A Belated Thanksgiving Greeting

When our usual Turkey Day plans fell through, Robert and I decided to treat ourselves to a couple's getaway in lovely Santa Monica. We walked the beach every day, sat down to watch the seagulls and surfers and...Robert inevitably fell asleep. So I figured it was a perfect time to send our friends and family a "Miss You" message courtesy of my sandals. Had my arms been long enough I would have been in the picture too. Guess you can't have anything. But for L.A. locals out there who are stranded on Thanksgiving in the future, book your dinner reservations at the Viceroy Hotel (now made famous by Bravo's show Top Design). I had the Pumpkin Polenta which sent me to the moon.

Little Known Things

Anyone with a calendar who actually reads this blog regularly (is there such a person?) would know that the KuFu's have been mum for over a month. The Ku had a few blogging moments he wanted to share with you all, but never got past the obstacle of site registration. Meanwhile I got pummeled with projects that required my immediate attention because: a) I was being paid; or b) I was getting a grade. Ok, enough excuses.

In six days I will turn in my thesis projects, marking a three year (plus) journey of returning to school in my mid-30s. Oh yes, while working. And married. Somehow these factors made the school experience a little more challenging than I remembered.

So why am I writing when I'm sitting on a six-day design bomb? Mental overload, and I need to take a break. Anyway, here are some random, non-school, non-design-oriented snippets to share that have popped into my little head as I eat lunch and sip a cup of tea. Thought it would be fun.

How I turn off my head after a 12-hour day of designing:I tuck myself into bed, put in this new agey CD and read about the famous beheadings and reigns of monarchs in Tudor England. I devour anything written about Queen Elizabeth 1, the wives of Henry VIII, Lady Jane Grey, and Mary Queen of Scots. I'm juggling "Elizabeth the Great" and "Children of Henry VIII" at the moment. Makes for fabulous bedtime reading but can't explain why.

I love cows. Look at this picture. Look at those eyes. How can anybody resist?
This pic is now the front and center screensaver on Robert's work computer. I look at it often to curb my recent addiction to In and Out burgers. 3 weeks sober now which is incredible considering my emotional eating around finals has always been about nitrate-rich proteins: beef jerky, slim jims, corned beef hash from a can, vienna sausages in a can, carl budding's pastrami in a bag. To all the mechanically separated and processed chickens and pigs I snacked on growing up and in moments of panic: I am deeply appreciative and deeply sorry. Never again.

When I realized I've become a Los Angelino:
* when I started calling movies like Jackass a "film"
* when I notice the gal at Starbucks who's had "work" done on their face
* when I got a therapist in Beverly Hills
* when Robert's former physician made an appearance on "Extreme Makeover"
* when I had a "working lunch" last month with an exec at CAA (if you don't know CAA, you're not an Angelino) and we talked about potential "deals" with partners like Oprah and Bono
* when I realized that Robert and I have had the same wedding photographer as the former Aniston-Pitts, Heidi Klum and Seal, Brooke Shields and her second hubby
* when I shook Diana Ross's hand last summer at New Roads (the tiniest hand EVER)
* when Robert and I took yoga classes from the father of Lisa Bonet's child
* when I'm designing a house for the Simpsons' creator's ex-wife
* when Robert was the Simpsons' creator's son Geometry teacher
* when I realized that everyone we know has some first degree connection with an A-lister
* when I started contemplating taking surfing lessons (have you even seen me in an ocean?)
* when Robert and I considered buying wet suits and boogy boards
* when a 800 sq.ft. bungalow priced at $575K sounds cheap
* when I began contemplating and experimenting with vegetarianism
* when I began to hug and kiss every person I'm introduced to
* when I stopped wearing suits for job interviews
* when topics like meditation and yoga come up regularly in staff meetings
* when I forgot that I missed the changing of seasons
* when I saw autumn for the first time in years on a trip back east and felt like I was in a Peter Pan movie
* when the apartment I live in now is the longest place I've lived since I was 12.
* when 60 degrees is considered "freezing"
* when I realized how happy I am living in a city that offers something for everyone. when being an interethnic couple looks like the norm, and everyone, Asian or not, knows how to use chopsticks
* when I became longtime friends with my mechanic, my dentist, and my eyebrow person
* when showing up 15 minutes after an appointment is still considered "not late"
* when Robert became part of my family

Later dude,
fu

Where've We Been All Month?

Uh...working. and more working. Figured it was better to be dull and quiet, than dull and blogging.

Dullness is passing soon. And you'll see why.

Later.

Hugs,
Fu

Tom Daschle's Hally-Ween Note to US

I'm touched that Senator Daschle took the time to write Robert and me a personal Halloween message. I open my inbox and there it is with a subject line:

From Tom: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid.

Ooh Tom, please tell us a ghost story! How about the Headless Horseman? Dracula? The ghost of the little boy who used to tickle you while you slept when you were five?


No...it's a horror story about...


AAAAHH! Right Wing Republicans!

Here's what my buddy Tom said to me:

Dear Stephanie,

I’m scared. But not of ghosts and goblins. To me, the most frightening thing about Halloween this year will be the extreme right wing’s schemes to scare people into not voting next Tuesday! And trust me, I know a lot about their tactics.
I lost my re-election bid two years ago by fewer than 5,000 votes because of a right-wing slander campaign that questioned my patriotism, attacked my integrity and in many cases perpetuated outright lies.

Tom: ooh, that IS scary. But I'll tell ya, that gun you're holding isn't exactly making me feel all "safe in my bed" either.

Next week’s elections are the closest mid-term elections in more than thirty years. The extreme right wing knows they are on the verge of losing control in Washington and they are desperate! Make no mistake, far right organizations and campaigns will pull out all the stops, including voter intimidation tactics, to keep their guys in power.

So you're saying that the Democratic strategy is to SCARE people into voting for the other guys. The hairs on my neck are going up at the thought of it! Tell me more!

This Sunday’s New York Times reported that “control of Congress appears to rest on a relatively few races in which the candidates are separated by razor-thin margins.” Next Tuesday, every single vote must count!

Now THAT'S what I like to hear. That "we the people" will come to save the day. Or in this case, save our government from extremists.

Two of my favorite organizations, People For the American Way and People For the American Way Foundation, are each working around the clock to ensure these obstructive tactics DON’T SUCCEED. It’s not too late to make a difference. I urge you to join me in supporting the Election Day activities of PFAW and PFAW Foundation to get out and protect the vote.

In previous elections, right wing special interest groups have sunk to incredible lows to try to win races. They distributed flyers to African American precincts saying that voting without a driver’s license was a felony! And this year, millions will face new voting technologies, identification requirements and other barriers that could prevent eligible voters from casting their ballots.

Attack of the killer voting machines? Now that's a blockbuster!

If you have been waiting for a time to give, the time to give is NOW. Today, on Halloween, make a commitment to help us prevent the right wing’s usual ‘scare tactics’ and intimidation! Please make a generous gift of $30, $45, $75 or more today to help us make sure every person can vote... and every vote is counted!

Thank you,

Tom Daschle
On behalf of People For the American Way/PFAW Foundation

p.s. It's so nice of him to package politics into an electronic treat-or-treat. Makes voting next week SO much more--sweet. And yes, most of you know I'm not a fan of right-wing politics or our current administration (wait, isn't that the same thing?), I chills me the clueless approach the Democratic party continues to put forth. How about getting me excited about YOU?

None the less I appreciate the thought. And I do support People for the American Way (with my checkbook). But I warn you Tom, one more scary story and me being a democrat may turn into nothing more than a Halloween costume.

Fuzzy Math at Midnight

Sleepy Blue was at it again. I came downstairs to scrape him off the sofa and he's what he said:







Robert: Hm, Hm, are you ready to answer some questions?
Steph: What?
Robert: Are you ready to answer some questions?
Steph: Okay.
Robert: How old are you if you skentoxdis;lkj 11 years old?
Steph: What?
Robert: How old are you if you skentoxdis;lkj 11 years old?
Steph: Eleven.
Robert: Nope. Eighteen.

What We're Digging

Funny Flick o' the Month: Little Miss Sunshine


Morning Wake Up Song: "Suddenly I See" by K.T. Tunstall

TV Addiction: Project Runway (still!)

Favorite Breakfast:
Ku - Rice Krispies sprinkled with sugar and blueberries
Fu - Cheerios, Tazo Chai latte made at home

After-dinner Game of Choice: Murder (come on over and we'll teach ya -- or come back for a rematch)

Food: Anything with chicken (vegetarians no more!)

Latest Pasttime: Sleeping, sleeping, sleeping (that goes for both of us)

New Weekend Ritual: Walking along the beach followed by brunch at Urth Cafe

The Daily Shot: 80's Revival

The 80's are back. Leggings, off-the-shoulder tops. Even rubber! But what about mullets? Hot or not?

Walkin' in Your Sleep

You've heard about the chats we have in our sleep. Now it seems we've taken to sleepwalking too.

Last night is case in point. Apparently I was lying on my back with legs running in place like I'm peddling on a bike:

Robert: Honey, what are you doing?
Steph: Huh? ...Hm...Whaddya mean?
Robert: Your legs. They're moving.
Steph: Oh, I'm running away from the bugs.


A few hours later. Robert's shoulder and back start twitching and I wake up. He's lying on his side jerking about when his legs suddenly go into a gallup:

Steph: Blue, your legs are moving.
Robert: Huh?
Steph: Your legs...they're moving.
Robert: Oh, I'm running away from that insect.

The Dangerous Side of Google Searching

I've been a card-carrying Google Searcher since the 90's. But I didn't start using it to find people until once during an interview, a candidate waltzed in and asked me:
"Are you the Stephanie Zhong that did some reform work with the City of Pasadena?"
My answer: "Well, uh yeah...How in the world did you know that?"
Candidate: "I Googled you."

Use Google to get info on everyday people? What a concept! Shocked I went home and googled myself. Found my wedding invitation design biz and the work I did with City of Pasadena came up. There's also apparently a 9-year old Stephanie Zhong who's in 4th grade talking about what a Living Library means to her. Go Stephanie!

I googled Robert and found a guy named Robert Kuhar who's Slavic and a computer programmer. Wait a minute, there's two of them? Interesting. What are the odds? Although my Robert speaks none of his native Polish (which is very sad indeed).

Since then I confess I have googled a lot of people. Ex-boyfriends (still trying to track down one that allegedly joined the Chinese Mafia. Nothing on him). High school and college classmates. I reconnected with one friend who left law school to become a screenwriter in--Wisconsin. He won a major writing award, and Robert and I got to see him do an actor's read of his script in Hollywood. His film may one day be made. A heartwarming Google experience.

Our next best man Eddie P. showed us his Google mention on Sheryl Crow's website (he does work for her afterall). He discovered she had welcomed him to the team when he had Googled himself. A fun, I-kinda-know-a-celebrity Google experience.

I've googled my design instructors. Discovered one of my favorite had had a serious medical condition during her pregnancy where she almost died. A-tragic-story that-ended-well-but-was-meant-to-be-private Google experience

I googled my dad's name after watching the movie My Architect and discovered he had a "dry daughter" in Taiwan. What?!? For two weeks I believed I had a secret half-sister living on the other side of the world. I couldn't sleep. Finally I asked our clairvoyant friend Larry to read my tarot cards (but didn't tell him why). He got a weird reading involving mysterious people and didn't know what to make of it. I showed him the photograph of this strange sister of mine and he got as freaked out as I was. He stayed up for two hours trying to figure out what a dry daughter is. Turns out she's a god daughter--phew. A-potentially-life-altering-Google experience.

Tonight the territory got more murky.

I recently became a member of LinkedIn after getting persistent invitations from friends to sign up. I started people searching some of my old friends and sent a few rounds of invitations. I then tried to invite a friend without success so I hopped on Google to see what was available on him to drop him a line.

And then I saw this: an entry from the Ninth District court "UNITED STATES VS. _________". My friend and his wife have been charged with extortion. WHAT?!? They allegedly attempted to extort a former employer of $3M in 2004. It involves a trip to Switzerland, secret envelopes hand delivered to the three founders. FBI surveillance. Tapped computer lines. Search and seizures. The case is still pending with a latest verdict delivered this past summer.

THIS JUST CAN'T BE REAL. But the names, addresses, details--all fit. I'm shocked and sick to my stomach. Can I be dreaming? Was this some government setup? Am I in a movie?

What do I do? I respect this person a great deal and I was even thinking of investing in his current venture. He is simply one of the kindest, compassionate people I've ever met. Is this some David Gale sort of setup? Government conspiracy? What do I do? This is not rhetorical. Suggestions please.

A-trust-challenging-stay-away-from-people-searching-Google-moment..

Late Night Ramblings No. 2

12:22am...Robert is once again sleeping soundly on the sofa while I tinker on the computer. Sound familiar?

Thoughts before calling it a night (or in this case a morning):

1. Hmm, I've never seen someone spoon a couch before...and I'm jealous of the couch.
2. I need to eat more salads. How do I get myself to eat more salads?
3. The cars on the 10 freeway sound more like waves in the ocean--love it.
4. Blogging is highly addictive. Time to look into Bloggers Anonymous.
5. Google is almost the best thing to ever happen in my life. It gives me a life.
6. Sheets are calling, eyelids drooping, my turn for spooning.

Time to wake the Ku so we can go to sleep. [To Alannis Morrissette: that is an example of being ironic]

Night night.

The Daily Shot: Sky's the Limit

I took this photo a year ago when Robert, Max and I toured Louis Kahn's Salk Institute. Sublime building with private views of the ocean. We were walking on the basement level through these magnificent light wells Kahn created so that everyone in the building could get access to daylight.

I looked up. And there, framed by the monumental walls of exposed concrete was a gorgeous piece of heaven.

Enjoy.

Fun with Unconscious People

I didn't know five years ago that I would be married to a sleeptalker. Robert transformed into a nighttime chatterbug in 2004--around the same time he developed a snoring habit that waxes and wanes with dramatic weight changes. We joke about the fact that we know how much he weighs simply by the types of sounds he makes (or doesn't make) while sleeping.

Lately he's taken to falling asleep on the sofa--sometimes to keep me company while I work away on the computer. Other times while watching the Daily Show or the Colbert Report. I find him an adorable sleeper, and am enchanted too by his gift of gab when unconscious. We've had some of our most intimate, profound chats this way. Here are a few from recent memory:

Scene 1. TONIGHT, 10:40pm, THE FUKU LIVING ROOM
Robert: I can't believe there used to be no electricity.
Steph: Where?
Robert: In the skin.

***
Scene 2. LAST SATURDAY NIGHT, 12:14am. Brother David and I chat in the living room. Robert sleeps soundly and sonorously in the bedroom upstairs.

Robert: Snort. Snort-SNORT! Huh! What was that? Who's there?
Steph [from downstairs]: [pause] Uh, it's Spiderman. [David laughs]
Robert: Spiderman? Where is he?
Steph: [still downstairs] In the bedroom, honey.
Robert: Oh. Okay.

***
Scene 3. THE FUKU LIVING ROOM, Last Wednesday Night. Project Runway music plays on the TV. Robert naps but has asked Steph to wake him up when Project Runway starts.

Steph: Robert [taps his feet]...Robert [shake his feet]....Robert! [shakes his tummy]
Robert: Aah! What? What is it?
Steph: Project Runway. It's on. You wanted to watch it.
Robert: Oh yes, Right I do. Okay...[Eyes drop shut]
Steph: Robert, are you sure you want to watch it?
Robert: Uh huh. I am watching it. I'm just resting my eyes.
Steph: How about you sit up and watch so you'll be able to stay awake?
Robert: Ok good idea...[rises slowly, sits up. Eyes open staring at the TV for five minutes. Eventually he ends up horizontal again].

Scene 4. NEXT MORNING, FUKU BEDROOM. Alarm on cellphone just went off.
Robert: Did I miss Project Runway last night?
Steph: You watched the first five minutes...don't you remember?
Robert: I did?
Steph: Yeah, your eyes were wide open. You were sitting up.
Robert: [laughs] I don't remember at all!

***
Scene 5. THE FUKU LIVING ROOM, SOMETIME IN THE DISTANT PAST

Robert: Hmm...hmm...pretty. Very pretty.
Steph: Who's pretty honey?
Robert: Pretty.
Steph: Who's pretty honey?
Robert: The ghost.

***
Scene 6. THE FUKU BEDROOM, Fu and Ku both sleep soundly. No snoring.
Robert: [twitch, twitch]. Uh, UH-UH! Oh my God! Oh my God!
Steph: Blue, what is it?
Robert: Get them off me! Get'em off me!
Steph: Get what off you?
Robert: The bugs! Aah! They're up there! See them? They're falling on me! Aah! Get them off!
Steph: There's nothing up there honey, you're dreaming.
Robert: Aah! [Hands flailing in the air]
Steph: It's okay, it's just a dream. [Gently pushes his hands back down and holds him]
Robert: ...

***
Night night.