TRUTH AND BEAUTY

Keeping options open regarding my future. Should I continue working knowing that a potential promotion is underway? Should I go back to school? Is there a way to do both AND continue dancing?

On top of thinking about myself, I was going back to work from a mock interview when I received a call from the plant saying that my dad had chest pain/trouble breathing and was rushed to the nearest Kaiser emergency room. I went straight there. After 30 minutes in the waiting room, I finally saw my dad who look exhausted and pale. He started talking to me about the possibility of retiring soon. He wants to retire to the Philippines with my mom, leaving me and my sisters here in the US. I called my mom and she rushed to the hospital. I’ve taken the unwanted but necessary responsibility of being the child-turned-pseudo-parent. I was brainstorming ways to improve not just my dad’s, but both of my parents’ health. My dad needs to stop smoking. They need to eat healthier. Or they need to start leading more active lives. Or both. How much of it can I implement? Will they heed what I have to suggest? My dad turned out “ok”: the hospital staff couldn’t find anything any alarming heart conditions. Must’ve been just exhausted and a persistent cough/congestion he has from smoking cigarettes and being sick the previous week. But I hope that this false alarm was enough for my dad to realize he needs to change his unhealthy habits.

This weekend, my twin from Berkeley, Bianca, finally visited me in LA!!! (Been a long time coming.) I say twin because we met at an intern orientation meeting during our freshman year. Going around the circle, she spoke before me and said that she loved the X-Men! I hurriedly blurted out that I did too. And we’ve becomegood friends ever since. We also like X-Files, 40s, Chinese men, and being cunty.

This whole weekend was full of laughter and catching up. I took her to two different comic book stores: Golden Apple Comics on Melrose and La Brea and Meltdown Comics on Sunset Blvd. At Golden Apple, there was a dollar sale on back issues. B and I were almost hyperventilating from excitement. She got Deadpool comics for her nephew that she introduced to comics, while I got back issues of Adam Pollina’s art run on X-Force. Yeah, we’re dorks. What?!? Other things we ate/did: shopping on Melrose Avenue, Tender Greens, Santa Monica Beach and Third Street Promenade, watching the two Eugene Tooms episodes of X-Files, Guelaguetza, Huge Tree Pastry, and Rasputin in West Hollywood.

Also on Saturday night, Bianca, Erik, and I went to Rowland Heights for my high school friend Janelyn’s 28th birthday party. I wanted to see how Bianca interacted with her and my other homegirl from high school, Olivia. And, like I expected, the three of them got along really well, which proves that Bianca truly is my sister. I love it when people get along from different facets of my life!

Anyway, this week, I plan on starting my hardcore conditioning workouts again because dance rehearsals resume this weekend. I might even start swimming again. We’ll see how sore I am. I also look forward to a short trip to the Bay Area/Sonoma County. ‘Til next week…