Arnold

 

Back in those days when I was still wearing my high-profile corporate hat (and stiletto pumps to boot), there was a gofer at work who always made me a cup of coffee every morning. "Ma'am Clarisse, coffee?" He did that every morning after he dusted off my desk and my little room in that corporate jungle, leaving it gleaming, shining and comforting enough for a stressed-out young lady aka moi.

Arnold knew how I wanted my coffee.  He even had to teach me how to make that perfect formula that always left me requesting for more cups throughout the day.

Unfortunately, I can't even make one that is as good as Arnold's. I think about it everytime I fix myself a cup. (For instance, right now as I sip my afternoon caffeine fix).

Suffice it to say, I have not had a perfect cup since then.

Does he, a humble errand guy, know what a big difference he has made? A simple cup of coffee. A very simple skill. A very simple gesture...He perfected it, everyday.

Movie Nights

As I unearthed my dusty and still shrink-wrapped fitness DVDs from the drawer so I could start putting them to good use, I also dug up those "new" old movies that hubby and I would usually stumble upon on sale at Target or Walmart...some even from Blockbuster. (Incidentally, do we really belong to the last-almost-fading-to-extinction bunch of people who still congregate at Blockbuster in the advent of Netflix and highspeed internet downloads?) We're still traditional somehow. And for less then five bucks, how can you go wrong?

Anyway, I realized we still have a lot to catch up on. We always look forward to movie nights at home. On Friday nights when we feel like being cheap and not going out on a date (yes, we still go out!!!), hubby puts on a nice light flick usually a comedy to launch a weekend of relaxation. We wrap ourselves in warm cozy throws by the fireplace and it doesn't matter if we finish the movie or not. Sometimes we doze off suddenly exhausted from a week-long toil, or sometimes when we're still too wired, we end up watching three films in a row. The kids' sleepovers are the best. They always look forward to scary movies because they know that we always have one up our sleeve. It's scream city in our house on sleepover season!

No matter which movie night it is, hubby likes to set the mood by cranking up "his" surround sound as we watch teasers and while he makes some popcorn in the microwave. It's not a typical movie night at home too without our favorite Maui Onion chips. Oohlala...

I also enjoy watching chick flicks that I tend to shove down hubby's throat. And oh, feel-good movies! You know the stuff that gives you goosebumps in the end, makes you say "Awwww" and makes you want to stop everyone you see on the street to tell them how wonderful the movie was. Hubby's still in the training stage, hahaha. I did see him shed a tear once. So I think we're getting there! It is important to watch these movies with good messages as often as you can.They help you learn some lessons that you can carry across to your own life -- especially when you refuse to learn from real people. These movies also touch your heart and I believe that when your heart is touched more often, your capacity to love increases.

What Joy!

-written 01/14/09-

Tomorrow, the 15th, marks the last day of the first half of the first month of this year.  Ahhh DAYS... they should get a speeding ticket too you know!

I finally received my speeding citation in the mail today. The fine has to be paid by March 3rd. That sets me back by $ 200. (yes, $200. unless I go to court)  in the blog fund which I'm raising to buy a plane ticket to PI for Christmas Oh Nine.

C'est la vie...

There's still an abundance of things to be thankful for and it's only the midweek! While hubby is vegetating on the bed watching a feature on some colossal crustaceans on TV, I'm nursing sore muscles which have been dormant for quite a while until tonight's hula class. Hurting, but it's all good. Our kumu and alaka'i embraced me back to the halau. Some dances came back to me as I did them with the rest and it's almost as if I never left. I'm overjoyed because I realized that I (or THE good ol' reliable booty rather) can still keep up with rigid tahitian routines and I managed to go all the way down to the floor and back up while doing some mean hip-swaying antics ("tamau" in hula jargon) and without having to dial 911 thereafter.

Hubby and I decided together that I'm going to pursue this passion for as long as I can while we're not blessed with a baby yet. He's a supportive and happy "hula husband" (you should see the others...some of them wait and watch by the glass window as if we are their 5-yr old offsprings on the first ballet class). Hubby volunteered to drive for me too since we live about 15 miles farther from the studio now and we get off pretty late. That works for both of us because it gives him a chance to get ahead with his own errands while I dance the night away,  tonight being a trip to Best Buy to get a bigger memory for his laptop. Then we had a late dinner at Junk Jack in the Box. We shouldn't make that a habit.

Friday night will be the general rehearsal for a different dance I'm doing with a different group. It's this affair called "Fiesta Filipino" on Saturday where we'll be doing the filipino folkdance called "Subli". 

Saturday will be a mad rush. The TV guy's coming early morning to work on our system for the third time. That one's for hubby-- he treats TV watching like a serious career.  I'll let him handle that while I catch up with the laundry -- 6 more thick blankets to wash...a residual chore from the teen sleepovers we hosted a lot of during the holidays. Then off we go to the Fiesta in Fremont.

Sunday, we're going to church and hit the gunshow in SF right after.  I love gunshows not only because hubby and I go to the target range to shoot once in a while, but because I noticed that their current marketing strategy is having merchandise booths to lure the wives -- jewelry, trinkets and other thingamabobs.  I tag along too just to make sure hubby doesn't overspend on ammos (I'm being mean again).

So yeah, we're pretty much busy at the start of the year still...but shall I say, busy with wonderful things so far so we're making some progress nonetheless.

I was just thinking...

Why do we have to end up straining so hard to ponder the meaning of life, when it is right under our nose happening every moment, each passing day?

The Cinnamon Roll, with vanilla cream cheese frosting this time

-posted in Coffee, anyone?-

If you’re here for The Cinnamon Roll story, then you must love me! Or you want to hear what I say. Or maybe you’re just curious, or you’re one of those unfortunate lucky ones who stumbled upon my blogsite and landed flat on the face with a huge THUD! I didn’t mean to put a test on you by reserving the space and adding a teaser (why the big fuss? I don’t even know myself…) I was just really excited to share something good about it but things went pretty cuckoo kind of busy yesterday so I was unable to say anything (AAARRRRRGGGHHH!) plus, I’m the Queen of Procrastination anyway – though trying my darnest to step down my throne this year. I’ll start tomorrow *LOL*. (I hate using LOL but I can’t help it!)

So yes, I’m on high spirits today.  I have been able to declutter my head of cobwebs, plaques and other things that deter progress. I think I did a good job doing that and I’m holding up well on this first week of the year! So please don’t come here raining on my parade!

 

Anyway, I bought myself a card last weekend.  It’s been a while since I last bought myself one. I’m really not one of those cookie-cutter avid inspirational-slash-self-help-followers but why resist a quick pick-me-up when it’s right there in front of your face at the right time you need one? Actually, hubby needed some change at the car wash so he made me buy something at the carwash convenience store selling everything like gums, nausea-inducing canned car fresheners, tough beef jerky to little crystal figurines. So I bought it! Here it is:

 

 

 

It says, “Don’t let your hearts grow numb.  Stay alert.  It is your soul which matters.”

  

There are a lot of things that I have gone through, felt, experience and dealt with which somehow numbed my heart a bit. Like I wasn’t supposed to show I’m broken, so I never did and I probably never will. Like I’m supposed to keep my head above the water all the time in order to keep everyone around me sane, peaceful, happy and to keep things in order for the people I hold dearly all the time. So I toughened up in order to protect my heart. As if saying, I don't dwell on my pain so please don't make a big fuss over me either. I hate drama queens. I hate people who sweat the small stuff. But them or frigid and frozen ones like me? Take your pick. I’m usually the last to cry over spurts of crisis just to hold things together, and soldiering on until exhausted. Hence now, I still feel tired even when there is no reason to be tired. I’m wrapped in a protective shell that is labeled “Leave the drama at the door, or please leave me alone.”  And it lingers, even sans the drama part. 

 

I realized that as I crisped on the outside, I can’t let anything get in, or get out. In fact, except for this blogsite (or maybe BECAUSE of it), I don’t keep in personal touch with a lot of people for months and months. 

 

Yesterday, my co-worker dropped by my cube to tell me about two sudden losses in her husband’s family.  SUDDEN.  It’s jolting and creepy.

 

This made me remember my Cinnamon Roll story.  (Yeay! Seque to the Cinnamon Roll story)…

 

It happened many many years ago. I was on the last leg of my shopping trip when I spotted my uncle’s favorite cinnamon roll store at the opposite end of the mall.  I thought of buying him a box since he just came back home from the hospital but I debated because I was exhausted, my feet were hurting, my head was throbbing and I was hesitant to go the extra mile. I told myself, “Next time…”  and then as luck would have it the following morning, he died.

 

I still want to kick myself up to this very day, now 15 years later. 

 

I’m not going to make this post any longer than it already is. Just try to do whatever you can for others especially the ones you love while you have the chance. We might not get that “next time”. You may be doing it for them (or you may actually be doing it for yourself!)  In the end, it’s really the act that will matter. And it’s really not the intention to love, but the follow-through that counts.

 

I’m wearing cinnamon rolls around my neck this year.