During Thanksgiving, I spent that week and weekend in California. Yeah… Talk about a crazy time to fly out there with Sept. 11th and all. Strange thing enough, with all the National Guard security at the airport, it was quicker to leave the NYC Metro area than it was getting back from LAX. LAX’s security was just too nuts. I literally went through Newark airport in 30 minutes to the gate. 3 hours early, since I planned 2 hours ahead plus one as the FAA suggests. Ugh! Funniest thing was when the National Guard asks passengers carrying waterbottles to drink it in front of them. I almost busted out laughing when he said, “let me see you swallow! swallow it!” LOL!

Anyhow, Caroline Chaing, who also works for Johnson & Johnson (but internally transferred to Neutrogena) invited me over to stay over Thanksgiving since she was staying out there and coming to see family during xmas break. She was an extremely great hostess, and we also met up with a few other Johnson & Johnson folk out there.

I arrived the day before Thanksgiving, dead tired, and United Airlines sux ass. I can see why my tickets were so cheap. The mean was so bad, that I’d rather eat my old high school cafeteria food. I was starvin so much on the trip. Dammit no snacks or penuts either. Good thing for the alcohol. Got 2 minibottles of Johnny Walker Black which help me sleep. Yeesh! Anyhow Caroline picked me up at the airport and brought me to her apt. Pretty sweet. Right in Santa Monica.

Anyhow, on Thanksgiving Day (daytime and afternoon), Caroline and I went to a joint church sponsored event where we were serving food for the needy. They had planned to serve 3,000 people that day, not only with food, but with entertainment (tyco drummers, and a marachi band). We signed up for drink duty serving coffee and juice. In was a really great experience. Although we didn’t get the 3,000 people, we did serve 1,500 and got back many thank-you’s and smiles. It was a really great feeling.

Michelle Wilson and her boyfriend Jarred cooked Thanksgiving dinner for us… Notice that ring? She just got engaged the day before Thanksgiving!

The Dinner was for all Johnson & Johnson peeps in the IMLDP program in California, With the exception of Caroline’s friend Alex (First chair on the right)

I also met up with a few old Yonsei people who went to UCLA, and chilled with them.