Counting down the days...

As the days, hours, minutes, seconds tick by... we slowly bid 2017 farewell.  But not before the whole family gets hit with the flu.  Since the stomach virus a couple of weeks ago, our family has been sick for one thing after another.   This week, it couldn't escape us. 

When life gives you lemon, make lemonade.  Though we've been home during the entire shutdown, we've completely made the most out of everything.

• We finished three 500 piece puzzles... on our way to completing the fourth one.
• I bought SW Lego-Star Wars on the Wii... supposedly so I can have some father/son time going through mindless missions.  Turns out Mom/SW are enjoying it more than me.
• We've eaten very light...cuz none of us have much of an appetite.
• Nn and I have read a couple of books together. 
• Nn finished her Christmas Lego set (600+ pieces!!)
• We played with some of their Christmas presents, like making slime...just to see it get all over their clothes
• We finally got basic cable TV, so Bah-B can watch some sports on TV....
• We're completely entrenched in Puzzle Fighter on the iOS

Great family bonding time.... Thank you Jesus!!! 

Mission is in my DNA

My Christian denomination since 2005 is C&MA - Christian and Missionary Alliance.   Without even realizing it, I was raised to be mission minded my entire life. 

Wednesday night was Fr. Mario Rosso's Memorial Service.  Fr. Mario (aka 朱神父) was my spiritual overseer for almost 18 years.

I thought I knew this man... but on the night of his memorial service, did I come to realize what he's done as a servant of Jesus.  Born in Italy... he left to be a missionary in China in 1938 at the ripe age of 14.  Before World War II.... he already had a heart for the missions, a heart for China.  Starting at age 14, he went to China to learn Chinese, Cantonese, Shanghainese.  Not just to speak, but to read and write.  And not just write... but write elegantly.  

As a Catholic missionary, he survived World War II.  He survived the rise of Communism, the expulsion of organized religion, and survived the trials and tribulations of being a white man in a yellow country.  

"An egg" is how he characterizes himself.  White on the outside, yellow on the inside.  Conversely, I call myself a banana... yellow on the outside, white on the inside.  

One of my most vivid memory of 朱神父, unfortunately, was when he came into the sacristy and scolded me for not being solemn enough as an altar boy.  He was so pissed... he said if I didn't change my ways, "Don't come and serve on Sundays."   I never acted up ever again....  

His Resurrection Mass was beautiful.  The first reading was from Isaiah 61:1-3.... the passage for a missionary... as the priest would describe it.  Responsorial Psalm was Psalm 23.... very fitting.  And the 2nd reading was from Philippians 1:3-11.... as it was Paul's letter to the Philippians, it was also a letter from 朱神父 to all of us.  The choir was amazing... for the most part.  And even the altar boys (or altar servers) evoked a smile on my face with their tiniest little motions of bowing and turning.  

朱神父 never had much in his life.  But he legacy he leaves behind... is more than most people can ever imagine.  Rest In Peace.... you are in a much better place now.  

Food poisoning never felt so bad.... Part 3

In the end... it's only fitting I make this a Trilogy and end with Episode 3.

I never once doubted whether or not I'll go out.  I packed a bunch of plastic bags for the road and was gonna bring a pair of boxers / jeans in case I had an accident.  No way I was gonna miss Episode 8 on the account of some stupid stomach virus.  Only things that was stopping me were the family being too sick for me to leave (thankfully everyone was semi-recovered) and 2 hours of freakin traffic driving up to SF!!!

OMG.................. picked up Anderson around 5:20....and we didn't make it up there till 7:20.  Luckily the movie starts at 7:40PM.  And unlike previous episodes, we got pre-selected seats.  So no waiting in line to fight for crappy seats.

Phew...... and alas..... after I make one last pit-stop at a public bathroom (just to be safe).  After I get nice and comfy in my reclined seat with leg rest (overrated).  Here it was.....

The lights dimmed.



"Lucas Films"


"A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...."



And then.................BOOM......  STAR WARS logo with John Williams music. At that moment, everything was perfect.  For 2.5 hours all sickness went away.  Until.............. SPOILER ALERT.....
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we realized the movie sucked... and I really wanted to puke.

Food poisoning never felt so bad.... Part 2

It got me.... I couldn't escape.  I was so confident too! 

I woke up... felt like I had a hangover.  Must be indigestion or an empty stomach.  But by 10AM, I knew I needed to go home.  About 5 minutes from home... I couldn't make it.  I had to turn off on the freeway... find a private street and hurled about 20 oz of breakfast and last night's dinner into a bush.  Ahhhhhhh much better.

Then I got home.... and the chills started coming.  Then the runs.  Wow.... I never knew I had that much "stuff" inside me.  From 2PM to 10PM.... I kept on sitting on the throne.  And within 1 night.... I lost 7 lbs. 

My colon is so clean now, I can go in for a colonoscopy. 

And inspite of it all... I'm still driving out to SF for Episode 8 baby!!!!!  We'll see what happens!!!

Food Poisoning never felt so bad....

Ohhhhh food poisoning hit our family hard today.

At around 2:30PM, we get a call from school saying SW threw up - twice.  As I'm driving and talking to Joyce, we wonder if it's something we ate.  Right away... we think it's the leftover pasta we gave them for lunch.  But nn and Joyce also ate it and were fine.  I didn't eat lunch today cuz I was too busy....

I picked up SW.... he was wearing leftover/lost and found clothes.  His clothes were a mess.  His face was green.  We got in the car and on the way home, he threw up in the car again. 

About an hour after we got home.... NN starts complaining of a tummy ache.  Then she starts  throwing up.  On the phone, Joyce says she wants to throw up.  Oh geez... that's it.  Leftovers.  That's gotta be it. 

If I didn't learn my lesson last time when I got sick.  I learned my lesson now.  No more.  And even as my kids were yacking their brains out... I'm here thinking, well... maybe 2 days leftover.  I'll draw the limit at 2 days.  Horrible, I am.

Then the thought occurred to me... maybe it's the dinner we had last night!! So I called the Yu's... and lo and behold, they also got sick and have been throwing up.  Joyce wants to go back one more day to the Eden Christmas party.  A couple of people were sick.... but the majority were fine.  It had to have been Sunday Night dinner.

Why wasn't I sick?? Am I that much stronger?? Is it because I sterilize myself with plenty of alcohol? (heh.. heh.. heh..).  As we're talking, we start realizing that there was one dish I did not eat, and SW ate a lot of.  Which is probably why he's the most ill of everyone else. 

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... it's 2AM in the morning.  Just cleaned up the pillow case, SW's clothes, and the bedsheets.  He was sleeping in his own "stuff" for the past couple of hours and didn't even know it.  Their room stinks like a garbage dump.  And I'm wondering.... I'm doing all this cleaning without gloves.  SH*T!!!  (literally and figuratively). Hopefully I don't catch this bug!!!!

I lost my phone....

What would you do if you lose your phone??  What goes through your mind?? My contacts... my pictures...?  Makes me wonder if I should put stuff on the Cloud.

Happened to me last night.  I was losing my mind!! I searched high and low.  I could've sworn I had it with me.  I remember putting it on my kitchen table.... but it was no where to be found.  No where.  I convinced myself that I dropped it.  That's the only explanation.  I goofed.  Darn nit.

As we're putting the kids to bed.... Joyce's phone rings.  It was from MY PHONE!!!  Someone has it!!! But how did they unlock it to call????  Who was it.....?? WHO FOUND MY PHONE!??!  WHO STOLE MY PHONE?!?!?!

Turns out.... it was OML.  She accidentally packed it away in her bag.  OML.......................................

(Who is OML??  Oi Mo Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa)