MLK Weekend Plans

It hasn't hit me yet that today is Friday, and I have a 3-day weekend coming up (thank you MLK!). People have been asking me what I have planned, and it takes me a minute to realize that I don't have work on Monday. It'll be nice just to relax... I've neglected my piano long enough (think it's close to two weeks since I've played it), so will try to take some time out this weekend to practice. We also have a ton of laundry piled up, so that'll be our first chore on Saturday morning. M ripped out a bunch of overgrown weeds (they looked more like dead trees to me) from our backyard last weekend, so we'll need to clean that up... oh shoot... today is garbage day and we forgot to put out our garbage bins that is currently overflowed with dead branches... arghh... okay, so maybe we won't be able to clean up all the ripped up weeds, since we don't have any more garbage bins to put them in. Oh well... guess there's always next weekend.

Then Sunday will be the usual drive into Chinatown for church. After choir practice, I'm accompanying a friend to check out some potential venues for an upcoming bridal shower. Hopefully we'll be successful in finalizing the location then. I haven't decided if we're going to my parent's place for dinner yet... guess it depends on what time we finish checking out the venues. I feel kind of bad b/c we didn't have dinner there last Sunday either... weather was bad and we were both exhausted. Hmm... which reminds me, I still need to give my dad his wool slippers... we bought them at Old Navy (Jersey Gardens) last Saturday... thought they were $3.49, but were pleasantly surprised to see them come out to $1.74 when we paid. What a bargain! We wanted to go back and pick up couple more, but by that time, the queue to the cashier had grown exponentially, and neither one of us had the patience to stand on it again.

I digress. Back to weekend plans... there's really nothing planned for Monday at this point. M wanted me to make an appointment with Honda to replace Pearl's rear brake pads (they told us we needed it when we brought her in for the 30K maintenance service). But before I make the appointment, I'm trying to read up on whether we really need it done, or if the dealership just wanted us to spend more money. Apparently, rear brake pads in the newer Honda Accords (after 2003) wear out faster than the front ones do. All these online forums have different opinions on how long brake pads last... can't get a clear answer out of any of them. There's a way to inspect the pads ourselves to see how much is left, but I don't know how to do that. I suppose it's time we learn... maybe that can be added to our list of to do's for Saturday.

Random Little Rantings

The snowfall ended up turning into rain, so we didn't have to shovel after all. Yippee! We ordered Chinese take-out for dinner last night. At the end of the meal, we opened up our fortune cookies. Mine read "You enjoy participating in competitive sports." How is that a fortune?? At least it gave us a good laugh, being that that is the furthest from the truth. BTW, a good friend of mine had a blog entry about fortune cookies recently... did you know that they originated from Kyoto, Japan? Guess that's why you wouldn't find fortune cookies handed out at the end of a meal in an authentic Chinese restaurant.

What is the deadliest animal in the world? Surprisingly enough, it is the mosquito, which causes $2.7 million deaths in a year due to malaria infections. Second on the list is the snake. Now what is the deadliest animal in the US? Even more surprisingly, it's the deer. How on earth did the deer get on this list, you may ask? Well, they're not a very bright creature, so they tend to jump in front of people's cars, causing about 150 deaths annually. All you drivers out there, watch out for bambi, especially now that it's winter and they're out scrounging for food.

Cloning technology is being used to make 5 human embryos out of skin cells. See full article here: http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSN1721774620080118?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest. Scary thought... humans cloning themselves. Gives me the shivers just thinking about it.

White Stuff

As I left work and walked out of the building tonight, I was surprised by the huge flakes that welcomed me into the cold brisk air. There's something very calming and serene about the snow. Looking around me, all I saw were the white flurries covering the roads, the trees, the cars, the grass... it was like a Thomas Kinkade painting (only there would be no cars in the painting). And for that split second, I forget about all the worries in the world... the problems at work, the personal struggles I'm dealing with, the uncertainties in life, the everyday stresses, etc. For that split second, all I saw was God's wonder and amazement. But then, reality hits and I shuddered at the thought of having to shovel when I get home. I was also reminded of the dirty, slushy, slippery roads that materialize after a snowfall. Nothing's perfect in this world, but if only we can savor the good moments a little longer...

(BTW, the title of this entry is courtesy of M.)

Foreign Exchange Fee Settlement

A settlement was reached on the Foreign Currency Conversion Fee Antitrust Litigation. You can get additional information on this at http://www.ccfsettlement.com/. If you traveled outside the country and withdrew money from an ATM or paid using a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Diner's Club, and maybe some others) between February 1996 to November 2006, you can file a claim and receive a refund. Apparently, us poor consumers were overcharged in foreign transaction fees during this time period.

There's a couple of different refund options. M chose the first refund option, which was to submit the claim form with the bare minimum information (name and address). If the settlement goes through, I believe that's a straight $25 refund. I chose the second option, which was to include the number of days I've been out of the country during that time period, and the reason for travel. The third (and last) option requires the most work, which would have been to list out all the foreign transactions you've had in those 10 years (who even keeps records dating that far?). The deadline is not until May 30, 2008, so still plenty of time. I'm very glad they made filing online an option... makes life so much easier.

The Booby Wall

Rethink, a breast cancer charity foundation, has launched a campaign to try to educate women about breast cancer. Here's the full article: http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSPAR07287320080110?feedType=nl&feedName=usmorningdigest

As part of Rethink's "touch, look, check" (TLC) early detection program, women are being asked to do just that. They are taught how to check their breasts for abnormalities, and asked to take a photo of it (could be fully clothed, in a bra, or topless) and upload them at www.boobywall.ca. I haven't gone on the website to check it out, and I don't plan to. I'm in full support of spreading the news about breast cancer and educating people on how to do self-examinations, but what is the purpose of posting the pictures online? I just don't see how exploiting women is going to benefit anyone or get the word out.

Since we're on the topic, I attended a breast cancer awareness seminar a couple of months ago. Here are some tips for early detection and prevention:

• Know your breasts - how they feel and how they look. It is nothing to be ashamed of. Many breast lumps are found by women themselves.
• See your doctor for a clinical breast exam.
• Don’t take combined hormonal therapy (estrogen + progesterone).
• Exercise daily, eat a healthy low fat diet, limit alcohol intake.

Some risk factors:

• Age: risk increases with age. 2 of 3 women with invasive breast cancer are 55 when diagnosed.
• Genes: 5–10% of breast cancers are due to changes in genes. Women with BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have an 80% chance of developing breast cancer.
• Family History: risk increases if a close family relative is diagnosed with breast cancer. A mother, sister or daughter doubles a women’s risk. However, 70–80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a family history.
• Personal History: a person with cancer in one breast has a higher chance of developing it in the other breast.
• Race: white women are more likely to develop breast cancer, but African American women are more likely to die of the disease. Asian, Hispanic and American Indians have a lower risk of developing breast cancer.
• Menstrual Periods: periods before age 12 and/or menopause after age 55 increases risk slightly.
• Previous breast radiation therapy.
• Treatment with DES (diethylstilbestrol). Women and their daughters (exposed to DES while in the womb) are at slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer.
• Not having children or having the first child after 30. Being pregnant more than once at an early age reduces risk.
• Birth Control Pills: role is still unclear, but women using birth control pills may be at a higher risk. Those that stopped taking the pill over 10 years ago have reduced risk.
• Post Menopausal Hormonal Therapy (PHT): Combined Hormonal Therapy (estrogen + progesterone) - long term use (several years or more) does increase the risk of breast cancer and may increase the risk of dying from the disease. 5 years after stopping PHT the risk drops back to normal. Estrogen Replacement Therapy - use of estrogen alone does not seem to increase the risk of breast cancer. Long term use (> 10 years) does increase risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
• Breast feeding and pregnancy: breast feeding may slightly reduce risk if done for 1½ to 2 years. Pregnancy may also reduce risk (due to reduced number of menstrual cycles).
• Alcohol: 1 drink a day = slightly increased risk. 2–5 drinks a day = 1½ increase risk compared to women that don’t drink at all.
• Obesity: increased risk if weight gained during adulthood or after menopause and is located in the waist area. Studies of fat in the diet have yielded conflicting results.
• Exercise: risk is reduced with exercise. Recommend 45-60 minutes 5 days or more a week.

Spread the word! Every female should be routinely (i.e., monthly) doing a self-exam. Early detection is a major factor to an increased survival rate. As for Rethink, while I commend them on their cause, I cannot condone the way they are going about to achieving their objective.

A Dry Spell Approaching

Things at work have been quite hectic since the start of the new year... I haven't been that busy in a very long time. But with each passing day, a deadline has come and gone, and I see my list of to do's dwindling down. And now, I finally have a moment to breathe and put an entry in my blog.

The past week has gone by like lightning. Keeping busy is good... makes the time go by so much faster. Unfortunately, I sense a dry spell will be coming soon enough. I just wish there was a happy medium, where the work can be distributed evenly throughout the year, instead of it being so rough around quarter-end and year-end. I guess that's just asking for too much. When it rains, it pours; when it doesn't, there's a drought. Hmm... I should try to get out of Finance for my next job.

So with the dry spell approaching, I've planned out some extracurricular activities to keep myself occupied: a) Finalize Costa Rica trip. We have all the hotels and a couple of day excursions booked... need to figure out transport from San Jose to Manuel Antonio. It sounds too shady to catch the public bus at the main terminal, so we may give into paying a private shuttle van to take us there. Oh, and I need to call around for prices on car service to Newark. b) Assist in planning a friend's bridal shower. I've been assigned the tasks of deciding on the favors and managing the costs (the only problem with managing the costs is, I don't really know if we have a budget to work against). c) Put together a list of all the 2007 tax stuff (i.e., W2, 1099 statements, donation receipts, etc) we will need when Uncle Sam comes knocking come April 15. Our taxes shouldn't be too difficult this year since I don't have the relocation expenses anymore... maybe we'll even attempt to do it ourselves. d) Decide on praise songs for Sunday service... M and I are leading worship in early March. Best to decide on the songs early and give them to the pianist so she can practice. I've led worship a couple of times already, but still get nervous and scared standing in front of the congregation. Hopefully I won't trip coming down the podium like I did last time. (Ack! How embarassing!)

My 2008 Bible verse - Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

My Day At Work

Figures... the minute I create a blog to give me something to do when I'm bored at work, all of a sudden I find myself bombarded with work, barely having the time to gulp down my lunch (speaking of which, they raised the prices in the cafeteria by 20%, increasing what was already expensive to what is now unaffordable... can't justify paying more for food here than what I would pay in Manhattan... arghh... must start packing own lunch!). Now I am forced to log on at night to keep this blog up, as if I don't spend enough time in front of a computer during the day.

It's year-end closing for us, so everyone in Finance is required to go to work tomorrow, as well as next weekend. M will probably drop me off at work, go shopping in the area, and then come pick me up. Hopefully I'll be able to get out by noon... although if I work the full day, I get an extra vacation day. Still, I'd rather get the Saturday off. Times like this makes me miss my old role in Internal Controls, where weekend workdays were never mandatory for us. But if I were still in that role, readers probably wouldn't be able to keep up with all the writing I'd do on my blog.

Today was an interesting day... the fire alarm in our building went off. At first, I thought it was just a normal fire drill, so I reluctantly put on my coat and went outside to the assembly area. But when I started talking to my coworkers, apparently feces (or other offensive particles) were dripping down in the front entrance of the building. One of the pipes must have burst that caused the leak and triggered the fire alarm. I did notice a foul smell when we were outside, but don't know if that was the source of it. The fire department came... not sure what they did, or what they could've done. We were back inside the building at that point. There were tons of people congregated at the front entrance, curious to see what the fire department and maintenance crew were doing. I was too busy with work and pressing deadlines to care, so I didn't bother joining in on the crowd. By the time I left at 8pm, there were still people in the front entrance trying to fix whatever was broken. They closed off the entire area, so I had to exit through the back. Of all the times not to bring my flashlight, it had to be tonight, when I needed it. After trampling through what I would assume to be grass, I eventually made it to the front of the building and into the parking lot, where the fading glow from the lampposts aided me to my car.

Wombs for Rent

Happy New Year! (A day late... and hoping this year will be better than the last...)

I read an article last week about women in India who are serving as surrogate mothers... they are impregnated in-vitro with the egg and sperm of couples unable to conceive on their own. In return, they are cared for during the pregnancy and delivery, and get paid more than what they would normally earn in 15 years. The doctor working in the clinic that matches infertile couples with local women defends her work as being mutually beneficial for both parties: "There is this one woman who desperately needs a baby and cannot have her own child without the help of a surrogate. And at the other end there is this woman who badly wants to help her (own) family. If this female wants to help the other one ... why not allow that? ... It's not for any bad cause. They're helping one another to have a new life in this world."

While this concept of "wombs for rent" is legal in India, that doesn't mean it's right. Women shouldn't be exploited like that, not to mention the risks involved. The article talks about all the success stories, but fails to mention the times when things went awry (and I'm sure there were). I understand couples want to have a child of their own, but what is wrong with adopting? There are so many unwanted children out there who needs a loving home and family... why not have one of those be your own?