So long...

Paul Newman

Jan 26, 1968 - Sep 26, 2008

Some days have passed already since his death, but I just wanted to say that we have lost another legend, a true movie star..

I love movie stars; the ones who take your breath away with the presence itself.

He was my mom's idol. She made me watch all of his films, but I remember it was not torture..

I will surely miss him..

My Wonder Girl..

Poor baby, my oldest Ju-Ju is sick. She's been coughing and sneezing for the past several days. Last night was worse; she woke up numerous times crying and asking me to sleep with her.

She was having tough time falling back to sleep which always breaks my heart. It's hard there's not much I could do to help except laying next her and comfort her.

This morning, I sided with caution, so I let her stay at home. But my Ju-Ju loves her school. She cried and cried and begging me to take her to see her friends and teachers at school. I'm happy that she loves to learn and play.

My husband told me I should have taken her to school since she had no fever. Well, she is sneezing non-stop, her nose is running and her eyes are watery. Do you really think I should've taken her to school and let her share her germy germs with her classmates?

(my friends, I'm waiting.....) No, I didn't think so, either.

Now, I'm sneezing and my nose is running. I think I"m getting sick, too. Or could this be an allergy?

Anyway,

I told Ju-Ju that her mommy is going to make her day so much fun that she wouldn't regret staying home wither her mommy and young sis.

What did I come up with to entertain her? Halloween costume hunting! YES!!! I think I am having more fun than my daughters...

Here are some photos from previous years...

06' Halloween party @ Ju-Ju's preschool in Haleiwa, North Shore on Oahu.

Soapy's 1st Halloween. She was Wonder Bread.
Ju-Ju was Sweet Devil..
07' Halloween in NJ. Ju-Ju was a Witch and Soapy was a cheetah.

Hehehe. Candy, candy and candy~~~. She looks more like a cute kitty..
Ju-Ju's first ever costume was Hershey Kiss Chocolate and she was a black and white cat when she was two. This year, she says she wants to be Wonder Girl (See photo on Top). There are times she wants to be a princess for Halloween, but I always tell her she can be princess anytime and all the time because she has many princess dresses. And she is my princess:) I want her to be something she can be only on Halloween. Am I a bad mother to feel this way?

Sophia hasn't decided what she wants to be, but I'm sure she'll come up with something fantastic!

How about you, my friends; have you decided what costumes you'll get for your children or for yourself??? What are you going to be????

Thou Shall Not Sleep

We moved back to our condo (townhome style) that we've owned since 2005 past May. My BFF, Miss K was renting it from us while we were in Hawaii and there were times she had complained about the girl living upstairs time to time about the noise she made. Our condo is apartment conversion which a company decided to buy and sell it to investors and buyers when the real estate market was booming here in Florida. And this complext does not have any sound proof what's so ever.

With that said, I really need your help, my friends.

Ok, here is our situation..

My husband and I are livid right now. We're totally fed up. We have this girl living upstairs. The one my friend Miss K, sometimes complained about. But Miss K never told us about the noise that she's making now. Apparently, she is an exotic dancer, so she works late. No big deal. But the problem is she has no regards towards her neighbor!!

She usually comes home between 2:30am ~ 3:30am after long night of work. About two - three times a week though, she brings bunch of customers or friends home and parties. I'm talking about real loud noise. Loud music, banging the floor with some object or running around the house. If this happened 11pm on weekends, then okay, maybe we wouldn't care too much.

Early this morning, I heard people talking loud by our walk path so I woke up (which is the case most of times). It was 3:30am. It was another night of party time. I was staring at the ceiling. I hear people screaming and laughing. Really. It's not 7pm or 9pm or 11pm, it's 3:30am. My heart was racing because I didn't want my hubby nor daughters to wake up. But then just when the clock turned 4am, I now started to hear LOUD MUSIC playing. I could even here who's singing the song which one of them was "I want it that way" by Backstreet Boys. Really. That's when my hubby woke up. He heard the sound of base..

We moved to living room to wait for things to unfold when we heard some people going up and down the stairs and out the door. So, my husband rushed outside and managed to talk to someone who was about to go back upstairs. JT said, "Guys, keep it down, please? We have little kids sleeping here."

"oh, okay...," was the girl's answer. No sorry, nothing. We waited a bit, no sign of calming down. Now I am pissed.

Me: JT, we have to call Police. It's 4:30am. This is not right. I'm tired of it.
JT: I'm not calling the police. If you want, you go ahead.
Me: Ok, then what are we going to do, we just sit here and wait until they're done partying?
JT: I'll try to find her landlord tomorrow and complain.
Me: No, I can't stand it anymore. It's not fair... We have the right to have peace and quiet.
JT: I know, but there's nothing we can do. Don't want to call police and make things worse...
Me: This is "noise disturbance" - I'll google it and you'll know why it's okay to call police.

So, I googled it and I've found some stuff on there. It clearly says that [one's peace can not be disturbed. Also people have a right to and should be insured an environment free from excessive sound that may jeopardize their health or welfare or safety or degrade the quality of life]. Our peace should have been protected by law, however, I know our quality of life is definitey degraded by the noise from upstairs.

Anyway,

we ended up not calling the police and the noise stopped at 6am!!! Yep, 6am in the morning, my friends. It's unblievable.

Now question is this; what should we do if she starts it again?

We've alrady asked the girl or her friends to be more courteous over and over again. She may be quiet for a week and she begins her bad habit. We are filing a formal complaint, but I know she'll party again. If that would be the case, do you think it's okay for us to call police when the noise starts at 3am? I'm tired of asking them to be quiet, because obviously they don't care.

I'm not complain because she's a dancer. I would have said the same thing if she was a nurse or investment banker or even a lawyer. It's about having a common sense; the desency to respect people live around you. And I don't even know how to be nice about it anymore.

So, please, my friends? Tell me what we should do....

The Effects of Tequila

Late last night (actually it was like 1:30am EST), my gay BFF Mr. D who is also my stylist forwarded me a text with an attachment saying I had to listen to a whole thing because it's hilarious.

So, I did, and yes, it's indeed hilarious, so I wanted to share with you. He sent this thing as MMS, therefore I had to google it first, then found the clip on YouTube. Really, YouTube is simply amazing!!!

When I think about Tequila, there is an infamous memory in my book. I've already talked about this in the different post while back, but I'll talk about it again.

I remember when I turned 25, my hubby, then boyfriend and bunch of our friends threw me a HUGE birthday party. I don't mean to brag, but Honolulu night scene was my playground. I knew everybody wherever I go, so that night, as always while we bar hopped, everywhere I went, everywhere I turned there're people waiting for me to do shots of Tequila because that was my drink!!!! I'm Japanese, our custom would not allow me to say "No" to people who were offerin me drinks. LOL.

When we finally closed our place "the Wave" in Waikiki (which sadly closed after 25 years entertaining people in Hawaii two years ago), I knew exactly what was about to happen. I was totally getting sick!!!! Everybody still wanted to say "Happy Birthday" and hugging and kissing me, but I could not take it anymore. Good lord, the place was already closed and I was chilling in the club with bunch of employees and friends, I ran to bathroom and...... For the next 15 mins or so, my BFF Miss E (who was also my Maid of Honor) had to hold my hair and see me on my knees putting my head in the toilet bowl. What a pretty sight, right??? I remember Miss E kept on rubbing my back and saying "It's okay, Maki, it's okay..". Yes, she is the bomb! That's why she was my Maid of Honor!!!

I managed to get out of the bar and totally crushed and took some rest in the car while my hubby and other friends went on to party at After Hours until 6am.. I woke up as they came back to the car and they said with laugh, "Awww, look at you, curling up like a baby sleeping..". Honestly folks, it was one of the best birthday that I ever had, but also my worst birthday ever. My friends had more fun than I did, I can tell you that!!!

Anyway, enjoy the clip. It's funny and sooo true! But please everyone, make sure when you drink, don't drive. Call your friends, grab a cab or have a designated driver!!!

w/ Love,
xoxo

Friday 5 for September 26 : Hacked!!!

This Week's "Friday 5" seems to be made just for me! LOL.

1. When did someone last break something of yours?
A. My oldest daughter Ju-Ju, spilling a glass of white wine over my iBook. I was drinking it and put it right next to my iBook which was my stupid mistake and somehow my Ju-Ju knocked it down:( And yes, no matter how long I did air dry it, it wouldn't start for me...... Damn it!!!

2. When did you last play hackysack, if ever?
A. Hackysack???? What is that? Can you please tell me what it is????

3. What was your most dramatic haircut like?
A. That would be a few weeks ago - I cut my bangs real short for the first time. I have posted the photos to prove it. Hehehe

4. Hacking is basically breaking through the security that protects a computer or a website. What’s the closest you’ve come to doing something similar in real life?
A. Hacking??? Me??? I'm not that smart nor risk taker :D

5. In the world of stand-up comedy, a hack is a comic who steals jokes from other comics. Have you ever known a hack in your own field?
A. No, but I know several girls who were great at stealing someone elses' boyfriends. They are evil kind! Does that count???

Have a Happy Friday and weekend, my friends!!!!!!

When Dress Up Is Not For Him...

Do you folks ever argue with your boyfriend/husband/girlfriend/wife??? My husband, JT and I had a bit of, well, actually a huge argument today... We, of course made up in the end, but it doesn't make me feel good about myself at all when I know it was my fault. And it makes me more upset when it was about something so stupid!!!

JT and I were getting dressed to go out for shopping today. I asked him nicely, "Hey JT, please dress nicely for me, K?".

His reply was this, "Ok.."

Well, JT tends to dress down, way down sometimes where I am like WTF??? I tend to enjoy dressing myself up even just going out for grocery shopping or whatever. My parents are both stylish and I grew up watching them dress chic and cool. So, I always believe looking nicely in public is important. Of course, I love jeans and tank top, too, but I enjoy being in lovely clothes.

Anyways, he decided to dress up in a baggy T and a pair of board shorts. He looked okay and off we went to the mall where I saw bunch of guys dressed nicely. Now, our conversation went from euphoric to hell...

Maki: JT, you're a very good looking man and I know you dress nicely when you have to, but I want you to try harder for me from now on.

JT: Eh? What are you talking about?

Maki: You need to dress well when we go out, it doesn't matter where we go, I want you to dress nicely.

JT: I think these look okay (looking down at his clothes)

Maki: Yeah, but see, look around, you know I like when people dress nice and neat..

JT: Oh give me a f*%kin' break. You know I don't like to dressed up for no reason. Are you saying you're embarrassed??

Maki: That's not what I'm saying....

JT: Ok, then let's go home. I'm done shopping today. (and he started walking towards exit)

Maki: Why can't you see my point of view??? (chasing him like a little duck)

JT: Well, you know how I always dress, you know this is how I've dressed since you met me, so you should never married me or if you don't like it, then leave!

Maki: :O (Leave????)

I won't go into the aftermath of our argument after the mall because it was ugly!!! I can't share. LOL.

Okay, I was kind of half joking and half serious when I told him I want him to dress nicely. But you see, I've always enjoyed watching "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy". I think it's nice when men pay attention to fashion. I know it doesn't come naturally for many men, but why do I have to be told to leave???

Even his mom told him before that he needs to dress like 40 years old, not 18 years old. Actually he acts like Tommy Lee from Motley Crue and he even looks like him. John used to compete for DMX and was once a high school champion in the nation. His style would be naturally that. But he looks gorgeous when he dress up for nice dinner or drinks. And I want him to look great for me 24/7. But I guess I am wrong to even think this way...

He told me after the argument when we came home, that I hurt his feeling. He told me that I'm taking other people's inventory. He totally misunderstood my statement. I wasn't checking other guys out. I was just observing how other men were dressed. But in JT's mind, I was looking at the other guys and wishing I have them instead of him.

I felt really bad about it all because he's right, I married him for who he is, not how he dresses. So, I told him I was wrong and I was really sorry... He accepted my apology.

Now, I have to learn how to let go of my desire; wishing that he'd dress good for me. Any good idea or suggestion? How do you deal with a situation like this if you were me???

Dear Irresponsible Dog Owners..

Just so you know, if you can't clean after your dog, please don't even think about getting a dog. And if you insist on leaving your dog's precious behind without picking it up, then please take your dog and let him or her shit in front of YOUR HOUSE.

This is not an attack on responsible dog owners who take their lovely puppies for a walk with poopy bag in hands. I love animals that includes dog. But I hate those inconsiderate assholes who think it's okay to let their dogs poop wherever they please. If they can't pick it up, they don't even have the right to own a dog. Am I wrong of saying this or what???

Well, I've seen these pile of shits on the grass by our parking lot. I first saw it three days ago. I was like "Damn, I hate this...," Then the next day, another poop sitting next to the old one. I could totally tell it came from the same dog by observing the size. Then again yesterday, I see another one, this time a few feet away from the old ones, but I know they are all from the same dog = same owner!!!!


Then today, my two girls were playing outside with their daddy and I. My daughters were running and playing with a ball on the grass when I saw something nearby. "Girls! " I shouted. "Don't move! Freeze!" I said it again... I had to move closer to the brown object to make sure it was a bomb. And yes, it was.

Our condo's management even put those poop baggy stands and trash baskets all over the place which wouldn't let those dog owners say, "oh we forgot to bring the bag.." I just don't understand their thinking. How could you just watch your dog take shits and leave it as is???

My oldest Ju-Ju said, "Oh, those people are so rude, Mama. I can clean myself. I flush my poopy!" Yeah, that's right. Even the four year old knows what's right and wrong, why can't others who are adults??? All you need to do is to bend your knees and reach your hand to the objects with a bag and grab it. Simple. If the smell is bothering you, then hold your breath!!

I know I'm ranting here and I'm sorry.. But I'm getting fed up with it. Please curb your dogs or else, I will curb your asses to the pole!!!!

One Tuesday Afternoon

I got home from running errands just to find out that I got tagged. Maegan at ...lovemaegan tagged me like Kamikaze, a sneak attack!!! Splendid! LOL. Thanks so much Maegan, now I don't have to squeeze my brain to come up with a topic for today's post.

4 things I did today:

** Woke up @ 7am, made breakfast for my family and drove my oldest daughter Ju-Ju to school.
** Made some calls to several doctor's offices and made an appointment with one doc. Would you care to know for what???

** Went to bank, grocery store and Target to buy some cleaning stuff. Don't we all love Target by the way???
** Just finished baking cookies with my two daughters

4 things on my to do list:

** Plan my daughter's big birthday party coming November. It's her first time inviting her friends from school. She is turning 5. This is a big one!
** Purchasing all the necessities for my craft project.
** Decide on the doc for my procedure.
** Take my car for car wash and vaccum inside.

4 things of my guiltiest pleasures:

** Eat Haggen Dazs coffee ice cream while watching Davind Letterman.
** Sitting hours in front of computer blogging and shopping for clothing, shoes and cosmetics.
** Laying on the beach drinking cocktail.
** Singing Karaoke wishing or thinking to be exact, that I'm the American Idol. LOL

4 random facts about me:

** I speak two languages; Japanese and English. And I've been trying to learn Italian because Italy is where my hubby's grandparents are from. I would love to visit the country and eat Italian and talk like an Italian. Would that be possible?? We shall see!!
** I'm obsessed with cosmetics. I buy so many cute makeup stuff @ Sephora or any other department store, and I don't even use some of them. Why???
** I'm VERY sensitive. Ha! Seriously, but, I'm very outgoing and happy gal most of the time.
** I believe in comassion, hope, and love. I'm the nicest girl you'd meet on the street, but don't fuck with me, yo!! :)

4 bloggers I'm tagging:

Rowena@Rubber Slippers in Italy
Jessica @ The Everyday Adventures of Me in the City
Colby@Spittn'(out words) Like a Llama
MJ @ Note to Self

Dark Hair Is My Weakness

Eric Bana
Tom Cruise
Robert De Niro
Matt Dillon
Mark Ruffalo


I love movies. I love cool Hollywood stars. Actually, I posted my favorite Hollywood actresses a while back in my blog. So, I thought I should talk about my favorite actors this time... You may have noticed that all the guys I mention here have dark hair. I don't know why, but I love dark haired men. All the guys I've dated and of course my hubby included, they all have dark brown hair. I think they're so sexy!!!! Anyway, here goes my list.

Eric Bana: Oh my goodness, when I first time saw him in "Black Hawk Down", I was like "okay he's kinda cute.." Then came "Troy" -- Folks, have you seen him in the movie? He was gorgeous!!! He made Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt look like premature little boys. LOL...

Tom Cruise: I'm sorry to say, but I love him. I don't care if he's gone nuts. I've always loved him (and I don't mean it in a stalker way, so you know. LOL). Didn't you all love him in Jerry Maguire???

De Niro: Who wouldn't love him? He looks like my dad, especially when he smiles. Is that why I like him? I can't wait for his new film "Righteous Kill" with Pacino.

Matt Dillon: One of my all time favorite movies is "The Outsiders". I've been his fan since I saw it for the first time; I was only 8... He hasn't changed really and he's doing pretty damn good for 42!! I'm so happy he's still around.

Mark Ruffalo: His role from a hardcore nercotic detective (Collaterol) to a sweet boyfriend (Rumor Has It) kind of amazes me. Well, he is actor, so he has to be able to tuckle variety of roles because that's his job, but I really liked him in Collaterol. When I saw him in it, I was like "WOW!".

So, what do you think of my choice? There are plenty more to list if I want to, but I wanted to make it short and sweet. Who would be your favorite pick??? Please share!!!

She Bangs, She Bangs!!!

With the courtesy of guest appearance by my BFF, Miss K, I now present you my new hairdo!!! I chopped off (well, my stylist did it of course. he he..) my bangs. Yay~~~!!! I've had bangs before, but never this short. I'm loving my new hair and I'm keeping it for a while.

What do you think??? Any thought?

PS: I hope you'll get the title of this post.. LOL

My Wish List : September 20, 08

I found these clutches by Emilion Pucci on Elle.com. I'm not necessary a big fan of his design for dress piece, but I'm somehow intrigued by these weird looking clutches. They look like tasty candies... I want to have one and take it with me when I go out for an evening of fun, only if I had over $2000 to spend it. Ha!!!

My favorite color is the top brown/grey piece. What do you think about these clutches; you like them or hate it?

My question to you; what was your best and worst splurge?

The Update for Show and Tell

For those of you who had sent in all your ideas for my daughter Ju-Ju's show and tell, we want to say HUGE "thank you" and how excited we were to received the comments!!!

We wanted to let you know Ju-Ju happily brough the Icing tube that we had in the fridge. Thanks to i.d.!

All of the comments from you guys have helped us tremendously, especially me who as a mother embarrasingly couldn't come up with many items..

Thank you so much!!!!

Friday 5 for September 19: Animal

This week's Friday 5 seems so easy to answer, but actually, I had tough time with coming up with the answers. But here are my list and enjoy - Happy Friday!!!

1. What’s the cutest of the small, furry animals?

A. Umm... I like animals and I can think of many cute small, furry animals. I would say either kittens or squirrels.. They're both small and cute. But I am a cat person and I've always had cats. Cat's are soooo adorable when they're little kittens!!!

2. What predator impresses you the most?

A. Great White Shark. I'm honestly afraid of them. I would never want to see them in the water. The movie "Jaws" did it for me. But I'm impressed how big their teeth and how their jaws move after the initial bite. Creepy eyes and that teeth, WOW!! - Please swallow me if you decide to eat me..

3. After which animal will you name your professional sports team?

A. I love NJ Davils and NY GIANTS - I tend to like strong figure. I'd like Tiger or Jaguar for my team.

4. What’s an unusual animal that you know a little something about?

A. I like tasmanian devil - not that I know more than other people should know about them, but I think they're cute looking, but very strong and vicious at time.

5. Your high school probably had some kind of mascot or symbol, but based on your memories of it, what animal should REALLY have been the emblem?

A. I have two high school mascots. First school I attened Seabury Hall in Maui's mascot was Spartans and I must say the school can come up with something more gentle because Seabury was very mellow and layback school. I would pick "Dolphins" or something rather peaceful..

The mascot for Berkeley High School in California where I graduated from is "Yellowjackets" and I often wondered why??? But then the mascot kind of grew on me, so I wouldn't change it.

URGENT MY FRIENDS!!!! Subject: Show And Tell with Letter "I"

My oldest daughter Ju-Ju has to come up with an item that starts with letter "I" to bring to school for show and tell tomorrow. Now it's 9:34pm and we're totally stuck!!
I thought finding stuff that starts with letter "I" is piece a cake, but I totally underestimated the challenge.

Okay, "ice" or "igloo" are totally out of the picture. We thought maybe "indian?", but we don't have any indian figure in the house. Damn, it's really, really difficult this week.

Uh... emm.. can you please help us????

Oh, Not Again!

Apparently, we have a new favorite word on the streets. Let's spell it out! B-A-I-L-O-U-T. Yes, Bailout!!! All the big corporates are getting special treatment from our government these days. They are in debt and now government helps them to clear it all for them!! But remember, the government's money is your money = tax payers' money!!!
Is this fair??? I know there are pros and cons for this wonderful term called bailout, but really, who are we kidding???

Today, the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve allowing $85 billion bailout of AIG. $85 billion folks, $85 billion!!! Can you imagine how ginormous the amount is???? I thought it's in 'm', but it's 'b', billion! (okay, I sound like a broken record here..) I believe if my memory is correct, AIG is a private company. Don't get me wrong, I have no ill feeling towards them; actually, AIG was my car insurance when we lived in Hawaii and they were quite frankly, very kind and smooth operators when my husband, JT got in to the accident back in 06. I would hate to see AIG go, but I also think that the government is doing more damage than helping our fragile economy by bailingout so many private mega companies too easily...

So, I asked myself this question: What can we do with that $85 billion? Let's see... How about if we bailout all these American citizens who struggle everyday with no health coverage, jobs and income? People are getting laidoff, their paychecks being cut in half or can't find new jobs. They're losing homes and more people are becoming homeless. Why don't we spend the money to pay off medical bills for so many unfortunate people who aren't covered by their health insurance?

Or how about this? What if we would donate the money to our public schools nationwide? We are in dire need of school funding; teachers are losing jobs, too, which means lack of quality education. Our children need schools; good schools where they'll learn the importance of education which will lead them to a good future.

I think with that $85 billion, we could help ease many problems this country faces today at least a bit or am I being too naive?? I don't know... It just scares me that our economy is in such a bad state. Oh please someone tells me good news!

THANK YOU!!!!

I would like to use this post to thank all of you who have left me all those warm comments about my previous post. Each message from you has meant to me so much and touched me deeply. I feel like I'm not alone anymore fighting this battle, that I have all of you got my back...

THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!

Finally, the boat is sailing....

I really haven't talked about my relationship with my husband. I was not eager to talk about him or our relationship too much because I have been through a lot with him and for him. But I think I'm finally able to share my life with my husband with all of you who read my blog. Yes, I think I'm ready....

My husband, JT (his nickname here on the blog) and I have been married for six years and have been together for eight years. For the past four years though, have been the most challenging time of our relationship.

JT is a recovering addict. I knew he was addicted to drugs when I met him, when I dated him and when I married him. He was a major pot smoker and using cocaine recreationally (kinda nice way to say for "every weekends" ). It's crazy, when you love someone, those serious problems didn't matter to me or at least I tried not to acknowledge his problems. Part of me was saying I shouldn't be with him, but other part of me couldn't resist of being with him.

He used to tell me he would quit and I always believed his word. I waited and waited patiently, hoping he'd change his ways. Then I got pregnant with my first baby. That's when things took the wrong turn again. He was now addicted xanax due to the anxiety. Oh man, why!? Could anything be more wrong in my life??

Then my baby Ju-Ju was born... I think that's when something sort of happened inside of him. When he cut the belly cord and held our baby girl for the first time, I think he realized that he had to change. So he stopped taking xanax, just like that. Yep, cold turkey!!!! But do you know what happens when you're heavily addicted to xanax and stop taking them suddenly???? You'll have seizure, my friends!!!

One morning, I heard a huge thud and woke up. I saw my husband on the floor. I didn't have contact lenses in my eyes and couldn't see well, so I thought he just fell from bed. I started laughing and said, "are you okay, JT?" But he wouldn't answer me. So I get closer, then I saw him convulsing. His stiffness of arms and body, I knew he was having a grand mal seizure. I had never seen anyone having seizure via live. It was like a bad dream, but at the same time, I thought he was going to die. I called 911 screaming and crying for help because I didn't know what was happening or what to do.

When he came to, he was surrounded by 7 Rescue and Engine firefighters. They told him he had to go to the hospital, but he was like "Are you fu@#*ing kidding me? I've never been an epileptic and there is no way I had seizure.." Of course he wouldn't know..

They talked to him for quite a while and he agreed to go to see a doc if, I, his wife Maki would take him by our truck, not in the ambulance. When we got there, the doc ran some tests (cat scan, blood tests, etc) and everything came back normal. So he okayed us to go home. We're chatting in the car on the way home and I was explaining to him what happened and how scary it was. Then I felt the sudden silence in the back of the car. I looked back and there he was having another seizure laying on top of our four months old baby in the infant seat. I called another 911 and the same folks from the Rescue and Engine company came to help us. This time, he was in the ambulance off to ER....

Ever since that day, four years ago, my life with him had been ups and downs, an emotional roller coaster. He managed to quit xanax, but he became epileptic. He's had total 10 seizures in four years period. One time was in our truck while he was driving to work and ran into a house. It happened three days after we celebrated his 1st year seizure free anniversary. My heart dropped when I saw a police officer standing in front of the door asking me if I'm JT's wife. I thought he was dead!! That was almost two years ago. He hasn't had seizure since.

He was still spoking pot here and there, but he went to detox last year October. He relapsed once again in March, but he's been clean and sober for 5 months now. No pot, no any kind of drugs. He's clean! He prays everyday. I pray everyday for his sobriety. There were million times I wanted to give up on him and on our marriage. I was often envious of other couples who seemed so happy and drama free. But I stood by him. I always remember our wedding vows when he told me that I am his best friend. I couldn't give up on my best friend. I just couldn't...

He's totally a different person now. He's more caring and loving than ever before. I know that it's daily struggle for both me and my husband. His fight against his addiction is not over, but I would like to hope that he's ready to be the person he meant to be. I want to have faith in him. And I know he can be the best husband and father to me, Ju-Ju and Soapy.

I was always afraid that people would judge me and think I'm a loser for marrying my husband. But I can say now that I'm proud of him. And I wanted you to know who I really am and who my husband is. And hopefully by sharing my story here would help people who are going through the same problems. I hope I didn't bore you with my story. Thanks for reading and please come back....

Welcom Back, Christian

THEN

I must admit, I used to love Christian Slater. He had this bad boy image and I only fell for bad boys when I was young. He was cute. But then, he had all these problems with drugs, women (mainly with his ex wife) and anger, etc, so he kind of disappeared for a while. I know he did some great parts in several awesome movies such as "The Contender" and "Bobby", but he was sidelined for long time.


NOW

Then I start to see the preview for "My Own Worst Enemy" which is a new TV series on NBC schedule to air soon. Christian Slater and TV??? Interesting. Actually, many movie stars these days are doing TV series. It's a new trend among the movie stars. Anyway, my honest opinion is that he hasn't changed a bit. Maybe he put some weight around his belly and his hairline may have progressed more, but overall he looks pretty good!! He is still sexy and I'm happy:) I think I'm going to tune in to the new drama just to see how my old hunk does on TV screen. I'm kind of excited and I hope it's doesn't suck!

Tell Me Something Good!!!!

Today's topic for "Morning Mash" on SIRIUS was DJ's taking calls by asking "Tell us something good because that's what we want to hear!!"
They said, "The world around us is crumbling down and we just want to hear happy stories!!!!" Don't we all agree that our world seems in caos these days???

One caller said she just got engaged last Sunday and other caller said he's bring his first baby girl home this morning. Sweets!!!

And I thought to myself what would I say if I called Rich, Ryan and Nicole and they asked me to tell them something good!!! That's when I heard my two daughters laughing and playing each other and giggling in the backseat.. "YES!!! This is it!!" I thought. I have my beautiful girls who are healthy (knock on wood) and precious who make my world sometimes caotic, but also perfect. That is my good story: One happy story.

So now I ask you this; Tell me something good!?!?!?

My Bank Bought Merrill Lynch

Okay, "my bank" meaning I have a checking account with Bank of America. I don't own the bank just so you know!

Anyway, I am not great with stocks or anything that has to do with numbers. I get very confused and my brain stops thinking altogether. But, I know this is a huge deal when Bank of America announced today that it will buyout Merill Lynch. I can't believe that ML was in this deep sh@t. Wall Street is in caos, Y'all!!!

I knew ML was having some problems last year when old CEO was let go with $5 million. I would quit if I were offered $5 million though.. My sister in law works for ML as an assistant VP. So I know some inside scoop. She's been taking a maternity leave at this moment and due back to work next month. I'm sure she's kind of freaking out by now..

Then comes the announcement of Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy. This is crazy. All of those maga/giant finacial corporates are going down, one by one. It makes me realize how serious our economy is.

This is exactly what happened in Japan about 15 years ago. We had a golden age called "Bubble" when people were buying real estates, investing and spending and spending. Everybody in Japan thought they're rich and king of the world!!! Their heads were growing daily and banks were lending money to people and various companies left and right without any sufficient evidence that they could pay the banks back. Then bubble popped and nothing had left in the glass. Many banks had to file bankruptcy and forced to merge. Once strong "yen" became really weak and it burdened so many people living in overseas including myself. All the news that people in Japan heard at the time was that the economy is terrible, so they had become afraid and reluctant to spend money. In order for economy to be strong, money has to circulate, but people didn't do that due to fear for resession. Japan is still recovering from the Bubble.

When my husband and I bought our condo in Florida four years ago, the market here was booming. It was HOT!!! It was the smartest choice to buy the property and flip it if possible. But as soon as we signed the paper and closed it, I realized right then we had made a huge mistake. And I was right. We wanted to sell the condo when we moved back to Hawaii three years ago, but we didn't find anyone who wanted to buy our place with the price we're asking. We were patient for about a year, but we knew we could wait forever without anyone to buy it, so we decided to rent it out to my friend Miss K. Then my husband got sick, so we moved back here and living in it now.

It sucks because we feel like we're trapped. We are fortunate that we can afford the morgage, but many people are filing for foreclosures. Morgage, credit card, oil crisis. It's just unbelieveable!! But really, whose fault is it? Is it people's fault when they didn't have the money to buy the house, but they bought it anyway, and spend money on credit cards when they don't even have the money to pay it back? Or are banks and morgage comapanies at fault for lending money so easily???

I still would like to hope and believe that we'll be okay and this is just a phase. But I know our economy has not hit rock bottom yet. People are losing jobs, man. Isn't it a scary thought??? I am kind getting upset every time I go to grocery shopping and see the price of butter and milk getting more and more expensive. Very depressing...

Now the question comes to my mind is the big election in November. Will the new president can turn things around for good? Because it's pretty damn hard job to take over.

Some People Just Make Me Laugh

I've mentioned before about "Best of Craigslist" a few posts back. I found another funny postings and I thought I'd share with you.

1. This guy wrote on Craigslist about the women he's dated. I'm impressed that he remembers the names of all the women he had been with. Maybe some women are fictional or maybe they are all real. Either way, I was laughing as I read the list of his women; very funny! Some stuff he says is kind of mean and raw, but if you get to the last three names of his women, it makes your heart goes "Awwwwwwwww". It's nice to know that he's found LOVE in his life. You can read it here!!!

2. This guy is unreal. Really.... You have to read it to know what I'm talking about.
I honestly hope he gives it to someone who really needs it and hope he got the tickets. My mom is on dialysis, so it's no laughing matter. But if he really means it, then I am happy for anyone who can benefit from this guy. Check it out here!

Beauty of Stillness

I went to the beach with my family the other day to see the surf while Ike was passing through Gulf. The waves weren't that high as we anticipated, but it was such a beautiful day!!!

I took several photos with my BB camera. My daughter was trying to find her daddy while he was bodysurfing. She kept asking me if her dadyy will find the ring he's lost in the ocean which I talked about in the blog a few weeks ago. Yeah, that's right. He's lost his wedding ring. I told her that it's impossible to do it. Then she said, "Well, Mommy, he doesn't have any ring to lose again, so that's a good thing..." Awww little kids are too smart sometimes. LOL.

I just love these pictures of my olderst daughter Ju-Ju (Little Miss J's nickname). She stood there for awhile and watched her daddy what he does best. The sea breeze and the sound of waves were so soothing in the HOT day in Florida. It was one of those days I got to smile and thought that my life is good...

If You Drink Them, It Will Come

I used to be a party girl; going out every weekend, drinking all night long like a champ. But those glorious days are in the past now... I have two little girls and a husband. I'm lucky if I get to go out once a month. But that's totally okay with me because when I do, I have so much fun. Maybe too much fun!

That's what happened to me last night. I went out with one of BFF, Miss K and oh boy, did I have a good time or what??? While my husband watched our daughters, I went to bars and danced and had many drinks. Well, maybe too much??? Therefore, I woke up with this pounding headache... I think I asked for it as a token for fun time.

Folks, let's drink responsibly..

Cleanness Is Divine~

So as always, I was listening to "Morning Mash" on SIRIUS and today's topic was "Clean Bathroom and Dirty Bathroom". You gotta love the subject!!!

They said that the cleanest (public) bathroom is in a hotel in Nashville, Tenn. Apparently, the bathroom is so clean that people can cook on the floor(really?). I would love to see this bathroom in Nashville.

I'm a big hater of public bathroom in general. I might be able to categorize myself as a public bathroom phobia. It freaks me out, it grosses me out and I do everything possible to avoid the situation where I have to use one. I can hold it for hours if I have to. But, when you have little ones in hand, that determination can easily shifted to the other side of fense. Even yesterday, when we went to the beach, as soon as we got comfortable, my oldest daughter Miss Little J said, "Mommy, I have to go to bathroom.." I was like "Awwwwwww!!!!" But when she gotta go, she got to go!

Okay, so public bathroom.... Why can't we all keep it clean? Do other people have any common sense to clean after themselves?? Because if you do your part to keep it tidy after your own business, we can all use the common area comfortably in the very clean environment. But no.. Some people just don't know how to use one. They just don't or don't care. It makes me really angry to tell you the truth. I sometimes have to knock and go through every single door until I find the one that I feel comfortable and safe using. It's disgusting. We're all women (I don't even want to picture what it is like to be in men's bathroom. Ewww!), we should know how to use the bathroom, should we not? Didn't our moms teach us how to do it??

My father used to say when we go out to a restaurant and needed to use the bathroom, "Ok, a moment of truth, let's see if this restaurant is clean place after all." He says you'll know everything about the food you eat at the restaurant if you see their bathroom. Even the restaurant is clean and offers fantastic food, if the bathroom is dirty, that's what you are eating. Because if they can't clean the bathroom, they're not cleaning the kitchen as well. I kind of agree with him.

These are the stuff you should know before you use public bathroom:

1. Do not use your hands to open the door. If you have to, then try to grab the handle with the sleeve, or grab with a paper towel.

2. Stay aways from the toilet bowl when flushing. The splash contains ton of germy germ!! I always make sure my kids stay away from it. They kind of fit right in; the toilet bowl looking right at them. LOL

3. Try to use public bathrooms that keeps track when and how often they clean, etc. Many department stores do maintain and clean the bathroom regularly.

By the way, if you would like to know, the nastiest /dirtiest public bathroom is at Port Authority in New York City. I thought they'd have enough people to maintain it to be clean. But I guess they're all too busy maintain the safety of the city..

So there you have it - Let's keep it clean, folks!!!

Friday 5 for September 12: No Way! Way!

1. Who lets you have your way more than you should?
A. My Mother:) She has spoiled me since I was an infant. I'm still her baby:)

1. According to the cliche, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but what’s the way to yours?
A. Good humor, Good brain and Good looks = One Sweet Package:)

1. What’s something that should have been put away but hasn’t been?
A. My iBook. My hubby constantly tells me "Turn it off!" "Put it away!" meaning "Pay more attention to me!!!" LOL..

When did you last weigh yourself?
A. The day before yesterday when I was at my gym. I don't even know for what, since my weight hasn't changed for the past 4 months. I guess it's a habit.

What do the cops in the donut shop say?
A. "Hey Guys, How ya all doing? Uh... can I get the dozen honey glazed? Bad for you health, but I've got too much stress going on, Man, I love these stuff.."

Happy Birthday, My Love!!!!!

Today is my husband's birthday. The world remembers how horrible that morning September 11 was; how sad the day has been for so many people for the past seven years. But I always know this day is also my husband's birthday.

He is from New Jersey and grew up watching Twin Towers stood proudly in NYC. He was there in NJ when it happened and watched the towers crumbling down. His birthday hasn't been the same since.

I have told him so many times and many years that the meaning of his birthday doesn't change, that it's a wonderful occasion and we should celebrate. We used to go out and party like champs, but now he rather stays home and celebrate quietly. It's not because he holds grudge or sadness over what happened that morning, but it's rather the serenity he wants in his birthday. We all need to move forward and have hopes and realize how beautiful life is and fragile it is... We all should never forget what happened seven years ago, but also need to learn to smile this day.

But I want to say this; HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JT!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!

This is just HILARIOUS!!!

I spend a lot of time on computer and write blog or search online for something interesting. One of my hobby for these days is to go to Craigslist and find funny stuff that people post on there. Then today, I found this job posting from Best of Craigslist. The listing title is this; "Live in Nanny Needed for 4 kids (Pls don't call them "Precious Ones")

Best of Craigslist is where readers vote for best and funny postings. And I believe this "Nanny Wanted" posting is one of the best of all time.

The lady begins to say "My kids are a pain in the ass...." And then on to say, "Just in the past hour, i have had to tell each one to do something more than once. oldest: can i have soda? it's just a sprite? please? can i? no, no and no.
the next one...don't even get me started. seriously."

Are you laughing yet? Wait a sec, I can't stop quoting: "I can be a tad difficult to work for. I'm loud, pushy and while I used to think we paid well, i am no longer sure. i work from home, so you get the pleasure of being hounded by me all day long. and, you get to pretend to like me, because i am deeply sensative. (but well dressed and a know it all, a winning combination I assure you.)
If you cannot multi task, or communicate without being passive aggressive, don't even bother replying."

Seriously, this woman is hilarious. Her funny requests for the potential nanny applicants goes on forever and I can't write everything here, so if you care to find out more about what she has to say, then clickTHIS! I promise you'll laugh your ass off.

The another funny posting I've found is also from Best of Craigslist, but the original listing was posted on missed connection. Apparently this guy has been on Craigslist for a while hoping to meet someone who put him on "missed connection". His ranting out of frustration just cracks me up.

For those of you who never heard of "missed connection"; it is where people write and post messages in hopes to find the person they met on the streets and reconnect. Some listing are funny to read.. I tend to read NY missed connection because I love NYC and there are plenty of postings, but you can find "missed connection" in your local Craigslist.

I hope you get to laugh reading these messages!!!

Oversleeping is not cool.

Just let me take a deep breath here...... Oh my god, I'm amazed how fast I was this morning, like the Olympian Michael Phelps. My oldest daughter has to be at school by 8:30am everyday. It was 8:12am when I woke up!!!! You wouldn't believe how quick and high I jumped from the bed, rushed to my girl's room, woke her up and changed, feed the breakfast in the car, drove like a maniac and got to the school where teacher awaits her students in front of the front door. It was 8:32am. I pretended like nothing happened, all smiley and saying "hello", but we couldn't fool the teacher. "Oh, Miss Littele J, you look sleepy...." LOL!

I did all the above in 16 minutes, pretty impressive, huh? However, there is nothing more depressing and embarassing than my kids being late for school. I feel complete a loser as a mother. I wanted to kill myself for rushing my princess the way I did just because I overslept (whey didn't I hear the alrm go off? or did I just shut the damn thing off in my half sleep mode?) Awwww! But hey, she was pretty much on time because there're other cars behind me trying to drop their kids off, so I will close my panicky babbling now.... Make sure to set you clock tomorrow, folks!!!

Pretty Girls

Cameron Diaz

Kate Beckinsale

Jennifer Connelly

Maggie Gyllenhaal

SJP


I thought I would share the photos of Hollywood actresses that I adore. As you can see, they are all different types of people. But I enjoy watching them act on TV and screen or in magazines. They are all so charming, their sense of style is amazing and I love the way they carry themselves. Cameron Diaz is the only person I've seen in person and I assure you, she was very cute and tall, and very down to earth. She blew rasberries at my olderst daughter when she was only 7 month old. One of my fondest memories...

What do you think, folks? Do you have any favorite Hollywood actress or actor?

My Favorite Indulgence Is In Crisis

I love Haagen Dazs ice cream, especially Coffee and Strawberry flavors. But then, I have learned that all the flavors I have enjoyed, loved and treasured so much for so long, may will be gone forever; they're in serious crisis. It's all because the honey bees are disappearing!!! I was watching CNN about six months ago, when the network reported for the first time on their daily economy segment that Haagen Dazs Ice Cream maybe in trouble; not because their products weren't selling, but one of their secret ingredients're somehow disappearing from Earth.

Now, I see the honey bee logo everywhere on their packages or on the website asking for your help to bring the bees back. People may think, "Oh honey bees??? So what? I don't eat ice creams.." But the truth is 1/3 of food we eat could be impacted by this honey bee crisis. Did you know the honey bees are responsible for making our food tastey and yummy including many kinds of fruits??? I didn't know that until I visited Haagen Dazs website.

This is pretty serious issue and I want to ask for your help: Help save those cute little honey bees and let's bring them back!!!!

To help, please go HERE. Thank you!!!!

Would You or Would You Not???

Ok, I have been debating on this question for years. And I hope you can shed some light on the solution for me. What would you do if you find out that your best friend's boyfriend/girlsfriend is cheating on her/him? I don't know why, but this happens to me quite often. And I'm always torn between telling the truth and looking away, and let it take its own course.

Let me list the names of my friends whose significant others being unfaithful without their knowledge. Miss T.S. who was one of my bridesmaid whose boyfriend had constantly cheated on her and she was the only one who didn't know. They broke up two years ago and her new BF told her about her ex and she was really upset that no one told her.

Another friend of mine, Miss T.N's boyfriend also cheated on her many, many times, so her other friends informed her that he's a cheater, but she chose to believe her then boyfriend. They just got engaged and she and her other friends are no longer talking.

My sister-in-law, S's husband, actually he's my hubby's younger brother also constantly cheated on her and they got separated once. While they're separated, he was dating another girl while he was telling my sis-in-law, S that he's not seen (sleeping) anybody.

Now, my best friend Miss K's in love with my brother-in-law, Mr. D (the youngest of all) which I had written a post about them a while back. He pretty much tells Miss K everything, but sometimes his tellig truth means 1/2 truth and 1/2 lie...

Now, all my friends' boyfriends are my husband's friends. So I knew a lot of the things that my friends don't and shouldn't know. They all tell me or at least used to tell me how much they're in love with their men and how wonderful they're. Or sometimes, they tell me they got in the argument and they suspect their men were cheating on them or asked me if he's right for them.

My dilemma is this: if you truly care about your friend, would you tell her the truth which her siginificant other's cheating on her, or because you care about her, would you shut your mouth and hope for the best? I always have to put this nice smile on my face and say "Of course he love you" or "He's a great guy" or something along the line. It hurts me when I have to lie like that, but then what will I accomplish by putting my nose into their relationship and reveal the secret about their men???

Dr. Phil (that's right, Dr. Phil!) once had a caller on the show asking him about the same thing as I am doing it here: her husband's best friend's wife is cheating on the husband and because the husband is such a nice guy, the caller can't stand what's going on. She thinks that the husband should know the truth. Do you want to know Dr. Phil's advise??? He said, "Stay out of it!!!"

He asked the caller, "Why would you want to tell him that his wife is cheating on him? Are you trying to sleep with him? Unless you want to sleep with him, it's non of your business." Take that! Dr. Phil said whether it's morally wrong, it's business between the wife and the husband's and you are not ought to ruin their relationship. He'll find out soon or later or many he'll never finds out. Let them decide what's right for them because in the end, the husband may hate you for telling him the truth.

So, what would you do??? Would you or would you not tell your friend the truth???

The Pursuit of Happiness

I just finished watching the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" (2006). I'm sure you already know about this movie. It's based on the true story of Chris Gardner who became homeless only to become a successful stockbroker after many years of struggle by living his dream.

I must say it was very a heart warming movie. If you haven't seen the movie, maybe you should check it out because it will teach you something that we all need not to forget: Never give up on yourself nor your dream.

As many of you already know, the phrase that was used for this movie's title was from the United States Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson; "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". These phrase are your rights as United States Citizens. I always get the chills (in a good way) when I hear these words whether in books, movies or on tv.

Having said that, how many of us really think about the meaning of it? Do we really pursuit of our happiness and dreams? Do we really live our lives to its fullest? After seen this movie, I realized once again that life is not accident, that I have to make my life the way I've always hoped to be regardless of trials I may endure, and that never to give up hope and my dreams. And I hope I can teach my children the same message.

Friday 5 for September 5 : Orange

1. What’s your favorite orange-colored food?

A. Honestly? Orange! LOL. I love tangy fruits and orange is one of my favorite! The smell and the sweet taste is just yummy.

2. What’s the best way to drink orange juice?

A. If I have money to buy enough oranges, absolutely and definitely squeezed them fresh! And pour in a nice glass in the morning - That's the best yo!

3. Which candy’s orange-colored pieces taste best?

A. In my humble opinion, Starbursts.. Just thinking about it making me drool in my mouth. ha ha. AND chocolate covered orange jelly candy.. Oh Divine!!!

4. What are your feelings about orange soda?

A. Truthfully, I like grape soda better. Orange soda tastes kind of funky and fakey to me. But, my husband LOVES orange soda. He drinks it like water sometimes which gives me nausea...

5. When did you last wear an orange item of clothing?

A. Are you for real asking this question???? Orange clothing.... Ahhhh.. I don't recall owning one, oh wait, maybe I did.. in high school. A nice shirt from Banana Republic, but I think it was more like coral color.

My Daughter's First Boyfriend???

When I picked up my daughter today, one of her classmate's mother came up and talked to me. "Oh, my son has been talking about your daughter everyday since school started. He wouldn't stop talking about her and she is my son's favorite friend. I met her for the first time yesterday and she's soooo adorable!!" the mother said. I was very flattered and all I could say was "Thank you." Actually, my daughter got the invitation for his birthday and I told the mother we'll gladly attend.

Well, the story doesn't end there. We went home and doing whatever we had to do. Then my husband comes home. So, the first thing I tried to do was talk about her classmate Mr. Little J and how his mother went on about our daughter. Next thing I know all I heard was a little scream from behind, then crying voice with two little hands grabbing my legs tightly. It was my daughter Miss Little J. She was looking up and begging me to stop telling her daddy about her classmate Mr. Little J.

I was a bit confused because I just didn't know what was wrong, so I proceeded to inform my husband what Mr. Little J's mom had told us. Oh no, it was a huge mistake. A big mistake. My daughter Miss. Little J went on nuts on me, crying like something was really hurting her. So, I had to hold her and asked what's going on. She kept saying that she didn't want me to tell her daddy about her classmate. So, I stopped. My husband and I kinda knew, but we decided to shut our mouths, winking at each other.

Several hours had passed and at the bed time while I was laying next to my girls, my daughter whispered to my ears and asked, "Mommy, can I talk about Mr. Little J?" "Of course," I said.

Apparently, Mr. Little J likes my daughter and always sits next to her or asks her to sit next to him whenever there is class activity or snack time. She tells me that she wants to sit next to other friends, too, but Mr. Little J won't let her. LOL.
"Please don't tell Daddy about Mr. Little J, okay? I don't want him to get upset.." she said.

I felt this incredible warmth in my body. She knows somehow that her daddy is her number 1. Well, my husband always tells her so (kind of a brain washing way. lol). I think she got embarrassed. She's 4, turning 5 in two months. I think it's that age where you start to recognize some sort of feelings towards the opposite sex.. I told her that it's okay to have friends, boy or girl. I told her she needs to be nice to her friend, Mr. Little J because she was saying that she's now shy to see him. I told her it's okay that he likes her because they're friends and classmates.
"Okay, Mommy, I'll be nice to him..."

Aww, I can't wait to find out what will happen tomorrow -- or am I being a bad mother to feel this way?

Tip Etiquett

Some people may know from reading my blog that English is my second language. Pretty bad grammer here and there and I apologize. Anyways, I was driving my daughter yesterday morning as usual and doing the morning ritual; listening to "Morning Mash" on Sirius. The topic was how much is too much to tip for the food delivery guys or on take order food. Their conversation was when Rich (one of the dj's) tipped the delivery guy from Chinese restaurant across the street only $2 when the guy brought their lunch over, which sparked the debate with the other dj's Ryan. Ryan thinks Rich should've paid more than $2 for tip. Rich thinks he tipped the guy accordingly where the delivery guy just walked across the street and brought food. Lunch was about $16. I thought $2 for $16 is kind of steep. But Rich's point was that it's delivery. The delivery guy walked only 20seconds from his restaurant to the studio and brought food; he didn't serve the food nor took care of Rich's table.

I am from Japan where there is no tipping culture. Therefore, I sometimes don't know when to tip or how much to tip. For instance, when I go to Starbucks, I put change in their jar or maybe $1 if I order more than $10. But do we really need to? Or I order takeout from my favorite Japanese restaurant time to time and pick them up for myself. In this case how much should I tip? I usually end up tipping a lot because I read somewhere online that take out be considered full service where people prepare food and take time to box them. But do we really need to tip 15% - 18% for take out order?

But really, I'm so confused.. I know when I go to a restaurant I ought to pay at least 20%, depends on the service, of course. I know I should tip the guys from car wash place. I know how to tip in general circumstances. But there are times when I actually froze up and don't know how much to tip or tip at all. Can you help me understand, in which case I don't need to tip people???

When The Ring Is Gone....

I really don't know how many people lose their wedding ring on daily basis, but my husband did just that yesterday... I'm not happy. And I will ask your opinion in the end of this blog tonight....

Let me just rewind how it happened. We have had some effect on Gustav here in the West Coast of Florida for the past few days, so my husband and I took our girls and went to see some good waves. My husband loves to surf, but because all his boards are still in Hawaii, he decided to bodysurf. After an hour of good session, he got our of the water, he ran to take shower and I knew something was wrong by looking at his face. I took my girls with me and went to see how he's doing.

Me: What's wrong?
Husband : ......... (he just keeps taking shower and shakes his head saying nothing)
Me: Wat's wrong? Don't tell me nothing because I know something's wrong.
Husband : Nothing..... (and he keeps taking shower)
Me : Oh, come on... What happened? Is everything okay?

He stopped the water and grabbed me and hugged me so tightly I started laughing. And he said "I'm so sorry, I lost my ring....."

I stopped and looked at his left hand. His ring finger is intact without the wedding ring. I was speechless. He explained to me that as he was catching the last and the biggest wave of the day, he could feel the ring was coming off, so he tried to grabbed it, but it was too late. It was GONE!!!!

He kept saying "I'm sorry, I'll replace it," but to me even he buys the same ring, it wouldn't be the same; it wouldn't hold the same meaning. We took our vows and married with those rings. He can't just buy the same ring and think everything is going to be okay. I know he didn't do it on purpose and I'm fully aware that it was an accident. But what a shocker..

My husband has been very quiet since that happened. He looked in my eyes as we drove home and said, "I honestly am feeling sick to my stomach..." The ring is just a representation of who we are as a husband and a wife, but it does take away something that we both have cherished when it's gone... We don't know what he should do; just replace it or wait for another four years for our 10th anniversary and married again... What do you think? What should we do?????