Things to Do Before Turning 50 List Revisited

This year I will be turning 50! Yes, I am almost there...only less than seven months to go.

In May 12, 2007, I blogged about of things to do before turning 50. I updated that list in 2009. It's been over four years. Let's see how I fared.

Here's my list with the red indicating the updates from 2009. I will use green to denote updates for 2014.

Here is my current list (it may still grow):

· start our business and make it thrive successfully - started July 2006. Log: 1/15/10)In 2008 Borlongan Investments, LLC decided to sell the triplex rental property, also known as the Yellow House, at 678 Railroad Ave., SSF, CA. So far, it has not sold as of this date. The housing market had been bad since 2007; hopefully, we close by 1/31/10. After this, I don't know what will happen to Borlongan Investments, LLC, which includes my husband and I along with his immediate family members (parents, siblings and their spouses). Patrick and I will continue to find a way to open our business and make it thrive.

The Yellow House, which Borlongan Investments, LLC owned went into foreclosure in 2011. We had been back and forth with a buyer, and then suddenly, some members of the family decided we needed to move on. We needed to just let it go. If I had my say, I would have convinced them to stick it through. We could have kept it, perhaps modified the loan and still continue to rent it out. However, it may also be for the best that we finally got rid of it. No more stress of dealing with the constant barrages of following up and going back and forth.

As far as business is concerned, Patrick, Jessica, and I are doing well running a home-based baking business. It's a stable and wonderful source of income that helped us in many of our additional and unexpected expenses. It even helped pay for some of Jessica's college needs such as books and her allowance.



· buy more real estate investments - emphasis on more, since we already have a few Update 1/15/10- With the real estate market still having problems, this goal may be in jeopardy, at least for the time being or until it gets better on the economic side of things. However, this is the time to buy because it is a buyer's market. So...it remains to be seen what we will do this year.

We still consider real estate as a great investment, although we're still waiting on the market to really improved. Our house in Oakley has tenants; their monthly rent helps pay for the mortgage. I pay additional $300/ mo to pay for insurance and property tax.  As it is...the house is still underwater. Let's see in 5 years if the house will finally go up in value. The I-80 near Antioch been widened and BART will have and extension to Hillcrest, so it should help improve the real estate market.

There's a silver lining to this story...although, the house in Beldin is not doing well when it comes to equity, our house here in Vacaville has already increased in value. The rise of new home sales nearby and some resales in our neighborhood are driving the market. The Vacaville real estate market is booming. Hopefully, in 3 to 4 years, by the time Jessica goes to medical school, we will be all set!

· get in shape for a healthier me - need to lose at least 60 lbs. - lost 40 lbs in 2007. Cutting down on carb really helped. Update 1/15/10- my best ever is losing additional 30 pounds at close of 2009. At the time of this log I am now a size 14 (4 dress sizes down from 18W). Yesterday (1/14/10) I purchased some new clothes because my old ones were already too big for me. Needless to say, I am so proud of myself! I started getting serious with my health in 2009 (around June when I started). Having been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes had been a wake up call. The pounds I lost in 2007, came back 2008 when we had many problems. 2009, I decided enough is enough. I want to live a longer, healthier life. I started cooking and eating healthy. Switched white rice to brown rice. My husband and daughter are also benefitting from this. I have been exercising at least 45 minutes a day by doing my walk. Walking helps maintain my blood glucose and helps me burn calories. I am now drinking soy milk instead of cow's milk. I plan to lose 50 lbs more this year. Actually, my goal is to have my hubby Patrick lose also 50 lbs with me. It is a tough work, but I have confident that we can do it. Jessica, on the other hand, maybe if she can lose 10 to 20 lbs so that she stays healthy.
Back in 12/3/09 I had a major surgery--- I had a fibroid that caused excessive bleeding, which in turn caused anemia. That and my diabetes and chronic asthma, weakened my body. I am still trying to recover from the surgery, which removed not only the fibroid, but also my uterus and ovaries. My doctor (Dr. Ratheany Sakbun of Kaiser Deer Valley--she is the best!) and I planned that she remove my cervix too; however, it was too risky at the time of surgery.

Over the past few years since my surgery, I lost 50 pounds, regained 20, lost another 10. Did I lose 60 lbs yet? Not yet, but I am getting there. I am down to 14W, but comfortably at 16. I used to be 18W. 

I am getting healthier too. I am leaning towards herbal remedies vs prescription medications. Just recently, I've discovered dried soursop leaves, which I make into tea, that helped lower my blood sugar level to normal. If this continues at a steady pace, I will be back to normal. If that happens, I can ask my doctor if I can lower my diabetes meds or get rid of them completely.

I have to get back into walking. Since our move to Vacaville in 2012, I have not been able to walk regularly. I miss our long hallway in Oakley. I make do with climbing the stairs here in Vacaville...it works; however, I need to do it on a regular basis. 

I have 7 more months to go...I can do it!
· organize our files and paperwork - started Jan 2007. Update: 1/15/10- still in progress. I have to work on this better this year!

In 2012, I started the yellow manila folder filing of paperwork. I have different categories and I have a monthly filing for bills and expenses. It's still a work in progress, but I have made great strides!

· swim with the dolphins with my husband and daughter - Not sure if this will happen before I turn 50, but I do plan to do this when money is not too tight.

· help cancer research through folding@home - signed up in June 2007 and still folding

I have not been folding since our HP desktop got infected with a virus back in 2008. I shall look into it again before I turn 50. I do help with donations through JessiCakes Project and have been donating and helping raise funds.

· see aurora borealis - Still not done. Maybe in a couple of years?
· Visit Switzerland (my Mama's lifelong dream which she has never been able to accomplish)  Still not done. Maybe in a couple of years? It's hard to go to another foreign country when we cannot even see my family as often as I want to in the Philippines. It's a dream to go to Switzerland, but I would rather see my family back home.
· Go to NASA with my husband and daughter - Still not done. Maybe this year.
· buy me a good telescope and look at the stars more often - I don't have a better telescope, but I do look at the stars more often. 
· Bungee Jump - done 7/15/2006 Saturday @Marine World
· ride a balloon over Napa and watch the sunset - Almost did in 2012, but Patrick is afraid of heights. May try again this summer!
· Get out of debt - started the process 4/15/08; cut out almost all credit cards, except for one and now using debit card. 

Ah, what can I say? I love to stay out of debt, but life happens and when it does, it often comes with expenses. I may not be totally out of debt, but I am managing our expenses better than before.

· Get my MBA -  Still not done. Maybe in a couple of years?
· Do some charity work, volunteer - ex:Breast Cancer Walk - Done
· watch "Cats" with my daughter and see her face while song "Memory" is being sung -  Still not done. Maybe in a couple of years?
· learn to play violin and then have a duet with my daughter - who will play the piano- I fiddled with it when Jessica started playing the violin. So, the good news is, Jessica learned it while I watched her play. Good enough for me!
· speak French and Japanese - I learned a few sentences, that's all. I speak more in Korean because of all the K-dramas that we watch. LOL.
· cook like a chef Update 1/15/10- my entry on getting in shape mentioned that I started cooking healthy. Well, I also learned how to cook better. I may not cook like a chef yet, but I have improved 10x better than before as far as cooking is concerned. I now watch Food Network Channel regularly.

Oh yes! This is my fave...I do cook...or bake like a chef! A pastry chef that is! Thanks to JessiCakes Project, I had to learn to do it right or else, we would not have customers. :)
· invent something and patent it -  Still not done. Maybe in a couple of years?
· write a book - started writing my novel entitled "Beldin Lane" as of 6/28/08 which I hope to finish in 2009. Update: 1/15/10: Unfortnately, with my health issues in 2009, I was not able to finsih this. I plan to continue this year.

 Still not done. Maybe in a couple of years?
· learn to paint - I have been painting since I was a child, but I would like to go back and improve on it. I hope to be as good as my older brother Kuya Mel :)

 Still trying to hone my skills...will try to paint a good piece before I turn 50 this year.
· make a movie - So far I have started producing small home made videos. I will try to make it even in a small Indie someday!

 Still not done. Maybe in a couple of years?
· see the pyramids and the stone henge -  Still not done. Maybe in a couple of years?
· travel the world with my family and also my siblings and their families -  Still not done. Maybe in a couple of years?

. help manage Jessica's first music CD. - recorded JJ's first CD on 4/19/08 at Laughing Tiger Studio in San Rafael, CA. Had 50 copies made as gifts to family, friends, and relatives. The CD has 9 piano solopieces played by JJ and a song :Come Home" in the end.