Mammoth trip was awesome!  Some highlights:

• it dumped Friday night...a foot of fresh powder
  
• I think I actually like country music now after being exposed to it for the whole 6 hour ride there and back
  
• actually being able to carve down most of Climax...a double black
  
• jacuzzi time
  
• watching UCLA win LSU while having dinner at Dublins (too bad we lost in the finals )
  
• dancing on the pole at Club Fever
  
• breakfast bagel at the Side Door...the employees here were not too bright
  
• ritual stop at Schats and at the Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop...gorgeous photography by the Rowells

EDIT:  went to LACMA's 40th Birthday bash yesterday...it was very cool.  They had murals that everybody could paint on, food, drinks, DJs, dancing...at midnight there was still a line of people waiting to go in and the party didn't end until 3am. 

Off to Mammoth for the weekend!

2006 Winter Music Conference in Miami

All I can say was this weekend was off the hook.  I don't think I have ever partied that hard in my entire life.  Let's just say that I slept probably 10 hours in 4 days.  If you haven't gone yet then you must go.  The music is awesome and everyone is so cool and friendly.  I'm already thinking about going again next year, haha.

We flew out of LAX on American Airlines on Thursday night and arrived really early in Ft. Lauderdale Friday morning.  Took a shuttle (only $20) over to where we were staying at Ocean Waves Condos on Ocean and 4th St in South Beach.  Ended up waiting a few hours in the lobby before we could get into our room.  Freshened up and went out to grab some wraps at a deli nearby before heading over to the Wet Grooves party at Nikki Beach, nice club with cabannas and beds on the beach.  We ended up getting bottle service which while expensive was really nice.  Luckily we didn't have to pay the $50 cover so it was ok.  We got in around 1pm and stayed until 5am when they closed.  Line up included Mark Farina, Infected Mushroom, Darude, BT, and more.  Had breakfast at Jerry's Famous Deli.  The food was mediocre and the service horrible but the company and conversation made for a very pleasant 2 hours. 

Cabbed it back to our room and napped for a few hours before going out for lunch at News Cafe.  Very quaint with tables on the sidewalk to people watch.  Their tropical drinks are pretty good.  Afterwards we headed over to the Marlin for some really good house music.  Next stop was the Sky Lounge at Maxine Hotel.  Hung out here for a while with some friends who had bottle service before deciding to check out Laundry Bar.  It was a decent place but a little too small and crowded.  After 5am when it closed we were unsure of where to go next so we headed over to Randy's apartment nearby.  Somehow we managed to kill 4 hours here just chatting because we couldn't decide where else to go, haha.

Got back to the room to nap for a little bit more but I couldn't sleep.  Even though it was 9am I was still too energetic...must've been all the red bull I had.  So decided to walk to the beach and just lay out.  Too bad it was so cold and windy still.  In fact the whole weekend was cold and I didn't pack any warm clothing   Went over afterwards to the Raleigh Hotel for a pool party and also had dinner here (food was very blah but they did have a nice bonfire going).  Met up with some friends at the Hotel Shelly but it didn't seem like much was going on here so we decided to go back to our room and figure out the nights game plan.  Since this was our last night in Miami I wanted to go check out Space, a huge afterhours club in downtown.  I had had two attempts to try and go here before but somehow it never happened so this was my third and last try.  Unfortunately when we got there at around 3am it was at capacity and they weren't letting anyone else in until the fire dept left.  So we decided to go to Amika instead.  This was a pretty cool lounge with really good light shows, hehe.  We stayed until it closed at 5am.  We were then invited to this underground party located in a warehouse in downtown so we decided to go there.  It was really cool there because it was more of a local scene but they didn't have any water (wth?).  Around 8am, one of us had to leave for the airport so we cabbed it back to our room.  I still wanted to dance since our flight wasn't until later at 3pm so I met up with others and we were going to try and find somewhere else to go.  Went to go have breakfast first though and by the time we had just sat around deciding where to go I had kind of lost my steam.  So rested for a bit, packed, and took a cab to the airport in Ft. Lauderdale and was on a flight back home.

Even though I was pretty tired, I still made it out to the Cheesecake Factory in Brea to have appetizers/drinks with a friend from out of town.  Then yesterday went to the Shore in Hermosa for Sandy's bday.  Very cool lounge that just opened.  Food was decent too.  Thanks girl for everything...I had so much fun.  Can't wait to party with you again.

OK so due to some friends who missed reading my xanga to see what's going on in my life (what too lazy to pick up the phone and call me? haha) I've decided to make a comeback.  Dealing with a breakup is always hard but I've managed to cope by working out (amazing how being single really motivates you to go to the gym) and hanging out with friends.  I really wanted to make it work because of the investment of 2 years and 8 months of my life but in the end I think he was right...maybe we are just too different.  I hope that someday we can be friends again because I do miss having him in my life.  So what have I been up to since I last posted?  I'm definitely not the type to sit at home and mope so I've been out and about.  Here's a synopsis:

• hiking Temescal Canyon loop in the Pacific Palisades...great ocean views and a small waterfall...good workout
  
• Kathy's bday dinner at Asia de Cuba in the Mondrian hotel...drinks at the Skybar afterwards...met Michael Vartan who is way hotter in person
  
• happy hour at Schatzi on Main in Santa Monica...$3 drinks and appetizers from 4-7:30pm...owned by Arnold Schwarzenegger
  
• work dinner meeting at the Proud Bird by LAX
  
• sushi at Komeyoshi...thanks Sam!
  
• Junko's bday winetasting in Temecula...visited Maurice Car'rie Winery (bought a bottle of their white zin), VR La Cereza (which is next door...you can get a passport for tasting at both for $12), and Mount Palomar (great cheeses).  Dinner was at Front Street Bar & Grill in Old Town.  Afterwards we went to Club Silk at Pechanga which is actually really nice...very similar to Vegas clubs.
  
• free lift ticket to Big Bear Mountain...I love how the whole mountain is like a terrain park...snow wasn't that great though...dinner afterwards at Claim Jumpers in Brea (portions here are too big)...a real gentleman is someone who not only pays for his girlfriend but her friend too
  
• first weekend in Mammoth with fresh powder...too bad I didn't have my facemask so it was too cold...dinner at Hennesseys and drinks at Dublins in the Village...usual stop at Schats on the way back
  
• boss took the department out to all you can eat sushi at Onami
  
• seafood at King's Fish House in Long Beach....cigars, port, brandy, shooting pool, and salsa dancing at Club Cohiba
  
•  body shots and dancing at Busby's in Santa Monica
  
• dinner at the Crepe Vine Bistro in Old Town Pasadena...the Stragonoff and the La Mer crepes were so good...we also did the wine tasting with 4 flights and escargot for appetizers
  
• drinks at the Chalet in Eagle Rock for St. Patty's day...too bad they didn't have green beer...very small laid back place reminiscent of a ski lodge
  
• rock climbing at Malibu Creek...we climbed by the dam...lots of good sport leads (5.8-5.10)...afterwards we had thai food at Cholada in Malibu...yummy!
  
• my friend invited me to try speed dating at Cafe Boogaloo in Hermosa Beach...it was a bit overwhelming...2 minutes each with 40 people...fun way to network and meet new friends.
  
• Annie and Kim's wedding at Il Cielo in Beverly Hills...the ceremony was so romantic and the bride was gorgeous...open bar and the cake was delicious.  Congratulations to such a cute and wonderful couple!
  
• visited a friend at St. John's...she's getting her appendix removed, ouch
  
• dinner at Club Sushi in Hermosa...drinks and dancing at Sharkeez and the Lighthouse Cafe

Goodbye Xanga.

It's been a good 3 years but sometimes things have to end even if you don't want them to.  I will miss you all.

I just don't have the heart to write anymore.

Yay I booked my 8 day Morocco trip!  It only came out to $1098 plus tax from LAX.  Includes flight, hotel, transfers, guide, 12 meals, and sightseeing according to itinerary from Gate 1 Travel.  I'm going during Thanksgiving so I only have to take 3 vacation days.  I feel a little bad that I'm never home for the holidays but my reasoning is that since I live at home still I see them everyday.

I got my board tuned and waxed and boy it looks like new almost!  Got rid of all the deep scratches.  I  Burton.  Should I go to Big Bear tomorrow?  It's free with my Mammoth season pass.  So tempted.

I want to get this Gucci purse and wallet.  I figure I should since I saved so much money on the Morocco trip...haha.  Plus it's about time for a new purse.  What do you guys think?

Palm Springs getaway

Drove out to Palm Springs on Saturday morning thus avoiding a lot of traffic.  The first thing we did was to walk around Palm Canyon Drive, the main street in the city lined with palm trees full of shops, restaurants, art galleries, bars, etc.  We had lunch at Phillipe's Cafe...the food here was not very good and service was just so so...definitely do not recommend going here.  After eating we went hiking in the Indian Canyons.  There are three main canyons where the Cahuilla indians used to live with beautiful scenery.

Palm Canyon--this is the biggest of the canyons.  We did a short hike to the West Fork Falls about 1/4 mile.  Then we did a loop hike along the Palm Canyon trail and coming back along the Victor trail...about a 3 to 3.5 mile hike.  There are plenty of picnic tables and a Trading Post that sells lots of indian jewelry and pottery.

Andreas Canyon--did a loop hike about 1 mile long...you can see mortars where the indians prepared food.  There was a lot more water in this stream.

Murray Canyon--this one was not as popular as the other two but we did a short mile hike to another palm oasis...supposedly you can sometimes see the Bighorn sheep but we didn't see any.

After all that hiking we were glad to check into our hotel in Desert Hot Springs (about a 15 minute drive to Palm Springs) at the Crystal Hotel Spa & Resort.  They just recently remodeled so it looks very new and quaint.  Showered and got ready for dinner at Crazy Bones BBQ.  This was a fun place with a great terrace overlooking the street and a lively bar scene.  We both ordered the different rib samplers and together we tried the Memphis (cross between pork chops and pork ribs), St. Louis (the meat was so tender it just fell off the bone...literally), Texas (this was one huge ass rib), Kansas City (baby back ribs), and beef brisket.  The helpings are huge at a very reasonable price plus it comes with two sides...we had the dirty rice and the garlic mashed potatoes.  We left very full and satisfied...definitely one of the best rib places I've been to.  Got back to our room and took advantage of the in room jacuzzi.  Popped open a bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne and sprinkled some bath crystals and we were very relaxed for the rest of the night

Got up the next morning for the continental breakfast before getting ready for our couples Swedish massages.  It was very thearapeutic and exactly what I needed.  I loved the scented oils and the relaxing music they play.  Afterwards we soaked for a little bit in their Japanese bathhouse that had a great view of Mt. San Jacinto.  For lunch we decided to try Pepper's Thai Cuisine...food was decent but nothing out of the ordinary.  Across the street there was an art fair so we went to check that out.  On the drive back we stopped at Morongo Casino but it was so crowded that we didn't really gamble much.  I won $1at the slot machines while Lanny went to the bathroom, lolz.  I wanted to play a round of golf but it was sprinkling on and off all weekend so I decided against it...oh well next time.

Later that evening we went to a friend's house for a BBQ...there was chicken, steak (cooked very rare), baked ziti, mashed potatoes, chinese chicken salad, spam masubi, and lots of wine.  It was fun hanging out...thanks for inviting us Carlin!

Oh and don't forget to pick 5 or 6 words that describe me...I'm kinda curious to know what ya'll think ----> Click here.

EDIT2:  Pick 5 or 6 words that you think describe me:
http://kevan.org/johari?name=serinatran

EDIT:  Yay I'm going to Miami for the Winter Music Conference...just booked my plane ticket.  South Palm Beach here I come!  Is there anything else to do in Miami besides clubbing, eating, and lounging by the pool/beach?

Valentine's Day

I know a lot of people think that Valentine's day is just a commercialized holiday created by Hallmark (although I usually always hand make my cards instead of buying them).  They argue that you should celebrate your love every day of the year instead of on just one day.  I totally agree with that but for me I love vday because its when you can do something special beyond what you normally do.  I mean we should love our moms everyday too but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't do something nice for her on Mother's day, right?  And it shouldn't just be a holiday for the girls.  There has to be reciprocation on both sides.  So yes I do expect my bf to do something but whatever he does is fine to me as long as he is thoughtful about it.  To me you can spend very little and still have a great day (for example picking flowers, making a gift, cooking dinner) so it's not about how much money you spend but more about the amount of time you put into it.  And for those who are single...its not S.A.D.  You shouldn't have to feel like you need to be with someone just because it's a certain day.  I say go out with your single friends and have fun.  I remember one year when I was single we went snowboarding in Utah and it was great.  Ok so now onto what we did:

He made reservations for dinner at Sai Sai in the Biltmore Hotel in downtown LA.  It's Japanese fusion with Latin American influences.  We ordered one of the prie fixe meals which included pan fried oysters on the half shell, steamed spinach with sesame sauce (soooo good!), seared salmon w/ sesame oil and garlic ponzu, sashimi (salmon, tuna, yellowtail, & halibut), diablo roll, shrimp tempura, canadian black cod in saikyu miso, NY strip steak with apple ponzu sauce, and assorted dessert platter.  The food was good, service excellent, and they even made us a heart shaped cake to go.  Afterwards we had drinks at the Gallery Bar and Cognac Room.  I thought the raspberry martini was a little too strong but it's a great place to hang out for cocktails.

What he got me:

Tiffany's sterling silver heart link lariat...there's just something about seeing that little blue box that makes a girl melt, hehe.  He even wrote me a cute poem on the card...so sweet!  Thanks viv for pointing him in the right direction

He also had a flower arrangement delivered to me at work.  I'm such a lucky girl

My gifts to him:

I had arranged to have this Hershey's chocolate tower sent to him at work except it was wrapped in red boxes (for some reason though they messed up with shipping and he still hasn't gotten it yet  )

I also bought him a pink striped tie from the Donald Trump signature collection...not quite the ones pictured here but similar.

I made him 12 of the love coupons pictured above.  He can cash them in for things like a massage, breakfast in bed, homecooked dinner, lapdance, etc.

The celebration will continue this weekend since we will be spending it in Palm Springs.  I've booked us a mini jacuzzi suite at the Crystal Hotel Spa & Resort in Desert Hot Springs as well as a couples 45 minute Swedish massage...a great deal for only $199 total.

Short version of the weekend update:  ate, drank, and danced.

Long version:

Friday:  dinner at the Arsenal in Santa Monica.  Afterwards we headed over to Club 2020 (formerly The Space) where the Fast Times, an 80s cover band, was playing.  It was fun to dance to something different for a change.  They were pretty good and it doesn’t hurt that Prince, the lead guitarist, is easy on the eyes, hehe.

Saturday:  went hiking at Switzer Falls in the Angeles National Forest.  It’s a nice easy 4.5 mile hike to a small waterfall with nice canyon views and plenty of stream crossings. 

Later went to dinner for a friend’s birthday at Enoteca Drago, an Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills.  The food here is excellent and lots of celebrity sightings (Mick Jagger, Kramer from Seinfeld, etc.).  I had the risotto with mushrooms and blueberries…sooo good!  They also have a very extensive wine bar selection.  We tried going clubbing at LAX but we got there late and they hit capacity so we ended up at Rokbar which was next door.  I thought it was a cool lounge to hang out in but the music was really hard to dance to.  Also barhopped to Beauty Bar and Star Shoes.

Sunday:  had lunch at Pho Ha in Pomona.  Dinner was at Opah Restaurant & Bar at the Irvine Marketplace.  I really liked their butter with sun dried tomatoes.  The artichoke chicken pasta and seafood jambalaya were really good.  We also tried their key lime pie martini and Blue Moon wheat beer (which tasted like lemon iced tea).  Nice ambiance and on certain nights they also have live music.

Mammoth was great except now I look like Angelina Jolie with collagen injections.  I was doing fine in the terrain park by Rollercoaster...landing all the little jumps on the right side.  I started to get a little overconfident and egged on by peer pressure I decided to do some of the big jumps.  I was going way too fast, got a lot of air, caught an edge and did a face plant into the snow.  My fall was so hard I cracked my goggles.  My lip is swollen and bruised, I got some cuts on my face, a swollen/sprained left wrist and a bruised right knee… luckily I wasn’t more injured. 

 Deaths of 5 Skiers Stun Mammoth

You scored as Lara Croft. A thrill-seeking, slightly unscrupulous, tough-as-nails archaeologist, Lara Croft travels the world in search of ancient relics perhaps better left hidden. She packs two Colt .45s and has no fear of jumping off buildings, exploring creepy tombs, or taking on evil meglomaniacs bent on world domination. Lara Croft 100% James Bond, Agent 007 92% Neo, the "One" 88% Indiana Jones 79% El Zorro 79% Batman, the Dark Knight 71% The Amazing Spider-Man 67% Captain Jack Sparrow 63% Maximus 63% William Wallace 54% The Terminator 50% Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com

Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You are a true romantic. When you are in love, you will do anything and everything to keep your love true.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You are ready to commit as soon as you meet the right person. And you believe you will pretty much know as soon as you might that person.

The seriousness of your love:

You like to flirt and behave seductively. The opposite sex finds this very attractive, and that's why you'll always have admirers hanging off your arms. But how serious are you about choosing someone to be in a relationship with?

Your views on education

Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.

The right job for you:

You have plenty of dream jobs but have little chance of doing any of them if you don't focus on something in particular. You need to choose something and go for it to be happy and achieve success.

How do you view success:

You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:

You are afraid of having no one to rely on in times of trouble. You don't ever want to be unable to take care of yourself. Independence is important to you.

Who is your true self:

You are full of energy and confidence. You are unpredictable, with moods changing as quickly as an ocean. You might occasionally be calm and still, but never for long.

Click here to take the personality test yourself.