I didn’t have much time to sort my old CDs that were still in Singapore, but I did bring back a couple - Reality Bites Soundtrack, and Universal, by OMD. Awesome group. This was their 1996 album, and their hit song, Universal, and Milky Way, sounds really great. I’m listening to the CD right now.

That just about describes the weather this morning. The rain wasn’t so heavy, but the winds were … more feisty than usual. Everyone was driving 40 mph on the freeway and flooding everywhere. I’m glad I made it here in one piece. What a storm.

“A major storm is upon the Bay Area, bringing gusty winds, heavy rain, and high surf that could produce the biggest waves in 10 years. ” — NBC 11

Powerful Storm Hits Bay Area

My cousin has cancer. In the advanced stages. I don’t know if writing about this would make me feel any better, but I’ll try. She was diagnosed barely 2 weeks after my wedding, and we were already back in the States. Mom updates me on our weekly phone conversation on her progress - what treatments they are giving her, etc. I’m sitting here, 10,000 miles away, feeling so helpless.

First, I just can’t believe that she’s sick. The last time I saw her she didn’t look sick at all. I guess I would never believe until I see her face to face, or its probably the mind’s way of avoiding reality so the heart doesn’t get hurt. One part of me, the optimistic part, believes that she’ll get better, but the other part, the one that seeks a reason for everything, tells the other part to just face the facts. I don’t know who’s right.

Second, the physical distance between us makes it difficult for me to feel anything more than anxiousness, and nervousness. But it’s harder now to think happy thoughts and be cheerful, to get excited about things, knowing that somewhere, my cousin is in pain. Sometimes I just stare blankly at nothing, but the conversations in my head just go on and on, mostly questions on what’s going to happen to her, where do we all go when we die, is there really a heaven, or do we just rot and become …. nothing…

Mom’s really sad about my cousin. I could hear it in her voice for the last two weeks - she’s trying to talk objectively, avoiding questions that are too emotional, like “is she getting better”, “what did the doctor say?”, I don’t want to press on as I don’t want her to cry. I try to talk more lightheartedly. Now I know how difficult it is for one to grief when he/she is helping another one overcome grief. We just all need to be strong for each other.

If you believe in a God, any God, please pray for my cousin, include her in your daily prayers … for a miracle.

Thank you.

Just visited the CNET News page, and look what I found - The Apple-Pepsi song giveaway promo has been hacked! Yes, MacMerc provides instructions on how you can actually see the 10 digit number that is found under the bottle cap of these pepsi bottles. “No Purchase Necessary”. I guess all those ad dollars just went down the drain.

Now if I can just see one store that sells those free-song bottles here. Where, oh where?

I’m seriously considering getting an Italian Greyhound. But in the meantime, its just ogling over IG pics online … Here’s my daily dose of “AWWW” - Love, Charlie. Great pictures of an IG named Charlie and how he spends his days.

I added a new category to my blog called “Observations”. Thanks to Ellen, I will try to be more observant of myself, my surroundings, the people and things that go on around me, and hopefully that’ll make me appreciate things better.

Ok, now for a first observation of the day …
Why doesn’t Microsoft have tabbed browsing for their IE? Don’t they know how to do it, or are they waiting for some date in the future to launch something that has already been created and proven to be a good thing. I have just installed Mozilla on my XP machine at work, and I tell ya, tabbed browsing rocks, and do you know that you can BOOKMARK your tabs? Let’s say you open three tabs - Yahoo, eBay, and Apple. You right-click on the tabs, and choose “Bookmark this group of tabs”, and pick the bookmark folder you want to save it in, and voila! the next time you click on that bookmark, it’ll launch all three sites, all the in order that you specified!

This is not a true observation is it? heh … well, once a geek …

Ok I’ll try something less geeky next time. Have a good day.

According to a memo Steve Jobs sent to his employees, it was mentioned that for the first time in over a decade, Apple is debt-free! I got the text from this site:

Team,

Steve

Thanks to jen for informing me that there are already 100,000 orders of the iPod Mini, and its only going to be available this Friday! Wow … not that I’m going to get one at this time, though I really like the pink one … or blue … cute cute colors.

I was blogger surfing today and came across something very familiar - Bernie Blog, and it resides at http://www.bernieweb.net. Who is this Bernie? “…United States, Virginia, Newport News, English, Bernie, Male, 26-30, Surfing the Web, Fireing my Gun.” Hello there, fellow “Bernie”.

I was flipping through my latest copy of Bicycling Magazine, and realized how much I missed cycling. Spring is here, and soon the trails will be open again for dirt riding. Also, I gotta get my bike out of the balcony and send it for some maintenance before taking her out for a ride - she’s pretty creaky.

Hey lovers! Just wanted to shout out “Happy Valentine’s” to all, even though I think its the most commercialized and overrated day in the year. HAH!

I need coffee.

For your dose of Superstition, Unlucky News, and more, check out Google Search: friday the 13.

I would say I’m a pretty superstitious person, but hey, like how one article says, its a “self-fulfilling prophecy”.

Apple store headed to Union Square | CNET News.com

I always get excited when Apple opens a new Apple Store. I’m one of those geeks who’ll just go into an Apple Store to ogle over all those new G4s and G5s, iPods and Cameras, not buying anything though. heh.

We went for the Bette Midler’s concert on Saturday at the HP Pavilion. It was great to hear Bette sing those great songs like “Wind Beneath My Wings”, “The Rose”, and “From a Distance”, as well as new songs. I liked the moments between her numbers, where she would comment on the state of the world, her thoughts on what’s happening, and basically injecting some humor here and there. The concert didn’t feel like it lasted very long, but when it ended it was already close to 11pm. I’m glad she’s back :). She plays at the Oakland Arena Feb 10 if you live in the Bay Area and want to see her.

Sunday was a lazy one, coz I slept till 3pm. Maybe it was a relaxing foot massage D gave me the night before …. we watched some TV, and went to Vallery Fair Mall, where I bought some supplies from Bath and Body Works, and tried on some clothes. The Apple Store still didn’t have the iPod Mini, which was a bummer, but Doug got sorta hooked on the Apple Keyboard and GarageBand. I’m still saving up for that 15″ powerbook, which I think by the time I’m ready to buy, Apple would have 15″ G5 powerbooks!

I’m feeling romantic right now, with Valentine’s Day coming up and all … and I just want to say that the radio station at Yahoo! Launch has some great love songs at their “Love Songs” Station. Be sure to check it out.

Ok I think I need to get some sleep now. Have a good Monday.

My brother has just got a new digital camera and he’s having so much fun with it, I made a gallery for him to post his pics. Take a look at his Gallery.