Random Photo : Me & Si

"Me & Si"

This was taken in the early 70s.

Baby Shower Part 1

Four layers of bannana cake, two layers of chocolate ganache, a middle layer of bavarian cream. This cake tasted as wonderful as it looks.



Rebecca set up the shower. She also made chocolate dipped strawberrys, mini fruit tartlets, brownies topped with powdered sugar and the white chocolate lolipops. Helen Agoo made Mini Egg Rolls, Stuffed Mushrooms and chicken salad sandwiches. Pan pitched in, making red clam, masago and ika nigiri and Gyoza. I made pickled diakon maki, california rolls, fresh salmon and asparagus rolls, shitake, spinach and pickeled carrots maki and sesame maguro nigiri.


After the food, there was a few rounds of games. Baby names, Name that baby food, guess the belly size, etc.. Prizes were given out to the winners.


Next up was the opening of the gifts.

(to be continued...)

Doggie Picture : Super Size

"Super Size"

These are Uncle Chris and Helen Agoo's doggies. Kobe, Bernie & Macy...100+ lbs a piece. Thats a lot of dog poo.

Pan at 31 weeks

Helen Agoo and Rebecca threw us a wonderful baby shower this weekend in Los Angeles. Words can not describe how appreciative we are.

Song of the Day: "Beauty", Tegan & Sara.

Monday Morning Meeting Doodle: 01-30-06

"Spliting Head"

*All work shown is copyrighted. Duplication of this illustration is not authorized without the written permission from Robert Wong or its owners.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Gong Xi Fa Cai Suckas! Happy Year of the Dog!

Happy Birthday to Nugget(formerly known as RayRay) on Jan 28th. We had Duvel and I showed him how to shotgun a can of beer...good times.

Food Fact : Yogurt

Yogurt can prevent and treat diarrhea. For yogurt to help treat diarrhea, it must have "active cultures," or "lactobacillus," a good bacteria that the digestive system uses to absorb food (poor absorption is what causes diarrhea).

Random Photo : Obey Starbucks

I Smell Wet Dog

This weekend, Helen Agoo is throwing us a baby shower. One of the rituals that I get to do in preparation for out of town trips is wash the dogs. Shampoo, rinse, conditioner, rinse, carry outside, towel dry, and repeat. As a added bonus, tonight I got to scrub the bath tub and mop the floor...Good Times[tear].

Open Bottle of Wine

Because an open bottle of wine will become dull and flat-tasting within twenty-four hours, the best way to store unconsumed wine is to decant it into a smaller bottle (to reduce the amount of oxygen it comes in contact with) and store it in the refrigerator. This leftover is best drunk within a week (make sure to bring red back to room temperature), although it may be used for cooking for several weeks or, in the case of white wine, up to a month.

Good Karma Day

I was left alone this Sunday. Just me and the dogs. Pan had a work related activity up in Irvine for most of the day. What to do? What to do?

I watched dvds and napped on the couch with the doggies. Walked the dogs. Finished some freelance. Ordered a pizza. Ate the whole pizza. Watched the playoffs. Is this as good as it gets?

I go to the fridge to grab a bottle of water, I then notice a brown bag hidden in the corner. As open the bag, I realize that it was a bottle of Pure Hoppiness from Alpine Brewery! I had bought the bottle a few weeks ago to give as a gift to a co-worker...I guess I forgot. As if this day could not get any better. It was like finding a twenty in your pocket that you forgot you had.

I opened the bottle and poured myself a glass. I took a second to smell the hops and then closed my eyes and took a long sip. I felt bad at first, since it was supposed to be a present...I was over it after the first sip.

Mental note to self: Self buy more bottles and hide them around the house.

Pan at 30 weeks

They say that there is a half pound weight gain per week in the last month of pregnancy. Does that also apply to sympathy weight?...my pants feel tight.

Song of the Day: "Feel Good Inc", The Gorillaz.

Copper at boltcity.com

© copyright 2006 Kazu Kibuishi

The new Copper comic is up. Check it out at boltcity.com.
Copper is one of my favorite online comics.

Food Fact : She-crab

A she-crab is , of course, a female crab. Her entree into the lexicon is via a Georgia specialty, she-crab soup, a cream-based potage that uses both the crab's meat and eggs.

The best she-crab soup I ever had, was at the Pink House in Savannah.

Whiskey Slang : Angel's Share

Angel's Share refers to a portion of the whiskey that evaporates during the aging process.

Thanks to Wah for the info.

Waimea Brewing Co : Luau Lager

On my weekly trip to Trader Joe's, I was attacted to the labels of the Waimea Brewing Company's beers. I had no expectations. What are flavor characterics of Hawii? Pineapple and SPAM?


The Luau Lager (5.3% alc) had a mild hoppy nose, light crisp and sweet start that turned into a mildly bitter finish that disappears. This was a very drinkable yet did not have much personality. Has more depth than the big three domestic, but nothing outstanding.

Maybe if I was sampling this on the beaches of Kauai...but then...I could be drinking Pasbts on the beaches of Kauai and I would give it a good review.

Doggie Picture : Hello There

"Hello There"

Weekend Dog Blogging #17: Check out all the great doggie pictures over at Sweetnicks.

*All work shown is copyrighted. Duplication of this photo is not authorized without the written permission from Robwonton™ or its owners.

Pan at 29 weeks

Baby has been more and more active. Pan has been more active...when it comes to dessert. Sage has been a frequent stop. Pan has been reluctant to share [sob].

Song of the Day: "Boys Don't Cry", The Cure.

Croutons, La Jolla...Tini Wini Panini

On our way back from picking up our Crib, I was in the mood for something on the light side. Pan suggested Croutons in La Jolla. Pan and her co-workers go to the Carlsbad location once in a while for lunch.


We decided to split a Combo ($6.95), Choice of Half of a Panini or Pita, Soup or Salad. Pan order half a Californian Panini. Oven roasted turkey breast, avocado, smoked bacon, tomato, swiss cheese and mayonnnaise. On paper, this sounds like a wonderful combination, what we got was disappointing. It may as well been a avocado and mayo sandwich. The "thin" sliced turkey and bacon flavors lost.


For the other half of the combo we ordered Sante Fe Salad. The toasted walnuts and smoked gouda cheese matched well with the fiesta ranch dressing. Then you had cornbread croutons, sliced granny smith apples and sweet corn mixed with romaine and mesclun. A little sweet, a little savory and overall refreshing.

I would like to try their soups next time and another of their salads. The Pear and Blue Cheese Salad maybe?

Croutons
8707 Villa La Jolla Drive
La Jolla, CA 92037
Tel: (858) 909-0960
www.croutonstogo.com

Pan Says: Safe lunch place. Sandwich no taste. Salad more dressing. I likey cornbread croutons lots.

Baby Says: UUUUNNNnsatisfied!!! Me want Pastrami Dip!!!

Slang : Seagull Manager

Seagull Manager - A manager who flies in, makes a lot of noise, shits over everything and then leaves.

Andre's Cuban & Puerto Rican Restaurant

Pan and I have been looking for a place in the San Diego area to fill our craving for Cuban cuisine. I have read about Andre's in a few local blogs, so we decided to give them a try.


We started off with the Yuca Frita ($3.95) and the Alcapurias ($4.95). The Yuca was Flakey and crunchy, very mild in flavor. The Yuca was not starchy or dense like potatoes. Reminded me of double cooked fries, tradional French style. The Alcapurias is a fritter with plantain and pork. This was also mild in flavor, but more on the bland side. I think it needed soemthing to balance it out, like a cool yogurt to dip in.


Pan and I split the Ropa Vieja ($13.95). The dinner came with a house salad and black beans and rice. Again, the flavors were mild. Not one thing overpowered another. Nice stewing of shredded beef, tomatoes, onions and peppers. The black beans were very good. They were not overcooked the texture and spice were perfect.


For dessert we ordered the Flan ($3.95). Little on the sweet side. What made this Flan stand out was the cream cheese base. I would come back just for this dessert.

Overall, Andre's is a nice little place. I think the prices are high for the type of food, but then again, that can be said for most places in San Diego. I could not stop dreaming of Cha, Cha, Cha (SF) as I was eating.

Andre's
1235 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
(619)275-4114
www.andresres.com

Pan Says: Stew dish...like Hayashi Rice. The more I ate, the more the flavors opened up. Flan...GOOD.

Baby Says: Me want baby food flavored Flan!

Another Reason To Drink Red Wine

Applied topically, reservatrol, an antioxidant found in grapes and red wine, decreases the effects of UVB exposure and helps protect skin cells from cancer. Reservatrol may also work through moderate consumption of grapes and red wine.

-Suzanne Murray

Doggie Picture : Dance Buddy Dance

"Dance Buddy Dance"

Weekend Dog Blogging #16: Check out all the great doggie pictures over at Sweetnicks.

*All work shown is copyrighted. Duplication of this photo is not authorized without the written permission from Robwonton™ or its owners.

Pan at 28weeks

Pan is craving absolutely nothing lately, which makes eating even more difficult. The only given is dessert...and she doesn't share [sniff].

Song of the Day: "Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood", Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah.

Chick-fil-a : EAT MOR CHIKIN

Saturday morning, we found ourselves at Chick-fil-a in Chula Vista. This location is never busy. I can't figure out why. The food and service is as good as any location I have been to. The Carl's Jr, next door has more traffic.


Pan ordered the Chicken Biscuit and Hashbrowns. The buttermilk biscuit was fluffy and as good as any you get in the south. The chicken breast had a crispy and flavorful breading and the meat was moist. Pan likes it with a little honey. The Hashbrowns were OK, rather have their Waffle Fries.


I ordered the Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich. Tomato, lettuce, pickle and grilled brined chicken breast served on a toasted wheat bun. Mmmm. I put a packet of the Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce. You almost forget this is fastfood.

The chicken is always flavorful and never dry. The service is always friendly, again something you don't normally associate with fastfood. This was so good that Pan and I had round two.

Chick-fil-a
2089 Olympic Parkway
Chula Vista, CA 91915
(619) 482-6719
*Closed Sundays

Billable Time

I heard that the average worker wastes 4 hours of a 8 hour workday. One hour at the begining of work, two hours around lunch and one hour at the end of the day.

It feels good being a Overachiever!

*Note to current & potential employers : This is a joke...seriously...no really.

Road Trip : Los Angeles

This past weekend Pan, the doggies and I decided to take a road trip to Los Angeles to visit family for New Years and do a little shopping.


After some research on-line, Pan printed a list of stores, confirmed that they would be open and we were off on our way. Our first stop in LA was The Hat for some pastrami. Then off to the baby store to go stroller shopping.


Later that evening, we had Chinese hot pot. Fay Dee Dee and family came over from Palm Springs. Family, Food, Beer and a Kung-Fu movie [Seven Swords], what a wonderful way to ring in the New Year.

The following day, RayRay and Anna took us to Asahi for some fresh made Ramen. It just happen to be on the same street as the Giant Robot store...both of them! In my excitement, I forgot to take pictures at Asahi.



After filling up on ramen, we headed to Santa Monica for more shopping. First stop was the William Sonomoa Classic Store to pick up a knife sharpener for RayRay. Next stop was the Adidas Store for shoes. Then to Kid Robot...Uh Hmm...for some window shopping.


We scored the Little Wander, by Yoshitomo Nara and Gorillaz-Noodle, by Kid Robot.

We did not get a chance to go to Nucleus in Alhambra, but two out of three ain't bad. Also missing was Inks. He was MIA all weekend.

Thanks to Helen Agoo for letting us crash, Thanks to Uncle Chris for the stash of DVDs, Thanks to Anna for ramen at Asahi, Thanks to RayRay for the beer and poster for the baby, Thanks to Gzus and Crystal for the presents and Thanks to The Hat for the best damn pastrami dip...EVER!

Zooper : Zydeco

We took baby's new Zooper Zydeco stroller out for its forst test drive tonight. This is technically the first offical baby item we have purchased. Some of you might wonder why we would buy a stroller three months before the expected birth. The reasons are as follows, 1) we wanted to have time to train the dogs and us to walk together with the stroller and 2) the 2006 models come out soon, so you can get great deals on the 2005 models.

The Zooper Zydeco handled better than I expected. The ride was smooth and the Zydeco turned corners well. It was easy to steer one-handed, which is a good thing because I had the doggie's leashes in the other.

There are two issues I had with the Zooper Zydeco. 1) the hand brake didn't work very well and 2) the front tire wobbled a lot when I unintentionally placed my weight down on the handle bar.

I have offically taken the first step into fatherhood and parenting. God help me. Pan bought a after market cup holder. Whats next, spinning rims and fog lights. Damn asians and their car accessories.

Slang : Underdogging

Underdogging - The tendency to almost invariably side with the underdog in a given situation. - Douglas Coupland, Generation X

Like Texas Longhorns vs USC Trojans.

Condolences to Si and Wah. Both USC and Georgia came up short in their bowl games.

The Hat...World Famous Pastrami

Whenever we go to Los Angeles, one place we always try to visit is The Hat. These little pastrami joints are mainly frequented by locals. My brother Si took us years back for our first Pastrami Dips and we have been hooked ever since.


We started off with the Chili Cheese Fries ($4.19). Perfectly cooked fries. Crispy and crunchy, topped with a meaty and flavorful chili. Mix in shredded cheese and...Mmm Umm! What a perfect starter.


I ordered the famous Pastrami Dip ($6.49). A pile of hot pastrami served on a hogie bun with some mustard and pickles and a side of Au Jus. I sometimes order this sandwich "Double Dipped", where they dip the hoggie in Au Jus before assembly. The pastrami was juicey and you could taste the sweetness from the bits of fat. I was so drawn in by the wonderful flavors, I forgot to breath inbetween bites. I finished every last morsel. My heart started hurt on the last bite. Was it because I had no more pastrami or because of the pastrami?


Pan ordered the Pastrami Burger ($6.49). A grilled hamburger patty topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, special sauce and a heaping pile of piping hot pastrami. What a wonderful combination. Fortunately for me, Pan had filled up on the chili cheese fries and could only finish half of her burger. being the good husband, I happily played the role of "cleaner".

I am sure my cholesterol level spiked a few times, but it was worth it. Now with 10 locations in the Los Angeles area, The Hat is a local joint that I highly recommend.

Pan Says:I like the hamburger, but with pastrami extra. Fried potato topped with meaty chili and cheese very very good. Me likey lots.

Baby Says: Why I not cleaner?

Monday Morning Meeting Doodle: 01-03-06

"I See"

*All work shown is copyrighted. Duplication of this illustration is not authorized without the written permission from Robert Wong or its owners.

Fantasy Football

This past weekend marked the end to the fantasy football season. First, I would like to congratulate my cousin RayRay for winning the Asian NFL league. He went in the 6th seed and took everyone out. I would also like to thank Daunte Culpecker for single handedly ruining my season all by himself. Negetive points and a season ending knee injury, what more can you ask for from your number one pick. Hey Dante, how bout a invite on your next cruise?



I took the crown in the True Fan league. I went head to head against my brother Si in the finals. I came out on top 85-83. I think that is the closest finals we have ever had.

I guess now we can all concentrate on Fantasy Basketball with Fantasy Baseball right around the corner. Anyone interested in playing, email me or post a comment and I will get back to you. we are always looking for new players.

Pan at 27 weeks

We just back from visiting Los Angeles. During the car ride back, Pan spoke in uncomplete sentences and expected me to understand. We also put together our baby's new Zooper Zydeco stroller. Pan says it is the Cadillac Escalade of strollers...whatever the hell that means.

Song of the Day: "Life On Mars?", David Bowie.

Illustration : Little Birdy

This is a illustration done by my cousin Gzus. He is in the process of putting together a line of greeting cards and t-shirts.

*All work shown is copyrighted. Duplication of this photo or illustration is not authorized without the written permission from Robert Wong or its owners.