Grabbing everything bagel chips from the box, and re-arranging said box afterward, so that Horsie doesn’t realise I have taken some, is the ultimate deception. Let’s see how well I fare. 😅
family horsie humourThe kid and I had some small talk over a bowl I broke while doing the dishes. He wrongly thought I had broken a mug of his that I often use to drink coffee, and was lamenting its loss. Even though I didn’t break it, and told him so, I reminded him that one day it will break, so he may as well get used to that fact. Everything eventually breaks, it’s just a matter of time.
family oobieMy oldest sister would have been 75 years old today. She chose to die on 30 December 2024, rather than battling leukaemia. We went to see her, and she was happy, and laughing, and saying her goodbyes to everyone. She died on her own terms, and faced death with a smile. How many of us could do the same?
elders family thoughtsI went to mum’s to pick up food (thank you, mum!) just to find them watching their favourite YouTube channel. After telling me that they didn’t care about politics, that they were fed up with it, that’s exactly what I found them doing. And not just any politics!
Just like when Catholic priests read the Vulgate, and explained God’s word—according to their interpretation—to their faithful, mum and dad listen to old Vietnamese men analyse and explain current political events using Fox News, and One America Network (conservative and far-right), as their source. Great, just great, isn’t it? 🤬
elders family politicsSpent half of the afternoon replacing Horsie’s vehicle’s tyre. She got a really, really big screw precisely on the side edge of the tyre, which made it impossible to patch. A costly endeavour, indeed!
It also annoyed me that she would get a flat so soon. Of course, not her fault, yet, I battled the feeling. On top of that I worried about the shop damaging the rim, or something else. These days that’s a flip of a coin. Luckily—I think—it felt on the side that favours us this time.
family horsieAs I finished washing Horsie’s wagon, and was about to apply tyre shine, it started to rain. Had to rush to move the car into the garage, where I finished the cleaning just now. From 16:00 to almost 19:00, and I didn’t even have time to apply a ceramic coating. I am tired now, boss. Dog tired.
family horsieSo hard to explain politics, or, at the very least, advice they form their own opinions, and not let others on the YouTube shows they watch do it for them, to our elders! They simply don’t want to listen. Instead they say some non-sense, and without letting you engage further they say “But that’s OK, let’s not talk about that!” Infuriating. Will I be like them when—and if—I grow older? I sure hope not!
elders family politicsWe came to see bố today, just like we do every weekend. It is a less than an hour visit, just to bring him some food, check on him, and tidy up his space. I also checked on Kathleen and Roxanne. Kathleen thanked us for the madeleines we left by her bedside last weekend (I was waiting for her, but she was taking an eternity in the bathroom, so I had leave). Roxanne was in the day room, being amused by the bunch of other elderly folks who get together on weekends to read, play dominoes, and otherwise engage in all sorts of tomfooleries. ðŸ¤
I also went to visit a newly “adopted” resident. She is an elderly Vietnamese lady, who seems not to have much family around. The last two times Horsie and I passed by to see her she didn’t mutter a word. Today I brought her a madeleine, and she said “Cảm Æ¡n”. Baby steps.
elders family horsie lifeEach time I see me surrounded by “stuff”, mostly not mine, I must clarify, Mark Pilgrim’s “The Pursuit of Happiness” comes to mind:
Last note of 2025. Happy new 2026, everyone! We watched quite a few movies and series during this break. I will try to remember and recollect some of them later next year. Time, as always, seems to have slipped through fingers; simply incredible.
For the first time the boy isn’t spending the new year’s evening with us. There is a time for everything, right? Still, it feels odd, and we miss him very, very much. We miss the girl too.
family holidays oobieThanksgiving was a success! We had 21 people joining us, so much food that everyone got to pack take-away at the end of the night. Afterwards cleaning is complete, all is well.
Today’s coolish, with 6°C earlier this morning, and sunshine. After coffee with mum, and an early 2 miles walk with dad, it is time to chill in the comfiness of my couch.
family holidaysTomorrow is Thanksgiving, and we are hosting, like we do almost every year. This time around we are expecting 22 people, all family. As you can imagine, it is going to be a busy day. I am on clean up duty, before and afterwards. Yay! 😅 Still, happy to see a bunch of the family at once, and share a meal with them. As Horsie said, elders have their time left counted—but, don’t we all?—and we never know if we will be able to share a day again with them.
family holidays horsie meComing across Horsie’s many boxes and paper piles brings reflection. If it was up to me they would be gone long time ago. They are… attachments. I want to believe they are. Anyway, for that reason an old Mark Pilgrim’s blog post came to mind, and I had to go hunting for it.
“I had been waiting for the facts inside these boxes to change. Of course facts do not change; only people change. And with that, I dumped them in the trash and hauled them to the curb, still unopened after all these years.”
Will that time come for Horsie? I am going to work harder now to get rid of things I might have accumulated and left unused for years. If anything so that others—specifically loved ones—don’t inherit that burden.
family horsie life philosophyFamily elders engaged in petty fighting and family drama is so annoying! First because they do it; second because, as they are elders, there is no much I can do about it. We all have emotions, and make mistakes, and surely can get mad to each other. Now, holding grudges for as long as our elders do isn’t healthy.
elders familyAs seeing in a picture a family member sent, after we were chatting—in the family group—about how the Grim Reaper was so busy lately. “Well, not busier than Quynh, but almost!”, to which she replied with the image of a coffe mug with the following written in it:
Re-tired
(adj.)
I was tired yesterday, and I’m tired again today.
I should have noted that the “well, not busier than Quynh…” was messaged because she has been very inactive in the group lately. 😂
family humour
Stayed overnight at an AirBnB in Cocoa Beach, and woke up without being able to beat the sunrise—which was the “plan” before going to sleep, LOL. Nevertheless, had a nice stroll on an almost deserted beach. Today’s “Father’s Day”, so off we go for dim sum!
family holidaysJust had a chè thái that mum made for me (because she knows I am sick, and that I like it), and I feel I had the entire month worth of sugar in just one drink. 😅
family foodThe weekend begins for me now, and I have absolutely nothing to do (well, I am sure Kim could find something for me to do, but I am not going to let her know I am off. Haha!). I am leaning towards going to mum’s to pet and feed her chicken. Then just lazy around, because if that is not a great use of my free time, what is?
family lifeSon got a little melancholic when I told him I might not be around for the next total solar eclipse in 2045. “Come on, papá, take care of yourself, exercise, and be healthy. You can do it!” — he told me.
I live for the people I love, for the people I care about. I want to continue, I want to be around. If anything, for him, for my family, for my friends.
family life thoughtsNothing better to bring delight to an otherwise secular night: Arroz con gandules. To that recipe we add diced ham. Kim cooks arroz con gandules in such way that makes me forget diet, measure, or restrain.
family food“What’s going on with the WiFi? I can’t connect the iPad to it.” — “Nothing that I know off. Do you think the boy would be so happy playing a video game with friends, if there was a problem?” — “It isn’t working!” A minute later, “never mind”.
If at first you don’t succeed, you mustn’t quit! LOL.
family life techKim loves to buy plants, or she will gladly take them from people giving them away for various reasons. That’s the extent of her “green thumb”. Plants commonly perish under her “care”. She tries, though, but often is not to be. It’s rather sad.
Then she makes me feel guilty when she asks, “Have you watered my plants?” Like, really?! 😅
family lifeCame back from riding the bike with dad. Told Kim we rode around 5 kilometres. “Riding on the road is dangerous!”—she says. “We rode on sidewalks.” “It is dangerous”—she repeats, “Please, don’t do it again.”
Yet, if I don’t do it, she will say “You are too sedentary, need to move more.” Damned if I do, damned if I don’t. 😂
family health lifeHere goes a Sunday of doing absolutely nothing. And it has been good, so far. Tomorrow I will have coffee with mum and dad. And that’s all I have planned. Though, come to think of it, it would be prudent to mow the backyard now, and not let the weeds grow too big. So, maybe there is something else that I will do after all. Maybe.
family lawn lifeMum’s 79th birthday was the last day I drank alcohol (one beer). I shall not touch alcohol ever again. Not a grudge against it, I just didn’t like it much to begin with.
family me mumAfter eating too much on mum’s birthday, and not doing any cardio yesterday, and oversleeping today, I felt guilty and went out walking/running. It was not fun, with 30°C temperature. Showered and fresh, I feel great now. Not for long, now Kim wants me on errands. Heeeeelp!
family me