Japan Disneyland Bucket List Trip
The biggest highlight of the year for me was getting to go on a bucket list trip to Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea last May. Getting to visit the two best Disney theme parks was a dream come true.
Of course, I had a lot of other lovely adventures in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. I couldn’t get over how easy and delightful it was travel in Japan.
Other fun trips this year:
- Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk with Aria
- Disneyland / California Adventure with Deep
Wrapping Up Yehoodi
The biggest announcement of 2023 was that Yehoodi.com was closing down by the end of the year. It had honestly been a long time coming, and when I announced it last June, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted. I also got really excited to put together a historical account of all the things that Yehoodi had accomplished over the past 25 years. I published a short version of this back in September, and I hope to release the fuller story in the beginning of January.
Health Stuff
I’ve been fortunate to be in good health in my early fifties, a combination of good genes and making healthy choices over the past years. I’ve continued my “flexitarian” intermittent fasting regime for the whole year, and feel great about it. Cooking mostly vegetarian has been so easy and fun, and I feel like I’m always learning more.
That said, in May I realized that my stamina and my knees were not as strong as they once were. While in Japan, I was alarmed to find out that walking was pretty uncomfortable after my first three days at Disney. I felt tired and my knees were complaining after an hour or so of walking. I had to slow my pace and find frequent spots to rest, particularly when tackling the hilly terrain of Kyoto. It was very humbling.
To counteract this, I decided to bring back running into my exercise regime. So on Thanksgiving, I started power walking every other day for 30-40 minutes. I’ve been working my way towards a light jog on soft terrain.
Meanwhile, this year both my mom and dad faced some serious health issues. Mom is mostly back to normal, and is getting great care at her senior residence.
However dad is dealing with a very serious illness. We’re all pulling for him, but know that his time with us might not be long. I’m so proud of him for how serenely and bravely he’s facing all of this.
SO. MUCH. SKATING.
It’s been an incredible year of skating in San Francisco, mostly in Golden Gate Park and all over the Bay. The skate highlight of the year was putting together my “3 Hats+1” skate performance for a skate showcase in July.
Other skate adventures:
- Dance skating (and organizing) KQED’s first Staff Open Mic
- Being a DreamForce Roller Ranger
- Howling it up as a coyote skater to promote the JFK Promenade in Golden Gate Park
- Skating in the PRIDE Parade
- Skating in the Filipino Pistahan Parade
BlackPink Concert
In the past couple of years, I’ve become a “Blink,” aka a superfan of the K-pop group BlackPink. So when they rolled into town this summer, there was no way I was going to miss it! Being with 10,000 other Blinks screaming our heads off while BlackPink tore it up on stage was just one of the most incredible concert experiences ever.
Cosplaying as Baker on Great British Bake Off
I was very conflicted about what I wanted to be for Halloween this year. After a lot of consulting folks and brainstorming, I realized that I had to be a baker on the Great British Bake Off. It was honestly one of the easiest costumes I’ve ever put together, but it did involve a very large, unwieldy prop and a lot of hamming it up the whole time.
Other fun costumes and outfits:
- A fine gentleman at the Great Christmas Dickens Fair
- “Sailor Spoon?” for a cosplay night at 6th Avenue
- My Oppenheimer skate cosplay (that nobody got but me)
Baking Experimentation
There was a lot of fun baking in 2023. The best thing I made was a banana cake with black sesame frosting that I created for my birthday. It was fun developing a new recipe and trying it out with friends.
Other fun bakes in 2023:
- Tried out a more forgiving, beginner croissant recipe
- I made Claire Saffitz’s chocolate cake for Christmas that was a big hit!
- The Tiramisu roulade I made for work was so delicious
Let a Knitter Knit
Last year, I started learning how to knit, and this year I worked on developing my technique and nailing a beanie pattern. I just love knitting in the round — its so calming and meditative. I ended up knitting about a dozen hats this year! I’m looking forward to more knits in 2024.
Other Moments and Pics
Love it!