Earring posts

The last Etsy order arrived. It's 400 earring posts from a mainland Chinese seller... but there are only 337 plus 5 "heads". 71 of them are not straight (slightly wavy). Is this normal? Am I being scammed? Should I complain? Why am I scared of complaining? Am I afraid of revenge negative rating???? Why do I have to feel this way?????Has the system failed me??????

Dad's been even more out of control and wetting his pants back to back leaving puddles on the floor since the urologist visit. Can't beleive he still stubbornly insists those are "just water" and "it wasn't him". Of course he refuses diapers. Sigh... (T_T) Mom speculates that the camera might have done some damage. After all, he peed some blood after the exam. I feel sorry for him on that, but no excuse for not wearing diapers and insists that he doesn't have a problem.

Eat-out day with brother's gang at the small Shanghai restaurant near his place. Handed over the NY souvenirs. Exchanged some NY talk. No pictures yet because I still can't get my computer to read A's card.

Missed the deadline of the credit card online sign up because I forgot my account's password. (T_T) Turn to Etsy, then took too long to come up with a name for my shop. I'm still totally lost on that. Hunt down some free banners and time was up. So... none of the two got done. (T_T)

Terra original

From October 2010. Thanks A! I thought this would be just another version of veggie chips from Costco. Wrong! This is thinly sliced real veggie instead mashed and form ones. Woo... very, very real!!! It's good stuff!!! One proof is, this is not too addictive. The price is reasonable too. However, it's surprising filling. Easily over eat if not portioned out ahead of time.

Nail stickers

Since I haven't been careful during the trip and drank cold drinks, I have to take heavier dose of Tylenol, which made me drowsy throughout the afternoon. Didn't get to do much besides passing out at the desk.

The most urgent things are: (1) sign up with the credit card online billing, (2) set up a seller's account at Etsy. (1)'s deadline is tomorrow so I started scanning some nail stickers that I'm gonna sell. My 9-year old scanner failed me as there are way too much touch ups to do. Luckily there's a backup from A. However, still needs tons of touch ups. Then I realized I made a huge mistake of scanning the groups as is. I should have scanned the sticker sheets individually! Aaaargh!!! So... started from zero all over again... (T_T) Am I stupid or is my brain (whatever's left) not working?

Dad was "organizing things" again... (T_T)

Glasses

Took S to Richmond for glasses frames shopping. He's been to 5 other stores already. I'm glad he found one he likes at the end. (I still think the thinner frame looks better, though...) Seems like the staff at Osaka Optical took him straight to the most expensive frames right away... not nice, not nice. But S didn't border to look around either.

After we dropped S off at the station, A remained in the back seat. It's not the first time. He tends to like that. I can't help but wonder, is he just too lazy to move, or dose he not want to sit with me? Either way, the effort of moving to the front seat is greater than the desire to sit with me. Hmm...

Nevertheless, thanks A for the computer help (and grilling the pork). I'm so sorry the vampire gave me a surprise attack. It's not supposed to show up until 6 days later. There's something wrong... (T_T)

Cleanup

Guess A's been busy. Haven't received a reply until night despite I sent my message in the morning. A little disappointed as he always complains about me not getting up early.

Finally recorded and filed the stuff from Etsy and NY... wait, only half. I still need to pick up an empty case or two from the dollar store. Ran out again.

Continued with Y's mail. Still not done. Takes forever. I'm loosing steam...

Urology / chiropractor

Dad's urologist appointment at VGH at 1PM. The doctor didn't show up until 20 minutes later. Parking is $3.25 for 30 minutes. I wonder if doctors are share holders of parking companies.

Anyway, after an endoscope exam, he said there's nothing wrong with dad's hardware. There are drugs that could help his incontinence, but considering his age, the side effect of falling is not worthwhile. Diapers may be a better solution. I didn't have a chance to tell him about dad's habit of destroying diapers.

Then my chiropractor's visit at 2:40. We were 30 minutes early, yet I still had to wait until 3. It doesn't pay to be early there. Sigh...

Came home, had a snack, and continue writing a Japanese mail to my friend. It takes forever. (T_T) Kept dosing off at the desk too. (T_T)

Unknown Japanese rice crackers

From October 2010. Thanks aunt T. Since I received one of each individual packs without the outer box, I have no idea of their real identity. Each pack contains 3 cracker. They're very thin, airy and has the corresponding "toppings" sprinkled on top. You can taste the egg in the batter. This is expensive stuff.

Soy and plum:
Can't taste the soy but the hint of plum is very refreshing.

Pumpkin seed and almond:
The pumpkin seed is dominant and can't taste much of almond.

Green tea and red bean:
This one's different. Their tastes are equally matched and balanced. You can taste them both.

Peanut and sesame:
Smells strongly peanut. But you can tell there's sesame when you eat it.

Overall, very, very nice. It has to be expensive, though.

Back home

So... unpacked with my last drop of energy so I won't leave any suitcases lying around with stuff in them for a month like last time. Showered... felt really cold! The heat is no longer running. It's that time again. Too warm for the heat to run, but still too cold to shower late at night.

Still leaving the souvenir stuff in their bags, I started opening the stuff from Etsy. They've all arrived except for one, so I gotta check them, and leave ratings. (Oops, better leave it to tomorrow when it's bright and I'm less tired.) Amongst the packages, there was something from one of my Japanese friends. It's the newest 3rd FMA art book! And it's got the Animate limited edition sleeve! OMG! Totally didn't expect that. She wrote me a letter too. I know she's super busy, yet she wrote me a letter instead of e-mailing. That's... very touching. Gotta reply tomorrow.

When I went to bed, it was almost 5. Why why why...
Things learned from this trip:

• Remember to bring a watch. No watch, no sense of time. Cannot not take independent actions and meet back with A later.
  
• No need to bring too much toiletry stuff. Especially shampoo and soap.
• No need to bring too much snacks either. It's easy to buy on the go.
• Internet access is invaluable.
• Check big department stores for souvenir items as they may be cheaper.
• Do not take a trip just because of cheap flights. Check hotel price first. We got burnt this time exactly like this.
• Be subjective of my metal and physical conditions. Rest whenever there's a chance. Trip high may mask fatigue, and fatigue flares tempers.
• Most importantly, let A know that I'm tired, as he never ever will put himself in my shoes. Sigh... (T_T) Is this a sign...? (T_T) Can't blame him. Who wants damaged goods? (T_T)
  

Seattle / train

Got up extra early and didn't get much sleep. I haven't been able to sleep much during this trip. Took turns with A to eat breakfast to maximize efficiency. I was surprised to see the breakfast room quite busy. There seemed to be at least one tour. Time was short and didn't get to eat any self-serve Belgium waffles. I was completely stoned and had no sense of time. Just tried to eat my food fast, but still too slow. Thanks A for coming to fetch me. We checked out and took 7:30 shuttle to airport.

A paid an extra fee to upgrade us to "more leg room" seats. It was those right in front of the wing emergency exit. I thought we would be facing a wall, but noooo. It was just normal rolls of seats. The emergency exit was small. (It was a 737.) However, we did have more leg room than regular seats. Same as last time, only drinks were included. Food was extra. We ate the turkey wrap bought at the airport as lunch.

When we arrived at the Seattle airport, it was raining and quite cold. We came from 29 degrees back to 14 degrees. Kind of depressing. To the train station, we took the light rail. It was new, clean, comfortable, cheap, fast and convenient. The next train back home was at 6:50. We had a few hours to kill. It was nice to be able to hold our carry-ons at the train station (for $6). Then we realized (at least some) buses to downtown are free, and took advantage of them. I, on the other hand, was very surprised and impressed to see those buses actually run on the light rail tracks. The tracks are sunk, so the road can be used by other vehicles.

It was too cold. We weren't dressed warm enough, so we went into malls. Nordstrom, and Macy's. I tried on a dress I regretted not trying on in NY. Too bad it didn't look good at all. (T_T) A bought a bottle of wine, and I got some last minute shopping done. Finally bought a pepper mill to replace our broken one at home, and some toner at Body Shop. That was one of my higher priority wishes but no luck until now. I'm glad I got that done.

Had both lunch and dinner at Specially's Cafe near the train station. After NY's $9 sandwiches, these $6 ones felt like the deal of the century. Quality was excellent too. A really liked their coffee.

There was a group of low-teens in funny balloon headdresses boarding our train. Some of them were wearing leis too. A speculated that they might have come back from a Hawaii field trip or something.

Thank God the train had internet. I was able to keep in touch with brother. He was super nice and offered to pick me up from the station despite my arrival would be after 11pm. I was going to share a cap with A, but he had a good point: to save mom from worrying too much. Yes she does that a lot.

Our train was slightly delayed because of "having to wait for another train to pass". After arrival, we could not get off for a good 20 minutes (maybe more). The staff were unloading all the luggage first before letting anyone off... and as far as I could see, they had only 2 people! Finally, we went through custom, and our trip was officially over. Brother came, and I parted with A. It was almost midnight when I actually arrived home.

Macy's / beads

On our last day in NY, it finally felt like May. The sun was shining bright and it was even hot. I had to buy emergency short-sleeve T-shirts last night because I didn't bring any. When Seattle was only 14 degrees and the NY forecast was all rainy and cold, who would have thought I need any? But I'm glad we had some sunny days despite huge fluctuations and tough to adjust. Even tougher for me when my cold wouldn't leave.

Last chance for the Empire State Building. Security line up was hopelessly long. Just like us, everybody must have been waiting for a sunny day. With A being allergic to lineups, we gave it up and left for Macy's. When you only have a few hours left, it makes no sense to just stand there despite wasting the last City Pass ticket. Macy's antique wooden escalators were amazing... As far as I counted, there were at least 3 sets (all to and from the cellar) and they were soooo old, yet still work! They make noises and feel like a theme park ride in antique land! OK... movie-set would be a better word, but these are real.

Lunch in cellar "food court". It has a name like a restaurant and people who pick up trays and clean the tables dressed like chefs. The setup is still like a cafeteria, though. The touristy NY tin can chocolate A bought yesterday for $17 at Walgreens is only $10 here! What a rip off! Not to mention, it scanned as $20 and we had to go through customer service for a refund. They did not say anything, though. Meaning... they know about that??? Evil!

We took a break at a random cafe called Andrew's Cafe for a piece of cheese cake. We were trying to do the cafeteria style: buy at the cashier and sit down at the counter. But the staff (especially a very stern waitress) insisted that we sat down at the tables. Of course this is how they scam for tips. Seeing part of their ceiling panel was opened and something was being worked on, I wanted the counter. But that waitress sealed my escape route by taking us to a table near the counter. Sigh... Not to mention she wasn't exactly friendly. She acted like we were the scammers. Grrrrrr! It wasn't cheap either. A piece of cheese cake and a glass of coke cost close to $10. However, the cheese cake was excellent. I'm sure it was 90% fat. (This is how I gain weight traveling.)

Thanks A for taking me bead shopping after Macy's, and helping me search for the links and caps. Although no luck on the specific ones I've been looking for, I found some other good stuff. Sorry I got carried away and wasted some time.

We made it back to the hotel just in time, but the luggage took a while to be fetched. The black "hired car" the hotel booked for us was there already. They said it would be $80 flat rate to the airport. (Was tip included???) However, we wanted to go to the other hotel located just on the other side of the airport. The driver asked for $100. That felt too much but no choice.

Checked in. Since I booked this one, I paid. (Felt very sorry that A had to pay so much for the other hotel and transit and most of the food... Hey I did buy some of the food and some other items.) Took the hotel shuttle to Jessey Garden mall "across the street". I'd say, it would still be a good 20-minute walk. That mall is very big and seems to cater to travelers. Plenty of deals, even some outlet style store. Saw some 4 for $20 bras, but as expected, cheap bras like those don't fit well. Wasted a lot of time trying them on. Ended up in a shoe store nearby. The walking shoes I wanted was sold out in reasonable colours. (No Barbie pink for me!) Ended up buying a pair of casual yet dressy sandals instead. A bought a wallet to replace his breaking one. Took shuttle back to hotel. It came a little late which had us worried, but it came.

Tomorrow will be an early day for a mid-morning flight. The bed was firmer than Candlewood's but still couldn't sleep. My bed-time cough got slightly better, though.

Museum of Modern Art

Rainy again today.

First stop, B&H Photo. A bought a lens filter. I was only there to lake a look. The store is huge. Lots of stuff. There are even benches for shoppers to rest.

Went to The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) after lunch. Already kind of beat when we got there (with all the previous walking). Audio tour was free with a piece of ID as hostage. Only looked at the 6th floor and half of the 5th floor. Missing most of the exhibits. Oh well.

They have 3 gift shops on-site on various floors with slightly different selections, and one across the street (plus the one my brother went to... Plus online). I picked up a few small items (and I really mean small), and the total just went over $50! However, the stuff was on 2 separate receipts and I didn't get any free tickets. Oh well.

Both lunch and dinner at Tri Tip, A's favorite. He deserves a VIP card. I admit, their salad with added grilled beef was awesome!

Last thing left in the city pass is the Empire State Building. If it rains again tomorrow, it's gonna be wasted. Oh well...

Still coughing at night, and of course couldn't sleep.

Metropolitan Museum of Art

It was cloudy and drizzled a bit. We went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met). It's beyond huge! You can go there every day for a week and still not finish looking. Of course with my sore legs, I only got to see a few things.

We picked armours and musical instruments. Plus a few paintings. (And some on the way to the washroom at the end.) Don't think we even saw 1/10 of the exhibits. (T_T)

My camera was not wide enough so I used A's for almost everything. Some violins and guitars were loaned out to a different exhibit in a different wing. Didn't see that one. Again, I was shooting too many pictures, and didn't read any info. Regretting it so much... (T_T)

Lunch was... a bit of adventure. First attempt, a cafe(?) on the roof. Which turns out to be bogus. They only sell drinks and very little snacks. It was cold up there too. Not a pleasant place to hang out. A tried to shoot a panoramic video but was stopped by the staff. What's so bad about a video??? Second attempt, a cafeteria on the ground floor. It was super busy. There weren't enough seats and the line up was long. We were lucky to find a table pretty fast. (Gotta catch those who are leaving.)

I guess we were both pretty tired and temper flared. A thought the ground floor washrooms were closer and wanted me to use that one, but knowing it stinks like hell, I refused, and went looking for the second floor one. Way-finding was a little difficult but the staff was helpful. (I cannot understand why A is so scared of asking.) That washroom was in much better shape. A went too after I came back.

Stopped by the Guggenheim Museum after the Met closed at 6. Their gift shop was open, but I had no more energy even to check if the museum was still open. Museum gift shops are expensive and items are not very practical, so I haven't bought anything. Chances are, I probably won't have time to go to the MoMA gift shop either. Hope brother doesn't mind fridge magnets. Too much walking every day. Legs hurt. Still coughing at night and couldn't sleep.

Only 2 more tickets left in the city pass. At least evened out the cost at this point.

Cruise / Intrepid

Today was the reverse of yesterday. Started sunny but rained in the evening. We managed to avoid most of it, although it was cold-hot-cold-hot... very difficult to adjust.

It was a good day to take the Circle Line cruse to see the statute of liberty from the river. (The most expensive attraction in the City Pass.) Lineup was still bad even with the pass thanks to a group of stupid women who couldn't decide which cruse to take, and held up the whole line for 20 minutes. (We took the 2-hour one.) There was only one window for public and one for passes. Sigh... Thought we'd miss the 11:15 sailing and had to wait till 3:30. Luckily we made it. The staff probably saw the situation and waited a little.

The sun being so strong all of a sudden, A forgot his shades. Got him an emergency NY cap, also good as souvenir. This cruise was the best attraction so far. Perhaps because I got to rest my legs! Shot lots of pictures and my camera battery died soon after we landed. I regret so much not to shoot movies. (T_T)

After that, the Intrepid Sea Air and Space museum right next door. This one was not included in the pass. Went to see the submarine first, and then lunch at their cafe. Again, not enough energy and didn't see everything. If we went a month later, we'd be able to see the retired space shuttle. Not that I'm a fan, but it adds value to the admission fee. This whole military museum feels to me like a big U.S. patriotic propaganda to their own people.

On our way out, I stopped in front of a token machine to take a look... and something dripped onto my right shoulder! As I was startled, a uniformed staff came to me and said "oh you got dripped on too?". Yes, he apologized, but did not give me anything to wipe off the brown liquid. Instead, he instructed me to go to the washroom to wash it out. The washroom only has air dryer and does not have paper towels. I was mad. I've only worn that shirt 2 or 3 times. I went back and see if he would help me in other ways. He was very reluctant to even tell me what that liquid was. #%*&!!!!! I was really, really mad. But what could I do? Nothing!!!!!!

That night I did massive laundry. Most of the stain was washed off, but if you look closely, you can still see it. (T_T) I'm very, very unhappy about it.

Dinner at a nearby pub? bar? The sandwich was very good. Again, coughing and couldn't sleep.

Museum of Natural History

Today started with medium rain, so we went to the American Museum of Natural History. Took the subway the first time. I know it's old (started in 1904?) and can't avoid being dingy, but it actually stinks. Maybe the rain adds to it, it smells bad. Chatted with a Denmark family on the train. Her daughter and granddaughter will join them in a few days so they won't be buying the city pass. I gave her the free MoMA tickets from my brother. Hope he doesn't mind. This way the tickets will get used and won't be wasted.

Too much to see. Only had enough time to see the planetarium, stuffed animals, and fossils. A rented an audio guide for $6. (Not covered by the City Pass.) I was taking pictures like there's no tomorrow... which, of course backfired. I did not read any of the text, and thus learned nothing. (T_T)

I was trying to take funny pictures (like interacting with the exhibits). A got tired after a few and said "there's only so many of these you can take..." Sigh... flushed my mood away and did not shoot a single funny picture after that. Huge damage. Huge. (T_T)

The cafeteria is expensive. A cheese and tomato sandwich costs $8.5 before tax. The cheese is almost an inch thick, though. I really regret not taking a picture of that. I must be hungry, and A was not in a good mood. (T_T) I should have realized my energy level was low and I was tired by then. I guess I was in trip mode and tried to make the most of the the museum, forcing myself to act normal...

We stayed till almost closing time. At least the rain stopped. We took the train to Columbus Circle and walked around and around and around. I was 3-quarter zombie and my legs hurt. Just trying my best to catch up with A on his coffee hunt. My mind was so numb, I didn't even know where we were going. (The name "Columbus Circle" was only dug up afterward from a short clip I shot with A's camera.) And finally we walked back to our hotel. There is no record on what we ate for dinner, so it was possible that we ate "at home" again.

The knock has been a problem. It always is on trips. This time is no exception. I usually turn the TV on, but A dislikes it. This turn into a silent fight. Coughing continues. Not much sleep.

Rockefeller Centre

Last night's rain was gone like a nightmare. It was sunny and warm today. We seized the chance and went to the Rockefeller Centre "Top of the Rock" observation deck. It was quite crowded even on a Thursday morning. Seeing the better deal with the NY City Pass, we went for it. $79 for 6 attractions that are usually over $20 each. Should be good because it also let you bypass some lineups. The admission entry time was limited so we hung out in a Starbucks until our turn was up.

Of course because bin Laden was killed right before our trip, security was up who-knows-how-many-notches. Bag searches and metal detractors, just like at the airport. I don't mind, but the lineup can be annoying. You line up to buy tickets, you line up to security check, you line up to finally enter. There were lineups at every stage. They entertain you with mini exhibits and videos, though. Except for the last elevator ride.

The theme park mentality kicked in. You think anything is cool. Even the signs. But there was one actually very cool thing. The ceiling of the elevators turn transparent with a mini projection show. (The up and down shows are different.)

Finally, you get to the deck. The lower deck has high glass walls but the upper 2 don't. I guess even if you jump off the upper 2, you'll just land on the lower deck. To get full value of our ticket, we stayed up there for quite a while and took huge amount of pictures. Then a visit to the gift shop. A bought some souvenir. I procrastinated because it's just the first day.

Then we had a late lunch at around 2:30? A picked this awesome place called Tri Tip with excellent grilled beef. I, playing it save thanks to my stubborn cold, ate chicken. Beef would have been nice...

After the Rock, we walked around... (I had no idea where to. I was a half-zombie and just following A around.) There was this Saks we took a look. (I know nothing besides it being an expensive department store.) There was a Best Buy that A wanted to look at, which gave me a chance to rest my legs. The street bench right in front of Best Buy seemed to be broken and rocked like a rocking chair.

Then we walked some more. I must have been very numb by then. We walked past the library, and a park. Then A found me the Kinokuniya. It's got 3 floors. Totally no comparison to our Iwase, which has already folded. It was nice to look at manga books. They even have the FMA art book 3! But I didn't feeling like buying it. They also sell a few Pinkys, but very expensive.

Then we walked back to the hotel. There is neither photo nor memory of tonight's dinner, so I think we ate the food we bought from the supermarket in our room.

Seattle-NY-soaked

Ate part of the food we bought last night as breakfast, and off we went to the airport. Our flight was just before noon. It was super full. Both A and I had separate middle seats. Sucks but couldn't help it. We were close to the tail too. This was the first time I've ever seen a flight running out of orange juice. The plane took off early and managed to arrive late. We couldn't get off for at least 20 minutes after docking. It was stuffy and humid. Not pleasant.

With the time zone difference, it was around 10 PM when we reached NY. It felt really weird that we've lost a whole day. NY... first thing, my carry-on was forced checked-in at the gate because the cabin storage was full. It was free, though. But it came back with a big wet footprint! Someone stood on my brand new suitcase!!!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!! (T_T) Second, pouring rain. (T_T) The option of taking transit was out. Taxi cost about $90? Super expensive! But when you're tired from the flight and need to drag luggage in the rain, taxi is the only choice... (Sorry A... these all add up...)

Our hotel was one of those "suites" with a kitchen. No restaurant but a convenient store. So, after we checked in, we went to a nearby supermarket for grocery. The rain stopped but we didn't feel comfortable leaving our umbrellas. And... bingo! When we were done with 4 arms of full bags at midnight closing time, the rain came again, with vengeance! Normally I would have waited a bit, but (1) I must be really tired with a non-functioning brain. (2) The store was closed so we would have to wait on the street anyway. (3) A started walking so I fallowed. The rain was so heavy, it felt like a storm. The drains were clogging and street corners were flooding. The 15-minute walk took forever and felt like Armageddon. When we finally got back, both of us were soaked form shoulder down. (T_T)

It was too late for laundry. (The hotel has a free laundry room.) So we only showered and slept. My cough wouldn't leave me alone. Sorry A, for keeping you up... or did I? I kept hearing you snore. I also watched the sky turning bright. Couldn't get much sleep again. (T_T)

Seattle

A was shocked to find out the hotel has no restaurant or breakfast room. There is, however, a little in-house convenient store that sells coffee and muffins etc. With some instructions, we went outside hunting for breakfast, and ended up eating at a small cafe nearby. A did have a place in mind but it was too late by the time we found it.

Our hotel was near the Space Needle so we walked around the area. Then took the monorail downtown, and a short walk to the Pike's Place Market. Funny... it was kind of crowded even on a Tuesday morning. Lots of crafts vendors. Plenty to look at. The first Starbucks has become a tourist attraction. According to A, that's the only branch left which has the proper machine to make proper coffee. We overestimated our blood sugar level and did not plan our lunch well. Without looking around enough, we ate at the closest fish and chips place and it was very expensive with so-so quality. Oh well!

After lunch, we walked around some more, and rested our legs at another Starbucks in the downtown area. The vanilla herb tea was very nice as the weather was still quite chilly. Took advantage of their free internet and e-mailed M for activity ideas. There was a huge Ross across the street so I couldn't resist to take a look. Got A a shoulder bag for his i-pad, and myself a carry-on. Didn't plan for it, but I guess the fear of my cheap one breaking is always bugging me. When I saw the $30 one, I asked myself if I'll regret it if I don't get it. The answer was yes.

Then we went to the Banana Republic nearby. Very rarely do I find clothes that says bingo. Too bad I couldn't find the sweater on the mannequin before loosing patience, so we proceed to the man's section. A found a few good shirts at good price. Feeling left behind, I went back to the ladies section for that sweater. This time I was determined to at least try it on. Oh boy it started a whole chain reaction. The sales lady was super friendly and helpful. (And very good at making sales!) Not only did she find me the sweater in the correct size (I've been wearing clothes that are too big), she even helped me find items to coordinate with it... they were even on sale! I must have spent over an hour in there. A was patiently giving me comments. He even bought me the pants! Thanks!!! However, in return I must buy that sweater. It was a valuable learning experience and I think the sweater was worth the tuition. (But I must be careful not to over-spend in my unemployed situation.)

When we were finally done, we missed the happy hour. Sorry... (But A also tried on many shirts so we were even. Hehehe...) We ate dinner at an oyster bar call Brooklyn... something. Forgot the name, but it looked quite high class. The scallops were huge! The must have been 2 inches in diameter. (Too bad A hates it when I try to take Pinky pictures, especially in "higher class" places, so I couldn't have enough time to shoot the scallops. That's a potato cake.) Then we got the restaurant to call us a cab to return to the hotel. It was still bright so we came back out to a nearby QFC for food to take on the flight tomorrow.

Again, coughing at bed time. Couldn't sleep. (T_T)

Crazy start

One last visit to my chiropractor early afternoon, went home, picked up my carry-on, and took the bus to the train station. NY trip had officially started.

It's been rainy and the walk to the bus stop was tough. Fearing the wheels on my cheap carry-on might break, I had to lift the suitcase off the ground most of the time. 3 blocks away from home I realized that I forgot to bring my watch! Aaaaargh!!! (Ever since my days of pager, I dropped the watch. Knowing I will not be using my cell phone during this trip, of course I didn't bring it.) Oh well, I just have to stick with A all the time. Thought I'd be late but I was actually 40 minutes too early at the train station.

A showed up right on time, and we boarded the train. It was my first time after being here for 20 years to take the train. The interior was a bit old and the air was stale. Although we brought along energy bars etc but we wanted to have the full experience. So we had dinner in the dining car. We bought a salad and sandwich combo... which was cold and looked nothing like the picture on the wall. Very disappointing. Nevertheless it tasted good. Perhaps I was hungry. The sunset view was very nice and we sat in the spacious dining car pretty much until we arrived at Seattle.

It was 10PM so we took a cab to the hotel. It was a very nice place. However, the bed was a bit too soft for me, plus lying down caused me to cough uncontrollably. I couldn't get a good sleep.