Last bake of 2023 ✌🏼 I hate actual ginger, but I love gingerbread anything. I’ve been known to eat a whole sleeve of ginger snaps in bed. If there were any gingerbread crinkle cookies left, I would’ve taken them to bed with me.
My relatives requested that I make my copycat lettuce wraps from P.F. Chang’s in case this party wasn’t Asian enough.
We left the party early because we were tired by 9:30. My aunt was like, “You’re going already? You’re leaving the lettuce wraps, right?” 😆
I’m not gonna make it to midnight, guys. Happy new year from this old broad 👵🏻
My cousin who lives by me in LA is down here for a country music festival this weekend LOL, so we treated her to a proper burrito at Lolita’s, followed by some sweets at Pop Pie, a showing of one of my favorite movies, When Harry Met Sally, at Angelika, and some homemade pizza.
One of my favorite pies is the Bee Sting from Roberta’s in Brooklyn. It’s topped with spicy soppressata, and my cousin doesn’t eat pork, so I had this baby all to myself.
At the end of the movie, the guy sitting behind us was like, “I genuinely enjoyed watching you guys enjoy the movie!” We couldn’t stop laughing during the part where Billy Crystal sleeps with Meg Ryan and he’s laying there afterwards. He was in the same position my cousin’s waxer told her to get in during her last Brazilian with one leg hanging off the bed, and she had just told us this story LOL.
She’s my concert buddy in LA, always down to see whoever I want (I took her to her first Tame Impala, Beyoncé, Sylvan Esso, and Hozier concerts, among others) and she loves my chicken adobo (my sister and her husband said it was too salty, and it still keeps me up at night). We had reservations to go to Pizzeria Bianco in DTLA for my birthday earlier this year, and I texted her and was like, “I don’t think I can make it. I had a stroke and I’m in the hospital.” 😅 She’s also my ice skating partner, and we usually skate outside the Staples CenterCrypto.com when they set up the rink for the holidays. Ahh, I miss LA. I never thought we’d be close when we were kids. We used to live on the same street, but then her mom (my dad’s little sister) died when she and her siblings were still young, and they moved to LA where their dad lived. Who knew I’d end up in LA???
My sister parked my car in guest parking in front of the community pool earlier yesterday afternoon so the girls could park in the garage when they came over. My sister’s husband came home around 9:30pm and the girls were still here, so he parked in guest parking as well. When they went to move the cars back after the girls left around 11:30pm, both cars were gone. It turns out you need to have a permit to park in guest parking from 10pm-6am, so they both were towed 🙄 Christine graciously offered to take us to the tow yard when they opened at an unholy hour this morning, but we had to pay $300 each to get our cars! I thought my days of parking tickets were over (one weekend, I got a ticket in LA, a ticket in OC, and a ticket in SD!), but I guess I thought wrong ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Oh well, at least I was up early enough for Mcdonald’s breakfast 😆
I got my sister’s husband a Ninja Woodfire 8-in-1 Outdoor Oven for Christmas, partly because it gets hot enough to make pizzas, but mostly because it’s also a smoker and I love me some smoked meats.
For Pammie’s birthday, the girls got together for a pizza party on her rooftop. The oven works sooo well and fast. It cooked the pizzas faster than we could make them!
Chel brought us dick chips! They were salty and meaty with a vinegar backnote 😆
What should we make next? These smoked wings I once had at Alpine Beer Company that I still have dreams about? An entire smoked brisket??? 😜
As I was frosting my cinnamon rolls this morning, I could hear my sister on her 9am zoom call. I don’t remember the last time I had a zoom call or meeting. As long as I turn in my work on time, my boss doesn’t bother me. My coworkers will message me on slack till no end, but usually just to ask if I have a font or what I’m doing for my birthday LOL. I love working from home ♥️
I brought down my projector the last time I was at my apartment, but there’s barely any blank walls in this big ass house, so I had to set up my screen on the 4th floor 😅 My sister’s husband uses that floor as his mancave (he keeps his boxes of baseball cards up there and it opens up to the rooftop where he smokes and grills), so I’m hardly ever up there, but what are you gonna do ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I think miniature versions of things are the cutest, so I made these adorable mini chicken and waffles. I just bought some Eggo Minis, a tray of Chick-Fil-A Nuggets, these cocktail picks, and served it with some quality maple syrup. So cute!
My chocolate bread pudding fixes things in the universe.
My charcuterie boards always have a theme 🎄
I made my banana nut bread last Thanksgiving and was asked multiple times where I bought it! Now I have to make it for every family party.
Is it even an Asian party if you don’t play games for money??? I learned that my cousin’s husband moves really slow after eating edibles and I suck at flip cup when I’m completely sober 😅
One Christmas, my aunt texted the whole family and was like, “If you’re married or over the age of 25, you will not be getting a gift this year.” I was like, “So not only am I old and single, I also won’t be getting presents this Christmas???” 🤣 My mom’s sisters and grandma used to give all the kids gifts and with all the kids having their own kids, it was getting to be a lot.
I usually don’t give gifts to all my cousins and their kids (there’s over 20 of those little fuckers!), but with my health scare this year, and all the love and support I’ve received, I thought why not???
I hardly use my cricut the rest of the year, but I bust that shit out for Christmas.
It was already a bitch to weed out all the letters before the strokes, but it was even tougher after. The strokes made my hands weaker and shakier, so it took me longer than necessary to weed all the letters. I also need more help opening jars. I used to have beautiful penmanship, but now I try to print everything I can on my computer. I only write my rent checks and sign restaurant receipts 😅 I also used to have a nice singing voice (I was in advanced choir in high school—I have the sequin dresses and nude character shoes to prove it), but after the strokes, I kinda sound like Marge Simpson 😅 I was telling the girls this story about this Manhattan Beach woman who had Alzeimer’s that I used to see missing flyers for. She went to LACMA with her husband, used the bathroom and then wandered off. I was like, “And years later, they found her BONES!” and Shi was like, “Your voice makes your stories sound 100x scarier!” 😅
She’s not the first person to tell me this. My other friend said the same thing when she was telling me her boyfriend doesn’t make her laugh 😂 I could never be with someone who doesn’t make me laugh!
My sister had a real Christmas tree last year, but didn’t want to deal with vacuuming all the needles and having to trash it afterwards again, so she got this artificial one.
She and her husband love the real tree smell, though, so I got some fraser fir fragrance oil for my scent diffuser, and now it smells like Christmas up in this bitch.
FYI if you didn’t already know, my sister is a Potterhead.
On our way to brunch today, my sister’s husband was like, “Why do you look like our rebellious teenage daughter?” I was wearing my Michael Myers shirt and carrying my medication in a ziploc bag because it didn’t fit in my tiny ass purse. The lip ring and the fact that I was fresh-faced out of the shower with no makeup on probably didn’t help. A few years ago, I flew with them, and the person at the airport counter thought I was their daughter. They were so offended LOL. I was like, “It’s probably because I look so young, not because you look so old.” 😅
Loved, loved, loved the new Wonka movie. I had no idea it was a musical, I think the studio didn’t disclose that on purpose so more people would watch it. Luckily, I like musicals!
I’m gonna drink all my beverages in this fun souvenir cup I got at the theatre.
I was going through my music tag, and I came across this Dia de los Deftonespost where I was excited about Mike Shinoda being there. I just noticed Doja Cat on the flier! I didn’t know who she was 5 years ago, but she was my top artist on Spotify this year. If that was the current lineup, I’d totally be there.
How my demons look?! 😈
Maybe I’ll go to this festival next year. I need an excuse to wear my skeleton bone nails again 💀
This tracks. Although I would’ve thought Hoobastank would’ve made the cut, but Spotify stops tracking sometime in November, and I didn’t have them on heavy rotation until after that in preparation for their 20th anniversary show in December.
Jessie asked me to make her baby shower invitation, so I’m asking all the important questions 😆
FYI Humboldt Fog is my favorite cheese (you should be writing this down). Christine was telling us a v serious story about meeting up with her pregnant friend who also has cancer at Plaza Bonita, and I was like, “Wait, is the Popeye’s open in the food court?” Some people say I have no tact, but that Popeye’s had a big ass “Opening Spring 2023!” painted on the wall, and it was Halloween and still not open! It has since opened if you’re wondering 😅
Also, while researching baby shower invites, I found this cute Baby-Q invitation. Anyone wanna go halfsies on a baby so I can throw myself a Baby-Q???
I started off my morning by doordashing a spanish latte and sunrise pizza from Urth Caffé. I went to my doctor’s appointment and Dr. Joshi had nothing but good things to say about me (the first time I saw him earlier this year, he said I was “hanging on by a thread” 😅). I went through 4 months worth of mail and had over $700 in checks from overpaying for my health bennies during my medical leave. The Echo’s up the street from Guisados on Sunset, so we ate some delicious tacos before watching Hoobastank at The Echo. Not to be dramatic or anything, but yesterday was the best day of my life.
I haven’t seen Hoobastank live since they opened for Linkin Park on their Meteora tour in 2004! Fun fact: Hoobastank went to high school with Linkin Park members (Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon and Brad Delson). I felt like a kid again watching them. Like, is it 2003? Am I about to get a charlie horse after watching them at Canes??? 😆 I was reminded that I’m not, in fact, a kid anymore when we walked back to the car and we didn’t have to pay for metered street parking because of my handicap placard, and when I was falling asleep on the drive home before midnight 😅
Shoutout to the guy standing in front of me wearing a Yellowcard hoodie 😂
Only two things about LA still warm this heart—the food and live music.
Update: You guys, Hoobastank liked my Instagram story 💀
R.I.P. to my fiddle leaf fig bush. It’s in a self-watering pot, but you have to refill it with water once a month, and I haven’t been in my apartment since August 😅
I got this noise notification (that I usually get when I’m at a concert) on the drive up to LA tonight. I guess I was rocking out to Hoobastank too loud 😆 I got a text last week confirming my doctor’s appointment in LA that I forgot about tomorrow, so I bought tickets for Hoobastank’s 20th Anniversary Show at The Echo since I’ll already be up here. Who’s ready to party like it’s 2003???
The Pantone Color Institute named its color of the year for 2024 and it’s Peach Fuzz. Pantone describes the color as “gentle, warm and cozy, subtly sensual and heartfelt.”
For those of you who think this stuff has nothing to do with you, I present to you this scene from The Devil Wears Prada 😆
Waitress is my favorite musical ever. Yes, over Hamilton. They both debuted in 2016, and Waitress was nominated for four Tony Awards, but Hamilton swept the Tony’s that year (Sara Bareilles was robbed, IMO). They’re showing the musical for a few days at the movie theatre, so I had to watch it with Shi (who was lucky enough to catch the musical on Broadway) and Pammie (who watched it with me here in San Diego). I made us some deep shit dish apple pie to celebrate. Just kidding. I instacarted a Julian Pie from Vons 😅 Ain’t nobody got time to bake a pie from scratch!
I put the pie slices in mason jars like they served at the musical for us to eat at the movie theatre because I’m extra. Shi was like, “Were they selling these outside?” And I was like, “No, I made them. Well, I bought the pie. I just put it in jars and made the label.” 😅 She was like, “I was just trying to make it here on time!”
It only takes a taste When it’s something special It only takes a taste When you know it’s good Sometimes one bite is more than enough To know you want more of the thing you just got a taste of
We watched the musical live at the Civic Theatre, but they took it off Broadway in 2020, so I never got to see Sara Bareilles play the lead role in NYC. She did a small run with Jason Mraz playing her doctor, but I couldn’t find anyone who could just go to NYC for the weekend to watch it. I guess I don’t know anyone who flies by the seat of their very chill pants like I do! I hope they release it digitally so I can cry watch it at home whenever I want.
Deane sent me this vid and I couldn’t stop laughing, because it reminded me of the time we went to Boyle Heights for tacos. We heard gunshots as we exited the 5, and we were like, “This must be the place!” 😂
I will never be too poor for concert tickets or Crumbl cookies 😆
I once got pulled over for expired tags in LA the first day they expired, yet I’ve seen so many cars driving around SD with tags that expired years ago ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The dog my parents are watching has grown super attached to my dad. My dad says it’s because he’s a boy, but I think it’s because he gives him pupperoni treats. Here he is waiting for my dad outside the bathroom 😆
Homemade Zuppa Toscana on this cold ass day. The last time I had Olive Garden was my last lunch with Nori before she took me to the hospital 😅 Our waiter held the parm grater over my dish and asked if I wanted a fifth cheese on my four cheese ziti and I’m still laughing about it 😂
People think I’m a food snob and too good for chains, but I love me some Olive Garden!
My sister is in Vegas again, so I’m at my parents’ house cuddling with this good boi and I’ve already burned 2 bags of popcorn in the microwave. Feels like the holidays.
