September 30, 2010
I just put the twins to sleep. They have their morning and afternoon naps.
The morning nap takes about 2.5 hours. The afternoon one is only for one hour. Grandma is off to Wal-Mart. For breakfast,
I will be rolling my own goi cuon. For lunch, there's leftover spaghetti from the other day. Anh Hoang is right. It's just my
mom and dad at their house, but their two refrigerators are filled up to the max. I have downloaded quite a few apps onto
my phone. There's one for everything out there. The most expensive one I bought was Tetris. I think it was $2.99.
All the other ones are free, especially Chase. Did you know you can deposit a check through your iPhone? Chase's app
allows you to take snapshots of the front and back side of a check. You enter in the amount to be deposited. The app
verifies the check's routing and account numbers. The check is deposited within 24 hours. Not bad huh? The app definitely
came in handy because there are no Chase branches on the West Bank. I'd have to go to Elmwood or some where uptown
to deposit a freakin check. I could be wrong about no branches on the West Bank. I am still addicted to the angry birds game...
thanks to Dat.
September 29, 2010
I'm still sick. I had to cancel on Janet tonight. I can finally wish myself
a happy birthday. I'm trying to decide whether to take the last class for this upcoming spring semester. I am going to be
away for work. The class is only offered in the spring and it's the last class for the program. I might as well suck it up
and take it. As long as I pass the class, I'm fine. There's no sense in trying for an A when I have no desire to pursue
a degree. I was sweating again last night. I feel like asking my mom to "scratch the wind" for me. I haven't had that done
in a very long time. It does work! My hair is crazy. When you shower right before bed, you wake up with crazy hair.
I have one of those Asian haircuts where the guys think they are cool.
September 28, 2010
It's been nice to be home and not do anything. I even
ask Addison to hand me the remote when I'm too lazy to get up from the recliner. It's insane. I feel
a bit too sluggish, fat, and slow here. I don't even walk from my parents house to the boys.
I am complaining, yet enjoying the R&R. They got me an ice cream cake this past Sunday.
I should have asked Addison to help me blow out the candles. The boys nap for a couple hours
in the morning and again in the afternoon. Carson just goes straight to sleep and Carter puts up
a fight for a couple minutes. When I return to NY, I would have gained at least five pounds for sure.
I wonder why Jacq is holding my pictures hostage. Perhaps she has pictures of a certain someone
that I am not supposed to see. I was not born yesterday. Elicia, you remind me of that lady who
traveled to Italy, India, and Indonesia to find herself. I love the pictures and keep them coming.
My favorite new thing down here is New Orleans Ice Cream. I can eat it all day. It's super creamy,
especially the praline flavor. I am super addicted to the angry birds game. I passed the first level
and am working on the second one. Joel, congratulations on your new job! Hopefully you can transfer
next year. Mr. Balle Balle and Precious are at again. I don't know when I'll get the famous Archie
issue. It sucks the Saints lost. Ngoc returns home later tonight. I definitely want to share a
hurricane with her if she makes it to the West Bank. I was sweating all last night and kept waking
up to use the restroom. I popped an Advil Cold & Sinus earlier this morning and I feel a bit better.
What is up? I can't start out my Jesus year sick!
September 25, 2010
Carson ran away from me. He wouldn't let me hold him. Carter didn't at
first but gave in. He's a sweetheart. It's complicated trying to order magazine subscriptions from Addison's fundraising
efforts. For a late dinner, I had Mom's bun rieu. It was the smoothest ride to New Orleans. They were even 35 minutes
early. For breakfast, I ate this doughy crepe thing with shrimp and sauteed onions. Mom made suong sa hot luu. Her
hot luu's are a lot bigger than Co Lan's. I watched "Ponyo" with the boys. They fell asleep 30 minutes into the movie.
Addison wouldn't let me watch the prelude. I can't wait for gardetto's snack mix from Sam's Club. I missed out on Viet's
birthday.
September 24, 2010
It was definitely a great time with friends...my family away from home.
Henry didn't want to go home so he stopped by my office to pick up the apartment keys. A few minutes later, I was home.
I dropped off my drycleaning and picked up a bottle of rose/proseco. It was a good combination. After a few drinks at the
apartment and some hair braiding, we rushed over to the restaurant. I always get the
pho/banh mi combo. Cass, I can't believe you knew all along! Tdanger, thank you for the socks. I already brought them to the
office in case I forget to pack a pair one day. Susan, I'm not returning the organizer thing. I will definitely need it for my
traveling next year. Meg and Joseph, the orange tags will come in handy as well. Because of Lara, I am closer to getting "La Mer".
Kyvy, I now have another tie to my collection. I brought the cake to work and will enjoy it as my afternoon snack. Sheryl,
I'm saving the tequila for our next outing. Cass, like I said, I've been eyeing that cardigan for the longest time. They never
go on sale. Thank you to Jacq for organizing the whole dinner and getting the awesome cake from SSS. Yes, we now have a
new favorite. It's no longer pistachio. I ended the night with a pleasant surprise. Thank you all for an awesome beginning to my
"Jesus" year! I am off to New Orleans tonight.
September 23, 2010
Jacq wished me a good morning and placed a screen shot of "quivers" for 77 points. That bitch!
Our games have always been neck to neck but I'm losing big time with this one. I had way too many moon cakes last night.
Goodbye summer and hello fall. Summer isn't over just yet. Tomorrow we will have a high of 88 and the following two days
will have a high of 70. You definitely get a feel for the four seasons here. Down south, it's either steamy, hot, or fair weather.
If you're lucky, you get sprinkles of snowflakes. Tdanger, I like to say I'm shocked but I'm really not. Luckily, you all
contributed. I woke up sweaty and feeling achy. I wanted to skip the gym, but insisted on waking up and getting things done.
It will be a long day today. I don't like this part time deal. It's stupid and makes no sense.
September 22, 2010
KNT, we are down to the wire. Let's go already! Instead of staying home and
working on my homework, I joined Tdanger and Sherylina for Sherylina's birthday. Bingo was a lot of fun especially when
our table gets free shots. Thanks to bookends at one side of the table, we won two shots. I left after we sang happy bday
to Sheryl. I'm not sure whether she made it home okay. Instead of dreaming of cats and mice running around in a condo,
I dreamed about nothing. Debby is to get a carrot cake from Whole Foods for tomorrow's cake party. It's something about
the valley mentality that forbids those folks from responding to emails. And when they do respond, they have more questions.
Answers to those questions are already known so why bother asking those questions? I have no idea. Henrietta and RI
definitely reinforce the valley mentality. Sorry, I had to get it out there.
September 21, 2010
KNT, I played the 99 point word to show you some serious karma. That's
what you get for cheating! Okay, I'm kidding. I think that's the highest score I have gotten so far. A bunch of my classmates
from the summer class returned for the fall class. I am seeing the "unread messages" increase every day. I finally made it
to Williamsburg to eat at Sea. The place was good. It reminded me of a huge college cafeteria. We got full off of eating
appetizers. I took the entrees home as lunch and dinner for today.
September 20, 2010
It's back to the grind. I have one more week and I'm home free.
The Nom Nom truck kicked ass in every city except for the last one. I'm surprise those folks in Tennessee love banh mi.
Speaking of banh mi, Chi Tam and I got tired of hearing them say "bon" mi. Even the Asian kids who were making the
sandwiches say "bon" mi. Get with it! The Bronx does not like Vietnamese sandwiches. I went crazy at Whole Foods. I picked
up gala apples and nuts for the office. I splurged on a banana nut bread that was on sale. My mom doesn't want any more
cashews. She still has a couple bags from last time. I'm supposed to buy snails this week and freeze them for the trip home.
How will I finish all the lemonade in my fridge? We ate burnt thit kho that Jacq made. It was still good with cucumbers and
rice. Note to myself...one cucumber is enough for two people. KNT, we will miss each other in November. Don't
worry, you'll be busy with Nick and the other out of town guests.
September 19, 2010
The rooftop party was sort of a bomb. We did not want to leave early and be rude. After
a couple drinks, my stomach was growling. The bouncer thought my name was of Japanese origin. Another stranger thought I could
be from Peru...an Asian Peruvian who can speak both Chinese and Spanish. Henrietta and I had a story that night and we stuck with it.
Heather is totally from California. We walked down to Hell's Kitchen and stopped at a pizza parlor for $1 slices. I ate two slices. We
couldn't decide on a place and ended up at Two Boots for poboys. The blackened catfish poboy was super delicious. I could only eat half.
All my trains lined up as I went home. I bumped into Chi Mai when I got home. She was leaving. The apartment is like a pied a terre for
Chi Mai. I got drunk texted by a handful of people last night. I was in bed by 11PM. I finished GTL (minus the "T") by 11:15AM. I stopped
by Uniqlo and loved how no one was in the store. There were more employees than customers. I picked up a couple shirts. I am done
for the day. Happy Birthday, KyVy!
September 18, 2010
It would have been a two hour wait at Ippudo. Instead of waiting around, we went to this
Mexican place in Alphabet City. They sat us outside, but felt like we were indoors. The waiter was an idiot. He barely came around the table.
I think he got mad at me for wanting a lantern. I couldn't even see the menu. We went for drinks after dinner. I kicked ass playing pool.
It was definitely a close game. I was in bed by midnight only to wake up at 5:45AM. I couldn't do oysters with Dat and them. It was Nam
Son and then off to the Hester Street Market. We ran into Suchin Pak. I picked up a butt load of donuts from the Doughnut Plant. Here
I am typing away before going to class registration. I am to sell Chi Mai's phone later today and then meet up with Henrietta at the
Empire Hotel.
September 17, 2010
We couldn't make it to Citi Field because the thunderstorm shut
everything down. The 7 train and the LIRR were suspended indefinitely. Flushing was a mad house with trees down all over the
place. Chi Mai and I waited for everyone else on the 7 train platform. Luckily, the train did not leave because Kyvy almost
forgot about us. Plan B was to have dinner at Boi. It was a pleasant place in the middle of midtown. I will definitely order
mien cua next time. I was too tired to stay out so I was in by 9:30PM. I ended up not sleeping until 11:30PM. Yes, today is
finally Friday. That reminds me. I need to post my assignment onto the message board for this week. I am lagging behind big
time and it's only the first week of class.
September 16, 2010
Happy Birthday, Khoi!
September 15, 2010
It is already midway through the month. When did September start again?
Before you know it, it will be time for gift giving and ringing in the new year. I was antsy all yesterday. I had the urge to go down
to Diesel to try on some jeans. I wanted to try them on and buy online so I won't have to pay tax and shipping. I ended up
getting two pairs. I am getting one hemmed up because the length was 32. Apparently, I fit a 30 length. The sizes at Diesel
run smaller than other stores. After I was done with Diesel, I stopped by the alterations place to have some shirts hemmed up.
It was a mad house. This girl wanted her prom dress fixed. Well, it looked like a prom dress but it might just be her bridesmaid
dress. This guy wanted his Uniqlo khakis narrower. I had no idea they can make pants more narrow. Why didn't he buy
slim fit pants in the first place? I did not want to be a teacher's pet by posting my response for this week so I'm waiting until
today to do it. I woke up at 1:30AM because of a bed intruder. That reminds me..."He's climbin in your windows
He's snatchin your people up
Tryna rape em so y'all need to
Hide your kids, Hide your wife
Hide your kids, Hide your wife
Hide your kids, Hide your wife
and hide your husband
Cuz they're rapin errbody out here
You don't have to come and confess
We're lookin for you
We gon find you
We gon find you
So you can run and tell that,
Run and tell that
Run and tell that, homeboy
Home, home, homeboy!"
September 14, 2010
I was all comfortable at 10 Astor Place and next thing you know, I get an email
from Tdanger about coming back uptown. I want to finish it as much as she does. We walked all along 1st Ave trying to find
people. We found two, but could only meet with one. Before you know it, it was time to go home. We hopped on the M15
bound for downtown. The cereal milk ice cream was a pleasant treat to end the day. Luckily I skipped out on Uniqlo. Rain
came pouring down. I don't remember the weatherman telling me to bring my umbrella. I finished my questions for the week.
Jacq was up my tail about going. She declined my peasant dinner. We are definitely wasting money with these primary
elections. I was the only one voting. They gave me this long piece of paper with only two races. All of this for only two primary
races? I filled in the bubbles and stuck the paper in a scanner. I walked up to Broome and saw two NYU students waiting for
a bus. Just as I was about to pass them, an NYU shuttle bus stopped and picked them up. I hopped on the bus as well.
It took me straight to Waverly and Broadway. After a block of walking, I was where I need to be.
September 13, 2010
I had to kick everyone out after Eminem's performance. I couldn't stay awake.
I was knocked out by 9:30PM. Of course, I woke up early the next morning. You're probably tired of hearing me talking
about sleeping early and waking up early. It's quite pathetic. Well, just in time for the first day of school...it officially starts
today. My teacher got it all mixed up because she thought it started last week. Now to hit the books and read away.
I am not too fond of the discussion board postings. Carson stole BBQ sauce from Winn Dixie. Carter can sit in his seat all day long.
Why are they so different? Addison wants a bigger Buzz. Please stop feeding them butter. It's not even funny any more.
I have to survive the next two weeks and I'm home free.
September 12, 2010
After I got back from Governor's Island, I caught up on my weekly errands...picking up my
dry cleaning and doing my laundry. I finished ahead of schedule and lounged on my couch until dinner time. I ate at the Korean place down
the street. It was total deja vu. We drank a pitcher of sangria at Xicala after dinner. This is my new favorite place to chill out. I came home
messy. I prepped all the ingredients for dinner. I showed up 45 minutes early in Carroll Gardens. Brunch with Henrietta and Cass was good
as usual. We scheduled the next one to take place next month. I came back home and fried up mama's eggrolls in the deep fryer. I boiled
up pandan leaves to get rid of the smell. I removed my a/c window unit for good. All my windows are now open. Goodbye freakin summer!
September 11, 2010
What do you get for sleeping at 10PM on a Friday night? You wake up at 5AM on a Saturday
morning. I changed into casual clothes before leaving the office. I met up with the two Chi's at the MoMA. I don't mind going there on Friday
nights now because there are no lines. We met up with some other meetup members. The video installation was interesting. Why
helicopters? I have no idea. We ate at Stand and took advantage of the happy hour special. I walked home and bumped into Jacq and Ali
on the building stoop. They were on their way out and I was on my way in. I was done for the night. I am getting my ass kicked by the
ladies. How the heck do they get at least 25 points on every word they place? If I'm lucky, I can get 15. At this point, I'm getting rid of
my tiles to start a new game. Why bother trying to catch up when you are so far behind? I'm off to Governor's Island in a little bit. It was
not my decision to meet at the ferry at 10AM. We will do one loop around the island and relax on the hammocks thereafter. It should be
a nice day. Henry finally made some executive decisions on where to eat.
September 10, 2010
I managed to get a lot of stuff off my desk yesterday. I handed them over to
Agnes. Now I can focus on the project at hand. I rushed home to pick up Jacq's com chien. She makes it just like how my mom
makes it. In my true FC form, I ate a small portion before my late night dinner at An Choi. The rice held me over for the
next couple of hours. I became Mr. Exterminator yet again. We were seated all the way in the back next to the kitchen as if the dinner was top secret. It was quite
cozy. I can finally do my lunch with Susan today. Yes, she is still in the picture. I am thankful that the weekend is finally here.
Time to rest and unwind.
September 9, 2010
I was told to talk more about myself. Jacq and I were honest with one another
last night. It was an intense session, but we got through it. In the end, we both have our quirks and need to be more aware
of others. I finally received my bumper. The first one never made it to me. My calls no longer drop and the person I'm
speaking with does not complain about the reception. Hopefully the next version will be perfect. There is always something
wrong. Nothing or no one is perfect. Selena still needs to paint my ceiling in the bathroom. I keep forgetting to call her.
I'm afraid the apartment will have dirt all over the place like last time. I spent a lot of time cleaning up after the painter's mess.
I think it's a bit too late to announce the advanced level class. The first day of class is next Saturday. I want my shoes back
at 10 Astor Place.
September 8, 2010
It was business as usual. My meeting moved to today. I offered and postponed
a couple of times. Don't hate me, Susan! Welcome back to NY, Sham! I have to visit you in your new neighborhood. Too
bad you ventured over to the west side. I flip flopped between "Flipping Out" and "Glee". Chang and I are losers in that
department. Madloana, you are kicking my behind. Meg organized a great event. I am shirtless as I am typing this entry.
Today is our last day of heavy humidity. Happy New Year!
September 7, 2010
I picked up $20 worth of pastries and desserts downstairs for Mama Nguyen.
I should have known she prefers the moon cake filled with a bunch of stuff. I think that's how the Vietnamese make them as
opposed to the plain Chinese ones. Why do we share the same holidays? It's insane. We have our own version of the holidays
but the basics are the same. The Japanese gave up the lunar new year a long time ago. They now celebrate the same
new year like everyone else. Chang stayed in all day to do some reading. Lucky Car Service is getting a lot of business from
150 Mott. I saw Zhang Yimou's latest movie about a cheating spouse. It was definitely different from what I'm used to. I
could not stay up to watch the housewives reunion. I feel asleep a few minutes after 8PM, but woke up again. I ended up not
falling asleep until midnight. It was a good night of catching up.
September 6, 2010
A day to rest from working...
September 5, 2010
No one had snails. When I asked them for snails, they kept saying "no" and didn't look me
in the eye. It was as if I wanted counterfeit goods. The last place I stumbled across did have live snails. I bought three pounds and asked
the guy to get rid of the shells. They are sitting in my freezer waiting to be transported to New Orleans. Melanie bought all 18 of the
cream at Tan Tin Hung. The crazy people lined up in front of my building in preparation for their parade. We showed up one hour before
our reservation time. They sat us immediately. I could not deal with the shoppers on Broadway. I went home and came back out to experience
this shady nail salon/massage parlor a couple blocks away. The only lighting consisted of a desk lamp. A pedicure involved sticking your
feet into a garbage bag-lined pail of hot water with tea bags. I couldn't really nap. We walked to dinner and waited for our table at the bar.
Kampuchea is no longer alive. It is now a sandwich place. We shared one cupcake at SSS. Our table for 3 at Verlaine grew into a party of
13. We walked across the street and stayed there for awhile. Chang did her African dance. She only drank Coke and two shots. We zigzagged
home. I am now up at 7AM.
September 4, 2010
Earl didn't drop a lick of water in NY. Those crazy weather forecasts...who believes them
any more. I finished all my errands right after work. J and C.T. shopped for men before dinner. I took the train to LGA to receive Mel.
We also picked up Precious at the central terminal. Ten minutes later, we were back at my apartment. We ate in Little Italy and were too
wasted to go out afterwards. On the agenda for today are head massages, Balthazar, Soho shopping, cupcakes, Essex, and drinks. KNT,
it was good to see you and your man for a quick second. Sorry I had to kick you guys out. My stuff is "top secret". I hope he likes the book.
There's some kind of parade on Mott St. today. The entire street is blocked off.
September 3, 2010
I didn't get much done at work yesterday. It was all talk. I picked up my dry cleaning.
I made thach for the Nguyen sisters. I picked up my old a/c unit from Jacq's apartment. We went shopping for eggs and
veggies. She cannot get LamOnMyDen from her apartment. It works in my apartment though. We ate eggs with
rice. We walked over to Loreley for some German beer. Chi Tam likes my granola bars, but do not love them. Mo Hoa
has a new man. Loan is frustrated because she works with lazy people. So get a smart one instead of a rich one? Earl will not
dampen my Friday. I couldn't get Lion King tickets. I guess I was not fast enough. After a couple photo booth shots, I walked home looking forward
to sleeping. Everyone was out in full force. I made a call but no answer on the other end. I fell asleep and woke up at 5:30AM.
September 2, 2010
Meg and Joseph cooked up some delicious Japanese curry. Actually, Meg did.
I helped Joseph mount his big flat screen TV. He uses it as his computer monitor. Who needs cable TV any more, right?
I thought I would enjoy a quiet evening at home catching up on some scandalous reality TV, but Tdanger and Alexis called
me out for karaoke and drinks. The place was literally down the street from my apartment. Alexis performed his signature
hip hop Shaggy and Dr. Dre songs. Tdanger joined him for "Love Shack". I did my usual "Semi Charmed Life". Yes, there
was some slurring up in there. They ordered from Xe Lua. Get the Tom Rang Muoi. Will Earl ruin our weekend? Hoang Anh
can't make it to NY this weekend because of a last minute Peru trip. I finally got to meet the other roommate across the
hall last night. Jacq was too busy noticing other things. We all came up for some granola bars and cheap "champagne".
I got mad texts all throughout last night. I didn't get what I want though. I'm still waiting.
September 1, 2010
Alright...if you are reading this and it's not really September 1st yet, then you
caught me posting this entry the day before. I won't have time tomorrow morning. The weekend in Newport was very
relaxing and fun. I enjoyed the bickering between the Queen Bee and me. We made a pit stop in Providence for lunch.
The bus ride from Providence to Newport involved cheese churning and a loud voice. Upon arrival in
Newport, we climbed up a steep hill to get to the B&B. The owner loved Jacq's boots. I commented on the boots myself.
We spent the whole day together before the others arrived. I don't know why I'm not a fan of lobsters. I ate way too much
fried seafood. It was our last beach outing for the summer. We spent six hours in the car coming back. The guys enjoyed
lien khuc que huong while Chi Tam commented on how there are way too many "z" words. Jacq had her headphones on
because she was outnumbered. Viet tried to play his book reading. BTW, it was about speed dating. We became bored
with the storyteller and his "slicing" advice. Chi Mai had dinner and dessert waiting for us upon our arrival home. I was
in bed by midnight. Luckily, I had the day off the next day. I finished all my errands by 1PM and enjoyed the rest of the day doing
nothing. I visited an old friend to catch up on a few things. We still have some unfinished business, but I think it was a
positive outcome overall. I look forward to what's ahead. I ran into Ngoc at Penn Station. She pretended to ask for directions.
We hopped on the ACE and said our goodbyes at W. 4th St. It was a good end to a long weekend.