+ NEWSLETTER

+ APR07

REPHRASE

The oranges were paired side by side, but I took the picture in an angle to have one in the background. The thought I had in mind was..."Behind every great man woman, there's a great woman man." Yup, you read it right...let me repeat...the man is BEHIND. :D But, seriously, I think that it should be rephrased..."Behind every great person, there is a great supporter." It shouldn't be gender specific. So, what does this have to do with the theme of April? Nothing...just wanted to agitate some male ego's.

CREATIVE: GIFT WRAPPING

Make gift wrapping part of your thoughtful gift. Use your ordinary office stamps on wrapping paper, but use the reverse side of it. Use the white part and stamp away.

• Example:
  I know I should have PAID attention to the date of your birthday. Now, this gift is PAST DUE. I wouldn't dare to MAIL it to you. So, I bring this to you in person and have it COMPLETED. RECEIVED ON APRIL 1, 2007.

And, yes that came out of my brain.

STORY: CHORES

It's Saturday. ASHLEY has plans for JAMES and PETER to do chores for the entire day, but both of them rather go to the Fair.

ASHLEY: (JAMES and 8-year-old PETER drag their feet to the kitchen.) Don't you guys give me that look. You both promised to do chores for the day. And, James you should be setting an example for little Peter. You should do what you promised.

PETER: But, mom...

ASHLEY: No butt's.

PETER: How about if I finish my chores early?

ASHLEY: We'll see.

PETER: But, mooommmm.

ASHLEY: What did I just say?

PETER looks at JAMES, and JAMES gives him a shrug. PETER sees the jar of pennies.

PETER: Mom, what if I roll the coins for you like you showed me yesterday? If I finish early, then can we go to the fair? Please...please...please...please. Mega...mega...please.

ASHLEY: (Rolling coins was not his chore for the day, but she's excited to see that he picked up the new skill. It took PETER 5 minutes to count for one roll, and there is at least $30 dollars worth of pennies. It'll take him the whole day to finish. ) Sure...

PETER: You promise? You promise we can go if I finish early.

ASHLEY: Hmmm...IF you finish EARLY.

PETER: Yeah!!

PETER starts counting each coin. ASHLEY drags JAMES to trim some branches.

An hour passes, and PETER runs to get JAMES and ASHLEY.

PETER: Mom, let's go.

ASHLEY: What do you mean?

PETER: I finished rolling the pennies!!

ASHLEY: What!?!?!

PETER: Mom, you promised we can go to the fair if I finish early.

ASHLEY goes to the kitchen table and sees that all the pennies are rolled.

JAMES: (Smirks.) Yes, dear...you promised, and you must keep your promises to set an example for little Peter.

PETER: (Grabs the car keys for JAMES.) Let's go dad!

ASHLEY is baffled while JAMES and PETER make their escape to the car. ASHLEY then joins them as she figures out what happened. It was all a scheme.

ASHLEY: Did you teach Peter how to stack the coins repeatedly rather than counting each one?

JAMES: (Shrugs.) Dear, our boy is just smart. He takes after his MOTHER. (JAMES and PETER gives each other a high five. ASHLEY's jaw drops.)

to be continued...

 

REVIEW: SWEETS

Sweet Lady Jane :D
(Los Angeles, CA)

• Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake :D
  Yum...The gourmet cake is really moist and has the right mix of flavor. When the cake gets on the warm-side, it gets too sweet.

Michel Richards :)
(Los Angeles, CA)

• Chocolate Cake :)
  I like the chocolate truffles better than the cake. The cake was moist and good, but it didn't leave me a distinct after taste.

Borders Cafe :)
(Montclair, CA)

• Mud Pie Cheesecake :)
  The cheesecake was better than what I thought for the price and for a bookstore cafe shop. The chocolate part was creamy and not too sweet.

REVIEW: DRINKS

Starbucks :|
(Anywhere)

• Green Tea Frappuccino :)
  It's a little creamy and a bit on the sweet side.

REVIEW:
JAPANESE RESTAURANTS

Ichima :(
(Pasadena, CA)

• Sushi Boat :(
  Hmmm...it was more of an American Boat. Only 30% was really sushi. The rest was fried chicken, teriyaki beef, and tempura.

• Service :|
  It's was okay.

Osho Sushi :|
(Monterey Park, CA)

• Sushi Boat :|
  Nothing special.

• Service :|
  I was disappointed that the service was not like before. The waitresses used to bring the easel to the table with the appetizer menu and made sure everything was okay. I felt "special" back then, but now eh...

REVIEW: JAPANESE DRAMA

Nodame Cantabile Live Action :D
(Comedy, 8 episodes)

• Plot :D
  I like how the story is unique. It focuses on a specific type of students, musicians, rather than the usual high school/college students. The story tells how the least talented students strive to perform their best in the orchestra at the music academy. It's also a love story between two exceptional students who are opposites: one who follows the music techniques and the other one plays music by emotions.

• Cinematography :D
  The physics played out is similar to an anime cartoon. I had to replay a scene a couple of times because the motion effects were so funny. Megumi, female lead, got her face planted in the rock when she tried to kiss Shinichi, male lead. It's like when While E. Coyote gets his face planted in the rock when he misses the Road Runner. Also, the video is very colorful and sharp.

• Male Lead Character :)
  (Shinichi Chiaki)
  Uhmm...hot personality. Just like Megumi, I want him, too. He plays the piano, cooks gourmet food, cleans, works hard, etc. Hmmm...yah. Did I just drool? I must have mentioned food again...

• Female Lead Character :)
  (Megumi Noda)
  Soooo...cute. Love to have her around. She's so fun...but she's not very domesticated. I know how that is.

RATING

high :D :) :| :( :P low

 

SEEK

• Japanese Restaurants (Los Angeles County) :: Looking for some good sashimi
• Museum Goers :: Who want to visit The Getty Villa
• Unique Cafe/Tea Shops (Los Angeles County) :: A place to kick back

Contact me if you have the information that I'm seeking. Thanks.

OFFER

• Mochi :: Made by me (Can't promise it'll taste good, but it'll probably look delicious)
• MAY07 Newsletter :: sign up for monthly updates

DEALS

• CompUSA :: Some stores are having a closeout sale
• Enterprise :: 50% off weekend car rental

EVENTS

• Apr 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, & 29 10am-5pm :: World Journal Book Show (1588 Corporate Center Dr., Monterey Park, CA)
• Apr 21-22 :: 10th Anniversary Cherry Blossom Festival (Monterey Park, CA)
• Apr 25-29 :: Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival (Santa Clarita, CA)
• Apr 28 & May 5 :: Rebuilding Together (Pasadena, CA)

COMPACT: STAPLER

Recently, I bought a Swingline Tot Slim Stapler to replace the mini stapler I lost. This stapler is collapsible. Even though I need to adjust it each time to staple, it works just fine.

TIME SAVER:
AVOID TRAFFIC #2

Back in FEB07 newsletter, I mentioned about Sigalert.com to get live traffic reports before heading out to drive. However, the site provides information on limited cities in California and Arizona.

Google Maps actually offers something similar, but provides over 30 major US metropolitan areas. Once you go to Google Maps, you will need to click on the "Traffic" icon on the upper right hand corner of the map to view. Unfortunately, I don't see a legend for the colors. So, below details them:

• Green: > 50 miles per hour
• Yellow: 25-50 miles per hour
• Red: < 25 miles per hour
• Gray: no data available

I was first introduced to Google's traffic report with the use of the mobile. I was searching a similar version of it online through Google, and now, it's being offered through Google Maps. To use the mobile version, click here and see the requirements.

HELPFUL INFO: AUTO

• Non-Emergency #399 Roadside Assistance Cell Phone Number for Los Angeles County Freeway Motorists (METRO)
  Call for assistance. It's too dangerous to change your tire on the freeway without a barrier to protect you.
• Don't Top off Your Tank (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
  Checkout the article. It'll explain why topping off damages your vehicle.