move over, cup o'noodles. now there's something meatier.

bonus points for anyone who remembers that old commercial for a yummy (now defunct) product from the 70s.

when i was in the fifth grade, i was pretty advanced in the english/reading department. i always mowed right through the classroom assignments and ended up sitting there looking around, bored as hell. and after observing this for a couple of weeks (!), the teacher finally decided to find something for me to do. i was given little workbooks that taught vocabulary words, and they were themed - each booklet was about food.

it's all clicking in your head right now, isn't it? heh.

anyway, i remember learning about random ass shit like scrapple (which sounded gross as all get-out), haggis (even nastier, ew), sushi, and culinary terms like braising, succulent, and saute. i learned about different cuts of meat, cake pan sizes, and the proper order for setting flatware on a table. of course, english class was right before lunch, and i ended up ravenously hungry for gourmet or exotic foods that were nowhere to be found in an elementary school cafeteria. oh, well.

last night, i met with the JLC for dinner at daikokuya in little tokyo. after scheduling and rescheduling the GTG a few times, we were thrilled to finally have a date that everyone could attend. and what better way to get caught up with each other on a chilly evening than to sample some delicious, authentic ramen?

(i love how that "b" rating is hiding behind that windchime)

i managed to get from BFE to downtown l.a. really quickly - like, i left an hour early and got there in 30 minutes. but parking was a bitch - i ended up circling the restaurant several times, hoping for street parking, before finally giving up and coughing up the $6 for a lot close by.

i thought this sign was cool, in a historic kinda way.

and although i drew a couple of curious stares, i snapped this as i crossed the street. come on! i [heart] boba! it's awesome!

i joined amber, who'd already put us on the list, and we chatted and giggled as the rest of the group arrived one by one. with tater running a little late, we entered the restaurant and squeezed into one of the tiny booths. and then a few minutes later, the booth behind us opened up and the monkey and lilcee scooted into it.

the food came super fast, which was good, because i was super hungry. big surprise, right? anyway, we all opted for the specialty of the house - daikoku ramen. it was a huge, steaming bowl of happiness: broth slowly simmered overnight, tender ramen noodles - and this is where some of that fifth-grade culinary education kicks in - succulent chashu pork, sliced thin and cooked and seasoned to absolute perfection. add some bamboo shoots (not my favorite, nor amber's), a marinated boiled egg (which i also passed on), crunchy bean sprouts, and about a dozen sliced green onions. seriously. i commented to the others that my bowl was freaking green onion heaven. sheesh. but it was delicious. i'll never look at top ramen the same ever again.

i totally powered through my ramen and kept my big trap shut as the others proclaimed themselves "stuffed" - while still having food left in their bowls. it was further proof for me that i'm a total bottomless pit, because i could easily have gone for another bowl. in my defense, i hadn't eaten much all day. the bean's teething again, and she's in "klingon" mode these days. doesn't leave much opportunity for me to stop and make something to eat for myself, and i was too lazy to go out for anything.

after paying the bill and leaving the two booths for grateful customers still waiting outside, we headed out the door and down the street for dessert - yogurtland!

we were amused at the row of fire trucks parked right in front, with hordes of cute firemen standing around, chatting and munching on yogurt. yes, i took this through the window.

despite the random "no dogs / cameras" sign posted on the door, i whipped out my camera to capture my delicious dessert - a trio of pumpkin, n.y. cheesecake, and plain tart yogurt, topped with bits of cheesecake, mini-m&ms, and, of course, my beloved mochi bits.

we munched and talked and laughed for quite a while, and then we noticed that it was getting louder and louder in there. a really large group started scooting chairs and tables over just behind us, and the monkey mouthed to me "we should go." i agreed, and we swung through the door, goodbye-hugged all around, and after dropping off amber, tater and the monkey at their parking lot, i was homebound.

oh, man. i SO want another bowl of ramen. yes, it was THAT good.

that don't impress me much.

on saturday, we went to a princess birthday party for the daughter of a good friend. we've known curly since the teen was about three years old, and while we've drifted apart, we still make time to see each other every couple of months or so.

i have curly to thank for my ridiculous attention to minute details in regards to party planning. as long as i've known her, she's always gone all out in decorations, favors, themes, etc. it used to crack me up, but then i got bit by the planning bug for one of the teen's birthday parties and it just escalated from there.

and this party was no less elaborate. while the rest of the house looked fairly normal, there was a big princess-themed moonbouncer in the backyard. and when "cinderella" showed up, we were led to the party room - she'd dressed up the garage to the nines. there were plastic slipcovered lawn chairs tied with a bow, tables with activity centerpieces and fake tealights, all the walls had been draped in plastic murals (which transformed the room into a ballroom straight out of "beauty and the beast"), twinkly lights and fabric draped across the ceiling, and snowflakes and princess decorations hanging from the ceiling. i was sad to have left the good camera in the car, so you'll have to settle for fuzzy, dark iPhone pics instead.

the bean was less than impressed, though. as "cinderella" played games with the other little girls in the back yard, she was more interested in the play kitchen set.

and as the magic show started in the party room, she was far more entertained by climbing up and down the stairs - we live in a one-story house, so stairs are a novelty to her.

as we left, curly handed the bean a paper princess goody bag, thoughtfully stuffed with an age-appropriate toy and no candy (yay!). it kept her happy as we made our way to the cigar club, where the hub was hanging out during the princess party. heh.

later, while on a target run, we came across "the" toy of the season - this horrific contraption called "elmo live." for $60, you too can have your very own talking, singing, dancing elmo. and again, the bean was unimpressed. the look on her face cracked us up.

and finally, in other bean-related news, she managed to slip and fall on her little face this morning. my heart stopped, and i picked her up before she realized what had happened. and a nanosecond later, the bawling began in earnest. she'd managed to cut her little lip, and i hugged her tight as she cried it out. i felt so bad, poor baby. look! she's got a fat lip!

but in true bean fashion, she got over it quickly.

that's my baby!

let the "i told you so"s begin

a few of you commented on it.

i swore up and down it wouldn't happen.

i was determined to stick to my word, dammit.

and yet i am the biggest sucker in all the land. and what am i talking about this time?

the teen + tickets to two jonas brothers concerts + softy ass mom = two concerts, two weeks apart.

well, i guess it beats the extravaganza from the summer, where the THREE shows were back-to-back-to-back, right?

a FSIL for me!

for those of you who aren't all up in the family-related acronym mix, that stands for "future sister-in-law."

because as of this week, their TENTH date-aversary, my brother and O are, at long last, engaged!

they've dropped hints for months about it, and seeing that they're joined at the hip, this comes as no big surprise to any of us. it was really just a matter of timing. and i knew their anniversary was this month, so i must confess that i did have (as i'm sure other family members must have) an inkling that it would be any day now.

and props to my brother, as he managed to accomplish this on the d/l - O says she didn't see it coming. yay! he took her on a trip up the coast, splurged on the fabulous ritz carlton at half moon bay, and (i'm assuming) dropped to one knee and popped the question.

i'm so happy and excited for them! and of course, you know how much j'adore weddings. especially when the couple is one i love so much. yay!

congrats, guys! can't wait to toast to the engagement - soon!

i love this face.

happy weekend!

and in other news

amongst all of the excitement and emotions of the last few days, i haven't had the chance to show off my girls' newest accomplishments.

remember the bean and her upcoming stint as the face of the holiday nest baby shop? well, the website has been updated, and her little face is now featured on the homepage. look:

whee! i love it.

and as for the teen? well, THE report card finally came:

and inside the envelope was a note that invited her to join the school's honor society. we're not too sure what exactly that entails, but she's going to find out. there's a meeting this afternoon after school, and despite her protests of "mooooom, i bet that thing's full of all the losers!" she'll be attending. i asked her to go and see what it's all about, and to give it a chance. i mean, come on - maybe it WILL have some nerds in it, but at the same time, it might end up being a portal to new friends and getting involved in some activities. did you have something like this in middle school? i don't remember, but then again, my grades weren't all that great. heh.

and last night, there was a meeting in the library to discuss the 8th grade trip to washington, d.c. over spring break. at first, she was all "but that'll totally eat up my whole spring break, mom!" but then we learned that they leave the friday before vacation and return on tuesday evening. she'd still have at least half of the week left to screw around.

the trip sounds really cool - they get to see all of the major attractions over the course of four days. they'll have a privately chartered bus, a tour guide, admission to all attractions, airfare, hotel rooms (4 students to a room, with the chaperones in separate rooms - she dug that idea), and all meals for one price. and it's a hell of a deal. shit, i want to go!

anyway, there are 40 openings, and applications are due next friday. once they receive all of the applications, they'll pluck out all of the incomplete applications, weed out the ones who don't qualify (they've got to have a GPA of at least 2.5 - psh, the teen qualifies, no problem), and then choose them randomly. yikes. i really hope she gets in, because now she's excited at the prospect of going. we'll find out the week before thanksgiving break.

yay for my two beautiful, smart daughters!

yes, we can. and yes, we will!

much like the challenger tragedy, the day princess diana died, and 9/11, the announcement that barack obama was elected the 44th president of the united states will always remain with me.

i was clearing the table from our fabulous all-american dinner (which turned out pretty well, let me tell you), when the graphic was displayed on the screen. and as a huge grin broke out on my face, brian williams came on and announced the news. the goosebumps came, and didn't leave until way after obama had already left the stage after his acceptance speech.

and that was one hell of a speech, let me say. the tears just rolled down my face as i listened, and just remembering it brings chills. i loved every word. as he said this:

"and to those americans whose support i have yet to earn, i may not have won your vote tonight, but i hear your voices. i need your help. and i will be your president, too."

i glanced over at the hub, a lifelong republican, and was excited and pleased to see that he, too, was transfixed. our votes may have cancelled each others' out, but i have hope that he'll be won over in the months and years to come.

i hear that mccain's concession speech was excellent as well, but i was giving the bean a bath and missed it. after the ugliness of the last few weeks leading up to the election, i really want to see/hear what he had to say, so i'm off to search for it.

such an amazing, historic time for our country. i'm so excited and hopeful for our future. obama's got one hell of a job in front of him, but i have faith.

yes, we will!

barack the vote!

okay, i've said before that i don't talk politics.

but i got my ass up early this morning and headed straight to my polling place to cast my ballot, and i was surprised at how...electrified i felt when i was done. i literally got goosebumps as i slid my ballot into that slot and accepted my "i voted" sticker. i was pretty stoked to be able to walk right in, without waiting in line, and do my thing in about five minutes. whee!

i had the bean strapped into her carrier, and so the lady who was handing the stickers out gave me one for her, too. yay! i'm totally putting it into her baby book. i plan to take her with me every time i vote in an election, so that as she gets older, voting is as natural to her as breathing. i want her to know how important it is to register, and to vote - not only to make her voice heard, but to honor those who fought so hard (and continue to do so) to ensure that we're able to vote.

the teen sported her obama tee at school today. i drove her out to the local democratic office yesterday, because she really wanted a shirt to wear for election day. "i've got my own money for it, mom," she said. and i couldn't help it - i laughed my ass off. hard. why?

well, the ILs, bless their hearts, gave her a card this weekend congratulating her on her honor roll status - with a wad o'cash inside. so sweet. and it just tickled me to no end to realize that they were indirectly buying an obama tee for the teen - they're extremely conservative republicans. bwahahahahahahahaha! i. love. it.

and tonight for dinner, i'm doing fried chicken, homemade mac & cheese, green salad, and apple pie. am i a total nerd? hell yeah! but are you surprised? i'm thinking, not so much.

now, get out there and rock the vote (if you haven't already)!

thanksgiving day

saturday was quite the mixed bag of emotions.

my mom ended up bowing out of tea with us, since the memorial service was scheduled for later that day. so the teen and i decided to make it a date for just the two of us - a rare occurrence these days. we left the bean giggling happily with the hub and headed to san dimas for our first visit to the enchanted rose tea parlour.

it was cute, with lots of hats and tiaras and boas to choose from.

i explained to the hostess that the third person in our party had had to cancel last-minute, and that we had gotten a sitter for the bean. i totally gave her the side eye when she said "oh, good, thank you for that." um, okay. i mean, i know that babies can be disruptive, but geez. it wasn't exactly silent in there, with a couple of large parties having a grand old time - loudly. heh.

we picked out tiaras and then made our way to our table. i love the excitement on the teen's face.

we enjoyed our time together, and grubbed down on the yummy eats. i was so hungry, i didn't bat an eye at the big ass whole blueberries in my scone. i just smothered it in lemon curd and devonshire cream and munched away. but the fruit cup and chocolate-covered strawberry were handed right over to the teen. yup.

i was bummed to find regular old sugar (albeit packaged in cute little paper tubes), and our tea was weak as hell. but it was a cool day, so it was nice to drink tea and not sweat my ass off, like i normally do.

the teen proclaimed herself too full to eat dessert, but i picked around the chunks of berries and enjoyed mine. and she found room in her tummy for my pink rose (which was simply pink-tinted white chocolate, poured into a rose shaped mold).

and then it was time to leave.

we had just enough time to head home, change, and get to the memorial service. thankfully, it was only about ten minutes away.

as i'd hoped, we managed to slip in quietly, sign the book, and sit in the back, right next to one of my cousins. i noticed that we were actually sitting on the other side of the church from the rest of our family, and silently lamented the fact that i probably wouldn't be able to see or talk to a lot of them. i spied my cousin mel, who i haven't seen since her wedding, and is now pregnant with their first baby.

and then the family entered the church, taking their places in the front pews. i saw my aunt, looking grief-stricken, and then her son - M's husband - followed by their two boys. the teen caught my eye and made a sad face, and i knew her heart was saddened for their loss, just as mine was. i didn't notice *that* man with the family, but i figured i'd just not seen him and focused my attention on the program i hadn't yet looked at.

M was only 44 - a mere seven years older than me. she'd just celebrated a birthday a couple of weeks ago, and i teared up as i imagined how bittersweet that day must have been for her and her loved ones.

but then, behind me, i heard *his* voice. i half-turned and saw him walk into the church through the same entrance i had used, with a woman i'd never seen before. he was casually dressed, in a polo and dark pants, which i found odd. i heard her say "why don't you go up front and sit with the family?" and he said "no, i'll just sit right here."

right. behind. me.

i felt my entire body stiffen with anger. the teen, who had also seen him and was sitting close to me, glanced worriedly at my tight, tense face and took my hand. i squeezed it gratefully, thankful for her presence and attempt to comfort me, and forced myself to focus on the reason we were there. after all, that afternoon was NOT about him, nor was it about me. we were there for M - to pay tribute to her life, and as i thought about my interactions with her through the years, the tension ebbed away and i relaxed.

we managed to get through most of the service dry-eyed. but then a CD was played of a song that M used to sing to her beloved sons, and we both lost it. the teen told me later that as the song played, she saw M's husband put an arm around one of the boys, and that she'd been touched at witnessing such a sad and loving gesture.

when it was over, we slipped out through the front door with my cousin while the rest of the attendees made their way to the reception, located elsewhere on the campus. a few minutes later, we were joined by my mom, stepdad, and my brother and O. M's SIL, who i've known since high school, came out briefly to thank us for attending, and then left to join her family. i'd heard that she was also pregnant, and congratulated her quietly as i haven't seen her since the molestation drama. i felt weird as i said it, but i've been cut off from that side of the family and didn't really have another chance for it. oh, well.

although i wasn't particularly close to M, and because of the recent division of the family was not able to see her in the final months of her life, i haven't been able to stop thinking about her and wondering how her family is coping. i wonder if the boys are going to school. i hope if they are, that the staff is aware that they're dealing with their loss, and that the other kids are treating them as they always do. i'm heartbroken for her husband, who's loved her for so many years, and will now face life without her by his side. and i'm sad for my aunt, who worried so much about her as she battled her dreadful disease.

thanksgiving came early for me this year as my appreciation for my health, my family, and my life was renewed. nothing is more precious or important. thank you for that, M. i'm glad you're in a better place, free from pain and suffering.