neck pillow revisited

So I had decided I was going to buy a neck pillow, then couldn't decide which size to get, based off of Tempur-pedic's online sizing guide. My cousin happens to work for them, so I asked him for advice, and he referred me to his sweet coworker and also gave me a discount, so now I have a neck pillow on the way, peace of mind that I picked the right one, and it cost much less than anticipated! My neck is excited, as is my wallet.

itinerary

Next two New York trips booked, one with a weekend in DC for a wedding! Working on nailing down Namibia details (including a crucial layover in Zurich to see friends, grill at the lake, and buy gummy candy), looking into another DC trip for another wedding, and maybe a weekend in Portland or Vancouver? Probably one more New York trip, and then Vietnam and Cambodia are so far in the future that they're just pleasant shadows, but what a year!!

the perfect storm

Went to bed last night, and it was clear outside. Woke up in the middle of the night a few times, and it was raining. By the time I left for work, it was clear again. The only sign that it had rained was that the giant bird poop deposited on my windshield yesterday afternoon (big enough to warrant sending a picture of it to Boyfriend) had been washed away.

poorer and happier

Filed my taxes, which always gives me a sense of satisfaction, despite the fact that it always costs a lot. I just like the sense of accomplishment, and finding and filling in the numbers is oddly soothing.

Also, I finally got around to paying off the balance of my law school loans!! You're supposed to pay the minimum on government loans and invest it in something else, because the interest is so low, but I've never invested the money elsewhere, so I finally admitted that it was better to just pay them off and not have that piece of debt anymore.

cannot be overstated

The deliciousness we experienced in Japan cannot be overstated. Simple things, like tempura shrimp heads (and I don't usually like shrimp heads). Perfect ingredients, like Kobe beef and fatty tuna. Creative dishes, like a yuzu sourdough bread that cooked at the table. Every day was another feast, and out of the hundreds of things we ate, these dishes were some of the very best.

sweetness follows

What can I say, I'm Asian, and I think beans belong in desserts and sweet dishes. Like so.

cherry blossom

We were a bit early for cherry blossom season, but did get to see a few.

neck pillow

The hotel in Tokyo offered a selection of pillows, so I tried one of those weird looking Tempurpedic neck pillows, and it was so good. Might have to get one for my crazy neck.

sad but good

A high school friend's dog passed away this week, and this time two years ago, I was in the midst of losing Fiver. Terrible and sad, but emailing with my friend and remembering it all over again reminds me of how much Fiver changed my life for the better by influencing my choices, setting examples on love, patience, and forgiveness, and giving me more empathy. I am a better person for having known Fiver, and hope that Henry is reaping the benefits of what Fiver sowed.

fully stocked

A trip to Japan means all kinds of bounty: we ate so much good food, I can't even pick a favorite restaurant or narrow down favorite dishes to fewer than ten (and I only gained two pounds!!); I've got tons of pajamas (this means a lot to a  couch potato with hoarding tendencies); the TiVo is full of so many options (which I can watch in my new pajamas while pacing around the room trying to lose those two pounds).

april fool's

My product team did a clever prank today that was simple and fun (com.google was a flipped version of google.com), and even gave me credit for making them think of doing one in the first place.

together again

First play date after Henry and his favorite work dog both came back from vacation. They played long and hard, then cuddled on the couch, then played some more.

take care

Back in town after a month of mostly being away, and I'm making appointments and taking care of all kinds of things I was putting off, from taxes to toenails to back pain to pores to glasses to allergy shots to checkups. Some are fun, some aren't, but it's good to get things done.

barkbox

I signed Henry up for a few Barkboxes (monthly shipments of toys and treats), and the first treat was pretty cool: you put it in the microwave and it puffs up into this warm crunchy thing. He was so excited to eat it that he was hopping around so much that he couldn't eat it.

clean

Glad I decided not to cancel the cleaning lady while we were gone, so we came home to a tidy house. Laundry in the dryer, mom's cooking in my belly, first round of inbox triage complete, I'm as ready as I'll ever be to go back to real life...

record unpacking

For the first time in years, I'm fully unpacked the same day I got home from vacation. This was partly to triage the laundry situation, and partly to enjoy my loot, which includes three (!!) sets of airline pajamas, lots of exciting candy, and a sweat suit that came highly recommended by a friend.

one more day

Only one day left of vacation, but at least that day will include sleeping in, cherry blossoms, a bullet train, red bean KitKats, one last dinner, and a first class seat with a few movies I'd like to see. And my dog waiting for me on the other side of the ocean.

140K

Managed to get over 140,000 steps this week, for an average of over 20K per day.

rub a dub dub

Always take a bath at the hotel, especially if there is a giant cedar tub.

jealousy

Oh, to live in a place with good public transportation, bath houses, and delicious food in small portions...

firm

Firm mattress is best mattress.

best part

The best part of vacation might be the psychological freedom of having email sync turned off on my work account.

keeping up

We're getting lots of walking in, plus I've been watching Orange Is the New Black once a day on the treadmill to get some extra steps, so I think I'm actually going to come out of this binge trip OK.

specific tastes

When you eat enough Japanese meals in a row to identify your own specific obsessions therein. Mine: noodles, lotus root, shirako, red bean, soy lattes. His: yuzu.

addiction

When you finally get Wi-Fi after an unexpected 26 hour hiatus.

butler

When the hotel has a butler, and he brings you a big bag of the welcome snacks (yuzu flavored crunchy things) after you ask where you can buy them.

lookit that egg

shiso smoothie

Who knew that shiso would make a blueberry smoothie super tasty? The cafe in the Google Tokyo office, apparently.

new snacks

Best thing about checking out another Google office is trying the local snacks. Giant apples, sour grapes gummy candy, dried fish with almonds, huge vending machines, black vinegar drinks? Gotta try them all, and find room for breakfast and lunch at the cafe, too!

first class

The only bad thing about a flight in first class is that it ends much too soon.

lizard buddy

Boyfriend directed Henry's attention to a lizard on the deck today. Henry's excitement and enthusiasm knew no bounds. Jumping, whining, scrabbling at the window, yodeling, it was ON.

61

Realized that with our planned travel this year, we'll hit six or seven foreign countries, four of them new ones, bringing my total to 61.

also great

My own bed. Daylight Saving Time. Happy dog.

that was great

The weather softened up while I was in New York, I ate lots of good food, saw friends and coworkers, walked and took the subway, had a pretty fascinating experience at Sleep No More, and had a smooth journey home.

mini hibernation

A post brunch jetlagged nap in a cozy hotel room with blackout curtains when it's freezing cold outside.

walking from new york

Turns out there's a walking desk right next to my engineers, so I can still get some steps in despite the frigid weather this week!

strangers on a plane

Flight was delayed by four hours. On the upside, I knew about two of those hours in advance and got more time at work to get stuff done, and also had time to pace and get some steps at the airport. Guy on the plane said I was the nicest stranger he's ever traveled with, just because I offered to switch seats with him for his bum leg and gave him water for his pills.

different strokes

Squeezed in for an unexpected appointment with the chiropractor at work today, so I was with a different one than usual. I love my usual chiropractor, but it's fun to get a different style adjustment sometimes.

closeup

Went in for a company-funded photo shoot today to get a headshot for a conference. There was a makeup artist, and the photographer did silly photos, too, so I have lots of good pictures for serious and silly uses.

skinny jeans

I'm wearing a skinnier pair of jeans today! Just a few more pounds and I will fit into every pair I own.

toffee bread pudding

Yum.

so thankful

Nothing like vacuuming the house myself to make me really appreciate my cleaning lady.

early bird

When you have to wake up much earlier than usual, and for some reason, you're up and alert before the alarm clock goes off.

fireplace s'mores

Super easy, the ingredients are shelf stable, and always a crowd pleaser.

rainbow

Seeing a rainbow always feels like a special event.

hills are alive

We actually got some rain this winter, and so all the hills below our house are green and beautiful. The trees in the area all started blooming in late January, so it's a beautiful spring. Can't wait to see three cherry blossoms in Japan in a few weeks!

help wanted

An unexpected and repeated job offer is never a bad thing for one's self confidence.

sleeping dog

The smell of a bleary-eyed dog who just woke up.

not a death march

My sister came by for lunch, and we walked down the hill, instead of driving. Alone, it's enough hills that it would have felt like a death march, but with company, it was time to catch up.

ski week

Last week, Bay Area public schools had vacation, and most people go skiing. I love when schools are out, because it does wonders for my commute when all those families leave town.

eating the dogfood

I'll never get tired of the free gadgets at work, which we use in order to "eat our own dogfood" and improve the products. New tablet shows up at my desk today; I have no idea why I was chosen, but I will gladly use it.

chocolate

Surprise chocolate delivery by a friend I didn't even realize is in town! Coming back to my desk yesterday and finding it there was a happy surprise.

like butter

Work thingy I helped plan went smoothly, and my preso was fine. I got to meet some new people, and hung out chatting with folks for a while afterwards. I do like having some social time at work...

old standard

When you make the lentil stew recipe you got when you were in Chile fifteen years ago, and you get the lentils and rice cooked juuuust right.

a is for apple

Perfect, crisp, sweet apple.

sunny saturday

Went into town to pick up some framed photos, and they came with (another) box of Girl Scout cookies! Then, I picked up Boyfriend's favorite kind of bagels and some cupcakes, so we'll have dessert tonight and breakfast tomorrow (after we eat the steak he's making for dinner tonight, which we'll eat while watching a movie about bronies). A good Valentine's day.

next up, namibia

Scratch the Mexico in August plans, looks like we're doing South Africa and Namibia in July, with a layover in Zurich, so that we can say hi to friends and stock up on gummy candy!!

more reservations

Our Japan trip is approaching, and we've been looking at lots of restaurants! Between New York and Japan, March is going to be quite a Michelin star frenzy for us!

overboard

I've bought thirteen boxes of Girl Scout cookies, including six boxes on Thin Mints and four boxes of Savannah Smiles, which I'd never tried before, but are lemony and delicious. Giving away a bunch, because no one should eat that many, but the cookie hoarding instinct is strong...

every day

Henry has had four play dates with three different dogs this week. He has the best job.

better back

All this walking may be helping my back and neck problems.

surprise supplies

Lovely coworker pinged me today saying she has something for me. Turns out she was in Zurich and remembered that I liked gummy candy and picked up a couple bags for me. I love surprise gummies!!

rain is gone

Gorgeous sunny day, perfect for walking across campus for lunch with a former teammate and some extra steps on Fitbit.

back to back

After being cooped up all weekend, Henry had play dates with his two favorite dogs yesterday and today, and he played as if he might never get to play again.

grumpy

Someone (not me) was extremely grumpy all weekend. Good thing we had scheduled friends to come over for dinner and couldn't cancel, so that someone (not me) was forced to talk and smile for a few hours.

better timing

Managed to get a reservation at Eleven Madison Park at 5:30 on a different night, which is so much better than 10.

good night's sleep

Best sleep I've had in a few weeks.

good night's sleep

Best sleep I've had in a few weeks.

quick progress

Have I really lost five pounds in a little over two weeks? My austerity measures may not have to last quite as long as I'd thought.

step miner

Despite only popping outside momentarily for the dog, I managed to walk over six miles today, just pacing around the house. Laziest walk ever.

get it done

I am so glad I taught my dog to pee and poop as quickly as possible on command. It was raining cats and dogs on me and my dog today.

serious reservations

Booking tables for New York. I even woke up at 6 to get a reservation at Eleven Madison Park (and was only able to get a 10 p.m., so we'll have to think about that...), and we're definitely going back to Marea for their incredible pasta and seafood.

rainy day

Rain to break the drought! And it's on a Friday that I'm working from home, so I don't have to drive in it. And it didn't start until right after Henry did his morning business. And maybe I needed a little break from walking so much every day for the last two weeks...

upcoming travels

New York for work (with added perks of friends and for), then Tokyo and Kyoto for cherry blossoms and food (with added perk of first class tickets and Boyfriend's favorite hotel in the world), and an end of year trip to Vietnam and Cambodia (in which we get to try the first class service on Cathay and see if it lives up to the hype). Still to plan, a summer trip to Mexico to see whale sharks, perhaps?

everything in excess

Henry went on all of my walks over the weekend, which means that he also did all of the steep hills (over 70 floors per day). This morning, he refused breakfast, refused to walk, and fell asleep all over the place all day. I never thought I'd wear this dog out, but apparently I did!

In other news, I ordered seven boxes of Girl Scout cookies, because it's that time of year!

sunny days

Everyone else's weather report says cold and snow, and we've got sunshine, 70° temperatures, and all the trees are blooming. Good thing for me, with all this walking...

fitbeast

I'm addicted to the numbers, the rankings, the gadget... I've been walking so much that my sad body was aching the first few nights. I've been walking so much that I'm well over 100k weekly steps. I can't help it. I can't stand exercise, but even more than that, I can't stand to lose.

sister day

Steam room, scrubbing mitts, hot tub, lunch at Google, sunny walk, discounted galoshes at the company store, pedicures!

four day weeks

Last week was a four day week for MLK. This week, I'm taking Friday off for some sister time. I love long weekends...

hotel booked

The website for the hotel I stayed in last time in New York wasn't recognizing our corporate booking code, and it looked like they were over budget, anyways. I called them on the phone, and it turns out the current discount rate brought them back in budget, so it was worth the call. If I decide to bring Henry, it won't even cost extra. Maybe not this time, but next?

lazy fitness

If I do one meeting a day at the walking desk, I can meet my daily step goal without too much effort...

killing leftovers

Half a Napa cabbage, one slice of pork belly, and tofu becomes... Korean-ish cabbage soup, if you toss in some chicken broth, scallions, garlic, hot sesame oil, gochujang, salt, and soy sauce.

winter is going

Hurray for the return of temperatures in the 70's, and lengthening days!

fitter

Finally caved and bought a FitBit, which I started using yesterday, in addition to logging calories. A few months should get me back to where I like to be.

unexpected ramen

I was in my pajamas and prepared for a lazy evening at home yesterday, when my sister asked if we wanted to go to her place to have ramen. Headed up to the city for delicious ramen, Cards Against Humanity, then stayed the night and had crepes and a slow morning before heading back down in time to prepare for tonight's dinner guests.

2/3

We're hosting three dinners this weekend. Friday we had Chinese hot pot with a former legal assistant and her boyfriend. Last night, another former legal assistant came over with her husband, and we had a pretty fancy (and very delicious) dinner that used our smoker and their sous vide machine a lot: burrata, mi-cuit salmon with quick pickles, sous vide duck, Brussels sprouts with bacon, smoked chateaubriand with arugula salad and 63° egg, a few bottles of wine, and s'mores. Former teammates coming over tomorrow for hot pot and catching up.

perfect lunch

With these four things on my plate at work today, I could hardly pay attention to the presenter who was talking while I was eating:

• Raw Mustard Green Salad with Gruyère and Anchovy Croutons 
• Simmered Farro Salad with Cranberry, Golden Raisin and Toasted Almonds 
• Grilled Napa Cabbage with Toasted Sesame Seeds 
• Orange & Soy Glazed Pork Belly

step one

I always think that I should do things like go to the gym and work out, but I don't, and so today, I did a very short workout at home. Here's hoping that eliminating the laziness about getting to the gym will help me get in better shape.

emergency food

That thing where you stay in bed too long and then you're too weak to get up and get food, so you fall back asleep and wake up even hungrier, until your boyfriend brings in poached eggs and cheese on an English muffin and yogurt, and you won't have to die in bed, after all.

optimal weekend

If you do a social thing on Friday night, and unavoidable errands or obligations on Saturday, you still have the rest of Saturday and all on Sunday to lounge around in your pajamas.

joy joy joy

Henry is having one of those days where everything is exciting and requires running and leaping and celebrating. He was pretty much dancing while he pooped. No idea why, but today seems to be a very good day for him.

belated

Finally had our across the street neighbors over for dinner, almost a year after they hosted us. I can now greet them without shame and with a clear conscience. Next door neighbors, not yet.

resolved

Did my Year in Review yesterday, and I gave myself surprisingly decent grades on my goals for last year, and figured out my goals for this year.

again again

Booked tickets for my next work trip to New York! Now I just need to book the hotel and decide whether to try bringing Henry.

quick dinner

Kimchi scrambled eggs with a bit of sesame oil on a toasted English muffin is both quick and tasty.

radishes and salt

Crunchy and cold.

leftover heaven

So many options! Cookies, dips, veggies, meat, soda...

rawr

I am become Death, destroyer of fruit flies.

happy new year

We hosted a dinner at our place, and I think we're finally getting to the point that it's presentable and we can start doing more things with guests.

on time

After over a year of not having a clock that kept accurate time in the living room, I finally motivated to go buy a new one. It's kind of cool.