27321

Recently, Dave and I closed escrow on a house in Riverside County with my mother-in-law. We are officially homeowners. I thought it might be interesting to note that our street number is the same as the name of the most expensive cocktail in the world served at the world renown Burj Al Arab Hotel. Just a fun fact.

According to the Guinness World Records 2009, "The Skyview Bar in the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, offers a cocktail named the '27321' that costs 27,321 Dirham ($7,439). The cocktail, an ultra-luxurious version of a traditional Old Fashioned, consists of 55-year-old Macallan whisky from Scotland, ice made from the water used at their distillery, a drop or so of exclussive dried fruit bitters, and passionfruit-scented sugar. It is stirred using a rod made from a Macallan cask, and served in an 18-karat gold glass produced in the French town of Baccarat." The buyer gets to keep the glass.

Corona Del Mar

Probably in the history of my extended family, this is the first time we were able to get representation from every family to show up for an outdoor BBQ. The Parks, Kangs, Lees and the Chos gathered for an evening of festivities at Corona Del Mar. It was great - fiance(e)s, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends and even neighbors joined in on the fun. Uncle Peter grilled some pork meat with rock salt! Delicious! And I have to say, my avocado and fresh tomato salsas were a hit.

My parents were in town. Here's a shot of my aunt, Susie (her daughter), me and my mom. My sister's family will be in town for John and Michelle's wedding at the end of September making it a true all-family reunion.



Jiea and I had a good discussion about recapping our family's ancestry with the grandparents. We want to take videos of grandma and grandpa telling our family's history and I'm hoping to blog about it. Soon to come!

Gonorrhea!

Have you ever seen the episode of Seinfeld where Kramer gets a job as a medical model for medical students to diagnose? Well, tomorrow morning... I will be diagnosing three medical models at USC (hopefully not gonorrhea) for my Advanced Health Assessment final :)

Here's a bit of the script:
Mt. Sanai Hospital. Kramer is on the table surrounded by med students.

Student #1: And are you experiencing any discomfort?

Kramer: Just a little burning during urination.

Student #1: Okay, any other pain?

Kramer: The haunting memories of lost love. May I? (signals to Mickey) Lights? (Mickey turns down the lights and Kramer lights a cigar) Our eyes met across the crowded hat store. I, a customer, and she a coquettish haberdasher. Oh, I pursued and she withdrew, then she pursued and I withdrew, and so we danced. I burned for her, much like the burning during urination that I would experience soon afterwards.

Student #1: Gonorrhea?!

Kramer: Gonorrhea!

The lab breaks out in spontaneous applause as Mickey turns up the lights and Kramer takes a bow.

The end is near

I organized a surprise party for four of the students in my nursing program who are graduating this summer. They are the first to finish the program (the accelerated Bachelor/Master of Science in Nursing) in our cohort that started together in September of 2007. Just knowing that they have finished is such an encouragement to me... the end is in reach!

Sports day

Spain vs. Netherlands 1-0 @Barney's Ltd.

Yesterday was the final game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This past month has been so much fun watching the futbol (soccer) games on ESPN3. We started with Round 1, cheering South Korea on to the round of 16 during early morning games starting at 4:30 am. On the days I was working, I'd give Dave a wake-up and even peak in on the game in some empty patient room with the TV on.

When S.Korea lost to Uruguay it was disappointing, but as we watched the drama of this year's World Cup unfold, we were more than entertained. Although feeling the void of the games now, this World Cup was special because we got to enjoy it together. Dave, an avid soccer fan and even player from childhood to college, was overjoyed to see me get into the sport this year.


After the World Cup Final, we headed to the Dodger stadium to catch my very first baseball game. The game lacked some tension... okay, a lot of tension, as the Dodgers shut the Cubs out 7-0.

The Veggies of my Labor

I've come a long way since my post last year in April about my first time gardening. This summer, I planted several zucchini plants, a bell pepper plant, strawberries, edamame and basil. I present to you the first fruits (or veggies) of my labor this season!

When we moved into Trinity three years ago, we were told that this little plot of soil would not produce anything good. I was told that our neighbors had attempted a couple times and were unsuccessful. Goes to show... with some effort, love and attention, the impossible can be possible. Cheesy... I know. But I'm so proud of myself!!

Andrew Lloyd Webber meets Jane

There are some times when my husband's nudges turn into beauty and Friday night was one of those nights. Dave has been taking classes at UCLA extension and recently started taking a class called Introduction to Orchestration. His instructor, Norman Ludwin, is a double bass player with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra.

Norman let his class in on a great secret: free concert rehearsals! Dave had been nudging me to take my mother-in-law to see the orchestra rehearse for the Andrew Lloyd Webber Meets Italy performance at the Arboretum in Arcadia. He was working that night at the restaurant. With some coaxing, Jane, my hard-working mother-in-law agreed to go.


As soon as we arrived, a beautiful peacock stood at the entrance to greet us, displaying and even flaunting her beauty. The security guard initially wouldn't let us in... but with some sweet talking (and some name dropping) we had the sweet opportunity to hear them rehearse their whole set.

It was an amazing time. All these seats waiting to be filled the next evening. My mother-in-law kept raving about the harmony between nature and music. As the strings and woodwinds tickled our eardrums and the cool breeze brushed up against our skin, our eyes absorbed the colorful surroundings. The birds seemed to chirp along in tune and the birds and bugs danced in unison.


I'm glad Jane had a great time. Initially, when Dave had brought up the idea, she instinctively said "maybe in a few years". Of course, Dave would have none of that. I'm glad that my husband knows when a little nudging is required.


Jesus Christ Superstar, Remember Me, All I Ask of You, Music of the Night, Memory, and Don't Cry for me Argentina were only some of the memorable songs performed. Because it was a rehearsal, during the performances, Maestro Victor Vener would interrupt and make comments like, "The orchestra is supposed to be a fluffy, feathery pillow for these lovers to lay on, not a ... a... bear rug!!" It was rewarding to watch the Maestro in action.


All to say... as the evening turned from daylight to dusk and then to dark, nighttime truly did sharpen and heighten each sensation. Thanks honey for setting up this date for us. :)

Jury duty bench warmer

"This isn't democracy! I have no voice!" I grumbled to Dave over the phone - jokingly of course.

Day 3 of jury duty. Today, deliberations begin. However, being alternate #1 on the jury means that I get to sit in the hall and wait while the real jury deliberate on the verdict for the defendant. I was summoned, I was chosen, I sat through the prosecutor/defendant's arguments and the witnessess' testimonies... but when it's game time, I'm just warming the bench. Hence, the computer and the blogging.

I wonder if I even get to hear the verdict?

Surprise!

This past fourth of July was pretty out of the ordinary.

Danny and Colleen are our good friends in Pasadena, who may possibly be moving to Chicago. Danny just got back from a job interview in Chicago and Colleen's flight got in 9pm Sunday. Our group of friends, after a Fourth of July BBQ, decided to give her a surprise.

We weren't planning on seeing any fireworks, but on the way to the airport we saw a 360 degree fireworks show on the 110 highway. It was incredible being in a moving car and seeing the different firework shows going off at the same time -probably something not many people have experienced.



This picture was taken at the LAX Cell Phone Waiting Lot while Mike, Jon, Dave and I were parked out here waiting for Danny, Josh and Kate to bring Colleen. It was a two tier surprise. When they pulled into the parking lot, she had no idea what was going on and proceeded to warn the group, "Guys, this doesn't look safe. It looks like gang activity." Only to find her friends standing on the car and Dave strumming on the guitar.

Concert Under the Stars: Love of music knows no age

Last week, Dave and I went to the Levitt Pavilion at Memorial Park in Pasadena to see Danielia Cotton perform. Just one night of a free summer series of performers. After dinner, we packed up our beach chairs and walked over to enjoy the music. Several people brought picnics and there were a couple food vendors as well. We thought it was cute how the kids slowly congregated at the front.

Groupies. They start young!

There was this cute, elderly couple sitting next to us that ran up to dance. I just had to capture it on video. Lois: "Aw... I love how they just don't care about all the people watching." Dave: "I bet they were hippies."

Sesame vinaigrette

Growing up, there was only one kind of salad dressing my mom made and it was her very own sesame vinaigrette dressing. Really easy to make. Sesame oil, rice vinegar and sesame seeds.

I put my own spin to her dressing and now, this is the only dressing we use in our home for salads. It goes well with steak dinners, spaghetti, salmon/chicken and rice, or on its own. People always ask me for the recipe... I never actually measure it, but I'm pretty sure these proportions will work.

Ingredients
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp minced garlic
roasted sesame seeds

Jury Duty

It's the 4th of July and what greater way to celebrate American pride than with jury duty. I was summoned to be on call for jury service for the last week. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday dismissed... and just when I thought I was off the hook, I was told to report on Friday. They asked me to park at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and, let me tell you, what a gorgeous place. Then, I walked about 5 minutes down to the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center at Temple and Broadway.

As soon as I arrived, within 30 minutes I was called to the first panel of jurors. We were then taken to a small courtroom where the judge, the prosecuting attorney and the defending attorney presented the case and questioned whether we could be impartial as jurors. My oh my, the excuses people gave to get out of jury service.

Finally, as they "weeded" people out one by one, I was one of the last three people selected for this jury of 14 as one of two alternates. Apparently it took 1.5 days to finally select everyone. My co-workers have expressed difficulty ever being dismissed at this stage despite their attire, demeanor, and excuses. Let's face it... registered nurses are liked by all.

We got an hour and half lunch break, and I devoured a sesame chicken bowl while watching the Ghana vs Uruguay game.

It looks like the case will extend into next week and luckily my employer pays for up to 5 days of missed shifts. Working night shifts means I get both the night before and the night of the day fully paid for. Yippee! Six hours of jury duty beats 24 hours of night-shift work any day.