Seoul Surprise

As J and I get older, I find that we do less and less planning for our trips. Many months ago when we got the tickets for Taiwan, we decided to tack on Seoul before the Taiwan portion of our trip. The idea was that we’re already half way across the world in Asia, so we might as well have a little bit of fun before dealing with the family chaos. We picked Seoul for no real reason other than it being a new place for us that’s also a direct flight from SFO.

In other words, we had no expectations. Even stateside, most of our exposure to anything Asian has been primarily Chinese-centric, so beyond having bulgogi, kimchi, and a few spicy stews, we haven’t indulged in any other Korean cuisines nor exports, e.g. K-pop, K-beauty, or K-dramas.

The journey to Seoul was exhausting. Even though we had a direct flight in Economy Plus seating on a new plane, I dunno: we were so stretched on arrival. Immigration and customs were both a breeze, but then it was an 80-minute bus ride to the hotel in downtown. The hotel was a lovely new Lotte (Korean chain): super modern, clean, with excellent location and not too expensive really for downtown. The front desk suggested a nearby Korean dumpling and noodle shop for dinner. Delish. We crashed pretty quickly after that. The remaining days were full of walking and exploration. Thankfully, the weather was quite temperate, similar to back home in the 60s and 70s. And Seoul is crazy clean to boot.

Our second day, we went on a food tour, and one of the classmates is an expat who has previously lived many years in Singapore and Hong Kong (as well as Dubai and South Africa and Europe…). She said the food prep and restaurants here, even with the small street food vendors, are incredibly clean and meticulous. Good to know.

For the brief three days we walked about 18k-20k steps per day and enjoyed BBQ, noodles, dumplings, offal and pork sausage (thumbs down but we had to try bc it was on the food tour), kimchi, fried chicken, etc. So much variety and lots of great flavors. The Korean women are also big on skincare, so near our hotel were tons of shops selling face masks and creams and so forth. The K-beauty routine is notorious for its 15+ steps. I thought about trying some stuff, but our mini suitcases are already filled to the brim AND I discovered that nearly all the k-beauty stuff is available on Amazon for not that much more. I might give it a try after I get home.

Overall, we had a great time. I find the Koreans to be the “hipper” Asians. J also read some tour books that said Koreans are super into new trends… things go in and out of style super quickly. To my surprise, women were modestly dressed but def every bar/lounge we went to had a live DJ. What? Asians who like to have fun? An oxymoron to me! I was so disappointed, bc after extensive late night research, I discovered a bboy dance troupe. And I ALMOST got to see them perform, except they unexpectedly canceled the evening show the last night we were in town. Argh!

But Bubs and I have already decided that we’re going back. The city is nicely navigable, data service is comprehensive, and it can be the perfect pit stop en route to Taiwan. I’m officially on the Korean bandwagon. After I return to the States, I’m going to sample the k-dramas. My cousin, who speaks/teaches Korean, recommends a soap series called Descendants of the Sun. As usual, I am hopping on the bandwagon about ten years too late, but heck, there’s still time to see what all the hype was about.[FAG id=7489]

Revving up the OnStar

The most curious thing happened to me the other day. I was out late making a diaper run for Marty. Yup, the night before our flight out, I hit up the PetSmart. While I was in the aisle trying to figure out what brand and what size, Dad Facetimed me. Yes, now that I’ve turned him on to FT, Dad is using that shit all the damn time. And then sometimes, he doesn’t even know the video is on, so I just see his ear bc he’s holding it like a regular phone. On this particular occasion, I saw his face, but the image was upside down. SMH. So anyway, Dad launches right into his tech troubles. He wrote an email and pressed send, but it wasn’t showing up in the his Sent Mail folder. This same issue happened two days ago, and when I checked his email on my phone, there were like three of the same damn message in the Sent Mail. WTF. Anyway, I tried to troubleshoot and then I got so irritated, bc every damn time, it’s the same cluelessness. First, he kept insisting it was a problem related to his email being hotmail but him using Outlook. No, that’s NOT the problem! Then, I ask if he has internet. Can he close the browser. What is the browser? Then, he says there’s some error saying the message couldn’t send due to an incorrect email address. Ok, can you put the pointer over the To box. What is the pointer? ARGH!!! I mean, if you are going to use the goddamn computer and internet, can you please learn the basic terminology, like home button, start button, cursor/pointer, window, and browser? Jesus Christ. I was getting so annoyed at the store. So then he keeps going on, and I’m checking out. The poor cashier dude. I told my dad to hold on while the sales guy told me about some charity promo and then an upcoming Halloween for Pets event. I did not engage, and I was probably super rude. Then, he complimented me on my brows. Said they looked amazing. So nice, right? I felt bad for being a distracted beotch.

I got into the car and proceeded with the troubleshooting. Every step is like impossible, so I said I was headed home and I’d call him back. Again, thank fucking goodness for remote computer access. Turns out the sent mail box was sorted by name rather than by date. After we got that done, dad kept asking me if I was ok. I mean, I hate when he asks that, which is like every damn time, bc it’s not like my parents have ever been able to handle any real response to that question, you know? And then he said I looked really haggard and tired. Yeah, no shit. Then, he goes off on a whole spiel about taking my allergy meds and doing the nasal spray. Ugh. Enough already. I’m 40 y/o: I am not my brother. I don’t need to be told how and when to wipe my ass. Anyway, it makes me think about all these personality profiles… for my type, I just really hate being told what to do. Nagging is THE worst way to interact with me. I dunno why my parents always insist on applying the same exact approach for everybody.

I know, I should cut them a break. Parenting is hard and all. Still. Just like how they wish I were different in so many ways (namely with the childfree thing), I wish they were different. Like the other day, dad was giving me the entire play-by-play on how to take the bus from the airport to the train station. Um, I did the exact thing last year. On my own (no Bubbey). I got it. It’s called the internet. But he’ll still go on and on. And man, if I’m going to be driving them around in Taiwan, I’m gonna lose my shit for reals if mom repeats her behavior from last year with the annoying as fuck backseat driving…

Ok. Gotta think positively. God help me keep my cool.

Confidence

In preparation for our trip, Bubs started watching a bunch of videos on Seoul. One video we watched had to do with the skyrocketing trend of plastic surgery in Korea. The Koreans are into elective surgery big time (Based on 2014 stats: 1 in 5 women get shit done vs. 1 in 20 women in the US), and the patients are super freaking young. Like under 20 y/o!! I dunno where I stand on all of this.

On one hand, I feel so sad that children THAT young are feeling so badly about their appearances that they are going under the knife. The argument for surgery isn’t purely superficial though. As in China, job applicants have to submit mugshots, so many parents who gift their kids plastic surgeries for their 16th and 18th bdays consider it an “investment” in the child’s career and future. There does seem to be something instinctively “wrong” with having physical appearance and beauty hold so much importance, and yet, if we think about all those studies about how beautiful people get more in life (be it in the form of attention, assistance, promotions, jobs, etc…), is it naive to downplay how influential beauty can be? Even babies respond more positively to beautiful people, so isn’t this just human nature?

My stance with plastic surgery has changed over the years. In my younger years, despite my struggles with acne, I really felt like surgery just promoted superficiality. Anytime my parents complained about my attire or whatever, I reacted angrily, accusing them of being shallow. But now, as a 40-y/o woman, I realize there’s a lot to be said for confidence as a byproduct of attractive appearance. When I was younger, my acne made me closed off. I isolated myself from things I would have done otherwise. And in my mid 30s, when I started investing more time in my attire and my style (after my acne cleared up), I def felt a stronger kick in my step. The connection between appearance and confidence was undeniable. And certainly, if an adult woman opts for a little nip/tuck or facelift or whatever, I’m far less judgey about it now than I used to be. Ultimately, it’s about choice, right? Weigh the pros and cons and then decide for yourself. Honestly, women have been obsessing over beauty since forever, whether it’s in the form of makeup, skin creams/elixirs, faux lashes, botox, fillers, hair removal, tatted brows, hair coloring, pushup bras, etc.

So circling back to plastic surgery for girls… instinctively, it feels wrong but if I consider it from the perspective of confidence, I feel very differently. For example, how different would my experiences as a young woman have been if I had confidence, if I had loved myself? My demons chased me for so long… decades and decades. What if that burden had been removed in my 20s: how might I have flourished? I don’t know what the answer is, and with issues like this, I’m so glad I don’t have kids who rely on me to help direct and navigate them through these complexities.

Anyway, it’ll be interesting to be surrounded by swaths of beautiful people in Seoul. 🙂

On a Roll

What can I say, this has been one helluva week! After passing my exam, I was on cloud 9 for like 24 hrs. Then, the very next day, I boarded a quickie flight to Burbank for that “client meeting.” I even got all decked out in a blazer and fancy flats for the fun of it. You know me and my crazy mind games. Yup, it was my last ditch attempt to score the elusive and highly coveted Southwest Companion Pass. With the promo ending on October 31, I was running out of time, so I just had to crank it out. The flight was an easy 45 min down; then, I exited the gate area and re-entered security and boarded my flight back. I know, J and I were shaking our heads (he stayed home) and laughing at ourselves, but shit man, this just had to be done. And in the end, we’re talking a time commitment of 9am-1pm plus $112 for the homestretch.

This morning, I was jarred from my slumber with the official email. Yesiree: I am now an official Companion Pass holder, and I am so fucking psyched!!! I mean, I was literally sitting on the commode this morning thinking about what an amazing deal this is/was. Seriously people, keep your eyes peeled for a repeat. If you think about it, the pass was going to be nearly impossible for me based on the original terms (110k points from credit card purchases and/or flights OR 50 round trip flights in a calendar year). I got the same exact pass for 5 round trips totalling less than $1000!!! I know, I keep going on and on… I’m just saying: some deals really are worth the extra time and hustle. And another new thing I discovered? Southwest starts direct flights from SJC-BWI next month. So good or bad, at least flying home will be even easier. Yay. Not. My parents say they’re getting the house on the market by Feb/Mar, so I imagine a few more trips will be in order. We’ll see.

Speaking of real estate, everything is on track for the Walkersville house. I can hardly believe it. After several months and many uncomfortable conversations, the deal is nearly done. Thank goodness. And along the way, I’ve certainly learned a ton about dealing with clients (like myself) and about being a responsive and attentive realtor. I have so much to learn with this goddamn people-based business. I’m both excited and apprehensive.

Then, as part of registering for the license exam, I got on some kind of recruitment list, so several brokers/companies in the area sent me letters, inviting me to meet and check them out. I mean, there’s nothing really personalized about the letter: they just contact people who registered for the test. It actually reminds me a lot of the college application process: you register for the SATs and then colleges all over the country start mailing you their prospectuses and shit. But heck, I’m thrilled to be pursued (it happens so rarely), and of course, I have emailed all those brokers letting them know that I passed this week and let’s meet next month. Yup, I am on it.

Btw, the KW realtor I befriended through LinkAges has turned out to be so kind and generous in sharing his knowledge. Bc of him, I’ve attended a few trainings to help me hit the ground running. In fact, I’m attending another one this afternoon… I told you I eat that training/coaching shit up.

So yeah, my trip to Asia is right around the corner, but I’m just trying to keep the momentum going. Gotta hit the iron while it’s hot, like my father loves to say. I’m feeling pretty good, like most things are finally going on an upward trajectory.

Licensee!!!

Holy shit, I passed my real estate salesperson exam this morning. It’s been a few hours since I got the actual paper indicating such (I checked several times that it was MY name on the thing!), but I’m still feeling like this a dream. Honestly, the last several weeks have been a blur. And having to deal with Tessa the last five days def did NOT help at all. That dog. Aside from her aggression and territorial issues that emerged despite two successful trials with daycare, she also required all kinds of supervision. Seriously, THE most challenging client ever. For example, she kept trying to eat Martin’s food; she would NOT stay off the furniture; she thrashed her dog pillow like a maniac; she got into bags, found cockroach traps… ANYthing on the floor; she was an awful, stubborn walker (she’d just cop a squat when she didn’t want to go in your direction); she got into the bathroom garbage like THREE times… the list goes on. Jesus Christ. I really wish some dog parents were more in-tune/transparent/honest about their dogs meeting basic behavioral standards. And heck, what kind of 8-y/o adult dog is so freaking incorrigible??? Supposedly, she had an extensive vocabulary… Whatever. At the end of the day, she still didn’t understand “No!” Needless to say, given these last two duds, I am taking a break from Rover. Yup, Bubbey called it for real: the good streak was bound to end and shit, Rover burned me good!

But whatever. On to bigger and better, now that I’ve passed the license exam, right? It’ll take the Bureau more paperwork and time to actually issue the legit license, but hell, I am just so relieved this part is over. My anxiety was getting out. of. control. Big time. Like I was thinking about how most people fear public speaking more than they fear death. Well, I fear test taking more than I fear public speaking (actually, I don’t mind public speaking so much anymore). Damn, I was popping Calms Forte like every day. And fuck, I studied super cray cray. Like used a gabillion books, plus webinars, plus study guides, a Saturday cram class, AND took over 1000 practice questions…

Thankfully, Bubbey saw how worked up I was getting over everything, so he stepped up big time, handling all the meals and groceries and household logistics. Then, he drove me to the exam site in Oakland this morning. Yup, like I’m Miss Daisy. It helped a ton though, bc that East Bay traffic would have taken my stress to a new level.

Now that the test is done, I’m actually really excited to find a brokerage AND start enrolling in all kinds of training/coaching programs. You know I eat that shit up! And of course, our trip to Seoul and Taiwan kicks off soon, so I’ll be able to chill out a bit, without stressing about re-taking the test. Whew! What a goddamn relief.

 

 

Two Days

OMG, so much can happen in two days. J and I flew out on Sunday to Reno… yup, first time flying into that airport for a quick trip to Tahoe. Super easy flight. I just need it to be from SJC instead of OAK. Baby steps though. Besides that, J and I always think that we’re outsmarting people by hitting up destinations off-season, and then we show up and everything is fucking closed for construction or renovation or transition or whatever. I mean, the peace and quiet is awesome and definitely, no crowds, but man, all the historic sites and tours shut down at the end of September. So really, we just missed it by a few days.

Nonetheless, we had a great time taking in the landscape and hitting up historic homes. Even if we couldn’t go inside the lake estates, as they are called, the grounds by the lake were stunning. We kinda took things easy after settling in the first night. The temps got cold real fast though once the sun went down. And it started flurrying. Since it was the first snow of the season, people at Heavenly went bonkers. I was really hoping the precipitation would stop, but it didn’t. The next morning, the snow had actually stuck!

All in all, we had a fun little getaway… we were trying this new dog sitter and I wasn’t getting too many updates from her. When I checked our cams, no activity. She finally replied and said all was fine, she just conked out. Ok. Meanwhile, we ate gross food (Tahoe really needs to step up the food options) and then attended a magic show. There was a super cute magic theater venue right there in the village. J even got called up to the tiny stage. Haha. A pretty good show but dang, those magicians are super amped up!! His finale was killer, and then he also turned us on to a bunch of magic-theater venues throughout the country. Turns out there’s one in Martinez!! Yup, so now I have another 5 venues to add to the bucket list.

We returned home this evening and Marty looked well. He’s had great appetite and walked without issue. Then I find a note on the counter from the sitter: basically, our plumbing went out and both bathrooms plus the hallway (washer/dryer) flooded when she tried to wash his doggie towels. She was very apologetic like it was her fault (she couldn’t remember if maybe I had instructed her not to use the washer). Oh, no!! The water was all mopped up and then all the wet towels were in the tub. I’m glad she cleaned everything but um, why didn’t she contact me??? Something similar happened almost 4 years ago when I was home, but still, this is just one of those “shit happens” incidents. Anyway, thank god the plumber is coming tomorrow and yeah, I felt bad for the sitter’s inconvenience…

Just now, it’s 11pm and I receive a text from her saying that the plumbing issue made for a bad experience and she’s allergic to something in the house. She can’t sit Marty for Taiwan. UGH!!! That’s fine. I reply that I’m glad she watched him, he looks good, and sorry for the trouble. BUT it would have been nice for her to keep me posted so I could call the plumber right away!!!

So now, we’re back from our trip, I’ve got a huge pile of wet stuff and no shower. Hopefully, the plumber will bust the blockage tomorrow… But things are gonna be crazy from here on out. Tessa is coming tomorrow for five days. And I just got invited by one of the realtors I met  LinkAges to attend an all-day real estate event on Thursday. And my test is Tuesday. I’ve just reached out to two more potential sitters on Rover tonight. I’m meeting one tomorrow.

Fuck man, not having care for Marty is like one of the most stressful things ever. But shit happens. We’ll figure it out.[FAG id=7486]

The Fine Print

So update on a few things:

Walkersville house: Apparently, my agent and I had a misunderstanding about the cost of radon mitigation. I thought he estimated the costs as $400 for a passive system and $900 for an active system. Turns out though, what he meant was $400 to upgrade to an active system if there’s a passive system already installed… but there isn’t. So that’s fine. Radon is a legit environmental health concern, so we upped the buyer credit some more. The buyers accepted, and we’re onto the next step. Whew!

Companion Pass: Seeing as I was still short a flight, I booked that same day roundtrip to Burbank for $112. But the next day, I figured I would CYA once more and call Southwest to confirm that after this Burbank trip, I’m gonna get the pass for sure, right??? Well, I spent about 30 min on the phone with an agent and her manager: they both insisted that indeed Reno was the last flight I needed. Back and forth. They are unable to provide paperwork or email confirming this. To be honest, the problem seems to be inconsistent fine print posted to various places. Regardless, from what I read in the super detailed fine print, “bookings made before the promo period are ineligible.” So even though these people told me what I wanted to hear, I think they are wrong and I’m not taking any chances.

Rover: Very late on Thursday night (11:35p to be exact), I received a Rover request for the very next day. Given the last minute nature, I assumed this was urgent and dire. I accepted boarding for a 2.5-y/o American Eskimo. I looked through her profile and pretty much no care/vet instructions. The owner was super grateful and when I expressed concerns about age difference with Marty, she didn’t really reply. At worst, I figured I could just keep them separate. So the owner came by after work on Friday and she was in a hurry, so much so that she didn’t want to see the yard or the park. She also didn’t bring the dog’s food or bed. Just a leash/harness, a bone (“I’ll leave this and she hasn’t chewed up anything in a long time”), and a bag of treats. Um, ok. All is fine, Lemon (named after the citrus) is a sweet young pup. At bedtime, we go to sleep and she stays out in the living room. Ok, whatever. Sometimes dogs prefer to wait near the door. Then, in the middle of the night, I wake up to go to the kitchen and I see chewed up rubber nubbies all over the carpet (the door stop). Throughout the night, she comes in the bedroom and I wake up to let Lemon and Marty outside. It’s a restless night. By morning, John gets up and let’s them both out. Then, he goes out to get coffee. I try to sleep in. I hear some crying and then when I go into the living room, Lemon is on the sofa, sitting on top of my Lululemon jacket. As I get closer, I see that she has chewed off the bottom half of the zipper. I think she ingested some of the zipper teeth even. Ugh! WTF?!?! I email her owner saying I think she ingested but I think she’ll poop it out and be fine. Can take to vet if you want. No reply pretty much all day. Later, I notice too that Lemon has chewed through her harness. So now I’m kinda pissed. I mean, she IS young, and this is one of the reasons why I specify dogs over 10 y/o. But I dunno: without any additional instructions/warnings from her owner, I thought Lemon would be easy. It’s fine: not the end of the world. My local dry cleaner says $40 for a new zipper, and fortunately, the owner agreed to pay. But shit, this also gives me a new appreciation for owners who bring their own crates and all that other equipment for when their dogs are left unattended. I mean, in this case, I was home, but after discovering her penchant for chewing, the crate would have allowed me to leave the house at least. Next time, I need to still insist on a thorough screening process… no cutting corners.

What else. I have been studying my real estate for a few hours every day. I did great on Exam 1 – definitions. Awful on exam 2 – prelim. I find the questions so confusingly worded, to be honest. So today was discouraging, but I just have to keep plugging. We’re off to Tahoe and back this week. Hope Marty does ok with the new sitter and her little mutt Cricket.

Carpolepsy

Bubs and I are back from a quick jaunt in Oregon. It’s been many years since we last visited: we had some friends who did the Hood to Coast race, so we’d hit up Astoria, Portland, and then the Eugene area. But this trip was focused less on the city and more on wine country! Yeah, I still don’t consider myself a foodie, but I like many of the things wine country offers: incredible scenery, deluxe outdoor chill space, ranch animals, stunning buildings and tasting rooms, and yummy snacks.

So first of all, Oregon is slow. I drove 45 mph on the interstate. No joke. Second, there sure are a lot of hipsters. I thought Portlandia was a hyperbole. Not so. That shit is spot. on. Lots of monster beards and very funky clothes. But people are nice and somehow not as snooty as the SF hipsters. Finally, shit is cheap. Yup, that part wins me over every. damn. time. So now, no more Paso Robles for our project idea but maybe Oregon wine country??? We’ll see.

We did a lot in a few short days. Sadly though, on our way to Mt. Hood, I got carsick, then popped a Dramamine, and then carpolepsy ensued. I missed so much of this gorgeous drive. I dunno whether the drowsiness was exacerbated by the Dramamine: I kinda feel like I have a history of getting ridiculously tired riding in cars. Like drugged-out tired. I was so frustrated to have missed everything that the first night after we got back to the hotel, I looked this shit up. I mean, I have a problem. Carpolepsy (ok, that’s a term in urban dictionary) aka highway hypnosis. It’s a form of motion sickness but not much explanation beyond that. Fucking A, man. In the mean time, I am getting back on the vitamins train, bc this no energy bullshit just cannot keep happening.

Another interesting surprise from the trip? J and are pinot drinkers, and we always felt like we enjoyed pinots from the Central Coast (Santa Barbara region) more than those from Williamette Valley in Oregon. But strangely, when we tasted the pinots on this trip, the wines were pretty good. Hmm, had our taste buds changed? Was there something with drinking them at the source? Perhaps the flavors actually differed winery to winery rather than just region to region? Not sure what happened. Bubbey says we ought to be careful about drawing conclusions based on very limited sample size. Ok, my data scientist. Regardless, the wines were a pleasant surprise. My preferences are now leaning towards old vine zinfandel, so I hear that Lodi, CA is the next wine region to hit![FAG id=7483]

What else. J and I are getting along great. I’ve come to realize that being together for so long, we really have this unspoken understanding about so many things, for example, our style of travel, our preferences, our behaviors, and habits. It’s a really nice luxury to have someone just be able to anticipate things on your behalf. It’s hard to explain more specifically, but I feel lucky and grateful for my Bubbey.

Of course, after a few days of total chill, I awoke our final morning in Oregon all stressed. First off? I received an email from Southwest at 7am. You have completed 4 of 10 flights for the California companion pass promo. Say what? That cannot be right. Immediately, I popped out of bed bc this shit was a Code Red. Got on the phone with customer service. He went trip by trip. Goddamnit, the flight to Burbank (LA) for BlogHer didn’t count, bc I actually bought the tickets before the promo window. ARGH!!! I mean I had called earlier and the agent then said it counted, but fuck, both of our bads. I am already feeling over-traveled (I know, first world problems), and I thought I would be done after Tahoe. Nope. I need one more round-fucking-trip before Taiwan. Goddamnit. Thankfully, my smart friend M planted an idea that if anything, I can just do a quickie day trip flight down to LA and back. Like just grab lunch at the airport. And at this point, that’s what I’m going to do, bc there’s a lot of other shit going on…

The MD townhouse sale is still pending… The buyers had a home inspection and came back asking for more, for course. That resulted in yet another conflict between me and my agent. Stressful, bc I am not world-class emotionally intelligent like Bubs. Also, bc the closing date falls while we’re all in Taiwan, I’ve got to arrange power of attorney. Thank goodness, M is stepping up to the challenge. I just hope all the paperwork and shit gets done right bc there has already been a lot of back and forth with the title attorney. Whatever, it’ll get worked out.

In other news, I finally received the green light from the Bureau of Real Estate to take the exam. I’ve got it scheduled for Monday, Oct. 11. And I am having a lot of anxiety about it. I’ve always had anxiety about standardized tests… it goes way back to the SATs, ACTs, and GREs. I ultimately did fine on them (though I never scored as high as my parents wanted), but I get insomnia and tummy issues and numb hands just thinking about it. I keep trying to talk myself through: it’s not as dire as my body is reacting but shit, it just dredges up all the pressures and expectations from the past. Anyway, the plan is to take a 2-day crash course next weekend and then crank it out Tuesday morning in Oakland.

Needless to say, my brain was just preoccupied with all this crap and then when we returned the rental car, the rep suggested that we caused a dent by the gas cap. Are you fucking kidding me? Then I had to speak with the manager. I showed her my before photos, but I didn’t get a straight on shot of that area. I explained that when we arrived, there was a huge wait. We did go around the car with a dude, but the lighting in the garage was poor and the car had just been washed so the dent would have been difficult to see with all the reflections from the garage lighting. On top of that, later, John reminded me that when I had pointed out an indentation (but no superficial scratch) on the trunk to the check-out dude, he had specifically told us they were just looking for major things… The manager gave me her cell and said she would review the garage footage on their cameras and call me before the end of the day. She was very nice but I was just annoyed, like what kind of scam is this? It’s not like you’re going to repair that indentation so why would you charge me?

So we arrive at the gate, and I’m just overwhelmed. I reach for my ipad to get some writing therapy in, and holy fuck: I left my ipad in the rental car. Noooo!! There was this new console design in the car with an underneath platform for your purse/bag, and I set my iPad there bc I was using it for map navigation. OMG!!! So I called Robbie (the manager) and thankfully she went and got it. I then had to go back out to the rental car area (thank goodness it was onsite!!) and then back through security again. See? Totally frazzled.

In the end, all is fine. We got back and Marty is good. Weaker but good. No accidents. I’ll take the test in ten days. I’ll get the Companion Pass eventually. The house will sell one way or another. And vitamins are gonna give me that extra boost to power through the next several weeks (You know Taiwan ain’t gonna be a walk in the park!).

Real People

My friends sometimes make fun of me, bc every now and then, I kinda get attached to celebrities I follow on tv shows and on social media. Like J always talks about back in the day when I was obsessed with the show Felicity. Many of the characters irked the shit out of me with their crappy decision-making, but in some odd way, they kinda felt like my friends. As soon as that show ended, I can honestly say, I was heartbroken, and I missed the characters.

Now, as a legit adult, I def have more distance and separation with tv people/characters, but despite all the comments from J and my friends reminding me that everything I watch/follow is fake or staged or scripted, I still reserve final judgement for myself. Sure, I get it: there are gurus I follow for style, makeup, fashion, home ideas… Flippant content. I understand that nearly all of their posts are, you know, heavily post-processed and perhaps selected by a team member or whatever, and strongly intended to push product. After all, marketing is marketing. But still, even among those people who recommend products for compensation (and really, what is wrong with that?), I still believe these individuals are real and authentic. In other words, I appreciate their craft and their profession. Maybe it encourages consumerism or whatever, but when I read their blog posts, I often discover that they are real people with similar fears and worries and concerns.

Some examples? I follow Emily Henderson and Gal Meets Glam. I enjoy the beautiful pictures of beautiful places and beautiful things. But as much as people want to dismiss these women for doing work that’s superficial or meaningless or shallow, is there anything wrong with having a passion that is simply creating beautiful things vs. say, helping refugees or empowering the disenfranchised? Sure, there is a palpable difference in terms of gravity of work but at the same time, not everyone is cut out for emotionally taxing work. And ultimately, isn’t the bigger concept really about happy people showing others what is possible for this life, however each one of us chooses to live it? I also argue that even if people value the work of these bloggers differently, that doesn’t mean they are vacuous people. So many bloggers I read share stories about their professional path or their personal journeys. They adopt the abundance mentality and encourage others to take risks to try new things. They are open and supportive. They share their big life decisions, and I am reminded that I am not alone in my struggles to figure things out. 

A few days ago, I read this post by stylist Emily Henderson about her marriage. Initially, I thought it was going to be some sappy, cheesy love story, blah, blah. But as I read on, the post was more about their struggles and growth together… there was something so raw and real about it. It’s so easy to look at her gorgeous social media pictures and to think that everything is seamless or flawless. But she keeps it real about how relationships go up and down, get hot then cold, and for so many of us, depression is a debilitating hindrance. After reading their story, I felt encouraged and supported. Yes, with social media, we often try to showcase our best lives almost exclusively, but is that really any different from when we go on that first date or have that job interview or attend a friend’s bday party? There is a time and a place for the things that weigh us down. The curation doesn’t mean what we project is fake. It means we select when we want to emphasize the good and when we want to confront the bad.

When I was in college, I remember going to the campus coffee house for an open mic night. My brother was a regular performer there and that day, he read something he wrote about our family. It included dialog of me and my parents. We came across whiny and unsupportive. Immediately, I started crying. How could he expose our dirty laundry to strangers? These people don’t even know us! He couldn’t even understand why I was so upset, but I felt embarrassed. How far I have come since then, right? 

With my previous (anonymous) blog, I wrote often about my parents, my brother (oh, the irony!), and my marriage. I remember a childhood friend who followed the blog was so shocked by the exposure: she said it was so personal; she would never feel comfortable revealing so much. And I’m sure if my parents read these things, they would be equally horrified. But ultimately, this is the human experience and frankly, why should we be surprised? Don’t we all know that people have conflicts with their families and friends and coworkers and whatever? Who are we really trying to fool or protect by sharing only the good stuff?

I know Emily Henderson is not my friend. We don’t know each other. We’ve never met. Still, her post resonated with me, bc it reminded me that we all have our issues. We are all trying to figure things out. Like her husband, I’m so proud of J and his professional success. But I feel immensely sad and sorry for myself, bc I have not yet hit my career stride. Like Emily’s spouse, I am still trying and still reaching, hoping that one day things will be different.

How About Law School?

I called my dad this evening to catch up. The last time we’d spoke, he was having a personal pity party while also arguing with my mother, so needless to say, I was feeling pretty frustrated with both of them. About a week and a half have passed since, and thankfully, he is sounding better. I gave an update on the Walkersville townhouse (we’re trying to schedule closing for after I return from Taiwan…). He’s been watching some new Taiwanese programming online and then tending to the yard, running errands, tracking his stocks, etc.

My grandparents in Taiwan seem to be on the upswing again. Even though the original plan for my upcoming trip was to consider moving my maternal grandparents to a formal elder facility in Taipei, it now seems that that transition plan will be unlikely. My dad’s sisters insist the current situation with all three oldies living in one place is manageable, esp with the help of two live-in caretakers, so the status quo might just end up being the easiest thing. Plus, I got wind that my brother is not returning phone calls (what’s new) and to be honest, if he were the only relative leaving nearest my grandparents’ senior facility should they relocate to the campus in Taipei, that would be a fucking disaster, bc ultimately, Jgo is unreliable as fuck. Just sayin’.

Other news: dad is most likely going to just use his usual realtor for selling his primary residence. As it turns out, I probably had a mismatch with the Walkersville agent anyway, so just as well: dad will simply continue working with a known quantity who also happens to speak Chinese. Remember when we said his house was going to go on the market next year? Well I was thinking like April or May 2017. Nope, his agent is advising that they clear out the insides and list in February/March. Uh, good luck with that accelerated timeline. Clearly, she has no idea what she’s dealing with.

Meanwhile, after my bud N headed out to LA on Thursday, I met with a local practicing broker on Friday (part of my plan to start networking now…). We had a good meeting: I followed up with a thank you and a “yes, I’d love to attend some of your office’s upcoming trainings,” to which she invited me… During our meeting, I floated the internship/job shadow/assistant idea, but she said realty offices hire assistants for like 2-3 year chunks, so my best next move while awaiting my license is really to attend office trainings and meet the other colleagues. Ok, cool with me.

But damn, I am getting antsy as fuck about not bringing in some more dough. Yes, I have another Rover assignment coming up, but with our traveling, my schedule isn’t super conducive. Naturally, I started creeping around on the Craigslist job boards, and I was getting sucked into some personal assistant/travel planning gigs. J thinks they are a total waste of time and energy (I should be ramping up for real estate…), but I like planning and organizing, and I’m good at it… I guess we’ll go to Portland and then I’ll come back and re-assess. I just feel like I need some more side hustle. That was always my thing in college: I just did better when I had a busy schedule with a lot of side jobs.

But back to my call tonight with dad. Mom is undergoing a bunch of tests: biopsies and a CAT scan. A few weeks ago, doctors found a speck on her lung and ulcers in her esophagus. My dad doesn’t think it’s anything to worry about bc back in their day, the TB inoculations often caused scarring on the organs, but just to be sure, they are doing tests. The doctor is slated to review the results in mid October.

Mom and Dad had also recently stopped their daily walking routine, bc the weather back home was so blistering hot and muggy, but dad said they started walking again this week. Then, for whatever reason, I dropped my bomb: I told dad about my real estate plans. I wasn’t really nervous about it or anything. I just didn’t want to tell him earlier bc I didn’t want him harassing me about studying for the class and whatever.  Not surprisingly, he thought it was a good idea, and after I told them I’d already completed the three required classes and am awaiting the test date, he sounded even more thrilled.

Of course, that didn’t stop him from making the inevitable comment: “Did you look at other jobs?” Um, yeah I’d already looked at all the digital comm jobs and decided I didn’t want to continue in that line of work doing jobs in nonprofit. He then clarified what he was really asking, “Have you thought about law school?” And there it was AGAIN. Jesus fucking Christ. He has been mentioning law school since I was in engineering graduate school in 1998. Every damn time: No, I’m not interested in more schooling. Oh, it’s only two years. No, it’s THREE years. Plus, every lawyer I know HATES the job. EVERY damn one says it is their most expensive mistake.

It’s fine. I’m not angry or anything, but it’s just another example of where my parents sometimes just push their agenda without listening to what I’m telling them. I get it: he works with lawyers and the work doesn’t seem that hard and they make boatloads of money. But still, it’s not like I’m my friend J who like takes law classes for fun or reads about Supreme Court judgements for fun… Anyway, Dad did insert the whole, “You do what’s right for you” disclaimer at the end. And regardless, I think he is pleased that in the very least, real estate will be practical should J and I consider personal real estate investments in the future… Always pragmatic, right?

What else. Oh, I had a very pleasant discovery the other day. You know how I’ve been doing the whole Upromise thing? Well, I used it back in May for our VRBO Best Friends booking, and the way I read the cashback deal, I would just get $10 for the booking. Well, as it turns out, I got like 10% of my booking (~310) on top of the $10!! Woo hoo!! So far, I’ve earned over $1200 in just under two years with Upromise. Not too shabby!

Finally, an update on Marty care: After reaching out to like 8 sitters for mid October availability, I met with a sitter this morning who’s game for living on the Houseboat while we’re in Taiwan. She also appeared utterly unfazed by Martin’s fragile condition. So we’re going to try her out in early October for our two-day trip to Tahoe (my final Southwest flight before getting my prized Companion Pass!) and then see how that goes. He’s been doing pretty well but those back legs, man… Today, I saw glimpses of Remy’s decline. But we’re just going to plug along for as long as he’ll plug along. I hope he’ll be ok when we’re in Portland for a few days.