2020 Ggratitude Log

12/10: Amendment signed means one step closer to the end goal!  Making time to dress up since I spent the last two days in pajamas. Back pain significantly reduced and made time for meditation in the morning before I started my day.  Successful presentation to the sales organization.

12/9: Despite back pain and having to work 13 hours, was still able to get some cleaning done around the house.

12/8:  The deadline today has passed and one less thing to worry about.  I am moving forward and that much closer to my making my vision become a reality.

12/7: Negotiations went exactly as I hoped it would and now just waiting for the amendment to seal the deal.

12/6: Dropped off the items that didn’t sell at my garage sale to donations.  Ate pho and grabbed some baked goods at 85C bakery.  Discovered an artist, Mark Ryden, whose work is very intriguing to me and spent time admiring his work.

12/5: First time doing a garage sale and sold most of my bigger items.

12/4: Amazon delivered item didn’t meet my needs so submitted a return and discovered I actually didn’t need to return it.

12/3: Completed another required paperwork, so one big thing accomplished

12/2: Timeline for the rest of the month scheduled and looking forward to the end of this chapter.  12/31 is the day!

12/1: Another offer received, accepted one and signed a contract!

11/30: A couple offers received and a couple more appointments scheduled as well.

11/29: A full day of appointments and a very productive day running errands during the day, including Costco which is always a fun errand for me.

11/28: Officially listed!  Attending a friend’s wedding virtually. And sold a lego set for a profit!

11/27: Got my disclosure completed and submitted and did some online black friday shopping

11/26: Thankful to be with someone I love spending time with and made a bison roast for dinner.

11/25: Car inspection passed and got a belated bday gift which was a baby yoda wallet! Took a big step and signed an agreement.

11/24:  Planned a potential vacation for January and hoping it will actually happen.

11/23: Ate one of my favorite pre-made meals from viet hoa, pig ear salad

11/22: Did more sorting around the house and posted items for sale online.

11/19:  Dressed up in sparkles!

11/17: Dressed up as if I was going into the office even though I was staying at home to work. And tried on a new Christmas themed dress that arrived in the mail. House professionally deep cleaned sure feels good!

11/16: Photoshoot was a success

11/15: Found the energy to get things done around the house including going up in the attic

11/14: Planning and prepping for a photoshoot

11/13: Waking up to a message from another BTS’er telling me the dress I posted about wanting is being sold on Mercari in my exact size and having the seller accept my 15% less than their posted price offer.  Offering another Mercari seller 23% less for another item I’ve been eyeing for months and getting that offer accepted as well.  Celebrated my brother’s death anniversary with my sister by going to eat at a pizza joint that serves good NY style pizza at which point my sister got a call for a job offer!

11/12: Catching a message that was filtered to spam from a company asking if I would like to submit a photo to be potentially used on an experimental Facebook ad they are working on just in time since they were working just working on the testing of them.

11/11:  Getting an amazing 90 minute deep tissue massage at 50% off regular rates!

11/10:  Strength, energy, ability and determination to work a 13 hour day and going to bed early to allow my body to recuperate from a tiring day.

11/9: Knowing this is a short work week due to the Veteran’s Day holiday and taking Thursday and Friday off work to honor the loss of my brother allowed me the willpower to work over 12 hours to catch up on being OOO last week

11/8: Got some things done ahead of schedule so I don’t stress last minute!

11/7: Celebrating my birthday with a friend at Perry’s for their famous pork chop whose birthday is tomorrow and who has another friend whose birthday was on the 4th.  Scorpio season!  Got free birthday dessert with one that tasted like Ferroro Rocher, my favorite!

11/6: Living another year of my life!  Happy birthday to me! Cisco for giving me my birthday off work for free! Went to George Ranch and saw cute cows under 1 year old taking a bath!  Finally tried a Banh Mi food truck that I’ve been wanting to try which was probably one of the best sandwiches I’ve had.  Went to filipino buffet and got my pancit for long life!

11/5:  Took the day off so I could be productive at home finishing off my gardening project and received an early birthday gift of chocolate covered strawberries.

11/4: Having my house project finally done after having both companies come back to complete some final items to close out. Did some painting inside my house that should have been done last year but I never got around to it.

11/3: Work crew is efficient and got majority of the job done quick style and also helped me carry some heavy items from my car, such gentlemen!

11/2: Having the second half of my house project begin and liking the 3 man crew that is here to work.  They are quiet and clearly no nonsense hard workers.

11/1:  Worked on my curb appeal so my flower beds don’t look so sad and getting small workout in during the process.

10/31:  Bought plants for my front yard and discovered some were 70% off! Went out to eat with a friend trying a new place in Chinatown that had clay pot frog legs that later turns into hot pot and being treated to that meal for my early birthday! Also getting some smiles and comments on my fun scary devil makeup/costume.

10/30: Played with makeup in preparation of Halloween and had a lot of fun doing it plus happy with the way it turned out!

10/28:  Dressed up in fancy catwoman outfit at home for the fun of it just so I can wear a bodysuit I bought in the beginning of the year that I haven’t had a chance to wear out yet.

10/26: Friends’ left Houston and thankful for their visit with good food, conversation and fun.

10/25:  Checked out a relatively new brewery that has a cool outdoor patio on the top floor.

10/24: Ramen for late breakfast!  Grabbed Menudo and tacos to go for lunch and hot pot for dinner!

10/23: Even though when I took my car in for brakes and was told I was going to need new rotors that would double my cost, very thankful I have the financial means to cover it without worries.  Also had a great late lunch of Droubi’s shawarma sandwiches which I forgot about and haven’t had in so long!

10/22:  Picked up a friend from the airport and checked into a hotel, staycation begins!

10/21:  My sister who was able to bring in my car to the dealer to get the free repair completed. Got my car washed again even though it was just washed yesterday, haha!

10/20:  My sister who was able to bring my car to the dealer for a free diagnosis on a light and finding out the repair will be free! Also they comp’d a free car wash which was very much needed!

10/19: Heavy rain which was soothing, but short to allow work on my house to continue. Deep pain in my left arm makes me grateful to have all my body parts and sensation to even feel pain at all and to be alive to feel pain.

10/18:  time to relax as well as get some work done.

10/:17:  Meeting a friend for dinner whom I haven’t seen in a while for good food and conversation.

10/16:  Finally getting a much needed pedi and menudo dinner with a friend.

10/15:  Rebuilding started on my house project!

10/14:  Seeing demolition finished on my house project.  More progress!

10/13:  House project started over a year ago finally starting up again.  Finally trying Bucee’s BBQ brisket sandwich

10/12: Having my sister and cousin enjoy the best roast duck they ever had.

10/11:  Eating good food with my cousin and his wife around Houston.

10/10: Eating the best roast duck and taking leftovers home

10/9:  Fun evening checking out Area 15 and BBQ dinner and feeling truly happy

10/8:  Making one of my favorite Thai dishes I learned to make in Thailand, nam tok (waterfall beef salad).  The name comes from the juice/blood dripping and falling from the beef while it’s grilling.

10/3: For my BFF’s birthday, making Pho for family and friends and cleaning her refrigerator for her since she doesn’t have time or energy working 2 full time jobs.

10/2:  Staying over my BFF’s house and being with people I love. Learning how to make pho.

10/1:  Meeting with sorority sister whom I’ve known since jr. high for pan roast with lobster and raw oysters.

9/30: Brief but quality time with my best friend’s kids, especially her eldest whom I haven’t seen in much too long.

9/29: Brief but quality time to chat with someone who is basically like a sister to me while we picked up food to go and stopped by CVS.

9/28: Even though I don’t really believe in getting a flu shot, kaiser is giving them for free regardless if you are a member or not which gives everyone the option if they so choose, regardless of money.

9/27: amazing Newport seafood dinner with lobster, clams, shrimp and fish

9/26: Briefly seeing my best friend and her family when dropping off some mango dessert to her.

9/25: southwest Airlines policy of allowing A-listers to standby earlier flights for free and thai food for dinner.

9/21: while not 100% recovered, feeling well enough to get back to work and not having a ton of meetings so I can catch up from being out sick.

9/20: binge watching on a lazy Sunday and Popeyes chicken sandwich. Their ghost pepper wings were not spicy but at least they still taste good.

9/19: weekend to further rest and allow myself to recover from whatever virus I have.

9/18: Being able to takea day off work to allow my body to recover and heal.

9/17: big relief getting a negative covid test result after experiencing several symptoms overnight. Doctor thinks it may be food poisoning.

9/16: Even though I didn’t leave the house, decided to play dress up and tried on my kimono styled dress and tried dyson’s hair curler.

9/15: After work, dropped off a couple things to my cousin and aunt getting a chance to see them from a safe distance for the first time since the pandemic started. Added stickers to my new international sized luggage that I got on sale for half off dreaming of the day I can once again plan an international vacation.

9/14: Dressed up as if I was going to the office when I ran a quick errand to the post office.

9/13: Posted more items for sale that I want to get rid of

9/12: Ate a belated birthday meal at Malaysian Phat Eatery with my sister and checked out new HMart Asian and Souq international grocery stores in Katy.

9/11: only a couple scheduled work meetings to end the work week, giving me good focus time for work.

9/10: having a break between meetings during lunch hour to take a quick trip to the grocery store to buy some fruits and veggies. Making time to do a mud mask followed by a moisturizing paper mask since I missed doing them last week.

9/9: getting through an 11 hour workday and meditating. Making one of my favorite Filipino soups, pork sinigang.

9/8: making it through a 12 hour workday and making time to meditate.

9/7: labor day holiday spent playing one of my favorite coop board games, middara and taking a nap in the afternoon.

9/6: getting gus’ fried chicken and getting all my weeding in the backyard done more board game time. Finally getting the last quote for my siding project.

9/5: spending hours playing my adventure board game

9/4: having all my meetings cancelled since so many team members took the day off which gave me the whole day too catch up on work. Also getting some much needed cleaning done around the house as well as laundry.

9/3: Houston restaurant week steak salad with pork osso bucco lunch for only $20. Had fun playing dress up in my corsets trying to mix more patterns and prints.

9/2: challenging myself to push my fashion style by mixing florals with plaid and having fun doing it.

9/1: Houston restaurant week bruschetta caprese with braised Denver roast lunch and snickers pie for only $25.

8/31: being challenged to wear print on print for Betabrand’s photo challenge and feeling confident with my first attempt.

8/30: grateful for simply waking up this morning healthy and able to tackle a long to do list!

8/29: neighbors finished building their fence in the backyard so I should no longer have to worry about their dog jumping my chainlink fence and pooping in my yard! Finally beating 3 games on my megatouch game and getting the #1 slot on the scoreboard.

8/28: Thank you Cisco for another much needed day for me where i was able to get a massage; indulged in binge watching, all caught up watching Lucifer; and did more posting of things that no longer bring me joy making progress towards my minimalism project. Also realized my neighbors are starting to build a fence in the backyard which means don’t have to! (I had been thinking of doing it since their dog kept jumping the fence and coming into my yard-thanks animal control for making them take action after numerous attempts of talking to them for the past few months of this recurring problem.)

8/27: Woke up to a beautiful sunshine filled morning since Laura’s path went east towards Louisiana. Praying for those who were in her path though!

8/26: Posted several more items and found a buyer for one item I am trying to get rid of!

8/25: Even though my trip to Costco was a complete fail since they ran out of water and other necessities and the line for gas was the longest I have ever seen, I was able to find water at Lowe’s while grabbing a much needed outdoor light for my backyard and wasp spray that I have been procrastinating getting.

8/23: Went to brunch spot with outdoor seating for Houston Restaurant Week and got a delicious meal that consisted of a gazpacho that I really liked which was watermelon based with mint, lime and hot sauce, carnitas breakfast tacos, and Mexican inspired french toast with cinnamon ice cream as a topping. Sold a couple items I was getting rid of. Worked out!

8/22: Had a friend come over and we just talked, window shopped high end brands online and watched a european 50 shades of gray like movie.

8/21: Finally put on my heels, curled my hair and took advantage of Houston restaurant week at a tapas place and got paella while getting caught up with a dear friend. Also talked to my best friend after dinner while she drove to work.

8/20: time in the evening to think about what changes I want to make in the future.

8/19: Despite having two people flake on me to buy some items I am selling, I still made the drive out to the nearby shopping center where I was going to do the exchange and got wild wings for lunch. Also connected with a cousin in Hawaii about minimalism and a love of luxury brands.

8/18: Speaking to an old colleague who did some virtual healing on me and no longer having any tingling and shooting sensations down my leg that had started several days ago.

8/17: A light meeting schedule so that I could get fully caught up on all the emails I received when I logged off work an hour early last Friday. More cleaning done and posted more items for sale that I want to try to get rid of.

8/16: Selling a tool that I had two of that was not being used for a few years now. Making a healthier choice of cooking broccoli and shrimp instead of grabbing whataburger or wingstop as I was tempted to do after going to Costco to finally return a toilet seat that was sitting in my car for months.

8/15: Taking a nap, lounging on the couch binge watching but still get some things done on my to do list.

8/14: Finally got a much needed massage at the nearby school and the student was better than anticipated!

8/13: Dropping off all my donations, returned items at Lowe’s to get $ back and picking up weed killer. Quickly finding a buyer of some used picture frames that I wanted to get rid of.

8/12: Selling a kitchen item that I was not really using and taking up valuable pantry space

8/11: Despite having a long workday that started at 7am and ended at 6pm, had the energy to further de-clutter and filled the back of my SUV with donations, which I’ll have to go drop off another day. Feeling lighter and brighter whenever I’m in my dining room since I cleared out one corner.

8/10: found the energy to deep clean my kitchen trash and recycling cans despite feeling quite under the weather and having back pain. Time to catch up with my best friend on the phone while she drove to work.

8/9: Having down time to play some games on my touchscreen that I built a stand for in the afternoon and snuggle in bed in the evening after getting some house work done, purging some duplicate cooking utensils and posting items online for sale.

8/8: Even though I had to cancel dinner plans for Houston Restaurant week because house repairs took longer, feeling very accomplished with getting so much done in 12 hours from weeding to various AC unit work and installing an attic fan.

8/7: A meeting free morning so that I can focus on tasks that need to get done.

8/6: Another Day For Me announced at our company meeting so will have Aug 28th as free day off from work!

8/5: Discovering I can make calamansi curd tarts with the puff pastry I had in my freezer and eating dessert for dinner!

8/4: Getting my AC fixed without a ton of money. Discovering exactly how delicious the calamansi curd recipe in the IP cook book really is!

8/3: Having my AC break makes me grateful that I have AC to begin with and that I have the means to get it fixed!

8/2: Friend making chicken wings buffalo style, which is my favorite and learning that Sam’s club sells a big jug of sauce in the process.

8/1: Getting lots of things done around and outside the house and crossing off things on my to do list.

7/31: Feeling super comfortable snuggling in bed late night.

7/28: Making it back home and sleeping under my own roof in the comfort of my own bed.

7/27: Even though I’ve been working from home for over a decade, still always grateful whenever I have the ability to work from anywhere aside from home.

7/26: Hanging out with friends smoking hookah and enjoying some drinks. Discovering cowboy caviar which I definitely plan to make on my own.

7/25: Somewhat of a safe flight back to Houston. I say somewhat only because the 2 closest people seated nearest to me were coughing on the flight and hoping masks provided the protection needed in this type of situation!

7/24: Dream of my brother telling me I am cute and adorable and me telling him he is handsome and that I love him before I woke up with tears in my eyes.

7/21: Getting another walk in while I caught up with my best friend on the phone after work and also did stairs during lunch for more movement. Felt accomplished that I also got 2 loads of laundry done. Ordered the delicious steamed eggplant with garlic for dinner from the nearby dim sum place.

7/20: getting some steps in during a quick lunch break while catching up with my best friend on the phone

7/19: a 5 hour nap followed by a delicious leftover meal of roast pork, after I carved up the rest of the carcass since others couldn’t bear to look at the head/face, then back to bed with a delightful food coma.

7/18: Only 1 person in line for Palace Station for pan roast in the morning. Roasting a whole pig for the first time and having it cook much faster than what youtube indicated it would take and very pleased with how my Spain lechon marinade found online flavored the meat. The appetizer and side dishes of baked brie, corn and potatoes were also a hit.

7/17: An easier, though longer dentist appointment because COVID prevents my dentist from using machines. Finally got my car registered at the DMV as well since COVID closed the DMV for months and appts were hard to come by. Got all the ingredients for Spain Lechon marinade and got it all prepped, handing it off with a meat injector to a friend who had the whole pig in their fridge.

7/16: a great evening celebrating with a friend who’s birthday just passed that included lava cake.

7/14: Cleaning and errands done including dropping off donations, good chinese take out dinner

7/13: time to catch up with my sister, making a simple but delicious dinner of salmon, noodles and mushrooms and peppers.

7/12: A more leisurely day that was still productive getting more small tasks done on my to do list and eating some good leftover food that friends brought over yesterday.

7/11: Accomplishing so much from yard work, laundry, cleaning, working on small projects to catching up with my best friend and even napping.

7/10: Despite being bummed that weekend plans to road trip were canceled, made the most of evening/night, which would have been spent driving, cleaning and organizing several different areas/spaces and feeling very satisfied with the results.

7/9: Grateful for a dear friend who tested positive for covid is only experiencing very mild symptoms and feeling fine. Easy uneventful trip to costco which is always a fun time to get out of the house.

7/6: bringing the ashes of the sweetest dog I ever knew back to her home where she belongs.

7/5: a little pool time before hitting the road with a quicker drive back to end the weekend.

7/4: No fireworks or BBQ, but some great ribs and burger with foie gras to celebrate the holiday.

7/3: Relaxing day eating, napping and enjoying some pool time in a quiet condo

7/2: Despite being told my rental car reservation was not going to be honored because they ran out of cars and I agreed to take a cargo van, when I showed up i was given a Nissan Sentra and had a good road trip to AZ.

6/29: I am truly grateful for having over 5 years, the opportunity to know and love the sweetest dog I have ever met in my life.

6/28: Being there in a dog’s last moment, watching the life leave her eyes, knowing she is at least pain free and at peace. Experiencing intense grief and marvelling at how similar yet different it is to lose a pet vs. a human. While she was not my dog, I appreciate the opportunity I had to meet her and love her like my own for ~7 years, many times taking care of her while her owner was away.

6/27: Spending some time going through my things, cleaning, catching up with my cousin before cutting my trip short. Having my second family pick me up and drive me to Vegas so I can spend the last night with the sweetest dog I have ever met. I stayed up almost the entire night trying to soothe her. I cherished the opportunity to tell her how much I loved her and all the things I appreciated about her.

6/26: Safe flight to L.A. Time to catch up with my best friend and her family and finally eating dim sum since we picked it up on the way home from the airport, which I haven’t had since before the Covid pandemic started in March.

6/23: Healthy frozen berry shake for breakfast. Receiving a free lunch that was dropped off to me just as I got off my conference call around 1pm when I was starving. Marveled at how flavorful the roasted tomato and basil tasted! Made homemade burger instead of going to fast food drive thru for dinner which was healthier since I controlled the salt and added power greens, tomato and mushrooms.

6/22: Surviving a rough ~11 hour work day to start the work week and still eating relatively healthy with a shake for breakfast and small piece of steak with broccoli for dinner.

6/21: played with a power washer

6/20: Meeting up with my cousin for a much needed pedicure and going out to eat at restaurant for the first time since March to celebrate her birthday. BBQ for dinner with a thick cut off meat, zucchini and Alaskan pollock burger

6/19: Getting a free day off from work to take care of me in honor of Juneteenth day! A whole day to do things that bring me joy and relaxation and making my weekend a 3 day weekend!

6/18: Since I started work early, got off early and was able to enjoy the afternoon sipping on tequila, enjoying the weather. Cooked and enjoyed a steak with petite potatoes and broccoli for dinner. Ended the night taking a relaxing bath in a jetted tub.

6/17: The energy to make it through a 12 hour day that had ~10 hours worth of conference calls.

6/15: Having the willpower to make healthy eating choices. Wasn’t hungry during lunch so are a few dried prunes and baby cucumbers. Snacked on popcorn in the late afternoon. Made salad with smoked salmon for dinner then mango vanilla shakeology when I got hungry a few hours after dinner. When I realized I misplaced something, it forced me to clean and reorganize several shelves.

6/14: Getting in some pool time, bbq and even a nap in after waking up late since I went to bed at 3am.

6/13: Slept in, ran a quick errand to FedEx. Picked up a couple bottles of mezcal, finding the Bruery orxata bottles on sale for $4 (normally $13. Eating in-n-out, smoking hookah and playing games.

6/10: Getting some office supplies from the office since it is closing down and picking up fish tacos, burrito and menudo on the way home since it’s been awhile getting take out.

6/9: Drinks and board games after an 11 hour work day

6/8: Cold enough weather to indulge in mama instant noodles. Having the time after work to rest before enjoying bbq leftovers with steamed veggies.

6/7: Catching up on the phone with my best friend and sister. Finding the same exact soft shorts that I found at Marshall’s years ago for only $4 at Wal-Mart. BBQing and loving every bite of smoky Korean ribs and Filipino marinated drumsticks.

6/6: Sleeping in to start the day and playing my favorite boardgame Time Stories to end the day.

6/5: After work having the chance to stop by Costco then head to a friend’s house to enjoy grilled Kirkland hotdog followed by their swimming pool then Jacuzzi to end the night and starting the weekend feeling very relaxed.

5/28: the energy to work out while indulging in an episode of grey’s anatomy after an 11 hour work day and enjoying one stick of a dark chocolate kit Kat bar from Japan. Ate the bone broth i slow cooked for 24 hours and was pleasantly shocked that it tasted like a hearty beef stew

5/27: eating in moderation, getting a workout in and doing a facial mask while meditating before going to bed

5/26: forcing myself to work out finally after deciding and following through with making this day one of living healthier. Made sure I drank enough water and ate healthy and smaller portions of food.

5/25: successfully made an apple pie from scratch and reduced the sugar from one cup to 3 tablespoons and thought the sweetness was perfect.

5/24: more time painting miniatures and enjoying being creative and artistic with my hands.

5/23: invested my day doing something I’ve been wanting to do, paint miniatures for my mice and mystics board game.

5/22: Getting a free day off from work to take care of me! Making my weekend a 4 day weekend! Did the things I wanted that brought me joy and relaxation.

5/21: Reached out and heard back from a friend I made during my last visit to Japan knowing that she is doing just fine. Reminisced about my trip to Japan last year by having a taste of Japan for dinner. Made pasta with the Muji Cod Roe sauce I bought in Tokyo. Finally finished watch Mandalorian.

5/20: Celebrating a furry friend’s birthday the night before with Trader Joe’s steak and catching up with Mandalorian!

5/19: Shopping at Trader Joe’s, a store I haven’t been to in probably about a year even though it’s one of my favorite grocery stores. Got some of my tried and true favorites like steak and orange chicken while dropping some items I’ve never tried before in my basket too.

5/18: Productive workday, but made sure not to work too much overtime so that I could relax at night.

5/17: Being able to fix a bathtub leak discovered in the morning by the afternoon and only having to go to two stores to find the right cartridge to replace.

5/16: Personal computer work and bills done first thing in the morning. Finished adding the extra insulation in my attic that had been laying at the side of my house for a year. More weeding of my driveway. Caulked my sliding door. Killed more wasps and their nest. Then actually socializing by playing games and drinking with a couple of friends to end the night.

5/15: Tried a new ramen Shin Light and really enjoyed it. It’s been awhile since I tried a new instant noodle that I liked enough to consider buying again. Made zucchini bread for the first time. Even though it was a bit too wet, I enjoyed the taste and baked it more to get it less soggy. Enjoyed the thunderstorm weather.

5/12: Discovered a new way to season and sear steak that I found even better than my typical seasoning.

5/11: Finally got a pedicure, feels so good!

5/10: Several more things on my to do list for around the house completed in the morning. Made leche flan for the very first time and it turned out great. Also had a friend come over where we made baked brie. Ate badly but enjoyed every bite of it and didn’t feel guilty because I’ve been better with my eating overall the entire week prior.

5/9: Slept in a little, then completed a few tasks around the house. Was able to cook Sop Buntot for the first time and it turned out delicious. Finished my 4D NY puzzle.

5/8: Relaxed after a long work day by binge watching Grey’s Anatomy. Received my new mixer and looking forward to using it.

5/5: A quick 15 minute break between meetings so that I can make myself carne asada street styled tacos for lunch. Finally taking some time to start on a creative solution to house the insides of a computer hat no longer has a tower. This will be a several day project and glad to put my hands to work on something hands on like this. Also getting a chance to listen to some songwriters perform on Cisco’s Virtual Experience Hub while I worked on my project after work.

5/4: Elevate and lemon essential oils to give me a boost during the day after having a difficult time waking up so that I could have a productive workday. 2 loads of laundry done and put away plus 8 things completed on my personal to do list and halfway through another task that I will be able to complete soon! Made a healthy dinner with lots of veggies by making dinengdeng for the first time. While it came out overcooked, it was still delicious. Also relaxed by watching episodes of The Good Witch before going to bed before midnight.

5/3: Leisurely spent my morning in bed happy that I didn’t have anything to force me out of bed, aside from my grumbling stomach. Made a second batch of Brazilian bread that turned out much better than the first batch I tried to make a few days ago. Couch potato time binge watching “The Stranger” on Netflix.

5/2: Finally went up to the attic to lay down some insulation above my living room that was sitting outside of my house for a year. Didn’t get to finish because it was way too hot and felt like I was going to pass out, but at least I got a really good sweat on. Also cleaned out and rearranged my storage closet in my garage and hung up my 3-step step ladder which was on my to do list for years now.

4/30: Tried making Brazilian bread for the first time, which turned out good despite it sticking completely to the tins, because I forgot to spray oil them, resulting in having to tear the rolls.

4/29: Cooked some Korean BBQ ribs for dinner then spent a couple hours on creative writing for fun instead of turning on the tv and vegging out wasting time. Found my envelope of Japan ticket stubs and was able to finish my frame of mementos from the day before.

4/28: Decided to make a first attempt at tackling a luggage full of photos and random papers and was able to sort through and separate the pictures from the papers and sort the papers into categories. Took all my ticket stubs and put them into a frame, but still have room for a few more so set it aside to be completed later. Put all my pictures in an empty hat box and all papers into an empty drawer of my filing cabinet so they can be sorted through later so that my luggage is once again empty as it should be and properly stored in the closet on my luggage rack.

4/27: Was extremely productive during an 11 work day and afterwards where I did 3 loads of laundry and spent a few hours deep cleaning my convection oven which was a bit of an arm workout scrubbing so hard and long.

4/26: Had a great day cooking, eating, watching tv, and relaxing. Tried cooking banh bot chien for the first time and even though it took a long time and was not as amazing as the restaurant I had it, I enjoyed learning the process of how this dish is made and know that it gave me a deeper appreciation for it.

4/25: Was super productive pretty much the entire day. Since I woke up early and couldn’t fall back asleep, I decided to make the most of my time. Did several things around the house such as painting door moldings, baseboards

4/24: Made it through the last week of the quarter at work, which was long and crazy. Despite having a partner totally upset with me, I brushed it off knowing that I did my job.

4/22: Making a better eating choice by making pancit from scratch instead of eating an instant noodle package for dinner, which made me feel accomplished and satisfied!

4/21: Actually getting dressed in the morning as if I was going to work. Ending a long and super busy workday with a feeling of accomplishment since I actually got through reading all my emails. Finished the first and second layer of my 3D puzzle afterwords.

4/20: Able to calm DC people down regarding a contract panic they had at work today. After work, it was nice to see a friend when I got more groceries at the local Asian market. Got almost everything on my list, plus a few things I didn’t have on my list, except Kewpie mayonnaise. A lot of progress on my 3D puzzle, finally got the outside border done. Realized I had about 4 pieces wrong which is why I was having problems with it.

4/19: Lazy Sunday spent in bed, binging on Grey’s Anatomy and starting a 3D New York City puzzle that I’ve had for years, sitting on my bookshelf collecting dust.

4/18: Allowing myself to relax and not do much of anything despite having a long to do list around the house.

4/17: Waking up early so I can make myself a delicious healthy breakfast.

4/16: Making time to write both in my blog as well as creative story writing where I’m trying my hand at a romantic COVID-19 short story for fun. Also working on a couple more to do items on my random task list and talking to a friend on the phone.

4/15: Winning Betabrand’s WFH Fashion Show Best Prop Category award! Can’t wait to get free DPYPs!

4/14: Experimenting with cooking pinakbet in the instant pot and having the dish turn out very well!

4/13: Productive work day since there weren’t too many scheduled meetings. Completing one task on my random personal to do list. Getting emailed a personalized graphic of me for the BetaBrand WFH Hallway Runway Fashion Show that is going to air on Wednesday.

4/12: Getting a pizza for $3.14 at Blaze Pizza using their Pi day special. More board game playing. Having fun recording short video clips for the BetaBrand WFH Hallway Runway Fashion Show to submit to get discount and may be win their contest.

4/11: Playing my massive board game for several hours and finally getting comfortable with all the rules and mechanics.

4/10: Getting off work early so that I could take a drive up to the northwest side of town to try Tejas Burgers and eat at a park nearby, enjoying the outdoors which is a rarity nowadays. Stopping by the Asian market and getting some much needed fruits and vegetables. Making roasted bone marrow to eat as well as to make bone broth with. Moving all the cut branches from the backyard to the front for curbside pickup next week and also moving some construction materials from the side of the house to inside the garage. Spending the rest of the evening relaxing on the couch watching tv.

4/9: Getting some cleaning and small tasks done around the house. Driving back and forth to the airport in the rain safely after work.

4/6: Not having a lot of conference calls at work so that I could focus on tasks and be very productive at work: catching up with almost all my email and getting all my planned tasks done and actually only working 9 hours for the day. Completing a lot of small tasks at home, sorting and reorganizing more of my clothing drawers and jewelry, fixing a few small things in my bedroom,. Not having to cook dinner since my sister did for me.

4/5: Having steak and eggs for breakfast. Wonderful weather so that I can cut all the weeds and tree limbs from my neighbor’s yards that were overgrowing into my backyard and over my roof, which also acted as a workout for me. Completing a load of laundry. Late afternoon free time to continue learning how to play my massive 20 lb board game. Trying Popeye’s spicy chicken strips for the first time, since the first time I had it was the mild version. Going to bed smiling because the weekend was super productive and enjoyable.

4/4: After midnight snack of Whataburger and finally trying their taquitos which many people have recommended. It was not what I expected since I think of hard shell with meat inside and this was a soft shell filled with eggs and meat. Seemed like a breakfast taco/burrito and was ok, reminding me that I am a good cook because I could easily replicate at home and probably make it better myself. Even though I prefer McDonald’s picante sauce that comes with their breakfast burrito over Whataburger’s I also know my homemade pico de gallo would be even better. The chicken honey butter biscuit was only okay also. Despite not being impressed with the food, I was able to get prepared food at 2am and satisfy my late night hunger, which was wonderful. The incredible peace of mind achieved after spending several hours completing car related tasks. Land and sea dinner of steak and lemon garlic shrimp that I cooked and turned out wonderfully.

4/3: Getting through the last day of the work week, which was another very busy and long one. Getting to test my new battery jump starter since my battery died and happy that it works perfectly and is so easy to use. It gives me peace of mind since I never even carried jumper cables in my car before. The stress release I feel when I clean my house since I got a chance to vacuum, clean my bathroom and put away several things randomly laying around.

4/2: Meditation that allows me to be still and grateful to find and allow my inner peace to wash over the turmoil.

4/1: Not having to worry about my income when so many others around the world do not know when or how they will get their next paycheck and uncertainty of their career as a whole.

3/30: video conferencing with my sorority sisters to celebrate a birthday and having green tea matcha cake to enjoy for the occasion.

3/29: Getting a full night’s sleep and getting up late. Enjoying steak and eggs for breakfast and going back to bed. Having a leisurely yet also productive Sunday getting a few small to do’s completed around the house.

3/28: Having a lot of food to choose from

3/27: TGIF! After a long work week, finally time for the weekend to come.

3/26: Finding a place that sells 4 slices of crepe cake for $25 and having a virtual birthday party with a bunch of friends.

3/25: Having a job that is 100% remote so that when a virus causes a pandemic in the world, life and work is business as usual (well aside for increased workload). Being able to facilitate help for others by working for my company that allows others to work from home.

3/22: Being able to cook a healthy soup from scratch that included garlic, onion, shrimp, okra, spinach, winter melon, green onion and cilantro. Also finally did a little physical activity with 20 push-ups and 20 sit-ups. Dusted my living room, which was long overdue and getting a couple loads of laundry done. Catching up with a sorority sister who called to make sure I was doing okay and making plans to have some fun once this pandemic is over with.

3/21: Productive morning getting my car detailed and having it sparkling clean after not washing it for a couple years. Sweeping my garage floor, pulling weeds and bug spraying.Empty Costco shopping where I parked 4 spots from the front door, was able to get almost everything I wanted since a lot of items were well stocked and only had 3 people in line in front of me at the register, while my sorority sisters video chatted with me. Being able to get a lot of other things at HEB grocery as well.

3/20: End of a long work week where I know I can take some time to relax and get some personal things done. Meditations that force me to have quiet time to myself. Finally making time to work on putting together my emergency backpack together. Reorganizing one rod of clothing in my closet and one drawer of my dresser.

3/18: Working from a friends house for most of the day.

3/17: Cooking and eating one of my favorite dishes, corned beef on cabbage on St. Patrick’s day. Having some beer and spending the night at my friend’s place.

3/16: Making and enjoying a healthy dinner because I was able to buy food at the Asian grocery store.

3/15: Able to find most of what I wanted at two Asian grocery stores.

3/14: Giving myself time to rest and spending most of the day in bed resting and vegging out watching Private Practice.

3/13: Safe travels back home despite a delayed flight. Being able to buy several things at the grocery store even though there were countless empty shelves from everyone panic buying. Being happy to be be back home.

3/12: A productive day long work meeting on what is probably my last business trip for a long time and having some good BBQ for lunch. Going shopping afterwords and only buying a deeply discounted diamond necklace at the Sundance outlet.

3/11: Despite a hectic morning, arriving at the airport with enough time to grab a good breakfast at the airport lounge before my flight. Landed safely in Salt Lake City and having a small shopping plaza across the street from the hotel with a grocery store and a good Hawaiian place.

3/10: Successfully transferred my data to my new laptop manually since the software was not working and IT was not able to help me get it working. Enjoyed uni pasta sauce from japan for dinner and had plenty of time to pack and clean.

3/8: Because people are paranoid about coronavirus, a local brunch spot had zero wait time so I could enjoy guava chiffon pancakes a filipino style loco moco breakfast with a friend. After running errands, had time to take a nap!

3/7: starting the day by not getting up out of bed till almost 11 then having a leisurely ~3.5 hour lunch at a Thai restaurant I’ve been wanting to try filled with deep conversation. Running errands afterwards and finding a generic equivalent of Lysol spray at home depot. enjoying a relaxed Costco shopping experience because parking was plentiful, not a ton of people shopping and actually lots of cases of water available, unlike most other Costco’s. Getting to watch the sunset from a roof overlooking the strip. Enjoyable grocery experience to stock up on frozen vegetables that are on sale for a $1/bag. Healthier dinner with veggies and seafood. Time to catch up on a couple episodes of man in the high castle and feeling content and at peace before going to bed.

3/6: Getting off work early to try to find supplies to deal with corona virus. Despite going to several stores being unsuccessful, I didn’t feel frustrated because at least I got Oreos and found smartwater for $1/bottle.

3/4: Help with trying to get my data transferred to my new laptop. Friend bringing over sushi and hanging out

3/3: Dinner with group of friends eating great thai food and bingo afterwards.

3/2: Having some time to clean up and organize my clothes because living out of a suitcase makes staying organized that much more challenging! Eating air fried chicken wings and left over prime rib for dinner and lactose free ice cream!

3/1: Waking up to breakfast being ready and having that breakfast be corned beef hash from Harris Ranch, one of my absolute favorites! Being able to meet my friend at The Palms so that we can go work out and also talk about our dreams. Making plans to do research to see what is possible. Meditative moments by the pool and being told that I should continue to write. A quick nap before meeting another friend for any amazing dinner at Ruth Chris with ribeye and chocolate lava cake. Limitless Shin Lim magic show that was incredible where he told the audience to do what we love. The sound of rain to lull me to sleep at the end of an incredible day.

2/29: Being able to fall back asleep after waking up at 5 am and being up for a couple hours. Eating steak and eggs plus peppered bacon for brunch with leftover prime rib from the night before. Finding out a friend is in town and meeting up at a local 24 hour gym where we work out on legs and do some cardio. Discovering lava sesame balls at Tim Ho Wan, my new favorite dim sum dessert! Dinner with several friends where I got to eat lobster roll and have the bartender hook me up with delicious sour gin mixed drinks. Entertained and inspired by Xtina’s concert to end the night.

2/28: Thankful for a backup tailgate sized Traeger grill since the full sized one got jammed and wasn’t feeding pellets properly. Made and enjoyed prime rib and beer can chicken with friends while drinking good beer and wine, including the much sought after Pliny Younger since my friend waited 2 hours and got a couple bottles.

2/27: Alkalete by Yoli, preventing me from having a hangover after drinking a good amount of whiskey the night before!

2/26: Cooking bistek in the instant pot using a different recipe than what I typically do and having it come out perfectly tender while getting my veggies since I added mushroom and broccoli to it. Having a great time talking drinking whiskey and getting to know a friend better while also being open and sharing my life, thoughts and feelings with her. Something that is normally difficult for me to do generally.

2/25: Safe flight and travel after the end of a work day and getting a lot of little tasks done around my house before my trip.

2/24: completing 3 out of 4 errands and making it to the gym to do a quick arm workout with weights despite dealing with vertigo all day.

2/22: finally finding good oxtail pho and in Sugarland of all places and working out so I don’t feel so guilty eating a lot!

2/21: having a super relaxing evening at home

2/19: willpower to eat healthy for breakfast (fruit), lunch (salad) and afternoon snack (banana) so I could enjoy an indulgent dinner: perfectly cooked ribeye cap that I didn’t even need a knife cause it was so tender plated with perfectly cooked baby bok choy – no soggy veggies for me! Then taking time to use my long neglected foam roller to work on some super tight hip/thigh muscles.

2/18: actually working out and breaking a sweat after work since it has been too long since I have hit the gym.

2/17: costco run and getting one of the last 2 ribeye caps! Panda express and costco pizza! Since it was a holiday there was no traffic on the roads and costco was fairly empty, no waiting in line for gas either!

2/16: Orange chicken and how I met your mother

2/15: Tacos and Tequila! Mini roses too.

2/14: Getting a couple Valentine’s gifts this year!

2/13: Self care with a 2 hour massage that included a back exfoliation add-on

2/11: Having my cough, which got worse, actually subside after work so that I could take a long nap and rest since my body felt exhausted from coughing constantly all day long.

2/10: productive time after work to get laundry done, clean up my bedroom and organize a couple dresser drawers that have gotten disheveled.

2/9: having the freedom to stay in bed for 4 hours after waking up with a tension headache then finding the perseverance and determination to make progress with minimalism in the papers category for the rest of the day and evening. Finally getting through my file drawer, including the last file full of receipts. Going through all the papers in all files and desk.

2/8: having a lazy Saturday and doing some pleasure writing.

2/7: trying first recipe from the Filipino instant pot cook book, kare kare with oxtail, which turned out having a great flavor.

2/6: enjoying some olive garden pasta pass frozen leftovers and getting some personal things done after a busy day at work

2/5: having a very productive day at work and relaxing afterwards

2/4: being able to take a nap after work since I was feeling exhausted.

2/3: Finally getting a much needed massage as a belated birthday gift from my sister.

2/2: A great time modifying my Superbowl recipes making pulled pork and 8 layer dip for chips. Being financially stable that it didn’t matter I lost my niners bet. Best of all receiving beautiful flowers from my dear friend.

2/1: finally trying a pho place across town that is touted to be one of the best and not having to wait long. Taking a nice food coma induced nap in the afternoon

1/30: waking up feeling comfortable. Having the energy to work a 10 hour day straight despite not sleeping well the last 2 nights and still doing some cleaning to end the night.

1/29: free airport lounge access to eat before my flight since I did not have time to grab dinner after work before heading out to catch my flight. Enjoying reading a story a friend wrote during my flight and arriving safely.

1/28: truly grateful for waking up alive because I woke up to messages that my uncle died while I slept. I lived another day to work. Then having happy hour at a restaurant I’ve been wanting to try and watching a movie with friends.

1/27: enjoying $2 steak and eggs happy hour at echo & rig. Getting read to with short stories before going to bed.

1/26: delicious breakfast of raw oysters, hamburger, egg, crab omelet, ham croissant sandwich and hot chocolate. Getting some work done, doing some cleaning, shopping with a friend and having the financial freedom to buy some yoga pants with pockets, a black dress that fit like a glove and shoes with a sock like upper which I’ve been searching for awhile. Sushi burrito for dinner which was filling yet not heavy. And several yummy beers to end the night while watching an Asian fighting movie. A wonderful day to be alive and do things that brought me joy and happiness since everyone was talking about Kobe’s death.

1/25: a very relaxing Saturday where I had plenty of time to try my hand at writing a short story. Enjoyed a nice Mexican sit down dinner with a friend visiting from China with delicious pork belly chicharron and flan!

1/24: my favorite cousins birthday! Knowing I have made a significant impact to a friend’s life by helping them learn to trust again. Delicious Chinese dinner where I got front row seats to an impromptu dragon dance for ChineseNew Year’s Eve.

1/23: fruits to eat for lunch. Wonder bread (haven’t had it in such a long time!) enjoying time to write, being encouraged by a friend to try writing some fiction and thinking of my brother.

1/22: catching up on a couple of This is Us episodes while writing after work. Rotisserie chicken for easy delicious dinner and a super warm cosy bed to end the day in.

1/21: time to rest after work, catching up on episodes of suits so that my body can continue to recover from this sickness.

1/20: grateful for this holiday, not only for everything it represents and how MLK affects my everyday life, but also having the day off work so my body can continue to rest and recover from being sick. Actually having an appetite and craving and being able to eat one of my favorite ramen (even though my appetite is still not back to normal and I couldn’t finish my bowl).

1/19: waking up feeling much better than yesterday but being very aware of when my body needed me to rest, taking a couple naps and laying down often throughout the day, but still having some energy to write for my blog. Also for the niners win! I imagined my brother being excited about it too!

1/18: Even though being sick resulted in me staying in bed all day and missing meeting up with friends, I’m grateful the timing was on the weekend so that I can give my body time to rest and recover. Also having someone to bring me wor won ton soup, which is my favorite go to comfort food when I’m sick.

1/17: Grateful despite feeling like I’m getting sick, I had the energy to have a very productive full workday. Having a heater to keep me warm, fresh oranges for natural vitamin c, crab and spinach for dinner. A comfortable warm bed to lay in and rest without having to work tomorrow.

1/16: Energized upon waking at 6 am even though I got less than 6 hours of sleep so that I could get a head start on work. Being healthy to take care of someone who is sick. Eating crab legs leftover for dinner and trying pork porridge for the first time from a Vietnamese place and being pleasantly surprised they put blood cubes in it.

1/15: Super grateful for the dungeness crabs that gave up their lives so they could be thoroughly enjoyed for dinner and to the person who pulled the crabs out of the tank because they were so BIG I couldn’t even finish one, which I normally do! Also making sure I had ME time at the end of quite a stressful and long day by taking a long bath to decompress.

1/14: waking up early to start work at 6 with a clear and focused mind to complete system testing that I was supposed to do yesterday. Cooking a healthier version of Zuppa Toscana for myself and someone who is sick. Taking a quick nap that helped me feel rested before running quick errands and cleaning up the kitchen. Having a stranger tell me the quote i sent them was the best they had heard out of all the ones she received. Take care of me time with bath to end the evening.

1/13: Grateful that my cousin is now my dentist so that the anxiety I get going to the dentist is reduced knowing I’m being cared for by family. Plus it’s wonderful simply seeing her! And getting lots of doggie love!

1/12: A relaxing Sunday where I can leisurely research things I saw at CES, write for my blog and spend some cuddle time with an adorable loving dog that I’m pet sitting.

1/11: Enjoying a long nap after eating breakfast and a leisurely afternoon, evening, late night blogging and playing with my new ggadget from CES (time sure flies when I’m having fun!) as I dog sit for friends with such a cute, adorable, loving little creature!

1/10: Finally getting a visit from my brother in my dreams even though I figured out almost immediately that it was a dream and woke myself up. Getting a chance to walk the entire 2nd floor of the sands expo today and buying some cool tech at a discount.

1/9: being productive and efficient for a few hours early this morning at work before logging off to meet my boss. Getting well over 10k steps in and enjoyed Taco el Gordo for dinner.

1/8: What an amazing day at CES seeing so many gadgets and winning a couple cool things too! Delicious dinner at Hobak Korean BBQ to end the evening.

1/7: Great dinner at Hofbrau

1/6: Grateful for making a smart healthy choice to eat an apple for lunch today and being able to lay down after work to rest before heading out to run errands, which went quicker than I anticipated.

1/5: Grateful the Asian market ran out of Dungeness crab because I decided to get the lobster at $10/lb. It was my first time cooking lobster (IP high pressure 4 min QR). I easily found the Newport Seafood spicy lobster recipe online and created my version, since I didn’t have all the ingredients and it was so good!

1/4: After realizing I didn’t have what I needed to complete the task I planned for today, I am grateful for the time to focus on finishing a blog post that I’ve had in draft for basically a full year. Also for a friend who told me this morning during dim sum that he enjoys reading my blog, which was a surprise since I didn’t think he ever read it.

1/3: Satisfied my pizza craving with healthier alternatives by using gluten/soy/dairy free pizza crust, dairy free parmesan cheese, olive oil, fresh minced garlic and herbs, arugula and clams.

1/2: Taking time after work to take a nap instead of trying to do things on my to do list because I was tired and making sure I take care of myself better.

1/1: Having the perfect view of the strip after landing safely in Vegas to watch fireworks with great friends. Sleeping in late and getting over 8 hours of sleep! Receiving a super cute coach ewok wallet. Eating a delicious breakfast and taking a nap after the food coma. Organizing my luggage of clothes. Got some blogging in. Amazing Thai dinner with a good friend.