Its almost Thanksgiving

Since its almost end of the year, is it time to tie up loose ends?

Robin, who lost her house, moved in with us at the beginning of August. Already, she stirs up trouble for Kim and me. We've had several arguments that I have no idea where it came from, then I find out it was Robin's idea. Yet, I found out Robin only has a 2-year college education. Without doing research on something, she convincingly says things like they were facts. Granted she is street smart, but having lived in a mobile home, or with other people, and never being on her own, I find she just plays mind games with people, and use them.

With Kim, we have to work out details of our relationship, and as we live together I find more of her personality that I need to adjust to. She is so sarcastic without being nice. "why are you doing it THAT way?" Facial expressions that are so mean looking. Placing her hands on her hips and making herself look annoyed at me. I do not feel like a lover, rather a friend that has lots of insecurities. It no longer feels like a relationship, rather, settling and waiting to see if we last.

Do we accept our significant others the way they are, without any loving support, intentional or unintentional remarks filled with sarcasm that hurts us?

For now, I take the high road, and ignore her remarks and facial expressions, and hurtful gestures. As for Robin, I do not play into her mind games, just being cordial with her. By January, I will ask her to leave or start paying rent, $300 a month with chores around the house.

New house color is now blissful blue

Looking for quotes to change the exterior of my house I found this guy named Donald on Craigslist. He came saying he would do this and that. Already it sounded suspicious. Coming late everyday, arriving at 11am and leaving around 4pm so he would be home by 6pm. By not having a business card and references was also suspicious; unprofessionally saying he did not have a contract or repeatedly trying to send it via email. Then he immediately pushed for two colors, Hawaiian green and Swiss Mocha. Apparently, he had leftover paint he wanted to get rid off. His original quote was 1700, then 1600 then 1550; then as he worked he added to the price complaining it was much more than he had expected. Apparently he underbid and now was paying for it. For everything listed on the contract, two coats of paint on the house and on the walkway, he only did one coat.

Kim said to keep my grounds and not let him get away with anything. She was upset with me for wanting to compromise. I didn't think another $150 would matter, but in the end what caused me to be upset was he didnt keep his word about the no. of coats of paint. Although i agreed to pay him another extra 150 because he pleaded, which is unprofessional, he didnt paint two coats of paint. If he gave extra effort on that side I would have been more happy. I would not hire him again.

Human nature is laziness. Complaining and not planning. Doing less and wanting more money. Not keeping your word. thinking your standard is high, but really, its not.

Life and Death of Eunice Shriver

When I was in doubt of what Ive accomplished so far this year...

Eunice reminded me of what is important in life--Faith in God and humanity, Love and laughter of family and friends, telling of stories and serving others.

We should all strive to be living examples of what it means to be good and kind to ourselves and others.

"It's hard for us to believe: the amazing Eunice Kennedy Shriver went home to God this morning at 2 a.m.

She was the light of our lives, a mother, wife, grandmother, sister and aunt who taught us by example and with passion what it means to live a faith-driven life of love and service to others. For each of us, she often seemed to stop time itself - to run another Special Olympics games, to visit us in our homes, to attend to her own mother, her sisters and brothers, and to sail, tell stories, and laugh and serve her friends. How did she do it all?

Inspired by her love of God, her devotion to her family, and her relentless belief in the dignity and worth of every human life, she worked without ceasing - searching, pushing, demanding, hoping for change. She was a living prayer, a living advocate, a living center of power. She set out to change the world and to change us, and she did that and more. She founded the movement that became Special Olympics, the largest movement for acceptance and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities in the history of the world. Her work transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of people across the globe, and they in turn are her living legacy.

We have always been honored to share our mother with people of good will the world over who believe, as she did, that there is no limit to the human spirit. At this time of loss, we feel overwhelmed by the gifts of prayer and support poured out to us from so many who loved her. We are together in our belief that she is now in heaven, rejoicing with her family, enjoying the fruits of her faith, and still urging us onward to the challenges ahead. Her love will inspire us to faith and service always.

She was forever devoted to the Blessed Mother. May she be welcomed now by Mary to the joy and love of life everlasting, in the certain truth that her love and spirit will live forever."[17]

May June July Finally Summer is here

May was special: Camping in Soledad with Rachael and Guerneville with Alex.
June was gay: Elly, our new beagle was adopted. A comedy Show with Margo Gomez in Napa entertained us. Celebration of Don's birthday in San Diego was fun. Ever infamous dyke march with Robin and Liz. Gay Pride Parade weekend to be had with Rachael and friends.
July was spiritual: Fireworks in the park with di Na from Pakistan, and a Shoreline Amphitheater picnic. Kim bought a practically new 3 series BMW car. a Duran Duran concert at Saratoga Mountain Winery rounded out the fun.

Now I wish Kim would stop complaining and making me feel like its not worth going out with her.

Science at its best

We learn as we go along.
In college chemistry, I learnt about pH, temperature, and elapsed time dependencies.
I also learnt about stochiochemistry and calculations.
In college biochemistry, I learnt of pathways and inhibitors, as well as contaminants and lingering proteases, at low pHs.
I learnt of charges, where COO-H+ and NH is dependent on pH of the solution. Nucleophilic and electrophilic interactions.
At Gne I have learnt that consistency is important. Blanks, positive controls and samples by validations. External and internal standards for assays. Spiking known amts and recovery.
Oral presentations and written scientific publications are very important. Scientific thinking processes with rationale and purposes. Scientific peer assessments, Q&A, and group discussions.
Lessons learnt and remembering not to repeat same mistakes others have encountered. it is not repeating a wrong but understanding the wrong.
Looking at the smaller picture vs the large scale picture. running samples vs. solving a mystery. how can one tell the mechanism. what are the supporting evidence for the hyphothesis to confirm or null it.

Easter Sunday April 12, 2009

Time lapsed, yet it stood still, as we enjoyed each others company Kim and I, working in the backyard, side by side, coming in from the sun, to share a meal, racing to the SF Symphony to hear music bounce off the glass ceiling.

As Sunday started threaded from the nite before now baking, cleaning, meeting, hugging, eating and laughing, planting, picking fruits, feeling, all the time we share, seem so short lived.

As i re-lived the weekend, EJ reminds me how precious time is. They are growing up so fast: they live in the moment, they challenge us to do the same, they give us subtle hints, they provide glimpses of the adults they will become. We still have time to instill in them values and thinking process. Precious moments indeed.

Avastin cures Brain cancer and is approved by FDA

The Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee (ODAC) met and unanimously recommended approval of Avastin for glioblastoma on Tuesday March 31, as the FDA committee members heard impassioned testimony about lives forever changed by brain cancer and extended and/or improved by the cancer drug. Avastin is a anti-angiogenesis drug that cuts off bloodsupply to tumor cells, benign or malignant. Patients in this trial have had their tumor reduced and/or wiped out completely; some patients were taken off the drug and others remain on the regimen, with some side effects, as the tumor no longer resides in their brain.

CC Lee

Last week, had a cold so i stayed home from work. this morning when i returned to work, found out that my good friend and coworker, CC, had died last week. Cause unknown.

it is strange but i partially feel guilty about not taking care of him. he was a great Chinese old guy who i trusted and admired. he grew up in communist Taiwan and dedicated his older life to taking care of his stepdaughter when his wife of two years died suddenly. I shared an office with him for the past 1.5years, listening to his lifes philosophy and telling me exactly was on his mind. his work presentations were always thorough with outbursts comments that was at times shocking. he would look up popular magazines and tell me which celebrities was in the headlines. I would tease him about how i am looking for a 99 year old man to marry with lots of money. and whenever he saw me he would tell me he spotted a Chinese guy looking for me. His philosophy of life was, "you get what you sow." if you stand by the river of life eventually you would see your enemies float down. somehow that phrase consoled me. sometimes in the morning or evening he would stop by my office and gave me snacks he was carrying. he was trying to increase his food intake but the last few months he was losing large amount of weight. within last two weeks, a neighbor found his decaying body inside his apartment; it is estimated he was there lifeless for at least a week. how do you reconcile with such events in life??? death is painful when it is alone and forgotten. may God keep his soul and re-unite him with his dear wife. for what he has done done yesterday, may today and tomorrow is and will be better. we are of ashes, and ashes we shall return.

Kitchen done well almost

What an ordeal.
The counters came and went. rusty copper went in then out, next in come dark green/grey to stay. Still, the counter guys cut some pieces crooked and too close to the outlets. the bar looks nicer with the curve covering the wood. What can you do when you rip out the walls? the backsplash is used to cover it up.
The sink and range hood are going in this weekend, in time for the bbq.

kitchen remodeling experience

So i decided to remodel the kitchen myself, after consulting with 3 contractors from various companies giving me quotes ranging from 15k to 25k. Too steep for something seemingly cheap to do. So my kitchen should be turned back into a room by the end of today (01/29/09). The weekends of Jan 17 and 24 were demolitions; for this week, the electrical, plumbing and drywall should be completed. We lived without a kitchen for a few days. We went out to dinner to avoid the dust. We had breakfast in bed to keep warm. We went out on Fridays to musicals and comedy shows to keep our sanity.

Looking at it in stages:

Last weekend, the waterheater was moved to the laundry room and a wall was converted to a bar area (175+250=425).
This weekend the waterheater closet was diligently removed and the back kitchen door was centered (200).
In between, i took down all the cabinets myself (0)

Then I ordered new cabinets called honey rubber along with quartz counters in copper tones (1400+400).
This week the electrical and plumbing and gas lines all needed to be re-configured and the flooring needed to be removed (500).

the door will be installed with a new header (replacing termite header) (200)

The new bar area will have 3 new mini pendant lighting with swivel bar stools

I found some tiles from HD, colored green and copper to match my counters (50).

Kenny removed my kitchen walls instead of my old flooring (upsetting) when kim and i came home last nite.

Mike was a disaster. He put up the drywall with holes and cracks, took down the ceiling, removed the sink, and short circuit my ceiling lights(260). So far the cost is 1385.

Jim and Tony are folks Kim and Inga recommended. He wanted to rip open my living room walls. He re-wired my internet and bar lights. He placed the light switch too high. He put in galvanized plumbing. He put in yellow switches and outlets not matching with my white ones. Oddly enough he fixed the wiring shortage, added recess lighting, grounded all the wires. And slowly added the drywall. Unbelievable. And he costs 600 per day. Going on day 4.

Total cost 2400.

Final Labor costs: $3785

Materials HD materials, cabinets+install(1400+200), counter+install (1600)=3200

New Kitchen 7K, with lots of lessons learnt.

By this weekend, the walls will be painted apple green before the cabinets are installed. Once the cabinets are picked up and installed (200), the counterboard and flooring can be done (0).

The quartz counter include the bar area, the cabinet area, the microwave area, and 5in backsplash. This is done lastly most likely next weekend.