& that's the way life goes

Hmmmm…Today was hard for me to find something to photograph that I’d want to write about. I’d like to say it’s because I found nothing inspiring, but how big a lie would that be? What a waste of a day if I said that I couldn’t find something inspiring or interesting. I don’t know if it’s because I spent the first part of the day sleeping cleaning, the afternoon looking at the house we put an offer in on and then the evening at C♥’s dad’s house. So I will apologize if this is not one of my better posts but at least give me some credit for the determination. Maybe I should have had something more stimulating to drink instead of Michelob Ultra, like shots of Patron. I’m sure tequila could have really altered my perception.

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It’s no secret, C♥ loves his beer. He especially loves Canadian beer. We watch a lot of CBC on Saturday nights for Hockey Night in Canada. God, I love Don Cherry. His suits alone are worth sticking around after the first period. Not to mention he calls Tampa Bay’s St Louis, Mighty Mouse. Have you ever seen the old Labatt Blue commercials with the Labatt Blue Bear in them? (There are other ones beside the hockey one, but I thought that was appropriate. The bartender one is cute) C♥’s dad has a doberman named Lector (Yes 7 years ago C♥ named him after Hannibal). He’s actually a cuddle bug who loves attention, even if he knocks you over in the process. He’s probably a good 100lbs. (I know you are wondering where the hell I’m going with all this Beer, Hockey and Dog bit) C♥ swears that Lector reminds him of the Labatt Blue Bear.

What do you think?

It was a toss up between this and the street sign we always pass on the way to C♥’s dad’s that is named “Brest”

I found this pretty cool challenge online. You take a picture everyday for one whole month. I thought it would open my eyes to the world I’m walking around in and would also help in developing more creative skills. I was hoping to share the experience with someone else. Who could I ask, who wouldn’t think I was crazy (since non-creative types just wouldn’t understand)? The answer was easy enough, my bestest from 8th grade. We are both creative types that love to write (and secretly I was hoping to get her into blogging. I know she’s funny and hopefully since I did get her to join in you’ll read her stuff too). So it’s actually Day 2 because Irish Cailin decided to start yesterday at 4pm. Um yeah, I didn’t have my camera and was not prepared. Actually, I’m lazy because my phone has a camera on it, so that was just an excuse )

The solution was to just take 2 pictures today to account for yesterday. So here they are:

The Safe Sex Store in Ann Arbor:

I went to lunch with A today (I had a delicious veggie panini) and we passed this store on the way back to work. I’m not going to lie, I’ve seen it before but every time I pass by I’m intrigued. It’s not just because I’m immature (yes I did giggle as we passed and when I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and acted like the typical Asian tourist) but because it’s on one of the main streets on University of Michigan’s Campus. It’s surrounded by funky shops and places to eat. I hear it’s refered to as S³ (that’s pronounced S cubed. You know kind of like squared but 3 times instead of 2 and no I didn’t need someone to tell me that. I hate math but I did pass basic Algebra and Geometry, even if it was kicking and screaming) and not it’s full name, Safe Sex Store.

A note about the S³ picture. C♥ helped me crop it. He thought it was better composition to leave in the street signs (ie the handicap and no parking signs. Does that mean no parking for handicap together? And what? Do only handicap people go into the Safe Sex Store?) and I think he is right. Originally I was going to crop it with just the sign but I like it better this way. So you should to.

Ok moving on. My next picture is from my office but that doesn’t matter…

On my way out the door this morning, I zipped up my coat because in case you haven’t realized from my previous blogs, IT’S WINTER AND IT’S FUCKING FREEZING! So I’m bundling up and I feel something break off in my hand. Yep my ‘effin zipper just fell out. You know the part you use to actually get the zipper to move? The little piece that flaps around sometimes. Well it’s really not a flap because it’s not big enough but it moves. RIGHT INTO MY HAND! This is a travesty because it’s freezing out and you can’t be dicking around with trying to get your zipper up while you hands get frostbit, turn black and fall off. That is UNACCEPTABLE! I whine a little bit to C♥ and he’s like put a paper clip in it. A what?! “Yeah a paper clip,” he replies searching for one on our cluttered countertop. Oddly enough he finds one, where it came from I haven’t got a clue. I stand there like a 5-year-old while he puts it through the hole. And what-do-ya-know it works! So here is a poor girl’s alternative to a zipper. Aren’t I so lucky to have C♥? If not I’d be the poor girl with no fingers because they got frostbit, turned black and fell off.

From Irish Cailin to my work email:

I just read your last blog: Did you hear that? That’s the sound of my bubble bursting.

Hilarious!! Dumb boys and their answers! It reminds me of that movie white men can’t jump. Have you seen it? she says shes thirsty and he gets up and gets her a glass of water. And she throws it on him (I think she does) and says, I don’t want oyu to solve my problem I want you to sympathize with me. When I say I’m thirsty I don’t want you to get me a glass of water I want you to to say I’m sorry your thirsty, I too am thirsty. Haha. Its so dumb. If I say I’m thirsty he better get his d*m a$$ up and get me a glass of water, I’d be mad if he just said yeah I hear ya. Haha. But I get her point… they don’t always have to solve everything, just listen and sympathize!

I love that she is like “he better get his damn ass up and get me a glass of water”. (yes I know there are characters there but that’s what she meant, her work email sucks and she can’t swear) I have to comment that he better sympathize with me too (I’m pretty sure IC meant this too). I want my cake and also want to eat it too. (who came up with this stupid saying? Who the hell would want cake they can’t eat?) Is that too much to ask?!

I had to take my faithful 2003 Honda CR-V in today to get the SRS airbag light checked out. I have never been so pleased with a dealership. They actually had a shuttle to take me to and pick me up from work! How awesome is that? Here’s what I find curious…

The dealership is both Honda and Volkswagon but the shuttle van was a Ford with Howard Cooper Honda Logos all over the outside…who woulda thunk?!

I brought this up to C. He made a valid point and kind of ruins the ironicness of it. He says that neither of those manufacturers make a full size van. Did you hear that? That’s the sound of my bubble bursting.

I’ve been thinking a lot about our wedding lately. But weddings are funny things. I wonder if what I remember about my wedding is really what happened. Am I idealizing it? And if I am, is that wrong?

When I think about our wedding the first thing that I think of is warmth. From the sun, from our family and friends (17 people who really love us or just needed an excuse for a Hawaiian escape), and from the natural energy of the island. The smell of the brilliant flowers on my head and bouquet, the (plumeria) leis we bought our guests and the spider flowers that I was given for the girls to wear in their hair. (June and Linda were kind enough to ignore my bridezilla stress and picked up the leis on the way to help me get ready. They also came bearing snacks of fruit, crackers and cheese. At the ceremony where Amanda graciously handed the leis out. And the owner of the cottage we were renting went to her neighbors to get the spider flowers. BLESS THEM!) It should be mentioned as a side note that maybe everything was sparkley and great because I also had a couple mimosas and half a xanax .

I think I might be dreaming about my wedding again because February is a time of darkness and bad memories. The sun barely comes out and when it does it’s usually below zero. Stupid Winter! And stupid people for living in such cold, forbidding places. It used to be ok you could say “but I have a good job” but after the fall of the Big 3 and the loss of Pfizer and other large companies Michigan is just a sad place. In my city, which is close to Dearborn and other suburban cities that housed many of the workers that were bought out or laid off, there are boatloads of foreclosed homes. What’s really sick is that if my parents wouldn’t have moved back to Michigan I could be sunning myself on the shores of Hawaii. I swear I will never forgive them for the mistake they made almost 3o years ago! Moving from Honolulu to Detroit so my mom could be closer to her family. Pshhh!

Can you imagine who I could have been if I would have grown up in Hawaii. I could be a pro surfer right now. Or an authentic hula dancer (would my legs hurt as bad as they do now from dancing?), oceanographer, fluent in Tagalog, graduate of the University of Hawaii. In truth, I wanted to transfer to U of H in my sophomore year at Wayne State. I requested the course catalog and application. But by this time my Mom was sick and I couldn’t imagine being so far away from home (couldn’t we have at least lived in Cali?). See! If they would have never left I wouldn’t have had that dilemma! Never living it down!

I guess it’s ok though. My life has been pretty amazing even though I tend to complain about it. If I grew up in Hawaii I probably wouldn’t have had my wedding there (um yeah I would have, duh) and I wouldn’t have met C (he’s pretty great), and I probably wouldn’t have found a passion for TKD (though it might have been channeled into something even cooler like surfing…if it wasn’t for those damn sharks).

I still tease my dad about leaving Hawaii. I often wonder if he’d ever want to move back. When we got back in January he asked us when we were moving. Maybe secretly he wanted to move with us. Who can blame him? The sun is warm, the people are friendly, and to me it always feels like home.