Last day of Spring

Some old friends came through town today. We missed out on dinner with a bunch of folks at Jason's Deli, but after a night spent on porch on a cool spring evening out on a farm - I'm kind of glad we missed the gathering and made the extra effort. I've been complaining so much about how our cold winter lasted a little too long this year and then went straight to the balmy hot as heck summer, but I spoke too soon. Tonight was gorgeous, and we had a great time hanging out and listening to stories. I guess that's why I'm not in much of a hurry to build a deck on our house. It just won't have that same feel - not in our neighborhood with the houses so close & no trees. But I did learn when it is appropriate to argue with a person pointing a gun at you. Dangerous, but sometimes necessary.

Happy Father's Day

 

The Happiest Place on Earth

 

So at the end of our family trip to Disneyland, we started out with 11 people in line to see Nemo's submarine ride. After 20 minutes and a chat with a security guard, we were down my uncle. After about an hour, one little one was passed out and so, we were down 2 more. Hit another line switch and we are down another. Then grandma is looking thoroughly bored and totally ready to go home, so then she's outta there and my brother goes with her. After almost 2 hours, we are in the submarine and one cousin apologizes and is outta there - claustrophobia. And then there were 4. Can't say it was fully worth the wait, but I do wonder how they projected images through water onto screens and it's probably worth a 30 min wait once the lines die down.

Familiarity

 

So when we went to California - we got to visit my old college roommate & her husband (who is also an old college friend). We met their new baby. And, I'm not really ga-ga over peoples babies, but I've come to realize that my comfort level is based on how close I feel to the parents. I see other people walk up to complete strangers and touch their baby. I guess I don't feel a real desire to do this, but I still think it's pretty weird. If I were the parents, I wouldn't want some stranger just intruding into my grocery shopping trip and invading my personal space (er, I guess the baby's personal space). But, I usually have a "I'm getting things done now" attitude when I'm out doing errands anyway - chatting with strangers is not my thing for the most part. Not being shy or unfriendly (but I am still the nerd who is fine sitting in my cube all day) - maybe just more private. But anyway, yeah, I guess I never really feel all that comfortable with a baby unless I am really comfortable with the parents. So Wei Yan and I had a fun time playing with the new 3 month old. And our friends even said it was nice to get a little break from entertaining her.

Golden Nugget - the pool to lounge at

 

The Golden Nugget recently renovated their pool. If you are ever down on Fremont street - take the kiddies or just lounge out down here when you need a break from the tables. We went at night and it was one of the only places in Vegas where I've seen folks hanging out outside and looking really relaxed. Yes folks, those are REAL sharks in that tank - and, yup, you can slide right through that tank! (OK, it's not open at night, but still very cool)

WSOP

Saturday, Wei Yan survives the day in Event 15. I stay until Wei Yan makes the money and then around 12:30am head off to catch the shuttle from Rio to Bally's before is shuts down for the night. Wei Yan has to play until 2am before he can sleep. Knowing his in the money, I get some sleep.

Sunday, I get up at 10am and head over to the Rio. Some scary looking women walking around - as in it's hard to tell that they actually are women. I grab some cha sha bao's from the Chinese place and eat while I wait. Noon and I find my table. Luckily they all look like women. At my first table, I'm playing aggressively, but making some descent lay downs. No running into Kings with AK at this first table for me.

The table is real quite. Someone jokes that no one wants to be the first one out. And it's true, once the first one goes, the mood lightens up. This table is definitley a bit quieter than last year (i.e., the women don't suck as bad - bummer) Tables start breaking after about an hour & a half. Kathy Leibert sits down at our table. And yup, we're all quite again. We're all eyeing her sizeable chip stack. Not much happens there. I raise a few times and hold my breath as she folds...the story that could have been. Then we break and I'm moved to a table in the 2nd row. Just a few hands in, it folds around to the small blind who raises to 300 (we're at 50-100). I look down at Queens - I know she's got at least a strong Ace, since she's small stacked & hasn't done anything but fold up til now. I raise to 1K. She pushes for another 750. I'm getting almost 4 to 1 (yeah, I know, not quite) and know I need to get lucky at some point. I'll have 2,500 left if I call - and I know I'm beat but I gotta do it. She has Aces of course and no luck in the cards to come.

Built my stack back up to 4,500 - then did some stupid chasing cuz I was in the small blind and I was back down to 2K before I know it. Folded around to me in the cutoff & I look down at KQ suited & push. Button calls (doesn't push) with AQ and even though the flop came A-8 of hearts, no more hearts and I'm done. 3rd round.

But Wei Yan is still in. While I'm still bummed, it's a few more hours of watching poker. He ends up coming in 89th and wins a little money, so he's 2 for 2 in WSOP events. Can't beat that!

Caesar's tourney

 

Yesterday everyone arrived in Vegas. Ate at TAO (Venetian) - it was ok, but I've had better. I mean, we did just get back from HK. Today, we all (mostly) enter the Caesar's $200 tourney. By 7pm, I'm the only one of our crew left and it's down to the final 2 tables. I bust 10th - missing the final table, but now have a good chunk of my ladies event buy in. Mentally exhasted though!

Yup, it's happening

So, CNN posted an article about "Wiitis"" but I like "Wiinjury" better. At least is sounds less wimpy.

count down to Vegas begins

In just a little over 48 hours from now we'll be on a plane to Vegas. The whole crew + a few new additions will be joining us this year. Decided to go ahead and buy into the ladies event. so that's sunday at 11am. no partying on sat night for me. :-)

kobe

So the questions is, "What the heck is going on with Kobe?"

Yesterday, listening to Kobe's interview was funny. Halfway through it, Smith told everyone that it was early in LA, so Kobe sounded dumb (my interpretation) cuz he was sleepy. Kobe gave props to Shaq for backing him up then told everyone how the Laker organization was calling Shaq a rip off and fat and not worth renewing a contract with. Not sure Shaq wants a hug from Kobe. He said, he said drama with the Lakers....so lame. Everyone knows that everyone is unhappy with Lakers basketball. Playing out the drama on the national newswire is not the way to fix things. Grow up! Take your $136 Million & play some ball! You think that's what Phil told him?

The Big 3-O

 

Here's shwee dishing with the ladies on his take on grey's anatomy.

 

And the guys later that night after the poker had begun. Thanks to everyone who helped me celebrate!

Bad day

We went to lunch yesterday at Akashi which is on Hwy 54 between Hwy 55 & Alston (Right next to China Express). When we came back to the car after lunch, this is what we found. The front door was closed, but the window looked like this! Guess they saw a bag I was using as a gym bag on the floor in the back (the windows are tinted and they still saw it). They found work out clothes and nothing else, so they didn't take anything else as far as we can tell, but the window still is going to cost $535 to replace. Good thing we have a glass policy with our auto insurance, so the deductible is lower than our comprehensive deductible.

This really stinks, cuz I normally make sure I don't leave anything on the seats (too easy to smash & grab out of convenience) and I would not leave anything tempting around. But I guess my free lancome tote does look like a "purse" to a dumb guy criminal. On Monday, I left a dirty tuperware container in that bag. It stunk after being in a warm car all day - so too bad I had already taken that home, or else the punk would have had a great surprise.

So, I had to take the rest of the day off. Took a lunch that was already on the longer side, then had to wait for 30 min for the cops to get there, probably another 30 min to write the report and then go to Honda to get the estimate before it started raining. Then another hour talking with insurance. The Durham officer who did the report was really nice, so it helped get me not so mad about it. Still not mad, just bummed at all the hassle.

Taking a Look Around

So the day before yesterday, I met up with some girlfriends from our work softball team. We went to go walk through my pilates partner's townhouse (still under construction) and then we went to Frankie's to get some batting practice before our softball season starts. We got there and they said the batting cages were closed because the machines were wet (guess it really did rain quite a bit on Wednesday) - so on the way to the Ale House, we stopped by my house since neither of them had seen it (or at least all of it).

I gave them a quick tour around - I'm not much of a tourperson, but they were there to see our house. Downstairs was a bit messy, with Wei Yan just getting back from Vegas - but the upstairs is crazy messy. The office & bonus room are probably the worst. So much paper everywhere. Junk mail, craft stuff, catalogs, receipts - it's just everywhere. Well, we are going to make an effort to get some stuff together for the community garage sale in 2 weeks - so perhaps this will motivate us to purge a bit! I guess I just avoid some of the rooms upstairs - or just don't have a reason to go into them that often. But, I was just telling something yesterday, that when our duplex got ransacked & robbed in that year I took off of college, I was the last to know since my room was pretty cluttered. My roommates cries had to make me go back to my room & re-examine where I had left things before I figured it out! Perhaps it's time to clean up a bit. ;-)

Smart guy in the news

I read an article about this Dr. Collins in the Carolina Review, and then today there is an article on CNN. The article in the Carolina Review was very interesting, because he is a really smart guy, but he also seems like a very stand-up guy as well. In the article, he described the whole competition with a private firm - his guys would sequence a new part of the humane genome & then publish it right away, so the private sector company couldn't sequence the next part & apply for a patent. Publishing the genes also allowed scientist to start using the data right away. He also mentioned that his first look into the human genome was to find the gene for Cystic Fibrosis - took 10 years and tons of money. Thus his interest in mapping the human genome began.

I was at Borders to see my friend Dan perform there - forgot the guy's name so I couldn't find the book he recently wrote. I'd buy the book on amazon, but I'm working on 3 months of Real Simple & Cooking Light magazines that have piled up with all the traveling we've been doing.

the ladies just couldn't do it for me last night

It was late. 4 players left. I'm in the big blind (1,000 - 2,000 blinds, $200 antes) - folds around to the small blind who asks me how much I have (~$26K) and then pushes. Sam is big stack and has me covered. I look down at pocket queens and call immediately. Sam has Q-10. I'm 87% to win. flop gives same an open ended. turn gives him the straight. would have been big stack and dead tired (had survived an all in on the button with 9-7 off, a put me out of my misery so i can sleep push). would have probably helped me (363) overtake sam (375) & peter (404) in the points, but last night was not my night. went out 4th.

Surprise!

Surprise!, originally uploaded by ...sam....

Wei Yan's 30th birthday was on Thursday, and we did the usual brazilian restaurant on that day. Then Saturday, with some help from CC and Ted, we got him good! This was right after the surprise when he realized that there weren't 30 people in the house there to just scream at him when he opened the door - they were all there for him.

Thank you to everyone who was able to make it. Wei Yan has never had a surprise party or a big birthday party, so this one was extra special. :-)

ACC Quarterfinals 2007

 
This video is one of my favorite memories of the tournament so far. In keeping with some of the terrible officiating that we've seen today, the officials give this one to BC, but it's worth a replay or two.

Roy's boys 

Supporting Hansborough in his return after the broken nose! 

Miami's fan section - yup that's it 
Congrats to State on their 2 upsets so far. Keep it going! 

ACC Tourney - Day 1

Day one, we take off from RDU at 6:30am. Southwest is oversold, but luckily a few folks take the deal & we get on after a few tense moments. Day 1 is eventful. Games 1-3 are all close, upset city and Game 3 (Duke - NC State) goes into overtime. NC State pulls away in overtime, but up until then it was a close game.
Georgia Tech & Wake kick it off a bit late because of the previous overtime. About 5 min from half time, the officials are calling fouls left and right and the ball is getting turned over - I think we're lucky if we get 20 seconds of action before the game is stopped for 1 reason or another. Half time hits, Wei Yan's contacts are feeling it and even though it's close, Georgia Teck is looking pretty good. We decide to head home, since the game looks to be heading past midnight and we've been up since 4:45am (and that is after heading to bed late after finishing packing). We get back to the hotel just to find out the game is not on TV. Mental lapse. We keep checking the scores and by the 2nd overtime, we just can't hang on & we're asleep before the the game is decided.
 
After realizing Wednesday night that maybe I should have opted out of the red highlights - in case we get in a game with Maryland or State, I realize that now my hair is Florida State colors! Some one remind me Carolina blue next time! 

Short week

We are heading off to Tampa, FL tomorrow morning to go to the ACC Tournament. We have yet to sell our 2nd set of tickets, guess we'll have to do that in Tampa. Guess we'll be taking a huge loss on them, but nothing we can really do about that. Darn supply & demand! Hurts to be on the wrong end of that one.

I'm pooped. Even though it was just a few days at work, there have been some changes at work with the charity committee - and that ended up taking a lot out of me emotionally. The money we had control over is now in someone else's hands and we'll just be making recommendations. Trying to figure out what our role is in our growing company and will all the powers that be pulling, pushing & not really considering us. No one will tell us what our role is, and so we'll just have to figure it out and I'm feeling the burden to care not just about what event will have our logo & name all over it, but in using our resources as a group of people to help others who are less fortunate than us. We may have the greatest morale - but I think it is always important to help others and be grateful for what we have no matter how little or how much.

And a big project is coming up, and seems that it will require a lot of leadership skills and responsibilities. So much for taking it easy. Ah, well, all is good - 3 hours in the salon tonight - I think I may end up just forgetting about the color - I'll wait til I'm gray to do that whole deal. Thanks, Car for reading my blog.

Pizza Hut pan pizzas

Does anyone eat Pizza Hut regularly? I can't remember the last time I actually at a Pizza Hut pizza. When we were in Hong Kong, we saw a Pizza Hut delivery scooter and we were talking about the whole Pizza Hut thing. Then I remembered the reading program where we read books & then earned little individual pizzas. I think that was really the only time I've really eaten at Pizza Hut. There was a recent article saying how the Book It program is still going, but now under fire because of the whole childhood obesity thing. I can't remember if this was the same thing as the little green worm - where each book was another little round body part that you added to your worm. Does anyone one else remember this? Was the worm thing something else.