Grief: A West Side Story Story

TLDR: I burst into tears during “America” number in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and it took me 30 minutes to write this and process what the hell just happened. … So, I’m watching Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and we get to “America.” Somewhere as they were dancing in the streets, tears well up in my eyes. Just as my mouth moves to ask myself, “What the hell?” The memories flood my brain.West Side Story is one of my mom’s favorite musicals. You could sometimes catch her humming “Maria” or “Tonight” out of the blue. Around 14 or 15,...
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Beware the Young Girls

Brandon’s niece stayed with us for a week for 4th of July. This bright, tall, almost 15 years old young woman is usually quiet, but she perks up when the conversation is something she’s interested in. Like animals. (14 pets–five cats, one dog, one rabbit, five chicken, and two horses.) Or swimming. (We made a mermaid out of her this trip!) Or Harry Potter. She wants to be a vet tech someday. And see the world. I can’t wait to help her get to wherever she wants to go. It’s going to be a great destination....
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Life with the Beatles

I grew up on the Beatles. When your parents were both educated in England during the 1960s mod era, those would be the records they brought home. (Well, dad did.) There were also Elvis Presley and the Carpenters, but the mainstay was usually John, Paul, George, and Ringo. My parents were so Anglophile-posh with their musical choices that I didn’t know the hippie period of the Beatles until much later on in life. That also means that I also had no idea who the Rolling Stones or David Bowie was. Elton John was introduced into the pool just enough to get us...
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Day 20: Taste of Home

OakMonster.com - Tsaoshin

5 Thoughts You know you’re still sick when you turned down cake. Seriously. Worse yet when you look at a picture of bacon and your mind says meh. And all I wanted to eat today was crunchy, crispy, salty things. And tea or warm things to drink. I didn’t think I would be able to eat dinner either when I went to dinner with my aunt’s family. But being around family in front of plates of Thai food, that kind of changes things. 3 servings of rice, Tom Yum broth, and Thai omelet with Sriraja Panich (aka the REAL Sriracha)...
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Counting my 2013 Blessings

OakMonster - Team Wicket and Animal

I know I usually do a 2013 recap here with all of my high points and low points of the year. 2013 has been a year of great things. You could say it might have been one of the best years of my life. So, instead of the usual recap, I’d like to actually, literally, count my blessings. Blessing #1: A Permanent Job Since I moved on from the last permanent job in 2011, I was freelancing for about 12 months of the 24 years of being unemployed.  My last temp assignment was to Frieda’s Specialty Produce.  It was supposed...
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A Really Social Media

Every time I hear someone say that people are less connected now because of the internet and social media, I want to tell them it’s because they’re doing it wrong. Since I started playing around on Twitter, I’ve met some interesting people and made great new friends, and even found some lost ones along the way. Some of these people I have even a better relationship with them now that we can stay in touch much more easily. Most importantly, my connection to my friends and family in Bangkok has never been stronger. My current visit to Bangkok so far...
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