Clicking Right Along

My definition of good luck is when things click along. It could be as simple as: I get to BART, a nice parking spot is waiting for me. I get to the platform and the train pulls in right after me. I get a seat and there is no train delay. I go get a cup of coffee on my way to the office and there is no line.

Yes, good luck means things clicking along. It doesn't have to be wining the lotto (although that would be very nice) and it doesn't having to be finding money on the street. Just little things that make my day.

I had a clicking-right-along day last Friday. I took my car to Weatherford for an oil change. No traffic going over the bridge to Berkeley. No delay in catching a shuttle to BART then to work. In the afternoon, I caught a 5:06pm BART train to Berkeley. I called the dealer for a shuttle, and it came in 3 minutes. It was on its way to pick up someone else and I happened to get there at the right time. Or, it would have been at least a 20-minute wait. I picked up my car and had a smooth ride back home. No delay on the Bay Bridge going west bound on a Friday - now that's very lucky! Radio mentioned that there was a delay on BART because of police action at the Embarcadero Station. It was my station and it was after I boarded the 5:06pm train. I was lucky to miss the commotion. If I were to miss the 5:06pm train, then I would have missed the last shuttle (last run 5:30pm). And with my usual bad luck, by the time I get to the shop, it would have been closed! It didn't happen to me, HA!

I had a lucky day because things just clicked along. Now, may I ask that all my days be as lucky as this Friday? I don't ask much. Just want things to click right along.

Is My Angel Down?

I wonder why bad luck seems to loom over me like a dark cloud. What did I do? Did I step on my guardian angel -- accidentally? Things just don't seem to go right. There' s hiccup at every turn. Some time I just have to laugh because it's kind of ridiculous. Besides, the alternative is to cry but that doesn't help.

Whatever can go wrong, it went wrong. I even know what wrong would follow. Sad, isn't it?

So what do I have to do to break up the bad luck spell? I don't think I've done anything bad or evil to anything or any one. Hey, I even do random kindness because it makes me feel good.

I'm not even asking for much - I just want to ride on a less bumpy road. I just want smooth sailing down my path. No breakdowns, no delays, no surprises. I can handle the rest.

Ugh! To think that next year, the Ox, will not be too kind to me. I hate to think what's in store... Will it be worse than now? In what ways? Am I paying forward now?

So my guardian angel, forgive me if I stepped on you when you fell. I wish you a speedy recovery so you can be back at my side soon.

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

When Family Gets Together…

Big Aunt flew from Taiwan to LA last Monday with her son and daughter, Dr. Chen and Kelly. After one day of rest, they drove up to visit. ChingYing, Auntie’s second daughter, decided to come along. We were so excited because this meant we got to see most of their family except ChingHuey who is in New Jersey.

This was a rare occasion that so many of us could get together - under one roof - and for three WHOLE days!!!

WE EAT. Doesn't matter when and where. First order of the business: put food on the table and chow down. They arrived late on Wednesday (10/8) because the darn GPS didn’t work. I prepared a lavish seafood dinner and we waited for them to finally arrive at 9:30pm. I did my famous clam bake, boiled up two Dungeness crabs and shucked a dozen oysters. It was Woos and Ahhs all the way to 1:30am. I felt so accomplished that I demonstrated more of my culinary talents the next two nights. I think everyone was so excited that no one really cared how I cooked.

WE DRINK. Didn’t know we could drink. We had such a great time just sitting around the table sipping wine and enjoying like there was no tomorrow. Well, for me there was, because I had to go to work. But we really made the most of it. My little wine rack was almost empty but Dr. Chen restocked it before he left.

WE TALK,LAUGH AND SING. We did our best to catch up in the three days that they were here. There were so many stories to tell, new and old. Mom and Auntie were telling us stories from their childhood. We were teasing each other about our childhood. When the Moms and Dads were dating, one of the kids (older cousins) usually tagged along. When my older cousins started dating, the younger ones (like my brothers and I) would usually tag along. We laughed at family jokes. Someone would start singing out of the blue and the rest would joined in - that's a tradmark of our family. The clinking of the glass, the cheers and the laughter could be heard outside of the house into the wee hours. Nights were very young.

WE CRY. When it was time for them to leave to go back to LA on Saturday (10/11), Mom and Auntie hugged and cried. The girls were hugging and crying too. The guys ran away but they were red-eyed. The farewell went around for about 30 minutes. Endless pictures taking and more hugging and crying. Eventually, we did have to part. They drove off but we kept waving at each other until the car turned the corner.

Blood is thicker than water (and wine). It’s so hard to say good bye.