Back in the E-E-ER!

Tuesday night I reluctantly ended up back in the emergency room. That horrible pain in my side was still recurring, with a midgrade one occuring Monday night after I had gotten home from the hospital, and then one on Tuesday afternoon that made me think that all of my innards on my right side was going to explode! Alex called my surgeon's office and the doctor on call said that it couldn't have been a pinched nerve, because of how often the pain was recurring. We went to another hospital that was still in our primary care network and after a 2 hour wait, we were finally seen by none other than the same doctor as my first trip. I guess you could call it lucky, because we didn't have to start over from scratch with all of the medical history. He had me drink a nasty tasting liquid which was equivilent to the size of a big gulp from 7-11 so that I could take a CT scan. It turned out that I have a kidney stone about 2 mm in size, but still packed a powerful pain punch! They said it's like a grain of sand, but it hurts because it's not perfectly round and scraping its way down the urethra. Usually they let patients go because it normally passes on its own, but since I was in so much pain and my back meds weren't working for this pain, they admitted me for pain management. I got a room at about 7:30 on Wednesday morning and was discharged today at almost 3. There were so many complicating factors surrounding my stay in the hospital because of my upcoming back surgery, but to make a long story short, I'm having an outpatient surgery tomorrow to remove the kidney stone. Sigh...so many hospital visits and I haven't even had the disc replacement surgery yet!

Adventures in the ER

We spent 12 hours in the ER on Sunday night. Got there at midnight and ironically left there at noon on Monday. (What's with the number 12?) I guess my body wanted a hospital practice run before May 4th. Actually, I had a new pain...a different pain from my usual back troubles. This one was still in my back, but off to my right side and wrapped its way around towards the front. I couldn't get comfortable no matter what position I was in, and was literally crying in bed because it was so unbearable. I had no idea what it was. Something with my kidneys? An infection? Appendicitis? Reluctantly, I agreed to go to the emergency room. Talk about a production! We had to walk Buster, pack some things for the kids, wake them up (which is never a small task!), get them and their things into the car, drop them off at my parents house (11:30 at night!) and then finally be on our way downtown.

So many things happened around us that night. There was a code blue down the hall, which was broadcasted over the intercom system, and I could hear the noise of them doing chest compressions. A Korean lady broke her hip, but there was a communication barrier amongst her, the doctor, and nurses. Because she was combative (probably from being in so much pain) they had to restrain her but luckily called a family member over to serve as an interpreter. A man next door seemed to be a regular pain meds receiver there, known quite well by nurses. I couldn't help but overhear their conversation because his room was right next door to mine. Actually, I couldn't help but observe everything that was going on around us because everything is so loud there on the floor so it seemed like nothing could be kept secret. While I waited in my room, I also wondered how the man in his mid 20's accompanied by his 2 friends broke his hand and also about the little girl a few doors down that had trouble breathing and was so sick they had to admit, and hoped that she would be better soon...hoped that they all would be better soon. What a night. What an adventure! After seeing all of that in addition to going through my own ordeal, it felt so good to finally be home and be in my own bed without being around people that are unfortunately sicker than you or ones that only frequent the ER for pain meds paid for by taxpayers!

So my pain ended up to "probably" be a pinched nerve due to my back issues. All of my tests came out normal and they couldn't find out the source of my pain, so they said it was most likely due to my bad disc. The ER doctor and my surgeon's office both said to increase my pain meds and take 1 1/2 to 2 pills every 4 hours, instead of 1 every 8 hours, and lucky for me my surgery's next week so I won't be a walking zombie for long! You know before all of this excitement, I was pretty apprehensive about my back surgery even though I know it's going to pretty much save my life. It's a major thing, and I kept on freaking out about being put under, being in the hospital, being away from my children, the recovery process, etc., but spending the night in the ER helped me overcome some of my fears and in turn, made me realize that this whole ER experience wasn't such a stumbling block after all. That in fact, this was a hidden blessing that was sent to reassure me that everything's going to be ok. :) So with things in a new perspective for me, I'm ready for the surgery with my chin up and eager to take things one with one step at a time!

Surgery Time

We heard back from UCSF on Friday and my surgery date is set! My pre-op appointment is on May 1st, the surgery itself is set for the 4th and I'll be in the hospital for about 4 days after that. Perfect timing for my birthday huh! I guess I should look at it as the best birthday present in the world, but anxiety is starting to set in. As soon as I got the news, I started to feel sick. Three hours later, my asthma was still bothering me and I still felt like I want to throw up. I need to get over it though and realize that this is the beginning of something great! I'll finally have my life and my freedom back again with a growing lengthy list of things to do. Wish me luck!

Overnight Trippin'

Last Tuesday, Alex and I took an overnight trip down to San Francisco for my doctor's appointment and stayed overnight at the Radisson Miyako in Japantown. It was so nice to get away (although I was in so much pain from the ride) and also nice to see the Bay Area again after so long. I had forgotten how truly beautiful it is there and how much I missed it and missed living there. Just seeing the mountains and hills again reminded me of how flat Sacramento is! Our hotel room was nice. Not extravagant nice or Trump Towers nice, but pleasant and not tacky or stuck in the 70's like a lot of hotel rooms are. It was very spacious for a hotel room and everything was decorated in a contemporary Japanese theme, including the ceiling and the windows. We also had a king sized sleep number bed and I was in LOVE! Here are some pics that I took:

The heavenly sleep number bed...


The view from the hallway (my back was to the room door, closet and the bathroom)...

Also fell in love with the deep whirlpool tub and the bath salts (Ok, they could've updated the glass blocks, but it was still nice. LOL)...


Ok so about the food! We were surrounded by restaurant madness! We decided to walk to the Japan Center, which was right down the street and have dinner there. It was so overwhelming because there were so many places to choose from, and I made myself and Alex walk the entire mall until we settled on somewhere to eat. The restaurant we picked was yummy, with a good balance of sushi, sashimi, and entrees. One of the sushi rolls that we got was a Tonkatsu roll and they breaded the roll in panko, deep fried it, and served it with Tonkatsu sauce and it was absolutely delicious! We also got some hamachi sashimi, an order of inari sushi, a spicy tuna roll, a teriyaki/tempura bento, dinner salad, miso soup, and shared everything. After dinner, our way back to the hotel we passed a little coffee shop that had some butter mochi, lychee mochi, pastries, truffles, ice cream, coffee drinks, lychee slushies and mochi slushy drinks. We were both so full, but Alex needed some coffee and I had to get a lychee slushy and some lychee mochi to go. We went back to the hotel room and I soaked in the whirlpool tub for a bit before we settled in and watched a movie on Adella (my laptop). The next morning, we checked out and headed out to my doctor's appointment at UCSF. It was a really good appointment and everyone there was so nice. The appointment itself surprisingly lasted for 3 hours but it was nice to not have that rushed feeling at a doctor's appointment for a change. So although it was short, it was a nice trip to the city. I wanted to take more pictures, but it rained most of the time that we were there and I didn't want to get the camera wet. I would have loved to stay longer as well, but we weren't there for a vacation and had to get back to our family. Besides, if all goes well we'll be back there soon enough!

*yawn*

I'm so tired. You would think that since I only got about 3 hours of sleep last night, that it would be easy for me to fall back asleep and take a little nap...but, not so much. :(

Somebody pass me some Ambien please.

Admitting It Is The First Step!

I have a problem.

When it comes to certain stores or websites, there is no such thing as a small purchase for me. It is just impossible for me to go in, buy one thing, and get out. I will ultimately get sucked in and spend the usual average $ amount that I often spend there. For example, I love Longs. I mean LOOOOOOVE passionately! It started when I was younger and living in Hawaii, and all of the Longs stores there have such cute things...things that are only sold in Hawaii. Back then I could walk into a Longs and have control, back in the days of only having a weekly $20 allowance and having to budget, but nowadays not so much self control. Not that I don't have to budget now, but I always spend an average of $100 there! Beauty products, hair stuff, seasonal items, seasonal clearance items, even the grocery items are always high frequency items on my list. So most recently, since I'm home most of the time, I went shopping at MAC online because I was out of concealer and had to restock. No, I couldn't just get the concealer and check out. I HAD to get the other things that I've been "needing" and the grand total came out to $170. At least I qualified for free shipping, right? LOL Just last Friday, hubby and I went shopping at the new Ikea because the kids were spending the weekend over at my parent's house and we needed to get some curtains for the living room. Back pains and achy legs weren't enough to keep me from hobbling around the store and getting my shop awn! I was dying when we finally paid and got into the car, and couldn't wait to get home, but no...we didn't just get the curtains and go. We slowly made our way around the store (which is purposely built like a maze) picking things up here and there and spent over 2 hours and 20 minutes there shopping...which after the 15 to 20 minute car ride was 2 hours and 20 minutes too long for me to be out! Two shopping bags full (remind me to get a cart next time because we never just get a few things at Ikea!) and one plant, and almost $400 later, I was too sore but happy that I got to be out and about and shopping in one of my favorite stores.

Hi! My name is Staci, and I have a shopping problem.

Good Ol' Childhood Comforts

I am in comfort food heaven right now! My family doesn't know this, but I've been pretty home sick lately. We haven't been home to Hawaii since 1998 and being that my brother, sister and their families are still living there, not to mention close friends that I grew up with in that island paradise, it gets harder to be away as the years go by. You would think that it would get easier to be away, but nothing truly beats the comforts of home and your childhood. So what did I do? I ordered myself a care package of comfort snacks from Crack Seed Center! Mmm...onoliscious! I guess I got a little carried away $48 later (not including the $16 in shipping because of the weight) but I'm loving it now! This is what I ordered:

1/4 lb. of sweet sour lemon
1/4 lb. of shredded li hing mui
1/4 lb. of rock salt plum
1/2 lb. of pickled peach
1 lb of pickled mango with li hing mui
1/2 lb. of pickled apricot
1/4 lb. of komaru senbei
1/2 lb. of hachimitsu balls (kimi balls)
1 box (60 pcs) of Fusen Gum

Now I wasn't being a glutton...although I probably will have a taste of everything. I ordered the senbei for my husband to try and the hachimitsu balls and the gum for the kids. Yesterday my package of delights arrived and I not only had to tear into it right away, but couldn't stop eating! HAHA My husband had to pry the package out of my hands! First I thought that I would just have a little taste of the tourist seed sample that they included, but there was just no way that I could stop at that. One pickled peach, two pickled apricots, two pickled mango pieces with a li hing mui seed that was in it, one sweet li hing mui, and red fingertips from the pickled mango later, my husband was intervening for the sake of my high blood pressure and hiding the box from me! It may not sound like I ate much, but I had all of this AFTER we had gotten back from Alex's birthday dinner at the Outback Steakhouse and AFTER we had his Haupia birthday cake that I ordered from Zippys. (Sidenote: Outback's french onion soup, bleu cheese chopped salad and lamb chops are all soooo delicious and mail order from Zippys is always worth it, even if the price of shipping is more than the item ordered!) I was sooo full, but I had to have a taste of home. :) It was nice! Aaah...love it!

When I was younger, I would go to the crack seed store every single time we went to Pearlridge or Ala Moana Shopping Center or would always wind up getting some from Gibson's whenever we were there. You could kind of compare it to Pavlov's experiment with the dogs and the association with the bells, because just seeing those huge jars with the bell-shaped dome lids would be enough to make anyone's mouth water! If you grew up from Hawaii or have ever been there, you would know what I'm talking about. They always had such a HUGE selection to choose from and sometimes it was hard to decide what to get. Would it be the juicy li hing mui? Pickled apricots? Rock salt plums? Ahi jerky? Oh the decisions! When you tell them what you want, you order by weight. For example, "I'd like a 1/4 lb. of li hing mui and a 1/2 lb. of shredded ginger please." I always found it funny how the counter person would always get it to the precise weight, picking and choosing the size of the seed or just the right pinch of the shredded stuff to get you to that amount. I would never think about complaining about paying a little extra because it came out to be a few ounces over. LOL It's interesting how they take such care in precision, and if it was over, they would take a little out and put some back in until it was exactly that weight! What customer service! And as for the gum that I ordered? I used to buy it for 2 cents a piece from the candy counter at the shopping center that I rode my bike to when I was little. I loved the little Japanese blue tatoos that were on the other side of the wrapper and the gum itself is so yummy! Anyway, it was nice to be transported back to my childhood for a little while. :) If anyone needs me, I'll be here with my goodies! ;)

Doin' the Happy Dance

Ikea opened in West Sac today! WOO HOO! :) I've been watching the local news coverage of the grand opening and it's quite an event. I wish I could be there! I WILL be there as soon as my back is healthy. I loooooove Ikea! We bought a lot of our furniture from them when we first moved into our house...3 couches, coffee table, 2 bookshelves, computer hutch, tv cabinet, lighting, etc. We got up early, drove all the way down to Emeryville, had breakfast there, and did our shopping thing. We ended up having most of the things shipped because of course we couldn't fit all of that into the Forerunner, but it was so much fun...not to mention the fact that we saved a lot of $$$ because they are such reasonably priced. Some people might think that Ikea is cheap, but the things that we bought still look brand new, are working out well for us, and we love it...AND I loved putting everything together. Aah, the Ikea phenomenon!

My new laptop is here and I'm in love :) It arrived 2 days ago and I have been in techie heaven ever since. Dell is the bomb! I swear we got it in less than a week! Last night we hooked it up to the TIVO to start transferring some of our saved programs to burn onto dvd. We got it with the media center package, so it has a built in tv tuner and a remote so we could use it as an extra TIVO to record some of our favorite shows. It also has a built in wireless card so I've got internet while I'm here on the living room couch. Now it's not that I can't be away from the computer and the internet. It's just that now I don't have to struggle to sit in the desk chair for a few minutes while I use the computer. YAY!

When Did We Move To Kansas?

What is up with this weather? I'm tuned into an extended coverage of the morning news right now, because there is a tornado warning for Fairfield, Vacaville, Solano County and Sacramento County. CRAZY! The storm is currently in Vacaville, no tornado sighting yet, but it's 20 miles away and heading straight to EG! As I was typing the last sentence, there was thunder outside with the sky getting darker by the minute, and now they're talking more and more about the EG area and how we should be taking tornado precautionary measures! My husband just called--he's at the kid's school right now because my daughter is getting an award. He said that the school has already taken precautionary measures and that my daughter's class is staying indoors and that my son's class is in the multipurpose room. The storm's moving about 30 mph and is about 15 to 20 miles away. (sigh) What a day to be home by myself! LOL

(10 minutes later...)

So the tornado warnings are all cancelled, but we're still expecting heavy rain, thunderstorms, and hail in the area. It's still pretty dark outside and the rain has come, although not heavy yet. They're saying that it's a fast moving storm, so luckily it will be here and gone within a few minutes. I've always hated crazy weather like this. When we were living in Baltimore, we would have these crazy storms...some that would come out of nowhere, and I would always get freaked out. I've still got the news on...they're showing EG and reporting that they had some hail and lightening where they were reporting from--I5 and EG Blvd, which isn't that far from me...about 5 minutes or so. Lucky for me, I missed all of that. :) Whew! And now there's sunshine...yay!

Ewww, I'm Going To Puke!

Right now I'm watching the Mtv's True Life: I'm a Competitive Eater episode that I have tivo'd. It profiles three individuals who are competitive eaters and shows how they train for various competitions and also shows them competing as well. I am seriously going to puke. I'm sitting here watching them stuff food into their mouths like they're some sort of garbage disposal and it's truly disgusting, not to mention so unattractive! How can one eat so much food? And why would you want to? One of the guys that's on here is from Japan, who is a champion competitive eater...including the Nathan's hot dog competition. He says that when he competes, he competes against himself and always tries to beat his personal best. For the Nathan's competition that's approaching, his goal is 55 hot dogs in the given time frame. Bleh! That's a BIG chunk of cow! Aren't hot dogs made from cow scraps? I'll eat a hot dog here and there, but 55 in one sitting? Oh and the prize isn't even money...it's the mustard belt! It's insane! His occupation is only being a competitive eater. He must make a good living considering that he's THE top dog in competitive eating. I wonder how much money he spends in food for training, not to mention a good plumber? By the way, he came in first by eating 49 hot dogs!

They showed another individual who is a wall street trader by day and a competitive eater on the side. He's trying to stretch his stomach out for these competitions by eating 11 pounds of various foods (bananas, yogurt, oatmeal, strawberries, pudding, etc.) and then drinking 2 pounds of water afterwards. He came in second for the Nathan's french fry competition and now he's training for the Nathan's hot dog competition as well. This is so crazy...all for a bedazzled mustard colored belt that resembles a wrestling belt! Unfortunately for him, he came in 9th out of 16th. Sorry Charlie! Hope you're good at being a day trader. Don't quit your job.

The last individual seems small time to me in mostly entering local contests, and isn't as "skilled" as the other two. He entered a hot wings eating contest and they're now showing him in a spoonbread eating contest. Why? Why? Why?

So here's the kicker. All of these guys are slim! What the hell!?! Is that some kind of sick joke for us who aren't so blessed with their metabolism? Whatever. I'm over it. Delete.

Timing Is Everything

I don't know why this happens, but by mere coincidence my husband often calls me when I'm in the bathroom. Maybe it's because of the high blood pressure pills that I'm on that acts like a diuretic and makes me pee a lot, or maybe he has a camera hidden in the bathroom and finds it entertaining to call me when I'm in the lua. Who knows? It's funny though and it happens about 90% of the time! Today it's happened twice. The first time I called him back, he answers and the first thing that I say is "I was in the bathroom." He starts laughing because he knows how "lucky" I am that he often calls while I'm otherwise occupied. The second time I called him back, he answers and I say "I was in the bathroom again!" His timing is impeccable! Is that why some people install phones in the bathroom?

Rants and Raves, Poos and Oohs

I am miserable. Not only have I been sick with a bad cold and sore throat for over a week now, but I woke up with a case of pinkeye on Friday in addition to the usual back and leg aches that come with the bad disc. Under protest (because I HATE going to the Dr), I went to the doctor on Friday (only because I didn't want the kids to get it) and got some eye ointment, which I hate because it is a pain to apply and my vision is blurred for awhile after application. I've had pinkeye before and was given eye drops...so much better than the ointment! I have a different doctor this time though, and didn't feel comfortable asking for the drops. It's looking better today. The eyes still ache, and I'm still waking up with the crust but it's doing better. As for the cold, I guess I'm getting better slowly but surely. At least I've regained my sense of taste. (sigh)

On Saturday, we went over to Nextel and I traded in the blackberry 7100i for the i355 . It was a cool phone, but I couldn't do as much web stuff as I wanted too, and the battery life sucked. And I got a proposition from Alex that I couldn't turn down...why don't I exchange the phone and we'll get a laptop! Nice! I'm happy with my new phone, though. It's a very butch phone...not at all cute and sexy. Alex says that it would match the Hummer H2 that I want! LOL From the Nextel site: "It's certified to Military Standard 810 F for blowing rain, humidity, and salt fog. Designed to withstand exposure to rain, sleet, and snow. Rubber encasing, interior linings and seals protect the phone's antenna, speakerphone, keys, battery door, and accessory connections against water intrusion." It's a lot different than one that I would normally choose, but I love how it is really durable and can withstand being dropped or splashed by water (which I've done in the past). I've already personalized it by downloading some games, wallpapers, and ring tones. Love it! The only downside that I've found so far is that because it's made so durable...it's heavy! The muscles in my arm hurt a little from playing with it over the weekend, and my fingers hurt from sending text messages. It's not that I've sent a ton of messages, but you have to really push down on the buttons to key in your entries. We're all set on a laptop choice as well. Alex stayed up late to shop on Dell's website and I think we've settled on our choice. I'm so excited...I can't wait! :)

OOH, we went to Indian Buffet on Saturday night at Sher-E-Punjab. Everything was sooo good! Alex and I even got into the Bollywood movie playing on the plasma screen that was mounted on the wall...so much, that I'm having Alex call the restaurant to ask what movie was playing that night so that I can add it to my Netflix queue!

Since today's a holiday, the kids are home with me. It's been a good day so far and they're both doing a great job, not to mention the fact that they're getting along almost perfectly. Did I just jinx myself? Hope it lasts! LOL

Valentine's Day

I don't like having a big production made for me for Valentine's Day. As a matter of fact, I have a rule...no flowers! It's not that I hate flowers or loathe the holiday. In actuality, I soooo love getting them, and I know that Alex loves me dearly and I don't need a Hallmark holiday for him to prove it. The part that I don't love is having my husband spend a fortune on flowers just because florists have marked up the price of them for the sake of taking advantage of the holiday and making an extra buck. Flowers are expensive enough on any other given day, but when it comes to holidays the prices are insane!

Yesterday was really nice. The kids had a great day in school and each came home with a bag stuffed with valentines and candy from their classmates. We wanted to exchange our valentines for each other when everyone was home, so when Alex got home with our son, we decided on dinner, ordered Thai and had it delivered. While we waited for our food, we exchanged our valentines. Alex gave me a mushy card that made me cry when I read it out loud, a cute big mylar balloon, and a bouquet of a dozen mixed white/milk chocolate covered strawberries. The kids bought me some really cute cards and made Alex his, which came complete with hugs and kisses. Alex and I gave the kids each a puzzle and a handmade valentine, which they loved. Since I've been homebound, I couldn't go out and buy a card for Alex this year. I wanted to do something different than the usual printing up my own card from americangreetings.com, so I was crafty this year and made Alex a mushy valentine. I decorated it with crafty scrapbook paper, a paper with a watermark of the sun setting over the beach, flower petals and a picture of us cut into a heart shape. On the watermarked paper, I wrote a mushy poem of how I loved him--my soulmate, and I believed in us. He loved it. :)

Our dinner came shortly after we exchanged our gifts and everything was so good. We ordered some chicken coconut soup, an order of golden bags (which is minced chicken and shrimp wrapped in a won ton skin and deep fried, served with a sweet and sour cucumber sauce), pineapple fried rice with chicken and shrimp, sweet and sour pork (because the kids don't really like spicy foods too much), and chicken panang curry. Everything was sooo good and the kids really enjoyed the food, even my picky son!

So we all had a really nice day filled with goodies, warm fuzzies, and most importantly--love. Hope you all had a really nice Valentine's Day as well, whether single or in a relationship. Happy Love Day!!!

Winter Fun and Games

I absolutely LOVE the winter olympics! LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about them! Ok well maybe not everything...Why was Yoko Ono there? Is she supposed to represent unity because I thought that people blamed her for breaking up the Beatles? Also, I could have done without those funky alpine mountain dresses that those poor women had to wear during the parade of countries at the opening ceremony. Who designed that? Did they think it was fashionable couture to sew plastic olympic people and fake plastic trees onto a dress designed to look like a snowy mountain? Whatever. I'm not big on hockey either and could do without curling, but I'm so loving everything else. Did I mention that some of these guys are HOTTTT? I'm so excited that it's here once again and wish that it was longer than 17 days. The U.S. is doing pretty well with 4 gold and 2 silver medals so far. I would love to watch the winter olympics in person someday.

Speaking of winter, did you hear about the crazy winter storm that the East Coast is having? The Baltimore/Washington area got 20 inches! Could you imagine? I'm so glad that we're not living in Baltimore anymore because that is just too damn crazy! I lived there for a few years back when Alex was still in college at Johns Hopkins University. When I first moved there in December of 1993, they were having the worst winter storm in years and I must have stayed in bed for 2 weeks because it was so damn cold! Coming from Hawaii, it was a shock. Looking back on it, that storm was nothing compared to 20 inches! That is an insane amount to be getting at one time. I couldn't imagine, nor deal with all of that mess!

I kinda feel guilty enjoying the nice weather we're having out here. We're supposed to have a high of 74 today. Nice!

Tomorrow's Valentine's Day! YAY! :)

In Loving Memory

It's been two days since the funeral. I can't stop thinking about how we should have been there...I should have been there. I just can't believe that she's gone and I never got the chance to say goodbye or be there for the family. There was no way that I could have made the trip. Even if we flew, my back would never have made it. I know that she understands, but I guess I'm having a hard time understanding.

I went shopping for some sympathy cards last night, and had to fight back the tears as I picked up different ones and read the sentiments. I am still struggling to fight back the tears as I write this. It's hard to see your loved ones aging, seeing them as mortal, and then ultimately saying goodbye.

I still have the Christmas card that she sent us a couple of months ago. I'll always have it now, along with her memories...

The 2006 Grammys

Do you know what the best way to watch the grammys is? TIVO! I recorded it last night and I'm loving the fact that I can fast forward through all of the crap that I don't want to see. I've already watched 2 hours of it in 45 minutes! Did anyone see Matt Dillon? Damn he is still hot! And I am so impressed that Kelly Clarkson won 2 grammys! I wonder if other past AI winners will achieve the same success. Hey is it just me or is there always a ton of commercials on during award ceremonies? And is there anyone else tired of seeing Destiny's Child? It seems like it's taking them forever to retire! Just go already! Damn that's like when performers go on a farewell tour for like 3 years or something! Other disses of mine for the night... Madonna in spandex. Yes, she absolutely has the body for it, but that thing was just fug! There were some things that I loved about the grammys as well. The opening with the gorillaz animation was awesome! Also, Gwen Stefani looked so radiant in all of her pregnancy splendor. Too cute! This year's Grammy awards have left me kind of empty this year...and not just because I spent most of the time fast forwarding. It was just kind bland this year. I don't know, maybe it's because the music that I like isn't featured too often, or maybe I'm just over the music awards altogether.

This Is Cool!

I'm writing this entry from my new cellphone. Over the weekend, Alex & I switched over to Nextel and I got a Blackberry 7100i. I wanted to see if I could blog with it especially on days where I can't sit at the computer and it works! Woo hoo!

Anyway, have a great week!

They're Going To Disneyland And They're Taking The Bus!

Congratulations to the Superbowl XL winners, the Pittsburg Steelers! WOO HOO! The Steelers win! The Steelers win!

And So It Goes...

After all of our arrangements were set, we decided---well I decided, that I can't make the trip. I cannot physically do it. It's at least a 6 hour drive and I have to face the truth. My back's been getting worse...I can hear the bones in my back more frequently when I walk and the pain shooting down through my legs also occurs more often than it used to. The longest that I can sit in the car is about 20 minutes before things REALLY start to get uncomfortable even with meds, so I don't know how I thought that I was going to make the trip.

I really need to be there...I should really be there and I can't. It's disappointing. We're all disappointed, but there's just nothing that I can do. I'm sorry.

Funky Fresh

Finally, my renovations are complete and I've finally settled on a new blog template. Thanks to Blogger Templates by Caz for the new look! It looks great in both Internet Explorer and Opera, and after personalizing it with my own html touches, I love it! Perfect! :)

Life...Or Something Like It

I sat down to write this morning, determined to post something in the blog. I have so much to say, yet I'm at a loss for words and can't seem to collect my thoughts. These past few days have been kind of sad. There's been a sudden death in the family and I still can't believe that she's gone. I keep thinking about the others that she left behind and if/how they'll be able to pick up the pieces and move on with their lives. She was a wonderful person and took care of everyone. She was one of my favorites...so easy-going, laidback, nice, never judgmental. One summer while I was still in elementary school, they all came to Hawaii for the entire summer and stayed with my grandparents. She was like a second mom to me that summer, because she let me stay with them there for about a month and took care of me, even though she had my cousins to care for as well. I used to stay with them whenever we would take our trips down to LA after we had already moved here, and it always felt like home. Her funeral's on Wednesday, and all of our travel arrangements are made, yet I'm still not sure if we should go only because of my back problems. I don't think that my back will be able to handle the drive down there even with the meds that I'm taking and I'm torn because I really need to be there. She was loved by so many, and she will be missed.

Because of everything that's happened this past week, I can't help but think of Dad and how lucky we are to still have him. It could've been him.

We live our lives thinking that we have all the time in the world, yet life takes a turn and makes us realize that it is too short, and anything can happen in an instant. Time is too important to be taken for granted. Love your loved ones and tell them you love them. Don't forget to show them you love them. Let the petty things go. Make the most of every moment so that there aren't any regrets in the end.

Back Update

I went to see my back doctor yesterday for my follow-up to the lumbar discography procedure/CT that I had done earlier this month. Got some stronger pain meds that finally work. The downside is that it's not covered by insurance, I can't drive and still shouldn't do much while on them to spare my bad disc from any more damage. Nice huh? Also, I have about an 80% chance of success with a disc replacement, so we are now moving forward with finding a surgeon. Although I'm not looking forward to surgery, I need to get this done and I'm optimistic about the results. Stay tuned...

Maybe It's Time For A Change

I've decided to change my blog around a bit. I was bored with the old look and wanted something new and cute. I'm still a beginner at html so until I find a template that I absolutely LOVE and can work with, pardon the mess until the renovation is complete. Thanks! :)

Love This, Love This, Love This!!!

I don't remember exactly how I discovered The Kumars at No. 42 on BBC America, but I love it! Where have I been? It is hilarious! The Kumars is a part scripted/part improvisational talk show in the UK which stars a fictional Indian family residing in Wembley, London. The central premise of the show is that Sanjeev (the son) wants a talk show of his own, so his parents Madhuri and Ashwin bulldozed over Madhuri's garden and built a talk show set in their backyard. Celebrity guests enter through the front door, meet the family, and then are interviewed on the set by Sanjeev while his parents and Sanjeev's grandmother Sushila (Ummi) serve Indian appetizers, sweets and tea, and then sit alongside them on a couch (a la Ed McMahon to Johnny Carson or Andy Richter to Conan O'Brien style) and chime in throughout the interview. Running jokes include Sanjeev's apparent social ineptitude, Ashwin's obsession with financial matters and tendency to tell stories with no apparent point, and that the guest's appearances are paid for in large jars of chutney made by Sanjeev's aunt and sold by Ashwin. Ummi has got some fire in her still and seems to hit on most of the male guests that appear on the show! Not only do we see their hilarious interaction with the guests, but we also see their family dynamics and even though they are an Indian family, I think all cultures can relate. Guests have included Boy George, Minnie Driver, Graham Norton, Jennifer Saunders, Richard E. Grant and Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen. I just cannot get enough of this program and now permanently resides on my Tivo list! Check it out!

http://www.bbcamerica.com/genre/comedy_games/kumars_at_no_42/kumars_at_no_42.jsp

Haouli Makahiki Hou!

Happy New Year! It's been awhile since I last posted anything. I'm still having back troubles and find it hard to sit and blog to my heart's delight. Since the lidocaine shots and epidurals haven't worked, I'm now on some pain meds and have a discogram appointment on Thursday. Needles still suck! :(

Anyway, hope you all are doing well! I hope that my next post will be a bit more exciting! ;) Merry Belated Christmas and Happy Belated Hanukkah and New Year!