Nothing Like a Little Retail Therapy

To Help Cheer you up! Tonight, I was in somewhat of a bad mood, mostly stemming from the STUPID airlines and their ever changing prices. We bought a ticket last night for William to go and spend President's Day weekend with his parents and grandparents in Phoenix and I waited a day to make sure it was ok with a friend if I stayed with her an extra day to visit with her. When I checked today, THE VERY SAME FLIGHT had increased in price $50!!!!! I was so ticked- they really are just horrible- they truly don't care about "customer service" or anything. I couldn't believe that 1 day later, the price had gone up. This is after I had spent 3 hours searching to see if I could possibly use frequent flier miles (which they place all of these insane stipulations on) and most of the airlines to find the best deal that worked with our schedule. And then, to have it go up one day later. I was so frustrated. And for some unknown reason, there wasn't a new episode of Project Runway this week so I couldn't watch it on YouTube. Thus, I needed to get out of the house as most of the day had been in front of my computer coding newspaper articles for my dissertation and couldn't bear to look at it after this latest airline fiasco.

So, I went and spent 2 hours of good, quality RETAIL THERAPY. I went to 5 different stores, all running errands: Game Stop, Trader Joes, Target, Baskin Robbins, and Safeway. I want to say that I used gift certificates at 2 stores (Target and Baskin Robbins- THANK-YOU EVERYONE for being so generous for our wedding!) and a bunch was food items trying to have a better food storage so I don't feel too bad about it. And I feel 100% better!!!! In the end, the groceries ended up costing more than the ticket difference, but they will last us for quite awhile. I also got some books to READ FOR FUN as that will help to give me a little break from the intense dissertation work. And I think these purchases are worth it to maintain my emotional sanity! William can handle it because I rarely use retail therapy and he likes having me be in a better mood as well.

We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet

My sister Cynthia was the first to let me know that our beloved prophet since 1995, Gordon B. Hinckley, had passed away. Following that, both of William's brothers then called to see if we had heard the news. I tried to look it up on Google news just then, but it wasn't fast enough and hadn't picked up KSL's story. However, the next day, the New York Times had two stories about him- I thought this one was good tribute (especially with the corrections at the end). While I am saddened by his death, I am overjoyed that he is reunited with his beloved eternal companion, Marjorie. Her death was hard on him, yet, he continued to do the work he was called to do. Pres. Hinckley is such an incredible example to me of someone who truly lived his entire life building up the kingdom of God on the earth. He worked for the church professionally and then as a calling for most of his life, and truly accomplished so much. It seems so timely that a week before his death, William and I were asked to speak about "Our Living Prophets" in Sacrament meeting. Preparing for that talk gave me an opportunity to reflect upon all of the amazing things Pres. Hinckley had done throughout his ministry as prophet: 100 temples before the end of the year 2000, The Proclamation on the Family, The Living Christ, having the church world wide read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year, and visiting countless nations throughout the world. He always told us to "Be a Little Better" and to make sure that we truly are giving our best. For FHE, William and I listened to his last major general conference address in Oct 2007 which is so fitting for Pres. Hinckley in so many ways. It was the first talk he every repeated- and joked about it. I'm so amazed he only repeated 1 since he gave talks in over 200 general conferences. That's a lot of material to come up with! But, the most fitting aspect, is that he testified of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the foundation of the Church, but more importantly, the Lord's work is progressing forward and continuing to fill the earth like the stone cut out from the mountain. And, while we are saddened by the loss of this great brother, the work will continue to go forward. How grateful I am that the Lord loves his people so much that He has not left us alone, but has given us a prophet to provide guidance and direction for our day. This photo is how I will always remember Pres. Hinckley- for his incredible sense of humor, for I think God is like this too :-) I loved seeing him swing his cane around, and especially to "knight" Pres. Eyring to his new post.

Chinese New Year Spectacular!

So, last Thursday night, I went to the Chinese New Year Spectacular, a show in downtown San Francisco. I waited too long to get the tickets though because when I checked, there was only one $38 seat left and William really didn't want to pay $60 each to go so he was kind and just let me go. He spent the evening doing coding and got home even after I did. Traffic is seriously such a gamble! You never know what it is going to be like. When we went to the SF Symphony on a Monday night in Dec., we got there smooth sailing- no problems at all. So, I left at 6:45 for the 8 pm show and traffic was totally stop and go and I'm so lucky that I finally found a parking spot at 7:45. But, I still had to run to the theater- and of course, they were late, which is fine since I had only just arrived.

I purchased my tickets online through this Chinese Television Station and so I picked up my ticket and I had thought that I was in the balcony, but I found out that they had given me a MUCH better seat in the first section of the orchestra, on the left side, for no extra charge! I had an awesome view- thanks so much! The show itself was incredible. They had a combination of dancing with musical numbers and both were top quality. The performing group is called the Divine Performing Arts and they are based in New York City and their primary purpose is to continue the legacy of traditional Chinese performing arts. They took this show on tour to Boston and a few other cities, including San Francisco, but they will be doing 15 shows in NYC. Since I come from a family with 2 sisters with careers in the performing arts, I have to say that I have pretty high standards for these types of events. My two big complaints about this performance was more about the background, than the actual performance. They had this big white screen behind the dancers that would show computer generated backdrops that looked really fake and didn't really relate to the dances. Or, it was super cheesy and had a certain performer swoop in on the screen and then appear in person and vice versa. I thought that this was a totally unnecessary addition that really detracted from the beauty of the dancing. The other problem was the MC's- they had a guy and a girl who would alternate announcing the numbers and giving some historical background and context (which I loved) in both English and Chinese (which is great) but the two MC's was just horribly super cheesy and over actors with the dumbest jokes. Again, I just think it detracted from a beautiful performance.

The costuming was INCREDIBLE- everything was perfectly designed to have maximum effect, such as the skirts having sequins that glittered when they moved their bodies. The singers had AMAZING voices- they were great opera voices- clear and powerful (I personally hate when there is too much vibrato). The orchestra was a great combination of "Western" instruments like the violin and trumpet, as well as traditional Chinese ones. The music was composed specifically for the performance and sometimes in traditional form. And then the dancing. The dancing is a combination of some typical ballet moves (but no pointe) but with some modifications and twists to give them a distinctive flair. It was so smooth and clean- just really beautiful to watch. They did a number where they danced with multiple cups stacked inside one another on their head, and removed the throughout the dance to prove they weren't taped on. Several involved dancing while beating drums, a swirling ribbon dance, twirling round cloths on top of both of their hands, chopstick dances, and then some more martial arts numbers from the men. One piece surprised me in that it was truly political. They directly stated that under the current dictatorship in China, they are not allowed to perform shows like this and they are silences, which makes what they are so motivated to share their culture with the rest of the world.

I really enjoyed it and can't WAIT to hear more about what my sister Sarah learns on her dance study-abroad this summer in China! I am sad though, that I won't be around for the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade coming up in Feb- we'll be out of town . .. so it will have to wait until next year

As Requested by Anniina

I normally do not complete these, but since I had a special request from one of my dear friends on her blog, Anniina, all the way from Finland, this is for her :-)

10 years ago:

I was 17 and lived in Salt Lake City with my family

Five things on my to-do list today:
1. Go on a walk
2. Shower
3. Work on coding for dissertation
4. Blog
5. Scriptures


I Enjoy:
having all kinds of cultural adventures, especially broadway musicals, ballet, symphony, and the Red Sox (I'm so sad I'm clear across the country), traveling, reading, eating ice cream, going out to eat, spending time with my husband, family, and friends, teaching Sunday School with my husband

What would I do if I were suddenly a billionaire:
Pay off the business school debt (Harvard ain't cheap), TRAVEL!!!!!! And then travel some more. Live in LONDON

Three of my bad habits:
1. Not patient
2. Can find other things to do BESIDES my dissertation
3. Eating Sweets

Five places I have lived:
1. Salt Lake City, UT
2. Madrid, Spain
3. London, England
4. Boston MA
5. San Francisco Bay Area, CA

Five jobs that I have had:
1. Baby-sitter
2. Teaching Assistant (multiple times)
3. Research Assistant (multiple times)
4. Instructor of own course (Once)
5. Doctoral Candidate (I got paid to go to school and ta)

Five things people don't know about me:
1. My biggest pet peeve is the unattended shopping carts left in the parking lot- it really only takes 10 additional seconds to take it to the little cart holder.
2. I HATE canned green beans- I had a bad experience when I was a kid and the smell/taste still get to me. But, I do like fresh ones.
3. I love school- this is the first time since kindergarten that I haven't been "back to school"
4. I love to watch sports- football, basketball, baseball (Red Sox of course)
5. This is the most sleep per night I have ever gotten in my life since I don't have to get up super early for school! And, I have been sick for the past month.

I hope you enjoyed getting to know a few more random facts about me

The Cliff House: San Francisco Dine About Town

In Boston, they call it "restaurant week"; in Salt Lake, they called it "Dine O'Round"; and here in San Francisco, they call it "Dine About Town". Whatever name you call it, it is the same idea. Many of the fanciest restaurants in town for a 2 week period offer a price-fix menu of 3 courses for $32. This is SUCH a steal because at many of these restaurants, the main courses are that price. William took me to Boston restaurant week for our 2nd date to Vox Populli and wooed me with their food. Last year, we went with my dear friend Riva to Lumiere, this AMAZING French inspired restaurant where we experienced the PANNA COTTA- this dessert that is from HEAVEN. William and I still talk about just how incredible it was and how much we crave it.

This year, we decided to go for food, AND a great view. I made my reservation back in December to make sure I got it. In part, my choice was based upon how many $$$$ they had, because it meant that we were not likely to go there on our own, so the CLIFF HOUSE won me over.
The Cliff House used to be a swimming bath house back in the old days as it is literally on the Pacific Ocean. As such, it has STUNNING views that we were even able to appreciate in the dark.
Here's a photo of the area where we would be dining.
And I had a FABULOUS dinner. Butternut squash soup to begin, the moistest, tenderest, flakiest SALMON I have ever had- it was just so succulent, this Andalucian sausage polenta (not a fan), and then CREME BRULEE that was just as good as the one I had at Bambara. William got similar things- butternut squash soup, barbeque flank steak and mashed potatoes, and creme brulee. They had these cookies paired with it that I didn't care for so William ate mine because he thought it went well together. I just wanted to not taint any bite of this smooth and creamy creme brulee. I learned back at Lumiere that I order what I want and not try to "maximize our tastes". We did that at Lumiere and William got the panna cotta and I got mango sorbet so that we could try both and in the end, I wished that I would have gotten the panna cotta. I learned my lesson to just get what you want. It was way good food. And such a great view too.

That's a pretty big GIANT CAMERA- random relic from the old swimming days

And look at lights lining the coast.
Thanks William for yet another magical evening!!!!

Jelly Belly Factory

For awhile now, I have wanted to go on the JELLY BELLY FACTORY TOUR, but not just on any day, but the days when they are open and operating so that I could experience the full magic of the jelly belly process. The factory doesn't operate on weekends or some holidays, but fortunately, I found out that they were open on Martin Luther King Day! I invited several couples from our ward and had 2 excited replies from the Falk's and the Murdock's. Sadly, the morning of the outing, William woke up with a horrible ear infection and so he was in no mood to drive 3 hours round trip so he stayed behind and got medicine from the doctor. While he was greatly missed, it was nice to be able to be in one car because I heard some of the most entertaining stories ever. Everything from car wrecks and strange towing, to traffic court, warrants for an individual who will remain nameless arrest, a guy falling of Mount Sinai, mission experiences, the mafia- to name just a few of the "highlights". It was great times in the car . . . and even better when we arrived at the factory!

And they even had a "welcome wagon" out to greet us.

Since it was a holiday, it was fairly crowded but we only waited in line for about 15 minutes. After we left, the line was super long, so go in the morning! Here was the view as we waited in line of hanging jelly bellies. And we even got a free sample of strawberry cheesecake from an amazing scooper that administered 1 jelly belly per person.

They had a jelly belly mosaic on display- they told us later on the tour that one this size contains about 10,000 jelly bellies and 6 months to make. There's a sign at the bottom that warns against not eating the art, and I definitely wouldn't after finding out that they are dipped in a special glue to hold it together. I think if they put that on the sign, most people wouldn't eat it.

It was mandatory for us to wear their signature paper hat on the tour- I definitely think that it is much more flattering on Alecia

Here's a side profile view of the hats with the jelly belly logo on them.

Even the CARPET was covered in jelly bellies.

Unfortunately, photographs were not allowed on the tour- major bummer. But, I will describe some of what I experienced. I'm so glad that I went on a working day because it was so crazy to see the sheer number of the jelly bellies being processed. Every day, they use 53,000 lbs of sugar and it takes 7-10 days to make an actual jelly belly that you get from the store. I had no idea it was such a complex process. They first make the jelly part which is 1/3rd smaller than what you get from the store. They use real fruit and other flavors as their base. (On a disgusting note, they told us what flavors they put into their "vomit" jelly belly- pepperoni pizza, Parmesan cheese (for just the right chunkiness) and citric acid). I'm happy to say that I have NEVER had one and NEVER will have one- some experiences I definitely do not need to "recreate" in a jelly bean. Then, the beans "cure" for a few days just sitting. They are then taken to the giant kettles where they receive their coating of alternating scoops of white sugar and corn syrup. After this, they are then placed on drying racks for another 3 days before they are polished in the same fashion as stones, being placed inside a rolling bin. There are quality control people who check through out the process to make sure the taste of each batch is right and that they have the right "look". The ones that are stuck together or badly mishapped are called "Belly Flops" and you can buy them for a reduced rate. I'm impressed that they have a machine that writes the little jelly belly logo on them. They produce 35,000 jelly bellies DAILY. As one of our group members said, here's the way to fight world hunger!

What I particularly liked was that they gave you a FREE bag of jelly bellies as a THANK-YOU for going on the tour! And, in the gift shop, you could try whatever kinds you wanted, such as their smoothie mix or jalepeno, black pepper, or their "new" flavor- BABY WIPE. NASTY. Needless to say, I only sampled the smoothie mix. I was proud of myself for only buying 1/4 pound of my own custom blend in addition to my free bag. What is even more amazing, is that I still have some of both bags left!

We were the only group that we saw on the tour without children, but we went with no shame because it was so cool! I definitely recommend it, but I think it would be kind of a let down without the machines working, so find out before you call.

But, our day wouldn't have been complete with out a THANK-YOU to Dr. Martin Luther King for giving us this holiday and what better tribute can you have than a Jelly Belly Mosaic of you.

Out With the Old, and In With The New

I have said goodbye to some of my old, longtime favorites in exchange for some newer, trendier ones.

A few years ago, on a trip to Disneyland with my sisters, I found this adorable Eeyore wallet. Look- its when he was a baby and was actually smiling and happy! I just thought it was super cute so I bought it and actually used it as my primary wallet for awhile. My friend Brooke always laughed at me because here I am, getting my PhD, and I have an Eeyore wallet. It was starting to fall apart (look at the wear and tear along the edges) so I decided to upgrade to . . . .

this sassy red one! I had in mind the exact wallet that I wanted and so while William and I were at the Gilroy Outlets, we went into many stores searching for the perfect wallet- and I FOUND it!!! And yes, it is a Kenneth Cole leather wallet, but I got it at a closeout sale for a great price, which makes it even better.


And the inside even has room for my plethora of cards. And, I'm also sporting a new CA drivers license (I actually never got an MA one, since I was still in school, you don't need to become a resident)

But, I ended up saying adios to one of my long time items- my old glasses. I have had these glasses since before high school, which has been over 12 years. Let me preface this by saying that I HATE glasses. I have had glasses ever since I was in kindergarten- yeah, my eyes literally are that bad. And since they are so bad, I was limited in the frames that I could get so I always ended up getting the giant, ugly ones. I got contacts at the end of 6th grade and literally only wear my glasses for a short time right before I go to bed and right when I get up. Immediately when I wake up, I go straight into the bathroom and put in my contacts. Since I would only wear glasses for such a short period of time, I thought that it wasn't worth the money to change them so only the inner circle of my closest friends and roommates have seen me in my glasses. Its amazing because William did happen to see me in a few times and I am proud to say that he still married me despite them. That's sign of true love right there! And we were married for 7 months before he suggested that I get some new glasses for Christmas for which I agreed that it was finally time for a change.

Here are the old ones- yeah, they are really huge from the front

And especially the side- they seriously are COKE BOTTLE glasses! If you didn't know, this now gives evidence as to just how bad my eyes are.

I was kind of dreading going to look for new glasses because previously, it was always such a painful experience. I would try on tons of glasses and would finally find one that looked ok on me, only to find out that I couldn't get them because it wouldn't support my prescription. Then, it was onto the huge, bigger, uglier glasses and it took awhile to decide which was the lesser evil. We went to this place near our house, just because it was close, and it has a clever name "Site for Sore Eyes". And I have to admit, I am really impressed with them. We went in and one of their workers came up to me and asked me if I needed help. I said I did and told her some of the styles I was interested in and she went and picked out several pairs in that genre. I showed her my prescription and she said "Whoa! That's a high prescription!" And I chuckled and said yes, I know, I REALLY need some form of eyewear. It did limit some of my choices (like the really light, nearly invisible ones I still can't have), but they have come a LONG way in getting glasses with some style in them for us "heavy hitters". She brought me probably 5 different pairs and the first couple frames were too dark for my complexion and one of the lighter ones I didn't like, and then I FOUND it! My perfect pair of glasses- super cute and they actually look ok on me! (Here's the link to a photo of me in them from my previous posts- I still don't really like to have photos of me with my glasses on due to habit so just enjoy this one :-) And William even thought they were great too- a huge improvement over the other ones.

And here is the best part- they aren't coke bottles! The lens does come out a little from the frame but it is really slight. They are sooo much nicer and lighter. A GREAT improvement over the previous ones.


I tried on one or two other frames after that but I knew that I had found the perfect pair. The same thing happened with my wedding dress. On my trip to UT, I went into 1 store and found my dress on the 5th try. It is so rare that I find something that I REALLY love that when I do, I know that it is futile and just a waste of time to try to compare with other places because I won't find anything I like as much.

I'm so happy with these items that I don't even miss the old ones (so sorry guys) and I look forward to using both of them for an even longer period of time