December 4, 2008 at 11:55 pm · Filed under heart
The weather is getting really really cold. Days like these make me want to stay home and cuddle up with the husband and the baby and just have hot cocoa and play peekaboo. That sounds like a perfect day. And maybe while she’s napping, have a good book cuddled up by the fire. Or take a nap too.
That sounds even better. Heh.
Work is going well, though I am being kept busy. It feels weird going back to work and being in “work mode.” It feels like my life has changed completely, and yet I’m still doing some of the old things I used to do, like doing therapy work and meeting with clients and going to staff meetings and going to court and all that stuff. It’s not a bad feeling, it’s just a really different feeling. The other day Dave and I were talking to Lily Bean and we told her that once upon a time, not too long ago even, we were on our own before she came into our lives. Neither of us remember what it was like before she came along. Dave concluded that he and I must have just sat in the dark staring at each other because looking back now, life seemed pretty dreary and dark without her. And yet, I remember that at the time, I was happy too. But I can’t imagine being any happier than I am now, if you know what I mean. This current feeling of happiness doesn’t compare to the happiness before her: it was almost like just knowing one side of a coin. Now we know both sides and looking back, that one side feels almost incomplete. How did we not know there was another side to happiness? How did we miss it before?
Things have changed, and yet, some things have not. Going to work, and coming home. I suddenly wear a new hat. The Mommy hat. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
December 3, 2008 at 6:50 am · Filed under meme
(From Wednesday Weirdness)
1.) If you knew one of your close friends was cheating on their significant other, would you get involved? (EX: Tell their SO, try to talk to your friend about it, etc) Why or why not?
I think I would. I have. It’s my nature to get involved. I’m not entirely sure why. Probably because I can’t keep my business out of people’s business. Haha! But more likely it’s because I like knowing that my friends walk by the same moral compass as I do, and cheating on their spouse/lover without being honest about it or feeling remorse about it is about as lowly moral as one can get, in my opinion (outside of the whole murder/rape thing, of course). I can understand falling in love with another person, but you can’t lie to the person you’re already with and hide it. It’s so disrespectful to me. I can’t understand how someone would do something like that to another person and not find ways to redeem themselves by being honest or breaking up with one or the other, or even being honest with themselves.
2.) If your SO was cheating on you and one of your close friends knew, would you want them to tell you? Why or why not?
Yes. Definitely. I want to know. I would hate to live in denial.
3.) Have you ever stuffed your bra or underwear to make the size of your breasts or penis seem larger?
Er, no. I have worn padded bras when I was much younger and more self-conscious about myself, though. If that counts?
4.) Would you sleep with a friend’s significant other behind their back if it were guaranteed you’d never be caught?
NO. A strong, resounding no. Outside of the whole “disrespect” factor, dude, I would just HATE to be “the other woman.”
5.) Do you think you are more intelligent than your significant other?
Definitely not. Most days, I think he’s more intelligent than me. Heh.
6.) Do you ever fantasize about cheating on your significant other? Are you ever tempted to really go through with it?
No. What a weird fantasy to have. If one would have that fantasy, it’s about time one seriously think about breaking up. I rather be building steel buildings.
7.) Have you ever had cyber sex, text sex or phone sex with someone other than your significant other during a relationship?
No. A form of cheating.
8.) Would you cheat on your significant other twice monthly for half a year to have all your debt permanently erased?
Er, no? What a strange question. This meme kinda makes me feel icky. I wonder why I’m still answering the questions. O.o
BONUS! Have you ever fantasized about having sex with any blogger friends? Would you be daring enough to reveal five of them?
Considering that pretty much all of my blogger friends are female, no. But still, no, I’ve never fantasized about having sex with any of my blogger friends. Heh.
December 1, 2008 at 9:20 am · Filed under thoughts
Okay, let me take a moment to whine about some stresses. There are a couple of things I’m waiting on, but I’ll only talk about one for now. Finances. This holiday season is very difficult for us. It is so true that people live within their means. When you don’t have money (I would much rather, right now, work part time to spend more time with Lily at home in her formative months than work full time and make more money), the Christmas season is just a tad sad. The pressure to stay in the race with consumerism is hard. I feel the pressure to be able to buy all the things our nieces and nephews want for Christmas. Showing up on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to the family dinner without presents for the nieces and nephews when everyone else is able to give them something would be such a heartbreaking experience for them. We can’t do that. But goodness, we can barely afford to pay all our bills this month. It’s hard on us right now.
Times like these, I can appreciate those who don’t celebrate Christmas. While I love the joy and the togetherness of the holiday, the pressure to buy buy buy and give give give all the material things, especially for little kids, is absolutely ridiculous. When you’re older and you’re a “wise” adult, you see that it’s not what you get for Christmas, it’s the coming together that counts. But kids are brainwashed in our society to believe that Christmas is Santa Claus and Santa Claus is presents. Heck, I remember that as a child, that was what I believed and since our family didn’t celebrate Christmas, I just figured Santa forgot about me every year. It’s a sad way to live for a child.
Christmas is complicated. It’s a confusing holiday, and I think that capitalist consumers and advertisers make it complicated for just this reason: they want to confuse us and brainwash us into thinking that in order to have the lovely “togetherness” that we so desire, we also have to buy buy buy. Lots and lots of toys and gadgets and gizmos that will be forgotten about just a year later, so that we can do it all over again.
When you have money and you can afford it, Christmas isn’t so bad. In fact, it’s actually FUN. I loooove shopping for other people. I love making gifts for people. I love giving people things that I know they would enjoy and love. I love seeing the faces of our nieces and nephews when they open their presents on the eve and the day. I just love all that. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve fallen prey to the Christmas idealism and the consumerism as well. It’s just that… it becomes a lot more transparent when you’re struggling. With the economy down, and people getting laid off, and the Canadian dollar not doing so well, and everything else compounded, sometimes all I want to do during this season is run and hide and sleep it off until January gets here.
Because we all know, there are so many other things we need to pay for, like key man insurance and car payments and electric bills and water and sewer and trash and cable and and and… What do I do with this knowledge that Christmas is a trap? Just grind my teeth, save every single penny we have, and buy buy buy until we drop. Then hope and work towards the next year and hope that it will be easier.
November 30, 2008 at 1:38 pm · Filed under interests, thoughts
I read this in the waiting room at my doc’s office last month. It really puts everything in perspective.
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in this world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than three billion people in this world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
If your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare, even in the United States.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer healing touch.
Have a good day, and count your blessings!
November 30, 2008 at 1:24 pm · Filed under meme
The 7-Layer Sunday Meme, from Sunday Stealing:
LAYER 1: Tell us your…
* Name: Helen
* Birthday (month, day): 10/30
* Birthplace: Vietnam
* Current location: British Columbia, Canada
* Eye color: Dark brown
* Hair color: Black
* Height: 5′3″
* Righty or lefty: Righty, born lefty
* Zodiac sign: Scorpio: fear me
LAYER 2: What’s…
* Your heritage: 3/4 Chinese, 1/4 Vietnamese
* The shoes you wore today: None yet
* Your weakness: Orange Davius
* Your fears: Being overrun by promotional products
* Your perfect pizza: pineapple, feta cheese, jalapenos, tomatoes
* Goals you’d like to achieve: Get my doctorate’s degree
* Your first waking thoughts: “Is the baby awake yet?”
* Your best physical feature: My legs, probably?
* Your most missed memory: Hanging out with my dad downtown when I was little
LAYER 3: Do you…
* Smoke: No
* Cuss: Like a sailor
* Sing: Badly
* Do you think you’ve been in love: I’m currently in!
* Did you go to college: Yes, twice (grad school)
* Liked high school: Eh, I could’ve done without the drama
* Want to get/stay married: Stay married
* Believe in yourself: Yes
* Think you’re attractive: Yup
* Think you’re a health freak: Moderately
* Get along with your parent(s): I do now
* Like thunderstorms: Yup
* Play an instrument:
LAYER 4: In the past month have you…
* Drank alcohol: Nope
* Smoked: Nope
* Done a drug: Only Neo Citran for my cold!
* Made out: Yesh
* Gone on a date: Yesh
* Gone to the mall: Yesh
* Eaten an entire box of Oreos:. Nope
* Eaten sushi: Nope: we’re vegetarian
* Been on stage: Nope
* Been dumped: Nope
* Gone skating: Nope
* Gone skinny dipping: Nope: too damn cold
* Stolen Anything: Nope
LAYER 5: Have you ever…
* Played a game that required removal of clothing: Just with Dave ;P
* Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Nope
* Been caught “doing something”: Yesh
* Been called a tease: Yesh
* Gotten beaten up: Nope
* Shoplifted: When I was much younger
LAYER 6:
* Age you did get/hope to be married: 26
* Numbers and names of children (either you have or want): Lilias (Lily Bean)
* Describe your dream mate: Dave
* How do you want to die: Painlessly and in my sleep
* What did you want to be when you grow up: An astronaut: didn’t everyone?
* What country would you most like to visit: Vietnam
LAYER 7: Now tell…
* Name a drug you’ve taken illegally: Experimenting with pot?
* Name a person you could trust with my life: Dave
* Name a favorite CD that you own: Sarah McLachlan’s B-Sides
* Number of piercings: 2, one in each ear
* Number of tattoos: None
* Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper: None
* Name a past experience that you regret: I can’t think of one
November 29, 2008 at 11:10 am · Filed under interests
Well, I do have to admit that if ever there is a time to shop, Black Friday weekend is it. I’ve been coveting a few things that I haven’t been able to get since money is tight these days. Like a new digital camera. Though I would also love having some kick-ass binoculars. Nikon Promo is having a Nikon Black Friday Promo, and you can get a pair of really awesome binoculars there for cheaper than the usual price. Dave and I want to go camping a lot when Beaner is a little older, so we would love to have binoculars to look at the wildlife that we see. Bird watching is made much more awesome with cool Nikon binoculars!
November 28, 2008 at 4:39 pm · Filed under meme
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (does sign language count?)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (at the YMCA lol)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (I’m too thin!)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a cheque
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a mobile phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day
(anyone need alli?)
November 28, 2008 at 12:46 pm · Filed under daily
So (the American) Thanksgiving came and went. I love this holiday even if I don’t really celebrate it. For one, it’s a chance for a 4-day weekend. For another, we always see family and have an awesome big meal together. I love my in-laws. They are so much fun and I am so glad to have them in my life. This year (as like all years previous, since I’ve met Dave), we celebrated the Canadian Thanksgiving, which is the same except that it is in October instead of November. So our family already celebrated Thanksgiving, but since I work in the states still, I got the benefit of having a 4-day weekend without the stress of cooking and cleaning and stuff. Ha!
Today is Black Friday – I haven’t been out of the house on Black Friday for several years. Why? Because it’s absolutely NUTS out there today!! I read on the news this morning that one lady had a miscarriage AND another lady got TRAMPLED to death in the stores in Long Island. What the heck? You’re so desperate for those sales that you’d actually trample someone to death? How do you miss that, anyway? It’s not like you can just ignore running over someone. You’d have to notice, “Oh gee, while running in this store, I think I must stepped on some lady who was slowly dying.. hmm… what should I do? Should I continue to run for the sales, or stop and help this poor woman?” Apparently, not enough people stopped and helped because she actually died.
That’s too much stress for my soul. I rather stay home. And do online shopping! Online shopping on Black Friday is awesome. Thank heavens for online shopping. You can get anything from Leptovox diet pills to socks for your nephew to a computer for your husband. Woo! The savings are still there, without having to get out of the warm cozy comfort of your own home.
November 21, 2008 at 9:54 am · Filed under meme
I’m sure some of you have noticed that I’ve switched this blog back to comments being moderated. I was getting these weiiirddd spams almost continuously in old posts. Sometimes posts dating back years. So I wasn’t too fond of that. Sorry about your comments being moderated, but it will have to do for now. It should only be moderated once, and every comment after your first will go through immediately.
Anyway, here are some awesome answers to today’s Friday Fill-Ins:
1. The last band I saw live was Audioslave, which was years ago. That was good. We took our nephew Nick with us, and it was a good time had by all.
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is seeing all of the family together in one room. We celebrate Thanksgiving Canadian-style — in October. I also look forward to playing with all the family’s babies and kids, and eating garlic bread. Maybe for next year during U.S. Thanksgiving (since we don’t celebrate it), we can look into one of those Disney vacations instead.
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is really slow to get started this year. We’re stalling because we don’t have much money to spend this year.
4. Thoughts of financial stress fill my head.
5. I wish I could wear my pajamas everywhere I go. I’d be so comfortable! Back in college days, I used to just do that almost everyday — go to classes in my pajamas, especially when I was living on campus. It was more socially acceptable. Nowadays, I only do it once in a blue moon when I go pick something up at the corner store on a weekend or something. Sucks, dude. I wish it was more socially acceptable all around! But then again, I’ve never been one to follow social mores too well anyway.
6. Bagpipes are weird though oddly intriguing to me. I don’t understand how they work yet I am strangely attracted to anyone who knows how to play them. It’s quite the skill.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to doing paperwork for work — so fun, tomorrow my plans include possibly doing some grocery shopping, but probably not and Sunday, I want to stay home, rest up, do nothing. Maybe some laundry but that’s about it. Boy my weekends are boring! Ha!
November 18, 2008 at 10:30 am · Filed under daily
I am *so* sick of being sick, and it’s only been a day. I’m trying to be careful around the house, especially with a 4-month-old. I’m washing my hands about 3 million times a day, on top of the 2 million times that I was already washing them before I got sick (when you deal with cloth diapers and a baby, you have to wash your hands a lot). I’m sniffly and my head feels full of it (on top of already being “full of it”.. ha!), and my throat is sooo sore. I think I’m progressing nicely though, as I am able to cough up and sneeze out phlegm the size of quarters every so often. That’s touchdown, in the world of colds and flus, if you ask me.
I have a lot of work to do too, but I’m not sure how long I can stay at the computer and do them, and not feel like I have to lie down. Pay day is coming up, and we’re definitely looking forward to that. Money is so tight this holiday season, it’s ridiculous. I believe I’ll have to work full time pretty soon, at the very latest in January after the new year, because I don’t think we can afford to do this for very long. At least Dave will be on Daddy Duty at home, which is nice. We don’t have to leave Lily Bean with anyone for a long time.
While other people are looking up hotels las vegas style for their holiday get-aways, I’m looking to save enough money so we can buy enough presents for our daughter, nieces, and nephews. Every year the family seems to grow exponentially. We’re making babies left and right, and I guarantee there are more coming. If not by us, by other people (whose names shall remain unknown! hehe). It’s exciting, having all these nieces and nephews around, but boy oh boy birthdays and Christmases are getting expensive!
This year, Dave and I decided that we’re not going to get each other anything, so that we can save a little bit of money. I loooooove getting him presents — and his face when he opens them, but we just can’t afford it this year, unfortunately. I will make it up to him.
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