Running

My Shamrock 5K is in exactly 2 weeks and I am so not ready. 

The most I have been able to run without stopping is 2 miles and that was such a struggle. Also, after my runs I am so so red all over my face. 

I haven't been able to run as much and increasing my distance more because of my stupid shin pains whenever I run. I would stop running for a few days and it would get better and then after a few runs the pain will come back. It has been super discouraging because I feel like I am not making any progress at all. I can't help but think that maybe running isn't for me? I don't know. 

For now, just have to get through this race and then I will reassess on things. 

Just might have to end up having to run walk my race in 2 weeks...

 

2025 / 31 Years Old

Brief recap of 2025 and being 31 years old in no particular order. What a year this has been filled with so many ups and downs. It flew by though, can't believe it is over and onto 2026 now.

• Went to Banff for Caroline's Bachelorette celebration. 
• Went to Las Vegas for the G-Dragon's concert. 
• 1 Year with Moon Moon, my precious baby.
• 10 Years with Gabe! A whole decade.  
• Got engaged at the end of October hehe.
  
• Attended Tiffany & Bradley's 5 year wedding anniversary celebration, Caroline & Hai's wedding, Vickie & Jordan's wedding, and Kana & Kevin's wedding. 
• Daniel, Wing, Ellie and Kevin moving back to Oregon. 
• 3 times to the Oregon coast - Astoria/Seaside with Gabe for our anniversary, Seaside with WPY for V's birthday and Astoria/Seaside with Gabe for my birthday/engagement.
• Joann closing all stores due to bankruptcy. So freaking sad because this was my go-to and favorite place to buy yarns.  
• Did one volunteer event. Tea Fest with Daniel and Vanlena. 
• Parents, grandma and aunt were in Vietnam for 4 weeks. Beginning of July to beginning of August.
  
• Went to Pink Sweat$ conert in March with Rose, Sonny, Kim, Austin, Caroline, Hai, Jackie and Jeff. 
• Attended Vickie's Bachelorette celebration in Portland.  
• Took a ceramic matcha bowl/cup class with Rose, Vanlena & Christine.
• With WPY, took a private Pilates class for Kim's birthday, ceramic painting piece for my birthday, escape room with for Daniel's birthday and a rug tufting class for our Christmas activity.
• Somewhat of a mini high school reunion at Jiwon's Friendsgiving at her parent's home. 
• Busy and stressful work year due to the other analyst on my team getting laid off, Tableau to Power BI migration and so many tasks/projects. 
• Re-learned Power BI for work.
  
• 3 different ER visits and 1 ER scare throughout the year (Gabe's dad, brother and grandma). Gabe's dad being in the hospital for almost 2 months. It was so stressful.
• Continue of my crocheting hobby. 
• Lots of cuddles with Moon Moon. My needy cute boy.
  
• Being able to run a mile without stopping. Haven't ran a mile since like middle school probably.
• Got a Fitbit to track my steps and exercises. 
• Eye sight getting worse. Found out I have an astigmatism. 
• Started making my own hojicha lattes at home. 
• Completed a total of 9 books.
  
• Watched 7 dramas: Moonlight Mystique (completed), The Blossoming Love (incomplete), Feud (completed), When Destiny Brings the Demon (completed), Legend of the Female General (completed), Love in the Clouds (completed), Speed and Love (completed).
• 1 year on Duolingo!  
• 3 pole dancing classes with Karen. First time trying pole dancing.
  

 

Happy 5th Birthday Mello

Hope you are having an amazing birthday celebrating with all your furiends across the rainbow bridge. 

I miss you extra today. 

Love you forever, my precious Mello Bear.

Past 1.5 Years

I have neglected this blog ever since Mello passed away...

I feel like I have changed too because of his sudden passing...

This past 1.5 years have flown by and parts of it has felt like such a blur. 

I do want to start blogging more again. 

Not sure who still follows/read my blog. 

If you are still here, Hello and thank you for reading :)

Happy 4th Birthday Mello Bear

You would've turned four today...

I miss and love you so so much.

Thankful

Grief is definitely not linear. I could be smiling one moment and then the next the tears would flow uncontrollably. It hasn't been any easier and the pain is still very front and center. I have just been able to manage it and control my emotions better, especially in front of others. It still feels surreal at times and I have just been feeling so empty and numb. My heart hasn't felt whole since. 

I am so thankful for my boyfriend, friends and family who have been there for me. Who provided words of comfort and care. Who held me while I cried until my eyes were swollen. Who brought delicious food over to make sure I was eating. Who gifted me such sweet gifts to remember Mello by. I appreciate it so so much and am so thankful to have such supportive and caring people in my life. 

I am thankful that Gabe and I were there with Mello during his final moments. That we got to say goodbye. To tell him how much we love him. So thankful that we didn't leave for the airport yet to San Diego that day and he didn't pass away alone. I would never ever forgive myself if he passed away alone and in so much pain that day. I am glad that at least that didn't happen, that it could've ended a lot worse. Mello was surrounded by our love when he passed away peacefully. Thankful that he is no longer in so much pain.

Although cut way too short, I am thankful that I had him in my life for almost 3 years as my precious Mello Bear. I will forever cherish those precious memories with him.

I miss you so much Mello. I will forever love you. 

Happy 3 Years

Happy (what would have been) 3 Years Mello Bear. Today is your Gotcha Day. This day 3 years ago, we brought you home. I would've never imagined that we wouldn't even have 3 years together. Despite all the pain and sadness I feel every single day since your passing, I will never regret bringing you home. You brought me so much joy and comfort that words will never be able to express how much you truly mean to me. Although our time together was cut so very short, I will always cherish all the wonderful memories I had with you. You will always be my precious boy, forever and ever. I love and miss you so much.

I think it's okay if I'm a bit sad for the rest of my life. It will remind me that you were real.

Grief, I’ve learned, is really just love. It’s all the love you want to give, but cannot. All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest. Grief is just love with no place to go.
 

Mello Bear

It's been exactly two months since you crossed the rainbow bridge. I miss you so so so much. Life hasn't been the same without you and there's this huge void in my heart. It hurts so much. My heat does not feel whole anymore. Some days are better than others....it helps when I am distracted and busy, but the pain still remains. 

I miss you. I miss your company. I miss holding you. I miss kissing you. I miss your smell. I miss your paws. I miss your purrs. I miss giving you belly rubs. I miss I miss having you as my little shadow, following me everywhere. I miss petting you. I miss talking to you. I miss sleeping next to you. I miss napping with you. I miss stuffing my face into your belly. I miss dancing with you. I miss coming home and having you come down to greet me or waiting for me on top of the stairs. I miss brushing you. I miss watching you nap. I miss playing with you. I miss your huge jumps when you play. I miss you waking me up early in the morning to feed you. I miss watching as you run towards me when I feed you dinner. I miss calling you my big booty boy. I miss petting your big butt butt. I miss taking photos of you. I miss playing hide and seek with you, you always knew where to find me. I miss your gallop. I miss giving you chin scratches. I miss seeing you always hydrate yourself. I miss scooping your litter. I miss picking off your boogers. I miss you always trying to get into my closet even though you know you are not supposed to. I miss watching you sleep on the crochet/knitted sleeping pad I made for you. I miss your gentle and shyness. I miss how you always like to involve yourself and know when there's something new in the house. I miss your curiosity. I miss you sleeping by my feet. I miss you coming downstairs to keep me company. I miss you always running away when I am vacuuming. I miss you watching me make matcha in the morning. I miss watching you look out the window. I miss giving you your favorite treats. I miss you banjo-ing over for pets. I miss cutting your nails. I miss how you love the simple things like sleeping in a box rather than a fancy cushion bed. I miss everything about you. I miss you so much. 

You were honestly the best cat ever. The perfect cat for me. You meant the world to me. You weren't just a cat, you were so much more to me. You were my best friend, my baby, my biggest emotional support, my family. You loved me for me and accepted all my flaws. You made me appreciate the little things in life. You always managed to pull me out when my mind goes to a really dark place. You made my mental health more stable throughout these past few years. No matter how difficult life got, you were always there for me and comforted me. With you by my side, I knew I would be able to overcome anything. It hurts so much knowing that I have to go through life now without you by my side.

Our time together was cut too short, it is so unfair. You were so young still and was supposed to have many more years left. I thought I had way more time with you and I wished I did. If I could've, I would trade years of my life so that you would be able to live longer. You were supposed to be here when I got married, when I had kids...Some moments, it still feels so surreal that you are really gone. I see you everywhere in the house. I still find your furs in my clothes. 

I hope you are happy and loved, and have made lots of friends across the rainbow bridge. I hope it is filled with endless treats and nap time. I hope you haven't forgotten about me. 

I hope you know how much I still love you, always and forever. I will never ever forget you. 

I love you so much Mello Bear.

March 29th, 2024

 "The light has gone out of my life."

 I miss you so much Mello, so so much. It has been so hard trying to process that you are no longer here. It is so unfair. Why does life have to be so cruel. I have cried every single day since. Nights are the hardest. I wish so much that this was a nightmare and that I would wake up soon so that I can see, hold and kiss you again...I love you so much. Always and forever.

Matcha Part 1

 

When I started making my own matcha, I got the Amazon's Jade Leaf Sugar Free Matcha Latte Mix - Cafe Style Sweetened Blend - Keto Friendly and would only drink it warm/hot using my milk frother. Have definitely moved on from that. 

I don't remember exactly the flavor profile of each since it's been some time since I last had them, but I recall from left to right - 1) It was okay, very bitter/grassy tasting. I had to mix it with the Trader Joe's Matcha Green Tea Latte to add some sweetness to it. 2) I loved this one. Probably my favorite out of the three. Vibrant green color and the taste great, so yummy. 3) I liked this one as well. Color was vibrant and tasted good. 

My matcha profile has evolved yay. I used to only like to drink matcha with added sugar, but now if it is quality matcha powder, I just drink it that with oat milk with two ice cube. Yummmmm! I love making my own matcha at home, but also still enjoy occasionally buying matcha latte at cafe and Starbucks. 

My 20s

My 20s was a roller coaster, full of ups and downs. There was a lot of growth throughout my 20s. Gained new life experiences, good and bad. Made new memories, new friends, new skills, and new perspectives. 

My Milestones in my 20s:

• Turned 21 and could legally drink woo! Legally bought my first bottle of liquor and it was a bottle of Jagermeister. 
  
  
• Bought my first car. I just bought my mom's car and she used that money to put towards her current car.
  

• Graduated from the University of Oregon.


• Paid off my student loan within a year after graduating. I was super aggressive and pretty much put majority of my paycheck towards paying off my loan.
  

• Had a total of 3 full time job at different companies. Currently, still at the third company and am enjoying my job here. Got my very first promotion yay.
  

• Moved out of my parent's and into an apartment downtown with Gabe. Our first time living together.
  

• Bought my first house on my own woo! Big girl purchase. Along with house renovations before moving in and lots of house maintenance.
  

• Adopted Mello. Best decision ever, I can't imagine life without him.
  

• Got lasik. I can see without glasses now, but I still wear blue light glasses to help with eye strain when I am watching TV or on my laptop. 

• Got two tattoos. My first one at the beginning of my 20s and the second one at the end.
  

 

Notable random changes/updates that come to mind for my 20s (in no specific order):

• Rediscovered my love for reading. Buying a Kindle was one of the best purchase in my 20s.
  

• Started enjoying drinking hot/warm water by itself. Especially in the fall/winter season or when it is cold out. When it is hot out like in the summer, I will drink water with ice to cool myself down.
  

• The last 2 years of my 20s, I started making my own smoothies and drinking it for lunch. So yummy and healthy. It is an easy way to get my fruit intake in.
  

• Towards the end of my 20s, I have been trying to exercise more consistently to lose weight and to be healthier. Using my stepper, doing Youtube workout videos, walking more, etc.
  

• Got into skincare and taking way better care of my skin after moving out from my parent's. Incorporated using sunscreen on a daily basis.
  

• My motion sickness got worse hahaha.
  

• Gained a lot of weight as my 20s progressed and towards the end I am trying to lose it.
  

• Got and still am really into true crime. I love watching Stephanie Soo's videos.
  

• Survived the Covid Pandemic and transitioned to remote work.
  

• Grew out of my party/drunk girl phase fairly quickly. Too many drunken nights at the start of my 20s lol. Now I rarely drink and when I do, I get tipsy very fast.
  

• Finally learned to effectively put on eyeliner. I have struggled with that so much throughout my 20s and finally the last year I have finally found what works for my eyes.
  

• I am way more anxious and have really bad anxiety now. I get anxious about anything and everything, it's not good.
  

• Being able to keep in contact with new and old friends. I really do care about my friends and I try my best to maintain those friendships even though sometimes I feel like I am putting in more effort than the other person is.
  

• My skin started getting really itchy so I take allergy medicine everyday to help with it...been going on for a while now, should probably see a skin specialist or something to see what's going on.
  

• Fell in love even more with matcha. I liked matcha before my 20s, but in my 20s was really when I started drinking it more and even learned how to make my own matcha lattes. I love matcha anything.
  

• Started a "Happy Journal" at the beginning of my 20s, stopped for a couple of years and now back on it again. My only form of handwritten journaling that I do.
  

• Built a closer relationship with my cousins and family which I am thankful for.
  

 

Places Outside of Oregon I visited in my 20s:

• Los Angeles, California
  

• O'ahu, Hawaii
  

• New York
  

• Vancouver, Canada
  

• Seattle, Washington
  

• San Francisco, California
  

• Las Vegas, Nevada
  

• Houston, Texas
  

• Vietnam
  

• Baltimore, Maryland
  

• Minnesota

• Santa Barbara, California
  

• Puerto Vallarta
  

• Phoenix, Arizona
  

• Palm Springs, California
  

• Vancouver, Washington

 

2023 Work Publications

I helped with the data extraction for this publication and got acknowledged in it.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-022-07931-5

I am one of the co-authors of a published article! I was honestly not expecting to be a co-author at all going into this project and still don't feel like I deserved to be a co-author, but I am very thankful for this amazing opportunity and it was a pleasure to work with such wonderful and smart people on this!

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/15/20/4368

Life Update #14

• Attended Rosie and Sonny's wedding celebration in Oregon and Puerto Vallarta. So happy for them and to be able to attend both their wedding. Wishing them nothing but happiness and for their love to continue to grow stronger day by day!
  

• Matching cat tattoo with Melanie. Her first ever tattoo and my second one keke.
  

• Got the last 2 of my wisdom tooth out (I only have a total of 3) at an oral surgeon. My first time being put under and I was so nervous. Recovery was so slow and kind of painful. Thank you to Daniel, Rose and V for the foods/drinks during my recovery!
  

• Got addicted to the Suika game for a few days. It was so fun and addicting lol.
  

• Mello got a new cat tree for the living room from Gabe and I. He loves sleeping in the little pouch when we are downstairs.
  

• Had the worse stomach pain ever the day after coming back from PV. It was hurting so so bad that I was so close to going to Urgent Care. Thankfully alka seltzer cured it!
  

• I turned 30 wahhh. The end of my 20s and the start of my 30s.
  

• Seattle trip with Rose and V to celebrate Daniel's 30th birthday with him and Ryan. We surprised Daniel woohoo!
  

• Cut like 3 inches off my hair. It's not as layered, which is what I am going for now. We will see if I like it long term.
  

• Mello's annual check-up and his first dental cleaning. My Baby did so well even though he was so scared.
  

• My top 3 Spotify artist for 2023 is NewJeans and Jay Chou. I am not surprised hahaha.
  

• Elizabeth's retirement. It was very bittersweet since she's my favorite co-worker and I love talking to her. She's the sweetest!
  

• Celebrated Christmas with my family and Gabe's family on separate days.
  

• A handful of hangouts during the Holidays with friends. It was so nice catching up and seeing everyone.
  

• Mello got a new cat box scratcher/bed (from me), stainless steel litter box (my Christmas gift from my brother), and toys (Gabe, brother and aunt) for Christmas. Such a spoiled boy.
  

• Completed a 1,000 piece cocktail essential puzzle in like 28 hours. A new record for me. Gabe helped a little. Time to frame it up now somehow.
  

• Goodbye 2023, Hello 2024.
  

 

 

The Joy of Homeownership

A continuation of my previous house maintenance post. An additional 2 more issue to add onto the list yay, so much fun.

July 5th, 2023. 
It was a hot day and we started running the air conditioner around noon. Work day per usual and after work we went grocery shopping at Winco. We came home and the house was surprisingly hot even though the AC was running. Checked the temperature, tried turning it down and temperature was still not going down. Felt the vent and like non-cold air was coming out. Looked outside and found that the AC machine was not running which it usually is whenever the AC is on. Gabe tried to debug a little, but we weren't able to fix it. Just great because it was the hottest day of the year so far. It was so hot. Just opened all the window, stayed and slept downstairs. Told my dad about it and he told me that he called this AC guy he knew and the person will come tomorrow to take a look at it.

July 6th, 2023. 
The AC guy came around 3pm-ish. He took a look and was able to figure out the issue. Told me the cost and then proceeded to fix it. He spoke with my dad briefly on the phone in Vietnamese. AC was fixed yay! I was so happy because Gabe and I were working upstairs in our office and it was another hot day. Felt so nice having AC again and I was thankful it was an easy fix. Literally like an hour later, as I was downstairs to check up on the rice we were making for dinner, I passed by the door to the garage and I heard running water downstairs. In my mind, I was like "Oh shit, this isn't happening. Please no..." I rushed downstairs and my worse nightmare came true....water was like rushing out from the top of the water heater. I was in deniable for a few seconds and couldn't believe what was happening. I quickly ran upstairs and yelled for Gabe because I had no idea what to do or how to stop it. I was panicking! Water was gushing out continuously and it already flooded the utility closet and was leaking to the garage. Thankfully, Gabe knew what to do. He turned off the water using the switch in the garage and that stopped the rush of water, but it was still leaking. Attached a garden hose to drain the water from the water heater outside, but water was still going into the water heater because the stupid valve in the garage was like broken and wouldn't turn it off completely. Also, the valve at the top of the water heater was busted ugh. Raymond and Austin came to help but we still weren't able to shut off the water completely. My aunts and cousins came to drop off fans and extra towels to soak up the water. They tried to help too and even called Vickie's dad, but no luck. Water was still flowing through and being drained out through the garden hose. The garden hose was busted or something because water was leaking from where it connects to the water heater sigh. Super frustrating and I still couldn't believe this was happening to me. Dealing with water issue is no fun and is the worse because if you don't take care of it correctly, there could be mold and it's just super busy and annoying to clean up. Couldn't do much since it was late and no plumber would be able to come out to fix it, so water was just flowing through and drained outside. Had the fan on the whole night to dry off the utility closet. Didn't eat much for dinner because I was so stressed and sad. It was hot in the house too since we had to turn off the AC since the HVAC was inside the utility closet as well and we had to turn it off. Gabe and I drove to my parent's to take a quick shower and to pick up another garden hose to see if it would work better. It didn't. At like midnight my parents dropped by after they got off work to check up on us and to bring us some containers of clean water and water bottles. My dad was able to fix the hose leak yay. So thankful for everyone who came to help and drop stuff off for us! Kinda thankful for the heat too so that it helps dry off the water.

July 7th, 2023. 
This plumber guy named David came at like 9am-ish. I messaged him the night before, found him on Thumbtack and he had really good reviews. Thankful he was so responsive and was able to come and so early too. My parents came too to help provide moral support. David checked on the water heater, said it needed to be replaced and gave me a cost. He said he was able to replace it right away so I agreed and went with the more expensive water heater option because I don't want to cheap out on anything that has to do with water. He showed us that there was the main water shut off just like 2 feet away from the garage. I didn't even know about it. He had this tool and he was able to quickly completely shut off all the water. He placed the order for the water heater, picked it up, came back, installed it, and took away the old water heater. He was able to get it replaced in like a few hours and was very professional about it. Definitely recommend him. I paid in cash since there was a discount. Had to go to Chase to withdraw the money though. Water heater is replaced and have running water again woo! What an experience. A expensive experience. Never again please.

 

Yeah super fun stuff. 

Like about 2 weeks later there was a slight leak in the bedroom bathroom. It was a drip drip leak in the water supply line so I used a container to catch the water so that it wouldn't get all over the floor. Thankfully Gabe was able to fix it. He did some research, ordered the part on Amazon and replaced it. Took him like 4ish hours though but he did it! Proud of him!

Then a few weeks after that our internet died right in the middle of my meeting. Called Ziply and they suspect that the battery in the backup battery box (in the garage) is dead and needs to be replaced, which I have never heard of. We tried restarting it and internet came back for a few hours and then died again sigh. The next day Gabe and I went to Battery Plus to get a new battery. Replaced it and internet is back online!

Most recently (literally like a week ago), the office toilet flapper broke. I went into the bathroom and heard that water was just running from the toilet non-stop. Checked and the flapper like eroded and was no longer covering it so water was flowing through the toilet tank. Had to shut off the toilet water line and we weren't able to use it for the rest of the day. Ordered a new toilet flapper from Amazon that came the next day. Gabe tried putting in the new flapper and it didn't fit. We had to go to Fred Meyer to get a smaller one. That didn't work out. Finally, it worked after moving the downstairs toilet flapper to the office toilet and the new flapper to the downstairs toilet. It was very annoying, but it's fixed now.

 Please be kind to me and no more house issues for a very very long time. Please. Please. Please.

Life Update #13

• I accidentally stepped on my favorite hair claw clip while getting out of the car. Totally forgot that I had it on my lap and so it fell and I stepped on it. I was so sad, it was my favorite and I have had it for so many years. I actually think it was mom's and then it just gradually became mine since she didn't use it anymore.
  

• Lots and lots of house maintenance stuff these past few months. So much fun....the joy of home ownership. Oh the amount of stress and money it has caused.
  

• Family vacation with my parents and brother to Los Angeles for 3 nights at the beginning of May. Our first family vacation since our trip to Vietnam in 2016.
  

• Santa Barbara with Rosie, Kimmy, Ashley, Kiana, and Jen for 2 nights at the end of May for Rose's birthday getaway.
  

• Had probably the best fruit tart I have ever had before. It was so good! Vy made it for Karen's picnic gathering.
  

• Jiwon's OHSU graduation! So proud of you my Wifey!

• Only got to go berry picking three times this year wahhh. I wanted to go way more, but just so busy and stupid heat wave.
  

• Made a lot of fruit smoothies this summer for Gabe and I. I make it for lunch and it's delicious, perfect for summer.
  

• Went through a phase where I was pretty addicted to Plate Up. Such a fun and addicting game.
  

• Ring making with Vanlena, Rose and Kim. So cool and fun!
  

• Helped my cousin, Kevin, with his house renovations (painting walls, removing carpet nails, painting floor siding, etc.) for pretty much two weekends back to back. Then helped Melanie move in.
  

• Baby Kai was born! Got to meet him and he is so freaking cute! Can't get enough of him, he is too precious.
  

• Cut like 2 inches off my hair and super duper layered it again. A lot lighter and thinner now.
  

• Got to be a part of Hai and Caroline's proposal. So happy for them!
  

• Rose's Bachelorette at Brasada Ranch woo! Celebrating our favorite Rose, the bride to be.
  

• Work has been so busy and stressful. Can't catch a break and I thought it would slow down during the summertime....
  

• Been working out more consistently.
  

• Learned how to convert Google Book so that I can read on my Kindle keke. Used my Google Rewards to buy A Court of Thorn and Roses #2-5. I love Google Rewards, free money for doing surveys.
  

 

 

Hello

Life has been so busy. So many things going on, so many things to do, so little time. How is it already September 5th?! Less than 2 months in my 20s ahhhh. Feeling extremely anxious today about everything. Work is so busy and so many upcoming deadlines. Just feeling a lot of pressure and super overwhelmed. 

Just keep swimming, Helen. 

House Maintenances

The joys of home-ownership and owning an older home. This year so far I've dealt with so much house maintenance stuff. Everything except the first bullet point happened all within the past year. Thankful for my handy dad who helped me fix a lot of these things so that I didn't need to hire someone to do it and just had to pay for the materials. Still, it adds up since I am paying it all by myself.

• Bedroom Bathroom Sink Hole. This was already an issue before I moved in and I was aware of it. Had to replace the whole sink and the sink drain pipe like a few weeks after moving in. 
• Water Pipe Noise in Office Bathroom. You would hear running water through the pipes whenever the office toilet gets flushed. Hired a plumber and turned out it was an easy fix by letting the bath tub water run every now and then...wished Google told me that so that I didn't have to spend money on a plumber.
  
• Garbage Disposal Leak. Found out that our garbage disposal was leaking after water started spilling out from the cabinet under the sink. The garbage disposal was corroding so it caused a hole at the bottom of it. Had to replace the garbage disposal.
  
• Office Bathroom Sink Pipe Leak. The sink drain pipe had a hole or something so water was leaking. Had to replace the whole sink and the sink drain pipe.
  
• Garage Door Opener Chain Pull. The part in the garage door opener snapped and it undid the garage chain. Had to replace this specific part and thankfully not the entire garage door opener.
  
• Window Screen Hole. A good number of our windows have holes in them so we don't usually open those windows, but our office room window one day had a pretty good size hole where bugs could go through. Thankfully I was able to order Screen Mend from Amazon to repair it.
  
• Closet Light Bulb Cover Shattered. Most likely due to the roof replacement crew hammering on our room. Thankfully no one was in the closet when it shattered all over the floor into little pieces. Still need to get the bulb cover replaced.  

I will write another post about these recent house maintenance because it has been such a roller coaster of emotions and stress these past few weeks because of this and other things.

• Air Conditioner. 
• Water Heater Leak.  
• Bedroom Bathroom Leak.
  

 

The Farewell

Such an amazing movie! I just finished re-watching it again today since it is currently Free to watch with ads on Youtube. 11/10 would recommend this beautiful movie! It is so relatable in so many levels. It really makes me reflect on my own family and culture. Although we have our differences and do not always meet eye to eye, my family means everything to me even though I don't really express it. This movie is a reminder to myself and to everyone to cherish every moment with your family because life is short and unpredictable, none of us know how long we have on this Earth. With each passing day, all of us are just getting older. My parents, my grandma, my aunts, my uncles, my brother, my cousins and myself. I know that these past few years I have made it an effort to try to see my family more often, to prioritize them. My time with them is limited, especially with my grandma. She is the last living grandparent I have and I want to be as present as I can and cherish every moment with her. I know that simply just going over for dinner and eating with her makes her so happy. The best gift you can give anyone, especially your family, is your time.
 

 

Unexpected Interaction

On May 26th, 2023 in the morning I was at PDX waiting for my flight to Santa Barbara through Alaska. I was reading The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama while waiting to board. The section I was reading talked about how in today's society we are so focused on our phones and how we miss out little interactions with strangers we pass by. How sometimes these missed interactions could have been meaningful and offer a different perspective on life. Anyways, it was time to board and I didn't think too much about what I read. I sat next to this elderly lady, got settled in and pretty much fell asleep as we were lifting off. I woke up halfway naturally through the flight for the drink and snack. After getting my drink and snack, my seat partner asked me a question if I was okay because I was shaking my legs a lot. I told her that yeah I am and that it's just a bad habit of mine then we just continued talking for the rest of the flight up to until it was out turn to get off the plane. She complimented on my hair, said how she wished she had a daughter like me and how my parents are so lucky to have me. I found out that she used to live in Portland and moved to Santa Barbara a few years ago. We talked about a bunch of things and she gave me recommendations of things to do and eat in Santa Barbara. She was so sweet and I am happy that I got to talk to her even though I will never see her again. It was a very nice unexpected interaction and it made me reflect on what I read right before the flight. Was it a coincidence that this encounter happened right after reading that? I don't know. But I hope to have more of these type of interactions in the future. 

Another Year

I realized today that yesterday, May 31st, was my 365 for my Happy Journal. Crazy how it has been another year already. I started up this journal 2 years ago and will continue to keep it going. I almost need to buy a new notebook because it is like 5/6 filled.