It is with great embarrassment that I admit to having (almost?) fallen victim to a scam over the phone. Although my losses were limited at the end of the day, it was quite traumatic to realize that my senses were not as sharp as I had assumed. Wasting nearly two hours on a prime Saturday
Randomness
Golden Gate Half Marathon
When I reached the finish line at the Bay Bridge Half Marathon earlier this year, I was convinced that I was done. I partook in a race. It was of a brag-worthy distance and with an iconic back drop. I did better than I could have hoped for. What would be the point in ever
Halloween Horror 2023… 710,000 Citi ThankYou Points Stolen
Halloween is conventionally associated with all sorts of scary stuff – spiders, vampires, and horror movies. This year I was hit with something far worse… over $10k worth of financial theft via cyber crime. Warning #1 On Tuesday, October 24, I got a vague text informing me of suspicious activities on my Citi Prestige and
Spicy Beef Tendon Challenge – A Food Tournament with Friends
Spicy beef tendon (麻辣牛筋) is a cold dish easily found in restaurants specializing in Sichuan and Sichuan-adjacent cuisines. Hong is obsessed with it, and the rest of us are not far behind. It’s such a crowd-pleaser that the kids would happily eat it despite the spicy seasoning. With such premise, it was a matter of
Obsessing Over That Half Marathon
Since my last actuarial exam 15 years ago, I hadn’t worked so hard toward a single event until signing up for the Bay Bridge Half Marathon. I’m still feeling the runner’s high a week later. The Eve Although Oakland was only 25 miles from home, the thought of having to cross a whole bay to
Bay Bridge Half Marathon
I just ran the Bay Bridge Half Marathon. As my very first race at age 41, this was a total midlife crisis. To understand how big of a deal it was, though, we gotta go way back… The Hou Family Legend My family’s lack of athletic inclination and ability is legendary, something we joke about
2022 Year In Review
2022 was a rather notable year. Travels For me, the thawing of 2+ years of pandemic restrictions was by far the most defining characteristic of 2022. To make up for lost time, we were not shy about packing our schedules with trips: the family spent a week in Las Vegas, two weeks in Andalucia, Spain,
Tournament of Zero – In Search For the Best Sparkling Water
In the years since giving up Coke and other sweet beverages, I learned to increasingly rely on sugar-free sparkling water as a substitute. After exploring a dozen or so different brands and flavors from a variety of grocery stores, all I could say was that some options were much better than others. I began to
PF Chang’s
We went last night to P.F. Chang’s, the Chinese-themed TGI Friday. It was a surprisingly cultural experience. This was my very first time. Prior to the visit, most of my knowledge about this chain establishment had been from South Park depictions: (1) its food makes you super constipated, and (2) it’s run by an army
Doin’ DayQuil
This evening, I went to CVS and picked up a box of (the CVS generic version of) DayQuil. Upon check out, the cashier asked me for my birth date. Somewhat stunned and confused by the inquiry, I held back and paused for a second. Then I saw the piece of print out in his hand