2010

Archive for the year 2010

More of Cass Elliot

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Ching under Videos.

Just in case you’re not familiar with Cass Elliot or Mama Cass, here are some of my favorites (what Brian’s been suffering through the last couple of days):

P.S. If you can’t see the video then you’re probably reading this post through my Facebook notes. Click here for the full blog post (which isn’t really a blog entry, just a series of YouTube vids).

Several weeks ago (before I left for Germany) my wife decided that she wanted the HTC HD2 that T-Mobile had just released. Unlike me, she did not do her research and find out if the phone was worth the buy. She has liked Windows phones since her first one and she refused to change even though all of the Windows phones that she has owned have failed her in some way.

So we looked and looked and suddenly like a beacon from heaven, Wal-Mart has the HD2 on sale for $50.00! Ching took this as a sign from God that she was meant to have this phone, ok not really but you could see the gears working in her head. I caved and let my baby have what she wanted. I did provide a small protest and point out that all of her other windows phones were crap, she replied with “but this one is different”. So, we made the buy and off we went. She was happy, I was happy that she was happy and for the next few days she set everything up and it looked like all was well.

I get back from Germany and my wife says “Something is wrong with my phone”. I knew this was going to happen. We look at it and then decide to call T-Mo for support. Their first reaction, “let’s do a factory reset, that usually fixes the problem”. I was not keen on this idea. They did this with one of my wife’s other Window’s phones and it screwed it up. We had to reload the whole OS, this was not a good idea. I protested a little but the tech assured me that this was the only solution. I reset the phone and the problem went away. However, a dozen other problems sprung up. After a little over a day, we realized that we were still in the buyers remorse period and we took the phone back, reversed the upgrade and moved on.

We cut to this Sunday. I convinced my wife to stop by the T-Mo store and take a look at the new Vibrant. It’s the latest and greatest that Samsung has produced and is shaping up to be the baddest on the market. The wife absolutely loved it. She was impressed with all of it’s features and was impressed with it’s operation. We left the store and she said. Lets see if we can get it cheaper than 199.99.

This is a great idea since We have been with them since 2000, ever since they were Voicestream. I have never wanted to cancel my service. Hell, everyone I know and talk to is on T-Mobile service. So I called and told them that I was interested in that phone. They quoted me the price and I said. “I’m not on a contract, I get a 12% discount through my company on Verizion, I should just go there”. Like the rep is supposed to I get sent to the retention department.

This rep asks me what I am looking for and I repeat the speech. I basically said, “I am not interested in special rate plans or discounts on service. I simply want a phone cheaper than what I can get from any other provider or from walking down to Wal-Mart” (Wal-Mart currently has the Vibrant for $150.00). She say, “let me see what I can do”. She comes back a few minutes later and says “I can give you that phone for $149.99 on each line but only if that phone stays in service for 30 days. Basically you will pay full price up front and then we will give you the $50.00 after 30 days to each line. Plus, I will lower your Data plan by $10.00 dollars per line for the life time of the account”. I sat there in silence. The rep did not listen to anything I had said. I had already told her about Wal-Mart. I had already told her that I could get two droids for free and that I was not asking for free, I was just asking for something better. Shortly after that, She began to argue with me about the merits of getting the data discount. I advised her that I was just going to go to Verizion (which I still think I am going to do) and she proceeded to tell me how much more it was going to cost me. She did not know that I already looked at the plans, calculated the costs and found that after the 12% discount I was going to actually save $5.00 a month. I pointed this out to her and she just sat in silence. After that I just told her to never mind, I would call back when I had another service provider. Instead of offering me something better, she said “OK, have a nice day” and disconnected.

I know they can offer better, I have a friend that just got one for $99.00 through T-Mo, and he didn’t even have to do anything. I don’t understand what their problem is. I know what they can offer, I know what I can get. Why do they have to play these stupid games with me over this crap.

I think tomorrow I will escalate to a supervisor. I am tired of all of these silly reindeer games. If I cant get satisfaction then it’s time for a change. If they are going to make me pay over $100.00 for a phone then I am going to go someplace else.

Stay tuned tomorrow boys and girls when I reveal who is the best service provider and who sucks big…Ok, I got a little carried away there. But seriously, Stay tuned, there is more.

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Driving Brian Crazy with My Horrible Singing

Posted on August 16, 2010 by Ching under Life, Videos.

Didn’t feel like getting up today. Probably because I didn’t get much sleep or rest this weekend. I was looking forward to my spa treatment, but they called me at the last minute to reschedule. The therapist who was going to perform the service called in sick. I think it worked out for the best because I was on call this weekend and I didn’t really want to get a phone call during the treatment when I’m supposed to be relaxing. Also, they are going to give me a warm stone foot massage to compensate me for the inconvenience of having to reschedule. So I was disappointed, but I think the free add-on makes up for it. Now I have a two and a half hour spa treatment on Sunday to look forward to… Incidentally, this actually works with my workout schedule as well because group fitness classes are canceled at North YMCA for this coming weekend so they can resurface the studio floors. So I won’t have to rush from the gym to the spa clinic. It was a blessing in disguise, really.

So yesterday when they called me to reschedule, Brian had flashbacks of our bad experience at Healing Waters years ago when we both actually took vacation days and were planning our day around our spa visit and then they canceled on us. Same issue, sick therapists. Brian who is a bit of a “Negative Nancy” and was reliving the bad Healing Waters experience started bitching, moaning, and complaining and even took to his Twitter to rant and rave. I’m like, “It’s all good… No big deal… It just gets pushed back a week…” I was honestly disappointed because I could’ve really used a good massage and some RNR after the rough Saturday I had, but I learned long ago that it’s pointless to get upset over things you have no control over. Plus, there’s usually a silver lining to everything. As it turns out, moving it to next Sunday actually works out better overall.

This morning, I got up and got ready for work though I didn’t really feel like it. After a bowl of Fiber One Shredded Wheat cereal, I was good to go. Pretty much. I was actually in a pretty good mood. I was in a “singing in the car” mood, which was not so great for Brian because I’m tone deaf. LOL.

I popped in my Cass Elliot (Mama Cass to most folks) CD and proceeded to sing along, in my special off-key car singing voice, to Make Your Own Kind of Music, One Way Ticket, It’s Getting Better etc. I think Brian was ready to strangle himself. Of course, he couldn’t because he was driving, but I think that might have been why he was driving so erratically this morning.

He was like, “This is worse than Kings of Leon!” Yeah, he’s a party pooper.

We both had dental appointments today so we took off work a couple of hours early this afternoon. I was still in Cass Elliot singing mode, though. After the dentist, we stopped by the house to change out of our work clothes before heading to his parents’ house for dinner. Brian’s parents said they had an anniversary gift for us so we figured we’d come by and the four of us could have dinner and all that jazz.

As we were about to walk out the door, Brian asked me if I wanted to take my car or his truck. I replied with, “It doesn’t matter to me either way. Let’s take the truck.” Not really thinking about it. I just figured, Crichton doesn’t ever get driven so it would be nice to drive him once in a while.

So we’re driving South on Webb Road to his parents’ house when I felt a song coming on and it didn’t dawn on me that I couldn’t sing along to my music because my Cass Elliot CD was in the car! We were just past Douglas when I realized how he’d tricked me! He wanted to take the truck. He was hoping that I would choose the truck. In doing so, there would be no singing in the car on the way to dinner. What an evil, manipulative, conniving trickster!

“I was wondering how long it’d take you to figure it out,” he said laughing.

I’ll let him win this round, but he needs to look out. I’m going to sing to him on the way to work even louder and more off-key than ever before tomorrow morning. =P

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Spa Therapy

Posted on August 15, 2010 by Ching under Health, Things to Do.

Speaking of free stuff, I’m looking forward to my spa appointment today. I’ve got an appointment for the “Tropics” package at Serenity which includes a 90 minute massage (I opted for Swedish instead of therapeutic massage this time), soothing coconut mango hand and foot exfoliation treatment, and finished with a warm shea butter treatment. After the crazy weekend I’ve had, I could really use some pampering. Someone out there is looking out for me. Thank you! =)

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Carmen and Nick’s Wedding

Posted on August 15, 2010 by Ching under Life.

Brian and I attended Carmen and Nick’s wedding yesterday.

Carmen was absolutely radiant.

Jan, Brian and I rode to the ceremony together.

Travis and Joni also attended. They’re such a great looking couple! Quite a few people from work showed up. Paige was there, as well as Tiffe and her daughter, and Ginger and her daughters.

Brian was starving after the ceremony so he and Jan and I went to Zaytun for a late lunch. It’s one of Jan’s favorite places to eat.

I think we missed the lunch rush (if there is such a thing at Zaytun) because there was hardly anyone there. I think there were only two other tables besides ours.

We still had plenty of time to kill after lunch so Brian and I decided to go to the mall after dropping Jan off at her house. We initially planned on wearing the same clothes that we wore to Carmen and Nick’s wedding ceremony to their reception, so we were a little overdressed for the mall. I’m oblivious to everything as always, but Brian said that people were staring at us. It made him a little uncomfortable. I didn’t notice anything weird, though.

Plus, I never get to go to the mall so I was just glad that I could go. And I had a coupon for free underwear at Victoria’s Secret with no purchase necessary so I was able to redeem it. I love getting free stuff!

Try as we could, Brian and I didn’t have it in us to spend three hours at the mall so we decided to go home. Joni and Travis said they were changing into jeans for the reception so Brian figured he would do the same. I’ve never attended a wedding reception in jeans before, but since it seemed like everyone was changing into something else (Paige said she was changing out of her dress as well) I figured I should go casual as well.

Brian and I found this denim dress on sale for under $20 at Express that afternoon, which I ended up changing into. It was a great find. Also, it was a compromise between my need to wear a dress to the reception and wearing jeans. Since it’s denim, I basically just wore my jeans in dress form. LOL.

Paige ended up changing into this cute lavender/purple blouse and a nice dress pants. She said she started off working jeans, but then went back home to change into dress pants because she was worried about being under-dressed in photos. Of course, when she saw Brian in jeans and then Joni and Travis also in jeans, she regretted second-guessing herself.

Tracy didn’t make it to the church ceremony, but we ran into her at the wedding reception. She looked fantastic!

Here’s Tracy with her husband Jim, but you can’t really see his face in the photo.

Here’s Tracy with Carmen…

Here’s another photo of the bride and groom…

I just love weddings. I think it’s because it’s usually the couple’s happiest day.

It all goes downhill from there, you know… Just kidding!

Brian danced with Carmen during the dollar dance.

I snapped several photos while they were dancing. My favorite one is this next one because I caught their faces at just the right angle and it looks like they’re making out. They weren’t, of course!

It’s just an optical delusion. LOL.

We got into the subject of two-step earlier that evening when the music started. They played this Mexican song and a whole bunch of the guests flocked to the dance floor. I thought it was kind of a slow Merengue, but Brian was convinced otherwise. Brian said, “I think they’re two-stepping.” Everyone busted up laughing. At least the rest of us knew that the dance people were doing was definitely not the two-step.

So Joni was like, “You guys need to come to the bar in Andale and we’ll show you how to two-step.”

“You know how to two-step?” I asked.

“All hillbillies do!” was Joni’s reply without missing a beat. And then we all started laughing again.

Of course, Travis had to add, “How do you think they come out of the womb?” I guess all hillbillies are born knowing how to two-step. LOL.

Snapped some pictures of Travis and Joni two-stepping. They had to show us how to do it because we didn’t know how.

I think Joni and Travis are probably the best-looking hillbillies I’ve ever met. I mean, they’ve still got all of their teeth and everything!

I know why Brian doesn’t know or can’t learn how to two-step, though. He hates country music!

Another photo of Nick and Carmen; and then Tracy and Joni below.

They did the garter and bouquet toss pretty late into the evening. I think probably because they planned on partying all night.

Here’s Nick removing Carmen’s garter with is teeth, it’s like a preview of what’s to come on their wedding night. LOL.

Carmen, her mom, and maid of honor on the dance floor.

Here’s Joni and Carmen line-dancing.

Apparently hillbillies are quite good at line-dancing also. LOL.

We had a great time at Carmen and Nick’s reception. They make such a beautiful couple and we wish them the best as they go through their life together. Have a great honeymoon you guys! Take lots of pictures!

P.S. Click here to see more photos from Carmen and Nick’s wedding.