What to do?!? What to do?!?

Today is launch day for the iPhone 3G, which intuitively would mean my first-gen iPhone would be rendered obsolete. However, according to people in the know, I may have options just yet. I found this blog post on Gizmodo stating:

Craigslist is full of people offering up to $600 for 16GB iPhones and up to $400 for 8GB models.

Now, that got me thinking: what to do? what to do?

Under the knife

I did it. I finally just did it. I had the doc excise the tumor in my head. Well, kinda... not really. If you've seen me in the last few years, you've probably noticed the huge bump on my head (as seen here, here, and here). A lot of people thought it was a zit or as Jen's aunt put it, the beginning of one of my horns. (yeah, nice lady...)

On Monday, July 7, I went under the knife and had it removed. The doc initially though it was a lipoma, a benign tumor composed of fatty tissue, but after he cut me open, it looked as if blood vessels had dilated and hardened. It could just be those blood vessels or a cyst, but he couldn't be sure until he sent it to pathology. As you can see from my picture, I now have got nice neat stitches and a permanent scar in lieu of my old bump.

A tribute to Aunt Elaine

Jen's Aunt Elaine, the youngest child of Michael & Lavern Kenny, the only sister of John and Peter Kenny and mother of Erica & Andrea Simmons, passed away 3 weeks ago on June 7. I haven't posted anything for I could not find the words to capture the sorrow of her loss or the joyous celebration of her life. As such, I felt the best thing was to let others do the talking...

Aunt Elaine's Obituary [Link]

Ange's Eulogy for Aunt Elaine:
Elaine was born in 1953 as the third and youngest child of my grandparents Michael Peter and LaVerne Kenny. Born four years after two boys spaced barely a year apart, she was their little princess. She grew up in the sunset district of San Francisco and attended St. Anne's grammar school. After graduating in 1966 she attended Presentation High School for one year, after which she moved with her parents to Belmont where she attended and graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1971. She then went on to attend the College of San Mateo, and afterwards landed a job with San Mateo County. Many years later, while a single mother of two, she returned to college at Notre Dame De Namur University and spent her evenings after a full work day studying to win her bachelors degree in sociology.

She was the type of person who always put herself last. She juggled a career and the pursuit of higher education while being a devoted daughter, sister, cousin, and of course single mom. Her family was her life. She would often drop everything to accompany my grandparents to the store or to regular medical appointments. She was constantly checking Pops' hearing aids because, ever the handyman, he was constantly taking them apart. Her work as a conservator for San Mateo County Aging and Adult Services also centered around service to her community. Many people knew her as the nice lady who came by every few weeks to make sure they were doing okay. If they needed things repaired or a ride to a doctor's office, she took care of them. Moreover, she always went the extra mile. One of her clients liked movies but only had a VCR, so she would always poke around thrift stores specifically looking for videotapes for this one lady. A colleague who visited her during her illness commented on how much her diligence was missed, saying, "oh, when are you coming back, Elaine? nothing gets done around here anymore! get Elaine back!” When someone needed a fridge, she didn't wait for the bureaucracy to take care of it, she just went to Sears and got that old guy a fridge. She was, indeed, a woman of action. she wasn't the kind of person who would talk about all the stuff she did, she would just do it. We didn't even realize all the things she was doing until she got sick and couldn't do them anymore.

My dad, John, fondly remembers that at their childhood dinner table, he would always sit next to her so she could pass her unwanted grisly pieces of meat to his plate. She could find gristle in even the finest cut of meat! Uncle Peter remembers that Elaine had a pet bird whom she loved dearly. The only thing was she was afraid to stick her finger in the bird’s cage. Like any older brother loves to do, Peter would try and scare her by letting the bird out so it could fly all around the room and chase her.

When she was younger, she used to save things like cereal box tops and send them in for free gifts. One time, she got a giant inflatable banana from the Chiquita banana corporation. John, the prankster, opened the box without her knowing and placed the inflated banana under the covers in her bed before heading off to work. When Elaine got home from Notre Dame High and opened her bedroom door, all she could see was the silhouette of what looked like a body curled up in her bed. Frightened, she called her uncle Kenny Tomlinson who quickly came over to investigate and was so concerned that he called the Belmont Police Department. They approached the bed with guns drawn, but when they lifted the covers, all they found was the inflatable Chiquita banana.

Elaine loved to sew. During her youth, she made almost all her own clothing as well as dresses for her mother. When she was older and taking care of her young children, she had less free time but she still lovingly stitched crazy Halloween costumes - like when Erica decided she wanted to be a rainbow and Andrea wanted to be Xena warrior princess- and then she took time off work to proudly snap photographs of the schoolyard parade. She made clothes for their dolls. When she found out she was going to lose her hair, she went shopping for hat patterns.

She loved apple pie and mashed potatoes and shrimp. I think she also loved the Bee Gees and Fleetwood Mac. My dad tried to cheer her up by giving her tons of 70s CDs.Then again, she was once overheard saying "I'll listen to any CD as long as John's handwriting isn't on it." She was a great gardener; she loved flowers and fruits especially, and she inherited her mothers green thumb. Se used every single apple she picked off her abundant tree to make pies, applesauce, all kinds of things. She also has a fig tee but since she didn't like the figs, she happily handed them over to her parents and to her niece Jennifer.

Last year, the girls and her took a trip to Disneyland, somewhat spur of the moment. As a cautious woman, that was not normally her style, but she knew the coming months would be difficult and she really wanted to just go and do something fun. She always enjoyed getting souvenir shirts, so after a lot of browsing she picked out a gray and pink Minnie Mouse sweatshirt to help her remember the trip.

Her carrot cake recipe is unparalleled. Actually, all her desserts were spectacular. She was a light eater, but she loved food and she loved to cook. She enjoyed watching the food network for new ideas. She always purchased the most spot on birthday cards and the most thoughtful gifts. She loved her family. If there was something they wanted, she always found a way to obtain it. She was as patient as she was loving, enduring many a Bingo game or trip to the dented canned store on a Saturday afternoon. She loved to read and participated in a book club. She valued education and wanted to make sure that her daughters received the best there was. She finished her own degree the hard way, as an adult, working full time with two children. She truly was a remarkable woman. She was a woman who took all of life's lemons and made the sweetest lemonade you can find.

She was not a loud or opinionated person. In the face of conflict, she often watched her words in order to keep the peace. I used to think her gentle demeanor lended to her being a pushover, but I learned that is not true. Au contraire, it made her into something few Kennys are: a good listener. She was available to her friends and family, most importantly to her two beautiful daughters, Erica and Andrea. She was first and foremost a mother, a protector, with a kind face and an open heart. She did not judge people. Even when she was sick, her primary concerns were for the well being of her daughters and her parents. It's hard to imagine being so selfless, but that is who she was, through and through. Aunt Elaine had all these funny thoughts and comments that were never heard either because of the volume of the room, or she held them back, but when she got sick, she found her voice and made sure she was heard.....and she was witty and funny.....and willing to tell those Kenny boys they were full of it.

When she was diagnosed with uterine cancer last year, it came as an unthinkable blow. How could something so horrible happen to such a wonderful person? I believe it is human nature to look for that silver lining, even in the most grim situations. Despite how much I wish things could have been different, I am truly thankful that we had the time to tell her we loved her, what's more, to show her. It is a testament to how many lives she touched that so many of you dropped off food or sent flowers or funny little cards to keep her spirits up. There are so many small things a person can do to show their love and I guarantee that she appreciated each and every gesture.

When I think of all the years she spent taking care of everyone- her children, her parents, and through her job, many people throughout San Mateo County- I think of all the lives she has touched and all the ways in which she will live on forever. Somewhere in heaven, she's sitting in a rocking chair with a Sydney Sheldon novel and box of Godiva truffles.

News & Highlights

Man, it has been a long time since I left a post for y'all to ponder about.

Life's been going by like a breeze, but that's not to say it has been easy by any means. It has been bustling, fast-paced, twisting, and unpredictable.

Jen and I celebrated our 9th year together and our 2nd wedding anniversary last month with nearly a week long string of parties culminating with an extended weekend trip to Sin City, Las Vegas. My flickr pix is evidence to the decadent fun we had there. Jen and I had a fabulous time eating at Olives in the Bellagio and seeing Cirque Du Soliel's La Reve at the Wynn. When it came to accommodations, we were fortunate enough to be able to crash at Jen's uncle's place for a couple of nights, but for our last night we did it big and were rewarded very generously. With my super shopper ways, I had booked us a jacuzzi suite at the Mandalay Bay for $169 which I thought was a deal already. When we arrived for registration, the super sweet front desk lady hooked us with a penthouse suite! We had our own private bank of elevators straight to the sixth floor. When Jen first entered the place, she first inspected the bathroom and thought it was kinda small, until I yelled to her from across the cavernous suite that she was only looking at our guest bathroom. The place also had 4 plasma tvs, living room, wet bar that stocked Belvedere vodka, a view of the LV valley and a bathroom rivaled many apartments back home. Simply amazing. Not to mention, Mandalay Bay has the most awesome pools in on the strip with a full wave pool that you can body surf in, a lazy river with a waterfall no less, two jacuzzis and two standard pools you'd expect. Coming back home was not an easy adjustment after that.

These last two months were not all filled with fun and games though. Shortly after I posted about Jen's new job under the awesome pastry chef at the Campton Hotel, he put in his notice and Jen ended up working under his assistant that was promoted to Chef. Overall, Jen's experience has been positive, but she does miss the creative control being a chef provided. For a while there, she was very sad by the self-realization that she lost the inner drive to innovate new flavors and recipes. That's hard not to feel when the department of 5 shrink to 2 after the Chef's departure. Jen and I have also been battling a lot of other stresses lately. Jen's aunt has not been doing so well in her fight against cancer while at my job I'm struggling to feel useful. This last April Fool's Day was my 5 year anniversary with my company, and although it was a milestone, it really marked the beginning of an end in my mind (but more on that later). In the month of April, we were also hit with a huge tax bill that totaled near $5K. Selling my Oakland house sure did a number on my finances. Anyone know of a good tax adviser?

In other news, all my hard work with business school apps have paid off and I have been accepted to The Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. My most honest excuse to neglecting my blog is because I've wrestling with all the stresses associated with my decision for months now. I learned of my acceptance offer all the way back in March but didn't know if I wanted to take it until late April. Once that stress was over, I've now had to struggle with closing up shop and transferring my knowledge at work, figuring how we're gonna move our lives 2200 miles away, and seeing all our friends and family before we fly out. This move will be the first time Jen and I have lived away from our friends, family, and the bay area. I could go on and on about all the emotions I've gone through from excitement to fear, but now I just do my best to take it one day at a time and knock off as much from my to-do list before it's too late. So for y'all reading this, let's make a date and have meal or drinks together before I head out. Or at least, start saving up and come visit us out in Pittsburgh. It'll be a long two years if we don't see you.

That pretty much sums up our lives in the last two months. This summer will be amazing time of tremendous change.

• Diana's going to school


• Richie Fong's going away


• Tiff is going on an extended vacation


• Heidi already left for her adventure


• Liz just had her new baby boy, James


• Thuy is pregnate again


• Rachel is pregnant again as well


• Mital is leaving for school


• Seth & Susan is getting married


• April & Jeff already got married


• Trang & John are going to get married


• Dennis Richmond is retiring this Wendesday

P.S. I'm selling my fully-loaded 2002 VW Jetta GLX. Let me know if anyone is interested.

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Culinary Word of the Day: Molecular Gastronomy
A branch of food science that focuses on cooking and food preparation (rather than on the chemical makeup of food, as traditional food science tends to do)...The term molecular gastronomy was coined in the 1980s by a French scientist, Hervé This, and Nicholas Kurti, who was a professor of physics at Oxford University in England. Both men were interested in food science, but they felt that empirical knowledge and tradition were as important in cooking as rational understanding.
Source: "Food: his passion, his science"

Great news!

While I've been anxiously awaiting decisions from the business schools, Jen's been busy trying to find a short term job. I'm proud to announce Jen's found one already!

She will be assisting Pastry Chef Boris Portnoy at Campton Place Hotel in Union Square. With such a short time frame (B-schools start in Sept.), Jen couldn't take a pastry chef job in good faith, so she opted to use this opportunity to learn some new skills. And some new skills they will be... Chef Portnoy is a renowned for his engaging desserts that attempts to "evoke an emotion" with whoever's eating it. He is a leading pioneer of molecular gastronomy on the west coast, yet, still maintains a whimsical attitude with his menu by playing on childhood classics such as wrapping celery confit “ravioli” around raisin pâté de fruit, along with lush Concord grape sorbet. NorthSide San Francisco Magazine even selected him the best pastry chef in the city in 2006.

I've got a feeling Jen's gonna be happy at this place.

In other news, I've finally uploaded all the Spain and Morocco pix to Flickr. Check them out now! And for those of you who complained I posted too many... I cut back this time around. I'll even post the super abridged top 98 (but you'll have to wait for that.)

Rising Stars of 2008

I just got back from Cornell in Ithaca, NY. My interview with the Johnson School of Business went ok but not perfect. I hard a hard time reading my interviewer, so I couldn't definitively tell if I rocked it or not. In any case, the campus was beautiful, but I did get a taste of Ithaca's weather when my flight home got canceled due to a snow storm.

I had planned another story from our vacation but the Chronicle put out its Rising Star Chef of 2008 today. Jen's name was mentioned, but she's not so happy about it. I feel that my grad school ambitions have thrown her career off track for a little while.

Check out the new star chef's and let me know what you think.

The Prodigal Blogger Returns

Just in time for Lenten tradition. The Prodigal Blogger has returned. Please forgive me for squandering your patience and attention. I have been off to distant lands and consumed by many arduous tasks. Too many stories to share in one post, but you will hear about my adventures over the next few weeks.

First, the boring stuff (mostly all of Dec)... I were holed up at home writing essays day in and day out while Jen would help me edit them. I had a total of 18 essays to write in 30 days. Let me tell you that was one of the hardest tasks I have ever completed. By the end of it all, I didn't think I write another complete sentence, but here I am, blogging again.

During the down time between revisions, Jen occupied herself by booking our celebration vacation to Spain and Morocco. What an adventure that was as our first round of plane tickets were canceled on us just days after we booked our second and third legs. :P Jen was so stressed, and I couldn't offer much relief with all that was on my plate. In the end, Jen successfully secured us flights from Washington, DC to Casablanca, Morocco for less then $600. (If you've ever looked into flights to Africa, you know that's a steal.)

We only left one week between the last application submission and our departure but somehow I conned myself into dedicating that time to installing recessed lighting for my parents. Apparently, I don't know when to rest. But somewhere in there, I got an email from Carnegie Mellon requesting an interview. Only 3 days after I sent my application! It worked out perfectly too because on the return trip from Spain we had intended to make a pit stop in Pittsburgh to tour the school. Now, I had an interview as well.

Fast forward to the night of Jan 15. We stayed up all night printing our itineraries and still had to make last minute reservations for flights and hotels. I didn't even start packing my luggage until 4 hours before our flight. On top of it all, I also had to prepare my suit to be sent out to Pittsburgh because I didn't want to drag it all over Morocco and Spain. (Thank you so much, Seth, Laura, and Allan!) Well, by the mercy of god, we made to the airport on time. Thus begun our three week adventure where we had 13 flights, 4 delays, 2 cancellations, 1 plane crash, and lost our luggage in the first 10 hours. But I'll spare you the details for this post. In the meantime, check out the first few photos I've posted on Flickr. I took 2100+ photos (Thanx, Alex, I love the new camera.), so bear with me as I process them all... he he...