4000 posts, wow!
Continue reading “4000th Post! – Celebrating with Coffee”Category: Musings
Hello 2021! May You Be as Bright as I have Hoped

Well, it looks like we, at least in my circle, have unceremoniously welcomed 2021 – I worked my 8 hours, ate 2 square meals plus a midday snack, finished listening to The Queen’s Gambit on Audible, blogged, and went to sleep long before midnight rolled around.
Continue reading “Hello 2021! May You Be as Bright as I have Hoped”The Thing with Wi-Fi Extenders
Did you know Wi-Fi Extenders don’t speed up or slow down internet? It merely boost the router’s signal so all the nooks and crannies in a house get great wi-fi signal.
Try telling that to my mom.
*rolling eyes and shaking head*
It was a long work day yesterday. I worked for almost 10 hours, encountering problem after problem while my head was still on holiday mode even though I didn’t really experienced any holiday spirit this past week.
The moment my mom found out I’m off the clock, she stomped out of her room and yanked the wi-fi extender out of the wall. I didn’t even hear it. All I heard were stomp, stomp, stomp, a dull thud, and a door slam. Next thing I knew, my wi-fi extender was on the floor.
The night before, like almost every night since I bought the extender, she had complained, “Your damn thing is making the internet slow. I can’t even watch my YouTube videos.” Wah wah wah…
Do you know why I had to get this extender in the first place?
Because the wi-fi signal in my room stinks. The connection is dropping unpredictably during work days – on my laptop, on my phone, even Alexa ignores me as the result of a dropped connection.
Is it possible mom’s taking up my bandwidth. On a typical workday, she’s got 4 devices connected to wi-fi, all streaming videos at the same time. My internet usage app says she spends an average of 15 hours a day streaming YouTube.
It’s crazy, right? Yeah, it’s crazy.
Meanwhile, I’m stuck in my room with my laptop and phone listening to downloaded stuff from Audible, anxiously anticipating the next time my wi-fi connection drops while praying it’s not during a call.
Oh yeah, my internet dropped during a very important call last month. I lost 5 minutes of important conversation trying to get back online. That’s 5 minutes during which I could’ve discussed work stuff that’s been on my mind but instead, by the time I got back online, my boss informed me he’s late for another meeting and gotta go.
And she has the guts to call me selfish. I pay all the bills even though she uses a majority of the utilities. You know what she told me last week, she’s not helping me with the bills (not that she has), she’s putting 65% of her paycheck into retirement. This will probably mean I need to work more overtime hours to give my meager paycheck a boost.
There are plenty to be thankful for, even in 2020
2020, what a year, right? So many things happened this year – pandemic, earthquakes, on-and-off mask mandates, wind storms, social gathering restrictions… but even in this weird pandemic universe we’re living in where Mondays and Fridays are just another day, giving thanks is still an everyday-must and a definite-must on Thanksgiving.

Here are my 5 major thanks for 2020:
- My job – my biggest thank. My job has kept me occupied even if I have to learn new roles and work crazy amount of overtime hours. It kept me busy and my anxiety at bay because I kept wondering if this pandemic would turn into some kind of Zombie Apocalypse where everyone turns into zombies after getting tested positive for this virus.
- I’m thankful I haven’t had a problem with paying my bills and mortgage this year as working overtime has generated quite a bit of extra income.
- I’m thankful for the art of crochet. It also kept me occupied during 2020. I am now more prepared for winter than I ever was in past years with hand-made scarves, hats, and a wonderful fashionable cowl.
- I’m thankful for finally investing in a stand-up desk so my back will be straight when this whole thing’s over and we’re back in the office.
- I’m thankful for all the audiobooks and podcasts that kept me entertained as I went through my workday. As of this week, I’ve listened to over 70 audiobooks this year.
Last but not least, I want to thank all the readers of this blogs who followed me through the years. Even though I’ve been away for most of 2020, some of my long-time readers would occasionally comment to check up on me. I am thankful for the thoughtfulness and to have a great bunch of friends in this ever changing blogging universe.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
So Random: Pencil vs Mechanical Pencil

So I have recently started writing on paper again. After such a long time of just typing my thoughts out on a Word document, I was surprised that my hands still knew how to hold a pencil or how to write with one.
It was, as people say, just like riding a bicycle, which is a poor analogy as I don’t know how to ride a bicycle – poor hand-eye coordination, blah blah blah…
Anyway, as I said, I began writing with a pencil (just a good old pencil) and it made me wonder why I ever switched to a mechanical pencil. The simple answer would be pencil sorta became outdated in the mid-90’s (around the time I was in elementary school). I guess all the sharpening and lead breakage got on people’s nerves.
My early experience with a mechanical pencil was a frustrating one – NO ONE told me I was supposed to insert the lead from the side with the eraser, not trying to jam the lead through the tiny opening of the lead-clamp (the small metal piece that was supposed to clamp the lead in place. Let’s just say I broke a lot of lead and ended up with black fingers most of the time.
After I learned (finally) to operate a mechanical pencil, I never went back to the pencil (even though I was strangely gifted with a lot of very weird-looking and sparkly pencils) until these last two weeks, which leads me to this post.
What I like about using a good old pencil:
- No hand-cramps – for some reason, my hand cramps up after about 10, 15 minutes of writing with a mechanical pencil
- Nice and light – if you hold a good old pencil in hand and a mechanical pencil in the other, you’ll notice the difference in weight
- Lead doesn’t break easily
Compare that to a mechanical pencil:
- No need to sharpen every 30 minutes – a piece of lead can be used for quite a while but definitely need to watch out for the type of lead as not all pencil lead are made equal
- The tip doesn’t become blunt which, in turn, makes the color of the writing lighter in color.
- It doesn’t get shorter like the good old pencil – it can literally last forever if you treat it right
People may ask, “Why not use a pen, like a normal person?”
Well, unless your thoughts are perfectly clear and not jumbled like mine, go ahead with a pen. I am sticking with the pencil so I don’t have to use a whiteout on every other word I write.
Goals and Hopes for 2020
Happy New Year everyone! Continue reading “Goals and Hopes for 2020”
Sunday Gratitude
This week, I am grateful for getting the chance to take a nice shower without any interruptions in the warm water. Continue reading “Sunday Gratitude”
Saturday Humor!
Oh my goodness! 😂😂😂
Credit: Pinterest
Hump Day Humor!
Very true, unless you’re still living in a frozen tundra, like me, then your furnace will probably still be on.
Source: Pinterest
Sunday Gratitude
This week, I am grateful for finally getting some sleep. Sleep is so important to so many things and the body can do some crazy thing with lack of sleep. So I’m grateful to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye every night this past week.
Image Credit: Pinterest
Saturday Humor!
This cracked me up!
Credit: Pinterest
Hump Day Humor!
Source: Pinterest
Sunday Gratitude
This week, I am grateful for the wonderfully warm weather. It’s been a long while since I didn’t need to wear a jacket to head outside. I hope it continues.
Image Credit: Pinterest
Saturday Humor!
Here is a funny story for your Saturday morning!
Credit: Pinterest
Hump Day Humor!
That is a smart line. I should use that some time.
Source: Pinterest
Sunday Gratitude
This week, I am grateful for getting some time alone. Alone time always makes me feel so refreshing.
Image Credit: Pinterest
Saturday Humor!
Do you think so? I can only agree with number 1, 5, and 7.
Credit: Pinterest
Hump Day Humor!
Sunday Gratitude
This week, I am grateful for getting the chance to do some macro photography. I love macros because they help me find my calmness and I’m grateful to get the opportunity to do some this week.
Image Credit: Pinterest
Saturday Humor!
Some fun thoughts to begin your Saturday.
Credit: Pinterest
Hump Day Humor!
Oh how I wish it would warm up! 😒😡
Continue reading “Hump Day Humor!”
Sunday Gratitude
This week, I am grateful for getting some new shoes. I’ve been meaning to go shopping for shoes but been procrastinating until this weekend but I’m glad to finally making the time to make the trip.
Image Credit: Pinterest
Saturday Humor!
*sigh* Those were the days. 🤭
Credit: Pinterest