Staying

So I'm not leaving this weekend! Initially mom did want me to go around this time, but I told her I could only do after October. Then I thought about it, and decided it would be best if I left in September. After talking with Megan I realized I had to move it back to August. It just kept moving closer! On Wednesday I was expecting mom to say "OK" but she felt it was just too rushed and too soon. Anyway, I'm fine with whatever comes in a month or so. If I fly before October, great. If I go after Jen's wedding, that will work too.

Leaving sooner than expected

I hung out with Megan today. It turned out that I might have to leave as soon as possible, as the flight schedule will be modified in the month of September. I am going to call Mom tonight and hope to figure everything out. I was not expecting to travel so soon, but if it had to be this way to save money, so be it. If mom says we need to wait, then I will wait 'til either after October or next year. It's kind of exciting, and nerve-wrecking at the same time.

Worked a little bit

I worked half a day today at the new company. I still couldn't figure out the PHP puzzle, but at least I managed to add a banner on the homepage without too much hassle. My afternoon was spent mostly with Caretas. I took a nap after having a very hearty lunch she made (meatloaf and potato salad) - This nap was much needed, as I again failed to sleep last night. I went to the gym around 10 o'clock and thought about some of my plans for the rest of the year. I am going to visit mom again. This time I will stay a little longer, it will be either in the month of September or late October into early December.

I don't know PHP

I spent a good amount of time today trying to figure out how to add a banner to a web page. I only know html, but this website was done completely in php. It just seemed very foreign and complicated. I was on the server and the admin panel going back and forth on the index page and the administration and thinking how I was going to add something to it without messing up the whole structure. Arrgh! Usually I could depend on Dave to show me the ropes, but he was busy today. I went to the Oscommerce community forum. I googled several different phrases. I would read them word by word and still feel confused and overwhelmed. In the end I decided to add a simple pop-up window instead as a temporary solution. When I go into the office tomorrow I will open the page in Dreamweaver and see if I can view the layout better and modify it. Steve and Sandy both said that should do the trick. I hope so. I am just easily intimidated by any computer programming and coding. Let's see how I do tomorrow.

Lost and Found

Something extraordinary happened today. Two years ago when my mom was visiting LA she gave me an antique bracelet that unfortunately I lost 3 days after. I felt I might have dropped it in the gym, and when I went back to look for it, the staff there told me nobody turned it in. I was a little upset with myself, and mom was disappointed too.

Last Friday I lost my clip-on shades. I looked everywhere in the apartment and couldn't find them. I was so annoyed. Because my glasses came with these exact magnetic clip-on shades that would only work with each other, they were kind of irreplaceable. Finally I called the gym yesterday and asked one of the staff to check for me. After some digging around she found the shades. I was relieved. This morning I went to the gym and got them back. I felt great. I was ecstatic. I didn't want to risk losing the shades again, so I walked back to my car and left them inside.

There wasn't a lot of people in the gym today. I was running and feeling cool. Suddenly a thought popped in my head - I should ask the staff about my antique bracelet! I didn't know why I felt that was a good idea. It just dropped in my head and made sense to me. I found the shades... that was unbelievable. I really thought I lost them. Now they came back to me, so why not ask the staff about the bracelet that I thought I had lost too? Yes I knew it had been 2 years! It couldn't hurt, right?! For some reason, I felt a force encouraging me to go up to the front desk again.

When I walked up and talked to the staff this time, I didn't even know how to fully describe the bracelet. This happened so long ago and I only had it for a few days. I remember the design was simple and had black and white beads, which was exactly what I told the girl behind the counter. She went digging through that big box full of clothes, keys, accessories, all kinds of personal stuff again. She looked up and asked me again what it looked like and I told her the same, "a bracelet with just black and white beads." Honestly I felt a little foolish. I wasn't describing it that well and I felt it could not possibly be found after all this time, but I had to ask her today.

And... SHE FOUND IT! I was shocked. When I first looked at it, I didn't think it was the one. I was picturing something different. I took it and wore it on my wrist. The more I looked at it the more I felt it was the bracelet I lost. The design that I was thinking about was another one mom had, which she showed me and explained in details. I replaced the one I lost with hers in my mind. Walking away I was both happy and bewildered. It was very hard for me to believe that after 2 years I found the bracelet where I lost it. Upon close inspection, I saw some wear and tear. The thread was loose and one of the beads was broken. I figured there was someone who took it after I dropped it, wore it, and lost it just like I did in the gym... And someone else found it and turned it in!

I kept looking at it in the gym and on the way home. After I went to help PK move his fridge, I drove to one of the antique accessory designers I knew and had the bracelet re-threaded and repaired. She was just as surprised and happy after I told her how I was reunited with it. Later tonight I called mom and told her too. She couldn't believe it either. And yes, I asked her about the bracelet's design and she described it exactly. I am wearing it now. I'm so happy.

Didn't sleep much

I didn't sleep well last night. Eversince I got laid off whenever I have to work the next day I cannot sleep. It doesn't matter if I nap on that day or not. When it comes to bedtime I spend most of the hours lying awake, thinking, worrying about random stuff. It's stress. It's anxiety. It's whatever. This probably also means I'm getting old. Great. Old, jobless and an insomniac! Thank goodness I only turn into an insomniac when I have work the following day, so I'm not completely hopeless yet. I do sleep fine normally. Weird.

New Ch-Pop Songs I love

I've been enjoying some new Ch-Pop these past few weeks. There's some really catchy stuff. I really like 1 to 10 = Me and You by Fanfan. The song's adorable:



Amei's new album is awesome. I especially love the track Lost - It's written by Sodagreen's Qin Fung... Amei sounds amazing. It's heartfelt and powerful:



I'm not familiar with Ariel Lin, who's a popular TV actress. I don't think her new song sounds too original. Still it is charming and cute. Sweet Garden by Ariel Lin: