Little girl

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , ,
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Now that Smokey’s been with us for over two weeks, she’s really settling into things and taking over the home in her adorable way. I’ve taken to calling her “little girl” when Smokey or Smokey Bear doesn’t feel right. Take a look at her all around the house…

20140419-222832.jpgShe poses authoritatively.

20140419-222911.jpgShe gets mischievous.

20140419-223040.jpgShe claims the couch.

20140419-223119.jpgShe claims my spot on the bed.

20140419-223232.jpgShe takes over my desk.

20140419-223247.jpgShe had her own getaway.

20140419-223348.jpgShe splays all over the place.

20140419-223341.jpgShe explores the bath.

20140419-223326.jpgShe stretches out.

Ah, what a good life! When she first arrived she couldn’t seem to truly let go and rest, but now she sleeps so soundly. 🙂 It’s great having some liveliness around here!

Free cone day

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I’m getting a little antsy with no new box recently. I do have some on the way though! I ordered a Julep spring mystery box (I had skipped March, but it looks like I got sucked in to getting something anyway :-P) and I got a notification that my Beauty Box 5 is on its way. In the mean time…

Today was free cone day at Ben & Jerry’s locations across the nation! For lunch, a bunch of my coworkers and I went to claim a freebie and I donated $5 to the charity that was there – apparently each location has a local charity for the day. I got a scoop of Liz Lemon, which is a lemon frozen Greek yogurt with blueberry swirl. I think I’ve found a refreshing fav! I really enjoyed the slight tartness and lightness of this flavor.

ben and jerry's ice cream free cone day april 8th 2014 sign

hands holding ice cream cones from ben and jerry's

“Hurry up with the picture, I want to eat my cone!!”

Cherry Blossom Festival

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Rather last-minute, Panda and I decided to go check out the Cherry Blossom Festival today. Most of the trees aren’t quite ready yet, but a few early bloomers were there to greet visitors and it was a lovely day out to walk around. We got stuck in traffic all the way around the Tidal Basin and eventually got a parking spot at West Potomac Park. It was so crowded there were even a line of cars parking on the shoulder of an on ramp. Luckily, we were able to find a spot to park in legally. We then walked from the FDR Memorial all the way to the booths set up for the festival and then kept going to the MLK Memorial and back to the car. It’s the first time I’ve worn sneakers this year, after the crazy winter weather we’ve been hit with. I’m ready for the warmer months to finally kick in!

electronic traffic sign sharing message with drivers

We arrived to blocked off roads and I noticed that the dots on these signs are actually three dots in a triangular configuration. Never knew that before!

police k9 canine car parked on grass by cherry blossoms as lady stops to ask question

As we were stuck in traffic, I got to see this K9 police car complete with fan in the back window for the dog.

view of washington monument from across tidal basin with reflection in water

I don’t come to the Tidal Basin much, so it was a treat.

looking into interior of hollowed out tree trunk

A random tree trunk had been hollowed out from two sides.

tiny purple flowers growing in grass

Before we really even saw cherry blossoms, I stopped to admire these flowers.

edge of tidal basin by jefferson memorial

A ton of people were out enjoying the day.

view of cherry blossom festival booths and washington monument across tidal basin

Across the way were all the booths for the festival.

police patrol on horseback near tidal basin

Patrolling on horses. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

white blossoms on tree near tidal basin

One of the few trees that was a-blooming.

dozens of people on paddle boats in tidal basin

Every single paddle boat was out on the water.

cherry blossom buds on tree

Most trees looked like this.

bloomed cherry blossoms on tree by tidal basin

Some of the cherry blossoms had opened up. Spectacular.

Filling up the home

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Today we received our new furniture! Last weekend, we bought a set of couches and tables from hhgregg. We scheduled to have them delivered today and our home is finally feeling homey. For two months now we’ve been living here with a completely empty living room. It was big and cold and empty, so there was no reason to hang out there. Now with the couches, it’s a fantastic place to spend more time in.

large white truck filled with furniture stopping for couch delivery

I heard the truck as soon as it arrived. Here come our couches!

couch wrapped up in cardboard and plastic

The loveseat took careful maneuvering to get upstairs without hitting the hall lights.

assembling three pieces of couch

The larger sofa had to be disassembled to get it up.

boxes of end tables and coffeetable with two guys assembling the pieces

I hadn’t realized the tables needed to be put together!

new couch set with two couches, coffee table, two end tables, and pillows

Our new couch set, currently on cardboard until we get those felt pads.

I’m very happy with this couch set! It’s not the prettiest, but the material is so soft and I love how cushy it is. All four of the end units recline, so I have plenty of options. The matching pillows are a fabulous addition since I enjoy hugging a pillow or using it as a cushion for my laptop. Plus, we discovered that the coffee table is actually on wheels so we can slide it around. How fun!

Our cat and us

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Smokey has been great at night, though hard to get warmed up again when we get home from work. When we come home, she’s all skittish, probably from a day being alone with scary construction and airplane noises. When we finally coax her out from her hiding place, she’s quick to run back under the bed at anything that frightens her. A few hours into the night, she’s rubbing all over the place and jumping on the bed to hang out with us. By the time we sleep, she’s happily finding various spots on the bed where there are no blankets. In the morning, she follows us around as we get ready for work and then who knows what happens while we’re away. Tomorrow will be the first day we’re home during the daytime! I think she’s learning that when we leave, we aren’t abandoning her. She’s really starting to make this place her home now. 🙂

cat laying on blanket on top of person's legs

She chills on my legs.

person laying on bed smiling at cat sleeping

She rests on the bed.

person watching cat looking out window

She peers outside.

Our very own cat

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It’s been quite a long time coming and it only took three tries, but we finally got a cat! We first went to the shelter on Saturday, ready to bring home a cat. Little did we realize how long furniture-shopping would take. By the time we got to the shelter, we only had an hour left before they closed adoptions for the day. The time flew by as we got to know Kaotix (who is kind of like a male version of Missy) and then Bella. Both had just arrived that very day, so they were scared and confused. After we missed the adoption window, we stayed a little longer to hang out with Smokey. She didn’t come out of her cat “condo” to the visiting room, so it was hard to tell how she’d be, but things seemed quite promising.

smokey the cat sitting on shelf in visitation room at shelter

Yesterday, Smokey climbed on the shelves, ever the curious one.

The shelter was closed Sunday and Monday and after nearly three agonizing days, I happily went back yesterday to go adopt a cat. I was pretty sure I’d go with Smokey, but then I noticed Isis, who had been in a public room the other day. I only briefly went in the room before, so now that Isis was on her own I thought I’d see how she was. After spending some time with her, I then went back to Smokey. By that time, Panda had arrived and we hung out with Smokey for awhile. I wanted Panda to also see Isis, so we went back to the room with her. As we were spending time watching her, I suddenly thought about the time – turns out it was 6:35 and they wouldn’t allow us to adopt anymore! I was so upset, but that did give us a chance to spend enough time with Isis to decide that she was too vocal for our styles.

We were allowed to “reserve” her for the next 24 hours, so we had to return today no later than 6:30 to claim her. I had Panda head over first since I wasn’t sure I could make the time, so at least he could get the paperwork started. I definitely wanted to be the one to drive her home though!

pink piece of paper indicating cat adoption pending and reserved

We left last night with a note that Smokey was pending adoption.

She came to greet me when I arrived!

She came to greet me when I arrived!

We played in the room as the adoption paperwork was being processed.

We played in the room as the adoption paperwork was being processed.

Choosing a tag for her.

Choosing a tag for her.

Wow, all kinds of free goodies for new pet owners!

Wow, all kinds of free goodies for new pet owners!

Smokey, you're going to your new home!

Smokey, you’re going to your new home!

One last look at the adoption center.

One last look at the adoption center.

During the drive, she managed to claw a massive hole.

During the drive, she managed to claw a massive hole.

Out came the head (and when the head can fit, soon the body follows).

Out came the head (and when the head can fit, soon the body follows).

She pushed her way out and started climbing around.

She pushed her way out and started climbing around.

I think she liked being able to see her surroundings.

I think she liked being able to see her surroundings.

She even took a backseat for awhile.

She even took a backseat for awhile.

When we arrived at home, she took over the dash.

When we arrived at home, she took over the dash.

As soon as the car door opened, she perked up.

As soon as the car door opened, she perked up.

I carried her in and let her explore. Of course she loved the closets.

I carried her in and let her explore. Of course she loved the closets.

She briefly sat on the bed before deciding she liked it better underneath.

She briefly sat on the bed before deciding she liked it better underneath.

The free items we took from the shelter's offerings.

The free items we took from the shelter’s offerings.

Can you spot her? She's starting to stake her claim.

Can you spot her? She’s starting to stake her claim.

I discovered that she likes to lay out with her legs straight behind her.

I discovered that she likes to lay out with her legs straight behind her.

Ah yes, more confident by the minute.

Ah yes, more confident by the minute.

By now she’s explored the whole place many times over, enjoys laying down on the hardwood, and even started purring. She is quite the curious one and doesn’t really sit still. She loves nudging us and being pet, but won’t stay long. She’ll hop on the bed, make a round, and then jump right off again. She discovered some paper on the ground that crinkles wonderfully when she steps on it. For a brief moment, she did start massaging the blanket like Missy does before she settles in to sleep. For now she’s still far too alert to sleep though! I can’t wait to spend a good portion of the weekend with her and see if she’s the type to snuggle. We’ll be getting our couches Saturday and hopefully she’ll like lying on those too.

Oh, and I’m pretty sure I want to rename her even though we had her tag made with “Smokey” on it. I’ve called her Smoka/S’mocha, Silky [Smooth], and a number of other “S” names. Panda even called her Shadow at one point. I find myself calling her little girl a lot, so maybe she doesn’t need a name. 😛

Cleaning ears

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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How do you clean your ears? (Or do you?)

The way I understand it, the Western style is to use Q-tips. This probably happens after a shower when the interior of the ears have been nice and moist for awhile, softening any sort of earwax you might have built up. Some rubbing around catches that stuff and whisks it out. Or something like that… I can’t actually vouch for it since I don’t clean my ears that way. What I’m used to is the Eastern way, which I’m sure Eastern Asians in particular are familiar with, if not our more southern counterparts too.

tools used to clean ears including flashlight, ear scooper, tweezers, and q-tip

Tools of the trade.

Cleaning your ears becomes a bonding event since it requires the assistance of someone else. They take an ear scooper – sometimes metal, sometimes bamboo – and gently make their way down your ear canal as you lay on your side and they shine a light in your ear. Your earlobe gets pulled this way and that to help straighten out your ear canal for easier viewing. When a bit of earwax is targeted, the cleaner gently lowers the ear scooper in, using the little spoon-like curve to try to scoop out the piece. This may take a little gentle scratching around the area to loosen the earwax if you have the dry kind, or quite a few scoops to get the sticky wet kind. Either way, it’s a practice in patience, determination, and trust. Both sides have to remain relatively steady and slowly maneuver to get the earwax. I’ll even incorporate tweezers when a piece can be pinched away from the wall of the ear. It’s a delicate procedure that requires quite a bit of care. After all, you don’t want to cause any bleeding or pain in the dainty skin of the ear canal. You could very well create hearing impairment!

I quite enjoy having my ears cleaned and sometimes I ask for them to get a little bit of scratching even if there’s nothing to clear. Sometimes my ear canals just itch for a little bit of attention. It must be something born of the habit of cleaning my ears that way. It’s a part of the Chinese culture that definitely stayed with me.

Grocery shopping

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, stories,Tags: , , , , , , ,
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dozens of inko's tea bottles in small whole foods two-tiered shopping cartThis morning I had a massage scheduled at Massage Envy and when I was done, I decided to swing by Whole Foods to see if any of my drinks were on sale. There are a couple of brands of bottled drinks that I like to get there, but only when they’re on sale so I can combine that with the store’s case discount (buy one case, get 10% off). I was happy to find my favorite bottled tea brand, Inko’s, on sale. I immediately grabbed a dozen each of my go-to flavors: blueberry and white peach. Then, as I was checking the price, wondering what the original price was, I noticed the tags said clearance price. Now per my understanding, when something goes on clearance it’s not coming back. Sooo I tracked down someone who worked there to check and was heartbroken to learn that they are discontinuing this brand from their store.

variety of bottled teas on shelf at store, with large gap where inko's tea flavors are

I emptied quite a bit of the shelf.

Apparently they’d been trying to reorder it but couldn’t seem to get them from the company? Well, whatever the case, I was told that what was on the shelves was all they had and there’d be no more. Upon hearing this, I immediately went to get another dozen drinks, clearing them out of the rest of the blueberry and white peach and also getting some honeydew and original to try. The shelf was about half empty by the time I was done. As I pushed my cart out, the bottles jingled and jangled against each other and I was glad that I checked today.

two pints of ben & jerry's ice cream and two pints of giant brand ice creamThen after dinner tonight, I had a craving for ice cream. Panda mentioned a deal Giant is having where you can get a free pint of Giant’s own brand of ice cream when you buy a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. It’s their way of having you compare their brand to the brand name (and hopefully adopt their ice cream as your new fav). When we got there, we found that Ben & Jerry’s was on sale, so we decided to both choose our own flavors. We ended up getting 4 pints of ice cream for just $7.18 with tax! Now that’s a pretty sweet deal.

Paying respects

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, stories,Tags: , , , ,
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In modern China, you’ll find an eclectic mix of old traditions and new lifestyles. Even as they build skyscraper after skyscraper, tucked in between those giant buildings are tiny little ones from ancient times. And even as buildings get built and land gets cleared, you might notice many large bumps of dirt scattered around. Those are the graves of our ancestors, preserved through time as the world around it changes.

It’s been 10 years since my paternal grandmother died, so our family arranged a get-together to honor her and pay our respects at her grave site. An assortment of cousins, aunts, and uncles came. Most are my grandma and grandpa’s nieces and nephews (my dad’s cousins) and their families. Our extended family branches out in ways I don’t even know and can hardly keep track of, but all that matters is that everyone who came is family.

paying respects burning chinese paper money at ancestor's dirt mound grave siteThe day started off by meeting up at my grandpa’s. Around 10:30, the male lineage of the family (my grandpa’s sons and families plus his brother’s families) went over to my great-grandparents’ grave. Through the winding streets of the city, down an alleyway, and into a small area next to homes rising around it… there you’ll find a little locked door that leads to a walled-off area just big enough for the large dirt mound that covers my dad’s grandparents. A loud burst of firecrackers set things off to announce our arrival. My uncle set up the fire and we put in stack after stack of yellow paper representing money. Ashes rose up from the flames, gently carried away by the breeze as he spoke to our ancestors, telling them who was there and that we would be visiting my grandmother afterwards. We even offered them some (fake) US dollars, burning them to send them up to the heavens for my great-grandparents to use. My uncle kow towed on behalf of all of us and we let the fire die. This was my first time visiting this grave site and I’m glad it’s been preserved despite the growth around us.

long trail of people making way through crop fields to visit grave siteWe then went out to my grandmother’s grave and the rest of the family met us there. We had 12 cars in total, carrying around 50 people. For each who could make it, there were many more who couldn’t, but it was a really good showing. My grandma is buried out in the middle of wheat fields, in a spot chosen for good feng shui. I’m not sure exactly how they know that that particular mound is hers, but the family knows.

rows of fresh green wheat crops in winter

This is what wheat looks like in winter? I never knew.

setting up dirt mound grave with flowers, picture, and offerings

Upon arrival, we got to work setting up the site with flowers, a picture, and food offerings.

preparing paper money for burning at grave

Some of us working on getting the paper money offerings ready so they’d burn easier.

extended family gathering at grave site for memorial

As the fire got started, we all gathered around.

setting off fireworks at grave site to announce arrival

A massive round of fireworks crackled in the air and set off the proceedings.

offering stacks of paper money to fire at grave

Some of the money was folded into fun shapes.

fire burning fierce with new shiny paper money offerings

The foil money really fueled the fire!

giant pile of paper money burning in front of dirt mound grave site

The fire burning at my grandma’s grave, letting her know we were there and sending up offerings.

stoking large pile of burning paper at grave site

People took turns stoking the fire and making sure everything got burnt.

kow towing at grave site with smouldering ashes of burning paper

After an uncle read my grandpa’s letter to grandma, we all took turns kow towing and talking to her.

Setting up our Homeowners Association

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, stories,Tags: , , ,
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Tonight was the very first meeting for our new HOA! The builders are ready to turn things over to us residents, so we met up in the library of the local high school and got to know our neighbors, elected our board, and hashed out some issues. We easily met quorum, with over a third of the units represented (and a few more of the units aren’t even sold yet!). All we needed was 10%, which would be 6-7 people (66 units total) and we got 23. It’s very encouraging to see so much of the community engaged and willing to spend time attending.

front of freedom high school with entrance, school name, and flags flying

Getting ready to join the inaugural HOA meeting.

There are three positions on the board and I thought it was kind of strange that we chose three people irregardless of what position each might take. What if we got all three vying for President and nobody wanted to be the Treasurer/Secretary? And why is there a Vice President when it seems to make more sense to break out Treasurer and Secretary, which can use very different skill sets? One gentleman came in well-prepared with a handout of his qualifications – I totally voted for him and thought he’d be a great addition to the board, but he lost out because this is not his primary residence. While I understand the concern that he would not be living in the community, he did say he’s only 5 minutes away and would share his email and phone number. Everything else about him screamed excellent candidate and I don’t think it should have been overshadowed by the fact that he is a few streets over.

Alas, we ultimately chose the three other people up for positions – the one who I didn’t vote for admitted he had no experience like this. There is so much to navigate that I would have preferred the guy with far better credentials. After all, I don’t want lack of knowledge and expertise to hinder the development of my community and any initiatives we take on. This man is a mechanical engineer by trade and I think he said he’s from Russia. The other two that I agreed with the others on were a banker who came in with some great knowledge (and vibrant personality) and a massage therapist who is very active in the community (and the lone woman on the board). I’m happy with our board though – great diversity in background, experience, profession, interests, passions, gender, ethnicity, etc. I might have considered getting involved if I was technically considered an owner (I’m not on the paperwork so I’m only allowed to attend the meetings and vote as a proxy for Panda).

We spent a long time going over a variety of issues that we all griped over – not enough parking space, challenges with snow plows plopping piles of snow we couldn’t shovel, house settling issues, dog defecation, temperature differences in the homes, doors that get stuck… at a certain point, I felt like people were bringing up maintenance issues that should be dealt individually, though some of them were a common problem across all units that we want to take action on as a group. It was nice to compare notes with other homeowners on how they handled certain nuances of these homes and have people to commiserate with about things that can’t be helped. I thought it was really cool to be able to connect with my neighbors on these things. 😛

As we finally wrapped up, I got a chance to chit chat with a few more of my neighbors. It’s been so cold and dreary lately that nobody comes out of their homes so it’s been difficult meeting people! I’m looking forward to some community events in the coming months – we’ve talked about a barbeque, block party, pool party, pot luck, and more. Most of the residents in attendance are older and have children who are around college age. There were a few of us in the 30ish range, some with young children, and some just couples. Culture-wise we have quite a diverse offering! South Americans, East Asians, Southeast Asians, Eastern Europeans, and general Americans at the least. Many have invited me over for food, which I think would be awesome.

I had a ton of ideas that I shared with the lady board member, including an email listserv for the community and maybe even setting up a website that we could post things to. Of course later down the line we can also talk newsletter and other such communications. I also suggested mapping out where everyone lives so we can easily visualize where our neighbors are. I’m really looking forward to being involved in this HOA and I’ve offered to help out with some of the more techy things. 🙂

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