Orange Kitkat

This is a limited edition in Japan, but isn't there a regular North American version? Actually I haven't tried that one, so this won't be a comparison. At first glance, the sliced orange on the packaging is so red, it looks more like a grape fruit. After one bite, I can see why. The visual matches the taste, which is stronger and sweeter than I expected. (This is rare. Japanese candies are usually milder.) It's slightly bitter. Almost like they used dark chocolate. But it doesn't say "dark chocolate" on the package. Wait a sec... oh I see! It contains blood orange juice! That's why the orange is red! Da!

I like bitter chocolate. This tastes good, but not special enough for a second bar at almost 2 bucks.

Deleted mail

Today's screw-up, accidentally deleted mail. Didn't realize until I tried to retrieve a photo from an e-mail I thought I archived. Could find it. The only explanation is, clicking the delete button instead of archive! (T_T)

Daily screw-ups

Or shall I say screw up daily? It was bad enough to write my address as both the sender and the receiver on a parcel. Today it was forgetting to put the strainer in the drain before washing my hair. Only noticed when I tried to grab the fallen hair. Too late. Both of the above mentioned situation had never ever happened before. Sigh... do I have Alzheimer or something? (T_T)

Snowed again

Snowed again late last night. I managed to make it home just before it started. (Most of it is melted now.) Well, we did have a white Christmas this year. Personally I don't like snow. It makes driving difficult. Not to mention it's cold. Other than being able to make snowman, what's so good about a white Christmas? Some kind of superstition?

Boxing day

Thanks for dinner, guys! (^_^)

I don't usually do any boxing day shopping. I think the last time was when I bought my LCD monitor 2 (or was it 3?) years ago. This year I need to pick up some candies, plus to use up the 50% off Michael's coupons. Parking and line up weren't too bad in general. But I got quite pissed off at Candyland. The clerk didn't give me all the info about the 2008 10% off VIP card, so I wasted a lot of time and came out empty handed. Not to mention she kept chatting with another customer who might be her friend. I don't know and don't care. Without the VIP card, guess I'll be shopping a lot less at that place next year.

Then I'm so relieved about a situation which has been puzzling me for a little while. I really thought I was cursed. Or maybe I still am. (No, I'm just a moron.)

I can blame it on a lot of things, but it was by my own hands that the matter was screwed up. After a series of small mishaps, the finale was putting my address as both the sender and receiver on an important and expensive 3-day Purolator shipment, which needed to arrive in Japan no later than the 29th. I confirmed with the post office clerk after filling out the forms but she didn't pick up the mistake. It was sent on the 17th. After 5 days, there was no sign of the parcel. Both my friend and I were getting worried. I didn't discover the mistake until the 24th.

Shocked. (Can't believe I could ever make such a dumb mistake.)

Depressed. (I'm such a moron! Life ahead suddenly turn gray.)

Panic, panic, panic. (The parcel won't make it! But more importantly, where is it? Is it lost?)

Couldn't sleep.

There was a faint hope because I did put the correct address on the custom form. But that's just the custom form.

Then I got a short note from my friend on the 25th, saying "seems like the parcel has arrived." Yeah, she was working, and probably got a notification instead of having the actual parcel in hand. In that case, was it my parcel? Or someone else's? Either way, it wasn't like her usual mail. So until I hear from her again, there was no way I could relax.

And the confirmation came on the night of the 26th. The contents are fine too. Finally! It's such a huge relieve. Thank God, thank God, thank God!

Looking back, I did my best every step, but things still got screwed up. I've turn into a moron. (T_T)

Merry Christmas! (3)

Christmas = eating turkey. My family doesn't have that tradition, though.

Merry Christmas! (2)

Christmas eve. Can't get any closer than this. (Yikes...) Only managed to mail one single card this year. (Hand delivered 4, though.) Yeah... I owe a few people cards... (T_T) Don't really know why or what, but this month has been crazy. And my dumbness doesn't help. Everyday there's something screwed up. Feels like I only have a quarter of my brain left.

My brother and his family won't be back until January. This year we didn't even take the 2-feet tree out. There are only 4 Christmas cards on the fireplace. Totally no spirit. (T_T)

So, I got this cute foam ginger bread house to add a little spirit. Cost only $6 (plus tax), but took me 6 hours to build. (T_T) There's no list of content. I was afraid there weren't enough roof tiles, and tried to calculate how many I need. Wasted a lot of time and no conclusion. The roof wasn't exactly as shown on the package either, so the "follow the picture" approach screwed up the roof tiling. I had to tile the front twice.

Then the "sugar coat" of the roof top candies was the next biggest hassle. There's absolute no instruction on how to do it, so I was making it up as I go. Which, was putting glue on each face and dunk into the glitter. (Somehow instinct told me gluing the whole thing all at once is a really bad idea.) Of course doing it face by face took forever!

Well, I'm just glad that it's done and out of the way. There are still tons of things I need to do, but what's going on? nothing is getting done! Am I slow? Or just dumb? Or cursed? (T_T)

BTW, the back of the house looks like this.