holiday traffic

It's been SO nice the past few days driving to work.  I guess people took these days off and/or aren't driving in the morning bc it only took me ~30 minutes to get to work!  Thanks everyone!

Have a fun and SAFE New Year's Eve!

defrosted meats

Usually once a month I'll go to Costco to stock up on meat/protein for us to eat, portion it out and then freeze them so we can cook it later.  It SUCKS when you come home from work and have to wait for the meat to defrost (and don't want to use the microwave to defrost it).  Last night I pulled the chicken out to defrost/put it in the fridge and when I came home today it was ready to cook!  PHEW!  So wonderful just cooking and not having to worry about frozen meat.

relaxing at home

This weekend was a super bachelorette success!  Jeanne had a GREAT time and thankfully everything went off without a hitch!  But coming home, relaxing and just hanging out with Alex is what I'm extra thankful for today.  It's nice to go out and party it up sometimes but it's always great to just chill at home too.

Compromise

Today I'm thankful for a husband who compromises with me and takes care of the stuff I don't want to take care of.

Girls weekend

One of my BFFs is getting married in a few weeks so we're having her bachelorette this weekend! Nothing too crazy, just a staycation in LA. We're gonna eat, drink, Spa and go dancing. It'll be a great weekend with my girls :)

unexpected memories

Dinner tonight was full of unexpected memories. It was BYOB at the restaurant but we forgot to bring something! So Alex looked up the closest liquor store, 0.2 miles away! Score! He went, came back, they drank and after 20 min were already done with half the bottle! Bryant made an executive decision to go to the liquor store again! Seven minutes later he was back with another bottle of wine to enjoy. And that's how you make memories.

Christmas spirit

It's Christmas!!! It's a day for family, love, Christ and presents! Church today reminded us that Jesus is the reason for the season so we shouldn't ever forget that. I'm so thankful that I get to spend time with both my families today and that we've had overall a great year. Thank you Jesus for all that you've given us.

half days at work

Today the clinic closes at 3! That's reason enough to be thankful!

Christmas homecomings

MY DAD'S BACK FROM THE PHILIPPINES!!! He left Aug 25 and just came back an hour ago!  I'm so happy he's home since I've been missing him and haven't been able to talk to him too much while he was away.  ALSO, my brother came down from San Jose for the Christmas break!  He's been here since Dec 19th and it's been so nice hanging out with him the past few days.  Alex's family is driving in tomorrow night and will stay for Christmas day too!  I'm so thankful that my family arrived safe & sound and that they'll be here to celebrate the holidays with us.

assembly lines & help

I decided to make homemade peppermint marshmallows & peppermint hot chocolate mix for my coworkers and package them into mason jars.  There were 27 total that I needed to make and this morning I had ZERO done.  After the church & a christmas party, I came home, started cranking out the mix and enlisted my wonderful husband to help with the packaging.  He helped put the marshmallows in bags, filled the mason jars w/ mix, cut the wrapping paper and covered the jars and put them in a bag for me to bring to work!  It was super helpful having an assembly line going on and that there was someone to help me finish the project.

Family christmas parties

Today is my big family Purificacion christmas party!  I love this time of year since I get to see all my cousins and my nieces & nephews!  We had LOTS of food, played games, had our annual adult white elephant gift exchange and ate and drank into the night.  It's tiring but totally worth it.  I love my family and our traditions.  I'm so glad we keep them going strong.

Smart & Final

Sometimes you need A LOT of one ingredient but don't have the time or want to go to Costco and deal with the lines & the people.  Enter the smaller bulk store, Smart & Final.  There's one near my work which makes it even more convenient to stop by and pick up the items I need for baking or whatnot.  While they're prices are a little more than Costco per ounce it's worth it since I don't even want to imagine what Costco is going to be like these next few days.

classical music

I forgot about the classical music station 91.5 until my friends reminded me of it this past Saturday!  I've been listening to it during my commute since it's supposed to 'make my baby smarter.'  I don't know if it'll work or not but it does make her excited and I can feel her kicking a lot more than when I listen to Power106 or AMP radio!  It also has helped to calm me down and relax me on my way home from work.  This past week has been super busy at work so it's nice to let me mind unwind and enjoy the classical harmonies.

My lopsided belly

When the baby & belly were a little smaller it was very symmetrical and I grew evenly. Now that she's a little bigger sometimes I'll look down and one half of my belly will protrude out more than the other! I find it so funny and amusing. I'm so thankful that she's moving around and having a good time in there. And that I find my pregnancy funny.

my medication cart

The tablet I use to dispense at work is pretty heavy, coupled with baskets of meds and bags of syringes, it's started to get difficult to move everything from the office to the hallway where I dispense meds.  But today they found a cart for me to use!  It's metal so it's kind of loud but it can hold everything and I just have to push it into the hallway.  YAY!  My back hurts way less today despite how busy it's been.  Thank you cart!

Talking to my dad

It's already Dec 17 in the Philippines and so I called my dad to wish him a Happy 70th Birthday!!! He's been there since the beginning of September and sometimes I don't get to talk to him so it was extra nice being able to say Happy Birthday! and I love you!

Two-person decorating

Today I helped my mom decorate her Christmas tree! It went by pretty fast bc I would get the ornaments ready with the hangers and everything and she just kept hanging them on the tree one after the other. Since there were 2 of us stringing the lights and beads around the tree was pretty easy too! My mom still has the Christmas lights from my childhood that plays music & has the lights that blink to the music. We plugged them in and it made the Christmas season so real!! I'm so glad I helped decorate the tree with my Mom today :)

bar seating

6:30pm, Saturday night, CPK, Brea Mall.  Christmas season.  It's VERY crowded but thankfully there's seats at the bar for all 4 of us!  YAY!  Time to chow down on some salad & pizza!

Easy returns

I'm one of those people with buyers remorse so I frequently return things and its such a relief when the stores make it easy to return the items! Target, Nordstroms & Macy's are the prime examples.

a roof over my head and food in my stomach

I just finished reading this NY Times article about homeless children in NYC specifically following 1 girl and her family.  It's so heartbreaking the things that others have to go through and thankfully there was a happier ending to that little girl's story.  All in all, I can only be thankful each and every day that I get to go home to a roof over my head and that I can put food in my stomach.  I have been blessed with so many other things but I can't forget to be thankful for the small necessities of life.

Supplies at home

I wrapped Christmas gifts tonight!! I was worried I wouldn't have enough boxes or tissue paper or something but it all worked out (for now). I'm very thankful that I had all the gift wrapping supplies at home already and I could just focus and wrap each gift one after the other. Makes things so much easier! Yay for Christmas and gifts!!

other pregnant people

At one of the clinics there are 4 other pregnant people, 3 due within 2 weeks of me and 1 due in July later.  It's nice being able to talk to them about the random pains, symptoms and to see how everyone else is feeling and how they're doing.

space heaters

IT'S SO COLDDDDDDDD.  I guess they turned the heater off in the clinic over the weekend since it's super freezing in here today!  Thankfully we have a space heater for the office that's warming me up but when I walk around the clinic it's so cold!  I need socks!!

Amazon Prime

I've gotten so used to 2 day shipping with Amazon Prime that I'm forgetting what I've ordered on other websites bc they're taking more than 5 days to ship. Man! I've been spoiled! Thanks Yao for sharing your Prime account and thanks Amazon for the free 2 day shipping.

Shopping buddy

During Christmas there are so many options for gifts and so many people to buy gifts for that it can get overwhelming. That's why I like bringing a shopping buddy with me so she can help me make decisions, avoid over-spending and makes sure I buy all the gifts I need. Today my shopping buddy was my mom and I was super thankful since I finished all my Christmas shopping! Thanks Mom!!

Fridays

It's finally FRIDAY!  I don't know why this week I've felt more drained than usual but I'm super thankful that it's Friday and that I don't have work this weekend!

double gifts!

One of the patients gave me this tin of cookies today for Christmas (I
think). When I opened it I thought, "Awesome! I can hold my sewing
supplies in here when the cookies are gone!" SCORE!

I wonder if the patient knew she was giving me a double gift, she was
Filipina afterall...

salvageable dinners

I had such a fail tonight with dinner.  I was bringing dinner to my sister & Johnny's house in Fullerton and I was going to get super-yummy fish tacos from a place between our houses.  It's ~10 min from my house and ~20 min from their house.  I didn't want the tacos to get soggy so I asked for 'everything on the side' so we could build the tacos as we ate them BUT when I got to her house they had only given us fish+tortilla and the sauces!  We were missing the cabbage, tomatoes & onions!  SO SAD!  Thankfully we were able to run to Ralphs and buy the extra veggies.  While it wasn't exactly the same it was good enough and still yummy.  PHEW!  Good thing dinner wasn't a disaster!

unblocked sites at work

i don't want to jinx it but recently there have been a lot of unblocked sites at work!  I was able to browse target.com, amazon.com and some of my baking sites too!  It's weird but for now it's nice!

cyber Monday

Thanks to Cyber Monday and online shopping I did almost ALL of my Christmas shopping from the comfort of my couch!  And in less than 2 hours! GL shopping everyone!!

dinner with family

=( Yao officially moved out of the house.  It's sad yet understandable and he's not super far away so it's not the end of the world but it was still nice to have dinner all together last night.  Who knows when the next non-holiday family dinner will be!

helpful sales clerks

There are SOOO many options when it comes to all things baby-related and so it's nice when you encounter helpful sales clerks who can tell you how to use things, the pros & cons and different brand options as well.

Palmer Pie

Our future daughter

Happy Thanksgiving!!! One would think that today deserves a long post in the blog full of things and people that I'm thankful for. But I hope it suffices to say that I am thankful for all of my friends and family and all of the things God has blessed me with. Most of all, this year, I am thankful for the growing baby girl that we get to meet in a few months! We love you already Chloe!!

Musical memories

It's great when you hear a song and it can transport you back in time. It triggers the thoughts and memories and reminds you of different parts of your life. Today I heard one of those songs and it inspired me to look up other songs that I have strong memories with. Of course there are happy songs & sad songs but I decided to share songs with happy musical memories. Enjoy!

NKOTB - I'll be loving you forever (http://youtu.be/ZT_7UjCVELg)

98º - Invisible Man (http://youtu.be/WKgQPVoN088)

Sisqo - Thong Song (http://youtu.be/Oai1V7kaFBk)

Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison (http://youtu.be/6vY7S6iwwlQ)

Washed utensils

Alex doesn't really like doing the dishes. He especially dislikes washing the utensils! There are times when he'll wash all the dishes but then leave the utensils and I'll finish up and clean them. Today when I looked, all the dishes were washed! Including utensils!! It's small but a clean empty sink is always nice.

a warm home

I came home to a wonderfully smelling warm home.  Alex was 'slaving' away in the kitchen preparing dinner.  My back started hurting in the car ride home so it was nice to not have to worry about dinner and relax on the couch and take the pressure off my back.  I can't express how thankful I am for Alex.

Chlorpheniramine

I don't know why but my allergies were SO bad today!  It was hard to breathe, I was all gross and it was just nasty.  I resorted to taking an anti-histamine to help w/ the symptoms and after ~1 hr it finally kicked in.  Hooray!

SoCal

One of the nice things about living in SoCal/LA area is the close proximity to so many diverse areas.  Today we had a 2nd birthday celebration for my mom at Venice Beach!  She's never been and it's such an interesting place to walk around.  We are so lucky to live so close to so many 'landmarks' but also have access to nature/hikes, mountains, the beach, and the city-life.  I love living in 'LA'!

My Mommy

It's my momma's birthday today!!!  Happy Birthday Mom!!

There are so many reasons why I am thankful for my mom, too many to list.  One of the more recent reasons is her understanding, support & advice during my pregnancy.  She's always looking out for me (and the baby) and has been there to share our excitement throughout it all.  I know she's very excited to have a 2nd granddaughter and I'm excited to be able to enjoy her as a mother & see her with our baby as a grandmother!

Happy Birthday Mommy!  I love you! (so does the baby & Alex!)

arriving safely

LA in the 'rain.'  Not the prettiest picture and definitely not the most conducive to driving.  While it took me more than twice my regular commute time to get to work today, I cannot help but be thankful that I arrived safely to my destination.  There are many reports on the news about accidents here & there on the freeways and so instead of complaining, I am going to be thankful for the blessing(s) I've been given today.

Please drive safe everyone! And leave an hour early, you never know what the roads will be like!

Broadway shows in LA

YAY!!! Julie & Yao got me (& Alex) tickets to watch The Book of Mormon!  It's coming to the Pantages in February!  I've heard really good things about the show so I'm really excited!  YAY!  Thank you so much!!

Filipino style breakfast

Sometimes I wake up starving! Maybe bc I ate dinner earlier than normal or I didn't eat too much at dinner but I'm ravenous when I wake up. A lot of times I don't know what I want to eat for breakfast and usually settle on PB toast or oatmeal. BORING!

Today, I woke up starving again and while I was getting ready for work Alex got up and started preparing food. I believe it was for his lunch but little did he know that it is also a great Filipino breakfast item! He cooked corned beef!! Yum! Since we didn't have any pan de sal, I toasted a piece if bread, slathered on the corned beef & satisfied my tummy. So good.

Longanisa & garlic fried rice would have been just as good. Mmmm good thing I'm full.

Calcium carbonate

Recently I've been getting some symptoms of acid reflux/heartburn and I thought it'd go away on it's own or if I ate smaller meals it'd help.  NOPE.  I started to take calcium carbonate 500mg (generic TUMS) and that definitely helps.  The only problem is I have symptoms now at work but the CaCarb is at home!  BOO!  Gotta pack some in my lunch box from now on.

pressure cooker

Alex makes really good pork ribs.  The meat falls off the bone, it's full of flavor and they're always different.  The only drawback is they usually take 1-1.5hrs to make!  Tonight he used the pressure cooker to speed up the process and the results were just as yummy.  Instead of 1-1.5hrs the ribs were cooked in ~30 mins!  Such a great and useful invention!

Heidari

WOW.  THANK YOU HEIDARI for that GREAT FIELD GOAL.  WOO HOO!

Non-gamer

With all these fb posts of the new PS4 I'm thankful that neither Alex nor I are gamers. We don't have a need to wait out in the cold for a new gaming system or new game and can sleep peacefully through the night instead.

Non-smokers & vapers

The most annoying thing about Europe was all the secondhand smoke we inhaled. Everywhere we went there was someone smoking, young, old, males, females, everywhere. It was annoying and difficult trying to avoid it. Coming back to SoCal, it makes me thankful that there are so many non-smokers here and even for those who use vaporizers or e-cigs. At least the smoke doesn't smell!

Please stop smoking everyone. For your health and everyone else's around you.

DVR

Today is 'recover from jet lag' day.  We woke up at 5am LA time which is 2pm Barcelona time.  We had slept for a good 7 hours by then but my stomach was super hungry and my mind super awake.  So I got up, ate some breakfast and caught up on my DVR'd shows.  I'm glad that it gave me something to do and keep my mind occupied instead of just sitting around being awake.

arriving

BACK IN LA!  It was great travelling and being in a different city/country but it's always great to come back home.  While we were gone Alex said, "I don't like travelling, I like arriving."  which is totally true!  The actual travelling part sucks but once you're there it's nice.  So I'm very thankful that we arrived safely back at LAX.

being free to do anything

Today was our 'free day' in Barcelona.  We had time to walk around, do anything, eat anywhere and just enjoy the city.  We ended up finding a great market right behind our hotel where we bought a lot of our edible souvenirs!

29 years of blessings

Today I can't count how many blessings there are in my life. As I enjoy and celebrate my birthday in Barcelona with my loving husband and growing baby girl I thank God for the past 29 years of my life.

Getting lost

Today we walked in the wrong direction MANY MANY times and then missed the bus twice. The good news is we ended up finding a small local rotisserie place that served chicken & rabbit aka lunch! We chowed down and hung out for a little and hopped on the bus back to our destination.

Comfort food

We had a not so great dinner today so on the way back to the hotel we stopped for pizza! It's been my go-to food for the past few months and it definitely hit the spot. It's nice that some foods are found throughout the world.

ginger drops

The inter-European flight was one of the bumpiest and in one of the most cramped planes I've been on. Thankfully I packed and ate some ginger drops that helped calm my stomach.

a patient husband

Today was 'buy souvenirs' day in Venice. Of course this was more fun for me than it was for Alex but he stuck with me and patiently went from store to store as my indecisive-self couldn't pick what I wanted. I am constantly reminded of how thankful I am that he is so patient with me.

An apartment to come back to

Venice is a walking city. In turn, regardless of what shoes I wear my feet hurt after hours of walking. So it's nice to have an apartment/hotel room semi close by to come back to, rest our feet and recharge.

International data plan + wi-fi

The streets of Barcelona & Venice are small winding and very confusing. It's easy to get lost and so the few times we've needed it, it's been great to have an international data plan. The wi-fi in the rooms have been extra great since I can check email, send messages and keep up with the world when we're resting.

Side note: autocorrect changes wi to Wu and fi to if so it would say wu-if instead! Haha that's what I'll call my wi-fi at home from now on. jk

online check in

I've heard most of the inter-European airlines charge to check in or print your boarding pass at the actual airport so of course I checked in online beforehand! When we got to the actual airport there was no line for the 'online check in baggage drop' people aka US!! We were able to drop off our luggage and walk through security and now I have time to eat and blog! Hooray!

granola bars

One of the 'sucky' things about traveling to Europe is the time difference and thus losing a day on your way there. It was difficult to manage eating regular meals and not starving while on the plane but thankfully I had packed granola bars to munch on (plus other snackies)! My stomach was especially thankful.

LAX drivers

Usually when we go to the airport we'll park and leave our car at the Westin since it's just a few days. This time Yao dropped us off since we'll be gone for over a week! It was a lot faster despite the crazy TSA line when we got there. Thank you to everyone who has dropped us off or picked us up from the airport!

Family time

We came to Calexico to visit Alex's parents and it was nice to spend time with them & hang out with the family.

familiar faces

I had a training for the new KP pharmacy system today and I thought I was going to be alone but when I got there one of my techs was there! So we ate lunch together and went to visit our pharmacy after the training. It's always nice to see a familiar face when you don't expect it.

Hot tea w/ milk

I know it's ok for me to have a little caffeine but I've been trying to stay away from it for the past few months.  I've been craving a decaf latte or hot tea since it's been getting colder in the morning and today I but the bullet.  The flavored creamer had sucralose in it so I opted for tea w/ milk instead.  I was thinking about it on the way to work today and I remembered that most Americans don't add milk to their tea.  I had no idea this was 'weird' until I was a 10th grader! 

Today, I'm thankful for my mother who I watched drink tea with milk each morning growing up, Alex who makes me tea with milk when I'm feeling bad and the cafeteria where I bought my tea.

Shared excitement!

Today we found out the gender of our little baby growing inside of me!  My mom & Alex went to the ultrasound with me and we were all very excited to find out it's a baby girl!  As I walked into work some of my coworkers were already asking me if I knew what 'it' was, I was so surprised that people were waiting and eager to hear about the appointment.

I am so thankful that Alex, baby & I have so many people to share our excitement with.  It makes the excitement & happiness that much better.

GhostMouse

At work there are some repetitive tasks that I do which require a lot of mouse movement & clicking.  While it's not difficult it does get annoying since I can't multitask when I do it.  I started using the program 'GhostMouse' and it's solved all my problems!  Now I can file/do other stuff while the mouse is moving and it definitely saves my wrist from carpal tunnel.

non-automated phone numbers

It's SO nice calling a place and getting a live person right away.  It's such an understated and rare thing nowadays.  SO SAD!

Crock Pot dinners!

When I got home this was waiting for me in the kitchen! Since he has work until 9pm tonight, Alex setup the crockpot to make dinner for me before he left! Hooray! Crock pot dinners are not only yummy but a wonderful surprise when you get home from work! Thanks Alex!!

non-halloween people

I'm not a big Halloween fan, I'm not into dressing up and I'm VERY not into scary movies.  I'm all for the cute kids and costumes and things like that but the scary costumes and zomies, NO THANK YOU.  So I'm happy for everyone who enjoys this time of year but I'm SOOO thankful that Alex isn't into Halloween either.

Backup

Today I was failing at making dinner, ok semi-failing, but I was getting super frustrated and hungry and it just didn't seem to be going right. So I called Alex to come have dinner and he sensed my frustration and came to save the day! He saved our dinner and let me eat so I wouldn't have a breakdown. I'm so thankful he's always here to back me up and help me when I need it.

Flannel sheets

It's been so cold in the morning & at night when we go to bed that we decided it was time to change to our flannel bed sheets! Now were nice and warm and the only problem is not wanting to get up!

Good restaurants close to work

Today I tried a new place close to the Echo Park clinic called The Hungry Pig.  It was BBQ with an asian flare and was surprisingly good.  They don't try to 'be asian' with all their dishes, just some things have an asian twist like their curried potatoes.  Some of their dishes were spicy for me but otherwise there was a decent amount of food with different side options.  Traditionally there haven't been too many good restaurants close to Echo Park so I was very pleased to find out this place is legit.

parents

There was an 'ah-ha' moment described on another blog I read in regards to parenting.  The morale of the story is kids don't understand nor appreciate what their parents go through until they themselves become parents.  But once they're on the other side it makes more sense and you find this sense on appreciation for YOUR parents and what YOU put them through.

Thinking back on the stories about me when I was a child and remembering how I behaved as a child/teenager/semi-adult, I'm SOOOO grateful for my parents.  I'm thankful that they put up with me and taught me all those valuable life lessons and how to appreciate when I have in my life.

Going forward, I have to admit that I'm NERVOUS to become a parent and to see 'the other side' of things.  But I can only hope that I will be as great of a mom as my mother was/is and pray that when they get older they'll appreciate me (and Alex) also.

recipe ideas

I don't particularly like pumpkin but tis the season and many people I know enjoy the pumpkin flavor of baked goods.  My first pumpkin-flavored item are pumpkin muffins w/ eggnog cream cheese swirl which were a big hit!  As a result I started thinking about other pumpkin flavored items which led to more and more recipe ideas.  Thankfully the people at Alex's work & my work enjoy my baked items so if I have a large quantity then we have somewhere to bring them.  It's nice having new ideas and trying out new recipes.  I like learning from each one and applying those things to the next recipe!

When someone else cooks dinner

I don't mind cooking but I don't find it as enjoyable as baking. But when Alex works late i'll cook dinner so no one starves. But tonight Yao cooked chicken quesadillas with guac & mango salsa! It was awesome to relax but still be fed when I got home. Thanks for cooking Yao!!

random open appointments

I don't know why exactly but today I only have 1 patient in the afternoon!  He's scheduled at 1:30pm, showed up on time and so hopefully that means I'll get to leave SUPER early today!  YAY!

church mass options

One of the favorite things about the Catholic Church is that you can go to mass at almost any church and there are always a variety of times available!  Today I went to church w/ my mom in Cerritos at 9:45am, next week I'll probably go to the church by my house at 11am.  If I wanted to I could go at 5pm!  It's so flexible, I love it!

chill friends

It's nice when you're with your friends and it's ok to take a nap or just hang out with out talking.

good friends

This weekend is a big birthday weekend for some of my good friends.  A few of them are flying in to LA and we're going out to dinner this weekend!  I'm fortunate enough to have good friends from HS, undergrad & pharmacy school.  I'm so thankful that I still keep in touch with them and that we're still close! 

Happy Birthday to Grace, Bryant and in 2 days Jennifer!!  

Walking tour of LA

For my birthday a few years ago, some of my friends came with me and we did a walking tour of downtown LA. It was cool to see the historic areas of the city and really enjoy the culture and see what LA is made of.

other options

Many ppl know that I'm on gchat most of the day during work (as I'm working) but today they disabled the chat function in gmail!  Thankfully Brandon told me about google plus hangouts which work the same as the gchat function.  So yippee!  At least I'm still connected somehow.

understanding patients

Today, I was a bad provider.  I had a meeting run super late and my patient ended up waiting almost 45 minutes for me!  She was on her way out as I was walking in and so she agreed to stay and let me see her.  I FELT SO BAD!!  But she was super understanding and all day all I could think was, "Thank God some of my patients are so understanding."

'parking on' feature

Alex has this knack for getting really good parking spots which he 'activates' when we're in the parking lot and he'll say 'parking ON'.  He's usually pretty good with it and we end up parking fairly close to our destination.  Today, as we drove towards the LB Marathon finish line to cheer on Yao, Alex turned left onto a street that didn't look like it would have ANY parking but lo and behold...PARKING ON.  Someone left their spot right as we drove down the street.  Plus meters are free on Sunday, so FREE, close parking!  It was wonderful.

nice handwriting

Ever since I was little I've had fairly poor handwriting.  As I got older I realized it's bc I'm 'lazy' when I write and I don't fully pick up the pen between letters.  All the strokes get blurred together and the word looks messy.  Posters were never my thing since my handwriting sucked so thank goodness for Julie's nice handwriting!  We wanted to make a poster for Yao's marathon but of course I wasn't confident in my artistic abilities so Julie stepped in and outlined the poster for us!  I colored in some of the block-letter portions of the sign and Julie markered-in the rest.  Hooray for teamwork!

non-work related Spanish conversations

I just had a little chat with my patient about the World Cup and Mexico's need to win their game tonight.  It was a refreshing break from the medical-related Spanish that I'm always speaking and it was a good way to brush up on my non-work related Spanish.  It helps me remember and think of other words that I haven't used in a long time.  Good brain exercise!

scarfs & long sleeved sweaters

IT'S SO COLD!!! I'm so thankful for long-sleeved sweaters and scarfs to keep my neck & arms warm.  Let's throw in socks too since they're keeping my toes warm today.

new babies!

In the past 2 weeks there have been 2 wonderful new additions to this world!  My good friend Jen gave birth to her 2nd baby boy, Landon Jacob and my cousin Zusy gave birth to her 2nd baby girl, Zea Rose!  I'm thankful they both had a simple and safe delivery and all 4 of them are alright.  I can't wait to meet them!

Support

It's nice to know how much support you have at work, at home, in your friends and others especially when you didn't expect it.  I'm thankful to have such a supporting network of people in my life.

Noise cancelling headphones

Not that I have any, but with all the construction going on at the clinic it would seem very wonderful to have noise cancelling headphones.  Especially with the drilling going on behind the wall behind my computer, so literally 2 feet away from me.  I'm thankful for noise cancelling headphones for the people who have them.

Tamale guy

Even outside of my church in Cerritos/Artesia there was a family selling tamales on our way out of church.  Now, there's a different family/guy that sells tamales outside of the church I go to in Rowland Heights but it reminds me of going to church with my family when I was younger.  We never bought tamales from the people in Artesia but the ones from Rowland Heights are pretty good!

Safe flights

My mom came home from the Philippines today! I'm so thankful she had a simple safe flight and is back in CA with us. Thank you God!

New white coat(s)!

QueensCare recently changed their official name & logo. They asked the
providers to fill out a form for new white coats and they gave one to
me so I filled it out. Usually since I'm not technically a QC
employee they don't give me perks such as white coats but lo and
behold, the white coats came and I have some too! It was very
exciting until I realized 5 mins after I put it on that I got it dirty
already! Oh well, still exciting!

midweek catch-ups

One of my BFFs moved up to NorCal last year and we were super SUPER sad that she moved.  Whenever she comes down we try to hang out but it's difficult esp since we all live in different corners of LA county.  But yesterday she came down for work and we were able to meet up and have dinner and hang out for 4 hours.  It was SUPER fun and relaxing to laugh and reminisce about all the good times we've had.

my cousins

Being Filipino means I have a lot of family and a lot of cousins.  The best part of being Filipino is being close to my family and my many cousins.  This morning my cousins had a group text message going on regarding my nephew's birthday.  Unfortunately I can't go to celebrate my nephew's birthday but it was fun reading, texting and conversing with my cousins that early in the morning.  I'm so thankful that I'm blessed with such a great family.

My cassette player in my car

My car is not THAT old but I still have a cassette player in it and I still have a few cassettes that I listen to with it.  The other day I found my NSYNC Celebrity cassette in my car and so I popped it into the cassette player and was transported back to high school.  It was a wonderful experience and I'm so glad I was able to listen and relive my 'youth'.

Vons deli

My coworker went to the Vons deli today for lunch and brought me back soup!  It was pretty delicious and I have to give it up to Vons.  Their soups, sandwiches and other items from the deli counter are usually very yummy.  It was a nice quick lunch today.  Thanks Vons!

Honesty

In technical terms, diabetes is 'controlled' when a patient's A1c is ~7%.  Needless to say, when a patient's A1c is 12% her diabetes is VERY uncontrolled.  Today I had a new patient who had an A1c of 12.4%, it was my first time seeing her and I could tell in the beginning she was skeptical of who I was or what I did.  I think when I asked her if she spoke English and started to worry.  After about 10 minutes she finally told me, "You know, I'll be honest.  I don't take my medicine.  I only inject once a day."  She was worried 'so much medicine' would hurt her kidneys when in reality, her uncontrolled diabetes was WAY WORSE for her.  I explained what she needed to do, how her medications are safe for her and will actually help her protect her kidneys.  I was glad that she was honest with me so I can properly help her and treat her diabetes.

Cookbooks

I've had some chicken breasts defrosted in the fridge for a couple of days but I was out of ideas on how to cook them.  Thankfully we have a good amt of cookbooks in our house & I found a recipe to use for dinner!  The chicken turned out pretty good (according to Alex) so extra points for me!  Thanks Ad Hoc/Thomas Keller!

KitchenAid mixer

The KitchenAid is like an extra hand in the kitchen.  It especially helps when you have to whip/mix something for a long time.  You can measure, mix & do other stuff while the KitchenAid is mixing!  It's so awesome!  Every baker should have one!

Mind readers

Sometimes when I least expect it Alex can read my mind. He'll say the things I'm thinking or order something that I wanted or ask a question before I can open my mouth. It's useful when I don't have to always explain things and say everything I'm thinking.

mutual respect

Sometimes it's hard to think of something to write in this blog.  Especially if I'm having a bad day it's difficult to think of something I'm thankful for.  Of course there's the obvious, my healthy, my family, my job and my relative good fortune but sometimes I want to write about more than that.

Today, I'm thankful the the mutual respect the staff give to me and the other pharmacist.  The other pharmacist has been at the clinic for many more years than I have but they see us as equals and come to me for pharmacy problems as well.  It sounds small but at least in the clinic we're equals.

efficient MAs

I'm still so amazed by how wonderful my clinic day/flow is when I have a good Medical Assistant.  The one that's 'assigned' to me right now is only a temp so hopefully they hire him full-time!!  All the providers agree that he's an exception MA so I hope the managers take note.

scanner at home

It's so weird how sometimes you just need a scanner and taking a picture of the document isn't enough.  I'm glad we have one that we can use and is readily connected to the computer.  It's so useful!

leftovers

Today was a LONG day.  I was planning on cooking a quick meal for dinner but when I got home there were leftovers!  YAY!  Julie had bought a rotisserie chicken for lunch & Alex went and bought roast duck on his way back.  And there was rice!  SWEET!  Thanks for dinner guys!

Walmart/Target

Sometimes after Alex & I have had a big meal or are super full after dinner, we'll go to Walmart or Target to walk around.  Target is always the nicer of the 2 but Walmart sells stuff that you can't find elsewhere.  Either way, it's always nice to kill time & walk until I don't feel like throwing up bc I'm so full.

use of both of my hands

Yesterday we played a team game where 1 person uses only their L hand and the other uses only their R hand and you have to complete some sort of task.  I was the L handed person and MAN, it was pretty difficult.  My R hand partner was pretty helpful and we ended up winning the game but I was pretty thankful that I'm able to use all my limbs in my daily life.

Weekend events

This weekend we are celebrating a good friend's baby shower! I love weekend events bc they're always a good celebration time but also time to relax.  I enjoy spending time with friends and with my family on the weekends since everyone's always so busy during the week.

Pope Francis

There are many things that Pope Francis has done since he was named pope and I admire all of them.  I hope he leads the catholic church into a different but better direction and it seems like he's on that path.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324492604579085112121099956.html

Asian markets

Sometimes the 'American' markets just don't carry the ingredients you need.  I was glad that 99 Ranch had all the items I needed in a varying brands and at decent prices.  Tonight I made Thai chicken yellow curry which was pretty straightforward and turned out really yummy!

Fresh towels

Esp fresh from the dryer! They're so warm, fluffy and smell so good! I feel so indulgent when I use a newly washed (& dried) towel.

YouTube

I came home from work with every intention of going running but I thought I'd rest for a little then get ready and go run. Fast forward through a 20 min nap and 40 min dinner prep followed by eating dinner, that left me at 8pm full and scared to run in the dark. Enter YouTube videos!! I was tired of On Demand exercise videos so I turned to YouTube for a quick 30 min workout. Maybe I'll go running tomorrow.

Electric fans

When we got home from brunch & errands it was pretty hot in the house.  We've been trying not to use the AC unless we're dying from the heat so we used the electric tower fan instead.  It was pretty good at keeping the room we were in cool which was good enough until the sun set & the house cooled down.

Aprons

Today I made homemade lasagna which includes simmering the tomato sauce mixture for an hour.  Over that hour the sauce is bubbling and put my clothes in danger of getting dirty!  Seeing as how I was wearing my USC jersey for game day, I'm glad I had an apron on to keep my clothes clean!

Power 106

Nothing like a Tupac mix to start your day!

extra batteries

Yesterday my laptop was left on and the battery drained the whole day so when I came to work to use it, it was dead!  Poor laptop!  Thankfully there was an extra battery in the office that I was able to switch out until my batteries were charged.  close call!

Allrecipes.com

When I don't know what to cook or what the best ratio is I look on allrecipes.com. What I love most is the suggestions and tips people post in the reviews! Super helpful!!

homecooked meals

It's magical when you come home from work and smell something delicious from the OUTSIDE of your house only to find the smell is stronger as you open the door.  YUM.  I was so thankful to come home to a homecooked meal today and it smelled amazing too!

Sprinklers

From someone who grew up watering plants and the lawn by just physically standing there, I'm SO THANKFUL for sprinklers and automatic timing systems.

Birthday celebrations

Today is my goddog Palmer's 9th birthday!!  He is THE sweetest, kindest, most lovable dog in the whole world!  He's given me his fair share of problems but also always shows me his love and has comforted me when I needed it.

Alex & I went to Ate & Johnny's house tonight to give Palmer his gifts and watch him eat his cake!  It's the funniest sight to see and I'm so amazed at how fast he scarfs down the cake each & every year.  I'm glad we got to celebrate Palmer's birthday and hang out and spend time with each other.  I love you Palmer!!

Efficient workers

I rarely rent a car when I travel but when I have it usually takes a long time and they ask you a billion extra questions.  Today, we flew into OAK for a wedding, rented a car and the registration person didn't give us any problems and when we walked out to get the car it was already waiting for us!  It was so fast & efficient I was super impressed.  Thanks Alamo!

Porto's

YUM!  My patient brought us cheese rolls from Porto's today.  She said to me, "I'm so thankful for all that you do for me.  Thank you for always helping me.  I love everyone in this clinic.  Everyone's so nice."  It's nice to feel appreciated as well =)

Home lunch & snacks

If I bring lunch, I can nap or relax for 15-20 minutes and provided it's not blazing hot outside I can enjoy the weather!  Also, bringing lunch from home means I can also bring snacks!  It helps pass the time when I drive home =) YUM

My Wife

Cuz she is awesome! 

My health

I wouldn't say that I'm SUPER healthy but overall I don't have too many health problems (Thank God).  It's so difficult to have 1 problem after another and then they start compounding and exacerbating each other so it's best to be healthy early on and stay healthy as you get older.  Let's cross our fingers that that's the case!

slow work days

Esp after a 3 day weekend and CRAZY back to school traffic!!

Hiring a photographer

Back in July, Alex & I had our marriage blessed by my church. We had a small ceremony with just our immediate families and at the last minute we decided to hire a photographer. We hired Genessee Quizon (http://www.genesseequizon.net) and I'm so glad we did!! This is one of the precious moments she captured!

A good haircut

It makes you feel extra pretty and pampered when you get a good haircut & style. Yay!

Air conditioning

It's hot. I'm glad we have air conditioning. Plain and simple.

musubi makers

Last night USC painfully pulled a W over Hawai'i and to celebrate the start of the football season we had Hawaiian pizza & spam musubi!!  Yao made spam musubis last night and I took the left overs to work today.  They are delicious little treats that I can eat while typing up notes and are not too messy bc the wonderful musubi maker we have packs everything in.  YUM!

Comfortable shoes

...yeah

CBSS

I checked the football schedule today and realized that the USC v. Hawaii game was going to be broadcasted on CBSS.  I freaked out for 30 mins bc Time Warner Cable dropped CBS recently and I thought I wouldn't be able to watch the game!!  Then I realized that the 2nd S might mean something so after looking it up, it turns out that TWC still has CBS Sports network and we have it in HD!  SWEET!  Can't wait for the game!!

Handymen in the family

Growing up my dad would try to fix everything and anything.  If my dad wasn't there to fix it my mom would try.  I grew up learning small things here and there and I would say that my siblings and I fairly handy in and around the house.  Luckily, Alex is also pretty handy!  He thinks outside of the box to fix things and will YouTube anything he can't figure out.  As times goes on, we're finding out that YAO is also a pretty good handyman.  He's exceptionally good at helping with car stuff & technical stuff/problems that I/we run into.  It's pretty handy to have these people in my life.  Thanks guys!

Thai town = Hollywood/Sunset area

When you don't know what to eat before your kaiser shift but don't want to eat fast food it's a good thing Thai town is so close by! Yummy authentic Thai good within a few miles of work is money. Excited for my dinner tonight!

Parking validation

Today I had a mtg in downtown which usually means bad parking, bad driving and a good amt of stress.  I did my research and with parking validation everything went smoothly!  I even got to go shopping for a little bit (to get validation)!

a loving family

We had a good number of family members come visit this weekend for Emmy's big birthday bash and on Sunday we were all hanging out at my parent's house in Cerritos.  My cousin's daughter Zoe was being so thoughtful and caring when Emmy was there bc she wanted to show Emmy how to play her game, she let Emmy push the buttons and was understanding when Emmy was making mistakes as a 1 year old would make.  Zoe is going to be a big sister in a few weeks and she is TOTALLY ready.  I'm so thankful that everyone in my family, from the oldest to the youngest, is loving, caring and excited for our family to keep growing.

midday naps

I really can't express how much I love midday naps.  Today was my adorable niece's 1st birthday party and I was up til 1am yesterday helping my family bake, decorate & prepare for the big party. Emmy woke us up from bed at 6am and thus I was TIRED the whole day.  I took a nap when Emmy took her nap around 3pm and woke up feeling SO MUCH BETTER.  MAN.  I love naps.

'Successful' surgery

Today my MIL had a 'simple' thyroidectomy done and she just got out of surgery and so far everything went fine.  I'm just thankful that there weren't any complications during the surgery and I'm hoping she can rest & recover quickly.  Fingers crossed & keep on praying!

family who gets along

I overheard a conversation today where it was person#1's birthday and person #2 was treating p1 out to dinner w/ p2+family.  P1 asked if they should tell the sister about dinner since she was asking what P1 was doing for the birthday.  P2 sounded like they didn't want the sister to be at dinner.  There was a brief argument which ended with P1 saying, "Ok. I was just asking. I won't tell her about dinner then."

The whole time, as I awkwardly sat there, I was thinking, Good thing my family members all get along!  Even my new Wu family & my Purificacion family can get along.  I guess it's a small thing that is oftentimes overlooked.

Chicken & jujubes

Yesterday I woke up feeling bad and left work early feeling worse. I rested and ate soup all day but I woke up today feeling even worse!! When I got up I drank the chicken+jujube soup that Alex had made for me and then took another 1.5 hr nap. I'm finally starting to feel better so hopefully more soup, more sleeping & more rest will do the trick. 

midweek lunches/dinners w/ BFFs!!

I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE MY BFFs TOMORROW NIGHT!!!  My good friend Jeanne just got back from the Philippines (where she got engaged!! Congrats love!) and we're all getting together for dinner tomorrow night!  YAY!  Today, I didn't start work til 1:30pm so I was able to stop in dtLA to have lunch w/ one of my other BFFs Jenny-Anne!  HOORAY!  I love these girls to death and I always get so excited to see them so being able to hang out during the week makes it that much better.  Such a great way to start the week!

The vastness of the catholic church

I love that almost everywhere I go there's access to a Catholic Church. It makes me happy to know that there are so many ppl who share the same faith and celebrate the same as me despite obvious differences (ex. language).

NKOTB

Today's traffic was SOOOO BAD and at about the 1hr 10 minute mark I was getting antsy and annoyed. So to calm myself down I turned on my NKOTB greatest hits CD. Yay! Instantly felt better and rocked out the rest of the way to work.

technology

This is old news but technology is amazing!  It's great being able to communicate w/ ppl on the other side of the world through email or even skype!  It still amazes me when I really sit back and think about it.

last minute work cancellations

I thought I was scheduled to close at Kaiser tonight but there are always weird things going on with the schedule so I texted one of the assistants to double check.  It turns out that my shift got cancelled!  AWESOME!!  At least, it's awesome that I found out before I actually went into Kaiser and then had to go home.  In the end it's a win for me =)

Sports (esp. tennis, basketball & college football)

I grew up watching tennis & basketball with my family.  I remember rooting for Pete Sampras and watching him painfully lose to Marat Safin in the 2000 US Open.  I remember going to the Great Western Forum to watch the Lakers play.  I remember getting sucked into USC football as a freshman and watching each home game (while studying) for the next 7 years.  I'm thankful for having grown up watching sports so now as an adult I can fully enjoy and understand the games.  Needless to say, I'm VERY VERY excited for the US Open, basketball & college football to be back on TV.  

No smoking

I'm thankful Alex doesn't smoke and neither do my good friends.  Smoking is BAD!

A quiet house

We had friends come over last night and we ended up talking until 12:45am!  For old fogies like us, that's late.  We ended up going to sleep around 1/1:30 and then I woke up 'early' to get everything ready for Jen's Baby Sprinkle today.  Needless to say, by 4pm I was TIRED.  I stopped by my parents house to pick something up and no one was home when I got there.  It worked out well bc the house was perfectly quiet and it was that 'perfect naptime' weather so I ended up taking a blissful 1 hour, uninterrupted nap.  It was awesome.

Extra hands = help

Tonight I was lucky enough to have Todd come over for dinner and stay to help me & Alex decorate sugar cookies! It went by way faster than if I would have done it myself so thank you guys for helping me out!

those days when you don't feel good and no one shows up

Bad sleep + a small breakfast = tired Cher.  Why I had a small breakfast I dunno, but when I got to work today I thought, "MAN.  Thank God I have a resident to help me today."  We saw the first 2 patients who showed up on time and then we waited....the next 3 didn't show up.  I got a message saying my 11:30am wanted to reschedule.  My 10:30am patient showed up and the resident went happily to see him.  My 11am doesn't show up and that finished my morning.  I decided to go take a nap. For an hour.

There are some days when I think God is watching out for me and today felt like one of those days.  I was NOT feeling it when I got to work today but somehow it all worked out.

eating lunch outside

When it's freezing cold in the office, lunch is always a nice time to sit outside and enjoy the warmth & sunshine.

time to finish projects

There are a lot of days at work where I'm 100% 'go-go-go' and then other days when my patients don't show up and I have time to finish all the small projects that I have going on.  Today is a slower day but I'm finishing up so many other things!  It's very satisfying to cross multiple things off my list in one day!

not having to drive

Yesterday I had a really bad headache and thankfully I was w/ Alex so I didn't have to actually drive home!  He let me take a nap in the car while he listened to my 90s CD on the way back.  I was so happy I didn't have to drive yesterday.

extra cars & extra family

My car finally reached > 100,000 miles!  With it came a LOT of replacement and upkeep for my car and since the only trusted mechanic I know of is in Cerritos, my parents graciously agreed to drop my car off at the mechanic and let me borrow one of their extra cars.  So I was reversing my mom's car out of our driveway when Alex stopped me & noticed that I had a flat tire!!  I must've driven over a screw yesterday and thankfully it didn't fully pop the tire!

SO...I took Alex's car to work, Alex changed the tire to the spare, brought the car to get 2 new tires and then took Julie's car to work.  Luckily Julie didn't have work today and so she graciously is waiting for the car to be finished so she can drive it back home.  OH MAN, I'd be so screwed w/o the extra cars & my extra family members.  Thanks guys!!

Ian Alas

Ian & I went to USC together, we served on the Troy Philippines e-board together and he wrote the skit for the PACN I put together.  We were never the closest of friends but we talked and whenever we did Ian would amaze me with his depth and his insight.  The things he would say, the way he thought and the things he appreciates were always different and enlightening (in a good way).  Ian's had many blogs/websites since our college days and I've followed most of them.  This post (http://ianbennettalas.com/post/57131897659/err-in-the-direction-of-kindness) reminded me of the way that Ian thinks and how much I appreciate having thoughts and people like this in my life.

Netflix & Hulu

Such big time wasters but such a good way to keep/catch up with tv shows.

Family dinner

It's nice to get together on a weeknight and enjoy dinner at the dinner table with family. Simple yet sometimes difficult to do. I love my families.

In seat outlets/plugs

Extra handy when your phone has 4% battery and your waiting for your flight!

Public transportation

When it's efficient, available and on time public transportation is effective!

Ginger

I don't know when it happened but I started getting super motion sick when I fly. Today I cut up some ginger & put it in a tumbler then added hot water after we got through security. I drank it throughout the flight and it helped calm my stomach & stave off the motion sickness. Thank God!!

vacation!!

I'M ON VACATION!! No work til next Monday!  I'm very thankful I get to relax, wind down and spend time with my husy-band!  

Power 106

Thank you for the free tickets & parking Power!!! It's a great way to celebrate our 1 year anniversary!!

Thank you Brandon for winning us tickets!!!

Our second wedding!!

I'm Catholic.  Some would say that I'm 'very Catholic', enough where I'll go to church while on vacation even if it's in another country and will follow the Lenten rules, fasting & all that (apparently some people don't).

While I'm still very Catholic, I didn't want to make Alex's family feel awkward or out of place during our wedding and we opted for a retired Catholic priest to perform our ceremony but kept the actual ceremony non-religious.  I was 100% happy with our decision then and I still am.

Now, being Catholic, I'm obligated to have our marriage blessed by the Catholic church and being Catholic, I was excited to have our marriage blessed by the church.  So Alex & I started the process last December, met with the priest at my parish and had our marriage prep classes and the FOCCUS survey etc.

Today, I get to re-marry the love of my life and renew our vows under the blessing of God.  YAY!!!!

Online flight status

MY DAD COMES HOME FROM THE PHILIPPINES TODAY!!!! He's been gone for a little over 2 months and he's finally coming home!

His flight was supposed to land at 8 but thanks to online flight status websites we found out that it was delayed til 835 so we could time things accordingly. Yay!!!

side note

On a side note, I love the expression & feeling of gratitude you get when you give an honest, wholehearted thank you to someone.  Their face lights up (esp if they don't hear it very often) and you can tell that they truly are thankful that you recognized them or their actions.

Even if it's in your job description or something you 'always' do, being thanked for a job well done is a simple act that goes a long way.

feeling vital

Today I was super busy at work.  I usually just dispense so my Thursdays are chill but today I was covering one of the doctor's and reviewing meds & giving med refills.  In addition there were a few INR follow-ups from my other clinic!  So after lunch I was busy which made the time go by really fast but more importantly I felt like a very vital part of the clinic, team and vital to the patients.  I'm so thankful that I have this opportunity and that the providers, patients & clinic staff trust and respect me.

a mom's strength

my mom & my mother-in-law are 2 very strong women.  I am thankful for all that they put up with, all that they continue to do despite maybe not feeling so hot.  I can only hope that I grow up with their strength & dedication.

Thermos/fake Thermos

I brought tea to work today and I put it in my fake Thermos mug from William Sonoma.  While my tea stayed hot for a LONG time (~4hrs) it's NOTHING compared to the actual Thermos mug.  We've put ice in the Thermos container and let it sit in a hot car all day & overnight and the next morning THERE'S STILL ICE!!  Similarly, if I put a piping hot liquid in it, it'll stay the same temperature for at least 12 hours.  I usually have to dilute the liquid w/ colder water so I can drink it w/o burning myself.

'good' news

When you're waiting to hear about test results you often prepare for the worst and hope for the best and still you can't help but think about the worst.  I'm thankful for all the times you hear the good news and can completely forget about 'the worst'.  Of course 'good news' is relative, but it's better than the alternative.

not going to church alone

I don't mind going to church alone but it's always nice when there's someone else who will go with you.

late-night dinners w/ family

Today I watched Pacific Rim w/ Alex, Yao & Julie.  It was the 1st time we all went out together and afterwards we came home and all had dinner together around the table.  It was extra nice bc we were able to talk and just hang out w/ each other w/o the TV or electronic devices distracting us.

religious understanding

I'm so thankful that Alex is accepting of my religion and doesn't try to dissuade me in my beliefs.  Similarly I've never asked him to join the Catholic church and I don't try to force my religious POVs onto him.  I think we have a good understanding of our we're going to deal with religion in our lives.  Life is so awesome w/ Alex.

work sweaters

The temperature at my work is always opposite of what it's like outside.  Mostly bc when it's hot outside they'll blast the AC to compensate but of course the smaller rooms get super cold.  When it's cold outside they'll stop the AC or run the heater to warm up the patients but of course some areas get super hot.

So today I knew it was going to be extra cold in the office today and I wore a 3/4 sleeved sweater.  It's kind of a nice compromise and it's actually keeping me pretty warm right about now.  I'm kind of dreading driving home in my hot car w/ the sweater but I guess that's what the AC is for right?

hidden treats

I like to snack.  I like to munch and I prefer to eat small meals during the day.  Today I wanted something sweet and I remembered my snack drawer!  This is where I keep the treats/sweets that I don't really want to share bc I'm being selfish.  Maybe bc there aren't too many pieces or it's something SUPER yummy but I keep it in my drawer instead of the communal cabinet.

I feel bad when I eat stuff from there but sometimes I need a pick-me-up, esp in the afternoon.

funny old memories

I was reading a blog today and she said, "Wouldn’t life be so much easier if we could make all our decisions with a little game of “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe".  I laughed in my head bc I remember being in pharmacy school, looking at a multiple choice question thinking, "WTH.  I have NO idea" or trying to choose between 2/3 different answers that I wouldn't be able to tell which was right or not and playing that game in my head to pick my answer.  HAHA.  Even in retrospect I don't think it was a bad idea, it's just as random as guessing so my odds would have been the same.

and THAT my friends is how I finish test so fast.

catching up with old friends

Sometimes we lose touch with people in our lives.  It's always nice to reconnect and catch up with those people who we think are important to us.

Conscientious workers

My new favorite grocery store is Sprouts! It's like a smaller and cheaper whole foods and they just opened one near our house!! Their workers are always super nice and helpful.

Down the street is Trader Joe's and today I thought I'd compare prices on Sprouts' bulk items vs. Trader Joe's bagged items (TJ is cheaper). While Sprouts workers are super nice the Trader Joe's workers looked happier and seemed a lot more friendly!

I love both places and its a bonus when the workers are happy, friendly and nice.

Google maps

Today we celebrated Harlowe's 1st birthday!! Her party was out in Valencia but thanks to google maps we were able to avoid a LOT of traffic on the 5 south on our way home. I only wish I trusted google maps on our way there. I told Alex to take side streets to avoid the 405 but it ended up being just the same amount of time if not more. Oops!!

useful tools

After we got married I officially moved all my STUFF into Alex's house.  It's pretty well known that I like baking and therefore i have A LOT of baking stuffs.  Sheet pans, cupcake pans, tart pans, brownie edge pan (YUM!), piping bags, tips, dyes, flours, sugars and everything in between.

Post-wedding, we decided to redo our kitchen after I unpacked my KitchenAid mixer, looked at the limited counter space and said to Alex, "We need to fix this.  I don't want to put my mixer under the counter or in a box."  That and it was high time to redo the kitchen.  In our new kitchen we have 2 corners w/ lazy susans, one holds Alex's pots & pans and the other holds ALLLL my baking stuff.

IT'S GREAT.  I'm so thankful for all my useful tools that I've accumulated over the years AND the great lazy susan keeping it all together.  And my husband for redoing our kitchen and buying me more useful stuff.

my brothers

I'm super blessed to have 2 wonderful brothers!  Brandon was gracious enough to give us the JT/Jay-Z tickets he won on Power 106 (which I picked up on Tuesday!!!!)  and Yao recently burned me the Top 250 songs of the 90s + 5 other albums that I asked for!!  Since my car doesn't play mp3s from CDs, I'm listening to the music at work during my downtime.  I am super thankful to have (and have married into) such a great family.

Google!

Oh man!! Google just sent me an email saying they stopped someone from signing into my account from China! ie they stopped a hacker for me! Dang google! Thanks for being on top of things!

Time to change my password!

QC Hollywood

Tuesdays & Thursdays I finish work at 6pm and sit through worse traffic than when I go to QC Echo Park.  BUT, the employees at Hollywood are SIGNIFICANTLY nicer and much more welcoming than at EP.  I'm so thankful that they take the time to get to know me and talk to me and ask me how my day/weekend was. I'm glad that I get to come to Hollywood every other workday and talk to my extra nice coworkers.

a GREAT sib line

Starting from my big sib, Leslie, all the way down to my littlest sib, Tiffany, my sib line is 9 generations of very accomplished and amazing women.  To top it off, we've been able to keep in touch and hang out every once in a while and actually get to know each other.  Can't wait for our next sib event!

NAPS

This weekend was super busy for me, I was running around almost all day for the past 3 days and today I had work at Kaiser 9-4pm.  I literally came home and crashed.  I'm so thankful I got to take a nap and try to recuperate.

Jennifer Flores Salmingo

Jen is literally a superwoman.  She is always so caring, so giving and so willing to go out of her way to help you.  She is a great mother to her 1st born and I know she will be able to hold it down when her 2nd one comes out.  Today, Jen & I threw Sammy & Nam a baby shower for their friends & family.  While being multiple months pregnant, Jen still came up with great ideas and decorations for the baby shower and helped pull it off perfectly!  Thank you for all your hard work Jen!  I truly appreciate working with such an organized, creative, caring person for all the things we plan.

Ate Apple & Ate Zusy

Tonight is the NKOTB + Boyz II Men + 98 degrees concert!!!!  Most ppl are surprised when they find out that I LOVE NKOTB.  I'm apparently 'too young' to have known them but with my older cousins (Ate Apple & Ate Zusy) and sister into their music, New Kids on the Block songs are my first strong music memory.  I associate all their songs with my childhood and being happy and dancing around with my cousins/sister.

Andrew S. Kim

Andrew is the older brother I always wanted. Ever since high school he's been giving me valuable advice and reminding me of what's important in life. I came across a note he wrote me back in HS and it said, 'Don't cry over someone who wouldn't cry over you. Make sure to smile. I'm here for you.' Obvs I must have been having boy problems.

Upon finding out that Alex had feelings for me, I turned to Andrew for advice. He said, 'Just go for it. You'll never know how amazing it can be unless you try.' And thus I gave into my heart and fell in love with Alex.

Thank you.

Hidden Opportunities

I've always considered myself fairly lucky given the different jobs I've held in the past 4 years. Each has provided invaluable experiences and lessons I can apply to the rest of my career but none of them are jobs I would have imagined having if you had asked me 4.5 years ago. It's not always what you immediately want but those are the hidden opportunities that will take you to places you've never imagined you could go. Along the way, sacrifices will continue to be made because success was never about doing what is easy; it is about doing the difficult things necessary to achieve the bigger picture. It starts with the courage to take that uncomfortable first step and the rest will fall into place as they always have. It's not my plan that was put in play...it has always been His. For that, I am thankful because if I had followed what I thought I wanted to be back in high school, I would've been a forest ranger. 

Fastrak

ESP on the day before a holiday and when everyone's leaving work early.

Unblocked sites at work

Today I'm at QueensCare East LA since there are no adult providers here.  I'm covering in case there are patients who need med refills or any other problems.  Hence it's been a very slow day.  Good news is I was able to go to Cook's Tortas for lunch!  But I've been chatting away on gchat and found out that Huffington Post & CNN are NOT blocked!  Neither is facebook but that's boring.  Anyhow, it's been a great way to catch up & pass the time.

Sam Chea & David Uyan

Last year Alex & I went to Japan for our honeymoon so that I could visit my birthplace (and enjoy the food).  When I first found out I thought it would be a long shot to ACTUALLY visit the naval base so when looked up my HS friend, David Uyan, I was very excited to see that he was stationed out in Japan also!  Thankfully David is a friendly guy and knew someone at the Yokosuka Naval Base even though he was stationed further away.  That's how I got in contact with Sam.  Sam was so kind and gracious enough to meet up with Alex & I, bring us on base, drive us around & give us a tour of the base and bring us to the NEX =)

I got to see the old hospital building where I was born, the bowling alley where my dad bartended, the dorms/apartment buildings where my parents+sister lived, the day care where my mom worked and really cool ships that were docked that day.  Thinking back on that day, I'm so thankful to have had that opportunity to imagine and get a glimpse of my parents (& my) past.

Online recipes

I've watched and helped MANY family members cook filipino food but when it comes to making it for other people and making a LARGE quantity, there are some dishes that I need to look up just in case.  I know what the dishes are supposed to taste like, I know what they're supposed to look like but knowing exactly what goes in it was a little harder.  But thankfully there were many online recipes for filipino dishes and I was able to narrow down the ingredient list & the general technique and then use my own memories of how it was cooked and how it should taste to perfect the dish.

Here's all my prep work:

Then w/ Alex's help we turned it into this:

great husbands

Of course I'm biased and I think my husband is great.  But today we celebrated Jade's 30th birthday via surprise party thrown by HER great husband, Jonathan.  We were also able to catch up and hang out w/ my USC undergrad friends and their respective husbands (and babies!) and it was just an all around fun time.  I'm so thankful that my friends have such great people in their lives.

Toyota courtesy shuttle

The service guy seemed not to care about me or my car but the shuttle drivers were both wonderful! I was able to come home, iron some of Alex's shirts, prep for dinner and cool down! All thanks to the wonderful shuttle drivers who dropped me off & picked me up from home!

Anchary Nicholas

Even when I was younger Ann always treated me like a friend and as an equal and not just my-BFFs-annoying-little-sister.  Now that we're older she still always makes me feel welcomed when I hang out with my sister & her friends.  She is also provides inspiration, awe & wonder through her cooking (#anncooks) and her baking (#annbakes).  Today she posted this Jack Johnson video which was JUST the thing to get my day going.  She's always been a great friend to me and an older sister.  Thanks for everything P Ann!

Follow her & drool over her cakes (then order one!) at: luckyandinlove.blogspot.com

Plankton

While nerd-ing out watching PBS tonight I learned that plankton in the ocean are responsible for > 50% of the oxygen that we breathe! You should be thankful too!

Krystle Cher

There are about 7 billion people in this world and probably only a hand full of people has the patience to put up with my idiosyncrasies and only ONE actually wants to put up with it, and that is my awesome wife! 

Even better, she also cooks dinner when I work late. It's always an amazing feeling to come home and have food ready! 

Needless to say, I am very thankful for Krystle Cher Wu! 

Bryant AnhThu Tran

Bryant is one of those people who stays in the background but will have your back whenever you need him. In planning for a trip I always look to Bryant for his opinion on places to eat. He'll always tell you what he thinks and is always willing to 'discuss' different topics with you. Only one of the many reasons why I'm thankful for this fool.

our house

I'm thankful that Alex was able to purchase a home when he did and that after we got married we were able to make it our own.  I love the color, the flow, the garden, the flowers and everything about our house.

Jack in the Box

Sometimes when I feel bad I like to eat bad also.  Jack in the Box tacos are JUST the thing I was craving after a BUSY BUSY day at work.  Thank god for the convenience of Jack in the Box & their 2 for 0.99 tacos!  They're so good bc they're so bad.

girltalk

Last night, on a THURSDAY, I ventured out to Beverly Hills to hang out and have girltalk with 2 of my BFFs, Jeanne & Grace.  I ended up getting home at 12:45am which is SUPER late for me but it was totally worth it.  Some times you can say things to your girls that you can't say to anyone else and somethings your BFFs will understand w/o you having to preface or give the backstory on it.  It was great hanging out with them, I only wish we could spend more time together!  But I'm thankful to have outlets like this and times like that where we can catch up, reminisce and laugh and pretend we're 13 again.

the Kaiser system

I was SUPER excited to find out that there are plans to open a Kaiser medical office building in CERRITOS!  It's super exciting for me at least since Kaiser's system is pretty expansive AND maybe, possibly, Alex could potentially transfer out there!  Craziness!  I'm glad Kaiser is expanding and that Alex & I are a small part of their system.

Baked goods by Cher

It is well known that I like to cook and Cher likes to bake desserts. It is also well known that I do NOT have a sweet tooth which is why I am especially thankful when Cher bakes salty foods like pizza and calzones! Thanks honey! 

alex's patience & understanding

It has since tapered down but i used to work my kaiser per diem job A LOT.  I would go after my regular job until the pharmacy closed and would be home ~10pm.  It didn't seem like that much to me but yesterday I got home ~5 and was home alone until 10pm and I started feeling lonely!  I was immediately thankful that Alex understands why I work/ed Kaiser and I felt bad for leaving him alone during the week all those times ago! I'm sorry!!!

Sportacular

Tonight's Game 6 was ridiculous!  I was at dinner and sped home to catch the very exciting end of the game.  I was able to follow (a little) on Sportacular on the way home which was great!  It let me gauge if it was worth it to drive straight home or if I could do some errands in between.  Nope! No time for errands!

tech-free

Earlier this year I gave up my smartphone functions for Lent.  I went as far as digging up an old flip phone sans data but my iPhone SIM card didn't fit!  Alas, I hid all my apps on a 2nd page of my iPhone and kept only those applications you could find on a dumbphone.  I was restricted to: Clock, Calculator, Phone, Contacts, Calendar & SMS (non-picture) messages.  I didn't even use the camera!  Yes, I was allowed to go on fb and instagram on the actual computer but once I left work and left the desktop I wasn't allowed to think about those things.  It was nice not being tied to my phone and constantly thinking about my email and anything else phone-related.  Similarly, it's nice when I can leave my phone at home and not worry about being bothered.  It's very liberating.

I'm glad I went through my Lenten experience and I hope that I can still refrain from always being plugged in.

My dad!

Obviously being Fathers Day I'm thankful for my dad today. But since he's in the Philippines and I haven't been able to talk to him it makes me realize that I'm even more thankful for the sacrifices, hard work and everything else he's given my family. He's often misunderstood and under appreciated and I wish I could tell him how much I love him and tell him THANK YOU for giving me everything I've ever wanted in my life. I hope he enjoyed spending Father's Day with my Lola in the Philippines. I imagine they went to visit my Lolo at the cemetery and my dad got to 'talk' to his dad on Father's Day, that would be my wish for them both. I love you Daddy Cool!

My momma!

I know it's Father's Day weekend but I can't help but be thankful for my mom today. She helped me make a graduation lei for my sister-in-law for her graduation tomorrow. I tried making it myself and failed in 30 seconds, it was supremely easier with her help!

Patients who come early

It's great when patients come early to their appointments. It makes things extra smooth and eventually I get out early too! Thanks for being responsible patients!

36 years of marriage (my parents)!

36 years ago my parents went down to the Marylebone court in London and got married! I wouldn't be anything without them (literally).

Naps before sleeping

It's probably not good for me but I love taking a nap (preferably on the couch) before I go to sleep!

Doing things I like to do

There are a few things that I enjoy that Alex doesn't care for too much. But I'm thankful for the times when he comes with me to do things I like to do and things that I enjoy.

The beach

It's nice living so 'close' to the ocean. The beach is always a nice place to relax and enjoy the breeze.

Impromptu getaways

Hello from Solvang! Alex and I were fortunate enough to get 3 days off so we decided on a mini vacay to Solvang/Santa Barbara area.

Fridays!

Regardless of the actual day, it's always nice to 'celebrate' and relax on your last day of the work week.  Yesterday was Alex's 'Friday' while mine is today!  He was very happy he was able to stay up late &/or sleep in today and NOT have to work.  I'm going to relish in that feeling tomorrow! Fridays are the light at the end of the tunnel and always a relief when it's here.  Enjoy your 'Friday' everyone!

Thankful for Power Tools

I like building things for functional purposes and pay minor attention to aesthetics due to lack of ability. :) Power tools have made it much easier and faster to cut, screw, and drill things. One day I might focus on better design but for now, utility takes priority. 

exiting Hacienda Blvd

I didn't want to jinx myself w/ traffic but last night I was QUITE thankful that I exit Hacienda Blvd off the 60 fwy.  Most of the time (95%) the traffic STARTS right after Hacienda and last night on the 5 lane freeway, the FOUR right lanes were closed!  at 10pm!!  MAN!  I was super thankful for my exit last night!

gift cards

I love using gift cards!  They make it seem like I'm getting my item(s) for free or at a huge discount!  It's awesome.  Thanks to everyone/anyone who's given me a gift card!  You can be sure that I used it and enjoyed using it too!

Netflix

During lunch I usually sit outside, get some sun and relax my brain.  It's a nice way to get away from everyone since the clinic is always FULL of people talking.  Some days I'll read a book but most of the time I'll stream something on Netflix.  I like the quality of their streaming and the different options available to me.

Yao Hua Wu

In addition to being my brother-in-law, I can honestly say that Yao is my friend.  I'm glad that he lives with us, buys random but useful things for the house and keeps Alex on his toes (and much more).  I'm thankful that I've been able to be his friend as I transitioned into the family and that we can grow closer as siblings/roommates too!

Dinner menu

Sometimes it's tough to think about what to eat for dinner especially during the week when I get home from work, too tired to think about much of anything and HUNGRY.  Thankfully we started making dinner menus each week so that when we get home there's a vague/general idea of what's supposed to be for dinner.  It's the small things that make me smile.

not driving

Alex's parents live ~3.5hrs away from us and yesterday we decided to go home to visit them!  Alex graciously drove the whole way there and we came back tonight bc he has work tomorrow morning.  Alex again graciously and painstakingly drove back the whole way tonight (got back at midnight) and even said it was ok for me sleep a little in the car!  I can't be more thankful for a husband who truly takes care of me.

any/all of the people who read this blog

most notably Patrick Yu & Sun Nakamura =)

While I keep this blog so that it reminds me to be thankful for something each and every day it's also nice to know that people really DO read it and even enjoy it!  I'm thankful that my friends let me know that they read the blog, it provides motivation to keep writing and thinking of new things to blog about.

Thanks everyone!

24 Hour Walmarts

I accidentally left my trunk open and the light drained my car battery. If it wasn't for the 24hour Walmart, I would not make it to work on time to open the pharmacy. I'd be in big trouble. Thanks Walmart! You are like that annoying friend who is there when you need them! 

Shorts

Before Alex & I got married ppl would ask us, "Who wears the pants in the relationship?"  We came up with the perfect answer, it came about when someone asked us and we both said "He/She does" and pointed at each other at the same time.  Then Alex answered, "I guess we wear shorts!"  

I was reading another blog that posted love advice from a few old grandmas and the piece of advice that stuck out the most was "Let him think he is in charge, even though you’re really in charge." (and vice versa) Everything works better when you wear shorts.

dinner w/ old friends

it's nice to be able to catch up with old friends and just hang out.  It's nice being comfortable with someone and having them know a lot of the people in your life, a lot of the experiences and everything in between.  I'm thankful that I have friends like that and that we make time to hang out still.

being simply happy

Too often do we find ourselves needing things/objects to be happy.  I'm thankful that today I can just simply be happy.  I hope you are too!

Being tired

I'm thankful that I have more than enough stuff to do and more than enough people to hang out with that I'm super tired on this 3rd day off. Happy Memorial Day!

Daytime naps

There comes a time when you go back to needing/wanting daytime naps.  I'm thankful that I was able to recover a little and take a NAP during the day.  It's so refreshing and a nice treat on the weekend!

Saturday vigil mass

It's nice going to church on Saturday evening so I have all of Sunday to lounge around.  If I remember & have the time I'd prefer to go on Saturdays I think.

Long weekends

2 days sometimes just isn't enough. Hooray for long weekends!!

Disney magic

I once was told I shouldn't believe in Disney movies bc they're not realistic. LAME. I love Disney movies for the hope they give and for the emotions they invoke. I like watching the cheesy endings and repeating the corny lines. I'm thankful that I believe in the magic even at my age.

A husband who gardens edible items

It's great that Alex can open the door and pick items to cook & eat minutes later. These vegetables are so incredibly fresh it's amazing.

Brandon Barco Purificacion

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDON!!!

I'm so thankful that you've grown up to be a caring, responsible (most of the time), family-oriented man who loves his sisters & his mom (and his cousins and everyone else).  I'm thankful for all the memories we've had from when we were little all the way until we were older.  I apologize for kicking you out of the bed when we were younger and for all the times I was a mean older sister when I should have been looking out of you instead.  I'm thankful that as adults, we can be friends now.

I love you!  Happy Birthday!

USC SOP

Yesterday I had a mtg on campus and found myself back in PSC.  They were doing contruction on the 1st floor bathrooms so I ventured upstairs to use the restroom and was amazed that I actually remembered where they were (the signage sucks).  It made me grateful for the time I spent in that building, the events we held, the memories made and all that mushy stuff.

Past roommates

While my 'roommates' now are great I'm thankful for my memories and the things I learned from them.

Sunday naps

There's something extra refreshing about taking a nap after church, after lunch on a Sunday at your parents house.

Moral support/guilt

I'm not much of an exerciser.  I definitely need that push to make me exercise.  I'm thankful that Yao asked us to exercise with him today and that I was pushed to go.  Granted I didn't work out super-hardcore but it was good to get the blood flowing & work out even a little bit.  Thanks!

Facebook

Facebook gives us the ability to connect to people we otherwise wouldn't keep in touch with.  While it has a LOT of flaws and makes 'catching up' face-to-face not as exciting, it's still a good way to see what other people are doing and possibly get ideas for you too!  One of my favorite things is to see what people are posting in terms of news articles, videos etc.

Alex's sense of humor

I like to laugh.  I laugh a lot.  I laugh out loud a lot.  That being said, I find Alex to be very funny in the things he says and the things he does.  Maybe I find humor in the small things but he says the wittiest, funniest, craziest things sometimes and it just makes me laugh and laugh and laugh.

Fastrak

I can't believe it's taken me this long to blog about my LOVE for the Fastrak lanes!

They recently converted the carpool lanes on the 10, 110 & 105 freeways to Fastrak lanes.  If you're carpool you still need a Fastrak transponder but you can set it to 2 or 3 people and it will scan but won't charge you.  Otherwise for people like me you can pay to use the Fastrak lanes.  Yes it sounds expensive and yes overtime it builds up but if it can cut my commute in half and increase my quality of life I'll GLADLY pay it.

My commute: 25 miles one way, Hacienda Heights to Echo Park/Hollywood.  I have to be at work by 9 or 930 and I leave at 5 or 615 depending on the day.  I take the 60 to the 710 to the 101 on the way to work, side streets to the 10 to the 60 on the way back. 

Before Fastrak TOTAL TIME: Average 2.75 hours, 2.5 on a good day, my worst being 3.25 hours

After Fastrak TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 45 minutes ROUND TRIP!

Needless to say, I love Fastrak!

Competent managers

Yesterday there was a miscommunication between the MAs and the management.  My patients weren't getting vitalled and I was starting to get annoyed.  I walked up to the front office and as I grabbed the folders to see what happened the assistant manager told me to to give them to her and she would take care of them.  She figured out what happened, corrected the error and my patients were being vitaled again!  It was like magic!  I'm so thankful that the assistant manager is competent, takes charge and knows what's going on.

The MA who was assigned to me didn't know she was assigned and also apologized for the delay so that was a nice gesture also.  I feel like I don't demand much but I'm thankful for the people who give me (at least) as much respect as I give them.

WOW MOM

I'm thankful for all the effort and pain my mother and other moms go through to give us life and a good life after we're born.

Thanks mom! Happy Mother's day! I love you!

My sibs

Today I got to celebrate and watch my AIP lil sib get married!! I'm so happy for them and feel very lucky I was able to celebrate with them.

Congratulations Paulin & Thomas!!!

4 frends

Since we were 13 these girls have been by my side through it all. I distinctly remember our HS graduation when we were BAWLING thinking that it was the end of our world together and we wouldn't see each other as often. BOY were we WRONG!

I can't imagine my life (and all my life events) without these women.

Alex's thoughtfulness

I'm a very lucky girl. :)

Cerritos

5-6-2 WUT?!?!!?

GPS/ Siri

It's amazing how technology can tell us the best route to take or even new alternatives to take. Especially when you go somewhere new and in traffic it's great to have a device that will calculate all of that for you and still be helpful!!