New Year's Resolutions

Ok, here goes. If I slip up in the first few weeks, I can always start anew on Chinese New Year, January 29.

* Lose weight (Yeah, I know. You've ALL heard that one before.)
* Clean out garage. Right now the garage is a huge junk repository. It would be nice to actually be able to park our cars in there! I actually started this project last spring and got one side of the garage done. But now that side looks as bad as the rest of the garage!
* Buy a bicycle lock and use my bike to ride to the store for small errands such as buying one grocery item I need for dinner. Thanks to Crystal for reminding me of this. And who wouldn't want to save gas money?
* Stop calling the Branch and Blossom "babies". I have been informed by Nanny G. that they are no longer babies!
* Floss teeth twice daily. This resolution usually starts out well but falls by the wayside around mid-year. I do always manage to floss at least once daily. I just hate flossing. It's a drooly mess. I'm surprised the bathroom floors of America are not littered with adult drool and severed fingertips.
* Take vitamins. Same as flossing. Starts out good but falls by the wayside around mid-year.
* Respond to comments on my blog by posting my own comments. I realized I enjoy knowing the blogger has read my comments, so I will endeavor to do the same to others.

Someone needs to put me on the spot in about 6 months and ask how I'm doing with this! Happy New Year to all.

Junk Mail Memories

This evening at martial arts class, I was reminded of my days in the junk mail factory at Time Customer Service. The conversation came about because two other students were talking about the fact that they worked together, but one of them was getting another job so he could work days. I asked one of the students where they both worked, and he said Time Customer Service. More than a few years ago, I was a temporary there.

TCS is a vast organization, but this particular branch of TCS was an enormous junk mail factory. If you've ever subscribed to any Time magazine or Time-Life book series, you'll recall how you're BOMBARDED with junk mail after you discontinue your subscription. Well, that junk mail has to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is right here in Tampa, Florida.

I worked there through a temporary service. Upon arriving for my first day, I was astounded by the sheer magnamity of the building. Easily larger than several Home Depots, I could not believe the amount of manpower and machinery dedicated solely to the production of junk mail. Many of the people worked there for years. Junk mail literally put food in their kids' mouths and roofs over their heads.

I worked in several departments there - I mailed premiums (the "free gift" you get for subscribing), sorted junk mail by hand and machine, compiled "jobs" of junk mail deemed too small for the machines, packed videos and CD's, and ran cages and cages of mail through postage meters. If I may say so myself, I was quite good at all this and often got more than 100% on my production score each week. I had a different and faster way of doing EVERYTHING. I secretly coded equipment (such as automatic staplers) to identify the best tools to work with.

The best part of working there was working in Back Issues. This location is a repository of every Time, Sports Illustrated, People, Life, and Entertainment Weekly magazine ever published. Once an issue was off sale, still-new copies were packaged in groups of 20 and wrapped in brown paper. The magazine, issue and date was identified with black marker. A couple of packages were always identified with red marker because they were archival. They were not to be opened or sold under any circumstances.

All of the magazines were stored on the second floor of the warehouse, accesible by a metal utility staircase and a key attached to a large wooden block (much like those formerly used at gas stations). I was given the key, the list of magazines to pull, and a large plastic bin, and up the stairs I went.

The packages of magazines were sorted by magazine title and date stored on large movable shelving. The shelving was so large that it went about two stories up and the shelves needed to be moved by big metal steering wheels on the end of each case. There was a large utility ladder, but it only had clearance of a few inches on either side even when a case was opened to the widest possible position. It was easier to simply climb the shelves, monkey-style, leave the plastic bin on the floor, and drop the desired magazine into the bin.

I had the opportunity to look at Time magazines from almost the turn of the last century, and Life magazines from the 50's and 60's. Since I was quick at picking, I could allow myself time to page through the old magazines. In the fifties, all magazine ads were hand-drawn. Old Time magazines reported World War 2, the Vietnam War and cultural events of their times as well. People magazine showed a history of hairdos and clothes from the 1970's and forward. I didn't bother much with Sports Illustrated which I'm sure showed past famous athletes and teams.

The job was hard work. Often in the mornings, my hands were so swollen I had to stick them in the freezer just to get my rings on. I wore knee wraps and a weightlifting belt, since belts weren't provided for temporaries. At the time, I was quite fit and did an hour of more of aerobics a day. How people worked there into their 50's and 60's is amazing. But I've always felt privileged to view those old magazines. They're part of our history and heritage.

Where's the Honor?

I fail to see the honor in these so-called "honor killings." It's bad enough he killed the older daughter, but all the little ones too? This is what makes a third world country. Not the economy or healthcare (or lack of either). It's in how people treat each other, especially women, the elderly and children. Despite ALL the criticism levelled at the U.S. and Christianity, you have to admit we're better than these people.

Merry Christmas To All

and to all a good night.

Branch and Blossom's Names

A couple of people commented on Branch and Blossom's names on the 12/17 post about their birthday. My mom's boss also made a comment, only half-joking, that she would be JUST the person to have grandchildren named Branch and Blossom. Branch and Blossom are not their real names, although they ARE two of the many nicknames we use. Branch's whole name is Pine Branch. The pine tree is a symbol of loyalty in Chinese culture. Also, he is a new branch of my husband's family tree. Last year I got a Christmas card for my husband and it had a picture of a pine bough on the front, which is where I got the idea for Pine Branch. And the Blossom's whole name is Plum Blossom. I believe almost every culture equates the beauty of a girl or young woman to a flower. That's fairly universal.

I take credit, I dubbed them Pine Branch and Plum Blossom soon after their birth. They also have Spanish nicknames, Gordito (little fat guy) and Llorona (she who cries). We tried to eliminate "Gordito" when Nanny A. left, but Nanny G. continued the tradition and called the Blossom "Llorona" as well. They are also Sir and Missy, and the Customers. Like the cats, they have many nicknames.

Virgin Tag

Ok, I’m a virgin. This is my first time, so be gentle. This was sent to me by Muse at Xanadu. The rules for this particular meme are as follows: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so:

Nathan
Eddy
Yaniboy
Xanadu
Herding Cats

Then you get to select five people to pass the love on to so they can do this meme,
like so:

Zube Girl
Groovy Vic
Kazumi
Stringman (will guys do this sort of thing or is it a “chick thing?”)
Spider Walk


What were you doing 10 years ago?
Working for Big Media/Entertainment Company. Drinking way-y-y too much beer.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Still reeling from the birth of Branch and Blossom!

Five snacks you enjoy:
1. Tostitos and salsa
2. Anything Hersheys
3. My cousin’s artichoke dip that he always makes for Thanksgiving
4. Cold macaroni and cheese – the boxed kind. The cheaper the brand, the better.
5. Beer (That IS a snack- right?)

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
(Showing my age here!)
1. “Sympathy for the Devil” (Rolling Stones)
2. “Walk This Way” (Aerosmith)
3. “Back In Black” (AC/DC)
4. “Crocodile Rock” (Elton John)
5. “Rebel Yell” (Billy Idol)

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Buy an electric wheelchair for my disabled friend.
2. Invest half a million dollars
3. Pay off the mortgages of my family and give them money for future property taxes.
4. Buy a motorcycle and a couple of collectable cars.
5. Live up north in the summer and in Florida in the winter.

Five Bad habits
1. Procrastinator – especially anything related to money.
2. Impatient in traffic – very aggressive driver, though this has helped me avoid accidents more than once. It takes balls to drive in Florida.
3. Cursing. I learned this from my mom!
4. Wasting time playing Freecell
5. Eating fast (The only human alive that can eat faster than me is my step-brother. This is actually a useful skill if you have babies and are trying to squeeze in a meal for yourself.)

Five things you would never wear again:
Note: Did not wear these all at once. Ever.
1. Spike heels. Way too painful, even to look sexy.
2. Big hoop earrings. Too trashy looking..
3. Big long belt looped around twice.
4. Foundation makeup (too sweaty here in FL). Last time I wore it was for my wedding.
5. Tight jeans.

Five Favorite Toys:
1. Kickpads at martial arts!
2. Tennis racket (Sure miss using it last year!)
3. Laptop. Soon to be repaired.
4. My kittens (do they count as toys, since they’re living creatures?)
5. Bicycle.

Let's Help Heather

This post of what happened to Heather's Christmas package from her aunt and uncle would leave anybody feeling grinchy. Help her out with some ideas for some Christmas revenge.

Happy First Birthday, Branch and Blossom!

Today the Branch and Blossom are one year old! It's not that the time flew by, no ma'am, it sure didn't. It was GRINDING every single day. The most amazing thing is that I am still alive and in one piece (mentally). I honestly did not think I would make it.
I was certain I'd end up in the mental hospital. I am very thankful for the Branch and Blossom's good health, our fortunate situation which allows us to provide well for them, and for the help of my mother, Nanny A., and Nanny G.

Many, many more, Branch and Blossom. Mommy and Daddy love you.

9! Count 'em, 9!

...Christmas cards received today. Ok, one each for the Branch and Blossom. That leaves a record-setting 7 for us!

What It Took...

to get rid of a headache this morning:

- 3 cups of coffee
- 3 ibuprofen
- 1 diet cola
- 1 Tylox capsule

and a partridge in a pear tree. In that order.

Message to Europe: Eat A Turd

Does anyone really care what Europe has to say about our domestic business?

SudaCare Shower Soothers

If you have congestion from a cold this winter, SudaCare Shower Soothers may be just the thing. Put a Shower Soother tablet near the drain in your shower and breathe in the menthol vapor while you shower. Basically, they work like the old "hockey pucks" in urinals! You're probably wondering how I know about "hockey pucks". Well, uh, it's not from experience, you know, uh, just one of those things you hear about!

Go, Ahnold!

California Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar stood up to the Hollywood liberal types and granted no stay for the execution of Stanley Tookie Williams. Maybe from having been in Hollywood himself, Arnold realized how shallow and self-serving these celebrities can be. After all, with their hired security details and sophisticated alarm systems, Hollywood stars needn't worry about being shot in the back. It could not have been an easy decision for Governor Schwarzeneggar. He would have been demonized either way by one side or another.

The question in my mind remains: why did the Asian community not protest the protesters? Williams killed several members of an Asian family. Have Asians somewhere voiced their opinion but were ignored by the media? Or were they too busy simply educating themselves and their children, working, and not *gasp* wallowing in a victim mentality?

Christmas Charity

I bought food to donate today. Every year our martial arts school collects for Metropolitan Ministries. I tried to by a complete meal for a family - ham, sweet potatos, instant mashed potatoes, Stove Top corn bread stuffing, creamed corn, green beans, brownie mix and formula for the hypothetical baby. I also want to get some toys. The food doesn't look like much but the ham and formula alone were nearly thirty dollars.

Post a comment on what charitable donations (including your time) you did for the holidays this year. Jess helped sort boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

And no, I'm not a once-a-year donor. I also donated money this year for hurricane victims. After all, those victims could have been me.

Christmas Shopping

Got alot of Christmas shopping done today - all online. It's not that I have some sort of phobia about going to REAL stores. Most of them are festive enough and have hired extra staff to deal with the extra shoppers. It's the TRAFFIC I can't take. With little ones, I can't sit in traffic very long at all.

I guess it's a statement of fortune that it's difficult to buy for everyone in my family (except my mother, the insatiable music fanatic). What to get for two nephews I hardly ever see? I went traditional and low-tech, Mancala
for the 8-year old and Trouble
for the 6-year old. If you've never played Mancala, you should try it. It's actually
one of the oldest board games in the world. I forget how to play it, but I remember it was fast-moving and fun. It's simply a wooden board with small wells carved in and glass pieces sort of like squashed marbles. That's it, no card, spinners, or dice.

Really, my aunt, dad and stepmother, and brother and sister-in-law have everything
they could need and can afford to buy what they can't. So Aunt got a George Foreman
Grill, brother and sister-in-law a Cuban music CD, and the only remaining gift is to
be purchsed for my dad and stepmother.

Go to a retail store and take a look around at the suggested Christmas gifts. Foot
massagers. Bath and lotion sets. Boxes of snacks - food readily available much cheaper at the grocery store boxed up nice and fancy. Each year the gifts get more
ridiculous, but it just goes to show that most people have all the food, clothing,
and basic items they need. I really shouldn't complain.

My favorite Christmas shopping of all was when I was in college and lived in Philadelphia. It was so much fun to walk or ride bicycle from store to store; and watch people walking down Chestnut street carrying their packages. Chestnut Street was a pedestrian street closed to traffic. And I could always find something cool and novel for family and friends. One of my favorite memories is, my mother wanted new wooden spoons. So, I went to the Gallery, a mid-city shopping mall in Philadelphia. I purchased several new, white wooden spoons. Even as a college student, I did not know that wooden spoons were ALL white
and that they darkened with age. So,when my mother opened them on Christmas, I said, I'm sorry I had to get these because I JUST COULDN'T find the dark ones. I think my grandmother nearly fell off her chair laughing.

What's your favorite Christmas shopping memory?

A Better Branch

Branch went back to the doctor yesterday and his oxygen saturation was 97, which is really good. The high 90's are good. He was 93 last Saturday and yesterday the doctor said they get worried if it's below 90. We only have to do 2 breathing treatments a day now. But now the Blossom has a cold and her nose is running like Niagara Falls. Ah, these damn colds! Why can't science do something about them?

Weather Extremes

Lots of you guys are complaining about the cold. Pity poor Kazumi. It's over 100 degrees in Australia - and she has to move this weekend! Send her some frosty wishes!

No Sympathy

As the spouse of an Asian, I feel no sympathy whatsoever for this Tookie guy. (See bottom of article for names of victims). Fry 'im, Arnie.

If You Have a Moment...

during this busy Christmas season, stop by Falling Down Is Also A Gift. This family can use our prayers, thoughts, candles lit, anything at all for their little Annika. Be sure and read Annika's story for background information on this child. Many of us are parents and can't even begin to imagine what this family is going through.

Anti-War Pigs

How low can people go? Hate mail was sent to an injured soldier per this story on Fox News.com. Americans should still be cringing like scolded dogs about the way Vietnam War veterans were treated upon their arrival home. Looks like things haven't progressed much, what with all the protests at soldier's funerals and whatnot. You needn't support the war to support the men and women in uniform who are fighting it out over there so we don't have to fight it out over here. Like my mother always said, if you can't say anything nice, keep your mouth (or your pen) shut.

Pick one of the names from the list, and if you have an extra Christmas card, send it to one of them.

Yahoo Wierdness

Something's going on at Yahoo. When I try to compose a new e-mail or reply to an existing one, a screen comes up which shows the "To" and "Subject" lines, but not the box to write the text in. I tried one of my other Yahoo accounts, and the same wierdness occured. I had no choice but...to use...(*ack*) Hotmail.

Big K Much Better

Big K. had a vet appointment today and I was happy to learn he has gained one pound and has a clean bill of health on his urine test. Thanks to Dr. Amy Dilger for her extra care and help.

Branch Not Much Better

I'm a little overwhelmed now. Apparently this bronchiolitis of Branch's
could be an ongoing maintenance issue. He sounds so bad like when I had
asthma and all the bad memories came flooding back - being unable to
run from here to the corner, not being selected for "teams" in school,
sucking at anything physical. I realize the options for kids with
asthma have come a long way since I was a child. But still, our society
places a high value on physical prowess, and kids with asthma are
usually left behind. Not that the Branch has asthma, but it is possible it would
be diagnosed later in his life and now he sounds so bad just like when
I had it. He has two medications to inhale and one is round the clock
every 4 hours. they are scary looking little tubes in giant boxes. I
have realized the pharmaceutical industry is WAY guilty of
overpackaging things. Nanny G. has offered to get up at night but it doesn't relieve
my bad feelings about the situation in general. I know, no-one
wishes their kids to be sick and it could be worse, of course, if he had
cystic fibrosis or leukemia or something. Then there's the worry of
neglecting the Blossom for all the attention the Branch needs. I haven't done any
Christmas shopping either. I don't know when I'll find the time or
energy. I know one thing and that is everything will be ordered online. I
simply haven't the time or fortitude to sit in traffic.

We go back to the doctor tomorrow. Hopefully the Branch will be better. He got a
shot on Monday and more medication. The doctor really did take alot of time
with me since I was so upset that I hadn't been warned that a cold could
develop into a much worse problem like bronchiolitis.

Bronchiolitis :(

The Branch has had a cold all week, which has been getting progressively worse. Finally we took him to the doctor AGAIN today. He had been there Tuesday and the doctor said he just had a cold and it had to go away on it's own. But he was so congested and was wheezing. I called today to make sure the same doctor that saw him on Tuesday was NOT on duty. (There are 3 doctors and 2 nurse practitioners in the practice). If the same doctor was working we would have taken him to the weekend clinic. They are open 1-9 PM Saturdays and Sundays. They're very professional and the co-pay is the same as for the regular doc.

The Branch was diagnosed with bronchiolitis and had not one but 2 treatments with Albuterol and a breathing machine. This is commonly used for people with asthma. The Branch also got a steroid medicine. I had to give him another breathing treatment as SOON as I got home, and then every 4 hours round the clock. He's already had 5 treatments in the last 12 hours and he doesn't seem much better. He sounds so pitiful when he's breathing it is heartbreaking.

Then to top it off for some reason I cannot post comments on people's blogs who ask for word verification. The word I got on all 3 blogs was "smenita" and despite typing it in correctly, I could not post comments. Usually if you type the word verification incorrectly, it offers another word, but every time it brought up "smenita". What's up with that?

Korean Krush

This is my celebrity crush - Korean soccer player Ahn Jung-Hwan. He was instrumental in South Korea's performance in the 2002 World Cup and will be playing again in 2006. The World Cup is the Superbowl of soccer. I couldn't understand why the Citizen was so excited about it, until he said "How would YOU feel if the Superbowl only came around every 4 years?"
Oh. Now I get it.

Ahn has played for Japanese teams Shimizu S-Pulse
and Yokohama F-Marinos. He now plays for French team FC Metz.

I e-mailed one of the many Ahn pictures to my sister. (I amassed quite a collection while unemployed!). She quipped "You sure have an eye for cute Asian guys."

Cable TV Choice

Today an excellent article appears in Slate about choice in cable television. Since consumers have so much choice in every other media and entertainment medium, why not cable? Does anyone really watch all those shopping channels? I personally, would never buy anything from one. Just the mention of the Golf Channel bores me to death, but the Citizen and I would eagerly watch the Tennis Channel, which well may have the same fatal effect on someone else.

The more channels there are, it seems the less there is to watch. Unfortunatley, we must have cable where we live because the broadcast reception is so poor. So we might as well choose what we want to pay for each month.