Game Over

沒有Egg nog latte 的日子. 第90日. 晴

Results are in... the non-sports watching, no-NCAA-background-trained, amateur WOMAN beats out the three self-proclaimed sports addict, chauvinistic MEN. What a blow to our male ego... geez... Goes to show that picking winners isn't about knowing, but it's about NOT knowing.

Joycie takes the gold in our Four Person Brackets.

I come in a distant second, no thanks to Memphis suddenly sinking free throws.

The Gonz rounds out the top three while eating my dust.

And good ol' Anderson secures the platform which we stand on because Duke decides to choke yet again and the Lopez Twins' powers were apparently deactiviated.

Hot Pot City

沒有Egg nog latte 的日子. 第87日. 晴

With my wooden chopsticks, I picked up the steamy, crunchy slice of lamb, dunked it in the self-made sauce (a mixture of satay, soy, garlic, onion, ginger, chili, sesame and a raw egg) and gently yet assuringly placed it atop of my tongue. The hickory, pleasing aroma, the silky, smooth texture, the scintallating flavor dissolved into my tastebuds - causing every muscle in my oral cavity to tingle with sheer sensation. My overzealous tongue began to push and shove the slice of animal tissue around the salivac cave, while the enamels of ivory chomped and grinded ever so hastily, releasing more and more of the juice that can only be concocted in a fairy tale. The battle between my mouth and the piece of lamb crescendos when the esophagus muscles grow jealous of the enjoyment felt by my mouth and begin to contract -- inhaling what's left of the burnt carcass. Oh... how I enjoyed that first piece of meat at Hot Pot City.

Life has it's many ups and downs. Allow me to share one of my ups - Hot Pot City (HPC).

• HPC is the place to go on a chilly Spring evening.
• HPC is a place where some feel the food is unclean - yet I've always convinced myself the boiling water can disinfect.
• HPC is a place where you walk in feeling gloomy and walk out smelling like a lunch truck.
• HPC is a place people claim the meat is not fresh - though I've always compensated with a bowl of self-made sauce.
• HPC is a place where we'll drive 6 hours roundtrip (from Cal Poly mind you) for a "quick dinner."
• HPC is a place where it just - "hits the spot."
• HPC is a place where many think is overpriced - but I've always been able to eat my money's worth (and pay for it).
• HPC is another reason why I can't ever move out of the Bay Area... I simply can't.

Now, if only HPC will start serving egg nog lattes...

The Foundation

沒有Egg nog latte 的日子. 第86日. 晴

He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ~Luke 6:48

To be built well, we are called to dig deep within, remove the old and invite the Holy Spirit to fill our void; to let Christ be our foundation. How can we let Christ be our foundation, if we haven't first removed our former selves. One servant cannot serve two masters. One house cannot have two foundations.

Who is your foundation? You or Jesus?

Not doing so well...

沒有Egg nog latte 的日子. 第81日. 晴

Three guys and a gal... the gal has no college hoops knowledge whatsoever. And after two days of March Madness, here are the standings and my updated brackets. Oh Anderson... why do we suck?

Brackets

It's the Vernal Equinox - the first day of Spring. It's time when romance blooms, allergies hit, pitchers and catchers are cut... and of course, it's time for NCAA BRACKETS!!!!!

Without further ado... here is my brackets for this year...

Happy Birthday Ben!!

沒有Egg nog latte 的日子. 第76日. 晴
Happy Birthday Ben!!!! (who da heck is Ben?)

Insomnia

沒有Egg nog latte 的日子. 第71日. 晴

Been a rough week since coming back from Hong Kong... is it the flu or jetlag? Who knows...

The past few days, we fall asleep around 11PM and we're wide awake at 1AM - with no hope of falling back to sleep. When I do sleep and I have a dream, the background is Hong Kong. This past Saturday and Sunday, we woke up at 1PM, and didn't feel a bit guilty. At the same time, I've been coughing so hard, my abs hurt. I wake up 5-6 times a night soaked in sweat. I even have a pile of undershirts next to the bed ready for me to change into.

Needless to say... I'm suffering through jetlag, flu and a spell of insomnia. So I apologize ahead of time if I snap at you when we talk. I'm a little bit high-strung right now... but then again, if I snapped at you, you probably deserved it. =)

Almost back to normal...

沒有Egg nog latte 的日子. 第67日. 晴

Didn't go into work today. Despite my manager pulling all the stops (less of a threat) to get me in. I think the jetlag has truly passed... but everytime I go into to work, I'm basically filling out my own pink-slip form -- which is laying myself off. Instead, I spent a good part of the day sitting outside a Jamba Juice, spending time with Abba, listening to random gossips about boyfriends and girlfriends, and in fact taking a peek at some work stuff.

A friend we met 6 months ago is leaving for HK for good. How sad...was really hoping this friend can stay and be part of our family. But this friend has her agenda and US lifestyle is just not her cup of tea. And there are those who want to stay in the US but for legal reasons, can not.

The cough is back. Been sweating through the night again. Argh... I thought this virus was out of my system. Please pray for me