Thank you!
Jason and I are tremendously blessed. We have had so much help with our wedding, it has really floored us. We're not even half way there yet! My friends are so freaking talented...
Thank you to Jenie, who designed stunning save the date cards!! They are perfect!! I can't wait to see our invitations!!
Thank you to Jessica, who designed a gorgeous website so fast!!! It's beautiful!!
Thank you to Long who can whip stuff up, host stuff, fix bugs, and make shadows disappear. (that's some talent!)
And..not so much a talent, but thank you to Karen and Alinna who gave us our first wedding gift!! You are FAR TOO generous.
I love the community I have around me. I'm learning to ask for help; I'm learning to trust people more and let go of control. Thanks, friends, for all that you are and do.
December 12, 2006
December 5, 2006
(I wrote this post two months ago, but never finished it).
Fall.
I love fall. I’ve been drinking spiced cider and peppermint tea. The leaves are changing, which is absolutely gorgeous. But, honestly, nothing beats fall colors like October in Shenandoah. Two years ago, I went camping with my classmate Maria in Shenandoah. We hiked to these beautiful ridges with glorious views of the Shenandoah Valley. The sky was filled with blues and grays, with ominous storm clouds in the distance, casting patchy shadows across the valleys. Hillsides covered in rich reds, burnt oranges and golden yellows from the millions of trees. Small, green plains with little farm houses illuminated from the small glimpse of sun peaking through the clouds. An eagle flew overhead, gliding gracefully through streams of light that descend from the heavens to the land below. It was one of the most magnificent views I’d ever seen.
Speaking of magnificent views, I was going to blog about sunsets. I don’t know how I got distracted by fall.
The top 4 sunsets (in no particular order):
December 1998. Sitting with a good friend in Lucy, my old Volvo station wagon. We parked at the empty lot up on Euclid Avenue in the Berkeley Hills. We could see the San Francisco skyline starting to sparkle as city lights came up, the gray, ominous fog rolling in over the Golden Gate Bridge, and a golden sun setting behind Mount Tam, with warm rays radiating, spiraling from the center as it slipped behind Marin. Quality time with a quality friend.
July 24, 2005. Waikiki beach with three great friends and some damn good sushi. We had waded into the surf just a little bit, but that wasn’t terribly fun since it was so rocky. So we sprawled out on our towels on a surprisingly not-so-crowded Waikiki beach. Armed with the Costco sushi (including California rolls with real crab!), we camped out, ate sushi with our fingers, talked, and watched the sun set to the west. Kids scurried along further down the beach. Their silhouettes were a stark contrast from the first gold and then pink backdrop behind them.
July 18, 2006. Jason had proposed several hours earlier. So, the world was already completely rose colored. We had a lovely dinner in Pacific Grove and wandered out to the waterfront where these rocks jutted out into the ocean. A cool breeze blew around us as we scrambled up the rocks and took a seat. As the sun set, the sky turned a warm mix of yellow, orange, and pink as it slipped behind the trees and then the horizon. The sun warmed the rocks and turned the entire area a beautiful glowy hue. And, it made my ring pretty darn sparkly!
September 2006. A little running group of friend and coworkers would run once a week after work on the trails behind Yahoo!. The trails wandered through the marshes and salt ponds, attracting birds of all kinds. As the days grew shorter, the sunsets came earlier and earlier in our runs. There’s a stretch of our normal course that is about .75 miles and perfectly straight headed toward the west, with beautiful views of the sunsets for a good 7-8 minutes (depending on how fast we were running). The wind caused small ripples along the surface of the water and beautiful birds stood with a delicate grandeur as if they revered the setting sun. Whispy clouds turned a lush orange pink as the sun set, reflecting more light off the salt ponds. 8 minutes of that view can keep a girl running.
Fall.
I love fall. I’ve been drinking spiced cider and peppermint tea. The leaves are changing, which is absolutely gorgeous. But, honestly, nothing beats fall colors like October in Shenandoah. Two years ago, I went camping with my classmate Maria in Shenandoah. We hiked to these beautiful ridges with glorious views of the Shenandoah Valley. The sky was filled with blues and grays, with ominous storm clouds in the distance, casting patchy shadows across the valleys. Hillsides covered in rich reds, burnt oranges and golden yellows from the millions of trees. Small, green plains with little farm houses illuminated from the small glimpse of sun peaking through the clouds. An eagle flew overhead, gliding gracefully through streams of light that descend from the heavens to the land below. It was one of the most magnificent views I’d ever seen.
Speaking of magnificent views, I was going to blog about sunsets. I don’t know how I got distracted by fall.
The top 4 sunsets (in no particular order):
December 1998. Sitting with a good friend in Lucy, my old Volvo station wagon. We parked at the empty lot up on Euclid Avenue in the Berkeley Hills. We could see the San Francisco skyline starting to sparkle as city lights came up, the gray, ominous fog rolling in over the Golden Gate Bridge, and a golden sun setting behind Mount Tam, with warm rays radiating, spiraling from the center as it slipped behind Marin. Quality time with a quality friend.
July 24, 2005. Waikiki beach with three great friends and some damn good sushi. We had waded into the surf just a little bit, but that wasn’t terribly fun since it was so rocky. So we sprawled out on our towels on a surprisingly not-so-crowded Waikiki beach. Armed with the Costco sushi (including California rolls with real crab!), we camped out, ate sushi with our fingers, talked, and watched the sun set to the west. Kids scurried along further down the beach. Their silhouettes were a stark contrast from the first gold and then pink backdrop behind them.
July 18, 2006. Jason had proposed several hours earlier. So, the world was already completely rose colored. We had a lovely dinner in Pacific Grove and wandered out to the waterfront where these rocks jutted out into the ocean. A cool breeze blew around us as we scrambled up the rocks and took a seat. As the sun set, the sky turned a warm mix of yellow, orange, and pink as it slipped behind the trees and then the horizon. The sun warmed the rocks and turned the entire area a beautiful glowy hue. And, it made my ring pretty darn sparkly!
September 2006. A little running group of friend and coworkers would run once a week after work on the trails behind Yahoo!. The trails wandered through the marshes and salt ponds, attracting birds of all kinds. As the days grew shorter, the sunsets came earlier and earlier in our runs. There’s a stretch of our normal course that is about .75 miles and perfectly straight headed toward the west, with beautiful views of the sunsets for a good 7-8 minutes (depending on how fast we were running). The wind caused small ripples along the surface of the water and beautiful birds stood with a delicate grandeur as if they revered the setting sun. Whispy clouds turned a lush orange pink as the sun set, reflecting more light off the salt ponds. 8 minutes of that view can keep a girl running.
October 5, 2006
September 27, 2006
Let's Go Oakland!!
The A's clinch! Swisher, Bradley, Harden all doing so well!! As much as Street is good looking, he should sit on the bench for a while, even when the A's are up 10 runs. And that's what happened! And guess what? We finally won. Woohoo!!
It's pretty amazing how much I've learned to love baseball. I enjoy the sport, I enjoy the A's, I enjoy the fans. I'm just starting to get strategy. But seriously..Friday's game against the Angels. Exciting game (the only game they one in the series), fireworks, Crazy George leading us in the wave at the 25th anniversary of the creation of the wave and time with friends who love the same.
Yay for the post-season and for more baseball.
Jason marvels sometimes at whether or not I'm the same girl he was dating a few years back when the Giants went to the world series, bemoaning the fact that baseball season is SOOOOOOO long. And now, baseball is part of the beautiful fabric of summer. What beats sitting outside on a beautiful California evening, with your best buddies and hours of entertainment for ten (or sixteen) dollars?! Oh, and not to mention brat and beer.
September 12, 2006
PDA
Public displays of affection. I’m ok with PDA to some extent. So here, have some PDA.
As I’ve been wedding planning, I’ve realized how wonderful my friends are. Being in our twenties is a strange time and often friends feel more like a cohesive family than family does. 2 years after my mom died, 5 years since 9/11, my life is like “an overflowing soupbowl,” filled with people who love, eat, laugh, and trespass. So, for those of you who don’t know, let me share a little bit about the team who will be standing there with me and others whom I love deeply.
The lineup
Jessica “Where’s the Sisterhood?” Tu: My sister and one of my best friends. There really is no other bond like sisterhood. She is hilarious, can eat like none other, tells me when my hair looks horrible and likes to take my stuff. We’ve freaked out on the phone together about things that no one else can fulling understand. She’s grown into a beautiful lady who inspires me all the time.
Alinna “Don’t mess with my friends” Satake: Alinna is a loyal friend to the end. A provider and a protector, you can count on Alinna to come home after a long day of teaching and bake cupcakes for her friends. She is secretly aspiring to single-handedly open a Cheese Board in her own house. She has protected me from (read: threatened) the string of wrong guys that has come through my life. She will be inaugurating me into the "WifeBuddy Club"
Mary “I ate too much” Chang: HotMary, great roommate. Who else is going to cook a feast with me at 11pm? Mary and I used to study for “sex class” together in college with hideyo (who now happens to be Alinna’s husband!). Through MCATs and public health school to being epidemiologists together, we have had lots of parallel adventures. Mary can eat. She likes salty food and sexy shoes. She’s leaving our house soon, breaking up with us and abandoning us. But, we’ll forgive her….someday.
Karen “Exact same taste” Chiu: Karen and I have the exact same taste. Give us a menu with 100+ choices, and we’ll pick the same one. Give us a wall with different papers, we’ll pick the same one. We have the same watch, the same earrings. It’s frightening. Beyond that, this girl loves sports like few girls do. She can talk football with the best of them. Karen has been a consistent play buddy and friend over the past fifteen years.
Beverly “What are you eating?” Freeman: Bev loves to share food with her friends. Food is love. Bev has taught me the art of asking questions. She also has managed to trick me into running a half marathon. Bev is a friend who laughs when you laugh and cries when you cry. She’ll take pictures of everything, but you may never see them. Bev greets me every morning on IM with a hug. What better way is there to start the day than a hug from a friend?
Janet “COFFEE!!!!” Wu: Nettie spaghetti. Roomie and life buddy. Janet and I used to have the same piano teacher when we were kids. Through college, weekly phone calls when we were in different states, and now sleeping 15 feet from one another, our friendship has grown and changed as we have. But, this girl can bring life to a party, entertain you with a long, drawn-out story, and can seriously climb anything.
Guys, guys
I realized that I only have two close guy friends who I see and hang out with consistently. It’s an honor for me to have them in my life!
Allen “It’s all love” Lo: This guy can dish it like no one else. And he can take it too. Reminding me to wrap myself in bubble wrap so I don’t hurt myself before the wedding, he’s always trying to take care of me. Always a gentleman (well, sometimes a dog), he’s crazy caring. Allen shares my love of The West Wing and witty banter. Allen’s always up for an adventure: climbing mountains, getting lost in the woods, and trespassing through construction sites.
Long “S-Scandal” Vo: Long is one of the most sincere and genuine people I know. Always up for going out, he keeps the drinks coming. But, get this guy talking, and he will listen patiently and share willingly. Long likes to laugh and likes making others laugh. Ask him to impersonate things that he sees, and you’ll be laughing about it for hours. Godzilla baby!
The one and only
Jason “I got you, babe” Ho: What can I say about the guy that won my heart and my hand! He complements me so well, giving me perspective and steadiness. Always up for hanging out, taking walks, wandering around the city, he’s a perfect playmate, companion and my best friend. Strong yet gentle, brave without bravado, he’s such a good man!!! I can’t wait to be married to him!
Everyone else, showing you some love
There are so many other friends, but I need to get to work! Thank you all for being family to me.
Public displays of affection. I’m ok with PDA to some extent. So here, have some PDA.
As I’ve been wedding planning, I’ve realized how wonderful my friends are. Being in our twenties is a strange time and often friends feel more like a cohesive family than family does. 2 years after my mom died, 5 years since 9/11, my life is like “an overflowing soupbowl,” filled with people who love, eat, laugh, and trespass. So, for those of you who don’t know, let me share a little bit about the team who will be standing there with me and others whom I love deeply.
The lineup
Jessica “Where’s the Sisterhood?” Tu: My sister and one of my best friends. There really is no other bond like sisterhood. She is hilarious, can eat like none other, tells me when my hair looks horrible and likes to take my stuff. We’ve freaked out on the phone together about things that no one else can fulling understand. She’s grown into a beautiful lady who inspires me all the time.
Alinna “Don’t mess with my friends” Satake: Alinna is a loyal friend to the end. A provider and a protector, you can count on Alinna to come home after a long day of teaching and bake cupcakes for her friends. She is secretly aspiring to single-handedly open a Cheese Board in her own house. She has protected me from (read: threatened) the string of wrong guys that has come through my life. She will be inaugurating me into the "WifeBuddy Club"
Mary “I ate too much” Chang: HotMary, great roommate. Who else is going to cook a feast with me at 11pm? Mary and I used to study for “sex class” together in college with hideyo (who now happens to be Alinna’s husband!). Through MCATs and public health school to being epidemiologists together, we have had lots of parallel adventures. Mary can eat. She likes salty food and sexy shoes. She’s leaving our house soon, breaking up with us and abandoning us. But, we’ll forgive her….someday.
Karen “Exact same taste” Chiu: Karen and I have the exact same taste. Give us a menu with 100+ choices, and we’ll pick the same one. Give us a wall with different papers, we’ll pick the same one. We have the same watch, the same earrings. It’s frightening. Beyond that, this girl loves sports like few girls do. She can talk football with the best of them. Karen has been a consistent play buddy and friend over the past fifteen years.
Beverly “What are you eating?” Freeman: Bev loves to share food with her friends. Food is love. Bev has taught me the art of asking questions. She also has managed to trick me into running a half marathon. Bev is a friend who laughs when you laugh and cries when you cry. She’ll take pictures of everything, but you may never see them. Bev greets me every morning on IM with a hug. What better way is there to start the day than a hug from a friend?
Janet “COFFEE!!!!” Wu: Nettie spaghetti. Roomie and life buddy. Janet and I used to have the same piano teacher when we were kids. Through college, weekly phone calls when we were in different states, and now sleeping 15 feet from one another, our friendship has grown and changed as we have. But, this girl can bring life to a party, entertain you with a long, drawn-out story, and can seriously climb anything.
Guys, guys
I realized that I only have two close guy friends who I see and hang out with consistently. It’s an honor for me to have them in my life!
Allen “It’s all love” Lo: This guy can dish it like no one else. And he can take it too. Reminding me to wrap myself in bubble wrap so I don’t hurt myself before the wedding, he’s always trying to take care of me. Always a gentleman (well, sometimes a dog), he’s crazy caring. Allen shares my love of The West Wing and witty banter. Allen’s always up for an adventure: climbing mountains, getting lost in the woods, and trespassing through construction sites.
Long “S-Scandal” Vo: Long is one of the most sincere and genuine people I know. Always up for going out, he keeps the drinks coming. But, get this guy talking, and he will listen patiently and share willingly. Long likes to laugh and likes making others laugh. Ask him to impersonate things that he sees, and you’ll be laughing about it for hours. Godzilla baby!
The one and only
Jason “I got you, babe” Ho: What can I say about the guy that won my heart and my hand! He complements me so well, giving me perspective and steadiness. Always up for hanging out, taking walks, wandering around the city, he’s a perfect playmate, companion and my best friend. Strong yet gentle, brave without bravado, he’s such a good man!!! I can’t wait to be married to him!
Everyone else, showing you some love
There are so many other friends, but I need to get to work! Thank you all for being family to me.