It’s comforting to know that good people still exist in this world.

I was finished with lunch and I was lounging with the guys and a handful of chocolate-covered raisins when my cell phone rang. The caller ID indicated that it was my parents on their cell phone. I knew it couldn’t be good, since their cell phone is NEVER used except in case of emergency. In fact, I was doubtful whether they even knew how to use it.

My parents had been in a car accident. Thankfully, there were no injuries, but they car was not so lucky. Luckily, the scene of the accident was very close to my place of work and I was able to be there in less than 10 minutes. My folks were able to drive the car into the parking lot of Love’s Bakery while the police made a report. By the time I got there, the cops and the other driver were already gone.

I called the insurance company and got a claim started, then proceeded to phone auto body and repair shops in hopes of towing it in. Everybody and their uncle must’ve had an accident today, because all the places I called were booked and unable to take a tow-in until next week.

Dad went into the store and asked if he could leave the car in the parking lot until we could secure a tow and a repair shop willing to take the vehicle. Not only were they willing to let us leave the car there, but a very helpful employee named Sharon even got on the phone and made some phone calls for us. A mechanic from a shop down the road came by to survey the damage and determined that the frame was bent and that was beyond their capability to repair. Sharon gave me the business card of a tow company and said that if we left the car key with her, that she could hand it over to the tow truck driver so we wouldn’t have to be present when he came to pick it up. This later proved not only to be convenient, but critical to us getting the car to a repair shop today.

I placed a phone call to my favorite mechanic, Glenn, who gave me a couple of recommendations. Luckily, one of the three was wiling to take the car today. The manager even waited 30 minutes past their closing time to receive the car. She, too, determined that the car would most likely be declared a total wreck.

My folks were not too broken-hearted, since the car was already 13 years old and had certainly seen better days. As I kept telling them, the main thing is that they had not been hurt. The car is replaceable, they are not.

Everyone, from the worker at Love’s Bakery, to the tow truck driver, and the repair shop manager, had been so genuinely nice. It made a stressful situation much more manageable. It’s days like this that make me less cynical, restore my faith in humanity, and remind me that there are still some good people in the world.

So, in return, if you ever need their services, please patronize the following businesses:

David’s Auto Damage Specialists (D.A.D.S.)
Harbor Center
98-025 Hekaha Street, Aiea
Ph. 808-487-3654

Pacific Paradise Towing Service, LLC
24-hours: Jump start. Light to medium duty. State of the art on road recovery service. Motorcycles to mid-size trucks.
Ph. 808-677-8850

I meant to post a photo of my baby bump today, being that today marks 20 weeks — my halfway point.

Unfortunately, though, Hubby’s old Dell desktop finally kicked the bucket, which prompted a run to Best Buy to purchase a new laptop. It’s been 3 hours and I’m still working on setting it up. The most time-consuming part of the whole ordeal is burning the recovery disks, which do not come with the laptop. Irritating.
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But this is not about the laptop, this is about me… and making it to week 20! (Boy, how vain does that sound?)

I’m a little worried about how large my tummy has become, seemingly overnight, and whether it means I’ll be carrying HUGE by the time I hit week 40. I have an ultrasound appointment this Saturday, so I’ll ask the doc. I’ve been walking everyday with Hubby in hopes of managing my weight and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. I suppose the doc will tell me whether it’s working or not.

Oh, and about that photo? I’ll try to take one tomorrow.

Tanuki Family at Shirokiya
Looks like Hubby, me and the Snowflake!

I spent the day at Ala Moana Shopping Center with Shari today, on a mission to find a dress for a wedding she is attending tomorrow. We ended up at Nordstrom, but had difficulty finding something suitable. So, we asked the experts and, within minutes, Shari was in a fitting room trying on a bunch of dresses that, left to my own devices, wouldn’t have touched with a 10-foot pole. It’s mind-boggling how a dress that looks borderline hideous on a hanger can actually look amazing when put on a human body. Shari ended up choosing a dress that I had given a negative vote to only minutes earlier, mostly because of the plunging v-neck that would seemingly expose way too much cleavage. However, the smart sales staff was quick to point out that the dress could easily be altered by taking up the straps and even stitching the v-neck up a bit to accommodate her cleavage-revealing comfort level. An alteration lady appeared in the dressing room in a jiffy and with a few strategically-placed pins on the straps, Shari fell in love with the dress and vowed that she would not leave without it. Normally, alterations take a week, but since Shari needed the dress for tomorrow they put a rush job on the alteration for a charge of $23 and it was ready in an hour. With strappy sling-back shoes to match, Shari was ready for the event.

While she dropped some serious coin for the outfit, I managed to leave the mall relatively unscathed, limiting my purchases to an $8 travel hairbrush from Sephora and the obligatory goodies from Shirokiya for Hubby.

Best of all was the time spent together, shooting the breeze, catching up, and simply enjoying each other’s company.

Today, Joyce and I ventured to Ala Moana Shopping Center for some retail therapy and to check out the newly opened Nordstrom department store.

Our first stop was Shirokiya, where we had an early lunch before the crowds came and filled the cafeteria-style dining area. Joyce enjoyed a misoyaki butterfish bento while I munched on a small serving of sekihan and boiled soybeans. While my appetite is slowly returning during the early daytime hours, my stomach still seems to prefer bland fare for now.

We then made a beeline for Nordstrom, peering into the windows of the new shops that opened along the way. Once inside Nordstrom, the apparel reminded me of fashions found in Neiman Marcus: expensive and not my style. The store itself was shiny, happy and beautiful, as expected. But, the real action was found on the second floor, where throngs of people were trying on shoes and getting make-overs. We were nearly out the door, before a Shiseido lady stopped us and offered a free facial massage. I looked at Joyce and we said, “sure, why not?”

An hour or so later, we left with a rejuvenated face with a make-over, and a Nordstrom package. Heck, and you have to take advantage of the “free gift with purchase of 2 items,” right? Of course.

While Joyce was signing up at the Customer Service Center for the $10,000 New York Shopping Spree giveaway, we discovered that another freebie was due to us. With purchase of $75 or more, you get a free Shop a Lea mini tote. I love free stuff!

Last stop was Shirokiya, where I bought some Japanese goodies for Hubby including a Sapporo Arles chocolate roll cake, maccha manju with tsubushi-an, yakitori bento, and Hubby’s favorite pancake/azuki thingie (which I don’t know the name for). With a bubble drink for the road, we left Ala Moana Shopping Center feeling a little lighter in the pocketbook, but with happy hearts for being able to spend a carefree day with a good friend.

This photo is for April, who requested a preggie picture of me. I’m wearing my maternity clothes today, which makes me look a little bigger in the waist than I actually am but it is oh-so-comfortable! And, check out the color! Friends who know me in real life know that I rarely stray from the dark color palette (black, brown, gray), so my maternity wardrobe will be a shock to some. My strategy is this: if I blind you with color, you might not notice how fat I’m getting!

Coming down with a cold on a Friday is just plain wrong. Coming down with a cold on a Friday before a long weekend is pure evil.

And that’s where I find myself today: staring into the face of a very busy weekend and a body that is bent on going into siesta mode.

I took a few hours of sick leave this afternoon for my second ultrasound appointment. I hope to have an updated picture of the Snowflake for your viewing pleasure tonight.

Oh, my gosh. I took a 3-hour nap this afternoon. I wonder if it’ll hamper my ability to fall asleep tonight. Probably not. I’m yawning already.

The doc reduced my progesterone injections from 3 cc to 2-1/2 cc this past Saturday and I already feel a slight difference. My butt isn’t as swollen as before. It’s not as painful. Next week, which marks my 8th week, I get to decrease it to 2 cc. Even better! Then, as long as my progesterone levels are in the range, just four more weeks of injections after that. It’s hard to imagine life without daily injections.

Tonight, I discovered that the scent of curry has become quite repulsive to me. Hubby was eating some leftover chicken katsu curry as a late night snack and I had to leave the room. I’m running the fan and I’ve got the Sharper Image ionic breeze air purifier on high in that room at this moment.

For the past few days, I’ve been hankering for nachos and Hostess cupcakes. I wouldn’t call it an all-out craving, but it’s been on the brain lately. Those two items are now stocked in the champuru pantry, just in case. I haven’t indulged in the cupcakes yet, but the nachos were a late afternoon snack for today.

So, that’s the latest.

Technorati Tags: ivf, in vitro fertilization, progesterone, pregnancy, morning sickness

I’ve discovered a new daily addiction and it’s called Discount Coupons Guide. It’s a resource that compiles great deals, online coupons, and free offers — all in one place.

I love to receive free stuff, so I check the site daily for the latest. And, you should too, since there are usually only a limited number of offers available. If you wait too long, you might miss out. If you’re a Twitterer, you can follow freebiesguide to see the latest offers right in your Twitter timeline!

This isn’t a commercial, but a champuru recommendation. The site is maintained by a friend, so I can feel good about passing on this information to you, knowing that the offers are legitimate and the site is clean. I’m a leery netizen, so I don’t frequent sites offering stuff too good to be true, but once in a while you do get a free lunch. And this is it. So, go check it out.

Here’s another tip for you…

Whenever you sign up for anything, you get put on someone’s e-mail list — which makes you vulnerable to unsolicited e-mail. If you’re averse to spam like I am, I recommend establishing a separate e-mail account (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) for the sole purpose of registrations, offers, etc. This helps keep your personal e-mail account spam-free.