Friday, August 30, 2024

Pest Control

Went to grab a cup of noodle to make for breakfast this morning... and when I touched it, it was wet.  Then I noticed... it was all chewed up.  Not just that one... but the other 20 in a pack fo 24!!!  And the pack of Korean Spicy Noodles were also ripped into.  Upon closer look... therea are animal droppings every where.  WTF?!?!? We have pests in our garage!??!?!

How did they get in there?!?!? Where are they living?!?!? 

Saturday, August 24, 2024

有啲嘢俾人做,好過自己落手落腳

 Days before giving the keys to our new tenants.. and I still haven't found a gardener yet.  Our neighbors sent a text complaining of the appearance of abandonment.  And so I spent the entire Saturday pulling weeds, trimming hedges, cleaning leaves, raking, sweeping, blowing, cutting.  I'm so tired.  Gonna be so sore the next few days. 

I wish I could've just paid someone to do it... and to do a better job, mind you. 

Friday, August 23, 2024

That took a deep dark turn...

Went out to SF to visit mom and dad... and mom wanted to visit the Crystal Cathedral in Oakland.  It was just a mere 20 minute drive from SF. NBD.  We get there... and amazingly, it's in a clean side of town with FREE 2-HOUR PARKING in the front!! We get there with 10 minutes to spare before the start of afternoon mass.  Mom was hungry so we started to leave when I saw "Mausoleum." I asked mom if she wanted to visit... not knowing... we may have just walked into her final resting place. 

We strolled through the marble hallways marked with names of our predecessors.  There were sections for full caskets... for urns... for a family of urns.  And even a glass display case for pictures and memorabilia.  Mom even asked we go into the office to ask about pricing, which of course, is fully itemized from the service, to the flowers, down to cremation. 

What started out as a simple lunch.... certainly took a deep, dark turn.

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

又大一歲

Another year around the globe.  This year... the kids got me a new wallet... and amazingly, it's the same one they got me 6-7 years ago.  So it's not really a replacement - I love it.  I hate doing "new" things.



 And this year... (according to dad), was the year my 新曆 and 舊曆 falls on the same day.  Go dad!! 

Monday, August 19, 2024

一瞬間便消失了

 Last Monday... my work laptop was having trouble booting up so I took it to the iLab to have them fix it.  The quickly confiscated it and gave me a loaner.  A week went by and I hadn't heard anything so I pinged them... and they came back with, "We attempted to restore your harddrive, but the data is irretrievable."  My heart sank so fast...so far that very instant.  I wanted to cry.... but I was in a meeting so I had to push my way through it.  I didn't even know what to think... how to react.... my harddrive.  Gone!!!

20+ years of pictures.  All my personal stuff.  My Masters program.  Church stuff.  Records of mom and dad.  All gone!!!!  Not to mention personnel record that I opted not to save on a network drive because of its sensitivity. All gone.  The notes I've been keeping for the past 3 years in this job.  All gone.  My emails dating back the past 7 years.  All gone.  My Favorites and Bookmarks.  All gone. The working files on my desktop that I was going to move to a network drive.  All...... freakin'...... gone. 

What do I do now? How do I begin to piece the puzzles back together?

The IT guy basically said... technology has moved so far so fast... that hard disk drive companies have not kept up with the solid state drive technology to recover anything.  It's a moot point to even try.  I told him... "Try it anyways... I will pay anything."  I don't know if he'll do it or not. 

I can't even articulate how I feel today.  Despondent? Depressed? Sad? Lost? I don't have words for it... it's just ALL GONE.  20 years of my life... wiped away.  And there's no possible way to restart it.

Back up your data people.  Don't be like me.  Don't pull a Hank. 

Saturday, August 10, 2024

大壽

Was invited to a 75 year old bday party.  Haven't been to one of these in a while.. a set course meal at a Chinese restaurant.   The day before the party... we get an email from the kids (who are about my age) asking for all guests to take a COVID test.  I don't know how I feel about that.... 


 

Thursday, August 08, 2024

女大女世界

Realized that summer is abruptly coming to an end and I hadn't spent much time with the kids.  What is it with work these days??? I don't need to be there... why can't I take any time off??

So I bit the bullet...  and on Wednesday... asked for a day off.  Which turned out to be a mess but that's for another time.

Thursday... we go to Great America... but NN is too old and mature now.  She decides she wants to stay home and do summer homework instead.  And probably secretly... chat and talk with friends.  Wow... that came out of nowhere!  Family Outing and she's choosing not to go.  Sigh... 

The worst part is... it didn't give SW time to find a friend to go to Great America with.  And I end up being stuck with him on multiple roller coaster rides to which... I am past that point.  No mas.  I can't do thrill rides anymore.  The spinny ones.  The wooden ones.  The twists and turns and G's.  No thanks.  I felt so sick the rest of the day.  Ugh,... 

Saturday, August 03, 2024

Not an agent

Our tenants moved out and here we are... showing our house again.

So then we begrudgingly set up an ad-hoc open house.  We meet so many fine people!  Including another lovely family who's relocating from the mid-West.  Then I realized... they'd be commuting, WITH traffic, for over an hour a day.  I told Joyce... we gotta call them and warn them.  We gotta help them find a house closer to their work.  And she said, "You're so not cut out to be in real estate."