The Worst Sickness and Heather McDonald

Last week, my wife and I experienced the worst sickness that we ever experienced. It started off as a cough, but somehow evolved into the worst sickness ever. I don’t know where I got it, but the next day, I went to the office, and a good number of co-workers got it as well. As the day went on, I was feeling worse, and by the time that I got home, I was really sick. My wife also caught the sickness, and the one saving grace is that she was able to work from home. I usually do not call in sick, but I had to that next day, Friday. That weekend, my wife and I were experiencing the worst sickness.

There were so many symptoms, headache, cough, congesting, chills, fever, diarrhea, general weakness, lack of appetite, vomiting, limited sleep, and the recovery was so slow. If we got a fever, and it broke, we would not get better but just get the chills. Our ability to move was extremely limited, and just walking the dog got tiring. I would wake up in sweat, having to change my clothes constantly. My sleep felt like sleeping on the airplane where I would only sleep in no more than two-hour intervals. Our diet consisted of apple sauce, bananas, water, tea, and medicine, and even then, it was just so hard to eat or drink anything. Sometimes, we would just randomly sit on the couch and not get up because it would take too much energy to go to the bed.

The worst of the sickness lasted all weekend, and on Monday, I got better. However, better simply meant being ‘normal’ sick instead of near-death sickness. The headache went away, which was a life-saver, and my energy was getting back to normal. I called in sick on Monday, but went back to work on Tuesday. Since then, things got a lot better, but there is still a lingering cough and weakness.

Thankfully, we got better just in time to watch Heather McDonald at the Irvine Improv. She was funny, mainly talking about her marriage and just her life and gossip in general. She had a viral clip where she fainted on stage, and she did make a joke about it. Her shtick was that of an upper-middleclass suburban woman, not elitist though but definitely well-off. She only had one opening act, who was a lesbian Jewish woman, and she was also pretty funny.

Overall, the week went from the worst to progressively better. This sickness that we got was so debilitating that I would not wish it upon my worst enemy. Thankfully, we got over it and got better, even able to watch a comedy show with Heather McDonald. Hopefully, we never experience a sickness like that ever again.

Transformers One and Dessert

My wife and I watched Transformers One, and it was a surprisingly good Transformers movie. The movie has been out for a while, and we were pretty much the only two people in the theater. The pacing for the movie was very quick which really helped in keeping the audience entertained throughout the movie. This was an origin story detailing how Optimus Prime became the leader of the Autobots, and how Megatron became their enemy. Characters actually progressed and grew throughout the movie both literally and figuratively, and it was comical at times as well. Coming in, I was not expecting much, but the movie thoroughly entertained me and my wife, which is all we could really ask for.

Before the movie, we ran a few errands. We ate out and decided to get some dessert. We went to a place in South Coast Plaza to get some cheesecakes, and it was okay at best even though it was high-priced. They did not even offer water. My wife and I have gone to different coffee shops and dessert places and have found better quality at a lesser price. It goes to show that even if an establishment is in prime real estate, it does not necessarily equal top quality.

Speaking of quality, the UFC 308 card hard a quality main card, especially with the main event and co-main event. UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria proved he may very well be a dominant champion by being the first fighter to knock out former champion Max Holloway. Also, in the co-main event, Khamzat Chimaev just obliterated former champion Robert Whittaker. Chimaev looks poised to be the next UFC Middleweight Champion, but health issues seem to be his worst enemy.

Overall, we got a lot done this week. We’ve been steadily redecorating our place and have just been on “the go” this past week. Movies and UFC events were good, even though some dessert places were not. With it being the end of October, we look forward to November and the upcoming holiday season.

Redecorating and Steve Trevino Again

My wife has been slowly but surely been into redecorating our home recently. There were some things that we bought here and there to change our place around, but now, there is a priority to get news shelving, curtains, vanities and other items. When I was living by myself, I only bought what I needed and kept whatever was still functioning. I did not particularly care for looks or aesthetic, but simply cared about whether or not something could still function. Once an item just became totally broken and unusable, then I would replace it. Now, looks and aesthetic carry more importance.

My wife and I also got to see comedian, Steve Trevino, at the Irvine Improv the other day. This was an event for my wife’s work that I was invited to, and it was a good time. Trevino is so good at telling a full story but in a comical way that many of us can relate to. He specifically relates to married couples with children, and being married, it was funny hearing him joke about certain things in marriages that have happened to us before. He also has a way of just really keeping it “real,” as he will get comical but also really hit hard with the emotions at just the right time. Recommending a Steve Trevino show is a no-brainer.

It looks like for the foreseeable future; we will have some sort of home projects to work on. Sundays have become something of a “project” day, and I can see me building shelves on the wall or working on something else. I suppose that this shows that a man will have a place to live, but a wife makes a place a “home.”

Recovering and Looking Back

This week was one of getting over sickness for me and my wife. We seemingly got sick again, possibly from the jetlag, lack of sleep or weather changes and have been since recovering. My wife even had to take two consecutive days off from work. We are both much better now. I jogged for the first time after a while, and I would like to get back to exercising and practicing Brazilian jiu jitsu again. The bicep injury is healing, but not fully recovered yet, which is really hindering any sort of physical exercise that I’m used to.

We got to talking about life and our trip to the Philippines, and it was interesting. In the Philippines, some malls did not look like what my wife remembered, and considering that she works next to the Irvine Spectrum, along with South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island being relatively near us, the standard is just different. Working in the Philippines, we could not buy our family a new freezer, microwave, sunglasses, groceries and whatnot, but with the opportunities afforded to us here in the U.S., we really did not bat an eye buying those things for our family in the Philippines. When I got married to my wife, there was talk of me possibly living in the Philippines. I already had a good job here in the U.S. along with owning my own place in Orange County, CA, which is not that easy to do, so that was not the best option. Now, we can financially support our family in the Philippines that we would not be able to do if we lived there, and we have been building a life here as well. I think humility is needed, as we are very blessed and fortunate to own our own place in Orange County and to be doing well.

With us nearly fully recovered, it will be nice to just get back to our normal routine. There are a few projects around the house that we have talked about that I think we can work on, and of course, getting The Mustard Prince out is a big priority for me. I am just looking forward to what the future brings.

Returning from the Philippines in WWE Bad Blood 2024

My wife and I came back from the Philippines, and besides the unpacking and whatnot, resting has been difficult. I got sick again, and I would guess that it is from a insufficient lack of rest and sleep. For the most part, it was not too difficult to get back into the swing of things with work, Church and other activities. We also had some things to attend to like fixing our bathroom, planning another trip and whatnot that we are still working on. Unfortunately, with my bicep getting injured along with getting sick, going back to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class has been held off along with any exercise. Hopefully, things will go back to normal sooner rather than later.

I also invited friends over for the WWE PLE, Bad Blood. Obviously, the most important news to come out of the event is the return of The Final Boss – The Rock. His intentions are still unknown, but his return has created some level of buzz and intrigue for the future. Otherwise, The CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre Hell in a Cell match was one of the best matches of its type in years. The rest of the card was okay to good, but it was definitely a card that was defined by how it began, and how it ended. For the most part, WWE has delivered on their PLEs, and this one was no different.

Our return from the Philippines has been met with a few hardships, but nothing too crazy. As far as injuries and sickness are concerned, those will eventually heal. It is just a matter of getting back into the swing of things and taking care of one’s body.

Philippines 2024

My wife and I just came back from our vacation in the Philippines, and it was a great trip. Flying has always been stressful and a hassle for me, and this was no exception. Packing took a while, and we had the maximum amount of luggage allowed. We also had our dog taken care of by her former owner. When it was just me flying to the Philippines, packing was quick, and I did not carry too much. Now, it is a different story. Everything went rather smoothly in the airport, and the plane ride was fine but felt long. I watched a Filipino movie called, He’s Into Her, a Chinese movie called, Goldfinger, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire on the plane ride going to the Philippines, and Goldfinger was probably the most interesting amongst the three.

Once we landed in the Philippines, it was already humid. Luckily, my wife and I got to go through Customs together. We got our luggage, then waited outside for our ride. It was my wife’s older sister who spotted us first. We then got into a new car that my wife’s younger sister and her husband recently purchased, and it was already nice to get some air conditioning. Driving through the Philippines is always an eye-opening experience for me, as it is so different from sunny southern Orange County, CA. It is extremely crowded, heavy traffic with jeepneys and motorbikes, thinner streets, and so many other things.

Once we got to my wife’s parents house, where we were staying for the whole vacation, we saw my wife’s two toy poodles, who still remembered us. It was definitely nice seeing them, and while my wife is especially fond of the boy toy poodle, I was attached to the girl toy poodle. We went inside the house and said our hellos to the rest of the family and unpacked. From there, we gave our pasalubong (Filipino tradition of travelers bringing gifts from their destination to people back home) to the family. Clothes, accessories, candy and other items were given with some of these brands not available in the Philippines.

In the following days, we went to Church and got some grooming done. For things like haircuts, facials, foot spas, manicures, pedicures, etc., the Philippines is great for the cost and quality. They have many different malls in the Philippines with shops and restaurants that are not found in the U.S.

We booked a resort for three days in Cavite for the whole family before this trip, and that was one of the highlights of the trip. It was solely with family, so around ten people, and it was a nice resort with an open concept common area, outside pool table, outside pool with showers and bathrooms, and a separate sleeping unit. Watching movies, playing pool, swimming in the swimming pool and eating were the main things that we did. I particularly liked this city and general area of Cavite as it was very green, more suburban and less busy the metro Manila. If we are to get some sort of vacation property in the Philippines in the future, this would be my preferred place.

On our way back, we decided to eat at a place called Katherine’s in Ayala Mall, Manila Bay. Once there, it was not that great. A manager was on her laptop where the customers ate, and the cords to the laptop were just lying across the walkway. My wife’s parents almost tripped on them. The place was kind of dirty with no air conditioning, and some of the menus were not up to date. We did not eat there and decided to eat at Manam, where the service, the establishment and the food were better. We then shopped for a new microwave for our family along with buying new sunglasses for my wife’s mother and father.

On Thursday, my wife shopped at Baclaran where there are just many different stores to shop at a low price. I stayed home and primarily watched anime, slept or played with my wife’s nephew.

On Friday, we went to a really nice massage. I was starting to feel something in my throat, which is usually when sickness starts. The massage was great though, which included ventosa (cupping), sauna use, bathtub use, and the choice of how hard the massage would be. Overall, I felt refreshed, and it was much cheaper than in the U.S.

I got sick the next day on Saturday and had a brief fever, so we just stayed home. The sickness lasted just a few days with symptoms like a stuffy nose, phlegm, general weakness, loss of appetite but it was not anything severe. I got my appetite back later that night, and the fever broke as well. The sickness actually did not last as long as sickness usually does for me.

The next day, Sunday, we ate at Shakey’s Pizza. Shakey’s Pizza is much more popular, and better, than in the U.S. The mojo potatoes just taste better, and the pizza was solid. Afterwards, my wife and I decided to allow something of a shopping spree for my family at S&R, which would be the equivalent of Costco. Outside of my wife’s nephew misbehaving, it was a good day.

We packed the next day, Monday, but my wife and I had a date at Mango Tree, a Thai restaurant, in City of Dreams, where we got married. It was a nice outing, but my wife lost an earring earlier that day. Afterwards, we wanted to go somewhere to buy snacks that was still open and just so happened to pass by a 7-Eleven. I got a good amount of gummy candy. Later that night, we packed, and it was a long and tiring process. Before this trip, we had some friends and acquaintances wanting us to pick some stuff up for them in the U.S., and they even paid us. After some shuffling around the luggage, my wife managed to get everything we needed and on weight.

That Tuesday morning, I was curious to see how it would go. When my wife and I got married, and she had to leave for the U.S., many tears were shed. Thankfully, that was not the case this time around. We said our goodbyes and headed to the airport. For some reason, we had issues with our seating arrangements. Once that got fixed, we proceeded through all the security checks and whatnot. In the Philippines, there is a TSA check for your luggage and belongings, but also another of the same security check right before sitting down in the lobby. Once we reached the lobby, it was very difficult for us to find seats to wait for our flight.

Once we got on our flight, my wife was apparently given a “Do Not Occupy” seat, and we had to deal with a seating situation in the place. They took us to seats in the back of the plane, but none were aisle seats, which we originally had. We saw five empty seats that the cabin crew claimed were reserved. They told us to take a seat anywhere as the pilot was giving instructions and about to fly out. Our carry-on luggage was still on the walkway and not in any overhead compartment, and the cabin crew just left us still seated as they plane was taking off. Eventually, we were given two of those five “supposedly” reserved seats and had our luggage put in an overhead compartment. Once everything was settled, and we were in flight, I watched Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which I thought was just okay, and a Chinese movie called, Pegasus 2, which I liked.

The flight felt quicker than our flight coming in, but I think that I slept better on the plane with this flight. Once we landed, my wife went to Customs and Immigration, and we were told that we could go together despite her just having a Green Card but not a U.S. Passport. She was so surprised how easy and quickly it was to go through everything, and I had to explain that she is a Permanent Resident of the U.S., and she has the proof, so there isn’t much to question. Once we went to the baggage carousel, something just utterly random happened. A woman asked me to get a box for her, and I obliged, and as I went to lift it out of the carousel, I heard to popping sounds from my shoulder area of my left arm and felt some pain and discomfort. Having dislocated my right should before, I thought that was it with my left, but on closer inspection, it feels like I tore my left bicep. It was a total freak accident, but admittedly, I was frustrated that such a thing happened. As of now, it has been recovering and does not feel like anything serious, but I will have it checked out. We then got our luggage and got a ride from my brother to go home. We also picked up our dog, who seemingly missed us.

This trip to the Philippines was much needed and taught us a lot. My wife has a life here in the U.S. now with a full-time job, friends, a dog and other things. Being able to buy things like sunglasses or a microwave for her parents without hurting us that much financially really demonstrates the better opportunities available in the U.S. then in the Philippines, and how different the quality of life the two countries are. Her family and us all have our own lives now, and the U.S. is the place to be to progress. Maybe we’ll retire one day in the Philippines, or do what my parents do and stay in the Philippines in their vacation homes when it is winter in the U.S. in retirement. After talking with her family, it looks like many have aspirations to at least visit the U.S. in the near future, so that would be exciting. We thankfully have a room for them to stay if need be. The Philippines is a great place to visit, and we will keep coming back at least once a year if we can. Overall, I am really glad that we made this trip.

Packing and Am I Racist the Movie

With our trip to the Philippines coming up, we are having to buy gifts and whatnot to family in the Philippines. We are also getting friends here wanting us to buy stuff for them in the Philippines, as things are a lot less expensive there. We have gone to department stores for clothes, Costco, Walmart, online and other stores just to buy stuff for this trip. The packing itself is also a lot of work that no one likes to do but has to when travelling. When I was travelling by myself, packing was relatively simple, as I just packed what I needed, and that was it, but being married, there is a lot more to pack.

My wife and I also watched the movie, Am I Racist, starring Matt Walsh. It was akin to the mockumentary-style movies like Borat and what Sasha Baron Cohen was doing. Matt Walsh got himself DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) certified and disguised himself as a DEI ally and instructor. He then interviewed individuals known within this field along with more working-class residents of the South. It was both comical and eye-opening. Matt was pretty brazen in what he was doing and saying, and some of the comments from some of these people made one’s jaw drop.

Overall, it has been a busy week at work, and we always have something to do after work as well. We are looking forward to this upcoming trip, but there is always a lot of work to be done before getting on the plane. It will be fun though once we get back to the Philippines.

The Heat and Cleaning

It has been really hot here in Southern California, and it has been somewhat of a surprise. August was cooler than I remember from summers past, and this September has been hot so far. The AC in my home has been on almost all day, and my car AC has also always been on when I’m driving. Even being in the shade is hot and has caused me to sweat. However, compared to other states, especially ones more inland, the temperature is not nearly as high over here as it is in other inland states. In that sense, and the fact that Californians on the coast can go to the beach, it is not so bad.

My wife and I also did a lot of cleaning this week. We converted one of our bedrooms into an office, and it was a mess. We shredded papers, threw away old desks and furniture, and just rearranged the room. There is definitely something to be said about seeing and working in a clean room. It is a bit more relaxing, especially not sitting next to a clutter of papers and other items. However, maintaining this over time is another issue altogether. It is easy to make things a mess, but it takes hours to get something clean.

Thankfully, the heat is supposed to end sometime this coming week. It is good timing as we still need to buy things and pack for our trip to the Philippines. Packing and unpacking are another mess to be dealt with, but it has got to be done.

Reagan and Labor Day 2024

My wife and I watched the movie, “Reagan,” during the Labor Day weekend, and I thought that it was a good movie. I was whispering different facts to my wife, and she whispered questions to me. At the end of the movie when the credits were rolling, I was talking about Ronald Reagan in a normal tone, and the person next to me voiced his displeasure with us. My only criticism of the movie would be that it did not allow the events to breathe and went on to the next happening too quickly. Otherwise, it was nice to see this moment in history, especially dealing with the end of the Cold War. Ronald Reagan was a very interesting individual and ultimately became a consequential president of the U.S., and the movie portrayed that well. Dennis Quaid did his homework and played the part well.

While Labor Day is a day to relax, my wife and I labored on Labor Day. We worked out once we got up, watched Reagan in the afternoon, ran a few more errands, and then cleaned the bedroom that we converted into an office. We did barbecue some steaks though, but otherwise, we were out and about and did some much needed house work. A body in motion stays in motion, as they say, and that definitely applied on Labor Day.

We only have a few more weeks until our big trip to the Philippines. Until then, we are getting some things done, watching a few movies as we have a Regal movie pass, shopping and cleaning. The days are just going by real fast.

Knott’s Berry Farm and The Dive Oyster Bar

My wife and I went to Knott’s Berry Farm this week, and it was fun. We have had a season pass for a while now but have only used it one time before this week. It is a strange thing being able to go to an amusement park whenever we want to, and the drive is not too bad, but just not going for various reasons. As married adults, it really is difficult to find time to do things, and anything that we do needs to be planned ahead of time. At the park, we went on a few rides like the Sidewinder that made my wife dizzy, and because it was a weekday, there were no lines. I was tempted to buy some Peanuts merchandise, as I am a big fan of Peanuts, but I had to resist temptation this time around.

We also went to The Dive Oyster Bar in the Irvine Spectrum for my wife’s birthday. It was a nice outing with family, and it was nice that my immediate family accepted my wife into our family quickly and easily. Considering all the horror stories involving in-laws, even having multiple movies about the in-laws, it was a blessing that we have no issues on either side involving the in-laws. The food was great too with it being just filling enough and not feeling too heavy.

It was a good week capped off with my wife’s birthday. It’s always nice spending time to just have fun, but also good to spend time with family.

Twisters and Plumbing Issues Resolved

My wife and I watched Twisters the other day, and it was a lot better than I thought that it would be. The movie did not have any sort of social messaging which really helped it just be fun and entertaining. The story was easy to follow with the main character facing tragedy from storm chasing gone wrong when she was a teen and getting back into it when she got older. It was very intense at times being an action/disaster movie, but there is a feeling of adventure as well with them chasing storms in Oklahoma. It is nice coming into a movie with little to no expectations, and then the movie rising well above.

I am also happy to say that the plumbing issues that we were facing have been resolved. We received a fair reimbursement for plumbing work done from the unit upstairs, and restoration work is due within the coming weeks to get a bathroom wall fixed. It is amazing how much stress and negative energy was expended from this plumbing issue only for it to just be resolved in hardly any time. It is a learning experience for us in doing things within the correct procedure but also in just reflecting in how wasted that energy was used.

Otherwise, my wife also went to the OC Fair, and it was a fun time. There is a coke bottle ring toss game that I try every year, and never win once, nor see anyone else ever win. My wife did the squirt gun on the target, and unfortunately, did not win. We also ate some bad-for-your-health fair food like funnel cake, bacon cheese French fries, and a bacon-wrapped hot dog. It was also all overpriced, but when in Rome…

My Wife’s Return and Russell Peters

My wife came back from her business trip in Nashville, Tennessee, and it was back to married life. Sharing a bathroom, going to places together, and other things that were amiss while I was back to the bachelor lifestyle. I will admit that life is probably easier being a single, but life is much more fulfilling being married. My wife said that she really liked Nashville, and it is a destination that we will most likely visit in the future. The day that she came back was busy with having to drive a lot, but also, we had to deal with an issue involving a plumbing issue. The shorthand version of the story is that a leaked pipe from the unit above ours caused damage to our unit, and the landlord is reluctant to reimburse us for the damages. Admittedly, it has been one of the more stressful things going on lately, and we can only be hopeful that this issue can get resolved in a civil manner.

We also watched Russell Peters at the Irvine Improv. One of my friends introduced him to me around fifteen years ago via DVDs. I was a big fan of his impressions and crowd work. We went to see him with another couple, and in line, we actually befriended another couple there. We sat together and ended up exchanging contact information after the show. Russell Peters really worked the crowd, and it was remarkable seeing his quick wit. He was working on new material, and we were pretty much guinea pigs for it. Thankfully, he barely went into politics, as that is a turn-off for me and many others. He did impressions but not as much as I’ve seen him in the past. It was also particularly impressive how well he knows his geography and various cultures around the world.

That Russell Peters standup comedy show was the last thing that we had planned until our trip to the Philippines next month. It is now back to married life and dealing with the stresses of homeownership and adult life. It is all good though as we continue to learn and navigate through different experiences.

The Bachelor Life Once Again and WWE SummerSlam 2024

My wife has a business trip to attend to, so I am back to the bachelor life for about a week. When asked what I’ll be doing, I said that I’ll just be doing the usual which consists of sleeping, writing, watching anime, taking care of my dog, going to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class, eating and working. I do not have much of a desire to do much else these days and just want to put energy and effort into specific things. Maybe I’ll get a coffee with a friend or something, but other than that, I don’t really see myself going out of the norm. Being a married adult and not being much of an extrovert, I would rather just do more introverted things.

Otherwise, I watched WWE SummerSlam, and it was a fun event. While the actual wrestling was fine to above average, the main takeaways from this year’s SummerSlam were the storyline developments. Under Triple H, there is more long-term storytelling in WWE, and the payoffs usually happen at their Premium Live Events (formerly known as Pay Per Views). I personally think that the overall WWE product is better for it. Some of the big happenings at this year’s SummerSlam was Dominik Mysterio’s betrayal, Finn Balor’s betrayal and the return of Roman Reigns. While everything was largely predictable, it was well-done.

Sometimes, the usual and the predictable are a good thing. There is not always a need to reinvent the proverbial wheel or to do things out of the ordinary. Consistency and discipline are sometimes the right way to go instead of change for the sake of change.

Deadpool & Wolverine and Lessons of the Week

My wife and I watched Deadpool & Wolverine, and it was a fun, self-deprecating movie. I heard it described as a love letter to 90’s and 2000’s superhero movies, and I can see that aspect of the movie considering some of the cameos, and that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine is one of the main characters. Considering that it’s Deadpool, I did expect the character to break the fourth wall quite a bit. However, the movie criticizing Marvel, the MCU post-Endgame, the Multiverse, and Disney was a nice touch, and I generally agreed with the sentiment. I think that Marvel needed this movie, as previous Marvel movies reportedly lost money and did not seem well-received. I don’t know if this movie is where they turn the corner with Marvel movies, but with the announcement that Robert Downey Jr. will play Doctor Doom in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, Marvel looks to have some momentum on their side.

This week has taught me a few things. I have been procrastinating with calling someone that I need to have a discussion with, and that’s not something that I should be holding off on. I was supposed to call the bank for an appointment but did not, and that cost me time and energy. I ordered an event that only one person came over for, which was disappointing but also a waste of money. Granted, more people originally accepted to attend but had to cancel for various reasons. It shows that problems happen because of the things that you don’t do that end up catching up to you. Also, things happen that are out of anyone’s control, but it may be a good idea to just be smarter about time and money.

Some things are fun and good ways to escape, but the real world will teach you things the hard way. Lessons are learned through mistakes and struggles, and I can either just stay frustrated about the outcome or move forward.

Problems and Leadership

This has been one of the tougher weeks for my wife and me as we were both sick. Also, a plumbing issue happened that was also problematic with the week leading up to a big Church event. I’ve seen it throughout my life, but problems have a way of compiling on top of each other all at once. Sometimes, it is due to allowing something to build up over time, and other times, it is just a random event. Sickness is just one of those things that happens, and plumbing issues only arise very suddenly as well. It is just a matter of how we react to the problems, and that is all that we can control.

There has been a lot of chaotic events lately. A bullet that was mere inches from its target that could have changed this country’s trajectory. And now, we have discovered that our country’s leadership in the coming months will be led by a different leader. This has been a first in my lifetime, and as an adult, this sort of thing has shown increasing importance. Leadership is important, and with our country, what leadership does and implements trickles down to the citizens. When I was young, I honestly did not care too much to know about world events. Now, as an adult with more responsibilities, expenses, a marriage and whatnot, this stuff is important.

There are problems out there from an individual perspective, but also with the world at large. It can get chaotic, but it is important to find order within that chaos. We cannot control the outcome, but we can control how we react to it.

Beliefs and the Dentist

The events of this week made me think of the extent people will go for their beliefs. Generally speaking, most people are seemingly decent believing whatever they want. There are others though that do not act decently and may even cause harm to others based on certain beliefs, the individual’s mindset, outside forces and other factors. It goes against loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you, but that may be more difficult to do for some. Some say that there is just too much anger and hatred in society these days, and that the temperature is too high. It does make me think about where we are as a society and how individuals should behave in a decent and civil society.

Otherwise, my wife and I had two dental appointments this week. We had to take half days for two days of the week, and the week just flew by. The dentist is never fun, but I think that I am getting used to it. They numb you and then use strange tools to clean and scrape your teeth, and sometimes, it feels as if they are going to damage your teeth doing that. I have learned to relax when I can, but sometimes, even being numbed, it still hurts. We had a deep clean done, and I was bleeding by the end of it.

Some things are very difficult and must be navigated in a proper way in order to achieve positive outcomes. Not everyone does that, unfortunately, and we get terrible situations. Hopefully, we can move past all this.

Sound of Hope and 4th of July 2024

My wife and I watched “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot” this week, and it was wonderfully inspirational. The movie is about a small town in Texas that adopts seventy-seven orphans with the central characters being the minister of the town and his wife. Religion plays a big role in the movie, as does family and community. However, it is not easy for the families as all of them are working class people on the poverty line, and the movie depicts their hardships very well. It is amazing that a small town did such a feat, but it goes to show that even those with very little can do great things especially with strong religious values and community behind them.

We watched Sound of Hope on the afternoon of the Fourth of July, and that night, we saw the fireworks. My wife was sick last year during this time and could not participate in any festivities last year, so it was nice to be able to spend 4th of July with her this year. We went to a local street festival the next town over and saw the fireworks. There were rides and food trucks lined up, and we decided to eat at a food truck that serves lobster with their foods. It was pricey, but it was a “when in Rome” type of thing, as we most likely would not get a chance to eat something like that for a while. Otherwise, the fireworks show was nice, and we may go to neighboring cities in following years to see what their 4th of July festivities are like.

It was a fun 4th of July weekend. It was nice to see the local community out and about having fun and participating in something together. It was also fun celebrating this holiday with my wife for the first time with watching the movie and watching the fireworks.

Shark Tank and the End of June

My wife got me into watching “Shark Tank,” and it is an interesting and entertaining show. The act of making something from an idea is very much in my wheelhouse, especially with me wanting to be an author. Some of the contestants end up making it big, some fail, and some fall somewhere in the middle. These people are generally passionate about their ideas but the results of their passion can go any direction. It makes me think of my own writing works, as I believe in my stories. I’m not under the impression that I’ll just put it out there, and it’ll automatically be the next Harry Potter. I have also recognized that while I am the content creator, I am not an artist, marketing personnel, advertiser, or something else that is needed to sell books. There is a lot of work to be done even after I put something out.

It is already the end of June, and I really do not know where the month went. It suddenly got hotter here in Orange County, and the AC and fans have been used a lot. It is also the season finales and even series finales for a few anime series that I’ve been watching. Our dog, Luna, turned twelve this month, but she still looks and acts like a puppy. It has been three years since I bought this condo in Lake Forest, and I wasn’t even looking to upgrade when I bought it. One of the highlights of this month was watching Cirque de Soleil: Kooza, and I am more than willing to check out other Cirque de Soleil programs. Overall, it was a good month.

I am keeping an open mind when it comes to my goals and passions. I am a believer in getting back what I put in, so I can only hope that when I put out The Mustard Prince in the Condiment Kingdom that I’ll get some traction and momentum, if not more.

Cirque de Soleil: Kooza and Living in Orange County

My wife and I watched Cirque de Soleil Kooza, and it was amazing. We watched Cirque de Soleil: Mystere in Las Vegas, so this wasn’t our first performance that we’ve seen of this type. However, Kooza was funny, entertaining, creative and artistic with some fantastic performances. This production could tell the story of a scene using just the spotlights, and the costumes, sets and performers were on point. I can appreciate that it was a story, and while no words or narration was happening, they still managed to convey a tale using performances. Also, it did not hurt that it was in a big top just in the next city over, and the seating has it where it is an intimate atmosphere.

We also had to go more inland this past week for an event. I don’t think people on the coast or near the coast of California, especially in Orange County, realize how good they have it. We went to a place where we drove a good twenty to thirty minutes until we saw the first grocery store, and plazas were very few and far between. Even when I lived in a condo in a working-class area of Santa Ana where graffiti was prevalent, there were so many neat places to go to nearby with no issues finding a grocery store. In Lake Forest, my wife and I were deciding to where to eat: sushi, Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Mediterranean, and we ended up choosing Mediterranean. All these places were within a five-to-fifteen-minute drive away. Orange County has a very high cost of living, and I wish it were cheaper to live here, but I can see why it costs so much along with the benefits of living here as opposed to some other places.

It was an interesting week where we got to see an amazing performance and a part of California that I would guess many just don’t see. Seeing all this has given me a greater appreciation of where I live, and how much easier and convenient things are here.

Father’s Day 2024 and Freaky Friday

My wife and I spent Father’s Day with my side of the family, getting brunch at a Filipino restaurant. I have two brothers, who are now both fathers themselves. We reminisced a bit, remarking on how much time has passed by and how friends we grew up with have receding hairlines. Also, they talked about some mischievous things that they did as kids such as putting mud in the gas tank of the family car. It is a funny thing to think that those kids are now adults who now have kids of their own.

Speaking of parents and children, my wife and I went to the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, CA and watched the Freaky Friday remake starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan. I’ve said it before, but movies back then are just much better now, as they do not have that social-political messaging and are just aimed at being fun, entertaining movies. Watching it now, while I am not the target audience of the movie, I can appreciate that these actors and actresses are really trying to “act” and not just read lines on a script. Whatever one thinks of Lohan these days, she actually did have some talent and showed some range in this movie. My wife remarked how they do not put on this heavy amount of makeup on the characters, and they look closer to what everyday people look like (not entirely, of course).

As we get older, Father’s Day and being parents take on a new meaning. Most of my family members and peers that I grew up with are now parents, and we can still remember what it was like being a kid and growing up. We can only watch as similar mistakes get made, good things happen, and learn from them.