Attempt at Chocolate Souffle = Successful!

Thank you, my friend!

Thank you very much for being such a great friend, MH. You're always there for me through thick and thin, and you know me better than anyone else. You know exactly what I like and what I don't care for, how to comfort me when I'm down and how to share my joy when I'm happy. You're always there to take care of me when I need help the most. Even though you're not physically with me, I know I'll always have a shoulder to cry on. I've very thankful that God has let us be friends.

Pomegranate Ice-cream ... Super successful! :D

Chocolate Banana Cream Cake = Success
Pomegranate Ice-cream ... In progress

Sachertorte = Success!

My parents came to South Bay to have lunch and dinner with me today. In addition to cleaning up my entire house, dad also made dinner for me. 好感動哦!!! We had dinner, watched a movie, and ate the sachertorte I spent the whole Sunday evening on. :)

Happy early birthday, mom! :)

Interesting Weekend

Before I start talking about all this weekend, I want to thank all those who gave me words of wisdom and support in the past couple weeks. I still haven't figured everything out yet, but at least I have the decision tree down. And, at this moment, I'm just waiting for more information before I know which branch to take.

After talking to a few friends about my situation, I realized I'm definitely not the first or last to face this. The thing that struck me, though, is that the recurring theme in most of the stories is that the guy is moving out of country for his family/career, and the girl is only moving for the guy... 女生外向 ... is there really truth to that? I love my family very, very much, and it'd be very hard for me to leave them. But, I digress... I agree with E that love should fair, but life itself isn't fair. Guess we just have to make the best out of it. Thanks again for all your encouragement, my friends! :)

OK, onto this weekend.... I went to the Twins concert in SF after taking him to the airport. While I am not a fan of this group, it was definitely an interesting experience. (It's been 10+ years since I last went to a Chinese pop concert.) Twins aren't exactly great performers, but, overall, I was pleasantly surprised because I didn't walk in with any expectations. (I watched one of their concerts on DVD once... And, let's just say there aren't quite a bit of room for improvements.)

I don't know any of their new songs, but I do recognize quite a few of their older song. Although... I gotta say it's interesting to see 2 people in their mid-twenties singing 明愛暗戀補習社. -_-"

There were rumors that Twins will go their separate ways, but them being such perfect complements to each other that I don't think they can continue their singing careers as solos. But, maybe singing isn't really what they're after. After all, Sa was recently named best actress in 金紫荊 and a Korean film festival. She didn't make a great impression on me as an actress, but maybe she's improved tremendously in the past year or so.

And... I spent most of Sunday making a cake for my mom. Here are the pictures of the damage I did to the kitchen... and some chocolate calligraphy. :P

Sleepless Night...

I probably got about 2 hours of shut-eye last night. Try as I might, but I just couldn't sleep. The fact that I didn't eat dinner last night might have attributed to my insomnia, but there wasn't anything I could do if even the smell of food seemed revolting to me. No, I'm not anorexic. It's just a phase. My body has been acting very strangely lately (e.g. fever out of nowhere, feeling nauseous for no good reason, etc.) It's almost as if my body is fed up with my bad habits and is trying to tell me I better stop or else...

Many things have happened in the past couple of weeks. Family member having passed away, friends facing difficult situations, direction of my career changing, him deciding to go to Beijing for at least a year... But, these are not the things that are keeping me up. At least, I don't think they are. I thought blogging would help me clear my mind so that I could finally get some sleep before the long day of bachelorette party in SF, but I realized I wasn't really thinking about anything in particular as soon as I logged into Blogger (after dropping my laptop and damaging the floor...) But, I figured since I had damaged the hardwood floor for this, I might as well think of something to blog just so the damage isn't completely pointless.

A couple of months ago, he and I had a strange conversation about how we and the people around us had become relatively stagnant. This is not to say that things have become boring. It's just that a few years ago, when people were just finishing school, there were a lot more movements. Everything seemed possible. But, of course, just coz we said things are pretty stable, the whole world seemed to have suddenly shifted. People are moving into and out of the Bay Area again, planning drastic career changes, and so on.

He announced to some of our friends that he'd be going to Beijing for a year during dinner last night. And, to my surprise, people were quite shocked when he broke the news. Maybe it's coz he's talked about the possibility of moving to Taiwan, Beijing, Shanghai, or Hong Kong for so long that this decision just came natural for me. From the time we went to Beijing for the first time, I've known that he's going to want to move back to Asia sometime in the future. I guess what added to the surprise is that, this time, I'm not going to move to Beijing with him.

Truth be told, who wants to have a long-distance relationship? Let alone a long-distance marriage. But, it is what it is. This is a great opportunity for him, so I definitely don't want him to pass it up just for me, especially when I understand how important his career is to him. Besides, I'll try to figure something out. I know I've talked about leaving the firm for the longest time now, but with the new group and salary, I really want to give it another try. What complicates things a little more is that I can't really make my decision until I learn more about my new group - whenever I get a new career counselor... And, learning from last time's experience, I'm not moving out of the Bay Area without a job again. Yes, I can find a job when I get there, but being friendless, familyless, and jobless in a foreign country will drive me nuts! (Had I not found the internship last time, I would have bailed out of Beijing early.) Since I don't intend to stay in Beijing forever, an internal project within the firm would be my first choice.

From the way things are looking right now, end of December is probably the earliest that I can leave. And, it's a lot more likely for me to land on a job in Shanghai, which brings in a whole slew of different complications... Oh well, I've known from the time when I rejected the BoA job (5 offers from 1000+ applicants) that I'm not the career girl that I thought I would grow up to be. Anyway, whatever the final outcome is, life goes on.

Butter Pound Cake

One of the things I said I'd do in the beginning of this year is to take better care of myself. After not doing anything about that for 8 whole months, I finally realized I better get my act together before the year comes to an end. So, I've decided to make myself eat some kind of breakfast everyday.

Yogurt and smoothies are great coz I can always take them on the go, but I suddenly craved for butter pound cake... Haha! And, making a pound cake is a good way to use up all the unsalted butter I got for all my other dessert endeavors.

Here's the recipe I used:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup butter
• 6 eggs
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9 or 10 inch tube pan.
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well.
3. Introduce the flour, one cup at a time while adding cream a little at a time until all flour and cream is mixed in well.
4. Add the vanilla and lemon flavoring and blend well. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 1-1/2 hours or until center springs back from small amount of pressure. Immediately turn out on cake rack to cool.

How Did They Get Hired?

Whew! Finally have some time to blog. All the UAT-related stress came full-blown at me. In addition to getting ready for the all-important UAT, I also have to watch over my very talented team, as well as helping a fresh grad get up-to-speed. yeah, and "Ah Mo" finally rolled off. Life doesn't get better than this, right? After all, who doesn't look forward to getting to work by 7.30am every morning and having to stay till 6 or later coz her team can't test?

Done with Harry Potter

As I was scanning through the news headlines during lunch today, I found an article titled "Harry Welcomed into Church" (click here).

This reminds me of Granger's Looking for God in Harry Potter, which I couldn't bring myself to finish. While I admire him for devoting so much time into analyzing the series, he's pretty said everything in the first half of the book.

Soufflé... Yum...

Tried to make soufflé at home tonight, and it turned out really good! ;) Well, it was actually a little underdone, so it tasted like molten chocolate cake more... but still supper good!

At the rate that I'm making desserts, maybe I should study to become a pastry chef!

Harry Potter: A Must-Read for Christians?

Currently Reading
Looking for God in Harry Potter
By John Granger

Everyone seems to be talking Harry Potter these days. The 5th movie is doing well at the box office, and 11 million copies of Book 7 were sold in just the UK and US on the release date. I can't say I'm a die-hard HP fan, but I have read all the books and seen all the movies. One thing that kind of bugs me, though, is that I keep hearing Christian organizations condemning the series. That's the reason why John Granger's book caught my attention when I was browsing the library shelves.

I don't think I'll read through the entire book with great attention, but it's refreshing to hear the other side's argument. Granger is a Christian home-schooling father of seven, and he sure has spent a ton of time analyzing every aspect of the series.

Here's what I've found interesting so far:

• Godric Gryffindor: Godric = godly, worshipful; Gryffindor = French for "golden griffin" which is a symbol of God
• Slytherin: movement of snakes, a symbol of Satan
• Hermione and Ron: symbolic of the alchemical process, using mercury and sulfur to purify a base metal. Hermione's initials are HG (chemical symbol of Mercury), and Ron the red-headed, passionate boy represent sulfur.
  

我不是文盲! :D

我的小組凖備在七月尾獻詩。 於是，我們這幾個星期meeting後都會練詩。 搞笑的是上星期五，竟然有人在見我看譜的時候, 大喊 "她都不識字!" 哈哈! 也因為這樣，所以我决定今天用中文打blog。雖然這只可以證實我的中文水平真的很差, 但是我並不是文盲！:P

上個周末做的所有事都很即興，但是過得好開心。Some things are just better unplanned. ;)

A Day of Rest

Needing rest both mentally and physically, I took a day off from work today. I had every intention to work a bit at home today, but I just couldn't get myself to do it - not even training. Sitting at home, I realized how quickly time can fly when I'm not doing anything. (I guess the same thing can be said when I'm in meetings all day long in the office.) When I finally stepped out of the house to fill up his car, I realized I hadn't spoken a word the whole day. And, the thought of that scared me...

I used to be 100% sure that I'd want to stay home to take care of my kid for 3 years (if I were to have one), but I'm not so sure of that anymore. I think I'd be insane if the baby is the only person I'd be speaking to. Besides, what am I going to do with myself when everyone else is at work? I know it's not right, but I do define at least part of who I am with my job. Not that being a mom isn't a job... but I just won't feel right without an income. After all, I've been earning an income since I was 15. Besides, I won't be able to raise the child the way I want to with just one income, and I'd have to say bye-bye to retiring early and comfortably. (Here's another scary thought... if I had followed my parents' footsteps, I would be a mother by now, since I've now been married for 9 months.)

When we were in school, everyone was basically the same; we were all in the same stage in life. Yes, we experience different things when we were growing up, but we were all in school. But, we have gotten to a point in life where our friends can be anywhere in the spectrum. Some are still in school, while others have already made something out of their careers. Some haven't even started dating, while others are already married and expecting a child. I don't know where I'll be in a few years, but I'm sure as heck that I'm not ready to be a mom.

Seek

... and ye shall find. I'm not sure why, but that sentence just popped into my head as I was walking out of the office this evening...

Age Discrimination

I was ecstatic when my boss first told me that I would be getting a team of my own, but that quickly changed when I found out whom I got to manage. The goal of my project is to build a very simple and easy-to-use merchandising tool. In fact, it is so simple that anyone can just pick it up and run with it without any training, as any well-designed tool should be. But, it took me 2 weeks to explain the core functionalities of one very simple page to the new person. The page has 3 major functionalities - create, enter and search for a link. Simple, right? I mean... you create a link, save that in to the library, and search for the stupid link! To be honest, if you were to work in the IT business, it doesn't get any easier than that.

In addition to the intelligence, language, cultural, and personality issues that this person has, I also have to cope with age discrimination. I get that it is difficult to work for someone who is half her age. But, that's just life. She needs to learn to take instructions from her lead and deliver her deliverables on time and as instructed. I can say in good conscience that I have been as patient and cordial as I can possibly be. But, she just refuses to listen.

Last week, I've just lost it. Covering her ass by doing her crap for her while she's disrespecting me is just too much. I have had it, so I went to my boss for help. He wouldn't believe me when I first told him about the issue, but he quickly realized the severity of the problem after sitting in a few of our meetings. Oh, and what's more... he sat down with her to chat about how things have been going for her, and she had the audacity to make up all these stories about me!

The fact that she's worked 15 years and is still incapable of moving up the corporate ladder says something about her. No doubt she's had more life experience than I do, but work is work. And, she needs to accept the reality.

What's in a Name?

With friends getting married left and right, a lot of girls are now talking about whether they should change their last names after they get married. But, to be honest, I never understood why women have to change their last names. It's such a big hassle to change all the legal documents, and why is the woman the one who needs to change her identity? God said man and woman become one after marriage, but He didn't say woman should drop her identity.

A lot of people are surprised to find that I'm not going to change my name. Some even asked if I'm not changing it JUST in case... But, that's just ridiculous. If I had expected to get divorced, then I wouldn't have gotten married with him. My pastor has once said kids may get confused if mom and dad have different last names, but if my kid's stupid enough to confused by that, then I have bigger things to deal with (like my kid is mentally challenged).

No matter how you slice it, I just don't get what the big deal is. Maybe it's just an ego thing. Some men just want to use this as a way to exert their dominance. If the real purpose of this whole name-changing business is for the new couple to become one symbolically, then why not have both the man and woman drop their original last names and come up with a new one? After all, it is a new family.

Interesting Wikipedia article on Chinese last names:

Chinese surnames were originally matrilineally passed, although by the time of the Shang Dynasty,they had become patrilineal. [1] The Chinese character for "surname" (姓) still contains a female radical, suggesting its matrilineal etymology. Archaelogical data supports the theory that during the Neolithic period, Chinese matrilineal clans evolved into a patrilineal property-owning families by passing through a patrilineal clan transitional phase. Evidence include elaborate and highly adorned burials for young women in early Neolithic Yangshao culture cemeteries, and increasing elaboration of male burials toward the late Neolithic period. [2] Relatively isolated ethnic minorities such as the Mosuo clan of the Naxi tribe in southern China are still highly matriarchal today.

Eventful Weekend

Friday night:
Games Night was postponed because we didn't hit critical mass, so we ended cell group meeting early and had dessert at Golden Island Cafe. The food was good, but it was fun to hang with some friends and get to know them a little better.

Saturday:
morning: lunch in Sunnyvale
afternoon: hiking in Los Gatos
evening: birthday dinner & housewarming party

In honor of a friend's 30th birthday, we went hiking in Los Gatos (best trail I've hiked in the Bay Area). It's a long time since I've really exercise, so hiking 5.6 mi in a little less than 3 hrs was quite strenuous for me. It's rare to see my cheeks so flushed without alcohol ;) (Click here for more pictures.)

Sunday:
morning: church (interesting topic on how to cope with emotional pain...)
afternoon: karaoke & tennis
evening: homemade dinner at friend's house

Key learnings from church today:

• Praying will not take away away the pain... God will help you cope with it though
• The best way to comfort a person in pain is by listening without trying to solve the issue for that person.
• Just coz you have comforted that person doesn't mean it will lessen his/her pain, but that doesn't mean you should stop trying. You just have to be patient and let God do His work.

Tennis:
Neither A nor I have ever played tennis before, so J showed us a few useful tips. :) Surprisingly, tennis isn't as hard as I thought it would be. I guess taking the first step is always the hardest. And, to help us get the most practice in the short amount of time, Au helped us pick up the balls with his rollerblades on. :P

The best part of this weekend is that I got to learn a bit more about many people - including myself, and some mysteries were solved. Observing how different ppl interact with each other is pretty interesting. And, the way they handle themselves (either consciously or subconsciously) can greatly affect their social circles. I'm still a long way from knowing who exactly I am, but this is a start.

Gas Price Gouging

With prices like this, who can afford to drive in California?!?! SF gas prices, averaging 3.29 per gallon for regular unleaded gas, are now the highest in the nation. Maybe I will have to reconsider getting a hybrid after all.

Standard reasons from oil companies to explain the price hike: crude oil prices going up... refinery problems... getting ready for the summer months... and more BS!

Some Wounds Just Won't Go Away

Everyone says time can heal everything, but I think some wounds just won't go away. Well, it may heal in a way so that you're not hurting all the time, but there will always be a scar. And, the deeper the wounder, the fatter and uglier the scar. There's no turning back time. What's happened has happened. There's nothing we can do about it. And, there's no point in thinking about the past coz I can't change it no matter what I do now. Right now, all I can do is look forward and think of ways minimize the scar and move on with life, trying to prevent the same thing from recurring in the future. Plastic surgery can alter the appearance, but it doesn't change the fact that the scar was there at one point. I guess not have to deal with the scar on a daily basis is still a good thing.

Logic tells me to stop thinking about it, but logic and emotions aren't mutually exclusive. Just coz I know I shouldn't be hurting doesn't mean I can make the pain go away. Oh well, I'll just have to let this round of emotional roller roaster run its course...

Sorry, no details here.

An Explosion at Home

Maybe it's coincidence, maybe I'm just a hopeless klutz. It seems like something always goes wrong on the first day he's gone... Last time, I got a fever the night he left for Seattle, and today, I sprained my ankle and blew up an egg in the microwave. My mom had tried to warn me about the egg.... but I just stupid enough to heat it for so long. I don't mind wiping up the sides, but why do the egg white have to be stuck in the metal mesh?!?! I've tried cleaning it out with a toothbrush, but it's stuck good... Oh well, I'll let the mess sit there till I have the energy to clean it all up. In the meantime, I'm just gonna have to leave it alone.

Time for More Travel?

This has been the most event-packed month I've had in a while... We went to Hawaii from 3/6-3/11, and we've just gotten back from a weekend trip to LA for a wedding.

Hawaii:
The Hawaii trip is the most relaxing vacation we've had in a very, very long time. We've always tried to pack so much sightseeing into our vacations that I've always felt like we need another vacation just to recuperate from it. But, with the lesson from our honeymoon fresh in our minds, we were very mindful of keeping it light for our 6-month anniversary trip. As tempting as it was to do a bit of island-hopping, we decided to stay in O'ahu for 6 days.

The first 3 days at Waikiki was everything (and more than) what we expected. The weather was gorgeous, and the view of the turquoise water from our ocean-view suite was to die for, especially when the upgrade and 2 of the 3 nights were paid for with my hotel points. ;) And, although we are both hopelessly out of shape, we managed to make it through the surfing lesson. The waves at Waikiki were gentle enough that we were able to stand up and feel our first waves. But, gosh, paddling to the wave sure is hard work!

With the rain and strong wind, the North Shore and Windward side of the island aren't nearly as nice as Waikiki, but Matsumoto Shave Ice, Giovanni's Shrimp Truck, and the Polynesian Cultural Center are definitely worth the yucky weather. (I'll chat more about the shave ice and shrimp later.) Speaking of the Polynesian Cultural Center, I think their operation model is definitely worth mentioning. Essentially all of the performers and workers at the PCC are students from the Polynesian islands, who are working at the PCC and learning about their own culture, while getting a fully-funded education at BYU, Hawaii. Although I do not agree with the teachings of the Mormon church, I think it's really admirable for them to help these students go to college, while keeping their cultures alive. Without the funding, these students wouldn't have been able to get a higher education and would have probably turned their backs on their cultural roots.













LA:
This was the most elaborate wedding we've ever been to. The ceremony was in the beautiful Japanese Garden of the Pasadena Ritz Carlton. I wished I could hear the reverend and the music better, but the setting was very romantic. The reception was beautifully done in the courtyard, and that was followed by a lavish lunch in the Georgian Room. The couple had prepared a photo booth for their guests to take pictures of themselves for the guest book, which was really a scrap book. And, there was a Nintendo Wii to keep the kids entertained. In addition to all that, the groom performed a beautiful concerto with his friends from Cal Tech. Oh, and did I mention one of the prizes from the bouquet/garter tossing game was a brand new Nintendo Wii? As if that wasn't enough... the couple had also organized a Chinese banquet at night for their guests to enjoy themselves...

After almost 2 weeks of traveling, I felt a sudden urge to flip through my smugmug site tonight, even though I really should be cleaning up the house... And, I realize how much I had gained in my leave of absence last year. I may have complained about being lonely and homesick, but the experience of living in a different country was worth every bit of the 6-month loss of salary. I've learned so much more than from just working, and what better time to travel than when I'm young? Besides, the 6 months off didn't affect my career progression at all. But, so what if I don't move up the corporate ladder as quickly? What's in career if I don't really care about what I'm doing anyway? Although I'm a bit concerned about the mortgage, I think I'll take the next opportunity to go abroad with him when it comes up. I'm still not sure if I ever want to be a mom, but if I were to be one, I better do as much exploring as I can before I'm completely tied down with responsibilities.

Snow-capped Mountains in San Jose

... are now gone. Gone before I had a chance to take a good picture of them. It has indeed gotten so much warmer over night that most of the snow has melted away. OK, so they are really hills at best, but it was still good while it lasted. I know my friends on the east coast would think I'm crazy for liking snow so much. But, snow has the magical power of making everything prettier and more interesting, hiding all the flaws with a white powder. Kinda like how make-up helps. I agree that snow can cause a lot of inconvenience, but it sure is pretty when you look at it from afar. And, on top of all that, it reminded me of the first time I saw those snow-capped hills when he and I first set foot on Tuscany Hills last year. Who would have thought we would actually settle there...

As I was getting to my car this morning, I thought to myself... what if this were all a dream? What if none of this were real? Everything has been so perfect. True, I complain every now and then, but that's just human nature. God has been showering me with blessings for as long as I can remember. And, sometimes that makes me feel bad for not having done anything in return. Though I know that His love for me is unconditional, we should never take anything for granted. Maybe... I'll do something about that this year. :P

Sweetest Valentine's Day Gift

I love you, too, sweetie! :)

What is Love?

Excerpt from Harry G. Frankfurt's "On Truth":

People do tend to love what they feel helps them to "find themselves," to discover "who they really are," and to face life successfully without betraying or compromising their fundamental natures.

One who loves necessarily strives to have present and preserve the things he loves.

Foul weather, Foul mood

Having grown up in San Francisco, you'd think I'd be used to overcast weather. After all, there's hardly ever any sunlight where I lived in SF. But, I've been in a very lousy mood today. I think I've shown signs of frustration during a meeting for the first time. I've been pretty even-tempered up to today...

Either the the lack of sunlight is really affecting my mood, or the fact that all the crap has been pushed onto me has finally gotten to me.

Coincidence?

Last night, I saw a commercial for a Prius sales promotion. If I remember correctly, it wasn't too long ago when people had to wait for months to their hands on a Prius - even for a used one. So, it really baffled me to see Toyota spending the money to boost the sales for a product that is already so hot. (This reminds me of a South Park episode on the smug cloud disaster caused by people buying hybrid cars, but I won't get into that here...)

On my way to work this morning, I heard on the radio that DMV has stopped issuing the "Access OK" stickers for hybrid cars bought after summer. The "Access OK" stickers give hybrid drivers the rights to use the carpool lane, a.k.a HOV lane, when driving alone. For those of you who don't live in California, this was how the CA state government tried to get more people buying hybrids.

I find it very hard to believe that Toyota *just* happened to push a sales promotion for the Prius at the same time when DMV decided to stop issuing the stickers. But, I guess this is simply politics at work.

While the carpool lane access was never our primary reason in considering buying a hybrid, I am glad we haven't bought the car yet. The people who are getting their sticker applications bounced back must be super frustrated... I know I would have been. Having the "Access OK" sticker can actually be a big money saver with bridge tolls, since the most basic tolls now start at $3. I'd say the hybrids with access stickers could actually save the owners more money in tolls than gas.

Well, I guess this means aside from being less guilty in polluting the air, there isn't much of a reason to get an overpriced hybrid. Perhaps the price will drop next year... But, in the meantime, I'll stick with my Corolla, which is now running fine after getting its WAY overdue oil & filter change. :)

Vertigo Attack

Not sure what's going on, but I've been plagued with health issues lately. First the stomach, and, now, another episode of vertigo attack.

I was completely incapacitated yesterday because there isn't a whole lot that I can do when the whole world spins out of control every time I make the slightest movement. It's like I'm spinning in an office chair all day long.

The effects of the vertigo attack has largely subsided now, but I'm really not in the mood to be productive yet...

It's been a while...

Gosh, I'm getting lazy with blogging, aren't I? There were so many times when I wanted to log onto the site and create a post, but never got around to doing that. Funny how much I can procrastinate when I just let myself go. I can't really remember what I've done in the past 2 weeks... which is a big warning sign that my memory is deteriorating *FAST*!

New Year's Day had come and gone... and I still don't have my resolutions written. I've never been a big fan of writing resolutions because I know I can never really stick to them. Maybe I just don't want any written proof that I have failed in sticking to them yet another year... In fact, I had already failed in doing something i said i'd try doing. Oh well, I'll keep trying. After all, that's all I can really do.

Still feeling exhausted from the busy 2006, he and I basically vegged out in front of the TV over the weekend. We learned quite a bit about random facts, but didn't accomplish any of the things we hoped to until today.

After much research and many discussions, we've finally booked our flights to Hawaii this coming spring. We had considered Orlando and NYC, but in the end, cheap tickets and hopes of having a truly relaxing vacation led us to decide on Hawaii. Our honeymoon trip was fun, but it was just way too intensive for us to really enjoy it. So, off to Hawaii we go to celebrate our 6-month anniverary. :) Plus, we'll get to plot a new point in "Our Footprints in the World".

Speaking of traveling the world, I'm thinking about quitting my job to explore more of the world with him again. It's probably the hormones speaking again... just like the time when I felt like I might want to be a mom some day... but if my career isn't really taking off, and if I don't see myself as an IT consultant or have anything to do with IT in the future, why not take a little risk to learn more about the world while I still can. Mom and Dad would scoff at the idea immediately, dismissing it as impractical and irresponsible... But, isn't it better for me to just get it out of my system when I'm still somewhat young?

What are two, three years to more than twenty-five years of working life...? I'm sure I can always work again when I'm back. And, I think the recruiters will appreciate a person with more life experience, or not... I would if I were the recruiter, but I'm not in that position... :P

The good thing about his job is that his company actually encourages their engineers to visit other offices, and he seems to like becoming the new office set-up expert person. Oh, I don't know... but by every day that I delay my decision, I'm making more money to create a safety net for myself if I do decide to leave. It would be nice to actually do something I'm passionate about. After all, we only get to live once, and if I were to have kids, *then* my chance to live my dreams is really over...

Until I can decide on what to do... dream on...