2014: A Year in Review

2014 - Things just keep getting better.

The Good

You Can Call Me Master

Though I completed my MA degree in December 2013, my graduation ceremony was held in May 2014, and I subsequently received the MA document. Going through the procession helped make it official.

Or Just the Coordinator

Along with my MA degree came a new title, new responsibilities, and a BIG FAT RAISE at my campus. Higher income is always nice. I was promoted to Coordinator of Curriculum and Instruction. What does that mean? A lot of work! I re-designed our school's curriculum, oversaw textbook selection and hired & trained new teachers. For the first time in about two years, we have a very balanced teaching staff who collaborate very well. As this year draws to a close, the Dean of Instruction just informed me that I must prepare a teacher education program in the next 18 months. I will also be one of the professors to teach some of the courses. More work = More $$$.

New Home

Okay, so I didn't buy a house. The prices are ridiculous, and it's next to impossible to find the house that I want on my single income. So I settled for an apartment. After a trial and major error (see The Bad), I finally found a place I can call home in Burlingame, CA. I live in a beautiful 1920s apartment building, and my individual unit is definitely reflective of that bygone era. I've been feverishly decorating and arranging my home with a hodgepodge of antiques (19teens-1950s).

Speaking of Antiques

I bought a lot this year. Vintage clothing and accessories, antique furniture and linens, antique appliances, antique decor, etc. I can't possibly link every item on this post. Just look at the vintage page and browse 2014. 

Healing

My therapist reassessed me and determined that I have now reached Post Traumatic Growth. I had suffered from PTSD for years, but after these past two years of therapy, I've found that my anxiety attacks have lessened. What was once a trigger is hardly noticeable. Of course there will be times that I may be reminded of the event, but with the coping skills I've adapted, I'm no longer driven into a panic. I no longer say that I was a victim; rather I am a survivor. Because if I call myself a victim, the attacker wins.

No Cross to Bear

I am completely free and completely clear. And I did it all on my own. Odds were stacked against me; not against me personally but that the chances of success on a first attempt on any case is very rare. However, the love and support of family & friends helped me to declare a long-held truth that was finally heard and confirmed. Justice was finally served, and I prevailed.


The Bad

The Psycho Girlfriend
Originally, I was to share a 2 bedroom apartment with my cousin. He had wanted to leave his current residence at the time because he couldn't stand his roommates. So we went in on a place in Belmont. Everything was going well until my cousin's girlfriend kept showing up everyday. She began using up all the utilities that I paid for (who takes one hour showers?), complaining about my decorating the unit, complaining about my having the master bedroom. She was prone to having fits of anger and would snap on a dime. On one occasion, she snapped at my mother. My cousin stood by and did nothing. I just did not feel comfortable around her and avoided going home. Eventually, she wanted to know why I didn't feel comfortable. I was trying to be nice until ultimately I told her, "I just don't like you. I think you're fake. You are not a good person." A little harsh, but she kept pressing until I finally had to be honest. So I moved out and move on.

The Bum Knee
I seriously injured my knee in mid-October. I could not walk the first week. Thereafter, I had to use a cane to walk. What's worse, I haven't been hiking or dancing in weeks. My MRI results showed that I had no tears. Thank God! I'm now able to walk, climb stairs and dance no more than 160 beats per minute. Still, I need to be careful not to overexert myself.

Fair Weather Friends
What's life without a little bit of irony. I learned that there will always be people who come into your life for the purpose of having their gain. I encountered two of them this year. However, one of them was a person who I considered a good friend; that is until she threw me under the bus when she no longer needed my help. The irony? We had just done a radio show about Fair Weather Friends. Little did I know at that time, she was using me for her own gain just as she has done to countless friends before me. Well, good riddance to bad rubbish is all I have to say. All I can do now is laugh about it.

Who's Got it Better Than the 49ers? EVERYBODY 
I'm totally bummed that my Niners didn't make the playoffs this year. The team was marred by controversy both on and mostly off the field. I've got to say, though, Levi's Stadium is very impressive indeed. Thanks to the bandwagon fans who've now jumped ship and are hawking their tickets for super low prices, I am able to go to more games. Sad thing, though, each home game I've attended, they've lost. And they'll probably lose when I go to the game this Sunday. But I'm always a 49ers Faithful. Win or lose, they're always my team. I gotta say, though, I can't wait for baseball season to start.


The Ugly

Gia the Heifer
Gianelli Mari-Faye Guzman. This stalker is relentless. But she isn't worth the feces scraped off the bottom of a street-bum's boot to devote more than this sentence.


Final Thoughts
So in retrospect, 2014 has been a very good year. There were many ups and very few downs. Of course, nothing is ever 100% good or bad. You always have to take a couple steps back to take a giant leap forward. Yes, I will always encounter negative people and/or situations, but what's important is to always keep smiling and keep thriving. And that will be the same mantra I take with me into 2015. Cheers!

2014 Vintage Purchase(s) #16: Decor

After missing the last three Alameda antique shows, I finally made it back. I was actually concerned that it would be cancelled due to the recent rainfalls, but the weather was very kind today.

This flea market is HUGE. I would say that it's about a three mile walk if you meander through every single row, all the way to the back (and I always do). Because of the myriad goods available, you need to know what you want to buy. At least that's my method. I stick to a "to buy" list and won't let myself purchase anything else. However, if there is something else I like, I make a mental note of it. If I don't find what I'm looking for, then I'll purchase it at the end of my first walk through. I do that because what if later down the line I find what I want, and I've already blown money on something else? Of course, I run the risk of not finding anything on my "to buy" list and whatever it is I found earlier may have been purchased my another buyer. To that I say, "If it's there when I get back, then cool. If not, then it wasn't meant to be."

I've been looking for the following: an antique hand mirror, bathroom wall decor, McKee salt/pepper shakers for my kitchen and any vintage linen for my dining table. 

And here is what I found:

I finally got my hand mirror that hails from the 1940s. It is silver, has an Art Nouveau design and is quite heavy. These tend to run for at least $75 whether it's at a flea market, brick/mortar store, or online. I got this for $15. Why it was so cheap, I don't know. It's in very good condition. But I won't complain.

I really wanted some old wall art for my bathroom. I was looking for mermaids, and this seller had them, but she was charging $35 each piece (and there were 3 in the set). These two pictured above was price at $30 total. Considering that my restroom is green, I decided to buy them. There is plenty of wall space left for me to find other wall art. I want to say this is from the 1950s, but the girlie fish has a hairstyle that emulates the 1940s. Hmmm...not sure. It is definitely a heavy ceramic.

Overall, it was a good antique hunt in Alameda. Though there are a few weekends left in the year, it's quite possible that these may be my final antique/vintage purchases of the year. There will be fewer estate sales due to the Christmas holiday. But we'll see what the small antique shops have available. Until next time...