It's 4 AM and I have the urge to write a post. Around 2 AM, I woke from my crammed, somewhat uncomfortable position on the couch due to a dream. In this dream, I received horrible news that two close family friends passed away. What a way to wake up. Dreams are just dreams right? All day long, I had this uneasy feeling that I am running out of time. That time is of essence. It's this nagging feeling that something bad is about to happen. Something is coming. Maybe this is all induced from work piling up; just plain stress.
I checked the news and browsed the web for couple of hours. Glad that Japan is still there and no catastrophic meltdowns had occurred while I was napping. The world of late has seen mother nature's destructive power in these recent years. Perhaps the rate of the occurrences of natural disaster has not increased, it's just that I paid more attention to them in my adult years. That and the instant coverages made available by advancements in technology from twitter, internet postings, facebook and uploaded video content made it all seem much closer even if the disaster occurred half way around the globe.
It's interesting how at some point in our lives, time becomes that much more relevant. For those that figured it out in the early years gained the most. For others like me, the pressure is on. Yes, I've heard it all before, "time is money", "you'll never get time back", etc, etc. But it's at one particular moment you notice the hourglass's got more sand at the bottom than at the top and that it's draining fast. Maybe today is that moment for me.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
2009 - Things I Learned
Retrospect.
Contemplation of the past; a survey of past time, events, etc. That's the definition from dictionary.com.
2009 was a fucking year. That's the first thing that popped into my mind if I had to summarize it in one simple sentence. I lost my dad early in the year and a friend at the end. Fucking year indeed. There's just no nice way to state it. Death sucks. Separation from those we know no matter if we had seen it coming or whether it took us by surprise doesn't make a difference, that feeling of your heart being squeezed to the point where you can't breathe is the same.
In 2009, I shed enough tears. I cried for my father who towards the end went through days that I was glad he is probably too out it from the pain killers. I cried for my mom for her loss of a life partner. I cried when my brother had to carry my dad into the rooms when he was too weak. I cried for all those arguments that I had with my father. When pop finally left his physical shell, I cried because I won't get to hold his hand again. But I felt relieved for him, that he no longer has to suffer. Cancer ended my dad's life at age 73 and these last 2 years have taught me lessons that I'll never forget. What will happen will happen, but there are preventive measures that one can take to spot early warning signs and do something about it before it gets out of hand. That's one thing I wished I should have pushed my father to do when he was diagnosed. Wished. Who knows if the outcome would've been any different. Suffering and dignity and the care of medical professions. Cancer doesn't just affect the one who has it. The disease affects all those around, mentally and physically. A good support group is crucial, not just for the patient but for all those involved.
I still have my yellow LiveStrong band on. I don't know when, if ever, I'll take it off. Whenever I see others, strangers walking down the street with the band on, I know that we are not total strangers, for we've been through similar experiences and most likely lost someone to cancer.
Untimely deaths, especially those of younger age is never easy to accept. Having lost a family member early in the year, I know what it's like for our family friends who lost their son at the age of 23. I lost a friend, more like a distant cousin, but truthfully, the impact of his death was not nearly as strong as my dad's was, understandably. But I deeply empathized for the parents. With no children of my own yet, I cannot truly fathom the loss of a child of own flesh and blood. But I can see that it's devastating. He live a good life. 23 years of age with tons of friends, dreams, fantasies and no real responsibilities yet, just starting out. No suffering.
We are all dying. From the day we were born, the clock has been ticking. The duration of one's time on earth is not the important part. Along the way, we'll meet and loose people around us. You keep going and enjoy that ice cream cone after a funeral. You take walks through the park and you laugh with those still with you when you can. Giggle when you find that stash of porn magazines of the lost friend. You find joy in the simplest things and take the time to spend it with those you care about when you can. You find it trivial to worry about views of others when you stand gazing at the magnificence of mother nature. You go do the things you've always wanted to do because you never know when it's time for you to move on to the next plane.
2009 我真的懂了 什麼是珍惜 什麼是挽惜 什麼是心痛的滋味
I am not scared of dying. I am afraid that I haven't lived.
Contemplation of the past; a survey of past time, events, etc. That's the definition from dictionary.com.
2009 was a fucking year. That's the first thing that popped into my mind if I had to summarize it in one simple sentence. I lost my dad early in the year and a friend at the end. Fucking year indeed. There's just no nice way to state it. Death sucks. Separation from those we know no matter if we had seen it coming or whether it took us by surprise doesn't make a difference, that feeling of your heart being squeezed to the point where you can't breathe is the same.
In 2009, I shed enough tears. I cried for my father who towards the end went through days that I was glad he is probably too out it from the pain killers. I cried for my mom for her loss of a life partner. I cried when my brother had to carry my dad into the rooms when he was too weak. I cried for all those arguments that I had with my father. When pop finally left his physical shell, I cried because I won't get to hold his hand again. But I felt relieved for him, that he no longer has to suffer. Cancer ended my dad's life at age 73 and these last 2 years have taught me lessons that I'll never forget. What will happen will happen, but there are preventive measures that one can take to spot early warning signs and do something about it before it gets out of hand. That's one thing I wished I should have pushed my father to do when he was diagnosed. Wished. Who knows if the outcome would've been any different. Suffering and dignity and the care of medical professions. Cancer doesn't just affect the one who has it. The disease affects all those around, mentally and physically. A good support group is crucial, not just for the patient but for all those involved.
I still have my yellow LiveStrong band on. I don't know when, if ever, I'll take it off. Whenever I see others, strangers walking down the street with the band on, I know that we are not total strangers, for we've been through similar experiences and most likely lost someone to cancer.
Untimely deaths, especially those of younger age is never easy to accept. Having lost a family member early in the year, I know what it's like for our family friends who lost their son at the age of 23. I lost a friend, more like a distant cousin, but truthfully, the impact of his death was not nearly as strong as my dad's was, understandably. But I deeply empathized for the parents. With no children of my own yet, I cannot truly fathom the loss of a child of own flesh and blood. But I can see that it's devastating. He live a good life. 23 years of age with tons of friends, dreams, fantasies and no real responsibilities yet, just starting out. No suffering.
We are all dying. From the day we were born, the clock has been ticking. The duration of one's time on earth is not the important part. Along the way, we'll meet and loose people around us. You keep going and enjoy that ice cream cone after a funeral. You take walks through the park and you laugh with those still with you when you can. Giggle when you find that stash of porn magazines of the lost friend. You find joy in the simplest things and take the time to spend it with those you care about when you can. You find it trivial to worry about views of others when you stand gazing at the magnificence of mother nature. You go do the things you've always wanted to do because you never know when it's time for you to move on to the next plane.
2009 我真的懂了 什麼是珍惜 什麼是挽惜 什麼是心痛的滋味
I am not scared of dying. I am afraid that I haven't lived.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The Rejection E-Mail
I had complete confidence after the interview was over that I was going to get selected for the job. Weekend passed, Monday came and went. No phone call. I still had hope. Tuesday morning, still no call nor missed call. Reality is creeping in a bit, hmm.. and that little voice mumbles "maybe you are not the one". By the time 5 PM rolled around and I still haven't heard a word, and knew then that most likely they've decided to go with others.
As the night rolled on, I said oh well and moved on with my daily routine. Suddenly, I see the new email notification box pop up. And there it is, an email from my interviewer informing me that they have selected another candidate.
I guess part time sales clerk at a computer store is not my calling after all.
As the night rolled on, I said oh well and moved on with my daily routine. Suddenly, I see the new email notification box pop up. And there it is, an email from my interviewer informing me that they have selected another candidate.
I guess part time sales clerk at a computer store is not my calling after all.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
REI Super Clearance
Wow, I had a field day at REI yesterday. I've been in an REI store several times before but never shopped for over 1 hour and definitely never bought anything prior. August 22nd marked the first day of Super Clearance day for 2008. We didn't get to the store at 10 am so I had my doubts of what items I will find in the store. Fortunately, after combing the 50% off racks for over 2 hours, I was able to grab some very light weight jackets for around $30 dollars. What made me even happier was that finally, I found a store where the cut and fit of the clothing actually flatters me without needing any tailoring after the purchase.
I was so thrilled with the purchases that I've decided to become an REI member in order to get in on the 4x a year garage sales!
OOO... October! Can't wait!
I was so thrilled with the purchases that I've decided to become an REI member in order to get in on the 4x a year garage sales!
OOO... October! Can't wait!
Monday, July 28, 2008
CineMix
I am listening to my favorite online radio station right now - http://www.cinemix.fr/ - found this station while looking through live365.com and what a great station. The hosting guy plays all these great movie scores that are very similar to my tastes. There's a neat live feature that shows you who is currently visiting the site and it's kinda comforting to see there are others like myself with similar interests out there in various corners of the world enjoying beautiful compositions at the exact same moment in these wee hours in the morning.
I am not alone.
I am not alone.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
The Start of Something Else
Okay, quickly spinning through the events of the day. Worked from 11 AM - 5 PM today. It was boring. Why? Because business was molasses slow. One of the co-workers and I were waiting to leave for good part of that 6 hour shift. Good thing I was prepared for the lack of customers by bringing a book with me to read. The gas price literally changed before our eyes today jumping another 5 cents to 3.999 at the BP station across the street. Damn! $4 gas here we go! Of course the cheapest gas is the only thing I can afford right now, not that I would pay for premium on regular basis. So glad I don't really need to commute by car these days.
$16 bucks from tips yesterday for 3 hours of work. And today was worse, only $20 dollars by our count. Even the owners didn't want to come into after their son's graduation ceremony. Yah that slow. So I am avg like less than $6 bucks an hour with wages. I wonder if the sushi place downtown is hiring. Hope the business will pick up so that working is actually worth the minimum measly wage.
On other note, today marks Hillary Clinton's full endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. I didn't get to hear her speech first hand but read the blow by blow transcript online just now and it sounded pretty good, sincere and hopeful.
“Please don’t go there. Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward. Life is too short, time is too precious and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been.”
Yes, indeed, we can all benefit from that reminder in all facets of life. Do not waste time looking backwards, life is too short. I am sure that part of her speech will be quoted decades from now in books of history. Thank you Hillary Clinton for making an effort. However, there was one part of her speech that I sarcastically smirked at, the part about equality.
“Let us resolve and work toward achieving some very simple propositions: there are no acceptable limits and there are no acceptable prejudices in the 21st century in our country.”
Hillary, I know you realize that there are gay women and will you be standing up for those women as well for equal rights?
No candidate is perfect in addressing everyone's concerns. However, I do hope one day that we'll truly achieve what Hillary Clinton has mentioned today, that there are no acceptable prejudices. But my hopes for equality are not only for those of us who lives now, but also for the future generations yet to come.
$16 bucks from tips yesterday for 3 hours of work. And today was worse, only $20 dollars by our count. Even the owners didn't want to come into after their son's graduation ceremony. Yah that slow. So I am avg like less than $6 bucks an hour with wages. I wonder if the sushi place downtown is hiring. Hope the business will pick up so that working is actually worth the minimum measly wage.
On other note, today marks Hillary Clinton's full endorsement of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. I didn't get to hear her speech first hand but read the blow by blow transcript online just now and it sounded pretty good, sincere and hopeful.
“Please don’t go there. Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward. Life is too short, time is too precious and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been.”
Yes, indeed, we can all benefit from that reminder in all facets of life. Do not waste time looking backwards, life is too short. I am sure that part of her speech will be quoted decades from now in books of history. Thank you Hillary Clinton for making an effort. However, there was one part of her speech that I sarcastically smirked at, the part about equality.
“Let us resolve and work toward achieving some very simple propositions: there are no acceptable limits and there are no acceptable prejudices in the 21st century in our country.”
Hillary, I know you realize that there are gay women and will you be standing up for those women as well for equal rights?
No candidate is perfect in addressing everyone's concerns. However, I do hope one day that we'll truly achieve what Hillary Clinton has mentioned today, that there are no acceptable prejudices. But my hopes for equality are not only for those of us who lives now, but also for the future generations yet to come.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Ta-da Lists vs Remeber The Milk
Several weeks ago, I was quite disappointed when I couldn't log into my Ta-da Lists account, a service which I've used for the past year, where I can create lists for things I needed to get done. The simple, clean, user friendly interface was what attracted me to the site to augment my memory and keep track of things. That disappointment was then turned to frustration when I tried to find a 'Contact Us' or Help link on the website itself. Not sure if making the user search for help/contact us was the intentional design, if it is, they sure have done a great job. Finally, I found a generic email address to send my comments to. In the email, I mentioned that I have been having problems logging into my account and was wondering if it was because I've maxed out the number of lists/items that can go into a single account. I still have yet to hear from them.
In desperation, I searched for a Ta-da List replacement and that's when I found my new love - Remember The Milk. Great site name by the way. Remember The Milk when compared to Ta-da list, it is definitely the more advanced version. You can set dates, time estimations, priorities among other things to a particular task. Even more impressive is that they have the hooks into other sites such as Google Calendar. I tried the Google Calendar hook and then immediately disabled it after getting paranoid about things linking into my private accounts which can contain more sensitive information than simple lists.
What impressed me the most was the customer service. The help screens are easy to find and my questions submitted through email were answered within a couple of days and to my satisfaction too!
Other uber useful feature is the search. I like being able to perform a text search for tasks.
Thanks Ta-da Lists for your free service. It was great for me but I bid you goodbye for I've converted to a Remember The Milk user.
* I am not paid for this write up. Just an average user describing my experiences.
In desperation, I searched for a Ta-da List replacement and that's when I found my new love - Remember The Milk. Great site name by the way. Remember The Milk when compared to Ta-da list, it is definitely the more advanced version. You can set dates, time estimations, priorities among other things to a particular task. Even more impressive is that they have the hooks into other sites such as Google Calendar. I tried the Google Calendar hook and then immediately disabled it after getting paranoid about things linking into my private accounts which can contain more sensitive information than simple lists.
What impressed me the most was the customer service. The help screens are easy to find and my questions submitted through email were answered within a couple of days and to my satisfaction too!
Other uber useful feature is the search. I like being able to perform a text search for tasks.
Thanks Ta-da Lists for your free service. It was great for me but I bid you goodbye for I've converted to a Remember The Milk user.
* I am not paid for this write up. Just an average user describing my experiences.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
05/12/08 - The Day The Earth Rumbled
In times of disaster, one often feels so helpless. I am very fortunate to be on this side of the globe same in my home, clothed comfortably in cotton with a roof over my head and blankets to keep me warm throughout the night.
Every little bit helps and wanting that donation to go directly to the people in need is always a major concern. A fellow blogger has put together a slide on organizations that are taking donations to help with the disaster relief in China. Please take a look and donate:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/599398/China-Earthquake-relief-efforts
Every little bit helps and wanting that donation to go directly to the people in need is always a major concern. A fellow blogger has put together a slide on organizations that are taking donations to help with the disaster relief in China. Please take a look and donate:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/599398/China-Earthquake-relief-efforts
Friday, May 09, 2008
Bedtime Activites
I can't decide which time I enjoy more, laying in bed before sleeping or laying in bed after waking. No need to make one do I? I love sinking down, all covered up with cotton including the feet and just burrow into the covers. The pillows are fluffed to perfection, with the second pillow waiting by the side in case I need to change the head elevation. Darkness surrounds me except for the areas casted by that warm yellow glow coming from the little lamp placed closed enough so I can reach over and turn it on and off.
After completely satisfying digging a comfortable position in bed, comes my favorite part: indulging the mind. I know most 'experts' warn people not to perform other activities in bed besides sleeping.. well or other bodily things, but poo poo to the experts. Reading or listening to the radio while I am laying there in my pjs are something I enjoy immensely. Without other distractions, my mind seems to pickup more. More insights from passages, more details from the melodies, just more.
After completely satisfying digging a comfortable position in bed, comes my favorite part: indulging the mind. I know most 'experts' warn people not to perform other activities in bed besides sleeping.. well or other bodily things, but poo poo to the experts. Reading or listening to the radio while I am laying there in my pjs are something I enjoy immensely. Without other distractions, my mind seems to pickup more. More insights from passages, more details from the melodies, just more.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Semantics
Tolerance, will our generation actually see much advance on it? I sure hope so. And the whole thing about pushing marriage to be defined as tbetween a man and a woman, I haven't quite sorted out the feelings about it. I mean why should both sides be so worked up about semantics, but then it's all the implied things that goes along with the word 'marriage' that I guess everyone is fighting over. For me, if I get the same rights and benefits as a 'married' couple I can care less what you want to call it. And in part I think it's a big sarcastic joke against those that withheld the belief that marriage has to be between a man and a woman. Why do I say that? Because say for example, a woman decides she really is a guy born in the wrong body so she goes and have a sex change. Viola, instead of Jane, she becomes John. She now can go get 'married' to her long time girlfriend.
So are those people that say marriage is between a man and a woman really saying as long as you got a penis bonded to a vagina then let's call it 'marriage'? Or are they saying as long as you have a piece of paper that states one 'male' and one 'female' then it's a marriage?
Perhaps down the road we'll see a shift in the battle. The controversy will be how we define our 'gender'. Is your gender identification based on physical attributes, mental identification, or as whatever is stated on a piece of paper?
So are those people that say marriage is between a man and a woman really saying as long as you got a penis bonded to a vagina then let's call it 'marriage'? Or are they saying as long as you have a piece of paper that states one 'male' and one 'female' then it's a marriage?
Perhaps down the road we'll see a shift in the battle. The controversy will be how we define our 'gender'. Is your gender identification based on physical attributes, mental identification, or as whatever is stated on a piece of paper?
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tumble
It was a bit freaky to witness my painted ceramic car fell from its perch on the Anthrocart to the floor. Amazingly, it survived the fall without breaking into pieces. Wait, let me double check. Yep, not a scratch or a chip. Amazing. Thank goodness my room is full of crap, useful crap that is. I do not know why did the car fall considering I have not move the desk at all and I am pretty sure that there was not a mini earthquake. Freaky, yo. Anyways, it went nose first and hit my little letter box, then it bounced towards the right which it then collided with the magnetic stuffed words lined the upper portion of one of the Anthrocart poles. Bouncing off of that it slide down the wall, its descent slowed by the Aiwa earphones. Finally it landed on the wood floors. Amazing. I just hope it's not some warning of some kind.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Fellow Dreamers of Toilets
It has been a while since I had the list of fellow bloggers who also dreamed of toilets and thought about the implied meaning of the white porcelain chair.
Now comes the time to archive this list in a blog entry and remove it from the side frames:
Anduin's Word: Dreams
ChAoS CeNtRaL
okkaywarner
banibear
missgoodey
Aberdoos
tiarella
lisa102373
Vern
BombayJen
CApoppy
holyhoses
Lisa
anni2pink
turtleheart.net
jadeisms
Now comes the time to archive this list in a blog entry and remove it from the side frames:
Anduin's Word: Dreams
ChAoS CeNtRaL
okkaywarner
banibear
missgoodey
Aberdoos
tiarella
lisa102373
Vern
BombayJen
CApoppy
holyhoses
Lisa
anni2pink
turtleheart.net
jadeisms
Flash Content
It's wonderful how there seems to be a new service popping up every single day, feeding and enabling amateurs like myself to publish more personal content on the web. Tonight, I was introduced to a new beta service - Sprout Builder - which allows building Flash creations using mainly drag and drop user interface. Beautiful!
I spent a good hour or so playing around with its features, which are quite adequate for the the most of us. There are some great looking Flash creations from users and it's amazing to see what can be designed using the building blocks provided.
The only thing that really made me hesitate on using Sprout Builder in the future is section 7b which talks about the user submissions and how by posting, you are automatically granting certain rights to Sprout Builder. That part, I really did not like.
So from this point on, I'll just be using the site to create Flash projects that will not include photos or videos or any original forms of artwork which I would want to retain all the rights.
Still, thanks Sprout Builder for this great service. If anyone from Sprout Builder is reading, which I highly doubt, but just in case, please let users retain exclusive rights regarding their submissions, such as video or images. You can provide an option for users to selectively grant various license permission settings if they wish. If you do that, I'll definitely use the service more often and I bet many others will also be more willing to display their work using Sprout Builder.
Here's my simple little slide show of the salamander in the yard.
I spent a good hour or so playing around with its features, which are quite adequate for the the most of us. There are some great looking Flash creations from users and it's amazing to see what can be designed using the building blocks provided.
The only thing that really made me hesitate on using Sprout Builder in the future is section 7b which talks about the user submissions and how by posting, you are automatically granting certain rights to Sprout Builder. That part, I really did not like.
So from this point on, I'll just be using the site to create Flash projects that will not include photos or videos or any original forms of artwork which I would want to retain all the rights.
Still, thanks Sprout Builder for this great service. If anyone from Sprout Builder is reading, which I highly doubt, but just in case, please let users retain exclusive rights regarding their submissions, such as video or images. You can provide an option for users to selectively grant various license permission settings if they wish. If you do that, I'll definitely use the service more often and I bet many others will also be more willing to display their work using Sprout Builder.
Here's my simple little slide show of the salamander in the yard.
Unexpected Residents
Yesterday, was one of my better days in the past 3 weeks. A day where I felt close to being relatively healthy versus being plagued by mysterious slightly elevated body temperature, body aches and thicker post nasal drips. So, dressed in my outdoor gear of choice - navy blue Mickey Mouse sweatshirt, with a green T from Children's Place and completed by a pair of forest green Children's Place fleece sweatpants, I joined my mom in the front yard on a gorgeous 72 degree Spring day.
The activity goal for the day was to plant these little flowers into the severely dry grounds on the front lawn underneath this big old tree (which my brother thinks it's on it's last legs, so to speak). My contribution was to peel the degradable wrappers around the nursery plants and plant them into the holes my 59 year old mom has dug out. What! I was feeling weak! Anyways, squatting there and half way through the tray, I got a little surprise. Peeling away the wrappers, I saw these 2 slimly dark gray worm like things on the bottom of the plant entangled in the roots. Those are not worms my friend. Kinda looked like little snakes. I sat the plant down and carefully peeled away the rest of the wrappings. That's when I saw there were 2 of these little creatures, whatever they are. They have 4 feet each and a little head.
I should've have ran into the house to get my camera that second but instead, I separated them from the roots. Freed them is what I've done I like to think and used the same twig to pull them out on the ground so I can take a closer look. I think they are some type of a precursor to a frog? My mom stayed away for she's afraid of slimy things. By the time I finally realized that this is a great photo op, one of them already went into hiding so I only had the chance to do my photo Safari thing with 1 of the creatures.
Here it is:
It was a great photography experience and practice trying to shoot this little thing which can run really fast when it wants to.
The activity goal for the day was to plant these little flowers into the severely dry grounds on the front lawn underneath this big old tree (which my brother thinks it's on it's last legs, so to speak). My contribution was to peel the degradable wrappers around the nursery plants and plant them into the holes my 59 year old mom has dug out. What! I was feeling weak! Anyways, squatting there and half way through the tray, I got a little surprise. Peeling away the wrappers, I saw these 2 slimly dark gray worm like things on the bottom of the plant entangled in the roots. Those are not worms my friend. Kinda looked like little snakes. I sat the plant down and carefully peeled away the rest of the wrappings. That's when I saw there were 2 of these little creatures, whatever they are. They have 4 feet each and a little head.
I should've have ran into the house to get my camera that second but instead, I separated them from the roots. Freed them is what I've done I like to think and used the same twig to pull them out on the ground so I can take a closer look. I think they are some type of a precursor to a frog? My mom stayed away for she's afraid of slimy things. By the time I finally realized that this is a great photo op, one of them already went into hiding so I only had the chance to do my photo Safari thing with 1 of the creatures.
Here it is:
It was a great photography experience and practice trying to shoot this little thing which can run really fast when it wants to.
Friday, April 11, 2008
MinuteClinic
Several weeks ago, I was feeling downright miserable. I was having heavy chest congestion and coughing up globs of thick, yellow, blood streaked sputum (the medical term for - phlegm, as I found out). Lovely images aren't they? Afraid that I was going to pass something to my dad, I went looking for doctors in the area. And "wham!", doors slam in my face, cyber doors, as I tried to call to make appointments with a doc. As soon as I mentioned the word, uninsured, I was told that many of the docs will not see patients who does not have insurance.
Lucky for me, I had a friend who gave me a good suggestion of going to one of those walk in clinics like the ones that CVS has called MinuteClinic. I logged on immediately and saw that yes, they do have strep throat tests, so off I went. Below are my impressions from my own visit to MinuteClinic.
Unfortunately, not all locations of CVS will have a MinuteClinic for they are probably testing out the MinuteClinic idea. If you are listening CVS, do more advertisements!! Especially online! I tried searching for "walk in clinics" or clinics in general and MinuteClinic never came up! Anyways, I digress. So I walked up to CVS located at X and immediately noticed that there's this little MinuteClinic posted on the CVS window. I walked in and the MinuteClinic is located next to the Pharmacy area. There's a little room with a check-in counter outside of it. Everything is computerized. The check-in kiosk prompts the patient for a series of general information, very similar to the ones you would fill out at a doctor's office. Name, addres, phone number, reason for visit, and so and so. For those that are not computer literate, I am sure the MinuteClinic doctor will be able to help, but overall the process is pretty simple and easy. When you are done registering yourself, your name is placed in a queue.
The entire registration process took less than 5 minutes for me. If you are bad at typing, it'll probably take you a little longer.
I was the only person there at the time, so I was first in line. No wait time at all.
The doc greeted me into his office. A 9x9 little space, very clean, very much like the one you usually sit in while you wait for your family doctor, except everything is spaced a bit tighter. As I walk in, to my left is a long counter where supplies are kept. The immediate left corner is occupied by the doctor with his computer, printer, and Visa machine. There are couple of chairs in the room, no lounge bed to lie on. The room looks neat and clean.
Next, the doc closes the door for patient privacy. With the door closed, you forget that you are actually inside a CVS store. Instead it looks just like many of the 'regular' doctors office, only much newer. Yes, you know what I am talking about.
The doc pulled up my info on the computer and starts to take some preliminary history and to understand what's ailing me. I explained I have this horrible chest congestion and cough for almost a week now and that my main concern is that I might have strep throat. He listened carefully and took my blood pressure, looked into my ears, eyes and throat. The doc said he doesn't think I have strep instead that I probably just have an upper respiratory infection and the cough is due to the post nasal drip that I have which is irritating my throat thus making me cough. But course, he went and explained the two different types of diagnostic tests available to
test for strep and went to explain both the quick strep test and the strep culture. I opted to do both. The quick strep test was easy, swab the back of my throat and 5 minutes later it showed that I was negative for strep. But being the anal person that I am, I went for another swab to be sent out for the culture.
I asked some questions about strep, and sinus infection and bronchitis. The doctor patiently answered my questions.
Towards the end of my visit, the doc printed out some prescriptions for me to take to dry up the post nasal drip and to help with thinning out the phlegm.
I paid for my office visit using a credit card. My prescriptions, medical history, info on strep throat and upper respiratory infection were printed out from the in room printer.
40 minutes and $99 dollars later I was out of the MinuteClinic, breathing a little bit easier now knowing I don't have strep.
So overall for me, MinuteClinic is a great thing. Good for those non-threatening ailments and definitely beats going to ER for a simple test like strep. I hope that United States will expand on walk-in clinics especially since this is about the only way the uninsured or those paying out of pocket will be able to see a doctor within a reasonable amount of time without going to an ER for simple illnesses.
And hopefully, these types of clinics will be expanded so they can take on a variety of cases that might require uses of X-Rays.
Lucky for me, I had a friend who gave me a good suggestion of going to one of those walk in clinics like the ones that CVS has called MinuteClinic. I logged on immediately and saw that yes, they do have strep throat tests, so off I went. Below are my impressions from my own visit to MinuteClinic.
Unfortunately, not all locations of CVS will have a MinuteClinic for they are probably testing out the MinuteClinic idea. If you are listening CVS, do more advertisements!! Especially online! I tried searching for "walk in clinics" or clinics in general and MinuteClinic never came up! Anyways, I digress. So I walked up to CVS located at X and immediately noticed that there's this little MinuteClinic posted on the CVS window. I walked in and the MinuteClinic is located next to the Pharmacy area. There's a little room with a check-in counter outside of it. Everything is computerized. The check-in kiosk prompts the patient for a series of general information, very similar to the ones you would fill out at a doctor's office. Name, addres, phone number, reason for visit, and so and so. For those that are not computer literate, I am sure the MinuteClinic doctor will be able to help, but overall the process is pretty simple and easy. When you are done registering yourself, your name is placed in a queue.
The entire registration process took less than 5 minutes for me. If you are bad at typing, it'll probably take you a little longer.
I was the only person there at the time, so I was first in line. No wait time at all.
The doc greeted me into his office. A 9x9 little space, very clean, very much like the one you usually sit in while you wait for your family doctor, except everything is spaced a bit tighter. As I walk in, to my left is a long counter where supplies are kept. The immediate left corner is occupied by the doctor with his computer, printer, and Visa machine. There are couple of chairs in the room, no lounge bed to lie on. The room looks neat and clean.
Next, the doc closes the door for patient privacy. With the door closed, you forget that you are actually inside a CVS store. Instead it looks just like many of the 'regular' doctors office, only much newer. Yes, you know what I am talking about.
The doc pulled up my info on the computer and starts to take some preliminary history and to understand what's ailing me. I explained I have this horrible chest congestion and cough for almost a week now and that my main concern is that I might have strep throat. He listened carefully and took my blood pressure, looked into my ears, eyes and throat. The doc said he doesn't think I have strep instead that I probably just have an upper respiratory infection and the cough is due to the post nasal drip that I have which is irritating my throat thus making me cough. But course, he went and explained the two different types of diagnostic tests available to
test for strep and went to explain both the quick strep test and the strep culture. I opted to do both. The quick strep test was easy, swab the back of my throat and 5 minutes later it showed that I was negative for strep. But being the anal person that I am, I went for another swab to be sent out for the culture.
I asked some questions about strep, and sinus infection and bronchitis. The doctor patiently answered my questions.
Towards the end of my visit, the doc printed out some prescriptions for me to take to dry up the post nasal drip and to help with thinning out the phlegm.
I paid for my office visit using a credit card. My prescriptions, medical history, info on strep throat and upper respiratory infection were printed out from the in room printer.
40 minutes and $99 dollars later I was out of the MinuteClinic, breathing a little bit easier now knowing I don't have strep.
So overall for me, MinuteClinic is a great thing. Good for those non-threatening ailments and definitely beats going to ER for a simple test like strep. I hope that United States will expand on walk-in clinics especially since this is about the only way the uninsured or those paying out of pocket will be able to see a doctor within a reasonable amount of time without going to an ER for simple illnesses.
And hopefully, these types of clinics will be expanded so they can take on a variety of cases that might require uses of X-Rays.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Proportions and All That Hair
"Well, don't you just look like one of those Asian boys with the big hair and little body", was my initial reaction when I saw myself in the mirror first thing in the morning. Time for a haircut, indeed. Lucky for me, my genes probably will ensure that I have a full head of hair even when I age to my 80s. The hair on my head grows at a steady pace. Hmmm, if I were to wager, I would say about an inch a month of hair sprouts out of my head. Other places of my body, hair grows a bit slower. I wonder why that is? Take for example, since it's the winter, well fine, it has been winter for the last several of months, I've forgo the weekly shaving ritual to give myself more insulation against the cold, cold weather we have up here in the North. First the leg hair grew fast, but then it just stopped. Did my body somehow told the skin on the leg to stop growing hair where it's not really needed? I mean how does the body determine where and how fast to grow the hair?
But summer will be approaching soon, that's when I'll need to bring out the little scissors to give myself a trim before picking up the razor and shave. I've always wanted to do some sort of artistic trimming of the hair, say create interesting patterns with the hair. Maybe this time I'll finally have enough material to work with.
But summer will be approaching soon, that's when I'll need to bring out the little scissors to give myself a trim before picking up the razor and shave. I've always wanted to do some sort of artistic trimming of the hair, say create interesting patterns with the hair. Maybe this time I'll finally have enough material to work with.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Doctor, Doctor
Sitting here after 5 hours or so of sorting and paying bills, I have to admit I need to find a job soon to make some $ so that at least the outflow of money can be stenched somewhat. Unemployment does have its drawbacks.
Another thing I just realized is that in the last 9 months, the faces of my dad's doctors are more familiar to me than the faces of my friends in the last 5 years. Guess that's not a good thing eh? In this day and age, how many times do you actually get to see your friends per year? Maybe 2x if you live within 1 neighboring state?
Another thing I just realized is that in the last 9 months, the faces of my dad's doctors are more familiar to me than the faces of my friends in the last 5 years. Guess that's not a good thing eh? In this day and age, how many times do you actually get to see your friends per year? Maybe 2x if you live within 1 neighboring state?
Sunday, March 16, 2008
New Color Scheme
I spent sometime today updating the color scheme of my blog. Inspired by some recent photos I took of the plants, green I've decided is the main color to build on.
I like it so far, it's a little more... quiet? Compared to the previous bright version.
I wonder if people can make money making templates for blog sites? Perhaps.
I like it so far, it's a little more... quiet? Compared to the previous bright version.
I wonder if people can make money making templates for blog sites? Perhaps.
我被兩位才子吸引住了
Most of the Chinese pop music are rather boring for me. It's mostly about puppy love and somehow perhaps with the aging process I grew out of that phase in search for something else. Something more meaningful, deeper, and timeless. Don't get me wrong, I am still a big fan of pop music, but I want to listen to songs that will distract me from typing or browsing; songs that don't become background music. 方文山 and 周杰倫 are two of the talents hot on the scene right now. I love some of their collaborations. The end product of the lyrics and the composition creates an all day YouTube replay of songs such as:
青花瓷 - current favorite right now - not the video, just the song
千里之外
菊花台
Poetry comes in many forms and these two modern day poets/songwriters have introduced millions to the beauty of words.
青花瓷 - current favorite right now - not the video, just the song
千里之外
菊花台
Poetry comes in many forms and these two modern day poets/songwriters have introduced millions to the beauty of words.
Monday, March 10, 2008
The Protected Gets Justice
Last week, some very unlucky golfer and an even more unfortunate hawk made headlines when the golfer kills the hawk on his tenth swing. Whether or not it was accidental is still up in the air. But what amused and angered me was that the sentencing for killing a protected animal is at least a year in jail plus fines right off the bat. But as killing a fellow man? Even when it's blatantly first degree murder, the law when it deals with humans, will still require many many months of bs in court while that murderer is being housed and fed by tax payers. After many months, if not years until finally one side gets through all the 'legal' BS, the murderer will finally be sentenced or sometimes even set free.
It's good to be one of the protected.
It's good to be one of the protected.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
How Lazy Are We?
Just read about the Orgasmatron on Gizmodo.
Okay people how freaking lazy can you get!!! $12,000 for a device that will give you instant orgasms? Maybe this mechanism will be the one to kick start a new generation of humans who will view sex as
Future generations of humans will be able to get instant orgasms without all the messiness. Carnal pleasures are made to be so deliciously irresistible for the species so that we seek out mates to copulate to ensure out genetic lines will be passed on and that our species will survive.
As I was showering, I thought about how maybe this device isn't just for the lazy. Here are some very practical applications of the Orgasmatron (great brand name by the way):
- Bored during conference calls, bored no more! Press a little button and you'll snap to attention to ensure you at least catch the finishing speech.
- How about that long commute home on a Friday night? The traffic is ten miles long and the road crew decides to crap on your day some more by choosing this night to repaint the lines.
- It's been a long, tiring day but you are feeling rather horny, yet you don't feel like wrestling with your mate? No worries, Orgasmatron to the rescue!
If sex toys like these become more affordable for the general population, will the female population eventually choose machines over human partners for sexual gratification for 80% the time? Will the human population eventually dwindle? Will there be laws that prohibits driving while sensory circuits are overloaded? Now that, that would be an interesting law to write up.
Okay people how freaking lazy can you get!!! $12,000 for a device that will give you instant orgasms? Maybe this mechanism will be the one to kick start a new generation of humans who will view sex as
Future generations of humans will be able to get instant orgasms without all the messiness. Carnal pleasures are made to be so deliciously irresistible for the species so that we seek out mates to copulate to ensure out genetic lines will be passed on and that our species will survive.
As I was showering, I thought about how maybe this device isn't just for the lazy. Here are some very practical applications of the Orgasmatron (great brand name by the way):
- Bored during conference calls, bored no more! Press a little button and you'll snap to attention to ensure you at least catch the finishing speech.
- How about that long commute home on a Friday night? The traffic is ten miles long and the road crew decides to crap on your day some more by choosing this night to repaint the lines.
- It's been a long, tiring day but you are feeling rather horny, yet you don't feel like wrestling with your mate? No worries, Orgasmatron to the rescue!
If sex toys like these become more affordable for the general population, will the female population eventually choose machines over human partners for sexual gratification for 80% the time? Will the human population eventually dwindle? Will there be laws that prohibits driving while sensory circuits are overloaded? Now that, that would be an interesting law to write up.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
咖啡王子1號店
看了這場韓劇有好多感慨 劇情是繞著幾對年輕人的愛情故事 主角有四位 一對是比較成熟的愛 另一對是初戀那一種第一次墜入愛河的好愛你的愛 這齣韓劇不一樣的地方是 不會太托拖拉拉的 演技都不會太誇張 演出的劇情很逼真像是在那都可以發生的 裡面一位女主角外表常常讓人看起來像男生給人誤會 但是她並不在意只想做好她的事 多鑽一點錢養家 我很能體驗那個角色 因為我覺得她好像我 但是我沒有那麼開朗 她暗戀卻又講不出來的時候那種心酸我能體會 當她整個人崩潰蹲在地上痛哭時 蓋住痛的好像要撕裂的心時 我記的男主角們再開車時哭的時後也好感動因為自己也有那樣哭過 當時帶了眼鏡不知哭的那麼利害時為何還會想到是否會出車禍因為眼淚已把視線模糊鏡片也矇矇的
尹恩惠的演技在這齣戲裡讓我刮目相看 孔侑的演技也是值得尊敬的 這兩位尤其是演到重感情部分時好好看
好欣賞導演和編劇作家
"我喜歡你，你是男人也好，是外星人也好，我都不管，感情整理太辛苦了，我做不到，讓我們一起走下去吧 走到能走的地步"
佩服主角對愛情的執著, 勇敢的愛, 不管世人對他的看法. 如有一天當愛在我面前時, 我會有那份勇氣去緊緊抱住那份愛嗎?
尹恩惠的演技在這齣戲裡讓我刮目相看 孔侑的演技也是值得尊敬的 這兩位尤其是演到重感情部分時好好看
好欣賞導演和編劇作家
"我喜歡你，你是男人也好，是外星人也好，我都不管，感情整理太辛苦了，我做不到，讓我們一起走下去吧 走到能走的地步"
佩服主角對愛情的執著, 勇敢的愛, 不管世人對他的看法. 如有一天當愛在我面前時, 我會有那份勇氣去緊緊抱住那份愛嗎?
Monday, February 04, 2008
Making A Statement
I love Pink's voice and all that she has to say in this ballsy, heartfelt song. Power on girl, power on.
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