I do a lot yet I also do very little in those 30 minutes after I awaken from my long 6-10 hours slumber and none of those thing will ensure my day is off on the right foot. Continue reading “To Start the Day…”
Tag: Happiness
Contradiction of Everything
Daily Prompt: Do you have a good friend or close relative with whom you disagree on a major issue (political, personal, cultural)? What’s the issue, and how do you make the relationship work?
Do I?
My 17-year-old cousin, the one who’s living in the basement, who’s eating all the food, contradicts just about everything. The way he argues about everything just makes me dislike him even more.
The worst part? My aunt stands with him. It’s ridiculous!
So I stopped talking to him but sometimes, even when I’m not talking to him, he had to jump in. Like on the day when we took the trip to Morgan, before we hit the highway, my mom had to stop by the Air Force Base to pick up her prescription. The three of us waited in the car.
Anyway, my aunt was begging me to take her to City Creek Mall which I did. She was talking about buying souvenirs and I started telling about when I took my former boss’s wife to the mall late 2013. I told about how she purchased over $200 worth of environment friendly soaps without blinking just because her daughter said it was good stuff. I also told about the tea shop next to the environment friendly soap store, how a few ounces of tea leaves cost $40.
“It’s so ridiculously expensive. I don’t think I’d waste my own money on tea.” I said.
The normal response, I think, would be, “I have to agree, money is hard to come by and you worked hard to earn that. It’s good for you to save.”
Instead, my cousin piped up, “You can’t be like that. When you want it, you’ll be willing to spend to get it.”
“Unfortunately,” I replied, “I will never have the heart to spend so much for food.”
He sighed, “Well, then that proves you’re cheap.” Can you believe that? He flat out and called me cheap! Least to say, I spent the remainder of the trip irritated.
Next Saturday, I’m supposed to spend the day shuttling him again from home to the testing center and home again. I don’t even want to do it but as usual, I’m the only one that know how to get there.
One more month and he’ll gone. One more month and I’ll no longer have to hide food in my room.
Brain Power
Daily Prompt: Let’s assume we do, in fact, use only 10% of our brain. If you could unlock the remaining 90%, what would you do with it?
This is a strange prompt, I have to say, and it was late today. I didn’t see it come up until at the start of my second class.
Do we really use only 10% of our brain? That would be an interesting fact.
If I can unlock the remaining 90%, I would not know what to do with it. It’s just too much brain for me. I would rather it stays locked.
Whoa, scratch that…
Actually, I read this novel a while ago, I can’t remember the title but according to the story, apparently everyone has some kind of supernatural power, they just need to unlock it with their minds.
What if my other 90% was some sort of supernatural power? If that’s true, I would love to use that 90% for mind reading or some kind of cool psychic power. So I can secretly get a glimpse into my mom’s complicated mind, hey maybe it’s not complicated, just to see and double-check her tasks for me before I go do it. Because I’m really tired of the vague instructions and the unappreciative behavior. I mean what exactly do you want me to do?
It’s Looking Bright
Well, I just had another adventurous day, this time, not on the road but on the sidewalk. Apparently, the university had decided to clean the parking lots but not the walkways. There was like a layer of ice in front of every building. It took me forever to get to my class.
I was surprised that despite the ice and slippery conditions, some people decided to wear their flats and high heels to school. Well, I would like to wish them good luck. Then again, I bet no one is as clumsy as I am.
Anyway, before I left this morning, I opened my browser and had a quick look at the prompt. Honestly, I thought it was worse than yesterday’s. But whatever, I need some inspiration.
My keyword for the google image search is “LANDSCAPE” and here’s the eleventh image.
This is beautiful, isn’t it? According to google, this is a painting of sunset in Montreal, Canada.
“LANDSCAPE” is often my search word in google because when it’s so gloomy and cloudy and the weather’s yucky outside, my inspiration meter would plunge and looking at beautiful painting or photo of somewhere tend to be able to squeeze something out of me.
You know, after going to my new classes today, I think I will look forward to this semester and this year. It’s looking bright.
Bad Weather and a Busy Day
I had such a busy morning and a nerve-wrecking drive JUST to pick up my paycheck. But I’m home now and alright. Whew!
I feel both grateful and angry that the storm chose to ignore the city I’m residing in. It’s completely ridiculous! The moment I left the city on the Freeway this city, rain began pouring harder, much harder.
When I’ve already gone 10 miles, I had this terrifying urge to turn around and go home, to call the office and tell them to forget it, I am not driving in this dangerous condition. But then, my stubbornness kicked in and I hate to do thing halfway. Besides, I kind of need the money to cover my books and credit cards especially with that $3200 tuition, I need it now more than ever.
Finally, about an hour later, I made it to the office. In and out of that office in less than 5 minutes and then it was time to go home. Yikes!
The drive back, that’s scary. I am not sure whether it was the road material or the road was flooded, I couldn’t tell but my car made this funny whooshing noise and it skidded TWICE even with winter tires. Thank god for no traffic, otherwise I’d be in trouble.
It was terrifying. After that, my chest began to pound. I was almost praying, hoping that the story I wrote over the weekend wouldn’t come true. It cannot come true and it better not come true.
I made it home and had to immediately make some lunch, to calm my nerves but I’m just happy I’m okay. I’m just so glad I only have Tuesdays and Thursdays classes this semester and then I don’t have to face so much bad weather.
They should NOT be spoiled…
Daily Prompt: Pick a contentious issue about which you care deeply — it could be the same-sex marriage debate, or just a disagreement you’re having with a friend. Write a post defending the opposite position, and then reflect on what it was like to do that. Continue reading “They should NOT be spoiled…”
A Slow Day
I feel like today is going especially slow. I don’t know why. Last night, after suffering from a stomachache all night, I went to bed only to find myself sleeping and waking up repeatedly through the night and finding myself at a different place on the bed every time.
It’s weird, right? I wonder if I should be worried. Nah, maybe I’m having a strange week, that’s all. Maybe just some pre-semester jitters.
My aunt is currently downstairs cleaning the floors while I was supposed to wash my mom’s car. That’s not going to happen.
Outside is dark and cloudy again and it’s freezing cold, only 39°F. I thought there’s not supposed to be a storm for the next 7 days. The weatherman lied, wouldn’t be the first time. I checked the weather and it’s supposed to snow and rain on Monday. How am I supposed to go to Salt Lake City to pick up my paycheck?
On the bright side, after almost a month, I finally sold my mom’s statistics book and after two days, I finally applied for that summer audit position at American Express. I’m crossing my fingers and hope the HR will return my email soon, preferably Monday, and give me an interview. Until then, all I can do is cross my finger and not jinx it.
Amazed…
You know, I’m kind of amazed at myself right now.
I finally finished this month’s work last night. I am so happy I get to relax and decompress during these last few days before the semester officially begins again.
Now I know I’ve complained about my work often because it’s so bored. I just sit at my computers translating stuff. Is that boring or what? So to take away the dullness, I decided to scour through my CD collection and listen to songs I haven’t listened to for at least the past 5 years.
When my stereo was still in the basement, I used to go down there and sing along to all the song I know. This week, I decided to do the same thing. That’s why I am so amazed. I still remember the words. All of them. It’s like when I want to sing along, the words just flows perfectly out of my lips and I heard these songs forever ago.
I don’t know how I do that because if you ask me to repeat it back to you, I cannot but when the music plays, I can sing the lyrics perfectly.
Master of Words
Daily Prompt: If you could choose to be a master (or mistress) of any skill in the world, which skill would you pick?
If I can pick to be the master of any skill in the world, I would pick the Master of Words. I would always know the right things to say.
Those of you who are frequent readers of my blogs probably notice that I rarely comment on any posts. I usually just click “like” and that’s it. That’s because I’m afraid of saying the wrong words and offending somebody which is what my mom often says when she brings me to meet somebody.
In fact, I think that’s how all my friendship ends, either by my mom’s disapproval or my words.
She often tells me the thing I say embarrasses her, that it’s inappropriate, childish, and whiny. Honestly though, that’s the way I speak. I cannot change my voice. So eventually, I just stopped talking. Just don’t really say much in general. I mean, what’s the point?
So, if I am the Master of Words, I’d know what to say at all times, meeting my mom’s friends, at job interviews, anywhere. Oh, and if this mastering thing can add in some voice and tone adjustments like Donald Duck in Donald’s Dream Voice, make my voice sound less whiny and childish and more adult-like, I’d be all in.
Sanctuary
Daily Prompt: A sanctuary is a place you can escape to, to catch your breath and remember who you are. Write about the place you go to when everything is a bit too much.
My place of sanction is a small area in the entire house where I can store my personal stuff, blast loud music and sing along, is the place where I finally feel at home after a long day. That place is my room.
It’s like my own little studio. I’ve got food, water, bed, basically everything I need to survive. Not long but you get my point. I basically live in my room. I stay there most of the day, to work, write, whatever.
It’s not the brightest spot of the house though. I keep the blinds shut so the sun won’t hurt my eyes and make me feel sleepy. It tends to do that.
Anyway, I feel like this post is more or less a repeat from a project I recently did for a company called Wework where I share my workspace with everybody. You can check out the article here.
Tears, can’t live without them, just have to live with them
Daily Prompt: We cry for lots of reasons: sadness, pain, fear . . . and happiness. When was the last time you shed tears of joy?
Hmm, that’s interesting. I don’t remember crying for joy, ever or maybe I just haven’t yet.
Do people do that? Crying for joy just seemed a little funny to me because why would happiness provoke tears? Wouldn’t it provoke laughter and smiles?
Ah, I get it. It’s not the kind of joy that makes a person smile but the kind of joy that causes one to feel surprised, glad, or even relieved like right after a mother gives birth. I’ve seen it in the news and movies. Or when someone realizes that person’s been there for him/her all along and is grateful. I guess I just never had that kind of thing happen to me yet but I’m not giving my hopes up. Someday.
I remember exactly the last time I cried. It was tears of anger. It was at the end of September right after my aunt back my mom’s car into a pole. Then the very next day, my mom blamed me for it. My fists and teeth clenched and tears fell from my face while fire looked like it’s about to flare from my nostrils. There was this pull inside me rendering my ability to speak or fight back.
It’s not my fault, I wanted to say but couldn’t. Ultimately, I just had to ignore every hurtful my mom said that day.
The result of that event?
It set off a domino effect and it went on for almost two weeks that ultimately ended with my mom buying two airplane tickets for my aunt and cousin to go home at once but fate intervened. And they’re now staying until February.
It was strange for me to cry because I don’t usually cry when I’m angry. Actually, I can say I’ve grown stony and hard ever since I’ve been living with my mom alone that it’s hard for me to cry any sort of tears. But tears are meant for cleansing, so I guess everyone has to shed some tears once in a while whether it’s for joy, sadness, or anger. Tears are tears and everyone needs them.
I Wish the New Year Would Arrive Already!
For some reason, I am feeling very eager to have the new year come already but at the same time, I am Continue reading “I Wish the New Year Would Arrive Already!”
A Grown Up Trapped in a tiny body
I just spent the entire morning shoveling ankle deep snow on my driveway and the incredibly long sidewalk. Oddly though, the only places aching are my shoulders and neck. At the moment, I do not want to move from this couch.
My mom said I needed the exercise and for once, I couldn’t be more agreeing with her. This entire holiday season had been nothing but eat eat and eat. Honestly, I can’t wait for this to end. The biggest consequence? I haven’t been able to get some exercise and I gained 2 pounds from all that hot pot. That’s the down side to eating hot pot, you keep putting food into the pot and eating more, never knowing when you’re full.
I wasn’t really going to write today. I’ve been obsessed over reading the Night World series. I began reading book one yesterday and finished it this morning. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. Besides, today’s prompt feel kind of repeated, oh look, it is. It’s a recycled prompt and what’s point in writing when there are already 130+ posts waiting to be read?
But what the heck, I’ll answer it anyway. I can’t remember when was the first time I felt really grown up. I guess I’ve always felt like I was a grown-up trapped in a child’s body. I’ve never partied nor have I taken advantage when my mom left me in charge of all her credit cards and money when she went off to basic training. I responsibly spent and paid the bills. I think that’s the one thing she’s ever admitted to be proud of.
On the other hand, I can say my aunt’s the opposite. She’s like a child stuck in a grown-up body. Over the years, I feel like she’s becoming more and more child-like.
I’ve written a post about a similar topic about grown-ups, you can read it by clicking here.
One is Enough, Two is Too Much
I am frustrated and that frustration is growing by the day.
Last year, my mother purchased two additional houses. She planned to use those houses for investment and rental. To be honest, both of those houses are a pain in the neck. After closing on the first house last April, we spent almost the entire month cleaning, repairing, and re-painting the wall.
When I say “we”, I mean my mother and her friend. Meanwhile, I am not allowed to touch or do anything, I am to just stand there and watch. I hated it. I mean, what am I doing there? I could be doing so much more at home.
Thank god that house rented out quickly and the tenant had been stable. A few months later, my mother closed on a house at the end of our street. This house is a bucketful of problems.
First it was the furnace, then the AC, and then at the beginning of this year, we found out there’s no return vent in the basement, making the basement of the house freezing cold.
It’s a crappy house. Well, what do you expect when the first owner of the house was a know-it-all handyman?
Anyway, in the latter part of 2013, after yet spending a few weeks cleaning up the place, we rented the house to a very nice family who was waiting for their house to be built in another city.
They moved out early January of this year. Thank goodness, the wife of the tenant was a clean freak and kept the house sparkly clean. We didn’t have to do much and within 2 weeks, the house was again rented to another family from Texas and that’s when the problems began. They built a bathroom in the basement without consulting us. The bathroom turned out awry and weird. Don’t get me started.
That family moved out suddenly before Thanksgiving. It was ridiculous. Not only they broke the contract but the house was a mess!
My aunt and cousin spent the afternoons in the days followed at the house cleaning and picking up dog poop in the backyard. It’s disgusting and I would never ever do it. I couldn’t be more grateful to have them here.
A few days after the advertisement for our rental house went online, two families came and browse. One family was so so eager to move in that they didn’t even cared if the carpet was cleaned. I wasn’t having a good vibe about this candidate. They seemed nice and all but there’s something off.
I told my mother to go with the other family, but she didn’t listen. I was completely right, by the way. The “bad vibe” tenant has an excellent credit score but he didn’t even had the money to pay the first month rent and deposit.
My mother got scared and turn them down. That left the “good vibe” tenant but unfortunately, they grew impatient waiting for our response and had already found another house. That house has been empty for past month. My mother’s incessantly worried about the furnace failing and constantly nudging me to go check.
Yeah, like I know anything about the mechanics of a furnace.
In the recent day, it’s become my dread to go into that house. It’s not haunted or anything. There are just too many stairs and the stairs are thickly carpeted. Did you know it takes more strength going up a flight of carpeted stairs than any other kind of staircase?
My consensus: that house is horribly designed and I would never live in it.
I still don’t understand why my mother had to purchase that house. Why couldn’t she be happy with just one rental home? This other house is going down the drain if we don’t get some tenants soon, I tell ya.
When she bought the house, she says my aunt wanted it but I highly doubt it. For all I know, my aunt could’ve said, “随便吧!” or “Anything’s fine.”
My Tight Little Corner
Something has happened in my neck of the woods. I can’t figure out what but it’s making me feel singled-out, like I’m being forced into a tight little corner of my own. It’s like my spoken words are not being understood and there’s no one ’round here to clarify my words for me.
I’ve been searching and wondering far and wide and I have arrived with these three explanations:
- Language barrier
- I know, we all speak the same language here. But they seem to forget that I just know to speak everyday language, slang. My education level for this language is only up to the 4th grade. Still, they talk to me like I graduated college there, saying politically related college-level term that I probably will never understand.
- And if I say the wrong thing, they’d just burst out laughing and it’s not just in the moment, they laugh for days and it’s really frustrating sometimes. Like yesterday, I accidentally mispronounced the word for Mount Everest and they laughed and laughed, making fun of me, making me feel like an idiot. Yes, I know I said the wrong thing but don’t forget I never went past the 4th grade.
- Ethnic culture differences
- Yes, there is a tiny or huge ethnic culture difference here, depends on one’s perspective. For example, my aunt doesn’t like to use the dryer. She hang wet clothes in the laundry. I hate that. When the clothes dry, it becomes cold, stiff, and wrinkly. It’s like wearing cardboard.
- Too many personalities
- Yes, I understand everyone has their own personality, no people are the same but my aunt’s personality is driving me nuts. She is so childish sometimes with her silly clothes. Yesterday, when it was snowing, she didn’t want her hair to get wet, so she wore a husky hat. I don’t mean a hat that looked like husky fur, I mean a hat that was an actual husky (dog) head. It’s the stupidest hat I’ve ever seen.
- Often times, she’s been sitting at the kitchen counter watch funny babies video on her ipad. If you like watching babies so much, why don’t you have one of your own?
Meanwhile, my mother is not helping with my situation, she laughs along and her teasing had been increasingly irritating. I wish I can just tell them that but everybody in this house feels super intimidating and it’s making me feel frightened.
Just two more months, I will tell myself from now on. Just two more months and they’ll be gone.
Merry Christmas!
I think this has been an okay Christmas. Other than the fact that it’s been snowing all day and my mother’s constant nudging to make me go outside with my aunt, it’s been all right. Continue reading “Merry Christmas!”
A Super Awesome Gift to…
I hand my mother a white envelope. From the outside, it looks ordinary but it’s really a month-long all expense paid trip (hotels, transportation, etc.) for three to Europe plus cruise around the Mediterranean. My mother has dreamed of touring Europe but she’s always complaining about not having the time nor the money. Well, now she does.
Of course she won’t be going alone. You cannot expect to travel such a vast continent with a companion, in this case, companions. My aunt and I will accompany her on this expedition. If she gets lost, who’d be there to help her? What about the language barrier in a few places? Also, who will help her to take pictures to prove she’s been to these places?
Besides, I kind of want to go to Europe myself and this gift is price unlimited. So why can’t I tag along? She won’t know I’m the person who gifted her with this awesome gift, not unless I reveal to her I am the Secret Santa who sent her the gift. Knowing my mother, she will probably thinks I’m joking and will probably laugh in disbelief. I’m okay with that because I have just toured Europe too.
Resolutions
I spent yesterday celebrating my yet another year in the U.S. I arrived in the U.S. on December 21, 2001 and so yesterday was a special day. I began a post yesterday morning but my mom insisted on heading out. She wanted to show my cousin how far far away the community college really is and that him wanting to go to the community or any colleges and universities in the state of Utah is a naive and unreasonable plan.
To be honest, the community college isn’t that far. It’s a 45-minutes drive and the route is incredibly slow and boring but isn’t far. But if you want the fun 😉 or long route which my cousin has to do since he can’t drive, it can take anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours. Anyway, I tagged along in case she got lost.
We went home after going one round about the college and lunch at Costco and then I spent the afternoon watching movies and shows on the TV and writing a post just slipped my mind. Besides, I was having a hard time writing it since I had no clue what the prompt meant. Today, however, I have a slight idea.
I don’t do New Year resolutions, I used to but not anymore. I don’t see the point in making one since every year, I have the same two goals for myself and every year, it gets harder and harder to achieve those goals especially this year. So why make it?
The best part about this year has been getting this job but with my mom rushing me to complete the job day after day, I haven’t been able to keep up with my health. I’ve rarely seen my doctor or gone to the gym. It’s always just school and work.
Another reason for not going to the doctors was because of my insurance. When the insurance got switched to a new company at the beginning of this year, it started having problems. Most of the time, it wasn’t paying anything for me and I had to spend countless hours calling, trying to resolve dumb problems. Even a month ago, I was trying to resolve something that happened in June. I’ve already had enough to do. So you can see why I stopped going to the doctors.
I promise myself that once we’re in 2015, I will go to the doctors as well as the gym regularly. I’m not sure how well I will be able to keep the gym part going but the doctors, definitely, since I’m paying for my own insurance now.
Also when my mom’s away at training during March and April, I will try a self-controlled diet. Oh, and once January comes, I need to go see a doctor or a cardiologist or whatever to get my heart checked out. Let’s just say I haven’t been kind to my heart and it’s a little angry.
Other than that, all I wish for is to just get through the year as safe as 
possible. No casualty. No jitters and ignore my mom’s attempt to creep me out about the year of the goat thing. Apparently, she believes that if the current year is your Chinese Zodiac year, i.e. I was born in the year of the goat and next year is the year of the goat, bad luck will come to my door. I won’t say more otherwise I’d be jinxing it. Just wish me good luck in 2015, no more accidents or terrible news of any sort.
Anyway, my aunt wants me to take them downtown today. So hopefully the storm will stop soon and the sky will lighten up just a teeny bit.
Happy Winter Solstice everyone!!!
Here’s a beautiful painting to admire.
Christmas Trees, Presents Delivery, Time Off, That’s the Holidays
I have been trying to write a post all day today but for some reason, I haven’t been able to finish it. This morning, I woke up, washed my bedding (finally!), and had breakfast. Then I went back up to my room, trying to write something about the prompt today but somehow, I was feeling rather frustrated and uninspired. I mean, it’s not that difficult of a prompt but at the present moment, this is my third and possibly fourth attempt at writing anything today.
My first attempt was kind of awful, talked about how I’ve grown to somewhat fear the end-of-year holidays. I’m not sure if anyone wants to hear anything that negative today.
My second attempt was a list of my love and hate for the holidays. That list was going successfully until my mother interrupted and said she wanted to go out. I’ve been stuck at home all day and thought that was the culprit for my lack of inspiration. So I accepted and we all went out. First, it was to the air force base to pick up my mother’s medicine as well as to get some groceries but then it turned into a 30-mile road trip to Morgan, Utah, a rural little town just beyond the canyons.
It’s a beautiful town, quiet and serene. The moment we exited I-84, my mother saw the sign to East Canyon State Park and immediately wanted to go similar to a child wanting candy. Am I the only mature one in the family?
The sign said the park is just 12 miles north. So northward we went. The road was narrow and twisty like riding a slow boring endless roller coaster. My mother’s patience was running short and after 5 minutes or so, she began to wonder if we’ve gotten lost. No, we haven’t. I began to doubt too but on the other hand, I was sure we were on the right route.
When we reached mile post 7, my mother decided to turn back. “I’ll bet you anything that the park is when you reach mile post 12.” I told her but as usual, no one listened to me. So after 40 minutes or so, we’re home.
To be honest, I enjoyed Morgan, it seemed like one of those places I like to see myself living when I finally move out of my mother’s house. It’s quiet, quaint, and just rural enough for my taste. Best of all, there are no planes!
Anyway, I’ve returned to my computer to try to compose my daily post again. When I finally got two paragraphs done, I was interrupted again! Now what?!
I went downstairs to find out what my mother had wanted. Apparently, she suddenly want my aunt and I to play Santa and deliver all the presents to all neighbors, ugh, one of the things I dislike about the holidays. Every year, it’s always me who had to deliver presents and never get anything as nice or anything at all in return.
I just came back a few minutes ago, delivering presents to one of our tenants. My face as well as my hands and legs are still freezing cold and I’m feeling a tad dizzy. I need to go see a doctor soon to make sure I’m still as healthy as I used to be. But for the rest of today, I have no wish to go anywhere else. I wish to rest a bit in my room while waiting for a little inspiration to struck. Until then, I think I’ll leave you with the list from my second attempt at the prompt.
Things I love about the end-of-year holidays:
- Time off! Oh yes, definitely the time off. For one thing, no homework and no school. The thing I don’t like though, grades. The end of semester grades are coming out and that is my fear for every year. Thankfully, I’ve done alright this year.
- Pies, pies, pies! The only time of the year when my mother buys pies. I’m a pie lover and so that’s good.
- Family gatherings! I used to love this back before my mother and I left Texas.
Things I dislike about the holidays:
- Lack of things to watch on TV. All my favorite shows wrap up with its mid-season finales and won’t be back until mid-January. What does that leave me to watch? Not much but reruns and Christmas specials.
- The holiday music on the radio. They all sound the same, just sang in a different way. The jingling, joyful-themed, as well as some of the sad-themed songs just feels a tad annoying.
- The cold winter and the inability to go out and not get a red nose. This year is especially worse. There’s no snow and it’s incredibly cold. It’s like being stuck in an ice chest.
Pumpkin Pies for Lazy Cooks
I made a pumpkin pie yesterday! It’s the first one I made in 4 years. Read about it to see how it turned out! It’s beautiful, isn’t it?
So on Tuesday night, my mother came home announcing her office at work was having some kind of get-together on Thursday and they had asked her to bring something. She didn’t know what until she got home. A pie, she insisted. But where can she get it? She didn’t want to drive 20 miles to Costco. So instead, she requested me to make one.
Fine, one Pumpkin Pie pronto.
We took a trip to the commissary up at the Air Force Base and gathered the ingredients.
- 1 Large Can of Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 1 5 fl-oz of evaporated milk
- 1 pie shell
- Along with that, I needed 2-eggs.
Yesterday, during my small break in between work, I went into chef mode and worked on the pie. The last pumpkin pie I made was more than four years ago, Thanksgiving eve, 2010, when a blizzard hit and I was snowed-in from school. My attempt…
View original post 422 more words
Can I relax now?
Well, this week has been fun. Not really. Monday was my first day off for my Winter Break and I mean real day off where I have the house to myself for a few hours. I thought I’d write a lot this week, perhaps work on story I noted on my other blog but unfortunately, my week was ruin by my project manager and her stupid concern email. After working for such a long period, my creativity meter’s level fell to zero.
Thankfully, I just finished my work, just a few minutes ago actually. Hmm, I wonder if I can finally let out a breath and enjoy my holidays. In the last 3 days, I have worked 20.5 hours and translated over 5000 words. I woke up at 4 am yesterday and 6 am today to complete this annoying and boring monthly deadline. Yesterday, I’ve check and found out next month, there’s more. The deadline? January 12, the first day of school. I do hope I can complete it.
Anyway, now that I’ve done this month’s work and ran out of “me” time, I think I’d spend the last measly hours today, aside from going to the orthodontist and do the impression for my retainer, I think I’m going to blast the music on my stereo and sing. Ha ha, maybe but I think I have some other matters to take care of first:
- My AAA card will expire, got to call and take my mother’s name off it and pay the bill.
- I received a gift card two months and I think there’s a problem with it, so got to call and wait and wait.
After that, I hope people would chill for a while and cool it with the deadlines.
A Rebel and A Hero
Unsung heroes, eh? I’m not sure I have any having known so few people in my life. My biggest hero at the current moment is my mother who wakes up and leaves for work at 4 am everyday. Then she’d come home at around 5, cook, browse the internet, sleep, and then do it all over again.
I admire that about her, hard working and willing to sacrifice. I mean I think I’m a hard worker too but I don’t think I will ever be as a hard worker as she is. I don’t think I’d have the courage to go through basic training at the age of 42 or be able to complete 2 miles in 15 minutes.
Also I don’t think I have the guts to rebel against my family whereas my mother went against her parents’ wish by going to school and get a higher education instead of going into the job force right out of high school like her siblings. At the moment, my mother’s the only one in her family with a college degree and just so happens be the least favorite person in not only my grandfather’s mind but everyone else’s mind. I guess that makes her the unsung hero in her family.
*****
I have exactly 20 hours to myself this week and I intend to cherish every bit of it. Yes, I’m the only one who’s off this week. My mother has work and aunt and cousin has school. So now, I need to eat, go to the gym, and work on rewriting the novel I’ve been working for the past year.
See you tomorrow. 🙂
Proving my Generosity
I thought about doing the daily prompt today. Then again, I’m only in my early 20’s. And because of the wonderful doctors who somewhat cured me of my genetic disorder, okay, not cured specifically, more like prolonged my livelihood past my 30’s. My point, it’s a little too soon for me to have a bucket list let alone an anti-bucket list, if I even decide to have one.
Anyway, I got into a small argument with my mother on Friday because my aunt was whining her clothes got ruined from painting the rental home. My mom said it’s because I wouldn’t spare some of my clothes. Well, I’m sorry but I never said to buy this house, my aunt did and I’ve got plenty of clothes ruined from painting houses. Does it mean now that she doesn’t get to sacrifice some of her clothes?
I lost my temper and screamed at my mom because she kept calling me selfish. What made me lose my temper wasn’t what she called me but how she said it, in that mocking tone, like a tease. I don’t like to be teased or mocked.
I kept telling her I don’t have any clothes to spare. It’s not because I’m sentimental and selfish either, it’s because I really don’t have any. Most of my clothes are brand-new, purchased in the recent months, less than a year old. Besides, most of my clothes are short-sleeved and twice as big as what my aunt owned and my aunt’s like a Quaker, I’ve never seen her in anything less than a long-sleeves turtleneck, long pants, and childishly colorful socks.
So my aunt wore one of her turtlenecks and jeans that day and she and my mom spent the whole day Friday painting the rental home while I spent the day running around town on my own. Her turtleneck and jeans were slightly ruined (splattered by paint) but she was reluctant to throw it away unlike my mother. So it’s currently soaking in a large bucket of water downstairs in the laundry room.
It was completely wrong of my mom to call me selfish. I am not a selfish person, if anything, I’m unselfish. If I’m selfish, I would’ve kept all my food to myself instead of sharing it with everyone else. I wouldn’t have allowed anyone else to watch TV or use my internet.
So I spent the entire day yesterday proving to everybody I’m not selfish. We went out for dim sum and morning tea for the first time in months and I paid for it with my own money. I even threw in a generous 20% tip because we occupied the table for so long.
Then when we went to the Chinese supermarket and bought enough grocery to hopefully last more than a week this time, I once again paid for it out of my own money. I felt kind of gut-wrenching when I swiped that card because I’ve never spent more than $100 a day except when I get my course material for school and tuition payment due date. But it proved my point. I am not a selfish person. End of discussion.
This is Another Story 