a nice december walk, 12.31.24

i had breakfast a chick-fil-a this morning because i had so many rewards for breakfast items. afterwards, i dropped off the lexus at midas to get an oil change. instead of calling an uber or asking my parents for a ride, i decided to walk home instead. it was a beautiful day. high-40’s with the sun out. the walk itself is 1.3 miles, so maybe 20-30 minutes? i was in no rush whatsoever. when i came home, i took bagel to the park and we walked another 1.5 miles. i got the call around 2pm to pick up the car and i walked back another 1.3. i love walking, especially when you walk familiar places you’ve only drove through. it gives you a whole new perspective. it’s tough to explain, but i’ll try. have you ever gone to your neighbor’s house for whatever reason (returning mail, asking for milk, etc.) and looked at your house or the neighborhood from their perspective? it’s familiar, but it’s so different. that’s how it was today when i was walking to midas from my house. it kind of gives you a unique appreciation. though i don’t want to rush life, i’ve never been a fan of winter so lowkey i’m ready for spring.

i hope if you go out tonight you have an amazing time ringing in the new year and i pray you make it home safely.

-ratha, 6:00pm, 12.31.24

at the yym, 12.30.24

tonight, was the first night in about a week i’ve found myself in the yym (gym). it’s crazy because you can work out for months straight, but if you take a few days to a week off, them weights become 2x as heavy as before. anyone who has frequented the gym can attest to this. still, i put on my headphones and got to work. we used to joke that the gym is a temple we pray at, but it really is for me because it gives me time with myself that i so desperately crave.

it felt good to be back, but i know i’ll be sore tomorrow.

-ratha, 10:04pm, 12.30.24

a quick question?, 12.29.24

how long after christmas is it acceptable to keep your christmas tree up?

inquiring minds would like to know.

-ratha, 10:42am, 12.29.24

dad’s 1st game, 12.28.24

dad and i went to his first nfl game today as the chargers smacked the patriots 40-7. when i woke up and asked if he wanted to go, he was a bit reluctant due to the weather but my mom urged him to go. i’m so glad she did that and he came through because it was an experience. patriots’ fans are crazy. while i was walking to the stadium, i turned around because some guy was yelling. i looked back at his fat ass and he cussed me out lmao. he said he would whoop my ass, but i highly doubt it lol. i don’t really find offense in these situations, it’s more comical because it’s a unique detail of the story i get to tell others about. it was mid-40’s, so warmer than it has been, but still pretty chilly. while we were walking back to our car, we saw cops on horses. i asked my dad if he thought they would chase someone on their horse and some guy heard me and told me he’s been chased by a cop on a horse before lol. he said he got away as i told him that’s why he’s here at the game. on the way back, dad and i talked about politics, ta, and life back in cambodia. it was such an amazing day.

oh, happy 30th birthday dono.

i still love and miss you every single day.

-ratha, 8:02pm, 12.28.24

late night domino’s, 12.27.24

i forgot how good domino’s is. i’m rarely craving pizza, but after the studio tonight, i was craving a brooklyn style cheese pizza. the domino’s in reading closed at midnight, so i had to put my order in quickly. wondering if they had any coupons, i tried to log in to my account from college. i had to reset my password, but once i was in it was like a blast from the past. all my cards had been expired for years, and the default address was kempsford drive. we moved out that house in 2017. it made me think of how i wanted nothing but to fast forward time back then, but now i find myself wanting to rewind to those times some nights. i got the pizza (along with an order of cinnastix) and it was delicious though it gave me a headache just like it did back then.

i guess some things never change.

-ratha, 1:09am, 12.27.24

wrong sizes, 12.26.24

somehow i dropped the ball on the sizing for the north face jackets my parents got. i sized-down for both of them so today my mom and i went to burlington mall and natick mall to get the right sizes. my dad actually said he wanted a lighter jacket because he has enough heavy ones, so we were able to get it exchanged in person. for my mom’s jacket, we ordered it, and it should be here by the end of the weekend. quick turnaround by north face, which isn’t too bad afterall. before heading home, we stopped by chick-fil-a to get some dinner for the whole family. i’ll probably end the night with time in the studio before watching more king of the hill.

-ratha, 7:49pm, 12.26.24

christmas 24’, 12.25.24

merry christmas if you’re reading this!! we made it to the holidays after waiting all year. i celebrated by giving my parents, ta, and bagel gifts. thank God 7/11 was open because i had planned to get ta some scratch offs but didn’t have time to make it until this morning. besides that, i stayed in and watched sports all day. in between, i took a nap after watching king of the hill. it was perfect timing because the episode i was on was a christmas episode. i really love this show. i went on a walk with bagel then unwrapped my gifts while watching the lakers take on the warriors. man, steph is unreal. we won’t get too many more games between him and bron so i’ll try to enjoy it as much as i can.

i would say christmas was successful, but then again when you have incredible people in your life, when isn’t it?

-ratha, 11:02pm, 12.25.24

christmas eve 2024, 12.24.24

i spent today mostly in bed watching king of the hill. i took bagel on a late afternoon walk, then ate some dinner. ironically, my wrapping paper came in yesterday so i’ll have to wrap a few gifts for tomorrow before bed. it’s a shame i haven’t seen one christmas movie this year yet, but i’ll put on the grinch tonight. fx is also playing home alone tomorrow so i’ll be sure to catch it then. it was supposed to snow today, but i don’t think it did. luckily the snow from this past weekend stuck so i think this will be as close to a white christmas as we’ll get. weather aside, this truly is the best time of the year.

the grinch with a cup of hot chocolate sounds cozy right about now, so i will catch you guys tomorrow.

-ratha, 11:25pm, 12.24.24

the bank of america booth, 12.23.24

i try not to think about it, but i feel so bad when i see the homeless, especially around this time of year. we were in a parking lot in worcester talking and across the street was a bank of america booth with an atm in it. it was a standalone enclosed area. someone went in there, laid down, and set up a blanket with their backpack as a pillow. i don’t know how people survive in this weather. it’s too cold and too frigid to not have a home or a place to go.

i feel like we pay enough in tax dollars to do something for the homeless, but maybe the solution isn’t as simple as the problem seems.

-ratha, 11:02pm, 12.23.24

big back sundays, 12.22.24

unintentionally, i’ve only been eating once a day. after a good hoop session at la tonight, i decided to go to taco bell to try their new nuggets. when i pulled up, they told me they were sold out, so i decided to go to wingstop. i got a lemon pepper sandwhich meal, but i wasn’t satisfied so i went to sweetgreen to get a crispy rice bowl (minus the crispy rice). i could barely finish the bowl while watching king of the hill. the bad part is i’m so full i’m in a bit of discomfort, but the good part is i’m so full i’m kinda tired so maybe this will help me fix my sleeping schedule.

-ratha, 10:03pm, 12.22.24