holla!

one of the houses around the lake has two parrots out on their patio... both of whom are prone to wolf-whistling (like the vid above) when people walk by, while sometimes even adding in a mariachi 'AI-AI-AI', and random phrases that i currently cannot recall. i find this mildly entertaining, especially when they do it to someone not me, and i can see their reaction. although office dad came up with a more entertaining phrase to teach them, 'run faster, fatty'. i'm sure that would cause several LOLs.

isight fun [serious]

isight photobooth = xtreme time wasting.

quick recap + ramblings.
well february has flown by.. i can't believe it'll be march already. we've just been going through the normal routine, and doing various forms of entertainment with friends and family on the weekends. i have been keeping up with my running and working out again..and enjoying the weather in the process. we celebrated chinese new year (a week ago) at my parents house.. red packages included. :) and this past weekend we had neighbor's over for dinner and some wii time. fun was had by all. now we're counting down the months/days for our european vacation. although there's still lots of planning left to do.
last night i had a dream where i was frantically shopping for cup cake icing sets. yeah i know. which later switched to a dream where all my friends apparently got new jobs (including me)... and all at the same company.. in a futuristic downtown building.. even jeannie was there!
that is all.

[extraneous isight images removed. too much issaface was here]

Have you seen my stapler?

meet my officemate, to keep his anonymity we shall call him 'milton'. some days i think he has narcolepsy.

seriously. how does he not wake himself up with the amount of (for the lack of a better term) head bobbing going on. one time, i could see the above video happening through my peripheral vision.. when i suddenly heard a click of his mouse. i figured he had finally woke himself up. but no, he was clicking his mouse in his sleep. he has perfected office sleep. as office bff put it, z0mg h3 i5 t3h ub3r.

Dinner à Deux

valentine dinner @ cafè mon petit chouchou
with notable chef issaface


appetizer - escargot stuffed mushrooms with a garlic butter sauce


entrée - beef braciole stuffed with prosciutto, and a bread crumb mixture with provolone and parmesan reggiano


dessert - puff pastry filled with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, topped with a touch of dark chocolate

<3 day

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

valentine rambling.

my aim was to find the geekiest 'valentines' to pass out to my coworkers. between these , these and even these, i think i succeeded. oh and i made them paper boxes.. along with the chocolates i put in them. i am the best coworker evar. (photos below)

so on monday, i come back from lunch and my work 'roomie' was on the phone.. trying to order a sapphire. i was like.. awwwweee, albeit sorta short notice on purchasing his sweet a valentine gift. i hear him discussing the model number he was interested in and the color brilliance. After he finished on the phone, I asked 'so ordering jewelry for valentines?' he was like wha? video cards for mine and my girlfriends computers.. sapphire is the brand. i really should have known better... sad thing is, that it probably IS the valentine gift.

birthday madness*

*the photo montage above depicts 'chatty issa w/friends' also my blinking speed often exceeds camera shudder speed, all of which can be easily confused with being 'tipsy'.. but i sooo wasn't.

with my birthday on a friday this year.. i had weekend full of celebration.. and good eating.

friday. the actual day of the birth of yours truly. - went to work, ate sushi with coworkers, dinner with the hubby at Mai's. (absurd I know, but i was really craving that soft shell crab)

saturday. - spent the day shopping with the hubby, then dinner with friends at dolce vita pizzeria & enoteca, followed by hue for some nightlife.

sunday. - birthday dinner with the family.


photo evidence from saturday night.. (click to enlarge)

where's the food?

dru asked how my food blog is going. and as you can see, very inconsistent. i did however, manage to snap a photo from dinner last wednesday. i call it 'healthy lifestyle meal I'

grilled swordfish fillet, garlic roasted potatoes, and wild rice.

foodie.

since i've graduated from UT, i've been inclined to be the occasional food snob. blame the hubby for wining & dining me throughout our courtship. and with Houston's fairly nice restaurant choice.. of frequent openings and closings (RIP - Aries).. here's a list of some notable and sometimes pompous and elitist houston restaurants.. listed in no particular order and only as they pop up in my head (sans chain type restaurants.. though some are equally delicious).. many still in the waits for me to try.. strike-thrus = already conquered.

Rouge, T'afia, Mark's, Gravitas, Glass Wall, Noe, Mockingbird Bistro, Julia's Bistro, Mint Cafe, Max's Wine Dive, Chez Nous, Le Mistral, 17, Lauier, Zula, The Brownstone, Pic, Dolce Vita, Backstreet Cafe, Indika, Hugo's, Ibiza, Da Marco, Damian's, Brennans, Jean-Geoges Bank, Quattro, Shade, America's/Churrascos/arista , Ouisie's Table, Rainbow Lodge (closed), Cru, Catalan ,Vin, Bistro Moderne, REEF (i'm sure there are more.. but my mind is blank)

of course the mom and pop shops are sometimes much more yummy.. and without the pretentious service.

Tom's Boat, Oishii, Sandong Snacks, My Parents House...

b.day

25. 26!

can you hear me now?

me: ...
him: i don't understand.. maybe if you used words.

apparently i have a speech impediment. i am talking about my digression of speaking out loud. and i am blaming this on work. because well... 90% of the time i do not actually have to physically talk or even see anyone here. our means of communication is pretty much done through through IM. which sometimes makes me wonder if my presence in the office is actually needed. as i could just as easily do the same work at home.. if i had access.
anyways office bff has on more than one occasion mentioned my trailing off while i talk. it's subconscious perhaps.. or it's just me being not used to talking, at work. but the truth is that while i'm at work.. i actually prefer 'chatting' online.. it takes less energy. and i don't have to look at someone (yeah i have a thing about avoiding eye contact too) and hear my own voice while doing so. now that i think about it, perhaps it's because that i don't actually see most of my coworkers on a daily basis that i am still not that comfortable around them and i am still that shy. actually.. that's probably it. because with my friends and family, i'm as loud as i wanna be.
next time my coworker suggests for me to take a public speaking class.. i should insist upon a glass of wine instead. (this has been proven to work wonders)

IT for social ineptness FTW!

Verticons and Anime Emoticons

received an entertaining link from a friend today... from Phil Factor's Phrenetic Phoughts.. too bad i didn't come up with this myself. just thought i'd share. (hit the source link for the actual post and code)

Well there I was trying to think of an idea for a blog (u_u) when it suddenly occurred to me (*_*) that I should do a nice little SQL function on Emoticons. It was a happy thought (^_^) which made me smile (n_n). I was amazed (^.^) and astonished (*^*) sometimes incredulous (o_O) at the variety of manga emoticon (verticon) around. Call me an old fool if you like, (>xI'd never felt the need to add emoticons to my writing (ñ_ñ). My problem is in remembering them (O_O). I get a bit confused by them. (p_q) However, I now find them enormously useful *(^O^)* as many people who use english as a second language find my irony, sarcasm, hyperbole and invective entirely incomprehensible. (-_-;) I suspect the other bloggers will be jealous 8(>_<)8 at my new cool powers of communication (ò_ó) I was a bit apprehensive (._.) about the time it would take to write a function to interpret them
True enough, typing them in sas boring (=_=). At one point, I felt sleepy (z_z) and I must have dozed off (-_-) at the keyboard m(_ _)m. I woke up with an inprint of the keyboard on my forehead.(X_X) Glancing around \\(<.<>.>)// I realise I'd still not finished the blog entry (>_<) which made me cross (ò_ó). Oh dear, no blog entry (._.) and the editor would be cross (¬_¬") mad (ò_ó) or angry (>x< !). My readers would, on the other hand, be sad (T_T), possibly even crying (;_;). Well, certainly one or two might be miserable (!_!)
Oh dear, better get on with it (-_-;). Actually it wasn't too hard w(^o^)W, after one got over the initial shock (/_\) so here it is finished (^_~). (^o^)y

source

super sunday

super bowl sunday. just an excuse to gorge on unhealthy foods. our super bowl night was no exception.
there was an abundance of food. some made by me, some brought by friends. chili, burgers, nachos, fries, brisket, stuffed potatoes, and last but not least... lobster. i know, random.

auntie issa

introducing the newest member of the family.
congratulations Patty & Fred!