I’m rarely at home so I don’t get to spend as much time with my two awesome roommates as I’d like, but the past week or so brought some wonderful roommate moments. Most of our activities center around food since our entire apartment is afflicted with a terrible condition known as heiferitis – the inability to get full. The menu in the last couple weeks has included Versailles, the Apple Pan, and treats at Becca’s bridal shower (me and the strawberry cream cheese sandwiches were attached at the hip), but the biggest event was probably Rie’s Sushi Explosion Birthday Dinner Bonanza 2008. When Rie & Julie suggested sushi I was envisioning a few measly rolls, maybe with some cucumber inside, or if we were feeling real fancy, some tuna out of a can. But these girls went all out with 5 different kinds of fish, shiso leaves, fancy Cali rolls, and soup. And in between slicing fish (Rie the Sushi Nazi: “Thinner! Thinner slices!!”) I managed to snap a few shots of the feast.

A crucial ingredient:





Julie + avocado:



Rie mans the soup:



She also grated a bit of the below kumquats into it. I absolutely love the story behind these by the way. Apparently a neighboring house has a tree, and Julie & Rie walk past it all the time and drool over the kumquats, until finally one day, they couldn’t take it any longer, and showed up at the door with a bag, asking if they could pick a few (hundred).





Oh look, it’s a cheeto roll:



And now for the results…





It was quite delicious to say the least. But the feasting does not end there. What is a birthday without some (ice cream) cake?



I believe we surprised her while she was doing the dishes. I have no idea why she was doing the dishes on her own birthday.



Happy Birthday Rie!!

It finally came. I had it delivered to work, but I refrained from completely tearing the package open since I wanted to take photos of every step of the opening process (since that’s what people who like taking pictures who get shiny new things do). I wore it around the apartment a bit but the real test was when I brought it to the wedding earlier this month and let me tell you, it was MARVELOUS. So much more comfortable than my box of a camera bag which would have probably knocked over the cake/bumped into the heads of guests had I worn it at the reception. And oh so stylish!

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There are a few other things I’ve been meaning to blog about, but in the meantime here’s a little questionnaire Serena Grace tagged me on that I finally (finally finally!) am getting around to answering. Be sure to drop by her site as she is an AMAZING photographer and all around cool person — and while you’re there offer a big congrats on her recent marriage!! ;)

What was I doing 10 years ago?
– I was in my first year of high school. At any given time I was playing tennis or hanging out at the mall or writing notes and folding them into little hearts/other nifty shapes. (Tell me you did this too.)

Bad Habits
– Being really bad about finishing books. I feel like whenever I’m talking about a book with someone I always find myself saying “oh yeah, I started that but…”
– Being really terrible about waking up in the morning. Once I’m out of bed it’s all fine and dandy, but it’s getting me out of there that is the challenge. It’s really the bed’s fault for being so comfy in the morning.
– Being really delayed in completing online questionnaires.

Places I have Lived
– Torrance
– West LA
– Gunma, Japan

Things Most People Don’t Know About Me
– I am a quotes fanatic. I have a quotes database on my comp that I’ve been compiling since high school. Given that my taste in quotes has changed quite a bit and I no longer find “If you love someone, do not put their name in a heart because hearts can be broken, instead put their name in a circle, because circles go on forever” as profound as I used to.
– I consume about 42 liters of water daily. I can’t go water-deprived longer than 30 minutes without feeling like I’m fighting a losing battle in the Sahara.
– I love SAUCES. I drench everything in ketchup/pasta sauce/ranch, though not at the same time, because that, my friends, is just disgusting.

I tag…
Kevin Tsang
Lawrence and/or Doug
Mika
Wayne Toshikazu
Hana Chung

… and anyone else who wants to join in on the fun!

As we were driving back from the birthday party in my last entry, I kept noticing the gorgeous yellow wildflowers. Some growing along the median, along the hillsides that lined the freeway – they were everywhere, they were uber spectacular, and I could not stop talking about them for the life of me. It’s no wonder Scott finally suggested we pull over and try to find a field. (Either that or I somehow uncontrollably veered off the road into one.)

I’ve been admiring all the beautiful wildflower sessions so many photographers have been doing recently and have been obsessed with finding the perfect field of flowers. This one we stumbled upon was pretty amazing. A huge field of tall flowers, a gorgeous mountain backdrop, and a dirt parking lot allowing you to pull right up to the field! We ran around for a bit taking some fun shots with a tripod, dubbing them “self-engagement photos” (maybe the next big trend? [note to Mom: we are NOT actually engaged]) before heading back to the car. We were about to head straight home, but the little cluster of stores across the street from the field caught our eye and we ended up making a last minute decision to check it out.

And there begins the next adventure. Tom’s Farms is like Disneyland for people who like Trader Joe’s. A fruit/vegetable stand, wine & cheese shop, candy store, pizza parlor, a bunch of small booths selling jewelry, belts, and other knickknacks. We loaded up on chips & fresh guacamole, vegetable focaccia, fudge, rocky road, and bunches of other sweets and grubbed on them in the little park area, complete with a pond, carousel, and bright yellow train. Definitely need to make a trip back there sometime, especially since we didn’t get to hit up “Shed World” (Scott’s eyes lit up when he saw it as if it were Tomorrow Land.) Anyway, a definite stop to make if you’re ever in the Corona area!

Some pictures chronicling our adventures…

Setting up the tripod…

Strange field wildlife.

Jumping for joy! This shot took about 12 times to get. Scott got air every time but I kept looking like I was just standing in the flowers with my hands above my head.

>Tom’s Farms!

Picnicky area…

Inspired by Kaga Takeshi (of Iron Chef fame)

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Speaking of Disney/Disneyland, this past Saturday marked a very exciting opportunity for me. Blogging will come soon, but until then here’s a little hint…