OakMonster’s Den

Had a nice IM chat with my brother Onk today. I miss that boy enough to make me feel a little homesick.

Oh, mom’s in the hospital again. She has shingles.

Shingles, known to Thais as “Ngu Sawad”, somewhat literally translated as snake’s lashes. Probably the progression of the rash looks like the mark snakes would make crawling away.

I had it when I was in kindergarten and my body still bears the scar. Mine was wrapping around my right torso, making its way toward the middle of my back. In Thai belief, if the “snake” wraps around your body, you’re dead.

Anyway. Onk said dad had it a few weeks back too. So, there goes mom with her weakened immune system. The doctor said not to worry though. She just needs to be watched closely for a few days.

With all the news from both sides of the families–my mom’s return to the hospital and Brandon’s mom’s car accident–and how crazy work has been, I just want to hide from the mad, mad world.

You know, my usual grab Snoopy and get into a closet and hide tactic? It works for me. Disappear from here and now. Get lost in my own thoughts. A place to think. To cry. To dream. Away from the madness outside of that door.

Well, this apartment doesn’t have closet I could get in to comfortably hide.

So, instead of squeezing myself into a corner of a closet to disappear, I’m starting to run away to disappear instead.

A few weekends ago, we made it down to San Diego and I had a good time. Last weekend, I was out at Celeste’s house and hang out with Nora for the evening. I felt like I did disappear in a sense that I lost myself in the moment, drunk on friendship and good conversation. I let everything else go and enjoy myself and my company.

I was lost in somewhere that isn’t the hohum of the commute, the office, and the daily routine. Somewhere where no one can find me and make me do things. Somewhere where I don’t think about mom, home, or my daily life.

I think that’s why I’ve been wanting to learn to run. Even on a treadmill, I was still going somewhere that wasn’t here.

Running away is my new closet.

I’m on my second glass of wine of the evening.I had a hell of a day at work. A sugar high that started early was sustained through the day with all the goodies people brought to the dessert potluck. Here are some pictures of that.

Loads of new registrations for the event I can barely keep up and I am fast approaching room maximum capacity. B and I had a miscommunication that was resolved later in the day. Yadayadayada…

Then the bus was late. It was a good 30 minutes late coming up to town and picking me up and took about as long to get from my stop to the 110, and then there was slowing on the 105. Next thing I know, it was 7:15 when I got off the bus.

It was “Pasta in Plastic Tub Night” at the Borens. Brandon ate the leftover spaghetti and I made a quick and dirty garlicky, buttery, cheesy macaroni with leftover noodles from last night half-recipe of Mac and Beef Bake. I plopped them back into the container the noodles were stored. So, there you go.

And of course, my 2 fantastic glasses of Blue Nun. Hmmm…

A perfect ending to a fuckin’ crazy day!

Oh, and of course, sleep awaits.

*Ring, ring*

“Hello?”

“How did you like that pair of titties for breakfast?”

*Hearty laugh*

You know the cupcakes I made last night?

Well, after an overnight in the fridge, the dusting of powdered sugar has faded. So when I put a pair of cupcakes on Brandon’s desk before I left this morning, the creamy white, perfectly rounded top cupcakes with red dot in the middle, left behind by my piping in the raspberry preserve, suddenly look like a pair of boobs.

Tits. Just a pair of perfect Valentine’s Day presents for a dude.

But may be not for the work place…

Oh my god. Holy shit! What am I going to do with all of my cupcakes!! Not everyone is going to have the dirty mind that I have, but who knows!??

Shit! SHIT!!!

Whipped cream. That’s it! I’ll put whipped cream on top of these when I get to work. Holy shit! I don’t have any whipped cream?? How is this possible that I didn’t replenish this ever so important staple after the Great Fridge Meltdown!?!?! And I’m exactly on time. No time to hit the store.

Shit! SHIT!!!

So I boarded the bus with my cupcakes and a baggy of powdered sugar and my mini sifter (aka tea infuser), scheming up a way that I could finagle some whipped cream from Starbucks. But maybe, just maybe the general store may have a can of whipped cream.

The general store did not carry whipped cream. Well, now I know. But they do have gummy bears. So after a light dusting of more powdered sugar, I covered the questionable red dots with gummy bears.

Oh. My. God. Who knew gummy bears could save you from sexual harassment lawsuits!

Now that my dirty, dirty mind is at ease, I wish you a happy, sugar-filled yet sap-free Valentine’s Day!

Not only a baker eats her own creation to test the quality, she also has to suffer the sugar rush that follows.

Hence, it’s 11 p.m. I’m tired as hell. But I can’t go to sleep.

What did I make? I intended to make these:

But I didn’t factor in the fact that my heart shape cookie cutter was as big as the cupcake itself…so I couldn’t really cut the shape out without destroying the cake. Doh!

So I ended up piping the raspberry preserve INTO the cupcakes then I dusted them with powdered sugar. They look like jelly donuts. LOL.

I’m making the cupcakes for the dessert potluck at work tomorrow. Brandon and I don’t really do Valentine’s Day because we have the rest of the year to show our love. I did buy him flowers today though because he’s having a tough time lately.

Well, his mom thought she was Evil Knievel and flipped her Hummer on the way to Taos the other day. She essentially walked away from the wreck with a gash on her head and some bruises. The Hummer? Totaled. Obviously, they’re ordering a new one of those.

Now you can see why Brandon is a little down…and why he wants me to own a Hummer. Heheh.

Another good thing about staying up at this hour is to get to call home.*Time lapse…as I made a call home.*

A whole other update for another time altogether. But right now, the sugar crash is here.

‘Night!

Here’s a photo of my grandfather I found online while doing a little bit of research. He’s the one saluting. And next to that, the border marker that in 1940-1942 defined the line between Thailand and Combodia.

The correlation? My grandfather, General Mangkorn Phromyothi, saluted the prime minister at the time, P. Phibunsongkram during the French-Thai war of 1940. Wikipedia has a version of the full story, but essentially my grandfather kicked some French ass and got a piece of Cambodia back to our side. Hence, the removal of the markers which one is at my home and the other in a military museum.

Anyway. I found my grandfather’s picture online because of Kitty’s recent post about her great grandfather, a controversial military and historical figure Thanorm Kittikachorn.

On that note, I had a hunch that our great/grandpas must’ve known each other so I did a little research.

Indeed.

At one point, our great/grandfathers were serving the same cabinet! And actually, a few governments after my grandfather was the Minister of Defense, Kitty’s great grandfather also took the same spot.

How small is the world right about now, you guys?

First, Kitty and I found out that she was 10 years behind me at Mater Dei. (Yes, I’m old. Shut up.) We both left school to study elsewhere. We hit it off on the blogosphere because our views on Thai women were the same…and we both felt a little trapped in Thai culture. (Kitty is faring so much better than I did, I might add!)

And now we found out that over 60 years ago, our great/grandfathers might have been friends.

Heck. At this rate, if we trace our family trees and found it intertwined at some point, I wouldn’t be surprise.

The weekend came.

And went.

Where the fuck did it go?!?!?!

*sigh*

I caught up with NCIS, House, Lost, and Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation.

Oh indeed, I’m training for my Feb. 24 movie marathon. Folks say I’m crazy and that they could never watch movies that long, etc.

But I can certainly pull this off.

Heck, I used to just site at my dinner/lunch table with a book and either my nanny or mom had to remind me to take another bite. Or chew and swallow the previous bite. My coworkers can attest to the fact that I still do that at lunch once in a while at work, reading the papers and not eating my food even when it’s sitting right in front of me. Brandon can also verifies that I do the same thing watching TV.

When something has my attention, it HAS my attention all the way. As long as it holds my attention, whatever it is has me bound to it for a good long time until it gets boring or I get tired.

Like my job. Got me. Got me REAL good.

Like blogging and cooking. Once I’m into it, I’m into it. Ditto with playing around on the computers and filing my paperworks.

Like sleep. I am very serious about it. I sleep like a rock. Unless woken up by a dream. And yes, I can get tired of sleeping too.

Speaking of which, THAT is one of the things I need to catch up on this weekend.

G’night, y’all!

Girl friends.

Better yet, girl friends and conversations over handfuls of Indian food.

Brief conversation with best friend half the world away.

The moment when Brandon falls asleep. That little shift in his breathing.

Quiet night.

Thick terry robe.

Full belly.

Money being raised for a cause.

Talking to people about their shares in changing the world.

New Weevils.

Yep. That’d cap my Thursday.

(And another “song title for blog title” tribute to Mazing Amy…hehee.)

Oh yes. My blog entry will be short and sweet because I have my date with Red Kimmy, my piano.

First. I just realized last night that I have been with my company for 2 years now. Wow.

Second. If you’re looking to buy some sweets and bank some karma, buy your stuff from Leslie’s Life is Sweet: Confections for Change. Part of their proceeds go to support Heifer International, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, and also several AIDS/Orphans projects and medical support in Africa and various breast cancer research projects and breast cancer research at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center.

See? THIS is what I want to do when I grow up. Work in a business that contributes to changing the world. Kind of like Product (Red).

So, you go ahead and chat among yourselves. How’s life? What is your plan for Valentine’s Day? What’s going on in your neck of the woods?

Don’t make me bust out a MeMe to tag you…

My ankle suffers a set back. So I’m not running for yet another week. It seems that two little hops off the high bar stool on Saturday applied too much impact for me. Then again, I tried to get back into the ankle exercise routine yesterday may have something to do with the soreness…

Anyhoo. Today, I found myself suddenly facing a 2007 calendar that has plans all the way to the end of the year. And it’s not even half way through February yet.

FEBRUARY

Thursday: Girls Night Out. That is now set on the 2nd Thursday of the month.

Saturday: An all-girl gathering at Celeste’s.

Valentine’s Day: Sharing my dessert with the office. And no, we don’t do Valentine’s at the Borens.

16th: Probably work late, getting our event on the 21st ready.

19th: Holiday. Literal the calm before the storm.

21st: Our big event.

24th: I’m going to be camped out at the Block of Orange to watch 5 Oscar nominees for Best Pictures in one day, starting with Babel at 11:00, then The Queen, The Departed, Letters from Iwo Jima and at 9:45 Little Miss Sunshine. For $30 with free refills on popcorn and soda all day? Even if you’re seeing 3 out of 5, it is already a steal!

Oh yes. Please do join me for at least one of the 5, if you have time. (You can buy regular tickets still.) Or if you’re crazy like me, come join me for all 5. Well heck, I may do at least 4 since I already saw The Departed. Brandon is coming out to see Letters from Iwo Jima and I may get Nora to come see Babel. So, we’ll see.

End of February: I have to get our newsletter to print somehow.

MARCH

March is traditionally our busiest birthday month. 6 friends. 2 family members. Lord knows what else will pop up.

JUNE

June 23 - AIDS Walk Long Beach 2007. Team Lesser Weevils returns!!!

JULY

First week: Actually this would start on Brandon’s birthday June 29, but WE’RE GOING ON A ROAD TRIP TO NEW MEXICO!!! Justin has the month off so he and Olaina will pile into our Santa Fe and head off to Red River for 4th of July. Yeeeees!

2 weeks after that: Our July event. Oh yeah, talk about my timing for going out of town. LOL.

OCTOBER

Late October: Our awards dinner event.

NOVEMBER:

I’m going home for 2 weeks, hopefully I’ll have enough time then, from Veteran’s Day through Thanksgiving.

LOL. It’s going to be a fucking fun year I can tell ya.