finally... my dream closet

* back-dating *

clockwise from top left: before, elfa components, empty closet, and finally, full dream closet. these were taken about a week apart. it took some time before i got all the shoe drawers i needed to complete the closet. of course not all the shoes fit in the closet but it was fine for me. after this was finished, i just left the doors open so i could enjoy my new closet that i don't have to share with anyone else. ♥

birthday extravaganza!

***yes, i'm back dating!***

first and foremost, i'm a proud h-o (home owner)! i finally got the keys to my condo on the 19th which is perfectly timed before my birthday. i was supposed to close last month and get the keys in october but this is just as good.

now onto the good stuff... birthday food adventures!! i started off my birthday with dinner at justin's in santa clara just down the street from where i now live. my lovely and fabulous bff took me. clockwise from top left: fried ravioli, baked brie, beet salad, winter prix fixe tasting w/ beers: salmon salad, rabbit & chocolate panna cotta; and sea bass.

for my actual birthday (saturday), my dear sister spent the day with me shopping and eating. i needed a couch and a dining table for the condo which i found for such good deals at the c&b outlet in berkeley. after that, we went to sausalito to hit the very last benetton shop in the bay area. and shopped some more in the city. and of course, we had to have dinner at one of my favorite north beach restaurants where the boys are extra nice to me. even without reservations, we didn't have to wait.

on sunday, i was invited to hot pot at my friend funie's place in el cerrito. the food was abundant and delicious! and the company was awesome and fun. it wasn't for my birthday but gets to be included in the birthday extravaganza.

home sweet home

this is the monstrosity of an office building that i come home to everyday. our apartment is actually in the top right corner of the house with the two windows facing the side.

week #3 of the big move... and counting

we finally have the go on the move, however, there is no hot water until after next week. which means, we are still in the process of moving. i hope to reside in the new house by next weekend. and i'm happy to announce that i am at least 45% moved, if not 50%. it's hard to say as we are leaving a lot of furniture here. if anyone needs anything out there, let me know!

the big move...

...is coming. soon, i hope. but there is no word on when we will be occupying the new space as inhabitants. having moved a great deal of crap there yesterday (if you have been to my place, you know that i have a lot of stuff) for nearly the entire day. while waiting on my sister's bf (who built our closet organizers, thanks allen!), i spent a great deal of time staring out my new bedroom window. the view is out towards a hillside on which the new house sits on. there are sheep that populate the hillside across the way. it's beautifully serene. despite all the work we'd done and all the work we've yet to do, i felt a simple sense of peace and relaxation. albeit short-lived.

there's still SO MUCH to pack and move. wish me luck!

earthquake country

last night, at approximately 8pm, there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6. the epicenter was in the alum rock area which is down the mountain from where we live. and i was meeting with betty at chevy's. we were waiting for our food when it felt like someone was kicking at my bar stool, REALLY hard. i turned and looked at betty, wondering if she was the one kicking my chair. but everything was shaking and kinda rolling. some glasses fell. the tvs hanging were swaying. all but one chevy's employee stayed calm. the one darted straight out of there! we all just waited for it to pass. and it did with no real damage to place. we just stayed and finished our meals.

on my way home, i received a call from my dad. he told me the earthquake originated in alum rock and couldn't get in touch with anyone at home. this worried me. what about the kids? are they ok? they must be scared. and i wasn't home to help them. so, i raced home. as i was going up the mountain, i passed some large rocks that had fallen at this hairpin turn. and was glad that i wasn't there when it happened.

i got home and my sister was home. she couldn't really call anyone. she was trying to get back to her boyfriend. she said everyone was fine. the power didn't go out. she was on the road when it happened so she didn't feel it. same with my brother & sister-in-law. they actually didn't have a clue. when i checked my room, there were pictures that were crooked and a few things that fell off my shelves. otherwise, in the same messy condition i'd left it that morning. my sister's room on the other hand, lots of things fell off her shelves. later, lisa says, damn, i can't believe i missed it!

apparently, this earthquake originated on the calaveras fault and 5.7 miles deep. the "big one" is speculated to come from the hayward fault. the last time the calaveras fault made any noise, it was back in 1984 which hit morgan hill with an earthquake at a magnitude of 6.2. still, this is nothing compared with the damage done by the 1989 quake (with a 7.1 magnitude). smaller shakes are so common here that i usually sleep through them. i have to admit, it was a little exciting to have one rolling through. we were due for one. i'm just glad there wasn't much damage as a result.

btw, happy halloween everyone!

august sunset

our view this month on our mountain.