Archive for October, 2007
“Laughter is the best medicine” ….. when the going gets tough.
I am down today because I learned that my good friend has to be evacuated due to the wildfires near her home. At the same time I discovered that another good friend has to make a tough decision on whether to have a hysterectomy to control cancerous growth.
My friend tells me that we have to learn to laugh at ourselves. Yes, we do that, don’t we? Laughter is our coping mechanism. We crack silly jokes and use humour to cope when the going gets tough. I could do with a good dose of humour right now.
I hope that my friend will find her home intact when the fires have settled and I hope that my other friend will have the wisdom and strength to make the right decision at this very difficult time and that she will be in good health.
I have other troubles too but they are little compared to what they have to go through right now.
Its the rainy season. Rain. Rain. Rain. It rains every single day. I can’t decide when to wash my clothes because I never get a chance to hang it out to dry. If I’m going out its even worse, I can’t take the risk of hanging it outside the house so most days I end up hanging my clothes to dry inside the house. A clothes dryer would be very nice now indeed.
But I don’t know anything about clothes dryer because I never owned one before. Fortunately for me, there are clothes dryer comparison sites. It compares dryers by price, brands, capacity, dryer type, volume or power source. I can search for best values, cool down features, front or top loads, one with a quiet mode or moisture sensor or a stackable type.
Best of all, I can read dryer reviews from actual users. I was amused to read this review “Finally, a dryer that doesn’t burn our clothes and melt comforters….” Its certainly worthwhile considering. Lol! or the review that mentioned about the washer in similar matching colors. Yes, they must match and not stand out like a sore thumb. Reading reviews before buying is always a good idea. It makes me think about things or features I would otherwise have missed out.
And so I finally got my CT Scan done. They did two. One normal and in the second they injected some coloured liquid into me so that can see better. The doctor in attendance poked me 3 times to find the right place to inject the fluid. 3 times! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! So painful! Cost around RM650. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! This time sakit hati pulak. Sakit tangan, sakit kepala and sakit hati.
“You punya salur semua kecik kecik” she said. Not her fault for poking me 3 times. Happens all the time, each time I go for a blood test or whatever that requires the needle. Always kena poke many many times before they get it right. I must have really small veins. Can’t say the same of myself though.
One month is up and I haven’t lost anything yet in my lose 5 pounds in 5 months project. Haiyah! Such poor self control I have.
The best make-up is a good complexion. I do so envy those that have crystal clear skin with no blemish in sight. I wonder wether they are born with it or it is a result of good skin care. Maybe its both.
My skin is getting older now but I guess its not too late to take care of it. My skin is uneven in color. I have darker spots where my acne used to be. The acne is gone now due to my age but the spots and scars remain the same and they have turned a darker color. I didn’t realise that they are a result of my skin’s pigmentation until I came across ORIKI Cosmeceuticals.
ORIKI Cosmeceuticals is specially developed with Asian, Mediterranean and Olive (AMO ) skin tones in mind. It incorporates the pigmentation factor into its line of products because the pigmentation problem requires specialised skin care. Hmm…now if only I had known this earlier.
Maybe its not too late though. I read on the website that ORIKI products will minimise the appearance of pores, fine wrinkles and dark spots for a luminious, younger and healthier looking skin. Exactly what I need! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go and browse the Anti Aging Cream with Botanical Antioxidants, the Firming Eye Serum or “Eye Lift” in a bottle with Botox effects or the Anti-Wrinkle Wonder or the Green Tea Mask. Gosh! I didn’t know skin care could be so exciting! Lol!
It would seem that the older I get, the less friends I have. Hahaha. Now, shouldn’t it be the other way around? Shouldn’t one accumulate more and more friends as they grow older?
That is not the case with me. I’ve had many good friends in the past. Girly girly friends of whom we used to giggle and do silly stuff together. Where are they now? I mean seriously, where are they? I have no idea. Sadly quite a lot of friends have come in and out of my life. Not many stay.
Theres this girl which I used to be very close to in college. We went everywhere together and were like peas in a pod but where is she now I wonder. After marriage and kids she disappeared! Then there was this group of girls whom I used to go out for drinks with. They’ve disappeared too. All but one but we’re not very close now as well. Hmm…
Then there are the past colleagues and no need to talk about primary school or secondary school days. Those are long gone. During those days, we moved around (as in change schools and state) quite often, perhaps a bit too often to make lasting friendships.
I really feel it on festival dates. My phone won’t beep as it used to. Now whats left are internet friends who really are rather like ships that meet in the night and of course my dear hubby and sweet sisters. They are my everlasting friends. 
Tired of working for someone? Wanna be your own boss? Well, there are opportunities everywhere. You just have to find it. Take this one for example. Its a phone cards affiliate, home based online business.
When you are thinking of embarking on an online business or any business for that matter, you need to be careful and make sure that it is not a scam. There is no inventory cost for this one so the risk is minimal.
What about technical expertise? Surely you need to have some technical knowledge to run a website? This one comes complete with webhosting provided and yet you have the freedom to choose your own domain name and customize it to your liking. Its completely within your control. Not only do you get to choose the layout, you choose your product, decide the pricing and promotions. No technical knowledge required only your time and commitment.
So how is this different from other affliate programs? With this E-trepreneur program you get total control of your website. You are virtually running your own home-based business and you can do it from virtually anywhere. This program earns you high commissions of up to 50% with most around 22%. And you are only 72 hours away from your owning your own business. Interesting isn’t it? I obtained all the above information from US Prepaid Telecom.
I have been having chronic headaches. I get these headaches everytime I wake up from sleep whether its nighttime sleep or an afternoon nap. The headaches don’t feel painful but rather my head feels very heavy, a bit like hangover headaches I think. Its not much fun to feel this way almost daily.
I have a CT Scan scheduled to make sure there is nothing wrong with my head. And so I sit here and face my greatest fear as a mother again. Its just a routine test (I’ve done it before) but I’m still kiasi. Yes, I am really kiasi one. I was never this way till I became a mother. I think all parents have this kiasi feelling. It is a feeling that comes out of love for our children. Whether they are still little like mine or they are all grown up we always want to be around for them to look after them and make sure they are alright.
On the bright side, I think I’ve started to spot now. Phew! My period was late and I was really worried about getting pregnant (now that I’m on medications) even though we both long for another child.
I’m still not in a very good mood today plus I had a tiff with the hubby over some issues. I was very mad at him for saying some rather hurtful things and he was mad at me too but I’m not mad anymore. Somehow I can’t stay mad at him for long …..
How should I cheer myself up? I think I will go and write some money paying posts, then play some color mixing with the kids then go watch the King and I and sing and dance with the kids. Yes, thats what I’ll do.
I wish that our snail mail was a little bit more secure. Perhaps we should consider getting a Locking Mailbox to solve our mail woes. Just the other day, I received an important mail that looked like it had been torn open from one side. Some curious neighbour had taken a peek at my mail before placing it back. Well, the upside is they decided to put it back in the mailbox after peeking.
Quite often, I’ve had to deal with missing mails and important packages. Its really tiresome. I suppose an ordinary mailbox as opposed to a Security Mailbox is an invitation to treat to the petty thiefs. Its just much too tempting when its so easy to reach out and just help yourself.
Locking Mailboxes could perhaps solve some of my missing mail problem. Now I’ve got to think of another way to solve the problem of the frequent wrong mails being delivered to my home. Perhaps I should get some really big number plagues for my home so that the postmen won’t always be mistaken. Lol!
We had dad over for the weekend since sister was away cave exploring with her family. We took dad makan-makan and jalan-jalan. I hope he enjoyed himself even though he was quiet most of the time.
We took dad to the pasar malam, to the shopping mall, to the park, for a late evening drive around town to watch the night lights. We took the SMART tunnel and the kids were really excited about that. We could see KLCC from afar and we drove till it loomed big and majestic right before our very eyes. We got down in the slight drizzle and oohed and ahhed like suaku tourists. We oohhed and ahhed too at all the colourful night city lights.
We took dad to eat pasar malam food for dinner, otak otak for lunch and emperor taufu for dinner and beef noodle soup for breakfast and A&W for tea. Although the food wasn’t exactly healthy but it was still nice to see him tuck in. At least his appetite is still good.
We borrowed a kungfu movie which he liked and watched it with him. He fell asleep halfway through but got up to see the ending, so at least he saw the beggining and the end.
Dad was quiet mostly but at least he talked and played with the kids a bit. Kids are great therapy for the elderly. Its nice for the elderly person to have the inhibited hugs from the little ones who were all over him.
Dad’s hygiene isn’t what it used to be. Its hard to get him to bathe, brush his teeth, trim his nails, cut his hair or even to change his clothes. I suspect its because he doesn’t know how to or it simply takes too much effort for him to figure out what to do next. He tells us “I don’t know what to do next when I get up each morning. I just want to go back to sleep.”
Because he is dad, its hard for me to help him change so I just prepare fresh clothes for him and remove the worn ones. He had worn his shirt to sleep and as I stood there with the fresh one and suggested that he change his shirt, I feel a great sadness in my heart as he fumbles with the buttons and say “I am very clumsy.” He had gotten his buttons on upside down and I tell him to take his time and say that he will feel much more comfortable in a new shirt. I couldn’t get him to bathe but I prepared a warm towel for him to wipe his face and neck with.
He doesn’t know how to change to go out unless he sees everyone nearly out the door so its no good telling him before hand to get dressed. I wait till we are all in our shoes then tell him that we are going out and its time to get change. This makes it a lot simpler for him.
Sister had prepared two medicine boxes for him, one for daytime and another for night. I take out his medicine box and points to the correct day and he looks at me uncertainly for confirmation when he takes it out to make sure that he has eaten them. I can sense his lack of confidence.
I am experiencing what many have experienced and some may experience as they grow older. I have become a parent to my parent. It is hard, emotionally and stressful for everyone. It is sad to know that the parent you have looked up to all your life is suddenly like a child now who depends on you to tell him what to do next.
Sometimes I source the internet to read up about how to take care of the elderly or handle a parent who has dementia and I came across this really good article about this role reversal process. Here is the link to that article : Becoming ‘parent of your parent’, an emotional wrenching process. Perhaps others who have to go through this too will find it a good read too. One thing mentioned in the article which I find very true is this….
Being the “parent of your parent” can unlock your family’s hidden dysfunctions — Every rivalry you had with your brothers and sisters, every argument you had with your parents, every effort you ever made to become independent can be put to the test once your parents become old and sick.
You find yourself arguing with your siblings, arguing with your spouse, arguing with your parents, arguing with yourself.
Yes, it does strain the family. What do people argue about? Expenses and time spent of course. The greatest of all evils which is “Money” and the most important and hardest to get resource of all which is “Time”.
As a parent now myself, I know that this is my second greatest fear. (The first is kiasiness - fear of dying and leaving my kids while they still need me). The second is fear that someday my kids will have to look after me and it will cause them the same stress that we siblings face now. I certainly don’t want my kids to fight about who is looking after me less or more or who is spending less or more money on me etc.
Ooh… I sound dreary today. Must be the middle of the week or the fact that my period is late and I’ve been having headaches upon waking daily. I’ve got to report both to my doctor and hope these headaches are nothing sinister.
Related posts:
Someday our parents will grow old
We had a long weekend due to an extra day off on Monday for the Hari Raya. So what do you do on long weekends and holidays? Why you eat, eat, eat and eat thats what! Chey!
There goes my resolve to lose 5 pounds in 5 months. After 2 weeks of trying really hard to eat less whilst maintaining my exercise routine and watching the weighing machine stay at the same weight each time I step on it, the weights have moved at last. In the other direction after only 3 days of eating out!
Sigh! Must be really getting old. Metabolism rate is really slow. Eat like a pauper for 2 weeks then eat like an emperor for 3 days and this is what happens! Must start all over again now. Nevermind, I shall not give up, nor shall I be disheartened. The holiday is over and so is the weight gain…… I hope!
I wonder how the others are doing. How are you all doing? Rachel, Anucia, Firehorse, Chinee and Leah? Any good news to report?
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