sleep, wherefore art thou?

11:00pm -- one cup chamomile tea while watching news.

12:00am -- lying in the dark counting sheep to the thousands.

1:00am -- take two valarium root and attempt to fall asleep while watching tv again.

2:00am -- another cup of chamomile tea and watching the Discovery channel, which teaches you that small things really can kill you, i.e. carnivorous ants from Africa that can kill an adult horse overnight; and the most poisonous jellyfish is the size of a quarter and mainly resides in the waters of Australia. also, "little people" can do a lot of things "normal size" people can (giving birth to four kids and raising them? not many normal people can do that!).

3:00am -- STILL WIDE AWAKE and getting hungry now.

sleep, did you miss me tonight? i sure did miss you. where are you?!? okay, back to bed to make another attempt before having to get up for real in four hours.

Finished!!

My fingers are all cramped and I can barely keep my eyes open but I'm finally done with two of my knitting projects. Complete! Finito! Since they were made to given away as gifts, I had to take a picture of it to keep as proof that I can make a scarf or two. And they will forever be here on blogger.com for all to see:


This is Mr. Moo. He's modeling my latest creation, a mint green angora scarf. It's super super soft against the skin and it was really really tough to knit. Well, it was tough for me. My fingers are still cramped up as I'm typing it up. I was trying to follow the "mock-cable rib" pattern, but after reading over the directions, I just realized I skipped a step, so I guess I just created a pattern (hee hee). I'll name this "Q's mock-cable rib" and below is a close up:


If you want to attempt the real "mock-cable rib" pattern, the directions are below:

Row 1: *P1, k the second st on the left needle, leave this st on the needle and k the first st on the left needle; drop both sts off needle; rep from * to last st, p1.
Row 2: *K1, p2; rep from * to last st, k1.
Row 3: Repeat Row 1.
Row 4: Repeat Row 2.
Directions: With one strand of each yarn held tog, CO 22 sts. Work in mock-cable rib pattern until piece measures 54" from beg. BO and weave in ends.

If you want to attempt the mistake that I made, aka "Q's mock-cable rib", then just follow these Row 2 directions: *K1, p the second st on the left needle, leave this st on the needle and p the first st on the left needle; drop both sts off needle; rep from * to last st, k1. I used two balls of yarn here.


My second model is Miss Daisy and she's wearing a red & black scarf made from Fun-Fur "eyelash" yarn. This pattern is super SIMPLE because it's just a garter stitch all the way through (CO 22 sts for this width). I used one ball of yarn for each color to make this scarf.

Now that I'm finished, I'm gonna go feed my empty stomach and do some finger stretches. This also means no more crafty projects until the LSAT is over with. Blegh!

The Comfort of Things

For $340, my car lives to drive another day. It also has new break pads and the power steering problem has miraculously disappeared. Sam Truong and his mechanics at Unocal 76 are my favorite! Plus, they're reliable and cheap.

I didn't realize how much I missed my car was until I got it back and was driving it again.

While my car was at the auto shop, I had use of my bf's car. His car is built low to the ground so I always "thumped" when I got into the driver's seat; the driver's seat doesn't move so I have to use a pillow to help prop me forward; it jerks forward whenever I step on the gas; it smells different (no, not stinky smelly, just smells like a man's car and not a woman's car). Let's just say I had to adjust.

As soon as I got back into my car, it just felt right. The familiar seat at a height where I didn't have to sit down to a "thump"; rear view mirrors all in the same place; no jerking movements with the gas pedal; and it smells like my car.

Boyfriend quote of the day: "Hello over there! Just calling to say hi to my sweetie. I didn't call to say goodnight last night because I forgot to charge my phone up, but it's currently charging now. We're about ready to go out and I'm leaving my phone here so it can charge up, so I won't be able to answer if you call while I'm out. Isn't that convienient? hee hee!"

the best of the worst

About two hours ago, I'm in my car on my way to pick up my bf at his place, when all of a sudden I notice smoke coming out of the hood of my car. I had noticed the smoke about two minutes earlier, thinking it was wind blowing the smoke from the exhaust, but it was just a little bit of smoke. When I notice smoke coming out of the hood, however, it was like a chimney with fire burning down below. The "nice" lady in the van next to my car also noticed the smoke coming out of my car and she yelled out "Get your car off the road, it's burning!" but what she really meant after yelling that at me for the 10th time was "GET THAT F#$KING THING AWAY FROM ME. I DON'T WANT TO BE NEXT TO YOU WHEN THAT CAR BLOWS!" Thanks for warning lady.

I was at a red light when all this smoke was increasing. There was a gas station to my left, on the other side of the median. All I had to do was make the left turn, get to the next light (approx. 25 feet away) to make another left turn and get to the gas station. Well, I phoned my bf to let him know that my car was smoking up and that he should probably come get me at the gas station. As soon as I hang up on him, my car starts making creaky, crunchy noises just as I make it to the second light. I'm thinking the light will turn green any second so I can just quickly make the left turn and dash for the gas station, but NO, it took FOREVER for the light to turn green. And in the meantime, my car is smoking up the gazoo and it's cranking and clanking louder and louder. I start to fear that my car really is going to blow up so I turn off the engine and ran out onto the median of the road, leaving my car behind in the middle of the road at the stop light. Second phone call to the bf frantically telling him that I didn't make it to the gas station and my car is in the middle of the road and I think it's gonna blow.

After about ten minutes, the smoke disappears and my bf arrives and decides to push the car to the gas station. The freaking red light took another five minutes to turn green, and a nice woman graciously helps us out by pushing my car with her car. Only the wheels were locked so I couldn't make a complete turn and her son got out to help my bf push the car backwards, then forwards again until we were able to park the car at the curb of the gas station. I am so grateful to know there are still good samaritans out there. If you're reading this, THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME!!

Thank goodness this didn't happen while we were on the way to the airport. I can't imagine being able to get out of the car if it did started to burn up. Anyway, bf made it to the airport on time and is on his way to the East Coast for the weekend. And I just barely made it home with his car.

As for my dud of a car, anyone need some car parts? I don't think I want to drive it anymore.

my "Pal," my belly pooch

The reason I named my blog "Pigs in a Blanket" was because that dish was on my mind when I was creating my blog. I was at IHOP the night before and of course I ordered my favorite, pigs in a blanket. Four juicy sausages each wrapped snugly inside a fluffy pancake, all covered in lots of sweet syrup, all but one made my tummy really really happy (pancakes are really filling so I couldn't stuff the last piggy into my mouth).

Anyways, I really shouldn't eat like that anymore. Ever since I can remember, I always had a little belly pooch (I call it my "Pal" because it makes me happy to have Pal happy). As of late, Pal's been getting bigger, and if I expand it enough, I really look like I could be four months pregnant. And I look pregnant because the rest of me is not big; it's just my Pal. No one really believes I have a belly pooch, but that's because I wear dark clothing, often put my gym bag over my belly, cover my belly with my hands when I can't hide it with a jacket, suck in my gut when I wear tight shirts, and of course I try not to expand my belly for all to see (with the exception of certain individuals, i.e. the bf).

My goal is to get rid of Pal. I've got the small waist and shapely hips. I just also have the belly pooch and if you really want to imagine it, add a big bulge to the bottom of your belly button.

This picture is now my goal. For my belly to be flat so I can wear a two piece bikini when I'm strolling along the beaches of Honolulu at the end of this year. I'm pretty good about the gym, so I really need to cut back on eating fatty foods like pigs in a blanket.

You'd think that once I figured out the solution to the belly pooch problem, it would be simple to get started and just cut out all the fat. Well, let's just say the BLT sandwich for lunch and hot dog during dinner isn't really helping. And that pint of mint chocolate chip Ben & Jerrys keeps taunting me to eat it.

It's going to be a long haul. Good bye comfort food! Good bye!

Quote of the day: My bf and I were at Costco so he could buy a giant bottle of Grey Goose vodka to bring on a trip to see his buddy. At the checkout line, the cashier asked if that was all we were buying. We said yeah and the cashier joked that we should have gotten the giant bottle of Petron too. Then the 40 year old icky man behind me said "With that bottle, she'll end up on the table and it'll be a real party tonight!" EWW EWW EWW EWW EWW

Giants vs. Dodgers, Rivalry Series

Barry Bonds hit home run #704 and Giants broke the tie at the bottom of the ninth. Giants won 5-4. Here are some chants I heard from both Giants' and Dodgers' fans:

"HEEEEP SUUUUP CHOOOOOOOIIIII, HEEEEEP SUUUP CHOOOOIIIIIII..."

When Barry Bonds was up to bat: "LET'S GO STEROIDS, LET'S GO...LET'S GO STEROIDS, LET'S GO..."

When the Giants got two runs in the first inning: "I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE WIN THE GAME IN THE FIRST INNING."

"HOW YOU LIKE THAT HOMEY? GIANTS UP TWO TO NOTHING" Then my boyfriend quietly jokes to me, "I show you homey...I go homey your ass in the parking lot and you let me know who's up two to nothing."

When Jeff Kent finally got a base hit, some sick Giants fan yelled sadistically, "BURN IN HELL, KENT!"

"HEEEEEP SUUUP CHOOOOIIIIIII!"

Boyfriend quote of the day: "I have never cheated on you. Well, at least not this week." Slap!

my tax dollar goes to waste

Yesterday, I received not one, but TWO jury summons in the mail. I thought this was weird, so I opened both and both summons have the same date but a different courthouse. I'm thinking, "what the heck, how am I supposed to be in two places at once, and why on earth would they think I have the powers to do so?" Upon closer examination of the summons, I realized a comma was the culprit. One summons had my name as "Le, Quyen Thi" and the other summons had my name as "Le Quyen, Thi." And now I have a twin...I guess.

I don't have a problem with jury duty. And the good thing about San Francisco is that it's only one day of jury duty--once you check in at the courthouse, you're jury duty is completed for the year whether or not you get called for selection on a case. However, in my case, there is still the problem of me being in two places at once, so I called up the Jury Commissioner's office this morning with the idea that it was a simple typographical error that they can fix and the Le Quyen and Quyen can become a whole person again. Boy was I wrong.

First call to the Jury Commission's office: after explaining the mistake in the names (twice, much slower the second time), the lady on the phone finally understands what I'm getting at. She tells me that they pull the names for jury duty out of two lists that they use: the DMV list and the Voter Registration List. She figures out that "Le, Quyen Thi" is from the voter registration list (duh, I filled that out so of course I would know how to write my own name), and that "Le Quyen, Thi" is from the DMV list. At this point, I'm thinking "IT'S THE FREAKING DMV PEOPLE? STUPID STUPID PEOPLE!!!" and she gave me the DMV's number to call and get it sorted out with them because the jury commission DOES NOT have typographical errors.

Second phone call was to the DMV people: after pressing multiple numbers in an attempt to get a live person on the phone (I really hate those automated phone menus now), a gentleman came on the phone and asked what I needed. Apparantly, he didn't catch a single word I said the first time I explained my situation, so I had to explain it again, step by step, and asked him after each sentence if he's still following the story. He looks up my driver's license number and tells me that they have my name as Quyen Thi Le. I ask to make sure that they have Quyen as the first name, Le as the last name and so on. He confirms that it's what they have. Then he gets an idea that maybe my name is incorrect on my vehicle registration, so he checks that out too and that too is correct. I'm on the phone with him for about 15 minutes because he wanted to go through line by line to make sure all the other information was correct, and it was. He finally gives up trying to figure out why the Jury people would think the DMV people made mistakes so he transfers me to the "HELP DESK" to see if they can further figure out where the problem is.

The HELP DESK said the same things the first DMV guy said. Then they told me to call the Jury people and tell them there isn't anything wrong with my records at the DMV.

Third phone call to the Jury Commissioner's office: I got a different lady on the phone so I had to explain the situation again, twice (why can't anyone pay attention the first time?). This lady was evil and only wants to make everyone's life miserable. When I explained to her that I just spent 20 minutes on the phone with the DMV and they confirmed that my the parts of my name was listed correctly, do you know what this lady said to me? I quote: "We don't type up the names, so we don't make mistakes. If we have you down as two different people, that's because the DMV has your name wrong. Call them again and tell them I said that." I wanted to pound the phone on my desk to make her ears hurt.

Giving up on the name problem, I asked this evil lady what she proposes I should do about being in two places at once. She tells me that I should pick one and just show up for jury duty for that courthouse. Then I asked, "Well, since your computer system has me down as two different people, if I show up at one courthouse as "Le, Quyen Thi" what happens to "Le Quyen, Thi" if I don't do jury duty for that name?" Again I quote the evil lady, "You can postpone the other and then serve it at another date, or else you'll get fined for not serving jury duty." And miraculously for her, the line gets disconnected.

What the f*~k, right?

community college vs. the real thing

Earlier this summer I decided that I needed to enrich my learning with a new language and started taking Cantonese classes at CCSF (City College of San Francisco) aka community college. We've had three classes already (each class is 3 1/2 hours long) and we're still on the LESSON ONE, learning greetings (Hi, how are you? My name is Johnny, what is your name?) and counting (123, 321, 1234567). Yes, I did take three years of Mandarin, and yes, Cantonese isn't really brand spanking new to me, but please. It doesn't take 10 class hours to learn "1, 2, 3" and "how are you?"! According to the syllabus, we have a total of 8 lessons to learn in the scheduled 16 classes we'll have. My calculations say that we're either going to fall behind or we'll have to start picking up the speed.

Anyhow, this is really only my second class at CCSF. Last year I took a painting class, and it was a lot more challenging since I really don't have any talent. I guess I was expecting to learn A LOT of Cantonese in one class, since we only have class once a week. I guess you can't expect much when classes only cost $26 a credit (3 credits for this class), compared to the ginormous price tag I paid for a private college ($32,000 a year, approx. $4,000 per class).

We'll have our first quiz next week. It'll cover numbers, greetings and tones. Whoop-de-doo. I think I'll watch "House of Flying Daggers" to prepare for it. Darn it, I only have the Mandarin version.

Joi Gin (Cantonese for "Good bye")

blogging

I'm jumping on the blog wagon and starting my own online journal of rants, raves, reviews, drama, etc., etc. Names are changed to protect the identity of the real person(s) but stories are mostly true (some exaggeration may incur) and it's usually always funny to read.

I really wanted to start this blog so I can share the "witty" things that comes out of my boyfriend's mouth. This I will call "Boyfriend quote of the day."

Yesterday's Boyfriend Quote of the Day: "Sweetiepie, what do you want for Christmas this year? That is, if we are still together by then."

For those of you who know me, please be reassured that there is no need to be worried about the current status of our relationship because I absolutely adore his personality and wouldn't want him to change, even if it means he's an A$$ 75% of the time. I just have to work harder at whipping his A$$ in line.