Merry Christmas!

Flashback to Xanga: Time

Writing has always been a release for me and I used to blog regularly on Xanga.  My entries on Xanga were a lot more deep rooted vs. keeping it light here on blogspot.  I took a trip down memory lane and found this quote I pulled from The Purpose Driven Life.  There is so much truth behind these words. 

"The greatest gift you can give someone is your time.  The importance of things can be measured by how much time we are willing to invest in them.  The more time you give to something, the more you reveal its importance and value to you.  If you want to know a person's priorities, just look at how they use their time.  Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it.  You can make more money, but you can't make more time.  When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back.  Your time is your life.  That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time.  It is not enough just to say relationships are important; we must prove it by investing time in them.  Words alone are worthless.  Men, in particular, often don't understand this.  Many have said to me, 'I don't understand my wife and kids.  I provide everything they need.  What more could they want?'  They want you!  Your eyes, your ears, your time, your attention, your presence, your focus - your time.  Nothing can take the place of that.  The most desired gift of love is not diamonds or roses or chocolate.  It is focused attention.  Attention says, 'I value you enough to give you my most precious asset - my time.'"

Wish List

Cartier Love Bracelet (White gold) | OXO Salad Spinner | OXO 5 Qt Colander | OXO Click Click Tea Kettle | Wilton 3-Tier Cooling Rack | Chanel Classic Flap Purse M/L | Roomba 564 | Oneida 16" Pizza Pan

Is it sad that everything on my wish list this year is black and white?  Or that the majority of the items are related to the kitchen?  I had to rack my brain to come up with a list of tangible items I don't already have, but would like to have at some point in my life.  Some of these items I am saving up for, others I just haven't gotten around to purchasing yet.  I think the Roomba is the only item that made it from last year's list, lol!  I guess I haven't purchased it yet because I am afraid my hasty neighbors will hear it doing its thing and come knocking on my door to complain about the noise.  Anyway, all of the things I truly wish for this holiday season are things only through faith, may come true.  For one, finding my dream home!   

Paris

The train ride from London to Paris was smooth and easy!  We arrived early Friday morning and covered most of our tourist spots in two days.

At the Louvre Museum

With the lady herself - Mona Lisa

Arc de Triomphe

Abercrombie and Fitch - YES, this is what it looks like in Paris!

View from atop the Eiffel Tower

Beautiful!

Next stop - HOME!  Au Revoir!

London

The last time I was in London was in 2001 with one of my girlfriends whom I met at Deloitte who later has become one of my closest friends.  We toured with Contiki and were ecstatic to travel on an international trip independently for the first time.  Eleven years later I am back, this time for work, but that doesn't mean I wasn't able to squeeze in some leisurely time over the weekend!

@ Westminster Abbey back in 2001

Back at Westminster Abbey again!  So much has happened since 2001, namely, the wedding of the century!  All I could talk about was how Kate wed Prince William at this very spot!

Purchasing a tube daypass.  Exhausted the 7GBP the pass cost in one day!

Big Ben

Ready for the changing of the guards @ the Buckingham Palace where Will and Kate shared their first kiss on the balcony (yes, I am serious!)!

Brunch @ 202 in Notting Hill.  They allow dogs IN the restaurant and we sat next to a cutie pie who reminded me of Echo.  Sigh, I miss that little rascal.

Getting festive at the Winter Wonderland @ Hyde Park.  Similar to a county fair in Los Angeles, but the rides are 10x better and legit (can we say freefall and coasters?).  Tons of vendors for eating and shopping!

It's only been 2 days and I already cannot wait to get back to my little guy.  I hope he is having a good time at boarding/daycare and does not feel abandoned.  Luckily, they have webcam access there where I can see him during daycare hours.

Next stop...Paris!

Ojai Valley Inn

Back in August, we spent a weeked at the Ojai Valley Inn in Ojai.  My weekend getaways have usually entailed getting on a plane, but this time, I wanted to explore a local gem.  We absolutely loved this resort and all of its amenities especially the adult pool and the spa!  But best of all, this resort is pet friendly so we were able to bring Echo with us!  Echo had a welcoming treat of his own (bone cookies) and a bed for comfort.  This was the first time we had let him run around without one of us holding on to his leash and boy, did he have a great time!  I had forgotten we had taken all these pictures and just came across them last night so I wanted to share a few of my favorites!  Needless to say, we hope to make it a tradition to visit the Ojai Valley Inn each year!



Go fetch!



I got it! Here I come!

 

Wait, where are you going? I guess he hasn't mastered the art of bringing it back yet!

All this running around is making me tired!



High five for a good time!



Ahh, this is the life!  Let's do this again soon!

Homeland

I just got Showtime and am hooked on Homeland.  Claire Danes' character annoys the heck out of me, but it is so funny because if your mind is alert and and your heart is receptive, you will find that there is a lesson to be learned in almost every situation.

The other night I was watching an episode of Homeland.  For the most part, I have stayed mum, quietly cursing Claire Danes' wrecklessness and disobedience in my mind careful to not disturb J as he enjoys watching his shows in silence whereas I like to add my colorful commentary because what I have to say is that important.  But this particular episode pushed me over the edge.  "She is so annoying!  I hate her right now!" and "She's going to ruin everything!" and "Why are you not sharing the same level of frustration with me?!" were the words that kept pouring out of my mouth.  I couldn't take it anymore.  Her character was so impulsive that it was driving me bananas.  And then it all came together...

Though her actions were not premeditated, there was an outcome born from her choices.  Meaning, at the time, her choices didn't make any sense, but the result that came after gave meaning and purpose to those choices.  An outcome was born, though not conclusive, did contribute to the overall direction her team wanted to move toward.  More simply put, everything happens for a reason.

I reflected on this and wondered how many times I got frustrated and annoyed in the moment because I didn't understand why something was happening or why something had to be the way it was only to find out that oh, there was a reason for this.  That everything always works out in the end.  Maybe to my benefit, or maybe to my detriment, but someone else's benefit, but bottomline, there is a purpose.  A purpose that comes to fruition immediately, or perhaps a purpose that I will never come to realize because my world is only so big.  The lesson learned is to try to be still and trust that God is always in control. 

This is a theme that has been recurring in my life lately, a thought that has been marinating in my mind.  I don't think it was a coincidence that I came across a plaque recently that I immediately purchased that reads...

"Your journey is unfolding exactly as it should be."

Pins and Needles

Echo gave me quite a scare on Friday.  Two sewing needles that were left in the middle of the coffee table were suddenly missing.  All that was left was half of a needle on the rug.  After frantically looking everywhere, the needles were nowhere to be found, so my only conclusion was that Echo had swallowed the needles, but the only way to confirm was to take him to the vet for an x-ray.

Here he is on my lap while I was working from home.  Is he trying to tell me that his tummy doesn't feel good?

After two x-rays, it was confirmed that he indeed swallowed the needles.  You can see one of the needles at the bottom right.  Luckily, the needles criss-crossed so they didn't move into the small intestines

 

The doctor referred us to a specialist who would perform an endoscopy to retrieve the needles.  Echo is reluctantly anticipating the procedure.  Little guy had to be knocked out for about half an hour.



Success!  This is everything that was retrieved. 

My Buddy & Me

I am hideous in this picture but I thought it was too hilarious not to share.  Don't judge, you know you sleep with your mouth open too.  ;) 

My Mother's Daughter

My Mom is a superwoman.  Not only did/does she work 6 days a week (7 during the holidays), she never failed to put dinner on the table every night and manage our homework while we were growing up.  On Sundays, she would be a chore machine, cleaning the house from top to bottom, grocery shop, then cook and clean in the evening.  My Dad on the otherhand would turn on the TV once he got home where he would remain the rest of the evening and on Sundays, aside from dim sum, would be consuming every sports game broadcasted.  I never understood how my Mom had the energy to work nonstop, I mean, even when all I did was lounge around on a Saturday, I was still "too tired" to help her with chores on Sundays.

Now that I have been living on my own for a while and have a puppy to look after, I find myself falling into the same pattern as my Mom's.  My commute home can be anywhere between 1-1.5 hours, and while I could be falling asleep on my drive, I will muster up the energy to prepare a meal right after I get home.  After dinner, I will either do laundry or clean.  On the weekends, I am spending quality time with Echo, cleaning, running errands, and grocery shopping.  It is like I am on autopilot, probably what my Mom has been on for many years now.

I admire my Mom for all that she has generously given without resentment or bitterness.  Perhaps tradition has a lot to do with it, but today, I don't think women are as accommodating.  With women becoming more and more independent, how do you stop certain thoughts from creeping into your mind? 

"Your job is not more important than mine, I make sacricifices to get home early to put dinner on the table at a decent hour."

"Just because I am running around all day doing chores and running errands doesn't meant that I enjoy doing it and wouldn't rather spend the day on the couch."

I think my Mom would have liked help from my Dad or from one of us, but she never really asked.  I think she was willing to sacrifice her time and energy so that we could kick back and enjoy ourselves more.  Also, what would be the point of asking if it took one of our lazy butts x hours to finally get around to something when she could take care of it right away?  It is so easy to take advantage of kindness.  I can say that I want her to relax more, but without action on my part, those words are meaningless. 

I see myself heading down the same path as my Mom, the primary caretaker of the household while holding down a full time job with a crappy commute.  I am my mother's daughter, so it's ingrained in me to go on autopilot and get stuff done and to take care of those around me.  I am not really a procrastinator.  So everytime I feel like complaining or feel envious of my friends who hardly have to lift a finger in their household, I will think of my Mom and remember that however much I am giving up, she gave up 10x more and let that be my motivation to carry on.

Update On Echo

It turns out that Echo fell on his growth plate and shifted it slightly, so his healing process is taking a while longer.  The veterinarian put a bandage on his leg for additional support for 2 weeks which he was able to remove this week.  For whatever reason, the bandage was glued onto his leg and when they removed it, they removed a layer of his skin with it.  Echo was so brave throughout the whole process, even when he had to wear the cone of shame to prevent him from licking his wounds.

I also noticed that he had been sneezing and sniffling a whole lot and his nose was super wet.  I was holding him one night and he started to reverse sneeze.  If you have never seen a dog reverse sneeze before, it really is a very scary experience, but is fairly harmless.  Sure enough, the vet diagnosed him with a cold.  His lymphnodes and tonsils were swollen.  Now, he is on anti-inflammatory medication, pain relievers, and antibiotics.  Poor little guy. 

Being a pet owner takes a lot of patience and heart.  I have been getting into work late and leaving early just so I can take him out for his potty break and have been working from home whenever I can to spend more time with him outside of his crate.  Ideally, if I get into work late, I can leave a little later, or if I get in earlier, I leave earlier, but that isn't doable in my storybook.  I think that those who have deeply experienced the love and joy a dog brings into their lives share my sentiments on how special and deserving these little furballs really are.  Dogs are never "just dogs".



He looked so sad meandering around the house with this on his head and would stare at me pawing at his cone as though he was trying to say "Free me!" that I quickly gave in and removed it the next day.



I love my little guy, so so much!  He is such a good dog.  Not a day goes by do I ever take this little blessing for granted. 



Puppy Parent Woes

I typically like to keep it light and simple in my entries, but for this particular subject matter, there isn't really a channel I can comfortably speak my mind in, so I turn to the one thing that always seems to help - writing.  This entry is more therapeutical than it is an update.

On Tuesday morning, I heard Echo squeal from upstairs and ran down to see what had happened.  When I called him over, he limped over with his hindleg lifted.  I couldn't believe what I was seeing and in that moment, I completely broke down.  I sat down in front of him, held him, and just sobbed uncontrollably.  Would he sense my sadness and see it as weakness?  Am I overreacting?  I didn't care.  He is my baby and my heart was broken.  A million thoughts rushed through my mind: he is too young to not be able to run around and enjoy his puppyhood, how long is this going to take to heal, and worse of all, it is my job to protect him and provide him with the best life possible, and I failed...miserably.

The veterinarian examined him, but Echo was so tense and fearful that he could not tell whether his leg was badly bruised or if he had torn his ligament.  So, he prescribed medication to help with the swelling and pain.  I had to step out of the room because Echo was yelping so much that I couldn't bear to listen.  Is this what it is like to see your child in pain?  I would imagine so, except with a child it'd be 100x worse. 

How Echo was injured is moot, so I am not going to explain.  But, aside from the constant worrying and hopefulness that it is not a torn ligament, the most challenging thing for me has been coping.  I try not to fall into the blame game, to try and stay optimistic, but every single time I see the little guy limp, my heart drops.  I am so angry - angry that this happened, angry that this could probably have been avoided, angry that he is in pain, angry over the additional costs this injury has/may incur - just angry!  I don't feel like I can release any of this anger in a healthy way without impacting someone else, so I continue to hold it in and pretend that I am okay with it.  Sooner or later though, I will erupt, and erupt I did.  This morning, just like there are small earthquakes before a volcano erupts, I lashed out, a magnitude of 3.0 I would say.  Though a small relief, I caught myself and stopped because I didn't want to intentionally worsen the situation.  But when I got into my car, everything came out.  Yelling, crying - you name it.  Deep sigh...

I held my little guy's head this morning and said a little prayer for him before I left for work.  Hopefully he will show signs of healing soon and return to the little rambunctious rascal I have grown to love so much.

This was taken on Sunday.  He loves to get himself twisted up like a pretzel.

Camping @ Pt. Mugu

This weekend, we drove up PCH to Pt. Mugu in Malibu for a quick getaway camping trip.  I had no idea this little gem was right in our backyard and so easily accessible!  We had so much fun taking Echo to the beach for the first time, playing Taboo and bonding around the campfire with good friends, and sleeping in the wilderness. 

Echo is excited to go on his first camping trip!

Echo's first time at the beach

My dirty little rascal

First time in sand and digging his way to China!

Echo was shivering because it was so cold!

We topped off the weekend with some pool time at my parents' place.  Echo's going to love the water - he just doesn't know it yet!

Proverbs 27:17

Photo courtesy of D

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

I was listening to a message the other day about friendships and the speaker repeatedly alluded to the idea that the best way to get to know someone is through their friends.  I have been meditating on the following: If someone were to judge me, strictly based on my inner circle of friends without ever meeting me, would the outcome be worse, the same, or better, than if they were to make the decision based on their interaction with me? 

It is a resounding BETTER.  I could send any of my closest friends to an interview on my behalf and they would have a better chance of landing the job for me than I would.  I would drop my children off to any of these girls and know that they would come home even "better" than they were when I dropped them off.  I get breaks in life purely based on my associations with them that I could never get on my own because of who they are.  I am so blessed to have people in my life that challenge me to be better than I am.  People who push me to never settle for second best, but to always strive for more.  Every single person I consciously choose to let into my inner circle are people whom I admire.

On the contrary, I know people who allow their friends to pick up the keys after a long day/night of drinking.  People who give their friends a hard time when they can't make an event or stay the entire time because they have other priorities in their lives.  People who don't have your best interest in mind and would screw you over financially while their finances are completely in order.  And, pretty much the only opportunities they offer you in life are opportunities to drink and party.  Everyone is responsible for their own actions and decisions, but if someone is to call themselves a friend, he/she is also responsible for the well being of someone they supposedly care about.

I have to admit, it hasn't always been easy.  I've gone through many friendships through junior high, high school, college, and even now.  I have had my fair share of friends whom I partied with, accumulated a lot of history with, shared good times and bad times with, etc... but shortly after college, I realized that I had a choice.  I could choose who I let into my inner circle and that like it or not, the person I would ultimately become would be shaped by the people I surrounded myself with.  Some people go through life wondering why they don't grow or are stuck in a rut.  My advice to them would be to look at the people around you.  Are they where you'd want to be?  As you get older, life gets busier and time becomes more valuable.  I had to be smart about where I was spending my time and with whom.  Did I respect the way they lived their lives and did they respect the way I lived mine?  It wasn't about who was right or who was wrong, but about how I wanted to live my life.  One of my closest friends said to me once, as she saw me head down a downwards spiral, that the person I was becoming was no longer someone she could relate to.  That hit me like a ton of bricks because she was someone whom I respected and admired, and as far as good friends go, birds of a feather, flock together.  If she could no longer relate to me, what did that say about who I was becoming?  I have her to thank for getting me back on track!

I am not a spring chicken anymore and as I get older, friends will come and go and may even be few and far in between.  I pray that I will continue to have the wisdom to maintain the friendships that continually enrich both ways and the wisdom to walk away from those that don't.

Credit Frenzie

It's happening.  This little guy is taking over my life.  Yes, I did personalize my credit card with a photo of him.  My excuse?  It was free!

$55 Starbucks Coffee

This morning, while engrossed in a phone conversation, I forgot to feed the meter before stepping into Starbucks and within 5 minutes, received a citation.  All I could do was laugh at my own misfortune and absentmindedness which added on to everything else that has been going on lately.  C'est la vie!

Doggie Day Care

Ever since Echo was adopted, I have worried about whether it is healthy for him to be stuck in a crate for 10 hours a day (let alone feeling terrible about that), felt the strain on my work schedule because I would have to leave work early, and felt overwhelmed on evenings after a long commute when I would have to deal with his pent up energy (understandably).  I decided to look into Doggie Day Care and am happy with the results so far!  Echo gets to socialize with other dogs all day, I don't need to rush home since he can be picked up as late as 9PM, and by the end of the day, he is pooped which means peace and quiet for me!  The best part is that I can spy on him all day and watch the little booger cause havoc.

Here he is looking as innocent as can be

(he's the white one next to the black tail)

Caught in action!  Here he is barking up a storm.  Naughty boy.  The lady there says he is quite "talkative"

(he's the white one with his mouth open)

"Helloooo, I'm talking to you!"

"Fine.  How about you?  Will you give me some attention, please?"

4th of July

This 4th of July was filled with a plethora of learning.  Learning about what this national holiday means to me and what it may mean to others.  Growing up, my family never had any traditions in celebrating independence day.  Some years we would have a BBQ at home and light sparkly sticks afterwards and others we wouldn't celebrate at all.  But yearly, I would peer out of my parents' bedroom window to watch the fireworks show put on by the local high school.  For most, July 4th is not the same without celebrating over BBQ with friends and family and watching fireworks.  For me, the definition of July 4th is within as I take a moment to appreciate the country that I live in.  That's not to say though, that I don't enjoy a BBQ with good food and watching fireworks!

This year, I helped out at a local community street fair where the adults from around the neighborhood pitch in and host a small celebration for the kids.  There were hot dogs, family games, kid performances, and other goodies.  Everyone was so festive, dressed in red, white, and blue - all in good spirits celebrating with their families.  What I loved most about the street fair was that it was an avenue to create memories for kids.  I think it is so important to create as many happy moments as you can for your children so that they have positive things to look back on, always.

More Doggie Talk!

It's official!  Echo is officially adopted!  Yesterday, we took him to the vet and learned of his story.  One of the vet technicians was on his way to work when Echo ran right under his car!  The vet tech thought that he had killed him, but instead found him shaking underneath!  My heart broke trying to imagine how he must have felt in that instant.  He took Echo to the hospital where he worked and found that he was instantly loved by all.  Everyone recognized him at the hospital and took turns showering him with affection while we were waiting to be called in.  That's the thing about this little guy...he loves everyone and everyone loves him.  When he got his microchip inserted, he yelped for a few seconds which made me so sad.  But right when the Doctor put him onto the ground, he ran right over to me, tail wagging and all.  That made me smile.

Playing with his stuffed pig

Pooped after a 5k jog around the Rose Bowl

Staring at my laptop while I am working

Curious as usual