People always ask us how we find deals on stuff, especially on travel. So here's a trip report covering our most recent excursion to Alaska and SF. This is going to be long, since there is a lot to explain - but I hope you can catch the travelbug and get hooked on finding some deals too.
Why Alaska?
When we moved from HNL to the WAS area for me to begin graduate school last year, we promised ourselves that we would go back to the islands within a year. The prices never dropped (no thanks to ATA and Aloha) but instead, a UA WAS-ANC fare popped up for ~$600! We had travel credit (bump) and vouchers (compensation) so our roundtrip airfare was $151 each. Both Alexis and I have always wanted to visit Alaska; we were mostly curious about what life is like up there, so we were at the airport the next day getting this ticketed.
Notes: Cheap fares pop up all the time, but they never last very long. There are websites to keep you informed of low (sometimes erroneously filed) fares - but you have to spend time doing your own research. I primarily use flyertalk.com and farecompare.com. There is tons of info on the former which may be intimidating at first, but it is the most valuable website I've ever used. It's allowed us luxurious travel and never at full price. Be ready to pull the trigger if you see something you like (some airlines offer free cancellation within 24 hours). The fare might be gone within hours. Never call in to make sure the deal is "for real!" This will cause the deal to die. If you can book it, that is, if you get a e-ticket # after you book it, the fare will be honored and you are good to go.
Ticketing
As I started looking into the fare details I noticed that a stopover in SFO was permitted in each direction. Perfect! We've been trying to get back to the Bay Area ever since I graduated in 2004. (Our trips from Hawaii were mostly to visit family in Seattle, NY, or DC.) We finally decided on six days in Alaska and four in SF.
Notes: Fare details are often overlooked. If you're trying to get to more than one destination on a budget, you can read these details (matrix.itasoftware.com or the airline's website) to see if you're permitted a free (or nearly free) stopover. On a different note, UA (usually) allows up to four transfers per direction; this is useful for planning out Mileage Runs to gain miles (for free tickets) or elite status (special perks while traveling, like more free baggage, economy plus and lounge access).
Lodging
In addition to collecting miles, we started banking hotel points when we realized we had the means to go anywhere anytime, but we really didn't have anywhere to stay. In our treasure chest of travel goodies, we had accumulated some Starpoints, Hilton HHonors points & certificates. Since the Hilton in Anchorage was overpriced (in terms of points), we ended up booking the Sheraton in Anchorage with the promo (5th night free when you book four). With baby Charlotte in tow, we also decided against a cruise (too expensive, and too much risk of suck being stuck on a floating buffet with your typical Alaska cruiser). After reading all about Alaska on FT.com, I concluded that there was plenty to do around Anchorage, and there was no way were had enough time to do everything in Alaska. The Sheraton was a nice home base as we did day trips which involved plenty of driving. As a Starwood Gold Member, I was upgraded to a recently renovated corner room, one with plenty of windows facing the ocean and a huge 42" LG Plasma. Unfortunately the hotel didn't have HD so the picture looked a little nasty. There was free parking on the streets adjacent to the hotel, and we "found" the free wireless network from the Days Inn Hotel across the street - a cost savings of around $23/day.
For our side trip to SF, we wanted to use up some Hilton $75 off certificates before they expired and found an eligible hotel in the East Bay. SF obviously has nicer hotels, but the rates (and parking fees) are killer. We settled with the Hilton Oakland Airport; As even a lowly Hilton Silver Member, upon check-in we were upgraded to the Paramount Suite, a room the size of two standard rooms, with two TVs and a decent kitchen. It was as fancy as an Airport Hotel can get (meaning, if we were in the year 1983, this hotel would have been rad!), and we ended up paying about $40/nt including taxes and parking.
Notes: Being an elite member doesn't mean that you have to actually frequent the product. Read more at FT.com.
Car Rental
Just as the airlines have, there are all sorts of loyalty programs for car rental companies too. Being elite with them means that you can get upgraded to larger or nicer cars while paying a small car rate. There are also coupons and contract codes posted all over the web that can help reduce your rate. I booked a Mazda 6 (midsize) through Hertz and scored a 2008 Toyota Highlander, and I say scored because it's the same car we've been thinking about buying, and we got it at both ANC and SFO (Oakland to be exact). Alaska car rentals are expensive. The rate I had was about 70% off and being a Hertz #1 Gold member probably helped with the upgrade.
The Damage (Costs not including food, fun, and fuel):
(Comparison to normal advance purchase rates)
2 Roundtrip flights (UA) $302 (vs $1302)
2 Economy Plus Access (UA) $0 (vs $356)
3 Pieces Check-in Excess Weight Baggage (UA) $0 (vs $325)
2 Lounge visits in 2 different lounges $0 (vs $200)
2 First class upgrades (SFO-IAD) $0 (vs $600)
5 Nights corner deluxe room Sheraton Anchorage $0 (vs $1595)
3 Nights Paramount Suite Hilton Oakland $120 (vs ~$550)
10 Days Car Rental (Toyota Highlander) $312 (vs $797 ANC + $351 SFO)
Total = $734 (versus $6076) - We saved nearly 88%!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Highlights from our 3rd Anniversary trip (Alaska & SF)
You can see the captions when you go to our album, just click the slideshow. Enjoy!
Edited to add "What we did:"
8/9 (Long flight times two - IAD-SFO-ANC)
Our first flight was an early one to SFO. I had picked an early flight because the plane used was a 767. It's a bigger plane and can have more open seats depending on the day/time of the flight. When I checked in for the flight, I put Alexis and myself on the aisles in the middle row of three (2-3-2), hoping the middle seat would be empty for Miss Charlotte. Sure enough it was. We went to two different lounges in SFO (ANC flight was delayed so we had five hours to kill), the DL and CO lounges. Priority Pass is a lounge pass that you can get free with certain credit cards. Relaxing in lounges during travel is a great way to escape the noise and commotion that happens around the gates. DL's lounge was nice - it had a conference room so Alexis could have some privacy with the baby. We then checked out CO's lounge and found the Olympics on a big screen TV and free wifi.
The second flight was an A320. This plane is a larger narrow-body plane with an amazing row 6. There is legroom enough for Yao Ming, and although we didn't end up with an empty seat next to us, Charlotte had plenty of space on the floor to nap.
We got into Anchorage around 10pm and it was still sunny outside. Crazy. I wanted to go to sleep but my body wanted to stay up. We were hungry and tired so we shamefully found a Pizza Hut and checked into the hotel.
8/10 (Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Anchorage, AK)
The day was absolutely beautiful. Having been hesitant to book our glacier cruise until the weather forecast cleaned itself up, I got on the phone and made our reservations for the next day. We spent the day driving around Anchorage (finding out that Carrs = Safeway), and came across a small local outside market. There were all sorts of souvenirs and snacks sold, including teddy bears made of real bear fur, and Reindeer dogs. There were a couple of guys demonstrating traditional Alaskan song/dance, but it was difficult to appreciate because they had no traditional costume. We made our way to the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and set out for a walk. This trail hugs the shoreline and winds through mudflats, a lagoon, a fault line, and the Alaska railroad. The walk was peaceful and refreshing and before we knew it, three hours had passed. The sun fooled us again. Charlotte was way past her bedtime so we called it a night.
8/11 (26 Glacier Cruise, Whittier, AK)
The 26 Glacier Cruise from Whittier was highly recommended by locals and tourists alike. We drove down south in the morning shooting for the 10:30am tunnel opening. What was that? The tunnel that connects the highway with Whittier (a port town) is a mixed use tunnel that allows trains and cars to share the same space, just not at the same time. The first 15 min of each hour is open for cars traveling north. The next 15 min is for trains going north. The next 15 min is open for cars heading south. And the final 15 min is for trains running south. So if I missed the 10:30am opening, I would have had to wait until 11:30am for the next opening. Fortunately we made it. The tunnel was narrow, much like the tunnels blasted out of the rocks in Taiwan. We made it through to Whittier and saw a huge cruise ship parked next to our miniature catamaran. We had some time to wander around town before the boat ride. We had fresh halibut - simply amazing. The glacier cruise was excellent. We stopped at glaciers to view them up close. We even hit chunks of ice that were floating in the water. We got to see where glaciers were after melting for hundreds of years. We also got to see "rafts" (like gangs) of sea otters hanging out in the water. Alexis drove us back to Anchorage and along the way we spotted a pod/family of whales. They were playing in the water right in front of us.
8/12 (Exit Glacier, Seward, AK)
We saw glaciers from the boat, and on this day we went to hike on the glacier. We drove down the Kenai Peninsula to Exit Glacier. The rain had started by the time we got there and the mosquitoes were out. If you stopped moving, they would be hovering all over you as if you were a standing buffet to them. This hike was an easy 2.5 miles roundtrip. We went up to the edge of the glacier, where the air got so cold (like it should if you're next to a giant icecube). The blue shades of light that etched the edges of the glacial ice are still vivid in my mind. It was nothing like the snow when you're out skiing. It was pure white with these remarkable blue streaks.
8/13 (Iditarod Headquarters, Wasilla, AK)
Strangely enough, I've always wanted to see the Iditarod. It's this 8-9 day race held annually, that retraces the routes of early gold-mining sled dogs and their mushers. Back when gold was first discovered in the Alaska frontier, sled dogs were used to bring supplies in and gold nuggets back out. These dogs are extremely disciplined to run and work as a team in harsh winter conditions. We stopped by the headquarters wanted to learn more about the race and we found much more to our surprise. First, we got to hold a sled dog puppy. It was 10 days old and not really awake yet. Charlotte was gentle with it, except for the drooling part, and seemed to enjoy petting the adult dogs too. We watched a movie about how the dogs were trained for the Iditarod. And outside of the center we tried out a sled dog ride. One thing I remember is how much force the dogs had. They were pulling the trailer with what seemed like more acceleration than a modern car. I was also impressed that they all stayed together as a group - not one strayed off course. They ran and ran until the musher told them to stop when our ride was over. I've never ridden or relied on an animal before so it was really unique to be so connected with an animal. I can only imagine how good it would feel to have the mutual loyalty and commitments with the dogs. We also went to the Alaska State Fair but no one else was there.
8/14 (Down to SF)
Mahalo Alaska. The airport was a mess because of cancelled flights (due to Vog and another aircraft breaking down) but we eventually got on our 757 back to SFO. We miraculously ended up with a free middle seat. So Charlotte (and her toys) got to sprawl out a bit. We got to SFO without event, but had to wait quite a while before we got the stroller and car seat from the ramp staff. Explanation: Charlotte likes to put on a show smiling and waving to people as they smile at her. She captures the attention of nearly everyone around her. People drop what they're doing just to see what Charlotte will do next. No complaints here, except that sometimes we are inadvertently delayed. After taking the air train to the rental car center, we picked out a RAV4 and headed across the bay.
8/15 (To my Alma Mater, Berkeley, CA)
I got up early to take our RAV4 to the Oakland Airport (5 min away) to swap it for a Highlander. I came back for Alexis and Charlotte and we went down to Newark to pick up Carmen, Jathan, and Brianne, who were staying at the W Silicon Valley. Jeff was out taking his AT-SAT to become an ATC. When we finally got everyone into the car we went back up to Berkeley, stopping for some long overdue Blondie's (pizza), a stroll around campus, free Jamba, and some Cal souvenirs. We also decided to stop at Ranch 99 to put together a little care package for Sister Hui, a friend serving in the Oakland Mission. We met Jeff at the Oakland Temple and were treated to a fantastic presentation of spiritually inspired sculptures. I remember Charlotte smiling and giggling when she saw the many well crafted sculptures of Christ. And specifically when we came up to one entitled "Come unto me," Charlotte leaned in with a huge smile on her face, giggled, and flapped her arms with excitement. It hit me that I should be just as happy and excited when it is my turn to see Christ again. It will be a joyous reunion back in heaven when we finish our learning here. We later showered Sister Hui with gifts and snacks, and I could feel that she had been working hard, putting in honest effort to serve her calling. For dinner, we crossed the bridge back to SF and had dinner with Brian, a longtime friend, at Buca Di Beppos.
8/16 (Muir Woods, CA)
On the way to Muir Woods (National Monument) we (and Brian) stopped through SF Chinatown for some breakfast. The bakery that my family has been going to since the early 80's was closed for vacation, but we still had some great dim sum on the car ride over. After finally meeting up with the Carlson gang, we went through the main entrance and into the redwood forest. I hadn't been in the forest since I was about 6-7 years old but I remember the woody smell (like fresh beauty bark) and the huge trees all around. It was a nice walk and the weather cooperated nicely. Brian was our patient guide and took some wonderful photos of us in the woods. Later that night we found fresh Maui pineapple and mangoes at Berkeley Bowl ("like Whole Foods, but hippier,") and finished the evening with amazing sushi at Kirala in Berkeley.
8/17 (Last day in Berkeley - back to DC)
We met Dawn (my college friend) for lunch in Berkeley and had some photo time up in the Berkeley Hills (Lawrence Hall of Science and UC Botanical Garden). After a final slice of Blondies, we trekked over the bridge to Meagan's house in Millbrae. We got to see her kids and catch up (we all served in the HK mission around the same time). And then it was back to the airport for the ride back to DC. There were two red-eye flights, and I chose the earlier one for the aircraft again, 767 vs. 757. UA left us hanging, wondering if our upgrades would clear since different levels of elite have staggered priority for upgrades. At the last moment, the enthusiastic call from the podium granted us two seats in first class. Charlotte didn't have her own seat this time, but she pretty much passed out on me as the plane was taking off and didn't wake up until we woke her up on the other side.
Now I need to rant a little bit. First class on that flight was about 99% full of snobs. We've been on enough flights to know that we'll get the evil eye when we step on the plane. Passengers are (understandably) unhappy to be near crying babies and even more so when the flight is overnight. Charlotte spent the entire boarding process smiling and wooing everyone around her. People usually respond very positively to her. Nope, not on this flight. It looked as though people wanted to throw her off the plane. Now Charlotte did let out a few whines for about five to ten minutes before she fell asleep. But she was quieter than the quietest passenger on the entire flight. When we got into DC, the good-hearted 1% of first class jumped up and shouted "great baby!" loud enough for the entire front of the bus to hear.
If you think about it, first class is really the best way for babies to fly: not only is there more space (for the child and the adult), but there is also fewer people (less stranger anxiety), less noise (farther from the engines), and more attention from better flight attendants (senior FAs work in front - example: one of them on our flight even offered to hold Charlotte for awhile so we could get some sleep). I just hope that babies can unite and break down unfair stereotypes in these premium situations. Not all babies are crybabies!
We had a wonderful anniversary and reunion with family and friends. Our pictures and videos are up for all to enjoy.
Edited to add "What we did:"
8/9 (Long flight times two - IAD-SFO-ANC)
Our first flight was an early one to SFO. I had picked an early flight because the plane used was a 767. It's a bigger plane and can have more open seats depending on the day/time of the flight. When I checked in for the flight, I put Alexis and myself on the aisles in the middle row of three (2-3-2), hoping the middle seat would be empty for Miss Charlotte. Sure enough it was. We went to two different lounges in SFO (ANC flight was delayed so we had five hours to kill), the DL and CO lounges. Priority Pass is a lounge pass that you can get free with certain credit cards. Relaxing in lounges during travel is a great way to escape the noise and commotion that happens around the gates. DL's lounge was nice - it had a conference room so Alexis could have some privacy with the baby. We then checked out CO's lounge and found the Olympics on a big screen TV and free wifi.
The second flight was an A320. This plane is a larger narrow-body plane with an amazing row 6. There is legroom enough for Yao Ming, and although we didn't end up with an empty seat next to us, Charlotte had plenty of space on the floor to nap.
We got into Anchorage around 10pm and it was still sunny outside. Crazy. I wanted to go to sleep but my body wanted to stay up. We were hungry and tired so we shamefully found a Pizza Hut and checked into the hotel.
8/10 (Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Anchorage, AK)
The day was absolutely beautiful. Having been hesitant to book our glacier cruise until the weather forecast cleaned itself up, I got on the phone and made our reservations for the next day. We spent the day driving around Anchorage (finding out that Carrs = Safeway), and came across a small local outside market. There were all sorts of souvenirs and snacks sold, including teddy bears made of real bear fur, and Reindeer dogs. There were a couple of guys demonstrating traditional Alaskan song/dance, but it was difficult to appreciate because they had no traditional costume. We made our way to the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail and set out for a walk. This trail hugs the shoreline and winds through mudflats, a lagoon, a fault line, and the Alaska railroad. The walk was peaceful and refreshing and before we knew it, three hours had passed. The sun fooled us again. Charlotte was way past her bedtime so we called it a night.
8/11 (26 Glacier Cruise, Whittier, AK)
The 26 Glacier Cruise from Whittier was highly recommended by locals and tourists alike. We drove down south in the morning shooting for the 10:30am tunnel opening. What was that? The tunnel that connects the highway with Whittier (a port town) is a mixed use tunnel that allows trains and cars to share the same space, just not at the same time. The first 15 min of each hour is open for cars traveling north. The next 15 min is for trains going north. The next 15 min is open for cars heading south. And the final 15 min is for trains running south. So if I missed the 10:30am opening, I would have had to wait until 11:30am for the next opening. Fortunately we made it. The tunnel was narrow, much like the tunnels blasted out of the rocks in Taiwan. We made it through to Whittier and saw a huge cruise ship parked next to our miniature catamaran. We had some time to wander around town before the boat ride. We had fresh halibut - simply amazing. The glacier cruise was excellent. We stopped at glaciers to view them up close. We even hit chunks of ice that were floating in the water. We got to see where glaciers were after melting for hundreds of years. We also got to see "rafts" (like gangs) of sea otters hanging out in the water. Alexis drove us back to Anchorage and along the way we spotted a pod/family of whales. They were playing in the water right in front of us.
8/12 (Exit Glacier, Seward, AK)
We saw glaciers from the boat, and on this day we went to hike on the glacier. We drove down the Kenai Peninsula to Exit Glacier. The rain had started by the time we got there and the mosquitoes were out. If you stopped moving, they would be hovering all over you as if you were a standing buffet to them. This hike was an easy 2.5 miles roundtrip. We went up to the edge of the glacier, where the air got so cold (like it should if you're next to a giant icecube). The blue shades of light that etched the edges of the glacial ice are still vivid in my mind. It was nothing like the snow when you're out skiing. It was pure white with these remarkable blue streaks.
8/13 (Iditarod Headquarters, Wasilla, AK)
Strangely enough, I've always wanted to see the Iditarod. It's this 8-9 day race held annually, that retraces the routes of early gold-mining sled dogs and their mushers. Back when gold was first discovered in the Alaska frontier, sled dogs were used to bring supplies in and gold nuggets back out. These dogs are extremely disciplined to run and work as a team in harsh winter conditions. We stopped by the headquarters wanted to learn more about the race and we found much more to our surprise. First, we got to hold a sled dog puppy. It was 10 days old and not really awake yet. Charlotte was gentle with it, except for the drooling part, and seemed to enjoy petting the adult dogs too. We watched a movie about how the dogs were trained for the Iditarod. And outside of the center we tried out a sled dog ride. One thing I remember is how much force the dogs had. They were pulling the trailer with what seemed like more acceleration than a modern car. I was also impressed that they all stayed together as a group - not one strayed off course. They ran and ran until the musher told them to stop when our ride was over. I've never ridden or relied on an animal before so it was really unique to be so connected with an animal. I can only imagine how good it would feel to have the mutual loyalty and commitments with the dogs. We also went to the Alaska State Fair but no one else was there.
8/14 (Down to SF)
Mahalo Alaska. The airport was a mess because of cancelled flights (due to Vog and another aircraft breaking down) but we eventually got on our 757 back to SFO. We miraculously ended up with a free middle seat. So Charlotte (and her toys) got to sprawl out a bit. We got to SFO without event, but had to wait quite a while before we got the stroller and car seat from the ramp staff. Explanation: Charlotte likes to put on a show smiling and waving to people as they smile at her. She captures the attention of nearly everyone around her. People drop what they're doing just to see what Charlotte will do next. No complaints here, except that sometimes we are inadvertently delayed. After taking the air train to the rental car center, we picked out a RAV4 and headed across the bay.
8/15 (To my Alma Mater, Berkeley, CA)
I got up early to take our RAV4 to the Oakland Airport (5 min away) to swap it for a Highlander. I came back for Alexis and Charlotte and we went down to Newark to pick up Carmen, Jathan, and Brianne, who were staying at the W Silicon Valley. Jeff was out taking his AT-SAT to become an ATC. When we finally got everyone into the car we went back up to Berkeley, stopping for some long overdue Blondie's (pizza), a stroll around campus, free Jamba, and some Cal souvenirs. We also decided to stop at Ranch 99 to put together a little care package for Sister Hui, a friend serving in the Oakland Mission. We met Jeff at the Oakland Temple and were treated to a fantastic presentation of spiritually inspired sculptures. I remember Charlotte smiling and giggling when she saw the many well crafted sculptures of Christ. And specifically when we came up to one entitled "Come unto me," Charlotte leaned in with a huge smile on her face, giggled, and flapped her arms with excitement. It hit me that I should be just as happy and excited when it is my turn to see Christ again. It will be a joyous reunion back in heaven when we finish our learning here. We later showered Sister Hui with gifts and snacks, and I could feel that she had been working hard, putting in honest effort to serve her calling. For dinner, we crossed the bridge back to SF and had dinner with Brian, a longtime friend, at Buca Di Beppos.
8/16 (Muir Woods, CA)
On the way to Muir Woods (National Monument) we (and Brian) stopped through SF Chinatown for some breakfast. The bakery that my family has been going to since the early 80's was closed for vacation, but we still had some great dim sum on the car ride over. After finally meeting up with the Carlson gang, we went through the main entrance and into the redwood forest. I hadn't been in the forest since I was about 6-7 years old but I remember the woody smell (like fresh beauty bark) and the huge trees all around. It was a nice walk and the weather cooperated nicely. Brian was our patient guide and took some wonderful photos of us in the woods. Later that night we found fresh Maui pineapple and mangoes at Berkeley Bowl ("like Whole Foods, but hippier,") and finished the evening with amazing sushi at Kirala in Berkeley.
8/17 (Last day in Berkeley - back to DC)
We met Dawn (my college friend) for lunch in Berkeley and had some photo time up in the Berkeley Hills (Lawrence Hall of Science and UC Botanical Garden). After a final slice of Blondies, we trekked over the bridge to Meagan's house in Millbrae. We got to see her kids and catch up (we all served in the HK mission around the same time). And then it was back to the airport for the ride back to DC. There were two red-eye flights, and I chose the earlier one for the aircraft again, 767 vs. 757. UA left us hanging, wondering if our upgrades would clear since different levels of elite have staggered priority for upgrades. At the last moment, the enthusiastic call from the podium granted us two seats in first class. Charlotte didn't have her own seat this time, but she pretty much passed out on me as the plane was taking off and didn't wake up until we woke her up on the other side.
Now I need to rant a little bit. First class on that flight was about 99% full of snobs. We've been on enough flights to know that we'll get the evil eye when we step on the plane. Passengers are (understandably) unhappy to be near crying babies and even more so when the flight is overnight. Charlotte spent the entire boarding process smiling and wooing everyone around her. People usually respond very positively to her. Nope, not on this flight. It looked as though people wanted to throw her off the plane. Now Charlotte did let out a few whines for about five to ten minutes before she fell asleep. But she was quieter than the quietest passenger on the entire flight. When we got into DC, the good-hearted 1% of first class jumped up and shouted "great baby!" loud enough for the entire front of the bus to hear.
If you think about it, first class is really the best way for babies to fly: not only is there more space (for the child and the adult), but there is also fewer people (less stranger anxiety), less noise (farther from the engines), and more attention from better flight attendants (senior FAs work in front - example: one of them on our flight even offered to hold Charlotte for awhile so we could get some sleep). I just hope that babies can unite and break down unfair stereotypes in these premium situations. Not all babies are crybabies!
We had a wonderful anniversary and reunion with family and friends. Our pictures and videos are up for all to enjoy.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Picture Time!
Thanks for all the calls & messages from my family and friends! I had a wonderful birthday. Dave gave me lots of surprises this year. We both miss Hawaii so much, he took me to Roy's in Baltimore. The food was amazing and Charlotte was so good the whole time (that's a big plus!) Thanks Dave for planning everything, I had a great time :)
Present #2 is a 42" Plasma TV
Present #3----Family Portrait
IF you read our previous post, Dave already mentioned we have lots of copies (part of the sweet deal). If you want Charlotte pics ( I dont think you want David's and mine...hahaha), I am happy to send you a copy :)
Present #2 is a 42" Plasma TV
Present #3----Family Portrait
IF you read our previous post, Dave already mentioned we have lots of copies (part of the sweet deal). If you want Charlotte pics ( I dont think you want David's and mine...hahaha), I am happy to send you a copy :)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Happy Birthday Alexis!
Alexis has been nudging me to blog something (anything) for a long long time. She even moved the blog over to blogspot to make things easier. So here it goes – one of my first blog posts anywhere – and Happy Birthday Alexis!
Since I’ve been out of touch for so long, I’d like to start this post by revealing a little about what I’m working on these days. I’ll say in advance that this is going to be a long read. They’re ranked in order of importance/effort:
1. Losing Weight – This is first on the list because I can’t stop thinking about how hungry I am everyday. I’ve put on a considerable amount (I can hear Alexis saying, “tons” with raised eyebrows and hand gestures) of weight since I graduated college. Living in
Sleep apnea can be caused by many things, but is pretty common among Asians (because of nasal/facial bone structure). I slept over at the sleep clinic (I highly recommend this), was wired up and videotaped over two separate nights. They found that during the night, I would stop breathing 39 times, mild for older people, but serious for a young adult. At one point during the night, my respiratory system shut down completely, not long, but still very serious.
So I’m on a diet and I’m at the gym everyday. I did some dieting (watermelon/seaweed) on my mission and in college (lean protein, low carb, no sugar) and had some success. Here’s how I’m doing:
July 10th: 239lbs (Start of diet)
July 24th: 228lbs (The nurse asked me how I did it! Mark says “teach me!”)
August 1st: 224lbs (Broke the diet one night for Alexis’ b-day dinner)
August 5th: 222lbs (Measured at
Compared to a few weeks ago, I feel better already. Alexis tempts me (come on just have some of my ice cream) but I hold to the rod. Hopefully as I get skinnier, my sleep and headaches will improve.
2. Playing with
We went to take some more formal pictures at Sears today (part of Alexis’ b-day present – you can ask her about the other part). The pictures turned out great!
3. Thinking about
4. Lab rotations – I finished my first year of classes at USUHS (aka USELESS or U-SISSIES) and over the summer I’m supposed to do two lab rotations, ideally to figure out what kind of research I would like to get into for my thesis project. My first lab rotation was awesome. I worked on HIV in Dr. Quinnan’s lab and supported another graduate student with her research. (She’s tracking the evolution of HIV in a Chinese HIV+ patient who has non-progressive disease). I was thoroughly impressed by the lab staff, who taught me many new techniques, just so I can learn them. Dr. Quinnan also went out of his way to think up possible thesis projects and even said for some of them, “I think you are the right person at the right time to do these projects.”
My second rotation has been pretty worthless. The lab studies basic immunology through mouse models. I was initially paired up with a grad student who already graduated. He really didn’t care about showing up in lab, and needless to say, he didn’t really care about me showing up either. I asked the P.I. about learning some new techniques (cutting slides/confocal microscopy) and he paired me up with this lady from
Classes will start when we get back from vacation and it’s pretty clear in my mind which lab I want to join. HIV is very complex, and seems like a good puzzle for me to work on for awhile.
5. Kaplan – I started teaching at Kaplan when gas in
I’m going to cut this off here. I hope it was a worthwhile read. Thanks for making it to the end of my update. I’ll post more frequently and I’d love to hear from more of you too.
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