What would you do with $50K?

1.  Quit your job and travel for a year
2.  Down payment for a condo
3.  Buy a new luxury car (I'd get the Mercedes C55 AMG, BMW 525i, or Acura TL)
4.  Save for retirement
5.  Invest in a start up business
6.  Other

Weekend Update:

Thursday:  happy hour at Tengu in Westwood...1/2 off sushi rolls and appetizers from 5:30-7:30pm at the bar.  Later we went to the free concert at the UCLA Armand Hammer Museum.  Even though I went to school here, this was my first time checking out the museum.  They have a pretty good collection with some Picassos, Monets, Van Goghs, etc.  Grabbed some drinks at Maloneys before heading to the Whiskey Blue at the W Hotel.  Had some martinis and met Bobby Brown.

Friday:  Ken and Kenson's birthday at Manna in Ktown...all you can eat Korean BBQ for $15.  Afterwards drinks and karaoke at Orchid.

Saturday:  volunteered at Project By Projects Food & Wine Tasting Benefit at the California Science Center.  They had about 20 of the top restaurants in LA there...the food was great and I got to meet Justin Nguyen from Twenty One Jumpstreet, Ted Chen, David Ono, Sung Kang, among others.  Later headed over to Giant Village to party.  Digweed played one of his best sets.  Afterhours was at Avalon until 9am.

Sunday:  free Shakespeare in the Park in front of the Aquarium of the Pacific lawn in Long Beach.  The play was Antony and Cleopatra.  The acting was really good and entertaining.  We brought a blanket and picnic and wine.  Highly recommended.  Afterwards we walked around and had some drinks at Mai Tai Bar.

Went to happy hour last night at Sunset Bar & Grill in Santa Monica...$3.50 drinks and 1/2 off appetizers from 4-7pm.  Afterwards went shopping at 3rd street promenade.  I have a pair of 7 jeans that I paid $150+ for and I swear the $20 jeans I get from Wet Seal fit just as well, lolz.  Grabbed some cheap drinks from Cafe Crepe...the De L'amour with hypnotiq, passion fruit, and tropical juices is really good as well as the Nutella Martini.  We decided to go watch the Devil Wears Prada.  Cute chick flick...I loved looking at all the different outfits even though I am so not trendy and fashionable.  I've always been a little more of the tomboy but I guess I still have that girly side of me that loves to shop and can never have enough accessories

I've decided to take a little break from dating and just concentrate on myself a little more.  There are a lot of things I want to do and areas that I'd like to improve upon.  It's kind of nice to be single and selfish, not have to compromise on anything, and spend all my money spoiling myself instead of someone else.  Which reminds me I am way overdue for a waxing, a mani/pedi, facial, and a deep tissue sports massage.

John's birthday dinner on Friday night at El Torito and playing games at Dave and Buster's afterwards...it's sad when a girl (me) beats a guy by double the points at the basketball game.  I won't embarass him any further by mentioning any names  

SCUBA DIVING

We did our beach dive in Redondo Beach on Saturday.  The surf was so high that it made the experience quite miserable for me.  I guess I am a little spoiled since my first dive was in Thailand.  There I was diving in a bikini and visibility was so great.  Here it's still a little chilly with a 7mm wetsuit plus with all the surge visibility was less than 5 feet.  I might be willing to do another beach dive as long as there is no surf and I just go with my regulator in my mouth. 

On the other hand, our boat dive on the Magician to Catalina Island the next day was a lot more fun.  We were able to do 3 dives, 2 at Ripper's Cove and one at Eel Cove.  Saw a lot of Garibaldi fish.  I felt a lot more comfortable in the water and was not as panicky as I was before.  The only problem was I was weighted too heavily and had a hard time manuevering and controlling my buoyancy.  Also had a difficult time equalizing.  My right ear still feels a little muffled.  I now officially have my open water certification though, yay!  Can't wait to start planning diving vacations...definitely want to visit Belize, Cozymel, Australia, Red Sea, Hawaii...just to name a few places.  Eventually I want to get my advance certification too but probably going to wait until I can afford to get all of my own gear.  I didn't realize how tiring diving can be...totally knocked out for a few hours afterwards and I hardly ever take naps.

Finally went to go see Pirates of the Caribbean 2.  I thought the movie was pretty entertaining...funny with a lot of action.  Kind of ends on a cliffhanger though so I can't wait to watch the third one.

Life's Simple Pleasures -- tagged by Candy_fetish

Instructions: Name 10 of life's simple pleasures that you like the most, then pick 10 people to do the same. Try to be original and creative; try not to use things that someone else has already used.

in no particular order:

1. Watching a gorgeous sunset over the ocean.


2. Discovering a new hole in the wall place with great food and wonderful service.


3. Reading a book or watching a movie that makes you think.


4. Traveling somewhere new and meeting the locals.


5. Interesting conversations with good friends.


6. Climbing or hiking somewhere high up for a scenic view.


7. Sleeping in and spooning.


8. Receiving backrubs.


9. Doing something nice for someone when they’re not expecting it.


10. Singing or dancing in the car or in the shower when I know no one’s watching.

I tag anybody who’s reading this and hasn’t already done it yet.

Sushi and Sake Omakase tasting at Blowfish Sushi

1. Ritsu Roll with Bishonen Sake
2. Paper thin Hirame Sashimi with Otokoyama Sake
3. Mini Atlantic Hand rolls with Yamada Nishiki Sake
4. Super Dynamite Maki with Han Kigen
5. Kyo Twist (black cod) with Karatumba Sake
6. Dessert--White and Dark Chocolate Mousse with Sho Chiku Bai Nigori Unfiltered Sake Premium Ginjyo

I was a little disappointed with the food as the portions were really small and just ok.  The sake tasting was good though.  Supposedly they heat up sake when it's not very good to disguise the fact that it's cheap.  You should drink it room temperature or slightly chilled to get the full flavor.  They also had a sake cocktail with cucumber that was really good.

Networking event at Dolce Enoteca

This is one of the restaurants co-owned by Ashton Kutcher.  Ambiance is very chic and trendy.  The appetizers were good what little of it I could grab...the trays were emptied within seconds.  I realized that I'm kind of a little too shy at these networking events.  It's hard for me to approach strangers and just start conversing with them.  Definitely something I need to improve upon.

Weekend Recap:

Friday...dinner at Babalu in Santa Monica...pretty decent soju cocktails and food.  Afterwards we went to On the Rocks, a sports bar in Redondo Beach.

Saturday...drove out to Big Bear Lake for some rock climbing.  We ended up climbing 3 routes on Coyote Crag (a 3.7 and 2 3.8's)...I actually lead one of the routes.  Stayed overnight at Holcomb Valley Campground.

Sunday...got caught in a hail storm so didn't get any climbing in today.  Stopped by the Village in downtown for lunch at Boo Bear's Den where we listened to some live music.

Backpacking in the Sierras

We drove out late Friday evening to Mosquito Flat Campground in Little Lakes Valley which is between Bishop and Mammoth.  We picked up our permit which is required for any overnight trips into the John Muir Wilderness.  Here we are before the start of our hike on Saturday morning.

Lots of mosquitos and temperatures ranged from hot during the day to chilly at night.  The gorgeous views and moments of serenity were worth it though.  There were numerous lakes with many people flyfishing...too bad we didn't bring our poles.

There was still a lot of snow for July after you get past Long Lake (about 10,500 ft elevation)

We set up camp at Chickenfoot Lake about 3 miles from the trailhead.  Don't you love how I'm sporting the mosquito net hat?  It's the newest in thing   There were reports of an active bear in the area but unfortunately we didn't get to see it.

We did a day hike to Morgan pass and Gem Lakes on Sunday. 

Hiked out Monday morning.  Went to Keough's Hot Springs to take a cool dip in their pool and relax our tired muscles in the "largest natural hot springs pool in the Eastern Sierras".  Stopped on the way back at Silverwood Lake for a barbeque.

Miscellaneous Stuff

* I cooked Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi with Spanish Rice.  Here's the recipe:

1 pound fresh mahi mahi 
1  tablespoon olive oil 
salt and pepper 
1  ounce macadamia nuts 
1  ounce Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1-1/2 ounces butter
1 tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
1-1/2 ounces pineapple, rough chopped

* late night food at Jones in Hollywood.  We ordered the margarita pizza and the ahi tuna salad.  The best part of the meal was dessert...their apple pie was the best I've ever tasted...they serve it on a hot metal plate with a thin layer of caramelized sugar and a side of vanilla ice cream.  We saw Gwen Stefani there.

List of countries I've been to.  From gregwong's post...my goal is 100 countries in my lifetime.

1.  England
2.  Scotland
3.  Belgium
4.  Holland
5.  Czech Republic
6.  Slovakia
7.  Hungary
8.  Poland
9.  Germany
10.  Austria
11.  Italy
12.  Greece
13.  Spain
14.  France
15.  Switzerland
16.  Ireland
17.  Mexico
18.  Canada
19.  Costa Rica
20.  Thailand
21.  Vietnam
22.  Korea
23.  Brazil
24.  Peru
25.  Jamaica

Dinner at the California Fish Grill in Brentwood...really good and healthy food...I especially liked the red snapper cajun style.  Dessert at the Cheesecake Factory.  Watched Miller's Crossing on DVD...awesome gangster mob movie...a lot of symbolism and a great plot.

Got tickets to see La Traviata at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown LA.  This is definitely my favorite opera.  The love story is moving and the music is wonderfully exquisite and so emotionally expressive.  It's easy to see why it is so popular and why many movies such as Moulin Rouge have been based on it.  Afterwards a late dinner at BCD Tofu House.

The weekend was spent partying way too much (now I'm kind of sick).  Here's all the places I went:

Shag...used to be Concorde on the Cahuenga Corridor in Hollywood...great decor and a really good looking crowd...they had some dance show that was pretty cool to watch.  Afterwards we had late night crepes at Solar de Cahuenga...yummy!

Electric Daisy Carnival...this is a rave that they have annually in San Bernardino.  We got the VIP tickets for $80 which included a shorter line, open bar, and buffet dinner...pretty good deal and highly recommended if you want to go.  The lineup was awesome...Ferry Corsten, Christopher Lawrence, Gabriel & Dresden, Infected Mushroom, Mark Farina, Mutaytor, and more.  Too bad Sander Kleinenberg canceled.  We were there from 8pm to 4am.

4th and D...afterhours in San Bernardino...this place looked like more of a converted garage than a club

Hollywood Canteen...this place just never gets old...great vibe and crowd

Dragon Bar...on the pier in Hermosa beach...this place was packed for Scooter & Lavelle...they played an awesome set.  We grabbed some pizza at Zeppy's which was next door and were witness to some drunk making a scene...someone even videotaped it, lolz

Jimmy's Lounge...formerly known as El Centro...DJ Darwin was off the hook...really good if you like deep house

SCUBA CERTIFICATION...signed up for classes at Sport Chalet.  I should be done by mid July so I'll be ready to do a dive vacation after that.  Sign up now and get your rentals for free.

MOUNTAIN BIKING...tried to do the Fullerton loop and got very lost.  Ended up biking 18 miles but it was still fun.  I still need to get roof racks and bike lights.

BURGERS AND PIES...the ones at the Apple Pan are delicious...grab a seat at the counter of this traditional diner where they serve drinks in cone glasses...you won't regret it

WAKEBOARDING AND WATERSKIING...spent the weekend at the River Lodge Resort by Parker Dam on the Colorado River.  Arrived late Friday night in time for the karaoke party but we were tired from the long drive so went to bed and crashed.  Got up early the next morning to go wakeboarding.  It was my second time and it was so much fun.  I was actually able to get up this time.  Also tried waterskiing but that was a lot harder and I wasn't able to get up on skis.  I guess I'm just meant to be a boarder.  We had a beer truck so with an unlimited supply of alcohol I somehow found myself judge of a buns contest and runner up in the bikini contest   There was also a beer chugging contest...can you believe it was my first time using a beer bong?  Then we went out to the sand bar where a ton of boats just park and everyone is in the water partying.  For dinner, we had chicken and steak BBQ and I volunteered as beer wench...serving beers to the cooks.  Suffice it to say by the time the martini party started that night, I was already a little tipsy, lolz.  Kind of woke up Sunday with a little bit of a hangover but went out on one of the seadoos anyways which was cool.  It's definitely better to drive than to ride in the back.  Stopped at A & W for some root beer floats before the 5 hour drive back to LA.  Pretty sore now and I got sunburned too even with SPF 50 sunblock...it was 110 degrees out there!  Despite that I definitely want to go back and do it again..

• really good hot dogs and hamburgers with wimpy (large) lemonades at Carney's Restaurant in West Hollywood.  It's the train car on Sunset.  Make sure you get your dog split on the grill, it'll taste better!
  
• dinner at Sushi of Naples in Long Beach...I liked their pasadena roll with tuna, halibut, salmon, yellowtail, avocado, cream cheese, masago, cucumber, and sprouts
  
• mountain biking in Irvine Regional Park...went along the Santiago Creek trail.  It's amazing how isolated from civilization you feel even though you're still in the city.  Saw a lot of rabbits and squirrels.  Afterwards grubbed on some gyros at John's Place
  
• went barhopping in Los Feliz...first stop was 4100 Bar with dark asian decor and pretty potent martinis.  Next we stopped at Tiki Ti...very cool Polynesian theme with awesome troprical drinks.  Only bad side is that it is very small and hits capacity quickly so if you get there late, it's a bit of a wait to get inside.  Try the Tiki Kapu...yummy!
  
• had a work dinner thing at the Magic Castle...you can only get in by invite from a member and there's a formal dress code.  Prime rib and cheesecake for dinner as well as an open bar kind of made me a little "sick".  Didn't get a chance to enjoy the magic show or stop by for Linda's birthday at the Loft afterwards   I am limiting myself to only 2 drinks when I go out now.
  
• lunch at Wood Ranch BBQ & Grill in Arcadia...their tri-tip is delicous!  Later went shopping at Santa Anita Mall and got some new clothes
  
• drinks and appetizers at Tantalum in Long Beach...great atmosphere and gorgeous views of the sunset...the calamari and spring rolls are really good