Kumbaya

I don't understand people who enjoy camping. I've got friends who love it. They plan it out and look forward to it. To me, it's simply playing "homeless" unnecessarily. Given the choices of sleeping in a tent for a week, or sleeping in a motel without my own bedding to block me from who knows what disease lurks on the "never-wash" comforter...I think I'd probably go with the queen sized petri dish.

That said, I've discovered the show Man vs. Wild.



Bear Grylls (above), is the star of the show...and a true nutcase.

He puts himself in situations that are completely unnecessary. Not only does this man enjoy eating things like live frogs and larvae, but also will make a meal of snakes or spiders.

So, I'm watching the show tonight, expecting to see the normal eating of bugs and sleeping in the rain without protection. Oh no, tonight Bear goes for the gold and traps and eats a skunk. A little later in the same episode, he gets stung on the face by bees...face swells up to the point that if I encountered him at the local mall, I would literally have to say to myself "oh my gosh, don't stare!" The ultimate crazy of this episode was that Bear urinated into the skin of the rattlesnake that he had recently called dinner and then later...drank it. Yeah...drank it. I'm thinking to myself, this should be rated R for unnecessary gross stuff!

There are times that I complain about my job. There are times that I'd like to throw in the towel...like when my computer slows down to a stop or when my representative in Spain asks me the same question that he's asked eighty million times before. Today, is one of those days that I am quite thankful for the job that I have.

Batter up

Friday night, Robert, Song Min, and I loaded up in my parent's van and made our way down to the Metrodome for a MN Twins baseball game. Like football, I'm not much of a baseball fan. I'm not thrilled when the home team has loaded bases and no outs. My thoughts during a baseball game, even during the most exciting game for the mild sports fan, are 1) if I go to the bathroom now, will there be a lot of women in line? 2) should I get the hot dog or nachos?

So, we're sitting up in the cheap seats, where the players are tiny and the actual ball is nonexistent. These are the seats that are so far away that people all make the same comment..."Well, I can see the whole field from here." Yeah, duh.

Even though baseball isn't my sport, and the smell of Corn Nuts kept wafting my way from the lady's bag of contra ban snacks next to me, the night wasn't a total bust. I got to spend the night next to my guys, who were having a great time together. Not a bad night at all.

The hum-drum of life...and the beat goes on!

I thought that I would give the Geico version of an update on my life...tried to get Mrs. Butterworth, but she was booked solid until next year!

Here's my attempt at making my own somewhat boring life, a little more interesting sounding (thanks to my good friends wit and humor).

Career-wise, there's not much new going on. I'm still working for the Bergquist Company as an Inside Sales Representative. It seems like every other week, one of the two people that I back up is out of the office. I can't complain too much, because I certainly take my share of days off too. However, I tend to be fly by the seat of my pants - taking a day here, half a day there, etc. My coworkers are the kind of people who save up their vacation for week long getaways to Fiji...so their territories all get the mass email letting them know that they need to contact me for the week. What can I say...let's hear it for the planners.

On most days, by the time 4:00 rolls around, I'm spinning like a Globe Trotter basketball. I'll be the first to say, I'm no ballerina, so I don't do that fancy focus on one spot thing...I fall down with a pretty hefty kaboom.

Luckily, I've got my Song Min. He's like pure oxygen for me (which by the way, when can I be old enough to start carting around one of those tanks on wheels?!). So, I get this big reviving breath of fresh air when I get home and I'm good to go for another six hours or so.

On most days, Song Min and I share our evenings with Mr. Jack McCoy and the whole gang from Law and Order. I don't know what it is, but they get us every time! Anyhow, lately, Song Min and I have been a little more productive.

We have recently started our own business, International Direct LLC. Yeah, I'm totally a CEO now...you don't need to kiss my ring or anything (I'm Korean so bowing would be more appropriate). I really don't know what I'm supposed to do yet. Do you think that they make the book "CEO's for Dummies"?

Even stranger, our business is a garment business. Scary! I'm sitting here typing with my khakis rolled up a little too short, shoes that make me look like Pinocchio, and a horizontally striped shirt (which makes a person like me...pretty much look the size of a bus). I'm no fashion queen here people. Luckily, the end of the business that we are running is more about getting clothing retailers the same quality that they already have..at a lower price.

So, we're at the very start of this business. Our company name has been registered with the Secretary of State. We're working on all of the informational stuff now...next move will be reaching out to our potential customers. Thank you years of sale's skills...you'll hopefully, come in handy! So, if I start writing about exotic trips to the Galapagos Islands or my weekend getaways to the South of France...you'll know that we've had major success. Until that point, I'll be showing up a little after 7 every week day morning, to my desk with a great view of the hallway.

I also have been working on the Membership and Events Committee for a non-profit organization called AdopSource. We just wrapped up a book signing event. I have decided to proceed with planning a big fundraiser on November 15th...pretty much by myself. I've gotten the organization President's approval and so I'm running with it. Should be interesting when I show up to my next committee meeting with a full blown fund raising event planned.

Aside from work...let's see...hmmmm. I can't really think of much happening. Song Min and I are planning on attending a Red Cross fundraising gala at the new W Hotel in Minneapolis. Some of our favorite restaurants are being featured, so I'm totally bringing an empty stomach and a bottle of Tums for the car ride home! Though the Red Cross is an amazing draw in itself...we're going mostly because Tom Colicchio from Top Chef is going to be there. I'm totally excited!

Well, that's the haps right now. Lots of stuff going on, but trying to have fun and keep a good sense of humor as I roll along life...dragging Song Min with me!

Buzz...I mean Boo!

Behold...

Song Min's 2008 Halloween costume!



I'm going as a flower...not as much fun, but it was the only way I could get Song Min to go as a bee.

Maybe next year there will be a ladybug costume. He'd make the cutest ladybug!

Hey Mister...She's my sister!

Jessica was just here visiting with her kids from Texas. While she here, we were all able to hang out and carry out our own little Keck family reunion. Make no mistake, however, Jessica's main purpose in visiting Minnesota was not hanging out with family. Oh no. She was here for Scrapfest 2008. This is when the Mall of America calls out to all of the little scrapbooking maniacs like the mothership calling home it's people from around the world...seriously, the whole world.

Anyhow, Jess arrived as the lone parent, but called in the calvary a few days later. Nathan was having lower gastro-intestinal issues (if you know what I mean) and Kaitlin, well she's just a two year old who requires two year old sort of attention. With Nathan a little fearful of Grandma (much to my mother's horror), it put a damper on Jessica's Scrapfest excitement. So, Thursday evening, Travis rode in upon gleaming white airplane to rally the troops and rescue the princess.

I had the opportunity to spend a little time with the kids, Kaitlin and Nathan. Nathan was so cute. I felt like one of those crummy aunts that no kids want because I kept pinching his little round cheeks. Lucky for me, Nathan (like others) apparently thinks Asian people all look alike, and seemed to mistake me for his mother. Pheww!



Kaitlin and I got along famously. My take on this quick friendship is the fact that Kaitlin is such a bright little girl. Seriously, don't people attract like people?! I would say that my sister, mother, father...well, the rest of the free world, might argue that I, on the other hand, have the mind and behavior of a two year old. To those people, I say...yeah, you're probably right.



All in all, the visit from the Faddis family was a good one. It was fun to see them and sad to see them go. Fortunately, Travis is wanting to take his beloved new minivan out on the open road...so, they'll be back at Thanksgiving.

Here are some random pictures that I found in my "trunk o' pictures":

A couple of fun old pictures:







This was a picture taken on New Years Eve 2005. My friends and I had rented a limo. This is a picture of me and Jen Lane. What a fun night!



A picture of me and another friend Jen. The guy in the middle was someone we thought looked a little like Gene Simmons from KISS. He doesn't look like him, but he found it highly flattering and gave us the green light to have our picture taken with him. The best part about this whole thing was that Jen and I were debating about whether his hair was a wig or just dyed. Jen believed it was a wig. I thought it was dyed. So, wanting to prove her wrong (and to win a dare), I walked across the room and went to touch his hair...ended up tripping and slathered my hand down the back of his head while yelling out "it's REAL!".



Trisha and I took the BEST vacation together to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico the spring of 2006. Nothing but laying by the pool and eating. It was delightful! Could we have been more tan?!




A picture of me and my roommates my freshman year of college at Ricks. This was taken before the MORP dance. Why we chose to all wear denim tuxedos??? Not exactly sure!



Just a goofy picture of my roommates the second year at Ricks College.



Oh Steve-O Fransen! I met Steve my freshman year at Ricks College. Met up with him again at B.Y.U. We had so much fun together! Steve-O used to take cheese and run it through the wire of his braces. It was so funny...and very odd! He was a fun guy though.



This is of me and my good friend Garrett...and our long lost friend Matt.


This picture was taken at a party. I remember having lots of pictures taken. And I remember Trish (the one in the blue) and I having a watermelon eating contest out on the patio. Trisha started laughing the second it started, and I followed with a combination of laughing and choking. Crazy fun.



The picture below is from a trip that I took with my friends Marla, Joseph, Jason, and Marla's friend Jill. We all went up to Duluth together. This is a picture of me and Marla.



This is a picture of Marla's sister Reva. I've known both girls for the longest time. Anyhow, Reva and I went up to this gigantic cabin with our friend Joseph. We just sat around and ate steak...it was a good time!

Letters from my Grandmas

I've been going through files and shoe boxes full of paperwork and pictures since moving. Let me just say...I keep WAY too many random things.

Anyhow, while going through a file, I found a couple of letters. One from my Grandma Keck, and one from my Grandma Daniels.

I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to have known and spent time with both sets of grandparents.

Here's the letter from my Grandma Keck:



I remember, as a kid, my brother, sister, and I would fight over who got to lick the whipped cream spoon, or the cake batter spoon, or the cookie dough spoon. Well, my Grandma Keck offered the Miracle Whip spoon. It was the first time that no one cried over NOT getting the spoon.



Here's a letter from my Grandma Daniels:



One of the memories that I will always have of my Grandma Daniels is when my family all went up to the head waters of the Mississippi River in Central Minnesota. We stayed the night in a hotel. My parents were in one room with my brother. I shared a room with Grandma. In the middle of the night, I awoke to a strange sound. I looked over and could see Grandma's silhouette while sitting on the edge of the bed in front of the window. The strange sound...it was Grandma opening a can of soda and unwrapping a Milky Way candy bar. I just laughed to myself and went back to sleep. I will never forget that night. She's my funny Grandma!



Both of these letters were sent to me when I was around twelve years old. Here's a lovely picture of me at my sixth grade graduation...about twelve years old.

Ode to the family dog

Maggie, Oh Maggie,
Four footed friend of mine...
You watched our house
You greened our grass
And warmed the house feline.

Your dark brown coat matched neatly
With your eyes, your nails, and tail.
Your choice of scent was funky
And would make us all turn pale.

I'm thinking now "hey, dogs can't read"
This is a stupid blog...
All I want to really say is
Maggie was a real good dog!

I think we're alone now

Dumb stuff that I do when no one is looking...

1) Pull up on the sides of my face to see if I could use a face lift.

2) Sit unlady-like while at my desk (mom, it's okay...no one can see!).

3) Call my cell phone and listen to the first voicemail that Song Min left for me after we met.

4) Learn dance moves by watching On Demand MTV.

5) Look at robots online...yeah, it's geeky, but I do.

6) Put White Out on stuff that I shouldn't while talking on the phone...like the back of my calculator or the side of my stapler.

7) Leave prank messages on different friends' voice mails.

8) Try to desensitize myself from things that scare me (e.g. looking at pictures of chickens and spiders). No, it hasn't really helped...yet.