Post #100

Don't you just love it when the decision you made months ago proved to be good and right?

Well that's what I discovered last night when after months of temporarily putting our Netflix subscription on hold - to give way to our busy schedules and an even busier Network programming schedules - the much touted sequel to the Twilight series, movie #2 New Moon was delivered to our mailbox.

This is how our night played out. I met hubs at Costco for our much needed grocery outing. We do our Costco trips during the weekday, because as you all know, Costco is a bedlam of shoppers during the weekend. It's too much stress to elbow people out of the way to the samples table, you know.

Anyhoo, we arrived at home nearly 9 pm, just in time to see the beginning of AI, which sadly was the show where Siobhan Magnus got the boot, really sorry to see her leave this early. I was personally hoping it would be Big Mike or little Aaron. I have nothing against them, except that I already had chosen my faves - Casey, Crystal, Lee, and Siobhan :) - I simply could not extend the list to 6 now can I?

Our 10 pm slot is taken by our daily devotion - whatever shows we watch on this timeslot is already recording on DVR to give way to our bible reading activity.

At 11 pm, we watch the nightly news, 11:30 we listen to David Letterman's monologue and his top ten list. On days when he has an exciting guest, we tune in to the interview portion, otherwise I hang up my glasses and sleep. Last night when the monologue was over, we put in the dvd of the movie.

Let me clarify that my husband and I - covered in blanket except for our faces - watched the whole thing lying down. The cat was next to me - her favorite spot when sleeping. We watched the whole movie in its entirety. No fastforwarding. It was late, we were both going to work today. But we stayed with the movie. And this is what we thought of the movie:

~ The dialogues are way too corny.
~ The acting by all three major characters was horrible.

And yet we didn't turn it off. Why is that? Because it's a part of the trilogy. And blah as it was, it was just a part of the bigger whole, you know. Let me ask you this, did you not think that The Two Towers, LOTR movie #2 was the least interesting and most boring of all the three?

However, I was so glad that we opted to pass on watching this on the big screen for 10 bucks a piece + whatever snacks we would have enjoyed. We saved roughly 50 bucks for waiting for it to be available on DVD.

Infidelity - That's What's On My Mind Today

Infidel is a word that came to my vocabulary a little later in my life. And it came via a scene in a movie where the lead actress yelled, "I am not an infidel." It was a love story.

After leaving the cinema, we rushed to see Mr. Webster and see what infidel meant. And that's when we learned what it was.

However, I never learned to use it in any of my letter writing (how it would come up I wouldn't know) or on any of my theme writing in school. It however remained this "big" new word that I learned and still didn't find the right scenario to use it.

Anyhow, this post is about infidelity and Sandra Bullock's filing for divorce from her "infidel" husband. Hah! I finally got to use the word (yay!).

I am using Sandra Bullock's name here, but this could be about every woman and/or man who has been at the receiving end of acts of infidelity.

I am not going to go into what compels people to cheat on their spouses, mates, partners, etc. That's not what I am interested in exploring. I want to know if forgiving and forgetting the act of infidelity is possible in situations like this, or if people who choose this option are to be applauded or pitied.

To those who can forgive and forget my question is "Have you really forgotten and forgiven?" or is it just lip service to preserve the status quo. Do you take this course of action because you don't want to rock the boat? Do you truly love the person who hurt you that much that you are willing to set aside your own pain and accept him/her with open arms? Do you make a fresh start with him/her? Will you be able to see him/her without remembering the sin?

To the majority of people that turn their back on the infidelity and walked away and never ever look back, were you hurt that much that you shut down your ears to listen to what he/she has to say? Why was it hard to look beyond his/her transgression?

A lot of factors can sway a person's decision either way. There are the kids, the mortgage, the reputation, etc, etc, etc. Whatever they are, it's an individual decision.

Can you forgive and forget? If infidelity is not the deal breaker in your relationship, what is?

The Weekend Is Almost Here

That's right, it is. And time to plan for what to cram between running errands and cleaning the house.

The past weekend saw clear skies on both days, which enabled us to walk in the park. This Saturday, I am hoping that we'd be able to participate in the Walk Against Genocide that the Armenian Genocide Commemoration Committee (?) is hosting. It's actually an annual event. While I suck big time at history and basically knew zilch about this genocide, I am attending - at least that's my intention - because it will be over the Golden Gate Bridge. And I haven't been on foot at the bridge before. This would be fun. Haven peeked at the weather report yet, but looking out at the window just now, it could be a good sign that the skies are clear at present.

And if I intend to go to the walk which takes place at 11:00 am on Saturday, I better load up the washing machine tonight and do the laundry. The house needs some vacuuming, up and down. I did some vacuuming in our room one day this week, but I can feel the dust every where.

Okay, I'm assuming we'd go. If we don't I have no plan B. There's always those shows that await me in the DVR, I can always see those, right?

Have a great weekend.

Just Because

I go through phases in my life. Right now (or lately), I have only been listening to classical music.

I remember a stretch of time where I could only listen to THE EAGLES. Then it was all Bo Bice, remember him? Afterwards, it's all JOURNEY.

And this only happens with music. No other part of my life goes thru this change. Well, I'd rather not share this thought on FB.

Happy, Sad and Panicky, Happy Again

I really wanted to write about my rollercoaster of a weekend because as you can see from the title, it was an eventful one. Let me get the ball rolling first by saying how glorious our weather was on both days. Clear blue skies and warming up to 82 on Sunday. Perfect spring weather, doncha think?

That's the first happy. The weather made me happy. It enabled us to plant two eggplants, a zucchini, and chili peppers in the same plot where we have six tomato plants and herbs growing. By the 4 pm marker, my husband was hurrying me out the door as he learned there's a jazz concert at the park - 9 blocks away from where we live. We took the cameras and went out the door.

By 8 pm, we have arrived home from the jazz concert (which actually was not one, but some guy playing jazz records in the park while a trio of gals do some yoga and a handful of people were watching on grass) and an impromptu grocery trip to Berkeley. There are two mom-and-pop grocery stores in Berkeley that we love and drive all the way there to shop sometimes.

I went straight to fixing dinner, hubby was doing the same. I think he realized that Emma our cat didn't go down to meet us. She has the habit of coming at the top of the stairs each time the front door opens. She's curious to see who has come home :D But at that time, she didn't peek. I was hungry and busy putting groceries away.

Hubs went to see what Emma was up to. He couldn't find her. His voice had that panicked edge to it that registered a red flag with me. I left what I was doing (I burned the paratha in the process) and helped him find Emma. Nothing. We looked high and low - twice, thrice, maybe four times. We opened every cabinet up and down. Opened toilet bowls. I was afraid she'd fall and not be able to get out and drown. Plus we keep the lids down because Emma likes to drink from it even though she has fresh water for her.

SAD and PANICKY we were. My mom helped in looking. We looked every where. My brother looked at his room - he was not in when we went out. We called the sheriff department, the animal control, the animal shelter to report her missing. We were confident that she would be found as she has a collar with our phone number on it. We drove around the three blocks of our neighborhood trying to see if she was anywhere. We looked over and over at the front and back yard, meowing and meowing and calling her name. I wonder if our neighbors heard us.

At about 11 pm, after our daily devotion, my brother was knocking on our door. He has Emma on his arms. Apparently Emma was hiding in his room, being very silent while the entire house rocked with our shouts of Emma. Then we were happy again that Emma was found. She put us thru one hell of a night, I'd say. The day ended with her taking her rightful place in our bed next to me and she slept peacefully.

MORE HAPPY

On Sunday before heading out the door to enjoy the glorious sunny weather - the first in a long time - I checked FB. Yah, it's a must to see what's my friends are up to. NOT!!!! And there I saw, my brother posted photos of cute little puppies. He got a pet, a puppy no less. A cute little mixed breed - too many breeds mixed that I can't remember them all. My dog-loving husband didn't wait to see the dog. We went straight to my brother's house to visit with the dog. What a cutie. I 'm so happy to see my brother and SIL very happy with the arrival of this cutie in their house and even their sons seem to be enjoying the new member of our family.

My Doctor is Christina Yang

That's my first impression when I met my surgeon. She phoned to prepare me for my surgery - before my actual pre-op doctor's appt.

If you are not familiar with Christina Yang, she is one of the surgeons/characters in the popular ABC drama GREY'S ANATOMY, perfectly portrayed by Sandra Oh. Christina Yang is a surgeon first and foremost. She seems to be devoid of any emotion; afraid to show a hint of it. She gives it to the patient as it is, no sugar coating without regard to the patient's feelings.

That's why I mumbled to myself after our phone talk that I have Christina Yang for a surgeon. You know why? Well when we were discussing all the pros and cons of the surgery and I broached up the topic of worst case scenario, she immediatly shot me down saying the worst case scenario is DEATH. I told her pointblank too that was not in my list. I'd rather not consider that as one of the scenarios. During the phone conversation, she was all business.

And so when my pre-op appt came, I had to bring my husband with me. I was very nervous about the surgery - which is reasonable under the circumstances - but when we got to meet her personally, she wasn't too bad. She was not my regular doctor, but she was highly recommended by my regular doc as he no longer participates in any surgeries.

Today I saw her for my post-op and we hugged after the appointment. I liked her a lot. My surgery was a positive experience for me, very little discomfort throughout the process. Now I am back to my regular routine. I thank God and my Dr. Yang.

Still Alive

And have resumed regular routine. Gone is the one month of lying around the house, watching tv and surfing the net all day. Goodbye to 11 am rise time every morning.



Yes, I have returned to work, but I still have my post-op check-up on Friday. The doc has suggested I take up to 6 weeks off, but I took it upon myself to go back into the swing of things two weeks early.



So I am back to work for three days now. All's going fine. The pile of paperwork on my desk looks more decent now with three days of work put into making them go away. I have a ways to go. And the phone continues to ring too.



Anyway, I am happy to be shock to wakefulness by the alarm clock whose sound jars me and my cat from deep slumber. It's funny to see Emma leap out of bed (she sleeps next to me, then goes to husband's side when I leave the bed to shower and get ready for work) when the darn alarm clock goes. Hubby said she will get used to it. She doesn't. Three days of ringing and three days of her jumping out of bed. It's really funny to see a freaked out cat reacting to the sound of an alarm clock.



I like being back to work. One can only enjoy surfing for a while. afterwards even that can be boring too. I was itching to return to work earlier than the minimum of 4 weeks, but common sense prevailed and I had to concede with doc's advice of at least 4 weeks off.



What I miss is my bonding time with Emma, that affectionate cat that we adopted midway into my leave. I miss having her near me all the time. She sometimes disapproves of my working with the computer especially when I'm using the laptop in bed. She wants to sit on my lap and with the laptop there, my lap is unavailable to her. She would walk all over the keyboard and sometimes I would stop working to accommodate her; other times I ignore her. And when I do the latter, she would go away for a minute or two, then in her softest meow voice, she would come back to me and look at me with those adorable eyes and I would eventually lose the battle.



I love having a cat. It suits my personality. I grew up in a household where we always had dogs. They were the ones that would be outdoors all day and just come home to eat and sleep; very little maintenance needed.



That is why I am so happy having Emma. She brings us so much joy. My husband went crazy buying her toys and accessories yesterday. I like giving her treats. I like coming home to her. I could see the joy in her eyes when I come home and she sees me home.



Most of all, I love that she follows me around the house. She sits on my lap to watch tv. She waits outside the bathroom door when I take my shower. Or when she wakes up before the sun is up and would want to play hubby would carry her out of the room and closes the door - she would be standing guard on the other side of the bedroom door until I open it an hour or so later.

Now I ask myself this question: Why didn't I get a cat much earlier in my life? For those who are cat owners, give me some pointers and advice on how to make my Emma happy. Well, she actually seems happy, is eating properly, is pooing and peeing regularly, never had an accident. What can I say she's a darling.

Another Friday

That's right, another Friday is upon us. This means of course that four Fridays ago was my surgery. This also means that this is my last day on medical leave. I report to work on Monday.

Four weeks buzzed by so quickly. I do remember the first week, as I was very very careful to take it easy. I was aware that I had to slowly go down the bed, down the stairs and limit going up and down the stairs as much as possible. I knew that most of my recuperation time was spent on tv watching and internet. And boy did I spend an absurd amount of time on Facebook.

And so this is what I found regarding Facebook while spending my recovery. People don't know me. I am not a popular person. Proof here. I was born and raised in a small community where everyone is somewhat related to every body else. In town there were two elementary schools and two high schools. Whichever school you go to, you know people from both schools.

Which is why I wonder why these people know my friends (my bestests gal pals) and add them and not me? Okay, I ask the question, maybe I should not ask why they don't add me, but ask why don't I add them. Are you asking the same thing? Will you do the adding instead of waiting to be added?

At any rate, I am not adding any more friends on my list. I am making a stand here. I knew long ago that I was a homebody, grew up as one as a direct result of strict parents. But regardless of whether my parents were strict or not, I wasn't as sociable as any of my friends. I found it really difficult to strike up a conversation with people on different class levels. I'm sure "suplada" (or aloof) was a favorite descriptive word used to describe me back in the day. How wrong were they?

But the thing is we're all grown-ups now. Shouldn't I have grown out of my shyness? Shouldn't I add them, which is tantamount of approaching them in real life? An activity not undertaken by me as far as my recollection goes. The most galling about this is that I cared enough to blog about this. If my husband reads this blog he would say, this is what we get when we are idle. So so so glad that I go back to work on Monday and have more serious things to worry about than this stupid Facebook thing.

Happy weekend.

Easter Sunday

I sat on the couch, my legs under me, a cotton throw over my lap. The TV was on showing an old Harrison Ford thriller. On any other day attention would be focused on the tube. Harrison Ford after all is a must see whatever his film is. But today it's a cold day. Wet. Windy. Lazy. A day that required hot cocoa at 1 pm. I continued to sit on the couch, never moving, afraid to move for my position on the sofa is so comfortable. The movie was temporarily forgotten, my gaze transfixed beyond the glass of the back yard door. The downpour continued, no sign of letting up. The leaves and limbs of trees are swaying continuously. I don't want to go out in this weather. Then she jumped on my lap, my little 2-year old cat that I adopted only a few days ago. She made adjustments in my lap finding the most comfy position. Then she stopped moving. I knew she would be asleep in no time.

I continued to sit there, tv still on, but I was watching the rain more than anything. And I thought how lucky am I to have a roof over my head on a rainy day, a blanket to keep me warm, the love of a cat and a husband who sat next to me and half-heartedly reminded me that the next showing of CLASH OF THE TITANS is nearing. I looked at him, he looked me in the eye. And we knew, the titans can wait another day. Today we are staying in with our new cat enjoying the cold wet rainy and windy Easter Sunday.