Why is it that people who work out in gyms that they do not own...on machines that are not theirs, do not feel the need or desire to wipte down the machines when they are done sweating all over them!?!? YEW!! It's totally GROSS!! I find it very hard to believe that after one works out and sweats and touches things that don't belong to him, have some inkling that someone else will be touching the same place, that that one person does not have the courtesy of wiping off the areas that have been touched.

Oh, don't get me wrong...there have been times when I fail to bring a towel with me. But then I use my jacket or whatever to wipe down the machine. *sigh* even when there are signs posted...people don't do it. And even when there are towles provided...people don't do it.

Gross.

With the conveniences of the internet, television, and of course, our heater and comfy bed and blankets, Vince and I are determined to not spend our lives indoors too often.

So we got to hang out with friends Anne, John and Kori - the Pickelle family. Nice!! We braved the cold weather and strolled to downtown Burlingame to have dinner together. Downtown Burlingame is a nice nice little area. So cute...and much changed since 1998-ish. Ha ha. The biggest change that I noticed...the HUGE Apple store on the corner of the main street. If you ask me, it just didn't seem right. It was too modern for the area. In the midst of all these cute boutiques, and yes, other inevitable chain stores...the Apple store just seemed out of place. Almost too pristine of a store. But I guess it's nice and convenient for the locals.

We had a great time and tried to devise a plan for the four of us to go hang out next time at a bar. You know, work places and gyms have temporary child care set up. Why not for bars!?!? Our most viable plan...Anne and I will stay with Kori while Vince and John go to the bar and hang out there for an hour or so. Then they'd come back and Anne and I would go to the bar and hang out for an hour or so. *sigh* It probably won't be happening. But at least we have a game plan. Plus, Kori is way to cute too leave at home:


In another effort, we took some time in the afternoon to go...wait for it...





That's right!!! Mini golfing!!! I think it took us a little over a half hour to finish the course. I lost. Partially because I failed to follow through. But I did get a hole in one!! On one of those holes that you hit the ball into some contraption and then it spits out somewhere else. Vince's nemesis...the volcano hole. You know the one. That one that looks oh so easy...but those dang sloppy sides get you every time. Oh...we will be revisiting mini-golf sometime to rewrite that experience. Lots of kids there for birthday parties. Pretty cool.














To help us with our adventures outdoors, I must report that our tv has died. I guess that's ok because we don't pay for cable anyway. But now, no more dvd watching. YIKES!! Still, the tv was pretty old. I believe it was pre-1999.

It has served us well and it probably was just too tired to keep going after being run practically all day everyday since I'm not working. Thanks to the old tv. We will miss you. Thank goodness for tv online. and youtube. But wait...we're supposed to spend more time outdoors anyways!
Here's to the old tv. we will be sad to see you go. And we soon will be utter consumed by lcd/plasma/dlp and screen sizes. Good times ahead!

WOW! IT'S FREEEEZING!!!!!!

I knew it would be colder up here in the Bay Area as compared to the wonderful weather of SoCal...but it is FREEZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wouldn't believe it when Vince said it would be below freezing here in Sunnyvale. (Still sunny...yet coooold!). I was the skeptic...thinking..."yeh...it's probably that cold in the inland areas...but not here." I could not have been wronger (is that even a word?) (more wrong, i suppose is better). We checked the weather in the early morning...and sure enough...28 degrees faranheit! Wow. It sure made us think we were enjoying a nice snowboarding vacation in Tahoe. But nope...we were sitting in our little apartment with the heater blasting and bundled up.

Why bundled up with heater blasting?? Our apartment, and nice as it is and as thankful and appreciative as we are...really sucks in the insulation department. While outside it may be 46 degrees during the day...inside it's a whopping 50 degrees! awesome! And I am at home...refusing to turn on the heater during the day so as to try to prove a point...to no one but myself...that I can be energy efficient. I win!! Haha. But my feet, hands, and nose sure do suffer. Thankfully, Vince comes home and then we can turn on the heater. Because it makes sense to turn on the heater for two...rather than for just one.

We love our space heater! Makes our sleep much more enjoyable. Let's all stay warm and make it to the spring!!!!

Merry Christmas!! and Happy New Year!!!

Welcome 2007. so far...day 3...2007 has been great! Spent Christmas down in LA and New Year up in the Bay. It was great to see the little neice and nephew again! seems like they've changed so much...and then haven't. i wonder...did i fight like that with my brother when we were that age?? sometimes i think i just ran away or cried or something. Maile seems to be much smarter than i was at her age. she is much more sly and subversive in her "getting-her-brother's-toys-to-play-with" tactics. kudos to little sisters everywhere!!

still...tyler is so lovable. got his own digital camera to use. i'm secretly hoping that he will be the avid photographer in his later life.

and he is quite the master of the timer setting on our camera.


love those kids...with #3 neice/nephew on the way.


even though this christmas was impacted by my grandmother's passing...it was still a good time for all. seemed like family took my grandmother's passing in stride. sad for us of course, but happy that she is in a better place. she is not in any more pain or discomfort. and i believe, while we can never really be ready to say goodbye, we were as prepared as we could be. the occassion brought a gathering of family that has not been in decades. got to see a lot of my cousins i hadn't seen since i was 8 years old. nice to catch up and learn about their lives in chicago, boston, and florida. hopefully, we'll be able to stay in touch as we grow on.

new years...cold cold cold. and i was practically wearing the same thing this new years eve, as last new years eve. sad? frugal? or perhaps, awesome b/c my clothes have longevity! haha. i think more on the sad part. but i was warm. vince, karen, greg and i went up to the embarcadero after some dinner and drinks in awesome SAN BRUNO, CA!!! our friend BART took us smack dab in the middle of thousands of people.




and by the time it was midnite...thousands more people lined the streets at the ferry building to witness the fireworks. fireworks...awesome! someday, i would love to go to the world series of pyrotechincs. haha. we jammed out of there quick so as not to get stuck in the massive stampede of those riding home. i have to say, that the countdown and the anticipation are half the fun of new years. with no second hand letting us know how many seconds were left...seeing the minute hand slowly ease on over to the stroke of midnite and then having the fireworks blast out of nowhere...not quite the exciting impact. missed the loudly counting down of...THREE...TWO...ONE...HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! but still...fun times for all and no trouble getting home.

here's to 2006...still reflecting on all the events thereof. here's looking towards 2007 and all it has in store for us!! last thought...2006 and my mom's fruit trees have been good to this well fed creature:(picture taken by Tyler Shu)