My cousin Sierra pretends she's Sunnyvale's latest woman firefighter.  

My friend Mike taking a turn with the fire hose--a task few men can turn down. 

My new firefighter friends and I (The camera makes me look bigger, BTW. Just a little disclaimer I thought I'd throw in). 

My beautiful ice cream sundae station. Too bad you can't quite see the chocolate fountain.  

One sweet party

Finally, I can add a new entry. On Sunday, I, um, sorta got sick from eating too much ice cream. But I felt better by Monday evening. And yesterday, I removed a splinter from a co-worker's finger. I'm just doing great things left and right this past week!

Anyhoo...if I do say so myself, I am now officially the coolest neighbor in Sunnyvale. Ever. I am still basking in the glory of having pulled off one of the most memorable block parties in our cul-de-sac. I still can't believe I managed to do it all from Phoenix. Guess it reveals my inner Martha Stewart, control issues. But it was pretty much how I pictured--several of my neighbors, friends and relatives mingling and enjoying themselves. But I couldn't have done it without the help of my mother and our neighbors Earl & Debbie. Debbie and Earl did all the barbecuing of hamburgers and hot dogs, they brought out their four patio tables and umbrellas to their driveway and they were just so gracious to the people who weren't neighbors. And our next door neighbors Dave & Kathy were great too. They have a knack for making anyone feel welcome.

Of course, having ice cream on hand for everyone was a bonus. I got carried away setting up a sundae bar. I don't know what it is, I love setting up festive luncheons or dinner parties for people. I would do it more often if I had more $$. I like seeing people have a good time over food. Weeks before the party, I already envisioned how I wanted the ice cream station to look. For this, I splurged at Bed, Bath & Beyond when I saw this set of glasses that are shaped like waffle cones; I thought they'd look great holding all the toppings--crumbled Oreos, M&Ms, nuts and cherries. I decided to bring out my chocolate fountain and used a tiered buffet of trays to put out strawberries. And I wanted to avoid putting the ice cream in our red cooler. Luckily, Sunday morning, I found a big, sunny yellow beverage bucket at Albertson's for 75 percent off--costs me $4. As you'll see in the pictures, I don't mess around when it comes to dessert.

But the absolute highlight that elevated the festivities was the appearance of some firefighters from our local firehouse. I had completely forgotten that I had invited them. Then, sometime before 1:30 p.m., while everyone was eating on the driveway, we saw a yellow fire engine enter the court. Everybody was totally surprised, myself included. I ran up and introduced myself as the hostess who requested the fire engine. I met Vicky and Don (How awesome was it to meet a woman firefighter!). And everyone went gaga over their engine -- adults and kids. There's just something about boys and men around firetrucks. People were swarming the engine. And I told Vicky and Don the story of how I won Dreyer's ice cream last year because of how Dad almost burned down the house. Hee-hee. After eating some ice cream, Vicky and Don let people take turns operating the fire hose. And they handed out stickers and cards to everyone.

At 3pm, a second fire engine came. Everyone was asking me things like "How did you get TWO?" or "How much clout do you have?" Funny. Turns out, the other engine, manned by the lieutenant, went to another party that was kind of a bust. So, he and the other firefighter decided to check out my party. They all agreed mine was the best. LOL. Anyway, one of my neighbors, who apparently has had fantasies about being a fireman, said everything I do is gold--according to his wife.

It was definitely a day to remember. I loved seeing everyone getting along. I finally got to meet our new next-door neighbors, Luis and Fabiana, who are from Brazil. Both so nice. They brought a pitcher of that Brazilian drink, Caipirinha. It's made from lime, sugar, ice and a Brazilian liquor called "cacasa" which is made from sugar cane. They warned everyone it was made with alcohol. So, of course I go into the house to get something and find my 15-year-old cousin Jonathan sitting on the papasan all quiet. I said "What's the matter?" He said "I drank some of that 'lemonade.'" I told the story to a couple of people. By the end, everyone had heard. Luis and Fabiana at first felt bad and I reassured them Jonathan knew what he was doing. So, the running joke was mentioning lemonade with air quotes.

Everyone says I have set the bar for neighborhood parties but I shouldn't feel like I have to top it in the future. That's nice of them to say because I don't think I could. I'm glad it all worked out. To think, I was going to invite Shao-Lin monks too!

Looking for normal (healthwise)

Well, I think I'm starting to get back to feeling like my old self. Even my appetite is starting to come back. Earlier this week, I barely made a dent in some baked chicken I ordered and couldn't stomach a burrito at the Pink Taco in Scottsdale, which I went to for the first time. In case you didn't know, Pink Taco is a synonym for part of the female anatomy. Supposedly, there is a pink taco dish in Mexico that resembles a...er...um...you know. Anyhoo, today my aunt Karen took me to a Chinese buffet (you will not believe how many of those there are in Phoenix). I started out small with just soup, rice and vegetables. Soon, I found myself chomping on a fried chicken drumstick, two crispy wings, two crab puffs, and two little pieces of sesame chicken. After lunch, we went on to a bridal shower for Nancy, my (distant) cousin Darrell's fiancee. There I wolfed down a chocolate strawberry and a piece of ice cream cake--peanut butter chocolate with white cake. I think it's a safe bet I probably gained back the weight I lost after I got sick.

The bridal shower was expectedly girly and festive. But I admit, sometimes I'm a sucker for that stuff. Nancy's high school pal threw the party at her house in Paradise Valley, a really ritzy burb next to Phoenix. Her house was amazing; I felt like I was at a party in a Martha Stewart Living spread. Mediterranean, Spanish style house with granite counters and a granite island in the kitchen. Her friend clearly loves to throw parties. She threw all the takeout food in shiny chafing dishes to make it presentable and had tropical-theme decorations and favors. It was all very organized and pristine. Makes me want to throw a party. Anyone out there in need of a bridal shower/party planner?

Wednesday night, I set foot in a Wal-Mart for the first time. Ever. I just wanted to see what the attraction was. My first impression, it's like Target but bigger and rowdier. Yeah, it's nice they have a lot of affordable stuff but...it feels a little sterile and less classy. Not that I blame people for shopping there. I will be going to the dark side from time to time. As a hobbyist baker, I'd definitely go there for baking stuff; their spices and everything are incredibly cheap. I bought myself a 24-cup cupcake carrier. Yes, it sounds ridiculous but I like the idea of making cupcakes and transporting them easily. And it just looks so handy.

Well, it looks like this weekend, I should be able to eat some of the ice cream I won. Woo-hoo! Can't wait.

Being sick sucks

It's been a while since I posted. The main reason is that I became ill with a fever and other crappy issues two weekends ago. I thought I was getting better but this past weekend, while hanging in LA, I felt ill and flu-like again. I've been having trouble sleeping and my appetite has gone somewhat south this past week. I really hope that the health Gods will smile down on me soon. It doesn't help that in the past week, I've gone out twice in the terrible heat to help cover a story.

You've all heard I'm sure about the serial shooter spree in Phoenix and how they have arrested two guys--Dale Hausner and a guy who was staying with him, Samuel Dieteman. Last Friday, I was sent to Mesa, a city east of Phoenix, to go to the complex where Hausner lived and interview his neighbors. That was fun: "So, how does it feel knowing the serial shooter was living in your front yard?" But I got one girl who was refreshingly candid. She said her friends saw those two guys together so much, they speculated they were a gay couple. I think Dieteman is the more short-circuited one. According to a Glendale police record (Glendale is a suburb northwest of Phoenix), he once pulled a Wendy's employee across the counter and punched him, nearly beating him, because they put mustard on his hamburger! Imagine if they had put pickles.

Then on Tuesday, I got sent downtown where the roof of a parking garage due to be demolished collapsed on a construction worker. It was pretty scary. Everyone was waiting word for when rescue crews would get him out. The poor guy, who is my age, had literally tons of debris and concrete stuck on his legs. When you have all that weight, the danger comes when it's all lifted. Blood hasn't been circulating and toxins might be released. Last I heard, he's still in critical condition at the hospital. I really, really hope he makes it.

Well, gotta get back to drinking more fluids. Must feel normal again.

The Alice in my Wonderland

I don't mean to toot my own horn, but "beep, beep Baby!" Kidding. I'm just kind of stoked that Yahoo!News picked up my interview with Alice Cooper.

Alice Cooper to break ground on Arizona teen center

Angel with the red beret

Should I feel safer at night knowing that the Guardian Angels have taken to Phoenix streets, mainly the streets that bind my neighborhood? For those of you who have never heard of them, the Guardian Angels is a volunteer patrol group with a twinge of vigilantism. They started in New York City in the '70s when The Son of Sam killer had everyone terriied. Now they have chapters all over the country. They don't carry weapons--only handcuffs to make a "citizen's arrests." They are supposed to be trained in first aid, CPR and self-defense. The founder, Curtis Sliwa, flew in Saturday morning to rally a group of 24 Angels who flew in from all over the West Coast region. They are trying to start up a Phoenix chapter so we have permanent patrolling until either of the two serial killers are caught. Out of curiosity and proximity (they converged right down the street from my building), I stopped in at their meeting spot behind a McDonald's. Because of my work connection, I ended up speaking to Curtis on the phone. He said it was like coming "full circle" meeting at McDonald's because he used to be the manager of one (ooookay). Anyway, as you can see, some media outlets showed up. I think they were happy to be able to report something new pertaining to these serial killers.

Later on Saturday, I drove out to Chandler, a suburb about 25 minutes from Phoenix to visit my cousin George. He's one of several newly discovered third cousins I have out here in Phoenix. I hung out with him and his dog, Sabrina.



George has been really great and hospitable. I mean, he's a straight guy who willingly watched The Devil Wears Prada with me. He lives in a boonies part of Chandler in this new housing development. His home is only 6 months old. Dude, he's not even 30 and bought his own house. And what a house. Makes me tempted to buy property. His house is like a castle--not in size, but in decor. The entryway is a cylindrical extension of the house with a cone-shaped roof, remniscent of a turret. All the doors inside or long and narrow and very vaulted ceilings. He also has guest quarters. It's a huge place for one person. He also has a swimming pool ... and a lovely pool it is. See below...

George's house

 

The sun will come out tomorrow -- unfortunately

Sweltering temps continue to rear their ugly heads here in Phoenix. Yesterday, I got sent out to do man on the street interviews (I suppose I should say person on the street) to get various opinions on a proposed initiative. A reporter is doing a story on this ballot initiative that voters will get to decide on in November. If you ask me, it's kind of lame. The initiative, if it passes, would institute a $1 million lottery every election year. Voters who vote in a general or primary election will automatically be entered--twice if they vote in both. The money would come from unclaimed lotto money. The group who put the initiative on the ballot is headed by a Tucson opthamologist. This guy thinks having a lottery will encourage more people to vote and thus, bring out more voters that are representative of the people. Other people think it's a waste of money.
So, in 100-plus degree heat, I was pestering Joe and Jane Schmoes at the county elections office, outside of Starbucks and at a gas station.

Not surprisingly, for every person who wanted to speak and told me to pull up a chair, I got people who acted like I was trying to sell them something.
"No thank you!" "I don't vote. Voting is a waste of time!!" "Voting is against my religion." (Jehovah's Witness)The first person who agreed to talk to me was this 55-year-old woman named Rosie Coyote. Yeah, that was her real name. With the name alone, I would have loved for the reporter to quote her. But then again, she didn't seem to want to take me very seriously. Here's how some of our conversation went:
"Do you think this initiative is a good idea?"
"Absolutely."
"Why?"
"You must be against it if you're asking me why." (Dude, lady, it's my job to ask people why, along with any of the other five Ws)
"What are you? 21? What are you doing out here? You in school?"

Guess it's hard for me to look and sound like a tough-as-nails reporter.

Anyhoo, I'm curious what some of you think of an initiative like this. I think the money should be used for something else instead of being given to someone for exercising his/her civic duty.

A city of tension

So, it's possible Phoenix may hit national headlines soon with the Southwest equivalent of the D.C. sniper. Unfortunately, right now, people think if the heat doesn't get to you, a cold-blooded killer will. Even worse, Phoenix seems to have inherited two psychos for the price of one. There are two sickos running around, terrorizing people. One is a "Serial Shooter." This person started out shooting dogs, horses and even a burro. Then he/she graduated to people. This crime series, now adding up to 34 incidents, includes five homicides and several people getting wounded while walking or waiting for the bus late at night.

The other is called the "Baseline Rapist" or "Baseline Killer." This guy, a black male, started out robbing and sexually assaulting women. Then he graduated to assaulting and/or abucting his victims before killing them.

I know some information since I covered one of the press conferences on the Baseline cases. Alas, the police are remaining tight-lipped about the physical evidence linking the crimes. Sigh...everyone in the city is on high alert. You can sense the paranoia in the air. Unfortunately, I live in the part of central Phoenix where many of the Baseline Killer's crimes happened. I try not to spend too much time worrying. After all, there's a difference between being careful and being paranoid. I don't go out at night very much to begin with. If I do, it's to meet someone at their home or in a public place. No stopping at a gas station or convenience store. Don't think there's much more I can do beyond that. Cross your fingers that they catch at least one of these whack jobs soon.

A funny aside: the quickie article I wrote on that press conference generated some play. Someone from either FOX news or a FOX affiliate called wanting me to talk about the case on TV. Luckily, they called on a Saturday when I wasn't there. It's also good since I only covered the conference. I am by no means an expert on the case. Still, it was funny. The idea of being on TV makes me want to go into a bomb shelter.

Family Circus and Circus Freaks

So, never thought at work, I'd be on the phone with Bil Keane, the cartoonist behind "Family Circus." My boss asked me a while ago to update the guy's profile since he's a well-known Arizona resident. I had called and called this woman at King Features Syndicate, which runs his strip in 1,500 papers. She never got back to me. Then lo and behold, earlier this week, I see an article about him in a local Phoenix paper. The reporter on that was nice enough to pass Keane's home phone number on to me. A very sweet, very talkative man. He's 83 and still does seven cartoons a week. He lives by himself in a house in Paradise Valley at the base of Camelback Mountain. In case you couldn't guess, that is a very ritzy area. He just came back from spending Fourth of July with his kids at the new house of his son, Glen, who lives in So Cal. A bit of trivia: Glen Keane was the lead animator on Disney's "Tarzan" and animated Tarzan skating down tree branches. Bil was very genial. I felt bad for him. He talked about how his wife Thel, the model for the mom in "Family Circus," has been living 10 minutes away at an assisted living facility for people with Alzheimer's. He tries to visit her every day, sniff. She's still very sweet but has lost all memory and can't really read either. I know this is girly, but I couldn't help but think of "The Notebook," which is also about a man trying to reach out to his wife who's stricken with Alzheimer's.

On a lighter note, I should start posting "weird story of the month ... or week" on here. Some of the stories that come in to AP or in Arizona newspapers are just so bizarre. In Bisbee, a kind of hippie town three hours away from here, a court dropped loitering charges against this man the residents call "Dog-Cat-Mouse guy." His panhandling schtick is he poses with his mouse, which he's trained to climb on his cat, which he's trained to climb on his dog.

Here's a link to a photo.
Bisbee lays off Dog-Cat-Mouse Guy

I think this guy has his own freaky family circus. And apparently he lives in a stinky RV with all his animals. You'll find he didn't spend much time on the names either.

Thanks to everyone back home who celebrated my birthday with me. A great huge gracias for anyone who made time to have lunch, go to the beach, clubbing, etc. I had a really great visit which made it harder to get on the plane last night. I'm at work now . Anyhoo, not too bad.

Here is a link to my first official AP byline story. It got picked up by 4-5 newspapers in the state. Not too shabby.

Donald O'Connor estate on sale

Twas a nice birthday after all

Now that my real birthday has come and gone, I have to say it turned out better than I thought. I admit, I had predicted an empty day seeing as I was living in another state by myself. I was fighting the urge to throw myself a pity party. But I realized, just because I don't know enough people in Phoenix to fill a Denny's booth for any grand birthday shindig, it doesn't mean I'm alone.

I lost count of how many people sent me birthday wishes via e-mail. I got several phone calls from, some from people I hadn't heard from months. So, I was pleasantly surprised. Dinner-wise, I couldn't think of anything to do, so I just ate some leftovers, hehe. But then I got stir-crazy and decided to go get some gelato. I bumped into my neighbor Alysia and her dog, Jesus (pronounced the Spanish way -- see previous entry for his picture). Alysia, BTW, is the one who cut my hair. I told her I was gonna get some sweets for my birthday and she insisted on coming with me and treating me. It was nice to sit with her and Jesus is the first dog who ever rode in my car. It's interesting to drive while a dog is trying to crawl into your lap. Once we said goodnight, I entered my apartment and my roommate Gaby, who felt bad for not having dinner with me (although she shouldn't have), bought me this huge Mexican dessert. It's a layer of flan with a layer of jello. Talk about feeling touched. There was only an itty bit of space in the middle, just enough for Gaby to ask the baker to write "Terry." See the picture above for how adorable it looked. One meaningful gesture is worth more than 20 hollow ones. So, all in all, a pretty good birthday.

I'm a year older

I want to be in my twenties forever, hehe. I treated myself by staying up way past my bedtime to watch a 10pm screening of "Superman Returns" last night. I give it high marks overall. Yah for Bryan Singer for making a non-campy take on Supes and constantly tipping his hat to the 1978 Christopher Reeve version. The film has its moving moments. And Brandon Routh is pretty darn winsome as both Clark and Superman but as Superman, he does remind me of Reeve. Too bad Reeve wasn't around to make a cameo. But I like how Superman is a lovelorn workaholic, just on a bigger scale. He goes in overdrive in doing good deeds to forget that Lois is taken. Anyhoo, I'm a Superman geek still.

Today, I get to have my first story edited at work. My boss likes to have a one-on-one chat once a month to make sure I'm feeling okay about everything. A few days ago, it turned into a mini evaluation and he said he was really pleased by my work so far. Can't ask for better than that. Happy birthday for me...

Back from L.A.

I remember in the fall of 2001 feeling so sick of Los Angeles. But now, being there feels almost like home despite the smog and slew of synthetically enhanced people. I suppose if I grew up in Phoenix, any visit would feel nostalgic. But I had one of the most perfect weekends. It's so nice to catch up with friends and not have any drama or get into fights because you normally get on each other's nerves.

Sunanda and her boyfriend, Rich, were the consummate hosts. Saturday afternoon, they willingly took me to The Grove. It's this shopping plaza between Beverly Hills and West Hollywood that tries to make you feel like you're in a little city. For those of you up North, think Santana Row but on a bigger, more crowded and somewhat hipper scale. They have a trolley that goes around and a fountain which spouts in rhythm with music (It's quite odd to see a fountain dance to Lionel Ritchie's "All Night Long") . The Grove has all the typical upscale shops. It's mostly a celeb-spotting place but I didn't see anyone. :(

Sat night, I got to see Sunanda's parents who made "Terry's chicken" for me. (There's a chicken dish they make really well. And they have it in their heads that I can't live without it which is sorta close to reality).

Sunday was my favorite part. I was lucky enough that my friends Brent, who lives really close to Sunanda and Rich, and Sandy were free. The four of them were nice enough to help me celebrate my birthday a little early. We ate lunch at Cafe Brasil while watching Holland lose to Portugal in the World Cup. Brent made me an awesome card and sent along some earrings that his wife, Rebecca, made. And I got a card from Sandy with a new shoulder bag from the Angry Little Asian Girl product line. Hopefully, when people see it, they won't think I have anger issues, hehe. How I got such generous friends, I'll never know. I capped off the day with a stroll along Venice Beach and dipping my feet in the ocean. I haven't been to the beach in soooo long. And it was nice and cool. I'll never take California weather for granted again!

My first assignment: Make 'Em Laugh

I've sought sanctuary in L.A. this weekend to escape Phoenix's 113-degree heat. My good friend from college and old roommate, Sunanda, was kind enough to host me. I'll also get to see her parents who plan to serve me a dish they've dubbed "Terry's chicken." In a funny coincidence, when I arrived, I met Sunanda's friend, Terry Pang. Spooky! But in her case, Terry is short for Puhterry. I soooo wish I were kidding, but I'm not. And if anyone tries to call me that, I will have to hurt you.

So, shortly after my last entry, where I said it was a sloooow week and nothing was going on, that's usually when the tide, of course, turns a bit.

Warning: the following paragraph gets a bit gory. This job may be the only one I ever have where my boss asks me if I want to look at body parts. Thursday afternoon, I hear my boss, Ed, ask the news desk supervisor if he wants to look at a picture but alerts him that it's pretty graphic. Then Ed said "You can look at it too if you want, Terry. It's a picture of heads." For a second, I wasn't sure what he meant. Could be heads of lettuce, ya know? Then I can hear the two men in Ed's office. Basically, a few days ago, three Mexican police officers and a civilian were ambushed in some area outside of Tijuana and beaten and decapitated. The AP San Diego bureau was covering it and thought that one of the dead men was from Phoenix. So, the photographer sent Ed a picture and the e-mail subject line was something like "Picture of four heads -- gruesome!!!!" I went back and forth about whether to go look. Then our head I.T. guy went to look at it. Finally, the Pandora in me went to look. It was pretty disturbing, all four were on a table . And a card with a number was next to each one. This isn't as callous as it sounds but Ed said "It's like a line-up." It's really terrible that there are barbaric people out there who could do that. I, surprisingly, did not have nightmares that night.

Now, you're probably wondering why the title of my post is "make 'em laugh." Well, a real story assignment fell into my lap. This woman had been calling me off and on about how the family of Donald O'Connor (if you have not seen this man sing and dance the number "Make 'Em Laugh" in Singing In the Rain opposite Gene Kelly, then shame on you!) will be selling off items in his estate. She sent me a fax on Thursday. Donald lived in Sedona for about nine years, up until his health declined -- he died in September 2003. A co-worker and I were talking about how much we would love to go this sale -- I mean it's essentially a celebrity garage sale. Ed heard us and told me to look into doing a story on it. So, yesterday, I interviewed Donald's widow and daughter over the phone. And then I tracked down this guy who owns an auction house in L.A. to talk about if this kind of sale is rare and what determines a celeb item's worth. We had such a nice chat, that he invited me to come tour his auction house whenever I'm in L.A. He said it's like a celebrity museum. He deals with a lot of funny stuff ; they just sold off a belt Elvis wore in a Hawaii concert for $66,000 and William Shatner's kidney stone went for $25,000. The things trekkies buy!

28 on the 28th

There really hasn't been much to talk about since my last post. Sunday night, my boss asked me to come in Monday at 7 a.m. . Wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. A huge wildfire broke out in Sedona, which is a two-hour drive north of Phoenix, Sunday afternoon. Huge in scope and in threat. Currently, it has reached the west side of the main highway there. If it crosses and reaches the east, there are hundreds of homes and businesses that could be in danger. One of our reporters had to drive out there Sunday night and she's still there. So, I shouldn't complain about having to get up early to help man the phones and take dictation. I'm not sure I could deal with being told to drive out at the drop of a hat 10 o'clock at night.

I tried a kickboxing class at Bally's. The instructor basically took a page out of Billy Blanks school. Man, it's been a while since I've done hardcore exercise. I was huffing and puffing after 15 minutes. Sad.

Drat, it's six days 'til my "golden birthday," or whatever they call it when your age matches your day of birth. I want to stay in my twenties forever. Some scientists oughta get working on some kind of time machine.

I have no idea how to celebrate it. Any suggestions? It's the first time I've had to do the birthday thing solo and it's on a weekday. I don't know anyone here well enough to say 'hey, let's go out and ... yah me!" So, I guess I'll just make sure after work, I'll try to pamper myself--pedicure, manicure if I have time, eat the food I like, see the movie I want to see. And though I don't enjoy seeing movies by myself, I'm desperate to see "Superman Returns" and I can't wait. I take it as a sign that opening day was changed and coincided with my b-day. Also, it's bad enough I haven't been to a movie theater in months. If I could have anything, it would be a lifetime movie theater pass. I feel like I'm so behind pop-culture wise.

Well, back to work on a somewhat slow day.

A weekend update

Amazing how things can change. Last Sunday, I had no real plans for this past weekend. Now, I can recap several interesting and odd things that happened.

First, I decided to get a haircut on Saturday and I went to the salon where my next door neighbor works. Alysia works at an Aveda salon called Salon Tru in downtown Scottsdale, which is even more uppity than downtown Palo Alto. It was pretty cool to get to know her better while she was working on my hair. She's 27 and her dream is to do actors' coifs on movie sets. She reminds me of Kirsten Dunst in Spider-Man because she's really skinny and her hair is currently colored bright red. She was telling me how hard it is to cut her own hair and the first thought that popped into my head was how the one person who has a hard time cutting his own hair is Superman. Scissors would break and he's got to use his heat vision and a mirror. I was about to say it, not as a joke, but as a serious comment, and then I realized "Oh wait, I'll truly cement myself as a dork in her mind." Definitely good to think before one speaks. Anyway, we got to know each other better and how often can you say your neighbor washed your hair and massaged your scalp?

Saturday night, I hung out with this girl named Marianne. I met her at a potluck I got invited to because of my connection to Sandy. It was just me and her at dinner. I was sort of nervous we wouldn't have anything to talk about. But we actually have a lot in common. I told her how it's my dream to one day live and work in Spain for a year because I spent a month there. And she asked where and I said "This little town called Salamanca." She was totally amazed because she had actually spent a semester there the same year I visited. Talk about a funny coincidence.

We went to a Borders Books later and were looking at this Asian American magazine called East West. This girl overheard us talking about it and said she freelances for the magazine. She and Marianne started talking (Marianne used to be in journalism too) and Marianne introduced me as an assistant with the AP bureau. The girl said "Oh, I think you have my old job." That's when I realized she was the girl who had the job before me and was abruptly "let go." Can we say awkward? She was really nice but the first thing she said to me was "How do you like it? It's really stressful, right?" I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't want to lie and say that my job totally sucks. But if I talked about how much I liked it, it would've sounded like I was implying that things not working out there was more her fault. Her husband was with her too. The vibe I got from both of them is that the experience was pretty painful for her and that I'll eventually grow to dislike the job. Before we parted, she gave me her business card and said to contact her if I had any questions or wanted to bitch about the job. Yikes! All I can say is that I'm glad I didn't encounter her my first week on the job otherwise I would've been even more of a nervous wreck, expecting the worst.

So, I'm cautiously optimistic about my prospects for a social life. Marianne invited me to this gathering at a bar Sunday night. Basically, a bunch of Asian American journalists who are all in their 20s formed their own social group. They all belong to the Asian American Journalists Association. I got there and did not see Marianne. Luckily, not too many Asians in Tempe. So, I just went up to the only table with a bunch of young Asian Ams and found them to be the group. It was pretty fun. It's been a while since I've been around people who talk about how there are so many brands of soy sauce and where the best Asian grocery store is. Although they started getting into a debate about whether Phoenix or San Francisco had better looking people. Someone said she thought people in the Bay Area were on the ugly side. Apparently, her friend once made a calendar of Berkeley students and none of them seemed to be pin-up material. At that point, I felt the need to chime in. San Fran has plenty of hotties! Though not sure how many of them are straight.

Anyway, I'm not sure how often I'll see them. But last night was a good start.