while B was in conference all day, i drove all around Austin in this

Friday  Stop 1.  Zilker Botanical Garden – not too many visitors early on a weekday morning, but there was one garden sculpture cleaner person who took the one photo of me…  I ran into him again at the Sculpture Garden.

Stop 2: Umlauf Sculpture Garden

Stop 3: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center -

Stop 4: Lunch at the Fliphappy Crepe trailer – I just sort of stumbled onto it – a block off of a more busy road…  picnic tables in a shady (as in trees, not ghetto) area and one of Bernie’s coworkers said they were on Food Network! 

Stop 5: the Capitol – it’s neat walking around to see the touristy stuff, and then I walked around where all the legislative offices are also…  even though I can’t even remember if or when I visited the US Capitol as a child, still feel some kind of a DC metropolitanite pride that the DC is our backyard…  There were a LOT of kids on field trips and I carefully tried to walk in the opposite direction of those big groups.  The memorial with the eagle is a Korean War memorial, and then they have a small replica of the Statue of Liberty as well as a replica of the WWII memorial!  That I recognized.

Then back to the hotel for some rest before dinner at the Trailer!  see FB.

Saturday Stop 1: the exercise room and the pool!

Stop 2:  Old Pecan Street Festival – they have this twice a year and have stages for bands, play area for kids, lotsa food as well as all the merchant booths.

 I guess these pics aren’t so exciting – but I did run into a street performer that B and I saw in Denver while we were visiting friends out there!  i tried various food samples, and bought some whole wheat black pepper garlic pasta (homemade) and a couple other things

Stop 2:  Austin Museum of Art – I planned this so I could use their bathroom after walking around the festival so I wouldn’t have to use the portapotties!

Stop 3: Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum – i have to confess that i don’t remember much about history – i didn’t like it in school and never did well in it.  but it was definitely interesting to see what a great impact LBJ had and what he had to bring the country through (after JFK’s assassination and the Vietnam War)  – was also interesting (?), because somehow I picked up “Same Kind of Different As Me” to read during this vacation – and it’s an (incredible) real story of a black homeless man who grew up in ‘slavery’ and a rich white man and his praying wife – with connections to Texas and witnessing JFK’s car ride right before he got shot – how does all of this coincide? 

Stop 4: back to hotel again before we go off to the Salt Lick for BBQ!  It was supposed to take about 40 minutes to drive there, but we missed a turn, and it took a bit longer – and when we got there it was a madhouse!  police directing parking – waiting 30-45 minutes…

 haha – but i forgot to take a picture of the food!  it was pretty yummy…

But!  Sunday – I went to the Austin Stone Community Church – I think Chris Tomlin used to lead worship here once upon a time…  they have several services and use the Austin High School gymnasium as their worship center.  All I could think of was – what time do they start setting all this up for a 9 am service???  they had large speakers hanging from the metal beams overhead, a big black curtain with three screens up, full praise band all set up and ready with excellent sound, hundreds of folding chairs all lined up over a thin, protective tarp…  and they have a 7 pm service as well?  clean up must go til like midnight?!  wow 

then I thought – maybe I should just go try Rudy’s BBQ for lunch - since that’s where my brother and friends told me to go…

They let you have a sampling when you tell them it’s your first time there – standing right there at the order counter!  and you can order as much or as little as you want since it’s by the pound…  so I ordered a 1/4 lb turkey, 1/4 lb medium brisket (not the leanest or the fattiest), 1/2 rack baby backs, then 2 lbs of the St. Louis ribs as well as the beans and cole slaw – thinking I could try to let B’s coworkers try a rib too – but instead bernie, me and his female coworker ate it all!  hahaha  I think I did enjoy the flavor more than the Salt Lick…

Ok – well I don’t know if you’ve made it all the way through to the end of this – but it’s been a long time since we’ve posted anything, so maybe I’ve made up for it…

We celebrated Bernie’s birthday and finishing residency with a bunch of friends and a korean feast (a la korean korner) and dessert by me

Then, I got to go to Rehoboth Beach at the end of June for a Family Practice update (without Bernie) – but I did have some other friends come and keep me company 

Yum… crabs, crab dip, crepes…  food, friends and fun! 

The last day of the conference, I drove back just in time to meet some more friends to catch a flight from BWI to Tampa for a friend’s wedding. 

Four women and a baby in a minivan from Tampa Airport to hotel to church and back to Tampa Airport in less than 24 hrs!! 

The rest of the summer for Bernie is study, study, study…  pulmonary and medicine boards. 

For me, helping out more at work, especially with the conversion to Centricity – an electronic medical record. 

Whew!  maybe the fall will be more chill…

My cousin Ann passed away last Wednesday morning from leukemia.  She lived about a month after her unexpected diagnosis.  I think it hasn’t really hit me that she’s parted from this earth –

-we will miss you dearly-

April was busy.  After getting back from California, we found out that M’s cousin Annie has leukemia (ALL).  So that prompted a quick trip to Atlanta to spend some time with her as she transferred to hospice care.  We had family come from China, Washington State, California and Maryland (us.)  It was also my grandmother’s 90th birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!    So at least Annie is comfortable, but who knows how many days she has left here on earth…

and even though yesterday was may, i think i’m just grouping it all together with April’s activities…  Congrats to the newlyweds J and KJ…  i should’ve kept my camera out more, but i’m hoping i can get some photos from others!

Taking a walk at Back Bay in Newport Beach

Hanging out with B’s brother and parents

we created a bin-dae-dduk/turkey sandwich!  haha  east meets west…

at the coffee bean & tea leaf (i love their green tea…)

Sunday B and I visited Bethel Church in Irvine, where his parents have been going.  It’s neat to be the “visitor” once in awhile  – seeing who does greet you and what they try to make you do like give your info (not this time) or be greeted by name during announcements (yes this time and without warning!)  The English Service was mostly college kids, but the worship team sounded great – they sang “salvation is here” by Hillsongs – pretty impressive!

We’ve been taking walks in the bright-warm-sunny-but-cool-in-the-shade weather here…  soooooooooo nice

Yesterday we got to visit my friend K with her 2-yr-old and 2-wk-old AND my cousin/wife with their new 2-wk-old!!!   these babies were born just a day apart so it was great to be able to meet both of them!!  I think my cousin’s baby does have more of the “chang” resemblance… 

the days are passing too quickly…  we only have a couple more days left!!!!   (sigh) 

We came out to Southern Cal. for a week to spend some time with B’s parents and B’s brother –  it’s always nice to enjoy the sunny skies, wide beaches, and the yummy food…

We visited the Getty Villa yesterday –

We had some ramen for lunch in West LA – with roast pork and wontons  and finished lunch with some Beard Papa’s cream puffs……   mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

This is the story of M getting to a meeting in an unfamiliar building yesterday. 

I’ve been once before a couple months ago, and thought the meeting was maybe on the 13th floor.  I rush into an elevator and push 13.  When I get off the elevator on the 13th floor, there are no signs for the meeting like there was last time, and it looks unfamiliar.  Maybe it was the 12th.  Instead of using the elevator to go down one floor, I thought it would save time and give me some exercise to take the stairs.

Lo and behold, down one flight of stairs, I realize that you need a key card to get back into the floors!  I have to walk back down to the FIRST floor to exit!  so round and round I go, getting late for this meeting.  Back on the first floor, I notice the sign stating meeting attendees should sign in on the 12th floor.

I take the elevator to the 12th floor, and when I exit, I run into a couple ladies I recognize from the last meeting.  They are about to walk into another elevator going down, so I hop on with them.  As the elevator doors are closing, some lady at the desk is waving me down “you have to sign in!” 

So the other ladies get off on the 10th floor, while she says I should go back and pushes the 12 button again.  But this elevator is on the way down to the first floor with other riders.  I decide to get off at 5 and get another elevator to get back up to 12.  sign in.  then get back on the elevator to 10.  walk in like 15 min late to the meeting.

hahahahahahahahahahaha  

Happy Valentine’s Day!! 

although all my valentines are away from me today…  mom and dad chang back in asia, mom and dad kim in california, brian/jennifer/adia/eliana returned to georgia, bernie working in the hospital overnight —  at least i had a nice brunch with some lovely ladies  

Before I met Bernie – I did not listen to Country Music.  I was probably anti-country music actually. When I met Bernie, I really did not think my tastes would change very quickly, if at all.  But I did want to respect his taste for it – danced to a country song for our wedding reception – went to a Kenny Chesney/Sugarland concert  – and lo and behold, I find myself the other day looking for the country channel on the radio!!!!!!!

Hahahahahaha 

Is it just a slow acclimation or is it me getting mellower as I get *older* !!