Afternoon at Bellevue Botanical Garden

Inspired by a text, today I decided that even if my knee is busted, I would go do something outside. So looked up my list of todos, and picked up the Bellevue Botanical Garden.

So armed with my camera, I went about just playing with it and walking around. It was pretty nice actually - definitely was a good idea to go outdoors on this beautiful day. They had a show going on during the time (hence the dude in the angel outfit) of Alice in Wonderland. Didn't really sit to watch the show, but I thought it was pretty cool that they were putting on a show like this for the kids. On a side note, that angel outfit looks pretty cool.

It was a pretty nice place to take photos. Apparently looking online, some people actually take their weddings photos there. I can sorta see it, but not at the same time.

Anyhow, next time I think I will definitely bring the long lens and try out them close up shots of the 'bee with the flower'. Tried a few today but didn't turn out as I wanted it to. This is probably the best one out of the 'bee with flower' pics...

Definitely will go back again when weather's nice to continue playing with the camera.

First Kobe Beef Experience

Today would be the first time I try Kobe Beef (beef from a Wagyu). Supposedly they are awesome in taste, due to its high fat content (people call that marbling - I guess it sounds way better that super fatty beef.. heh heh).

So on the menu, there was the Australian Wagyu. The taste was pretty good, really soft, though the flavor wasn't as good as say the rib eye that the people next to me had.. haha. For me, this cut was called the 'Zagato' cut (Don't remember exactly the name, but it sounded really cool - it's basically a marketing term for a new york strip like cut or something).

PS - this was taken with my camera phone. The light is a bit dim, but still pretty good quality me thinks. Ahh... technology, what marvellous things it can do... .. .

Bejewelled Master = Me!

After talking to a good friend a few months back shortly I got my data phone, I found a free Bejewelled game (Jewel3) offered free. So having pretty much filled up most of the bars on the facebook one, what better way to kill time when waiting around to have a game handy? (the wonders of a data phone never ceases to amaze me).

So my first game I placed in the top 10, my second top 5 (though it couldn't post because I didn't have data turned on :(). So it was only a matter of time before I would play my 3rd game ever, and obtain gold.

Today marks that day! So after a month of on and off playing.... I have achieved it. Number 1 in the WORLD!.. wuhahaha.

Random youtube victory song...

Bejewelled master out.

My awesome blind bandaid fun...

This didn't occur to me till later on the night... Given the stitch was at the back of neck, how am I going to actually be able to see where I am putting my bandaid on???

So the first night, I went about painstakingly wasting 5 or 6 bandaids, finally getting one that I 'think' I placed on the right spot (though I swear there must be one where the pasty part of the bandaid was on the stitch).

So after such an ordeal, the next day I go find fellow Kirkland native to be my personal doctor (or as some people call him... nurse) - to apply my morning bandaid... haha.

But the night time was still an open issue. But with my ample life guarding + first aid training, I procured a few first aid items and went to bat. Instead of using a bandaid, I would switch to gauze, and the just tape it down with bandaids (because as it turns out, I keep forgetting to get gauze tape... .. .). With the bigger surface area, I am bound to miss sticking the bandaid's sticky part to my wound.

Result:

(this was the most recent one... I have heard (from fellow Kirkland native) that the early few looked horrible with all the bandaids criss-crossed...lol. Not bad for a blind patch job :).

PS. the size of the wound is fully covered by probably half a bandaid... but this safety net is clutch!

Another visit - another second session.

Another appointment (not part of the prescheduled two other appointments I will have next week)...

This time I would have an exoto knife to my neck...lol. Doc scrapes the back my neck, then comes back and goes ... errrr, yea, I need to take a piece of your skin.

So here I am, going alright, and then he starts working at it. Didn't really hurt all that much, so I thought, good stuff. Then when I finally take a look, I see a bunch of blood on the gauze, and apparently they go on to tell me he tells me he had to use a stitch!... errr..

Now that means I have to delay my hair cutting for 2 weeks. I wonder how I can shower.. hrm... .. .

The good thing though, this appointment took only 30 minutes. Sooo efficient. I likkke. But then again, now I have yet another appointment in 2 weeks to take off the stitches (or stitch in my case).

Spent $700+ on tires today...

Drove in today on the donut, and got the blown tire checked out. Supposedly I must have hit something to cause such a mark, but totally don't recall that.

Apparently tires have this little mark put by the government that if you get to it, it means your tires are no longer legal for the road. Guess who hit that! :P

$700+ ... in one morning - worse than a bad casino outing... .. .

My first set of tires.. RIP at 29.2K miles.

Sunday Morning Tire Switching

Woke up, did some quick reading online, and off I went to switch out the flat.

Result: Success!

Details:
The unscrewing of the lug-nuts were a bit tough. As I suspected, I couldn't do it by hand (and this was the most difficult part I think). So listening to the online video, I put my full weight on it by standing on it. With that, the lug-nuts were safely loosened. Internet is great isn't it? After that, the rest of pretty straightforward. Though it took my probably 30 minutes or so to switch it out, not bad for a first time and reading the instructions every step of the way - quite contrary to the Ikea building experiences.

Looking at the tire, turns out the inner side was all messed up (see pic below). Have no clue how I could have gotten something like this since I have not offroaded with this car before. But I guess this means the tire pressure light was right for once afterall.


Mission Complete!

The inevitable has come... (flat tire)

So for a long time now, I wondered... what would it be like if I have to switch out a tire. I've seen it done a few times, but never really done it.

A week ago, the tire light came on randomly one day when I turned on the car. Pulled over and looked, but really didn't see any deflation. So thought it was once again just the Mazda being it's summer self (it does it every summer... I'd almost call it a feature... my own summer warning light :) ).

In the wee hours though, as I was driving back from I90 getting off the ramp - I hear this rumbling sound, and the smell of burnt tire. Hrm.. suddenly I think the tire pressure monitor light was on to something.

When I really knew something was up was when I went over a manhole cover, and my car's just felt like the suspension got shot. Getting home, I look, and yup, one of the tires have gone completely flat.

Through all of this - I learned that going 85ish on I90 will aggravate whatever potential leaks you have... hahaha.

Task of the day tomorrow (or today) - put on a donut... .. .

Movie Day!

Working pretty hard the last couple days, so that I could attend Moviepoolooza - where I'd get to watch Captain America, and Transformers :).

So my work day today was: Wake up, then drive to the cinema. My lunch consisted of 1.5 bags of popcorn and coke...lol.

Captain America is pretty cool. I have to say, the whole 3D concept is pretty neat. There was a whole 'weak become strong become hero' theme to the movie too, so I thought it was actually pretty inspiring too (I guess sometimes I read too much out of a movie)... I was actually planning to do some work after I got back, but then I went out for dinner instead :). I will work harder tomolo!

After dinner, Travel Buddy + some new friends came over for some random drinking fun. Played some dice, some rock paper scissors, and flip the quarter in egg cartons for drinks, polishing off a couple bottle of wines in the process.

The flip the quarter game was a game I was never good at - and still pretty bad at. What was a bummer though was that it seems I have lost my rock paper scissor skills - will have to work at that... lol.

Pretty good night of some light drinking - come to think of it..last time we did this was almost a year ago.

Japan vs. USA - Women's FIFA Final

So after catching the France vs. USA game on Wednesday, I marked it on my todo to wake up and watch the Finals of the Women's World Cup. Thinking it was at 2pm, turns out it was 2pm eastern time (aka 11am our time)... duh.. I guess I should have realized that all the good sporting events market in eastern time... lol. Luckily though, I woke up a bit earlier than usual (12:30pm)... thinking I'd get ready to watch the game, so I was able to catch the 2nd half onwards.

The game was really good. One of the better matches I've seen. Japan's #10 was amazing - only word to describe her was wow. So fitting that she wears that jersey. She was easily the best player for both the teams. It is pretty awesome that this Sawa person even scores in extra time to tie the game back up.

The other cool thing I thought was how the Japanese defender played that last play - where she essentially took out Morgan (the US striker) right outside the penalty box. It was definitely a red card play, but it was the right play. What I liked most though was the defender wasn't going in for a kill, but just going for denying the breakaway. Pretty classy in some ways - if it wasn't for the defender, pretty sure Morgan would have closed out the game.

Goes without saying, Morgan was pretty awesome. The goal in the France game was just pure finesse, and the goal in the final she had was well deserved. The pass was nice, but I can't help to notice how she really created the opportunity for this one herself. In the run to the ball, she cuts the D's run by running on the other side, causing the other player to have to slow down. Doing that allowed her to get that few steps ahead - it was so subtle, but was the key to the play. Apparently she was the youngest person on the squad, but I'd bet alot of players probably won't do something like that.

Originally I was going to take a break since the tally is now a bruise near the rib area, and a busted ankle that hasn't fully healed - but because of this awesome game, it inspired me to play injured the double header today. So here I was, warming up, ankle was feeling pretty good, the aspirin was dulling the bruise, my shots were on target. It was gonna be a good day I thought. Then I make an attempt to pass, and then I hear in my knee two distinct snap snap... First time this has ever happened, but yea, it hurts! In some ways, it's both sad and funny because a) it was before the game even started b) no one was around me c) my knees didn't touch the ball d) all I did was kick the ball...

So the good part of it is that I knew I didn't break a bone (if I did, it would be pretty bad if all it took was to kick a soccer ball lightly, I must have osteoporosis or something). So with that, I played the first game... haha.

The other team didn't have enough players, so we loaned a few of ours... and then we lost... lol. I guess this is what happens when you loan the best players on your team to your opponents!

After the first game, the pain started kicking in, so I sat out for the 1st half of the 2nd game, and played maybe about 5 minutes total of the 2nd half. This game we did win though! 2 wins in 2 weeks (out of 4 games)... still an improvement :).

With that, this first season is over - onto the next one (which starts next week)...