Happy Birthday

to my biggest (and probably only) fan!

There, Mark. Now you can say you got your picture posted on annaventing.blogspot.com! hahahaha!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

CHRIS!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

RACHEY!!!

The Olympics Opening Ceremony in Beijing was

FREAKIN' AMAZING! I will forever be in awe!

And by the way, I think I'm going to take up Tai Chi =)

mileage [mahy-lij]
the aggregate number of miles traveled over in a given time
Synonyms: wear, use

It finally happened!

I bought my beloved 2002 Toyota Rav4 on December 2, 2001 (I remember because I got home that night and Britney Spears’ birthday was being mentioned on every entertainment show! And hey Joemama, I got my car on your birthday too! haha!). It was my first major purchase; the first big thing I ever bought with my own money, earned from my first full-time, post-undergrad job. Holy shit, I thought to myself, I'm a grown up.

And that's just what Raven (yes, Raven the Silver Rav4) and I have done together - grow up. You create a real relationship when you're responsible for something as necessary, and yet as needy as a car. It's like a child who requires constant care and service; a mobile refuge when you need a quick getaway; a convenient location for conversations between friends and family; and in my case, the only space for at least 10 hours a week that I have just to myself.

Yes, we've gone through a lot together, my car and I - trips to Vegas, San Francisco, San Diego - everywhere; a dead battery right before work, a defective transmission that decided to show face in the middle of rush hour traffic, followed by a replacement transmission that made it run like I just drove out of the lot for the first time; a couple of accidents, endless trips to the Toyota dealership and the gas station, etc. I hope to blog about the next 100,000 miles.

Check out what 100,000 mile service requires:

2002 RAV 4: 100,000 Miles - 60 Months
Air Conditioning Filter
Automatic Transmission Fluid or Manual Transmission Oil
Ball Joints and Dust Covers
Brake Lines and Hoses
Brake Linings/Drums and Brake Pads/Discs
Differential Oil
Drive Belts
Drive Shaft Boots
Engine Air Filter
Engine Coolant
Engine Oil and Filter
Engine Valve Clearance
Exhaust Pipes and Mountings
Fuel Lines and Connections, Fuel Tank Band and Fuel Tank Vapor Vent System Hoses
Fuel Tank Cap Gasket
Nuts and Bolts on Chassis and body
Radiator Core and Condenser
Steering Gear Box
Steering Linkage and Boots
Tire Rotation
Transfer Case Oil

I don't even know what half of this stuff is...which brings me to an honorable mention for this milestone - my dad. I refer to him on everything that has to do with my car. I emailed him this morning to tell him that I reached 100k and he emailed back:

Hi Leng,
Your car still going to last for years as long as you maintain it regularly.
Congrats on it's 100,000 miles.
Dad

That's the plan, father!

Happy Birthday, kiddo!!!

After a long night of partying in Vegas, Ja fell asleep "reading." We found him like this, with the magazine opened to just the first page. HAHAHAHA!!!

God of love and peace,
we come to You in times of stress and overwork.
We know that You will refresh us in
the wisdom of Your bounty.
May we never forget Your blessings
to us each hour in the day.

*Thanks for the prayer, Aimee!! Miss you, pinsan!!! =)

Gosh I miss blogging...

Happy, Happy Birthday to

my favorite Pen Pal, Toni!!!

(We have to see each other again so I'll have pictures of you to post! haha!)

fortuitous [fawr-too-i-tuhs]

happening or produced by chance; accidental

Synonyms include: lucky, fluky, random

Tonight I'm in the city where fortune either rains on your shoulders or shits in your face. Thankfully today, I've felt the drizzle. I'm in hot Las Vegas, NV for another one of our lovely family reunions. The next one always seems to come so quickly after the one before, but it never keeps me from looking forward to it. I love spending time with my family, especially with those who live too far for me to see whenever I please; so I've been anticipating this weekend to arrive for months!

I got to work on time this morning (7:30 am) and I seriously worked my face off trying to finish what I set out to finish before my short "vacation," if you could call 4 days in Vegas that. I got home in record time for a Thursday (because I left at 1:00 pm), got some lunch, and then headed to Burbank - excuse me - BOB HOPE Airport with my parents and my sister. Surprise, surprise, our flight was delayed 2 hours. It wasn't that bad of a wait actually, especially since right before we boarded our JetBlue flight, I saw DEREK FREAKIN' FISHER 20 feet away!! My dad had said something earlier when he passed by, but I only saw the back of his head and figured my dad was just kidding because he does so often.

If you don't already know, I don't like bothering celebrities, even the ones who I know probably wouldn't mind, like D-Fish. Along with his wife, Candace, he looked like a really nice guy. And OH MY GOSH WE WERE ON THE SAME FLIGHT! He sat about 3 rows behind me (by the emergency exit; probably for the legroom). My parents were urging me to go up to him before we boarded, even to say hello or shake his hand, but I wanted to leave him alone. The man's trying to get away dude!

So we got off the plane and Tin and I were waiting for my parents outside the restrooms. D-Fish and Candace pass by and 2 minutes later my dad comes out..."Derek Fisher was in the stall next to me!" HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! We were cracking up! My dad peed next to Derek Fisher! I'm losing it right now just remembering it. We walked to the escalators and Derek was about a foot away from us so my dad, not wanting to let this moment slip by, looked up and said, "Hi Mr. Fisher!" (Oh dad, you're so polite.) "Hey, how you doing?!" D-Fish replied. I ALMOST FELL OFF THE ESCALATOR! HAHAHAHA!! We lost him after baggage claim.

Wow! I'm still in shock. Anyhow, we got the rental car, checked into our hotel, said hello to some relatives, and then Dad, Tin and I went back to the airport to fetch my cousins, Ben and Alan. We took them to their hotel so they could check in, then we left to pick up my mom because all of us were FAMISHED! So where else is there to go at 1:30 am when you're hungry than...you guessed it folks - I took my parents and sister to Pyramid Cafe. haha! I swear, we should have a punch card to that place. Ben and Alan joined us for our super late dinner then we hit the casinos with Aimee and her boyfriend, Darrin.

I haven't gambled in 4 years but Ben somehow got me to sit down with him at Rapid Roulette (it's digital roulette!) and I WON $84!!! I know that doesn't seem like a lot to you big ballers, but that's a whole lot for me to be up! I started with $20 and cashed out $104!! I'M HAVING SO MUCH FUN AND I HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN HERE 12 HOURS!

Okee, I better get to bed. Yes, it IS indeed 4:15 am right now. Tin and I thought we'd explore the hotel and found the business center. Free internet! Heck, why not blog about our wonderful day, right? Hope I have more stories soon!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

alter ego [awl-ter ee-goh]
Another side of oneself; a second self
Synonyms include: id, shadow

Lately it's been a little hellish in places and moments that seem to get progressively worse each time you open an email, log onto a website, write a check, or answer the phone. We do our best though, don’t we, to stay afloat; keeping ourselves from sinking (or overrun) the best way we know how? What more, really, could we ask for ourselves when we use every bit of strength we have to get it together and then try our darndest to keep it that way? There are times though, when I want to do anything BUT maintain composure. Truth be told, sometimes I’d like to lose it.

I watched The Incredible Hulk about a month ago and couldn’t help but wonder what it’d be like to have an alter ego. Edward Norton was perfectly cast for this part; to have his unassuming and subdued demeanor turn into a beast (though a beast with a conscience when given the chance to recognize it so) was...well...kind of inspiring. What would you do if there was another part of yourself that you couldn't control?

Sigmund Freud had a theory about the three part of the psyche: id, ego and superego.

“[The id] is the dark, inaccessible part of our personality…and most of this is of a negative character and can be described only as a contrast to the ego. We approach the id with analogies: we call it a chaos, a cauldron full of seething excitations ... It is filled with energy reaching it from the instincts, but it has no organization, produces no collective will, but only a striving to bring about the satisfaction of the instinctual needs subject to the observance of the pleasure principle.” - Freud, New Introductory Lectures on Psychoanalysis (1933)

Screw the ego. I’d like to explore my id. When I am taken advantage of, I want to refuse with a fiery anger and punch someone in the face. When I am deceived, I want to be vengeful. When I am being talked down to, I want to arise in scorn and fury. Sometimes, I don’t want to just walk away, be the better (wo)man and do what Jesus did. Sometimes I want to raise some hell.

Hmmm, wouldn’t that be a sight to see…=)