Few blinks later...

I'm back. Already.

It's hard enough to believe my last trip to Hong Kong was a year ago... and even harder to believe my trip to Hong Kong this year has already ended.

This trip had a very saddening start. My grandfather passed away while we were still getting on our planes to go visit him. He's been in and out of the hospital since last year... but we always were hopeful he'd recover again. We found out shortly after arriving at our hotel. It was an unrealistic feeling... I feel like he's always been around, but that I really didn't get to spend enough time with him to know him as more than "my grandpa". The few things that stand out the most when remembering him... As children, we were told about his growing up in India... and so my brother and I mistook that for meaning that he was part Indian, and that we had a percentage of Indian in us as children. I used to always tell my friends that my Grandpa was an extra in one of Bruce Lee's movie, Game of Death... and played a gold toothed bad guy who stood up at the house with some other mobster guy... and they bowed and laughed with the caucasian big bad guy. (Also a scene of them laughing at the Fighting Arena Stands) I know that his English was superb, and that was how I could write letters and send cards and know that someone could translate them to everyone else. I know that the chinese characters for Grandpa (mother's side) was one of the easiest characters to learn, so it was always my favorite to write.

But upon hearing that he passed away on March 18th... it seems unreal to me because I almost don't feel like it really happened. I know it did, but for some reason I don't feel it. Is that possible? Is it because I don't see him on a regular basis? Is it because in my head, he's always smiling behind his big round eyeglasses and laughing and waving while saying "Hellooo"? He's in a better place, I tell myself... but is that a cop out for not dealing with the emotions of him being gone forever? Perhaps it will hit me at a random moment... I just don't know.

Meanwhile there are other family members that are not doing so well now and the focus is for them to get better... Youthfulness and Health are something that we take for granted so easily... and it's so quick for both to dwindle away.

Rest in peace "Gong Gong"... I love you and I'll miss you. Please keep an eye on grandma and help her get better if you can... :)

Tues Night

So i knew there was a chance this trip would not be a merry one... and
indeed some things happened that will never make trips back here the
same again. But it's good to see the other family members and we can
only hope that we all heal... for some physically for some mentally...
but that we also are there for each other.

Meanwhile we did a stay in a place in China (Dong Quan i think) - and
it was pretty neat. This place is sprouting with new developments,
but is still very much a sleepy town. So you can get a huge house for
1/8 the price of a house in California. Amazing.

DUDE! IT'S 6:45am and i'm in Hong KONG!

At the airport waiting for the rest of my family to arrive from SF... pretty neat to be emailing from the airport on GMAIL!  Gmail Rox!  I have 3 min left to type.  costs $15HK dollars for 10 min... like 2 bucks.    Should i check my work email... hahaha.. JOKE!

Chat later!  Oh and i watched Aeon Flux on the chair tv.  It was... good to watch for free!  :)

Annoying lady behind my seat who kept asking me to move my chair back up.  Hellooo lady, it's 3am in the morning and I amtrying to sleeppppp!!! 

Chat with you all later!  -

So excited its friday...

... that i went to work without a smidgeon of MAKEUP on.  Not that i cake it on daily or anything (hmm... i wonder if people think i do?) - but when i don't wear anything, my face just looks super freckle-y and blotchy and my eyes looked washed out without liner!

 

sigh...

 

... but i'm on vacation in 7 hours!  whooo hooo!

Taking a little trip...

Well, time is ticking and I feel like i'm procrastinating at packing... Look at me, i'm updating my Blog, instead of packing! :)

Work has been weird now that so many familiar faces are gone. Seems like looming change is coming... and it's hard to say whether it will be good change or not. I'll be away from work for a week and a half... I wonder how much more it will change in that time frame.

Having Barklee around has definitely lowered the stress level. What could be more therapeutic then a little furry cutie tap dancing around the house waiting for you to pet him? My camera has been going on photo overload... i have probably taken a good few hundred pictures and videos... and it's only been 4 weeks. :)

But with a face like this, how can you resist?

Here goes... time to buy pet food!

So it will be 3 weeks this Saturday... that I'll have had Barklee. So far so good. I think the initial "ooh I can't believe we have a dog!" phase is wearing off... he's acting more 'doggy' now (meaning he sometimes digs at our rugs, or go into a room he's not supposed to and other little misbehaviors) but still being really good and totally lovable.

I'm starting to see the bottom of the food bin, and according to the measurements... a 6 lb bag will only last about a month, so it's on track. I plan to do the official adoption on Sunday, and then on to the next things such as getting his license, updating his microchip, looking into whether doggie insurance is worth it...

He still has a 'people' obsession where he'll see anyone on the street, or coming out of their cars, and he'll use ALL his might to go over to them. And if the person doesn't want anything to do with him, he's still trying to get to them, and so i'll be literally dragging him to continue walking with me. It's really strange. Eventually he snaps out of it and he'll be fine... but until then... it's a very awkward scene.

Fun Stuff! Maybe there will be a Dog Whisperer episode on "Doggie stranger obsession."

In other news... My trip is only days away... and I really need to wrap my head around it and make sure i'm not forgetting ANYTHING i'm supposed to prep. Call to make sure my plane tickets are confirmed... double check my rides to and from airport... what to pack? what to bring to relatives? batteries? travel plug converters? how many days of clothing?

Yep. Yep. Gotta start thinking about these things.

Hope for Healing

Another weekend that breezed by. I took one of those long late naps today, so I feel great... but now it's like midnight and i need to get up early tomorrow to take care of some Target returns before work.

I have a vacation coming up to go to Hong Kong... and usually these trips are an awesome way to shop, sightsee and visit family... but it's looking like this trip will be on the sad side. Both my grandparents aren't doing so well... one is at the hospital and the other is mostly bed-ridden at home and is too weak to get on his wheelchair alone. Its a fact of life that everyone gets older, but I guess it's easy to deny that or not face that concept until something bad happens.

I sometimes personally feel like i keep a denial shield up more than most people. I feel like I should be extra distraught right now, and pacing the room or something... and I guess i could work myself up to do this... but i'm not. So i think it's more denial. I guess things would be more realistic if i was in the hospital room... versus having images of healthy, happy grandparents sitting in my head. I am hopeful that they will get better and out of any critical harm... but I have to remember that they are getting older and so it's never going to be the same... I think what's really difficult is hoping my mom can get through this time too... there's just not much you can say other to console... and all i want to do is tell her that everything will be better. I wish i could say I found a youth potion or an all-healing elixer... and everything would be fine...

Meanwhile, my pup is giving me lots of joy. This is the amazing power of dogs, though. I've already had a stranger tell me that Barklee would make a wonderful hospital dog because of his easy nature and inclination to just give and receive affection. Next weekend I'll be finalizing the paperwork to make Barklee an official Yee/Lee family member. :) As i am typing, he is snoring loudly from his little pet bed...

Past Polls

Time to archive these past polls! :)

Today's Poll: My foster dog came with the name "Paco"... if I adopt him, should I...

Keep that name. It's cute!"Barkley" is cuter... new life, new name! Anything but Paco, might associate with bad past...[Your Dog Name Here] - post in Jen's Jot SpotReady for a new question!!!

Free polls from Pollhost.com

If you lost one hubcap from your car, would you...

Ignore it. It's just one ugly tire, compared to 3 nice onesPull off the other hubcaps, so all 4 are ugly...Pull off the other hubcap from the same side. Maybe less obvious?Buy a new hubcap to match (at least $50 bucks?)Buy new tires that have alloy wheels (no more hubcaps to fall off)Start looking for hubcaps that fit on the side of road... Pick this answer because you want a new question!!

Free polls from Pollhost.com

Should Jen get a dog?

Yes, she totally should!No, she doesn't sound ready for one.No, dogs need more attention then weekends and after work.No - Jen's CRAZYJen should get a different petThis question is boring, she should do a new poll.

Free polls from Pollhost.com

If Birds were house shopping...

Apparently the housing market is 'cooling'...

That'd be nice because at some point... it would be nice to afford a house with a yard and a garage.

There's this new website that combines satellite shots of neighborhoods... with street names... AND NOW with estimated prices and stats about each property! Talk about the wave of the future!

You can now house shop, before the house is even on the market!


www.zillow.com