OakMonster’s Den

azrael
Originally uploaded by theoakmonster.

It may just be your turn today. Muwahahahahhaah!

Yep. That’s me. Azrael. Angel of Death. You can’t really see my wings here but you get the idea. Been in character all morning, giving out chocolate on the bus. You know, death by chocolate is a fashionable way to go.

And damn…my eyes are all burning. I’m just not used to the make up. LOL.

Happy Halloween, y’all!

Gotta love Marilyn Manson.

First, the USC game. No. I don’t want to talk about it.

Second, things actually went to the dogs at the Orange County Police Canine Association 2006 Benefit Show. Thanks to Deputy Steve Brown and his K9 Lycos who gave us the ticket. One ticket is good for 8 people so our party of 8 and a half was composed of me, Brandon, Nhien, Nora, Erik, Stephanie, Lauren and boyfriend Connor, and the half, Morgan Claire. We were joined in the stand by another lady from Brandon’s work, Betty, her hubby, and their daughter.

Claire was quite an attraction all on her own though. Everyone wants a picture with the cutest baby on the planet!

It was a BLAST. We all had a good time. Of course, we went crazy cheering for Lycos. He didn’t win this year’s toughest dog nor stole the show during obedience training like last year (he stretched out and crept up toward Steve when he was supposed to just lay still and wait…it was so cute!). But he was very well behaved and did us all proud up in the stand!

There was even an impromptu performance by OC Sheriff’s Department bomb squad. After one of the demonstration, one of the flash-bang granade didn’t go off. It was left sitting on the field. After some minutes of assessment, they decided to bring back the bomb squad. Hence, this hole in the middle of the field.

More pictures on the Flickr album if you’d like to see them. Again, a big thank to our friend Steve and his partner Lycos!

Here’s Brandon with Steve and his kids after the show - and Lycos taking down the bad guy.

Thursday night, my work happy hour group checked out the Wieland Brewery, the new underground location in Downtown LA. Their beer is surprisingly good. AND cheap. Happy hour $2.50 pint for their own brew. I come to love their amber. Others, the Hef and the Blonde. The hot wings are excellent, tender and a little crispy and just the right spice level. It’s baked into the wings, not drenched in messy sauce, also a bonus. And the happy hour menu is also cheap. Those drinking the house brews walked out with minimal damage. A few others who ordered Chimay at $8 a glass, not so much.

The service, on the other hand, left nothing to be desired. There was only one waitress and she didn’t come around much. Most of us got our drinks from the bar because it was just faster that way.

I had 2 pints and a shot. And I walked away lightly buzzed.

WALKED AWAY, people! I didn’t crash and burn after 2 pints and a shot. I surprised my drinking buddies and myself.

Oh yeah. I’m on the road to alcoholism. LOL.

Last night, we went out to dinner with James and Aurora. We went to try out LV Seafood in Lakewood. I was not at all impress. Hot and sour soup doesn’t have the “hot” and it seems someone lost a bottle of soy sauce in there. Shrimp in lobster sauce didn’t really have much flavor. Kung pao chicken wasn’t spicy. James and Brandon think they once again got the White Boy Menu. You know, when the level of spices get turn down because they didn’t want to kill white folks. I think food was just bland, period.

There was a bottle of wine on table next to us. And I kept eyeing it. Damn it, a glass of wine would be nice. Instead, James and Aurora invited us back to their place and they poured Aurora and I some port. We went crazy with We Love Katamari game. Aurora and I downed about an equivalent of one wine glass of port each.

Port. Another one of my weakness. I used to call it a day after the first pour.

Once again, I walked away with a glass full in my belly and a warm and fuzzy buzz–not the dizzying kind from beer and hard liquor–that only port could give me.

Yep. I am becoming on alcoholic.

*UPDATE* And Friday came. Celeste and I were held hostage by our boss until 7-ish. Stength in number, instead of going home by ourselves, I went with Celeste to her place and she drove me home. We went to the Union Station to wait for the train and, yes, folks, had a drink. Wayne, the bartender, served me up a Red Headed Slut, 2/3 collins glass of Jager and to that more orange vodka, and topped with a splash of cranberry juice. That is a hell of a lot of Jager! I downed it in 10 minutes and we ran to the train. Again, I had a very nice buzz but didn’t get drunk.

A GOOD 2 shots of Jager and a shot of vodka was in that cup and I didn’t get drunk!!! Holy hell…

But I currently am sporting a nice, skulling numbing, little headache though. It doesn’t pay to drink 3 days in a row!

Sparked by Rude Cactus entry, I am now helping to spread the word about the fucking idiot that is Rush Limbaugh.

Michael J. Fox “faking” his Parkinson’s symtom for the video?

What. The. Fuck. Limbaugh??!?!?

Until I can find this Olbermann video on YouTube, I will have to link through this blog.

Olbermann video of Limbaugh mocking Fox’s Parkinson’s

Grrr….

I am a lot of things. Among them…

A kid.
I’m [holds out 7 fingers] this many! Heeheee.

A wife.

A friend.

A daughter.

A blogger.

A dork.
Uncontested.

A geek.
Never could be 100% pure geek but I damn sure am geekier than probably 90% of the population

A musician.
Musically inclined is more the term.

An artist.
Not quite there either, but I keep thinking I am one.

A super efficient worker bee.
Ain’ t that right, Demi-Boss and Lady Boss? ;-D

A pop culture fiend.
“Best Week Ever”…how have I ever lived without you before!

A movie snoot.
Has retreated into the closet a bit, but still manage to bring home some that weird Brandon out.

A beer snob.
I can only drink one so I HAVE to make it count.

A goofball.

A USC Trojan.
Fight on!

But only recently have I come to realize that I am one more thing.

I am a blossoming foodie.

Foodie - UrbanDictionary
A person that spends a keen amount of attention and energy on knowing the ingredients of food, the proper preparation of food, and finds great enjoyment in top-notch ingredients and exemplary preparation. A foodie is not necessarily a food snob, only enjoying delicacies and/or food items difficult to obtain and/or expensive foods; though, that is a variety of foodie.

Foodie - Wikipedia
Some gourmets would not consider themseleves foodies and many foodies would not consider themselves gourmets. A foodie might easily get caught up in a taco hunt—a search for the best taco stands and trucks in an area. But this would not be an adventure for a gourmet, strictly speaking. Generally speaking, a foodie is a person who has a special interest in food, even foods that a self-identified gourmet would turn his or her nose up at.

I. Love. Food. I love to eat it. I love to cook it. Cooking makes me happy. Cooking is my de-compressor. Cooking makes me happy.

I am in no way a gourmet. I don’t know all of the gourmet food talk or what wine is fine, but I know the magic of bacon and butter and what wine tastes good to me. Fois gras is just as big of a treat as downhome chicken fried steak!

While people would spend money on their hobbies–like Paul on fixing up classic roadsters and Brandon with games–the only money I spend on is food. Not even on the gadget, but mostly on grocery. I enjoy feeding people.

I was telling someone about my passion about food, just like how I have just told you now. THAT was when I realize…

OMFG…I am a newbie foodie!

Running for office? Better run from Colbert - Los Angeles Times

The article says that politicians are made to look stupid on the show and therefore they’d better not appear on the Report until after the election. Or if they should do it at all.

Congressman Bob Wexler *IS* my hero. I mean, he goes out there and make fun of himself. It’s frelling hilarious! Then there was the opponent guy the other day who actually harmonized with Stephen! Fan-fucking-tastic!

But there are folks who’d go on the show and show off the stupid. I mean, they got there and took everything so seriously. Every curve ball Stephen throws at you, you take it as a straight shot or just didn’t know how to react. Instead of playing it off, you come out stupid.

Seriously, this should be one of the requirement to elect an official. When you don’t possess the wit or sense of humor to go up against Colbert, then we shouldn’t elect you.

Here’s the famous Wexler video:

J.C. and baby Joshua are doing the DC Heart Walk in November
…well Josh will be in stroller, but you know what I mean.

J.C. & Erick’s son Joshua was born in August with a major congenital heart defect. He received surgery (thank god for all the advancement!) and is now doing fine at home. But like J.C. said, they just don’t know what his future holds.

Hence, they’re raising money for the American Heart Association. And you can help! Donate online starting at $25. If you want to send a check, please contact me and I’ll get you in touch with J.C.

You can find Joshua’s blog in my “Borrowed Babies” section.

Thailand has an ABUNDANCE of awesome TV commercials from tear jerkers (like the ones KorBua posted) to a mini series of off-the-wall romantic comedy that actually is for a face wash. Most of them are small gems like this one.

My dad has been trying to tape this commercial for me. Mainly because THESE are the white geckos I’m deadly scared of. But yep, this is damn cute.

Translation:

*splat*

Grandpa Glasses: That’s gnarly…

Uncle Mustache: I think that other one is this one’s sweetheart.

Everyone: No! No! Don’t do it! DON’T DO IT!

*splat*

Uncle Mustache: Why…why didn’t you the pressed board for the ceiling? Why??? WHY????

Narrator: Something along the line of “Use the Shera Flexiboard. There won’t be any cracks in your ceiling…” sort of thing.

R23 is Japanese restaurant + Gallery where Nhien and I went to with Rose/Token Asian and her friend Jenny last week.

The place is tucked away in Downtown LA warehouse district. When I said tucked away, I am not kidding. The general direction is Alameda and 2nd, but you have to go down this alley way and all to get there. R23 shares the building with other hip cafe and gallery.

Zagat guide listed on their website explains the place best:

A hidden back-alley spot in the Warehouse District Downtown…means…this “private” Japanese venue whose decor is “minimalist” and “stylish without being pretentious”; “arrive early to sit at the sushi bar” or just kick back “in the cool Frank Gehry designed cardboard chairs”; either way you’ll find “artfully presented” sushi as well as cooked items like a “lobster tempura that’s a must-see.”

And the chairs are REALLY cool. And the food is REALLY good.

The lunch menu didn’t say much of what’s included (although the online version does). Originally we thought we’d end up with fancy little plates, but we were mistaken. The lunch items came with a salad (dressing is KILLER!), miso soup, and rice. We were stuffed to the gills!

It was revealed to us that that day was Nhien’s first anniversary with our company! More reason to celebrate! Not quite close enough to bust out sake at lunch but, hey, there is always next time. ;-D

I ordered fried oysters. Nhien got the Chef’s special with sashimi, fried something and something else. Jenny got grilled chicken with ponsu sauce. Rose got salmon roe chirashi, what I call an “open faced sushi bowl”, essentially everything that goes in a sushi but instead of being all rolled up, it comes in a large bowl instead.

Not to repeat the mistake of our first meeting at Palms Thai, Rose and I actually took some pictures this time! She has better pictures of us, taken in her “I’m smarter that you!” smart phone thingyamagicky. I included her stuff here. (Thanks, Rose!) More on my Flickr album.

Tonight, I am catching up with my best friend Nora who just got back from a 2 (or 3?) week trip through Scotland and England, and my other high school friend Jen. It’s mainly because I am once again trying, perhaps in vain, to reconnect everybody.

You see, Jen and Nora have been acquainted mainly because we share common friends. Me, Amber, Mel, Jen, Nora. The big five. Not everyone is everyone’s best friend, but that was high school. We’re 10 years past that now. And I hope today I could have Jen and Nora get to know each other all over again and see if anything comes out of that.

Having more friends is better than having less friends, as we all learn around here recently.

Thanks to the Blogosphere. Seriously.

Meeting new people and making new friends here through the blogosphere really gives me the confidence to try to connect with others outside. If I can connect with complete stranger, I sure can get back in touch with lost friends and reacquainted with those I barely knew. If only they’d open up to me in return, like you fine folks here, it could all work out.

So, wish me luck in my adventure in friendship!