Past our prime..

Went to dinner with Anderson and the Short and Stubs last night.  Originally, we planned to relive our glory days and do some damage at Hot Pot City.  Only to find that it's permanently closed!! Much to our surprise and probably a blessing in disguise to our tummies.  Instead we go over to a little Penang restaurant.  Followed by milk tea at a yuppie/techie joint in Milpitas Square. 

Man!! I felt so out of place.  The place was bright... noisy... stuffy. Rather go to some lounge or wine bar and sip on a cab. 

And the night ended with Anderson getting a text, "Crap! I gotta go! Wife is gonna kill me." We have curfews. HA!

Exhausted

Got done with my buddy's Memorial Service.  Everything is still sinking in.  Ironically, I was his Wedding Coordinator.  And today... I Coordinated his Dad's memorial service. 

The days leading up to it was very murky.  Even the day of... everything was semi-chaotic.  The theme of the day was "play it by ear."  Couldn't get a lot of details from him... let alone the funeral home.  

The moment that truly struck home... At the burial site when the casket was being lowered... The mother of the deceased started wailing. Screaming. Crying.

Luckily most of what she was saying was in Shanghainese and I couldn't understand it. But one thing that I did understand and will forever echo in my head...."阿瑞啊！我生你出離架！你點可以咁走啊！？"

Even the most heartless person can feel the pain of a mother watching her son being buried. Who.... I say who.... Didn't shed a tear of compassion?!

And after all was said and done... I am exhausted. More tired than when I coordinated their weeding!!! Geez... Then again... Their wedding was over 8 years ago. I was a much younger lad then.

Remodel - Day ????

A newly remodeled home.  I move home on March 26th.  And we get hit with the first heat wave of the year.  I turn on the AC.... ahhhhhhh.... cool air.  But after a few hours... I wonder to myself, "Why am I sweating?!?"  and "Why is the air still blowing???"


I walk outside to check the A/C system.....  #*$(!($)@$@!!$ - the A/C doesn't work!!! 




This morning... I leave for work.  While wearing socks, I step into my garage and BAM!!! I step into a pool of water.  My garage is flooded.


WTH!!!!!  Where is the leak?!??!?!?!


A newly remodeled house.  AC doesn't work. Plumbing doesn't work. 


I give a call to the GC cuz I supposedly have a 1 year warranty on all the work. 
He replies... "You can call XYZ Plumbing.  And you can pay them directly."


#smh

What really matters...

Friggin Sharks and Warriors both lose Game 1 of the Conference Finals. And right now... None of that matters as I mourn with my friend. 

I finally saw the Program for the Memorial Service... And it really hit home. This is real... In fact it's surreal. 

I love sports... I love politics... And I love food and entertainment. But there comes a time when everything else doesn't matter and you have to focus on what really matters.

Goodness... And this isnt even my parents. What will that day be like when the inevitable strikes?

最心痛是，愛得太遲

Saw a text this past Monday morning...  a close family friend said her father in law passed away suddenly on Sunday night.  Details slowly became available and tho things are still uncertain and unsure, my close bud is definitely in mourning.

I called him on Tuesday to lend him some support and he wasn't able to talk yet.

Then on Thursday... he was finally able to share a little.  The thing he kept repeating is the deep sense of remorse of not spending more time with his dad.  Of not reading the bible with his dad.  Of not telling his dad he loved him.  And it was a wake up call....

Being on the other side of the line... I had no clue what to say.  How do I console him? Do I say, "It's ok..." when things are truly not ok? Do I tell him, "You gotta be strong...the whole family is looking at you."  What do you do?  Have no friggin clue....

Mother's Day 2016

Joyce rarely makes any requests for Bday, Vday, or Mother's Day.
But today - she specifically said she wanted brunch -- at Stacks. 

After church, we call ahead to try to leave our name.  They don't do that.

We get there... and it's 1.5 hour wait. 

We put our name down and walk over to Starbucks.  I call them and say, "Can I leave my number for you to text me?"  They say, "We don't do that.  You can come back and check if you want." 

She still wanted brunch.  We could've gone to the Campbell Brewery and had lunch.  But no... she wanted brunch at Stacks.

We ended up ordering to go and ate at home.  But she got what she want.

For dinner.  She wanted TGI Sushi.  I tried calling ahead and they wouldn't take my call.  I finally got there and the waitress said, "It's a half hour wait." 

I thought about it... and realized she wanted TGI Sushi.  So I waited.  The waitress said, "You'll wait?!?!" 

Yes... I waited.

I love my wife.

Cancer

Cancer - a horrible and a mostly incurable disease.

It has stricken so many of my friend's parents.  And finally... it hits home.

Joyce's step dad was diagnosed with liver cancer.  According to Cecy... it's not something that can't be treated with chemo or radiation.  But as "luck" would have it... it was discovered early enough where removal of the tissue is enough.

And as a survivor of liver tumors myself... I know that the liver is the one organ where it regrows and regenerates.

Aging parents.  That's gonna be a tough ride for the next 20-30 years.

And then in... I dunno... 40-50 years....? My turn.