A rough month!
Fri, 9/1/2023
Braised pork and tofu, using a recipe I improvised. S loved it.
Combed Dozer’s and Sam’s fur to catch loose hair, and cleaned Sam’s litter box. I noticed as Sam gets older, he becomes more particular about cleanliness and comfort. I bought him calming treats in the hope that they would help him be less fussy after meals.
Sat, 9/2/2023
– traded for a nicer car
– took hours to get the payment and paperwork done
– had no time for a sit-down meal; got swiss burgers from a local burger and seafood to-go restaurant on the way home. Cost 40$ excluding tips for 2 portions. Everything was not cheap anymore. While waiting for the food, I took a photo of an abandoned shopping mall nearby, a sharp reminder of the profound changes overtime when nowadays online shopping reigns supreme, pushing shops and stores into vulnerable positions. I wondered if, one day, in-person shopping would become a luxury, with a hefty price tag attached, to savor the hustle and bustle of human life that these places offer, an experience that can’t be replicated through online shopping.
– would pick up the car on Monday, hopefully would have more time to explore NOLA.
Mon, 9/4/2023
Made a brief stop in NOLA but couldn’t explore the city much as it rained dogs and cats. By the way, visited HEX, a witch shop, where we had a 30-min tarrot and palm reading for a couple, which cost $90. It was fun! The shop also had an eclectic mix of spiritual products but the prices weren’t friendly.
On the way home, I took some photos that look cinematic. They reminded me of supernatural troops from Hollywood superhero flicks, rescuing the Earth.
Thurs, 9/7/2023
Traffic lights, electric lines and poles are something very special to me in this country:
Sun, 9/10/2023 – Making a painting frame
S finally finished the painting frame though it took several months since he hadn’t worked on it continuously. Making it was a PITA. At first, the size of the trims was small, disproportionate compared to the large painting. S had to make another frame to attach to the original one, but, for some reason, it left part of the unpainted canvas exposed. He continued making a smaller frame to attach to the current one, yet, again, it somehow didn’t entirely cover the unpainted canvas. At this point, I decided to “fill in” the remaining blank space. I had never tried oil-painting before, though I used to paint. It had been decades since my last attempt, but I gave it a try. Fortunately, the areas to be filled didn’t require any detailed painting. All I had to do was mix colors to match the right shade of blue and black with the existing ones. I was a bit nervous, but I managed to do it successfully. The colors blended seamlessly.
The painting was about Arroyo Hondo’s nature on a moonlit night. The image was captured by S from our yard and we hired an artist from China to “transform” it into a painting. What captivates me in the artwork is the tranquility and authenticity of the scenery, evoking a sense of peace every time I look at.
Fri, 9/15/2023
Pain
Sun, 9/24/2023
Purchased a flight ticket to VN. S would be flying separately in the second half of November.
Dined at a Chinese buffet.
Tue, 9/26/2023 – Busy day with a sweet surprise by the end
Cooked crawfish in gravy from scratch. It was my first time trying this dish on a whim. The process involved sautéing onions and garlic until they were perfectly brown, then adding crawfish and frying for four minutes. Then, I transferred this into a bowl. Using the same pan, I made roux, combining beer batter flour, olive oil, and butter in equal parts, stirring over low-medium heat for about 12 minutes (not sure about the amount of time as I forgot to track). When the roux turned brown hue and blended perfectly, I added square pieces of sauteed bell peppers and 1.5 cups of water, and cooked it over low-medium temperature. The food was surprisingly delicious, being another dish in S’s favorite list.
Later, I visited the IVF clinic to return borrowed medication when the pharmacy’s delivery was delayed. I also signed a form requesting my complete medical records for my upcoming treatment in VN. It would take at least a week for the documents to arrive as they needed to be reviewed and signed by doctors before mailing them out. After that, I reviewed medical receipts from 2021 for the tax audit purpose.
Next, I contacted medical service providers for missing receipts and completed a visa application. After failures to get any support from Vietnamese consulates, regardless of numerous attempts to call, email, and messages, I stumbled upon this website, which allowed for e-visa applications. I was hesitant to use the website at first but felt more secure after reading Reddit comments indicating the site was legitimate. The website was strange somehow as it kept automatically changing the dates I input whenever I reviewed the application. However, I finally managed it and the single-use visa fee was 25$.
Then I headed to Rouses for groceries. When I got back in the car, somebody knocked on the window. I turned to see a bouquet of flowers against the glass and a man holding it. The view was limited so I couldn’t make out who that gentleman was. A flash thought ran in my mind, “Is there someone so taken by the woman in her unglam house outfit that he’s ready to pull off a grand romantic gesture? But such a cinematic moment swiftly ended when I realized it was S. Don’t get me wrong. He generously buys me flowers and gifts every now and then, but the romantic moment he knocked on the window with the flowers in his hand surely wasn’t his plan but purely a coincidence because it wasn’t typical of his usual behavior. I know my man. But that surprise made the gifts even sweeter.
Wed, 09/27/2023
– Tended to neglected plants. 2 heucheras died.
– cleaned Sam’s litter box
– contacted a license commission office but it was closed
– stopped by a dental office to pick up the payment history
– suffered a low back pain, specifically around the sacrum spine area. It had been bothering me since the morning, but I couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause. I used a hot pad and massage devices to alleviate the discomfort. The pain eased temporarily but still persisted.
Fri, 09/29/2023
Love it
Sat, 9/30/2023
Took care of various tasks: cooked breakfast for S, made pots of tea and coffee, put away dishes, ran the dishwasher, did the laundry, took supplements, and went shopping at Walmart. The large number of items left me a bit overwhelmed but I was happy to have found some Persian blue throw pillows that perfectly matched my home decor. I also found cute gifts for my nieces and nephew for my upcoming trip. One piece of good news was S successfully obtained an e-visa in just 4 days, which was surprisingly quick. Considering past experiences with administrative procedures, there has been a significant improvement in the Vietnamese government’s handling of such services.
Begin life at forty 