OakMonster’s Den

Celeste, Nhien and I ran into The New Guy in the parking lot yesterday. He asked where we were heading off to.

Celeste said, “You want to come with us? We’re going to pho.” [Pronounced: fuh]

TNG just looked at me with an expression I now know as the “I’m not going to go there” look. And of course, I just had to go there on his behalf and for everyone’s entertainment.

“The noodles, TNG. We’re going to get Vietnamese noodles,” I told him.

Celeste and Nhien caught on and started laughing.

“I thought you were going to get hot dogs,” he quizzed.

“But that’s because I want to initiate you to the cult of the bacon wrapped hot dog, dude,” I replied.  “Since you couldn’t go, well, we’re going to get pho instead.”

TNG sighed. “Well, have a good lunch then,” he added, “Next time you ladies are going to pho, I’ll bring the hot dog.”

Yes, we totally adore TNG. He fits right in with our sick and twisted crew.

And when I recount the story to Brandon later last night, Brandon laughed.

“Well, hell!  Who in their right mind can say no to you three going to pho.”

Remember that the monstrous, super painful nostril zit/infection thing I had while I was in Hawaii? Well, it managed to manifest once again in the other nostril this time while I was sick.

At least now I know it could be a form of staph infection that could go away on its own if your body is strong enough (which mine isn’t at the moment), or it could get worse and infect your sinus and perhaps even your brain.

Oh yeah. Lovely, isn’t it?

I look like a lopsided Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer. My nose is red on the outside of where the infection is on the inside. Although I doubt Rudy’s nose hurts so bad that he wants to shave it off his face with the nearest utensil. I mean, I cough and it hurts my entire head.

Nothing I can do to it really until I see my doctor, which is probably not going to be tomorrow morning. The online suggestions said to soak that in warm water and apply antibacterial cream which may not help all that much but doesn’t hurt. I have to take another half day on Tuesday probably to get this taken care of.

But that’s all the bad of this weekend, really. Because the rest was just fantastic.

First of the good things this weekend is that I picked up my new glasses, Candies frame with the newest Transition lenses. It costs me pretty pennies, but it’s definitely worth it. Once my nose stops lighting the way for Santa, I will definitely take a picture for you guys.

Brandon is very happy about these and I’m sure my dad would be too. Those guys hate my geeky New Balance glasses which was my mom’s favorite. As a matter of fact, that was the last thing we bought together. She picked out those bad boys before she went in for her first chemo. But I digress, as always.

Originally, after I picked up the glasses, Aurora and I were going to a wine and cheese tasting which Brandon offered to be our driver. A few sips of alcohol at the tasting apparently doesn’t interfere with Aurora’s breast feeding, but Aurora’s allergy to dairy does. (It’s the whole passing on the allergy thing.) Why tastes the wine at the wine & cheese event if you can’t have any cheese! But Mommy needs a few hours off anyway so we took her to have a dairy-free lunch and a for a stroll around the mall instead. Good times were had by all.

This morning, I had a hair appointment with Mary Ann in Sierra Madre. I plunked in a big wad of dough for salon quality shampoo and conditioner since my switch to store brand split my hair like never before. Hence, the appointment to trim those suckers off my head. At this length, said Mary Ann (and Shane, the former beauty supply purveyor, too), my hair can’t afford to be on drugstore stuff any more.

Brandon almost fell off the chair when I told him how much the shampoo and conditioner were. But a) these would last a LONG time, and b) it’s the cost of having the long, beautiful Asian hair you love, honey bunny, in addition to living with this.

After Mary Ann beautified me thoroughly–so much so that I ran late to brunch with my girls. Celeste, Eva, Nhien and Amy were all waiting for me. It was HOT out there in the San Gabriel Valley. The restaurant was under a tent with fans blowing every which direction but still HELL of hot. The soju mojito made the heat a lot easier to deal with though.

And of course, what would the Fab Five gathering be without a little bit of a blog-worthy snippet of conversation.

Amy: Hm. I think I’m going to order the Crab Hash.

Nhien: Well, if I get the Dungeness Crab Chile Rellenos, will you share the hash?

Me: You *always* share the hash, sweetie.

Finally, I just now checked my mail and found that I won a print of this really cool photo over at Raven’s blog! “Seventeen” is her husband Mike’s handy work. Much coolness! Raven was one of the artists showing and vending at the Brewery Art Walk last week. Nora and I bought her magnets and couldn’t get the scent of her Tahitian Vanilla bath salt out of our heads.

Anyhoo. I support artsy folks especially stuff I like. So, here list Raven’s online store and also Brandon’s friend Rachael’s store for her artisan jewelry and handmade soaps.

See? Writing about all of these joyous occasions make me totally forget about that alien living in my nostril. Okay, not totally, but at least for a little while…

That little scratch in my throat knocks me on my butt for two days with headaches, fever, and cough. Go figure.

A lady approached an Army reservist in his camouflage uniform, patted him on the back and said, “Thank you for defending our country.” He replied, “Yes, ma’am.”

How much better you feel when you give in to what your body is calling for.  In my case, it’s the made from scratch chicken soup.  I dragged myself to the store yesterday and forced myself to stay somewhat awake through the afternoon to babysit a giant vat of soup.  Why putting myself through that when my head felt like it’s filled with push pins?  Because NOTHING else sounded good to eat.  I tried having some leftover, but it just grossed me out.  Needless to say, I have been eating said soup every meal since it was done yesterday afternoon and am still craving the same damn thing.

That strange sting that is both painful and pleasurable at the same time when the orange juice hit your sore throat. And the soothing numbness for your throat that comes with ice cream just before the cold makes you cough and lower your body temperature so you start to shiver all over again.

The fresh-squeezed orange juice from Fresh & Easy.  It actually tastes like someone just squeezed it for you.  No sugary addition.

And finally.  Truly a surprise.  This.

Honorable mention for my first photo contest. I didn’t even mind that they didn’t get my name right.  Heh.

Today was just like any other day. I parked my car in the parking lot behind my building. My spot is the closest one to the gate to the apartment, and I usually would be the 2nd or 3rd car in the lot when I get home. I got out, got my stuff out of the back seat, and walked around the car.

Athena was sitting in front of the gate. In the parking lot.

And no, she wasn’t there when I parked my car.

The cat has apparently learned to recognize the jingle jangle of my car keys. The same thing would happen in the morning. My key jangled, she would show up to say hi and walked me to my car. But this was the first time she crossed out of the gate.

Of course, as per the usual afternoon routine I have established with Athena this past week, I would run upstairs, kiss Brandon hello, grab a bag of kitty treats and head back down for some borrow kitty time. I’d spend a good 5-10 minutes down there talking to a “talkative” cat and feeding her a bit of treats.

Sometime Brandon would join me. Athena hasn’t quite warm up to him the way she does with me, but then again, I AM the one with the food.

This time, Brandon came armed with the camera. And with a bit of culinary persuasion, Athena finally got friendly with him, and actually found his legs to be the source of extra warmth she needs on these cold evenings.

Oh, only if that cat learns to come up our stairs. It would all be over for us. She would probably spend her night outside our door because the second floor is a LOT warmer than downstairs.

In any case, I am truly happy that Athena decides to keep us. I already see the calming effect she has on Brandon. We get the benefits of having a cat without actually having one. Athena gets the food and the love. We get to have a borrow cat.

Sweet deal for all.

Behold, the cuteness of the Cat That Is Not Ours But We Wish She Is.

Oh, and on that note, I started a new set on my Flickr called “Not our Cat(s)”.  Check it out. 

Too big a news to wait until the end of the day to post.

And I promise, this is NOT a Rick Roll.

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It goes something like this.

An eager kitten entangling your feet as you walk across the courtyard…to get her some treats no less. (I’m thinking, “If I trip and hit my head on the pavement and bleed to death, you will NOT get your treat, cat.)

El Pollo Loco Caesar Bowl for dinner. Surprisingly filling. No clean up. (I did order a flan but I haven’t eaten it…yet.)

A fuzzy robe. (Who needs pants anyway!)

A glass of pinot noir.

A quiet apartment.

A brand new subscription to Napster. Oh dear god. Music I WANT. At my command! It is surprising how fast time flies when you build your playlist. Much like the same time warp I enter when adding movies onto my Netflix Queue. (By the way, I heart Amy Winehouse!) Seriously. I can be on this thing all. damn. day. Music = Awesomeness.

And to top it all off, I have Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential waiting for me. At this rate, I think the warm bed with Brandon in it would distract me too much to get to Tony’s fine writing.

Meet Athena. AKA the community cat I have been calling “Parker”.

I came downstairs to find one of the girls in the rental house holding the cat. Yes, the girls have adopted the cat and named her Athena. Since they couldn’t have her in the house, she has become the outdoor kitty. And yes, we can all feel free to hang with Athena.

Y’all, I have a semi-permanent borrow kitten that I get to play with when I come home everyday. It’s a wonderful feeling to have a purring fluffy being who gives you unconditional affection.

Well, actually, there is no such thing as unconditional love from a cat. She KNOWS when she owns YOU. She’ll give you that extra love you seek because she KNOWS at some point you’re going to feed her. And when she’s not hungry or not in the mood, good luck getting that love. Oh yes, I have walked by expecting some lovin’ before and she kind of looked at me and went back to cleaning herself. No, you are not as important today. Keep on walking, human.

That is why I love cats.

Oh, while we’re talking about cats, here is my second installment of original lol cats.

Happy Sunday Morning to ya!

Thursdays are now designated “Guys Night” by Brandon and his buddies. That doesn’t mean they would all go out and do anything crazy. Just dinner and a few beers. Perhaps they may just order pizza and watch a movie or something like that.

Something that seem to be too much for the girls. We only have once a month dinner date and we can barely keep it. Haha. I’m sure that would launch a thousand conversations on men v.s. women thing.

I *do* have a bunch of people who would want to go out and grab a beer or two with me much on a daily basis…at the office. Unfortunately for me, as much as I want to stay, I just can’t do an impromptu session. While my peeps can head out any day of the week without having to think about it too much, I have to catch my bus. Nobody lives my way any more so the “Hey, let’s go drinking RIGHT NOW!” is out for me.

But on the flip side, I get to have a me time. As in, I am not cooking or doing anything household related. Just what I want to accomplish or to do for fun.

It’s a good trade off.

I plan on making my Thursday night “work on Olaina’s website” night.  Once that’s done, I have plenty more projects to keep me happily busy.

But tonight, this arrangement works out beautifully for me as I can work on my stuff late into the night if I want to.

I have a day off tomorrow. Before you get all jealous, you should know that I take the day off for all sorts of health appointments. First is my physical. Then my optometrist. And since my 1996 Corolla decided to put on his little Check Engine light last week, I have to take Merlin to the “doctor” as well.

Conveniently, the Toyota dealership is in my old neighborhood and a few steps from the optometrist which is also a few more steps away from my nail place, In-N-Out, Marshall’s, and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

All I need to have with me is my wallet and a book, that’s it.

Oh, and somewhere in there I have to get my boxes of books to the post office to get sent off to troops around the world, an Operation Paperback effort.

A quote from LA Yoga that Olaina clipped out for me says:

“The more we do things we love, we are creating more joy and peace into our lives.”

Oh yes. I am LOADED with projects, y’all. And I couldn’t be happier.

I clipped this cartoon out of the back of Real Simple magazine years ago by Monica Sheehan called “Be Happy”. (Now available as a book, among a few other of her books.) I had it framed back then and it was essentially buried deep into the pit of my den. Upon the recent discovery of the piece, I made copy and framed it for Olaina.

The frame is now sitting on my new desk; its twin sister on Olaina’s dresser and occasionally follows her around as she works. Since I am in support of Ms. Sheehan’s good work, I’m not going to reprint that piece here. But I am going to do my own interpretation: her words, my pictures. I hope this inspires you as much as it has for me.

ETA: OMGBBQ! The REAL Monica shows up here to leave a comment! I am truly honored. And thrilled!  It’s always an honor to have the people you speak of shows up to comment like last time.

(Yes, click on this little arrow here. I finally figured out that “jump” thing!)

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Happy Easter, everybody!

Olaina has blogged about her Easter, the more religious side.  To me, this year’s Easter marks a new beginning of another chapter of my life.  I have finally snapped awaken from a hazey sleepwalk of the past 6 months.  I have finally had a break through in my personal life.  And yes, I have a new computer to go with my new computer desk.

I’m alive again.

And here are some of the songs that inspires and gives you hope and strength.  Share yours in the comment if you’d like to de-lurk a bit. 

Good Day - Jewel

As long as we laugh out loud
Laugh like we’re mad
Cause this crazy, mixed up beauty is all that we have
Because what’s love but an itch we can’t scratch, a joke we can’t catch
God, but still we laugh

It’s gonna be all right, no matter what they say
It’s gonna be a good day, just wait and see
It’s gonna be alright, cause I’m alright with me
It’s gonna be okay

Not Ready To Make Nice - Dixie Chicks

Forgive sounds good
Forget, I don’t know I could
They say time heals everything
I’m still waiting…

…I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it

Falling Slowly - Glen Handsard & Marketa Irglova

Take this sinking boat and point it home
We’ve still got time
Raise your hopeful voice you had a choice
You’ve made it now
Falling slowly sing your melody
I’ll sing along

Hey Jude - The Beatles

…So let it out and let it in, hey, Jude, begin
You’re waiting for someone to perform with
And don’t you know that it’s just you, hey, Jude,
You’ll do, the movement you need is on your shoulder

Hey, Jude, don’t make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

Mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can a child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tide?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

I’ve been afraid of changes
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
Time makes you bolder, even children get older
I’m getting older too

Leaving Las Vegas - Sheryl Crow

I’m sitting in the middle of the desert
Waiting for my ship to come in
But now, no Joker, no Jack, no King
Can take this loser hand and make it win
I’m leaving Las Vegas…

…There’s a muddled line between the things you want
And the things you have to do…

Stuck in a Moment - U2

I’m not afraid
Of anything in this world
There’s nothing you can throw at me
That I haven’t already heard
I’m just trying to find
A decent melody
A song that I can sing
In my own company…

You’ve got to get yourself together
You’ve got stuck in a moment
And now you can’t get out of it
Don’t say that later will be better
Now you’re stuck in a moment
And you can’t get out of it