♥Reiko's Fitness Challenge - Day 1!♥

[Currently listening to KIRIKO sings "Studio Ghibli Films music" with an ERHU. "HARE-TANE" album - buy it on iTunes if you're a big fan of Hayao Miyazaki's films and music!]

Hi everyone! It's been a long week, but I'm back with some exciting news :)

It's been about a week and a half since my car accident, and my injuries have mostly healed; I'm very thrilled that my bitten lip and tongue are not aching anymore and my bruises and aches have lessened :) I'm healing up, and I'm very excited! I'm also very eager to drive again, so starting today, I'm going to drive me and my mom to work. I know my parents still worry about me about driving, but I'm not going to let that big crash scare me - I'm like a dandelion: spunky and tough! :D

Since I'm crunching for time right now, I just wanted to briefly touch on something that I'll be doing in the next couple of months :)

At work, there is a fitness challenge event where the employees can record their physical activities; it's a contest to see who can complete the challenge, recording the number of minutes of activities done for each day. My mom has done something like this in the winter, and when this challenge came up again, I decided to give it a whirl. After all, I have been going the gym at least 3 times a week and I stretch and do yoga almost every morning and evening; not to mention I do a lot of walking when I'm working - bartenders and waitstaff do a lot of walking! I was curious to know how I was doing as far as average time of exercising for each day and I also wanted to know my average walking distance when I work each week.

In preparation for this challenge, I went shopping with my dad yesterday to buy a little pedometer for me to wear and watch for the times that I clock in and out of work. I'll be recording my progress daily so let's see how I do today! Later on, I'll be updating with some exercise routines that you can try at home. :)

So far today, I've done about half an hour's worth of stretching and warm-up exercises; I do this daily so that my body and mind are awake and ready for the day. I plan to go to the gym later on in the afternoon, and then meet with my boyfriend Taylor for dinner (for sushi night!). I haven't seen him in almost a week, so this is going to be very fun! ^0^

All right guys, time to head out - I'll be back again to record my physical activities and share more fun stuff with you! Have a great start to your week! Be well!

Much love,
~Reiko ♥*.

♥ Miracles and Dreams Do Come True ♥

[Currently listening to "Breathe" from Michelle Branch's "Hotel Paper" album.]

Hey everyone, I hope you all had a good Monday :)

It's only been a few days since the car accident, and even though I'm still physically hurt, I'm very eager to come back to work. I'm feeling even more strong by the day, and I'm feeling confident about coming back to work tomorrow morning - I miss working, my co-workers, and the residents of the retirement home.

My parents and I took pictures of my bruises and inside my mouth (where I bit my lip and tongue when the airbag hit me in the face) so that we could send them off to my soon-to-be lawyer. We had one come by our house earlier today to speak to me about what happened as well as look at my injuries and taking pictures. I will admit that this guy, though helpful, was right to the point and seemed rather rude when cutting me and my dad off when we were trying to explain some details that may be important... But after signing some paperwork and exchanging information, we'll be getting in contact with the main lawyer in the next couple of days. My parents and I are very anxious to get everything done soon, but these things do take time and careful consideration.

While my parents left for work, I was left at home... I had almost forgotten what it was like to be at the house with no mode of transportation, and it did feel weird at first. But then I kept telling myself that there was no use moping or sitting idly for something to happen (...which is true!). So, I got to work with cleaning up my room, since it had been messy for the past few days from the ruckus, and even worked on my laundry. I made myself a late breakfast/early lunch (okay, fine, BRUNCH) - creamy tomato and alfredo mushroom sauce mix with macaroni noodles. I needed to chew on something soft since it was becoming difficult for me to chew with my injured lip and tongue.

I got a call earlier this evening from one of my aunts in New Jersey; my elder cousin, Douglas, had heard the news of my accident on Facebook and contacted her. It was really nice to hear her voice; I asked her not to worry about me too much because I'm feeling better by the day. It's awesome to have family members who care about you, isn't it?

I received so many responses from the note I posted on Facebook yesterday. I felt that not only did I need to let my family and friends know what happened, but to also spread the word about drunk driving awareness. Something like this can happen to almost anyone, and I wanted to reach out to as many people as I could so that my friends and family wouldn't go through what I experienced. Although I wished this didn't happen, I'm glad it did because I feel like a better and stronger person than I was that night.

There is something that I would like to share with you all before I end this entry because it really changed my view on life after Saturday night:

I went with my family to the church we often go to. We were reluctant on going at first since my brothers were saying that they didn't want to go, but my parents and I knew we needed to go and seek spiritual guidance from God. Throughout the service, my mind blanked out. I coudln't help but to think about what had happened Thursday night... In my mind, I replayed the very moment I knew that I was going to get hit. I was very thankful to be alive from the accident, but I will admit that there were times when I questioned, "What would have happened if I didn't?" or "Was someone really looking out for me out there?". So many questions...

...until we stood up and held hands to say "The Lord's Prayer".

During this time, the community stands up and joins hands with those sitting next to us in the pews or in front/behind/etc. My family sat on one end of the pew row while another family stood at other end, with a gap in between me and them. As I joined hands with my mom and I held my right hand up for the prayer, I felt something warm... The warmth of someone's hand holding mine, though I couldn't see it. I recited my prayers, my eyes still in awe at my hand... I thought, "...could it be...?"

It didn't truly hit me until I received the Eucharist and knelt at the pew - it was Him all along, and now I truly believe. I held back my tears because I didn't want my parents to see. I have no doubt in my heart and my mind about Him anymore - because of Him, I believe that miracles and dreams do come true. Anything is possible, so long as you believe in Him.

Love with all your heart, dream with all your might, and even if you find yourself in times of darkness, believe in Him and he will be your light. :)

Good night and sweet dreams, everyone :)

With love,
~Reiko ♥*.

P.S. Did I forget to mention how really sweet and wonderful my boyfriend, Taylor, really is? He came by my house on Saturday to cheer me up; he even bought me some mango-filled truffles. :) I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have him for support... I don't think either of us would do if I didn't make it out all right from the incident... But I also thank God for sending me such a wonderful person in my life.

♥ Reiko's Car Accident on 3.4.2010 ♥

[Currently listening to "Jesus Take the Wheel" by Carrie Underwood, the perfect song for the theme of this entry.]

Hello, everyone - I know it has been a while since my last entry but... You guys have absolutely no idea how relieved and happy I am to be alive...

I want to tell you guys about my car accident on Thursday night; what I'll do is copy and paste the note that I tagged a lot of my friends in on Facebook so that everyone can read it. Not only do I want my friends to know about this but also for others who are also reading my blog to know what happened - I care for you all to be safe and not end up like me or the other driver who hit me; you'll see in just a bit.

I'll also post a public link from my Facebook account so that you all can view the pictures of my baby car, Rinoa. The police, my family and I have concluded that from the condition my car is in, it's totalled beyond repair. I miss her so much... I'll never find another car just like her.

Without further ado, here is the copy of my written report on the accident from my Facebook:

Hi everyone! As promised, here is a detailed report of what happened on Thursday night (the scariest moment of my life!).

Some of my co-workers already know that I was released from work very early that day, and since I didn’t have any plans, I decided to go shopping for a little bit but then came back to work to go to the gym and work out. (I try to go there a few times a week for some exercise after work. ) After working out for a couple of hours, I decided to head home.

Between 8:30 and 8:45 was when the accident occurred:

I was driving on the left lane on Shore Drive toward the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel exit; as I approached Greenwell Road, I saw a Grand Marquis in the opposite direction in the left turn lane. As I approached the intersection, I saw the Grand Marquis suddenly move forward, and before I knew it… I had been hit. The Grand Marquis had been spun around toward the middle of the intersection; my Rav4 moved forward and came to a complete stop further down the street (on Shore Drive, in front of the old gas station lot). When I realized that my car had stopped, I looked all around me; I could smell burning rubber, I saw dust everywhere, and I had also noticed that my airbag deployed (thank goodness!).

My mind was racing, and the first thing I thought was that I just had to get out of my car. I immediately grabbed my cell phone, removed my seatbelt and was able to step out of my car with little to no difficulty. It didn’t occur to me when I looked around that my eye glasses were missing; though I couldn’t see very well, I could already tell that the broken glass and scrap metal scattered across the street was from my car. I just kept thinking, “…I can’t believe I just got hit…” Before I knew it, many people had gotten out of their cars to assist me and the other driver to make sure that we were okay before the police and the paramedics arrived; I never thought there were that many people who were kind enough to care and stop to help! As they asked me questions, I had to interrupt them while I called my Dad; he called my mom, who was at work at the same place where I was.

While waiting for my mom to arrive at the scene, the police and paramedics started asking me questions and checked my vitals. I didn’t notice any injuries at the time since my body was shaking terribly and my heart was racing; later on I realized that there was a taste of blood in my mouth, and learned that I had bit my lip and tongue when the airbag deployed. My mom found me and… words could not express how happy I was to see her face since my dad was not able to arrive (he couldn’t leave my brothers alone by themselves). After letting her and the police know what happened, I couldn’t help but to keep asking how the other driver was doing. I learned later on that the female driver was okay, but had injured her ankle due to the impact of the crash. As for my glasses, a male police officer found them on the other side of the street! My guess is that the airbag must have made them fly off from my face when I opened the door of my car.

What surprised me later on was that she was driving while under the influence of alcohol; before getting behind the wheel, she was coming out of a bar and had herself at least 4 drinks. (The police said that you can tell from a good distance that she was drunk). She had refused to take the breath test and was taken under custody. What happened to her after that, I don’t know… This is all I know about her at the moment.

At the time, I didn’t have a camera on me so that I could take pictures of my car, but when I saw one of my co-workers, Donnell, I was very happy to see him. Apparently when my mom rushed from work to see me, she ran into him and mentioned that I was in an accident. Thankfully, he had a camera on him and took pictures of my car before it was towed away. (I’m still waiting for those pictures though!)

My mom and I decided that it was best for us to get me checked at a hospital. It was a very long wait for the results from tests and x-rays, but as I waited, I noticed pain on my upper neck, shoulders and part of my back; the pain that I had in my mouth (my lip and tongue) had increased and my mom and I saw that I had a scrape and bruise on my left arm. Thankfully I had no fractures or any life-threatening injuries.

My family and I are monitoring my injuries as well as taking care of legal works for my car and the insurance companies; we are working to find a lawyer at this point. In the past couple of days, I have noticed some bruises that developed on my chest, neck, arms and both sides of my hips. I am taking some medications and lots of rest; I won’t be coming back to work until Tuesday morning.

That night, I learned to accept that my car is gone. I am sad that I lost my car that I barely had for 2 years, but better to have my car gone than my life or the other woman’s. You can replace cars and other things but… you can’t replace a lost life. I have also forgiven the woman for what she had done, but I’m still very disappointed that she decided to make an irresponsible act of driving while she was drunk. I hope she learned her lesson and pray that it doesn’t happen again.

As I have said in my response video last night, please please PLEASE don’t get behind the wheel when you are drunk. The next time you know that you are going to have alcoholic beverages, make sure you have a friend to be a designated driver, or call a cab (or stay the night at your friend’s house). Whatever you do, never go drinking alone and drive drunk. You can never tell what could happen: You could end up like me, the other driver… or worse. I’m telling this to you guys because I love and care enough for you guys to make the right decision and take care of yourselves!

I'll be posting the pictures of my car shortly; prepare to brace yourselves because... It's bad. Looking at these pictures were very painful for me, but I want to share these with you guys and girls so that the same thing does not happen to you. I'm just so relieved and happy to be alive...

Again, thank you for your kind messages, etc. I love you all more than you realize! I’ll be better soon, don’t worry. And to my awesome co-workers, I’ll be back soon… headstrong! :D

Here's a public link to my photo album of Rinoa, my poor baby car, on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017374&id=65300438&l=b71e981c37 I miss her so much... :(

But that is all for now; I'll update when I can. I need to get as much rest as I can so I can heal quickly! Until next time, be well, be SAFE, and keep smiling. I know I am - there are just so many reasons to and it's the best medicine!

Much love,
~Reiko xoxo