I’ve all but forgotten the days when I used to be so ticklish that I couldn’t get a massage without stifling laughter the entire time. Thankfully, I got past that phase and am no longer so sensitive to touch. These days I enjoy massages so much I’d get one every day if I could. I especially want some extra ones now since my muscles are sore from doing power yoga earlier in the week. Nothing feels better than getting some tightness kneaded out of my body. I love relaxing to a massage and I always fall asleep during them, so I end up getting a nice nap out of it too. After this long night of trying to order blinds, I sure need another massage even though I just got one last night. It’d be great if I could get my next one this week! I need it.
365great Day 324: massages
Haggling at Home Depot
Omg what a night. Panda and I were going to move some boxes, but we ended up spending over six hours at Home Depot haggling over blinds. At first we got help selecting options by a rep of one of the brands of blinds, which probably took an hour. Then we sat down with a store sales associate to work out a price quote and discovered that what we were told didn’t cost extra actually did. PLUS for awhile the type of wood we wanted wasn’t even showing up in the system and we had to figure out why the pricing wasn’t matching up. Ugh. Sooo we reworked everything and then haggled for a better deal because of the misinformation and trouble that we went through, but the assistant manager didn’t even seem to care and took no responsibility for our experience.
They could totally tell Panda’s an engineer when he brought in this diagram.
Granted, it wasn’t Home Depot’s fault, but I do consider it their problem. After all they’re the ones selling us the blinds and the manager didn’t even apologize that it was such a hassle. Whether or not it’s their fault, they should take some responsibility for the experience we had. We weren’t being offered anything that a normal customer coming in with a completely smooth transaction would have gotten. What sort of goodwill is that, after hours upon hours of time spent for wasted effort due to a breakdown in communication? After much back and forth, we finally got offered something beyond the discounts already in place and I struggled to decide if I wanted to take the deal. If I was going to go for blinds of that quality level, I wasn’t going to get a better deal than what was on the table. However, did I want to do business with these people after it was so much trouble??
Panda was pretty keen on getting them because of the pricing and time we’d already invested in the process. We discussed for a long time and I finally decided I was ok with it if we didn’t buy anything else there (we were going to get a washer dryer set, overhead lighting, and many other random things there too). This sort of transaction left a bad taste in my mouth, but it is so steeply discounted compared to anything else we’d be able to find that I didn’t want to just walk away. Once we finally decided to go for it, we started the tedious process of finishing the quote and applying for a Home Depot card. Panda’s application was denied due to some confusion with our current address and verifying his identity, so I opened one up. There were many hiccups with my application and it took nearly an hour on the phone to get it all sorted out.
So finally, we wrapped up at 10 as they were closing… after arriving around 3:30 that afternoon. I don’t even know how our day got away like that. I mean, I thought I disliked shopping before, but now I pretty much hate it. So much trouble!! But at least we walked away with a good deal.
365great Day 323: vessel sinks
I’m a huge fan of sinks that sit atop the counter. I think it’s a really cool design and it happens to be easier to use too. I definitely don’t splash nearly as much when I use them and I don’t have to bend down super low. It’s a lot more comfortable and they look so good, so what’s not to like? For some reason they feel more professional and luxurious to me too, whether they actually are or not. Maybe that’s because I’ve almost always seen them at places that are well-designed, like hotels, spas, and other facilities meant to be a tranquil environment. At some point in the future, I’m totally getting them for my home so I can smile each time I use the sink. It’s a little thing that makes me feel great.
December Favorites 2013
I nearly forgot to get this together before the month was over! Oh boy, it’s already time to think about Jan favs and I’m still putting together the Dec ones…
1. home ownership – As of Dec 13th, 2013, we officially became homeowners. The keys were handed to us and since then we’ve been slowly planning the move. Meanwhile, all our neighbors are in and everyone is wondering when we’ll finally get into this condo they keep hearing about. 😛
2. VitaBath lotion – I got this in my Influenster Rose VoxBox in the fall and boy do I love it! I’ve been using it frequently after showers and I absolutely adore the lightly sweet scent that is also cooling and fresh. Even with frequent usage, I’ve barely used up a quarter of it and it’s wonderful how long it’s lasting me.
3. Julep – I finally caved and got Julep when they came out with a mystery box I couldn’t resist. I was totally impressed by it and will definitely get more, plus I’ve subscribed as a Maven to get some new nail polish colors every now and then. I actually really like the beauty products that Julep makes and will use my subscription as a way to explore them.
4. Wrapp deals – When I first found these shoes, I took that picture to remember to look for something similar. Then I got a great Wrapp gift card deal for something like $12 at Charlotte Russe (which cost me and Panda nothing to send to each other) so I ended up getting that exact style of shoe for a fantastic price. I only take advantage of the free offers in the app, which saves me a good amount.
5. sweaters – Well, my first proper winter in over a decade prompted me to go out and buy some sweaters to wear. I was also goaded on by Autumnfall, who laughed when I showed her what I considered to be a sweater, all proud that I finally bought one. I’ve since gotten ones that even she can’t dismiss as not “real” sweaters. 😛
6. reading – For that period when my life was a hot mess of confusion, I escaped into reading again. My childhood was filled with books and it was nice to get back into it. I hadn’t read fiction in many years, whenever that 4th Harry Potter book came out. I was surprised that I blew through the 50 Shades series the way I did (I thought I’d long since lost patience for fiction since it’s not a business book that I can learn a ton from).
7. wireless mouse – The touchpad on my new laptop gets wonky at times (kind of often). Thankfully, a wireless mouse makes it easy to move the mouse around and strains my fingers, hands, and wrists less. I’m rather particular about the feel of the mouse and I’m glad I found this one for my personal use. I even have a blog post drafted for my pickiness when it comes to this and what I look for in the perfect mouse.
8. red lips – I went through a few weeks when I experimented with bright red lips. It was fun, bold, and playful. I even tried making lip prints like this one on Panda’s cheek. Prior to getting that red lip crayon in my November Ipsy bag, I probably only used red lipstick twice before. Now I’m much more comfortable with something attention-grabbing like that, but usually only at night, special events, and the weekends. Still not a normal thing for me.
9. cat time – Going home for the holidays and spending time with Missy again was amazing. I can’t wait to settle enough to bring her over here. Having a cat around calms me and gives me something relaxing to do whenever I’m home. There shall be no ennui when I can cuddle with my kitty or play around with her. I absolutely love waking up to a cat on my chest or next to my legs, though I may never want to get up for work (or anything else) again.
10. snow – This was before the intense polar vortex/arctic chill madness. It was exciting to get snow again and get to sit by the window and watch it fall down. I’d be happy to get stranded indoors for a few days from a snowstorm so long as I have heat and food. 🙂
Oops, I left out a picture from frolicking at the beach, but I had a whole blog post on that so you can check them out. Returning to Los Angeles was wonderful and a much-need reprieve from everything else. What did you find to be your favorites in December?
365great Day 322: sushi
Sushi comes in so many cool shapes, colors, and combinations of flavors. I used to always get a classic California roll, which is tame enough for anyone. Lately I’ve started to explore more and had my first ones with raw fish (usually salmon). I still prefer pieces with cooked seafood like tempura shrimp or crab meat, but I’m willing to try a bit of raw meat too. I’m particularly fond of the softness of the rice contrasted against the chewiness of the seaweed with the added crunch of cucumber. Avocado adds delicious flavor and the meat offers a bit more heftiness to the meal. The bite-size pieces are perfect for chowing down and the visual presentation is always something to appreciate. Not only does sushi taste good, it looks good too! They have some really cool designs out there that make eating this dish entertaining. It’s great when your food offers more than just something to fill your belly.
365great Day 321: strength
I love feeling strong (and being strong). It’s rewarding when I can surprise people with how strong I am and what I’m capable of. Growing up, I was pretty good at picking up athletic skills. I sprinted well, climbed most things, and learned to swim with little effort. I remember back in 8th or 9th grade when I could do the flexed arm hang for ages. One of my favorite parts of track practice was when we did weights. Cardio has never been my thing. As a voracious reader, I learned to carry 30+ books to the car on a weekly basis. As a good Chinese kid, I always helped my mom carry most of the groceries in the house. My personal challenge was to do it all in one trip, which usually meant a good 5 bags per hand. When I went back to China for a year in 3rd grade, I was able to outrun even the 6th graders. In more recent years I just like the confidence I get when I can do something that people doubt my body is capable of, like carrying my 6-foot something friend pictured here. I’d rather be able to do that than run a marathon, personally. I think it also gives me more confidence to travel alone, since people never think I can hit/punch/kick as hard as I can, so I can surprise them if I needed to defend myself. One thing I love about yoga is that it builds my strength. My favorite pose? Plank! And overall I think your body just feels better when you’re strong, which is a great way to live.
UK Vacation Day 10 recap
Alright, finally wrapping up the UK vacation from this fall. Our last day there was just to pack and get ready to go. I managed to wake up before the alarm, shower, and get breakfast. We finished packing and then went off to Pizza Express so I could get a pizza to bring home. I was too freakin’ yummy to pass up. We showed up a little before they opened and I got to watch them bring up some dough they were going to make the pizzas with. On our walk back to the hotel, I decided I had to try the Malteser McFlurry and the Sweet Chilli Wrap, which are unique to the region. I didn’t know they had onion rings too! Why don’t they offer those in the US? Then it was off to the airport via the tube. We got a chance to hang out at the Star Alliance lounge for a bit before boarding our plane and heading back stateside.
[See all the rest: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8 and Day 9 recaps.]
From staying at hotels, I’ve learned that I definitely want a king-sized bed.
US outlets should have switches too.
Love these kinds of sinks on the counter.
I need one of these showerheads at home!
Wow, they may not have much space but they sure have giant towels.
Cool flushing buttons for the toilet.
Of course, those eye-catching phone booths.
Deeelicious.
Bringing up the dough!
Yes, I brought it on the plane. No it did not smell up the place (was cold by then).
Lovely brickwork.
Ooo, malty goodness.
Such a pretty fruit stand!
Pigging out even as I prepare to leave the country.
McOnion Rings!
Returning our Oyster cards for a refund on the balance.
When the escalators become stairs, he becomes super strong.
Oops, went to the wrong floor.
It’s so fancy I got distracted/confused and did it wrong. :-/
Wow, who needs TSA when you can just use these cool machines to check IDs and boarding passes?
The waiting game.
Wandering around looking for where to request a VAT refund.
Mailing off our VAT refund form! Never got it repaid, oh well.
One of the few times we get to use the lounge, might as well take advantage!
British candy.
Entering the more casual part of the lounge.
Loading up on hot food.
Had some chilled options too.
Ooo, soup!
I’m sure if we drank alcohol we’d be happy.
A really nice seating area where we snagged a table.
Hmm… not sure if I like bitter lemon.
Stocking up on snacks for the road.
Many farewell messages along the long walk to the gate.
Here we go!
Propping our feet up for the ride.
So bright and beautiful up here.
Meal time!
Panda of course gets beef.
A snack to tide us over.
Hey, we’re almost over my old town of Brewster, not far from Danbury!
The sun shining furiously.
Staring out, I noticed the reflection of the front of the plane in the engine.
Hello, Dulles.
Not quite time to disembark.
On our taxi ride home.
365great Day 320: videos
When changes over time or audio components are key to understanding a point, nothing works better than a video to convey that message. Whether it’s watching the sequence of certain actions or seeing and hearing something happening, they’re able to offer a different experience beyond pure visual or auditory things. Today when I was heading back to the office after a morning in DC, I took a few seconds to get to the edge of the Potomac and see the iced over water for myself. It wasn’t until you got close and actually heard the creaking of the ice as it heaved against itself that you really felt the power of such a large surface being frozen. A video can share that feeling far more readily than just a picture or an audio recording. Likewise, with things like the way people move or how their eyes light up as they laugh – these are experiences best shared with the visual and auditory components synced up as they are in real life. It’s far more powerful that way and I’m glad that’s one way we can share parts of ourselves. It makes for far greater memories recorded.
Artic chill
It’s snowing outside again and the cars are getting yet another layer of powder. Good thing I didn’t wash my car, which I considered doing at one of those gas station drive-thrus since I thought the snow craziness might have ended. This morning it was colder here in Virginia than it was in my hometown of Shenyang and as far as I know, that never happens. I mean, my birthplace is so cold in the winter that it’s like Russia or North Korea. Have you seen what they wear in those countries? Talk about bundling up like crazy. Even the Potomac has frozen with quite a thick layer of ice, which I got a chance to see today when I went into DC to apply for a visa.
So while we freeze our butts off here, let me reminisce about a beautiful spring afternoon in which I went to get the mail and found the tree humming with sound. Turns out there were many bees working quite hard.
buzzing tree from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
busy bee with pollen leg from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
365great Day 319: good timing
When the pieces of a puzzle fit together well, it’s a beautiful thing. Likewise, when timing works out for whatever stage of life you’re in and whatever you want to do, it’s pretty amazing. It happened to me again today and I am so grateful. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been struggling to feel like I’m good at what I do at work. I was trying to work on improving my cold calling skills, but it was draining my energy and leaving me feeling unsure of myself. My manager and the CEO noticed I was struggling and knew I needed to experience some “wins” so they sat down with me and coached me. I felt much more confident, but was still doing something that I’m not strong in and wasn’t planning on doing long-term. For the time being, I wanted to put forth effort to learn and improve and try to be good at it, but I knew that a year from now I probably wouldn’t want to still be going at it. I felt like I was at the right company, but perhaps the wrong position. For the sake of learning and growth, I felt it was best to push through this tough period and see where it led me.
Then today I was pulled aside to meet with the CEO, my manager, and the marketing manager. As it turns out, they’ve been discussing my skills and positioning within the company and decided to do exactly what I was trying to figure out how to do: pivot. They see I like to write and strategize and socialize and tap into creativity to solve challenges, so they’re going to put that to work as I do more marketing and account management in a tweaked role. I was shocked (in a good way) by this sudden change, but I couldn’t have hoped for a better situation. I mean, I was preparing to read up on other roles I might want to do so I could approach the CEO and my manager with not just the problem (I don’t think my strengths are being utilized), but a proposed solution (areas in the company I think I could contribute more in). Instead, they kind of did that for me! It just so happened that a growing need in marketing was just the sort of thing that I could succeed in. I really love my company for how they noticed these things, thought about what can change, and acted before I got too worn out. I knew there were better ways I could contribute to our goals and now I’m repositioned to do what I’m good at and enjoy more! This also coincides with the start of a new year, a move to the new office (one of the cool rooms pictured), and my pending move to the new condo. So many new beginnings! It’s great timing indeed.
