How Unlucky Can One Get?

Yesterday was the unluckiest day in my life!

I had a PTO yesterday (Friday, 3/28/25).  The sun came out and it looked like a pretty good day to relax.

Nope!  I logged into work to do some month-end stuff and ended up working the entire morning.  I was cool about it because work is work, and I still had half a day to myself.

Well, things went downhill in the afternoon.

I went grocery shopping and planned to be home early to make a nice dinner. I dropped my phone while scanning a discount code.  It dropped and landed on the bottom of the refrigerator that was full of lunch meat.  No problem, I will just pick it up.  But guess what?  My phone disappeared!!  Somehow, it just vanished right before my eyes!

I couldn't believe it. I removed all the lunch meat from where I dropped the phone to look for it.  IT WASN'T THERE!  Where can it be?  Could it fall through the grills and end up at the bottom of the refrigerator? I asked the Store Manager to help. She said there is no way to take apart the unit but she tried to pry it open to see inside.  Nope, the phone wasn't in there.  She then called my phone. It didn't ring! Oh My God!  That was the craziest thing ever.  How could the phone just disappear right in front of my eyes?

I ran home to use the "Find My Phone" to see if I could locate it.  The phone was offline.  So that meant someone had it and turned it off. How?  When?  Could it have been picked up while I was looking for the Store Manager?

I, of course, set the phone to LOST immediately and went to get a new phone (and the thought of $$$ flying away hurt).

Then guess what?  On my way to the Apple store, a car scraped my back fender while I waited at the light.   I got off the car and was pissed,  WHY NOW?

The guy first tried to deny scraping my car, then said he would pull over to exchange info.  We were in heavy traffic at the lights, and I didn't want to inconvenience others.  So I followed him.  When the light turned green, guess what?  He took off!!

I was so mad that I actually laughed out loud.  What a day!  What next?  Yes, I would have taken a photo of his car and license plate before moving my car. But, I DIDN'T HAVE A PHONE!!

Anyway, as sucky as it was, I went to the Apple store with a smile on my face.  The Apple guy was helpful and got me a new phone quickly.  However, he could not activate my phone because I have AT&T!!  He said, sorry, AT&T needs to active my phone number on the new phone,  He said there was an AT&T store two blocks down.  Two LONG blocks, I may add.  When I got there, guess what?  The AT&T store is closed permanently!  They moved!

Ugh!  What next? I took a deep breath and drove to another AT&T store. I told the AT&T guy that I had a very bad day and I needed him to make my day better.  He was empathetic and activated my phone without trying to sell me add-ons. Thank you!!

I finally got home around 6pm.  I looked at my new phone ane still could not grasp the day's events.

It was such a bad day for me, but you know what?  I look at the bright side:

1.    My iPhone is still offline. It will be a paperweight if anyone turns it on. The phone is useless to anyone other than me.

2.    The scrape on my fender was not that bad.  I probably would not file a claim anyway.  The guy who ran away will get his karma someday.  I wish him luck.

3.    I was able to restore my data on the new phone and had my life back on track.

4.    I had a bottle of wine in the fridge, and I toasted myself for making it through this day.

Yes, I had a miserable day yesterday, but bad luck will not bring me down.  I am still kicking today.

A Beaten City

I was in the office today and decided to take a stroll down to the Ferry Building during lunch.  This was my normal lunch hour routine.  It seemed so long ago...

When the City ordered everything shut down back in March 2020 to combat COVID-19, no one would have thought that the virus could take down the city and transform it so dramatically.

I walked down California Street and saw all those familiar places no longer opened.  Locked up restaurants.  Boarded-up storefronts. Quiet streets.  No more flower stands.  No more shoeshine guys.  No more street performers.  Even no homeless people.

It was quiet in the Ferry Building. Most businesses are shuttered.  The few remaining eateries were doing some business but it was because there were no other choices.

It is a beautiful day in San Francisco, but it is just not the same.  There is no energy.  Everything seems so tired.  Even the cable car bell-ringing does not even sound perky.

I just hope this is not the new San Francisco.

2020: I Came. I Fed. I Conquered.

 
I am a volunteer feral cat feeder. My assignment is feeding a feral colony in a cemetery once a month. This is my second year volunteering. Visiting a place of eternal rest takes a different meaning for me this year because I myself, faced the possibility of death.

In January, when I came here the day after being discharged from a one-week hospital stay and being tagged stage 4, I was not sure if that was my last...

In February, I came here during my most miserable time with ascites causing swelling in my abdomen and legs. It was two days after getting my port and two days before my first chemo. I had difficulty breathing yet I pushed on because I did not know if that was my last...

When I came in March, I knew it was not my last...

From April through July, I came here and saw season change. I was hopeful that I will be here for all seasons.

In August, I came four days after my surgery, and I was happy to share good news with the kitties.

In September, I came here knowing that I have kicked cancer butts and I got a new lease on life.

Life has been back to normal since October.

Today, I just want to say: I came. I fed. I conquered.

The Day When the Sky Turns Orange

September 9, 2020 is an unforgettable day in the history book of year 2020.

People in the SF Bay Area woke up to a dark morning.  No sun. No light,  No usual bird chirping.

I thought I woke up too early. It could not be so dark at 6:30am in the morning!! I went back to sleep.  Woke up at 7:45am and the sky was still dark.

I went outside to check things out.  Our street was eerily silent.  Everything stayed still.  My street cats were waiting for me outside.  Their biological clock told them it was breakfast time but I was sure they thought it was supper time.  They ran away after finishing their meal.  I think they went back to sleep.

The smoke and ash from all the wildfires in Northern California drifted above the clouds instead of hanging below.   It is so immense that it is actually blocking out sunlight and turning the sky a shade of ominous orange.

My photo was taking at 10:49am this morning but it could have been mistaken for 10:49pm.   It is about 12:30pm now and it is still unbelievably dark outside.

I cannot image what is like to be close to the fires,  My heart is with all those who are stuck in the fire zones.  I hope you are safe.

Folks are posting incredible shots of this strange orange day.  As scary as it is, it is an incredible once in a life time phenomena that we are experiencing today.

As we go about our daily routine in darkness, we should also think how we can help to protect our environment.  Wildfire may be a natural occurrence but the cause often is manmade.  Today is a preview of what the end of the world would look like.  If we do not do our part and effect change, this day can become permanent.   What will happen if we wake up to a dark morning everyday?  No sun.  No heat.  No life.

It is Fall! Summer is Here!

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."

Every time I see or hear this phrase, I see gray sky, chilly wind, cold damp air, buildings and hilltops and bridges hiding in thick fog.

Who made that famous quote anyway?  Nope.  Not Mark Twain.  As a matter of fact, this quote wasn’t even directed at San Francisco originally.

According to Quote Investigator, James Quin, an actor in London, made this remark when he was asked whether he ever had a bad winter in the 1700s.  Mark Twain used the Quin quote in an 1880 letter while complaining about the weather in Paris.*

 

The modern phrasing of this saying was initially directed at Duluth, MN in the early 1900s.  Over a span of 100+ years, many cities were attached to this quote. This includes Milwaukee, Two Harbors, Grand Marais, Puget Sound, Buffalo, Minneapolis and, of course, SAN FRANCISCO!*

So what does this all mean?  It means that we get to enjoy two summers in a year.  One cold.  One hot.  And that is beautiful.

Happy Fall Equinox!

* Source from: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2011/11/30/coldest-winter/

Time is Changing

Couple of friends and I were just talking about the rapid change we see on San Pablo Avenue last night and here it is in today’s paper.

Change is inevitable but how I will miss the way it used to be.  Robert and I love cruising from San Pablo down to Berkeley on San Pablo Ave.  We love checking out  mom and pop storefronts and buildings with unique architecture.  Each street block is interesting to look at.  Soon they will be gone and the road will be lined with tall mix-used structures that have the same look and feel one after another for miles and miles.

Time is changing.  Can’t complain though.  We are all the force of change one time or another.  Each generation of us is leaving a mark for better or for worse.

Good Bye 2018

My take on 2018: Life is like homemade yogurt:

1. Keep things simple (just need milk and active culture). 

2. Slow down and appreciate (it takes 10 hours to incubate).

3. Have fun (add whatever toppings you like).

4. Enjoy the moment (yummy and healthy).

5. Do not give up (if you fail making it, try again).

6. Be kind and generous (don’t eat all by yourself).

Thank you 2018!

Street Cat TNR - A Year Later

Below is a repost of what I put on the Nextdoor community last week (08/12/18).  My post brought out folks who have been doing TNR in the community to talk about their experiences.  So touched to learn that there are many folks who care about animals and the environment.  My post also generated discussions around TNR, and my successful attempt encouraged some to look into doing the same in their neighborhoods.  I am happy to know that I have made a difference.

BE PART OF SOLUTION NOT PROBLEM!

Dear Neighbors, I started trapping feral cats on my street last September (first trapping 9/10/17) and to date, with help from a cat rescuer, we have trapped 27 cats on my half of the street alone. We trapped the last kitties, #26 & #27, this morning. For the time being, all the cats around here are sterilized and vaccinated. My neighbors and I noticed a significant difference. We have FEWER cats (the number went down from 24 to 12 or so). The ones around keep to themselves. Less meowing, fighting, spraying and roaming. Both humans and cats are happier now. I encourage you, who want to do something about the feral cats in your neighborhood, to look into TNR. There are many wonderful organizations that will help you. I have learned so much about cats and rescues from them, and gained much respect for all animal rescuers out there. You must have a big heart and passion to do what you do day in and day out. ❤️ ONE unsterilized female cat and her offsprings can produce 225 cats in two years*. I’m happy that this cycle is broken on my street. I will continue to monitor and trap new cats that try to move in, but they will most likely be chased alway by the resident cats. A big THANK YOU to my neighbors who have been supportive of my effort in this past 11 months. It is truly a community effort. * Some more statistics on feral cat reproduction rate: http://www.solanoferals.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=65

An Accidental Cat Whisperer

I don't consider myself as a cat person.  I have never owned a cat and don't know much about cats.  Yet, I have become a guardian for the community cats in my neighborhood.

I took action because the growing street cat colony in my neighborhood is concerning. Although the cats help control the rodent population, they should not become a nuisance to the neighborhood. Overpopulation of cats creates an unsanitary and unhealthy environment as well.

Neighbors complained but no one took action. So, I started looking into how I can be part of the solution. Through research, I found that the most effective way to combat feral cat overpopulation is by performing TNR (trap-neuter-return). But how do I go about it? How do I trap a cat? Where do I bring them for neutering? What do I do with the cats afterward?

Working with Homeless Cats Network, a non-profit cat rescuing organization, I learned to trap and care for the cats. A wonderful cat rescuer showed up on Day 1 with 5 traps. We trapped 8 the first weekend. The next week 7, then 5 then 3, etc... in all in the past 6 months, we have trapped and neutered 23 cats.

In addition to being neutered, these lucky cats also received shots, checkup and were micro-chipped. The cat lady brought them back to the neighborhood and. They officially became managed cats.

It is such an rewarding experience. I am still feeding and trapping the cats because I have to make sure the cycle is broken. It will be a ongoing thing.

For now, these feral cats and the neighbors are coexisting peacefully. I don't think I can ask for anything more.

Northern Lights, Fairbanks, Alaska

Northern lights (aurora borealis) is a natural light display in the Earth's sky, predominantly seen in the high latitude regions (around the Arctic).

According to Wikipedia, "auroras are produced when the magnetosphere is sufficiently disturbed by the solar wind that the trajectories of charged particles in both solar wind and magnetospheric plasma, mainly in the form of electrons and protons, precipitate them into the upper atmosphere (thermosphere/exosphere) due to Earth's magnetic field, where their energy is lost."

In plain English: the light that's visible to our eyes is a result of electrically charged particles colliding in the atmosphere.

For this reason, there is no guarantee that you will get to see auroras. And even if you see it, there is no guarantee that it will always be as dramatic and brilliant as seen on postcards.

On the night that we went on the tour (12/28/17), it was forecasted to be a level 2, which meant low activity. Nevertheless, the sight of beautiful emerald lights appearing in the night sky, was breathtaking no matter how faint.

I'm so happy that I was able to capture it with my camera.

How about those colors?  Green is the most common color of auroras. When particles collide with oxygen, yellow and green are produced. Interactions with nitrogen produce red, violet, and occasionally blue colors.

Was it worth staying out in minus 17 degrees Farenheit to view the auroras?  You bet!  And I would definitely do it again.

Thank you Mother Nature!

TNR 101

There are about 24 feral cats living on my street.  They might have arrived about a year ago.  I wasn't paying attention.  First there was one, then two, then four, then eight...  A neighbor was feeding them at first.  Little by little, the colony grew, and few other neighbors (including me) started feeding them as well.

My cat story started with providing water to a little black and white kitty on one hot day last year.  Later on, I bought a little bag of cat food for her.  She liked it and started showing up everyday. Words must have gone out in the colony because more and more cats started showing up for food.  I have about 10 regulars.  I went from buying little ounce-size bags of cat food to 25-pound bags now.  Yes, I have become a CAT LADY.

I started paying more attention to the cats when the little black and white kitty got pregnant earlier this year.  She was a kitty herself.  In no time, new kitties were running around on our street.  Over the summer, there was a cat population explosion.  So many cats!  So many kitties!!

Some neighbors start complaining yet no one did anything about it.  Well, guess what, someone has to take action, and that person is me.

I looked into TNR.  Trap-Neuter-Return.  A humane way to control feral animal population without hurting them.  But where do I start?   How do I start?

After some research, I connected with Homeless Cat Network based in Belmont, CA.  What a wonderful non-profit organization that dedicates to feral cats.  They hooked me up with a volunteer who does cat trapping during her spare time and they paid for the expense of neutering these cats.  WOW!  To reciprocate their kindness, I made a cash donation to cover some of the surgery cost.  However, I can never donate enough to support their good deeds!!

Talking about learning on the job.  In no time, I learned to set up traps and tend to the cats after trapping.  Yap!  I'm a part-time cat trapper now.  From the first weekend in September through last weekend (4 weekends), we trapped total of 18 cats!!  We do trapping on Sundays.  The volunteer takes the cats to the vet on Monday morning to be examined, neutered/spayed, vaccinated and microchipped.  She then return them to my street on Monday nights.  She did all the hard work!!  My job was mainly PR with the neighbors informing them what we are doing and educating them on the concept of TNR.

All the TNRed cats are marked with a tipped left ear.  This is so if they were picked up Animal Control, they will be released because they belong to a managed cat colony.  The microchip will ensure that they are returned to the neighborhood if they ended up in shelters.  In other words, these cats are safe from being captured and destroyed.

It has been a satisfying experience.  Most all the cats now that show up have little tipped left ears and that just makes me smile.

There are still few more cats to trap but I hope we are already making a difference. I'm so proud of myself for being part of the solution and not problem.

Good job, Suts (pat myself on the back)!!

Kindness All Around

It's fun eating at a communal table especially in Chinatown.   The seating is usually cramped, and everyone just takes any seat available.  Often, people start chatting with complete strangers and in no time, they are talking like old pals.

Today at the Little Paris pho place, I shared a table with two ladies. Since I was sitting near the wall, I passed them the chopsticks, condiment dishes and spoons.  One lady was getting everyone the condiments.  We exchanged pleasantries while helping each other. For few minutes, we were like a family eating together although we were strangers to each other. 

This reminds me of a little story.  One time, Mom and I shared a table with an elderly couple. I poured them tea because it seemed to be the right thing to do in the presence of older folks. They were thrilled that I was polite and respectful to the elders so they insisted on buying us lunch.  

It's nice to know that there are times and places where people are nice to each other for no other reason than just being nice.

Paper, Plastic, Insulated or Nostalgic?

(Yawn!!)  I got bored using paper/plastic shopping bags to carry my lunch day in and day out.  Yes, a great way to recycle shopping bags but they are either too big or too small. Moreover, I feel like a walking advertisement for these brands.

You don't like that?  Buy your own lunch bags.

Many years ago, I had one of the earlier insulated lunch bags when they first came on the market.  It was by Eddie Bauer.  It was pretty cool back then but ubiquitous now.  The bag was only big enough for a sandwich; bulky, and bulkier with a ice pack.  I used it couple of times and lost interest.  For one, I needed a shopping bag for this bag (with chilled sandwich inside), other snacks and beverage.  It defeated the purpose of having a lunch bag, no?  OK, a BIGGER insulated bag will work, but meh...

So I started a quest.

I know I want a nostalgic tin lunchbox, just like the ones I had when I was little.  Back then, almost every kid had one in their hands as we waited for the school bus.  We couldn't wait to open it and to check out what others had in their lunchbox.  In those days, lunchbox food was pretty boring.  Most of the time it was a sandwich, a banana or an apple.  Some had beverage in a matching cheap tumbler, but the drink would be lukewarm by lunchtime.  No pasta or other fancy food because we did not have insulated double-wall containers to keep food hot or cold.  And, no colorful compartmentalized food containers too.

I searched and looked and, lo and behold, I found what I was looking for.  

Ta-Da!  Isn't it cute??  It is the perfect size too.  I can fit my bento box, coffee tumbler and a small fruit.  OK.  It doesn't keep my food warm but that is what microwave oven is for.

I have been bringing my lunchbox to work almost everyday.  I feel like a kid as I walk to and from work swinging my lunchbox.  I was self-conscious at first, but, very quickly, I decided that what the heck, this is me.  This is the inner me.  I'm a kid at heart and I don't care!

A Simple Pleasure.

Few folks on the street have complimented my Joe Cool lunchbox.  One guy said that I may be setting a trend and that he would not be surprised to see more folks carrying one in a year time.

Can you imagine bunch of us grownups dashing through the streets, running to catch a bus, waving lunchbox screaming, "wait for me!!!"  HAHA!!  I would love that very much.


The action of putting the lunchbox down on the table, flipping up the latch and lifting the top to reveal what was inside was every kid's delight of the day.  I am sure today's kids feel the same as they peer into their state-of-the-art lunch bags.

Past and present; young and old; I think all of us will always be excited about our lunchboxes.

Somethings never change...

What's Up in the Sky?

The SF Bay Area was treated to some spectacular sunset every night for several weeks from September to October this year.

Sun sets every night.  We just take it as part of life - like sunrise and moon phases - and don't think much of it.  However, not every sunset stops people dead on their tracks like the ones we had recently.  Thanks to beautiful cloud formations to reflect the sun rays, the sky offered us gorgeous display of light and colors.  People just stopped what they were doing and stared at the sky.  I did the same.  What a treat!

It was visually powerful and took my breath away.  No words.  Just appreciate.

This is a wonderful world.

On the Road Again

  

(The view from my office window)

After eight and a half years with my current employer, I've decided to move on.  My last day with Paul Capital will be tomorrow, April 30, 2015.

It has been a fun ride with PCA.  I started at the time of its boom.  I had a chance to learn about hiring in this mega $$$$$ earning field.  The compensation package design was an eye-opening experience for me.  But hey, I got used to it.  After all, we are in the investment services business where transactions are valued in hundreds of millions and/or billions of dollars.  I got a chance to dive into international HR.  That was such a valuable experience and the best knowledge I picked up from this gig.  I trained myself not to impose US labor standards onto other country's labor practices.  Some country's labor laws are actually more stringent than the US.  I had a kick learning to appreciate Brazil's pro-labor compensation to employees (yes, love those vacation allowances) and HK's 20 some-odd public holidays per year.  UK is stingy but sure loves their regulated paid leaves.  And if you work in France, considered yourself one of the luckiest workers in the world!

After eight and a half years, I got restless and felt plateaued out.  Although I'm over the hill (age wise), I still feel like an Energizer Bunny.  There is still so much to learn and absorb.  I wanted a change.  JOB GOD must have heard me and dropped an opportunity on my lap -- literally.  A recruiter, whom I met last year, called me out of the blue regarding a Director level HR opportunity.  I met with seven folks and they offered me the position within two weeks.  It happened quite suddenly.  I had to make a decision very quickly whether I was really ready to leave this comfy zone and venture into the land of unknowns in the name of promotion.  Decisions.  Decisions.  Decisions.  At the end, I decided that going out there is the right direction for me.

What's ahead of me?  Who knows!  That's the challenging part that keeps me going.  What's at the next turn?  What's up ahead?  We will find out when I'm on the road again.

Wish my luck peeps!

Reminiscing...

Last month (February 2015), both my brothers had a chance to go back to Taiwan to visit the family.  Jason took Jennifer, Brandon, Carli and Justin for the very first time.  James and Karen went back for the first time as a married couple.

Their schedules were different but they managed to meet up and visited some relatives together.  So precious!!  Our family hasn't seen so many WUs at once for so long.

Of course, they all went back to Tainan to visit grandma's house.  That's the big old house that mom's family resides and has housed at least four generations of KO kids over time.  Mom was one of the kids.

Mom's parents had lived and raised their children in this huge house.  It was big enough to house my grandparents and their eight children (later, the addition of grandchildren at various times), employees (back in the old days, employees were live-ins) and the housekeepers.

The big house went through some built-outs as my grandparents' family grew.  The place I remember is 5 stories high (the 5th level is a roof garden) with an open terrace on each level.  The house also has three ground level courtyards.  The grandparents used to occupy the living quarter in the very back.  We had to walk through the front section of the house, the courtyard, the main living room, the second courtyard, the kitchen and dining room, another courtyard to get to their bedroom.  For a kid, it's a long way to get to grandma's room.

Oh, and I remembered for a while, the last courtyard also had a chicken coop. Grandma used to tell me to go pick up fresh eggs in the mornings so she could make me a warm glass of almond-egg-milk.

The front courtyard opens all the way to the top.  People can look down from above or scream up from below.  When people were too lazy to walk down the stairs to get something, they would lower a basket, ask the folks below to put it in then pull it up.  Yap, a rudimentary dumbwaiter for the lazies.  

This picture was taken by James from the 4th floor terrace.  Each level comes equipped with a kitchenette and bathroom.  The levels can be occupied as independent units but stairwells and hallways connect them top to bottom and front to back.  We can get to the same point from different routes.  A well thought out design. Most importantly, there are enough bathrooms, but one just had to get to one especially when in a hurry.

During summer and winter breaks, bunch of us kids would be sent to grandma's house - just like summer camps but more fun because we got spoiled!!  The kids had the whole house to explore and so many places to play hide and seek.  The house was not child proof but there was never an accident with kids running, chasing, sliding, jumping, climbing... 

The back of the house was not remodeled as much as the front end when I was a kid.  The kitchen that I remembered had an "old style" wood stove and a wood burning water heater for the bathroom in the back.  I remembered we all had to take turn manning the water heater at bath time.

I remembered meal time was always like party time.  Sleeping time was like slumber party every night.  We sometime would just gather at the court yard during hot summer afternoons for snacks and for story time with grandma or with our aunts and uncles.  It's always nice and breezing in the court yard.   Sometime, the adults would ask the street food vendors to bring their carts in.  The vendors were always happy to do so because their food cart would be cleaned out at one stop, then they could wrap up and go home for the day.  Oh, the sweet memories!!

"Going to Grandma's House!"  - Although I only got to do that every year for the first 9 years of my life - and only a few more times up to now - it is still a very special place and I still reminisce with my brothers.  I am very happy that James and Jason got to visit, and I am so glad that Brandon, Carli and Justin got to see a part of our childhood.  Jason noted that, as in tradition, Justin stuck his head between the railings just like so many of us did when we were kids.

Our grandma's house is our very own Neverland.

So I am Now a Statistics

About 1,000 wallets and purses get stolen every 2 minutes in the U.S according to www.answers.com.  Well, my wallet was one of them yesterday.

Sometime between going to work in the morning and coming out from the gym during lunch yesterday, my wallet was stolen.  My car was broken into before and things stolen before, but never anything as personal as my wallet.  And just to think, someone actually reached into my bag to take out the wallet.  Ugh!!

At about the same time that I discovered my wallet missing, I started getting fraud alerts from credit card companies and my bank.  Thanks to modern technology, credit card companies and banks know that certain transactions just don't make sense on my accounts.  $600 at Armani.  $400 at Victoria Secrets.  $400 at Timberland.  $400 at Walgreens.  Hello?

When I saw these fraudulent transactions popping up on my online accounts, I wondered what were the thieves thinking, or maybe they weren't thinking at all.  How could they boldly and shamelessly use somebody else's credit card/money like it was theirs?  Oh I forgot, criminal minds.

When did it happen?  How did it happen?  It didn't really matter because the end result was the same.  Someone tried to go on a shopping spree on my dime.

Of course, I took all the steps to contain damage.  Top concern is the loss of my driver license.  My poor little driver license is out there somewhere.  Is it being tossed?  Is it in somebody's pocket?  Is someone trying to be me?

Losing my wallet is one thing (and I did my share of that).  Having it stolen is quite another because the latter comes with a criminal intent.  It is out of my control (ok, so maybe I could have safeguard it better), and I feel sad and violated.  Angry is not even the right word to describe how I feel.  I am very sadden to have experienced the ugly side of us humans.

Oh, I do want to note that I have also experienced the best side of humans - I had my lost wallet returned to me more than 5 times.  I have found and  returned lost items to others as well.  Isn't that the right thing to do??  Why can't there be more of the good stuff?  Why can't there be more considerations for others?  Thieves, do you really get a great joy from stealing other people's stuff?

So, yesterday was a sucky day for me.  I joined the stolen wallet victims club.

Goodwill Hunting - IV

Once again, another great find at Goodwill.  This time, I found a gorgeous casserole among a pile of pots and pans.  I wasn't curious at first.  I just wanted to pull it from underneath so it wouldn't get crushed.  I had a big surprise when I retrieved it.  It was a well made ceramic casserole with a pretty matching lid.  It was in mint condition and had a company mark on the bottom.

I was very happy to get it for $3.99 to add to my kitchen collection and I made a note to check out the mark.

The story a mark can tell!!  It turned out that this casserole was made by John B. Taylor Company, a well known ceramic maker in Louisville, Kentucky.  The company has been around since 1815 and was sold to Louisville Stoneware in 1970.  The company is still in operation, and most of the vintage designs are still in production today.

The mark on the casserole indicated that this was a piece that was made sometime between 1960 and 1970.  Here are some clues (learned from Googling):

• The John B. Taylor mark indicated that this casserole was produced before the company was sold to Louisville Stoneware, so it predated 1970.
• "Made in the U.S.A." was added after 1954.  If you see a JB Taylor ceramic without it, then you know it is an old piece.
• The pattern "Harvest" was introduced in 1954 -  mine said "Harvest".
• The pattern title was added to the mark in the 1960s, so mine was produced during the 60s.  Geez, it's as old as me!!

Isn't this cool?  This is why I love rummaging in thrift stores.   I never know what history lessons I will learn from the things I pick up.

Intrigued?  Visit your local thrift stores and check out the stuff.  Some of them may have a story to tell you.

Happy thrifting!!

The Story of the Rabbit Hole Cafe @...

My friends know that I like to cook because I bombard them with pictures of my food (and other people's food) on Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, emails, text messages, etc... and they put up with me.

My family knows that I like to cook because I make them eat my food.  Come over and try this.  Take this home.  Let me know how you like it.  Do you want more?? .... and they oblige.

Some folks say maybe I should open a restaurant.  I say NOPE because I only like the cooking part and not the running/managing part.  Besides, I am not a creative cook.  I don't create recipes.  There are many recipes out there written by great food people and I'm perfectly happy trying them out - maybe improvising here and there.  Basically, I am a copycat.  Moreover, it would be a great cheat if I open a restaurant with other people's recipes.

Still though, I like the idea of giving my cooking an identity.  I want to give it a name.  How about...

• Sut's Kitchen?  Boring!!
• The Kitchen Lab on Berta?  Sounds clinical.
• Berta Cafe?  Nah!
• Rabbit Hole on Berta?  Hmmm... some potential

After few months of part-time brainstorming, something that has to do with rabbit seems to stick,  I like rabbits because I was born in the year of Rabbit and I like anything bunnies.  I like the name Rabbit Hole because it reminds me of clever Bugs Bunny poking his head out from the hole.  It also reminds me of the old Chinese saying, "A clever rabbit always has three holes (hiding places)."

So Rabbit Hole Cafe is it!!  When I cook at home, I call it Rabbit Hole Cafe @ Berta.  When I cook at Robert's, I call it Rabbit Hole Cafe @ Club Jo Lin.  You see, my Rabbit Hole Cafe is virtual.  It's imaginary.  It's cooking at-will.  It's about having fun and enjoying the moment.

Early this morning, a light bulb came on in my head while I was still half asleep.  A logo image came to mind. I grabbed a paper and scribbled this:

What do you think?  I thought it's kind of clever turning "bb" into rabbit ears.  I took a picture and sent to Robert.  Look honey, I'm doing your job!!  Robert liked the idea.  Ha!  That was expert opinion!!  YES!

I later got creative.  I revised my little line art to have the rabbit head poking out from the hole and making the line wavy to give it some energy.  Here:

You like the idea?  Robert thought it was cool but he suggested that I should put the word hole next to rabbit to make the name complete.  Hmmm... I thought holes are supposed to be underground but, heck, I don't argue with someone who designs logos for a living.  So here goes again:

Robert said this looked great then I didn't hear from him until the afternoon.  I knew he was working on a project so I didn't want to bother him anymore with my new-found creativity.  Little did I know, he was busy transforming my simple artwork to this:

TA-DA!!

Oh My God!!  How did he do it?  How did he know this was exactly what I had in mind and with the exact colors I wanted?!?!  I didn't even tell Robert about the colors!!  I was envisioning either a green background with yellow lettering, or a yellow background with black lettering.  The nose of the rabbit would be orange.  Robert changed the nose to eyes but he made them orange.  Just like how I imagined!!

Wow!!  I am so touched!!  I am so blessed that I have a guy who knows me inside out and entertains my craziness all the while putting his project on hold just to make me happy.

Oh man!  I am the luckiest girl in the whole wide world!!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  MY SWEETIE!!

So what do I do now?  I guess I'll have to cook a lot more!!

Stay tuned for food pictures from the Rabbit Hole Cafe...