FLIP + CHING

Kansas Cosmosphere

Posted on July 25, 2010 by Ching under Family, Things to Do, Travel.

Brian and I took his parents to the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center yesterday. I’d never been there and it’s been years for Brian. Also, I decided that I want to see all 8 wonders of Kansas this year. So it was perfect!

See the pictures we took at the Cosmosphere here.

I didn’t get to take a lot of pictures because I left my real camera at home. Mostly I just took pictures with my camera phone. And, yes, I’m back to the Touch Pro 2 because the HD2 was crapping out on me. I really miss the 5MP of the HD2, though. The Touch Pro 2’s 3.2MP camera just doesn’t take pictures as well.

Overall we got to do all of the things we planned with the exception of Dr. Goddard’s Lab. I think we wore David and Donna out. LOL.

The IMAX Hubble film was the highlight of the day for me. It was fantastic! The film is a must-see! And, I can’t wait until we get an IMAX theater in Wichita. I’m already imagining watching IMAX 3D films in it.

P.S. We are well on our way to completing our “8 Wonders Tour” this year. Two down [Kansas Underground Salt Museum and Kansas Cosmosphere] and only six more to go! What should we do next?

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New Tagalog Word: Palpak

Posted on July 24, 2010 by Ching under Tagalog.

The Tagalog word I want to teach you all today is palpak. The English translation is poorly done or sloppy work. In other words: FAIL!

I thought of palpak today when I put on a new skort that I got from Ann Taylor LOFT. I’ve been a 6 in their clothes for a long time. So while Brian was in Germany, I figured I needed some summer clothes so I ordered a few things from their web site. I’m a sucker for a good sale.

Anyway, I put on this brand new skort this morning and it’s freakin’ falling off of me. Brian and I are thinking it’s about two inches too big. I could probably drop down a size next time I buy clothes from there. So that’s the good news. The bad news is that I bought two of these things: one in brown and one in black. Ay, palpak!

Brian told me to return them. I don’t think I can, though, because they were on sale. Plus, since we don’t have an Ann Taylor LOFT store in town, I’d have to mail it back and I’d rather not go through that hassle. For now, the plan is to wash the skorts in hot and dry them in super hot and hope they shrink. If that doesn’t work, then I’m going to see about getting them altered.

Yes, I think palpak is a suitable word of the day.

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Ching is Anal

Posted on July 24, 2010 by Ching under Family, Things to Do.

For those of you who didn’t realize the extent of my “anal-ness” (I know that isn’t a word, so don’t bother correcting me), now you know. For those of you who’ve known me all my life, well, you’re probably not going to be surprised.

So Brian and I had been planning on taking his parents to the Kansas Cosmosphere since our trip to the Kansas Underground Salt Museum last month. I’d never been to the Cosmosphere and it has been years for everyone else, so it seemed like a fun thing to do. We told them that they just needed to clear one Saturday for us and we would pick them up, do the driving, and all that jazz. Just like we did the last time.

Since I’m a little neurotic, I emailed the following itinerary to Brian yesterday.

1000 Pick up parents
1100 Lunch at Carriage Crossing
1200 Arrive at Cosmosphere
1300 Night Sky Live (Justice Planetarium)*
1400 IMAX Hubble*
1600 Dr. Goddard’s Lab*
1700 Head home

* I have reserved tickets for the four of us for Night Sky Live, IMAX Hubble and Dr. Goddard’s Lab. Dr. Goddard’s Lab is totally optional and we can cut this out if we decide that we’re tired or your parents don’t feel up to it and want to go home early.

There are two shows in the IMAX — Hubble and Legends of Flight. Our all-day pass only includes one IMAX movie. The person I spoke with said that the Hubble one was cooler so I picked that one. If you guys decide that you want to see the Legends of Flight, we can do it for $6 extra each person. There is a 3:00 pm show that we can watch right after the Hubble one.

I figured that we can check out the Hall of Space Museum either before our first show or right after our IMAX show (if we decide to skip Legends of Flight).

When we head back, we can either take your parents home or they can go with us to my parents for dinner. What do you think?

There’s something very, very wrong with me. I don’t know how Brian puts up with it. Maybe because he is a tad on the anal side also?

P.S. Here’s a better picture of Penelope to make up for the dark, crappy one that I posted the other day. Pictures really do not do her justice. She grows more beautiful by the day.

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Movie Night — Legion

Posted on July 23, 2010 by Ching under Movies.

The Dills came over for movie night last night. We watched Legion. The dialogue left a lot to be desired, but the movie was pretty entertaining nonetheless. Maybe because I love Paul Bettany. The first time I noticed him was in A Knight’s Tale, one of my favorite movies.

I think all of the side comments made the movie. Brian absolutely hates it when people talk through movies, but Legion was just begging for it. I mean, who the heck names their kid Jeep? And if Jeep is the protector and all mankind depend will depend on him, then we are all in big trouble. LOL.

Michael, on the other hand, can be my protector any day. Did I already mention that I love Paul Bettany?

Incidentally, we didn’t go to bed until one o’clock this morning. Brian was like, “That’s it. The Dills are not coming over on a school night anymore. We can only invite them over on a Friday or Saturday night.”

In their defense, we didn’t get to start the movie until late. They didn’t arrive at our place until after 8 pm and then that’s when Mandy (our next door neighbor, who we love because she super nice and super quiet) got home from running errands. She was put in charge of the United Way fundraising campaign at her work, Stinson Morrison Hecker, so she wanted to borrow our electric grill for a cookout they’re doing tonight. When she first asked me this on Tuesday, I told her it was no problem but I was worried that she wouldn’t be able to transport the grill to her work. She thought it would fit in the back seat of her car. I told her that Brian could put both grills (she was taking her own grill as well, but needed a second one) on the back of the truck and take it to her work if she wanted.

She put her grill in the trunk of her car and it fit. She has an indoor/outdoor George Foreman grill that disassembles. Ours, unfortunately, does not. Jay and Brian tried to put it in her car, but there was no way it could fit. The only alternative was my suggestion — use the truck to transport the grill.

So off Brian and Jay went. They followed Mandy who had her grill in the trunk of her car to the Stinson Morrison Hecker office down the street. Becca and I stayed at home and waited for them. Mandy’s office is just two minutes away from our place (which Mandy has found to be both an advantage and disadvantage) so I reassured Becca that the guys wouldn’t be gone long. Little did I know that they would get a tour of the building and take FOREVER.

Brian, the wonderful husband that he is, knew I would want pictures (because I’ve never been inside the Stinson Morrison Hecker building) so he dutifully took photos and posted them on Flickr for me. Check out this huge aquarium in the lobby!

They also have this nice, huge balcony overlooking the water.

I love the Waterfront area. It’s so pretty. Brian and I have yet to bike over there. We definitely should before the summer is over.

So anyway, Brian and Jay returned raving about Mandy’s fancy office building. It was only after they simmered down that we started the movie. So yeah, we were up late.

Tonight is Filipino movie night with Jen and Armando. We are going to try not to stay up too late because we are taking Brian’s parents to the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson tomorrow.