touchy touchy

i am typing this entry on my fab iPod touch! yes am a lucky girl yet again!

x'mas has been a spoiling for all of us, great indulgence, company and family.

the renos are almost done, we see the light at the end of the tunnel, although there are many spaces still for future development and projects. sonow let's see how long it takes for the 10% and the organizing! then you are all invited! hopefully before 2009! ha! ha!

wishing all of you a fantastic New Year filled with all good things!

hsbc

it's been a while since i've been so frustrated with a service vendor. hsbc has got to be one of the worst banks in the world. it's crazy how we let these big corporations bully us and take our money.

at this moment if i was more unstable, i would like to blow them up. sometimes it's almost more human to be insane.

do not bank.

working there was great. banking is not.

Reno Hell Part 1

life is about experiences...so they say.
we have experienced the following highlights:

floor staining disaster trying to save some $
painting fiasco (we are not so good painters but got better)
flood in kitchen after turning the hot water pipe on
termites
potential asbestos poisoning

we moved in on oct 6 2007.

bashed down a wall, and even with plastic coverings, living in a mist of dusting particle daily. good thing we all have strong lungs for now.

i am very grumpy, so i'm told and should not talk, hence the blogging.

we eat microwave eggs and toast, but the microwave at work works better, i seem to explode the ones at home.

i have flex hours at work and am able to work from 9:30 to 2:30 and then again from 10pm to about 1, 2, or 3pm.

so, just reporting that i am still alive and so is my family.

keys!

we get our keys tomorrow! yeah to personal space! it's been a spoiling staying at mom's and dad's but i so need me own territory.

summary on recent events:

bijan's infomax reunion was spectacular / reminicsing
surprise shower was naked
not so surprise shower was really nice
post wedding was beautiful
lobster with kimmy was beyond orgasmic
kidlets time was wonderful
old friends dinner was rich
fish tank bbq was joyful
dan time was divine.

pay cards

technology never ends...in the payroll world for 'unbanked' employees is the terminology for employees who don't have bank accounts, (yes persons do exists) there is an option to offer debit payroll cards. it will also work for international payments to employees in countries where there are direct deposits or wire transfer limitations.

industries where seasonal, students, international contract workers are part of the normality, this seems to be an efficient idea.

similarly, banks are already offering gift debit cards that can be re-loaded particularly aimed at the up growing younger generation where instead of bundled gifts, we have the option of the options.

dichotomy

in the world of intimate thinking, swimming, treading water, trying to stay afloat, sometimes such a tiresome feat.

obviously drained and tired from it seems too much of goodness as it has been goodness good experiences...strange but perhaps this is not it...but the every lusting for what the perceived self is.

wacky.

random thoughts on a wandering mind

it's full. my mind, of clutter, past events and loads of to dos, that i have or should pen to life, or it'll be forgotten in the midst of wanderings and wonderings.

not in any particular order...

met up with keith, tina and serena in july is was delightful, dan and the girls continued to play while I jetted of to the wonderful bliss of another spa present:)

ambrey was delighted with her surprise b-day trip to the nail bar with her friend and sister. It was so cute to see, though she was warn that experiences are good in moderation....:)

naramata, otter lake and mable lake camping, wineries were spectacular and spoiling. many characters and play and memorable events. ash & am will remember the water tubing thingy at naramata, friends to play with at otter lake, new member and pets at mable lake:) I will remember Rob's sauna / sweat lodge version 2.0. he came up with this idea last year, to build a sauna on the beach, scouted around for 'twigs and wood', managed to get tarps, heated stones all day, and voila version 1.0 was born! this year it was even better and hotter, and we had neighbours that joined us. creativity runs rapid in that family! all very satisfying.

fireworks with kim and elle and scrumptious meal at Azia ice cream, good chats, good company - simple pleasures.

oyster fest for stressed out women staff dinner. it was....oysterific:)

kidlets got a surprise trip to disneyland. the genes of the dare-devil is in ambrey, who is so small and barely made the height restrictions - adventure park roller coaster and the tower of terror are her absolute favourites. the lord be with me! 2-week trip. san diego was the highlight, as ashti has been begging to see the Panda's at the san diego zoo for 2 years. she's crazy about pandas. it was splendid! The zoo, the wild life park, seaworld, we managed to tadem bike by the beach, sun by the pool, shop, visit hollywood, universal studios, wander and roam...we even when to see a movie:) i must say the water park at universal was quite amazing, the rest of universal was basically a bit dated but still wow to the girls.

kids delighted at going to see the medeor showers /comet event ( I had to meet a deadline but can't complain...)

well, i know there were lots more, just what sauntered and happened into mind. so into the box of experiences and delightful, simple memories for later enjoyment.

coming attractions this month:

- bijan's infomax reunion
- a surprise shower
- a not surprise shower
- post wedding event celebration
- another not surprise tea shower
- lobster dinner!!!!
- another oyster fest:)(dan that's the present from your mom:)
- aquarium summer bbq
- b-day dinner
- meets with old friends

it's a good life...

Spider Web

it is an intricate task, the spider has. weaving what seemly is simple but complex at the same time. the work and effort seem to go on forever, it looks sturdy, strong and a reliable place, until the swish of a thoughtless gesture from a feather duster, a gush of wind.

all gone, does he begin again?

smartness would tell him to try some where else.

fireworks & eats

its a working freazy right now, can't keep up, feel the stress...yuk!

so off for some down time.

here's a quote for the day:

It's the good girls who keep diaries; the bad girls never have the time.
- Tallulah Bankhead

I guess i'm a good girl now

to continue the ridiculous woman and other happenings

i was patiently waiting as is the norm in west vancouver for a parking spot in the village of course next to the liquor store. i was there for at least a minute, probably longer, when the ridiculous woman reversed and backed into my passenger side car door. she then proceeded to tell me that i should have warned her and that the damage on my car was old. i told her she was a ridiculous woman and she should re-take her driving test.

i then proceeded to do some shopping therapy, and sat down for a nice meal with the kidlets.

i happened to have a nice b-day dinner with a few of the specials and haven't seens in my life a while back and happened to bump into rachel, paul, aaron and cate at the same restaurant, we somehow invited ourselves to paul & rachels and proceeded to have a wonderful time playing the Wii and making mini Mi's i think it's called.

sweet rachel surprised me with flowers, the best sister in the world surprised flowers at work. i was shining.

work surprised me with a barbacue, my fav cake and b-day favours. i was spoilt.

i've been to the spa twice that is almost double my life-time of spa experiences.

humans are getting married again and we have five weddings this year...crazy...

people are also multiplying and we have babies to visit.

showers are also in the works.

did i mentioned we are moving?

i like my life filled & complicated.

for this year.

the strike, a ridiculous woman, & other happenings

the strike was a nightmare that turned into a dream. i get to work from home most days.

one day i had to go to the office and brought my gems along. they were very good for more than 7 hours. we played the last day of the soccer clinic, they met all of the five persons i work with at HQ, brought back lunch, Jim entertained them with the 'magic board', and i worked and worked until it was time to go. we went to the village to have dinner. this is where i met the ridiculous woman.

In the mist of chaos

and seemingly loving it.

today is a nice day. sun is peeking, the house is in a mess, it's a lazy sunday afternoon, done lots of nice unrememberable doings, but somehow it has been very satisfying.

i did not mention that we are moving. we are moving to north burnaby where apparently there is a nice neighbourhood for the kidlets and a suburban breed of lifestyle that we are looking for. I want to know my neighbours damn it!

i grew up a while back (so i think), where we lived in a neighbour on top of a hill, where us kids roamed free, our parents knew each other, moms had women type gatherings, parties and tea chit chats, dads worked crazy hours but had men things they did, we had big events, like new years and christmas had neighbourhood parties held by individuals who liked hosting them ( my parents were one of them) where the whole neighbourhood and relatives from everywhere would get together, catch up on each other, socialize and basically enjoy and experience each other. Some of us would go on vacations together, it was a very enjoyable, interesting and living time. Of course, there are cons to this, where everyone knew everyone's downfalls, and people are nosy, privacy is definitely scarce. There was a lady I remember who had an affair with a man down her street, both had families, although probaby not to her, it was a very interesting story that unfolded that speaks to our tolerance and non, and just the flaws and lovliness of being human. as a child, there are lessons and observations that were quite remarkable especially for her own children.

i read a book by M Gladwell, that implies that parents may having an influence on their kids, but most studies are showing that the people they meet daily, the neighbourhood, schools, and encounters are far far more influential in shaping what they actually do, their choices, their personality....

this lack of control is sometimes quite frightening to me as a mom, but more so as an adult. An example he gave, was something as simple as j walking. a person may decide to j walk but sees that no one else is, so he is a bit undecided, then someone does, and he follows...just a few days ago i we were trying to find parking downtown but it wasn't 6pm, sis mentioned hey if there are cars there and usually there are, we can follow....i didn't want to take the risk because i have a series of parking tickets and am trying to turn into a new leave:) anyway, we observed that cars were parked in a collective, sitting in their cars waiting, no one got out as it wasn't six yet.

simple gestures, may even be insignificant, coincidences at times, but read the book things to ponder anyway. basically we subconsciously do a lot of unexplained, illogical things. there are other concepts as well that are quite worth thinking about...

ok rambling, not exactly what i set out to blog about but now i'm hungry...so this is it for now:)

samplings of distress

not liking today very much, and always feel the need to purge when sad. no great reasons why, just some good ones that i cannot reveal.

life changes in so many directions and i do have a good life. it's the off days and restlessness i find hard to handle when little bits of experiences nibble and gnaw at you and before you know it your skin has fallen off, oh well, i guess on the brighter side, the new skin is usual prettier. well, this makes sense to me if not you anyway.

are you stumbling as i am, sometimes i walk so beautifully, i want to be that way always, i haven't discovered the secret yet, but i know it's there.

what makes the undeserving, deserving, and the deserving, undeserving, this is a mystery that should not be.

i want to know, and grow, and learn, and evolve, but it seems a damned feat.

well when the stumbling is too much, i guess i do what i usually do, read psycho analysis type lit, and pour a glass of red wine.

cheers

April 28, 2007

this is a moment in my time that i would liked captured, ingrain, put on the wall, tattooed and crazy glued to heart and pre-frontal lobe of mind.

I was reading in bed this morning, like some Saturday mornings, Stumbling on Happiness, a good easy to read book with thought provoking concepts, my favourites!

anyway up bounced my beautiful gems with breakfast of an omelet of green onions, cheese, and onions with black tea for both of us.

not that they haven't done breakfast before, but this time it was a surprise, unexpected and an incredible joy.

the kind you receive when you least expect something incredibly pure and real. Like when someone tells you out of the blue that you have made a difference in their moment, like when you carelessly dropped your lunch all over the floor and a stranger helps you clean it up, like when the sun quite abruptly shines through very dark clouds, like when you are the new person on a school bus and one person smiles at you...

i am reminded again, on the amazing ineffable experiences of simplicity that can feel and bring so much good endorphins and mouth aching smiles,that emanates your entire being, that to me is really better than winning the lottery (and that to me is the ultimate as I have great plans for my winnings! grin!)

it is a tremendous moment of the greatest bliss, and I am so thankful.