Thanksgiving 2009 Time Capsule

This Thanksgiving has been good. I suspect it will look better in retrospect. Vacations always look rosier when viewed back with nostalgia. Despite things not going as planned this past Thanksgiving, we nonetheless had a good time.

This year, we decided to go scuba diving in Monterey. We hadn't gone diving in a year, and so it was time consuming and laborious as we packed our musty scuba gear. Once we got to Monterey, however, there was a storm advisory. We decided it wasn't smart to go diving, particularly when surfers were actually surfing where we were supposed to dive.

Disappointed, we decided to explore. We discovered things we wouldn't normally see had we gone diving . We discovered the scenic walk between downtown Carmel, and Carmel River State Beach. I highly recommend this stroll along Scenic Rd, Carmel. It is here that you will find gorgeous gingerbread houses overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Less pretentious than 17 mile Drive, the natural scenery along Scenic Road is more memorable, and you don't have to pay to enter to boot. Along this path, we found the famous, Butterfly House (see above). This iconic house went on sale for $20 Million in 2007. It is also the site of a very good, and pristine shore dive, when the conditions are right. At one point, Bay Area scuba divers mused over pooling our money and buying it for ourselves. But a Washington Real Estate developer eventually bought the gem for $10 Million. I hope he doesn't mind seeing scuba divers prance around in front of his panoramic views of the ocean on occasion.

On another day, we rode a tandem bike along 17 Mile Drive. The rain pounded us at times, but Mark and I had a wonderful time synchronizing our pedal strokes as we hammered up some hills and glid past enormous chateaux. Beating the rain as we raced back to the bike shop was my favorite moment on this bike trip. Mark professed not to feel taxed at all, but both of us were covered in sweat when we were done.
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Being that it is Thanksgiving, and not just a time to go on trips, it is also time to be grateful. I recently saw a PBS special on the Dust Bowl. Thank goodness I did not go through the hardship that broke so many farmers during this era. It is not always easy to feel grateful, but I am grateful that I do not have to worry about where I am getting my next meal, the shame of accepting government aid, or the fate of my land without rain.

Here is a short list of other things I am grateful for:

(1) Our house

I am grateful that our house hasn't severely depreciated in this recession. I am grateful that we can enjoy our little fireplace, relax in front of the TV and feel contented in the cozy and stylish little nest we have created for ourselves. All those weeks and months of painting and stressing has paid off. We recently refinanced, and were able to get rid of our second loan, as well as lowering our mortgage payments. Our house is small, but it is perfect for our needs.

(2) My husband

I am grateful that I found someone who always has a bright smiling face to light up my day, and who can always make me laugh out loud every day. My husband is also realistic and responsible, qualities which I don't always demonstrate. If it weren't for him, I wonder if we would still be in the process of refinancing our house, instead of being done already.

(3) My job

My job is challenging, and creative. That is all that I ever ask for. When I first started, I thought I was going to do some more hand-held plastic enclosure design. Right away, however, I started design on some battery contacts, which for the type of batteries I am working with, is not a trivial task. Lately, I have expanded into the crucial interface areas. The project I work on is practically Space-Shuttle-esque in its complexity. It has countless parts, 3 tiny motors, and three complex subsystems with their own multi-person teams. I am working on the mechanical interfaces between these subsystems, and I am so grateful to have this opportunity.

Eyvind Earle-An Artist of California

Art galleries these days are full of paintings that repeat the same tired old themes. Perusing the art galleries in downtown Carmel, CA over Thanksgiving weekend, we saw the same old still lifes with wine glasses and bottles, the same old kitschy whale paintings by Wyland. This time, however, I had a chance to discover a significant artist whose works took my breath away. I have never seen paintings that capture Californian scenery as masterfully as those by Eyvind Earle.

Eyvind Earle is a contemporary artist, who recently died in 2000. A former landscape artist at Disney, he worked on such films as "Lady and the Tramp", and "Peter Pan". Earle's style is most clearly evident in "Sleeping Beauty", for which he was responsible for art direction. With its medieval styling, Sleeping Beauty can now be considered an noticeable departure in style from previous Disney films. During the film's development, other Disney animators protested against Earle's art direction, but Walt Disney himself interceded. For the first time, the voice of a single animator, Eyvind Earle, set the tone for a Disney film.

After leaving Disney, Eyvind Earle spent a few years as head of his own animation company. He animated commercials, and even created the trailer for the movie, "West Side Story". But in his final years, Eyvind Earle spent his time painting professionally in Carmel, CA. His mature paintings are fantastical and magical, much like his illustrations while at Disney. But they are also evocative of the beautiful Californian landscape. They are infused with feeling and emotion. In many of his landscapes, there is a sense of aching solitude.

When looking at "Sounding of Surf ", or "Swirl of Fog", I am reminded of waves crashing on the Big Sur coastline. Notice also these paintings' resemblance to Japanese block prints. A "Touch of Magic" brings me out of myself, and gives me the sensation of hiking through the Santa Cruz Mountains on a lazy afternoon.

My favorite Eyvind Earle, however, is "Quiet Solitude". The original painting is currently on sale after being part of a private collection for many years. This painting, whose price is unlisted, but will probably sell for ~$100,000+ currently resides in the Gallery Fine Art in Carmel, CA. This work almost reduced me to tears. There was the masterly technique, and colorful beauty, but there was also a strong sensation of silence and loneliness. If you are looking to collect significant, important works of beauty, as an investment and to enrich your life, I highly recommend that you look for the original works of Eyvind Earle.

I can't wait for our new table...

Despite being married, we still have our yard sale dining table, and $20 IKEA chairs. Since Mark broke one of the chair's with his weight, we are now down to 3 chairs. And since we may host 7 people at our house for Christmas dinner, we decided to make a shopping trip and splurge on a new dining table and chairs.

It's scary thinking that our new table could keep us company for the rest of our married lives. My Mom is in her 60s and she still has her gorgeous, carved Cherrywood dining table and chairs, which she bought when she first got married. I absolutely love her dining table set, and I would wish that we could love our table equally as much. With this thought in mind, we went searching for iconic pieces of furniture.

Usually, Mark is the decorator of the family. (It may come as a surprise to some, but the artfully arranged doodads in our bathrooms are not my handiwork, but the handiwork of my husband's.) I am more of a stickler for form and proportion, though. I really like the "Jake" chair from Room and Board (left). I think they havean iconic shape that are reminiscent of the Charles and Ray Eames chairs from the mid-century. And at $79 each, they are pretty cheap, too.


We looked at some modern tables designed by Italian design house, Calligaris (left). When she thought the price might be too high for us, the sales person tried to hawk us some ugly, American designed crap that were supposed to be a close simile. We took one look at these tables, but decided they looked best next to a "lazy boy" armchair in the suburban Mid-west, and decided they weren't for us.

My favorite Calligaris design was the "Metropole" design (right), with it's retro legs. But Mark wasn't sure of the longevity of the design, or of how comfortable it would be to sit at the ends of the table. And since the table top wasn't even solid wood, and since the table was fairly pricey ($2k), we continued looking.

Finally, we came upon Room and Board, which has beautiful, Shaker inspired furniture with a modern twist. We found a simple, classic: The Rand Table (right), which we will never get tired looking at -- the table top appears as though it were floating on top of the legs. I was leaning towards something else, but Mark convinced me otherwise.

We also bought 6 white "Jake" chairs (above). Paired with our new table, I think our dining set will be a stunning combo.

P90X --I took a break, but I'm back

OK, so I didn't even finish 1 week of P90X before taking a break. But, I'm back now.

Today, I did pullups and pushups for 1 hour (Chest and Back). I was grunting at the end, so I'm pushing myself pretty hard, right? Then it was "Ab Ripper X", which is not getting any easier. The oblique exercises are just killing me. This was the worst session yet.

P90X - Legs and Back, Ab Ripper X

Today, I am feeling sore in my hamstrings and my back from overstretching some muscles during yesterday's yoga session.

After a long day at work today, I finished the "Legs and Back" program. The hardest parts were the seated wall poses and the chair pose. The "back" aspect of the program consisted of mostly pullups. I did pull downs with an elastic band - which wasn't very challenging,. Maybe I should invest in a pull up bar.

Although, it has been only one week, I feel a difference in my body already. And I feel great. After my stressful day at work, it was such a stress relief.

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In other news, I've locked down our refinance interest rate, which was disappointingly high.

I am saving the world at work, too. I was told repeatedly by the VP of R&D today that my project is the highest priority, and that I'll get any resources that I need. That makes me feel less motivated, and more scared. But I'll plod along like I always do, and I think I am doing a good job, and I can only do my best.

P90X Day 3 - Yoga X

So, let it be known that I have been doing yoga for years off and on. I think I'm pretty good. This Yoga X program kicked my butt. I had sweat dripping into my eyes, and the sun salutations just went on forever. I stopped the 1 1/2 hour program with 1/2 hour left to go to work on our house project. Then I had dinner, watched "Big Bang Theory", and before I knew it, it was 10:30 PM, and I did not find the energy to finish the program. Oh well. On to the next. Legs & Back and Ab Ripper X tomorrow.

Labor Day Las Vegas - The Food

So here, finally, is my write up on our brief trip in Las Vegas.

It has been a while since we have done any sort of traveling or vacationing. We have been working a lot on the house, and I was doing this self-discovery thing where I wouldn't actively seek entertainment or adventure until I got really, really bored. If you want to read more on that bit, you can, here.

Wanting to surprise my husband for his birthday (his birthday falls on the Labor Day weekend), I decided to surprise him with a cheap trip to Las Vegas. I got airplane tickets for ~$120 round trip, and hotel for ~$90/night, which is cheap for Labor Day weekend. (On a side note, a surprise trip is something that I want for my birthday, but not necessarily something that Mark wanted, but hey, I am not the most considerate gift giver.)

Well, as it turns out, the trip wasn't cheap at all. We spent a fortune on food, food and more food. When my husband got clued in to the fact that we were visiting Las Vegas (I couldn't keep it a surprise), he got excited about eating at Mario Batali's restaurants. He had thought that this goal was unattainable in his lifetime, as Batali's core restaurant is in New York City. But any "celebrity chef" worth his salt has a restaurant in Las Vegas. Well, I wanted to indulge in my husband's food dream, so we ate at not only one Batali restaurant, but two Batali restaurants, a Bobby Flay restaurant, and throw in Thomas Keller, too, for good measure.

A quick review of restaurants:

Batali Restaurant #1: B&B Ristorante

Mario Batali is known for his oversize personality and his oversize belly. He is one of the iron chefs in "Iron Chef America". What I remember most by his performance on "Iron Chef" was his preparation of a cheese dish that was stir fried in a wok made by a humongous round of parmesan cheese. This demonstrates to me Batali's gluttonous love for food and his subsequent great cuisine. This being said, and counter to Mark's experience, I was a little disappointed by my first Batali restaurant.

Mark had the Sardegna themed 4-course dinner (see picture), accompanied by a flight of wine. I had the pasta and tomato themed 4 course dinner (it tasted like our artisan tomato pastas that we prepare at home). The food was complex, and dare I say, overly intellectual? For example, I had a corn ice cream laced with chili pepper sauce, which was interesting at the very least. All in all, we spent a decadent $400 for both of us. I had had too much to eat and drink, and actually vomited in the ladies' room trash can! Just like the Romans back in their vomitariums!

Bobby Flay Restaurant: Mesa Grill

Although you may have a hard time imagining it, this restaurant demonstrated haute South Western American cuisine. The most memorable food we had was the shrimp appetizer, pork tenderloin in a spicy Southwestern sauce (see picture) and the churro with hot chocolate. The meal was excellent, and the restaurant deserves it's Michelin star. The price was decent as well, topping at around ~$150 for the both of us. Our experience was marred by the drunken pair of couples that sat next to us. There was no shortage of 4 letter words coming out of their mouths, and they made jokes about blow jobs and prostitution very loudly. Fortunately, I did not say anything to them, I was afraid to get beaten up!



Batali Restaurant #2: Carnevino

I am salivating just thinking of the juicy steaks that Mark and I had at Mario Batali's steak house. This was the best steak I've ever had, and possibly will ever have (and I have had my share of excellent food). Let me first set the scene: At the table next to us, were a couple of real dandies. These were young 20-something year old men wearing button down shirts in bright pastel stripe, their hair messed up artfully a la Hugh Grant. At the other table was a Hindu and two Caucasian friends. The Hindu mentioned to the waiter that he was about to try meat for the very first time in his life. The waiter did not skip a beat, and said, "well, this is a good place to try it." I wonder if the Hindu's meat lived up to his expectations. We were too immersed in our meal to observe.

We decided to have "La Fiorentina" ($70/person) which is a porterhouse steak for two prepared in the Florentine style (i.e. grilled rare to medium rare with a simple rosemary, salt and pepper seasoning, and then carved at your table). The steak was transcendent. I have had food that made me close my eyes in pleasure. I have had food that made me wonder at its complexity. But, I have never had food that made me want to tear up, and these steaks made me want to cry.

First of all, American cows don't have a lot of flavor. I am still not certain that if I were blind folded, and fed some beef, that I would be able to discern what it was. But these steaks were works of art in their artful charring on the outside and tenderness on the inside. And they were intensely flavored, but what was the flavoring? Mark argued that what we were tasting was the essense of cow. I argued that Batali must have dipped the steaks in bacon lard. Because what I was tasting was a little gamey, a little smokey, and scrumptious. Apparently, the meat cellar guy at Carnevino selects his meat alongside the USDA judge. The meat he chooses is beyond USDA prime grade in terms of marbling and flavor. I asked the waiter that we doggy bag the T-bone for later gnawing. They discreetly wrapped the bone in foil, and placed it in a little Carnevino shopping bag. And gnaw the bone I did the following morning in the hotel room!

Before I bore you to death, I just wanted to mention our transcendent side dishes and wine: bread with bacon lard and butter (yes, they served bacon grease with the bread, and it was to die for). Mashed potates with mascarpone cheese and "guanciale" (Italian bacon made from pig jowl), grilled octopus with chilies and citrus. I also had my first significant Barolo wine (from Piemonte), which is a light wine that tasted of strawberries. This wine broke my perception that Italian wine was not very good. So now, I think it can be good, but I am still not convinced that it is worth the price.

Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery:

Every morning, my husband dragged me to the other side of the Las Vegas strip so that we could have breakfast at Bouchon Bakery. Each morning, we ordered lattes, a pastry, and a spread of French macaroons. Mark is really into macaroons right now. Now, these aren't your ordinary coconut macaroons that we Americans are familiar with. These are fancy cookies, even by French standards (see picture). They come in all flavors, from vanilla, to coffee, fennel and raspberry. (In case you don't follow foodie current events, Thomas Keller is also the chef of the world famous French Laundry, and was also a consultant on the Disney film, Ratatouille.)

The Beginning of P90X - Plyometrics, Shoulder and Arms, and Ab Ripper X

As of yesterday, I have started the P90X workout program. My husband and his coworkers have been doing it. As a woman, I felt hesitant to try it at first. The workouts seemed a little militaristic. I prefer dancey, or body/mind programs like yoga, pilates, or Zumba. Also, the workouts seemed hard. I tried the first program, Chest and Back a few months ago, it's really a full hour of pushups and pullups, and I was so sore and intimidated, that I stopped for a while.

Well, now I am going to begin for real. My local gym shut down this past week. And I also found out that I gained 10 lbs over the last 8 months! This is like, 10% of my body mass! I thought I had been exercising a lot, but apparently, I need to rev it up a notch, so here I am.

Review so far:

Yesterday, I did the Plyometrics program as the opening of my program (I did not want to start with the suggested "Chest and Back" because I've already done it twice on separate occasions previously and I don't want to get bored). I managed to finish the whole thing, which is better than the first time I tried the program when I had to stop with 20 minutes to go. This time, I modified the jumps a little bit so that my feet barely left the ground, and I was able to finish it. But I was still out of breath and dripping with sweat. Today, my hamstrings and abductor muscles are feeling pretty sore. My calves are also feeling a bit tight.

Today, I did the "Shoulders and Arms" and the "Ab Ripper X" according to the program. I don't have a plethora of weights at my disposal, so I used my rubber band. Note to self, must wear sneakers. The band hurt my feet, and one time the cord slipped and snapped and hit me in the inner thigh. That hurt. The rubber band was hard to calibrate to get the right amount of repetitions (I am aiming for the 12 to 15 rep range). I am actually not certain that I worked my arms enough. But I won't be able to know until tomorrow when my muscles get sore. I had a bit of difficulty completing the Ab ripper X, which is a 15 minute blast of stomach exercises. But my stomach was sore from working abs 2 days ago. I have tried this program previously with my husband and I have been able to complete it in the past, due to my months and years worth of pilates training. (When I went to my gym, I used to also to to 1 hour of abs class, so that certainly helped as well.)

All in all, I am excited, and hopefully I can keep this up.