Pray...

Thanks Wan Chik for this postcard....I love you...

B.I.T.C.H.O.L.O.G.Y.

*I got this from my friend, Julie. I do have to say, in some way I am a bitch...he he he.

When I stand up for myself and my beliefs, they call me a bitch.

When I stand up for those I love, they call me a bitch.

When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts or do things my own way, they call me a bitch.

Being a bitch means I won't compromise what's in my heart. It means I live my life MY way. It means I won't allow anyone to step on me.

When I refuse to tolerate injustice and speak against it, I am defined as a bitch.

The same happens when I take time for myself instead of being everyone's maid, or when I act a little selfish.

It means I have the courage and strength to allow myself to be who I truly am and won't become anyone else's idea of what they thing I "should" be.

I am outspoken, opinionate and determined. I want what I want and there is nothing wrong with that!

So try to stomp on me, try to douse my inner flame, try to squash every ounce of beauty I hold within me. You won't succeed.

And if that makes me a bitch, so be it. I embrace the title and am proud to bear it.

"Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody is watching."

Between Friends

I came across this comic strip today. Have you ever done this? I know I have

Pet Peeve(s)

I have this little pet peeve about online chatting (instant messenging i.e. IM). I have been communicating with family and friends on yahoo messenger (definitely cheaper than calling them on the phone). Lately, I have a few chatters who would "BUZZ" me when they first get online. So, this is my pet peeve...how hard is it to say "Hello" or bagi salam when you first chat with someone? Everytime someone buzz me, I feel like I have to sit up straight and pay attention or that I am someone's maid that I have to go fetch something for his/her majesty. I am not your SERVANT, dammit!!! . It bugs me so much that I have put a few people on my ignore list just because of this.

Another pet peeve I have about internet chatting is that just because you have all the time in the world to chat, does not mean that I do. Or that when I do have time to chat but a little late in replying to their chat, they would start buzzing. HELLO??? If I could reply immediately I would.

I honestly think that some people need to take some kind of online etiqutte class before they are allowed to chat with anyone (I feel the same way about cell phones too but that is a whole different story). People are just so rude and/or don't have any manners nowadays. No wonder our society is going down the tubes...

Anyways, to all my family and friends, if you BUZZ me and I don't answer, you know the reason why....

Rose is Rose

I just love this comic strip!!!

Happy Birthday Wan Chik

HAPPY 46th BIRTHDAY WAN CHIK!!!

Love,

Jim, Yin, Sammy & Tiger

Arrrggghhhhhh...worry, worry, worry

Could I be standing in line at this office in a month or two? Maybe, but I surely hope not. There are some changes happening at my work that will definitely effect everyone. I can't tell you what the changes are just yet coz nobody else in the office knows about it except for the owners and yours truly. The owners don't want to announce it to the employees just yet until they are sure everything is in order. They don't want to cause any panic among the employees which I can understand. I truly appreciate the trust the owners have in me to keep everything in order...

I think the changes that are happening will be good for the office but I just can't stop worrying about how it would effect me. I've been with this company for a little over 2 years now after quitting a very good job at a bank. In fact, the owners were my customers at the bank. Though there are more opportunities for me to climb the corporate ladder at the bank, I was not happy there. After about 10 years working in the customer service department (at various jobs including the bank), I was getting burned out dealing with the public. I find that I don't want to hear people whine when they don't get their way or deal with rude people (customers are not always right, you know!). I am just tired of dealing with people.

At my present job, I have my own little office tucked away in the far corner of the building where it is peace and quiet (except for Tuesdays when they use my side of the building to see additional patients). As long as I have my cup of coffee or tea (depending whether it's winter or summer) and my music, I am happy clicking away on the computer looking at numbers and charts. My hours are pretty flexible, Tuesday - Friday 8:00 am - 6:00 pm. Actually, the hours are not really important since the work I do doesn't require me to be in the office while the patients are there, I can actually work whenever I want. That really helps especially if I have appointments to go to, I can adjust my work hours around it. I can even go into work at midnight if I want to...

Anyways, one of the changes that will effect me is that I might be working from home a lot more. Which, by itself would be totally awesome but the compensation might be a little less than what I get right now. My hours might also be less and that is what is worrying me the most at the moment. You see, Jim has been ill since February and am not able to work full time so, currently I am the main bread winner. As I am being paid by the hour, the more hours I work, the more I make. We are doing okay at the moment but if my hours are cut down, I worry that we might not be able to fulfill our financial obligations (I am so glad that my student loan is paid off a long time ago - phew!). Of course we have our savings to fall back on but I would like to keep that for a true emergency or our old age.

Oh well, I guess I'll just have to take it one day at a time. Nothing else I can do about it. In time, I am sure everything will fall into place. Everything will work out in the end...

Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.

Courage to change the things I can.

And the wisdom to know the difference

Tips For An Exceptional, Superb & Powerful Life

Thanks Raj, for these words of wisdom. I am trying to practice them as much as I can though some are harder to accomplish than others...

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a Tivo (DVR), tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, "My purpose is to ____ today."

5. Live with the 3 E's - Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.

6. Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did in 2006.

7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, taichi, qigong and prayer. They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend more time with people over 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less foods that are manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and planty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12. Try to make at least 3 people smile each day.

13. Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest you enery in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that apprear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more.

18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19. Life is too short to wate time hating anyone.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idead what their journey is all about.

24. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the fancy linderie (not you guys). Don't save it for a special occassion. Today is special.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In 5 years, will this matter?"

27. Forgive everyone for everything.

28. What other people think of you is none of your business.

29. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.

30. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your family & friends will. Stay in touch.

32. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

33. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

34. The best is yet to come.

35. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

36. Do the right thing!

37. Call your family often.

38. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: "I am thankful for ____." Today I accomplished _____.

39. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

40. Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so mate the most of it and enjoy the ride.

Ouch!!!

The last couple of weeks I have been having this dull pain on my lower back. I am not sure what is wrong with it. Every time I stand up, the pain shots up and down my spine that I couldn't stand up straight. I am starting to walk like I did before I had my back surgery in '92. I try to lay down as much as I can but there come a point where you can't lay anymore. At first I thought it was because I've been laying on the futon downstairs but now whatever I do I'm in pain. I've tried laying on the bed as well as the floor and it doesn't help. I wear the back brace almost all the time now coz without it, the pain is excruciating.

I guess if the pain doesn't go away soon, I should go in and see the doctor. I've been taking Advil to dull the pain but of course, I have to keep taking it every 4 hours and I feel like I'm all drugged up. Urgh, I really hate this. I feel like an old woman!!! I just hope that I'm not getting the same problem I had before I had my back surgery, that would really suck!!!

I am getting really frustrated coz if it's not one thing, it's another... I hope this will end soon coz I don't know how much more I can take.!!!

Sleepy

Here I am at about 5:05 am and wide awake.... Woke up at about 3:45 am and can't go back to sleep so I decided to play some of my games in the hopes that I would get sleepy. No such luck so far... Am yawning quite a bit but my eyes are wide open. My 3 boys are fast asleep. Tiger is sleeping on Jim's belly at the moment and Sammy is right here beside me, sleeping on the chair. Every so often Sammy would open his eyes a little just to make sure that I am still here. He must be wondering why I'm not in bed. I am sure he would rather be on the futon/bed right now. But, being my "shadow", he'll be right beside me wherever I am at the moment hence the reason why he's on the chair curled up in a ball.

Hemm, I'm having my in laws over for lunch tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon. My mother in law's birthday was yesterday (July 6th) and since I had to work and Jim not feeling well, I figured I'll have the family come over for lunch on Sunday. That way, even if Jim isn't up to it, he at least could enjoy some time with his family and still be at home. He hasn't seen little Karsen for a while now and I know that he misses her.

What am I going to make for lunch? My in laws really like it when I make Malaysian dishes when they come over. I think I'll make some popiah goreng (spring rolls) for appertizer. For the main dish I think I'll make kuey teoy goreng with seafood. Also maybe make some roti paratha with dahl, or maybe nasi ayam (chicken rice). I'm not good at making dessert so maybe I'll just get an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbin's. It is my mother in law's birthday after all...

I'm getting a little hungry now so I think I'll go raid the fridge and see what leftovers we have that I could munch on. Maybe I should just heat up some milk and see if that would help me fall back to sleep.

Catch ya guys later.... Adios

Happy Birthday Mom

Happy 61st birthday Mom...

Help! - The Beatles

Help, I need somebody

Help, not just anybody

Help, you know I need someone, help

When I was younger, so much younger than today

I never needed anybody's help in any way

But now those days are fone, I'm not so self assured

Now I feel I've changed my mind and opened up the doors

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down

And I do appreciate you being around

Help me, get my feet back on the ground

Won't you please, please help me

And now my life has changed in oh so many ways

My independence seems to vanish in the haze

But every now and then I so so insecure

I know that I just need you like I've never done before

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down

And I do appreciate you being around

Help me get my feet back on the ground

Won't you please, please help me, help me , help me...oh

4th of July with Karsen

I was over at Christine & Frank's (my sister in law) earlier today to celebrate 4th of July and took some of these pictures of my little niece Karsen. She's only about 19 months but is quite tall and very smart!

"What are you looking at?" She's a little grumpy since she just woke up from her nap

"Look Daddy, I'm playing the drums"

"Yum, this thumb sure taste good"

The pool in the backyard sure is a good place to cool off in this 116F degree weather.

Happy 4th!!!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!