Brief Catch Up, December '10 to March '11

Here's a brief snapshot of what happened since November 2010.

 

December 2010:

• I spent Christmas with my sister and her family 
• Enjoyed watching Ice Age with my nephew Nio. His exuberant laughter was not only filled with so much enthusiasm but also very contagious and refreshing.
• Nio is well loved by his mom and dad. I saw it and felt it.
• Went to Toys R Us with my brother-in-law Mark at midnight to get Nio the toy hamster that has wheels. We looked for the armor. 
•  Nio wasn’t as enthusiastic as expected when he received it. He liked the toys based on the Disney movie Cars more.
  Got to see some of the Roque family side, ate at a Pinoy Store in Vallejo (I think).

January 2011:

• Spent New Years Weekend with an old friend from high school and his family. I actually played in the snow this time. Yup, surprised myself too. Their kids are amazingly articulate! 
• Sick throughout the whole New Year's weekend.

February 2011:

• Been taking Yoga and finding it very helpful with my consistent back and muscle pains. 
• I don’t know why the past two months have been the worst for my back and body but I’m moving forward.
• My goal now is to try to figure out if any food is aggravating it as well. So I’m going to start eliminating tomatoes from my diet, next will be dairy. 
• Bought a car--another Subaru Outback but year 2005. My 1998 Subaru's gasket blew up for the second time and after weighing all the options, it was going to cost me more to fix it. I would have put more money than it was worth. So doing research and asking friends, I found a good deal from Larry Miller Honda. Yup, I got a Subaru from a Honda store. I was amazed at how much they helped me.

There was no pressure at all which I appreciated. I found another car through KSL.com but after getting a Car Fax history (which I got for free from another dealer which was cool) and learning it had previously been in 2 accidents, I decided not to get it. That's when a friend told me about Larry Miller Honda. I got a phone call late at night. I had put a deposit for the other car and was on the way when I decided to make a detour to Larry Miller. They took great care of me without any pressure. They asked me to give them a day to see if they can find a car for me and the next day, they did. I was very surprised. The guy didn't make any from selling to me as he gave me a great deal-- so for anyone that wants a car, I recommend Larry Miller Honda on State Street and about 4700 South in Salt Lake City and ask for Wayne.

March 2011: 

• Started taking Pilates along with Yoga and finding it very helpful with my consistent back and muscle pains. 
• I must say, I now understand my co-workers perspectives. I can now agree it is not a very pleasant experience to go through. You get burn enough that it does something to your psyche. Now that I am aware of this, it is my goal to make sure it doesn't do the same thing to me as it has to some of my co-workers attitudes and level of enthusiasm at work. But it sure is an easy and slippery road to being cynical and jaded.
• Attended orientation meeting with Mothers Without Borders. I love the lessons I learn from Zambia. It holds such a special place in my heart. 
• A friend introduced me to Jimmer Fredette's basketball skills and for the first time in a while actually had a reason to watch college basketball.  
•  I was devastated to hear about the 8.9 earthquake that happened in Sendai, a place I called home for three years and where I made lasting friends and grew to be the person I am today. I wish and pray for their speedy recovery and may they be provided with peace and comfort.