Author: Doris

We would appreciate any donations on Edda’s behalf to the International Rett Syndrome Association (IRSA) or to the Rett Syndrome Research Foundation (RSRF). Take a look at both web sites find out more information about Rett Syndrome, new research results and fundraising events.

Well, I’m in LA now. I thought Doris would enjoy this, as we are going to eat tomorrow morning at the Hometown Buffet – one of Grandpa’s favorite places to eat!

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I’ve decided that my bad mood and slight headache that I’ve been having for weeks is due to the haze. Look how crappy Singapore looks. Ack! Where is the tropical paradise? It looks like downtown LA.
But overally, I’m feeling much better now, the weekend is upon us – the kids are almost asleep and I spent the whole day out of the house!

Well, okay. at least better if not groovy.

Thursday nights are always a lot of fun for me. It’s rock climbing night! While I’m not the greatest rock climber in the galaxy, I enjoy the physical and mental challenge of it. The usual crowd that goes is Arif, me, Mike and Ray. Mike is a funny guy and we like to trash talk each other – so that’s a lot of fun.

Lately we’ve been trying bouldering which is a lot of fun. All these people sit around and you all try the same route and cheer everyone on. It’s great to listen to advice about how to do routes from people who are better than you, which is practically everyone at this point. Also it helps if there is a cute asian girl in the crowd also. 🙂

I like trying to see how the person who lays out the route, thought about what moves to make – kinda like how I like to think about the UI for electronic or interfaces for software – how the designer intended that device/software to be used, how that wall was supposed to be climbed.

We got caught on this one wall tonight. Couldn’t get up after 5 tries. There were like 6 people around us, all trying the wall out. I got to about six inches off the top. Oh well.

Usually my forearms are toasted after climbing, but tonight, they are not too bad. I managed to bike home also. Now that’s getting tiresome. Thank god I’m working from home tomorrow.

I’ve been bummed for a few days as well. Grrr… Watch out. I actually told the kids to tread carefully around me today because my fuse was short. But everything that happened in the house today led to some sort of argument. I know I argue more when I’m down, but it just seemed like Edda was spilling more milk and Vince was covering more wall surfaces with marker than usual. Bleh! Argh!

Jeremy shooed me out of the house after dinner to get away from the kids and watch a movie. So I watched the first 45 minutes of You, Me and Dupree and then I just had to leave because the movie was just too terrible to sit through. Owen Wilson, you used to be funny! What happened? I spent another 30 minutes looking at make up and thinking about using some mascara. Waterproof or washable? Hmmmm…

The crap fair has set up shop in front of our MRT station.

Sorry, I left my phone at Arif’s which is why you haven’t been able to get in touch with me so far. I’m doing better, just sorta down. That’s all. Monday night, Arif invited me over to break fast with him. Tahera had gone up to the city to watch The Killer’s concert with Nasreen. It was good to chat with Arif and spend some quality guy time with him. He always has a pretty even keel view on life that’s pretty refreshing.

Anyways, biking is getting tiresome. I just got back from acting class. I’ll write more about that later. Right now, I’m going to bed cause I gotta get up for a 10 o’clock meeting which means i have to get up by 7:45… sigh.

Do you see this toy?

I hate this toy. Hate! Hate! Hate!

I bought it at Toys R Us months ago, again feeling all sorry for myself. Edda was almost 2 when we bought it. What a pitiful shopping trip was. We were there to buy Edda toys that she could play with – slowly realizing that she couldn’t play with any toys, even the baby infant toys. Her favorite thing to do was to chew that disguisting Peter Rabbit of hers.

So I bought this toy and I put it down in front of Edda and tried for a long time to get her to push the damn button so the train would go around. She didn’t really get it. It was a difficult time, I wasn’t even really sure that she recognized who I was. Did she know that I was her mother?

I’m happy to say that we are done with this toy now, it is going to the Salvation Army. Edda knows how to push the damn button to make the train go around. And it didn’t take her nearly as long as I thought it would to teach her. She did get it – she’s getting lots of things now. They are such small steps for a typical child, but they are fantastic for Edda and I’m so happy for all of us that she’s making this progress.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I like all kinds of yarn!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have a nice little needle case.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I have been knitting since Secret Pal 6, I learned by reading a book. I would say that I’m an advanced beginner.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

No.

5. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)

I like citrus.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Yes! Reese’s Peanut Butter cups!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

No other crafts. I have a spindle, but I haven’t tried it out yet.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I like music, but I’m stuck in the 90s. Any contemporay music that you can dance to would be appreciated. I can play any type of music.

9. What’s your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can’t stand?

Keep the neon colors away from me, otherwise, I’m easy.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

I have a husband (Jeremy, 38), a son (Vincent, 4), a daughter (Edda, 2), a dog (Ruby, 5) and 3 fish (Zypher, Crash and Boom). I’m ethnically Chinese, born in the US and living in Singapore. I am a stay-at-home mom. I used to be an engineer and I want to be a nurse.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

Yes.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Ummm. Socks

13. What are you knitting right now?

Plain old socks and a lace shawl.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I like metal needles, but I’m not picky. Straight/circular depends on the project.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

I have a yarn winder.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

I have no UFOs. I like to keep at one or two projects until they are done.

18. What is your favorite holiday?

I love Thanksgiving.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Just dust.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I don’t have any subscriptions. I don’t have very many knitting books, so almost everything is fair game.

21. Are there any new techniques you’d like to learn?

I’d love to learn color knitting.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Yes, I have a size 8 foot.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

Sept 14th.

 

Yesterday was Joy and Phil’s weddding day. Joy and I go way back to the first week of MIT. We’ve always been really good friends since I was her caretaker for freshman year. Everytime Joy had an accident or mishap – which was frequent – I was around to help her out.

It all started Friday night as we went to Doris and Jeremy’s favorite pennisula Thai restaurant – the Amarin Thai. They had an outdoor seating area in the rear to seat 50-60 people that I never knew of before. Of course, a whole bunch of friends from MIT came by to celebrate. Fenney and her fiance Sanh. Heidi and her fiance, Hiway, and another McCormick alum, Susan. I’m the closest to Fenney, who, very ironically lives in Bethesda now, and works as an OB/Gyn in Holy Cross hospital where I was born.

Joy never liked any of her friends from separate groups mingling and sharing stories about her. So this was the first time that her college friends and her med school friends could gossip about her. Basically she was a total prude at MIT and went wild partying at Stanford. Laff.

The wedding was at Stanford Memorial. Everything started on the dot like clockwork, cause, of course, there was another wedding party waiting in the wings. Joy had a crazy designer dress that would drag on the floor, so she had to take 2 steps and then kick her dress to get anywhere down the isle. She also wore the largest smile I’ve ever seen on her face as she came down with her father. The ceremony itself was okay. lots of god and singing, which i found ironic since neither of them are religious. but whatever.

At about 1, we all went off to the Joy Luck Place in San Mateo for the banquet. It’s probably the best meal I’ve had at the Joy Luck. There was this lobster dish with a garlic black bean sauce that was to die for. The highlight of the evening was Joy and Phil’s two costume changes. One into traditional Korean garb (he’s Korean) and another time into tradition thai garb (joy is Thai). Amazing really. I’ll try to dig up some photos.

Afterwards, we took a nap in the afternoon, changed and went to the Poleng Lounge in SF to hang out. I had never seen Joy drink in my life, and so, I did my best to get her trashed. Laff. I had 4 drinks myself – an apple martini, a fuzzy navel, a mind eraser (?), and a lemon drop. Yeah all girlie drinks I know, but what can I say? I’m a woman. It was probably the most buzzed I’ve been in a long time. It’s been awhile since I’ve been out to bar like that with loud music. We all were hoarse afterwards, but it was still a lot of fun. 🙂

Congrats! 

Ruby misses Trudi. So I put a picture of Trudi up in Ruby’s crate so she can see her friend before she goes to sleep at night.

Today we went to the dog park and there was a 5 month old corgi who loved Vince! They chased each other around and around. So cute!