2007 etc.

Obstinate goes both ways

loosejuice415 — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 03:51:21 +0000

I find it interesting but not surprising that emotions are like a train running through a tunnel. The first person with emotions will run through the tunnel and as each train (emotion) passes through, each phase of the person shows. It could be happiness, then frustration, then anger, then pouty, then fine and normal again. But when there are two people, only one train can pass through the tunnel at one time. Even if both trains can somehow squeeze through the tunnel, one train is bound to come through first. What eventually happens is stacking of emotions. One may be going through anger, while another is through frustration. One may go through pouty, while another is anger. Basically what happens is a complete mish mash of crap emotions vomiting through the tunnel.

If you haven’t noticed what tunnel I’m talking about, I’m talking about the tunnel of love. Being in love is complicated to say the least. To traverse this journey we call life alone is already difficult enough to a certain degree, but to go through i together is a whole other beast. I don’t ever dare say that I am any sort of expert, but I am an expert in reading when my bear is angry/pouty/happy/frustrated. One thing often leads to another and more often than not, I am the first train through and she follows with her own train of emotions.

There’s much to learn from both sides and I know it’ll never end. That’s the joy of being married together. You get to walk together hand in hand, this journey called life. You get to experience all the joys of marriage together and overcome the challenges that you will each face together. You will get to share in the joys that life brings each and every day. The small victories and the large.

In the end, there are three things I’ve learned in my short time being married:

Love without hesitation. If you have any hesitation towards your partner, then you are not in love.
Compromises are a joyful thing. If you cannot compromise on the simplest of matters, then you will be in constant confrontation with each other.
Arguments and disagreements will happen. If you NEVER have any fights or disagreements, then you are not living life together.

I love my koala bear. That I know will never change.

Love,

Tree Tree

New Start – April 2010

Maggie — Sat, 01 May 2010 05:26:17 +0000

It’s one week before our wedding. It is also the last day I worked at BDO. 2010 definitely is full of sadness, surprises and happiness.

Starting from January, my busy season began. I was putting 55+ hours every week. Then, there was the misunderstanding with a close friend of ours. Out of nowhere, apparently I said a lot of terrible things to someone we are super close with. I explained and then struggled to decide whether to contact the person or not.

In February, the busy season got worse, I started to not only worked on Saturday but also Sunday. I would leave the house at 7AM and would not come home until almost midnight. Andy was swamped with work and school, as it was his last quarter at SU. He was also the angel who took on most of the wedding stuff since I am either sleeping or working.

In March, Andy graduated top of his class and officially became part of the 9.7% unemployment stat. I spent most of my time in Southern California and was just miserable with the now 60+ hours. We were both exhausted, burn out with all the things going on in our life and feel a little lost. I was mostly losing hope. We weren’t fighting, because we barely talked to each other. And when we do, we were consumed by the wedding details, job hunting status and some work stuff. It was really hard to have a conversation besides those topics. Things in our life were just cloudy to say the least.

Then I was introduced to a position at a Christian organization. I was interested but not overly excited. According to Andy, I was just skeptical about the position. It took me almost two weeks to finally submit my resumes and even then I was not hopeful at all. At the same time, Andy was doing constant research and networking to find a full time position. From his perspective, I did not seem to appreciate this opportunity at all. I had 3 interviews in total with this Company and each time I question myself is this really what I want. I mean I love it during the interview but it always come back to the same question. Am I ready to go back to the Christian community? Around the same time, Andy had 6 interviews with two different firms. He was also questioning which firm will work best for him and our future.

Then April came, I was in Seattle for a short period and then returned to Southern California. The cloud seems to finally slowly moving away. The biggest turning point for us was probably that one Saturday afternoon where we decided to yelp various churches in the Seattle area. Although Andy was never soaked in the Christianity like how I did, he was super open and supportive about it. We were super picky on the contents of each church’s website. I was unwilling to go back to another church that will judge people on how they dress. I am not going to wear a bikini or mini skirt but I just want to go and learn instead of having business meeting every Sunday. Then, I remember one of my classmates from SU has been attending church. I never told her we were going since I was afraid we would find some excuse to back out. It was interesting to say the least for our first time to a church together. We both were clearly nervous but as the time went on listening to the pastor speak; there was a calm that came over us. Afterwards, we talked a little about it more and came to realize that, “Hey this isn’t that bad! It could really be one of those things to recharge our sanity batteries.”

The job offer was first extended to Andy from F5 and after long discussion; we decided that it was best for him to join F5 instead of Real. F5 was a more vibrant group of people and the company had a much stronger financials and growth potential. Maggie on the other hand, was a little more difficult since her EAD hadn’t been approved yet. However, the great news was that the interview for immigration is approved and happening in mid-May! Still though… no EAD. Needless to say, Maggie is jumping around and frantic about how to explain and what to do to the people at WorldVision. Thank goodness the folks at WorldVision were kind enough to extend her job offer to later in May. With that solved, the only thing that we can do is wait!

So here we are, one week away from our ‘wedding’. How do we feel? Definitely at ease. Except for Andy who’s sick with the stomach flu. 196 pounds, go baby go! Not the way that Andy wants to lose weight. Business idea: Flu in a bottle! Detox while you lose weight! *maybe not* Even though Andy may not be able to show it, he’s definitely happy that Maggie’s last day was today. The brightness in her eyes are definitely sharper and well… brighter! It’s like a dark chapter has ended and a brighter one is about to begin. Can’t wait for the beginning of the rest of our lives together!

By:
KoalaTree

Who cut the cheese? I did!

loosejuice415 — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:13:25 +0000

Cheese is one of those things where if looked at scientifically, it’s quite disturbing. Think about it for a second. It’s milk from a cow that’s been allowed to separate. Then you take those separated solids and form them into a larger solid. At that point, you let it ‘age, ripe’ for many days and/or weeks, and then eat the result. Do that with any other form of food, and I guarantee it won’t be as delicious. Just like my question of who was the first person who looked at the udders of a cow and said to themselves, “I’m going to drink whatever comes out of it.” Who in the heck decided to look at the curdling milk and said to themselves, “I’m going to eat whatever is making that rotting sour smell.”

Well, whoever was that first person, I want to thank them. KoalaBear and I went to make our standard rounds at Costco to see what’s new and to, if nothing else, spend some quality time together. To our surprise we found this:

If you know anything about cheese in the Seattle area, then you know that Beecher’s brand is one of the strongest brands here. They have won numerous awards along the years, and they have a store conveniently in downtown Seattle right across the street from the Pike Place Market. It’s a very unassuming place, BUT when you walk by, you’ll notice the HUGE vat of milk being stirred and adjusted to whatever cheese they’re making that day. Also, the Flagship from Beecher’s won the 2007 American Cheesemaker Award for the Best Semi-Hard Cow’s Milk cheese making it a must have for cheese foodies and standard affairs alike!

Here’s the fun part, the tasting. We had our doubts. We’ve been burned before by bad cheese. Please don’t get me wrong here, we absolutely love cheese, especially with fruit. the combination of the sweet fructose sugars from the apple or pear or tomatoes combined with the essence of the cheese along with the aromas tickling your nose, really is just impossible to beat… except maybe a kickass piece of steak! We don’t want to name any names of which were the places that burned us with their cheese, but let’s just say it was a local place. :) In this case, however, we were pleasantly surprised how delicious the cheddar was. There were crystalline of mold already formed within the pockets of the cheese and the texture was crumbly. When you bite into the cheese, just enough of it sticks to your teeth so when you lick them to clean your mouth, it’s fun, but not annoying. This cheese is probably best eaten alone right out of the refrigerator as the sugars from the fruit we like to taste with cheeses don’t match well with the sweetness that’s coming from the cheddar. The best part is the price. By partnering with Costco, Beecher’s have lowered their price on the cheese to about $11 per pound vs. $16.95 per pound at the store directly.

If you’re Costco doesn’t carry this, then you’re SOL and should talk to the managers at your Costco to carry it! This item is one of those that every food connoisseur should NOT miss out!

Signing off,

Foodie Andy

Honore? My honor indeed!

loosejuice415 — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 09:11:13 +0000

So what do you get when you cross a corner bakery with local flare and honed skill? You get the wonderful tastings from the Artisan Bakery, Honore silly!

While KoalaBear and I were perusing ancient *circa 1920′s* umbrellas in the store across the street, our stomachs suddenly growled and umbrellas just weren’t that important anymore and our focus turned to finding something to fill our tummies with food.

I am the first to admit that we are not the pickiest eaters but we do know what we like and I like to think that we have enough of a sense of food knowledge and we know what is good… somewhat. We’ve frequently visited the delectable selections from Bakery Nouveau such as the flaky crusted croissants and ‘Oh my!’ inducing fruit tarts. We have yet to find another that could stand up to that level of quality in the Seattle neighborhoods. That is, until that fateful morning.

As we stood in line, we could clearly see that there was not a lot of available pastries either from the time of day, or due to the distinct process of creating only enough to cover the demand of the moment. There also doesn’t seem to be anything of a standard set of menu at Honore since all of the pastries are randomly placed at the display window without much of a sign to show what they are.

I decided to pick the croissant since it’s the ‘safest’ bet out of all the available items and KoalaBear chose the Ham and Cheese croissant.

As you can see, this very unassuming piece of flour, butter, and salt mix does seem a little overcooked doesn’t it? BUT, that’s the beauty of it. Even though, the edges do seem a little over’ripened’, that’s clearly not the case when you bite into it. The edges are nicely crisp, and the tenderness of the flaky dough within can be clearly seen and tasted as you bite into the croissant

Looks like some kind of a present you just want to open without abandon doesn’t it? And that present did Koala Bear open! Inside we found a delicious piece of ham that was just perfectly cooked and the cheese was melted through the entire croissant which created a perfect balance of flakyness and bounce from the cheese and dough.

The cafe’s not big… in fact, from the door to the counter is only about 10 feet. Beyond that, the customer can see through to the kitchen area where it’s actually quite large. However, the space is filled with many ovens, work table tops, and people running around carrying delicious looking and we’re assuming, tasting, pastries.

It’s very easy to dismiss one bakery or shop for another and say this one sucks or that one doesn’t have the same level or whatever, however, I will say that in this case, both top level bakeries that we’ve tasted thus far, Bakery Nouveau and Honore, are going to hold a close gold and silver in our hearts. Honore with its neighborhood cafe feel along with friendly people willing for conversation will always make you feel welcome rain or shine. Bakery Nouveau with its steadiness of delivering amazing pastries and goods day in and day out, will always bring a smile to your face when you’re in dire need of a croissant.

Signing off,

Foodie Andy

Windy City is windy indeedy!

loosejuice415 — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 03:59:21 +0000

Let’s start with the ‘smart’ stuff. Smart as in things that make KoalaTree smarter. Art, sculptures, history… all considered smart.

There was something very unexpected while running around the Chicago Art Institute. I personally thought that Bear Bear was going to run out of energy and get bored after an hour or so. I was so shocked to see my Bear Bear get stronger with each painting we saw! I have to agree though that we weren’t educated enough in art to fully appreciate some of the finer points of the pictures and/or paintings. Either or, I think we definitely feel a little bit smarter afterwards!

There were so many steakhouses to choose from around downtown Chicago, but there was only one that we could find that everyone was a concensus on its quality and that’s Gibsons. From the outside it wasn’t that much to look at, not very impressive with bright lights or well dressed valets, etc.. But when you walk into the restaurant, there’s a really old style feel to it that can’t be replicated and has to be oiled into the restaurant over the long years. We tried some different things from what we would usually order like the lobster salad *a little spicy, but not bad… not sure if it’s worth the price but not bad* and the gumbo soup instead of the chowder *get some water, you’ll need it!*.

The steak was pure heaven. Seasoning wasn’t too heavy and overpower the steak. Just enough char on the steak but not too much so it tastes like charcoal. Even though by the time the steak came out, we were pretty stuffed, we still pretty much ate the entire steak. 5 star all around!

Millenium park even though Bear Bear already went to it, was so much fun. The different architecture styles and also all around fun atmosphere with the crowd really made the long walk worthwhile. I think the funnest part was looking at the Franklin Loyd Wright design of the ampitheater and also walking underneath the silver blob and seeing all the tourists take pictures in it… wait, we did it too.

I feel like I’m running out of space! Time to end it here for now. There’s EVEN more though! Coming up!

Up next!? Conclusion time!

Steady as a Rock

loosejuice415 — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:11:59 +0000

There’s something that I remember my Dad telling me a long time ago and that’s to stay strong, and to always fight with all the ‘bullets’ that you have. He would go on and on and on *and I always thought it was soooooooooo boring* about how a man has to build the ammunition he has available to him by either solidifying relationships with close friends, or getting more education. Those all add more bullets that you can use in life.

That’s the curious thing however, it’s really easy to shoot something if you can see it. But when the target is hard to see it makes it that much more difficult. Difficult, but not impossible. “With hard work you can reach your goal.” – Dad. I promise that I’m going to work as hard as possible in order to reach that goal.

I made a promise to Bear Bear, I made a promise to Mama Bear Bear, I made a promise to Papa Bear Bear, and I made a promise to myself. Stay strong, stay steadfast, and stay true to your goals whatever they may be.

TreeTree

Life’s little updates and challenges

loosejuice415 — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 06:23:01 +0000

Hmm… where do we begin? There’s been quite a few things that have happened the last month or so it’s hard to start. Some not so important items like the ending of Tree Tree’s internship and also Koala Bear having her training in Chicago. But some really really cool stuff also happened like in Chicago, Koala Tree visited the Field Museum, which had Sue! *more on her later!* and also the Art Institute of Chicago which had some Picasso’s, Monet’s, Henri’s, and Wood’s.

You know, life sometimes has these challenges that they seem to throw at you just for the heck of it. Sometimes they’re small, like the first night Tree arrived in Chicago, he was supposed to play golf the next morning, but life said, “NO!” by raining so much, when it was time for Tree Tree to play, the course was flooded. However, this turned out to be a good thing, even though Tree was running around the hotel not doing much, he was able to pack things early and the money saved from the green fee and golf clubs was put to good use with lots and lots of yummy food with Bear Bear!

Sometimes they’re larger. Like disputes or arguments and you just have to work through it like you would a super important problem. At least that’s how I feel. We all have feelings where you don’t feel like you’re on solid ground and you need the support of people around you. I wasn’t fortunate or lucky enough to have a good support around me while growing up. However, I believe I have found my ultimate support with Koala Bear and I hope that she feels the same with her Tree Tree on top of her close friends.

What can we say but that this was one of the coolest things we have ever seen together. Honestly I feel that Koala Tree has gone to a lot of places and they all have their really neat stuff like San Diego zoo and the pandas, or Kao Seung and their oh so delicious chicken over rice. BUT, this is pretty hard to beat… Standing next to the fossil remains of one of the most ferocious animals on this planet Earth is pretty exceptional. I’m very happy that Bear Bear was as excited as I am if not more about seeing Sue! I was also super excited about the pirates. It was super cool to find out that pirates not only came from misplaced people, but more often than not, had a bunch of slaves on it! Now THAT’S education!

Yummy on top of yummy!

So yea! Check out THIS place!! Koala Tree was so darn excited about eating Chicago style food. One of the places that’s definitive of Chicago style is hot dogs at Portillos. There are people yelling all over for orders and they do it in such a cool and fun way. There’s also the decorations that’s really fun with Chicago stuff like the Bulls and Blackhawks. All in all a really fun place.

Imagine eating THIS!

Oh my goodness… so delicious. Words escape the feeling Koala Tree had when eating this. Bear Bear was smart enough to order this only while Tree Tree strayed from the path only to come back and eat two more of these before flying back to Seattle. So smart Bear Bear!~~

So much happened in Chicago that this has to be split up into multiple posts. Next up: The world’s coolest and best steak – Gibson’s, the Art Museum, outside of Soldier Field, and the flight back to Seattle.

Love,

Tree Tree

Thousands of Miles but still next to my heart

loosejuice415 — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 12:56:00 +0000

Tree has finally been able to connect online only to find over 20o emails for him to sort out. How annoying he thought. Until he got one from his Koalabear that talked about how much she wanted to whine whine to him, then nothing else mattered. All Tree Tree wanted to do was to rush home and bao bao his love love Koalabear.

Japan has been pretty fun overall and I can see the appeal of this place. The next time Tree Tree can afford to take Koalabear to Japan, this is the first place on the long list of travel locations KoalaTree wants to go. I want to show Bear Bear the canal city in Fukuoka. I want to show Bear Bear the fun Harajuku shopping district. I want to show Japan’s own ‘Shi Men Ding’, Shibuya. I want to show everything Tree Tree has seen on this trip so far and then we can also explore other places that Tree hasn’t gone yet.

I find myself constantly talking about KoalaBear to everyone to the point where one of my friends here said, “I think I know everything there is to know about Maggie. All I need now is to just meet her.” I miss you so much my love. Mia is trying her best to keep her Daddy company and happy but Daddy almost forgot Mia in Tokyo before leaving for Fukuoka. :S Bad Daddy~~

I Love You,

Tree Tree

6/19/09 passed

Maggie — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 08:33:23 +0000

What do I want to say? Where is the list of things I want to tell you?

Should I tell you I left my lunch on our garbage can in the morning so I ended up going out when it’s pouring rain?

How about I came home after dinner with Jeff, James and Kerri and started cleaning until now? It is 1:23AM 6/20/09 already.

I think I would want to tell you that the apartment is still the same except I put up the Ku-Ju signs and hang up some pictures.

What about… I made a mess in the kitchen so I just pretended it didn’t exist. Not just the mess, the entire kitchen I meant.

328 is still 328. The silent, and the quietness is just like back then. It’s peaceful, it’s claming, it’s FREEDOM…it’s not as convincing as it used to be?

I am sitting on the sofa and realizing it doesn’t matter which way I turn my head, there is sth reminded me of you.

I love you. I hope you are having tons of fun. When you call later, what my crankingness trying to say are these…

1, 2, 3, 4

Maggie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:47:40 +0000

1,2 – 1 2 3 4
give me more lovin then i’ve ever had.
make it all better when i’m feelin sad.
tell me that i’m special even when i know i’m not.
make me feel good when i hurt so bad.
barely gettin mad,
im so glad i found you.
i love bein around you.
you make it easy,
as easy as 1 2,(1 2 3 4.)
theres only one thing two do three words four you.
i love you.
(i love you)
theres only one way two say those three words
and that’s what i’ll do.
i love you.
(i love you)
give me more lovin from the very start.
piece me back together when i fall apart.
tell me things you never even tell your closest friends.
make me feel good when i hurt so bad.
best that i’ve had.
im so glad that i found you.
i love bein around you.
you make it easy as easy as 1 2,(1 2 3 4.)
theres only one thing two do three words four you.
i love you.
(i love you)
theres only one way two say those three words
and that’s what i’ll do.
i love you.i love you
(i love you)
you make it easy, its easy as 1234
theres only one thing two do three words four you i love you
(i love you)
theres only one way two say those three words
thats what ill do i love you
(i love you)
i love you i love you.
one two three four i love you.
(iloveyou)
i love you
(i1, 2, 3, 4 love you)