a cheerio in jello

Hawaii, here I come!

2009-09-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning, I will be leaving for Hawaii where I will be eating our way through the island of Oahu! I hope to return to you a little tanner, a little fatter, a little fuller. Aloha!

A break from tax

2007-10-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

Taking a break from tax. Here is a tax lesson for today. Meetings held on a cruise ships are not deductible under Internal Rev. Code sec. 274(h).

Last night we had a pumpking carving contest and my team lost. We had artistic aspirations that far exceeded our artistic ability. (Ours is the sad mutilated pumpkin in the corner.)

Me and the newest employee of the State of California!

That's all for now. Remember to brush and floss daily or your teeth will look like this:

IRS Circular 230 notice: Any tax advice contained herein was not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, by you or any other person (i) in promoting, marketing, or recommending any transaction, plan, or arrangement or (ii) for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed under federal tax law.

Resurrect the blog!

2007-10-02T22:04:00.000-07:00

My parents created a blog.

Blogging was an activity I used to do on a pretty regular basis when I had more free time than I knew how to manage. If I had regular readers back then, they probably noticed the drought in my postings and are now dedicated readers of other more interesting blogs. So I am now trying to resurrect my long forsaken blog to keep anyone who is interested, informed.

It's been nice to only have four days of classes this year, which means I get three-day weekends each week. This weekend was a good balance of productivity and relaxation.

Friday I spent studying and then went to church to practice for the Women's Retreat. The practice ran longer than I had expected and I was tired and didn't end up meeting with Tracy as planned. Saturday I studied more and later went to dinner with Darren, Josh and Tracy to a cute crepe place. We all went back to Darren's to help Tracy fold butterflies for the Retreat and watched the Transformer, which is one of Darren's favorite movies. Sunday night, about 20 of us celebrated Sue's birthday at P.F. Changs which is basically glorified Panda Express. It was good to see everyone there, but I won't be back because of the food. Sunday nights are always a little nostalgic because Monday is looming overhead.

But now it's Monday, and so far...so good. :o)

Picture update!

2007-04-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

what's happened this semester, which is almost over... :o)

san francisco

valentines

san diego

sister fun

mk wedding

the classy ladies of cat

...and men of cat

Sponge

2007-01-09T20:33:00.000-08:00

I miss Spongebob.

Sister sponge.

2006-12-12T22:21:00.000-08:00

I'm related to this.

By blood.

$40 a Day with Julia Gulia.

2006-12-01T22:17:00.000-08:00

When I got excited about making a common law v. MPC table for criminal law, I realized I needed a break.

Warning: If you are hungry and didn't pack that great a lunch, don't look! :o)

Gold Mountain: Me and the porker. Not just handsome, but tasty, tender, and juicy as well.

Post 5k meal: Huevos Rancheros at Tower Cafe, beans sanwiched between two corn tortillas topped with two eggs over-easy, Mexican cheeses, green onions and home-style potatoes!

Thanksgiving study food: Lin sister's microwave smores. As many Ghiradhelli semi-sweet chocolate chips and mini marshmallows as we can fit between two honey graham crackers. Zap for 22 seconds. No more, no less.

Thanksgiving bird: 20 pound gobbler feeds family of four. Yes, 20 pounds. And yes, family of four. :o)

La Grande Orange: Mushroom party pizza (sauteed minced crimini, button, and oyster mushrooms with sweet onion and tomato) & the north shore pizza (roasted pineapple, premium ham, cheese, tomato sauce, garlic, and jalapeno)!

Final slice count:

Tami 5, Julia 5, Christine 6

Gelato shop next to La Grande Orange: Top scoop - strawberry, Bottom scoop - something good, the name escapes me, finger - Christine.

Joe's BBQ: Amazing 1 pound baked potato, topped with butter, sour cream, green onions, pickled red onions, sweet peppers, regular BBQ sauce, hot BBQ sauce, and a healthy scoop of pulled pork!

So, who would you rather watch eat for $40 a day? Me? or Rachel Ray? :o)

Next post will have more humans. I promise!

Smartypants.

2006-11-08T09:21:00.000-08:00

Law school makes me and Lawrence smart!

LawlessPhoenix: ew
Jubei4me: youre ew
LawlessPhoenix: your face is ew
Jubei4me: YOUR face is ew
LawlessPhoenix: haha
LawlessPhoenix: this is the most riddiculous conversation
LawlessPhoenix: stop proving that law school makes you dumb

I found these last night. This is what I used to do when I worked at IBM :o)

Football.

2006-10-31T07:41:00.000-08:00

Back in second!! Not bad for not having a clue :o)

But more importantly, I am beating Wayne!

Fun at BJ's.

2006-10-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

The girls.

The boys.

Me and the Gins.

Me and the Yees.

Darren and the wierdos.

Brain fart.

2006-10-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize how much I take for granted. Even the most mundane tasks, after being removed for just 24 hours, are great joys when reinstated.

Count your many blessings, if you don't get passed ten, you are not looking hard enough.

Sufficient.

2006-10-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

Great is Your faithfulness oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart
You lead us by still waters and to mercy
And nothing can keep us apart

So remember Your people
Remember Your children
Remember Your promise, oh God

Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough
Your grace is enough for me

Great is Your love and justice God
You use the weak to lead the strong
You lead us in the song of Your salvation
And all Your people sing along

Your Grace is enough
Heaven reaching down to us
Your Grace is enough for me

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. ~2 Cor. 12:9

God's grace is sufficient.
Abundant.
Overflowing.
Unending.
Unceasing.
Undeserved.
And leaves us without want.

Sufficient.

The art of procrastination.

2006-09-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

pro‧cras‧ti‧nate [proh-kras-tuh-neyt, -pruh] –verb (used without object) 1. to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost. –verb (used with object) 2. to put off till another day or time; defer; delay.

I'm not one to procrastinate, but I guess that is what Nutella and banana does to a girl. Here are the new things I have tried since leaving good 'ol Arizona:

First time handler of an alpaca.
First time believer of superheroes.

First time milking a goat... also last.

First 50/50 on my birthday.

First time catching the sunrise over Lake Tahoe.

First time as triathlon groupie.

ok, my books, they call to me.

Needs improvement.

2006-09-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

Morning Julia,

As you happily eat your cereal and banana, let me remind you of what you need to improve upon:

1 Peter 3:8-11
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen."

Your Heavenly Father

September babies.

2006-09-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

To all September babies, may this be your life prayer.

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as You choose.

Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.

Take my will and make it Thine
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is Thine own
it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord I pour
at Your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.

Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.

Heaven.

2006-09-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to heaven, Candy Heaven. Free candy samples for most candies and all salt-water taffies if eaten in-store. I bought over a pound of salt-water taffy for their health benefits. :o)

These are the other healthful foods I ate this weekend:

Friday: 3-egg omelette with mushroom, avocado, ham, and swiss cheese and glass of OJ juice. BBQ chicken with grilled asparagus, corn, rice, and an ice cream cone with chocolate and nuts.

Saturday: Jamba juice, Costco polish sausage and soda, churro (which I shared making it calorie-free), fruit, chow mein, Korean BBQ, Chinese salad, olive oil and herb chips, mini-quiche, more corn, and birthday cake.

Sunday: Kashi granola bar, dimsum, apple, tapas (mussels, prociutto, and grilled vegetables) with foccacia bread, zuppo ingless (think of fruit tiramisu with grand marnier instead of rum).

Monday: French toast with fruit, too much salt-water taffy, 3 slices of pizza, 2 scoops of salad, 1 slice apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream and watermelon.

Needless to say, a deliciously fun-filled weekend. I'm so lucky to go back to reading torts, haha...

Boasting.

2006-08-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

This is what the LORD says:
"Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,"
declares the LORD.
~Jeremiah 9:23-24

Boast not of your earthly accomplishments, they are temporary and will pass;
not of your wealth, your knowledge, your accomplishments.
Boast of being in the body of Christ, a son or a daughter of the Heavenly King;
for which we were created to thrive for, to live for, to exist for.

Blessed assurance.

2006-08-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." ~Romans 8:38-39

Praise You, God of earth and sky
How beautiful is Your unfailing love
Unfailing love
And You never change, God, You remain
The Holy One and my unfailing love
Unfailing love
~Chris Tomlin

God, your love for us is incomprehensible. What have we done to deserve your steadfast love? Absolutely nothing... nothing but nail you to the cross over and over, and yet your love for us never changes. Thank you for your unrelenting grasp on us, we are wholly and eternally indebted to you, God, to serve you humbly in love and in faithful obedience. Amen.

1 down... 87 to go.

2006-08-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

I am officially done with my first unit of law school, that means only 87 to go!

I read the following is a quote taken from my Criminal Law book, made by a jury foreperson in a New York criminal trial.

“...true justice, final justice, absolute justice, belongs to God; human justice
can only be cautious, not perfect."

Right on the money.

First day of school.

2006-08-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the butterflies in your stomach the night before your first day of school?

Will the kids be nice?
Will the teachers be mean?
Who will you sit with at lunchtime?

Did you lay out your clothes and shoes the night before?
Set out your schoolbag with 3 pencils, 2 pens, a big eraser, a fresh empty notebook and folder? Pack a snack and a water bottle?

I guess some things never change... no matter how big the kids get.

Goodbye #3.

2006-08-04T15:04:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Arizona. These are the things I love most about you:
1. Papa Lin
2. Mama Lin
3. Sister Lin

Goodbye #2.

2006-08-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Tucson. I'll always be a Wildcat at heart.

Goodbye #1.

2006-07-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

Goodbye IBM. These are things I will miss about you:
5. Monthly beer breaks.
4. Free diversity group lunches.
3. Coworkers' office candy.
2. Miss Saigon lunches.
1. China Bay lunches.

Really though, I've been blessed to have this job, to take away these experiences, and to fund a tiny tiny bit of my schooling.

Countdown begins.

2006-07-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Pretty in pink.

...and... look at my glowing shoes! Awesome :o)

Countdown:

2 days left at IBM

4 days left in Tucson

9 days left in Arizona

18 days left of freedom

Hectic days approaching, but as always, God provides.

Someone pinch me.

2006-07-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

Psalm 92
1 It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High,
2 to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,
3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.
4 For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.
5 How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts!

Someone pinch me, God is way too good to me!!!

Feet.

2006-07-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

The only pair of feet I love.

Sweetly Broken.

2006-07-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered.

Jeremy Riddle - Sweetly Broken

El Charro.

2006-07-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

WARNING: If you are at work and hungry, you will probably hate me for the following post :o)

Out-of-town visitors are the best excuse to play $40 A Day in your own town. (If you don't know what $40 A Day is SHAME on you!) Last week I took a friend to El Charro, home of the chimichanga. She had the Topopo salad, I had the Bahia tacos. And yes, I ate it all.

Established in 1922, El Charro Café of Tucson, Arizona is The Nation's Oldest Mexican Restaurant in continuous operation by the same family, featuring traditional Sonoran cultural style and innovative Tucson style Mexican Food, El Charro is truly as Gourmet Magazine wrote: "A Taste Explosion".

Topopo salad: Salad of fresh mixed greens, seasonal fruits, avocado, and grilled chicken stacked on a crispy tortilla wafer dressed with mango vinaigerette.

Bahia tacos: Three warm corn tortillas, two filled with grilled white fish, and one filled with grilled Sonoran steak. All topped with fresh pico de gallo, shredded cabbage, and EXTRA LIMES of course!

You promised.

2006-07-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

I was afraid and You promised, "Daughter, do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God." Isa 41:10

I was anxious and You promised, "Daughter, I have made everything beautiful in its time." Ecc 3:11

I was tired and You promised, "Daughter, come to me... and I will give you rest." Matt 11:28

I was weak and You promised, "Daughter, My grace is sufficient, My power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor 12:9

Father, you quieted my heart. You drowned out the noise so I could hear Your whisper.
And You promised, 'Daughter, I am preparing the way. See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared." Ex 23:20

Your rich Father.

2006-07-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Judges 3
7 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. 8 The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. 9 But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them. 10 The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. 11 So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

How often do we forget the Lord and serve our own idols... our wants, our desires, our plans, our own ambitions? Each time we cry out to the Lord He hears us. And not only does He hear us, He saves us, He anoints us, and He increases our territory. God has given His children an inheritance, He has given us riches, but so often the world claims our inheritance as its own. The world uses our inheritance for worldly ambitions, for purposes unholy and unsightly in God's eyes.

Reclaim your inheritance. Reclaim the talents and the gifts and the self-confidence and the joy and the hope that God has given you.

The time is now, reclaim what is rightfully yours.

Oatmeal devotions. ~6

2006-06-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." ~Ecclesiastes 3:11

Lord,
Your timing is beautiful.
Your plan is perfect.
I ask not what Your plan is,
but for faith in its perfection.
Amen.

Oatmeal devotions. ~5

2006-06-26T08:36:00.000-07:00

"Everything is so weary and tiresome! No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content." ~Ecclesiastes 1:8

Last night I realized that I may be asking too much from God. He has already so abundantly blessed me, and yet I keep asking Him for more... for 'better' health, for 'better' relationships, for a 'better' school. Who am I to know what is 'better' for me? Only God knows, only He knows what my future holds. I pray that I can find peace and contentment in Him. I pray that you will find that peace, too.

Yogurt and berries devotions. ~4

2006-06-23T09:22:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 7

26Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. 28For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Enough said.

Oatmeal devotions. ~3

2006-06-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." ~Hebrews 12:1

I am always reminded that the Christian life is a race, that our starting point on the course is in the past, that what counts is to finish strong. I never noticed that "we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses." The world is watching our race, waiting to see how we handle the briar patches, dusty roads, and dirty puddles along the course. Our lives are our greatest witness, so I pray that we run with grace.

Oatmeal devotions. ~2

2006-06-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

*Taken from Our Daily Bread (Jan. 24, 2006)

Psalm 118

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

Despite our circumstances...
Personal distress~
5 In my anguish I cried to the LORD,
and he answered by setting me free.

National insecurity~
10 All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

Spiritual discipline~
18 The LORD has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.

Celebrate God's mercy and goodness~
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Rejoice in the day the LORD has made! Like this baby boy :o)

*Isn't God good, to make babies this cute??

Oatmeal devotions. ~1

2006-06-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

I call these 'Oatmeal devotions' because they take place while I eat my hearty bowl of oatmeal each morning, topped of course with Omega-3 rich flax seed. Healthy start for the heart and soul (literally)!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” ~Matthew 11:28

I have been sheltered from the real world these past few weeks, vacationing up at Lake Tahoe and San Francisco. Now I am back and it is time to face reality. I am about to close on one chapter in my life and begin another, transitioning out of the professional world and back into academia. Lately, I’ve begun to realize how much needs to be done, how many decisions are still up in the air, and how much everything that happens during these next few weeks will affect my future. And it is overwhelming.

God works in amazing ways, reminding us when we least expect of exactly what we need to hear. I sometimes feel like a slave to my circumstances, but I know there is freedom and rest in God.

And now I leave you with a smiling mushroom.

San Francisco.

2006-06-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

What

fun

weekend.

Rules of life.

2006-06-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

Love your friends.

Love your sisters.

Love to laugh.

Love God and His creation.

Wonders.

2006-06-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done.

The things you planned for us no one can recount to you;

were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

~Psalm 40:5

Graduation.

2006-05-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

I love graduations.

A celebration of beginnings and ends. A celebration of friends old and new.

A celebration of the past. A celebration of the future.

Congratulations 2006.

The calendar entry.

2006-05-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

This morning, I set up the meeting where I will tell my manager that I am leaving. Seeing that calendar entry in writing makes it so real, and at the same time, so unreal. Is this really happening? Am I really leaving the security and stability of this place to seek something more fulfilling, more desirable? For the past year, I have been so consumed by the journey that I never considered the arrival. I'll admit...

I'm scared.

"I command you--be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." ~Joshua 1:9

And I'm nervous.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear..." ~Matthew 6:25

But I'm also excited.

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." ~Romans 8:28

And I'm ready to let God use me in this next phase of my life.

Resting place.

2006-05-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, some lovely people helped me move. Now I am living the minimalist's life. Gone are the days when I slept like a queen, resting on a queen-sized pillow top mattress accompanied by an extra large down comforter of fill power 650, 6 down pillows, George the bear, Bananas the monkey, and random goose down floating about. This is my current resting place:

Since my sister left, I've also determined that I am not meant to live alone. I need someone to talk to, laugh with, greet me when I come home, remind me to lock my doors and windows, and move my glasses so I don't roll over them... not that it's ever happened...

Is it possible?

2006-05-19T10:29:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to love someone before you meet them?

Because I think I love him~

Now, then, and always.

2006-05-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

Now.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see... By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." ~Hebrews 11:1, 8

Then.

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy." ~Proverbs 31:8-9

"Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of Mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian." ~1892 Supreme Court

Always.

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." ~Proverbs 16:9

"If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand." ~Psalms 37: 23-24

This is the course I have chosen. Lord, determine my steps.