Thursday, January 15, 2009
Beautiful weather
We've been having beautiful weather. On Saturday, Uni and I headed down to Santa Monica; went to the beach, had a long delicious lunch at Bubba Gump's, watched "Bride Wars," and did a little shopping on the promenade.
This is classic Santa Monica.
Does this make me white?
A college friend read this list and was devastated to realize he really was white.
I read through the list and thought, "Hm, I really am white."
Taken from:
Stuff White People Like
I read through the list and thought, "Hm, I really am white."
Taken from:
Stuff White People Like
- #119 Sea Salt
- #118 Ugly Sweater Parties - I don't have sweaters like these, but I sure think Ugly Sweater Parties are fun. :)
- #117 Political Prisoners
- #116 Black Music that Black People Don’t Listen to Anymore
- #115 Promising to Learn a New Language - yes!
- #114 America
- #113 Halloween - not as much as when I was a kid, but I do enjoy it because of my nieces
- #112 Hummus - I'm not going to say if it's offered to me; and we once made hummus from scratch for a college project.
- #111 Pea Coats - YES!!
- #110 Frisbee Sports - not so much :(
- #109 The Onion
- #108 Appearing to Enjoy Classical Music - yes
- #107 Self Aware Hip Hop References - yes
- #106 Facebook - DEFINITELY
- #105 Unpaid Internships
- #104 Girls with Bangs - my hair doesn't cooperate with bangs, but I sure do think they're cute
- #103 Sweaters - only in the winter
- #102 Children’s Games as Adults - yes
- #101 Being Offended - uh-huh!
- #100 Bumper Stickers - though I don't actually put them on car (since I don't have one), but I do like buying them
- #99 Grammar - I'm always correcting people (even if I might be wrong)
- #98 The Ivy League
- #97 Scarves - nope
- #96 New Balance Shoes - yup, I remember when I bought my first pair; they look great with my jeans
- #95 Rugby
- #94 Free Healthcare
- #93 Music Piracy - I was totally into Napster when it came out. Strictly iTunes now. OK, I downloaded a bunch of songs via Limewire last year, but I've stopped and deleted and the program.
- #92 Book Deals - yes
- #91 San Francisco - it's growing on me with each visit, but I don't love it
- #90 Dinner Parties - yes, I wish I could host them or friends would do more of them
- #89 St. Patrick’s Day - I was more into it back in the day.
- #88 Having Gay Friends - I love my gay friends! and the gay boys seem to love me (wish the straight boys would love me)
- #87 Outdoor Performance Clothes
- #86 Shorts - when I was younger
- #85 The Wire - the guy is HOT! but I don't really watch it
- #84 T-Shirts -yup, i'm a t-shirt & jeans girl
- #83 Bad Memories of High School - I have a TON
- #82 Hating Corporations - I do hate Walmart
- #81 Graduate School - not for me
- #80 The Idea of Soccer - we're a soccer family, but I'm not really into any sports
- #79 Modern Furniture
- #78 Multilingual Children
- #77 Musical Comedy - yes!
- #76 Bottles of Water - I'm a water snob. There IS a difference. I haven't moved onto metal water bottles yet, though.
- #75 Threatening to Move to Canada - I wouldn't say Canada, exactly
- #74 Oscar Parties - duh! what's my field?
- #73 Gentrification
- #72 Study Abroad - I always wanted to, but never got around to it.
- #71 Being the only white person around - I'm the only "minority" amongst white people
- #70 Difficult Breakups
- #69 Mos Def - yes!
- #68 Michel Gondry - loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; thought The Science of Sleep was a little strange, but I love Gael Garcia Bernal; wanted to see Be Kind Rewind
- #67 Standing Still at Concerts - yeah, I'm good just sitting there listening to the music
- #66 Divorce
- #65 Co-Ed Sports - not into sports myself
- #64 Recycling - you should see my office
- #63 Expensive Sandwiches - like i cook
- #62 Knowing What’s Best for Poor People
- #61 Bicycles - never learned to ride one; traumatized as a child :(
- #60 Toyota Prius
- #59 Natural Medicine - I read the description and agree with the argument
- #58 Japan
- #57 Juno - LOVED IT!
- #56 Lawyers - my sister's a lawyer & I grew up watching LA Law
- #55 Apologies - yup
- #54 Kitchen Gadgets - can't cook, but I love buying stuff for the kitchen
- #53 Dogs - yup, I'm a dog person
- #52 Sarah Silverman - ok, no.
- #51 Living by the Water
- #50 Irony - who doesn't enjoy irony
- #49 Vintage
- #48 Whole Foods and Grocery Co-ops - I'm sure if I could afford to shop there regularly, I would
- #47 Arts Degrees - where did I go to school and what was my major
- #46 The Sunday New York Times
- #45 Asian Fusion Food - yum!
- #44 Public Radio
- #43 Plays - I would like to see more plays
- #42 Sushi - I'm new to sushi, but man, do i love it
- #41 Indie Music
- #40 Apple Products - oh hell yes!
- #39 Netflix - yes!
- #38 Arrested Development
- #37 Renovations
- #36 Breakfast Places - love breakfast
- #35 The Daily Show/Colbert Report - I don't watch them regularly, but when I do, hi-la-ri-ous!
- #34 Architecture
- #33 Marijuana - nope
- #32 Vegan/Vegetarianism - oh hell no
- #31 Snowboarding - not for me
- #30 Wrigley Field
- #29 80s Night - YES!
- #28 Not having a TV - oh hell no
- #27 Marathons - as in tv/movie marathons, then yes. running? hell no
- #26 Manhattan (now Brooklyn too!) - never been
- #25 David Sedaris
- #24 Wine - nope, give me hard liquor
- #23 Microbreweries
- #22 Having Two Last Names
- #21 Writers Workshops - I've always wanted to do one
- #20 Being an expert on YOUR culture
- #19 Traveling - yes
- #18 Awareness
- #17 Hating their Parents - oh yeah, i definitely went through that phase
- #16 Gifted Children - I was gifted
- #15 Yoga - i've thought about it
- #14 Having Black Friends - I have Black friends, very good friends
- #13 Tea - mmm, vanilla chai
- #12 Non-Profit Organizations
- #11 Asian Girls - lost me here
- #10 Wes Anderson Movies - I've never seen any of his movies :(
- #9 Making you feel bad about not going outside - not really
- #8 Barack Obama
- #7 Diversity
- #6 Organic Food - nah
- #5 Farmer’s Markets - i love farmer's markets scenes in movies, but never really been to one
- #4 Assists - yes
- #3 Film Festivals - yes
- #2 Religions their parents don’t belong to - I don't believe in religion. I believe in spirituality and a higher being(s)
- #1 Coffee - Don't like coffee, but I love Starbuck's and Coffee Bean!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Addendum to 2008: A recap
2008 really was a year of reconnecting with friends.
I saw friends I hadn't seen in a few years; I saw friends I hadn't seen in almost a decade.
In addition to the trips I took, some friends made trips out here. Caroline came out from NY on business (twice, but I only got to see her once). It had been so loooonnnggg and it was great to see her. Hopefully I'll be able to make it out to NY later this year. :)
And of course, I got to spend time with Anners TWICE this year; lunch at Chili's and then, of course, the NKOTB concert at the Staples Center in October.
We, of course, cannot forget all the reconnecting that has been done with the help of facebook and myspace. 2008 must have seen a surge in computer purchases because more and more were joining myspace and facebook. I am completely addicted to facebook. I'm on ALL the time.
I've been back in touch with old high school and college friends, some I never thought I'd be back in touch again. All thanks to online social networks. Yay.
I saw friends I hadn't seen in a few years; I saw friends I hadn't seen in almost a decade.
In addition to the trips I took, some friends made trips out here. Caroline came out from NY on business (twice, but I only got to see her once). It had been so loooonnnggg and it was great to see her. Hopefully I'll be able to make it out to NY later this year. :)
And of course, I got to spend time with Anners TWICE this year; lunch at Chili's and then, of course, the NKOTB concert at the Staples Center in October.
We, of course, cannot forget all the reconnecting that has been done with the help of facebook and myspace. 2008 must have seen a surge in computer purchases because more and more were joining myspace and facebook. I am completely addicted to facebook. I'm on ALL the time.
I've been back in touch with old high school and college friends, some I never thought I'd be back in touch again. All thanks to online social networks. Yay.
Monday, January 5, 2009
2008: A recap
2008 was a year of change; of ups and downs; new beginnings and loss.
My heart still aches for my sweet Gaby. I can't think about her without tears coming to my eyes. Thinking of the events I will never experience with her makes me sob uncontrollably. I will never get to see her walk down the aisle on her wedding day. I will never get to hold her children in my arms. But it's the everyday life I will miss. I will never get to buy her anything or yell at her when she messes up. She is gone and while I'm left with memories of her, my heart has a hole in it and it will never be filled.
With loss, came new additions into the family as my cousin's marriage brought a new step-niece into the family as well as a new baby niece, Lilyanne.
The year began with a trip to snowy and cold Idaho to visit friends. Not only were fun times had, but the trip resulted in an unexpected job opportunity, setting the tone for the rest of the year. While it was a wonderful opportunity and more than I could ever have expected, it didn't come without it's negative points. Changing positions from one company to another wreaked havoc in my personal life, as well as my professional life. Friendships changed; and I can't help wondering if some friendships were completely fake and circumstantial.
This year, distance played a big role in my relationships. I traveled to Idaho twice to spend time with my best friend at a time I needed her most. My life was in complete and utter chaos. I needed comfort and relaxation and who better to get it from than the person that knows me so well she can finish my sentences and know what I'm thinking without having to say it.
When I changed company's and thus work locations, it brought me closer to one of my best friends from high school. To say we'd drifted apart in the years after high school would be an understatement. We'd kept in touch on and off, and for the last five years or so, most of our communication was through this blog. He kept up to speed with my life visiting my blog daily, and every few months there'd be a phone conversation or e-mail, but that was pretty much it until this year. Now we both work in the valley and take the metro rail so it made it pretty convenient to get together for lunch or drinks after work and dinner. Though, I must admit, it was awkward at first, not having seen each other in so long, but we were able to settle into a comfortable place with each other, nearly as close as we were in high school. It helps that he knows everything about my life because of my blog and I can just be myself, I don't have to hide anything; he knows all my drama. Due to our close proximity (I go by his office every day, twice a day, on my way to and from work), I've come to rely on him for my stress relief. Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed and stressed out at work, I can call on him for some after-work drinks, if he's not already otherwise engaged. And he's introduced me to new places in Downtown LA; a whole new scene. He's been a good friend when I've needed one, and I even missed him when he was on vacation for two weeks.
As friendships with some grew, others were thrown into upheaval for different reasons. I spent less time with Mari after she quit her job (finally!) and was no longer commuting down to LA. Sometimes friendships can't survive only on phone calls. Luckily, she's back to working in LA and commuting, but she's also going to school, so her time is limited. But I've already seen her more in the last few weeks, than I did in a 6-month time frame, so we should be okay. :-)
Other friendships were beaten up pretty bad with my job switch, but are showing signs of recovery, so that's good.
Yes, I sacrificed a great deal when I changed jobs, but I don't regret my decision. I've gained so much and have been introduced into a world I never thought was possible. I've been given a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm trying to make the most out of it, even though it's definitely not easy and there are times when I just want to walk away, but I've worked so hard to get to this point and I'm not about to let anything or anyone stop me.
Another highlight of the year was all the traveling I got to do. In addition to my two Idaho trips, I had a work trip to Vegas and three trips to reconnect with more friends I hadn't seen in a long time. I guess 2008 was also a year of reconnecting.
First up was San Francisco for Kimmy's wedding, which also happened to be my 30th birthday.
I tried not to focus on the birthday aspect of the trip, but it was inevitable. I mean, it was my 30th birthday. :) I spent a wonderfully long weekend in San Francisco with Tiny and reconnected with old college friends. Kimmy's wedding was absolutely beautiful. The thing I took most away from that weekend was when Sachin asked, "What happened to the "faded girl" I used to know?"
Exactly. What happened to that girl? I've been asking myself that same question for years now.
Upon returning from San Francisco, I had to run to the DMV to renew my ID before my flight to MN, and while I was there I got my driving permit. I've had it since early September and yet, I still haven't been behind the wheel of a car.
In mid-September, I flew to MN and went back to my alma mater for the first time in almost a decade. I was reunited with my roommate from freshman year and again, reconnected with old friends.
Most importantly, I was flooded with old memories and created some wonderful new ones. The second I stepped off the taxi at my hotel, it was like I stepped back into the past. Things were the same, things were different, but as I walked down the streets of Northfield, vivid memories of times past came back. I was 18 again, walking down the town's main street. Walking into some of the same stores and restaurants was like I never left. And when I took my first steps onto campus, OH MY GOD. There were things that had obviously changed, but many times I had to look twice to notice. What surprised me the most was being recognized and remembered. Unfortunately, I'm not the girl I used to be, or at least, she hadn't quite made it back at the time, so there was obvious awkwardness on my part, not knowing exactly how to relate to others and just be myself. A decade with no communication is a long time.
At the end of September I went back to NorCal for Quynhnie's wedding. It had been a few years since I'd seen her and things had changed a lot for her. I was so excited and thrilled to be a part of her big day.
Unfortunately, the rest of the year was completely devoted to work. Except the two times I saw New Kids on the Block in concert in October and then again in November; finally fulfilling a childhood dream.
I can't believe how quickly the year ended; 2008 began and ended in a whir. The months just flew by. I had a "normal" work schedule for a few months and got my weekends back, which meant I spent more time with family. I love spending time with my Goddaughter, especially when she's super loving and the last few times I've been over, she's been so playful; she kept tickling me and jumping all over me. She is just so adorable.
I look ahead to 2009, which is already sure to be filled with exciting times, a lot of hard work, and no absence of stress and pressure; just how I like things. ;-)
My heart still aches for my sweet Gaby. I can't think about her without tears coming to my eyes. Thinking of the events I will never experience with her makes me sob uncontrollably. I will never get to see her walk down the aisle on her wedding day. I will never get to hold her children in my arms. But it's the everyday life I will miss. I will never get to buy her anything or yell at her when she messes up. She is gone and while I'm left with memories of her, my heart has a hole in it and it will never be filled.
With loss, came new additions into the family as my cousin's marriage brought a new step-niece into the family as well as a new baby niece, Lilyanne.
The year began with a trip to snowy and cold Idaho to visit friends. Not only were fun times had, but the trip resulted in an unexpected job opportunity, setting the tone for the rest of the year. While it was a wonderful opportunity and more than I could ever have expected, it didn't come without it's negative points. Changing positions from one company to another wreaked havoc in my personal life, as well as my professional life. Friendships changed; and I can't help wondering if some friendships were completely fake and circumstantial.
This year, distance played a big role in my relationships. I traveled to Idaho twice to spend time with my best friend at a time I needed her most. My life was in complete and utter chaos. I needed comfort and relaxation and who better to get it from than the person that knows me so well she can finish my sentences and know what I'm thinking without having to say it.
When I changed company's and thus work locations, it brought me closer to one of my best friends from high school. To say we'd drifted apart in the years after high school would be an understatement. We'd kept in touch on and off, and for the last five years or so, most of our communication was through this blog. He kept up to speed with my life visiting my blog daily, and every few months there'd be a phone conversation or e-mail, but that was pretty much it until this year. Now we both work in the valley and take the metro rail so it made it pretty convenient to get together for lunch or drinks after work and dinner. Though, I must admit, it was awkward at first, not having seen each other in so long, but we were able to settle into a comfortable place with each other, nearly as close as we were in high school. It helps that he knows everything about my life because of my blog and I can just be myself, I don't have to hide anything; he knows all my drama. Due to our close proximity (I go by his office every day, twice a day, on my way to and from work), I've come to rely on him for my stress relief. Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed and stressed out at work, I can call on him for some after-work drinks, if he's not already otherwise engaged. And he's introduced me to new places in Downtown LA; a whole new scene. He's been a good friend when I've needed one, and I even missed him when he was on vacation for two weeks.
As friendships with some grew, others were thrown into upheaval for different reasons. I spent less time with Mari after she quit her job (finally!) and was no longer commuting down to LA. Sometimes friendships can't survive only on phone calls. Luckily, she's back to working in LA and commuting, but she's also going to school, so her time is limited. But I've already seen her more in the last few weeks, than I did in a 6-month time frame, so we should be okay. :-)
Other friendships were beaten up pretty bad with my job switch, but are showing signs of recovery, so that's good.
Yes, I sacrificed a great deal when I changed jobs, but I don't regret my decision. I've gained so much and have been introduced into a world I never thought was possible. I've been given a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'm trying to make the most out of it, even though it's definitely not easy and there are times when I just want to walk away, but I've worked so hard to get to this point and I'm not about to let anything or anyone stop me.
Another highlight of the year was all the traveling I got to do. In addition to my two Idaho trips, I had a work trip to Vegas and three trips to reconnect with more friends I hadn't seen in a long time. I guess 2008 was also a year of reconnecting.
First up was San Francisco for Kimmy's wedding, which also happened to be my 30th birthday.
I tried not to focus on the birthday aspect of the trip, but it was inevitable. I mean, it was my 30th birthday. :) I spent a wonderfully long weekend in San Francisco with Tiny and reconnected with old college friends. Kimmy's wedding was absolutely beautiful. The thing I took most away from that weekend was when Sachin asked, "What happened to the "faded girl" I used to know?"
Exactly. What happened to that girl? I've been asking myself that same question for years now.
Upon returning from San Francisco, I had to run to the DMV to renew my ID before my flight to MN, and while I was there I got my driving permit. I've had it since early September and yet, I still haven't been behind the wheel of a car.
In mid-September, I flew to MN and went back to my alma mater for the first time in almost a decade. I was reunited with my roommate from freshman year and again, reconnected with old friends.
Most importantly, I was flooded with old memories and created some wonderful new ones. The second I stepped off the taxi at my hotel, it was like I stepped back into the past. Things were the same, things were different, but as I walked down the streets of Northfield, vivid memories of times past came back. I was 18 again, walking down the town's main street. Walking into some of the same stores and restaurants was like I never left. And when I took my first steps onto campus, OH MY GOD. There were things that had obviously changed, but many times I had to look twice to notice. What surprised me the most was being recognized and remembered. Unfortunately, I'm not the girl I used to be, or at least, she hadn't quite made it back at the time, so there was obvious awkwardness on my part, not knowing exactly how to relate to others and just be myself. A decade with no communication is a long time.
At the end of September I went back to NorCal for Quynhnie's wedding. It had been a few years since I'd seen her and things had changed a lot for her. I was so excited and thrilled to be a part of her big day.
Unfortunately, the rest of the year was completely devoted to work. Except the two times I saw New Kids on the Block in concert in October and then again in November; finally fulfilling a childhood dream.
I can't believe how quickly the year ended; 2008 began and ended in a whir. The months just flew by. I had a "normal" work schedule for a few months and got my weekends back, which meant I spent more time with family. I love spending time with my Goddaughter, especially when she's super loving and the last few times I've been over, she's been so playful; she kept tickling me and jumping all over me. She is just so adorable.
I look ahead to 2009, which is already sure to be filled with exciting times, a lot of hard work, and no absence of stress and pressure; just how I like things. ;-)
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
New camera
My new Sony DSC-H10 arrived at work on Tuesday, but I was off until today.
I finally just sucked it up and bought it. I was unhappy with the Canon Powershot A590 I bought a couple of months ago. :(
Luckily, I found it on sale for less on Amazon.com than anywhere else. I love Amazon! I've been ordering so much from them lately. Even the 4GB memory card for the camera was a heck-of-a-lot less than anywhere else. (Yup! 4GB!)
(Photos of my new camera taken by my Canon Powershot A590.)
I finally just sucked it up and bought it. I was unhappy with the Canon Powershot A590 I bought a couple of months ago. :(
Luckily, I found it on sale for less on Amazon.com than anywhere else. I love Amazon! I've been ordering so much from them lately. Even the 4GB memory card for the camera was a heck-of-a-lot less than anywhere else. (Yup! 4GB!)
(Photos of my new camera taken by my Canon Powershot A590.)
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
NKOTB concert clip
Call me crazy, but I think you can totally hear me in this video. I think the chick was behind me.
When the audience is singing Happy Birthday to Jonathan, I totally started saying Jonathan instead of just Jon, and I think that's me you hear. And then sometimes, there's this big old head in the corner of the video - it could totally be me.
It might not be, but hey, who's going to know for sure, right?
When the audience is singing Happy Birthday to Jonathan, I totally started saying Jonathan instead of just Jon, and I think that's me you hear. And then sometimes, there's this big old head in the corner of the video - it could totally be me.
It might not be, but hey, who's going to know for sure, right?
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving?
Family gatherings would not be family gatherings without drama; and my family is no exception. We were really hoping there would be no drama this year, but it was inevitable. Last year, my aunt and uncle Cris made a big stink because we decided which families were hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas without consulting them and apparently, they wanted to host it. Frankly, we made the decision without them because no one actually likes going to their house. It's not inviting, it doesn't feel like a home; we're just not comfortable being there.
But they made such a big stink about it and were so adamant about hosting Thanksgiving this year, that we gave in. We didn't really agree. We just didn't argue with them.
Months and months in advance, we usually start talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas; start figuring out who's going to host which and what not. This year, silence. No one wanted to bring it up. No one said a word. We'd talk amongst ourselves, but no one really wanted to know. My aunt and uncle Cris didn't bring it up and no one brought it up to them.
We were divided in opinion. I personally thought that if they were really going to host Thanksgiving, then they would have confirmed it and given everyone details. So the fact that they hadn't said a peep about it was their way of getting out of it. My Godmother, on the other hand, thought the opposite; that they would have spoken up if they weren't going to host it anymore, but since they'd made a stink about it last year, they were definitely hosting it.
Either way, no one wanted to be the one to ask. No one wanted to be the person to call and ask and make sure they were hosting Thanksgiving. We were stuck in a waiting game.
Mom thought we should just wait until the day of and if they called and said come over, then we'd go over, but if they didn't call, well then, we'd all just stay at our own houses. I didn't like this plan. It left the door wide open for problems. Especially if they had every intention of hosting and didn't think they needed to call and confirm, and then no one shows up - imagine the scandal that would've caused.
So I was the one that had the balls to call them. The week before Thanksgiving, after days of my Godmother chickening out, I called my uncle and confirmed Thanksgiving was at their house. And then everyone got mad at me for calling because no one really wanted to go to their house. Not like I was looking forward to it. Ever since the initial argument last year, I had said I wasn't going; that I had to work. But I sucked it up all for the "family."
Yeah, ask me if that didn't come back to smack me in the face.
I was unaware of certain things that had happened until the end of the evening, but still the time spent was not very pleasant. It was hot inside the house and thus, I was hot and sweaty; not a good thing. I spent most of the night fawning over the little ones; first my cousin's twin boys (she's pregnant again btw, due April 20), then my Goddaughter and niece, then my other niece and my newborn niece (she'll be 5 months tomorrow). I tried to take photos, even took both of my cameras, but it was hard to do while carrying one of the twins. I'd try passing him to others, but then he'd start crying and would only settle down when I took him back. (awwww) Honestly, though, my heart hasn't really been in taking photos anymore. I'm almost only doing it because it's expected, not because I really want to. Towards the end of the night, I handed my camera over to my 6 year old niece and sent her to take photos until the battery ran out. She had fun. :)
Unfortunately, the biggest offense of the evening was not discovered until the end of the night when we were getting ready to leave. Our family tradition has always been that each family cooks a meal, and we always take the turkey and traditional side dishes. No matter who's hosting, we always do the turkey and this year was no different. My sister spent all day cooking everything from scratch; and she didn't even want to go to Thanksgiving dinner at my uncle and aunt's house, but she did.
When we arrived for dinner, we discovered that my aunt had also made a turkey. She said that as the hostess, it was her job to make the turkey. BULLSHIT!
My mom tried to arrange everything we took, but was kicked out of the kitchen by my aunt and uncle. She was told to relax and that they'd take care of things. Before agreeing to leave the kitchen, though, my mom handed them everything and told them everything we had taken. When dinner was served, we noticed that our plates did not contain anything we had taken, but that was ok because maybe it'd gone to others.
When it was time to leave and my mom and sister went into the kitchen to retrieve tupperware containers and take leftovers, they saw that everything we had taken was thrown in a corner and completely untouched. They had cut into the turkey we took, but only because the turkey my aunt had made was too small and not enough for our big family. But everything else was on the floor in a corner. My aunt claims she thought it was a diaper bag, but she's full of shit. My mom handed it to her; we're the only f'ing family that doesn't have babies - how could she even think it was a diaper bag?!?!?!
To say my sister was pissed would be an understatement. She practically pushed mom out of the house and made sure nothing we had taken was left behind, as well as making sure that we didn't bring any leftovers from anybody else. My uncle walked out to the car and my sister did not hesitate and unleashed her fury on him.
She won't return to their house. She refuses to go to another family event hosted at their house. And if you thought I was stubborn and could hold a grudge, you haven't met my sister. She's ten times worse than me. She doesn't hold her tongue for even a second. At least I know when to shut up and go with the flow, out of respect for my mother, but my sister will let you have it. When she unleashed on my uncle, he said nothing. He never responds when called on something.
During the toast that night, my aunt had said they wanted to host Christmas as well, even though my uncle Jose was already scheduled to host. To make matters worse, my uncle Jose said he was not going to deny it to them because he didn't want to cause problems. But in ceding Christmas to them, he assured a division in the family would occur. My sister won't go to their house and since it's Christmas, we're not going to spend it without my sister, so that means we're not going to spend Christmas with the family, we'll be on our own. When we told our uncle Jose that we wouldn't be going to their house, he said if we didn't go, then he wouldn't go either.
As far as I know, we're not spending Christmas with the family, which means I'm saving a heck of a lot of money now that I don't have to buy them all presents. Of course, I probably will buy presents for all except my aunt and uncle Cris' family.
My Godmother came over last night and I told her everything, as she was unaware of what had happened, and now they're trying to salvage Christmas and the family.
There's only one problem: you can't salvage anything if the problem at hand is not addressed.
But they made such a big stink about it and were so adamant about hosting Thanksgiving this year, that we gave in. We didn't really agree. We just didn't argue with them.
Months and months in advance, we usually start talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas; start figuring out who's going to host which and what not. This year, silence. No one wanted to bring it up. No one said a word. We'd talk amongst ourselves, but no one really wanted to know. My aunt and uncle Cris didn't bring it up and no one brought it up to them.
We were divided in opinion. I personally thought that if they were really going to host Thanksgiving, then they would have confirmed it and given everyone details. So the fact that they hadn't said a peep about it was their way of getting out of it. My Godmother, on the other hand, thought the opposite; that they would have spoken up if they weren't going to host it anymore, but since they'd made a stink about it last year, they were definitely hosting it.
Either way, no one wanted to be the one to ask. No one wanted to be the person to call and ask and make sure they were hosting Thanksgiving. We were stuck in a waiting game.
Mom thought we should just wait until the day of and if they called and said come over, then we'd go over, but if they didn't call, well then, we'd all just stay at our own houses. I didn't like this plan. It left the door wide open for problems. Especially if they had every intention of hosting and didn't think they needed to call and confirm, and then no one shows up - imagine the scandal that would've caused.
So I was the one that had the balls to call them. The week before Thanksgiving, after days of my Godmother chickening out, I called my uncle and confirmed Thanksgiving was at their house. And then everyone got mad at me for calling because no one really wanted to go to their house. Not like I was looking forward to it. Ever since the initial argument last year, I had said I wasn't going; that I had to work. But I sucked it up all for the "family."
Yeah, ask me if that didn't come back to smack me in the face.
I was unaware of certain things that had happened until the end of the evening, but still the time spent was not very pleasant. It was hot inside the house and thus, I was hot and sweaty; not a good thing. I spent most of the night fawning over the little ones; first my cousin's twin boys (she's pregnant again btw, due April 20), then my Goddaughter and niece, then my other niece and my newborn niece (she'll be 5 months tomorrow). I tried to take photos, even took both of my cameras, but it was hard to do while carrying one of the twins. I'd try passing him to others, but then he'd start crying and would only settle down when I took him back. (awwww) Honestly, though, my heart hasn't really been in taking photos anymore. I'm almost only doing it because it's expected, not because I really want to. Towards the end of the night, I handed my camera over to my 6 year old niece and sent her to take photos until the battery ran out. She had fun. :)
Unfortunately, the biggest offense of the evening was not discovered until the end of the night when we were getting ready to leave. Our family tradition has always been that each family cooks a meal, and we always take the turkey and traditional side dishes. No matter who's hosting, we always do the turkey and this year was no different. My sister spent all day cooking everything from scratch; and she didn't even want to go to Thanksgiving dinner at my uncle and aunt's house, but she did.
When we arrived for dinner, we discovered that my aunt had also made a turkey. She said that as the hostess, it was her job to make the turkey. BULLSHIT!
My mom tried to arrange everything we took, but was kicked out of the kitchen by my aunt and uncle. She was told to relax and that they'd take care of things. Before agreeing to leave the kitchen, though, my mom handed them everything and told them everything we had taken. When dinner was served, we noticed that our plates did not contain anything we had taken, but that was ok because maybe it'd gone to others.
When it was time to leave and my mom and sister went into the kitchen to retrieve tupperware containers and take leftovers, they saw that everything we had taken was thrown in a corner and completely untouched. They had cut into the turkey we took, but only because the turkey my aunt had made was too small and not enough for our big family. But everything else was on the floor in a corner. My aunt claims she thought it was a diaper bag, but she's full of shit. My mom handed it to her; we're the only f'ing family that doesn't have babies - how could she even think it was a diaper bag?!?!?!
To say my sister was pissed would be an understatement. She practically pushed mom out of the house and made sure nothing we had taken was left behind, as well as making sure that we didn't bring any leftovers from anybody else. My uncle walked out to the car and my sister did not hesitate and unleashed her fury on him.
She won't return to their house. She refuses to go to another family event hosted at their house. And if you thought I was stubborn and could hold a grudge, you haven't met my sister. She's ten times worse than me. She doesn't hold her tongue for even a second. At least I know when to shut up and go with the flow, out of respect for my mother, but my sister will let you have it. When she unleashed on my uncle, he said nothing. He never responds when called on something.
During the toast that night, my aunt had said they wanted to host Christmas as well, even though my uncle Jose was already scheduled to host. To make matters worse, my uncle Jose said he was not going to deny it to them because he didn't want to cause problems. But in ceding Christmas to them, he assured a division in the family would occur. My sister won't go to their house and since it's Christmas, we're not going to spend it without my sister, so that means we're not going to spend Christmas with the family, we'll be on our own. When we told our uncle Jose that we wouldn't be going to their house, he said if we didn't go, then he wouldn't go either.
As far as I know, we're not spending Christmas with the family, which means I'm saving a heck of a lot of money now that I don't have to buy them all presents. Of course, I probably will buy presents for all except my aunt and uncle Cris' family.
My Godmother came over last night and I told her everything, as she was unaware of what had happened, and now they're trying to salvage Christmas and the family.
There's only one problem: you can't salvage anything if the problem at hand is not addressed.
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