Margaret Wang

Obsession

margaret — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:47:42 +0000

It has been quite awhile since I last posted here, mainly because I've struggled with how I want to use this space. Random musings generally go to Facebook, and anything running related goes to yet another space. Anything else is generally not suitable for the Internet, for one reason or another.

But on my way drive in this morning, I realized that I've acquired a new obsession. It has taken over nearly all my brain cells. Mike is probably tired of me talking endlessly about it, and god knows I've spent enough hours researching it online. It's even reached the point where my three-year old has started to obsess over it. And the problem is, I don't see an end in sight. So brace yourself, because I'm about to suck you into my black-hole: I'm talking about cars.

Now, I know what you're thinking, but I'm not that kind of person. I don't subscribe to Car and Driver, and I don't watch Top Gear. I barely keep a pulse on the automobile industry since I don't buy a new car every few years. In general, I think cars are a hassle, and I wish I weren't so dependent on one.

But that's another blog post.

The reality is that I have a 1998 Honda Accord, and we recently decided it was time to get a new car. The thing is, the car still runs well, it's in good shape, and it has low miles (not even 99,000). So I'm not in any hurry. I'm also my mother's daughter, which means I notoriously research every major purchase to death. With a constant stream of products, it never ends, but that doesn't stop me from trying. Throw on top of that the fact that I have absolutely no idea what kind of car I want, and you've now found me smack in the middle of an obsession.

I'm sure most people have some general idea of what they want, or they have enough constraints to dictate what they end up with. I'd imagine there are even people out there who have a dream car in mind, however (un)attainable it may be. The problem is that my dream car doesn't exist: I want a reliable, safe, and comfortable car that offers some utility (read: no sedan) and 50 mpg. But I don't want a Prius...or a clown car.

I've read reviews on nearly every crossover and wagon/hatchback out there. Every car I look at seems to have something about it I don't like. Due to lack of time and general lack of motivation, I've only test-driven a small handful of cars, and it's not looking good. Last week I drove a Lexus CT200h. I really liked the handling, and I loved that it has an EPA rating of 43/40. But I felt cramped in the back seat, and I'm not a tall person. A few months ago I drove a Jetta SportWagon TDI (diesel), and while I liked the interior and the space, its suspension was a bit too German for me. I've also received numerous recommendations for the Subaru Outback. We have an Impreza, and we love it. But honestly, for my car, I want a little less utility and a little more styling. I also wish the Subs had better gas mileage. I'm not always a fan of Subaru's AWD all the time; I don't really need it when I'm mainly just driving to and from work.

Next on the list is the Acura TSX SportWagon and the Highlander Hybrid (if I can locate a dealer in the area that actually has one on the lot). And if that fails, the Mazda CX5 due out in February could be promising. But I'm not holding my breath. When I tell people that I'd probably be sold if Toyota came out with a hybrid version of their Rav4, they ask, "What about the Ford Escape Hybrid?" To which I think, What about it? I'm an Asian snob, I only buy German or Japanese.

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May Day

margaret — Sun, 01 May 2011 22:37:39 +0000

After so much rain and gloom, it finally feels like Spring may actually arrive here in Portland. Today was a beautiful day, and Mike took full advantage by sporting around in shorts! You can tell someone was hungry for some sun since it barely hit 70 degrees. I'm just hoping we get a few more days like these...I don't want another cold and short summer.

I finally got around to picking some flowers from our yard. I love fresh flowers in the house!

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Dollhouse for less than $4

margaret — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:29:13 +0000

I wanted to give the kiddo a dollhouse for Christmas. She's always engaged in some sort of imaginative play, and she always plays with the dollhouse at our favorite toy store. So deciding on what to give her was a no-brainer. But if you know me, you know I can be very picky about, well, everything. I had scoured all corners of the Internet to find something within my budget (otherwise it would've been Plan Toys Eco house). I finally found it: a wooden dollhouse with some color, furniture (including a weight set and bench!), and doll. AND it was modular so you could "build" the house to whatever your tastes. All for $80. I was so excited, and I had over two months until Christmas! Then I screwed up. I didn't really know where I was going to store the thing without her seeing it, so I decided to hold off on buying it. When Mike said I could hide it in his workshop, I decided there was no rush and that I'd wait until cyber Monday, just to see if it would go on sale.

That morning, as I was drinking coffee, I went to online to buy it. Only the dollhouse didn't come up in the search results! After a slight panic, I remembered I had copied the link. Click. "Noooooo!" It was sold out. Ok, I thought, I'll just check if other places carry it. I had vaguely remembered other stores having it, but I couldn't remember their prices. After searching every store I could think of and entering about a thousand different wordings of essentially the same item, I couldn't find one for anywhere near the $80 tag. The next best price was nearly double, after accounting for shipping (first place had free shipping). At this point, I kicked myself. Hard. I wasn't sure what to do. To buy both house and furniture was going to blow our budget. The runner-up set no longer seemed suitable to me. I started to think that I would just scrap the idea altogether and get her something entirely different. After talking it over with Mike, I decided I'd just get her the furniture, and we'd make do with boxes or something. After all, she's still young enough that boxes are toys, too. And what good is house if your dolls have no place to sit or cook their food? At least this way, I could pick and choose the furniture sets.

After some time, I started thinking that maybe I could whip up a cardboard version. Just something a tad better than using a shoebox. Of course, then my brain said, "Nah, Miss Destructo will crush it in no time". In the end, I got some foam core board (like what they use for displays and presentations) from the dollar store, and, with scrapbook paper, pages from a catalogue, and wrapping paper, constructed a one-of-a-kind dollhouse. it may not be what I originally had in mind, but to her, it's perfect (Christmas was over a month ago, an she still plays with it). And in the end, that's all that really matters right?

Not quite step-by-step, but I documented the "construction" with photos.

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Knitted Giraffe

margaret — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 23:28:11 +0000

Adding to the kiddos ever-growing collection of stuffed animals, I saw a knitting pattern (link to come) for this ridiculously adorable giraffe and wanted to make it. It was my first knitted toy, but I'm quite happy with how it turned out. Now, I just have to refrain from cuddling with it myself...at least until Christmas.

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Happy Halloween!

margaret — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 21:16:46 +0000

Channeling my inner-Martha

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Post-Saturday run greeting today

margaret — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 18:45:57 +0000

Dahlias and gerbera daisies are my favorite. Mike knows me well.

(My old iPhone doesn't seem to capture color well. There are some reds in the bunch)

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Stout engineering

margaret — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 02:27:24 +0000

Sent from my iPhone

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Art space for kiddo

margaret — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 20:29:01 +0000

As a kid I loved coloring, painting, and drawing. I'd spend the afternoon at my desk or at the kitchen table doodling. I'd ask for pens at restaurants and draw on the backs of the paper placemats. I'm not alone. After seeing how much the kiddo gravitates towards creating things, I decided to set up a designated space for her in the house. I got tired of always having to clear the dining table just to eat a meal and finding crayons in everyone's bed, even Riley's.

Fortunately, we have a corner of our partially unfinished basement that is a perfect space for art. It has concrete floors, so I don't care if paint or whtever lands on it permenently. It's right next to the family room and play area, so I can keep an eye on her if I decide not to join in. And if things get too messy, the laundry room with utility sink is just right next door. With a bit of scrounging and Mike's help, I put all the pieces together last night. The kiddo hasn't seen it yet, but if she doesn't like it, I'll just use the space myself!

Update: I posted a few more pics online.

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Old-school popcorn

margaret — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:36:28 +0000

I haven't had a microwave for the last 10 years. Yes, I've been ridiculed, but every time someone first learns this little fact of mine, I inevitably wait for the question "How do you live without a microwave?" I'll admit, not having one has a few inconveniences. Reheating food takes a little longer than the kiddo wants to wait. And until recently, I bought bagged popcorn. As a kid, I loved popcorn, and my parents and I would pop bowl after bowl of it as our evening snacks. Once I got out of college, for some reason, I hated the smell you inevitably get at 3:00 in the afternoon in cube-land, the smell of almost-burnt microwaved popcorn. Blegh. No thanks.

Once the kiddo discovered popcorn, it was as though she couldn't get enough of that stuff. Rather than going out and buying a microwave, I walked over to the chip aisle at the grocery store to grab a bag. What? $3 for this not-so-big bag of kettle popcorn? Must be one hell of a kettle. Oh well, it's the price I pay for convenience...that and trying to keep the tantrums to a minimum.

Finally it dawns on me that people ate popcorn before we had microwaves. Even before they invented home appliances whose sole function is popping popcorn. Thank god for Google. I had a plethora of stove-popped popcorn recipes in less than a second. The one I picked claimed not only would I have unburnt kernels, but also that almost every kernel would be popped. Challenge accepted.

The next challenge was to actually find kernels not meant for the microwave. It took me awhile, since the popcorn section is dominated by the microwavable kind. Thankfully, my neighborhood grocer, sells popcorn kernels in the bulk foods section, so I can just buy a small amount to test out the recipe.

I finally tried out the recipe and in just a couple of minutes, I had yummy, warm popcorn! And only ONE unpopped kernel. I'm sold. Now, if I can just figure out a way to defrost the chicken faster...

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If you’re happy and you know it shout hurray

margaret — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:16:36 +0000

Hurray!

This is right behind my house, and I can't wait. Stumptown coffee and kettlemans bagels are the best way to start the day. I may never have to leave my neighborhood. If only Hot Lips were still here...

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