Chicken Soup for Someone's Jacked-up Soul!

I apologize for the second food-related post, but I just couldn't pass up the chance to show you the soup my beloved was CRAVING today. I have learned over the 2 years of marriage that when she says she is making something, I cannot rely on standard pictures or concepts of what something is. (See the post regarding bread below). So, when she said she was going to make chicken soup, I knew it would be different from my mama's cold-fixing heart-warming noodle-laden bowls of chickeny goodness. If your interested, I'm sure she would be willing to send you the recipe. Make sure you can find a lot of chicken feet first though!

The big let-down

One morning last week, Ellen proclaimed that she was going to bake some home-made bread. I haven't had good homemade bread for at least 5 years or so, and I was surprised and excited to hear that my sweetheart was about to engage in the mixing, kneading, waiting, punching, waiting, punching, shaping, and baking required to make good bread. I patiently waited throughout the day for the unmistakable pleasure on the palate that is warm buttered white bread. When the nostalgic smell of baking bread hit my nostrils, my stomach leaped with joy (this is actually visible to the naked eye) although I am not great with child. Finally, Ellen shouted "Trev, come have some bread!" and I rushed to the kitchen. Then, with shock and horror, I gazed upon these little round mounds of yeasty tragedy: The blobs on the left are topped with chopped green onion (naturally) and the blobs on the right are topped with mayonnaise and bits of ham/bacon (of course!) I was so dissappointed in my nose, since it had been telling me for at least 40 minutes that 2 loaves of wonderful white were baking in the oven. Not once did my snouser detect the smell of onion, ham, or mayonnaise. Ellen couldn't understand why I looked so underwhelmed. After all, who doesn't loved hot baked mayonnaise?? Anyway, I'm working on teaching my wife the difference between American bread and whatever those abominations in the picture are called in Taiwan.

Daddy's little little little girl

So today was one of those small but significant milestones for us, the 20 week ultrasound. After a failed pregnancy last year that was tough for us to go through, it looks like life is forming on schedule, and our little one is making progress. Although I was personally hoping for a boy, the technician had a clear shot of the pelvis..and no equipment was visibly present. By default, that means our baby is a lady, not a gent. We are listing our favorite names, and as of today, here are the top three: Broomhilda, Bertha, and Helga. Personally, I really like Broomhilda, a three-syllable name with that extra long "broom" part. SWEEEET. Actually, our favorite name at this time is Raley (like the CA grocery chain). We are considering several spellings: Raley, Reili, Raylee, Reyli, Rayli, Rayleigh, etc. Please vote!

Glad to be a Jazz fan

Living here in Sacramento, I only get the chance to see the Jazz play once or twice a year. On top of that, I have to deal with Kings fans all the time. Some friends of mine are even known to dress their toddlers and infants up in the purple poop known as Kings gear. Then there is Ellen, who is kind of a "cooler" of sorts. If she watches a game live with me, whoever we root for inevitably loses. I'm wondering if I need to make her a fan of the opposing teams, and see if that somehow helps mine. Anyway, today I saw something that makes me glad to be a Jazz fan. I'll try to convince Ellen now that attending at least "one or two" games a month is perfectly fine.

Political Differences

I am finally getting around to posting some pics from travels we have made to Japan and Taiwan. These pics here are from what was formerly called the "Chang Kai Shek Memorial Hall." I say formerly because as these pics show, not everyone respects the memory of Chang Kai-Shek. Ellen had not been to the hall since her teenage years, and said she was somewhat shocked to see it now. Under the KMT or Koumingtan political party, Taiwan maintained close ties to China and avoided strong movement towards independence. In 2000, a more pro-independence party, the Green Party, won the general presidential election, and won again in 2004. With the public becoming more and more dissatisfied with the Green Party, it is almost a foregone conclusion that the KMT will once again gain executive power in Taiwan. Thus, the Green party is trying to do whatever it can to destroy KMT's most famous leader Chang Kai Shek's legacy, before the KMT is back in power. Ellen can tell you the history better than I ever could. Anyway, now the statue has some interesting mediocre artwork sharing space with it.

More tag stuff

1. What were you doing 10 years ago??

I was 22, just off the mission, living in Hope Mills North Carolina, and working at a brand new Japanese restaurant called "Kyoto Express." I seriously got the job because I was such a Japan-freak at that time and was willing to do anything to speak Japanese.

2. 5 things on my to-do list today

Um, I have one thing...try to start using "to-do" lists.

3. 5 snacks I enjoy

The 90-100 calorie Quaker granola bars from Costco. Key Lime Pie Yoplait. Spitz sunflower seeds, dill pickle or spicy. Almonds or Cashews. Is a quarter pounder with cheese a snack??

4. 3 Bad habits

1. Not keeping the office clean

2. Not knowing when or where to draw the line when I'm telling a joke.

3. Procrastinating everything

4. Eating "just for the taste of it" instead of because I'm actually hungry

5. Not posting on this blog enough


5. What would you do if you were instantly a billionare??

Buy a ton of homes/apartments, renovate them, then offer them to low income families and make the state guarantee rental payments to me. Lease cars to people who cannot afford to buy one for around $150.00-200.00/month. Learn to play golf. Buy a Gulfstream V corporate Jet, and travel with the Hunts to various world destinations!

6. 5 places I have lived

1. Tri-Cities, Washington; Nakano, Tokyo, Japan; Afton, Wyoming; Dearborn, Michigan; Port Imperial, West New York, New Jersey.

The San Francisco We Didn't Want to See

So, last weekend, Ellen and I went to see this big Chinese New Year parade, touted as the largest one outside of China or Taiwan. Ellen was excited to help celebrate the Lunar New Year, as it is the biggest holiday in her culture. I purchased special bleacher seats, just to make sure we had a view....well, what we got to see was much different than I had planned. This float on the right was for the "Gay Asian Pacific Alliance." Ellen and I felt strange being the only ones not cheering wildly for this float. I thought "maybe the Provo Freedom Festival Parade would have been a better one to take Ellen to for her first American parade experience." The other float that was interesting to see was for San Francisco's "official" band, the "Rainbow Band of Unity" or something like that. I wish I had a pic of the leader, some dude with a happy er..gay smile twirling a baton and looking like he wished he was tinkerbell. We've got to find a battery charger for our camera so we can get better pics! Anyway, Ellen asked a lot of questions about various groups in the parade that I wasn't prepared to really answer that night. I think the next time we celebrate Chinese New Year, we will do it in Taiwan.