Happy Father's day to my dad, and all the other dad's out there.
Today I met up with my dad in the city to take him to lunch. I wanted to take him to a baseball game today as it's the Bay Bridge Series, the Giants and the A's are playing each other, but I thought of this a bit too late and wasn't able to get tickets for the game. It was sold out a long time ago. Apparently a lot of others had this idea and they did think about it before me because there were lots of Father & Son's on Bart as I rode it to the city. A's and Giant's T-shirts, hats, jackets, everything. Although I am a fan of both...if I had gotten tickets and was going I would be in a Giants shirt. Dad taught us at an early age to root for the Giants!
Apparently so did a lot of other fathers, grandfathers...and they were all on Bart. It was great. There was one particular father/son that stood out. Dad must have been in his 80's and walked with a cane, like my dad, and the son was probably in his 40's like me. It was just the two of them and they both looked like they would have rather been no place else but in each other's company.
I guess I timed things just right because when I left Union Square, the return train home was full of fans heading home. That same father/son couple was on the same train I was for the return trip. I haven't watched the news so I have no idea who one, but if you spend the day with your dad, ball game or no ball game, it doesn't matter who lost, because everyone's a winner.
Happy Father's Day Dad. I love you!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Are you missing a citizen?
Dear Ruler of Planet Jerk,
Are you missing a citizen? Because if you are, he was riding BART here on Earth yesterday morning. He managed to take up three seats on a packed morning commute train. His voice, his loud voice was the only voice heard on the train that morning. While the rest of us sat quietly reading our newspapers, trying to catch a few more minutes of sleep or just enjoy the usually quiet ride to our jobs, he managed to make at least 10 calls on his cell phone and laughed at the callers on the other end because they were still sleeping. Of course the laughter included lots of cussing, swearing and calling them names that we don’t yell out loud in public places here on Earth. I feel especially bad for one of the several women he called. Apparently she tried to inform him of the Earthly custom of not making phone calls to “friends” before 8:00 am. I only caught his end of the conversation which included something along the lines of “well hell, I’m not fucking married to you”. I’d be surprised if any woman on our planet (or any other planet) would ever want to be married to him, let alone fuck him.
I, along with many others, would appreciate if you would call him back to his home planet, along with any (and all) traveling with him. While you are at it, would you please stop issuing passports for travel for all your citizens.
Sincerely yours,
Cecelia Liss
Earthling
Are you missing a citizen? Because if you are, he was riding BART here on Earth yesterday morning. He managed to take up three seats on a packed morning commute train. His voice, his loud voice was the only voice heard on the train that morning. While the rest of us sat quietly reading our newspapers, trying to catch a few more minutes of sleep or just enjoy the usually quiet ride to our jobs, he managed to make at least 10 calls on his cell phone and laughed at the callers on the other end because they were still sleeping. Of course the laughter included lots of cussing, swearing and calling them names that we don’t yell out loud in public places here on Earth. I feel especially bad for one of the several women he called. Apparently she tried to inform him of the Earthly custom of not making phone calls to “friends” before 8:00 am. I only caught his end of the conversation which included something along the lines of “well hell, I’m not fucking married to you”. I’d be surprised if any woman on our planet (or any other planet) would ever want to be married to him, let alone fuck him.
I, along with many others, would appreciate if you would call him back to his home planet, along with any (and all) traveling with him. While you are at it, would you please stop issuing passports for travel for all your citizens.
Sincerely yours,
Cecelia Liss
Earthling
Friday, June 6, 2008
mov'n on
Mom, I miss you like crazy and could write about you forever, but it's time to get back to my blog....
Good news, they opened up the new BART parking structure and I HAVE RESERVED PARKING!!! It's costing me more than double the daily lot price, but I don't have the fear of getting there after 7:30 am on a Tuesday and not being able to find a parking spot. The $63.00 a month is a cheap price for piece of mind, well maybe not cheap but piece of mind none the less.
The first three days I was able to park in the one of the first 4 slots on both sides of the aisle. Now I'm getting there and parking in about the 10th slot. Either it's catching on or I'm pushing it how late I can get there before I really have to run to the train and people are beating me to the first spots, or others have signed up the reserved parking too. With the price of gas at $4.35 a gallon I'm sure more and more people are taking BART or will be soon. Either way, I'm a happy camper. Oh and bonus - this summer when it's 105 degrees in Pleasanton, my car will be parked in the shade.
I've noticed in the past 2 weeks that more and more people on the train smell like pot. Has my nose become more sensative or are the pot smokers of the world spending their money on pot and BART rather than pot and gas for their car? Has anyone else noticed this too. I can understand it a bit more on the ride home, but come on people, it's 7:30 am for christ sakes...and you smell like you just lit up!
Enough for now, but I'll be back...
Good news, they opened up the new BART parking structure and I HAVE RESERVED PARKING!!! It's costing me more than double the daily lot price, but I don't have the fear of getting there after 7:30 am on a Tuesday and not being able to find a parking spot. The $63.00 a month is a cheap price for piece of mind, well maybe not cheap but piece of mind none the less.
The first three days I was able to park in the one of the first 4 slots on both sides of the aisle. Now I'm getting there and parking in about the 10th slot. Either it's catching on or I'm pushing it how late I can get there before I really have to run to the train and people are beating me to the first spots, or others have signed up the reserved parking too. With the price of gas at $4.35 a gallon I'm sure more and more people are taking BART or will be soon. Either way, I'm a happy camper. Oh and bonus - this summer when it's 105 degrees in Pleasanton, my car will be parked in the shade.
I've noticed in the past 2 weeks that more and more people on the train smell like pot. Has my nose become more sensative or are the pot smokers of the world spending their money on pot and BART rather than pot and gas for their car? Has anyone else noticed this too. I can understand it a bit more on the ride home, but come on people, it's 7:30 am for christ sakes...and you smell like you just lit up!
Enough for now, but I'll be back...
Friday, May 16, 2008
May 1, 2008
I stare at the calendar and I can't wait for May to be over with. May 1 stands out and I can't wait to not have to look at anymore. Mom died that day, a few minutes after noon. It's so hard not seeing her always welcoming smile and hearing her voice. The last time I heard her speak was on Tuesday April 22. I miss her.
Here is the link to her obituary I wrote if you care to read it.
http://www.legacy.com/MarinIJ/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=109286638
If I knew how to post a link with just a click, I would, but I don't, so you'll have to copy and paste it in. I just don't feel like learning how to do it today.
Please feel free to leave a comment on the guest book there.
We buried her next to her mom, my grandmother, in Cary, IL on Monday May 12th. It was a really beautiful day, having rained the day before. All my cousins were there, thank you all for coming. Someone counted and I think there were 68 family members there. I hope to see them all again, under happier circumstances....someone get married. We need a reason to celebrate.
It was wonderful seeing all my mom's brothers. They were all born in the Philipine Islands and the stories about them growing up during the war are just now starting to be told. All of us cousins want to hear them. I saw first cousins that I hadn't seen in years. I don't know someone them all that well, but I think that will change. I can't wait to get to know more about them and grow closer. I can't even begin to count all their kids and grandkids. Yes, grandkids! How can we our generation have grandkids? We are just kids ourselves. But I guess with Mom gone, my siblings and I are the old generation when it comes to our immediate family. Scary thought. I'm not ready to be that yet. That was Mom's position. She was good at it, she had all the answers, she knew how to do it.
I didn't know how to do something the other night. Mom would have. And I couldn't call her to ask. Be it knitting, baking certain items, family receipes, she was the keeper and she left before she taught me everything I'm suppose to know. I miss her
Here is the link to her obituary I wrote if you care to read it.
http://www.legacy.com/MarinIJ/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=109286638
If I knew how to post a link with just a click, I would, but I don't, so you'll have to copy and paste it in. I just don't feel like learning how to do it today.
Please feel free to leave a comment on the guest book there.
We buried her next to her mom, my grandmother, in Cary, IL on Monday May 12th. It was a really beautiful day, having rained the day before. All my cousins were there, thank you all for coming. Someone counted and I think there were 68 family members there. I hope to see them all again, under happier circumstances....someone get married. We need a reason to celebrate.
It was wonderful seeing all my mom's brothers. They were all born in the Philipine Islands and the stories about them growing up during the war are just now starting to be told. All of us cousins want to hear them. I saw first cousins that I hadn't seen in years. I don't know someone them all that well, but I think that will change. I can't wait to get to know more about them and grow closer. I can't even begin to count all their kids and grandkids. Yes, grandkids! How can we our generation have grandkids? We are just kids ourselves. But I guess with Mom gone, my siblings and I are the old generation when it comes to our immediate family. Scary thought. I'm not ready to be that yet. That was Mom's position. She was good at it, she had all the answers, she knew how to do it.
I didn't know how to do something the other night. Mom would have. And I couldn't call her to ask. Be it knitting, baking certain items, family receipes, she was the keeper and she left before she taught me everything I'm suppose to know. I miss her
Thursday, May 1, 2008
somthing a bit deeper
When I first started blogging about Mom rather than the commute, I said that this was to be a place for me to vent how I'm feeling inside. Well I have to an extent, but today I need to use it attempt to justify what's going on inside of me.
Tuesday's emotional roller coaster can not be describe in words. Thinking we were going to lose her those couple of times a day took a lot out of me. I didn't realize it till this morning when I woke up and laid in bed thinking. I got home Tuesday night, exhausted, and was talking to my boyfriend Mark about the day. I hadn't hit the wall yet, until he made a comment that I would have normally not really thought to much about, but that night after he said it I couldn't get upstairs fast enough to bury my head in my pillow and let it all out. It wasn't anything awful he said, I think if he had something as simple as "great weather", it would have had the same effect.
That was the first time I've really cried. Sure through all of this tears have streamed down my face and my throat was too chocked up to talk and I was on the verge of loosing it, but not to the extend of sobbing, I held it back, but Tuesday night it finally came, and I haven't cried since. Did I get it all out of me? With all the time that has past, have I become desensitized? Or has it just gotten easier? Is the shock of all this wearing off and I'm less emotional about it? Or have all my raw nerve endings begun to heal already, even before it's really over?
I'm here with Mom and my sister this morning. Her blood pressure is at 94 over 60. She's running a slight fever, but she's holding her own. Day 9. Pretty incredible for someone they weren't sure would make the ambulance ride here.
Tuesday's emotional roller coaster can not be describe in words. Thinking we were going to lose her those couple of times a day took a lot out of me. I didn't realize it till this morning when I woke up and laid in bed thinking. I got home Tuesday night, exhausted, and was talking to my boyfriend Mark about the day. I hadn't hit the wall yet, until he made a comment that I would have normally not really thought to much about, but that night after he said it I couldn't get upstairs fast enough to bury my head in my pillow and let it all out. It wasn't anything awful he said, I think if he had something as simple as "great weather", it would have had the same effect.
That was the first time I've really cried. Sure through all of this tears have streamed down my face and my throat was too chocked up to talk and I was on the verge of loosing it, but not to the extend of sobbing, I held it back, but Tuesday night it finally came, and I haven't cried since. Did I get it all out of me? With all the time that has past, have I become desensitized? Or has it just gotten easier? Is the shock of all this wearing off and I'm less emotional about it? Or have all my raw nerve endings begun to heal already, even before it's really over?
I'm here with Mom and my sister this morning. Her blood pressure is at 94 over 60. She's running a slight fever, but she's holding her own. Day 9. Pretty incredible for someone they weren't sure would make the ambulance ride here.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
fooled again
Well twice this morning my mom has fooled everyone. When the nurse called me this morning telling me it was very close, she didn’t think I would get here on time. I did. About 2 hours later after I arrived they gave mom the anxiety med and her breathing changed completely. It was about 45 seconds between breathes, each breath was a struggle and all the nurses came in to hold our hands and be with us and mom. 2 hours later Nancy and I gave up and went to lunch, thinking maybe she wanted to wait till we left the room. We ate at the Italian place close by. As we were finishing up lunch, the background music playing was Ave Maria, one of my Mom’s favorite songs. We took that as a sign and rushed back here. At this point we think she is hanging on for another 2 days so she’ll get another social security check….
Sunday, April 27, 2008
That's Amore
It's 10:00 pm on Sunday and I just got back from Bruns House, the Hospice facility that my mom is at. I am feeling really good inside. Mom is still with us and was able to be with me on one of the most incredible nights of my life. It was my sister Nancy, my mom and me, the three of us together in her room. Nancy had picked up a cd of Dean Martin's greatest hits for mom, so we played it. Not only did we play it, but we sang, we danced and even though my mom couldn't participate with us, I've never felt more closer to either one of them. It was awesome. I'm sure the other people that at Bruns house may have felt differently, but for those 2 hours, the world revolved around just three of us. I feel kind of bad for the family of the gentleman across the hall, as they were giving him last rites, we were belting out an interesting rendition of That's Amore. He is of my mom's generation, so I'm hoping be enjoyed it too.
If mom passes tonight, I'll feel good about how the three of us celebrated her life tonight. As horrible as Nancy and I both sing, there was nothing but happiness and love in the room tonight. I didn't cry on the way home, in fact I smiled the entire way. I can go to sleep tonight without tears and sleep knowing it was a happy night that I'll never forget and will remember always. Be at peace Mom, I love you.
If mom passes tonight, I'll feel good about how the three of us celebrated her life tonight. As horrible as Nancy and I both sing, there was nothing but happiness and love in the room tonight. I didn't cry on the way home, in fact I smiled the entire way. I can go to sleep tonight without tears and sleep knowing it was a happy night that I'll never forget and will remember always. Be at peace Mom, I love you.
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