Hobbies

I'm a bit of a serial hobbier if that makes any sense. I love trying all types of arts and crafts. And there are a ton that I've started but then either never continued with it or just thought meh, didn't like it that much. And I would say beading is one of those.

Though I enjoyed making it, it's an extremely expensive hobby. The other thing is that I would make it and never wear the stuff. Yes, I would give some away as gifts. But not everybody has the same taste as me. So as I look at my beading supplies, I'm thinking of what I'm going to do with it. Most likely, just give it to my girls and then can muck around with it.

As much as I try many, many hobbies, there are those that are true hobbies to me and I have not yet swayed from them.

Sales

Yeah, I love sales. But I love them especially when they happen at all times of the year. This helps with my "around the year" shopping for Christmas. Yep. I'm about 75% done for this year. I've been at this number for a while. But I figured that I still have a good couple of weeks. Not planning to head into a mall during December. Too stressful.

So I got an e-mail about rocawear. Never heard of them so I thought I'd just check it out. Actually some neat urban clothing. But that stuff is too hip for me. No longer young like THAT.

Chicago

Chicago in the Fall really is an amazing experience. Yes, Oprah was awesome. But the city really is great, has tons to offer and is extremely clean. And in terms of safety, I probably felt safer there at night then I did in some other US cities.

So what did I do? TONS! I'm going to break it down....

Day 1 - basically all travelling. I had one stopover but basically, I got off the plane in Minneapolis, walked to the next gate and boarded the next plane. Easy peasy. Then when I got into Chicago, took the subway into the city and then walked to the hotel. The remainder of the day was walking around to get my bearings and did a bit of shopping.

Highlights of the day

* meeting Bob on my flight from Minneapolis to Chicago. What a lovely man! Learned about his life, his work, and his granddaughter. On the other side of me on the same flight, a nurse from Minneapolis. She talked up a storm. Learned lots about her business, her allergies, her patients, and her telework arrangements. What they got out of me? A lot of giddiness about Oprah. They were thrilled that I was going and we had a good chat about that.

* When I was at the train station getting ready to buy a train pass for a couple of days, two women came up to me and my girlfriend and gave us their pass that was still good! Woo hoo!

* I took a lot of pictures with life size Lego figurines down Magnificent Mile.

Day 2: Segway tour to start the day. Three hours of tourist time around the neatest sights and parks. I also had the opportunity to do some shopping down the Magnificent mile! And also the Museum of Contemporary Art. Beautiful place but I must say the exhibits kind of sucked this time! Playstation HQ to try out their new Move games!

Highlights:

* The segway tour. I got a chance to try this magnificent machine! I'm going to do a segway tour again in another city. I also got to race with one of these. Total awesomeness.
* got to do some shopping that we don't have up here. Garret's popcorn (one of Oprah's favourite things!), the Disney store, and more pictures with lifesize Lego figurines.

Day 3: Oprah, the Oprah store and Giardano's.

Highlights:

* could it be Oprah?! But better yet, there was someone in the audience who got to speak and talk about herself. She writes a ton of songs for Disney, including for some pop artists like Miley Cyrus. Yes, I actually don't mind some of Miley's songs so it was so neat to see who was behind those songs!
* shopping at the Oprah store. Seriously got some great deals. And she has such nice stuff. If I had more than a carry on, I would have brought home WAY more stuff.
* stuffed pizza at Giardano's. That's just a big fat pill.

Day 4: I did so much this day. Chinatown was the first stop! Hey, I have to see my peeps in a different city. Then my girlfriend and I separated for part of the day so we could see different things. I ended up going to the Field Museum where they have the largest T-Rex specimen. Next up was the zoo. Then it was off to visit my friend once again to go to the Chicago Art Institute.

Highlights:

* dim sum in Chinatown was actually very good! And they have the most beautiful colour menus!!
* Chinatown was extremely clean and I really enjoyed the shops and other food (where else can you get enough food for 2 people for 2 meals for under $7.50?!)
* Field museum had so much to see. The T-Rex (Sue) was awesome. Oh yeah, it was free that day, extra bonus.
* The zoo was also extremely clean. Had some neat animals I hadn't seen in a while. And yeah, it was free.
* The Chicago Art Institute was truly awesome. Got to see some paintings that I've wanted to see and can now officially cross them off my bucket list. And yes, it was FREE! Oh, this city really understood my Asian cheapness. And best yet, my friend and I just had the funniest giggle fits in this place. I don't know...getting lost, not understanding some of the art, the crazy security guards and goodness knows what else was just funny.

Day 5: Last day! My girlfriend and I actually went to line up for the morning show that I was originally supposed to attend. We were there and there some folks lined up there too. And of course I started to chat with the women there. One of them was named Shirley. She kept saying that she was from the same home town as Oprah. And she was Oprah's aunt's friend. Sometimes, when Shirley was visiting with Oprah's aunt, Oprah would show up. And Oprah knew she was coming. She was the sweetest lady. But I thought to myself, if your Oprah's aunt's friend, and she knows you and likes you, and Oprah knows you're coming, WHY in the world are you in the line up? I'm sure Oprah likes you enough to just get you escorted in...or maybe she doesn't like her enough?!

I also made it to the Navy Pier. Not much time to explore, but it was great to go. Sort of a North Vancouver Londsdale Quay feel with way more things to do and some neat exhibits that I didn't have time to see.

Highlights: checking out the Navy Pier where I could see the water move. Last time, the body of water that the pier sits on was frozen solid.

* chilling in the hotel room after I got back from the standby line. Seriously. Napping, watching tv while in pjs, snacking and just doing nothing...for a mom, that's pure awesomeness.

* meeting the cutest college graduate! He was cute because he was so "new" to the adult life. He came from a farm that harvested beets and green beans. Oh, if we all had that naivity and freshness in life still.

So, the trip was great! No drama with my friend which was an extra bonus. Weather was fantastic besides my one morning of thunder and lightning. Tried new things. And 5 days of not having to make bagged lunches. This trip will definitey be in my top 10.

Change in Weather

Oh, it is definitely fall. The leaves have changed colour. The wind and rain are showing up much more often. And we will all be switching our clocks soon.

Another sure sign that the weather is changing is the need for me to buy eczema cream for my 1 kid. I just hate this time of year for her skin. She's contactly itchy despite all the moisturizing. Sometimes her skin just gets raw from her scratching as she sometimes scratches in her sleep. Sometimes I think I should just bathe her in cream. Maybe she'll moisturize better.

Let's hope it's a short scratching season.

Pills

After my husband's last surgery, he started to take supplements. Because of what they took out of his body, it was difficult for his body to make certain enzymes, etc. By taking certain pills, he could help his body stay healthy.

But I seriously have issues in trying to keep track of his pills. I guess I can't get it in my head that he has calcium pills in the house. In fact, he has four bottles in the house already. So what did I do, yes, I bought him some more. What the...? But because I keep buying him calcium, my brain keeps forgetting to by Vitamin C which is what he really needs and goes through so quickly.

They both have the letter C in it.

Katy Perry

I admit, I was slow to like Katy Perry. But she's really won me over. I'm not a fan of every song she has out, but for the most part, they are catchy, cute and fun! They are feel good songs!

Now I didn't realize that she had to use acne products, but she's obviously the person that is doing informercials now about it. And I think to myself, how much money is she making? And does she really need it?

Looking at her "worst" pictures, her acne was no worse than anybody else's. Oh well. Whatever works for her. I just wish I made thousands of dollars to sell a product like her.

Cash

As a parent, I get that sometimes it's difficult to balance the books. Somehow, all the lessons come at the same time. Then suddenly their clothes all rip or are damaged. Maybe you need extra medicine that isn't covered by health insurance. Sometimes, your car breaks down. Basically, there are a ton of things that can happen that you just can't control. And that can be extremely stressful.

Though I'm not sure if the payday cash advance is the best option. Perhaps people have figured out how to get out of the vicious cycle. For these folks, these companies may be the answer that they need.

But I think I'll pass thank you. Interest in the double digits makes me sweat.

Must Lists

When my husband and I were looking for our next place to live, we both had a list of must haves. He needed a dishwasher, I wanted fireplaces. I was willing to live with one though.

And though I would never ask him to change his list of must haves, I had some difficulty in understanding why he'd want a dishwasher. I just never grew up with one and didn't understand the need for it. Heck, I had an Asian girlfriend that used that dishwasher as a place to put all her extra toilet paper. She never actually used it to wash dishes.

On the flip side, he couldn't understand my need for a fireplace. To me it was about security and warmth.

So in the end, we both got what we wanted on our must have list. And I'm glad that he had dishwasher on his list...not sure how I'd live without one now.

Footnotes

With everything, you need to read the fine print, any footnotes, etc. You can't just "believe" everything that is said. So when I recently picked up something to read about the product which was herbal phentermine, I asked myself two things...one, what the heck was it? Secondly, why is it not FDA approved?

My first reaction...I'm sure they are telling me that it will help me lose weight. But I'm not sure what the science is behind this. And is a pill really going to help? Isn't it as simple as less calories in and more calories out? My second reaction was that I a bit scared because it said it was not FDA approved.

So I just put it down and went along my merry way....

Oprah Show - The Second Time Around

I decided that I would do an Oprah entry separate from the Chicago one. I did so much and there is so much to say!

So before I mention how awesome the Oprah show was, let me preface this entry with some information. My original show was slotted for Friday, October 15th in the morning. A couple of days after receiving the news that I had reservations, I received an e-mail from the Oprah show saying that the show I was signed up for is moving moved. I had the option to stay with the same show, but I would not know who the guest was. Or I could move to the 13th show in the afternoon and be guaranteed that I would be seeing Portia de Generes, formerly known as Portia de Rossi.

I opted for the 13th show for a number of reasons. I knew who the guest was. Nobody how "sad" her show may be, it still would be bearable. I didn't want a weeping show or one where I walked away all upset because of the topic. Secondly, by leaving on the Friday, I saved myself a couple of hundred bucks. Chicago is a very pricey place on Fridays. And by coming home Friday night, I would be home on Saturday bright and early to take the girls to their lessons.

On the 13th, my girlfriend and I were very excited! We ate breakfast but our minds were on Oprah. We went back to the hotel room to get changed. Then we heard some really loud bangs. Holy smokes. Thunder, lightening, wind and a whole bunch of rain. It was a really nasty storm. But we were prepared...we had our umbrellas.

We took a taxi to the studio an hour earlier than we needed to because we decided that we would do all our shopping at the Oprah store before the show. That way we could beat the line up and rush between shows. And we could leave all our stuff there at the store until after our show and not have to deal with the crowds.

I had done a lot of research on the Oprah site before I went to the store. I had my lists and I was ready to go. But the online store only shows 80% of what is in the store. And I got to hang out at the Oprah closet. In the store, there is a large armoire. Inside is clothing that Oprah has worn on the show and that you could get for cheap. I so wanted to get the A line grey skirt by Valentino. But $200 was still a little pricey for me. But how fun to see some amazing dresses, and other outfits I recognized!

After too much spending at the Oprah store, it was off to the studio that is across the street. We got in with no problems. I was prepared for the next couple of bits as it was the same process as the last time. Coat check, security check, signing forms and waiting in the upstairs room before people are called down to the studio. In the upstairs room, there are extremely large photos of Oprah and special guests. And every person in that room remembered those episodes and we all talked about it.

Then came the time to go down to the studio. You either get called down by name because they want you in a certain area. Or they go by number based on your form number. Out of the 317 people that day, I had number 233 or something ridiculous like that.

So imagine my suprise when I get called by name to go to the studio. Then imagine my suprise when I go into the studio and they sit me and my friend in the reserved section. Yeah. RESERVED section of the studio audience. My friend and I were FREAKING out. This was so wild.

And we sat next to this couple. The husband had really wanted to get tickets for his wife. So we shared stories of how we got tickets. We used the exact same methods and we were just killing ourselves laughing. His wife and my friend had no idea why this was funny but we understood the work needed to get these tickets. LOL!

We also shared our essays that we had to write for this particular show. And I told him that this was by far the weakest submission I had put in. I wasn't even going to write into the show to go see Portia. I really debated whether or not I was going to even do the work. Then I thought, why not? I have nothing to lose and it obviously paid off.

Before the start of the actual interview, Oprah has a staff member come out. I got Beth last time I was there and she was just as awesome this time around. However, she really amped up the energy there. She started to say some fun things and talked about the amazing 25 years of Oprah, and next thing you know, awesome music started up, the tv monitors showed amazing clips that everyone knew, next thing you know we're all doing the flash mob dance from a couple of seasons ago, we're all jumping, dancing and screaming! Oprah hadn't even shown up yet! But it put us all into such an amazing mood!

Time for the show to start now. Oprah walked out and we screamed big time! Oprah did her amazing intro. And the next thing I knew, Portia was walking onto the stage and she was literally 5 feet away from me. Awesome. The actual interview went by so quickly even though this whole process took me about 4 hours to complete. I had the perfect view of Oprah and hung on to every word. She really is amazing at what she does. Though the Portia interview wasn't that "happy and fluffy," it was still a great show to watch. She talked about her anorexia which I had no clue she had. And it was very informative and showed how resilient she really is.

At the end of the show, Portia left the building and Oprah just sat to talk to the audience for a couple of minutes. I'm sure she says this almost every show...especially since it's her last season. But she thanked the audience for the 25 years, how it's because of people like us that kept her on for that length of time. She thanked people for taking the time and effort to see her and that she is humbled by it, etc., etc. I don't care how many times she has said it in the past, but it really felt heart felt. If she was acting, I believe it all, and it's ok. I'll buy into it.

And before you know it, we were all being escorted out of the building. We ended up getting a copy of Portia's book. No big give away. But that's ok. It is a great reminder of the show itself and a great reminder of an amazing experience and day.

As awesome as her show was that day, my girlfriend and I opted to wake up early and try to attend the 15th show in the morning as standby folks. And if you can believe it, we got there only for staff to tell us that it was cancelled. If I had kept to the show on the 15th, I would have been SOL...having gone there for no reason. Sometimes, things are just meant to be.

Oprah you will be missed! But I am so happy to have shaken Oprah's hand, to have sat in on 3 of her shows as part of her live audience and able to see her during her last season. Memories, memories.....

"O" in the Windy City

Well, enough "deep thought" entries. Those happen from time to time because that's just life.

But I'm going to talk about a happy moment and happy moments in the next week to come. First of all, it's Thanksgiving weekend. Yep. Turkey and stuffing. My in-laws are hosting and all I have to bring is my family, a fruit tray that I'm buying (forget cutting up all that!) and brussel sprouts that I have to wash. Yep. I can handle it. Can't wait for the turkey coma!!!

Secondly, on Thanksgiving Monday while I'm still nursing the turkey coma, I'm heading out of town to the "Windy City". I never thought I'd be heading to Chicago twice in my little lifetime, but it just so happens that I will be going again. And the main reason why I'm heading to Chicago is of course to see Oprah!

I was extremely fortunate to get tickets once in my lifetime. But to get them a second time, I can't waste this opportunity, especially since it's her last season! I already know who the guest is this time which is rare. So don't go on thinking I may get a giveaway show. But it will be Portia De Rossi (Ellen Degeneres' wife). I'm thankful that it's not some show about murder, third world countries and those folks that have been captured, etc. I just want something light and fluffy.

And life is quite funny sometimes. Life just knows when you need a break and this break couldn't have come at a better time for many reasons. The best part is I get to go with a great bud. She's fun to travel with and extremely easy to travel with. She gets that parenthood along with working and what I'm going through can be difficult. There's no judgement. Best of all, she's one of the neatest and most amazing people I know. And it just so happens that life recognizes that she needs a small break too. So we two gals are just exhilarated at this opportunity to go together so that we can support each other and just enjoy all the wonderfulness of Oprah and Chicago. Don't forget, the last time I went, it was -40 degrees Celsius. Ummm...a little cold to be doing some outdoor sightseeting. This time, totally different...I'm going out to explore the city big time!!

I've got a segway tour booked (can't wait to try one of those things). Zoom, zoom! I'm hoping to hit Chinatown to see how good Chicago chinese food is. There's also shopping on the Magnificent mile, check out some museums, trying out their deep dish pizza and enjoying Chicago dogs once again. Just a small list of things I want to do when I'm there. Of course, I'm hitting up the Oprah store too! I've been checking things online and making my lists!!! It's going to cost me.

Oh, it doesn't matter what I do because this trip will be an adventure with a great friend. It will be a life away from my regular life. It will be the energy boost that I need to take me through the next little while. It's an opportunity to acknowledge that life is short and you just have to enjoy what you can when you can because you never know what life has in store for you.

Let the adventure begin!

Tears

Tears. I hate seeing them on other people's faces. And it's not that I can't deal with the fact that they're crying, is that 95% of the time, it's because they are in pain of some sort, and I feel terrible for them. Five percent of the time, there are tears of joy...but hey, let's be honest, these are rare and hard to come by.

So after a day of my other 2 girlfriends dealing with deaths in this family, I wasn't expecting much today in terms of stories or hurt. But obviously I was wrong. I bumped into a friend and she's been having a tough time with life in general. And they are all legitimate reasons. So today, all I asked was "how are you?" And the tears started to come...and they kept coming. It was one of those "I'm trying to stop but the faucet has been opened and now I can't stop" type of cries.

Well, I was suprised to say the least. But I took her someplace quiet and private where we could chat and she could just cry. And though it was hard to watch her go through this, it was so important that she did. And I just let her do it, listened, and when she asked for advice, I didn't even bother to sugarcoat.

I let her cry because I know that she could then acknowledge the problem and just be "there" with it. But I can see that even with that big cry, she's already started to work her way out of that dark hole that I spoke about in my last entry. I'm not saying that I was the reason she's crawling out of that hole. It really was those tears that she cried that is helping her heal, and letting her eyes see clearly the pathway out.

Today

People's lives can be dramatically changed...as they say, at a moment's notice. Today, I had 2 good friends that lost someone close to them. One friend lost a grandmother. What's more tragic is that she is going through so many other things in her life. This death in the family is just one more thing for her to deal with. I'm amazed at how she's still functioning.

Another friend of mine lost her mother today. Her mother had a sudden onset of Alzheimer's at a very young age and her health decreased very quickly over the last couple of years. And even in the last couple of days of her life, she was holding on. I think holding on so she could just spend a little more time with her family. Her body failed her...but I think she really knew that her family was there.

In both cases, I can only imagine what life is like right now for them. The chaos, sadness, grief and so on.

Everybody has had times where they are so down where they think they've hit rock bottom...only to find that there is further to go. But life goes on...and you have no choice but to crawl out of that dark hole, no matter how dark it is. And though that climb may seem incredibly difficult if not impossible, it's one step at a time. By not doing so, you are forever stuck in that terrible place and you just can't move on.

I hope to be one of those friends that will be there to support my friends in their time of need as they've been there for me.

Mandarin School

I've always wanted my kids to learn a second language. I want them to learn because it really is part of their Asian background and heritage. I also want them to be able to communicate in another language, especially to their grandparents. It's been an interesting transition.

Both girls tried a mandarin school that I originally went to. Though it worked for me, it did not work for the girls. It was evident by not so happy faces when we went to class. So it took a while, but I found a new mandarin school for them. This was the first semester that they would try the class. And if this one didn't work, I was screwed.

Last week was their first class and they had a blast! They learned songs, did arts and crafts, watched videos, played games...in mandarin. They even came home singing songs. And during the week, they talked about how they couldn't wait to go back to mandarin school. Having them like the class is me already winning half the battle.

So, I'm off with happy kids to mandarin school. Joy and bliss.

Between the Folds

I've always enjoyed origami. But my specialty is modular origami...basically, you fit pieces of paper folded a certain way to get a specific structure such as boxes, cubes, hexagons. Very mathematical, impressive and pretty.

So, I happen to see a movie trailer for a movie that has to do with origami. I was skeptical and not sure how "fun" this movie would be. But if you are into origami and like the math behind it, this movie is for you! I know I definitely want to see it. Here's the trailer for you to enjoy!