A three dollar cupcake with strawberry buttercream top. In Claremont, almost a montage of downtown Walnut Creek. With two bites.

I went with my dad to see condos that were for sale. $300,000 for a modest one-bedroom condo right near Walnut Creek downtown. Yes, we were there for the BBQ (partially — I mean where else did I acquire my free food sniffing habits), but really my dad was considering downsizing from the house.

But the choice of living in a house vs. an apartment inside a community. Is it worth it? Is it desirable?

Commuting from the east bay to the south bay. No thanks.

Yesterday, I had an early morning appointment with surgeon who looked at my right hand. A doctor who had worked with my mom (a nurse) at the hospital ever since the beginning of his residency more than 15 years ago.

It was rather strange to see my mom in her second home. I had always considered to be very Chinese–a dragon lady type where she wasn\’t afraid to stand up for herself even in the face of adversity. Sometimes to me, it was a little much–when I was younger, I was embarrassed in times when we were at a store and my mom started arguing with the cashier over a difference of a dollar in her heavily accented English.

Her fellow co-workers, other nurses, greeted her warmly. One enveloped her in a hug as we were being led to an examination room. \”Oof, I can\’t breathe,\” she said to him in her usual frank way.

I laughed and scooted around her co-worker. We sat in the examination room while my mom commented on how long it was taking. The appointment was at 7:45 am and it was already 8:30 am. Finally, the doctor arrived and immediately gave my mom a warm hug. He extended his hand and I shook it. \”Do you know how long your mom and I have worked together?\” he asked me.

I simply nodded and smiled. It was odd how the rapport my mom had at the hospital–the gentle joking common with close bonds–something absent in our family where it\’s all practicality and order. While we were looking at my x-rays, my mom asked about the recovery period for the surgery. The doctor simply ignored her question and turned around, \”You didn\’t get me anything for my birthday!\”

My mom laughed. He turned toward me, \”I am giving your mom a hard time.\”

The doctor put an ASAP request on a MRI requisition even though it wasn\’t urgent. \”Just so that you don\’t have to wait,\” he said giving me a pat on the shoulder.

Buying someone of the opposite gender a drink apparently means one thing, but someone of the opposite gender dinner means another.

But what if I am the one that doesn\’t drink? What then?

My parents asked me to sell my prom dress on craigslist. $40 OBO. Blue corset with flowing blue dress. Jessica McClintok. Worn only once for four hours. And nothing happened that night, because the date was as silent as a rock. Tailored for Asian body type. More pictures on request.

Nobody has responded. Any ideas to increase its appeal?

I am living 3 hours in the past! When I used to be living three hours in the future. It\’s a strange feeling. After only a week.

Well, I am not doing that ever again.

Yesterday, out of boredom, I headed to the city to see if I could do something more interesting than staring at the wall, sending resumes, and checking my e-mail multiple times in one hour. I drove to the BART station in Lafayette and hopped onto the BART train, which was delayed 20 minutes. Yet, my ipod filled up with Andy\’s music and my 80s collection amused me on my 45 minute ride to the city.

I got out at Powell, greeted by wonderful California weather. Always the \”Jesus Christ loves you\” orange sign guy walking up and down Market. The usual tourists–the kind amazed by California excess and enormity. For some reason, I felt belittled, a slight longing for the limits and mini of Pittsburgh.

I called up Jonas–a Xangan, someone I met through my featured Xanga days. We finally met, me sitting down writing in my moleskine at the Union Square parking garage. Surrounded by hipsters, goth chicks, and same-gender couples. And not to mention, masses of Asians. I could catch snippets of Cantonese–me picking up quickly on what they were saying, reminding me of my parents talking in the background when I am asleep.

I got a pomegrante blueberry tea latte at the nearby Coffee Tree/Tea Leaf. And Jonas treated me to a vanilla eclair and cream puff at a local bakery. Incredible. We sat in the park next to the Metreon–failed commercial attempt to bring amusement to the metropolitian area. My online days are nearly over–back in undergrad, I used to meet people online–almost 15-20/year and now it\’s only 2. I am getting older, more mature, selective of friends, and my online life is diminished. Jonas was taking yet another break…always talking about his love of the area. A guy who has never been to the east coast. An incredible work ethic. The first thing I noticed about him was that he was taller than he looked in his photos.

Then he went back to work at Macys. While I dawdled in Union Square. For another 4 hours. How I did that, I don\’t know. Kun was working late. I wandered in and out San Francisco Shopping Centre multiple times, spent time browsing music at Virgin Records (do I like opera? do I like jazz? should I increase my collection?), roamed the roads of Cody\’s books, steal computer time at the Apple store, amused myself at Sephora wondering how I could spend the $25 gc Elena lovingly got for me for my b-day, fantasized clothing styles at H&M and Forever 21, and window shopped at Kenneth Cole, multiple shoe stores, Express, Macys, French Connection…

I was \”assaulted\” by a girl who asked me whether I wanted to be a hair model. I was startled at first, thinking she saw me as a fixer-upper (apparently my roommate thought I was too). Turns out she worked at Elevation salon and wanted someone to try out styles on Tuesday. She would be graded on her result. I took her card and said I would give her call if I was interested. Meaning if I didn\’t have to pay the full price and was in San Francisco coincidentially that day, I would consider it.

And I only spent $27. On two pairs of sunglasses to replace sunglasses I lost this month.

I waited on the corner of Market and O\’Farrell in the cold summer night. While Kun and Kathy made their way out there. 10 minutes turned into 20 minutes. Basically at that point, I near I couldn\’t take the BART anymore since it closed at midnight. A BMW with the high technology. Classy. We ended up in Berkeley at the Au Couquelet Cafe, a place I didn\’t go to during my undergrad, but went for the first time last December. It was great, chatting up about the people we used to know. Missing Pittsburgh for what it was, not for what it is now. Name-dropping–Catherine, Alan, Karen, those HKN people, Kyle, Thomas…

But ultimately. Amusing myself was easy in Boston. Not in San Francisco. Serendipity comes when you least expect it.

Note to self: remember where the spare key is located