Sequel Episode to Dr. Jedidiah's "# 53. Lorrie, My Sweet Valentine"

Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary

Dr. Jedidiah is a psychiatrist who loves traveling, meeting new people, and exploring different cultures. As a single father who lost his wife to drug overdose 10 years ago, he has not been his old perky self for the last decade. During those hard years, he has met hundreds of, thousands of people from various walks of life around all over the world. Meeting new people and listening to their stories outside his office have given him different feelings from the ones through the formal encounter groups or support groups for therapy. These people he has accidentally come across were the paths through which Dr. Jedidiah could look back on his own life, being truly honest with himself. Here is Dr. Jedidiah’s monologue that has left him with some food for thoughts in life….or a fodder to justify his own mistakes in the past.

 

Episode 54. (The Sequel to the episode 53. Lorrie, My Sweet Valentine)

Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone 

When Lorrie broke the news about her leaving for study abroad, I became speechless and stopped eating her apple turnover for a moment. I was trying hard to find the right word to say how saddened I was to hear about her plans. All I could do was just slowly finishing the bite of apple turnover in the mouth and looking her in the eye with words untold inside my mind; ‘Lorrie, no…don’t you ever leave me.’  Lorrie held my hands in silence and said “I’ve thought about this for so many years, and that is why I’ve worked my socks off to study more about bakery and pastry in the culinary school in Paris. I’m…so sorry, but…I really want to go before it’s too late.”

 

As the closest person to Lorrie for all those years, I’ve been privileged to luxuriate in all those mouthwatering pies, cookies, rolls, buns, biscuits, and cakes. Those who had ever tasted her sweet treats surely became a devotee. Because I had known how passionate and full of ardent she was while creating a new list of desserts in her own small kitchen even after her darg at work, I wasn’t even able to show her a hint of disappointment or despair. Lorrie asked me to let her go, and I told her to give me a few days to think about her plans and us. Oddly enough, she had been thinking about foregoing her existing skills used to cook knockoff sweets through further explorations of culinary art in Paris, while I was cherishing and dreaming of our sweet and rosy future through all her own cuisine that I had been savoring for years. Lorrie said she did not want to be a snollygoster who snatches people’s money with cheesy and cheap desserts. I told her nobody would think that way or denigrate her culinary creations, but she was not listening. It wasn’t such a pleasant moment to find out that Lorrie and I were standing at the crossroads, looking different ways. The last bite of Lorrie’s apple turnover tasted so bland in my mouth that night.

 

7 years passed by since Lorrie left for Paris. I visited her every once a year or two, and the rest of the years apart from each other had been sporadically soothed by letters and long-distance calls – since we got no such thing as instant text messaging, emails, or social networks or media at all back then -, and I was a firm believer that absence would make the heart grow fonder.  I knew that both of us were not just a flighty couple who would easily act shady even if kept apart or change our minds or emotions towards each other at the drop of a hat. But the more of my voice recordings on her phone were not returned and the longer I waited for her letters, the deeper crevice I felt in our relationship.  Each time I drove home, I’d find myself quietly absorbed in the tune and lyrics of Bill Withers’ Ain’t No Sunshine. I didn’t know since when, but I was feeling we were slowly and gradually becoming alienated. The taste of her pies and cookies was on the tip of my memory, which had made me inconsolable.

 

 

I had not stopped by Rise & Shine since Lorrie left for Paris. The aroma of their freshly brewed coffee had always been right there, but it was ME and my most prized days with Lorrie that had NOT been there. One day, just as usual, I was humming the lyrics “Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone. Only darkness everyday. Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone, and this house just ain’t no home anytime she goes away…..” when I passed by the coffee shop on my way home from clinic. A woman sitting at the outdoor table caught my eyes. I couldn’t breathe for a second. It was her. It was Lorrie with the same old sunshiny smile that greeted me every night and day. When I hurried back to the parking lot and got out of my car, she stood up with her arms wide open and said “Hey, doc J! You still hem and haw?” A lot of thoughts and emotions were filling up my mind as I was briskly walking towards her: ‘I knew she loved me, but still obfuscated me every now and then. Has she finally come back to me for good? Could we reach the very place where we’d be together now? No more leaving or letting go?’ When I held her in my arms, I hoped that Lorrie would be proud of her baked goods that were really out of this world and no other sweet things would even dare to stand toe to toe with hers. She needed to quit being her own smellfungus. I asked her to bake me my favorite apple turnover that night of her return. No more bland and bitter memory of the pie lingering in my mouth. It was “gLORRIEously” good to me.

Listen to Bill Wither's Ain't No Sunshine on Andres Trevino's Youtube Channel

Expressions

1.  to work one’s socks off: to work extremely hard and their fingers to the bone

2.  to luxuriate in …: to indulge in…./ to enjoy… very much

3.  devotee: someone who is very enthusiastic about something

4.  darg: a day’s work

5.   Oddly enough,: used for saying that something is not what you would expect in a particular situation

6.  Oddly enough, she wasn’t offended by his remarks.

7.  to forego: to go without…/ to do without…/ to give up…..

8.  knockoff: an item intended to look like something it is not, such as an expensive watch or designer clothes.

9.  snollygoster: shrewd and unprincipled person

10.              to denigrate…: criticize unfairly; disparage

11.              Absence makes the heart grow fonder.: When someone or something is far away, you realize how much you love (or miss) them or it.

12.              flighty: capricious/ very changing/ unreliable

13.              To act shady: to act fake or sketchy and not trustworthy

14.              at the drop of a hat: immediately/ without delay/ without any hesitation

15.              to obfuscate…: to confuse or bewilder somebody

16.              out of this world: very impressive or extremely good/ excellent

17.              to stand toe to toe with ….: to be willing to or be able to compete/ fight with ….

18.              smellfungus: harsh critic or fault-finder who complains about everything to everyone

New Sunday Word Puzzle aired yesterday on NPR! Check how well you find HOMOPHONES in English.

Each answer today ends in "___ to ___." You fill the blanks with a pair of homophones.

Ex. The bicycle salesman had an innovative new ___ to ___. --> PEDAL to PEDDLE

 

 

1. The thieves prowling around the Pittsburgh mill were looking for some ___ to ___.

2. When you want to slow down in front of a busy intersection, that's a bad time for a ___ to ___.

3. As I watched the seabird walk 100 yards straight down the beach, I kept waiting for the ___ to ___.

4. To prepare the dough for the oven, the baker will first ___ to ___.

5. My toes since the foot injury are better now, but I still have to wait for my ___ to ___.

6. The strip of art along the ceiling needs warm temperature to dry, so I certainly wouldn't want the ___ to ___.

7. To make some money, the illustrator for the old Disney film has a sample ___ to ___.

8. Do you know when the TV network has scheduled "Jane ___" to ___?

9. When the physician's boat was moving erratically, the Coast Guard ordered the ___ to ___.

10. Regulations may not allow you to speak, but you always have the ___ to ___.

 

 

 

 

Answer Keys

1.  steel to steal

2.  brake to break

3.  tern to turn

4.  need to knead

5.  heel to heal

6.  frieze to freeze

7.  cell to sell

8.  Ayre to air

9.  doc to dock

10.            right to write

 

My thoughts on the current battle with winter storm in Texas

 What I have felt in the still of the disastrous winter storm in Texas

Written by Jean Lee

As well aware, sprawling snowstorm and the onslaught of brutal winter chill have been sweeping many parts of the US states, including the states that have rarely gone through this unprecedentedly devastating scale of arctic blast. For example, more than millions of people in quite a lot of areas in the State of Texas still remain suffering and enduring the state of no power and no water supply in freezing temps as you speak. It is just like getting a strong, unexpected hit head-on without ever dreaming of how to prepare for sudden attack of winter storm. Even the ones who headed out to local hotels, seeking warmth and water, have also experienced power outage right there. Being exposed to the unimaginably low temperature without electricity for days would gradually make your body numb and rigid. As a last resort, many people -including myself and my husband - kept their cellphones charged in their cars and became inexplicably frustrated to hear only static and hiss when trying to hear updated news from radio. It just felt as if we were completely forgotten and deserted from rescue team or State government. To top it all off, this extremely low temperature has disrupted Covid-19 vaccinations here and there as well.

 

In summary, this week here in Texas could be described by frozen or burst water pipes, nervously counting your bottled waters left in the pantry, ghastly sights of icicles hung from outdoor spigots and under the roof, the constant noise of blaring ambulances from the roads, empty residential areas covered with 6 inches of snow, closed stores and restaurants, hundreds of people waiting in line to get inside of grocery stores, and you name it.

 

I still hear we are supposed to prepare for cold temperatures that will be staying across many parts of the States for more days ahead. Preparation sounds good and safe in general. However, when people have never been ready or exposed to this type of abrupt, punishing slap in the face from mother nature, especially when they hardly feel they are truly taken care of by the State government that shows no leadership but keeps passing the buck, how could they properly prepare for disasters? In the middle of this ordeal, what we could do at the moment is try hard to survive on our own and keep praying for better tomorrow.

NPR Word Puzzle of Finding Anagrams!

Here’s another batch of this last Sunday’s Word Puzzle from NPR. Every answer is a familiar phrase in the form "___ of the ___." I'll give you anagrams of the first and last words. You give me the phrases.

 

Ex. SING of the ITEMS --> SIGN OF THE TIMES

 

 

(*Picture Source: https://www.thejavaprogrammer.com/ways-check-string-anagram-java/)

1. TASTE of the RAT

2. LAST of the HEART

3. LILTS of the THING

4. AMEN of the MAGE

5. STOOL of the TREAD

6. SHAPES of the MONO

7. HIPS of the RESTED

8. TABLET of the BUGLE

9. LICENSE of the BALMS

10. DEN of the NILE

 

Answer Keys   

   1.  STATE of the ART  

   2.  SALT of the EARTH

   3.  STILL of the NIGHT

   4.  NAME of the GAME  

   5.  TOOLS of the TRADE 

   6.  PHASES of the MOON

   7.  SHIP of the DESERT

   8.  BATTLE of the BULGE

   9.  SILENCE of the LAMBS  

   10. END of the LINE

New Episode of Dr. Jedidiah's Diary: Episode #53. Lorrie, My Sweet Valentine

Dr. Jedidiah’s Diary

Dr. Jedidiah is a psychiatrist who loves traveling, meeting new people, and exploring different cultures. As a single father who lost his wife to drug overdose 10 years ago, he has not been his old perky self for the last decade. During those hard years, he has met hundreds of, thousands of people from various walks of life around all over the world. Meeting new people and listening to their stories outside his office have given him different feelings from the ones through the formal encounter groups or support groups for therapy. These people he has accidentally come across were the paths through which Dr. Jedidiah could look back on his own life, being truly honest with himself. Here is Dr. Jedidiah’s monologue that has left him with some food for thoughts in life….or a fodder to justify his own mistakes in the past.

 

 

Episode 53. Lorrie, My Sweet Valentine

 

For more than 7 years, she had been the very first person that I saw every single morning before heading to my clinic. I was always the very first customer in their parking lot, waiting for the coffee shop Rise & Shine to open. I had no idea since when, but over the years, I came to realize that it was not the irreplaceable aroma of their freshly brewed coffee, but the irresistibly attractive and bright smile of this lady named Lorrie. As she was taking out her apron on which her name was engraved, she’d wink at me and said “Oh, c’mon, Dr. J. I know you like me. Stop tip-toeing around me. No more hem and haw.” Then I would just give her an awkward smile, which could have looked like “I’m not interested in you, and that’s that.” When the regular morning crowd started to rush in, Lorrie was already bustling in and out of the kitchen. I wasn’t able to find the right moment for a pleasant badinage between Lorrie and me.

 

Sometimes, I’d stop by Rise & Shine Lorrie on my way home from work. Their blueberry scones and cherry muffins never let me down. Even in dusky hours, Lorrie never looked jaded or frazzled even after a long day. “Hey, Lorrie, you stay here all day, every day, and no time to spend the money you make. You’re gonna own this place some day, right?” Lorrie seemed to be amused at my words, but said “Well, I know you’re kidding me, but who knows? Rise & Shine has often been on our local paper as the best relaxing coffee shop! I think it is I who has made it possible. Haha…”  Yes, it was true that Rise & Shine had gained critical acclaim for all those years in our community. Cozy vibe, smiling staff, fresh and deep taste of coffees and teas, delectable refreshments of all kinds, ….and most of all, Lorrie was the very reason that had turned this place into people’s major hangout. I asked myself if it’s true interest in her that evolved into some kind of unhealthy limerence over the years. I answered my stupid question, not as a shrink, but as one lonely guy: ‘Just quit analyzing your thoughts and behaviors. Go ask her out, you chicken!...but what if my teenaged boy’s against his daddy’s romance when his late mom is still right there in his and my hearts?’

 

While I was deep in my own thoughts, sipping my tea to the last drop, I heard Lorrie mumbling in a very low voice “Ugh…so much for a small talk!” I said “Pardon? Were you saying something to me? Sorry, Lorry, I was…kinda absent-minded. Are you leaving for home now? Let me give you a ride tonight.” Lorrie looked a bit surprised, and so did I at my own words. Little had I imagined that I could ever muster up all my courage to act like that in front Lorrie.

 

Lorrie and I had a long talk for the very first time. It was not at the parking lot or inside the hall of Rise & Shine. We were just driving around and enjoying endless conversations about how things are going these day, where we grew up, first love, favorite foods, music, and even the most traumatic incident in life. Mine was none other than my beloved wife Demi’s death. Lorrie said she’d had a rough go of it, growing up with no parental tutelage.  Her parents divorced when she was only 7, and her mom who took the full custody of Lorrie passed away after 3 years of painful struggling with breast cancer. Her alcoholic father had been in and out of the rehab, and Lorrie had nowhere to turn to. With the help of church she and her mother used to belong to, Lorrie was placed with a foster family. Thorns of life never seemed to be uprooted for the poor girl. She had been sexually abused and molested by her stepfather and his oldest son for years.

 

Lorrie said she did not want anything more than today’s uneventful, peaceful life that allowed her to make ends meet all by herself. She went on to say that she must be the happiest waitress of a coffee shop in the whole world. I said I agreed and knew in my heart that nothing in this world could ever wear down her spirit. But there was one thing she had missed out on throughout her harsh life. It was finding or meeting somebody to love and to be loved by. Lorrie looked surprised again, but nicely and happily surprised this time, when I smiled and said “I bought this box of chocolates at Rise & Shine for you. Will you…just…just once….or every year as of today…be my Valentine, Lorrie?” She quietly winked at me, opening up the box of chocolates and picked one for her and one for me. “There! Now you’ve finally quit your signature act of hemming and hawing.” Lorrie’s beautiful smile was sweeter than the chocolate. She was the happiest waitress who was about to date the happiest shrink in the world.

 

Expressions

1.  to hem and haw: to take a long time before making a decision about what to do

2.  That’s that!: There is nothing more to say or do about it. (The speaker is trying to indicate that he/she is not changing their decision.)

3.  badinage: humorous and witty conversation

4.  jaded: tired, exhausted, bored, or lacking enthusiasm

5.  to gain critical acclaim: to earn or achieve enthusiastic approval

6.  limerence: a state of mind which results from a romantic attraction to another person and typically includes obsessive thoughts and fantasies and a desire to form or maintain a relationship with the object of love and have one's feelings reciprocated

7.  So much for something!: An expression of dismissiveness, disappointment, disregard, or resignation; something said upon rejecting

8.  to muster up all one’s courage: try hard to find that quality in yourself because you need it in order to do something

9.  to have a rough go of it: to have a very difficult experience

10.      parental tutelage: protection or guardianship of parents

Let's learn about Groundhog's Day, which falls on February 2nd every year!

Can you fill the following blanks that complete the information about Groundhog Day?

Today, let us learn about Ground Hog’s day, which traditionally marks the midpoint between winter ______________ and spring ______________. Around this time, farmers used to determine when to sow seeds of their crops, so they tried to forecast whether there would be an early spring or lingering winter.

 

Sunshine on __________mas (February 2^nd) was said to indicate the returns of winter. Similarly, “when the wind is in the east on ____________mas Day, there it will stick until May 2^nd.”

 

It was not held as a good _____________ if the day itself was bright and sunny, because that betokened snow and frost to continue to the hiring of the laborers 6 weeks later on Lady Day. If it was cloudy and dark, warmth and rain would thaw out the fields and have them ready for planting.

 

Our Groundhog Day is a remote survivor of that belief. According to legend, if a groundhog sees its _____________ on the day, there will be six more weeks of winter; if it doesn’t, then spring is right around the corner.

 

For centuries, farmers in France and England looked to a ______________; in Germany, they kept their eye on the badger. In the 1800s, German immigrants to _______________ (=> Which US State?) brought the tradition with them. Finding no badgers there, they adopted the groundhog to fit the lore.

 

Though we recognize that animal behavior isn’t the only way to judge planting dates, the tradition continues often with a wink and a smile.

 

Here is a quick question about Groundhog’s Day in 2021:

So, will the groundhog see his shadow? The answer is…._______________________________________________________.

(*Source from the Old Farmer’s Almanac)

Answer Keys

    1.  Solstice, equinox

    2.  Candlemas, Candlemas

    3.  Omen

    4.  Shadow

    5.  Bear

    6.  Pennsylvania

7.  Answer to the quick question: It depends on whether February 2^nd is sunny or cloudy! 😆

(*Picture source from https://www.lwtears.com/blog/5-fun-facts-about-groundhog-day-teachers-and-students)

Time to play the NPR Sunday Puzzle aired on this Sunday

 Today's puzzle is all about "me." Specifically, every answer is a word or name in which the accented syllable "me," in any spelling, appears somewhere inside it.

 

Example: Serving to fix or correct things --> REMEDIAL

 

1. Person who tells jokes

 

2. Single-celled creature

 

3. Friend in Mexico

 

4. Minor criminal infraction

 

5. Part of Ukraine annexed by Russia in 2014

 

6. Country located between Turkey and Azerbaijan

 

7. Ancient Greek mathematician and inventor

 

8. In Greek myth, the Titan who's said to have created humanity from clay

 

9. Basic kind of acid

 

10. Composer Shostakovich

 

 

Answer Keys

1.  Comedian

2.  Ameba

3.  Amigo(a)

4.  Misdemeanor

5.  Crimea

6.  Armenia

7.  Archimedes

8.  Prometheus

9.  Amino

10.              Dmitri

Celebrating the African American History Month

 12 years ago, the United States of America welcomed the first African American president, Mr. Barack Obama as the leader. He was not a politician whose life could be filled with megalomania, but rather a man who had been there living in the less privileged circumstances and dreaming of a true change in this nation. February is the Black History Month in the States, and today I reminisce the emotion we all had back in the year of 2009.

On the Day When America’s Dream Came True

 

written by Jean Jiyoung Lee on January 20, 2009

(on the day of 44^th Presidential Inauguration)

 

Who could ever let go of this day’s spirit in history?

Who would forget this shout of glee?

Myriads of tearful but joyful eyes are watching this man of strong conviction,

Believing he will make all the changes that have been no more than fiction.

Unforgettable excitement and energy fill the air.

All the people of different races, origins, and cultures give an embracing smile to one another, not a hostile glare.

Glory is all yours and mine.

The new wind of change today seems so divine.

Praying that the sacred promise of this faithful president will unite us all,

We teach our young ones to stand proud and tall.

Since the justice we’ve dreamt has seen the light of day,

The ultimate peace and harmony in this nation are already on their way.

Got skin problems in winter?

Whenever we ring in a new year, the first wish that comes to most of our minds is “to stay healthy”. I hope and pray that every one of you out there has been off to a perfectly healthy start of this new year of the Ox. Well, even if you might not need to learn medical terms or how to express your health problems in English, I hope you find the following expressions to describe some of your skin probs/symptoms useful during this season of dry wintry chill at a dermatologist office.

 

At Dermatologist Office 

    1.   Irritating sensation of the skin that makes you want to scratch: I feel itchy on my scalp/ all over my body (especially when I don’t sleep tight or enough).

 

 

    2.   In case you have painless skin growth: Could you please check on this skin tag on my neck?

 

    3.   Asking about the store-bought patch/cream/ointment for small solid texture of skin growth: Is the OTC (Over-The-Counter) wart remover/ wart freeze safe to use?

 

    4.   Asking about some scars/  wounds of stitches: Will these stitches go away or stay for good?

 

    5.   To learn about a section of toughened or thick part of your skin – often on your feet – due to constant pressure or friction:  I run every day and have developed calluses on the big toe. Should I get rid of them even if they don’t hurt?

 

    6.   To see if a stitch or row of stitches holding together the edges of a wound or surgical incision will stay or go away: How long will it take for my sutures (or stitches) to dissolve/ disappear on their own?

 

    7.   In case you wonder if your dark spots/moles may need to be more thoroughly examined to check for the possibility of malignant melanoma: Do I need biopsy of this mole?

 

    8.   When you feel your skin getting too dry or lacking moisture to the point of peeling: What should I do about my flaky skin during winter?

 

    9.   If you have sudden burning or itching sensation on one side of your body: My lower back has been feeling tingling. Could it be the Shingles?

 

    10.  Asking about the availability of a doctor-recommended skincare products in online or offline markets: Would I need a prescription for this emollient cream?

 

    11. In case you give your doctor information/descriptions about your skin type when you often develop pimples: I have acne-prone skin.

 

    12. Asking about the possible relationship between the symptoms of having red blemishes and your hormonal imbalance or contact inflammation: Does my rosacea have something to do with hormonal fluctuations or allergic reaction to cosmetics?

 

    13. Asking about the possibility to remove reddish or brown mark on your body from birth: Can I get my birthmarks on the forehead removed?

 

    14. To be correctly informed about skin exfoliation and its possible harmful effects on your outer most skin layer: Does frequent use (=overuse) of exfoliators weaken your skin barrier?

   

    15. Asking about the well-known anti-ageing injection Botox and the duration of its valid effects: Would Botox keep crow’s feet at bay permanently?

 

    16. Asking if self tanners (lotion/cream/booths) might be harmful on your skin: Is it safe to use self tanning products? / Could self tanning booths be damaging on your skin?