Being on vacation...

Being on vacation feels like Saturday every day! It's nice to wake up when I want to wake up, lying around the couch watching all the daytime shows.

R came in yesterday at 9.30am, this was the only day, Kay & I had to wake up early so we could pick him up from the airport. Kay was so tired because she is also on holidays and she has been going to bed quite late. She napped in the car a couple of times. She hasn't taken a nap in years! It's is so cute when she is napping because she looks like an angel... awww...

Last night, I did not sleep very well at all. I think it takes a while to get used to the fact that R is back and sharing my bed. I am so used to having the bed all to MYSELF that when he is back in town, I feel like we are sleeping in a twin size bed!

Today, Kay is out shopping with a friend (she's picking up gifts for her dad) so we have the whole day to ourselves. This is nice but it also means this is the only time we have to pick out her gifts for Xmas. I hate shopping and I hate the crowds. All the last minute shoppers running around trying to pick out Xmas Gifts. Ugh...

R brought back some really nice items for me.... he didn't get around to my shopping list though. But he did bring back this beautiful handmade rug from India. He was in India a couple months ago on business and when he had a moment of free time, he went around the city looking for rugs at my request. The piece is for my bedside and it's 100% cashmere. Beautiful. And so very very soft under my feet. The next time, he's in India, I told him to bring back another rug for the living room. He also brought back some silk material to make a saree, it's very beautiful and colourful. Now, all I need to do is find someone to tailor the dress. I am sure I can find someone on Main Street to tailor it but I wonder how much it will cost......

Before he left Taipei, I sent him a text asking him to purchase a

Christian Dior Lipgloss Limited Edition from the Duty Free at the Aiport but he couldn't find what I was looking for and said I should have texted him with more details or a picture on the item I wanted. He did bring me back a lipgloss.

Overall, it was a pretty good day although it was a really rough start (early morning wake up call). We are very happy to have him back into town and will enjoy every minute while he is here. Today, we will try to spend some quality time together and enjoy the quietness of Kay being away for the few hours we have ....

Favours....

I get this urgent call this morning asking me if I can give out another favour..... DONE. Fedex out the door for tomorrow. You will probably see it on Thursday or Friday.....

It's been a very looooooooong day, it doesn't even feel like I had the day off.... did I mention I am suppose to be on vacation??!!??

Yet another favour.... my father's friend takes a look at my car and figures out that the wire is busted, that is why my window won't go back up. Total shock, this car is practically brand new. It's from 99. I'm the second owner. What a piece of junk. I had my RX-7 (built in 88) until two years ago and the car's power windows, never had a problem. Ok I guess I can expect much from VW ..... the mechanic had no idea how to put the panel / window back together. The car went into the shop at noon and I got it back at 6.30pm. I told my father, we should have brought it into a VW dealer. But noooo, my father thinks they would have overcharged us and he's getting a good deal, supposedly. I guess I can't really bitch about it because I am not paying the bill. Ok, suffer and say, yes, it's been a very loooooong day / night.....

Moans & Groans....

I am not cozing up to my father's wife too much. Sometimes, she drives me INSANE and today is one of those days. Kay and I were heading over to Richmond for lunch with my dad. My car was at the shop so we figured after lunch, the car should be ready but as you figured out, it wasn't... Anyways, she's got the day off and she wants a FAVOUR from my father, she wanted him to pick her up and drop her off at her friend's place because she is going to play MJ. Excuse me, does my father look like a chauffeur? Ugh. My father rings me up and asks if I could leave earlier because she needs a ride. I'm like CRAP. Fine, I won't do my hair. I drive over to the car shop, pick my father up, drive through Richmond, pick her up and then Kay & I find out, she's joining us for lunch. WTF? I have to sit through her chattering? I can't understand a word she says (she speaks mandarin) and her voice is so high pitched, after listening to her talk for 10 minutes, I swear, I have a headache. She treated us to lunch, which was nice because she never pays for anything. The whole day, I was waiting around. Waiting for my dad, waiting for my brother, waiting for my car and I still hadn't gone to Burnaby, to do a favour for you and I still had to go to M's so she could Fedex your package tomorrow.

I am tired. I am so ready to go to sleep. It's been a long day......

Car Problems....

My VW Beetle (silver not yellow) had a serious problem today. The driver's side window went down but would not go back up. OMG, I am so pissed. Today is Sunday, there are no mechanics working on Sunday!! Except for Canadian Tire and guess what, they were fully booked (given, we showed up at 3.30pm) but they were not taking any more appointments. I don't have indoor parking (car gets parked on the street), my father lives in Richmond and he doesn't have parking because they don't have underground parking so now my car is outside, in the freezing cold with a piece of plastic covering the window. I hope the frost doesn't get into the car and mess up the electrical.....

Now, my father has the car and tomorrow he will take it to his mechanic and hopefully, my dad's friend can fix the car without giving me a huge bill....

Xmas Lunch

We had our Xmas lunch with my Auntie Ingrid, my cousin and my cousin's girlfriend. They decided on Dim Sum in the Marpole area. The food was alright and the company was good. It's been a while since I have seen my cousin and his girlfriend. Nice to catch up on life.

I decided that I really like the Marpole area. If we are going to buy a place, I think this would be a nice area to live in. We would be so close to my dad in Richmond, still close to my mom in East Van (ok not as close as I am now) and the bonus? Close to the airport so whenever you come into town, I don't have to get up 45 minutes earlier to get your @ss!! ;-) Which ALSO means I won't be so late to pick you up every time... gosh, what are you going to do with me?? :-)

*New Pic on Our Daily Photos Blog*

My Little Brother All Grown Up

I spoke to my little brother and I think he is finally growing up. He's 26 turning 27 this February and I didn't think he would ever find a real job to settle down with. But I think he finally managed to find something. He has been given an opportunity to work with Wella as an instructor/sales manager. This would be really awesome if he is the winning candidate (he will find out next week). He has the perfect personality (charming, charismatic, smooth talking) and dresses the part (he's a perfectionist, down to the socks that match his outfit and he never leaves the house without perfecting his hair). He had two interviews and they think he might be the one. He's up against one other so he has a good chance. Over 1000 applicants had applied. It is quite difficult to get into such a high profile company like this so I am very proud of him. And he's very serious about this career path which surprises me as he wanted to get out of the hair industry. (Note: My father sent him to England to study at Vidal Sasson) Wishing him lots of luck! I hope he gets this one!

Office Xmas Party

Our company sponsored a night of a drink (yes, 1) and appetizers to kick off the celebration of the Xmas Season. Yes, this was our office Xmas Party, it's an engineering firm not a Gaming Co. (EA throws kick @ss parties). The party was a nice mingler held at the Hyatt Hotel. It started at 4pm and went on until 8pm. I left around 5.45pm after managing to sneak a few more blue tickets (when I found out the drinks at the mini bar was $6.50 a glass - Yikes!!). It was a nice evening mingling with the girls and with others whom I don't work with but love to chat with. The company has grown quite a bit over the year and we are all on seperate floors....

The Girlz.... (Jen, Me, Rae, Karli)

The Girlz in Thermal - Chantal, Moi, Jana, Erin

Wanna see more? Go here: MORE XMAS PICTURES

Erin's Beautiful Belly

My sweet pregnant friend Erin! See the baby??!!?? Awww.....

Jack @ss

I work for an engineering firm as a Project Secretary. I am the office assistant for the project and the team. Sometimes, we have consultants that come in to temporarily help out for some of the tenders because we do not have enough manpower in the division to cover all the work that needs to be done before we issue a tender. I sit beside one of these guys. He's a total jack @ss. I am an assistant that helps the whole team out. He thinks I'm his personal assistant. Yesterday, he drops a drafting spreadsheet on my desk and doesn't let me know when they are due. I have other things to do and so if you don't let me know, it's not my fault if it's not done when you wnat it because I prioritize my work accordingly. He dropped them on my desk yesterday afternoon, close to the end of the day and didn't say that he needed it by the next morning. I was going to work on them this morning but when I come in to work, I drop my stuff off at my desk, turn the computer on, go and get some tea from the kitchen. I was standing at the kitchen chatting with my co-worker when this jack @ss comes up and shouts at me. He tells me I have to do the drafting revisions now and he wants them in 30 minutes. I asked him, did he want them back to make the changes if he was in such a rush and he shouted, no he wanted me to do them. Excuse me? How rude. He thinks I'm his personal assistant.... arrgh... Thankfully, he's only temp'ing until the end of this month or next but I'm going on vacation in 3 days!!

Xmas Present

My boss is going out of town for business this week and we had a quick chat this morning to see what he wanted or needed to be done while he is away. I won't be seeing him next week as I am on vacation. Not much is needed, we had a pretty hectic start this month, trying to get everything done and out for our client. We are closed the week of Xmas so that gives us only 3 weeks instead of 4 weeks to get things done. But before he left for his trip, he presented me with a basket, inside this basket consisted of a very nice bottle of red (from 2003 - this was a very good year for red, I try to collect red wines from 2003 ...) and some chocolates. It is very pretty and very thoughtful of him. I think his wife put the basket together.... very nice, can't wait to enjoy the red wine..... it's been a long year.....

Kay's Xmas Collage

Kay and C----- decided to make up a Christmas Collage with cut outs from magazines instead of a written Christmas List. She turned her Christmas Wish List into a piece of art, how imaginative they are! I can see which ones are Kay's because she has been hinting that she wanted to a Game Cube and also, Kay is into the sparklies.

Baby Shower

R.L's baby shower was a great success! She got lots of goodies for her new baby! She had a great mix of people at her shower and so much love for her and the baby. Everyone offered free babysitting services of course.... ;-) That's my very pregnant friend R. and her mom... my camera took this pic and I don't know how and why the pics ended up so fuzzy. I need a new camera. This one is very simple and very old. I think I will add a new camera on my Xmas Wish List....

Home Theatre

So I have a shoe problem but My Father has an electronic gadget problem. He is a super electronic freak. Whenever he sees something on sale or at a good price, he will buy it. Whether he needs it or not. Last week, he went to Best Buy in Richmond because it was a Grand Opening and ended up buying a Yamaha Home Theatre at a really good price. Also he could not drop it because there were limited amounts of this theatre system on sale (yes he thought he was a special one). Ok, I admit, he did get it at a really good price ($279.99, regular $499.99) but HE DID NOT NEED IT. You ask, where did it end up? In my tiny little apartment! I do not need a fancy Home Theatre System because my place is small and I do not want to move this system out. I am never moving.

My friend, V---- comes by to set this up for me because I have no idea how and where to begin. He takes a look at it and tells me I need to buy wires, plugs, blah blah, sounds costly doesn't it? Yes it is. $300.+ to be exact and that includes having to buy a new DVD player because my crappy one doesn't have the optical output to get the optimize sound out of this theatre system... wtf?? I got this for free!! I'm not spending any money on this thing... hello, I didn't ask for it!! Aaaah... I thought I was going to have to leave it in the box. But thankfully, my friend V---- is super electronically smart and decided we could go the "inexpensive" route by purchasing a XXX cable (no clue what it is) and get the minimal sound quality out of this machine and not have to leave it sitting in the box. We hooked it up and it's DA BOMB! (jeez, I have never used that expression in my life) Now, I am thinking, hmmm how does it sound with the more expensive cables? He did say, this is a "temporary solution" because the way he wired and plugged it in... well, I guess it is fine the way it is until I really want to shed out the extra $$.....

DOLBY DIGITAL 5.1 SURROUND SOUND

How sweet it is......

Baby Shower Gifts

Today, we went out for lunch with Auntie I***** because we needed to pick up some special cake that my mom ordered from Anna's Cake House. Apparently, they only make these special cakes during this time of the year and my mom reserved 4 of them. I can't believe my mother. She is always complaining that she is gaining weight and here she is, reserving 4 not 1 - FOUR - marzipan cakes. We headed over to Catus Club to have lunch and chit chat with Auntie I***** and I could tell that she was feeling a little lonely as we were there for almost 2 hours. Kay was being really good. She occasionally spoke up but mostly behaved herself, I know she was so bored and was forced to come out with us (her plans got cancelled). We are going out for a Christmas lunch with her next week with my cousin (her son) and his girlfriend. That will be interesting.

Kay and I went out to buy R****'s baby shower gifts and this is what we came up with:

I forgot how small baby clothes are. So small and so cute. Kay and I had a good time picking out stuff. She wanted to pick all the cute girl outfits but I stated that we are not sure the sex of the baby (although, I know....) I need to bring something to share for tomorrow's baby shower. I think I will just go over to Safeway and pick up something from the deli. I was going to bake a cake but I re-read the invitation and she is going to be providing drinks/cake. I guess I can over tonight and pick up some frozen appy's or something...

NEW Chocolate Brown Pumps

I could not help it, I had to buy these pumps. They were on sale and I know I was suppose to be Christmas Shopping for family/friends but I got a little distracted with the big sale sign stating up to 50% off shoes. But they are so pretty and I have a dark brown suit with pink pinstripes* that will go perfectly with these shoes.... I have a shoe problem....

*Taken From Here

Fall Fashion: I love Fall Fashion and the other day, I got some really great deals at Winners. I love Winners. I got a chocolate brown suit with pink pinstripes. Beautiful, now I just need to alter the pants as they are just a tad too short. I also got a beautiful pair of black pants with white pin stripes. Also needs to be tailored. Kay and I ended up at Metrotown last week (while checking someone's mail) and we didn't get a chance to go into the new Winners at Metrotown but it's HUGE and it's NEAT and ORGANIZED. LOVE IT. I can't wait til we head back over there, we are going to go a little bit earlier so we can check out the new Winners. *sigh* wish I had a credit card that had an endless amount and that the bill never came to me.....That's it for now.... back to work....
posted by Trish at 10:01 AM

Of course, women know this....

REMEMBER THIS AT CHRISTMAS TIME

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer each year, male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers till after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to EVERY historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, EVERY single one of them, from Rudolph to Blitzen, had to be a girl.

We should've known... ONLY women would be able to drag a fat-ass man in a red velvet suit all around the world in one night and not get lost.

Platinum White Wedding Dress

Japanese actress Asami Ishikawa models 'Platinum White,' a wedding dress with embroidered platinum at a press preview at a Tokyo hotel. The 1.7 million USD dress designed by Japanese designer Keiji Tagawa is made of 1,250 platinum beads along with more than 3,000 other jewels including pearls, aquamarines, moonstones and crystals(AFP/Yoshikazu Tsuno)

Xmas Spirit

In the spirit of the holidays, Kay has officially put on her Christmas Hat. The little hearts in the front, light up - it's too bad I couldn't catch it on the camera! But she is so adorable in the hat!

Christmas Tree

We finally put the Christmas Tree up! We dragged the tree out of storage last weekend but when we started to put the tree together, strung it with the lights and tried to plug the lights in.... well, the lights didn't work!! Darn it. We finally went to Canadian Tire to pick up new energy efficient LED Christmas lights. They are very pretty. We also picked up a special ornament for daddy. Kay decided to leave out a few items so when Daddy is back in town, he won't feel so left out. Aww, how sweet is Kay? Very sweet....

Girls can be so MEAN

Kay was really upset this evening. Apparently, V***y and her were not getting along too well during French class. Now, I know that V***y can be a spoiled biatch because she is an only child and her parents both spoil her like there is no tomorrow. I have seen this girl's attitude and the way she treats others. It's awful but you can only teach your own child how to respect and play well with others. Every once in a while, V***y pulls this stunt where she will ignore a person, it could be any person not just Kay in particular, I think it's a power trip or something. She likes to take control over how their group behaves and enjoys leaving someone out. Well, today this person happened to be Kay. My poor sweet little girl. Kay was quite upset when we sat down to chit chat about the day. I told her that it's not Kay, it's that girl. She is insecure about herself and that is why she puts other people down. It's not Kay, it's V***y. Kay knows it but it's still very hurtful. I gave her a big hug and huge kiss. Tomorrow is a new day and everyone in the group will have forgotten about it. My advice, if she treats you that way, don't get all worked up, there are other friends in your class, pretend you don't see what V-- is doing, don't give her the satisfaction and it will eventually blow over because she is not getting a reaction from you.

Girls can be so MEAN.

But it really bothers me that this girl is behaving this way and gets away with it!! I remember when V***y used to get away with murder at the after school care they both attended. Her mother thought it was nothing to be worried about and it was "girls just being girls". Yeah right, thier daughter walks all over them. Kay knows to stay away from her when she starts to tease or single out someone. Our Daughter learned about manners and respect. She knows how it feels when someone turns on you and becomes nasty. She would never want to intentionally hurt any of her friends because to her, they are all her bestest friends. Also, I think our daughter is grounded. V***y really ticks me off....

Baby in the Womb

SHE REALLY IS PREGNANT!! This is Erin's newbie in her womb. Gosh, she is really starting to show, I swear every week that passes, she is showing a little more and a little more. I think it must be baby season. Another friend of mine, R.L. is due any day now. I think they have estimated her due date for mid January but she feels like the baby will be born before the new year. Wow, how exciting. R.L.'s baby shower is being held this weekend at her girlfriend's place, I am to bring an appetizer or drink. R.L. stated the sex of the baby but her fiance doesn't know and he doesn't want to know. He wants to be surprised so I need to buy something for the baby in a neutral colour. Although, she mentioned that I could buy anything I wanted, in any colour, and she will just be sure to hide the baby items from him. But I feel really bad if he was to find out the sex before the baby is born. *sigh* the picture above almost - ALMOST makes me feel like I should have another one......

Kay's Work of Art

Isn't this beautiful? She made this last week and I decided to prop against the candles. It reflects the candle light, pretty nice....

Snowy Sunday

Gosh, it's snowing again! Wow, it's so beautiful but the traffic out there is crazy. I went over to my mom's to water the plants, check the mail and feed the lovebird. I almost made it to Metrotown to check your mail but it was snowing way too hard and I wanted to get home as soon as possible. Maybe I will check it next week.....

The weekend has been slow. Yesterday, it was really nice outside. Sunny and clear. But I had to wait at home all afternoon to wait for the delivery of my TV stand. The delivery was scheduled between 12 - 3 and they did not show up until 4.30pm!! I was choked. I couldn't believe I waste dmy whole afternoon at home!! Kay went over to Alicia's to play which was fine. I guess I could have organized or cleaned the house a bit but I was really itching to go outside. I also had to wait for V and he was stuck in traffic for almost 2 hours. Long story, something about re-routing traffic over the bridge and turning around and coming back into Vancouver. Yeah crazy. Poor guy....

V came by to put together the TV stand and half way through it, we discovered two pieces missing. We went back to Richmond to let them know and see what we could do but they did not have any in stock. Basically, sent me back to Broadway to get two pieces from a new package. But this little punk was being all anal and after much fuss and swearing, I got my two pieces but Damn, I was smoking mad. The little punk had the nerve to tell me that I should have called the 1-800 number off the instructions regarding missing pieces!!! I almost blew it.... but luckily, V was there to speak to the guy in a calmly manner and I was just fuming. V explained our situation and how we understood there were procedures blah, blah but really, customer paid a $50.00 delivery fee and still had 30 days for a full refund or exchange. Meaning, I am the Customer and if something isn't right, you should try your very best to fix it. But this guy was young and very by the books. I'm so glad that was over. By the time, we got the two missing pieces and put together the TV stand, it was almost 10.30pm. V and I could not lift the TV together, I had to ask my neighbor to help out. The TV is like 260lbs. Ugh... the next time I move, I'm hiring moving guys.....

That's about it....

Items from Taiwan

1. Loose Tea Leaves
2. Hello Kitty compact mirror
3. Bamboo Chopsticks (pretty ones) 9.5" or 24 cm
4. Rice Cracker Snacks
5. Buddha Beads blessed by the Temple
6. Andy Lau and Hacken Lee Most Recent CDs

Addicted to...

OMG, I have found my new snack and addiction! I am addicted to these.... so yummy!

Crock Pot Roast Beef

Yesterday, I made roast beef in a crockpot. Amazingly enough, it actually browned in the pot! It did not get mushy or soft as I assumed it would being in the crock pot. The beef was sitting in the pot for about 10 hours and the veggies turned out very flavourful. The "jus" was so yummy! We might turn it into gravy tonight. It seems that we have leftovers for a couple of days, I think we can even put it on bread... I bet you miss my cookin? ;-)

Dissolving the 38th Parliment

New Year - Vote 2006
I cannot believe the minority government held a no-confidence vote, bringing down the Liberals. Crap! As if there was not enough stress of the holidays, now we have to endure the political parties running their campaigns. Thank you Steve Harper, you frickin @sshole... Happy F!#$%^&* Holidays to you too........ *Venting*

R, you better consider voting while you are in Taiwan because I belive this will be a very tough race. Liberals have been losing their seats with each election that passes, the people of Canada are losing confidence with the party. With the current scandals and the Gomery Report, I am not sure how the Parliment is going to end up. It will be a difficult race, yet again....

Snow

It's snowing outside! Last night, a few co-workers were saying that it would probably snow in the evening. It def. felt cold enough to snow but I didn't see any afterwork. Apparently, the snow started falling around 10.15pm last night. I woke up this morning and thought it was raining. When I left the apartment, I realized, I better go back in and get my boots, gloves and winter hat on!

I have to remember to take the snow off my car afterwork or else it will freeze over and then it will be a real pain to scrape off ice.

UPDATE
9.28am It's like a snow blizzard out there. Snowing like Crazy! It's so beautiful, I wish I have my camera....

Mom's Place

Yesterday, Kay and I went over to my mom's to water the plants and feed the bird. Gosh, my grandma has so many plants! It's insane. It took us over 20 minutes to water all the plants in the house.... the bird looks depressed. She's not eating her food or drinking her water. I changed the sheets in the cage and I thought it might attempt to escape but she didn't budge. I sent my mom an email telling her that her bird is depressed. She didn't even call or send an email to let me know she arrived safely. I bet, she went straight to partying!!

I hope my sister and her family are doing well. I really wished I could have gone to Hong Kong this time. Maybe next year or 2007. My mom better bring back tons of pictures!

Saturday Night
MB came over, we chatted and caught up with each other's lives until midnight. And even at midnight we didn't want it to end but boy, we are not used to being up this late! Hahaha... we were looking really really tired and she had to drive back into Burnaby. I did not want her to stay any longer, the drive back is not too bad but she looked really sleepy! It was good. We will try to get together again next month. We must try to see each other once a month or so. It's been too long.

Monday.... gosh, it took me forever to get out of bed this morning. I hate MONDAYS.....

Kay got her hair cut today and OMG, it costed me $40.00!! She is such a diva! She wanted to get highlights done as well and I'm like no way! It's going to cost me over $80.00! I told her to ask her Uncle to get them done for her. We won't have to pay the salon prices if he could do it.

It's a really nice cut though. Lisa did a good job. Now, Kay wants me to purchase some leave in conditioner and some hair products. Aaah... she's becoming a little princess Diva... hehehe...



As we were already at the mall, we decided to get her a jacket. She needs a jacket as her current winter jacket is no longer warm. She's had it for a few years so I figured ok, I think we better get her a new one as it's getting really cold out there! She picked out a black puffy jacket with a fur trimmed hoodie. Very cute. Very trendy. It's her Xmas present from Grandma and Great Grandma. Before they left for HK, they had given me some cash to get Kay's gift. The jacket was $35.00 over the cash gift. I am debating if I should take it out of her account. She has no comment.


I also bought a couple of items for a couple of girlfriends. I hope they like it! One of them is celebrating her 20th birthday this weekend. Yes, 20th. I don't remember what it was like turning 20. It's been so long! She's a real sweetie. She's our receptionist and she does a lot for us. I hope she likes her gift.

I also could not help but buy this hat. I love the colour and I love that it may match my future Gucci purse! hehehe... also, I washed my last Kango hat and it shrunk :-( So I have been looking for a replacement and I found it!

M is coming over tonight to catch up. It's been months since we last saw each other! We have tons to catch up on. Must clean up and make the place a little bit comfortable....

One Month 2 Go

OMG, I can't believe there is only one month until Christmas. I have not even started my Christmas shopping or Christmas cards! Ack!

I hate shopping during these next few weeks, the mall is crazy packed and it's madness out there. I wish I could do all my shopping online and never leave my apartment.

I will get at it as soon as I am motivated to push and shove my way through the malls......

Confessions on a dance floor

Playing on my Sony....

Madonna is going back to her roots with her new cd. The music flows from one song to the next, as if it was a song that never stops. It's really awesome. Reminds me of her early days.... *dancing in my cubicle*

Stress or Weight Loss?

Lately, I've been a little stressed in my personal life and have been really busy at work. Not stressful busy but keeping me running around all over the office. I have also been watching what I eat and cutting back on the sugars, carbs and junk food. Two weeks ago, I bought a couple of pair of really nicely cut dress pants. I swear, these pants make it look like I've got an @ss and it's very flattering. The last few days, co-workers have commented on my weight, they think I have lost weight. Although, I never keep track of my weight (banned scales in the home), I am not quite sure if I have lost any weight or not. But I think it's the pants, these are magic pants and the style of these pants can flatter any body type. I fell in love with them, the second I tried them on.... And I did not have to alter them!! They were long enough with my boots on. I can never find pants that are long enough....

I love these pants.

Louis Vuitton: The Birth of Modern Luxury
Author: Paul-Gerard Pasols

List Price
$175.00
Our Price:
$117.25
You Save: $57.75 (33%)

iREWARDS Member Price:
$111.39

About this Book
From the PublisherThe first in-depth portrait of one of the world''s best-known luxury brands, this elegant volume traces the remarkable history of the House of Vuitton, which has been making practical but stylish luggage, handbags, and accessories for more than 150 years. Written with full access to the company''s archives, the book itself demonstrates Louis Vuitton''s passion for fine design in a stunning array of archival art, historical images, product designs and sketches, and cutting-edge advertising.Author Paul-Gerard Pasols, former communications director and longtime consultant to Louis Vuitton, explores the company''s tradition of quality and innovation in the context of sweeping changes in society, art, culture, fashion, and, above all, travel. Examining the life and times of the company''s first three leaders-founder Louis (who invented the modern trunk), his son Georges, and his grandson Gaston-the text focuses on the firm''s development under their guidance. It also discusses Vuitton''s explosive growth toward the end of the 20th century, including the 1987 merger with Mo褮-Hennessy that made it part of LVMH, the world''s largest luxury goods company, and spurred the expansion of its boutiques to more than 300 locations in 50 countries around the globe.

I want this book.....

GUCCI

10% OFF TODAY ONLY!!

If my Christmas present was purchased today, I would have saved over $100.00!! *sigh*

Left: I really like the look of this messenger purse. It's a classic Gucci purse and very versatile. On my lunch break, I went to take a quick look at the purse and fell in LOVE with it....

Right: This one is cute too, a little smaller but very stylish, new Fall/Winter collection.

Pay Raise

Oh My God.. those F#$% bastards....

Just reported on Global News at 11pm, the Liberal & NDP unanimously voted on a 15% pay increase. BC politicians will be getting 15 - 30 % raises, Gordan Campbell just got a 22% pay raise, he will be receiving $146,000/year in the new year, April 2006.

For sitting on his @ss.

Jarhead

Interesting movie...

Girls Night Out

K had a bunch of girls over for Girls Night Out at her place because her boyfriend was out of town for the weekend. She has a really cute little apartment by Lougheed Mall. Reasonable rent and very nice spacious apartment in a concrete high rise. She's trying to convince people to move into her building and I'm considering it! Anyways, she invited a bunch of different girls to this outing and although it was a little bit slow in the beginning, in the end we were all getting quite comfortable around each other.

I had to leave the party at 9.45pm (yes early!) because Kay could not sleep over at V's place. At the beginning, I had two glasses of red wine (I brought 2 bottles of red for the party) but right after those two glasses, I had cranberrty juice.

It was a really great time. She is like a Martha Stewart. Food and decor, music and candles. Beautiful. We should do it again soon. I really enjoyed the company and it's nice to be able to kick back and relax with the girls.....

New Loft

I just found out J has bought a new loft on Main Street! She sold her Gastown loft (which was TINY) and bought a new loft (a little bigger) near Chinatown. She made about $70k on her loft in Gastown but paid an extra $100,00 for her new place. Wow, I can't believe it, I can't wait to see it!

She had an attempted break in last week which scared the beejeebers out of her. But I did warn her that she was in a really seedy part of town. Her courtyard faced an alley where you could see drug dealers dealing, drug addicts snorting or shooting up, and everything around her seemed so surreal. I remember saying I would never go out there when it's dark. Crazy neighborhood where she was. Esp. for a single woman, I didn't think she should have bought there but she was in somewhat of a hurry and she had lived there for almost 2 years and nothing really happened until now.

Well she's moving into a nice area but not much better. At least, she's in a busier area. The one thing I don't agree with... she's moving in with a roommate because her mortgage is double her current one. She needs the help.... I don't like the person she is moving in with..... And I am not so sure it's a good idea.... TBC


descriptionLeft Bank, Large 689 sq. ft. 1 bedoom loft style apartment with 9' ceilings and acid etched concrete floors. Large kitchen with black and stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. Tons of in-suite storage, in-suite laundry, bicycle storage and secured underground parking. Close to Skytrain, Seawall, New Olympic Village and downtown.
features
Year Built: 2005
Living Area: 689

Crowne Plaza - Hotel Georgia

Tonight was a really nice evening. Our hotel rep for the Crowne Plaza threw an evening of wine & appetitzers for their corporate customers. I had 3 glasses of red wine and some delightful appys. The wine was really nice, very smooth and tasted expensive. They arranged an open bar which was nice because some of the ladies wanted martinis and drinks on the rocks. I prefer the red wine. I am so glad I went as it has been a stressful week at work and personally.

M (sales rep for the Crowne) also mentioned that we could get some really good rates for the Crowne Plaza in other cities like San Fran, LA or Vegas. That would be cool but I heard the Crowne in SF is quite expensive even if you could get a corporate rate.

I did not feel too good on the bus though. It may have been the fact that I had 3 glasses of wine. Although, I did not feel ill coming out of the hotel. I think think I had one too many glasses of red wine. But I didn't feel so bad coming out of the hotel.

Mini Break Down

Ok I am feeling much better since yesterday. I had a slight meltdown last night, poor honey, you must have been so worried. Thank you for the email this morning, I can't believe you went looking for new places for us. I have decided I am going to take Kay out of her afterschool care and that will help us out.

I have a huge pimple on my face from all the worrying and stressing and not sleeping! Tonight, I will be out at 10pm I think!

Again, thanks for your support and love... I don't know what we would do without you!

Thank you.

Trip to Granville Island

Kay and I met up with Malu, Belen and Cassie. Although, it was pouring rain, we decided to head over to Granville Island anyways. It was crazy busy, there were people walking, biking, and driving into Granville Island. I guess a little rain never hurt anybody and we Vancouverites should be used to all this rain. After lunch, we decided to cut the outing short because Cassie had her wisdom teeth pulled out on Monday and she was still in pain. Belen was getting a little tired as she was missing her afternoon nap). But we had a good time, catching up and holding little Belen.

She is so beautiful....

Busy Week

It has been a crazy and hectic work week. I have been so busy these last couple of days, I'm so happy because it's FRIDAY!

Last night, Kay and I went over to R's for dinner. We had pizza and veggies, sat on the couch watching the girls play and we caught up on stuff. Wow, lots of things are going on that we had no idea of. We live right next to each other and haven't seen each other in almost two months! Yikes! K will be "laid off" in a year and he is now looking for work while finishing up on this project he is working with (they are not giving him a severance, he's been with this company for 11 years). He is working for free practically because he is suppose to be paid out 11 months but is working instead. There is not a lot of work for software engineers in Vancouver. Esp. the expertise he is in. He works with air navigation programs and would like to stay in this field, he's got 11 years! Work like this is more available in Ottawa but R doesn't want to move, that would be a really last decision they would make. I hope he finds something.... I bet it doesn't help with our rent going up in January. I am hoping for them.....

I am thinking about moving as it's getting quite expensive to live here. Although, we are in a building that charges the best rent rates, it's still so expensive. I am thinking about moving into my mom's basement suite but only if she will lower the rent to $500, I mean really it's so tiny, I can't believe she gets people in there with her rent. We'll see... ok back to work! Make the money to pay the RENT bills....

A Million Little Pieces

I just finished this book and as I read this book, I could not put it down. The truth and reality in his words, the harshness of the story and how you feel while reading this story. It's an amazing read, I bought the book - it's a keeper. This is highly recommended and Oprah just added it to her book club. James Frey is an awesome writer.

Freakin bus driver!

The stupid bus decided not to stop at my stop today!! R was on that bus and she told me he was even more eratic than ever. Whipping corners without slowing down. I wonder if it has something to do with all the complaints he's been receiving. From this point on, I think I will take the next bus. The lady that drives that bus is not friendly either but is no grump. Can't ask for everything, I guess. At least, she drives in a safe manner and we all get to where we need to go without worrying the bus is going to flip!

That guy is such a jerk! I think tomorrow, I will finger him when he passes by.....

Translink

And yet another bad experience on the bus this morning. This bus driver on bus no. V7166 - 15 Downtown/Cambie at 8:40am is always such a jerk. I sent a complaint to customer server through an email and fax. This email explains it all:

I would like to file a formal complaint against the bus driver of this bus. This morning as I stepped on to the bus at 20th (stop no. 481), the bus driver slammed the doors on me before I was able to get completely inside. He did not even wait for me to get my footing or grab a hold or even pay my fare to move ahead before taking off, nearly knocking me to the ground. He missed two or three bus stops on the way to downtown, he is constantly driving aggressively on the road as if he was running very late and his life was at stake. He is rude and obnoxious person who enjoys taking it out on his customers. I will complain every time I get on this bus until something gets done. I ride this bus almost every morning and every morning, I feel like I'm getting on a bus from hell. He obviously does not enjoy his job and he should consider taking up another career path. This is a public sector and he has to deal with the people every day. If he is unhappy, he should get some help or take some time off and get himself sorted. This is not ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR.

Although I sincerely doubt there will be any discplinary action him as he is part of a union and they are very well protected. I hope they move him to another route or another city! As long as I don't have to deal with him ever again, that would be great.......

Halloween

** DARN, I just lost my post because Blogger frozed up!!! Ah!!**

Kay went out for Trick O Treatin with Tyler and Henry. They hooked up at Ty's house at around 6.00pm (I picked her up at 8.00pm) but only went out for about 30 minutes. They decided to cut it short because they wanted to play videogames at Ty's house. I guess she is getting a little too old to go out. But she looked so adorable in her costume...

My Halloween Costume

Left to Right: Vampire E!, Kitty Kat Val, Witch Trish, Gothic Jana

VSO

This was an awesome symphony and thanks to my friend, Erin for inviting me to see this with her and her husband. I really enjoyed the orchestra and I am thinking about purchasing a series.

Marching to Manhattan with Canadian Brass!
Sousa - Washington Post March
Handel - Music for the Royal Fireworks
Tovey - Manhattan Music for Brass Quintet & Orchestra (WP)
Britten - Young personÂ’s Guide to the Orchestra, op. 34
Bramwell Tovey - Conductor Canadian Brass - - Brass Quintet
Orpheum Theatre
Saturday October 29, 2005 8pm
*Saturday night is the first concert of the 5-concert Musically Speaking series featuring Video Screens, and informal commentary about the composers and their music by the conductor. The Canadian Brass thrills audiences worldwide with their humour and outstanding talent. They will perform the Première of VSO Music Director Bramwell Tovey’s own Manhattan Music for Brass Quintet and Orchestra, as well as a few of their signature solos. Also featured is Benjamin Britten’s landmark composition Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.

First Dance

Kay attended her first intermediate Dance last night. She was quite excited although I was a little worried because in my mind she will always be my baby girl. Kay quite enjoyed herself, she had a really great time dancing the night away. Although by the time I picked her up, her feet were killing her. I told her, she is on her way to being a little lady. This is what it's like in my "shoe world". She did insist on wearing those heeled boots and they are quite cute. Actually, these boots are for her Halloween costume. We got them at Value Village for $6.00. She is going to be a little devil. When I arrived to pick her up, of course I was right on time, standing around watching the kids come out and checking them out, I realized my baby was the smallest girl in the bunch. Gosh, I still can't believe she is growing up and will be going to DANCES.... *sigh*

Surprise! How sweet...

"It's not a special occasion But you're a special person... Always, Me "

Thank you honey! They are so beautiful and have brighten up my week! Love you *muah*

Update on 649

5 - 11 - 20 - 30 - 37 - 43 Bonus 31

One ticket out there has the 649 winning numbers. And it's not a BC ticket. Somewhere in Alberta, there is a ticket not yet claimed with the winning lottery numbers. The jackpot went up today (now at 54 million) because of the volume of sales last night..... OMG, I could use 1 million, I'm not greedy... I could live with 1 million.... sigh....

Muscle Pain

Last night, I went to see my mom's massage therapist. She was awesome. Although, she could not get the shoulder pain out, she took out all kinks in my back / legs. 60 minutes of massage therapy (some of it not too comfortable - more like jabbing at my muscles) did my sore muscles some good. I think I will make an appointment once a month. She is worth it.

The doctor also suggested that I should consider taking up yoga to stretch out my muscles/joints. I told her I started running again and she stressed the importance of my stretching, apparently 5 or 10 minutes is not good enough. I'm not in my 20s anymore so apparently my body can't take the exercise without the warm up and cool down. I will look into yoga at a community centre as I find yoga classes are soooo expensive! Maybe I will get classes for both my mom and Kay and we can do this together. My mom is thinking about taking yoga as well.... we'll see....

Advil Addict

I have taken 2 extra strength Advils to help release the back / shoulder pain I have... I cannot work like this and these DRUGS ARE NOT WORKING!!!

Life is the sh*tz when your back is out....

Kay's Updates

D Man

I got Kay to tell me the first letter of her "crush". I had to hold her down and tickel her until she screamed MERCY! hahaha... But all I could get out of her was his first initial. I will get it out of her....

First Dance

Kay's first dance is on Friday. Intermediates only. Which means grade 6 and 7s are the only ones allowed to attend these dances.... gosh.... I cannot believe that she is growing up so fast! It's crazy.... but I know she needs to go and prep herself for highschool. She needs to learn how to socialize and I guess this is eventually going to happen.... my baby isn't a baby anymore....

Allergic Reaction

The cream is working! She no longer has the Hives all over her face! Thank goodness... she's got picture day on Thursday! By that time, it should be all cleared up....

Neck Pain

Oooh... this is not good pain. Neck / shoulder pain. My neck started throbbing when I got off the bus. I think my posture is really messed up. I spoke to a friend (who has back problems) and he thinks my spine is unaligned and the stress from jogging the last couple of days may have caused it to shift. He tried pushing it back into place but it didn't work. Ugh, this is painful and this is bad pain......

649

40 million dollar jackpot!

My office was inspired by the current winnings of the lottery by co-workers who pitched their twoonie in a pot to buy lottery numbers for the 649. Maybe we will be the next group to win! Wouldn't that be sweet, 26 divide by 40 million is still about 1.5 million each. I could live with that.... Hey, you never know.....

**lotto stats have shown that BC is on a winning streak, couple of last jackpots have been won in BC**

P.A.I.N.

OMG, my legs are very sore.... I think the pain is now catching up to me. It was so nice to be able to run without getting any cramps or soreness but now I can feel it. It's like the first couple of days, Kay & I biked all over the city. Didn't feel the pain until a few days later...... but it's good pain....

GOOD PAIN...GOOD PAIN.....

Monday....

Monday Blues

The ladies in the office were having a blue Monday. It might be the weather change or maybe the stress levels we had in the office last week. But we all seemed to be feeling tired and blue. As if we were on the verge of catching a bug or something.

I decided to run off the blues. Right after work, I got into my running clothes and went over to Douglas Park and ran 2 km. I love running in autumn, the crisp air and the leaves falling at my feet. Beautiful.

BREATHE...

Jogging

I decided to get up and go jogging this afternoon. I did close to 2 km. I need to learn how to breathe but I think I did pretty well considering I have not done any jogging or exercise (not including biking) since June. I think I need to pick up yoga too. I would like to learn how to relax and breathe. I also weighed myself and I could lose 10 pounds. I would be happy with that.

One day at a time....

Halloween Costume Shopping

Value Village

This is the best place to pick up costumes for Halloween. Every October, they carry a huge selection of Halloween items and you can pick out your outfit in their selection of vintage clothing or pick up something in their spooky Halloween aisles. Kay is going to be a little devil this year. We picked up her horns, tail, and pitch fork. She also picked out red tights and we found some really cool black knee high boots to finish off her outfit. Her girlfriend is going to give her a red dress / sweater to complete the outfit. Gosh, she is going to look cute this year!

Kay's Allergic Reaction

Last night, after dinner, Kay and I headed over to the medical clinic to get her hives looked at. Boy, was the doctor shocked to see Kay's face, all swollen, bumpy, red, rashy, and pussing (a little). She prescribed some antibiotic hydrocrotisine cream for her face, gave us some Dove Gentle wash to wash off her face. Instructions: 3 times daily. Hopefully, it will get better within a few days as it's starting to look pretty nasty. Doctor says stay out of the sun (like we are going to see any.... forecast, rain all weekend) and hopefully, no scaring. My poor baby. I felt so bad for her but hopefully, she will remember now - Never use cream or lotion from anyone but yourself or from your mom!! Esp. creams from Asian countries!!

There was a Canuck's home game going on last night and traffic was incredibly congested on Cambie Street. I normally do not leave the apartment after I get home from work unless I was going across the street to pick up something for dinner but there was an urgent need to fill the prescription. London Drugs is not that far away but I was trying to figure out which back routes I could use to get there without using Cambie. It would have been easier to bike and great exercise but Kay was worried that I would get hit by a car as it was getting quite dark outside. Thankfully, there wasn't a long line up for drugs, only about 10 minutes. I strolled around the store and found this pretty nailpolish with sparkles for Kay. I figured this would cheer her up and it would be something fun for her to do today as she is stuck at home. She was suppose to attend a field trip with her afterschool care but due to the CUPE strike, community centres are closed in support of the BCTF. Which means her field trip to the pumpkin patch is cancelled. But that's alright because she wouldn't have been able to go due to her allergic reaction, too much dust and dirt flying around. I think that is probably not good for her skin at the moment. I will try to plan something for her next week so she and maybe a friend can go on their own little field trip to the pumpkin patch.

Poor baby.... how swollen her face is.....

New Boots

These are my shiny new black boots and they are so beautiful. I fell in love with them when I finally tried them on over the weekend while shopping at Metropolis. Over the past couple of weeks, I have walked past these boots while walking Robson Street (downtown - that is a huge disadvantage about working downtown - the shopping!!). I have been debating whether I should consider buying them as I figured these boots would probably be very uncomfortable. But what did I do? I tried them on anyways and they are not the bit least tight or not walkable. A new feature Aldo has added to their beautiful boots are padded lining which makes them super comfy! The heels are not too narrow and are 3 inches in height. I love 3 inch heels, they make me 5'10". And noooo they are not too pointy!! As per Rich, who thinks they are going to squish my toes. My toes are quite happy in them :o) *sigh* I love being a girl ....

Updates

BCTF still on strike

Yes the teachers are still on strike, this is the second week and it's not looking like the government and teachers are close to resolving this matter. This situtation is very concerning. My daughter has now missed two full weeks of school. She's getting bored and passing her around to friends and family is getting difficult. This needs to be resolved and it's not fair for the children. Ugh, how frustrating! Now, CUPE members are taking one day strikes in different cities across the Province to protest with the teachers. Riduclous. It is scary how much power the union holds in this province. They can shut down a city for a day. Scary....

Work

Been busy at work but this week my project director is onsite. Tuesday and today, I was home sick, I had this terrible migraine and a slight fever, was pretty much in bed for a day and half. But I'm fine now and will be back to work tomorrow.

Hives?

Kay's got a huge bumpy rash on her face. We have no idea how it started but we have an idea on why it has spread across her forehead and on her nose. She has a slight itch on her forehead and her friend offered Kay some cream, and when she put it on, her face became tight, swollen, bumpy and very itchy. Ugh, why did she do that? She knows better than that. This has happened before. Let's hope, this is a lesson learned.

Movie

Caught another movie at the VIFF, last week. Called "Stolen Life", the show we caught was an extra show because of popular demand. It was very good and very well written. A little scary that something like this could happen. It won a Tribeca Award, see website for details: http://www.tribecafilmfestival.org/tixSYS/filmguide/eventnote.php?EventNumber=1581&FullNote=1

That's about it, I think.....

News

Teachers On Strike
Teachers went on strike on Friday. Hopefully, this will be resolved this upcoming week. But I don't think so. I hear some teachers were passing out homework for the next month. Ugh... that is NOT GOOD.

Friday
Hung out with Vin and we went to Vogue Cuisine for dinner. Checked on my dad's place. He put a lock on his bedroom door so I could not look for my mother's dvd. After dinner, we were going to have bubble tea but there was no parking so we ended up at Aberdeen and had Starbucks.

Saturday
Went over to mom's place to help prep for Thanksgiving Dinner on Monday. We ran errands, picked up some veggies for dinner. Help prep for soup.

Sunday
Watched "Three Times" starring Shu Qi.

On Rotten Tomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/three_times/
From VIFF:
Three Times Zui Hao de Shiguang [THREE] Taiwan, 2005, 131 min, Color , 35mmIn Mandarin with English SubtitlesDirected By: Hou Hsiao-HsienPRODS: Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Hwarng Wern-YingSCR: Chu Tien-WenCAM: Mark LeeED: Liao Ching-SongMUS: Lim Giong, Li Kuo-Yuan, K-B-N, The PlattersCAST: Shu Qi, Chang Chen, Mei Fang, Di Mei, Liao Su-Jen, Chen Shih-Shan, Ko Yu-Lun

Shu Qi, in tight, lime-green satin pants, cleans up the pool hall and impulsively pots a couple of balls; on the soundtrack, The Platters are singing "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"... Three Times is Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s most seductive film in some while, full of small, magical moments which capture fleeting pleasures and transient emotions. Hou says that the film’s Chinese title (it translates as "The Best of Times") has, for him, the specific nuance that evanescence is precisely what makes experiences special: we cherish memories because they come from a past that has vanished.Each of the film’s chapters ­ all three starring Shu Qi and Chang Chen and with the same supporting cast ­ is set in a different year. The pool hall turns up in 1966, and it’s easy to figure out that this represents an episode from Hou’s own adolescence: Chang Chen is a kid on his military service, chasing Shu Qi from one pool-hall to the next. In 1911 (the year of China’s first revolution) she’s a tea-house courtesan worrying about her prospects of marriage and he’s her regular customer, an activist who visits Taiwan between fund-raising trips to Japan and dangerous forays into China; he turns a blind eye to her needs. And in 2005 she’s a bisexual rock chick (actually a singer who keeps having epileptic episodes) and he’s a photographer; both are involved with other people when they begin their dangerous liaison. Fashions in "love" change through the years, Hou suggests, but love stays the same. Selected Filmography: The Boys from Fengkuei (83), A Summer at Grandpa’s (84), The Time to Live and the Time to Die (85), Dust in the Wind (86), A City of Sadness (89), The Puppetmaster (93), Good Men, Good Women (95), Flowers of Shanghai (98), Millennium Mambo (01), Café Lumière (03) Sponsored By Fairchild TV

I'm not so sure how I rate this movie as yet. I really went to watch the movie because of Shu Qi and it was on a weekend. The Vancouver Film Fest is almost over. Last day is October 14. I almost want to take a couple of days off so I can catch a couple of more films. I went with Hannah and Vin. She is such a sweet girl. I can not believe how grown up she looks. The first time I met her, she looked like a girl and now she's looking like a young woman. After the movie, we went over to Oakridge to kill some time as Donna and Zamyla invited us over for Thanksgiving Dinner. They have a 20 pound turkey. That was really nice! As Kay and I are going to miss out on turkey as my mom did not want to make turkey this year. Kay was quite disappointed. So it was perfect. And we have not seem Donna / Zamyla in ages! It was really great to see them. We were so stuffed! We only had 1/4 of the turkey. There were 3 adults, 2 teens, and 1 child. Only a quarter of the turkey was eaten! But it was so good. Gosh, we are pooped!

Sleeping
I haven't been sleeping well. The last couple of nights, I have been falling aslep around 2am or 3am (that was last night). I have been thinking about my dad and his stupid friend Thomas. Teachers being on strike. Property in Vancouver is going up again! So many things on my mind. It sucks when I can't relax. Oh well, I will try to get to bed earlier tonight. I need to RELAX.

Liars!

OMG, Fido lied to me! They never fixed my phone! I just called them and they have finally fixed the problem but this whole time, I thought it was fixed! Gosh... this is a week from hell.....

Televisions

Hitachi 42" Widescreen LCD HDTV

The more sales I see in the papers, advertisements and on the TV, it pisses me off that Thomas (my father's supposedly best friend) would RIP MY FATHER OFF by selling his old USED TV for 2 Grand. I could have purchased the Hitachi for 2 grand and it's a bigger screen and it's BRAND NEW!! Ugh, I am so angry with him, I am totally ready to kill him. The more I think about it, the more pissed off I am and what a F*#$% @sshole he is. The TV he gave us, is acting a little sketchy. For example, the picture sometimes fuzzes out (little spotches on the screen) and it makes a buzzing sound after you turn the TV off, this can last up to a minute. Strange.

Spoke to a co-worker about the screen/sound, he used to deal with Electronics so he has some sort of idea of what is going on. He just told me it would cost about $300-400 to service my TV. It's not worth it. Something to do with the magnetic field on the screen and the buzzing sound is just a part that could fix it. But that is stupid because my father should have NOT PURCHASED the damn thing!! PERIOD. Oh, I am going to hunt down the jerk and KICK HIS @SS!

*fuming*

Wireless

Pay As You Go - Fido

My phone is finally working! My new wireless account was not receiving any calls since I activated the account on Friday. But I spoke to a representative and they were finally able to fix the problem. He had to call the Tech department to see what the heck was going on with my connection. But it is suppose to be up and running now. Hmm... I should probably test it. I was probably on the phone with this guy for 30 minutes, RIDICULOUS. The rep on the phone kept telling me to go into the "options" tab in my phone but there is NO OPTIONS tab in my phone. The poor guy, he kept asking if we were talking about the same phone and we were. I did eventually find the area he was looking for but it was in the "Menu" or "Options" area, it was in a very different place. But even when we got there, it still did not make any difference, he could not get through to my phone. So he ended up contacting Tech Support and they figured it out. Thank goodness...

I am still thinking about what I am going to do with the other wireless number. I think will give Kay the SIM card for her cellular. She got a cellphone from my mom (it's an old phone with limited features / options). I think it might be handy for her to have one, now I'm thinking if I should keep the old number and give her this one or if I should keep this one and give her the old number. I'm not so sure. But I really don't want to cancel my contract and pay $200 up front. Ugh, contracts!

Yahoo News!

Taiwan tells Google it is not a China province

Tue Oct 4, 6:24 AM ET

Taiwan's government has asked Web search company Google Inc. to stop calling the self-ruled island a "province of China" on its Google Maps service, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

China views Taiwan as a breakaway province and has threatened to attack the island of 23 million people if it pushes for formal statehood. The two split in a civil war ended in 1949.

Taiwan maintains it is a sovereign, independent state that is officially called the Republic of China.
"It is incorrect to call Taiwan a province of China because we are not," foreign ministry spokesman Michel Lu said. "We have contacted Google to express our position and asked them to correct the description."

The foreign ministry has not received a response from Google.

The small pro-independence Taiwan Solidarity Union has urged the public to write a protest email to Google, demanding the search engine describe Taiwan as "an independent state in Asia."Taiwan is recognised by only 26 states in the world and has no seat at the United Nations.

Sprint, Fido and NOW ROGERS!

I am trying to access my wireless account through Rogers (was Sprint Fido then Rogers bought Fido but Sprint Fido is not part of Rogers, it's RogersTelecom...) and when I finally got to someone who could pull up my account (this is 5 transfers LATER), they told me in order to cancel the "wireless" part of my bundle, I would have to pay a $200 fee as I have not finished my "contract". TWO YEARS? I am sure I was only suppose to sign on for ONE YEAR!! OMG, I'm so PISSED. I worked out the details and I think I save about $100 if I cancel now but I'm thinking, it's $200 up front and I don't want to pay it!! Argh! I have to go and look for my "contract" in my files but I'm sure I did not get a copy as this was done over the phone!! Should I cancel and pay up front? Or should I just keep the phone and wait until the contract is finished?

On another note, my Fido Pay As You Go number is not receiving calls. I can make calls out but no one can call in. Apparently, you get a "busy" signal but I have voice mail so if I was on the line (which I'm not), it should go right into my voice mail. I do not want to be stuck on HOLD again so after work, Kay and I are going to the fido stand at Oakridge to get this fixed. This is RIDICULOUS.

October Already!

Wow, I cannot believe it's already October! The weather is changing, it's getting colder, the sunsets are earlier and in the morning, day doesn't break until I am ready to leave the house for work! Ugh. I hate waking up in the dark.

Sunday
Went to visit my mother/grandmother. I do this almost every weekend. Kay had to come with me this time because she is grounded so she could not make plans with her friends and skip this visit. Now I know where she stands when it's her turn to come and see me. I will NEVER see her. The day is spent by having lunch together, chatting away about what's going on, helping out with chores (like grocery shopping or running errands), and helping to prep dinner and eating dinner. Nothing extradionary and normal things we do whenever I see them. Except this time around, my grandma insisted on taking me around the house to show me her antiques and valuables. She wanted to make sure that when she passed, both my mother and I were aware of what "junk" and what was not. She has many pieces of art on the wall and a lot of porcelain vases and little antiques all over the house. I was trying to remember everything she pointed out but in the end, I told my grandma I should probably bring a camera and a notebook to log all her valuables. Of course, some things are obvious to me, the difference between a print and an original. But she has a lot of stuff. I do have my eyes on a few pieces of artwork that she has hanging on the wall and I know my mother is not really interested in these particular pieces of art. She's a little more modern where I like the traditional Asian arts. We never discuss death in the family as it brings bad omen / vibes. You also don't want to deal with the fact that your parents are going to one day die and you need to go through their estate. I hate discussing these things, even though it is necessary. Because in your mind, your parents will always be there.

Sony 36" TV
I am so angry with my dad and my dad's friend, Thomas. He is such an @sshole. He sold my father his USED TV (yes yes yes, it's a great TV and will last many years - quoted by my father and hubby and best friend) for $2000. The current market value for this TV is $500-$800. I told my father NOT TO PURCHASE this TV until I looked into it. But Thomas knew I would not allow this exchange to happen if he did not push my father, so my father ended up paying for this USED TV and instead of CASH, he used his credit card towards a NEW PLASMA TV that Thomas had his eye on. Now my father is in Hong Kong and although, this deal was made between my father and Thomas, I am going to hunt this @sshole down and get him to take the TV back and to give me the cash back. Of course, he is probably in hiding now. He is going to try to avoid me at all costs and wait until my father gets back because my father as gullible as he is (some say he's too nice), will not ask for his money back or make it into a big deal. But if my father wants to throw $2000 away, than throw it toward your kids or your grandkids, not to some @sshole who calls himself your friend! Am I right? Arrrrgh... I'm so FUMING..... ok enough venting ....

New Baby Girl!
On a happier note, my friend Bren, just had her baby girl! 11 days ago! Bren is doing really well. She's healing faster than a normal woman would and she's walking around with no problems. I remember being out for three weeks after Kay was born! I can't wait to see the baby girl in the daylight (we dropped by at 9.30pm on a Friday night). She is doing the Chinese Tradition of not going out, not taking a shower and eating ginger for a whole month until Moon Yuet (Baby's One Month Day). Ugh, I didn't last more than 3 or 4 days before I had to take a shower and I had to get out of the house within the week I was home! Good luck to Bren!

A History of Violence

I went to see this movie on Friday night and I found this movie quite entertaining. It had a good story plot and some great actors performing in this movie. The story line was easy to follow, exciting and some really awesome @sskicking moves to bugger off the bad guys! Although, Vin expected more, we agreed it was a pretty good movie and worthwhile to catch.

Official Site: http://www.historyofviolence.com/

See reviews from Rotten Tomatoes Critics/Users:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/history_of_violence/
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/history_of_violence/reviews_users.php