Birthdays and Memories

Today is my Dad's birthday! I happened to be looking thru some old photo albums and thought I would share some pictures with you.



I love this picture. This is before my older years when I gave him all his grey hair. As I used to say "We lub eachudder".



This picture is great because it gives you a glimpse of how spoiled I was...er, am..er, was. Apparently I wanted to be held. So dad held me while he painted those stripes in my new room. Apparently he held me almost the entire time.

This explains a lot to B.



Its also my sister's birthday! Don't see the family resemblance? Well, she is my half-sister. She was 15 when I was born. She took me everywhere but we'll get into that later. I called her Obby.



Who wouldn't be crying if someone dressed you like that? Oh Obby, what have you done? I love the look of concern on her face.



We lub eachudder too.

Happy Birthday!

Its a Cancerversary!

No, I don't have a tattoo of a pink ribbon on my head. But, if ever I find myself bald again, I will get a head tattoo. But lets hope that situation doesn't come up.

Not that I didn't look dashing bald. Don't I have a nice round head?

So, a cancerversary (in my world) marks time as a survivor and other various milestones. It can be one week of surviving chemo, a year from diagnosis, a month from surgery, whatever. I celebrate things all the time! I think we should celebrate something at least once a week. And I like to celebrate with chocolate.

So what cancerversary is it today? Its 1 year since I finished IV treatment! After an entire year of IVs, this was a big deal.

When I first started the story of my diagnosis of breast cancer I wanted to list all the reasons why I am so incredible lucky. Hence the reason I named it Call Me Lady Luck.

But then the story of the actual diagnosis took 3 different posts. And then I went out to dinner. And then I remembered I was supposed to be planning a wedding. And then I got caught up buying our wedding bands. And then I was driving home and remembered that I had a point.

The point is that I was and am very, very lucky. Why am I lucky you ask? OK, you didn't ask but its my cancerversary and I will bore you if I want to.

I am lucky that the female problems that plagued me in college happened to pop up again in 2007. If they hadn't, I wouldn't have gone to the doctor until close to a year later.

I am lucky that my Obgyn was lame and told me I didn't have said feminine problem. (Sorry guys but at least I'm not gettin' all graffic-like) If she hadn't, than I wouldn't have gone to the clinic. TMI warning: Who ever thought my life would be saved by a yeast infection?

I am lucky that the clinic doctor was amazing and on top of it and cautious. If they hadn't decided to treat every woman the same regardless of age, I could have been considered too young to worry about sending to a mammo. I had my mammo 13 years before the designated mammo age.

I am lucky I had people tell me not to listen to my Obgyn. Thank you mom.

I am lucky I have incredible doctors. Thank you HB Clinic, UCLA and St. Josephs. I am lucky that someone cancelled a surgery and I was able to get my lumpectomy weeks before my original schedule.

You see, my cancer was aggressive and in the last month or so it was doubling in size every couple of weeks.

I am lucky in so many ways. If I hadn't gone to the doctor when I did there is a very good chance that by the time I felt it (since I rarely did self-exams), it would have been beyond the point of curing. When the lump was first found I couldn't even feel it and 8 weeks later I was stage 2.

I am lucky I had an awesome support system and I have met (in person and online) so many incredible people. I am lucky that the experience changed my life in all the most amazing ways.

I am lucky I don't have a wrinkly scalp or incredibly mishapen head. Lucky, blessed by God, one with the universe, whatever sinks better with you, well I gots it.

Now, in honor of my cancerversary I kindly request that you all go off and Feel Your Boobies.

Don't argue with me. Just do it. Feel your boobies. Feel someone else's boobies. Get their permission first though. I don't want any law suits on my hands. Well, have you done it yet? Tell everyone its a favor for a friend. Its a free public service, this boobie feeling.

Oh and celebrate with me today! There has to be something for you to celebrate... as if boobie feeling wasn't enough.

Reason #34862

Reason #34862 of why I love B. You see, I get up earlier and usually go to bed earlier than B.

Every day when I get home the bed is made. Most of the time the clothes I threw around the day before are put away as well. I'm like a tornado when it comes to making a mess. I know, I'm working on it.

But thats not reason #34862. I think the bed making would be more like #46298 but I would have to consult the ledger.



You are probably wondering why we are looking at a boring picture of my bed. Don't judge me by my linens. My pillows look flat and lifeless, I think I need to go shopping. What are we looking at? Oh yeah, one of the reasons I'm keeping B around.

Reason #34862 is the fact that sometime between dinner and my bedtime "someone" turns down my covers and puts out my pajama pants. ~sigh~ I live a good life.




Why yes, those are rubber ducky pajamas! I think B does this because he can't wait to see me in my sexy sleep wear. I'm.a.catch.

Perhaps I should get a Snuggie for the honeymoon.

Hello Old Friend

We were out on a walk when we discovered this gentleman. Or is it gentlewoman? I didn't check.



He was relaxing on the sidewalk in the shade. I wondered what he would say if he could talk? Would you tell us how you came to find your family? Would you relay stories of how long it took to train your new human?



Would you reminisce about your younger years? Did you love to run thru the waves at the beach? Perhaps he would tell off-color jokes about the times he sought revenge by peeing in someones shoes. You would never do that, would you boy. Or, um, sir.



"Old dogs, like old shoes, are comfortable. They might be a bit ot of shape and a little worn around the edges, but they fit well." -Bonnie Wilcox

Roy's Restaurant, Los Angeles

If you continue to visit my blog (pretty please, with sugar on top) you will see more of Roy's I am sure. Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Restaurant is where is spent my years as a restaurant manager. I love this concept, their food, the people, the pride they have in what they do and the infectious aloha.

It also happens to be how I met B. We both worked at the training store in Rancho Mirage. Sorry Roy, I might've broken a few rules with that one....

Anyway, we went to Roy's in downtown Los Angeles as they were participating in Dine Out For The Cure.


This is the Dynamite Maine Lobster Melt. B makes dynamite with a mixture of kewpie mayo, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and something for heat like sriracha or chili powder... I think.


I can't explain the deliciousness. Toasted french baguette, tomato, Maine lobster, creamy dynamite, goat cheese, melty, warm.


They have sushi too! On the left we have Hamachi and on the right Tai.

Also known as Yellowtail and Japanese Red Snapper.


I think this picture is even more blurry than the rest of the blurry pictures because I was cringing. I'm not a fan of the texture but there are a lot of people out there that love this.

This was B's Uni which is Sea Urchin Roe. You know, those prickly sea creatures? Break 'em open and you get this delicacy.


~sigh~ This is the Lakanilau Roll. Its pronounce Luh-cah-nee-low (rhymes with how). I crave this roll. When I was going thru chemo I couldn't have it as I was banned from rare foods. Not being able to have this roll was one of the tragedies of chemo. Its named after the lovely Cat who created it.


You are probably thinking to yourself... Is that meat on top?
Oh it is my friends.

Inside the roll is tempura asparagus, creamy crab and avocado. The outside is topped with thinly sliced kobe beef. Then the fun part... they torch it. The seared beef is delicate and melts in your mouth. I can't remember the sauce right now. This makes me kind of sad.

I know its not your normal roll and the meat throws people but just try it. Do it for me. Do it for the children. After all, I believe the children are our future. And the future looks bleak without the Lakanilau roll.


We decided to do all pupus (appetizers) because we didn't want to have to choose. Here is the Salt and Pepper Calamari with a White Soy Dipping Sauce. Notice how totally non-greasy this is. Simple flavors done the perfect way. The calamari was delicate and perfectly cooked.

Now is a good time to tell you that all the restaurants have different menus. They do carry some of the same signature items so there will be some repetition. Otherwise the chefs in each location design their menus and change them often. This allows them to be creative and to use only the freshest local ingredients.


The Creamy Crab Korokke. Korokke is a Japanese dish that is related to the french croquette. Its basically some kind of meat or seafood (this one is crab) mixed with potato and/or cream, formed into a patty, rolled in panko (Japanese bread crumbs) and fried.

What you get is a crisp outside and creamy, yummy goodness inside. Its on top a tartare-like sauce and it also had corn in it. I attempted to take a picture of the inside but I think, OK I'm positive it wasn't representative of how it tasted.


This mess was a once beautifully prepared Pineapple Upside-down Cake Parfait. Um, I think thats what its called, I couldn't find it on the menu.

I'll call it... The Best Non-Chocolate Dessert of All Time.

What you see are layers of custard, butter cake, pineapple braised in rum and spices of which I can't remember and topped with toasted coconut. It is the type of decadence that coats your mouth when you eat it and makes you not want to drink or eat anything afterwards. Why? Because I want to taste it for as long as possible.


We finished with the most refreshing sorbets. The bowl included Mango, Mandarin and Strawberry Lemongrass sorbets with berries, pineapple and kiwi.

How cute is that cookie spoon?!

And then we looked around and realized we had spent hours upon hours chatting with everyone there. The kitchen was being cleaned and guests were gone. We got home close to 1 am. At this point I remembered I am no longer in the industry. I had briefly forgotten I had to work in the morning. That 5:30 am alarm was punishment enough for all those calories.

Unique Registries for Unique Couples

Let me first start by saying that registering for presents makes me slightly uncomfortable. I don't want anyone to feel I require a gift. That being said, I love it when people put together registries. I'm going to buy you something either way so please let me know what it is that you want. Why then do I feel weird about doing my own registry? ~shrug~ I dunno. But I'm getting over it.

When it comes down to it we have all the basics already. We don't need another toaster or a cuisinart food processor. To be honest we really do need to upgrade some of our kitchen wares but I really am not registering for the $200 knife B has been eyeing. I don't touch B's knives... you learn early on not to mess with a chef's tools. You know, the ones in the individual cases, all wrapped up nicely in the knife bag. What was I talking about?



Oh yes, registries. So we decided to do a honeymoon registry! Basically you plan and book a honeymoon and then you register for the activities. There is an online webpage that guests log in to if they would like to purchase a gift. The above picture is the Milford Sound, New Zealand at sunset.

At that point I thought we were in the clear. I love our registry! But then we started getting requests for a secondary registry. What do you mean a secondary registry? How many gifts do you plan on buying?

I tried to say we don't need anything else. But they would like us to register for things they can get their pretty little hands on. I get that its fun to walk into Macy's and buy things, I do. My very nice and giving guests would like to be able to bring something to the bridal shower or to the wedding. You know, instead of saying "hey we bought you a cocktail in Auckland".

You are probably wondering how it is possible that I can't find anything to register for? What is wrong with this woman? Oh I can shop with the best of them.

You see, if I were to pick out mixing bowls they would run along the lines of vintage pyrex bowls. I love them. I just spend way too much time on here. I love the ones with bursts of fresh, bright, springy color. And my serving pieces would be more along the lines of jadite. Hmmm, I don't have any pizza shears...



Oh Etsy.... why can't you have a wedding registry? It must be Frieday because I keep following my own links and getting caught up in endless browsing. Focus, focus.

So invisible friends... do tell. Where did you register and what did you register for?

I want a Mad Hatter's Tea Party...don't you?

I saw this tea party and was overwhelmed with eye-candy! My mind raced with ideas. I emailed my mom and my best friend and of course, I have to share it with you.

I love that it is both whimsical and sophisticated. It is bold and delicate and.....I'm in a full on fantasy right now. The tea reminds me of a daydream I would have when I was little. When I grow up I will have afternoon tea with the other ladies and it will look like this....

The lovely and talented photographer is Adrienne Gunde. She also happens to be my wedding photographer! Aren't I lucky?

Joanna is new to the event planning scene but if this tea party is any indication of what Joanna Events can do, than they'll be taking off in no time. This affair was planned for her mother's birthday and inspired by Alice In Wonderland (in case you didn't get the mad hatter reference). I love the vivid colors and mixture of textures. It has the sort of random, mismatched but coordinated feel I adore... if that makes sense at all.

The flowers are so charming! I am already looking around my apartment for fun containers to use. Winners of the tea party games were able to take home an arrangement of their choice. How do we get on your guest list Ms. Joanna? The interwebs would like to know.



Look at these handmade paper flowers that were planted just for me.. I mean for the guest of honor.

Don't even get me started on the food. The baby cakes, the tea sandwiches, the scones, all the deliciousness was made by Joanna's mom. You'll want to jump into the picture and try a bite of each and every one.

So go on over and check out this Mad Tea Party on Adrienne's blog and tell me what you think!

Oh and if you happen to have a fancy and rather large hat... please put it on now.

One more thing... does anyone have a little girl I can borrow for a quick tea party? I asked B if he would have one with me (a tea party not a little girl- you can all just settle down) but I don't think my feathered hats will fit him quite right. And if you go and have a tea party without me, please send pictures.

I'm done rambling now. So sorry. Sometimes I just get a little caught up. Did you look at the site yet?