We're Moving to...AUSTIN!!!

Well, it's official. If you haven't heard yet, we will soon be Texans. Ray's job is now taking us on this new adventure. What it may have in store for us, we don't know. We will no doubt miss sunny, windy, road rage filled California...and all of our family and friends. We hope that ya'all won't be strangers. We would love the chance to introduce you to the great things Austin has to offer...of course, after we've had some time to discover them ourselves.

As of January 15th, 2008...you can reach us at:

rayannachin@yahoo.com

We welcome your emails.

Go Longhorns!!!

Holiday Food Coma!!

Ok, so I normally don't eat a lot. But with the holidays here and relatives visiting, it's hard to stay diligent with your diet and workout regimen. It's pretty easy to slack off and just be happy and plump in the belly with good food. Well, this week, I dragged my butt back to Barry's Bootcamp. It honestly IS the best workout in the world. I've been going there for almost 6 months now and I don't think there has ever been a time I didn't feel like I got my butt kicked. If you are a workout-holic or just want to try something that is worth 1 hour of your time, then Barry's is for you. But remember to check your laziness at the door because the instructors will not stand for it.

You may even end up seeing some famous actors/actresses like Taye Diggs.

Elf Yourself!

Check out this cool site that someone at work sent me.

Here's the link to the one that I created. It only took me about 5 minutes to create this master piece. Enjoy!

If and when you create yours, please post the link as a reply to this post for everyone to see!

Finally! They are here! Wedding Photos

A_R _0347
Originally uploaded by rayannachin

With a few follow-up calls and 1 or 2 death threats (just kidding) I was able to get the photographer to complete our photo book and give me the source files. The photo book turned out beautifully and most importantly, Anna loves it.

For those of you who were not fortunate enough to be invited or attend this once in a life time event, we have made the photos available for you to enjoy. If you did attend and would like to order pictures without paying our photographer ridiculous amounts of money for prints, you can download the pictures and print them your self, or just order them thru flickr.com.

Here is the link to our photos, please share them with anyone you wish.

Another trip to Austin...

gave us another chance to explore some more good eats...


"Taco Deli"...where they have good breakfast "tacos". No breakfast burritos here.


"Rudy's"...great BBQ, beef brisket which you can order extra fatty, and all the white wonder bread you can eat. Can you tell by the huge grin on Ray's face that it was yummy?

Rambo-ming

I got this pic from my cousin and had to put it up for everyone that was not fortunate to receive it.

Don't Mess With Texas...

So...I just got back from a short trip to hot and humid Austin to visit Ray while he's there for work for 2 weeks. Austin is known for its lively 6th Street where there are bars and clubs one after another. It's like a smaller version of San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter. But I must say, it really doesn't compare. I thought it was going to be better, but alas, it wasn't. Just a bunch of old, damp smelling buildings turned into so-called bars and clubs. Football is really big in Texas and the Saturday night we were there...almost everyone downtown was running around with orange UT t-shirts on.

Ok...so maybe I need to rephrase myself here since some of you seem to be getting the wrong idea. 6th Street in Austin is "similar" in layout to SD's Gaslamp, however, it is very different because it is NOT overpriced, trendy, or hip. That's what I meant when I said it didn't compare. I was EXPECTING it to be like SD, however it was not...hence my specific description of "old, damp smelling buildings". Geez!! You damn LA people are so nit picky! Give it a rest!

"View of downtown Austin from the hotel room"


While downtown, we stopped in at Maggie Maes. It had some really good live music.






On Sunday, we took a day trip out to San Antonio which is a 1 hour and 15 minute drive from Austin. We visited the Alamo which was very interesting because it's a huge part of our history.


Then we took a walk around Riverwalk which is below street level. There are boat tours that you can take...sort of like a gondola ride. There were a lot of cute restaurants along the way.



Overall, the trip was good. I've never been to Texas before and even though the weather was hard to get used to, it was interesting to get out of LA for a few days and see what other folks do outside of CA.



I also forgot about the bats. Yes, since there is not much to do in Austin, you can apparently go down to the Barton Springs bridge and see bats fly out from under the bridge at around 7:30 every night. If you like bat droppings on your head, then this is attraction is definitely for you.

Sushi Night

We love going to one of our favorite restaurants...SAMSALA (Nordhoff & Corbin across the street from Del Taco). At first, we were weary about trying this place. I mean the outside of the restaurant says THAI SUSHI TEPPAN. It's usually hard to find a good restaurant that specializes in more than one type of ethnic food. I usually steer clear because if they can't decide on one type of food to serve, they probably suck at all of them. Not the case with this restaurant. We've tried their Thai food and being Thai owned, it was authentic and good. Now...how about the sushi? Well, needless to say, we have discovered our passion. We sit at the sushi bar everytime we go there because our sushi chef SAM is the best. We were at a time going there at least once a week. Good, fresh fish...here are just a couple of pictures from last night.

If you go M-TH between 3-6pm and 9:30-10:30pm, they have Happy Hour with some half price sushi.

"Ventura Roll (Crab and shrimp tempura inside/Spicy Tuna and crunchy powder outside"

"3 Hand Roll Set with a side of Asahi"

~Static Casper~

Is this cute or what? On the ride home from the groomer, I look at the back seat and saw Casper looking like this. It was such a Kodak moment so I quickly grabbed my new iphone and snapped this pic.

A Day at the LA County Fair

We met this weird looking character while at the fair today. It was hot and smelled like BO in Pomona. Whoever thought of having the fair in the worst place ever was a complete idiot. Anyways, to pass time, Ray decided to pester this blue Big Bird and he did not take it lightly. Blue Big Bird decided to impress the crowd with his ninja skills by jumping around in the air and kicking his legs out like there were invisible villains he needed to fight. Quite funny!!

Baby Casper!!

I just found a few pictures of Casper as a puppy. These pictures were taken a day after we had just got him. Look at how small he was...only 2 pounds.

Me...as a Simpson

Does this really look like me...if I were a Simpson character??

New Fav Restaurant...E & O Trading Company

I've been in San Fran for the last few days traveling for work and discovered this great restaurant up here. I was introduced to it by someone else and it's my new favorite place now. They have only 4 locations...3 up here in Nor Cal, and 1 in Honolulu. Sadly, none in LA. While staying in the city, I drove by this place a few times. From the name, I thought it was a clothing store. I remembered it because the name reminded me of the E & I from Pirates of the Caribbean. Anyhow, this place serves very unique Southeast Asian food tapas style. The portions are small and the platters are meant to be shared. The food is delicately created and is definitely up my alley. This is how I like food...looking like art, because you eat with your eyes first. And secondly, tasting like it was made slowly taking care in the finished product. If you are ever up north, check out the E & O Trading Company. You will be delightfully surprised.

Below, you will see a picture of the Roti we ordered which is an Indian style flat bread. It reminds me of the Chinese green onion pancake.

Other good eats there...Ahi Tuna Tartare, Calamari, Shrimp & Duck fried rice, and Thai rolls.

Teddy and his new car seat...

Here is Teddy, sitting in his new car seat. Whenever I'm driving, he likes to stand up and look out the window. It's not very safe so while at Petsmart with my mom...aka Teddy's grandma, she bought him his Outward Hound car seat. It actually is very convenient and works well. Plus, Teddy likes to sit in it. Where's Casper? Well, he is much more well behaved and sitting in the backseat like a well trained dog.

Crafty Stamping!!

So, with Ray out of town for 2 weeks, I've been trying to keep myself busy. With all this extra time on my hands, I decided to get back into my one of my favorite hobbies...rubber stamping. Most people do not know what this is...perish the thought. It is rather popular amongst older, stay-at-home Moms which obviously I do not fit the bill. But nevertheless, it has always been a passion of mine since I was a wee little thing. I found a company called Stampin' Up and have been been stamping with them since April 2004. It's a wonderful pasttime and those who know me well, have probably already been on the receiving end of an original, homemade, hand stamped card. If you haven't yet, it's probably because I haven't had time lately. Anyways, here is a sample of the Thank You card that I made for my bridal shower.



We will be attending Ray's cousin's wedding in a few weeks, so I sat down to come up with a wedding card and this is what I came up with. Sorry if the lighting is a bit off. The white cardstock was reflecting too much.



And lastly, a glimpse of my collection from the last few years that I've been stamping. I know, there is way too much.

Happy Birthday Teddy!!!

Today is Teddy's 2nd "birthday". We don't know for sure when his true birthday is since we adopted him a year ago and today was the date on his adoption papers. For his first official birthday with us, I tried to make it extra special by buying him a chocolate frosted pupcake from Three Dog Bakery.

Our weekend trip to Temecula's Wine Country

About 2 weeks ago, Ray and I visited Southern Cali's very own wine country in San Diego county. We had high hopes, but were sorely disappointed. Ever since our trip to Napa last year, we've become avid wine drinkers. Amongst our favs...Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.



Temecula really did not put its best foot forward in regards to wine. We visited several wineries in the hopes of finding some good wine to take home but alas, all that was worth drinking was the bubbly. All we ended up taking home were a couple of bottles of champagne. Although I do have to admit that Wilson Creek Winery had the BEST and MOST UNIQUE champagne ever...ALMOND CHAMPAGNE. Sooooo yummy!! La Cereza Winery also had a Peach Champagne that was quite refreshing.



Bottom line is if you want the really good stuff, make the trek up to Napa Valley. Not only is the weather nice and cool in the summer, but it's a glimpse of what the vineyards of Italy look like.

This time last year

I was looking thru the pics on my phone to see what i was doing this time last year and found this pic. This looks like my old desk and that looks like me sleeping at work! Man, i must have been exhausted. Usually when i am tired at work, i hit the toilet and rest my head on the toilet paper roll.

Another pic from the drive

Another awesome sight! Looks like a rocket car?

Dong-da-dong-dong!

While driving to Temecula, we saw this truck. Not just any truck, but a truck that says Dong!

I got it a day early!!!

Ha ha! I just got my copy today. One day early and I'm reading right now!

Ray and Teddy...Napping Buddies

This picture was too cute to pass up. Ray and Teddy taking a nap. If only the two of them were always so angelic and peaceful.

Our Seats At The Fray Concert

These are our seats at The Greek Theatre for The Fray concert. The girl on the right has dreds. We are pretty far back, but the seats are in the middle so we have a home view. I'll let you know how the concept goes later! Peace!

Damm the HOA to hell

So I decided to go to our quarterly HOA meeting this past Tuesday. Where do i get started? Well, let's start with the committee. It is comprised of three builder representatives, two reps from the property management company and two homeowners (only one of which showed up). This lone homeowner on the board is one of the most ignorant people that i have ever met. Yes, he's black, but that is really not the reason why I can't stand him. If I were the only homeowner on the board, I woould be making an effort to change things rather than just passively agreeing to everything that the property management company proposes. I know he has a difficult job, but he volunteered for it. So with the board comprised of mostly non-residents, it is pretty much impossible to get anything done. The board is alway making rules and decisions that adversely affect the homeowners or our pocketbooks. Here are a few examples:

- The board decided to disable the gate code without consulting the residents and without even notifying us.
- The board decided that we should just continue with our pest service even though they have done nothing about our rat infestation.
- The board decided that we should purchase Terrorist coverage because "it's only 40 dollars"
- The board decided that we should pay for a traffic study even though there have been no reported accidents in community, EVER!

To summarize this board meeting in a few words, it was "a waste of time". The only benefit from it was that I got to piss them off. The board seems to limit the time for "open" discussion so that they can all leave on time. If they were really concerned about homeowners, they would hear out all issues, especially if the homeowner took the time to show up at the quarterly HOA meeting.

Have you ever wondered how many people actually show up to the HOA meetings? We have over a hundred units in our community and only about 5-8 people actually show up. The meeting room is a tiny study room rented in the library. The most that this room would fit is about 40 people. They damn HOAs know that less than 5% of the homeowners actually show up, but I believe that's the way it should be. Homeowners shouldn't have to show up to these meetings. They trust that the board of directors will have their interests in mind when making decisions. Boy are they in for a rude awakening once I make my rounds!!!

I'm setting a goal to have at least 30 families represented at the next HOA meeting. I've already created a site and now all I have to do is market the site. The site is designed to show homeowners what the issues in the community are and give them a chance to respond or propose solutions. What I think and hope will end up happening is that the homeowners will see that the Board is not cutting it. Maybe I will be making picket signs pretty soon and even have news coverage!

Nothing Good On TV?

During this time of year, there really isn't anything good on tv. You try to channel surf for something worth watching, but you always end up back on the food network or MTV. At what point will the TV stations realize that we need shows during the summer?

Regardless, I can't wait for Heroes to come back on. In my opinion, Heroes was the best action packed show on TV. Heroes made Jack Bauer (24) forgettable and LOST feel, well, lost. There is something new learned every episode of Heroes and it never leaves you feeling empty like some shows (LOST in particular). I found this little widget on the Heroes site and I thought it was funny enough to share. Enjoy!

Drinks On Ricks!

Derrick took us out for drinks on Friday before the wedding. As I wasn't allowed to have a bachelor party, Ricks decided to take us out for drinks at Candle Light in Simi Valley. Derrick drove me and Anna while Susan and Lauren followed us. Gary, Kristal, Sammy, Debbie and Matt show up later because they were waiting for Matt and Debs to arrive after missing their flight.


The night started off slow because we were waiting for the rest of the gang to show up. As we were waiting, Ricks friends kept showing up and he kept introducing them. I don't think I even remember one person that he introduced me to. Anyhow, this is what I had to drink (i think).

1. Cadillac Margarita
2. Cadillac Margarita
3. Corona
4. Heffenweizen
5. Shot of patron (with extra tequila in the lime)
6. Half of Anna's purple hooter (it's a drink)

The girls raised up to purple hooters before we left. All of them sipped at it except for Debs, who downed it "like grape juice" (her words). I was impressed, the last time I heard about Debbie drinking was when she went to Aruba and drank so much that she puked behind the towel shack.

Anyhow, I was impressed by Ricks too. He picked us up, drove us to Candle Light, took us to in-n-out and then took us home all in one piece. Thanks Ricks!

SEE THE REST OF THE PICTURES

Extra Jalapenos Please!

I've decided to make it a point to upload at least one camera phone pic or any old pictures until I have posted all me them. This is a pic me me at the Chargers game on New Years Eve. Extra jalapenos please!

This Is Why I Hate To Fly

Normally I am okay on flights, but for some reason I wasn't able to relax on our flight to St. Thomas. Our flight started in L.A., transferred in Atlanta, then continued to St. Thomas. Total travel time was about 11 hours. On the flight from L.A. to Atlanta, I had a little Indian girl fall asleep on my arm. I didn't understand why she kept leaning to my side when she could have been leaning against the window. I had to keep waking her up cause I was getting uncomfortable with he thinking I was her daddy.

On the continuing flight to St. Thomas from Atlanta, I sat next to this guy that looked like Joey Chestnut (The new hot dog eating champ). The video above shows that this guy had fallen asleep with his mouth wide open. What it doesn't show is how he kept jolting awake and leaning on me. I really don't know how people can actually sleep on planes when they are only a few inches away from a complete stranger.

The travel home from St. Thomas was not that bad. Aside from getting stuck in Atlanta, the actual flight was not bad. We watched "Blades of Glory" on the plane and while that was going on, the person sitting next to me had let me copy music from his external hard drive. He didn't have anything new, but I was able to get some old music from him that I had been looking for. I fell asleep on the plane ride back from Atlanta to L.A. because I finally got the window seat.

I wish flying were more enjoyable. I really dread long flights. It would also help a bit if the people that worked for the airlines were a bit more customer oriented, but that's another blog post in itself.

Kwik-E-Mart

Anna and I went to the Kwik-E-Mart today. For those of you who haven't heard, there have been twelve 7-Elevens in the U.S. that have been converted to Kwik-E-Marts in preparation of the Simpsons Movie. Click here for more details. The movie is scheduled to come out on July 27.

We waited in line for about 5 minutes before we could get in. The first thing we saw was Ralph Wiggum licking his popsicle, Homer eating two hot dogs, Maggie on top of the Buzz cola machine, then Chief Wiggum in the back eating a donut and Apu at the front of the store. We took as many pictures as we could to show all of you that don't have a store near you. If you want to see them, click here. Supposedly, 7-Eleven has created a few Simpsons inpired products including Squishees, Buzz Cola, Official Pink Movie Donuts, KrustyO's cereal and Radioactive Man Comic Book. We were able to get Squishees and the Pink Donuts, but they were all out of everything else. We looked at two other 7-Elevens after that and still had no luck finding them. Oh well!

My First Tomato...

...off of my tomato vine. I'm so proud. Isn't it a beauty? I don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to eat it. Anyways, I have been doing some gardening in our very small space called our backyard and decided to dabble in some veggies and herbs. The dirt in the back is less than conducive for growing anything lest it survive, so I was a bit weary. However, after the rose bushes and gardenias we planted survived and flourished, I decided to attempt something worthwhile...vegetation you can EAT. Well, I thought hard about the few items that I'm always buying at the market that always seems to go to waste because I only needed a handful and that's how I decided what I would plant. What better than a tomato vine for some homemade salsa, which by the way is ginormous now...along with basil and parsley. Alas, my strawberries did not fair so well and didn't even sprout from the seeds that I planted. But everything else came out great. Now, onto more. Any suggestions?

Our Wedding Cinema Reale

Here it is, the "Cinema Reale" that played at our wedding reception. Finally, we can actually share it with people that missed the wedding, people who missed it at the wedding, and people who just want to see it again. Post comments to let us know what you think. Have you ever seen someone do this? Is it cheesy and corny? I think that our videographer was a genius. For more info or larger view, please go to http://dvartistry.blogspot.com.

MOVIE- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Anna and I went to watch the latest Harry Potter movie last night. For those of you who haven't watched it yet, I won't spoil the movie for you, so you can continue to read. I thought this was the best Harry Potter movie so far. There was lots more magic/spells/charms performed which meant that there was a lot more action in the movie. Overall, I would rate this movie a 4 out of 5.

Since this is a blog, I do want to mention the idiot that was sitting next to us. As always, there is always someone it the theatre that "acts-a-fool." Unfortunately for us, he had to be sitting 3 seats down in our same row. When the movie started, the idiot began to annoy me with his gay laugh and obnoxious comments. I don't remember what he said exactly, but I remember looking over a few times. Throughout the first part of the movie, the idiot kept pulling out his phone (with the ultra-bright screen) and texting. I wouldn't mind if it happened once or twice, but after the 5th or 6th time, I couldn't help but lean over and say, "Dude, can you put it away?" Luckily, he complied and said "sorry." However, before the movie had ended, his phone began to beep annoyingly because it was low on battery due to all the texting he was doing earlier. The guy didn't want to turn off his phone because he knew I was already irritated by the ultra-bright screen that would turn on if he pushed any buttons. Needless to say, his phone beeped every 10 minutes until the movie was over (about 2-3 beeps).

Aside from that, I had a great experience!

Don't Mess With Granny!

A friend at work (He whU shall GO unnamed) sent this clip to me. It is a clip of some old lady punching another lady. Man, I wish this clip went on for a little bit longer. I wanted to see the swelling start to form or at least the tears start to pour. I must have watched this clip at least 20 times in a row. Anyhow, enjoy!

Teddy

This was cute Teddy pre-bad haircut mishap with The Little Lion Mobile Grooming. Boy! That sure was a mistake. Nevertheless, this is Teddy's daily welcome pose when I return home. This is how he greets me.



This is Teddy after his horrible haircut...and he's still recovering months later. He went from a cute Yorkie into a Velociraptor.

The George Lopez Special

The infamous "George Lopez" special is as big as the dixie plate that it is served on. If you think you can finish it, it will only cost you six bucks and you can only get it at carrillo's in san fernando. Good eats!

Rafael Furcal Bobblehead!

Anna and i went to the Dodgers game on Friday night for Rafael Furcal Bobblehead night. This is the picture that I sent to Bobby's phone. He was mad at me and didn't want to talk to me cause he loves bobbleheads, especially when they are free with admission.

Actually, the real reason for this post is because I wanted to try a new feature that I found on blogger; the mobile blogging. I just send an MMS to go[at]blogger.com and it will automatically post to my blog! Pretty nifty huh? So now, not only will Bobby get my picture message on his phone, but he can read about it on my blog! =)

Anna and Raymond in the water at Trunk Bay

I just created a flickr account to host and share all my photos and saw an option to "blog this photo" so I wanted to test it out. Flickr is actually pretty cool. They host and backup all your pictures for free (limited to upload 100mb per month) and you can create all sorts of stuff thru their affiliated sites. I actually paid the 25 dollars for a year of unlimited picture uploads. I figure I will be putting more pictures up in the future and I didn't want to deal with being over the limit.

I named this blog "If Bobby can blog, so can you" because the only other person that I know with a blog is my cousin Bobby (http://robwontonsd.blogspot.com/) and his alter ego Slant Eyed Bargain Hunter (http://slanteyedbargainhunter.blogspot.com/). This title will change as soon as I figure out a better name for it.

Anna and I just got back from our honeymoon in St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands), so those pics are up. We should hopefully be receiving our wedding pictures and videos from our photographer and videographer soon, so come back soon to see those!

Until next time...