Roadside Illinois 1

Every state, particularly Kansas IMHO, has a lot of superlatives to claim for quirky roadside attractions -- think biggest ball of twine, biggest hole, biggest farm machinery, biggest barb wire museum etc.

Illinois, and my nearby Chicagoland suburbs, has its own to brag about, too.

The husband first alerted me to the Leaning of Tower of Pisa copy, and he drove me to it yesterday en route to the Museum of Science and Industry. And was I bowled over by it.

It is in the city/village of Niles. And it is a beautiful replica of the real thing. Along the driveway, there is also a telephone booth (sans phone) with the Italian "Telefono" sign. Hilarious.

I present to you, the Leaning Tower of Niles, essentially a water tower. And it stands in the grounds of the Niles YMCA, aptly named Leaning Tower YMCA.

Original McDonald's

We were driving around the other night and stumbled upon the original location of McDonald's in Des Plaines. It is a museum now. The video is not top quality as it's shot from my digital print camera. But it'll do for now.

Renaissance Faire

Christina,
Maybe this whet your appetite and you'll visit next year and we can combine the Bristol Renaissance Faire and the Celtic fest the following week.

Back to Augusta

... for a brief time.

Hey, folks, I'll be in town on Sunday June 18 and leaving for Savannah on Tuesday June 20. Hope y'all can make it to dinner with me Sunday and/or Monday night. I'm thinking Bonefish Grill.... mmmmmm.

Columbia folks, if you can make it, that'll be great.

Details to follow! Can't wait!

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Tacky can be fun

I can't believe I would join the throngs of losers, literally, who gush about their trip to Vegas. Not that I swore not to enjoy the trip, but I wasn't expecting to like it THAT MUCH!

Is it tacky? Not that much. If the newer hotels continue with the tone they are setting for how future hotels are to look on the Strip, the amount of tackiness will soon be a thing of the past, like Freemont Street. But I would hate for that day when those earlier icons like Flamingo, Circus Circus, Excalibur (uglyyyy), New York (tacky) and Luxor are bulldozed. It won't be Vegas without them, just like it won't be Vegas without the Ratpack, Liberace, the impersonators, the strippers.

Anyway, for the snobs out there who think they can do better than going to Vegas, trust me when I say you just gotta give it a shot at least once in your lifetime. I don't gamble (well, I did a little; and between M and me, lost quite a bit. But it's all relative right?) and thought I wouldn't enjoy myself half as much. Not so.

Being a hotel gawker, this is my slice of heaven. We didn't go to all the hotels on the Strip. We wanted to save some for future visits. Tops on my list are:

Paris: Where we stayed. Our room is circled in red. What a view. We can even hear the cannons and see the Bellagio water show from our room. For my review, see http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=l2xCVVInBHnHjj2YrL5vig

Bellagio: No surprise. The corporation that owns the Bellagio also manages the MGM Grand, and the Mirage. The lobby is magnificent. The glass chandelier sculpture on the ceiling is created by the great glass artist Dan Chihuly, the same fella who crafted the other chandeliers in the Atlantis hotel in the Bahamas, and other parts of the world. Breathtaking. Equally breathtaking is the water show. I've seen plenty of these shows and didn't expected to be wowed. But I was blown away. The designers maintained the elegance of the white spot lights on the water without going overboard with lasers and colors. We stayed for 2 more shows, 15 minutes apart. And you have to see them with the music.

Bellagio chandelier

MGM Grand, Mirage, Caesar's Palace: Like the Bellagio, the MGM casino floor is expansive. Not to mention, high stakes! Caesar's was truly the most surprising to me. I thought it was going to be tacky to the highest degree. Sure, there's kitsch, but done so right! There's even a Trojan horse. LOL.

Along the line of doing something tacky, we did the roller coaster at New York, New York. While the hotel and casino is nothing to write home about -- cramped and claustrophobic, the coaster was a thrill. I did a day and a night ride. Re-rides are only half priced and you get to the front of the line, just like at DisneyWorld.

Another thing you got to do in Vegas is EAT. Of course, we did the requisite buffet, but we weren't too fastidous as to which one to do since we were not that famished. We made reservations at Joel Rubochon's French bistro only to bail out later when we saw the price on the tasting menu. Then we tried Bravo's Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak, but was distracted by Michael Mina's Seablue down the path. We ended up at Seablue, for its price and offerings. While Mina is not as huge a celebrity chef like Colicchio and Joel Rubochon, his menu is fantastic, and I was craving a good sea bass. Another great meal I had was at La Burger Brasserie in the Paris hotel. You can build your own burger (like some other burger places in Vegas) and I had my medium-well burger (mmmm, so moist) on a parmesan bread and loaded with arugula, mozzarella and had a fried egg instead of proscuitto. Delish.

But the most surprising thing we found ourselves doing is attending the World Series of Poker Tournament that's going on at the Rio hotel. OMG. We've been watching it on TV all this time, and now's our chance to maybe run into some hot players like Phil Hellmuth, Daniel Negranu, Phil "unibomber" Laak etc. We didn't see them but I caught the back of the head of that ugly, greasy Scotty Nguyen. Ewwww. And Gus Hansen, he's so handsome. And these 3:

That's Tobey Maguire & a famous Costa Rica player

... and that funny commentator on TV.

And we even got to sit in the ring with the final poker players while the cameras swarm around them. We were there on July 13, 2007. See if you can spot us on TV.

So, there's our Vegas trip in a medium nutshell. I can't wait to return.

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Karen: Oh I knew you would have a good time :) I can't imagine anyone not to... it's fun just to see the women parading their new boobies (you can tell) and half their tops hanging out. Hey, we don't get many of those here in TN and if I do, they're probably real and I'm in the wrong area of town :) Actually, I do see a lot of them at the gym... scary.

But back to Vegas... now you can understand why we've been back twice in two months :) Christmas is fun here... the strip is filled with the Asian and Jewish community while it's gotta' be a ghost town in some other cities :)

I can't wait to go back. My favorite hotel (especially for non-gamblers) is The Signature @ the MGM Grand. You come down to the lobby to a real lobby and you have a small but much quieter pool to hang out at. NO KIDS! No casino... and it's a short walk (on a walkalator) to the casino @ the MGM - and yes you get to use ALL the pools they own too.

Me: Ooh, Christmas. Quieter and definitely cooler. I like the sound of that. And of the Signature. I noticed that the MGM has better room deodorant piped through its casinos compared to some, like Bally's. Ech!

Where to eat?!

OK, I'm at a loss. I'm headed to Vegas in three weeks, and I need some more suggestions on where to graze.

We'll be there, officially, for 2 days, so that's at least 4 meals. Am considering dinner at Tom Colicchio (Top Chef judge) craftsteak $$$$. Ouch! But I adore Colicchio and since we aren't springing for the hotel (but bear in mind also I've plenty of expenses coming up, living in Chicago, and living off one income), that maybe we can afford to splurge at one nice restaurant.

There's also the off-the-strip Thai place - Lotus of Siam $. I've read in various forums that the Parisian buffet is better than the Wynn's and Bellagio's. The latter 2 tend to be costly and overrated.

So what other good, cheap eats are there?

Remember the sock monkey?

It's really a dumb toy to me until I chanced upon it during my visit to Rockford today.

I tagged along with M and his colleague who are on a business trip to the Register Star. Having a few hours to kill, I drove around the downtown, which is in the midst of revitalization (read, empty shopfronts and a few hip restaurants), and chanced upon the visitors' center. I found some typical tourist brochures and found a tourist spot that looked interesting. The Tinker Swiss Cottage. Sounds delightful, doesn't it? It is. .

For a mere $5, I was treated to a personalized tour by a very capable docent. While I was signing the guest book, I caught sight of the sock monkey and thought it was peculiar. Does it have a Swiss connection? Then I looked around the shop/reception, and realized a few other country-like knick knacks, and I thought it was just part of the country craft souvenirs.

As we started the tour, the docent pointed to a row of factory next to the cottage - the Nelson Knitting Company. It is here in that factory that some ladies created the sock monkey. How freaky cool is that? I was told that these days, the sock monkey cannot be bought as a whole toy unless a bunch of ladies, mostly from churches or retirement homes, decide to make them. But if you feel nostalgic for one, here's where you can get them. And did you know why the ladies at the knitting factory create the monkey? Here's a trivia: they thought the red heel looked like a mouth!

The tour of the Tinker Swiss Cottage is nothing short of remarkable. But this really is not the blog for it. If you are an interior design and architecture buff, you'd be be blown away by the history, and the detail to attention. The trompe l'oeil restoration is a sight to behold.

Rockford is a river town, and is not a town to brag about. But in these few short hours, I had the chance to see the cottage, and also the art museum. Now, I am not an art aficionado and certainly cannot dissect art. I was drawn to it by the lightpost banners promoting His and Hers, a pair of Sweden glass artists' exhibitions. Glass, that is a medium I am a sucker for. When I got there, this unemployed patron was thrilled to find that it's free day at the museum!

The sandblasted glass work by him was surreal but well executed. Lots of phallic imagery. Not my cup of tea. Hers was more user- and homeowner-friendly, but still quite suggestive. Why are artists so tortured sexually?

Sidenote: there was a artisan chocolate store near the paper. I peeked in and was given a detailed description of each truffle. Interesting combination but each little 2-inch square of truffle is $2.50! That's half the admission of the cottage tour. No thank you! I'm no sucker!

Moving On Up

to the Midwest. Back to the Midwest again. My life is a constant shift between the Midwest and the South.

Timeline: Michigan - S.C. - Kansas - Ga - Texas - Illinois

Yes, you heard it here first. We are headed to the Windy City. The suburbs, actually.

M will be starting his new gig, back to content management in the 150,000-strong Daily Herald, the 3rd largest Illinois paper after the sadly-Tribune-run Chicago Tribune and the Sun News group Sun-Times.

I will be staying in Lubbock to finish up a full year in my new gig, packing and cleaning house. I should be joining him in May.

Am I sad to leave Lubbock? Contrary to popular belief, heck yeah. We bought a house in July and love living out there. Now, we may not even afford to buy one for a few years in Chicagoland. Our getaway

There's also our employers (no, not Morris) - the publisher and the ad director. They may not garner too many fans but to Mand me, they are good, solid people. And you, my friends, know that I know good folks when I see them.

But like they said, there're always tradeoffs.

We're going to miss attending college football games, no matter how inconsistent Tech is. Northwestern football sucks! I'll be sure to wear my Michigan T-shirts on game days. But we'll have plenty of pro games to attend. Great, now I have to figure out baseball. Can never understand that game.

Housing: Much as I whined and complained about the exorbitant rental in Lubbock, it is not any better in Chicago.

Food: I'm starting to feel fat just thinking about it. Already, I spied a huge Asian supermarket, albeit mostly Japanese Asian markets; Mitsuwa. AND I get to pop into Chinatown in the city proper for dim sum anytime. There's even a Southeast restaurant there. Mmmm, Hainanese chicken rice, laksa, mee siam, popiah, rendang Penang Restaurant ...... And helloooo, spinach deep dish and all you ambiance-conscious restaurants.

Shopping: While not as ardent as I used to be, I still look forward to the variety when it comes to gift-giving time.

Culture: No stranger to Chicago's offerings, I no longer have to try to see everything in a short trip. But if you should come visit, you're on your own to the Art Museum if you insist on seeing the Impressionist paintings. I need to venture to the other wings. Oh, does Six Flags count for culture, too? I can't wait now that I'd gotten over my coaster fears.

Meet up with you later!

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Bob: I can see you can't wait to get out of texas! Happy packing!

Me: Regardless of what people think of Texas, or Lubbock, it does provide a good standard of living. The major inconvenience of Lubbock is its remoteness. Flying in and out of Lubbock can get costly in some instances. Mark and I love to travel and we are stoked by the idea of last-minute offerings from O'Hare. The other downside is its lack of good restaurants. I'm a Singaporean, for crying out loud. Eating is what we do.

Bob: and it shows too!!! ha ha ha ha

Patrick: Wow, you've lived in more places than most people in the military! That's so cool that you get to make the windy city your next destination. I have yet to hear a bad thing about that place. Congrats!

Dan: Hooray! Best of luck in Chicagoland. Just stay off the Ryan at all times. Evil, that thing is.

You'll also have to do The Taste during the summer. Hotter than Hades on a bad day, but good gracious all that food ...

So I now go from knowing 2 people in Lubbock to zero. Scratch that from my list of places to visit.

and you've passed me again on places lived. I figure I'll catch up eventually ... but not for a while. Me likes the beach too much.

Again, congrats!

You Spin Me Right Round

I'm finally ready for Sandusky.

You see, ever since my first coaster ride in 1996, I'd never dared ventured on another until last week when I was at the happiest place on earth - DisneyWorld.

I hopped on the newest ride at Animal Kingdom in search of the Yeti on "Everest," Epcot's "Space Mountain," and the Magic Kingdom's "Splash Mountain". Then I did what every Disney aficionado recommended by heading to MGM's "Tower of Terror" and the Aerosmith "Rock and Rollercoaster", and finally, back to Epcot's "Fast Track"

And for the record, I got on those rides more than twice!

Now, I'm ready to combat the outside twirley-whirleys, I think. For those who had never been to DisneyWorld, the coasters at Space Mountain and Aerosmith are really indoor (read dark). You can't see the scare coming. We'll see how I fare if I ever make it to Arlington, TX or Sandusky, Ohio.

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Bob: I had thot Space Mountain was a kiddy ride! My son brought me along (all 5 years of age then) and when the ride started, I knew something was "wrong"! Darn! It was an indoor roller coaster! I was hanging on tight and one hand grasping my son Max lightly (I didn't want to scare him). When we came out I was flusterred (cussing under my breath) and Max was going "Pa, I like, y'know"!

Patrick:

Be careful though. It was this kind of ride that got me to go sky diving.

And congrats on conquering your fears!

Me: LOL. You know, we made sure to stop by and check out our faces after each ride. My next coaster goal is to make sure I look great in those pics. Talk about low self-esteem after scanning for our faces! But, seriously, now you're scaring me. That challenging, huh?

Happiest Place on Earth? Not Really

Tomorrow, I am setting off for a vacation I looked forward to since June, July? But I probably will be sobbing a little (I always cry at airports) as I make my way to check-in solo.

Some of you were recipients of my panic phone a few days ago when I found out from M that he had to cancel his end.

The root of this evil once again lies in the corporate tools. He went to KC at almost the eleventh hour last week for some corporate deal. I received a phone call the night before he's scheduled to return that he won't be able to make the vacation as some last-minute budget adjustments must be made. Needless to say, I'm devastated. And so was the rest of his family, whom we'll be having this unofficial mini-vacation with.

Hence, the rabid phone calls I made to friends who have kids or who are single to see if they want to take over his Disney packet. After all the panic, my sil managed to get her nephew to join us, I found out last night. All is almost well again. We didn't lose the money, and M's airfare with Southwest can be used for up to one year from day of purchase, with no penalty charge. One hurrah for Southwest.

But what makes me ill and so ironic is that we are going to the supposed happiest place on earth, and I doubt I can be truly happy without him there.

Feminists may deem me weak, that I need a man to make me happy, and that I can't be independent enough to enjoy by myself and with my other loved ones (I'm fortunate my in-laws and I get along fabulously). But he truly is my better half, and life is just simply more enjoyable with him around.

The other frustration is that while I'm enjoying myself in Orlando, M is toiling away for THE MAN (yes, we are actually serving the real man/men, keeping their McMansions, and golf club memberships intact). It's too infuriating. And there's nothing right now we can do anything about it. And really, that's another blog for another time, when I'm sure there're no "traitors" in friends of friends who will let slip my hatred for THE CORPORATION.

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Jeremy: In regards to the last paragraph, you have a "fellow traveler" in me. Just in time for Wednesday's "employee appreciation day" where everyone who doesn't work with the public can dress down. That's never meant me.

Patrick: Wait, you're going to the happiest place on earth? You should have told me you were coming to New York City; I'd totally be your tour guide!

Christina: You know you're preaching to the choir when you're talking about how evil THE CORPORATION is. And now THE CORPORATION and its minions have hacked me off even more by ruining your vacation with Mark. Comfort yourself that someday the corporation, The Man and his minions will burn in a very special room on the 13th ring of Hell. I've asked some of my associates at Vatican Central to help arrange this...

Any Mousketeers Out There?

My sister-in-law is a topnotch bargain hunter. Our cruise to the Bahamas in 2004 was organized by her, and we paid an obscenely low rate (I forgot) for the weeklong excursion and we got to have a suite with a balcony.

This time, her intrepid skills has once again nabbed us a deal to DisneyWorld. $500 for 5 days, all meals, transportation, lodging, park passes included. And it's off-peak! She's done this for at least 5 years now. I'm going to start leaving the travel plans to her. The only downside is I gotta put up with her manic-depressive husband. Aargh. I know he'll tag along with M and me and leave the two kids to my sil to watch.

I digress.

I'm sure some of you had been to DisneyWorld, Epcot etc. Any suggestions on what I GOTTA do and see? BTW, I'm staying at Port Orleans. And don't stop at the parks. As you well know, M is an avid photographer. Any cities we should spend time visiting? Keep the details rolling.

Georgia still on my mind

I had the good fortune to return to Augusta for training last week. While I didn't get a chance to catch up with everybody, I did do a great deal of catching up with my ole friends from Augusta and Columbia, return to my old house that I'm renting, and got a trip down to Savannah and this time, really indulge in it.

The last time I was in Savannah was about 10 years ago with my good friend Sinclair. It was an impromptu trip to Jacksonville and we stopped in Savannah to see the squares, riverfront, and have lunch. It was also a trip where he introduced me to Monty Python Sings, when I got to pretend to be his subservient Asian mail-order bride to his friend (we fooled him good) and on the ride home, got soaked one side of me when his beat-up soft-top convertible on his gorgeous piece of antique gave slightly in a rainstorm. Oh, it was also a trip which my then-boyfriend got really pissed at me for taking a trip with another guy.
If it weren't so humid in the South, I will glad move back and be with y'all again. But I can't deprive the other states my temporary presence.

Anyway, for those of you who had not been to Savannah, here are pics: Beautiful Ole Savannah

Oh, and don't forget to click the other links below that read Savannah Misc., Savannah Architecture, Augusta 6/06

Another thing about the photo gallery for those not familiar with the interface: Click on the thumbnail to get the pic. Then click on the pic again to get a bigger pic.

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John Sinclair: Baby, if I could make my car spill on you again, I would. You were the perfect mail-order bride -- you even sang along to "I Like Chinese" with me. What can I say? We'll ALWAYS have Savannah.

Buh-bye, U.S. airlines

I consider myself a savvy traveler. And very much a picky one.

My recent trip home required some preparation, mainly in the case of finding reasonable fares and total traveling and transit time less than 26 hours. I had also made a stipulation that I will avoid Singapore Airlines, my home-based carrier, for the simple reason that I had a relatively unpleasant encounter years ago that I wasn't as warmly received as my richer counterparts (read: business and first classes, and Westerners). I swore to boycott them, so to speak.

For years until a year ago, I also had been the proud cardmember of the Northwest frequent flyer program. The reason why I abandoned it will be listed as a point I'll be making regarding the abovementioned headline. But let me add the sorest point of all is their miserable black-out dates.

Without further ado, here are three simple reasons why I will be seeking friendlier skies with Singapore Airlines and other non-U.S.-owned carriers. Please note that there will be unavoidable circumstances when I will have to travel with U.S. carriers, mostly in transits to smaller cities and within the continental U.S.

1. Poor customer service. This is a rant on strictly personnel matters.
(a) Observe carefully the next time you board the plane, the only times you will see a smile is when you board it and when you unboard it. Seldom in between, unless you are a well-behaved baby or toddler, will you be flashed those pearly whites by your attendants.
(b) On my recent flight back from Japan onboard American Airlines, an attendant came down the aisle with various custom forms. When I asked if I needed an I-94 form in addition to my custom form since I'm a Permanent Resident, she icily cut me off by saying that I only needed the latter.
(c) I was unlucky (again) to be seated with a dysfunctional monitor. The channels were switching rapidly and there was no way I could stop it. The only functions I could access from it were music and flight path. Fortunately, I had the brains to utilize the monitor on the empty seat to my left. However, the picture wasn't clear as I was receiving screen glares. I had to incline my chair to get a better look. Since it wasn't a full flight, you'd think a conscientious attendant will notice that and offer to find me a seat with a working monitor. This wasn't the first time it happened to me. A year ago, on my way back, again from Japan and again on another American Airlines plane, I had to request for a new seat due to the similar circumstance. I was greeted with disbelief when I showed them the problem. But they offered to check the computer to make sure it was really not working right. Geniuses! Which leads me to point number ...

2. Skimping on products/services.
(a) I had traveled on various international airlines -- Japan Airlines, Thai Airways, Garuda, Singapore Airlines (SQ), and Qantas. The products and comfort level of the U.S. airlines pale in comparison to these international carriers. I had the good fortune of returning from Singapore to Japan on Singapore Airlines. I know I said I would boycott them but I had no idea that my scheduled carrier, the Japanese ANA (All-Nippon Airways) is on the same alliance as SQ. This time round, SQ amazed me by their attentive service to the cattle class (economy). They offered REAL warm hand towels that stayed warm even after you touched it. This is in comparison to the cheap wet-ones I was constantly offered in U.S. carriers. Have you realized the minute those warm wet-ones were dispensed, they immediately turned colder than cabin temperature? What is the frecking point of that!
(b) SQ has foot rests on their economy class. This is especially important for those of us who had to endure more than 8 hours of flight. Believe me, every bit of comfort counts.
(c) SQ's lavatories have a complete range of wash products, with caps intact. American ones only provide soap and lotion, the latter of which is grimey with lotion smeared over the bottle. SQ even made sure that the trash is emptied regularly and the wash area dry. How often have I ventured into U.S. planes to find the tiny washroom's trash brimming over with towels. Gross.
(d) Often, in international flights, you find international travelers. Some of these travelers could either only communicate in their own language or have as basic grasp of a foreign language. I have often seen soft-spoken foreigners attempting to speak in English to these American attendants, who in turn raised their voices as though they would be understood better. Furthermore, I find it extremely belittling when these attendants speak really s-l-o-w-l-y, as if it made a difference. (Tip: good attitude makes a world of difference. Try that next time.) There were times when I had to step in and translate. Now, you know why I hesitate to have my mom travel solo? It's humiliating, to say the least. Why can't these U.S. carriers staff more bilingual attendants? Even if they had one onboard, they should tell these poor foreigners to wait and bring that solo bilingual attendant over later. Common sense, afterall, right?
(e) I was on Thai Airways a year ago, from Singapore to Bangkok. At that time, the economy was quite bad in many countries. Imagine my surprise when on my return flight home, I was handed a beautiful LIVE orchid-and-fern corsage (see picture below). It may be nothing to some of you. The point is, they made the traveling experience just a little more pleasant. It's like getting a present from the colleague/neighbor you never knew.

3. Poor food. I am not expecting gourmet fare on economy class. But does it hurt to have proper silverware, and not plastic ones? Most Asian carriers carry relatively superior fare. And we get a choice. Imagine my shock on my flight from Japan to Singapore, I was onboard United. Since it was only a 6-hour flight, we were given a snack. Now, bear in mind that we have international travelers. Oftentimes, the Pacific-route passengers are Asian and may include Buddhists. There wasn't a choice. Instead, we were handed a box (which they later recycled, a gross idea since it contained crumbs that fell from my mouth) of roast beef sandwich. Since I eat anything, I didn't check it. Also, I was ravenous. Imagine if I were a non-red-meat eater, that would have devastating impact on my psyche!

Have I convinced you to be more wary, savvy travelers? I hope so. If there's anything blogs can achieve, it's to share and input that little bit of awareness in all of us. Please, my American counterparts, I'm not writing this as an effort to slam the country. It's my years of collective travel and comparison traveling that finally prompted me to make these theories.

So, here are my final words to the U.S.-run carriers, shape up and quit cost-cutting all the nitty-gritty if you are going to retain loyal fliers or else BUH-BYE from this one.

Money is no substitute for quality time

I am beside myself with delirium. After months of agonizing if I should spend money we don't have (my husband differs but he's the generous one), we finally forked over a huge chunk of change for a round-trip ticket home.

Some of you know that I've been lamenting in recent years the long distance from my family. Each phone call home, I am updated with tales of how my 10-years-and-younger cousins and niece are growing up so quickly. These stories always bring a lump to my throat, which I never share with my mom. Not only do I miss out on their formative years, I am sure I am also almost a nonexistent entity to these young relations. Sure, the older ones know who I am. But I'm simply a distant relative, not one who is there to be a viable part of their lives.

Furthermore, my only surviving and most favorite grandparent is now 93. I want to be sure to be able to spend as much time I possibly can with him. And of course, my long-suffering mother, who's been patient with me from day one, and whose relationship with me in recent years has been more solidified than ever. Her health is declining, which makes her visits to me more strenous and infrequent. She always jokes about being a surrogate grandparent to my cousin's daughter, and her brother's children. But behind those jokes, she is secretly wishing my brother and I would soon produce some offspring for her. (We're working on it, ma. Pray for us. hahaha)

This visit will be extra special, too, as it will coincide with the celebration of Chinese New Year. It's been more than a decade since I've had a reunion dinner, which is much like Thanksgiving in this country.

Isn't it funny how most of us cannot wait to be away from our family when we were younger? As we mature, we crave for their advice, company, and admit our love for them?

It will also be special since I've reunited with a couple of old buddies from high school. I cannot wait to see their children, catch up, and reminisc about our youth.

While this trip will have me watching my pursestring tightly, it will definitely be one that will be worth every penny. The only downside is I'll be spending a month away from M (boy, do I sound like a newlywed or what? LOL), who will be on a tuna fish diet and possibly dining alone during his lunch hours.

Thankfully, he has the unconditional love of Bentley and Bubba to return to every night.

White Christmas in the Southwest

Happy belated holidays

Happy holidays, everyone. This is the closest I got to a White Christmas.