Lucky Finds
Yesterday, hubby and I ventured out once again to see what else beyond our lil' part of town has to offer. We were basically stuck at home all day 'cuz hubby's luggage didn't quite arrive the same time he did. The airline told us that they'd deliver his bag the following day to our place within a certain timeframe. Do delivery services ever stay within those times? Nope. Needless to say, hubby was getting a bit inpatient and when an hour past the time came around, he was pretty pissed. Numerous calls were made to the airlines to check the status of delivery, but all they could say was, "It's on its way." We finally get a call from the delivery guy downstairs, but turns out that he isn't willing to bring it up to our floor. Said he wasn't allowed to enter the building...wtf? So what you're telling us is that after waiting the entire day for your ass to bring one piece of luggage, you can't even bring it up to our floor?! So hubby goes down to get his gear and basically tells the guy what kind of service they have. Lol...hey hubby, tell me how you really feel!
After cooling off a bit, hubby says, "Get dressed. We're going to France." 'Scuse me? Turns out that he heard of this other mall and hell, there wasn't any way I was going to go to MOA on a Friday night! (see last Friday's entry...) Honestly, since our Mall of America experiences only seem to be cool when there's someone else to share it with from outta town, we would prefer going elsewhere...something on a smaller scale. Southdale Mall is off of France Ave exit, hence the reference to going to France. Y'know, if I was hella tired and knew that we could afford it, I'd be, "C'est vrai?! Nous allons a France?! Vite, vite- allons, allons!" (Translation: "Fo' reals?! No way?! We're goin' to France?! Well hurry the *@!? up, let's go, let's go!"....lol, da ghetto-ized version, my bad...)
As we were driving into the mall area, on the right was a Galleria. A galleria of the most shi-shi stores, "the galleria of distinction." Well 'scuse me....had a couple of upper scale IKEA-like sleek looking furniture stores. Well, we drove in to the left side where the mall was AND Cheesecake Factory! Whoo hoo! I didn't even know that they had one here! Plus, they also had P.F. Chang's chinese restaurant. We first had P.F. Changs with da Lapids down in Mountain View during what I remember as the time I had a major major allergy attack from their cat that left me wheezing for my next breath.....but that's another story. Anyways, we go into P.F. Changs and turns out the wait is an hour and a half! We make an about face and head to Cheesecake Factory, but when we get to the entrance, there's hella people waiting. Man, we came at the wrong time! Ah, there's always mall food!
Southdale Mall. 'Tis always cool to go to a mall you haven't gone to before, yah? Aside from all the knuckle-headed immature high school kids hanging out, it's nice. Reminded me of Hillsdale Mall in San Mateo, only with more floors and really funky and comfy chairs everywhere! There's also a movie theater that's accessible through the mall, but once again, filled with all these punk kids. Seriously, parents must drop their kids off after school and pick them up at closing. 'Cuz at about 9pm, ALL OF THEM started heading for the exits. I swear, if we were all closer together in a smaller and narrow corridor, it would've been like getting out of a baseball game at Pac Bell. But instead of following the crowds and feeling like cattle, these kids were zig zagging everywhere and you just couldn't help but think what you'd do if they bumped you, however how accidental it was. But before our annoyances kicked in, hubby and I did get a quick chance to walk around a bit. Now ya'll know how much I've been complaining about not having my certain guilty pleasures here in MN, yes? One of them being Mrs. Field's cookies....hmmm...I especially dig those white chunk nibblers. So you can imagine the excitement when we looked down this corridor and I saw the familiar red sign! Yes people, lo and behold, it was Mrs. Field's cookies!!! Unfortunately since it was near closing, they didn't have any white chunk, or none were made that day, but we did get a lil' bag of nibblers. It was one of those savoring moments- I just popped one in my mouth and let the chocolate be one with my tongue and I swear, it tasted so divine! Yummy! Well, we can now cross that off my list of things I'm missing in CA!
We ate at the foodcourt. 'Twas weak, but decided on Great Steaks. We're waiting for our food and the cook asks me, "Se habla espagnol?" Me? No, sorry. I just had to mention that 'cuz that's the first time I've been mistaken for Latina. For as long as I can remember, my nationality has always been questioned. Really, I don't look Pinay to you? I mean, I know that my skin is really fair and light- I blame my mom for that. When I was working, I was commonly mistaken for Chinese. I've gotten all the other Asian nationalities too- Japanese, Taiwanese, Malaysian, and once, good Lord, I was asked if I was Italian! Do I fricken look Italian to you?! I don't think so. Oh, and one time someone asked if I was Irish....only because they saw my clauddaugh tattoo. Once and for all, I just dig the meaning of it and in no way, shape, or form am I Irish in any way. Comprende?! Aiya! Naku!
Friday Night's Lucky Finds: Southdale Mall, Cheesecake Factory, P.F. Chang's and Mrs. Field's Cookies.
Each Saturday, I've been having dance practice with the college kids. It's becoming quite exciting as their show draws nearer. The latest update: the girls know the Igorot dance really well. Today, we worked on refining their movements, but honestly, they've got it down! Whoo hoo. For Pandanggo Sa Ilaw/Oasioas, we've been practicing with ONE guy, whereas the dance calls for five. Hubby came along to fill in just in case they really didn't find any male dancers. It would've sucked to have scrapped the dance, but surprisingly, four new faces showed up and thankfully, caught on really quick. We didn't have time to go into Tinikling though, but we'll work on that next week. Did I happen to mention that we bought our own Tinikling sticks?
After a couple hours of practice, hubby drives us to Dragon Star. Dragon Star is just like a Pacific Super grocery! Now be it that hubby had gone there before, it was a new place for me. Once we got there, I just started wandering the aisles to see what they had. Much to my disappointment, there wasn't any Pan De Sal or Pan de Leche. But, just seeing all them Asian folks doing their thang of trying to cut in line, bump you and not apologize really reminded me of San Francisco! Lol! Plus, my goodness, that's got to be the most Asian people I've seen in one place for a while! Since this was a quick run, we did go home with some pork siopao, some toyo (kikkoman of course!), and some pancit like noodles. And Sister- they have Yan Yan for about $.50! You don't have to send them anymore!
Saturday's Lucky Finds: Dragon Star grocery and hella Asian folks!
I wonder what we'll find tomorrow....
Saturday, February 28, 2004
Friday, February 27, 2004
Totally Unrecognizable!
After four full days of being "one with myself," 'twas time for hubby to come back. His flight was due into MN at 9:27pm. Since we only live about 10 minutes from the airport, I had time to watch the reshowing of "My Big, Obnoxious Fiance." Okay, now be it that I already have my fill of reality tv shows, I did find myself watching the pilot of this one out of curiosity. After that, I didn't bother. But I happened to catch the finale in which the supposed wedding was to take place. After all the drama, the last order of business was to exchange the "I Do's." Now this will sound oddly weird, but from the moment the "fiance" stopped the wedding and the family walks out to when he reveals the truth about the whole thing and presents the checks for half a million bucks to both the bride and her family, I was in tears! Lol! Good Lord! I think it was the fact how the fiance-actor guy went into this spiel about love of family and even though they didn't agree with what the daughter was doing, they went along with it anyways. Plus, the bride was totally in tears out of not knowing whether or not her family would forgive her. She then went into her own speech how she was doing this because of her family...to give them financial security, to pay for her brother's way to college, and for the chance for the family to finally travel. She went on how she would give every cent of all the money back if it meant that they would forgive her. It was all very touching! But I think the half a million bucks made the forgiving much easier, don't you?
So I rush to the airport, proud that I successfully found my way, and get to the garage as hubby texts me that they just landed. I'm waiting and waiting...wondering if I'm waiting in the right place. This is the first time in which I have to go pick hubby up...'tis usually the other way around! Turns out that the rush of people coming in arrive on another level, but have to pass through baggage claim where I happen to be. Loads of people are crowded on the escalators while even more people bum rush their loved ones as they get off. Then, I suddenly see this dude with a very familiar face coming into view...I'm almost positive, but not quite sure...omigoodness, it's hubby! Hubby did not look like the hubby I dropped off on Sunday. Hubby, who's had this mop and bush for a head of hair, was coming off the escalator all clean cut and shaven! For those of you who haven't seen hubby in a while, he's been wanting to grow his hair out, jokingly like Johnny Depp or even Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2. I think he was trying to relive his youth as a surfer dude. Honestly...um, no. I didn't like it. But can I just say "WOW!" No more awkwardly growing out hair, hubby is back to a cool looking fade. Whew! For a minute there, he was totally unrecognizable....but I think the whole brown skin would've given him away in a heartbeat... =) Good to have you back home, hubby!
Rewind
I had mentioned that I've been on this VH-1's After Hours and MTV's Insomniac Theater thang, right? For 3am in the morning, they play some pretty dope videos. I was just commenting to hubby how the newest by Nickelback, "Someday," is a tres cool video. I don't want to spoil it, but it was one of those that you don't quite understand the first time around. You're led to believe one thing, but then, the ending takes you by surprise. 'Course after that, I want to see it again so I could catch the lil' clues that give it away. So last night, I realized something. I was in that head boppin' mode listening to Outkast (... I get a trip out of watching man-servant Bentley do his funky moves)...then I trip out at that Fergie chick from Black Eyed Peas singing her la la la's in the "Mama" video (can she please put some clothes ON?!)...then Sheryl Crow or Evanescence comes on, I forget which, and then Maroon 5. The point is...they play the same damn videos in the same sequence every single night! Not that I'm complaining too much, but damn people, get off your broken record and give me variety!
Cutting Edge Revelations
I've talked about this before. A bunch of us church kids from back in da day formed a lil' dance group called Cutting Edge. As it went under "new management," some of us oldies left while some newbies like Ibalik joined up. Cutting Edge would later come to be known as Mind Over Matter. Mind Over Matter evolved into a hip hop dance group that was so "cutting edge," incorporating different styles of dance and just getting their groove on in awesome ways. I just found out the they went all the way to audition for Janet Jackson! Although the group didn't make it, a few of the dancers made it to the final cut. Now, I never really kept up with them after I left, but according to Ibalik, some of the dancers that were once in M.O.M are now showing up as backup dancers for big names like J.Lo! No fricken way! It just blows my mind that what started off as something fun for us kids to do has morphed into something huge that basically makes way for up and coming Bay Area hopefuls to make it to the big time! Just to mention a few are Mykal Bean and Jessalee Santos...yes, believe it or not, that Mykal Bean is a pinoy. Although I may not have heard of these two, I'm guessing they're big in the dance community. Hey man, major props- my hats are off to ya'll! The group has seriously come a long way from Heavy D's "Now That We Found Love," Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl, " and ABC's "At The Playground," hasn't it? I wonder....are Russian kicks still considered cool??? (Ms. Penny...I KNOW that you could appreciate that one!)
After four full days of being "one with myself," 'twas time for hubby to come back. His flight was due into MN at 9:27pm. Since we only live about 10 minutes from the airport, I had time to watch the reshowing of "My Big, Obnoxious Fiance." Okay, now be it that I already have my fill of reality tv shows, I did find myself watching the pilot of this one out of curiosity. After that, I didn't bother. But I happened to catch the finale in which the supposed wedding was to take place. After all the drama, the last order of business was to exchange the "I Do's." Now this will sound oddly weird, but from the moment the "fiance" stopped the wedding and the family walks out to when he reveals the truth about the whole thing and presents the checks for half a million bucks to both the bride and her family, I was in tears! Lol! Good Lord! I think it was the fact how the fiance-actor guy went into this spiel about love of family and even though they didn't agree with what the daughter was doing, they went along with it anyways. Plus, the bride was totally in tears out of not knowing whether or not her family would forgive her. She then went into her own speech how she was doing this because of her family...to give them financial security, to pay for her brother's way to college, and for the chance for the family to finally travel. She went on how she would give every cent of all the money back if it meant that they would forgive her. It was all very touching! But I think the half a million bucks made the forgiving much easier, don't you?
So I rush to the airport, proud that I successfully found my way, and get to the garage as hubby texts me that they just landed. I'm waiting and waiting...wondering if I'm waiting in the right place. This is the first time in which I have to go pick hubby up...'tis usually the other way around! Turns out that the rush of people coming in arrive on another level, but have to pass through baggage claim where I happen to be. Loads of people are crowded on the escalators while even more people bum rush their loved ones as they get off. Then, I suddenly see this dude with a very familiar face coming into view...I'm almost positive, but not quite sure...omigoodness, it's hubby! Hubby did not look like the hubby I dropped off on Sunday. Hubby, who's had this mop and bush for a head of hair, was coming off the escalator all clean cut and shaven! For those of you who haven't seen hubby in a while, he's been wanting to grow his hair out, jokingly like Johnny Depp or even Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2. I think he was trying to relive his youth as a surfer dude. Honestly...um, no. I didn't like it. But can I just say "WOW!" No more awkwardly growing out hair, hubby is back to a cool looking fade. Whew! For a minute there, he was totally unrecognizable....but I think the whole brown skin would've given him away in a heartbeat... =) Good to have you back home, hubby!
Rewind
I had mentioned that I've been on this VH-1's After Hours and MTV's Insomniac Theater thang, right? For 3am in the morning, they play some pretty dope videos. I was just commenting to hubby how the newest by Nickelback, "Someday," is a tres cool video. I don't want to spoil it, but it was one of those that you don't quite understand the first time around. You're led to believe one thing, but then, the ending takes you by surprise. 'Course after that, I want to see it again so I could catch the lil' clues that give it away. So last night, I realized something. I was in that head boppin' mode listening to Outkast (... I get a trip out of watching man-servant Bentley do his funky moves)...then I trip out at that Fergie chick from Black Eyed Peas singing her la la la's in the "Mama" video (can she please put some clothes ON?!)...then Sheryl Crow or Evanescence comes on, I forget which, and then Maroon 5. The point is...they play the same damn videos in the same sequence every single night! Not that I'm complaining too much, but damn people, get off your broken record and give me variety!
Cutting Edge Revelations
I've talked about this before. A bunch of us church kids from back in da day formed a lil' dance group called Cutting Edge. As it went under "new management," some of us oldies left while some newbies like Ibalik joined up. Cutting Edge would later come to be known as Mind Over Matter. Mind Over Matter evolved into a hip hop dance group that was so "cutting edge," incorporating different styles of dance and just getting their groove on in awesome ways. I just found out the they went all the way to audition for Janet Jackson! Although the group didn't make it, a few of the dancers made it to the final cut. Now, I never really kept up with them after I left, but according to Ibalik, some of the dancers that were once in M.O.M are now showing up as backup dancers for big names like J.Lo! No fricken way! It just blows my mind that what started off as something fun for us kids to do has morphed into something huge that basically makes way for up and coming Bay Area hopefuls to make it to the big time! Just to mention a few are Mykal Bean and Jessalee Santos...yes, believe it or not, that Mykal Bean is a pinoy. Although I may not have heard of these two, I'm guessing they're big in the dance community. Hey man, major props- my hats are off to ya'll! The group has seriously come a long way from Heavy D's "Now That We Found Love," Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl, " and ABC's "At The Playground," hasn't it? I wonder....are Russian kicks still considered cool??? (Ms. Penny...I KNOW that you could appreciate that one!)
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Goin' Solo
This past week, I have been flying solo here in MN. Hubby had a training out in Denver and I had the place all to myself. 'Tis nice sometimes, y'know? I got to clean house, do laundry, do homework, and according to Mare Naomi, you get more stuff done when no one's around! Lol! It has been unusually quiet though...normally, hubby would have his music blaring from his office or the tackles from PS2's Madden would be echoing loudly from our surround sound system and vibrating the walls. I have to say that I was proud of myself for dropping him off to the airport and making my way back home. Yes, it's not that hard, but for someone who hasn't really driven here and with all the damn freeway changes (think L.A., sorta...), it can get confusing! My one biggest fear was that I'd miss an exit and end up in either Iowa or Wisconsin! Not cool...
In terms of relocating, Denver was actually one of our first choices. We had even checked out all these books on Denver and looked it up online. It seemed like a really up and coming place to move to. First of all, we would've definitely been CLOSER to CA...just two states away people. Plus, I'm sure I would've been able to learn how to snowboard! But one thing to know about Denver is the mile high thingy. No, not like the "mile high" club, you freaks! I'm talking about how Denver is 1 mile above sea level. In most books we read, hiking can be very dangerous because of the lack of oxygen and whatnot- how crazy is that? So hubby has been telling me that his nose has been bleeding since he got there and that he was short of breath at times. He's even had trouble sleeping. Reminded me of when we were in Maui for our honeymoon and went to the top of the Haleakala crater...hubby and I had THE hardest time catching our breath 'cuz we were so damn high! The altitude change makes a big difference!
Enjoy the Silence
Goin' solo also gives you time to think...I mean, really clear your mind from all distractions and be one with silence. Makes me think I should be taking up yoga or tai chi to relax (..."must find my chi"...).
I was thinking that this may be the opportune time to bust out any poetry. Considering the events of last week, surely something could've come to mind....WRONG! Obviously you can't force the issue, but it seemed I had a case of writer's block. I physically sat there with pen and paper, waiting for those words to come, but sadly, they never did. So what's my next best bet? You got it! Watching VH-1's After Hours and MTV's Insomniac Theater until 4:30am in the morning.....crazy, eh?
Yesterday, I took a break from schoolwork and watched "Under the Tuscan Sun" again. I could have easily watched "A Walk To Remember," one of my favorites that no matter how many times I've seen it, still end up crying at the exact same places. I mean, yes MnM has a tendancy to cry at virtually every movie she watches, but this one...oh man. It just totally pulls the heart strings! (like we haven't heard that one before!)I was wanting to watch another dvd again, but was having a hard time choosing. Tearjerker? Drama? Romantic Comedy? Disney? Too many choices! Instead, I ended up watching TLC's Trading Spaces, Designer's Challenge, and In a Fix. Now be it that totals up to 3 hours of vegging out, I watched it while I did other stuff. Gosh that would be so pathetic, wouldn't it? Just to sit in front of the TV all day and do jack? Lol! I shouldn't preach...I HAVE done this before! Sad, sad, sad...
btw: anyone catch my Depeche Mode reference???
This past week, I have been flying solo here in MN. Hubby had a training out in Denver and I had the place all to myself. 'Tis nice sometimes, y'know? I got to clean house, do laundry, do homework, and according to Mare Naomi, you get more stuff done when no one's around! Lol! It has been unusually quiet though...normally, hubby would have his music blaring from his office or the tackles from PS2's Madden would be echoing loudly from our surround sound system and vibrating the walls. I have to say that I was proud of myself for dropping him off to the airport and making my way back home. Yes, it's not that hard, but for someone who hasn't really driven here and with all the damn freeway changes (think L.A., sorta...), it can get confusing! My one biggest fear was that I'd miss an exit and end up in either Iowa or Wisconsin! Not cool...
In terms of relocating, Denver was actually one of our first choices. We had even checked out all these books on Denver and looked it up online. It seemed like a really up and coming place to move to. First of all, we would've definitely been CLOSER to CA...just two states away people. Plus, I'm sure I would've been able to learn how to snowboard! But one thing to know about Denver is the mile high thingy. No, not like the "mile high" club, you freaks! I'm talking about how Denver is 1 mile above sea level. In most books we read, hiking can be very dangerous because of the lack of oxygen and whatnot- how crazy is that? So hubby has been telling me that his nose has been bleeding since he got there and that he was short of breath at times. He's even had trouble sleeping. Reminded me of when we were in Maui for our honeymoon and went to the top of the Haleakala crater...hubby and I had THE hardest time catching our breath 'cuz we were so damn high! The altitude change makes a big difference!
Enjoy the Silence
Goin' solo also gives you time to think...I mean, really clear your mind from all distractions and be one with silence. Makes me think I should be taking up yoga or tai chi to relax (..."must find my chi"...).
I was thinking that this may be the opportune time to bust out any poetry. Considering the events of last week, surely something could've come to mind....WRONG! Obviously you can't force the issue, but it seemed I had a case of writer's block. I physically sat there with pen and paper, waiting for those words to come, but sadly, they never did. So what's my next best bet? You got it! Watching VH-1's After Hours and MTV's Insomniac Theater until 4:30am in the morning.....crazy, eh?
Yesterday, I took a break from schoolwork and watched "Under the Tuscan Sun" again. I could have easily watched "A Walk To Remember," one of my favorites that no matter how many times I've seen it, still end up crying at the exact same places. I mean, yes MnM has a tendancy to cry at virtually every movie she watches, but this one...oh man. It just totally pulls the heart strings! (like we haven't heard that one before!)I was wanting to watch another dvd again, but was having a hard time choosing. Tearjerker? Drama? Romantic Comedy? Disney? Too many choices! Instead, I ended up watching TLC's Trading Spaces, Designer's Challenge, and In a Fix. Now be it that totals up to 3 hours of vegging out, I watched it while I did other stuff. Gosh that would be so pathetic, wouldn't it? Just to sit in front of the TV all day and do jack? Lol! I shouldn't preach...I HAVE done this before! Sad, sad, sad...
btw: anyone catch my Depeche Mode reference???
Saturday, February 21, 2004
Technical Difficulties
The awe and wonder of technology has got me totally phased out. Murphy's Law is truly in effect over here. As if it wasn't bad enough that I'm the cause of my distress over my dear laptop, all of our other computers in our place ain't working either- wtf?! All of the materials that I need to print keep freezing over and during the installing and reinstalling of programs onto one computer has got it all jacked leaving me without WORD. So when I try to copy and paste whatever it was I wanted to print into a new document, does it work? Argh! I am so tired and frustrated with all these damn technical difficulties! When I'm lost and confused, I turn to IT-savvy hubby...but when he's lost and confused, oh damn. Nevermind that I've got discussion questions, a project, and a team assignment due...that's it- I wash my hands of this!
MOA
Last night, hubby and I decided to head to Mall of America for some din-din. Yah, so we were too lazy to cook! I just needed to get outta the house, too. We parked in "Hawaii" and headed for the food court. In case you're wondering, each floor and section of the parking lot is named after a state, hence, the mall of America. Hubby and I tend to park in either California or Hawaii...we were in Texas once, but it just didn't feel right.
Not really realizing that it was a Friday evening, we were surprised to see so many people with their rugrat kids in tow. I kept saying, "Isn't it a school night? Parents let their kids run wild here on a school night?" Haha, yes, the jokes on us. 'Tis Friday and Camp Snoopy, the theme park inside MOA, was full of these munchkins running to and fro with no care or courtesy as they bump into you. Hmmph, they just don't know hubby though...they don't know that when a brutha has been bumped one too many times without an apologetic "sorry," hubby will bump back! Or, "oops, was it really my foot that tripped your punk ass as you so rudely ran by me?" Now of course, ya'll know that hubby wouldn't really do anything that mean...don't get me wrong, he'd be thinking it and be really tempted, but he wouldn't do it. *smirk, smirk*
I was craving Mexican. They really don't have any good Mexican restaurants over here...Chevy's is cool, but I want authentic . Authentic as in El Burrito on Taraval in the Sunset. Authentic as in San Diego burritos. Hell, I'll even take and get whatever is authentic at Baja Fresh! The chicken burrito I ordered was good...not excellent, not hella yummy, but good. We took our seat in the food court right above the mini Legoland. This part of MOA is truly cool! I don't care if you're young or old, you'll find the various creations simply amazing! They've got a Harry Potter, a space shuttle, and even these huge dinosaurs that move- all completely made out of legos. 'Course this is a topic of dinner conversation for hubby and myself. We were remembering back to when we were young'uns ourselves and I commented on how creative some people can get with these plastic thinga-mabobs that latch on together. In my 3rd grade class alone, I can watch these seemingly unmotivated kids get so excited about playing with legos and they become these lil' engineers of whatever their imaginations knock out! Me, on the other hand, had no imagination whatsoever. I couldn't visualize things in my head and make it appear. I was telling hubby that all I'd do is just stack and stack 'em up and his ongoing joke for that night was, "While your students build cars and airplanes, you can build a wall!" and "Wow, that's a very nice and tall building you have there!" Yah, yah....so legos didn't spark any imagination. I preferred books, thank you very much. I didn't earn the name "Bookworm" back in grade school for nothing, you know! Hahah, 'tis all gravy. Heck, if I had a curtain rod like hubby did when I was younger, I'm sure I would've pretended going through the trenches with my rifle, too! Lol!
After din-din, we decided to walk around a bit. As close as we live to MOA (10 minutes), it's not our first choice to hit when we feel like shopping. Honestly, the place is too damn big! I remember the first time we went, it was so overwhelming. Know what? It's STILL overwhelming! Unless you know for a fact which store you want to visit and in which wing it's located, you're better off going to a regular lil' mall. We ventured looking for Krispy Kreme, but instead found ourselves at Cinnabon. Yum. So we circled around, window shopped, went into a couple of stores, almost got hit by some ghetto fabulous obnoxious peeps (although we weren't sure if the person twirling their bag in the middle of the walkway, who in my eyes looked high on something, was a girl or a guy!), and after about 30 minutes, decided to ditch the crowds and go home. For a second, I swear I was back home at Serramonte!
Da Worst Week
Thank God the week is over! This week had been a rollercoaster of emotions. So much went down this week that I'm just glad to have it all done with and out in the open. Ya'll know how hard it is to maintain relationships... it takes even more to maintain a marriage. 'Course there's no such thing as a perfect marriage. Everyone has their our ups and downs, their "good times and bad," and we just have to deal with situations the best way that we can. Hubby and I are no different. Add to that the whole technical difficulties issue, the "blog war" between a friend and myself that hit on some really personal and sensitive issues (which btw I think is safe to say that WWIII will not be happening anytime soon...), all of the corny and sappy shows and movies I've been watching lately that trigger the dam of tears to burst, the fact that I was missing home a bit, and hell, my period is due anyday now (sorry, too much information, I know...)! It really made for a seriously sh*tty week, BUT...thank goodness it's over.
It helped to go to MOA...got my Cinnabon on...got to watch "50 First Dates" with my ultimate date....got the bomb soundtrack that brings me back to the 80's (and that ALWAYS cheers me up!)...got all the crying/frustrations/venting out...and aside from my laptop incident, it seems that the coming days and weeks ahead can only get better.
Did I mention that hubby and I browsed through some model homes today? Man oh man...ya'll living out in California would simply not believe how affordable it is to live out here in the Midwest! We're hoping that by the summertime or end of this year, we may have a real place of our own...keep your fingers crossed! (and save that money for your trip out to MN to visit the bomb friends that you got over there.....Doh and MnM, in case you were wondering!) Lol!
The awe and wonder of technology has got me totally phased out. Murphy's Law is truly in effect over here. As if it wasn't bad enough that I'm the cause of my distress over my dear laptop, all of our other computers in our place ain't working either- wtf?! All of the materials that I need to print keep freezing over and during the installing and reinstalling of programs onto one computer has got it all jacked leaving me without WORD. So when I try to copy and paste whatever it was I wanted to print into a new document, does it work? Argh! I am so tired and frustrated with all these damn technical difficulties! When I'm lost and confused, I turn to IT-savvy hubby...but when he's lost and confused, oh damn. Nevermind that I've got discussion questions, a project, and a team assignment due...that's it- I wash my hands of this!
MOA
Last night, hubby and I decided to head to Mall of America for some din-din. Yah, so we were too lazy to cook! I just needed to get outta the house, too. We parked in "Hawaii" and headed for the food court. In case you're wondering, each floor and section of the parking lot is named after a state, hence, the mall of America. Hubby and I tend to park in either California or Hawaii...we were in Texas once, but it just didn't feel right.
Not really realizing that it was a Friday evening, we were surprised to see so many people with their rugrat kids in tow. I kept saying, "Isn't it a school night? Parents let their kids run wild here on a school night?" Haha, yes, the jokes on us. 'Tis Friday and Camp Snoopy, the theme park inside MOA, was full of these munchkins running to and fro with no care or courtesy as they bump into you. Hmmph, they just don't know hubby though...they don't know that when a brutha has been bumped one too many times without an apologetic "sorry," hubby will bump back! Or, "oops, was it really my foot that tripped your punk ass as you so rudely ran by me?" Now of course, ya'll know that hubby wouldn't really do anything that mean...don't get me wrong, he'd be thinking it and be really tempted, but he wouldn't do it. *smirk, smirk*
I was craving Mexican. They really don't have any good Mexican restaurants over here...Chevy's is cool, but I want authentic . Authentic as in El Burrito on Taraval in the Sunset. Authentic as in San Diego burritos. Hell, I'll even take and get whatever is authentic at Baja Fresh! The chicken burrito I ordered was good...not excellent, not hella yummy, but good. We took our seat in the food court right above the mini Legoland. This part of MOA is truly cool! I don't care if you're young or old, you'll find the various creations simply amazing! They've got a Harry Potter, a space shuttle, and even these huge dinosaurs that move- all completely made out of legos. 'Course this is a topic of dinner conversation for hubby and myself. We were remembering back to when we were young'uns ourselves and I commented on how creative some people can get with these plastic thinga-mabobs that latch on together. In my 3rd grade class alone, I can watch these seemingly unmotivated kids get so excited about playing with legos and they become these lil' engineers of whatever their imaginations knock out! Me, on the other hand, had no imagination whatsoever. I couldn't visualize things in my head and make it appear. I was telling hubby that all I'd do is just stack and stack 'em up and his ongoing joke for that night was, "While your students build cars and airplanes, you can build a wall!" and "Wow, that's a very nice and tall building you have there!" Yah, yah....so legos didn't spark any imagination. I preferred books, thank you very much. I didn't earn the name "Bookworm" back in grade school for nothing, you know! Hahah, 'tis all gravy. Heck, if I had a curtain rod like hubby did when I was younger, I'm sure I would've pretended going through the trenches with my rifle, too! Lol!
After din-din, we decided to walk around a bit. As close as we live to MOA (10 minutes), it's not our first choice to hit when we feel like shopping. Honestly, the place is too damn big! I remember the first time we went, it was so overwhelming. Know what? It's STILL overwhelming! Unless you know for a fact which store you want to visit and in which wing it's located, you're better off going to a regular lil' mall. We ventured looking for Krispy Kreme, but instead found ourselves at Cinnabon. Yum. So we circled around, window shopped, went into a couple of stores, almost got hit by some ghetto fabulous obnoxious peeps (although we weren't sure if the person twirling their bag in the middle of the walkway, who in my eyes looked high on something, was a girl or a guy!), and after about 30 minutes, decided to ditch the crowds and go home. For a second, I swear I was back home at Serramonte!
Da Worst Week
Thank God the week is over! This week had been a rollercoaster of emotions. So much went down this week that I'm just glad to have it all done with and out in the open. Ya'll know how hard it is to maintain relationships... it takes even more to maintain a marriage. 'Course there's no such thing as a perfect marriage. Everyone has their our ups and downs, their "good times and bad," and we just have to deal with situations the best way that we can. Hubby and I are no different. Add to that the whole technical difficulties issue, the "blog war" between a friend and myself that hit on some really personal and sensitive issues (which btw I think is safe to say that WWIII will not be happening anytime soon...), all of the corny and sappy shows and movies I've been watching lately that trigger the dam of tears to burst, the fact that I was missing home a bit, and hell, my period is due anyday now (sorry, too much information, I know...)! It really made for a seriously sh*tty week, BUT...thank goodness it's over.
It helped to go to MOA...got my Cinnabon on...got to watch "50 First Dates" with my ultimate date....got the bomb soundtrack that brings me back to the 80's (and that ALWAYS cheers me up!)...got all the crying/frustrations/venting out...and aside from my laptop incident, it seems that the coming days and weeks ahead can only get better.
Did I mention that hubby and I browsed through some model homes today? Man oh man...ya'll living out in California would simply not believe how affordable it is to live out here in the Midwest! We're hoping that by the summertime or end of this year, we may have a real place of our own...keep your fingers crossed! (and save that money for your trip out to MN to visit the bomb friends that you got over there.....Doh and MnM, in case you were wondering!) Lol!
Thursday, February 19, 2004
I'm So Bummed
I totally overslept today. My laptop is gone and left in the hands of some Best Buy technicians. I've had to redo and reshuffle through subscribing to my online materials AGAIN. Hubby was having the most frustrating time trying to get my computer up and running. I haven't even combed my hair yet. I'm still in my pj's. I obviously haven't taken a shower yet. The weather outside is so uninviting and I've got tons of work to catch up on.
All I need is a huge serving of Dreyer's Mocha Almond Fudge to make this a truly bumming experience. But y'know what? They don't even carry Dreyer's over here! Dammit! I'm so bummed.
Withdrawal Symptoms
It's simply sucky to realize how much I rely on my beloved laptop. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't log in to do my work, check mail, surf around, and of course, blog. Now that I'm without it for at least a week, it makes me want to kick myself for being so damn clumsy! If I hadn't tripped over the damn cord, it wouldn't have fallen, hubby wouldn't have spent hours and hours trying to figure it out what exactly got jacked, we wouldn't have had to copy all of my important files onto a cd-rom (for fear some psycho techies at Best Buy might go snooping around my personal stuff!), I wouldn't have had to subscribe and resubscribe to my class materials, I wouldn't have had to go through hundreds of posts and I would have totally saved hubby and myself some major time! Boo! This sucks!
Funky Weather
There's hella snow on the ground, but it's not snowing. It's sunny outside, but it's not hot. It's wet outside, but it's not raining. There's sleet out, so I guess it's..um, sleeting?! Hahaha, I guess that's it...goodness me, this weather is so damn weird. First they say that Feb is the worst winter month and now I'm told that March is the month we get the most snow. I'm guessing what they meant to say is that February is the coldest winter month. Pshh. Whatever. It really makes no difference to me. All I know is that it's mid-February already and there's no sign of spring anytime soon.
I blame it all on the fricken groundhog. Blasted thing- damn you!
I totally overslept today. My laptop is gone and left in the hands of some Best Buy technicians. I've had to redo and reshuffle through subscribing to my online materials AGAIN. Hubby was having the most frustrating time trying to get my computer up and running. I haven't even combed my hair yet. I'm still in my pj's. I obviously haven't taken a shower yet. The weather outside is so uninviting and I've got tons of work to catch up on.
All I need is a huge serving of Dreyer's Mocha Almond Fudge to make this a truly bumming experience. But y'know what? They don't even carry Dreyer's over here! Dammit! I'm so bummed.
Withdrawal Symptoms
It's simply sucky to realize how much I rely on my beloved laptop. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't log in to do my work, check mail, surf around, and of course, blog. Now that I'm without it for at least a week, it makes me want to kick myself for being so damn clumsy! If I hadn't tripped over the damn cord, it wouldn't have fallen, hubby wouldn't have spent hours and hours trying to figure it out what exactly got jacked, we wouldn't have had to copy all of my important files onto a cd-rom (for fear some psycho techies at Best Buy might go snooping around my personal stuff!), I wouldn't have had to subscribe and resubscribe to my class materials, I wouldn't have had to go through hundreds of posts and I would have totally saved hubby and myself some major time! Boo! This sucks!
Funky Weather
There's hella snow on the ground, but it's not snowing. It's sunny outside, but it's not hot. It's wet outside, but it's not raining. There's sleet out, so I guess it's..um, sleeting?! Hahaha, I guess that's it...goodness me, this weather is so damn weird. First they say that Feb is the worst winter month and now I'm told that March is the month we get the most snow. I'm guessing what they meant to say is that February is the coldest winter month. Pshh. Whatever. It really makes no difference to me. All I know is that it's mid-February already and there's no sign of spring anytime soon.
I blame it all on the fricken groundhog. Blasted thing- damn you!
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Just My Luck
So, as if things just couldn't get any worse, my laptop comes crashing to the floor as I accidentally trip over the cord! No major physical damage, but I definitely jacked something up. The wireless netcard that I use wasn't working and for a while, all the programs were frozen. A panic started to rise in me because not only was it a gift c/o hubby, it had all my important files for my online program on it. Plus, it's how I "go to class." For the past five hours, hubby has been meticulously mulling over my beloved Presario while I do my work and other online activity on his spare laptop. This spare laptop is actually very annoying. Annoying because the keyboard is somewhat jacked itself and a few of the letters, particularly "e," doesn't work unless you seriously pound on it. Makes for a very tired middle left finger!
Hubby went to Best Buy to get a wireless netcard for my computer. Ever since I got the laptop, my other computer just sits pretty in our other room collecting dust. I've really had no need to use the other one really. The change from working on a laptop back to a computer isn't major, but I definitely prefer the laptop. What also sucks is that I can't find the fricken receipt to the laptop! So I suppose yet another trip to Best Buy is in order tomorrow. It's all very disconcerting...honestly!
Thanks hubby for missing out on our Wednesday lineup of WB faves to work on my laptop. It's much appreciated!
50 First Dates
Went to see this Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler flick and y'know what? It's GOOD! The Hawaiian backdrop was breathtaking, the storyline itself is cute and romantic, the "Wedding Singer" couple are great together once again, and hell, they even got Samwise Gamgee in it! Lol! Rob Sneider plays another kooky character, this time a local brutha with a jacked up eye and Frodo's sidekick is hilarious with his lisp... Aside from all the comedy, the storyline tugs at your heart. Yes, I cried and you will, too! It's definitely a dvd purchase and btw, the soundtrack is bomb, too!
'Twas definitely nice to get outta the house and feel the warm 42 degree weather. It's actually the "eye of the storm" before the storm that's going to bring half a foot of snow our way. Great. I'm looking forward to it. NOT! I better get my thermals ready...it's going to be a cold one.
So, as if things just couldn't get any worse, my laptop comes crashing to the floor as I accidentally trip over the cord! No major physical damage, but I definitely jacked something up. The wireless netcard that I use wasn't working and for a while, all the programs were frozen. A panic started to rise in me because not only was it a gift c/o hubby, it had all my important files for my online program on it. Plus, it's how I "go to class." For the past five hours, hubby has been meticulously mulling over my beloved Presario while I do my work and other online activity on his spare laptop. This spare laptop is actually very annoying. Annoying because the keyboard is somewhat jacked itself and a few of the letters, particularly "e," doesn't work unless you seriously pound on it. Makes for a very tired middle left finger!
Hubby went to Best Buy to get a wireless netcard for my computer. Ever since I got the laptop, my other computer just sits pretty in our other room collecting dust. I've really had no need to use the other one really. The change from working on a laptop back to a computer isn't major, but I definitely prefer the laptop. What also sucks is that I can't find the fricken receipt to the laptop! So I suppose yet another trip to Best Buy is in order tomorrow. It's all very disconcerting...honestly!
Thanks hubby for missing out on our Wednesday lineup of WB faves to work on my laptop. It's much appreciated!
50 First Dates
Went to see this Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler flick and y'know what? It's GOOD! The Hawaiian backdrop was breathtaking, the storyline itself is cute and romantic, the "Wedding Singer" couple are great together once again, and hell, they even got Samwise Gamgee in it! Lol! Rob Sneider plays another kooky character, this time a local brutha with a jacked up eye and Frodo's sidekick is hilarious with his lisp... Aside from all the comedy, the storyline tugs at your heart. Yes, I cried and you will, too! It's definitely a dvd purchase and btw, the soundtrack is bomb, too!
'Twas definitely nice to get outta the house and feel the warm 42 degree weather. It's actually the "eye of the storm" before the storm that's going to bring half a foot of snow our way. Great. I'm looking forward to it. NOT! I better get my thermals ready...it's going to be a cold one.
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
Remembering
I like to pride myself in the fact that I have a knack for remembering certain events such as birthdays and anniversaries. I was one of those people who sent cards on every occasion complete with all those lil' tiny pieces of confetti that people would curse at after having them scatter everywhere. I even had a "dream job" of working in a card store at Stonestown. I loved it because not only did I get first dibs at checking out the newest cards, but I had a 50% discount as well! Haha, for those couple of years that I worked there, everyone got a card for their birthday, Valentine's Day, Easter, and hell, even St. Patrick's Day!
Back in grade school, friends like Mommy Hernandez and I were HUGE in remembering important events. Her ongoing thing was reminding us exactly how many days until her birthday- "3 more months 'til my birthday," "1 more month 'til my birthday," "6 more days 'til my birthday," and so on and so on. 'Course after how many years of that, I'll have her birthday forever etched in my mind!
Then, there are the death anniversaries. In our family, we often have dinners and rosaries to celebrate the life of our loved one. For example, this month is the 30th death anniversaries of both my grandfather and great-grandmother. It only hit me recently that they both passed away just two months before I was born and only 10 days apart. Because my mom was pregnant with me, she wasn't able to visit the Lola that raised her AND my dad couldn't even see his own father buried because he had to take care of my mom. It's sad that I never got to meet either one and even sadder that my parents weren't able to attend the funerals. I think this is one of those instances of "when one dies, another is born."
Can you believe that I even remember the day I received my beloved Honda? Yes, on March 7, my baby will turn 7 years old! That day was so memorable for me because it all started with an annoying page. Gee, remember pagers?! I was still at State at the time and I finally got a hold of my dad who was annoyed that I hadn't returned any of his pages. Funny, I thought, because when I did call the number back, it was from a car dealership! As I'm trying to make sense of it all, he angrily/excitedly tells me that "my" car is waiting for me at home! I remember turning the corner of my street and seeing this brand new Honda sitting in the driveway- wow! *sigh*...I miss my car.
Of course, there are days that you remember, as if they happened yesterday, that you'd like to totally erase from your mind. Each of us, myself included, have our own painful memories that hit a particular nerve that makes for a terrible trip down memory lane. These make for automatic welling up of tears, frustration for allowing that memory to trigger certain emotions once again, and eventually anger at the blasted event. It's a vicious cycle that people subject themselves to and a cruel joke that our minds play on us. As much as we try to push it to the farthest corners of our mind, it lurks and creeps up on us when we least expect it.
So what's my point with this topic of remembering?
Perhaps I'm just in a rut that I can't seem to get out of lately. There are events that happened a year ago that brings up bad memories and I'm having a hard time shaking 'em off. I have always been a true believer that all things happen for a reason. I also believe that God has a plan for each one of us and all of the bad sh*t that happens in our life is just a precursor to all the good He will provide. All of us will encounter obstacles in this journey of life. We can either bitch and complain about them, or we could do something about it. I prefer taking action because it's all about making choices. It's definitely easier said than done, and though it seems impossible to see the good that can come out of it, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." (All I have to do is keep repeating that to myself...)
Season I
I'm a huge huge fan of Gilmore Girls on the WB and I'm happy to say that the first season is finally making its way on dvd. Whoo hoo! For those of you who share my love to this show, tonight's episode struck a chord with me. Painstakingly, it was difficult to admit that I was both Lorelei and Rory in all aspects. Of course, if you don't even watch GG, you have no clue as to what I am talking about. It's okay, no one has to understand. It'll be my moment and mine alone.
btw: Season I comes out on May 4...
I like to pride myself in the fact that I have a knack for remembering certain events such as birthdays and anniversaries. I was one of those people who sent cards on every occasion complete with all those lil' tiny pieces of confetti that people would curse at after having them scatter everywhere. I even had a "dream job" of working in a card store at Stonestown. I loved it because not only did I get first dibs at checking out the newest cards, but I had a 50% discount as well! Haha, for those couple of years that I worked there, everyone got a card for their birthday, Valentine's Day, Easter, and hell, even St. Patrick's Day!
Back in grade school, friends like Mommy Hernandez and I were HUGE in remembering important events. Her ongoing thing was reminding us exactly how many days until her birthday- "3 more months 'til my birthday," "1 more month 'til my birthday," "6 more days 'til my birthday," and so on and so on. 'Course after how many years of that, I'll have her birthday forever etched in my mind!
Then, there are the death anniversaries. In our family, we often have dinners and rosaries to celebrate the life of our loved one. For example, this month is the 30th death anniversaries of both my grandfather and great-grandmother. It only hit me recently that they both passed away just two months before I was born and only 10 days apart. Because my mom was pregnant with me, she wasn't able to visit the Lola that raised her AND my dad couldn't even see his own father buried because he had to take care of my mom. It's sad that I never got to meet either one and even sadder that my parents weren't able to attend the funerals. I think this is one of those instances of "when one dies, another is born."
Can you believe that I even remember the day I received my beloved Honda? Yes, on March 7, my baby will turn 7 years old! That day was so memorable for me because it all started with an annoying page. Gee, remember pagers?! I was still at State at the time and I finally got a hold of my dad who was annoyed that I hadn't returned any of his pages. Funny, I thought, because when I did call the number back, it was from a car dealership! As I'm trying to make sense of it all, he angrily/excitedly tells me that "my" car is waiting for me at home! I remember turning the corner of my street and seeing this brand new Honda sitting in the driveway- wow! *sigh*...I miss my car.
Of course, there are days that you remember, as if they happened yesterday, that you'd like to totally erase from your mind. Each of us, myself included, have our own painful memories that hit a particular nerve that makes for a terrible trip down memory lane. These make for automatic welling up of tears, frustration for allowing that memory to trigger certain emotions once again, and eventually anger at the blasted event. It's a vicious cycle that people subject themselves to and a cruel joke that our minds play on us. As much as we try to push it to the farthest corners of our mind, it lurks and creeps up on us when we least expect it.
So what's my point with this topic of remembering?
Perhaps I'm just in a rut that I can't seem to get out of lately. There are events that happened a year ago that brings up bad memories and I'm having a hard time shaking 'em off. I have always been a true believer that all things happen for a reason. I also believe that God has a plan for each one of us and all of the bad sh*t that happens in our life is just a precursor to all the good He will provide. All of us will encounter obstacles in this journey of life. We can either bitch and complain about them, or we could do something about it. I prefer taking action because it's all about making choices. It's definitely easier said than done, and though it seems impossible to see the good that can come out of it, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." (All I have to do is keep repeating that to myself...)
Season I
I'm a huge huge fan of Gilmore Girls on the WB and I'm happy to say that the first season is finally making its way on dvd. Whoo hoo! For those of you who share my love to this show, tonight's episode struck a chord with me. Painstakingly, it was difficult to admit that I was both Lorelei and Rory in all aspects. Of course, if you don't even watch GG, you have no clue as to what I am talking about. It's okay, no one has to understand. It'll be my moment and mine alone.
btw: Season I comes out on May 4...
Monday, February 16, 2004
Heads or Tails
Have you ever thought about the phenomenon of heads or tails before? Besides being used to flip a coin to decide who goes first in a game, think of the actual coin itself. The "heads" part of the coin will never ever see the "tails" side...and yet, they are forever connected by the fusion of metal and therefore, a part of both the heads and the tails. This fusion, so to speak, can never be more a part of either side- it's equally distributed to both. This reminds me of a very close friendship I had with three special ladies.
How the hell does the heads and tails of a coin remind me of friendship?
Let's look at it like this: the three ladies are the heads, I am the tails, and the whole fusion thang is everyone else who are our mutual friends. Although it seems that we cannot see eye to eye anymore, we will always be connected by people whom we consider friends.
Let me talk about friendship for a sec. We all know that friends are the people we hang out with, the ones whom we can confide in and trust, who stick with us during the good and bad times, who offer a shoulder to cry on, who open their homes and ears in times of need, who accept you for who you are and never pass judgment, and ultimately are the people who are like a second family to you. The beauty of friendship, in my opinion, is that no matter how much time has passed and no matter when the last time you spoke or saw each other, you pick up right where you left off. I am fortunate to have this kind of relationship with certain people, but unfortunately, not all friendships fall into this category.
As much "drama" that went on between us girls, I have never tried to get other people to "side" with me. In my eyes, it's not fair. It has absolutely nothing to do with anyone else and to try would be shady. I have talked to others outside of our circle of friends to get their honest opinions as to who was in the wrong. Perhaps out of my own hurt, I may not have seen where I messed up. But ultimately I have realized that we were all guilty to some degree.
One of the things that made us great friends back in da day is the amount of time we spent with each other. We all knew each other from our college days and it's surreal to me how unbelievably tight we were. We did so much together...ate out, shopped, rented movies, gossiped and talked trash, and went clubbing...hahah, yes, those were our "girls' night out" days. What bonds people together are the experiences you have with one another, yes? It makes for the hilarious "remember whens" and the ride down sentimental alley all fun.
But as we got older, graduated from college, and got thrown into the "real world," priorities changed. Suddenly, I couldn't hang out as often because I didn't have a job (which meant no eating out, no shopping, and no clubbing...), I was goin' through my own drama within my family, but hey, amidst all that, I met future hubby. We've all been there before...your friends meet a significant other and they somehow seem to gradually disappear. But that doesn't make your friends anything less...it's the natural thing to want to spend time with that new someone. Throughout college, we've all been in that position where we were the boyfriend-less gal...while everyone else is out with their man, you're left with a good book to read. No biggie, that's just how it goes.
They told me that I had a bad habit of disappearing when I had a man back in da day. Yah, I admit it. They tend to always bring up my ex from Southern Cal as a prime example, but geez, did I ever complain about not hanging out when they all went up to Davis to visit their men? So because I get to actually hang out with my guy 'cuz he's geographically closer makes it all a faux pas. And yes, because when they had problems, I was always a good listener whether or not I had a man, but did I ever complain when I had problems and they didn't have time to spare to listen 'cuz they were hanging out with their men? No, I didn't.
Why bring up all this sh*t? Because I want to put my side of the story out there. I don't get to hang out with our mutual friends anymore and I haven't in a long time. But I also wanted to remind people that there's always two sides of a story, the other side of the coin.
In one of my recent blog entries, I wrote about one of these girls and how I declined my duty as a ninang to her son. I had written her an email to explain my decision and yes, I also put my two cents in about how our friendship has "dwindled" in the past years. In fact, I want to share that letter with everyone:
"in regards to the baptism, i honestly wasn't sure why i got the email (to save the date). i remember that one time you and the girls came to my place in foster city, you had asked me to be ninang. i was flattered and honored that you had asked me. but it seems odd that you would ask me when we (you and I) haven't kept in touch for so long. it's no secret that in the past 4 years or so that our friendship has dwindled. i think that we're still playing the blame game of sorts that even though we all say that "we're over it," deep down we're all sticking to our pride and we're really not. it's awkward for me to be in the same room with you and the rest of the girls because it brings up a lot of painful memories of what was and the sad fact that we aren't as close as we once were. i regret the time lost with you and the girls, but i know that i cannot change the past.
what i'm trying to say is that as honored as i am to have been asked to be ninang, i will have to respectfully decline my duties, so to speak. under the circumstances, it doesn't feel right that i "be there for him" when i'm not there to even know him. i've always thought that this was your way of reaching out, to have me included in your lives once again and it's much appreciated. but i would feel better that your son have a ninang that will be there for him and not just send the birthday cards.
i want to say thanks from the bottom of my heart for having asked me in the first place. this wasn't written to offend you in any way, it's just me being honest about the whole situation. i hope you understand."
Here is her response in her blog:
"I received a response from MnM declining to be a ninang. At first I didn't know how to react, because it also included her view of how our friendship went wrong. I guess all I can say is.. "I GIVE UP" She claims to make her attempts, but if empty invations to hang out are her definitions of "reaching out" then I guess it is. It was our attempts to actually make things happen and have her not respond at all or when she is already back in Minnesota!! So, again, all I can say is.... "I GIVE UP!"
In all honesty, after I asked her to be a ninang, I knew that since there was no other attempt to see GIMB2 or attend the babyshower, or anything else, I already started looking for someone else!! I guess I already learned my lesson. You just gotta know when to let go of some stuff and move on, even when it comes to friendships you want to try and keep. We tried and now we are just tired of trying for nothing!"
Now the whole reason why I'm making such a big stink about this is because there's just so much more that people don't know. A part of me doesn't really give a damn what other people think, but at the same time, when our "fusion" friends read her blog, it makes me seem that I'm the bitch here for declining being a godparent. Hell, I'm just watching out for her son! So in essence, I'm gathering from this whole thing that it would've been better to accept being a ninang even though our friendship hasn't been completely resolved. But yet, she admits that "I started looking for someone else..." That, in itself, is a joke.
This particular situation has nothing to do with the other two girls, but really, it has everything to do with them as well. I feel that I'm on "civil terms" with them, but most likely after that letter I wrote, that won't be the case any longer. Was I upset after reading her blog? Hell yah, you better believe it! Maybe if everyone knew that when I did "attempt" to hang out, imagine how awkward it was to hear all the "remember when's" when hello, I was never there in the first place. I mean, why bring up stuff that I obviously cannot relate to? And that makes me want to hang out and put myself through that feeling-left-out thang again? I always thought that I would've been better hanging out with them one-on-one...but together? Wow...the dynamics of our group was just too intense...hell, we had an on-going joke back in college that's the reason we could never have any other close girlfriends. We were a clique, a really tight one. But see, after the years have passed and reflecting on the entire thing...it seems so silly. It's so high school to me how we all dealt with this. But obviously, a new chapter has opened up in the drama department.
Just for the record, I honestly just want people to see the two sides of the coin is all. I have no anger, bitterness, or resentment anymore. If anything, it's sadness that we've all grown apart...or rather, I've grown apart from them. In my anger and frustration, I've always vented "I give up!" in terms of trying...how funny for me to hear that she has given up on me! I didn't even know she was trying in the first place... I don't wish them any ill will- on the contrary, I wish for their happiness and success in all that they do. To me, this is the prime example of friendships that come and go in and out of our lives, but I have no regret to all those years we spent together. There just comes a time when people have to make choices and deal with the consequences that follow. I've made mine and they've made theirs.
Have you ever thought about the phenomenon of heads or tails before? Besides being used to flip a coin to decide who goes first in a game, think of the actual coin itself. The "heads" part of the coin will never ever see the "tails" side...and yet, they are forever connected by the fusion of metal and therefore, a part of both the heads and the tails. This fusion, so to speak, can never be more a part of either side- it's equally distributed to both. This reminds me of a very close friendship I had with three special ladies.
How the hell does the heads and tails of a coin remind me of friendship?
Let's look at it like this: the three ladies are the heads, I am the tails, and the whole fusion thang is everyone else who are our mutual friends. Although it seems that we cannot see eye to eye anymore, we will always be connected by people whom we consider friends.
Let me talk about friendship for a sec. We all know that friends are the people we hang out with, the ones whom we can confide in and trust, who stick with us during the good and bad times, who offer a shoulder to cry on, who open their homes and ears in times of need, who accept you for who you are and never pass judgment, and ultimately are the people who are like a second family to you. The beauty of friendship, in my opinion, is that no matter how much time has passed and no matter when the last time you spoke or saw each other, you pick up right where you left off. I am fortunate to have this kind of relationship with certain people, but unfortunately, not all friendships fall into this category.
As much "drama" that went on between us girls, I have never tried to get other people to "side" with me. In my eyes, it's not fair. It has absolutely nothing to do with anyone else and to try would be shady. I have talked to others outside of our circle of friends to get their honest opinions as to who was in the wrong. Perhaps out of my own hurt, I may not have seen where I messed up. But ultimately I have realized that we were all guilty to some degree.
One of the things that made us great friends back in da day is the amount of time we spent with each other. We all knew each other from our college days and it's surreal to me how unbelievably tight we were. We did so much together...ate out, shopped, rented movies, gossiped and talked trash, and went clubbing...hahah, yes, those were our "girls' night out" days. What bonds people together are the experiences you have with one another, yes? It makes for the hilarious "remember whens" and the ride down sentimental alley all fun.
But as we got older, graduated from college, and got thrown into the "real world," priorities changed. Suddenly, I couldn't hang out as often because I didn't have a job (which meant no eating out, no shopping, and no clubbing...), I was goin' through my own drama within my family, but hey, amidst all that, I met future hubby. We've all been there before...your friends meet a significant other and they somehow seem to gradually disappear. But that doesn't make your friends anything less...it's the natural thing to want to spend time with that new someone. Throughout college, we've all been in that position where we were the boyfriend-less gal...while everyone else is out with their man, you're left with a good book to read. No biggie, that's just how it goes.
They told me that I had a bad habit of disappearing when I had a man back in da day. Yah, I admit it. They tend to always bring up my ex from Southern Cal as a prime example, but geez, did I ever complain about not hanging out when they all went up to Davis to visit their men? So because I get to actually hang out with my guy 'cuz he's geographically closer makes it all a faux pas. And yes, because when they had problems, I was always a good listener whether or not I had a man, but did I ever complain when I had problems and they didn't have time to spare to listen 'cuz they were hanging out with their men? No, I didn't.
Why bring up all this sh*t? Because I want to put my side of the story out there. I don't get to hang out with our mutual friends anymore and I haven't in a long time. But I also wanted to remind people that there's always two sides of a story, the other side of the coin.
In one of my recent blog entries, I wrote about one of these girls and how I declined my duty as a ninang to her son. I had written her an email to explain my decision and yes, I also put my two cents in about how our friendship has "dwindled" in the past years. In fact, I want to share that letter with everyone:
"in regards to the baptism, i honestly wasn't sure why i got the email (to save the date). i remember that one time you and the girls came to my place in foster city, you had asked me to be ninang. i was flattered and honored that you had asked me. but it seems odd that you would ask me when we (you and I) haven't kept in touch for so long. it's no secret that in the past 4 years or so that our friendship has dwindled. i think that we're still playing the blame game of sorts that even though we all say that "we're over it," deep down we're all sticking to our pride and we're really not. it's awkward for me to be in the same room with you and the rest of the girls because it brings up a lot of painful memories of what was and the sad fact that we aren't as close as we once were. i regret the time lost with you and the girls, but i know that i cannot change the past.
what i'm trying to say is that as honored as i am to have been asked to be ninang, i will have to respectfully decline my duties, so to speak. under the circumstances, it doesn't feel right that i "be there for him" when i'm not there to even know him. i've always thought that this was your way of reaching out, to have me included in your lives once again and it's much appreciated. but i would feel better that your son have a ninang that will be there for him and not just send the birthday cards.
i want to say thanks from the bottom of my heart for having asked me in the first place. this wasn't written to offend you in any way, it's just me being honest about the whole situation. i hope you understand."
Here is her response in her blog:
"I received a response from MnM declining to be a ninang. At first I didn't know how to react, because it also included her view of how our friendship went wrong. I guess all I can say is.. "I GIVE UP" She claims to make her attempts, but if empty invations to hang out are her definitions of "reaching out" then I guess it is. It was our attempts to actually make things happen and have her not respond at all or when she is already back in Minnesota!! So, again, all I can say is.... "I GIVE UP!"
In all honesty, after I asked her to be a ninang, I knew that since there was no other attempt to see GIMB2 or attend the babyshower, or anything else, I already started looking for someone else!! I guess I already learned my lesson. You just gotta know when to let go of some stuff and move on, even when it comes to friendships you want to try and keep. We tried and now we are just tired of trying for nothing!"
Now the whole reason why I'm making such a big stink about this is because there's just so much more that people don't know. A part of me doesn't really give a damn what other people think, but at the same time, when our "fusion" friends read her blog, it makes me seem that I'm the bitch here for declining being a godparent. Hell, I'm just watching out for her son! So in essence, I'm gathering from this whole thing that it would've been better to accept being a ninang even though our friendship hasn't been completely resolved. But yet, she admits that "I started looking for someone else..." That, in itself, is a joke.
This particular situation has nothing to do with the other two girls, but really, it has everything to do with them as well. I feel that I'm on "civil terms" with them, but most likely after that letter I wrote, that won't be the case any longer. Was I upset after reading her blog? Hell yah, you better believe it! Maybe if everyone knew that when I did "attempt" to hang out, imagine how awkward it was to hear all the "remember when's" when hello, I was never there in the first place. I mean, why bring up stuff that I obviously cannot relate to? And that makes me want to hang out and put myself through that feeling-left-out thang again? I always thought that I would've been better hanging out with them one-on-one...but together? Wow...the dynamics of our group was just too intense...hell, we had an on-going joke back in college that's the reason we could never have any other close girlfriends. We were a clique, a really tight one. But see, after the years have passed and reflecting on the entire thing...it seems so silly. It's so high school to me how we all dealt with this. But obviously, a new chapter has opened up in the drama department.
Just for the record, I honestly just want people to see the two sides of the coin is all. I have no anger, bitterness, or resentment anymore. If anything, it's sadness that we've all grown apart...or rather, I've grown apart from them. In my anger and frustration, I've always vented "I give up!" in terms of trying...how funny for me to hear that she has given up on me! I didn't even know she was trying in the first place... I don't wish them any ill will- on the contrary, I wish for their happiness and success in all that they do. To me, this is the prime example of friendships that come and go in and out of our lives, but I have no regret to all those years we spent together. There just comes a time when people have to make choices and deal with the consequences that follow. I've made mine and they've made theirs.
Saturday, February 14, 2004
Happy Love Day!
Yesterday I received my first ever Valentine card from my dad! This was a huge thing considering that my dad has NEVER sent me any card, whether it be for my birthday, Christmas, or Valentine's Day. It was a strange "phenomenon" that started a couple of years ago. It was a gradual progression. Started with my mom (of course!), then gifts for my brother-in-law (!), my sister, her kids, and now me. Better late than never! Lol! Seriously though, it was really nice to get a card from dear ole Pops. Being a card connoisseur that I am, I even had to check on the back and wouldn't you know it? Hallmark! I can just picture my dad at the Hallmark store amid all these Valentine card buyers trying to find that just-so-right card. Hahah, first my mom talking online via IM...and now my dad sending Valentine cards! Wow-they never cease to amaze me! Makes me miss them even more now...
Also talked to my sister (who btw, doesn't like my new blog skin- boo!). I've been complaining so much how I miss me some Pan De Sal bread and lo and behold, she just sent me a lil' care package! Yay! If I had it my way, I'd have some E Komo Mai, Akagi's, El Burrito, and Baskin Robbin's Mocha Blast (without the cinnamon!) shipped over, too. Oh man, was I feening for some real burritos or what?! Aside from Chevy's, they got their Chipotle's and Don Pablo's over here, but 'tisn't the same people...'tisn't the same. In any case, advanced thanks to my sis for sending some goodies and a lil' bit of home my way! Thanks a bunch- love and miss you! (*btw: a new blog skin is in the works!)
Just wanted to wish all of you a Happy Valentine's Day! Although it shouldn't take one day out of the year to tell the special people in your life that you love them, go ahead and do it anyways...just remember to tell them every day after that. Much love to you all...
Yesterday I received my first ever Valentine card from my dad! This was a huge thing considering that my dad has NEVER sent me any card, whether it be for my birthday, Christmas, or Valentine's Day. It was a strange "phenomenon" that started a couple of years ago. It was a gradual progression. Started with my mom (of course!), then gifts for my brother-in-law (!), my sister, her kids, and now me. Better late than never! Lol! Seriously though, it was really nice to get a card from dear ole Pops. Being a card connoisseur that I am, I even had to check on the back and wouldn't you know it? Hallmark! I can just picture my dad at the Hallmark store amid all these Valentine card buyers trying to find that just-so-right card. Hahah, first my mom talking online via IM...and now my dad sending Valentine cards! Wow-they never cease to amaze me! Makes me miss them even more now...
Also talked to my sister (who btw, doesn't like my new blog skin- boo!). I've been complaining so much how I miss me some Pan De Sal bread and lo and behold, she just sent me a lil' care package! Yay! If I had it my way, I'd have some E Komo Mai, Akagi's, El Burrito, and Baskin Robbin's Mocha Blast (without the cinnamon!) shipped over, too. Oh man, was I feening for some real burritos or what?! Aside from Chevy's, they got their Chipotle's and Don Pablo's over here, but 'tisn't the same people...'tisn't the same. In any case, advanced thanks to my sis for sending some goodies and a lil' bit of home my way! Thanks a bunch- love and miss you! (*btw: a new blog skin is in the works!)
Just wanted to wish all of you a Happy Valentine's Day! Although it shouldn't take one day out of the year to tell the special people in your life that you love them, go ahead and do it anyways...just remember to tell them every day after that. Much love to you all...
Friday, February 13, 2004
Just Had To Share
When I wake up in the morning, I pretty much follow the same routine. Check school messages, eat brunch, go online, talk to some peeps, then buckle down and do some classwork. I had just put my away message on when I get a message from my bro in CA. So we chat a bit and then I notice my mom signs on. It was just a couple of weeks ago that I had IMed my dad for the first time. I wasn't even sure if he knew what instant messaging was! Heck, it's just cool that my parents have joined the online community like the rest of us! 'Twas funny 'cuz when I said hello to my dad, he started lecturing me about my car and my insurance. Yes, even how many miles away and online, my dad will find a way to lecture me!
So I say hello to my mom...and nothing. Hmmm...I'm thinking that she doesn't know what to do, but then she starts typing. I tell her some things here and there...and nothing! Hahaha! Then, all of a sudden, it's my dad typing saying that my mom called him over because she got all excited. He wrote that she's "never had an online conversation before." I think what makes it cute is that I can see my mom in my dad's office, sitting in the chair with her glasses falling off her nose, and wondering what the heck is this lil' screen popping up that has a note from me in MN! I can see her saying calling my dad over, " 'Ney, what's this?"
I didn't talk to my mom after that, but I joked to my dad that this was definitely a cheaper way of keeping in touch. In any case, I just had to share that because it made my day!
When I wake up in the morning, I pretty much follow the same routine. Check school messages, eat brunch, go online, talk to some peeps, then buckle down and do some classwork. I had just put my away message on when I get a message from my bro in CA. So we chat a bit and then I notice my mom signs on. It was just a couple of weeks ago that I had IMed my dad for the first time. I wasn't even sure if he knew what instant messaging was! Heck, it's just cool that my parents have joined the online community like the rest of us! 'Twas funny 'cuz when I said hello to my dad, he started lecturing me about my car and my insurance. Yes, even how many miles away and online, my dad will find a way to lecture me!
So I say hello to my mom...and nothing. Hmmm...I'm thinking that she doesn't know what to do, but then she starts typing. I tell her some things here and there...and nothing! Hahaha! Then, all of a sudden, it's my dad typing saying that my mom called him over because she got all excited. He wrote that she's "never had an online conversation before." I think what makes it cute is that I can see my mom in my dad's office, sitting in the chair with her glasses falling off her nose, and wondering what the heck is this lil' screen popping up that has a note from me in MN! I can see her saying calling my dad over, " 'Ney, what's this?"
I didn't talk to my mom after that, but I joked to my dad that this was definitely a cheaper way of keeping in touch. In any case, I just had to share that because it made my day!
Thursday, February 12, 2004
Waiting for Spring
Okay, that's it! I can't take it anymore! I'm sick and tired of all this damn snow! I seriously thought that I'd be able to hang with the hibernation thang, but nah uh, I'm done. Mother Nature must have some sick and twisted lil' mind. It's been about three and a half months too long in this fricken cold and I demand some warmer temperatures, dammit! I'm tired of having to bundle up, layer upon layer, and having my eyeballs freeze 'cuz that's the only body part that I cannot cover. If I stood out in the cold long enough, I'd probably develop some icicles hangin' from the tips of my eyelashes for goodness sake! I want the sun....badly. Sure doesn't help that when I talked to my mom, she was complaining about the warm weather da City has been getting lately AND Firemarshall J and RhoRho are headed to Hawai'i as we speak. 'Tisn't fair! I so long to see this snow melt away. In fact, all this white is losing its beauty. No, I take that back. It's still pretty. It's really breathtaking to see fresh fallen snow, but c'mon people, it's played out now...at least, to me. We've taken our pictures, we visited the Ice Palace on what turned out to be one of the COLDEST nights MN has had in a while, and we even made our snow angels (which btw, was FUN!).
Did I share about our trek to the Ice Palace on that bittercold night? People, it was SO cold, I swear, no jokes aside, I feared for my fingers. I seriously, honest to God thought I might lose my fingers to frostbite! I kept asking hubby what frostbite should feel like and well, let's just say the key word here is "feel." In fact, I couldn't "feel" anything! It killed me to see all these people in awe of the huge freezer we were all in. 'Cause that's what it was! The Ice Palace didn't quite impress me. Driving by, I admit, it looks cool amid the different colored lights. I mean, by golly, it's an ice palace built out of 27,000 blocks of ice cut from one of them thousands of lakes they got over here. That's 16 million pounds of ice, all built by volunteers in a "labor of love." But when we were walking through, it was like, "This is it?! We came out on the coldest night of winter (about -25 to -30 degrees) to see this?!" They had a "lights show," that is, if you call blasting country and polka music to different colored strobe lights a light show. The cold and the multicolors just gave me a headache (or it could've been the fear and pain of losing my frozen ear lobes...).
Some cool things we saw were the many ice sculptures. (I didn't know the Pinoys from the cruise lines were in town! 'Cause y'know, if you've ever been on a cruise, you'd know that all the ice sculptors are Pinoy....okay, ya'll didn't get that one...I'll be quiet now...) Some of the carvings were thrones where you can sit. Also, the many walls of the ice palace are covered in money. Yes, money! As in, pennies, nickels, dimes, didn't see too many quarters, and dollar bills. Ya'll know how we throw money into the fountains and make a wish? Well, apparently, they stick money on the ice to um, donate to the workers for a job well done? I don't know! Well, whatever they do it for, we had to do it, too! The major highlight of the whole thang has got to be the frozen fish we saw in one of the blocks of ice. I don't know the names of these fishes, but it was a "big" one chasing a "small" one. 'Twas a trip! It was blocked off by some rope so we weren't able to get a good pic of it. Boo. I was wondering who was goin' to take that home and grill it afterwards...y'know Pinoys, someone would've! Oh, I guess the other highlight was watching the zamboni driver re-shave the ice on the ice rink. That's always cool to watch, eh?
Considering that St. Paul hasn't built an ice palace in the last 12 years, hubby and I had to be there for the historic moment. But ya'll know what? Never again! Next time they build one, whether it's next year or 10 years from now, we're just gonna admire it from the warmth of our heated car as we drive by. Fricken -30 degrees out, people! We are not THAT crazy- I love all ten of my fingers too much, thank you. Freakin' Minnesotans...I guess if frolicking in the freezing temps is their thang, then it's their thang. It definitely ain't mine, that's for damn sure.
And If We Weren't Freezing Enough...
Driving home that night and rejoicing as blood continued its healthy circulation back to our fingers, hubby decides that we should play in the snow. So much snow had fallen that it'd be perfect to make snow angels. Yes, snow angels! I've never ever made one in my entire life and dammit, I wanted to make one. 'Course it's just ironic that we make them after coming home from the Ice Palace....after we've defrosted ourselves in the car with the heat on full-blast...and well, it's not as if the temps got any warmer! Plus, we just finished cursing the fact that we subjected ourselves to this bone numbing cold and now he wants to immerse our entire bodies in it?! Lol! The hell with it-why not?
Hubby parked outside our complex and we chose a good spot where we'd be able to see it from our living room window. You should've seen it. Untouched snow. Perfect. Pristine.
I took a step into the snow and let my body fall backward. It was SOOOO cold! So I start my swooshing- my arms, my legs, and all the while, I can feel the chill going through my clothes. 'Twas a good thing that I was wearing snow gear, else I would've been soaked. Hubby, on the other hand, was snow gear-less. Plus, I had this "bright" idea to make one nearest the entrance (so people would see it!). Little did we know that happened to be the deepest part! Once hubby let himself fall, omigoodness, he practically disappeared! But what a lil' kid at heart, there he was swooshing to his heart's content. When he got up, oh boy was he soaked or what?! Probably not a good thing to be wet and out in hella cold ass weather. It's probably a miracle we didn't get pneumonia!
But we made our snow angels! Whoo hoo! It was funny 'cuz for some reason, I couldn't stop laughing the entire time! I was freezing my butt off, but it really made me feel like a young'un again.
All snow angels aside...we did it, it's done. Can we have the sun now?
Okay, that's it! I can't take it anymore! I'm sick and tired of all this damn snow! I seriously thought that I'd be able to hang with the hibernation thang, but nah uh, I'm done. Mother Nature must have some sick and twisted lil' mind. It's been about three and a half months too long in this fricken cold and I demand some warmer temperatures, dammit! I'm tired of having to bundle up, layer upon layer, and having my eyeballs freeze 'cuz that's the only body part that I cannot cover. If I stood out in the cold long enough, I'd probably develop some icicles hangin' from the tips of my eyelashes for goodness sake! I want the sun....badly. Sure doesn't help that when I talked to my mom, she was complaining about the warm weather da City has been getting lately AND Firemarshall J and RhoRho are headed to Hawai'i as we speak. 'Tisn't fair! I so long to see this snow melt away. In fact, all this white is losing its beauty. No, I take that back. It's still pretty. It's really breathtaking to see fresh fallen snow, but c'mon people, it's played out now...at least, to me. We've taken our pictures, we visited the Ice Palace on what turned out to be one of the COLDEST nights MN has had in a while, and we even made our snow angels (which btw, was FUN!).
Did I share about our trek to the Ice Palace on that bittercold night? People, it was SO cold, I swear, no jokes aside, I feared for my fingers. I seriously, honest to God thought I might lose my fingers to frostbite! I kept asking hubby what frostbite should feel like and well, let's just say the key word here is "feel." In fact, I couldn't "feel" anything! It killed me to see all these people in awe of the huge freezer we were all in. 'Cause that's what it was! The Ice Palace didn't quite impress me. Driving by, I admit, it looks cool amid the different colored lights. I mean, by golly, it's an ice palace built out of 27,000 blocks of ice cut from one of them thousands of lakes they got over here. That's 16 million pounds of ice, all built by volunteers in a "labor of love." But when we were walking through, it was like, "This is it?! We came out on the coldest night of winter (about -25 to -30 degrees) to see this?!" They had a "lights show," that is, if you call blasting country and polka music to different colored strobe lights a light show. The cold and the multicolors just gave me a headache (or it could've been the fear and pain of losing my frozen ear lobes...).
Some cool things we saw were the many ice sculptures. (I didn't know the Pinoys from the cruise lines were in town! 'Cause y'know, if you've ever been on a cruise, you'd know that all the ice sculptors are Pinoy....okay, ya'll didn't get that one...I'll be quiet now...) Some of the carvings were thrones where you can sit. Also, the many walls of the ice palace are covered in money. Yes, money! As in, pennies, nickels, dimes, didn't see too many quarters, and dollar bills. Ya'll know how we throw money into the fountains and make a wish? Well, apparently, they stick money on the ice to um, donate to the workers for a job well done? I don't know! Well, whatever they do it for, we had to do it, too! The major highlight of the whole thang has got to be the frozen fish we saw in one of the blocks of ice. I don't know the names of these fishes, but it was a "big" one chasing a "small" one. 'Twas a trip! It was blocked off by some rope so we weren't able to get a good pic of it. Boo. I was wondering who was goin' to take that home and grill it afterwards...y'know Pinoys, someone would've! Oh, I guess the other highlight was watching the zamboni driver re-shave the ice on the ice rink. That's always cool to watch, eh?
Considering that St. Paul hasn't built an ice palace in the last 12 years, hubby and I had to be there for the historic moment. But ya'll know what? Never again! Next time they build one, whether it's next year or 10 years from now, we're just gonna admire it from the warmth of our heated car as we drive by. Fricken -30 degrees out, people! We are not THAT crazy- I love all ten of my fingers too much, thank you. Freakin' Minnesotans...I guess if frolicking in the freezing temps is their thang, then it's their thang. It definitely ain't mine, that's for damn sure.
And If We Weren't Freezing Enough...
Driving home that night and rejoicing as blood continued its healthy circulation back to our fingers, hubby decides that we should play in the snow. So much snow had fallen that it'd be perfect to make snow angels. Yes, snow angels! I've never ever made one in my entire life and dammit, I wanted to make one. 'Course it's just ironic that we make them after coming home from the Ice Palace....after we've defrosted ourselves in the car with the heat on full-blast...and well, it's not as if the temps got any warmer! Plus, we just finished cursing the fact that we subjected ourselves to this bone numbing cold and now he wants to immerse our entire bodies in it?! Lol! The hell with it-why not?
Hubby parked outside our complex and we chose a good spot where we'd be able to see it from our living room window. You should've seen it. Untouched snow. Perfect. Pristine.
I took a step into the snow and let my body fall backward. It was SOOOO cold! So I start my swooshing- my arms, my legs, and all the while, I can feel the chill going through my clothes. 'Twas a good thing that I was wearing snow gear, else I would've been soaked. Hubby, on the other hand, was snow gear-less. Plus, I had this "bright" idea to make one nearest the entrance (so people would see it!). Little did we know that happened to be the deepest part! Once hubby let himself fall, omigoodness, he practically disappeared! But what a lil' kid at heart, there he was swooshing to his heart's content. When he got up, oh boy was he soaked or what?! Probably not a good thing to be wet and out in hella cold ass weather. It's probably a miracle we didn't get pneumonia!
But we made our snow angels! Whoo hoo! It was funny 'cuz for some reason, I couldn't stop laughing the entire time! I was freezing my butt off, but it really made me feel like a young'un again.
All snow angels aside...we did it, it's done. Can we have the sun now?
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Men of Honor
I was browsing about reading other peoples' blogs and then from there, checking out their friend's blogs and so on. Y'know, kinda like that six degrees of separation thang. Anyways, I ran across the blog of old friend of mine, Dr. C, who had an interesting link to "The Flavor Online," (Your source of Pinoy culture). To make a long story short, there was an article and pics of a certain monument down in Kissimmee, Florida. It's actually one of the few memorials dedicated to the men, Filipinos and Americans, of the Bataan Death March of World War ll. For those who aren't quite familiar with the history of the Philippines, click here to check out. There are a couple of photos of the memorial, too.
I actually have a Lolo, my mom's uncle, who was one of those lucky souls to have survived the Death March. The one thing that I'll always remember when I was a kid is the story of how Lolo Buddy lost one of his fingers. He had fought against the Japanese in World War ll and he would recount his story to the kids about how a "gorilla" from the jungles bit his finger off. I thought that was the scariest thing! But as I got older and started to really listen to stories of the war, it hit me- it wasn't a gorilla, as in a big hairy animal...it was a "guerilla!" Then, back in college, PACE had invited a couple who wrote individually and were trying to publicize their books. The wife wrote about life in the Philippines and the husband wrote about the Bataan Death March. He, himself, was a survivor of that arduous and hellish journey and I remember that there wasn't a dry eye in the room as he told us stories of his close friends who weren't as lucky as he was. For the life of me, I can't remember the titles of the books and I'm a bit upset that I can't find them within my own library of books. I do remember that the last name of the wife was Cayugan. I'm positive that Arkipelago Books will have these books, but once I find them, I will post them up. Talk about small world, the wife happens to be a relative of one of my mom's 2nd or 3rd cousins. I don't exactly know how, but it was cool to see the connection somehow.
In any case, check out the link and read up about the memorial. It's truly a piece of our history that all Pinoys and Pinays should know about.
I was browsing about reading other peoples' blogs and then from there, checking out their friend's blogs and so on. Y'know, kinda like that six degrees of separation thang. Anyways, I ran across the blog of old friend of mine, Dr. C, who had an interesting link to "The Flavor Online," (Your source of Pinoy culture). To make a long story short, there was an article and pics of a certain monument down in Kissimmee, Florida. It's actually one of the few memorials dedicated to the men, Filipinos and Americans, of the Bataan Death March of World War ll. For those who aren't quite familiar with the history of the Philippines, click here to check out. There are a couple of photos of the memorial, too.
I actually have a Lolo, my mom's uncle, who was one of those lucky souls to have survived the Death March. The one thing that I'll always remember when I was a kid is the story of how Lolo Buddy lost one of his fingers. He had fought against the Japanese in World War ll and he would recount his story to the kids about how a "gorilla" from the jungles bit his finger off. I thought that was the scariest thing! But as I got older and started to really listen to stories of the war, it hit me- it wasn't a gorilla, as in a big hairy animal...it was a "guerilla!" Then, back in college, PACE had invited a couple who wrote individually and were trying to publicize their books. The wife wrote about life in the Philippines and the husband wrote about the Bataan Death March. He, himself, was a survivor of that arduous and hellish journey and I remember that there wasn't a dry eye in the room as he told us stories of his close friends who weren't as lucky as he was. For the life of me, I can't remember the titles of the books and I'm a bit upset that I can't find them within my own library of books. I do remember that the last name of the wife was Cayugan. I'm positive that Arkipelago Books will have these books, but once I find them, I will post them up. Talk about small world, the wife happens to be a relative of one of my mom's 2nd or 3rd cousins. I don't exactly know how, but it was cool to see the connection somehow.
In any case, check out the link and read up about the memorial. It's truly a piece of our history that all Pinoys and Pinays should know about.
Monday, February 09, 2004
The Right Decision
Last week, I got an email to "save the date" for an upcoming baptism in CA. It came from one of my college girlfriends, who btw, happens to be one of my best friends from back in da day. Last year when she found out that she was expecting her second child, she asked me to be a ninang. Although I was flattered and honored, I was also surprised that she asked me. Surprised because ever since about 4-5 years ago, our friendship began its "downward spiral." Coincidentally or not, it just so happened around the time I started dating hubby. Was it as dramatic as it seems? Probably. Depends which side of the story you'd like to hear. Personally, I'm tired of the whole thing- the arguments, misunderstandings, miscommunications, and the pride. There comes a time in your life when you know enough is enough. Sometimes we're hit with the reality that the things we feel worth fighting for, well...aren't. It all comes down to choosing your battles wisely. In any case and all that aside, we have pretty much gone our separate ways and moved on in our lives-without each other.
Now whether or not it was her attempt to "reach out," it wasn't enough. From the moment that she asked me, we kept in touch once, maybe twice. Although I don't want to count them, those times probably include Evites and the mass emails that announce email address changes. Don't get me wrong, we can be civil and have the small talk conversations about nothing, but we all know that's just being polite. The last time that I saw her was at our friend's father's funeral. Funerals are always strange and uncomfortable reunions of sorts, aren't they? It's unfortunate that it takes a death to bring people back together. We talked, hugged, and even cried together. And that's the time that I saw her last.
Well, the "save the date" was addressed to myself and some other godparents. I was shocked that I even received one! I mean, she didn't have to send me one. Being all the way out in the Midwest, I would've never known, right? I had thought it strange when my sister called me one day to tell me that she ran into her at the mall and she introduced her son as MnM's godson. Hmm. Weird. At the time, I don't think I even knew the kid's name. Since she was so kind to still extend the invitation, I knew that I had to reply back.
I probably sat at my laptop for an hour or so before finding the right words that would convey how I was feeling. Ultimately, it came down to me "respectfully declining my duties as ninang." I had thought about this for some time, but never did anything about it 'cuz honestly, I thought the baptism happened already. Turns out that it's going to be a joint baptism/1st birthday party celebration.
I chose to decline because the chances of me being around to see this kid grow up and for him to get to know me is, well, very unlikely. I didn't want to be one of those godparents who just send birthday cards. It's important for me to at least have a close relationship with the parents. I actually have 5 godchildren-two of which I rarely see even though the parents are my 1st cousins. Maybe what I'm saying is that there's an exception in there somewhere when it comes to being ninang to family members. Ninang or not, I'm still their auntie, you know? But when it comes to being a ninang outside the family, it doesn't sit well with me to be a ninang in name only. Plus, all the drama from the past has never been resolved and it didn't feel right. I took it upon myself to excuse myself, not out of bitterness or resentment of any kind, but rather because I felt that the child deserved someone who would be there for him. I cannot do that, not just because I'm in MN, but because there's still that uncertainty within the friendship.
I've come to terms with the fading friendships of my past, although it took me a helluva long time. Call it my dramas, my struggles, my issues, my whatever. Despite everything, I feel that I did the right thing and made the right decision.
Last week, I got an email to "save the date" for an upcoming baptism in CA. It came from one of my college girlfriends, who btw, happens to be one of my best friends from back in da day. Last year when she found out that she was expecting her second child, she asked me to be a ninang. Although I was flattered and honored, I was also surprised that she asked me. Surprised because ever since about 4-5 years ago, our friendship began its "downward spiral." Coincidentally or not, it just so happened around the time I started dating hubby. Was it as dramatic as it seems? Probably. Depends which side of the story you'd like to hear. Personally, I'm tired of the whole thing- the arguments, misunderstandings, miscommunications, and the pride. There comes a time in your life when you know enough is enough. Sometimes we're hit with the reality that the things we feel worth fighting for, well...aren't. It all comes down to choosing your battles wisely. In any case and all that aside, we have pretty much gone our separate ways and moved on in our lives-without each other.
Now whether or not it was her attempt to "reach out," it wasn't enough. From the moment that she asked me, we kept in touch once, maybe twice. Although I don't want to count them, those times probably include Evites and the mass emails that announce email address changes. Don't get me wrong, we can be civil and have the small talk conversations about nothing, but we all know that's just being polite. The last time that I saw her was at our friend's father's funeral. Funerals are always strange and uncomfortable reunions of sorts, aren't they? It's unfortunate that it takes a death to bring people back together. We talked, hugged, and even cried together. And that's the time that I saw her last.
Well, the "save the date" was addressed to myself and some other godparents. I was shocked that I even received one! I mean, she didn't have to send me one. Being all the way out in the Midwest, I would've never known, right? I had thought it strange when my sister called me one day to tell me that she ran into her at the mall and she introduced her son as MnM's godson. Hmm. Weird. At the time, I don't think I even knew the kid's name. Since she was so kind to still extend the invitation, I knew that I had to reply back.
I probably sat at my laptop for an hour or so before finding the right words that would convey how I was feeling. Ultimately, it came down to me "respectfully declining my duties as ninang." I had thought about this for some time, but never did anything about it 'cuz honestly, I thought the baptism happened already. Turns out that it's going to be a joint baptism/1st birthday party celebration.
I chose to decline because the chances of me being around to see this kid grow up and for him to get to know me is, well, very unlikely. I didn't want to be one of those godparents who just send birthday cards. It's important for me to at least have a close relationship with the parents. I actually have 5 godchildren-two of which I rarely see even though the parents are my 1st cousins. Maybe what I'm saying is that there's an exception in there somewhere when it comes to being ninang to family members. Ninang or not, I'm still their auntie, you know? But when it comes to being a ninang outside the family, it doesn't sit well with me to be a ninang in name only. Plus, all the drama from the past has never been resolved and it didn't feel right. I took it upon myself to excuse myself, not out of bitterness or resentment of any kind, but rather because I felt that the child deserved someone who would be there for him. I cannot do that, not just because I'm in MN, but because there's still that uncertainty within the friendship.
I've come to terms with the fading friendships of my past, although it took me a helluva long time. Call it my dramas, my struggles, my issues, my whatever. Despite everything, I feel that I did the right thing and made the right decision.
Saturday, February 07, 2004
Movie Marathon
Beginning Friday, it seems that I have been on this mission to watch as many dvd's as I could. It's nice to be able to afford the time to lounge around the house without any worries. God, I need a job! I've got a mini-break from my online classes and I suppose I'm just trying to catch up on my dvd-time. 'Course I had to have my supply of kleenex nearby 'cuz it ain't a movie without the tears. Here's the list of what I've popped in during the past couple of days:
* Fighting Temptations
* Under the Tuscan Sun
* League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
* Sweet Home Alabama
* The Rock
I especially enjoyed "Under the Tuscan Sun." It's funny how we can all find parallels in movies and relate it to our own lives, isn't it? I think I had mentioned this before, but it's true. This particular story is about a woman and the decisions that she makes as she tries to rebuild her life after a series of bad sh*t in her life. We often think that life is so unfair, but the truth of the matter is that we have to go through some of the hellish times in order to achieve the better and best times. Things don't come easy, we all know that. But other things require more time, patience, and a series of wrong choices that will ultimately lead us to the best decisions of our life. It's like we're all given second chances when given the opportunity to "start over."
Moving to Minnesota IS like starting over with a semi-new and fresh slate. Sure I miss da City, my family, friends, and everything California, but this was a choice to come out here. The positives of this move outweigh the negatives. Not to say that I've left my life completely behind in CA, but I'm given the fortunate chance to start another here in MN. Out here, there's no living in and behind shadows of other people. I'm not known for my parents' prestigious reputation in the community nor am I expected to fulfill certain expectations because of the family name. Here, I'm just me. The moment has come for me to face the world, have true independence, and start living, really living, my life. Aside from God and hubby, there's no one left to depend upon except myself. And that, my friends, is truly liberating.
Beginning Friday, it seems that I have been on this mission to watch as many dvd's as I could. It's nice to be able to afford the time to lounge around the house without any worries. God, I need a job! I've got a mini-break from my online classes and I suppose I'm just trying to catch up on my dvd-time. 'Course I had to have my supply of kleenex nearby 'cuz it ain't a movie without the tears. Here's the list of what I've popped in during the past couple of days:
* Fighting Temptations
* Under the Tuscan Sun
* League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
* Sweet Home Alabama
* The Rock
I especially enjoyed "Under the Tuscan Sun." It's funny how we can all find parallels in movies and relate it to our own lives, isn't it? I think I had mentioned this before, but it's true. This particular story is about a woman and the decisions that she makes as she tries to rebuild her life after a series of bad sh*t in her life. We often think that life is so unfair, but the truth of the matter is that we have to go through some of the hellish times in order to achieve the better and best times. Things don't come easy, we all know that. But other things require more time, patience, and a series of wrong choices that will ultimately lead us to the best decisions of our life. It's like we're all given second chances when given the opportunity to "start over."
Moving to Minnesota IS like starting over with a semi-new and fresh slate. Sure I miss da City, my family, friends, and everything California, but this was a choice to come out here. The positives of this move outweigh the negatives. Not to say that I've left my life completely behind in CA, but I'm given the fortunate chance to start another here in MN. Out here, there's no living in and behind shadows of other people. I'm not known for my parents' prestigious reputation in the community nor am I expected to fulfill certain expectations because of the family name. Here, I'm just me. The moment has come for me to face the world, have true independence, and start living, really living, my life. Aside from God and hubby, there's no one left to depend upon except myself. And that, my friends, is truly liberating.
Friday, February 06, 2004
MnM Has Been Punk'd
It has come to my attention that I had been a victim of a prank, an MTV style "Punk'd," just without all the lights, cameras, and Ashton making a surprise appearance. Boo. That would've made it so much better, y'know? And plus, if the one doing the punking (the "punk-er") read the fine print of exactly how to pull one off successfully, the many hours and nights of cursing and venting could've been avoided. But no. Call it a punk gone wrong. Instead of a few hours or even the 30-minutes that it takes to show one episode of "Punk'd," this particular one lasted two weeks. Two fricken' weeks. Now, I have had my share of jokes pulled on me before (being born on April Fool's and all...), but this has to take the cake.
So one of my friends (who shall remain nameless to save him any more guilt!) called me up two weeks ago to tell me he got engaged. Now as happy as I would've been under any other circumstances (and ya'll know how much I love weddings!), He-who-shall-not-be-named has only known his little flower for a few months. I'm not saying that it's not impossible for two people to realize that they are perfect for each other and want to live the rest of their lives together after only a short period of time. It IS possible! In fact, I do think that they have finally found their other half, their "soul mate" in each other and I'm genuinely happy for them. BUT, when so-and-so calls me practically everyday from the time they first met to when he became "sprung" wondering what his next step should be, I would think that he'd heed my advice of going slow. Does he? Of course not. To actually follow any of my words of advice (or anyone else's for that matter) would be totally going against his whole persona....'cuz He-who-shall-not-be-named HAS to do what his gut says. It isn't a terribly bad thing to go with that gut feeling, but with his track record, let's just say he's no stranger to my "I told you so's."
The news of the engagement makes my jaw drop to the floor and I literally had to sit down. Instead of the normal congratulations I should have uttered, the first thing out of my mouth was, "You are sh*tting me!" He-who-shall-not-be-named continued to tell his story, how he proposed, how she accepted, etc, all the while I'm sitting there, stunned and speechless...something I rarely am.
I finally talked to He-who-shall-not-be-named and he tells me that he has a "confession" to make. Turns out that the engagement was a fake. WTF? So what you're telling me is that I got heated for NOTHING, thinking that this fool never listens to me and in my eyes was making a rash decision based on being sprung?! Turns out that this lil' prank of his was only supposed to last a couple of days. But things came up and it slipped his mind. Slipped his mind. Great. Even Ashton wouldn't let it slip his mind. 'Course, this is where the prank went wrong. Now ya'll gotta understand that I've known He-who-shall-not-be-named for 10 years. 10 YEARS! I've been there and seen what he's gone through and honestly, I'm just trying to watch my homie's back. But for this dude to pull this kind of prank on ME?!Nah uh. That ain't cool. Fo' reals.
Okay, so MnM has been punk'd. Ha ha. The jokes over. But y'know what? I ain't laughing. Not yet anyways. I'm sure that I'll look back at this and laugh my ass off at how ridiculously silly and foolish it was of He-who-shall-not-be-named to pull a fast one on me. Homie may be thinking, "Yes, I got her! I got her good!"But it's not without the consequences, my friend. Not without the consequences. Payback time will come...just you wait and see.
All I gotta say is "Jonathan, aka JP and Firemarshall J, you messin' with the wrong person! You're lucky that I'm so damn forgiving! Truth be told...you suck!"
Now that's off my chest...I DO feel better. Thanks J! Hoo-sah! *evil smile*
It has come to my attention that I had been a victim of a prank, an MTV style "Punk'd," just without all the lights, cameras, and Ashton making a surprise appearance. Boo. That would've made it so much better, y'know? And plus, if the one doing the punking (the "punk-er") read the fine print of exactly how to pull one off successfully, the many hours and nights of cursing and venting could've been avoided. But no. Call it a punk gone wrong. Instead of a few hours or even the 30-minutes that it takes to show one episode of "Punk'd," this particular one lasted two weeks. Two fricken' weeks. Now, I have had my share of jokes pulled on me before (being born on April Fool's and all...), but this has to take the cake.
So one of my friends (who shall remain nameless to save him any more guilt!) called me up two weeks ago to tell me he got engaged. Now as happy as I would've been under any other circumstances (and ya'll know how much I love weddings!), He-who-shall-not-be-named has only known his little flower for a few months. I'm not saying that it's not impossible for two people to realize that they are perfect for each other and want to live the rest of their lives together after only a short period of time. It IS possible! In fact, I do think that they have finally found their other half, their "soul mate" in each other and I'm genuinely happy for them. BUT, when so-and-so calls me practically everyday from the time they first met to when he became "sprung" wondering what his next step should be, I would think that he'd heed my advice of going slow. Does he? Of course not. To actually follow any of my words of advice (or anyone else's for that matter) would be totally going against his whole persona....'cuz He-who-shall-not-be-named HAS to do what his gut says. It isn't a terribly bad thing to go with that gut feeling, but with his track record, let's just say he's no stranger to my "I told you so's."
The news of the engagement makes my jaw drop to the floor and I literally had to sit down. Instead of the normal congratulations I should have uttered, the first thing out of my mouth was, "You are sh*tting me!" He-who-shall-not-be-named continued to tell his story, how he proposed, how she accepted, etc, all the while I'm sitting there, stunned and speechless...something I rarely am.
I finally talked to He-who-shall-not-be-named and he tells me that he has a "confession" to make. Turns out that the engagement was a fake. WTF? So what you're telling me is that I got heated for NOTHING, thinking that this fool never listens to me and in my eyes was making a rash decision based on being sprung?! Turns out that this lil' prank of his was only supposed to last a couple of days. But things came up and it slipped his mind. Slipped his mind. Great. Even Ashton wouldn't let it slip his mind. 'Course, this is where the prank went wrong. Now ya'll gotta understand that I've known He-who-shall-not-be-named for 10 years. 10 YEARS! I've been there and seen what he's gone through and honestly, I'm just trying to watch my homie's back. But for this dude to pull this kind of prank on ME?!Nah uh. That ain't cool. Fo' reals.
Okay, so MnM has been punk'd. Ha ha. The jokes over. But y'know what? I ain't laughing. Not yet anyways. I'm sure that I'll look back at this and laugh my ass off at how ridiculously silly and foolish it was of He-who-shall-not-be-named to pull a fast one on me. Homie may be thinking, "Yes, I got her! I got her good!"But it's not without the consequences, my friend. Not without the consequences. Payback time will come...just you wait and see.
All I gotta say is "Jonathan, aka JP and Firemarshall J, you messin' with the wrong person! You're lucky that I'm so damn forgiving! Truth be told...you suck!"
Now that's off my chest...I DO feel better. Thanks J! Hoo-sah! *evil smile*
Monday, February 02, 2004
Weather Update
It's been snowing non-stop for the past 30-something hours. The cars parked outside are almost completely covered. When I stand in front of the balcony glass doors in our bedroom, the snow comes up to my knees. The roads are still dangerously slippery. Snowplows can be heard all day trying to clear the streets, only to come by again for repeat performances and according to the news, we received about 10-12 inches since yesterday.
On the plus side, it's only about 19 degrees out and they say the snow is going to let up a bit and allow the sun to shine tomorrow. Maybe hubby and I will get a chance to visit the Ice Palace before they close down next week. Check out the cool pics on the link.
Superbowl Whoa!
I am not a huge fan of either the Patriots or the Panthers, but nevertheless, along with the millions of other people across the country, tuned into yesterday's Superbowl XXXVIII. 'Course, all I wanted to see were the cool commercials...the ones that paid $2.3 million for 30 seconds. Damn. Although I wasn't so impressed with this year's lineup of commercials, turned out that we all got much more than we bargained for during the half time show! Can we just say "boobage?!" It's funny to read all the news stories about the accidental-or-was-it-really exposure of Janet Jackson's boob. Could it be coincidence that her latest album comes out this week? I think not! Well whatever the case may be, accident or not, it's definitely created a media frenzy over the whole thang. Now in case you happened to blink at the exact moment this incident occured (which MnM DID!), take a quick trip to Voodoo's blog to see what you missed. Hey, how does that thingy stay on anyways?
It's been snowing non-stop for the past 30-something hours. The cars parked outside are almost completely covered. When I stand in front of the balcony glass doors in our bedroom, the snow comes up to my knees. The roads are still dangerously slippery. Snowplows can be heard all day trying to clear the streets, only to come by again for repeat performances and according to the news, we received about 10-12 inches since yesterday.
On the plus side, it's only about 19 degrees out and they say the snow is going to let up a bit and allow the sun to shine tomorrow. Maybe hubby and I will get a chance to visit the Ice Palace before they close down next week. Check out the cool pics on the link.
Superbowl Whoa!
I am not a huge fan of either the Patriots or the Panthers, but nevertheless, along with the millions of other people across the country, tuned into yesterday's Superbowl XXXVIII. 'Course, all I wanted to see were the cool commercials...the ones that paid $2.3 million for 30 seconds. Damn. Although I wasn't so impressed with this year's lineup of commercials, turned out that we all got much more than we bargained for during the half time show! Can we just say "boobage?!" It's funny to read all the news stories about the accidental-or-was-it-really exposure of Janet Jackson's boob. Could it be coincidence that her latest album comes out this week? I think not! Well whatever the case may be, accident or not, it's definitely created a media frenzy over the whole thang. Now in case you happened to blink at the exact moment this incident occured (which MnM DID!), take a quick trip to Voodoo's blog to see what you missed. Hey, how does that thingy stay on anyways?
Sunday, February 01, 2004
I Wish...
I wish that ya'll can see just how beautiful it is outside. The freshly fallen snow laying untouched doesn't seem real until you step into it. Not quite a blizzard or any sort of major snow storm, the snow falls gently coating everything it touches in white. The snow fills every crevice and crack, packs itself onto the branches of the trees and rooftops, and creates a perfect occasion to stay indoors.
Surprisingly, it isn't that cold. We're at a cool 18 degrees. The last 82 hours had us and the entire state of Minnesota in below zero temps. Apparently, it was too cold to snow!
But as much as we wanted to stay underneath the warmth of our IKEA down comforter, 'tis church day today. Hubby flipped the blinds in our room to find the entire preserve behind our apartment completely white. We went to the living room to check the parking lot and all I could say is, "Wow!" No snowplows had come through yet and no tire tracks had been made. After the whole awe of the postcard picture perfect sight, we came to a major halt (think cartoon car screeching...). Hold up...as pretty as it is out, we gotta go out in it! Aw man...
We got ready for church, making sure we had them thermals tightly tucked in, and just prayed that we'd get to our destination safely. Just as we thought, even the freeways had not been plowed. The roads were slippery...oh, were they slippery! It always makes me nervous whenever we drive in fresh snow. The only feeling I had was the knot inside my stomach, holding my breath as we inched our way down the on-ramp. Doesn't help that the Lex isn't quite built for snow and plus, there's all these drivers who lose all sense of speed, as in going too fast than conditions allow. Cars spun here and there, ours included, and just made my entire body tense.
Lil' Brats
Since our move to MN, I told myself that I would make an effort to get more involved, whether it be for church or with the community via folk dancing. On Saturdays, I've been helping out the PSA (Philippine Students Associaton) at the University of Minnesota with their upcoming fashion show. They want to showcase a few dances from the motherland and I'm there to teach them dances such as Pandanngo Sa Ilaw/Oasioas and Binasuan. It's cool. I feel transported back to my college PACE days, but hanging out with these 19-year olds reminds me how old I really am. It's going to the big 3-0 this year, people...good Lord!
Anyways, I've decided to volunteer my time at church working with the little kids. I feel like I've been outta the loop since I haven't been working and what better way to get back into it? There is a portion of the service where the kids go to the front while an auntie teaches them a quick lesson. Just looking at the group of kids, 3/4 of the rugrats ain't even paying attention. They then proceed to go into a sideroom to continue the lesson and draw to their heart's content. Hahaha, well, what the heck did I get myself into?! Those kids, those rugrats, those monsters were the most hyper and uncontrolled kids I've ever been in the same room with! Now today was going to be my "observation" day, y'know, just to see what it is they do while the adults do their thang and worship. But I soon learned that my tasks included getting them to stay in their seats, stop playing with their toys, and listen....which, btw, seemed completely impossible. Now ya'll might be saying, "You were a teacher, for goodness sake!" Yes, I was. BUT, I had rules, procedures, and a no tolerance rule of speaking and/or fooling around when the teacher is speaking. There were reasons why my class was organized and deemed "well-behaved" by other teachers. But as much as I want to get involved with the church, I don't think I can hang. The children range from 2-7 years old...NOT the age group I prefer to work with.
Now perhaps the term "monsters" may have been too harsh, but when you get hit by a kid because you rightfully take something away, oooohhhhh.....'twas about self-control on my part to lay down the law, fo' reals. They're not my students, I know, but if someone, ANYONE were to teach them how to listen and be polite to each other including their own parents, well shoot, our time with them would go much smoother. But that's just me. Was I tired after that hour an a half with them? Dude...those lil' brats wore me out. I definitely have to pray about this. Do me a favor and pray for it, too. Much love...
I wish that ya'll can see just how beautiful it is outside. The freshly fallen snow laying untouched doesn't seem real until you step into it. Not quite a blizzard or any sort of major snow storm, the snow falls gently coating everything it touches in white. The snow fills every crevice and crack, packs itself onto the branches of the trees and rooftops, and creates a perfect occasion to stay indoors.
Surprisingly, it isn't that cold. We're at a cool 18 degrees. The last 82 hours had us and the entire state of Minnesota in below zero temps. Apparently, it was too cold to snow!
But as much as we wanted to stay underneath the warmth of our IKEA down comforter, 'tis church day today. Hubby flipped the blinds in our room to find the entire preserve behind our apartment completely white. We went to the living room to check the parking lot and all I could say is, "Wow!" No snowplows had come through yet and no tire tracks had been made. After the whole awe of the postcard picture perfect sight, we came to a major halt (think cartoon car screeching...). Hold up...as pretty as it is out, we gotta go out in it! Aw man...
We got ready for church, making sure we had them thermals tightly tucked in, and just prayed that we'd get to our destination safely. Just as we thought, even the freeways had not been plowed. The roads were slippery...oh, were they slippery! It always makes me nervous whenever we drive in fresh snow. The only feeling I had was the knot inside my stomach, holding my breath as we inched our way down the on-ramp. Doesn't help that the Lex isn't quite built for snow and plus, there's all these drivers who lose all sense of speed, as in going too fast than conditions allow. Cars spun here and there, ours included, and just made my entire body tense.
Lil' Brats
Since our move to MN, I told myself that I would make an effort to get more involved, whether it be for church or with the community via folk dancing. On Saturdays, I've been helping out the PSA (Philippine Students Associaton) at the University of Minnesota with their upcoming fashion show. They want to showcase a few dances from the motherland and I'm there to teach them dances such as Pandanngo Sa Ilaw/Oasioas and Binasuan. It's cool. I feel transported back to my college PACE days, but hanging out with these 19-year olds reminds me how old I really am. It's going to the big 3-0 this year, people...good Lord!
Anyways, I've decided to volunteer my time at church working with the little kids. I feel like I've been outta the loop since I haven't been working and what better way to get back into it? There is a portion of the service where the kids go to the front while an auntie teaches them a quick lesson. Just looking at the group of kids, 3/4 of the rugrats ain't even paying attention. They then proceed to go into a sideroom to continue the lesson and draw to their heart's content. Hahaha, well, what the heck did I get myself into?! Those kids, those rugrats, those monsters were the most hyper and uncontrolled kids I've ever been in the same room with! Now today was going to be my "observation" day, y'know, just to see what it is they do while the adults do their thang and worship. But I soon learned that my tasks included getting them to stay in their seats, stop playing with their toys, and listen....which, btw, seemed completely impossible. Now ya'll might be saying, "You were a teacher, for goodness sake!" Yes, I was. BUT, I had rules, procedures, and a no tolerance rule of speaking and/or fooling around when the teacher is speaking. There were reasons why my class was organized and deemed "well-behaved" by other teachers. But as much as I want to get involved with the church, I don't think I can hang. The children range from 2-7 years old...NOT the age group I prefer to work with.
Now perhaps the term "monsters" may have been too harsh, but when you get hit by a kid because you rightfully take something away, oooohhhhh.....'twas about self-control on my part to lay down the law, fo' reals. They're not my students, I know, but if someone, ANYONE were to teach them how to listen and be polite to each other including their own parents, well shoot, our time with them would go much smoother. But that's just me. Was I tired after that hour an a half with them? Dude...those lil' brats wore me out. I definitely have to pray about this. Do me a favor and pray for it, too. Much love...
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