Merry Christmas!

Whew, it’s over. Such relief, mainly because I am exhausted. I have to admit Ed and I overdid it a tad this yuletide season. We hosted four dinner parties (three of which were held three nights in a row), attended other people’s parties, and worked 10 or so hours a day until Dec 24. I am tired through and through.

But exhaustion aside, this Christmas is to be treasured. The busyness meant Ed and I have many friends to celebrate the season with. We hosted our families for the first time ever. I even put up the Christmas tree. Christmas felt like Christmas. And some years in the past, I didn’t feel very Christmassy at all. But this year, I did and it’s mainly because of the family and friends we shared time with.

It really was a merry Christmas.


Kei making Bob do some pilates. Poor Bob!


Kris Kringle... Just pick one! Or steal!


Elaine and Elton steal a gift!


Louanne just got Tweety. But I stole it eventually.
Then Rosanne stole it from me!


Mama joined us for the impromptu Sunday turkey dinner.


Navarik skating party. So much fun!

Happy birthday to me!

Ed treated me to a delicious dinner at Morton's on my birthday. What a lovely evening! The steak was fantastic and the service was great. They even gave me a piece of cheese cake for dessert. But that didn't stop us from ordering creme brulee as well. We were stuffed! :)

And tonight, our friends are hosting a dinner for me and two other December babies at their home. My birthday usually gets lumped in with the Christmas celebrations so tonight's dinner makes me feel so happy and honoured. Thanks Gary and Erin!

December thoughts

December always makes me pensive. December is the last month in the year. An ending. And I suppose that’s mainly why I tend to reflect on what I did with myself the whole year and if I accomplished much during that period.

2005 will always be remembered as the year Ed and I bought our first home. I guess that in itself is a big accomplishment, although I tend to view it as a culmination of years and years of saving money. Nonetheless, we became home owners this year (some people would refer to is as mortgage owners).

Ed and I went on two trips this year - San Francisco and Washington DC. So for new mortgage owners, being able to go on these trips is a big deal. It means we bought a home in a price range that still allows us to travel and do fun things. That was one of our goals when we starting looking for a place to buy because we felt very strongly about not wanting to be saddled with such a huge mortgage that our lives would be all about paying it off.

We dabbled in house renovations. We did some things well and also realized that some tasks are better off being done by a professional. I’m willing to pay just so it gets done fast and right. But it’s good to know that we’re not totally helpless when it comes to home improvement.

Dragon boat took up so much of our energy and time this year but no regrets. Ed and I are in pretty good shape because of it and we feel very proud to be part of a competitive team. It’s about hard work and discipline and proving to ourselves that we can take on this challenge is very satisfying. It’s always a battle though when it comes to time. Our training demands so much of my time and I start thinking about the “opportunity cost“ - I could be spending this time developing my professional skills by enrolling in business or technology classes, I could be learning how to play the piano or learning a new language, etc. All the other things I could be doing if I weren’t in the boat paddling. But there is also the possibility that I could be on the couch doing nothing because it’s so easy to be lazy.

One of my goals for 2005 was to stay in touch with friends and family and I was successful to a degree. Not a resounding success but I did enough to be satisfied. I visited Lizza who is very close to my heart, I spent time with my brothers Eric and Je, and I started a regularly scheduled get-together with my circle of friends. For 2006, I will work on staying in touch with my sisters and mom, and my nieces. It’ll be the female family connections this time.

There are always ups and downs, but all in all, I did accomplish a lot and I consider 2005 a good year. My marriage is solid, our home is a happy work in progress, I have family and friends who care about me, and my career is progressing well. And my cats love me. That’s the icing on the cake.

Paint, check.

Last weekend, while I was in Seattle putting my credit card to work and doing some serious shopping with the girls, Ed finished painting our living and dining rooms. Finally, no more patches of white primer. Looks really good! I love that blue-gray colour we have. Thanks, Ed.

Now, we can put up curtains, buy new furniture, install the fireplace mantle, ..... Sigh, the list just never ends.

Ready to paint!

Yay, our drywall is finally ready for painting. You see, Ed and I took out a couple of wall sections in our house last April. Yes, last April. With our friend Brian’s help, we tore out the old dry wall, removed the sections we didn’t want, put up the new drywall, then Ed and I started mudding. Suffice it to say, we didn’t do a very good job. Well, not good enough to start painting. Mudding is hard! Making the wall smooth and even is not as easy as they make it look on HGTV. So finally, two weeks ago, I called the Handyman Connection and hired someone to finish it.

Michael Ilyin was the contracted who came to fix our wall. After three visits in one week, he was done. The wall is smooth and even. The corners look good, not jagged. Wonderful! Just like that, the wall that was sitting there unfinished for over 6 months was done. Yay! Ok, so it cost us money to get it done. But at least, it’s done. Plus Ed and I wouldn’t have been able to make it look that good. And that in itself is worth what we paid.

So now, we can go ahead and finish painting out living room and dining room. And we can start painting our hallway and foyer. Just in time for the Christmas season!

Next up, that damn bright yellow flowery wallpaper in the kitchen.....

Nice!

I’m so proud of myself! Eight months after Ed and I moved into our townhouse, I have finally cleared our second bedroom of the unpacked boxes left over from moving day. Last February, we placed boxes we didn’t want to deal with yet into the second bedroom, closed the door, and promptly ignored them. Once in a while, I would rummage through the boxes looking for a specific item. When Ed asked me where something was, my answer would be “in a box”. Our second bedroom has been the storage room since move in day. But last weekend, I decided enough is enough. I rolled up my sleeves and went to work, unpacking one box at a time. The bin pile slowly got bigger. And every time I emptied another box, the better I felt. It’s amazing how cathartic cleaning can be.

Now we have our second bedroom back. It’s no longer a storage room! So I put a little desk and a little bookshelf in there (because we don’t have a bed to put in it) and I’m thinking that this room will be my craft room someday - when I actually get crafty.

For now, I am just thrilled that it’s not a storage room any more.

Visiting Eric, Ruth, Andie, and Ally in Virginia

We flew to Reagan National on Sunday, Oct 16. Vancouver to Toronto to DC. The security check in Toronto was pretty tight. They had a special line for people going to DC. They opened up all our bags and checked our feet and shoes. It was additionally stressful because we only had an hour and a half layover and we had line up after line up to go through. I felt so violated after the whole ordeal. I was very happy to finally get to the gate to board the plane.

Ruth, my sister-in-law, picked us up at the airport in DC. Ruth’s friend Betsy, Betsy’s mom Juliet, and Betsy’s aunt Lita were also staying at their house for a few days. Eric,my brother, is on call at the hospital so he wasn’t home until Monday morning.

My last visit to Virginial was backin 1997. Eric and Ruth lived in an apartment in McLean and Andrea, their daughter, was just 4 years old. So the visit was certainly overdue. Forward to 2005, Andrea is now 12 and even has a little sister, Ally, who is 6. They have a beautiful colonial style house in Vienna, VA which is about 15 to 20 miles from DC

Day 1:
Ed and I had big plans for sightseeing. We planned to wake up early and catch the hop-on/hop-off tour trolley in DC to see the sites. However, the three hour time difference was enough to screw us up. We ended up sleeping in until 11am. So much for those plans. But I finally got to see Eric! It was really great to see him again.

Ed and I decided to still head to DC to get some sightseeing in. We spent the afternoon in the Museum of Natural History and the sculpture garden in front of the Hirshhorn Museum. Highlight of this visit for me: the gems and jewelry collection, and the plate tectonics exhibit.

Day 2:
I found a place that sells half-price tickets so Ed and I decided to catch a play this evening. We chose Othello, primarily because we don’t have a professional Shakespeare theatre company here in Vancouver. By the time we took care of purchasing the tickets and buying coffee at Starbucks, it was almost noon. We decided that the trolley tour wouldn’t be worth it starting so late, so once again, we didn’t get on it. Will we ever get to go on that damn trolley tour???

Anyway, we decided to go to Air and Space Museum. This museum was full of engaging exhibits and the tour we joined was really good because the guide told very interesting stories about Charles Lindbergh, the Apollo missions, Amelia Earhart, and so on. I love joining the tours because the stories behind the exhibits make it more stimulating. We also watched two IMAX features - Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag and Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon. Both were excellent films but I especially enjoyed the Fighter Pilot because I love fighter jets and in another life, I wish I could pilot one of those planes.

We had dinner at District Chophouse and Brewery then watched the Shakespeare play Othello starring Avery Brooks (from Deep Space Nine) as Othello and Patrick Page (Scar from Lion King) as Iago. The acting was outstanding! We thoroughly enjoyed the 3.5 hour long play.

Day 3:
Ruth drove us to DC in the morning and we finally got on the trolley tour. Third try is a charm, I suppose. There were two loops available - one around the Mall area and the other going to the National Cathedral and Georgetown. We decided to do the Mall loop first. We hopped off/on at Union Station, Jefferson Memorial, and Lincoln Memorial. We also visited the Vietnam and WWII memorials too. Afterward, we transferred to the other loop and hopped off at the National Cathedral and then Georgetown. Eric came to pick us up in Georgetown and drove us around a little bit. We then went for dinner at his favourite restaurant, Cactus Cantina.

When we got back to Eric’s house, I sang karaoke with the Andrea and Ally. My nieces sing very well! They play the piano and do gymnastics... So talented! Yes, I am the proud aunt.

Jenny (Ed’s cousin and my good friend) arrived from Toronto tonight to spend a few days with us. We haven’t seen Jenny since the summer. This is turning out to be a great reunion.

Day 4:
Ed, Jenny, and I drove to DC. We went to National Gallery of Art - west building (old stuff) and then the east building (modern stuff). The gallery’s collection is amazing! I love going to galleries, although I have to say i enjoy the old stuff (especially the impressionists) more than the contemporary stuff. Renoir, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh. Name the painter, they had the painting. So cool to see these works of art with my own eyes.

After the galleries, we went to Georgetown. Ate a late lunch at Martin’s Tavern where JFK apparently proposed to Jackie O. Then walked around checking out the shops. Definitely lots of shopping around here.

For dinner, Eric and Ruth treated us at a restaurant called Coastal Flats located in Tyson’s Corner. I have to say that it was quite enjoyable to hang out with Eric, Ruth, and the girls. They obviously love each other very much and more importantly, they get along very well.

Day 5:
Shopping! Spent hours and hours, and lots of money in Potomac Mills which is a factory outlet mall. Poor Ed! Stuck with two shopaholics (at least for this day). I bought four pairs of shoes, three pairs of pants, some sweater tops, a purse, a couple of jackets, and some other stuff here and there. Boy, it was fun to just buy, buy, buy. I never really allow myself to do that - except during this once in a few years shopping spree.

Day 6:
Eric and the girls drove us around. We visited the Torpedo Factory located in Old Town in Alexandria. It is a building that used to be a torpedo factory but is now a place where artists have their studios and can sell their work. Kind of like Granville Island here in Vancouver. Then we were off to Arlington Cemetery where we visited JFK’s grave and the eternal flame, and the tomb of the unknown soldier, where we caught the changing of the guard ceremony.

That night, we just hung out at Eric’s palce and sang karaoke with Jenny, Eric, and the girls. Then it was time to pack and do laundry. I can’t believe we’re going back to Vancouver tomorrow. This week just flew by. I wish we had more time to spend with Eric and his family.

Day 7:
Travel day back to Vancouver. Batman Begins during the flight - nice to have a good movie to entertain us.

$50 worth of honesty

Ed and I enjoyed a very nice dinner last night at Capone’s in Yaletown. Our mortgage broker, Jim Kwon, had awarded us with a gift certificate to Capone’s a few months ago when we referred him to our friends who needed mortgages. We finally used the gift certificate last night, feasting on carpaccio, pizza, steak, and wine. The food was delicious and the ambiance was very cozy. There was even a jazz musician who was excellent. When Ed got our bill, he looked a little puzzled. So I looked it over too and I noticed that the total was significantly lower than we expected. Ed pointed out that the wine was not on the bill. That’s almost a $50 difference.

It felt like I was standing at a fork in the road. It would be so easy to just pay the bill and keep the $50. Ed and I looked at each other and I said that we’re honest people and we should point out to our server her mistake. I’m not really sure what the restaurant would do if or when the mistake is identified but I wouldn’t want the $50 taken out of her pay cheque. So we called our server over and told her that the wine was not on the bill. She looked horrified that she’d made that mistake and then relieved that we pointed it out. She thanked us a few times, too.

One of the core values of the company I work for is integrity. It says “We are honest, fair, trustworthy, and respectful in everything we do and in all our business practices.” in our values statement. I am part of the executive team that crafted our company’s mission and values. And I hold what we crafted close to my heart.

This value of integrity was the thought in my head during those few seconds when, standing at that fork, I weighed my options. And I’m glad that I chose to be honest. And I sure hope that I always do.

Now, I’m trying not to think about the clothes or shoes I could have purchased with that $50!

Fresno

So who were we going to visit in Fresno? Ed’s mom uncle (Kow Goong), his wife (Kum Paw), and their four children (Wilson, Aileen, Peter, and Lai Ling). I had not met them before and the last time Ed visited them was for Lai Ling’s wedding last Oct 2003.

We stayed at Wilson’s place during our visit. He, his wife Lalia, and son, Elijah live in a beautiful house with big windows, a 20-foot ceiling, and very nice furnishing. It was very well decorated but it wasn’t stuffy. In fact, the house felt very comfortable and welcoming. Wilson and Lalia were very gracious hosts; we really enjoyed their company. And cute Elijah! So adorable.

We got to Fresno on Friday evening and we went out for Japanese food. On Saturday, we hung out at Wilson’s and lounged by the pool. The temperature was around 97 deg F and I found it too hot sitting under the sun. I had to go sit in the shade and that reminded me of when my mom used to always sit in the shade while we kids baked in the sun. ☺
By around 4pm, Wilson’s parents, siblings and their spouses started arriving. Wilson and Lalia had invited everyone over for a BBQ so we can have a chance to spend time with them. Plus it was Lalia’s birthday the previous week so it was a double celebration. It was a good party and I had fun meeting everyone. Everyone was very friendly and it was obvious that the family is quite close. I could tell they genuinely were fond of each other. I love that!

Sunday was our last day in California. We spent the morning chatting with Wilson and Lalia. Then just like that, it was time to head back to San Francisco to catch our flight back to Vancouver. It was a three hour drive from Fresno to the airport and thankfully, the drive was quite uneventful. We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare so we hung out in the food court. Turns out our teammate, Cherize, was on the same flight as us so I asked her to take into Canada the two extra bottles of wine Ed and I had over the allowed limit. It was our lucky day.

We got back to Vancouver safely. Yay. Then Ed got a voicemail that his dad who lives in Trinidad was in town for a day, en route to China. What a surprise! This weekend turned out to be all about family.

It was a very good trip that we had. We had a successful dragon boat festival and an enjoyable visit to the Napa valley and Fresno. It would be great if the team decides to go back next year for the gold medal.

Thoughts and memories of San Francisco

- Three medals hanging around my neck make a clank-clank sound when I walked. With everyone in the team walking together, we made a lot of clank-clank noise.
- It was cold in SF. I had to buy sweat pants and a jacket in Old Navy since I packed light weight clothing. I was freezing between races.
- The street blocks in SF are big. Walking from Fifth St to Tenth St took 15 minutes.
- Dancing in the Starlight Room to “I Will Survive” and “Last Dance”. And being really tipsy.
- Five gin-and-tonics will make me drunk.
- Dimsum in SF was good but Vancouver dimsum is still better.
- The Container Store is a very cool store. I could spend a lot of money there.
- Alcatraz made me sad. It’s tragic that men had to live there for years and years. But I guess if you commit a crime, that’s what you deserve.
- Best crabs ever - Thanh Long on 46th and Judah. We had the roast crab and tamarind crab. Soooo delicious. Ed and I barely said a word while we were eating.
- Blazing Saddles bike rentals. You can spot the tourists by the black pouch with the rental company’s logo hanging from the bicycle’s handle bar.
- Beautiful paintings in a gallery in Sausalito. I think the painter’s name was Montesino. She was from Mexico.
- Wine we liked the best: Gundlach-Bundschu. Wish we’d bought the Gewürztraminer as well.
- Should have bought a bottle of Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena. It was actually pretty good.
- We bought six bottles of wine and one bottle of Cointreau.
- Tasting fee was $10 in Napa Valley, $5 in Sonoma. Although V. Sattui and Rombauer didn’t charge a fee. We bought wine from both wineries.
- Most expensive was Sterling at $15 a person. That was for the cable car ride and wine tasting.
- Wish we had more time to visit more wineries.
- Found out that Cabernet Sauvignon is *the* wine from Napa Valley region. And the grape grown in an area depends on the soil type and the temperature in that area.
- We ate very well throughout the trip. But after six days of eating out, we were sick of it. So we bought groceries and cooked a simple but delicious dinner in our suite. Felt good.
- Temperature in SF was 72 deg F and in Sonoma it was 92 deg F. A bit of a shock when we stepped out of the car in Sonoma.
- Ed’s cousin-in-law referred to Fresno as the “armpit of California”.
- It was 97 deg F when we were in Fresno. Finally got to use the shorts and tank tops I brought with me.
- Did not see much of Fresno except Ed’s cousin’s house and the supermarket. Ed’s cousin’s house was beautiful and we quite enjoyed hanging out there.

San Francisco

Wow, I’ve been to San Francisco and Kelowna since my last big entry which was a month ago. I have tons to write about! I can’t believe it’s been a month. Time sure flies by.

San Francisco visit

From Aug 26 to 31, we were in San Francisco with our dragon boat team Specialty Subaru. On the 26th, we had a practice at 1pm to familiarize ourselves with the race site and the BUK boats. These boats were nice! They are light and comfortable for the paddler. The SF Dragon Boat Festival was that weekend, Aug 27 to 28, at Treasure Island. We competed in the Open, Women’s, Men’s, and Out-of-Town competitions. Our team joined forces with Roli Canada for the Women’s and Men’s races. We won medals in every competition: gold medals in the Women’s, Men’s, and Out-of-Town competitions, and a silver medal in the Open competition. The team really came together and every race went well. Just small tweaks here and there but overall, we were flying.

Hanging out with my teammates was a hoot. We had a party to celebrate our victories that Sunday night. Mike, Lisa, Kim, Wes, Phil, Ed and I were pretty inebriated even before dinner was done. And it was downhill from there. I gained a new nickname - Lizard Bang. Oh, it was funny. I guess you had to be there. Thanks to Wes and Kim, I got back to our hotel safely. I did pass out on Mike’s bed. Thanks to Ed for taking me back to my own bed.

Needless to say, I was hurting on Monday morning. I was not the only one hurting, mind you. Our team went for dimsum in Chinatown. Congee is good for hangovers. We walked around Chinatown and window shopped downtown. That evening, Ed and I went on the evening tour of Alcatraz. The cells in Alcatraz were smaller than I expected. The self-guided tour was pretty interesting because they had former inmates and guards sharing their experiences. Seeing the prison during and after sunset made the visit more poignant, I think.

Tuesday, Ed and I went on a cycling tour from Fisherman’s Wharf, over the Golden Gate bridge, to Sausalito, then to Tiburon. We took the ferry back from Tiburon to Fisherman’s Wharf. It was a 26 km cycling route and I have to say my legs felt like jello at times. I thought I was in good shape! But we rested/stretched here and there along the way and my legs were able to keep going. It was a good way to see the sites. We stopped and meandered when we felt like it which was nice.

Wednesday, we picked up the rental car and drove around SF. Lombard St, the crooked street was fun. Bought chocolates at Ghirardelli, went to the Marin Headlands and took lots of photos. The view was amazing. To the left was the Golden Gate bridge with the city beyond it. To the right was blue ocean until the horizon.

We left San Francisco and headed to Sonoma. Pat, Ed’s boss lent us a book about the wineries in Napa’s backroads. It featured the smaller and privately-owned wineries located away from the main highway. In Sonoma, the recommended winery to visit was Gundlach-Bundschu winery. Ed and I made it to the winery 30 mins before closing time, luckily. The wine was very good and we decided to get a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. We walked around Sonoma town for a little bit then headed to Calistoga where we had planned to stay. Calistoga is a pretty little town at the foot of the mountains. It is known for its spring water and geyser.

The next day was wine tasting day. We visited Sterling winery which was pretty impressive. I wasn’t overly impressed by their wine but the winery itself was first class. We had to take a 3 minute cable car ride to get up to the winery. Then there was a self-guided tour of the facilities. And there is the fabulous view of the valley from the lookout deck. Very nice. We also visited V. Sattui, Beaulieu, and Whitehall Lane wineries. We were wined out by the end of the day. We cooked dinner (our suite has a kitchen) because we were tired of eating out.

Friday, we checked out of Carlin Cottages and proceeded to the winery Chateau Montelena in Calistoga. This winery was also in the backroads wineries book. We then visited Rombauer and Hess Collection (in the book, too) wineries. Then we made our way to Fresno to visit Ed’s relatives.



More on Fresno next time...

Cherishing old friends

It seems like I talked just to you yesterday! I am always pleasantly surprised how easily conversation flows between me and old friends, like Lizza and Jay, even though we haven't spoken in months. In Jay's case, even years!

The past week has been all about old friends.

I spent four days with Lizza in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Lizza and I have been friends since the seventh grade. We sat next to each other and after the first tentative hello's, we were inseparable until the last days of high school, when Lizza's family emigrated to the US. Through the years we kept in touch. Before the time of email and sms, we would write letters to each other about our first forays into relationships and growing up. Our university days were separate from each other. Only the occassional letters during birthdays and Christmases. Then after I was done with university, my family emigrated to Canada. Suddenly, Lizza was a phone call away! So slowly at first, we let each other back into our lives. Ten years ago, Lizza married Pat and I made my first trip to Coeur d'Alene. Prior to 1995, I believe 12 years had passed since we last saw each other. In any case, it had been a long time. But inspite of the distance in time and geography, Lizza asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. And everytime we spoke on the phone, we would just pick up where we left off. As if our last conversation had just ended a few hours before. Lizza and I have managed to meet up at least once a year since 1998 when we met up in Osoyoos for a girls' weekend. We've met up in Seattle WA, Whistler BC, Leavenworth WA, and of course, Vancouver BC.

This last visit was very relaxing. We talked a lot and got caught up in the little details of our lives. We painted her dresser, took her dog Ivan for a walk, attended church, and went shopping. We ate a whole bag of chips, the entire time feeling guilty at enjoying it so much. We lounged on the back deck and watched Ivan play. It was quality time with my best friend. Definitely time well spent.

Jay was to my university what Lizza was to my high school. I met Jay during my third year in university and just like that we became close friends. We were brought together by our tumultuous relationship with our parents and the up and down emotions we feel trying to make sense of who we are and where we want to go. Jay and I were each other's rock, a united front. He was the one I missed the most when my family moved to Canada. The last time I saw Jay was 8 years ago. I visited him in Cincinnatti where he was studying his masters in urban planning. Email has been blessing since it's made it much easier to keep in touch. This past week, Jay was in San Francisco for business meetings, and we spent over an hour on the phone last Thursday night. It was the same comfortable feeling, conversing with him. And I felt happy about that. So familiar. And yet, there is so much about his life now that I don't know because I am not present in the day-to-day. The little details of his life, the little joys and sorrows. These are the things we don't correspond about in email. We talk of the big things, the major happenings. But not the little ones that are the things that fill in the big picture. Although I feel sad about that, I feel very happy that after all these years of leading separate lives, Jay and I are still friends. Still feel a connection, our lives intertwined somehow. It felt so good and reassuring to hear his voice, to laugh together. It is something to be cherished, friendships like these.

Events like these only strengthen my resolve to care for these friendships. To stay in touch. We lead such busy, hectic lives that finding time is often a challenge. But that is no excuse. There should always be time for friendship and family. Because really, these are what matter most.

Make a wish and send the email

What to wish for...

I got an email today. One of those read this and send it to 5 people within X minutes and you'll get what you wished for. I always delete these emails. For various reasons. I don't believe that things will actually happen because I forward an email and I don't want to bother people I know with such emails anyway. So I deleted it.

But it got me thinking. One wish. What would I wish for. Jonathan, Ed's boss, asked me a similar question a few nights ago during dinner at Chambar. If I could ask for anything right now, what would I ask for? I said "our mortgage fully paid". I think it's a good choice. A practical choice. We'd have so much disposable income if we didn't have to pay mortgage anymore.

What what about a bigger wish? Peace on earth? End to poverty? Planet earth saved from mankind's destruction? Does it even make sense to wish for these things because they are so BIG. The mortgage thing I can grasp and easily imagine. Peace on earth? That seems so far-fetched.

Anyway, I guess I could wish for happiness always. But do I really always want to be happy? My personal evolution must include some unhappy times. Wealth? That's not a bad wish. I would enjoy being wealthy. But it just sounds so selfish.

I think I will wish for peace inside me. Because I could be unhappy but still feel peace. I think that does happen. Peace inside me and peace inside everyone. That's still big but not too big.

Mudding

What I learned today... That there is a difference between drywall compound and drywall filler. Doh!

Raman, from my work, was kind enough to help me and my husband Edmund mud the drywall we put up in our entrance hall and living area. I have never before ventured into the world of home improvement. Being a renter for many, many years, I have grown accustomed to not doing much to the place and phoning the landlord when things broke. Well, the land of home ownership is a whole new ballgame. Last weekend, my hands were covered with drywall filler and I actually enjoyed it. Weird...

No welcoming arms

Cardinal Ratzinger is now the Pope, the leader of the Catholic Church. This only reinforces my decision to not be a participant of the Church I grew up in. This Pope is even more conservative than the last. I do not see how he will convince me to come back into the fold. But maybe that is their objective. To weed out all those who want change and debate. I am so disappointed at this selection. I was hoping that the Church would jump at this chance to change direction, to inject some new thinking and approaches. But, sadly, they have shown that they want to stay the course of authoritarianism and conservatism.

No blog for you!

Many of my colleagues have blogs. Some are quite diligent about keeping their blogs current. Some, well, they start with gusto and then fade a little bit. I have always wondered how they find the time to write entries and how they come up with ideas of what to write about. I have also wondered how I would fare if I had a blog. Well, I guess I'll find out soon enough.

I supposed I could write about anything I care to share with others. I recently identified an area in my life that I would like to improve and that is staying in touch with family and friends. A blog would be a good way to let my family and friends know about what's going on in my head. And perhaps, that would inspire them to let me know what's going on in their heads. I hope so anyway.

So, here goes. My first steps towards my very own blog. Wish me luck!

Hello Blog

My first post ever. :)