Some might say I have a bit of time on my hands....
The Move
Friday, November 26, 2010
Thanksgiving Trailers
Still playing with iMovie....
We had a fantastic Thanksgiving with Uncle Jerry and Bac Giang (Aunt Christine). Norm, Kristen and Laura did a fantastic job with the dinner.
As I have muted cooking skills, my contribution was to document the festivities. Enjoy!
Thanksgiving Action Trailer
Thanksgiving Documentary Trailer
We had a fantastic Thanksgiving with Uncle Jerry and Bac Giang (Aunt Christine). Norm, Kristen and Laura did a fantastic job with the dinner.
As I have muted cooking skills, my contribution was to document the festivities. Enjoy!
Thanksgiving Action Trailer
Thanksgiving Documentary Trailer
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Experiments with my new Macbook
About a week ago I purchased a Macbook - and all I have to say is that switching from PC to Mac is like learning how to drive a stick-shift after years of using an automatic. Or vice-versa, depending on who's making the argument.
It's frustrating to me that I have this wonderful machine in front of me and I only know about 25% of what it's capable of.
Anyhow - today I started playing with iMovie's trailer function. I created two from random vacation footage from the past year. Enjoy!!
Tower over Chicago
"Mamooth" (Mammoth Lakes)
It's frustrating to me that I have this wonderful machine in front of me and I only know about 25% of what it's capable of.
Anyhow - today I started playing with iMovie's trailer function. I created two from random vacation footage from the past year. Enjoy!!
Tower over Chicago
"Mamooth" (Mammoth Lakes)
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Fondue Finish!
30,000 people attended this year's Hot Chocolate 5K. That's a lot of people.
As a couple, Thanh and I are pretty easy to analyze. I'm the sociable creative one, he's the quiet introspective one. But when it comes to how we spend our free time, we're actually opposites. I prefer to hole myself up in the house with a book, avoiding crowds and parties at all costs. Thanh likes to surround himself with people, either hanging out downtown or chowing down in a popular restaurant. Arguments have ensued over my hermit-like urges, so as we shuffled into the runners' corral surrounded by thousands of athletes, I looked up at him and said, "Well, you said you wanted people. I give you people."
It was 7:30 AM down in Grant Park. My adrenaline was pumping, but not because of the music blasting through the speakers or the enthusiastic unity of the crowd. I had to get to the porta-potty stat! Last Tuesday I succumbed to a nasty bout of the stomach flu which kept me incapacitated for three days. It kept me from training and from working. Though a round of acupuncture revived my energy and blessed me with a blissful night of sleep, I was still feeling queasy as we pulled up to the race. I thought carbo-loading last night was a good idea (oatmeal and spaghetti and bananas), but in retrospect, it made the walk from the parking structure to the starting-line long and tremulous.
I was also nervous that we wouldn't be able to physically handle the race. Did I mention that Thanh had the flu last week? Yup. Much to our surprise, though, we ran the whole race! With the exception of walking past the gatorade table.
A few factors contributed to our athletic success:
-Weeks of training built our stamina, so getting sick didn't really knock us back much.
- It was freezing! When we arrived it was around 35 degrees and it maybe went up to 40 by the time we started running. Even if I wanted to walk, I couldn't, because every time I slowed down my hip flexors started cramping up!
- Running with thousands of people down the lakefront slows your pace, but keeps up your spirit! It's easy to keep running when you're surrounded by determination!
Coolest moments:
The lady running with a stuffed Yoda strapped to her back.
Rounding Soldier Field and seeing the morning sun over Lake Michigan and the downtown skyline.
A guy stopped Thanh and I when we were walking back to our car and asked us, "Hey, are you guys runners? And without pausing we both answered, "Yeah."
Oh. And running on highway. I've never run on a highway before. That was cool.
Here are some pictorial highlights in no particular order:
As a couple, Thanh and I are pretty easy to analyze. I'm the sociable creative one, he's the quiet introspective one. But when it comes to how we spend our free time, we're actually opposites. I prefer to hole myself up in the house with a book, avoiding crowds and parties at all costs. Thanh likes to surround himself with people, either hanging out downtown or chowing down in a popular restaurant. Arguments have ensued over my hermit-like urges, so as we shuffled into the runners' corral surrounded by thousands of athletes, I looked up at him and said, "Well, you said you wanted people. I give you people."
It was 7:30 AM down in Grant Park. My adrenaline was pumping, but not because of the music blasting through the speakers or the enthusiastic unity of the crowd. I had to get to the porta-potty stat! Last Tuesday I succumbed to a nasty bout of the stomach flu which kept me incapacitated for three days. It kept me from training and from working. Though a round of acupuncture revived my energy and blessed me with a blissful night of sleep, I was still feeling queasy as we pulled up to the race. I thought carbo-loading last night was a good idea (oatmeal and spaghetti and bananas), but in retrospect, it made the walk from the parking structure to the starting-line long and tremulous.
I was also nervous that we wouldn't be able to physically handle the race. Did I mention that Thanh had the flu last week? Yup. Much to our surprise, though, we ran the whole race! With the exception of walking past the gatorade table.
A few factors contributed to our athletic success:
-Weeks of training built our stamina, so getting sick didn't really knock us back much.
- It was freezing! When we arrived it was around 35 degrees and it maybe went up to 40 by the time we started running. Even if I wanted to walk, I couldn't, because every time I slowed down my hip flexors started cramping up!
- Running with thousands of people down the lakefront slows your pace, but keeps up your spirit! It's easy to keep running when you're surrounded by determination!
Coolest moments:
The lady running with a stuffed Yoda strapped to her back.
Rounding Soldier Field and seeing the morning sun over Lake Michigan and the downtown skyline.
A guy stopped Thanh and I when we were walking back to our car and asked us, "Hey, are you guys runners? And without pausing we both answered, "Yeah."
Oh. And running on highway. I've never run on a highway before. That was cool.
Here are some pictorial highlights in no particular order:
 |
| The view at the 2 mile mark. My friend Cathy took this picture. |
 |
| Just finished! |
 | ||
Our badass bibs.
|
 | |||
| Rocky Balboa moment. |
 |
| Ghiriardelli fondue! |
 |
| I packed my cheeks with marshmellows. Just kidding. Those are just my cheeks. |
 |
| Thanh's 5th grade photo. |
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
What's sweeter than chocolate? Our first 5K!!
When I brought up the desire to run a 5K, one of the parents at school recommended the Hot Chocolate 5K because it "has the best goodie-bag!" Apparently, 5K's are all about the goodie-bag. I checked it out - the bag includes a great jacket and knit hat for the brisk autumn run, and the after-party has chocolate, fondue, and tons of goodies sponsored by Ghirardelli. That's enough to motivate me to train!!
So, Thanh and I have decided to run our first 5K - the "Hot Chocolate 5K" on November 6th. I've wanted to do one for a while, but I didn't want to do it by myself. But a few weeks ago, Thanh started running with me, and now I have a running buddy!!
Oh man...it's going to be autumn...that means I'm going to have to invest in some runner's leggings and some earmuffs....
We'll take a camera with us and take lots of chocolate-covered pics! Wish us luck!!
(Wanna peek at the details? Go to Hot Chocolate 5K)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
ends today thinking....
"Everything is a step forward,"
and, "always thank your teachers,"
and, "Gee that wine was gooood."
I know you're awaiting video or our Hamilton House, or as I like to call it, "The HamHouse", or "HamHome." It's coming. I swear. I've just been very very busy but this last Saturday I finally brushed the last coat of generic white paint upon the walls of my old apartment, put the keys on the kitchen counter, shed a few tears, and then drank a good cheap bottle of Cabernet from Trader Joe's.
So while I hold you in suspense for pictures pictures pictures, a few things I love about The HamHouse.
Things Hamtastic:
1) The Black and Decker hand-vac I purchased. How have I survived with so many pets for so long without this genius invention? Floating fur-balls begone!!
2) The dishwasher. It's been ten years. TEN YEARS since I've had a working dishwasher. Jesus. Mary. And Joseph. Neither of these three had a dishwasher and their lives were HARD.
3) Our renovated basement-turned-family room-which we turned into a HUGE BEDROOM. In other words, our "bedroom" has our bed, my leather el-shaped couch, Thanh's weight set + bench, and my stereo, and there's still room for me to roll out my yoga mat and downward dog my way to bliss. We use the adjoining downstairs bedroom as a dressing room since it is conveniently attached to the walk-in closet and bathroom.
4) Two bathrooms. That means that if Thanh and I come home from a restaurant and we both have to go poopy, we can. No shoving or pushing. Just peace.
5) Two floors. So tonight, I come home late from rehearsal, and I have to prepare for a coaching session tomorrow. Where or where should I rehearse my monologue if Thanh is sleeping? Oh, well, I can do it in the office. Or the guest bedroom. Or the kitchen, with the rest of the Cabernet.
6) The recycling bin. Cause it's just good for the earth.
Enough for now. Must wander into the living-room and read some Shakespeare. Video I SWEAR by next week I SWEAR.
and, "always thank your teachers,"
and, "Gee that wine was gooood."
I know you're awaiting video or our Hamilton House, or as I like to call it, "The HamHouse", or "HamHome." It's coming. I swear. I've just been very very busy but this last Saturday I finally brushed the last coat of generic white paint upon the walls of my old apartment, put the keys on the kitchen counter, shed a few tears, and then drank a good cheap bottle of Cabernet from Trader Joe's.
So while I hold you in suspense for pictures pictures pictures, a few things I love about The HamHouse.
Things Hamtastic:
1) The Black and Decker hand-vac I purchased. How have I survived with so many pets for so long without this genius invention? Floating fur-balls begone!!
2) The dishwasher. It's been ten years. TEN YEARS since I've had a working dishwasher. Jesus. Mary. And Joseph. Neither of these three had a dishwasher and their lives were HARD.
3) Our renovated basement-turned-family room-which we turned into a HUGE BEDROOM. In other words, our "bedroom" has our bed, my leather el-shaped couch, Thanh's weight set + bench, and my stereo, and there's still room for me to roll out my yoga mat and downward dog my way to bliss. We use the adjoining downstairs bedroom as a dressing room since it is conveniently attached to the walk-in closet and bathroom.
4) Two bathrooms. That means that if Thanh and I come home from a restaurant and we both have to go poopy, we can. No shoving or pushing. Just peace.
5) Two floors. So tonight, I come home late from rehearsal, and I have to prepare for a coaching session tomorrow. Where or where should I rehearse my monologue if Thanh is sleeping? Oh, well, I can do it in the office. Or the guest bedroom. Or the kitchen, with the rest of the Cabernet.
6) The recycling bin. Cause it's just good for the earth.
Enough for now. Must wander into the living-room and read some Shakespeare. Video I SWEAR by next week I SWEAR.
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