It took over 2.5 years, but I'm finally done with Venezia That Damn Sweater. It wouldn't have taken me so long if the first sleeve hadn't sat in a corner half-finished and untouched for over a year.

Pre-assembly:


After crocheting reinforcements and cutting the sleeve steeks, I had a lot of sewing to do. I tried to match the pattern between body and sleeves as I was sewing, but I didn't really care anymore. Post-assembly:


I tried on the sweater after sewing it together. The body fit perfectly, but the shoulders and upper arms were a little tight. This was probably because I knit the sleeves with size 1 needles instead of size 2's. The wristbands were knit with 1's, and I was supposed to switch to 2's to knit the Fair Isle part. I was halfway through the first sleeve before I realized my mistake. I didn't think it would matter much, because I have small arms ... or so I thought. (There was no way in hell I was going to frog the half sleeve and start over.) Blocking:


After blocking, the sweater fits nicely, although I think I'm a bit chunky to wear such a thick, form-fitting sweater:


Design: "Venezia Pullover," Interweave Knits, Winter 2006 issue, by Eunny Jang
My modification: Long sleeves instead of 3/4 sleeves
Yarn: RYC's Cashsoft 4-Ply (discontinued)
Needles: Skacel's Addi Turbo 32" circulars in US 1 and 2

What I learned from this experience:

1. RYC's Cashsoft 4-Ply is luxuriously soft and cushy but extremely annoying to knit with because it splits like crazy.
   
2. I much prefer to knit with bamboo needles than with metal ones, but I guess metal is necessary when the needles are the thickness of toothpicks.
   
3. I much prefer to do Magic Loop than to use dpns.
   
4. Fair Isle is easy, but you have to focus while knitting and check every row right after knitting it.
   
5. Knitting a sweater on size 1 and 2 needles is really, really, really time-consuming.
   
6. Eunny Jang is an evil genius.
   
7. I can finish something even if it seems impossible.
   
8. Finishing a sweater nearly 3 years after starting it feels anti-climatic.
   
9. The journey is more important than the destination.

Read all my LJ entries about That Damn Sweater here.

Read about how Eunny Jang managed to plan and knit Venezia in FIVE FREAKIN' DAYS here.

Vaguely cat-shaped lump on floor:


Top view:


Staring off into space ... space ... space ...:


Chubby McGrumpersons:


Doing crunches (there's a six-pack under all the fluff and chub):

Courtesy of The Park Bench (my source for all things nerdy women like):

BBC's "Hamlet" preview
John Barrowman's "Single Ladies"

I know this is a week late, but I just finally got a picture of the pumpkin I carved. My brother had a Halloween costume-and-pumpkin-carving-and-scary-movie party again. I did not wear a costume, but I did carve two slightly creepy children on a pumpkin:



We had pumpkin beer and watched Drag Me to Hell, which was ridiculous, over-the-top, and hilarious (gotta love Sam Raimi), but not scary at all. After that, we started to watch Paranormal Activity, but someone asked to stop it after 15 minutes, because she was scared. Nothing had happened yet, but I could already tell that it will probably scare me when I do watch it.

... is beyond awesome! See all three parts here. You can also download it from iTunes.

Ever wanted to see nesting dolls of "Doctor Who" and "Torchwood" characters? Check out jigglykat's awesome creations here and here!

Also check out her and spastasmagoria's adorable and witty "Torchwood Babiez" comic here!

Last year's BBC Austen-fest and The Jane Austen Book Club inspired me to read/reread all of Jane Austen's novels within the last few months. I hereby rank the books, the books' heroines, and the men they love.

Most to least favorite Austen novels:

1. Persuasion
   Austen's last novel is her most mature and subtle study of human nature. It's also the most emotionally satisfying -- full of regret, sexual tension, and quiet joy.
   
   
2. Pride and Prejudice
   The biggest strength of Austen's most famous book lies in the characters: some admirable (Jane, Elizabeth) and some irritating (Mrs. Bennet, Mary, Lydia), but all richly realized, with virtues and flaws and understandable actions.
   
   
3. Sense and Sensibility
   This is a lovely story about two sisters who couldn't be more different from each other and their long road to finding the love they deserve.
   
   
4. Northanger Abbey
   Compared to the other Austen novels, Northanger Abbey is uneven and too meta, but it's still entertaining and enjoyable to read.
   
   
5. Emma
   Emma spends most of the book making a complete mess of things and being annoyingly self-assured that she's doing the right thing. She redeems herself in the end though.
   
   
6. Mansfield Park
   I didn't like this book at all. The protagonist is weak, her love interest is dull, and all the other characters are either morally questionable (the Crawfords) or annoying (Maria) or horrid (Mrs. Norris).

Most to least favorite Austen heroines:

1. Anne Elliot, Persuasion
   Intelligent, quiet, and sensible, Anne shows the most emotional maturity of all the Austen heroines.
   
   
2. Elinor Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility
   Elinor is kind, considerate, and selfless, and she knows exactly what to say or how to act no matter how difficult or stressful the situation.
   
   
3. Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice
   Strong-willed, sharp-tongued, and gutsy, Elizabeth is one of the best ever fictional role models for girls. However, she can be quick to judge and rely too much on first impressions.
   
   
4. Catherine Morland, Northanger Abbey
   Catherine's lack of experience and education makes her naive to a fault, but she shows promising eagerness to learn and grow.
   
   
5. Marianne Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility
   Passionate and romantic, Marianne is also often self-absorbed and foolish, but she learns from experience and strives to better herself.
   
   
6. Fanny Price, Mansfield Park
   Fanny is a sickly, wimpy crybaby, but she has her good points as well: intelligence, modesty, and good sense.
   
   
7. Emma Woodhouse, Emma
   Pretty, rich, and spoiled, Emma spends most of the time being annoying and clueless, but at least she learns from her mistakes.

Most to least favorite Austen heroes:

1. Henry Tilney, Northanger Abbey
   Mr. Tilney is by far my favorite Austen hero. Besides being a perfect gentleman, he's also flirty, funny, and playful.
   
   
2. Colonel Brandon, Sense and Sensibility
   He's rich and worldly, but Colonel Brandon's quiet generosity and tragic past are his most appealing aspects.
   
   
3. Captain Frederick Wentworth, Persuasion
   Of all the Austen heroes, Captain Wentworth is probably the biggest mystery. What is clear is that he's a dish and shows a great capacity for love, loyalty, and forgiveness.
   
   
4. Edward Ferrars, Sense and Sensibility
   Honorable and modest, Edward is a sweetheart, although his engagement to Lucy Steele shows a serious lapse of judgment.
   
   
5. George Knightley, Emma
   Mr. Knightley is a bit intimidating with his high ideals, but maybe it's because he's the ideal man himself.
   
   
6. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pride and Prejudice
   Mr. Darcy starts off as a bit of an asshole, but to his credit, he takes Elizabeth's verbal beatdown to heart and makes an effort to change his assholish ways.
   
   
7. Edmund Bertram, Mansfield Park
   Edmund Bertram is too noble, self-righteous, and stick-in-the-mud-like for my taste.

This year's Emmys were the most enjoyable and entertaining in recent memory, thanks in large part to classy, witty host Neil Patrick Harris. I could give a rundown of my most and least favorite moments, but TWoP already did it (see here).

Overall, the fashion was a little meh. Lots of boring black strapless gowns, one-shoulder looks, and red dresses. My favorites:

I didn't love the princess-y style, but I loved the delicate coral color of Drew Barrymore's dress:


Cat Deeley's Grecian gown was as elegant and classy as the lady herself, and it was a sublime light peach color:


Sandra Oh's strapless gold number managed to be simple yet intricate, and it showed off her amazing body (I didn't even mind the curtain rope belt):


I wasn't sure if I liked Anna Torv's simple, shimmery low-cut dress at first, but its bewitching color (somewhere between raspberry and orange) made me warm up to it:


Blake Lively's gown would have looked slutty on anyone else, but she's young enough, tall enough, and her breasts are perky enough to pull it off:

House
I don't like this show anymore, but I'm going to watch it as long as that scrummy little tater tot Hugh Laurie is in it. If they kill off House and rename it "Cuddy," "Thirteen," or "Foreteen," then I might have to stop watching. I would watch "Wilson Without House" (probably similar to "Garfield Minus Garfield") or "Amber's and Kutner's Ghosts" though. FOX Mondays 8 pm. Season six premieres September 21.

Lie to Me
The first season was reasonably good, so I plan to continue watching as long as Brendan Hines doesn't get a shave and a haircut. FOX Mondays 9 pm. Season two premieres September 28.

Castle
The only reason I watch (and the only reason anyone should watch) this silly show is because of the utterly charming and adorable Nathan Fillion. ABC Mondays 10 pm. Season two premieres September 21.

V
I haven't decided yet if I'm going to watch this show. On one hand, it's a remake of a show I never watched but once made my friend Keith puke the morning after he saw an alien eat a rodent. That sounds awesome. It also has the awesome Elizabeth Mitchell (who once smiled at me!) and Morena Baccarin (the gorgeous "Firefly" companion!). On the other hand, it's going to be on at the same time as "So You Think You Can Dance." ABC Tuesdays 8 pm. Series premieres November 3.

So You Think You Can Dance
What I love about this show: the talented and gracious contestants, the often amazing choreography, and the lovely host, Cat Deeley. What I don't love about this show: Nigel Lythgoe's blatant favoritism and any sound that comes out of Mary Murphy's mouth. Season 4's Mark Kanemura (who was a combination of Takeshi Kaneshiro's dark handsomeness, David Tennant's magical hair, fierce dance/performance skills, and quirky awesome choreography skills) is still my favorite contestant (I watched this year's VMAs just to see him dance with Lady Gaga), but I hope to have many favorites yet to come. FOX Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8 pm. Season six premiered September 9.

Modern Family
The funny commercials for this show (heh, cream puffs) made me want to watch it, but it's on at the same time as "Glee." I'm not going to relinquish "Glee" TiVo time for anything. I'll either watch this online or be too lazy to do so. ABC Wednesdays 9 pm. Series premieres September 23.

Glee
This is my favorite show right now. It's hilarious, a bit subversive (as all Ryan Murphy shows are), and the musical numbers do indeed inspire glee in me. Some people don't like musicals because they're not "realistic." I personally wish real life was more like musicals; I want people to randomly break out into song and dance as they go about their lives. This show's premise of following the struggles of a high school glee club makes the breaking-out-into-song-and-dance parts necessary. Even non-musical fans can get down with that. FOX Wednesdays 9 pm. Season one resumed September 9.

Top Chef
This year's batch of contestants has a few clear top contenders already, but it's still a pleasure just to watch chefs prepare food and listen to judges critique it. Don't watch on an empty stomach. BRAVO Wednesdays 10 pm. Season six premiered August 19.

FlashForward
My aversion to "Lost"-type shows is assuaged by the fact that the writers/producers of "FlashForward" already have a five-year game plan outlined. But even if they were just making it up as they go, I'd still watch just for John Cho and Jack Davenport. ABC Thursdays 8 pm. Series premieres September 24.

Bones
The fourth season of "Bones" was not particularly good, and the last episode made me "Lost"-season-one-what's-in-the-damn-hatch?!?-finale mad. However, the promise of more Stephen Fry makes me want to give it another chance. FOX Thursdays 8 pm. Season five premieres September 17.

CSI
Since Grissom (William Petersen) left, this show just hasn't been the same. Although I love many of the other characters and will continue to watch for the cool crime scene and science trivia, I am watching this with a broken heart. CBS Thursdays 9 pm. Season ten premieres September 24.

Fringe
This show had an unimpressive start with an unimpressive lead actress (Anna Torv), but John Noble's delightful presence, as well as the touches of humor and buckets of slime (and the cow), slowly made me like this show. After a killer of a season finale, I'm excited for the new season. I'm even starting to warm up to Anna Torv. FOX Thursdays 9 pm. Season two premieres September 17.

The Office
Although I'm over the whole Jim/Pam thing, I'm still looking forward to the antics of the other employees at the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch. NBC Thursdays 9 pm. Season six premieres September 17.

Community
I want to check this out just for the novelty of seeing Joel McHale and Chevy Chase together. NBC Thursdays 9:30 pm/8 pm starting October 15. Series premieres September 17.

30 Rock
While "Better Off Ted" is on hiatus (scheduled to return January 2010), "30 Rock" is the funniest show on TV (that I watch). Thank you, Tina Fey's kid, for coining the phrase, "I want to go to there." NBC Thursdays 9:30 pm. Season four premieres October 15.

Project Runway
So far, I'm not seeing any clear front runners that will definitely make Fashion Week, but I guess that makes the show more exciting. Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn are as wonderful as ever. LIFETIME Thursdays 10 pm. Season six premiered August 20.

Dollhouse
I had high hopes for this show, Joss Whedon's fourth TV series. I was initially disappointed, possibly even horrified. But the show improved and ended its first season with a number of strong episodes. The fact that this is the first show that I know of to survive more than one season in Fox's Friday night death slot since 1993's "The X-Files" is reason enough to celebrate. The fact that Jamie Bamber and Summer Glau will be guest-starring has me rejoicing. FOX Fridays 9 pm. Season two premieres September 25.

Number of TV shows I will watch per week: 17
Number of shows I will watch for purely shallow reasons: 7
Number of hours of TV I will watch per week (minus commercials and Food Network): about 12
Number of hours during which I will also be knitting: about 7

This is the funniest thing I've read in awhile. TWoP imagines what various vampires' diaries would look like. Lestat's, Spike's, and Blade's were my favorites.

The Jane Austen Book Club
This was a surprisingly enjoyable "chick flick" despite the tidy everyone-finds-love ending. It also made me want to reread all of Jane Austen's books, which is always a good thing. In other news, Hugh Dancy is a cutie patootie.

State of Play
The original 2003 British miniseries starred a dream cast (John Simm, David Morrissey, Kelly Macdonald, Bill Nighy, Marc Warren, Philip Glenister, and a wee James McAvoy) and is one of the best things I have ever seen. For these reasons, I was apprehensive to see this 2009 remake (starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, and a hilarious Jason Bateman). As it turns out, State of Play is probably the best Hollywood remake I have ever seen. It is a political thriller that expertly condenses a complicated six-hour miniseries into a two-hour movie and moves the action from London to Washington, D.C. without losing momentum or depth. I thought the acting was terrific, coveted Rachel McAdam's clothes, and appreciated the fact that Russell Crowe was playing a pudgy yinzer.

Star Trek
This movie managed to thrill me and move me to tears within the first ten minutes, and from there, it got even better. Funny, exciting, and action-packed, this movie's clever plot is one giant loophole that allows for future movies without worrying about continuity with the TV series. I also happen to have crushes on nearly every actor and actress in the movie, especially Simon Pegg and John Cho.

Glee
I loved the first episode of this new show from creator Ryan Murphy ("Popular," "Nip/Tuck") and thought that it was cruel and unusual punishment for FOX to only air one episode before summer and make people wait until fall for new episodes. The kids' joyous version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" gave me chills. I can't wait to see more.

Battle in Seattle
Back in 1999 when I was living in Baltimore, I heard about the World Trade Organization protests in Seattle. The accounts of rioting and police brutality seemed unreal and far away. This movie, written and directed by Stuart Townsend, depicts the chaos the descended upon the city in a real and affecting way.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl
I loved this show so much, I watched all eight episodes of the first season in one sitting. Despite the salacious subject matter (the show is based on the diary of a real-life high-class London prostitute named "Belle"), everything about this show is as posh as Belle (Billie Piper) herself. The look of the show has an expensive gloss to it not typically seen in British television. The writing, acting, and production values are terrific, the stories are exciting and humorous, and Billie is much more beautiful and likable than she was in "Doctor Who."

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
This movie was so bad, I almost felt at times that it was trying intentionally to be bad. Unfortunately, it wasn't so bad that it was good. It was just bad. The story, dialogue, characterizations, and special effects were bad. Hugh Jackman made a gallant effort, but even his crazy muscles and adamantium claws could not save this movie from disaster.

Spring Breakdown
I saw this during the Seattle International Film Festival this year. It's about a trio of 30-something friends (Parker Posey, Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch) who go on spring break and try to experience it like the wild and crazy college students that they never were. There are a lot of funny bits, but overall, this movie was a hot mess.

Terminator Salvation
Although this movie wasn't nearly as good as the the first two films, it was still way better than the third one. It was entertaining and full of intense action sequences. Sam Worthington gave an impressive performance and totally stole the movie from Christian Bale who played a glum John Connor.

Maneater
I stay away from Lifetime movies and miniseries like the plague, but there was nothing else on TV and I was desperate. "Maneater" was completely ridiculous and annoying, yet I had to watch to the end despite hating myself for doing so.

Angels & Demons
I read Angels & Demons after The Da Vinci Code, which is probably why I liked Code better. That said, I enjoyed the film adaptation of Angels & Demons way more than the movie version of The Da Vinci Code. Perhaps the more action-packed story lent itself better to a cinematic translation. Or maybe it was because Ewan McGregor in priestly garb would make any movie better.

Twilight
This is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. The dialogue was cringe-inducingly bad (not surprising, considering the source material), and the "acting" of the two leads (Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson) was so horrid it was funny. I giggled or laughed out loud for nearly the entire movie watching Kristen's "what's that smell?" acting method and Robert's "staring = acting" method. On a side note, the Pacific Northwest scenery in the movie was breathtakingly beautiful. The scenery, along with the so-bad-it's-good quality, made this movie surprisingly entertaining.

Wall Street
This movie was one big ball of boredom. I have no idea why it's so renowned. The only good things about it was Michael Douglas' deliciously evil performance as Gordon "Greed Is Good" Gekko and the fact that Charlie Sheen was in his adorable-not-yet-smarmy phase.

The Virgin Suicides
I read this novel in college and loved it. It's exactly the sort of book a 17-year-old girl would underline meaningful passages in. Sofia Coppola's film adaptation is dreamy and captures the specific mood of 1970's suburban Michigan, as well as the despair and desperation that teenage girls sometimes feel.

Happy-Go-Lucky
Sally Hawkins plays an eternally cheerful schoolteacher who, at the beginning of the film, is rather annoying, but by the end of the movie, becomes someone I strive to emulate.

RocknRolla
This movie was similar to Guy Ritchie's other movies. Not-so-smart criminals (Gerard Butler and Idris Elba, among others) try to pull off heists and encounter problems along the way. Overall, RocknRolla was mildly entertaining with a few laugh-out-loud moments.

Dawn of the Dead
I felt an obligation to see this 1978 cult classic after I learned that it had been filmed in Monroeville Mall, which happens to be the mall I frequented when I lived in Pittsburgh from 1985 to 1997. The zombies are nothing more than actors in blue-gray makeup moving really slowly. At first glance, they seem innocuous and comical. However, this just makes everyone (the audience and the characters in the movie) underestimate how deadly they can be. I really enjoyed this movie. Call me weird, but there's something appealing about trying to survive in a mall surrounded by zombies.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
This movie was too long, too loud, too eye-numbing, and had way too many robot-on-robot fighting scenes. And what is the deal with Megan Fox's lips? There were a lot of little funny bits, but the first movie was funnier. The best thing about this sequel was how hot Shia LaBeouf was (he was merely cute in the first film).

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
This is the first Harry Potter movie to improve on its source material, which was boring and plot-less. The movie is still plot-less, but its art direction and cinematography are enchanting.

The Ugly Truth
This movie takes the tired "they-hate-each-other-but-eventually-fall-for-each other" premise and adds a bit of Cyrano de Bergerac and a lot of Apatow-esque raunch. It's a solid idea and there were a few outrageously funny scenes, but both Gerard Butler's and Katherine Heigl's characters are so unlikable that you don't really root for them to end up together.

Torchwood: Children of Earth
This ranks up there with "State of Play" and the first season of "The Wire" as one of the best things I've ever seen on television. Brilliantly plotted and paced, this dark and chilling five-episode story touched upon the meanings of love, duty, and sacrifice. Loved it even though it made me cry for the last 1.5 hours.

True Horror
Anthony Head hosted this Discovery UK documentary series that explored real-life stories and evidence for vampires, zombies, and such. The show itself is so-so, but I liked that the handsome and charming host traveled to all parts of the world (Romania and Haiti, among others) to interview historians, scientists, and occult experts.

ReGenesis
My lab tech recommended this Canadian series to me, because it deals with molecular biology in a flashy way. Think "24" meets "The X-Files" meets genetics class. Peter Outerbridge, who looks like a cross between Peter O'Toole and Anthony Head, plays a molecular biologist who works for a government organization that deals with public health crises. Ellen Page plays his daughter. I gave up watching after two episodes, because even though it was thrilling to hear TV characters say words like "virion" and "immunochemistry," it was too scientifically inaccurate for me to bear.

The Proposal
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds had great chemistry and the Alaskan scenery was breathtaking, but I was underwhelmed by this movie. It had a very predictable rom-com plot, yet there were moments of extreme weirdness like Betty White's character doing a tribal dance in the woods. The one truly funny moment was spoilered in the trailer: Sandra's and Ryan's characters running into each other while both are buck naked.

District 9
I thought this South African sci-fi film was riveting, unique, and one of the best I've seen this year. I was literally on the edge of my seat during the entire movie. The special effects were impressive, and the movie actually had something thoughtful, albeit depressing, to say about the nature of humanity. Sharlto Copley's performance blew my mind, especially considering that this was his first movie. I can't think of any debut performances that come close, besides Edward Norton's in Primal Fear.

Julie & Julia
I liked the book more, but Meryl Streep's wonderful performance and the delectable close-ups of food made this movie enjoyable.

LAX and Santa Barbara Airport: Last week, my mom and I went to Santa Barbara for eight days. We couldn't get a direct flight from Seattle and had to make a stop in Los Angeles. I never want to make a connection at LAX again. We had to walk from Terminal 3 to Terminal 4 with our luggage, because we didn't check-in any luggage. Then we had to go through security again, walk to the end of Terminal 4, and take a shuttle bus to another terminal. It took about an hour to do all of this. In contrast, the airport in Santa Barbara is easy to navigate, because it's the smallest airport I've ever been to.

Santa Barbara: I've been to Santa Barbara a few times before. Every time I visit, I'm struck by its dramatic surroundings (the ocean on one side, mountains on the other sides), the Spanish-style white adobe buildings with red tile roofs, and the abundance of vegetation. It seems that every square inch that hasn't been taken up by a building or a road is covered with trees, plants, and flowers. The variety of plants is mind-boggling. Palm trees, deciduous trees, and evergreen trees can all be found everywhere. It's an ideal place for a relaxing two-day vacation, but beyond two days, it gets more than a little boring. It seems like the only thing to do there is to eat, which I shouldn't complain about. (More on the food later.)

Third house: We stayed with my 4th Aunt, Uncle Dan, and their sons, Robbie and Richard, at their third house. It's painted grayish-blue and rather ordinary-looking from the outside. The inside looks like an ordinary house too, but each room is slighter larger than a normal house's rooms. There are three bedrooms. I guess I was a little disappointed with the ordinary looks and size of the house, because I know what it cost. I was expecting an indoor waterfall and solid-gold toilets. The house has large windows overlooking the backyard garden, which is extraordinary. I'm taking about a world-class garden. Ralph Lauren's people recently contacted my 4th Aunt about doing a photo shoot in her garden. That's how beautiful it is.

Third house garden: Not only is there a trampoline (great exercise and fun too!) and a gorgeous blue-tiled, bean-shaped pool in the garden, there is also a little "dollhouse" that could serve as a guest house. The garden itself is extensive, impressive, and beautiful. A multitude of trees, plants, flowers, and rocks have been strategically placed for maximum beauty and effect. One of my favorite parts of the garden is a little fenced-in area where they've planted vegetables and herbs. Everyday we'd go and pick yellow squash, cucumbers, turnips, green onions, basil, and/or mint from that garden. There were also various fruit trees scattered throughout the place. My favorites were the two avocado trees. These trees were huge and each held literally hundreds of fat, tempting Hass avocados. My aunt said that avocados can be left to slowly ripen on the tree for six months. Once picked, they ripen in five days. This was why the majority of them haven't been picked yet. We did pick a few. There's something very satisfying about picking fruit and vegetables.

Third house kitchen: My favorite room in the house is the kitchen, which is rustic-looking and has an island that is twice as long as a typical kitchen island. The fridge is scary, because every available space within it has been filled with food of questionable freshness. When something new has to be put in, something old has to be taken out. Presumably, there is food in the very back that is years old. Two chefs come a few times a week to cook food for the family; one chef specializes in Chinese food, the other in Italian food. They're constantly filling the fridge with food. My 4th Aunt also loves to buy food and is constantly stuffing the fridge with even more food. The kitchen counters are stacked with bags, bowls, and containers of snacks and treats, as well as fruit and vegetables picked from the garden.

Personal chef: Vera comes to the house a few times a week to cook for the family. She's a tall, striking-looking middle-aged woman who was super nice; in fact, she was friendlier to my mom and me than Uncle Dan, Robbie, and Richard. She grew up in São Paolo, Brazil, has an Italian father, and had a catering business in Hawaii for many years. Everything she made was delicious. We got to have her eggs Benedict for breakfast (I'd never had it before), as well as a variety of Italian dishes (spaghetti with chicken and tomato sauce, lasagna, meatballs and yellow squash, risotto with Italian sausage, bread with creamy tomato filling, tender roast pork) for dinner. One night, she made a Brazilian flan topped with fresh berries.

Fruit: 4th Aunt goes to a farmer's market once a week. We went with her one time, and she literally bought 50 lbs. of fruit. Everyone ate a ton of fruit everyday. We always had at least two types of grapes, pluots, and nectarines multiple times a day. Sometimes we had watermelon. Once we had oranges fresh-picked from the garden. My favorites were the muscat grapes and "Flavor King" pluots (juicy and full of plummy apricot-y hybrid-y flavor).

Boredom: Besides eating, there is nothing to do in the house. They have a TV (with almost every channel: HBO! Showtime! Cinemax! Encore! Starz!) in the family room, but I rarely got to watch it, because Uncle Dan ate breakfast and dinner and did his work in front of it. My mom and I stayed in a guest room in the house. In order to get to it, we had to walk outside and walk up a flight of stairs. It only had a bed, tatami mats on the floor, and a bathroom (which had no curtain for the shower). There were no lamps or lighting near the bed, so every night, I'd go to the bathroom to read Pride and Prejudice. My only other source of entertainment during the trip was knitting Venezia. I'm pleased to announce that I've finished the first sleeve (it only took about 1.5 years)! I've started the second sleeve and hope to get the whole damn thing done before the end of the year. Mom relieved her boredom by cleaning the entire guest room, which initially looked clean, but on closer inspection, was covered with dust and spiders.

Nordstrom Cafe: Mom and I had lunch there. I had a Greek chicken sandwich and salad. Mom got tomato soup and coffee cake. All of the food was simple but tasty, especially the tomato soup, which was all lightness and basil-y goodness.

Jeannine's: 4th Aunt took Mom and me to this bakery for breakfast. I had the tofu & veggie mix, which was tasty, but not as tasty as Mom's scramble with pesto. This was a cute place with 1950's photos of whom I'm assuming are Jeannine and her family. As we were leaving, we noticed that the cakes on display were charmingly decorated with a variety of flowers.

Santa Barbara Club: 4th Aunt took Mom and me to this hoity-toity members-only club for lunch. I had halibut (good) with Southwestern-style polenta (great). They gave us free tasty-but-too-sweet coconut cookies for dessert.

Mandarin Palace: We ate here twice for dinner. The first time was with 4th Aunt, Robbie, Richard, 6th Aunt, Stephen (6th Aunt's fiance), Chloe (6th Aunt's daughter and the future Mrs. David Archuleta), Mom, and me. We had an eight-course meal consisting of a cold lobster & mango salad, crispy tofu with Taiwanese-style marinated meat and vegetables, fried chicken, chewy-good udon, the best fried rice I've ever had, Mongolian beef, seafood soup, and fried scallops. All of the dishes were good, but by far the best was the tofu dish. The tofu cubes were the exact right size so that the fried outside was satisfyingly crispy while the inside was tender as custard. The second time we went there was with 4th Aunt, Uncle Dan, Robbie, Richard, 6th Aunt, Stephen, Chloe, Alice (my mom's and aunts' first cousin), Wyeth (Alice's husband), Luke (Alice's son), Mom, and me. There were 13 courses this time: seafood spring rolls, boiled peanut & vegetable salad, cucumber salad, bacon-wrapped asparagus with mango, fried shrimp on sugarcane sticks, pot stickers, noodles, chicken & bamboo, sea cucumber (ugh, ocean-flavored rubber), grilled steak, crispy duck, crab & squash, and green beans. The food wasn't as good this time, although the shrimp on sugarcane was excellent.

Stella Mare's: 4th Aunt, 6th Aunt, Stephen, Chloe, Mom, and I had lunch at this French country restaurant. The inside of the restaurant was decorated like a French country home with chipped furniture and yellow wallpaper. I had an endive & apple salad and ate quite a bit of Mom's crab-stuffed sole. The six of us shared three desserts. The chocolate-raspberry "Ding Dong" looked like a Ding Dong and had layers of chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, and raspberry sauce all covered with chocolate ganache. The lemon cake consisted mainly of a really good, tart lemon curd. The crème brûlée was too runny but the burnt sugar topping was perfectly crisped and caramelized.

Second house: 6th Aunt, Stephen, and Chloe stayed at 4th Aunt's second house. We visited that house several times. I had never seen it before this trip. The second house is ranch-style, has a nice airy family room, and a grapevine-covered porch with a great view of the mountains. Chloe complained that the house was full of spiders.

First house: We also went to 4th Aunt's first house a couple of times. It's Spanish-style with a modern, high-ceiling interior. 4th Aunt recently finished remodeling the master bedroom with low Japanese furniture and tatami mats. The house has a huge outdoor balcony that spans the entire length of the house, the better to enjoy the ocean view. The most impressive part, again, is the garden. There's an Asian-style gazebo with a waterfall in the middle of a lovely bamboo forest.

Fire: The entire time we were in Santa Barbara, we saw fog/smog/smoke in the distance, the sky was opaque gray, and soot fell from the sky like snow flurries. One day, I noticed that the sky looked orange around the horizon and the sun was dark orange even though it was mid-day. The cause of all of this was the Santa Cruz fire (five hours north of Santa Barbara), which burned about 7,000 acres of land.

Left at Albuquerque: 6th Aunt, Stephen, Chloe, Mom, and I had lunch at this Mexican restaurant. I had red chile cheese enchiladas, which were very good, although the black beans and green rice (green from cilantro) that came with them were only OK.

Yogurtland and Pinkberry: My heaven would have a Yogurtland. It's a self-serve place (30 cents/ounce) with about a dozen flavors of frozen yogurt and dozens of toppings. I got plain with strawberries, green tea with mochi, and chocolate with chocolate chips. Mom got lemon lime, pineapple, and pomegranate raspberry yogurts topped with blueberries. The yogurt is light, refreshing, and very yogurt-y tasting (live bacteria!), which is ideal for me. Pinkberry has about three flavors and a more limited variety of toppings. Their yogurt is also very yogurt-y but creamier and denser.

Andersen's: 4th Aunt, Mom, and I had breakfast at this Danish bakery. I had Charlotte's omelette (bacon, brie, spinach, heirloom tomatoes) made with egg whites (meh, Vera's breakfasts are better) and chamomile tea. This bakery has a charming, very European atmosphere and a delectable display of pastries.

Cold Spring Tavern: 6th Aunt, Stephen, Mom, and I braved twisty-turny mountain roads to have lunch at this 1860's stagecoach stop. The four of us shared a BBQ beef sandwich, fries, grilled vegetable salad, and the three-chili sampler (Texan beef & red bean chili, wild game (buffalo, rabbit, venison) & black bean chili, chicken & pork chili verde). My favorite was the Texan chili. The place was very dark and atmospheric with memorabilia on the walls, lots of biker customers, and an amazing blues band playing live outside.

The Huntington: 4th Aunt, Robbie, Vera, Mom, and I did a day trip to Los Angeles. We first stopped at a Chinese bakery (Vera declared it her favorite bakery ever) and bought a bunch of stuff. Then Mom and I went to The Huntington. They didn't allow food or drink in the botanical gardens, so we ate our Chinese bakery-acquired lunch outside. We shared a good egg salad sandwich, an amazing sticky rice roll stuffed with rousong and vegetables, a so-so pudding, and some almond milk. The botanical garden is huge. We saw less than half of it. We walked through the desert garden (cacti, aloes, and other wonderfully weird succulents), Japanese garden (bamboo forest, bonsai collection, Japanese house, zen garden, and fish pond), and the Chinese garden. Then we saw the American and European art collections. Our last stop was the science and natural history exhibits, which featured some of the most famous books on astronomy, biology, and medicine in history.

Taiwanese food: While we were in LA, 4th Aunt stopped at a food court specializing in Taiwanese dishes. She bought beef noodle soup, chicken/taro rolls, radish buns, marinated eggs, and cold noodles among others. Now I understand why my mom craves the Taiwanese food she grew up with. It's so good! And this is coming from someone who doesn't like Chinese food very much. I have to say though that my mom's Taiwanese beef noodle soup is better than the stuff from LA.

Calories consumed on this trip: approximately 7,000,000

I don't know why I didn't start watching "So You Think You Can Dance" from its very first episode in 2005. I love to watch good dancing. I guess my general dislike of reality shows kept me away. Then, a couple of years ago, my cousin Janet told me that it was an awesome show and made me watch a few performances, which were indeed awesome. Last year, I started watching the fourth season when my cousin Chloe, who was also a "SYTYCD" fan, came to visit me. Every week, we would look forward to Wednesdays when the performance episodes would air. I think the reason last season was so good was because from the very first week when the top 20 performed, there were four couples that Chloe and I (and voters) agreed were our favorites: Katee & Joshua, Kherington & Twitch (aka "Twitchington"), Courtney & Gev, and Chelsie & Mark.

These four couples not only consisted of fantastic dancers (they all made it to the Top 10), they also had incredible chemistry with each other. It was heart-wrenching when they were separated after five weeks. Katee was the best female dancer and Joshua was the best male dancer of season 4. I don't think they ever gave a bad performance. Twitchington was a great couple too. They made everything from Viennese waltz to krump look good. Chloe called Courtney & Gev "The Cutie Couple." They demonstrated the Brody-Bilson Principle of Synergistic Cuteness. Chelsie & Mark were my favorite couple, because they were so goofy off-stage (she's a tomboy; he's a quirky nut) and so hot on-stage (the way he looked at her made my heart flutter).

Behind the cut are videos of my ten favorite performances from season 4. It was really tough to narrow it down to just ten. I could easily have picked 20 performances that I loved from last season.

( favorite season 4 performances )

The fifth season was not as good as the fourth. Although many of the dancers were excellent, I didn't feel like any of the initial couples had great chemistry with each other (but Randi & Evan were pretty cute). I eventually warmed up to many of the contestants individually except for Kayla. For some inexplicable reason, I felt like she wasn't as good as everyone was making her out to be. She executed the most beautiful kicks, but there was a frantic-ness to her upper body movements that I didn't like. She also had no personality. I liked Melissa but thought she lacked Janette's fire and Jeanine's spunkiness. I loved Janette and Jeanine, so I was bummed when Janette was voted off but glad that Jeanine won after a season of suspecting that Kayla's name had already been etched on the trophy. I thought that Brandon was the best male dancer, although Ade was a close second. Evan was a cutie patootie and wonderful in his style of dance, but it was a little embarrassing to watch him dance samba.

( favorite season 5 performances )

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Damn. Although I was lucky enough to witness this last year (see my blog entry about it here), I still wish I had seen this.

I just finished watching "Torchwood: Children of Earth" last night. Devastating and devastatingly good. It's going to take me a while before I recover enough to say any more. At least there's "Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead" tonight to cheer me up.

As a "Doctor Who" fan, I thought the following videos were fun. Now somebody needs to do an "Allons-y" video.

"Sorry"

"Well"

Guest blogger Chloe reports on yesterday's 5-star VIP David Archuleta experience:

So I'm going to skip the concert recap & all that jazz because when it comes down too it, they're all the same in the end with minor changes, right? But the VIP stuff.. holy moly macaroni.. FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS .. I write a LOT. Just call me retarded :)

SOOOOO when Mimi & I were waiting in line to get into the VIP stuff, I met a LOOOOT of Vancouver people. Like, it was totally ridiculous :P Then we were let in at about 350, & this is how it went: sign in, crowd free merch shopping, then lining up to go to the "party room". So our "party room" was just this biiiig room backstage used to move like.. equipment & stuff, haha. It was literally behind the stage almost. So we sat there for about an hour or so, & played some "David trivia". It was.. interesting, haha. OH! I forgot to mention. Before the trivia, okay, when we were lead into the room, there were circular tables with chairs around them, so of course I got the closest chair to the piano, since there was one set up on one side of the room. & then about like 15 minutes after we sat down, the host was like " when David is performing you guys can some sit in front of the keyboard". & all of us were like "WHEN O_O. NOWW?>!?>!", & she was like "yeah! " . SO I like MADLY sprinted to the front...

HOLYMOLYMACARONI. Let me tell you... I was literally sitting RIGHT in front of the keyboard on the ground. Like, if I stretched my feet out all the way, it could touch the chair that David would be sitting on. I already has this amazing feeling inside of me that continued to build up :D So after the trivia & raffles & stuff, DAVID FINALLY CAME :) He only sang one song for soundcheck & it was "Touch My Hand". We could hear him singing, but it was muffled. SOOOO... when he walked out.. let me tell you, he is SO dang short. LOL. Like, I always knew he was short.. but he just looked SOOOOOO tiny walking towards me, haha. So he came waving & smiling.. & he sat down in front of the keyboard on his chair, & I was literally like less than a meter away from him. HOLYMOLY. SO. MESMERIZING. Not even funny! Those eyes... that smile.. that voice.. that hair.. LOL.. that everything! So he started asking us how was our daaay, & you know, just being the polite David us fans all know & love. His voice sounded a bit raspy when he spoke & he told us that he hasn't gotten much sleep lately, so he was feeling really tired & he apologized if his voice cracked during his acoustic set. We were all like "aww, no! You'll be PERFECT :)" So he rambled on a bit more about how the two songs were from Hollywood week on American Idol Season 7 & which song we wanted to hear first. So HEAVEN was first :) & wooow. Just.. wow. Like, sitting SO close to him, watching & seeing every single expression he put on his face, as well as feeling every single emotion that he was trying to portray.. it was absolutely breathtaking. After that we all clapped & you could hear SO many people sighing after he finished, all thinking "wow..holy.. freakin'.. wow". Then before he sang Crazy, he asked if we wanted him to sing anything else. A lot of people suggested "When You Say You Love Me" by Josh Groban, which he sang last year on the American Idol tour. It would have been AMAZING, but you could tell he didn't want to sing it, but all he did was smile & .. look confused, LOL. Oh David. So he just ended up singing Crazy & holymolymacaroni. SOOOOOOOOOO good. Crazy was always one of my favourites out of all of his songs.. & to finally hear it, sitting SOOOOOOO close.. it was absolutely.. like.. a moment that I'll never ever ever EVER forget. Words can NOT describe how amazing it was. When you first watch it.. it was just like, there are NO words, you know? That's how I felt, but instead of staring at the computer screen, the real thing was right in front of me, making the magic happen. It was so surreal. After that he said it was question time! So this LITTLE three year old girl, who was the CUTEST thing you'll ever see, got up & tried to say " I love you " to David, but got too nervous so she made her mom say it for her. But it was SOOOO cute, haha. You could tell David thought she was absolutely adorable too. After her mom said it, the little girl said it too, & it was just so adorable. Then David gave her a hug :D The whole time, we were all just "awe-ing" at it, haha. SO cute. Then one girl asked what was the last song he put on his iPod. & let me tell you, that boy rambles on SO much, haha. He ended talking about it for like 5 minutes, I swear. He just kept getting off topic & it was just so cute :) In the end, he couldn't remember & just said it was probably Christmas music to put him in the mood for the album, haha. Then this guy asked him a question.. that I can't remember for the life of me right now.. but.. OH, it was if David was going to have any a capella Christmas songs on the album. David said there hasn't been so far, & then he was like "haha, you guys really like the a capella stuff, huh?!" then we were all like YEAAAAH. & then some people told him to sing "Mary Did You Know" & then before you know it, the whole crowd was trying to convince him! Haha. SO IN THE END, HE DID :D He couldn't remember the words though, so we all had to help him remember as much as he could, haha. So he ended up singing like 4 lines of it a capella :) Beeaaaauuutttiiifffulll. His voice is like butter. LOL. SooOOOo smooth :) After that he just rambled on a bit more & then it was picture time! Haha. I tried to get as close to the back as I could to give him my bracelet personally (I'll explain this later) but these people just kept popping out of no where! But I was still really close to the end. & OMGOSH, when the little three year old girl went to get her picture taken, she wanted David to carry her (well, her mom asked David) & DAVID AGREEEEEED. It was SOOOO cute! Watching David lift up this adorable blonde little three year old girl & then taking a picture with her. SO cute.

THEN FINALLY. IT'S MY TURN. My heart was beating SOOOO fast. Like seriously. I thought it was going to explode. So I walked up to him & he was still talking about something to another person, but my mind was so sjsdljsalkdj, I wasn't paying attention, LOL. So he put his arm around my back & I did the same to him, & before I knew it, the picture was taken ! I REALLY PRAAAAY THAT IT DOESN'T TURN OUT LOOKING LIKE CRAP :( :( :( :( :(. Anyways, after that I turned to him to give him the bracelet. I was just like " David I wanted to give this to you personally. I made this for you. See over here it says 68742, & they spell music. You know, if you use t9 when you're texting? You just press those numbers & it spells music :) I also put your initials on the back". This whole time I'm stupid enough to be staring AT the bracelet, so I didn't even see his reaction or expression 8-) Go me! Haha. Anyways, he was like "Oh cool! Really? That's so cool! I've never gotten anything like this before! Thank you! " & of course I said you're welcome, & then asked for a hug :D Oh David & his one armed hugs. It was AMAZING none the less, haha. & then as I walked away, Mimi (who took the picture with me, & was on David's other side) walked away too, & David was like " OH WAIT. Did we already take a picture?!" LOL. Everyone was like, laughing at him :P. What a ditz, haha. But yeah, so then the last people took their pictures & that was that! David waved goodbye to us & wished us to have fun at the concert :) After that I stayed to take pictures with Dave & Mike that came out while they were auctioning off the signed merch. I didn't win anything :( but I got pictures :) Haha. But yeah! That was the VIP experienceee. I've finally confirmed that yes, I AM taller than David :( by like, a good two inches at least. UHHG. I tried to slouch down as much as I could for the picture, haha. But yeaah! The most amazing experience just HAS to be the acoustic set. The two & a half songs.. wow.. embedded in my brain for as long as I'll live. ♥

THE END :)

Listen to David sing "Crazy" and "Heaven" live here.

Listen to David sing "Apologize" live here.