, though, especially to fill in the summer hours. It doesn't help that Kaplan recently decided to close their Score! centers, so tutoring hours have been slashed significantly. I've chosen to transfer to their new in-home tutoring program, but without the guarantee of hours, I have to keep looking for other part-time work.

Quite frankly, I'm feeling burnt-out from having to continually job-hunt almost every year. Girl's got bills to pay, though.

Personal
* Friends know about this already, but I recently started dating someone new. I'm not ready to write about Albert in a public entry just yet, but I can say that I am really happy. I've updated my LJ privately on a regular, daily basis, but since I started dating him, even those private entries have slowed down quite a bit. I laugh a lot more than I used to.
* I've been eating out quite a bit. In fact, I think I should probably Yelp more so I can track how often I'm trying new restaurants as part of my New Year's resolutions. I'm pretty sure I've exceeded 1 new restaurant every 2 weeks. Seems like it's more like (at least) 4-5 new restaurants each month for the past two months. I think I should adjust my goals to cooking new dishes once every 1-2 weeks.

Funny business
On a semi-related note, here are some links that made me laugh:
Luigi finally confronts Mario
How much do YOU love noodles?
Pete Johansson - Epileptic Girlfriend

Written on our kitchen whiteboard awhile ago. I have a roommate--who shall remain nameless--who tends to enjoy leaving notes and long emails when wanting or needing to address household issues. This was one such note.



I wanted to add, "So is passive-aggression," but it just seemed too... I dunno. Such things are not my style, not my style. :P

In honor of dementia's birthday, I told her I would eat a cake in her honor. Any cake of her choosing. She chose pineapple upside-down cake.

I knew I probably wasn't going to be able to find this cake easily at a bakery, so I decided to make one.



What is that bright yellow splooge in the middle of the cake, you ask? I discovered later that I might've taken the cake out a little early from the oven. Yeah, it's undercooked in the photo. But I put it back in the oven and ate it later. Yum!



And yes, I made two. I cheated with classic yellow cake batter from the box, so I had enough to make two.

Happy birthday, Demmie!

I feel the need to do a public post, but I'm stuck for inspiration now. Any requests?

Quick list of things going on aside from no-longer-so-recent filtered posts:
- Job-hunting and expanding the search beyond counseling positions
- Wondering what to do for Memorial Day
- Rock Band 2 goodness
- Eating out... a LOT
- Thinking about an updated, summertime wardrobe
- Making and eating an upside-down pineapple cake for Demmie's birthday (anyone have a good, easy recipe?)
- Thinking about summer plans, wanting to make a trip out to Philly this summer (and have the miles for it!)

What are you guys all up to? :)

This is sort of a follow-up post to the skincare entry. As part of my New Year's resolutions this year, I vowed to assemble a basic makeup kit and learn how to use it. And I have this week!

Kim took me shopping at Valley Fair the other week and helped me pick out the basics from Sephora, Mac, and Bare Escentuals. Here's a list of what I bought.

( Makeup Kit List, for interested parties )

Yes, it was an expensive shopping trip, but I thought it was worth it.

I'm all about the all-natural makeup. My skin's been great lately, so what I'm really looking for out of makeup is to enhance my natural features and just even the color out. I haven't done a lot of experimenting with the shadows yet, but I plan to do more of that soon. Here are the results of today's makeup experiment.

( photos )

I feel like Jenny when she first discovered makeup:

After a very long break from the last poll, I've finally been able to get around to today's poll. Most of these questions are credited to James and our recent email exchanges. :) Thanks, James!

Poll #1379017 "Which of these is better?" Poll #27
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 16

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?

Which of the following is better?