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Life is short, week 31 of 52
Status report: Hives 7 days a week, and now nebulizing my asthma — and got my first inhaler. I need to get my shit together. Or get more sleep. One or the other. Moments of the week: 1. Learning a new skill. A couple friends came over with a full kit and caboodle and spent most of Saturday teaching me and my sister a new skill — putting on our own makeup. Honestly — was much less stressful than I thought. Can I remake the look without close supervision? That’s yet to be proven. But I did order a mirror because there is a shortage of it in this house.…
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Life is short, week 30 of 52
Status report: I think I’ve developed GERD because now I get woken up by the feeling of nausea. Anxiety hives are twice a day now. I live on a diet of sugar and caffeine. Life is short moments from the past week: 1. Cheester being such a good coworker. We’ve been attached at the hip, which makes it hard to actually go out, but it’s like he’s taken it upon himself to be my emotional support animal. And because I’ve had a really overwhelming few weeks, it’s really made a difference. 2. Learning a lot. It’s a lot. I’m always the first person to admit I’m not an expert, but…
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Life is short, week 29 of 52
Status report: ran out of mini cokes. Now have gone to sakto cokes. Woke up Friday night feeling like a limp noodle that got left in a wire basket in a ramen place over the weekend. Still not a hundred percent but feeling significantly better (but still on every legal remedy possible). Here are the moments I clocked on mental snapshots last week: 1. Chester becoming my new shadow. Chester has always been the alpha bun — and very independent. Since we lost Chibi we have both found ourselves re-bonding with each other. He gets up with me to work, he asks for middle of my “night” cuddles, and he…
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Life is short, week 28 of 52
Status report: Daily hive eruptions, sometimes needing more than one antihistamine. Caffeine taken care of a daily mini coke + cold brew. Moments from last week: Just one. We lost 16% of the company to a reduction in force last Friday. It was a heartbreaking day, and we’re still reeling.
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Life is short, week 27 of 52
Our Chibi breathed her last breath in my arms this last Friday. Chester and I are lost.
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Chibi bingka June 10, 2016-July 15, 2022
Chester and I lost our girl late Friday night to a bad bout of GI stasis. We were able to say goodbye and hold her close while she left this existence. We are both broken.
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Life is short, week 26 of 52
Status update: Migraines and insomnia. Advil close to running out, and Tylenol has stopped working for headaches. Is the insomnia causing the migraines or are the migraines causing the insomnia? Life is short moments of the week: 1. Chipped teeth getting fixed. Teeth are expensive, and now even more so. I broke two front teeth and was semi-hillbilly like for a day. It was nice seeing the dentist I’ve seen since I was in the single digits. Couple decades later and we’ve seen her get married, have two kids, and now have one graduate college. 2. Routine checkups turning into health scares. Mom is great about regular checkups, dad not…
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Life is short, week 25 of 52
Status update: Two almost caffeine migraines, and antihistamine sleep aids with some random af nightmares. Life is short moments of note: 1. Learning to make a childhood favorite. I have an aunt that makes the most amazing food. She has always been skilled in the kitchen. Anything that she makes is the best version of it (but definitely the least healthy). My favorite is a squash vegetable mix that she makes with okra, eggplant, fresh shrimp shells, and apparently, the fat from frying pork. I made it this week with the shrimp shells i stuck in the freezer, but no pork fat oil. It was great, but missing squash blossoms…
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Life is short, week 24 of 52
This week would’ve been Anthony Bourdain’s 66th birthday. He couldn’t get himself away from his demons. I need to live because he couldn’t anymore. -J
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Life is short, week 23 of 52
Status report: Hives, 5 out of 7 days. I’m going to need to restock antihistamines soon. Life is short moments of the week: 1. Getting to my favorite local market. Farmer’s market has always been solid. Super fresh veggies and seafood in reasonable prices. Which meant I spent more than usual on veggies and fresh ingredients. Scored sashimi, lemons, and such fresh shrimp. Always makes me feel better, even if my wallet feels lighter. 2. My favorite Italian place in the city. In the 90s, an Italian former papparazo married a Filipina, and they opened a restaurant in Cubao Expo. It was exceptionally good that day — everything was done…
