Lately, I’ve had some rather unexpected accomplishments and some set-backs. I just want to share it with you.
On the health front, I am doing great. My allergies have been under control after a few visits to my doctor. I’m now taking Singulair which has helped me so much. I’ve been self-medicating with Claritin-D and Sudafed for the longest time. But it came to a point when I became allergic to both drugs. It sounds funny, but it’s really not. I thought it was the lowest point in my life. So, I forced myself to go to the hospital and consult with my doctor, an act I would rather not do. But, hey, I was desperate. So, now, I’m happy to say that I’m allergy-free. Well, as long as I take Singulair.
Diet and exercise have been my focus in the past few months. Thanks to my good friends, Greg and Mike, I have been religiously going to the gym, at least 3 times a week. Enough said, I have lost weight and now my size 32 pants are loose. Woohooo!!!
I have been working out with Greg, who recently ran in the SF AIDS Marathon. A few days before the event, I ran with him 9 miles! I was doing great for the first 4 miles. Then my right leg started to hurt. It was excruciating, but I was determined to finish. At the back of my mind, I didn’t want Greg to miss out on this run in preparation for his half-marathon. Also, I didn’t want him to see me as a wimp! So, mind over matter, I came up with a new mantra while I was running in agony. “It’s only pain. It’s only pain.” It helped. But man! I tell ya! I felt like my right leg was gonna fall off any minute! The spirit was willing, but the body was weak. Sunday morning, I was with Greg at the start line. I have never witnessed such a positive vibe. Being with hundreds of runners, I was convinced right there that I wanted to do the same thing. At the finish line, I definitely made up my mind and will run on the next SF Aids Marathon. Wish me luck! Luckily, my right leg is healing pretty fast. I wanted to run tonight, but Greg told me not to force it and give it a couple more days before I attempt to even run a mile. So, I’ll take it easy and run again on Wednesday. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, July 25th, great news came to me. The CEO of the company I work for took me out to lunch. I thought it was just another one on one, expecting questions about work. I was wrong. Well, it was about work. But this time, he broke news that the Controller tendered his resignation. He told me that he was eying some of the people within the company and someone from the outside who is currently based in Los Angeles. I was thinking, “Why is he telling me all these?”. My question was answered when he said, “I was driving out to lunch, and then it just occurred to me that you’re the best candidate for the position.” I was shocked. I couldn’t say anything. After that statement, he went on to tell me that he is seriously considering me and why. It felt great listening to his reasons. Heart-warming, ego-boosting. I was in heaven. All I could do was smile and say, “Thank you.”
Earlier today, the outgoing Controller met with me and told me that he couldn’t sleep the night prior. I asked why. He told me that he thought of me as someone he wanted to replace him. Prior to this meeting, he interviewed the candidate from Los Angeles and was not impressed. He said that the interview only convinced him more that I was the man for the job. I was feeling ecstatic hearing all of the words he had to say. Of course, I did not tell him that the CEO had already approached me about it. Anyway, he prepared an impressive letter of recommendation for me. He read it to me and I was dumbfounded. Again, all I could do was smile and express my gratitude.
I am turning 35 in a month. I am not expecting that they will actually give me the position. But if they do, it would surely be one of the best gifts ever!
Set-back. I started smoking again. Not as much as I did, but still… 
I was already making progress. No one to blame except myself. But now, I am more determined to quit because I want to be able to run long distance. I’ll drop the habit totally… soon…