Inauguration and firefighter madness

So, it was quite a three-day weekend. I think I'm still decompressing from it all. The weekend was not what I thought it would be. And I want to write it all down before I forget. My mom came into town Friday night for a two-week visit (yah, I get Mom's cooking for Chinese New Year!). Saturday, I was sort of bored, so I made vegan chocolate espresso cupcakes. With all the Cardinals football fever infecting Arizona, I decided to try frosting them to look like field turf with a grass-blade tip and white icing to draw yard lines (see above photo). Then I realized I had no football-esque candy, so I put some chocolate rocks I still had. I put everything in my fridge and wasn't sure what to do with them. I couldn't sleep, so Sunday, I got up before 7 a.m. and I jogged over to watch my co-worker Jacques' band, The Preserve, play along the PF Chang's full-marathon route. In a very weird coincidence, they were assigned a spot one block away from my place, right smack in front of the firehouse. Yes, the same firehouse that gave me refuge during a very bad storm in August. It would've been so cool if the crew that helped me out were there too. But I didn't recognize any of the firefighters and I'm sure they were surprised when someone asked "When's the A crew on?" Turns out the guys who would recognize me weren't scheduled to work 'til Monday (MLK Day).

It was so nice the next day not to have to work. After going to a morning showing of "Slumdog Millionaire" and a lunch of Cajun food, I decided I could not ignore the urge to make cupcakes for Inauguration Day--non-partisan looking of course! I really wanted to express how excited I was to witness such a historic day in our country's history. Since Obama was using Lincoln's Bible, I settled on trying Mary Todd Lincoln's white cake which she supposedly made for Abe while they were "courting." (Geez, no wonder nobody uses that word anymore; it just sounds really dorky in the context of hooking up). It's actually a bundt cake recipe so I had enough for 2 dozen. I had some Meyer lemons from the farmer's market so it was gonna be lemon frosting (vegan). I also had red, white and blue star-shaped sprinkles. (See above photo). I had no idea what I'd do with them all. So, at 5 p.m. yesterday, I packed up all 12 of the football cupcakes and half of the Inauguration Day cupcakes into a cupcake carrier and told my mom and visiting Aunt Karen, who we were supposed to have dinner with, I'd be right back. I drove down to the firehouse and knocked on the door, hoping someone was home.

Well, it turns out the entire crew was there. Two of them recognized me from last time I gave them cupcakes so I didn't look like a random nut. I said "Do you remember me? I hope you don't mind, it's just, I come with baked goods." I told them I had done a lot of baking and they were the first ones to come to mind when I thought who would want some? So, they let me come in and I shot the breeze with them. I explained the origins of the Inauguration Day cupcakes but I think they didn't hear me. All they thought was SWEETS. After 20 minutes, I decided it was time to make myself scarce so as not to overstay my welcome. Before I could, one of them said "Hey, Terry, do you want to stay for dinner?" Talk about taking me by surprise! I was like "Are you sure? It's not against any policy?" And they were like "Nah!" So I said, "Let me just call my mom..." So, I drove back home to give my mom the car and she dropped me off. So when you think about it, the crew rescued me a second time--not from a storm but from something almost as painful, a boring dinner with my elders gabbing away in Chinese.

I told them I took a chance showing up because the crew told me yesterday they'd be around. It wasn't like I planned to show up like some crazy stalker but with baked goods. They thought it was funny and said I could stalk them if I wanted to.

So, yes, I never expected to spend a Monday evening with six firefighters around their dinner table. They served green chili with pork, tortillas, some kind of vermicelli noodle dish with Mexican spices--all very tasty. I didn't eat too much partly cuz I was still full from lunch and partly because I was nervous being around so many guy's guys. They were smart. Before we sat down, one of them said "You're not going to repeat anything you may hear tonight are you?" In other words, it wouldn't turn up in print, LOL. I said I'd go into "off the record" mode though it wasn't like anybody confessed to a crime. Well, I have to say it was really fun talking with all of them. We exchanged stories, observations about our jobs, my interest in running. They were very social. They asked me lots of questions about growing up in California, what I thought of Arizona, my work, and why the fascination with cupcakes, LOL. Luckily, I had plenty of anecdotes to share. I hope I didn't talk too much. At one point, two of the guys who like to cook were playfully exchanging compliments. So, the other guys made fun of them, asking if they wanted to cuddle or spoon. So I said "Oh, is someone going to have a 'Brokeback Mountain' moment?" Sheesh, you would've thought I said "I like eating feces" by the way they all recoiled. I said "I take it none of you have seen the movie?" I got a unanimous round of "God no!" Like I said, guy's guys. Some of the guys there weren't there the night of the storm and had not heard about it. So, it got retold with one of the firefighters saying I looked like a "chihuahua soaking wet." (Gee thanks). And ladies, I have to say, one of the firefighters who hadn't heard the story was really cute. And he was really inquisitive, asked me all kinds of questions. But after dinner, he disappeared to the back of the station and didn't come back out. Curses! I had to leave by that time because a)I didn't have any interest in watching the Suns game and it wasn't their job to entertain me and b)I hadn't finished frosting all my cupcakes. So, I just told the guys who were still in the living room to say bye to the others. Unfortunately, I don't think it would've looked good for me to try to go to their sleeping quarters, LOL.

Great group of guys there. The best part of course was this time, I got to watch them eat my cupcakes and they all gave me the thumbs-up. I hope I didn't scare them when I said "watching people enjoy something I made is like for other people, watching porn." Anyway, I'm still feeling touched by how nice and hospitable they were. Hopefully, it won't be the last time I get to hang out with them.

BTW, I recommend Meyer lemons. They aren't as sour as regular lemons and add a really nice flavor. I got raves from my co-workers too for the frosting. When I told the firefighters most of everything was vegan, they accused me of thinking they were fat. Whatever. Anyway, still feeling a bit surreal between my time with them and watching the first African American get sworn in as President today. What a world!

OK, 2009, what have you got for me?

My first post of 2009. I don't have any reason for putting up these cupcake pictures. I just figured adding photos never hurts. I think the fact that few people read this means I might censor myself less, LOL.

Anyway, before I start listing my New Year's resolutions, I'll just briefly dwell on 2008. I went to a New Year's Eve party at the home of a really sweet couple I met. They are these gay men I met at a Yelp happy hour. Their party is where I brought those chocolate with espresso frosting cupcakes pictured above. Anyway, a girl there was taking random testimonials/reflections from guests. Part buzzed, part cynical, a lot of people basically said "F*** you 2008!" LOL. You know, I would have to say, though there were days I felt AZ was kind of like those Dementors in the "Harry Potter" books that suck some of your soul away, the year holds a lot of good memories for me. One thing about being in another place with not much of a social life is the ennui compels you to try new things. I started '08 by running my first ever 13.1-mile half marathon, something I never pictured I'd ever try. Speaking of marathons, I went to a record five weddings (five and a half if you count one of them including a Chinese banquet on another day). And it's no secret to anyone who sees me enough -- or hasn't seen me in a while -- that I shed some weight. Although the pressure is on to maintain and I still see my *meatier* self in the mirror sometimes, I'm happy to be healthier. I'm sure the exercise and everything is why I was never bed-ridden sick in '08. No sick days used. I celebrated turning 30 with a party that included almost all of my oldest friends, family and new close friends (amazing one can still find those). I wrote quite a few stories throughout the year but the one that sticks out, of course, is one that combined two interests in one--reporting on cupcakes, or rather, reporting on frosting. Oh, and I ran a second half marathon on my home turf, improving on my previous time by 30 minutes. I have to remind myself of all these on the days when it feels like nothing cool or exciting will happen to me ever again.

Now as for any resolutions. I feel like if I write these down, I might have a fighting chance of following them. There are leaders and followers. I am usually a follower--a follower of lists. It's like if it's not in writing, I won't really hang onto something. I don't know what it is. I like checking things off. And isn't life sometimes just a great big to-do list? OK, getting too philosophical. Anyway, my resolutions, some will be important, some will be silly.
_Try a new physical activity like maybe a dance class
_Make desserts that aren't just cupcakes, LOL.
_Be punctual starting with work
_Keep running
_go on a trip somewhere out of the U.S.
_Participate in SF Bay to Breakers (this one could be a tough one)
_a list within a list--I am going to try and watch every winner of the Best Picture Oscar--if not by the time the next Oscars airs, then within the next few months. I need to bone up on my reputation as a pop culture geek. There's about 80 films and I think I've seen about 42 of them.
_I need to read the many books I've bought but never opened!

This list is going to be an evolving project. I'm sure I'll think of more things to add. In the meantime, here's hope for a very good year for all.

All those wedding trips finally paid off

Sigh, I never get tired of looking at this picture. They are so gosh darn cute.

Anyway, so, all that flying back and forth I did this year--mostly for weddings--paid me a little dividend. I was agonizing over whether to fork over the $270 bucks just to go home the weekend after Christmas because holidays just aren't the same without family. Sorry, but there's a big part of me that is sick of forking over couple hundred bucks so many times this year. I've even been looking on Craigslist for odd jobs I might be qualified for just to have some extra spending money. Well, I almost dismissed an e-mail from Southwest yesterday as just a solicitation. I read it closer today and I saw that I purchased enough trips this year for two free one-way trips!!! So, now I can go home for the weekend feeling a lot less guilty because all I had to do was pay the $5 security taxes. It will be a really short visit, unfortunately. But I suppose it's better than nothing. Christmas has come a lot earlier this year. So, to all a goodnight!

Post-election time at last!!

Finally, the day the media had been anticipating for a year and a half has come and gone. I logged a lovely 12-hour work day on Tuesday. But the madness was both Tuesday and Wednesday. See, on Tuesday, I went out to interview voters in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe about how they felt about the election, their vote for prez and marriage as being between a man and a woman. I spent like three and a half hours finding people to talk. You sometimes meet the quirkiest people on the street. In Tempe, I finally found someone who had voted for McCain. This 59-year-old independent voter proudly told me that he came out to vote despite his doctors telling him he had to stay home. See, he had undergone a "medical procedure" that morning and was sedated and stuff. At first he didn't want to tell me what the procedure was, which was fine. But then he took off his sunglasses and was like, "See? Don't I look lucid?" So, I asked if the procedure was something done on his eyes. That's when he just up and told me that he had undergone a colonoscopy(!). I had no idea what to say. Tried to segue into questions about gay marriage. This man said he believed marriage should be between a man and a woman and quickly followed it by saying he has no problem with gay people. Someone at the office suggested we write "After getting a colonoscopy, John Smith said he has no problem with gay people." Tsk, tsk. Naughty!!

Well, there was still more running around the day after the election. I had to go down to the resort where McCain had conceded the race to do a "cleaning up after the party" story. It was strange parking my car where I often go jogging on the weekends. The resort borders a canal very popular among runners. Anyway, I had the hardest time finding a hotel guest who wasn't a member of the media or McCain's staff. Then I saw a very tall man walking and a little alarm went off--my "I recognize a celebrity" alarm. It was Jon Voight ("Coming Home," Angelina's dad). I remembered reading he was a Republican. I sort of just fell into step with him and he was playfully suspicious when I said I was a reporter. He was like "Why should I talk to you?" I said because we are objective. So, he put his arm around me while we talked. Odd. I didn't know he was a touchy-feely type. After our conversation, I went walking some more. I met some journalists from Spain (Viva Espana!) who told me the Palin children were in the nearby swimming pool but I couldn't confirm it. They suggested I try to find more guests at the gym or another pool. So, I sort of wandered down a bunch of hallways 'til I ended up at another smaller swimming pool. It was deserted. I was just about to open the gate to wait for people to come when a couple came from the other side. They laid down on deck chairs. I was debating whether to approach them when the man took off his cap. I saw it was Joe Lieberman. So, I walked over, made eye contact with his wife and chatted with them for a few minutes. I said upfront I was a reporter. I felt bad interrupting him when he was clearly trying to relax but they shouldn't have been surprised that there were media about. I don't know if he believed me when I said I honestly did not know they were going to be there. Man, I felt like I had a role in "Alice in Conservative Wonderland." Only in Arizona. Anyway, helping on the election has been quite an adventure. Despite the grueling schedule and little sleep, I wouldn't change things. Now back to normal with normal now being having a black president!

Just vote already!!

Yes, for those of you who have seen my Facebook photos, I never get tired of posting a picture from these Halloween ghost cupcakes. I made the ghosts myself. Well, not the gum paste, but I used a ghost-shaped cookie cutter and edible ink to draw the little faces.

Anyway, I will do a jig or some kind of happy dance when this presidential election is over! I can't remember when was the last time I was so eager for something to end. Everyone at my office is stressed; we all have these assignments hanging over our heads. A lot of things I'm scheduling for after Tuesday--haircut, working on a travel story, massage. Well, those will all be more enjoyable after Nov. 4 any way. I am bummed that Tuesday, I have to work like noon-midnight. I will have to skip reading at the shelter. So none of my pals there we'll see me for two weeks. At least last night, it was a little bit livelier than usual as we wanted to something special for the kids before Halloween. About five of us, myself included of course, made cupcakes. It was so cool to see all the different flavors and decorations people did. And when they were all out on the table, it was like a great cupcake buffet. I think my heart did skip a beat. :p Not a sight one sees often. I wish I had brought a camera. Anyway, I'm already thinking about what to make when we do a X-mas party for them.

I am hoping lots of people take advantage of early voting so the wait isn't too long at the polls. We'll see. The only thing I'll sort of be disappointed about after the election is over is fewer SNL political specials.

1-800 Flowers contest

I'm trying to win a contest here people by linking to a blog post. Bear with me.

The firefighters and I meet again!

That is me in the driver's seat of a fire engine. On Sunday, there was this street fair (more like a parking lot fair) a few blocks away from mi casa. My mom and I ambled over. It was basically a chance for a lot of local merchants to do some self-promotion. Well, there were of course neighborhood police and fire people there. I saw a bunch of kids climbing around a fire truck so I went over and sure enough, some of the firefighters were the same guys from that dark and stormy night. They were very nice and recognized me right away. But the most important thing is that I finally got some feedback on my cupcakes since I didn't get to see them eat any. They all said they were really good and the only problem was that they ate too many. Aah, music to a baker's ears. They also said if I EVER want to bring more, I should. LOL, I just might. After all, Halloween is coming up. That's like Super Bowl for cake decorators. Anyway, I pointed to the fire truck and asked "Is this what you took me home in?" Yup, it was. So, of course I needed a picture. They offered to lift me up there like they did with the other little kids and I was like "Um...NOOOO." So, that was fun. And my mom got to meet some of them and make fun of me. That's always nice for her.

On a different subject, my last entry should be null and void. The Friday before last, I got a black envelope in the mail. I thought it was a Halloween party invitation. Nope. It was for another wedding!! When will this madness end? I really thought I was done. Oh well. Sheesh, I'm one funeral away (knock on wood) from being a Hugh Grant movie.

NO MORE WEDDINGS

Yipee! No offense to those who were kind enough to put me on their guest list, but the excessive dress shopping and money spent on other unforeseen things was a bit draining. Still, it was nice to see what different couples did to really personalize the art form that is holy matrimony. In honor of this wave of nuptials, I just need to hand out some superlatives to the four unions I witnessed this past spring and summer.

Best reception food: Tony & Laura. I think their feast spoiled me for other weddings where you just get salad, a roll and an entree. They had a 3-table buffet representing three different kinds of cuisine--Napa wine country, Italian North Beach and Asian food for Chinatown. And I don't think I ate one bland thing that night.

Best slide show: Alvin & Jen. Alvin's sense of humor really came through especially with the choice in music. And I loved how it ended with pictures of their ceremony to Carrie Underwood singing "Ever Ever After."

Best entertainment: Brian & Marianne (Phoenix-based friends who don't even know I write a blog). Marianne is Filipino and Brian is half. They opened the reception with dancers from ASU's Filipino Student Association. It was a great way to lend some cultural nuances to the evening and their dances used some interesting props.

Best favors: Randy & Ellie. I liked their all candy table with little Chinese take out boxes to take stuff home. And all the candy was different shades of blue to match the event's color scheme.

Best ceremony backdrop: Tony & Laura. There's nothing like getting married at Fort Mason with the beautiful San Francisco Bay behind you with boats drifting back and forth. And a touch of irony with Alcatraz not too far away.

Best wedding cake display: Alvin & Jen. OK, I may be a bit biased here. (MY CUPCAKES!)

If anyone else is getting married this year, I have one word: ELOPE.

Well, off to bed. Just got a massage at a chain called Massage Envy. My neck feels quite a bit better. But a weird thing happened tonight. When I went to pay, the cashier said someone left a gift card with my name for a free 1 1/2 hour massage. But I can't think of anyone who would do that except for my regular massage therapist which I'm not sure why she'd do that. But nobody else knows I go there regularly. Hmmm...this is a mystery that's going to bug me for a while. Where is Scooby? Or rather Velma?

Pow! Boffo! da,da,da,da,da,da Bat Man!

Here's a story I wrote that has absolutely nothing to do with cupcakes. And I now have a new found respect for bats. It would be cool to see some but not too close. Don't want the little furry guys in my hair or anything. But, now when I hear bats, I'll think of this guy's work first before I think of Christian Bale. And that's pretty amazing, lol. I also heard from 'Bat Man' and he's gotten a lot of positive feedback from my story, even a possible offer to write a book!

Bat man comes to the rescue of, well, bats

Hurricane Phoenix

The headline news around here today was the very fierce, hurricane-like weather that struck central Phoenix and Tempe. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's the story with my name on it:
Hurricane-force winds, heavy rain hit Phoenix

I never saw so many toppled trees and bent signs on my way to work. It took me 40 minutes to get to work because of all the down traffic lights. All the restaurants and stores by my complex were closed today still because of no power.

This behemoth of a storm system came barreling through Thursday night. Unfortunately, I got caught in it. For some reason, I was really stir crazy around 9:30 Thursday evening. So, after seeing the building's fitness room was closed, I gazed outside and honestly, other than some lightning, it did not look that bad. I decided to jog four blocks and make a rectangle so I'd end up back at my place. Unfortunately, halfway through, I had the terrible luck of encountering rain. First it was just a sprinkle. But like 3 second later, it turned into full on torrents and the winds were so fast. I tried to keep running but the wind kept forcing rain in my face and into my mouth. And the wind made me short of breath. To top it off, my contact lenses were bugging the hell out of me and by this time, I'm soaking wet (only wearing a sports bra and shorts). I tried waiting it out under a (closed) gas station but it was so chilly. I had visions of lying bedridden with pneumonia. So, I tried again to keep running home but it was so dark and the water kept coming. For a second, I was like "Is this what waterboarding is like?" I was so freaking miserable but I had no choice but to keep running, despite losing my breath and body temperature.

It was at this moment I heard someone whistle and I saw a flashlight waving out of the corner of my eye. Aren't we trained to always go toward the light? (Ooh, that may be for only certain scenarios). So I did. Turns out, I was in front of my neighborhood fire station. All the power in the neighborhood had gone out, including there. So, there were like six of them sitting by their truck with the garage door open. They were all like "Are you seriously jogging at this time, in the rain?!" They were soooo nice. One got me a towel and someone else handed me a flashlight. First they asked if there was someone I could call (of course, there isn't) but I said I lived super close. If I could just wait it out there, which they were totally cool with. Just as I tried to start a conversation, the dispatch came in with a fire alarm that they had to respond to. So, all of them scrambled into their gear. I thought I heard my address in the dispatch but I was wrong. That was when one of them surprised me by saying "Hey guys, she's on the way. Let's drop her off." So, I got taken home in a firetruck!! Very cool. They even pulled into the parking lot of my complex, practically right by the door to my part of the building. Before getting out, I said "Thanks guys, I owe you one!" One of them joked "We like cookies." Of course the only thing I could say was "How about cupcakes?" And they all started saying quite enthusiastically "Oh, we love cupcakes!" and "I work Sunday!" I guess I will try to actually bring homemade cupcakes by on Sunday. Honestly, I do not know what I would have done had they not given me shelter. I think I would have to smite someone who would say something bad about a firefighter.

I'm speechless...NOT

Well, this weekend was pretty successful from where I'm standing. I can't remember when, if ever, I gave a speech in front of 240 people. But I did this past weekend at my cousin Alvin's wedding banquet. Normally, I don't like to be part of the floor show but as his bride is one of my closest friends, I felt like I had a unique perspective. I didn't feel like I could sum up everything in a quickie toast. I felt like it would be more fun to relay the story of how they got together. I ended up with a 7-minute speech. It sounds long but I was confident that it was entertaining enough that it would fly by. I not only rehearsed for timing but to practice line delivery. A speech is no fun without some personality behind it. Anyway, I have to say that I kicked ass. Is it wrong to think that when you do the boasting, it's not egotistical but rather adorable? ;) I made sure to do a nice one-two combo of humor and emotion throughout. And is it wrong to be happy that you made the bride tear up? In those situations, you feel like you didn't do a good job if you didn't pull at anyone's heartstrings. I was very happy and flattered that a lot of people paid me compliments after and even the next day. Guess it shows I am a writer at heart. Man, it was hard to come down from such a nice weekend and back to...well...Phoenix life.

I dived right in to making cupcakes for a birthday for a fellow volunteer at the shelter. Here are a couple of pictures of them (chocolate with vanilla bean frosting). So glad I bought those gum paste tools. My flowers now have some dimension.

Dress makes the girl or girl makes the dress?

Well, as most of you already know--thanks to my inability to keep quiet when it comes to patting myself on the back, hehe--the wedding cupcakes went over very nicely. I don't know when is the next time I'd take up an endeavor like that. Of course, I wouldn't do it for just anyone. This weekend I have "part 2" of the same wedding--the happy couple is having a traditional Chinese wedding banquet. It's been a while since I've been to one of those where there are 200 guests and half of them are related to you in some way. All I know is I'm bounced around to properly greet every "auntie" and "uncle" with any remote blood tie to me. It's actually kind of fun but I'm glad they don't happen for me that often. They are very long affairs and never start on time. And there's so much food.

I spent all afternoon yesterday dress shopping. It's so hard to find something that looks good for under $100. And nothing seems perfect. I did eventually find a nice dress for $65 but I still have my insecurities. Most people who have seen me in the last few months noticed that I did shed some pounds. It's hard for me to see sometimes because, well, I see myself every day. And I know this sounds silly, but some days, I look in the mirror and still see me with an extra 15-17 pounds. I try not to obsess about whether something makes me look fat. But I think most women struggle with that. It's an age-old issue I guess.

On to the next story!

Well, my "frosting shots" story has had a great run. Before I move on, allow me to gloat a bit about how much play I found. For a week, I would Google "frosting shots" and "Associated Press" every day and see it trickle into more newspapers' Web sites. I saw my story had been used by newspapers in Detroit, Reno, Palm Springs, Dallas, the Twin Cities, San Diego, San Mateo (go Bay Area!), Savannah, Toronto as well as cities in New Hampshire, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Massachusetts, Illinois, Wisconsin, Maine as well as MSNBC and ABC News.com. I didn't get much comment about it around here until the local paper, The Arizona Republic, the biggest paper in the state, ran it on the front of their food section. That was cool. My boss told me he found my story on at least 60 Web sites and "one little blog." I said "Let me guess, it was some blogger who was like 'What a stupid idea.'" He said "Nope, it was yours." Oops...so much for keeping this blog's existence unknown to my boss. Luckily he's not the policing type. He didn't seem to care. I think he knows that I have good judgment about what is fine and not fine to write about.

Well, I'm ready for a break from cupcakes--writing about them, not baking or eating them of course! In fact, my cousin Alvin is getting married this week to, as luck would have it, one of my closest friends, Jen. When I found out they would not be having a wedding cake after their small, more intimate ceremony, I offered to make cupcakes. Now that it's less than a week away, I'm nervous. I know they don't expect Martha Stewart-caliber cupcakes. But I do want them to have a touch of elegance. The thing is, even after I make them, I won't be done fretting. There's still transportation and presentation issues. Sigh...wish me luck!

Work-wise, I already found another story to work on and it's about as far from cupcakes as I can get. It's about...bats! And no, it has nothing to do with "The Dark Knight." Can't say anymore on paper yet since it's not published. Also, you never know if one's boss will find his way here again.

The weekend of running into people

I escaped to L.A. this weekend. Sandy was kind enough to pick me up from the airport, let me stay with her and basically just be a wonderful friend/lifesaver all around. She and two of her friends aided me in my quest to see what the original Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills was like. I had heard it was smaller, more crowded than anywhere else. Well, it was all true. We waited in line for cupcakes for almost half an hour(!) The line is always out the door. If you don't believe me, I provided some visual evidence.



I'm sorry, I enjoy Sprinkles cupcakes but not enough to wait that long. I promised Sandy I would never again ask to go there. I overheard one guy on his cell in line saying "I'm outside in Beverly Hills waiting for cupcakes. These are supposed to be like the greatest cupcakes in the world." I'm sorry, but there's no such thing as the greatest cupcake in the world, in my opinion. There are so many great bakeries and just because there's no wait doesn't mean they don't have cupcakes worth eating.

Anyway, my cupcake voyage Saturday afternoon led me on a very surreal day of seeing people I know or know of. In the "know of" category, when my friends and I were outside Sprinkles, I saw a guy walk from behind us, passing the line of people. The dark skin and curly hair looked uncannily like the actor who plays Mohinder Suresh on "Heroes," a show I have followed from its series premiere. Once he and his two friends, both Indian guys, passed us, I caught his side profile. It was undoubtedly him. Unfortunately, I can't remember his real name and I thought it would be stupid to call out "Mohinder!"

After Sprinkles, we went on to the Vanilla Bake Shop in Santa Monica. We were all sitting around trying mini cupcakes when this couple walked in. I thought the guy was possibly a fact-checker I worked with when I interned at Entertainment Weekly in New York in 2002. But I wasn't positive because the guy I remembered wore glasses and had a smaller build. I didn't want to approach him in case I was wrong, then I'd feel stupid. So, I just started talking to Sandy really loud about how I don't keep in touch with anyone at Entertainment Weekly. Well, he turned around with definite interest. So, I went "Josh?" And he was like "Yeah, you're Terry." I was so surprised he remembered me. Usually I'm the only one who does the remembering. So, that was cool. We caught up for a few minutes. He was really nice and said I was more than just an intern. Oh, then after he and his fiancee/wife left, these two girls walked in and one of them looked so familiar. So, I just asked her point blank if she had lived on the 7th floor of Dykstra Hall at UCLA. And I was right. We exchanged hellos. I just said it was bugging me whether I imagined she was familiar. Hmmm...maybe I should spend more time at cupcake places just to see who I'll run into!

Not your typical stakeout

I spent Saturday afternoon and part of the evening at Sprinkles Cupcakes. My story on frosting shots, slated to run this month, was missing one key ingredient (pardon if that sounds like a bad pun), a quote from a customer. So, I spent more than two hours waiting, hoping, chanting for someone to order one so I could pounce on them for an interview. I don't know what it says about my social life that I didn't mind waiting there for so long. The girls behind the bakery counter were really nice. I could tell they felt really bad for me just waiting there. It got to the point where one of them was asking customers if they would be interested in buying a frosting shot. That was nice of her but it really should be someone who either wanted one to begin with or ordered it for a special reason. I told them that it was a helluva lot more fun than the time I had to do a stakeout in front of a serial killer suspect's house. I was indoors and surrounded by cupcakes after all. Well, it was about half an hour before 7 p.m. closing when a guy ordered one. Hallelujah! Otherwise I would've had to go back Sunday morning. Once again, no life, hehe.

The Mondayest Monday

Is that a bit too Dr. Seuss? But that is the best adjective I can think of to describe the day I had. Going back to the daily grind is always such a drag after a vacation, especially a great vacation. Nine lovely days spent in the Bay Area where the climate was gentle and perfect. I did so much yet feel like I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to, see everyone I wanted to.

Oh, I'm 30 now. Wow. Feels weird to say. I had the biggest birthday party I've ever had. I need to say thank you again to everyone who came, or e-mailed or called on Saturday, which was my actual birthday. The fact that people remembered is a big enough deal for me. It was sweet of so many people to ignore my "no need for gifts" declaration. One of my favorite gifts was... a new UCLA license plate frame! Someone read my previous blog entry and took it upon himself to get me a new one. I won't make him turn red again but kind sir, you know who you are. I thank you very, very much. It makes the frame even more meaningful in some ways than the one I previously owned. Now, let's see what happens if I blog about wanting to inherit a $100,000. Kidding.

Well, I didn't think it was possible but I will be going on a cupcake hiatus for the week at least. I have never eaten so many cupcakes as I did in the last few days. And I still haven't gone grocery shopping. I need to detox this week--go buy some salads, leafy veggies and lay off sugar unless it's Weight Watchers bars. Detox time!

Baby shower cupcakes

Just wanted to really quickly post photos--not very well-shot--of mini-cakes I made for a baby shower for my cousin, George, and his wife, Fanny. First co-ed baby shower I ever went to. So, first baby shower where sounds of a baseball game on TV could be heard from the background. Anyway, I made chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. And I listened to my much more knowledgeable cousin, Tina, and did not even try to pipe them. Apparently cream cheese icing is usually not pipe-able. Still, I got a lot of compliments on presentation as well as taste. I had the cakes match the invitation. The whole theme was rubber ducks against blue since they are having a boy. No, I did not have time to make ducks out of fondant. But at least I made yellow flowers with orange centers. Doesn't that look like a duck and its bill? OK, no.

When two passions collide

Well, I've finally done what I'd been hoping to do over the past several months. I found a way to combine journalism and baking. OK, really what I should say is I've found a way to write a feature story having to do with cupcakes. I don't want to go into too much detail in writing yet. I'd rather wait until it's published. But I thought of this story idea yesterday and e-mailed AP's lifestyles editor. This morning, I got an e-mail from the food editor who is based in New Hampshire. He really went for my idea so I will be interviewing cupcakery owners over the next week. Yes! It's like meeting Obi-Wan. Hopefully, the story will come out at the end of June. More details TBA. I just hope I can get it all done off the clock as that will mean extra money cuz it would be like a freelance assignment.

Oh, on a sad note, I forgot to take my UCLA Alum license plate frame off my car. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I went back to the dealership yesterday. The first guy I asked about how to find out if I could get it back started laughing and said "You came back for the frame? That's hilarious!" And I said "No, it's not." And I must have had a pretty serious look as he became embarrassed. That's right, oh no you didn't! I found the fleet manager who said the old license plate and the frame are long gone pretty much the day after a used car is traded. :( I guess the next time I'm in LA, I'll have to buy another frame. Just sucks as I'd had that one since college. I can't remember if I bought it or it was a gift. If it was a gift and the person who gave it to me is reading this, I sincerely apologize for forgetting it!

Well, all in all, not too bad of a week.

Summer reading

So, we've been having really strange weather in Phoenix this week. We did not hit 100 degrees all year until this past weekend. And then Monday and Tuesday, the temperatures shot up to 108. Gets weirder. Today, it tumbled down to 98. And tomorrow, because of some cold wind front, it will be like 84 and in the 70s on Friday. The mercury is more erratic than a car thief on a high-speed chase.

Well, since this Thursday is pretty much the end of May sweeps and the TV season and networks will be airing Must See-Crap TV i.e. Gladiators, almost all reality TV in general, I think it's a good time to start a summer reading list. I have a hefty stack of books that I've purchased, always meaning to crack them open. I feel like if I state my intention to read them here, then I can't flake. And I'd probably finish at least a book a week if I spent the same amount of time reading that I do watching my favorite programs and almost all crime shows. I've got "The Fortune Cookie Chronicles" and "Julie & Julia" first.

Oh, here's a link to my story on Rana Sodhi, whose brother was fatally shot four days after Sept. 11.
Filmmaker finds post-9/11 faith in unlikely place

Goodbye Prizm...I shall not weep

I'm in a bit of a daze now. After nearly 10 years, more than a dozen trips back and forth from UCLA to Sunnyvale and side trips to San Diego, Tucson, Sedona, Bisbee...the Chevrolet Prizm has been retired--at least for me. In two days, I will be the owner of a new Honda Civic. I have had a love/hate relationship with my car as it has seemingly fallen apart over the last few years--nothing major but just enough to be annoying. Still, as I cleaned out my belongings in the dealership parking lot, I couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic (sniff). So many memories but it is time to move on. It will be cool to have a new vehicle with a good record for endurance and maintenance. Hopefully, I can go six months to a year without having anything major happen (knock on something very wooden).

In other news, work is going relatively well. I just wrapped my feature on the brother of the Sikh who was killed four days after Sept. 11 by a crazed gunman who did it in the name of "patriotism." Very sad but very inspiring how the brother has such high regard for America and American values. The story will be out in circulation Sunday. Every so often, I get this great feeling from work. For me, there's just nothing cooler than working on a story dressed all professional in a skirt and heels/pumps and then printing out a fresh copy of my latest draft and dropping it on the news editor's desk. I guess it's moments like those that I really feel like a Lois-Lane type. I hope to have more moments like that. It would also help take my mind off the fact that I said goodbye to the Prizm. Aaawww, it's hitting me now (more sniffing).