Christmas Miracle...

So, this is information that no one probably needs or wants, but my husband has exactly one chest hair…yup, you didn’t expect that one, huh?

Anyhow, his one and only chest hair disappeared a while back and I sort of thought it was gone for good. Lo and behold, last week, it made its reappearance. When I told Song Min that his chest hair was growing back…without skipping a beat, he did his best Jiminy Cricket and sang “When You Wish Upon A Star…” I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.



I love that I married someone who can keep me laughing!

Top ten 2009

1) Taking a less stressful job
2) Sally joining our family
3) Seeing my sister and her family
4) Valentine’s Day
5) Master bedroom completion
6) Ambien
7) BluRay player that connects to Netflix, which ties in with our “Lost” marathon (Seasons 1-4…5 is on our “to do” list for January)
8) Extra time with Song Min, family, and friends
9) Massage Envy
10) Karaoke machine

Christmas pet pics...

So, I realize that pictures of other people's pets isn't the most exciting thing in the world. But, here I am, downloading pictures of our sweetie pie pup, Sally and our cranky old man gerbil, Snoopy.

Here is Sally with a scarf from my parents...



Sally with Song Min...



Here is Sally checking out the ridiculous amount of snow outside...



Here is Snoopy checking me out and probably using gerbil curse words at me...



Ah yes, I forgot to introduce Snoopy. My husband gave me (upon other wonderful things) a gerbil for my birthday. I was such a sucker for our mouse...named Mouse, that he thought he'd fill her empty cage (after her tragic passing on Halloween). Problem is, Snoopy is not nice. He bites occasionally, but not all that frequently. He is, however, very possessive of his cage space. Cleaning the cage, moving things around, putting your hand near his stuff...pretty much brings the rage out in little Snoopy. He comes barreling out from his pile of nesting material, stands on his hind legs and though I don't understand gerbil...I know he's saying something like "get the %$#! off my property". He's a mean little son of a gun, but we still love him...most of the time!

Macy's 8th Floor Display

So, my grandma has been staying with us for the last week. She's eighty-four years old, which she has reminded us of...about once every hour ("it's common with the elderly"). Anyhow, although there are some challenges with having my grandma here, we do feel blessed to have had the opportunity to spend Christmas with her.

We've tried to do some fun things while she's been here. We've watched several classic holiday movies, eaten plenty of sweets (most humans are 55-60% water...the remainder of my grandma is definitely sugar), and drove around looking at the holiday lights in our neighborhood (with Christmas music playing in the car). It's been fun.

One evening, Song Min and I took Grandma to Downtown Minneapolis. Macy's has a display every Christmas. This year, they had "A Day in the Life of an Elf". Here is my Grandma standing in front of one of the displays.



At the end of the display, you can get a picture with Santa. If you're all good, perhaps I'll post our picture. By the way, Santa was looking really healthy. Aside from his beard, he looked like he was in his early 20's...hmmm.

After, we went to the Oak Room for dinner - pretty decent food, moderate prices, and decorated for the holiday season.

Tomorrow, Grandma leaves us, as my parents return home from their trip to Houston visiting my sister's family. I'm glad to have a grandma and that I am able to spend time with her. I'm also glad that my parents had the opportunity to spend Christmas with my niece and nephew. All in all...I think it was a nice week for everyone.

Ding Dong

This is a video from the summer of my niece and nephew. My mom gave them some hand bells and they were trying them out. I got a big kick out of Nathan's over head technique.

Song Min, will you let me...

I always ask Song Min if I can do something that I know very well that he won't let me do.

Examples:

Song Min, will you let me put make up on your face? NO

Song Min, will you let me put tiny ponytails in your hair? NO

Song Min, will you let me paint your toenails? NO

Song Min, will you let me draw an S for Song Min on your back with my pinky finger (he's horribly ticklish)? NO

Song Min, will you let me draw with eyeliner on your face (I'll make a beard)? Okay

Mouse

So, most people find mice and kill them or release them back into the wilderness...away from the house. During this emotionally charged summer, we (Sally and I) found a little mouse on the staircase in the basement. Seriously, the little creature was barely moving and obviously starving. I freaked out and put a Tupperware over it and slid the top under it. It spent the next couple of days under a fruit keeper. We fed her nuts and cheese and granola. Then, the fateful day came when I had to make a decision on what to do with the mouse. I felt like letting her go would be a death sentence. I mean, she was a very slow moving mouse, and I thought the cold October nights would kill her. So...we kept her. I bought a mouse cage, complete with a wheel, food and nesting material. I even looked online to find out if she was a boy or a girl. Seriously people, I totally dug the mouse. On October 31st, after only a couple of months, poor Mouse met her demise. I don't know if it was from something she ate, old age, or perhaps the fact that I let Sally roll her around in the plastic ball...but, Halloween morning, I found her cold and stiff as a board. Mouse's final resting place is in the woods behind our house near a rock. She would have liked being in the woods...especially, since she's out of Sally's reach permanently.

R.I.P. Mouse

Once again, Miss Sally Lee

This is Sally, our crazy, but cute beagle. She's been a fantastic addition to our family. We both love and adore her.




Sally chillin' out at my office. Fridays, we can bring our dogs to work!

It's nice to see you updating your blog.

Oh, my poor, neglected blog! It’s November! Ugh, where does the time go?

This summer I learned:

1. Wearing socks and shoes instead of sandals, makes a big difference on your feet.
2. I could sit all day long in our porch, listening to the wind through the trees.
3. I am not a gardener.
4. I can not keep houseplants alive.
5. I am lucky to work for my company.
6. Mouse corpses on the garage door tracks are just as gross as squished frog corpses on the driveway.
7. Sally hunts spiders.
8. Taking a walk around the block, is actually taking a walk around eight blocks.
9. Daytime television vs. afternoon nap…afternoon nap always wins.
10. Dancing like a mad person in the basement to Whitney Houston is a good way to knock off some pounds.
11. My husband is much more understanding and patient than I am.
12. My parents can fix anything.
13. I may feel crazy at times, but I’ve seen worse!
14. Medication doesn’t make the problem disappear.
15. Don Rickles is a mind reader.
16. My husband can make a better meal than any restaurant.
17. My long list of friends, is down to a handful of friends, but quality beats quantity every time.
18. A cute face with big brown eyes staring at you, is still annoying when she whines.
19. I could easily become a recluse.
20. The neighbor saying “it’s nice to see you keeping up your property”, might also mean “it’s about time you did something about your yard.”

Anniversary

June 23rd, we celebrated our second wedding anniversary. I can't believe that it's been two years. In some ways, it feels like we've been married much longer. In others, it feels like we just married last week.

I'm so grateful for a good husband. Song Min is most definitely my best friend. He is my support...keeps me sane at the end of the most stressful days. He is the love of my life.

For our anniversary this year, I took a couple of days off. We played around with going out of town (Mackinac Island...where "Somewhere In Time" was filmed"). We thought about flying down to Florida for a long weekend. In the end, we just stayed at home and relaxed. It was just what I needed.

On the 22nd, we rented a pontoon boat for the day. We decided to invite Robert, since the boatyard was accessible. We spent the day on the water, under the bright sun, with a cool breeze. Song Min and Robert caught a bunch of fish, however, I opted for fake bait and didn't catch anything (which is exactly what I had hoped for...since I feel bad actually catching fish).






On our anniversary, we decided to make dinner at home, instead of going out. We snacked on chorizo, cacciatore sausage, chevre cheese, crusty baguette, truffle oil, and salmon caviar, while we made our dinner. Song Min made lamb chops and monkfish (which sort of tastes like lobster). I made brussels spourts and pancetta fried in duck fat, as well as parmesan risotto with truffle oil. We also purchased some Kobe beef, but decided to save it for another day! Dinner was delicious and definitely memorable.







We didn't exactly exchange gifts for our anniversary this year. However, we decided to instead add to our family by adopted Sally, a two year old beagle from the Humane Society. She's such a sweet and mellow little dog. We've had so much fun taking care of her (with the exception of the two and a half hours we spent on Sunday, chasing her throughout our neighborhood!).







Year two...check. Looking forward to what year three brings!

Just mmmm...

My favorite food in the summertime



Yummy!

Land that I love...

Although I did not do anything special on Memorial Day this year, I was able to make it out to Fort Snelling National Cemetery over that weekend with my grandma. I have always liked going to the Ft. Snelling Cemetery. My Grandpa Daniels is buried there, so I don’t just go there aimlessly. However, I do actually really enjoy being there. There is a peaceful feeling there on that wide open piece of land. There are two airports located near the cemetery, as well as a very busy highway system. Even though there are airplanes that fly directly over the cemetery, the place is remarkably quiet…or perhaps it is the silent reverence of the thousands of veterans buried there.

Anyhow, during special holidays dedicated to the remembrance of the men and women who have served our country, American flags fly throughout the streets of the cemetery. It is the place I feel most patriotic. It is the place that I feel most grateful to be a citizen of the United States of America.

Saeng il chuk-ha hamnida (Happy Birthday)

Song Min’s 36th birthday was on May 10th. To celebrate, we had some friends over to our house. We did not have hundreds of people in and out all night…we had a small number of friends in and out all weekend.

Friday night, there were about fifteen people at our house, all guys (with the exception of my sister-in-law). By midnight, most everyone had left. However, there were four guys that partied all night. I write partied, because they did not sleep. At some point, the karaoke machine was switched to the X-Box 360 (Rock Band). 4:00 Saturday morning, I woke to the sound of 5 men singing falsetto and the top of their lungs. I just laid in bed and laughed uncontrollably. After they finished the song, I could hear them clapping and congratulating each other for playing so well. It was, perhaps, the funniest thing that I have ever heard.

Saturday, I went out to lunch and ran some errands with my grandma, while the boys caught some sleep at the house. By the time I got home, they had all left. However, it was just a break. Song Min knew that at least one of his friends would be back, so he “stayed up”, while I went to bed. At 1:00 in the morning, I heard Song Min’s cell phone ringing downstairs. Obviously, the birthday boy had fallen asleep on the couch and did not hear his phone ringing two feet away at the volume of a tornado siren. Soon, I heard it ringing again…no answer from Song Min. So, I got out of bed and made my way to the bedroom door, when I heard the doorbell ring (which freaked me out for a split second…because unlike Pavlov’s dogs, I don’t salivate at the sound of the bell, I hide). I looked from my bedroom door and could see a couple people at the front door - Song Min’s friends. Ugh.

Sunday morning, I heard an alarm going off downstairs. It was Song Min’s buddy’s phone, set bright and early in order to get to the airport for his flight back to NY (yes, Song Min had a friend fly in just for his birthday). Anyhow, Sunday afternoon, once again, we had an empty house…for a while. Sunday afternoon, another friend was over for dinner and stayed the night. I went to bed around 11:00 and woke up Monday morning for work. Both Song Min and his friend were asleep. Monday evening, after a normal 7-4:00 day at work, I returned to the house to find Song Min’s friend still there.

On Monday, May 11th, at 8:00 P.M., the party weekend was officially pronounced over and done, Song Min hung up his birthday party crown for the year, and I finally got a full night of sleep.

Happy birthday, Song Min…until next year!

Sup wit chu?

So, once again, I have fallen far behind on the blog updates. I don't know what else to say other than, life's humdrum beat has been steady and uneventful. So, I'm sorry to all of you who faithfully look to see if I have written about, well anything.

As stated previously, I'm one of those people who likes to curl up in the fetal position through most of the spring. February, March and April, are nasty months in regard to the weather here in Minnesota. It's a constant tease between below freezing and above freezing weather. The whole season makes my brain want to shut down.

Now that the sun is back out, my brain has thawed and I'm once again animated (perhaps there is some validity in cryogenics). So, I’m giving this whole blogging thing another try.

Thank you for your patience.

The unveiling...

Song Min and I have been decorating the house quite steadily for the past several weeks. All of the walls in the house (with the exception of the basement, which are a spring green) were white and all of the rugs were also white. We aren't changing the carpet, but put some color on the walls.

After a lot of planning and painting...and shopping, we have finished the master bedroom and the master bath (which I'll have to post pictures later).





The two pictures are of the city of San Francisco. We really wanted to have a downtown sort of feel to our bedroom, since it goes along with our sort of style. We also wanted to focus on one specific city. Initially, we were going to go with Seoul. However, we had difficulty finding photos that were high enough resolution to enlarge to the size we wanted. So, we went with San Francisco, where we had our honeymoon. We have little pictures from our honeymoon around our room.

At the foot of the bed, we have a white leather sofa and a coffee table. In front of that, we have placed our television, bluray player, and cable box. We have yet to decide on whether or not we'll set up the surround sound speakers (do we really need that much sound??). I plan on putting a nice tall green potted plant in the corner between the television and the window. That can wait however, for now.

Song Min calls our new room, our own little honeymoon suite. I thought it was cute that he thought of that. I am very happy with the way it turned out...it's exactly how I wanted it.

Our decorating focus this week will be on our office, as well as the dining room. After, we will hit the main floor bathroom and the second floor bathroom. At some point, we'll get the living room, kitchen, entryway, and the two second floor bedrooms painted too...but that's off quite a while from now.

Anyhow, I'm off to bed!

Sing...sing a song

So, we've had a karaoke player for a little while now, but we've kept it in our bedroom. Not sure why we hid this glowing torch under a bushel for so long. However, the karaoke player made it's first public (living room) appearance early last week.

My sister-in-law and her husband were over for dinner. Song Min's parents were also still here. So, to make the evening all the more fun...we plugged the karaoke player into the main floor living room television. Voila, instant party!

First of all, I should let you all know, my in-laws LOVE to sing...and are really good at it. My brother-in-law's voice is well known to the congregation at church, as well as the MN Korean population in general. My mother and father-in-law were actually asked if they were professionals this past December. And my sister-in-law and my husband, although not looking to quit their day jobs to be lounge singers...could probably bring in some cash doing weddings. The Lee family is basically like the mini (not to mention, Korean) version of the Von Trapp family singers.



On the other hand, we have my family. We are mediocre singers, but we also enjoy singing. My mom and grandma really enjoy singing. As long as I can remember, I can recall the two of them singing old songs. Our family "Happy Birthdays" definitely wouldn't be the same without the two of them leading us. My dad, well he can carry a tune, but isn't the best with rhythm. He's told me many times "he just can't find the beat". My sister, brother and I have always sort of enjoyed singing, but we weren't ever really known to break into public song growing up.

So, when I started dating Song Min, it took a little coaxing for me to get into singing karaoke. Song Min had a list of songs that he seemed to know almost by heart (Korean and English). I, however, had to search the karaoke menu over and over...trying to find even one song that I might be able to sing without completely deafening the room.

Anyhow, my in-laws were all thrilled once we got the player all set up. Song Min's parents searched through the list of Korean songs and found one after the next that they wanted to sing. My sister-in-law sang a couple and her husband even sang a couple of Russian songs (this karaoke player came with TONS of songs). We all took turns and enjoyed listening to one another sing.

My favorite, by far, were Song Min's parents. My father-in-law has this voice that needs no microphone, and vibrato skills of an opera singer. Seeing him sing and then practically run to the song menu to find something else to sing right away was my favorite memory of the night.



Singing karaoke, although a little silly at times, was such a fun way to bond with Song Min's family. I hope that we'll be able to do it again before my in-laws leave again for Seattle!

I'm also looking forward to sharing the karaoke party with friends.

Anyone game???

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury...

Song Min is an awesome cook! These are actual photos from my camera phone.

Exhibit A...



Beef Wellington

Exhibit B...



Enchiladas (although I found the recipe...he cooked it)


I rest my case.

List of 8's

List of 8's

Because my sister is starting to harass me about NOT doing this...

So, here is my List of Eight Tag:
1) Post rules on your blog
2) Answer the five "8" items
3) Let each person you tag know by leaving them a comment

8 Favorite TV Shows:
- Top Chef
- Law and Order (any of them)
- Weeds
- Dexter
- Grey's Anatomy
- The Hills (I know...stupid, but I love it)
- Criminal Minds
- Flipping Out

8+ Things I Did Yesterday (actually last Saturday, because I started this last Sunday):
- Woke up without an alarm clock (BEAUTIFUL!)
- Talked to my parents in Houston (visiting my sister and her family)
- Called my grandma, who sounded amazingly better.
- Chatted with my Aunt Nancy on facebook.
- Went out to lunch with Song Min.
- Watched several episodes of "Law and Order".
- Met our friends Jen and Reese Frederickson for dinner at King's.
- Watched movies with Song Min while laying in bed.

8 Favorite Restaurants:
- Cafe Lurcat
- 112 Eatery
- Ike's
- Nye's
- Murray's
- King's
- Santorini's
- Kikugawa

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:
- Warmer weather
- Re-decorating the entire house (I can already smell the paint!)
- The next time I get to wake up without an alarm clock (HELLO SATURDAY!)
- Dinner and games with the Howards at our place
- Whatever is next in the queue on Netflix
- Visiting my sister in Houston
- Visiting my in-laws in Seattle
- The rejuvenation of my vacation time in June (it's slim right now).

8 Things on My Wish List:
- A shorter commute
- Blackberry Thunder
- A flat panel television in the master bath...viewable from the tub.
- For my sister to live closer (meaning driving distance)
- To live someplace warm from February through April
- Age spot laser treatment
- Visit Korea with Song Min
- Song Min gets through pharmacy school smoothly and with lots of awesome job offers!

8 People I Tag:
- Jessica
- Nicole
- Missy
- Rachel
- Anna Marie
- Tina
- Jon
- Marla

I Heart Song Min

For Valentine's Day this year, Song Min and I had a really laid back day. We woke up at a reasonable, but late hour of the morning...perfect for two non-morning people. Song Min and I headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. We had scrambled eggs, with cheese, sour cream, and chives...delicious! We also had bacon, pancakes, and cheesy hash browns. It was a great way to start the day.

Our afternoon was spent doing what we love most, watching seemingly endless episodes of Law and Order Criminal Intent and napping. It was so kick back.

For dinner, we were off to a restaurant that I've always wanted to try, Wolfgang Puck's "20.21". This restaurant is located in the Walker Art Museum in Minneapolis and overlooks the Sculpture Garden (where we had our engagement photo taken).



We went up to the fifth floor of the museum, where they had professional photographers ready to snap a photo of each couple (I'll upload it once it arrives). Once inside, each table was set for two...a couple of votives (red and pink) and pink table clothes with a nice clean white cloth over top. The room had mood lighting like nothing I've seen before. Overhead, my favorite singers...Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.



Dinner was awesome. We started with a tasty amuse-boush - a heart shaped vegetable fritter on a bed of microgreens. Second course, I ordered the Indonesian Steak Tartar with sesame wonton chip and sweet chili sauce. Song Min ordered Tandoori Arctic Char with tomato chutney, cardamom raita and golden beets. Both were delicious...we shared. Salad course, I had the pear and manchego salad with baby arugula and hazelnuts and pink peppercorn with honey vinaigrette. Song Min had the butter lettuce cups with orange, humboldt fog, olives, and orandi pistachios. Hands down - best salad I've ever had. For our main course, we both had the braised short ribs with sauteed watercress, wasabi potato puree with red wine reduction. The dish was simple, but delicious. For dessert, we shared the Valrhona chocolate custard cake with raspberry bavarian and fresh berries; as well as three crispy sweet wontons (caramel banana...my favorite, chocolate ginger, five spice cream) with delicious dipping sauces. The dinner was simply magnificent.

After, we headed to our friend Kari's place for a poker party. I'm not really into poker. We really only play with this one group of friends for fun. However, we always each put ten dollars each into it to make it interesting. Song Min has won many times with these people. I am always the second or third person out of the game. This time though...I won...TWO games. I took home $120 that night and was walking on air.

SO...when we got home, we continued to party hearty with our Valentine's Day gift to one another...our new karaoke machine!



This bad boy came with two microphones (individually adjustable volume and echo), two books with song menus, two cds packed with any song you'd ever want to sing (english and korean...although the korean songs were a little dated), and random and strange video backgrounds of underwater scenery or japanese women walking in the streets of Austrailia looking sad. We love it!

Anyhow, we stayed up until four or five in the morning singing. Did I say that we currently have it hooked up in our bedroom? We were singing while sitting in bed...seriously, not sure if there was more singing or laughing. It was so much fun.

I've never been a big Valentine's Day person. This year, was my favorite Valentine's Day ever.

Thank you, my sweet husband!

A time for refraining from my blogging...

I know...I know! I just haven't been in the groove lately. I have the worst time with this time of the year. The second of January hits every year and I can almost see this grey cloud instantly forming over my head. Though January feels like it's going to be this awful horrible month...it ends up flying by fairly quickly. However, February is quite the opposite. Coming off a surprisingly easy January, I look at February and think, "it's a short month! No problem!" It turns out, that the grey cloud that I had been worried about all January wasn't anything compared the black one that came barreling in right after it. The black cloud of February thickens and multiplies in March, then starts rotating into a devastating funnel just about to scoop me up and throw me into oblivion in April. Just when the emotional gloom is about overtake me, May comes out from nowhere and rescues me...(my mind is instantly picturing the scene in the movie "Neverending Story" when Falcor rescues Atreyu from the Swamps of Sadness...I know, nerdy).



So, although I will try to keep up a little better...don't be surprised if it's sparse from now until May. Sorry!

it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

How long ago has it been since you actually listened to what Mr. Rogers had to say?



I thought that was a pretty cool video that many people have not seen. It is an address by Fred Rogers to the United States Senate Subcommittee on Communications in 1969. His goal was to support funding for PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting during a time of proposed cuts.

In my community, the instrumental music program in the elementary schools for the 2009-2010 school year is on the chopping block.

What's happening in your neighborhood?

Shana-na-na-na-na-na-na-na...

I used to love change. Now that I'm a little older, going through the motions of predictability throughout my day tends to comfort me. Don't get me wrong, if the Publisher's Clearinghouse people came to my door with flowers, balloons and a gigantic check for ten million dollars (do they even do that anymore?)...I would welcome that surprise of change. Thursday, however, I got change of a different kind.

The unfortunate reality of the troubled economy reared its ugly head at my company on Thursday. It started like a normal Thursday. I woke up thinking "I wish I could go back to sleep...I'm SOOO tired". I got into work about ten minutes late. I filled up my giant cup of water and made my breakfast burrito. Talked to my coworkers Tina and Judie for a few minutes. And then started my work. It seemed like a normal Thursday.

Suddenly, Tina, my sweet friend and anxiety blocker in human form, was missing. Her purse and coat were gone, but her lamp was on and cell was on the desk. After about an hour of trying to figure out if Tina had gone home sick, we found out the devastating news...lay offs had struck not only our company, but right down the hallway...TINA!

I believe it was announced that fifty-nine people were laid off Thursday. On top of that, we were told that all employees would be getting a pay reduction for one year...or until the economy turned.

Change happens...change happened...and it will happen one day again.

Tina will be missed. The sting of pay cuts will linger for a year. Will I survive this round of change?

You know it!

In 3...2...1...

Although I typically like to tease my poor mother that I don't remember her EVER cooking...I do. My mom was (I only say was because she proclaimed the kitchen closed soon after all three of us kids had left home) a pretty good cook. She came up with delicious and nutritious meals for the family every single night.

One of my favorite things she used to do was make a hot breakfast for us on Sundays. I remember the good old days (pre-Splenda and Atkins), when the Duncan Hines blueberry muffin mix had streusel topping too...DELICIOUS. My mom would make muffins, eggs, bacon or sausage, and sometimes french toast or pancakes.

These days, I have a wrap for breakfast five times a week. My breakfast burrito consists of the Fat Flush tortillas, Southwestern style Egg Beaters (which are cooked to perfection in one minute in the microwave), and a slice of canadian style bacon. It's pretty good and low calorie, but doesn't hold a candle to mom's Sunday breakfast.

Anyhow, on the weekends, I frequently skip breakfast altogether. Not because I don't want breakfast...more because I'm up around lunch. Anyhow, I miss those old weekend breakfasts that my mom made. But who wants to make the mess for a couple of pancakes?! Not me! The answer...

The Batter Blaster!



Seriously, it's delicious (and organic to boot!).

So, although I still don't have my mom's hot breakfast with those yummy blueberry muffins with streusel topping on them, I've got the pancakes.

Song Min's such a good sport!

So, I have a way of getting Song Min to do things that he normally wouldn't do...especially, while being recorded.

Behold,

The BIG Chip Challenge!

The challenge was to put the chip in your mouth without breaking it.



Song Min WAS successful.

As a quick side note...I really didn't touch the chip in my mouth (because, that would be gross!)

The haircut

One day there was a girl who got sick of her long hair...

Groundhog's Day

Punxsutawney Phil apparently saw his shadow this morning, ushering in another six weeks of winter. In Minnesota, is this really big news?! NO!

Anyhoodle, from the picture on the web this morning, I wonder if Phil scurried back inside from fear of seeing his shadow OR if he just freaked out from being grabbed and flung into the air.



I'd hide too!

My Guilty Pleasures

1. Laughing hysterically when people trip. I feel like it is sort of okay that I do this since I am horridly clumsy and have fallen over absolutely nothing multiple times.

2. Hip-hop and rap music. I know! I know! I can hear people groaning as I type. I do...I enjoy hip-hop and rap music. However, I really only listen to it at the gym. Well, sometimes in my car on a warm sunny day, sunglasses on, sunroof open, bass turned up. I feel bad...but sometimes it just feels so good!

3. Housewives of Atlanta and Orange County on Bravo. If it's on...I just get sucked into their world. I don't watch them every week or anything. Just maybe twice a year...but usually when it's a marathon. I know...bad.

4. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan romantic comedies - Joe Versus the Volcano, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail. So, I don't see Joe vs. Volcano very often. However, Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail are on just about every other Saturday...and I'm right there with them. My husband HATES these movies, but I love them. They aren't the best examples of cinematic genius, but I love them.

5. Culligan bottled water service. I know that water is free from the tap, but it just tastes so much better when it comes out of those giant bottles. I mean seriously, it's ice cold...or hot chocolate ready...all in the pull of the tab.

25 Random things

So, this is something that I did after being tagged by my sister, Jessica. I thought that I'd put it on here too since not EVERYONE is on facebook.

1. I carry my stress in my shoulders and neck. So, when I go for a massage or chiropractic appointment, they always look at me like I'm Quasimodo.

2. From the time I was about eight, until I was almost thirty, I always wore socks because I was afraid of getting athlete’s foot or some other yucky foot thing.

3. I have an unnatural fear of live chickens. I think they belong dead and on a plate...or in a red and white bucket with the Colonel's face on it.

4. I went bungee jumping years ago and would pay money on a monthly basis to never have to do it again.

5. I have never had any feelings about Halloween. I have never loved or hated it. It's just a holiday that rolls around every year like President's Day. If I don't get it off for work...I just don't care.

6. My sense of humor is my defense mechanism of choice.

7. I was invited nine years ago to audition for the show "Chain of Love". I watched it and decided it was probably not the show for me.

8. I have nosebleeds daily.

9. I love babies. However, I will only hold a baby if it meets certain requirements.

10. I can't concentrate when multiple conversations are going on at one time.

11. I like my food warm...not hot. I think I've just burned the top of my mouth too many times.

12. I hope someday to have a room in my home with a library of youth and children's books.

13. I have insomnia problems. I stay awake on minimal hours during the week and then have a meltdown and sleep all day during the weekend. I regularly use sleeping pills.

14. I worry about wrinkles on my face. I sweep over my face daily in search for them.

15. I have always fancied myself a skateboarder...even though I'm scared to fall.

16. I frequently feel my grandpa's presence around me.

17. I love playing video games.

18. I am highly competitive.

19. Since I was in junior high, my favorite movie has remained "Empire of the Sun".

20. I am almost always cold.

21. I broke up with a guy because he had gigantic nostrils. He exhaled nose breath on me while hugging me and it totally grossed me out.

22. I am lactose sensitive and allergic to wheat, but don't avoid either of them.

23. I'm a perfectionist (not always doing things perfectly, but seeing things in black or white) with obsessive compulsive tendencies.

24. I own a guitar and golf clubs...neither of which, I know how to use well.

25. I've known since I was young that I'd marry a superhero...and I did!

The "ugly" years...

As much as I hate to admit it...I was once a teenager. There were so many strange phases that I went through, especially in my junior high school years.

One, sad, but true example of this was my outfit throughout, well probably all of 8th grade and maybe overlapping into part of 7th and 9th.

I know, you're expecting curly bangs (which I had), or Aqua Net sprayed wings in my hair (which I also tried). I drenched myself in Love's Baby Soft perfume, wore jelly bracelets, and even had a Hyper Color shirt. Those were the normal things teenagers wore back in the day...

But oh my, I went over the line and stepped into unknown teenage territory...I wore all white.

I stepped out of my house daily in white pants, white shirt (with shoulder pads), often with a blazer and rolled sleeves, topped off with a bolo tie of the comedy/tragedy masks and a pair of penny loafers to boot.

I can still hear my mom saying "you look like the Good Humor man", as I left for school in my white shirt and pants.



Sadly, I probably did look like the Good Humor man. What was I thinking?!

Another phase I went through during this time period was Phantom of the Opera. I believe I had two cassettes of the Phantom of the Opera...because one broke because I listened to it SO many times. Over and over, I would listen to that cassette...in my room, on my Walkman, IN MY HEAD. I played it on the piano. I played it on the violin. I breathed Phantom of the Opera.



Since then, I've expanded my love of musical theater. I've seen dozens of musicals...and loved every one of them. I've seen so many, that I can't hardly think of all of their names. I can, however, name the one that I never saw...Phantom of the Opera.

Well, my teenage dream is coming true. Song Min and I are going to see the Phantom of the Opera Memorial Day weekend...third row in the center.

Now if I could only find my comedy/tragedy bolo tie...it would really be fitting if I wore it to the show. Don't you think???

More Favorites...

When Song Min lets me record things that make me laugh



Tourmaline products by Aveda...make that any Aveda product



White Under Armour socks...I LOVE snug fitting white socks

Getting my eyebrows waxed. I know, weird, but it sort of feels good

Wild cherry Kool-Aid...Oh yeah!



Our entertainment center: 42" plasma, Polk surround sound, LG Bluray, X-Box 360...Lee Fun Center open 24/7

A&E show "Intervention"...I cry during every intervention

#2 pencils (wooden, not plastic)

My Bayfield hat



Tulips and Lily of the Valley

"The Singing Butler" by Jack Vettriano



Kobe beef with hot grapeseed oil and ponzu at Lurcat Cafe

My niece and nephew





When Song Min tickles the back of my neck with his whiskers like my grandpa used to do...makes me laugh hysterically

Help! I'm drowning......I'm drowning!

So, as everyone and their second cousin knows...I am a procrastinator. I am the person who waits until the very last minute to buy Christmas presents. I am the person who flies out the door five minutes late without eating breakfast because I waited for the snooze to hit me five minutes later than the mean earlier bell. I am the person who just wants to get home and then has to race into the bathroom when I get there. Yes, I have procrastination down to an art form.



It really isn't that I'm lazy. No, I'm quite productive. I just choose to accomplish that same thing...a little bit later.

At times however, this haunts me. These are the times that I shake my fist in the air and shout silently but definitely seriously, "I WILL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!"

Behold, the filing at my desk...



These piles of paperwork are a taste of the greater pile. These, my friends, are the accumulation of four months of my work. They are the reminder of my daily toil sitting in neatly stacked form.

I loathe filing. I hate it more than almost anything (about as much as lima beans. Although, I would seriously think about eating a plate of the green legumes if it would get me out of the four feet of filing).

The thing is, we have two administrative assistants that we can employ to do this sort of task. But, with what I had on my desk...I'm just not that mean.

So, expecting a fairly slow day today, I dragged the special filing tool that someone in Finance loaned to me. After nine straight hours, I was able to put a huge dent in my filing.



I divided the paperwork into quarters and stuffed the papers in the appropriate spot. Granted, I still have about 7-10" of filing left...AND will still need to sort each file folder by date.

But, I can do that later!

Wise words...

This is my friend Marla's January 10th blog entry entitled "You Gotta Spend Some Time With God". I hope that Marla doesn't mind that I took her blog entry in its entirety. This has been one of my favorite entries that anyone has written. Therefore, I took the whole thing! Marla...they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. You know I think you rock the casa!

"Jan 10, 2009
You Gotta Spend Some Time With God

What's with me and the born again channels? I'm not sure. But I really like this lady. She is real and funny and some of the things she said rang true.

She said:

"If you have a strong personality you gotta spend time with God if you are ever gonna to be nice to people.

If you have a lazy personality, you gotta spend time with God or you will do nothing all day.

If you have an easy going personality and you don't want to ruffle anybody's feathers, you gotta spend time with God to get enough guts to confront what you need to confront.

You gotta spend time with God or there's no hope for fulfilling your destiny."

And then she said what I would call the kicker: "If you are too busy for God, then you are definitely too busy."

It's a new year. Everyone is making new year's resolutions. One of my seminary kids kept calling it his new year's revolution. I like that. It's a year to start a revolution. So here I go. Gonna get my revolution on."

Vive la révolution Marla!

In "lieu" of the erased entry...

Not that I felt like one bathroom entry needed to be replaced by another bathroom entry, but I had one in mind anyway. Not gross...just interesting.

I have been wanting to blog about the first floor toilet for a long time. It's function is ultimately the same as every other toilet. However, it's...fancy.

Does your toilet have an electronic control pad on the side like this???



This sort of retrofit is all the rage in Korea and Japan. I'm a little surprised that it hasn't caught on in the U.S. I'm not a big bidet or wash person, but I will admit the heated toilet seat is pretty comfy!

So, if you're over at our place, when we ask you to have a seat...the bathroom isn't a bad option!

You may be wondering...

A few may have caught my blog entry regarding hand washing reminder signs in bathrooms. The reminder on my blog that not all people wash their hands after using the restroom made me almost sick to my stomach the next morning. So, I wiped it out (ha ha).

Sorry!

I think my lungs froze...

I'm writing this entry in the comfort of a warm home. There are times that I get chilled inside, but during this time of the year...I'll take chilly over FREEZING!

As I write this, it is -16. NEGATIVE SIXTEEN DEGREES and even crazier is the windchill...-30!!! Hello Mother Nature...I think there's a problem here!

I choose to live in Minnesota. Yes, I have made this decision every year since the day I graduated from high school. Sometimes I think that the three other seasons romance me into staying here. I mean, we have decent springs, very lovely summers, and autumns that are breathtaking.

And then winter...

From Thanksgiving until New Years, I'll be honest with you all...I don't mind the snow. In fact, it's beautiful! Seeing the holiday lights on the trees and houses with a backdrop of white fluffy snow...it MAKES the whole season feel all that more wonderful. Snowmen, snowballs, and snow angels bring fun filled memories of childhood (well, AND college).

The Monday after New Years is when something changes. The snow becomes my enemy. I hate it with the passion of ten red hot suns (which is slightly ironic considering).

I took a couple of photos for my friends in sunnier regions of the country.

Ugh...



On my way out of my neighborhood...



And how did that minivan find its way there?



Someone wake me in May...I'm going into hibernation!

Mmm...mmm...good!

I got home Monday night so tired from a full day at work. I was cold. I didn't feel good. I was hungry.

Luckily, I live with an amazing cook. Song Min stepped up to the plate (pun intended) and cooked EXACTLY what I was craving...

Kimchi jigae

It's basically kimchi (which is a spicy fermented cabbage) made into a soup. Let me just say, Song Min makes one of the best kimchi jigaes on the planet (I don't joke around about good food!). He stir fried the kimchi with some onion and bacon (oh yeah, lovin' the bacon), and let the flavors come together.

As he stirred, he told me "you can't hurry kimchi jigae". This was enough to trigger me to burst into song...reinventing the song "You Can't Hurry Love". I actually caught the whole thing on video, however, much to my dismay (and slight relief), my phone wouldn't let me download it onto my computer. Next time you see me, feel free to ask about it and I'll show you...maybe.

Anyhow, Song Min added some chicken broth, garlic, ginger, and some other ingredients. He let it simmer for a while and then served it with rice.

The picture doesn't do this soup justice; it's best viewed live...and with a spoon!

Does not compute!

I can't kick my sugar habit. I don't avoid sugar because of its nutritional value...or lack of. I lay low on the sweet goodness because it makes me spazz out. Seriously!

A couple of examples:

Example #1 - It was about four years ago...

I was living in St. Paul with some girls from church. We had the perfect little house with friends surrounding us every weekend. We had fun and laughs.

Enter sugar...

We hosted a party one Saturday night...the house was packed. My roommates and I prepared all sorts of things to eat, as well as an assortment of sugary sodas and candy. Maybe it was the near deafening volume of the party. Perhaps it was the heat of so many bodies in our cute little house. At some point, I got my hands on the Pixi Stix...oh no...NOT the Pixi Stix! One of my last memories of the party was throwing my head back handing our friend Bradley a Pixi stick and yelling at the top of my lungs "poor some sugar on me!". Bradley stood with the look of confusion and...I believe it was fear...yes, it was fear. Heaven help me...I was under the influence of sugar!

Example #2 - It was about three hours ago...

Song Min and I had just arrived home from a lovely dinner out. Song Min made the mistake of leaving a box of cookies (topped with sugar granules) on the computer desk. As I sat and reviewed my emails, my eyes continued to glance at the box. I tried to concentrate on the computer screen, but the cookies had me! It was too hard...I gave in. I didn't have just one of the cookies...I had many of the cookies. Finally, Song Min summoned me to the couch to watch a program. I sat watching the show content with the world and happy that the calm and assertive "Sweet-tooth Whisperer" distracted me before my impression of Sesame Street's Cookie Monster became a full out frenzy.

Enter sugar...

I spotted the container of Butter Crunch Cashews. The once full jar of candy coated nuts, was now empty...well almost empty. I opened the jar and found that the crumbs on the bottom of the jar were all pure sugar happiness...OR MADNESS! I started eating the candy coating (yeah, I can admit it!).

About ten minutes later, I found myself walking around the room like a robot trying to get Song Min to consent to do a whole evening being robots. He wasn't going for it and I could see that same look of fear in my husband's eyes as I had so many years prior. So, I re-grouped and changed the subject...

THEN LET'S BE COWBOYS!!!

I Totally Dig It...

Some of my favorite things to say:

"I'm chillaxin'"

"She's got moxy"

"Styin' and profilin'"

"Chillin' like a villain"

"Wicked"

"Kickin' it old school"

"Peace out"

And the ultimate sign off..."word to your mother"

2009 Resolutions

So, it isn't that I haven't made resolutions for this year. I just haven't weeded them down to a "definite" list. There are several general resolutions, like be more organized and get into shape (which are definitely high and important on my list). However, there are some others that I dropped on my list this year too.

1) Floss every day - I have never gotten in the habit of flossing. I always just start doing it like crazy once I've made an appointment at the dentist for my cleaning. Not like I fool the hygenist!

2) Play the piano and violin more frequently. I always have good intentions, but I never seem to make the time. This year...it's going to be a priority. I think it will help with stress!

3) Draw/paint - This Christmas, my parents gave me an easel. I love drawing and painting. Like music, I haven't taken the time to explore my artistic talent in a very long time.

4) Become active in the local arts - I used to visit the Minneapolis Institute of Art about once every few months. I would just walk around by myself and enjoy the peace of the museum (as well as take in the perfect humidity that the gallery had...I worked in commercial humidification for five years!). I loved getting inspired by other artists - past and present. I also used to go to Minnesota Symphony Orchestra concerts on a fairly frequent basis. When I was in high school, I went to concerts almost monthly with my orchestra. So, going as an adult almost feels like visiting old friends. Finally, I have missed going to theater productions. I have seen many productions, "Les Miserables", Julie Andrew's "The Boyfriend", "Glass Menagerie", "Rent", "Titanic", "Ragtime", and more. I need to get back into these visual and performance arts.

5) Learn to sing a Korean song for karaoke - A new friend of mine told me of this goal, and I think it would be a good one for me also. Not only would my husband and his family appreciate my effort, but it would also expand my horizons.

6) Be more charitable in my actions - This one isn't difficult; it just involves being more aware of others...I think. I tend to get wrapped up in my own world so frequently. I don't know if I would categorize myself as a selfish person, but I certainly do get absorbed in my own life on a daily basis. I want to be more aware of others and make an effort to be more kind and loving towards those in need. Open my eyes to see people around me...not just the way they affect my life.

There are many other goals that I have, but I thought that I'd start with these. I used to think that New Years Resolutions were silly. I viewed them as something you could do at any time. But, as I've gotten older, I've found that having a date that reminds me of changes I want to make in my life is really helpful. Now if it only came more than once a year - keep me on track. Hmmm...I'm thinking of a New Years Resolution group that meets on certain dates every month. Hmmm.

Once in a blue moon

So, I haven't had to do a whole lot of cooking since we got married. It isn't that I don't like to cook. It isn't that I'm a bad cook. It just...hmmm...it hasn't really come up. I'm sure all of you "good" wives out there are gasping right now.

Tonight, I felt like cooking dinner...the feeling doesn't happen often, but it struck tonight! Not anything typical...something Song Min would really like. So, I thought about things that Song Min likes to eat, that I don't necessarily love...but don't have a problem with either. Here's what I came up with:



It's cajun style sausage (my grocery didn't have the chorizo that I had hoped to use), with red and orange bell peppers, onions, garlic, rice, and shrimp. I used a little olive oil to cook the peppers and onions, then added garlic. I also added some spicy red pepper flakes for a kick. Cut up the sausage and threw it in the mix with a couple cups of chicken stock. Added 2 cups of rice and let it come to a boil and then simmer until the rice was almost done. Added the shrimp on top and covered so the shrimp would cook. Threw some parsley on top and called it a meal.

It was really simple and I have to say...even though I'm not a huge fan of this kind of food, it was pretty tasty!

Pop!

So, my big New Year's resolution of 2008 was to stop drinking soda pop. I can't say that I never drank pop, but when I did have it, I pretty much stuck to sips of soda from my husband's cup. Overall, I met my goal.

Tonight was one of the first nights that I can truly say that I have sat and enjoyed a soda. Since cutting out the carbonated treat, it has been an "experience" drinking soda again. In fact, there have been many times when the soda has felt so uncomfortable bubbling down my throat, that I have had a difficult time. Seriously, I didn't remember it burning that much!

Now that 2008 is over, I've found that my previous addiction to Diet Coke, has been broken. Sure, I had a soda this evening. But, overall, I think that I'll continue to go with something a little more gentle, like water with lime! Try it...you'll like it!

Manamanah

I've been called silly for about as long as I can remember.

Here's another example...

Do you all remember this??



Well, now think of this...

Song Min looking for his pajama pants and me singing at the top of my voice

Pajama pants...do do...do do do...pajama pants...do do do do.

He thinks I'm crazy, but I'm pretty sure that he must be a little too...he married me.

PAJAMA PANTS!

Say what?!

My grandma often stumbles upon old pictures or newspaper clippings. A while ago, she found this one…



This newspaper clipping was from the 1980’s. Jessica and I wore our Korean hanboks for a contest during the Hopkins Raspberry Festival and won first prize. I don’t know what we won…for some reason being IN the big parade seems to ring a bell.

Thinking about that whole thing, made me wonder just what sort of contest we were in. Seriously, July is pretty early to have a costume contest. The only other thing that I could think of was some sort of world culture contest (which still made me wonder, given that I don’t remember a whole heckuvalot of diversity in Hopkins in the 1980’s).

Counting sheep didn't work...

I'm having a slight bout of insomnia tonight. Perhaps it is due to the fact that I have had so many days off the last two weeks that I've forgotten how to sleep according to the clock (as opposed to sleeping when I simply can't stay awake any longer). With the clock reading 12:30 AM and my alarm clock set for 4:40 AM, I sit at the computer in hopes that writing my thoughts might be the answer to my overly active mind.

Please bear with me as I wax philosophical (remember it's late and I can't sleep!).

The internet is such an interesting resource. I think of this blog, for example, and how freely I write - giving family and friends (and who knows who else) a window to my thoughts and life's daily drones. I write about random events and my silly takes on life...and I honestly think of them as simple updates (a quick method of letting people into my life).

Although I don't necessarily view my own postings in this manner, I have found that there are many of these same sort of updates that draw a great deal of my attention. In fact, although my life isn't necessarily tightly knitted with another individual, I can find great inspiration through these updates and postings.

This blog entry is just a reminder that although your world may seem small (whether you blog, or facebook, or simply live your life), you leave a signature on others' lives...even if it's just an initial behind the ear.