Jin Lee's Blog

Fans Already?

2011-07-18T01:35:00.000-07:00

Dang, we haven't officially announced Reaction Riders Clothing Company yet, but already our Facebook page has 3 fans. Nice!

Should be real soon now. Just finishing up some final touches.

Mt Si Hike - Sunday 06.12.2011

2011-06-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I grew up where I did, and never hiked Mt Si before. It's a longer hike at 8 miles round-trip; compare that to the 6 miles of Mailbox Peak and 9 miles for Camp Muir. The elevation gain is 3,300 vertical feet, less than that of Mailbox (~4,000) and Camp Muir (~4,700).

For the first hike of the season, I probably should have tried something easier (2 days later, my legs are still sore). I had planned on hiking Rattlesnake instead with some hiking newbies (which is just a 4 mile round-trip and 1,175 elevation gain), but when they canceled last minute, I went with another group of friends to Mt Si.

We arrived right at 10 AM, and there was plenty of parking in the lot.

I'm used to getting to the top of a hiking trail and turning around and coming right back down, especially on the Tiger Mountain hike where you usually don't see anything. But Mt Si was different. We spent an hour just playing around on rocks and enjoying the view. I definitely wanted to stay longer. We could have tried climbing the additional 300 feet to get to the very tip of the rock, but I brought my dog and didn't think he should go any further.

The good news is, hiking season is finally here! Being in Seattle, we need to take advantage of every bit of sun we get.

Distance : 8 miles round trip

Time : 2.5 hours up, 1.5 hours down.

Elevation Gain : We started at around 700 feet, and went up to just under 4,000 feet, for a gain of 3,300 feet.

Whistler Bachelor Party Weekend - January 2011

2011-01-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

Whistler-Blackcomb Bachelor Party - January 2011 from Jin Lee on Vimeo.

What a great weekend at Whistler. Great snow, great friends, huge mountain, fun nightlife and met a lot of cool people as well. And the best surprise, our "mediocre" Seahawks gave us probably the most entertaining game of football of our lives.

Camp Muir Hike - 08.13.2010

2010-08-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

Distance : 9 miles round-trip

Time : The last time I hiked to Camp Muir, our group was inexperienced and unprepared. We ran out of water on the way up, but yet packed WAY too much for a day hike. It took us 6 hours to get up, and 4 hours to get down. This time, being better prepared, it only took 4 hours to go up and 1.5 hours to get down. I should note though, that last time we were hiking in early July and most of the hike was still covered in snow. This time, we hiked for about an hour before we got into the snow.

Elevation Gain : According to my GPS unit, we started at 5,400 feet at Paradise and climbed to 10,100 at Camp Muir. Not quite a vertical mile but close.

If I could offer any tips about this hike; start slow. The first section of paved trails is steep! I started off fast (our group set a quick pace) and didn't think I would make it 30 minutes. But we settled into a groove and made really good time on the way up. It levels out (relatively) for a little bit before you hit the Muir Snowfield. My knees started hurting for the last mile. But it's still better than last time when my knees hurt the entire way (I was carrying at least 50 pounds of snowboard gear last time). And just remember that going to Rainier is always unpredictable. Last time we were hiking for 10 hours. This time just over half that. And wear sunscreen!

Things To Do in Seattle - Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park

2010-08-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

Apparently, Issaquah is suddenly a mountain biking destination. Thanks mostly to Duthie Hill Park just about a mile from Klahanie in Issaquah.

There are trails for beginners and a lot more trails for advanced riders. Everyone I've met there has always been friendly and I don't feel bad about bringing my hard-tail Trek that's probably worth a fraction of the other bikes I see there.

Best of all, it's always a great workout.

The last time I was there, I tried going off a small jump with only about a 2 foot drop. But my right foot slipped off the pedal and my shin landed on the pedal. Instant bruise and bleeding. You may want to bring protection if you plan on doing anything freestyle. For me, I'll stick to the trails and stay out of the air.

Marymere Falls Hike - 07.31.2010

2010-08-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

Distance : 1.5 miles round-trip.

Time : 1 hour total, even after stopping for 10 minutes for pictures at the top.

It's located on the Olympic Coast and starts at Lake Crescent. It's a really short hike compared to the ones I'm used to, but usually there isn't a waterfall at the end of my hikes so I enjoyed this one a lot.

It's relatively flat until you get to the river, and from there it's straight up to the viewpoint where this picture was taken.

This hike is NOT pet-friendly however, as someone in the parking lot told me that the rangers were ticketing people who tried to sneak dogs onto the trail. And you can't get close to the waterfall which is another downside.

But we did this hike before noon, came back and had lunch by the lake and still had plenty of time for other destinations before making it back to our camp site.

Things To Do in Seattle - Car Camping

2010-08-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

Ever since taking over the Lodge, I felt like I would be cheating on Mount Rainier if I went camping or hiking anywhere else. But it turns out, Washington State has a lot of variety to offer.

Last weekend, I went to the Olympic coast and went car camping for the first time in probably 5 years. It brought back a lot of fond memories, since the last time I was on the coast was with my dad.

We stayed at a camp site in Sequim Bay State Park, which turned out to be a nice location because it was close to Port Angeles, Dungeness Spit, Marymere Falls, Lake Crescent, and even Port Townsend. Everything was about 20 to 45 minutes away.

The Dungeness Spit was fun, although it's definitely cold there even in the middle of summer. It was easily 10 degrees cooler on the spit than it was in the parking area. I was surprised though, that none of the places we visited were pet-friendly except for Port Townsend.

Car camping itself is unpredictable. Sometimes you just get a fire going and hang out at the camp site all day. This time, we decided to site-see and check out as many places as we could. I didn't get to relax as much as I would on a normal camping trip, but I did get to catch up with some good friends.

Things To Do in Seattle - Float a River

2010-07-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we decided to take advantage of our warm weather and get out on the river.

The Seattle area has many rivers you can float down. The ones that come to mind are the Snoqualmie River, Cedar River and Green River.

It's an affordable way to enjoy water sports (with the other option involving getting a boat). All you need is a $5 to $15 floating tube and waterproof sunscreen. The tube doesn't need to be one of those heavy duty ones since you won't ever be going more than a couple miles per hour. One guy even had an air mattress.

We ended up in Fall City along the Snoqualmie River. The float took about 4 hours to go just a couple miles. We left a car near the bridge in town (the one right by Small Frys and Valero Gas Station), and drove up for about 5 minutes. A lot of fun, especially with a large group like ours.

Even if you're a terrible swimmer like me, it's worth trying and I never felt like anyone was in danger at any point.

Things To Do in Seattle - Red Hook Moonlight Cinemas

2010-07-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

In Woodinville, there's the Red Hook Brewery. Each summer, they play movies out on the big lawn and offer drink and food specials.

Last night was the first showing for this season. They showed Step Brothers and apparently over 1,800 people showed up! It was packed, and you couldn't walk anywhere without accidentally bumping into someone else.

The weather was perfect, clear skies and a little bit chilly by the time the movie started. We got there around 7 PM and it was already getting pretty busy. The movie started a little past 9 PM, so we had plenty of time to catch up with friends.

www.redhookmoonlightcinema.com

Definitely something worth checking out this summer. In 2 weeks, they're playing The Hangover. Should be a great time.

Furry 5K - June 20th, 2010

2010-06-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

To sum up this race... Great cause. Lousy execution.

Registration
Where to start... our group of friends have been wanting to participate in this event for months. The problem was, they couldn't register. The website for registration (active.com) was just terrible. It would freeze, forget your login information, and would force you to fill out the same pages over and over again.

As a result, only 4 of us ended up pre-registering. We easily could have had at least 15. The rest of us 'planned' on registering the day of the event. With the weather as poor as it was, only 4 of us showed up. The problem is, even if all we wanted to do was donate to the event, we weren't able to because of the website.

Parking
Yeah, Seward Park never had great parking. But I didn't think I'd be parking 3/4s of a mile away. Even though I thought I was arriving early, I was pretty much jogging to the starting line.

The Run
Runners were supposed to be given a 10 minute head start ahead of the walkers. Or so I thought. As I was making my way to the starting area (after hearing the announcement), I was passing by quite a few people with the "Furry 5K WALK" bibs. It was difficult to get around them. Especially with their dogs and leashes.

And before I knew it, I had crossed the starting line and the majority of bibs I saw were still the "WALK" bibs. I was still walking at this point since I couldn't get around people easily.

After checking my chip time at Furry5K.com, I had crossed the starting line 3:49 after the initial gun. After speed-walking & jogging around the walkers for the first mile, I finally caught up to the bibs that said "RUN" on them and felt really good during the rest of the run. I actually passed quite a few people (on the uphill portion) and felt like I got into a good rhythm. When I crossed the finish line, the clock was right around 34 minutes.

My final time was 30 minutes and 9 seconds, which is slow. But it put me in 123rd place among males... that must mean not a lot of people participated! Disappointing time because I felt like I ran pretty fast. But then again, most of the 1st mile was spent walking.

The Good
My dog Brian had a blast. A lot of photographers, friendly vendors and everyone was out with their pets having fun. If I do it again next year, I won't preregister and I'll show up at 8 AM the day of the race, instead of 9:30.

This was also my 3rd race of the year. I'm not sure what my next one will be.

Mailbox Peak Hike - 06.14.2010

2010-06-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

Distance : 6.0 miles round-trip according to web sources. I'm assuming that includes the distance it takes to get from the parking area to the trail head, about a 10 minute gentle uphill walk.

Time : I hiked up in 2.5 hours. Coming down, I always expect it to be much quicker. But eventually your knees start to get sore and you lose your footing a few times so I end up going slower. Still, luckily, it took just 1.5 hours coming down. The first time I did this hike, it took just as long going up as it did coming down. But there was also a lot of snow on the ground.

Elevation Gain : At the top, my GPS unit said I was at 4,818 feet. At the parking area, I was around 800 feet. The 4,000+ feet elevation gain is on par with what other websites say.

I did this hike 2 days ago and feel like I'm still recovering. My knees, thighs, calves still feel sore every time I get out of my chair. It's great training for even tougher hikes on Mt Rainier, Mt Adams, and other high altitudes. It's hard to imagine that the top of Mailbox Peak is higher than the nearby Summit at Snoqualmie ski areas (except for the top of Alpental). Yet, when you're starting out, you're right next to a river. It's similar in altitude gained from Paradise (5,400 feet) to Camp Muir (at about 10,000) on Mt Rainier. However, this hike is probably steeper and you can't glissade while coming down.

Susan G Komen - 5K - June 6th, 2010

2010-06-07T12:50:00.000-07:00

I registered for this race last minute, but it ended up being my 2nd race of the summer. I didn't run as fast as I would have liked, but finished the 5K (3 miles) in 28:30, a pace of 9:30 minutes per mile.

The uphill portions (on 2nd avenue) in downtown Seattle were brutal! Apparently, there are over 15K participants in this event at Seattle Center. I'm not sure where it was held last year, but I'm assuming they moved because they needed a larger venue.

Next up is the Furry 5K at Seward Park! Maybe I should train for that one.

Free Entry into Mt Rainier National Park this weekend

2010-06-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

Mount Rainier National Park is waiving its entrance fees this weekend, June 5th and 6th, as well as on August 14th and 15th, and September 25th, and November 11th.

For those of you who have never been, now's a great time to check it out!

I can't seem to find any information about it on the National Park website (nps.gov), but I read about it on King5.com.

Google Places - Cool Honor to Get

2010-06-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

Google sent us this package saying we're one of 250,000 "Favorite Places" on their search engine. At first, that sounded like a ton of businesses, which it is, but when you think of how many websites there are in the world, it's a pretty high honor to get.

Anyway, now to find somewhere to put this sticker. And I'm starting to see these barcodes all over the place. They're supposed to be read by your smartphones (Blackberry / iPhones / etc) as some kind of digital business card.

Now, I own a Blackberry but I guess I have to install some reader before it can recognize these. Seems like keeping up with technology is a full time job. Something new is ALWAYS popping up.

In the meantime, thanks Google for the recognition! If it weren't for search engines, our business wouldn't be where it is today.

New wedding website for The Lodge Near Mt Rainier

2010-05-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

I receive so many inquiries about hosting weddings at The Lodge, that I decided it was necessary to have a dedicated website.

So here it is, www.rainierlodge.com/weddings

If you're interested in exchanging links, becoming a vendor, or doing business together in any way, let me know! I wish I had more photos of weddings that have taken place here, but unfortunately, I couldn't find a single one. If you happen to have any, please send them my way.

Furry 5K Run - June 20, 2010 - Team Sponsored By Rainier Lodge

2010-05-27T15:08:00.000-07:00

Come run the Furry 5K with us and bring your dogs! It benefits the Seattle Animal Shelters. As a business that offers pet-friendly units and a proud owner of a Bichon, I'm happy to support this cause.

Date : June 20, 2010
Location : Seward Park in Seattle
Team Name : Rainier Lodge (although we may change it if we think of something more clever)
Register at www.furry5k.com
Cost : $20 w/out a shirt, $25 with a shirt

Tiger Mountain Hike - 05.23.2010

2010-05-24T16:37:00.000-07:00

Distance : Apparently it's 5.0 miles round-trip according to 2 web sources. Although I swear I saw a sign that said 3.0 miles one-way. Unfortunately I didn't have my GPS unit with me since I've done this hike since I was in grade school. I should have brought it just to check the distance and altimeter.

Time : I hiked up and jogged down. It took 1.5 hours going up and 45 minutes coming down. I'm going to need some Gore Tex Trail Runners if I plan on jogging down more trails. My knees were starting to get sore.

Elevation Gain : Again, there is some discrepancy here. One website stated the elevation at the top was 2,200 feet. Another says 2,522. Most agree that the elevation gain is 2,000 feet from start to finish. I'll stick with the sign at the top of the hike, and say the top elevation is 2,522 feet above sea level.

Always a good hike. Although not very scenic at the top and it does get crowded. Other than that, there's a lot of options here so I always enjoy coming. Other options include the lake trail or hiking all the way to Poo Poo Point.

Note : That's Nick and Lynette in the picture. Not just some strangers on the trail.

Rainier Independent Film Festival - June 11-13, 2010

2010-05-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post about an event coming up in about 3 weeks in Ashford (and Mineral it looks like).

It's the Rainier Independent Film Festival. Maybe not well known like the Sundance Film Festival or Cannes, but still an intriguing lineup of almost 30 films.

Check out the films and the schedule. Looks like they'll be playing at The Wellspring Yurt, Nisqually Lodge Inn and the Mineral Lake Event Center.

Stop by if you're in Ashford!

Advanced Mountaineering Group

2010-05-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

So we've completed our newest website, Advanced Mountaineering Group. Located at www.advancedmountaineering.com.

We realized that we have a huge demand for activities such as mountain biking, daily tours, and guided climbs, so it was necessary to offer these products. For now, it's just being offered on the weekends during the summer. If demand stays strong, we'll operate more days and more months.

So check it out, and as always, feedback is greatly appreciated!

Beat the Bridge 2010

2010-05-19T16:22:00.000-07:00

The only other time I've been involved in an organized running event was in 2008 for the Winter Pineapple Classic. It's a short obstacle course, so you get to rest a lot during your 3 mile (5K) run.

This past weekend (May 16, 2010), I ran in the Beat the Bridge 8K race at the University of Washington with a group of friends. I was running at a pace of about 10 to 12 minutes per mile at the gym, so I expected to finish the (roughly 5 mile) race in about an hour.

Strangely enough, when you're running with friends, the scenery is changing constantly, and you're having a good time... you run faster!

So to my surprise, I ran the race in just over 45 minutes, at a pace of 9:12 minutes per mile.

And best of all, the other friends had fun as well, and we're already looking forward to more races this summer.

T-mobile G1 versus Blackberry Curve 8900

2009-05-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

Lucky me, I won both a G1 and a Curve 8900 at work. When I first found out about winning the 8900, I was excited to upgrade from my 8320. When I next found out about winning the G1, I thought "eBay".

But after receiving the G1, I wanted to give it a try. I sell them everyday and people ask about them everyday, so I figured I should find out more about the phone.

Since I use Gmail as my primary email account, both the Curve and G1 were setup with my Gmail accounts. As soon as I logged into my G1, my Gmail contacts and calendar showed up on my phone. That was nice, to know that I wouldn't have to take ANY extra steps to synchronize all my affairs. The Curve 8900 can also sync with Gmail (email / contacts / calendars), but I had to first install Google Sync. Not a huge deal, but anytime I want to sync my calendar and contacts, I'll have to open up Google Sync and hit "Sync Now." The G1 does it automatically.

Then again, how many people out there have Gmail? From my experience in retail, not the majority. So it could be a pain to setup an entirely new email account, especially if you're not sure if you'll keep the G1 and you're just trying it out.

The Curve 8900 improves many things over the old 8320. And for just a difference of $50 between the old Curve and the new, the 8320 hasn't been selling much. The 8900 has twice the processor speed (512 mhz versus 256), a lot more free space for apps, emails and texts, a higher resolution screen, GPS, and a nicer trackball. The only downsides I can think of (which don't even bother me), no 3G and no touchscreen.

If you do end up getting a Curve 8900, you must download Google Maps, Slacker Radio, Shazam and Facebook. And another bonus? I only charge this thing every 3rd day. The battery life is great.

If you're getting a G1, just know that with GPS, wi-fi, 3G internet, and Bluetooth all turned on, the battery life is poor. Well, poor by cell phone standards. It's great by laptop, GPS, and MP3 standards. But you'll probably have to charge your phone daily. And if you talk a lot and use it for business, I would definitely get a car charger.

But I downloaded an app called Toggle Settings that lets you turn off certain features when you're not using them (for example, I leave 3G internet, GPS, wi-fi and Bluetooth off most of the time). It lets my battery last a day and a half.

The bottom line... if you're mostly texting and emailing, the Curve is a better phone. If you want to go on the internet and play with cool apps, the G1 is hands down more fun. It's funny to note, that even with both phones setup with my Gmail account, the Blackberry gets my Gmail emails first, then I get the notification about 5 seconds later on my G1.

That just reaffirms what they say, nobody does email better than a Blackberry.

Wireless Industry Musings

2009-05-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

After being in many, many various industries, I have to say that the cell phone industry is the strangest. People get $250 discounts on phones, then complain about having to pay a $175-$200 termination fee. People sign 2-year agreements to get phones with only a 1-year warranty. Then complain about it a year and a half later. Well past their 1-year warranty.

Some people sign 2-year agreements on $50 phones, just to get them for free. Doesn't make much sense, does it?

Why would anyone pay $200 for an MP3 player, and then complain about having to pay $50 for a cell phone, which plays MP3s AND makes phone calls?

I would never go to Comcast (to whom I've been a customer for over 10 years) and tell them, "I've been with you guys for 10 years, can you give me a free high definition TV?" Yet, things like this happen everyday in wireless.

I don't know where the wireless industry is heading. Thankfully, we get choices in wireless. If coverage at my house sucks, I can try at least 3 other carriers to see if they offer better coverage, customer service and cell phones. And it's far from being a monopoly. With that said, it's a brutal industry that makes margins razor thin, and customers are suing about this and that... how phones are causing people to lose their hearing, how termination fees are unlawful, and so on.

If we do away with contracts in wireless (which is what it's looking like), then people will be paying $200 to $600 for phones without contracts, and will be complaining about how much they have to spend on the phones.

It's a lose-lose for cell phone companies.

Copy of my Post on Yelp - T-mobile

2009-02-11T11:34:00.001-08:00

Hey to all of you Yelpers.

I am currently a T-mobile employee at this location, and although I may regret writing this review in the future (in case people try to come find me), just wanted to write a little bit about what our job is like...

Yes, "sometimes" the lines are long and I would dread coming into a cell phone store too. We can't control it. It would be ideal if our customers could spread out the times they come in so there's never any lines (because honestly, half the day we're just standing around). But we can't control that, and neither can our customers.

And Don, no offense to you, but EVERY one of our customers thinks they should have a star on our sidewalk. It's a tough business, because not only are we providing goods, but we're also providing a service. If all we did was sell the phones to you, then every customer would almost always leave happy. But since the coverage, monthly rate plan, customer service AND the device we sell you all have to be operating properly, it becomes a lot more complex than I can explain here. And after years of paying the same company, you start to feel like that company owes you something. I feel the same way towards Comcast and my cable service.

Because of everything mentioned in the previous paragraph, we MAY forget to do something we promised you.... I can't remember how many times I've forgotten to give a rebate form, or to credit a fee, or to look for an extra case... because while looking at a customer's monthly bill, fixing their phone, adding a feature... all in about 10 minutes, we all inevitably forget the smaller details. If this happens, please kindly remind us.

I think cell phone customers should be thankful for one thing... that the Cell Phone industry is one of the FEW industries that aren't monopolized (yet, anyway). Be thankful that you have choices. If you don't like our plans, customer service, phones, rates, and the coverage at your house sucks... then you're FREE to go elsewhere. And if you don't like your current service, think you're paying too much, and they treat you like crap constantly... then T-mobile will welcome you.

In my opinion, cell phone customers need to stop buying on impulse. Most are signing up for 2-year commitments, and they do it with a split-second decision. Unlimited T-mobile to T-mobile doesn't mean anything if all your family is on AT&T. And a lot of times, all you're saving is $100 to $150 on a phone... or roughly translated, about 2 or 3 months worth of service. But again, if you plan on sticking with the same company for years... then it's all a moot point. You know yourself better than I do.

We've heard "If you don't do THIS for us, I'm going to switch" SO many times, it doesn't affect us anymore. Because a lot of times, it's just a threat, and nothing more. And it's hard to gauge what's a threat, and what's real. If we gave free phones to everyone who made that threat, we would go out of business. If you're really upset with T-mobile (regardless of what you read on the blogs and Google), we'll happily give you the phone number to the corporate office.

And truth be told, a lot of times, customers are upset because of something they messed up on themselves. But because they don't want to own up to it, they start blaming their coverage provider. I can understand if we forgot to add the 400-text messaging bundle. And if we did, we'll credit the overages. But if you purchased the 400-text message bundle, and used 3,000 instead? That's not really the retail employees fault. But MAN, do people love taking it out on us.

It's a tough industry... because think of Comcast, and in another way, think of Honda. With Honda, you buy a car from Honda, and you're not required to pay Honda a monthly fee to use that car. Once you buy from Honda, you can get it serviced anywhere, drive it as much as you want, and go wherever you'd like.

And think of Comcast. You want cable TV at your house? You probably only have 1 option for wired cable. But you still have to pay them monthly for their service. Honestly, it sucks. Because I have no choices.

But with T-mobile, you can buy a phone from almost anywhere; Ebay, Craigslist, get another GSM phone unlocked... but you still need to pay monthly to use a service on it. You can't just buy a phone and use it straight out of the box. You have to contact AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, T-mobile or SOMEONE to get it working.

Hopefully, this gives most cell phone users a little bit of insight to the industry. And if you have questions, you know where to find me.

GarageBook - How To Show Your Car On Your Wall

2009-02-08T10:40:00.000-08:00

If you don't already have GarageBook as an app on your Facebook page, you can install it here, http://apps.facebook.com/garagebook.

How to Post your Car on your Wall
(Just installing the GarageBook application and uploading a car will not display your car on your wall, you must first follow these steps)

Make sure you have installed the GarageBook application, entered your car information, and are logged into Facebook...
1. Click on "Home"
2. Look towards the right, where it says Applications. Click on "Edit" to the right of Applications.
3. Click on "Edit Settings" next to GarageBook.
4. Click on the "Profile" tab.
5. Next to Box, click "Add" to add GarageBook to your Profile.
6. Click on "Profile" to view your Facebook Profile.
7. Click on the "Boxes" tab (usually located next to the Wall & Photos tabs).
8. Scroll to the GarageBook box and click on the pen logo in the upper right corner of the box. Then select "Move to Wall".
9. Check your Profile to make sure GarageBook is there!

Sorry for all the steps involved. Facebook makes it tough on us developers. Contact us if you have any questions.

25 RANDOM things about me

2009-02-02T21:28:00.000-08:00

I was tagged on Facebook, to offer 25 random facts about me. They're completely random, so enjoy!

1) I would snowboard for a living again if I could.

2) I regret the days when I was hanging out with my dad, and I kept worrying about other things I had to do that day.

3) I have a spending problem, a bad habit from when I used to make a LOT more money. But thankfully, I don't care a whole lot about electronics. I'd say it's just more from going out a whole lot.

4) They say the first million should be the hardest to make, after that it should all come easy. I just hope that's true.

5) I love Bichon Frises. No matter how gay they might make me look.

6) I think it's important to be able to laugh everyday. Because of that, I might make light of serious situations.

7) I get cranky when hungry.

8) When I think about buying a car, I think about more than the car itself. I think about what other people will think of that car. It's a terrible habit. One I should care less about (or not at all).

9) I've never had terrible luck with cars... so I tend to take cars for granted. I know that once I buy a $100K car, I'll regret it for the rest of my life (whether it's got mechanical problems, leaves me stranded, I'll lose 1/2 the value in 1-year, or is a lemon).

10) I feel like I have the perfect family, house, jobs, dog, girlfriend, friends, relationships... and can't complain about a thing.

11) I have too many pairs of shoes... not that I buy a whole lot... but I can never wear them out enough to be able to throw them away.

12) I have a motorcycle endorsement, but as I get older, I feel like I shouldn't be riding a motorcycle anymore.

13) I write down everything, from life goals and to-do lists, to gas receipts for my cars. I like telling things as-is, knowing the details, and don't like to hide anything from people.

14) I love that I have a diverse group of friends, and can go from being part of a Jewish wedding ceremony to a traditional Korean one from one day to the next.

15) I hate messes and spend a lot of time cleaning up. BUT, my mom is a lot worse, so she always makes me feel like a pig.

16) When I start to do something, I get obsessed with finishing it (for example, the odor in my car, or rearranging furniture in my room, and so on). If necessary, I'll stay up all night to complete it.

17) I eat til I'm way too full, which means I have to work out a lot more to burn off those calories.

18) I'm trying to cook at home more.

19) I love photography, but frankly, think it's crazy how many people with a Digital SLR think they're professional photographers all of a sudden. But with that said, I love a good photograph regardless of who took it.

20) I'll watch reruns ALL day long. I don't care how many times I've seen an episode of Frasier, Simpsons or Family Guy. It drives my girlfriend crazy.

21) I think empathy is a great characteristic to have. People are too selfish these days.

22) I used to get suspended from school at least once a year, until I got into high school.

23) If I could live anywhere in the world, I would still live in Issaquah, WA.

24) I'm a classic case of "you always want what you don't have." And think of getting nicer versions of things I already have. And when I talk about this with friends, they look at me like I'm crazy.

25) I'm always trying to find the next thing to be passionate about.

My First Impression of a G1

2008-10-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

So if you haven't heard, and a lot of people haven't... T-mobile is coming out with this phone that's made by HTC (hardware) and Google (software). They're calling it the T-mobile G1. It's also been known as Android (which is actually the name of the operating system on it), Dream, Google Phone and many other things.

Here's my take on this thing...

T-mobile is a small company (relatively). So this seems like a HUGE deal. One of those times when people line up at the door hours before opening. Kinda like when the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and iPhone all came out. I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing these on eBay for way more than asking price.

A lot of people on the web think this thing looks ugly. And although I don't think it looks as good as an iPhone, it looks great in person. Although I can see what people mean, the pics on the websites aren't very flattering. No worries though, the phone feels solid when you hold it.

The screen. HTC thus far (and I know this because I work at T-mobile), has made crappy screens. Not in terms of brightness, color, size or anything... but they're weak and they crack easily. While I've never seen a cracked Blackberry screen in over 4 months there, I see a cracked Dash, Shadow, or Wing at least once a week.

Color. Everyone thinks this thing only comes in black. But it's also available in white and bronze. I'll take a black one though.

Ease of use. All my friends know that I used an iPhone for 6 months and hated it. I couldn't write an email or send a text with ease, and I'm often doing that from my phones. And when I switched to my Blackberry Curve, I missed the touch screen and missed having Youtube on my phone, but loved the ease of use with the trackball and full keyboard. Now, I can have everything!

When you first use this thing, you're like, "Wow, there's a keyboard AND a trackball... wait, I can touch the screen too?"

The things that'll annoy me about it (and this is getting realllllly picky);

1. I'm used to Blackberry's profiles, and how I can set it to "phone only" mode as I'm sleeping... so that every email and text won't wake me up. Only phone calls will. But there's no setting for that on a G1... yet.

2. I'll miss the tethering ability of Dash's and Curve's, where I can share my internet connection with my PC. But I rarely use that feature anyway.

3. No UMA calling. My Curve has the ability to make phone calls over a wi-fi internet connection. So if I'm in Ashford, Washington, where there's no cell service, I can log into my wireless network in order to make phone calls. And that feature has come in immensely handy during my trips out there.

4. No standard headphone jack. You need to use an adapter / dongle to connect to 3.5 mm headphones.

5. I've had bad luck with any phone that slides, pivots, rotates, flips. I like candybar phones with fewer moving parts.

6. This last one doesn't matter to me as much... but this phone ONLY works if you add the 3G internet feature to your account.

Anyway, I guess we'll have to wait and see how people respond to this phone! I know there are inevitably going to be those who think "It's just a phone, who cares? Mine works fine"... but if the goal of a phone is to make you more productive, and make it easier for you to stay in touch with your loved ones and even keep you entertained these days, then the G1 (at $179) is a great opportunity for T-mobile users to have an iPhone type phone.

Winter of 09... Bring it on!

2008-10-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't looked forward to a snowboard season like this since 1999, when we had a record snowfall. But I may be even more excited this time around, because I'm a little older and wiser, but in a lot better shape. This is the first time I've ever worked out extensively and I'm hoping it will pay off on the mountain.

In addition, I'm also part of the Hump Sessions Crew, about 30 snowboarders who meet up at the park every Wednesday for some night boarding.

Which reminds me, though... my Acura with the summer tires is crap in the snow and on ice. And I sold my Audi earlier this year. So do I go get a cheap truck / SUV with 4 wheel drive and get nice winter tires on them? Or hope I can bum rides and pay for gas each time?

I definitely think Whistler and Mt Baker are destinations for me this winter. I'm already loading up my Zune!

R.I.P. Extremely Board

2008-09-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

It's always weird, and a little sad, when something you're used to seeing goes away. Unfortunately, that's what happened with Extremely Board. They closed their doors this week after over 15 years in Issaquah.

For those of you who aren't familiar, Extremely Board was a small shop that carried snowboard, wakeboard and skateboarding gear. I think everyone I grew up with bought their snowboarding gear from E.B.

I can't count how much money I've spent there over the years. Boots, jackets, bindings... I remember they used to carry Switch Bindings, which I loved as a beginning snowboarder. And I would usually get my boards tuned up and waxed there.

Then again, with huge chains like Joes, Sports Authority and REI to compete with, it seems like the small shops are facing an uphill battle. And with REI finally opening in Issaquah, and Joes next door, the days for Extremely Board were definitely limited.

Hopefully we'll see them again, perhaps in online form. Until then, R.I.P.

Rest In Peace Dad

2008-06-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

It breaks my heart to report that my father has passed away.

I saw so many similarities between him and myself, and felt that I had so much more to learn from him, and to talk to him about. But he went so quickly. I remember constantly thinking he would figure a way out of this. I mean, everyone seems to be recovering from cancer these days. Lance Armstrong beat cancer and then won a record number of Tour De France's.

But in less than a month, he is gone. He was admitted to St Francis Hospital in late May and was told he has cancer that has metastasized (spread) to other parts of his body. He was told there was no treatment for it. Not happy, we tried to get him admitted to UW Hospital and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. They told us there was a wait, until June 30th, for the next available appointment. So he went back home to Mt Rainier after spending a night in my bedroom. He was better for a few days while resting at his house. But then he started feeling worse and was admitted to Overlake Hospital in Bellevue about a week ago.

I never thought this would be the last time he left his house, left his car, and all his belongings.

At 11:42 AM on Thursday, 06.19.2008, he took his final breath next to my mom, sister and myself. No one else. I think he wanted it that way.

All that time when he was in the hospital, I remember going to work, and then to the hospital afterwards. No matter how sick dad looked, I thought things would get better. But I first knew things were bad when I saw my dad cry for the first time.

What sucks the most about this, is when I see something that would appeal to my dad, "Sale at REI? Oh, sweet, I gotta tell da..." and then I realize I can't. When I went to his place to start packing some of his belongings, I remember looking in his car and wanting to cry. I'm sure the last time he got out of that car, he had no idea he would never get back in. He had left it as anyone else would have, like he had planned on driving it everyday. His hat sitting on the passenger side, water / food and other emergency stuff... and he always had to have a garbage bag hanging somewhere.

And up until that point, I had always wondered why he decided to trade in a newer Civic with 20K miles (that was paid off) for a brand new Toyota Sienna in January of 2008. Gas prices were soaring, and he would have to get a loan for the new car. Plus, no guy wants a minivan, right?

But not with my dad. His dream car has ALWAYS been a Sienna minivan. He loves Toyota, and loves going camping. So he always felt the Sienna would be perfect for him. And at least now I know that he got to drive his dream car for 5 months before he passed away and had no regrets.

It pains me to do some of the things required of me. Sorting through his belongings, making funeral / casket arrangements, paying some of his bills, deciding whether to keep things, sell things, or throw them out. But even the things I hadn't thought about before. Like... do I keep his cell phone number? He's had his cell number for 10 years now. Since 1998. To me, it's part of his identity.

I'm sure I just need some time to heal. I still expect him to be there when I call... and for him to be happy to hear from me. His love for his children was deep, and is what kept him here in Washington when the rest of his family was still in Korea.

He would treasure the things my sister and I bought him. I see the Arc'Teryx outdoor gear he kept in pristine condition, even though I know he wore those items quite often. The high-end hiking boots I bought him from REI were still as good as new. I remember how he loved using my REI dividends when I received them. He never ran out of things to buy there.

He was so proud of everything my sister and I did. He wouldn't always say it but you could tell by his mannerisms. He was always extra difficult on me, hoping I would become better at everything and would never settle for anything (whether it was my driving, rock climbing ability, my Korean speaking ability or a million other things). I may not have liked this approach when I was in high school, but I've appreciated it ever since.

I remember how he would never let me buy cheap things. When I wanted to play tennis, he bought me a racket that I borrowed once from a coach and fell in love with. Except, I never thought I would get it, because it was a $200 racket that was only sold in Pro Shops. Then, one day I come home and it's sitting in the garage.

I remember my 3rd grade birthday, I had a bunch of friends over, like Tyler Miller and Zach Johns... and my dad said he was going somewhere. When he came back (from Toys R Us), he had a brand new Nintendo set with him and I remember Zach yelling at everyone, "Jin's dad got the new Nintendo!" Then we played on the PowerPad for hours.

I remember in 5th grade, my class was going on a field trip but we were one adult short. So I called home and dad said he would come along. I remember our group of friends would just run around all day at the zoo, because my dad was so laid back about keeping the group together.

He was always the 'cool' dad. The one who taught me how to ski, to golf, to roller blade (he was a speedskater in Korea)... He let me drive his Land Cruiser when I turned 16, so I felt pretty tough driving that around school and out to lunch. He was always well dressed and well groomed and would make comments when I wore baseball caps and sandals.

He lived a privileged, yet stressful existence. Life was unfair to him. And I still think (at 56), he left much too soon. I miss you pops, I love you, and I'll see you again one day. This Blog post does little justice to the influence you've had in my life... I will honor you through my actions and will make you even more proud.

It's About Time : Free Wi-Fi at Starbucks

2008-06-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

But there's a catch!

You have to buy, maintain, use / reload (when it runs low) and continue to use one of those Starbucks cards in order to get the free wi-fi. And it's for 2 hours a day, so you can't be using it all day long.

But still, for most people, this should be more than enough time. And it'll give customers more incentive to go to Starbucks now, instead of the competitors likes Tullys and other mom and pop coffee shops that already offer free wi-fi.

I would say, however, that the only deterrent I see is that it takes a couple steps just to set up (I have to go buy a gift card, register it online, create a username and password, and then I have to use the card at least once a month and remember to carry that card around)... but once the initial setup is done, I'm sure all I'll have to do is remember the username and password for that account, since I already go to Starbucks about once a week anyway.

And you get other benefits too, like free soy and other beverage customizations, refills on certain drinks, and even free drinks on occasion.

Alright, so for more information, visit the Starbucks website.

Gadget Review - T-Mobile (HTC) Dash vs Blackberry Curve

2008-05-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

So last summer, I compared the (new at the time) Apple iPhone to my T-Mobile Dash. I ended up keeping the Dash. I felt their uses were identical (both play video, music, navigate the internet on the EDGE network, and sync up with Outlook), but to me, the Dash was WAY easier to use. Even after 3 months of using the iPhone, I would get frustrated at attempting to type on the touch-keyboard.

So here I am now, comparing the Blackberry Curve to the Dash.

The verdict? They're pretty much the same phone! Now, you can say one is Windows-based, one has a trackball, one has Blackberry Messenger, and so on. But they're pretty much the same phones.

The Curve is a tiny bit thicker and wider. But it's a better looking phone. The Dash has a softer feel to it with a better grip, which is the reason I never dropped it. Both are equally easy to type on. And both sync up with Outlook, and can be used as 'tethered modems' connected to a PC (you would use this feature if you wanted to connect your laptop to the internet, but wasn't around a wi-fi internet connection... you could use either of these phones as 'modems' that are connected to the laptop).

My main gripe about both these phones is that they are like mini-computers. So you'll probably end up rebooting (taking out the battery and restarting the phone) about once a day. Both tend to crash if you're attempting to multi-task. I thought the Dash took a long time to reboot (about a minute), but the Curve can take up to 3 minutes to reboot. A little ridiculous if you ask me.

And the Dash has a 'task manager', much like your Windows XP PC does, so you can close programs you aren't using to free up memory. So far, I haven't been able to find that feature on the Curve.

The breakdown?

Looks : The Curve
Ease of use : It's a tie
The Interface : The Dash's is more familiar and intuitive, but the Curve's looks better
Battery Life : This is where the Dash still dominates. I can go 2 days without a charge, even with all the emailing, texting and talking that I do. I wouldn't feel comfortable going into a 2nd day without a charge on the Curve. But the good news is that the Curve charges up in no-time.
Value : The Curve is $450 + tax. The Dash is $250 + tax. For 2 phones with nearly identical uses, that seems like a huge difference. Of course, these days, you can get both for around $100-$150 with a 2-year contract.
Which One Will I Keep? : The Curve this time. Because it's a UMA phone. Which means that I can connect to wi-fi networks to make phone calls in areas where T-Mobile's signal isn't as strong. This is a great feature, and even in that little area on Front Street where I get NO cell signal, I can still connect using a wi-fi network.

T-Mobile

2008-05-19T00:18:00.000-07:00

So this may be news to many of my friends, but I now work for T-Mobile, in addition to my career in Real Estate. It's no secret that the housing industry has been slow... but even in a weaker economy, people need to stay in touch, so I felt that the cell phone industry would be a strong one to be a part of. And so far, T-Mobile seems like a great company.

And in other news, Seattle finally saw 3 consecutive days with no rain. I think it was the first time that's happened in 2008. It's funny how Seattleites react to sunshine... all the nice sunglasses come out, as well as sunblock. And everyone washes their cars, gets out their convertibles and motorcycles, and spend a lot of time outside.

But the funniest thing to me, is that when the weather is overcast and dreary, traffic tends to be normal. But when it's either raining hard / snowing, or on any sunny day, traffic is TERRIBLE! It's like we can only drive when there are absolutely no distractions. No rain, no sun, nothing.

I'm happy though, I rode a bike for the first time in a long time, as well as played tennis for the first time in years. And I finally got some color on my skin (although not so much on my legs). As much as I miss winter, and snowboarding... I hope there are more weekends like this coming up.

It was a great season!

2008-04-04T17:20:00.001-07:00

IMG_0042
Originally uploaded by jinlee

As I was cleaning up and putting away all my snowboard gear for the season, I reflected on what a great season 2007-2008 was. Two trips to Whistler, got to go to all the ski areas in Washington at least once, and on at least 5 occasions, I got to ride for absolutely free. The snow was great, but what really made it special was all the people I ended up meeting.

This friend started a group entitled "Hump Sessions Crew" and about 25 (yes, 25!!!) of us went up every Wednesday after work until night boarding at Snoqualmie ended in mid-March.

It reminds me of when you're little, and you're hanging out with your friends after school. Except we get a little more freedom from the parents and we get to go snowboarding instead.

It also reminds me of how Reaction Snowboards started out almost 10 YEARS AGO!!! In 1999, my friends and I just started out as "Team Reaction"... so being part of another group of passionate snowboarders all season was awesome. Especially since the past 2 years, my enthusiasm had waned when I had trouble finding people to go ride with.

So, thanks Hump Sessions, Alan Vu, Tera, and everyone else for making this season unforgettable.

I Love This House

2008-03-20T16:11:00.001-07:00

IMG_0053
Originally uploaded by jinlee

Recently, Francie and Joe purchased this house up in the Highlands. It's in the Brighton community, and the complex is listed by Nick Pallis of Windermere.

What a great complex. For under $600K, you get 4 bedrooms, and Energy Star / Built Green construction. You also get a live / work unit on the ground floor, that can be used for certain commercial purposes. And since these buildings face the main road with plenty of foot traffic, you can get a pretty successful business going with a lot of exposure.

Here is David Nguyen, my loan officer, relaxing while watching some TV at their house warming party.

Finally! A Papa John's in Issaquah

2008-02-19T11:03:00.000-08:00

Once every week, my friends and I meet up for a little snowboarding after work. Last week, we met over by Fred Meyers in Issaquah. Now, these are friends of mine that I grew up with, almost all being from Issaquah or the Eastside.

We like Issaquah, it's got a nice mix of old shops / restaurants and newer big chain stores. You won't find places like Olive Garden, Best Buy, Frys, Circuit City or Papa John's... or will you? We looked over towards Jamba Juice and noticed a familiar red, green and white sign.

Is it? It is! A Papa John's has opened up in Issaquah. I love pizza, but was tired of paying the prices at Extreme Pizza, Round Table, and Flying Pie, and I'm just sick of Dominos. So I'm excited to know I can order Papa Johns now. What took them so long?!

And speaking of that little area... it's sad to see how far Krispy Kremes has fallen. I remember when that parking lot resembled a ferry line, with hired security directing traffic. Now, it's rare to see cars lined up at all.

Seattle Magazine December 2007

2008-01-11T17:39:00.001-08:00

Seattle Magazine December 2007
Originally uploaded by jinlee

This is probably my proudest achievement as a real estate agent... I was nominated by readers of Seattle Magazine as a Five Star Real Estate Agent for 2007. This is my profile from the December 2007 issue of Seattle Magazine... it was their annual "Best Of..." issue.

I figured most other agents would have taken this honor very seriously with pictures in front of nice houses, in their office, or in front of waterfront properties... so I wanted to go the opposite route and have a lot of fun with it.

The photographer even commented, "I like these photos a lot... but you just look TOO young to be a real estate agent in all of them."

And I just said, "That's cool, we'll go with it."

It's still a tremendous honor to be chosen, and it completely caught me off guard. To be mentioned in the same category as some of the other agents on the list is something that I still can't believe.

Thank you to all my clients who voted me in!

Lucky Strike at Bellevue's Lincoln Square

2008-01-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

Lucky Strike Bowling finally opened in Bellevue, a couple days behind schedule. I went there with some friends last night to check out the scene, venue, food, and to do a little bowling. And we also got to see Sokhom in Bellevue again! She was one of our favorite servers from the Bellevue Joeys.

The atmosphere at Lucky Strike is extremely casual, even though the place is really upscale (cherry hardwoods, nice couches and TVs, etc). I kinda felt like we were in some rich person's home. I also expected a snooty staff and clientele, kind of like you get at the Parlor. But for the most part, we were walking around in socks and bowling shoes and having a lot of fun. I love the lounge there, and even if I'm not going to bowl, I wouldn't mind meeting some friends there for dinner and drinks.

Understandably, it was a little slow last night. But so was every other place in Bellevue. It was the Sunday after the holidays, and a lot of people are probably just relaxing, or trying to keep their New Years Resolutions.

The private room apparently is $4,000 for 3 hours. But you could throw one hell of a party in there. There are 4 private lanes, your own bar, and seating for probably about 50 people (comfortably), or maybe up to 100 if everyone's standing around.

There were still a few kinks to work out last night (like problems with the bowling lanes), but we had a great time. The only thing I thought was weird, is that every lane allows up to 8 bowlers. However, there is only seating for 3. Once the place starts getting busy, there are gonna be a lot of people standing around.

The 9 or 10 people in our group ended up spending just around $350 total. That included a food / drinks tab around $230 and a bowling tab around $100 (for 100 minutes). Which sounds about right since we each had a couple rounds of drinks.

It looks like the night life in Bellevue is getting crowded now, with the Parlor, Joeys, Vertigo and Lucky Strike all vying for your attention and money.

Song from that Ford Edge commercial

2007-12-21T20:54:00.001-08:00

I really love this song... called The Funeral by Band of Horses. It's used on a current Ford Edge commercial where a girl starts gazing into the panoramic roof and loses track of what she's doing or where she's at.

Crystal Mountain - Let the season begin!

2007-12-07T08:42:00.001-08:00

IMG_8114
Originally uploaded by jinlee

What a great day on the mountain. 19 new inches. Small crowd. Soft landings for when I crashed. A Seahawks win. And good friends. All for only $35.

And our timing couldn't have been better, because as we drove home, the weather got warmer and it started raining non stop (and ended up flooding absolutely everywhere). I believe about 10 inches were knocked off the bases at most ski areas.

So no one seems to know when the ski areas will open up next. But I don't mind too much, since I'm still recovering from Sunday.

BTW, breaking in new boots has always been a chore, but I've never had my feet hurt SO much. I got this new pair of Vans Encore BOAs. BOA boots are the kind with the 'dial' lacing system, that gets your boot really tight.

I've always liked my boots really tight, so I don't go breaking any ankles or anything. But these were too tight, and in all the wrong places. I may go back to my trusty Salomons.

See you on the mountain!

First Hawks game at Qwest Field

2007-11-14T10:45:00.001-08:00

_MG_3933
Originally uploaded by jinlee

Thanks to the Stevens' and their generosity, I finally got a chance to watch a Seahawks game live. And I decided to take Scotty, one of my friends from way back (middle school).

First a 'first time', I was pretty spoiled. We sat in Section 234, 6 rows back. Great seats. With Wells Fargo Club access, not bad either. We got to enjoy some free food, some hard liquor, and hung out with some local celebs (like MLB pitcher Jeff Nelson).

It's LOUD there. Louder than I could have imagined. And it's like a switch flips on when the Hawks go on defense. And hearing everyone else scream definitely makes you want to scream as well. Which is why I still have no voice left.

It was also cool that it was a Monday Night Football game. So it was nationally televised, and people like Steve Young and Emmitt Smith were roaming the sidelines.

People are always comparing baseball games to football games... but there's really no comparison, it's like apples vs oranges. If you want a hyped up atmosphere, with crazy costumes and people screaming their lungs out, go to a football game. If you want to relax, enjoy some food and talk to your friends while watching professional athletes, then go to a baseball game.

The one sport I really can't attend is basketball. I don't mind watching basketball on TV, but when I see it live, I "always" feel like, "Hmm... it's the 4th quarter and it's tied. Did I REALLY need to watch the first 3 quarters?"

The funniest moment for me was when we were in the Coach's Loft, I noticed a #24 Deon Grant jersey. It's a jersey I've been looking for everywhere, since he happens to live a few homes down from me and has become one of my favorite players to watch.

Scotty (a little tipsy) goes up to the guy wearing the jersey, who was on his cell phone. Scotty says, "Hey man, where'd you get that jersey from? That's Grant's neighbor (pointing to me) and he can't find it anywhere!"

The guy says into his cell, "Hold on a sec, I'm talking to Deon Grant's neighbor," as if I'm some celebrity.

Alas, I'm now known as 'Deon Grant's Neighbor."

End of September Gossip on the Eastside

2007-09-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

Club Vertigo in Bellevue, Washington- delayed... again.

But have no fear, it's pretty much ready to go. What it's waiting for are extra sprinklers to be installed. After receiving a private tour of the club, I'll have to warn all my friends... dress nicely and don't expect this to be "Club Venom of the Eastside." It's aiming for an older demographic and is more like a really upscale lounge with a dance floor. Don't expect loud techno or rap music to be playing. I think it'll be great for those of us who are getting a little older, but are tired of the same old bar scene. I can't wait.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition in Kirkland, Washington... again.

So rumor has it that Ty Pennington has been out and about in downtown Kirkland. Which makes sense since they're working on the house at 10203 - 116th Ave NE in Kirkland this week. Go check it out! Maybe you'll get on TV. It would be interesting to watch a house go up in 7 days.

Jones Soda

I love Jones Soda. It's no secret. Any spare money I have, I use it to buy shares of Jones Soda (JSDA). And the stock has always been good to me. This week, they came out with flavors to honor the Seattle Seahawks. Those flavors include Dirt, Perspiration, Sports Cream, Natural Field Turf, and Sweet Victory Soda. They're available in limited quantities. I haven't tried any of them yet, but I'll probably find it at QFC.

Joeys in Bellevue - No more

Over the past 2 months, I've been going to Joeys Restaurant in Bellevue quite a bit (just check out all the pictures on FlickR). But, thanks to a combination of things, I doubt I'll go back anytime soon.

It sucks when a company doesn't understand their clientèle. Joeys obviously has several things going for them. The location there on 8th and Bellevue Way just cannot be beat. Everyone knows where it is, and is always willing to "at least" meet up there, before we go elsewhere. The ambiance is good, not too loud, not boring... and the drinks are good. And, having gone there so much, my friends and I had become regulars there so the service was always the best it could be.

But come on... the food, quite frankly, is very bad for the price you pay. The prices are ridiculous; for everything. The "drink special" on a Corona is $3.75. I have no idea what it normally is. And there's absolutely no Happy Hour (well, there sorta is, but it's not advertised and it's like a $1.00 off a $9 drink). Any other bar in the area has better specials. I looked past all this before... but lately, it's been their management that's been bugging the hell out of me.

You would think they'd offer more incentives (happy hour, new items on the menu, and otherwise)... especially since it looks like their popularity is dwindling. I remember it used to be standing room only in the lounge there (this was over a year ago now). Now, friends would rather go elsewhere in Bellevue and I can't really blame them. And with Vertigo opening soon, I think we'll spend a lot more time at the new club.

And here are two specific reasons why their management really gets to me.

1st. We get people to go there on a Sunday, to watch some football in the lounge. During week 1 of this season, they turned the sound on for us and everyone had a good time watching the game, having lunch, and having a beer. However, the following 2 weeks, they refused to turn on the sound for the game. Even though the lounge was pretty full of people in "Seahawks" jerseys and OBVIOUSLY we all showed up to watch the game.

We find out from a server that the management wants the sound turned off because, "We're not a sports bar," they said.

Well, Joeys. I've got news for you. When 20 to 30 people show up at 1 PM on a Sunday in football jerseys, you ARE a sports bar for those 3 hours. Figure it out. How difficult is it to turn SOUND on for 3 hours? Come on!!! We're going to the Taphouse instead.

And 2nd, I don't know what's happening to their "really good" servers, but I don't see them anymore. Either the turnover is ridiculous, or the good servers are scheduled for lunch. Rumor has it that (when I went in on Thursday), one of our favorite servers was fired. If this is indeed the case... well, then there's ABSOLUTELY no reason for us to go back. She treated us as close friends and we always had fun being served by her. And we didn't mind paying $300 / $400 tabs on overpriced drinks because we were always having a great time there with all our friends. Often times with 20 to 30 people showing up.

So if this is indeed the case, Joeys, then please consider myself, Scotty, Stephen, Dustin, Lynette, Trisha, Mitch, Bethany, Min, Bec, Nate, Leigh, Jay, Vorun, Bob, Tony, Hyun, Mike, Fanny, Jeff, Annie, Jim, Grace, Taylor, and all our friends who have been coming in several times a week for the past couple months... "former" customers of yours. We may come in, get maybe one drink... but we certainly won't be gathering there en masse, having meals there, and won't be going in for Sunday game days either... unless something changes significantly.

BTW, what the heck happened to Sherman? He was great.

Anyway, there's my gossip and rant for the month.

Newest acquisition - The Lodge At Mt Rainier

2007-09-23T08:11:00.000-07:00

Recently, I purchased the Lodge at Mt Rainier, located in Ashford, Washington. I thought it'd be a great opportunity for my dad to run a business in a setting that he loves (he loves being outdoors, camping, and being close to Mt Rainier). It's best described at a resort or hotel, although not in the traditional sense.

The 16+ acre property includes various cabins and lodges that can be rented out for various occasions. Typically, the smaller buildings are rented out by couples or families on a nightly basis. However, there have been occasions where wedding parties and corporations have rented out the entire complex for a period of time. The larger lodges can accommodate up to 20-25 people in each building.

The website for the Lodge is www.rainierlodge.com.

FINALLY!! REI is coming to Issaquah!

2007-09-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

The other day, Reichersamer and I drove by the old Long's Drugs location in Issaquah (the one next door to Safeway on Gilman Blvd). It's been vacant for a while now. But this time, there was a lot of remodeling going on... even the face of the building was being torn down and being rebuilt. We wondered, "What kind of tenant would go through that much renovation?"

But now we know, there's probably going to be a rock wall there. Because REI is coming, yeah!

I've always thought that Issaquah (especially in the 98027 / lowlands) tends to lack a few things... a Pizza Hut or Papa John's, a big chain restaurant like Olive Garden, Cheesecake Factory, or Claim Jumpers (Red Robin and Chili's are 'ok'), and an upper end sporting goods store (right now, it's Big 5 Sporting Goods, Joe's Outdoors, or Costco for our goods). Thankfully, one of those wishes of mine will be fulfilled when the REI opens up.

Introducing Michael and Fanny Tomlinson

2007-09-05T09:28:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by jinlee

So Jim and Annie Scurlock's wedding from 2006 is a tough one to beat. We partied until the band stopped playing and they pretty much had to kick us out. There were a ton of long-time friends, and lots of new people to meet. I always think of the fun I had at their wedding when going to other weddings.

But Michael and Fanny's wedding was just as entertaining. Since I knew both the bride and groom and most of their friends, there weren't as many new people to meet, but we still partied all night long until the DJ stopped playing music. And watching 2 semi-pro dancers getting married was a real treat. Especially when Bell Biv DeVoe's "Poison" started playing and they got their routine on. Lynette even got the DJ to play Nelly Furtado's "Maneater" so we could treat the crowd with a silly little dance we came up with (ok, long story).

I really liked that this wedding did not have assigned seating and was buffet style. That way, we were free to move around and mingle. Plus, the actual wedding ceremony literally took about 5 minutes and the rest was just a huge party.

Next up... the Daniel Horowitz / Janet wedding. Can't wait! Then it's the Joe Galante / Francie wedding!!

Habitat for Humanity

2007-08-17T12:19:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by tcnikki

Here's Nikki's pic from her Flickr account. The company she works for, Avanade, spent a Saturday helping out Habitat for Humanity and I was invited to tag along.

I remember volunteering once back while I was in high school, but that time, we were building a home from scratch. This time, we were remodeling an existing home.

The surprising thing about Habitat is always seeing the way some people live, and the conditions of some of these neighborhoods and homes (so close to your own). And realizing how many things you may take for granted.

So Nikki, thanks for the invite. I'm glad I could part of this organization once again.

Vertigo Nightclub - Bellevue, WA

2007-08-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Everyone, be on the lookout for Vertigo Nightclub opening up in Bellevue, Washington at 989 112th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 at the 989 Elements building. Will post pictures as soon as they're available.

Keep Your Friends Close

2007-08-09T12:34:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by jinlee

On one hand, it's gotta be exciting to be able to get up, leave everything you have, and start over somewhere new. Not knowing anybody and having a clean slate.

But for me, it's the most fun when I can send out a quick email in the morning... and by 5 PM, more than 20 friends are gathered at a local hangout having fun and causing mischief. And for no special occasion either (although we did cheers someone's new pair of pants).

Just some food, baseball game in the background, and 20 unique friends to talk to. Not much to complain about there.

2007 Seafair Up Close

2007-08-09T12:27:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by jinlee

For the first time in my life, I went out of my way to try and enjoy Seafair and all the activities going on... good times. Thanks to Mitch's place on Lake Washington and Craig's boat, and Leigh's view from Leschi, and the Boston Red Sox being in town... there was a ton of fun stuff to do. Makes me appreciate Seattle just a little bit more.

08.02.2007 - Friday vs Red Sox

2007-08-04T11:49:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by jinlee

And finally, there's the Red Sox game from Friday. Pretty decent seats, but I didn't expect great seats to such a high-demand game. I was pretty surprised to see the game sold out too. Mitch really wanted to go while he was in town so I found these seats in the 141 section.

The crowds at Red Sox games are always fun. And the Mariners won, so that makes it even better.

After the past 3 games, my voice is done (trying to outcheer Red Sox fans is pretty much impossible). So no more games for a while. Plus, it's exhausting getting home so late and being out in Seattle every evening (dealing with traffic, parking and so on). Besides, sometimes, I'd rather just watch at a local bar instead.

oh yeah...

2007-08-04T11:42:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by jinlee

... these were the scouts.

08.01.2007 - Wednesday vs Angels

2007-08-04T11:41:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by jinlee

Then, the next day, Jay gets these tickets from his boss as a 'thank-you'. I'm like, "Eh, I usually don't like sitting in section 129, since it's behind home plate and I like being on third base, but I'll go with you since you've never ever been to a Mariners game."

Well, I guess when the seats are in row 11, you can see a lot more of the action. Plus, these 4 scouts were seated next to us and obviously had their eyes on King Felix. One of them had a huge 'red' Championship ring on, but I couldn't tell from which team (I'll assume Red Sox or Cardinals).

This game was as exciting as they get. Both teams needed to win this game, since they're in the same division and only a couple games apart.

And, this game had everything... from the playoff atmosphere, to the David vs Goliath aspect (Anaheim had a couple home runs, Seattle had nothing)... it even had a blown save by JJ Putz and a blown squeeze play by the Mariners.

Around 9:25 PM, we all got up on our feet, expecting the last out by JJ, and next thing you know, we're going into extra innings.

The game eventually ended in the 12th, around 11:30 PM. It's one of the most exciting games I've ever been to. The only other exciting game that comes to mind is the one where I saw tons of people get kicked out in our section, saw Charles Gibson (ABC News Anchor I think), Jay Buhner, and there was a ton of extra activity going on during the game.

07.31.2007 - Tuesday vs Angels

2007-08-04T11:32:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by jinlee

So there's a little debate running around in my head, as to where to sit at Safeco Field.

I share season tickets with a friend, but those seats are soooo good, we usually sell them for over face value.

But I get this other hook up on Tuesday. It's guys night out... 5 tickets at 3rd base, 3rd row... SWEET seats. I thought seats couldn't get any better. And we were playing division rivals (LA Angels).

We go down 0-6 in the 3rd inning, and eventually lose 0 to 8. It was a total bummer.

The highlights of the game were the prefunking Scotty and all of us did, and meeting the Beckham / Posh Spice look-alike couple with their cute baby Damien (as pictured).

PS, the rally caps did not work that night.

So, great seats, great company, but crappy game. And over $300 spent on tickets, not a good deal for that night...

Racing Simulator in Bellevue

2007-08-04T11:26:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by jinlee

So... one of the events for Mike's bachelor party was doing a NASCAR simulator in Bellevue. Everything was going okay, until the software crashed and the Windows screen popped up as I was driving down a race track. It was painful to sit through having all the computers restart. I probably wouldn't recommend this event for a bachelor party. Maybe a children's birthday.

Morning After...

2007-08-04T11:22:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by jinlee

So what happens the morning after a night out at Club Venom?... Everyone needs time to recover. Which is why there were like 20 familiar faces at Pho Hoa on Gilman in Issaquah. Here are Scotty and Mindy.

Venom isn't usually where I hang out... but special circumstances and "reasons to celebrate" meant that's where all my friends would be.

But being "27" and all, I may never go back unless I want to be one of those creepy older guys who hangs out at dance clubs.

Awww....

2007-08-04T11:17:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by jinlee

I wish I was still holding Natalie.

Congratulations Ryan!

2007-08-04T11:12:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by jinlee

Ryan!

Natalie Michelle Erickson is officially the youngest person I've ever held in my arms. She's beautiful. And has hair.

Congratulations. I'm glad she's healthy and I'm glad I could be there with you guys.

2007 Street of Dreams

2007-08-04T11:08:00.001-07:00

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Originally uploaded by jinlee

Even though I screwed this picture up (the bus ride was bumpy), it's easy to make Joe and Francie look good together.

This year's Seattle Street of Dreams wasn't as impressive as the past few years... but they had an admirable theme, "Keep it under $2 million." The most expensive home was just under $2 mil, and most were around $1.6 mil. Seeing how ones in the past were so 'over the top', it was nice to see what could be done with much less money. I didn't take as many pics this year... maybe I'm officially spoiled now with my newer house and all, but a lot of the fixtures and final touches were similar to the ones in my house. So I didn't feel the need to take pictures of things that I'm used to everyday.

Anyway, the company was great though. Francie, Joe and gang know how to have a good time.

Reaction Snowboards on Wikipedia!

2007-07-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

My former pride and joy, the company I helped start, is now on Wikipedia!

Here's a copy of it, in case major changes are made to it. I kinda like being described as "semi-retired"

==Origin==
Reaction Snowboards, Inc. was started by a group of University of Washington students in 1999. They were originally based in Issaquah, Washington. This group was led by Jin Lee and Alex Gilman. Originally, they called themselves Team Reaction Snowriders due to the fact that a few members of the group were skiers and skateboarders who did not snowboard. The team entered contests and gained local recognition, leading to sponsorship requests from companies such as Blankboard, Nice Bindings, HelmetsRUs, Silence, Avalanche, and other industry-related companies.

However, none of the original members of Team Reaction were interested in being sponsored and none wanted to snowboard competitively for a living. As a result, the group decided to design, manufacture, and market their own line of snowboards and accessories, and changed their name. In 2001, Reaction Snowboards, Inc. was born as a corporation in Washington State. Jin was named President / Treasurer, with Loren Anderson as Vice President.

==Factory-Direct==
Determined to keep friends involved in the company, Jin hired designers and friends Leigh Caplan (who designed the original Blue Pill / Red Pill snowboards), Nathan Young (who designed the first website) and Alex Gilman (who designed the Glow snowboard and the Butterfly women's snowboard). In keeping with the friendly spirit, the company motto was, "Go Big or Go Home... Dan," named after Daniel Horowitz who refused to go on some of the riskier terrain. The first Reaction Snowboards were built by Blankboard in Stanwood, Washington. After a falling out, the factory was moved to the Monson Snowboard plant in California.

Much of the success of the company was based on the fact that Reaction Snowboards cut out the middleman and were Made in the USA. The snowboards were "made-to-order" and were shipped directly to the consumer. Soon after, companies such as Illuminati Snowboards, Monument Snowboards, and other "direct-to-consumer" brands started appearing in the industry. Other companies began adding online ordering systems as well.

==Made in the USA==
Due to increasing production costs in the United States, there was huge pressure to move factories overseas to countries such as China.

However, Reaction decided to keep production in California, during a time when larger companies such as Burton, K2, Ride and Salomon were moving overseas. This helped Reaction find a loyal base of consumers and riders, and helped solidify their popularity.

==Addition of Acid Helmets==
Later in 2001, after witnessing an increase in head injuries at the mountain, Acid Helmets was created on a whim by Jin. Acid Helmets was made popular because their helmets were more affordable than many other brands, such as Giro and Boeri, yet offered the same safety features and safety ratings as those helmets that were much more expensive.

The success of Reaction Snowboards and Acid Helmets spawned copycat brands and companies, including counterfeit Reaction Snowboards that were sold at Target locations around the United States, and similar looking helmets that were not branded Acid Helmets. However, this helped increase the popularity of Reaction Snowboards and Acid Helmets.

==Ownership Change==
In 2004, Reaction Snowboards, Inc. and Acid Helmets (along with all related websites, inventories, and intellectual properties) were sold to a group of investors in the mid-west for an undisclosed amount. As of July, 2007, Monument Snowboards has gained control of all assets related to Reaction Snowboards, Inc.

==Original Members==
Jin Lee remained with the company until it was sold in 2004, and now lives in his home in Issaquah, Washington is semi-retired. Alex Gilman, Leigh Caplan, and Nathan Young still work as website designers / artists. Loren Anderson went on to play for a professional paintball team that competes around the Northwest.

Product Review - Tmobile Dash vs Apple iPhone

2007-07-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so being some what of a gadget nut (although not always an "early adopter"), I had to get my hands on an Apple iPhone, especially after all this hype. And especially after being in Korea last month, and seeing how superior their cell phones are compared to ours, I just had to see if an American product will be able to compete on a global level.

After purchasing a 4 GB iPhone ($499), going through the activation process and using the phone for a little while... I'd have to say that I'm just fine sticking with my Tmobile Dash (and Tmobile service).

It's clear that the iPhone is a superior device. It does everything the Dash does, only a little bit better. The screen looks better, the video looks better, the internet looks better, the music interface looks great, and the external speakers are better. Both use EDGE wireless for internet content (and yes, both are fairly slow at connecting to the internet). And both syncronize with Microsoft Outlook just fine (the Dash through Microsoft ActiveSync and the iPhone through iTunes). Both offer features such as wi-fi and Bluetooth.

However, the whole process left me a little bitter towards AT&T and Apple. Usually when you buy a phone with a 2-year contract, you get a significant discount. My $350 Dash cost $150 after rebates and contract. The iPhone is $499 (4 GB) or $599 (8 GB), with no rebates, and there's no getting around that, for now. Even on an existing AT&T plan, they make you sign a "new" 2-year agreement just to continue on the same plan you've been using when you activate the iPhone. So in a way, they're really screwing over loyal AT&T / Cingular customers, and not giving other wireless users enough of an incentive to switch wireless companies (it's hard to drop $600 on a cell phone when I can buy a new laptop for that amount, or 5 or 6 'basic' cell phones).

And with most phones, I can pop my SIM card into the new phone and at least have "phone" functionality (not necessarily voicemail or internet access right away). With the iPhone, I think every single one must be activated separately. When sticking in a SIM card from another active AT&T phone, it asks for a valid SIM card.

And you would think that the iPhone would at least work as an iPod "out of the box". But nope. It's a brick until it's activated with a new 2-year contract. When you plug it in and turn it on, it asks for a valid SIM card and only allows 911-emergency access. You can't go to the main menu or anything. It won't sync with iTunes either, until you activate it... get what I'm saying? My main problem with the 2-year contract is that I feel like, come December, there's going to be a new improved iPhone out on the market. And perhaps they'll even offer a discount or rebate.

But still, it's a tempting package. I don't ever want people looking over my shoulder while writing a text message, or have strangers asking me if they can check out my phone, but you should expect that if you get the iPhone. It's definitely an attention getter.

So for a quick rundown...

Price : Tmobile Dash
Functionality : It's a tie. Both do what busy self-employed people want them to do
Screen : Hands down, Apple iPhone, no contest
Typing : Slightly easier on the Dash since they're physical buttons you have to push. Although after practicing on the iPhone, it became easier.

South Korea - The Trip - June 2007

2007-06-27T10:40:00.001-07:00

IMG_7058
Originally uploaded by jinlee

To be honest, I wasn't at all excited about going to Korea. I had a lot of business to take care of back home and thought 12 days over there would be just too long. Plus, I didn't think any of my relatives would remember me. But, I went... knowing that the first cousin in our generation was getting married. I had no idea what to expect.

But it turned out that 12 days was maybe a week too short. It was my first time back in over 13 years. I think I was there last when I was 13 or 14 years old.

There was a lot of nostalgia, reflection, and priority reorganizing while seeing my family again for the first time in over a decade. It was, without a doubt, a life-changing experience. It also made me feel I had a lot more responsibility all of a sudden, when before, I thought my only family was my mom, dad, and sister.

I was amazed at how much Korea has developed. It was like reading every economic book from college and seeing it come to life before my eyes. Areas that were farms and dirt roads before were paved and industrial now.

While I was there, I was forwarded a news article from a friend that showed Seoul, Korea as the 3rd most expensive place to live in the world. I was shocked.

Mainly because all I saw at first were the cheap bus fares, cheap food (As long as you weren't buying beef. Beef is extremely expensive there.), and cheap clothing at places like Namdaemun and Dongdaemun. And I could run down to a little grocery store and pickup junk food for around 50 cents (or 500 won) a piece.

Of course, I don't drive there (both gas prices and automobile prices are pretty high) and don't own any real estate there... and those are major expenses. Combined with the fact that most of my cousins admit to making the equivalent of $2,000 to $3,000 a month at "slightly above-average" paying jobs. And that's just among those who were able to actually find a job. The rest will have to continue to look.

There are so many people looking for work, that they're using "english speaking ability" as a way to weed people out. Even if the job they're applying for won't require them to know english at all.

Once I started comparing items straight up (items like electronics, clothing, and European cars)... I realized Korea just isn't that cheap. Ferragamo, 7 Jeans, Burberry and other "brand name" items are at least double what they are here in the states. 7 Jeans for about $500 US (500,000 won) is just a crazy price to pay for pants. I almost wanted to take mine off to sell on the streets. Okay, not really.

Another thing that struck me about Korea is that, as well off as my extended family is, they live very comfortable, conservative lives structured around the family. One uncle who is a doctor rides the bus to work, even though he lives in a neighborhood called Dogok, which I guess is either #1 or #2 when it comes to the highest real estate prices in Seoul. Another owns a huge house but doesn't fill it with random stuff. Most of the rooms at the places I visited were simple and wide open.

And I say "conservative" because I've heard a lot of stereotypes about Koreans being a certain way (hot tempered, smokers, drinkers, cheaters and so on)... but I didn't see it at all while I was there. At least not among my cousins. None smoke and none of them drink. None of them swore, and they all treated their parents with respect. Maybe this is just our family, and I know that I can't speak for the few cousins who didn't show up for the wedding, but it was a little surprising.

However, the thing that struck me the most is the gap between rich and poor there. There is absolutely no middle class. And it looked like it would stay that way too. Poorer people stuck with the run down, affordable restaurants while the people with money went to the fancy overpriced places. The food (to me anyway) all tasted the same... like authentic Korean food. It's hard to explain exactly what I mean by "no middle class" in a blog that summarizes my trip, but I hope this makes some sense.

And it seemed like every industry there was monopolized by 1 or 2 companies. How Hyundai owns most of the auto industry (they own Kia, while GM now owns Daewoo). But since Hyundai has a lot of money, they go into other industries like construction, real estate, gas stations, and so on. It makes it pretty much impossible for entreprenuers to thrive when large companies are allowed to enter any industry they want like that.

Lotte is a beverage company there (like Coca-Cola is here), but you see them on a lot of other business entities as well. Not to mention LG and Samsung. Not only do they make cell phones and LCD TVs (which is what we see in the U.S.)... in Korea, they make most of the computers that people use, clothing, suits, shoes, furniture, construction companies, windows, millwork and door manufacturing, kitchen and bath fixtures, and all the appliances that are used by most families. As a business student, it was mindblowing to me.

I imagined what it would be like, if Microsoft decided to buy up vacant land, bribe the government for some high-rise permits, and started building massive apartment complexes. Not only that... but what if Microsoft owned the construction company that built those highrises, and all the materials that went into those buildings? The United States Government and the general public would never allow it.

I'll try keep this short for now and will end with this... but I also noticed how small this world has become. Thanks to the internet, and shipping companies like DHL, it's so easy to communicate with my cousins now. Before, I would have to write letters and wait over a week or pay for expensive long distance phone calls. Now, those are my 4th or 5th options.

But I only bring this up because things that were popular in Korea (junk food for example) were things that I could already buy at places like Paldo World in Bellevue, Washington. And vice versa... my aunts would be like, "Try this, you'll like it"... and my dad would say, "He's had that before, I bought it for him a couple months ago." The relatives were pretty surprised by it.

You could really see supply and demand working there. Cars like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW are more common than I expected. And if there's a fashion trend or new gadget on the market, it seemed like most people were fairly aware of them (although my cousin who is into fashion was unaware of brands like True Religion Jeans and Rock & Republic Jeans... so I told her to keep an eye out for them).

But anyway, I'll try to add more updates and thoughts to my blog... still trying to get back into the swing of things and adjust to the time difference. Although I do miss my cousins already. I'll have to make more time to go see them frequently.

I mentioned "priority reorganizing" early in this post, only because all of a sudden, I'm not saving up for anything, except for plane tickets to Korea.

I'll leave you with my favorite picture from the trip... it's reminiscent of an old one where we're all standing together in a similar fashion.

Condo for Sale! - Renton Ridge

2007-06-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

My friend Jeff is selling his beloved 2 bedroom condo that's about 20 minutes from downtown Issaquah.

It's located in the Renton Ridge community at 975 Aberdeen Ave NE in Renton, Washington. Great location that's close to 405 and Boeing. Not to mention Frys, and "soon-to-be" Target just down the street. At $214,950, it seems like a great chance to make some equity in the coming years. Especially being so close to Issaquah, where it's getting more and more difficult to find a 2-bedroom for under $300K.

In the meantime though, the house in Cedar Grove Issaquah is still up for sale. It's had a tough time getting financed ever since banks have made it more difficult to get a loan. We've had 2 offers rescinded because those buyers were unable to get financing.

And lastly, I've sold my Suzuki SV650s motorcycle :( It was a fun toy, but one that I didn't use nearly enough.

Lets Go Mariners!

2007-04-09T10:01:00.001-07:00

IMAGE_045
Originally uploaded by jinlee.

Yeah, so the Seattle Mariners are 2-1 so far, good enough to get my hopes up about the 2007 season. Unfortunately, their last 4 games in Cleveland have been postponed because of SNOW! Who knows how the season will turn out, but hopefully the division is weak and we'll do well.

But anyway, section 139 at Safeco Field is my favorite section to sit in. Here are some pics from our seats. Hopefully we'll be at a lot more games this season.

Month of March 2007

2007-04-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

Hey friends, it's been a while since writing in my blog. It's not that I've been lazy... there are many factors actually.

I took my first vacation in a while, and finally got a chance to go to Las Vegas with some friends. Some memorable moments occurred there, ones that I'll be sharing for a while. I won't go into too much detail here however, since I think my clients read this blog... We stayed at the Imperial Palace hotel on the strip, which is a decent place, but if I ever go again, I'll probably stay somewhere nicer. However, the location of the Imperial can't be beat (right across from Caesars). We saw the KA - Cirque Du Soleil show at MGM Grand, as well as the Blue Man Group show at the Venetian. Both were worth their lofty ticket prices (over $100 per ticket, each).

We tried lots of buffets, the best one being the Carnival World at the Rio Hotel. There were other good buffets, but the Carnival buffet offered the best value. We also went to a couple clubs, Pure at Caesars and Tao at the Venetian. It's a crazy scene there. Like nothing Seattle has to offer.

In other news, I'm studying for the LSATs. It's a time consuming process, but the test is in June so it's pretty much crunch time right now. I'm still not positive when (if ever) I'll end up going to law school... however, I didn't want to be in my 30s and wondering, "I wonder how I would have done on my LSATs." And after receiving my Bachelors from the University of Washington, and Masters from Northwest University, I feel like getting a law degree is the logical next step. Especially since I'm interested in, and already relatively knowledgeable, when it comes to real estate law. However, I'm not sure what area of law I would want to practice.

March of 2007 was also a bittersweet month; two high school friends of mine passed away. Although I hadn't seen one of them (Kim Evanger) since high school, I feel both left the world too soon. Brad Stevens, you will be greatly missed. I will never forget your influence in my life; the tennis we played together all those years and the advice you gave me when it came to cars (specifically when I bought my Audi S4). I was hoping one day you'd build my future house, you know, once you became an architect. I miss you.

On another note, I want to publicly congratulate Daniel Horowitz, Jordan Valente, Greg Ward and Michael Tomlinson; each of them having purchased new properties in the past couple months. It's quite an achievement guys... I couldn't be more proud of you.

Wow, this is beginning to sound like a yearbook signing.

Other goals for 2007; Write a book, purchase some businesses, get into law school, become one of Skyline Properties top 10% agents, and maybe flip 2 more homes lets say.

And note to self... don't let your friends have your car keys on the day before April Fools Day... otherwise this is what might happen (thanks to Jim Scurlock and Jeff Reichersamer, you asses).

That's just shredded paper by the way. And to think, I "almost" had my car detailed, washed, and vacuumed the day before. (yo Jay, that's your Texas Longhorns cap I'm wearing).

Be good everyone. Best of luck, and I'll try to keep up with this blogging thing. Nikki, I know you tend to read these, hit me up when your at the Issaquah Campus. Can't wait.

About Me - Part 2 (the rest)

2007-03-02T16:13:00.000-08:00

EIGHT things I want to do before I die:
01. Build a planned community from scratch
02. See my family back in Korea
03. Direct a movie or music video
04. Entertain and / or consult people for a living
05. Put Issaquah on the map
06. Build a community of green homes (sorta goes with #1 I guess)
07. Race around Pacific Raceways on my motorcycle
08. Climb Mount Rainier

SEVEN things that annoy me:
01. When you count on people, and they let you down.
02. When you count on technology, and it lets you down.
03. Waiting for other people to do something when you know you can do it faster.
04. The fact that I can't swim.
05. Unreliable cars.
06. Chronic channel flippers (radio or TV).
07. Poor service at a restaurant. It's worth paying more most of the time to go to a nice place.

SIX things I believe in:
01. Being a perfectionist.
02. Friends and family.
03. The L word
04. That everyone has the ability to do something great and that I may have an impact on helping that ability come out.
05. Going all out, 100%, no matter what you're doing.
06. Fate.

FIVE things I’m afraid of:
01. Losing everything I've worked hard for, whether that's friends or career success.
02. People with bad tempers.
03. Drunk people.
04. Lately, fear of "failure" is creeping into my head. Which is probably why I'm scared to jump into a new business venture.
05. Mice

FOUR of my favorite items in my room:
01. My pathetic room has nothing in it but clothes, a bed, nightstand, and a table full of crap.
02. Oh, and an LCD TV.
03. Well, my dog comes in sometimes, so I'll put him down; Brian.
04. The really expensive mirror I had to special order from Dania.

THREE things I do everyday:
01. Build furniture from scratch.
02. Write a chapter of a novel.
03. Develop a business model or a plan.
Yeah, I wish all this were true. But it's more like, "brush teeth, eat, and sleep."

TWO things I want to do right now:
01. Go through the terrain park at Stevens Pass. Or Whistler.
02. Hug someone. Or ride a motorcycle, it's a tie.

ONE person I want to see right now:
01. Jeff Reichersamer, because I know this will make him uncomfortable.

Day 88 - Flip Project - Cedar Grove

2007-02-27T16:18:00.000-08:00

$ spent since last update - $10,749.50

Total $ spent - $26,570.56

Budget $20,000
Target Finish Date - 2/5/2006

Oh boy... So all the big expenses have been paid off and it ended up being close to $8K for all the materials used in the home and the labor to get those items installed. And the total ($26K+) includes 3 monthly mortgage payments (totally over $9K).

The home has been on the market 21 days now, and we seem to have a couple people interested in it. However, nothing in writing yet, so we'll continue to search for a buyer.

About Me - Part 1

2007-02-27T07:05:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't written in a while, mainly due to busy-ness, but here's a cool little survey I found and thought I'd share with the public. Haha, maybe it'll help win over some new real estate clients... but most likely it'll make my friends think, "Jin's such a loser."

TEN random things about me:
01. I want to carry on my grandpa's legacy.
02. I feel like life has followed the perfect path, leading to where I am right now at this moment.
03. I watch way too much TV, but somehow manage to get other stuff done throughout the day.
04. I tend to be accident prone.
05. I constantly contradict myself... (Am I a saver, or a spender? Healthy or a junk food addict? and so on.)
06. I'm not a pushy person.
07. I'm totally fine with making fun of myself.
08. My friends and family think I'm way too nice / naive to everybody and fear I'll get screwed over by somebody. But I think that comes from me being young, and not being so jaded just yet.
09. I tend to follow less traditional sports, instead of the big 3 (football, basketball, baseball, although I'm a fairweather fan), I like sports like snowboarding, rock climbing, tennis, rollerblading and so on.
10. I love wearing black socks with every outfit (gets expensive though).

NINE ways to win my heart:
01. Go 0 to 60 in 4 seconds. Okay, not really, just thought of this as the "typical guy response".
02. Laugh laugh laugh.
03. Smile smile smile.
04. Get along with my vast array of friends.
05. Get along with my family.
06. "Must Love Dogs" is the name of a movie.
07. Ambition. A must have.
08. Amphibious. Wait, that's not the word I'm looking for. What's the word for someone who is adept at changing and goes with the flow?
09. Now that I think about it. "9 ways to win my heart" is a silly concept. There just has to be a connection; an unspoken, undescribable reason you want to be with someone. But all of the above sure help.

To Be Continued!... back to work for me.

Day 67 - Flip Project - Cedar Grove

2007-02-06T21:49:00.001-08:00

IMG_6135
Originally uploaded by jinlee.

$ spent since last update - $3,139.35

Total $ spent - $15,821.06

Budget $20,000
Target Finish Date - 2/5/2006

We have completed the project. Hallelujah! Of course, until the house sells, we'll continue to work on the little things, and will continue to clean, clean, clean! Tomorrow, I'll have to rent another Uhaul to get all the garbage out of the garage.

But it's ready to be put on the MLS. I was really impressed by how it all came together at the end. It kind of reminded me of my sister's room, all it needed was a good hour of cleaning to get everything looking normal.

The kitchen looks great, the floors and doors and paint and lights... everything looks great. One thing we have left to do is to get all the bathrooms completely ready to go (and by that, I mean shower curtains, rods, toilet paper, washing out the sinks and bathtubs and so on). As of now, it's not 100%.

Thanks everyone!

Here's the Video Tour which was just uploaded onto Youtube...

Day 61 - Flip Project - Cedar Grove

2007-01-31T15:58:00.000-08:00

$ spent since last update - $2,151.68

Total $ spent - $12,681.71

Budget $20,000
Target Finish Date - 2/5/2006

Check out the Updated Photos Here!

We now officially have 5 days to do the "little stuff". I just spent $426.98 at Home Depot buying faucets, towel bars, toilet bowl wax rings, tub / shower kits and putty for the walls and flooring. It's easy stuff, but tedious work which will take a couple days. Not to mention, we still need to get rid of all the garbage and vacuum the new carpet.

I still need to pay for the millwork and flooring... however, all the labor has been paid for (just not the materials).

Although we currently have over $7,000 left in our budget, $3K+ of that will go towards another monthly payment, $4K+ of that will go towards flooring, and I think about $2500 will go towards the millwork, putting us a couple grand over budget.

Business versus Pleasure

2007-01-29T14:21:00.000-08:00

I remember talking to a friend one time, and she said to me, "Jin, if I had your mind, I would constantly have a headache. Seems like you're always thinking of something to do or something to create." It came off as kind of an insult, but hey, I'd rather be thinking than letting my brain rot.

So here are two ideas that show how "focused" my mind is at any given moment (okay, so my mind's all over the place).

McDonalds Saving the Environment?
IF I had any say in how McDonalds operated, I would open up Biodiesel Gas Stations with the McDonalds brand name. I could see it now "McD's BioD". Why? Because they're probably throwing away TONS and TONS of used vegetable oil daily, when they could convert that into biodiesel gasoline that anybody with a diesel engine could use. They could even open up a gas station in the corner of some of their restaurant locations. I think it could be huge, and would help McDonalds change their image a little bit (although I admit, they've cleaned up their image quite a bit, especially since their ArchDeluxe / McRib days).

My 15 Minutes of Fame?
IF I'm ever on American Idol, I would sing this song to show off my vocal range (and I don't think anyone has yet to sing it on that show)

... mainly because I know I can't sing, so I might as well make a fool of myself, right? Of course it wouldn't help Seattle's reputation as the city with the worst singers in the country.

Day 56 - Flip Project - Cedar Grove

2007-01-26T18:23:00.001-08:00

master_b4after
Originally uploaded by jinlee.

$ spent since last update - $0.00

Total $ spent - $10,530.03

Budget $20,000
Target Finish Date - 2/5/2006

Woohoo! Finally, all the base trim and doors have been installed. The millwork guys went ahead and installed door handles too (not the really nice ones I bought, so I'll have to return those to Home Depot).

I haven't been billed for the millwork materials nor installation yet so it's not reflected in the running total. On Monday, carpet gets installed, and on Wednesday, the countertops will be done.

Soon after that, we'll put the house on the market while we finish little things (like mirrors, towel bars, bathroom shower curtain and so on). Oh yeah, we have to attach the appliances as well, which we haven't done yet.

More to come real soon, I hope. I'm trying to play Devil's Advocate here and come up with a "worst case scenario", but I can't imagine anything going awry at this point.

Condos are where it's at in King County

2007-01-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

Wow, looking at sales statistics available to agents through a service called "Realist", I'm surprised. In King County, there have been 12,551 condos sold in 2006 (NOT including December), compared to 10,709 in 2005. So with more condos being sold, maybe that means prices have leveled off or gone down?

No! The median price has gone from $217,000 in 2005 to $260,000 in 2006 YTD. That's almost a 20% increase.

It's no wonder that so many condo conversions are happening. Seems like every decent apartment complex is converting into an upscale condominium with stainless steel, granite, and all the fixins.

And condo sales are probably taking away from the sales of single family residences. Especially as people downsize their homes and look to get rid of yard work and excess space. In King County, there were 36,089 homes sold in 2005, versus 32,742 in the first 11 months of 2006. Unless 4,000 homes sold in December (which likely won't happen since December tends to be a slower month), 2006 will be a down year.

However, median prices for single family homes have gone from $360,000 in 2005 to $414,950 in 2006 YTD. Still, it's a respectable 15% increase.

Again, the source for this information is a real estate service called Realist. I'm not sure if it's available to the public, but I can access it from NWMLS.

Heroes on NBC : Zzzzzzz

2007-01-22T15:34:00.000-08:00

Heroes on NBC has to be the most well thought out marketing plan by NBC. People love X-Men and comic book characters in general, why not make a TV show about them as everyday people? And it looks like it has worked. When the show first came out, Heroes is all people would talk about (when it came to discussing TV shows). The premise of the show is a great idea, but I feel like the episodes I've seen so far could have been summed up in a 2 hour movie.

Unfortunately, it's one of those shows that moves sooo slowly, that I'd rather just hear about it from other people instead of investing a hour each week by watching it myself. And I think others feel the same way. And most of the characters are so corrupt and unethical that I wonder if parents let their kids watch these "superheroes."

A guy who can fly cheats on his crippled wife. A mom / wife with a split personality is an internet stripper, while the other personality frames people for murder. The asian guy who can travel through time decides to cheat at a casino. A dad erases people's memory. A mind-controlling female steals a car and gets out of speeding tickets. One guy chops off heads and eats brains? I think? And the strangest to me... one guy can only tell the future when he's got heroin in his system.

The only characters I really find interesting are the mind-reading cop and the waitress at the restaurant (who, by the way, stars in "Epic Movie"). Peter Petrelli and the cheerleader aren't necessarily unethical either, but their storylines are slow moving and a little boring as a result.

My main fear is that the show will become like Lost on ABC, and I just won't care at all anymore. I just read on NBC that another "hero" will be introduced on the latest episode. I'll probably hear about the character from my friend Jay, but I can't imagine what that character could possibly do that hasn't been covered yet.... I'll take a stab at it and say the new hero has an impenetrable layer to his skin that makes him virtually invincible so he can attack Syler or whoever it is that chops off heads.

Speaking of Jay, I remember when this show first started. We thought the first two episodes were great. But after that, I would get text messages from him during the show that said, "Worst episode ever." Or "This episode is pointless." Or "Another pointless episode."

So, although NBC execs aren't going to be reading any of this, and are going to milk this show for all they can... I hope there's an end in sight and they don't drag it on for 1 season too long.

It's been One Week - Barenaked Ladies

2007-01-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been one week since we had a "threat" of snow. I remember thinking last Wednesday morning that maybe we got away with one and that all the weathermen might have been exaggerating. Then around 4 PM, the snow hit. And it hit HARD. It took me 4 hours to eventually get home, after being stuck on Mercer Island for over 2 hours.

This picture is what our neighborhood looked like yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. There are still people getting stuck on this part of the hill. Luckily, nobody lives below us yet (new neighborhood). But people checking out the houses for sale have gotten stuck, and my car has been stuck in the street for the past week now.

I feel bad for students who will have to make up all these missed snow days IN JULY. At least, that's what I'm starting to hear now from parents in the Issaquah School District. I don't think I've seen a winter like this since the early 90s. And even though I'm used to driving in snow after all those trips up to the mountain, it's not my own snow driving ability I'm scared of. It's these guys... (to be honest though, this video was shot in Portland, Oregon)

WARNING : The nasty side of house flipping

2007-01-18T10:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this isn't really an "update" to the house flipping blog, but just thought I'd mention a little bit about what really goes on "behind the scenes."

The few people who have written me about house flipping, remodeling homes and doing all that work all seem to think "it's a piece of cake." And compared to other things in life, it is. However, there are things you must do that some people won't do. Replacing toilets isn't just unbolting a few screws. Snap-in flooring doesn't really "snap together effortlessly." Walls don't paint themselves. Anytime you're replacing light fixtures or anything electrical, something could go "terribly" wrong if you're not paying attention. Anytime you're dealing with a wall (removal, addition, modification or repair), you're dealing with the potential for dust, mold, dead rodents, insects, and other nasty things that could be behind that wall.

So with that said, the two pics above show what I found in the pipes below the sinks. Now, don't be alarmed, it's just HAIR. But it's not my hair. It's some strangers hair (and I think that's what really grosses me out). And some of it's probably been in that sink since the house was built, so approaching 10 years now.

Right after dealing with this "hair", I had to go meet clients in Bellevue for dinner. Hey, maybe looking at these pics will help out my diet, because that night, I didn't want anything to eat. I kept smelling the smell from those pipes.

But anyway, those of you thinking about remodeling a house, take a looong look at these pictures. After I undid all the plumbing, the pipes refused to come apart. The reason? They were being held together with hair. Just imagine what's clogging up those sinks in your bathroom right now.

Day 47 - Flip Project - Cedar Grove

2007-01-17T21:16:00.000-08:00

$ spent since last update - $690.52

Total $ spent - $10,530.03

Budget $20,000
Target Finish Date - 2/5/2006

I figured it's about time for another update. Unfortunately, the snow over the past week hasn't helped much. In parts of Issaquah, it's only beginning to melt.

However, the house is coming along nicely. Over the past 2 weeks, we've had the garage door openers installed. After installing light bulbs and programming all the remotes, it's all set to go. No more worrying about the garage. GarageTech, who installed the openers, did such a good job, it's hard to imagine that I'll ever try to do them myself again. I've tried installing garage doors and openers at 2 other homes before, and it was comedic.

We decided to do away with the parquet floors in the kitchen and entry, so we went and bought laminate wood floors that gave the home a really nice, clean, and bright look.

Luckily for us, the wood floors were on sale, and we saved a ton over regular price. I've personally installed laminate wood in 5 homes, so this one was relatively easy since we were only covering about 300 square feet of living space.

So far, we've been lucky enough to get both flooring, various installation, and appliances at a major discount.

We got our millwork delivered and is ready to be installed. As soon as all the snow melts, we'll have some workers out at the house. Carpets and laminate countertops have been ordered. Now we're just waiting for people to install them.

One thing I'll have to do on my own (with Jordan's help) is install vinyl flooring in the bathrooms. And we'll have to do that before the millwork guys put in the base trim.

I'll try to update with more pics soon.

Day 33 - Flip Project - Cedar Grove

2007-01-03T22:08:00.000-08:00

$ spent since last update - $3376.73

Total $ spent - $9839.51

Budget $20,000
Target Finish Date - 2/5/2006

Okay, so the garbage is back... sort of. Last time I wrote, I had just rented a UHaul to take all the carpet, baseboard trim and old doors to the dump. And I thought that would be the end of the garbage. However, I forgot that whenever you buy a new item, it usually comes in packaging of some sort.

So now I have a garage full of empty boxes, from things like the microwave, new light fixtures, shower curtain packaging, and so on. I'm surprised at how fast this stuff ads up.

The money in this update was spent on the mortgage payment, and cabinet hardware / light bulbs from the Home Depot. Also, I got light fixtures from Fred Meyer that retailed for $19.95 each. However, this week they were 25% off.

All the light fixtures are now finished except for the one I can't reach in the entryway. Some of the cabinet knobs have been installed (need longer screws to finish the rest). All the electrical outlets / light switches / light fixtures are ready to go and look great. For the next day or two, I'm going to be removing the old laminate wood floor (which is going to be a pain because it's glued down), removing old staples from the floor (the staples were holding down the carpet pad) and removing miscellaneous nails from around the floor and walls (from where baseboard trim used to be). I'm really just prepping it for the flooring and millwork guys.

It's easy work, just really really tedious. Next after that, garage door opener installation on Friday, countertops for the kitchen and bath after that, then flooring and millwork. Feels like I'm saying the same thing time after time, but I'm just trying to remind myself.

Day 25 - Flip Project - Cedar Grove

2006-12-26T21:44:00.001-08:00

cedargrove01
Originally uploaded by jinlee.

$ spent since last update - $3813.13

Total $ spent - $6462.78

Budget $20,000
Target Finish Date - 2/5/2006

Today, 2 things were accomplished; the paint is done and the garbage is gone.

I paid the painters $3700 ($200 for wall repair, $2000 for painting the walls, $1500 for cabinet painting), spent $49.52 on a Uhaul, and spent $63.61 throwing away over 1/2 a ton of garbage at the transfer station.

I actually woke up early this morning and took my truck to the site expecting to make 2 trips to the dump. However, after loading up my truck once, I noticed that I hardly made a dent in the pile of carpet and other waste that had been in the garage. So I went to Uhaul and rented their $19.95 van. Luckily, I only ended up driving about 30 miles total, so my total bill was $49.52 (they charge $19.95 per day, plus 79 cents per mile... but they tend to charge more on weekends).

The morning trip to the dump in Factoria (when I took my truck) only cost me $15.50. However, that was just 160 pounds of garbage.

The afternoon trip, using the Uhaul, cost me $48.11. And during that trip, I threw away 1080 pounds of waste.

So here is the first "before" and "after" pic of the kitchen. We still need to do something about the countertops, and also get the appliances in. More on that stuff another day.

Day 23 - Flip Project - Cedar Grove

2006-12-24T17:35:00.000-08:00

$ spent since last update - $329.47

Total $ spent - $2649.65

Budget $20,000
Target Finish Date - 2/5/2006

Things to note, we upped the budget and moved the target date out. Why? Just because. We ordered the millwork a little late, so it'll take an extra week or two to arrive. Also, when I first thought about setting a budget, I forgot to include the monthly payments for the mortgage. So the $20,000 is ALL INCLUSIVE. When I last posted, I assumed we had over a month before the deadline, but the end of the year snuck up on me faster than I realized. And lastly, the painters were delayed by 5 days (at least) because of the power outage. Since it's a pretty dark house to begin with, they didn't do much during that week.

Still, things are moving along and none of the people involved have really gotten into panic mode yet. I'd imagine it'll be a while before that happens.

The $329.47 was what I spent at Home Depot on door handles, which is weird because we don't have doors yet. But when I usually go to the Depot, they're sold out (of the Schlage Satin Silver french door handle models), so I thought I'd snag them while they were in-stock.

Day 16 - Flip Project - Cedar Grove

2006-12-17T18:18:00.000-08:00

$ spent since last update - $0.00

Total $ spent - $2320.18

Budget $10,000
Target Finish Date - 1/5/2006

This picture has nothing to do with the remodeling project specifically, but it explains a problem we're running into... NO POWER!!

Ever since I wrote that last blog post, seems like we've been out of power on the Eastside. On Thursday night, we had a terrible windstorm which seemed to knock down at least 1 tree on every block. The picture shown here is my girlfriend's neighbor's house near Crossroads / Lake Hills in Bellevue. Her house finally got power and internet back today, but none of my other friends have been so lucky.

But regarding the actual flipping project, we're doing what we can while we have daylight. Which pretty much means painting and ripping stuff out. Since we'll be waiting another 10 days or so for the millwork (doors and base molding) to come in, the painting can take a little longer than originally planned (although I hope the painters aren't reading this).

To be honest, I'm already looking for the next project. More on that later.

Day 13 - Flip Project - Cedar Grove

2006-12-14T22:35:00.000-08:00

$ spent since last update - $1826.18

Total $ spent - $2320.18

Budget $10,000
Target Finish Date - 1/5/2006

I realized the hardest part about a remodel is the old saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Well, that just doesn't work anymore. Old light fixtures, old faucets, kitchen countertops... technically, that stuff can last a lifetime. But we're still going to replace them. They look nasty. So I guess I'm going to go with, "If it needs to be updated, then update it." Dark brown wall paint with dark blue carpet not only makes the house look dark (this is probably the darkest home I've ever been in), it also makes the home look cheap. Gold plated bath fixtures mixed in with wood trim towel bars and vanity mirror... was that hot in the 80s? Too bad this house was built in 1997. It looks like the builder cut a couple corners. It feels like it's our job to set things right.

Sorry, I don't have any pictures right now. None that I want to show anyway. Yet. At least not until the "after" pics are ready. And I know I've forgotten a receipt for this house somewhere in this pile on my desk, but I don't think the exact numbers are that important.

I got a sweet deal on stainless steel appliances. A 4-piece set for $1800, tax included... all brand new. None of that refurbished or scratch-and-dent stuff. So I couldn't pass that up. It includes a side-by-side fridge, electric flat-top range, over the range microwave, and dishwasher. The only problem is that an electrician will come in the next week to change over the 110 outlet to a 220 volt (the difference between gas and electric range hookups), and he'll also be adding a hookup for the microwave. Another $500 or so, but not sure about that yet, since I haven't paid the guy.

I spent $26.18 to throw away 580 pounds of base trim, interior doors, and about 15 gallons of paint. So that's a relative bargain. A wall was also removed from downstairs, but hasn't been thrown away yet. I still have about 2 truckloads to throw away, plus the old carpet once we get that ripped up. But I think it's still going to be much cheaper than renting a dumpster (for $300 minimum).

We've finally got a crew going on there this weekend. I think I've done about as much as one person can physically handle. It's taken a little while longer to get started, but I took that into account when I estimated our goal date.

Painters and the electrician will come this weekend. Millwork and flooring for the entire home has been measured and ordered. 2 weeks for that to get in. Garage door installation on January 5th. As long as the little things are taken care of along the way (light fixtures, touchups, and so on), looks like we're set.

Another Junk Caller to add to my list

2006-12-12T09:22:00.000-08:00

I keep getting junk phone calls from Discover Card. The Caller ID says the name is "unknown" but the phone number is listed as 888-322-2785. They're trying to sell me some account protection plan. Seems like no matter how many times I to have my name removed, the calls continue (Although this time, they asked for another member of my family that also has a Discover Card).

What sucks is that whether I pickup the phone or not, the calls just continue to come in and they NEVER leave a message.

RIP James Kim

2006-12-06T16:08:00.000-08:00

Over the last few days, I've been following a story about a missing San Francisco family in southern Oregon. As someone who drives in the snow a lot, and sometimes gets stuck in the woods while snowboarding, I just worried how long this family could possibly survive in the cold.

Some stories, for whatever reason, just stick with you. Maybe because I fear getting stuck in the snow. Maybe because the husband is Korean. Maybe because I felt like I would have done the same thing (left my family to go look for help). Maybe because the husband has a resemblance to Bruce Lee. But whatever the reason was, I was rooting for this family.

Yesterday, I happily learned that the mother / wife and 2 daughters were found safe and are in good condition. I figured this would be another "Hollywood" style happy ending, and that the father would be found soon after.

So all day yesterday, I kept an eye out on CNET.com and MSN.com headlines, just to see if there were any updates. Just now, when I got onto MSN.com, I noticed a new headline regarding this family. I clicked, excited to see a reunited family and read about how the husband survived.

Unfortunately, the father did not make it. I felt heartbroken and disappointed. Maybe I could have done something, driven 10 hours to Oregon and done... SOMETHING.

But what happened next was even more disappointing. I went onto some of the other websites for this family, where people were giving their condolences, and I'd say about 98% of the people were great. A lot of well wishers and people who were just like me, rooting for a happy ending, and feeling like maybe we didn't do enough. Unfortunately, the other 2% were some of the most offensive, adolescent, bottom-of-the-barrel type people... one poster who said "It was his fault. If the husband had just stayed in the vehicle, he would have survived with the rest of the family."

What the husband did was noble. Who knew if a rescue team would EVER come? What was the husband supposed to do? Wait there and watch his family die? He HAD to do something. I have the utmost respect for him. But this wasn't the worst post.

A couple pages later, there was a post that read, "This accident could have been prevented. My GMC Yukon would have made it. You guys can all laugh at my 13 MPG but I'd still be alive."

Pathetic. This post makes me sick. Anyone who has been to a ski resort would know that any car, truck or SUV can be accident prone. This family was driving an all-wheel-drive Saab. I'd take an AWD small-car over a 4WD SUV / truck anyday. I remember one afternoon at Mount Baker, a lady couldn't get her Jeep Grand Cherokee out of her snow covered parking space. She kept flooring the gas, spinning in place, and no matter how many people were helping her push, it didn't seem to matter. Then, someone noticed that only the back wheels were spinning and the back of the SUV said "4WD." So he said, "Hey, put this thing in four wheel drive!"

"I can't! I don't know how!"

You can have the greatest vehicle for snow, but you still have to know how to drive in snow.

To the Kim family, I'm sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with your family.

Burger King partners with Microsoft?

2006-12-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

I just bought, on a whim, 3 Xbox 360 games on eBay. These aren't just any Xbox games. They're the 3 limited edition games only available at Burger King with the purchase of an Extra Value Meal. The games are titled Sneak King, Pocketbike Racer, and Big Bumpin'.

I thought about actually going to Burger King to buy these games, since they're only $3.99... but that's with the purchase of a value meal. So because of that, the games are probably actually more like $8.50 each, plus tax.

There was a guy on eBay about 15 miles from Issaquah, in Mill Creek, selling his set of 3 brand new shrinkwrapped games for $22.99 shipped. So it made sense to me. Seeing how other Xbox 360 games are at least $40 brand new, this seemed like a relatively good deal, especially since I get 3 games for the price of 1/2 of one.

2006-12-05T11:41:00.000-08:00

Day 4 - Flip Project - Cedar Grove

$ spent since last update - $494

Total $ spent - $494

Budget $10,000
Target Finish Date - 1/5/2006

So, I spent almost $500 buying 2 garage door openers and the service to get them installed. Not a bad deal going on at Lowe's. Garage door opener installation for only $59 per door.

Other than that though, I went snowboarding on Sunday so my back and body were too sore and limited me to minor painting and mostly cleaning up on Monday. Plus, the dark dark brown walls are going to need at least 2 (maybe 3) coats of the cream colored paint that I've chosen.

I have a gadget problem

2006-12-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

I remember learning about "universal remotes" when Dan got one almost 5 years ago. In theory, they should control all your devices. But I figured "Heck, I bet there's a couple brands that won't work with the remote." So I never considered buying one. Especially at their prices of over $100, some for over $200!!

But after moving into my new house (a year ago now), losing 1 remote, and realizing that the media room has 5 remotes, along with 2 more in my bedroom, I started searching for a solution. The solution was to get a Logitech Harmony Xbox 360 universal remote.

The great thing about this remote (and what really sold me on it) is that the software that it comes with connects to the internet, and is constantly being updated with newer hardware and devices. So the number of devices that it controls grows each day.

So far, it controls my bedroom TV, the LCD outside my room, the projector, DVD player, the Media Center on my PC, the Xbox 360, the Oppo DVD player, the Sony sound system, two Comcast cable boxes... and best of all, it controls the lighting in the theater room (a Lutron dimmer).

In one case (with the Sony sound system), the software wasn't familiar with the model number, so I was able to program the buttons by using the "learning port" on the Harmony (although later, I realized the model number was in the system, just without the "dash").

The rest of my remotes are now being stored away. For any gadget lover, this would be a pretty cool Christmas gift. Don't go to your local retail store, they'll ask $129.99 plus tax. Get it online for $90 shipped, brand new.

Legacy Roofing project in Bellevue

2006-12-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, so up until 2 weeks ago, I thought all roofing companies sucked. Especially the ones around here that charged over $20K for your typical 2-story, 2,000 square foot house. I won't name company names here, but the typical homeowner has a tough decision to make when it comes to choosing a roofer. You can either go with a no-name, no warranty guy, or go all out and spend "a lot" extra on a well known company that advertises a lot. On the low-end, the estimates tended to be in the $8K to $9K range. On the high-end, over $20K.

Now, if you ever walk through Home Depot, of if you've ever done your own roof, you'd know that 30-year Architectural Composition roofing material is only about $20 per case, and each case covers 40 square feet. For your average roof (lets say it's 3,000 square feet of space needed), that's only 75 cases, or about $1500 in shingles.

But add to that labor, disposal of old roof, nails, equipment, moisture barrier, and bam, you get the prices you are quoted. To me, it never made any sense, but admittedly, that's a ton of work required.

But then there was Legacy Roofing who did a roof at the Wong house. They're a company with a pretty good reputation, but their estimate wasn't ridiculous either. It was right about $14K. And they stuck to that estimate, didn't charge any extra or anything like that. They placed a dumpster in the driveway on the first day, and they never inconvenienced the homeowners. The garbage and yard was cleaned up every evening, and not a single worker bothered the residents, even for drinks or bathroom use. That's what impressed me. Because I've heard of stories where workers asked to use a restroom every 30 minutes for weeks straight.

They installed Elk brand "Prestique High Definition 40 year roofing material" and it looks great. The old roof was barely holding up (with the cedar shingles curling up and falling off), and with the snow that came soon after, the roof was done just in time.

Day 0 - Flip Project - Cedar Grove

2006-12-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

$ spent since last update - $0

Total $ spent - $0

Budget $10,000
Target Finish Date - 1/5/2006

Well, just got keys to another home flipping project. This one's got good bones, just needs a little updated. Zillow says it's worth just under $470K, we'll try to make it worth a little more than that.

I'll keep you updated with plenty of "before / after" pics, as well as tracking the budget for this project.

It's all in the software

2006-11-23T00:13:00.000-08:00

I rescind my previous praise of the Microsoft Zune portable music and video player.

On paper, it's a great device. Plays music in various formats, and plays video in WMV format (and I was able to find at least 3 programs that encoded files to WMV format, 2 of them were free). The Zune even did a good job of storing and showing my photos.

However, my fear that the Zune had inferior software compared to iTunes is completely true.

First off, the Zune software and the device itself keep crashing. The Zune software crashed during installation on one computer. And consistently crashes when attempting to synchronize with the device. And since "synchronizing" takes so freaking long (long, meaning overnight), sometimes the Zune device itself crashes. FYI, if you're reading this and your Zune has crashed, hold the "back" and "up" buttons together and you'll force it to reset (kind of like CTRL, ALT, DEL to reset your computer). Because sometimes, even the power button doesn't respond if it crashes.

But I told myself that I could live with the crashes, since the video looked good and the display was so much larger than the iPod. That didn't matter however, because...

After converting all my video files into what I thought was the proper WMV format for the Zune (320 x 240 with CD quality audio)... the Zune software decides that it must "RECONVERT" that file before it uploads it!!! So pretty much, it's converting each file twice. What's annoying about this is that Zune.net explains how to convert video to a specific format, so that it will instantly sync with the Zune device, instead of converting a second time. And the problem is that converting them a first time only took 5 minutes for a 30 minute video / show. But when the Zune software converts that same file, it takes 20 to 30 minutes. Meaning that synchronizing all my videos would take hours. I tried various screen sizes, output settings, sound quality, changing every little detail to see if something would work, but nothing did.

Sorry Microsoft, I guess I'll have to stick with the Apple iPod. I wanted to like the Zune. I reallllly did. This was the ONLY time I've ever called Microsoft tech support, and I'll never call again. I was hung up on twice, and was given no answers. I was told, "Oh, if you want video, you should buy them on Marketplace to ensure they're compatible."

"But Marketplace doesn't offer videos yet. Only music."

"Oh, that's right. Nevermind then."

Even when I was returning my device to Costco (two of them actually, since I had bought one for my girlfriend), TWO employees were like, "Oh, is that the Zune?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"You're returning it already? I was thinking of getting one."

"You know, I really think it has a lot of potential, but you might want to wait for 2.0 and a firmware update. Because the software really sucks and the device keeps crashing."

I could tell they were disappointed, as am I.

Actually, the Zune that I got from Costco had already been returned by someone else, and then sold to me. I could tell because the preloaded content was already deleted, and the device was given the name "sayplease" by the previous user.

And seeing how many threads I've seen on the internet regarding the Zune, I won't be surprised if more of them get returned before Christmas.

Quick Summary
Good : I love the screen size. And how you have to turn the device to the side to watch videos. It just seems more natural that way and utilizes the size / shape of the device to show videos in landscape mode. I like the feel of the case. Some people on other sites don't like the controls and buttons, but I like the "click" wheel more than the iPod's wheel. Just personal preference. And others have also complained about the larger size of the Zune (compared to iPods), but I didn't mind that either. For me, I wanted to use it as a portable video player, so I'd rather have the larger screen.

Bad : The software is BAD. Worse yet, the website doesn't offer any kind of update... yet. Technical support was just as BAD. I didn't get to test the battery life, since I could barely get all the files uploaded to the device, I never really tried out the Zune for more than an hour or two at a time. Before trying out the Zune, one of my pet peeves about the iTunes software was that they were constantly releasing a newer version of software. However, now that I've tried the Zune, I don't mind that Apple is constantly revising their software. I wish Zune would do the same.

Mario Lopez was robbed!!

2006-11-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

Just kidding. I didn't even watch the Dancing With the Stars finale. However, I did think it was funny that the results and summary were covered by ESPN Sportscenter. What a great idea... Mario Lopez is able to draw all the current twenty-somethings who watched Saved By the Bell as they were growing up, while Emmitt Smith could draw all the older men who watched football in the 90s. And most of my female friends already watch the show so I'm not surprised everyone is talking about it.

To be honest though, I was kinda pulling for AC Slater. He had some rough years in college.

Zune has iPod video beat....

2006-11-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

For a techie, this might be a rough holiday season on the wallet.

There's the Playstation 3 coming out, not to mention the Nintendo Wii as well. In addition to all the stuff that's already out there like shiny new LCDs, Xbox 360s, MP3 players and so on.

But there's one thing I think that people are overlooking. It's the Microsoft Zune. Well, people aren't really overlooking it, especially since everywhere I go, it's sold out, whether it's Target, Walmart, Circuit City, or Office Depot. However, I've played with the display models at almost all those retailers and I want one more than ever now.

I really didn't think anyone would take notice when this thing was released on November 14, 2006, but apparently they have. This thing is sweet. Who knows, it might overtake Apple in sales this holiday season. I'm still shocked to see how many iPods are in stock everywhere while the Zune's are flying off the shelves. Maybe the hype will go away and iPod will continue it's dominance, but if the past 2 days are any indication, things aren't looking good for the iPod Video.

For the same price as a 30 gig Apple iPod Video, the 30 gig Microsoft Zune gives you a bigger screen, FM radio, and the ability to share music, videos, and other files wirelessly with other Zune users.

But to be honest, those aren't the reasons why I want one. There are 2 main reasons I would prefer a Zune over an iPod Video.

1. iTunes sucks. It seems like at least once a week, I'm asked to update, or upgrade, my version of iTunes. And the software is buggy. It slows down my computer, it won't burn my songs (says my burner is incompatible), it won't play some of my songs because it says I don't own them (even though I bought them fair and square). And I seem to have similar problems on multiple computers, so I don't think it's a hardware issue. I think it's an issue with iTunes. If you don't believe me, Google "iTunes sucks" and you'll find I'm not alone.

However, with all that said, who knows if Zune Marketplace is any better.

2. The great thing about the Zune however, is that it plays WMV video files. Which means all those DVR-MS files that I have (when Windows Media Center records TV shows, they record in DVR-MS file format) can be converted / shrunken to WMV (the free program that does this is "DVR 2 WMV") and then loaded on to the Zune, for free portable video and hours of entertainment while I'm bored or working. No more paying for iTunes shows that fail to play after a few months.

Now if I could just locate one.

By the way, Target has the best deal on Zune's, offering a $25 gift card when you purchase a Zune. At first that's why I thought the Zune had sold out, but then realized it was sold out at places that didn't offer any incentive. If you have any hands-on feedback, please let me know!

Dust off your snowboards and skis!

2006-11-10T21:16:00.000-08:00

Mt Baker might be opening this Thursday, November 16, 2006!!! Keep an eye out. Be careful though, a couple trips to Mt Baker and all of a sudden you'll need an oil change. Make sure your friend drives.

Other events going on...

Newport High School Ski Swap - www.skiswap.info - This is by far the biggest high school ski swap I have EVER seen. They usually surpass $200,000 in sales over 2 days. Other schools have tried to imitate, but no one has come close. One ski swap I used to be a part of had nobody show up one year (it was at Lake Washington High School). Newport usually has people lined up. And you get good deals there too. Check it out if you need cheap new gear or even cheaper second hand gear.

Warren Miller - I guess they're playing their new movie "Off The Grid" (correct me if I'm wrong) at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue this weekend... but I gotta be honest with you, I can no longer stand watching Warren Miller movies. Nothing has changed in 10 years. It's the same formula, and watching the newest trailer reinforced that.

I've noticed that a 25 minute ski or snowboard freestyle video (that I can buy for $25 - $30 at a ski or snowboard shop) usually has a lot more action than Warren Miller's 1.5 hour movies (which cost as much as a regular movie per person).

Take Afterbang by Robotfood (a snowboard video) versus Warren Miller's Fifty. The action in Warren Miller is BAD in comparison. It usually shows riders NOT landing a single jump (it just shows them falling into deeeep powder) and features boring narration of how really really wealthy people live.

I feel bad saying any of this, as I used to look forward to these movies, and I used to treat my friends and customers by buying 20 to 30 tickets to go see Warren Miller at the Fifth Avenue Theater in Downtown Seattle. But his movies have let me down big time. Especially because the last time I went, most of the good footage was from OTHER videos I had already bought and watched earlier in the fall. To make matters worse, they took a DVD, stuck it in a projector, and projected the image onto a movie theater sized screen. The quality was BAD (very pixelated). I was apalled.

24 Hour Fitness

2006-11-10T17:37:00.000-08:00

Just got a soliciting phone call from 24 Hour Fitness in Bellevue, AGAIN. The number on my caller ID was 425-467-6420. Don't know how they got my number, but this is at least the third time they've called me now. I finally told them, "Hey... take me off your call list," although I could swear I've already said that twice before. I was a litte more irritated than usual since I just got home and wanted to relax, and I've been hearing the phone ring all day.

I really don't mind calls from strangers. Being in real estate and owning my own company, I get random calls all the time and I'm used to getting them. But it seems like each time 24 Hour Fitness calls, it's right around 5 PM or later. One time they called right as I was sitting down to dinner.

In reality though, I've thought about joining a gym. But it won't be 24 Hour Fitness. There are at least 5 other gyms closer to my home than 24 Hour Fitness (Sammamish Club, Bally's, Pine Lake Club, Columbia Fitness are ones off the top of my head). If I get another phone call from them, I wonder if I could report it.

You've Come a Long Way, Baby

2006-11-03T17:32:00.000-08:00

Before I get into the reason for this blog post, I just want to say that "You've come a long way, baby" is one of my favorite names for a record album (Fatboy Slim's 1998 release). I don't know much about the man behind Fatboy Slim, Norman Cook, but he was probably reflecting on his career, and thought to himself, "You've come a long way, Norman." Hence the name for his release.

And hence, the name for my blog entry as well.

Today, I was going through some files that I keep track of on a regular basis (since I was paying bills). One has been tracking my bank account balances since my college years... more specifically, since the day I had started Reaction Snowboards, Incorporated.

Now, I've heard stories about celebrities, and how far they've come; Jewel lived in a car and was homeless, The Rock had $150 in his pocket and the clothes on his back, others like Charlize Theron were discovered while out doing their daily errands.

Granted, I've never had it THAT difficult. I come from a middle class family in a suburban neighborhood. However, the day I told my mom I was going to start a snowboard company, she told me she was totally against it. She wanted a stable career for me and for me to focus on school.

But I started it anyway, and in July of 2001, Reaction Snowboards became a Corporation in the State of Washington. At that time, I didn't have my own credit card. All I had was a basic checking / savings account at Bank of America, a Paypal account online, and an eBay account to go along with it. That was pretty much it.

It was pretty tough trying to get anything started. I think I had saved up $1500 by selling everything I own, except for what was necessary (a computer, camera, and snowboard gear). But I spent all that excess cash on getting products made.

If you look at my account balances from December 17, 2001, it states the following...

$336.14 - Paypal
$105.34 - Bank of America Checking
$8.45 - Bank of America Savings

That was smack in the middle of our first winter. Just over 3 months after September 11. It felt like 9/11 was on everybody's minds, and the economy as a whole was struggling. Business was tough and I never thought I would even break even. That day, I had less than $450 to my name.

And those who know me best know that money doesn't make life easier. I felt like I had only 3 sets of bills to pay; suppliers, manufacturers and eBay. Back then, it was a HUGE deal to buy a $200 - 2 megapixel digital camera. But I needed it to take pictures of products we planned on carrying. And then we needed a $600 JVC miniDV camcorder to record our riders in action. And forget LCDs, new game systems, and new cars... what I had was good enough and got the job done.

These days, I justify buying those things by telling myself, "I think I've worked hard enough to have the finer things." It's definitely frustrating though, when I take a step back and think to myself, "Man, HOW much did I pay for that? Do I really need that?" And realize that I have a ton of things I could do without. I mean, all I REALLY need as a real estate agent these days is a car, computer with internet connection and a printer / fax machine. Maybe some business cards too.

I guess this is just a lesson to anyone who happens to be reading this. I have a passion for a lot of things in life, but the passion I had for snowboarding at that time, just being outdoors, away from everything, with friends or without, being close to nature and natural beauty, has yet to be matched. But if I ever feel that passion again, you can bet I won't be sitting here at my computer. All I needed back then was enough money to continue snowboarding. Nothing else was really necessary.

Okay, so...

2006-10-26T23:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I haven't written a post in about 8 days. But I can explain. I have this short list of things I've been wanting to write about, but haven't had time. You see, last Sunday, I took a bunch of friends to experience "beginner's" salsa classes with me at Jim Chow's Belltown Dance Studio salsa class. And by "bunch", I mean Jim, Annie, Jeff, Greg, Tin, Cheryle, Michelle, and myself (and hopefully Leah, Mitch, and Bethany this upcoming week). But what ended up happening was that a "bunch" of other people showed up as well. I think we're going to have at least 50 people in a class that's used to seeing maybe 20 to 25 students.

But that's not the only thing that happened. Over that same weekend, I also went "clubbing" for the first time in about 3 years. Pioneer Square of all places. But it turned out to be a ton of fun. Who knew I could dance like such an idiot, for hours, without any alcohol in me. A friend of mine was drinking some Coke, it looked good so I went up to the bar and asked for a regular Coke for myself. He actually didn't charge me for it. It made me think, "Okay, a Coke is free, but add some rum in there, and all of a sudden it's $7 plus tip."

Oh, here's one thing I noticed at the clubs. Dark room, lots of lights, good looking people everywhere, loud music playing. You look up to the front of the dance floor and there's a station where the DJ is doing his thing. But you can't see the DJ, nor anything else. All you can see is a glowing, Apple icon on a Powerbook laptop. Talk about free marketing.

Besides that. I also saw a movie in the theater for the first time in a long time. Of all movies, I saw Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette. But here's the real surprise, I actually really enjoyed it!! (But must warn you, not everyone in our group enjoyed it) It was such a different experience at a movie theater. The pace of the movie was slower, but the style of the movie, scenery, cinematography, colors and costumes used in the movie were so beautiful and unique that I thought it of more as a "theater show" than a typical "movie." Now, I've read about some historical inaccuracies in this movie and so on, but hey, this wasn't the History Channel. It was Hollywood.

And so far this week, it's been the same pattern of working all day and hanging out with friends, acquaintances, and clients all evening. At least I'm not worn out yet.

Armen's Condo After...

2006-10-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

IMG_5612,
originally uploaded by jinlee.

So about 3 good days of painting later, and a couple days for the carpet guys to finish carpeting... here is what we're left with.

Again, this is at the Victorian condo complex in Northgate. I didn't take too many "after" pictures, just because I didn't want to intrude on Armen's privacy. I just wanted to get an idea of what was accomplished during the remodel.

The difference is astonishing. It looks like it's straight out of a brand new condominium complex in downtown Bellevue or Kirkland.

A couple things to note. The 1,000 square foot condo with about 8 foot ceilings took roughly 5 gallons of paint to cover the entire place (we had about 4 gallons of "flat" for all the main living areas, while the bathroom and kitchen were completed with a gallon of semi-gloss paint).

The flooring, interior painting and light fixtures were replaced and I would estimate that well under $3,000 was spent overall. Not bad considering they probably added (at the very least) $30,000 in value. And we saved a considerable amount of money by painting the place ourselves.

Eventually, some of the little things such as bathroom and kitchen fixtures, light switches, and interior door handles may be replaced, but the major things are out of the way now.

After the deal the Khachatourian's got on their condo, I'm pretty envious now. Hope you guys enjoy your new place!

Armen's Condo Before....

2006-10-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

IMG_5418,
originally uploaded by jinlee.

Here's of shot of Armen Khachatourian's new condo at the Victorian in Northgate BEFORE we did a bunch of work on it.

The walls throughout the condo were inconsistent in color. Some were white, some were gray, some were beige. And the green carpeting was dirty, stained and throughout the entire unit.

If you click on the image, you can see some of the other "before" shots at my FlickR account.

As soon as the place closed and belonged to Armen and Gaguik, we got to work....

Another shot from SEE Sound Lounge

2006-10-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

IMG_5611,
originally uploaded by jinlee.

Here's Jay Lee showing off his deep hypnotic salsa dancing abilities. Eventually a crowd gathered around him as the dance floor started to resemble a scene from West Side Story. Then we made a circle around Jay as he performed some moves from "You Got Served."

Actually, this was all in my mind. But this evening was a LOT of fun, unlike any other I've had in Belltown since there was no alcohol involved, no "trying to pickup chicks" and just dancing like fools with nobody to laugh at you. I did accidentally kick a girl named Ally in her shin. But neither her, nor her partner Greg Ward (what's up buddy), seemed to mind too much. Sorry!

Salsa Dancing Lessons in Belltown

2006-10-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

IMG_5608,
originally uploaded by jinlee.

Here's Jim Chow, the salsa dancing instructor, showing off his moves at SEE Sound Lounge in Belltown. It was difficult to take pictures because of the low light conditions but it was fun to get to dance with people of different abilities.

Me? I'm just a beginner. I found a perfect place to practice in the corner where no one was watching.

And hey, if you're looking to join a group of beginners, check out Jim's website at www.dancesalsaon1.com

Xbox 360 - Look me up!

2006-10-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

Ironically, I write this right after expressing my desire to get in shape. Maybe video games are the reason I'm out of shape now, although I've had various video game consoles ever since the original Nintendo came out, and I've never really been "addicted" to any games, nor spent a whole lot of time playing them.

If you happen to have an Xbox Live account on Xbox 360, feel free to look me up. Username "jin411". The 360 so far is pretty impressive. The graphics are great. It can even pull music off my main computer and play them during games. And I can even hook my Xbox 360 up to a Windows Media Center Edition computer and watch recorded TV from the Xbox.

Anyway, other than that, I'm sure the Xbox 360 does more. I just haven't really explored yet. Some of the games have been giving me terrible motion sickness and headaches. Especially any game that involves a character walking around on various levels (like Perfect Dark Zero or Kameo).

One thing to note on the Xbox 360, the guys at Gamestop have warned me about the game discs getting ruined because of people moving their consoles around with the discs inside (a circular pattern gets scratched onto the surface, they call it the Ring of Death). This most often happens when a horizontally placed unit is moved into the verticle position DURING a game. The best thing to do would be to just keep your Xbox 360 stationary. And if you do take your console from place to place, just remember to remove the discs during transport. There's a lot regarding this topic on Google.

At age 26....

2006-10-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

... I'm in the worst shape of my life. And it's not really a matter of "gaining weight", it's how I physically feel and how "soft" I've been getting. The 2-pack I had in high school and early college has been long gone.

I eat out too much (fast food and sit-down restaurants) and drink too much beer. It's tough when it's the most convenient way to meet up with clients and friends.

My weight has gone from 145 (high school) to 156 pounds. It doesn't sound like a whole lot, but percentage-wise, it's pretty significant. At 5'6", my BMI (body mass index) is 25.2 according to the NHLBI website. That puts me in the "Overweight" category, which is any score between 25 to 29.9 (anything 30 and over is considered "Obese". That was quite an eye-opener to realize that I'm in this category.

My goal is to get back down to 145 pounds, which would give me a BMI score of 23.4. And unlike most other people, who want to trim down for the summer months, I really want to do this so I'm in good shape to go snowboarding and to do other winter sports.

What I really should do is track what I eat and write down calories like I did in high school, but that would take a lot more time than I have lately. I will, however, make a commitment to work out more. And by that, I don't just mean going to the gym. I'll try to play more basketball, tennis and rock climb more often.