With the weekend coming to a close, I am getting ready for a short trip out to Las Vegas this coming week - the true test to see if I somehow gain all my weight back is through a business trip - difficulty in fitting a workout into my schedule, and the hard part of eating healthy while on the road...

Speaking of being on the road, I saw Up In The Air last week - although I am nowhere near what George Clooney's character is in mileage-accumulation, over the past 13 years I have developed some quick traveling habits for zipping in and out of airports/planes/hotels. More of this to come as a post sometime in the next few days.

Oh yeah, and with my recent weight loss I decided over the weekend to free up some room off my laptop as well - formatted the entire drive on Friday night, and while watching New Orleans destroy Indianapolis at Superbowl XLIV I finally got all my critical work programs installed. Nice to have a laptop that runs like new - I am taking my chances this time and not installing any antivirus or malware software, as I find that these programs that supposedly protect me end up making my laptop SNAIL SNOW as a result...

Going to bed now. Gute Nacht.

Posted by lewislau at 11:15 PM | Comments (0)

My goal was to try to post once a day, but with my lazy but I end up updating about once a week. The picture above is of Emily, Leni's (almost as pretty - just don't tell either of them) sister. Unlike Leni, who I just adore, and can pet all day long, Emily is too lady-like for me to approach - every time I try to pet her she runs off quickly...

The bad news is that as lady-like as she is, Emily is suddenly in a hurry to get a boyfriend the past few days...

On a non-cat note, my weight has been fluctuating like a space balloon in Colorado - a month ago I peaked at 158, and suddenly I am back down at 150 - either 1) my scale is broken, or 2) I have leukemia. I am hoping for neither...

Posted by lewislau at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)

Not that I am counting, but my first month of this year isn't exactly spectacular. Work-wise it is just absolutely peachy, if you consider getting a dose of 30-day continuous enema (figuratively speaking) pleasurable. Merci Beaucoup, thank goodness it's over.

What has happened is that while I am doing just fine with my personal life, work keeps serving me porcelain platters of slow-braised a$$holes with a side serving of sh*t-au-lait. Those whom I have considered friends end up turning on me, and constantly being thrown under the bus by my so called "buddies" doesn't kick start a Happy New Year for me.

Oh well. One month down, and hoping that there aren't eleven more of these months to go. I will, however, end my post on a happy note. This picture is of the cutest cat in the world (yes, I've said it - the CUTEST) - Leni 's Julia's beautiful cat back home, and on this past vacation in Germany we've spend a lot of fun times together - some involving her purring on my stomach all night, but most are of her jumping back and forth playing with her cat toy :)

Sometimes I wish I had the life of a cat, and not a small part of what some calls a "dying industry". Enough of this. I shall go to bed now and wake up in a more positive mood. MEOW.

Posted by lewislau at 10:51 PM | Comments (0)

With the crazy weather system moving around L.A. in the past few days I really think that we are coming to an end-of-the world scenario (#1, #2 - and I just realized that both are directed by this guy - don't think I want to live in his house) very soon...

Until then, I guess I should just enjoy life as it comes, and ignore all the negative people around me.

The shot above is from a recent visit to the art gallery downstairs. You should be able to notice the difference between HDR and non-HDR (larger version here). I love the fact that both the shadow and highlight of the scene is captured in the same shot :) Yes I am that proud of my own creation, as I have never been the artistic type...

Another HDR photo here, and here.

Posted by lewislau at 6:39 PM | Comments (0)

Well I have been back in the U.S. for more than a week now, and circumstances around me has brought me in a slight downward spiral... Not going to dwell too deep into it but all I can say is I am truly disappointed in someone whom I considered my friend. Oh well. Life goes on - like cockroaches there are always selfish a$$holes in the world.

Good news is I got to spend a short vacation in Germany visiting Julia and her family for Christmas and New Years. Was a lot of fun, and I can't wait to go back soon (but never soon enough)... more pictures to come, but for now I have (finally!) posted almost all of the 2008 pictures in my travelogue section... enjoy!

Posted by lewislau at 10:46 PM | Comments (1)

These are some pictures I have recently taken with my Lumix LX3. In the past week I have been experimenting with HDR photography, taking bright, vibrant pictures in dark areas, and I can't wait to experiment more the next few days when I attend a conference in Phoenix, AZ!

8GB SDHC6 memory card: $17
Circular Polarizer Filter: $24
LX3 lens conversion adapter: $25
Kowa Velbon Mini Tripod: $27

Shots Like These: One Two Three - and the permanent grin on my face when I look at the pictures I took: Priceless.

Posted by lewislau at 1:23 AM | Comments (2)

For those who are not from the U.S. here is a quick explanation of what Black Friday Shopping is - on the Friday after Thanksgiving all retailers begin their annual Christmas shopping season, and everyone tries to lure shoppers to their store by announcing limited quantity, too-good-to-be-true deals (like $199 for a brand new laptop, or $250 for a 42" LCD HDTV).

Naturally people get in line days before opening day on Friday to be the first in the door (usually at 5:00 or 6:00 a.m.) to get the deal. Me? You'll never find me at one of these lines. I love sleep too much to wake up in the middle of the night for these deals, and there is really nothing that I want right now that would warrant getting in line for (maybe a great deal on a house in L.A., and that's a BIG MAYBE).

So since my brother Philip is in town we decided to go shopping at one of my current favorite retailer tonight - Banana Republic, only to be notified that EVERYTHING AT THAT SPECIFIC STORE IS 50% OFF. Hmmm. What happened to Black Friday? It is only Thursday!

I guess Black Friday comes early in bad economic times.

Yes, I did some crazy shopping at the store.

Posted by lewislau at 8:30 PM | Comments (0)

Spend my birthday with Tom and Family last night, and tonight I went trick-or-treating with Tom and Megan - Tom was supposed to be a Sifu (Chinese Martial Arts Teacher), but ended up looking like either a Norwegian girl, or Cousin Itt from The Addams Family. Megan was a pink Bat -Girl who got lots of candy tonight, and her brother Kyle was dressed up as a Tootsie Roll... Me? I was "Spider Man"!

Posted by lewislau at 11:56 PM | Comments (0)

Me shocked today when I fine out dat my faborit videe-o since birth, Baby Einstein, is no good for me - signentests say dat theese videe-o make me have Ay-Dee-Dee (what's that?), and can't focus - oh see what's that - a popsicle! Oh yeah, almost forgot I was typing... Oh my gosh they are remaking The A-Team!. Sorry. Back to what I am trying to tell you. I think it is a croc of sheet! I think it is all a conspiree-see theorie (whoa - that was almost a ivy-leak word I just pulled out - see - I'm a genieos for watching Baby Einstein every day since I got outta the housepital!!!).

What's next, telling me dat my favorite Doctor and his DS game no work either? Everyone in my family tell me dats what got me into Special Ed's class (I still haven't met him yet, this Ed guy)!

(Lewis slaps and wakes himself up just in time to apologize for writing this post. Sorry)

Posted by lewislau at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)

Julia called me this morning before her first day at work, and told me that Paul has suddenly died in his sleep. 30 minutes after we hung up, and I am still in shock. Here are some pictures of Julia, Anne, Doris and Thomas' cat Paul. Rest In Peace Paul, and I am sorry I didn't get to spend more time with you...

Posted by lewislau at 11:06 PM | Comments (0)