Sabi’s Last Car Ride…

The last time I saw her was Sunday. She was lying on her side in her usual spot on her pillow behind the couch. I crouched down to pet her and took note of the bare patch where her fur was recently shaved off at the vet’s office for an ultrasound. Gallstones were discovered. My touch did not wake her or maybe she thought it was the usual affection from my mom or dad. I put my hand in front of her nose to let her know who it was. Her nose wiggled and sniffed. I could see her excitement as she came to.  Her eyes opened as she tilted her head up to look at me. Her eyes had a foggy gray blue film. She was straining to see me as she leaned in towards me to give a kiss. Her nose was dry and she was struggling to breathe. Her familiar perky spirit and eagerness to greet me quickly vanished as she plopped her head back down, closed her eyes, and continued to pant and resume her nap.

Today is Wednesday. Ash Wednesday. I always enjoyed this holy day when I used to be a practicing Catholic and a quote from the Bible I always remembered from this day is: from dust we came and dust we shall return. I almost wish I had gone to mass today to hear this again but instead, I was celebrating life while in dance class.

Without death, there can be no life. The cycle of life and death was greatly reminded tonight when I found out that Sabrina (”Sabi”), our 16-year old Australian Shepherd mix had passed away. She was the family dog for most of her life. My sister had adopted her in San Diego when she was just a puppy. When my sis moved into a place that didn’t allow pets, my mom and dad took Sabi in…a “temporary stay” with the grandparents that turned into the rest of her life. She had a long and happy life and although she recently had many complications, including a stroke last year, I’ll always remember her as the spry dog that jumped up and down when she was excited to see me, loved having her tummy rubbed, and the dog that loved chasing birds.

Below are the last photos of Sabi I took while we rode in the car to San Diego to spend Christmas with my sister. The car ride and travel was a bit taxing on her but she was a good sport. I’m glad she got to enjoy one more good ride in the car with the wind blowing in her face.

To Sabi: you were very much loved. You brought us joy, laughter and most of all, love and companionship. It’s never easy to let go of someone or something you love but I know you no longer need to suffer. You are already missed and you will forever be in our hearts and memories…

…if you would like to add anything in memory of Sabi, please comment below.

Good Intentions: Elizabethan Execution Style

I got a taste of what it was like to be living alone again the other day. I came home and went to the bathroom to wash my hands when through my translucent shower curtain I saw the biggest cockroach in my tub. I wanted to scream…to shriek in horror…but who would hear me?…besides Duke. But a dog isn’t going to help me capture this god-awful creature.

I have a jar I keep around for capturing anything that shouldn’t be inside my bungalow…mainly spiders and the occasional long-bodied creature with many legs that give me the heebie jeebies.

Although I’m a carnivore now, I’m still respectful of all life form. I can’t even bring myself to kill the annoying fly that keeps buzzing around the house. So this jar is to serve in capturing and releasing these crawling creatures.

After seeing the cockroach, I quickly grab my jar. With my heart racing and fear embracing me, I pull the shower curtain back and attempt to trap it inside the jar. It’s fast and starts scurrying away. I make several attempts in this bathtub battle and before I know it, it’s all over. With its 2 long antennas plus the length of its body, this cockroach is so big that I realize it’s not going to pass the 4-inch diameter mouth of the jar. It’s too late…I accidentally killed it.

Cause of death: Beheading.

Yes, the edge of my jar clipped it’s head and for a few seconds, head and body now detached were still moving…probably confused…and then all was still.

Gross…and sad. My good intentions in saving this awful creature actually resulted in decapitating it. Oopsie.

The Simplicity of Solitidude Enjoyed

I’ve done a lot of things alone (off the top of my head): dining out, watching movies, the symphony, going to a bar, the beach, Chicago, Bali…It used to be a test to see how comfortable I could be by placing myself in a potentially uncomfortable situation. And a Friday evening…Alone. With no plans. That was cause for potential self-loathing and criticism.

Never would I have thought that I’d enjoy much less look forward to a solo evening on a Friday night. I finished teaching a class at 7pm and decided to head over to Trader Joe’s and treat myself to a steak and a bottle of Bordeaux. I’m a lightweight…only had 1/3 of the bottle. I’ll probably bring it over to dad’s tomorrow and finish the rest with him–if he’ll have it.

Could I have called up some friends and suggested we get together? Sure. Would I have wanted to be invited out for the night? Why not. But was I seeking company or yearning for it? No.

I think I’ve come to a place in my life where I find comfort in solitude. From “The TAO of Travel” by Paul Theroux a recent acquisition to my library:
“In the best travel books the word “alone” is implied on every exciting page, as subtle and ineradicable as a watermark… Alone, alone: it was like proof of my success. I had had to travel very far to arrive at this solitary condition.”

Who knew that a juicy steak, roasted brussel sprouts, a glass of bordeaux and an after dinner walk with Duke in the neighborhood would not only be sufficient but one of the most perfect ways to end a week?

PLEEEZ Just Pick Up Your Shit!

I walked out of the house today to go grocery shopping. As I’m walking to my car, I noticed a pile of dog shit on the sidewalk. It still looked pretty fresh. My eyes immediately began scanning for the culprit. But all was quiet and still. Damn. Who lets their dog just shit in the middle of the sidewalk and NOT pick it up?! I immediately judged this person as the type of individual who just leaves their shit laying around and expects other people to pick it up. I wished I’d seen the guilty party and the poopy pooch. They would have gotten some words from me…and a bag.

I must confess: I’ve been guilty of forgetting a bag while walking Duke and it wasn’t till he pooped did I realize I had forgotten to bring one. This happened just the other day. I looked around at the litter hoping I’d find a bag (of which I was lucky enough once before…but not this time). So I started walking home thinking I’d get a bag and go back to the scene of the crime and clean it up. Luckily, a tattered newspaper ad for Vons was lying by the curb–it was just soft and big enough to do the job.

So today, I saw the pile of (mushy) poop, got angered but went on with my excursion. When I got home and got out of the car, I had to walk passed this irresponsible pile of shit again and noticed it had been smeared across the sidewalk with several footprints. So now, not only will the pile of poop not get picked up, it’s impossible to clean AND it’s smeared across the path. I feel bad for the unsuspecting soul who may have been enjoying a nice Saturday afternoon stroll and suddenly realized that they had stepped in something squishy; probably hoping it was mud and then realizing it was what they feared most: shit.

It probably angers me because I am one of those innocent (sometimes oblivious) souls that has stepped in shit, goop, gum, you name it…I’ve stepped in it. I just wish people cared enough to take responsibility and clean up their shit. Is that too much to ask for?

Oh God…I’m One Of “THOSE” People Now…

I didn’t get them so that my dog Duke could look fashionable–I swear. I got them out of necessity. I promise. They look pretty darn cute on him though. Yes, I got my dog a pair of shoes. Actually, 2 pairs.

Duke's new hipster sneakers...he's leading the pack in Echo Park

I got them yesterday out of NECESSITY. Yeah, you heard me. Necessity. He must have played too hard at the Silver Lake dog park yesterday and the top layer of his 2 front paws ripped off. Poor guy. I noticed him walking a bit weird when we got home and when I checked out his paws, I saw that a flap on each paw was dangling off. Ouch.

I (immediately) went to Blue Collar pet supplies in Echo Park and was reassured that this happens often to dogs when they run really fast and stop suddenly. Duke does that quite often: run, puts on the brakes, and screeches to a halt. But he’s normally on hardwood floors, grass, or concrete. That’s one thing I don’t like about the dog park is that it’s all dirt. Poor little guy.

I dressed his wound by cutting off the flaps that were hanging off the back of his paw, put neosporin on it, and bandaged it up. He layed there perfectly still–what an angel.

Now his paws are protected...that's the ONLY reason he's wearing shoes...I swear

His shoes are easy to put on and he’s very compliant. He looks so adorable in them and when he first had to walk in them, he walked with exaggerated steps: so unbelievably cute and funny.

It was such a great time having Duke try on his shoes in the store and walking out of there with him looking like the most athletic dog. They’ve got some bitchin’ reflectors too. So if you can’t see Duke at night..you’ll surely see his feet

Note to Self: Take More Walks w/ Duke!

I decided to take Duke out for a walk today. We take less of them when we’re at Jimmy’s because he’s got a yard and it’s just easier to let Duke out back to pee. Whereas, when Duke’s at my place, I need to walk hin outside every time he needs to pee. I actually don’t mind it (when it’s not raining) because I love my neighborhood.
So Duke and I walked to the Echo Park lake today and it was a great decision!…the sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the slight breeze was nice; it couldn’t have been more perfect. I also got to observe people enjoying and making use of this public oasis in the middle of LA: teenagers enjoying young love, an old Chinese couple enjoying a conversation, a guy fishing–of which I took the liberty to ask, “what kind of fish do you catch here?” I’ve always wondered. He was quite knowledgeable. He said from now till April, it’s trout and from April-October it’s catfish. It’s catch and release–i don’t you’d want to eat anything caught from that murky water. We passed by a bicyclist who paused to muse with a goose, whom hissed at Duke as we passed. (The goose hissed, not the bicyclist).

My Parents’ Grand Dog

My parents officially have a granddog. I’ve been referring to them as grandpa and grandma to Duke and they took to their names while Duke and I stayed with them the last couple of days. They’re getting used to his nuasences like his S-B-D farts, his 10:30 bedtime when he automatically goes to bed, and his affectionate kisses even when they’re not wanted. Their granddog is staying with them for a couple of days while his mom is meeting his dad in Nashville for a couple of days.
It’s the first night he’s staying there with them. Like clockwork, I just spoke to his grandma and she said he was already in bed. She asked me, “what kind of dog sleeps at night? They normally stay up and keep watch. He’s like a kid instead of a dog.”
I laughed and went on to tell her that he sleeps for about 8 hours a night and normally wakes up at 7:30 or 8 o’clock when he needs to go out and pee.
I feel fortunate that Duke’s got some grandparents he can stay with. And I also feel so appreciative that they’re willing to help care for him. My mom isn’t particularly fond of the idea of needing to take care of him…not because she doesn’t care, but it’s just another responsibility she’d rather not have.
Duke’s easy to fall in love with though. She told me she put him in his sweater because she didn’t want him to get cold The thought of my mom dressing a dog cracks me up. I love her.

2010…a year told in photos

 

 

2010’s been a fantastic year. Jimmy and I rung in the year in Nashville.

…and we “burrrrned some shit” on new year’s eve with the fireworks we got at Hee Haw.

We went to a great house party thrown by his dear old friend Chris Lee and his girlfriend.

And I got to meet a homemade R2D2 ‘birthed’ by Chris.

We spent time with his family and nieces and nephews.

 

My makeover on the Style Show aired in January. I'm with The Dish Show here where Danielle taught me how to tell a joke! Wanna hear it?

 

In February, my 33rd birthday was spent locally in LA with friends at our wine bar in Echo Park and at one of my favorite restaurants, Magnolia, where I splurged on mac ‘n cheese and brussel sprouts.

My sweet sister and niece even came up from San Diego to spend my birthday weekend with me!

We had margaritas while Olivia had chips ‘n salsa

We adopted Duke a couple of weeks later…we were destined to have him in our lives!

Shortly after meeting Duke, I returned to Bali to study with my teachers Radha and Prem in Ubud.

And got to spend some good times with new friends.

When I got home a month later, Duke was still just as playful but much bigger.

My mother-daugther cruise to Alaska is a trip I’ll never forget. I had the best time with my mom and I love her so much.

The cruise ended in Vancouver, where my high school friend AND college roommate, Grace now lives with her adorable little boy, Ryan, and hubby Jasper

Grace and I got catch up over breakfast.

And then I was off in an airplane to meet Jimmy in San Francisco for my college friend’s wedding. Vinh and Christie got hitched!...a match made in heaven.

My friend Elsa from college (and a post-college roomy) got to meet Jimmy. I think they really got along..what do you think?!

And guess what?! Bradley Cooper was at the wedding!

I got to also see my pal Hong from college. Me, Elsa, and Hong all used to work at the Career Center on campus when we were students at USC.

While in SF, I witnessed Jimmy’s orgasmic experience with his $60 burger (yes, 60 dollars) at the Burger Bar. I think it may be the fois gois (spelling?) that may have made it such a memorable meal.

July 4th –Jimmy’s birthday!...was spent it in Nashville with family and friends. We got to ‘burrrn some shit’ again. Here’s James Wendall Hunter Jr. with James Wendall Hunter a.k.a “Oh hush, Wendall!”—that’s what his mom’s always calling his dad at least.

…and more nephew time

…and more ‘us’ time

After getting back from Nashville this summer, I decided to get rid of a lot of “stuff”. It was time to simplify and also convert my living room into the yoga/meditation space I dreamed of while in Bali. So I had my FIRST EVER yard sale!! With the couches, bookcases, knick knacks, and miscellaneous items I sold, I made $800! It helped me to pay for the eco-paint and new shelves I got. Without Jimmy’s carpentry skills and secrets of the trade…this dream would have never come true! Here’s my first ever yard sale! I had fun creating my merchandise displays!

Here’s the paint we used for the living room: non-toxic and zero v.o.c.

I’ve never painted a room before! But Duke and I were prepared

Didn’t know things got so dusty!

I learned A LOT about he painting process and experienced the wonders of Shellac first-hand!

Duke gave his moral support and also tried to help paint but mostly just got paint on himself.

my carpenter, painter, shellacer, fixer, baller, shotcaller...

Duke and I got to take some time out for some fun too…

And Jimmy showed us a few tricks...

Duke learned how to climb a ladder!

And I learned how to PAINT!

And **drum roll**…my yoga & meditation space is here! BEFORE photo.

AFTER photos

In September, YogaGals celebrated her 2-year anniversary! We had great food, friends, and lots of love…

Duke got dressed up in his dashing red collar

Lots of great friends…

Jimmy and I had baby sitting duties in San Diego with my nephews & niece while my sis and brother in law (T-Bone) went to some crazy swap meet for parents to sell all their baby stuff

 

 

We enjoyed our summer in LA and I finally got to go to the Hollywood Forever Cemetary to watch their summer films! We saw Beetle Juice on a beautiful summer’s evening.

Jimmy and I also dressed up for Prom night…an annual party at Home in Silverlake.

And we got to see one of my all time favorite bands in Downtown LA: Nortec Collective!

For Halloween, we dressed up as a family of farmers with our mule

Me and my mule

We didn’t know this, but Duke got ready for an interview to be a security dog. We had not idea he was so ambitious.

 

My grandma turned 90 years old!...she was born in 1920! How cool is that?!

 

And what better way to end a year in pictures with the best Engrish poster Jimmy and I found hanging in Rowland Heights!

[Spiritual SoundBite] Can You Be You?

We ended up spending Thanksgiving with my mom & dad and a few of their friends. Jimmy and Duke the dog came with me. A few days prior, I had a conversation with my mom on the phone that went something like this (translated from Chinese): “Do you want to come over for Thanksgiving?…Do you want to spend the night?..Jimmy is welcome to spend the night too. I already talked to Dad about it and we don’t care how you guys sleep or where; but he’s more than welcome to stay too.” Now, that last part came as a surprise; albeit a nice one…it came from traditional Chinese parents who almost disowned me when I told them 4 years ago that my fiancee and I were moving in together after having just gotten engaged.

I attribute my parents’ new “liberalness” as a result of my divorce. Because it was so unexpected and only 1 1/2 years of being married, it seemed to have come out of nowhere and completely threw them for a loop. A divorce on my record seemed as probable as me being a yoga teacher when I grew up and being vegetarian. Oh sh*t…I am all those things! My poor parents…the kid that grew up and loved eating roast duck and who couldn’t get enough of the chicken feet at dim-sum is no more…I just keep throwing them off that they have pretty much just thrown their arms up in acceptance.

Comedy aside, I think my point is that because I’ve really grown into being who I am as a person and have stayed true to myself, they can’t help but to accept who I am as well. It’s nice feeling like I can be myself and not have to hide anything nor fear being judged. I used to get so caught up in worrying what others would think or say but I know now that self-acceptance is probably the best gift I can give to myself.

What’s the motivation behind what you do in your life? Are you living life on your terms or on someone else’s?

Cheers to a Healthy. Happy. Sexy. You.

[Spiritual SoundBite] Are You Gnawing At Too Many Bones?

Each morning before my yoga practice, I meditate. And Duke the dog is laying at my mat’s side (sometimes on it) and also meditates…well, his version of it: sleeping or gnawing at his bone. He whole heartedly chews on his bone. Nothing matters at that moment…he’s completely present with his bone–they are one.

Duke’s morning meditation

It’s a good reminder for me to be like this with any person I’m speaking with or any task I’m doing at hand–BEING WHOLE HEARTEDLY PRESENT. How many times during the day do we try to “multi-task”? (something I don’t believe in anymore) Observe how many times today when your attention is shifted i.e. the phone rings while you’re in the middle of an email. You decide to answer the phone. It’s your mother. You continue typing your email with your mother on the phone (phone clenched between shoulder and ear) while trying to eat your lunch. Does this sound familiar?

Not only is your train of thought interrupted for that important email, but now you’re only hearing bits and pieces of what your mother is sharing, and you’re ½ way done with your lunch but you can’t remember what it tasted like much less what it was…you know it was something between 2 pieces of bread. And to top it all off, your neck and shoulder are cramped and seized up from holding the phone.

Point taken? Good. Only 1 task at a time, please. You’ll be much happier, healthier, and what can I say, a focused person is definitely a sexy one

P.S. Have a friend who needs to read this? Have them sign up for their very own Spiritual SoundBite and they’ll receive a FREE insider’s report: “The 7 Healthy Habits of Sexy Women and How to Stay Sexy!” … All thanks to You!

Cheers to a Healthy. Happy. Sexy. You.