Life is short, week 6 of 52

February 14, 2022April 16, 2022 Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

Status report: 6 bad migraine days out of 7, but successfully refilled with – full box of of ibuprofen. If only I was wrecking my liver with more fun things.

1. Dad’s birthday. Excessive amounts of food and snark, even if I had to sleep early for work. I love birthdays and making a big deal out of them. My dad is no such person for it — secretly he likes the celebrations though.

2. Losing a colleague. I hate that this is the second in 4 months. I hate that it was so sudden. I hate that he had so much potential and that the team had so much plans for him. I hate that his family is suffering. I hate losing people and seeing people suffer. No more deaths at work. Please.

What a week. Hug your loved ones. Tell them you love them. Life is short.

Song of the week: Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

-J

Jodythinks

Life is short, week 5 of 52

February 7, 2022March 27, 2022 Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

Status report: Advil is my only friend.

Life is short so throw yourself into new things and things that make yourself sing.

Projects turning out well. This was a week of projects.

1. Using chalk paint (semi successfully) from a local seller. It’s great. I have no artistic skill and even I pulled it off. Well, chalk paint is supposed to look a little rough so it definitely looks like that. All in all, I’m happy with it.

2. Making samosas from scratch. I love samosas but they’re hard to come by. I had surprisingly most of the herbs needed for it (except for the mango powder thing), but I really enjoyed the end result. In taste. Because I don’t make pretty things, I make delicious things that look like they went through things. And I’m happy that I can make these now. If I had the patience and around 4 hours.

3. Brainstorming again. I haven’t enjoyed and pushed myself this much in a while to map something out solo in a while. I still don’t know what the feedback will be, but I could see the logic in my head. This is what makes my heart sing when it comes to working. And the universe knows how nuch I’ve been singing.

Song of the week: Adult Movies by Litany

-J

Jodythinks · Love/Life · Thanks

Life is short, week 4 of 52

January 31, 2022January 31, 2022 Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

Stats: Less hives, more migraines. Advil cannot run out in this house.

Life is short moments for the week:

1. Rehearsing for a presentation where I’m not really tuned in yet— how do you present a plan you’re just getting caught up on? You practice with a person who is so much better than you on public speaking. I asked for help and got it. I botched it of course, but hey I didn’t cuss at the worst moment. That is a win.

2. Realizing that the first thing as an Asian woman, in a group of male leaders, presenting something in my second language, my first reflex is to minimize my role, or go to the negative. I can point towards so many cultural influences that make me this way but I can also stop making excuses. I will do better, for the people I’m representing.

3. Giving myself a break. The weeks I’ve signed up for food deliveries have been such a help that I went for one more week. These migraines, hives, nausea have been hell, and having to cook is an added layer of stress I can take away. So I will for another week. And I will forgive myself for the shortcut.

Song of the week: Dirty Thoughts by Chloe Adams

What were your Life is Short moments for the week?

-J

Gratitude · Jodythinks · Love/Life

Life is short, week 3 of 52

January 25, 2022 Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

Status report: Ran out of ibuprofen and running out of Tylenol because of all the stress migraines.

1. Ate ice cream for two meals last week. I didn’t feel like eating, but my meds kept me dizzy and/or awake because of hunger. Solution: the last of my vanilla ice cream, and most of my Chocolate Chip Cookie dough pint. To do: buy a bottle of sprinkles.

2. Ordered three pizzas from my favorite place. I like nonmeat pizzas. Don’t judge me.

3. Made a batch of posole. Ate it continuously for 3 days.

I realize all of my life is short things were food related this week. This is what happens in lockdown.

Song of the week: Godspeed by Frank Ocean

What were your life is short moments for the week?

-J

Jodythinks · Love/Life

Life is short: Week 2 of 52

January 17, 2022March 21, 2022 Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

Last week’s Life is Short moments were:

1. Buying a silly mug because it makes me happy. It’s semi NSFW, and doesn’t fit too much coffee, and can’t accommodate the phin filter, but it always makes people smile when they see it. To me that’s a win.

2. Building flatpack furniture solo. So I went from 0-100 and I wouldn’t trust this thing for long, but I was able to make it, and it hasn’t fallen apart so far. Life skill, check.

3. Giving Chibi more space. Little lady has been exploring more, and I’ve seen her binky like I haven’t seen in years. I love that I get to see it.

4. Getting boosted. It hit me like a truck and I was useless for more than 36 hours, but it can’t be worse than a bad case of real covid19 and all of its new variants. Staying safe and getting access to vaccinations are a blessing I can’t stop being thankful for.

Song of the week: Surface Pressure by Jessica Darrow

-J

Continue reading →

Cheese · Jodythinks · Love/Life · Thanks

2022 — I’m going with, “Life is short.”

January 10, 2022 Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

In 2021, it was all covid fatigue. We’ve been a year in. I knew I was in a not good place to begin. I came up for air bruised and battered, and all the more scarred.

I hope I really made the moments count. There were a lot of decisions made under the guise of “Life is short.” Sure, there were decisions that ultimately hurt like hell afterwards. But there were also ones that changed me for good.

I’m not going to go into details that can get me into trouble, but suffice to say— I did my best to live while I could. Having lost two friends tragically (not to covid) just made the idea stick even more.

So 2022 – Under the idea of life being so unexpected that you don’t know who’s going to be here tomorrow, I’m just going to keep on with Life is short. Take the small wins. Live while you’re still here.

On that thread, for the first week of 2022, my Life is short moments are:

1. Having cookies and milk for dinner. Because why not?

2. Working outside while it’s cool.

3. Making insane amounts of chili for myself.

Song of the week: Solo by Frank Ocean

What little things made you appreciate life a bit more last week?

-J

Gratitude · Jodythinks · Love/Life

What I’m grateful for, week 52 of 52

January 3, 2022January 4, 2022 Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

1. Life. I talk a lot of shit about finding it hard to find the good of every day, and it does happen for me, but with this pandemic still raging on — it’s becoming more and more common to hear one person be here one moment, and not in the next. My immediate family and loved ones are all still here. Our lives have changed and I have not been able to be in the presence of some people I love since this all started — but we still get to. I’m grateful for that.

2. Support. I am so grateful for the people that show up for me on a regular basis without me asking. It’s so much just trying to survive for yourself now, to have people that put in the extra mile is such a big deal.

3. Opportunities. Doors are opening for me, and there are different things that help. I love being able to choose without any scrutiny other than my own.

Song of the week: Adult Movies by Litany

What are you grateful for?

-J

Gratitude · Jodythinks · Love/Life · Thanks

What I’m grateful for, week 51 of 52

December 27, 2021 Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

1. Family and friends. I got a ton of support from loved ones this past week as I made a ton of menial moves. It’s great when people are there for the fun, exciting stuff, but being there for the not fun things, is extra heartwarming.

2. So much food we couldn’t close the fridge. Our family couldn’t be together this year for the second time in a row. So they sent over the feast. They cheated on the no gifts rule by sending over a ton of food. I’m annoyed and also extra grateful.

3. Taking more control of my life. I depend on a lot of other people, too often, but I like having control more than I would like to admit. It’s scary and impractical, but it feels like the best fit for me.

Song of the week: I’ll Be Home for Christmas by She & Him

What are you grateful for this week?

Cheese · Gratitude · Jodythinks · Love/Life · Thanks

What I’m grateful for, week 50 of 52

December 21, 2021 Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

1. Incredibly smart people that are kind. Often, one can show up without the other. I’ve been lucky enough to know and love people that are both. I learn so much everyday and I’m thankful for the people that make that a human experience and not just a transactional one.

2. Progress. I am an extremely impatient person, and more than once I have cried about setbacks the past week, but at the end of the day, even the smallest steps are still steps. I can often forget that, so this is a good reminder.

3. Being able to witness people show up to an office talent show. It may sound lame, but with less than a week’s notice, talented freaking people showed up and did not phone it in. It could have been so easy to just be chill and not have anyone participate, but we saw amazing talent, and it’s such a great baseline for next year. It’s the little things.

Song of the week: Tayong Dalawa sa Pasko by Nobita

What are you grateful for?

-J

Gratitude · Jodythinks · Love/Life

What I’m grateful for, week 49 of 52

December 13, 2021 Jody AlarvaLeave a comment

Holy hells. It’s 3 weeks to the end of 2021 and I’m still in early 2020. But I digress. Here’s what I’m grateful for this past week:

1. A meal for 3 for 158 pesos ($3USD). An errand run for 2 dogs with three people because our dogs do not have any chill, but gave us the chance for a meal we’ve missed these past two years. Fishball, kwek kwek and dynamites. Plus two large mango shakes. Solb.

2. Friends who show up. If there’s anything I’ve learned this year, it’s that there are people that really show up for you. Literally and figuratively. One of the ones I’m extra grateful for is my friend Carla, and I’ve written about her before. She just shows up for you, full tilt, no questions asked, not expecting anything in return.

3. Tagging along. I have always called myself Balsam adjacent (a step up from alumni because i’m at all events), and tagged along a small get together this week. I was half asleep and was maybe half in my flask of bourbon— but it was a good feeling nonetheless. Like a secondhand high. This team was genuinely excited to be around each other and share their happiness, and that’s hard to find nowadays. It really drives down the importance of human connection in this *gestures at everything* situation.

Song of the week: I Should Have Kissed You Then by Peej

What are you grateful for?

-J