Ari's Babysitting experience

Last week, Mika and I were out taking a final or returning our textbooks. When we came home, Brad was in the dining room trying to study. Ari and her neighbor/friend Presley were in the living room...undecorating the christmas tree. And Ellie was lying down on the couch, nicely arranged on a pillow...very close to the edge of the couch. Not close enough that we ran in panicking to catch her. But close enough that if she had started to roll (which she only does a little) too much she would have fallen over the edge. Here is how things went:



Mika: Brad, how can you sit there while the kids undecorated the tree?!

Brad: The kids are doing what? I thought they were playing, so I did not think anything of it. (I should mention that the dining room and living room are right next to each other w/o a wall really to divide them. There's an archway.)

Mika: And why did you put the baby so close to the edge of the couch?

Brad: The baby is not in her crib?


I thought it was all very funny until the baby part. What happened is that the dog escaped and so Brad ran after him. Right when he left, the baby started to cry and Ari, being the little mother that she is, decided to go get her. Here is how Ari and Presley describe what happened:


Ari: I climbed into her crib and Presley waited on the ground right next to her crib. I lifted her up and gave her to presley. Presely held her real tight so that she wouldn't fall. Then I climbed down and took her from Presley and carried her into the living room. She liked it.

Me: But Ari, she could have fallen and been hurt.

Ari: But May, I held her super tight and I hold her all the time. We were very careful.

Me: Yes, but still, accidents happen.

Ari: But May, I would never hurt her. And she was very happy. She didn't cry. And we're big girls.



And thankgoodness both of these girls are beastly strong because I have nightmares when I think about what could have happened. I am also a bit impressed that they were able to think of a good system and pull it off. While being careful. Not once did Ellie cry. What a brave little thing. I think she enjoyed herself, actually. With these girls, it's always one adventure after another. Life is never dull!

Man

There is something just very sexy and intriguing about Latin men.  They manage to be very open and very mysterious all at the same time.  They make you feel beautiful and appealing.  And who can forget their sexy accents. 

Actually, this is also how I feel about European men.  They do not play the games that American men do.  Very straight forward.  Even if it is to ask you to sleep with them within ten minutes of knowing them.  At least you know where you stand. 

This not a hit at anyone specifically, to be honest.  I was just reflecting.  I've gone out with man of different backgrounds, race, culture, and viewpoints.  And it's interesting to note some differences and similarities.  If any of you want to share some of your viewpoints on this, please, let me know.

Breaking up is hard to do

Relationships are really interesting. I thought once you broke up, that's it. You don't really think about the other person and you move on. I must admit that I never understood when others would talk to me about how hard they found it to open a new door in their lives that did not include the other person. Well friends, I apologize for not understanding what you meant then. And if I was ever overly critical. I've had to go through that lately (thankgoodness am past that stage now)and it has made me a more compassionate and sympathetic person. It's always good to learn something from your trials, right? That's the whole point, I guess :).

Hmmm

It was brief but deep
He knew me well but not at all
I left him...but he left me
My heart is relieved as it is breaking.

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

Come live with me and be my love,
And we will all the pleasures prove
That valleys, groves, hills, and fields,
Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon rocks,
Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of roses
And a thousand fragrant poises,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool
Which from our pretty lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold,
With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and ivy buds,
With coral clasps and amber studs;
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Come live with me, and be my love.

The shepherds's swains shall dance and sing
For thy delight each May morning:
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me and be my love.

Poem by Christopher Marlowe

Half-Marathon 2

I ran my half-marathon as planned in Monterey California and it was fantastic! I was extremely nervous that I would not be able to do it because the longest I had ran by that point was 4.5 miles. But something happened during the race. I got lost.

I mean that I got lost in the people, the weather, the ambiance, and more. I felt like the more I ran, the more energy was filling my body. To the point where I felt like I could have ran forever. We ran right next to the ocean. I must admit that there where some points in time where I felt like the water was beckoning me and I cold just throw myself in it and it would catch me. It was that inviting looking. The weather was absolutely perfect. Seriously. And there were so many volunteers out to give us drinks (H2O, Gatorade, Beer)as we ran by. People came out of their stores and houses to cheer us on. It meant so much. They added fuel to my fire.
It was one of the most amazing things that I have ever done. And I am so glad that I had my sister there experiencing it with me. She was a big part of what made it so wonderful. I definitely would like to do it again.

Half-Marathon

My sister and I signed up about two months ago to do a half marathon this weekend. Unfortunately, we have not been able to prepare as well as we would have liked to. And I am very nervous. Usually, I am a sprinter. Do it fast and get it over with. I have never ran a long race. No 5 or 10Ks. Please guys, keep your fingers crossed for me. I just want to finish and know that I can check that off on my list of things to do before I die. I'll have to let you know how it goes.

"Attention Span: Our National Education Crisis" by Oliver DeMille

From "Attention Span: Our National Education Crisis" by Oliver DeMille

"...the right approach to daily life is eight hours a day of sleep, eight hours a day of work, and eight hours a day of leisure...spoke at a time when leisure didn't mean entertainment. Indeed, leisure means serving people, studying, learning, being involved in community service & government, and so on--whereas the slaves in Rome were considered incapable of leisure and so their masters gave them entertainment to keep them pacified."

"Opinions are just guesses. Great people in history know and choose. Opinions are really nothing more than the lazy man's counterfeit for knowing and choosing...there is a place for opinions, but after the hard work is completed, not as a replacement for it."

Unexpected events

This has been quite the active month. There have been some events lately that have come out of nowhere. It took me by surprise. It`s not bad, just surprising. Like how well my med school things have been coming along. I have had doctors approach me to see if I wanted to take part in their research. And I have had the opportunity to visit family that I have not seen in years. And so much more. My life seems full of life lately. It makes me feel different inside; as if a part of me that was still a child is finally growing. I a happy, scared, puzzled, warm, astounded, and calm. It`s weird. but then, that`s life for you.

The Time Traveler's Wife, an unforgettable story

One of my favorite books is "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger. I worked at the library six years ago and when I would put the books away, this book would always attract my eyes. For some reason I kept ignoring it. Then one day I picked it up and read the synopsis, then I put it back. I think around that time, there were so many books that would attract me and then I would feel let down after reading it that for a while I was sticking with authors I knew. But one day I finally took it home. It was one of the best books I had ever read. I cried, I laughed, I hoped, I despaired, I FELT.

It is about a man named Henry DeTamble who was born with a genetic disorder which causes him to spontaneously shift in time. He never knows how long these "trips" will last nor where in time he will go. In one of these shifts he meets his future wife, Clare Abshire, when she is just five/six years old and Henry is in his forties (although Henry was born in 1963 and Clare in 1971). When they finally do meet as adults when Clare is 20 and Henry is in his late twenties, he has no idea who she is, but she is very much aware of who he is. And so begins one of the most poignant love stories that I have ever read. But this book is more than a romantic novel. It is a story of life. Of the frequent trials encountered by ordinary and extraordinary people and the way they face these trials. This is not a novel you can read and forget or put down. You become completely involved in the lives and emotions of the different characters. You connect. It is a rich novel. And I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I found out recently that a movie based on this novel is coming out in the beginning of August. I was very excited. But then I begin to think, "can they really do it justice?" Can they take the flavor of the words and transform it into a profound, unforgettable visual story? Either way, I am for sure going to watch it and pray that I will not be disappointed. But I beg you all to please, please, please give this book a chance. It is not a chickflick. It is a peopleflick (corny, I know, but true;)

Updates

I don't know why I write so sporadically. I will just have to continue making it a goal to write more often. Especially since it seems like so many things have happened.

I am still enjoying the switch in job location. It really has saved my sanity!

I have a new niece! This is the best of all the news that I have. She is just beautiful! She was born five days ago and she has already taken a huge chunk of my heart. I love both my nieces so much. I wonder if my parents will excuse me from not having kids since they now have two wonderful granddaughters to spoil ;)

School is crazy but good. I've missed it. Not the stress but the fun and joy of learning things that I might not have learned otherwise. At least not as well as I am learning it right now. I love Psychics! Who would have thought.

I am planning a trip to Canada in August to visit family. I have not been there in years and it will be nice to get away. I get to see family members that I have not seen in years. This, sadly, will be the first time that I have spent my own money, given of my time to go see them. Usually, since I was a teenager or a freshman in high school at the time, my parents pay for it and I go in the summer when I have nothing to do. And so it's always been about me, not them. I don't know if that makes since to anyone else. But I will make sure to post pictures when I come back.

Well, that's all I'll write for now. I will post pictures for sure soon!

Donald from Ireland

Someone I worked with said today while we were having a discussion on life ambitions and people giving up on their dreams when they think they're too old, "You are going to turn 25, 30, 40, ect... one way or another, so why not try to turn those while you are doing something you want to do? And even if you have you will only be able to do it for a short time, isn't better to have a short time of happiness and fulfillment then not at all in your whole life?"



This is Jean. All his life he had wanted to be a chef. When he was in his early sixties he decided he was going to do it. He started out in a small non profit restaurant, and look how happy he is. And I wish I had taken a picture of my face when I tasted his food. Delicious!

Max

I got a cat! Huge move for me who is a commitment phobe. And he is absolutely fabulous. He does the most annoying things that I find so cute. He's a month old and a friend of a friend gave him to me.





My little niece is completely obsessed with him. She sleeps over all the time just so she could get to spend more time with him. Funny thing is...


He also very much enjoys her company. At night, I always put him on his bed, but during the middle of the night, I often wake up to him beside me. But when my niece sleeps over, he gets under the covers and she (while she is sleeping) puts her feet on top of him. He finds it blissful! I had to get up just to take this picture. Thus I think his favorite place is always right next to her or under her fitful sleeping movements. It's cute.

Biggest loser

I was watching biggest loser for the first time in my life last night. It was a three hour season finale and I saw an hour of it. There was an elderly man on it by the name of Jerry. He was 64 years old. And he was incredible! He was on the show for about 1-2weeks and then was ill and had to withdraw from the show. Well, he continued working on his weight and health at home. By the time he was on the show last night, he had lost 177 lbs. 177lbs!
Seriously, he is the best "stop making excuses, you can get it done if you really want" example. And what I really liked about the show was that it was not just about looking better (which of course all of us want to do), it was about being healthier, increasing your self confidence, and becoming happier. Noone needs to be or stay obese.
When a friend and I had gained weight, we said,"well, anyone who doesn't accept us for who we are, doesn't really love us. This is who we are and they can either accept it or leave it!"
Her and I were laughing about that the other day. It's funny the kind of excuses you make for being or acting a certain way. And it's true, some people have a harder time to lose the weight than others, but lose it you can still do.

I once participated on an autopsy of an obese women. This woman had all sorts of health problems. When the pathologist opened her up I was shocked and sickened to see that not only did she have more than three inches of fat hanging from the inside of her skin, but it was also pressing on her organs. That was the moment I truly realized just how bad for you fat was. It was very sad. And seeing what a small frame this woman had when we opened her up. All the fat was literally squeezing her to death!

I hope no one thinks this post is directed at them. It is directed at myself. I get into these places in my life where I act as if I had no other choice and no other way of being. And to be honest, it's just me being lazy and unmotivated. I wanted to write this to motivate myself in the future when I get into those states. Hopefully, this post will also help someone else.
http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/contestants/current_cast/jerry/
http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/photos/gallery#item=72152

New place, new job, new attitude, new...

Alright, so everything has changed. No scratched that, I have changed everything. I am not much into self praise, but I have to say that I am excited that I had the guts to go through it. Thanks to some amazing advice and examples of others. Well, I guess it's not all self praise :) It's so easy to just be comfortable and not deviate from the norm. But I did it! Now, we'll see what happens. Things have been better than I thought they would be and I hope it continues in the pattern. I feel like both my mind and my heart are open to new experiences. I am happy!

Susan Boyle

I know everyone has been blogging about this amazing woman, but I had to add my two cents. Wow! When a friend showed me the youtube video of her yesterday, I had heard of her but did not really care or understand anything about her. Watching her yesterday I realized so many things.

1.) It's never too late to fulfill your dreams.
2.) Never judge a book by it's cover.
3.) Especially when that cover is being judged by a standard that is stupid and pointless. What is true beauty?
4.) What true presence is. That lady has amazing stage presence.
5.) All laughed at her, but she did not look phased by it. Does it really matter who laughs at you? Because in the end, you could be the one who has the last laugh. Or who brings all those who are laughing to tears of pleasure and astonishment.

There's so much more that I came to realize. I was astounded and amazed by her. To be honest, as I watched and heard her sing, I laughed and joked with my friend, but all I wanted to do was cry. I was profoundly touched. As she sang, the beauty of her voice ripped the worldly film which had coated my eyes to the point that, for a moment, I could not see the beauty which she possessed.

Please watch her here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it...

Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, the sky is beautiful and clear...Okay so it's still snowy, cold, and overcast, but this is how my heart feels right now. What's caused this sudden burst of warmth in my being? Well...This will be my last week working 7on/7off graveyard! I am so excited that I cannot even find the words to describe it. I feel like a whole new world will be opening up for me.

I feel like spring personified!

Failure to launch

Viktor (my supposed Greek god) and I have gone out once and I have cancelled five dates in between and a bit before then. Let me explain what happened on our first date.

He worked real late that day and so he asked if we could do the date after he got off work, which was around ten p.m. We went to see one of the light shows at the Imax theater. As with all things theater/cinema/stand up comedy routines, not much talking happened. Afterwards we wondered around for fifteen minutes or so trying to get to know each other, but it was real late.

These are the things I found out about him:
-From California (of Mexican origin)
-Very close to his mother and brother (both live in California)
-Works everyday but Sunday
-Wishes to go to med school one day
-Extremely kind, courteous (very much the gentleman)

How I felt:
-NOTHING! All the chemistry I felt at the beginning was gone. I'm not even sure why I felt it. I was very saddened and disappointed. But, I decided perhaps I was just being weird and so, we will have a second date because I did enjoy my first date with him and he really is a sweet guy.

This is the kind of advice I have been getting from friends so far:

"Laureen, you have to stop thinking like a guy. The chemistry is not usually going to happen instantaneously. To a woman, that is connected to her emotions. If you only go on one date, you're emotions are not involved and so there will be no chemistry."

"He was nervous for his first date, give him a chance."

"Your problem is that you're looking for Mr. Perfect and there is no such creature."

...The frustration! What am I to do? How to rectify my attitude? Or is it just that I'm just picky? Or that what I want, truly want, has just not walked through the door yet?

My Greek god

Okay, so we've spoken a couple of times (my Greek god and I). Unfortunately, I've had to bail out on him twice on the first date we were suppose to have (work/family things). But I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoy talking to this kid, so far. Of course, as most men do, he is putting his best foot forward right not. But I am enjoying that foot. Last time we spoke, he said to me, "You are even better than I imagined you would be." Cupid might as well had been across the room sending darts into my heart. Wow, what a great thing to say. I melted.
It's kind of interesting that I feel that, lately, most of the boys I've been with or have thought about being with give me a lot of backhanded compliments or just make me feel unsure of myself. Not in this case. It has been a nice change. Even if this goes nowhere, it's been nice to feel this way again. I'm excited to finally go out with him. It's too bad that we have such hard schedules to mesh :( Hopefully it will be worth it when we finally do :)

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Sorry it's been a while since I posted. It sometimes gets discouraging when not a lot of people comment on my blog. It's always good to get feedback. Although I know many of you say you read it but just don't comment. It's okay, but it still gets a bit discouraging :( But don't worry, I am not going to let that stop me because I LOVE to write. And I write here for myself and not just for others :)

On to better things. I have been struggling lately with some decisions that I have to make. I am not quite there yet, but almost. I am not sure I'm looking forward to what the final result of my decision is turning out to be :( As soon as I make it, I will let you know.

Greek gods

I was at a Greek restaurant with my sister today. And as soon as I met the waiter, I was attracted. I thought he was kind, funny, and cute (okay, more like a god according to my response to his pheromones). But I did not give it much thought. And when he left, I told my sister that I thought he was cute. Well, later on he brings us our food and I was not feeling to well, so I just smiled a little. Well, as my sister and I were eating, she picked up the receipt and lo and behold, he had written his phone number on it and said "call me." We were dying with laughter, but in a good way. I was way impressed with his subtle boldness. What do you think I'm going to do? I know many of my friends who check out my blog are horrible at commenting. Well, this is your chance. I can now erase something from my before I die to do list ;)

On the phone with a guy

A guy I am talking to on the phone right now just said, "You know what I love about you, Laureen? Your flirtiness. It's sassy,fun, and makes me feel special at the same time. I could spend a long time in your company." Wow. Yes, I am definitely enjoying the phone call ;)

I took a trip to Japan

Two nights ago, I had a dream. In my dream, I went to Japan and stayed with my friend, Sachiko's mother. I remembered so much of the dream the first two minutes when I woke up. I forgot about it after that. Then yesterday morning, while at work, out of the blue the dream came rushing back to me and boy where the feelings I was experiencing amazing! You see, while I was in Japan, I met someone and fell totally and hopelessly in love with them. Not everything was perfect, eventhough I can't remember that aspect of my dream. There were problems, I don't know with what or with whom. I don't remember what my love looked like or what he was like, but I do remember being happy. Deliriously happy.

I looked up my dream online and this is what it says it means:
Love

To dream of love of being in love, suggests intense feelings carried over from a waking relationship. It implies happiness and contentment with what you have and where you are in life. On the other hand, you may not be getting enough love in your daily life. We naturally long for the sense to belong and to be accepted.


Japan
If you have never lived in Japan, to dream of it symbolizes an extremist attitude towards the subject matter of the dream. This comes from the Japanese ritual suicide, hara-kiri. A tradition of being expected to fall on your sword to atone for shame and dishonor.

Well...I'm hoping it's the former and not the latter. If any of you have any other meanings for this dream, let me know :)

Med School

I know it's been forever since I wrote a post. Once again, I need to repent. And so one of my New Year's resolution is to write more post. I often debate with myself on what exactly to post. I feel like so many things have been happening but...I don't know. Okay, here goes some things that's been happening in my inner sanctum.

I need to start apply for medical schools. But I found out that some of the classes I took have "expire." How exactly does that happen?! Thus, I have to retake some pre-med classes I took forever ago. I am NOT a happy camper. Perhaps this will be a good refresher course for the MCAT. At least my sister is doing it with me.

Friendshipping on Facebook

Facebook is a great way of communicating your feelings. For instance, let's say, this is hypothetically speaking of course, that I asked someone to be my friend on facebook and they never reply. Well, then they have told me without ever having to look at me in the eye, "I don't really want to be your friend or get to know you better." It's great! The only problem is that I still feel saddened and embarrassed :( I feel like this branch; alone, lifeless, and colorless. Ouch.

Katja

What a week it's been. My friend Katja came to visit from Ireland and we planned as many activities as we could. Katja and I met when I was visiting Ireland three years ago. I was in Dublin and decided to go to church that Sunday. Church was great, except for the fact that the Bishop had such a heavy Irish accent, I could only understand every other word. I loved it! After church this cute girl came up to me and saidn "Hi, I'm Katja, can I show you around?" We hung out for the next three days after that. She was memorable. We've kept in touch for the last couple of years and I was very excited she was able to come to visit. Unfortunately, the first day she was here, I had to work and so we were only able to have lunch together, then we came back to my house for her to rest and me to go to cook and go to (I had to make a fruit salad for work that night) but we ended up just talking and I never got to sleep. Which was okay since I had been so excited for her to come. We also hung out with my roommate's brother, Tom, who was visiting for a couple of days.
Instead of giving long explainations about the stuff we did, I will just give a list: Snowboarding (it was our first time and we were scared beyond belief. But it turned out to be a blast and a lot easier than we imagined. We decided that this year we will be focusing on doing one thing a month that we have never done before. Snowboarding was our January adventure), wedding, lunch with some old friends of Katja's (the friend's mother made lunch. I can't begin to tell you how delicious it was!), traveling to see a comedy that ended up being cancelled (sucked since we drove quite a bit away to see it), New Years with many cool friends (great fireworks), Seeing "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," a must see in my personal opinion, breakfast (Katja doesn't always have access to waffles and eggs in Ireland like they do here), shopping (I think Katja's my lucky star because I've never found as many cool things with such great deals), long and wonderful conversations about everything and everyone, dancing, temple sessions, dates, a mixture of different foods for lunch/dinner that Katja has never tried, game night, movie night, Body Worlds Museum (It was my second time and Katja's first time. Another must see), and much more that I think I am too tired at this moment to mention.