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Saturday Morning Laundromat Vibes

Posted on November 1, 2026 by Ching under Health, Life.

Wesley told us during my pre-op on October 13 that we needed to sleep in clean sheets the day before surgery which was on October 20. Our current comforter hadn’t been washed in months and was completely covered in Saki fur. Not only that, we found out later that she had puked on it and we didn’t even realize it. I told Brian we must be nose-blind! We didn’t find it until after the first wash cycle.

Anyway, I already knew we weren’t going to get that comforter cleaned in time so I just ordered a replacement and, thanks to Amazon, it arrived October 16, within plenty of time for the eve of my surgery.

I told Brian that we needed to make a trip to the laundromat to clean the other comforter. He’s insisted that we had washed it at home before. So I crammed it in the washer and then crammed it in the drier. When we pulled it out, it smelled bad. I was thinking maybe the drier didn’t dry it completely and it smelled musty because of this but, upon closer inspection, we found the source of the awful smell was Saki’s puke spot. Not only did the washing machine not agitate the comforter successfully, but it had somehow spread the puke smell because, I promise you, the comforter didn’t smell that bad at the start.

In it goes for another wash and dry cycle. I asked Brian if it was dry-dry and he assured me that he ran it through multiple cycles. Guess what. It still smelled bad. I think because it’s crammed in the washer, it’s not getting agitated, and the soap isn’t penetrating. I was like, “I told you we should have gone to the laundromat.”

Life stopped for a few days during and immediately after my surgery, but he finally agreed to take it to the laundromat. However, he said if we can’t get it cleaned then we’re going to have to just throw it away.

Fast forward to yesterday. Went to the laundromat for the first time in a long time. I was hoping you could do tap to pay but, alas, the machines at Spring Clean are still not that advanced. I was actually hopeful because they had these QR codes everywhere, but they want you to download an app and, even then, you still can’t pay as you go. They want you to load money in the app before you can actually use it. We were partway through the process, but stopped because we agreed that, unless Saki pukes on our current comforter, it’s going to be another year before we have to wash it. If you’re reading up to this point, you probably think we are gross but, while our sheets and pillowcases get washed weekly, we really don’t wash the comforter unless it gets soiled somehow.

We scrap the app idea and Brian’s just goes to the change machine instead. He gets $20 in quarters. Machine wants $14 so I’m feeding it in quarters and, OMG, it takes forever. Maybe we should have gone ahead with the app but we’re committed at this point. Two hours later (I’m exaggerating), we finally get all the coins loaded and start the wash cycle. There’s plenty of room in the commercial washer so we can actually see it tumbling around and getting agitated. It looks promising. The final test is the smell-test after it comes out of the dryer–success! We managed to save our comforter from the trash heap and it’s now stored at home as a backup.

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Home Updates and Saki’s Birthday

Posted on September 23, 2026 by Ching under Home Ownership, Life.

We had a productive Labor Day this year. We took advantage of our day off to buy some much needed things for the house: a new stove and new patio furniture.

I can’t remember if I ever complained here about our new stove woes. While it wasn’t the original stove that came with our house, we’ve had our stove for over 13 years. After 13 years, on of the knobs broke and one of the burners wasn’t working properly anymore. It’s a separate burner from the one with the broken knob. This burner just goes high or low and there’s no in between. I kind of wished the broken burner was the one with the broken knob because that burner actually works (as far as I know). We just can’t use it due to the broken knob situation.

For the last six months (maybe almost a year), we’ve just been suffering through it. However, we did remove the broken knob because we didn’t want anyone using that burner and getting burnt because they thought they turned the burner off but the knob wasn’t working.

We tried to buy a new stove on President’s Day because Lowe’s had some good sales on that day but it almost seemed like a bait-and-switch situation. We found a stove on sale that we love. We paid for it and ordered it for delivery but they couldn’t seem to deliver it. On the day it was supposed to be delivered the first time, the stove wasn’t there. So it seemed like someone else bought it and got it? I don’t know. They found it at another store and so they were going to have it transferred from that store to the East store and then deliver it to us but there was problems with that too. I was like, “Why can’t they just deliver it from that store straight to us? Why does it have to go through a store transfer first?” I don’t understand.

Anyway, since there were problems with that, they tried to get us to take the floor model and Brian and were like, “Hell no!” The dude we talked to at the store sat on the store model the entire time he was talking to us. Who knows who else’s ass has been on that thing?

Another solution was to get a different stove–same brand, but better model. I would agree to that only if we didn’t have to pay the difference. This is where it started feeling like it was a bait-and-switch situation. After multiple attempts at trying to get the stove that we had already paid for delivered, we finally just gave up and asked for our money back.

Fast forward to Labor Day and we decide it’s time to try again. We found a stove at during the Labor Day sale at Lowe’s. It was actually much cheaper than the other one we tried to get back in February. And this one has a built-in air fryer feature and you can also control it with your phone. It was a better deal all around. After our terrible experience the first time, I wasn’t holding my breath. But Lowe’s actually came through this time. It was successfully delivered and installed last week, on September 16.

Last week was a big week because Saki turned 11. Brian came home on Monday with a cute birthday cake cookie for her, which we gave for her to enjoy while we assembled the patio furniture that we ordered from Ashley Furniture. We didn’t purchase it in person but I found the sale online. Price was so good we had to jump on it. We got a set of two ottomans for less than $200 and the set of two chairs and a table was on sale for under $350. So we ordered two of the chair and table sets.

I was actually really confused because I saw the swivel chair set with no table and it cost more than the set with the table included. I studied the description carefully and the only difference I could find was the table. It was cheaper to get the set with the table. I didn’t understand this but who am I to argue?

We placed our order on Labor Day and got our boxes in two separate deliveries. The ottomans were delivered first on Saturday, September 12. We didn’t assemble it until Sunday because we had a busy Saturday with Zoobilee and all. Assembly was super easy. We knew the chairs would be more complicated to put together but we were hopeful that it would go just as smoothly.

The furniture that we got was not without issues. I actually sent pictures and all the nicks and issues we had to solutions@ashleyfurniture.com–no reply. I would be more upset had we paid full price for the furniture. I’m looking at their website now and, with their current sale, we would have to pay almost $1500 for all the items we got for less than $900 during the Labor Day sale. Maybe our items were on sale because of the imperfections? It sucks that it’s not perfect but they work fine and we don’t want to go through the process of assembling all the things again so it wouldn’t make sense to return and exchange them. I wish they would have at least acknowledge our issues, though.

It took almost five hours to get everything assembled because we took a break and went to TapNPaddles for dinner. It was almost 10 PM by the time we were done. Here’s a picture of the new patio set in the daylight.

I love how cozy the deck feels now. In case you were wondering what happened to our old deck furniture, Brian took the chairs, sofa, and tables to his work so they could have somewhere to sit outside on nice days. We ended up throwing away the loungers, though. Brian said they were no good.

We got rid of our sun shade and ordered some curtains from Amazon to replace them. I do like the look of the curtains except for it’s a new hiding place for Saki. Remember the cookie? We thought she scarfed it up but she actually only took a couple of bites. We found the rest of the cookie covered in ants tucked underneath the curtains the next day. We had to get her a do-over replacement birthday cookie. We’re only giving her a little at a time this time around so it doesn’t go to waste.

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Summer 2026 Recap

Posted on August 22, 2026 by Ching under Family, Life.

Here’s a quick summer 2026 recap before I dive into our vacation highlights… I already told you all about the new Wichita Transit Hub in Delano–let’s see… What else happened this summer?

Brian’s parents came up for the weekend and we celebrated Brian’s 52nd birthday at the Belmont, Brian’s all-time favorite resto.

The following day we continued the celebration at Chicken N Pickle.

Our nephew Logan even came and stopped by for a bit. He is so grown up! He actually bought his first house this year. We are so proud of this kid.

We completed the Wicked Brew Tour and earned our 2026 shirts.

I played in my first Queen City Open pickleball tournament. This was also our first time in Springfield, MO.

We celebrated Hannah’s birthday at Sabor.

I walked in the Wichita Pride parade for the first time.

Here’s a short highlight video I made:

We competed in our first Tallgrass Film Association trivia event. Our friend Susie won some awesome prizes.

We checked out Aught2 Pickleball. It was Brian’s first time in Bartlesville.

I learned how to play Lite Tennis.

We created Saki paintings.

I learned to play American mah jongg.

We attended the National Baseball Congress championship game at Equity Bank Park with the Drinnens.

We checked out some restaurants we hadn’t tried before–I may write about those separately. In the meantime, I really want to get the blog caught up so can I tell you all about our latest adventure.

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Ching’s 2026 ER Trip

Posted on June 29, 2026 by Ching under Life.

I’m calling this post “Ching’s 2026 ER Trip” because I’m really hoping it’s my only ER visit of the year.

Unfortunately, emergency room visits have become a little too familiar for our family. In fact, Kansas Medical Center should probably name one of their exam rooms after us. It was the same room I ended up in after fainting at YaYa’s 15 years ago, and the same room Brian was assigned during some of his health emergencies, including his bowel obstruction.

We’ve landed in a different room once or twice, but it honestly feels like this particular room has been our designated spot 99% of the time.

How We Got Here

As many of you know, I’ve been dealing with fibroids and endometriosis since 2022. After months of symptoms, I talked with my gynecologist about treatment options, including an ablation and hysterectomy. At the time, though, I wasn’t eager to pursue either. My thinking was simple: menopause couldn’t be that far away, and surely all of these issues would eventually resolve themselves.

By late 2023, my periods had become wildly irregular, and the cramps were sometimes so painful they were debilitating. However, since I wasn’t completely sold on the idea of having surgery, my doctor prescribed birth control pills to help regulate my cycle and reduce the pain. I’m thinking I just need to hang in there for a little while longer.

For almost two years, they worked remarkably well. My periods became predictable, the extended bouts of bleeding disappeared, and the cramps were either minimal or nonexistent. For a while, life felt normal again.

Then my blood pressure started creeping up. Because I’ve historically had low blood pressure, we initially assumed it was a fluke. But after several months of consistently high readings, my new gynecologist (around this same time, Center for Women’s Health closed, forcing me to transfer my care to Associates in Women’s Health and establish a relationship with a new doctor) and I decided to stop the birth control pills to see if they were contributing to the problem.

Stopping the pills didn’t help my blood pressure at all. Poor eating habits, less exercise, and the extra 20 pounds I had gained since this all began probably didn’t help matters either. I gained quite a bit of weight last year while Brian was undergoing cancer treatment because people kept bringing us food and, since he couldn’t eat, I was eating all of it. Eventually, my primary care doctor prescribed blood pressure medication – which is ironic because prior to Brian’s cancer diagnosis, he was the one who was on the verge of being prescribed blood pressure and cholesterol meds.

What stopping the pill did affect was my menstrual cycle. All of the symptoms I thought I’d left behind came roaring back: unpredictable periods, prolonged bleeding, miserable cramps, and all the fun that comes with them. Since I wasn’t planning to go back on birth control, I basically accepted that this was just my life now.

Things Started Going Sideways

Fast forward to May and Parker’s wedding in Kansas City. I felt awful that entire weekend. I was crampy, bleeding for unusually long stretches, and then it felt like my cycle started all over again just a couple weeks later. Around the same time, I began noticing back pain and shortness of breath. Because I had recently bought new shoes for Zumba and pickleball, I initially blamed the back pain on that.

I pushed through it anyway. I taught classes, worked, and kept up my usual schedule, even though the pain was becoming more constant and intense. One weekend, while playing pickleball with Huyen Nguyen, Angie Farlow, and Diona Marshall, I had to ask Michael Farlow to fill in for me every other game because my back simply couldn’t handle it.

The next day, I attempted to practice with my MiLP v3 team and was in so much pain that I immediately knew I needed to give up my spot. Still, I convinced myself this was just my new normal.

The Friday before my ER visit, I tried playing in Friday Night Fiesta. My back hurt, I was completely out of breath, and I felt terrible for my partner. Thankfully, Heide Bartel was there and finished the rest of my games for me.

That weekend, I ran the IPN mini tournament at TapNPaddles on Saturday but took it easy on Sunday. I stayed home, rested, and did nothing because I had absolutely no energy. Since I work from home on Mondays and Fridays, I was able to get through my work day on Monday by resting in between meetings.

The Day Everything Changed

Tuesday, June 2, started like any other workday. I felt awful but I didn’t realize how sick I actually was.

I drove into the office despite feeling miserable. When Chris texted to see if I wanted to grab coffee that morning-something we do regularly—I told him to go ahead and get coffee without me because I wasn’t feeling well.

I was crampy and also felt constipated, so I headed to the restroom. No luck. I returned to my desk and tried crocheting a few rows to distract myself from the discomfort. When that didn’t work, I leaned forward, pressing on my abdomen. A few moments later, I looked up at my computer and realized something was very wrong.

My vision had become blurry. I wasn’t blind, but I couldn’t read anything. I could see my screens and the lines of text, but the words themselves were unreadable. I felt disoriented and scared. I immediately called Brian and told him I needed to go to the ER.

While waiting, I was so out of it that I ended up lying down in the lobby. Alicia happened to see me on her way in. She waited with me in the lobby and walked me to Brian’s car.

The drive to the ER felt endless. The wait at the ER felt even longer. We arrived around 9 AM, but I don’t think I got a room until nearly 11. Brian stayed with me the entire time, only leaving briefly to grab lunch and bring back a hoodie because he was freezing in the exam room.

Finally, Some Answers

The ER team discovered I was severely dehydrated, so they started IV fluids immediately. They also found that my hemoglobin had dropped to 6.5, low enough to require a blood transfusion. They gave me Toradol for the cramps, and at some point I fell asleep.

When Brian came back from lunch, he asked how I was feeling. I paused for a second because I was genuinely surprised. The cramps were gone. The mental fog was gone. For the first time in what felt like months, I felt clear-headed and normal. Other than being attached to a collection of tubes and needles, I actually felt pretty good.

At one point I told Brian he could head home to check on Saki and just come back when I was discharged. He refused. His reasoning? Every time he stepped away, I seemed to come back wearing a new bracelet. When they added the blood-transfusion bracelet, I joked that he didn’t need to worry unless they started tagged my toe.

Most of the day was spent waiting—waiting for doctors, waiting for tests, waiting for bags (of fluids and blood) to be depleted, waiting for results. And waiting to eat. Because surgery was still a possibility, the nurses wouldn’t let me have food until they knew exactly what was going on. It was 2 PM by the time I finally ate lunch. The hospital lunch was surprisingly good.

The Diagnosis

The CT scan confirmed my known fibroids, but it also revealed something unexpected: colitis. Since I’ve always been somewhat prone to anemia, the combination of prolonged menstrual bleeding and colitis likely pushed my hemoglobin down to the dangerously low level that landed me in the ER.

The ER physician prescribed two antibiotics for the colitis (which I had to take for a week) and a 30-day iron supplement to help rebuild my blood supply. He also stressed the importance of follow-up appointments with both my gynecologist and primary care physician.

As he explained it, the ER could treat the immediate problem, but I needed a long-term plan for the underlying issues.

Looking Ahead

Overall, I’ve felt much better since the ER visit. The antibiotics are finished, and I’m still taking iron. The cramps haven’t disappeared entirely, but they’re much more manageable. Interestingly, the back pain that had been making me miserable is gone, which makes me wonder whether it was related to the colitis all along.

I’ve been paying much closer attention to my diet, tracking what I eat and how it affects my symptoms. I’m also making a conscious effort to stay hydrated.

We have our annual health screening coming up in July, and there’s a good chance a hysterectomy is in my future this October. For now, I’m grateful to finally have some answers—and I’m feeling better than I have all year.

And hopefully, this will be my one and only ER trip of 2026.

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Valentines Weekend 2026

Posted on March 6, 2026 by Ching under Life.

I took a break from my usual Friday night routine last month during Valentines weekend to spend some quality time with the hubs. We began our weekend at Bonefish Grill. We hadn’t been there in a long time and dinner the day before Valentines Day seemed like the perfect reason to go.

The crab cakes we had for our starter and the chocolate creme brulee we had for dessert were definitely the highlights of our meal.

We’ve yet to find better crab cakes in Wichita.

Brian loves the creme brulee at Bonefish and when they have the chocolate kind, which is seasonal, it’s even better. The last time we went they had just dropped the chocolate creme brulee off the menu so we were so happy to be able to order it on our recent visit.

My friend Laurie Adams came down to visit so, after a morning filled with errands, went to meet her at Chicken N Pickle on Saturday to get our free Valentines heart cookies. Chicken N Pickle is the best!