If we were having coffee, I would welcome you to #weekendcoffeeshare, which is hosted by the lovely Natalie of Natalie the Explorer. Let’s grab a drink and have a chat!

Birthday Week

I celebrated my sun Calendar birthday this week. This is the date that’s on my birth certificate, passport, and driver’s license. Last week was my lunar calendar birthday, not that it matters because no one celebrates or acknowledges that other than my mom’s siblings.

I spent my birthday in the office, surrounded by my awesome co-workers who said and sang Happy Birthday. One of those awesome co-worker’s birthday was the day before, so we were the two birthday girls in the office that day.

This was the first time in 2 years where I spent my birthday at the office. I spent my 2023 birthday in Japan and 2022 on the road to Ottawa. To be honest, I would rather spend the day in the office than at home because, well, I got to claim my b-day drink at Starbucks, which was Apple Crisp Oatmilk Macchiato with an extra Espresso shot. I love the smell of apples in the fall for some reason, and this drink was loaded with that aroma.

Home Update

It’s been a little over a week since my mom had her surgery and so far, I can’t tell whether she’s just seeking my attention or she’s genuinely in pain.

For the most part, I’ve been doing the cooking and I’ve been helping to change her bandage each night. As usual, she’s been very critical – complaining either about my hands not being clean despite I just washed it twice with soap or that my food is too bland or too salty for her taste buds.

I’ve come to learn that it’s in situations like this that people’s colors really shines.

Her brother and sister-in-law (SIL) came by last weekend as I was making dinner. “You know how to cook?” SIL asked.

Do these people think I don’t know how to cook at all? I wondered but then my mom asked the same thing the first night I had to cook for her. These people don’t think much of me, do they? They still look at me as this little girl in China. Incredible.

I had to keep remind my mom that I had to teach myself to cook when I was 15 when she left me with my step-father in Texas to come to Utah. I had to feed him and myself when he’s not busy drinking hard liquor and smoking joints. I also had to feed myself when she went off to Army Boot Camp for over 6 month and left me in an apartment at 16. I’m not exactly a good cook but I can feed myself some pretty decent meals with real ingredients.

Her newest friend came by twice with food that my mom would never eat like chicken soup with whole chicken and baked ribs. It isn’t that my mom doesn’t like these things, it’s just she would never eat anything other people brings by. She just wants the food to taste exactly like hers, which is impossible.

I’ve been cooking every day with the exception of my birthday and it seems like my mom hasn’t been complaining as much for the last two meals. Maybe I’ve finally earned her approval for my cooking?

Being 33

Since my birthday, I’ve been trying to spot the difference. I haven’t felt any difference. I still feel like my energy is constantly being zapped away into oblivion. My weight is still having its roller-coaster moment with at most a 1-pound difference between each morning. For the most part, I’m still here, beating the expectation of the doctor who told I would be expiring at 33 when I was 13.

I appreciate you stopping by. Until next we chat. 🙂