food · Gratitude · Jodythinks · Love/Life · Songs to listen to

Things that made me happy lately, March 27, 2023

Status report: BP monitor broke and I couldn’t get readings for 3 days, which coincided with a migraine that would not quit for 2. I must’ve had 4 coffees and 3 advils a day to try and address it, but the drugs and caffeine wouldn’t work. Recent theory, too much heat.

My happy things:

1. This moment from Fleabag. In as much as this was a pretty messed up pairing in theory, the chemistry, the connection, all the things that led to this bittersweet moment, it just, makes the emo teenager in me come alive. Especially the line “When you find somebody you love, it feels like hope.”, in this incredibly hellish simulation of modern life, hope feels preposterous.

2. Two amazing restaurants in a week. One family favorite, and one we tried once and have always wanted to get back to. It’s very difficult to get our dad to try anything, or really, deviate from the 5 restaurants he picks from on a regular basis. This can get frustratingly challenging sometimes, especially for birthdays that are not his. However, we were able to get to places this past week that he didn’t hate. Wins in themselves. But also, meals that I don’t have to think about that just go well? Great.

3. Phone calls. See, most of my phone calls are things I have to attend for work. Some were incredibly tense last week, but I did get on non tense, just refreshingly honest ones with friends last week. When people you love are 11000++ kilometers away, this is one of the few options to be there for each other. Unless you want to spend several thousand dollars and 14 hours in a plane. Which, I may still do eventually this year. I just have to figure it out. At a minimum, 5 states, 11 cities to see everyone i Iove, with a hell of a lot of planning and money burning. For now, facetimes and commiserating. Discussing big things, or nonsensical ones. Just being in the same “space” for a while. It helps a lot.

Songs of the week:

So Good Right Now by Fall Out Boy

Talking to Myself by Lauv

Girl Be Mine by Francis M

-J

Gratitude · Jodythinks · Love/Life

Things that made me happy lately, March 20, 2023

Status report: Almost daily hives in the face. Daily bp monitoring 3x, 3 a day. Acidic as heck.

But those are all things I’m managing. Here comes the happy. Because life is too short to not enjoy things.

1. Getting spontaneous piercings. The first time we tried to do this was 2020, then 2021, missed it in 2022, and did two after trekking to Rizal for a wake. We never really set out to do it for the day, but that’s when it happens. I now have 5 piercings in one ear, and will make the other one match next year.

2. My group chat. It started because of a tragedy. We lost a friend we had in common and we were all grieving from afar. It is now my most consistent group chat. Which sounds a little sad for a person that thrives in consistency, but hey, this chat has saved my life more than once and I love every single person in it. Do I wish we had the friend instead of the chat? Every day. But I truly believe at some point we would’ve started one. With or without losing J.

3. Getting amazing food with fantastic friends that are a couple. I love third wheeling with them. I’ve known K since high school, and I’ve never seen her this happy. I consistently have phenomenal days when I’m around them. Every single time.

Songs that defined this time:

Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce

Heartbeats by Jose Gonzalez

The Loneliest by Maneskin

Jodythinks · Love/Life · Work

Status report, March 10th, 2023

A new low. In the days of hives, asthma, migraines and incredibly painful acidity, was hypertension. In a routine checkup to see where my prediabetes was progressing, we discovered that I had enough high blood pressure that I was a stroke risk.

Two rounds of medication, a stay of an extra 2 hours at the doctor, and I went home with 3 new medications and a scared family.

So this is a sad wake up call. That I need to take my health seriously. That there is more at stake here than balancing my caffeine with my melatonin. Here’s to the next 30 days of taking my blood pressure 3x, 3 times a day. To exercising more regularly and eating better. Wish me luck.

Gratitude · Love/Life · Songs to listen to · Thanks

Things that made me happy lately, March 8, 2023

Status report: BP so high I was a stroke risk, daily hives, migraine immediately at hour 13 of no caffeine. However! Gave up coca cola and baked desserts for Lent. Wish me luck.

Because of the ~fragility~ of life and me feeling every single one of my 36 years on earth lately, I will be putting more emphasis on the little things that make me happy. Because life is too fucking short not to.

Happy things since I last documented:

1. Isabel’s Meal plans. Planning food for one is tough. I make things for a minimum of 5 people. Groceries are expensive as hell right now. I have zero prep time because of everything else that needs fixing. I have done meal deliveries in different shapes and forms, and my favorites so far are Isabel’s, and also The Six Pack Chef. I am not dieting per se. I am rewiring my tendency to go for the fastest, greasiest thing (I love Jin Ramen’s mild with egg, sesame oil, and some milk in it) to something more nutritious on a regular basis. I actually think it’s working because I need muc less salt in things, and look for the leaf crunch a lot. It’s not cheap, but it’s cheaper than lipo (joking. For now.)

2. Mango season. The Philippine mango, in all bias, is amazing. I would eat it everyday if it wasn’t so expensive. While it grows the whole year, it’s in season the first quarter, which means more consistent sweetness, cheaper. It’s also Indian mango season and our tree produces the sweetest ones I’ve had. I literally can make it into shakes if I wanted to.

3. Getting things done. It’s been rough trying to get all these adult requirements (government registrations, payments and the like) the past few weeks, but it’s slowly getting done. Can it be easier? F yes. Will it? We’ll see. But for now, the dopamine hit of checking something off the list will have to do. Slow and steady. One thing at a frigging time.

Songs that defined this time:

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours by Stevie Wonder

Found a Reason by Smle

This is How I Learn How to Say No by Emeline

What made you happy lately? -J

Jodythinks

Things that have made me happy lately, February 28, 2023

It’s been a long, tough slog of a week, and I can’t get over the bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. But we’re still here. And there are some bright spots.

1. Finding creme de cassis in the PH. Three years ago a friend had a signature drink of cassis, gin, egg white and lemons. It was delicious and I couldn’t stop drinking them (or requesting that he keep making them). To my surprise, a local deli had them on the shelves. I immediately bought a bottle and confirmed the recipe. And while I think he still mixes them better, it felt like coming home. And then forgetting how bad these are (i add like 3 shots of gin) and getting properly smashed — still worth it.

I should buy 2 more bottles.

2. Finding a couple more places to post real mail. I like snail mail. I used to mail letters all the time when it was in between the gate and my college building. I usually send mail a lot less now because it needs to be a special trip to my sister’s college campus. In my shit show of real estate tax and healthcare issues of the past two weeks though, I found two places on my usual routes that can send post. So i will keep buying cards and making sure I post it a month in advance now — since most of my friends are now on the other side of the world. Dang it.

3. Being able to celebrate a friend’s milestone birthday. I can’t say enough good things about my friend Cherry and her amazing business. Knowing her for 11 years now has been a blessing. I’ve seen her kids from little ones to now full grown people. She is such a warm, loving person and I’ve been so lucky to watch from the sidelines as she succeeds. She deserves all the happiness, and she didn’t look a day over 25 as she celebrated turning 40. I always think the happiest people look the most beautiful, and she definitely shines from the inside.

Songs so far:

Tell Me Why I’m Waiting by Timmies, Shiloh Dynasty

Line Without a Hook by Rick Montgomery

Fall in Love Alone by Stacey Ryan

-j