Monthly Archives: September 2009

Finally, E succeeded in dragging me to the doctor’s office to get scripts for screenings.  L and she has been after me for months to get Mammogram, colonoscopy, and she just added dexsa and blood work for colesterole.  Uh-hum.  My health philosophy is to stay away from the docotr’s office as much as possible unless you’re really, really sick.  Now even Connie has joined the group and started bugging me for a mammogram.  I finally gave in to the group power just to shut them up!!!

Did the blood work today and other screenings are being scheduled.  Yuck, yuck, yuck.  But I guess I’ll get a few year’s silence from the nagging once all these are done.

After the doctor’s visit, E and I went to lunch at Applebee’s.  and we were reminiscing about times when she grew up.  Conversation continues when we got home for a while.  It was funny talking about those things that happened when they were little kids.  It’s also surprising how little I remembered. 

L got news to leave on Friday if the visa situation can be dealt with tomorrow.  So he is all excited and nervous about leaving.  It’ll be really interesting to be single for a few months.  Lots of dancing, knitting, spinning, cleaning, etc. And winter by myself.  I’ll probably be hiding under the warm blanket most of the time.   Oh those dog walks!  Oh that’s something I’m not looking forward to….

After two weeks, I am finally back to a semi-routine life.  The first sign is the sleeping pattern that went back to late night and late morning get-ups.  Still in an eating frenzy since L is leaving for Saudi in a week or two, we are hitting all the favorite restaurants and enjoying our meals and friends as much as possible.

We went to our first Clam Bake at Pickle Bill’s last Sunday.  I had a lobster bake and L chickened out and ordered a strip steak.  Sandy and chen drove their convertable with the top down over.  I am not used to the wind blowing at you with such a force when the car reaches 60-70 mph.  But Sandy enjoyed it so much she was half kneeling on the seat to get the full effect.  Man, I was lucky I didn’t get a headache afterwards.  But the food was good (and messy).  Learned how to crack the lobster from her too.

L cooked one of his comfort food meat loaf last night and we had C came over.  I stuffed myself again and we watched the this season’s first episode of “Dancing with the Stars”.  There are a couple of potentials but we will see how they progress.  Donnie Osmand has the showmanship down!  I love him even though his technique isn’t there yet.  I wish I have a portion of his showmanship in my competitions.

Speaking of which, Cleveland’s Dancesport Challenge is this Friday.  I will be doing singles and a closed scholarship with Minas.  Not fully prepared since we haven’t had many lessons together just dancing, but I want to let go of the nerves and simply do my best and try to bring out my personality (if I can find one somewhere).  I’ve always been super nervous in competition.  I want to do well and I stress myself out and does just the opposite.  Since I know I am not fully prepared this time, I may be able to relax a bit and see how I do just being myself.

Making a list of things to do after L leaves.  It’s filling up and will take up a lot of my time.  The next 5 months would be an interesting time back to live a single’s life.  hmmmm.

Serena called and told me that she has made a reservation at the Hito BBQ 田季发爺 on 健康路.  So after I left Mom’s nursing home tonight, I went to meet her at her shop.  She also invited Diana Yang, another customer of hers.  She also brought her cat and drove for about half an hour or so to this BBQ restaurant.  She hid her cat Ban Ban in her purse and we sat down at the table with a coal burning stove in the middle.  It only costs $399NT for each person and we had beef, pork, fish, shrimp, octopus, and more. 

From Taiwan 2009

 

I was hungry, but about half way through, I was so full I couldn’t move.  Serena was still going strong till the end.  Can’t believe her! 

I have heard about this kind of BBQ but never been to one.  It’s so nice to have the chance to try it.  It’s raining pretty hard.  A typhoon may be coming this weekend.  Hopefully, it won’t affect the departure on Monday.  I have to do some serious dieting after I get back!!!  I must have put on at least 5 lbs already!!!!

After 30 years, I finally went to 東區 last night.  Took Bus 285 from 蘭雅囯中 to 敦化仁愛路口 .  I passed 士林夜市.  This route is the closest to the hotel, I will have to remember it. 

I passed lots of restaurants that look enticing.  Wish I can go to one of those seafood restaurants.  Wish I can go to one of those Karaoke places.  I think these are the two places I have wanted to go and never been to.  Well, I have been to a smaller karaoke place, but I’d like to experience one of those bigger ones that serve snacks and drinks in your private room.  Since I don’t like to sing in the public. 

I learned that the latest Karaoke machine has a hard drive that’s loaded with all the songs old and new and you could upload updates when they come out.  I would love to get one of those too!  I wonder if I can use my laptop as a karaoke machine?  Hmmm, something to search for in chinese Google.

Anyway, the dinner was so so, it’s one of those obligatory dinners.  I was told that if I don’t buy this dinner for my relatives, I would be judged unfriendly and prideful.  I really really strongly dislike this kind of dinner.  I am glad it’s over.  The food is OK.  It suits the older generation’s taste.  I like spicy food, seafood, and the street vendor’s food a lot better.  Just have to put up with one of these every time I come back though.

One of the favorite harvest this time is to turn on the Chinese input mode and started typing Chinese.  I love it.  I know once I get back to the US, I won’t have as strong a desire to type in Chinese.  But it’s so nice to discover that it’s always there and I could use it right away.  Got a Chinese input keyboard too so I don’t have to look for the cheat sheet all the time.  I’m also learning the Pingying input method which is a lot easier to learn with some kind of logic to follow.