December 29, 2010
As of this morning, my flight from MSY to LGA is on time. Ngoc's flight was canceled and
then uncanceled. This was yesterday. Chi Tam's flight from LA was delayed a few hours. I feel badly for all those passengers who are stuck
in the NYC airports. They are probably in-transit from Europe or other states with no friends or family in the local area. The twins are
somewhat allowing the "strangers" to hold them. They only want their parents and Grandma. Yay, Henrietta is able to join us for new
year's eve. Per our discussion, we are not sharing. KNT has been too busy to play WWF with me. We ate Taco Bell last night for dinner.
I can't find ground beef tacos in NY. I ordered 5 soft tacos supreme, but could only eat 4. Chang ate all 5. Yes, she's fat. My tacos were
not on sale. We left 1201 to go back to 1341 around 10PM. The real fool is the one who works this week. Yes, this is directed at you, Ladella!
Stop making up names as your handles and keep it real.
December 28, 2010
Addison and I had to do errands in Elmwood yesterday. His dad wanted a couple pastry
items from La Madeleine. We picked up a couple Saints jerseys from The Sports Authority. Apparently, Chang found jerseys much cheaper
than the ones I bought. We also stopped for some Muscle Punch at Smoothie King. The westbank locations do not take the punch cards,
but the ones on the eastbank do. I went home and napped for a couple hours. By the time I woke up, it was time to go watch the
football game against the Falcons. Addison enjoyed the snow on Fulton Street. We left at halftime because it was getting late. My mom and
I finished watching the game from home. The Saints came back at the very end. It was definitely a good game. Geaux Saints! I am
babysitting the boys today while their mom go and pick up her car from the shop. I am not buying Di Chang a smoothie again because she
did not finish it. Check me, boo! Paul is finally stepping up. His game is much better...for now. Let's see if he can keep it up. Same goes for
Jacquals...
December 27, 2010
We all went to Lakeside Mall. The only person missing was Dad. He wanted to go to his usual
stores: Best Buy, Sears, and Academy. I had no idea they built a parking garage right next to the new Macy's. Eddie and I sat in the third
row of the car. It was barely the third row. Addison joined us in the middle. I bought two pairs of camp socks and a t-shirt from J.Crew.
I used Agnes's gift card. The only things I get from J.Crew and Banana Republic are shoes and socks. Everything else comes from Uniqlo...
for now. Addison and I walked over to the Disney store to pick up Toy Story stuff. Sushant met us at the mall. After a few photo ops,
we left the mall for Little Tokyo. Mom enjoyed her shrimp and veggie tempura. I did not like my rainbow roll too much. The snow crab
is not the same as in the past. I thought it was too condensed. We all made it home. I took my usual two hour nap. I woke up early to
drive Eddie to the airport. I stopped by the Harahan Walmart, but it was closed. I went back home and caught up on some reading. I went
to the Walmart in Marrero. I was very excited to eat the doughnut holes, but they turned out to be nasty. The cake doughnut holes were not
fresh at all. I am very disappointed. Cass sent us pictures of the crazy blizzard up in New York. I am happy to be in sunny skies. When I return
to NY, the sunny skies will follow me.
December 26, 2010
My track record remains. The priest talked about how a non-catholic white person is fine as long
as that person reminds the child of Jesus Christ. I wonder whether my dad was listening. The girls did their annual gift exchange while
everyone else was buzzing in the background. The boys are wild. There was some serous drama at the house yesterday. Our Christmas
lunch turned into a shout fest. My dad would not let anyone else speak. Chang spoke her mind. I think she was the only one talking
back to my dad. Everyone else, including me, kept quiet. He didn't eat lunch. Everyone disbursed. I slept for a couple hours. I caught up
on some 'bac ky" television shows. The cake from Pennsylvania was not too good. No more daiquiri for me. I'm done with alcohol...until
new year's eve.
December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas! I keep sleeping early and waking up early. We drank way too much
banana banshee daiquiri. I was done at 9:30PM. I woke up at 5:30AM to play all my words. Apparently, it's not "Chuc Mung Giang Sinh".
The priest said to put "Christ" in Christmas so it should really be "Chuc Mung Chua Giang Sinh". I got almost everything I wanted on my
wish list. The last minute item, Gardetto snack mix, was a nice addition. I made pigs in a blanket. With Chang's advice, I uploaded all of
my mom's ao dai pics onto a Walgreens app. I submitted the pictures to the local Walgreens down the street. The prints will be ready for
pick up within the hour on Christmas day. Do they not close at all? The twins love cars and Shrek. They all went to 10AM mass. The
single people and my parents went to the 9AM mass. Sushant made a cameo appearance showering the Nguyens with a fruit basket from
Harry & David plus cake from a fancy pants place. The Christmas text messages are coming in as we speak. Only those with a personal
message to me will get a response.
December 24, 2010
I finished baking two batches of chocolate chip cookies. The cookies came out way better
than the ones coming from my own oven. I was knocked out at 8:30PM and woke up at 7PM. I ran into Ngoc at the New Orleans airport.
She was waiting for her sister to pick her up. It was a pleasant surprise. I sent some old pictures to Jacqueline. The game between KNT
and me is really good so far. I don't think either of us scored below 20 points for each word. I am right on her tail. I am to contact
Henry and Rafael for songs instead of buying them on itunes. I bought a few songs from Vampire Weekend and Glee. Christmas mass will
take place at 9AM tomorrow morning. Sunday mass is separate. Smoothie King still has the best smoothies.
December 23, 2010
The boys picked me up from the airport. The twins were knocked out by the time they
picked me up. Carson does not like anyone but grandma and his parents. He runs away from you when you try to hold him. Carter, on the
other hand, is somewhat accommodating. Carter is prim and proper. Carson is all over the place. Addison does not want to eat. I force
fed him spaghetti. I am done with Christmas shopping. Chang is in charge of getting S's gift. I am picking up Eddie from the airport later
today. Speaking of airports, it was crazy when I flew out of LGA. I showed up at the airport one hour and a half before the departure time.
There were way too many lines. I am helping the twins get their haircuts today.
December 22, 2010
I was all snuggled up in bed reading this book that I stopped reading last year.
Dat and I were a hit and miss the past few days. He ate across the street. I came down to meet up with him. We finished
a pitcher of sangria at Oro Bar. It was nice catching up and seeing him before I go home. Everyone else is out of town.
This is the first year I stayed until the very end. I am also coming back to New York for new year's eve. We will be
partying it up in Ngoc's office in Times Square. Her office window faces the ball drop. I sort of messed up by checking in
my bag online. Apparently, my bag has special needs and is pending at the moment. I will have to pay the extra two dollars
because I am paying at the airport. I have an electronic boarding pass on my phone as well as a paper copy for good
measure. Let's get through today. The only thing I have is a meeting at 2PM.
December 21, 2010
I intended on going into Duane Reade and picking up a sandwich for lunch.
I walked out with a shopping bag full of stuff. I picked up some hair gel for Mom. She and I use the same hair gel. Yes,
it's freaky. The hair gel keeps our hair in place, yet look somewhat natural. My luggage going home will be filled with
crap from New York that's not available in Louisiana, including the Chinese skin cream from the Vietnamese store. Apparently,
they stopped selling them in LA. I got a haircut yesterday from my old guy. I don't like it too much. I think I prefer the new
guy now. I cleaned out my fridge. I thought about doing Super Shuttle but they want to pick me up at 4:30AM. I'll stick
with the Lucky Car Service people. The bakery downstairs does not open until 8AM. I have to pick up banh bo and the
pound cake on Wednesday night. My boss asked me to re-write a couple documents. I told her I tried and cannot do it.
She said I could have been more creative. I was not assigned to the project. Alexis will help me find this awesome low budget
movie.
December 20, 2010
Almost all of the twins' pictures are of them laying down and watching Disney
movies. Are they active at all? They look miserable tied down to those chairs. I feel like you are forcing food into
their mouths. Red Bamboo was closed. Everyone showed up on time. Somehow, Google Maps made me walk all the way to
7th Ave only to come back to 6th Ave. This time around, I was lost and Henry had to show me where to go. We walked down
to Dojo instead. The gift exchange was one-sided. LOL I expected that. It's the season of giving! Henry and I walked down
to Sur La Table to pick up cake pans and a black pepper shaker. I have $1.14 remaining on my card. I ate a banana doughnut
from Balthazar. I went to church. I came back to an empty apartment. I met up with Chi Kim in DUMBO for Grimaldi
pizza and Brooklyn ice cream. The pizza was worth the wait. Chi Kim and I caught up. I am super happy that she was only
unemployed for about a month. I have to return to DUMBO during the summer to relax on the waterfront. I hurried back home
on the F train. I fell asleep at 9PM and woke up at 6AM. It was a good weekend.
December 19, 2010
Chi Tam and Chi Mai came over to help me finish leftover eggrolls. I made them into
bun cha gio. Instead of doing laundry on a Friday night, I made a pit stop at the Met Market. The cashier laughed at me because I didn't
know which line I wanted. Also, my face was sort of red from the wine drinking. I am happy with my Secret Santa gift. The 20 questions
game was fun. It definitely made time fly by faster. We barely touched our desserts. Maia was very happy to get her personalized snow
globe. I saved the dessert from Balthazar and ate it the next day. When you are not happy with the service, make it known because you
might get some comps. I woke up bright and early the next day to do laundry. All the other early birds were already there. Luckily, they
had the machines I wanted. I didn't have to wait. I dropped off a couple bags of cookies for the laundromat attendants. Just as I was
walking up back to my apartment, David called to let me know that they were about to hop on the J train bound for Manhattan.
David and John showed up on time. After catching up, we stepped outside to look for a gift for John's daughter. The North Face jacket
people were in full force. We could not find what we were looking for so we parted ways. I got some really good deals on some scarves
for my mom. I now know where to go for bulk orders. I also bought 10 pounds of snails for my parents. I went back to the apartment to pick up some gifts I received. I went to the stores
to exchange them for store credit. I cannot believe All Saints store is ridiculously expensive. I tried on a few items, but couldn't decide on
anything. The guy who sold the stuff to Cass was the same guy who accepted my returns. He laughed about it. I met up with Tammy and
her sister, Marilyn. Yes, they are exactly alike! They look just about the same. They even laugh and talk in the same way. We went back
to the same store with the scarves because Tammy was also looking for scarves for her aunt. We picked up some more. We stumbled upon
Sheryl who needed to pick up her alterations. We all walked to SoHo. Sheryl and I went to CB2 and they went to Uniqlo. We met them at
Uniqlo. While waiting for the Dangs, Sheryl sat next to a Vietnamese family. They were visiting from somewhere, most likely the West
Coast because the kids were total valley. I met up with Ngoc at Xe Lua. They gay waiter served us. He made me order fried rice with
pork chops. She dropped me off at my apartment. John and David came back from dinner. They got lost in the West Village and hopped
into a cab. We stayed in and finished a bottle of champagne. It was very dry for some reason. I am a fan of "Downsized". They are hard working
people and are always looking for new ideas to make money. I spoke with Wyatt on the phone. That little kid is already causing a ruckus.
Am I detailed enough, KNT?
December 16, 2010
My teacher finally posted the topic for this week. I copied and pasted my
entry from my gmail onto the message board. At some point this weekend, I have to respond to other people's comments.
Then, I am done for the semester! My last class will not be offered until the summer session. It's good and bad. There's
so much going on during the summer. However, I can focus on the Abu Dhabi deal during the spring. I baked a batch of cookies. This
time around, I added raisins to the chocolate chip cookies. Paul insisted on raisins! I ate one this morning and it's extremely moist. That was definitely
a good call. I also made thach. I caught up with KNT. Don't stress out! You'll be back in the states with an awesome job in
no time! We were surprised at how Kenmare
was attentive and accommodating to their guests. We were asked by the waiter several times if we enjoyed the experience.
Our reservation was for 9PM. We showed up at 9:03PM and were seated immediately...granted the seating was in an intimate
corner of the restaurant. The food was delicious. I did not like the mashed potatoes though. The lobster risotto was a good
complement to the skate. We walked back to the apartment. I carried up my Christmas present. Yes, it was quite heavy.
The mixer was a second guess. Now I feel obligated to do a lot of mixing and baking. I can perfect dough and bread making.
We could not stay up for Eclipse. I'll continue it tonight with bun cha gio. This week is going by way too slow!
December 15, 2010
I come into the office only to find this crazy email from one of the people
we are auditing. We are getting "pushback" from him. I have never seen such responses. What the heck is he thinking?
It makes no sense. I finished my assignment for this week. The teacher is slow to post the forum topic. They really should
not ask for a class evaluation before the class ends. It doesn't seem right because I don't want my instructor to see my
comments. She may fail me. I am baking cookies tonight and wrapping up some last minute gifts.
December 14, 2010
Wow, it's almost a month since I wrote my last entry. KNT, I apologize for
neglecting this amazing website. lol BTW, I can never understand your man's tweets. He writes in a mysterious sci-fi, techie
language. I have no clue what he's talking about. Nevertheless, I get excited when I understand a tweet here and there.
Rafael can now join us at this week's brunch. We are doing vegan for him. Too bad the guy can't join us for the other
brunches. I am done with all my shopping. For the folks in New Orleans and Texas, everything was purchased through Amazon.com
I never pay shipping and tax. If I had used the U.S. Postal Service, they would charge an arm and a leg now. Plus, those lines
during the month of December is ridiculous. For the next two weeks, I have crazy deadlines. No more horsing around. Let's
get down to business. Paul and I picked up a couple good deals at Ralph Lauren. I am surprised the jacket fit me. Hibachi at
Benihana and sweating to "Just Dance 2" on a Friday night...not bad. I kicked ass in that game. It's all about the hand movements. LOL
The holiday dinner was more like a Vietnamese new year gathering. Everything on the menu was Vietnamese, including the
dessert. Next time, I will use two cans of evaporated milk and two cans of syrup. This will allow the ice to dilute the
sweetness. The yellow pot from Home Goods came in handy. I walked away with a nice scarf and women's leggings. I returned
the leggings for a plaid shirt. I am to pick up some pants from Uniqlo today, dry cleaning, and finish my assignment for this
week. Yes, it's the last week of class...finally!
November 19, 2010
This past week, I've been trying to stay up past 10:30PM, but I really couldn't.
I end up falling asleep around 10:15PM. I wake up feeling refreshed for the gym. I made the big jump to La Mer. Let's see
if it will work. Don't be fooled by your insurance company. The blood and urine samples taken in the doctor's office are
transported to an outside lab where they check for cholesterol, sugar level, STD's, etc. That's considered maintenance, not
preventive care. My benefit plan will only pay 80% of the expense after I fulfill my deductible. So what kind of blood work
is covered at 100%? None! It's all considered maintenance and not preventive. It's very lame. There is a tranny conference
underway in Turks & Caicos as we speak. The conference will culminate with a closing ceremony on Sunday. I wish them
all the best. I have completed my paper for the week. I also picked up the stuff to make pigs in a blanket for the spread
on Monday. Apparently, The Food Emporium is the only grocery store in all of Manhattan to carry cocktail sausages. No one
carries them anymore. Uniqlo is to open at 6Am on the day after Thanksgiving. I'll be first in line.
November 11, 2010
I slept for 10 hours last night with one bathroom break. All is well.
November 10, 2010
We were given the option of steaks or sausages. I chose the spicy sausage.
I had no idea you can add cream cheese to mashed potatoes. Who needs salt when you add a block of cream cheese?
His last name is Tran for a reason. He was not a team player. I'm surprised they kept him on...perhaps it's to boost ratings.
He is by far the most dramatic. KNT, sorry but I am going to decline your live DJ show. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't
all DJ's supposed to play their music live any way? Don't they play records live? I would rather spend $15 on a drink than
cover. My goal is to pick up your tickets from the box office today or tomorrow. I am getting schooled by Jacq. Just when
you think you are on her tail, she drops a 30 point bomb in yo face! Is the weekend here yet? I have tonight and tomorrow
night to complete this week's assignment.
November 9, 2010
I got played last night. Apparently, I am behind the times. Etienne knew about
the "Stereo Love" song. He said it was old because he heard it a couple years ago. Keep in mind, the 11 year old kid goes to
a French school here in New York. His fellow classmates are probably very "euro". Well, I did some research this morning
and he was right. Edward Maya released the song last summer. The song finally made it onto the U.S. Billboard charts last
month. I came home smelling like banh xeo. Even my hair smelled like banh xeo. I wanted to shower before going to bed
but I was too lazy. The banh xeo smell on my pillow will finally go away. We are off to Saigon Grill today for Kerry's birthday.
Tdanger recommended the bakery on Mott and Canal for Kerry's cake. Unfortunately, the bakery ran out of the mango cake so I settled for a boring fruit cake. I had a lot to carry to work this morning.
It was good catching up with Jacq. I feel like I haven't seen her in ages. That reminds me...her che dau den is in the fridge
waiting for me. Elanger is kicking my butt. She is still throwing out big pointers at the very last minute. Let me just die in
peace please.
November 8, 2010
Alexis managed to rescue my content for October 2010 and he corrected my
grammar, but it really didn't help because the text was not written in HTML. I'm too lazy to copy and paste all the coding.
My trip to Cleveland was quite relaxing. Chang stays in the Warehouse District. It's a two or three block area of hip
loft apartments, bars, and restaurants. The trolley is a joke. Instead of waiting for the next trolley, how about walking and
burn some calories? The Vietnamese food was definitely good. However, I didn't like the fatty part of the meat. The owner
thought we were visiting. Overall, everyone was nice. I met Chang's classmates. Yes, they all have their own personalities
and quirks. The sushi bar was gay. I can't get "Stereo Love" out of my head. I thought I would stay in the city upon my
return from Ohio. I spent more time in Long Island than in my own apartment. It's banh xeo night at Chez Jacq's. P has
very expensive taste. What is up with all the post-it notes marked in the catalog? Is that a tool to push yourself to work
extra hard? This afternoon's conversation turned weird within a couple seconds. Can the boys grow up already and come
visit Cau Bee? In the past when flying Southwest Airlines, you had to check in at the gate. The gate agent gave you a
plastic pass that has a number on it. The number identifies your group to board. I thought they still do the same thing.
You can now check in online and your boarding pass has your group number. I have not flown on Southwest Airlines in years
and I don't plan on going back to them. I don't want to fight for my seats. I'll pay a little bit extra to have an assigned
seat.
November 4, 2010
I lost everything for the month of October 2010.