tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90735765544828730502024-03-07T20:54:48.328-08:00Upside Down in CaliforniaYolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-37269769894811064812013-10-19T13:05:00.001-07:002013-10-19T13:12:07.267-07:00Rose - the Younger, the WiserMy sister Rose is only a year and a half younger than me, but the gap seems wider, as bluntly stated by one of my co-workers, "I thought she was much younger than you!" I still get a kick out of the statement because it is so unfiltered. It is true. It is a fact. My sister Rose looks much younger than what her age would lead you to believe, and she has done it without the facelift, the butt lift, the boob lift. She is all natural. Her regimen and maxims include cross fit exercise and the "you are what you eat" mantra. But this wasn't always the case...<br />
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My sister's birthday was earlier this week. So it triggered me to wax nostalgic. I must go back to elementary school, when my frail little sister Rose, with her thin stringy hair, would faint when the temperature was hot. That was funny back then. I was a mean kid and meaner older sister growing up, but it was Rose's fragility and short stature that made it open season year round to pick on her. I recall a funny incident in which our older sister - Peach - and I led Rose to believe we were making her "beautiful" by fixing her hair. We actually teased all her hair, and it was one big tangle. Peach and I laughed so hard. Rose didn't think it was funny. Too bad we didn't have Instagram back then. :D<br />
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But then payback is a bitch, isn't it? I think Rose started to pay me back in high school. I had bad acne, and she laughed and dubbed me "Rocky Mountains." Rose also managed to be more popular than me in high school. I was two grades ahead of her, but the kids in my class year knew her better than they knew me. They hung out with her. Her short stature must have bamboozled them. I was an introverted, geeky, nerdy bookworm, focused on getting good grades for college. Rose must have hoodwinked our parents as well because they seemed to favor her over me, letting her go to school dances while I had to stay home, cook and study. Something was definitely wrong with that scenario.<br />
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Despite the teenaged sibling challenges, we grew close. I married and had my son CJ. Rose would hang out with us at times, and she would take CJ with her in her red hot MR2. She seemed aimless (minimal career or educational aspirations, no steady boyfriend). We would feed her. As soon as we arrived home from grocery shopping, we would call Rose. She ate anything. The fourth place setting at our dinette was usually for her. <br />
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Aside: I wonder if CJ's good times with his aunt influenced him to buy an MR2 years later.<br />
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As I worked and raised my son, I continued my pursuit in academia. Then Rose herself started to focus on academia -- uh, Vince Academia, that is. She married the best husband ever. We always tell Rose that if her marriage were to fail, it would be her fault.<br />
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When my marriage failed, I felt aimless. I remember lugging around my worldly possessions in my car, trying to figure out where I would stay. My sister did not question or even hesitate to offer me a spare room. At the time Rose was pregnant with Vincent Jr. She listened and fed me. I stayed for the next year and a half during which time I observed and realized her powerfully even keeled temperament. This is her hallmark.<br />
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Eventually, I was able to get on my own two feet and buy my own place. After Vincent, Alexis came along almost four years later. My sister became a stay-at-home mom after a quiet, unassuming career in commercial real estate. She and Vince also accommodated our parents, around the time our dad started to show early signs of forgetting. Of all the eight siblings, Rose was the only one who could deal with that and get along with them. It's her even keel, her maturity, her sanity, her reasonableness that we all know and rely on. I don't think I could ever match her level.<br />
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So when she embarked on the determination to exercise primarily for weight loss, I was a bit puzzled. It didn't seem reasonable. To me, my sister looked great and didn't need to lose weight. Then it went beyond that. Both kids were in karate, and she took cardio kickboxing at the same time. Soon it was more classes and multiple gym memberships and cross fit and classes in personal training and nutrition. It seemingly reached the bounds of obsession, and I say this only because I knew how my sister felt before about exercise. She didn't understand why I would go running and exercise and felt I was wasting my time. Now it was her turn, but she took it leaps and bounds beyond where I was in staying fit, trim, and energized.<br />
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Today Rose is a certified personal trainer and cross fit instructor. Because of this, her short stature has become irrelevant, meaning we don't tease her as much. I must say I am so proud of her. She has been on this health and fitness kick for almost a decade, and she looks amazing. She was not fond of vegetables before, but now she concocts banana based spinach, grapes, and green apple shakes. "You are what you eat." This is her mantra. She's still a sucker for chocolate occasionally, but her regimen has translated into youthful appearance. Really, I am not lying. This was validated a few weeks ago by her own kids, who were poring over decades old pictures I keep in my "shoeboxes." To them, while everyone looked really young in the pictures, their parents looked the same. (Yes, Rose bamboozled Vince into quitting smoking before they got married, he is one of her cross fit students, and I'm sure she makes him drink those spinach shakes.)<br />
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And her even keel? That's still there. That hasn't changed. We don't always express our feelings, but I'm sure Rose knows how much I love her . I'm sure she knew about my broken heart when I silently cried over my failed marriage. I'm sure she knew my deep gratitude for the hospitality during that troubled time and financial woe. I'm sure she heard my heart scream when she asked me to be one of the godmothers for Vincent. I'm sure she heard my heart scream even louder when she asked me to be one of Alexis's godmothers.<br />
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And I hope she knows that I'll be there for her. She contributed to
my success because she helped shape me into the person I am today. I try to emulate her every day - the coolness, the even keel.<br />
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Just very recently, on Tuesday (I think), my sister touched my heart. I've been going on all these different adventures with people, including some secret ones. She said that we needed to go on an adventure and questioned why we have not gone on one. That is a very good question.<br />
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Happy birthday little sister Rose! I love you! God has gifted me with an amazing little sister. I can't wait to see what's in store for us! Let's go on an adventure...Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-84669374624473344682013-10-06T00:32:00.003-07:002013-10-06T00:35:39.781-07:00Time Well SpentI love days like today when I am so busy with so many things but actually enjoy every minute instead of stressing over things that need to get done.<br />
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I woke up fairly early to catch up on some emails. Soon I was off to pick up my older sister Peach, who lives on the other side of San Jose. We went to her work and then stopped off at a nearby McDonald's to have breakfast. I love McDonald's coffee.<br />
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We then headed to Fremont to another McDonald's. I think that is the first time I have ever done a McDonald's to McDonald's Point A to Point B drive in my life! We picked up some lunch for my nephew Lucas. He requested a Big Mac. We visited with Lucas, who currently lives in Fremont, for about an hour and a half.<br />
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After that, Peach and I went to Westover to pick up my wine club quarterly shipment. We tasted some wine while we were there. I love wine.<br />
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Soon we were heading back to San Jose. We decided to stop off at Pho Mai in Milpitas for lunch. I didn't eat much -- just some chicken wings. It was cool to see silogs on the menu there. Restaurants are sometimes interesting when there is cross-culturalism.<br />
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After that, my sister and I went to my place so that I could change clothes and practice my script for my video shoot at Stanford University. That entire exercise was almost 3 hours. There was football game traffic at Stanford. That caused only a slight delay. At least my sister was able to witness what I do for fun when I'm not working. It was work but it was fun work.<br />
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After Stanford, we needed a boost. So we stopped off at Starbuck's in Milpitas. We also picked up lotto tickets at the liquor store a couple of doors down from Starbuck's. Soon, we were heading to the Target at North San Jose, where we shopped for a bit. We then went back to my place so that I could change back to jeans casual.<br />
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Were we done? Almost. We then went to Lance and Flo's house warming in Southeast San Jose. It was also Lance's birthday celebration and one of their son's (Joshua) birthday. We stuffed our faces with Filipino food, drank Lance's dessert wine (cherry infused), and sang karaoke. We were the last ones to arrive and the last ones to leave.<br />
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Finally, my sister and I were done. I took her back home, and I just arrived home about an hour ago. This is a fairly typical Saturday for me. Thank God for family and friends and events and fun work that keep me out of trouble!<br />
<br />Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-38004820857193051692013-09-29T21:02:00.000-07:002013-09-29T21:13:06.733-07:00Keeping Up with Technology (the Joneses for All)The tournament scheduled at Classic Bowl in Daly City got canceled. I was bummed. That left me with a huge gaping hole in my Saturday schedule. So I spent it watching YouTube videos, specifically the CrimeDotTV channel.<br />
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CJ bought the Chromecast setup for me, and so now I can view on my TV anything on my laptop using the Chrome browser. How snazzy is that? Keeping up with technology is fun. The next step I want to figure out is how to watch shows via the internet only and cut out cable. Before, I was paying about $160 per month on cable/internet. That's a ridiculous amount when I spend most of my time on my computer on the internet, at work, with family and friends, and so on. The time I spent watching TV was not worth $160 per month. You can lease a car for that much for God's sake! So I changed to the basic cable/internet package at about $73 per month. Even that seems expensive.<br />
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Next, I need to upgrade my phone. I have a Samsung Charge, but it's over 2 years' old. In technology terms, it's almost obsolete. Applications run slowly. I can't run Facebook on it (that's probably a good thing), and it crashes every once in awhile. It's not worth the $132 per month that I pay. That's expensive. You can lease a car for that much for God's sake! I probably don't need the heavy data plan, which I'll get rid of perhaps when I upgrade my phone.<br />
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Speaking of cars, I've decided that my next investment in a car will be all electric. More technology. Circumstances are changing so that now the question is "Why gas?" I'll wait another couple of years to do this. Keeping up with technology has its price, but it's fun. I certainly love my Chromecast!Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-68002654517638982652013-09-23T00:32:00.002-07:002013-09-23T00:32:48.839-07:00My Vietnamese SisterI've been posting all year long about particular siblings around the occurrence of their birthdays. I just realized that I must do one for my sister-in-law Lien because she's been in my life since I was in junior high. We've grown very close to her, and I consider her my sister.<br />
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Sometimes first impressions can be incorrect. At first, I didn't like Lien at all. I can't point to or remember the reason why. Maybe it was jealousy - she was stealing our brother from us. Maybe it was because she seemed stuck up. She barely spoke. Maybe it was immaturity on my part.<br />
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When Lien and Zaldy married, it was a blur. I'm sure I was dealing with adolescent and juvenile issues, while focusing on academics and taking the path toward higher education as an engineering hopeful. I was fairly nerdy and geeky, and I dealt with self-conscious annoyances such as acne. I also started to give into peer pressure.<br />
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Lien and Zaldy soon had Naomi, the very first grandchild in our family. Then they had Junior. I was aware of the ups and downs in their lives, and honestly I was stressed by the downs. I still recall that I had a conversation with my brother in which I made it clear to him that I wasn't happy and didn't agree with how he was behaving. Although I was younger, it seemed to me like immaturity on his part.<br />
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Let's fast forward a bit to the morning before my son CJ was born and right after my water broke. I didn't know what was going on and what to do. The first and only person I thought of calling was Lien. I knew she would have the answer. She said, "Get to the hospital right now!"<br />
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Let's fast forward to today. We've had more good times than bad as far back as I can recall, such as traveling to other countries, states, cities. Seeing the Indy 500 live for the first time. Clubbing until the wee hours. Celebrating Christmas. Shopping at Paragon. The journey continues, and Lien is there, just like she was there when I called her that morning. We keep going. I thought I was a strong woman, but I think Lien is stronger. Despite having to deal with my brother (ha ha), Lien has been bootstrapping her own success. She has worked very hard, and I am proud to have her as my sister-in-law.<br />
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Know this Lien. I am so thankful that God has brought you to our family. You've tamed my brother. I am also thankful for the further blessings of Naomi and Junior. You will soon be a grandma, and knowing you, your efforts will be tireless in being the best grandma possible -- just like you have been tireless in your efforts as a daughter, wife, daughter-in-law, mother, mother-in-law, sister, and sister-in-law. I look forward to more adventures with you. I love you very much!<br />
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Oh yeah. I almost forgot. Thank you for introducing us to delicious Vietnamese food. ;-)Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-48651426239952184672013-09-13T21:14:00.001-07:002013-09-13T21:14:29.491-07:00Raising GourmetIt's funny that I always wonder where my son CJ got his gourmet tastes and cooking skills from when the answer has been in front of me all along. My son reminded me the other day that when he and I spent quality time together when he was little, we would go to BevMo and Trader Joe's to buy gourmet foods. We also ate at nice restaurants, not the commercial chain restaurants. I taught him how to cook some dishes. This probably helped to liven up his tastebuds.<br />
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CJ and I spent a lot of time together, and that's why he and I are so close. We have a very good relationship. I admit that I spoiled him and still do because he is my only son. I am thankful that he isn't in jail and/or doing drugs. In addition to being foodies, we spent time going to the movies, seeing shows, traveling. I taught him about visiting other cities, states, countries and learning by getting lost and reading maps and finding our way back. I've sent him on trips without me to discover and become more worldly. We appreciated the finer things in life, even knowing at the same time that we didn't always have money to buy them. That's what made us appreciate things even more.<br />
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The time we spent together was around the end of my marriage through post divorce and until he moved and lived out in the world on his own. Now he's living life with the same type of trials and tribulations that's part of mainstream. He's had relationships that have pained him I'm sure. I always hope and pray that he will find his soul mate soon and move onto the next phase of his life.<br />
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What hasn't changed is his love for food -- especially gourmet food. CJ has become a much better cook than I. He will ask once in awhile about how to make things, which he picks up on quickly and alters to infuse his own style and interpretation. I admit it -- I've raised CJ to be just like me. Instead of fast food, we would rather cook our meals and taste every morsel. Or we would rather have a plate full of grapes, cheese, prosciutto and crackers while drinking that down with a fine glass of wine.<br />
<br />Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-43605180305754381202013-09-10T19:12:00.002-07:002013-09-22T23:46:50.295-07:00Forgot My Glasses and Other ThingsDon't you wish that you can recapture all the time you waste when you have to backtrack because you forgot something? I can remember many times when I had to go back home because I left my phone. Things like your phone or your glasses or your computer should be attached to you so you don't leave without them.<br />
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I just got home from work. It's about 7:00 p.m., and I realized that I forgot my reading glasses. I have to go back to work to get them. Instead of going back right away, I decided to sit and write this post. What has my life come down to? Again, as I have posted before, my life has come down to absolute boredom. If I have time to waste on going back to get my glasses, my life really isn't chaotic. Do you think that I forget stuff because my life isn't chaotic? I wonder.<br />
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Now I'm thinking about what I need to do on my way back. I might as well stop off at the bank and get cash. I'm out. I might as well stop off at the Great Mall and get some dinuguan at Red Ribbon. When I get home, I'll eat and watch Criminal Minds. Then I'll work on work stuff. Then I'll work on other stuff. Then I'll do my puzzles and keep my mind sharp. Then I'll go to sleep. Tomorrow is a brand new day.<br />
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But to do most of the stuff I just mentioned, I need my reading glasses. I'm now squinting. I hate to squint. So back to work I go. *sigh*Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-48079370564972017232013-08-30T20:50:00.002-07:002013-08-30T20:50:43.368-07:00Fish Sittin'It's not as boring as it sounds. Fran is Alexis's fish. It's a Betta fish. Is it a better fish? I don't know. The only fish I have knowledge of are delicious.<br />
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So I told Alexis that I would watch her fish but needed to keep it away from CJ because CJ is now a sushi chef. She didn't think that was funny. I thought it was hilarious.<br />
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The good thing about Fran is that she is quiet. She isn't annoying, and I don't have to change any diapers. She doesn't need a whole lot of attention either. I just have to feed her three meals. There actually is fish food made for Betta fish. I'm just making this assumption because the label on the package says Betta fish.<br />
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My life, such as it is, has been fairly boring. My blog posts have not been that exciting. My job is crazy, chaotic, and stressful, but I don't let it get to me. At least that is what my blood pressure tells me. My blood pressure is so low that I am probably almost dead.<br />
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It's good that this is a holiday weekend because there are some exciting things in store that I'll be doing. I'll be going to Tomales Bay tomorrow to eat oysters. We'll bring all our accessories and condiments to shuck and barbecue or eat raw. I need to go out and get cocktail sauce, hot sauce, lemons, and horseradish. Oysters also go great with beer or white wine. I'll bring both.<br />
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On Sunday and Monday of this holiday weekend, I am not sure what I'll be doing yet, but I'll probably go for a couple of runs, clean my house, and do some work. I have to pay my bills for sure. It's that semi-time.<br />
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Ugh, my life sounds so boring, doesn't it? Maybe I'm fish sitting because I need a Betta life! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-25682715538513408352013-08-24T08:22:00.004-07:002013-08-24T08:22:40.957-07:00My Purple LegI played catcher last week at our softball game. Egnyte participates in a corporate league at Twin Creeks in Sunnyvale. It's co-ed, and we don't have an extraordinary amount of females wanting to play. The rules require at least three women to play.<br />
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I like to play, though I don't particularly like to be the catcher. I should have crouched down the way professional catchers do, but it feels awkward to do that. When the batters let the ball get past them, the ball didn't always end up in my glove. Sometimes, they would hit my shin and my knee, all on my left leg. A couple of days later, my left leg turned purple. What could be better than my left leg turning into my favorite color?<br />
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I thought the purpleness would eventually go away so I could play again, but it didn't. Additionally, my ankle swelled up and turned purple. The swollen ankle had nothing to do with my softball injuries. That's another issue. Both my ankles were swollen, and I think it has to do with my unusually low blood pressure.<br />
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So I had to skip this past Thursday's game. I still went to cheer the team on and hang out for pizza and beer. Today, the swollen ankles are no more. However, the purpleness is still there and has spread down to the edge of my foot. None of the swelling or softball injuries or purpleness has caused me any pain. I have a high tolerance level.<br />
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I guess I love purple so much that these events happened to cause my leg to turn purple but with absolutely no pain. :-)Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-70666618984435079742013-08-17T03:32:00.001-07:002013-08-17T03:32:17.748-07:00The PastI was going down memory lane with my friend Maggie the other day. We had dinner in Downtown Mountain View, and it's always a special occasion because we hardly see each other. Our lives are that busy. I've known Maggie for almost 25 years, since 1989, when I landed my first real job at Fujitsu America in San Jose.<br />
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Some of the things we reminisced about I remembered clearly. Some other things were not as clear. I wonder if I pick and choose what I remember and don't remember. I have so many years of memories that I can probably sit for days on end writing and writing.<br />
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When I visit the past with my siblings, the same thing happens. There are things I remember that they don't remember, and there are things I don't remember that they remember. Why is that possible? We grew up in the same household.<br />
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There is one thing I know for sure though regarding the past. I don't dwell on it or in it. I move on. These days, I don't even remember what I did last week. I just keep going. The past becomes trivial to me. I've lived through some tough and painful times, but I've learned from them and know not to repeat them. I really shouldn't say the past is trivial, because it is important to learn from it. But to me, after learning from it, it becomes trivial. I just simply move on.<br />
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Visiting with Maggie and the past was fun. We had a lot of laughs. It certainly reminds me of how immature I was back then, how far I've come, and how much I am now enjoying my fabulous life!<br />
<br />Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-20750346375209760182013-08-10T11:09:00.002-07:002013-08-10T11:13:53.921-07:00Take Parenting SeriouslyThe incident I witnessed a few weeks ago at the CVS Store in Palo Alto still bothers me today. The young mom yelled at her crying newborn to "shut up." What kind of mom is she? Did she have a terrible childhood? Will her baby have a terrible childhood?<br />
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A person is molded by his or her experience growing up. The most impressionable times are the early years. So people need to take parenting seriously. You shouldn't procreate only to raise your child or children in a detrimental or cyclical manner.<br />
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Think about the person you are today. Then go back to your own childhood. Did you hate your childhood? Sometimes, people's bad behavior are simply dismissed with, "That's all she knew," which means she must have drawn from her life experience or childhood. I think this is true most of the time. People who abuse their children were abused themselves. It's the only world they know, and the behavior cycles and recycles. Sometimes it results in the extreme criminal behavior of murder.<br />
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But the cycle can be broken. I see, hear, and read about that at times, and it's encouraging. It takes time and sheer will to do that, I'm sure. Back in the old days, disciplining your child by yelling at them and hitting them in public was not frowned upon as much as it is today. These days, you will get arrested even if you do so in the privacy of your own home. So the laws are steering toward better parenting and child advocacy.<br />
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However, the bad behavior and bad parenting will continue. It's what makes the world go 'round. The world is made up of different walks of life. And it starts in the home. Take parenting seriously. If you are a parent today, think about how you are treating and raising your children. Guide them. Educate them. Maybe you need education yourself. Your world is not the only world. Do your kids a favor and expose them to other worlds. Behave and take parenting seriously!Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-19361959294098344282013-08-04T03:09:00.001-07:002013-08-04T03:11:53.426-07:00My Favorite Ex-BoyfriendThis person made such an impact in my life that I can't forget him - my favorite ex-boyfriend. He didn't break my heart or anything like that. He's an ex because we always knew it would not be a long-term relationship. We just enjoyed each other's company. We never argued. We did lots of things together and visited lots of places together from north of the Bay to down south in Santa Cruz. San Francisco was our favorite city.<br />
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We parted ways as friends but lost touch over the years. Then I saw him on TV one day, which was a pleasant surprise. I sent him a message. He responded, and we caught up a little bit.<br />
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So why was he my favorite, besides being great company? He was very down-to-earth and honest. He was very intelligent, talented and professional. His worldliness was refreshing.<br />
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I learned that he had traveled the world as a professional drummer in a music company. He studied music theory in college in New York. He also was a professional keyboardist and had written the score for a movie. He played in a jazz band on weekends in Berkeley. Of course being in Silicon Valley, he was a technologist with business acumen. He was soon a VP of a company. If that weren't enough, he earned multiple degrees of black belts in martial arts. He owned a martial arts studio.<br />
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He sounds like a dream, right? But that's not why he's my favorite. He's unforgettable to me because he treated me with something simple -- respect. He paid me compliments with so much sincerity that I would glow. He didn't shower me with flowers and jewelry. Those close to me know I don't like those things given to me, and somehow he sensed that. Instead, he gave me advice and filled my head with knowledge. We had intelligent conversations and exchanges. He opened up my eyes to having different perspectives on matters, which helped me mature. I became a better person because of him.<br />
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Sure I've had other relationships in which I learned lessons and grew as an individual, but my favorite ex-boyfriend had the best impact on me. My most memorable time we spent together was at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, when we visited with one of his friends who was playing in a band at a concert. So around the Wharf to Wharf time, when I'm at the starting line at the Boardwalk, I think about him. He's married now, has a daughter, and is happy. I would wish nothing less for my favorite ex-boyfriend. <br />
<br />Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-70867034855550709812013-07-31T23:32:00.001-07:002013-07-31T23:32:34.744-07:00Fitness Challenge DoneToday is my last day on this fitness challenge. I didn't lose exactly 10 pounds. I lost 9. I was close. But I'll keep on trying to lose that last pound. This will keep me motivated.<br />
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I finished the Wharf to Wharf 10K on Sunday for the 11th time (I think). CJ finally ran it, the little turkey. But he suffered because he didn't train for it. I trained by running 3 miles every other day for a month and a half, but my feet started to cramp right after the first mile. I kept going though!<br />
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This challenge has been going on since the beginning of June. I am going to stick to juicing, but cheat every once in awhile. I lost belly fat, which is awesome. So this challenge helped me identify what I need to do to keep my weight down and energy up as I enter into menopause territory. I am in control.<br />
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The key is to keep juicing and running. You'll see me out there running every other day, because in my opinion, it is the best form of exercise. I just need to get better running shoes.<br />
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So fitness challenge is done. What's next? I'd better re-focus on bowling. I didn't bowl all Summer, and one of my teammates, Mark, sent me a text to check if I was still alive. That was pretty funny.<br />
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Ahhhh, I have to admit - life is good!Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-89718234605546101922013-07-27T06:44:00.003-07:002013-07-27T06:44:52.302-07:00Humanity QuiversSometimes I lose a little faith in humanity. When I witness a slight quivering, I usually see or hear about something that restores my faith. I haven't yet since last week.<br />
<br />
I was at Wal-Mart in Mountain View purchasing a couple of buckets for our beer bash. As I was leaving, there was a cute little girl with curly blonde hair who walked out ahead of me. She looked distressed, crying out for her mommy. "What in the world?" I thought. I slowed down and was about to stop to help her go back into the store and find her mom, but there were others who stepped in and asked her if she was lost. That was a relief. The little girl was about 5. Please parents, keep your little ones close to you! <br />
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Moments later, as I headed to my car in the parking lot, a lady in a mini-van cut me and my cart off to grab a parking spot. She came so close to hitting my cart. "What in the world?" I thought. Why that spot? There were so many other parking spots open. Why was she in such a hurry or eager to grab it and risk hitting my cart? Please people,exercise patience and wait for me to move past the open parking spot before you park, or go grab another one!<br />
<br />
That was last Friday. On Saturday, I went to the Apple Store in Palo Alto. I usually park in the back of the CVS store, walk through CVS, and go to the Apple Store next door on University Avenue. After purchasing my Apple stuff for work, I walked through the CVS store but stopped to buy a couple of birthday cards. At the cashier, I was behind this lady who had her newborn with her. The newborn was in a carrier on the conveyor belt and was crying with its eyes closed. The lady was looking through her wallet and exclaimed, "Where the fuck is my ID?"<br />
<br />
"What in the world?" I thought. You could tell she was stressed, probably from her baby's crying. "Shut up!" she told her newborn. "Holy cow, what in the world?" I thought. The baby stopped crying for about 10 seconds, and then started again. As the cashier processed her payment, she turned to her crying baby again and said, "Really? Really? Really?"<br />
<br />
She then attempted to carry her baby and her bag of purchased items but couldn't. I heard clanking in the bag. She asked the cashier to double up on the paper bagging. She didn't want to "drop the alcohol." "What in the world?" I thought. Another CVS employee offered to help her out. Off they went. Good grief! Please parents, don't yell at your newborn babies who are defenseless and have no clue. They are precious and don't deserve your bad behavior. And remember, YOU brought them into this world.<br />
<br />
Last week is a long time ago. I'm still recovering from witnessing the alcohol lady with the newborn. Her behavior literally broke my heart for the baby. I hope that something restores my faith in humanity today or tomorrow. I will be on the lookout.Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-741707636236781842013-07-21T04:46:00.004-07:002013-07-21T04:46:48.991-07:00Mom Well IntentionedMy relationship with my mom isn't as close as it could be, no matter how hard I try. But maybe it's because I don't try hard enough. I can go on months at a time without speaking with her. When she calls, sometimes I ignore the phone because I don't want to chat. When I'm with her in person, I tend to become annoyed with her.<br />
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Don't get me wrong. I love my mom. She is the bedrock of our family. None of us ever forget her on Mother's Day or on her birthday. Today is her birthday.<br />
<br />
So why does my attitude toward my mom exist the way it does? I would be so sad if my son CJ treated me the same way. There is a psychological explanation I'm sure that is deeply rooted in our upbringing. It's something I've been aware of, and I purposely raised my son differently so that my relationship with him would not be as indifferent. I admit that among us eight siblings, I have the most distant connection with my mom. Why don't I just overcome it, not blame my upbringing, and have a closer relationship with Mom? I don't know. I really don't know.<br />
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I think I try to make an effort by helping my mom financially at times. It's not a burden to do that, and I feel it's my responsibility as a good daughter to do so. We were raised that way. Our parents brought us here to the United States for the opportunity. They had pictured having their eight children take care of them in their retirement and old age. Things didn't really go as planned because they were raising Americans after all, and here in America, you're supposed to have a retirement fund so as not to burden your children.<br />
<br />
There's also social security, which is definitely not sufficient. That's what my mom lives on. It's fixed and strict. It's not what she and my dad had envisioned when they emigrated from the Philippines long ago.<br />
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My own vision is far from that. I don't expect my son to take care of me in my old age and retirement. I don't want to be a financial burden to him in any way. I imagine that I will work until I'm dead, and I will travel until I am unable to do so.<br />
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The way we were raised and the way I raised my son are different, and this is where I can pinpoint the root cause of my distant relationship with my mom. It was in the discipline. We were raised in a strict environment, and we were disciplined harshly. There was yelling and screaming and a belt and slapping and pinching and accusing. Such treatment is unnecessary, as I learned during my education when child advocacy became more prominent and prevalent. In our family, there were no hugs and apologies and expressions of affection. And I know this is why my relationship with my mom is what it is. Why can't I overcome it? Even more so, I implore - how can I overcome it? Maybe I should see a psychologist.<br />
<br />
Raising CJ was purposely done without the harshness. There was no yelling and screaming and hitting. Instead, there were time-outs and privileges revoked.<br />
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Ah, but I am digressing. This post was meant for my mom, in celebration of her. Today is her birthday. I overcome my attitude by remembering that my mom is a good person and a good mom. Her life story and struggles are more profound than the average person's because she was born in one country, had eight children, came to America, and thrived. And all her children are thriving. We are delighted at times when she regales us with stories of her life in the Philippines.<br />
<br />
I tell myself that all my mom's actions past and present were and are well intentioned. That's what matters, right? I love you Mom! Happy Birthday!<br />
<br />Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-65504391515749376172013-07-18T21:20:00.001-07:002013-07-18T21:20:09.901-07:00One More Pound to ShedI've lost 9 pounds. Just one more to go.<br />
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I have not cheated this week. I plan to cheat on Saturday though. It's hard not to cheat on a Saturday. I cheated last Saturday eating Mexican food at Palo Alto Sol with my new friend Bill.<br />
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The middle of July is one of my favorite times of the year because of the Obon Festival. We usually go to the one held at the Buddhist Temple in Mountain View. This has to be a cheat day for me because there is no way I will pass up shave ice, beef teriyaki and chicken teriyaki on skewers, sushi, donburi, spam musubi, corn on the cob, tempura, sake. I know I can get this stuff at any Japanese restaurant or Hawaiian restaurant, but these foods seem to taste so much better at the Obon. This is probably due to the atmosphere, the ambience. It's a festival; there are games and prizes. The kids love to play hoop-la, bingo, nickel and dime pitch, grab bag, tic-tac-toe, and fish bowl.<br />
<br />
My family will be there. CJ and his girlfriend will be there. I might run into old friends, old classmates. We grew up in Mountain View and have been going since we were kids attending Bubb Elementary School, Graham Junior High, and Mountain View High School. I love the Obon. There was only one year when I missed it, when I was living in New York City.<br />
<br />
So one more pound to go. It is the toughest one to shed, but I'm sure I'll do it even after stuffing my face at the Obon. The Wharf to Wharf race is just around the corner, and I'll be ready - a whole 10 pounds lighter. One more pound...Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-47185166094389221162013-07-13T09:52:00.002-07:002013-07-13T09:52:35.231-07:00Juicing and CheatingThe fourth week of my fitness challenge is coming to a close. I changed my diet to comprise primarily of juicing. I then add some cheat days and discovered that I can totally control my weight. Control freak! I've lost about 8 pounds now. My goal is 10. I am also preparing for the Wharf to Wharf race on July 28.<br />
<br />
I am doing this through the end of July. I also gave up coffee, although I miss that very much. I might pick up that habit again when I am done in July, but I will probably continue the juicing and what I consider cheating. If I juice 6 days and cheat 1 day, I lose weight. If I juice 4 days and cheat 3 days, my weight seems to stay the same. So that could be the key. Cheating to me means eating mainstream fare, such as Italian food for dinner or Sushi for lunch or Chinese food at a party.<br />
<br />
I will have to figure this out, but I know for sure that juicing is a good thing and that I will do this for the rest of my life. I use the Jack Lalanne juicer, which is a fairly good one at the price I purchased it for. It is also very easy to clean and maintain.<br />
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I will also continue running because it's free and not as impactful on my body. My knees have been doing well. That could be due to the fact that I skipped summer bowling and cross fit training. When I was into these two activities earlier this year, my knee was complaining. I had to wear a knee brace in order to bowl.<br />
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I'm still on the fence about bowling winter season. I will post a blog about this another time, but there are just forces that sometimes discourage me from this sport, even though I get better and better at it every year.<br />
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For now, I will focus on me and my health and working through this fitness challenge. I need to make sure that I keep running and juicing and cheating, past July and for life!Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-88306658295271473882013-07-09T06:29:00.001-07:002013-07-09T06:34:24.686-07:00Open Letter to Rude PeopleMy awareness of recent rudeness began last Thursday on the Fourth of July. I could be exaggerating, but at times I am appalled at what can be explained as plain and simple human nature. But do people really behave in such a manner on a daily basis? I encountered rudeness a few times last week, and so I am writing to these people.<br />
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<u>Thursday, July 4, 2013 at Central Park in Santa Clara, California</u><br />
<br />
Dear Rude Lady in the Large Floppy Hat:<br />
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My family and I and thousands of other people had been waiting for the fireworks display for just about 6 hours as the sun beat us down. You were oblivious to us as I'm sure we were oblivious to you. I don't know what time you arrived. I don't know if you were there with your family, enjoying each other's company just as my family and I were enjoying ourselves. The buildup of excitement and anticipation finally came to the climax when the glorious show of pyrotechnics began. Ahhhhh. But then you Ms. Floppy, coitus interruptus, came along about 10 minutes later and blocked my family's view. Didn't you notice that you were the only one standing? Didn't you hear our boos and hisses? You were obviously mesmerized by the fireworks display but at our expense. When my nephew finally stood up, tapped you on the shoulder, and politely asked you to move, you did so but not without making sarcastic remarks. I didn't hear exactly what you said, but I understand that it was something about your being more than happy to move so as not to ruin our day. When you finally disappeared out of our view into the backdrop of the thousands of other onlookers that night, I imagined that you probably stopped and stood and blocked others' views. Then I snapped back to the show and the music. Another 10 minutes passed, and suddenly, the fireworks display stopped. However, the music continued through to what was supposed to be the occurrence of an accompanying grand finale of simultaneous, multi-colored, fast and furious visual bursts and aurally loud bangs and booms. The Santa Clara Fireworks Extravaganza came to a disappointing end, and I blame you Ms. Floppy. You are either a witch (not in disguise) who killed the evening for us and cursed the show, or you are a lonely, old jaded woman who probably just needs a good romp in the hay.<br />
<br />
<u>Saturday, July 6, 2013 at TechCU Drive-Thru ATM in Milpitas, California</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
Dear Rude Lady with the French Manicure Driving a Luxury Foreign Car:<br />
<br />
I saw you at the drive-thru ATM when I was the at the stoplight waiting to turn left. When I drove up behind you, I didn't think you would spend at least an additional 5 minutes to complete your transactions or money laundering or whatever you were doing. What were you doing? I saw you insert an ATM card 3 times, and each time you inserted cash into the machine and withdrew cash from the machine. What was that about? I'm sure you didn't know that I was in a hurry, which contributed to my impatience. But I had been there dozens of times before, and had not had such an issue, with past drivers before me always aware of me behind them or with me always aware of others behind me. The transactions at a drive-thru ATM should be quick. Doesn't "drive-thru" connote "fast and convenient"? Well that day, Ms. French, you were "slow and inconvenient." I think you were executing all those button-pressing transactions so you could admire your well-manicured nails. You are either a witch (in disguise) who almost made me late for my appointment or you are an insecure woman who
probably just got paid for a good romp in the hay.<br />
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<u>Sunday, July 7, 2013 on 680 in Fremont, California</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
Dear Rude Lady Driving the Horrendous Domestic Green Minivan:<br />
<br />
I was merrily driving on 680 in the fast lane on my way to a wedding reception, when I spotted you Ms. Minivan. You are just like the countless others I have encountered in the fast lane on many different highways in the many years I've been driving. At least you weren't putting make-up on. I've seen that before. But you were driving the speed limit in the fast lane, with 6 cars behind you. What possesses you to do that? Aren't you aware of the rules of the road? First of all, minivans should not be allowed in the fast lane because more than likely, they have children on board. And they probably are not able to go faster than the speed limit. Secondly, when you are in the fast lane, and someone approaches you from behind at a higher rate of speed, you should move out of the way by switching lanes. Any highway patrolman will advise this. Never mind that you are driving the speed limit and they are driving in violation of the speed limit. The fast lane means that there will always be someone who will want to drive faster than others, no matter what speed limit the others are driving at, so get out of the way. You should have moved out of the way Ms. Minivan, but you are tame in comparison to the other Rude Ladies. You are probably not a witch, and because you drive a minivan, you probably have a van load of children. I'm sure you've had your romps in the hay.<br />
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I hope you all have a nice day.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
<br />
YolandaYolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-33550504373188153832013-06-28T22:59:00.000-07:002013-06-28T22:59:11.062-07:00Everyone is on a DietI can still hear my nutrition teacher say what she said many times when I was studying nutrition in college. She said, "Remember, everyone's on a diet." It's true. Look up the definition of diet.<br />
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So I'm always on a diet. I'm continuing my juicing diet. I have lost about 7 pounds so far. It's not that tough either. Today, I prepared carrot and spinach juice for breakfast. For lunch, I made a strawberry, banana, and mango smoothie. Between lunch and dinner, I snacked on almonds and pretzels. For dinner, I am preparing a couple of artichokes.<br />
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It's late because I worked late and had to get gas and go to the store. I bought more produce to make some homemade salsa. I'll try to make two types -- pico de gallo and salsa ranchera. I bought the corn chips as well. I'll be bringing these to the potluck tomorrow in celebrating my dad's life.<br />
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So tomorrow we will gather and eat, and it will be a cheat day for me. I'll cheat on my juicing diet, but I'll still be on a diet. Everyone's on a diet.Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-52180273826622370802013-06-27T23:22:00.002-07:002013-06-27T23:22:46.540-07:00#babymodeSo many people are having babies. At work, Leo just had a child. Phil's is due in August. CJ's friends Tony and Akiyo just had a baby too.<br />
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Then my niece Naomi and her husband James announced her pregnancy. After that, my friend Veronica and her husband Declan from New York City announced her pregnancy.<br />
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I wonder who will be next.<br />
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I love babies and everything about them. They are cute, and they smell good. They are innocent and playful.<br />
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They are hard work, however. I can't even remember when CJ was a baby. I was very young and had so much energy back then. It was easy to take care of a baby. When I turned 33, I completely lost any desire to have kids.<br />
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I still love babies, but it's easy to do that and give the baby back to its parents. I might not, however, give CJ's child (my grandchild) back when CJ gets around to having a child. I'll continue this baby mode and keep bugging him about it.Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-54854882525083056172013-06-26T23:56:00.001-07:002013-06-27T00:00:37.748-07:00Intense DaysThe days that I run payroll are usually intense. Today was not that different, but I have found that if I really spread my work out, it doesn't become as intense. That is, I do most of the prep work in advance as much as I can when I can.<br />
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It was still intense, however, even though I had done much of the work last week and earlier this week. I was waiting for information, and it was nearing the deadline. Missing the deadline means that nobody gets paid. That's quite the punishment.<br />
<br />
I've been doing payroll for more than a decade. It's not as easy as some people make it out to be. It's not as automated as some people think it is. Every payroll has a change, a nuance, new things to add. Complexity is added in payroll just like complexity is added in the dynamics among personnel at a company as it grows.<br />
<br />
To keep my sanity, I just roll with the punches. In this case, I just "payroll" with the punches. Ha!<br />
<br />Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-63684503018513852312013-06-25T22:11:00.004-07:002013-06-25T22:11:41.824-07:00My Birthday ContinuesIt's still my birthday month. I collected another gift yesterday. My birthday club friends and I had lunch at Masa Sushi in Mountain View on San Antonio Road. Love that place. It's good stuff.<br />
<br />
We've been getting together for years, close to two decades. There's Silvia, Edward, Marina, Robert, and Ron. Sometimes in this busy and chaotic life I lead, I appreciate the constants such as this birthday club. I can count on having my birthday lunch at Masa with them every year.<br />
<br />
This is how constant they are - they still work at the City of Palo Alto where I met them. Well Ron has retired from there. But for me, after working at the City of Palo Alto, I moved on to Cooley Godward, Preston Gates, Cuica, Valdero, Hotchalk, and now Egnyte. I lived in San Jose, Sunnyvale, Modesto, Santa Clara, Daly City, back to San Jose, New York City, Milpitas, and back to San Jose again. I don't think they've changed residences, not at least as much as I have. Whew!<br />
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So it's nice to know that I can count on them every year, constant bureaucrats, eating the Bento Box specials at Masa Sushi, drinking endless green tea, Silvia ordering extra dressing for her salad or extra Teriyaki sauce for her salmon, exchanging stories and news since last seeing each other, witnessing our kids grow up, etc. Life is definitely good. Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me!Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-71844486044920988252013-06-24T23:06:00.001-07:002013-06-24T23:06:08.491-07:00Five Years Ago TodayMy dad passed away five years ago today. I still miss him. Once in awhile I talk to him and tell him my thoughts and wishes and dreams. Once in awhile, I wish deeply that he were still here giving me advice, encouraging me.<br />
<br />
My dad lost his memory and didn't remember us most of the time. Soon he lost other faculties, and we really couldn't communicate with him anymore. When I remember these moments of struggle, I cry.<br />
<br />
I was in between jobs when time neared. The doctors had given him six months, and they were fairly exact. I didn't want to take another job so that I could help my mom. She was his main caretaker, and so my presence and my help with the funeral arrangements and expenses eased her burden.<br />
<br />
There's a big hole in my heart that I always feel around this time, especially right after Father's Day. It's a brief period of time when I stop and reflect. I reflect and understand again that the best way I can continue to honor my father is to keep going, work hard, live on the straight and narrow, and "Take It Easy."Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-33642678563616486982013-06-23T12:19:00.001-07:002013-06-23T12:19:26.068-07:00Because I Am a Control FreakMy Skype handle is ycc,ccf. My Youtube handle is yccccf. It means "Yolanda Celi, Certified Control Freak."<br />
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Oh I don't control other people. That's just bad practice. I control myself, especially when I need self-control. I then go into hyper mode. I'm finally going hyper mode with my weight control.<br />
<br />
Over the past year or two, I have felt tired and downright sluggish. I couldn't pinpoint the problem and tried to attribute it to working a lot and being oversubscribed. But I realized finally what the cause is. When we started a fitness challenge at work a couple of months ago, I remembered that I am supposed to weigh about 110 pounds but I was nearing 120 pounds. That extra 10 pounds is what was contributing to the fatigue. It just does not naturally fit my frame, and my body was telling me that in so many ways.<br />
<br />
So I changed my diet almost at a drastic pace. But it's healthy. I've done this before when the weight came off quickly but it was too quick. This time, I am combining a sensible diet and sensible exercise. I cut coffee out and I juice daily. It's working because I have lost 5 pounds in just 2 weeks. My goal is to lose 10 pounds and maintain the 110.<br />
<br />
How do I feel? I feel great! I don't have the caffeine crashes, and I feel lighter when I run. I throw in a cheat day so that I don't completely give up my social life. For example, I had a smidgen of white wine at our beer bash last Thursday. And I had mango, blackberries, canteloupe, pancit, spam musubi, and bilo bilo at Naomi's graduation party last night. I also had a mojito, a shot of Patron, and a shot of Jack Daniels Honey. That all set me back a pound.<br />
<br />
But I'm back at it today. I'm also preparing for the Wharf to Wharf. It's time to juice and go out for a run. YCCCCF!Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-88715557656781503082013-06-19T23:45:00.000-07:002013-06-19T23:52:07.432-07:00Meet My Guardian AngelsI don't know their names, but I know they are there. How else can I explain my luck?<br />
<br />
I thought about them when I came upon an accident the other day on Highway 101. It was a multi-car collision, which must have just happened because emergency vehicles were not there yet. I thanked the stars and my guardian angels for keeping me delayed from my destination that day or else I'm sure I would have been involved. Have you had that happen to you before? With respect to car accidents, missing them by minutes has happened to me many times when I know that if I had left sooner, I would have been part of the wreckage.<br />
<br />
There were many stories like that when 9/11 happened. These included folks who missed the doomed flights. There were others who rescheduled later flights or earlier flights because plans changed at the last minute. It truly wasn't their time, and I'm fairly sure their guardian angels had something to do with that.<br />
<br />
The one time I will never forget when my guardian angels showed up was when I was living in New York City. Although I don't remember the exact date when it happened, I still remember the circumstances vividly. I know it was a weekday because my routine was to work late, and I usually had a Fedex package to send daily. I didn't worry about missing pickup times because I would usually go to the Fedex store on 7th Avenue that closed at 9:00 p.m. It was about a 10-minute walk from my apartment. I lived in West Village on Sullivan Street at Bleecker Street a couple of blocks from Washington Square Park in the New York University vicinity. My routine was to go to Fedex around 8:45 p.m. before it closed. On my way back, I would pick up dinner from one of so many places along the way. It was NYC, and that was such a luxury.<br />
<br />
On this particular night, I decided to leave earlier because I wanted to go to the card store around the corner from where I lived. I knew the card store closed at 8:00 p.m. And I knew that card store well because I frequented the place but usually only during the day. Something, however, made me go there that night. I will insist it was my guardian angels.<br />
<br />
So after the card store, I went to Fedex. Then I picked up dinner but don't remember from which place exactly. My favorite place was this taqueria on my street block that was run by Asians. I believe they were Burmese or Laotian. That was different - best Mexican food I had while I was living in NYC - made by Asians. It reminded me constantly of this sushi restaurant in Brisbane run by Filipinos. It's one of the best sushi places, and I frequented it while I lived in Daly City. I still go there on rare occasions.<br />
<br />
Moving on, at my apartment at 207 Sullivan Street, Apartment 8, 4th floor, I was eating and watching television when I heard gunfire, lots of it. The gunshots were so loud that they frightened me to shut all my lights off and hide in my bedroom closet. Then I heard someone yell, "Put the guns down!" Right after that, there was a series of pop pop pop pop pop pop, like a fireworks finale when a fireworks show culminates in a rapid fire, bright, multi-colored spectacle. At least that's what I pictured at that moment, or wanted to picture at that moment. Then there was eerie silence. And then sirens.<br />
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I waited until I felt it was safe to peek out my window. This was probably a 5-minute lapse. I left the lights off and walked over to the window. When I looked down at the street below, I saw what looked like a police officer lying on the ground surrounded by people. He was on the sidewalk across the street, not moving. I surmised he was dead. I didn't leave my apartment after that, not even for a mini Cherries Garcia Ben & Jerry's ice cream snack at the bodega right on the corner of Bleecker & Sullivan. I normally would walk across the street in my pajamas for that particular midnight treat, but not that night. I didn't want any part of the NYC streets that night.<br />
<br />
I turned on the news and learned about what happened. Through the night and into the next day, the story of a crazy gunman unfolded. He was angry at a manager of a pizza parlor on MacDougal Street, several blocks from my apartment. That day, he plotted and carried with him two guns and hundreds of bullets. When he was at the pizza parlor, he executed the manager in the back and then took off. A couple of auxiliary police officers, who are more like unarmed volunteer cadets, decided to follow him. The gunman turned right on Bleecker and then turned left on Sullivan. He became aware that the auxiliary police officers were following him, and he shot one. He knew the other one was trying to hide behind a car. Coldly, the gunman approached and shot him at almost point blank range. This was captured on a school surveillance camera, which was focused on Sullivan Street on the very block where my apartment was located. (I almost forgot there was a school on my block. It was a long block.) The gunman then started to backtrack to Bleecker. Police officers were already alerted, including off-duty officers who were in the area, and they surrounded an accessories store next to my favorite bodega. The store is where the gunman fled into. He then came out, with his readied guns. A police officer yelled, "Put the guns down!" When he didn't, they fired a series of pop pop pop pop pop pop, like a fireworks finale when a
fireworks show culminates in a rapid fire, bright, multi-colored
spectacle. The storefront glass shattered, and the gunman was killed.<br />
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If my guardian angels had not pushed me out the door early to get to the card store before it closed, I know I would have run into the crazy gunman on Sullivan Street. I probably would have been wasted or at least witnessed the execution of the second auxiliary police officer. But it wasn't my time.<br />
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The sad part was that the auxiliary officers were so young and so eager to work toward a career in law enforcement. They probably helped tremendously with putting a stop to the gunman because it was reported that with the amount of ammunition he carried, he probably wanted to do much more damage.<br />
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I didn't know the news spread clear across the country. When my brother Zaldy and his wife Lien came to visit me, Zaldy mentioned the incident that he heard on the news. I told him it happened right on Sullivan. I told him to look across the street and see the flowers left at the very spot where one of the auxiliary officers had died.<br />
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Today, my guardian angels continue to protect me. God sent them.<br />
<br />Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073576554482873050.post-35626205416670027802013-06-15T01:31:00.003-07:002013-06-15T01:31:52.394-07:00Don't Be a Moron, an OxymoronI was watching an episode of <i>48 Hours</i> the other day, and something that one of the reality people said stuck in my mind. She said, "Just because you quote the Bible does not mean you are a man of God."<br />
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I keep hearing that sentence over and over again. It is such a powerful observation. It describes an instance of a walking contradiction. I bet you know at least one person who is just that -- an oxymoron, a hypocrite, an irony. You might also notice that their stress levels are higher than others. That's because they continue to try to reconcile what they believe how life should be led and how they are actually living it.<br />
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Or maybe you don't know. The twisted lives of such people are usually hidden under a facade. What you see on the surface can be deceiving. Maybe I've been watching too many true crime television shows, but it is true and fascinating. Those who are driven to murder, mental instability aside, usually do so as a result of living a life in contradiction.<br />
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Going back to the episode of <i>48 Hours</i> that I watched, the murder victim's friend said, "Just because you quote the Bible does not mean you are a man of God." She was talking about the suspect who was accused of murdering his girlfriend. The suspect was a youth minister and quoted the bible. His girlfriend was murdered. He was accused of course because he was there when she was alive the night before, had sex with her, woke up and found her in the bathroom dead, had called 911, had tried to revive her, etc. He was later acquitted because the evidence pointed more toward an unfortunate, drug-induced episode. This episode involved a minister, sex, drugs, and murder. Hmmmmm. The victim's friend was so right.<br />
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There was another episode that involved a pastor and his wife. She was murdered. He was accused. In this case, the motive was another woman. He was having an affair. He wanted to be with another woman. But he could not divorce his wife. So instead, he murdered her. For a very long time, he denied having an affair, and so did his mistress. When she tired of him, he told her, "I killed my wife for you, and now you're leaving?" or something to that effect. Creepy. The episode involved a pastor, sex, lies, and murder. The facade of pastoral position and family man was just that, a facade. He was driven to murder because a divorce would have looked bad on him.<br />
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There are many other episodes that involve greed. Money as a motive for murder happens quite a bit. On the outside, the accused seem comfortable or well off. To keep that facade going, they kill to collect life insurance money or inheritance. Money, money, money, money, money.<br />
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Statistically, most people (99.9%) don't murder. But some probably come close. Instead of killing, a walking contradiction might resort to lying, stealing, or verbally and physically abusing. Are they putting on pressures on themselves or is society doing it? It really is about choices. That minister and that pastor chose drugs and extramarital affairs. They chose their paths. They are morons. Oxymorons.Yolanda Celihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06627024300720964997noreply@blogger.com0