All posts filed under: Life as we know it

Interesting Reads To Share

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I like the idea of learning something new every day. Also the idea that some topics actually makes me think or inspires me enough to want to share it here: A While back, oh more like 15 years ago, I remember an old boss questioning my leadership skills for a promotion I was aiming for, and that made me feel pretty insecure at the time, scrambling to find out what his and my interpretation of possessing leadership skills were. Here’s a pretty interesting explanation of how leadership skills work. One of the hardest things in life is – watching how much money is spent on things. I worked for a financial planner at one point in my life, and spend countless hours listening to him preach about the subject to me, while sipping his coffee before his first appointment, and then to his clients through the day. subconsciously I listened, or took notes, because after that job, I actually applied all of the suggestions he dished out. For a more modern version of how to …

On Nostalgia

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I read an article the other day, someone detailing the pro’s and con’s of going home, and it got me thinking about – my previous life abroad where the town I grew up in no longer exists and the only thing I am left with is the memories of… Living in the top apartment of a 5-story walk up, and the daily bolt and race down the stairs with my brother, and then the counting the steps going back up game we played. Rolling and putting away the area rugs in the summer months, exposing the tiles to help cool down the house naturally. Washing the floors every Friday morning, mostly my mother, while my brother and I played, splashing around barefoot from room to room. The women in the family getting together every Autumn to sun-dry tomatoes, and other vegetables to be used during the harsh winter months. Visiting with the extended families, or walking to the central park  to meet them in an outdoor garden cafe, where we hung out for hours talking and …

Lifestyle: Healthy Suggestions To Consider

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I know we don’t agree on most everything these days and trying to share any thoughts or ideas about anything out there is becoming more challenging I feel. Compelling me to ponder over the topics I want to bring up, thinking all of it has to be diplomatic and well thought out. You know, sort of  making sure I don’t offend, nor downgrade anything or anyone. At times I even delete a topic I truly want to discuss  just because, it is probably best. I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but it is what it is right now in this less-than-optimistic world we’ve churned out. With that said, I often times dabble in topics, sharing with all of you what sparks my interest and from that you can decide what you want to do with it :). Like these: [couple photo source]

Final Thoughts From My Holiday Abroad

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I took a flight from London Heathrow on Sunday, leaving my heart behind for so many reasons. I have to say too many to list here. But most of all for the wonderful time I had with a good friend of mine, touring England, Scotland and a little of France – Paris to be exact. Three weeks ago, I was beside myself, looking very forward to the trip she and I planned – considering we’d both been travel agents in the past, we spend a few weeks beforehand strategizing on how we wanted the trip to flow with minimal stress and maximum enjoyment. Now that the holiday is over, I realize that the time away from home was much-needed for me, so that I can return refreshed and recharged enough to deal with all the ups and downs that life has in store for us in 2017. One of the most important things I decided upon, while talking to my friend throughout the trip, is that, instead of focusing only on the bad that happens …

What Is Going Through My Mind Today

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I can’t recall a time where I’ve had a peaceful night’s sleep. Meaning to say that I stay up most nights pondering about everything most definitely out of my control, and then I talk myself into  just letting go. I think it’s a survival mechanism. Note to self: Perhaps I need to scale back on social media, it may help a little. But for now, I can’t help but wonder what if….  The US president’s conduct, which the majority don’t agree with is a ploy to get everyone to become more patriotic and more involved in our country? Social media were to shut down on Sundays so that everyone can do all things that make them less angry at every single word published online which has fueled such behaviors lately. Religion was more important than anything else to live a more positive life? What if compassion replaced greed? History and current event teachings in schools were not based on one-sided opinions? What if there was no bullying – ever? What if WORLD PEACE was stitched unto every flag of …

Lifestyle: Turning Fifty or Staying forty-something?

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This topic  came to me a few weeks ago, when I got an email-invite for my cousin’s 50th birthday party that his wife decided to throw for him.  She sent me a text afterward  asking if we could make it considering the one hour drive to the venue. I immediately told her we would, thinking since they were one of the couples moving away, it would probably be the last time I see them for a while. Unless of course they came back to the city or I went down to Los Angeles with the sole intend to visit family – which I hate to admit – I am not good at. The visiting family part. Note to self here, I need to work on that. The moral of this blog post is that after I turned 30, I decided I would never have a birthday party again nor a celebration of it. Instead I would simply go away for a weekend or a few weeks somewhere far away and deal with getting older. Even …

Lifestyle: Why Do We Really Move From Place to Place

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Strange title or a very long one I suppose. But I wanted to make sure I get my point across in 50 words or less. This topic kept me up the other night because a few of my co-workers have decided to move away from the city.  One person all the way to the UK, the other to Colorado, one to Houston, Texas, another to Pleasant Hill, California and one to  Hawaii. With this new chapter in my life – yes I do take everything personally – I also discovered two blogger I follow also made that move from the bay area all the way to Charleston, South Carolina and the other to Los Angeles. Let’s not even mention my extended family from Sacramento to Omaha, and another from San Jose to Los Angeles. I can’t help but think about how it is someone decides it’s time to make that move. Meaning to say. I moved away to Sacramento for eight years a few years back and then came right back to San Francisco, realizing …

What Is Streaming Through My Head

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At the end of each week, I summarize in my head all the things I managed to accomplish and those items still lingering.  With that list I try to see the good in all that I’ve done, and what I’ve learned from the bad things that happened and try hard not to repeat them.  And then I wonder if I am an oddball in the way I feel or think. That is until I am surrounded by folks in gatherings of sorts, when I realize we are all the same in the ways we think, do, feel, stress and even be happy about. This past week I attended several gatherings.  A farewell dinner for a very close co-worker. The Armenian Food Festival in San Francisco, and an employee appreciation lunch cruise around the bay area, and in those environments I was able to once again confirmed what I’ve known but choose to tune out about how we are all the same no matter the race, and culture and upbringing. To keep this topic very light …

Lifestyle: Type A Personality I Laugh About

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I am a type A in denial. Well mostly to my hubs, when I live by perfection and push him to be the same, and he calls me out on it and I shake my head as if I was being accused of something worse. To my defense, being type A is a means to surviving  the hectic lifestyle that has become the norm now. It is the only way I manage my time effectively. But I did  laugh pretty loud when I saw this article in photos, show telling something that – yes – only we type A folk understand and the rest of the world couldn’t care less. And does my pencil have to be perfectly sharpened – indeed. 🙂  Enjoy your day everyone

A Scene From A Movie – Saturday Brunch

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A very dear friend of mine made a surprise visit on Saturday. Meaning she drove into the city, and called me to ask if I wanted to meet her for lunch after her hair appointment. Naturally, I set aside my writing, and jumped into the shower, got dressed, and drove across town to the Marina to meet her. The weather was unbelievably gorgeous for a usually foggy near summer’s day in San Francisco, and when that happens to the city, everyone makes a conscious effort to be outdoors, hence the crazy traffic taking nearly an hour to get across town. I endured thanks to my Pandora station, and after twenty minutes of searching for parking, finally walked into the salon, where we were to meet, seconds before she finished settling her bill. She asked where I wanted to eat, and since I had just passed by a newly  remodeled or revamped restaurant on my way to the salon from where I parked my car, I suggested we give it a try.  Both of us laughing …