My Apparent Addictive Nature

My husband says I have an addictive nature. I guess it is true. When I am into something, I can’t/won’t let go of it until I am thoroughly sick of it or done with it. He cites two recent things that I was hooked on. One was Farmtown. I was obsessed with it and was farming day and night until I got my mansion on the hill. Now I don’t even bother going in to water my dying plants. Now, I am hooked on a game on my Ipod Touch. It’s not even that great a game, but addictive to me nonetheless. It’s called Alchemist, for those who are curious to know what it is. 
The earliest memory I have of my ‘addictive’ nature is when I was probably 10 years old. I would get a new Enid Blyton story book and just have to finish it. I remember waking up at 3am in the morning and reading it in the bathroom. My favorite is still the Magic Faraway Tree. In fact, I have a copy of it on my bookshelf. And this is the very reason I have not started reading the famed Twilight series. Those books are thick and I do not wish to neglect my family when I have my nose stuck in the book at days on end.
I like to say that I am passionate about it, instead of the term ‘addictive’. Sounds more positive. Haha. This same nature of mine works for the worse when I want something. I won’t stop thinking about it until I get it. Right now, I want an Iphone. I don’t even know why. I have an Ipod Touch. It works the same minus the data plan and voice. I could get a mi-fi to go with my Ipod Touch. I have thought about it. But I am not sure if 5GB is enough to last me a month. It would be my sole home internet provider. My husband has his laptop and I have my Ipod Touch. Will 5 GB be enough? What are your thoughts?

Facebook - the downfall of blogging

Blogging slowed to a stop after I signed up on Facebook. How sad. I am reading the posts I made here and it certainly brings back sweet and funny memories. I shall contrive to start again. Although I should also confess that going back to work does not leave me with a whole chunk of time to update my blog.
Anyhoo, life has been interesting. Got involved again in worship ministry in the beginning of last year and now, one year later I am no longer in the church. Drama, drama. But not really. Just believe that God has something different in store for us and we shall see what it is. I believe that a lot of change will be happening in our lives.
On the homefront, the husband does not like to take me out to eat anymore. (Have I blogged about this before?) He says that the meals I cook for him is so much better that he cannot imagine paying money for bland food. In fact, he just called me the best cook yesterday! You must know that when I came to live in the US almost 10 years ago, I did not know how to cook. Well I can cook instant noodles but that was the extent of my expertise in the kitchen. The first year of our married life, my husband was the one who taught me how to cook scrambled eggs, pancakes, spaghetti and meatballs. I have come a long way. Well not much choice really. I guessed I learned to cook out of desperation. There is only so many cheeseburgers and sandwishes I want to eat on a daily basis. No nasi lemak, curry laksa, roti canai, chicken rice, hokkien mee, har meen, chap fan at a moment's notice. People living in Malaysia must take this for granted!
My passion is food, can you tell? :)
Cael is a good boy...most of the time. I think he is very well-behaved. That is what most people tell us when they meet him. So I will take their word for it! :)

Recap 2008

Happy New Year!

Here are the highlights of 2008.

January - Finally got hired permanently with Ferguson. Did not expect this as people were getting laid off everywhere I turned! Ferguson is a distributor of plumbing supplies ie, bathtubs, toilets, showers, water heaters, so the housing crisis directly impacted the company. SO THANK GOD I still have a job!

Cael turned 2 on the 29th. No birthday party. Just a tiny gathering with the Scotties and David Matthews and family.

April - Joined 24 Hour Fitness. Ashamed to say I have only been there less than 10 times at the close of 2008.

May - Finally moved into new home after much struggle with the whole escrow process. The nest few months saw us busy turning the house into home. Spent lots of money, drained lots of savings! But well worth it!

Mid-August - Cael started potty training. Was not as difficult as anticipated. Baby sitter helped a lot. The process took less than 3 weeks. But Cael has turned into a toilet tourist! Everywhere we go, he loves to check out the restroom. (Need to go potty, Mama!)

October - George and family came for a 3 week visit. Had loads of food and fun!
October was a bad month at work. News of people getting laid off was rampant. The morale was low. Contemplated buying a bigger SUV but soon decided against it. Now is not the time to get into more debt. Job uncertainties abound but God is faithful.

November - Joined the Pampered Chef business to get out of the house once or twice a month to have fun and socialize.
Celebrated Thanksgiving 3 times - One at the Burge's home, one at my home, and another one during Home Group.
Company did not celebrate Thanksgiving.

December - Gerald went to the ER again this Christmas because of food poisoning. Last year same time went to ER for stomach flu. We celebrated Christmas at Lucille's BBQ on eve.
Company did not hold Christmas party.
Had a New Year's Eve party at our home with friends. Lame-o's did not last until midnite! Last guests left at 11.30pm. Made a new dessert called Banana Split Cake. It might be the best dessert yet but completely fattening!!

What will 2009 bring?

Family Visit

So my family was here for a visit last month, George, Coreen and baby Luke. Family visits are so few and far between so we were really excited. I was especially happy for Cael who got to play with his little cousin, Luke. They were here for 3 weeks. Geirge is a really great cook. He can cook anything he puts his mind to, or so it seems.  We had ‘Bak Kut Teh’, BBQ ribs, risotto, crabs, ‘Kim Kueh Ker’, Char Siu, Steaks etc. Not in one sitting of course!

We had fun in San Diego although Coreen was quite sick from flu. We went to the San Diego Zoo and manage to capture a good picture of the panda! We ate a lot of good food, bought a lot of stuff. It was a fun and relaxing time. Cael has a nickname for Luke, which is Baby Yum-yum. That is what Luke says when he wants to eat, which is pretty often! Hehe. But he is not a fat baby by any means. In fact I believe he lost a lot of weight while he was here because he was sick for quite a while too. The poor little thing.

Did lots of shopping at Cabazon Premium Outlet. Shoes, shoes and more shoes for Coreen! George had a good time at the Morongo Casino next to the Outlets.

Pictures are available on Facebook. Feeling a little lazy after uploading 60 pictures!! Will post some here another day!

Pictures of our new home

These are for those who have been asking again and again to see some pics of the home. The norm would be to invite everyone over but there are a few oceans separating us and the gas price has hit the roof! So this is an unworthy substitute but better than nothing, eh? :)
The second floor is still a work in progress. We are right now busy doing up Cael's room. The guest room will be next as we have family coming to visit soon.

News

Blogging is getting harder these days. Too many distractions. Scrabulous is dead. And the new Scrabble application on Facebook is a joke. But now I have another distraction called Netflix. I received a free month of Netflix due to a settlement. So I am catching up on all the movies I have not watched in one and a half years. For those who don’t know, Netflix is an online DVD rental company that ships movies to your home.

And for anyone who is curious. I received an email from my brother saying that someone told my mom I was pregnant. I have no idea how that rumor came to be but it’s just that, a rumor. I am NOT pregnant and will not be.

On the home site, we now have a very beautiful back/side yard. Thanks to my husband who LOVES gardening. We have a couple of fruit trees, tons of daylilies, some miniature roses and ornamental grass. Cael’s room will eventually be a cute boy’s room. That is my next project. I PROMISE to post some pictures soon.

Cael is a big boy now. He is being potty trained. I know, I know…kids is Malaysia are potty trained by one. But I am American now :). He is talkative, very silly, loves to sing. Nags his parents to go to the beach. Loves being outside while daddy is gardening. Calls me mama, mommy and mom. Hilarious.
Does not like to eat.

Okay more news from the homefront later… hopefully with pictures :)

Pictures of Boy

Wall Art for the Home

These are some wall arts I bought for the new home. The last one was a wedding gift from a Malaysian artist, Stephanie Kuen, and her husband Joshua Yip. That painting has followed me through 6 moves!