Gratitude
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Life is short, week 31 of 52
Status report: Hives 7 days a week, and now nebulizing my asthma — and got my first inhaler. I need to get my shit together. Or get more sleep. One or the other. Moments of the week: 1. Learning a new skill. A couple friends came over with a full kit and caboodle and spent most of Saturday teaching me and my sister a new skill — putting on our own makeup. Honestly — was much less stressful than I thought. Can I remake the look without close supervision? That’s yet to be proven. But I did order a mirror because there is a shortage of it in this house.…
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Life is short, week 30 of 52
Status report: I think I’ve developed GERD because now I get woken up by the feeling of nausea. Anxiety hives are twice a day now. I live on a diet of sugar and caffeine. Life is short moments from the past week: 1. Cheester being such a good coworker. We’ve been attached at the hip, which makes it hard to actually go out, but it’s like he’s taken it upon himself to be my emotional support animal. And because I’ve had a really overwhelming few weeks, it’s really made a difference. 2. Learning a lot. It’s a lot. I’m always the first person to admit I’m not an expert, but…
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Life is short, week 28 of 52
Status report: Daily hive eruptions, sometimes needing more than one antihistamine. Caffeine taken care of a daily mini coke + cold brew. Moments from last week: Just one. We lost 16% of the company to a reduction in force last Friday. It was a heartbreaking day, and we’re still reeling.
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Life is short, week 26 of 52
Status update: Migraines and insomnia. Advil close to running out, and Tylenol has stopped working for headaches. Is the insomnia causing the migraines or are the migraines causing the insomnia? Life is short moments of the week: 1. Chipped teeth getting fixed. Teeth are expensive, and now even more so. I broke two front teeth and was semi-hillbilly like for a day. It was nice seeing the dentist I’ve seen since I was in the single digits. Couple decades later and we’ve seen her get married, have two kids, and now have one graduate college. 2. Routine checkups turning into health scares. Mom is great about regular checkups, dad not…
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Life is short, week 25 of 52
Status update: Two almost caffeine migraines, and antihistamine sleep aids with some random af nightmares. Life is short moments of note: 1. Learning to make a childhood favorite. I have an aunt that makes the most amazing food. She has always been skilled in the kitchen. Anything that she makes is the best version of it (but definitely the least healthy). My favorite is a squash vegetable mix that she makes with okra, eggplant, fresh shrimp shells, and apparently, the fat from frying pork. I made it this week with the shrimp shells i stuck in the freezer, but no pork fat oil. It was great, but missing squash blossoms…
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Life is short, week 24 of 52
This week would’ve been Anthony Bourdain’s 66th birthday. He couldn’t get himself away from his demons. I need to live because he couldn’t anymore. -J
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Life is short, week 23 of 52
Status report: Hives, 5 out of 7 days. I’m going to need to restock antihistamines soon. Life is short moments of the week: 1. Getting to my favorite local market. Farmer’s market has always been solid. Super fresh veggies and seafood in reasonable prices. Which meant I spent more than usual on veggies and fresh ingredients. Scored sashimi, lemons, and such fresh shrimp. Always makes me feel better, even if my wallet feels lighter. 2. My favorite Italian place in the city. In the 90s, an Italian former papparazo married a Filipina, and they opened a restaurant in Cubao Expo. It was exceptionally good that day — everything was done…
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Life is short, week 21 of 52
Status report: Caffeine withdrawal migraines and regular hives. Aka back home and normal for my old age Life Is Short moments of the week: 1. Being able to say goodbye, and hug loved ones I haven’t seen the past two years. It feels like a lot of my updates sound dramatic. Long story short, a great aunt passed away last week, and I was driving. We missed her passing by 30 minutes. I was feeling so bad about it, but found our later she hasn’t been conscious in three days. While it was a sucky reason to finally be able to go home to my mom’s hometown, it was such…
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Life is short, week 20 of 52
Status report: Back to working nights, a few advils and a caffeine withdrawal migraine. A couple hive eruptions here and there. 1. Being in a completely foreign county and feeling at home. I don’t know why, but since I first visited, Orange County has felt like home. Going back — even for a week, just feels like the smells and streets are homey. I do know that most of it are the people I have other there, but I have a general sense of direction now. Which, if you know me in real life, is a big frigging deal. 2. Getting home safe. After a smidge of a delay, a…
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Life is short, week 19 of 52
Status report: I adore rain and how it makes everything lush— it also keeps me very cold. Life is short moments for last week: 1. Diving in. Adventures, rejection, weird things. Living life means risking hurt feelings, annoyed evenings, and wasted time. But it means living. I lived all those and while there are losses, I’m glad to have had memories made. 2. Hot springs. I am a hot springs person. I can’t deny it any longer. I love the relaxing feeling, the calm of being offline. I guess it allows me to just be, and I love that with my mind having a tendency to run away from me.…
