on the subway. If you know me, you know I love to people-watch, and as I stepped onto the 1-train (can I call it that?) today on my way to SoHo, I was astounded by the crowd that surrounded me. Never before have I seen such an utterly diverse assemblage in such a confined area. The Wall Street man in his stuffy business suit sat comfortably with a hip (and might I add slightly thuggish) teenager on one side of him, and a woman on his other side who later rose to her feet to make a public petition for food and spare change to feed her young children. An a capella group harmonized beautifully throughout a portion of the ride, traveling from train to train, and couples clasped hands lovingly as we blazed through the underground network of tunnels beneath the city.
I could've sat there for hours. I am loving New York.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Congrats, Matty!
... and Kelsey and Janick and Tanya and so so sooo many more!
This weekend, I paid my final homage to the alma mater, and bid farewell to Stockton once and for all! I had said my own personal goodbye exactly one year ago, but have made frequent visits to see old friends and my dear Matty, but now that everyone's leaving, I really have no reason to return to the most miserable city in California.
Tiff and I drove the 400-mile peregrination on Friday night, up to the San Joaquin county, and landed our ourselves at the destination a wee past midnight after six hours of girl gab and singing on the top of our lungs. It was a quick shower, then straight to bed for us all, because a long day awaited us in the morning.
In the sweltering Stockton heat the next day, my favorite engineers received their diplomas, and there was much celebration that followed. Beloved friends, family, and classmates shared in the joy as we proudly watched our graduates receive their diplomas, final words from their professors, and lei after lei after lei!
Pacific Engineers, Class of 2009:
I adore Grandpa Montai!
Matty's fam. ♥
Never seen so many leis on one person in my life!
Roommates of four years!
Congratulations, Matty!! I am so proud of you. ♥
This weekend, I paid my final homage to the alma mater, and bid farewell to Stockton once and for all! I had said my own personal goodbye exactly one year ago, but have made frequent visits to see old friends and my dear Matty, but now that everyone's leaving, I really have no reason to return to the most miserable city in California.Tiff and I drove the 400-mile peregrination on Friday night, up to the San Joaquin county, and landed our ourselves at the destination a wee past midnight after six hours of girl gab and singing on the top of our lungs. It was a quick shower, then straight to bed for us all, because a long day awaited us in the morning.
In the sweltering Stockton heat the next day, my favorite engineers received their diplomas, and there was much celebration that followed. Beloved friends, family, and classmates shared in the joy as we proudly watched our graduates receive their diplomas, final words from their professors, and lei after lei after lei!Pacific Engineers, Class of 2009:
I adore Grandpa Montai!
Matty's fam. ♥
Never seen so many leis on one person in my life!
Roommates of four years!
Congratulations, Matty!! I am so proud of you. ♥
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Oh, it's a jolly 'oliday with family!
Family makes your 'eart so light!
When the day is gray and ordinary
Family makes the sun shine bright!
'Appiness was definitely a-bloomin' and daffodils a-smilin' as our five-some traipsed to a nearby grassy knoll and enjoyed a delightful picnic to celebrate Mother's Day away from the masses. 'Twas a picnic that tickled your senses, complete with musical merriment, summertime grub, and the jolly folk of mi familia!
We munched eagerly on some "We ove you, Mom" red velvet cupcakes (because the "L" broke off =T),
a spring salad of baby spinach leaves, green apple wedges, dried cranberries, and Gorgonzola,
a vibrant tossed pasta salad to which this photo hardly does justice,
and a platter of bit-sized sammiches and watermelon smiles (not pictured).
A toss of the frisbee topped off the afternoon, and we headed home with our hunger satiated, our bodies tired, and our skin bronzed by the May sun. Happiest of Mother's Days, Mommy dear! We love you!
When the day is gray and ordinary
Family makes the sun shine bright!
'Appiness was definitely a-bloomin' and daffodils a-smilin' as our five-some traipsed to a nearby grassy knoll and enjoyed a delightful picnic to celebrate Mother's Day away from the masses. 'Twas a picnic that tickled your senses, complete with musical merriment, summertime grub, and the jolly folk of mi familia!
We munched eagerly on some "We ove you, Mom" red velvet cupcakes (because the "L" broke off =T),
a spring salad of baby spinach leaves, green apple wedges, dried cranberries, and Gorgonzola,
a vibrant tossed pasta salad to which this photo hardly does justice,
and a platter of bit-sized sammiches and watermelon smiles (not pictured).
A toss of the frisbee topped off the afternoon, and we headed home with our hunger satiated, our bodies tired, and our skin bronzed by the May sun. Happiest of Mother's Days, Mommy dear! We love you!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Bicycling & Dad
I hopped on the bicycle this morning to pleasantly discover that the front gears had been fixed by my loving father! Two weeks prior, my left-gear-shift-thingie (very technical name, I assure you) became stuck in second gear, leaving me with only seven speeds on my bicycle. Now, thanks to daddy, I once again have twenty-one speeds at my disposal for climbing the mountainous terrain of our lovely town.
It amazes me again and again what a Renaissance man my dad is. He does everything from fixing bicycles to putting up dry wall, from playing the guitar to laying down brick and tile, from building computer desks and closet organizers to playing a great game of basketball, from cooking a decent meal to engineering hydraulic thrusters for Boeing commercial planes (the last of which I'm glad he gets paid to do). And my mom is equally amazing. With the extent of awesomeness that my parents exhibit, it's a wonder that I'm not spectacular, as well. Perhaps my brothers will be blessed with my share of amazingosity.
With the vocal stylings of Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel coursing through my ossicular chains, I embarked on my first bike ride sans Irene and sans father and little brothers. Being the most lethargic person I know, I must say that bicycling (alongside snowboarding) is the only activity I enjoy that requires any level of physical exertion. Even those tough half-hour-long uphill climbs aren't nearly as bad as pounding away on a treadmill for ten minutes. Really.
I wish I lived in a world without cars -- just bicycles and trolleys and trains. I think it would cause people to slow down and really take in life. We'd be more sociable, and it'd just be a safer world to be in overall. (Plus, it'd be super cute! Haha.)
It amazes me again and again what a Renaissance man my dad is. He does everything from fixing bicycles to putting up dry wall, from playing the guitar to laying down brick and tile, from building computer desks and closet organizers to playing a great game of basketball, from cooking a decent meal to engineering hydraulic thrusters for Boeing commercial planes (the last of which I'm glad he gets paid to do). And my mom is equally amazing. With the extent of awesomeness that my parents exhibit, it's a wonder that I'm not spectacular, as well. Perhaps my brothers will be blessed with my share of amazingosity.
With the vocal stylings of Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel coursing through my ossicular chains, I embarked on my first bike ride sans Irene and sans father and little brothers. Being the most lethargic person I know, I must say that bicycling (alongside snowboarding) is the only activity I enjoy that requires any level of physical exertion. Even those tough half-hour-long uphill climbs aren't nearly as bad as pounding away on a treadmill for ten minutes. Really.
I wish I lived in a world without cars -- just bicycles and trolleys and trains. I think it would cause people to slow down and really take in life. We'd be more sociable, and it'd just be a safer world to be in overall. (Plus, it'd be super cute! Haha.)
Friday, May 1, 2009
Current thoughts & randomosities
- I think the current paranoia regarding swine flu is ridiculous. It's brought about, what, seven deaths worldwide? I think more people have died from the hiccups. Calm down, people, and just wash your hands more.
- I love biking through my town and just taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. Every now and then, you catch a whiff of a skunk, but most of the time, our city smells like honeysuckle and pine. =)
- I wore my APhiO letters to the post office today, and was stopped by an old man who said he was APhiO, too. Very cool. He then proceeded to tell me about how his son is at UC Riverside and is president of their chapter, and about his son's course of study and how often he comes home to visit, etc etc etc. He asks me for my name, to which I reply, "Elaine." Then he asks me for my last name, and whether or not I live around here. I'm officially creeped out. I know he could just be a nice, talkative man, but whyyyy my full name?
- Dr. Laura has convicted me to be a stay-at-home mom. When the time comes, and if my hubby's okay with it, that's what I'll do. =)
- I think Nadya Suleman must be mentally imbalanced. What is she doing out at midnight getting a tattoo when she has 14 kids to care for at home?
- I think the most salient thing God has taught me about this past year is gender roles in society. And this is coming from a former feminist. Well, "equalist".
- I love death noodles. Yumm sodium + MSG. Tip from my kitchen to yours: you can turn instant ramen suddenly gourmet by throwing in a few slices of pork, an egg, and some Chinese veggies. ;D
- I think my boyfriend is an amazing man.
- I love biking through my town and just taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. Every now and then, you catch a whiff of a skunk, but most of the time, our city smells like honeysuckle and pine. =)
- I wore my APhiO letters to the post office today, and was stopped by an old man who said he was APhiO, too. Very cool. He then proceeded to tell me about how his son is at UC Riverside and is president of their chapter, and about his son's course of study and how often he comes home to visit, etc etc etc. He asks me for my name, to which I reply, "Elaine." Then he asks me for my last name, and whether or not I live around here. I'm officially creeped out. I know he could just be a nice, talkative man, but whyyyy my full name?
- Dr. Laura has convicted me to be a stay-at-home mom. When the time comes, and if my hubby's okay with it, that's what I'll do. =)
- I think Nadya Suleman must be mentally imbalanced. What is she doing out at midnight getting a tattoo when she has 14 kids to care for at home?
- I think the most salient thing God has taught me about this past year is gender roles in society. And this is coming from a former feminist. Well, "equalist".
- I love death noodles. Yumm sodium + MSG. Tip from my kitchen to yours: you can turn instant ramen suddenly gourmet by throwing in a few slices of pork, an egg, and some Chinese veggies. ;D
- I think my boyfriend is an amazing man.
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