Author: Doris

In some ways this is the most glorious summer ever. I am finally back home where the weather and the roads are as familiar to me as the birthmarks on my body. I have my little family around me and we are spending lots of time running in sprinklers and “washing” the car and running down hills in parks. Eating sweet farm corn and peaches and grilling hamburgers in the driveway next to our car. Seeing the familiar thunderstorms pass through after a hot and humid day, it’s all good.

In some ways, this is the most stressful summer ever, neither of us has jobs, we’ve moved into my parent’s house, Vincent is the littlest one and perhaps a tad emotionally sensitive and vunerable at his camp and Edda has plateaued on her communication and hand skills (and the potty training, don’t even ask me about it). And we keep missing the damn bus.

We went to Silver Spring’s downtown to get wet in their fountain.

Made chocolate sundaes.

Driving back home on the Beltway past the Mormon temple.

Hello, we are at Zhang Jia Jie. Will spend three more days here before heading to Chen-tu.

I went to see a movie with a neighbor! They have such a beautiful lawn that they maintain all themselves, I hope they give me a few pointers.

done.

My girlfriend Leslie came over for lunch and not only did I get to hold her daughter O. for a while so I could smell that yummy baby smell, I also got to ogle her new iPhone. Mmmmm.. I can tell why people love it so, it’s pretty slick.

Jeremy’s set up job central in the study. Donald’s six-year-old laptop has been coaxed out of retirement to help out in this time of need. Do you see the photo of me right above Jeremy’s head? It’s me circa 1986 – dig those Farrah bangs…

Edda keeps missing her school bus. I’m always just a few minutes late getting her out the door. I wish they would honk, but I’m sure they aren’t allowed to. I’m training Ruby to bark at large yellow buses.

Oh, and I think the mama bird died. She usually flies from the ceder bush whenever I open the front door, but she hasn’t for the past 2 days. I finally looked into the nest today, full of feathers and eggs, but no mom. I think someone ambushed her in her nest.

Edda’s hand use is at an all time low. She doesn’t even reach out for food these days although she still does smack the TV to ask us to turn it on. We’ve been using her arm brace much, much less than in Singapore. Only a few months ago, I think we had it on her arm almost all day and all night. Now we use it pretty much only at meals (because she’ll put her hand in her mouth while she has a mouthful of food, totally messy and gross) – sometimes not even necessary at meals.

She still mouths like crazy, but instead of it being 95% of the time, maybe it’s 50% of the time.

I posted this picture of Edda’s OT, I think it’s so cute, they really like each other and they have the same haircut.

I suppose Doris isn’t the only one feeling a bit confused these days..

I’m in my own dilemna of sorts. Basically, I potentially have found a pretty cool place in the city. A friend of a friend is looking for a roommate, and I gotta say that the location is great. It’s in Lower Pacific Heights, close to Filmore, Japantown, Van Ness. If i got a commute bike. it’s not far away from the Caltrain station.

I have less than a week to decide if I want it or not.

Lately, I’ve had a feeling of wanting some change in my life. Whether that’s scenery or job or whatever, but I feel like I’m just sitting in yuppieville, spending my money, for no apparent reason or purpose these days. In some ways, it boils down to waht I want to focus on – the girl or the job.

While I do think finding someone is more important on the larger scale of things, lately, there’s nothing happening in that arena, and I feel like my life is in a holding pattern based on this. If i move to the city, then yeah, I’d probably be hanging out with a different crowd, and possibly meet more people. But the fear is that it’s just the same life in a different (and more expensive) locale.

I think at some point, I have to admit to myself that maybe the girl thing might not happen, and focus more energy on finding something that I want to do. I’m dubious that this would happen in SF. Who’s to say it would be more focused in MD? At least I would have a clean break with my job, and there would be fewer distractions.

As Frank would say, “What to do in life?”