Obon buddies!

Melanie and I have worked together for a few years and we also dance in our neighborhood obon festival annually.  We are also lunch buddies and I stop by often to get away from my work.  Her boss sent her the following because at approximately 2:50, there are two girls that remind her of us.  And it’s so true.  It might be painful to watch the whole video, so I’d just skip until maybe 2:40.

I’m on the left, Melanie’s on the right.  True to form, I’m usually more energetic (I get excited about small things…) and Melanie is always sweet enough to put up with it and even join in .

Moving quickly forward to 2010, lets introduce the Tomo.  I somehow made a promise to go with him to snowboard one time.  I may have been drunk or maybe crazy, maybe both, but I felt a need to make good on that promise regardless of my previous experience.  I was lucky enough to find another beginner to [suffer] with me, also someone who was nice enough not to yell at me when I started crying on the slope (true story, it happened).  Tomo, Janet and driver Tuthien and I embarked on Saturday, February 27 to Kirkwood….

…and I survived!  HURRAY!  Here’s some fun shots from Saturday:

]]> http://lynniechan.com/blog/archives/98/feed 0 http://lynniechan.com/blog/archives/95 http://lynniechan.com/blog/archives/95#comments Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:42:30 +0000 admin http://lynniechan.com/blog/?p=95 Did you happen to read last week’s PostSecret?

Today, I’m sitting at home, telecommuting.  It’s the perfect telecommuting day: my room is a pleasant 70 degrees, the weather outside is dreary and rainy, and I’m eating my favorite Special K with chocolatey bits (thats what it says on the box) and almond milk.  Today is January 21, 2010.   4 years ago, we were celebrating your birthday.  I miss you Justin.  I haven’t forgotten your birthday or the day you left us.

Thanks for the rain and for making my day already so perfect.  Happy birthday!

I’d like to present my case and explain why I love home so much and why using up (seemingly) all my PTO on trips home is worth it.

BEACH – I tortured myself in the beginning of December with the Eddie Aikau competition and then the Pipeline Masters.  I definitely won’t be surfing on the North Shore but I will be going to Kailua Beach with the cousins, Ko Olina with Maria and Kyle, and every other beach I get to go to.  Oh and Sandy’s because it’s near Jess and it’s my favorite beach to tan and nap on.  Just a biznich to clean up after.

FAMILY – If I were really a good daughter, I would’ve put family first.  I guess that’s how my brain works: water, sand then…parents.  It’s hard saying goodbye to them everytime I leave and I feel like crying when I see them again.  I think college made me think that I’d be totally fine without them but by the end of the four years, it was clear that it’d probably never be the case.  There’s also the brother quality time I miss; singing loudly in his car until he tells me THATS ENOUGH, listening to him “booht”, making Starbucks/Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf runs, watching him devour enough food (not to mention sodium) for a family of four, seeing him get excited for his Christmas gifts and blowing up crap on New Years with him.  I can’t wait for Christmas dinner at Aunty Lauren’s with her banana nut muffins, Aunty Emi’s nishime, Uncle Paul’s namasu, Aunty Aileen’s awesome baked goods (please red velvet, please red velvet), Dad’s sashimi (that he bought, he’s no fisher), and other yummy food.

FOOD – Christmas feast definitely tops the food category but then there’s breakfast favorites like Koa Pancake House, Rocky’s for their fried rice, Tanioka’s for their fresh food, Mitsuken for their garlic chicken, Zippy’s for their orange bang and veggie chili with rice (onions and cheese too), Waiola’s for their shave ice, Sushi Ten for their everything (favorite Japanese food place ever…), Hy’s because it’s tradition and their Steak Diane is insane (not on the menu but by request), Rainbows, McDonalds for their portuguese sausage, eggs and rice….the list goes on.  And I’m fricken’ hungry.

ALA MOANA – I love this place.  There’s no mall better than this and if it’s not raining, SCORE.  The outdoor mall has all my favorites and includes lower end shops like The Slipper House and uh the ABC store to the middle cluster of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Burberry, Prada, Christian Dior, Chanel, Ferragamo…yadda.  And everything in between.  Oh and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf which is my fav.  I drag my Mom for a marathon shopping trip the day after Christmas every year.  My brother joins us at about 11 AM and follows us around, managing to find every chair in every store that we go to.  What a talent.

FRIENDS – It’s been about 3 years since most of us graduated from school and we haven’t all made it home for Christmas.  I think this year, most of it not all will be home.  Sheri, Young Nurse Yung, Jordan, Maria, Jenai, Jess, Jenn, Chad, Dave, Bonnie will ALL be home all at once.  I’ll be bringing my green hat home, hope they’re bring theirs.  I’ve been promised 100% debauchery from Bonnie & Carol and I expect delivery!  :)

tbc!

Mom: Hoppy, don’t you want to stay here forever?  FOREVER?  Can you hear that Lynnie?  BELLS!
Dad: Don’t ruin the surprise!

================

Dear Lynnie-chan,

Attached is the surprise that greeted mom on her birthday and the latest
craziness that Hoppy has to endure.

Love, Mom and Dad

Mom's Birthday with "friends"

I’m stressed.  I never really understood why my mother went bonkers every year around Christmas.  She pulled it off seamlessly–the gift giving, the tree decorating, the yummy breakfast.  I enjoyed every second of it.  Now that I’m of an “adult” age, I’ve taken on some of those same responsibilities.  Picking out the perfect gifts for my friends and family, decorating the workplace, taking on the Adopt-A-Family captaincy, preparing to go home–it’s making me bonkers.  I’m not sure how to fit all of these things in one December.

By far, the most agonizing bullet on the list is the Adopt-A-Family.  I’ve participated for the past couple years but never as the organizer.  How hard could it be?  I’ve emailed about 5 mass emails in three weeks.  I’ve gotten a 1/4 of what donations we need to fulfill the wish list of the two families.  One family has 5 children under 5 years of age.  Another family has two teenage kids whose mother has brain damage.  How to ask 60 other people in your department to give when its the year of recession, no raises, no bonuses.  I’m tired and disappointed to say the least.  Two families that are relying on our donations to make their Christmas happy and it almost seems like there’s no way to get through to my group to help.

OK I feel a little better.  I’ve been having a ton of sleepless nights.  I have 0 Christmas gifts to speak of!  How do people do this??  I miss just being able to enjoy Christmas .

It’s pretty appropriate that Thanksgiving and my Mom’s birthday often land on the same day.  I owe so much to my Mom.  She’s a devout Catholic and also raised my brother and I the same way.  Although I don’t practice very often (sorry Mom…and Jackie), I think it gave me a very good set of ethics.  It led me to some people who I love (YG!) and helped me choose the school that I grew up in.  My Mom has always encouraged me in everything, including things that I didn’t appreciate until now like hula and taking naps.  This year was a difficult one for me and I can remember going to Vegas, a total wreck, and crying in her room.  The saddest thing for me was seeing her cry and hearing her say, “it’s so hard to see you hurt and not be able to do anything for you”.  That was the moment I decided to ‘man up’ and pull it together.  For you Mom, because of you Mom…I hope I make you proud .  Love you.

Cutest picture of my parents I have

I have a lot to be thankful for.  My family of course.  We’ve together shared some hard experiences: grandma’s hubcaps being stolen, jobs lost, and disappointment.  But we’re together and all of us are pretty happy and healthy.  I got to see them THREE times (or will, since I’ll be home again December) this year.  I’m thankful for my family up here; I get to live with my favorite cousin!  It doesn’t get better than that.

My friends.  The ones I have at home in Hawaii, the ones I have at home here.  I’ve made a ton of new friends, friends that I often hang out with every week!  I’ve tried to reconnect with my old friends as well.  I never have a dull moment.  I’m thankful especially to Sheri, Maria, Jiunny, Jackie, Lamy; thank you.

I’m thankful to have the basic necessities and enough for other luxuries.  I’m thankful to have my job and a team at work that makes me want to come to work everyday.  I’m thankful for this computer.  I’m REALLY thankful for my heater right now.

I’m in a good place right now.  Thanks everyone .

1. Misery Business
   
2. Crushcrushcrush
3. That’s What You Get
4. Ignorance
5. Decode
6. Fences
7. Let the Flames Begin
8. When It Rains
9. Turn it Off
10. Never Let This Go
11. Careful
12. Hallelujah
13. Franklin
14. The Only Exception

* Denotes singles

1. Background music to further emphasize how much trouble you are at work.
2. Commercial breaks, similar to the Twix break (need a moment?) but better.  Plus you’d make money off of it!
3. Laughter even when its not funny.  And those laughter clips are usually hearty laughter, not the polite haha you I get.
4. I’d say I’d need hot costars but I have pretty good looking friends.  But do you? 
5. A perfect wardrobe to boot.
6. If you’re a sitcom, everything resets itself (the mess, the robbery, someone touching your whiteboard) after every episode.  However, if you’re a Korean drama, your super rich, awesome loving fiancee of 30 years is dead but you still have his eyes after the episode is done!  I’ll stick to my life as a sitcom, thank you.
7. Close proximity of friends at all times (examples: Friends, Will & Grace, BIG BANG THEORY, etc.)

Sign me up!