Hope, faith and wishes

"Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?
I could really use a wish right now, wish right now, wish right now..."
- B.o.B. Airpanes featuring Hayley Williams from Paramore


I never publicly admitted what a hard time I was having what seemed like yesterday to me.  The thought of my frustration still saddens me to my core and I can't stop the emotion at any moment I recall those memories.  I thought I was over it until I brought it up during a conversation with a friend and realized that it was still heart breaking to discuss.  Granted, I'm still not publicly stating my issue but I feel like this one song really gave me the hope, faith and artificial wish I really longed to have to reach my happiness.  Outside of this issue, I was happy and I enjoyed my life.  But, since this problem was a large part of my life, I couldn't help but feel helpless with the situation until I finally found a resolution.

I'm rambling but I feel like this song may give those in need that artificial shooting star to wish that may help them through this tough time.  (Keep in mind, my "tough time" is no where close to what Japan is feeling nor am I making any comparison of any sort.)  I know from here I can't do much but pray for their well being and donate money but everything helps.  Wishing people to be well and hope they can bounce back from this horrendous act of nature may not seem like much but you never know the power of good thoughts.  I like to stay optimistic.  So to all those suffering no matter what level, mentally or physically, and to all those lost in the living world or spiritual world, I pray for you.  And to all those living who need just SOMETHING ... maybe this song will get you through the tough times.

Please donate to help the relief efforts in Japan.

One of many other new year reflection posts by random person (me)

Another year means another reflection but not just any other reflection... it's the start of a new decade!  So what all happened in this last decade?  I have no idea.  It seemed like it flew by so fast and then it inched by slowly.  And, although most people would like to know what they want to change for the new year and make their silly resolutions that no one ever keeps, I just want to reflect and be thankful for the life I've lived thus far.  Here goes in really random order:

• My mom and I became friends and I can actually talk to her about my life.
• My dad is a super human with loads of skills and knowledge that needs to be backed up in an external hard drive.
• My sister finally moved back from silly old California and gave birth to my awesome nephews and niece.
• My brother got married to my cool sister in law who we all get a long with.
• My other brother gave me an awesome nephew right before Edwin and I got married.
• Edwin and I found each other and decided we'd get married and create a world of chaos be it good or bad, we'd be in it together.
• We have a great place we call home where my nephews and niece can come over and go swimming or come play games with us.  
• Edwin's brother and sister-in-law gave his parents their first grandchild.  We can't wait to meet her.
• I bought my first car ever and I love it.
• I have the greatest of close friends I could ever ask for in a lifetime.
• I can afford to eat all the greatest flavors in the world.
• My two wonderfully stinky dogs.
• The travels I've been able to take (within the U.S., Cozumel, Beijing and Hong Kong).
• The employers that have given me an opportunity to grow their business and myself.
• The ability to make changes to my life to make it better or someone else's life better.

I'm just grateful that I'm still here and able to enjoy the life I live with the people that are most dear to me.  Nothing is more important than that... and everything else can wait.  I'm still learning to be more patient and to not rush from one place to another.  I'm still learning to listen and embrace whatever situation lies ahead.  For the new year, I'd be happy to just stroll and enjoy what nature brings us.  

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Responsibilities

Had dinner with a friend the other night which she reveals to us that she's getting a licensed hand gun.  One time she was living in the Museum District and she discovered someone had a key to her apartment.  Ever since she started gaining interest in guns.  Once she has her license and gun she'll be able to do something if ever the situation called for protection.  She asked me if I was interested and proceeded to tell me that once you know about guns and learn how to use it you'll be more comfortable with it.

Here's my take:  I don't want the responsibility.  Not right now anyways.  I am interested in guns ever since my brother took me out to the shooting range.  The power you hold in your hand is immense.  I can see it be very addictive for me, or can be.  I don't want to be responsible if something happened and if a friend was over and curious then something happened, etc.  Yes, we do have some very curious, busy hands type of friends.  That doesn't mean I won't be ready for the responsibility later.

So here's the real topic (if you didn't read the title)... if you understand consequences and expectations, you can be ready for responsibility.  A lot of times people jump into something but don't realize what all is involved.  They don't understand that their actions can cause deadly results.  Sometimes you have to think the worst of situations to understand the responsibility at hand.  Then, you know what to expect if you do certain things.  You choose to be responsible or not.  Your choices may affect you or someone else immediately or it can take years.  This all seems very "common sense" but I'll go with some examples.

Marriage:  I did not realize how much work goes into marriage.  You watch all those romantic comedies and you think about all the romantic scenes, the proposal, the wedding, the happy ever after.  Um... yeah, no.  There's ups, there's downs and a whole lot of compromise and understanding.  Evolve as the relationship evolves.  Making a marriage or a relationship work takes the responsibility of the people involved.  Knowing that you have someone else's happiness in your hands forces you to make decisions you may not have chosen if it was only you.

Kids:  HUGE RESPONSIBILITY that you can't get rid of for at least 18 years.  (See?  Why would I be in a rush for this?)

Driving a car:  seriously, HUGE RESPONSIBILITY... you can take someone's life or your own life within a jiffy of a second if you're not driving safely.  I think this is one of the saddest ways to go because it's always an accident and it could more than always be prevented.

Pets:  They depend on you to feed them and keep them healthy.  It's a chore you have to do multiple times daily depending on the pet.

Work:  You take on what you can handle or you take on what work thinks you can handle.  In either case you accept positions where you agree with the responsibility level or you move on.  If you take on that manager position, you become responsible for your reports.  If you're higher up the pyramid then you become more responsible for where the company heads which involves everyone in the company.  In the case of Enron and all the other companies "Fun with Dick and Jane" were based, decisions can dent a whole economy.

I never really stopped to think how much responsibility exists within any given day or time until my gun conversation the other night.  It's funny how in every situation you have people who either want the responsibility (usually because of the rewards) or those who don't (usually because of the consequences/risks).

Little people, pregnant inquiries

Here's how my conversations with my mom has been going since 2010:

Me:  Hi mom!  Watcha doing today?  Plans?
Mom:  No plans really.  Are you pregnant?
Me:  Uh... no.
Mom:  Well when you gonna get pregnant?  You're not getting younger you know.  What are you waiting for?  You know you'll never be ready so just do it already.
Me:  First you tell me, "You better not have any kids" when I got married.  Now you tell me to pop them out.  Then you tell me I'm old.  I just go by the age I look now so I'm at least 23.  :D
Mom:  sigh ...

My mom isn't the only one that asks me.  I have a few friends that are excited to see me blow up like a ballon.  Why?  What's the fascination?  One of my friends thinks that there's a fascination with skinny people getting pregnant.  She went through the same thing in her network.  Everyone was so amazed at how much weight she did or did not gain and how round she got.  It's pregnancy!  You get round and then the baby pops out and then you're not so round... or you still are.  I think people just want to see me fat because I've always been petite.  You know, I want to see myself 1.5 inches taller.  Darn that scoliosis!

Also, I've noticed... you get more "advice" when you're looking into pregnancy.  Some are welcomed and some are "meh."  People!  We're all different.  Now let me enjoy my year of freedom before my kid ruins it...  I mean rules it.

Legit reasons to crave buffet

After a weekend of working out (aka Summer Fest) all I can think of is some good food. Buffet does not come to mind... usually ever. But like I said, I had a weekend of working out so I could do some eating. My extended family has frequently visited this one Chinese buffet called V Star. They raved about the fried crab that was "just like mom and dad's". No one cooks like my mom and dad. You know the spicy fish sauce (nuoc cham) that you eat at every Vietnamese restaurant? Yeah, it tastes like watered down fish sauce to me. There's no flavor and it's not spicy, not like my mom's. So no, no one can cook like my parents.

After having to turn down two really tempting invitations to eat crawfish this weekend I was really itching for some crab and crawfish. So I called my sister and I met her family at V Star to really chow down.

freshly made crawfish

fried crab

The crawfish ranged from small to large but there were quite a few large sized ones. It was flavored with lemon and spices but not too spicy. The fried crab was more like salt toasted crab (or maybe it really was). It was pretty good. Dad doesn't do crab where the shell is really soft and the flavor was just right, not too salty and not bland but still not the kind of flavor that dad makes. I checked with my parents and they confirmed the crab is not soft shell crab but it is softer than the usual. The three adults ate more than our money's worth. Of course they have other things like the usual Chinese crab puff rangoon, sushi, mussels, shrimp with jalapeno, stuff crab shells, etc. And to top it off, the bathroom was nice, clean and big. THANK YOU V STAR STAFF!

V Star women's bathroom

I hardly ever crave buffet mainly because I can not stand seeing people pile enough food for five people onto a plate that was meant for one. It's not even that I can't stand seeing this but more that I get disgusted by sitting down to eat my one person plate full of food next to a person or people who are eating piles of random food for five on their one person plate. Or it's just because they're too lazy to get up again. And if I see this and get disgusted I tend to stop eating and therefore waste my money's worth for the buffet. Reasons why I like sitting in corners at buffets. But for the crab and crawfish like this... for $10.50 for dinner? I'll ask for a corner seat.

V Star

6969 Gulf Freeway, Ste 350

Houston, TX 77087

713-645-8885