Come Ye, Come Ye, 2012!!

Wow...I have really fallen off the blogosphere!

Beginning at the end of November I was hit with an extremely painful and unexpected health condition, and it affects every minute of my every day life to the greatest extent.  Hence, I never got around to "Thanksgiving Part 2" or much that came after.  So now, we are on the verge of 2012....

...and I, for one, CAN NOT WAIT.  2012 will bring some big changes to my life and I am ready to welcome them with open arms.

I don't like to set resolutions, I like to set goals.  For me, a resolution just implies something you resolve to do, but it doesn't infer anything at all about the process.  A goal is something that you need to actively work towards, and that is where the real joy comes from.  When you've worked hard at something and achieved your goal, that feeling is unbeatable.

My goals for 2012 are simple:

#1.  BE HEALTHY.  For me, right now, the first step to this is simply to recover.  In 2011 I've had two major health ailments that were both unexpected, could not have been prepared for or prevented, and they've taken a big toll on my body.  I would like to recover.  Then, I would like to maintain a measure of good health.  This means, eating the right things to keep my body happy and strong, as well as exercising regularly.  I have my eye on a program that I would like to join the second half of 2012 - it should be a fun exercise that will also hopefully become a much loved hobby for me.

#2.  BE PRODUCTIVE.  As opposed to being busy.  This is something I've always struggled with.  True, I get a lot accomplished just about every day, but my days really are mostly more busy than productive.  [Refer to the amazing linked post...]  Well, there's a lot I hope to get done in 2012, and I have all the tools needed to get me through.  [Finally converted to an iPhone due to medical purposes, and now am loving this app and this app and this app, and how they help me get through my day-to-day.]  I have three scheduled trips [NY, Maine, and China], I am finishing grad school, and I look forward to further developing my small business.  In order to have a successful year and hopefully look back at the end of 2012 and see much progress, I will need to learn to be productive, 24/7.

#3.  SIMPLIFY.  This will help in both being healthy, and being productive.  I've come to face the brutal truth that I simply have  Too.  Much.  Junk.  I hold on to things for sentimental value, and will do things like, buy another plain white t-shirt even though I already have 4 because, well, you just can't have too many white t's right?! Wrong.  Having too much stuff is a constant distraction, and it also slows you down both physically and mentally.  Besides getting rid of much of my non-essential objects, I also plan on being a much savvier shopper, streamlining my wardrobe, and creating a clean and healthy work environment - both room and studio.

Well, that's that!  I'll be away the first week of January but hope to be back with some great posts and updates.

Hope you all stay happy and healthy into the new year and that 2012 brings much positive change into your lives!

[image via sillygrrl.com, a favorite blog where I constantly find inspiration]

Defeat.

Sometimes part of being an adult is just knowing when to give up, and let go of something you want more than anything.

Happy Winter Break!

Yes, I've been sadly M.I.A.! It's 3:00am right now and I've just finished my last final paper, so it is officially WINTER BREAK - finally!! I've definitely been running out of steam...and falling behind on everything, so break couldn't have come at a better time.  On top of that, I've been battling some major health issues, so that's been slowing me down a lot lately also.  Oh yeah, and the Niners suffered a disappointing loss against the Arizona Cardinals yesterday so there was certainly no motivation to spontaneously post after that.

But...some hauls, recipes and other random junk in my world coming soon!

NFC West Champions + Frank the Tank

Two pictures to sum up everything I'd possibly have to say about today:

and

Happy Sunday to all...see you at the playoffs!!

Food Favorites

There are few things in life that make me as happy as the following three items:

Boba/Pearl Milk Tea from:

Tea Station

39115 Cedar Blvd.

Newark, CA 94560

Yes, this is an international chain and I've been to many of the ones in LA as well, but nothing tops the milk tea from this unassuming Newark location!  These are better than all the ones I've ever had in SF, and even Asia! I'm convinced they're the best in the world.  The pearls are flavorful and chewy (not bland, soggy, or hard), and the flavor is distinctly Taiwanese.  Love! 

(P.S. You get 10% off for ordering to-go)

Double-Double Burger from In-N-Out.

I rarely eat fast food, but when I have to, this is what I get.  Double-Double is as much as I can fit in my mouth at one time, or else I'd pile on even more scrumptious layers!

#8 House Special Spicy Noodle Soup (with hand-pulled wide flat noodles)

This has got to be one of my all-time favorite foods of my entire life! (And thats a special spot because my top 100 things in life is probably all food.  And football.)

QQ Noodle

3625 Thornton Avenue

Fremont, CA 94536

In Chinese, "QQ" is a kind of slang that refers to something that is perfectly chewy - not hard, and not soggy/mushy.  These noodles are all hand-pulled for the perfect degree of QQ-ness!  I've never ordered anything besides the house special, #8 extra spicy, and I've never needed to.  I've tasted just about everything else on the menu when others have ordered - and nothing beats this in my humble opinion!  I can take QQ any day, any time of day.  

I guess you could say these are a few of my go-to comfort foods, I will never say no to any one!

Thanksgiving Break Part I: Harbowl + A Taste of Taiwan

My Thanksgiving Break began on Wednesday when I went shopping with family for some winter clothes for my ever growing little bro.  He is turning 15 in a few weeks and since last May, has been growing about 1-2 inches/month.  I have a newly acquired  understanding of the expression, "growing like a weed"!

On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, my mom and I did some grocery shopping at Marina Foods in Fremont, then had the most amazing lunch I've had in a while!  My mom grew up in Taiwan so since I was little, I've been exposed to some amazing Taiwanese food.  Not going to lie, this is what I miss the most in SF cuisine - where Asian food is predominantly Cantonese.

We went to the newly opened:

Fusion House

46228 Warm Springs Blvd.

Fremont, CA 94539

And I thought I'd died and gone to Taiwan when I opened the menu.  Here finally, was a place where I could indulge in my favorite Taiwanese foods, authentically made, and actually afford to pig-out too!  Needless to say my mom and I stuffed ourselves and left VERY happy.  These are some of my favorite Taiwanese dishes:

I believe this is called the "Glutinous Cupped Rice," it's one of my mom's favorites.  She's a total rice person, whereas I am the Noodle Queen.  (Yes, that is actually a title which was bestowed upon me when I was only five years old but had already manifested a clear preference in carbohydrate selections.)

This is my favorite - apparently, in English, it's called "pottage," news to me as I only ever knew what it was called in Taiwanese!  So "pottage" is basically skinny brown noodles (not to be confused with vermicelli - completely different) in a clear jelly-like thick soup, with different flavors.  My favorite is intestine, this one has both intestine and oyster.  I know it must sound disgustingly terrible to non-Chinese, but please don't freak out until you try it, it's DELICIOUS.

This is probably tied for favorite in my book.  It's called something slightly different at different places, but basically it's a big meat ball inside of a glutinous shell.  So difficult to describe but it will blow your mind and explode your taste buds with wonder!

Lastly my mom and I split another staple - the oyster and egg pancake. It's oyster and egg (duh) inside of a fried jelly-like skin, and it's so amazing!  They put some kind of ketchup-y concoction over it and the sauce is beyond delicious.

Then I came home in the afternoon, cleaned the house a little, and planted myself right in-front of the tv for the much awaited Thanksgiving Niner Game vs. the Baltimore Ravens, which us fans had lovingly dubbed Harbowl.  (For non Niner/football fans, this is because the Ravens are coached by John Harbaugh, elder brother by 15 months to Niner head coach Jim Harbaugh.)

(C)Dave Reginek/Getty Images; Nick Wass/Associated Press

Unfortunately...it was probably by far the most depressing game I had watched all season.  It wasn't even  torture anymore, pain is probably a better way to describe it.  First of all, the Niner's offensive line was all but non-existent, leading to Alex Smith getting sacked 9 times.  Nine times!!!  I cowered shamefully beneath my blanket on the couch.  The poor guy didn't even get a chance to play.  Snyder's presence was definitely missed.

Secondly, the refs made some terrible calls throughout the game that really set the niners back, the worst of which being the chop block penalty called on Rachal which wiped out what would have been Ted Ginn Jr.'s 75-yard touchdown catch.  It was a magical moment, quickly whipped away.  If you watch the replay, I can understand why "technically" the refs had the right to make the call, but that only makes it a "correct call," it was by no means a "good call," as Jim Harbaugh so classily refered to it as, in the post-game press conference.  I seriously give him props for taking the high road with all this, because the good Lord knows I was bashing my head on the wall in disgust when this happened.  Refs let penalties like this go, ALL THE TIME, taking things into context, and I was convinced (and still am) that the refs just wanted to give the fans in Baltimore a Thanksgiving present.  That call totally changed the dynamics of the game, in my opinion, and it was just abysmal from there on out.  Add to it the lack of O, and well...that was that.  

Needless to say, I have full faith that we will be geared up and back ready to go for Sunday's game against the Rams!  In any case, I suppose now is the time to explore weaknesses and areas for improvement, so we can go FTW in the post-season!!

SOS!!!!!

Got some regular posts coming up soon but for now - a plea for help!

I have found myself the victim of Black Friday shopping madness....
I've been lusting the the Reebok San Francisco 49ers Player Sideline 2nd Season Visor Knit Hat and found it online last night, and put it in my shopping cart at nflshop.com.  This morning I woke up early, worked all day, cooked a Turkey dinner, then hosted dinner, and returned to my computer only to discover that this hat was not only sold out on nflshop.com, but also ALL AROUND THE WEB?!?!?!?!?

It looks like this:

and retails for $19.99, but at this point I'm about ready to work out some sort of arrangement for it if I could only find one!  I even went to eBay and was prepared to kick butt in some massive bidding war if someone had put one up there.  I must have this hat :(   I was really hoping to have it by the end of the year for a trip to the East Coast I'll be taking around the 1st of Jan...I hope they restock, or some kind soul decides to sell theirs to me!

If anyone knows where I can get a hold of this hat, please do share!! I would be eternally grateful!

More Pics:

Our own Alex Smith wearing this hat backwards...

(C)Rob Carr/Getty Images

And Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens wearing the Ravens version right side forward.  (Unfortunately I couldn't find one of a 49er wearing it correctly...)

(C)Rob Carr/Getty Images