This holiday season was definitely a busy one! On the 23rd, we celebrated with a group of friends at Trader Vic’s. It was a time to catch up – see some friends we have not seen since the wedding – and socialize over Polynesian-style cuisine and Mai Tais. The restaurant was everything Taro hoped for – the Hawaiian décor, a drink with a parrot on it, and prime flat iron steak. The drinks were good, the food was a blend of different cultures, and the company was what made the night special. Thanks to Jason and Simply Green Solutions for getting us together!
An adorable shot of Melissa’s belly. We can’t wait for Isabella’s arrival!
The festivities continued on the 24th at our house. Both my family and Taro’s family came to celebrate Christmas Eve. There was definitely not a shortage of food –albacore sashimi (one of my favorite dishes handcrafted by my father-in-law), Chilean sea bass with miso, roast, shitake mushroom rice, mashed potatoes, okra (prepared with masago), vegetables (lotus, snap peas, and Chinese celery), and miso-flavored green beans. The night didn’t end there because Taro made vanilla ice cream and apple pie – both of which are simply amazing – and my mom made almond jello. Everyone was stuffed by the end of the night and it ended with Beatles Rock Band. It was a wonderful night to spend with both sides of the family and I am very fortunate that we have joined together as one big group.
Christmas Day didn’t start too early, but it began with an abundance of food as we joined my family for dim sum. We were lucky that we set a relatively early time for breakfast because by the time we left, the place was packed with people! Afterwards, we each went our separate ways, temporarily, and that was when Taro and I exchanged Christmas presents. Peanut was able to “open” all of his gifts as well and he gladly chased after his brand new toys.
Dinner was at my parents’ house and again, it was a night of endless food – spareribs, shrimp, sticky rice (one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes), and rice noodles. We then exchanged gifts, took our yearly family picture along with the sister/brother photo, and ended the night with an intense game of Pictureka.
Our last Christmas celebration was on the 26th. We celebrated with Randy and Donniel, and a group of their friends. The dinner was held at Bucca di Beppo, followed by a White Elephant gift exchange at their place. It was a memorable exchange – the personal dilemma of whether to steal another person’s gift, a yell of “Now get me my clock!” and stealing it back, and a “Who brought this?” response when Sam opened up a gift pack of Biosilk. We ended up with some nice gifts; I got a bag of Three Africans coffee, an Earl Grey diffuser, and candle while Taro received a Mighty Leaf Tea assortment. It was a night of laughter, fun, and an appreciation of scotch from the men…followed by shots of jagermeister (Luckily, I did not partake in that.)…and an enjoyment of banana cream pie, pecan pie, and Sprinkles cupcakes. Did I mention the coconut cupcake is to die for? Thank you, Randy and Donniel, for setting up and hosting and we cannot wait until next year to remember past exchanges – the good, bad, and the ugly!
This is Randy and Donniel’s adorable dog, Raku. I love his scarf!
I have to admit that I was not initially a cat fan. The first time I visited Taro, I literally left with an itchy nose and by the time I arrived at Cuban Bistro to have dinner with my friends, I was sneezing and my eyes were red and watery. However, about two years ago, I asked Taro if he wanted a cat because he is a big cat lover. I figured it might be worth a try – and I thought cats were low maintenance and pretty much their own little boss; this is definitely not the case, but I will explain in a bit. I pretty much ventured out looking at cats up for adoption. There were a bunch of cute kittens and some that were rascals and much more feisty; the feisty ones scared me a bit. And then, one day, I saw this cute, little furball sitting in his litter box. He was calm, slightly intimidated, and not at all wild and crazy like the other kittens. I knew he was the one. But Taro actually did not care for him; he thought the cat was too anti-social. I convinced Taro regardless.
Yes. Peanut is anti-social. It takes quite a few meetings before he will make an appearance. And if there is a group larger than six, he will definitely hide and shy away. But when it is just me, Taro, and Peanut, he transforms into a column hopping, mad dashing, cricket killing lion. Yes. Lion. He walks with authority, yet purrs, rubs against your leg, and bites with love. I want to say he is not a typical cat. He has a magnificent tail and is filled with affection; he licks Taro’s face every single night! And low maintenance? Definitely not. He cannot stand either one of us working from home – Taro on the computer or me grading papers – and will do everything possible to focus attention on him. I cannot tell you how many clips, pens, and highlighters he has swatted off the table in order to say, “Look at me!”
This is my love. Peanut. Nutty. Nut-nut.
Even as I type this post, Peanut is meowing for attention and gently hitting my back. As Taro and I would say, “What a nut!”
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