use real butter

[from Grandma’s place]
I can’t think. Some *crazy* Chinese television show is on at ear-splitting volume (the elderly are a little hard of hearing) which seems to interfere with my brain waves, rendering me incapable of writing anything that remotely makes sense.

[at the hotel]
Well, despite taking pictures, there are none today as dear Jeremy has gone to bed early tonight. He told me to wake him up with a call when I’m ready to transfer files, but… I can’t do it because I want him to sleep uninterrupted considering how much sleep Jeremy lost over me in the past year. So we can go without for one day while affording him some much needed rest.

I’m tired now, so to recap the day in short: we drove all over town trying to get to Grandma’s place with major road closures for a half marathon, we ate, we drove, we shopped, we drank bubble tea, we ate, we gossiped, we shopped some more, we gossiped, we saw some bad Chinese television programming, I got a headache… But more importantly we laughed and shared and enjoyed our time together. Tomorrow is Grandma’s birthday (according to the lunar calendar). We are gonna have a Good Day! Even better than the days leading up to it. Wish her a happy 87th (88th in Chinese years) birthday!

[Special thanks to Lisa Is Bossy for her awesome dining recs in the Bay Area!]

I’ll answer comments when I get home in a few days. Huzzah!

I was pretty tired last night when we got into our hotel and then I spent quite some time fighting with the wireless connection. I had to email my photos to Jeremy in Colorado so he could load them to my server for me. Good thing that he 1) stays up late working and 2) is awesome in general. Reports are that we are due for snow in the mountains and Miss Kaweah is a little forlorn without me there.

Typically when I visit Grandma, it is with Jeremy. I spend a lot of time translating from Chinese to English and it gets tiring for my brain to work in two languages like that – especially when Jeremy drives and Grandma gives directions and I am the middle step. It’s even crazier because Grandma takes public transportation – she doesn’t drive anymore (hasn’t for many years, and it’s probably good for everyone’s safety!) – so we’ll be at a stoplight in the rightmost of 6 lanes when she suddenly pipes up in Chinese, “Oh, turn left here.” And I’m like, “Ummmm… Jeremy, I have news for you…” He’s used to it by now and he never complains.

There have only been a handful of times that I have visited Grandma without Jeremy. I’ve coordinated visits with my sister, mom, aunt. Several years ago after Grandma had her pacemaker put in, my mom and her sisters took turns to come out and stay with her. When Mom’s turn came, my sister and I flew out too – but it was a surprise for Grandma and there was much laughter and joking. Kris always made me laugh. She made everyone laugh. The last time I saw her before she died was over Chinese New Year – we were visiting Grandma together. Good memories.