chienadoll's Xanga

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:46:36 GMT

so cool.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 04:52:23 GMT

SOOOOO EXCITED!

Summer 2008 is going to be an exciting time ladies and gents.

[EDIT] whilst making larry watch the above preview (many many times), he was reminded of one of his blog posts back in april, when we saw "mamma mia!" in vegas. oddly enough i don't remember this post at all. anyway, his post included a link to "korean mamma mia!" where everything is the same, except they are all korean. it is awesome and makes me want to visit korea just to see this:

our website is up!

Sat, 03 Nov 2007 14:52:12 GMT

check out our wedding website, be sure to request songs!!! :O
http://www.tiffanyandlarry.com

albie's first trip to the grooming salon.

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:24:34 GMT

so albie was getting a bit shaggy, as you can see in this picture below:

i didn't want to let his hair grow much longer because it gets tangled and i have to brush it
everyday and it's really just a hassle to keep up. besides, he's so cute with his shorter puppy
scruffy look, and really, i do not want my dog looking like this:

while others may find this look regal and elegant, i find it too foofy, especially for non-show dogs.
it also reminds me of that one commercial* where the guy uses his pomeranian as a dustbroom. hilarious.

so i started searching around the suburbs for a dog grooming place, and there are TONS.
what i really wanted for albie, was just a trim, so he would be able to see out of his eyes again,
but still look like his scruffy old self, like when he did when i first got him:

after checking out my local gurnee petsmart people (you can watch them through their window),
i decided i really didn't want a buzzcut for albie. unfortunately, most groomers use the buzzer just
because it's easier, and dogs don't exactly tend to be the best clients for sitting still for a
30-minute couture haircut. many groomers advertise "hand-scissored" haircuts, which sounded
more enticing to me, and would be more likely get the tousled-look for him that i was looking for,
but then i pictured in my mind a very badly done, uneven, choppy haircut, reminiscent of the
haircuts my mother used to give me during my wee days... and decided not to go that direction.

so i settled on shear paradise pet salon & spa in mundelein, just for pure convenience, and they
seemed like nice people, and i liked how they let the dogs run around, instead of keeping them
in a cage. when i got there to drop off albie, they asked me how i wanted his fur trimmed
(actually malteses have "hair", not "fur".... as with other breeds whose hair will grow ridiculously
long, i.e. yorkies, lhasa apsos, etc), and showed me a horrific maltese that they had just basically
shaved clean except for the ears that had been trimmed to a very unflattering helmet-look
(think edna, from pixar's "the incredibles"), and also a nice santa-beard. they asked me if i would like
albie styled like so, and i tried to say no as politely as possible, and just asked them to use a larger
guard than they did with the other maltese, and to trim his ears to their original shape. i was extremely
nervous leaving my dog there, but alas, it was too late, and i left to go run wedding related errands.
the whole time i was running my errands this helmet/beard picture kept popping into my head,
and i was hoping this was NOT what albie would look like:

(this comes from this groomer's site from virginia, that shows sample "styles"
on different breeds of dog, which is such a good idea.)

several hours later and a visit downtown to meet with the lovely ladies at blumen florist (LOVE their designs),
i came back to the burbs to pick up albie. after a raving review from the groomist (albie was very
well-behaved, and he played with the other dogs nicely), she handed over to me a much skinnier, very
nervous dog that she claimed was albie, but looked NOTHING like him. my first reaction was to laugh
hysterically, and then beat her down and demand my real dog back. unfortunately, albie then gave me
his usual lick on my nose, and i knew it was him. i paid and told myself his hair will grow back. this is
what he looks like. he looks a bit like a terrier now, and also a bit rat-like. sad. but i still think he's cute.

later on my mom came home from work, and shrieked in terror.
larry also had the same reaction.

however, albie keeps frolicking around the house like he doesn't know what to do with himself now that he is like 4 pounds lighter,
so i think he likes his new haircut. also, he looks more like a boy now.

with that said, does anyone know a good dog groomer they can recommend? perhaps i should say dog stylist.
do they have those? maybe in the city, where all the frou-frou people live.

(i cannot believe i wrote such a long entry on this)
(also harry potter 7 @ midnight! i am #219 in line according to my bracelet @ barnes & noble)

*[edit] here's the commercial:

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Tue, 22 May 2007 02:14:15 GMT

a new addition to the lin household:

yes, i got a new puppy on saturday 5/19. i saw him and i fell in love, and i think larry is jealous. you would be too, look at this face:

his name is albert einstein (we call him albie for short). larry named him after the "back to the future" dog, but luckily he also has the wild white hair to match. he's a maltese and just turned 8 weeks old.

auntie charleen came to visit and she also loves him.

(the noise in the background is jeopardy -- larry was not as amused with the puppy as i was. how unfortunate)

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 23:18:29 GMT

very well you all are just too smart!

i tried to post my pictures on flickr but forgot to make them private,
so people already know so i might as well post about it.

anyway, we're engaged!

my side of the story:
we're in vegas for my spring break, and i had just gotten back from the spa
(larry treated me to a body wrap and also a manicure while he went
gambling -- smart boy!) -- and we had some time to kill before our dinner
reservations so he said he had booked a gondola ride at the venetian
(italian-themed fancy hotel). so i got all dressed up because we were
having dinner at japonais, a fancy sushi place, and headed over to the
venetian.

so on the gondola, you go under a couple tunnels, and the gondolier
sings a couple romantic italian songs. after the second tunnel, and the
gondolier finished telling us a story about how her parents got engaged,
larry asks her to "please stop the boat for a moment'... at that point, i
was like "UHOH" and i knew it was coming -- i have to admit i was a little
nervous! after that point, it was kind of a blur -- basically he said your
usual proposal things ("i love you, i want to spend the rest of my life with
you") and asked me to marry him. he took out the ring and i was in shock,
and he was like "heeeey, you're supposed to say yes". and of course i
responded, yes! yes yes! -- and then we were both looking at the ring, and
then he said "you're supposed to put it on!" , to which i responded "YOU'RE
supposed to put it on!" -- and then we had a chuckle over the awkwardness,
and he put the ring on. and ppl around us were watching and clapping.

oh yeah, and i did not cry, and i think larry was disappointed.

we get off the boat, and i see this lady taking pictures of me getting out and
i'm thinking "why the heck is this stranger taking pictures?!" -- and so
then larry introduces me to the photographer he hired -- what a planner!
basically that's all and afterwards at dinner we celebrated with champagne.

so that's it and we're engaged and it doesn't feel much different except my
hand feels a significantly heavier (not that i'm complaining!)

for more photos of vegas --> http://www.flickr.com/photos/chienadoll

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 20:40:10 GMT

what happens in vegas....

....stays in vegas!

just kidding... more updates coming soon!

Monday, March 12, 2007

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 23:42:02 GMT

middle-school banter overheard during passing period:

girl: why are you wearing a girl's pants?!?!
boy: why are YOU wearing a boy's face? OHHHH burrrrrrnnnn.

sadly, larry had a nice chuckle when i told him. good to know that he has the maturity level of a 13-year old.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 22:03:57 GMT

so i've been extremely tired and stressed out lately, due to the endless amount of grading, planning, and most of all the behavior management part (i have a TREMENDOUS amount of challenging kids this year -- as far as special needs and behavior -- so challenging, in fact, that one of my colleagues, a 15-year veteran, stated that "this was the worst group of kids she has ever had"). i've just really wanted this first year to be over. there have been days when i wonder why i changed to this profession and if it's even really worth the 2 months off in the summer. honestly, there have been days when i have not wanted to go to work and see some of these kids.

but with perfect timing, i received this email on my school account this morning from one of my 6th graders, and it made me smile and reminded me of why i switched to this profession in the first place (it's amazing the effect one person can make!)... and i thought i would share it with you all....

***

Hi Ms.Lin, i just wanted to say happy Valentines Day.You are a great teacher and i hope you never leave(not saying that you will leave). I don't want this year to end, and I hope you can be my science teacher next year,not saying that I will fail just to be in your class, but I hope you can move on in this journey with me to next year.Fun times that I hope can be in our memories for a very long time.

your student,

*****************

P.S. can you not tell any other student about this email, they will think I'm a teacher's pet. And I hope you don't get mad at me for typing to you on a non-school related topic. Well Happy Valentines day.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Sun, 24 Dec 2006 05:31:19 GMT

see you next year!

we are off to vancouver tomorrow! (or rather today) -- i can't wait for snowboarding & sushi. mmmm. and apparently larry has promised to eat seafood on this trip so i have exactly one week to sway his taste buds. he already started tonight with my mother's seafood hot pot, although she also offered "portillo's ribs" as a delicious alternative for larry. haha.

merry early christmas to all and a happy new year!