19 July  2008 -  Jacksonville, Florida USA                                        

 

Such a Spoiled Baby

DH and I have been feeling blah in the last few weeks.   We can hardly wait to take off work for 12 days in the early fall for a romantic gateways. We really needed a vacation to take some time away from work and SOS daily routine if you know what I mean. 

Last night after dinner, I suddenly felt so sick: massive headache, back ache, stomach upset, sleepy and  just feel so exhausted.  DH checked my temperature and it was slightly elevated to 100.1 (normal is 98.6).  Oh my God, I have a fever?   I never had a fever ever since, if my memory served me right at least in the last 25 years.  DH assured me that there's nothing to worry about after all it wasn't that high. So he got me a pint of

 

Description: Banana Ice Cream with Fudge Chunks & Walnut
 

Ingredients: Cream, Skim Milk, Liquid Sugar, Water, Sugar, Walnuts, Bananas, Egg Yolks, Coconut Oil, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Cocoa, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Guar Gum, Natural Flavors, Milkfat, Soya Lecithin, Carrageenan.
 

 

Less than ten minute later I was already licking the bowl! I have scoffed it as fast as I can... ummm it was sooooo good.    Did I tell you I eat like a dog? Yes, I eat so quick that I even forget to actually chew the solid food.  Well, I can traced this habit back from my so poor growing life.  As you all know, I came from a poor and big family thus food on the table is always limited to only 1/6 of the size of American portion and what I mean by food is just a cup of rice with soy sauce and some weeds (veges) sometimes if we get lucky we'll have some fresh fish from the wet  market or if we catch the lost chicken in our own backyard (That's not stealing is it?)

So anyway, after I put down the bowl on the side table of the couch where I was splurged in, I cooled down and wrapped myself with a blanket and dozed off for about an hour. While I was drifting to sleep, I had a silly though that I am going to die sleeping peacefully in our coach but it suddenly dawned on me that if I die, what is going to happen to my darling husband? Oh NO!!  He's probably going to chow down anything and everything and get as fat as he can... then I was out.  The phone rung at 7:40pm, it was cousin Delphi who just arrived from California to help take care of my mother-in-law.  She's having problem connecting to Mom's wireless network so I decided to get up and asked DH to drive me to mother's house. When I told DH about the silly thought he replied, that's good, it means I'll get to join you up there sooner!. Aaw isn't he's sweet ;-)

I just can't believe my luck last night that I even forgot to hug and kiss my MIL when we got to her house (Sorry Mother).  I just went straight to Delphi and asked for a hug.  I finally got to hug Delphi and she hugged me back for the VERY FIRST TIME and another one just before we left.  Yaay!! Mission Accomplished :-)  It's not that she dislikes me or something. She isn't just a "Biggy-Touchy-Feely-Kissy" type of person unlike her mom (Aunt Judy).   Wow, we finally got back home at 10:45pm fever free :-)  I think the ice cream and Delphi's hug cured it all. 

This morning, DH served whole wheat pancake, eggs and turkey sausage for breakfast.  Hmmm  I can get spoiled of this easy. I have never been so spoiled, loved and taken cared of in my whole life until I met DH.  I like it when I am sick because I get to be DH's spoiled-brat baby ;-) But you know what his other thought last night was? To buy me a sippy cup or diaper LOL

Lastly, DH and I are looking forward to host a party of 9 family get-together BBQ festivity next weekend to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday and successful surgery. 

 

    11 July  2008 -  Jacksonville, Florida USA                                        

 

Short Update

DH and I tried so hard to eat healthy on the weekdays but weekend is always the killer plus the last few weeks we mostly dine out or drive-through as we hardly had chance to come home in time to cook dinner.  We're just so busy and stressed out worrying about my mother-in-law's knee replacement surgery.  Thank God she's feeling a little better now.  We are so grateful for her sister, Aunt Judy and her daughter, Delphi for taking really good care of her. 

Well, at least I have something to look forward tomorrow. Aunt Judy and I are getting some pampering.  Yup, we are getting massage, facial, spa pedicure and manicure tomorrow at Espana Spa. Yay!!! 

Aunt Judy told me last week "you know my fondest memory of you Rhebs when we first met face to face was you instantly snuggled to me tightly and I thought to myself that's first love".  Now, I can truly say that I am entrenched with my in-laws. 

   Aunt Judy and the chunky Moi

I can't think of anything else to say so I'll let the pictures do the talking.  These photos were taken during the celebration of the 4th of July. 

I really need to seriously watch what I eat...can't believe I weight 120 lbs this morning! Sheesshh 

 

 

 

    3 July  2008 -  Jacksonville, Florida USA                                        

 

It's Hot. It's Humid. It’s the Gas Price.

The period from July through August is just too hot and humid to do anything outdoor thus everyone is looking for ways to stay cool during the 60 days of sweltering weather.

Tips: Stay hydrated by drinking enough water (I drink 80 ounces of water everyday); stay indoor or spend time leisurely window shopping at the air-conditioned mall and dress in cool/cotton loose clothes.

What the heck even though our electric bill this time is a whopping $271 as opposed to $158 in the prior month but I am just so grateful for the centralized A/C in our home.

We installed this digital programmable thermostat unit two years ago where we can conveniently set the inside temperature to lower or higher setting for different time periods of the day especially when we are typically not at home.

The national average price of regular grade gasoline crept up to $4+ per gallon and as the price of gas and oil continue to rise almost every week, impacting not only the price we pay at the pump but also the price of food and commodities we consume and utilize daily, most if not all people here in the states are feeling an economic pinch. People who lost their jobs and homes are getting desperate and would do anything and everything to stay afloat.  Guys be wary: Most of us use debit or credit cards at the gas pump. It was reported yesterday that one lady noticed that there were two charges of gas in her bills in one day. An investigation revealed that an employee inside the store was able to use the customer’s card to pay for his own gas.

Tip: To keep this from happening, after you take your receipt, you must press the “CLEAR” button on the pump otherwise your information will be stored until the next customer inserts their card.

Here’s how I conserved gas.

I carry a tire pressure gauge stick to make sure all my tires are properly inflated to 29 to 30psi.   I maintain my driving speed between 50 and 60 miles per hour.  I found out that when I clock down to 35 or crank up to 70 miles per hour, and the more I get to stop-and-go, my mileage goes down to 23 miles per gallon instead of 26 miles per gallon.

Also I started sharing a ride with a lady who lives ten miles away from my home to help defray my gas expenses. It was a good thing we work in the same government entity with the same working hours 7:30 – 4:30 Monday to Friday. The only downside with it is, I have to leave home at least 30 minutes earlier than I used to but if that’s what it takes to pay half of my gas expenses which is $50 per week then I wouldn’t mind the hassles of picking and dropping her off every day besides she’s fun, chatty and she continuously regales me with the never-ending stories of her 55 years of existence here on earth.

Yes, we are in a heck of a mess these days and I believe we all have good reason to be concerned about our current economy, the unemployment rate, the inflation,  the sub-prime mortgage and housing meltdown, the trade to consumer spending and unpredictable stock market, the blows of the credit and financial flops and etc but I still think our day to day life here are still better than the rest of the world  yet it sounds to me that most people here are like bunch of ungrateful and unappreciative spoiled-brats Americans who do nothing but fuss about the unnecessary things they don't have (when in reality these people don’t have a single clue what it is like to exactly live in a world of dearth and penury) and what they hate about the Bush administration and called the man every name they could muster whose intention is to secure this country and keeping us all safe from terrorist attacks.  Why can't we just be glad and be thankful to the good Lord for this greatest blessing--having to live in a great nation where everybody is safe and free?

I don’t know about you but I am very thankful and I truly do appreciate every little bit of what the United States of America has to offer me.

God bless America and let’s not forget our true heroes, the brave men and women who sacrificed and died to secure our safety and fought for the freedom of this country!!!

DH and I will join the motorcycle ride for the Independence Day celebration:

Adamec Harley-Davidson and The City of Jacksonville Presents:
Freedom Ride 2008
Friday July 4, 2008
Begins: Adamec Harley-Davidson of Jacksonville (Baymeadows)
Ends: Metropolitan Park
Check in: 11 a.m. Ride begins at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $35 Rider and $15 Passenger
Price includes ride participation, T-shirt, VIP access to the July 4th country concert, & food and beverages.
Ticket required for admittance. No refunds. Helmets preferred. Rain or Shine.
A portion of proceeds will benefit the Police Athletic League.